Behind him, a gigantic vortex suddenly opened, devouring the surrounding power of faith at full speed.

Zong Shou paid no heed to the silver spear already upon him; the primal energies, once absorbed, were dispersed throughout his body.

Calming the surging white flames of his innate bloodline power, he allowed the spear shadow to pierce straight through his chest.

Yet, at the very instant the condensed astral force within the spear was about to erupt, Zong Shou's figure flickered, and he vanished from that spot, taking the Azure Fire Mystic Tortoise beneath his feet with him.

In a blink, he traversed an immense distance, leaving behind only a scattering of blood drifting in the air, which, fed by the self-generating white flames, promptly turned to ash.

After that translocation, Zong Shou’s form did not pause for even a moment.

Pushing his strength to its limit, he continued to transform the void using the Instant Space Dragon Pill.

Only upon reaching the place where the power of faith was thickest did Zong Shou’s expression ease slightly,

knowing that only upon arrival here could he be considered truly safe. Entering this realm would not only alleviate the eruption of the Marrow-Burning Blood Spirit Art but also conceal him from Lu Wushuang’s spiritual sense.

This was his only sliver of life at that moment.

However, due to that moment of slackening tension, Zong Shou felt the pain intensify to the point of near unconsciousness as the Sky-Burning Flames within him reignited fiercely.

Zong Shou started slightly, daring not to delay further. He gathered the last reserves of power within him and continued his instantaneous relocation, forcibly tearing open the barrier and plunging into the nearby world.

When Zong Shou’s figure vanished, the void returned to silence. A few heartbeats later, two streaks of escaping light—one leading, one following—pierced through the void and arrived.

The one in the lead held a silver spear; it was Lu Wushuang, his brow deeply furrowed as he surveyed the surroundings, his eyes holding a strange expression.

He extended a hand, summoning some scattered dust particles nearby into his grasp, and brought them close to his nose, sniffing deeply.

“It’s blood!”

And it was the Sky-Burning Blood of his Lu family!

“It must be the Marrow-Burning Blood Spirit Art—the self-combustion resulting from the eruption of the marrow-blood potential…”

The figure behind him halted its light trail. Within the escaping light was a youth around twenty years old, who was smiling with a bizarre expression. “I wonder what misfortune befell Young Master Lu Shou to have the latent danger of the Marrow-Burning Blood Spirit erupt so early. For an ordinary Lu clan member, even an outstanding one, this would typically take ten years or more. Yet this one only took a few months. Truly prodigious talent!”

Lu Wushuang, hearing this, showed no joy on his face; instead, his expression was somewhat grim.

He tightened his grip on the spear, turned around with a slight murderous intent in his gaze,

“Marrow-Burning Blood Spirit! Speaking of which, what business is it of yours regarding the enmity between me, Lu Wushuang, and him? This secret art requires the blood of thirty-six members of my Lu family to be extinguished. Who allowed you to use such a method that harms my kin? Truly audacious—”

“They are all just distant branch members whose names don't make it into the family registry. Why should Young Master Wushuang concern himself?”

The youth said lightly, unfazed even when Lu Wushuang’s brow twitched.

“The Lu family has a lineage spanning ten thousand years, with countless collateral branches and scattered kin. You should be aware of the plight of those Lu descendants sent out. Though they possess the Sky-Burning Blood, they are entirely unable to cultivate. The opportunity to offer themselves is actually a good thing for them; at least their relatives can benefit. Even Miss Lu Zi back then was only slightly better off than them.”

Lu Wushuang’s pupils contracted sharply. The pent-up rage in his eyes was almost ready to explode.

The youth opposite gradually dropped his smile.

“I am here under the command of the Sovereign of Xuanye to serve Young Master Wushuang. Naturally, I must plan wholeheartedly for the Young Master. This is the most critical juncture in the struggle for the next generation’s Sky-Burning Sacred Emperor. Although Young Master Wushuang’s combat power is supreme among his peers, second only to military merit, when it comes to bloodline, he ranks only fifth among the Lu family. Though there is hope, the variables are huge. How can we afford to waste so much time on this Zong Shou? How can this matter not concern me? If it can be resolved quickly, I would surely resort to any means necessary,”

The youth paused, then added leisurely, “Or perhaps, Young Master Wushuang is confident he can track this person without relying on the Blood Spirit power?”

Lu Wushuang’s breath hitched. Zong Shou’s void translocation technique was indeed bizarre and miraculous. Without the Marrow-Burning Blood Spirit Art, he would have been shaken off by Zong Shou tens of days ago.

If he wanted to assign blame, he truly had no standing.

He let out a muffled grunt and continued to spread his divine sense, searching everywhere.

Still unable to locate Zong Shou, the connection with his kinsman seemed to have been abruptly severed, his trace lost.

After a moment of thought, Lu Wushuang’s gaze finally fixed upon the nearby world, a faint hint of pleasure appearing in his eyes.

“The Azure Spirit World!”

Although he felt no direct connection, Lu Wushuang could deduce Zong Shou’s general whereabouts through the fluctuations in the surrounding spatial forces and the faint clues Zong Shou had left behind.

“It seems this person must have some secret technique to sever the bloodline connection with the Young Master. But it also seems he is truly exhausted, unable to even mask his tracks. They say that if the Marrow-Burning Blood Spirit Art lacks corresponding seals, once it erupts, the pain must be unbearable. If so, for this person to have held on until now, his will and spirit must be impossibly strong. This person is formidable; if not necessary, he should never be made an enemy. But since the Young Master has this opportunity today, he must be eliminated quickly—”

The youth’s smile grew more bizarre as he spoke: “The Azure Spirit World. I truly wonder if Young Master Zong Shou is destined to have ties with our Lu family, or if he has simply run out of luck. This realm was recently opened up by our Lu family; it was previously occupied by Buddhists. Since they were driven out, countless remnants remain. The few World Protecting Arhats in this realm have already perished, and their power has waned. However, a few years ago, for some unknown reason, a legend began circulating that the Boundless Beginning and End Buddha would soon be born in this realm to save the common people of Azure Spirit from fire and water. Consequently, throughout Azure Spirit, statues of the Boundless Beginning and End Buddha are being erected everywhere, numbering in the tens of millions, impossible to forbid.”

“Boundless Beginning and End?”

Lu Wushuang’s eyebrows rose; he had naturally heard that name. The future Buddha of the Buddhist sect; it was rumored that the Great Sun Tathagata had specially altered his own sutras at the time of this Buddha’s birth.

Possessing boundless light and endless darkness, capable of infinite power.

It also carried the entire Buddhist sect’s hope for creating the Lapis Lazuli Pure Land.

However, regarding this so-called ‘Future Buddha,’ the Buddhist sect hadn't even confirmed the person's actual whereabouts.

The inhabitants of the Azure Spirit World revered this Buddha and longed for his arrival, which meant these people still harbored defiance toward their Lu family.

Shaking his head, Lu Wushuang let out a cold sneer.

This Zong Shou must die by his hand! Even if a Buddha descended upon this realm, he would not care—let alone a Boundless Beginning and End whose whereabouts were unknown and whose existence was still unconfirmed.

Clenching his hands until the veins bulged, Lu Wushuang stepped forward and plunged into the spatial barrier.

What greeted his eyes was the sea surface not far from a beach.

The scattering of his killing intent caused the gulls nesting nearby to take flight.

Lu Wushuang’s face was cold as he looked up at the sky.

It was nighttime, and he could clearly see a meteor falling from the starry expanse.

Lu Wushuang’s eyes narrowed, filled with cold ruthlessness.

He wondered if this falling star portended Zong Shou’s demise?

Meanwhile, outside the Azure Spirit World, the youth of twenty wore a meaningful smile.

“Zong Shou? Interesting, truly interesting. Everyone in the Lu family dismissed him as a dual-vein body, a waste unworthy of a glance. Who would have thought he possessed such ability, reaching the peak of the Spirit Realm in merely six or seven years? Such aptitude is truly inconceivable. Though lazy, possessing the ability to govern but unwilling to use it, he is adept at letting go and recognizing talent. For the future Sky-Burning Sacred Emperor of our Lu family, this one might be even more suitable than Young Master Wushuang and those others. No wonder that Fang Jue took such a risk. What a pity—”

The youth shook his head with a sigh.

Although the Young Mistress was excellent, her background meant she received minimal support within the Lu family.

As far as he knew, at least the Sovereigns of Xuanhua and Xuanye within the Lu family would certainly oppose her with all their might.

And this time, the possibility of that person surviving Lu Wushuang’s spear attack was slim to none… Almost at the same instant, within the Cang Sheng World.

A girl, astride a purple fire beast, stood tall amidst a massive army. Clad in silver armor, she possessed an air of heroism and spirit. Despite being female, she did not look out of place among the millions of soldiers.

The gazes occasionally cast toward her by the surrounding troops were filled with reverence.

At this moment, she frowned slightly, also gazing up at the heavens.

Just moments before, she had been struck by an unprovoked, sharp pang of fear.

An intense sense of unease flooded her spirit.

“It’s my husband!”

In just an instant, Kong Yao knew the source of the anxiety.

Even though she had destroyed her own Spiritual Eye of Heaven, much of the innate spiritual sense connection from the Kong family still remained.

Gritting her silver teeth, Kong Yao took out her personal divination sticks and floated them before her, manipulating the void.

A moment later, her expression eased, and she looked thoughtful.

“Extreme prosperity gives way to decline—”

Her expression was utterly strange; her husband must have encountered this calamity because he had been experiencing too much good fortune recently.

The crucial part was that the subsequent hexagram was not 'Dragon trapped in shallow water,' but rather 'Dragon returning to the sea.'

This meant the danger would pass with little harm?

Kong Yao’s lips curled slightly, and she let out a soft laugh. She felt a touch of pity for her husband’s opponent this time.

Setting her worries aside, Kong Yao’s gaze turned to the distance.

Currently, beside a sea of clouds, countless massive armies were gathered.

The formations of the two sides stood in a tense standoff, their battle line stretching for over fifty miles.

This was the shore on one side of the South Wind Continent, facing the army of Yue State.

And on the side of the cloud bank lay an ocean of crimson red.

The nearly two million troops of Great Qian State were amassed here.

This battle was one of conquest!

And precisely at this moment, a lone rider flew in from the distance.

“General Zong Yuan, an order is requested! The enemy forces are faltering. Shall we attack and break them?” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) RQ