Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master stood with his hands clasped behind his back, seemingly oblivious to the formidable masters from the Three Great Holy Lands slowly converging around him, or perhaps simply holding them in utter disregard. His only action was to tilt his head back, fixing his gaze upon the sky, lost in deep, agonizing contemplation of some matter.

What was going on with all of this? This sudden turn of events had plunged the peerless madman into profound confusion!

Even though he faced the crowd with his face upturned, every single person present was utterly incapable of discerning what he looked like. He appeared as nothing more than a hazy, indistinct phantom shadow…

The moment Qiao Ying arrived, she instantly activated her Eye of Wisdom divine ability, focusing it on the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master. She absolutely had to see through the true face of this demon lord! This was a rare, excellent opportunity to catch a close glimpse of his legendary visage! But Qiao Ying was fated to be disappointed, because what she saw was still merely a dense, impenetrable fog! Her Eye of Wisdom, which she trusted could pierce through all illusions, could not penetrate the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master! This realization struck Qiao Ying with immense shock.

“Fourteenth Young Master, it has been over three hundred years since we last met. Your demeanor is as remarkable as ever; truly a joyous occasion worth celebrating.” Cheng Yin Xiao glanced silently across the area, then raised his head and offered a gentle, refined smile to the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master, his tone a blend of apparent flattery and calm, threaded with a faint undercurrent of vigilance.

Compared to the others from the Three Great Holy Lands who viewed the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master as an irreconcilable mortal enemy, Cheng Yin Xiao’s attitude was notably softer. He knew that, among all of the enemies of the Three Great Holy Lands, the position of the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master would always be secondary to that of the foreign races! Though, admittedly, his threat level might actually surpass that of the outsiders! This was the ultimate awareness of a guardian! Even if a decisive battle and a life-or-death struggle were inevitable, it would not be for the sake of hatred, but merely due to fundamentally divergent philosophies!

“Cheng Yin Xiao, I remember you. You old rascal haven't changed much either. Still sporting that listless, deathly look.” The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master kept his face tilted toward the heavens, not looking at Cheng Yin Xiao, yet he spoke the latter’s name clearly.

“And don't forget about me, Fourteenth Young Master. Surely you haven't only remembered Old Cheng and forgotten me,” Qu Wu Hui said with a sly smile.

“How could I forget? Qu Wu Hui, the Unfettered Mad Blade… This Young Master truly regrets that, over three hundred years ago, when I was on the very cusp of making your title literal, I still fell short. You actually managed to escape alive…” There was a faint thread of mockery in the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master's tone.

“Nonsense!” Qu Wu Hui roared, leaping up, “That was only because I was careless, allowing your scheme to succeed… How about we settle it now!”

“Even if we fought ten more rounds, you wouldn’t be my match!” The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master scoffed twice. “The Heavenly Sword Peerless Blade of the Heavenly Sacred Palace, the title of the great master, actually belongs to two scoundrels. However… these two scoundrels are still somewhat superior to the lowlifes down below, which brings this Young Master considerable relief.”

As he spoke, the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master’s chilling gaze swept over Zhan Mu Bai and the others, his contempt unmistakably evident! Although Zhan Mu Bai was a Saint Emperor in his own right, the pressure from the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master’s gaze caused his eyes to ache fiercely, as if suddenly blasted by a strong light, making them sting and water uncontrollably.

Cheng Yin Xiao laughed heartily. “If we are merely scoundrels, then you, Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master, must be an outright villain. We are all cut from the same cloth, so there’s no need for excessive courtesy.”

The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master threw his head back and laughed. “Indeed, no pretense! You have come here, and I have arrived here as well. It seems a final battle awaits us sooner or later. Shall we settle it here and now? Or shall we choose another time?”

Cheng Yin Xiao smiled slightly. “Has the Fourteenth Young Master become too impatient and eager for a slaughter? Your old friends are right here before you; is there not a shred of face to be shown?”

“Several people are destined to die!” The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master said coldly. “Even if the face of the entire world were piled before me, I would kill them one by one! Furthermore, the face of you two… has never amounted to much?”

“May I ask precisely who those individuals are?” Qu Wu Hui inquired solemnly.

“What I despise most in life are those who resort to sneak attacks and conspiracies. What I find most contemptible are sneak attacks that take advantage of weakness! Especially when executed by someone holding a high position—I shall spare none of them!” The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master stated calmly.

“I understand. You are referring to those Saint Emperors who launched a sneak attack on you after the seal in the Heavenly Punishment Forest was broken,” Cheng Yin Xiao nodded faintly, grasping the situation. But he countered, “Fourteenth Young Master; may I ask… if they had not used such underhanded methods, but instead engaged you in a direct, one-on-one decisive battle, what chance of victory would they have had? And what chance of survival?”

“That question is utterly ludicrous! In a fair fight, this Young Master would absolutely snap their necks in the blink of an eye! Are they even worthy of dueling me one-on-one?” The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master burst into wild laughter.

“Indeed, they are not worthy!” Cheng Yin Xiao snorted. “Since you know perfectly well that they cannot defeat you head-on, why then do you demand they fight you honorably in a decisive battle, rather than resorting to sneak attacks? Everyone has their own standpoint. You wish to kill them, and you have your reasons; it is only right that they conspire against you. Fourteenth Young Master, if they could defeat you fairly in combat… do you think they would resort to sneak attacks? Precisely because they lack the strength to face you squarely, yet possess the absolute necessity to eliminate you, what other means could they employ!”

The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master grunted. “That reasoning is not entirely without merit! Each side has its justification. But once actions are taken, each side must then bear the corresponding responsibility!”

“So, it boils down to this… You may kill, that is permissible! But do not cite your supposed reasons. Because any reason you offer is absurd and laughable.”

Qu Wu Hui gave a sharp laugh. “In this world, any justification can be refuted, whether it is born of expediency, filth, coercion, or shamelessness—a reason is just a reason, a deflection, and the most grandiloquent garbage! Only strength is the best reason. The true reason!”

He looked at the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master and continued slowly, “And you, sir, possess this true reason. Therefore, their base villainy is not the reason they deserve death; the real reason is simply your strength, nothing more than your strength!”

The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master laughed wildly. “Well said! Truly well said! Merely because of the reason you stated, I shall not fight you today. I might as well let them live for a few more days, giving me time to prepare and coordinate better, hahahaha…”

He was lectured by these two men and yet showed no trace of anger. However, Cheng Yin Xiao and Qu Wu Hui felt a sudden weight in their hearts. Given the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master’s supreme power, what preparation was needed? And who would he need to coordinate with? This was a question of monumental importance! But after exchanging a look, neither of them pressed the matter further. They knew the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master would never reveal the answers. Their only course of action was to be infinitely more cautious in the days ahead.

“Fourteenth Young Master, I have another matter to inquire about.” Cheng Yin Xiao’s eyes grew eager; this seemingly harmonious atmosphere was cultivated solely for the purpose of asking this one question, for it was his lifelong dream.

“Who was that person just now…” Cheng Yin Xiao took a step forward, looking at the large tree before him, and repeated his query, “Who was the person here moments ago?”

At his question, everyone else instantly straightened up and listened intently. They were all standing relatively far back; only the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master was closest. Although no one else had seen anything, given his position and abilities, he surely must have witnessed it.

“I regret to say, I do not know either!” The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master’s eyes showed a peculiar expression—part apprehension, part admiration. He said faintly, “I watched for a truly long time, yet I saw no person here whatsoever! From beginning to end, I only saw successive bolts of lightning strike this large tree before vanishing…”

He let out a wry smile. “After I approached just now and attempted to tap the trunk of the tree, I ended up punching right through it…” As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, sending dust scattering, revealing a large, clean hole passing straight through the body of the old elm tree…

With this demonstration, all of the group's immediate suspicions were cleared, but the fundamental question in their hearts only grew larger. Just who was it?

“Whoever that person is, they must be the undisputed peak expert and invincible powerhouse of this era. Even this Young Master must admit inferiority!” The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master sighed with a touch of genuine dejection.

Cheng Yin Xiao and Qu Wu Hui understood perfectly what that sigh from the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master contained. For so long, everyone had assumed the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master was the single strongest expert in the world. Even the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master himself believed it! No one thought him arrogant, because there had never existed anyone who could defeat him—that was already an undeniable fact! Thus, confronting the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master had always required a concerted group assault! And not just an assault by one or two people, but a large-scale encirclement. But now, such a person had appeared, someone whom even the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master admitted falling short of! Simply by enduring that single Heavenly Tribulation, this unknown figure had knocked him from the pinnacle of supremacy. The level of frustration the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master must be feeling was imaginable.

“I am confident I could withstand such heavenly might,” the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master admitted gravely. “But I could never achieve what he did… I never will!…”

“Devouring the Thunder Tribulation!” These four words were the sentence the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master silently appended in his mind. Cheng Yin Xiao and Qu Wu Hui exchanged a glance, feeling only a profound sense of loss.

The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master paused for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and asked, “You asked me one thing, and I answered. Therefore, I shall ask you one thing, and you must also answer.” His gaze gradually sharpened, like two cruel swords slashing across the night sky!

“What is it?” “As long as I know the answer, I will tell you truthfully!” Qu Wu Hui recognized the danger inherent in the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master’s words, sensing that this question would be difficult to answer, and his own spirits immediately grew heavy. The fact that this single question could ignite the rage of the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master proved that it was no simple matter!

“The name ‘Ninth Heaven’s First Lord’… who exactly bestowed that name? Whose idea was it?!” The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master asked, articulating each syllable. The fierceness in his eyes intensified!