Sikong An Ye and the others had only just begun to walk away from the battlefield when Jun Mo Xie's shameless tirade echoed once more across the hillside, sharp and lively like a mischievous breeze that refused to settle.
The tension of battle had barely faded, yet laughter now flickered at the edges of exhaustion.
Sikong An Ye paused mid-step, his lips curling upward as though he had just witnessed a particularly amusing stage performance. He turned toward Duanmu Chao Fan with deliberate slowness, eyes glinting with wicked delight.
"This brat is extremely shameless," He declared with exaggerated solemnity. "He reminds me of your youth."
Duanmu Chao Fan froze as if struck by lightning. His dignified composure was shattered instantly. He spun around, grabbed Sikong An Ye's sleeve, and stammered with visible agitation, "Me… how… no… no… no… no…"
The stutter tumbled out of him like pebbles falling down a hill, one after another, stubborn and unstoppable.
Sikong An Ye immediately raised both hands in surrender, though his expression was that of a man enduring immense suffering. "My bad, brother. I shouldn't have irritated you. Listening to you speak is very painful. Change it for me! Why won't you? Damn it, I've tried to change this lousy habit of your speech for decades, but it's still the same!"
Duanmu Chao Fan's face flushed crimson. He released Sikong An Ye with a huff, though the corners of his mouth twitched as if he were suppressing either rage or reluctant amusement.
Behind them, Dongfang Wen Qing steadily pushed Jun Wu Yi's wheelchair through the thinning crowd. The wheels rolled across the trampled earth with a faint crunch, coming to a halt before Jun Mo Xie, who stood at the center of the commotion with the air of someone who had just won a grand debate rather than survived a battlefield.
Jun Wu Yi lifted his brows and studied his nephew with an expression that blended suspicion and fondness. "You?"
Jun Mo Xie clasped his hands behind his back and leaned forward slightly, grinning like a fox who had just escaped a trap. "Third Uncle, you're very brave. You single-handedly dealt with so many Level Nine Xuan Beasts, and they retreated. In fact, they retreated, and you aren't even out of breath after going through all of that. This is miraculous. You remained seated in your wheelchair the entire time and didn't even move. This youngster genuinely admires you."
"You little devil." Jun Wu Yi snorted, though warmth flickered in his gaze.
He asked nothing further. He did not need to. The truth hung quietly between them like an unspoken pact.
Whatever miracle had unfolded today bore Jun Mo Xie's shadow, and that shadow was best left undisturbed in public. Secrets were most powerful when protected by silence.
Jun Wu Yi allowed himself a faint smile. The pride swelled within him, steady and unshakable. Among all the experts gathered here, only his nephew could have orchestrated something so impossible.
At that moment, the vast field grew strangely quiet.
An open space had been cleared at the center, as though the earth itself had stepped back in anticipation.
In the middle of that empty ground stood a young woman clad in green.
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
She was not a beauty in the flamboyant manner of courtly beauties adorned in jewels and silks, but in a way that felt almost otherworldly. She stood like a magnolia blooming alone in a quiet valley, untouched by dust or blood. The faint breeze toyed with her long hair, lifting strands that shimmered beneath the afternoon light.
Her eyes were clear as spring water, reflecting neither malice nor fear. Her features were delicate, her expression serene, and her posture unhurried. She seemed innocent enough to be sheltered behind palace walls, someone who would blush at harsh words and avert her gaze at conflict.
And yet, she was the new generation Snake King.
A murmur rippled through the ranks of the human Great Masters.
"Impossible…"
"She cannot be the King of Poisons…"
"How could such purity conceal such terror?"
The contrast was jarring.
The title of Snake King evoked images of venomous fangs, sinister gazes, and coiling death. This maiden radiated warmth and gentle charm.
This disparity felt almost cruel.
Jun Mo Xie narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her with keen interest. Beneath that soft exterior, he could sense something deeper, coiled tight like a serpent waiting within still waters.
The human camp quickly concluded its deliberations.
A solitary black-clothed figure stepped forward, his boots making firm, measured impressions in the soil. His aura was cold and sharp, like steel drawn in winter.
It was Lei Wu Bei, the Cold-Blooded Master.
Jun Mo Xie's brows twitched in faint surprise. Of all candidates, he had not expected this choice to be made so swiftly.
He exhaled quietly, thinking to himself that the Solitary Falcon would have been ideal. Agility was paramount against a foe who wielded poison as an invisible blade. The ability to strike from above, to avoid ground-bound traps and venomous strikes, would have tilted the scales.
Falcons hunted snakes by instinct.
Nature itself had declared the hierarchy.
The Solitary Falcon looked at Li Jue Tian and his son with displeasure. His relationship with the Young Master Jun was obvious to everyone.
But the decision had been made.
"The Cold-Blooded Master, Lei Wu Bei?" The Snake King's voice was quite clear and melodious. It even had a trace of gentleness to it as she blinked her eyes.
In fact, she had sounded naïve and inquisitive as she had asked that question.
Her appearance and demeanor had made it seem as if she were a young girl who was naïve in the ways of the world. It had seemed like she was shy about seeing a stranger and was too bashful to say hello.
Nearly every onlooker felt a strong urge to go pat her head and say, "Little girl is a good little child. Don't be afraid. I will buy you sweets..."
However, her opponent, Lei Wu Bei, would never dare think like that!
The Xuan cultivation of the Xuan Beast Kings was no match for those of the Eight Great Masters; Venerable Mei was the only exception.
But the reason why they were as famed as the Eight Great Masters was the fact that their bodies were extremely tyrannical.
In fact, normal attacks were like itches to them.
But these Xuan Beast Kings could keep up with the Eight Great Masters with the help of their tyrannical bodies, even if their cultivation was slightly inferior. Moreover, they could possibly turn the tables on their opponents if they managed to employ some sinister methods.
The girl in front of him would seem sweet, petite, and fragile, almost as if she wouldn't be able to stand up against a gentle breeze, as if she were a water bag, and a very delicate one at that.
But, Lei Wu Bei clearly knew that this girl's body was nevertheless that of the Snake King!
Moreover, she was one of the most poisonous individuals in the Tian Fa forest!
'I doubt if her skin would even redden if my fist struck her. However, would I be able to endure if she struck me?'
"You're the Snake King? It's an honor to meet you!" Lei Wu Bei behaved as if he were facing a great enemy. He turned his hand and drew out a glittering and grotesquely serrated blade. One side was bright and clear. It was so bright that it could bathe a man in bright light.
In fact, it seemed similar to a sharp cutlery blade. But the other side was densely serrated like a saw tooth.
This was clearly the more lethal part of the sharp weapon.
Jun Mo Xie finally understood the reason for Lei Wu Bei's nomination after he saw that weapon.
The first reason was obviously the fact that they didn't have a better candidate at the moment. But his lethal weapon was the most important contributing factor towards his selection. That weapon would bestow great destructive power against the Xuan Beasts, even though they had extremely thick skin.
Moreover, the saw-tooth serrations would be very destructive against the Snake King's exquisite skin in particular.
The Snake King stood there delicately and timidly. In fact, she seemed lovely and somewhat pitiable at that moment. She appeared somewhat shocked as she shouted, "Great Master Lei! Such a horrible weapon! You are indeed very cold-blooded!"
She first exclaimed in a shocked manner. Then, she moved her hand to cover her tiny mouth.
It seemed like she would turn around and flee at any moment.
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