"Lending charcoal in the snow"? To allow a world-renowned sage to preside over the Lu Family, which commands eight hundred worlds? That is a joke one cannot afford to make. Four millennia ago, our Lu Family painstakingly carved a path, through countless battles and bloodshed, to secure our dominion over eight hundred worlds and establish the present-day Burning Sky Immortal Court. Valor, warfare, and conquest are long ingrained in the very marrow of the Lu Family. Are we to allow this so-called Sage-Monarch to take charge, transforming us all into a flock of grass-eating rabbits?

The refined youth’s gaze was frigid, brimming with derision.

"You underestimate the Sovereigns of Xuanhua and Xuanye too greatly. With the pure-blooded descendants of the Lu Family emerging, they managed to turn around such a dire situation through alliances and stratagems, swaying the majority of Sovereign Elders back to their side—that demonstrates their capabilities. These two acting in concert leave no possibility of defeat. Even Saint Venerable Yanyuan and Saint Venerable Jueyan would be helpless. Lu Beiwu might have held sway in his early years, but having abstained from politics for over two decades, he has been almost entirely sidelined. Therefore, if our Purple Flame Holy Hall is truly to pledge allegiance to one side, it will absolutely not be to this Sect Guardian—"

The burly man let out a short laugh upon hearing this. What necessary connection existed between a sage-like ruler and grass-eating rabbits?

Zong Shou was indeed a Sage-Monarch, yet he had also carved out territory in the Outer Domain, seizing seventy-six worlds.

However, the Lu Family strictly adhered to a Hegemonic doctrine, and the majority of its disciples truly looked down upon a 'Sage-Monarch' like Zong Shou. Many even felt revulsion.

They believed that a so-called Sage-Monarch must necessarily dislike warfare, simply because over these tens of thousands of years of conquest, the Lu Family had witnessed too many so-called 'Sage-Monarchs' across the myriad realms.

He too found no need to argue further, merely stating coolly, "As you will, my Lord. I am an external official of the Lu Family and have no right to interject. Whatever decision the Hall Master makes, this subordinate will undoubtedly follow with full loyalty. But if my Hall Master ceases to be my Hall Master, then I ask your pardon, but I can no longer follow—"

Of the Lu Family's Five Great Holy Halls, the other four were led by vassal officials from outside the direct lineage.

Only the Purple Flame Holy Hall selected its master from outstanding disciples of the distant branches of the Lu Family, and it was the strongest among the Five Great Halls.

This man showed not the slightest deference to the authority of the Purple Flame Hall Master beside him. The latter merely snorted, offering no further expression.

After the burly man finished speaking, he continued with a wry smile, "Since these natives of the Cloud Realm are unsuitable, is the Hall Master intending to rely on the Night Demon race? I hold little optimism; after all, the Crown Prince has already eliminated the hidden dangers, and with the Twelve State-Guarding Bronzes in hand, plus the three great sects of the Cloud Realm, their strength is already considerable."

"The Dark Night Demon Court is at least stronger than the Daoist and Confucian sects of the Cloud Realm. Even with Zong Shou possessing the Twelve State-Guarding Bronzes, their strength is still considerably greater. Even if victory is impossible, they can certainly manage to delay matters for some time."

The refined youth narrowed his eyes to slits, revealing a gaze as sharp as a blade.

"The later the date of our esteemed Crown Prince's return to the Burning Sky Immortal Court, the better. If the Dark World Demon Court can achieve this, I would not mind lending some aid from the shadows—"

The Dark Night Demon Court of the Night Demon race ranked twenty-fourth among the major powers in this domain, possessing astonishing national strength. They were only sixteen positions removed from the Lu Family.

Mobilizing one-fifth of their sovereign power, with all their national experts deployed. If they could not conquer the Tianfang World, so be it, but if they could not even manage to delay matters for a time, then their reputation would be utterly undeserved—

The Tianfang World was narrow and easy to defend, and Zong Shou’s Great Qian Immortal Dynasty was not weak. In contrast, the Night Demon race possessed national and military might that was more than ten times greater. Under such circumstances, a stalemate was the most likely outcome, which was precisely what he hoped for.

"I see!"

The burly man, however, felt not joy but a touch of dejection. "If that is the case, it seems I will be unable to reclaim my Blood Moon Saber. The battle for the Tianfang World must be the last chance. But snatching food from the mouths of the Night Demons of the Dark Night Demon Court will likely prove difficult. How should I explain this when I return?"

The refined youth fell momentarily silent, then let out another soft snort after a pause. "Sovereign of Xuanye will explain this matter for you. Simply report it as a careless loss. Upon your return, the Sovereign will naturally seek another suitable divine weapon for you."

The Five Great Holy Halls were not endowed with only a single divine treasure. Generally, they possessed anywhere from four to six, but only the one used by the Hall Master was the strongest—truly capable of allowing a Saint-Realm cultivator to contend with a Supremacy-Realm expert.

Divine treasures and divine weapons were also exclusive to the Five Great Holy Halls. The Eight Sovereigns of the Lu Family also possessed a considerable number of divine treasures—ranging from three or four to seven or eight.

And the Burning Sky Holy Court possessed a full twelve, wielded by the twelve State-Holding Elders.

Though inferior to the Five Great Hall Masters, these treasures were slightly stronger than the general divine treasures held by the Holy Halls and the Eight Sovereigns.

Their strength lay between the Supremacy Realm and the Half-Step Supremacy Realm—stronger than the latter, yet slightly below the former.

These sixty-odd divine treasures were the formidable military might accumulated by the Lu Family over tens of thousands of years, built from conquering thousands of worlds!

The Blood Moon Saber was not outstanding among divine weapons, and Sovereign of Xuanye was one of the most influential figures in the entire Lu Family currently.

Finding a divine weapon equivalent to the Blood Moon Saber for this subordinate of his would hardly be difficult.

"In that case, I thank Your Highness. Conveniently, I have grown tired of using that Blood Moon Saber anyway."

The burly man offered a bow utterly devoid of sincerity, though in his heart, he was already contemplating the final outcome of the war in the Tianfang World.

The Lu Family, already fraught with hidden strife, was likely on the cusp of great turmoil. To be caught in the crossfire now would likely result in utter annihilation.

※※※※

At almost the exact same moment, before the Baishou Pass on the southeastern edge of the central Cloud Continent.

Shi Qianli sat upright in the command tent, currently staring at a silver mirror beside him with a grim expression.

Shi Yue used the Mystic-Peering Divine Mirror not only to observe the subtle mysteries of the Void but also for transmitting messages. Even across billions of miles and hundreds of worlds, communication was unimpeded.

Thus, events occurring in the Imperial Capital tens of thousands of miles away could be learned here instantly.

The pass city facing them, tens of thousands of miles distant, was already tightly encircled by nearly seven million troops.

The solid city walls were riddled with holes, cracks appearing everywhere. On the battlements, there were few usable siege engines left. Most of the soldiers carried injuries of varying severity.

By all appearances, the city was moments from falling; there was no doubt.

Yet, within this command tent, all of Shi Qianli’s trusted generals looked ashen-faced and utterly dejected, displaying not a trace of joy at the prospect of a great victory.

Even Shi Qianli himself looked exceptionally grim, his face dark as stagnant water.

"Is what you said true, Yue’er? Yin Yu is dead, and the Twelve State-Guarding Bronzes have fallen into Zong Shou's hands? And Li Biexue has been jointly suppressed by the Sword Sect and the Azure Life Dao?"

"How dare I conceal anything from Father Marshal!"

Shi Yue in the mirror appeared relatively calm, yet the occasional flicker in his eyes betrayed that his inner heart was far from placid.

"Besides that, Zhu Zi used the Nine Profound Returning Storage Divine Thunder to strike Zong Shou. The result, however, only confirmed the Qian Emperor’s utmost goodness and lack of flaw, proving him a world Sage—his Dao foundation was damaged, rendering his cultivation almost entirely useless. Furthermore, the thirty thousand Grand Scholars have largely defected. The decline of the Confucian sect, rendering them incapable of influencing the major trends of the world for decades, is now a settled matter. This news will likely be known throughout the entire Cloud Realm within half a day."

Shi Qianli was instantly struck mute. After a long silence, he murmured, "How could this happen? How could this happen—"

Beforehand, he had speculated that Zong Shou and the Azure Life Dao might return from the Imperial Capital in defeat, perhaps annihilated entirely. Or perhaps Zong Shou possessed some means to severely wound Yin Yu—

But he had never imagined that the Supreme Primordial Demon Li Biexue and Yin Yu would lose so cleanly and utterly. The Great Shang was overthrown, and Li Biexue was suppressed. Even the entire Confucian sect was beginning to decline.

Zong Shou had almost swept them all away!

In the command tent, numerous generals also looked pale, fully aware of the profound impact this battle’s conclusion would have on the state of the world.

"So, this means our Great Shang has already lost without being defeated, and the Great Qian has truly become the hegemon of this realm?"

Frowning, Shi Qianli looked toward the sky outside the tent. The Fire Crow Demon Lord still hovered high above. Three thousand fire crows circled in the sky above the damaged pass city opposite, occasionally diving down to incinerate one or two soldiers on the battlements as they penetrated the already breached protective spirit array.

And the millions of Great Shang soldiers below were high-spirited, preparing for the next wave of assault.

Emperor Yuan Chen had promised that whoever captured Kong Yao alive would be granted a marquis title. Consequently, any officer with even moderate strength was eager, their fighting spirit soaring.

Before this pass city, only one-third of the seven million troops belonged to the Shi family’s direct command.

The remaining four million-plus came from forces levied from various provinces, with the elite contingent conscripted from the noble families of the Southwest.

Although Shi Yue was the supreme commander, he was effectively only in the position of alliance leader due to the deliberate checks and constraints imposed by the Shang Emperor.

In ordinary times, Shi Qianli would have been overjoyed by the morale of his subordinate troops.

As long as he could prevent Yin Yu from having any pretext to act, he wouldn't mind handing over the great credit to another.

However, at this moment, Shi Qianli felt only a chilling sensation, finding the situation utterly ironic.

"Then, Yue’er, tell me, what choice should our Shi Family make now?"

"After executing Yin Yu, the Qian Emperor has issued an edict: the Great Qian will pursue and slaughter the imperial descendants of the Great Shang both inside and outside the Cloud Realm. All those who offer protection will be treated with the same crime—"

At this point, Shi Yue’s face also darkened.

The Great Shang was utterly finished, with absolutely no possibility of recovery. And with Zong Shou possessing the Twelve State-Guarding Bronzes, even the current Shi Family was powerless to defy him.

"As for what our Shi Family should choose, Father already knows the answer in his heart; why ask me?"

Shi Qianli merely sighed softly, just as he heard the Fire Crow Demon Lord laughing wantonly outside the tent.

"Noble Consort Yao, have you made up your mind? Do you truly intend to perish with the city? It is a pity your husband was too foolish to actually dare venture to the Imperial Capital. By now, he might already have been reduced to dust in the hands of the Saint Venerables. What good is your stubborn defense here? You might as well surrender. His Majesty not only cherishes you but can also reserve a consort position for you in the harem—"

In the past, such provocative words directed at Kong Yao might only evoke annoyance, which people generally disregarded.

But now, these words caused everyone in the tent to break out in cold sweat.