Zong Shou stood rooted to the spot, utterly bewildered, his expression vacant. It took a long moment before he finally snapped back to awareness.

He had pondered for so long, yet found no answer. He could only shake his head slightly, gazing at the remaining hilt in his hand.

When that sword strike was launched just now, it actually accelerated time—this was truly unexpected.

It wasn't because of the mysterious 'Zhou' symbol inexplicably coalescing within his Sea of Consciousness.

It seemed faintly connected to that ball of blue light deep within his Primordial Soul.

The clear sensation was that the power stemming from that source was what caused his sword to accelerate time by at least fourfold!

He tried waving his hand again, but the flow of space-time did not respond as it had before.

Zong Shou shook his head in resignation and flung the sword hilt far away.

He sighed inwardly; his personal swords truly were being destroyed one after another. None of them ever lasted more than half a year.

Although he cultivated the Void Spirit Forging Method, as long as he possessed the Primordial One Soul Sword, any spirit sword or dharma sword could be wielded effortlessly in an instant.

However, having a single sword nurtured over a long period would indeed be quite beneficial to his swordsmanship.

At this moment, a vision of a certain sword suddenly flashed across Zong Shou's mind.

It was the 'Refining Spirit' sword from the Ancestor Hall—

Without warning, and without any deliberate thought, this image naturally appeared within his Sea of Consciousness.

—If only he could have this sword become his exclusive weapon; that would be true fortune. Alas, this divine weapon, peaking at the Immortal-grade and standing even above the Dharma-grade, could not be controlled even if it fell into his hands. What a pity. What a sorrow—

Just as this thought subconsciously crossed his mind, Zong Shou suddenly felt the image of the 'Refining Spirit' sword before his eyes shift subtly. Its spiritual radiance seemed somewhat dimmed. A few of the runes etched on the blade had also vanished.

This made Zong Shou raise an eyebrow slightly, offering a wry, self-deprecating smile. It seemed the battle with Shen Xiao had been extremely taxing. His mind must truly be muddled now. How could something in his memory suddenly change like this? It was utterly inexplicable.

Without delving deeper, the image of the 'Refining Spirit' sword soon vanished completely.

Zong Shou then once again shattered the void. This time, he casually picked up a Ninth-Rank spirit sword looted from Shang Xiao Mountain and flew directly towards the east.

Propelling the sword forward with all his might, after about half a day, he arrived once more beside that enormous vortex of cloud and sea.

It was the Sinking Cloud Sea—

Before stepping in, Zong Shou hesitated again. His 'body snatched' ability, the Dragon Shadow, might be able to circumvent scrutiny, but he was uncertain if he could deceive others entirely. Naturally, this included Zong Weiran, whose strength within this cloud sea he still could not gauge. However, based on Long Ying's words, this trip should be without peril. Moreover, he was not simply a case of 'body snatching.' Could it be that 'Zong Shou' and 'Tan Qiu' were truly one entity? Just as that fellow suggested: You are me, and I am you? If that were true, what exactly was happening? Was his previous life, those decades, being nullified just like that? What a joke! He deeply hoped that his current suspicion was not true—

With a myriad of thoughts churning, Zong Shou finally took a step forward. His stride grew increasingly resolute as he pressed deeper into the dense mist. All fear had left him, and the sense of unease was relegated to a corner of his mind. Only the desire for the truth remained—a drive to uncover his true origins!

Traveling through the mist, he reached the inner reaches of the Sinking Cloud Sea within moments. At the same time, a cold snort echoed from nearby. "This is a restricted area, unauthorized entry forbidden! The Shang Xiao Profound Spirit Sect is handling matters here, turn back immediately!" A formidable force suddenly surged outward. The voice was contemptuous and sharp, just like the first time he had come.

Zong Shou, however, merely twitched his brow. Shang Xiao Profound Spirit? Were there still remnants of the Shang Xiao Sect within the Sinking Cloud Sea? Why were they foolishly guarding this place? Had they not received word that the Shang Xiao Sect had been leveled? Right! This Sinking Cloud Sea isolated soul power. It was normal that they hadn't received the news. Furthermore, he had arrived here immediately after the fact.

His figure continued forward. Zong Shou casually swung his sword, easily tearing open the cloud canopy, a faint white blade-shadow flashing. The White Gold Dragon Sword! Inside the Cloud Sea, the Primordial Soul could not extend beyond a thousand feet, making it difficult to lock onto a single figure. He paid no mind to the result of this strike; it was simply an impulsive action. However, the moment the sword qi dissipated, the residual shockwave swept away the mist across ten thousand zhang in every direction. Then, a single figure was seen staring in disbelief at his lower body. A severed edge gaped across his chest and abdomen, neatly sliced open. Scarlet flames were climbing upward, engulfing his entire body.

Shouts of alarm arose from within the cloud mist. "Fellow Daoist Ge has perished—" "It was just one strike! Who is that!" "How dare you! Don't you know this is a forbidden zone for our Seven Eastern Lin Sects?" "Hmm? I recognize you—you are Zong Shou!" The last two words were uttered with a sudden, strained pitch, as if screaming. These short syllables carried endless confusion, endless disbelief. It was as if they could not conceive of him appearing here at all.

Zong Shou could clearly hear the chaotic cries from within the dense fog. Yet, a smile remained fixed on his face from beginning to end. Indeed, according to Ling Yun Sect's plan, he should have perished at the foot of Shang Xiao Mountain by now, not appeared here. And certainly not possess the power to slay a Ninth-Rank with a single sword! He recalled three months prior, when he first arrived at the Sinking Cloud Sea under the guise of Tan Qiu, he had been forced to retreat! But now, regardless of who they were, no one could prevent him from entering the Sinking Cloud Sea!

His figure flashed, and following the origin of a voice, Zong Shou materialized behind one person. Then, the sword in his hand swung out again casually, instantly severing a head clean off. The sword qi swept out, stirring the winds and clouds for a thousand li. A faint glow flickered in Zong Shou's eyes. Through the resonance of vital energy, he had vaguely grasped the true locations of the other dozen or so people.

A furious voice roared, "Zong Shou, you have remarkable audacity! You dare touch a member of my Dao Ming Sect!" Then followed a cold snort, "You want to enter the Sinking Cloud Sea to see your father? Dream on! He died long ago! We searched day and night for four years and found no trace; his bones are surely scattered!" "Very well, today we extinguish you, Zong Shou, so that father and son can be reunited in death right here!"

Zong Shou laughed. He didn't know why, but today, he simply could not control his emotions accurately. The laughter started almost inaudibly, then swelled into a heaven-shaking roar. His disposition overflowed with malice, his killing intent soared to the heavens! The Dao Ming Sect? Not only would he touch them, but based on that single sentence, he intended to eradicate every last member of the Dao Ming Sect, young and old! Speaking of which, these people had forced Zong Weiran into the Sinking Cloud Sea, resulting in his unknown fate—wasn't that the deepest form of patricide? Therefore, they could not coexist with him! Where Zong Shou existed, the Dao Ming Sect could not! Today, he possessed the power to sweep clean every sect beneath the Saint Lands! How could he fail to act devotedly for his 'father'? Perhaps others viewed this as a dereliction of filial piety? Thinking this, his chest felt as if a thousand sharp blades were slicing him apart. It was true hatred! He didn't know if it stemmed from 'Zong Shou' or from Tan Qiu himself—

His figure moved again, the sword light flashing sharply. A miserable shriek sounded beside him. Several enraged roars simultaneously erupted in the mist, rapidly closing in. "Zong Shou, you are insane! My Xuan Su Sect will certainly destroy your entire clan and raze your Qian Tian Mountain!"

Zong Shou’s smiling facade remained unchanged, his laughter lingering endlessly. What followed was painfully simple. His figure shuttled ceaselessly through the Cloud Sea, reaping life after life! He continuously agitated the spiritual energy within a hundred li, using the kinetic resonance to sense where these people were located. Then, all he needed was a simple sword stroke, and another scream would follow. The voices within the Cloud Sea transitioned from anger, to disbelief, and finally to terror. In the span of a few short moments, over thirty individuals had fallen beneath his sword consecutively.

When he chased them out of the Sinking Cloud Sea’s dense fog layer, only a handful of people—perhaps a dozen or so—were fleeing rapidly ahead. One of them was still roaring, "Zong Shou! The Lie Ling Li Family will certainly remember today's events! Li Han's grievance came first, and now this offense today; the Li Family will never rest until we have settled the score with you!"

Zong Shou recalled briefly: The Lie Ling Li Family? Their three hundred cultivators, along with twenty Sixth-Rank Dao Soldiers, had all been exterminated by him on Shang Xiao Mountain. He hadn't paid them much mind; how could such a small martial family warrant his attention? Without the Blood Cloud Cavalry, these Li family members could not withstand a single strike from him! Since they spoke thus, he would grant them death!

His figure flashed again, traversing forty li in an instant. Where the sword-shadow passed, blood mist sprayed forth! The surrounding few individuals now wore expressions of sheer dread. One of them, perhaps having already learned of the news from Shang Xiao Mountain, urgently pleaded, "Stop! I am innocent! When the Demon King Weiran fled into the Sinking Cloud Sea back then, my Hidden Sword Manor was engaged in battle with the Demonic Banner Sect and never participated in that affair. The Hidden Sword Manor also stood aloof from this Ling Yun/Shang Xiao plot this time! I beg you, my Lord, spare my life! Our Manor is willing to submit to you!"

Zong Shou’s heart was ice-cold; his killing intent did not diminish in the slightest, nor was he moved by these words. Hidden Sword Manor? If they did not participate, why did they come here? If Zong Weiran had not died, and you had found him, what then? A mere minor sect, inferior to the Spirit Prefecture ranks—cutting them down was no great loss—

He moved upon his sword, his entire being seeming to transform into a streak of light traversing the sky. However, in the very next instant, just as Zong Shou prepared to draw his sword again for a strike, that voice, laced with a mix of terror and urgency, rang out once more: "My Hidden Sword Manor has always maintained close ties with Lord Lei Dong, being subordinate to the Five Absolutes Manor. We only stayed out of the Ling Yun Sect's scheme this time upon Lord Lei Dong's counsel. I beg you, Your Lordship, show mercy—"

The voice now held a degree of pleading. Zong Shou let out a light laugh and retracted his sword at the very last second. There were still a dozen or so people fleeing frantically ahead. Zong Shou, however, lost the will to pursue them; he simply couldn't be bothered with the trouble of chasing and killing them. Without the Ten Absolutes Vaulted Sky Array sealing the heavens and earth, killing felt overly cumbersome. Yet, after this bout of slaughter, his mind had finally quieted! (To be continued)