"Tsk! This old man is formidable, nearly taking on his true form. But for an eighth-tier expert at the peak of the Body Forging Realm to strike at a junior like you—truly shameless! Don't worry, there are people from your Samsara Path here. That wicked dragon will also be rushing back soon. If it hadn't been for the residual energy from his departure destroying my spiritual array restrictions, today wouldn't have been this troublesome?"

Zong Shou remained silent, letting him ramble. First, he secretly checked within his [Body], discovering that the small yellow dots that had entered his physical form were already nearly seventy percent integrated.

His physical power hadn't increased much. At most, it had doubled compared to before. The rest had mostly become latent potential deep within his flesh.

Zong Shou immediately breathed a sigh of relief. What he feared most was that the old Dragon Shadow would recklessly push his body to the extreme, which would surely lead to disaster.

The current situation was ideal, far superior to his own method of sealing the essence of the Thunder Phoenix.

Also, within his [Body], the original nine shadows had now transformed into a full eighteen, flowing with the true energy within his dual meridians.

It seemed the Dragon Shadow, considering the peculiar state of his body, had temporarily added these, though he didn't know what exactly they were.

The moment he had such a thought, the Dragon Shadow knew his mind. The voice choked out, "Insolent! Your master is a Martial Saint; how can his methods be compared to a mere child like you whose cultivation hasn't even reached the seventh tier? Hasn't your master’s millennia of accumulation and insight surpassed that of a little brat like you? If it were just a simple fusion, how could he have spared the energy to swat those three little pests?"

Zong Shou pretended not to hear, focusing his full power on [Suppressing] the turbulent qi meridians. Part of his attention remained fixed on the Daoist-robed elder.

That previous strike, the Profound Yin Dragon Sword, had not been entirely in vain; it had left a deep sword gash on the elder’s left arm, which even now had yet to heal.

The elder first glared fiercely at Long Ruo, whose physical body was destroyed, then turned his icy gaze toward Zong Shou.

Killing intent flickered in his eyes; he seemed on the verge of fury. However, after a few breaths, perhaps wary of the Dragon Shadow, he gradually restrained himself.

"I am Ling Lie!"

He spoke with a flat expression, then the True Man Ling Lie coldly questioned, "May I ask, Your Highness, why you struck my junior martial nephew with such venom? Do you truly hold my Lingyun Sect in contempt?"

Zong Shou nearly snorted in derision; the hint of hostility he had just suppressed nearly burst from his chest. Forcing himself to maintain control, he replied coldly, "Those who kill will always be killed! Does only your Lingyun Sect have the right to kill, but my Zong Shou is forbidden from retaliating? What kind of logic is that?"

Suddenly, a sense of déjà vu washed over his mind. He recalled that in his past life, this very conflict had occurred, sowing enmity with the Lingyun Sect that entangled him for nearly sixty years in the Divine Emperor Game.

He glanced around at the noisy figures down the mountain, frowning secretly—why hadn't these people dispersed yet?

Forget it, so be it—

"A fine 'those who kill will always be killed'!"

True Man Ling Lie let out a cold laugh, his face grim. But in this public setting, he ultimately couldn't utter the words, 'That is simply the way of my Lingyun Sect.' He wanted to kill, yet he was wary of the Martial Saint Dragon Shadow.

Hesitating slightly, he exerted another wave of pressure, forcing it toward Zong Shou: "However, the right and wrong of today's matter remains in question! I request City Lord Zong to accompany me to the Cloud Palace to clarify the events here."

Before Zong Shou could react to this statement, Shui Lingbo on the other side chuckled brightly, like the chime of silver bells, echoing throughout the tens of thousands of feet surrounding the Dragon Gathering Mountain Hall, brimming with disdain.

Did this Ling Lie truly take her, Shui Lingbo, for a fool? Hadn't her act of seizing his physical body earlier made her stance clear enough?

True Man Ling Lie’s expression shifted slightly, then quickly returned to normal: "This is a feud between my Lingyun Sect and the City Lord of Qiantian Mountain. It has nothing to do with the Samsara Path. I ask Fairy Qing Shui not to interfere. This concerns the dignity of a sect; if anyone dares to interfere, my Lingyun Sect will pursue it relentlessly—"

"Relentlessly pursuing it, so what? What does your Lingyun Sect amount to?"

Without any mercy, Shui Lingbo cut off True Man Ling Lie’s words coldly: "I insist on interfering in this matter! Very well, starting today, my Samsara Path declares war on your Lingyun Sect!"

Ling Lie’s face immediately flushed and paled, his body trembling, his lips moving wordlessly.

At this moment, Xuan Taiji also sighed: "Martial Uncle Ling Lie, the fault in today's matter lies with your Lingyun Sect. Never mind the Samsara Path; even my Vast Profound Sect will not stand idly by!"

Su Chen on the other side chuckled lightly: "My sect elders are absent, so I, Su Chen, cannot speak for the Sword Sect. However, I am genuinely curious to see how your Lingyun Sect intends to silence the entire world's judgment with the strength of one sect."

Ling Lie’s breath hitched again, and he fell silent. As he hesitated, a heavy 'Klang' suddenly sounded in the void, as if a colossal, powerful force had slammed into the space here.

Below the mountainside, almost everyone lost their footing and fell to the ground. The Spirit Masters who were flying on artifacts also lost control of their balance, tumbling down toward the earth one after another.

Only those above the seventh tier could barely maintain their footing. Looking up, they saw a massive black rift suddenly appear in the space above. An immense dragon head poked through, casting a cold, merciless gaze down.

True Man Ling Lie, who had been full of aggressive momentum, could no longer maintain even his primordial spirit form under the presence of this colossal dragon. He could only struggle desperately under that vast dragon might.

Zong Shou's eyes flickered, sweeping over Long Ruo and the two others, Han Nishui. He gripped the Thunderwing Sword tightly in his right hand, killing intent rising anew.

Just as he was about to strike, the old Dragon Shadow's voice sounded again: "Too bad, this wicked dragon is coming too late. If you want to kill, I’m afraid you won't have the chance."

As Zong Shou was startled, he suddenly looked up above. A golden light shot through the sky, arriving in an instant at the summit of Dragon Gathering Mountain. Within the light was a young man, appearing about eighteen years old, yet possessing a demeanor of deep, contained composure. Even facing the true dragon above, he remained perfectly poised.

Upon arrival, he first held up a golden talisman and bowed solemnly toward the heavens: "Your junior, Wuhua, Immortal Preceptor of the Lingyun Sect! I pay my respects to Senior Dragon Shadow. This is a token bestowed by our Lingyun Sect's Ancestor. I beg the Sage to examine it—"

No words came from the Dragon Shadow Elder in the air. Instead, the golden talisman inexplicably burst into flames. Moments later, the space returned to silence.

True Man Wuhua showed no surprise. He then turned his gaze to Zong Shou: "My sect’s disciple Long Ruo's body has been destroyed; I presume Your Highness has had satisfaction. Today’s matter is indeed the fault of our Lingyun Sect, and we will certainly offer compensation to make up for Your Highness's losses. As for these three—Long Ruo and the others—they must be dealt with according to the rules of the Lingyun Sect, the Shangxiao Sect, and the Danling Sect, to give both Your Highness and the world an explanation—"

As he spoke the final few sentences, Wuhua glanced toward Xuan Taiji and Shui Lingbo.

The former nodded slightly, showing satisfaction; this restrained manner was truly the bearing of a great sect.

Even Su Chen fell silent. Shui Lingbo merely snorted coldly. As long as Zong Shou could not abandon Qiantian Mountain City, her Samsara Path could not openly assist him. If she revealed her status as the second-generation true successor of the Samsara Path, she could force the execution of these three on the spot!

Though filled with annoyance, she could only remain silent, inwardly complaining about what was so great about that Qiantian Mountain City. If it were her, she wouldn't want it either. Wouldn't pursuing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth bring more freedom?

Yet, in her heart, she paid no mind to the Samsara Path's concept of equality among the populace. Her pursuit in cultivation was solely for her own strength.

Zong Shou’s brow also furrowed slightly. With Wuhua saying this, it was no longer appropriate for him to strike and kill. He would wait to see what kind of explanation the Lingyun Sect offered afterward.

At this moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of melancholy. His peripheral vision inadvertently swept over the severed body of the black flood dragon amidst the rubble below, deepening his feeling of sorrow.

He remembered that just a year ago, that seventh-tier black flood dragon had been roaring aggressively before him. Long Ruo, with just a few words, had decided his future destiny. A year later, they were sworn enemies. He himself had cleaved the black dragon’s head with his own sword, and now he held the power to decide the rise and fall, life and death, of Long Ruo and even the Lingyun Sect.

He was surprised that the situation had escalated to this point of irreconcilable conflict. Could it be that reality and the Lingyun Sect were inherently destined to clash?

Wuhua, seeing that the surrounding figures no longer objected, turned his gaze back. His expression was exceedingly complex—endless regret, remorse, vexation, astonishment, filling his heart to the brim. Finally, he could only suppress his feelings and bow again toward the heavens: "I wonder what Senior Dragon Shadow thinks?"

At that moment, the old Dragon Shadow had just finished integrating all the dragon essence into Zong Shou's body.

Then, in the next instant, another rift tore open in the sky. A sword of bizarre appearance suddenly plummeted from the crack. The sword's shadow flashed, instantly arriving before Han Nishui.

It was so fast that no one on the summit of Dragon Gathering Mountain could react before the sword cleaved both Han Nishui and Li Yuan Dan in half!

Then the sword shadow spun and implanted itself before Zong Shou, its cold light gleaming.

The Dragon Shadow's voice rang out again.

"We shall abide by your Ancestor's wishes. However, since these two dared to offend my disciple, they will not be leaving with their physical bodies! And if those other items are not produced, don't blame Dragon Shadow for turning hostile!"

He let out another heavy snort: "Let me inform you all! This boy is now my sole inheritor disciple. Anyone who dares to touch him again, I, Dragon Shadow, will wipe out their entire clan! Even if you, Wuhua, invite a Realm Venerable, it will be useless!"

True Man Wuhua’s eyelids twitched, but he ultimately let out a sigh of relief. He bowed again, his expression solemn.