Jun Moxie smiled faintly, "If others from the Three Great Sacred Lands were here, I would naturally have to be cautious of sneak attacks and underhanded dealings. However, since the ones present are the three seniors—Cheng, Qu, and Qiao—if the guardians of the Heavenly Saint Palace lose all sense of decency... well, even if I truly lost this insignificant life of mine, it wouldn't be the end of the world."

"Good lad! Haha..." Cheng Yin Xiao was immensely pleased in his heart. Jun Moxie’s words, while seemingly deprecating, were in fact an expression of trust in the three guardians. This kind of trust between enemies was the rarest thing of all, and Cheng Yin Xiao felt genuinely comforted, unable to stop his face from breaking into a broad smile.

The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether gazed at Jun Moxie and spoke in a sinister voice, "That brat surnamed Jun, this young master has placed a heavy wager on you this time. Don't let this young master lose the bet because of you. Tell me, how certain are you of victory in this fight?"

Jun Moxie was taken aback. "The Three Great Sacred Lands boast talents beyond measure, their strength unfathomably deep. We won the first two rounds rather luckily. The third battle hasn't even begun, so how could I possibly know how certain I am? Uh... we are risking our lives over there, while you gentlemen are gambling with our very survival here? This... this seems a bit unreasonable, doesn't it!"

"What cannot be wagered? It's merely a few paltry lives, how could they not be put on the line for a bet?" The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether snorted. "If you step out to fight to the death, you must be prepared to be finished off at any moment! A few deaths... what does that amount to? Besides, we are betting on the outcome, not on the specific number of casualties... In this young master's eyes, these few lives might not even qualify to be part of the wager!"

A wry smile touched Jun Moxie’s face, yet a thread of suspicion began to weave through his mind: since the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether appeared, everything he said and did seemed to be supporting him, even trending toward backing him up... Why? Could he have recognized me?

"Jun Moxie, those battle formations you’re deploying are quite marvelous..." Qu Wu Hui grunted a couple of times. "Were the combined attack techniques of these men all trained by you personally?"

Jun Moxie offered a sheepish grin and chuckled, "Seniors overestimate me too much. How could I possess such immense ability..."

"Oh? Then which high master designed such an extraordinary formation?" Cheng Yin Xiao interjected.

"Naturally, there is another person responsible." Jun Moxie skillfully diverted the topic. "May I ask what your wagers are, sirs?"

"No matter what the wager is, you are destined to lose this battle!" Qu Wu Hui was clearly displeased by Jun Moxie changing the subject. He rolled his eyes and turned his head away.

Jun Moxie said coolly, "The outcome is yet undecided, why declare us absolutely defeated? Since you seniors are so certain, I truly look forward to seeing it. However, it seems my side has already won two rounds. If we win this one too, then half of the Exquisite Lotus will effectively be in my hands."

"Rest assured, since the three of us have made the acknowledgment, if we truly lose to you, we won't go back on our word!" Cheng Yin Xiao stated calmly. "We have all lived for over a thousand years; we still possess this much integrity. You need not worry."

"I am naturally not worried..." Jun Moxie allowed a trace of sarcasm into his smile. "It's a pity that among the Three Great Sacred Lands, those who possess such credibility are few and far between..."

"You just said it yourself, the outcome is undecided now, so what's the use of discussing the wager! Do you think verbal advantage can turn the tide of battle?" Qu Wu Hui snorted. "Let me tell you, brat, seven of your subordinates already have half a foot in the Underworld! It's a wonder you still have the leisure to boast like this; you should hurry up and prepare coffins, that would be more appropriate!"

"Life and death are ordained by fate, prosperity by heaven! The Fourteenth Young Master was right just now: since one steps out to fight to the death, one must accept the possibility of being killed at any time. This is something I or my men can see clearly, but I wonder if the Sacred Lands can!" Jun Moxie coldly smiled, his words conceding absolutely nothing, adopting a stance of direct confrontation.

In the time it took for the others to speak, the fourteen individuals on the field had already clashed. The Seven Fiends Battle Formation immediately displayed an almost overwhelming advantage. The immense might formed by the seven men’s combined formation was practically crushing the seven members of the Remnant Heaven Soul Devourer team. Upon first contact, the situation had deteriorated to the utmost extremity! Even the observers watching could barely breathe.

With just one glance, Qu Wu Hui couldn't stop smiling. This situation was too perfect, victory was absolutely within their grasp; if they couldn't win with such an advantage, it would be a true miracle! Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether, ah, Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether, this old man admits I am inferior to you in power and cannot win a fight against you, but if I can force you to eat a thousand earthworms alive, I would wake up laughing in my dreams...

The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether looked toward the dust-filled arena, an unusually grave expression appearing on his face. Qu Wu Hui noticed this and was overjoyed, grinning as he said, "Brother Fourteen, no need to fret. Don't you always say a wager is not a loss until the end? This battle has just begun; who knows if the men in black still have the capacity to turn things around." This was clearly gloating...

"Well said, as long as it hasn't reached the final moment, the outcome remains unknown..." The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether glanced at him with a half-smile, lecturing him, "If you could channel all the effort you put into scheming and petty talk into your cultivation instead, perhaps your achievements would have already surpassed this young master's..."

2011-3-323:39 Reply Tianhe Naval Forces Heart Moved, Thus It Hurts~ 1509 Followers 4th Floor

Qu Wu Hui stuttered, spat resentfully, and turned to watch the battle. Unquestionably, this fight commanded the complete attention of everyone present, drawing even more focus than the previous two rounds! The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether frowned slightly, watched for a moment, and then seemed to gain a sudden insight, the oppressive, sinister aura surrounding him appearing to soften slightly...

Cheng Yin Xiao had been constantly monitoring the expressions and movements of the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether. He knew that among everyone present, the one with the sharpest vision was undoubtedly the Fourteenth Young Master; no one would dispute that. At this moment, he distinctly sensed a sudden sign of relaxation in the Young Master's demeanor, and his heart tightened. He asked, "Brother Fourteen, your insight is profound. In your view, who will be the victor in this battle?"

The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether sighed and shook his head. "The result of this battle will be very peculiar!"

"Peculiar?" The others all turned their gaze toward him. They felt strange: the Sacred Land's victory seemed clearly decided here, so why would he call it peculiar? Was there still room for anything to be 'peculiar'?

"In this battle, the Seven Fiends Battle Formation holds an absolute advantage, and they have already compressed the seven men in black into a tight cluster, making evasion and maneuvering quite difficult. Analyzing only this point, it seems the Sacred Land has victory firmly in hand..." The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether smiled. "But in this young master's view, the final success or failure is still uncertain!"

"On what grounds do you say that?"

"Up to this point in the battle, there are three points of doubt that I cannot decipher, and I haven't figured them out until this very moment..." The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether glanced thoughtfully at Jun Moxie but did not elaborate.

"Three points of doubt?..." Cheng Yin Xiao and the other three instantly tensed up and refocused their gaze on the field. They saw that the arena was filled with blinding white light, sword energy soaring to the heavens. The seven long swords of the Seven Fiends Battle Formation were weaving a dense net, completely enveloping their opponents. The battle circle of the seven black-clad men allied with Jun Moxie had been squeezed into a small cluster, seemingly on the verge of annihilation at any moment. It was like a tiny boat struggling in the most violent tempest, perilous yet perpetually managing to avoid being swallowed by the colossal waves.

Qu Wu Hui watched for a long time before suddenly slapping his forehead and exclaiming angrily, "Damn it, it's another bizarre formation! Before it was a three-man formation, then a five-man formation, and now a seven-man formation—how can this be?!" Hearing him say this, Cheng Yin Xiao and Qiao Ying also gradually discerned the underlying mystery. No matter how the seven men allied with Jun Moxie dodged or parried, they consistently maintained a strange formation. The seven men leaped and weaved back and forth, but the core principle remained unchanged: they were always positioned at those seven fixed points! Such an odd arrangement was truly unprecedented. While their formation looked loose, upon closer inspection, it connected head to tail, mutually responsive, entirely as one. Though they seemed to lack offensive power against the enemy, their defense was impenetrable and seamless! As they watched, the expressions of everyone present grew heavier. Their eyes were among the sharpest in the world; how could they not realize that a perfect defense was equivalent to invincibility!

"The first point of doubt: from the start of this battle until now, both sides have held precious blades and sharp weapons, and it was clearly stated this is a fight to the death. Especially now, engaged in combat within such a confined space, not a single person has sustained an injury! This point is extremely strange!" The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether looked at the fierce battle unfolding in the arena and held up a single finger. He said slowly, "Under such intense fighting, both sides are completely unscathed... With such a result, even if the combatants were people like you and me... we might not be able to achieve it..."

Cheng Yin Xiao and Qu Wu Hui nodded slowly, knitting their brows as they pondered deeply.

"Next is the second point of doubt, and the strangest one of all... Since the battle began, there has not been a single sound of clashing weapons between the two sides! This means... every person has attacked at least several hundred moves, and their weapons have swung thousands of times, yet not a single weapon has connected with the opponent's!" The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether let out a cold, sinister laugh. "Isn't this the greatest oddity? When things are abnormal, there must be a demon; isn't what is happening now 'demonic' enough?"

Upon hearing the Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether say this, the three guardians instantly sensed something was wrong, and their faces changed drastically! This was not a good omen; such unnatural silence was exactly like the calm before a thunderstorm! Once it began, it would be a torrential downpour and clashing thunder! And this battle, perhaps, would be the same: once the sound of weapons clashing rang out, injuries might not appear, because there would only be dead! Both sides seemed to be brewing their strongest offensive moves! Once the current relative stalemate was broken, it would immediately be a storm of blood and gore!

"As for the third point of doubt... appearing safe while in danger, appearing dangerous while safe, the active and passive roles, the host and guest being exchanged... This battle is truly interesting!" The Fourteenth Young Master of Nine Nether looked at Jun Moxie and chuckled strangely.

l; Tomorrow I have to take an exam... the theoretical knowledge part for my driver's license. Only after passing can I enter driving school... Poor me hasn't even read one page of Yi Shu [A reference, likely to a specific text]! So tonight I'm pulling an all-nighter to review. If I fail, I have to wait until next month for the make-up exam... Brothers, give me some monthly tickets to boost my morale... Wish handsome, suave, and flawlessly pure me success in passing the exam... Amen! Uh, since I'm pushing hard this month, I won't give up halfway... I want to share some good news with everyone: I'm over my cold today. Except for a little coughing, I’m basically fine... cough cough Use monthly tickets to celebrate with me too... I'll take my leave now! g;C