Watching Yue Linghuan hasten away, Xiong Yu’s face was ashen. Turning wordlessly, Zong Shou, however, turned back with disdain, gazing coldly: “If this Isolated Sovereign guesses correctly, you are the Princess Xuan Yu of Blazing Flame Mountain, are you not? Guess what, Isolated Sovereign let Yue Linghuan escape today for what reason?”

The peerlessly beautiful Xiong Yu froze in place, her breath catching, her eyes filled with absolute vigilance. She felt an immense pressure washing over her, causing cold sweat to bead on her forehead.

How could she not understand Zong Shou’s intent? Letting Yue Linghuan flee was so he could dedicate his full power to keeping her behind!

Taking a deep breath, Xiong Yu gave a mournful laugh: “Xiong Yu truly doesn't understand why Your Highness would single me out? In terms of talent, Xiong Yu dares say she possesses some, but she absolutely cannot claim to surpass Brother Yue Linghuan, who managed to preserve his family legacy and resist Your Highness’s grand army even after his father’s demise—”

The voice was stunningly beautiful. Her graceful, long legs, paired with a slit white skirt, accentuated a captivating, alluring figure.

Zong Shou acted as if he hadn’t noticed, stating faintly, “The manpower you brought this time is nearly equal to the combined forces of Yue Linghuan and his subordinates. Though their exact temperaments are unknown, it’s clear they are extremely cautious individuals who have calculated Zong Shou’s strength at ninety percent accuracy. Even with just your contingent, you could have executed me several times over. The only miscalculation was that Zong Shou, by sheer luck, managed to break through to the Reversion Realm within the last half-month and gather a trace of Dragon Qi—”

Hearing this, the woman opposite clearly gasped, her breath catching. Zong Shou sneered inwardly, his voice remaining calm and steady: “If your father were still alive, killing you would yield few benefits from Blazing Flame Mountain on my end. Conversely, if Yue Linghuan were dead, the entire province of Hanxi, even Taoyun City, could fall completely into my grasp. However, the truly terrifying opponent is the one you do not understand. Though Yue Linghuan is a formidable talent, I am already intimately familiar with his background and disposition. As for Princess Xuan Yu, I remain completely in the dark—”

As he spoke, his voice carried a peculiar rhythm. Each inhalation and exhalation was subtly interwoven, yet did not disrupt the flow of his speech; instead, it subtly exerted a force that unnerved the mind.

The massive reserves of vital energy he had swallowed earlier using the Heaven-Swallowing Primordial Transformation Art from those few Black Tortoise Grandmasters were being meticulously controlled and adjusted, drawing upon his utmost effort to sort out the chaotic meridians within his body, preparing them for actual combat.

Xiong Yu, however, felt a chill penetrate her core. Because she did not understand him, because she could not know herself or her enemy, she perceived a threat, and the imperative was to eliminate it first! What a cruel-hearted person!

Then, her expression shifted. She detected the profound mystery within Zong Shou’s breathing—she might have been grievously deceived! Zong Shou might have actually been completely exhausted just moments ago!

He was merely putting on a bluff, forcing her to halt, luring her into conversation to buy time to regulate his internal energy.

She was also a decisive person. The moment she sensed something was amiss, her figure shot backward in a blur: “Your Highness and my Blazing Flame Mountain only established a treaty half a month ago. This time, it is my fault, and Blazing Flame Mountain will certainly offer an explanation later. How about we let today’s matter rest? To fight here would be disrespectful to the Elder Dragon Shadow.”

Zong Shou made no haste to attack, shaking his head slightly, articulating almost word by word: “Why the trouble? Why not let me kill you, and then let my Bright Heaven Mountain offer an explanation to your father!”

The blood and qi surging within his body, filled to the point of near explosion, burned furiously at this moment.

—The odds of victory were already ninety percent!

Zong Shou’s body seemed propelled by a violent gale, charging recklessly through the cavern. His speed surpassed the visual limit of almost all Sixth-Tier experts, flashing instantly to her location.

The distance separating them, which had been over a hundred zhang, shrank to less than ten zhang in a single breath!

The several Black Tortoise Grandmasters flanking Xiong Yu’s side turned pale. One of them, after a fierce roar, violently swung a massive axe, hacking forward without regard for the consequences.

The axe energy charged forward, yet Zong Shou didn't even blink. His hands remained empty as he lashed out with a punch!

Upon the collision of fist and axe, the immense primal energy he had swallowed erupted in that instant, shattering the great axe outright!

The force of the punch did not cease; driven by his momentum, it drove straight into the Black Tortoise Grandmaster’s head!

“Boom!”

In the ten-zhang wide cavern, countless streams of turbulent wind, carrying fine metal fragments, sprayed everywhere. Blood mist and white pulp scattered widely.

Xiong Yu’s breath hitched completely. She realized Zong Shou hadn't used any special fist art or profound technique just then.

It was a simple, straightforward punch, domineering and concise, slaying a Black Tortoise Grandmaster on the spot with a single blow!

“Demon!”

At this moment, only this single word remained in her heart to describe Zong Shou’s image.

In this instant, the frail-looking youth before her finally merged completely with the overlord she had imagined a month prior—the one who, leading only a mere hundred thousand cavalry, had audaciously charged into the Western Cloud and Phantom Dragon provinces, routing the armies of Taoyun City numbering in the millions.

His presence was utterly unstoppable! Unrivaled! Dominating the expanse of ten thousand li with absolute might!

Blood splattered, coating Zong Shou entirely in crimson. Yet, his eyes remained as cold as ever.

The second man before him drew his sword; the sword light bloomed like plum blossoms—beautiful, yet lethal.

Zong Shou seemed oblivious, simply launching a straightforward kick, delivering a knee strike. He detonated the vast newly absorbed primal energy gathered near his knee!

The sword light immediately scattered; this Eighth-Meridian Black Tortoise master’s sword instantly flew from his grasp. The man himself spat a mouthful of blood and stumbled backward.

Zong Shou’s figure then swooped down like a spreading eagle. His large hands opened wide, grasping the man’s neck. With a heavy squeeze, he ground the spine itself into dust!

Xiong Yu’s heart pounded with terror, unable to discern whether Zong Shou had truly been spent of energy earlier. Such ferocious striking power hardly resembled a state of qi depletion.

The remaining few men also felt their spirits sink to the bottom, their eyes showing not just helplessness but a sliver of suicidal resolve. A young man, perhaps in his early thirties, shouted coldly: “This person is too strong, My Lady, flee quickly! We will risk our lives to hold him! Use that Phantasmal Form Concealment Talisman—”

Xiong Yu remained silent, not sparing another glance behind her, fleeing at breakneck speed. The Black Tortoise Grandmasters all stopped. Employing some unknown technique, their faces turned pale, but their auras surged violently. The two Reversion Realm Spirit Masters also halted, abandoning their physical bodies entirely to project their souls outward.

Zong Shou summoned the Thunder Wing Sword, which had been providing support nearby against the Spirit Masters’ spells, into his hand.

“Can you escape?”

The sword light flashed—still the technique ‘Furious Thunder Flashing Sword’—the figure streaked dozens of zhang in an instant.

He slid past one Black Tortoise Grandmaster, the sword light leaving behind a fresh spray of blood.

In moments, he caught up behind Xiong Yu, reaching out and firmly grasping her left arm.

Xiong Yu’s beautiful face turned to ash; she struggled desperately, her willow-leaf saber flashing back in a cut.

Zong Shou casually deflected it, but this woman’s meridians shifted erratically at that moment due to some esoteric practice she employed, making it impossible to strike pressure points or seal her pulse gates. After a brief, fruitless attempt, Zong Shou simply channeled the world-shaking true might of the Water-Fire Spiral almost madly toward Xiong Yu’s heart meridian.

Just as he was about to shatter her heartstrings completely, several angry roars sounded from behind him. Without needing to look, he sensed with his divine soul two immense surges of spiritual energy rushing toward him.

It was those two Reversion Realm Spirit Masters, using a mutual destruction technique, commanding their spirit artifacts to charge downward. In an instant, they were almost upon him.

Zong Shou frowned slightly, finally sighing in frustration. With a sharp yank, accompanied by a sharp crack, he brutally tore off Xiong Yu’s left arm!

Then, his figure flashed and vanished, vacating the spot. The sword in his hand moved like flowing clouds and illusory mist, piercing the brow of another Black Tortoise Grandmaster.

Dozens of breaths later, this hidden cavern returned to complete tranquility. Only corpses lay strewn about, and a few people gasped for life. Zong Shou stood on the ground, now nearly drenched entirely in blood, his brow tightly furrowed as he stared in the direction Xiong Yu had fled.

The Phantasmal Form Concealment Talisman the woman used was at least Seventh-Tier or above. Even a Seventh-Tier Day-Roaming Spirit Master would struggle to track her now, let alone him, who was not proficient in spirit arts.

Even the scent of blood had been masked. It was clear that Xiong Yu was an extremely meticulous person; despite her injuries, there wasn't a single speck of blood or scent trail nearby.

Considering this, Zong Shou felt even more wary.

Of the seven Black Tortoise Grandmasters and two Reversion Realm Spirit Masters she brought, only three hailed from Blazing Flame Mountain.

This woman had managed to gather such a formidable force purely through her own influence, and without exception, they were utterly devoted, willing to die for her.

Even among the Demon Sect’s disciples who specialized in charm arts and spiritual illusion techniques, few could possess such capability.

She truly possessed the qualifications to be his adversary!

Letting this woman escape this time might turn into a major looming threat.

He then gave a self-mocking laugh, Zong Shou pulling out a token—the ‘All Beings’ Dao Token gifted by Wei Xu.

At this moment, he felt an urge to discard it.

Indeed, people were like this; once they had something to care for, once they had a retreat, their spirit would soften.

It had been precisely like this just moments ago; in the initial instant, he had entertained the thought of using this token to escape.

Only at the final moment when he decided to strike first did Zong Shou resolutely choose to cast it aside.

Forcing himself not to think of it, discarding every other thought, thinking only that he could not use this object even if he died—it was by pushing himself into a situation of certain death that he finally managed to fully stimulate the potential within his body.

“Senior Brother, Senior Brother, you gave me this treasure with good intentions, but you have also terribly harmed your junior brother—”

After a moment of hesitation and struggle, Zong Shou threw the token back into his Qiankun Pouch.

The most crucial use of this item was for entering and exiting the All Beings’ Sky Realm. Viewed from another perspective, this might also serve as a refinement for his own state of mind. (To be continued)