The Fourth Chapter, Heart-Day Eruption! This chapter is over a thousand words! A fifteen-thousand word eruption, hold tight!

Jun Moxie truly had no choice but to enter. Because, just as he was considering a retreat, at the very edge of the white mist, the young master unexpectedly spotted a vine bearing several leaves, each shaped like a seven-pointed star. They were crimson, like blood, with every vein clearly visible, almost bulging from the leaf surface.

The vine itself was extraordinarily slender, snow-white, and appeared deceptively soft at a glance. But upon touching it, one would realize this vine was harder than refined steel!

The Nine Profound Root! This was precisely the Nine Profound Root vine leaf he had been searching for fruitlessly!

Jun Moxie was overjoyed beyond measure. This was the final medicinal ingredient needed for Old Master Jun’s advancement after taking the Profound Elixir! To encounter it here unexpectedly, how could Jun Moxie possibly let it go? Even if there were further dangers inside, Jun Moxie was determined to secure that Nine Profound Root!

The spiritual elixir refined from the Thousand Evil Toxin Fruit admittedly possessed similar efficacy, but it was completely out of reach. Not only were most of the necessary ingredients missing, but the young master’s current cultivation level was insufficient for refining it, and time simply would not permit waiting.

Furthermore, even after advancing with the Profound Elixir, one could still consume the spiritual elixir refined from the Thousand Evil Toxin Fruit later. This was equivalent to achieving two advancements! If he were to directly use the elixir refined from the Thousand Evil Toxin Fruit now, the original elixir formula would become useless—it would be a net loss either way.

Stumbling upon the object of his deepest desires, Jun Moxie excitedly unfurled the Yin-Yang Evasion technique!

But he was disappointed once more. The Yin-Yang Evasion technique, which had proven infallible everywhere else, his universally effective Divine Ability of Creation, encountered an obstacle here, right now! He could move left or right, but upon contacting the white mist, it felt as if he had sunk into a swamp. Every step forward demanded an enormous expenditure of spiritual energy!

Trapped within this profound environment, Jun Moxie finally grasped the sensation. It was exactly like being submerged in a mountain of cotton wool. It looked light and airy, but once inside, nothing was visible but white fluff! The eyes, under these conditions, became entirely superfluous; a singular color managed to create such a bizarre concealment effect.

What a marvelous anomaly existed within the Heavenly Punishment Forest! Jun Moxie was utterly astonished.

Of course, he dared not recklessly deactivate the Yin-Yang Evasion and enter purely using his physical strength. If he did that, wouldn't he instantly become a live target for some hidden master inside? Killed without even knowing who did it!

While operating the Yin-Yang Evasion consumed a vast amount of spiritual energy, it ensured he remained completely invisible. Even if the people inside possessed powers that reached the heavens, they absolutely could not see him! This was his greatest advantage!

The Divine Ability of Creation was truly extraordinary!

Jun Moxie remained suspended in this miraculous setting, one hand gently trailing along the Nine Profound Root vine, moving inward slowly, as if sleepwalking.

He felt no worry in his heart. Because he had already tested it: while moving forward was difficult, retreating and disengaging was incredibly easy; a mere thought could pull him out!

Therefore, his safety remained guaranteed.

In such a bizarre location, Jun Moxie would only choose to proceed after his safety was one hundred percent secured. If there was the slightest hint of danger, he would not step inside!

This was the caution characteristic of a King of Assassins!

Yet, Jun Moxie would absolutely not retreat easily.

Because the Nine Profound Root—he was determined to have it!

The very instant Jun Moxie’s figure vanished into that valley, the Six Great Beast Kings, who were drinking and celebrating dozens of miles away, clearly heard that low howl emanating from the south! Instantly, everyone started, and then, as if simultaneously realizing something, they all leaped up as if their tails were on fire.

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

“It really is the Heavenly Punishment Cave!” The other five Beast Kings, including Xiong Kaishan, all turned pale, not daring to delay any further. They exerted their full power, flying toward that location!

“I wonder if that noise was caused by that Senior Feng just now? We were too busy drinking earlier, and besides, he was in a hurry to leave. We actually forgot to warn him that place is absolutely off-limits,” Tiger King Hu Lidi asked anxiously, sweat beading on his forehead. His voice was hurried as he sped along.

“Hard to say.” Eagle King Ying Suikong’s dark face grew darker. His eagle eyes stared into the pitch-black night ahead. “Besides Senior Feng, who else in the Heavenly Punishment Forest dares to trespass into the Heavenly Punishment Sacred Land? Do any of you dare?” Hou Qi looked very anxious and somewhat irritable. “Let’s hurry over. If it really is Senior Feng causing trouble, we need to plead with him to leave.” This Monkey King had just received a great favor; how could he bear to see his benefactor in peril on his turf?

Xiong Kaishan grunted, “It’s too early to tell anything yet. It’s still unclear who has the upper hand. It might be one of us who needs to beg for mercy later. I just hope Old Xiong’s face is big enough!”

From this statement, it was clear that Xiong Kaishan’s confidence in this mysterious master was nearly unparalleled. Of course, whether Old Xiong’s face was big enough was debatable; his shamelessness was certainly unparalleled, if not the best in the world.

“Shut up! Look at the time! We’ll discuss everything once we get there!” He Chongxiao turned and shouted. Finally deeming running on the ground too slow, he suddenly flashed, leaping into the air, turning once, and instantly reverting to his original form—a magnificent, beautiful pure white crane. With a beat of its wings, it swept away like a flash.

Seeing He Chongxiao leap up, Xiong Kaishan understood his intent and jumped as well, even higher than He Chongxiao. He waited until He Chongxiao reverted to his true form so they could depart together.

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

But this time, they miscalculated. He Chongxiao was clearly unusually agitated. After soaring into the air and turning back to his original form in a flash, just as Xiong Kaishan was about to descend, feeling a surge of desperate energy, He Chongxiao suddenly shot away with a whoosh.

It was a complete mess!

With a boom, Xiong Kaishan’s sturdy body, weighing several hundred catties, plummeted violently from the air, crashing heavily onto the ground without any pretense of grace. He smashed a large pit into the hard earth. This time, he was completely unprepared and caught off guard. Although his thick hide and abundant flesh protected him from injury, every part of him ached. The Bear King simply sat on the ground and began cursing loudly.

The kings, already in a frantic rush, paid him no mind, sweeping past him. Eagle King was the most considerate; after reverting to his original form behind Xiong Kaishan, he snatched the bear’s clothing in his beak, then soared up and tossed him onto his back, maintaining undiminished speed, shooting toward the south like a black, deadly arrow.

What cultivation these Six Kings possessed! In less than a dozen breaths, they arrived at that forbidden zone.

Gazing at the clusters of dense white mist before them, which seemed utterly unchanged since the dawn of time, the Six Kings carefully scouted the surroundings but found no trace of anyone having entered. This eased their worries considerably.

They did not know that Jun Moxie had entered using the Yin-Yang Evasion technique, so how could he leave any trace?

It would be truly baffling if such a Divine Ability of Creation left any mark!

“It seems no one came. Not having anyone come is the best news,” He Chongxiao sighed in relief. “The Forbidden Zone isn’t a place ordinary people can enter; it should be fine.”

“It’s better to ask just in case. The sound that came from the Forbidden Zone just now was extremely heartbreaking,” Shi Buchou said worriedly. “We all know that such a sound would never be emitted unless someone was experiencing extreme agony.”

Hou Qi objected: “Sometimes the pain required for breakthrough during cultivation can be unbearable. Perhaps the sound just now was due to that reason. While such sounds aren't common in the Heavenly Punishment Forest, they aren't rare either. Do we need to make such a fuss?”

“You are correct; the cultivation of high-level Xuan Beasts often produces such sounds, but have you ever heard one come from inside the Forbidden Zone?” Shi Buchou retorted.

He Chongxiao pondered for a moment, finally gathering his strength, and called out, “This generation’s Crane King of Heavenly Punishment, He Chongxiao, comes to pay respects. Does the Sacred Land Senior have any commands?” His voice was deep and powerful, carrying far into the white mist.

After a long pause, a voice, grinding its teeth, emerged from the pervasive white mist: “Pay respects, my foot! Scram back to your grandmother’s house immediately!”

The Six Kings looked at each other in stunned silence. After a moment of staring, they dejectedly retreated the way they came.

The six of them were terribly unlucky. The person inside, caught completely off guard, had just been severely struck by Jun Moxie using the massive divine sense of the Hongjun Pagoda, resulting in a huge defeat. They were lamenting their fading prowess and feeling immensely frustrated when the Six Kings chose that moment to pay their respects—it was like offering a hot face to a cold butt.

After receiving this sharp rebuff, the six kings dared not show the slightest complaint and retreated even faster than before, vanishing instantly.

A moment later, another voice drifted out of the dense fog: “Damn it, I forgot to ask if anyone came in just now. What kind of freak is so troublesome? The power of his divine sense is truly terrifying. If I hadn't stopped in time, I might have completely perished…”

Jun Moxie, operating the Yin-Yang Evasion technique at full power while moving painstakingly through the dense fog, couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this. It seemed the fellow inside wasn't particularly sharp. How could human or beast strength contend with the divine sense power of the Hongjun Pagoda? But the fact that the man managed to preserve his life and wasn't even seriously injured after the Pagoda’s full counterattack was noteworthy.

He advanced step by step along the Nine Profound Root, extremely cautiously…

Jun Moxie absolutely did not believe that the person inside was also living in this viscous environment; otherwise, they would surely be dead! Furthermore, he had followed this single Nine Profound Vine in yet hadn't encountered a single tree or other flora. This was also abnormal!

Since the Nine Profound Root existed here, why were there no other flowers or trees?

It simply didn't add up!

He didn't know how far he traveled, but Jun Moxie finally felt the white mist ahead thinning. His spirit lifted, and he moved with full power in that direction. Suddenly, Jun Moxie felt a release across his entire body; he had finally broken through the dense white mist! Looking around, he saw he was standing in an open area. The surroundings were still enveloped in thick white mist, with no sky above visible and nothing discernible to the left or right. His field of vision was limited to only a few dozen Zhang radius; beyond that was boundless, dense white mist…

Not far ahead was a cluster of trees, and further in the distance, seemingly a hillside, but it too was shrouded by the mist.

Among the grasses and trees, there was also a faintly visible, thin white mist. Where the trees were dense, the white mist was less, and where they were sparse, the mist was relatively thicker.

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

Looking at the boundless white mist, Jun Moxie sighed. It seemed that trees and grass were not abundant in this place. No wonder something as solitary and potent as the Nine Profound Root could grow here…

Leaning against a thick pine tree, the main body of the Nine Profound Root was growing and spreading from here.

Jun Moxie then noticed that the trees within the white mist were not very tall—the tallest only reached about ten meters high—but every single one was extremely thick! Presumably, the dense white mist from above restricted the trees’ vertical growth, forcing them to expand sideways.

But Jun Moxie was perplexed: how could trees survive here without any sunlight whatsoever? Especially for thousands of years of growth?

He shook his head. He decided to stop dwelling on questions that were too complex to figure out now. Everything here was filled with mystery, and these mysteries were clearly beyond the scope of his current power to unravel.

The Yin-Yang Evasion technique struggled immensely here, likely due to his insufficient cultivation. But one day, he would unravel all these mysteries. At that time, the Heavenly Punishment Forest would fully accept him.

For now, however, he should avoid deliberately pondering issues related to this "Forbidden Zone." He only needed to dig up this Nine Profound Root and be done.

Just as Jun Moxie was about to act, he heard a soft sound in the woods, like an animal snorting lightly.

Jun Moxie focused his gaze. Within the shroud of white mist, a massive Golden-Maned Bear slowly stood up, stretching its huge body languidly…

A Peak Ninth-Level Xuan Beast!

Jun Moxie wished to avoid unnecessary trouble and immediately dove down, submerging his entire body into the earth. Beneath the ground, he dug out the Nine Profound Root. The unique fragrance of the Nine Profound Root was even clearer in the soil. Jun Moxie held it in his hands and was delighted.

The milky-white Nine Profound Root, in his hands, was crystalline like jade.

The age of the Nine Profound Root was strictly graded: newborn was black, after ten years it turned brown, after a hundred years yellow, and after a thousand years, red. Only a Nine Profound Root that had grown for over ten thousand years would be milky-white!

The one here was a Supreme-Grade Nine Profound Root!

Jun Moxie had not expected such a huge surprise here. The size of this Nine Profound Root was considerable; apart from the portion needed for Old Master Jun’s medicine, the vast majority remained, and this surplus could be used in numerous future divine elixir formulas!

With a thought, Jun Moxie directly placed the Nine Profound Root into the Hongjun Pagoda. In his ecstasy, a long laugh burst forth, echoing with constant sounds all around. It turned out that the Ninth-Level Xuan Beasts in this area were not limited to just one.

Moreover, through his sweeping divine sense search, Jun Moxie startlingly discovered several other entities possessing spiritual consciousness comparable to the strength he had collided with earlier!

Cold sweat broke out on Jun Moxie’s body. Heavens, how many other behemoths were hidden here? He dared not delay any longer and shot out of the area in a flash!

Entering was hard, but leaving was easy. In just a moment, he escaped the range of the white mist. Looking back at this bizarre expanse of fog from a distance, Jun Moxie’s lips curled into a smile, and he murmured, “I will return. Definitely.”

Before him stood a massive stone formation, upon which several large characters were carved, finally revealing to Jun Moxie exactly where he was:

Heavenly Punishment Cave!

So this was one of the most mysterious places in the world!

Heavenly Punishment Cave! Not bad, not bad! Truly worthy of its reputation as a legendary, mysterious realm!

Jun Moxie laughed heartily in his mind. His body moved like a light breeze and flowing cloud, facing the sky as the first trace of dawn appeared, and he sped away towards Tiannan City!

A well-deserved great harvest! And an unexpected one at that! The extent of this harvest satisfied Jun Moxie to the extreme!

Not only were all the medicinal ingredients required for Old Master Jun’s Profound Elixir secured, but the remaining ingredients were also earmarked for future elixir refining. Given the abundance of medicinal herbs in the Heavenly Punishment Forest—accumulated over millennia—what kind of heavenly spiritual herbs were missing?

Basically, short of those that required extremely specific environments to grow, the Heavenly Punishment Forest contained everything!

How much effort would this save him?

What’s more, his relationship with the Beast Kings of Heavenly Punishment was now friendly—they were practically as close as brothers. This was an extremely powerful asset!

Currently, on the surface, Jun Moxie still appeared to be the dissipated young master who had transmigrated half a year ago. But in reality, Jun Moxie’s visible and invisible foundations were already astonishingly deep!

The Jun family held undeniable power within the civil and military structures of the Tianxiang Dynasty, possessing a massive popular base. Meanwhile, Hai Chenfeng and Song Shang had managed the capital’s underworld for Jun Moxie, organizing everything meticulously! At the very least, they kept a finger on the pulse of every movement in the entire capital city! In commerce, with the genius merchant Tang Yuan leading the charge, their influence was slowly expanding. The aristocratic halls of the capital were simply like a treasury that shook a money tree—and one that was shaken several times a day!

In terms of personal martial strength, Jun Zhantian was at the Peak of the Heavenly Profound level, Jun Wuyi at the Middle stage of the Heavenly Profound level, and Jun Moxie at the Early stage of the Heavenly Profound level. And all three were on the verge of breaking through! Especially Jun Zhantian and Jun Wuyi, who, under Jun Moxie’s planning, were already effectively Divine Profound masters!

As for external support, Eagle Bo Kong, one of the Eight Supremes, was residing at the Jun residence. Jun Moxie’s maternal grandmother’s family, the Dongfang clan, was about to have their oath of restriction broken by Jun Moxie. Once that happened, they would unleash another world-shaking assassin force! With just the three maternal uncles already being Divine Profound masters, how weak could the Dongfang clan’s power possibly be?

Far away in the Heavenly Punishment Forest, the Six Great Beast Kings were working hard to procure spiritual herbs for him. It was certain that if Jun Moxie, in his mysterious persona, issued a single command, mobilizing the Peak Ninth-Level Xuan Beasts and Beast Kings of the Heavenly Punishment Forest for assistance would not be impossible. In fact, these creatures would likely be eager to do so!

The most formidable asset was the mysterious master Jun Moxie had fabricated himself. Who in the world didn't know that the Jun family was backed by such an unbelievably formidable supreme expert?

This invisible deterrent was currently the Jun family’s greatest reliance! With this layer of protection, who under heaven dared challenge the Jun family? Hadn't the Second Supreme, Li Jue Tian, been reduced to ashes?

Moreover, the genius Baili Luoyun of the Baili family was waiting in Tiannan City. Recruiting Baili Luoyun was tied to one of Jun Moxie’s major plans…

It could be said that Jun Moxie now possessed pivotal influence even in this mortal world!

Supremely awesome! (To be continued)