The very "walls" of the hut were constructed entirely of stalks of Quietude Bamboo, densely packed and neatly arranged to form the barrier. This Quietude Bamboo wasn't exactly a rarity, nor was it of great intrinsic use, but its mere presence was enough to completely deter nearby venomous insects and pests from even thinking of settling here.

And this thing had one ultimate advantage—it kept things warm in winter and cool in summer, functioning as a natural, climate-controlled air conditioner! Furthermore, it constantly exuded a serene and profound fragrance, which, when combined with the surrounding Profound Spirit Wood, made these small huts veritable paradises for cultivation!

Damn it, this was infinitely more useful than an electric mosquito coil!

Young Master Jun was consumed by envy, naked envy!

When he then saw the roofing and the vines twining around the Profound Spirit Wood, Young Master Jun’s eyes turned a predatory, wolfish green! Phoenix Tail Vine, Pilgrimage Vine; Violet Luster Vine, Shou Wu Vine... Eight Treasures Branch, Longevity Creeper...

Young Master Jun grimaced, drawing a sharp breath through his teeth... These were all rare, seldom-seen heavenly treasures! Damn it, you people were too frugal!

Even though Old Hu was now wealthier than the entire world, he wouldn't dare to be this extravagant... Those bastards at the Heavenly Saint Palace, residing in a place that even immortals would struggle to find, yet they actually had the nerve to feign poverty in front of me, speaking of how "frugality is a fine tradition of the Heavenly Saint Palace." Frugality your ass! Why don't you just go die...

That statement was utterly conscienceless!

"How is it? Young Master Jun, our mountain dwelling is simple, please do not fault us for any negligence," Qu Wu Hui said with a gentle pretense of modesty.

Jun Mo Xie shivered, suddenly grabbing Qu Wu Hui’s hand with eyes welling up with tears: "Elder Qu, Elder Qu! Frugality and simplicity are the greatest virtues of humanity. I—I—I also desperately wish to learn from you seniors and live a life of thrift and diligence, to recall past hardships... Can you let me take a few of these huts away... No need for too many, just five or six will suffice, so that this junior can emulate the virtue of the seniors..."

"Get lost! You dream big!" Qu Wu Hui immediately cursed, thinking this fellow was making an outrageously big demand! To ask for five or six at once... What did he think this place was? Mo Wu Dao of the Reclusive Immortal Palace begged for several hundred years and only asked for a few stalks, and it seemed he still hadn't received even half of that amount to this day...

"Qiao Ying... you've returned? Ah, and you have brought another honored guest? Why not come in and join us for a chat?" A gentle voice drifted over, entirely devoid of worldly attachment.

The expressions of the three men turned solemn, and they replied in low tones: "Yes."

Then they turned to Jun Mo Xie: "Young Master Jun, please, proceed!"

"Then this young master will not be polite," Jun Mo Xie chuckled, stepping forward, casually asking, "There are a total of one hundred and thirty-six houses like these here. I wonder... are they all occupied?"

"All occupied? How could that be?" Qu Wu Hui shook his head. "Nearly half are empty. For ten thousand years, only those who successfully advanced to the Saint Emperor realm were qualified to reside here! Recently, several more were lost in the Heavenly Punishment Forest, and you killed one of them this time! Right now, there are fewer than sixty people here..."

"Sixty people! Sixty Saint Emperors or experts above that realm..." Jun Mo Xie sucked in a sharp breath, grimacing hideously, "Whereabouts would you two seniors rank among them here?"

"The two of us serving as Left and Right Protectors is merely an honorary title; in terms of strength... we are around the middle ranks, barely worth mentioning!" Although Qu Wu Hui spoke of 'not worth mentioning,' the satisfaction beaming on his face was undeniable to anyone.

"I admire you, truly, you are my idol." Jun Mo Xie spoke with sincere admiration. Indeed, Qu Wu Hui had recently become Young Master Jun's greatest object of nausea; just thinking of that old fellow weeping and wailing with snot streaming down his face made it seem difficult not to vomit!

As they spoke, the four arrived before the largest hut in the center. This hut spanned roughly six zhang in circumference. The age of the surrounding Profound Spirit Wood, Quietude Bamboo, and various rare spiritual flowers and herbs was clearly ancient; this was unmistakably the core location of the Heavenly Saint Palace...

"Come in," a kind, placid, gentle voice emanated from within.

As this voice sounded, the door of the hut swung open silently... Even with Jun Mo Xie’s cultivation, he hadn't sensed the slightest fluctuation of profound energy...

Before the three could move, they heard a surprised exclamation from inside: "Oh?!" The sound was extremely low, but the astonishment contained within it was crystal clear.

Cheng Yin Xiao, Qu Wu Hui, and Qiao Ying’s complexions suddenly changed drastically!

That was the Palace Master's voice!

For over a thousand years, the Palace Master had never expressed surprise at anything, yet today, this sound had suddenly emerged!

Could it be related to Jun Mo Xie?

A moment of silence followed, and then figures seemed to drift forth. When the three walked in, they saw the room was furnished with ten chairs arranged left and right; only three chairs were empty, the rest were all occupied.

The altitude here, Jun Mo Xie estimated, was at least seven or eight thousand meters, yet there was absolutely no sensation of oxygen deprivation. Outside, ice formations lined the landscape, covered in eternal, unmelting white snow, but inside this large hall—which seemed somewhat drafty—it was warm as spring!

As the four entered, the eight people in the room, sixteen pairs of eyes, simultaneously and involuntarily focused entirely on Jun Mo Xie.

Their gazes, though appearing mild and composed, felt like the most precise searchlights in essence, making Jun Mo Xie feel as if he were completely naked and on display.

But he remained composed: Since they were all men, let them look; look all they want. He was well-endowed, as long as they didn't feel inferior after looking... Of course, even if they did feel inferior, there was nothing to be done; who told them they didn't possess the superior DNA of this young master?

Qiao Ying and the other two had sat down silently at some point; the three reserved chairs were for them. Jun Mo Xie noticed that Qiao Ying sat in the middle of the five chairs on the left, while Cheng Yin Xiao and Qu Wu Hui occupied the two outermost seats on the flanks, one on each side.

No wonder they were called Protectors; they were the ones standing on the sidelines... They didn't even rank as high as a woman...

Young Master Jun engaged in extensive internal grumbling. He was unaware that due to her innate wisdom, Qiao Ying held an extremely special position in the Heavenly Saint Palace, second only to the Palace Master himself. Although Cheng Yin Xiao and Qu Wu Hui held rather low positions here, they were still below everyone else present; even the City Lords and Palace Masters of the Three Great Holy Lands would have to show them respect, yielding three parts courtesy and seven parts awe!

Everyone seated was clad in robes as white as snow. Although these individuals were figures from centuries ago, none of them appeared as white-haired elders. At first glance, they all looked like the healthiest, robust men, each with black hair and skin like jade—all appearing to be the quintessential handsome middle-aged men...

Young Master Jun muttered internally! Handsome middle-aged men? Nonsense! A bunch of ancient monsters about to crumble should try to fool this young master?

Jun Mo Xie had never forgotten that these 'middle-aged men' likely held ages of at least a thousand or eight hundred years—they were absolutely a group of thoroughbred old monsters...

Sharp gazes crisscrossed over Jun Mo Xie, yet no one spoke first. The room fell into an unusual silence; the expressions of those present grew increasingly grave...

"What do you make of this boy?" It was still that same warm voice, originating from the seat directly opposite and above. He was questioning the others.

Jun Mo Xie felt a slight surprise; although everyone’s eyes had been on him just now, he had only sensed sixteen pairs of eyes and hadn't detected anyone else seated above.

When the voice spoke again, Young Master Jun seemed to finally notice that directly opposite him, someone was smiling and watching him. Even after confirming the person's presence, there remained a sensation of indistinctness.

This person was clearly visible, yet Jun Mo Xie felt as if he were illusory, perhaps merely a projection cast by someone in another dimension...

He recalled feeling this sensation only once before, from the Fourteenth Young Master of the Nine Netherworld! Without a doubt, this person's realm had already reached the wondrous state of Shattering the Void! Perhaps only that final step, the threshold of shattering away, was missing...

This person's cultivation was likely only slightly inferior to the Fourteenth Young Master of the Nine Netherworld, and even if there was a gap, it wouldn't be vast—at most, just a notch below!

Grasping this realization, Jun Mo Xie couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine! He hadn't expected that the faction belonging to the Three Great Holy Lands would possess such a transcendent expert!

Since such a powerful individual existed... why had they allowed the Fourteenth Young Master of the Nine Netherworld to run rampant for so many years? One-on-one, they might still be outmatched, but given the deep-seated enmity between the two sides, if they had even a few allies whose strength and realm were sufficient to fight on par, they could secure victory, and the Fourteenth Young Master of the Nine Netherworld might not even have a slim chance of escaping!

As Jun Mo Xie pondered, he heard the first person to his lower right speak with elegant clarity: "This child... is undoubtedly a genius rarely seen since antiquity!"

The second person on the left sighed: "Indeed. If allowed to develop unchecked, this child's future achievements might well rival the First Young Master of the Nine Netherworld back in the day, perhaps even surpass him!"

These two spoke first, offering Jun Mo Xie the highest possible recognition!

The rest of the assembly nodded after these two finished speaking. The fourth person on the right, bearing a faint birthmark on his face, spoke: "This child’s age is truly minuscule. Based on my repeated observation and discernment, his hair has undergone no profound technique transformation, his facial structure is naturally formed, lacking any trace of the jade-like color associated with returning to youth. By his ears and jawline, there is still the fuzz of downy hair... I can confirm, this child’s true age definitely does not exceed twenty!"

The others unanimously agreed.

The first person on the left, whose eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, stared into Jun Mo Xie’s eyes for a long time, then spoke faintly: "Besides the points already mentioned... what is even more valuable is this... If ordinary youths achieved such success, even if their personalities were exceptionally steady, their mental state would differ markedly from ordinary youths! But this child before us is absolutely not in that category! This child, hearing our praise, may show joy outwardly and wear a smug expression, but in reality, it is all pretense!"

He let out a soft scoff: "While there is a glint of amusement, smugness, and even arrogance in his eyes, it remains somewhat superficial. The true light in his eyes is entirely concealed... This child's steadiness and gravity far surpass that of ordinary Saint Emperor masters; even when this old man reached this current realm, his state of mind was far inferior!"

"That observation is very accurate! This child’s determination is extremely firm. Despite his current outstanding achievements, he remains completely unsatisfied, his desire for progress still burning bright. Though he displays a leisurely smile, the curve between his lips and cheeks shows only a downward arc. This shape has been deliberately formed in later life, not his original innate appearance. This precisely indicates the ruthless and resolute nature of this child; towards his enemies, he must employ any means necessary! All people inherently possess some measure of compassion, even the young, but this child... has none whatsoever in his heart! This is the heart of an extremely cruel, tenacious powerhouse!" The second person on the right observed carefully, slowly drawing his conclusion.

The third person on the right sat upright, his body rigid as a spear. When he spoke, his voice clanged like metal hitting metal: "Precisely! Now, he stands here, letting us scrutinize him, yet his facial expression remains unchanged, even the look in his eyes shows no fluctuation. His robes lie flat, like water on a mirror lake; his hands and feet are utterly still, yet naturally so..."

"...Or perhaps, he is absolutely confident of his ability to escape! This point is perplexing. Judging by his age alone, this child’s strength is already terrifying and unbelievable, yet he is still no match for any one of us. Where does his confidence in retreating unharmed come from? Facing all eleven of us simultaneously, even the Fourteenth Young Master of the Nine Netherworld would have no chance of survival! Yet, I recognize his confidence—that self-assurance stemming from his core, which no one can shake!"

"This child is terrifying! Truly terrifying!" This was the conclusion unanimously reached by the six people who had spoken, after a moment of silence following their statements!

Jun Mo Xie kept his gaze steady, eyes observing his nose, nose observing his heart, smiling serenely as if unconcerned, but inwardly he was profoundly shaken! These few people truly possessed eyes like javelins; he suspected not a single strand of his hair escaped their notice. They were indeed the legendary old monsters; their observational skills had reached this degree of detail!

It was a pity, however, that while they saw through his confidence, they still lacked the ability to uncover his true trump card! Or perhaps, besides the First Young Master of the Nine Netherworld back then, no one in this world would know what his true trump card was!

"...But everyone has overlooked one point, the most crucial one," said the white-robed man seated at the head. His voice was always peaceful and kind, like a mountain spring, refreshing to the heart: "When all eleven of us observed this child, during this observation, everyone might not have noticed, but we inadvertently released our unique auras. Even a tiny, accidental leak from just one person, but the sum of eleven people—I believe that even any one of you standing in his position would hardly be able to withstand it. You would have to release your own aura to counter it relatively, only then could you ensure no flaws were left in your mind!"

"But he did not! Not at all!" The man seated at the head spoke softly, but this single sentence caused the complexions of the seven people below to change simultaneously!

The person at the head smiled faintly, lifted his gaze faintly, and cast a faint glance at Jun Mo Xie.

But it was this single glance that made Young Master Jun feel as if his eyes had been brutally pierced by two red-hot steel needles!

Unconsciously, Jun Mo Xie narrowed his eyes, and immediately two piercing beams of cold light erupted, meeting the other's calm gaze!

This was the first proactive action Young Master Jun had taken since entering this place!

As their gazes locked! The other man’s eyes were as vast as an boundless ocean. The sharp divine light emanating from Jun Mo Xie plunged into them as if gazing upon a vast starry sky, an endless cosmos!

But no matter how deep and boundless the sea, or how mysterious and infinite the starry sky, Jun Mo Xie’s gaze remained like two parallel, world-shattering long swords, piercing straight ahead, stubbornly, without hesitation or deviation!

The other ten people present felt a wave of murderous intent, like a surging tide!

While this murderous intent wasn't overwhelmingly strong to those present, the feeling it conveyed was razor-sharp! This sharpness represented an unparalleled, fierce momentum capable of advancing resolutely even when facing all the gods and Buddhas of the heavens!

The other ten people were simultaneously greatly astonished!

This was an alternative contest, an engagement beyond ordinary combat methods!

A contest of spiritual power!

But... the ten people couldn't recall when it had been since anyone in this world dared to contend with the Boss, especially in the area he excelled at most—spiritual power. In fact, few dared to challenge him in any skill!

In the current world, if one counted those qualified to contend with the Boss, there were barely three in total!

One was naturally the Fourteenth Young Master of the Nine Netherworld; the other was the ancestor of the Ethereal Phantom Mansion, Luo Fu Yun.

As for the third, it was the mysterious first leader of the foreign race, Chuang Shang Bei Di.

However, that repulsive alien was a conjoined twin, essentially possessing twice the spiritual power of a normal person, which was an exception and couldn't be counted as his true inherent strength.

They never expected that now, another person had emerged—such an unrestrained and transcendent youth!

In an instant, regret flashed in the eyes of the ten people: Such a prodigious genius... would likely become utterly lost in the Boss's 'Misty Starry Sky' and suffer mental damage, causing his progress to halt here! Such an outcome would be too regrettable, but it seemed inevitable..."

The two men faced each other across a mere distance of four or five zhang.

Jun Mo Xie felt: He had suddenly trespassed into someone else's domain!

It was as if the endless void was entirely the other person's territory, and he was merely an intruder!

But all spiritual energy has its limit! Just as if you paint an ocean, although it perfectly resembles the sea, its essence remains a narrow canvas! The limit of the canvas is merely the limit of the person who painted it!

That was all there was to it.

Therefore, Jun Mo Xie disregarded everything and simply drove forward forcefully! Even if what lay ahead was a vault of the firmament, he would carve a hole through it!

Time flowed quietly by; nearly the time it takes for one stick of incense had passed.

The expressions on the faces of the ten onlookers had changed from regret to utter horror!

They were terrified to the extreme!

Is this young man a demon? Not only can he withstand the Boss's spiritual attack, but he is actually fighting back, and even now, he hasn't lost the upper hand! This is simply unbelievable!

This feat was truly incredible!

Jun Mo Xie’s divine sense successively broke through a layer of firmament, a stretch of jade-green sea, passed through thousands upon thousands of high-level profound beasts, and then burst out of a sea of fire...

These were, naturally, all illusions set up against him, so Jun Mo Xie ignored them and chose to break through forcefully! My goal is on the far shore; I absolutely will not stop midway!

Slowly, Jun Mo Xie's face finally paled slightly, and tiny beads of sweat quietly emerged on his forehead. They slowly trickled down, converging into one large bead at the tip of his nose... and then, quietly... it dropped!

The bead of sweat landed with a faint pat!

Jun Mo Xie suddenly felt as if he had contacted something thick and solid, like a wall, and was about to forcefully break through as before, when he suddenly felt an emptiness, instantly losing all purchase. It turned out he had exited the scope of the other party's Sea of Consciousness!

He abruptly opened his eyes and saw the middle-aged man opposite still smiling at him, without the slightest abnormality. Everything that had just happened seemed like a dream.

Before him, just in front of his toes, only a single drop of sweat remained clearly visible.

"Who are you?" The middle-aged man asked Jun Mo Xie with a smile.

Although his speech remained relaxed, and even his tone and demeanor hadn't changed in the slightest, the several people on either side had accompanied him for nearly a thousand years; how could they not see the subtle difference? They clearly saw a flicker of shock flash across the Boss's eyes!

In that instant, the minds of the onlookers were profoundly shaken!

Today has truly been an extraordinary day, one shockwave following another!

“Me? I am Jun Moxie!” Jun Moxie offered a faint, knowing smile.

“Naturally, I know you are Jun Moxie. I knew it the moment you arrived at Tiansheng Mountain. But what I am asking is…” The middle-aged man’s expression turned solemn and severe, each word heavily weighted: “Who… exactly… are you?”

Knowing the person before him was Jun Moxie, yet still insisting on the question, who are you?—this seemed contradictory. But all ten people present instinctively straightened their backs, and all ten pairs of eyes became sharply serious and grave!

“I am no one else. I am Jun Moxie,” he chuckled lightly. “I understand what you are asking… but I truly am just… Jun Moxie! Not some other person!”

When he had first uttered, ‘I am Jun Moxie,’ five or six people had jerked their eyebrows up sharply, looking almost incredulous. They had already heard whispers that the Three Great Holy Lands had provoked an exceptionally troublesome opponent, seemingly named Jun Moxie, but only now did they grasp the magnitude of the freak they were facing!

Internally, they cursed the decision-makers of the Three Holy Lands ten thousand times: Why would you pick a fight with such a monster? Aren’t you just asking for trouble? Rumor had it this young man also possessed a mysterious master; if the disciple was this powerful, how terrifying must the master be!

But upon unexpectedly hearing the declaration, ‘I am just Jun Moxie, not some other person,’ all ten stared wide-eyed in astonishment. The fourth person to his right blurted out, “That’s impossible!”

Though the others remained silent, the message conveyed by their gazes was unmistakably the very same word: “Impossible!”