The Prince and Old Song the Third inwardly muttered, This is common knowledge across the continent, yet it’s being presented as 'some insight'! Does this even require insight?

Furthermore, while the Prairie Eagle God, Eagle Bo Kong, famously battled the snowy mountain eagles alone for years, the Mad Wind Sword God, Feng Yun, has repeatedly annihilated wolf packs on the grasslands, his record no less impressive than Eagle Bo Kong’s. Why then is he dismissed as merely having a famous but undeserved reputation?

However, both men were sharp enough to glean something from the exchange between Jun Mo Ye and Eagle Bo Kong. Recalling the majestic presence of the Eight Great Grandmasters who once ruled the world, they immediately straightened up, daring not voice any dissent.

"Besides these eight generally recognized Grandmasters, there is also the Assassin Supreme, Chu Wang Hun." As he spoke this name, Jun Mo Xie felt an involuntary, wistful longing. Just how exceptionally skilled must an assassin be to earn the title of Assassin Supreme?

I wonder whose skill is greater—his, or Wu Jun's from my past life?! Truly... I am intensely curious.

At this thought, a powerful surge of fighting spirit rose within Jun Mo Xie: In the same profession, one mountain cannot harbor two tigers; similarly, there cannot be two Supremes! This is especially true in the grim trade of assassination! Could Jun Mo Wu—that Peerless Evil Lord who occupied the throne of the world's top assassin in his previous life—tolerate someone ranking above him? The answer, naturally, was no!

At that moment, Jun Mo Xie faintly sensed that a clash between himself and the Assassin Supreme, Chu Wang Hun, was inevitable sooner or later! This felt like a battle destined, unavoidable!

“Young man, although your knowledge is decent, I still cannot agree with the persistent doctrine you spoke of earlier.” Although Eagle Bo Kong was questioning, his tone had significantly softened. This is excellent. "This is precisely why I brought up Eagle Bo Kong fighting thousands upon thousands of vultures on the Great Snow Mountain in the end!"

Jun Mo Wu sighed slightly: "The vultures on the snowy peaks, as everyone knows, are no ordinary birds; they are genuine Profound Beasts. While their rank might be slightly lower, the combined attack power of tens of thousands of low-level Profound Beasts can achieve a powerful momentum where a change in quantity leads to a qualitative leap. We all know that practicing and fighting there not only continuously enhances one’s internal Profound Arts—the biting cold alone compels one’s Profound Arts to advance step by step—but confronting so many vultures simultaneously, if one manages to win, greatly increases practical combat experience. Furthermore, one can observe the vultures' flight paths and attack patterns to gain insights for developing one's own techniques."

As Jun Mo Xie spoke, Eagle Bo Kong nodded with a smile, greatly agreeing: "Indeed, that is a sound method." Seeing the expression on his face, Jun Mo Xie suddenly felt an urge to spit in his face. Look at that smug look. Even as a Grandmaster, can't you show a bit more restraint? Doesn't everyone here already see through that you are the Prairie Eagle God, Eagle Bo Kong! Yet you insist on acting mysterious! Of course, that brat Yang is the exception!

Jun Mo Xie suddenly realized a principle: regardless of whether they are commoners, officials, ruffians, or scholarly masters, everyone enjoys having their ego inflated. Look at this man before me; how comfortable I’ve made him feel by flattering him! I wonder if this counts as this world’s version of 'giving a leg up'?!

"Therefore, although Eagle Bo Kong’s training method was incredibly perilous, with the constant threat of being devoured, it was a shortcut to advancing his cultivation. As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought amidst danger. For Eagle Bo Kong to conceive of this point proves he is worthy of being a Grandmaster!"

Jun Mo Xie forced down the feeling of nausea and lavished enthusiastic praise, sparing no expense in his flattery. While this act was disgusting, its cost was negligible—it cost him not a single coin.

Eagle Bo Kong smiled contentedly. He knew his own efforts intimately; while he didn't need others' acknowledgment, it was impossible not to feel pleased when being lauded so highly today.

"But!" Jun Mo Wu stopped precisely at that point, sharply shifting his focus: "Since this was a successful shortcut, how could so many clever people throughout history not have thought of it? In fact, throughout history, countless people must have practiced on the snowy peaks. Yet, only Eagle Bo Kong became one of the Eight Grandmasters; the others remain obscure! What does this indicate?"

Eagle Bo Kong, feeling utterly smoothed over by the praise, blurted out, "Because those others all died!" Remembering the accumulated white bones buried by the blizzards atop the snowy peaks, Eagle Bo Kong felt a touch of melancholy, though pride dominated his sentiment.

"Precisely! This senior speaks the absolute truth!" Jun Mo Wu praised lavishly: "A shortcut never equals an easy path. Those people died, their bones littering the peaks, some even becoming food for the vultures, leaving no trace behind. They certainly found the right direction and chose the correct method, and they were perhaps even more persistent than Eagle Bo Kong, for they persisted right up until the moment of their death!"

"Yet the world only knows Eagle Bo Kong; few know their names! That is why Eagle Bo Kong's training on the snowy peak is lauded as a legend, not the name of any of the others. The reason is singular: because Eagle Bo Kong succeeded! They failed! It is that simple." Jun Mo Xie smiled.

"The anecdotes of successful people become inspirational stories, not because of the stories themselves, but because the protagonists in those stories ultimately achieved success, thus creating the story. However, people who shared the same experience—or perhaps were even more persistent, harder working, and fought harder than them—their experiences could equally become stories, perhaps even more poignant and shocking. But simply because they failed in the end, they are buried in obscurity."

"Everyone can have a story, and everyone can become a legend, but there must be one prerequisite—you must succeed first! Wealth is a physical enjoyment, while poverty is a spiritual enjoyment. The only difference is that only those who struggled out of poverty to achieve wealth have the right to enjoy poverty. For the poor man, poverty is just suffering!"

Jun Mo Xie finished speaking in one breath and felt somewhat parched. He grabbed the teapot and gulped down a large amount. Yet, no one around him found the action impolite; instead, everyone wore thoughtful expressions, slowly savoring the deep meaning behind his words.

"Ultimately, it boils down to one sentence: Old Song the Third may have worked hard, paid the price, and been persistent, but his wine, while perhaps good in the eyes of ordinary people, might not be the very best." Jun Mo Xie had finally steered the conversation back, cleverly praising Eagle Bo Kong while simultaneously hammering Old Song the Third in the end.

It could be said that the grand circle Jun Mo Xie drew was exquisitely clever.

Jun Mo Wu had begun suspecting Eagle Bo Kong's identity the moment he first saw him.

Announcing Old Song the Third's Mid-tier Heavenly Profound cultivation level already confirmed it for Jun Mo Xie. Using the matter of the Eight Grandmasters as a slight probe, he became certain. Then, by discussing the rivalry between Eagle Bo Kong and Feng Yun, Eagle Bo Kong's reaction confirmed it without any remaining doubt...

This man is Eagle Bo Kong!

Even the Prince and Old Song the Third had likely figured this out. If Jun Mo Xie hadn't seen it, he might as well buy a block of tofu and bash his head in.

What was most brilliant was that Eagle Bo Kong had maintained his hidden identity, showing no intention of revealing it, yet Jun Mo Xie began flattering him before exposing his identity—this truly delighted Eagle Bo Kong immensely!

If a Profound Qi master like Old Song the Third had uttered those same words, the effect would have been vastly inferior to Jun Mo Xie’s. This is because Jun Mo Xie was currently presenting himself as an utterly clumsy, low-tier figure. For such a person to deliver such an "impartial" assessment of the merits between Eagle Bo Kong and Feng Yun, wouldn't that make others even more certain?

This was why Eagle Bo Kong, who had never defeated Feng Yun in his life, always being at a stalemate, couldn't help but be gratified! Look at him squinting, nodding incessantly, his entire posture floating lightly—this clearly demonstrated the power of Jun Mo Xie's words.

This young man, the more I look at him... the more pleasing he is!

"Just as you said, whether the wine is good or bad must ultimately be tasted, not merely boasted about," Old Song the Third muttered, somewhat dejected. He had taken out his wine and recounted his experiences, earning universal approval. Setting aside everything else, if they had engaged in a wine-testing contest then, even if both wines tasted the same, given his preceding buildup, the victory would have belonged to him!

As for this fellow, not only was he late, but upon arriving, a few words from him had stirred up universal resentment. Yet, after rambling on with his convoluted logic, he had managed to completely shift the focus!

Although what he said did possess some measure of truth...

On the surface, the two had not explicitly mentioned a wine contest, but in reality, the moment Old Song the Third introduced the origin of his wine, the competition had already begun!

And Jun Mo Wu's discourse was a masterful countermove, simultaneously deflecting and striking, eliminating the slight advantage Old Song the Third had gained!

This is the creation of momentum!

But while creating momentum, Jun Mo Xie was also aiming for maximum benefit—securing the allegiance of this Prairie Eagle God, Eagle Bo Kong! With the current volatile situation in Tianxiang City, Eagle Bo Kong’s stance could turn the tide! Furthermore, for Jun Mo Wu’s benefit, he aimed to subtly extract the method for using Profound Pills from Eagle Bo Kong, slowly laying a foundation... —Yes, yes, very good. Now is the time to taste the wine! Whoever is superior or inferior, who wins or loses, a single taste will reveal it.

The Prince burst into hearty laughter. Compared to Old Song the Third, he remained relatively composed under the shadow of Eagle Bo Kong's fame. After all, he was a royal noble of the Imperial Line; while Eagle Bo Kong was renowned across the world, he belonged to a different sphere. Respect and admiration might exist, but in other matters, the Prince might not feel too deeply affected.

Even if he felt something, what could he do? A person like Eagle Bo Kong was hardly someone any ruler of a nation could command! Put another way, if Eagle Bo Kong wished to kill him, regardless of whether he was prepared or how he prepared, death would still be inevitable. It was better to let nature take its course, neither intentionally offending nor deliberately recruiting. Thinking this way, his heart naturally settled.

"Indeed, persistence doesn't guarantee success. But those who achieve success are certainly persistent!" Eagle Bo Kong closed his eyes, pondered for a long time, and then slowly uttered this sentence, sighing somewhat: "Listening to your words, I realize that my previous admiration for a certain person over a certain matter was entirely unnecessary!"

Eh?! Jun Mo Wu felt a flicker of surprise. Had his words actually made the Prairie Eagle God arrogant? Thinking this, he replied verbally, "Indeed. We only need to clearly identify our goals and move forward step by step. Whether predecessors stumbled or whether successors can keep up is completely irrelevant and not worth dwelling on. Because what concerns us most is whether we can ultimately ascend to the peak, nothing else!"

"Well said!" Eagle Bo Kong laughed heartily: "What concerns us most is whether we ourselves can ultimately ascend to the peak, nothing else! For just this single sentence, let us have a large cup! Bring the wine!"

Jun Mo Xie laughed and stretched out his hand, gesturing for them to taste Old Song the Third’s wine first. This gesture startled the Prince and the other two. In wine or tea tasting, the chief taboo is preconception.

Human perception, especially in a competition with intensely strong flavors like this rose essence, is paramount. If two wines were made from identical ingredients with the same flavor, the one tasted first would undoubtedly have the advantage!

Does he truly possess such confidence? The group looked at Jun Mo Xie, a huge question mark arising in their minds.

Old Song the Third did not hesitate. With a wave of his hand, a faint, almost imperceptible blue light flickered, and four wine cups landed silently before each person.

This movement was fluid, as if executed by a natural flow, displaying the utmost elegance and ease, instantly filling the young Heir Yang’s large eyes with adoration.

The clay seal was broken, and the rich aroma of the wine instantly permeated the air. Both the Prince and Eagle Bo Kong couldn't help but close their eyes and inhale deeply.

Both men were connoisseurs of fine spirits, having tasted the best wines the world offered—it was inevitable given their statuses: one a Prince of a nation, the other a contemporary Grandmaster. What wine could they not acquire?!

Before tasting the wine, one savored the fragrance!

"This is truly an exceptional wine!" Eagle Bo Kong stated calmly: "Worthy of the title Wine Grandmaster; attained through years of effort. Merely smelling this aroma is enough to refresh the mind and delight the spirit. Among the fine wines I have tasted, at most two or three can compare to this!"

Jun Mo Xie frowned slightly. While the aroma was rich, it was perhaps too intense. It was like high-end perfume: a faint dusting on the body can evoke endless contemplation and lend an air of noble elegance, but dousing oneself with a whole bottle... it becomes pungent and nauseating, completely vulgarizing the scent.

Old Song the Third cradled the wine jar with a solemn expression, his face showing reverence. A flash of blue light appeared, and his Profound Qi flowed through the bottom of the jar. With a single surge, a bright arrow of wine shot out, landing precisely in a white jade cup and stopping exactly when full, not spilling a single drop.

Then came the second cup... all four cups were filled perfectly. The wine arrow seemed uninterrupted in mid-air, creating a radiant, fragrant rainbow, yet not a single drop fell outside the cups.

"Please!" Old Song the Third gestured, but he did not lift the cup before himself.