Eight hundred Yuan Mie Crossbows fired a volley that lasted a full hour before the intense heat radiating from the barrels—meticulously crafted from precious spiritual metal—began to subside, glowing a faint red. Even Gu Liekong, after the peak of the beast tide, had deliberately slowed the rate of fire. Yet, the intermittent expenditure of sixth-tier beast cores still reached a staggering fifty thousand!

It nearly depleted every sixth-tier beast core they had obtained from the Beast Tomb. They even had to sacrifice over two hundred seventh-tier cores just to sustain the defense.

However, the result was magnificent. The surging beast tide that had relentlessly advanced was clearly quelled. The canyon floor was littered with the shattered remains of beast corpses.

Most of the transformed beasts had been instantly pulverized into dust by the direct impact of the Yuan Mie Crossbows. Still, a considerable number of remnants remained.

When the eighteen hundred Cloud Ships under Zong Shou’s command finally sailed out of the canyon unscathed, the air that assaulted them was thick with the stench of blood, the density of death having increased markedly. A chilling, icy power seeped into their very bones.

Zong Shou stood upon his deck, his face a mask of profound heartache. And indeed, the loss warranted such feeling: nearly fifty thousand sixth-tier beast cores consumed. That equated to five hundred seventh-tier cores, or five million fourth-tier cores.

To expend resources of such magnitude merely to secure four thousand Cloud Ships—whose total value was arguably less—did carry the distinct flavor of a losing venture.

Chai Zhou, son of Chai Yuan, harboring no suspicion, offered counsel from nearby, “My Lord need not distress himself thus! To escape safely, such expenditures are unavoidable. In truth, this expedition for Mount Qiantian is ultimately a profitable one. These beast corpses below, though mostly damaged, possess sturdy cores above the fourth tier, which resist decay. If we meticulously salvage them, I estimate we can recover at least three million cores' worth. With luck, we might not only break even but actually turn a profit.”

Zhao Yanran and Xuan Yunlan beside him were speechless. Meanwhile, Gu Liekong and the pair of Zhu Junhou and Ling Fakong watched Chai Zhou with expressions of veiled pity.

Look at the innocent child. He remains utterly oblivious. Has he not noticed the faint, suppressed smile playing around his Lord’s eyes?

Hu Zhongyuan, though uncertain of the precise situation, sensed something amiss. It wasn’t that his intellect surpassed Chai Yuan’s, but rather that he intimately understood Zong Shou’s temperament; this display was clearly an act. Where, on that face, was even a shadow of genuine heartache?

“This time, it is this old Daoist who allowed greed to take hold, thereby causing such a massive drain upon Your Highness,”

Jingtao Zhenren sighed as well, his white eyebrows furrowed slightly. “It is a pity my status within the sect is so low, otherwise, I would certainly compensate His Highness for the losses. This truly weighs heavily on this old Daoist’s conscience. Let it be known today that I, Jingtao, owe His Highness a favor, if nothing else?”

Upon hearing this, Zong Shou’s heart gave a slight jolt. He realized he had overacted. Taking advantage and then feigning distress was the most detestable kind of behavior. He laughed, waving his sleeve dismissively. “Zhenren need not be so earnest! Rather, it is I, Zong Shou, who should be thanking you. Were it not for the startling Illusionary Token you loaned me, how could I have obtained that senior’s legacy treasure? Even a single Qiankun Pouch would be more than enough to cover this entire expenditure!”

Jingtao Zhenren nodded faintly, his affection for Zong Shou growing even deeper.

Recalling the instructions given by Long Ruo earlier, he couldn't help but scoff inwardly. How could this Highness, who was benevolent, wise, generous, and forthright, be as utterly base as Long Ruo described?

It was rumored that a few months prior, this very Highness had sought entry into the Lingyun Sect, only to be summarily rejected by Long Ruo’s decision. Evidently, Long Ruo must have developed a deep-seated prejudice against him.

As he pondered this, the heavy black fog ahead began to be pushed back and illuminated by beams of light emanating from the fleet.

Moments later, countless wrecks of Cloud Ships materialized before their eyes. At a glance, they were too numerous to count, packed so tightly they nearly choked the mouth of the valley.

The entire fleet—the one thousand eight hundred Cloud Ships—fell utterly silent. After a short pause, a low, resonant hum echoed once more.

“I recognize that banner—it’s the cloud flag of Taoyun City. These ships belong to the three cities of Taoyun, Blazing Sky, and Cloud Scar. Haven’t we already outpaced them, Your Highness? How could they be here?”

“How tragic. The number of damaged wrecks must be over three thousand? Did they suffer a total annihilation here?”

“Isn’t that Yue Guanyun’s flagship? That Seven-Tusk Great Ship, rumored to have cost eighty thousand seventh-tier beast cores, is utterly destroyed?”

Hu Zhongyuan and Chai Zhou fell into immediate silence. No matter how dense they were, both now vaguely grasped the truth.

It was highly probable that the complete destruction of the Taoyun Three Cities’ fleet here was inextricably linked to Zong Shou.

Zong Yuan, however, wore a slight smile on his lips. He wasn't the first to realize it, but he certainly wouldn't be the last to know.

Jingtao Zhenren’s face cycled rapidly through shades of pale and green. His heart plummeted; countless scenes flashed through his mind, clicking together into a devastating mosaic.

For a moment, he was paralyzed, unsure of what to do, unable to ascertain whether he had been manipulated or not.

In truth, even if Zong Shou had cleverly exploited him, it wasn't a catastrophic affair. Jingtao had weathered countless storms; the situation before him was hardly insurmountable, and he could absorb this blow.

The crucial point was that, after today, the balance of power to the west of the Eastern Frontier was irrevocably tipped!

He had gained an entire Beast Tomb gratuitously, yet the fleet of the Taoyun Three Cities was nearly annihilated here. The loss of millions of elite soldiers meant the geopolitical landscape of the western Cloud Continent was about to undergo radical upheaval.

Such responsibility was far beyond what he, Jingtao, could bear alone.

Zong Shou remained silent for a long time, gazing down. Only when he saw Jingtao Zhenren slowly regaining his composure did he speak, his tone tinged with a palpable anxiety. “Zhenren, these are indeed the vessels from Taoyun City’s contingent. What should we do now?”

A surge of suffocating frustration shot straight up Jingtao Zhenren’s throat, threatening an immediate outburst. Looking at the ships below, sixty percent destroyed by the transformed beasts’ assault, and forty percent shattered directly by the Yuan Mie Crossbows—with this battle, Zong Shou had eliminated his core enemy, so what more did he want?

But just as the curse formed on his lips, Jingtao forcibly suppressed it. What good would cursing achieve? The decision was his, and he had even offered to take responsibility. Zong Shou had offered warnings beforehand, and it was he who had proposed entering this valley to seek the Corpse-Containing Sword Spirit Grass. By any measure, Zong Shou was blameless.

Besides, he himself had reaped enormous benefits.

He took a deep, steadying breath. The expression on Jingtao Zhenren’s face settled into one of blank neutrality. “What occurred today has nothing to do with City Lord Zong. Judging by the scene here, every transformed beast and phantom within a two-hundred-mile radius of this Beast Tomb has been purged. The spiritual essence of the Sea Spirit Plain has been entirely exhausted here; it is estimated that for the next hundred years, no transformed beast or malevolent spirit within the Sea Spirit Plain will be able to ascend to the seventh tier. City Lord, your achievement today is truly immeasurable in merit! As for the fleet of the Taoyun, Blazing Sky, and Cloud Scar cities, the fault cannot lie with His Highness. Accidental injuries during wartime are unavoidable! Should anyone seek accountability in the future, I, Jingtao, will personally vouch for the City Lord—”

Zong Shou smiled; he had been waiting precisely for this declaration from Jingtao. Yet, seeing the old Daoist’s dejected expression, he couldn't help feeling a pang of pity.

In reality, this man’s character wasn't bad at all. It was simply unfortunate that Long Ruo had dispatched him onto his ship this time.

The sensation of bullying an honest man was not pleasant; he felt like the villain in the narrative.

After delivering these lines, Jingtao Zhenren could no longer bear to remain on the deck. He swept his sleeve and departed, stepping into the cabin entrance.

Zhao Yanran finally let out a soft ‘hiss’ of laughter, regarding Zong Shou with a strange look. “You seem to still pity him? I truly cannot fathom your nature. This was the consequence of his own avarice; how can he blame anyone else?”

Zong Shou shook his head subtly, knowing that Zhao Yanran was already utilizing the spiritual seed to probe his intentions.

While she couldn't discern the specifics of his thoughts, she could certainly gauge his general emotional state.

He ignored her, turning instead to Zhu Junhou and Gu Liekong. “Order men to scour the valley thoroughly. We need to confirm whether those three survived or not.”

Both men bowed in acknowledgment of the order. Immediately, the entire fleet resumed its busy activity, like industrious bees.

The area was a river of blood, the air thick with gore. However, the hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers tasked with the cleanup were all high in morale and worked with fierce diligence, showing not the slightest reluctance.

Especially Hu Zhongyuan and his cohort, who were visibly exhilarated and spirited. At this moment, even the most obtuse observer could understand that the power base of Taoyun, Blazing Sky, and Cloud Scar had suffered a crippling blow overnight.

The loss of over two million elite soldiers—who knew what resources would be required for indemnities? The blow to their fighting capacity would take years to recover from.

And those four thousand Cloud Ships were the pride of those cities. Rebuilding them would take at least several months, perhaps even half a year. This meant that for the next year, those three cities and their vassal states would be unable to hunt in the Cloud Sea below. For Taoyun City, which built its fortune on Cloud Sea trade, this might be manageable, but for Blazing Sky and Cloud Scar, a full year of recovery would be impossible.

Their internal cohesion would fracture, and the losses would be incalculable.

When they were first brought here, they believed Zong Shou’s sole objective was the Beast Tomb. Who would have imagined that Zong Shou’s true purpose was to entrap and destroy the four thousand Cloud Ships trailing behind them?

The perilous situation facing Mount Qiantian had been reversed almost overnight.

Now, it was those three cities that should be trembling in fear of Mount Qiantian!

The confused, lower-ranking soldiers were one thing, but the high-ranking officers, those who could grasp even a shred of the scheme, now looked upon Zong Shou with overwhelming reverence.

With such a sagacious ruler, Mount Qiantian is certain to rise again. No! At this very moment, the might of Qiantian is already comparable to the era when Zong Weiran was alive.

The lords of the vassal cities who had followed were equally dazed, as if caught in a waking dream.

They had come prepared to fight and die alongside Mount Qiantian, hoping only for meager gains that might allow them to sustain their own territories. Who could have predicted that the swaggering Taoyun Three Cities would meet such an end? Instead, it was they who might return laden with spoils?

This new Demon King, who looked no older than fourteen, truly possessed the power to turn the world upside down with a flip of his hand. The crushing defeat of three major powers and four thousand Cloud Ships, once the news spread, would cause the entire geopolitical situation of the Eastern Frontier Cloud Continent to shift dramatically!