Across the desk from the elder in the imperial robe sat another figure, perhaps thirty years of age. Even within the palace walls, he was clad in heavy armor, his face handsome and refined, a long beard resting on his chest, projecting an aura of immense authority.

"I know this boy. Rumored to be only fourteen, yet his cunning and methods are no less than his father's. I thought that after the demise of Daoist Sect Leader Wei Ran, Mount Qiantian was destined to decline. Unexpectedly, this young man has made a stunning debut, asserting such dominance in the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent. I have closely studied his troop movements; there is nothing particularly novel about them. Only two points stand out: one, maturity, and two, swiftness. He often strikes directly at the vital points, hitting the enemy’s soft underbelly, catching them completely off guard. It truly doesn't seem like the work of someone just taking command of troops, but rather a seasoned veteran of countless battles."

"Oh? The Grand Commandant holds such a high opinion of this youth?"

The imperial-robed elder’s white eyebrows twitched slightly, then he mused, "Twelve provinces, covering an area spanning ten thousand li north to south—Mount Qiantian can barely establish itself as a recognized nation-state. It even possesses the potential to unify the entire Eastern Lin Cloud Continent in the future."

The elder suddenly stood, walking toward a bookshelf on the side. He first retrieved a scroll from the first layer, marked 'Jia,' in the thirty-fourth column. The cover of the scroll was clearly inscribed with the name Wei Ran of Mount Qiantian Sect Leader.

The imperial-robed elder then used a brush and wrote the name 'Zong Shou' after Wei Ran.

After a moment’s thought, he added the four characters 'Youth is Formidable' afterward.

"Fourteen years old? I recall when I was fourteen, I only knew how to tease birds and walk dogs, wasting my days idly. Yet this Zong Shou is already routing millions of soldiers on the battlefield. If I could father such a son, why would I need to worry day after day? Fearing the impending change from the Divine Emperor..."

With a self-deprecating chuckle, the elder moved the scroll forward, slotting it in before the twenty-fourth column.

Gazing at the wooden rack, his eyes grew distant: "The formidable enemy has not gone, and a new one has arrived. I don't know whether to feel dejected or exhilarated..."

The middle-aged man addressed as the Grand Commandant trembled slightly before regaining his composure. Having long grown accustomed to the Emperor’s moods, this was hardly surprising.

At the very same time, tens of thousands of li away in the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent, another man stood atop a city wall, carving the name Zong Shou into one of the crenellations.

This man appeared to be in his early twenties, with a broad forehead and distinct, yet not unattractive, features, possessing a unique aura. Several men followed him during his patrol of the city wall, now standing silently behind him.

"Mount Qiantian, Zong Shou!"

The youth finished carving the last stroke and stood silent for a long moment, his face grim as he looked out over the city behind him.

This was a magnificent city, in no way inferior to Mount Qiantian, perhaps even surpassing it. Its markets were thriving, the crowds dense, people brushing shoulders.

Yet the youth was preoccupied, the name 'Zong Shou' echoing repeatedly in his mind.

"Six battles, six victories. Even a formidable figure like Feng Nu of the Overlord has been defeated so cleanly..."

Finally, all his brooding transformed into a faint smile: "That is good. If life offered no worthy opponent, wouldn't that be a pity?"

Inside Mount Qiantian City, the scene was entirely different. Ever since the news of the victory had reached them that day, every street and alley was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. Nearly everyone in the city was dressed in red and green, their appearance radiating festivity.

By the dawn of the third day, countless people had converged at the East Gate, completely swarming the area. Hu Zhongyuan had arrived early, leading two thousand cavalry, ordered to cooperate with the Commander of the East City Army to maintain order there.

Seeing the scene at the gate, he was greatly startled. Even when Zong Wei Ran was alive, Mount Qiantian had never been this lively.

He couldn't help but admire his father’s foresight even more. If they waited for the Sovereign’s carriage to return, it would likely be impossible to move an inch here.

Without hesitation, he commanded the tens of thousands of men from the East City Army, waving their large clubs, to forcibly clear a path on both sides of the crowd.

He had now broken through the Martial Ancestor rank and become a Xuanwu Grandmaster. With a stern face, his imposing presence was quite intimidating. Added to the countless kills he had made on the battlefield these past few days, a faint aura of slaughter now clung to him. His loud shouts were full of spirit; ordinary people would struggle to even meet his gaze directly.

Those who disobeyed were struck hard across the back with a large club.

In a short time, with curses and blows, a clear path was carved toward the city center.

However, the onlookers were not angered; most remained exhilarated, their spirits soaring.

Hu Zhongyuan stood rigidly by the city gate, gripping his Tiger Tyrant Saber, maintaining a solemn bearing alongside the East City generals, waiting respectfully.

He paid no mind to the murmurings. Then, moments later, his ears perked up as he listened intently.

"Could it be mere bragging? Just what kind of figures are Feng Nu of Cloud Scar and Xiong Ba of the Blazing Flame? Even the former Lord couldn't handle them in several years. How could they be defeated so quickly? And they ceded half a province each? There were rumors in the city before, perhaps nine parts false and one part true..."

"Hmph! How could official battle reports be faked? Wouldn't it bring shame if that were exposed later? Although Feng Nu and Xiong Ba were both lords of their era, since even Yue Guan Yun fell to our Sovereign, what is so strange about them losing to our Sovereign?"

"Exactly! After the Sovereign disappeared, for nearly a year, today is the only day that truly lifts our spirits. Not only have we recovered all lost territory, but we've expanded by ten thousand li. Our Sovereign truly lives up to being the descendant of the former Lord! Those people from Blazing Flame, Cloud Scar, and the three cities of Tao Yun—how arrogant they were just a few days ago? Now, the merchants from those places don't dare raise their voices within the city. It’s so satisfying..."

"I heard our Sovereign achieved six victories in six battles, forcing Xiong Ba and Feng Nu to concede territory to sue for peace. I wonder if that's true? Our Sovereign is truly heroic. Hey, who said Zong Shi could handle the great responsibility of inheriting the Demon King's position? I think that fellow might not even measure up to one of our Sovereign's fingers!"

"Why bring up that rebellious scoundrel? Only those so-called direct lineage members of the Zong family regard him as a treasure. Oh, speaking of which, Mount Qiantian has produced quite a few rising stars this time! Zong Yuan, He Li, Hu Zhongyuan, Ling Xuan, Chai Zhou... The Purple Thunder Spear Zong Yuan is indeed worthy of being an unparalleled general; every time he leads troops into battle, he never fails, crushing enemy formations repeatedly. He Li, with his fire, burned down Gushan City; rumor has it he was key in forcing Xiong Ba and Feng Nu to concede territory. But this Hu Zhongyuan seems rather undeserving of his reputation; does he truly have no significant achievements?"

"Hehe! You just don't know. While Hu Zhongyuan might not be as brilliant as the Purple Thunder Spear, he is still a fierce general. He divided his forces in Dongping Province, leading four thousand elite cavalry and capturing twelve cities in a row, slaughtering no less than a hundred thousand enemies along the way. Legend says he recently broke through to the Xuanwu realm and will surely become a famous general in the future. Indeed, while the older generation of Mount Qiantian is formidable, the younger generation is surpassing them, proving no less capable than their fathers. The prosperity of Mount Qiantian is something to look forward to!"

Hu Zhongyuan’s right hand suddenly clenched the Tiger Tyrant Saber. At first, he was furious; being inferior to Zong Yuan was one thing, but even He Li was better than him? This man was merely luckier than him, nothing more.

But in the next instant, he secretly smiled with satisfaction again. Hearing people discuss his glorious achievements was truly comforting to body and soul.

It’s truly too much praise, too much praise. I don't deserve it. How embarrassing. Unfortunately, the subsequent discussion among the crowd completely deviated.

"A few days ago, my younger brother borrowed quite a few Beast Crystals from the money house again. He said he needed to buy elixirs to attempt to break through to the Secret Martial Master realm. What is he thinking? That's so much money; how will he ever repay it?

"What are you worried about? The interest isn't even high. It’s also the Sovereign’s benevolent policy. Knowing that poor families cannot afford the elixirs that aid in opening meridians, he made this provision. If one fails to break through, it’s naturally difficult, but once one enters the Secret Martial Master realm, the benefits last a lifetime. Haven't you seen the youths in the surrounding cities looking on with envy? Recently, everyone has been scrambling to obtain household registration in Mount Qiantian. Hey, obtaining that registration isn't so easy! Actually, I’m more interested in the Old Age Money House—investing money now for support in old age. Is that truly happening?"

"Most likely, yes! I heard some disabled people in the city have already started receiving monthly stipends from the money house. Ren Yongxiang also directly transferred countless Beast Crystals over. Since Mount Qiantian is wealthy now, why would we engage in such faithless acts? Providing for the elderly—the Sovereign’s action is truly a benevolent governance."

"It's a pity that the Sovereign forcibly closed all the brothels and pleasure houses in the Ten Li Fragrant District. On such a festive day, there's nowhere to go for drinking and hiring courtesans. One has to travel twenty li to the Guard City. It’s truly so inconvenient."

Repeatedly, the talk revolved around borrowing money for martial arts cultivation and the Old Age Money House. This made Hu Zhongyuan, who only wanted to hear others discuss him, quite bored. Hearing about the Ten Li Fragrant District also struck a chord with him. The Sovereign was good in every way, except that moving all the pleasure houses outside the city was undeniably the greatest 'evil policy' since Mount Qiantian was established! It was practically inhumane.

It had also utterly ruined his reputation among his drinking and feasting companions.

Lately, he had been like a rat crossing the street, afraid to show his face in front of those men.

However, he never dared say these things in front of Zong Shou. He also vaguely heard rumors that the reason Zong Shou was so furious was largely due to some thoughtless words he had uttered one night.

To actively seek out Zong Shou to persuade him on this matter would be seeking his own death!

As he was lost in these thoughts, he suddenly heard the thunderous sound of approaching hoofbeats, as if an army of thousands was charging toward the city gate. Leading the charge was Zong Yuan, clad in blood-red armor, holding the Purple Thunder Spear, his expression still that of a perpetually frozen iceberg.

Ever since learning his true parentage, this fellow had been like this, never cracking a smile, as if nursing an ancient grudge against everyone.

Following him came nearly ten thousand elite cavalry, selected from thousands upon thousands of soldiers. Even if the individual riders weren't individually strong, they had all experienced several battles—the elite of the elite—escorting a large central carriage as it gradually passed through the city gate.

Hu Zhongyuan’s brow furrowed. Before he could even bow, he heard the countless people behind him fall to their knees, the voices of hundreds of thousands coalescing into a single roar:

"Citizens of Mount Qiantian, welcome the Sovereign home!"