As the first rays of dawn pierced through the now-vanished Emerald Gorge, Zhu Zi’s silhouette had already retreated from the scene. Gone too, were those several Saint Realm cultivators.

Not exactly fleeing in panic, but their retreat was certainly less than dignified. “If you all can level Emerald Gorge, then naturally I can take your heads!

Just wait for the axes to fall upon this foolish monarch of yours!” Zong Shou’s words still echoed in the air. Yet now, no one dared to lightly challenge the edge of the Seven Swords of the Common Man.

When Zhu Xi departed, not a word was uttered. Once this man fled, the Buddha’s incarnation, Amitabha, and the Sword Sect’s Supreme Purity Divine Venerable also dissolved into light and vanished.

Even the void beyond the domain grew completely calm. Those few Supremes had disappeared without a trace.

It was only because the strength on both sides was roughly equal, with the Daoist, Confucian, and Demonic schools holding a slight edge, yet not overwhelmingly so. A full-force confrontation would result in a fifty-fifty chance of victory.

But whichever side won, the losses would be catastrophic. Continuing the fight would benefit neither party.

A timely withdrawal was the best strategy. “Zong Shou brat!

One hundred and eighty million royal troops have arrived here today. We shall see if you can remain so smug in a few days when we sweep through the Southern Frontier!” A roar, like rolling thunder, carried faintly across the distance.

Zong Shou merely sneered, too indifferent to pay heed. What need was there to care about the unwilling words of a few cornered strays?

It was merely an attempt to save a shred of face. With a pull of his sword art, another vast swath of sword light descended.

Precisely where the original Emerald Gorge had stood, it carved a massive, east-west gash spanning thousands of miles, plunging a thousand fathoms deep and stretching over a hundred miles wide. It was like an immense chasm, lying across the space between the two armies, separating them.

Zong Shou’s feelings at that moment were incredibly strange. Years ago, he had found the Evil Soul Gulch, seven thousand li long outside Qiantian Mountain, utterly unbelievable.

But now, he too possessed the ability to move mountains and alter the earth. He could achieve it without borrowing the power of the sword formation.

If he willed it, a single strike could cleave the continuous mountain range in two. However, such excessive destruction would inevitably draw in karmic entanglement, disrupt the terrestrial energy, and perhaps even provoke the heavens into unleashing divine punishment.

With a thought, the Spirit Refining Sword flew back with a low hum. The Seven Swords of the Common Man instantly dissolved.

Zong Shou’s figure gradually descended, landing beside Kong Yao, who had been observing the battle below. In the camp below, cheers erupted everywhere.

Morale soared; even the most obtuse person knew that the recent upheaval at Emerald Gorge had favored their side. Zong Shou scanned the camp, noticing that the worry on many faces had significantly receded.

His heart eased slightly. With the complete obliteration of Emerald Gorge, he had genuinely worried that his subordinates’ morale would be crushed.

“After this battle, the Supremes will no longer intervene. The pact from ten thousand years ago remains valid.” Although those few Supremes had barely spoken moments ago, their mental communications alone had been sufficient to reach an accord.

No Saint Venerable or higher could interfere in this conflict in any manner. Kong Yao’s delicate eyebrows arched slightly, expressing minor surprise.

“So easily?” The Confucian School had suffered another huge loss today. Two Saint ranks had fallen once more to Zong Shou’s sword.

By comparison, the leveling of Emerald Gorge was insignificant. But that Zhu Zi had retreated cleanly and decisively, without any lingering entanglement or argument.

“How could it be easy? They had no choice!” Zong Shou chuckled.

If the fight had truly escalated, the result would have been mutual devastation. However, Zhu Zi Qingxuan on the other side knew even better that even if every person present died, Xiuguan would still survive.

It would live on to the end. The Eternal Way was not something to be taken lightly!

Its capacity for survival even surpassed that of Xi Zi in those ancient times. Unless one could use absolute power to sever its foundation, eradicating or sealing Xiuguan would be nearly impossible.

There had to be a reason why he could subdue the myriad sects with his singular strength. Zong Shou spoke, then looked at the chasm before him with a trace of regret.

It was a pity; this was the extent of what he could achieve at the moment. Compared to the naturally formed terrain of Emerald Gorge previously, this was still lacking.

“This place can delay the enemy for three days at most. Yao’er, you should start considering how to withdraw your troops from here!” “I intended to long ago!” Kong Yao appeared self-assured, without the slightest hint of dejection.

“Even without today’s turn of events, I would have chosen to retreat after tomorrow. This place can only be held for ten days at most, and casualties increase daily.

It is not the optimal location to impede the enemy.” As Kong Yao spoke, she gazed across the field with a wistful expression toward the opposite side. That Grand General of the Southern Pacification, Fei Yin, had been her superior, the Sovereign of War, just a few years prior.

From their exchanges over the past few days, his military command was still as seasoned and ruthless as ever; he could not be underestimated. Recalling old times, among the generals in the Great Merchant’s North, she was the one least favored by this old commander.

It was simply because her consumption of supplies and grain was often the highest, while her resulting gains were the lowest. Though her achievements were brilliant and she never knew defeat, she was constantly reprimanded by Fei Yin.

Over time, she even began to doubt herself, wondering if she truly lacked talent in leading troops. That was until she met Zong Shou, who unhesitatingly entrusted his entire army of over a million men to him.

The events of the past could now be met with a smile, yet a flicker of resentment remained in her heart. That man had called her a ‘fool’ more than a hundred times back then.

And the best retort would be to defeat him squarely on the battlefield, hurling that word ‘fool’ back at him. Then, she shook her head again, collecting her thoughts.

Kong Yao gave a self-deprecating laugh; even she could have such moments. A woman’s heart, indeed, could be the pettiest of all.

“The strength of our Great Qian lies in our naval supremacy. If used correctly, three million two hundred thousand troops can be equal to seventy thousand elite soldiers; why tangle with them here?

Actually, what worried me most was the possibility of those Saints acting without restraint. Easily shifting a mountain or severing a river would cause immense trouble.” In the years Great Qian had developed the Southern Frontier, they had amassed a fleet of one hundred and twenty Cloud-Piercing Warships alone across the southern waterways.

Since the Great Merchant’s navy could not enter, Great Qian’s vessels naturally reigned supreme. But if a Saint were to intervene, altering rivers or redirecting paths, then even the strongest navy would be powerless.

And since they dared to level Emerald Gorge, it meant these individuals were absolutely capable of such actions. Zong Shou had worried about the same thing, knowing that Zhu Zi’s intervention was merely a probe, but had he and the Common Way been unable to resist, such actions would surely have occurred.

Now, it was no longer a concern. Watching Kong Yao’s composed and intelligent appearance, he found himself somewhat lost in admiration.

Kong Yao was already exquisitely beautiful, with a long and graceful figure. Clad in silver armor now, she looked even more captivating, like a pristine and transcendent little lily, making one yearn to look upon her endlessly.

Recalling the gentle, water-like tenderness and the desperate clinging from Little Yao’er last night, Zong Shou couldn't help but sigh heavily, regretting the interruption. This Zhu Zi had arrived at the most inconvenient time.

What harm would a day or two later have done? Why such haste?

Kong Yao finally noticed Zong Shou’s intense gaze and instantly guessed his thoughts, her face flushing crimson. “You glutton!

Wasn’t one night enough yesterday? Do you expect me to accompany you in daylight debauchery too?” Zong Shou remained silent, but the corner of his lips curved into a meaningful smile.

With his skills of provocation, it wouldn't have been difficult to continue things as they were back then. Kong Yao was both ashamed and annoyed, yet also felt a slight panic.

She thought that if the several Saints hadn't intervened to level the mountain, she probably would still be clinging to Zong Shou’s embrace, unwilling to get up, completely unable to escape his clutches. However, unwilling to show weakness, she let out a soft snort and averted her gaze to focus on the matter at hand, lest her mind be submerged in Zong Shou’s Heavenly Fox Illusory Eyes.

“Over these past few years, Yao’er has subjugated many tribes in the Southern Frontier. While the land of the Southern Frontier is rich and fertile, these tribes are mostly destitute from years of warfare, lacking in resources.

However, to show a slight deference to my Great Qian, many tribes have offered up the most outstanding and beautiful young women from their ranks as tribute to His Highness, the Demon King of Great Qian. I dared not act unilaterally, nor was it easy to refuse.

So I had no choice but to accept them, awaiting your disposition upon your return, my husband—” Zong Shou was utterly bewildered; the more he listened to Kong Yao’s tone, the more something felt amiss. Tribute of young women?

He was no ruler of a barbaric land; for a sword cultivator, female beauty was something dispensable. Besides, with companions like Xuanyuan Yiren and Kong Yao, beauties whose talent and temperament were unparalleled, how could ordinary fleeting charms catch his eye?

Even Zhao Yanran, though dazzlingly beautiful, had never stirred his heart. Kong Yao knew his nature; she should have simply refused.

What was this talk of ‘daring not to act unilaterally’ and ‘not easy to refuse,’ waiting for him to deal with it—what game was this? “A month ago, I conscripted three hundred thousand laborers.

On that place you named the Meteor God Plain, I constructed a new temporary palace for you, my husband.” Zong Shou was even more mystified, unable to grasp the meaning of her words until Kong Yao continued: “With me managing the war here, we can certainly hold off the Great Merchant. Since you have nothing else to do anyway, why not move to the temporary palace and enjoy yourself with those beautiful maidens—” Zong Shou paused, then finally understood.

“In other words, this is a plan to use me as bait?” Kong Yao’s watery eyes had curved into crescent moons from smiling. “There are other methods, but they are too troublesome.

This strategy is the simplest. Your reputation is already notorious, my husband, so you likely won’t mind—” Zong Shou pondered deeply and realized it was indeed so.

While the great battle raged, he would be far from the fighting, forcibly collecting the most beautiful maidens from various clans, indulging in excess within a lavish palace built upon the ‘fat of the common people.’ By all appearances, it was the behavior of the most genuine degenerate ruler. Those Confucian scholars would certainly be delighted to slay this debauched monarch here, thereby validating the Saint Edict issued by Zhu Zi earlier.

The Meteor God Plain was distant from the main battlefield, but the surrounding terrain was perfectly suited for a surprise attack by elite forces. “This plan is unacceptable!” Zong Shou shook his head without hesitation.

While he didn't overly care about his own reputation, there was no need to deliberately make his external name even worse. “Is that so?” Kong Yao was not disappointed, her voice smooth and unhurried.

“A while ago, Sister Yiren sent me a letter. She mentioned that many people in Great Qian now believe you have recently refrained from taking concubines because you are unable to approach women?

And that you seem quite bothered by this—” At these words, Zong Shou’s face instantly turned green.