Zhan Xiaoxiao would never have dreamed that, after the opponent clearly stated they were going to let the divine sword heal, they would actually employ it at such a life-threatening moment! With her Dantian pinned by the treasured sword, she couldn't even self-detonate!

She could only watch helplessly as this demonic sword absorbed the vital essence of her entire lifetime accumulation of life force! Zhan Xiaoxiao finally closed her eyes forever… How could Jun Moxie possibly let slip such an opportunity for his divine sword to replenish itself?

This was soul power, completely activated through combustion—completely pure, utterly devoid of impurities, and now masterless! Since Zhan Xiaoxiao had chosen this path of complete annihilation of form and spirit, Jun Moxie was naturally obliged to oblige her, albeit through a different kind of fulfillment… The body of the Yan Huang Zhi Xue (Blood of the Flame Yellow), previously dim, suddenly flashed with a strange blood-red tint, then slowly brightened again, its radiance beginning to circulate along the blade.

Finally, with a soft peng, Zhan Xiaoxiao’s body dissolved into a scattering of ash, utterly vanishing! The Yan Huang Zhi Xue gave a soft chime, flew up, circled once in mid-air, and landed before Jun Moxie.

It displayed an air of utter satisfaction. Although the sword body remained in a damaged state, the Sword Soul had completely recovered, even surpassing its former state.

It had utterly devoured the complete spiritual energy of two successive Saint Venerables—a truly colossal infusion of power! Once it fully digested these two forces, the might of the Yan Huang Zhi Xue would undoubtedly ascend to another level!

As for the damage to the sword body, that was secondary; with Young Master Jun’s power of Gold, restoring it, given sufficient metallic material, would be as easy as turning over a hand! Today’s affair had finally concluded, for the time being.

Jun Moxie took a deep breath; it had been truly perilous… Saint Venerable power, as expected, was not something he could contend with at his current level. Even that last strike, delivered when the opponent was nearly exhausted, had still left him slightly wounded!

Had it not been for his meticulous prior planning, countless arrangements, and the balancing control afforded by the Five Elements Divine Abilities, it was hard to say what the outcome might have been today… Often, the police only show up after the incident is over, and it seemed the reinforcements from the Illusionary Mansion were much the same! Figures flickered in the distance; the masters from the Illusionary Mansion were finally approaching the scene.

When Miao Jingyun and the others arrived, they were met only with utter devastation. Not only was the ground a mess, but nearly half of the surrounding mountain ridges had collapsed.

In the sky, a large patch of dark clouds was gradually dissipating, and on the ground, countless areas were scorched black, while others were still wet with water… It seemed it hadn't rained recently; what could account for this?… The sheer brutality of this battle was evident just by surveying the wreckage. The Saint Venerable powerhouses present were all deeply shocked by the sight… They didn’t need to have witnessed it firsthand; merely observing the scene allowed them to sketch out in their minds the epic clash between Saint Venerables… Zhan Wuyun, the head of the Zhan family, stared blankly at everything, his soul adrift… “Everyone, quickly search the surroundings!

See if you can find any trace of Mo Junye…” Miao Jingyun ordered. They had followed the trail and finally reached this location.

In terms of pure speed, they could have arrived much earlier, but since there was no sign of activity or even sound from afar, they hadn't been inclined to approach. Only when the massive sound of the protective array shattering reached them did they realize the battle here had already concluded… Cao Guofeng and the others immediately plunged into the woods… Not long after, a voice ringing with relief echoed from the distant forest: “Found him!

We found him!” Then, a Saint Venerable expert shot out, cradling something, his face a picture of wry amusement: “This kid, he’s actually still asleep…” Everyone immediately gathered around and looked. There, nestled in a pile of bedding, the genius boy possessing the Ethereal Constitution lay with his eyes closed, sleeping soundly… “What good fortune he has!” Miao Jingyun sighed with complicated emotion.

“Countless powerhouses rushed thousands of miles for him, risking their lives in battle, yet he sleeps so peacefully. Truly, human fortunes differ widely…” “Mansion Lord, this child isn’t merely asleep; someone struck his sleep meridian…” Someone pointed out.

“Do I need you to tell me that? Can’t I see that myself?” Miao Jingyun shook his head, glanced once more at the ravaged scene, and said, “Let’s hurry back.

Those two who fought here have likely already left…” This incident caused immense repercussions within the Illusionary Mansion, yet for unknown reasons, the entire affair was comprehensively suppressed. After that day, no one mentioned it again, as if such an earth-shattering event had never occurred within the mansion… However, the guards around Jun Moxie’s residence became noticeably more stringent… While the surface appeared to have returned to calm, the major families could all sense a surging undercurrent continually moving beneath, ready to erupt at any moment… Thus, all the great families maintained an outward casualness but inward tension, prepared to react at any time… Conversely, the Zhan family showed no external abnormalities, still projecting the prior tense atmosphere of swords drawn, but internally, chaos had completely erupted.

Upon returning to the family, Zhan Wuyun’s first act was to seek an audience with the Ancestor, Zhan Lunhui. He reported the day’s events in detail.

Zhan Wuyun had indeed been unaware of Zhan Xiaoxiao’s attack; and after meeting Zhan Lunhui, Zhan Lunhui hadn't mentioned it either… But by the afternoon of the next day, there was still no word of Zhan Xiaoxiao: now Zhan Lunhui was truly anxious. Zhan Xiaoxiao was one of the Zhan family’s top experts, a pivotal heavyweight!

And as a Saint Venerable level powerhouse, no matter how severe the injury, there was no reason for such a long period of absence! Even if the physical body was utterly destroyed, the Saint Infant should have returned by now.

Could it be that he, too, suffered complete annihilation of form and spirit? Zhan Lunhui immediately summoned Zhan Wuyun again and questioned him meticulously.

“You say there were traces of intense fire burning in that battleground?” Hearing Zhan Wuyun’s detailed narration, upon hearing about the signs of burning, Zhan Lunhui’s expression instantly changed! An intensely ominous premonition surged within him.

For a battle between experts to leave behind traces of fire… then… “Yes, that battlefield indeed bore very distinct marks of burning.” Although Zhan Wuyun didn't understand why his ancestor asked this, he answered cautiously. While wanting to inquire further, upon seeing Zhan Lunhui’s face darken, he became nervous himself and swallowed the questions he intended to ask.

“It’s nothing for now; you may go.” Zhan Lunhui sighed deeply, leaning back against the chair as if his body lacked strength, an expression of indescribable fatigue on his face. He waved his hand.

“Yes. Your disciple takes his leave.” Zhan Wuyun glanced cautiously at Zhan Lunhui’s expression, then retreated, utterly bewildered.

“Wait a moment.” Zhan Lunhui closed his eyes and said, “Also, inform Yi Xiao and Zhan Tu that I am entering seclusion. Have them come here to guard me during this time.

During this period, absolutely no one… is to make any rash moves! Regardless of any major events that occur, do not disturb me; everything waits until I emerge from seclusion!” “May I ask, Ancestor, how long will this seclusion last?” Zhan Wuyun inquired tentatively.

“Three months at the latest; if things go quickly… perhaps a month!” Zhan Lunhui kept his eyes closed. But for some reason, Zhan Wuyun felt Zhan Lunhui’s tone carried the desolation of a setting sun today… It seemed something unfortunate had occurred… Time truly flew; three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Today was the 500th birthday celebration for Miao Jingyun, the Lord of the Illusionary Mansion! The Miao family grounds were filled with joyous revelry.

Jun Moxie had been quite idle these past few days. When he wasn’t practicing cultivation—a process whose progress consistently amazed the Saint Emperors—Miao Xiaomiao would occasionally stop by for a chat.

Some older figures also wandered over from time to time, perhaps to recommend their younger daughters or great-granddaughters… Overall, things could be summarized in four words: Calm and Tranquil. Tomorrow was the main day of Miao Jingyun’s five-hundredth birthday!

And the day after tomorrow was the entry into the Spirit Medicine Garden! His visit to the Illusionary Mansion was finally drawing to a close!

Perhaps after the day after tomorrow, he would leave this place, possibly never to set foot on this land again. Although his stay here was short, the contribution he made to the Illusionary Mansion was not insignificant.

At the very least, he had destroyed the Zhan family’s massive conspiracy that had been brewing for thousands of years, causing two of the Zhan family’s Saint Venerables to be utterly obliterated, drastically reducing the Zhan family’s flourishing power and likely saving the Illusionary Mansion from a severe crisis of division. These deeds should perhaps balance out his deception, shouldn't they?

Thinking of this, Jun Moxie finally let out a silent sigh… This gnawing feeling of having a guilty conscience was truly unbearable… Miao Xiaomiao’s deliberate tenderness over these past few days made Young Master Jun feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles… “Dummy, what are you thinking about?” Seeing that Jun Moxie seemed distracted, Miao Xiaomiao asked gently. During this period, Miao Xiaomiao had intentionally displayed all her feminine charms, treating Jun Moxie with the utmost tenderness, even using the extremely intimate term “Dummy,” replacing his usual title of Young Master.

All of this was simply to fulfill the words she had spoken the day before: ‘Jun Ye’s heart is so heavy; I must use my gentleness to free him from his suffering…’ “Nothing…” Jun Moxie sighed. “Jun… can you tell me about… ‘…her?” Rather than letting him bottle it up, it was better to let him pour it all out; perhaps that would ease his burden.

Constantly suppressing it could truly lead to a psychosomatic illness. “Her?” Jun Moxie turned his head in surprise to look at Miao Xiaomiao, completely bewildered: “Which ‘her’?” “The one in… your heart…” Miao Xiaomiao said sweetly, “The one you can’t stop thinking about…” (To be continued.

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