After a few days of rest, preparing for a continuous burst of output, "More unfortunately, news had already spread a short while ago. Sword Master Jueyu has emerged from seclusion and is preparing to challenge the Nineteen Spirit Prefectures and the Ten Great Sacred Lands one by one."

At this, Ling Weizi couldn't help but glare coldly at Long Ruo, a mixture of anger, hatred, and pity in his eyes.

Originally, when Sword Master Jueyu came knocking, Long Ruo was the most suitable candidate from the sect to step forward. But now, only Zu Renkuang, who had just advanced to the Heavenly Position, was left to bear the entire burden.

And if Zong Shou had been able to join the sect back then, he could have even leveraged this battle to greatly enhance Lingyun's prestige across the Cloud Realm.

But now, it was all too late.

"Sword Master Juefang—"

True Master Wuhua's expression was also far from pleasant. He knew that within the sect, one Zu Renkuang was insufficient to shoulder the massive responsibility. His ashen face grew even more shadowed, dark as stagnant water.

"I know about this! Then, esteemed Elders, what are your thoughts regarding Long Ruo?"

"Though his natural talent is commendable, his disposition is too narrow-minded. Regarding the Zong Shou incident, his crime is unforgivable. He is unworthy to be the next Sect Master."

The look of regret on Ling Weizi’s face deepened. He hesitated, "Do the views of the Martial Uncles suggest severe punishment, perhaps even expulsion from the sect?"

Long Ruo’s body trembled once more. True Master Wuhua’s face twitched slightly, his fists clenched tight, revealing a measure of suppressed anger.

Ling Weizi, as if blind to the reaction, sighed and looked into the distance. "This matter is likely beyond retrieval. Our Lingyun Sect must eventually give the world an account. We cannot allow the reputation accumulated over tens of generations, millennia of effort by Lingyun, to be ruined in our hands. Sect Master Brother, do you know that when this news spread, several demonic sects within Lingyun Sect showed signs of unrest? Even several major Spirit Prefectures have become extremely restless?"

Glancing at Han Nishui, Ling Weizi’s gaze turned icy cold. "Even the Shangxiao Sect is reportedly very displeased, and they have already dispatched someone to rebuke our sect. Long Ruo assassinated Zong Shou, committing such an unjust act. Why drag their Shangxiao disciples into this mess?"

True Master Wuhua let out a muffled grunt, his fists gripping tightly. Then, his expression became incredibly complex, his focus fixed in contemplation.

His eyes were filled with heartache and indecision; for a moment, he truly didn't know how to handle this situation.

※※※※

On the peak of Julong Mountain, Zong Shou remained seated cross-legged. His consciousness spread out, communicating telepathically with Elder Longying, who was hundreds of worlds away.

"Earlier, I heard Master mention that the Heaven-Swallowing Primordial Transformation Great Method I just used has been lost in the Sinking Cloud Sea. What are the exact details of this matter?"

"So you are going to ask about this!"

Elder Longying's voice let out a 'heh' of a laugh. "Anyone else would likely have been completely baffled. However, I, Longying, once fought against the creator of that technique, so I know some of the background. The originator of this cultivation method was a man named the Heaven-Swallowing Venerable from the Cloud Wasteland Era. He had already reached the Saint realm when he appeared in the Cloud Realm. At that time, he was nearly invincible, not only able to devour the elemental force of heaven and earth for his own use but also able to absorb the True Qi and soul power of others, making his combat strength unparalleled among his contemporaries. Even the few Supremacy realm powerhouses of that era retreated upon seeing him, daring not to engage him lightly. After I advanced to the Saint realm, I unfortunately encountered him once and was utterly defeated, nearly perishing. I narrowly escaped by staking everything on my newly created Nine-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword, and in doing so, I managed to sever one of this man's arms. He was arguably the foremost figure in the Cloud Realm—"

At this point, Elder Longying showed no hint of shame regarding his defeat. Instead, he continued with a degree of smug satisfaction, "However, at that time, this man might have encountered an issue while cultivating the Heaven-Swallowing Primordial Transformation Method, as his sanity would suddenly become manic, then clear. After fighting me, he rushed into the Sinking Cloud Sea and vanished without a trace. Because I held a grudge against him, I constantly monitored the changes in that Cloud Sea and even ventured inside to search. After several hundred years, he never emerged, nor did I find any trace of him within. Eventually, I gradually forgot about it. I never expected that after ten thousand years, my direct disciple would actually learn this cultivation method."

Zong Shou’s heart churned like surging waves, unable to remain calm. Since the Heaven-Swallowing Primordial Scripture had disappeared into the Sinking Cloud Sea along with its master, why did it reappear in the game Divine Emperor?

Could it be that later generations discovered it while exploring the Sinking Cloud Sea and brought it out?

And his 'father,' the future Berserk Blood Demon Saint, the Nine-Tailed Fox King, was currently residing within the Sinking Cloud Sea.

"I know nearly everything about this matter! Hmph, no matter how cunning your Senior Brother Wei Xu is, he was kept completely in the dark about this. Zong Shou, you have a good father."

Elder Longying’s voice laughed, carrying a hint of emotion. "I cannot tell you the detailed specifics right now. When you have time in the future, you can go to the Sinking Cloud Sea and see for yourself! To be able to abandon such a thing, a method to step into Sainthood—your father, Zong Weiran, is truly admirable! Zong Shou, remember this: in the future, you can forget everything, even Elder Longying and Wei Xu, but you must never be unfilial or disrespectful to your father." Zong Shou’s expression faltered slightly, just as he was about to ask further questions, he felt that vast, pressing will that had always hovered over the mountaintop suddenly surge away. In an instant, it vanished without a trace.

He called out telepathically several times, yet received no reply from Elder Longying. A sudden anxiety gripped his heart.

Longying mentioned he had a good father—what exactly did that mean? What was this thing that could be so readily abandoned? What was he referring to?

Did he mean that mysterious sapphire-blue cluster of light within his soul? Or perhaps the Cosmic Fate World Book he had obtained in his previous life?

Judging by Elder Longying's tone, everything he currently possessed seemed to be thanks to Zong Weiran's arrangements—how was this possible?

When he replaced Zong Shou and took control of his body, Zong Weiran had already vanished, entering the Sinking Cloud Sea alone.

And that final sentence spoken by the 'Zong Shou' before he completely dissipated—'You and I are one entity; you are me, and I am you'—now seemed chilling, something he instinctively recoiled from examining too closely.

Could it be that everything he experienced after ten thousand years was a lie? That the Sword Emperor Tan Qiu never existed in this world?

Was he merely a splintered wisp of Zong Shou's soul? Or was the Sword Emperor Tan Qiu of ten thousand years in the future actually Zong Shou himself?

Ha! How could that be possible? His experiences in his past life, whether friends or enemies, were all flesh and blood; how could they be an illusion? Even a peak expert of the Supremacy realm could not achieve such a feat!

As his thoughts spun wildly, going over everything, it all seemed absurd and without clear direction. The vital energy within his body surged, threatening to run rampant. Just as this happened, the familiar, formidable will suddenly pierced through the void again. And Elder Longying’s voice echoed once more: "I almost forgot to mention, the Heaven-Swallowing Primordial Transformation Great Method you just used was quite good. However, you need not be overly cautious in the future. Although the Heaven-Swallowing Venerable went mad because of this method, in my view, it was likely due to his misuse. This technique was probably not created by him alone, and he applied it incorrectly. You can explore it carefully in the future; don't stop using it because of a potential flaw. This technique can devour heaven and swallow earth. When weak, it can take from the surplus to supplement the deficit; when strong, it can diminish the deficient to augment the surplus. It is truly monstrous! It encompasses all aspects of the Heavenly Dao. Its true utility should be no less than that of the Cosmic Fate World Book itself—"

Zong Shou had been gradually calming his mind, listening intently. But upon hearing the final sentence, his body shuddered again, his face filled with astonishment and shock.

Whether Longying mentioned this object unintentionally or deliberately, Elder Longying’s voice continued, "Don't dwell too much on this. All the karma will become clear when you visit the Sinking Cloud Sea and meet your father in the future. Also, one more thing: the greatest fortune of my life as Elder Longying might be taking you, Zong Shou, as a disciple. Therefore, my disciple, you need not carry any burden in your heart."

As the voice spoke towards the end, it gradually faded, and after uttering the word 'burden,' it vanished completely. Zong Shou called out internally a few more times, but in the end, Elder Longying’s response never returned.

Knowing that his Master’s will had likely departed the Cloud Realm entirely, Zong Shou finally let out a long breath and opened his eyes.

Then, in the very next instant, a wry smile crossed his face. Some things, after all, he had failed to ask clearly.

He still couldn't understand why Elder Longying had regarded him with such high regard earlier.

He was perfectly aware of his own standing. Even if one could unravel the mystery of that massive stone stele, with Longying’s status as a Saint, he wouldn't need to use an almost 'pleading' attitude to get him to take him as a disciple.

Truly bizarre! And what about the Sinking Cloud Sea—should he go? What was the connection between the Berserk Blood Demon Saint Zong Weiran and himself?

With his mind filled with distracting thoughts, Zong Shou pondered for a moment, realizing his internal energy was starting to become agitated again. With a slight start, he decisively suppressed these chaotic thoughts once more.

When Zong Shou focused his gaze ahead, he saw Zong Yuan standing nearby, holding his spear, watching him intently.

"My Lord, has Martial Saint Longying departed?"

Zong Shou nodded, just as he was about to stand up, he felt a sharp, violent pain shoot through all his meridians. Every muscle felt as if millions of ants were gnawing at his body.

Halfway through rising, Zong Shou had to sit back down, looking utterly wretched.

He understood clearly that this was the bitter consequence of fighting all-out against Long Ruo and the other two.

Although this external elixir was potent, given his current physique, the damage it inflicted on his vital channels was too great. If Elder Longying hadn't aided him, those nine rotating channels would have already been severed into more than a dozen pieces.

With a mournful sigh, Zong Shou had no choice but to re-enter meditation to regulate his breathing. Instinctively, he reached out to draw upon some of the abundant spiritual energy from the external elixir.

In the next moment, however, he felt something was wrong. Zong Shou hurriedly retrieved the Heaven-rank external elixir hidden in his sleeve and held it before his eyes. He saw a large character sealed upon it: 'Seal.'

He couldn't help but let out an 'Ah,' his expression stunned. He knew this must have been Elder Longying’s doing, preventing him from misusing the item.

This development had completely stripped him bare.