A few corpses lay there, all desiccated and ash-white. The blood had been completely drained from their bodies. Their expressions were agonizingly twisted, clearly indicating they had endured extreme suffering before death.

"A Saint Realm cultivator dares to enter the Cloud Realm; is he not afraid of being besieged and killed?" "With the Three Sects allied now, that person indeed has nothing to fear!" It wasn't just Zong Shou; everyone's expression at this moment was grim. They all knew clearly what kind of devastation a Saint Realm Venerable could inflict upon the Great Qian territory if he disregarded his status. Years ago, over a hundred Spirit Realm cultivators from the Daoist Sect caused mayhem across the Eastern Cloud Continent, resulting in millions of casualties and immeasurable material losses. And now, the Demonic Sect would surely be even more reckless than the Daoist cultivators!

"That Blood Saint Demon Lord is said to be one of the strongest among the Saint Realm in the Cloud Realm. The Cang Sheng Dao Master, Wei Xu, and Kun Ming of the Dao Sect have both achieved Tribulation Ascension to Immortality. This man's power in the Saint Realm is second only to the Master of the Sword Sect." Kong Rui recounted his background: "The method he cultivates is actually unrelated to blood; it is the Immortal Ascension Severing Desire True Scripture, an Eleventh-Grade Divine Ability. It is only because he delights in slaughter and feeds on blood that he is called the Blood Saint Demon Lord—" Zong Shou raised an eyebrow; he already had a sense of this person's strength. The Yin Dragon that fought him just now suffered a minor setback on the very first exchange. If not for his apprehension regarding Zong Shou’s potential combined assault with Chu Xue, who wielded a Divine Weapon as backup, the Demon Lord would not have retreated so easily. "Since this person has made his move, it is likely the other Demonic Venerables will also enter the mortal world—" Before Ren Bo's words could fully land, a voice echoed from outside the hall: "No need for worry! I shall handle this Blood Saint Demon Lord!" Three figures strolled in from outside the hall; the one leading was Ao Kun, with Ao Yi beside him. A relaxed smile spread across Zong Shou’s face. In terms of cultivation, Ao Kun was naturally on the lower end among the Saints. However, when it came to sheer combat power, he was truly number one in the Saint Realm. With the bloodline of the Space-Warping Dragon, the Blood Saint Demon Lord would find it impossible to escape Ao Kun's pursuit.

"Brother Ao speaks truly! Junior Brother need not fret over the rest; we shall contain the Saint Ranks of the Three Sects. Junior Brother only needs to focus entirely on handling this one battle." Behind Ao Kun was Ming Yu. His tone was steady, not born of arrogance, but genuine confidence. Both the Dao and Confucian factions had their restraints. Daoist temples and academies were scattered across the entire realm, and they dared not rashly attack within the Great Qian territory. The only ones without many such scruples were the various Demonic Sects. Even so, the Cang Sheng Dao could manage one faction alone. And just as Ming Yu finished speaking, another young Daoist entered from outside the hall. "Should the Demonic Path run rampant, my Sword Sect will not stand idly by!" With that, the youth bowed deeply to Zong Shou: "Sword Sect's Chu Chenzi greets the Sovereign! I have come upon the Sect Master's command to assist the State Ruler. Our Sword Sect has been established for seven thousand years, and we have six Saint Realm experts available for the Sovereign's dispatch!" A sharp glint flashed in Zong Shou’s eyes before his expression calmed. With the combined might of the Cang Sheng Dao and the Sword Sect, suppressing one Demonic Faction should present little pressure. He then looked at Ren Bo and Qiu Wei; both maintained composed expressions, completely unshaken by the recent turn of events. Zong Shou couldn't help but smile; with such ministers, what did he have to worry about?

Following this council session, decisions were made regarding troop deployment. Originally, Ren Bo and the others assumed their lazy Sovereign would at least put on a show of diligence for a while to dispel the external rumors of him being an incompetent ruler. However, to their surprise, on the second day, Zong Shou ordered the gates of the Hanyan Palace sealed tight. He ventured out no more, naturally ignoring the mountainous piles of governmental affairs.

Fortunately, the ministers' sources were sufficiently "well-informed," and they soon learned that Zong Shou was currently keeping Xuanyuan Yiren by his side, engaging daily in those scandalous, earth-shattering activities within the sleeping chambers. It was rumored that the sounds could be heard clearly from a mile away. The ministers were left speechless. They knew the Sovereign and the Empress shared deep affection, but surely not to the extent of indulging in such debauchery when the Great Qian faced existential peril.

Three days later, all civil and military officials of the Second Rank and above were forced to reassemble in the Chongzheng Hall, resignedly. "The Empress is far too imprudent; why does she not show restraint?" Before the sentence was finished, a cold snort was heard—it was Xuanyuan Tong, who held the title of Duke of the State. Only then did everyone recall that the Empress's father was an immensely powerful figure within the Great Qian. Many of his former subordinates held key posts in both military and civil administration. Offending him would certainly make life difficult in the future.

"The State faces a great change, and the Sovereign acts in such a manner; it is truly improper and opens us up to criticism. We must advise him—" The ministers first looked to Ren Bo, who was highly respected and the most suitable choice. But Ren Bo was looking up at the heavens, pretending to hear nothing. He had already severely offended the Sovereign last time when Zong Shou intended to eradicate all Daoist elements within the territory, and this time, he truly did not wish to provoke Zong Shou's temper over this matter. In the past, he would have risked death to submit a memorial, but now, he preferred not to look. They then looked at Qiu Wei, the foremost general of the Great Qian's Firmament Realm, who was intently staring at the floor tiles, which were as smooth as mirrors, as if counting ants. Disappointed, the ministers turned to Zong Ling. Zong Ling merely gave a light cough: "The Sovereign is willing to propagate the Dragon Clan bloodline, allowing the royal house to branch out. This is fortunate and a vital affair for our Great Qian; why should we offer remonstrance?" Zong Lan nodded continuously, clearly agreeing wholeheartedly. Having no choice, the ministers had to drop the matter. This gathering, naturally, ended without resolution.

Yet, the more observant among them began to sense that the Great Qian now seemed much the same whether the Sovereign was present or not. The Six Ministries of the Grand Secretariat, the Privy Council, the Censorate, the Five Military Oversight Divisions, and the Council of Advisers—each office performed its duty, operating smoothly. Even amidst this turbulent unrest and brewing storm, stability prevailed. In fact, should the Sovereign interfere with administrative affairs, it might even invite unnecessary complications.

At this very moment, Zong Shou was resting his head on Xuanyuan Yiren’s slender arm, his expression one of utter satisfaction. Yiren had achieved Dao through Elixir and stepped into the Spirit Realm. The greatest benefit was that her capacity for endurance had increased several times over, making her perfectly fit for conquest. Her entire body of jade skin was flushed crimson, her breathing ragged, a fine sheen of fragrant sweat covering her face, still immersed in the afterglow of their passion. Her beautiful eyes were languid and languorous, seeming to imply, I still want more, I need more. Zong Shou chuckled, one hand gently stroking Xuanyuan Yiren’s petal-soft cheek, while the other roamed continuously over her perfectly sculpted body, occasionally teasing her peaks, occasionally delving into her secret spring.

"What? Yiren, are you not yet satisfied? If you still desire more, your husband can reluctantly oblige..." Xuanyuan Yiren wished she could bite off Zong Shou's hand right there. On this bed, there was no telling how many times they had done this. Tired, they slept; upon waking, they resumed. Her mind was completely empty of everything else, save for wave after wave of rapturous, all-consuming ecstasy that left her breathless and unable to stop. It was already so shameful; yet this scoundrel was still pushing things this far!