Only at the critical moment did a figure emerge, using Sword Control to fly out. He was a Cultivator from the Second Level of the Secret Realm, also one of the Demon Cultivators who had once followed Chu Xuexin to cause trouble for Su Jie at the longevity banquet.
"This centipede... Su Jie, you have quite the nerve to attack our Illusion Tower. Do you not fear our retaliation?"
This Cultivator, with his Divine Sense, spotted Su Jie at the mountain top, who wasn't hiding at all, and shouted in both shock and anger.
"Dead men tell no tales."
Su Jie glanced coldly at the other party.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the Thousand-Handed Centipede had already reached beneath him, with hundreds of Pale Corpse Hands swarming up, enveloping and crushing him.
"No... don't, I no longer have any contact with Chu Xuexin, I haven't acted against you."
From within the enveloping Corpse Hands, the fearful pleas of the Demon Cultivator could be heard.
"Had you known this day would come, why act as you did initially!"
Su Jie said indifferently as the dense Pale Corpse Hands exerted force, layer upon layer squeezing inward, with countless gushes of flesh and blood spurting from the gaps.
With the screams coming to a sudden end, a Divine Soul wobbled towards Su Jie, eventually being absorbed into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner he held, instantly refined, truly annihilated body and soul.
In front of the Top Grade Seven Refinements Thousand-Handed Centipede, which had its insect body significantly strengthened by Su Jie using a large number of Spirit Stones, ordinary cultivators from the Secret Realm stood hardly any chance, only able to despairingly wait for death.
Su Jie stepped forward, his body stepping into thin air, plunging in a free fall.
The next second, the massive body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede flew beneath him, catching Su Jie perfectly.
With the roaring wind carrying raindrops, Su Jie patted the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, praising, "Well done, Xiao Qian."
The Thousand-Handed Centipede replied happily with its insect chirp, as the bloodstains from the recent slaughter were being washed away by the torrential rain.
"So, this direction..."
Su Jie closed his eyes to sense momentarily, this storm was created by a God Unification Level Primordial Spirit he constructed, covering the surrounding area of Nanyang City.
Meanwhile, Su Jie's Soul Power, silently probing with the falling rainwater, sent feedback to his mind.
It was as if each raindrop was an informant for Su Jie's surveillance.
These surveillance methods, more convenient and stealthy than using bugs for scouting.
Except possibly detectable by those with a God-level Primordial Spirit and those with special Magical Treasures, even other Cultivators from the Secret Realm would find it hard to notice.
This was the latest method Su Jie had researched, the only downside being the great consumption of Spiritual Power.
During the surveillance, Su Jie produced a Nine-Grade Sacred Lotus, took a deep inhale of one of the lotus leaves' fragrance, immediately a surge of pure Spiritual Power flowed into his body.
A Nine-Grade Sacred Lotus with four leaves that could provide a massive amount of Spiritual Power, combined with the liver-transformed divine luminosity now illuminating green within Su Jie as it absorbed and revitalized the nearby Spiritual Energy into a vortex around him, compensating for the loss of his Spiritual Power, the two forces allowing Su Jie the confidence to use this tactic.
"Southwest direction, Sky Wolf House, the second prey, Xiao Qian, let's go."
Su Jie's gaze fixed towards the southwest, another direction of Nanyang City.
The Thousand-Handed Centipede took to the air, soaring straight into the clouds, heading in the direction Su Jie had pointed out.
With rain weaving before and behind him, the view distorted, everything obscured by the curtain of water, the world seemed twisted and chaotic.
And Su Jie, amidst this storm he had created, was systematically completing one hunt after another.
"Xue Xin, the weather is a bit chilly. I've brewed a cup of warm tea with Zhenyue Tea leaves for you."
Inside the spacious carriage, Chang Shiyang came in holding a teapot.
"You've taken so much trouble, Brother Chang,"
Chu Xuexin smiled, nodding her head and stretching out her hand to draw back the carriage's curtain as cold rain poured in, instantly evaporated by her Spiritual Power.
Through Chu Xuexin's eyes, the scale of this convoy was vast, with nearly twenty carriages alone, for it was a joint expedition of multiple Demon Sects traveling together.
"What's wrong, Xue Xin? You seem preoccupied."
Chang Shiyang poured Chu Xuexin a cup of tea, expressing his concern.
Chu Xuexin shook her head slightly and parted her red lips, "I don't know why, but I keep feeling uneasy."
"Thinking about Su Jie?"
Chang Shiyang's gaze also turned toward the window. He confidently said, "We have already arranged everything. We just need Su Jie to leave, and then we can go find him and ensure he has no place to be buried. Some cowards backed out halfway through, truly a disgrace to the Chongzhou Demon Path."
"They were persuaded by their elders to withdraw, so we can't blame them themselves."
Chu Xuexin furrowed her brows, growing increasingly uneasy, "I still feel like something's off. Wait, are you sure Su Jie hasn't left Nanyang City yet?"
Chang Shiyang was taken aback, "I have friends in Nanyang City who have contacts there. They have said they will report to us if there are any updates. Su Jie, that braggart, will definitely leave with grand gestures. We can just block him when it's time."
Chu Xuexin, feeling very annoyed, stepped out of the carriage and lightly landed on a horseback.
Rain kept falling, the wind blowing her skirt and the white ribbon tied around her waist fluttering, delicately cinching her slender waist.
Ahead of the horse team was a turbulent river, its water already creeping onto the bridge surface. The river's deep waters resembled a lurking behemoth.
At that moment, Chu Xuexin's unease peaked. Her cultivation of the Desire Demon Technique, which absorbed the talents of other gifted cultivators for her own use, made her highly alert to dangers.
"Stop, don't go any further."
Seeing the carriage team heading onto the bridge, Chu Xuexin couldn't help but shout out loud.
Some people in the convoy were on horseback, and others were inside carriages. Hearing her voice, they all turned their heads to look at Chu Xuexin.
Chu Xuexin was about to explain when her pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints.
Lightning struck from the sky, illuminating the night surroundings. On the carriage roof in front of Chu Xuexin, a figure appeared out of nowhere, simply watching her silently.
He was a man in a black robe, his eyes bright and spirited, standing firm as a pine, none other than Su Jie himself.
Chu Xuexin's body trembled. Su Jie's sudden appearance was totally unexpected.
They hadn't even gone to find Su Jie yet, but Su Jie had found them first.
"Su Jie, very well, very well, you've come to meet your death willingly, saving us the trouble of looking for you!"
Seeing Su Jie, Chang Shiyang's expression turned fierce.
"Dear, the prey has come, it's time to shut the door and beat the dog."
Su Jie looked towards Chu Xuexin and her group as if he were looking at dead people.
"Activate the Netherworld Bone Mountain Formation."
A distant voice carried over. On the bridge stood a woman in a blood-colored wedding dress, leaning against the railing, her long hair flowing like a waterfall with the wind.
Her face was pale, a cold smile on her lips. Hearing Su Jie's words, her eyes were lifeless and icy as she lightly caressed the Million Soul Banner in her hand and waved it.
In an instant, a tangible chilly wind encircled Han Ruyan, drastically altering the surrounding scenery.
Beneath the bridge, the river water turned into the cold, endlessly deep waters of the Huangquan River, and several mountains of bones emerged, forming the Netherworld Bone Mountain Formation made from the Million Soul Banner.
Accompanied by the roar of a million Yin Souls emerging from the mountains to form the Ten Thousand Soul Army Formation, the faces of Chu Xuexin and her companions drastically changed.
It turned out that this place was a ghost formation of the Million Soul Banner that Su Jie had prepared in advance using Han Ruyan's abilities to disguise it, causing Chu Xuexin and her group to walk into the Netherworld Bone Mountain Formation unknowingly.
"Retreat quickly, this is the Million Soul Banner."
Chu Xuexin's keen eyes recognized the formation immediately as being of the Million Soul Banner level; her voice trembled as she spoke.
Such a Million Soul Banner was simply not something the Secret Realm could contend with. She couldn't believe that Su Jie still had such a card up his sleeve.
"Thinking of leaving? Too late, a seat on the Million Soul Banner awaits you."
Su Jie sneered, slowly spreading his palms open. Below him, the Thousand-Handed Centipede emerged from the ground, its enormous mouth wide open, swallowing the carriage containing Chu Xuexin and Chang Shiyang, horses and all.