Miao Xiaomiao offered a faint smile. "Among this group, some are highly likely to become the future Lords of Heart Illusion City, others the future Masters of the Spirit Medicine Gardens; some will join the Elder Council, and yet others might become the future Masters of the Phantom Prefecture, or even the supreme expert, the Guardian God of the Phantom Prefecture!"

"Yet your unexpected arrival has completely disrupted the previously stable situation!" Miao Xiaomiao's gaze sharpened as she looked intently at Jun Moxie, speaking slowly.

Though her words were measured, Jun Moxie understood the weight behind them! He had stumbled right into a colossal powder keg... and had become the target of everyone's ire!

"The Ethereal Physique you possess is a miraculous talent unseen for ten thousand years. Your affiliation with the Phantom Prefecture is undeniably a blessing for this Prefecture; this is a fact no one can dispute. In fact, all the older generation seniors believe you are the only suitable choice to support the future structure of the Phantom Prefecture!"

"However, conversely... you have simultaneously become the fiercest competitor to all other factions! You stand opposed to everyone else! Especially those young men! Acknowledging your talent and aptitude is one thing, but truly accepting your standing is quite another matter!"

Miao Xiaomiao sat impeccably straight. From Jun Moxie’s perspective, her entire figure at that moment resembled a flawless jade sculpture, perfected to the extreme in every aspect!

Surely, even the most critical artist would find absolutely nothing to fault in the current Miao Xiaomiao, yet her words struck the Young Master Jun’s heart, one phrase after another: "Therefore, from the very day you arrived, one thing was sealed: no matter what you attempt, countless eyes will be on you, ensuring you will never complete anything smoothly or easily!"

"Only if you fall can others have a chance to reach the summit! Otherwise, you will inevitably block their path forward! Until you ascend to the peak within the Phantom Prefecture, such challenges will be ubiquitous, at any time, in any place!" Miao Xiaomiao stated gravely.

"Putting aside the future, let's speak only of today. Because of your impromptu outing today, every young prodigy from the high-ranking families of the Phantom Prefecture who could manage to arrive in time are surely gathered in Heart Illusion City right now! By tomorrow, even more interested parties are expected to arrive!"

Miao Xiaomiao smiled with an unreadable expression. "To speak frankly, that includes me!"

"Though I am also interested, my intentions are not ill. Because if I truly desire something, even Young Master Mo, you could not snatch it away. Today's invitation is purely born of curiosity about you, Young Master. To cause such intense notice from so many high-level families and become the object of so much attention—what sort of person are you?" Finishing, Miao Xiaomiao, for some inexplicable reason, offered an explanation.

After explaining, she suddenly thought: Why did I explain myself like that? It sounds a bit like I’m courting him, or perhaps I'm deliberately using this method to show my detachment, signaling that I stand on the same starting line as him...

But... I was clearly afraid he would misunderstand. Wait, why was I afraid he would misunderstand? What exactly am I thinking?... As she mulled it over, her thoughts grew more tangled, and a faint blush involuntarily spread across her face.

"So that's how it is! No wonder Heart Illusion City is so lively today, and perhaps even more so tomorrow?!" Jun Moxie laughed nonchalantly, a touch of pride blooming in his chest. A true figure naturally becomes the focal point wherever he goes. Here I am, newly arrived, already boosting local traffic and commerce—I truly admire myself! What is ability? Isn't this it?

"It is unlikely that Cao Shenghuang, with his wisdom, did not consider this possibility when you ventured out today."

"But the old man did not stop you from leaving," Miao Xiaomiao continued. "Because Old Cao understood that you must eventually go out! You must eventually integrate into the greater environment of the Phantom Prefecture. It’s better to let you face it sooner rather than later. How can one see a rainbow without enduring the storm? Better to prepare early than to be caught completely off guard later. That’s why he chose to follow behind you but not reveal himself..."

"But now he’s clearly gone back, and there are still so many unresolved issues. What happens now? So many people dislike me—am I not in constant danger of losing my life?" Jun Moxie asked, startled.

"Young Master jokes. The Phantom Prefecture's most famous Second Unprovokable has already suffered a crushing defeat at your hands and is hanging by a thread. What more could Cao Shenghuang possibly worry about? Furthermore, at most, those people will only try to humiliate you through various means to prove they are stronger than you; they would never dare kill you! Cao Shenghuang can certainly rest easy and leave..." As Miao Xiaomiao spoke, her cheeks grew redder.

While Cao Guofeng's departure was partly due to his confidence in his disciple, the main reason was that Jun Moxie was currently with Miao Xiaomiao! Miao Xiaomiao absolutely would not allow the Young Master Jun to venture into danger alone!

She bore the crucial task of investigating this super genius of unparalleled talent on behalf of her father and grandfather. And this so-called 'investigation' was not merely about aptitude, but also included his disposition, his conduct in handling affairs, and... all his personal qualities. The talent of Great Genius Mo had long been established and needed no further probing. This 'investigation' was the true purpose of Miao Xiaomiao's invitation.

Having Mo Junye stay with Miao Xiaomiao had both advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage was obvious: those who already disliked him would dislike him even more. Plans they might have made would become more malicious and difficult. He might even attract more opponents who disapproved of him. But the advantages were significant... Establishing a connection with Miss Miao was undoubtedly like gaining a protective talisman!

Moreover, with Miss Miao present, no matter how much an adversary hated the possessor of the Ethereal Physique or what underhanded tricks they had devised beforehand, they could, at best, only employ them in secret. If they dared bring it into the open... a single complaint lodged by Miao Xiaomiao, and whoever was responsible would face severe consequences!

Considering the methods Jun Mo Wu used against Gu Feiyu previously... Cao Shenghuang felt there were few in the Phantom Prefecture who could truly trouble this young master. That's why he could so confidently return to his sleep...

"If you truly wish to establish your standing in the Phantom Prefecture, you must overcome this immediate hurdle! And you must do it through your own strength. Relying on others is always leveraging external force; those people will never give up!" Miao Xiaomiao said earnestly.

"Oh? I have to rely on my own strength? That's dangerous! Well then... I wonder what sort of grand banquet those young noble sons have prepared for this country bumpkin like me?" Jun Moxie asked with mild interest.

Miao Xiaomiao looked mysterious. "I have no intention of telling you, Young Master Mo. After all, asking me for intelligence is still relying on outside help! You will find out eventually regardless. However, I can give you one prior warning: the place you are heading next is a true gathering of elites. While Gu Feiyu is heralded as the Phantom Prefecture's Second Unprovokable, that's largely due to shared hype, and ultimately, he is just one man with clear personal weaknesses. Defeating him wasn't a great feat. But what you face next is a group with considerable collective influence and strength! This group encompasses virtually every high-level skill, from the three religions and nine schools to the arts of chess, music, calligraphy, and supreme martial arts!"

"For you to defeat them all single-handedly is nearly impossible! Unless, before she arrived here, her thoughts were no different from those of the others—also wishing to see this possessor of the Ethereal Physique make a fool of himself. But now, she immensely hopes Jun Moxie can win! To achieve that impossible miracle!"

For some reason, she now intensely disliked seeing him embarrassed, even more so seeing him humiliated! The mere thought of such a scene made her feel uncomfortable...

This shift in mentality was abrupt, even surprising to her. She felt genuine alarm over the sudden thoughts arising within her. She didn't understand what was happening. Why was her usually calm and detached self behaving this way, bantering so easily with a stranger?

"That sounds troublesome? But must I defeat them? Why would I defeat them?" Jun Moxie curled his lip in disdain. "I'm not some idle busybody! On what grounds should I rush over to defeat them, wasting effort and energy, and making a whole bunch of enemies in the process? With no benefits whatsoever! Why would I do something so foolish? Do I look like an idiot?"

Miao Xiaomiao froze!

In her understanding, once someone issues a challenge, whether for the dignity of a Xuan practitioner or simply to save face, there is simply no acceptable reason to evade it; one must fight!

But she never imagined that this possessor of the Ethereal Physique would refuse so decisively!

A single refusal completely blocked that path!

That made sense...

Miao Xiaomiao's eyes widened suddenly, because she realized that Mo Junye's decision to avoid the fight, far from damaging his reputation, was actually the wisest move!

If this large crowd were stood up by the Young Master Mo before them... now that would truly be a spectacle.