"These Grand Unity Divine Thunder Vessels, even with the combined strength of my Asura Clan, only produce ten in a year. If Cousin Sovereign wishes to purchase, I can offer a favorable rate here. The price can be reduced to two thousand five hundred, or, in addition to the aerial ships, we can mount two extra Spirit Martial Grand Unity Divine Thunder Towers. Ten of these ships can likewise be delivered within a month. These aerial ships are also a special offer for Cousin Sovereign this time. After today, you might not have another chance to buy—"

As if sensing Zong Shou's intent, Cha Houhu added more to his offer with a hint of cunning in his tone.

Zong Shou's heart skipped a beat once more.

Naturally, he knew that what Cha Houhu said was the truth.

Vessels like the Grand Unity Divine Thunder Vessel were considered vital assets in any clan, the core means of controlling the riverways of the outer domains.

A single vessel could contend with a peak Immortal rank expert, and if an Immortal stage cultivator of comparable strength were stationed aboard, its combat power could be multiplied several times!

They were sought-after items, requiring massive engineering efforts; to build one within a year would necessitate at least thirty Artifact Refiners at the Immortal rank.

Perhaps even powers like the Jiudu Sacred Court or the Xuanling Association did not possess many of these. Delivery within a month meant they could be ready for the great battle looming soon.

Furthermore, if he intended to bring all the minor myriad worlds nearby under his control, a stronger fleet of aerial ships would be indispensable.

The current ordinary aerial ships were far from sufficient.

But with twenty such dedicated warships in hand, he could not only control the vicinity of Yuanlian but also exert a powerful aura over the periphery!

He truly couldn't refuse—

However, after the listing for the Grand Unity Divine Thunder Vessels, there was a note limiting purchases to 'twenty'.

Zong Shou hesitated only briefly before sweeping them all into his acquisition list.

"No need to lower the price; the addition of two Spirit Martial Grand Unity Divine Thunder Towers is acceptable. However, since delivery cannot be made all at once, Brother Cha will have to allow me installment payments."

Seeing that Cha Houhu offered no rebuttal, Zong Shou took it as his agreement.

This arrangement resulted in a debt of thirty thousand low-grade Immortal Stones.

Zong Shou had no further interest in the rest of the items and was unwilling to take on more interest.

Thus, after a cursory glance at the remaining listings, he prepared to conclude the transaction.

Yet, when his peripheral vision swept across the very bottom of the list, he was moved once again.

"Spirit Realm Slave Cultivators? What does this mean?"

"It means exactly what it says: bonded servants who have reached the Spirit Realm. Our clan has not campaigned in the outer domains these past years, so we don't trade many of these servants. However, they are readily available in the major ruins markets."

He further explained, "Cousin Sovereign need not worry; since we dare to offer them for sale, all potential issues have been resolved. Most of these slave cultivators have had their memories cleansed, essentially creating new personalities. Should there be any betrayal or other accidents, reputable major slave merchants will take full responsibility. Many factions purchase them as Dao Soldiers, servant puppets, or even for blood sacrifice. Your Cloud Realm Dao Sect, for instance, made quite a significant purchase three years ago—a thousand individuals. I wonder what your intentions were—"

Zong Shou's expression immediately turned grim. If before, he was uncertain whether Cha Houhu was genuinely helping him or pursuing another agenda, now, seeing the Grand Unity Divine Thunder Vessels alongside the Spirit Realm Slave Cultivators, he knew this man was certainly willing to invest heavily.

Cha Houhu seemed deeply aware of what Zong Shou currently lacked. Every item on the list was something he urgently needed.

The most shocking revelation was the news Cha Houhu mentioned at the very end.

The Dao Sect purchasing a thousand Spirit Realm Slave Cultivators in one go? What were they preparing for?

"This matter is secretive, but there are no truly sealed walls in this world. I only learned of it recently by chance. Although the sects of your Cloud Realm do not possess overwhelming influence in this domain, nor are their accumulations particularly deep, wherever they are placed, they can still become local magnates—"

Cha Houhu spoke with deliberate ambiguity, then asked, "How many does Cousin Sovereign plan to acquire? My clan does not have these Spirit Realm servants in immediate stock. However, we can purchase them on your behalf, and they can also arrive at Yuanlian within a month. If Cousin Sovereign does not trust our clan, you may inspect the goods then. I imagine the restrictions used to control minds cannot escape Cousin Sovereign's scrutiny. Ah! Yes, I recall there is a merchant fleet of our clan nearby. They are carrying goods consigned by a major slave merchant. If Cousin Sovereign is willing to pay a premium to negotiate with them, they can arrive in three days instead of a month—"

Zong Shou stared steadily at Cha Houhu for a moment, then spoke no more. He simply made a gesture to confirm the purchase of five hundred.

Earthly rank Dao Soldiers could naturally grow as long as one had sufficient subjects and resources in their territory.

Once they established a firm foothold in the Yuanlian Realm, more cultivators would be drawn to pledge allegiance.

In truth, he didn't have much more money to spend; five hundred Spirit Realm Slave Cultivators totaled nearly thirty thousand low-grade Immortal Stones.

It might be a coincidence, but the quantities of Spirit Realm Slave Cultivators and Grand Unity Divine Thunder Vessels added up to roughly sixty thousand.

Fortunately, the materials required to forge the Spirit Easing Demon Punishing Soldiers were one tier lower than those for Heavenly rank Dao Soldiers.

Zong Shou had already prepared a substantial amount, and the Yuanlian Realm itself possessed sufficient materials, negating the need to seek them elsewhere.

With the transactions settled, Zong Shou and Cha Houhu engaged in small talk.

On the surface, they discussed the Dao of cultivation and shared insights, but beneath the words, both were cautiously probing the other's intentions.

After half a day, however, neither gained any substantial intelligence. Cha Houhu’s lips remained tightly sealed, unwilling to reveal too much. Zong Shou was no different, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Finally bored, Zong Shou cursed him internally as a 'little fox' and took his leave without lingering.

As for the proposal of collaborating in the Yuanlian Realm, he had entertained the idea earlier, but now he didn't even bring it up.

The Asura Clan withdrawing their stationed kin already signaled their stance—an unwillingness to become directly involved. Zong Shou naturally abandoned that notion to avoid being tiresome.

Stepping out of the aerial palace and walking beneath the clouds, Zong Shou suddenly felt a pang of astonishment. If the resources provided by the Asura Clan arrived as promised, his Great Qian Immortal Dynasty would immediately possess two hundred Immortal ranks and six hundred Spirit ranks, with tens of thousands of Black and Yellow rank Dao Soldiers.

Such a force, even during the full bloom of the Cloud Realm's spiritual tide, would be enough to dominate a region. In the outer domains, it would far surpass the Tianfang Cultivation Association, which had been established for ten thousand years.

Unconsciously, he had reached such a juncture—

He then considered that the Asura Clan could deliver these vast resources within a month. If this was not due to prior preparation, he would never believe it.

Most likely, everything had been prepared in advance, and if someone other than him had unified Yuanlian—

Zong Shou let out a light laugh; his final doubt was resolved.

These assets were likely prepared for Zhuang Yu, but ultimately benefited him instead. As for whether Cha Houhu had added more incentives specifically for him, Zong Shou didn't know, nor did he care to find out.

Upon returning to the Yuanjing Immortal Palace, most people had already arrived.

Only Jingyin and Xuan Yunlan were absent. Both women disliked direct combat and slaughter, yet both possessed divine abilities for healing and restoration.

Xuan Yunlan specialized in the zither; the spirit melodies she controlled could help regulate vital energy, mend injuries, and even stimulate vitality to bring the dead back to life.

Jingyin, hailing from the Buddhist gates, was said to have deeply studied the Great Compassion Thousand Leaf Spiritual Incantation, possessing healing capabilities comparable to, or even surpassing, Xuan Yunlan's.

Therefore, although the two rarely participated in battles, they were deeply respected.

Before Zong Shou's return, the southwestern region had seen continuous fierce fighting. Even with Zhuang Yu’s divine capabilities, casualties were unavoidable.

The two women had both stayed at the border to look after the wounded soldiers.

According to Xuan Yunlan, she could not stand by and watch the dying. Jingyin claimed saving a life accumulated boundless merit.

Zong Shou felt a slight regret; he had intended to meet Jingyin to see the differences between the two Jingyins.

He instinctively felt that Xuan Yunlan might genuinely be reluctant to return at this moment, while Jingyin’s reason for absence was likely to avoid him.

Back in the Yuanjing Palace, Zong Shou ignored all administrative matters. He spent a day in the embrace of Ruoshui, indulging in every manner of intimacy, before finally beginning to attend to affairs in earnest.

As the sovereign of an Immortal Dynasty, he could not neglect everything.

Fortunately, the governance of the nations under his rule was managed by their respective rulers. The Great Qian Immortal Dynasty merely needed to collect tributes. For major issues that were difficult to resolve, the Yuanlian Realm's version of the Council Hall could make decisions in his absence.

With the Sword Sect, the Buddhist gates, the Cang Sheng Dao, and the various other powers mutually keeping each other in check, his interests would not be easily harmed.

The matters truly requiring his attention were related to military affairs and the Immortal cultivators he had gathered within his Immortal Dynasty as retainers.

The first person he met was naturally Zhuang Yu, who acted as his overall commander.

However, the first memorial presented by this trusted general was unexpected.

"You mean you want to disband the Xuandu Guard?"

This was genuinely surprising. Zong Shou had always been cautious about touching the Xuandu Guard, treating it like Zhuang Yu's personal army and leaving it be, intending to address the matter at a later date. He hadn't expected Zhuang Yu to bring it up proactively.

"The Heavenly Gang Swordsmen under the Sovereign are far superior to the Xuandu Guard. Failing to disband them sooner only wastes combat strength," Zhuang Yu stated calmly, offering a slight bow. "Moreover, for these past years, everything the Sovereign has done has adhered to his promises, and I am truly convinced. I heard the Sovereign is reforming his forces in the Cloud Realm by disbanding private armies, and I should not be an exception. Furthermore, I don't have the spare funds to maintain such a large force."

Hearing this, Zong Shou smiled, realizing that only now had this brilliant general genuinely pledged his allegiance.

"I agree to your proposal! Those twenty thousand Xuandu Guards will be converted into Heavenly Gang Swordsmen. According to the regulations of Great Qian, you may select three thousand to serve as your personal guard."

Having settled that matter, Zong Shou opened the second memorial.

He was surprised again. In this memorial, Zhuang Yu provided an incredibly detailed account of his experiences utilizing the Mystic Fox Cavalry during this period. He elaborated on their strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for improvement—all meticulously documented.

Zong Shou’s expression once again displayed satisfaction.

This man truly put his heart into it!

Zong Shou had only perfected the armor for the Mystic Fox Cavalry; their auxiliary cultivation methods remained incomplete. Zhuang Yu's memorial had remedied that final shortcoming.

(To be continued)

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