First update of the day!

"As for what you said about disrespect"—ha! On that point, I couldn't agree less! I, Jun Moxie, though the Sovereign of Evil, am first and foremost a member of the Jun family. The one greeting guests at the door right now is my own uncle, my father’s brother! My Third Uncle, the Blood-Clad General Jun Wuyi, has seniority, status, and renown that far surpasses that of a young pup like me! Having my Third Uncle preside over the welcoming ceremony demonstrates the profound respect this manor holds for the heroes of the world! Mo Wudao—in your estimation, are your elders somehow lesser than you? For the master of the Hidden Immortal Palace to utter such words of filial impiety, and have the audacity to declare them so openly?"

"As for what you said about disrespect"—ha! On that point, I couldn't agree less! I, Jun Moxie, though the Sovereign of Evil, am first and foremost a member of the Jun family. The one greeting guests at the door right now is my own uncle, my father’s brother! My Third Uncle, the Blood-Clad General Jun Wuyi, has seniority, status, and renown that far surpasses that of a young pup like me! Having my Third Uncle preside over the welcoming ceremony demonstrates the profound respect this manor holds for the heroes of the world! Mo Wudao—in your estimation, are your elders somehow lesser than you? For the master of the Hidden Immortal Palace to utter such words of filial impiety, and have the audacity to declare them so openly?"

The clear voice ceased, but the noisy crowd that had filled the area instantly fell silent?

This statement not only clarified his own position but also viciously counter-attacked Mo Wudao to the extreme.

Mo Wudao had just seized upon the minor detail to launch a sweeping, slanderous attack against Jun Moxie, but now Jun Moxie had neutralized the assault and, using the same tactic, pinned an even larger label onto Mo Wudao.

"Mo Wudao’s skill at pinning false charges on others is surely worthy of a master among masters. I never expected this Sovereign of Evil to be even more sagacious; truly, there is always a higher mountain beyond the current peak!"

Miao Xiaomiao almost let out a sound of amusement, thinking that this hidden figure’s ability to twist logic bore some similarity to Jun Ye’s, though it was still far inferior to Jun Ye’s.

Li Youran, who had already been ushered inside, overheard the exchange and shook his head, offering a wry smile. If he had been handling the situation, he would have certainly chosen a strategy centered on explanation, never adopting such a sharp, aggressive counter-move.

Although Li Youran's personality was inherently sinister and his decisiveness exceptionally resolute, deep down, caution remained his guiding principle. Before considering victory, he always calculated defeat; his primary consideration in all matters was ensuring the preservation of his own life and standing before anything else.

But Jun Moxie was utterly unrestrained!

The vast divergence in their personalities led to entirely distinct methods, processes, and outcomes when dealing with the exact same event!

"Heh heh," Mo Wudao let out a faint laugh, apparently unbothered. "Sovereign of Evil, truly sharp-tongued. You certainly command admiration."

While this sentence seemed to draw a temporary curtain over the provocation, its underlying tone was a subtle mockery—suggesting Jun Moxie relied merely on verbal dexterity, tricking people solely with words.

"The Palace Master of the Hidden Immortal Palace is indeed quite refined; to force this Sovereign to speak with just a few casual words, your rhetoric is truly overwhelming! Although you completely disregarded the ethics of human relations, it is still quite rare, after all. People can never be perfectly flawless, and this Sovereign understands..."

Jun Moxie chuckled, then fell silent again.

But this statement was also a retort: Mo Wudao had provoked the confrontation himself and deserved the humiliation; he had no right to blame others. Moreover, the phrase "without any consideration for the ethics of human relations" seemed like an excuse for Mo Wudao, but the essence of it was a direct accusation—calling him a beast!

In the current era, who would completely disregard basic human ethics?

Only an inhuman beast would act that way...

Of course, these were merely the guesses and interpretations of the onlookers; not a single person dared to voice them. The Sovereign of Evil might not care about the Palace Master of the Hidden Immortal Palace, but did they dare? Never mind that Jun Moxie had just elevated the status of the guests to parity with those from the Three Great Holy Lands; while everyone secretly delighted in the sentiment, none were fools enough to truly believe they could equate themselves with the Three Great Holy Lands!

This initial confrontation between the two, though consisting of only two spoken exchanges from beginning to end, left a profound impression, making everyone feel the trip was well worth it. Furthermore, the crowd vaguely sensed that today promised a continuous succession of good drama!

Inside the castle, high above, Mei Xueyan, clad in white, sat quietly by the window, gazing downward. Suddenly, she murmured softly, "That pure, delicate, yellow-clad maiden among the Misty Illusionary Mansion personnel—is that our little Sister Miao?"

Young Master Jun, who had just finished his verbal triumph over Mo Wudao, the Palace Master of the Hidden Immortal Palace, rubbed his nose and let out a dry laugh. "Uh-huh."

"Where, where?"

Dugu Xiaoyi, Han Yanmeng, and Ke’er immediately rushed forward, looking in the direction Mei Xue pointed.

"You three little girls..."

Mei Xueyan offered a helpless smile and pointed them out anyway...

"She really is quite lovely..."

Dugu Xiaoyi pursed her lips, staring intently without blinking.

Miao Xiaomiao wore a dress the color of goose-yellow. She was tall, with a serene face. Even from this distance, where her features were indistinct, the naturally noble and refined aura she exuded set her apart from everyone else.

"We can disregard the others, but we must welcome this Miss Miao."

Mei Xueyan whispered, "Otherwise, if Young Master Jun thinks we are acting jealous and throws a childish tantrum, that would be quite troublesome. Qinghan, let's go down, the two of us."

Guan Qinghan shot Jun Moxie a look, nodded her agreement.

Jun Moxie stroked his nose, wearing an expression of wry frustration. Dare I throw a tantrum at you? If you don't throw a tantrum at me, I should count my blessings. What kind of age is this, where words are inverted, and the weak speak with such righteousness...

Earlier, Young Master Jun had requested that Tang Yuan climb up, but as Fatty Tang was halfway up, he accidentally looked down. Seeing the sheer height from the ground, he instantly felt dizzy and terrified, scrambling and tumbling all the way back down...

Few of these honored guests had arrived with their female companions, leaving Miao Xiaomiao feeling somewhat out of place and isolated. Following the experts of the Illusionary Mansion, she was led forward by several youths in white robes after passing Jun Wuyi.

Lifting her gaze, she saw an immensely vast hall ahead! It could accommodate seating for at least several thousand tables, and it even left a central open area facing a high platform on the opposite side.

Just as Miao Xiaomiao was observing the arrangement, a shadow flashed, and her vision suddenly brightened. Two maidens in plain robes appeared abruptly at the hall entrance, looking toward her with smiles.

These two women in plain attire looked no different from others based on their clothes, but the moment they stood there, one couldn't help but feel that these two were distinctly extraordinary!

In terms of grace, temperament, and poise, they were both peerless among ten thousand!

As for their beauty, it was nothing short of heavenly and absolutely unrivaled!

The one on the left, merely by standing there, exuded the commanding air of a leader. Though she was smiling, she instinctively conveyed an aura of inviolability, of being elevated and looking down upon the world!

The one on the right was also smiling, yet even in her smile, she gave off an impression of chilling aloofness and unattainable grace—as if merely glancing at her was a sacrilege against a celestial being...

One was like the king of peonies, peerless in beauty yet majestically noble; the other was like a snow lotus atop the highest glacial peak, self-admiring yet uniquely sublime, seemingly not of the mortal realm!

The moment the two appeared, even the Holy Land experts and Illusionary Mansion powerhouses, who had lived long years and witnessed countless beauties, felt a momentary daze of intoxication!

Such splendor belonged only in the heavens!

Miao Xiaomiao had always firmly believed in her own transcendent beauty, that she surpassed all other flowers. Even when she had heard Mo Junye lavish praise on his wife—claiming she was unparalleled in heaven and earth—though she said nothing, deep down she harbored disagreement. Yet, she dared not show it before the genius Mo, lest her beloved think her unduly jealous. Deep in her heart, she truly didn't believe this sister she hadn't met could be more beautiful than herself. How outstanding could a beauty be in the defiled lands of the Xuanxuan Continent? How could she compare to the extraordinary people of the Illusionary Mansion?

This was perhaps understandable. Those from the Illusionary Mansion customarily viewed themselves as superior to the people of the Xuanxuan Continent, their arrogance deeply ingrained. Though Miao Xiaomiao was gentle in temperament, she had not escaped this custom.

But upon unexpectedly seeing the two women before her, her heart involuntarily filled with a sense of shame. She thought: Even if I am confident in my own beauty, how can I compare to these two? As this thought arose, another followed: I never expected the Xuanxuan Continent to possess such stunningly beautiful, peerless women. If Jun Ye's earlier descriptions were all true, what then... Miao Xiaomiao’s heart churned with a mixture of distress and bitterness, an uncontrollable surge of self-pity overflowing in her expression.

Little did she know that upon meeting her face-to-face, Mei Xueyan and Guan Qinghan were also utterly stunned by her beauty! In recent times, with the women gathered together, it had been a veritable assembly of exquisite flowers—orchids and chrysanthemums, each excelling in its own way, unparalleled beauties converging here.

Xueyan was graceful, Qinghan was coldly proud, Xiaoyi was playful, Yanmeng was spirited, Qianxun was gentle and quiet, Ke’er was yielding, Lingmeng was contemplative—each possessing her own distinct feature. Mei Xueyan sometimes wondered: Was that rascal planning to gather all the world's beauty into his harem, to capture them all in one net?

But seeing Miao Xiaomiao today, she realized the collection was still incomplete! A girl like Miao Xiaomiao, who combined extreme quietude with underlying strength, reaching the apex of gentleness externally and rigidity internally, was truly rare. Seeing the touch of pitiable vulnerability in her eyes made the shock even greater!

"Venerable Mei, I trust you have been well."

Mo Wudao offered a slight smile and took the initiative to greet her.

Miao Xiaomiao secretly thought: This must be the person in charge of the Fiendish Land of Heavenly Punishment? Venerable Mei? I heard she is also one of the Sovereign of Evil's women? Seeing her today, she is indeed incomparably beautiful. Is the woman beside her also one of his? It seems this Sovereign of Evil truly enjoys boundless luck with women. As Miao Xiaomiao thought this, she remained completely unaware that she herself was seemingly one of the Sovereign of Evil’s "lucky beauties"...

Paitian had been intending to unleash a massive outpouring, but after some thought, he decided to save it for today. He’d made up his mind: from now on, I will only write for the Evil Sovereign, only for the brothers and sisters who support and love the Evil Sovereign, and only for myself. Not for monthly tickets anymore.

Hmm, does that sound a bit hypocritical? Hehe, hypocritical... so be it; I certainly can’t say: We’ve lost the top ten spots, let’s retreat now. That sounds too ugly...

Thank you, Brother Who Doesn't Understand, Fenghuo Tiegan, and other brothers, for your great support! Thank you to all the brothers and sisters who gave generously! Thank you to all the brothers and sisters who have ever cast a monthly ticket for the Evil Sovereign! Thank you all for walking this path with me!

This month, there will still be bursts of releases—an estimated minimum of fifteen, or perhaps twenty.

We will still proudly march to the very end! To the conclusion! To the next book!

Because I am still proud!