Half an hour ago, the King of the East Sea in the State of Ya raised his banner, declared independence, and intended to submit to the governance of the Great Qian Dynasty!

The hall fell silent once more, everyone stunned into disbelief.

Venerable Fu Yue and Mu Fang both gasped sharply.

The State of Ya was the largest vassal state under the administration, occupying half of the Central Plains. Hong Jiuchen had fragmented its national power by enfeoffing various smaller states. And the King of the East Sea was one of the six great powerful feudal lords within that state. His domain bordered the East Sea, controlled the crucial resources of salt and iron, and commanded a formidable army exceeding six hundred thousand troops.

However, his territory lay tens of thousands of miles to the southwest, leaving one to wonder what exactly this King of the East Sea was thinking.

Even if he pledged allegiance to the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty—the one nominally controlled—it would still be too far away for effective aid.

But if this state truly switched allegiance and stood independently, it would be a crushing blow to Hong Jiuchen, striking right at his core.

At this moment, everyone present involuntarily turned their gaze towards Zong Shou, trying to discern something from the youth's expression, only to be met with disappointment.

They could only perceive that although he was young, his composure was exceptional. Without making a visible stir, he had managed to incite defection in one of the main pillars supporting Hong Jiuchen’s forces.

It was no wonder he had arrived looking so utterly confident.

The complexions of Tan and Hong shifted from pale to ashen, then back again.

The latter narrowed his eyes slightly, then broke into an unexpected, cold laugh: "Is this the method of a sovereign ruler? Truly sharp and decisive. However, such superficial trouble cannot reverse the great tide. That ungrateful wolf cub in the East Sea simply doesn't know his place. But it matters little, I can extinguish him with a mere snap of my fingers—"

"Is that so?"

Zong Shou chuckled darkly, his consciousness already circulating around a communication talisman.

The news of the King of the East Sea of Ya defecting had indeed surprised him as well.

This Zhuang Yu. He had truly provided him with an immense surprise this time.

The man’s entire immediate family had been sent into hiding in the southwest before the battle—were they currently safe within the Yuan Jing Immortal Palace? And the King of the East Sea, Feng Mochen?

Knowing that Zong Shou likely couldn't protect the East Sea now, he still acted.

This man probably already intended a fight to the death—

His thoughts grew complex. In the Yuan Lian Realm, there were still individuals who cared so little for power, reputation, or even life and death, embracing sacrifice so readily.

Regardless of their actual ability, this character alone made him even rarer than Zhuang Yu.

If all the myriad realms in this domain possessed such people,

For Zong Shou to conquer the outer domains, to command thousands of worlds like the Lu Family or the Divine Emperors of later generations, he might exhaust ten thousand years of effort and still fail.

So, should he save this man's life or not?

Zong Shou’s gaze flickered, followed by a soft sigh. The talisman in his hand suddenly ignited, dissolving into fine ash.

A streak of spiritual light, however, had already shot out from beneath his sleeve.

The first person to change allegiance—no matter the cost, he needed to exert his utmost effort to preserve this man's life.

His gaze swept around, noticing Hong Jiuchen seated on his throne, his lips moving silently, seemingly conversing with someone unseen.

Moments later, several beams of light ascended from the Wu Xin Immortal Palace. Sensing them remotely, Zong Shou knew they were all above the Spiritual Realm.

Zong Shou immediately shook his head internally; this must be the last reserve force Hong Jiuchen possessed.

In the two battles at Qing Jian Gorge and beneath Ji An Mountain, the Spiritual Realm cultivators killed by Zhuang Yu alone totaled five formidable figures.

Feng Taiji had also secured some kills under his sword.

He wondered if Ruo Shui could manage against these newcomers?

He quickly chastised himself, Ruo Shui’s comprehension was not poor, only her innate talent was slightly inferior.

She had overcome the tribulation to reach the Spiritual Realm several months ago; with two-tenths of her spirit and martial arts unified, ordinary cultivators could not harm her.

Once those Spiritual Realm cultivators had left the Wu Xin Immortal Palace, Hong Jiuchen settled silently back onto the golden chair, uttering no further words.

One could only gauge his intense inner turmoil from the twitching muscles on his face and the ferocious intent flashing in his eyes.

Tan Jing’s gaze also flickered, as he seemed lost in thought. After a moment, he suddenly spoke, breaking the silence of the hall.

"Sovereign! The battle situation has reached this point; it is now crystal clear. At best, it will be a stalemate where neither side can defeat the other. Why don't the three of us families call a truce?"

Hong Jiuchen showed a flash of anger upon hearing this, but he quickly regained his composure, remaining silent on the golden chair.

Zong Shou merely smiled; only now did they think of suing for peace?

This Tan Jing was truly interesting. At first, he addressed him as Lord, then Sovereign, then Brother Zong, then Fellow Daoist Zong, and now he reverted to his original mode of address.

Did he truly believe that he, Zong Shou, was a clay figurine that could be molded and manipulated without any temper of his own—

While Zong Shou was shaking his head in silence, Venerable Fu Yue's expression shifted as another ray of dim light pierced into the hall from outside.

Over these last dozen hours, almost every minute or so, new intelligence would arrive from within the Yuan Lian Realm.

However, most of the news was repetitive or irrelevant to the larger situation, so the others paid it little mind.

But when, moments later, Venerable Fu Yue erupted into wild laughter, it signaled a drastic change: "The Great General Zuo Shuang of the Qi Luo State has rebelled! All thirty legions under his command have defected! Ten thousand elite cavalry have already been dispatched and succeeded in attacking Ghost Dao City! Brother Hong, your one million seven hundred thousand troops in the southern line are likely on the verge of collapse, aren't they? Supply lines cut, rear forces ambushed—with Zhuang Yu’s generalship, how could he possibly miss such a golden opportunity? No, that must have been deliberate! If the southern front shatters, the other positions likely won't hold for long either. Half a month ago, when you colluded with that fellow Xuan Chen and forced me to abandon the Yuan Lian Realm, did you ever consider this day would come?"

Upon reaching this point, Venerable Fu Yue saw Hong Jiuchen's crimson eyes glaring over, but he showed no fear and let out a cold snort.

"Can one not speak of the things one has done oneself?"

Zong Shou listened quietly; he had actually received this piece of news a moment before the others.

Since this was orchestrated by Zhuang Yu, he was one step ahead of those present.

As for the 'Xuan Chen' mentioned by Venerable Fu Yue, Zong Shou had no idea who he was.

He could only speculate from the words that he was likely one of the subordinates from that Ultimate Sacred Land, holding some authority over Fu Yue.

He had already discerned that both Mu Fang and Venerable Fu Yue were somewhat reluctant to leave the Cloud Realm.

Shaking his head, Zong Shou pressed Mu Fang again.

"Have you made your consideration? This is the final question; miss this opportunity, and there will be no future one. Even if I venture further and seize the entire heartland of the Central Plains, I may still be able to hold it. With just ten years of consolidation, Brother Mu will truly have nothing left in this Yuan Lian World."

He then smiled slightly: "If you are still wary of the Xuan Ling Association, why not ask Brother Hong here if he is willing to exchange another Minor Thousand World for your allegiance?"

Hong Jiuchen’s face turned as white as paper; his lips parted as if to speak, but no sound emerged.

If he could secure the entire Yuan Lian Realm, the Jiu Du Immortal Dynasty would certainly not hesitate to trade a Minor Thousand World for it, but given the current circumstances, the previous negotiations were completely off the table.

Mu Fang only contemplated for a moment before ceasing his hesitation: "If I assist the Sovereign, what benefits shall I receive?"

"The entire territory of the Tian Fang Association will belong to Brother Mu!"

Zong Shou stated plainly. This was his move to force Tan Jing out of the game. (To be continued) RQ