The five black-clad figures belonging to the Soul Devouring unit landed simultaneously, dropping to one knee before Jun Moxie in salute: "Young Master, the five of us are fortunate not to have perished!"

"You have labored hard. You gained much from this battle; return to the formation and meditate upon it well," Jun Moxie replied with a slight smile, offering consolation.

"Yes!"

The five rose as one and returned to the combat formation. Their faces were placid. In Jun Moxie’s battle array, there was not a single shout of celebration, as if the victory these five had just secured was merely the most commonplace, expected trifle, utterly unworthy of exuberance...

"The third formation, seven Second-Rank Saints!"

In Hai Wuya’s voice, an irrepressible killing intent was already brewing! This third formation, no matter the cost, had to be won. Following his command, seven figures in white robes stepped forward in perfect unison. Jun Moxie gazed intently and noticed that these seven men looked nearly identical, causing a jolt in his mind—could these seven be blood brothers?

Jun Moxie’s guess was correct. These seven Second-Rank Saints all hailed from the Venerable City, and they were indeed full-blooded brothers. The Seven Fiends Battle Array once held a legendary reputation for slaughtering across the realm, turning rivers to blood!

When these seven gathered, combining their efforts, even a Fourth-Rank Saint would not dare provoke their edge. Facing a Saint Emperor, these seven brothers even possessed the strength to contend, and even if they could not win, their lives would not be in imminent danger!

The seven brothers shared a connection of minds, a tacit understanding naturally formed. Furthermore, augmented by the Seven Fiends Battle Array, they were like a tiger blessed with wings!

In this confrontation, the Holy Land faction now possessed an undeniable imperative to win, and Jun Moxie frowned. Judging by every movement, every subtle synchronization of the seven figures opposite him, they acted as an inseparable whole. This battle, he suspected, would be a truly vicious one—an unprecedented ordeal. Determining the victor now was truly difficult. "The fact that they are seven brothers, their minds united, is my greatest trump card—yet it is also my greatest vulnerability!"

Mei Xueyan watched the seven opponents with a grave expression, murmuring softly, "Oh?"

Jun Moxie looked at Mei Xueyan, quietly waiting for her to continue. Mei Xueyan smiled faintly and said, "The logic is quite simple. Having been together for hundreds of years, the seven brothers’ bond is deep to the point of being unbreakable. I believe that regarding their understanding and coordination, they require no words; merely a glance upward or a subtle lift of an eyebrow, and the other six will know the meaning! Such a battle array is undoubtedly the most terrifying—but it harbors a fatal flaw: their mutual affection is so profound that they have reached a state where they absolutely cannot exist without one another."

Mei Xueyan's eyes flashed with sharp intelligence as she continued slowly, "If one is injured, all seven are injured; a physical wound to one means six souls are wounded! At that point..."

Before she could finish, Jun Moxie sharply clapped his hands, a brilliant glint exploding in his eyes, and he whispered with delight, "I understand! Haha... Xueyan, you are truly my indispensable helpmate." Mei Xueyan’s cheeks flushed, feeling a surge of genuine sweetness in her heart. As long as she could assist Jun Moxie in even the smallest way, she felt fulfilled. Sometimes she found herself strangely questioning: this was so contrary to her original nature... but when passion took hold, she acted instinctively—and willingly so.

Mei Xueyan thought silently to herself: Perhaps this is... a woman's destined plight...

Jun Moxie abruptly turned. "Soul Devouring Fifth Squad, the entire unit deploys! The formation..."

He paused in thought, then decisively commanded, "The Big Dipper Formation of Seven Stars!"

Looking at the seven burly men before him, Jun Moxie stepped forward and whispered instructions. The eyes of the seven flashed as they exchanged glances, conferring rapidly. Finally, they strode forward to meet the opposing Seven Fiends Battle Array. The seven watched the discussion with a calm that bordered on disdain. Since establishing their array, they had long forgotten how many opponents of equal rank—or even higher rank—they had annihilated. Even when facing opponents far outnumbering them, they could wipe out the enemy without sustaining a single scratch. Now, Jun Moxie was sending only seven Second-Rank Saints, whose inherent strength was slightly inferior to their own brotherhood. In their view, these were merely seven prisoners already tightly bound and waiting for the axe—absolutely no challenge whatsoever!

As both sides advanced, radiating murderous intent, the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether turned to look at Qu Wuhui, whose face was ashen, "How about... we make another wager? This time—whoever loses has to swallow those one thousand earthworms whole, how about it? Do you dare?"

If the previous earthworm-digging wager was merely a prank, where the loser would only suffer embarrassment and lose face, now, the loser had to consume those worms raw... that would be a taste to remember.

Qiao Ying froze at the suggestion, then let out a dry retch... Eating raw earthworms? Could those things even be eaten? And raw? Heavens, just thinking about it was nauseating! As she considered it, images of the wriggling worms in all their "glory" flashed through her mind.

Although Qiao Ying possessed astonishing cultivation, she was still a woman; managing not to vomit immediately was already a testament to her restraint. Qu Wuhui rolled his eyes and suddenly began to consider the proposal with intense scrutiny.

Should he seize this opportunity to even the score? Or... this was a magnificent chance! The Fourteenth Young Master perhaps didn't grasp the terrifying power of the Seven Fiends Battle Array. His willingness to place such a high-stakes bet stemmed only from the fact that Jun Moxie had won two rounds in a row, both aided by peculiar formations. But he didn't know that the Seven Fiends brothers also practiced a formation—one of extremely potent power. Jointly, their integrated strength rivaled that of a First-Rank Saint Emperor. There was no possibility of losing this round!

Thinking of the Fourteenth Young Master’s humiliated appearance as he choked down earthworms... Qu Wuhui’s lips involuntarily curled into a smile of deep, schadenfreude satisfaction...

Lost in thought, Qu Wuhui deliberately feigned hesitation—a clear posture of 'wanting yet being reluctant.' He said gravely, "Fourteenth Brother, isn't this a bit unfair? Everyone knows that Young Master Jun has some strange formations on his side; after the three-person formation and the stone-man formation, another seven-person formation wouldn't be surprising. Say... are you intending for this old man to both dig up the earthworms and eat them all? Fourteenth Brother, your actions are a little... a little inappropriate, perhaps?"

The Fourteenth Young Master snorted, seated himself comfortably, and said, "What's inappropriate about it? To bet is not to lose. If you have no faith in your own people... then this time—I will bet heavily on my side winning, and you bet on Young Master Jun's side!"

Qu Wuhui immediately sprang up as if scorched, shouting agitatedly, "Fourteenth Brother, you are forcing things upon me! As a guardian of the Heavenly Saint Palace, how could I possibly bet against my own people and support the opposing faction? Furthermore, we already established our allegiances earlier; I must bet on the Holy Land, and you can only bet on the Evil Sovereign's faction. How can we change sides midway? Your stance is too unsteady! I'll take the risk, Brother Fourteen, and gamble with you once more—it’s only a thousand earthworms, after all!"

The Fourteenth Young Master tilted his head and said, "Oh? Didn't you just say Young Master Jun's side has formations, giving them a higher chance of winning? I'm indulging you, yet why the change in tune? You are truly hard to please! Hmm, listening to you, it sounds like... I can only bet on which side the Evil Sovereign's faction wins? Wait, knowing that the opposition might have a formation, yet you insist on this kind of bet, you are bold... You are absolutely certain that the Black side might not win..."

"There are no absolutes in this world; there's no such thing as a certain win. In my opinion, the sides are evenly matched, equal in strength and momentum. While the Black side certainly has a greater probability of winning, we might not necessarily lose. Even if we do lose again, I must still bet on our side..."

Qu Wuhui frantically tried to cover his tracks, terrified that the Fourteenth Young Master would impose a tyrannical decree and force the bet regardless of his willingness—that would be disastrous!

"It still doesn't feel right. You yourself said the Black side has a better chance. I'll let you take advantage this once... I will still bet on the Holy Land."

The Fourteenth Young Master sneered darkly, "Qu Wuhui, it's settled. You will bet whether you want to or not!"

Qu Wuhui exploded in anger, his face turning red and white. "Let go! How can you open a wager like that? There are only acts of force, not forced betting... You—you—I absolutely do not agree! I am a man of the Holy Land in life and a ghost of the Holy Land in death; I will only bet on the Holy Land, nothing else!"

"Are you implying, old man... that you still insist on betting on the Three Great Holy Lands against me in this round?"

The Fourteenth Young Master narrowed his eyes.

"That is exactly what I mean!" Qu Wuhui stubbornly affirmed.

"Good! A bet is a bet! To gamble is not to lose! I will allow you to take advantage just this once," the Fourteenth Young Master conceded cleanly. "If the Holy Land wins this match, I will eat those thousand earthworms raw. But if that Evil Sovereign wins, then it’s your turn to eat them!"

"A word is set!"

Qu Wuhui’s spirits soared. He suddenly felt that digging up earthworms might actually be a pleasant, delightful task, anticipating the sight of the World’s Number One Madman swallowing them whole, and knowing those worms were his own supply... Wahahaha... Just imagining the sight of the Fourteenth Young Master grimacing as he chewed the worms made Qu Wuhui feel utterly content, as if he had consumed an elixir of immortality. This incident would surely become the most memorable event in his life...

It seemed that the final outcome did indeed become the most memorable thing for Qu Wuhui, though exactly how he would savor that memory... that was a matter for later...

The Fourteenth Young Master sneered, cursing the foolish man inwardly, then spoke with sharp intent, "You, the fellow surnamed Jun, come over here. Don't worry, it will be quite a while before your match begins; let's chat for a moment."

Jun Moxie paused, exchanged a look with Mei Xueyan, and smiled lightly, "Senior's invitation, how could I refuse?"

He stepped forward with composure and walked over. Cheng Yin Xiao fixed his gaze on him, then suddenly smiled: "Jun Moxie, your courage is considerable. Although you possess Saint realm strength now, you are still beneath the notice of us three. Aren't you afraid that the three of us might suddenly attack you? If the three of us launched a full-force strike, even the Fourteenth Young Master wouldn't be able to reach you in time to offer aid. Are you truly not afraid at all?"