Zong Shou stated lightly, intending to push Tan Jing out of the running.

Mu Fang’s eyes immediately brightened. The territory governed by the Tianfang Association was on the southeast side, close to the sea. Although small, it was truly fertile land, rich enough to support millions of soldiers without issue.

Tan Jing, meanwhile, froze, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his lips. He knew Hong Jiuchen had already been defeated and was completely unable to protect him. If these two settled their agreement, there would truly be no place left for him in the Yuanlian Realm!

A vague sense of panic stirred in his chest. The foundation he had in the Yuanlian Realm was not solely his own; it was the hard-won achievement of the entire Tianfang Association. If, because of him, all their efforts were ruined and they were expelled from the Tianfang World, he could imagine the fate awaiting Tan Jing. Death might not be certain, but the Tianfang Cultivation Society would surely enforce punishment. The spiritual medicines, holy grounds for cultivation, martial arts secrets, and all manner of resources would be cut off, rendering him no different from an unaffiliated rogue cultivator. His own aptitude was already poor; under such circumstances, any further progress would be utterly severed.

For the first time, he wondered if his decision to ally with Hong Jiuchen had been too hasty. To achieve the status of overlord of the southeast from a weak nation in the Cloud Realm, and ultimately repel an entity as enormous as the Dao Gate—such a person was indeed extraordinary. But regret now served what purpose? Looking at Zong Shou’s demeanor, it was clear he had no intention of speaking further with him. Since he had previously resorted to deception and threats to expel this man from the Yuanlian Realm, the current turn of events was only to be expected, with nothing to find fault with.

Therefore, the only person left to persuade was Mu Fang. Taking a deep breath, Tan Jing forced his turbulent emotions to settle.

“Brother Mu! You have already witnessed the capability of this Sovereign. Even with Brother Hong and myself allied, we still ended up in this sorry state. If you expel my Tan Jing and the Tianfang Association from the Yuanlian World, do you truly believe you all can withstand this man?”

Zong Shou smiled faintly upon hearing this, believing a wise man like Mu Fang needed no further persuasion from him.

Mu Fang, however, did not ponder long before generously responding, “If we add the three provinces of Qi Luo Nation, Mu Fang is willing to lend the Sovereign an arm’s strength—”

At this moment, even with several of them joining forces, they had been unable to do anything to Zong Shou. Although both he and Fu Yue had only quietly remained on the sidelines during the recent battle and were reluctant, they had not truly exerted their full strength. Now, with Hong Jiuchen clearly on the verge of a major defeat, even if their factions joined forces with all their might, they might not be able to overcome Zong Shou. The chances of victory between the two sides were only seven to three. Victory was naturally desirable, but driving Zong Shou out of the Cloud Realm would still leave him to contend with these other parties. If they lost, they would truly have nothing. It would be better to secure all the land in the southeast right now! As Zong Shou had said, only by holding greater strength in hand could they gain the support of the Xuanling Cultivation Society. Those fertile lands, if held by Tan Jing, were better held by his own. What benefit was there in keeping an insidious, wavering ally? He was a hidden danger, like a thorn in the side! Only after removing him could they face their true enemies with full focus—

“Agreed!”

Zong Shou chuckled. Since Mu Fang was willing to assist him, this battle today was practically decided!

Tan Jing listened with a look of blank shock, the color draining from his face. As for Hong Jiuchen, his hands trembled slightly, his entire body shaking faintly. Their last sliver of hope rested on the rogue cultivator Fu Yue. Today, they sought not victory, but merely to avoid expulsion and being completely eliminated. Given this old man’s temperament and his previous words, however, he doubted it would go as they wished—

“The Sovereign’s methods truly compel cooperation! Marvelous, truly marvelous!”

Fu Yue laughed loudly, then his expression grew solemn. He said gravely, “If I, Fu Yue, wish to offer timely assistance by sending troops, I wonder if the Sovereign would be willing to cede Brother Hong’s territory to me, Fu Yue?”

Zong Shou’s eyes narrowed slightly. He glanced at the man, then nodded faintly. “Our two factions shall use the Luo River as the boundary! Daoist Brother takes the north of the Luo River, and I shall command the south!” He then glanced faintly at Cha Houhu. “Brother Cha borders me and governs twenty-three provinces. I wish to exchange my entire Ya Nation for what Brother Cha holds. Does Brother Cha agree?”

This was a tactic to protect Feng Mochen, the King of the East Sea; only by relocating could he be shielded— He did not know why, but among the several Immortal-rank figures present, only this one truly made him feel a sense of danger. He had a strong feeling this man was far from simple. Relocating the nation to the East Sea meant he would temporarily not border him, leaving Mu Fang and Fu Yue to worry about that matter.

Cha Houhu smiled but did not speak. He simply raised his wine cup, offered a salute to Zong Shou, and drained it in one gulp.

In just a few sentences, these individuals had managed to divide the entire Yuanlian Realm, showing utter disregard for Tan Jing and Hong Jiuchen, who were listening in the hall. The struggle for dominion was inherently this brutal. When Tan and Hong had previously joined forces to sweep them all out, they had shown no courtesy either.

Even the gaunt old man now ceased eating, sweeping his shadowed gaze across the hall. Finally, he let out an abrupt, cold chuckle that resonated through the hall, causing Mu Fang and the others to feel their ears ring and their voices catch.

Hong Jiuchen finally recovered a bit of spirit and bowed to the old man. “Does Elder Poison have any words of guidance for us?”

The gaunt old man glanced at him without comment, merely offering a cold smile. “Useless things!”

His voice, still like gongs and drums, pierced their eardrums before he addressed everyone else. “The Yuanlian World is a territory the Nine Capitals Immortal Dynasty is determined to seize! This is the imperial decree of our Holy Emperor, which permits no disobedience!”

Zong Shou smiled upon hearing this, dipping his cup to his lips. A Holy Emperor’s decree, permitting no disobedience? And what then?

A fine, wispy green mist began to permeate the hall, causing the expressions of all present to tighten as they adopted defensive postures.

“Therefore, this old man asks you few to reconsider your positions carefully,” the gaunt old man said, his eyes half-open, his tone admitting no refusal. “Furthermore, the previous promises made by our Nine Capitals Immortal Court to you two still stand! Those two Minor Thousand Worlds remain unchanged—”

Mu Fang frowned upon hearing this. Promises unchanged? In the past, he would naturally have had no choice but to agree, however unwillingly. But now, times had changed, and the situation was utterly different from a few dozen days ago. A Minor Thousand World spanning only four thousand li, which was not even entirely his to possess—how could he be content? By swallowing Tan Jing’s territory, what he stood to gain today would be far greater.

Fu Yue directly mocked, “Your Nine Capitals Immortal Court is truly generous! You calculate your gains well. It’s a pity that I, Fu Yue, genuinely cannot bring myself to care for it—”

“That is not for you to decide!”

The gaunt old man smiled, completely unconcerned. “I wonder, Daoist Friend Fu Yue, if you believe this old man today cannot ensure you never leave this place? Or perhaps, one day, you might die silently and inexplicably, with others unable to find a cause?”

Fu Yue started, then erupted in fury, clenching his fists tightly. “How dare you?”

“Why should I not dare?”

Elder Poison shook his head. “Can Daoist Friend Fu Yue really expect Xuan Chen to stand up for you? As for the Supreme Absolute Holy Emperor, he is likely too preoccupied to bother with such a matter! For our Nine Capitals Immortal Dynasty, we merely pay a higher price to purchase the life of an Immortal-rank cultivator! Do you agree, Daoist Friend Fu Yue?”

This simple statement choked off Fu Yue’s breath, and even Mu Fang’s eyes flickered with hesitation.

Zong Shou listened quietly from below, a faint, mocking smile gradually appearing at the corner of his lips.

“Cannot leave this Wuxin Immortal Palace? To die silently and inexplicably?”

As the thought entered Zong Shou’s mind, the nameless sword was already hovering near his sleeve. Sword intent coiled within his body, eager to erupt.

“If I have not misunderstood the meaning of your words, this sounds like a threat? Daoist Friend, are you perhaps intending to directly intervene in the contest for the Yuanlian Realm?”

The gaunt old man looked at Zong Shou with considerable interest upon hearing this. “It is not exactly a threat, but even if it were, what can the Sovereign do to me?”

He countered with a question, then shook his head and chuckled. “Today, this old man will teach the Sovereign a lesson! While there are established rules for external conquests, flexibility is more important. Take this Yuanlian Realm, for instance—our Nine Capitals Immortal Court is determined to take it! Even if it means breaking the rules, we will not hesitate! If the Xuanling Cultivation Society and the Supreme Absolute Immortal Dynasty are dissatisfied, they may retaliate and contend with our Immortal Court. But if they do not wish to provoke war, it merely means negotiating a bit more to gain some concessions. Daoist Friend Mu, have I spoken incorrectly?”

Mu Fang remained silent, but his expression was exceedingly grim. Seeing this, the gaunt old man let out a cold laugh, as if he had expected this, and then continued, “If the Sovereign disagrees, you are free to invite others to reason with me. However, today, the situation here must proceed according to my wishes! How about we follow Tan Jing’s suggestion: both sides cease hostilities and shake hands in reconciliation—”

Before the words finished, a faint voice carried up from the lower part of the hall.

“Invite others to reason with you? That will not be necessary!”

A streak of sword light, like a bolt of lightning, suddenly flooded the chamber. A cold flash appeared, brilliant with the light of blood, compelling everyone present to instinctively recoil.

And the pervasive green mist was swept entirely away by this sweeping red shadow. Although they did not perceive the sharpness of the sword light, nor feel the pressure of the sword intent, everyone in the hall was inwardly chilled with alarm and surprise. This was because they knew that within the vast, surging sword shadows, all martial intent, all sharpness, had been concentrated into a single point, leaking out not at all.

It was the Sword Intent of Slaughter!

The gaunt old man was shocked and furious, never having imagined that Zong Shou would actually dare to strike him head-on. Immediately, a mocking thought entered his mind: what could a Slaughter Path sword technique, even at the peak of the Poxian realm, do to stop him?

As the thought formed, a mass of seven-colored mist erupted around him, intended to block the incoming sword light. But he immediately sensed something was wrong. The myriad sword shadows were completely unimpeded by the Seven Ultimate Poison Barrier, seemingly shattering time itself as they pierced through. Several faint stars appeared around him, causing his inner vital energy and soul power to completely lose control.

Then, with a twist of the sword shadows, the head from his neck was flung into the air.

When the others recovered their senses, they saw that the gaunt old man on the dais was only a headless torso standing on the steps, utterly devoid of life signs within. (To be continued) RQ