The entrance to the Kongqi Sect was a buzzing chaos, voices rising and falling in speculation. The crowd gathered there grew denser by the moment.

"That man—isn't that the Lord of Taoyun City, Yue Guanyun? I can't be mistaken?"

"The features match; I've seen him from afar once. How could he be dead here?"

"It must be Yue Guanyun. I heard he attempted to assassinate Zong Shou, the Lord of Qiantian City, failed, and was slain on the spot. Qiao Han, an outer elder of the Kongqi Sect, was there to verify. They've deliberately left his corpse hanging here as a warning to petty criminals..."

Within the throng, a subtle tremor passed through the air, followed by even more chaotic noise, nearly unintelligible.

"So it really is him! Chances are he tried to assassinate Zong Shou because his tactics couldn't match Qiantian Mountain's. I wonder whose hand dealt the fatal blow—what a miserable end?"

"Heh! It seems the tide is truly turning. With Donglin under one sway, it looks like one power will dominate. That Qiantian Demon King—I initially thought he inherited the foundation left by Zong Weiran and wouldn't last a few years. I never expected this young man to possess such ruthlessness! A man like that, even if he couldn't lift a chicken, is terrifying to behold!"

"Yue Guanyun was an overlord in his time, and he’s just gone like that? Who could have killed him—"

Xiong Ba felt a chill seep into his limbs, tuning out the rest of the conversation behind him. He exchanged a glance with Feng Nu, whose arrival speed was even faster than his own, and both could clearly sense the icy dread within the other.

With Yue Guanyun dead, Taoyun City was left without a stabilizing force. Wouldn't Zong Shou now be even more rampant and beyond control?

A wave of horror washed over him. Yue Guanyun was at the peak of the Earth Vein Nine Meridians, not far from the Celestial Rank. Who stood by Zong Shou’s side to possess such terrifying ability? To be unable to retreat and to be killed instantly on the spot? Even the several Xuanwu Grandmasters sent by the Three Cities hadn't survived?

His thoughts raced as Xiong Ba surveyed his surroundings. He noticed more than a dozen other people standing nearby, all fixedly staring at the wooden frames upon the carriages at the sect gates.

He recognized several among them: the chief operative for the Moyun Sect on Tongling Island, and one of their Spirit Master suicide guards—a man whose own life essence was nearly exhausted, thus unafraid of death. Others included representatives from the Xue Clan, Shangxiao Sect, Xuansu Sect, Daoming Sect, Moqi Sect, Cangjian Villa, and even the deacon from the Wei family who had often shown him favors in an attempt to curry favor. Some frowned silently, others showed faint worry, but the pallor on every face was uniformly ashen—terribly grim.

Then, Xiong Ba's heart suddenly jolted, a warning alarm ringing in his mind. His gaze instinctively darted back toward the entrance of the Kongqi Sect.

And then he saw Zong Shou emerging from the main gate.

Those icy eyes swept over him and Feng Nu. The unconcealed, biting killing intent was enough to freeze him solid. He knew then that from this day forward, the name of this youth would undoubtedly spread across the Three Mountains and Five Peaks, known throughout the realm.

Fourteen years of age, yet already an overlord of a nation!

※※※※

Now, hundreds of miles further away, a single narrow skiff glided across a sea of clouds. Lacking the massive bulk of the cloud galleons, it moved through the cloud-sea more than ten times faster.

Seated at the prow was Wu Ruo. He barely needed to use his magic power; merely by releasing his primordial spirit to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, a perfectly calibrated wind force naturally propelled the light craft swiftly through the air.

Before him sat True Man Jing Tao, with whom Zong Shou had parted only a short while ago.

"So, you're saying he likely made arrangements before entering that Beast Tomb, luring you into his trap?"

Seeing Jing Tao nod, Long Ruo let out an involuntary laugh. "What a cunning boy! It seems this matter isn't your fault, Martial Uncle. This child’s layout was exquisite, aiming straight for the heart. Anyone else would probably have been fooled. Even I was tricked earlier—I thought he hired disciples from our sect to board the ship because he genuinely feared the Three Cities of Taoyun might attack them..."

"Actually, although this child's schemes are deep, his character isn't bad; he's quite righteous. And our Lingyun Sect truly gained significant benefits this time!"

Despite being used by Zong Shou, Jing Tao’s good impression of him hadn't entirely vanished. Especially since Zong Shou had privately gifted him some Corpse-Entombed Sword Extreme Grass as an apology before he disembarked, which had moved him greatly.

This young man was likely good, but as the master of a city, sometimes he was compelled by circumstances beyond his control.

After spending twenty days together, Jing Tao always felt an inexplicable sensation. Zong Shou seemed incredibly indifferent to power and ambition, as if he pursued something else entirely.

Suddenly, Jing Tao felt a shift in his focus. He looked up, his gaze piercing as he stared at Long Ruo. "Didn't Martial Nephew Long Ruo say he needed to stay on Tongling Island for ten days to observe the falling stars and comprehend Sword Intent? Why leave so early today? What is your true purpose?"

Long Ruo remained seated, with no intention of concealing his thoughts. His tone was flat. "If I hadn't left early, how would those people dare to act against Zong Shou, given their reservations about our Lingyun Sect?"

Jing Tao felt a surge of alarm, his brow furrowed slightly. "Qiantian Mountain has returned with a full harvest; their influence will certainly swell further. However, in my view, they can at most only recover to the level when Zong Weiran was alive. Even without our sect intervening, the other sects would find every possible way to dismantle them. Zong Shou has no martial power; anyone in his sect could kill him. Why must Martial Nephew regard him as a great enemy? Is your prejudice against Zong Shou really that deep? I know you once sponsored his entry. But what was the necessity? If this child remains an outer disciple, Qiantian Mountain can serve as a wing for our Lingyun Sect—"

"Martial Uncle Jing Tao, please speak with caution!"

Long Ruo finally revealed a trace of anger, as if a vulnerable spot in his heart had been suddenly pierced. His mood instantly flared into a rage, which he forcibly suppressed only after a moment.

"Xuanyuan Tong has already advanced to the Celestial Rank and only has one year to handle worldly affairs before stepping down. And the one to take the position of the Lord of Xuan Mountain City, barring any surprises, will be Zong Shou. Do you realize how much territory Qiantian Mountain will govern then? I think it is you, Martial Uncle, who has been charmed by Zong Shou! If this child does not die, our Lingyun Sect will never know peace!"

Jing Tao immediately felt a rush of indignation. Those last few reproving sentences only fueled his resentment. Yet, due to Long Ruo's status as the direct successor, he couldn't explode with anger.

Did he not know? Although the power of Xuan Mountain City was slightly weaker, it still controlled three provinces. If this child inherited the City Lordship of Xuan Mountain, and Qiantian Mountain expanded further, it would mean that nearly one-fifth of the territory of Donglin Cloud Continent would fall into Qiantian Mountain's hands!

The embryo of a dynasty was rising in the west of Donglin.

But even if Zong Shou managed to unify Donglin, what real impact would that have on the Lingyun Sect? The Lingyun Sect stood above the mundane world. Even when the previous dynasties of Donglin were at their peak, they failed to affect the survival of the Lingyun Sect. With proper maneuvering, they could even make those dynasties rely heavily upon them.

Now, those generations of royalty had vanished, yet the Lingyun Sect remained.

What nonsense was this—'If this child does not die, our Lingyun Sect will never know peace'?

"This Zong Shou is somehow different!"

Long Ruo frowned deeply, yet couldn't articulate why. It was a primal unwillingness to see this youth achieve greater heights.

Ever since he learned that Zong Shou, after being rejected by him, hadn't faded away but instead thrived and lived exceptionally well, his dislike and rejection grew stronger.

If this child truly unified Donglin one day, then what would he become?

He suddenly startled, realizing that a flaw—a demonic obsession—had taken root in his Dao heart.

Long Ruo frowned and remained silent. After a moment, he settled his mind again. The emergence of this mental affliction was all due to Zong Shou. Erasing this child was the simplest and fastest solution.

After that, he would no longer need to worry.

"Martial Uncle need not concern himself with this matter! I heard you obtained quite a lot of Corpse-Entombed Sword Extreme Grass this time. Why not return early and enter seclusion to break through?"

Jing Tao’s chest rose and fell sharply. Instead of anger, a slight smile touched his lips. "Very well, I won't interfere further! But I see that youth as unfathomably deep, far more than what appears on the surface. Martial Nephew Long Ruo may not get his wish."

"I said already, Martial Uncle need not worry about it!"

As they spoke, a golden light talisman suddenly pierced the air from the distance. Judging by its trajectory, it originated from Tongling Island.

Long Ruo casually caught it. The moment it touched his hand, his body trembled slightly. His already shadowed gaze grew darker.

True Man Jing Tao glanced sideways. He could make out characters such as: 'Zong Shou is alive, Yue Guanyun is dead—corpse displayed publicly.' He burst into laughter. "Is this the result you wanted? Very well, Long Ruo, you must look after yourself. I only hope that in the future, you do not bring disaster upon our Sect! The depth of this child's mind is something I, Jing Tao, have rarely seen. I truly cannot fathom him. If one day he seeks retribution, it will surely be a crushing weight for our Lingyun Sect to bear! I advise you: either reconcile with him, or put forth every effort to crush him completely."

With that, Jing Tao no longer wished to share the same vessel as Long Ruo. He stepped onto the spirit sword he had newly acquired in the Beast Tomb, took to the air, and sped off in another direction.

"I see you are already possessed by obsession and have broken a taboo. I hope that on your upcoming journey to Julong Mountain’s Dragon Gate, Long Ruo, you do not disgrace the prestige of our Lingyun Sect!"

Long Ruo's expression remained unchanged. He sat rigidly in place, paying no heed to Jing Tao's words. Even when the wind died down and the skiff stopped moving, he did not react.

This time, he had truly miscalculated.

He slightly raised his eyelids and looked toward Tongling Island. More than ten months ago, the first time he saw Zong Shou, the young man was in imminent danger, fleeing for his life.

Ten months later, Zong Shou had leaped across the gap to become a supreme ruler in the western part of the Cloud Continent.

A single difference in judgment had caused such talent to be cast aside. From this day forward, the sect would undoubtedly hear voices of blame. Given the competition for the future position of Sect Master, he certainly had rivals within the sect.

He wondered who it was that helped Zong Shou slay Yue Guanyun?

And why were Zhao Yanran and Xuan Yunlan so close to him, even saying words that suggested they might bring the sect to ruin? Even Lei Dong placed immense value on Zong Shou. Suddenly recalling the engagement between Han Niuishui and Xuanyuan Yiren, he thought that perhaps there was still room for maneuver in this matter. (To be continued)