As the Lord of Heavenly Punishment raged outside, Xiong Kaishan, his face contorted in ferocity and burning with the desire to join the fray, led his Xuan Beast contingent forward with loud roars.

Suddenly, a voice sounded near his ear, "Old Xiong, are you taking the first fight in today's battle?"

Xiong Kaishan started. The feeling was as if someone were walking right beside him, talking as they walked, their voice right next to his ear, yet he couldn't see a single soul.

In reality, it was exactly as Xiong Kaishan felt; Jun Moxie was by his side, accompanying him forward, only visible to himself. However, Xiong Kaishan grinned widely, nearly bursting into laughter, for he instantly recognized the speaker. He couldn't help but marvel, Truly a master is a master; how many people in this world possess such divine abilities?

He replied respectfully, "Yes. Today, Tiger King, Lion King, and I will lead the three great Xuan Beast teams—Lion, Tiger, and Bear—against the cultivators of Tiannan."

"Mm, the medicinal powder you gave me, I have already sprinkled it on five people's heads," Jun Moxie chuckled. "Pay attention later; don't mistake the wrong ones."

"Of course." Xiong Kaishan felt this senior was being a little verbose today; wasn't that obvious? How could they possibly mistake them? What he didn't know was that Jun Moxie was somewhat tense today, worry making him prone to rambling.

Just then, Xiong Kaishan felt a coolness on his shoulder, and a surge of pure spiritual energy penetrated his body, circulating through him in an instant. A wave of comfort washed over him, and the meridians damaged by Li Jue Tian's Ruptured Meridian Heart-Piercing Sword instantly recovered. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, "Thank you, Senior."

The injury had not been minor, but after being treated by the King of the First Xuan Beasts, it was already mostly healed. Now, with Jun Moxie's spiritual energy arriving, it was precisely the perfect medicine, and he was completely cured. Moreover, Xiong Kaishan had just swallowed a spirit pill that could increase his power by ten years, and his cultivation had actually advanced significantly.

At that moment, the pressure on his shoulder lifted, a sense of loss followed, and he heard a voice say, "However, in today's battle, those five people are in a perilous situation. Not only from your side, but many within the allied forces also intend to strike unexpectedly. This matter, too, must be entrusted to you. You must absolutely ensure they suffer no harm whatsoever."

"Senior, rest assured. I, Old Xiong, dislike such things the most. Leave it all to me!" Xiong Kaishan thumped his chest forcefully, embracing the responsibility.

"Very good, then I can be at ease. Mm, show no mercy to the others! Especially those from Frost Snow Silver City and Blood Soul Manor; eliminate them all if you can," Jun Moxie chuckled twice. "I'm leaving now."

Xiong Kaishan turned his head in a daze, looking around—there was nothing. If not for the comfortable feeling within his body and the complete disappearance of his internal injuries, he would have almost thought it was just a dream.

The departed Jun Moxie, traversing space with his escape technique, found He Chongxiao next. After repeating his instructions to him in the same manner, he finally departed contentedly via evasion.

It should be... everything is settled now.

In the last two days, Jun Moxie had gained much, but he was equally filled with gnawing frustration. Li Jue Tian overtly protected his son and framed others; Jun Wuyi and Frost Snow Silver City fanned the flames; the major aristocratic families were all timid and compliant. This brought Jun Moxie's indignation to its absolute peak.

If he hadn't possessed a few contingency plans, wouldn't his third uncle have narrowly escaped death this time? Moreover, they had come specifically to aid Blood Soul Manor. This matter could no longer be called despicable; it should be called utterly vile! Base and contemptible!

But since they showed no benevolence, they couldn't blame him for a lack of righteousness. With the powerful assistance of the Heavenly Punishment Forest, if they didn't meticulously plan to make their opponents lose both chickens and grain, wouldn't their Jun family seem too easy to bully?

And Li Jue Tian, Li Tengyun—he had prepared a grand gift for each of those father and son pairs, something that would make them wish for death!

Just then, seeing Venerable Mei and Li Jue Tian utterly enraged and beside themselves, Shi Changxiao quickly stepped forward and said with a slight smile, "Venerable Mei seems to be in low spirits today, haha. Perhaps you might rest for a moment? Exchanging words later won't be too late."

This Sovereign of Life and Death could also discern that the Venerable Mei before him had likely just experienced some unforeseen event. With anger blazing in his mind, his words and conduct today were genuinely excessive. Even if Li Jue Tian didn't possess the status of the Second Sovereign, you couldn't just scold your own son like that, unleashing a torrent of abuse.

As the saying goes, people need face and trees need bark. Even if you are the foremost master under heaven, you cannot resort to such blatant bullying. Haven't you seen how Sovereign Li’s face has turned ashen, almost struggling to breathe...

Yet, the sequence of events was almost too dramatic. Just moments ago, Li Jue Tian was leveraging his profound Xuan power to arrogantly lecture Ying Bokong, Feng Juanyun, and the others. Now, someone was still being arrogant, but the one being lectured had turned into Li Jue Tian himself.

Ying Bokong listened, smiling broadly, feeling immensely satisfied. Damn it, they say the east bank of the river is opposite the west bank over thirty years; it seems that’s not accurate. Look at today—why wait thirty years? Three blinks of an eye is enough to feel this good...

"Low spirits? Hmph." Venerable Mei snorted upon hearing Shi Changxiao's words. He suddenly pointed directly at Li Jue Tian and declared sternly, "Who says this Venerable is in low spirits? Today, this old bastard is simply courting death! A mere three-legged cat who dares to style himself the Second Sovereign—shameless to the extreme! Pitiful and ridiculous, wearing a face begging to be struck, in a posture like a turtle waiting for a knife! What kind of thing dares to flaunt its power before me? Go ask your master and mistress—do they dare?"

Li Jue Tian, driven to madness, finally let out a long, piercing howl to the heavens, his killing intent soaring. His robes stirred without wind. Utterly humiliated, his features twisted into a savage mask of rage, his furious aura enveloping him, he roared, "Venerable Mei, I, Li, respect you as the Sovereign of Heavenly Punishment and intended to let this matter rest. But since you have repeatedly humiliated me, do you think I, Li Jue Tian, am afraid of you?"

Even a clay figurine has three points of fire; how much more so the world-renowned Second Sovereign? To be cursed so thoroughly while someone pointed directly at his nose—if Li Jue Tian couldn't reclaim his dignity today, he wouldn't have the face to mix in this world anymore. The Second Sovereign? More like the Sovereign of Bullshit! If someone defecates on your neck, must you still praise it as fragrant?

Venerable Mei snorted dismissively, "This Venerable is deliberately humiliating you. What can you do? What dare you do?"

A flash of movement occurred. No one had time to stop it, and in truth, no one would have intervened. Shi Changxiao, Lei Wubei, Ying Bokong, and the others were all watching the show; why would they interfere?

Li Jue Tian’s body shot out like a wild horse. In his blinding rage, his opening move was his self-created Jue Tian Thirteen Swords. A chilling longsword erupted forth. Suddenly, a fierce wind whipped up, and all the surrounding onlookers involuntarily felt sharp needles assaulting their faces, causing their clothes to flutter and their skin to sting subtly. They couldn't help but retreat several steps.

The ground beneath Li Jue Tian’s path as he advanced was carved into a deep trench, kicking up a storm of dust!

Venerable Mei, suspended in mid-air, lightly called out, "Well met!" His voluminous black cloak whirled in the wind, instantly transforming into a dense black mist that seemed to swallow the heavens and earth. Without evasion, he met the attack head-on with a resounding crash!

The planned decisive battle between the two sides had not yet begun, but the top leaders of both factions had already started fighting!

And the situation was shockingly intense!

Li Jue Tian was consumed by fury, resentment, and utter shame; Venerable Mei, however, carried an even heavier burden of unspoken bitterness and overwhelming shame—a humiliation too deep for words. Within three moves, they had unleashed their utmost strength, repeatedly aiming lethal blows!

The location of this duel was a small basin between two mountains, separated by at least ten li. But as soon as they clashed, the two moved like ancient demons riding clouds and mist, weaving and soaring through the air between cloud and fog. Every movement was too swift to follow, flashing from one side to the other like lightning, only to be chased back from that side immediately!

The explosions in the sky sounded like the heavens had gone mad in the hottest summer—peals of thunder and lightning joined together in continuous sheets. Finally, with a deafening boom at the very center of the sky, a black figure shot upwards like a skyrocket, soaring dozens of zhang high, while another figure plummeted like a shooting star straight toward the location where Ying Bokong and the others stood.

The one falling was Li Jue Tian.

He had been forcibly knocked down from the sky by Venerable Mei’s overwhelmingly ferocious and earth-shattering offensive. Although no one saw it, he knew clearly that in the final collision, his shoulder, chest, and abdomen had each taken three solid strikes—three inescapable blows.

The Sovereign of Jue Tian intended to maintain his composure, trying at least not to appear too wretched. But the downward momentum was too fierce, leaving no room for control. He crashed onto the ground, creating a massive crater. Although he ultimately did not fall, he stumbled backward as he retreated, carving a deep trench in the rocky ground beneath his feet, like a giant splitting a mountain.

The death blow from Venerable Mei was still relentless!

A sharp, piercing cry echoed from the sky, and a black shadow pierced through the air at incredible speed. The speed was so high that his wide black robe was almost torn apart by the hurricane generated by the rapid descent. Faint wisps of green smoke curled from the edges of the black robe—the sheer speed alone had nearly set the robe ablaze!

A fair, smooth jade hand emerged from the black robe for the first time—delicate and lovely, as if carved from white jade. But this exquisitely beautiful hand carried an infinite, terrifying killing intent! It descended mercilessly upon Li Jue Tian!

Li Jue Tian roared madly, gathering the remaining strength of his entire body for a desperate counterattack!

Shi Changxiao, Lei Wubei, and Ying Bokong simultaneously perceived Li Jue Tian's peril. Although they intensely disliked him, all three knew that Li Jue Tian absolutely could not die right now! If Li Jue Tian perished, losing their greatest pillar of support, given Venerable Mei's current degree of rage, perhaps none of those present would survive!

As if guided by unspoken synchronicity, the three sprang forward at the same time, unleashing their full power. Simultaneously, the Elders of Frost Snow Silver City, numbers Two, Five, and Eight, finally rushed forward as the second wave!

Seven supreme masters jointly resisted this devastatingly tyrannical death strike!

Venerable Mei let out a sharp cry in the air, coldly shouting, "Well met!" He did not dodge or evade, clearly adding several extra points of force in that single moment. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of violent impact sounds erupted. Then, a slender black shadow swiftly ascended, flashing back above the Heavenly Punishment Forest, slowly descending until it stood poised against the wind on the tip of a towering tree, balanced on a branch as thick as a finger.

Several muffled groans sounded in succession. The trio of Xiao Buyu arrived last but were flung out the earliest. They tumbled across the ground like three leather balls, rolling back toward the mountain.

Ying Bokong, after his clash, soared dozens of zhang into the air like an eagle spreading its wings, but a downward pull suddenly asserted itself. He quickly stabilized himself, flashing backward in retreat—making him the most composed of the group.

The less powerful Lei Wubei, his face flushed crimson, retreated while spinning, and before the rotation stopped, he eagerly leaped out, putting distance between himself and the core.

Shi Changxiao's green robes were shredded, fluttering like scattered green butterflies. Having no time for maneuvers, he retreated rapidly, flashing ten-odd zhang away, then executed a somersault, flipping another ten-odd zhang.

However, the most severely affected was Sovereign Jue Tian, Li Jue Tian. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth as he roared in fury, leaping into the air and vanishing instantly to an unknown location.

It was only then that the sound of the sky collapsing and the earth cracking suddenly rang out, booming from the central point where the eight figures had collided. A massive mushroom cloud, carrying fragments of rock spraying everywhere, erupted, instantly obscuring the sky above the battlefield—this scene was identical to a volcanic eruption! The rocks that flew out ranged from small as fists to massive slabs several zhang across, hurtling upward like instruments of doom. The smaller ones vanished instantly, flung to unknown destinations, while the grinding-stone-sized and human-head-sized rocks fell back down like a meteor shower. The ground below shook violently with successive impacts, sounding like a sieve cracking open.

The vital energies of the eight supreme masters, upon violently colliding, had momentarily checked each other, creating a slight, tangible lag in the explosion, as if brewing a massive detonation—which finally erupted at this precise moment!

The terrifying power of this colossal explosion was enough to chill the heart and make the legs tremble like sieves for any master present... Shi Changxiao, second only to Li Jue Tian in strength, suffered the most pressure among the seven. His green robes instantly shattered, fluttering like a sky full of green butterflies, but—

The small mountain peak where Li Jue Tian and the others had been standing was more than half flattened by this single exchange. Moreover, a massive pit of unknown depth appeared on the ground—and it was unknown because water began seeping out from underneath, murky and gurgling!

Everyone, including Xiong Kaishan, who had just marched out of the Heavenly Punishment Forest in imposing formation, stood wide-mouthed, gasping in shock.

This was an effect that human power could create?

My heavens, this is too terrifying!

Xiong Kaishan was the unluckiest.

This fellow was so stunned by the massive explosion that his eyes were wide and his mouth agape, his thick beard bristling. Then... a rock the size of an egg, through some strange twist of fate, error, and sheer bad luck, flew directly into his mouth. With two loud clangs, it nearly knocked out two of his teeth.

One would believe that for an ordinary person, not only teeth but perhaps the tongue itself would be pulverized. But what was Xiong Kaishan? He was a bear! And a Bear King at that! His teeth were incredibly hard. He narrowly avoided losing them, but the impact made his head buzz. His upper and lower lips instinctively snapped shut with a crunch, grinding the stone to powder. His tongue instinctively curled, and inexplicably, haphazardly, he swallowed it down...