Zong Shou was in high spirits, yet he chose to play along at this moment. His expression shifted subtly, feigning great surprise as he asked, "Nine Capitals Immortal Emperor? What brings you here?" He then cast a look, slightly tinged with 'dismay,' towards the nine Saint Realm experts flanking the colossal ship opposite them.

Ye Xuan, watching from behind, shook his head, speechless. How could his young master possess such a perverse sense of humor?

The hundreds gathered beside the massive vessel, however, took it as a matter of course, their cold laughter never ceasing. That Liu Muchen, his lips curled in a cold sneer, his eyes radiating scorn. Now that he had arrived, no matter what preparations Zong Shou had made, or what fallback he relied upon, the latter would have to bow his head and withdraw from the Primordial Lotus World!

Then, Zong Shou seemed to struggle with his expression for a moment before taking a deep breath and grinding his teeth fiercely, "Since the founding of our Great Qian Immortal Dynasty, we have never retreated without a fight! It amounts to nothing more than death; what is there to fear? Only hope that one day you will not regret this!" Liu Muchen was unsurprised by these words; in his eyes, Zong Shou was merely putting on a brave front, caught in a difficult position with no easy way out.

The last sentence was likely an attempt to use the Dragon Shadow as a threat. The Zenith Realm? Liu Muchen sneered; he didn't need to worry too much about a mere Dragon Shadow. If that Revered Saint truly arrived, someone would surely handle him.

He decisively turned his head away, ignoring Zong Shou, and addressed the dozens of figures from the Dao Sect beside him: "Are you the Princess Qingming of the Cloud Realm Dao Sect? I have admired your father’s name for a long time. It is said that within these few months, he will step into the Zenith Realm, thus achieving eternal life. It is a great regret that I, Liu Muchen, cannot attend the ceremony. I beg the Princess to convey my regards!"

Qingming felt an intense itch in her gums, an urge to bite something. She thought, this Liu Muchen still has the mind for such pleasantries at this juncture? Things have reached this pass, and whether they can survive this day safely is uncertain, yet he still asks her to pass on a message! Your father isn't even here; what is the use of my words returning to him? Clearly, his own life hangs by a thread, yet he seems utterly oblivious. He remains so arrogant, truly believing Zong Shou is merely a plaything in his grasp? Moreover, he found Zong Shou’s ‘acting’ utterly repulsive. It was skillful, certainly, but sickening to the point of nausea.

Liu Muchen then followed up, his eyes conveying deep meaning: "I hear your sect bears an irreconcilable, deep-seated hatred for this Zong Shou, hating him to the bone, is that correct?" Qingming remained silent, and Cheng Xin Rong Bi behind her offered no comment. Naturally, they wished they could carve Zong Shou into a thousand pieces. But today, escaping Zong Shou’s clutches alone would be difficult; what use was discussing such things now?

However, to prevent the conversation from stalling, a person beside Liu Muchen bowed slightly: "It is rumored that the Monarch of Great Qian is known in the Cloud Realm as the Blood Sword Demon Lord. He once slew three hundred thousand disciples of the Dao Sect. Even the former Palace Master of the Dao Spirit Palace and the then-guardian of the palace died by his hand. This is an event unprecedented in the Dao Sect’s tens of thousands of years of heritage. It can truly be called a profound humiliation, a hatred that runs deep as the sea."

Upon hearing this, a hint of ferocity surfaced on Cheng Xin Rong Bi’s face, his crimson eyes fixing on the speaker. Zong Shou recognized this person; Lu Wubing had introduced him earlier. His name was Liu Jue, holding a status in the Nine Capitals Immortal Court second only to the Imperial Lord Liu Muchen. Being of the same clan as Liu Muchen, he was highly trusted. His strength was not the strongest among his peers, but he was a strategist.

When stared down by Cheng Xin Rong Bi, he remained entirely unconcerned: "Furthermore, there are rumors that the True Man Hua Yun also perished because of this. The Dao Sovereign Qing Xuan was powerless; after several parties joined forces to coerce the situation, they could only allow the culprit to escape unharmed."

Cheng Xin Rong Bi’s gaze was now as dark as could be. Qingming sighed helplessly. What the two men said was merely prelude to what was coming.

As expected, Liu Muchen smiled and asked, "Dao Brother Kunming enjoys eternal life; I must offer my felicitations respectfully. Since this brat is 'a source of annoyance,' I, Liu Muchen, shall capture him as a congratulatory gift for my Nine Capitals Immortal Dynasty. I wonder, Princess Qingming, do you dare accept it?" This statement was actually quite generous; by capturing Zong Shou, he was also taking on the wrath of the Dragon Shadow.

"Nine Capitals Imperial Lord, you are truly overthinking things!" A simple sentence caused Liu Muchen to freeze momentarily, looking towards Qingming with a hint of bewilderment. He detected the helplessness in her tone, along with an implicit sarcasm. But why? "My Dao Sect and this Zong Shou are sworn enemies! As long as you can capture him, I, Qingming, naturally dare to take him. But only if you can capture him." Seeing Liu Muchen still confused, Qingming added mournfully, "But in my view, Imperial Lord, if you were to retreat now, you might still have time." She still held a sliver of hope that if even three or five of the ten Saint Realm experts present could escape, the Nine Capitals Immortal Court would still have a chance to restrain Zong Shou.

This remark shocked not only Liu Muchen but also the others surrounding the airship. Rong Bi of Qingming let out a sigh. Looking at the flow of vital energy now, she could see that two figures had silently arrived, occupying positions on either side, their auras almost completely locking down this space! How could escape be so easy? In fact, that was their last chance to flee, but Zong Shou's pressure from his sword intent had forced them to risk staying. Yet, she was utterly puzzled: how could Ao Kun have recovered from his injuries so quickly? Although this person possessed the Way of Existence and Dissolution, his cultivation technique had a clear flaw. Despite winning the battle against Hua Yun, he himself had been severely wounded. With an incomplete Dao foundation, he should have required decades of recuperation. How could he have healed and returned in just a few short years?

"Palace Master Qingming must be joking!" Liu Jue let out a dismissive laugh. "Since our Nine Capitals Immortal Court has mobilized such a force, we cannot return empty-handed. Besides, regarding this Blood Sword Demon Lord alone..." His words abruptly halted as he saw the expressions of Cheng Xin and Rong Bi turn incredibly grim. Even someone as slow as Liu Jue could sense that the situation was not right at this point. Following his cue, several other Saint Realm experts also began to look confused. They wondered what could cause two Venerated Saints to be so wary? Even fearful? All eyes once again focused on Zong Shou.

Zong Shou dropped his playful pretense and stared directly at the Nine Capitals Imperial Lord upon the jade chariot. "Do you recall that in your Imperial Edict, you claimed this Emperor was insane, speaking recklessly? That avarice had clouded your judgment, and your delusions made you a laughingstock?" Liu Muchen frowned, looking thoughtfully at the one hundred and eighty-four green-clad swordsmen behind Zong Shou. In the instant Zong Shou had spoken, the vital energies of these hundred-plus Dao soldiers had already connected. They seemed like a single entity, perhaps even a single sword—no, it should be a single sword! He sensed an incomparably fierce, absolute, and devastating sword intent hidden within. Vigilant, the three hundred and ninety Absolute Blade Immortals under his command immediately dispersed without further instruction, setting up two Nine Capitals Samsara Absolute Blade Formations. The numerous Divine Realm experts surrounding them were also taut with tension. This battle, it seemed, would not be as straightforward as imagined. Zong Shou’s own aura was gradually rising.

"You also said that Hong Jiuchen was blameless; even if he was guilty, he is your subject. How to deal with him is for you, Liu Muchen, to decide; you do not allow this Emperor to comment. You called me absurd..." Liu Muchen remained silent. These words were indeed in the Imperial Edict. He was unwilling to answer, and thus naturally did not need to deny them. At the same time, a soft hum sounded from Zong Shou’s hand. The void around him suddenly displayed an unusual phenomenon. A black speck exploded abruptly between his eyebrows. Then followed countless brilliant rays of light, continuously expanding, manifesting millions of stars, with complex and intricate laws emerging one by one.

"You also asked if this small king of Great Qian, Zong Shou, had gone mad? Or if he was weary of life? Or perhaps, as rumored, was he truly an imbecile?" Liu Muchen frowned, sensing the cold sarcasm and killing intent woven into Zong Shou's words. If this were earlier, he wouldn't have cared in the slightest, but things were different now. Yet, where did this man’s confidence stem from? And what were those two from the Dao Sect, Cheng Xin and Rong Bi, so wary of? Cheng Xin stared blankly at the anomaly surrounding Zong Shou. Could this be a vision of Creation? Half a moment later, he sighed and closed his eyes again. He felt that all his doubts were resolved. So that was it; what Ao Kun lacked in his Dao foundation was precisely the method of Creation! The Great Dao that no one had comprehended or mastered for ten thousand years since Xi Zi! Naturally, Zong Shou’s current mastery of the method of Creation was far from complete. However, for Ao Kun, merely glimpsing such a scene might allow him to benefit greatly. It might not fully mend his Dao foundation, but using this insight to heal his injuries would surely be more than enough!

Liu Jue seemed thoughtful, as if grasping something yet failing to find the core understanding. Zong Shou, however, did not fear that others could see his foundation. In truth, he was extremely helpless. Since mastering the middle stage of the Soul Realm's Unity Sword Intent, whenever he merged various Great Daos into one, the black and white Dharmic Aspects within his body would spontaneously participate. Whenever his sword intent reached its peak, this anomaly would occasionally manifest. And recently, after integrating the absolute, devastating sword intent as well, he found it even harder to control or cease at will. This also led Zong Shou to an epiphany: Death, absolute destruction, and even demonic practices were all indispensable parts of the world. If he wanted to achieve the Unity of Ten Thousand Daos and truly perfect the World-Shaking Spiritual Art, he would likely need to understand, and perhaps even cultivate, those demonic methods. But this was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. With his hand resting on his sword, Zong Shou’s sword intent, which had soared to its zenith, receded and gathered slightly.

"You also said that we ants could not comprehend the might of the superior nations of this domain. That we must rally allies, dispatch all our armies, and attack the Primordial Lotus with full force! Not returning without victory?" Without waiting for a reply, Zong Shou raised his sword-like brows: "Since you were willing to grant this Emperor an opportunity earlier, I must reciprocate. Simply hand over all the principal culprits, relinquish thirty Minor Thousand Worlds, kowtow in apology, and abolish your own Saint Realm cultivation; then, I can permit you to leave this place alive!" Liu Muchen’s eyes immediately flushed red, boiling with rage. A woman standing nearby scoffed coldly: "Truly arrogant! In my five thousand years of life, this is the first time I’ve seen such an insolent brat. Why waste so much breath? Just kill this person—" A nine-dragon colored sash suddenly threaded through the void. Crimson shadows flickered, encircling a section of space. Simultaneously echoing was Liu Jue's voice, filled with extreme dread: "The True Law of Creation, it is Ao Kun! Ao Kun has healed!" (To be continued)