The excitement in Kong Yao’s voice seemed to outweigh any apprehension. She looked around curiously at this strange, alien world, utterly unlike the familiar confines of the Cloud Realm.

Zong Shou smiled, clasping Kong Yao’s small hand. In her ‘previous life,’ Kong Yao had spent her entire existence struggling for the crumbling Great Shang dynasty, possessing unparalleled talent yet confined to a remote corner of the Central Plains. The title of War Goddess was known only within the Cloud Realm.

But in ‘this life,’ she finally had a stage a billion times vaster than the Cloud Realm: the entirety of the Outer Domain.

He also yearned to see the heroic figure Kong Yao would cut amidst the Outer Domain campaigns.

“This battle is indeed difficult. You have seen the situation here yourself. I wonder if Yao’er feels confident in holding the line? If not, I can bring in someone else.”

Bringing Kong Yao here was for this epoch-making war, one that would decide the fate of the Cloud Realm after the Age of Desolation. Kong Yao was not only his wife but one of his most trusted confidants, a commander to whom he could entrust vital responsibilities. Thus, Zong Shou asked directly, without a hint of reservation.

“The troop losses don't seem excessive. General Lie Que certainly lives up to his reputation as an Outer Domain master. However, the Spirit Protection Array of this realm is too severely damaged, making defense arduous and guaranteeing surging casualties.”

Glancing briefly around, Kong Yao showed no sign of worry; instead, she asked thoughtfully, “What truly concerns my husband is the matter we just discussed: the God-Stabbing Profound Heart Needles? Are they truly that terrifying, beyond breaking?”

“That’s not it!”

Zong Shou let out a cold snort, though he did find the situation vexing.

When it came to ignoring the laws of time and space, his Six Gods Immortal Slaying Flying Daggers could barely manage it. Even from thirteen worlds away, if he struck by surprise and launched a preemptive attack, he could certainly slay the one controlling the needles, temporarily preventing the activation of the God-Stabbing Profound Heart Needles.

However, in his Supreme Immortal Slaying Record at this moment, there was only a single strand of Immortal Slaying Blade Qi, far insufficient to secure victory.

Upon integrating the three remaining fragments, the Supreme Immortal Slaying Record could nurture a total of five strands of Immortal Slaying Blade Qi. The Geng Metal Qi within was sufficient; it only needed the slaughtering aura of this place to complete the transformation. But this required at least four days—

Even so, this would only grant him the strength to contend with the Night Demon race. As for how to achieve decisive victory, Zong Shou had no clue whatsoever.

The military treatise stated: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles. He only knew the enemy’s ultimate-realm strength was comparable to that of Great Qian. The specifics remained unknown.

Any rash move would lead to eternal damnation.

“Though the God-Stabbing Profound Heart Needles are fearsome, I am not without a countermeasure. It will take four days to prepare. However, Yao’er, it would be best if you could delay them for me—one month, three months, or even half a year—”

As Zong Shou spoke, he himself found the request absurd. Given the state of the Tianfang World, if powers above the Saint level did not intervene, they might not last even eight or nine days, let alone a month, three months, or half a year.

Unable to continue, Zong Shou could only force a wry smile: “Just do your best!”

“Half a year? I understand.”

Kong Yao did not seem to find the request difficult. “I also perceive that the longer the delay, the more advantageous it is for my Great Qian. Husband’s plan is to meet force with passivity, waiting for the enemy to throw themselves into chaos?”

If this were only a few days ago, Great Qian could only strive for a swift resolution.

But now that the underlying troubles were removed, Great Qian’s national power increased daily. The territories of the seventeen continents of the Cloud Realm, coupled with the seventy-six worlds of the Outer Domain, were continuously conscripting soldiers. In half a year, they could mobilize an army of over seven million.

The Yuanlian World was already manufacturing warships on a massive scale. With the Cloud Realm’s booming productivity, at least thirty Taiyi Divine Thunder Warships could be acquired in six months.

Conversely, the Dark Age Demon Court, due to its constant state of war and a population entirely geared towards conflict, had little surplus capacity to excavate. Furthermore, facing countless enemies, even after deliberately shrinking its power before the war, once the battle in the Tianfang World dragged on, it would inevitably lead to instability.

Though seemingly powerful, the forces deployed against the Cloud Realm amounted to, at most, twelve to sixteen Military Governors’ regions. Therefore, the longer the war dragged, the more disadvantageous it became for the Dark Age Demon Court. When their formation inevitably fractured, that would be Great Qian’s optimal chance to win!

Use what you cannot lose to wait for what the enemy can lose.

“As expected of my little Yao—”

Zong Shou’s eyes flashed with sharp light and visible pleasure. “That is precisely my plan. Seeing your expression, Yao’er, you seem fully confident?”

Lie Que and Li Xin had only just risen and looked at Kong Yao with surprise and disbelief. Not just them, but Zong Yuan and the others behind them also turned their attention, not with surprise, but mostly with anticipation.

“How could that be? I have only just arrived here; how could I possibly be fully confident? I must survey the situation in various places first. But—”

Kong Yao’s gaze suddenly sharpened: “Why haven’t all the structures within the Tianfang Realm been torn down? If the Boundary Protection Spiritual Barrier is insufficient, then we might as well let the opponent come in. The difficulty of deploying large armies within the Tianfang Realm is precisely where our strengths lie. Why cling to the barrier?”

Li Xin fell silent, while Lie Que looked deeply embarrassed. He was not ignorant of Kong Yao’s reasoning. The buildings within the Tianfang Realm genuinely obstructed the deployment and maneuver of his troops. However, most of these properties were owned, making arbitrary demolition difficult. He also knew that rigidly defending the barrier was meaningless; the Qian army was already short on numbers and could not afford such attrition. But if the Dark Age Demon Court army broke through, the merchants and residents of the Tianfang World would suffer devastating losses.

“The lost assets, Great Qian will compensate later. However, if soldiers die because of this, they cannot be saved. If the Tianfang World falls, its people become meat on the Dark Age Demon Court’s table. Which holds more weight, General Lie should have clarity on that—”

Seeing through Lie Que’s concerns, Kong Yao shook her head slightly but said no more. She, along with Zong Yuan and Ren Tianxing, could follow Zong Shou’s orders without hesitation, willing to sacrifice anything for the prosperity of Great Qian, resorting to any means necessary. Lie Que could not manage that; having garrisoned the Tianfang World for several months, he had become deeply entangled with the local powers, great and small.

But there was no need to fault him. Lie Que was undoubtedly an unmatched general, yet his experiences dictated that he harbored more personal interests and could not yet be truly loyal to Great Qian.

“And those Twelve Nation-Guarding Bronze Figures—”

Kong Yao turned her gaze back to Zong Shou, her look resolute. “From what His Majesty and the Grand Preceptor have said, the Dark Age Demon Court seems to fear those even more? Then I request His Majesty to use at least the Nation-Guarding Bronze Figures to suppress the Tianfang World starting today.”

Wei Xu and Yuan Jing Sanren moved slightly upon hearing this, and Zong Shou frowned, his eyes showing surprise. “Yao’er, do you know the consequences?”

If they were deployed now, even if limited to the Tianfang World, the Night Demon race, after suffering heavy losses, would most likely retaliate. And the first target of the God-Stabbing Profound Heart Needles would likely be Kong Yao, the supreme commander of the entire army.

In his view, he had intended to postpone the deployment of the Nation-Guarding Bronze Figures until a month later, when Mingri Xuan had finished forging the ten Seven Lives Extinguishing Life-Protecting Talismans.

“How could I not know? But since the Night Demons fear these Nation-Guarding Bronze Figures more, why should I be afraid?”

Kong Yao offered a radiant smile. “If I perish, my husband will surely seek revenge regardless of the cost. Surely the Dark Age Demon Court knows this logic? Husband, the more they fear something, the less we should yield. This bottom line must be held, no matter what! Otherwise, it will only invite the opponent to press further. The husband of today is not the decisive and ruthless Sage Sovereign of the past—”

Zong Shou’s breath hitched. He cared too deeply for the safety of Kong Yao and the others, which led to him overthinking, losing his resolve, and becoming indecisive. Wei Xu and the others watched with admiration. Li Xin and Lie Que, however, looked thoughtful, a hint of reverence appearing in their eyes.

Of the two, the former was a famous general from ten millennia ago with a glorious record of achievements. The latter had gained fame in the Outer Domain long ago. They hadn't paid much attention to Kong Yao previously. However, since their first meeting recently, this Grand Censor of the Left of Great Qian had displayed astonishing talent, living up to her reputation—

“And then there are the Seven Lives Extinguishing Life-Protecting Talismans!”

Kong Yao paused for a beat, then her voice turned sharp: “Since I am the commander of this battle, the allocation of those Seven Lives Extinguishing Life-Protecting Talismans should be under my purview! I request His Majesty’s approval—”

Zong Shou’s spirit trembled again. Kong Yao’s action was less about demanding authority from him and more about taking on his final difficulty as well.

Lin Xuanjing chuckled softly: “Now I truly believe the Tianfang World can be held. With such a virtuous helper, Nephew Zong Shou will surely achieve victory in this war!”

Kong Yao’s face instantly flushed crimson, but the hand holding Zong Shou’s small one gripped tighter. Zong Shou understood her intent: his little Yao wanted to assure him that she would not fail in her trust—

Kong Yao was always decisive. After winning over Lie Que and Li Xin, she began taking over the army.

In less than half an hour, she initiated the demolition of structures within the Tianfang World, ignoring the opposition from various local powers, sweeping almost every building clean. This action was not only to clear space for troop deployment but also to eliminate future threats. Great Qian had occupied the Tianfang Realm for less than a year and had not earned the loyalty of its inhabitants. The business owners had complex backing networks, and many were known to have dubious dealings with the Dark Age Demon Court. A betrayal at a critical moment could have catastrophic consequences. Those buildings were protected by small spirit arrays, functioning like fortresses—a huge hidden danger.

Using the prestige of the Twelve Nation-Guarding Bronze Figures, Kong Yao not only took the opportunity of leveling the houses and halls to completely reorganize the Tianfang Realm but also forcibly stripped and conscripted the servants and retainers of all local powers, gathering over six thousand Spirit Realm Immortal Cultivators. Though they could not be used in direct combat, they could maintain the Boundary Protection Great Array, allowing the Qian army to free up more resources.

This iron-fisted restructuring cast an atmosphere of stark severity over the entire Tianfang World.

Meanwhile, Zong Shou had already found Lin Xuanshuang. Besides the war, his most pressing concern at this moment was the life or death of Su Xiaoxiao.