“Sorry, I had planned to unleash three chapters in a row these past few days. However, yesterday, I couldn't figure out where the story should go; my inspiration hit a wall, and the outline became obsolete. Please bear with me for a few more days, thank you!”

Within some spatial rift of unknown location, a youth clad in black, a long sword strapped to his back, stood arrogantly amidst the chaotic darkness.

He seemed to be awaiting someone, cold glints occasionally flashing in his starlit eyes.

Moments later, another figure materialized in that very spot. Equally young in appearance, this newcomer wore white scholarly robes and a Confucian cap. It was Wei Xu, who had only recently parted ways with Zong Shou.

The instant he appeared, Wei Xu sensed the black-robed youth’s presence, halting in the void himself, a look of confusion crossing his features.

“Is that Senior Brother Ming Yu?” Wei Xu’s eyes were like burning torches; if he wished, he could illuminate an entire realm. Yet, here, the effort felt immense.

After a long pause, he finally confirmed the black-robed youth's identity, then let out a soft sigh of relief. “I was wondering why those six were scared off so easily. It turns out Senior Brother was outside maintaining order. Thank you!”

The black-robed youth merely snorted, carrying a trace of biting coldness. Nevertheless, he eventually stepped out of the dark chaos, fixing Wei Xu with a stern gaze. “You know those six are troublesome? I recall Master saying that unless the Seven Swords are gathered, or the Cang Sheng Dao faces annihilation, the six of us are forbidden from setting foot in the Cloud Realm for life. Those words were spoken only eight thousand years ago. Junior Brother, have you forgotten them so quickly?”

“I haven’t forgotten. It’s just that I must go!” Wei Xu offered a bitter smile, seeing the displeasure deepening on Ming Yu’s face. He immediately extended a hand, revealing an object shrouded in white light in his palm, making its contents impossible to discern.

“Senior Brother, do not be angry. I am not entirely unprepared this time. With this item, I might not win against those few peak realm ancient masters, but if it’s for escaping, I doubt anyone can stop me. Those six old fossils are beneath my notice.”

The black-robed youth scrutinized it carefully, and only then did his expression soften slightly. Then, his brow arched. “Then tell me about our Seventh Junior Brother, the disciple you accepted on behalf of the Mistress. What kind of talent and background does he possess that warrants you taking such a risk?”

“Senior Brother already knows?”

As soon as he asked this, Wei Xu saw the black-robed youth point towards his own brow. He immediately clamped down on the rest of his words.

The question was indeed foolish. Since Zong Shou’s name was already inscribed on the Xuan Ming Golden Edict, how could his Senior Brother, who was only a breath away from the Cloud Realm, not have felt any resonance?

Concentrating, Wei Xu decided it was best not to speak the truth. If he were entirely honest, he and his Senior Brother might end up fighting right here today.

He settled for ambiguity. “Naturally, he is exceptional. I estimate that Junior Brother’s achievements will surpass both of ours. I predict he can step into the Divine Realm within a century, becoming a pillar of the Cang Sheng Dao.”

“Surpass both of us?”

The black-robed youth frowned slightly upon hearing this. “The Cloud Realm’s spiritual tide is approaching. Achieving the Divine Realm in a century is decent. But there’s no need for such high praise, registering him under the Mistress. Nor was it necessary for you, Wei Xu, to personally venture into the Cloud Realm.”

Wei Xu’s gaze flickered. A century to reach the Divine Realm—yes, that progress was indeed only average.

However, if this person also possessed the spirit comprehension of the sword path and integrated spiritual force and martial arts—that would be astonishing. No, it should be called unique. Perhaps not far behind the future ‘Divine Emperor.’

Though he and his Senior Brothers were the direct disciples of the Cang Sheng Dao’s Second Doctrine, none were qualified to receive the true inheritance of Xi Zi. For years, they had scoured all realms searching for a suitable successor for their Master, racking their brains annually. If they learned that such peerless talent had been given to the lineage of his Mistress, one could imagine the consequences.

Slightly guilty, Wei Xu averted his head and abruptly flicked his sleeve. A chessboard instantly manifested in the void, black and white pieces scattered across it, with the black side clearly at a disadvantage.

As the black-robed youth watched, utterly perplexed, Wei Xu finally spoke. “When I received the letter from the Cloud Realm, I was playing chess with that person. This is the state of the game then; I was playing Black and moved first…”

The black-robed youth’s eyelid twitched. He thought this was truly painful to look at—a massive dragon had clearly been slaughtered. His Junior Brother was truly an awful player, yet he didn't realize it and sought opponents everywhere.

Then, in the next instant, a white piece appeared on the board. Wei Xu’s voice followed smoothly, “I was set to lose this game; the rest was just futile struggling. But that person inexplicably placed a piece here! It invites endless speculation…” The black-robed youth’s pupils constricted. “Who exactly is this person?”

Wei Xu knew his Senior Brother wasn’t asking about the one he was playing chess against, but about that newly accepted Junior Brother. This required no hesitation. “His name is Zong Shou. His current identity is the Demon King of Qiantian Mountain, controlling a major demon faction on the East Lin Cloud Land.”

“Qiantian Mountain?” The black-robed youth seemed to have heard the name and looked stunned. “Is that the son of Zong Wei Ran? The one who supposedly obtained the Zhou Ji Destiny Scripture and later vanished in the Sunken Cloud Sea…”

Wei Xu was equally startled. “Senior Brother has heard of him?”

“How could I not know a man who managed to win the hand of the Qianjin lady from the Lu family?”

A hint of a smile actually broke through the black-robed youth’s emotionless face. “I have some connection to that matter, so I paid considerable attention to Zong Wei Ran. The rumor about the Zhou Ji Destiny Scripture must be false. However, it’s entirely possible he didn't die in the Sunken Cloud Sea. That place is called a death zone, but in reality, one can enter and exit freely if the method is mastered. When Zong Shou enrolled, did he ask you to investigate the Sunken Cloud Sea for him?”

“He did not! Perhaps he doesn’t know his father is actually still alive.”

Wei Xu frowned slightly, but dismissed the thought quickly. He then asked curiously, “I know Senior Brother Ming Yu’s temperament. You wouldn’t have come here today just to ask about Junior Brother Zong Shou. Is there another matter?”

The black-robed youth indeed nodded slightly, his expression solemn. “Not long ago, I had a sensation. The Spirit Refining Sword seemed to show some movement. I rushed into the Cloud Realm at that time, but the sword had already fallen silent. I wanted to ask Junior Brother if you sensed anything.”

Wei Xu was stunned again. He would never doubt that Ming Yu’s perception was mistaken. But why had he, at that time, sensed absolutely nothing? The Spirit Refining Sword emerges, and blood flows—this is the sword foretold by the Master that could bring the Cang Sheng Dao back to its peak. Could it be that someone capable of seizing it has finally appeared? Who could this person be?

※※※※

“This is our Qiantian Mountain City’s Cloud Fleet?”

Zong Shou uttered this question as he stood frowning on a pier, quietly observing the colossal ships floating amidst the clouds before him.

The pier was made of wood, extending out from the shore. Below was the dense, churning mist, and the abyss of the Badlands—a depth so profound it seemed bottomless. A fall from here would instantly shatter one’s bones. However, the entire cloud sea generated a repelling force; as long as one did not exceed a certain weight, one could hover above it.

This place was called Rainbow City, located northwest of the East Lin Cloud Land. It was the largest port in this region spanning thousands of miles, its scale nearly comparable to Qiantian Mountain. It was one of the ten cities directly governed by Qiantian, and the trade taxes collected here accounted for one-twentieth of Qiantian Mountain’s annual revenue.

Because the buoyancy here was exceptionally strong, the terrain sheltered it from storms, and it served as a confluence point for several reliable shipping routes within the misty cloud sea, merchant ships gathered here in droves.

Vessels navigating the cloud sea were divided into two types. One type relied almost entirely on the buoyancy generated by the Abyss below, possessing only simple spirit arrays; these were the ships commonly used by the populace. Trouble was, the repelling force in many parts of the cloud sea fluctuated unpredictably. Sometimes, it could shoot a ship a thousand zhang into the sky; other times, the buoyancy vanished completely, sending the vessel plummeting beneath the clouds. Consequently, since antiquity, all merchant ships and those hunting Cloud Beasts followed only the previously charted routes, a practice unchanged even in later times.

The second type comprised Cloud Ships equipped with complete spirit arrays. Only these vessels could soar freely within the cloud sea. However, they were exceedingly few in number, and every voyage consumed spirit stones and beast crystals measured in buckets and stones—costs ordinary people could never afford. Thus, only secluded sects or powerful forces like Qiantian Mountain possessed them, using them as warships for cloud hunting.

Before Zong Shou stood vessels of this second type. The largest were twenty zhang high—equivalent to a dozen-story building—and several hundred zhang long. There were 250 in total, presenting an overwhelming presence.

“Twenty Five-Tusked Dreadnoughts, one of which is the Sovereign’s flagship. Built from Float-Orchid wood transported from the Central Cloud Land, its hull is not only as sturdy as a seventh-tier beast but also possesses astonishing buoyancy,” explained a youth in heavy armor standing nearby, proudly raising his chin. “Additionally, there are one hundred Three-Tusked Great Ships and one hundred twenty Assault Vessels. In total, they can carry an army of two hundred thousand! Another one hundred fifty ships are assigned to patrolling duties and cannot join this formation. This fleet was painstakingly built by the late Sovereign before his passing. Even compared to the fleet of Tao Yun City, it is not inferior!”

Zong Shou offered no comment, watching the massive ships as he sank into thought. It was only when a sharp ZZZT sound erupted beside his shoulder that he snapped out of his reverie.

He glanced over to see a few larger specks of dust completely vaporized by the stray lightning radiating from his body.

This was one of the lingering side effects of practicing the Inner Vision Thunder Body Tempering Art. At his current stage, he could only barely achieve the 'Subtle' state during internal meditation, and only with immense strain for half a quarter of an hour. Each practice session left residual electricity that lingered long afterward, and his physical body spontaneously generated more energy than he could fully channel out. The benefits, naturally, were substantial; after only three sessions, the refinement of his physical body had ascended another level. (To be continued)

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