"Why not? Brother Jin, for the battle three days hence, none of you need to be present," Hai Chenfeng turned away, his voice low. "That man in black, I shall face him alone. This matter is settled!"

Heh, if you were there, and saw me fall in battle, wouldn't you rush out and fight to the death? That would only result in needless casualties.

Hearing news of my death or defeat from others, rather than witnessing it firsthand, might lessen the pain, perhaps? After so many years of friendship, this was all Hai Chenfeng could do for me.

Hai Chenfeng stated his decision with finality, then turned to face the wall, sat down cross-legged, and fell silent.

"Brother Hai," Jin Fenglie called out, suddenly feeling an immense weight on his heart. For the first time, doubt crept in: Was asking Brother Hai to intervene the right decision, or the wrong one? Would Brother Hai be in danger? For so long, his absolute confidence in Hai Chenfeng's guaranteed victory had kept him from worrying; he had simply believed that as long as Hai Chenfeng acted, everything would be fine! He had never once considered that this Brother Hai, whom he viewed as a divine figure, might actually fail!

Hai Chenfeng offered no further reply. Jin Fenglie let out a low sigh, and heavily burdened, retreated from the room.

Jun Mo Xie woke up sensing something unusual in the courtyard. He threw on his robes and stepped outside; the sky was just beginning to lighten.

In the small courtyard, more than two hundred burly men stood in precise formation, every one of them ramrod straight. Seeing Jun Mo Xie emerge, they snapped their feet together in unison and called out in chorus: "Young Master, we have returned."

Jun Mo Xie smiled; as he surveyed the two hundred-plus formidable figures, nodding silently to himself. The long-dormant aura of battle formations had completely revived within them. Besides the inherent iron-blooded fierceness belonging to soldiers, there was now an added, almost bestial, bloodthirsty flavor!

And this was precisely the initial flavor Jun Mo Xie had hoped they would acquire!

"What were the results?" Jun Mo Xie asked with a playful smile.

"Reporting to the Young Master; three hundred men in total departed the main compound for this wilderness training. Twenty-seven quit mid-way. Nineteen perished in the Sky Punishment Forest. Total attrition stands at forty-six. The remaining two hundred and fifty-four are all present! Of these, one hundred and thirty have broken through to the Ninth Rank, reaching the initial stage of Silver Profound. Eighty-four advanced to the Mid Silver Rank, thirty-six reached the Peak Silver Rank, and four have already broken through to the Gold Profound Qi! The mission assigned by the Young Master to hunt Profound Beasts has been entirely completed!" One of the big men stepped forward from the ranks and reported in a booming voice, his tone unable to conceal his excitement! They themselves knew what a monumental leap this represented for them!

"Very good!" Jun Mo Xie praised. "What you have achieved is even slightly better than I anticipated. In these past days, has everyone felt the changes within themselves? Are you different from before?"

At Jun Mo Xie’s question, the more than two hundred men all chuckled sheepishly. They recalled how they used to merely eat and wait for death within the Jun family compound; who would have thought they could achieve such progress? And this progress was all forced out of them by the Young Master’s relentless, near-death training sessions! Compared to their time in the Jun manor, their strength had increased by more than double!

"Remember this: any achievement, no matter how small, is forced out of a person! If you continue to push, endless potential can be unearthed from the human body! Cowards can be turned into warriors! But without the ruthlessness to push oneself, one can only be like rotten wood, slowly decaying; even a warrior can become more timid than a coward."

Jun Mo Xie spoke gravely. "Are your current Profound achievements truly that high? I tell you, this is only your starting point. Your current highest achievement is merely Initial Gold Profound Qi; but the world holds so many Jade, Earth Profound, Sky Profound, and Supreme Divine Profound realms! I find it amazing that those individuals managed to push themselves to such heights; can you not do the same? People all have two eyes and one mouth! A Supreme Divine Profound cultivator is not some three-headed, six-armed monster! Therefore, the road before you is still long and far. Haste makes waste; you don't need to look too far ahead right now. You only need to force yourselves to be better today than you were yesterday. One day, you will discover, without realizing it, that you have reached a new height you never even dreamed of."

"Yes! We obey the Young Master’s orders!" All the men sobered instantly.

Before accepting the Young Master's training, none of them had paid him any mind. After the training, there was a degree of confused awe. Now, having followed his methods strictly, and having narrowly escaped certain death multiple times in the forests by adhering to his teachings, these two hundred and fifty-four men were completely convinced of Jun Mo Xie's authority.

"Go find Third Uncle and see how he plans to assign your duties," Jun Mo Xie waved his hand.

"Young Master." Several of the big men stepped forward, excitement evident in their expressions. "We know, perhaps we aren't worthy, but... Young Master, could you allow us to follow you?"

"Third Uncle will make arrangements," Jun Mo Xie smiled. He was entirely confident that Jun Wu Yi would assign every one of these men to him. This was already an unspoken understanding between uncle and nephew! At this precise moment, I do indeed require such a force! That is reason enough.

Tang Yuan’s snores continued to shake the heavens, punctuated occasionally by cries like, "Ow! My butt! It hurts!" But immediately afterward, the loud snoring resumed. Jun Mo Xie couldn't help but admire the fat man's supernatural, carefree nature!

Just as the sun began to rise, Jun Wu Yi, maneuvering his wheelchair himself, slowly entered Jun Mo Xie’s courtyard. Third Master was increasingly noticing that Jun Mo Xie’s small courtyard seemed markedly different from his own, particularly in the levelness of the ground—it was significantly better maintained!

After experiencing great joy and great sorrow, Jun Wu Yi no longer felt much about being confined to a wheelchair. After all, he could roam freely at night, and even during the day, a simple disguise allowed him to go out; nothing seemed to be an impediment. In fact, recently, being in the wheelchair gave him a certain thrilling pleasure of feigning weakness to deceive others, which brought Third Master a small degree of satisfaction.

"Those men, arrange them as you see fit," Third Master stated. "I am busy."

"Busy killing people?" Jun Mo Xie keenly detected a familiar scent on Jun Wu Yi. He narrowed his eyes and chuckled. "Third Uncle, you are too ungenerous! Last night you snuck out to feast alone and didn't even call me?"

Jun Wu Yi paused, looked up, and couldn't help but laugh. "I cleaned myself up meticulously after returning. How did you, you little rogue, manage to tell?"

"Killing is not just physical work; it is also mental work, and spiritual work," Jun Mo Xie laughed with interest. "Anyone who kills does so out of anger, fury, sorrow, hatred, or righteous indignation, which generates killing intent, leading to the act. Thus, taking a life invariably damages one's spirit. This is much like how excessive anger harms the liver. After killing, the malevolent energy does not dissipate, and one's temperament naturally changes from normal, a change even the most battle-hardened general cannot escape."

"This is a crucial reason why very few people can reach the pinnacle of Profound Arts!" Jun Mo Xie's smile held a trace of coldness. "Therefore, after killing, one must quickly settle their mind and engage in something that brings genuine pleasure. Only by allowing one's spirit to completely relax can the malevolent energy from killing and its influence on oneself be dispelled. Drinking alcohol is a fine way to achieve this, which is why most martial artists are fond of drink—the same applies to soldiers!"

"So, simply bathing and changing clothes is far from enough," Jun Mo Xie winked. "However, besides me, I doubt many others would notice. You can rest assured, Third Uncle, hahahaha!"

Jun Wu Yi’s old face flushed red. He had been worried about exactly this matter, only to be humorously teased by Jun Mo Xie. "You impudent brat, daring to make sport of this old man!"

Jun Mo Xie threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Third Uncle, save that 'old man' talk for Third Aunt. Hearing it makes this nephew’s teeth ache!"

This was truly from the heart, not an exaggeration. Not only Jun Mo Xie's teeth ached, but anyone who knew Third Master Jun would have the same reaction. One must know that although Third Master had been incapacitated for ten years, his foundation was excellent, and his Profound Qi had never slackened. Consequently, over these ten years, almost no signs of aging had settled on his face. Thus, although Third Master was over thirty, he looked like a vibrant young man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Coupled with his superb bearing, he was absolutely a dashing, handsome youth, yet possessing the steady composure and grace of a middle-aged man.

For such a person to suddenly call himself 'old man'—wouldn't that make your teeth ache?!

Jun Wu Yi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. "If there are descendants in the family, anyone can call themselves 'old man'! You don't even understand such a simple rule?"

"Then that means if I had a nephew or niece right now, I could also call myself 'old man'?" Jun Mo Xie deliberately pressed the issue. "I am only sixteen, after all."

"Of course, you can!" Jun Wu Yi answered seriously.

Such a ridiculously aging claim was actually logically defensible! This world was truly insane!

Jun Mo Xie collapsed to the floor, fainting. Sixteen years old and allowed to call himself 'old man'??? Gods, let me die! This is more absurd than heavenly lightning!

"Do you have anything important this afternoon?" Jun Wu Yi asked with a gentle smile. "Remember to come back early. Tonight, the family is having a banquet to welcome and honor the House Stewards."

"Third Uncle, what exactly are they here for?" Jun Mo Xie seized the opportunity to ask about the mystery.

"Given the current situation, their purpose can be narrowed down to two things. Firstly, naturally, the Ninth Grade Profound Elixir; and secondly, to escort your Eldest Sister-in-law back home. They have already dropped hints about this second point," Jun Wu Yi smiled faintly. "Qinghan has been staying with our Jun family for so many years, which has greatly damaged her reputation. Therefore, if Qinghan decides to return home, our Jun family must compensate her—a divorce document is essential, along with other considerations, such as a public announcement, so as not to betray that child's remaining life!"

"The matter of the Profound Elixir is easy to judge; we can set that aside for now. As for escorting Sister-in-law back, I suspect things are not that simple. For years, the House Stewards have only urged her verbally. Why are they making such a grand display now, coming directly to take her home? Don't you find that improper, Third Uncle? This matter also concerns Sister-in-law's future happiness. She remains a member of our Jun family; how can we treat her lightly!" Jun Mo Xie immediately spotted the illogical element.