The Deer Saint Sovereign hesitantly extended his hand, resting it on the Snake King’s wrist pulse. As he channeled his energy to investigate, his eyes snapped wide open in disbelief. "What in the world is this? How is it that this girl’s internal organs aren't even shattered? They are just severely concussed. How is that possible? Her entire skeletal structure in her back is completely broken, yet the internal injuries are so light. This is utterly confounding…"

The other eight Saint Kings immediately gasped in shock, squatting down one by one, marveling in wonder.

This scene before them was utterly incomprehensible to them: judging by Zhan Mu Bai’s earlier posture, he had shown absolutely no mercy; in fact, he seemed to have exerted every ounce of strength he possessed…

Yet, this minor Snake King, who bore the brunt of the Saint Sovereign’s strike… was not dead!

Her backbones were clearly pulverized. By inference, her internal injuries should be catastrophic, yet while Qian Xun’s viscera had indeed suffered a shockwave, there were no visible signs of specific damage. This meant that Qian Xun might be paralyzed for life, but her existence was not in immediate peril. This was too bizarre, simply defying all logic!

Jun Mo Xie let out a wry smile: Is not dying a big deal? Back then… our combined power broke through and resisted that attack! My cultivation, you must remember, is the Primordial Violet Qi! Afterward, massive quantities of Primordial Violet Qi helped Qian Xun return to life and sustain her! It would be strange if she actually died! But those shattered vertebrae in her back... that’s the trouble…

The situation at that moment was truly perilously close to the extreme!

If the Snake King hadn't lunged forward, Young Master Jun would undoubtedly have died!

But the Snake King’s lunge provided a necessary degree of buffering. Moreover, Jun Mo Xie, heedless of his own safety, fully unleashed his cultivation, instantly pouring a vast amount of his newly acquired Primordial Violet Qi into the Snake King’s meridians!

Don't underestimate Jun Mo Xie just because he was new to this skill and his cultivation seemed low. It depends on who you compare him to. Compared to Saint-level experts, the Young Master's strength at the Venerable realm might seem insignificant. However, the Snake King possessed a cultivation level above the Supreme, and she had only recently broken through, her foundation still unstable. The Primordial Violet Qi fully channeled by Young Master Jun, in terms of both quality and quantity, far exceeded what the girl Qian Xun could endure.

With such a massive influx of spiritual energy, the Snake King simply couldn't bear it! If the blow from behind hadn't struck, Jun Mo Xie’s own Primordial Violet Qi might have been enough to instantly explode the Snake King!

But just then, the attack from behind arrived! These two forces ended up fiercely contending inside the Snake King’s body!

Still, the Saint Sovereign’s centuries of arduous cultivation ultimately proved superior! Jun Mo Xie’s Primordial Violet Qi was merely in its nascent stage. While its quality might have been higher, the disparity in sheer quantity was too vast. Naturally, it was no match. However, the Primordial Violet Qi possesses its own profound mysteries and did not result in a complete, one-sided rout. It was precisely because of this that the Snake King’s small life was ultimately preserved…

But it was only her small life that was preserved…

Currently, the Snake King’s spine, every single bone, had been pulverized by that palm strike! Furthermore, her internal organs were severely damaged! Such injuries, ignoring the terrifying negative side effects of the Saint King Pill, were even more grievous than those Mei Xueyan had suffered initially!

Such a devastating injury… “Hiss! This girl’s injuries are this severe! How has she not reverted to her original form?” The Deer Saint Sovereign inspected her again and discovered another marvel, which only made him marvel even more.

Jun Mo Xie gave a wry smile. “This Young Master used a massive amount of Primordial Violet Qi to shield her entire body. If she wanted to revert to her original form, she would need to be able to do so first!”

Although in the eyes of the Deer Saint Sovereign, it was an incredible miracle that Qian Xun could survive such a crushing blow—after all, that was at least eighty percent of a Saint Sovereign’s power—the fact remained that the Snake King’s injuries were still extraordinarily severe, and she was completely incapable of any movement. Given the current situation, Young Master Jun had exerted his utmost effort, even utilizing the vast Primordial Violet Qi stored within the Hongmeng Pagoda, yet he had only managed to sustain her last thread of vitality. The final outcome remained uncertain; Young Master Jun did not have great confidence in saving the Snake King’s life!

While the Deer Saint Sovereign was still muttering in amazement, an even more astonishing, more miraculous scene instantly unfolded!

Under the stunned gaze of everyone present, Jun Mo Xie waved his hand slightly, and the Snake King nestled in his arms abruptly, inexplicably vanished…

The Deer Saint Sovereign blinked, his gaze locking onto the young man. He suddenly felt that this young man, despite his tender age, seemed to harbor endless, unfathomable mysteries…

But just this ability to make a living person disappear between a flick of the fingers was utterly beyond his perception.

However, being seasoned and worldly, he said nothing, only casting a meaningful glance at Jun Mo Xie.

For the Deer Saint Sovereign, the more mysterious Jun Mo Xie appeared, the deeper his foundation, which meant the greater his future achievements would be. And if that were the case, the Heavenly Punishment Forest, which was akin to his domain, would consequently be much safer!

Therefore, this Heavenly Punishment Saint Sovereign, who had lived nearly a thousand years, not only refrained from questioning but actually wished that Jun Mo Xie possessed more secrets and greater power!

He was the son-in-law of the Heavenly Punishment Clan, the man who belonged to Xue Yan. That reason alone was sufficient!

Moreover, the remaining time for this group of elders was dwindling fast!

For the current Heavenly Punishment Forest, having a figure like Jun Mo Xie presiding over it was precisely what was most needed right now!

For Young Master Jun to abruptly display such earth-shattering, miraculous means in full view of everyone was something he had no choice in. The Snake King’s aura was growing increasingly faint; if he didn't immediately get her into the Hongjun Pagoda, she would perish instantly. Since the Snake King could not be moved even slightly, facing two evils, the Young Master decisively sent the girl Qian Xun into the world of the Hongjun Pagoda for recuperation.

Mei Xueyan, in her dire state previously, though critically injured and having her cultivation plummet entirely, which caused her to revert to her original form, at least retained her consciousness and autonomy. The current Snake King, however, was plunged into complete chaos! She possessed no awareness whatsoever!

Her current state was likely even worse than the so-called vegetative state in the outside world! At least a vegetative person retains some deep consciousness, experiencing something akin to subconscious dreams. But Qian Xun had lost even that sliver of awareness. Her condition was utterly critical; whether she could recover ultimately depended entirely on external assistance. She herself was incapable of offering any cooperation whatsoever!

That was why Jun Mo Xie had instantly drawn her into the Hongjun Pagoda, to be slowly nurtured by the purest Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Only once her consciousness recovered could they even discuss subsequent healing matters!

And then there was Young Master Jun’s own injuries, which had reached a critical state requiring immediate attention!

However, the method Jun Mo Xie used to treat his own injuries was something that caused the well-informed Heavenly Punishment Saint Sovereign yet another moment of intense surprise, bordering on disbelief. But given the sheer number of astonishing things witnessed today, it was less shocking than it might have been!

The Young Master slowly sat up, the several broken bones in his chest emitting audible, crisp cracking sounds. The pain involved was imaginable; even the tough, thick-skinned beasts of the Heavenly Punishment Clan winced, feeling a chill down their spines for Jun Mo Xie.

Unexpectedly, the Young Master acted as if he didn't notice the pain at all. He took a deep breath, and his body suddenly swelled up like a balloon. Under the support of that profound spiritual energy, those fractured ribs magically and mysteriously returned to their original positions. Only because the body swelled abruptly, the gap between the broken bones correspondingly widened…

Jun Mo Xie gritted his teeth, forcefully recalling the spiritual energy that inflated his body. His physique instantly shrank back to its normal size. As the bones contracted, they snapped perfectly back into alignment…

The intense pain generated by this momentary contact nearly caused the Young Master to faint!

But he managed to endure such agonizing pain. Sweat the size of soybeans instantly poured down his forehead like a waterfall!

Immediately following this, the Young Master carefully channeled his own Primordial Violet Qi, firmly binding the fractured areas. Only then did he stretch his waist, carefully assessing the sensation, confirming that his agonizing ordeal had not been in vain. As long as he avoided excessively strenuous movement, these few fractures were largely stabilized…

Despite this, Jun Mo Xie’s handsome face was strikingly pale, and his head was covered in sweat, yet throughout the entire process, his expression remained completely unchanged! Still cold, still composed. Even his gaze hadn't shifted in the slightest.

The only difference was that the intense pain caused the deep killing intent within his eyes to stir even more restlessly!

Both Zhan Mu Bai’s sudden, unexpected assault and the strange message he delivered had stirred the deepest, most potent murderous intent within Jun Mo Xie’s heart!

This was another blood debt!

The ledger of blood debts was already overflowing!

Zhan Mu Bai delivered the message because Mo Wu Dao hoped he would leave the Heavenly Punishment Forest, thus creating an opportunity to deal with him. That much seemed certain! But that sudden, sneak attack must have been Zhan Mu Bai’s own spontaneous decision!

It was quite an effective scheme!

Although it would cost the reputation of a Saint Sovereign, it could eliminate a huge, eternal hidden threat to the Three Great Sacred Lands!

No matter how one calculated it, this transaction seemed profitable.

In fact, Zhan Mu Bai’s reputation might not even suffer much damage. After all, he was seeking revenge for his successor! Furthermore, from a moral standpoint, he was acting for the sake of the Three Great Sacred Lands, compelled to sacrifice his own reputation to eradicate this major menace!

This could even be considered a noble act!

Except… Jun Mo Xie did not die!

This rendered all of Zhan Mu Bai’s sacrifices meaningless, only adding disgrace to his name!

Most seriously, Zhan Mu Bai’s sneak attack had completely ignited Jun Mo Xie’s desire for retribution! He didn't even realize that his single opportunistic strike had unleashed a killing god who was already struggling fiercely to suppress his temper!

It had completely enraged Jun Mo Xie’s lawless nature!