Moreover, although the first words spoken by Zhan Xiaoxiao sounded composed, even aggressive, they betrayed the collapse of his psychological baseline: 'You were waiting for me? Planning to kill me?' The core meaning of this sentence was rooted in the enemy’s intent to kill himself...

If he had arrived full of confidence, his words should have been: 'Finally done running? You chose to wait here to die?' Though both phrases used the word ‘wait,’ the implication behind them was miles apart.

Jun Mo Xie could certainly be considered a top-tier psychologist in this world. Even with Zhan Xiaoxiao’s face hidden, how could he fail to discern the apprehension beneath the man’s tone and movements?

“Before we start, I have a few complaints. Your speed is truly slow.

I wouldn’t have guessed you were a Saint Venerable level figure just by looking at you!” Jun Mo Xie stood with his hands behind his back, letting out a slight sigh. His voice carried a certain melancholy, yet his age remained unguessable as he spoke languidly: “Before, in order to wait for you, I had to repeatedly slow down, and I had to deliberately shake you off every time we rounded a corner...

Leading you all the way here has been exhausting. I finally found a spot that was somewhat agreeable to end this dreadfully boring game of chase!” Since the enemy already harbored doubts, then I shall administer a stronger dose of medicine!

Zhan Xiaoxiao shuddered inwardly. Could it be that this entire pursuit was not him wearing down an enemy who was fleeing for his life, but rather that the enemy had a calculated plan all along, leading him by the nose?

Perhaps even this location was just a place he casually picked up? “Haha… How hilarious!

When you say that, sir, you seem to forget the desperate plight of being chased by me until there was nowhere left to run? With your meager strength, are you truly qualified to say such things?” Zhan Xiaoxiao burst into laughter.

“After this chase, do you really think that the strength I displayed earlier was all I had?” Jun Mo Xie smiled faintly, his manner utterly relaxed: “Let me ask you a question. If I truly intended to evade you, with my methods, could you have stopped me from turning back towards my reinforcements?

If I had joined forces with those reinforcements, what percentage chance would you have had of escaping unscathed?” “This… That’s not necessarily true!” Zhan Xiaoxiao was momentarily speechless. But as a man of status, he was unwilling to speak against his conscience, so he could only utter a ‘not necessarily.’ In fact, the moment he heard that sentence, a bolt of cold sweat shot down Zhan Xiaoxiao’s back!

Judging solely by the man’s Qinggong (movement technique), even if this person’s strength was slightly inferior to his own, it would certainly not be by much. Especially in terms of movement and footwork, which were exceptionally marvelous.

If he had chosen to turn back and rejoin his reinforcements instead of fleeing desperately, stopping him would indeed have been impossible… Furthermore, if Cao Guofeng and Miao Jingyun had caught up, the two of them joining forces would likely have made killing him not too difficult! And this fellow indeed possessed the ability to keep him entangled, preventing him from easily breaking away!

If that had happened, even if he wanted to flee, he would likely have to pay a considerable price, and more importantly, his true identity might very well be exposed! But why didn’t he do that?

Could it be that he was so absolutely certain, so overwhelmingly confident, in his ability to defeat me! Zhan Xiaoxiao suddenly looked up, his voice raspy: “Then why didn’t you do that?” “As for why I didn’t do that?

There are two reasons.” Jun Mo Xie finally turned around, still holding his hands behind his back. His turning motion was slow, yet exceedingly graceful and utterly composed.

Even Zhan Xiaoxiao, now his opponent, felt that this turning movement was quite dashing and handsome... It seemed the other party truly carried no psychological burden whatsoever.

Just as this thought crossed Zhan Xiaoxiao’s mind, Jun Mo Xie suddenly accelerated, swiftly rotating his already half-turned body—whoosh—as he turned fully, looked up, and raised his gaze! Two exceptionally sharp, stern gazes, filled with the haughtiness of one who looks down upon all creation, locked onto Zhan Xiaoxiao’s eyes like lightning in an instant!

Jun Mo Xie’s sequence of movements—turning, looking up, raising his brow, sharpening his gaze—was accomplished in one fluid motion, and the timing was executed with a degree of finesse that approached perfection! First, he adopted a posture to provoke Zhan Xiaoxiao’s confusion, then used words to sow doubt, and only when Zhan Xiaoxiao spoke in an interrogative tone did he abruptly pivot!

Fixing his gaze! This was a classic maneuver of seizing the initiative!

When two armies face off, if one side harbors doubt, their momentum must weaken; at least, it cannot remain at its peak! Moreover, at that moment, their mind is surely occupied by other thoughts!

This is a rare moment of mental void! If both sides were mediocre fighters, it would be inconsequential!

But if both sides are peerless masters, then this moment is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, capable of drawing the line between life and death! In high-level combat, especially between experts of equal standing, fighting with brute force is always the inferior choice.

Even fighting with strategy is only a middling tactic; only fighting with momentum (Doushi) is the true crux! Now, it was a battle of momentum!

A battle of spirit! With just a few words, followed by a lift of the head and a raise of the brow, Jun Mo Xie had already seized the absolute upper hand!

It seemed effortless, yet it was imbued with his extremely meticulous grasp of psychology and timing! All the above elements were indispensable!

Zhan Xiaoxiao instantly felt that as the opponent’s two gazes sliced through the space of their confrontation and ‘shone’ directly into his pupils, two dazzling bolts of lightning seemed to flicker fiercely before his eyes! Those two gazes from the opponent were like the swiftest, most violent thunder and lightning!

They pressed down with overwhelming force in the blink of an eye! In that instant, he actually felt a powerful urge to close his eyes to evade the sharp edges emanating from the opponent’s gaze!

Although Zhan Xiaoxiao ultimately did not close his eyes, he couldn't help but narrow them slightly and take half a step back! Then, feeling this constituted showing weakness, he immediately retracted that half-step.

This was a subconscious reaction! But this subconscious squinting of the eyes and the advance-and-retreat movement caused the momentum that Zhan Xiaoxiao had desperately tried to rebuild after his mental state was fractured to leak away further.

In the battle of spirit, his collapse was now utter and complete! Zhan Xiaoxiao clearly recognized that in this standoff with the opponent, he had fallen into a comprehensive disadvantage, with no chance of recovery!

If this situation could not be rectified, forcing himself to fight an enemy of equal rank in this state meant he could only utilize about eighty percent of his true strength at best! When masters clash, life and death hang in the balance—a tiny difference leads to a vast divergence.

To force a fight against a powerful enemy while not at full capacity is simply handing one’s life over to the opponent! Zhan Xiaoxiao was beginning to feel a knot of anxiety in his heart!

“Two reasons? Just bluffing!

Hah—you're clearly just a coward! Afraid to die!” Zhan Xiaoxiao sneered: “Why bother playing mysterious just to save face?

Fleeing under my pursuit should be an honor for you!” Jun Mo Xie did not reply, nor did he refute. He simply watched Zhan Xiaoxiao, quietly and calmly!

Zhan Xiaoxiao noticed that in the opponent's eyes, a layer of pity and mockery had suddenly appeared. “Don’t look at me like that!” The naked mockery in the opponent’s eyes ignited an inexplicable, surging anger in Zhan Xiaoxiao’s heart!

As he roared that single outburst, Zhan Xiaoxiao felt his mind becoming even more unstable, and he hurriedly forced himself to regain control! To act rashly in the face of a powerful enemy was a sure path to self-destruction...

“Do you truly believe what you just said? If the answer is no, you should only feel disdain, not anger!” The look in Jun Mo Xie’s eyes behind the mask turned icy, carrying the chilling authority of one who holds the power of life and death, looking down with scorn: “In fact, since I revealed myself, I have always held the initiative!

And you have never been capable of changing a single situation! What you see is always just my back!

And you are only fit to see my back—you are not worthy! If I didn't want you to see my front, you would never see it!” What Jun Mo Xie said was essentially meaningless drivel.

He was running in front, and the other was chasing behind; since the pursuer never managed to catch up, how could he see anything but his back? If he could have seen the front, it would imply successful interception rather than a chase...

As for initiative... If a fleeing person couldn't maintain a relative initiative...

he would have already been caught... If these words had been spoken earlier, Zhan Xiaoxiao would have certainly scoffed and dismissed them.

But when spoken at this juncture, with his spirit repeatedly shaken, the effect was vastly different! Indeed, if the previous pursuit had been a contest, the opponent did indeed hold the comprehensive initiative.

Even choosing to face him here now was the opponent's active choice—otherwise, he would probably still be chasing endlessly! He, a dignified Saint Venerable expert, had been led by the nose for nearly three thousand li!

Thinking of this, Zhan Xiaoxiao broke out in a cold sweat, his fighting spirit already withered to the extreme: “Stop talking nonsense!” Zhan Xiaoxiao forcibly controlled his spirit, his gaze gradually sharpening: “Victory or defeat is never determined by words, but by actions. Let us have a fair fight!” To be honest, Zhan Xiaoxiao dared not listen to the man speak any longer.

The more the opponent spoke, the more he felt his own confidence erode! “What?

Has a generation’s Saint Venerable expert lost the confidence to listen to my words?” Jun Mo Xie laughed easily, and a trace of ridicule entered his eyes: “Are you afraid? Afraid that my words will completely shatter your confidence?

Afraid that you will surrender without a fight at any moment? Afraid that you will flee before I even finish speaking?

In my view, you are no longer qualified to fight me!” “Nonsense!” Zhan Xiaoxiao, having his innermost thoughts exposed, cursed in a low voice: “What’s the use of talking so much? Make your move!” “You are mistaken… This war between you and me began long ago!

In fact, this contest started from the very moment the chase began!” A gentle smile appeared in Jun Mo Xie’s eyes. This kind expression actually made Zhan Xiaoxiao feel a strange sense of relief.

Though he didn't know why the opponent would change his intense pressure when he held such a clear advantage, he felt his heart inexplicably ease slightly...