At that instant, Jun Moxie suddenly felt as if his very heart had been torn asunder. His limbs trembled as if struck by lightning. In a flash, his soul was wracked with pain that pierced his lungs, leaving his mind utterly chaotic...

He couldn't grasp why Qian Xun had done this, or what her motives were, but in her final moments, he finally saw in the eyes of the Green-Clad Snake King a look of relief—he was safe. Only then did she close her eyes, her life force ebbing rapidly, yet wearing an expression of profound serenity.

Jun Moxie, having successfully broken free with the explosion of Primordial Violet Qi, remained utterly motionless, as if struck by divine thunder.

Why would this happen?

Or perhaps... Love!

Only love could compel a young maiden to sacrifice everything, to disregard life and death, simply to protect one person!

But... why? Why would she fall in love with him? And when did this happen? Why was he so utterly oblivious, so dense?

Clutching the soft, yielding body in his arms, Jun Moxie was swamped by boundless confusion. Almost instinctively, he poured the vast spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth into her, completely forgetting the significant injuries he himself had sustained!

Mei Xueyan, deeply immersed in her cultivation within the Grandmist Pagoda, suddenly sensed with alarm that the Fifth Layer of the pagoda had burst open with a loud boom. Then, the entire structure began to rotate slowly, and countless strands of mysterious purple spiritual energy surged out like a great dragon, continuously flowing outward, being channeled elsewhere...

It seemed Moxie was engaged in another fierce battle, facing an immensely powerful enemy, otherwise, such a large-scale diversion of the Pagoda’s energy wouldn't be necessary to assist him. I wonder who his opponent is this time, she mused privately, and if he is in danger? As the thought formed, she realized a fundamental truth: since Jun Moxie began his journey, almost every battle he fought was against opponents far beyond his own rank!

Conversely, he rarely fought anyone on the same level as himself...

What a strange anomaly, Mei Xueyan murmured admiringly, relaxing slightly. It’s not too late to ask him once he returns...

The usually astute Mei Xueyan, focused intently on her recent cultivation, had allowed her sense of impending danger to wane. She had overlooked the fact that Jun Moxie was currently situated in the Forbidden Land of Heavenly Punishment. A battle raging so close to home, requiring the power of the Grandmist Pagoda for aid, implied a desperate situation. Yet, outside, cataclysmic changes were already unfolding...

Every bit of the surging Grandmist Spiritual Qi pouring from the Pagoda was channeled by Jun Moxie into preserving Qian Xun’s life and mending her injuries; he hadn't reserved even a single iota for his own grievous wounds.

When he endured that final strike, his own Primordial Violet Qi had violently erupted, causing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Lock to shatter immediately! And that shameless Zhan Mubai hadn't continued the pursuit—not because he intended to let him go, but because that old bastard was overwhelmed himself. The Nine Great Heavenly Punishment Saint Kings had jointly launched a death strike against him...

But now, Jun Moxie had no time to spare thoughts for Zhan Mubai or Zhan Muhei; his entire focus was solely on the woman cradled in his arms...

Why? he asked himself again and again...

Why love?

Jun Moxie didn't know the answer; Mei Xueyan wouldn't know either. In fact, perhaps even the Snake King Qian Xun herself couldn't articulate a clear reason.

Love, inherently, has no 'why'! No pretext, no cause—love simply is. Some people can fall deeply in love upon meeting for the very first time, and that, too, is without reason...

Perhaps the Snake King had never left the Heavenly Punishment Forest, having never encountered youths her own age. The other Transformed Beast Kings in the Forest were all hulking, rugged figures...

Yet, Jun Moxie’s appearance was an anomaly. Following Mei Xueyan, traveling tens of thousands of miles, through playful teasing, and later transforming enemies into friends, Jun Moxie and Mei Xueyan naturally grew close, understood each other, fell in love, and finally decided to wed, their fates bound for three lifetimes. But throughout their journey, there was always an observer: the Snake King Qian Xun!

She watched them grow to know, love, and ultimately commit to one another... and inevitably, her own heart was moved. After all, how many maidens in the world would not be captivated by a man like Jun Moxie?

But this feeling, perhaps just an inclination, she never revealed. Jun Moxie was an exceptional man, a man who stirred her heart, but he was also her Eldest Sister's man! She had absolutely no standing to interfere, nor could she ever intervene!

To truly love someone is to wish for their happiness, and so, Qian Xun chose silence...!

However, emotion is like fine wine; the longer it is stored, the richer and more potent it becomes...

Or perhaps... perhaps for no reason at all, just as we say: if you love, you love. Even if this love remained unspoken from beginning to end, without the murmured sweet nothings of other lovers, without moonlit rendezvous, without even a single moment where just the two of them were alone...

Yet, for this very love, she gave her life... without regret!

To love someone is to give for that person, to give without expectation of return!

When the one she loved encountered danger, she didn't even pause to consider before shielding him with her life. She had no time to think whether she could withstand the blow, or what her fate would be afterward?

But this leap was pure instinct. All she desired was that the man she loved remain unharmed, and that was all...

The greatest fear in life is incurring romantic debt; the hardest thing to repay is the heart of a beautiful woman!

Unbeknownst to him, he had accumulated so much already! Jun Moxie’s mind churned, and he froze.

Raging roars echoed to the heavens. The Nine Great Senior Beast Kings attacked in unison. Xiong Kaishan, He Chongxiao, and the others charged forward in a furious frenzy, disregarding how insignificant their strength was against Saint-level experts. As they bellowed their commands, the high-level Profound Beasts of the Heavenly Punishment Forest rushed toward the epicenter in a frenzy!

And Zhan Mubai, having launched his attack, simultaneously faced the joint assault of the Nine Beast Kings! Furthermore, the sudden, miraculous eruption of Primordial Violet Qi had forcefully broken his Heaven and Earth Spiritual Lock, meaning he had to endure a significant backlash. The combination of these factors resulted in him being gravely wounded almost instantly!

He was, after all, a Saint Emperor-level practitioner, his innate strength bordering on the transcendent. The nine senior Beast Kings were also at their absolute limit. But even at full strength, Zhan Mubai would never dare to clash head-on with the nine Beast Kings like this!

Not to mention he was already suffering internal injuries from his prior battle with the Fourteenth Young Master of the Nine Netherworld. Then, his attempt to lock onto Jun Moxie failed, followed by the unexpected backlash; consequently, after that single strike, he was doomed!

Fortunately, the other nineteen experts rushed back in time to cover his retreat, barely saving his life.

But the Profound Beasts of the Heavenly Punishment Forest were utterly maddened.

That single palm strike had ignited the most ferocious hostility across the entire forest. Countless Profound Beasts, flying in the sky or running on the ground, surged forward with bloodshot eyes, charging heedlessly!

In the blink of an eye, the twenty experts became a tiny, isolated island in a surging ocean of beasts!

Blood streamed from Zhan Mubai’s nose and mouth; his injuries were severe, yet he glared hatefully toward the ground where Jun Moxie and the Green-Clad Snake King lay intertwined, seemingly without any sign of life!

He had been supremely confident in his strike! Such a blow, following the deployment of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Lock, should have been enough to instantly kill two Fourth-Tier Venerables! Although he suffered an unexpected backlash from a mysterious power, he maintained a hundred percent certainty!

At this moment, he harbored no doubt: the two figures over there had perished without a chance!

“That brat is dead! Everyone retreat! Why waste time fighting these scaled and furred creatures?” Zhan Mubai urgently called out to Cao Guofeng.

Cao Guofeng roared back, “Good! Everyone follow me!” Suddenly, a flash of light appeared in his hand, revealing an ancient, uniquely styled longsword. As he unfurled it against the wind, sword light erupted like a storm of falling pears, accompanied by a series of screams. He charged forward, leading the way, followed closely by two less-injured Saint Emperors, slashing a bloody path outward like a gale...

He Chongxiao roared in fury, shouting, “Profound Beasts of Heavenly Punishment, heed my command! At any cost, mobilize everyone! Make sure these twenty villains are killed!” In his rage, he forgot that he was no longer the supreme authority and issued his command!

Just then, a weak yet intensely grave voice echoed in the ear of the Deer Saint Emperor: “Do not clash head-on. Let them go. Absolutely do not engage them head-on—the cost is too high!”

The Deer Saint Emperor startled, turning around, only to see Jun Moxie lying on the ground, urgently blinking his eyes at him. A wave of relief washed over him: So the brat isn't dead. As long as he isn't dead, everything can be resolved!

At that moment, the twenty experts from the Four Directions Alliance vaulted onto the trees, moving rapidly through the canopy. The entire Heavenly Punishment Forest boiled over. Nearly every tree was covered with dozens of venomous snakes, some hosting hundreds or even thousands. In the sky, various flying Profound Beasts stretched for dozens of miles, and this expanse continued to grow...

They attacked with reckless abandon, using every available, and some unavailable, method of assault.

But those twenty peak experts, at the Saint King and Saint Emperor level, formed a vast triangular formation, their swords flashing, their steps unwavering as they broke through. They didn't care how many enemies they struck; their sole goal was escape!

Peak experts aiming solely for a safe retreat are difficult to suppress through sheer manpower!

Watching countless brothers, sisters, and descendants throw themselves forward in vain efforts, only to become corpses scattered on the ground... the Deer Saint Emperor's heart twisted with pain. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to heed Jun Moxie’s advice and swallow his wrath for the moment. He roared, “Clear a path! Let them leave!”