"That Qian Tian Sect Guardian is certainly no ordinary figure. No wonder Father was uneasy, though the prestige of the Ling Yun Sect, my son has heard of it even beneath the Sea of Clouds. Father should know better—"

Shi Fa Tian followed the Heavenly Laughing style slightly, feeling a degree of reassurance. How could he not know the Ling Yun Sect? It was one of the Ten Great Sacred Lands, a faction so powerful it could annihilate a nation with a single sect.

On the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent, the Ling Yun Sect was virtually the head of the Orthodox Way. Almost every sect acted according to its command.

If this Ling Yun Sect intended for Qian Tian Mountain City to perish, then Qian Tian Mountain had no reason to remain standing. If combined sects could destroy a great nation, how could a mere mantis try to stop a chariot?

Just then, Shi Fa Tian’s pupils contracted as he spotted two figures hurrying toward them.

A quick glance revealed them to be his elder brother, Shi Luo Tian, and the clan’s old high priest, Shi Bin.

A fresh wave of hesitation washed over him, though he could generally guess the reason for their arrival.

“For the Ling Yun Sect to personally dispatch emissaries to deliver this armament demonstrates profound sincerity. The Wind Leopard and Flame Bear clans, able to command such influence upon the Cloud Continent and establish great cities, and the Seven-Tailed Sect before them, which once held the momentum to conquer the world—my Snow Lion clan ranks in the top ten for combat strength among the hundred tribes of the Demon Race. We are certainly capable of reviving our fortunes here on the Cloud Continent and carving out a foundation for our own city—”

Saying this, Shi Ding Yuan let out a cold sneer: “Must we truly wait decades for that little bastard to inherit the position of Clan Head! What kind of nonsense is this ‘Raging Lion Snow Seal’? Who is he trying to fool?”

Shi Fa Tian frowned. His resolve had, in fact, already been set. This last remark from Shi Ding Yuan eroded the final trace of his hesitation and extinguished it completely.

He waved his hand, and his personal subordinates moved to intercept them. Faint shouts of anger drifted over—Shi Luo Tian’s loud cursing, and Shi Bin’s voice heavy with sorrowful admonishment.

Shi Fa Tian merely gave a faint, cold smile, thinking: Brother, oh brother. This is not the same as it was decades ago. The entire clan now is mostly composed of my confidants. Ten years as Clan Head has cemented my authority. The entire clan now listens only to my voice.

This time was unavoidable; I had to offend you! But if this battle is won, and our Snow Lion clan secures a foothold on the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent, gaining a foundation truly our own, then I trust you two will not blame me.

In the clan history of the future, my contribution will be noted richly. The return of the Snow Lions to the Cloud Continent is entirely thanks to me!

Shi Ding Yuan, however, purposefully or inadvertently, touched his lip. He vividly remembered the humiliation from two years prior: the moment Zong Shou left with Shi Ruo Lan, sending men to shatter every one of his teeth and abolish all his cultivation!

Had it not been for the Ling Yun Sect cultivators who secretly rescued him afterward and administered precious healing elixirs, he might still be a cripple to this day.

This shame was impossible to forget!

It was just a pity that this great vengeance was fated never to be exacted by his own hand. That Zong Shou was surely doomed to die beneath Shang Xiao Mountain.

But what impressed him most vividly were the few breathtakingly beautiful women he first encountered when meeting Zong Shou beneath the Sea of Clouds.

He wondered if he might have such an opportunity after conquering Qian Tian Mountain this time. If he could not personally exact revenge, then perhaps seizing their wives and daughters could somewhat alleviate this hatred!

As these thoughts spun through his mind and a familiar warmth began to rise beneath his abdomen, a sound like rolling thunder suddenly echoed from the distant grand road.

Shi Ding Yuan peered into the distance and immediately saw an army approaching along the flagstone road, a dense procession.

From this distance, it was merely a hazy mass, countless in number, sweeping along in magnificent formation, endless and continuous. The formation might not be perfectly aligned, but the momentum was overwhelmingly powerful.

“It must be the allied forces from Dong Shao and Wu Dan cities; they’ve arrived as promised at the Chen hour! While not elite troops, their equipment is certainly fine. It seems our Snow Lion clan will indeed be the main force in this battle! With these four hundred thousand mighty soldiers, we can sweep straight down this road to the foot of Qian Tian City.”

With that, Shi Ding Yuan gave another cold sneer: “How laughable that Zong Shou spent a fortune building this grand road, only for it now to be used against him!”

Shi Fa Tian offered no comment but held his chin high. Since the Snow Lion clan was the spearhead in this battle, he, Shi Fa Tian, was naturally the alliance commander, and it was fitting that the other two figures should arrive to meet him.

The two armies slowly converged, and just as they were about to merge, a sudden, massive uproar erupted from the distant road, followed by the faint sounds of clashing steel.

Then, to the utter astonishment of Shi Fa Tian and Shi Ding Yuan, the army that had moments before appeared so overwhelmingly majestic began to collapse. First, two principal banners inexplicably fell, and then several hundred cavalry mounted on Fourth-Rank Wind-Riding Steeds bolted from the formation, racing frantically toward the Sea of Clouds in the west.

Seen from afar, the riders were adorned in extremely opulent clothing, clearly the upper echelon from the Dong Shao and Wu Dan cities. Now, their expressions were panicked, as if they were fleeing desperately.

And the formation of several hundred thousand troops dissolved into chaos, fleeing back the way they came.

For a moment, Shi Ding Yuan’s eyes were filled with blank bewilderment.

What in the world is this? How did the army scatter like this for no apparent reason?

Even the most rabble-like collection of soldiers shouldn't behave this way. Rout before the battle—what kind of logic was that? It wasn't taught in any treatise on warfare.

Shi Fa Tian felt a sharp, palpitating fear in his heart, instinctively sensing that some major, unknown upheaval had occurred in the great landscape of the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent—

This was the drawback of the Snow Lion clan’s shallow roots: news was isolated. Even major events took a long time to reach them.

Taking a deep breath, Shi Fa Tian’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Someone, go find those routed soldiers and inquire what happened!”

Immediately, over a hundred riders galloped out, chasing after the scattered troops on the grand road.

However, in a very short time, one man spurred his horse and raced back. But his face was unnaturally pale, and his eyes held a trace of resentment. Shi Fa Tian’s heart gave a painful lurch, sinking completely to the bottom of his chest.

“Reporting to the Clan Head! I questioned an attendant of the Wu Dan City Lord. It is said the Thousand City Alliance army suffered a crushing defeat by the banks of the Dai Shui River! Furthermore, beneath Shang Xiao Mountain, the Qian Tian Demon King personally led the Iron Cavalry, crushing the three-million-strong army and leveling Shang Xiao. When the news arrived, the generals mutinied. The Wu Dan City Lord was killed on the spot, his head severed by his subordinate general. The Dong Shao City Lord, Bai Yi, managed to escape death only by fleeing urgently with his closest aides—”

The first two sentences struck Shi Fa Tian like thunderbolts, nearly shattering his soul, making him pay no attention to the rest of the report.

Shi Ding Yuan’s body swayed, and he nearly collapsed limply to the ground.

Leveling Shang Xiao? Does this mean the Ling Yun Sect was defeated?

Then, he almost cried out in disbelief. That was one of the Sacred Lands, how could it lose? What right did a mere Qian Tian Mountain have to resist the Ten Great Sacred Lands? What right did that brat have to become the sovereign of the East Lin?

Countless questions flooded his mind. By the time Shi Ding Yuan regained his senses, he saw Shi Luo Tian and Shi Bin already standing before him. No one was stopping the two anymore; their gazes were cold and sharp, scanning the two of them like blades.

Shi Fa Tian sighed slightly and bowed deeply to the two: “It is Fa Tian who has wronged Brother and Elder. I now submit entirely to your judgment!”

Shi Bin merely shook his head slightly: “It is not us you have wronged, but the entire Snow Lion clan! If Qian Tian Mountain had fallen, today’s actions would be inconsequential. But after this great victory, the Sovereign is already poised to sweep the Cloud Continent. I fear that despite the vastness of this world, there will no longer be any place for our Snow Lion clan to reside!”

Shi Fa Tian remained silent, while Shi Ding Yuan let out a cold laugh: “At worst, our clan can simply return beneath the Sea of Clouds! We go back where we came from. As long as we are careful, that Qian Tian Mountain cannot touch us. There are still many powerful factions in this Cloud Realm; it is not Zong Shou’s time to rule supreme!”

As soon as these words were uttered, a hush fell over the surroundings. Every gaze turned coldly toward him.

Not only the two elders of the Lion Clan, but even the personal guards glared with fury.

Shi Luo Tian let out a sharp, cold scoff, steeped in ridicule: “Our Snow Lion clan was favored by the Sovereign, finally granted a glimpse of the sun. Do you now wish to see us sink back into eternal darkness?”

Shi Ding Yuan started slightly, realizing that the people around him did not share his sentiments.

Even his most doting father, Shi Fa Tian, remained silent.

“Though the Sea of Clouds is vast, what if that Sovereign is determined to exterminate us? How could we escape? While Qian Tian Mountain certainly has forces that could contend with it—for instance, the Central Imperial Dynasty, whose power surpasses Qian Tian’s tenfold—but would those people truly risk offending that Sovereign for our small Snow Lion clan? Your words are truly laughable! Fortunately, Ruo Lan is still here, held in such high favor by the Sovereign, and so—”

Before he finished speaking, Shi Luo Tian suddenly snatched a saber from the waist of a nearby Lion Clan guard and swung it fiercely.

Shi Ding Yuan instinctively tried to resist, but in that split second, several individuals beside him subtly exerted their strength, pressing down collectively, causing his breath to seize.

A flash of cold steel, and Shi Ding Yuan’s head flew into the air.

Shi Luo Tian’s voice continued, imbued with endless coldness.

“—Therefore, I must use your head! To appease the Monarch’s wrath!”

Shi Fa Tian stood by, his face like frozen frost. He did not intervene, nor did he offer assistance. Watching Shi Luo Tian and several of his top generals work together to strike off his beloved son’s head, he felt only desolation and icy emptiness in his heart.

He knew well that to give the Sovereign an accounting, the head of just Shi Ding Yuan would likely be far from enough!

And at this moment, even if he wanted to fight desperately, fewer than five people in the entire clan would follow him, Shi Fa Tian!

But why this defeat? Shouldn't the Ling Yun Sect’s involvement have been an overwhelming blow? Why had it ended like this?

Just as Shi Fa Tian stood there stunned, and the news of Qian Tian’s great victory at the Dai Shui River and the destruction of the Xuan Ling Sect at Shang Xiao spread rapidly through the mortal cultivation world of the Cloud Realm, beginning to ferment and churn—

Zong Shou, meanwhile, stood upon the summit of Shang Xiao Mountain, as still as a statue. (To be continued)