By arranging for ghosts to haunt Nanyang City, causing the living to be in constant fear all day long, every nightfall, ghosts would venture out to hunt along the streets. And through the Primordial Spirit Pearls bestowed upon the common folk, they harvested the people's fear continuously, as fodder for the sect's fierce ghosts.
The actions of the Heavenly Soul Sect had become increasingly rampant, not just within Nanyang City. The nearby small cities and villages had also been brought under the influence of the Heavenly Soul Sect, with frequent appearances of ghastly beings in these areas.
When the commoners attempted to flee, they would be stopped by the disciples of the Heavenly Soul Sect. Using fierce ghosts to drive the people back into their homes, they terrorized them and occasionally killed a few to serve as a warning to others.
With such methods, the area around Nanyang City had become a place everyone in Qingzhou spoke of with dread, and no one dared to venture too deep into it anymore.
Yet today, a carriage slowly made its appearance in this region so feared by the people of Qingzhou. The sound of horse hooves clattered against the ground as it approached the main gate of Nanyang City.
Atop the city walls, several Heavenly Soul Sect disciples looked on in surprise. At such a time, someone still dared to enter Nanyang City, which they found completely baffling.
"What's the situation with this carriage? Didn't the Guardian Hall say all the guests had arrived?"
"Be careful, it might be a ploy by the Righteous sect. They have always wanted to deal with us at the Heavenly Soul Sect. Recently, with the Sect Master's three hundredth birthday celebration, we can't afford to let the Righteous sect cause trouble and ruin the Sect Master's mood."
"Understood. This is our stronghold. If the Righteous sect dares to come here, we'll make sure they won't return."
Several inner disciples of the Heavenly Soul Sect whispered amongst themselves and then cautiously operated the fierce ghosts, holding Soul Summoning Banners in their hands as they approached the carriage, alert to any threats.
However, as those Heavenly Soul Sect disciples drew near, their fierce ghosts suddenly froze, acting distressed and unwilling to move closer to where the carriage was.
"I am Master Su Jie, Hall Master of the Puppet Hall from Ghost Ridge Palace, and I have come to visit the Heavenly Soul Sect today."
Right then, a voice resonated from inside the carriage, catching several Heavenly Soul Sect disciples off-guard.
And when they saw the curtains of the carriage drawn back, revealing the faces of Su Jie and Han Ruyan, their pupils involuntarily constricted even further.
"Corpse Hand Man Slaughter—it's Corpse Hand Man Slaughter."
The face that matched the wanted poster exactly took the Heavenly Soul Sect disciples by complete surprise.
After killing Wei Ji, Su Jie's name had become quite well-known in Qingzhou, and many disciples and elders of the sect, who had taken part in the great sect war, had witnessed Su Jie's mighty prowess.
Su Jie's strength had been recognized as unparalleled within the Secret Realm, almost an invincible existence among his peers.
Now, unexpectedly faced with the infamous powerhouse of the Secret Realm, these disciples who only had Yunling Realm cultivation felt an indescribable pressure.
"Master Su... Master Su gracing us with your presence, I will immediately notify the elders of the sect. Please, come inside."
The leading disciple, at the Yunling Realm Seventh Level, quickly reacted, swallowing nervously as he spoke hastily.
Su Jie, with a smile on his face, was extremely humble and courteous, which relieved the disciples of the Heavenly Soul Sect a great deal.
Many elders from the Demon Sects were notoriously bad-tempered, each seemingly suffering from some sort of superiority complex, where one could unwittingly offend them and not even know how they died.
The carriage slowly entered Nanyang City, and what caught Su Jie's attention were the city walls, six feet high and engraved with strange runes, forming a massive formation.
Despite it being noon, Nanyang City was bustling with activity—the sounds of street hawkers and trade filled the air, with many farmers from nearby villages carrying their vegetables and grain to sell.
Su Jie remembered his last visit to Nanyang City; at the time, the streets had been desolate and empty, with few pedestrians to be seen, as most people stayed indoors.
But now, Su Jie noticed that the eyes of these commoners were filled with numbness and vigilance, although they had to come out onto the streets out of necessity to make a living.
Moreover, many places in the city were decorated with red silk, made up to look festive.
In some inns and taverns, Su Jie also noticed that there were quite a few sect disciples dressed differently from the Heavenly Soul Sect, going in and out. These people, judging by their attire, were not from the Heavenly Soul Sect, but without exception, each radiated a murderous aura, likely individuals from Demon Sects.
Su Jie asked the Heavenly Soul Sect disciple accompanying the carriage.
"Responding to Master Su, my name is Li Chunhai."
This inner disciple of the Heavenly Soul Sect, who was at the seventh level of the Yunling Realm, respectfully replied.
"Your Heavenly Soul Sect seems to have a celebration recently, why is the city decorated with red and ornaments? And there are also many people from other sects?"
"Our Sect Master will soon celebrate his 300th birthday, and many close friends from our Heavenly Soul Sect have come from thousands of miles away to attend the banquet, that's why there is such a grand occasion."
Li Chunhai spoke with pride, appearing honored to be part of it.
"Oh, it seems I have arrived at quite the right time."
Su Jie raised his eyebrows, musing thoughtfully.
The Heavenly Soul Sect had come from Jingzhou after their mountain gate was breached, and the entire sect collectively relocated and fled to Qingzhou.
According to Su Jie's understanding, although the Righteous sects also held the upper hand in Jingzhou, there were still quite a few Demon Sects existing there.
Moreover, to the south of Jingzhou, bordering Chongzhou, was one of the few areas within the Da Li Dynasty where Demon Path forces could stand against the Righteous sects.
That place was also known as the last flourishing land of the Demon Path, which was very different from the situation in Qingzhou, where only Ghost Ridge Palace remained as a single entity.
Of course, from a broader perspective, the Demon Sect forces were all in decline. Among the sixteen provinces of the Da Li Dynasty, places like Chongzhou were rare; in most provinces, like Qingzhou, the Demon Path was suppressed by the Righteous sects, with only one or two Demon Sects barely surviving.
So it was no surprise to Su Jie that the Heavenly Soul Sect knew other Demon Sects.
As for why Ghost Ridge Palace wasn't invited to the grand birthday celebration, on one hand, the relationship between Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect was only formed during a sect war.
After the sect war, the two Demon Sects cooperated with underlying opposition and each held grudges.
Ghost Ridge Palace was very unhappy that the Heavenly Soul Sect had moved into Qingzhou to claim territory and resources; one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, but because of the threat from the Righteous sects, Ghost Ridge Palace had to tolerate Heavenly Soul Sect's presence, as it drew considerable attention from the Righteous sects.
Therefore, before departing, Su Jie had not heard anything about the Heavenly Soul Sect planning any Sect Master's grand birthday. Clearly, the Heavenly Soul Sect did not invite Ghost Ridge Palace to participate, otherwise, Su Jie would have known about it.
While pondering, Su Jie suddenly felt a Divine Sense sweeping over the carriage.
Su Jie's expression immediately turned serious. The ability to use Divine Sense to see objects across space, akin to a cultivator's version of radar, was a capability only possessed after mastering one's Primordial Spirit in the Secret Realm, and was a common scouting method in the Secret Realm.
However, normally, using Divine Sense to view others was very impolite and provocative.
This was akin to someone peeping through a telescope from a distance, except during combat. Under normal circumstances, no one would rashly use Divine Sense to scout others; it was too easy to offend people.
"Ignorant of life and death."
In an instant, Su Jie's Primordial Spirit opened his eyes. His Divine Sense surged like a raging tsunami, instantly shattering that Divine Sense and spreading along the same path, thunderously landing inside a two-story tavern.
The entire wooden tavern, under the spirit pressure and Divine Sense, began to teeter, with beams and columns making an overwhelmed noise.
A young man dressed in purple robes, holding a folding fan, wearing a square cap, and with a refined appearance let out a muffled groan, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, staining the front of his shirt, his face a mix of shock and anger.
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!
The tavern owner and servers desperately ran out, while from the second-floor windows, silhouettes flashed out, quickly reaching the street outside.
The next second, the entire tavern collapsed with a roar, raising clouds of dust.
Li Chunhai, who stood beside the carriage, only felt two powerful pressures clash before the tavern collapsed. His face immediately turned pale, as he knew this had something to do with Su Jie. Provoking a major conflict in the Secret Realm was no small matter.
Inside the collapsing tavern, a young man smashed through the crumbling building and walked out with an unfriendly gaze.
Seeing this young man, Li Chunhai's face became even tenser.
Because this young man was from a Demon Sect in Chongzhou, the Sect Saint Son of the Blood Demon Cave, Chang Shiyang, who even at a young age possessed a cultivation of the Secret Realm.