Jun Mowu truly had no choice but to venture in. Just as he considered withdrawing, at the very edge of the white mist, the Young Master unexpectedly spotted a vine bearing several leaves. The leaves were heptagonal, stained crimson like blood, every vein sharply visible, seeming ready to push through the leaf surface.

The vine itself was exceptionally slender, pure snow-white, appearing soft and pliant at first glance, but upon touch, one would realize it was harder than refined steel.

The Nine Profound Root—this was precisely the legendary vine leaf he had sought in vain!

Jun Moye was overwhelmed with elation. This was the final ingredient needed for Elder Jun to consume the Profound Elixir for advancement! He never expected to encounter it here unexpectedly. How could Jun Moye possibly let it go? No matter how perilous the interior might be, Jun Moye was determined to seize that Nine Profound Root.

While the spiritual pill refined from the Thousand Evil Poison Fruit certainly possessed similar effects, it was utterly unobtainable at the moment. Not only were most ingredients missing, but the Young Master’s current cultivation level was insufficient for its refinement. Time simply did not allow for it.

It was said that after advancing via the Profound Elixir, one could still consume the spiritual pill refined from the Thousand Evil Poison Fruit. This equated to advancing twice! If he were to directly use the pill derived from the Thousand Evil Poison Fruit now, the original formula would become useless—a clear net loss.

Encountering the object of his desperate longing, Jun Moye enthusiastically unfurled the Yin-Yang Evasion technique!

But he was disappointed once again. The Yin-Yang Evasion, which had proven unstoppable everywhere else, that infallible great creation ability, met with resistance here and now. He could move left or right, but the moment he touched the white mist, it felt like sinking into a swamp. Every forward step demanded a tremendous expenditure of spiritual energy.

Trapped within, Jun Mowu finally understood the sensation. It was exactly like being immersed in mountains and seas of cotton wadding—appearing light and airy, but once inside, nothing but blinding white cotton could be seen! The eyes, under such conditions, became utterly useless ornaments. This singular color managed to create such a bizarre effect of concealment...

To think the Heaven’s Punishment Forest held such a marvelous place! Jun Mowu was deeply astonished.

He dared not carelessly deactivate the Yin-Yang Evasion and enter purely by physical strength. If he did, wouldn't he simply become a living target for some hidden master inside? He could be killed without even knowing who struck him!

Though running the Yin-Yang Evasion consumed vast amounts of spiritual energy, it ensured he remained completely invisible. Even if the inhabitants possessed divine, heaven-reaching powers, they absolutely could not see him—this was his greatest advantage!

The great creation ability was truly extraordinary!

Jun Moye found himself deep within this marvelous environment, one hand gently tracing the Nine Profound Root vine, pushing forward slowly, as if sleepwalking.

He felt no worry within his heart, for he had already tested it: advancing was indeed difficult, but retreating and escaping was incredibly easy. A mere thought could bring him out!

Therefore, his safety remained guaranteed.

In such a bizarre location, Jun Moye would only choose to proceed after his safety was a hundred percent assured. Any hint of danger, and he would not set foot inside!

This was the caution characteristic of a King of Assassins! Yet, Jun Mowu absolutely would not retreat easily. Because the Nine Profound Root, he was determined to obtain it!

The very moment Jun Mowu’s figure vanished into the valley, the Six Great Beast Kings, drinking and celebrating dozens of miles away, all distinctly heard that low, mournful cry from the south! Instantly, every one of them froze, then seemed to simultaneously realize something, leaping up as if their tails were on fire.

“That direction is the Heaven’s Punishment Cave!” He Chongxiao’s voice held panic and fear, a tension stemming from the depths of his heart.

“It truly is the Heaven’s Punishment Cave!” The other five Beast Kings, including Xiong Kaishan, all turned pale. They dared not delay any longer, applying their full power, soaring towards that location!

“I wonder if that was caused by Senior Feng from earlier? We were busy drinking, and he was eager to leave, so we forgot to warn him that place is off-limits…” Tiger King Hu Lie sounded quite anxious, sweat beading on his forehead. As they sped along, he asked urgently, “Do you think so?”

“Hard to say…” Eagle King Ying Suikong’s face grew darker, his sharp eyes fixed on the inky black night ahead.

“Besides Senior Feng, who else in the Heaven’s Punishment Forest dares to trespass into the Heaven’s Punishment Holy Land? Do you?” Marquis Qi sounded frantic and irritable. “Let’s hurry over. If it truly is Senior Feng making that noise, we must quickly plead with him to leave.”

“How could this Monkey King, having just received such a great kindness, stand by while his benefactor meets trouble on his own turf?” Xiong Kaishan grunted. “It’s too early to say anything definitive. Who has the upper hand is still debatable. Maybe one of them will end up pleading with the other. Let’s hope Old Xiong’s reputation is great enough!”

From these words, it was clear that Xiong Kaishan’s confidence in this mysterious master approached the incomparable. Of course, whether Old Xiong’s reputation was indeed great was another matter; his thick skin was certainly unmatched in the world, if not the very best, then certainly peerless...

“Shut up! What time is it! We’ll discuss everything once we get there!” He Chongxiao turned and shouted. Finally finding running on the ground too slow, he suddenly shot upwards, twisting mid-air, instantly reverting to his original form—a magnificent, pure white great crane. With a beat of its wings, whoosh, it flew away.

Seeing him leap, Xiong Kaishan understood his intent and followed suit, jumping even higher than He Chongxiao, waiting for He Chongxiao to fully transform so they could travel together.

This kind of coordination, the two kings had practiced for decades; they were intimately familiar with it.

But this time, their timing was off. He Chongxiao was clearly exceptionally agitated. He flew high, hurriedly transformed back into his true form, and as Xiong Kaishan prepared to land to join him, He Chongxiao suddenly zipped away—a complete misunderstanding.

Boom! Xiong Kaishan’s massive, hundreds-of-pounds frame crashed down heavily from mid-air, falling without any pretense onto the ground, smashing a large crater into the hard earth. This time, he was completely unprepared and caught off guard. Although his thick hide protected him from injury, every part of him ached. The Bear King sat down amidst the dust and began cursing loudly.

The frantic kings at this urgent moment paid him no mind, sweeping past him. Eagle King was the most thoughtful; transforming into his true form behind Xiong Kaishan, he snatched up the bear’s clothes in his beak, then shot skyward, flinging the bear onto his back. His speed undiminished, he streaked south like a dark, sharp arrow.

What cultivation level the Six Kings possessed! In less than a dozen breaths, they reached that forbidden area.

Gazing at the thick clusters of white mist that seemed unchanged since time immemorial, the Six Kings carefully surveyed the surroundings but found no sign of anyone having arrived, which put them largely at ease.

They did not know that Jun Moye had used the Yin-Yang Evasion to arrive here, naturally leaving no traces... If such a divine creation ability left traces, that would truly be cause for alarm!

“It seems no one has come. No one has been here is the best news,” He Chongxiao sighed in relief. “The forbidden ground is not something ordinary people can enter. It should be fine.”

“It’s better to ask, just in case. The sound that came from the forbidden ground just now was deeply agonizing,” Shi Buchou said worriedly. “We all know that such a sound is only emitted under extreme pain.”

Marquis Qi objected: “Sometimes the pain experienced during breakthrough cultivation is unbearable. Perhaps that sound was caused by that reason. While such sounds aren't common in the Heaven’s Punishment Forest, they aren’t rare either. Must we make such a fuss?”

“You are right. High-level Xuan Beasts often emit such sounds when cultivating, but have you ever heard one emanating from the forbidden ground?” Shi Buchou retorted.

He Chongxiao pondered for a moment, finally gathering his strength, and spoke clearly: “The contemporary Crane King of Heaven’s Punishment, He Chongxiao, comes to pay respects. Does the senior in the Holy Land have any commands?” His voice was deep and powerful, traveling far into the white mist.

After a long silence, a voice, grinding its teeth, echoed from within the swirling white mist: “Pay respects, my foot! Get lost, you old bastard!”

The Six Kings stared at each other in astonishment, wide-eyed for a moment, then sheepishly retreated the way they came...

The six of them had truly terrible luck. The person inside, caught completely off guard, had just suffered a severe blow from Jun Moye utilizing the vast divine sense of the Hongjun Tower, leading to a major defeat. While they were lamenting their fading glory and feeling restless, the Six Kings chose this moment to pay homage, essentially presenting a warm face only to receive a freezing glare...

Having received that sharp blast of heat right to the face, the six Kings dared not show the slightest resentment. They departed even faster than before, vanishing in a whoosh.

A moment later, another voice drifted from the dense fog: “Damn it, I forgot to ask them if anyone came in! What kind of creature is so troublesome? The strength of its divine sense is terrifying. If I hadn’t withdrawn in time, I might have completely failed...”

Jun Moye was running the Yin-Yang Evasion technique at full power, struggling through the dense fog. Hearing this, he couldn't help but chuckle.

It seemed the occupant inside wasn't particularly sharp. How could mere human—or beast—power contend with the divine sense of Hongjun Guang? But for that person to survive the full counter-assault of the Hongjun Tower without sustaining any serious damage was impressive enough...

He advanced step by step along the Nine Profound Vine, extremely cautiously...

Jun Moye absolutely refused to believe the person inside was also living in this viscous medium... that would mean certain death!... Furthermore, he had followed this Nine Profound Vine in, yet hadn't encountered a single tree or blade of grass. This was also abnormal!

If the Nine Profound Vine existed here, why were there no other flowers, grasses, or trees?

It simply didn't add up!

After walking an unknown distance, Jun Moye finally sensed the white mist thinning ahead. His spirit lifted, and he moved with full force in that direction.

Jun Moye suddenly felt a release across his entire body, finally breaking through the dense white fog! Looking out, he saw he was standing in an open space. The surroundings were still enveloped in thick white mist, with no sight of the sky above, and nothing visible to the left or right. His vision extended only to an area spanning a few dozen zhang; beyond that was limitless, dense white fog...

Not far ahead was a cluster of trees, and further beyond, what appeared to be a hillside, also shrouded by the mist.

Between the flora, there was still a faintly discernible white mist. Where the trees grew densely, the mist was thinner, and where they were sparse, the mist was relatively thicker.

Jun Moye finally understood. Although he still didn't know what this white mist was, he knew one thing: wherever trees and plants flourished, the strange white mist was scarce; conversely, where they were scarce, the mist was abundant.

Looking at the endless white mist, Jun Moye sighed. It seemed this place did not harbor many trees or flowers. No wonder an austere and solitary creature like the Nine Profound Root could grow here...

Leaning against a thick pine tree, the main body of the Nine Profound Root was spreading its growth here.

Jun Moye then noticed that the trees within the white fog were not very tall—the tallest reached only about ten meters—but every single one was incredibly thick! Presumably, the dense white mist from the sky restricted the trees’ vertical growth, forcing them to spread horizontally.

But Jun Moye was puzzled: how could these trees survive here without any sunlight? And how could they have grown for thousands of years?

Jun Moye sighed, deciding not to dwell on these difficult questions. The Heaven’s Punishment Forest was filled with mysteries, and these mysteries were clearly beyond the scope of his current power to unravel. The Yin-Yang Evasion struggling here was likely due to his insufficient cultivation; but one day, he would unravel all these secrets. Then, the Heaven’s Punishment Forest would fully accept him.

For now, however, he should not deliberately ponder these 'forbidden ground' issues. His only goal was to excavate this Nine Profound Root and be done.

Just as Jun Moye was about to start digging, he heard a slight sound from within the forest, like an animal snorting softly...

Jun Mowu looked up. Through the enveloping white mist, a massive golden-furred bear slowly rose to its feet, stretching its huge limbs languidly...

A peak ninth-rank Xuan Beast!

Jun Moye did not wish for complications. He executed a downward evasion, sinking directly into the earth. Underground, he pinched out the Nine Profound Root. The unique fragrance of the Nine Profound Root was even clearer in the earth. Jun Moye held it in his hand and was greatly delighted.

The milky-white Nine Profound Root was crystal clear as jade in his grasp.

The age of the Nine Profound Root was strictly categorized: newborn was black; after ten years, brown; a hundred years, yellow; a thousand years, red. Only a Nine Profound Root grown for ten thousand years or more would turn milky-white!

This one here was a top-grade Nine Profound Root!

Jun Mowu never expected such a tremendous surprise here. This specimen of the Nine Profound Root was quite substantial. Besides the portion needed for Elder Jun’s medicine, the vast majority would remain, which could be utilized in various subsequent divine pill formulas!

With a thought, Jun Moye placed the Nine Profound Root directly into the Hongjun Tower’s space. Overcome with joy, he let out a long cry, immediately eliciting continuous howls from the surroundings.

It turned out this place harbored more than one ninth-rank Xuan Beast.

Moreover, through the divine sense scanning that stretched forth and retreated, Jun Moye was shocked to discover several other entities with power comparable to the one whose consciousness had collided with his just moments ago!

A cold sweat broke out on Jun Moye’s body. Good heavens, how many other titans were hidden here? He dared not linger, darting out in a whoosh!

Entering was difficult, but exiting was easy. In just a moment, he had escaped the range of the white mist. Looking back at this bizarre expanse of fog from afar, Jun Mowu smiled slightly, murmuring, “I will return. Definitely!”

Before him, a massive stone slab was carved with large characters, finally making Jun Moye understand where he was:

Heaven’s Punishment Cave! So this was one of the most mysterious places in the world! Heaven’s Punishment Cave! Not bad, not bad! It truly lives up to its reputation as a legendary, mysterious realm!

Jun Moye laughed heartily in his mind. His movement like flowing wind and loose clouds, he headed towards the dawning sky, striding away towards Tiannan City!

A veritable, massive harvest! And an unexpected one at that! The extent of this bounty filled Jun Moye with extreme satisfaction!

Not only were all the medicinal ingredients prepared for the Profound Elixir for Elder Jun complete, but the materials needed for future pill refinements were also secured. Given the richness of the Heaven’s Punishment Forest’s resources, accumulated over millennia, what kind of heavenly spiritual medicine was missing?

Basically, aside from those requiring extremely special environments to grow, the Heaven’s Punishment Forest contained everything!

How much effort this would save him?

What’s more, his relationship with the Beast Kings of Heaven’s Punishment was now solid, almost as if they shared the same trousers—this was an extremely powerful asset!

To the outside world, Jun Mowu still appeared as the profligate rake who had crossed over six months ago. But in reality, Jun Moye’s visible and invisible foundation was already astonishing!

The Jun Family’s power in the court and military of the Tianxiang Dynasty was not to be underestimated, possessing a substantial public base. Meanwhile, Hai Chenfeng and Song Shang had been diligently managing the capital’s underworld for Jun Mowu, maintaining order! At the very least, they possessed full knowledge of every movement within the capital!

In commerce, with the genius merchant Tang Yuan meticulously managing every cent, things were slowly expanding. The noble halls of the capital were like a treasury and a money tree, one that was shaken several times a day...

In terms of personal martial power: Jun Zhantian was peak Heavenly Profound, Jun Wuyi mid-level Heavenly Profound, and Jun Mowu initial-stage Heavenly Profound. And all three were on the verge of advancement! Especially Jun Zhantian and Jun Wuyi, who in Jun Moye’s current plans, were set to become true Divine Profound masters...

As for external aid, Ying Bokong, one of the Eight Supremes, was currently residing with the Jun Family. Jun Moye’s maternal grandmother’s family, the Dongfang Family, was soon to have their oaths dissolved by Jun Moye’s efforts, which would unleash an assassin force that would shock the world! With three maternal uncles already at the Divine Profound level, how could the Dongfang Family’s strength be insignificant?

Far away in the Heaven’s Punishment Forest, the Six Great Beast Kings were diligently preparing spiritual medicines for him... It was certain that if Jun Moye, in his guise as the mysterious figure, gave the order, mobilizing the peak ninth-rank Xuan Beasts and the Beast Kings of the Heaven’s Punishment Forest for aid would not be impossible. In fact, these creatures would likely clamor for the opportunity...

The most formidable asset was the mysterious master Jun Mowu had fabricated himself. Who in the world didn't know that the Jun Family had such an incredibly powerful hidden expert behind them?

This intangible deterrent was currently the Jun Family's greatest reliance! With this layer of protection, who under the heavens dared contend with the Jun Family? Hadn’t the Second Supreme, Li Juetian, been reduced to ash?

Furthermore, the genius of the Baili Family, Baili Luoyun, was waiting in Tiannan City. Recruiting Baili Luo was intrinsically linked to one of Jun Moye’s major plans...

It could be said that Jun Mowu, at this moment, possessed formidable power even within the mortal world!

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

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