Jun Moxie was currently in a highly secluded spot, sitting leisurely in a chair, sipping tea. He had fully reverted to his original appearance, completely relaxed, exuding an air of infinite ease and nonchalance, as if the sky collapsing would merely serve as a blanket—truly content and at ease...

Across from him sat Dongfang Wenqing, his face etched with worry. Esteemed Elder Dongfang, who was also the young master’s maternal uncle!

At this moment, Dongfang Wenqing had long forgotten the grievances between himself and his nephew; his entire heart and mind were consumed only by concern. Ever since Jun Moxie had returned and explained his intentions, Elder Dongfang's sighing seemed ceaseless; even in his dreams, the sound of his deep, drawn-out sighs never stopped......

"Moxie... I've thought this over and over. This plan of yours... it’s still too risky... not worth it! Not worth it at all..." Dongfang Wenqing said with heartache, "Even if we seek revenge, even if we must reclaim our honor, there’s no need to be this resolute, is there? We must always act according to our strength... The situation is already fully unfolded... But this is simply striking a stone with an egg! We don't stand a single chance... Uncle is truly worried..."

Elder Dongfang’s gut felt knotted with anxiety. He was utterly conflicted, cursing himself tens of thousands of times in his mind: You deserve to die, you deserve this wretched fate! Why did he let this brat Moxie follow those two—Wen Dao and Wen Jian? He had insisted on seeking revenge against him, and now look at the mess he’d dragged himself into...

Life or death was secondary. But the fact that his nephew was so lawless, and that he alone knew about it yet dared not tell anyone else... that was the greatest conflict! Seeing Moxie’s demeanor, the situation had clearly escalated beyond evasion; this battle was unavoidable, no way out!

Who could he possibly tell? His mother? Wouldn't that old lady be unable to sleep from that moment on? It was highly possible she would rush over to fight alongside her nephew... Tell his sister? Since her husband died, his sister had already lost all hope... If he told her that her only remaining sprout was about to fight, and in a battle they had no chance of winning... heaven knows if his sister would collapse in a heap again... and fall into a coma for another ten years or eight!

These two people, perhaps the only two in the world who could persuade Jun Moxie, were precisely the ones Dongfang Wenqing dared not inform. Because he could not bear the consequences of either scenario...

As for Dongfang Wenjian and Dongfang Wendao, Elder Dongfang knew instantly what those blockheads’ reactions would be: their eyebrows would shoot up, followed by great astonishment, then ecstatic laughter. While laughing, one of them would surely exclaim: Good nephew! Truly worthy of being my nephew. A hero's father breeds a fine son! Uncle is a bold hero, and my nephew is divine! How could such a crazed endeavor proceed without me? Make sure you wait for me, I must accompany my nephew to risk his life! Anyone who tries to stop me, I’ll fight them!

Thinking of this, Dongfang Wenqing felt a wave of weakness, nearly weeping. This nephew was truly a standard, complete, out-and-out troublemaker demon...

But now I’ve been roasted on hot coals, and I can only stand firm... This feeling is truly unbearable...

"Uncle, what's so risky about this? Don't worry, dear Uncle. Just watch your good nephew slaughter the field! You can treat it like watching a spectacular martial arts blockbuster!" Jun Moxie said with a smile. "Besides, everyone only has one head and one life. Who's afraid of whom? If you're not meant to die, you can jump off a ten-thousand-foot cliff and stumble into a serendipitous encounter. But if your time has come, even a mouthful of phlegm can choke you to death... Don't worry about all that nonsense. If death is certain, screw it all, whatever happens, happens!"

Elder Dongfang, who had been agonizing for days, was nearly choked by those words: "You little beast! Is that how you speak? If anything happens to you, that bastard, your grandmother won't skin me alive three layers a day, and that would be the sun rising in the west! And if your mother doesn't treat me as an enemy, it would be a miracle! I would immediately be abandoned by everyone! Your Uncle would have no path left but to hang himself from a crooked tree! You little scoundrel, you scoundrel!"

"Aiya, in the end, you're just worried about yourself, aren't you? Don't worry, you'll be fine. At least you will definitely be fine! Grandmother isn't that unreasonable... Besides, I think Grandmother still considers your feelings. She always saves face for you in everything..." Jun Moxie comforted with a smile.

Dongfang Wenqing glared, his voice thick with the urge to cry: "You're talking nonsense, brat! Saving face for me? I’m nearly sixty, and just last year she spanked my backside in front of the whole village! Saving face for me... she saved far too much face!"

Jun Moxie was momentarily stunned, never imagining this dignified Uncle had such an unspeakable past. Grandmother was truly formidable...

Dongfang Wenqing sighed for a while, finally stomping his foot and gritting his teeth: "Fine, fine. I won't worry about it anymore. I have some self-awareness... I’ve figured it out; since I’m in this damn city, I might as well go crazy once! No... isn't it just risking my life alongside you? A dead man faces the heavens! If there’s even a sliver of hope, I’ll stake my old life to ensure you return safely... If it truly doesn’t work out, then the two of us—uncle and nephew—will face the heavens together... What the hell do I have to worry about anymore!"

He grumbled and complained while walking out dejectedly to return to his room to sleep!

It seemed Elder Dongfang had reached a great awakening this time...

"Benefactor, you have attained enlightenment..." Jun Moxie clapped his hands together, muttered benevolently, and then, with a flash, vanished without a trace, having retreated into the long-absent Hongjun Pagoda...

Re-entering the interior of the Hongjun Pagoda, and once again feeling that long-lost, dense Heavenly Spiritual Qi, Jun Moxie’s eyes widened involuntarily at the unexpected scene before him!

In the vision of Young Master Jun, the small, snow-white body of Mei Xueyan was seated cross-legged, motionless. A string of continuous, crisp bone-cracking sounds emanated from her body, clear and unbroken.

Simultaneously, Jun Moxie discovered with even greater surprise that a small spiritual vortex had formed above Mei Xueyan's head. The massive amount of spiritual energy within the Hongjun Pagoda was surging forward desperately, pouring ceaselessly into that small body through this passage!

It was the Spirit Entering the Body, Mist Turning Substantial!

And Mei Xueyan’s current appearance was quite strange. Her body remained seated, still in the shape of a Xuan Beast, but within the dense spiritual energy above her head, the ethereal outline of a figure with high-piled cloud hair and a slender, graceful form began to faintly appear...

That same long-lost peerlessly elegant figure...

Heart roams the cosmos, intent guards the universe. Cast out evil, slay falsehood. Righten the heart, freeze the spirit...

This was precisely the sign that appeared upon reaching the second layer of the Kai Tian Creation Art!

Jun Moxie had never expected Mei Xueyan's progress to be this swift. He seemed to have been gone for only a few days. Upon re-entering, he happened to catch her mid-breakthrough! This was astonishing!

Moreover, judging by the sight, she was already nearing the end of the operation of this new realm, about to complete her cycle.

Look at her, then think of the suffering he endured when breaking through realms. Could it truly be that comparing people leads to death, and comparing goods leads to twisting?! Jun Moxie sighed inwardly. He hadn't considered that Mei Xueyan was already at the cultivation level of a Fourth Grade Venerable, just one step away from being a Saint. Now, re-cultivating with such familiarity, and using a heaven-defying technique like the Kai Tian Creation Art, if the progress wasn't fast... it would defy all heavenly reason!

Seeing that Mei Xueyan's progress was smooth and without risk, Young Master Jun, who had initially been shocked that the beauty facing a breakthrough might endure the same pain and danger he once did, finally settled his uneasy heart. In his view—besides this beloved one, there is nothing else—no other sight entered his field of vision!

Mei Xueyan’s body was positioned directly beneath that Heavenly Spiritual Meridian. In the spot where she had rested before, the body of the Snake King now lay quietly. Amidst his joy, Jun Moxie’s mood instantly turned heavy. He walked slowly over, sat down beside the Snake King, and gazed at the delicate face in its slumber, letting out a deep sigh and murmuring softly, "Qian Xun... you... why did you have to do that back then?" Alas! This situation, this deep feeling—how can I, Jun Moxie... bear it... how can I repay it..."

The Snake King showed no reaction, remaining soundly asleep. Though her breathing was steady and her life unimpaired, there was no indication whatsoever that she would awaken...

Jun Moxie sat there blankly, sitting beneath the tree, beside the Snake King. Tiny specks of starlight shone down from the branches, silently falling upon him and the Snake King Qian Xun. The Young Master’s eyes were glazed over; he didn't know what he was thinking...

His heart felt calm, yet also terribly muddled. He seemed to be thinking of many things, yet also nothing worth recalling. Here were his two beloveds: one, for him and his family, had been reduced to her original form and was still striving to cultivate; the other, due to his momentary carelessness, was now in an eternal slumber from which she might never wake!

All of this... was because of him!

At home, Dugu Xiaoyi and Guan Qinghan were waiting anxiously. Grandfather and Mother were surely praying for his safe return every day, their hearts filled with worry for his safety... Meanwhile, Uncle and Aunt, while missing him, were diligently preparing their atonement project... a grand ambition to save all the lonely hearts in the world... to return peace and joy to them...

Man... what is life ultimately for?

Jun Moxie suddenly recalled this eternal question. Before he arrived, perhaps everyone had different goals. But now, Jun Moxie was nearly certain. In this world, many people lived purely for themselves, nothing more...

If he were gone, his enemies would surely laugh heartily, but many loved ones would certainly collapse because of it. This was responsibility, a responsibility he had to shoulder! And this... was precisely the driving force behind Jun Moxie's continued existence!

Mother’s heart was split in two; the half from the past had already gone with his father, and the other half remained in this mortal world purely for him, still beating stubbornly! ... Ye Guhan lived for Murong Xiuxiu, and ultimately died for Murong Xiuxiu...

And Aunt Hanyanxue, who vowed never to turn back in this life...

Mei Xueyan and Qian Xun, who were willing to die for Jun, to die for him...

He absolutely had to make these people who cared for him smile and find happiness. As for those enemies, let them be trapped in nightmares forever! Who told them to choose to be enemies with the Evil Lord?!

Jun Moxie let out a long breath, his gaze shifting from confusion to clarity, muttering, "From this moment forward... I will no longer live for myself, nor for the world... I will only live for you—those who cherish me..."

After thinking through everything, the clear-headed Jun Moxie gathered his thoughts and felt significantly lighter.

The War of Seizing the Heavens... concerned the future of the Xuanxuan Continent, and it was indeed important. The invasion by the alien races was grim, and the consequences severe...

However, the choice he made now—perhaps a bit extreme, perhaps a bit excessive—was NOT wrong! Absolutely not wrong!

Cultivate the self, stabilize the family, and then govern the state and bring peace to the world. If the family is unstable, what concern is the rise and fall of the world to me? I was never a great hero or a supreme magnate; I am merely a petty man with a narrow vision! That’s all!

There is a common saying: when officials oppress the people, they are forced to rebel! Perhaps many people could selflessly sacrifice for the sake of the common people, regardless of the consequences or cost. But that absolutely did not include him, Jun Moxie! He could die fighting in the War of Seizing the Heavens, but he could not be killed by them using the justification of the War of Seizing the Heavens!

"I was not wrong!"

Jun Moxie said firmly, and upon voicing the words, he felt an extraordinary sense of clarity and relief in his heart! Just as he finished speaking, he sensed a change beside him. He turned his head and saw Mei Xueyan had stopped her cultivation, standing before him and looking at him with concern.

"I'm fine. Truly fine. I just understood a few things, so I'm very well, truly very well!" Jun Moxie showed a gentle yet steadfast smile. His words were slightly repetitive, but his tone grew increasingly resolute.

Mei Xueyan blinked her eyes, then suddenly extended a claw and wrote on the sand before them: "Give me pills!"

"...Pills?" Jun Moxie’s body stiffened. He looked closely at Mei Xueyan again and discovered with delight that she had returned to the peak level of an Eighth Grade Xuan Beast. Her request for pills now clearly meant she intended to use them to charge directly to the realm where she could transform into a human shape after this breakthrough!

Only a few days had passed since they last met, and it was astonishing that Mei Xueyan had made such a significant breakthrough! Previously, although he saw her intensely pushing forward, in the path of Xuan cultivation, shortcuts were rare. The further one progressed, the slower the breakthrough, even when re-cultivating. In Jun Moxie's estimation, it should have taken at least another month or more before she could return to the realm of an Eighth Grade Xuan Beast. But now, Mei Xueyan had advanced that timeline by an entire month!

Seeing the resolve in Mei Xueyan's eyes and the unmistakable hint of pain, Jun Moxie's heart jolted. He suddenly understood: the Snake King’s injury was a huge blow to him, but hadn't it been a massive stimulus to Mei Xueyan as well?! Perhaps after the Snake King was injured, the deeply shaken Mei Xueyan had cultivated day and night without rest during this period...

For anyone else, forcefully advancing through pills would be completely unfeasible. Whether due to inner demons, insufficient foundational realm strength, or the explosive power of the massive medicinal dose, it would be enough to shatter their body and soul, leading to a fatal end!

But Mei Xueyan was different!

Firstly, because Mei Xueyan practiced the Kai Tian Creation Art; secondly, Mei Xueyan was currently inside the Hongjun Pagoda! Thirdly, a transformed Xuan Beast only required the state of mind of a Ninth Grade expert, but although Mei Xueyan’s power was still some distance away, her actual cultivation level was solidly that of a Fourth Grade Venerable, and due to her previous desperate consumption of a Saint King Pill, her cultivation had faintly surpassed the Venerable limit, reaching the Saint realm! Fourthly, Mei Xueyan’s internal meridians had once been violently opened and broken through by immense power... Therefore, all obstacles were no longer an issue!

Mei Xueyan had recovered to the peak of Eighth Grade cultivation. It had been difficult for her to hold back until now. If the breakthrough process hadn't coincided exactly with the breakthrough to the second layer of the Kai Tian Creation Art, Mei Xueyan likely would have done this sooner...

Jun Moxie nodded, retrieving several jade bottles from his robes. He first took out a Bone Tempering Pellet for Mei Xueyan to swallow, followed by the Heavenly Origin Pellet, Spirit Gathering Pellet, and Spirit Unlocking Pellet, the Chaos Pellet, and the Supreme Pellet!

Mei Xueyan did not hesitate. After smoothly dissolving the medicinal properties of the Bone Tempering Pellet by circulating the Kai Tian Creation Art, she directly took the Heavenly Origin Pellet...

Consciousness...

"Moxie, bring me a set of clothes. And, uh, you... you go out for a moment first." As Jun Moxie was watching, he heard a familiar voice in his ear. Overjoyed, he turned back. He saw that Mei Xueyan was still in her original form, but she could speak now. She was staring at him, issuing instructions.

It must be remembered that after Mei Xueyan was knocked back to her original form this time, her clothing was completely destroyed. Now, she wouldn't need to wait until she finished all the pills; taking the Spirit Unlocking, Spirit Gathering, and Heavenly Origin Pills would allow her to easily transform into human shape; as for the Profound Spirit Pill and the Supreme Pellet, Mei Xueyan clearly intended to use them to advance in human form to achieve the greatest effect!

But transforming into human shape so soon would lead to a slight, awkward situation... Hence, Mei Xueyan’s first demand was to kick this pervert out! Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable!...

"Why kick me out? I'm not like I haven't seen it before. We're old partners, aren't we?" Jun Moxie stroked his chin and smirked mischievously, his eyes flickering. The Young Master Jun, whose state of mind had returned to clarity, had his suppressed flirtatiousness resurface.

"You... you... you are such a person..." Mei Xueyan stammered... "Then... I'll just wait a few more days. Anyway, my power isn't quite enough for transformation yet. Haste makes waste; it’s better to stabilize things more. There’s no need to rush."

Mei Xueyan had many ways to handle Jun Moxie. One sentence made the Young Master anxious: My dear grandmother, I’ve been eagerly waiting for you to transform back into human form! Now, at this critical juncture, you tell me there’s no rush? You’re not in a hurry, but I am!

"Alright, alright, alright! Here are your clothes, I'll go out now. Isn't that enough?" Under duress, Jun Moxie reluctantly compromised, secretly grinding his teeth: Just you wait, little one. Once you turn human, I’ll make sure you know just how formidable this Young Master is!

The Young Master Jun placed a set of clothes on the ground while glancing back three times before leaving the Hongjun Cage...

When he re-entered, Jun Moxie was struck by a dizzying sensation at first glance—right before his eyes, shrouded in thick spiritual energy, and illuminated by the strange, divine glow of that marvelous light, stood a familiar, graceful figure in white robes, standing quietly. In the hazy mist, a pair of beautiful eyes, carrying longing, infinite deep affection, and shimmering tears, gazed unblinkingly at Jun Moxie...

It was as if a celestial fairy had suddenly descended, a Lingbo Fairy reborn, a sister from the Moon Palace come to the mortal realm!

Long awaited. Mei Xueyan!

(In terms of being a person, I was relatively unsuccessful... Tonight, while drinking, I kept contemplating the plot to the extent that when a buddy proposed a toast, I raised my cup to toast another. And when a friend said he couldn't drink hard liquor, asking me for beer, I stood up and brought him a bottle of wine... In short, old readers who know me well can tell that when I am piling up flowery rhetoric in my writing, it means I've hit a bottleneck, and I am trying my utmost to push past this bottleneck. The plot has been planned out, but what frustrates me most is that when I intended to write a tiger, I ended up drawing a cat—it’s an issue of feeling. The hustle and bustle of the Spring Festival undeniably had a huge impact on me! A massive one!)

All this time I’ve spent, whether at a relative's house or my own, whether sitting or lying down, I have been consumed with plotting the narrative.

I yearn for that feeling of writing like the wind, without a single pause, a seamless outpouring! A return to form!

These last two winters, I’ve finally felt something stir. That is why I dare to pen these words now, and it is also my most sincere apology to my brothers and sisters!

Distraction... indeed, it only ever breeds ridicule...