"More than one person? Meaning that one also made a move?" Zong Shou surveyed the void, the confusion in his heart slightly easing.

He had been wondering why, after all, Li Wuque was a Saint Sovereign figure; it seemed unlikely he would retreat after only a brief exchange with Tan Kongbian. It must have been coercion, leaving him no other choice.

At this point, he had a rough estimation of the strength of the few Hall Masters of the Lu family. Alone, they were no match for a Zenith Realm expert.

But two or more together, they could surpass a Zenith Realm expert by a slight margin. "If he hadn't intervened, how could Li Wuque have been forced to retreat?

However, the might of the Fen Kong Lu Family is indeed overbearing. Today, I, Long Ying, have truly witnessed it.

Li Wuque was also helpless; the Fen Kong Holy Court alone possesses nearly twelve Zenith Realm combat strengths. Not to mention the three true Saint Sovereigns who have semi-retired, dozens of Saint Realm Elders, and tens of thousands of Heaven-rank Dao Soldiers.

Even I feel a bit apprehensive facing such power. Your Great Qian Immortal Dynasty has a long and arduous road ahead if it wishes to contend with the Lu Family—" Zong Shou simply grunted, offering no reply.

He knew that what Long Ying spoke of was merely the surface strength of the Fen Kong Lu Family. It was unknown what other hidden foundations lay within the Lu Family.

But even just this publicly known portion was an immense behemoth to him. Yet, Zong Shou was not the sort to collapse under such pressure and lose his confidence.

Instead of being crushed, his fighting spirit had been aroused. Eight hundred minor-thousand worlds?

His Great Qian would, sooner or later, stand above them all! The grand hegemony over millions of worlds that he had once mentioned to Zong Weiran, which he hadn't been overly focused on before, merely doing his best, now held a newfound seriousness for him.

He felt that inheriting the position of the First Heir of the Fen Kong Lu Family and assisting his mother and Lu Beiwu would never allow him to stand truly straight. Then, what if, one day, he could stomp the arrogant and overbearing Fen Kong Holy Court under his own feet?

Thinking of this, the corner of Zong Shou’s mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. He felt that the sense of confusion that had lingered in his chest since returning from the Nine Absolutes Death Prison had completely dissipated.

However, this path was truly one of heavy responsibility and a long journey; he needed to start working hard from this moment forward, seizing every opportunity, every passing moment. He needed more Dao Soldiers, more worlds under his control, and more cultivators.

He himself also needed stronger cultivation and combat power. One day, his sword would be unrivaled throughout the universe, and Great Qian would become the master of ten thousand million worlds!

Fortunately, the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty now had a complete Dao Soldier system, bolstered by the presence of Ao Kun and Ao Yi. It was already capable of entering a fast track of rapid expansion.

The Yuan Lian World, along with the surrounding territories, could be stabilized within three years at most. So, where should the next target be set?

Zong Shou's heart suddenly stirred, and he thought of the Tian Fang World. That location was truly a crucial point.

Its position was excellent, with four-way access to the outer domain riverways, and it guarded a vital passage. If the Night Demon Clan and Shadow Demon Clan intended to invade the Cloud Realm, while this place wasn't the only necessary route, it would undoubtedly be the first to bear the brunt.

The wisest choice would be to leave it alone for now. But if they occupied this area, the trade revenue from just the Tian Fang Realm alone could support another three hundred-plus Source Sea Transcendent Spirits and dozens of Divine Essences!

This meant one complete Great Zhou Tian Supreme Demon Slaying Sword Formation! And at this time, there was also a sufficient reason, a perfect excuse.

The only cost was to clash head-on with the Night Demon Clan first! It truly made decision-making difficult— Zong Shou gradually fell into deep thought.

Over there, after Tan Kongbian slew Liu Muchen, he paid no further attention to anything else. He then turned back towards Zong Shou and bowed deeply: "I have come today under the command of the Holy Emperor to escort the Young Master back to the Lu Clan.

I request the Young Master board the carriage—" Zong Shou finally snapped back to reality. He glanced at the empty carriage, then shook his head: "When I am free, I will naturally visit the Fen Kong Holy Court.

But not now!" His tone was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. Tan Kongbian seemed unsurprised and smiled slightly.

He offered no persuasion, merely bowing again: "Since that is the case, then I shall obey the Young Master's command! The Emperor's Princess is very much missing the Young Master.

If the Young Master has leisure, please make the journey soon." With that, he flicked his sleeve with an air of nonchalance, and the entire procession of carriages and honors crossed the void once more, disappearing from sight in mere moments. "I truly didn't expect that after a few years, Zong Shou, you would become the First Heir of the Fen Kong Lu Family." Yuan Wushang stared fixedly until the last graceful figure of a handmaiden completely vanished from view, only then turning to speak with Zong Shou.

"The head of the three great noble families in this domain, the future Lord of Fen Kong. Yet, judging by your expression, you seem rather unwilling?" "It's a long story, difficult to put into words!" Zong Shou was reluctant to elaborate, sweeping his gaze over the surroundings.

With these two great figures gone, they had left behind a massive mess for him to deal with here. However, upon closer inspection, there were no lingering issues requiring his attention.

The chaotic battle involving hundreds of void ships had long since concluded following the disastrous defeat of the Jiu Du Immortal Court. After Liu Muchen was slain, the ships belonging to the Jiu Du Immortal Court had not the slightest will to fight left.

Even if the general commanding the fleet possessed heaven-defying abilities, it was now too late to salvage the situation. But at this moment, that little girl Shi Ruolan was probably disappointed and annoyed again.

The outcome of both naval battles was decided by the elimination of the opposing leaders. Her unparalleled military talent had not been fully displayed.

Furthermore, the remaining forty-odd Divine Realm experts present were now all anxious, finding it difficult to pose a threat under the suppression of Ao Kun and Ao Yi. A portion of them belonged to the Xuan Ling Cultivation Society and the Extreme Absolute Immortal Court.

However, a full seventy percent were subordinates of Liu Muchen. If Liu Muchen were still alive, these people would naturally have to return to the Jiu Du Immortal Court.

But now that Liu Muchen was dead, the majority of these thirty-three Divine Realm experts would surely flee far away, never returning to the precarious stronghold of the Jiu Du Immortal Court. It was somewhat of a pity.

After a brief moment of thought, Zong Shou raised an eyebrow and asked: "Are you willing to swear an oath to serve my Great Qian?" Naturally, it had to be the most solemn Heart and Soul Oath; otherwise, he could not use them with peace of mind. Those Divine Realm cultivators were stunned by the request.

But after only half a breath, someone realized the situation and immediately bowed without hesitation. "The state is already destroyed; we are willing.

To serve as ministers of Great Qian!" The others were not slow to follow. Some showed slight hesitation, but seeing the reaction of those around them, they dared not delay any longer.

In truth, there was little need to hesitate. On one side was the already collapsed Jiu Du Immortal Court, and on the other was the Great Qian, blessed with the Lu Family's First Heir as its Emperor.

No matter how one looked at it, the latter path appeared brighter. Just observing the Saint Realm powerhouses holding sway, the Dragon Shadow behind them, and the overwhelmingly powerful Dao Soldiers— As long as one was not utterly deluded, it was clear that this nascent force had boundless prospects.

The number surprisingly exceeded thirty-three, reaching forty in total. Only five individuals remained silent.

These were the subordinates of the Extreme Absolute Immortal Court and the Xuan Ling Cultivation Society. Zong Shou didn't mind; these reluctant ones could be used for ransom exchanges.

It was just that the sheer number was a bit excessive— The Yuan Lian World and its surroundings totaled forty-four minor-thousand worlds, which was far from enough for his needs. Since the Jiu Du Immortal Court was destined for ruin, Zong Shou didn't mind taking some extra advantages.

With these subdued subordinates leading the way, Great Qian would possess a greater advantage than other forces. The problem was that the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty's inherent strength was insufficient; the number of Dao Soldiers across all four tiers was somewhat lacking.

Even if they occupied those worlds, they might not be able to hold onto them successfully. Only the Tian Fang World—that place was small, but if managed well, its income could rival ten minor-thousand worlds.

It seemed he must ultimately start there— Even with potential future troubles, he could not afford to worry about that now. Having made his decision, Zong Shou hesitated no longer.

However, there was no need to deal with these Saint Realm cultivators immediately. The Heart and Soul Oath was by no means simple and required time for preparation.

Zong Shou first reached out and grasped the wisp of golden Geng Metal Qi. It was worthy of being a Heaven-rank spiritual object, inherently sharp beyond measure, possessing a spiritual vitality that caused it to jump restlessly in Zong Shou's grasp.

With the strength he possessed, he could barely hold onto it, and his right hand was cut in several places, bleeding profusely. Since this item concerned whether his Second Nascent Soul could truly form, Zong Shou paid close attention to it.

Just as he was speculating what kind of spiritual object it was, Zong Shou heard Ye Xuan say: "It should be the Innate Purple Profound Profound Metal Qi! While this object is incomparably sharp, it is extremely difficult to mold.

But once successfully refined, it will surely become an unparalleled sword artifact, with the potential to advance to a Divine Treasure." He added: "No wonder that Liu Jue didn't refine this object into a weapon, merely giving it away cheaply to us. If this object were refined by an ordinary artificer, it would truly be a waste of heaven's bounty.

To forge it into a sword requires an absolutely top-tier artifact master." Zong Shou raised an eyebrow, feeling a fresh layer of frustration. His Void Spirit Sword Forging Art forged soul swords, following the method of the Second Nascent Soul, which he sculpted himself.

He didn't have Ye Xuan's specific troubles. However, this Yuan Yi Soul Sword was also the vessel for gathering the Qi of Kingship.

Before embarking on its full refinement, he wanted to ask someone to handle the preliminary steps for the sword embryo, specifically refining this wisp of Innate Purple Profound Profound Metal Qi. Mainly, the runes required to suppress the Qi of Kingship and purify it.

He truly could not trust an ordinary artificer with this task. A top-tier artifact master?

He wondered if that person qualified. If all else failed, he would have to seek out the Ancestor Master of the Kong Qi Sect.

"Speaking of artifact refinement, I also need Zong Shou to take care of something." Yuan Wushang suddenly spoke, pointing towards his jade puppet. Zong Shou looked over and saw that the jade puppet was covered in various marks.

It should have been flawless white jade on the surface, but now it looked utterly miserable. There was no need to ask; he knew those marks were the handiwork of the two Saint Realm experts from the Daoist Sect.

Yuan Wushang forced a smile that looked worse than weeping: "This time, I, Yuan Mou, have suffered a terrible loss for your sake. Zong Shou, you cannot ignore this—" Zong Shou let out a muffled laugh.

This jade puppet was a Mo Family artifact; how could anyone else repair it? But then his heart stirred again.

Come to think of it, that person did have some connection with the Mo Family. What a coincidence; he happened to be planning a trip to the Tian Fang World anyway.