Eagle Bo-kong snorted, taking the lead and stepping out from the crowd, cupping his fists: "Venerable Mei, I, Eagle Bo-kong, have come to seek guidance!"

His voice rang like metal striking stone, resounding loudly. Although Eagle Bo-kong's rank was merely at the very bottom of the Supremes, he was known for being the most pugnacious throughout his life. Furthermore, he had previously experienced an even more terrifying and astonishing display of power from a certain mysterious master. While Venerable Mei's strength was undoubtedly astonishing, Eagle Bo-kong, amidst his awe and admiration, did not harbor excessive fear. In terms of sheer mental fortitude alone, he stood above the rest.

Stone Chang-xiao, the Death-Life Supreme, followed closely behind, smiling genially: "Venerable Mei, I am Stone Chang-xiao."

Tear Wu-bei, who had just retreated, stood grim-faced for a moment before finally moving forward again slowly, his face cold: "Venerable Mei, I hardly need an introduction, do I?"

"Very good. Is it only the three of you?" Venerable Mei snorted, unable to hide a hint of disappointment. The combined force of these three would at most equal the integrated humanoid strength of the Crane King, Bear King, and Snake King, perhaps even slightly less. They were certainly no match for him; at best, they qualified for a struggle of attrition.

"Wait! There is also this old man entering the fray..." A roar of grief and indignation surged forth as the Absolute Heaven Supreme, Li Jue-tian, stood up shakily. Although Li Jue-tian had been severely wounded previously, he was still one of the Eight Great Supremes. He had stubbornly endured the humiliation and the pain, refusing to leave, precisely for this moment.

To regain face from Venerable Mei, Li Jue-tian had only this one chance, perhaps his last opportunity to salvage his reputation. Only by joining forces with the other three Supremes and defeating Venerable Mei in one fell swoop could he thoroughly wash away the disgrace that clung to him, and perhaps even advance further.

If he missed today, seeking to reclaim his honor through solitary combat would be a hope he believed utterly lost in this lifetime.

Therefore, despite his grievous injuries—several broken bones and considerable internal damage—he had already reset the fractured bones during the battle between the Snake King and Tear Wu-bei. He then forcefully activated his self-harming secret technique, "Heaven-Defying Detonation," willing to deplete his vital essence and lifespan to elevate his condition to the best possible recovery state, while using his exquisite profound arts to tightly control the sites of the fractures.

For Li Jue-tian, this battle was his final, do-or-die stand. No matter what, he had to achieve the most brilliant result, unleash the most terrifying might in this fight!

"Venerable Mei, as they say, fortunes turn in rotation. The generous gift you bestowed upon me recently, allow this Seat to return it right here and now!" Li Jue-tian panted heavily, his eyes fixed fiercely on Venerable Mei, as if gazing upon his mortal enemy, one with whom coexistence was impossible!

In truth, the enmity between the two had already escalated to a level where neither could abide the other, leaving no room for reconciliation. Or perhaps, for Venerable Mei, it hadn't reached that point, for he was the victor. But for Li Jue-tian, it was an eternal, inescapable, profound humiliation, unless he could truly turn the tables and defeat Venerable Mei once.

"Li Jue-tian, are you planning to fight me to the death?" Venerable Mei, possessing profound cultivation, naturally saw at a glance how Li Jue-tian had managed to rise from his severe injuries, and a trace of sorrow touched his expression. She knew well that Li Jue-tian was entirely innocent; it was just that during her own most volatile moods, Li Jue-tian happened to be present twice—a classic case of collateral damage.

Those two periods were precisely the most frustrating, painful, and indignant crossroads of her life, demanding someone upon whom to vent her emotions. Li Jue-tian, the Second Supreme, unfortunately stepped up to fill that role.

In terms of both status and profound technique, Li Jue-tian was the most suitable candidate at the time.

And so, Li Jue-tian became a tragedy.

A tragedy entirely of his own unintentional making.

Because, a scholar can be killed, but never disgraced.

Venerable Mei understood this principle, yet it was she who, under the gaze of countless onlookers, had grabbed his neck and slapped his face, utterly destroying all of Li Jue-tian's previous reputation as the Second Supreme! It would be the greatest oddity if he didn't come back fighting her now. Given his existing strength, victory seemed impossible in this lifetime, yet the perfect opportunity arose with the alliance of another Supreme. How could he possibly let such a final chance slip away!

"Is it worth it?" Venerable Mei's eyes held a slight apology as she warned him: "You should be very clear about the price of using Heaven-Defying Detonation once, Li Jue-tian. To sacrifice so much just for a moment of pride—are you truly not reconsidering? If you regret it now, simply disperse your cultivation, recuperate for three to five months, and there's still time!"

"No! It is already too late, long too late!" Li Jue-tian's eyes burned like fire, his voice mournful: "Venerable Mei, are you afraid? You should know that the moment your slap landed on this Li's face, it was already too late. I, Li Jue-tian, am a man with standing; such humiliation can only be washed away in one manner, there is no second path!"

"Oh? Afraid? You think I fear you? You intend to take my life to cleanse your shame?" Venerable Mei smiled lightly, the black robe swaying softly like a wave.

"Precisely so," Li Jue-tian stated heavily. "For the sake of my lifelong integrity, I ask Venerable Mei... not to spare this head of mine."

"Not spare this head? Heh heh... Li Jue-tian, you urge me not to spare my head, yet you yourself are holding back yours?" Venerable Mei laughed mockingly, shaking her head. "The words of caution I just offered were pity and charity bestowed upon a weaker opponent. It is rare that this Venerable One shows kindness due to a change in mood, yet you interpreted it as 'fear'! Truly, one might call you a frog gazing at the sky, or perhaps just naive!"

Venerable Mei couldn't help but laugh derisively. "Li Jue-tian, if you truly possess such ability... then what if I gifted you this head? I fear the one losing their head will be yourself."

"Who ultimately loses their head, Venerable Mei, it seems too early to conclude," Li Jue-tian snorted heavily. "Venerable Mei is right, this Li's reputation might be worthless in the eyes of Venerable Xi, but in my own eyes, it is more important than my head!"

"After this battle today, the rankings of the Eight Great Supremes will likely shift again..." Venerable Mei, cloaked entirely in black robes, spoke faintly, carrying a tone of wistful melancholy. "For many years, precisely out of deference to the title of Gale Supreme held by Kuang Feng, Gale Sword God Feng Juan-yun, though his cultivation was sufficient, has been prevented from ascending to Supreme status... Heh heh... After today, there will be an empty seat among the Eight Great Supremes. I imagine even if Feng Juan-yun wishes to retreat this time, he will find himself with no choice but to advance."

From afar, Kuang Feng smiled faintly. "The title of Gale Supreme no longer belongs to me. Venerable Mei underestimates this Feng."

Venerable Mei snorted again. "But this Cold-Blooded Supreme, having the audacity to besiege me after the Great Battle—perhaps he came here to be a scapegoat? I truly cannot fathom his stance! Does he think this Venerable One does not kill?"

Venerable Mei's two sentences were exceedingly sharp psychological attacks. After disparaging Li Jue-tian, she pointed directly at the true reason Feng Juan-yun could not become Supreme—to undermine the fighting spirit of Eagle Bo-kong, who shared his fame! He was willing to share the title with you, even willingly stepping aside; it wasn't that he was inferior to you. He could have become Supreme long ago, but because of the preceding Supreme, you merely benefited from the leftover opportunity. It had to be said that Eagle Bo-kong felt a heavy jolt in his heart upon hearing this.

Then Venerable Mei shifted her target to Tear Wu-bei, pointing out that since he was wounded, joining the fight was merely filling a spot as cannon fodder, likely to be sacrificed by the other Supremes as a shield at any moment...

While this statement might not have had as obvious an effect on others, for Tear Wu-bei, who was notoriously suspicious and viewed nearly everyone in the world as an enemy, this sentence struck directly at his core, hitting his deepest reservations. The very reason he had hesitated earlier was this very concern.

Competition among the Supremes was quite fierce. In a moment of crisis, sacrificing Tear Wu-bei to preserve oneself would eliminate a competitor while simultaneously creating an opportunity to swoop in and claim fame—what a beautiful prospect! However, having just earned the halo of 'Continental Hero,' he simply couldn't refuse to appear. Even knowing the risks, he had to step out!

But the moment Venerable Mei finished speaking, following Eagle Bo-kong's reaction, Tear Wu-bei's expression abruptly changed. While the halo of Continental Hero was glorious, for a dead man, it was merely the most insignificant decoration.

"Venerable Mei's psychological warfare is indeed sharp; Stone Chang-xiao admits defeat. But Venerable Mei, I fear you have chosen the wrong targets," Stone Chang-xiao chuckled, "The four of us are all veterans of countless battles. Any one of us could be called the progenitor of psychological warfare. To employ such tactics before us—are you perhaps underestimating us? Moreover, the four of us advance together and retreat together, united in purpose. We bear the solemn trust of hundreds of millions of continental citizens, how could we fall for Venerable Mei's stratagems of discord? Tell me, if Venerable Mei truly had such boundless confidence in herself, would she waste so much breath talking?"

Upon hearing this, the other two were instantly enlightened.

Li Jue-tian roared fiercely, "Talk is useless; let our actions speak the truth! Today, let the four of us experience the heaven-shaking methods of the so-called Lord of Heavenly Punishment, the Beast Sovereign!" With a long shout, despite his severe injuries, he charged out first.

In a battle involving five, someone had to strike first! The first to move often suffered a disadvantage, as a counter-strike awaited them; however, it also created opportunities for the others.

Though Stone Chang-xiao used rhetoric to dispel Venerable Mei's psychological attacks, truthfully speaking, none of the Four Supremes truly feared Venerable Mei's formidable techniques. Now, having reached the brink, they had no choice but to fight. To retreat ten thousand steps—even if this battle genuinely ended in defeat, the three Supremes other than Li Jue-tian might not suffer too deeply, but Li Jue-tian could not bear it.

During the previous Human-Beast War, the strength of his Blood Soul Manor was already half-destroyed. Before this, he had suffered such profound humiliation from Venerable Mei. Coupled with his disregard for the safety of the continent's populace and his scheming against Jun Wu-yi, his reputation was utterly ruined, leaving him abandoned by all. If he ultimately failed to defeat Venerable Mei, all would vanish with that failure.

Thus, while others had choices, Li Jue-tian had none! He could only stake everything on this throw!