What chilled the black-clad elder even further was that Zong Hua's body had not collapsed, even after enduring such intense combat!

A slight breeze swept past, and the Thunderwing Sword in Zong Shou's hand suddenly shattered into pieces. The borrowed True Qi and Soul Power dissipated entirely. Zong Shou himself lost his support and plummeted towards the ground.

Wei Xu slightly pursed his lips and immediately ascended into the air, catching Zong Shou's body mid-fall. Without needing to look, he knew the young fellow must have completely passed out.

To have held out until now had already far exceeded his expectations.

Although he had previously used a spiritual technique to protect Zong Shou’s body from dissolving, Wei Xu remained uneasy and checked the young man’s pulse. Only after a moment did his worry subside.

Yet, his thoughts churned like a tide: Junior Brother, Junior Brother, do you realize that today, even your integration of Sword Intent and Spirit-Martial Unity, was far less astonishing to me than that final sword strike?

The strong do not yield; they are indomitable. It is in the direst straits that one's true quality is revealed.

To rely on no one, to single-handedly break through the barrier between man and heaven, to carve a broad avenue through a field littered with thorns and ravines.

Facing utter annihilation, yet casting aside life and death to perish together with the enemy, only to unleash a strike so far beyond his current level!

Zong Shou might not yet be called a true powerhouse, but his spirit was undeniably immense!

Great innate talent, compared to ordinary people, certainly offers overwhelming advantages. But without a matching will and state of mind, one will ultimately fade into obscurity.

Thus, whether it was the fusion of Sword Intent or the unity of Spirit and Martial power, none surprised him as much as that final sword.

He had truly gained immensely this time! Gained a priceless treasure for their Cangsheng Dao!

That Master of the Sword Sect would surely regret his actions!

The black-clad elder watched the two figures from afar. The thought of slaying Zong Shou and eliminating the future threat flashed through his mind only for an instant before he hesitated no longer, turning to flee, his figure streaking away at incredible speed, covering a hundred li in a moment. Wei Xu paid him no mind. With a slight raising of his hand, he cast several spiritual spells into Zong Shou’s body, then inserted several golden needles to seal Zong Shou’s vital acupoints.

Only when Zong Shou’s body was largely unharmed and free of future complications did he raise his head to look at the receding figure.

His brow arched, his eyes revealing a cold sneer.

"Who permitted you to leave?"

As the words left his mouth, the entire plain, centered on Wei Xu, began to freeze. In a single breath, the frost expanded a hundred li outward!

The black-clad elder's figure froze abruptly in mid-air, without question. Then, the entire world suddenly shifted. A scorching sun blazed overhead, illuminating a vista of ten thousand li of yellow sand below, intensely hot.

The black-clad elder’s mind swam in confusion, and he instantly felt as if he could not move even a single finger.

His aged face began to contort violently.

"Heaven and Earth Illusion? You are an Immortal Realm expert!"

He should have realized sooner—only with such power could one 'borrow' even a tiny bit of strength to enable the Innate Realm Zong Shou to contend against him, leaping ten cultivation tiers. Then he realized something was amiss; he recalled that within the Cangsheng Dao, only one person used the Great Sun Sword Intent.

The black-clad elder's heart trembled once more, deep despair flowing through his chest.

"You are Wei Xu! The Great Sun Blade Saint from eight thousand years ago, the Sovereign of Cangsheng Dao, Wei Xu!"

"Correct. A pity, but I cannot let you live!" Wei Xu laughed softly. He made no move; the blazing sun in the sky simply sent down a stream of blade light, instantly turning the old man's body into black charcoal, which then crumbled into black dust.

With near nonchalance, without expending any effort, he erased this Martial Venerable expert. Wei Xu was about to step forward and return to the peak of Profound Mountain, but he suddenly paused, looking not far away.

Zong Shou’s Thunderwing Sword had shattered, but the Thunderwing Sun Serpent had not vanished with it. Though its size had shrunk drastically, it was still three hundred zhang long, coiling and weaving in the air. It seemed bound by a lingering obsession, circling around him and Zong Shou, unwilling to dissipate.

"It actually advanced? The Soul Beast body has regained its sentience—"

Wei Xu’s brow lifted in profound surprise. With a casual wave, he grasped the Thunderwing Sun Serpent.

When fully extended, this thunderous serpent was immense. But when Wei Xu reached for it, it shrank into a small snake shape, wriggling between his fingers. At this moment, the beast should have belonged to the category of Chi Mei, yet it possessed no Yin nature, but was instead intensely Yang. Wei Xu probed lightly and understood the reason.

Zong Shou’s fusion of his Raging Thunder Sword Intent with Wei Xu’s Great Sun Sword Intent, coupled with his unyielding will during the fierce battle, had somehow stimulated the core of this Thunderwing Sun Serpent. The compatible attributes perfectly compensated for the inherent flaws in the soul beast's origin, and by absorbing some of Zong Shou’s blood, it achieved sublimation.

Even though it was only around the Fifth Tier when alive, this Thunderwing Sun Serpent had leaped to the peak of the Sixth Tier after this battle.

"A connection of heart and mind, a naturally protective guardian? Heh, truly a magnificent fortune. If so, what harm is there in furthering your development—"

Whether he was marveling at the serpent's fate or sighing over Zong Shou's luck, Wei Xu did not ponder it deeply. He flicked three drops of cyan-blue liquid in succession, striking the Thunderwing Sun Serpent's body.

Instantly, the spirit of the thunder serpent strengthened, and its body became more substantial. The flickering purple lightning grew denser. With another wave of his hand, Wei Xu temporarily stored it in his sleeve, and then collected the Nine-Lin Sword as well.

When this sword rested in his hand, a smile returned to his face: "Descendant of Wanxiangzi? Interesting!"

Then, with a single step in the air, he returned to the peak of Profound Mountain.

As soon as he stood firm, he saw Xuanyuan Yiren running toward him, tears welling in her eyes. She wanted to take Zong Shou, but when she looked at Wei Xu, a hint of reverence and hesitation flashed across her features, preventing her from approaching.

Wei Xu couldn't help but pout; he had no interest in continuing to hold another man. With a casual toss, he sent Zong Shou’s body to Xuanyuan Yiren.

Instead, his gaze was sharp and intense, fixed upon Xuanyuan Tong: "Cheng Gui, since you know of Spirit-Martial Unity, you must know this matter is no small thing. There have been only one or two people in this world with such innate talent. Once word spreads, it will inevitably cause chaos. Why did you force him to use it today?"

Xuanyuan Tong’s body stiffened slightly; he sensed the firm intent emanating from the young man in scholarly robes. He knew that if his answer today did not satisfy his counterpart, the consequences could be dire.

Fortunately, he had been prepared and did not need to think deeply. He immediately countered, "Sir called Shou’er Junior Brother, I presume he has already joined the Cangsheng Dao?"

Wei Xu gave no confirmation or denial, still listening quietly. Xuanyuan Tong then smiled again: "I do not know what your identity is, Young Master. But since you could transport Little Shou over two thousand li in a single night, I imagine you can suppress even such a small matter. I have already helped him conceal it, but I absolutely refuse to let his sect elders remain ignorant of his true potential and thus teach him carelessly, or even look down upon him."

Wei Xu’s expression softened slightly, then he asked with curiosity, "Then why did you make him drink? Is there some trick to that wine?"

"Not at all! My daughter's wine is utterly common, and extremely awful tasting."

Showing no regard for his daughter’s feelings, Xuanyuan Tong gave a helpless smile: "It is just that the previous time in this Iron Gang Hall, when Shou’er first manifested Spirit-Martial Unity, it was precisely after getting drunk." Wei Xu then understood. If that were the case, it was no wonder Xuanyuan Tong insisted Zong Shou drink. The initial stage of Spirit-Martial Unity required utmost spontaneity; trying too hard would only prevent access.

Zong Shou had already stepped through that door. Each subsequent time he achieved it, the True Qi and Soul Power within him would harmonize further.

Until the final moment of complete unity, when he could wield it freely, without constraint.

Xuanyuan Tong’s method was the most appropriate way to handle it. Unexpectedly, a martial artist born in such a minor locale possessed such profound insight.

In the next instant, he glanced thoughtfully at Lin Shina.

It was rumored that this woman had originated from the Demonic Sect in her youth before defecting and joining Xuanyuan Tong.

The only one likely to possess knowledge in this area was likely her.

With a gentle smile, Wei Xu flicked his fingers, sending more than a dozen streams of light shooting out toward the dozen or so people present.

These experts of Profound Mountain City didn't even have time to consciously resist before they collapsed unconscious.

Xuanyuan Tong frowned, intending to intervene, but he felt the surrounding space locked down by an inexplicable force, rendering him utterly immobile.

"Rest assured, I am merely erasing their memories of today temporarily. It might even be somewhat beneficial to their cultivation. With the City Lord’s shrewdness, you should know neither of us can afford to take that risk."

Offering a brief explanation calmed Xuanyuan Tong. Wei Xu then looked around; the entire peak of Profound Mountain was shattered, close to collapse.

Then, he stamped his foot heavily. The entire region began to restore itself at an astonishing speed.

The depressions and sword marks smoothed out and 'healed'; all the dust dissipated. The ground rose ten zhang, and the broken flagstones re-coalesced, perfectly intact, without a single crack.

Even the destroyed Iron Gang Hall rose from the ground again, its layout and structure identical to before it was demolished.

Wei Xu carefully surveyed the surroundings, then turned back to Xuanyuan Tong with a smiling question: "Is there anything that seems amiss?"

Xuanyuan Tong was beyond words. This technique, which seemed to almost rewind everything, surpassed the previous Heaven and Earth Illusion by a notch.

This 'Senior Brother' of Zong Shou was clearly far more than just an Immortal Realm expert. Wei Xu immediately shifted his gaze back to Zong Shou.

He saw Xuanyuan Yiren applying a specialized medicinal oil to Zong Shou's entire body, continuously patting and massaging him. Wei Xu smiled faintly; this girl indeed lived up to her reputation as the most outstanding Alchemist in the Cloud Realm over the last decade, proficient in pharmacognosy. With her care, it saved him considerable effort.

Then, his expression turned deep and inscrutable.

Now knowing Zong Shou’s true limits, his original plans needed revision. (To be continued)