Mo Xie pondered for a while, yet remained utterly perplexed. He finally abandoned his musings, instead taking a deep breath to sense the surging, mighty spiritual energy within his core. The unprecedented activity of this energy thrilled him!

From this very moment, he was finally no longer some weak, insignificant minnow. Sky Profound Initial Stage, while not overwhelmingly powerful on a continent teeming with experts, was certainly a realm unattainable for the average Profound Practitioner. Not to mention he still possessed numerous methods that transcended mere rank boundaries!

Now, he truly possessed the strength to openly undertake certain deeds—things he had long desired to do but lacked the means for! No longer would he have to rely solely on a mysterious identity and the sheer imposing aura of the Hong Jun Tower to bluff his way through situations.

Ultimately, true authority belonged only to the greatest fist!

Although he still rather enjoyed the high-profile feeling of showing off, that, after all, wasn't his true strength. If one day his genuine power could reach that level, what kind of scene would unfold then?

A glimmer of longing appeared in Jun Mo Xie’s eyes. The Primordial Creation Profound Technique consistently brought him immense surprises; this time it was advancing to the Heaven Stage. What would the next one be?

He recalled the few times he had watched television in his previous life. He had seen those fictional martial arts masters flying through the air, traversing the earth, shattering small mountains with a single palm strike, or slaying hundreds with one sweeping sword arc… Back then, he had watched with utter boredom. It felt like pure nonsense! Where in the mortal world could such monstrous martial arts exist? Even he, the King of Assassins, couldn't achieve such feats, so how could anyone else?

But now, looking at Venerable Mei, at Li Jue Tian, at Lei Bao Yu Bu Kuang Feng, and even the Beast Kings of the Heavenly Punishment…

Forget shattering small mountains with a palm strike; it seemed they could likely flatten an entire mountain range!

This was his real, experienced world, completely devoid of fabrication. So, what truly was impossible?

Jun Mo Xie gave a self-deprecating laugh. Indeed, one's thinking, in any time or any world, always possessed its limitations.

Shaking off the scattered thoughts, Jun Mo Xie stepped across the threshold!

One step took him into the third level of the Hong Jun Tower!

Surely, there must be a miraculous gift awaiting him here too?

The first level held the Primordial Creation Profound Art, the second held the Chaos Fire, the Creation Furnace, and the Yin-Yang Evasion technique. So, what awaited on the third level?

What surprises lay in store for him?

The moment he crossed the threshold, Jun Mo Xie was struck by an intense chill—a profound, bone-deep coldness! It was the unique, biting sharpness one felt when facing the strike of a peerless blade, as if his body was about to be cleaved in two by an unparalleled divine weapon!

A wisp of golden light floated in the air. The instant Jun Mo Xie entered, it seemed like a phantom spirit that had drifted for millennia had finally found its host, shooting over like a bolt of lightning and thunder, drilling straight into the center of Jun Mo Xie’s brow without hesitation.

Simultaneously, another streak of emerald green light drifted over silently, also boring directly into the center of Jun Mo Xie’s brow.

Jun Mo Xie instantly felt vitality surging through his body, followed by a chilling killing intent that rapidly merged with the vast murderous aura already within him. At the same time, two pieces of information suddenly materialized in his mind.

The first message read: "Transmute mundane iron into rare metal, sever all things into nothingness; Control of the Power of Metal in the Five Elements."

The second message read: "In a snap, wither and flourish, momentarily shroud the heavens and earth; Control of the Power of Wood in the Five Elements."

The Power of Metal? The Power of Wood? What in the world were these? Jun Mo Xie was utterly bewildered. How were these two things supposed to be used? They certainly weren't as clear-cut as the Yin-Yang Evasion technique he acquired earlier, yet they felt strangely significant.

While lost in muddled contemplation, suddenly all the spiritual energy within the fourth level of the tower surged into Jun Mo Xie’s body, instantly filling him to capacity. He circulated it slightly and realized this influx of power was distinctly different from the flow within him.

It seemed… special somehow?

Could this be another unique energy, like the Yin-Yang Evasion?

Jun Mo Xie attempted to run the energy, and then he finally understood. As he circulated this aura, his mental strength became extraordinarily active, exponentially more potent than before—possessing the vast, sweeping momentum of a great river!

With a mere thought, his mental power surged forth, and Jun Mo Xie instantly grasped it.

This was mental offensive power! Mental coverage!

He closed his eyes, quietly assimilating the totality of his recent gains. When Jun Mo Xie opened his eyes, sharp light flickered within them.

From now on, he would raise his brow and challenge the world, wave his hand and decide the fate of the winds and clouds!

He finally possessed the capital for a direct confrontation!

In Tian Nan City.

Du Gu Xiao Yi paced back and forth unconsciously within the tent, her pretty face shifting between shades of gloom and resolution. Suddenly, she gritted her teeth and muttered to herself, "Hmph! I've had my eye on him for a long time. If he's being neglected by others, then Mo Xie Gege is the first one I found! How could I back down now? Hmph hmph, so what if I have the advantage of proximity? I, this young lady, have my own ways."

Her jaw hardened, and she made up her mind. She loudly commanded, "Guards! Summon those guards from the Du Gu family! I have important matters to entrust to them!"

The guards arrived in a flurry, all looking rather anxious. The little princess hadn't issued any prior orders, but this summons was urgent and unexpected. Could something major have truly happened?

All personnel belonging to the Du Gu Clan immediately dropped whatever they were doing, rushing over anxiously, and stood before Du Gu Xiao Yi.

Du Gu Xiao Yi forced a calm demeanor, scanning the gathered Du Gu family guards with a stern expression that masked her beautiful eyes. She coughed twice, cleared her throat, and began, "I have called you here because there has been an issue with the medicine I have been recently formulating."

The assembled vassals exchanged bewildered glances. When had the little princess started researching pharmacology? They quickly replied, "Miss, just tell us what you need; we will obey your every command. Are we perhaps required to test the medicine?"

"Where is your mind wandering?" Du Gu Xiao Yi rolled her eyes, then nodded seriously. "Listen to my real concern. Recently, I have been obsessively delving into the art of medicine—the Qi Huang techniques—and I have made considerable progress. Today, something a sister in the Capital mentioned suddenly troubled me greatly. That is why I called you here to discuss it."

"What is the matter the Miss speaks of?" The head retainer, a middle-aged man in his forties, grew cautious seeing Du Gu Xiao Yi’s solemnity. However, the abrupt shift in topic was jarring—one moment medicine, the next, something else entirely. Could this matter be connected to her drug research?

"Mmm," Du Gu Xiao Yi began, "it's nothing major, but… that… well…" She darted her eyes around, finding the words difficult. Finally, steeling her resolve, she declared, "A few sisters mentioned a certain substance that can cause immense harm to women, potentially leading to lifelong regret or even a tragically short life, driving them to despair and suicide! I am greatly worried. I intend to create the antidote for this substance. If it can be widely disseminated, it could prevent the most feared affliction of all women, which would be a great act of charity."

Du Gu Xiao Yi strained to project an image of someone deeply concerned for the nation and its people, striving for righteousness and public well-being. Unfortunately, before she finished speaking, her face was already flushed crimson.

Hearing this, the retainers exchanged meaningful glances, seeming to vaguely guess Du Gu Xiao Yi’s true intentions but hesitant to believe it. The head retainer broke into a sweat and hesitantly stammered, "May I ask the Miss… exactly what kind of medicine are you referring to?"

"Ai, what other medicine could it be? It’s… that medicine!" Du Gu Xiao Yi’s face was beet red with embarrassment.

"That medicine?" The head retainer looked confused, scratching his head, still unwilling to commit to an answer. He cautiously inquired, "Which medicine is that medicine? Please, Miss, grant us the name!"

"You are impossibly dense!" Du Gu Xiao Yi was on the verge of losing her temper, lowering her voice with a blazing face: "It’s… **! Do you understand now?"

The ten or so Du Gu Clan retainers froze instantly, struck dumb. They never imagined their little princess would utter such a phrase!

What? **?! Heavens above, this was the ultimate taboo in the Jianghu, a despicable tactic reserved only for the lowest, most despicable scoundrels! How could this audacious young girl even contemplate such a thing? It was courting death!

Du Gu Xiao Yi pouted, her face flushed with frustration. "Why are you all staring at me like that? I am doing this for the countless sisters of the world, for the common people! Just tell me quickly, yes or no? If you have it, hand it over immediately! I need to study it so I can formulate the antidote quickly!"

What? The crowd was aghast!

As for **… even if someone possessed such a thing, who would dare to openly present it and sacrifice their honor? Even if they could swallow their pride, would they really hand such an item to the young princess of the family? If anything went wrong, not only them but their entire extended families would be ruined!

Besides, she claimed she wanted to study it, but who knew her true purpose? What if her 'study' involved experiencing it firsthand? That would be an absolute catastrophe! And one that would involve ten people ending up in disaster together!

This was no trivial matter, dear madam… the retainers inwardly cried out in agony!

As for creating an antidote, they truly had never heard of such a thing requiring one. The only antidote for that substance was a man! They had never heard of any other method. As for things like dousing oneself with cold water, everyone knew that simply wouldn't work at all!

In that moment, the vassals stared at each other, collectively resembling ducks stunned by lightning, completely petrified.

"You don't have any?" The Eldest Miss Du Gu’s delicate eyebrows shot up. "You are all men, yet you don't carry ** on you? Are you even men?"

It must be said, Du Gu Xiao Yi’s statement was outrageously bold! So bold that it sent a shiver down everyone’s spine. My dear mother, there was actually a saying like that? (To be continued)