As Gu Han finished his preparations, he turned to look at Jun Moxie, his expression complex, his gaze layered with emotion—perhaps harboring a fervent hope, perhaps a deep entreaty.

It was precisely that look that caused even a man as stone-hearted as Jun Moxie’s spirit to tremble momentarily.

“I have lived two lifetimes now, totaling nearly five thousand years,” Gu Han sighed with a wry smile. “In my previous life, my cultivation ultimately halted at the peak of Saint Venerable. I could not pass the Heavenly Tribulation. Out of necessity, I shed my body beneath the tribulation, emerging as a Saint Infant to reincarnate, seeking out a prominent ancient family, merging into the body of a woman about to give birth, and entering the unborn child’s spirit. By today, I have reached the pinnacle of the third level of Saint Lord!”

“My parents in the Gu family showed me kindness as deep as the mountains and sea, so the matters of Wu Shan Yun from before have vanished. In this life, I am called Gu Han! Only Gu Han!” Gu Han’s face showed a trace of remembrance; recalling those loving parents, he let out a low sigh…

Jun Moxie nodded, then frowned slightly, and asked, “Forgive my bluntness, Senior Gu, but there is something I do not comprehend.”

“Please, speak,” Gu Han replied gently.

“When I first met you at the Heavenly Saint Palace, you stood amidst the starry sky, the universe contained within your eyes! The you from that day seemed to possess a far higher cultivation than you do now…” Jun Moxie continued, “But for what reason did your cultivation plummet to this present state?” Jun Moxie remembered clearly: when he met Gu Han’s gaze, he had almost completely lost himself in the starry domain within those eyes. Moreover, every movement Gu Han made then—every raised hand, every shifted foot—carried a kind of divine, mysterious rhythm.

It was a state almost secretly resonant with the Dao of Heaven itself.

That was a level of profound cultivation that could be called earth-shattering!

Though the current Gu Han was still not to be underestimated by anyone, he lacked that transcendent, ethereal air of before; the gap in their realms was not measurable by miles, perhaps not even an exaggeration to say they were like two entirely different people.

“So, you noticed too.” Gu Han chuckled twice, a hint of loneliness following. “We are currently cooperating closely, so my situation isn’t really a secret. I’ll tell you everything! Back then, I had already reached the peak of the fourth level of Saint Lord, just one step away from breaking through to the Half-Saint realm! That is—the same realm Zhan Kuang has reached now! Because of that, during that period, I was indifferent to almost everything; the only thing on my mind was breaking through as quickly as possible. I didn't intentionally make things difficult for you when you visited. I didn't even object when you nearly looted the entire Heavenly Saint Palace. Because—once I crossed that threshold, nothing else would be an obstacle for me!”

“Jun Moxie, do you know what such a breakthrough is called?” Gu Han asked with a gentle smile.

“What is it called?” Jun Moxie inquired with interest.

“Returning to the pristine origin, forming a man from the void; the body of a Half-Saint, the soul without end; to ascend to heaven, one must first become human! This is the Saint!” Gu Han recited these few lines with a grave expression, his face filled with reverence.

“To ascend to heaven, one must first become human!” Jun Moxie murmured the phrase, a realization dawning in his heart.

“Precisely. The most vital essence lies in that single sentence!” Gu Han said solemnly. “You must remember it firmly! It will greatly benefit your future progress. This is the greatest understanding I have gained across two lifetimes! Good or ill; no matter when, you must remember: you are a person! To be a human means being fundamentally… simple, human!”

“Well said. In this world, truly few are those who can genuinely be called ‘human’,” Jun Moxie mused slowly. “In truth, no matter what one strives to do well, the first requirement is simply being human! If one cannot even qualify as a person, how can one speak of achieving anything else?”

“Exactly! That is the principle!” Gu Han’s face showed appreciation, genuinely delighted that Jun Moxie could grasp the meaning so quickly.

“Man acts, Heaven watches. Or perhaps the Three Great Holy Lands have truly gone too far these past years! I, too, focused too much on self-preservation, causing issues with my own character as a ‘man.’ Just as I felt fully prepared, ready to strike toward that gate, Zhan Lunhui arrived. That is, Zhan Kuang, came to Heavenly Saint Mountain!” Gu Han ground his teeth as he spoke of this.

A realization dawned on Jun Moxie: Gu Han’s regression in realm was deeply connected to Zhan Lunhui!

“The Nine Illusory Flowing Sands were stolen, the grand formation instantly crumbled, followed by the complete collapse of Heavenly Pillar Mountain; my spirit and soul were severely injured at that very moment!” Gu Han’s eye twitched. “I was on a path of single-minded advancement; when my spirit was thrown into chaos, I was utterly unable to restrain the slip of my mind at that critical juncture. My cultivation plummeted a full level and a half instantly, finally halting, barely, at the peak of the third level of Saint Lord!”

“They say that rowing upstream, if you don't advance, you retreat. To receive such a heaven-shaking disturbance at such a crucial moment and not suffer qi deviation to become crippled speaks volumes of how powerful your spirit is,” Jun Moxie sighed, finally understanding the root of the problem.

No wonder the feeling he got from seeing Gu Han this time was completely different from the last.

“Enough idle talk, Jun Moxie. Now, what I need to discuss with you is serious business!” Gu Han’s expression instantly turned solemn. Staring intensely at Jun Moxie’s face, he slowly stated, “I have a few requests, and I implore you, Lord Jun, you must promise me!”

“Please speak!” Jun Moxie also grew serious. “As long as it is within my ability to accomplish, I will unhesitatingly accept!”

“My greatest lifelong wish was nothing more than stepping into the Saint realm! Then breaking the limitations of this territory to roam the heavens and wander the cosmos freely.” Gu Han spoke slowly. “But now, all those hopes have turned into bubbles; they are meaningless! My only remaining thought is to completely drive out the Foreign Race!”

“This task—the Three Great Holy Lands alone are utterly incapable of achieving it!” Gu Han stared steadily at Jun Moxie. “This, I must burden you with! I know I have no right to say this, but the countless living beings on this continent, perhaps it rests entirely upon a single thought from you, Lord of Jun Fu. I beg you!”

“Senior, aren't you being a little too pessimistic? It hasn't reached that point, has it?!” Jun Moxie said lightly.

“No! Like you, I saw it clearly long ago! The Three Great Holy Lands are doomed!” Gu Han closed his eyes. “After this battle, there will absolutely be no more Three Great Holy Lands in this world! All subsequent matters, everything—it is all entrusted to you, Jun Moxie!”

Jun Moxie started, looking up at Gu Han.

A calm smile touched Gu Han’s lips as he spoke lightly, “Regardless of the final outcome of this battle! The name of the Three Great Holy Lands, once infinitely glorious, will be wiped from this world starting now! We have resolved to use our deaths to protect the mortal populace upon this continent!”

Saying this, he smiled faintly. “That day, you said that anyone who mentioned the phrase ‘the common people of the world’ in front of you—that person must die! I hope today, you will allow me to say it one last time.”

Jun Moxie felt his heart churning violently, as if overturned by a flood.

Every human being pursues something, always having a goal.

Defending the common people of the world—maintaining the continent’s safety—that was perhaps the belief upheld by the Three Great Holy Lands for ten thousand years!

This was truly a supreme honor!

It was for this honor that they had committed so many mistakes, leading to much irreversible, grave consequence. Yet, it was also for this honor that they generation after generation carried on their duty in secluded places, without complaint!

The sacrifices they made were immense!

All for an honor few knew of, something ethereal and dreamlike!

Now, that honor had been brutally shattered by Jun Moxie. Faced with the increasingly powerful invasion of the Foreign Race, they still chose to step forward, rush into danger, preparing to use their lives to wash away ten thousand years of errors!

Tragic, yet worthy of respect!

“We have decided that in this battle, all personnel of the Three Great Holy Lands will perish in sacrifice,” Gu Han stated as if discussing trivial matters, his tone detached. “After our deaths, no matter what becomes of this continent, or the people, we are fated never to see it. At that time, all matters will be yours! I dare not presume Lord of Jun Fu will care for the common people, but I still must entrust one final matter to you… If possible, please kill every last member of the Foreign Race!”

Jun Moxie managed a bitter smile; this old master Gu truly thought highly of him!

“To be honest, I don't know why, but I always have a subtle intuition: you harbor a hatred for the Foreign Race that others can scarcely imagine!”

Gu Han frowned, then suddenly laughed strangely. “If not, after what happened with Xia Changtian, given your temperament, you should have retreated immediately after killing Xia Changtian and the others, washing your hands of this place. Even if the Xuan Xuan Continent were enslaved by the Foreign Race, you wouldn't have stepped forward. I believe, given your character, you were entirely capable of doing just that!”

“But you ultimately chose to stay! The reason you stayed, I believe, wasn't for the world, nor the people, nor for the glory of the Heavenly Punishment. So… I am truly curious, why do you hate the Foreign Race so much?” Gu Han asked with genuine interest.

“They are disgusting, aren’t they? Is that reason enough?” Jun Moxie offered a noncommittal, bitter smile.

Why did he hate the Foreign Race? As a typical hot-blooded youth, this question was too easy to answer.

But in this world, it couldn't be explained.

How could he explain it? It seemed no explanation would make sense! Should he say he was displacing his anger, because these repulsive Foreigners reminded him of a certain despicable, shameless nation? A nation whose entire populace, from old to young, deserved ten thousand cuts and a lingering death that could never satisfy the hatred?

Should he speak of the monstrous crimes committed by the subhuman Japanese army in China during the Eight Years of War of Resistance? Should he speak of the three hundred thousand wronged souls of the Nanjing Massacre?

Impossible to say, impossible to articulate! He could only kill! Kill them until the world is turned upside down!

Who would know that in his previous life, he only regretted being born seventy years too late?!