When this cry echoed, the area within a hundred zhang fell into another profound silence.

Wasn't that exactly the case? With every step Zong Shou took, another Ninth-Rank cultivator was cut down, meeting his end instantly!

Xuan Yuan Tong was equally stunned. He knew the four thousand Blood Cloud Riders were present. In this battle on Shangxiao Mountain today, Zong Shou's victory was inevitable.

He knew his son-in-law was already terrifyingly strong, but to this extent? It was unheard of.

Even having personally witnessed Zong Shou’s astonishing talent—the unity of spirit and martial arts achieved in his drunken state—he still found it utterly incredible.

A hint of worry also flickered in Kong Yao’s eyes. The rise of such a powerful nation and such a heroic leader in the East of the Cloud Realm might well be a disaster, not a blessing, for their Great Shang.

Suddenly, her heart gave a small lurch; something felt wrong. She activated her bloodline secret technique, and a faint trace of blood appeared between her brows. She gazed again at the figure already nearing the mountain peak.

Then, her delicate features immediately paled slightly. She saw that with every step Zong Shou took, wisps of white vapor gathered upon him from the world around—that was unmistakably Royal Aura! Perhaps Zong Shou himself was unaware, acting entirely unconsciously.

She could vaguely sense that the closer Zong Shou got to the summit, and the more Ninth-Rank cultivators he slew, the thicker those white vapors grew!

She could faintly perceive that the fortune of this entire East Lin Cloud Continent was gradually converging upon Zong Shou! Vaguely, it was coalescing into the shape of a nascent dragon.

It was clear the grand trend was set, the Dragon Body was forming! Merely establishing the kingdom and performing the Heaven Worship ritual would instantly make him the progenitor of a nation.

However, what left her most bewildered and perplexed was that the ‘Royal Aura’ was still, just as before, pure white and flawless, without a single speck of impurity. In fact, it seemed even purer.

—It was still the ‘Aura of the Sage King’!

Kong Yao was utterly bewildered, finding it impossible to believe.

The Blood Cloud Riders here had already slaughtered nearly a million. The fleeing soldiers could not be spared either. Their actions were brutal and ruthless, showing not the slightest hint of benevolence.

Then why was he still a Sage King?

She recalled how her own Emperor treated his vassals—always caring for them, bestowing generous rewards.

Without absolute righteousness, he would never initiate conflict, nor did he delight in slaughter. Whenever the Northern and Southern borders provoked, he exercised utmost restraint. Even when his subjects suffered casualties, at most he would issue a reprimand, striving to avoid massive wars that exhausted the populace and cost countless lives.

Furthermore, almost every few years, he issued a general amnesty, pardoning countless criminals, earning praise from the world as a truly benevolent ruler!

Yet why could he not compare to these barbarians on the frontier?

Could it be that the teachings of Confucianism were fundamentally wrong? That the true path of rulership was internal kingship coupled with external dominance, rather than internal kingship coupled with external sanctity?

How could this be possible?

Wasn't the First Qin Emperor, who conquered countless lands in his time, a clear example? He ruled through tyranny, yet his dynasty perished in the second generation—

Following him, several emperors who received the posthumous title bearing the character for ‘Martial’ all caused their nations to decline severely due to their ruthless, hegemonic rule.

So, could it be that the Heavenly Dao itself had shifted?

A wave of dizziness swept through her mind as myriad thoughts surged. Kong Yao felt as if she were on the verge of madness.

Inconceivable, utterly inconceivable! Something must have been mistaken—

"Indeed, among the Six Absolutes of the Cloud Realm Swords, there are no weaklings! The disciple of Dragon Shadow is truly formidable!"

Shui Lingxiao sighed, seemingly completely unaware that Zong Shou was Tan Qiu, and that Tan Qiu had surpassed Lei Dong in swordsmanship several months prior. At this moment, she shook her head slightly and continued, "This battle is drawing to a close. While my Seven Spirits Sect wishes to gain an advantage, we cannot let people say the Seven Spirits contributed nothing. Fellow disciples, please gather into formation!"

As she spoke, Shui Lingxiao’s body lifted into the air, strands of spiritual energy webbing extending from her surroundings.

The numerous female cultivators of the Seven Spirits Sect followed her ascent, arranging themselves according to their cultivation levels, taking hold of Shui Lingxiao’s spiritual threads, and in turn, extending even more spiritual power lines outwards.

In just over ten breaths, a massive array was formed. Innumerable spiritual patterns and talismanic restrictions materialized.

Shui Lingxiao then pointed into the distance. She displayed no spiritual technique, recited no true mantra. Yet, tens of thousands of feet away, the protective mountain array of Shangxiao Mountain suddenly convulsed, forcibly tearing apart a full tenth of a massive foreign force!

"Good, good! That’s right! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Well slain! My Dragon Shadow’s disciple should possess such an overwhelmingly dominant presence!"

In the void, Daoist Dragon Shadow laughed heartily, filled with delight and unconcealed pride.

"What fine Blood Cloud Riders! Since you possess such a mighty army, you should be more decisive. These mere clay chickens and pottery dogs should just be wiped out. Why bother with righteousness and reputation—"

Suddenly, his heart stirred, and Dragon Shadow let out a 'heh' of a laugh. "That person has finally lost patience!"

Ao Kun raised an eyebrow slightly. "You mean Wen Xu?"

"Who else could it be? Naturally, the ancestor of the Lingyun Sect!"

Dragon Shadow scoffed lightly. "I shall go first to intercept him! You follow later. As for those Divine Realm and Immortal Realm cultivators, eliminate as many as you can! The more you wipe out, the better!"

Ao Kun grinned, saying nothing. But a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He licked his lips; it had been a long time since he had tasted a kill. It was a pity that human flesh and blood were not particularly appetizing to him.

He truly admired how his ancestors in the past had such voracious appetites.

Dragon Shadow paid him no further mind, knowing that even after being sealed for ten thousand years, his old friend's inherent nature would be difficult to change.

He tore open the void directly, instantly spanning several worlds.

Then, in the very next moment, he faintly ‘sensed’ a young Daoist figure in the distance, also rapidly tearing through the void.

In truth, both of them were currently situated within overlapping layers of the void, unable to see each other visually. But Dragon Shadow’s spiritual sense allowed for detection. A cultivator’s spiritual perception was often superior to their physical eyes.

Upon arrival, Dragon Shadow chuckled, "Wen Xu, where are you off to in such a hurry? Shall this old fellow accompany you?"

The young Daoist seemed to have anticipated Dragon Shadow's arrival. He turned around with an unperturbed expression, making no attempt to hide his purpose. "Daoist Brother Dragon Shadow, why ask the obvious? Your disciple has proven superior today. If I do not go and offer aid, I fear Shangxiao Sect is on the verge of annihilation, and Lingyun Sect will surely suffer grievous losses. Wen Xu cannot stand idly by!"

Dragon Shadow smiled and nodded, then narrowed his eyes. "Then Wen Xu, do you think I, Dragon Shadow, will allow you to pass so easily?"

"No!"

Wen Xu shook his head decisively, his tone still calm and unwavering. "Therefore, this time, I never intended to travel to the Cloud Realm personally."

As he spoke, in the spatial layers where they stood, two presences no weaker than the two of them suddenly appeared behind Dragon Shadow, several layers away.

Dragon Shadow immediately let a wave of sword intent surge forth. His mental scan assessed the strength of the two behind him, and he gauged they were both at the mid-stage Saint Realm.

"Not bad strength! Wen Xu, your network of contacts is truly extensive; to be able to invite such powerhouses as your allies. But do you, Wen Xu, truly believe that the combined force of these three alone can guarantee victory over me, Dragon Shadow?"

"Whether we can win or not, we will only know after a fight!"

Wen Xu shook his head slightly, gripping a sword in his hand. Then, the layers of space around him were violently distorted.

"Furthermore, whether we win or lose is irrelevant. All that matters is that I can hold you, Dragon Shadow, for a moment or two. Your disciple indeed possesses great talent and strategy. After succeeding to the throne for only a few years, he quietly restored the Blood Cloud Riders. It’s a pity he doesn't realize that if we are willing to pay the price and disregard those few World Protecting Venerables, destroying him would be as easy as turning a hand—"

Dragon Shadow, however, became increasingly delighted, bursting into loud laughter. "A fine proposition, merely to stall me! As it happens, I, Dragon Shadow, have the very same idea! How about this: shall we both wait right here? I fear, Wen Xu, that you might not be able to wait that long—"

Wen Xu’s expression froze slightly, betraying a flicker of astonishment.

At that very same moment, not far from where the two were stationed, more than ten powerful auras were streaking like meteors through countless spatial rifts, rushing toward the Cloud Realm.

The leader among these dozen streaks of light was Shen Xiao. His eyes were filled with raging fury and impatience.

Cultivators whose lifespan had not reached the Transcendent Realm were ultimately limited. The past generations of ancestors of the Shangxiao Xuanling Sect had all died of old age.

Among all the disciples across the generations, he, Shen Xiao, was the most honored. The Shangxiao Sect, originally a mere peripheral faction, had grown under his efforts to become one of the nineteen Spiritual Lands—it was the result of his entire being and blood.

Seeing the Shangxiao Sect now on the brink of destruction, severely damaged, how could he not be enraged, how could he not be anxious—

—Zong Shou, the Blood Cloud Riders!

Once they entered the Cloud Realm, the four Venerables would be alerted and arrive within a single breath.

However, if they suppressed their entire internal strength and cultivation to below the Ninth Rank, the situation would be different.

With his formidable physical body, his Divine Realm strength, and his comprehension and mastery of the laws of heaven and earth, annihilating the Blood Cloud Riders and that Dry Heaven Demon King would be as simple as flipping a hand!

While contemplating this, he was exchanging thoughts via divine sense with the other Divine Realm cultivators surrounding him.

Suddenly, a gigantic hand slammed down from the void.

Shen Xiao was instantly startled and desperately tried to evade. But two cultivators beside him could not dodge in time. One of them was struck by the colossal palm and instantly pulverized into dust.

The one who died was an Immortal Realm peak cultivator from the Lingyun Sect. The other, severely injured, was his junior brother, one of the only three Divine Realm experts in the Shenxiao Sect!

Shen Xiao immediately felt his eyes tear up in rage, yet his heart was gripped by terror. He looked out toward the void, toward the origin of the giant palm.

"Who is it? Why are you ambushing us?"

The next moment, the figure of a young man suddenly appeared before them, a playful yet bloodthirsty smile playing on his lips.

"It is I, Ao Kun! Are you trying to go to Shangxiao Mountain in the Cloud Realm? Then I must apologize! I, Ao Kun, am here to claim your lives—"

As his voice fell, the youth casually pointed a finger at one of them in the air. The Immortal Realm cultivator from the Shenxiao Sect facing him was instantly torn to pieces by a strange force!

The youth raised an eyebrow, inwardly praising how useful this power of destruction truly was.

Shen Xiao, however, felt his heart turn utterly cold. The person before him was clearly a Saint Realm expert!

What connection did he have with Zong Shou, that he would come to his aid? (To be continued)