Yu Wenjing's face turned vicious, and he turned around without looking back to run, hoping the others would attract attention, so Su Jie would chase them, giving him a slim chance to escape.
Mo Shiyao followed closely behind, then Jiang Lin and He Wenfeng, the four of them fled in different directions, secretly hoping Su Jie would chase someone else.
"When disaster strikes, everyone flies away on their own! Even the righteous sect doesn't care about loyalty!"
Su Jie lightly chuckled, shaking his head, watching Zhang Xinming, whose Dao heart had collapsed, standing there.
Abandoned and alone, Zhang Xinming seemed oblivious to the severity of the situation, solely focused on retrieving his Canghai Sword.
However, the Thousand-Handed Centipede took one look at Zhang Xinming, who was bouncing around in front of him, and crushed him down like Mount Tai, making Zhang Xinming stay put, as his spine was fractured and he couldn't struggle at all.
Su Jie looked towards the direction where Mo Shiyao and the others disappeared, with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
Sitting atop the Black Moon, Han Ruyan wiped the brass dressing mirror. Within the mirror, there were the scenes of Yu Wenjing and the four others fleeing. They were all cursed by the Mirror Girl's tracking curse, being toyed with unknowingly.
In the next moment, Su Jie raised his foot and vanished from where he stood, appearing behind He Wenfeng.
"Hey, bald donkey, in such a hurry, where are you going? As a demon, you Buddhist disciples don't think about purification, instead, you turn around and run. Don't you feel you've lost face?"
Hearing this voice, He Wenfeng's face turned ugly, realizing he was targeted by Su Jie.
"Amitabha Buddha, Mr. Su, with your cultivation talent, falling into the Demon Path is truly regrettable. If you chose the right path, you'd already be the most outstanding youth of the Da Li Dynasty, a prodigy in cultivation."
He Wenfeng clasped his hands together, his expression compassionate.
"What do you want to say?"
Su Jie had a smile on his lips, leisurely listening as the other spoke.
"With your talent, Mr. Su, if you correct your ways now, I and Lingfa Temple are willing to vouch for you, leaving darkness for the light, stepping on the path to immortality, future days of becoming immortal are within reach."
He Wenfeng tried to paint a grand picture for Su Jie, unaware of Su Jie's firm temperament, on Blue Star, he was one who painted grand pictures for billions, He Wenfeng's tricks were a far reach to persuade Su Jie.
"My hands are stained with the blood of the righteous sect, yet they would accept me?"
Su Jie raised an eyebrow, his smile mischievous.
"Of course, Buddha says to lay down the butcher knife and become a Buddha instantly. As long as Mr. Su sincerely seeks goodness, I am willing to help Mr. Su resolve all hidden dangers, regardless of the challenges."
A hint of joy flashed in He Wenfeng's eyes, mistakenly believing his persuasion had succeeded.
"Since you've said all that, can't you show some sincerity? Come back to the Magic Boat with me, then I'll explain to the Sect Master, resign from the Demon Cultivator's identity, and pursue my righteous path to immortality."
Su Jie's smile grew kinder, making it hard to decipher.
He Wenfeng's expression froze, following Su Jie onto that Magic Boat, wasn't that akin to stepping into a thief's den? He was unwilling.
"Why, didn't you just say, no matter what challenges and dangers you'd persist? Even if life might be at risk, the Buddhist tenet of feeding an eagle with one's flesh wouldn't make you too scared to proceed, right?"
Su Jie advanced step by step toward He Wenfeng, his smile growing more taunting.
He Wenfeng realized Su Jie was ridiculing him, unable to hold back a furious shout: "Demon, stop pretending here, I won't return with you."
After speaking, He Wenfeng burst forth with golden light, his form expanding, transforming into a ferocious three-headed, six-armed stance, charging fiercely towards Su Jie, seeking life within death.
But sadly, against overwhelming power, all efforts were futile.
Su Jie lightly lifted a finger, uttering the word, and dozens of purple light rays bloomed from his fingertips. He Wenfeng's charging figure sprayed blood from many points, resembling a human fountain, his screams shaking the heavens.
Su Jie had painstakingly cultivated to the Taoist Platform Realm not to engage in life-and-death battles with Secret Realm opponents; such adversaries, once Su Jie got serious, were essentially defeated instantly.
Looking at He Wenfeng, curled up like a boiled shrimp, limp on the ground, Su Jie shook his head: "Why bother? The ending is the same. Couldn't you have just come with me, instead of making yourself look so pitiful?"
"You... you demon... so... so cruel..."
He Wenfeng's facial features twisted in agony, his body like a sieve, blood pouring out, yet Su Jie had avoided vital points, thus such was the cultivator's physical resilience, unable to claim his life but forcing him to endure pain akin to having arrows piercing through.
"Take him back to the Magic Boat, guard him well."
Su Jie turned away, continuing towards the next target.
Several Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples emerged, first casting reverent looks at Su Jie's departing figure, marveling at his strength, then dragging He Wenfeng's legs, treated as battle spoils, back to the Flying Magic Boat like a dead dog.
Jiang Lin's long legs sprinted fast, she didn't rise to the sky like others, but chose to flee on the ground, using dense forest vegetation for cover, trying to hide herself and make her escape less conspicuous.
However, just when Jiang Lin thought she had hopes of successful escape, a cold voice echoed from above.
As the voice fell, Jiang Lin's limbs twisted and broke, pain bleaching her complexion, facing the slowly descending Ghost Bride, she showed only desperate eyes. This was an existence she couldn't possibly resist.