Six Divine Profound experts, seven Heavenly Profound peak masters, and two mid-stage Heavenly Profound experts! What a terrifying force this represented for Tianxiang City at this moment!

Why would Frost and Snow Silver City send such a contingent of masters? Even Jun Mo Xie, without taxing his brain, could guess the answer! If not for the Jun family, who else could it be for? The reason so many were deployed was naturally because of one of the Eight Sovereigns stationed at the Jun residence: Ying Bokong.

If this force coordinated well, they might even possess the strength to kill Ying Bokong!

Jun Mo Xie carefully manipulated the Yin-Yang Evasion Technique, slipping beneath the largest central chamber and silently taking up a hidden position.

The primary objective was no longer as simple as seizing treasures. He had to ascertain their true purpose and the real intentions of Frost and Snow Silver City, then rapidly devise a countermeasure to neutralize the enemy's strength.

Otherwise, the consequences of this situation would be dire indeed.

To think that a moment of greed had yielded such vital intelligence! Jun Mo Xie sighed beneath the earth: it was best for a person to be a little greedy after all. Look, hadn't the benefits arrived right away? Wasn't this the legendary windfall from the heavens?!

Heaven itself favored good men. This young master had performed countless good deeds, acting on Heaven’s behalf, punishing evil, rewarding good, building bridges, benefiting the populace"—though he hadn't managed to do the rest yet. But if this young master wasn't an exceptionally good person, how could Heaven favor him so much? Hmph, hmph...

"Why? Must we allow that damned cripple to continue acting so arrogantly? I say we take this opportunity to cut the weeds and dig up the roots entirely, lest future troubles arise!" Someone's voice, sounding indignant and unwilling, cut through the quiet. It was Xiao Han speaking.

"Insolence! Our actions this time were collectively decided upon by the higher echelons of Silver City. Since when is it your place to question the decisions? You show such disregard for seniority."

A soft, effeminate voice hissed mockingly, "If you hadn't been so willful back then, stirring up trouble everywhere, how could there be such chaos now? During the turmoil in Silver City, if the Dongfang family hadn't suddenly intervened and assassinated us, drawing public outrage and shifting the focus, you might have already faced severe intervention from the Sovereign Alliance due to your recklessness. Now, are you not satisfied until you have utterly destroyed Silver City?"

"How could a mere Jun family destroy Silver City? Grandfather, how can you blame my past actions? This is a grievance equal to the betrayal of a wife, on par with the murder of a father! Tell me, what man in this world could swallow such an insult?" Xiao Han’s voice was agitated.

Grandfather? Xiao Han’s grandfather? That meant he was a top figure in the Xiao family of Frost and Snow Silver City! Jun Mo Xie wondered if this elder was Xiao Xingyun or Xiao Buyu. Jun Mo Xie held his breath, remaining perfectly still, continuing to eavesdrop, capturing every nuance of the voices.

"But you have already destroyed four members of the Jun family, all of them core strength! Jun Wuyi was also crippled because of your recklessness. What more do you want? Do you only feel satisfied when not a single chicken or dog remains?" The effeminate voice carried a tone of disappointment, as if hoping iron would turn into steel. "Besides, what is the current situation? Blood Soul Villa, in collusion with Shi Changxiao, has issued the Sovereign Summons. This is no minor matter! We must immediately proceed to the Southern Border. How can we be delayed by the nonsensical grievances of a delinquent like you, stirring up further trouble at such a juncture?"

He had to admit, judging solely by this person's manner of speaking and handling affairs, he possessed a certain magnanimity, at least not being as despicable as Xiao Han!

"Speaking of which, that reminds me of another matter, which seems quite related. Please, Grandfather, consider this." Xiao Han seemed to perk up, "Before leaving the Imperial Palace today, I received a small note with very brief content: Jun Wuyi will lead troops south to counter the Southern Border Mysterious Beast Tide."

"Grandfather, perhaps we should..."

"The Southern Border Mysterious Beast Tide?" The effeminate voice suddenly paused, as if deep in thought. "Hmm, yes. If that is indeed the case... this might truly be an opportunity."

"Second Brother, although the note with the mysterious origin mentions a true opportunity, please do not forget that with the Sovereign Summons issued, Ying Bokong is bound to head south as well. If he goes, he will certainly accompany Jun Wuyi. With Ying Bokong there, even dealing with Jun Wuyi won't be easy. Therefore, the crucial point, circling around, must focus on Ying Bokong; that old fellow is the core of the problem!"

Second Brother? That must be Xiao Buyu, the second most powerful figure in the Xiao family!

"You speak the truth! Since that old dog Ying Bokong harbors thoughts of interfering, he must pay the corresponding price. How can the hatred of the Sixth Brother go unavenged?" Xiao Buyu's effeminate voice was filled with murderous intent. "When we reach the South, we will act according to the situation. First, the six of us and the power of the Seven Swords will combine forces to encircle and slay Ying Bokong; only then will we decide whether to deal with Jun Wuyi. As long as Ying Bokong is gone, everything will naturally fall under our control. Moreover, acting in that location, afterwards, we can simply shift the blame onto the Mysterious Beasts."

"Second Brother means we should temporarily let them go and deal with them once we reach the South?" A dry, aged voice inquired. Jun Mo Xie recognized it as the voice of the Third Elder.

"Exactly! Now that the Sovereign Summons is out, if we engage in internal conflict before reaching the South, especially stirring up trouble by gathering forces, I fear the other Sovereign factions will take action against Silver City. We will settle matters upon reaching the South," Xiao Buyu stated grimly.

"Furthermore, there is that masked man in black, whose origin and abilities are equally mysterious." Xiao Buyu’s tone grew even more effeminate. "The fact that he disregarded his status to snatch our Xiao family's Soul Restoration Jade proves its immense importance to him. Appearing again on Fengwu this time, if he notices, he will certainly come to seize it again. The reason I allowed Fengwu to stay in a separate room was precisely to give that person convenience."

He chuckled grimly. "With that mysterious person's ability, forcing a seizure would inevitably lead to casualties among us! Now, the item is on Fengwu. He can take it effortlessly, which will prevent further complications. I have placed a Spiritual Sense Restriction on it, supplemented by the Scent of a Thousand Li Soul Lock Incense. The Homing Falcon is already on standby. As soon as he takes possession, no matter how far he flees, we will be able to track him down easily! He absolutely cannot escape. Once the target is confirmed, we must concentrate all our power and, at any cost, strike to kill him instantly! We will retrieve both Soul Restoration Jades!"

"Second Brother's insight is profound!" The others cheered, their spirits visibly lifting. Only Jun Mo Xie beneath the ground was stunned: Such a thing? Handing it over willingly?

It had to be said that Xiao Buyu's maneuver would be effective against anyone in the current world; even Yun Biechen, if he took possession, would leave some subtle trace. However, this tactic was useless against Jun Mo Xie...

It was like using the Honey Trap on a eunuch. Well, the analogy might be crude, but the principle was similar.

Suddenly, the elders above exclaimed in shock, "Second Brother, you can already use Spiritual Sense Restriction? Does that mean you have already stepped into the Fourth Rank of the Divine Profound Realm?"

"Heh heh," Xiao Buyu's laughter carried a distinct note of self-satisfaction. "I am ashamed. After ten years in seclusion, I have finally made this step! This is also the source of my absolute confidence in capturing that mysterious person this time."

"Congratulations, Second Brother, on your great progress!" the others said in unison. Beneath the ground, Jun Mo Xie was secretly chuckling: Confidence? Talking about confidence with Young Master here? At the very least, your Spiritual Sense Restriction and that Thousand Li Soul Lock Incense—Young Master considers them nothing more than a fart!

"Indeed." Xiao Buyu surveyed them with stern eyes, his voice heavy. "If we succeed against the Jun family this time, absolutely no one is to let even a whisper leak out! Do you understand?"

"That is natural! Otherwise, if the City Lord blames us, everyone will suffer. Not to mention, the Jun family always has the Dongfang family backing them. Everything must proceed in absolute secrecy." The others chuckled and began discussing other matters.

At this moment, Young Master Jun was greatly enraged. What a vicious Xiao family! This young master shall wait and see who truly gets rooted out and leaves no survivor on this trip to the Southern Border!

"Second Brother, this Mysterious Beast Tide seems extraordinary this time. Could it be that some of the Kings from the Heavenly Punishment are intervening? Otherwise, why such a massive upheaval? Now that the Sovereign Order is out, in your estimation, which of the Eight Sovereigns will attend?" This was the Ninth Elder's voice.

"That is not difficult to judge. The First Sovereign, Yun Biechen, has not shown himself in the world for many years; it is likely he will remain absent this time as well. And the Azure Sovereign, Meng Hongchen, is too far from the Southern Border. Even if news reaches him eventually, he probably won't go. However, the Cold-Blooded Sovereign, Lei Wubei, and Ying Bokong will certainly attend, as they are right here in Tianxiang City and cannot escape. As for the Life-and-Death Sovereign, Shi Changxiao, who issued the Sovereign Summons, he is currently at Blood Soul Villa. The Heaven-Severing Sovereign, Li Jue Tian, likely won't disregard his own safety and will certainly return to the Villa. Roughly calculated, four of the Eight Sovereigns are guaranteed to attend. And Frost and Snow Silver City will be represented by us, on behalf of the City Lord, and our overall strength is likely the strongest among the assembled forces. As for the final one, the Heaven-Questioning Sovereign, he is the only uncertainty—he might go, or he might not. However, even if he doesn't, judging by the formidable strength currently gathered, it should be more than sufficient to deal with this Mysterious Beast Tide!" Xiao Buyu smiled faintly, revealing strong confidence.

"But the timing of this Mysterious Beast Tide is quite bizarre. I heard it immediately attacked Blood Soul Villa upon arrival, Second Brother. I don't recall the Heavenly Punishment having any grudge against Blood Soul Villa." The Third Elder frowned.

"Regardless, the Mysterious Beasts emerging from the Heavenly Punishment indicates an underlying reason. Attacking Blood Soul Villa must also have a purpose. We should discover the reason once we arrive," Xiao Buyu closed his eyes slightly, clearly signaling he did not wish to speak further.

The others also fell silent.

These people were completely in the dark about the cause of the Mysterious Beast Tide, but Jun Mo Xie, deep underground, had already guessed the general outline.

Jun Mo Xie couldn't help but give a wry smile.

If his guess was correct, this Mysterious Beast Tide probably had something to do with him after all.