Zong Shou felt both unsurprised and startled.

It was unsurprising because after the great battle in the Qiongjing of the Common Realm, it was inevitable that the Sword and Buddha Sects, who had remained aloof, would react.

What startled him was that the first to call was not the Buddhist Gate, but the Sword Sect.

However, the arrival of the Sword Sect Master naturally warranted reception by Wei Xu, who was himself the head of a major lineage.

The one truly there to see Zong Shou was the Palace Master of the Sword Palace, Ling Chen.

As Zong Shou reached the outer edge of the Qiongjing, he saw the middle-aged man who had left such a deep impression on him standing there, in that place perpetually shrouded in residual resentment.

With his right hand pointing vaguely, he appeared to be contemplating and deducing the innate Sword Intent left behind in that locale.

Initial Stage of the Divine Realm!

A sharp glint flashed in Zong Shou’s eyes. He recalled that during their last meeting, this man was merely at the Ninth Tier of cultivation.

A profound accumulation leading to a sudden breakthrough—truly, none embodied this better than him! Even Shui Lingbo was far inferior.

Two others accompanied this man. One was Ling Jian Ruotao, who smiled and inclined his head in acknowledgment.

The other was unfamiliar. A man around thirty, dressed in Daoist robes, yet possessing an ethereal, detached air. At this moment, however, he looked over with deep significance in his gaze.

Seeing an old friend brought Zong Shou joy. But he knew that Ling Chen's visit must imply a grave matter. Thus, after exchanging courtesies, Zong Shou adopted a posture of respectful attention.

Ling Chen maintained the same deep deference towards him as before.

"For Feng Taiji’s current achievements, Ling Chen must truly thank Your Majesty!"

Though several years had passed since their last meeting, even the fragmented reports filtering back from the Yuanlian Realm made it clear that Feng Taiji was no longer who he once was. He had truly shed all inner obstacles, soaring like a genuine phoenix in the heavens.

Zong Shou smiled lightly, unconcerned, subtly shifting his stance to indicate he could not accept such praise.

"Senior, you thank the wrong person. This is due to Feng Taiji’s exceptional natural talent and a disposition capable of being cultivated; it has nothing to do with this solitary one."

Ling Chen offered another formal bow before proceeding to the main point: "Ten days ago, Ling Chen would absolutely not have anticipated that the Dao of Common Life could safely weather this catastrophe. Not only was the Qiongjing preserved, but three Venerable Saints of the Ultimate Realm were slain. Nor did I ever imagine that Your Majesty was the future Buddha Lord of the Buddhist Gate, the Brahma Heaven Tathagata, the Buddha of Boundless Beginning and End."

He had long suspected Zong Shou had a close connection to the Dao of Common Life.

But he never dreamed Zong Shou would also possess such ties to the Buddhist Gate. If Zong Shou chose, in a millennium he could likely enter the Lapis Lazuli World and become the Buddha Lord revered by hundreds of millions of disciples.

"In this battle, Zong Shou also feels it was largely by luck," Zong Shou sighed with feigned sincerity, pointedly ignoring all mention of the Future Buddha Lord, Brahma Heaven Tathagata, or the Buddha of Boundless Beginning and End. He hadn't even decided how to appropriately respond to those titles himself.

Ling Chen let out a soft laugh, his expression quickly turning serious again. "After this battle, the lineage of the Dao of Common Life now boasts four Venerable Saints of the Ultimate Realm, making it undeniably the foremost sect in the Cloud Realm! The fact that Your Majesty is a second-generation direct disciple of the Dao of Common Life will likely be known to the world soon. May I ask what Your Majesty’s future plans entail?"

Zong Shou’s expression immediately sobered. He knew, without needing to guess deeply, that the purpose of these three visitors to the Common Realm Qiongjing lay in Ling Chen's final question.

"Senior Ling, if the Cloud Realm were a cake, then this cake is far too small—barely enough for everyone to share."

Seeing the bewilderment in the eyes of the three men before him, Zong Shou chuckled lightly, feeling a sliver of smug satisfaction.

"Therefore, instead of fighting over this piece, perhaps we should work together to make this cake bigger, until everyone is satisfied—"

Including Ruotao, the eyes of all three men suddenly ignited with sharp brilliance.

Zong Shou knew this single sentence would not satisfy the Sword Sect, so he continued: "This solitary one has always advocated ruling by law, rewarding merit and punishing transgression. To have the myriad people within the domain adhere to my laws, trust and fairness must be maintained. Neither the Dao of Common Life nor the Sword or Buddhist Sects shall be exceptions within my territory! I also understand the principle of sharing benefits. I myself generally do not involve myself in governance; all matters are decided by the Council Hall and the Cabinet. This policy will become the permanent standard. What does your Sword Sect have to worry about?"

The last sentence carried a hint of sarcasm.

Ling Chen paid it no mind, instead offering a reassuring smile. "Your Majesty is indeed a rare wise sovereign in the ten thousand years of our Cloud Realm! With these words from Your Majesty, the Sword Sect need have no further concerns. It is the great fortune of the Sword Sect to have encountered such a ruler!"

"A wise sovereign? Heh—" Zong Shou scoffed self-deprecatingly. "I am now the enemy of the Confucian Gate; every soul in the Cloud Realm likely knows I am a tyrannical and foolish lord."

"Though the Confucian Gate controls the histories, they cannot silence the mouths of everyone under heaven," Ling Chen shook his head, then stated gravely, "Once the Edict of the Sage is issued, the Great Shang will certainly raise a massive army to attack; this will be an unjust war. My Sword Sect and the Great Qian are now interdependent, our interests inextricably linked. Among the Six Sects of the Cloud Realm, though the Sword Sect is the weakest, we absolutely cannot stand idly by. Ten days hence, we will dispatch all forty thousand of our Weiyang Sword Cavalry to be at Your Majesty’s disposal."

Zong Shou raised an eyebrow, looking over in genuine surprise this time.

Even with the Sword Sect's forty thousand Weiyang Sword Cavalry, the disparity in troop numbers remained greater than five to one. At a time when victory was not yet assured, the Sword Sect was placing such a heavy bet on him?

Ling Chen merely smiled. "This old man trusts Your Majesty, and also trusts Marshal Kong! The Sword Sect could not intervene in the battle of the Common Realm Qiongjing. But against the Great Shang’s invasion of the Great Qian, the Sword Sect can no longer remain spectators. Your Majesty may not know, but three days ago, the Sword Sect had actually prepared to relocate out of the Cloud Realm. Should the Dao of Common Life fail, the overall situation in the Cloud Realm would be one where the Sword Sect could not hold its ground alone—"

Remaining uninvolved would certainly cause no harm to the Sword Sect. But if Zong Shou won, and if he were to bestow rewards, he would inevitably strengthen the power and influence of the Dao of Common Life within the Great Qian. For the Sword Sect, this represented the greatest possible loss.

Hearing this, Zong Shou instantly understood with a knowing smile. At that very moment, he noticed a golden light suddenly emanate from the brow of the ethereal Daoist standing beside Ling Chen, as if an eye were gazing down at him from a distance.

"Qi Observation Art?"

Zong Shou frowned in displeasure. This appeared to be some supreme method of scrying aura. What mysteries was the Sword Sect up to?

Then he realized: although the Sword Sect had placed a heavy wager on him, they were ultimately still uneasy. Hence, they brought along an expert skilled in divination and calculation.

Ling Chen also noticed, his expression turning awkward, and he sternly reprimanded, "Hua Ruo! Show some respect before His Majesty!"

The ethereal Daoist, however, remained unchanged, his face rigid. "It was unavoidable! I cannot perceive Your Majesty's Royal Aura through ordinary means—"

His words cut off abruptly as Hua Ruo let out a piercing, agonizing scream, and blood suddenly dripped from the center of his brow.

Hua Ruo touched his forehead, his eyes filled with utter disbelief. "The Aura of a Sacred King! Dragon and Phoenix intertwined—it is the manifestation of a Sacred King!"