That phoenix-patterned longsword shattered the icy mist of the sword shadows. The sword's momentum was only slightly impeded before it resumed its former state of blazing light, intent on burning the heavens and destroying the earth.

In the very next instant, both Zhu Junhou and Zong Lan leaped up. The former was clearly more seasoned; as he ascended, he gripped a grand halberd, instantly merging his aura with that of the hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers from Dixuan Mountain. The halberd's might surged, its energy tearing upward for hundreds of feet.

Although Zong Lan was a tier lower in cultivation, his mastery of martial arts was arguably superior. His control over the army's collective 'momentum' was far more intuitive. Countless arcs of lightning exploded around him, converging upon the tip of his spear.

The spear's light and the halberd's energy struck the phoenix-patterned longsword almost simultaneously. They separated instantly, causing the sword's momentum to falter in mid-air once more, before quickly retreating. However, both Zong Lan and Zhu Junhou visibly paled, their forms recoiling rapidly, with faint traces of blood already tinging the corners of their mouths.

At this moment, the sound of thunderous charges began to echo from the valley entrance. Uncountable spirit beasts rushed forward, plunging into the thick clouds and mist. Within that haze, innumerable fine, thread-like sword shadows flickered in and out of existence, manipulated by the commanding control of Ling Fa Kong.

There was no need to actively strike; merely hovering in the air allowed the shadows to harness the momentum of the charging spirit beasts, inflicting grievous harm upon them.

The thousand-plus cloud ships, along with hundreds of thousands of crossbows, loosed their volleys. Aided by the Jingyun Huan Ling (Startling Cloud Illusion Talisman) and the arrow rain, they managed, barely, to check the terrifying surge of the beast tide.

Yet, those gathered near the corpse of the Immortal Martial expert paid no heed to the commotion at the valley mouth. They watched the fiery red, phoenix-patterned longsword with taut expressions.

True Master Jing Tao let out a loud laugh. "Your Highness proves true to your word; this old man thanks you heartily!"

Suddenly, a shuttle dart shot out from his sleeve, streaking directly upward. Clearly, Jing Tao had long prepared for this. The shuttle carried immense velocity; as soon as it reached mid-air, it froze the entire thousand-foot radius beneath it. Its imposing power was in no way inferior to the blazing sword shadow.

The expressions of Zong Shou, Zhao Yanran, and the others immediately shifted. A Rank Seven Spirit Artifact—no wonder True Master Jing Tao had been so confidently self-assured. Even knowing that shattering this formidable phoenix-patterned sword would not be simple, and that striking first meant bearing the greatest risk, he had shown no concern.

Though a Rank Seven Spirit Artifact and a Rank Two Magic Tool were separated by a full four tiers, the situation was different if that Magic Tool was already on the verge of breaking.

In the next moment, a colossal sound like a 'Li' echoed through the air. The entire world suddenly trembled like ripples on water.

The ice-blue shuttle, as expected, was struck back by the sword shadow.

But in the instant following, this Rank Seven Spirit Artifact suddenly detonated. Innumerable icy, cold energies exploded outward, causing the flaming sword light to resonate violently once again.

Jing Tao was truly ruthless, directly detonating that priceless Rank Seven Spirit Artifact!

When the ice mist dispersed and was evaporated by the firelight, everyone strained their eyes to see clearly.

They saw that the phoenix-patterned longsword had been blasted over a hundred feet away by the explosive force of the detonated Rank Seven Spirit Artifact! The entire body of the sword had somehow not shattered, merely coated in a layer of frost-white. True Master Jing Tao's expression shifted from shock to a slight easing of tension; he realized the sword was truly at its breaking point. With just a little more force, it could be utterly destroyed. Sacrificing the Rank Seven Spirit Artifact had indeed dealt a heavy blow to the flame sword once more!

The next instant, a figure flashed across the void. It was Gu Liekong, who had been poised and ready. He swung his blade, and a vast, powerful saber light directly impacted the body of the phoenix-patterned longsword.

The two forces resisted each other for a moment, then followed by a sharp, piercing keen. This Rank Two Magic Weapon finally shattered completely.

However, the saber's momentum did not stop; seemingly uncontrolled, it continued slicing downward. It managed to rein in its force just as it was about to hit the ground, but it still sliced a Corpse-Entwining Sword-Seeking Grass into dust.

With a soft 'Po' sound, a wave of ashen-white death energy rapidly spread out.

Zong Shou's brow twitched slightly, and he immediately pulled the close-at-hand Yi Ren Chuxue back several hundred feet. The others reacted just as swiftly, leaping away. They all recognized it as the most concentrated form of death qi, capable of reducing lifespan with mere contact, or causing immediate death in severe cases. All living things would be extinguished. However, aside from the hundred-plus stalks of Corpse-Entwining Sword-Seeking Grass here, there were no other living creatures.

Simultaneously, a refreshing, exhilarating fragrance drifted out, rapidly spreading through the air. Zong Shou inhaled slightly and felt the Zhenqi within him stirrest; it was as if this scent alone increased his cultivation by several points. At the same time, he felt a trace of toxin seep into his body, but it was instantly dispersed by the World-Shaking True Force. This spiraling Zhenqi was helpless against fine wine, but it was almost perfectly antithetical to all manner of strange poisons.

True Master Jing Tao, while holding a flicker of regret in his eyes, was mostly incandescent with fury. His first reaction was to roar at Gu Liekong: "What have you done! Spreading the Corpse-Entwining Sword-Seeking Grass like this—are you planning to attract every single spirit beast in Hailing Plain before you stop?"

His expression then shifted to alarm as he looked toward the valley mouth. The spirit beasts, having caught the scent, now had eyes glowing blood-red, making them even more frenzied. Those gathered here also turned pale, momentarily unable to focus on the Immortal Dao expert's corpse, all staring toward the surging spirit beasts. The thousand cloud ships and hundreds of thousands of crossbows, combined with the Jingyun Huan Ling, now resembled an invisible dam trying to hold back the beast tide.

But now, this dam was clearly shaking precariously.

Zhu Junhou frowned slightly. He had already sensed that Gu Liekong's actions seemed slightly off earlier; he had likely laid many traps along the route. This current act only deepened his suspicion. However, this man was still Zong Shou's direct subject, making it difficult to speak openly.

Gu Liekong, however, was exceptionally straightforward. He managed a wry smile and immediately bowed to Zong Shou, pleading: "Gu Liekong was careless, placing the soldiers of Qiantian in mortal danger. I beg my Sovereign to mete out punishment!"

Zong Shou waved his hand magnanimously. "Men make mistakes, horses stumble. General Gu was eager to destroy the sword, what crime is that? Fortunately, the terrain here is unique; even the greatest beast tide can be resisted."

True Master Jing Tao was rendered speechless for a moment, thinking how generous he was to dismiss such a severe offense with a mere wave of his hand. But upon closer inspection of the terrain, it was indeed ideal for defense, just as Zong Shou claimed. Still, he could not feel at ease and said gravely, "Your Highness, my Jingyun Huan Ling can only function for half an hour at most, and only wards off Rank Six spirit beasts. The scent of the Corpse-Entwining Sword-Seeking Grass is certain to attract Rank Seven beasts. I urge Your Highness to utilize the Yuanmie Crossbows immediately; that is the proper course!"

"The Yuanmie Crossbows?"

Upon hearing this, Zong Shou, contrary to everyone's expectation, fell into hesitation. "That seems... inappropriate—"

True Master Jing Tao nearly choked with exasperation. At this critical, life-or-death moment, Zong Shou still had time to deliberate, truly indecisive. He couldn't fathom what was going through the man's mind!

Then, a thought struck him: could Zong Shou actually be worried about the excessive consumption of the Yuanmie Crossbows? After all, firing just one of these special spirit artifacts required a Rank Six beast crystal. He couldn't help but inwardly scoff, his previously high assessment of Zong Shou dropping several levels. He truly was petty, being of demonic lineage!

However, at this moment, he still needed Zong Shou's power. Jing Tao said sternly, "What is inappropriate? Your Highness, if you do not deploy the Yuanmie Crossbows now, you will never have the chance again. All of us here will perish without a burial place! If Your Highness begrudges the beast crystals, my Lingyun Sect can cover half the cost for you!"

Zong Shou maintained an expression of deep hesitation. "It is not the beast crystals I begrudge, but I thought I heard someone outside cursing me just now. It would be unfortunate to injure them by mistake..."

Hearing this, True Master Jing Tao almost wanted to slap Zong Shou across the face. He, a Spirit Master in the Returning Yang Realm, hadn't heard anything, nor had the many Martial Experts of Xuanwu nearby. Where would Zong Shou, lacking any martial arts or spiritual techniques, hear human voices?

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he burst out with a curse: "Nonsense about collateral damage! Your Highness, you are being utterly confused! At a time like this, even if the Heavenly King himself arrived, we couldn't attend to him. I beg Your Highness to give the order; I, Jing Tao, will bear all karmic responsibility!"

This was exactly what Zong Shou had been waiting for. He chuckled and said to Gu Liekong, "Did you hear True Master Jing Tao? Inform all ships not to spare the beast crystal arrows; survival is paramount! And do not fire all eight hundred Yuanmie Crossbows at once; divide the firing into three salvos, alternating volleys!"

After speaking, he subtly winked at Gu Liekong.

Gu Liekong almost couldn't suppress a light laugh. At this moment, he had mostly deciphered Zong Shou's scheme. Luring all four thousand cloud ships from the Tao Yun cities here meant they would not only be used as shields to block the second wave of the beast tide, but under the barrage of those eight hundred Yuanmie Crossbows, who knew how many of them would survive? It was insidious to the extreme—yet he forcefully suppressed his amusement, maintaining a solemn expression as he bowed deeply to Zong Shou: "Gu Liekong will certainly not disappoint my Sovereign!"

His voice was resolute, filled with utmost reverence. At this moment, Gu Liekong was truly and completely convinced by this new ruler of Qiantian.

In the next instant, Gu Liekong leaped up, heading straight for Zong Shou's flagship.

Zong Shou smiled faintly, then turned to True Master Jing Tao with a smile: "As agreed beforehand, True Master may choose first. You may freely take two-tenths of everything here!"

Jing Tao did not decline, immediately taking about twenty stalks from the Corpse-Entwining Sword-Seeking Grass. Although he had contributed significantly this time, even expending a Rank Seven Spirit Artifact, the most crucial contribution had ultimately come from Zong Shou's side. He didn't have the audacity to take all the older specimens. He merely claimed his rightful share based on value.

And in that very instant, the entire canyon suddenly lit up with a scorching brilliance. Then, the whole world shook once more.