The Master of the Sword Sect gazed down at Fenghua Palace with a complicated expression.

"What a pity—"

There was still a hint of regret; the Sword Sect had once had the opportunity to take Zong Shou as a disciple but missed it due to a momentary misjudgment.

Yet, he did not regret seeing Feng Taiji join the Sword Sect.

"Indeed, a pity!"

Jian Tongming managed a bitter smile, knowing that they could hardly blame their Sect Master for what happened back then. Who could have foreseen that Zong Shou—possessing a remnant soul, a dual meridian body, and the Celestial Barrier—would have mastered the unity of spirit and martial arts while still in the Xiantian realm? And then, just a few years later, become the reigning Sage Lord, ascending to the Divine Realm and directly causing the demise of the two demonic giants, the Supreme Primordial Demon and the World-Stepping Heavenly Monarch?

Soon, they saw Zong Shou below bow deeply toward them as a gesture of thanks. Jian Tongming sighed softly again. "He is quite learned in propriety, his disposition excellent. It is a pity he is not a disciple of my Sword Sect."

Knowing the topic should not be pursued further, Jian Tongming shifted his tone. "Now that the Supreme Primordial Demon is dead, the various demonic sects will likely have a difficult time ahead."

Sikong Fou gave a short laugh. Difficult time? They were meat on the chopping block, waiting to be carved up.

After this battle, the Demonic Gate was scattered like bereaved dogs. Countless spirit stone mines would be divided between the Sword Sect and the Cangsheng Dao.

"The matter of the Demonic Gate is not urgent!"

The Master of the Sword Sect shook his head slightly. "Everything can wait until after the War of the Tianfang World is clearly concluded."

Sikong Fou raised an eyebrow. In the War of the Tianfang World, was the Sect Master still planning to intervene personally?

Involving the survival of the Cloud Realm, and being an ally intrinsically linked to the Great Qian Dynasty, the Sword Sect naturally bore responsibility for the conflict in the Tianfang World.

Not just the Sword Sect; the Buddhist Sect would also participate vigorously this time.

However, the Sword Sect was less capable of losing than the Cangsheng Dao and the Buddhist Sect. And this senior brother of theirs was the most promising candidate within the Sword Sect to reach the Supreme Realm in the next century. There was truly no need for such reckless risk—

Seeing the puzzled and slightly dissatisfied looks directed at him, the Master of the Sword Sect smiled.

"This time, there might be a battle involving the Supreme Realm, one that cannot be missed. A century is too long. The Merciful Patriarch has said that in this battle, I might grasp the opportunity regarding the tribulation of the Supreme Realm. How could this seat not attend? Moreover, if the Patriarch’s foresight holds true, the War of the Tianfang World might determine the trend of the Cloud Realm for the next hundred years—"

A tremor ran through the others; they exchanged glances. In that case, the Merciful Patriarch had long foreseen the outcome of the battle at Fenghua Palace in the Imperial Capital?

What exactly was the Merciful Patriarch plotting in secret?

※※※※

Also outside the Imperial Capital, about sixteen hundred li away in the cloud sea, a dark-skinned man with wings on his back was coldly observing the direction of the Imperial Capital.

The Night Demon clan generally feared light. Yet, this man stood unscathed under the blazing sun, appearing composed, basking in the sunlight as if enjoying it.

Beside him stood a man in black robes, showing humble deference befitting a subordinate, yet he was a genuine human of the Cloud Realm.

Surrounding these two, four other figures stood erect in the void, subtly forming an attack formation, all wearing solemn expressions: a monk, a Daoist, a Confucian scholar, and a young cultivator bearing a long sword.

Willpower equivalent to the Seven Swords of Cangsheng—the Will of the Heavenly Dao—was currently empowering them. This allowed the four, though clearly at a disadvantage against the two distant figures, to maintain their ground.

"Boundary Protecting Venerable Ones? Truly bothersome. I have come to the Cloud Realm merely to look around. Why the tension? It will be months before the Dark World Demonic Court army enters the Cloud Realm; you can start worrying then," the dark-skinned man scoffed dismissively, paying no mind to the four surrounding him. He felt these so-called 'Boundary Protecting Venerable Ones' were beneath his notice.

"It would be best if you made no moves, or do not blame me for being merciless should you die. Of your six Boundary Protecting Venerable Ones, only five remain capable of fighting, correct? I wouldn't mind taking the head of one more from among you four—"

The four surrounding figures turned ashen-faced but remained silent.

Only the Confucian scholar let out a cold laugh. "Chaye! I hope you will have the same words for the Sovereign of the Great Qian when you meet him in the future."

Li Biexue and Xing Xie, who once dared speak to Zong Shou with such arrogance in the Cloud Realm, no longer existed. As Boundary Protecting Venerable Ones, privy to every detail of the Cloud Realm, they knew more than anyone.

"The Sovereign of the Great Qian? That immature child in the Imperial Capital?"

Though his tone dripped with disdain, the dark-skinned man named 'Chaye' showed a flicker of gravity in his gaze. "Zhiming Luo King died at this child's hands! As for the three Saint Realm Venerables, how they died has not been confirmed, only that it is connected to Zong Shou. However, these four Boundary Protecting Venerable Ones must know the truth."

The four around him remained silent. Chaye clearly did not expect them to enlighten him, letting out a cold sneer instead. "Unconfirmed, but only a few dozen people managed to retreat intact from that Qin Emperor's Tomb. Regardless of the exact reason, it can certainly be credited to this child. Though his cultivation is only Divine Realm, in my view, an ordinary initial Saint Realm expert is like an ant before him. My three clansmen were indeed no match for him. It seems this child is rather interesting: the Reigning Sage Lord, the Flawless Sage, the Twelve Bronze Men of State Protection. Does this mean this person is the biggest obstacle to the Dark World Demonic Court's invasion of the Cloud Realm this time?"

A hint of apprehension entered his eyes. The Twelve Bronze Men of State Protection could slay a Supreme Realm expert and drastically reduce the power of all cultivators above Xiantian within a certain radius. With such a divine artifact suppressing the Tianfang World, things would become genuinely troublesome.

It was a pity that just now, the Nine Heavens Ten Earth Yin Vein Spirit Slaughtering Array had isolated the interior and exterior, and then the Cangsheng Seven Swords and the Sword Sect's Floating Spirit Sword Array had completely locked them down. He, who possessed Supreme Realm strength relying on a divine treasure, could not detect the specifics of that battle. He only knew that the Twelve Bronze Men of State Protection had inexplicably fallen under the control of the Cangsheng Dao, and the Supreme Primordial Demon had not only suffered a crushing defeat this time but would also be suppressed forever.

"The Great Qian has the alliance of the Three Teachings—Cangsheng Dao, Sword Sect, and Buddhist Sect. With the Great Shang now fallen, there is nothing left in the Cloud Realm to hinder them from fully deploying troops to the Tianfang World. He is indeed the greatest foe of our Dark World Demonic Court at present!"

As Xi Zhe spoke, concern clouded his eyes. "Besides Xiu Guan's absence, the Cangsheng Dao has four Supreme Realm experts and one God Venerable. The Sword Sect and Buddhist Sect's strength is also considerable; the former has the Merciful Daoist, only second to Xiu Guan. And the Buddhist Sect has at least four Supreme Realm experts. The battle in the Tianfang World looks far from optimistic."

A faint regret surfaced. Had he known the Great Qian was so formidable, and that Zong Shou could shatter the rising power of the Great Shang in such absolute adversity, he would never have so readily thrown his allegiance to the Dark World Demonic Court. The hateful and enraged looks from the four Boundary Protecting Venerables confirmed his fears. If this matter spread, unless the Dark World Demonic Court successfully invaded the Cloud Realm, he would have no standing within this realm and would be pursued and hunted by countless Cloud Realm cultivators.

"Regretting it? Too late, Xi Zhe, you have no choice."

Seeming to read Xi Zhe's thoughts, Chaye sneered coldly. "Rest assured, if it were merely these Twelve Bronze Men of State Protection, six or seven Supreme Realm experts, our Dark World Demonic Court would not take it to heart. The Cloud Realm has ten thousand years of accumulation; does the Night Demon clan not have foundations of its own? Naturally, we have ways to cope—"

As for how they would 'cope,' Chaye said nothing more. Xi Zhe’s spirits lifted slightly; seeing Chaye so confident meant the man must have his own trump cards. If there were no certainty, or if it risked a Pyrrhic victory against the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty, the Dark World Demonic Court would likely choose to retreat rather than continue.

"Pledging allegiance to the Dark World Demonic Court was Xi Zhe's own choice; how could I dare regret it? Your servant only hopes Your Highness will not go back on your word in the future—"

"The promise of a thousand years of extended life?" Chaye burst into hearty laughter. "For you, it might be a long-sought dream, but for me, it is merely a trifle. In fact, if you handle the task I assign you well, granting you a Night Demon body and making you one of our clan is not impossible! In short, that is how it is—"

As his voice faded, Chaye stepped into the void beyond the realm and vanished entirely.

Xi Zhe's expression did not change; he maintained his respectful posture, bowing deeply to show gratitude. Only when Chaye's aura had faded into the distance did Xi Zhe straighten up and smile at the elderly Confucian scholar. "Then this old man will also take his leave. Since I too am a man of the Cloud Realm, you four will not reveal my private affairs to others, will you?"

The Confucian scholar's face was now as dark as still water. "You were once a great hero of the Cloud Realm. Why did you defect to the Dark Night Demonic Court?"

"Solely for extending my life. You are willing to submit to the shackles of this world's will to extend your lifespan; what right do you have to criticize this old man? Is there any difference whether the resources of this land are plundered by the people of the Cloud Realm or by outsiders?"

Xi Zhe shook his head slightly, a cold sneer touching his lips. "Words do not lead to agreement; this old man takes his leave!"

As this figure also disappeared from sight, closely following Chaye's vanishing silhouette, the elderly Confucian scholar sighed faintly. The Will of the Heavens and the root source within the Cloud Realm only exist to protect their own existence, not for the human race of the Cloud Realm. Whether this world falls under the control of one faction or another, or into the hands of outsiders, the Will of the Heavens does not care, as long as this world suffers no damage.

And if the human race of the Cloud Realm itself constitutes a threat to the Cloud Realm, the root will of the world might follow instinct and exert all its power to obliterate the human race. That is why, eight thousand years ago, after the battle of the Supreme Realm split the heavens and earth, not only did external races re-enter the Cloud Realm, but the human race of the Cloud Realm was also pushed to the brink of extinction until the rise of the Martial King Ran.