A combined strike from the Seven Grandmasters achieved results that were almost perfectly matched with those of Venerable Xiang! Although Venerable Mei might have employed some tricks, one must not forget that this was the combined force of the Four Supremes, further bolstered by the assistance of three Divine Profound experts!

Venerable Mei’s Profound Art had clearly reached a terrifying and astonishingly profound level!

A terrifying strength of this magnitude was absolutely unparalleled and reached the zenith in this world!

As the dust settled, Li Jue Tian, Lei Wu Bei, Shi Chang Xiao, and Ying Bo Kong appeared on the remaining half of the mountain peak, while Xiao Bu Yu and the other two were all deathly pale, sitting cross-legged to regulate their breathing and circulate their energy.

Those three were the unluckiest; being merely at the Divine Profound strength level, their cultivation base was weaker. They suffered internal injuries from the backlash alone. While not excessively severe, it already hampered their ability to exert their strength. Their evasive maneuvers during the subsequent massive explosion of Profound Energy were slightly slower, causing them to be brushed by the edges—making matters worse. At such a critical juncture, every single bit of lost strength could lead to mortal peril; how could the three not seize the time to quickly adjust and recover?

However, they were still not the unluckiest ones.

After finalizing his arrangements, Young Master Jun impatiently emerged, cloaked in invisibility high above the clouds to observe this grand spectacle. He was thoroughly entertained, especially when the Lord of Heavenly Punishment cursed Li Jue Tian; Young Master Jun was so ecstatic he wanted to leap up, applaud, and cheer heartily. Witnessing the two engage in their peak-to-peak confrontation afterward was the utmost thrill.

But precisely at the peak of his excitement and enjoyment, joy turned to sorrow. A sudden air explosion erupted below him. He was not a Divine Profound level expert, after all, and had absolutely no warning of what would happen next. Caught completely off guard, the intense shockwave propelled him upward. Then, a boulder nearly a zhang square flew up flatly, settling perfectly beneath his backside, instantly carrying him skyward as if riding the clouds.

His rear end felt as if it had been slammed onto a massive, red-hot iron plate, both struck and adhered to it. Jun Mo Xie was instantly in such agony that he almost screamed toward the heavens—a feeling bordering between excruciating pain and ecstasy.

Too… damn accurate! My Mid-Autumn Festival is doomed to suffer greatly!

I’m still in the state of Yin-Yang Evasion! Young Master Jun finally remembered to escape only after ascending high into the sky. But before leaving, he naturally could not let that large stone that had abused him go; he kicked it fiercely, causing it to instantly shatter into pieces. Jun Mo Xie took this opportunity to quickly shrink into the Hongjun Tower.

That was truly too close for comfort!

This was also the reason why everyone, despite clearly watching a stone slab nearly a zhang square fly up, never saw it fall—because under Young Master Jun’s retribution, it had already been smashed into dust and fragments.

In the distance, Venerable Mei stood on a tree root, casting a dubious glance toward the sky, deep in thought. His attention was immediately drawn back to the Four Supremes across from him. Gritting his teeth, his black cloak flapping in the wind, he prepared to strike again!

“Wait! Venerable Mei, hold!” A loud shout suddenly echoed from afar. The voice carried an incredibly deep Profound Energy that shook the mountains, accompanied by two swift whooshes. Two figures in black robes suddenly appeared before Li Jue Tian and the others. What drew attention was that around their waists, they wore golden-purple belts, from which hung long swords in golden-purple scabbards.

They were two middle-aged, handsome men possessing outstanding demeanor. Their well-tailored black robes clung to their bodies, making them look exceptionally imposing.

The two men stopped, simultaneously cupped their hands towards Venerable Mei floating in mid-air, and smiled: “It has been many years since we last met, Venerable Mei. I trust you have been well? Do you still recognize old acquaintances?”

Venerable Mei remained suspended in the air as if weightless, his two divine gazes sweeping over them, and he replied faintly: “So it is you two. This truly surprises me! Since you are well, how could I not be!”

Li Jue Tian, standing behind them, rolled his eyes in extreme frustration: Those two also uttered the words "I trust you have been well," yet when they said it, Venerable Mei did not show anger. But why did he receive nearly world-destroying wrath when he uttered the exact same greeting?

One of the middle-aged men laughed heartily: “Venerable Mei swept across the Eight Desolations and roamed the world back then! Seeing you today, your Profound Art has advanced significantly again. This is truly cause for congratulations.”

“Congratulations? I should first congratulate the two of you. The two famous Supremes from back then mysteriously vanished without a trace, not appearing in the mortal world for decades. It turns out you went to the Hidden Immortal Palace to become the Golden-Purple Guardians, second only to the Palace Master. Congratulations!”

Venerable Mei said coldly, then his eyes flickered, and he stated gravely: “Lei Bao Yu, Bu Kuang Feng; the ‘Earth-Shattering Twin Swordsmen’ of yesteryear, the ‘Storm and Gale Twin Supremes.’ What brings the esteemed presence of the Storm and Gale to Heavenly Punishment? Do you have some instruction for my Mei family?”

At this statement, most people present had no idea what he was referring to; those two names were too distant for the majority. However, the Four Supremes like Li Jue Tian, the elders of the Wind and Snow Silver City, and the older heads of a few families all revealed expressions of surprise and shock.

Though few remembered those names now, sixty years ago, they were two figures whose mention alone could strike fear into many hearts and send their souls scattering. Every high-ranking figure who had truly entered the circle of Xuan practitioners trembled upon hearing those names.

Among the Eight Supremes of that era, there were two sworn brother pairs whose fame was immense; they traveled together, inseparable as shadow and form. The Xuan community found these four individuals profoundly irritating. They checked each other, frequently engaging in battles whenever they met—a massive, world-altering conflict!

Moreover, the temperaments of these four were both righteous and evil; they were utterly unrestrained, acting purely on whim. Back then, they had nearly thrown the entire world into chaos! But just as their fame reached its zenith, they suddenly disappeared simultaneously. Everyone at the time speculated that the four must have perished together. Countless people applauded the news, and the legends of the four gradually faded. After an entire cycle of sixty years, very few people knew what had transpired back then.

One of those sworn brother pairs was these two men before them.

Lei Bao Yu, Bu Kuang Feng!

As for the other sworn brother pair, they were the other two renowned eccentrics of that era.

Shattering Wind and Cloud, Forcing Through the Heavens, Letting My Life Be As I Will, Letting My Pride Be Unrestrained!

Ren Ping Sheng, Yi Jiu Kuang—the two Supremes.

It was unimaginable that after sixty years, they would hear those nightmarish names—Storm and Gale—again on the eve of the great battle in the Heavenly Punishment Forest, and see the actual people.

The only thing that perplexed everyone was that when they disappeared back then, they were already quite old, likely at least seventy or eighty years of age. Now, after the long span of sixty years, why did they appear as two middle-aged men? Could these two have actually mastered the art of reverting to youth?

“We dare not presume,” the speaker had a black mole at the corner of his eye. The elders clearly remembered this as the distinct feature of the Storm Supreme, Lei Bao Yu. He said with a slight smile: “With the humble abilities of my brother and myself, how dare we speak of giving ‘instruction’ to Venerable Mei? Our purpose today is one of necessity; we are here representing the Immortal Palace to bear witness to the war between Heavenly Punishment and the Continent!”

“Oh? Such a trivial matter has alarmed the Hidden Immortal Palace. Should my Mei family feel extraordinarily honored then?” Venerable Mei sneered. Facing these two murderous Supremes, he seemed utterly unconcerned, clearly confident in his position.

“How dare we. However, before my brother and I arrived, the Palace Master specifically instructed us to convey a message to Venerable Mei,” Bu Kuang Feng said mildly from the side.

“Please speak. I wonder what message that hypocrite wishes to deliver to me?” Venerable Mei asked with keen interest.

Hearing him utter the word “hypocrite,” Bu Kuang Feng’s face twitched, but he forcibly suppressed the rising anger in his heart: “The Palace Master said: ‘The Heavenly Punishment War may proceed; however, Venerable Mei must maintain restraint. Be it conflicts between Xuan practitioners or the struggle between the Three Great Sacred Lands, the common people are innocent. We implore Venerable Mei to show mercy.’”

“Hahahaha, as expected, it’s that sickening tone of feigned compassion from back then!” Venerable Mei roared with laughter: “But my Heavenly Punishment Forest has always done as it pleases, never accepting control from any person or force. Even the Hidden Immortal Palace—can they command me, Heavenly Punishment? What a massive joke!”

“Whatever Venerable Mei wishes to do, we naturally will not interfere, nor are we capable of doing so. Even the outcome of this war, we will not aid any side, but will merely report today’s events accurately. Everything will be decided by the Palace Master,” Bu Kuang Feng smiled faintly.

Venerable Mei let out a deep hum: “The ‘Earth-Shattering Twin Swordsmen’ of yesteryear, the ‘Storm and Gale Twin Supremes,’ roaming the world, dispensing justice and settling grudges with abandon, supporting each other, dominating the realm—how unrestrained and magnificent they were! I never expected that after becoming the Golden-Purple Guardians of the Hidden Immortal Palace, you two would descend to this state. I truly admire the methods of your Palace Master in controlling people. If I met Ren Ping Sheng and Yi Jiu Kuang now, it would be a great oddity if you two weren't routed disgracefully!”

His words clearly implied that the current Storm and Gale were utterly subservient. Although he used no vulgar language, the insulting implication was unbearable. Furthermore, by comparing them to their old rivals at the end, he pointed out that although the two looked younger, their actual cultivation had not advanced much, and they were no longer opponents for Ren Ping Sheng and Yi Jiu Kuang—this was intolerable to the two of them.

Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng’s faces spasmed, intense rage flickering in their eyes. Both simultaneously placed a hand on their sword hilts and stepped forward.

Li Jue Tian’s face lit up—were these two finally going to fight? If they joined the fray, their chances of victory would undoubtedly increase significantly!

Just as he thought this, suddenly, Lei Bao Yu and Bu Kuang Feng retracted the step they had taken. Lei Bao Yu turned to face Venerable Mei and said calmly: “Venerable Mei is a high master of this age; why provoke us unnecessarily? Today is indeed inconvenient for a battle, but that does not mean there will be no future opportunity. If Venerable Mei is interested, after today passes, my brother and I will certainly accompany you.”

Venerable Mei’s black robe let out a sharp rustle in the air, seemingly accompanied by a smile: “Oh?”

(Today is Ghost Festival; I must rush out this chapter before leaving home to spend the festival with my parents. The next update will be later.)