Traveling from the Eastern Cloud Continent to the Central Cloud Land’s Southern Border would typically require at least twelve days by an ordinary cloud vessel. However, Zong Shou, commanding the Demon-Warding Divine Shuttle, managed the journey in just one day.

His arrival coincided precisely with the moment Shi Ruolan’s fleet entered the Cloud Realm. Nine Taiyi Divine Thunder Ships led the vanguard, followed by six Nine Luminaries Star-Shattering Ships, and supported by forty large aerial cruisers.

Together, they forcibly breached the spatial barrier and hovered within the sea of clouds. Each massive vessel exuded overwhelming majesty.

Coupled with the four Nine-Tusk Warships and fifty Seven-Tusk cruisers that the Great Qian Dynasty had progressively built in the Cloud Realm over the last few years, they now held the undisputed power to suppress the Great Shang fleet. With Commander Shi Ruolan at the helm, she was capable of outright annihilation.

Yet, hovering over this sea of clouds, Zong Shuo surveyed the scene with his World-Burning Blood Pupils and discovered that the opposing Great Shang forces comprised far more than just those twenty-two Nine-Tusk vessels. Beyond those, there were nine towering, celestial barges shrouded in immortal energy and encircled by spiritual light, along with eight notorious Seven-Killing Spirit-Slaying Ships favored by the demonic path.

These were all Immortal Artifacts, primarily designed for swift evasion, though they could certainly be employed as warships. Even if they couldn't match a dedicated Earth-tier warship like the Taiyi Divine Thunder Ship, the gap in capability would not be vast.

The Seven-Killing Spirit-Slayer was particularly dreadful; the more carnage it wrought, the denser the surrounding Spirit-Slaying Divine Light became. Any creature possessing strong sentience was particularly restricted by this sacred glow.

It was much as he had anticipated: both the Confucian and Demonic sects possessed deep, unyielding foundations. In terms of naval power, the Great Shang still held the absolute advantage.

Nevertheless, Shi Ruolan was supremely confident about this coming battle. “Brother, rest assured.

In just three days, Ruolan will heavily wound the enemy! This sea lane will certainly be secured.” According to Shi Ruolan’s assessment, those three days were merely allotted for adjusting the fleet’s state and allowing the soldiers aboard to acclimate to the Cloud Realm’s environment.

“The Great Shang has mobilized millions of troops deep into the Southern Border for this engagement. Their daily expenditure is impossible to tally; they simply cannot afford a prolonged campaign any more than we can!

Therefore, a fleet of sufficient size is all that is required—” As long as the vessels carried enough provisions and supplies, the Great Shang fleet would have no choice but to intercept and force a decisive battle with Shi Ruolan. Zong Shou chuckled softly.

It seemed Little Ruolan intended to settle the entire conflict in this one clash. Perhaps she had also seen through the Great Qian’s current predicament, understanding that one of the keys to victory lay in the outcome of this naval confrontation.

In truth, according to his own heart, he had only intended for Shi Ruolan’s fleet to secure a stalemate. As long as they remained undefeated upon the sea of clouds, the Great Qian would still possess a chance of overall victory.

“If we can crush the Great Shang fleet first, Sister Kong Yao will certainly have a much easier time!” In Zong Shou’s presence, Shi Ruolan exhibited rare confidence, even bordering on arrogance. She naturally understood the grave responsibility of engaging the Great Shang fleet in a head-on confrontation.

If the Great Qian won, with the sea lanes clear and reinforcements flowing ceaselessly, it would only pressure the Great Shang to hasten their efforts toward a land-based decisive battle. Once Kong Yao gained the initiative, with her being the Cloud Realm’s foremost celebrated marshal, she would undoubtedly reduce the Great Qian’s military advantage to its barest minimum.

But should they lose, it would push the Great Qian into its most perilous situation yet. Thus, Shi Ruolan made her vow, partly to soothe Zong Shou’s mind and partly as a pledge.

Unconsciously, she recalled the past: if her Brother hadn't pulled her out of the abyssal hellscape beneath the sea of clouds, she might still be struggling in that torment, utterly alone with no kin or reliance. Though she had commanded warships and directed several fleet engagements before, those battles mostly occurred after Zong Shou had already established a significant superiority.

Even if the fleet won, it was merely adding icing to the cake. Only this battle allowed her to truly utilize her own strength to turn the tide and aid Zong Shou.

Consequently, even if she perished here, she was determined to inflict heavy losses upon the Great Shang fleet. She would lay the cornerstone for the Great Qian’s ultimate victory.

Zong Shou understood the girl’s intentions somewhat. After a wry smile, he could only pat Shi Ruolan’s head with resignation.

“In any case, make your own judgment in the moment. But there is no need to force yourself, nor any need to be overly anxious.” Although not a truly peerless commander, his own ability to lead armies had been tempered through a thousand battles in later eras.

He was confident that on land, his military prowess was second to none. Moreover, the Great Qian army at this time was a gathering of renowned generals: Kong Yao, Zong Yuan, Ren Tianxing, along with the gradually maturing and battle-hardened Hu Zhongyuan, Chai Zhou, He Li, and others.

Thus, he genuinely did not wish for Shi Ruolan’s slender shoulders to bear too much pressure. However, observing Shi Ruolan’s demeanor, her mind was clearly set.

All he could do before departing was to arrange for the more cautious Gu Liekong to offer supplementary advice and look after her from the sidelines. Continuing to pilot the Demon-Warding Divine Shuttle, he proceeded into the Southern Border.

Upon entering the land, he immediately sensed the pervasive atmosphere of grim determination. This region, despite being riddled with swamps and dense forests, possessed exceptionally fertile soil.

The grain yield from one mu of land here was likely double that of the Eastern Cloud Continent! Along the way, Zong Shou observed a dozen or so tribes, all situated in strategically defensible positions, who had locked their gates and defended themselves.

Often, there were no travelers in the wild forests, and many cultivated fields and pastures lay fallow, apparently to avoid being caught in the sweep of this grand war. Zong Shou paid them no mind.

These tribes had been constantly at war with one another for years and were likely accustomed to conflict. This saved the Great Qian the trouble of persuading them to evacuate for a scorched-earth policy.

And Kong Yao, commanding the army of 3.2 million, was positioned south of the Henglian Mountain Range, split into several contingents, firmly blocking the few vital passes leading through it. The mountains were rugged and difficult for large armies to traverse; thus, only a small force was needed to guard the strategic choke points, effectively preventing the enemy from advancing or retreating.

Kong Yao deeply understood the art of war and would never neglect such superior terrain. When Zong Shou’s Demon-Warding Divine Shuttle descended into the main camp, the hundreds of thousands of officers and soldiers erupted in thunderous cheers.

All the generals were invigorated; the benefit of the sovereign personally leading the expedition was an immeasurable boost to morale. Zong Yuan and Ren Tianxing rushed from their camps hundreds of miles away that very day to pay their respects.

Only Kong Yao displayed a measure of cold reserve regarding Zong Shou’s arrival. “My forces are insufficient.

Maintaining those few passes has been exceedingly difficult. We are only holding on because the Great Shang hasn't truly exerted itself yet.

They are likely waiting for our dynasty’s army to willingly abandon these passes.” There was only one scenario where Kong Yao would voluntarily relinquish such a geographical advantage: if the fleet battle was lost. In that event, short of immediately seeking a final confrontation, their only option would be a full-scale retreat.

After speaking, Kong Yao regarded Zong Shou with a look of suspicion. “My Lord, you truly came alone?” Zong Shou nodded slightly—indeed, he had arrived utterly alone, without even his personal honor guard.

“Uncle Qiu has already conscripted four million third-tier martial cultivators, but those men will require some time before they can be effectively deployed.” The Great Qian was not lacking in wealth at this moment, but rather, they were truly short on deployable manpower.