Undoubtedly, the vast majority of them were quartered within the Yuanjing Palace itself.

That Reclusive Master of Nine Tranquilities had gathered nearly all the wealth and resources of his dominion to construct this immortal estate.

And in this realm, cultivators were exceedingly rare. The Nine Tranquilities could, without restraint, centralize every major and minor ley line within this single location.

This made the environment within the Yuanjing Palace comparable to the sacred grounds of the Cloud Realm, presenting an excellent place for cultivation.

Furthermore, the capacity it offered far surpassed that of the famed sacred lands.

Zong Shou was overjoyed. The troops he had brought forth were the true elites of the Great Qian army.

Not only had they endured countless battles, but their inherent aptitudes were also considerable. With such an environment and abundant resources,

it was estimated that within a few months, a significant contingent of them would advance in rank.

In the Cloud Realm, to provide his ordinary subordinates with such cultivation conditions would likely have required waiting until fifty years later.

"Feng Taiji has sent men to survey those spirit stones; the resources are abundant. Word is, at the current rate of extraction, there will be no shortage for fifteen hundred years. Spirit stones are not an issue, and there are also numerous spirit herbs. Hmm? Perhaps in ten years, all three hundred thousand here could achieve the Fourth Tier! Three hundred thousand true Heavenly Dipper Sword Soldiers and Heavenly Dipper Crimson Crossbowmen already possess two-tenths of the strength of the former Great Qin when it swept across the Cloud Realm—"

Although the Great Qian currently possessed tens of thousands of Heavenly Dipper Sword Soldiers, most were only at the Third Tier, a significantly diminished version, resulting in a vast gap in power.

Despite the numerous pleasant surprises, Zong Shou was not without his headaches.

With three hundred thousand personnel stationed in the Yuanlian Realm, all aspects of their sustenance and sanitation now fell upon him.

He found himself intensely missing Zhang Huai and Ren Bo at this moment; with those two, countless matters would have been resolved effortlessly.

He considered shifting the burden to Shi Ruolan, but looking at the sister's frail frame, which resembled that of a young girl, he ultimately could not bring himself to do it.

And among these three hundred thousand, he had discovered no one suitable for governance.

"Why didn't I think of this when we first arrived?"

Zong Shou sighed, feeling as if his hair was rapidly turning white from worry.

"In that case, I might only be able to implement that Immortal Dynasty system—"

The three hundred thousand soldiers already had commanders appointed to lead them, relieving him of much worry.

Within the enfeoffed kingdoms, each possessed its own distinct political structure.

Then, in peacetime, he only needed to focus on grand strategy and overall direction, simplifying countless tasks.

Moreover, even during his absence, Shi Ruolan could act as regent.

He recalled that during the first decade when the Snow Lion Clan dominated the depths beneath the Cloud Sea, her strategic acumen was quite impressive.

This girl was not only an unparalleled field commander but also possessed true talent for leadership, albeit slightly inferior to Kong Yao.

This approach had its pros and cons. The advantage, naturally, was not having to worry excessively, while the disadvantage was the inability to exert complete control over the entire sphere of influence.

However, having just arrived in the Yuanlian Realm, they only commanded thirty thousand troops; it was impossible for them to manage every single detail themselves.

The choice was hardly a difficult one to make.

After the bustle of the initial few days subsided, Zong Shou finally had sufficient time to resume his study of the Three Thousand Star Fall Art and the Ten Absolute Dao Guarding Annihilation Sword Array.

These two techniques were intrinsically linked to his fundamental Great Dao and directly determined the current level of his combat strength!

That perilous, unpredictable battle of life and death was drawing ever closer, compelling Zong Shou to exert his utmost effort.

During this time, the others were not idle. Zhao Yanran and Feng Taiji led parties to explore the resources of the Yuanlian Realm.

Meanwhile, Shi Ruolan, along with the various subordinate generals, busied themselves charting the terrain and topography.

On one hand, they sought to understand the territory under their jurisdiction; on the other, to prepare for potential warfare.

And the dozens of Spirit Fox Shadow Guards brought by Ruoshui were all dispatched.

The Fox Clan excels in illusionary arts; scouting conditions everywhere was precisely their forte.

It took nearly a full month before some clarity emerged regarding the overall situation within the Yuanlian Realm.

"The Tianfang Cult, the Xuanling Cult, the Jiudu Immortal Court, the Asura Clan, and the Seven Saints Alliance, which has already withdrawn from the contention for this realm—"

In the quiet chamber, Zong Shou held the communication talisman passed by Ruoshui, sinking into contemplation.

The factions involved in the Yuanlian Realm contest were slightly more numerous than he had anticipated.

Besides these few major powers, there were still numerous external forces present. However, they were already on the defensive, frantically seizing resources within their allotted territories before the status of the Yuanlian Realm was finalized.

These forces could be dismissed as negligible.

It was indeed as Tan Jing had stated: Immortal Realm experts would not participate.

If the contest for a mere corner of territory led to ceaseless, uncontrolled deployment of power by Immortal and Divine Realm experts, resulting in brutal warfare,

then no matter how mighty the faction, it could not sustain it. The so-called Tianfang Cult or Xuanling Cult could never have existed.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, all factions exercised extreme restraint. This was an unspoken agreement among the major external powers.

After all, for them as cultivators, the Great Dao of Longevity was paramount.

"In that case, the Seven Kingdoms within the western territory do carry some weight."

Immortals could only stand by and observe; all victories and defeats would be determined by those below the Spirit Realm.

This made the native forces of the Yuanlian Realm extremely important as auxiliaries.

That Reclusive Master of Nine Tranquilities had indeed maintained an army of wolves and tigers.

The combined armies of the Seven Kingdoms totaled four million, with one million elite troops possessing considerable strength.

According to Shi Ruolan's assessment, their combat strength was roughly on par with the average standard of the Great Qian.

The Cloud Realm powers were the weakest here, so they naturally needed to rely more heavily on the native strength of the Yuanlian Realm.

"As expected, campaigning in an outer realm is no simple matter. It seems time to emerge from seclusion—"

Zong Shou looked at his surroundings. Within this quiet chamber, time had been accelerated tenfold over the past month.

The stars he could now manifest externally had reached forty.

His comprehension of the Great Dao was becoming progressively slower.

He was still far from achieving the seventy-two Star Dao Seeds required to ascend to the Immortal Realm, as he had predicted.

Conversely, the Ten Absolute Dao Guarding Annihilation Sword Array had progressed rapidly after he familiarized himself with the sword practice.

The number had doubled in this time, reaching a full twenty-four swords. They floated around him, shimmering with an ethereal white spiritual light.

He was uncertain of their actual power, but aesthetically, these newly refined swords were far more impressive than the initial dozen or so.

Vast dragon might permeated them, with faint illusory shadows of dragons momentarily appearing within the blade light.

Just then, Zong Shou felt a distinct sensation and looked toward the area outside his quiet chamber.

He saw another luminous talisman descending through the void, hovering outside the Yuanjing Palace, circling without landing.

Zong Shou glanced at it, then casually guided it with a pull, allowing the talisman to drift inside and settle before him.

As the talisman unfolded, the figure of Tan Jing immediately materialized before him.

It was a projection—the man himself remained thousands of miles away, offering a slight bow toward him.

"A month has passed now. I wonder if Your Majesty has made a decision?"

Addressing him as "Your Majesty" carried an added layer of respect, clearly indicating that this executor of the Tianfang Cult had not been idle over the past month, having already uncovered his identity within the Cloud Realm.

Zong Shou looked curiously at the figure formed by spiritual light.

Manifesting form across ten thousand miles? This technique was quite interesting.

The timing chosen by this individual was also opportune.

Too early would suggest coercion, inviting aversion. Too late, and if they cemented their footing, it would also be disadvantageous.

He then cast a faint glance at Tan Jing and stated coldly, "I am aware of the regulations. However, I require a period of three months!"

"Three months?"

Tan Jing frowned slightly. "It poses no issue on my end! However, those individuals from the Xuanling Cult and the Jiudu Immortal Court might not agree. How about one month? Tan Jing can intercede on your behalf. Public opinion is difficult to defy; I urge Your Majesty to reconsider—"

"One and a half months!"

Zong Shou declared decisively. It was the custom to ask for much and settle for less.

"After one and a half months, I will no longer involve myself in the affairs of this Yuanlian Realm."

Tan Jing hesitated briefly before nodding. "As Your Majesty wishes. Let the term be forty-five days. If Your Majesty remains unwilling by then, I fear no fewer than forty Immortal Realm experts will descend upon this realm. If that situation arises, the entire structure will become truly unmanageable—"

Seeing Zong Shou sneer wordlessly, his eyes holding a hint of mockery, Tan Jing promptly fell silent. He then added cautiously, "There is one matter I must inform Your Majesty of! Recently, several individuals arrived near the Tianfang Realm. They are reportedly from the Lu family. They are actively investigating a grave case that occurred several months ago. The time and location perfectly coincide with Your Majesty's presence in the Tianfang Realm."

Zong Shou's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unwavering, remaining as calm as ever.

"A murder case? That likely pertains to this humble one. So, does your Tianfang Cult intend to sell me out?"

"Your Majesty jokes!"

Tan Jing looked awkward. "No matter how much the Tianfang Cult wishes to curry favor with the Lu family, we would never betray Your Majesty. Offending the Dragon Shadow Sacred Venerable—my Tianfang Cult cannot bear that consequence either. It is best to remain uninvolved; I relay this information only to warn Your Majesty!"

Zong Shou's expression finally softened. These people understood priorities and distinguished clearly between expediency and security.

With the terms settled, Zong Shou immediately smiled again. "I wonder if your Tianfang Cult has any interest in doing business with me?"

Upon hearing this, Tan Jing raised an eyebrow, surprise flickering in his eyes.

He had no idea what kind of venture Zong Shou might propose for negotiation with the Tianfang Cult.

If it involved forming an alliance, Tan Jing would certainly keep his distance.

Although Zong Shou's background was formidable, aside from Dragon Shadow Ao Kun, the actual strength he could currently deploy was exceedingly limited...

Zong Shou conversed with Tan Jing until the spiritual energy of the ten-thousand-mile projection talisman was completely depleted.

Half an hour later, Zong Shou emerged from the quiet chamber with a half-smile playing on his lips.

This exchange had been quite satisfactory.

"Hong Jiuchen, Mu Fang, Hermit Fu Yue, Cha Houhu—"

These were the names of those individuals from that time.

In half a day, Tan Jing had shared every piece of intelligence without reservation: the strengths of those individuals, the forces under their command—everything was laid bare.

Currently, among the various factions in the Yuanlian Realm, the Jiudu Immortal Court, led by Hong Jiuchen, possessed the most formidable strength.

Occupying the most prosperous southwestern region of the Yuanlian Realm, they were currently arming themselves, eyeing the former territories of the Reclusive Master of Nine Tranquilities with ravenous intent.

The other factions were similarly positioned, preparing to carve up that southwestern expanse.

The situation was indeed perilous; pioneering an outer realm was proving anything but simple.

The moment he stepped out of the quiet chamber, Zong Shou saw Feng Taiji standing before the door.

Feng Taiji started upon seeing Zong Shou, then quickly regained his composure. "Your Majesty, the royal families of the Seven Kingdoms have arrived. Shall I summon them?" (To be continued) RQ