Zong Yuan stared, utterly stunned, then filled with awe, looking at Zong Shou. His liege, it seemed, could stir up trouble no matter where he went. To actually force the Lingyun Sect to relocate the headquarters they had managed for nearly ten thousand years—that was simply too formidable. He had no idea what the Absolute Yin Abyss or the Nine Yin Nether Maiden were, but those two terms immediately suggested immense power. Gong Yue’s expression shifted slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: “Resurrection? Your Highness, are you saying my sister can come back to life?” “Come back to life? I don’t even know if it counts as that.”

Zong Shou’s expression was also grim. After a sigh, seeing the sheer joy in Gong Yue’s eyes, he decided he had to dampen the expectation; he couldn't let this fellow harbor too much hope. “She should retain the memories of her previous life, but whether she is her remains uncertain. The Nine Yin Nether Maiden is condensed from the absolute Yin energy of Heaven and Earth, aligning with the laws of the cosmos. Legend says they are princesses of the Netherworld, favored by it. All are born with extraordinary talent, possessing strength comparable to a Heaven-rank Martial Ancestor immediately upon birth; any Yin-attribute cultivation technique is mastered instantly. Their temperaments vary depending on how they formed. Some are tyrannical, others crave slaughter. In any case, the three Nine Yin Nether Maidens recorded in historical texts were none of them gentle or benevolent. Every time one appears, disaster inevitably follows, resulting in the deaths of at least tens of millions.” Gong Yue listened, growing increasingly horrified, his face turning deathly pale. If it were truly so, he would rather his sister had passed away peacefully.

Zong Shou also felt a wave of conflict. Thinking of the catastrophe he had personally set in motion caused him endless melancholy. “Is there truly no way to stop it? If the Sun-Reversal Day Journey is impossible, surely the Body-Sculpting True Form realm can suppress her?”

Jin Buhui’s face remained expressionless: “I thought the same not long ago. I enlisted the help of my Master, along with two True Form realm elders from the Lingyun Sect, intending to shatter that Absolute Yin land. However, it provoked interference from a Nether Emperor across the dimensional barrier. Furthermore, near that location, some unknown master acted and annihilated the Moshans Sect. As a result, the resentful vital energy and blood essence of many Rank Seven experts there were absorbed by the nine Yin Veins to nourish the Nether domain. All three suffered minor injuries, losing some Soul Power. Instead, Gong Xinran’s emergence was accelerated by a full seven years. It seems a new Yin Vein has formed down there…” Zong Shou gasped, his mouth wide open. He wished he could bang his head against the ground—how could such a coincidence occur? He also mused that those three True Form masters were truly too incompetent. The so-called Nether Emperor is the title for the supreme experts of the Netherworld. And the Netherworld is not some minor world compared to others; it exists within the Cloud Realm itself, the two being intrinsically linked as the opposing faces of Yin and Yang. In the era of Cloud Barren, the Netherworld suffered less damage. With wise individuals pre-planning to maintain the spirit tide, it has managed to accommodate some experts above the Immortal Path. The Nether Emperor there, leveraging the Absolute Yin and Ultimate Desolation area, could indeed intervene across the barrier, rendering True Form realm Spirit Masters helpless.

Jin Buhui also hung his head in dejection: “Afterward, the matter was dropped. My Master said it was the will of Heaven; this calamity was destined for the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent. It seems it was meant to be spurred by our actions. In that case, you aren’t to blame, and naturally, my Master isn’t to blame either.” Zong Shou inwardly sneered—this was clearly just an attempt to shift responsibility. Nine is the extreme of numbers; adding another vein beyond nine means transcending the celestial constant, signifying this woman would be unbound by fate. He couldn't even imagine what the situation would be like after Gong Xinran finally emerged. However, he couldn't utter such mocking words, as he himself was the originator of this entire affair. He was already plotting how he might leverage some connection later on to persuade this Senior Sister Xinran to cause trouble elsewhere, at least ensuring the safety of Cloud Saint City.

“So that is the case! Since it is Heaven’s will for this Nine Yin Nether Maiden to emerge, we naturally have no recourse but to yield to destiny.” With a sigh, Zong Shou’s expression was one of genuine pain and helplessness: “It is just a pity that my Eastern Lin Cloud Continent is to suffer devastation and the descent of a slaughtering calamity. I do not know how many lives will be lost. I wish I could take their place…” He had already made up his mind: he would do his best to stop it if possible, but if not, he would observe and be prepared to flee at any moment. His Qiantian Mountain sect should also remain quiet for the time being, avoiding any easy extension of its influence toward the eastern side of the Cloud Continent.

“Your Highness is truly a benevolent ruler; no wonder you can gather the Sword of the Son of Heaven.” Jin Buhui was completely unaware of Zong Shou’s inner thoughts and was deeply moved: “In truth, Your Highness need not blame yourself. This matter is not your fault. Heaven used your hand; it was not Your Highness’s intention. Even if there were karmic judgments, Your Highness need not bear them. These words were spoken personally by my Master and those two True Form elders from the Lingyun Sect.” “Even so, I feel shame. Brother Jin, there is no need to call me Your Highness; just call me by my name.”

Zong Shou had been waiting for this very sentence from Jin Buhui. If Gong Xinran truly caused some great disaster in the future, and the orthodox sects sought blame, he would have this established as his defense. After offering a few more hypocritically remorseful words, Zong Shou turned to Gong Yue: “That Martial Scripture Secret Manual was one of your sister’s dying wishes and lingering obsessions. Now I entrust it to your hands; you must guard it well. This object is quite mysterious; the Moshans Sect coveted it, hiring Gao Yi to set up a deception to steal it. If you can decipher it in the future, it might alleviate some of your sister’s obsession.”

Jin Buhui, being from a prestigious orthodox sect, had a reputation far stronger than the Lingyun Sect. Zong Shou had no fear that this fellow would harbor greed or betray the secret to others. Mentioning this served both to offer guidance and to remind Gong Yue of his obligation. Although a bit despicable, Zong Shou’s nature had always been shameless and utterly unconcerned with appearances. The reincarnation of the deceased theoretically severs ties with their past life. However, since it is based on the physical body and soul of the previous existence, there are many instances in this world where prior emotions are retained. The higher the cultivation level, the more likely this situation occurs. Planting a seed early was certainly not a mistake.

Gong Yue was also startled and quickly opened the Martial Scripture Secret Manual, trying to search for the hidden profound mechanism within. Jin Buhui, however, sighed with emotion: “Old Jin has spent more than half a year in the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent gaining experience, entangled by the Moshans Sect and the Absolute Yin Abyss issue. Although my cultivation hasn't lagged, I have achieved nothing substantial. However, to have made the acquaintance of a figure like Your Highness is compensation enough…” He looked Zong Shou up and down with admiration: “You are only fourteen? Just four years younger than Old Jin. Yet, you can already match me blow for blow. I don’t know how you accomplished this. If my friends knew of such ability, they would certainly drop their jaws.” There was a clear sense of mutual appreciation in his words.

This time it was Zong Shou’s turn to be surprised. Looking at the stout physique, he had assumed the man was at least twenty-four or twenty-five, possibly even twenty-seven or twenty-eight. To learn he was so young was astonishing. He knew this person would be a major figure on the Central Cloud Continent in the future, extremely formidable, but his exact age and background remained unknown. “What Zong Shou relies on, the Royal Way Secret Martial Arts, how can it compare to Brother Jin’s…”

Their mutual praising was cut short by a shrill wail. The expressions of everyone present changed instantly. They looked westward, toward the source of the sound, almost simultaneously feeling that cold, powerful intent piercing through. “It must be the Ant Queen! She’s not far!” Jin Buhui sucked in a sharp breath, his face nearly crumpled like a bitter melon: “I, Old Jin, am doomed now. If things go badly, I might die here again.” Once the Demon Fire Crystal Ant colony reached a population exceeding ten thousand, the Ant Queen could enter the true Rank Seven, possessing divine abilities even if lacking direct combat prowess. If she arrived here, she could boost the combat strength of the Crystal Ants present by several times! The Guard Soldier Ant King beside her would even surpass the combat power of that Six-Winged Flying Ant.

At this moment, even Zong Shou entertained thoughts of fleeing. He might have to deploy the Azure Life Token, which could instantly whisk him and Zong Yuan back to the Azure Life Dome. As for Gong Yue, if there was truly no other option, the empty slot on the token would have to be used on this fellow. Unexpectedly, when the Demon Fire Crystal Ants heard the howl, they did not continue their attack. Instead, they retreated like a tide. These Crystal Ants arrived fast and left just as cleanly; in the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.

Zong Shou remained unperturbed and immediately waved his hand, sweeping the corpses of several thousand ants below into his Qiankun Pouch. He didn’t take everything, leaving a token amount—less than one-fortieth of the total—for Jin Buhui in a show of propriety. The latter was a step too slow and could only glare fiercely at Zong Shou: “Brother Zong, you are truly the great nemesis of my life, Jin Buhui!” Zong Shou chuckled wryly, knowing Jin Buhui’s nature. Did he really think he would be polite? If he had hesitated, he likely wouldn't have gotten a single piece of the ant corpses below. Then, his brow immediately knitted: “Everything tonight reeks of strangeness. Why would the Demon Fire Crystal Ants appear here?” “What other reason could there be? These Demon Fire Crystal Ants were cultivated by someone else. This person was lucky enough to find an Ant Queen’s egg left over from antiquity and then used it directly as a guardian. Someone, for unknown reasons, lured that person here. Today, you and I were merely collateral damage.”

This statement caused the figures around them to shudder. Jin Buhui seemed unwilling to say more and sat cross-legged on the rock once again. Although the ant tide had receded, no one dared to jump off the massive rock and leave; they all waited quietly. A moment later, sounds of soft weeping drifted from the group from the Linhai Academy. When the great enemy was present and the situation tense, no one had paid attention. Only now did the disciples of the Linhai Academy realize that nearly half of their senior brothers and sisters had perished overnight, swallowed by the mouths of the Crystal Ants.

Zong Shou sighed once, then used an illusion technique to shield out the crying. Then, in the same manner, he sat by the bonfire and entered a meditative state. (To be continued)