Zong Shou had yet to perfect this sword art that aimed to merge the techniques of a hundred schools into one. At this point, he had merely divided his accumulated sword skills into two distinct sword formulas, incorporating the ‘Layering’ profound meaning from the Nine-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword, which finally gave him a rough framework.

“Yuan Yi Yin Sword? Self-created?” Ji Lingzi murmured the words, his gaze turning even more sinister and sharp.

Then, his form shifted in a blur, traversing dozens of zhang instantly. The blazing sword light also cut across the vast sky, hurtling toward its target.

The sword energy vibrated fiercely, yet it was contracted to the absolute extreme, compressed into that single, sharp point. Just observing it sent a chilling tremor down the spine.

Everywhere it passed, there was nothing but a piercing whistle. All spiritual energy, all the very air, was forcefully repelled, stirring up ripples imbued with the power of annihilation.

Zong Shou’s eyelids twitched. A single glance told him that his Yuan Yi Yin Sword, riddled with flaws as it was, absolutely could not withstand this attack.

Yet, his heart remained cold and clear: If he could not block it, then he must attack! Counter-attack!

The silver ring of swords flickered once and then vanished without a trace. Then, all the sword lights converged before Zong Shou, coalescing into a single sword strike, thrust out violently!

He poured out the full force of absorbing the two hundred sword strikes from Ji Lingzi, drawing upon the accumulated True Force and sword momentum, and unleashed it all in this single moment! At this time, the numerous disciples of the Cangsheng Dao surrounding them all frowned, feeling a tight anxiety for Zong Shou.

But in the next instant, their eyes widened in unison. They didn't even have time for an expression to register on their faces.

Zong Shou’s strike was utterly unforeseen. When the sword light first erupted, it seemed to steal nearly all the radiance from this small patch of heaven and earth!

It was magnificent yet lethally absolute; the sword speed surpassed that of Ji Lingzi by nearly half a measure, and the power of the thrust surpassed his own by several times! It seemed as if it intended to draw the spiritual energy of the entire Black Spirit Valley into the blade itself!

As the sword shadow passed, the residual afterimages couldn't even vanish in time, appearing like a single, straight line piercing forward. And Ji Lingzi, who was right at the tip of the blade, was already terrified to the point of collapse, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

He had been ten-tenths certain he could shatter Zong Shou’s turtle-shell-like sword circle, but now, all that remained was despair! The silvery-white sword shadow appeared and was immediately before his eyes.

It was moving with extraordinary swiftness, so fast that even a Seventh-Rank expert like himself could not react. A realization dawned in his heart: his own sword would likely fail to even graze Tan Qiu before this incoming strike took his life!

Without hesitation, Ji Lingzi fiercely swept his sword across to block. Immediately, there was a muffled clang, and the Eighth-Rank spirit weapon in his hand could not endure the impact, shattering into pieces!

Ji Lingzi only felt his entire right arm go numb and limp, seemingly rendered nearly useless by the sheer force of the impact, yet the silvery-white sword light did not stop, continuing its momentum directly toward his chest. The Profound Iron Mountain Armor first glowed with a layer of yellow light, briefly holding back the sword beam.

Then, with a loud bang, it exploded outward in all directions. Following that, all his clothing was utterly pulverized!

Fortunately, Zong Shou’s sword did not penetrate any deeper; it retracted after merely touching his chest. However, the colossal force that had slammed into Ji Lingzi sent him flying backward.

He soared over a hundred zhang through the air before slamming into the stone wall, embedding himself there in a spread-eagled, ‘Big’ character shape. “I concede gracefully!

I shall happily accept those two Profound Nether Tortoise Eggs.” Zong Shou smiled, sheathing his Fire Yin Sword. If there was a Yuan Yi Yin Sword, naturally there must be a Yuan Yi Yang Sword.

The full name of this sword art was the Great Formless Sword of Yuan Yi. According to his design, this technique could not only merge the essence of ten thousand rivers but also simulate any sword art in existence.

Furthermore, it should possess at least ninety percent of the original’s power, perhaps even exceeding it! This was why he named it Formless (Wuxiang).

This was because, within Buddhism, there was a Tenth-Grade Saint Spirit level mental technique called the 'Lesser Formless Art' (Xiao Wuxiang Gong), which supposedly could imitate all techniques below the Tenth Grade flawlessly, without losing an iota of essence. Zong Shou’s ambition was soaring; he refused to let his self-created sword art be inferior to it.

This Great Formless must inherently surpass the Lesser Formless—at least he would dominate in the naming convention for now. He also collected the two tortoise eggs into his Qiankun Pouch.

Zong Shou couldn’t help but glance back at the figure embedded in the stone wall. Ji Lingzi was now utterly stripped bare; every stitch of clothing had been completely obliterated by Zong Shou’s sword energy.

His body was covered in bruises, and his face was a patchwork of blue and red; he seemed unable to recover his composure, appearing utterly wretched. Zong Shou shook his head inwardly, wondering, Why put yourself through this?

Suddenly, a peripheral sweep of his vision caught sight of Ji Lingzi’s lower body, and Zong Shou froze, unable to help but utter a low murmur: “How small!” He mused that the object was barely comparable to a steel needle. Immediately, a burst of laughter rippled through the Cangsheng Dao disciples.

A dozen young girls flushed, hastily spitting reproaches and turning their gazes away, yet they couldn't resist sneaking a peek—it was indeed tiny. Even the more composed Cangsheng Xuan Long Warriors managed a faint smile, a hint of amusement playing on their lips.

Ji Lingzi’s skin was turning purple; he felt a shame so deep it eclipsed the earth, a humiliation so great that if his body hadn't been immobilized, he would have lunged at Tan Qiu to fight to the death! He would disregard any orders from sect elders; even mutual destruction wouldn’t deter him from killing Tan Qiu now.

Among the crowd, only Xuan Ye and a few others maintained expressions of grave solemnity. In their minds, the silvery-white sword light from moments ago replayed endlessly.

They had sought to challenge the Chief’s position, but against that single strike from Tan Qiu, they had zero confidence in their ability to withstand it! And yet, at this moment, Tan Qiu was only at the Sixth Rank!

If previously, knowing this man had grasped the ultimate meaning of the Sword Intent gave them the desire to try, now, not even the slightest notion remained. As soon as Zong Shou spoke those words, he realized he had misspoken and felt a pang of shame.

“Apologies, apologies! Tan Qiu didn't intend to point this out, I was merely too surprised.

No, wait! Actually, Daoist Brother Ji Ling, you are quite average compared to normal people; there’s nothing truly astonishing about you…” But he saw that Ji Lingzi’s pupils were now gleaming with a greenish light.

The internal flame that was already burning raged even fiercer. That piercing gaze seemed desperate to cleave him into a thousand pieces.

Zong Shou paused, deciding silence was best; the more he explained, the worse it got. Besides, he wasn't truly afraid of offending this man.

He only felt that he was being rather impolite by rubbing salt into a sensitive wound of deep-seated inferiority. He truly hadn't meant the comment.

Out of kindness, he casually summoned some nearby clothing from a corpse and draped it over Ji Lingzi, making sure to cover the lower region quite thoroughly. Zong Shou then walked back directly and remounted his Silver Scale Wind-Treading Beast.

Someone had already taken care of collecting and packaging the severed head of Yuan Jiu Chen, ready to be returned to the sect. The corpses of dozens of sect brothers had also been properly gathered.

Zong Shou looked up again, noticing that the heavy, oppressive clouds had thinned slightly. The two powerful, unfathomable auras had also receded; he wasn't sure if they had departed yet.

Everything here was concluded. All that remained was to catch up with the fleet, which should have already sailed back towards the Li River, and ensure the safe departure of those three million people from the territory of the Central Dynasty.

Zong Shou felt a wave of relief wash over him, preparing to turn his horse and gallop out of the Black Spirit Valley Path. Just then, he saw a large contingent of troops pouring in from the valley entrance opposite them.

The person leading them was none other than Bo Li and Xiao Ze, who had retreated earlier, accompanied by several thousand heavy cavalry. Upon seeing the scene inside, Bo Li was the first to freeze, and Xiao Ze’s eyes also held a look of shock.

Zong Shou let out a light chuckle and turned his head. “When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits.

When the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole is behind. Is His Highness the King of Han perhaps preparing to play the part of the fisherman or the oriole?” Bo Li’s expression flickered slightly, then he offered a wry salute to Zong Shou.

“How could that be? My companion and I are merely here under the King of Han’s command to observe the situation within.

His Highness is currently in a difficult position; Chief Tan should know this better than anyone. Why would he antagonize the Cangsheng Dao at this time?” Zong Shou offered no specific reply.

The current King of Han certainly lacked the standing to play the fisherman right now. It was impossible for him to antagonize both the Cangsheng Dao and the Tai Ling Sect simultaneously.

However, once he secured the throne, that might change. It was unlikely that the entry of this elite cavalry force into the valley was solely to ‘observe the situation,’ as stated.

With a cold, light sneer, Zong Shou gestured toward the remaining two hundred Tai Ling Sect disciples and Ji Lingzi, still fused into the stone wall. “My sect has reached an agreement with the Tai Ling Sect regarding these individuals; their lives are not to be taken.

As for Yuan Jiu Chen’s head, our Cangsheng Dao will take that.” If he didn't make the distinction clear, these subordinates of the King of Han might rashly attack the Tai Ling Sect disciples. That King of Han, Yin Quan, had managed his domain in the Western Frontier for decades.

He commanded several million elite troops, making him one of the most militarily powerful among the various princes. Zong Shou did not wish for this man to collapse so quickly.

With Yin Quan present, it would likely not be an easy path for His Highness the King of Liao to ascend the throne. Following this, Zong Shou lingered no longer, leading all his Xuan Jia heavy cavalry away, galloping out through the other exit.

It wasn't until the sound of the Silver Scale Wind-Treading Beasts faded that Bo Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. “That Tan Qiu is so young, only Sixth Rank.

Yet, when he speaks, he carries such immense authority? Even I almost found myself swayed?” He glanced at the corpses of the Purple Cloud Sword Cavalry again, his eyes becoming even more complex.

“Wiping out an enemy double their number, yet only suffering thirty casualties? This man is truly formidable.

A peerless general seed, this potent?” They had originally expected the conflict to result in devastating losses for both sides, requiring them to clean up the aftermath. Instead, this was the final result—Xiao Ze frowned, staring at the one-zhang radius of undamaged ground in the center of the valley where Zong Shou had stood moments before.

After a long silence, he finally looked up. “After the cavalry battle, there was a sword duel at the peak of the Seventh Rank.

One combatant was Ji Lingzi; the other was likely Tan Qiu.” Bo Li’s gaze sharpened instantly. “How is that possible?

If that is true, this person will likely become the greatest disaster for the Great Shang Dynasty in the next few decades!”