Heng Bokong snorted, taking the lead and stepping out from the assembled crowd, clasping his hands. "Venerable Mei, I, Heng Bokong, have come to seek guidance!"

His voice rang out like metal striking stone, sharp and resounding. Although Heng Bokong's rank was at the very bottom of the Supremes, he was the most combative by nature. Furthermore, he had previously experienced an even more terrifying and astonishing surge of power under a certain mysterious master. While Venerable Mei's strength was undoubtedly astonishing, Heng Bokong, despite his awe and wonder, harbored surprisingly little fear. In terms of sheer mental fortitude, he was arguably above the others.

Shi Changxiao, the Supreme of Life and Death, followed closely behind, his gentle smile curving his lips. "Venerable Mei, I am Shi Changxiao."

Lei Wubei, who had just retreated moments before, stood with a grim expression for a moment, finally moving forward again slowly, his face cold. "Venerable Mei, I presume there is no need for an introduction?"

"Very good. Is it only the three of you?" Venerable Mei snorted, a hint of disappointment surfacing. The combined might of these three would at best equal the combined strength of the humanoid forms of the Crane King, Bear King, and Snake King, perhaps even slightly less. They were certainly no match for him; at most, they possessed the capability to hold him off for a while.

"Wait! There is still this old man joining the fray!" A sorrowful, indignant roar thundered forth as the Desolate Heaven Supreme, Li Juetian, staggered to his feet, trembling. Although Li Juetian had been gravely wounded previously, he was still one of the Eight Supremes. He had endured the humiliation and persisted through the pain without leaving, precisely for this moment.

To regain face against Venerable Mei, Li Juetian had only this one chance, perhaps his last opportunity to salvage his reputation. Only by defeating Venerable Mei with the combined power of the other three Supremes could he completely wipe away the disgrace clinging to him, and perhaps even advance further.

If he missed today, the prospect of regaining his honor in a one-on-one fight was, Li Juetian knew, hopeless for the rest of his life.

Therefore, despite his severe injuries—multiple broken bones and significant internal trauma—he had already reset the fractured bones during the battle between the Snake King and Lei Wubei. Then, he forcibly activated the self-harming secret art, the 'Heaven-Defying Grand Method' (Nitian Dafa), willing to deplete his vital energy and lifespan to elevate his condition to the absolute best state achievable through recovery, while using his exquisite profound skill to firmly control the sites of the breaks.

For Li Juetian, this battle was his point of no return, his last stand. Regardless of the cost, he had to achieve the most brilliant result, the most awe-inspiring display of might, in this fight!

"Venerable Mei, as they say, fortune turns in cycles. I shall repay your generous gift from earlier right here, right now!" Li Juetian gasped for breath, his eyes locked onto Venerable Mei as if staring at his greatest, irreconcilable enemy!

In truth, the enmity between them had reached a level of irreconcilable hatred, with no room for resolution. Perhaps for Venerable Mei, it hadn't reached that extreme, as he was the victor. But for Li Juetian, it was an unparalleled and eternal disgrace from which he could never escape, unless he could truly overturn the situation and defeat Venerable Mei once.

"Li Juetian, are you planning to fight me to the death?" Venerable Mei, with his profound cultivation, saw instantly how Li Juetian had managed to rise from his grievous injuries. A touch of wistfulness crossed his expression. He knew Li Juetian was entirely blameless; he had simply been present precisely when Mei's temper was most explosive, twice falling victim to collateral damage.

Those two time periods corresponded exactly with the most depressing, painful, and indignant junctures of his life, times when he desperately needed someone to vent upon. And Li Juetian, the Second Supreme, had conveniently stepped up.

In terms of both status and profound skill, Li Juetian had been the most suitable candidate at the time.

And so, Li Juetian became a tragedy. A tragedy he had unintentionally authored himself.

Because, a scholar may be killed, but never humiliated.

Venerable Mei understood this truth. But it was under the gaze of the masses that he had seized Li Juetian by the throat and slapped him, utterly demolishing the Second Supreme's reputation, built over years.

If Li Juetian didn't seek to fight him to the death, that would be the real anomaly. And given his current capabilities, it was seemingly impossible this lifetime. Yet, here was this perfect opportunity—the alliance of other Supremes—how could he possibly let it slip away, this final chance!

"Is it worth it?" Venerable Mei's gaze held a slight hint of apology. He warned, "You must be fully aware of the price exacted by using the Nitian Dafa, Li Juetian. To sacrifice so much for a matter of pride—are you truly not reconsidering? If you repent now, simply scatter your cultivation, rest for three to five months, and you can still recover! There is still time!"

"No! It's too late! It’s been too late for a long time!" Li Juetian's eyes burned like fire, his voice tearing at the air. "Venerable Mei, are you afraid? You must know that the moment your slap landed upon the face of this humble Li, it was already too late! I, Li Juetian, am a man of reputation! Such shame can only be washed away in one manner, there is no second path!"

"Oh? Afraid? You think I fear you? You plan to take my life to cleanse your shame?" Venerable Mei laughed lightly, his black robe swaying gently like a ripple in water.

"Precisely so," Li Juetian stated heavily. "For the sake of my lifelong honor, I implore Venerable Mei... not to begrudge me this head."

"Not begrudge this head? Heh heh... Li Juetian, you urge me not to hold back my very head, yet you are hesitant about your own paltry..."

"The advice I just gave you was merely the pity and charity a superior extends to the weak. It is rare that I, feeling slightly better, extend such benevolence, only for you to misinterpret it as 'fear'! It's no wonder they call you a frog gazing at the sky, or perhaps just naive!"

Venerable Mei could not help but let out a mocking laugh, shaking his head. "Li Juetian, if you truly possess the skill... then by all means, take this head! I fear, however, that it will be your own head that falls."

"Who exactly will be losing their head, Venerable Mei, it seems a touch premature to conclude." Li Juetian snorted heavily. "Venerable Mei speaks the truth; this humble Li's reputation may hold little value in the eyes of Venerable Mei, but in my own eyes, it is worth far more than my head!"

"After today's battle, I suspect the rankings of the Eight Supremes will need adjustment once more..." Venerable Mei, enveloped in his black robe, spoke faintly, with an air of melancholy. "For many years, precisely because of consideration for the title of the Gale Supreme held by Bu Kuangfeng, Feng Juanyun, the Gale Sword God, though his cultivation was long sufficient, has hesitated to ascend to become a Supreme... Heh heh... After today, a vacancy will open among the Eight Supremes. I imagine even if Feng Juanyun wishes to step back this time, he won't be able to."

From afar, Bu Kuangfeng smiled faintly. "The title of Gale Supreme no longer belongs to me. Venerable Mei, you underestimate Bu Mouren with those words."

Venerable Mei snorted, "But this Cold-Blooded Supreme, daring to surround me after the great battle—you must have come as a scapegoat, haven't you? I truly don't know what position you take to make such a move! Do you truly believe this Venerable one does not kill?"

Venerable Mei’s psychological jab was quite potent. After disparaging Li Juetian, he pointedly revealed the true reason Feng Juanyun, the Gale Sword God, had not advanced to Supreme status—it was to crush the fighting spirit of Heng Bokong, who shared his fame!

The other man was willing to share fame with you, even deliberately yielding an advantage; it wasn't that he was inferior to you. He could have become a Supreme long ago but was only able to benefit because of the status of the preceding Supremes. It had to be said, Heng Bokong's heart was severely shaken by these words.

Then Venerable Mei turned his attention to Lei Wubei, pointing out that due to his injuries, his participation amounted to nothing more than filling a spot and being an easy casualty, perhaps even being sacrificed by the other Supremes as a shield at any moment...

This comment might not have had as potent an effect on others, but for Lei Wubei, who was chronically suspicious and viewed nearly the entire world as his enemy, this struck a chord—it was an arrow aimed directly at his core concern.

The reason he had hesitated earlier was precisely this.

The competition among the Supremes was fierce. In a moment of crisis, sacrificing Lei Wubei to preserve oneself—first, eliminating a competitor; second, gaining an advantage and creating an opportunity to strike, achieving fame in one fell swoop... What a beautiful prospect!

But having just gained the mantle of the 'Continent Hero,' he absolutely could not back down now. Even knowing the risk, he had to step forward!

However, the moment Venerable Mei uttered those words, following Heng Bokong, Lei Wubei's expression changed drastically. While the halo of 'Continent Hero' was glorious, for a dead man, it was merely the least significant of decorations.

"Venerable Mei's psychological maneuvering is indeed sharp; this Shi admires it, but I fear Venerable Mei has chosen the wrong targets."

Shi Changxiao let out a soft laugh. "The four of us are all veterans of countless battles; any one of us could be considered a progenitor of psychological warfare. To deploy this tactic before us—are you not underestimating us too greatly? Moreover, the four of us advance and retreat as one, united in purpose, bearing the heavy trust of the billions of people of this Continent. How could we possibly fall for Venerable Mei's scheme of sowing discord? I ask you, if Venerable Mei truly possessed such overwhelming confidence in himself, would he waste so many words?"

With his statement, the other two suddenly realized their error.

Li Juetian roared furiously, "Too many words are useless; let our hands prove the truth! Today, the four of us shall witness the astounding methods of the so-called Lord of Heavenly Punishment, the Myriad Beast Venerable!" With a mighty shout, he charged forward first, heedless of his severe injuries.

In a battle involving five combatants, someone had to strike first! The first to attack often suffered a disadvantage, as a head-on blow awaited them; yet, this action could create opportunities for others.

Never mind that Shi Changxiao had used words to dispel Venerable Mei's psychological attacks. Truthfully, which of the Four Supremes did not fear Venerable Mei’s tyrannical might? Now that the moment had arrived, they were compelled to fight.

Even taking a step back, should this battle truly end in defeat, the three Supremes other than Li Juetian might not feel overly distressed. But Li Juetian was different.

His Blood Soul Villa's strength had already been halved in the preceding Human-Beast War. He had suffered such humiliation from Venerable Mei. Furthermore, his reckless disregard for the safety of the Continent's populace and his plotting against Jun Wuyi had utterly destroyed his reputation, leaving him isolated and betrayed. If he failed to defeat Venerable Mei in the end, everything would vanish along with it!

So, while others had options, Li Juetian had none left but to stake everything on one throw! Therefore, he could only charge!