Jun Mo Xie let out a long, silent breath. Damn it, could he truly reach the sixth or seventh layer within three years? He had just forced himself to declare a three-year timeline.

“Right, there was something else I came for. I almost forgot.” Jun Mo Xie stood with his hands behind his back, speaking with an air of assurance, “I heard rumors that you intend to hold a duel against the people from Tiannan City? Is this true?”

“It is! The duel is set for the day after tomorrow!” He Chongxiao’s attitude grew even more respectful.

“Hmm, the Jun and Dugu families of Tianxiang City have some history with this old man. I would rather not see anyone from those two families harmed. I hope you can handle this with consideration—consider it granting this old man some face.” Jun Mo Xie modulated his tone; at first glance, it sounded humble and requesting, but upon closer listening, it was clearly a direct command.

“That’s easy to handle.” He Chongxiao chuckled, “We never intended to target those two families anyway.” He paused, then retrieved a small jade vial from his person. “Here, on the day of the decisive battle, if anyone from those two families steps onto the field, sprinkle a bit of this powder on them. I guarantee their complete safety. None of our brothers will attack them, even if they are hit by someone from their own families; we won’t retaliate.”

“In that case, my sincere thanks.” Jun Mo Xie offered a faint smile, showing neither relief nor particular delight—just an utterly calm, light demeanor.

The Beast Kings only saw a flash before their eyes; the eminent figure in the air had vanished completely, only to reappear instantly in his original spot. Simultaneously, the jade vial in He Chongxiao’s hand disappeared!

Such miraculous movement!

The Beast Kings’ admiration deepened.

Having settled these two matters, Jun Mo Xie, having sufficiently shown off, finally prepared to return home. Before leaving, he naturally delivered some requisite platitudes, then quickly slipped away, lest the Beast Kings change their minds.

Yet, not long after leaving, he recalled that the decisive battle was still two days away; there was plenty of time left. To think that such a Thousand Evil Toxin Fruit could be found within the Heaven’s Punishment Forest was astonishing. He wondered if there were other heavenly treasures? Why hadn't this young master thought of that earlier? He felt a pang of regret!

This thought instantly sparked an unbearable itch in his heart.

He simply turned his body, unleashed the Yin-Yang Evasion, and shot back into the depths of the Heaven’s Punishment Forest with a swift whoosh.

In the forest.

“Third Brother, Fourth Brother, hurry up and tell us, who exactly was that master? How is it that you two seemed so familiar with him? They guaranteed it, and without batting an eye, handed over the foremost treasure of the Heaven’s Punishment Forest!”

Snake King Qian Xun asked doubtfully, “Although that man’s power is indeed profound and inscrutable, far beyond our reach, why did it seem as if you two were eager for this exchange? Did you have such confidence in him? That treasure represents the crystallization of the Heaven’s Punishment Forest’s efforts spanning over three hundred years!”

Hearing this, everyone turned to look at He Chongxiao and Xiong Kaishan. Truthfully, they were utterly bewildered. The master Jun Mo Xie was pretending to be displayed truly formidable strength, possessing an air of 'I alone dominate the world.' But this intimidation tactic was hardly effective in the Heaven’s Punishment Forest. If it weren't for the prior interaction with He Chongxiao and Xiong Kaishan, no matter how powerful Jun Mo Xie was, even if he killed all the Beast Kings, they wouldn't have retreated out of fear!

He Chongxiao and Xiong Kaishan, however, looked rather smug. After all, if one could establish a connection with such a peerless master, it basically meant that all their siblings’ future advancements would be assured! Their two brothers would then become great heroes of the Heaven’s Punishment Forest!

Collective, seamless advancement, a clear path ahead without peril!

Such a fortunate event had never occurred in the Heaven’s Punishment Forest in tens of thousands of years!

This was undoubtedly an act worthy of creating brand-new history!

The two were just about to preen and show off their virtue—how could one have such extensive connections without good character?—when they suddenly opened their mouths wide and fell silent together.

That’s right, who exactly was this mysterious master? It seemed the two of them only knew one thing. They didn’t even know if the name "Feng Qingyang" was genuine, let alone who the person truly was, where he resided, or what his character was like! At this realization, the two great Beast Kings finally grasped this serious problem!

My heavens!

The two of them had made such a crucial guarantee for someone whose background they knew nothing about!

And they had done so wholeheartedly and willingly! What kind of situation was this?

What if there were absolutely no news after three years? Losing face would be a small matter for the two brothers; where would everyone go to retrieve the divine elixir that could enhance their cultivation levels? Find him? Could they even locate him?

Even though consuming the Heaven’s Punishment Sacred Fruit carried a significant risk of explosion, it was still a concrete method for increasing strength. Upgrading smoothly and safely was certainly appealing, but it remained a pie drawn on paper—if one couldn't eat it, it was meaningless. If this entire matter fell through, there would be no one to seek justice from!

Having finally understood everything, the two Beast Kings were speechless, exchanging blank looks, utterly at a loss.

Completely bewildered!

The other Beast Kings, who were waiting for answers, were not foolish. They noticed the change in the expressions of the two brothers and asked nervously, “Third Brother, Fourth Brother, what is it? Do tell us! We are all brothers and sisters, must you keep secrets?”

What about it? Damn your ancestors! You ask us, but who do we ask?

Blast it, were we two just sold out? The two felt a sudden churning in their stomachs…

He Chongxiao felt frustrated, couldn't help but roll his eyes, “Worried about what, fools! A peerless master possessing such supreme cultivation, perhaps the greatest master in history—why would he debase himself to trick us out of this mere Heaven’s Punishment Sacred Fruit? Putting aside other things, even if that senior truly wanted to rob us by force, could we resist? Patience is the proper course. You definitely won't be shortchanged! What’s the rush? Didn’t that senior promise us three years? Three short years is merely like taking a nap to beings like us. Look at all of you, wagging your tails and panicking—where is the demeanor of a true King? Disperse! You have a big fight in a couple of days!”

Xiong Kaishan quickly chimed in, “Exactly! Looking at your pathetic state, it gives me a headache just watching! Get lost! Go do whatever you need to do! Rest well and make sure you take down a few more enemies later—that’s better than anything else!”

The Beast Kings dispersed reluctantly, grumbling inwardly: When it comes to looking pathetic, only you yourself fit the description, Fourth Brother, so how can you pin that on us? Seeing that the two elder brothers looked serious, they had no choice but to leave, despite their lingering doubts.

Each of them carried a hopeful expectation in their hearts: safe advancement in three years.

As He Chongxiao said, for these Xuan Beast Kings, three years was indeed a very brief span of time. Compared to the long lifespan of Xuan Beasts, although it wasn't eternal life, it was several, even tens of times longer than that of ordinary humans!

To trade merely three years for guaranteed, safe advancement and an even longer lifespan—this was an incredibly profitable transaction. It was no exaggeration to call it a gift from heaven. Furthermore, despite some lingering doubt, the mysterious master was certainly trustworthy. Never mind his profound and inscrutable cultivation; everyone had just consumed that miraculous divine elixir, and each had genuinely gained a full decade of pure power out of thin air! Such miraculous things—they had never even heard whispers of them, let alone seen or tasted them!

Just this magical pill that could increase ten years of cultivation was a heaven-defying object. What else was impossible?

Naturally, He Chongxiao and Xiong Kaishan’s concerns were unnecessary. Jun Mo Xie had no intention of reneging on this deal.

For him, this was an utterly opportune event. Once he helped these Beast Kings advance safely, how great a debt would they owe him? Wouldn't this translate to an entire cohort of free enforcers?

And they would all be at the Sovereign level! Wonderful!

With the treasure secured, Young Master Jun felt immensely pleased, marching onward, encountering constant surprises.

The Heaven’s Punishment Forest truly was a veritable treasure trove! How could it have everything? It made him ecstatic! The various medicinal herbs he had searched for tirelessly in Tianxiang City, finding next to nothing, were abundant here! No matter how rare the herb, he only needed to search in the Great Wilderness, and he’d immediately stumble upon it—not just one portion either, but seemingly as much as he wanted!

And it looked like absolutely no one had ever collected them before…

This was fantastic! Utterly thrilling!

He even found the supreme grade herbs needed to supplement the Nine-Tier Peak Profound Elixir, such as the Three-Color Ganoderma, Star Grass, and Nine-Profound Root. Among these three exceedingly rare spiritual medicines, he actually found a Star Grass! That was a supreme existence second only to the Thousand Evil Toxin Fruit!

This was an unexpected boon! Almost like finding a pie dropped from the sky!

Jun Mo Xie’s heart warmed. He maintained the Yin-Yang Evasion and continued deeper, collecting every rare medicinal ingredient he encountered and stashing it into the Grandmist Pagoda. He was overjoyed. After traveling an indeterminate distance, he suddenly felt something was amiss!

In the region before him, there were absolutely no traces of Xuan Beasts! Not even a bird in the sky. The ground was completely bare; not a single ant could be found. Most incredibly, there wasn't a single earthworm or burrowing creature beneath the soil!

It was too unnervingly silent!

Could this be another area saturated with potent toxins?

Jun Mo Xie examined the surrounding flora. Trees and grasses were lush and verdant. He activated the Heaven-Creation Technique, inhaled deeply, and found the air fresh and pleasant—it certainly didn't seem poisonous. Moreover, the spiritual energy here was incredibly rich.

But if life was so abundant here, why were there no signs of any animals lingering?

This was too strange!

Jun Mo Xie drifted forward cautiously. But the deeper he went, the more luxuriant the trees and flowers became, and still, there was no movement around him. The air grew progressively fresher and more delightful.

Jun Mo Xie finally deactivated the Yin-Yang Evasion and materialized in the woods, inhaling deeply with ease. He looked around: a spectacle of vibrant colors. Although it was already late autumn, this place seemed completely unaffected by the season, remaining entirely green.

In the profound silence, Jun Mo Xie suddenly felt a subtle sense of being isolated from the world. It was as if the restlessness that had settled in his heart since arriving in this world had instantly quieted down completely.

This environment, where all sounds ceased, easily stirred up memories of the past, and also gave one a marvelous feeling, as if even the soul was being cleansed.

Jun Mo Xie stepped onto the soft grass beneath his feet, producing a gentle shhh sound, as if walking in a dream. A thousand trivial matters, large and small, flooded his mind, yet simultaneously, his mind felt utterly empty, as if sleepwalking.

Unconsciously, Jun Mo Xie came to rest beneath a flowering tree and sat down slowly. His movements were so gentle, as if he feared making the slightest sound would shatter the tranquility deep within his soul.

The youth sat there quietly, resting his chin in his hand, his eyes gazing vaguely ahead, seeing nothing. Like clouds, like smoke, like an illusion, like being lost in rapture.

For a long time, the immense, pervasive malevolence rooted in his bones and soul seemed to be slowly, bit by bit, thread by thread, drawn out of his body. This was an experience of ultimate mystery, where, in a moment of sudden clarity, he actually felt a transcendent sense of having laid down the butcher’s knife and achieved instant Buddhahood…

A fallen petal from the flowering tree spiraled down silently, landing on his shoulder. He seemed utterly unaware. A slight breeze drifted by, gently lifting the strands of hair on his forehead, making them flutter before his eyes…

It seemed centuries had passed, yet perhaps only a fleeting moment had gone by…

“A fallen flower, the lone man stands; a light drizzle, the swallows fly in pairs.” Jun Mo Xie murmured softly, raising his head. Squinting slightly, he looked at the picturesque, dreamlike scenery before him and took a deep breath. “So beautiful. Even I, a butcher whose entire being is soaked in blood to the marrow, feel a sense of detached tranquility, as if seeking seclusion!”

He lingered over the scenery for a long moment, then chuckled self-deprecatingly as his senses returned, “If one day… I could live in seclusion here, it would surely be a great joy in life! But such an elegant paradise is hardly suitable for an assassin!”

His figure lifted, gliding over the flowerbeds and grasses as lightly as if not touching the ground. Jun Mo Xie rode the wind, drifting into the silent depths of this area.

Ahead was a dense thicket of trees, virtually without gaps. Each tree probably boasted an age of several hundreds or even thousands of years, packed tightly together. Some trees had grown so close that they had fused, stretching onward as if forming a natural fence, enclosing a large area.

“In a place like this, it seems someone might be residing?” Jun Mo Xie’s curiosity flared. Following the caution of an assassin, he immediately entered the Yin-Yang Evasion state and drifted through the barrier weightlessly.

“Holy hell! What a stunning place!” In the center, encircled by trees, was a small valley. Although there were no man-made structures, everything looked entirely natural, making the scene even more captivating.

A faint, subtle fragrance wafted through the foliage and reached his nose. Jun Mo Xie couldn't help but lean out and inhale deeply. He felt an invigorating comfort that instantly lifted his spirits. Following the scent, he hadn't gone far when his eyes snapped open, and he almost cried out in shock. He managed to clamp a hand over his mouth just in time.

Beneath a thick, sturdy tree, several broken stones were scattered about. From among the stones emanated a tri-colored glow—gold, red, and white—brilliant and dazzling! Jun Mo Xie gasped!

The Three-Color Ganoderma, an object he cherished like gold, was growing here as commonly as cabbage! There were at least seven or eight stalks! And in a corner nearby, several other rare spiritual herbs, usually impossible to find, were clustered!

Am I dreaming?!

Jun Mo Xie was enveloped by an overwhelming sense of bliss! The materials required for the Marrow Cleansing Elixir he coveted, needed for his ascent to the third layer, were so scarce in Tianxiang City that he might not find one in ten. Yet here, in the Heaven’s Punishment Forest, in just one night, he had gathered them all! Moreover, he had even collected quite a few medicines for even higher tiers!

Originally, Jun Mo Xie had been deeply troubled. He was close to a breakthrough, but the necessary cultivation-boosting herbs were nowhere to be found—a real headache. He never imagined that coming to the Heaven’s Punishment Forest would be like pulling cabbages from his own field. Simply walking in a straight line, he had acquired them all unexpectedly.

This was truly beyond joyous surprise! He truly wondered how many undiscovered, precious resources the vast Heaven’s Punishment Forest still held? These were all sources of formidable future strength.

Jun Mo Xie advanced in sheer ecstasy, quickly harvesting more than half of the bounty. When he reached the last two stalks, he hesitated and finally decided to leave them. One should not burn the forest down entirely for the sake of hunting. If dealing with people, Jun Mo Xie would show no mercy in rooting them out entirely. But when dealing with such heaven-and-earth spiritual treasures, he knew restraint was necessary.

Over-harvesting would be counterproductive.

Jun Mo Xie looked around and discovered that this hidden valley, nestled within the embrace of the trees, seemed like a naturally occurring spiritual herb cultivation base. Among the seemingly insignificant patches of weeds, various precious herbs were visible everywhere!

Could there be some sort of spiritual energy source here?

Jun Mo Xie pondered, searching even more meticulously.

Rounding several large trees, a stone cave suddenly appeared before him. The cave entrance was naturally shielded by several leaning trees above it, ensuring that even heavy storms could not affect whatever was inside. Thus, the interior of the cave must be exceptionally dry.

At the same time, Young Master Jun faintly heard a subtle rustling sound from within the cave. Could there be an inhabitant? But his spiritual sense had detected nothing unusual just now? Jun Mo Xie instantly became wary, swiftly entering the Yin-Yang Evasion state and drifting in, invisible and intangible.

Once inside the cave, he fixed his gaze and his mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ shape.

Before him lay a scene he could never have imagined. Given how secluded this place was, and the absence of any birds or beasts, he assumed the resident must be a great demon—at the very least, a human-form Beast King! Such a being would be fit for this environment.

But in reality, what greeted him was just a barren stone chamber, without even a bed. It was truly ‘four walls and nothing else.’ Only in the center of the stone floor lay a large, black robe, tossed aside as if it were trash. By Jun Mo Xie’s estimation, this was no longer a robe but a piece of black cloth, and one that should be measured by the bolt. He estimated that even an elephant wearing such a robe would appear slim. For a human, it could serve as a quilt, even after being folded!

The black robe bore faint bloodstains, suggesting it might have been picked up from somewhere; huddled weakly upon the robe was a small, snow-white animal. At first glance, Jun Mo Xie almost mistook it for Little Whitey.

But upon closer inspection, this little creature looked nothing like Little Whitey! The small beast before him was only about half the length of a human arm. Its entire body was pure white, without a single stray hair. Moreover, this white was the kind that brings immediate comfort upon sight—a holy and elegant white.

It lay there, barely breathing, watching Jun Mo Xie suddenly appear before it. Yet, there was no trace of fear in its eyes—only tranquility, clarity, and even an indescribable air of arrogance!

Then, as if accepting its fate, it lowered its head and remained motionless, seemingly indifferent to life, death, fortune, or disaster. Yet, that tiny body, curled helplessly on the black robe, evoked a powerful urge for compassion in Jun Mo Xie.

Although Jun Mo Xie had never discriminated against wild beasts, given his personality, he would never be inclined to keep pets or small things. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so dismissive of Little Whitey in the first place. But the moment he saw this small beast, a fierce protective instinct surged within him.

This feeling was truly peculiar.

“Poor little thing, are you injured?” Jun Mo Xie spoke in a rarely gentle tone, squatting down softly to look at the small beast before him.

The little thing kept its head down, utterly unresponsive, paying him no mind—whether it couldn't understand Young Master Jun’s words or simply chose to ignore him.

Seeing its languid, adorable appearance, Jun Mo Xie suddenly remembered that one of the reasons Dugu Xiao Yi had come to Tian Nan was to hunt a Snow God's Claw to make a protective waist wrap for her grandfather out of its fur. The little beast before him truly resembled the mythical high-level Xuan Beast, the Snow God's Claw, known for its lightning-fast movements. However, after observing it closely, Jun Mo Xie could detect no trace of Xuan Beast aura whatsoever.

Naturally, it couldn't be an eighth-level Snow God's Claw. It wasn't even a Xuan Beast of any rank; perhaps it wasn't a Xuan Beast at all. Could this merely be an ordinary little 'Zhao' beast?

But why was it so incredibly beautiful? Jun Mo Xie slowly extended his hand and gently touched it. The little thing still hung its head, utterly still, but its entire body stiffened.

"So even you know how to be afraid," Jun Mo Xie laughed heartily. "Don't be scared, big brother is a good person, a great good person. Come, let me look at your injury first, you fascinating little thing.

Big brother will get you something tasty later!" A good person? In his two lifetimes, this was the very first time Jun Mo Xie had ever described himself as a good person. Though in the eyes of a certain 'Bai Bai,' he truly was a great good person.

Cradling the small beast, Jun Mo Xie activated the Heaven-Opening Creation Technique and silently began to examine it. What he failed to notice was that the moment he picked up the little creature, its ears suddenly pricked up, its eyelids snapped open, and a fierce, sharp glint shot out. But upon catching the scent of the miraculous heavenly and earthly spiritual energy emanating from Jun Mo Xie, it paused, an expression of profound bewilderment clouding its eyes, before finally, it slowly closed its eyes again.

Pai Tian was utterly exhausted and collapsed into sleep, not waking until this afternoon. Finally rousing, he noticed a buzzing sound beside him. Damn, the computer hadn't even been turned off; he looked over—Heavens!

The cheat program had been running for a whole day and night, siphoning over a million gold coins—what a harvest! (To be continued)