"So, this is the Vision of the Primal Beginning you witnessed. Roughly how much of your lifespan did that consume?"

Zong Shou calculated briefly in his mind before replying with a smile, "Around seven hundred years, just to observe that mere flicker of a moment within the Vision of the Primal Beginning. It’s a pity my cultivation is limited; many aspects could not be fully revealed."

"Seven hundred years? That’s more than half your remaining years. Does that mean your other longevity was spent elsewhere? Very good. Your comprehension on the Vision Platform has already exceeded my expectations. Even losing a thousand years of life would have been worthwhile."

As Long Ying spoke, a shadow briefly crossed his face. "Even I gained a great deal from this. Many doubts can be resolved, many principles made clear. It’s just that achieving the unification of the Nine Swords still falls short."

This hint of melancholy vanished instantly, replaced by a comforting smile directed at Zong Shou. "You need not worry! Your Master is not incapable of striving for the Apex Realm. The continuous delay is only to perfect my own Great Dao, ensuring no hidden flaws from an insufficient foundation when taking that final step into the True Realm. Thinking of it now, it was I, Long Ying, who was too greedy. How many in this world truly possess an Apex Realm founded on perfection? To attain eternal life in the Apex Realm is already magnificent—something countless others dream of. My resolution is set: I will wait another twenty years. Whether I succeed or fail then, I will cast aside all obsession and ascend to the Saint Realm—"

These rambling words sounded less like an explanation to Zong Shou and more like Long Ying persuading himself.

Zong Shou listened in silence, offering no comment. Only after Long Ying finished did he speak again, his tone faint. "I once told Ao Kun that while I recorded the Vision of the Primal Beginning, I gained little enlightenment from it. However, my recent battle with Shen Xiao offered some insights. I would request Master to examine it for me, to offer guidance!"

Hearing this, Long Ying burst into a wry laugh. To fight a Divine Realm cultivator while still at the Eighth Order was a rare opportunity. Given Zong Shou's innate talent for the Way of the Sword, some level of comprehension was inevitable. Yet, this child likely still wished to help him. How could Zong Shou, at his current stage, offer any assistance to Long Ying?

Zong Shou did not wait for consent. He drew the shattered half-blade of Duan Qiu and thrust it toward Long Ying. This initial thrust appeared weightless, devoid of true force.

But as the sword moved, the rift space—the 'Spirit River'—immediately collapsed. The mere residual energy that leaked out was enough to utterly erase the surrounding space!

"The Soul of Sword Intent!"

Almost instantly, Long Ying sensed that faint, almost imperceptible trace of sword intent piercing directly toward his mind. He knew Zong Shou had already reached the mid-stage of the Sword Soul level, so this in itself was not astonishing. Though he held little hope, he was intensely curious about what Zong Shou had truly grasped from that battle.

In the next instant, every hair on Long Ying’s body stood rigidly on end.

—This incoming strike carried an essence remarkably similar to the illusion he had just witnessed. Vast and mighty, it seemed capable of suppressing everything from its very origin!

"It is the Primal Beginning! Primal Beginning Sword Intent!"

Long Ying’s brow lifted in undisguised astonishment. Had this child Zong Shou managed to refine the essence of the Primal Beginning to the Soul realm? There were thousands of sword intents, three thousand Great Daos, yet even mastering them all might not equal this single Dao that pointed directly to the source!

Joy surged through his chest, yet moments later, Long Ying let out an involuntary sound of surprise. Huh? How can this be?

When the broken sword reached halfway, a faint chime resonated from its body. Zong Shou's mind achieved perfect stillness, and in that instant, he entered a state of profound harmony with heaven and earth. Under this communion between man and nature, spirit merged with soul, coalescing into the sword. The blade in his hand seemed to be a single point, yet simultaneously, it felt as if it had dissolved into the entire world! It was as if the constraints of time had been breached; the sword, having been drawn, was already piercing toward Long Ying's throat.

At this moment, Zong Shou's face was flushed an unnatural crimson. Yet he harbored no other thought, intent only on pouring all his comprehension, all his martial achievements, and all his spiritual mastery into this single strike.

Long Ying's eyes flashed with sharp light. Without hesitation, he traced a single hand seal in the void, touching the tip of Zong Shou’s broken sword.

Clang! Boom!

First, there was the sharp resonance of the sword vibrating, followed by a violent explosion. The remnant blade of Duan Qiu instantly shattered into thousands of fragments, scattering in all directions. Zong Shou spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering back several paces. It was not that Long Ying had lost control and injured him, but rather the backlash from the sword intent itself.

"Is this your Way of the Sword? Excellent, worthy of being my disciple, Long Ying. Based on this single strike today, you should be able to ascend to the Divine Realm of Sword Intent within a few centuries!"

As he spoke, Long Ying seemed distracted, seemingly recalling something. He had genuinely felt something contained within Zong Shou’s strike—something critically important to him, perhaps the key to his breakthrough. But when he tried to recall it clearly, his mind became a fog, unable to grasp the thread, as if separated by a thin membrane that refused to tear.

"It is One!"

The blood-armored youth opposite him suddenly spoke, jarring Long Ying’s spirit awake. He raised his eyelids and focused his gaze on Zong Shou, his look sharp as a blade, capable of piercing through everything.

Zong Shou remained unmoved, forcibly resisting the pressure of the intent Long Ying had unintentionally emitted. "It is One! As an observer, one sees more clearly. Disciple believes the key to unifying the Nine-Nine Dragon Shadow Swords is not in the character for 'Unite' (), but in the character for 'One' ()! The One of the Great Dao, the One of the Primal Beginning, the One of the Ultimate End—this is the insight Disciple gained just now. A humble opinion, I do not know if it is right or wrong—"

These few short sentences struck the sea of Long Ying's consciousness like a thunderclap, reverberating endlessly. In that fleeting moment, the towering, ancient foundation built over ten thousand years crumbled with a roar.

"It is One? Not Unite? How is that possible? But why was there a sign of communion between man and heaven—"

"Could it be that my nearly ten thousand years have all been spent on a diverging path? No wonder I could never see the next realm on this road—"

"It is indeed One! Unification is merely supplementary. The One of the Great Dao, the One of the Primal Beginning, the One of the Ultimate End—that is my true Great Dao. I see now, I see now!"

Realizing this, Long Ying roared with laughter, a sound of profound relief mixed with ecstatic joy. Faintly, countless bolts of lightning gathered and flashed across the heavens. Long Ying paid them no mind, but worried they might affect Zong Shou. With a casual sweep of his sword, he cleansed the void. The aura of that sword light was entirely different from before. A faint dragon body manifested, like a divine serpent whose head and tail were obscured. And this void, amidst a soaring dragon cry, returned to tranquility.

It was as if the 'Spirit River' rift space had never been shattered.

Long Ying retracted the pressure of his sword intent and looked calmly at Zong Shou. "I will be entering seclusion. I doubt I will emerge within the next ten years. Where do you plan to go now?"

Zong Shou remained silent, his expression fixed upon a certain point. In this rift space, there was no concept of direction; most of the time, space and time were inverted—left was right, right was left, and there was no up or down. Yet Zong Shou kept gazing in that direction, feeling instinctively that the person he sought must be that way!

"Sinking Cloud Sea, Zong Weiran? You intend to seek your father?"

Upon asking this, Long Ying saw Zong Shou’s expression become strangely complex. Long Ying smiled. "Are you feeling uneasy? Wanting to ignore it, yet unable to let go of the feeling—"

Zong Shou’s lips curled up slightly, tinged with a touch of helplessness. That was precisely what he thought, and he was indeed hesitant.

"You must face this eventually. I guarantee you will be safe! Isn't it merely soul-snatching, devouring a person's primordial soul?"

Zong Shou gasped, his hairs standing on end. Long Ying chuckled meaningfully. "You must face this! It is time, too! Rest assured, your father possesses the power to annihilate a realm, but he would never harm a hair on your head!"

He had intended to tease his beloved disciple into worrying, but in the end, he couldn't bear it and offered a comforting assurance. Then, with a booming laugh, Long Ying took a step and vanished into the void. Before leaving, Long Ying’s voice echoed once more:

"Disciple, do you wish to claim the throne of the Divine Emperor? To unify myriad worlds and dominate the Eight Desolations?"

Zong Shou shook his head. He was waiting for the Divine Emperor to appear so he could safely set aside the Qian Tian Foundation and pursue the ultimate height of the Way of the Sword. As long as he could secure a path to survival for the Demon Race, and his father's subjects had a place to settle, that would be enough. Sometimes, he felt the burdens upon him were simply too great.

"No ambition? But I fear the future Divine Emperor will not tolerate you! Though the world is vast, it cannot house two tigers. Not to mention that you now resemble the Ancients—"

This last sentence was left unfinished, as Long Ying disappeared completely into the void. Zong Shou stared blankly. The future Divine Emperor wouldn't tolerate him? What did that mean? He knew the world couldn't hold two tigers, but he had no desire to fight for hegemony; he intended to yield the throne when the time came—how could there be two tigers? Now I resemble the Ancients—what ancient being am I like? Why did he only finish half the sentence? (To be continued…)