If killing with a single sword can topple the realm, then perhaps one day, I too should change my name to something like 'Overthrowing Nations' or 'Dominating the World'…

"But after that event, I don't know if it was because I attempted to reach the Path to Heaven, or because of… something else, the fiercest Heavenly Punishment descended upon me without warning. It struck me down so severely that my spirit and soul were nearly annihilated. I fled back to the Illusory Manor with the last of my strength, utterly wretched, and I haven't been able to step outside even to this day…"

"Not able to step out even once?"

Jun Moxie interjected.

"Yes. The moment I reveal myself, seven-colored tribulation clouds instantly gather, and they will not disperse until I am dead. The only way I can survive is by hiding here, where the Heavenly Punishment cannot detect me, granting me a fleeting chance to cling to life. I can't recall exactly when it was, but I tried to leave once. However, before I even stepped out of this underground cavern, the entire Illusory Manor outside suffered a catastrophic calamity…"

"So I must remain here, forever confined to this place…"

Miao Qingcheng sighed helplessly.

"Heavenly Punishment? What kind of Heavenly Punishment specifically? It forces even a powerhouse such as yourself to retreat three paces!"

Jun Moxie frowned. He had never feared tribulations; one of the cheats provided by the Hongjun Tower was its ability to absorb heavenly tribulations, transforming them into the purest Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy—even Hongmeng Purple Qi, in a sense. For the Hongjun Tower, heavenly tribulations were almost the ideal tonic.

If it were merely a Heavenly Punishment, Jun Moxie was almost inclined to absorb it for him. "It is… the World-Ending Raging Thunder!"

Miao Qingcheng’s voice carried genuine, lingering terror.

"World-Ending Raging Thunder? Is that a type of lightning tribulation? Is there truly no way to resist it at all?"

Jun Moxie was greatly puzzled. Lightning tribulations usually began to plague experts from the Venerable level upward, and many powerful figures managed to pass them, even setting aside his own cheating advantage. How could a master like Miao Qingcheng be utterly unable to defend against it?

"Heavenly Punishment, the World-Ending Raging Thunder, cannot be compared to ordinary lightning tribulations. Firstly, there is the scale; it is at least tens of thousands of times larger than a regular tribulation. Once the Heavenly Punishment forms, its expanse covers the entire plain, reaching everywhere. The raging thunder connects the heavens above and anchors the earth below; any single strike is as thick as a small mountain… Secondly, there is its power. This lightning is entirely purple, its might so immense it is almost unimaginable. Any entity in the world struck by it instantly vanishes into fine dust without a sound! These two aspects alone make it incredibly difficult to handle. However, I still had means to deal with them. But the third characteristic is the truly most difficult one, leaving me completely helpless!"

Miao Qingcheng lamented.

"Oh? There is something more troublesome than those two aspects? This junior is eager to hear the details!"

Jun Moxie was greatly surprised. From Miao Qingcheng’s description, he already understood that the World-Ending Raging Thunder possessed the dual characteristics of 'wide-area coverage, indiscriminate attack' and 'irresistibility.' These two features seemed terrifying enough, yet there was a third, even more dreadful characteristic?

"If it were only the first two aspects, with my abilities, although I wouldn't claim it was easy to handle, I could still manage to maneuver around it. What truly troubled me was that once this Heavenly Punishment forms, it will persist as long as the target—myself—does not completely disappear. Back then, I struggled against it for seven days and seven nights, eventually exhausting all my profound energy, yet the Heavenly Punishment showed no sign of weakening. That is why I say this punishment cannot be overcome; I can only stay in this damned place forever…"

"So that is how it is…"

Jun Mo Xie felt a knot of unease in his stomach. If it were only the first two characteristics, he was confident that with the aid of the Hongjun Tower, he could handle it. But now understanding the third characteristic of the 'Heavenly Punishment'—the terrifying might of the World-Ending Raging Thunder—and not knowing how long it would last, if the energy of that punishment was too extreme and managed to burst the Hongjun Tower, then everything would be ruined.

After all, Jun Moxie did not know the maximum tolerance level of the Hongjun Tower, nor how truly potent the destructive power of the World-Ending Raging Thunder was. To rashly attempt it… Jun Moxie knew he could not afford that risk!

The Hongjun Tower was his greatest trump card!

"Young man, I've been speaking with you for so long, and I still don't know your real name?"

Miao Qingcheng proactively changed the subject. For him, speaking of the World-Ending Raging Thunder was an extremely depressing matter. "My name is Jun Moxie."

Jun Moxie replied frankly.

Since the other party had already seen through his true strength, continuing to hide would only invite ridicule…

"Oh… that’s a rather nice name."

Miao Qingcheng was clearly unaware of the name of the Lord of Evil who was currently famous across the continent. He simply remarked, "The righteous path of the mortal world, may your life never be tainted—Mo Xie. Very good, very good."

"Uh…"

Jun Moxie touched his nose. Did his name carry that meaning? He wasn't even sure himself!

"Jun Moxie, these past few days, the unrest in the east and west of the Illusory Manor, the shifting of heaven and earth, the reversal of water currents and vital energies, the turning upside down of the cosmos—that was your doing, wasn't it?"

Miao Qingcheng asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Even if Senior hadn't mentioned it, this junior was already wondering. The ambition of the Zhan family within the Illusory Manor is obvious and glaring. Furthermore, they employed an extremely sinister method to aggressively steal the destiny of the Miao family to strengthen themselves. As the founder of the Illusory Manor and the ancestor of the Miao family, why did you not only fail to intervene in such a self-serving conspiracy, but remain completely unconcerned? At the very least, you should have informed the current leaders of the Miao family!"

Jun Moxie frowned and retorted.

"There are some things that one cannot actually do, even if one wishes to, or perhaps should do."

Miao Qingcheng sighed again, his voice imbued with deep despondency. Simultaneously, a dense, misty smoke abruptly rose in the great hall, gradually solidifying into the shape of a figure. This person wore a high crown and a long green robe, possessing an exceptionally ethereal countenance and a tall, slender physique. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back in the center of the hall.

A moment later, the phantom image grew clearer. The man had a pale, beardless face; looking at his features alone, he appeared to be only in his late thirties or early forties.

However, in the opening and closing of his eyes, although no sharp light flashed, his gaze seemed filled with a strange depth. The instant his eyes opened, it seemed as if the entire world here filled with light, but when they closed, one felt that heaven and earth instantly plunged into darkness!

At this moment, those strange eyes were fixed upon Jun Moxie.

Then, the man gently shifted his steps, moving from the center of the hall to the steps, and gracefully sat down.

Jun Moxie’s eyes brightened, because as Miao Qingcheng moved, Jun Moxie seemed to glimpse a brilliant galaxy suddenly appear before him, within which millions of stars slowly rotated, tracing some mystical trajectory following Miao Qingcheng’s unhurried steps!

In this world, there existed someone who could reach such a level!

At this moment, the shock in Jun Moxie’s heart was beyond description!

Miao Qingcheng's cultivation had truly reached the height of 'Seizing the Fortune of Heaven and Earth'! And yet, such a mighty expert was sealed upon this continent, unable to leave in life or death, by a mere wave of the hand from the First Young Master of the Nine Hells…

This revealed the terrifying extent of the First Young Master of the Nine Hells’ power…

"Do not envy this. I believe that one day, you too will reach my realm! Given your current age and rate of progress, that day will certainly not be too far off!"

Miao Qingcheng smiled faintly, as if the entire land blossomed with spring, rivers thawed, and all things revived with that single smile…

"Yes, I believe so too."

Jun Moxie nodded, his expression unchanged from before. Miao Qingcheng’s eyes revealed genuine admiration. If Jun Moxie had offered a word or two of false modesty, it would have indicated that his state of mind had not yet reached the realm where all things in the universe fail to stir him—meaning he still had flaws. But Jun Moxie’s frank acknowledgement demonstrated both extraordinary self-confidence and unshakable composure!

This proved that even under the terrifying pressure emanating from a being of Immortal-Buddha caliber like Miao Qingcheng, his spirit remained undisturbed!

This was truly the most precious quality!

"Speaking of the Zhan family matter, the origin traces back over ten thousand years. At that time, my Master suddenly returned to the Xuanxuan Continent after being missing for a thousand years, bringing back several books. After I took charge of the Illusory Manor, I discovered those books discarded in this very space."

Miao Qingcheng said with a bitter smile, "One of those books recorded the Art of Creation and Feng Shui. Having nothing better to do, I studied it according to its instructions… and discovered it contained many profoundly mysterious principles. If truly mastered and applied, it might not be inferior to the highest realms of Profound Arts, and it even contained the ultimate principles of Heaven and Earth. I spent two hundred years diligently studying it and finally achieved some success."

"That day, my eight disciples were practicing in the hall. Feeling pleased with my newly acquired mastery of this strange art, I was overcome by a desire to show off and, on a whim, cast fortunes for the destiny of each family. And the calamity of today originated from that single divination!"

"At that time, using the art of Feng Shui and fate, I observed the eight disciples. I found that while the seven others had varying fortunes, high and low, with rises and falls in their destinies, their fundamental origins remained constant—they could accompany the main palace of the Illusory Manor for millennia! However, only the disciple with the surname Zhan showed signs of his destiny nearing exhaustion. Roughly ten thousand years hence, his lineage would face destruction!"

Miao Qingcheng shook his head helplessly, "At that time, I stated this frankly. And I informed the Sixth Disciple, Zhan Kuang, to be extremely cautious. In the long years to come, it would be best if his descendants focused on doing good deeds, never harboring any desire for power, and especially never taking a life rashly. Or, if they accumulated blessings for ten thousand generations, and Heaven took notice, this danger of collapse might be averted invisibly!"

Jun Moxie smiled bitterly, thinking that this was truly the height of naivete; the inherent depravity of human nature could not be rooted out even by sages, let alone ordinary men. How could the Zhan family willingly submit to a millennia-long dormancy?

Possessing peerless divine skills, capable of overturning heaven and earth, yet being forced to abstain from power and only perform good deeds—giving everything without any return… One person, one lifetime, perhaps possible, but requiring generations upon generations to do so…

How could that be possible?

"At that time, Zhan Kuang asked: Master, besides this method, is there any other way to resolve this enormous crisis that spans ten thousand generations?"

Miao Qingcheng's voice sounded somewhat vacant as he reached this point.