“This talisman seals a restriction within. The Sovereign’s intent is that it may only be opened after all of us have gathered.” Ruoshui paused, her gaze returning to the decree.

Her spiritual sense confirmed the truth of it. And by the 'all of us' that Cifang mentioned, besides the three present, it included every Spirit Realm cultivator in the Yuanlian Realm, naturally encompassing Feng Taiji and Zhao Yanran.

Unexpectedly, those from the Yuanlian World such as Zhuang Yu and He Daoren were also included. Even several individuals who had contributed greatly during this recent war were among them, including that Sea King, Feng Mochen.

They exchanged glances, and without a word, ceased speaking. They waited silently.

After approximately three hours, several streaks of light arrived, flying in one after another. The foremost among them was Feng Taiji.

Upon entering, he looked curiously toward Cifang and inquired, "Just now, I passed by several Zen courtyards of your esteemed sect. If there were any Buddha statues or golden bodies, they seemed somewhat different from those in the Cloud Realm.

I wonder which Buddha they enshrine—" "Naturally, the Three Ages Buddha!" Cifang replied calmly. Seeing the doubt on Feng Taiji’s face, he still did not understand.

Knowing what puzzled him, Cifang harbored no intent to conceal anything. Instead, he gave Zhao Yanran a meaningful look.

"Daoist Feng, you are perhaps too uninformed. Are you unaware that the Future Buddha of our Buddhist school has already been changed?

Furthermore, the other Buddhas have issued a decree that in this Yuanlian Realm, the Limitless Beginning and End Buddha shall preside! Assisting the Future Buddha in gathering golden relics—" Feng Taiji was instantly relieved.

He had no intention of probing deeply, it was merely out of curiosity. This matter had little bearing on the Sword Sect.

He nodded, signaling his understanding, and then found a place within the hall to sit down on his own accord. Zhao Yanran’s expression, however, held a trace of strangeness.

As her cultivation advanced, Zong Shou's Dharma Aspect Void manifested more clearly within her Sea of Souls. Before, they were just two inconspicuous small dots, one black and one white.

Now, they resembled two 'voids'—one an abyss too deep to fathom, capable of consuming everything, and the other spewing endless light, endless heat, endless energy. This had led to a rapid surge in her cultivation in recent days— The boundless light, the infinite darkness!

No matter how dense her mind, she now understood who the Limitless Beginning and End Buddha spoken of by the Buddhist sect truly was. These two black and white voids, possessing the methods of origin and terminus—were they not precisely the Limitless Beginning and End?

At this moment, her relationship with Zong Shou was like that between a Buddha and a Dharma-holding disciple in Buddhism. She borrowed the power of his Dharma Aspect through the Dao Embryo Cauldron.

Zong Shou himself likely already knew everything. Yet, he was even more unwilling to speak of it.

In her eyes, this Buddhist sect was trying to undermine the foundation of the Cang Sheng Dao. What if Zong Shou couldn't withstand the pressure and ascended directly to the Saintly Tier, or what if that girl Jing Yin...

what then? It was best to keep this young girl close by.

She couldn't let Zong Shou ruin her. Pretending she had heard nothing, Zhao Yanran pulled Jing Yin along and quietly found a place to sit.

She faintly caught the sounds of Cifang and Jing Yin sighing. Zhao Yanran felt a brief pang of guilt, which quickly subsided into self-reassurance and composure.

The true 'Limitless Beginning and End Buddha'—it certainly wasn't her. It was Zong Shou himself, unwilling to admit it.

It had nothing to do with her, Zhao Yanran. How many times had she denied it before?

It truly wasn't her. Several more hours passed, and more than a dozen Spirit Realm cultivators arrived one after another.

Even the Sea King, Feng Mochen, eventually reached the Yuanying Palace. He was a man in his thirties, with a face like white jade and a placid expression.

Even under the scrutiny of over a dozen Spirit Realm experts, he showed no sign of awkwardness. Zhuang Yu was the last to arrive, stepping into the hall only after a full several days, cloaked in the chilling aura of slaughter.

He glanced briefly at those within the hall and spoke succinctly: "I have fortunately not failed the Sovereign's trust. The great army has advanced and should now face no opposition.

We shall conquer the Three Kingdoms of the Central Plains within three days. I apologize for my delay, due to entanglement with auxiliary matters, I ask for your indulgence!" The assembled company held no resentment upon hearing this.

They all knew this man had been presiding over the war. His appearance here meant the fighting on the front lines must be nearing its end.

Summoning them at such a busy time was already an imposition. "All personnel have arrived, the talisman decree can now be opened!" Feng Taiji’s expression grew solemn.

He bowed respectfully towards the talisman, then extended his right hand and unfurled the decree. A radiance of spiritual light manifested before the crowd.

Characters took shape in the void, lingering without fading. The initial section detailed rewards and merits.

Zong Shou’s generosity was undeniable and extremely fair. Not only were the few present from the Yuanlian Realm satisfied, but the Cang Sheng Dao and the Buddha Sword Sect also raised no objections.

The territories of the Seven Kingdoms were expanded, and the three major sects each received numerous mineral veins. Several key contributors to the war effort were granted sovereignty over a kingdom.

Only then did they move to the main subject: his message that he was leaving due to matters elsewhere and would return within one or two years, instructing them not to worry. Feng Taiji’s brow immediately furrowed.

Not worry? He made it sound so simple!

The Yuanlian World had finally stabilized its footing. Everything was settled, and a massive rebuilding effort was required, demanding a figure capable of commanding respect to manage the overall situation.

And Zong Shou chose this moment to depart alone, actually telling them not to worry? However, Zong Shou seemed aware of the need for a leader in the Yuanlian Realm.

He then provided a solution. He appointed Zhuang Yu as the Rear Guard Inspector General, overseeing the thirty legions of Da Qian in the Yunlian Realm and commanding the various states.

Not only was Zhuang Yu himself surprised, but even Feng Taiji and Cifang were stunned. Was it truly appropriate for someone originating from the Yuanlian World to govern this realm?

If they didn't know that Zong Shou had never suffered a loss in his life, and that his seemingly foolish actions always proved farsighted in hindsight, Feng Taiji would have been sorely tempted to destroy this decree. He forced himself to patience and continued reading the remainder.

Only then did Feng Taiji’s expression slightly ease. "The Cang Sheng Dao and the Buddhist Sword Sect shall each contribute nine members.

The Da Qian Immortal Court side may also appoint twenty-seven attendees. In my absence, decisions regarding affairs in the Yuanlian Realm may be reached by consensus, following the system of the Da Qian Council in the Cloud Realm.

Furthermore, the nations of the Yuanlian Realm may also nominate three to five representatives based on regional size—" Feng Taiji shook his head slightly, realizing Zong Shou could not possibly entrust all military authority and state affairs solely to Zhuang Yu. There must be means of restraint; this structure was almost identical to the Da Qian system in the Cloud Realm.

Even the distribution of these positions was perfectly balanced, accommodating the interests of all factions. Not only could the three sects influence the realm's decisions through this consultative system, but the people of the Yuanlian World were also granted the right to participate in the political affairs of the Da Qian Immortal Court.

However, weren't the number of seats allocated to these individuals a bit too many? Was this yet another damned measure of checks and balances?

Though he thought this, Feng Taiji suddenly felt a wave of relaxation wash over him. It was certainly exasperating and speechless-making that the Sovereign disliked managing affairs.

But without Zong Shou’s presence, for their Sword Sect, being free from the constant oversight and occasional meddling of a powerful figure standing high above them was, in fact, a cause for celebration. He then turned to Cifang: "Master, what is your assessment of the Sovereign's strategy?"

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