At this moment, Zong Shou was not only entirely oblivious to the scene unfolding in the void, but he was also silently cursing the stinginess of the Cang Sheng Dao and the Mortal Path Sect. "Today's battle, though won, has revealed our capabilities to those people of the Tai Ling Sect. Can't they send a few more people over? Preferably another thousand Cang Sheng Xuan Long Riders. A thousand is too much? Then six hundred will do—"

Xuan Shu nearly bit off his tongue. A thousand? Six hundred? This Chief Disciple certainly had grand ambitions.

If they could really dispatch another thousand, or even six hundred men, even he would feel somewhat confident.

"Six hundred is also not enough? Then a few more Seventh-Rank experts would suffice. Surely our Cang Sheng Dao’s Three Sects and Six Gates are not inferior to a single Tai Ling Sect?"

The Tai Ling Sect could casually muster eight hundred Purple Heaven Sword Riders, yet their Cang Sheng Dao only had four hundred here.

Zong Shou had initially been excited by the foundation of the Cang Sheng Dao, but now, looking at the disparity, it was simply too vast.

Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice!

Xuan Shu was speechless, but Zhao Yanran, standing beside him, stepped in to explain: "It's not that the Cang Sheng Dao is weaker than the Tai Ling Sect, but rather that there are too many great enemies. Defenses are required everywhere, and pulling resources causes ripples across the entire structure. The usable, deployable strength is truly limited."

Zong Shou's brow twitched slightly, and he finally let out a long sigh. He had already guessed the predicament of the Cang Sheng Dao: they were irreconcilably opposed to the Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian factions, and equally antagonistic towards the Demonic Sects. Only their relationship with the Sword Sect was somewhat amicable; all others were mortal enemies.

"But if I were in charge, I would fight tooth and nail to pull some forces here, and I would do it with great fanfare. The more strength the Tai Ling Sect invests here, the better—"

Xuan Shu's eyes lit up; he finally understood. The more the Cang Sheng Dao committed, the more likely the Tai Ling Sect would match their commitment. Once victory was secured, it would significantly deplete the vitality of the foremost Daoist sect.

The coming days for the Cang Sheng Dao would thus become somewhat easier.

"I will report this matter to the Venerable Master; perhaps two more units of Xuan Long Riders can be dispatched—"

Not just Xuan Shu, but Zhao Yanran and the others nearby also had their eyes shining brightly.

Zong Shou smiled. With these individuals’ intelligence, he didn't need to articulate his thoughts further.

He then turned with a smile to Xuan Yunlan and asked, "No one died this time, right?"

Upon hearing this, she immediately shook her head: "I have not failed the mission! Only a few dozen houses were burned. Compensation can be arranged after this matter is concluded—"

Zong Shou nodded slightly, though in truth, he didn't dwell on the collateral damage. He only felt a pang of emotion; he scorned the methods employed by those dozen or so Cang Sheng Dao members, yet he recognized that in certain situations, he was no better—a case of six of one and half a dozen of the other. During the previous night’s struggle for the position of the Heaven Suppressing Demon King, and later during the campaign to conquer the Seven Provinces, he too had caused no small amount of incidental harm.

Though remorse gnawed at him, he knew he would have acted the same way if faced with the situation again.

Holding the perspective of ten thousand years in this current era felt perpetually uncomfortable.

Xuan Yunlan stopped speaking mid-sentence, her gaze drawn to a spot not far off, where Luo Shi and a few others were leading the assembled 'elite' disciples towards them.

As they approached, Luo Shi offered a somewhat awkward salute: "For today's battle, Chief Disciple Tan, thank you for intervening to save us!"

The emotions churning within him were complex and hard to articulate. Earlier, he had criticized Chief Disciple Tan Qiu for his perceived inaction and believed the Sect's decision to let him take overall command of executing the former Jiu Chen was a farce.

But witnessing Tan Qiu today—his valiant demeanor dominating the battlefield, defeating four Seventh-Rank experts in succession—he realized he was far inferior to the other in both martial arts and strategic command.

On one hand, he felt the bitter taste of having eaten a fly; he had been prepared to launch a rescue operation within the city, only to be outmaneuvered by this very person, becoming bait to lure the Tai Ling Sect into dispersing their forces.

On the other hand, he felt a secret surge of gratitude, knowing that if they had truly attempted a rescue inside the city, at least three out of ten men would likely have perished within the walls.

The elite disciples from the Three Sects and Six Gates behind him stood in silence, their expressions shifting.

The previous contempt and disdain had entirely vanished, replaced by a measure of reverence. Indeed, several female disciples were looking at Zong Shou with shining eyes, examining him from head to toe.

However, the majority were now overwhelmingly dejected, their aura dark and low.

Zong Shou had initially intended to offer a few sarcastic remarks, but seeing the current state of affairs, he found it inappropriate to speak.

He simply cast a cold sweep over the assembly and stated flatly, "When you return, go to your elders and receive your punishment. Let this be the last time. In my view, despite your self-proclaimed elite status, you are inferior to these brothers among the Xuan Long Riders. I heard the Cang Sheng Dao has a rule: even those who do not join the Dao Soldiers must still practice the supplementary art, the Xuan Long Art. How many of you have studied it? A single arrow can be snapped, but ten arrows bound together are unbreakable. Do you not understand this simple truth? Truly a band of disorganized rabble—"

Behind Zong Shou, the hundreds of Cang Sheng Xuan Long Riders who had charged alongside him felt their spirits instantly lift.

The more than one hundred 'elite' disciples flushed deeply, shamefaced, feeling unable to raise their heads.

Even if they harbored defiance and wished to argue, they found no words. Looking back at the recent battle, they realized they had been the most useless, reduced to fleeing in all directions. And it was true; not a single one of them had bothered to study the Xuan Long Art. Without this supplementary cultivation, joining the cavalry formation would only have been a hindrance.

Yet, in the past, they considered themselves exceptional; who would bother with the supplementary secret manuals of the Cang Sheng Xuan Long Riders?

Zhao Yanran, watching Zong Shou deliver his stern lecture, nearly burst out laughing. Hadn't this fellow himself failed to study it until recently? He had only crammed for these past three days, seeking a last-minute boost right before the crisis.

However, watching the Xuan Long Sword Art Zong Shou displayed moments ago, she suspected that no one would believe him if he told them how little time he'd had to learn it.

Furthermore, given that this fellow had only entered the sect a few months ago, it was somewhat excusable that he hadn't learned it.

At this moment, not only were the disciples ashamed, but even Xuan Ye and the others flushed crimson with embarrassment.

Those three had also never learned it. When Zong Shou led two hundred iron riders into the fray, they could only watch helplessly, unable to participate.

Yet, among the crowd, a dissenting voice emerged. A cold sneer suddenly sliced through the air: "You have the audacity to lecture us! As I see it, today might have been precisely because you deliberately drove us away, using us as bait. I suspect Chief Disciple Tan, you had long planned to put us in mortal peril—"

Before the words fully left his mouth, the immediate vicinity fell silent. Most people frowned slightly, but a few others’ eyes flickered with a trace of suspicion.

Zong Shou pursed his lips, turning his cold gaze toward the source of the voice. The speaker was Li Zhe.

He inwardly wondered if this person was mad or merely foolish, while a cold, sharp curve twisted his lips, radiating naked killing intent. He could tolerate earlier offenses, but this accusation truly crossed his line, sparking a genuine desire to kill.

On the other side, Xuan Shu's eyes turned icy, and he laughed coldly, "Truly, a snake's bite runs three parts deep into the bone; you people have the nerve to say that. Do you even know that before you fled, the Chief Disciple had already laid out a plan? He ordered the Qing Yin Gate to procure an official decree from the Ministry of War in the capital?"

The group froze, momentarily bewildered. What did procuring a document from the Ministry of War have to do with today's events?

Luo Shi, Xie An, the three from Xuan Ye, and a few of the quicker-witted disciples instantly grasped the implication, their faces changing, tinged with bitter realization.

As expected, in the next moment, they heard Xuan Shu's faint, mocking tone: "The Ministry of War has already issued an order, directing the former Jiu Chen to escort those thirteen Cang Sheng Dao renegades to the capital for disposition! Do you understand now—"

Even the dullest among them could now grasp the purpose of that decree. Luo Shi and the three others turned even paler, their complexions draining of all color.

This meant that their actions were entirely superfluous! According to Chief Disciple Tan Qiu's method, resolving this issue would have been effortlessly achieved. Their intervention to save the renegades had only placed themselves in grave danger.

If it hadn't been for Tan Qiu's methods and his command of two hundred iron cavalry to achieve a crushing victory against the Purple Heaven Sword Riders, most of them would likely have been foolishly slaughtered by the enemy.

And Li Zhe's recent words were nothing more than judging a gentleman by the measure of a petty man!

Those few who had harbored suspicion now felt profound shame, unable to look anyone in the eye.

For a brief period, a heavy silence descended again, the atmosphere thick with awkwardness, no one daring to speak.

But just a few breaths later, Xie An and Luo Shi suddenly felt something was amiss and looked up.

They saw Zong Shou staring at Li Zhe with a cold sneer, his hand resting on his sword, killing intent surging like a tide, regarding the man as if he were already dead, as if he might draw his blade at any second.

The few exchanged glances, worry creeping into their expressions. At this moment, they felt a deep sense of scorn for Li Zhe. Conversely, their respect for Tan Qiu grew. Although his personality was abrasive and they found it disagreeable, if this Chief Disciple were allowed to mature, he would undoubtedly become a true pillar of the Sect's future!

It was precisely because of this potential that they desperately wished Li Zhe would not die by Tan Qiu's hand, lest the Chief Disciple violate the Sect's rules at such a critical juncture.

Meanwhile, Li Zhe was drenched in cold sweat, bearing the full pressure of Zong Shou's killing aura and intent alone. Extreme regret washed over him; perhaps only now did he truly grasp the status of the person he had offended.

—Unparalleled in battle formations, spiritually attuned to the Way of the Sword, a true third-generation core disciple of the Sect! Compared to him, what did his own grandfather amount to?

Why hadn't he managed to keep his mouth shut?

Suddenly, illusions flashed before his eyes—visions of Zong Shou dismembering him, mirroring the peerless might he had just witnessed.

An instant later, Li Zhe snapped back to reality. No, this was a heart demon! How could this be? He carried the Ten Thousand Year Warm Jade upon him; how could demonic thoughts arise?

"Chief Disciple! It is not that I, Xie An, favor him, but this person must be dealt with according to the Sect's established rules. Xie An is at fault and will personally testify against this man. I implore the Chief Disciple to quell the thunderous wrath."

Even as he spoke his words of remonstrance, Xie An suddenly looked stunned. He turned his head to see Li Zhe laughing almost maniacally, white flames igniting around his body, his vital energy violently surging.

Xie An instinctively reached out to strike and suppress Li Zhe, but his hand froze midway, his expression tangled.

"Senior Brother Li once swore an oath to me regarding heart demons—"

Zong Shou let out a cold laugh, uninterested in prolonging the exchange. He simply turned his horse and rode forward.