The first update of the day! "Your battle seems to have reached a conclusion, but our wager remains unfinished... Yes, we made a bet when the five of us were fighting in formation just now. The loser has to dig up a thousand earthworms without using Xuan Li... He lost the bet, that's the situation, and now he's fulfilling the terms." Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master explained patiently.

"Huh? A wager involving digging earthworms? Although digging earthworms butt-up without Xuan Li is a bit awkward, the soil here is fertile, and the preceding commotion was huge, which must have startled every worm in the vicinity. It shouldn't be difficult to dig up a thousand, right? Why is he looking so troubled? If Qiao Ying, being a woman, was scared or disgusted, it would be understandable, but why is Qu Wuhui, a grown man, so worried?" Jun Moxie found it amusing yet profoundly perplexing.

"Ah, you wouldn't know about this, would you?... While you were in the third round of the seven-person formation duel, we made another bet. Whoever lost would have to eat all these earthworms raw. Unfortunately, he lost again. He actually had a chance to win; I generously gave him the right of first choice..." The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master explained his victory with a tone of smug satisfaction.

"Pfft..." Jun Moxie burst into loud laughter. "Then, Senior Qu is truly too unlucky! Serves you right! Who told you to have no faith in me? Betting on my enemies, how could you not lose!"

Qu Wuhui let out a muffled groan, rolled his eyelids, said nothing, and continued to dig the earth, dripping with sweat.

"Earthworms! I want black ones, no reds! Yes, the most repulsive kind..." The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master supervised strictly from the side, missing nothing...

On the ground, the earthworms multiplied... a writhing mass tangled together, occasionally poking a head or tail out, slowly wriggling...

Jun Moxie suddenly imagined these things being swallowed raw by Qu Wuhui later... and let out a dry heave... his pale face instantly turned ashen! That sight seemed too horrifying!

It seemed the soil here was indeed fertile. Despite the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master's many specific demands, after just one night, he had dug up a thousand pitch-black, utterly disgusting earthworms.

Qu Wuhui, finished with his task, looked ashen-faced. He crawled out of the pit covered in mud, appearing utterly disheartened, and with a last sliver of hope, begged: ", Fourteenth Brother..."

Qu Wuhui plastered on a face full of sickeningly flattering smiles, standing before the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master, truly pitiful, without a trace of the demeanor expected of the world's foremost powerhouse...

"What is it?" The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master asked arrogantly, nose pointed toward the sky.

"Fourteenth Brother, look, I've dug up a thousand earthworms. I'm not trying to welsh on the deal," he said in a fawning voice.

"If you're not trying to welsh, hurry up and eat! Close your eyes, hold your breath for a moment, and it'll be over quickly!" A certain person's voice was sinister.

"Um, I haven't had much appetite lately, so... can I perhaps not...?" A coaxing smile...

"No! A bet is a bet, and you must accept the consequences!" Two words, sharp and unyielding.

"You! You are going too far!" Qu Wuhui's anger flared up.

"How have I gone too far? Truly, a supreme master from the Holy Land—you can utter such words that confuse right and wrong and turn black into white. You say I've gone too far, so I have gone too far. What of it? This is a bet you lost yourself; are you trying to renege?" The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master snorted through his nose.

"I'm not trying to renege! Haven't I dug up a thousand earthworms? All of them are the black ones you specifically demanded..." Qu Wuhui's face flushed crimson, but his next words softened as he grabbed the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master's arm and shook it slightly: "Fourteenth brother~ sweet..."

His voice was so soft and delicate, it sounded like a woman teasing her lover... Jun Moxie, watching from the side, shivered involuntarily. Even the steady calm of Young Master Jun couldn't quite withstand it... Qiao Ying and Cheng Yinshao on the other side also felt their hair stand on end, their millennia of profound cultivation proving no defense against this display...

"It's useless even if you call me Fourteenth Lord! A wager is a wager; no matter how much you plead, you must eat them! Not a single one less!" Though Qu Wuhui was effusively flattering and submissive, the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master's heart was like iron, utterly unmoved!

"You... you are asking me to die..." Qu Wuhui stomped his foot and roared, his voice carrying a distinct note of crying, tears welling in his eyes, his body trembling violently.

"Cry? Go ahead and cry! If you genuinely start crying, I'll let you off the hook! Why aren't you crying yet!" The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master looked serenely composed. He was counting on the fact that a supreme expert like Qu Wuhui would certainly value his dignity, especially with others present, and juniors watching, he would absolutely refuse to lower himself to wailing aloud... Besides, eating earthworms wasn't some huge deal; this Young Master ate them when he was sealed... Although they didn't taste good, they weren't poisonous. If this experience hadn't been survived, would this Young Master have proposed such a wager? Anything can happen...

However, he had utterly underestimated the sheer terror the prospect of 'eating earthworms raw' held for an ordinary person... Before the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master finished speaking, Qu Wuhui suddenly plopped onto the ground, opened his old mouth wide, slapped the earth, and began to wail to the heavens, tears streaming down his face, truly expressing the deepest sorrow... He cried with great emotion, he cried heartbrokenly, he cried earth-shatteringly, he cried torrents of tears...

The expressions on the faces of the Fourteenth Young Master, Jun Moxie, Qiao Ying, and Cheng Yinshao were identical: dumbfounded, eyebrows twitching violently, their eight eyes nearly popping out onto the ground...

"I... I'll curse your ancestors! You actually cried..." The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master stared at him, exasperated, and blurted out an insult. This was too unexpected... This was the guardian of the Heavenly Saint Palace!

"Crying a few times can stop me from eating earthworms; why wouldn't I cry? Ask anyone present, what would they choose?" Qu Wuhui paused his crying, lifted his tear-filled eyes to look at the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master. "Tell me, how else do you want me to cry? Do you want me to stand and cry, or sit and cry? Do you want me to lie down and cry, or look up at the sky and cry? Do you want me to run while crying, or jump while crying? Even if I have to wiggle my butt while dancing and crying, this old man is going all out today—I’m committed to this... as long as I don't have to eat the earthworms!"

"The ordinary people of this world cling to one layer of their reputation, but you high masters of the Holy Land are not bound by this limit. You have managed to paste one layer of skin onto the other side, turning one side into a double-faced skin and the other side into shamelessness. How can we mortals compare to such talent? I originally thought only people like Zhan Mubai and Hai Wuya were like this, but it turns out that Senior is the true master of this art. This junior bows in admiration!" Jun Moxie performed a deep bow, his expression full of genuine respect. He truly couldn't help but be impressed; it was too domineering, such an incredible audacity!

"Forget it. To argue seriously with trash like you is my own foolishness! Dealing with a shameless person like you only damages my reputation for no reason." The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master sighed deeply, shaking his head between laughter and tears. Suddenly, his body floated up, and with a 'whoosh,' he vanished without a trace, leaving only a voice drifting on the air: "Little Jun, go ahead and take the Exquisite Lotus without worry; if anything happens to you, this Young Master, as the arbitrator, will pursue the matter to the end, even if it means completely annihilating the Three Great Holy Lands! That wouldn't be too difficult for me, haha..."

The lingering sound echoed in the air, and the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master had completely disappeared. But the promise accompanying his departure was worth more than anything! With those words spoken, it was equivalent to giving Jun Moxie an unassailable talisman! Even if the Holy Lands dared to go back on their word or try to deal with Jun Moxie, they would not dare now!

Although Jun Moxie was one hundred percent confident he would be fine, hearing those words still moved him somewhat. The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master, whether arrogant or mad, was truly a man of strong character! A friend worth making! The expressions of the three Holy Land guardians shifted slightly. The threats from the Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master were certainly not made lightly...

Seeing that the immediate crisis was over, Qu Wuhui hastily scrambled up. The Ninth Nether Fourteenth Young Master was gone, so of course, he would not continue crying. He glared fiercely at Qiao Ying and Cheng Yinshao, looking ferocious. "What are you two laughing at? If you're so capable... go ahead and eat some raw earthworms!" Cheng Yinshao laughed heartily. "Eat what? Neither of us made a bet!"

Qu Wuhui snorted, then turned to Jun Moxie. "Little Jun, you are not allowed to reveal a single word of today's events! Otherwise, I won't let you off!"

Jun Moxie wore an expression of honest simplicity. "Senior Qu, regarding today's events you mentioned, which specific part are you referring to? Are you referring to the fighting? Or the outcome? Or perhaps you fear that this junior might tell others how the Holy Land lost big while winning small, and engaged in despicable, encircling aggression? You must be specific, Senior. If you don't specify, how would this junior know what exactly you mean?"

"You... you brat dare to play dumb with me!" Qu Wuhui, overcome with shame and anger, brandished his fists, his face full of menace, looking ready to start a fight at the slightest disagreement.

"Uh uh uh, this junior now understands. You are referring to the matter of your crying." Jun Moxie put on an expression of sudden realization, tutting in admiration. "I must say, Senior Qu's crying just now was truly modulated with rising and falling tones, profoundly expressive, with lingering notes that resonated for three days and refused to fade... To achieve that level of crying, this junior is only full of admiration, how could I possibly... you know?"

Qu Wuhui's face turned the color of liver, stammering, unable to speak. Qiao Ying and Cheng Yinshao, however, started to laugh.

"Let's go," Cheng Yinshao glanced at Jun Moxie. "I assume Young Master Jun is eager to obtain that Exquisite Lotus."

"No rush, I'm quite free lately, I have plenty of time. Even if I stay here chatting with the three of you until next year... I have the time to spare. Being able to learn more from you seniors is a good thing." Jun Moxie said with a slight smile.

"You might have time... but we don't!" Qu Wuhui snapped irritably. Suddenly, he raised a palm, and the huge stone stele by the edge of the field, several dozen feet away, disintegrated soundlessly into a pile of dust.

"Just let them remain buried here quietly... don't let outsiders disturb them." Qu Wuhui sighed heavily. He glanced at the ravaged ground, then turned and walked away...

Jun Moxie rubbed his nose, thinking, Damn it, destroying that bizarre stele I worked so hard to create without even asking me, that's utterly outrageous! Might truly makes right, doesn't it? Damn it all...

Having no other choice, he followed the three of them, speeding away...