The three were stunned, never imagining that Jun Moxie would utter such a soul-piercing statement. If these arguments were spread throughout the Jianghu, the Evil Monarch's Mansion would instantly become the public enemy of the Jianghu, perhaps even the entire Continent!

Under normal circumstances, the three might have been overjoyed, already worrying about how to target the Evil Monarch's Mansion; yet, Jun Moxie had delivered them such a grand gift!

However, the impending Battle of Heaven Seizure absolutely could not proceed without the military might of the Evil Monarch's Mansion. If the mansion truly refused to fight, it would be tantamount to prematurely declaring defeat in the "Heaven Seizure" war.

The three's minds raced, and simultaneously, they sensed something: this little rogue Jun Moxie was likely throwing a tantrum due to some unforeseen development, venting his frustrations on them. Otherwise, he would never behave so outrageously. It was a pity the timing was wrong; otherwise, this would have been a golden opportunity to eradicate the Evil Monarch's Mansion. Now, they could only sigh in helpless frustration!

To come here today to discuss serious matters with this fellow was like playing music for an ox—it would yield absolutely no results!

If they continued the discussion, there would truly be no room for maneuver left; there was no possibility of making any headway, only the certainty of talks collapsing!

But once the talks broke down, the consequences were too dire for any of them to bear!

This fellow was currently nothing short of an explosive, ready to ignite at the slightest touch!

Worse still, he was a super-charged explosive, one that, once lit, was guaranteed to cause fatalities!

"Since Lord Jun is clearly in a foul mood today, we can always discuss this another day. Matters concerning the welfare of the common people and the future of the Continent cannot be handled carelessly!" With that, the three rose to take their leave.

"Who told you my mood was foul? My mood is excellent! Exceptionally excellent!" Jun Moxie glared, his bearing suggesting he was ready to draw his sword and kill someone.

The three acted as if they heard nothing, treating his words as mere nonsense, and turned away, proceeding with their departure.

"You think you can just come and go as you please? Is there such a convenient arrangement in this world? Let me tell you plainly: miss this chance today, and I won't have the time to entertain you again! Discuss?! Discuss your grandmother's head!"

Young Master Jun was currently brimming with suppressed fury with nowhere to vent. He felt an itch in his palms, a burning sensation in his throat, a rapid heartbeat, and blood boiling hotly, as if he needed to kill a few people just to calm down. He stared fiercely at the backs of the three figures, hopping up and roaring. He held the clear posture of, "You dare talk back, and I’ll annihilate you!"

Mo Wudao and the other two exhibited truly formidable composure, managing only to act as if they heard nothing, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

After a round of foul-mouthed tirading, Young Master Jun managed to vent a portion of his anger, plopping down onto a low table. He grabbed the teapot and gulped down nearly half of it before suddenly hearing a steward report: "Young Master, Zhan Wufeng of the Zhan Family from the Misty Illusionary Manor requests an audience."

"Let them in!" Jun Moxie slammed the teapot onto the table with a 'bang,' crossed his legs, and eyed them askance.

"Y-Your Majesty... Lord Monarch?" As Zhan Wufeng entered with the two Saint Emperors of the Zhan Family, he saw the Evil Monarch seated like a magnificent king upon the low table, carelessly dangling his crossed legs, observing them like a proud lion watching three frightened hares in the forest.

Huh? Was this truly the Evil Monarch who had been in the main hall just moments ago? His bearing and demeanor seemed not to match in the slightest. Could it be an imposter?

"Ah, esteemed scholar of the Zhan Family from the Illusionary Manor, please be seated!" Jun Moxie forced a smile, yet internally he was calculating. The lineup from the Misty Illusionary Manor this time seemed rather strange. Miao Zhan, Miao Dao, and Miao Jian coming alone should have been sufficient; why did these people from the Zhan Family tag along? It felt like adding feet to a snake...

Could this be Miao Jingyun's scheme of borrowing a knife to kill? But they hadn't stated anything clearly...

"Lord Wufeng dare not accept the high praise of the Mansion Lord. I, Zhan Wufeng, have come this time to discuss the possibilities of cooperation between our two sides, Lord Jun." Zhan Wufeng frowned slightly, feeling awkward, unsure whether to stand or sit.

This Evil Monarch's manner of receiving guests was truly peculiar—he himself was sitting on the low table... What were they, the guests, supposed to do? Standing would be insufficiently respectful, but sitting down would feel like admitting they were inferior to him, wouldn't it?

The two Saint Emperors behind him were beginning to show anger! This Jun Moxie truly knew no etiquette!

"Cooperation?" Jun Moxie cocked his head. "In what manner of cooperation?"

Zhan Wufeng felt as if he had just swallowed a fly—he was the one initiating the cooperation, which was already showing him considerable deference. He never expected this fellow to be so arrogant, acting as if the Zhan Family needed to curry favor with him.

Although Zhan Wufeng had heard rumors within the Illusionary Manor that this Evil Monarch was an unparalleled, sharp figure, the reality was far less impressive than the external gossip suggested.

The glorious reputation of this Evil Monarch, if judged only by hearsay, offered no direct sense of impact.

Furthermore, those from the Illusionary Manor generally held a disdainful, superior attitude toward the Xuan Xuan Continent outside, looking down even upon the Three Great Holy Lands. This sentiment was particularly pronounced in the Zhan Family, whose standing within the Illusionary Manor was near the top.

Therefore, although Zhan Wufeng was surprised by the strength this Evil Monarch possessed, he didn't overly value it. The only thing he did value was Jun Moxie's youth, suggesting considerable room for development, which made him a useful resource to leverage. Even if actual cooperation with the Evil Monarch's Mansion were established, it would still depend on future momentum.

If the Evil Monarch's Mansion were to become powerful one day, completely eclipsing the Three Great Holy Lands, then a strong alliance would naturally follow, cooperating to the end. But if the Evil Monarch's Mansion fell on hard times in its struggle against the Three Great Holy Lands, the Zhan Family might even secretly join forces with the Holy Lands to utterly crush the Jun Family's influence in the shortest possible time, then invite Jun Moxie into the Illusionary Manor, making him entirely subservient to the Zhan Family's power...

"The theme of cooperation is naturally the vast expanse of the Xuan Xuan Continent in the future. That is to say, our Zhan Family will fully assist you in replacing the Three Great Holy Lands and securing the position of Continental Overlord..." Zhan Wufeng stated calmly. He was confident that such a temptation would be impossible for a hegemon like Jun Moxie to refuse!

"Oh? The terms your side offers are indeed generous, so generous that I find it hard to refuse! However, since this is cooperation, it must be mutually beneficial. Correspondingly, what do I need to give in return..."

Jun Moxie's expression remained unchanged as he asked mildly, "Surely you aren't going to tell me that your Zhan Family simply favors me and is willing to let me rule the world without any cost, while you demand nothing in return, right..."

"Lord Mansion's assumption is correct; naturally, we have our objectives..." Zhan Wufeng looked at Jun Moxie's face and slowly smiled, as if he could already see into Jun Moxie's heart.

"Tell me..."

"It is merely one very simple request: we require certain unique materials from the Xuan Xuan Continent, which Lord Jun will be responsible for providing. And these materials... will only be supplied to the Zhan Family..." Zhan Wufeng narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"Only supplied to the Zhan Family? Your Excellency implies... that they cannot be given to the Miao Family..." Jun Moxie suddenly smiled. His smile held a strange, inexplicable quality. His right hand seemed to touch his nose unconsciously, withdrew three fingers, smeared them across his chin, and then let them drop.

"It is not exclusively limited to the Miao Family. All Illusionary Manor forces outside of the Zhan Family fall under this restriction! After all, the parties cooperating are the Evil Monarch's Mansion and our Zhan Family, not the entire Misty Illusionary Manor..."

Zhan Wufeng squinted and smiled. "To put it more simply, so everyone can be frank: the Zhan Family helps the Mansion Lord conquer the Xuan Xuan Continent, and the Mansion Lord helps our Zhan Family monopolize the Illusionary Manor! That's the long and short of it..."

"May I understand it this way: your Zhan Family intends to use these materials to defeat the current dominant Miao Family in the power struggles within the Illusionary Manor, further increasing the Zhan Family's influence through these resources, ultimately coercing the Miao Family to yield their position, allowing your Zhan Family to become the new dominant power, or even completely control the entire Illusionary Manor?" Jun Moxie nodded slowly. "And these items you specifically require this Sovereign to provide—do they either not exist in the Illusionary Manor, or exist only in trace amounts, insufficient to meet the basic needs of the Illusionary Manor? Moreover, only the Xuan Xuan Continent can supply them in sufficient quantities. Is that correct? In other words, without these items, the Illusionary Manor cannot be sustained to a certain degree?"

"Exactly! That is indeed the case..." Zhan Wufeng had not expected this young man's mind to work so swiftly. After a moment's thought, he admitted it with a nod.

"So, whichever faction in the Illusionary Manor controls these items can use them as a foundation to gain control of the Illusionary Manor..." Jun Moxie’s expression darkened slightly. "But I suspect these items are not easily obtained. They probably require someone of considerable skill to acquire them! Otherwise, you wouldn't be cooperating with the Three Great Holy Lands, as they were the only centers of true masters before now..."

"...The Mansion Lord's judgment is flawless!" Zhan Wufeng's gaze contracted.

Only at this moment did Zhan Wufeng truly begin to pay attention to Jun Moxie's intellect. The sharpness of this youth's thinking and the accuracy of his deductions were astonishing.

"It is too early to declare my judgment flawless. I suspect this necessary item lacking in the Illusionary Manor is not something even a Divine Skill master could acquire in large quantities at once... Perhaps the annual yield is limited, or perhaps the quality is unique, allowing it to be gathered only during a specific timeframe within its growth cycle. This would require dedicated personnel stationed there year-round for timely collection; or perhaps it demands constant, desperate effort over many years to obtain. Is that right..."

This time, Zhan Wufeng remained silent instead of speaking, but within his heart, monstrous waves were already churning.

This Jun Moxie's capacity for logical analysis was truly terrifying!

If a great quantity could be obtained at once, the Misty Illusionary Manor could collect enough for tens of thousands of years and live freely, no longer having their throats held captive. Since they couldn't, there must be some special reason.

Thus, the two deductions Jun Moxie just made represented the only two possible reasons.

Once this matter was laid bare, it was hardly surprising, but to immediately deduce it upon hearing the topic required an extremely keen mind! Not a fraction of an inch less precise would suffice!

(Lightning flashed and thunder roared, rain poured down relentlessly. Unable to help himself, a poem burst forth: Ah, what mighty rain, what fierce and powerful rain! A passing stranger raised an eyelid and remarked: Foolish brute...)