Staring at the number, Zong Shou still felt a touch of dissatisfaction. After a long pause, he finally abandoned the idea of adding a few more strokes. Never mind, it was better to be more generous. This amount should be just right. Not enough to scare people off, but not too easy to achieve either. Tricking others into willingly becoming one's laborers was, in itself, a specialized skill.

He drew his sword again, and within the study, a myriad of sword shadows instantly sprang forth, changing endlessly. Though he hadn't deployed inner breath or sword energy, countless dragon shadows continuously manifested behind Zong Shou, their forms shifting and their colors vastly different. Recording these nine volumes of the True Dragon Sword Arts was also a means of sorting through his own understanding. Unnoticed aspects, exquisite subtleties he hadn't yet grasped—these were being clarified as he transcribed each line of the incantations. Some insights came through natural progression to sudden clarity, while others he committed firmly to memory, to be contemplated later. And at this moment, with every peak of sword light wielded by Zong Shou, the True Dragon projections behind him became a shade more substantial.

Finally, with three consecutive thrusts, the nine dragon shadows roared. No True Qi was utilized, yet the spiritual energy stirred by the mere sword shadows pulverized the heavy rosewood desk several dozen feet in front of Zong Shou into dust! This was only because Zong Shou had deliberately controlled the sword light to prevent it from brushing against the nearby bookshelves! These final three strikes represented the core of the Nine-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword—the character for 'Stacking.'

When all the sword shadows finally retracted, Zong Shou frowned. "Only three forms can be stacked?" He had originally expected that by compiling these nine volumes of the True Dragon Sword Arts into a complete work, his gains would have been greater. Then he let out a soft laugh, realizing he had been too greedy. With three layers of the Nine-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword stacked, those below the Celestial Rank capable of enduring this strike would number no more than three fingers! Moreover, the situation just now suggested that the issue wasn't his insufficient comprehension of the Nine-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword, but rather that his physical body lacked the strength to bear the strain. Many movements faltered slightly when transitioning between sword forms, preventing the next strike from being stacked.

Looking again into his Sea of Consciousness, the True Talisman Spiritual Seals had already accumulated to over seventy. He estimated that in just a few days, he could attempt to condense the True Talisman of the 'Stacking' character.

Smiling with satisfaction, Zong Shou sheathed his sword. Then, he picked up the small vial and the medicinal formula that Xuanyuan Yiren had left before departing. Inside the small vial were those few drops of Spirit Salamander Blood. Xuanyuan Yiren had only taken a tiny amount, diluted it, and used it to test the pill formulation. Returning the rest to him suggested that this substance was indeed useless for anything other than refining the Spirit Salamander Essence Blood Pills.

Zong Shou contemplated for a moment, then took out one drop and dotted it onto the body of Little Gold, housed in his left arm. Immediately, the soft armor covering his left arm began to ripple and shake. It vibrated continuously for a full half hour before gradually calming down. However, its external color had temporarily shifted from its previous silvery-white laced with golden threads to a vibrant crimson.

Just as Zong Shou was about to add another drop of Spirit Salamander Blood, Little Gold convulsed violently, sending an anxious intent toward Zong Shou. It seemed to be pleading, 'Absolutely not, I'm about to burst, don't harm Little Gold.' Zong Shou sighed in resignation, estimating that the little fellow had truly reached its limit; it had only managed to digest two drops of the True Dragon Blood so far. Allowing it to integrate this Saint Realm blood right away was indeed ill-advised.

He ceased his insistence, but then wondered, should this remaining drop of Spirit Salamander Blood be left idle? Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he retrieved the Ant Queen Insect Egg. This item was currently a bit of a burden to him—tasteless if consumed, a pity to discard. Since he didn't want it himself, he intended to offer it as a spirit pet to a few close associates. However, upon hearing it was the Demon Crystal Ant Queen, Xuanyuan Yiren and Chu Xue both shook their heads in refusal. And giving it to a stranger made him uneasy. This top-tier spirit pet—he dared not even sell it. In the territory of East Lin Continent, it would most likely end up aiding the enemy.

Squinting and hesitating for a moment, Zong Shou decisively activated the Heaven Swallowing Primordial Transformation Method, re-absorbing and purifying that drop of Spirit Salamander Blood. It transformed into a ball of light, its vast essence and the partial imprint of the Spirit Salamander origin it contained all merged into one mass, which he unceremoniously forced into the insect egg. In the next instant, the insect egg vibrated violently. Several times, it seemed the shell was on the verge of cracking, only to stop perilously at the last second. When the egg finally settled back into calm, its shell appeared to have thickened slightly. The spiritual energy surge it had previously provoked gradually subsided.

Zong Shou couldn't help but raise an eyebrow; he could sense that the Ant Queen Egg still pulsed with vigorous life. Yet, some sort of mutation must have occurred. As to what kind of change—for better or worse—he had no way of knowing. This made him even more uncertain, and he hesitated even more to give it to anyone close to him. Who knew what creature, or perhaps monster, would hatch from this egg? Would it still be the Demonic Fire Ant Queen?

Frowning, Zong Shou first packed the Ant Queen Egg into an exquisite small box before placing it into a Qiankun Bag. No matter what transformations occurred, for the time being, he had no desire to take it on as a spirit pet and hatch it. Since that was the case, whatever it became was irrelevant to him for now.

He glanced one last time at the medicinal formula. Perhaps Xuanyuan Yiren knew of his wealth, as she had not considered the price when formulating the ingredients; just a few of the required medicines alone demanded fifty of his seventh-tier beast crystals. However, if this formula were used for pill refinement, the medicinal properties would be extremely mild, and the toxicity would also be somewhat reduced. He had tested a single pill earlier; he estimated that if more than four hundred pills were consumed, it would still impede future advancement. But it was significantly better than the previous version of the Spirit Salamander Blood Essence Pill.

As for the cost, Zong Shou didn't care in the slightest. What troubled him were the remaining details. For pill refinement, he only needed to hand the formula to Ruoshui; his shadow guards would find reliable people to craft them.

Gu Liekong had also made some progress, having located the small island he had directed him to. Thus far, one hundred Dragon-Horned Winged Horses had been captured, and they should be returning soon. Now, everything was ready except for the final crucial element: a suitable cavalry commander. Not only did this person need to be trustworthy, but they also needed exceptional martial talent. Did he truly have no choice but to select Zong Yuan?

Thinking this, Zong Shou's eyes suddenly turned a deep crimson. A rolling, swirling mist of blood enveloped him, and a drop of blood suddenly seeped from his palm. Yet, the vast, oppressive might akin to the Spirit Salamander Blood seemed strangely veiled within it. It resembled a crystal-clear red jade bead, seemingly holding astonishing power that caused the surrounding air currents to churn and spiritual energy to surge. Gazing intently, one could dispel all distracting thoughts, instead feeling a surge of violent intent and rampant killing desire!

This was a 'Seed'—more accurately, the Spiritual Seed of the Blood Cavalry Slaughter, the cultivation method of the Blood Cloud Fierce Cavalry. The world only knew that the Blood Cloud Cavalry of the Wulie Kingdom was virtually unrivaled, and the Blood Cavalry Slaughter was among the strongest auxiliary and combined combat mental techniques in the Cloud Realm. Few, however, knew that this technique could not only induce a fierce killing intent in a person but also manipulate the mind. This was why all the Blood Cloud Fierce Cavalry of the Wulie Kingdom were notoriously loyal, with no history of betrayal. When the King of Wulie and all his knights perished defending their country, leaving no survivors, the Blood Cavalry Slaughter technique was completely lost. It was only after seven millennia, when ruins of the Wulie Kingdom were discovered, that this technique resurfaced.

And the cultivation method for the Blood Cavalry Slaughter was particularly bizarre. During the era of the Wulie Kingdom, the royal family would cultivate a suitable seed and bestow it upon the commanding officers. These officers would then cultivate their own spiritual seeds and pass them down to their subordinates, layer by layer, until they reached the lowest echelon—the common Blood Cloud Knights. By directly receiving the bestowed 'seed'—the spiritual blood—they could rapidly master the Blood Cavalry Slaughter, achieve exceptionally high realms, and comprehend the Killing Path Martial Intent.

The most critical element was this first drop of spiritual blood. Qualified spiritual blood was rare. The Blood Cavalry Slaughter technique specialized in cultivating the Killing Path; without sufficient comprehension, success was impossible. Thus, the first person in the Wulie royal family capable of nurturing this qualified Blood Frenzy Spiritual Blood was often the Crown Prince poised to inherit the throne—and invariably, every single one possessed a disposition for slaughter, bloodlust, and warmongering.

Fortunately, in his previous life, he had a reasonable grasp of the Killing Path Sword Intent. Although he hadn't specifically practiced it, he had been stained with human blood in both the real world and the virtual realm. His battle with Li Xieling had also brought him significant enlightenment. However, gathering the spiritual blood and finding a suitable vessel for it was not easy.

The cultivation style of the Blood Cavalry Slaughter was not solely for controlling subordinates. Those who cultivated the Killing Path often found themselves controlled by that intent, losing their rationality. Li Xieling was a prime example; he was no longer a man controlling the sword, but a sword controlling the man. The Blood Cloud Fierce Cavalry, however, pushed this burden onto the upper echelons. As long as the commanders and officers of the Blood Cloud Cavalry were not consumed by killing intent, their subordinates could maintain their clarity.

So, he was now fully prepared. All matters concerning the Qiantian Mountain were settled; leaving for a year or half a year would cause no issue. Yet, he was stuck on this final step, hesitating and unable to comfortably proceed to secluded cultivation in the Azure Sky Realm.

As he was inwardly chuckling wryly and putting the drop of spiritual blood away, Zong Shou suddenly felt a shift. He saw Chu Xue walk in from outside. Upon entering, her face was alight with joy. "Young Master, guess who has returned?" Zong Shou couldn't be bothered to answer and looked directly toward the doorway. Then, a figure of immense stature strode in from outside. Standing nine feet tall, his imposing aura was still magnificent, though now imbued with a more coercive pressure than a year prior. His square face remained expressionless. Only upon seeing Zong Shou did a hint of a smile break through, and he bowed respectfully.

"Uncle Yin?" Zong Shou immediately felt his spirit relax, his entire body suddenly at ease. Yin Yang had finally returned. As he took another look at Yin Yang, his gaze sharpened further. Earth Wheel Seven Meridians! More than that, there was something indescribable about Yin Yang now. And a faint scent of blood wafted toward him.