A patch of dark clouds suddenly swept over the midpoint of the sky, and a colossal Eagle King glided in on spread wings. Arriving directly above the assembled group, its form rapidly shrunk, transforming into a cold-faced man clad entirely in iron-hued garments. A large, hooked beak dominated his face, giving him a distinctly ferocious look. He descended and offered a respectful salute to Jun Moxie with cupped hands.

“This is the Tenth Brother, the Eagle King, Ying Suikong,” it was He Chongxiao who made the introduction this time.

It appeared that within the Heavenly Punishment Forest, the flying Xuan Beasts were managed by He Chongxiao, while the land-bound beasts fell under Xiong Kaishan’s jurisdiction—the hierarchy was clearly delineated.

From a distance, another monkey, visibly far larger than all the others, came hurtling forward like a bolt of lightning. It arrived, panting heavily, and bowed to Jun Moxie.

“This is the Seventh Brother, the Monkey King; his name is Hou Qi.” Xiong Kaishan’s eyes held a flicker of sadness. “You’ve already met the Eighth Sister, the Snake King, but she is out in the field with the Boss, not currently in the forest. Our youngest brother is in seclusion undergoing the transformation of form and hasn't been seen for three years now…”

“I see. It was a great pity to only share a moment with Venerable Mei, the Heavenly Punishment Beast Emperor, earlier. Now, even though I have specifically traveled here, I still narrowly missed meeting him. And that little Snake King girl, she dares to act and takes responsibility; I truly admire that,” Jun Moxie remarked, chuckling softly. He covered his wine cup with his hand; all the Kings assumed he intended to drink, but after a long wait, he made no move to lift it, causing them a moment of confusion. Then, they watched as vapors of wine abruptly lifted from above the cup, a rich aroma wafting out—the very scent of Monkey Wine. The vapor circled once in the air, then, like a great whale sucking water, vanished into the mask covering Jun Moxie’s face.

Jun Moxie smacked his lips, closed his eyes as if savoring the taste, and finally declared, “Excellent wine! Truly worthy of the name Monkey Wine! Its reputation is well deserved.”

The assembled Beast Kings were momentarily stunned. Truly, this was a master! Even his method of drinking set him apart from everyone else. The Kings had been planning to seize the opportunity of drinking to glimpse the true appearance of this peerless master, but Jun Moxie’s maneuver completely foiled their plans. One by one, they couldn't help but sigh, feeling a touch of disappointment.

Jun Moxie suddenly shifted the conversation: “Right, Old Xiong, your introduction has made me somewhat confused. I know the Heavenly Punishment Forest has always ranked its inhabitants based purely on inherent strength—it has been this way since ancient times, no secret there. But why is it that the Ninth Brother, the Tiger King, and the Tenth Brother, the Eagle King, can both assume human form, while the Sixth Brother, the Lion King, and the Seventh Brother, the Monkey King, who rank higher, remain in their true forms?”

As soon as this was mentioned, the atmosphere in the hall instantly grew heavy. The Lion King, Shi Buchou, and the Monkey King, Hou Qi, both revealed expressions of profound sorrow in their eyes!

“Senior speaks the truth, and we shall tell you. This is not a secret either. Sixty years ago, the Lion King and the Monkey King, feeling restless, decided to leave the Heavenly Punishment to adventure out in the wider world.”

He Chongxiao’s tone was deep. “But after leaving, lacking in worldly experience, they inadvertently exposed their whereabouts. Four of the Eight Great Supremes of that era acted in concert, ambushing them. After a fierce battle, the Sixth and Seventh Brothers were finally overwhelmed. They fought while retreating, narrowly escaping death several times, nearly losing their lives to those Supremes. They finally managed to flee back to the Heavenly Punishment, but they could not avoid suffering grave injuries. It was that battle that left them with irreparable, severe scars. Though their lives were saved, their ranks irrevocably regressed to the Ninth Level, completely stripping them of the ability to manifest human form. Even now, recovery remains difficult…”

He Chongxiao added with sorrow and indignation, “Among the four Supremes who attacked, there were those two bastards, Lei Baoyu and Bu Kuangfeng! That time, the Boss flew into a rage and personally stormed into the Hidden Immortal Palace demanding justice. Alas, the Hidden Immortal Palace was teeming with experts, and his power fell short; in the end, it remained unresolved… Sigh!”

The Lion King and the Monkey King drooped their heads in dejection. Impaired strength and a severe regression in cultivation; in a place like the Heavenly Punishment Forest, where strength reigns supreme, their positions were precarious. If their respective clans produced another Ninth Level peak Xuan Beast capable of successfully transforming, the positions of the two Kings would have to be immediately surrendered.

Over sixty years of accumulation, both the Monkey and Lion clans had seen the rise of several Ninth Level peak Xuan Beasts, now standing just a step away from transformation, severely threatening the leadership of the two Kings. Yet, weakened as they were, they were powerless—rules were rules; only the strongest power mattered.

The two Kings had even begun to notice discordant murmurs emerging within their own clans. Their commands were no longer followed with absolute obedience; their absolute authority and dominance were eroding. If not for the covert assistance and aid from their brother Kings, the situation might already have become disastrous…

But the replacement of the old guard with the new in the beast hordes—the strong emerge, the weak perish—was the immutable truth of the ages. Once a new King succeeded in transformation, regardless of how deep the bond with their brothers, they would have to submit to the basic law of natural selection in the Heavenly Punishment Forest! At that point, Xiong Kaishan and the others could not intervene in a challenge for kingship within a clan. That moment would mark the end of their reign…

“Injured… Heh heh, what kind of injury could be so sharp, with such severe consequences? Let me see. Perhaps there is a way to save them,” Jun Moxie’s words sent a tremor through the six Kings present, their eyes shining with wild joy.

Who was this man before them? This was a true, accomplished, world-shaking master!

They believed there was nothing in this world he could not accomplish! Although he hadn't explicitly promised help, if he offered his hand, the two Kings had hope!

A peerless master who could elevate two Beast Kings to a higher realm in an instant—what did a mere old injury matter?!

The Lion King and the Monkey King trembled with excitement. Long-awaited hope was right before their eyes!

Jun Moxie slowly extended one hand, gently resting it upon the Lion King’s broad, furry shoulder. A wisp of cool, pure primal energy flowed in, and instantly, the Lion King felt a wave of profound comfort wash over him. That fine yet exceptionally pure strand of energy circulated through the Lion King’s body again and again, for a very long time. Finally, Jun Moxie withdrew his hand and placed it on the Monkey King’s shoulder…

All the Kings watched him with nervous apprehension, not daring to utter a sound, terrified of disturbing the great master.

Because Jun Moxie wore a mask, they could not discern his expression, relying only on his eyes for clues. But Jun Moxie’s eyes were consistently gentle and calm, revealing absolutely nothing…

After the time it took to eat a meal, Jun Moxie finally ceased his ministrations and slowly let out a breath. However, to the six Kings, this exhalation sounded like a sigh, and immediately, six massive hearts began to pound nervously.

“The injuries of Kings Shi Six and Hou Seven are indeed not light. Their meridians are severely damaged, partially fractured, and the circulation of primal energy in their Dantian is blocked. Furthermore… there is another inexplicable, malicious power lurking deep within their meridians for years, impossible to expel. This is a venomous, sinister energy that continually destroys the meridians that should have long since repaired. Though small in quantity, it is enough to halt your cultivation progress, and could even cause it to slide backward step by step—I believe this trend, or at least the tendency, has already appeared…”

Jun Moxie sighed. “This kind of sinister Xuan Art, did you suffer it from one of the Four Supremes?”

The Lion King and the Monkey King both started, exchanged a glance, and simultaneously saw the answer in the other’s eyes.

The Lion King dipped a claw into the wine and slowly wrote a few words on the table. After losing the ability to transform, they naturally lost the ability to speak like humans. But writing was still possible.

“Supreme Yinfeng, Yin Huangquan!”

“It is actually the Huangquan Yin Wind Xuan Art, no wonder it is so sinister!” He Chongxiao and the others exclaimed simultaneously.

“Senior, since you can diagnose it, is there any hope… to cure them?” Xiong Kaishan asked anxiously. Both the Lion King and Monkey King belonged to the quadrupedal beasts, forming the core strength of Xiong Kaishan’s faction within the Xuan Beast world. Moreover, after cooperating with them for so long, they were intimately familiar with each other. If two new Kings suddenly took their place, Xiong Kaishan would likely have to expend considerable effort to achieve the same level of seamless coordination.

“That Huangquan Yin Wind is venomous and sharp, and it is an old injury spanning sixty years…” Jun Moxie shook his head, seemingly intentionally. Seeing that even a master like Jun Moxie was helpless, the two Beast Kings, Shi Liu and Hou Qi, were overcome with despair and hopelessness!

Xiong Kaishan’s face also changed drastically: “Is there not even a chance to try?”

Jun Moxie quietly observed Xiong Kaishan’s urgent gaze. His heart stirred, and he took a deep breath, a warmth entering his eyes. “Whether this was right or wrong, it is an enmity from sixty years ago. I originally had no intention of interfering… Forget it, forget it. For your sake, Old Xiong, meeting is fate… I will help them this once! Although this injury is tricky, it also depends on who takes up the treatment. The Huangquan Yin Wind, however vicious, is still not worth noting in my eyes!”

In one sentence, he gave Xiong Kaishan an immense measure of respect!

Hearing this, Xiong Kaishan instantly became ecstatic! His dark, broad face was filled with surprise, honor, and—yes—pride. Grinning widely, he was almost speechless.

Look at this—this is the face Old Xiong has! Brother Feng is too loyal!

Waga-gaga, wuwu, I’m so moved…

The Lion King and the Monkey King involuntarily shuddered throughout their bodies. This good news had an effect on the two of them no less staggering than a bolt from the blue! It shook them so severely that for a short time, their hearts nearly stopped beating…

One moment in hell, the next in heaven!

One moment submerged in immense despair with no hope left, the next receiving such sudden, immense joy!

This almost caused the hearts of the Lion King and Monkey King, who had already completely despaired, to overload… After all, even their Boss, whom they regarded as a deity, was helpless. And now this Master Feng had just cast doubt on the possibility…

To be honest, this kind of meridian trauma was truly child’s play for Jun Moxie!

It was similar to Jun Wuyi’s previous leg injury: even if a Divine Profound Supreme exerted their utmost effort to heal it, with all necessary medicines perfectly prepared, it would require the loss of a significant portion of their Xuan cultivation as a prerequisite, and that lost cultivation could never be recovered—it was a scenario that benefited others at the cost of the self!

Similarly, the advancement of Xiong Kaishan and He Chongxiao—even if the three great Holy Land Masters joined forces to assist, it would have been absolutely impossible. But these “unrecoverable,” “impossible” feats were simply nothing in the hands of Young Master Jun!

[Ti: Dear readers, the current chapter has reached the final page of this book]