...another double chapter update, seven thousand words. Seeking recommendation votes.

Standing quietly, Jun Moxie watched the brutal training below, his gaze cold and merciless.

What he sought was more than just this! Only by pushing these men's physical limits could the batch of elixirs he was preparing yield the greatest effect! To allow every one of them to leap forward at once.

In the future, the primary mission Jun Moxie assigned this team would be slaughter! Slaughter! Endless slaughter! Unceasing killing!

In the center of the Jun Residence, atop the high tower, Old Master Jun Zhantian and Jun Wuyi stood side-by-side. Watching the savagery of the "training" below, both men’s expressions twitched.

"Wuyi, in your view, what exactly is Moxie trying to achieve by training these men like this? Must the training be this severe?" Old Master Jun's eyes were heavy with concern.

"For ordinary soldiers, this kind of training is undoubtedly wasting lives; even for an invincible army, this seems excessive. But from what I see, Moxie's purpose in training this unit is singular: Slaughter!" Jun Wuyi’s gaze held a touch of covetousness. It was understandable; any general would be tempted upon seeing such a force.

This kind of unit was the dream of any commanding officer! In any army, never mind three hundred, even a mere hundred such men would form an unstoppable torrent! On the battlefield, they would be invincible and conquer all!

The nightmare of any enemy force!

"Slaughter!" A flicker of worry crossed the Old Master's eyes. "Even for slaughter, one must consider for whom they kill, why they kill. The purpose and origin of the killing—this point is critically important for the world, the state, others, and oneself."

"Father, I dare not fully agree with your words. I believe that regardless of the reason, it is enough that these men fight for only one person!" Jun Wuyi’s gaze was chillingly stern. "These three hundred will only ever fight for Moxie alone! For Moxie is for the Jun Family! Because the future of the Jun Family rests entirely on Moxie's shoulders! What does the world, the state, or others truly matter?"

"Such power..." The Old Master’s worry did not diminish. "If this force ever shows itself publicly, suspicion will inevitably arise!"

"Suspicion? So what?" Jun Wuyi's eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp, cold glint flashing out. "In all these years, has the Jun Family not always been envied? Haven't we done and endured enough?!"

Jun Wuyi’s words echoed Jun Moxie’s own thinking, showing a distinct disregard for the supreme authority.

The Old Master sighed deeply, falling silent in dejection. Were some of his past choices truly correct? The Jun Family’s talent dwindling—was he not partly responsible?

"With Moxie, the Jun Family will inevitably rise again! No longer constrained by anyone, by any power! Of this, I am utterly confident!" Jun Wuyi slowly turned his head, looking at the brutal fighting in the courtyard. "But this requires time, requires strength! Absolute strength. We now possess the nascent form of that absolute strength!" He slowly clenched his fists, the knuckles emitting a faint cracking sound.

"Didn't that boy Moxie say he wanted to watch their training too? Why isn't he here?" Old Master Jun glanced around.

"This training no longer requires anyone's supervision."

A look of admiration crossed Jun Wuyi’s eyes. "To reach this level of military training is already the peak of perfection! As for Moxie, who knows what he’s up to now. That boy has always been deeply mysterious. Let's not bother ourselves with him; worrying about him is more vexing. Not worrying is simply easier! He is the hidden dragon about to emerge, Father. Let's just... let go."

The Old Master snorted. "Not worry? Easier? You think so simply. Don't you feel that as his uncle, you aren't being diligent enough? Moxie’s age... don't you feel you should be concerned about his marriage?"

"How could I not know Moxie is grown and should be finding a wife? Didn't you witness it yourself just the other day? By the way, that boy’s assets must be quite substantial, aren't they?!" Third Master Jun asked abruptly.

"Indeed, very much so, possessing the air of my younger self—Bah! What are you saying, you brat, asking for a beating?!" Old Master Jun instantly snapped back to attention, raising a hand to strike Jun Wuyi.

Third Master chuckled merrily. "Father, why are you angry? Isn't it a good thing Moxie has grown up? However, regarding marriage, it’s best to plan for the long term. Of course... if you, old man, think you can force Moxie to do something he is unwilling to do, I naturally have no objections; in fact, I’d welcome it."

Faced with his son's counter-move, Old Master Jun was choked with anger. But thinking it over, even forcing his beloved grandson to do a small thing might be difficult, let alone demanding he marry suddenly.

"That girl Dugu treats Moxie quite well, and I think Moxie is interested in her too. Besides her, is there anyone else? That girl might not be able to handle Moxie by herself!" The Old Master asked, unwilling to give up.

These two hypocritical, unscrupulous father and son were already scheming a harem for their nephew and grandson!

"Uh, besides her, didn't he used to frequent Spirit Mist Lake often? Maybe there..." Jun Wuyi blinked.

The Old Master nearly fainted, supporting his forehead with one hand. "Forget those. Is there anyone else?"

"I recall before, Moxie had quite the ambition regarding his courtesan, Qinghan..." Jun Wuyi finished this sentence, then swiftly smashed through the window and vanished without a trace. He knew what awaited him if he stayed.

"Bastard! Get lost!" The Old Master roared in fury. He wanted to continue yelling, but his son was already gone. He glared, stamped his foot, and roared his way downstairs. But halfway through his rant, he knitted his brows, lost in thought...

"Could it be that our Jun Family is destined to delay someone else's entire life?" The Old Master sighed deeply, then shook his head. "Absurd! Utterly absurd!" No one knew what the old man was calling absurd.

In a vacant space near the training grounds, Jun Moxie vaguely heard Old Master Jun's roar. He scratched his head in confusion: Why was the Old Master suddenly throwing a fit? Young Master Jun naturally didn't know that the Old Master’s anger was entirely triggered by him, even though he was truly innocent.

His figure flickered, and Jun Moxie's shadow also vanished from the edge of the field.

Seeing that dusk was approaching, Jun Moxie felt a subtle sense of anticipation. There were quite a few things he needed to attend to tonight.

First, that object worn by Xiao Fengwu of Silver City was definitely a treasure! Anything that could elicit a reaction from the Hongjun Pagoda couldn't be ordinary. Although Young Master Jun didn't know exactly what it was, regardless of his knowledge, he had already made up his mind. He must seize it back first.

Second, the assassin who tried to kill him—Jun Moxie held immense interest in that individual.

Moreover, he genuinely liked, even admired, the assassin's style of operation.

Never engage in a frontal assault; if the strike fails, never look back, but immediately retreat far away, without the slightest hesitation or lingering. This was precisely the method Jun Moxie had employed in his previous life. This was the first true "assassin" Jun Moxie had encountered in this world! Those previous so-called assassin organizations, in Jun Moxie's eyes, were merely brutes engaged in reckless fighting.

Where was the demeanor of a true assassin in them?

Those people didn't even deserve to be called assassins!

Furthermore, there was that swift, surprise attack technique. Jun Moxie was confident that if he obtained that divine skill, his destructive power could ascend several more levels. Even if his opponent was a Divine Profound realm expert, he could attempt an assassination!

There must be profound secrets within it!

Only when he neared his small courtyard did Jun Moxie, who was drifting through the void, pause, halting his chaotic thoughts and stopping his movement.

At the entrance to his small courtyard, two small figures were kneeling straight up; it was unknown how long they had been there.

Their thin, frail backs conveyed a stubborn refusal to yield.

Jun Moxie sighed, manifesting his figure like a ghost, and slowly walked toward them. These two were among the youths he and Jun Wuyi had rescued from the Yellow Flower Hall that time. Arrangements had been made for the others, but these two absolutely refused to leave. They insisted on learning skills to exact revenge.

Although their injuries weren't fatally severe, both were mute—their tongues had been half-cut, leaving no possibility of speaking. One of them even only had one arm!

Jun Moxie hadn't been unmoved. However, after examining them, he regretfully refused. These two children possessed astonishing willpower, and their hatred was intense, but their innate aptitude was mediocre to poor. Moreover, they were now both disabled.

The Yellow Flower Hall hadn't been wrong to abandon their cultivation.

Jun Moxie had seriously considered it from all angles. If he devoted himself entirely to training these two, given their tenacious will, coupled with his brutal training and guidance, provided they endured the test of time and accumulated decades of effort, they might achieve considerable success—perhaps even reaching the Profound Realm in this lifetime!

A Earth Profound expert—this achievement was not low. It was a height ordinary people might never reach in a lifetime, a height that most common powers would need to look up to. But for them, and in relation to Jun Moxie, it meant nothing!

Firstly, Jun Moxie could not afford to wait! Not to mention the massive amount of money, medicine, and time required to cultivate them! If he could only produce two experts who would stop at the Earth Profound level, and it required such a long time, it held no value or necessity for Jun Moxie.

Secondly, the power of vengeance they craved could not be attained quickly. Everything would be meaningless!

Although Jun Moxie sympathized with them and secretly admired their willpower, he clearly recognized that it was impossible.

Yet, these two children, ever since he refused them, knelt there every day. The moment they saw Jun Moxie appear, though unable to speak, their eyes were filled with desperate pleading.

Today marked the ninth day they had knelt unmoving.

Hearing Jun Moxie's familiar footsteps, the two frail bodies trembled, then immediately straightened their backs. Yet, they remained kneeling, utterly still.

Sighing, Jun Moxie slowly approached them. "Lift your heads and look at me!" His voice carried an undeniable command.

The two youths trembled and, obeying, looked up at Jun Moxie.

Jun Moxie paused. These children, barely thirteen or fourteen years old, their eyes held none of the urgency and craving from the previous days. In their place was a deathly stillness.

But it wasn't an empty stillness; it was a stillness that disregarded life and death, an indifference to all things under heaven!

A stillness, yet absolutely not empty!

A sigh escaped Jun Moxie's heart: This was the gaze of an ultimate assassin! A gaze that, after being pressured to the extreme, transformed into one that viewed human life as mere weeds! Even regarding themselves as mere weeds!

If their aptitude had been slightly better—just three points stronger—Jun Moxie would have accepted them without hesitation! But... regrettably, their innate endowments were too inferior.

Success required one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent sweat, but that one percent of inspiration was the most crucial, even more important than the ninety-nine percent of sweat!

"Tell me your reason. Let me see how determined you truly are!" A surge of pity rose in Jun Moxie’s heart. Both these children had been rescued from those vats; the suffering they had endured was unimaginable to ordinary people. But these two, filled with hatred, utterly lacked the aptitude for martial arts! It made Jun Moxie sigh for them.

Determination?

The two exchanged a glance, then suddenly nodded heavily in unison.

The child on the left suddenly thrust the index finger of his only remaining left hand into his mouth and bit down fiercely. His small head wrenched to the side, instantly tearing off a large piece of flesh. Blood poured out; he trembled with pain, his face turning pale, but his posture remained unmoving. He extended his finger and used his blood to scrawl the character 'Chi' () on the ground. As the bleeding slowed, he looked at it with dissatisfaction, then raised his finger to his mouth again, biting down hard and ripping again!

With a crisp sound, a short section of finger bone was wrenched out and tossed onto the ground—a white, stark bone! Blood jetted out like a fountain, splashing a bit onto Jun Moxie's face!

The other child replicated the exact same action! Their small bodies trembled, but they controlled themselves, using the gushing blood to write eight characters neatly on the ground.

The child on the left wrote: Tortured by a thousand cuts, unrepentant till death! (，！)

The child on the right wrote: Fail to become strong, only death remains! (，！)

Sixteen characters written in blood, each stroke full and forceful! Though crooked, every line and every stroke carried immense effort, without the slightest compromise!

Having finished, the two small figures prostrated themselves on the ground, kowtowing deeply to Jun Moxie!

Jun Moxie's eyes suddenly turned blood-red! At this moment, Jun Moxie bizarrely felt his heart tremble violently!

The Evil Sovereign, having lived two lives, always considered himself cold-blooded and detached. Heaven is unkind, treating all things as straw dogs; so I am unkind, regarding all living beings as nothing! Even when witnessing the barbaric scenes at the Yellow Flower Hall, he had not felt the slightest tremor in his soul. But now, these two stubborn youths had profoundly moved him!

"Good! Since you possess such intent, I will not withhold an opportunity from you!" Jun Moxie took a deep breath, the blood-red color gradually fading from his eyes, and said solemnly, "Today, I will grant you the chance to dominate the world in the future, but you must also remember this is a path of death filled with endless killing intent! I hope you... do not disappoint me!"

The two children raised their heads simultaneously. Though they could not speak, their eyes shot out with extreme ecstasy; instantly, the ecstasy transformed into absolute resolve, as if they had made a decision with their entire souls, kowtowing to Jun Moxie in unison. As their heads struck the ground, their foreheads cracked, and blood sprayed!

Jun Moxie snatched up both of them and rushed into the house with incredible speed. Having endured such immense pain, even without a single cry, if the two youths were not treated immediately, massive, grave problems would certainly arise.

Since Jun Moxie promised to create them, he would never allow another accident to befall them!

With such willpower and ruthlessness, even if their aptitude is poor, can it not be compensated for? Talented people are as numerous as crossing grains of sand in the world, but how many possess this kind of tenacity and ruthlessness?

Without sufficient effort, what use is even the greatest talent!

One who can be this cruel to themselves—what will they be like toward their enemies?

At the entrance to the small courtyard, illuminated by the last vestiges of daylight, the sixteen blood characters shone brilliantly.

Tortured by a thousand cuts, unrepentant till death! Fail to become strong, only death remains!

Night descended abruptly!

Looking at the two frail figures in his arms, Jun Moxie frowned deeply, pondering intently.

Currently, the place where Jun Moxie resided was completely filled with the wounded, thick with the scent of medicine.

On one side, Ye Guhan lay peacefully on a large bed; his breathing was still faint, but his life was no longer in danger.

And on the other side, another bed had been prepared by Jun Moxie, now occupied by the two little ones.

Three injured, three disabled.

After Jun Moxie finally agreed to their plea, the high tension holding the two youths together finally snapped, and they passed out. Yet, even as they lost consciousness, they remained utterly silent! Not a single groan escaped them!

He had seen ruthlessness before, but never directed at oneself with such intensity by those possessing no martial arts foundation. Jun Moxie had truly never seen this before!

Were these two brats even crueler than he was?!

Since he had promised them, how could he forge them into power in the shortest possible time? This was what troubled Jun Moxie the most.

Using Profound Qi? That path was definitely out! If they possessed even the slightest aptitude for cultivating Profound Qi, they wouldn't have been stuffed into the large vats by the Yellow Flower Hall people.

Forget it!

Jun Moxie abruptly stood up, a fierce, ruthless gleam shooting from his eyes. "Damn it! At worst, I’ll make an exception and teach them the internal cultivation method from my previous life! Everything will follow my standards from back then. As for how far they can reach, that depends on their destiny! If they can quickly advance to the fourth level of the Sky-Opening Creation Skill and refine the Marrow Cleansing Pill..."

"Then I will personally create two ultimate God of Slaughter figures who will shock the entire Profound Profound Continent in the future! With such ferocity, such perseverance, coupled with my techniques and spiritual medicine, I will forcefully pile them up into two terrifying fiends!"

He gently walked out of the room and sat on the threshold, looking up at the night sky. His thoughts drifted. Time had passed since he transmigrated, and tonight, these two stubborn youths had stirred up his own past concerns.

His previous life—wasn't he the same as these two children then? Training desperately, torturing himself to death. How many times had he trained until he collapsed? How many times had he pushed himself to the brink of death, hovering there?

How was the Peerless Fame of the Evil Sovereign earned? Who knew how much effort, how much sweat, how many tears were hidden behind that name? Among his fellow disciples, even the most diligent one, he was confident his training volume surpassed theirs by three times or more!

A man who desires success, who desires to achieve peerless fame, must be harsh on himself!

Being harsh on the enemy means nothing! Being harsh on oneself—that is true harshness! To treat even one's own life with indifference—that is the true pinnacle of an assassin! Only then can one be truly invincible! Any lingering attachments are obstacles!

This was what his Master had said in his past life!

A face rose in Jun Moxie's mind. A face as black as iron, as cold as ice, with killing intent in his eyes that seemed ready to materialize. But it was those very eyes that always offered solace whenever they looked at him. Though he tried hard to conceal it, Jun Moxie could always clearly sense it.

Xiao Zai, the eyes in the Void Pill—they seemed to pierce through two worlds, gazing at him from afar.

As stern as ever, yet carrying peace!

"Master..." Jun Moxie lowered his head dejectedly, hugging his knees, motionless. A sliver of lamplight escaping through the door crack cast his silhouette long behind him. In the night wind, his figure seemed somewhat frail, lonely, and desolate...

Is power really something so desperately yearned for?

Soft footsteps sounded behind him, followed by a warm cloak being draped over his shoulders.

Jun Moxie still didn't move, suddenly asking softly, "Ke'er, tell me, do you wish to become a strong person?"

"Ah?" The small loli gasped in surprise, clearly startled. "A strong person? What use is that?"

"What use? A very interesting question. If you become as strong as an eagle, then you can kill whoever you want, roam the world freely for a lifetime. Are you willing?" Jun Moxie asked sternly.

Ke'er approached him, settling quietly beside him, tilting her head slightly, supporting her delicate chin in her hands, gazing at the moonlight, lost in serious contemplation; the pale radiance washing over her face lent it a touch of ethereal softness.

After a long pause, Ke'er offered a shy smile. “The ‘Strong One’… I don’t wish to be that kind of Strong One,” she murmured.

“Oh? Why not?” Jun Moxie tilted his head slightly, glancing at the young girl. Ke'er’s words genuinely surprised him. In the mind of Jun the Great Killer, anyone given the chance to become a powerhouse would, at the very least, affirm it verbally, regardless of whether they succeeded later on!

Lowering her head shyly, Ke'er seemed to gently nibble on her fingernail. “Young Master, I don’t know what it feels like to be a Strong One. But I truly don’t wish for that kind of glory, or to enjoy the adoration and legends that follow. I—I don't know how to explain it; I am just a little girl, your little girl, Young Master. All I hope for is to serve you, generation after generation, watching you wear the clothes I’ve washed every single day, eating the food I’ve cooked every single day, and then quietly waiting for you to come home… I only want to be an ordinary little woman.”

Finishing, Ke'er smiled sheepishly. “Young Master, saying this… does it sound like I have no ambition? But truly, I don’t want to be any sort of Strong One!”

“No! What you said… is wonderful. This Ke’er, the one right here, is the most lovable, the little girl I cherish the most.” Jun Moxie truly studied the young girl beside him for the first time. Beneath the soft moonlight, Ke'er’s skin was delicate and fair; a few soft strands of hair danced lightly around her coiled bun; her long eyelashes fluttered nervously; near her ear, it seemed there were fine downy hairs clinging to her skin.”

The young girl became restless under Jun Moxie’s gaze. She nervously twisted her fingers, pretending not to notice, but her heart hammered wildly, and a blush crept slowly across her pretty face as she lowered her head, feeling as if a trapped fawn was leaping within her chest.

Jun Moxie let out an amused laugh, feeling an unexpected, profound relaxation settle over his spirit. With such a sweet, lovely girl beside him, Jun Moxie felt a deep tranquility, even a small but genuine sense of happiness.

Everyone has their own way of living; this fact could never be forced.

Like this little girl, her ideals, though simple, were practical and deeply comforting…

He gently stroked her soft hair. “It is late; go back to your room and sleep now.”

Jun Moxie was astonished to find that his own voice sounded remarkably… tender, reminiscent of how he addressed the newest disciples when he was back in his past life.

“En,” Ke’er replied softly, bowing her head submissively, slowly standing up, feeling a burning heat on her cheeks and a strange weakness pervade her body as she walked slowly toward her room.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly remembered and turned back. “Young Master, you should rest early too…” Huh? Turning back, she realized that Jun Moxie, who had been right beside her moments ago, had vanished without a trace.

“So fast.” The little girl bit her lip, a mixture of shyness and amusement playing on her mouth. She then suddenly recalled that morning and instinctively covered her face. What am I thinking about?

Riding the night wind, Jun Moxie swept forward, swift and invisible, feeling the Kai Tian Zao within his body operating spontaneously; every cycle brought him a surge of immense power, flowing through his meridians with unstoppable momentum, bringing him an incomparable sense of euphoria.

Ahead was Shengan Hall.

Jun Moxie deliberately suppressed his aura, drifting in silently, then instantly vanishing underground, sinking below the ground level. Only then did he allow his Divine Sense to permeate every inch of the earth, slowly spreading outward.

Jun Moxie had not forgotten the incident where he was nearly discovered by Lei Wubei last time. Within Shengbao Hall, there were at least three Divine Profound realm existences that he knew of; he dared not be careless!

Caution and prudence were essential traits for a top-tier assassin!

However, the result of this Divine Sense probing this time greatly shocked Jun the Great Killer!

When did Shengbao Hall amass so many masters?

This represented a terrifying level of strength!

Jun Moxie clearly detected powerful spiritual forces circling and guarding the Hall in the four directions—front, back, left, and right. Any single one of them possessed cultivation nearing the peak of Sky Profound. Jun Moxie sensed carefully: there were seven such individuals! The other two, slightly weaker, were presumably Xiao Han and Mu Xuetong.

When did peak Sky Profound practitioners become so common?

Or perhaps, reinforcements had arrived in Fengxue Yincheng?

And in the center, several Divine Senses were even stronger! They must be Divine Profound realm experts. Moreover, in Jun Moxie’s perception, at least one among them, while perhaps not equaling Ying Bokong, was not far behind! That meant an existence approaching the level of a Supreme powerhouse!

One, two, three… four… five… No! There was one more! There were a total of six Divine Profound level masters! Jun Moxie suddenly felt a cold sweat break out across his skin. (To be continued)