The nearby reanimated corpses showed no sign of advancing further, and those Corpse Generals remained static, their intentions unclear—whether they had given up, were wary of Zong Shou, or were plotting something else entirely. In any case, none of the corpse soldiers dared cross the fifty-li boundary around the Celestial Altar.

For the time being, no further assault seemed imminent. And the completion of the second core within the Altar was less than an hour away.

It was only then that everyone noticed Zong Shou’s peculiar behavior.

Although he held the Nine-Aperture Life-Origin Stone, tending to Su Xiaoxiao’s injuries, Zong Shou’s gaze constantly scanned the surroundings, as if searching for something, with fleeting expressions of confusion crossing his face.

Seeing this, Li Xuanxuan immediately chuckled, “Still lost in thought over that girl? Could it be you’ve taken a liking to her?”

She had caught a glimpse of the woman’s appearance earlier; she was indeed a rare beauty, possessing an extraordinary, ethereal quality untouched by mundane concerns. Even Li Xuanxuan herself had been struck by her grace, making it understandable why Zong Shou might be captivated.

“But judging by her state, her situation seemed perilous. She appeared constrained, as if manipulated by another—a puppet!”

“Aunt-Master jokes! That woman is named Leng Daiyu; I crossed swords with her several years ago!”

Zong Shou shook his head slightly, musing, “However, the reason for my distraction is that the cultivation method she practices appears to be the same as mine: Myriad Streams Return to Origin, the Unity of Ten Thousand Daos! Furthermore, her fundamental attainment seems to be a slight measure ahead of mine.”

“How could that be?”

Li Xuanxuan’s expression instantly turned cold, her gaze grave. “Then does she know your foundation? Your age, and how long you’ve cultivated?”

With her and Zong Shou, who was temporarily equivalent to a Saint, present, they feared no eavesdroppers here.

The first question concerned worry that Zong Shou’s origins might be discovered. The second aimed to gauge the other woman’s potential.

If she were significantly older, having cultivated for centuries, the threat she posed to Zong Shou would be minor.

In this world, Li Xuanxuan had never encountered anyone whose cultivation speed surpassed Zong Shou’s. If the two competed, Zong Shou was certain to reach the goal first.

“I engaged her using the Infinite Beginning and End Divine Power; she should not know my true foundation.”

This was precisely what Dragon Shadow had stressed before parting ways with him. Zong Shou had always found it strange but lacked an answer.

“The last time I met her, she couldn't have been twenty. At most, she is two years older than me, perhaps even the same age!”

“Good heavens, so young!”

Li Xuanxuan gasped, drawing in a sharp breath. “No wonder she fought you for the remnants of Dao Xuan’s soul. Most likely, she seeks the myriad divine abilities Dao Xuan forcibly seized in the past. But…”

Recalling the exchange between Zong Shou and Leng Daiyu more closely, she felt an odd sense of discord.

That woman’s power probably hadn't reached the Saint level yet. Her ability to contend with Zong Shou must have relied on some secret technique, and her scythe movements seemed slightly stiff during transitions and reversals.

This rigidity wasn't due to the sickle-wielding woman’s lack of skill.

It stemmed from an inability to fully command her own divine techniques and skills.

Zong Shou had fought her fiercely for only an instant, enduring a thousand exchanges. Although he appeared suppressed, Lin Xuanxuan was certain that in that brief engagement, Zong Shou had already discerned the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of the woman, and the victory was already decided.

Leng Daiyu had retreated at the opportune moment; delaying even a second longer, Zong Shou might have forcibly detained her.

Furthermore, had they not been constrained by the need to protect the Celestial Altar from the siege of the corpse army, this woman would not have escaped Zong Shou’s pursuit.

Suddenly struck by a thought, Lin Xuanxuan cried out, “You mean her entire set of scythe techniques and divine skills were not cultivated through a righteous path, but were given to her by someone else?”

Zong Shou nodded; this was precisely his suspicion. Otherwise, the entire situation seemed too bizarre.

“A humanoid Immortal Treasure? Then the being capable of creating such an ‘Immortal Treasure’ that could match you in contest—what kind of figure must that be? Zong Shou, do you have any leads?”

“Dishan!”

The first time he saw her was atop Mount Sheng, in the virtual environment of his previous life.

“Mount Wei?”

Lin Xuanxuan nodded slightly. “My disciples of the Way of All Living Beings pay attention to such matters.”

Whether for the woman’s ‘Unity of Ten Thousand Daos’ or the method used to craft this ‘humanoid Immortal Treasure,’ it was worthy of the Way of All Living Beings’ investigation to trace its origins.

Zong Shou knew that for now, this was all they could do.

However, it wasn't just the Way of All Living Beings that needed to investigate; Da Qian also needed to allocate resources to this matter. Previously, lacking strength, there was nothing to be done. Now, he possessed sufficient standing to delve into the truth of this affair.

Freeing that girl from her suffering was one of the few wishes he still held.

Beyond that, Zong Shou held another matter close to his heart: the voice of the woman who had halted Dao Xuan and spared Su Xiaoxiao’s life at that critical moment. It sounded vaguely familiar, a voice he must have heard before, intrinsically connected to him!

Unfortunately, this woman had remained hidden, never revealing herself. When Zong Shou gravely wounded Dao Xuan, she had foreseen the opportunity and fled immediately, granting him no chance to follow. At that time, he truly could not spare the attention.

“I have heard this woman’s voice before. I recall it was a few months ago when I returned to Qiantian…”

Zong Shou’s body instantly froze, and a dazzling light flickered in his eyes.

“This woman is Madam Demon Lotus!”

Zong Shou’s hand shot into his Sumeru Space, pulling out that wing-shaped piece of black iron. He recalled what the Demon Lotus had said at the time: “As to what this object is, Demon Lotus does not know. Only that its value must be extraordinary. However, if Your Majesty is willing to lend this object to Demon Lotus for inspection, perhaps we can discover its true nature…”

But if she truly didn't know, why had she fought so fiercely to obtain it? He realized he had been deceived back then!

This woman conveyed the will of the Supreme Primordial Demon and communicated with Dao Xuan. She must have known the fundamental truth of the matter and been trusted implicitly by the Supreme Primordial Demon.

Yet, as far as Zong Shou knew, the Demon Lotus was merely an outer disciple of the Demonic Path, having established her own lineage, the Demonic Lotus Palace, yet holding a low status within the Demonic Sect. So how had she attracted the attention of the Supreme Primordial Demon? Was it because of this object in his hand?

Zong Shou’s eyes filled with cold derision, but within moments, resignation surfaced. Was it truly this wing-shaped black object? He couldn't be certain! It was merely his conjecture, though the probability was high.

Moreover, even if it were the object, how was it supposed to be used? Even the several Grand Saint Venerables residing in the Azure Vault of All Living Beings could not recognize it or discern anything useful from it. Even if Zong Shou confirmed it was the prophesied item for increasing the profundity of techniques, what could he do with it?

“Mm…”

A soft moan interrupted Zong Shou’s thoughts. Looking down, he saw Su Xiaoxiao slowly stirring awake.

Zong Shou smiled mischievously, dangling the black iron wing in front of her. “Do you know what this is? You are not allowed to lie!”

Su Xiaoxiao was confused at first, but as soon as she focused, her face drastically changed. Her expression shifted between joy and sorrow, as if trying to speak, yet a thread of blood trickled from the corner of her lips. Finally, her eyes darted, and with a delicate moan, she whispered, “My head hurts terribly; I cannot see clearly, nor can I recall anything…”

Before the words fully faded, she turned her head away, eyes tightly shut, feigning unconsciousness once more.

Zong Shou tugged at his lip. Fainting deliberately? A clever tactic, but her acting was far too transparent. However, he could also see that even if Su Xiaoxiao knew something, she likely couldn't speak it. He dared not underestimate the means of the Supreme Primordial Demon.

Fortunately, he was no longer completely without leads.

Within the alleyway, Madam Demon Lotus fled in near panic, her eyes wide with confusion and terror.

She had lost! That Dao Xuan, the dreadfully terrifying Dao Xuan Demon Lord who had toyed with her as if she were in the palm of his hand—he had actually been defeated, utterly annihilated by Zong Shou’s sword. Even now, she couldn't fully believe it, thinking it a hallucination. But the scenes that had unfolded before her eyes could not be faked.

Dao Xuan’s aura had completely vanished. With the Demon Lord’s death, Zong Shou’s divine sense had spread out, searching for her whereabouts. If she hadn't maintained a thread of caution, not letting down her guard when Zong Shou was in peril, she would likely have been captured by now, fallen into Zong Shou’s hands. The consequences were unimaginable—and even now, she was far from safe. Everywhere were reanimated corpses, dangerous Corpse Generals, and traps and restrictions that could activate at any moment. The other Saint-level Venerables within Xianyang City might also hold ill intentions toward her.

Her figure drifted like smoke, dashing through the city without leaving a trace. Suddenly, Demon Lotus’s gaze sharpened, and she stopped. Turning her head, she saw two figures emerging from a street corner nearby. The tension in her heart immediately eased. The two figures appearing were the Scarlet-Robed Demon Lord and Han Qing.

The former looked grave, while the latter’s expression was strangely distorted.

“What you all witnessed just now—was it true?”

Demon Lotus sighed softly. “I didn't expect even Dao Xuan to fall by his hand.” Thinking back, Dao Xuan’s death was truly unjust. If there were a second fight, the one to die would surely be Zong Shou.

“That person’s divine abilities are endless; this fight was truly baffling. In my view, it is best to withdraw for now!”

Han Qing’s face flickered between pale and ashen. “Returning empty-handed like this—I wonder how the Supreme Primordial Demon will assign blame.” Despite his words, he didn’t seem overly worried. If even Dao Xuan Demon Lord could do nothing against Zong Shou, what could the three of them achieve?

“We cannot abandon it!”

Demon Lotus shook her head. Retreating and giving up now might not affect others, but for her, Demon Lotus, it would mean certain death. She had been too careless earlier and revealed her presence. Now, Zong Shou likely suspected some clues. Time was short; if they missed this opportunity, there might be no other chance.

“Lord Primordial Demon still has a final means unused; how can you say this will certainly end in failure?”

The Scarlet Red Robe, who had remained silent, now spoke coldly. “Zong Shou’s Infinite Beginning and End Dharmakaya can last half a day at most. But what I most want to know is, how many more flying knives, like the one just now, can he unleash? Being able to disregard rank—that is no laughing matter…” (To be continued)