The earth and stones scattered, and the fragments and juices of the Sandworm splattered everywhere. Ruoshui frowned, flicked her sleeve, and an unseen force swept the debris away, prompting a collective, almost regretful sigh from those nearby.

Zong Shou knew he was already intensely disliked by these people, who wished nothing more than his misfortune, so he paid them no mind. He sighed inwardly, realizing this arcane technique had just ruined his hard-won chance to establish his authority.

The crimson sword shadow retracted, revealing the figure within: it was indeed Xuan Shu.

This time, however, he didn't leave. Instead, he walked directly over and sat down beside the bonfire Zong Shou had kindled in front of him.

"Everything the Chief just said, Xuan Shu heard it all."

Zong Shou started in surprise. He had deliberately shielded his conversations with the others using spirit arts; how could Xuan Shu have overheard them?

His expression quickly smoothed out. With strange treasures like the Listening Conch existing in this world, other means of eavesdropping were hardly surprising. He then smiled and asked, "Then, in Xuan Shu's estimation as the commander, is there a chance of success for this plan?"

"This is an excellent strategy. If the details are handled properly, there is a seventy percent chance of success."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Shu stared at Zong Shou with burning intensity. "Xuan Shu finally understands why the Sect mandated the Chief take overall command of this matter. Xuan Shu misjudged, please forgive me, Chief..." Zong Shou was quite taken aback. Eighty percent certainty? That high? He had only thought there was a twenty percent chance.

He then felt a prickling sensation on his scalp under Xuan Shu's sharp, flashing gaze. He wondered if this Xuan Shu was what later generations called 'glass'—why did he keep staring like that?

Within the void, in the space suspended between the Cloud Realm and the temporal barrier, a man was also gazing at Zong Shou with an utterly fervent look, mumbling continuously.

"I see, I see! It was so simple! If I had figured this out twenty years ago, how could I have fallen for that treacherous plot by the Tai Ling Sect and lost the majority of my martial brothers at Yan Cheng Pass?"

He violently slammed a fist to his side, causing a tremor in the void. This middle-aged scholar, around thirty, with a full head of white hair, looked lost, his focus almost gone, his face etched with self-reproach. "Why didn't I think of it then? The connection between the Tai Ling Sect and King Liao—if one had only thought carefully, there were countless clues. Xi Shan... Heh, heh! How could I forget that man? Well done, Zong Shou, well done, Great Demon King of Qiantian. I never expected this child to possess such cunning. Truly excellent. Compared to him, all disciples below the seventh generation of my Cangsheng Dao are utterly insignificant..."

Seated across from this man were a withered old man and a delicately carved, doll-like little girl.

If Zong Shou were present now, he would certainly recognize the elder as his senior brother Han Fang, and the girl as Shi Ruolan.

The little girl opened her mouth, wanting to say that her Lord Master was already very formidable, but ultimately she did not dare speak.

Han Fang's expression was exceedingly complex at that moment. "So, according to your view, what are our chances this time?"

"Eighty percent!"

The white-bearded man lifted his head, his face full of confidence. "It’s a shame the Cangsheng Dao never expected success with this attempt; we sent too few reliable people. No one can contend with Ji Lingzi. Otherwise, there would be a hundred percent chance of taking that bastard Yuan Jiuchen’s life. Even if this attempt fails, we can certainly turn that dog into a stray with nowhere to hide..."

"You are even more confident than that fellow Xuan Shu!"

Han Fang shook his head, offering no comment. Can no one contend with Ji Lingzi? That’s not necessarily true. With those seven innate rare species, an ordinary Eighth-Rank expert would likely flee at the sight of them.

The fact that this matter could be resolved so easily brought a great sense of relief to his heart. A strange light flickered deep in his eyes. His junior brother Wei Xu truly had a knack for judging character, having bet that Junior Brother Zong could resolve the situation swiftly.

"If it truly has an eighty percent chance as you say, that would be best. Once the affair at Yan Cheng Pass is concluded, you can finally put your inner demons to rest and focus on preparing for your tribulation. You, Wen’er, have been stuck at the peak of Spirit Martial for far too long..."

"It is this disciple’s incompetence!"

The white-haired middle-aged man let out a bitter laugh, his face filled with shame. "This matter, Fang Wen has always held deep regret. Now, to see the enemy brought to justice, and the great feud of our martial brothers avenged—I can finally find some peace. Even if residual knots remain, I should be able to let them go."

He then said gravely, "Although I have been in seclusion these years, I have kept the situation at Yan Cheng Pass perfectly clear. As long as we can keep the King of Han standing by, the eighty percent certainty is a conservative estimate. I just wonder how Zong Shou will deal with Helian Tieshan? But judging by his demeanor, that child likely has his own plans; we shall wait and see how he unfolds them. There is only one thing Fang Wen cannot fathom: with talent like this child's, why does the Sect still allow him to remain independent? That tiny Qiantian Mountain, a mere corner of the Dongling Cloud Land—it is truly unnecessary. In a century, if this child were to lead the Sect, it would surely allow my Cangsheng Dao to flourish again!"

"How could I not know? However, this matter was decided by the Venerable One. He says that Qiantian Mountain City is equally vital to our Cangsheng Dao. Looking at Zong Shou’s actions these days, he is clearly very reluctant about it himself."

Han Fang let out a wry smile, filled with inexpressible regret.

"The Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Sect and the Light Sound Gate are both women whose competence rivals any man’s. It’s a pity their temperaments are too overly cautious. Those two girls will likely not be easily persuaded by a few words. Assassinating the King of Liao carries immense risk. But since even you, Fang Wen, say so, I will lend him a helping hand!"

With that, he stood up tall, brushed his robe sleeves lightly, and immediately, two crimson shadows shot out, flying into the distance.

As the red shadows sped away, Han Fang once again turned his gaze to Zong Shou, who was composed, seemingly deep in thought.

His eyes, too, were filled with regret.

This child was truly the most exceptionally brilliant talent he had seen in a thousand years. Setting aside his martial talent, the sheer wisdom required to unravel the tangled web between the Tai Ling Sect and King Liao—a feat he resolved with such ease—was enough to earn the Sect's admiration. The pity was that this child's heart did not belong to the Cangsheng Dao.

He would struggle to complete the stage of Manifesting Form; unless he was willing to recast his foundations, he could only pursue the martial path for the next few years. Yet he remained stubbornly obstinate—it was truly heartbreaking!

※※※※

Zong Shou, however, was completely unaware that two figures in the void were discussing him with tones brimming with wistful regret.

After finally sending Xuan Shu away, Zong Shou resumed his meditation.

He had an immense workload: not only did he need to gather the remaining five elemental True Charms, but the Two Extremes Yin-Yang Manifestation also required careful construction. Furthermore, the Yuan Yi Sword and the World-Shaking Spirit Art, which drew from a hundred schools of thought, needed refinement.

He wished he could split himself in two, to be used as three people.

One of the reasons he had ostentatiously brought out this Cloud Tumbling Carriage was to secure a quieter environment where he could focus on cultivation without distraction.

Nothing eventful happened that night, and before dawn the next day, the group set off again.

This time, however, the elite disciples of the Cangsheng Dao kept a wide berth from the Cloud Tumbling Carriage, unwilling to approach it, showing that the rift between them had deepened. Even Zhao Yanran and Xuan Yunlan were subtly ostracized. The latter could endure it, but Zhao Yanran, in a fit of pique, simply relocated to Zong Shou's carriage, finding comfort there.

Zong Shou paid them no mind. Having settled his strategy, he was no longer as uneasy as he had been the day before, allowing him to cultivate with peace of mind.

Seven days later, they finally reached the vicinity of Yan Cheng Pass. Xuan Shu selected a location for them to lie in wait.

It was over one hundred and twenty li from the Pass city—a secret base prepared by the Cangsheng Dao, hidden beneath a great mountain. Innumerable tunnels had been dug out, concealed by spirit formations, and the area even contained dozens of spirit meridians available for cultivation.

Knowing that the assassination attempt would require at least another month and a half to succeed, Zong Shou entrusted all matters to Xuan Shu and settled down contentedly to enter closed-door cultivation.

Though he enjoyed luxury and a peaceful life, he understood that the achievements of his previous life belonged to the past. If he wished to reach higher levels in the martial path today, if he wished to survive in this chaotic era, not a single minute, not a single second of his time could be wasted.

His progress on the Two Extremes Yin-Yang Manifestation remained minimal. However, his progress in body tempering and True Charms had achieved minor success.

After breaking through to the Profound Martial Sect realm, a sluice gate had opened within his body. The fist techniques he now employed were the Fetal Breathing Spirit Fist and the Great Sun Bright Flame Fist, combined with the Sixth Set of Guiding Techniques, maximizing the use of every bit of vital life essence and every shred of Dragon Yuan.

In just one month, not only had the injuries from merging his sixth pair of spirit meridians healed, but his entire body began to emit a faint jade-like luster under his skin.

Zong Shou had once tested this by having a Fifth-Rank spirit weapon hack at him; it only left a faint white mark. When struck with full force, it only managed a shallow cut.

At that time, not only Zhao Yanran and Ruoshui standing nearby were stunned, but Zong Shou himself felt immense surprise.

He hadn't learned any external hardening techniques or external martial arts, yet his physical body now subtly possessed the essence of the Daoist's 'Dao Muscle and Immortal Bone' and the Buddhist 'Indestructible Golden Body.'

The progress in True Charms and Spirit Inscriptions was even faster. In this month, starting with the True Charm of 'Earth,' Zong Shou managed to gather over a hundred True Talisman Spirit Inscriptions in just thirty days.

Since reaching the peak of the Reversion Realm, perhaps due to mastering the laws of heaven and earth to a certain extent, the gathering of True Charms had accelerated several times over.

Zong Shou secretly rejoiced. If things continued this way, in another month, he would certainly be able to gather the tenth True Charm in his Primordial Spirit. Then, his confidence in assassinating Yuan Jiuchen would surely increase!

However, worldly affairs never proceed entirely as one wishes. On this day, just as Zong Shou concluded his meditation, another piece of devastating news arrived.

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