"Yes!" He Chongxiao was the first to give an affirmative answer, then added, "I am absolutely certain of this. At that time, he tested it on Old Fourth and me using his vital energy. Indeed, after being activated by his special method, the vital energy within our bodies became more than ten times more active, even loosening the bottleneck that had confined us for so long! So, regarding helping us advance, I can guarantee this matter is beyond doubt!" He Chongxiao stated solemnly.

"So... that really happened," the person in black robes murmured, their voice somewhat ethereal. "Since that is the case, it is understandable. But why didn't you try to take him down together with Old Fourth then? If this person could be completely controlled, it would solve everything permanently. I imagine that no matter how strong this person is, they can't surpass Li Juetian, right? In the mortal realm, where would such a super expert exist? If you and Old Fourth had gone all out, you certainly wouldn't have been weaker than Supreme Jue Tian. At the very least, you should have probed him."

He Chongxiao gave a wry smile, "Boss, do you think we didn't want to? Our challenge back then was based on that very idea. You don't know the immense pressure that person gave us at the time. Just by sheer aura, to put it bluntly, it felt even more oppressive than what you project, Boss! Furthermore, since the person possessed the means to help us increase our cultivation, their strength definitely couldn't be lacking. If we couldn't succeed in one strike, we might as well have permanently said goodbye to 'advancement.'"

"After three rounds of competition, Old Xiong and I wholeheartedly admitted defeat! We were simply no match for him!"

"Boss, you also know how much this matter means to us. Old Fourth and I have been trapped here for nearly forty years. Although I haven't seen Second Brother for many years, he might not have broken through either; he could be stuck somewhere too." He continued, "Also, the conditions set by that person were really simple: just delay Blood Soul Manor's northward advance for a bit; and rough up Li Juetian's son so he couldn't get out of bed for a month or two, and that would be it. It really wasn't a difficult task. So, Old Fourth and I agreed without much discussion..."

"Indeed, logically speaking, it shouldn't have been difficult. Comparatively, we got the better deal... But why did things escalate to this point? We actually gathered half the Xuan practitioners of the world right outside our door!" The person in black robes shifted slightly.

"My original intention was just to start a fire at night and burn Blood Soul Manor to the ground, and then I would personally deal with Li Juetian's son in the chaos to beat him up and finish it. If everything went smoothly, it would have been completely unnoticed. But Old Xiong, Old Xiong, he—he actually jumped right into Blood Soul Manor in broad daylight, shouting that he was going to break Li Tengyun's legs, and even arrogantly demanding that they hand Li Tengyun over so he could break his legs. To be honest, let alone Li Juetian, even I wouldn't agree to that..." He Chongxiao fiercely laid blame on Xiong Kaishan.

"Third Brother, I—damn you, Old Third He! You’re selling me out? Didn't I also want to get it over with quickly? Following your plan would have wasted so much time! Besides, acting sneakily like that isn't satisfying at all! What if, after we finished the job, they just claimed it had nothing to do with us?" Xiong Kaishan retorted, his face red and neck thick. Before he could finish speaking, he felt a sudden chill and immediately dared not speak again.

"Who knew Blood Soul Manor wouldn't give Old Xiong the time of day? A fight broke out immediately that day. We even had the upper hand, injuring some people, but Li Tengyun kept hiding and wouldn't show his face. However, when we went back the next day, the Life and Death Supreme Stone Changxiao suddenly appeared at Blood Soul Manor. With him presiding, it was naturally difficult for us to gain much advantage. We kept fighting like that for several more days." He Chongxiao continued, "Even so, it wouldn't have been a major issue; although Li Tengyun wasn't dealt with, the entire Blood Soul Manor was basically ruined. But at this critical juncture, that old dog Li Juetian unexpectedly returned..." He Chongxiao moved his lips a few times but didn't continue, his gaze flickering, yet his face showed anger.

"I told you to go looking for trouble at their door, even demanding they hand over their Young Manor Lord so you could break his legs, and you still blame them for not cooperating? You still have the nerve? By your logic, Li Juetian must have been so angry he almost died. His entire Blood Soul Manor, the culmination of his life's work, just gone! What power in the world would tolerate such humiliation?"

The person in black robes let out two cold laughs, "Do you two really think there’s no one else in the world? How laughable! It was one thing to act secretly back then, but to become so blatant!" He continued ominously, "Xiong Kaishan, they say you have the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard. I really want to dig yours out and see how big your bear gall is. Can it be bigger than a leopard's gall...?"

Xiong Kaishan was struck dumb, letting out a couple of choked sounds before clamping his mouth shut.

"What happened after that?" the person in black robes pressed.

"After that... a fight broke out. And then I suddenly noticed that Li Juetian had a distinctive Xuan Pill fluctuation on him, as if he had swallowed some kind of Xuan Pill, and at least a ninth-grade one at that, similar to the aura of the Leopard King, but it hadn't fully dispersed yet," He Chongxiao said, his anger rising. "That made me suspicious."

"Two years ago, the Leopard King mysteriously disappeared. Old Xiong and I investigated for a long time, but found no news whatsoever," He Chongxiao continued angrily. "When news of a ninth-grade peak Xuan Pill appeared in Tianxiang City, we went there hoping it was related. Turns out it wasn't. But, following the bet made with that mysterious high-level expert, we went to find trouble at Blood Soul Manor and discovered the fluctuation of the Leopard King's Xuan Pill energy on Li Juetian!"

"Leopard King!" The person in black robes' voice tightened, "The real Leopard King? What exactly happened? Tell me everything you know!"

His tone became quite chilling, "I wondered why I didn't see the Leopard King when I came out this time. It turns out he was already killed and eaten, and even his Xuan Pill has become an energy fluctuation inside someone else's body... Good, good. Old Third, Old Fourth, you two have managed Heavenly Punishment very well these past few years I was in seclusion, even losing the Leopard King! And you told me he 'mysteriously disappeared'—very good! Very good!"

He Chongxiao and Xiong Kaishan’s faces changed drastically, and they immediately dropped to their knees, sweat pouring down their foreheads! Both of them could hear and understand that when their Boss spoke in that stuttering manner, it meant he was enraged to the extreme! It seemed the two brothers were in deep trouble this time.

"Back when the King was here, Heavenly Punishment Forest, along with the Ten Great Beast Kings, looked down upon the world. Even the Three Great Sacred Lands dared not meet their gaze directly! It was hailed as the most ferocious place in the universe! What glory that was!" the black-robed figure spoke, "Since the King ascended, the nine Beast King brothers became disheartened and went into seclusion. Only then did we rise to prominence." He continued with melancholy, "In just a few hundred years, the newly risen Beast Kings numbered twelve. I intended that, even if we couldn't continue the former glory, we could at least maintain the prestige of Heavenly Punishment! But who would have thought that in just a few decades, Second Brother, the Vulture King, was tricked by Yun Biechen in a bet and actually became that old fellow's mount! A disgrace to our Heavenly Punishment! Old Worm hasn't transformed yet. Old Sixth, the Lion King, and Old Seventh, the Monkey King, were beaten back to their original forms in a battle sixty years ago, and they haven't recovered their former state in six decades..."

His voice was sorrowful. The Beast King of the White Jade Lion behind Xiong Kaishan and the Beast King of the Golden-Haired Monkey both lowered their heads in sadness. These two Beast Kings were the ones beaten back to their original forms sixty years prior.

"Old Fifth went out of Heavenly Punishment on business thirty years ago, but was suddenly surrounded and attacked by nine mysterious Divine Xuan experts of unknown origin, ultimately dying violently. Even his Xuan Pill's whereabouts are unknown, becoming an unsolved mystery. Now, Old Eleventh, the Leopard King, has died mysteriously, and his Xuan Pill ended up in Li Juetian's belly... Of the twelve Great Beast Kings, only a few of us remain: the Crane King, the Bear King, the Snake King, the Tiger King, and the Eagle King!"

The aura around the person in black robes grew heavier and more furious. He suddenly roared, "Is this still Heavenly Punishment? Does it deserve to be called the Ferocious Land of Heavenly Punishment?! The seven of you Beast Kings, along with millions of brothers combined, attacked, yet you couldn't conquer the mere Blood Soul Manor? Huh?"

His vital energy suddenly burst forth, like a bomb exploding in the Heavenly Punishment Forest. Sharp air currents scattered outward. The seven Beast Kings before him did not resist at all, nor did they dare to. They were forcefully thrown back by this colossal surge of energy. Within thirty feet around them, all large and small trees were neatly snapped at the waist and then turned into sawdust in mid-air!

The ground became a flat, bare expanse, devoid of a single blade of grass! The might of the First King of Heavenly Punishment in his rage reached this terrifying extent!

"Boss, please calm your anger. This is a crucial moment for you; you absolutely cannot be this furious..." The seven Beast Kings knelt on the ground, pleading bitterly.

The person in black robes, hidden within the black robe, seemed to look up at the sky and sighed.

"Snake King, Tiger King, Eagle King, the three of you are all at the peak level, correct?" The person in black robes exhaled, seemingly calming down, and asked quietly.

A large man in gold robes, a man whose skin was like black iron, and a young girl in green robes all bowed deeply. "Yes!" These three, besides He Chongxiao and Xiong Kaishan, were the only ones present who existed in human form.

The Beast King of the White Jade Lion and the Beast King of the Golden-Haired Monkey beside them simultaneously showed expressions of envy and grief. They two had reached this level of physical manifestation sixty years ago but were forced back to their original forms. Despite sixty years of arduous cultivation, they had failed to regain their former realms!

"It's also time to break through... But where in this world can we find so many Heaven-Punishing Sacred Fruits?" the person in black robes sighed softly. Everyone fell silent. Suddenly, Lin Feng came to mind.

"Since this battle has begun, we must go forward without retreat! We might as well make the situation as large as possible! I want to re-establish the prestige of the Heavenly Punishment Forest as the universe's number one ferocious land after this battle! Even if we can't get the Three Great Sacred Lands to acknowledge us again, at the very least, scoundrels like Li Juetian and Yun Biechen shouldn't dare wander into Heavenly Punishment whenever they please!"

"The Might of Heavenly Punishment begins with this battle!" the person in black robes stated with a grave tone, "But if this battle is lost... all of you should know what the outcome will be!"