Lu Xichen’s body plummeted from the sky, plunging the entirety of Tianyan Mountain into a deathly silence. Zong Shou, however, acted as if he had accomplished nothing of consequence, utterly unconcerned.

Jing Yin, standing nearby, gasped sharply. This Lu Xichen was a great general of the Tianyan Prefecture, the commander of the twelve thousand Crimson Flame Cavalry.

In the Cang Ling Realm, his status was truly second to none, holding power above thousands! Yet today, he was killed just like that beneath Zong Shou’s sword?

For a moment, she could not believe it, rubbing her eyes clean. What was happening today?

First, the arrogant Crimson Flame Iron Cavalry, who had never met their match in the Cang Ling Realm, suffered repeated setbacks and losses before Zong Shou. Then came the settling of the Lan family blood feud; Lu Xichen, who had stained his hands with the blood of so many of her kin and harbored ill intentions toward her, was cleaved in two by a single sword stroke.

Head severed from body, soul utterly extinguished. She gazed at Zong Shou blankly, recalling the words he had spoken to her earlier.

If you save my life, I shall owe you a promise— Could it truly be possible to prevent all women in the Cang Ling Realm from suffering the grief of losing a child due to the innate Fire Marrow? Yet Zong Shou’s injuries were clearly not yet healed— At the foot of the mountain, the hundreds of thousands of people below stared dumbfounded at the unfolding scene in the sky.

After a moment of stunned silence, some people bowed down, prostrating themselves on the ground. “The Greatly Compassionate, Savior from Suffering, Future Boundless Beginning-Ending Buddha—” They did not know who Zong Shou was, but they recognized the attire of the nuns from the Shuiyue Nunnery.

Even if it was not the appearance of the Beginning-Ending Buddha, he must surely have some profound connection to Buddhism. One person followed suit, and the surrounding crowd quickly echoed the action.

Thus, the sound of millions chanting Buddhist sutras reverberated at the base of the mountain. Zong Shou felt the power of faith and resolve in the area suddenly thicken by several degrees in the blink of an eye.

He could only be speechless and unwilling to pay them any heed. He allowed the Azure Flame Mystic Turtle to carry him, charging toward the mountain peak.

Did he really need to explain to them that he had nothing to do with this so-called Future Boundless Beginning-Ending Buddha? In truth, strictly speaking, there was no falsehood in his actions.

The turtle beneath his feet was indeed ferocious. With Lu Xichen gone as an obstacle, a few more strikes from its shell sent the guarding formation into further disarray.

Tough-skinned and thick-shelled, protected by the Black Tortoise Primeval Qi, it cared nothing for triggering the spiritual restrictions or suffering the backlash from the formation’s power. It barbarically ascended again to eighty thousand feet, now alarmingly close to the Tianyan Prefecture atop the peak.

The firelight here was dim; by estimation alone, the majority of the sky could no longer permit escape by aerial (dùnkōng - escaping via magical flight). The palace named Tianyan Prefecture no longer possessed any majestic splendor, as many of its walls and buildings had already been shaken down.

Dozens of figures floated in the air, looking toward them. The leader was a refined scholar in a blue robe, an exceedingly cultured figure.

Pale-faced and clean-shaven, he looked over with cold, phoenix-like eyes; this must undoubtedly be Lu Yantian, the Lord of Tianyan Prefecture— Zong Shou paid the man’s gaze no mind, sweeping his eyes across the surroundings. He sensed that apart from this man and Xiaoyue, there were no other outstanding figures in the vast Tianyan Prefecture.

At best, they were no more notable than Lu Xichen, unworthy of his notice. Lu Wushuang did not appear to be present.

Only within the distant courtyard, in a large lake, did he detect a fierce and tyrannical aura that gave him a slight sense of caution. He was not alone in this feeling; Han Xi was the same.

Her expression was grave, her twelve wings spread wide, and her three pairs of bladed arms were taut, ready for battle, filled with deep hostility, facing an ultimate foe. A naturally born variant species; in essence, a struggle of the world’s Gu worms, only one may survive.

Therefore, they must never be allowed to meet— This passage surfaced subconsciously in Zong Shou’s mind. Legend held that when such a variant beast, born of the world’s contradictory energies, met its counterpart, it was bound to result in a life-and-death struggle, one that would not cease until one side was slain.

Furthermore, the one who managed to devour the other’s essence would see a surge in strength. It was akin to a Gu worm, yet nurtured by Heaven and Earth itself.

The thought flashed, and Zong Shou gently patted Han Xi’s head in reassurance. A spirit beast guarding a master was not merely a servant, but a companion.

While it usually obeyed his commands and fought his battles, when faced with matters beyond its own strength to resist, the master also bore the responsibility of shielding it from disaster and calamity. The natural variant species in the lake was clearly at the peak of the Immortal Realm; the current Han Xi was no match for it.

“Like a mermaid yet like a snake, truly strange—” Zong Shou shook his head; he preferred his Han Xi, whose appearance was much cuter. However, he truly had not expected the Lord of Tianyan Prefecture to possess such a trump card.

In terms of combat power, it was no less formidable than Lu Wushuang. This battle today had just added another formidable opponent.

As he was contemplating this, Lu Yantian opposite him retracted his chilling demeanor and offered a polite smile. “Are you the brother Lu Shou?

I am Lu Yantian, Lord of Tianyan Prefecture in the Cang Ling Realm. I pay my respects to Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince—” As these words were spoken, not only did the people behind him stir slightly, but Jing Yin was also startled.

Zong Shou had clearly stated he had no connection to the Lu family, so why was he addressed as the Lu family's Crown Prince? Xiaoyue’s eyes, however, brightened perceptibly as she gazed at the turtle’s back with vibrant spirit.

“My surname is Zong; I do not know who Lu Shou is.” Zong Shou shook his head indifferently, yet he had no intention of getting entangled in a debate over his identity. He was fundamentally uncomfortable with having others attempt to control the narrative.

His gaze swept past the figures opposite, past Lu Yantian, and fixed instead on the large lake. “You also keep a naturally born variant species; it is quite good.

If you are willing to offer it to me, I can leave you a complete corpse. I will permit you to reincarnate, and after three hundred lifetimes in the Animal Realm, you may be reborn as a human—” The Animal Realm was a Buddhist concept, one of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Zong Shou, of course, possessed no such power; he was merely saying it for effect. After all, the person opposite was highly unlikely to agree.

He was waiting for Lu Wushuang to arrive here; feigning cordiality and exchanging pleasantries was harmless enough. But as soon as his words fell, the entire Tianyan Prefecture fell into profound silence; no one spoke.

Only the mermaid-snake let out a muffled grunt. Its head suddenly rose from the water, revealing a colossal body.

This beast had long possessed awareness and understood Zong Shou’s words; the furious red light flashing in its fierce eyes clearly indicated its extreme rage. A tremendous oppressive force permeated the area.

After a long pause, Lu Yantian managed a strained smile. “To allow me, Lu Yantian, to reincarnate—Your Highness speaks with such audacity, such an overbearing nature—” He considered himself a man of deep cunning, adept at concealing his emotions.

Yet today, Zong Shou’s words almost caused his chest to explode. “It is a pity that I have nurtured this beast for a long time; I regard it as kin and truly cannot part with it.

However, perhaps Your Highness’s guardian spirit beast could be bestowed upon me, Lu Yantian?” He added with a laugh, “Oh, perhaps Your Highness need not bestow it. Soon enough, this natural variant species will be mine.

Your injuries are clearly not healed, and the Marrow Burning Blood Spirit Art has not been removed from your body. Instead of finding a place to hide, why insist on coming out here to seek death?

Are you truly tired of living?” His tone was initially level, but it grew increasingly sharp and utterly ruthless. Zong Shou’s eyes were half-open, seemingly oblivious.

Only when a thought moved within his mind, bringing a faint sensation, did he snap his eyes open, revealing a sharp glint. Lu Wushuang had arrived.

As impatient as ever, he tore through layers of dimensional barriers and was descending into this realm. But besides him, there was another person.

Their power was not weak, only slightly inferior to Lu Wushuang’s, but their identity remained unknown. Since this person had been drawn in, the Cang Yan Prefecture need no longer exist— He grasped his sword, a cold smile playing on his lips.

“You’ve said so much—does that mean you refuse?” Lu Yantian’s vital energy seized up; he felt intensely aggrieved. In his eyes, this man, whose life or death was uncertain and who was walking willingly toward his doom, was the one who would absolutely not leave here alive today.

Not only did he refuse to grovel or humble himself, but his words implied that the life and death of everyone present were entirely within his grasp. Such arrogant words, looking down upon him—truly, he had no idea of the stakes!

On the verge of death, yet he still had the audacity to demand the surrender of his guardian spirit pet. Madness was the only word for it!

Lu Yantian shook his head, finding himself speechless. He shifted his gaze toward the mountain foot.

“Besides this natural variant beast, there is another matter. I wish to ask Your Highness: although my subordinate general offended you, it did not warrant such execution.

As the saying goes, when beating a dog, one must consider the master. How dare a mongrel like you touch the hounds I, Lu Yantian, keep?” Zong Shou’s strength was indeed impressive, unexpectedly so.

But no matter how strong his talent, he was still a mongrel— What sort of creature was a Seven-Tailed Heavenly Fox? How could such a person possibly earn a place on the mainline roster, ranking within the top twenty— “Your Highness must know that Fang Jue, the Master of Cang Yan Hall, is nothing more than a dog belonging to my Lu family.

Yet Your Highness relies on him as support, thinking you can act without restraint—isn’t that laughable?” Before the words were finished, this expanse of sky shook again. It was the Azure Flame Mystic Turtle, crying out loudly as it suddenly slammed headfirst into the exterior of the Tianyan Prefecture!

Not only did the barrier shatter, but nearly half of the palace walls and buildings on the mountain collapsed. Zong Shou, perched on the turtle’s back, no longer intended to waste words on Lu Yantian.

Since he refused to accept reincarnation into the Animal Realm to repay his boast, then his soul would be utterly destroyed here, never to attain rebirth! The Azure-Green Flame ignited once more within his Sea of Consciousness.

This time, what erupted from the sword was the entire blood essence and vital energy of Lu Xichen. The sword light was cold, brilliant, and piercing; the mere soul intent of the sword cleaved the fire clouds in the sky completely in two, revealing the clear sky beyond.

And where the blade pointed was Lu Yantian! This caused the latter’s face to drastically change, and he retreated rapidly.

Patches of green light materialized in the air—a myriad of crescent moon blades flashing with green radiance, disrupting everything in the void. They made heaven and earth invert, throwing space and time into chaos.

Yet the crimson sword shadow condensed into a single thread, losing none of its momentum, pursuing the true form amidst the confusion. As it cut through the void, which had been twisted into a tangled mess, everything in its wake returned to normal.

Just as the sword shadow was closing in to within ten feet of Lu Yantian— The several Immortal Realm cultivators beside him finally reacted. “How dare you!” Some attacked Zong Shou directly with weapons, while others attempted to intercept the sword momentum midway.

Zong Shou snorted coldly. What kind of insignificant trash dared to jump out— The sword light shifted, instantly splitting into dozens of beams, slashing out, resulting in an immediate, spraying rain of blood!