In a secluded, quiet chamber.

An exceptionally ancient chessboard.

The black and white stones were already entangled, locked in a fierce, brutal battle.

“Brother Wen, how do you feel about today’s events?” His Majesty the Emperor gently pressed down a black stone, producing a sharp pa sound.

Across from him, Wen Cangyu, clad in ink-black robes—a color His Majesty had never seen the close confidant wear within the palace walls before.

“Still difficult to judge, but it can be confirmed that there is no significant fluctuation of Profound Qi emanating from him.” Wen Cangyu’s expression remained unmoved, his eyes flickering slightly as he placed a white stone.

“Brother Wen, is this young man’s intent to cut off my Great Dragon? That is no small feat.” His Majesty parried the move with a gentle smile: “But I keep feeling that the little fellow from the Jun family is acting oddly. What do you think?”

“More than oddly, he is deeply unsettling.” Master Wen closed his eyes gravely, contemplating for a moment. “This Jun Mo Xie is profoundly strange. His conduct exudes an unrestrained wickedness; though he appeared like a prodigal wastrel in the great hall today, fooling everyone, in this old man’s estimation, he was not pretending.”

“Brother Wen means…” His Majesty lowered his head slightly, pressing a finger against his temple, massaging it gently.

“He likely did not take anyone present seriously at all!” Master Wen delivered this statement in a tone of deep consideration, clearly having mulled over Jun Mo Xie’s every action for a long time, merely seizing the moment to voice the conclusion he had reached. “Everyone. Including Your Majesty, was beneath his notice.”

“Oh? Is that the meaning!” His Majesty paused his hand holding the chess piece mid-air: “Does the esteemed Master have any sound advice to offer?”

“What advice could there be? I only feel that Jun Mo Xie used a universally recognized mannerism of a dissolute noble to display his arrogance to the masses; but at the same time, he effectively told Your Majesty one thing.” Wen Cangyu chuckled lightly.

“He has no interest in the struggles for worldly power!” His Majesty finished the thought for him: “He clearly and plainly told me this, giving me peace of mind that I need never fear him; and furthermore, with his attitude of extreme jesting and scolding, he reminded me just how colossal a failure the education at Wenxing Academy has been, and how utterly inadequate those so-called talents are! He let me see the hidden dangers of the Empire and the flaws of bureaucracy, and in doing so, he conferred a favor upon me, an immense one.”

“Indeed, such a person need not be deliberately guarded against; while Tianxing Academy has made great contributions to nurturing talent for our dynasty over the years, and their achievements cannot be erased, in recent years they have focused too much on cultivating the students’ inherent talents while neglecting the guidance of their personal character, bordering on abandoning the fundamental for the peripheral. Moreover, the graduates cultivated by Tianxing Academy are, at best, talented individuals, or momentary choices—the cream of the crop—but when it comes to true leaders, the heroes among men, they fall far short!”

“Therefore, the hidden danger of Wenxing is minor.”

“And among the descendants of the court officials of Tianxiang, there are also many extraordinary individuals, but most are still under control. Only two individuals cause worry—talents so prodigious they are alarming!” Wen Cangyu smiled slightly: “One is Li Youran, and the other is Jun Mo Xie!”

“Li Youran?” His Majesty laughed: “This Li Youran harbors enormous ambition, his machinations are incredibly deep, his joys and sorrows never show on his face, and his conduct in handling affairs is smooth and flawless. I often hear people say this young man possesses the ability to strategize within the command tent and secure victory a thousand li away! However, even though Li Youran is overflowing with talent and exceptional natural gifts, he still hasn't commanded my full attention.”

“Why is that?” This time it was Wen Cangyu’s turn to be puzzled—how could such a genius still not be worthy of notice?

“Perhaps Li Youran himself hasn’t realized it, but all the methods he has mastered, all the knowledge he has studied, share one common trait: they are fit for a general, a marshal, or a prime minister; even an assisting minister or grand chancellor would suffice; but this… this is ultimately the way of a subject, never the art of an emperor!”

The Emperor smiled faintly: “So, Li Youran, at best, can only stop at the level of talent, perhaps an exceptional figure, but no more. If this young man could advance further, he might be considered a formidable figure, but he distinctly lacks the bearing of one meant to rule the heavens! … Even with ambition, it is not worthy of praise. I am completely confident that when his ambition begins to rise, I can extinguish it. Why worry?!”

“How can an Emperor stoop to playing with shadowy conspiracies? Li Youran is accustomed to operating behind the scenes; even if forced to step forward, he would not—and if he did, he would be deeply uncomfortable! But the talent of an Emperor requires uprightness, facing the common people of the world. Therefore, Li Youran might be a choice for a time, but we can temporarily set him aside; we only need to monitor his movements. Use him if possible, eliminate him if not. He might stir up minor ripples, but he absolutely cannot generate a tsunami.”

As His Majesty finished speaking, the publicly acknowledged foremost talent of Tianxiang, Li Youran, was effectively dismissed.

“Your Majesty’s thoughts are indeed thorough; I am impressed.” Master Wen considered carefully before finally expressing his agreement. He had to admit that when it came to discerning people, this Sovereign of the Nine-Fifth had surpassed him considerably. This was because he viewed people from the perspective of an Emperor, whereas he viewed them through the lens of a Grandmaster of Martial Arts; the difference between the two was like that of heaven and earth, operating on entirely different planes.

“Only that Jun Mo Xie is far more dangerous than Li Youran; the degree of danger between the two is not even comparable. Li Youran’s sharpness is already revealed, but Jun Mo Xie remains like a hidden dragon in the abyss; once his wings are fully grown, he can soar to the heavens. Although this person has already indicated his disinterest in power, whichever path he develops along, he is bound to be an outstanding figure! Li Youran, even if he can stir up clouds and rain, is still within controllable limits; but once Jun Mo Xie appears with strength, he will inevitably be an unmatched, peerless sword, which perhaps no one can withstand!”

His Majesty the Emperor sighed deeply: “Currently, although the various nations of the continent are also full of emerging talents, peerless figures like Jun Mo Xie and Li Youran have never appeared; if I could have another fifty years, I could carefully study these two, and in the future, relying on this civil and military pair, they could become the pillars supporting our dynasty! Moreover, their clashing personalities would create a perfect balance! But to have these two appear at such a time—for our Tianxiang Kingdom—I truly do not know if it is a blessing or a curse?”

“Your Majesty is in the prime of life, full of vigor; why utter such words?” Wen Cangyu chuckled lightly by way of comfort.

“I know my own body; perhaps I have ten or twenty years left, but certainly not much longer. The old wound from so many years ago—even the Poison Heart Medicine King said that human effort has its limits. My constitution is beyond human power. Brother Wen, there is no need to comfort me.”

“My only worry now, my deepest concern, is that both of these individuals are talents that may never come again; while I live, I am confident I can restrain them, but once I pass, none of my three sons can manage these two. Even dealing with just one of them would be beyond their capabilities. At that time…” His Majesty sighed mournfully.

“Currently, the four seas are peaceful, without incident; the great families within the nation are also loyal to Your Majesty, so I believe nothing major will happen in the short term,” Wen Cangyu stated. “Your Majesty can rest assured.”

“In fact, it is precisely because nothing is happening that I am so hesitant. Brother Wen, you probably haven’t noticed that Li Youran and Jun Mo Xie have actually replaced the older generation, becoming the key figures maintaining the military and political balance. If anything happens to either of them, this balance will be instantly broken, and the domestic peace will splinter apart with it; therefore, we absolutely cannot move against them now.”

“But if we leave them as they are, the future dangers may not be any less, and could even lead to the downfall of the nation.”

“Your Majesty’s meaning is… ultimately to… eliminate them now??” Wen Cangyu contemplated for a while, then asked slowly with his head bowed.

“Absolutely not! I have already failed the Jun family enough. How can I eliminate the only bloodline left of the Jun family?”

The Emperor smiled bitterly, but even Master Wen did not believe this statement.

“Besides, now is not the appropriate time. Brother Wen, consider this: if Jun Mo Xie truly died, could the ensuing turmoil be something our Tianxiang Kingdom could withstand? Even if he must die, it must be by a genuine accident. Otherwise, the counterattack from the Jun family faction will result in a battle where fish die and the net breaks! From this aspect alone, it is absolutely not advisable to strike before the Jun family faction has fractured.”

He sighed: “Moreover, you must not forget, behind Jun Mo Xie, besides the Jun family, another family is involved. That family, while perhaps inferior in martial strength to Snow Wind Silver City or Blood Soul Mountain Villa, their retaliation after Jun Wuhui’s death in battle made the entire continent tremble!”

He sighed with infinite regret, a sigh that seemed to issue from the depths of his soul.

From this sigh, Wen Cangyu could clearly perceive how frustrated and regretful the Emperor, whose thoughts were always so hard to fathom and whose emotions were never displayed, was at this moment!

“The Dongfang family? That family universally acknowledged as assassins?!” Wen Cangyu suddenly opened his eyes, unable to help exclaiming in shock: “Didn’t they vanish eight years ago? Could the Dongfang family be Jun Mo Xie’s maternal relatives?”

“You guessed correctly!” His Majesty closed his eyes in pain, then raised his head: “Back then, when Jun Wuhui and Jun Wumeng died unexpectedly in battle, the first-rate assassins belonging to the Dongfang family suddenly went mad and poured out entirely. They launched a bloody, brutal campaign of vengeance against the Tianxiang Empire, against Snow Wind Silver City, against the entire continent! That year, almost every moment, external personnel from Snow Wind Silver City were assassinated; almost every moment, a general who had once faced Jun Wuhui was murdered! And that hidden injury of Mine… it was at that time that the Dongfang family successively dispatched seventeen first-rate assassin death-sworn individuals, trading life for injury, causing the damage that I cannot and never will recover from!”

“At that time, not only did the elites of the Xiao family from Snow Wind Silver City exert themselves, but Blood Soul Mountain Villa also sent great support, and the Supreme Beings on both the open and hidden fronts took action. It took a full year before this tide of assassination was finally suppressed. In the final battle, Xiao family’s Cloud-Covering Rain and Mist fought a two-on-one battle against the Old Madam of the Dongfang family. With (Li Jue Tian) and (Han Feng Xue) as witnesses, the Old Madam lost by half a move, and reluctantly gathered the family disciples, announcing that the Dongfang family would retreat deep into the mountains henceforth, and upheld an oath as required: unless the Sword Peak collapses and the Snow Mountains fall, and all Profound Beasts are summoned by Heavenly Punishment, the assassins of the Dongfang family would never show themselves on the continent!”

“Unless the Sword Peak collapses and the Snow Mountains fall, and all Profound Beasts are summoned by Heavenly Punishment!” Although Wen Cangyu already knew of this matter, he still felt his spirit tremble upon hearing it again.

“The Sword Peak has stood atop the Snow Mountains for tens of millions of years; how could it suddenly collapse? As for the Heavenly Punishment Forest, it is inherently the domain of Profound Beasts; even if one or two escaped, how could they all be summoned? What the Old Madam of the Dongfang family said is equivalent to declaring that the Dongfang family has retired forever.”

“That may not be so! Once someone touches the bottom line of the Dongfang family, they naturally have a reason to emerge, and their bottom line is the people they care about! This oath has been in place for over five years. When Jun Moyou and Jun Mochou died in battle at Broken Soul Ridge, the Dongfang family emerged again, claiming this action was revenge for their nephew; none of the generals of the Tianci Empire who participated in that battle survived in the end. In the dead of night, the heads of those generals were thrown into My Imperial Palace, with a note attached. The note contained one sentence: If anything happens to Jun Mo Xie, the next target will be the Tianxiang Imperial Palace! If the Jun family line is severed, the Yang family will be extinguished—this is currently unknown to anyone! Even Jun Zhantian doesn't know!”

“And Brother Wen, you, it was after the great battle three years ago…” The Emperor’s voice grew angry, filled with profound helplessness and humiliation. “Jun Mo Xie is now the Old Madam Dongfang’s only remaining maternal grandson! He is staking the lives of the entire Tianxiang Imperial Family on his one person!”

“Jun Zhantian, precisely because he insisted on not rebelling, finally broke ties with the Dongfang family at that time!” The white stone in the Emperor’s hand landed sharply on the chessboard, scattering the surrounding pieces. His fingers trembled slightly as he drooped his head wearily: “Brother Jun treated me with deep affection, Brother Wen, I… I wronged Brother Jun back then!”

He suddenly raised his head again: “I admit this! But I… I am ultimately an Emperor! I am the ruler of a nation. There is never kinship in the Imperial family; an Emperor is naturally emotionless. The very first thing I think of, at any time, is always Imperial authority, always the future of this country. I cannot allow anyone who might threaten my Imperial authority to exist! And the times I can think of fraternal affection… are too few…”

“Perhaps… this is the greatest sorrow of being an Emperor! A lonely ruler, a lonely ruler!”

Wen Cangyu remained silent for a long time, then let out a deep breath.

“Therefore, the Jun family, no matter what, these few remaining members, we absolutely cannot touch them. No matter which aspect you look at, we cannot. Even if there is a necessary reason to remove them, it must be an accidental death, a true accident! Moreover, neither we nor any member of the Tianxiang Imperial Family can be involved. Otherwise, if we are caught, and the Dongfang family goes mad… Brother Wen, the assembly of Supremes is not what it was ten years ago. Since Yun Biechen disappeared, everyone has been acting independently! If the Dongfang family were to reappear, our Tianxiang… would be in peril!”

“A true accident? … To make someone like Jun Mo Xie die by accident…” Master Wen sighed: “…Difficult…”

“Perhaps it is not so difficult!” The Emperor smiled deeply, his expression complex: “And this accident, this opportunity, has arrived!” He slowly took a letter from his sleeve and placed it on the chessboard.

“The Profound Beast Tide? Your Majesty means…” Wen Cangyu’s eyes brightened, then he sighed heavily.

“This incident occurred in the south of our Tianxiang, it doesn't involve any other nation, but once the Blood Soul forces completely retreat, Tianxiang will undoubtedly be the first to suffer!”

His Majesty the Emperor frowned slightly, stood up straight, and stood with his hands behind his back: “Therefore, we must dispatch troops; and the manpower dispatched cannot be underestimated. So, the great families in the capital will all dispatch people to form an elite force, supplemented by a hundred thousand Iron Cavalry! They will go south to assist!”

“Among these people, the Murong family, the Tang family, the Li family, the Song family, the Jun family… hehe, everyone must send people. Once these people leave, the capital will be largely empty, and I will have time to have a good ‘play’ with my three good sons.”

“And when they return, it will surely be a time when circumstances have changed and things are no longer the same.” His Majesty smiled faintly: “But, this kind of army, none of the great families will fully submit to the others. Though the strength of this force is great, it is… hehehe…”

The Emperor’s laughter was chilling. It was clear that an army where no one fully obeyed another, where internal conflict was rife, was a major taboo in military affairs. Such an army, when facing the Profound Beast Tide, could only meet its doom! “Then who does Your Majesty plan to have lead the army?” Master Wen vaguely guessed the answer but still asked.

“Jun Wuyi!” The Emperor smiled strangely: “Besides Jun Wuyi, is there any more suitable candidate?” A cold glint flashed in the Emperor’s eyes: Jun Wuyi, I don’t know what your intent was in organizing that noble auction, but I must take a preemptive step to thwart all your thoughts! This journey to the Heavenly Punishment… fend for yourself!”

The sharp gaze that followed lingered for a long time.

After leaving the Imperial Palace, Jun Mo Xie’s face was already clouded with dark thoughts, as if those two falcon-like gazes, carrying a majestic imperial aura, were still fixed upon his back, suppressing him with immense pressure.

The Young Master Jun directly activated the Heaven Opening Creation Skill, scanned the nearby spiritual senses to confirm there were no anomalies, and then spoke in a low voice: “Fatty, how many of the medicinal ingredients I asked you to collect are there now?”

“It’s only just begun, how many do you expect there to be?” Tang Yuan looked at him in surprise. It had only been a few days, and the ingredients Young Master Jun required were mostly rare; it would be strange if there were many!

“Listen to me, no matter what method you use, collect as many medicinal ingredients as possible in the shortest time! The faster the better! Publicize widely, apply great pressure. For rare ingredients, even if it costs double or triple the price, do not hesitate to acquire them! Furthermore, those three special medicinal ingredients I mentioned earlier—once they appear, whatever the sky-high price, you must get them! In short, spare no expense, collect a portion for me in the shortest time possible! Starting tonight, deliver the herbs to me three times a day: morning, noon, and evening; even if you only receive a single stalk, send it to me as soon as possible! Do you understand?”

“Understood! I will do my utmost!” Tang Yuan sensed Jun Mo Xie’s urgency and agreed without hesitation.

Jun Mo Xie let out a long breath, his gaze solemn. Only then did he turn back, staring at the resplendent, gilded Imperial Palace bathed in sunlight, as if a pair of eyes were still fixed upon him, burning fiercely.

After careful consideration, recalling his performance today, he finally felt at ease.

The Emperor’s suspicion of him—this fact—Jun Mo Xie had already perceived during the previous Noble Assembly. Today’s Autumn Talent Banquet was, at best, merely confirmation. No matter how Jun Mo Xie performed, whether arrogant or deliberately evasive, this fact could not be changed.

Unless Jun Mo Xie was willing to abandon his pride and completely revert to the original Mo Xie’s personality, he might achieve temporary relief, but only temporary relief at that. Moreover, it would allow the Royal Family to deal with the Jun family even more unscrupulously!

Jun Mo Xie would rather die than yield to that! “One who has a bird beneath his crotch must be a man, standing tall and upright, to hell with…” These sixteen characters of family teaching had become the mantra of the Great Killer Jun!

Therefore, this time, Jun Mo Xie had acted like a prodigal wastrel in the Imperial Hall, seemingly undisciplined, but in reality, he had been utterly reckless, showing immense arrogance! This was because when he saw Tang Yuan carrying the chair in, Jun Mo Xie had suddenly realized one thing.

If the Emperor truly intended to deal with the Jun family, he needed no reason, absolutely no reason! Even if Jun Mo Xie were a genuine wastrel, he would be killed when the time came, without any mercy! Conversely, if the Emperor had no intention of targeting the Jun family, then even if Jun Mo Xie were a genius favored by heaven, nothing would happen.

Jun Mo Xie felt he had been worrying unnecessarily.

Furthermore, the Jun family now possessed a certain degree of self-preservation ability! Within a year, the prestigious title of Eagle Soarer among the Eight Great Supremes would certainly remain effective. As for after a year… Jun Mo Xie was confident that by then, any person or force attempting to deal with the Jun family would have to pay an extremely heavy price!

Jun Mo Xie had no intention of delaying the matter of Snow Wind Silver City for too long either!

Recalling the peak ninth-grade Profound Pill in his hand, Jun Mo Xie sighed. He had the Profound Pill, he had the people waiting for enhancement, he even had the Supreme experts available to assist in the enhancement, but he lacked the medicine…

The Primordial Tower, the Chaos Fire, the Furnace of Creation—all are present. Yet, the necessary medicinal ingredients are missing!

The word... medicine... That single word is now the crux of every problem!

Jun Mo Xie frowned, letting out a sigh.

Over the past few days, Jun Mo Xie had managed to completely memorize the so-called pill recipes, and he had retained all the corresponding conditions required for refinement. However, Jun Mo Xie realized that he was still only capable of concocting relatively low-tier medicines, and even those had an uncertain success rate.

The second layer of the Heaven-Forging Creation Art allowed for the refinement of only pills that could increase cultivation or heal injuries—low-grade medicines. The ingredients required were not exceedingly precious, at least not the rare, world-unseen variety. But what annoyed Jun Mo Xie the most was that, according to the descriptions, while these pills did boost cultivation, the effect was far from ideal. At best, they offered only ten or eight years of cultivation gain, and they could not be taken repeatedly.

This left Jun Mo Xie feeling thoroughly dejected, deeply frustrated!

It made him wonder if the elixirs produced within the Primordial Tower were actually inferior in effect to the Xuan Cores of Xuan Beasts. After all, a peak Ninth Grade Xuan Core could elevate someone through several ranks in a single instance, ignoring their existing level or status. How could that effect be compared to a mere few years of cultivation gain? Some bottlenecks might require a lifetime to break through, and other heights might remain utterly unreachable until death.

Thus, true masters in this world remained a minority, an absolute minority!

Perhaps Jun Mo Xie’s expectations were too high. At his current cultivation—only the second layer of the Creation Art—being able to refine these medicines was already considered heaven-defying! While Ninth Grade Xuan Cores were precious, how many Ninth Grade Xuan Beasts existed in the world? Even if they did, how many people could easily obtain their inner cores?

It must be understood that throughout the history of the Xuanxuan Continent, perhaps some individuals had advanced their power by consuming heavenly and earthly spirit medicines, but never before had anyone been able to successfully refine such miraculous pills capable of permanently increasing anyone's cultivation!

Never mind boosting cultivation by ten or eight years instantly; even a pill that could only raise it by a single year, if it appeared in this world, would immediately trigger a massive uproar!

Let alone the near mass-production of spirit medicines by the Young Master! As Jun Mo Xie’s realm ascended and his cultivation deepened, the efficacy of the pills he could refine was bound to grow exponentially stronger!

The well-fed man simply cannot empathize with the hunger of the starving man.

Elder Jun Zhantian, sitting astride his horse, watched his grandson fussing nervously over something with an unreadable expression, though inwardly, he was quite pleased.

As for the commotion his grandson's actions today might stir up, the Elder paid it no mind. He simply did not believe that within Tianxiang City, he could not protect his only grandson. Even across the entire Tianxiang Kingdom, so what?!

Damn it, my grandson is supposed to be the kind of person who walks sideways! This is what my Jun...

He had to admit, those sour-faced critics he’d just cursed out had immensely satisfied his spirit! This was the demeanor of a true man, one with actual grit between his legs!

Just as the Elder was beginning to congratulate himself, a sudden, drastic change erupted ahead!

A bizarre shadow, seemingly ethereal and unreal, suddenly materialized under the direct sunlight. Like a wave of dark energy twisting mid-air, it shot out from a large tree by the roadside with unparalleled speed, transforming into a streak of light—lightning-fast—aimed directly at Jun Mo Xie!

Almost the instant this streak of light flashed into existence, it was already upon Jun Mo Xie’s chest!

The speed and precision of the attacker’s timing revealed the terrifying level of skill involved!

Such timing, such velocity—even Elder Jun, who had already reached the Tianxuan realm, could not react in time! ...They had only just left the Imperial Palace! To choose this exact moment for an assassination was utterly unexpected!

Everyone watched as if trapped in a dream, seeing this streak of light seemingly pass right through Jun Mo Xie’s chest, then, without looking back, maintaining its miraculous, light-speed velocity, a phantom blur flashed like lightning across the street and instantly clung to a large tree on the opposite side. After a slight tremor, it vanished without a trace...

From beginning to end, it took barely the blink of an eye. It was all over!