A tremor shook Zhan Wufeng's heart.

"That's it! It all makes sense now!"

Jun Moxie paid no mind to Zhan Wufeng's denials. Instead, he fell into deep contemplation. The frown furrowing his brow suddenly smoothed out, and with a sharp clap of his hands, he exclaimed, "So that's why you proposed those terms earlier, and even promised assistance! If I truly ended up in a mutually destructive conflict with the Heavenly Saint Palace, you would scheme to preserve my life! All while publicly announcing that Jun Moxie was... this way, every concern vanishes. With the other seven families holding individuals possessing the Ethereal Constitution, and without a threat like myself, they would naturally choose to compromise, cautiously stepping back to plot for the future."

"And by doing so, every one of the Zhan family's objectives would be perfectly achieved. Once successful, as long as you don't relax and continue to accumulate strength, with my help targeting the owner of that Ethereal Constitution, everything will truly be within your grasp!"

Jun Moxie smiled faintly. "A truly brilliant sequence of stratagems, each leading to the next. First, using the supreme temptation of the world's ultimate authority to lure a young man like me—inexperienced in the ways of the world, yet astonishingly powerful—into your trap. All I needed to do was take one step, and everything that followed would unfold with absolute logic! Even if I realized it later and wanted to turn back, I would be unable to resist this irreversible tide, tumbling forward until finally being received into the Illusory Manor! Completely at the service of your Zhan family!"

"Naturally, all my subordinates outside, my entire family, and every single profound beast in the Heaven's Punishment Forest, would all be wiped out. This would only further facilitate your control over the continent! Even if I saw through this later, I would be forced to submit obediently under your Zhan family's protection!"

Jun Moxie chuckled, clapping his hands twice, offering sincere praise. "You Zhan family members are truly geniuses! Such an exquisite chain of planning is simply marvelous, especially the person who devised this scheme of driving the tiger to swallow the wolf and securing the spoils—that person is a genius among geniuses! Even I cannot help but admire him; one wrong step, and there is no turning back."

"Patriarch Jun, are you perhaps thinking too highly of us?" Zhan Wufeng clearly heard the cold sweat dripping from his forehead onto the ground, yet he struggled to maintain his composure. "If the Heavenly Saint Palace truly unleashed its full might, even our Zhan family fighting with all its strength might not be able to cope, let alone safely rescuing the Patriarch from their grasp! Patriarch Jun's words... perhaps view our Zhan family too highly. While the Zhan family has never belittled itself, we are certainly not so arrogant as to believe that..."

"No, no... you absolutely can. You are entirely capable of it." Jun Moxie slowly raised one finger, dangling it lightly, and smiled. "Because in this arrangement, you could watch the forces of the Evil Monarch's Residence and the Heaven's Punishment Forest be utterly destroyed, but you would never stand by and watch the most valuable asset—myself—be finished. Therefore, you would certainly find a way to save me! For this, your Zhan family only needs to dispatch one person to achieve this perfectly. I even believe that the astonishing power possessed by that individual would make even the highest authority within the Heavenly Saint Palace no match for him! Rescuing me from their hands and retreating unscathed would be a very simple matter for this person in your Zhan family."

"Lord Jun, you jest. The Zhan family possesses no such person as you speak of!"

Zhan Wufeng continued to feign composure, his throat feeling parched and his heart pounding once more. The Zhan family did indeed have such a person, but this was the Zhan family's greatest secret, known only to its core members! If Jun Moxie had guessed even this much... "then Jun Moxie is truly too terrifying!"

Little did Zhan Wufeng know that Young Master Jun not only guessed at that person's existence but had actually met him before!

"Zhan Wufan—you, the direct brother of the Family Head, truly do not know of this person in your Zhan family?"

Jun Moxie smiled mysteriously. "Care to allow me to offer you a reminder?"

"Then I beg Patriarch Jun to enlighten me!"

Zhan Wufeng’s face instantly shifted to an expression of innocent indignation and deep grievance. "This Zhan knows nothing of the schemes or plots Patriarch Jun speaks of! Our Zhan family would never commit such despicable acts! We came here with the utmost sincerity, and for the Master of the Jun Residence to say such things is a profound insult to our Zhan family!"

"Insult is better than losing your life! Do you still think I am merely bluffing even now? Regrettably, I genuinely know of that person's existence, and I am even clearer about his identity! Zhan Wufeng, think carefully. Once I utter the name of that extraordinary existence, none of the people from your Zhan family here today will leave here alive! Zhan Wufeng, you must consider this cautiously! Once I speak it, life and death will be decided instantly. This is not a jest; be careful, be precise."

Jun Moxie smiled faintly, but a sharp killing intent flickered in his eyes.

The cold sweat on Zhan Wufeng's forehead transformed into pea-sized drops, rolling down with audible pats!

"Life is precious, invaluable! In the flow of time, it is equal for all; everyone has only one, no exception."

Jun Moxie was still sitting lazily with one leg crossed over the other atop the low table, but his earlier languor was gone. Though seated, he resembled a drawn sword, ready to taste human blood at any moment! Yet, his words remained light, filled with mockery, sarcasm, and an air of nonchalance that masked a decisive, lethal intent: "In one's life, one can regret many things, but the choice between life and death is not one of them!"

Zhan Wufeng’s body began to tremble.

Every word Jun Moxie spoke landed like a heavy hammer blow in his heart! Step by step, he was being forced onto the razor's edge between life and death!

The existence of Zhan Lunhui was a secret unknown even to those in the Ethereal Illusion Manor, let alone others outside the Zhan family core.

Jun Moxie is far away on the southern edge of the continent, how could he possibly know? He must be trying to trick me! If I dare to gamble on this, it will prove the Zhan family's sincerity, and the Zhan family can then exploit Jun Moxie! Exploit the Evil Monarch's Residence! Exploit the Heaven's Punishment Forest! The Zhan family will reign for a thousand eternal ages! I, Zhan Wufeng, will be the greatest contributor to the Zhan family!

But if Jun Moxie truly speaks the name Zhan Lunhui, then only one word awaits me: Death!

This choice seemed simple, yet it was agonizingly difficult! Because the stake in this gamble was his very life!

Looking at the chilling killing intent in Jun Moxie's eyes, he absolutely believed that this Sovereign of Evil dared to kill him! A powerhouse who dared to challenge the Three Great Sacred Lands on the continent, a Saint Venerable expert—what reason would he have to hesitate in killing a mere person like him? No matter how great the Zhan family's influence, it couldn't compare to the deterrent force of the Three Great Sacred Lands united! And in terms of sheer strength, they were far inferior!

The two Saint Emperors behind him, under the oppressive aura of Jun Moxie’s supreme might, found the hilts of their swords continually slick with cold sweat, making them utterly unable to grip them steadily!

Jun Moxie's aura suppressed them so completely that they dared not move a single hair! But the opponent could still speak so leisurely, his tone unchanging! And Zhan Wuyun, standing right in front of them, didn't seem to notice at all! Because mere internal fear was enough to paralyze them! If he were as tense as they were, his body would be stiffer than theirs!

"Esteemed scholar from the Zhan Residence, have you made your decision?"

Jun Moxie looked at him kindly. "I truly do not have much patience, especially with those who set traps to deal with me."

"I have decided! Patriarch Jun, please resolve this for Scholar Zhan: which earth-shattering master within our Zhan family possesses the might to single-handedly face all the experts of the Heavenly Saint Palace, rescue someone calmly, and retreat with ease."

Zhan Wufeng took a deep breath, his gaze turning fervent. "If Patriarch Jun cannot name this person, then it proves all your previous deductions are baseless conjecture and hold no weight. This would, in turn, affirm our Zhan family's sincerity in cooperating with Patriarch Jun! The proposal for cooperation remains valid!"

"Among the younger generation of the Zhan family, there is a remarkably outstanding young man. I certainly am not referring to those dead ghosts, Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yuchen, so you need not rush to deny it!"

Jun Moxie’s gaze turned merciless. "According to ancient legends, the First Young Master of the Nine Hells had four direct disciples. The youngest among them was named Miao Qingcheng, who founded the Ethereal Illusion Manor... And Miao Qingcheng, in the Illusion Manor, took in eight disciples! These are the founders of the Eight Great Families existing today! Among them was a person surnamed Zhan, the founding ancestor of your Zhan family. I have no interest in what this person was called previously, but I do know that this person is a true monster, managing to survive across such an immense span of time! Brother Zhan, do you know who this person is?"

Zhan Wufeng felt a chill run through his entire body!

"I also heard that this old beast is extremely cruel and inhuman. To escape the calamity of death, every few centuries or a millennium, he selects someone of exceptional talent from his own descendants, occupies their body, so that he can continue to live. And such an old scoundrel—I truly do not understand why your Zhan family venerates him?"

Jun Moxie sneered. "However, what left the deepest impression on me is that this person feels no shame in slaughtering his own descendants for his life, but rather boasts and preens, believing that the cycle of heaven and earth cannot touch him. He actually gave himself a name: 'Zhan Lunhui' (Zhan Reincarnation)."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. This person truly does not know the meaning of death. Reincarnation is the law of Heaven; at best, he is merely a lingering specter that luckily escaped. How dare he attach the character 'Zhan' to it? Truly overestimating himself!"

The mockery in Jun Moxie’s eyes completely transformed into searing killing intent.

"Scholar Zhan Wufeng, my words are finished. You... may proceed on your way." Jun Moxie casually swung his foot. "Please walk the path your ancestor boasted of conquering: Reincarnation!"

"You! This is impossible! How did you know?"

Zhan Wufeng suddenly cried out in terror and despair.

From the moment the three words 'Zhan Lunhui' were spoken, he knew it was over! The opponent had not erred in the slightest! In fact, Jun Moxie's deductions were even clearer than what he himself understood: This, this must be the true plan devised by Zhan Lunhui!

"How I know is unimportant. What is truly important is... that I am no longer the only one who knows."

Jun Moxie spoke leisurely. "Three seniors, did you hear clearly?"

"Indeed! We have also clearly learned of this matter! We truly have Lord Jun to thank this time!"

As the voice faded, Miao Zhan, Miao Yi, and Miao Jian appeared outside the room with grim faces, their eyes filled with murderous intent fixed upon the backs of the three Zhan family members. All three simultaneously felt as if needles were piercing their backs!