The vivid spatter of blood, under the sun’s glare, showed not the slightest change in color! Jun Mo Xie lightly dabbed a finger in it, brought it close to his eyes, and a sharp pang of pain pierced his heart… Heart’s blood!

It was indeed heart’s blood! Under the sudden, crushing blow of utter despair, Miao Xiao Miao, that devoted woman… had actually vomited forth her very heart’s blood!

This… this was the purest essence of human vitality! Such a depletion, even a master whose profound cultivation was at its peak would struggle to endure!

Miao Xiao Miao, a frail woman, even with her considerable power, how could she withstand such a heart-rending agony? Jun Mo Xie chased a few steps in the direction Miao Xiao Miao had fled, carefully observing the ground.

Sure enough, drops of fresh blood trailed along the stone-slab path, as if a young girl’s heart was shattering and completely collapsing upon that road… Jun Mo Xie slowly straightened up, letting out a deep sigh, his gaze fixed distantly down the path, his mind utterly chaotic for a moment… Miao Xiao Miao’s nature was gentle and compliant, and she loved him with all her heart—Jun Mo Xie was not unaware of this; moreover, Miao Xiao Miao, despite her status as a heavenly prodigy, had been utterly devoted to him, a mere outsider with nothing remarkable besides his innate divine talent, anticipating his every mood and doing everything possible just to bring him happiness… Just this sincerity alone, how rare was it? This depth of affection truly surpassed the common ties of the mundane world… In terms of appearance, she surpassed Guan Qinghan and Dugu Xiao Yi, and was hardly inferior even to Mei Xue Yan; truly a peerless beauty, a countenance worthy of overthrowing cities.

In terms of talent, whether it was the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, or profound martial arts, she excelled in all—every single pursuit was top-tier… For such a peerless beauty, how could Jun Mo Xie truly remain unmoved? In fact, facing such a breathtaking beauty, so infatuated with him, openly offering her affection—it’s believed few men in this world would remain untouched?

But being moved was one thing; accepting was quite another! If he were to merely yield to his masculine desires and vanity, lightly agreeing, offering hope, and—what if he ultimately failed to deliver… then such an exceptional young woman would be ruined by his momentary impulse!

Jun Mo Xie absolutely could not accept this! If Miao Xiao Miao were any ordinary woman from the Xuan Xuan Continent, Jun Mo Xie would have high confidence in smoothing things over completely, giving her devoted affection the most perfect reciprocation!

He would even be more certain of giving Miao Xiao Miao the happiness she yearned for, and more besides! But Miao Xiao Miao’s identity was the First Miss of the Miao family of the Misty Illusion Manor!

And the cherished jewel of the Manor Lord himself! Witnessing the immense power that the Misty Illusion Manor had displayed in recent days caused even the supremely arrogant Jun Mo Xie’s heart to tremble!

The concentrated power of the Misty Illusion Manor, its sheer might, was actually superior to that of the Three Great Holy Lands! Even contemplating it made Jun Mo Xie’s heart beat nervously, though it wasn’t outright fear, there was certainly a sense of caution!

Of course, these were not the main reasons. The truly primary reason lay in the fact that the Misty Illusion Manor… was a singular, peculiar space existing outside the Xuan Xuan Continent.

Even though its essence was not radically different from the mortal world, it remained isolated from the continent! Once he left this time, without the Manor’s consent, he would never dream of entering again!

If he tried to forcefully tear open the space to enter the Manor… he would likely need to achieve the power that the Nine Nether First Young Master possessed when he originally founded the Manor… Even for the self-assured Jun Mo Xie, reaching such a level of strength felt like a distance impossibly far away! Could Miao Xiao Miao really wait until then?

Wouldn’t that mean she would waste her youth waiting for the most remote of hopes? Therefore, when Miao Xiao Miao confessed her feelings on Mount Zhou Gang, Jun Mo Xie had already realized what she would have to endure if they were truly to be together—such a heavy burden… was far too much for Miao Xiao Miao to bear!

The most likely outcome was that the two would turn against each other in an instant! He would be burdened by a lifetime of guilt, and Miao Xiao Miao would end up in lifelong sorrow, perhaps never marrying!

Even the possibility of her perishing prematurely was quite high… “I only hope… you can find your own happiness, and forget me forever! As for me, this passerby… after the day after tomorrow, I too will leave this place forever, perhaps never to set foot in the Misty Illusion Manor again in this lifetime!” Jun Mo Xie straightened up, looking at the still crimson trace of blood on his fingertip, murmuring with a touch of melancholy.

A light breeze stirred, making his white robe billow with a swish; strands of his hair scattered in the wind, occasionally brushing against his face, making Jun Mo Xie feel that this mirrored the desolate and despairing state of Miao Xiao Miao’s fragmented heart… Bai Qifeng soon found Cao Guofeng and the others, and the seven old men sat together, sighing mournfully. Seeing that Jun Mo Xie’s mood seemed low as well, the seven people asked a few probing questions.

Jun Mo Xie was not in the mood to reply, but just then, they heard a loud bang from the main entrance, as if someone had violently kicked the gate down. All seven immediately stood up and looked outside.

The Seven Great Saint Emperors had become hyper-vigilant recently; seeing someone else coming to cause trouble, they offered no pleasantries, each mobilizing their formidable internal Xuan Qi, bracing for a fight. However, upon seeing the arrivals, the seven old men wilted completely, like deflated leather balls!

Two tall, slender men dressed in black walked in, their faces exceptionally stern and cold. Behind these two, the originally wide-open main gate appeared to have transformed into a pile of wood splinters—absolutely perfect kindling material!

“Uh… sirs from the Miao clan… why would your distinguished presence require such a late visit?” Cao Guofeng stood up, forcing a dry chuckle. These two were the personal bodyguards of the Manor Lord.

Either one possessed the terrifying strength of a peak Second-Tier Saint Venerable, even surpassing Zhan Xiaoxiao, whom Jun Mo Xie had previously slain. They were the greatest guarantee of the Misty Illusion Manor Lord’s safety!

Furthermore, these two were brothers, Li Sheng. Miao Dao!

Miao Jian! This pair was known collectively as ‘Blade Sword Absolute Kill.’ When working in tandem, their strength amplified, capable of unleashing… astonishing power greater than the sum of their parts!

Having these two beside Miao Jingyun meant more assurance than an army of thousands! Throughout the history of the Misty Illusion Manor, the strength of the Manor Lord was rarely the absolute strongest, but the Lord’s personal guards were required to possess at least the consummate skill of a Saint Venerable!

This was much like the heads of the great families within the Manor: the strength of the family head might not be supreme, because those with genuine cultivation talent needed extremely ample time to cultivate, ensuring the family maintained powerful combat strength and supreme deterrence, thus ensuring its lasting prosperity. If such a genius occupied the position of family head, they would inevitably be distracted by numerous external affairs, and their Xuan Gong naturally could not advance at lightning speed, which would be a great waste… Take the current two bodyguards of Miao Jingyun, the current Manor Lord; their seniority actually placed them as two of Miao Jingyun’s clan uncles.

Their Xuan Gong had long reached the realm of the supernatural. Since Miao Jingyun assumed the role of Manor Lord, these two had never left his side, not even for a step, for hundreds of years!

Now, these two had suddenly left Miao Jingyun’s side and appeared here, and without a word, proceeded to kick down Cao Guofeng’s gate! This action alone proved the attitude of Miao Jingyun at this moment!

To say that kicking down two ordinary wooden doors was nothing spectacular was an understatement—not to mention a Saint Venerable expert, even a Golden Xuan could do it easily! But this gesture demonstrated that the fury in the hearts of these two Saint Venerables had reached an uncontrollable boiling point!

Cao Guofeng and Bai Qifeng exchanged a glance, both sighing internally. They looked at Jun Mo Xie, thinking, If you had treated their young lady more honorably, how could you have invited such disaster?

Now look… things have truly blown up… It seemed this matter had directly provoked the Manor Lord’s thunderous rage; perhaps there wasn't even anyone left to plead their case. Even though Cao Guofeng had dared to argue with the Manor Lord over taking a disciple that day, when facing these two formidable figures, he dared not utter a single disrespectful word.

It seemed they were too powerful, and more importantly, their side was in the wrong… “Under the Manor Lord’s command, Mo Jun Ye is summoned for questioning! All irrelevant persons, disperse immediately!” Miao Dao stared coldly at Cao Guofeng, delivering a stern warning, then refocused his icy gaze onto Jun Mo Xie’s face.

“Uh, hehe… Brother Miao, may I ask why the Manor Lord summons Jun Ye so late… is there some great matter?” Bai Qifeng stammered out, clutching at a thread of hope. “Why the Manor Lord summons him for an important matter, does he need to report that to you?” Miao Jian was even less polite, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at Jun Mo Xie: “Boy, stand up!

Come with us!” “Wait a moment!” Cao Guofeng suddenly stepped forward: “Respected Guard sirs, even if Jun Ye is at fault, it is our failure to guide our disciple properly. The seven of us are willing to accompany him to accept punishment!

Please allow us to follow!” Miao Dao and Miao Jian maintained a strictly official demeanor. Cao Guofeng no longer addressed them as ‘Brother Miao,’ fearing they might retort: ‘Miao… is that a term you are permitted to use?’ That would cause him to lose face completely… “This has nothing to do with you!

Cao Guofeng, you are also an elder of the Manor, take this advice: don’t meddle in every affair!” Miao Dao’s blade-sharp gaze remained fixed on Jun Mo Xie, coldly stating: “In the past few thousand years, how many so-called geniuses have I, Miao Dao, personally executed… though not an overwhelming number, it is certainly not few. Today, if we add one more possessor of the legendary Ethereal Body, it wouldn't amount to much!

Boy, are you coming with us brothers or not?” The implication was clear: if you refuse to come quietly, I wouldn't mind taking a corpse back to report my duty! Jun Mo Xie had initially planned to comply.

After all, the arrival of these two meant something must have happened to Miao Xiao Miao. Though Jun Mo Xie’s initial intentions were pure, the outcome left him with guilt.

To go and see, to explain, seemed only right! Even if they hadn't come, he would have gone to check on her!

But upon hearing Miao Dao’s forcefully aggressive tone, an immediate revulsion struck him. Instead, he sat firmly back down, raising his head, his sharp gaze locking onto Miao Dao, and he sneered: “In that case… then please, go ahead and add one more Ethereal Body possessor to your tally today!”