The fourth installment, but then the mysterious figure spoke, his tone almost coaxingly instructional, laced with regret: "As a Saint Venerable level expert, don't you know that if you lack the courage to even listen to me finish speaking today, you have forfeited the right to confront me directly! Then, regardless of the final outcome of today’s battle, your cultivation will never advance another step!"
Jun Moxie still had his hands clasped behind his back, yet upon hearing those words, he suddenly took a swift step forward, his right foot slamming into the earth with immense, heavy force!
The entire ground, amidst a deep, muffled resonance, suddenly shuddered violently!
And Jun Moxie's gaze shifted abruptly from the gentle warmth of moments ago to a sharpness like that of a honed steel blade, each word delivered with emphasis: "...And the words I haven't finished saying today will become your eternal inner demon!"
That sudden, violent tremor beneath his feet struck Zhan Xiaoxiao’s heart like a bolt from the blue! That shock following the glare! It was like the crashing thunder immediately following a flash of lightning!
That last statement, punctuated and deliberate, each word hitting like a heavy hammer, hammered ruthlessly into Zhan Xiaoxiao’s mind!
Zhan Xiaoxiao felt a resounding boom inside his skull! His heart violently lurched!
Inner Demon!
From this day forward, no advancement!
Unspoken words will be my everlasting inner demon!
Zhan Xiaoxiao’s eyes flashed with savage malice, but large, soybean-sized beads of sweat had already begun to ooze from his brow. The cold sweat from before, he could still force himself to control; even if his heart was shaken, it would never show on his face!
But now, he finally lost control!
The opponent's words, like the sharpest divine blades, pierced his heart again and again!
He could not afford to ignore them!
Zhan Xiaoxiao’s aura instantly weakened by another third!
This was not because Zhan Xiaoxiao was inherently weak; as a generation’s Saint Venerable expert, he had seen everything and witnessed countless major scenes. But the opponent possessed a marvelous psychological technique that Zhan Xiaoxiao had never fully grasped!
Every word, every action, every sigh, every glance from Jun Moxie struck directly at the vulnerable gate of Zhan Xiaoxiao’s spirit!
If Zhan Xiaoxiao hesitated for a single moment, held even the slightest doubt, Jun Moxie would instantly exploit the opening! Infiltrating everywhere, launching a comprehensive assault! Even every subtle movement, every unintentional look, could hit Zhan Xiaoxiao’s psychological weak spot precisely!
If Zhan Xiaoxiao couldn't be affected—that would only happen if he, too, were a Transmigrator! Or if he could launch an immediate offensive from the start, denying Young Master Jun the chance to speak!
Otherwise, he absolutely could not withstand this pressure!
Unfortunately, Zhan Xiaoxiao was no Transmigrator! Nor did he have the audacity to launch an attack the moment they met!
Although Jun Moxie’s progress had been incredibly swift, blessed by constant fortunate encounters, his actual strength remained at the peak of the Third Level Saint Emperor! He was still separated from Zhan Xiaoxiao, a First Level Peak Saint Venerable, by the breakthrough to Fourth Level Saint Emperor, the early, mid, and high stages of the Fourth Level Saint Emperor, the peak, the breakthrough to Saint Venerable, stabilizing at Saint Venerable, and the early, mid, and high stages of the First Level Saint Venerable—
A staggering difference of eleven tiers! A vast, seemingly unreachable gulf!
In terms of profound energy, a single tier difference was often enough to seal victory, leaving no room for luck, let alone eleven tiers!
Even if he possessed the Yin-Yang Escape, the Hongjun Pagoda, and the Yan Huang Blood Divine Sword! Possessing the world's most powerful, most invincible cheat system! Yet... these things could only guarantee his life remained out of mortal danger!
To actually slay Zhan Xiaoxiao in a face-to-face confrontation remained absolutely impossible!
But, Jun Moxie had to kill this villain today!
Every instance of fighting across tiers would be accompanied by a key opportunity for a breakthrough!
Jun Moxie felt that he hadn't made a breakthrough in a long time!
The reason was simply that he hadn't engaged in a direct, cross-tier battle for too long!
Only in intense combat where life hung precariously by a thread could he touch upon that level of insight normally beyond his reach, thus gaining the chance to break through!
Furthermore, if Zhan Xiaoxiao lived, the threat he posed was simply too immense!
It even generated an ominous feeling for Jun Moxie himself, a sense of impending doom.
To live under the constant threat of assassination from such a high-level Saint Venerable expert was to live in constant dread, walking on thin ice!
Jun Moxie was utterly determined not to suffer this humiliation!
Therefore, Jun Moxie intended to use every means available and unavailable, stopping at nothing, to crush Zhan Xiaoxiao's confidence! He absolutely needed to weaken his combat power to a certain degree before the fighting even began!
Only then would he have a chance!
It must be said that with the Hongjun Pagoda backing him, Young Master Jun was supremely confident, forcing Zhan Xiaoxiao into an unavoidable dilemma before the battle even commenced!
Under the current circumstances, if Zhan Xiaoxiao refused to listen, even if he wouldn't have developed an inner demon, Jun Moxie’s speech would cause him to impose a nonexistent one upon himself—a true tragedy. But if he genuinely listened... his confidence would likely be utterly shattered by Young Master Jun. It was possible this Saint Venerable would completely collapse before the direct engagement even started...
If Zhan Xiaoxiao were truly smarter, more self-assured, he would easily realize that if the opponent were genuinely that formidable, he would simply attack and kill him in this state; why waste so much breath talking?
Alas, he was too clever... viewing the opponent's current actions as a cat playing with a mouse, indulging in tormenting the enemy under the certainty of victory!
This very thought terrified Zhan Xiaoxiao into inaction...
"I'd like to hear why I'm deemed unqualified! An inner demon, an inner demon? Nonsense! Speak! I demand you speak your fill!"
Zhan Xiaoxiao felt like spitting blood! Facing this mysterious figure opposite him was like confronting a monstrous demon. This damned fellow, with his air of unfathomable depth, had firmly grasped his soft spot, leaving him unable to advance or retreat, despite already harboring thoughts of a clean escape!
If he were to fall into such a passive situation during a direct confrontation, it would naturally mean the opponent’s skill was superior, and his own inferior; losing would be accepted without argument. But now, merely through words, he was rendered so wretched!
If he were to be defeated in this manner today—even if he managed to escape whole—it would be an ultimate form of suffocation! Even if he didn't acquire the inner demon that man mentioned, a shadow would certainly remain!
"You are mistaken. It is not that I wish to tell you, but that you urgently need to hear me!"
Jun Moxie looked at him with haughty condescension: "Therefore, whether I speak now holds massive significance for you! Even if I remain silent, you will likely beg me to speak! Because if I don't, you will remain perpetually suspicious, suspicious for your entire life!"
"What exactly do you want? What other tricks are you planning?"
Zhan Xiaoxiao finally couldn't bear it: "Are you going to speak or not? How long are you going to keep those two reasons hidden before revealing them?"
He hadn't wanted to listen originally, but now he had no choice; and it wasn't by his own volition, he was forced to listen. Yet now, the other party held all the leverage—Zhan Xiaoxiao felt like spewing blood.
Zhan Xiaoxiao was entirely unaware that as the conversation continued, the two sides had fallen into an unusually delicate situation. The previously fiercely opposed parties now exhibited an indescribable balance!
Jun Moxie snorted coldly, lightly flicking his sleeve, and said dismissively: "I say what I want, or I don't! If I wish you to listen, you listen even if you don't want to. If I don't wish to tell you, your begging is useless! Now that you are so eager for me to instruct you, I shall deliberately choose not to! What right do you have to demand I speak? You aren't my son..."
"You! Give me your life!"
Zhan Xiaoxiao erupted in fury, leaping up and pouncing with his full strength!
Too infuriating! Too stifling! Too helpless! Damn it all!
He finally woke up to the realization that the opponent had been toying with him all along!
From beginning to end, the other party had never shown him an ounce of sincerity! Now, he clearly recognized that in the contest of auras, he had suffered a complete and utter defeat! This meant that if he engaged the opponent now, his combat strength would be diminished by at least forty percent, perhaps even more!
But Zhan Xiaoxiao had no choice but to strike; he could not hold back!
Because, at this moment, he was so infuriated and stifled that he was about to explode!
If this standoff were prolonged, Zhan Xiaoxiao felt he would completely lose his reason due to the sheer anger! If that truly happened, this location would become his burial ground, with absolutely no chance of retreat.
Aura lost, if his mind were also taken—
Zhan Xiaoxiao dared not imagine such consequences; even the mere anticipation brought unimaginable negative effects. Therefore, he mustered his remaining courage and forced an attack!
But just as Zhan Xiaoxiao leaped forward, he saw the masked man in black before him calmly wave his sleeve, uttering a faint word: "Return!"
Whoosh! A massive burst of raging flames suddenly materialized out of thin air!
In an instant, the area spanning forty to fifty zhang transformed into a world of fire!
The roaring flames surged instantly, the highest reaching dozens of zhang into the sky, seemingly reddening half the heavens...
Zhan Xiaoxiao gasped in shock!
This forced attack of his actually contained his own calculation. The mysterious person had been using words to bewilder him until now, never truly making a move. And during the prior chase, he had clearly determined this person's strength was only equivalent to a Fourth Level Saint Emperor or perhaps the early stage above that. His movement technique was simply exceptionally superb.
Based on this assessment, coupled with the fact that the opponent had consistently refrained from attacking and focused solely on verbal confusion, Zhan Xiaoxiao decided to gamble everything. This was not only to prevent further weakening but also held the possibility of achieving a dangerous victory. If his judgment was correct and this mysterious person was merely a paper tiger, he could not only win but also completely dispel his inner demon—a double gain!
However, the opponent's response to his attack sent Zhan Xiaoxiao's heart sinking once more!
When profound techniques reach their extreme, they can manipulate the forces of heaven and earth to a certain degree! As a Saint Venerable expert, he certainly knew this, and he himself was quite proficient in this area. But he had never heard of anyone being able to conjure fire from thin air!
This flame was probably not easy to withstand! The opponent's power was profoundly mysterious; if it were ordinary fire, why would he bother using it to show off?
As Zhan Xiaoxiao's mind raced, his lunging body instantly flipped mid-air in a somersault, leaving streaks of afterimages, and with a whoosh, he flew backward!
But as he retreated, a bright, crystalline pillar of water suddenly shot out from amidst the flames like a cyan dragon, hurtling straight toward his face!
The water pillar was as thick as a water vat, its momentum so swift it was like a surging river turned upside down!