In the Hall of Splendor within the Imperial City of the Central Cloud Continent, the old man in the yellow robe stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the military map before him, a cold sneer playing on his lips. "So, the Lingyun Sect has set a trap on Mount Shangxiao, and Zongshou willingly jumped in for his fiancée?

I didn't expect this Fiend King of Qian Tian, Zongshou, to be such a passionate fellow. Looking at him today, this person truly doesn't seem capable of achieving anything great—" His tone held a hint of mockery, yet the accompanying silent attendants stood with their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hearts, daring not utter a sound.

The old man's voice shifted again: "What does the Grand Marshal think?" Seated beside him on a chair was another figure. He too had a head full of white hair, a gaunt face, utterly aged.

However, his bone structure was immense; even while sitting, he exuded an almost insurmountable aura of martial might. Without much apparent deliberation, he spoke: "The combined might of the Seven Great Sects to crush a small kingdom.

The Lingyun Sect truly has grand ambitions! These sectarian noble houses, scorning royal law and disregarding the Heavenly Dao, are all rebellious traitors, without lord or father!

If it weren't for such people, the Cloud Realm would have long been unified, instead of this unending strife." At this point, his tone grew colder: "But Mount Qian Tian is no better. Truly barbaric savages!

To dare detain our Great Shang envoy—what audacity! In my eyes, these two parties are merely dogs fighting dogs; not worth Your Majesty wasting any effort on!" The old man in the yellow robe, however, frowned.

This was not what he intended to hear. The Grand Marshal, clearly resigned, finally shook his head: "Your Majesty!

While those two large spirit stone mines are valuable, allowing sects to meddle in the affairs of the mortal world sets a precedent that should not be easily established. But currently, our Great Shang is too far away to reach.

A campaign ten thousand li away carries too great a risk—" "You also say this!" The old man sighed softly: "I know the principle, but the mere thought of those two mines falling into the hands of those sects—the strength of these cultivators will certainly increase—it causes me endless worry. Enough!

Take a look at this—" Saying so, the old man flicked a memorial before the Grand Marshal, allowing it to hover in the air. The latter opened it and examined it closely, revealing a thoughtful expression: "City Lord Yang Fan of Dragon Elephant City?

I recall this man is the leader of the Thousand Cities Alliance? He wishes to pledge allegiance to Great Shang and submit tribute to Your Majesty.

I see now. Hmph!

This man has cunning! Using the power of the Eastern Lin sects to destroy Mount Qian Tian, and then turning to borrow the might of Great Shang to contend with the Lingyun Sect.

A truly ambitious fellow!" "The Grand Marshal's guess is not far off!" The yellow-robed elder also smiled, meaningfully: "But what I enjoy most is dealing with those who possess ambition. I crave their refusal to lie dormant.

What does the Grand Marshal propose?" "It is feasible! I propose Your Majesty grant him the title of Lord of Eastern Lin!" The Grand Marshal nodded slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes: "Once Mount Qian Tian is gone, the Eastern Lin sects will inevitably turn their attention toward Dragon Elephant Mountain, maintaining extreme vigilance, and they will certainly want the Eastern Lin region to remain in chaos.

If this man wishes to achieve anything under the pressure of Lingyun, he will inevitably rely on our Great Shang. We might as well stir the waters even deeper!

By relying on him, our Dynasty may be able to intervene in Eastern Lin affairs—" The yellow-robed elder burst into hearty laughter: "This aligns perfectly with my thoughts! Does the Lingyun Sect desire chaos?

Then I shall grant Yang Fan the empty title of Lord of Eastern Lin! If the Lingyun Sect dares to interfere directly, I will not hesitate to raise an army and conquer their Cloud Palace!" By the final sentence, a chilling killing intent permeated the air.

As they spoke, they acted as if Zongshou and Mount Qian Tian had already ceased to exist. —To send only seventy thousand cavalry into a trap meticulously laid by the sects; that little Fiend King had no chance of survival.

"Naturally, we cannot allow the Lingyun Sect to run rampant!" The Grand Marshal nodded slightly: "However, this Yang Fan must also be watched carefully! He is cunning and difficult to control.

I advise Your Majesty to use him, but also guard against him—" "These are wise words, I shall remember them!" As he spoke, the elder focused intently on a golden register, writing the characters 'Yang Fan' with meticulous, iron-wrought calligraphy. He then added several memorials and sheets of paper filled with writing to the register.

Afterward, he walked to a bookshelf nearby and looked at another register marked with the name 'Zongshou,' sighing faintly: "This child is intelligent; in less than three years since taking the throne, he already possessed the momentum to unify Eastern Lin. It is truly a pity for him to perish so early!

The tree that stands taller than the forest is the first to be felled by the wind. This child's failure lies in his inability to restrain himself and making too many enemies.

Coupled with poor fortune—" Just as he was about to take down this golden register, a sharp, thin voice echoed from the doorway: "Your Majesty, the State Preceptor requests an audience!" The old man turned to see Gao Ruo, the Junior Eunuch Supervisor, standing at the entrance. For some inexplicable reason, his face was filled with a look of helplessness.

"The State Preceptor? Is it True Person Chongxuan?" The Great Shang had three State Preceptors: one Buddhist and two Daoist.

Only this True Person Chongxuan, who originated as a rogue cultivator, commanded his trust. "It is I, Chongxuan!" A loud response came from outside, followed by a middle-aged man in Daoist robes stepping directly past Gao Ruo and bursting into the study.

His face, as red as a jujube, was currently covered in impatience. "Forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty, but this matter is too urgent.

That is why I forced my way in—" The yellow-robed elder was momentarily stunned, his expression gradually growing grave: "No matter! Why is the State Preceptor in such a hurry?" He knew that although True Person Chongxuan's cultivation was supreme and he possessed formidable divine power, he had always been respectful of propriety and never overstepped his bounds.

For him to act this way today meant there must be truly urgent news. Chongxuan's face was equally cold and grave as he let out a long, turbid breath: "Half an hour ago, I was observing the celestial phenomena from the Star Gazing Platform.

I suddenly sensed a great surge of fortune emanating from the east, dragon energy soaring, seemingly gathering. It appeared as if the entire continent's fortune had converged upon a single person.

Does Your Majesty know what this signifies?" The old man was lost in thought again. He had read many Daoist classics and naturally understood the implication.

"The dragon fortune of an entire continent gathering on one person? Has the energy of a true dragon truly materialized?" Forcing a laugh, the Grand Marshal's face showed skepticism mixed with doubt: "Could the State Preceptor be mistaken?

The Eastern Lin Cloud Continent is clearly on the verge of massive upheaval. How could a true dragon emerge?" "Chongxuan initially thought he had misread it.

He confirmed it repeatedly before rushing here!" Casting a scrutinizing glance at the Grand Marshal, True Person Chongxuan also exhibited a hint of bewilderment: "In truth, I do not fully comprehend it. There is no one in the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent capable of unifying it.

Even if there were, with the great sects suppressing them, true dragon energy is difficult to coalesce. This matter is truly baffling, utterly inexplicable—" The yellow-robed elder was contemplating silently when he heard Chongxuan speak again, his voice growing colder: "If it were only this, I would not have forced entry into the Imperial Palace.

It is because I feel that every change occurring within the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent is inextricably linked to our Great Shang! There are portents of great flourishing, but also signs of decline.

The situation is unclear, truly strange, strange!" When the elder and the Grand Marshal heard the phrase "inextricably linked," sharp killing intent flickered in their eyes. Only at the last sentence did they calm down, yet their brows furrowed further.

If they had not been certain that True Person Chongxuan was exceedingly skilled in the arts of fortune and destiny, and that his words were never baseless, they would have nearly believed the State Preceptor was trifling with them. Signs of flourishing and signs of decline?

What did this mean? It was at this precise moment that a purple-gold talisman floated down from the void in the distance, stopping to one side of the room.

The yellow-robed elder uttered an 'Hmm' and took the communication charm. A moment later, his complexion cycled rapidly between pale green and white.

After an unknown period, he snapped back to awareness. He saw True Person Chongxuan and the Grand Marshal looking at him with confusion.

The elder frowned, discreetly burning the talisman until it turned to ash. Then, he spoke calmly: "It is news from the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent!

That Qian Tian's Zongshou has revived the ancient Blood Cloud Cavalry. Furthermore, he used the Ten Ultimate Sky Vault Grand Array of the former Talisman Spirit Sect to seal off a hundred li around Mount Shangxiao.

With only four thousand men, he shattered the millions-strong army gathered below Shangxiao Mountain. Now, flying the twin flags of blood and slaughter, he intends to flatten the Shangxiao Profound Spirit Sect!" The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Only beneath the Grand Marshal's seat came a heavy snap. The chair under the table shattered completely.

His pupils constricted into pinpricks. Blood Cloud Cavalry?

The Blood Cloud Cavalry of the Martial Valor Kingdom? Did Qian Tian actually possess four thousand of them?

In an instant, countless questions flooded his mind: Where in the world did Qian Tian Mountain find so many Martial Ancestor realm experts? Where did they acquire the armor of the Blood Cloud Cavalry?

The Heart Sutra of Blood Slaughter would be impossible to find. True Person Chongxuan's gaze finally cleared, but it was tinged with bitterness.

He finally understood why the continent's entire fortune would converge on one person. Why the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent could gather the energy of a true dragon.

"So that's it! No wonder the celestial omens shifted so drastically!

By sealing it with the Ten Ultimate Sky Vault Grand Array, that Fiend King intends to utterly annihilate them—" With a light sigh, True Person Chongxuan inclined his head slightly toward the ceiling: "I advise Your Majesty! Our Great Shang must absolutely not make an enemy of Mount Qian Tian until we possess Dao Soldiers capable of countering the Blood Cloud Cavalry!

Four thousand Blood Clouds are enough to contend with the Hao Xuan Sect today—" The yellow-robed elder remained silent, his eyes showing apprehension, shock, envy, and even a trace of hidden fear. While deep in thought, his spirit suddenly stirred, and he looked toward the distant horizon.

He sensed an unusual spiritual energy fluctuation emanating from a distant stretch of the sky. Though tens of thousands of li away, even he felt a sudden palpitation of the heart.

"State Preceptor? What omen is this now?" Chongxuan frowned, then let out a long sigh: "It must be the fall of a Divine Realm expert atop Mount Shangxiao.

If nothing is amiss, it should be the Third Generation Patriarch of the Shangxiao Profound Spirit Sect—" Even he himself was merely a cultivator of the Divine Realm. The yellow-robed elder no longer hesitated; he crushed the golden register bearing the name 'Yang Fan' into powder!

He then moved the register marked 'Zongshou' forward, directly inserting it into the third position. What an individual, Zongshou!

To think of plotting against such a figure as Yang Fan—it was truly laughable! Like a clown—