Jun Moxie’s guess was entirely correct; his tirade struck Di Jue Tian harder than three more savage blows from Venerable Mei! The injury, which had been forcibly stabilized from worsening, flared violently under the surge of agitation. His vital organs suffered internal trauma, causing him to spew blood! Had his injuries merely deteriorated by a fraction of a degree?
Jun Moxie watched with chilling satisfaction as Di Jue Tian coughed up blood. Old dog, this is only the beginning! You haven't even tasted the sorrow of a white-haired man burying a black-haired one yet. Wait a while longer, and I’ll let your only son’s utterly mangled corpse parade before your eyes. See if that makes you, you old bastard, vomit blood then!
Li Tengyun, I warned you, young master! I told you a bloody disaster was imminent and unavoidable, yet you stubbornly refused to believe me. Just wait, I’ll prove it to you shortly!
If I let this heaven-sent, once-in-a-millennium opportunity slip by without killing you today, then my name isn't Jun Moxie!
In orchestrating this sequence of attacks against Di Jue Tian, focusing primarily on psychological warfare, Jun Moxie had employed the most brilliant of tactical maneuvers! He had perfectly gauged Di Jue Tian’s character flaws, striking directly at his core vulnerability! Step by step, methodically advancing, he seized the opportunity presented by the severely injured man’s unstable mental state, using words to shatter the opponent’s psychological defenses repeatedly, thereby achieving his ultimate objective!
This entire brilliant strategy to break the enemy came to Jun Moxie in a flash of inspiration the moment he saw Venerable Mei suddenly unleash his fury upon Di Jue Tian!
From the moment he began his cursing, his target was exclusively Di Jue Tian; even the mention of Wind and Snow Silver City was merely incidental. Even if Xiao Han hadn't jumped in to utter that foolish phrase, "It's not over until the last man falls," Jun Moxie would have found a pretext to launch his verbal assault anyway!
Of course, that idiot, Xiao Han, played along with exceptional cooperation by spouting that nonsensical line about victory not being finalized until death, which merely furnished Jun Moxie with an even more solid justification!
Simultaneously, a venomous thought festered in Jun Moxie’s mind: Anyone who participated in this scheme against my Jun family, I will spare none of them!
No matter who you are, regardless of whether you were coerced or had extenuating circumstances! If you acted, you must bear the brunt of my wrath—the wrath of the Evil Monarch!
“Today’s incident, cough, cough, although we lost this battle, it wasn't without cause. We feel deeply sympathetic toward General Jun’s plight; it is fortunate that General Jun is blessed with great fortune and did not suffer a tragedy for the ages. This is truly a fortunate occasion!” Bu Kuangfeng was rather forthright in temperament, and having witnessed the entire battle from start to finish, his dissatisfaction was even greater! Most of his ire was directed at Di Jue Tian and Wind and Snow Silver City!
Because he had witnessed a hero in the purest sense of tragedy—one who arrived from afar to offer aid, only to be ensnared by the conspiracy of those he sought to assist—yet still chose to fight without regret for the sake of his duty and his beliefs! Even facing certain doom, he performed his responsibilities to the very best of his ability!
Though fearful of the conspirators’ might, no one supported his decision, and no one obeyed his commands, yet whether he lived or died, his conscience remained clear! Even toward those who betrayed him, for the sake of the greater war effort, as long as they were within his ranks, he still chose to employ his military acumen to protect them!
Every discerning eye could see that if the battle had been fought strictly according to Jun Wuyi’s deployment, the outcome would still have been a loss, but it certainly wouldn't have descended into such utter wretchedness! Yet, this error could never be laid at Jun Wuyi’s feet!
Even knowing it was a trap, a soldier remains a soldier, and a commander remains a commander! Jun Wuyi fought for the continent, not for personal pride; such a soldier was foolish, but foolish in a way that commanded respect! Commanded reverence!
When Lei Baoyu and Bu Kuangfeng arrived, although they were observers, the Immortal Seclusion Palace's connection to Di Jue Tian meant that initially, both men were inclined to side with Di Jue Tian and the continent; however, as they observed events unfold, things they saw—intentionally or not—began to subtly shift their allegiance without them even realizing it.
Jun Wuyi had done nothing wrong, and people generally sympathize with the weaker party; moreover, the Immortal Seclusion Palace had always branded itself as an emissary of justice (—3Z Chinese Network), so, inch by inch, the two men found themselves leaning toward Jun Wuyi's position.
Even if only temporarily, for the moment, it was sufficient!
Tragic heroes always garner admiration! And Jun Wuyi was the centerpiece of today’s events! Among countless Divine Profound Supremes, he had become a focal point!
“For the first match today, Team Heavenly Punishment wins completely!” Bu Kuangfeng continued, addressing Venerable Mei: “For the second match, which challenger will Venerable Mei’s side send forth?”
“For the second match, our contender is the Serpent King! In a one-on-one duel, you may send whomever you wish! After the second match, regardless of the outcome, for the third match, I will face all the Supreme Masters gathered here by myself! I want you, Ran, to be thoroughly convinced of your defeat!”
Venerable Mei snorted, his black robe swirling dramatically, and he cast a glance at Jun Moxie. This look felt substantial, and Jun Moxie instantly felt as if needles had pierced his face, causing a sharp sting!
“Venerable Sir possesses truly remarkable spirit!” Bu Kuangfeng smiled lightly: “That young man is also exceptional; his foundation is excellent. At such a tender age, without any meridian-clearing elixirs or Divine Profound baptism, he has already reached the peak of Jade Profound! Such progress is a rarity seen once in millennia! Venerable Sir’s previous closeness—was it perhaps because you intend to take him on as a disciple?”
He was judging by conventional standards. Jun Moxie’s body, transformed by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, possessed superb aptitude, a fact that certainly couldn't escape the notice of someone renowned for a century—even Bu Kuangfeng himself considered taking him in. It was understandable that Venerable Mei might be drawn to his talent. Who knew if that previous beating, which was never fatal and caused no internal injury, was simply the Beast King’s unique method of testing someone?
“Hmm? Taking him as a disciple?” Venerable Mei’s eyes flickered, and he suddenly laughed: “Indeed, Mr. Bu has sharp eyes. Yes! That is precisely my intention!”
Taking him as a disciple... doesn't that mean I can legally torment this detestable fellow? Torment him day and night, torment him wherever and whenever! Upon meeting Jun Moxie, Venerable Mei felt genuine relief for the first time!
“Hehe, congratulations to Venerable Mei on acquiring such a fine pupil. I believe in time, another Supreme expert will grace the martial world,” Bu Kuangfeng remarked, his tone laced with both regret and envy.
In his view, for a peak master like Venerable Mei to accept a disciple, the young man named Jun would surely weep with joy and rush to agree? This was something that shouldn't even be considered a question.
“Yes, indeed, worthy of congratulations!” Venerable Mei echoed the sentiment, his words holding a double meaning, speaking profoundly. At least for now, he wouldn’t have to deal with this matter immediately... Hmph, hmph, hmph...
With that statement, Venerable Mei let out a long cry, and both sides withdrew their forces. What rendered everyone speechless was that the opposing factions, mid-confrontation, seemed reluctant to part. Duanmu Chaofan, Sikong An Ye, and Dongfang Wenqing were all waving, and the Xuan Beasts facing them politely raised their front paws before wagging their tails and retreating...
This unusually harmonious scene between men and beasts left most witnesses on the hillside utterly dumbfounded. Those who had barely escaped the slaughter and survived were weeping hysterically...
To think that little punk Jun Moxie was just shouting about being wronged, vehemently cursing to gain sympathy! Damn it all, they were just putting on a show! Not a single strand of their hair was out of place, yet we were genuinely fighting for our lives, heads on the line, honest and true combat!
Xiao Han almost vomited blood, pointing a trembling finger at Jun Moxie, grief and indignation threatening to kill him: “So... so you were colluding! Despicable...”
“Go to hell with your curses! When it comes to despicable, who could be more despicable than you!” Jun Moxie snapped back without mercy: “Which of your eyes saw us colluding? That was mere courtesy! Did you expect us to fight for hours and not develop any rapport? What’s wrong with waving goodbye as we part?”
“What’s wrong?! You have the audacity to ask?!” Xiao Han was beside himself with rage: “You actually... only a few people died... and you managed to forge feelings? How can you be so shameless?!”
“Nonsense! We lost at least half our contingent! But you? Not a single one of you died! And you have the gall to mention shamelessness in front of me?”
Jun Moxie glared, equally incensed: “Those are lives! Don’t you understand that human lives are at stake? Do you know how much in funeral expenses I’ll have to cover? That’s an astronomical sum!”
An astronomical sum? Funeral expenses? This guy is still calculating finances at a time like this?
“You... you... you...” Xiao Han couldn't draw a breath and choked out a series of 'yous' before nearly fainting from rage.
“Spreading malicious slander! You ran away in fear during the critical moment and now dare to accuse us of collusion! Damn it, have you ever seen a human collude with a tiger? Go find one and show me!”
Jun Moxie pressed his attack, leaping about and roaring. “I despise people like you the most—those who lack achievements yet are consumed by jealousy over the success of others! You... you can twist falsehoods into logic? How can you be so utterly shameless?!”
Xiao Han roared one last time and abruptly collapsed backward, looking up at the sky. This time, he truly fainted from anger...
The crowd exchanged glances, thinking: We don't know how you colluded, but we all understood that final scene clearly—there was definitely something fishy going on! We didn't see how you conspired with the Xuan Beasts, but we also have never seen men and Xuan Beasts fight tooth and nail only to become friends afterward...
Especially that synchronized raising of their front paws to wave goodbye by the Xuan Beasts—that was a spectacle unheard of in a thousand years! If you say there was no conspiracy, I wouldn't believe it even if you cut off my head...
However, even though everyone thought this, they were wise enough to keep silent.
Didn't the kid just say it? If anyone doubts it, they should go try to collude with a beast themselves! Can that be something one casually conspires with? If it were that easy to conspire, everyone here would have already received the same treatment as Yun Biechen...
To go and try to collude with a crowd of ninth-level peak Xuan Beasts? That wouldn't be collusion; that would be delivering a meal! The beasts had just fought a battle and expended considerable energy; their stomachs were certainly empty. I haven't lived long enough yet! I was nearly torn to shreds escaping that encirclement, and now he expects me to go offer myself up?
(Currently in Jinan, catching an early flight tomorrow morning; after days of continuous all-night overtime, I finally managed to complete the twenty thousand words of stored manuscript for Flying Dagger Ugly for the next three days. I will set them all to upload automatically at 6 PM and 8 PM respectively. This is my first time participating in a Qidian event, and I truly have no experience. Although I have my laptop with me, I am unsure if I will have time to write or be able to focus these coming days, so I can’t be certain. However, as long as I can write, however much I manage, it will all be released in a major burst during the event!)