He received these Rank Nine cultivators together, and personally led them around Qian Tian Mountain. As they toured the grounds, he spoke words calculated to win their favor, interspersed with discussions and exchanges regarding the essential principles of martial arts and spiritual techniques.

Fortunately, most cultivators who achieve success possess a temperament that prefers stillness over activity. Zong Shou spent half a day with them before finally extricating himself. After arranging accommodations for Ling Xueyun, he returned to his own sleeping quarters.

He found the two women, Zhao Xuan, already waiting for him. To his slight surprise, standing beside Zhao Yanran were two other women.

One was Kong Yao. The other was a girl of sixteen, whose beauty rivaled that of Zhao Yanran. Her demeanor was tranquil; it was clear at a glance that she was someone detached from worldly desires, radiating an aura of peace.

Were it not for the flowing, wide-sleeved robes she wore, which displayed a graceful figure, Zong Shou might have mistaken her for an enlightened high monk.

In fact, this young woman wore a small fur cap, and examining the edges, it seemed indeed as if she did not wear her hair long.

Zong Shou paused, then offered a smile to Xuan Yunlan first: "The agreement from before has long been fulfilled. Miss Yunlan, you truly did not need to come..."

"Does the Sovereign dislike Yunlan? Is this perhaps sending me away?"

Seeing Zong Shou furrow his brow, Xuan Yunlan chuckled, "It is Yunlan who cannot bear to leave the Sovereign's side. My progress in zither arts feels vastly superior here than anywhere else. Even my Master suggested it would be best for Yunlan to stay by the Sovereign's side from now on."

Zong Shou shook his head, though inwardly he felt a touch of pleasure. Having free access to the Spirit-Calming Melodies was certainly a good thing. Speaking of which, Xuan Yunlan was also a virgin, possessing a Primordial Yin Body—Zong Shou abruptly cut off the thought and then looked towards Zhao Yanran, querying with his eyes.

Zhao Yanran responded with a hint of annoyance, "Your 'Commander of the Central Cloud Continent' was entrusted to me by that Elder Zong Bo from your Seven-Tailed Zong Clan. As soon as those Rank Nines arrived at Qian Tian Mountain, this person bolted!" Zong Shou smiled; this was within expectations. Given Zong Zheng's disposition, his willingness to help stemmed from a reluctance to see the Seven-Tailed Zong Clan decline. Now that Rank Nine cultivators had arrived, feeling he could no longer offer much assistance, he naturally chose not to remain.

What truly intrigued Zong Shou was this nun, who appeared to have recently returned to secular life.

"As for this one!"

Zhao Yanran looked over, her expression turning peculiar, "She claims I am the person destined by all Buddhas, saying that if I agree to convert, I can do whatever she wishes. She claims the Buddhas have sworn an oath to surely help me reach the Saint Realm! Isn't that ridiculous?"

Zong Shou indeed laughed, "The Buddhas have sworn an oath to help you reach the Saint Realm? That is incredible. If I were you, I would have converted to Buddhism long ago. Become a Saint Realm expert safely and easily—something others can only dream of. But tell me, what is actually going on?"

Zhao Yanran snapped back, "How should I know? I broke through to Rank Seven the other day, right? Feeling spirited, I went out looking for someone to fight, had a few bouts. And then this woman saw me. For some reason, she insists on following me, demanding I join the Buddhist Sect, and her abilities are not insignificant, mind you." She let out another cold snort, "Setting aside the myriad worlds of Buddhism, while my Cloud Realm is somewhat special, in the eyes of those people, I am just a tiny fish they wouldn't care about. Even if they knew of me, Zhao Yanran, the Buddhas would never make such a promise. Do they take me, Zhao Yanran, for such a fool? I think this woman is completely mad, a lunatic..."

Hearing this, the girl instinctively started to speak, but stopped herself, leaving her words unspoken. Though slightly wronged, she showed no anger. Even after being called a lunatic by Zhao Yanran, she displayed no ire, merely stating calmly, "This is a Buddha Edict. With Patron Zhao's status, you naturally should know. Not long ago, a Buddha Edict descended upon all Buddhist temples across the realm, concerning precisely Patron's affairs." Zhao Yanran gave a slight sneer. She was aware of the Edict. But whether it was the Dharma Flower Sect, the Chan Sect, the Tiantai Sect, or the Pure Land Sect, they all kept the contents strictly secret. As for what the Buddha Edict truly said? It certainly couldn't be about her. Zhao Yanran might have many flaws, including an extremely bad temper, but her only virtue was knowing her own limitations. Even if that Buddha Edict was genuinely for her, she would never betray the Dao of Universal Salvation. Zhao Yanran was still hoping to find a man; she had to experience that feeling first. She wouldn't trade that for the Saint Realm, becoming a nun, chanting scriptures daily, leading an ascetic life—that sounded dreadfully boring, utterly devoid of any pleasure.

Zong Shou, however, began to believe her. The girl's eyes were infinitely pure, her expression utterly sincere; she did not appear to be lying, nor did she seem like someone prone to falsehoods. Observing her cultivation level, it was actually higher than his own; she had likely already condensed her Dharma Body, reaching Rank Eight. Given her age, she was absolutely among the top tier of the younger generation in the Cloud Realm. Her status within Buddhism must also be extremely high, meaning her words should be trustworthy.

A sense of relief washed over him. Without needing Yuan Wushang to remind him, Zong Shou knew that the snow omen on that day was likely related to him. He also knew about the strange phenomena in the Buddhist temples and the subsequent Buddha Edict. He had initially assumed it was due to himself, but now it seemed he had been overly sentimental.

Chuckling, Zong Shou spared Zhao Yanran a look of schadenfreude. He hadn't expected this woman's fortune to be so strong. Even if the Buddha's decree did not point directly to her, it was likely greatly connected to her.

Zhao Yanran, however, was increasingly annoyed. Impatiently, she shot him a glare with her almond eyes. Her look clearly conveyed, Try laughing again!

Zong Shou was greatly amused, but he did not wish to provoke this true female madwoman too much. He turned to the girl and asked, "What is your name?"

Upon hearing this, the girl turned her head to look at Zong Shou. A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes before it vanished again. "Poor—no! This humble girl is Jing Yin!"

"Jing Yin?"

Zong Shou's heart stirred slightly, then he slowly realized, So it's her. No wonder she felt so familiar. This must be Jing Yin when she was much younger, perhaps not yet fifteen. But how could this Jing Yin Fairy, who remained famous throughout the Cloud Realm even during and centuries after the Divine Emperor era, have returned to secular life so early?

His mind filled with questions, Zong Shou didn't dwell on it for long. The next moment, he heard Kong Yao, who had been silent until now, suddenly speak, "Sovereign, for how long do you intend to keep me confined here? I was rash regarding that incident. If the Sovereign is willing to release Kong Yao, I will be eternally grateful! I will compensate for all losses threefold!"

Zong Shou smiled faintly without responding, and Kong Yao's brow soon furrowed. "To speak frankly, even now, I do not think highly of the Sovereign. The spiritual artifacts you purchased might fool the Thousand Cities Alliance, but they will hardly escape the Lingyun Sect's notice. Even restraining Kong Yao here serves no purpose. Kong Yao can swear that she will not leak a single word. Kong Yao believes she holds some status within the Great Shang Dynasty. If news returns, His Majesty will certainly be enraged. Moreover, Qian Tian Mountain’s current situation does not seem conducive to making powerful enemies..."

Zong Shou remained noncommittal. The truth was, people from the Great Shang Dynasty had arrived two days prior: one Rank Nine cultivator and three Rank Eights. In the past, this lineup would have been formidable enough to overwhelm Qian Tian Mountain without resistance. They had initially intended to seize the person directly, but upon discovering that the Qian Tian City housed eight Rank Nines, they wisely retreated and instead chose to send envoys to negotiate. However, Ren Bo and Zong Ling had refused to see them. Kong Yao, in turn, felt nothing but helplessness, mixed with deeper confusion.

Then, Zhao Yanran let out a cold snort: "Do you really think he captured you and concealed the news about those spiritual weapons just to hide it from the Eastern Lin Sects?"

Kong Yao froze, staring back in astonishment. She saw the woman who had subdued Zong Zheng, rendering her immobile and at times causing her agonizing pain, now sneering mockingly: "He is targeting the Lingyun Sect! He thinks those spiritual weapons are his ultimate trump card, his reliance! Do you understand now?" As the words fell, Kong Yao's expression shifted slightly, registering shock and horror. If that was the case, Zong Shou never expected to keep her capture secret from his opponents' ears; perhaps he even deliberately leaked the information to the other side. Confined on Qian Tian Mountain for over a month, it was merely a diversionary tactic by this man! She felt an overwhelming curiosity. If those spiritual weapons weren't Zong Shou's true leverage, then what was the true trump card of this Demonic King of Qian Tian?

Zong Shou had just been about to step into his quiet cultivation chamber to enter seclusion when he heard this. He stopped, turning back with a sigh, "You woman, you really talk too much!"

"You should be called sinister in nature!" Zhao Yanran turned her head away, refusing to meet Zong Shou's gaze. "You already possess strength capable of confronting the Eastern Lin Sects head-on, yet you kept silent! If I hadn't arrived at Qian Tian Mountain City a few days early, I wouldn't even know the strength you possess. I can't believe that Yunlan and I were nearly scared to death worrying about you! The invincible cavalry of the ancient Wu Lie Kingdom has reappeared in the world. Are you preparing to completely reshuffle the Eastern Lin Sects? I wonder if my Seven Spirits Sect can claim a piece of the spoils?"

"Wu Lie Kingdom? The ancient invincible cavalry?" Kong Yao murmured the words under her breath, her pupils contracting sharply. "It's the Blood Cloud Cavalry? Qian Tian Mountain has brought back the Blood Cloud Cavalry? Impossible!" Even with the cultivation methods and armor all complete, Qian Tian Mountain should never be able to muster such a number of Rank Five Martial Ancestors.

"It's real! Not only brought back, but the version without flaws. In another two months, there should be four thousand two hundred Blood Knights!" Zhao Yanran cast a sidelong glance, her smile holding deep meaning. "So, now it's even less likely that we can let you leave."

Zong Shou shook his head and smiled faintly, ignoring them further as he stepped into the quiet room. Everything was now in place; all that remained was to wait for the great war to begin. However, in these next two months, there were still many things to do, such as expelling sword intent. The battle with Yuan Wushang had yielded many insights, and a great deal of life potential had been stimulated, which needed to be assimilated through diligent meditation.