"I truly cannot believe it. A figure such as Lord Yue Cheng, to simply perish at the hands of this one. A mere child, still bearing the milk scent of youth—"

"Child? The so-called child you speak of is the one who sank four thousand Cloud Ships to the bottom of the sea. And in just twenty days, swept across several provinces, none able to withstand his might!"

"Hmph! He may only enjoy this fleeting triumph. Having achieved some success, he grows so arrogant. I heard his father, even at the height of his power, was incredibly frugal. Even his personal carriage was nothing more than a common Cloud-Flipping Cart. Look at his ostentatious display now; who knows how much of the people's wealth he has squandered—"

"I only know that Xie Rong died horribly. The Five Battles of Taoyun City ended in five crushing defeats, all broken in direct confrontation on the battlefield. Had he not surrendered honorably, he would likely have followed Xie Rong's fate. You and I are not in Huanlong Province; those who surrendered only to rebel again, or rebel only to surrender again, are not favored by Zong Shou, and rightly so. Why should we involve ourselves?"

"But that carriage is indeed remarkable. Whether a Spirit Master or a Martial Cultivator practices within it, it proves beneficial. What a pity; it seems only the Lords of the cities under Qiantian will be able to afford one in these coming years. They have truly profited immensely this time—"

"That's not the way to look at it. One must uphold loyalty and righteousness. Moreover, Zong Shou, so young, yet so tyrannical in his actions. I doubt such a regime can last long!"

"Loyalty and righteousness? If you value those, why did you surrender without a fight? So what if he is young and tyrannical? As long as he maintains peace within the domain and ensures we have annual gains, that is sufficient. As for whether it lasts, let us see how many powers remain on the East Lin Cloud Land that can challenge Qiantian Mountain!"

Zi Donglai let out a faint laugh, snapping out of his deep thought. Although he had been momentarily distracted, he had heard every word spoken by those around him.

He realized that most of these men were already alienated, holding conflicting opinions. He wondered what method Zong Shou had employed.

He then recalled the agreement signed during his previous meeting with Zong Shou—a loan of over fifty thousand Fourth-Tier Beast Cores, borrowed from the Demon King of Qiantian Mountain.

Yuanlong City had suffered immense losses this time: a full twenty-five Cloud Ships sunk, resulting in no gains but the death of tens of thousands of elites. The compensation alone was an astronomical figure. Having these Beast Cores was indeed a timely relief.

Although the interest rate was frighteningly high, it would allow Yuanlong City to quickly restore its vitality. That was certainly better than a gradual decline in the future. Naturally, securing such a loan came at a cost.

"You all must be cautious with your words! No matter what, the person you speak of is now our Sovereign. How can you be so disrespectful? Xijie City brought its doom upon itself, and we need not mourn the fallen rabbit alongside the fox. Whether Qiantian Mountain City eventually collapses or not, at least for now, you and I must adhere to our duty as subjects—"

This statement brought immediate silence to the surroundings. The dozen or so people present were all from the vicinity of Yuanlong City, looking to him as their leader.

Since Zi Donglai had made such a firm decision, even if these men harbored dissatisfaction or unwillingness, they had to suppress it deep within their hearts.

Zi Donglai, by this time, was too weary to bother arguing. He merely contemplated in his mind: what kind of person was Zong Shou?

If previously someone dared to look down on him for not cultivating the Martial Way or studying Spirit Arts, now, no one dared to belittle him any longer.

To secure the head of Yue Guanyun, to drive Taoyun City to the brink of annihilation, and to usher in the resurgence of Qiantian City as a major power in the Western Regions of the Cloud Land—

A person capable of such feats, even if completely lacking in personal combat strength, was enough to inspire dread!

This meeting had certainly left a deep impression on him—his methods were incredibly versatile.

※※※※

Across the snow-covered ground, a cavalry force of nearly twenty thousand thundered past, their hooves kicking up plumes of snow powder like crashing thunder.

Zong Shou rode in their midst, protected by the main army, a slight weariness visible on his face.

For over twenty consecutive days, they had galloped non-stop on horseback, with hardly any rest. To say he wasn't tired would be a lie.

He alone had already exhausted three Fourth-Tier Wind-Riding Steeds. He had finally managed a rare two-day respite at Xijie City, only to immediately resume this day-and-night forced march. Truly a laborious existence.

But it could not be helped. The matters in the East had been settled, yet a potentially major battle loomed with the cities of Lieyan and Yunxia, a situation that required his personal inspection.

This damned Demon King position, it truly was not something fit for human beings. He even felt a faint tinge of regret in his heart; if he hadn't been provoked by Long Ruo and his group, he wouldn't have gone on such a rampage. To conquer the three provinces of Tianfang, Huanlong, and Xiping in twenty days.

In truth, a gradual erosion and annexation over several years would have been the optimal strategy. His method of swift conquest now might lead to indigestion. Just at this moment, a streak of red light descended from the sky. Hu Zhongyuan, riding beside him, instantly reached out and snatched the Scarlet Swift Bird.

Zong Shou knew this must be a dispatch from Hu Qianqiu or Qiu Wei. He didn't bother looking at it, asking directly, "Is that Uncle Hu or Uncle Qiu? What is the situation on their end?"

Hu Zhongyuan took out the slip of paper, glanced at it, and frowned deeply, "It’s from Father! He says the Yunxia City offensive is very fierce; they have amassed ninety thousand infantry and cavalry, along with the lords of vassal cities, encamped near Guhe City, attacking relentlessly for three days and three nights. However, by noon today, they have retreated, showing signs of merging forces with Lieyan Mountain. It seems they are now aware of the situation on our side—"

Zong Shou's lips curled slightly. These Fengnu Xiongpa were indeed veterans of many campaigns, regional titans, who understood the shifting times.

Suffering heavy losses in the Cloud Sea and returning empty-handed, knowing their own strength was severely depleted and weak, they instead launched an all-out attack, seeking to force a decisive breakthrough.

Upon learning that the three provinces of Tianfang had been pacified by him, leaving Taoyun City with no power to counter-attack, they decisively pulled back. Their deployment and use of force gave the enemy no opening whatsoever.

Then Hu Zhongyuan continued, "My old father says that although the Yunxia City offensive was powerful, they are actually strong in appearance but weak within, and morale is unstable. He is seventy percent certain he can shatter them in a single blow. He complains that the Sovereign has tied his hands, forcing him into a passive defense of Guhe City, letting a golden opportunity slip away."

Zong Shou let out a soft laugh. When he issued several edicts earlier, he had already anticipated that Hu Qianqiu would be dissatisfied.

"Reply to your father, tell him that when using a fist to strike someone, one must clench the five fingers, retract the hand slightly, and gather the force fully for the blow to truly hurt. Otherwise, what is the point of a feeble tap? Yue Linghuan’s talent is no less than her father's; she cannot be underestimated, nor can she be taken lightly—"

Hu Qianqiu nodded, finding the last sentence from Zong Shou entirely reasonable. Although Yue Linghuan had been defeated five times before their Sovereign, she had always managed to retreat without her army collapsing.

Once she knew the effort was fruitless, she immediately consolidated all her forces, concentrating the military strength of Yuntao City in the province of Hanxi, defending it rigorously.

This left Zong Shou's advancing forces stymied, like a mouse trying to handle a turtle, forcing him to reluctantly turn back. It even necessitated leaving great generals like Chai Yuanling and Fa Kong behind, while summoning Ren Bo to manage the newly acquired territories and guard against a counter-attack from Taoyun City.

Therefore, no one here, including Hu Zhongyuan himself, dared to look down upon this woman.

Yue Linghuan's decisiveness in action was no less than her father's.

If anything went wrong on the Western Front, this person would surely make a move.

After speaking, Zong Shou drifted slightly into a daze. The campaign toward Guhe City might be the last battle he would participate in for Qiantian Mountain within the next few years.

The Iron Steel Hall was nearing completion. Once all these matters were settled, he should be able to calmly set everything aside and continue pursuing his own Sword Way.

This position of a ruler, seemingly glorious and wielding immense power over the lives of millions, was not what Zong Shou desired!

To fulfill the dying wish of that person, he had already wasted too much precious time.

He closed his eyes, allowing the tired Wind-Riding Steed to run on its own. Zong Shou’s consciousness sank into the ethereal void.

After twenty continuous days and nights, he had gradually learned how to enter a state of meditation while riding.

Initially, it was merely to restore his Soul Power. Later, he could even cultivate in this state.

And at this very moment, what Zong Shou focused on most intensely was the Yuan Yi Sword he nurtured within his Divine Soul.

This phantom sword was growing increasingly golden, faintly interwoven with serpentine patterns.

In fact, ever since he acquired the entire wealth of the Beast Tomb beneath the Cloud Sea, and subsequently sank the four thousand Cloud Ships with the Yuan Mie Crossbow, the 'Kingly Aura'—the so-called 'Dragon' Qi—accumulated on the sword's body had begun to expand. And once he led his army south, conquering ten thousand li of territory, the 'Dragon Qi' within naturally grew more concentrated.

This signified a massive increase in national fortune and peak military might.

But unexpectedly, the issue of 'Dragon Qi' contamination, which had caused him significant headaches, had not materialized. This faint, pale-yellow aura was confined solely to the Yuan Yi Sword, seemingly blocked by some force, not encroaching outward.

Recalling the words spoken by Wei Xu when he departed, Zong Shou instinctively focused all his attention on the Nine-Layered Purple-Gold Pagoda.

If his deductions were correct, this Dragon Qi was being forcibly suppressed by the Purple-Gold Pagoda. It seemed this artifact was far more than just a tool for suppressing the Divine Soul.

His senior brother had indeed left him a great gift.

This magical artifact of indeterminate rank, Zong Shou still dared not touch; after carefully observing it for a moment, he dismissed it.

He then returned to his Soul Sea to coalesce True Talismans. While on the ship, he had sought instruction from Xuanyuan Yiren on the essence of the character 'Purify' and thoroughly re-examined the Heavenly Swallowing Primordial Transformation Scripture.

By leveraging Xiao Jin's innate divine ability, 'Swallow,' to purify several spiritual treasures, these two True Talismans were now only a few steps from completion.

Perhaps four days, perhaps ten—certainly within a month, his spiritual arts would reach the Returning Yang Realm!

The distance from Xijie to Guhe totaled two thousand two hundred li. Fortunately, the terrain was flat, requiring no detours. Traveling day and night with three horses per person, the journey took only two days and two nights.

Zong Shou continuously coalesced True Talismans while riding, using the time to comprehend the Laws and examine his own shortcomings, thus feeling little fatigue throughout the journey.

It was on the morning of the third day that Guhe City finally came into view in the distance. Zong Shou felt a slight regret and paused his meditation on horseback. Within his Soul Sea, only two True Talismans remained unfinished. (To be continued)