First post of the day! No one dared to voice that ominous suspicion lightly... though everyone knew it deep down...

"Search!"

Miao Jingyun's face was grim, his eyes slightly red, clinging to the last sliver of hope, he waved his hand and issued an order!

Everyone immediately scattered with a sudden "whoosh," and within moments, the area spanning a hundred li had been scoured clean, yet nothing was found.

Under the terrifying expanse of heavenly lightning, even the nearby beasts and birds had long since fled in droves. After searching for so long, they hadn't found a single sign of life?

Could those two have been reduced to ashes during that terrifying celestial tribulation just now?

Although this thought crossed everyone's mind, upon seeing Miao Jingyun's murderous expression, no one dared to speak of it rashly...

Miao Jingyun’s gaze, like lightning bolts, swept over the faces of the crowd before pausing momentarily on Qiu Chengyun, the Patriarch of the Qiu family. His look was unusually profound, devoid of any discernible emotion!

Qiu Chengyun felt as if his heart had been struck by a massive, ten-thousand-pound hammer. His whole body trembled, and a cold sweat suddenly broke out on his back.

My precious grandson, you little creature of calamity, you’ve ruined your grandfather... Look at the mess you’ve made... This is no longer just about you; I fear the entire Qiu family will suffer because of today's events...

Old Man Qiu Chengyun was on the verge of tears.

This is truly being shot while lying down... It’s all the fault of that useless, ill-fated brat of mine. Who else could you have provoked besides Mo Junye, and you had to do it again and again, keep provoking him...

Now look, because of your goading, a genius possessing the Ethereal Physique—one that appears only once in ten thousand years—has been turned to dust...

And you’ve implicated the Phantom Manor Master’s most cherished darling granddaughter...

The worst part is... the day all this happened was the Phantom Manor Master’s five-hundredth birthday celebration... and also the day of his granddaughter’s engagement ceremony...

Now, a red affair has turned into a white one... a joyous occasion has become a mourning one. If the blame isn't laid at the feet of the Qiu family, then who else could it possibly be?

Damn it... How much worse can our Qiu family possibly fare?

My son, what kind of disaster have you and your wife birthed... Even if the graves of eight generations were smoking profusely, it shouldn't have produced such a bringer of misfortune... Truly disastrous... Old Qiu Chengyun lamented, on the brink of tears.

The others looked at the Qiu Family Patriarch with undisguised schadenfreude: Serves you right for being so arrogant! Damn it, you even tried to show off in front of us with that miniature, thousand-year ‘Longevity Pine’... Now look, your showmanship has turned into a spectacle for all to mock! Not only did you fail to see any longevity, but funeral bells have started ringing—not just for others, but now for yourself too...

"Brother Gu..."

Seeing Miao Jingyun turn and leave with a dark expression and without a word, Qiu Chengyun hurriedly began searching for a lifeline, looking around desperately. His first move was to signal Gu Yunyang for help. Everyone knew that Gu Yunyang always held significant sway with the Manor Master and was the most capable speaker; seeking his aid might lessen the Master’s rage...

"Uh... Ahh... This old man will go back to check the situation... Alas, I wonder how things are..."

When Gu Yunyang heard Qiu Chengyun call him, he shuddered, pretending not to have heard, and turned, vanishing in a flash.

Only once he was completely out of sight did Gu Yunyang wipe a cold bead of sweat. Damn it, better to let a fellow Daoist suffer than myself. Your Qiu family is doomed this time... If I had spoken up, I might have dragged our Gu family down with you... The best strategy is the thirty-sixth stratagem: flight... Playing deaf and blind is the way of the world...

It seemed Gu Yunyang wasn't the only one; Qiu Chengyun’s gaze swept toward others, who were already scampering away as if fleeing for their lives. Eventually, he was left standing alone on the hillside... Even Zhan Wuyun, the Patriarch of the Zhan family, had fled.

Looking at the empty grounds, Qiu Chengyun sighed with infinite grievance, then suddenly exploded in rage: "Qiu Peng, you damned beast! You little son of a bitch! You world-blotting prodigal son! You sun-and-moon-obscuring jinx! Ahhhhh... You’ve truly infuriated this old man..."

It had to be said, the Patriarch’s curses were quite creative... A few elderly figures who had retreated far enough to hear the tirade, though weighed down by their own grim moods, couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

Since no one could find Jun Moxie and Miao Xiaomiao, where on earth had they gone?

The terrifying thunderous might of the tribulation had completely vanished, but the two individuals on the ground were still locked in an embrace...

Miao Xiaomiao could almost feel her divine consciousness cheering and her soul singing; she had long forgotten where she was. When she opened her eyes again, she realized the thunderous calamity that sent shivers down the spines of all martial artists had long since disappeared, replaced by profound serenity all around...

It seemed quiet indeed, but the scene was one of utter wreckage—hardly serene. Yet, in Miss Miao’s heart, this place was the most peaceful paradise of her life!

"The heavenly tribulation is over?"

Miao Xiaomiao blinked her beautiful, confused eyes, asking in perplexity.

Jun Moxie chuckled inwardly. It seemed this girl was so dazed that she remembered nothing... Such concentration...

"How would I know? I haven't undergone a heavenly tribulation either. But I suppose it must be over; the sky has cleared up, hasn't it?" Young Master Jun secretly smirked. It seemed pretending to be naive had its benefits; if his strength was low, it was only natural he wouldn't know!

"Quick... quick, get up... You’re too heavy!"

Miao Xiaomiao, fully returning to her senses, instantly took in her surroundings. Any thought of tranquility vanished. She frantically pushed Young Master Jun, who was still half-lying on her, scrambling to her feet and attempting to straighten her clothes. However, after the previous downpour of chaos, and having tumbled on the ground for so long, both were covered in mud. Moreover, during the lightning tribulation, nearly half of Miao Xiaomiao’s clothes had been shredded, leaving her barely covered...

"How can I possibly show my face looking like this?"

Miao Xiaomiao was close to tears. She knew that after the tribulation, her grandfather and the others would rush over immediately. It wouldn't be just one person; likely hundreds. How could she, a young lady, face them like this? Women might not fear death, but they absolutely feared looking unsightly—perhaps this was what they called 'dying for beauty.' Look at her attire now: her chest was partially exposed, displaying a view of spring splendor; half of her snowy thigh showed, smeared with mud, creating a sharp contrast where the white looked whiter and the black looked blacker. Her normally dark, lustrous hair had become a tangled mess. The young lady didn't realize that her face, capable of toppling cities, currently resembled a little painted cat...

"Since you chose this place for the tribulation, you must be familiar with the environment here. Is there any secluded spot nearby? Somewhere with water? We can clean up before returning."

Jun Moxie suggested.

Of course, his two eyes were far from idle at this moment, darting greedily over Miao Xiaomiao’s nearly bare form, indulging in a massive feast in his mind, shouting inwardly: I always thought this girl was skinny, but she's surprisingly well-endowed. Where it should bulge, it overdoes it; where it should curve in, it’s frighteningly concave. She's a legendary devilish figure!

Miao Xiaomiao, shielding her chest with one hand, didn't have time to argue with him. "Over there, there’s a pool... and a relatively hidden cave beside it. I just don’t know if it survived the recent tribulation..."

Having grown up in the Phantom Manor, Miao Xiaomiao was very familiar with the terrain. After quickly assessing their surroundings, she immediately spoke up.

"I’m sure it wasn't destroyed. Let’s hurry over there!"

Jun Moxie scooped her up and bolted away. His enhanced divine sense told him a large group of people was already closing in on their location. Whether the cave was destroyed or not wasn't the main point; even if it was, he could use earth and water elemental powers to conjure another one...

The reason for his haste was simple: Miao Xiaomiao’s current state absolutely could not be seen by others... Young Master Jun would get jealous... How his own woman looked was his legitimate business, but if others caught a glimpse, he’d suffer a great loss. Find a place quickly!

"Put me down... Let me walk on my own..."

The young lady only offered a token protest out of feminine reserve and self-respect, shouting weakly, but she nestled her entire body into Young Master Jun’s embrace—in reality, she offered no resistance whatsoever. It seemed that since "she" was already out, what was there to be shy about anymore...

With a "swoosh," Young Master Jun, carrying the young lady, vanished from the open area. Miao Xiaomiao buried her face in his chest and closed her eyes, naturally failing to notice that the two of them were now walking through the void, completely invisible to anyone...

Turning around the mountain valley, they indeed found an exceptionally clear pool ahead. Above the pool, on the cliff face, was a reasonably sized cave that had escaped destruction from the recent lightning tribulation, saving him the labor of using earth and water powers, and leaving no structural weakness...

As Jun Moxie flew forward, small branches flew from his hand, landing accurately on the empty ground surrounding the pool. They seemed thrown haphazardly, without pattern, but in truth, they were intricately interlocked and strategically placed. The instant he carried Miao Xiaomiao into the cave, the pool below and the cave in the cliff face mysteriously vanished from that spot...

If anyone came here now, they would see nothing but an empty expanse...

A small Maze Array!

The function of this array was simple: a supreme method of visual obstruction, preventing anyone from discovering their presence...

Upon seeing the clear spring water, Miao Xiaomiao instantly felt even more uncomfortable, her entire body feeling wrinkled and wrong. With a joyful cry, she broke free from Jun Moxie’s grasp and prepared to leap into the water, but suddenly stopped, turning back with a flushed face: "You... What about you?"

"What about me? What do you mean, what about me?"

Jun Moxie started, then realized the girl must be feeling shy. He pretended to be confused: "What else can we do? You’re dirty, do you think I’m clean?... Naturally, I need to wash too. I’m not handsome to begin with; if I also look slovenly, who would want me..."

"But, but, I..." Miao Xiaomiao bit her red lip, stamped her small foot, and blushed, unable to finish her sentence.

"But what? Stop stammering 'but,' why are you speaking so strangely?"

Jun Moxie asked deliberately.

"But there's only one pool here..."

Miao Xiaomiao shot him a look, her face red.

"Oh... This pool is quite large. It’s big enough for us to wash together. I don't mind washing with you!"

Jun Moxie adopted an expression of sudden realization. "And we can even take turns scrubbing each other’s backs; that would be very comfortable!"