"We simply have to go now!"

Miao Jingyun sighed, "The purpose of this trip is certainly not because of the so-called prestige of the Lord of Evil, but... for other reasons!"

He paused, "Because of many previous incidents, the Lord of Evil is now locked in a bitter feud with the Three Great Holy Lands, with no possibility of reconciliation. Now that his power base has fully matured, his decision to openly establish a sect appears rash and arrogant. I surmise, however, that this move was made only after deep and careful consideration... because the Battle for Seizing the Heavens is imminent! At this critical juncture, the Three Great Holy Lands and the Lord of Evil absolutely will not engage in internal strife. They will cease their civil war to focus all their efforts on preparing for the external threat. Only after achieving victory against the outside world can there be any subsequent internal reckoning!"

"I must admit, the timing chosen by that young man with the surname Jun is incredibly astute!"

Miao Jingyun smiled faintly, "Therefore, no matter how much trouble the Lord of Evil stirs up at this stage, the Three Great Holy Lands dare not provoke him or send troops against him rashly! Even if the problem becomes extremely severe, they will wait until the Battle for Seizing the Heavens is over before addressing it! Thus, Jun Mo Xie, this Evil Monarch, chose this very moment to establish his sect! It speaks volumes of his ability to read the situation and calculate every contingency!"

"If we remove this timing factor, any other time he dared to emerge so forcefully, he would inevitably face a united strike from the Three Great Holy Lands! Even the Heavenly Sacred Palace would intervene! After all, a newly emergent superpower will disrupt the established hegemony of the peak powers on the Xuanxuan Continent, something those peak powers are loath to see! That's why I say, while I cannot be certain of the Evil Monarch's prowess in profound arts, his skill in gauging the times and capitalizing on chaos is truly unparalleled—absolutely remarkable!"

"The Evil Monarch chose this time to open his court, and the Three Great Holy Lands are certain to send representatives! This is because the current strength of the Three Great Holy Lands is insufficient to independently handle the Battle for Seizing the Heavens, so they must win over Jun Mo Xie, compelling him to contribute to that battle! As for why we must attend, it is because we need a clear understanding of the overall trajectory of the Xuanxuan Continent, particularly the concrete comparison between the foundations of both sides' strengths! Otherwise, we cannot decide which side to align with. Remaining purely neutral will only offend both parties, resulting in more loss than gain..."

Miao Jingyun continued, "Looking at the current situation, while this event presents the best possible timing for the Lord of Evil, it is also an opportunity for us to make a massive profit! This is because our Illusory Mansion possesses the capability to influence the situation and is bound to make a choice. But before we formally declare our decision, we are the highly sought-after prize that neither side dares to offend. I believe both factions will deliberately try to win us over, hoping to secure an agreement with us before the other does—and that is where our leverage lies... So, this time, the Illusory Mansion is going to reap benefits. Why wouldn't we go?"

With this explanation, Miao Xiaomiao and Miao Jian instantly understood. Though their cultivation in profound arts was high, they were not politicians, and these matters were difficult for them to foresee...

"One more thing," Miao Jingyun murmured, abruptly shifting the topic to Mo Jun Ye, "for the past few days, I've had a very strange feeling... has Mo Jun Ye already left?"

"Yes, he departed the Illusory Mansion early this morning," Miao Jian replied.

"Hmm..."

Miao Jingyun frowned, pondering deeply for a moment, "For this matter... Sixth Uncle should go, with the Zhan family providing support. If the two of you wish to go and join the excitement, you may do so."

"Join what excitement... I have zero interest! I'm not going!" Miao Dao flatly refused. "Oh? What excitement is there to join? I... the Evil Monarch is opening his court? I want to go see that too!"

Just then, Miao Xiaomiao walked in. After Jun Mo Xie left, Miao Xiaomiao instantly regretted it, not for letting Young Master Jun go, but for regretting why she hadn't gone with him. Now that she was waiting here, what if that Elder Sister arrived... would she think Miao Xiaomiao was putting on airs?

In truth, when all was said and done, the main reason was that less than two hours after Mo Jun Ye departed, Miao Xiaomiao already felt an emptiness in her heart, as if she had lost her soul; she felt thoroughly uneasy and deeply melancholic...

Miao Xiaomiao thought it over and finally decided to seek out her grandfather, Miao Jingyun, intending to ask permission to search for Mo Jun Ye... But as she reached the door, she unexpectedly overheard the news that the Evil Monarch was about to establish his court, which proved to be exactly what she needed, and she immediately proposed attending.

"You are going?"

The three old men frowned simultaneously. With Miao Xiaomiao's current strength as a Second Level Venerable, she was quite formidable and certainly welcome anywhere on the Xuanxuan Continent, but this girl was perhaps too innocent, and they worried she might be deceived...

"Grandpa... please let me go..." Fearing her grandfather might instantly dismiss the idea, Miao Xiaomiao latched onto Miao Jingyun's arm and acted spoiled. "I want to go see. I heard that this so-called Jun Mo Xie is a genius even greater than Jun Ye, who possesses the Ethereal Body... Hmph, I want to see just how great he is..."

In Miao Xiaomiao's heart, Mo Jun Ye was the most outstanding. However, the news about the Lord of Evil, Jun Mo Xie, that had been circulating throughout the Illusory Mansion for some time had hyped the youth, who was about her own age, to almost godlike status. Before falling in love with Mo Jun Ye, Miao Xiaomiao hadn't cared much—no matter how strong, it was none of her business. But now, she was deeply unconvinced! She simply could not believe there was a man in this world better or more outstanding than Jun Ye! Hmph, if she went, perhaps she could take this chance to give that so-called Jun Mo Xie a bit of a hard time! At the same time, she could look for Mo Jun Ye, and if the two met, they could go together to greet that Elder Sister, showing sincerity... wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?

"A genius even greater than Mo Jun Ye, who possesses the Ethereal Body..."

Miao Jingyun murmured thoughtfully, whispering softly, "Who knows if my suspicion... is true... I hope it doesn't come true?"

He recalled the previous afternoon when he was escorting Miao Huanyu into the underground chamber. The Ancestor, Miao Qingcheng, had specifically asked, "Is the child who came here last time... still in the Illusory Mansion?"

Miao Jingyun had replied, "He is still here, but he proposed leaving today, and I agreed. If the Ancestor wishes to see him, I can bring him over at any time!"

Miao Qingcheng nodded silently, then stated, "No need to trouble yourself. You must cultivate a good relationship with him; never let your guard down, and absolutely never offend him..." After saying this, the Ancestor muttered something incomprehensible again, "If it weren't for him... that child Huanyu... probably wouldn't have had the chance to arrive here..."

Miao Qingcheng's voice was very low at that moment, and although Miao Jingyun heard it, he found it almost unbelievable! The Ancestor’s evaluation of Mo Jun Ye was that high! Why could that be? Could it be... that even the Heaven-Grade Seven-Colored Sacred Fruit Huanyu obtained was given by the Sacred Tree because of him?

When Miao Jingyun tried to ask further, Miao Qingcheng refused to discuss the matter again, only saying one sentence: "The crisis facing the Zhan family of the Illusory Mansion has been resolved..." After that, she let him leave...

It was precisely because of those words, and the suspicions heavy in Miao Jingyun's heart, that he dispatched the Zhan family to the Evil Monarch's opening ceremony this time. If his guess was correct, then that contingent from the Zhan family might never return after leaving the Illusory Mansion... because they had severely offended Mo Jun Ye in the past...

Miao Jingyun dared not say more and quietly withdrew... As he was leaving, he happened to overhear Miao Qingcheng asking Miao Huanyu something, and upon hearing that Mo Jun Ye had become Miao Huanyu's son-in-law, she suddenly burst into hearty laughter, exclaiming, "So that's it! So that's it! Hahahaha..."

Miao Jingyun only heard these snippets as he retreated, his mind full of doubt. He couldn't shake the feeling that the Ancestor’s words held hidden meaning. But the key to deciphering that meaning surely rested with Mo Jun Ye; this much was undeniable!

The intelligence gathered on Mo Jun Ye over the past few days had also greatly surprised Miao Jingyun... Combining all the signs, there should be no record of Mo Jun Ye existing in the outside world at all... If such a person existed, with such talent, how could he possibly remain so obscure? Mo Jun Ye’s obscurity went beyond the norm for an ordinary person... this individual seemed to have sprung forth from stone...

From this, Miao Jingyun arrived at a bold conjecture: Could Mo Jun Ye be a pseudonym? And his true identity be someone else entirely? If so, looking among the contemporary young prodigies, there was only one person who fit such a description! Jun Mo Xie! He had contemplated this possibility all night!

Therefore, the moment Miao Xiaomiao proposed going out to see, Miao Jingyun's thoughts involuntarily drifted to this connection... Letting little Miao go have a look... perhaps that was for the best!

"Fine! Since you are so eager to go out and have some fun, then you shall accompany your Sixth Grand-Uncle on this trip." Miao Jingyun smiled lightly. "It seems the two of you have no choice but to go out this time... You two will escort Xiaomiao on this visit."

"Grandpa, you're the best!" Miao Xiaomiao was overjoyed, leaping up happily, and planted a kiss on Miao Jingyun's cheek before sweeping out like a gust of wind to prepare things. Miao Xiaomiao and Miao Jian exchanged surprised glances. Their duty was to protect the Master of the Illusory Mansion. Although Miao Xiaomiao was the Master's beloved adopted granddaughter, she would not normally receive such treatment.

"Originally, Cao Guofeng and Bai Qifeng would have been the most suitable to go. However, they recently achieved breakthroughs and are likely to face tribulation within a day or two! And we have no other personnel available..." Miao Jingyun murmured.

Miao Xiaomiao and Miao Jian looked at each other blankly, unsure what he meant by those words.

Subsequently, Miao Jingyun used the secret transmission technique to convey a single sentence to the two of them.

Miao Xiaomiao and Miao Jian were struck dumb with shock and astonishment...

"This is highly confidential, and it is not confirmed... keep it in your hearts... do not tell even Xiaomiao or Sixth Uncle!" Miao Jingyun whispered. "You two just need to keep an eye out."