《Two Realms Shuttle Gate: Don t Call Me a Demon!》 Chapter 1: Demon Cultivator Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Demon Cultivator In the deep autumn, twisted and bare old vines stood silently in the autumn wind, while the rugged mountain cliffs and valleys echoed with the chirping of autumn insects. Whoosh! A strong wind swept through, and within the thousands of mountains and ravines, it seemed as if countless moths were fluttering and jostling, turning the world into a grey and white haze. Upon closer inspection, these were thumb-sized insects with grotesque human-like facial features and plump flesh. Smack! A net swooped down, trapping several human-faced bizarre insects, which flapped their wings in a frenzied attempt to escape. The sharp proboscises spewed acidic fluid, corroding the rocks with sizzling sounds, forming honeycomb-like scars. Clap clap clap! A glass jar swiftly captured the human-faced bizarre insects; the lid was screwed on tightly. ¡°Three human-faced moths, I¡¯m really lucky.¡± A young man around twenty wiped the sweat from his brow. He was dressed in a thick rubber suit, wearing a protective beekeeper¡¯s hood; his features were regular and his eyes, bright and spirited. He tapped the glass jar, observing the furiously thrashing and saliva-spewing human-faced moths within. Su Jie set down the basket on his back at his feet, already filled with over a dozen similar human-faced moths. ¡°Twelve, plus these three, even if they¡¯re sold at a reduced price at the Ghost Market, should fetch me a Blood Marrow Crystal.¡± Su Jie¡¯s face held the joy of a farmer reaping a bountiful harvest. On the Black Market, ten human-faced moths could usually be exchanged for one Blood Marrow Crystal. Human-faced moths, a gregarious and dangerous species, have a keen sense of hearing and an extreme thirst for blood. If too much noise is made, or even a small wound is carelessly exposed, it would attract a swarm to descend upon the unfortunate soul, devouring them completely, leaving not even bones behind. Having been here for half a year, Su Jie had already seen too many clumsy fellow sect members meet their end, leaving no trace of their corpses. Capturing them required patient lurking, waiting for a gust of wind to stir them into motion, seizing the chance to grab one or two. Sometimes luck was poor and only a few could be caught in a day, but one still had to be wary of the risk of losing one¡¯s life. Because it was too troublesome, fully-fledged Demon Cultivators wouldn¡¯t bother with capturing them, but human-faced moths happen to be a favorite food for the poisonous insects cultivated by many Demon Cultivators. Therefore, this troublesome task fell to newcomers like Su Jie. He was an Outer Disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace and a specialized Insect Catcher. As the wind died down, the human-faced moths once again settled on treetops and rocks. Su Jie carefully placed his basket, slowly retreated, and left that part of Insect Valley. Outside the mountain, there was a narrow path, winding and deep. Su Jie took off the stifling rubber suit and beekeeper¡¯s hood, enjoying the crisp air. ¡°Brother Su, it looks like you¡¯ve had a good haul today.¡± Sounds from behind; several Insect Catchers, dressed just like Su Jie, greeted him. ¡°It¡¯s just enough to scrape by, after all, I still have to pay my dues to my Master.¡± Su Jie nodded slightly; these men were also Outer Disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace. Ghost Ridge Palace was renowned for its insect poison, by virtue of controlling this part of Insect Valley. This area was Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s forbidden ground, where other Demon Cultivation Sects dared not tread. While speaking, Su Jie quickened his steps, his gaze vigilant. Although they were from the same sect, they were all Demon Cultivators, naturally lacking much comradery, with the law of the jungle prevailing; snatching or even killing others was commonplace. ¡°Wait for us, Brother Su, it¡¯s getting dark soon, beware of Alien Ghosts on the prowl, and it¡¯s better to stick together.¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten, Brother Su, you¡¯re with Taoist Qiu, who demands ten Blood Marrow Crystals a month. You¡¯ve been here for half a year, so at least dozens of Blood Marrow Crystals are gone. They really don¡¯t treat you like a human being.¡± ¡°Tell me about it, my Master only demands five Blood Marrow Crystals a month.¡± As the several Disciples continued talking about Taoist Qiu, their tone teasing, they sped up, approaching Su Jie with seemingly ill intentions. At Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie had always been an inconspicuous existence; robbing him came without any sense of guilt. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to speak nonsense. My Master likes to use insect poison, for all you know there could be one of his insect poisons on me. If he hears about this, he won¡¯t let it go easily.¡± Su Jie kept a calm face, but his words caused a slight change in the expressions of the Disciples opposite him. Offending an Elder with careless words, if Disciples like them were attacked or even killed, no one would bother to ask about it. The thoughts of robbery they had harbored faded, uncertain of the truth in Su Jie¡¯s words. ¡°We¡¯ll be going ahead then, brothers.¡± Su Jie no longer paid attention to the few men behind him and strode onto the narrow path. ... The sun was setting, and the dying light was as red as blood, tinting the sky. Su Jie walked briskly, the distant mountains shrouded in mist, willow trees stood silently by the roadside, their branches hanging down, casting shadows over the grassy path. After distancing himself from the few Disciples, Su Jie thought back to their words and mused internally: ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve been in this world for half a year, and to think I¡¯m still acting as a cheap Insect Catcher every day.¡± Reflecting on his past memories, Su Jie felt melancholic. Su Jie was not native to this world; he came from the modern civilization of Blue Star. Half a year ago, Su Jie had just graduated from an ordinary second-tier college and was struggling to find a job. These days, it wasn¡¯t just the graduates from ordinary colleges that had difficulty finding jobs; the situation was the same even for postgraduates, or else there wouldn¡¯t be so many opting for a steady government job. But instead of finding work, one night, an Ancient Mirror passed down in his family glowed brightly and in the blink of an eye, it drew him into it. By the time Su Jie came to his senses, he found himself in this cultivating world called Tianyuan. And his arrival was in none other than the deep forests of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s territory. Unable to leave this deep forest, Su Jie inadvertently joined Ghost Ridge Palace. Chapter 2 - 1: Demon Cultivator_2 Chapter 2: Chapter 1: Demon Cultivator_2 After entering, Su Jie realized the grandeur of an immortal¡¯s abode, with palatial buildings nestled amid the clouds on mountaintops, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was met with a Demon Cave scene full of skeletons forming forests, wandering ghostly fires, and poisonous creatures all over the ground. By the time Su Jie understood that Ghost Ridge Palace was a Demon Sect, it was too late for regrets. In half a year¡¯s time, Su Jie had learned some common knowledge about this Cultivation World by constantly inquiring for news. For instance, Demon Cultivators are universally loathed. The idea of achieving immortality and longevity seems so enchanting. Yet these are terms associated with the orthodox Taoist sects. In this world, Demon Cultivators are the evils that everyone spurns and seeks to kill. Simply because the Cultivation Techniques practiced by Demon Cultivators are often sinister and bloody, commonly involving living humans for Blood Sacrifice, Blood Extraction, and Soul Stripping. Such actions naturally lead to universal ostracism. After the last great war between the Taoists and the demons five hundred years ago, the Demon Path suffered defeat and gradually declined. Nowadays, Demon Sects can mostly only cling to survival in remote mountains, forests, and isolated islands, no longer possessing the arrogance of their once flourishing era when they slaughtered thousands unchallenged. Ghost Ridge Palace, where Su Jie resides, is one such Demon Sect. During this half-year, Su Jie gradually came to accept his fate, extinguishing any thoughts of escape. The deep mountains and dense forests are teeming with evil creatures, ferocious beasts, and hazardous terrains, with sect disciples stationed at all essential passages. Thinking of fleeing without a Pass Token? If caught, expect to be subjected to the Punishment Elder¡¯s Soul Extraction and the lighting of a Corpse Lamp. Fortunately, although it¡¯s the Demon Path being practiced, the principle of reaching the same goal by different means holds true. Attaining a high level of Demon Cultivation can still grant longevity, and this is Su Jie¡¯s hope. However... Su Jie¡¯s Cultivation aptitude is poor. Otherwise, he would have joined the inner sect from the start, not needing to spend his days hunting insects. As an Outer Disciple, the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture he studied specifically to catch insects is the most common Demon Cultivation Technique. After half a year of diligent practice, he had only reached the Second Level of the Yunling Realm, slightly enhancing his physique, developing some immunity to minor poisons, and gaining a certain affinity for Poison Insects. The Yunling Realm is divided into ten levels, and with Su Jie¡¯s level of power, he couldn¡¯t even count as cannon fodder within Ghost Ridge Palace. Outer Disciples with poor aptitude often reach their twilight years stranded at the Yunling Fourth and Fifth Levels, nothing more than expendables in the eyes of the higher-ups. Inner Disciples, however, have the potential to break through to the Secret Realm, typically possessing the Cultivation of the Yunling Sixth and Seventh Levels. Only at this level of power are disciples considered significant. As for breaking through the Secret Realm, that¡¯s no longer a disciple¡¯s concern but an ability to take on positions such as Manager, Master, Elder, etc. Both status and power would skyrocket, becoming a part of the core forces of Ghost Ridge Palace. Su Jie is aware of his poor potential, but this is the only chance in his life to defy fate. In the modern civilized world, he was just an ordinary worker, where finding a job was extremely difficult. While here, he could hope to wield the immense power to move mountains and compel the seas, to exist as long as the heavens and the earth. Either way, he¡¯s selling his life; in the real world, working hard for a boss to afford a Ferrari. Working for Ghost Ridge Palace, at least, held a sliver of hope for immortality. ... The sun had completely set behind the mountain tops. Before the last ray of light disappeared, Su Jie returned to the foothold of Ghost Ridge Palace. Corpse oil bone lamps hung high, emitting pale fires as they lit up the blood candles. Owls hooted from the treetops, their cries as mournful as sobbing. Under the illumination of the bone lamps, rows of stark and crude stone caves appeared in view. ¡°Brother Su, you¡¯re back late!¡± A lean-faced young man greeted Su Jie. ¡°No choice, if I don¡¯t catch more Poison Insects to sell, I won¡¯t be able to pay the Master¡¯s monthly fee.¡± Su Jie replied with a smile; the person in front of him was Peng Shiwen, Su Jie¡¯s neighbor and also a fellow disciple inducted into Ghost Ridge Palace at the same time. They were both disciples of Taoist Qiu and shared a Cultivation at the Yunling Second Level. Since they were neighbors and inducted together, their relationship was somewhat better than with the average disciple. ¡°Sigh, who knows when we¡¯ll see the end of these hard days. Capturing insects day in and day out, I feel like I¡¯m turning into a bird.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re in luck, bird-type spiritual beasts are natural enemies to many poisonous insects. You should try strapping on a pair of wings someday.¡± Su Jie bantered with Peng Shiwen for a few more sentences before they said goodbye to each other. Arriving in front of a stone cave, he took out a key and unlocked the door; this was Su Jie¡¯s dwelling in Ghost Ridge Palace. Inside, which spanned about thirty square meters, there were a few scant items such as a bed, a cushion, a desk, and so on. The most precious were the assortment of bottles and jars on the shelves. They contained the poisonous creatures he had found on Ghost Ridge Mountain, such as the Blue-tailed Demon Scorpion, Rainbow Blood Patterned Snake, Evil Scissors Spider, Red Poison Fire Ant, and others¡ªall low-grade species. Upon seeing a living person appear, the agitated and ferocious poisonous creatures fluttered their wings and screeched. There was one, however, that remained calm at the sight of Su Jie. It was a centipede as long as an arm, colored in alternating bands of red and black. Eerily, beneath its abdomen, the densely packed segments were actually pale human hands, looking incredibly sinister. The thousand-handed centipede, which thrived in moist and dark environments, was nocturnal and had highly toxic extremities. This was the lifebound poisonous insect that Su Jie had nurtured. Although it wasn¡¯t of high quality, it had grown considerably over more than half a year of nurturing. When he had first obtained it, it was merely the length of a finger. ¡°It¡¯s feeding time, little guy, and today it¡¯s a feast.¡± Su Jie lifted the lid off the thousand-handed centipede¡¯s container and took out five human-faced moths from today¡¯s haul, feeding them in with a pained expression. Crunch. The previously calm thousand-handed centipede suddenly sprang to action. Its jaws snapped a human-faced moth in two, chewing and swallowing it voraciously. The remaining human-faced moths screamed, and the thousand-handed centipede rose up, its underbelly hands unfurling, easily crushing several human-faced moths. With over half a year of nurturing, the thousand-handed centipede had grown robust, well, at least among creatures of its lowly caliber. Hiss, hiss. The thousand-handed centipede quickly finished off the human-faced moths and then began to wave its antenna at Su Jie, indicating its desire for more food. ¡°That¡¯s all, the food for today is just this much.¡± The insatiable thousand-handed centipede crawled restlessly inside the cultivation tank. ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll give you some blood to drink.¡± Su Jie, resigned, took out the blood collection equipment provided by the sect and drew half a tube of fresh blood. The dripping blood collected in a small bowl and was placed before the thousand-handed centipede, quickly slurped up until not a drop remained. ¡°That¡¯s really it.¡± Knocking on the still beggarly thousand-handed centipede, Su Jie appeared dejected. The cultivation technique he practiced, the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture, emphasized the mutual slaughter and consumption of poisonous creatures to continuously refine and enhance the quality of the poisonous insects. The stronger the lifebound poisonous insect bound to Su Jie became, the more cultivation it fed back to him, greatly accelerating his cultivation progress. Unfortunately, the poisonous insects he could gather each day were limited; besides feeding the thousand-handed centipede, he had to hand over ten Blood Marrow Crystals to his Master every month, and he also needed them for his own cultivation expenses. This led to the thousand-handed centipede¡¯s growth being a mere forty to fifty centimeters over half a year, severely malnourished. Su Jie had seen those inner disciples who, with ample money and resources, fed their lifebound poisonous insects a massive amount of toxic creatures. Some of the insects that mainly grew in size were generally several meters long, a far cry from Su Jie¡¯s own. Lacking resources, and as the thousand-handed centipede¡¯s growth increased its daily demand for poisonous creatures, Su Jie had no choice but to let his own blood for feeding. But even this could not satisfy its appetite; the situation was truly miserable. Placing the still begging thousand-handed centipede on his arm, Su Jie closed his eyes and started running the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture. The next moment, the thousand-handed centipede clung tightly to Su Jie¡¯s arm, harmonizing its breath with his. Energy flowed through his meridians, continuously drawing in the outside spiritual power into his body. By his own estimation, reaching the Yunling Third Level would take another year with normal cultivation. After practicing for a while, Su Jie¡¯s mood was far from pleasant, with the road to immortality seemingly endless. Two hours later, Su Jie, who had completed his cultivation, slowly opened his eyes, only to be dazzled by a brilliant light. Turning his head to look, the Ancient Mirror he had kept in his room was shining brightly, illuminating the stone cave. ¡°Damn, you can still be used? I thought you were a one-time consumable.¡± Su Jie was shaken, quickly stood up, and, with a mix of shock and joy, picked up the Ancient Mirror. He saw red light flowing across the Ancient Mirror, and a portal to another space quietly opened upon its surface. Through the portal, he could faintly make out a modern home on the other side. His mouth agape, Su Jie couldn¡¯t be more familiar with the setting. Because that was the rental room he lived in before transmigrating to this Tianyuan World. He had been sleeping there, when the Ancient Mirror had brought him here. Seeing this scene, Su Jie realized what had happened and, unable to contain his excitement, stepped through the doorway. Chapter 3 - 2: Traveling Between Two Realms Chapter 3: Chapter 2: Traveling Between Two Realms I¡¯m back. I¡¯m really back. Looking at the familiar furniture, appliances, air conditioning, water heater, and other products of modern civilization, Su Jie almost shed tears of joy. In the past six months, he had suffered a lot at Ghost Ridge Palace. Every day, he had to struggle for a living and watch out for the brutal competition within the sect, living on thin ice. ¡°Six months, do you know how I¡¯ve spent these six months?¡± With a complex look in his eyes, Su Jie stared at the Ancient Mirror in his hands, a mixture of bitter feelings welling up in his heart. Fortunately, his six months of hardship had toughened his mentality; he calmed his emotions in just a few seconds. Facing the portal door again, Su Jie stepped through and sure enough, he was back in the Tianyuan World. After many trials, Su Jie confirmed his speculation. The Ancient Mirror could take him freely between Blue Star and Tianyuan World, allowing him to shuttle between the two realms. ¡°Hiss, I admit I spoke a bit loudly just now, Magic Mirror, Magic Mirror, you really are a treasure.¡± A smile that Su Jie couldn¡¯t suppress hung on his lips. Having experienced the treacherous and mystical world of cultivation, he didn¡¯t want to completely escape back to the real world. Although the real world was safe, with no life-threatening dangers, and pleasures far exceeded that of the other world, compared to the temptation of longevity, money and power were just fleeting clouds; Su Jie could tell which was lighter and which was heavier. Su Jie only wanted to use the resource advantages of Blue Star to aid his cultivation in Tianyuan World. Otherwise, relying solely on his poor cultivation talent, he would struggle to make a breakthrough even until death. He found his phone on the bed and charged it. There were several missed calls and texts, all from the landlord asking for the rent. Su Jie had paid half a year¡¯s rent upfront, and now it was almost due. He then checked his bank account, the five-digit figure was clear at a glance. ¡°I need to make money.¡± Now, Su Jie immediately understood what he needed to do. Wanting to use modern resources, having no money was absolutely not going to work. ¡°The total is thirty thousand, six hundred and three dollars, whether in Tianyuan World or on Blue Star, I¡¯m truly impoverished!¡± Su Jie said, laughing at himself. Su Jie¡¯s mother had lost contact with his father when he was a child, and his father had sold the house and car to pay for medical bills when Su Jie was in college but did not survive. By the time Su Jie graduated, that was all he had left. If it had been just after his college graduation, Su Jie would probably have been very anxious about his dwindling family assets. But now, possessing supernatural powers, making money wasn¡¯t a matter of committing crimes. With his own talent for Insect Control, putting on a show or appearing on a program to make money was easy. However, Su Jie had no thoughts of continuing to work a job. It was too troublesome to make money that way, and it wasn¡¯t much money either. The differences between the two worlds were vast; even a casual speculator could strike it rich! Speaking of which, what products from Tianyuan World were valuable in modern society? ¡°Trading gold and silver, tsk, no, no, that might work for small amounts at first, but it becomes a problem in larger volumes.¡± Su Jie quickly thought it over, immediately ruling out gold, silver, and gemstones. In either world, such hard currencies were valuable and not easy to obtain. Even with profit margins, such dealings could attract attention, especially large transactions of precious metals which could draw governmental scrutiny. Before his power had increased substantially, Su Jie did not plan to draw attention to himself. ¡°Antiques seem out of the question too; Tianyuan World¡¯s antiques aren¡¯t recognized on Blue Star!¡± Su Jie frowned deeply in thought. While Tianyuan World, being a feudal society, didn¡¯t lack ancient artifacts, the lack of shared cultural history meant these items couldn¡¯t fetch high prices. As he paced back and forth in his rented room, he inadvertently bumped into the corner of the table. A red mark appeared on his waist, but Su Jie didn¡¯t care; instead, he stood still, gazing at the wooden table, suddenly having an epiphany. ¡°Right, timber, I can sell timber! I can do a wood import business.¡± Su Jie slapped his thigh, coming up with a very suitable idea. Around the mountains near Ghost Ridge Palace, ancient trees hundreds or thousands of years old were common. Some of these trees were extremely rare and valuable species on Blue Star. Such as Golden Nan Wood, Rosewood, Yellow pear wood, and so on. These woods had become extremely endangered on Blue Star after thousands of years of logging. In the Tianyuan World, these trees were just ordinary, and no one engaged in their random felling. Su Jie only needed to set up a company with import-export qualifications or collaborate with a licensed import-export business to legally sell the timber domestically. ¡°Wow, this plan could really take off!¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes lit up Hua Country had imported over 100 million cubic meters of wood annually, and timber trading was extremely popular. After searching the internet for more information, Su Jie had a clearer objective, planning to first cut down a type of tree called ¡°Zitan.¡± This type of tree had already become extinct in ancient Hua Country, only remaining in the form of old stock passed down through generations; currently, only India had similar trees in production. He could completely cut down the trees, then rapidly dry them with spiritual power, or age them directly to legitimately sell them. Since this type of tree was already extinct in Hua Country, there was no risk of illegal logging. Nowadays, most of the Zitan in the wood trading market were either handed down from ancestors or imported from India and were sold openly. Thinking of this, Su Jie could no longer contain his excitement. He took a step back into the Tianyuan World to search for rare trees to cut down. .......... Following his plan, Su Jie first exchanged a small amount of precious metals for millions in funds, then started to establish shell companies both domestically and internationally, paying people to negotiate relationships and secure import-export qualifications. Once everything was ready, Su Jie commenced his plan. Blue Star, Linping City, Leng Baihe Furniture Company. Su Jie stepped out of the taxi and looked up at the towering, multi-story building that housed Leng Baihe Furniture, pondering the company¡¯s details as he walked inside. Leng Baihe Furniture was a well-known home furnishings company in Hannan Province, specializing in high-end home furnishings, with its products distributed throughout Hua Country. ¡°Hello, sir, may I help you with something?¡± Two receptionists offered professional smiles as they inquired about Su Jie¡¯s purpose of visit. ¡°I represent Hengyuan Company and I¡¯m here to discuss a partnership. I contacted you by phone earlier, seeking your purchasing manager.¡± Su Jie went straight to the point; he was here to make money, and as for Hengyuan Company, it was a shell company he had someone set up to facilitate the transaction. ¡°Sure sir, just a moment, I¡¯ll make a call to ask.¡± One of the receptionists made a call and soon told Su Jie, ¡°Sir, Manager Liang invites you to his office. I¡¯ll take you there now.¡± Minutes later, Su Jie successfully met Liang Lianjun, the purchasing department manager of Leng Baihe Furniture Company. ¡°May I ask your sirname, sir?¡± Liang Lianjun shifted his gaze from his computer screen, remaining seated, his attitude neither warm nor cold. ¡°No need for formalities, my sirname is Su. I would like to know if Leng Baihe purchases raw wood materials?¡± ¡°Mr. Su, Leng Baihe has always had stable suppliers and overseas purchasing channels. Which timber factory are you representing?¡± Liang Lianjun¡¯s attitude cooled further, assuming that Su Jie was a salesperson from a timber factory trying to penetrate Leng Baihe¡¯s supply chain. Leng Baihe Furniture wasn¡¯t short of channel partners. Hua Country was currently Blue Star¡¯s largest importer of timber, with countless timber mills vying to hitch a ride on Leng Baihe¡¯s coattails. ¡°Manager Liang, just take a look at this first.¡± Su Jie did not respond immediately but instead took out his phone and opened the photo album. It contained photos of his laborious two-day efforts of cutting trees in the Tianyuan World, which he showed to Liang Lianjun. ¡°Mr. Su, we at Leng Baihe have stable channels for beech, pine, mahogany, oak, black walnut, cherry wood, and the like. Cooperation might not be...¡± Liang Lianjun hadn¡¯t finished speaking when it seemed he saw something unbelievable. After rubbing his eyes, Liang Lianjun leaned in close, staring intently at the photos on Su Jie¡¯s phone screen. ¡°This is... top-quality Zitan, at least eight hundred years old. Mr. Su, you¡¯re not joking with me, are you? Do you really have this? Do you truly have it?¡± Liang Lianjun¡¯s voice trembled, as excited and eager as seeing a dream lover, swiftly standing up. Such top-quality Zitan! This type of wood was called the king among woods, dense, hard in texture, and resistant to decay, able to withstand insects and moisture. Moreover, Zitan grew slowly, gaining only one growth ring every five years, barely maturing in a hundred years. Throughout history, Zitan furniture was predominantly reserved for royalty. Today, Zitan had been extinct for centuries in Hua Country, with very limited old stock remaining, let alone such top-quality material. Leng Baihe specialized in high-end home furnishings but also rarely obtained such quality raw materials. ¡°I¡¯m not one for jokes, Manager Liang. I have the stock ready, and you are welcome to inspect it. However, I should mention that this batch of wood is ancestral, and your company will need to handle the formalities.¡± Su Jie pocketed his phone, seeing Liang Lianjun¡¯s expression, he knew his plan had largely succeeded. ¡°Of course, of course. Is it convenient to inspect the goods now? If the material is fine, all else is easy to handle, and we at Leng Baihe would buy it all.¡± Liang Lianjun didn¡¯t seem concerned, for capital dared to trample all laws with enough incentive, especially a large corporation; regardless of whether it was ancestral, they could easily launder it. ¡°I¡¯m available for the transaction anytime.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s not delay, I¡¯ll arrange for the company car now.¡± Liang Lianjun was overjoyed, thoughtfully serving Su Jie tea and water. Any initial aloofness had disappeared, now he was the one eager for Su Jie to sell him the goods. This top-quality Zitan material was a seller¡¯s market, available only to those quick enough. Failing to secure a deal due to negligence would be nothing short of criminal. Chapter 4 - 3: 62.4 Million Chapter 4: Chapter 3: 62.4 Million Outside Linping City. At the South Bridge Logistics Warehouse Center, a Mercedes-Benz seven-seater business van was leading, followed by a convoy of trucks and cranes that drove in and stopped in front of a small warehouse. Once the vehicles stopped, Su Jie and Liang Lianjun stepped out of the business van. Following them were several elite business professionals, including financial and legal experts, clearly indicating a major transaction was in the works. ¡°The goods are inside.¡± Su Jie took out the keys, opened the warehouse he had just rented by spending all his assets, and led several people inside. The warehouse wasn¡¯t very large and appeared quite empty, with only a few bare trees placed in the corners. ¡°It really is Pterocarpus santalinus.¡± Originally anxious, Liang Lianjun¡¯s heart was now completely settled ¨C Su Jie wasn¡¯t playing him for a fool. ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯d like to take a look at the quality of these raw materials first, and I hope you don¡¯t mind if we cut into them a bit.¡± Liang Lianjun eager and impatient, brought his tools down from the vehicle. ¡°Since we¡¯re all professionals here, that¡¯s naturally possible.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, and Liang Lianjun hurried over to the Pterocarpus santalinus trees. ¡°This guy¡¯s got some crazy connections, to have so much.¡± Upon first seeing the Pterocarpus santalinus, Liang Lianjun judged that these trees were ancient, vintage stock likely handed down from ancestors, and completely eligible for free trade. Liang Lianjun didn¡¯t know that there was something in the world called Spiritual Power that could easily age wood. ¡°Diameter about 59 centimeters, length around 16 meters, weight estimated to be five to six tons, this one¡¯s diameter is 63 centimeters...¡± After measuring the data of five Pterocarpus santalinus trees, Liang Lianjun called a Master to come forward. The man picked up a chainsaw and started to make a cut at the base of a Pterocarpus santalinus. Buzz buzz! When a ring of thin wood was cut off and the sawdust was washed away, revealing the inner core. Everyone except Su Jie¡¯s eyes widened. Accompanied by a faint scent, the Pterocarpus santalinus revealed a gradient of textures from shallow to deep, presenting an extremely fine ripple pattern. It was like a natural painting of West Lake, exceptionally dazzling and beautiful. ¡°Perfect, perfect-grade golden star pattern, this texture, this feel, this oil richness... It¡¯s incredible.¡± Touching the beautiful cut surface as if caressing a lover in a dream, Liang Lianjun wished his eyes could bore into the wood. Such obsession for beloved objects is hard to understand for those not in the industry. For example, Su Jie didn¡¯t understand; although he found it attractive, he wasn¡¯t to the point of infatuation. However, Su Jie knew one thing: he would be getting more money in his hands. ¡°Manager Liang, take a look at the other goods as well. There are still four more.¡± After a few minutes, Su Jie reminded the still-enthralled Liang Lianjun. ¡°The other trees will definitely not disappoint. Master, bring over the chainsaw... never mind, I¡¯ll do it myself, I¡¯ve never cut such high-quality Pterocarpus santalinus before.¡± Liang Lianjun, extremely excited, snatched the chainsaw to do it himself. As the chainsaw buzzed, one after another Pterocarpus santalinus tree was cut open. And with each cut, sounds of sharp intakes of breath could be heard on the site. ¡°It¡¯s actually the finest among the fish scale patterns, evolved into the Dragon Scale pattern, with clear and powerful textures, full and smooth.¡± ¡°Is it real? This level of golden star tumor scar pattern is simply perfect, too perfect.¡± ¡°This one too is...¡± Exclamations of surprise rang out in the warehouse. The group of experts from Leng Baihe Company were like novices who had never seen the world, completely conquered by the various beautiful patterns of the Pterocarpus santalinus. After all the Pterocarpus santalinus trees had been inspected, Liang Lianjun felt somewhat dizzy, his heart pounding with the huge unexpected surprise, more excited than when he first stayed in a hotel room with his girlfriend. ¡°So, the goods here haven¡¯t disappointed you, Manager Liang, have they?¡± Su Jie asked with a smile. Seeing Liang Lianjun so excited, it would be a waste not to make a hefty profit, considering the hardships he went through in the deep mountains and forests. ¡°Mr. Su, stop joking, how could I be disappointed? I¡¯m more than satisfied with these materials,¡± Liang Lianjun managed to calm his excitement and said earnestly, ¡°Mr. Su, what you have here is truly top-notch. We¡¯ve already weighed them just now, five Pterocarpus santalinus trees together weigh 31 tons and 200 kilograms, and now the market price for Pterocarpus santalinus is between 800,000 to 1.5 million yuan per ton. We at Leng Baihe are willing to pay the highest price for this purchase, that is, 1.5 million yuan per ton for this batch of Pterocarpus santalinus.¡± 31.2¡Á1500000=46800000 Quickly calculating the figures in his mind, Su Jie felt overjoyed, although he managed to remain composed on the outside. ¡°Manager Liang must be joking, this price really lacks sincerity! Even the cheapest genuine rosewood bead bracelets on Taobao go for over a thousand each, let alone this batch with such exceptional quality.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, that¡¯s not how pricing works. There¡¯s loss during the processing of the raw materials, and we have to bear the design and processing costs as well. You can¡¯t expect us to pay the retail price to our manufacturing plant, can you?¡± Upon hearing this, Manager Liang immediately started to complain, explaining his difficulties. ¡°It seems like Manager Liang doesn¡¯t want to do business with me after all. That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll find another buyer. With such high-quality goods, I¡¯m not worried about finding someone to take them off my hands.¡± Su Jie deliberately put on an unconcerned face, but he could see Liang Lianjun¡¯s expression change suddenly. Indeed, as Su Jie said, there was no worry about selling such premium goods. Once the news got out, companies from outside would swarm in, and Leng Baihe might not be able to get their hands on this batch of goods anymore. ¡°No, no, Mr. Su, we at Leng Baihe are very sincere. How about this, you name your price.¡± Liang Lianjun changed his expression, pleading earnestly. ¡°I¡¯ll set a price then¡ª1,000 yuan per jin. If you agree, we can make the deal right now. If not, I¡¯ll look for another buyer.¡± Su Jie raised a finger, stating his asking price. This price meant that each ton of rosewood was being valued at 2 million yuan, which was a third more than Liang Lianjun¡¯s previous offer. ¡°That price, it¡¯s too much... Mr. Su, we need to discuss the price on our side, please wait a moment.¡± Originally, Liang Lianjun planned to haggle, but seeing Su Jie¡¯s expression and fearing the young man might truly turn and walk away, he refrained and suggested discussing instead. ¡°Make it fast.¡± Su Jie nodded, sitting casually on a log of rosewood, looking utterly indifferent, a stance that only further convinced Liang Lianjun to finalize the deal. The man¡¯s attitude indicated he had leverage; if they at Leng Baihe missed this opportunity, there would be no other chances for them. A group of business elites rushed out of the warehouse for a secret meeting, returning only after more than ten minutes. Taking the opportunity, Su Jie turned off the video of a young lady dancing on the short video platform and looked across. ¡°Well, have you reached a decision?¡± ¡°Mr. Su, as you said, we at Leng Baihe are willing to purchase this batch of raw materials at a price of 1,000 yuan per jin. Ah, we¡¯re not making any profit on this deal; it¡¯s mainly about making your acquaintance.¡± Liang Lianjun wore a look of great loss on his face, but what he was truly thinking inside, no one could tell; after all, a merchant¡¯s words are never fully trustworthy. Although Su Jie had been mentally prepared, hearing the high selling price still made his emotions surge like a pot of boiling water about to overflow with excitement. This price meant that this batch of rosewood could be sold for a huge sum of 62.4 million yuan, soon making Su Jie a multimillionaire. ¡°Mr. Su, let¡¯s not delay and sign the contract now. We will transfer the money to you immediately. We¡¯ll issue the invoice first and then coordinate with finance. Oh and Mr. Su, please remember to pay your taxes.¡± Liang Lianjun summoned finance and legal to bring out the pre-prepared contract template. In a harsher scenario, they wouldn¡¯t even have to issue an invoice, which would even avoid taxes. After all, once the wood is made into furniture, it becomes almost impossible to trace, and that¡¯s why Liang Lianjun didn¡¯t inquire about the specific origins of Su Jie¡¯s wood; some gray areas are tacitly understood by all. After reviewing the contracts, Su Jie wasn¡¯t afraid of any tricks from the other side. He was not willing to commit a crime, but that didn¡¯t mean he lacked the capability to do so. If they dared to play word games in the contract, Su Jie wouldn¡¯t mind engaging in a real high-stakes game of business warfare with them¡ªyes, the kind that leaves no trace behind. Signatures were made, stamps were pressed. Once both parties confirmed everything was correct, Su Jie¡¯s shell company also received the payment, and the money entered the company¡¯s account. [Ding! Your Hengyuan Company account 1248 received a transfer of 62,400,000.00 yuan from Leng Baihe Furniture Company on October 23 at 12:21 via Industrial and Commercial Bank. Current account balance is 62,400,419.00 yuan...] A series of numbers covered up the previously sparse savings, filling Su Jie with euphoria. Even with some taxes to be paid later, this fortune was astonishing. ¡°Manager Liang, a pleasure doing business.¡± Su Jie took a deep breath and extended his hand, not showing any sign of weakness at the last moment. ¡°The pleasure is ours, Mr. Su. If you have any more good stock in the future, please contact me. Our demand for such materials at Leng Baihe is endless.¡± Liang Lianjun also reached out, satisfied with the deal. He had already perceived there was more to the wood than a simple inheritance and looked forward to more dealings in the future, aiming to secure this major client. ¡°Sure thing, sure thing, we will do this again next time.¡± Su Jie responded with a smile, not needing Liang Lianjun¡¯s reminder. With such an easy and safe way to make money, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let it go. Today he would effortlessly come into wealth of over sixty million, and with a bit more logging of precious trees, reaching a small financial goal would just be a matter of effort. He declined Liang Lianjun¡¯s invitation for drinks and further discussion and watched as the five logs of rosewood were hoisted onto a truck and left the warehouse, his smile no longer able to be contained. ¡°Sixty million, oh sixty million, with so much money, how could I possibly spend it all?¡± Su Jie kept looking at the bank messages on his phone; the excitement of his sudden wealth was hard to restrain. After all, the most money he had ever handled was just tens of thousands. Sixty million was a figure Su Jie never even dared to dream of before his transmigration. And with this huge sum of money, Su Jie could finally move forward with his plan to use Blue Star resources to assist his cultivation. Chapter 5 - 4: Insect Farming Chapter 5: Chapter 4: Insect Farming After leaving the warehouse area, Su Jie treated himself to a hearty meal. With his belly full and satisfied, based on the information he found online, he took a cab to the outskirts to a farm specifically for breeding scorpions. The farm covered a large area, with several single-story factory buildings, and a wolf dog tied at the entry barked furiously upon seeing Su Jie approaching. Sizzle! From inside his sleeve, the Thousand-Handed Centipede poked out half its head and emitted a threatening sound. The terrifying appearance of the Thousand-Handed Centipede instantly scared the wolf dog to death, who tucked its tail and shrank back into its kennel, not daring to come out again. Su Jie glanced at the sign hanging at the gate, Yaogang Scorpion Breeding Farm, and there wasn¡¯t even a security guard to watch the door. Just as he was thinking about calling the factory number posted beside the wall, footsteps came from inside the factory. Possibly alerted by the earlier barking, a dark-skinned, squarely built middle-aged man ran out. ¡°Hello, boss, are you here to buy scorpions? I¡¯m Chen Yaoguang, and I run this factory. I hope the dog¡¯s barking didn¡¯t scare you earlier. This damn dog, I¡¯m going to slaughter it one of these days.¡± Upon first meeting, the man was exceedingly enthusiastic, and the way he looked at Su Jie was nearly glowing green. Su Jie warily gave him a look¡ªare you some kind of a special hobbyist? ¡°Somewhat, I¡¯ll go in and take a look around, see how the scorpions you¡¯re raising are faring.¡± Su Jie touched the Thousand-Handed Centipede hidden in his sleeve, felt reassured, and walked into the scorpion breeding farm with Chen Yaoguang accompanying him. It was evident that Chen Yaoguang was a clean person. Although he was breeding scorpions, which don¡¯t require a clean environment, he kept both the inside and outside of the factory spotless. ¡°Boss, this is our breeding facility. A factory building like this one, three meters in height, uses large-scale honeycomb-style breeding. We can house up to two hundred thousand scorpions.¡± Chen Yaoguang enthusiastically continued to explain and then personally led Su Jie inside the factory building. The scorpion breeding pools here were constructed from wooden board grates, arranged like rows of bookshelves. A vast number of gray-brown scorpions crawled in and out, their sheer quantity making one¡¯s scalp tingle at a glance. Upon entering, the Thousand-Handed Centipede in Su Jie¡¯s arms immediately became restless, eager to climb out from his sleeve. ¡°Mr. Chen, what mainly are the varieties of scorpions here?¡± Su Jie calmed the Thousand-Handed Centipede and continued to inquire. ¡°We primarily breed East Asia Pincers Scorpions here, sold to pharmacies for medicinal purposes. Male scorpions cost 0.8 yuan each, and females are a bit more expensive at 1.1 yuan each. We also breed some Rainforest Scorpions and Emperor Scorpions; these are sold to insect pet shops and are priced higher. I don¡¯t know which type you¡¯d want to purchase?¡± Chen Yaoguang answered immediately, carefully watching Su Jie, afraid that he might be dissatisfied with the prices and leave. His Yaogang Scorpion Breeding Farm was recently facing a crisis of survival as the usual stable traditional medicine channels had canceled their supply relationships with him. A business like scorpion selling cannot take to the streets to peddle. Without downstream sales channels, his breeding farm suddenly became mired in difficulties. The farm¡¯s daily expenses for water, electricity, and feeding mealworms were a considerable expenditure. The immense pressure almost crushed him; he even sold his ancestral house to invest in it, struggling painfully to keep going, which was why he was so enthusiastic to see Su Jie come by. ¡°How many scorpions do you have in your farm?¡± ¡°The farm has a total of five buildings, with about a million scorpions being bred. Boss, I have been in the insect breeding industry for over a decade, and you can absolutely trust the quality of the scorpions I breed,¡± Hearing this, Chen Yaoguang grew even more excited¡ªthis person could be a major customer! However, Su Jie¡¯s appetite was bigger than he had anticipated. Nodding in satisfaction, he said, ¡°Are you selling this factory? I¡¯ll offer two million.¡± ¡°Buy... the factory?¡± At this, Chen Yaoguang was completely dumbfounded. He had thought Su Jie was a major customer, but it turned out he was interested not only in the scorpions but also in the factory itself. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, boss, but that¡¯s likely not possible. I have put too much effort into this factory, working here from my twenties into my forties¡ªit¡¯s not for sale.¡± After hesitating for a moment, Chen Yaoguang still turned down Su Jie¡¯s offer. He had worked at this breeding farm for many years and had deep feelings for it. ¡°2.5 million, are you selling?¡± Su Jie, without even blinking an eyelid, casually threw out an even higher number. Now holding over sixty million in cash, Su Jie really demonstrated his wealth without any signs of heartache when spending. Gulp! Swallowing hard, Chen Yaoguang breathed more heavily and struggled to say, ¡°Boss, I know you¡¯re rich, but breeding insects is my dream, not something to be insulted by money. Please respect my dream.¡± Though the number was very tempting, he had dreams about insect breeding; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have sold his house to invest in the breeding farm and stick with it. ¡°3 million, I respect other people¡¯s dreams very much. How about this, Mr. Chen, I¡¯ll buy the breeding farm and still let you manage it with a salary of fifty thousand a month. I will not interfere with any production aspects, only the sale and trading of the scorpions will be up to me,¡± Su Jie, wearing a smile, kept adding more to the price, eventually completely breaking down Chen Yaoguang¡¯s psychological defenses. ¡°That what... Hahaha, boss, you read people so well, I agree. But it¡¯s not for the money; it¡¯s to continue managing this breeding farm.¡± Chen Yaoguang succumbed in front of the staggering three million. Dreams are important, but so is filling one¡¯s stomach. Moreover, Su Jie respected his dream and would still let him manage the factory; he really couldn¡¯t find a reason to refuse. After all, a monthly salary of fifty thousand was truly tempting. ¡°That¡¯s settled then. We¡¯ll sign the contract shortly and I¡¯ll transfer the money to you after that.¡± Seeing Chen Yaoguang¡¯s face bloom into a big smile, Su Jie was highly satisfied as well. Having Chen Yaoguang there made things much easier for Su Jie, who didn¡¯t have the capacity to manage the breeding farm himself. And with more than a decade of experience in insect breeding, Chen Yaoguang was the kind of talent Su Jie needed to hire for his operations. As for the small amount of money paid, in the world of Tianyuan, it was as simple as chopping down a couple more trees. ¡°Mr. Chen, first fetch me a box of scorpions. Catch about ten thousand; I want to take them with me.¡± ¡°Understood, understood, I¡¯ll go catch them right away.¡± Instantly stepping into his role, Chen Yaoguang began treating Su Jie as his god, almost as if he wanted to show him his heart to demonstrate his loyalty. After getting the scorpions, Su Jie and Chen Yaoguang signed the transfer contract for the breeding farm, and with a payment of three million, the Yaogang Scorpion Breeding Farm was henceforth under Su¡¯s name. With this breeding farm as a cover, Su Jie could, in the future, buy large quantities of venomous insects without raising any suspicion. Chapter 6 - 5: Make up for the lack of quality with quantity Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Make up for the lack of quality with quantity After giving instructions to Chen Yaoguang to manage the factory well, Su Jie carried ten thousand scorpions back to his rented room in the urban village. Though ten thousand scorpions sound like a lot, their actual weight is only about thirty-five to forty kilograms. With physical capabilities surpassing those of an average person, Su Jie wouldn¡¯t be considered much in the Tianyuan World, but this load was still easily manageable for him. Once inside the rental, Su Jie eagerly released the thousand-hand centipede. ¡°Go, these are all for you to eat.¡± Szzt! The thousand-hand centipede stood upright excitedly and burrowed into the box. In an instant, the scorpions that were calmly lying in the box, as if encountering a natural predator, frantically scurried about trying to escape. The thousand-hand centipede, having entered the box, excitedly shook its antennae, as if it had arrived in paradise, emitting an extremely excited pheromone. It was like eating chips, grabbing a scorpion and crunching noisily, quickly crushing and swallowing it before lunging at the next one. Some scorpions, aggravated, raised their tails at the thousand-hand centipede, with predictable outcomes. Though the thousand-hand centipede was also an inferior poisonous insect, it was from the Tianyuan World after all. And with half a year of cultivation by Su Jie, it had enhanced strength, agility, defense, and toxicity that the scorpions couldn¡¯t possibly harm. The scorpions that dared to attack simply became faster prey for the thousand-hand centipede, crunched and consumed with relish. Perhaps Su Jie had starved the thousand-hand centipede too harshly in the past, for now seeing such an abundance of food, it was like a rat in a rice barrel, voraciously feeding, never stopping to pause. In just ten minutes or so, several hundred scorpions had been devoured by the thousand-hand centipede. Su Jie noticed that at this point, the chitin shell of the thousand-hand centipede started to change in its sheen, turning gradually from a deep color to semi-transparent. ¡°It¡¯s about to molt and advance in grade.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes brightened, as the owner of the Lifebound poisonous insect, he could feel the current state of the thousand-hand centipede. It was a signal of pent-up energy bursting forth, a vigorous life force wanting to undergo transformation. Another hour passed, and the thousand-hand centipede had consumed at least a thousand scorpions, turning them into nourishment for its bodily growth. Having eaten too much, the movements of the thousand-hand centipede turned from the previous ferocity to a lazy sprawl, staying motionless in one spot. Eventually, it coiled into a ball, its exterior hardening into a stiff shell as it struggled and twisted within, trying to break out. ¡°The advancement is starting. It seems my idea was correct; I can compensate for the resources needed by the thousand-hand centipede with quantity.¡± Su Jie was extremely delighted. What he saw was not only the promotion and transformation of the thousand-hand centipede but also the hope for its future growth. On Blue Star, the poisonous creatures greatly differ from those in the Tianyuan World. However, in the Tianyuan World, people typically capture insects from the wild to cultivate them, without the benefits of modern large-scale breeding. But Su Jie could supplement the thousand-hand centipede with an overwhelming number of insects. If quality is insufficient, make up with quantity. The rich productivity of modern society is something the Tianyuan World does not have. The evolution of the thousand-hand centipede took several hours, with Su Jie staying by its side the entire time. Finally, after three hours, the completely transformed thousand-hand centipede emerged from its old skin, its new tender skin showing a slight red color, having grown from its initial length of fifty centimeters to now around one meter and twenty centimeters. Looking closely, the insect shell on its body was dark and shiny, with fierce fangs on its head, looking utterly ferocious. Moreover, despite the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s name, it actually only had 44 pale human-like hands under its belly. Now, the number had doubled, reaching a total of 88 pale human-like hands. ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve got a Low-Grade poisonous insect now,¡± Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but hold the newly evolved Thousand-Handed Centipede and giggle foolishly, scrutinizing it over and over, never tiring of the sight. Poisonous insects are categorized into Top, Middle, and Low Grades, and among the Outer Disciples, those who possess a Low-Grade poisonous insect are in the minority; most control inferior poisonous insects. Once a poisonous insect becomes graded, even if it¡¯s just Low Grade, its abilities and strength see a massive boost. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not right, it¡¯s not just Low Grade, has it completed a Spirit Refining too?¡± Suddenly, Su Jie, as if he had discovered something, exclaimed in surprise as he looked at the forehead of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. On its forehead, there was a new set of lines that looked like concentric rings. Between the different grades of poisonous insects, Top, Middle, and Low, each grade has a special advancement branch, known as Spirit Refining. Spirit Refining is a special kind of abnormal developmental ability of poisonous insects, akin to a tadpole transforming into a frog, or a caterpillar into a butterfly. Upon grading, a poisonous insect will go through metamorphic development, leading to a further increase in strength and often new special abilities. Each grade of poisonous insects can undergo Spirit Refining up to three times, hence the saying, ¡°Each grade three refinements.¡± The strongest poisonous insects are those that are Top Grade with nine refinements. Because Spirit Refining is challenging, requiring a combination of resources, luck, environment, and other factors, it¡¯s something one can hope for but not seek. Not many Outer Disciples even have Low-Grade poisonous insects, let alone those that have undergone Spirit Refining. Even a single Spirit Refinement is considered remarkable. Su Jie hadn¡¯t expected that the Thousand-Handed Centipede would not only be graded but also had fortuitously completed a Spirit Refining, now making it a Low-Grade First Refinement poisonous insect. This starting point had already surpassed the majority of the Outer Disciples. The Thousand-Handed Centipede, unaware of Su Jie¡¯s current excitement, was very hungry after its evolution, having used up all its nutrition to evolve. It quickly burrowed into the scorpion box, greedily devouring one scorpion after another. It was observable that with just a press from one of the pale hands underneath the Thousand-Handed Centipede, a large number of scorpions turned greenish on their exterior, succumbing to the venom and dying on the spot. This was an innate ability of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, which after grading had significantly increased force and quicker action of its venom. Whew! Suddenly, a few of the 88 pale hands under the belly of the Thousand-Handed Centipede snapped off from the base, as if they had their own life, swiftly lunging out to prey, grabbing scorpions and delivering them to the mouth of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Then, the severed arms retracted back into the gaps under its belly, rapidly reattaching and healing, presenting a sight both eerie and terrifying. Su Jie knew that this was a new ability the Thousand-Handed Centipede had mastered, allowing its arms to detach from the body and move independently. The few thousand scorpions in the box were just enough for a full meal for the Thousand-Handed Centipede whose dietary needs had significantly increased after becoming graded. Half an hour later, the scorpions in the box had been completely devoured. Su Jie once again picked up the Thousand-Handed Centipede, which had grown plumper, and placed it on his body, circulating the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture. The Thousand-Handed Centipede clung tightly to Su Jie¡¯s waist and abdomen. Su Jie could feel the other¡¯s cold touch spreading over his body, then permeating into his meridians and flesh. Gradually, the Spiritual Power inside Su Jie became more active. It was like a river cascading over a parched riverbed, his Spiritual Power and mind felt refreshing and invigorated, everything falling into place, as his strength broke through to the Third Level of Yunling. What would have required a year of hard work to advance, was easily skipped with the nourishment from the Low-Grade First Refinement Thousand-Handed Centipede, saving him a year of laborious effort. Chapter 7 - 6: Liu Yingying Chapter 7: Chapter 6: Liu Yingying After several hours of cultivation practice, Su Jie opened his eyes again and looked at his own arm, which had undergone some changes. Compared to the skin on other parts of his body, his two arms were noticeably fairer, possessing a sickly pallor, much like... the arm of a thousand-hand centipede. With a light press of his palm on the box, he expelled a burst of force, and a dark green handprint immediately appeared on the wooden box. If it had been pressed on a human body, the poison would have instantly invaded the flesh. ¡°As expected of the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture, now I can also inherit the special abilities of this lifebound poisonous insect.¡± Su Jie smiled at the corner of his mouth, urged his spiritual power, and then from his shoulders and ribs, his flesh split and eight pale arms took form and drilled out before detaching from the flesh and falling to the ground on their own. The fallen arms spread their fingers, resembling swiftly scuttling spiders, with the part beyond the wrists arching high, moving nimbly following Su Jie¡¯s will. Finally, the eight arms simultaneously grabbed a steel pipe and managed to bend it forcefully. This is the way of a demon cultivator, no wonder they are shunned and despised in the Tianyuan World¡ªsuch magic skills are indeed horrifying and chilling. Su Jie, satisfied, ceased the supply of spiritual power, watching the eight arms quickly wither and disintegrate, unable to contain the joy on his face. The new ability of the thousand-hand centipede had also been inherited. Today¡¯s gains were indeed too great, not only confirming the avenues for earning money in both worlds but also evolving the thousand-hand centipede to the stage of Low Grade First Refinement. He furthermore confirmed that his approach was correct, that he could use the resources of Blue Star to assist in the practice of his cultivation technique. ¡°Hey, upstairs, what¡¯s with the ghostly laughter in the middle of the night, can¡¯t people sleep?¡± Caught up in his excited laughter, Su Jie heard the complaints of other tenants from downstairs. Without realizing it, his cultivation had taken him deep into the night. ¡°It looks like I need to find a new environment; this place isn¡¯t suitable for cultivation.¡± That thought crossed Su Jie¡¯s mind, noting that cultivating in a densely populated environment easily attracts unwanted attention. ........... The next day! Su Jie got out of bed and dressed neatly before going to the landlord to terminate his lease. Ignoring the incessant chatter of the old man, Su Jie, with no luggage to pack, directly hailed a cab to the nearest 4S car dealership. In the 4S store, Su Jie immediately set his sights on his target, paying over two million in full for a top-of-the-line BMW M8 with a temporary license plate, and driving off, all within less than twenty minutes. So much so, the salesperson serving him was still in a daze even after Su Jie had left. It was their first time seeing someone treat buying a car as nonchalantly as buying vegetables. Having obtained his driver¡¯s license during university, Su Jie quickly got familiar with the vehicle and drove off swiftly. After driving around Linping City for a while, Su Jie arrived at a real estate sales center. Jingjiang Manor! This was a well-known high-end residential complex in Lin¡¯an City, with an average price per square meter that exceeded twenty thousand, and it was built in less than three years. However, its fame didn¡¯t come from high prices but rather the opposite; due to a decline in housing prices in the past two years, the sales center began to discount and sell properties. Early homebuyers were not pleased, gathering in large crowds to cause uproar at the sales center, making repeated appearances on Hannan Province¡¯s television news. Nevertheless, no matter what, this residential complex was indeed one of the few with the highest property prices in Linping City. Now that Su Jie wasn¡¯t short on money, naturally, he wouldn¡¯t shortchange himself; his first choice for buying a home would certainly be one of the finer options. The BMW M8, priced over two million, was quite conspicuous. Salespeople, who are known to be observant, were quick to notice. As soon as Su Jie parked the car, several enthusiastic sales representatives rushed out from the sales office. These sales representatives were polished in their appearance, both handsome men and beautiful women, dressed in high-end tailored suits, looking exceptionally professional. ¡°Sir, how may I help you?¡± The sales reps clearly saw the BMW that Su Jie was driving, and their attitude became even more enthusiastic, hoping to earn a commission in the sluggish housing market. ¡°I¡¯m here to buy a house, of course. Introduce me to the properties you have here. Hmm, I see you have detached villas for sale; let¡¯s start with those.¡± Su Jie got straight to the point, emphasizing his wealthy and bold demeanor. Upon hearing this, the eyes of each sales rep lit up. That tone of voice was unmistakably that of a tycoon! ¡°Ahem, sir, let me take you to see them. I am very familiar with the community planning, building layouts, and pricing. I guarantee I can choose the most satisfactory property for you.¡± ¡°What should I call you, sir? My name is Liu, you can just call me Xiao Liu. I¡¯m mainly responsible for the villa sales in the eastern district. We happen to have several promotional villas on sale. Are you interested in learning more?¡± The sales reps competed covertly, as Su Jie was a potential big deal. The commission from closing this deal could be enough to cover a year¡¯s salary. More sales representatives crowded around, with several women in suits appearing particularly attentive, sending flirty glances his way. Su Jie looked around and set his eyes on the most beautiful female sales rep in the place. This sales representative was wearing a petite suit, tall and slender, standing at about 1.7 meters, with bright and attractive facial features, dignified and elegant, and with a beauty score above 90, was truly a rare beauty. As it happened, Su Jie knew this saleswoman; her name was Liu Yingying. During his college years at Linping City Finance and Economics University, Liu Yingying was a year ahead of Su Jie and was recognized as the prettiest girl in the finance department. Su Jie remembered her, but she didn¡¯t remember him. ¡°You come and introduce it to me; the rest of you can disperse.¡± Pointing at Liu Yingying, Su Jie chose the eye-pleasing Liu Yingying. The other sales reps were visibly disappointed. Su Jie¡¯s attitude made him seem like someone who wasn¡¯t short on cash, and the female reps were even more envious and resentful toward Liu Yingying. ¡°Sir, I will definitely serve you with sincerity. Let¡¯s go and see the properties in person, so you can get a more direct understanding of the value of the properties.¡± Liu Yingying was pleasantly surprised and proudly glanced back at the other female sales reps, smugly puffing out her chest, which annoyed them, internally cursing her as a seductive fox. Coming out of the sales office, Su Jie looked at Liu Yingying, who was walking ahead with a light step and swaying peach-like hips, and smiled, asking, ¡°Liu Yingying, no need to go to those ordinary villa areas. Where¡¯s the best villa you have here? Just take me straight there.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. Eh, how do you know my name?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s beautiful eyes shone, and then she paused in confusion. ¡°What do you think?¡± Su Jie pointed at her chest where two hefty pineapples lay, with her name tag hanging above them. ¡°Ahaha, I still don¡¯t know how to address you, sir. You seem to be about my age. My name is Liu Yingying; you can call me Xiao Liu, or Yingying if you like.¡± Liu Yingying brushed aside a strand of hair tousled by the wind, showing off her graceful figure and sweet smile. ¡°Su Jie. No need to be so formal with ¡®you.¡¯ If we¡¯re counting, I should probably be calling you ¡®Senior Sister Liu.''¡± Su Jie walked beside Liu Yingying, teasingly said. Chapter 8 - 7: Try Out the Softness of This Bed Chapter 8: Chapter 7: Try Out the Softness of This Bed ¡°Senior Sister? You also graduated from Finance University?¡± Liu Yingying responded quickly, immediately understanding Su Jie¡¯s identity. ¡°You were one year above me. Back then, Senior Sister Liu, you were quite the celebrity at our school. How come you became a real estate salesperson after graduating?¡± ¡°Jobs are hard to find nowadays. My major in finance didn¡¯t get me anywhere without resources; I couldn¡¯t get into the big financial firms, and the small ones had intense internal competition. I just left a job at a financial company two months ago.¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s voice had a somber tone; she was one year senior to Su Jie, which meant she had been working for a year and a half. The fact that she had ended up in real estate sales indicated her career hadn¡¯t been going too well. ¡°Unlike you, if I had such good resources, even without a college degree, it would have been a breeze to get into a large financial company.¡± Perhaps it was the connection of being from the same school that made Liu Yingying loosen up a lot, joining Su Jie in criticizing their chosen field of study. In Liu Yingying¡¯s view, for Su Jie to dare to buy a villa in Jingjiang Manor at such a young age, he must be a second-generation rich kid. Those prestigious financial companies really liked to hire rich kids, as their social connections were indeed valuable assets. Su Jie just smiled and didn¡¯t explain, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. Is that the standalone villa you¡¯re taking me to see up ahead?¡± ¡°Ah, I nearly forgot about it with all the chatting, yes, that¡¯s Jingjiang No.1 over there, the king of buildings on the property. It¡¯s the biggest, most luxurious, and prettiest detached villa we have here.¡± Liu Yingying pulled out the keys and opened the door to the villa. The villa was set on more than two thousand square meters, boasting a private swimming pool, a private garden and lawn, and its decoration was extremely lavish. ¡°The total area of the villa is 2050 square meters, with three levels above ground and one below, featuring an atrium, a central island kitchen, an indoor elevator, a private cinema, a study, a bar, and a vast rooftop terrace. Additionally, the backyard of the villa provides direct access to Qingshui River with a private dock. When purchased, we¡¯ll also present a small yacht, convenient for outings...¡± Liu Yingying indeed had strong work capability, detailing each of the luxurious standalone villa¡¯s advantages one by one. After looking around the villa, Su Jie was fairly satisfied. Firstly, the area was large, and the distance from the nearest villa and residential area was sufficient, with surrounding trees blocking the view, convenient for his cultivation. Moreover, next to the villa was a tributary of the Qingjiang River. As the Thousand-Handed Centipede continued to grow and became too large to carry around, it could be transported through the river, slipping away undetected. Lastly, the villa was fully furnished and equipped, saving him the hassle of decorating. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the key point, how much is the price, and can I move in on the same day after I buy it?¡± After the tour, Su Jie turned his gaze to Liu Yingying. ¡°The villa has a total price of 49.99 million, but if you¡¯re buying, I can fight for a maximum discount of five percent for you, which means you can take it for just under 48 million. After purchase, you can move in immediately.¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s heart raced. Seeing Su Jie¡¯s attitude, he seemed serious about buying! That would mean a huge commission for her. ¡°The price seems fine, but...¡± Su Jie paused there for a moment, instantly making Liu Yingying¡¯s heart leap with anticipation. ¡°But what? Su Jie, don¡¯t play riddles with me. If you have any unsatisfactory terms, we can talk about them!¡± Liu Yingying looked at Su Jie nervously, fearing this lavish deal might slip through her fingers. Taking two steps forward, Su Jie pulled back the huge curtains in the master bedroom, smiling, ¡°The house is great, but it¡¯s just too empty, lacking a bit of life.¡± ¡°Later on, we can hire cleaning staff. If there are not many people at home...¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one in my family.¡± ¡°Then, then, then...¡± Liu Yingying bit her red lips, seeing a commission of hundreds of thousands slipping away, she seemed to make up her mind, recalling the rumors she had heard in the industry. Taking a step forward, she hugged Su Jie from behind. ¡°Su Jie, I could stay with you for a night to add some life to the house. What do you think of that?¡± ¡°Now that sounds good! I¡¯m particular about my sleeping environment, and I have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places. Having someone to keep me company would be perfect, and I could also test if the villa¡¯s bed is soft enough.¡± ¡°` He patted the ultra-soft, king-sized bed, Su Jie lifted Liu Yingying¡¯s chin, revealing her shy and timid, but beautiful face. Liu Yingying seductively bit her red lips and slowly closed her eyes. Anyway, Su Jie didn¡¯t dislike it; there was mutual affection, and both sides could be said to have hit it off immediately. It was like heavenly thunder igniting earth¡¯s fire. In the luxurious bedroom, the king-sized plush bed underwent the biggest bounce test since it had left the factory, enduring the ordeal amidst storm-like tremors. ... The next morning. Liu Yingying slowly awoke from a deep sleep, her body feeling sore and weak. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and footsteps sounded, waking Liu Yingying as if from a dream, making her subconsciously pull the blanket around her. Then, Liu Yingying saw Su Jie walk in, wearing pajamas. ¡°Awake, eh? You really can sleep,¡± Said Su Jie, stretching lazily, picking up the clothes scattered on the floor. ¡°After tossing and turning with me all night, who could handle it! And yet you blame me for sleeping,¡± Liu Yingying wrinkled her nose, a face of grievance, her body feeling as if it had fallen apart. ¡°Who knew it was your first time, I thought...¡± Su Jie raised an eyebrow, his words earning him a glare from Liu Yingying. ¡°What did you think, if not for... for...¡± ¡°For money, right? There¡¯s nothing to be shy about that,¡± ¡°Hmph, sooner or later it¡¯s just giving it away to men, might as well exchange it for a higher-valued chip,¡± Liu Yingying said so pragmatically, no longer feeling conflicted. Some women wish for this opportunity and never get it, anyway, she herself didn¡¯t feel it was a loss. ¡°Put on your clothes, it¡¯s time to go,¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t say anything more, just handed back the clothes on the floor to the other party. ¡°Kicking me out already? My arms and legs are still sore; can¡¯t I stay a bit longer...¡± ¡°Suit yourself. If you¡¯re not in a hurry to sign the property purchase agreement, you can lie in bed as long as you want,¡± ¡°Then what are we waiting for, I¡¯ll leave with you right now,¡± In a flash, Liu Yingying, who had just been complaining, seemed like a different person, instantly regaining her full energy. She got up from the bed briskly, got dressed, and soon returned to the radiant beauty she was the day before. Back at the sales office, in the midst of envious glances from the sales team, Su Jie signed the property purchase contract, and his bank account diminished to just over ten million. Liu Yingying¡¯s face bloomed with a brilliant smile; with this deal secured, she would receive a commission of seven to eight hundred thousand, equivalent to a decade¡¯s salary for an average office worker. ¡°Still short on cash,¡± Su Jie looked at the remaining balance of just over ten million in his account, expressing this sentiment. Though the amount was a lot for the average person, for Su Jie, it really wasn¡¯t much. In just a few days, he had nearly spent sixty million, a sign that he still wasn¡¯t earning enough. Chapter 9 - 8: Black Market Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Black Market After the huge sale, Su Jie did not stay at the bustling sales office but instead drove his BMW M8 to the outskirts, to the South Bridge Logistics Center where he had rented a new warehouse. Chen Yaoguang was already waiting there and wasn¡¯t surprised to see Su Jie driving up in the BMW. After all, anyone who didn¡¯t blink at spending three million to buy his venue, this young man about the same age as his daughter, clearly had a wealth that was anything but ordinary; driving a BMW was only to be expected. ¡°Old Chen, did you bring the goods I asked you to prepare?¡± Su Jie parked the car and walked toward Chen Yaoguang. ¡°I¡¯ve brought them all, Boss Su. Take a look, this small truck is filled with scorpions that I captured with a few workers this morning, a total of thirty thousand.¡± Chen Yaoguang quickly opened the tailgate of the small truck, revealing several neatly arranged boxes. ¡°Hmm, unload the goods into the warehouse. From now on, come to the warehouse every day and deliver fifty thousand scorpions. I¡¯ll give you a key to the warehouse door, and you just send me a message on my phone after you¡¯re done loading and unloading.¡± Su Jie gestured with his hand. This remote location of the warehouse was suitable for the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s feeding. Chen Yaoguang unloaded all the scorpions from the truck into the warehouse, avoiding any unnecessary conversation throughout the process. Though he was curious about how Su Jie would manage to sell the scorpions, he wouldn¡¯t ask if Su Jie didn¡¯t mention it, lest Su Jie think he had ulterior motives. Once Chen Yaoguang had driven the small truck away, Su Jie locked up the warehouse door and released the exceptionally hungry thousand-hand centipede. In just an instant, the thirty thousand scorpions acted as if they had encountered a natural predator, frantically crawling wildly inside their boxes. After refining, the thousand-hand centipede had grown to a length of 1.2 meters and had developed a huge appetite. Seeing the scorpions excitedly shaking their antennae, it went into a frenzied killing spree, devouring the scorpions one by one. Su Jie stood quietly on the side, watching. The weight of the thirty thousand scorpions exceeded one hundred kilograms, which was enough to satisfy the appetite of the thousand-hand centipede. It was fortunate that he was on Blue Star. If it were in the Tianyuan World, no amount of effort could allow him to capture so many poisonous insects. Although the scorpions were of low quality, their sheer quantity provided plenty of sustenance¡ªeven the inner disciples and Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace cultivating poisonous insects might not be able to fill their bellies as well. The technology and productivity of modern society were undeniably evident at this moment. With a stable supply of poisonous insects, Su Jie spent the next several days immersed in cultivation. ..... Time flew by! A week later. Tianyuan World, Ghost Ridge Palace. The autumn wind was getting harsher, the grass and trees were swaying, and many of the poisonous insects between the trees had entered hibernation, reducing their activity. Su Jie stepped out from the ancient mirror, looked at the room covered with dust, and let out a long breath of turbid air, saying, ¡°My strength has been consolidated. With the low-grade, first-refined thousand-hand centipede, now I have a bit of self-preservation ability among the outer disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± Thanks to the growth of the thousand-hand centipede, which had yielded cultivation benefits, Su Jie thoroughly consolidated the foundation of his recent breakthrough in one week. Sizzle. The thousand-hand centipede perched on Su Jie¡¯s shoulder raised its head and made a joyful noise. The abundant spiritual energy of the Tianyuan World made it feel comfortable and at ease. ¡°Good, good, I¡¯ll take you to play in the forest in a while.¡± Su Jie stroked the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Over the week, with his daily feeding of tens of thousands of scorpions, the centipede had also grown significantly, its body length breaking through to one and a half meters, looking extremely robust and fierce. He then coiled the Thousand-Handed Centipede around his waist and abdomen. This not only served as biological armor but also allowed it to attack immediately in battle. Dressed in the standardized black robe of an Outer Disciple of the Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie pushed open the stone door of his cave dwelling that had been sealed for a week. ¡°Oh, Brother Su, you¡¯ve come out of seclusion!¡± Just as he stepped out of the cave, his neighbor Peng Shiwen, hearing the movement, greeted Su Jie. ¡°Yes, after all, my strength is too weak. I must cultivate properly and can¡¯t always be busy catching insects.¡± Su Jie replied with a smile. Seclusions were common, but Outer Disciples needed to keep busy with livelihoods and could not dedicate themselves entirely to cultivation. ¡°Catching insects is not bad, it¡¯s just that recently it has become difficult for me even to want to catch any.¡± Peng Shiwen chuckled bitterly and pointed to his left leg, explaining, ¡°Yesterday, I was bitten by a Tuo Head Snake in Insect Valley. I can¡¯t engage in strenuous activities for some days; it¡¯s quite inconvenient to search for insects in the mountains.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit of bad luck, aren¡¯t you going to find some medicine?¡± ¡°I was just about to take a trip to the Black Market to get some. Want to join me?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m also going to sell some Poisonous Insects.¡± Su Jie went back inside to get ready and soon came out carrying a bamboo basket on his back. The two left the Ghost Ridge Palace premises and walked along a narrow mountain path for some distance. Along the way, they occasionally saw other Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, all hurrying along with grim faces. Although they were from the same sect, they were colder than strangers. A moment later, Su Jie and Peng Shiwen arrived at a market deep in the mountains. The market was crudely made of trees right there, but it was crowded with people. Apart from the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, there were also many merchants dressed in silk, coming and going with their caravans. This was the Ghost Ridge Black Market. The Ghost Ridge Palace was a notorious Demon Sect, but whether in the Tianyuan World or on Blue Star, as long as there were sufficient profits, merchants were willing to take risks, even risking their lives. For profit, merchants from outside continuously supplied various goods to the Ghost Ridge Palace and then bought its resources cheaply. This cycle of buying low and selling high was lucrative enough to turn heads. So, despite the explicit prohibition against dealing with Demon Sects, a continuous stream of merchants still came to trade. Upon entering the Black Market, Su Jie and Peng Shiwen temporarily separated. Peng Shiwen went to find a pharmacy to get medicine, while Su Jie hurried to sell the poison insects he had caught in Insect Valley some time ago. The Black Market was much busier than the outside world, with merchants loudly advertising their wares, and Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples lingering in front of Spirit Pills, Magic Artifacts, Spiritual Materials, and other cultivation items. Especially those large shops, which sold highly valuable items. The firms that could open such shops were famous even outside, guarded by cultivators from the Secret Realm. ¡°Nine-grade Tianji Spirit Gathering Pills, fifty Blood Marrow Crystals each, can regenerate flesh, stop bleeding, and heal injuries rapidly. Buying it is like having an extra life.¡± ¡°Solanum Soil from Yun Province, ideal for digging-type Poisonous Insects, 15 Blood Marrow Crystals per pound.¡± ¡°Earth Melt Fruit, a Ninth-Grade Spirit Fruit, when consumed by Fire Attribute poisonous insects, can greatly enhance the foundation for breaking through Spirit Refining. Don¡¯t miss out as you pass by.¡± Servants distributed flyers at the roadside, calling out their wares, making one think they were in a bustling town rather than a lair crowded with cruel Evil Cultivators. Su Jie enviously glanced at those treasures radiating spirit light, knowing that they were beyond his reach for now. Chapter 10 - 9: New Poisonous Insect Chapter 10: Chapter 9: New Poisonous Insect ¡°Mr. Xu, five pieces, five pieces of Blood Marrow Crystals, look at the quality of these Poison Insects I have here, they¡¯re wildly fierce, top-notch goods. Even though they are considered inferior Poisonous Insects, ordinary Low-Grade poisonous insects can¡¯t beat them.¡± ¡°Four, I can only go up to four pieces at most. We all know our goods, and these kinds of inferior Poison Insects are delicate and frail. Transporting them hundreds of miles, through that long journey, if they die halfway through, I¡¯ll be at a big loss.¡± After a great deal of bargaining, even though Su Jie had praised his Poison Insects to the skies, he only managed to sell them to a few small shops, earning a mere 25 Blood Marrow Crystals in total. That was the money Su Jie had managed to save up over a month. He had to pay Taoist Qiu 10 Blood Marrow Crystals each month and still needed money for his cultivation expenses. From the day Su Jie joined the Ghost Ridge Palace Cultivators, he had been living a miserable life. Whenever he saw something good, he could only stare dry-eyed, unable to pull out more than a few Blood Marrow Crystals from his pockets. ¡°Damn it, one day I will buy the whole Black Market.¡± Su Jie muttered to himself. On Blue Star, he was extravagant, but back in Tianyuan World, he was still penniless and the psychological gap was incredibly vast. Although Su Jie could also sell resources from Blue Star on the Black Market, considering the risks involved, he immediately dismissed the idea. He dared not test the methods of the Ghost Ridge Palace Elders; without the power to control great wealth, in the cruel environment of Demon Cultivators, there was only a deadend. After finishing his business, Su Jie arrived at the center of the Black Market, the designated meeting point with Peng Shiwen. Before he even got close, faint cries and pleas already sent shivers down his spine. The street at the center of the Black Market was very special; what was sold here were neither Spirit Objects nor Magic Artifacts nor talismans, but live humans. Men, women, the elderly, and children of ordinary people were placed in iron cages, necks and limbs shackled with iron locks, most with numbed and stiff expressions, devoid of any hope. Many of the Demon Cultivator disciples from Ghost Ridge Palace were picking and choosing in front of these cages, bargaining with the stall owners. How much for a sturdy man, how much for a woman, how much for packaging the old, weak, sick, and disabled together... It felt just like buying sheep or cattle, with people treated like beasts waiting to be selected. Demon Cultivators engage in refining corpses, extracting souls, and performing blood sacrifices on living beings. Whether it¡¯s practicing Demon Technique, forging Demon Artifacts or designing Demon Arrays, they can¡¯t do without one thing¡ªlive humans. Humans are the greatest resource for Demon Cultivators and an indispensable one at that. Like the humans captured by slavers before him, most of those taken back by the disciples of the Ghost Ridge Palace would end up as food for the poisonous insects. This practice would nurture the cruel and cannibalistic traits of the poisonous insects, accelerating their growth. Su Jie, coming from a modern civilized society, was initially extremely shocked by this, but gradually he became accustomed to it. He couldn¡¯t change others, but he himself had never purchased humans here. ¡°Brother Su, sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± While he was looking, Peng Shiwen hurried over. Su Jie noticed that his hands were empty. ¡°You didn¡¯t buy the medicine?¡± Surprised, Su Jie then thought of something and said with resignation, ¡°You went to Wancai Hall again, didn¡¯t you?¡± The so-called Wancai Hall was a gambling house, specifically set up for Cultivators, equipped with specialized gaming tools and prohibitions to prevent cheating. Furthermore, with many Ghost Ridge Palace Elders having stakes in it, no one dared to cause trouble. The gambling house continued to operate prosperously in the Black Market, and Peng Shiwen, due to pressure, occasionally played there. ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist; I thought I could make more money to buy some good medicine. But today, my luck was poor. Brother Su, could you perhaps...¡± Peng Shiwen rubbed his hands together, looking at Su Jie with some expectation. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, we better hurry back. At night, Alien Ghosts roam the mountains, and it would be a huge trouble if we encounter them, especially with your left leg injured.¡± Su Jie understood Peng Shiwen¡¯s hint, but pretended he didn¡¯t. ¡°What a joke, he¡¯s penniless himself, where would he find the money to help? Besides, their relationship isn¡¯t even that close.¡± Peng Shiwen looked gloomy and forced a laugh, ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true. Anyway, my injury isn¡¯t severe. Even without medicine, it just means no strenuous activity for a month. I can just rest for a month.¡± ¡°As long as you know your own condition.¡± Su Jie nodded, and they left the Black Market along the same route, not speaking to each other again. ......... In Insect Valley. This part of Insect Valley was shrouded in toxic fog, with poisonous creatures covering the perimeter; it was one of the most important resource zones for Ghost Ridge Palace and the main source of income for its disciples. Bang! As a dark shadow swooped in, a few Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas perched on the treetops rapidly flapped their wings, trying to escape. The next second, the shadow closed in, dozens of pale and eerie hands enveloped from above, blocking the flight path of the Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas. However, these Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas, each the size of a fingertip, were not easy targets. Their speed surged like bullets shot out, leaving a beautiful trail of gold and silver light in the air and piercing through several pale hands. Pop pop pop! But, still, there were too many hands pressing down layer by layer, eventually restricting their movement and capturing them firmly. Su Jie walked out from several meters away, beckoning to the Thousand-Handed Centipede that was descending the large tree. The Thousand-Handed Centipede handed over a few Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas, and Su Jie examined their quality. Satisfied, he nodded, then bit his fingertip and mixed his blood with spiritual power as he dripped it onto the cicadas. ¡°Control!¡± At his low command, the initially struggling Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas gradually calmed and then lay on Su Jie¡¯s fingertips, sucking the fresh blood to memorize his scent. ¡°This is almost my current limit of control.¡± Su Jie pondered to himself. After visiting the Black Market and several days later, Su Jie had been continuously taking the Thousand-Handed Centipede into Insect Valley to train. The Thousand-Handed Centipede honed its combat skills through battle, while Su Jie captured poisonous insects needed for sale. For some suitable poisonous insects, Su Jie kept them to refine into his own Life Poisonous Insects, like the Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas in front of him. ¡°Go!¡± Under Su Jie¡¯s control, five Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas took flight, soaring at subsonic speeds, penetrating the trees to a depth of ten centimeters. Shake shake! The Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas that managed to free themselves wobbled in the air, circling a few times after overcoming their dizziness, then again took flight under Su Jie¡¯s control. Their sharp wings flew up and down easily slicing through thinner branches of trees. Su Jie waved his right sleeve, and dozens of Yin Fire Blood Bees flew into the sky, their dense wing flutters sounding like bombers passing by. They were much slower than the Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas but could eject a fine line of fire from their tails, easily igniting the dry twigs and leaves on the ground. ¡°Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas combined with Yin Fire Blood Bees¡ªthese two types of poisonous insects are it.¡± Su Jie recalled the Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas and Yin Fire Blood Bees in the sky. With his current Third Level of Yunling Realm strength, combined with the Thousand-Handed Centipede, he had reached his limit in controlling the number of Life Poisonous Insects. Moreover, more poisonous insects isn¡¯t always better; an appropriate combat system must be considered. The Yin Fire Blood Bees and Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas were relatively strong among inferior poisonous insects. The Yin Fire Blood Bees could fly and attack at long range, serving as archers. The Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas were fast and attacked ferociously, acting like assassins that could kill with a single strike. Combined with the close-range combat of the Low Grade One Refining Thousand-Handed Centipede, a simple combat system was completed. For the Yin Fire Blood Bees and Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas, Su Jie currently did not plan to enhance them excessively by feeding them a massive amount of poisonous insects from Blue Star. Unlike the Thousand-Handed Centipede, which was a Lifebound Poisonous Insect, controlling other poisonous insects required Su Jie to measure his own capabilities. The higher-grade poisonous insects are often more fierce and brutal; if his power wasn¡¯t sufficient, or if he was injured, he could face the risk of the poisonous insects turning on him, attacking him in return. Chapter 11 - 10: Alien Ghost Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Alien Ghost He had stayed in Insect Valley for a while, capturing a few inferior poison insects. There were low-grade poisonous insects in Insect Valley, but they required venturing deeper into its interior, which was far more dangerous than the outskirts. Without absolute certainty, Su Jie did not want to risk his life. As dusk approached, Su Jie gathered his basket and embarked on his return journey with today¡¯s earnings. Insect Valley was approximately ten kilometers away from Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s base, through a mountainous, densely forested environment with narrow, winding paths, making the return journey challenging. Rustle! Suddenly, Su Jie¡¯s ears twitched as he heard a strange sound. It resembled the wind blowing through the leaves, but was interspersed with faint, barely perceptible panting. Swiftly turning his head, Su Jie looked towards the dense forest behind him. The light was obscured by the dense trees, shrouding the surroundings in gloom. A pair of crimson eyes flickered in and out of view within the woods, rapidly approaching his position. ¡°Alien Ghost... and it¡¯s not even dark yet.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression changed dramatically, and he quickened his pace, shifting from a walk to a sprint. A gust of wind blew behind him, accompanied by a faint terrifying roar getting closer and closer. Su Jie sped up continuously. Fortunately, he was not far from the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s base. After sprinting out of the dense forest and deep valley, the base was in sight, surrounded by a vast open area. As long as he could fight here, he could immediately attract the attention of the disciples, and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry too much about his safety. Still not completely set, the sun¡¯s twilight illuminated the ground as Su Jie, gasping heavily with sweat pouring down like rain, leaned on his knees to catch his breath for quite a while, looking back towards the dense forest. Between the trees, a sinister figure with outstretched branches dark as storm clouds was staring intently at Su Jie with blood-red eyes, filled with malice and savagery that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. This figure was tall, its arms hung down to its knees, monkey-like; its skin was dry and pale as if it were a moving corpse, emitting a harsh, deep growl from its throat. The so-called Alien Ghost was a demon formed when a corpse was influenced by the turbid aura of the earth veins, then swayed by its bloodthirsty instincts. It was also known as Ghoul, Corpse Ghost, among other names. Alien Ghosts were nocturnal creatures that preyed on humans, fierce by nature, typically acting alone, but sometimes they hunted like wolves in packs. Each Alien Ghost possessed formidable physical strength, capable of effortlessly tearing apart large trees that two people could barely embrace and moving swiftly as the wind, making them extremely difficult for ordinary disciples to handle. In the mountainous area where Ghost Ridge Palace was located, there happened to be an earth vein emitting turbid aura, which also led to a large number of Alien Ghosts. Fortunately, they did not venture out during daylight, and typically, Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples would intentionally avoid them. Looking at the Alien Ghost, which possessed no insignificant intelligence, it clearly knew that the area around Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s base was perilous. The creature stared at Su Jie for several seconds before reluctantly growling twice and slinking back into the dense forest. ¡°There must be a problem.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze grew stern. Alien Ghosts generally did not appear during the day; it was in their nature. In the past, Su Jie had never seen Alien Ghosts during the daytime. He had only heard of disciples and Black Market merchants who had missed their timing when returning from the mountains and were hunted by the Alien Ghosts at night. With unresolved thoughts, Su Jie did not dare stay outside any longer and quickly returned to Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s base. As soon as he returned to the stone caves, Su Jie saw many disciples gathered together, all of whom were disciples of Taoist Qiu, numbering over two hundred. In Ghost Ridge Palace, the relationship between master and disciple was somewhat similar to the relationship between a supervisor and a graduate student in Su Jie¡¯s understanding. The master taught the disciples, and the disciples served the master. However, Taoist Qiu was notoriously stingy and greedy. He did more taking than giving, and talented disciples often chose not to become his students, making his sect the smallest in Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Jie stepped forward to ask, not understanding why they were gathered there. ¡°The Master has summoned us for something. He wants us to go see him.¡± A disciple explained, and someone nearby whispered, ¡°I bet it¡¯s about the Alien Ghost¡¯s activity these past couple of days.¡± ¡°An Alien Ghost, but do they move around during the day?¡± Su Jie¡¯s mind raced, immediately recalling his previous experiences. ¡°You encountered one? Then you¡¯re lucky to be alive.¡± The person looked at Su Jie somewhat unexpectedly. ¡°Friend, could you elaborate?¡± Su Jie looked at the speaking disciple who was over fifty years old¡ªa hopeless age for an Outer Disciple to make any breakthroughs. During the conversation, Su Jie casually passed a human-faced moth, a type of Poison Insect that was a hard currency among Outer Disciples. ¡°I remember you were called Su something...¡± The man hurriedly accepted the human-faced moth, his face breaking into a smile. ¡°Su Jie, how may I address you?¡± ¡°Heh heh, I¡¯m Gu Weonian. If you had asked other disciples, even inner disciples might not know about it, but you asked the right person.¡± Gu Weonian smiled smugly, then continued, ¡°These past couple of days, the Alien Ghosts changed their behavior of moving at night to appear during the day in the dense forest. Already, more than a dozen disciples have perished while venturing out, and some Black Market traders have suffered heavy losses. Twenty years ago, a similar situation occurred, caused by a surge in the earth¡¯s foul qi, leading to a riot of Alien Ghosts with abnormal activity patterns, and many people died back then.¡± ¡°I see, thank you, Brother Gu, for clearing that up.¡± Su Jie grimaced. If things were as bad as described, venturing out during the day would become dangerous. ¡°Be careful if you go out in the future. Don¡¯t fall victim like those unfortunate souls, devoured by Alien Ghosts without leaving even a whole corpse behind.¡± Seeing as he had received the human-faced moth, Gu Weonian¡¯s attitude was quite friendly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll avoid those things at all costs. I¡¯m certainly not going to tempt fate.¡± Gu Weonian nodded, his tone that of someone who had been through it all. ¡°Good that you know. Unlike some hotheads who think they¡¯re invincible after learning a few minor tricks, they foolishly challenge enemies far beyond their capabilities.¡± While they were talking, a man and a woman approached. The man was dressed in a blue robe, wearing a badge that marked him as an inner disciple, and his entire demeanor was as cold as ice, his facial muscles particularly stiff. The woman, on the other hand, was strikingly beautiful and scantily clad in light gauze, her slender waist and long legs, and barely hidden fair skin were incredibly seductive. These two were the only two inner disciples among Taoist Qiu¡¯s students. The male¡¯s name was Pei Haibing. He had been promoted to inner disciple half a year ago with a Yunling Sixth Level Cultivation. He did not practice the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture commonly cultivated by Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, but another Taoist Skill known as the White Bone Transformation, which was extremely cruel and terrifying when executed. The female was Yu Wenxian, a name that suggested tranquility and elegance, but her attire and demeanor completely contradicted that notion. She was even more ruthless and venomous than Pei Haibing, and she had been there longer. Chapter 12 - 11: Taoist Qiu Chapter 12: Chapter 11: Taoist Qiu It seemed that Yu Wenxian noticed Su Jie sizing her up. She smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Junior Brother Su, why do you keep looking at your sister? Could it be that you want to spend a lovely night with me?¡± Su Jie shivered and quickly waved his hands, ¡°Senior Yu is joking. I am far too humble and dare not aspire to such heights as to covet a flower like Senior Sister. If people knew, wouldn¡¯t I be drowned in saliva by your followers and admirers?¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re quite the wit.¡± Yu Wenxian pursed her lips and giggled, her large assets quivering with a striking curve, yet not a single disciple dared to sneak a glance. ¡°Come on now, we¡¯re about to depart, and yet there¡¯s such a lack of tact. Do you really expect me to walk to see Master? There isn¡¯t even a single newcomer with some sense.¡± The smile vanished, and Yu Wenxian huffed coldly, causing several male disciples to panic and rush out, kneeling at her feet. With a light tap of her jade foot, Yu Wenxian sat cross-legged on the backs of those men, as if riding a horse, letting the disciples kneel on all fours, crawling forward, carrying her. Su Jie exhaled in relief, grateful that the devilish woman hadn¡¯t set her sights on him. Looking again at the few male disciples being treated like beasts of burden, these were the unlucky fools who had succumbed to lust. Yu Wenxian had refined a special type of Mother-child Love Poisonous Insect, which, once a male disciple couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and became intimate, the Love Poison would enter through their ¡®vital root¡¯ into the heart, lying dormant under the control of the Mother Poison, manipulated by Yu Wenxian. At Yu Wenxian¡¯s command, the affected person would suffer the agony of a thousand insects eating at their heart, becoming entirely at her disposal, enslaved like beasts of burden to serve her. Many new recruits who didn¡¯t understand, upon meeting Yu Wenxian thought their luck in love had arrived, only to be controlled by her for life after falling into the trap. Su Jie truly did not want to provoke such a ruthless person. ¡°Is everyone here? Follow me to meet Master.¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s face was cold as ice, looking as if someone owed him a great sum of money. The group traveled several miles to a large estate halfway up the mountain. In front of the yard, a few willow trees were planted, their drooping branches like strands of hair, twisting freely in the breeze. Knock knock! Pei Haibing stepped forward and knocked on the gate. The gate opened automatically, revealing the sumptuous interior layout, with tall pavilions, covered walkways, pavilions, pools, rockeries¡ªeverything one could imagine, and the walls of each structure had exquisite bas-reliefs. It was hard to imagine such a luxurious estate hidden deep in the mountain forests. Upon entering this place, everyone¡¯s expression grew somber as they stepped into the yard, including Yu Wenxian, who immediately stood up from the backs of others and tidied her attire. Many servants were busy in the yard, greeting the group of disciples as they saw them. These servants were slaves bought from the Black Market, not only to clean and manage the estate but also to serve as a human resource for cultivating Demon Techniques when necessary. Apart from them, there were some figures with dull and murky eyes and swollen bellies that were particularly prominent, standing guard like sentinels. Regardless of gender, they all had bellies as if pregnant for ten months. These were not living people but Insect Slaves, created by cultivators through refinement. Inside their bellies were a multitude of tiny poisonous insects, with the human body serving as the nesting ground for the insects. Because they were cultivators, their flesh was rich with Spiritual Energy particles, creating a higher quality of insects in such an environment, with the insects becoming more bloodthirsty and ferocious. Essentially, these people were already dead, left with nothing but their instinct-driven walking corpses. In the event of an enemy encounter, their flesh and blood would transform into nutrients for the insects, hatching poisonous insects of various sizes and creating a terrifying sea of insects. Su Jie dared not look further and continued to walk with his head down. After climbing over a hundred meters, Su Jie finally saw Taoist Qiu in front of a pond brimming with lotus blossoms. The man, donned in a purple robe, appeared somewhat lean and seemed to be in his seventies. His eyes were the ice-cold vertical pupils of a snake, and he was currently tossing bait into the pond with a jade cup as if feeding fish. But upon closer inspection, that was no fish food¡ªthose were human eyeballs, freshly gouged out and still streaked with blood. No sooner had the eyeballs hit the water than numerous enormous shadows darted beneath the surface, fiercely competing for the food, causing water to splash everywhere. ¡°Master, I have brought the people over, please give your instructions.¡± Pei Haibing quickly stepped forward beside Taoist Qiu, bending over respectfully to report. ¡°Hmm, fairly punctual.¡± The hoarse voice came through as Taoist Qiu slowly turned around. ¡°Serving you, elder, how could we dare to be negligent in the slightest.¡± Yu Wenxian, with her coquettish voice, eagerly agreed from the side while the other disciples dared not interject. ¡°Now that everyone is here, let me tell you something,¡± Taoist Qiu set down the jade cup and, with hands clasped behind his back, faced the crowd and spoke, ¡°Just yesterday, the turbulence of the earth¡¯s foul qi caused the magnetic field of the Alien Ghosts here to become disorderly, resulting in a daytime feeding frenzy. After today¡¯s assembly at the mountain gate, the Sect Master has decided that, starting from today, in order to protect Insect Valley, the Black Market, the Blood Marrow Stone Mine, and the crucial transportation routes outside, we¡¯re establishing a protective patrol team. Disciples above the second layer of Yunling must mobilize; groups of three will patrol the mountain and protect the roads day and night, ensuring the safety of the trade routes.¡± What! Upon hearing these words, the disciples erupted in shock, and many Outer Disciples¡¯ complexions instantly turned extremely unsightly. The might of the Alien Ghosts is not something ordinary disciples can withstand, and even in groups of three, the situation is extremely perilous. But to voice objection was something no one dared, not even half a word. Just thinking about those Insect Slaves they saw in the compound was enough to imagine how cruel Taoist Qiu¡¯s methods were; the Sect¡¯s decisions were not something these disciples could oppose. Su Jie remained silent; although he wished to live quietly and practice cultivation, the collective action was a decision by the Sect, and he had no choice but to steel himself and participate. Peng Shiwen, on the other hand, had a grim expression, his face dark and purple like an eggplant beaten by frost. ¡°Our lineage¡¯s patrol team will be assembled in ten days. You all can choose the members yourselves; don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Taoist Qiu reclaimed the fish feed, his face expressionless. All eyes turned towards Pei Haibing and Yu Wenxian as the disciples harbored different thoughts, each beginning to calculate their savings. ¡°Alright, you may all leave now and prepare well.¡± Taoist Qiu sent everyone away. The group of disciples exited the yard and immediately surrounded Pei Haibing and Yu Wenxian. ¡°Brother Pei, this Spiritual Tea that I bought from Cui Feng Pavilion, please try it and see how you like the taste.¡± ¡°Senior Yu, this Golden Jade Blood Hairpin is a Spiritual Object I came across by chance; it can accelerate the gathering of Spiritual Energy and assist in cultivation, perfectly suited for a beauty like you.¡± The disciples vied with one another to show their eager flattery to the two, as being in one team with them, who were inner disciples, would naturally significantly increase their security. Su Jie did not join in. Setting aside whether he had enough money, he carried far too many secrets on him. To be in a team with inner disciples, he feared that any slip could allow them to detect something amiss. Chapter 13 - 12: Theft Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Theft The night was like water, and the earth had already fallen into slumber. In the stone cave area, under the caress of the night breeze, apart from the occasional hoot of an owl, the desolate and dim stone cave area was silent. When the time reached the early hours of the morning, an extra shadow appeared beneath the Human Bone Lamp Post, stealthily making its way to the front of a stone cave door. Feeling around on the stone door, a small snake emerged from the shadow¡¯s fingers, slipping into the keyhole, unlocking the tightly closed door. The shadow seemed very familiar with the surroundings; despite the pitch darkness within the room, it effortlessly found the chest where valuable items were stored, and was about to open it when a voice drifted leisurely through the air. ¡°Brother Peng, why stoop to this?¡± Accompanied by the voice, the oil lamp in the room lit up. Su Jie stood silently by the bed, gazing at the figure that had appeared in the cave, letting out a sigh. The figure stiffly turned its head, letting out a bitter chuckle. ¡°So you¡¯ve caught me, huh? I wanted to do this without anyone the wiser, seems like it¡¯s just my fate!¡± ¡°Brother Su, don¡¯t blame me. I¡¯ve injured my leg, and if it¡¯s not healed before the mountain patrol, I¡¯ll only have a death sentence. I need the money for treatment.¡± Knowing there was no point in hiding, the figure pulled down its hood, revealing it to be Su Jie¡¯s neighbor, Peng Shiwen. ¡°Ah, but there¡¯s no need for stealing! If you¡¯d spoken to me honestly, maybe I would have lent you the money.¡± Su Jie shook his head with heartfelt pain, as if looking at a child who had gone astray. ¡°You would lend me the money? Then I¡¯ll borrow it now¡ªjust 20 Blood Marrow Crystals.¡± Peng Shiwen was stunned, a look of joy crossing his face. ¡°I won¡¯t lend it.¡± However, before the joy on Peng Shiwen¡¯s face could last even a second, Su Jie immediately refused him. ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over carefully, and I¡¯ve decided not to lend it to you after all.¡± Su Jie had a serious look of contemplation, as for money, that was something he definitely wouldn¡¯t lend out. ¡°After all our years as brothers, don¡¯t we have any camaraderie left? You¡¯re going to watch me jump into the pit of fire with your own eyes?¡± Peng Shiwen seemed taken aback by the response, his eyes wide with anger as he spoke. Su Jie waved his hand and said, ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not so heartless. I won¡¯t watch you jump into the pit of fire with my own eyes¡ªI¡¯ll close them.¡± Peng Shiwen: ¡°...¡± The next moment, Peng Shiwen became frantic: ¡°Fine, fine, I always knew this was who you are. Since you¡¯re heartless, don¡¯t blame me for being unrighteous. Today you¡¯ll give me the money, willing or not. A person who¡¯s not ruthless shouldn¡¯t cultivate as a demon; I¡¯m going all out.¡± He never considered that if he stole Su Jie¡¯s Blood Marrow Crystals, and Su Jie couldn¡¯t buy resources, entering the mountain would be extremely dangerous. ¡°I¡¯m very curious about something¡ªwhy did you choose to steal from me? Is it because I¡¯m weak?¡± Without a trace of anger, Su Jie remained calm as he looked at the other party. Peng Shiwen¡¯s eyes turned fierce as he said coldly, ¡°Nonsense. With your lousy talents, who else would I choose besides you?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ve chosen the wrong person!¡± Su Jie smiled and crooked his finger invitingly. Suddenly, Peng Shiwen felt a strange warmth in his nose as two streams of black blood rushed out, his body convulsing with intense pain in his internal organs. ¡°When did you poison me? This is... the Five Organs Black Blood Incense.¡± A trace of fear flickered in his eyes as Peng Shiwen abruptly turned to look behind Su Jie. There, an incense stick was burning, its poisonous smoke wafting through the air, unseen in the darkness of the room until now. ¡°To wait for the poison to take effect, I had to chat with you to kill some time. I didn¡¯t expect you to hold out for so long.¡± Amidst the swirling fumes, Su Jie spoke as a black and purple Centipede, measuring one and a half meters long, darted out from his waist and pounced towards Peng Shiwen. ¡°` Boom! Several poisonous snakes as thick as chopsticks drilled out from Peng Shiwen¡¯s fingertips, charging at the thousand-hand centipede and attempting to bite and envenom it. Alas, they failed to pierce the chitinous insect shell and were instead swallowed whole by the centipede. A gold toad the size of a palm leaped onto Peng Shiwen¡¯s shoulder. Its long tongue shot out like a crossbow bolt, splitting into several strands mid-air and aiming for Su Jie¡ªthis was Peng Shiwen¡¯s lifebound poisonous insect. At the same time, a dozen small snakes crawled out from the hem of Peng Shiwen¡¯s pants, swiftly slithering towards Su Jie. This was Peng Shiwen¡¯s poisonous insect tactic: first, use the toad¡¯s split tongue to bind the enemy, and then release the snakes to bite and inject deadly poison. Su Jie understood his opponent¡¯s moves; his body remained still, but the flesh under his ribs writhed. Several pale arms burst out from the flesh, each grasping and holding the split tongues tightly. Then, with a sweep of his sleeves, Su Jie released a swarm of Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas and Yin Fire Blood Bees that buzzed and flapped their wings angrily. The former sliced through the tongues with incredible speed, while the latter raised their tails high and sprayed fire lines towards the group of snakes on the ground, burning them and causing the smell of cooked meat to waft through the air. All of this was just the clashing of inferior poisonous insects; the greatest threat was the fast-moving, utterly unstoppable thousand-hand centipede that ignored all attacks and lunged forward. ¡°Low-grade poisonous insects, spiritual power of the Yunling Third Level, you¡¯ve hidden it well...¡± Peng Shiwen¡¯s pupils contracted fiercely; sensing the threat of death, he pressed on the gold toad on his shoulder. Using some unknown method, the toad¡¯s size suddenly swelled, and without a moment¡¯s hesitation, it turned and fled, abandoning its lifebound poisonous insect without a second thought. Because Peng Shiwen was painfully aware that, no matter how strong the gold toad was, it was no match for the low-grade thousand-hand centipede¡ªthe difference between them was colossal. The gold toad inflated its belly, and its croak resonated like thunder. Croak! Dozens of forked tongues shot out, their number several times greater than before. The thousand-hand centipede paid them no mind, as its pale human-like hands from underneath its body tore the binding tongues to shreds and, with a whistling sound, chased after Peng Shiwen. Peng Shiwen¡¯s left leg was injured, and he had also inhaled Su Jie¡¯s poisonous smoke, so how fast could he possibly run? He had barely left the stone cave when the thousand-hand centipede pounced on him, coiling around him repeatedly, turning his upper body into a wrapped dumpling. ¡°Spare... spare my life...¡± Peng Shiwen¡¯s face showed fear as he begged for mercy. ¡°Had you known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place? Brother Peng, it¡¯s even you who taught me, ¡®Without cruelty, don¡¯t practice demon cultivation.¡¯ So, you can only obediently go die now.¡± No sooner had he spoken than the thousand-hand centipede released its constricting grip and returned to Su Jie¡¯s side, flaunting its antennae as if awaiting praise. Looking at Peng Shiwen again, his body was covered with green handprints, and he was long since poisoned, blood flowing from his seven orifices, lifeless. ¡°You did well, here¡¯s your reward¡ªa tasty treat.¡± After patting the headplate of the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie grabbed Peng Shiwen¡¯s lifebound gold toad with a pale hand and fed it to the centipede. Although it was inferior, Peng Shiwen had raised it for half a year, and the thousand-hand centipede found it quite delightful. After rewarding the creditable thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie wrapped it back around his waist and chest. Then, after a moment¡¯s consideration, Su Jie deliberately smeared some of Peng Shiwen¡¯s fresh blood on himself and rubbed his cheeks, making his complexion appear sallow and pale as if he had suffered a grave injury. Having finished all of this, Su Jie then dragged Peng Shiwen¡¯s body out of the cave. By now, the commotion from the fight had awakened many, with eyes from various stone caves looking over inquisitively. In-fighting among the disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace was common, as after all, they were demon cultivators. But Su Jie emerging as the victor surprised many. However, upon seeing Su Jie¡¯s ¡®pitiful¡¯ state, they quickly understood¡ªit was merely a bitter victory where both sides had suffered, and Peng Shiwen wasn¡¯t such an imposing figure that anyone would take it to heart. Su Jie stood his ground, waiting, because he knew someone would come to deal with the situation. Su Jie didn¡¯t have to wait long. Two members of the Law Enforcement Team dressed in red uniforms, openly displaying their Yunling Seventh Level powers, walked over. The Law Enforcement Team was a special force belonging to the Sect, accountable only to the Sect Master, distinct from ordinary disciples. ¡°` Chapter 14 - 13: Murder, Corpse Selling, House Raiding Chapter 14: Chapter 13: Murder, Corpse Selling, House Raiding The leader swept a glance over Su Jie and the already dead Peng Shiwen on the ground, pulled out a register, flipped to the page with their portraits, and said indifferently, ¡°Su Jie, for the brutal murder of a fellow sect member, you know the rules, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I understand. I will take care of the monthly fee that belonged to Peng Shiwen from Master¡¯s side.¡± Su Jie immediately responded. The higher-ups of Ghost Ridge Palace didn¡¯t care about Outer Disciples killing each other; after all, such disciples were seen merely as consumables by the higher-ups, as long as the monthly fees were not shorted, everything was negotiable. This was also the reason why Outer Disciples seldom killed each other, mostly opting for robbery instead. Even if they killed someone, it was done where no one else could see to destroy the body and remove all traces; otherwise, the cumulative monthly fees would pile up, and killing the person would mean having to pay their share of the fees, which was too costly a price to pay. ¡°Are you selling the body, the body of a Third Level of Yunling Realm, I¡¯ll pay thirty Blood Marrow Crystals.¡± Another member of the Law Enforcement Team spoke, asking for Peng Shiwen¡¯s body on the ground. The bodies of cultivators contain Spiritual Power, which is an extremely valuable resource for Demon Cultivators. As for trading the bodies of fellow sect members, for Demon Cultivators this was no issue at all; they valued only power, not any kind of moral righteousness. ¡°Sell, I sell,¡± Without hesitation, Su Jie responded. He had lost the monthly fee at Peng Shiwen¡¯s hands, and this was a good chance to recoup some of it. ¡°You are doing well,¡± The member of the Law Enforcement Team said with a smile, patted Su Jie on the shoulder, handed over thirty Blood Marrow Crystals, and then dragged the body away without looking back. Weighing the money bag containing the Blood Marrow Crystals in his hand, Su Jie was filled with many emotions. Alive, Peng Shiwen could not acquire twenty Blood Marrow Crystals, yet in death, his body sold for thirty. The irony was profound. Shaking his head to dispel the slight sadness in his mind, Su Jie turned and went to the neighboring stone cave, which was Peng Shiwen¡¯s house, planning to thoroughly loot it. If he didn¡¯t loot it, others would come to do so; better that he benefit instead. In the very similarly arranged room with sparse furniture and cushions, likely because he had lost everything gambling last time, Su Jie didn¡¯t find a single Blood Marrow Crystal in his house, only a few worthless poisonous insects. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this?¡± Suddenly, Su Jie made an unexpected discovery under a cushion. A thin piece of golden paper, full of text. ¡°Gu Master¡¯s Secrets¡ªInsect Control Technique¡± Upon seeing the name of the scripture on the golden paper, Su Jie¡¯s eyes lit up; it was about cultivation techniques. Looking further down at the author, there was a line of small text. ¡®This scripture is available only for inner disciples to read¡¯ Seeing this line, Su Jie was stunned; it was a cultivation scripture for inner disciples. The scripture didn¡¯t have much text, totaling just over ten thousand words. Su Jie carefully examined it and quickly understood what the scripture was about. Just as the scripture¡¯s title suggested, this scripture allowed one to master sophisticated Insect Control techniques, including commands for controlling, releasing, and applying poisons through insects¡ªall techniques that Su Jie had previously overlooked and never mastered. ¡°Where did Peng Shiwen get this good stuff; surely he didn¡¯t steal it from some inner disciple.¡± Su Jie muttered to himself, considering Peng Shiwen¡¯s miraculously skillful lock-picking techniques, it wasn¡¯t out of the realm of possibility. He stuffed the Insect Control Wild Taoist Scripture into his bosom, regardless of how Peng Shiwen came by it, the treasure now belonged to Su Jie. After rummaging through Peng Shiwen¡¯s house to make sure nothing was overlooked, Su Jie left and returned to his own house, impatiently sitting down on the cushion and pulling out the still-unwarmed Insect Control Wild Taoist Scripture. This volume of Insect Control Wild Taoist Scripture was very easy to understand, focusing on the minute control of poisonous insects which even someone with Su Jie¡¯s talents could master effortlessly. An hour later, having gained some insights, Su Jie caught a dragonfly, dripped a drop of fresh blood and mixed it with his own spiritual power before injecting it into the dragonfly¡¯s body. In just an instant, the previously struggling dragonfly calmed down, its small eyes dully staring at Su Jie. ¡°Connected by heart and blood, revealing the breach of ways!¡± With a soft chant of the spell, Su Jie¡¯s perspective shifted, seeing the ceiling, the walls, and nearly the entire cave¡¯s situation. It was Su Jie¡¯s sight shared with that of the dragonfly; everything the dragonfly saw was instantly transmitted to Su Jie. Given that a dragonfly¡¯s eyes have a special compound eye structure, it could see clearly almost a 360-degree range of objects, providing an extremely wide field of view. Together with the dragonfly¡¯s small size which made it hard to detect, as well as its high-speed flying and hovering ability, it was a very useful scouting insect. Buzzing! Upon Su Jie¡¯s command, the dragonfly quickly took flight, swirling around the room and accurately recognizing any command from Su Jie. In the past, It had been very difficult for Su Jie to minutely control such common insects, as their brain capacity was too low to recognize many of his commands, let alone share a field of view. Now with the secret technique of Insect Control, he could manipulate common insects anytime and anywhere. Adding the shared vision, the scouting capabilities had achieved a qualitative leap. ¡°Not bad at all, having a scouting insect will grant a significant advantage in reconnaissance, and traveling through the Ancient Mirror will be safer as well,¡± Su Jie nodded in satisfaction. The interdimensional travel through the Ancient Mirror was his greatest secret, and one could never be too careful. Su Jie then turned his head and summoned the thousand-hand centipede, placing his right hand on its head cap, channeling most of his spiritual power into it. Hiss! The next moment, the thousand-hand centipede stood upright, its speed and strength greatly increased, transforming into a black wind and striking a basin-sized hole into the cave wall. The pale human hands on its underside, like boneless snakes, suddenly stretched out a great length, filling half of the cave with terrifying shadows of human hands. This was the Secret Poison Release Technique within the Insect Control Methods, similar to what Peng Shiwen had previously used to enhance the golden toad. This technique allowed the maximum utilization of the host¡¯s spiritual power, activating the insect¡¯s combat instinct, making it fiercer and more powerful; however, post-application, the insect would be lethargic for several days. It was an indispensable choice for desperate situations. ¡°No wonder the inner disciples are so strong, their starting point is so much higher than ours.¡± Su Jie silently lamented, thankful that he possessed the low-grade first-refined thousand-hand centipede, and could shuttle between two worlds, leveraging the resources of Blue Star to catch up. Just consider today¡¯s battle; without the interdimensional travel provided by the Ancient Mirror, he would still be a minor practitioner at the Second Level of Yunling Realm, without any means to oppose Peng Shiwen, and Su Jie would have been the one to die today. ¡°I still have to rely on you!¡± Touching the Ancient Mirror, Su Jie then remembered what Taoist Qiu had mentioned today. Peng Shiwen was nothing much, but the Alien Ghosts were the real terror. Ordinary Outer Disciples when alone against one, only had the fate of being brutally killed by the Alien Ghost. ¡°Ten days later, I¡¯ll have to patrol the mountains and confront the Alien Ghosts; a storm is brewing! I must rapidly strengthen myself and obtain more resources from Blue Star to hasten my cultivation progress.¡± Letting out a long breath, Su Jie looked towards the axe placed in the corner; it seemed he would have to work as a lumberjack for a while again. Chapter 15 - 14: Trading Again Chapter 15: Chapter 14: Trading Again The weather turned colder by the day, with the chill of winter gradually sweeping across the entire north. In Linping City on Blue Star, at Jingjiang No.1 Villa. Underground in the first level, Su Jie¡¯s steps were swift as he practiced a set of boxing techniques. When his fists swung, faint sounds of tigers and leopards echoed through his bones. Bang! Suddenly, Su Jie threw a punch that landed on a sturdy wooden dummy. The powerful blow immediately flung the dummy several meters away, its chest area cracked open as if struck by a heavy hammer, while the spiritual power and qi-blood in Su Jie¡¯s body continued to sublime through the exercise. After squeezing his palm, Su Jie took a deep breath and exhaled a long stream of white air that shot out several meters before dispersing. ¡°My strength must be comparable to that of a buffalo by now,¡± he guessed in his heart. Without precise instruments to measure his strength, he reasoned that a normal person wouldn¡¯t likely survive his full punch. After a good workout session, Su Jie mused to himself, ¡°It took seven days, but this Tiger Roar Fist that I bought from the Black Market is quite good. Now I¡¯ve got some close combat abilities, which was not easy to come by!¡± The martial arts that Su Jie practiced were from the Tianyuan World, usually practiced by experts in the martial arts community, which had limited potential. He had purchased them with ten Blood Marrow Stones. Since Gu Masters are generally not adept at close combat, and the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture that Su Jie cultivated did not strengthen his body much, compared to the bizarre abilities of the poisonous insects, close combat was his weakest attacking method. Su Jie thought about improving this deficiency. Squirm! The thousand-hand centipede, now plumper, noticed Su Jie had finished his exercise and immediately crawled over to rub affectionately against Su Jie¡¯s pant leg, curious and looking around. ¡°Look at you, your master is working so hard, you should also put in more effort to enter the Second Spiritual Refining stage quicker.¡± Su Jie tapped the head of the thousand-hand centipede, which was now well fed and had grown to a size of 1.8 meters on Blue Star. And Su Jie could feel that the thousand-hand centipede was close to molting again; it could be in ten days, or perhaps twenty. After that, it could undergo another transformation and evolve into a Low Grade creature that had accomplished Second Spiritual Refining. The centipede¡¯s two antennae kept pressing against Su Jie¡¯s neck, and its ferocious mouth gaped wide open, as if it were about to imprint an emoticon of ¡®I¡¯m hungry, feed me¡¯ on its forehead. ¡°You¡¯ve finished already? Today I had Old Chen send over 80,000 scorpions.¡± Su Jie was startled and turned to look, only to see that the scorpions in several breeding boxes had indeed been eaten clean. Considering that each scorpion was roughly one yuan, the creature had munched through 80,000 yuan and still wasn¡¯t full. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll have some food sent over.¡± Su Jie pushed the centipede¡¯s head aside and picked up his phone to call Chen Yaoguang. ¡°Old Chen, prepare a few workers and send another 20,000 scorpions over to the warehouse.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get it ready now. But Mr. Su, there isn¡¯t much stock left in the breeding facility. With the current rate of consumption, we won¡¯t be able to keep up with the demand through your channels,¡± Chen Yaoguang¡¯s voice came through, concerned by the issue even though the breeding facility had recently stabilized. ¡°How much stock is left now?¡± Su Jie wasn¡¯t surprised; he was well aware of the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s growing appetite. ¡°About 240,000 scorpions left, which would only last about two days with your consumption, Mr. Su.¡± ¡°I see. Old Chen, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve been in the insect breeding industry for decades? Then you must know quite a few breeding farms. Can you call them for me and buy scorpions, spiders, centipedes, poisonous snakes, and other Poison Insects? You handle the price negotiations.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, I do know quite a few people, but how much do we intend to buy?¡± ¡°Buy without limit up to ten million in funds. If it goes over ten million, report back to me.¡± ¡°Sheesh, that much, got it boss.¡± Chen Yaoguang was shocked by Su Jie¡¯s boldness, not knowing just how big a business Mr. Su was running to casually spend ten million on purchasing poisonous insects. ¡°` After hanging up the phone, Su Jie no longer had the nonchalant demeanor he had during the call. He looked at the bank balance displayed on his phone, and after setting aside ten million to purchase the Poison Insects for Chen Yaoguang, Su Jie realized he only had one million in available funds left. One million might seem like a lot, but facing the ever-increasing appetite of the thousand-hand centipede, it was definitely not enough. ¡°I¡¯ve saved up a batch of good-quality timber, time to sell it off and recoup some funds.¡± Luckily, Su Jie had a stable revenue stream; otherwise, he really couldn¡¯t afford the increasingly demanding thousand-hand centipede. Sliding his finger over the phonebook, Su Jie sent a message to Chen Yaoguang and then walked out of the first level of the basement. ¡°Mr. Su, your meal has been prepared.¡± A servant came over to remind him. ¡°Alright, I know.¡± Su Jie nodded. At Jingjiang No.1, he had hired quite a few servants, chefs, and gardeners to manage the big house, ensuring his own comfortable lifestyle. However, the first level of the basement was Su Jie¡¯s private area, where the thousand-hand centipede was kept, and no one else was allowed entry. After finishing his meal, Su Jie drove his BMW alone to the South Bridge Logistics Center. ... It was the same location and crew. Liang Lianjun came again with Leng Baihe¡¯s staff. After receiving a call from Su Jie, Liang, upon hearing that there were even greater goods this time, didn¡¯t dare to delay and hurried over with his people. How could he not? Su Jie had left a deep impression on him last time; the batch of top-quality timber sold to Leng Baihe for over sixty million had made exquisite luxury furniture that garnered widespread praise. This made Liang Lianjun attach even greater importance to his dealings with Su Jie this time. ¡°Mr. Su, haha, long time no see, thank you for taking care of our business again.¡± In front of the warehouse, seeing Su Jie, Liang Lianjun quickly stepped forward with great enthusiasm, shaking Su Jie¡¯s hand. ¡°What ¡®taking care¡¯¡ªour last cooperation was so pleasant. Of course, I thought of you and Leng Baihe first when I got my hands on good materials!¡± Su Jie responded with a smile. He was very patient with those who were essentially bringing him money. ¡°I know Manager Liang is eager to see the goods, so let¡¯s skip the small talk. Come in and take a look at the good stuff I¡¯ve prepared for you.¡± Pushing open the warehouse door, Su Jie led Leng Baihe¡¯s staff inside, pointing to the dozens of precious trees stacked in the middle of the warehouse, ¡°Look, this is the big deal I was talking about.¡± ¡°Damn... damn...¡± Following Su Jie¡¯s gaze, Liang Lianjun was almost speechless with shock. ¡°Purple sandalwood... unbelievable, so much top-notch purple sandalwood, I never imagined seeing this much all at once.¡± Liang Lianjun rushed over, murmuring to himself while caressing each of the centuries-old, extremely high-quality trees. This was his first time seeing so many precious timber materials together in his career in the wood industry. It was truly heart-stopping. ¡°Manager Liang, hold off on the excitement for a moment and start appraising the goods. Once you guys buy all this timber, you can go back and admire it at your company every day.¡± Su Jie chuckled from the side. The high-quality timber so cherished in the eyes of Liang Lianjun was just common wood in Tianyuan World. It only showed that the differences between the two worlds allowed Su Jie, the profiteer, to easily execute low-buy high-sell operations. ¡°Yes, yes, Master, bring the tools over quickly.¡± Liang Lianjun realized that he had been somewhat uncomposed and quickly regained control of his expression. The sound of chainsaws reverberated in the warehouse. Because Su Jie had prepared dozens of trees this time, examining the quality, weighing, and valuing them took up more time. It took almost two hours to measure all the timber. ¡°` Chapter 16 - 15: Setbacks Chapter 16: Chapter 15: Setbacks ¡°Mr. Su, our preliminary estimate is 450 million yuan, but I can¡¯t make such a big transaction decision on my own. I need to consult the boss before making a decision,¡± said Manager Liang. After calculating the price, Liang Lianjun couldn¡¯t help but feel a pounding heart. Surprised by the high value of the wood, Su Jie wondered where he had managed to get it from. Such wood only comes from Southeast Asia but is also highly protected; the amount of logging each year is regulated, and even seeing one precious tree is not easy, let alone dozens at a time. Su Jie meanwhile, was calculating how his recently depleted capital pool would soon swell up again with this money at hand, no longer fearing the voracious appetite of the thousand-hand centipede. ¡°We still need to discuss the price, you first go and tell your boss,¡± he said. Su Jie nodded; the price was about what he had in mind. The price Liang Lianjun offered was sincere, but of course, it would be better if it could go higher. Liang Lianjun quickly excused himself to make a phone call, while Su Jie wasn¡¯t in a hurry, pondering how he was going to spend the money once it was in his account. Even at its hungriest, the present thousand-hand centipede couldn¡¯t devour funds enough to purchase millions worth of poison insects. About fifteen minutes later, Liang Lianjun came back. However, his face seemed a bit unnatural this time and chuckled nervously upon seeing Su Jie, explaining, ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯m really sorry, but the boss said your batch of goods is too valuable, and the company can¡¯t come up with so much working capital at the moment, hoping you can give a one-week extension.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t come up with the money?¡± Su Jie frowned slightly and looked at Liang Lianjun without speaking. The atmosphere became slightly awkward, and Liang Lianjun wiped sweat from his forehead, fearful of offending Su Jie, their major client, ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯m truly sorry, I will continue to persuade the boss on my end, ??please don¡¯t be angry for now.¡± ¡°What do I have to be angry about? It¡¯s just business, and I never force a sale or a purchase,¡± Su Jie responded. Su Jie patted Liang Lianjun on the shoulder, his gaze intense, saying, ¡°I¡¯m in no rush to sell this batch of wood. If you want me to extend the time, you¡¯ll have to pay me a portion of the deposit, calculated at 10% just fine, so first transfer a 45 million yuan deposit.¡± ¡°This... this probably can¡¯t be done, the boss on that end...¡± Liang Lianjun found himself in an awkward and difficult situation because Su Jie¡¯s request was quite reasonable. After all, not making contact with other buyers for such premium raw material was already a sign of trust in Leng Baihe, and requiring a deposit was a rightful gesture of sincerity. But his boss had specifically instructed him over the phone earlier not to agree to any payment of funds. To be honest, Liang Lianjun himself couldn¡¯t understand why his boss made such an unreasonable decision. Didn¡¯t he realize how rare this batch of premium raw material was? If it was purchased by another buyer, it would only serve to enhance a competitor¡¯s reputation. ¡°Heh, it seems this collaboration isn¡¯t going smoothly, no worries, business does not affect friendship, you go back and discuss with your boss first,¡± Su Jie said calmly. From Liang Lianjun¡¯s difficulties, Su Jie had already sensed something amiss. Normally, such a batch of premium raw material would undoubtedly be something that furniture companies would eagerly hope to procure. Even if genuinely short of working capital, they could arrange a loan from a bank or borrow corporate funds using this quality wood as collateral. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to secure the funds. Even if there were difficulties, to secure this batch of wood, it would be unimaginable to not even agree to use a deposit to secure it, suggesting an outright reluctance to trade. ¡°Mr. Su, I...¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to explain anymore, this isn¡¯t something you can decide¡ªjust go back,¡± Su Jie interrupted. With a shake of his head, Su Jie left Liang Lianjun with his words stuck in his throat and seeing Su Jie¡¯s resolute attitude, he could only leave the warehouse with a face full of gloom. As Su Jie stood at the warehouse door, watching the retreating convoy, he toyed with a small dragonfly in his hand: ¡°I hope it¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking, otherwise...¡± Buzz! The dragonfly, having broken free from Su Jie¡¯s palm, flapped its wings and flew to a hidden corner to quietly lie in wait. ... Leng Baihe Furniture headquarters in Linping City. Returning from the suburban warehouse, Liang Lianjun didn¡¯t even stop to drink water and hurriedly rushed into the chairman¡¯s office, knocking on the door. A sexy figure of a female secretary opened the door and let Liang Lianjun in. Behind the desk sat a man in his fifties, dressed in a neat suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and looking very scholarly, as he was busy correcting documents. This man was none other than Cui Yunchun, the founder of Cold Lily Company and its current chairman and CEO. He single-handedly controlled this well-known furniture enterprise in Hannan Province, with a net worth exceeding two billion yuan. The entrepreneurial journey of Cui Yunchun was quite legendary. In those turbulent times, he dropped his secure job to start a business. He had owned a popular disco and bar back in the day, and managed local civil contracting and river sand procurement. Reportedly, because of some murky background, he was arrested and spent several years in prison. After his release, he was practically penniless. Just when everyone thought Cui Yunchun was doomed to obscurity, he chose to start a business again, establishing Leng Baihe Furniture Company. Over ten years of management, he completed a magnificent comeback, becoming a multi-billionaire and a well-known entrepreneur in Linping City. ¡°Chairman Cui, why cancel this deal? Our Leng Baihe could definitely procure this batch of rare materials and make a strong push in the high-end furniture market,¡± said Liang Lianjun, unable to contain his emotions as soon as they met. He truly loved wood, and it was evident how high the quality of those materials was and how important they were to the Cold Lily Company. This is why he could not understand Cui Yunchun¡¯s actions. ¡°Manager Liang, don¡¯t be hasty, sit down. Xiao Fei, please bring Manager Liang a cup of tea,¡± Cui Yunchun said, lifting his head and pushing up his glasses with a gentle smile. ¡°Manager Liang, please,¡± said the executive secretary Ma Lanfei, handing over the tea, though Liang Lianjun showed no interest in enjoying it. ¡°Well, it seems that I must explain, or Manager Liang won¡¯t want to drink this cup of tea,¡± said Cui Yunchun with a helpless shake of his head, putting down his pen and slowly continuing, ¡°Manager Liang, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to purchase that batch of wood, but the price is indeed too steep; such a purchase would drain our company¡¯s working capital.¡± ¡°But making that batch into furniture would easily allow us to sell and collect the funds! This type of luxury furniture is always in high demand in the market,¡± Liang Lianjun argued, showing his deep understanding of the market despite working in procurement. ¡°The reason I didn¡¯t proceed with the purchase is that our company managed to open a new channel in Nanxiang Country through special relationships, acquiring a batch of equally rare tree materials of comparable quality and quantity, and even at a lower price. I have already ordered the purchase, and it¡¯s currently being transshipped. You will see it in a few days,¡± explained Cui Yunchun patiently, seeming to highly value Liang Lianjun¡¯s talent and consoling him with good words. Liang Lianjun was stunned, as he, the manager of the procurement department, was unaware of this transaction. Moreover, what kind of channel was so powerful that, aside from Su Jie, he had not seen anyone who could bring in so many rare wood materials from abroad in one go. Cough, cough! Cui Yunchun seemed to have spoken too much all at once, starting to cough as his throat became uncomfortable. ¡°Chairman Cui, quickly take your medicine; your chronic issue is acting up again,¡± said Ma Lanfei, handing over a pill and warm water. Cui Yunchun swallowed it and his complexion improved slightly, managing a bitter smile, ¡°It¡¯s the chronic pharyngitis flaring up again. I can¡¯t talk too much.¡± ¡°Chairman Cui, I¡¯ll let you rest then,¡± Liang Lianjun said. Although Liang Lianjun still had his doubts, seeing Cui Yunchun like this, he felt it wasn¡¯t appropriate to stay any longer. Chapter 17 - 16: Wealth Moves the Heart Chapter 17: Chapter 16: Wealth Moves the Heart Once the office was left with only Cui Yunchun and Ma Lanfei, Cui Yunchun¡¯s previously gentle and refined demeanor gradually faded away as he spoke nonchalantly, ¡°Xiao Fei, how is the preparation for the operation coming along?¡± Ma Lanfei picked up her phone and said, ¡°Lei Zi and Brother Hu have the manpower and vehicles ready. The transfer location is set to an abandoned unfinished building in the east part of the city where no one passes by. We¡¯ll lay low there for a few days to avoid attention, then quietly move the goods to our processing factory below. There won¡¯t be any slip-ups.¡± ¡°Hmm, that should be fine.¡± Cui Yunchun nodded slightly, then continued, ¡°What about Su Jie, have we found out anything about him?¡± ¡°I had someone look into him. He¡¯s just an ordinary university student, no traces of him in the past half year. I suspect he went abroad, made some good connections, and managed to get his hands on these precious wood materials through luck and some connections.¡± Ma Lanfei took out a stack of documents with information about Su Jie. For a big corporation, obtaining information about ordinary citizens is a matter of want, there is none that can¡¯t be found. ¡°Most likely he has overseas connections. The countries down south are quite chaotic. For him to have created opportunities for himself from there... he must be quite capable.¡± ¡°Mr. Cui, are you suggesting... we don¡¯t make a move?¡± Asking cautiously, Ma Lanfei couldn¡¯t guess what was on Cui Yunchun¡¯s mind. Cui Yunchun glanced at the documents and then swept them aside, leisurely lighting a cigar and said indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. If it were abroad, I might be worried, but this is Hua Country. Here the dragons coil and the tigers lie; everyone must abide by the law, including us. Does he really think he can compete with a local tough like us?¡± ¡°Chairman Cui is right; why don¡¯t we just go all out and...¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you not to be obsessed with violence? Things have changed, we¡¯ve finally gone legit. If we give others something to hold against us, the loss would outweigh the gain. Just eat up his goods. We¡¯ll see what to do next,¡± Cui Yunchun smiled confidently and ordered, ¡°Have Lei Zi and Ah Hu take action this afternoon, lest the other party sells the goods to someone else and it becomes too late.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± As Ma Lanfei was about to leave, she suddenly heard Cui Yunchun say, ¡°Help me blow off some steam first, as a pre-celebration for our successful operation tonight.¡± ¡°Of course, Chairman Cui.¡± Ma Lanfei flashed a seductive smile, ran her fingers through her hair, and slowly bent over as she crouched down. .... South Bridge Logistics Center Warehouse Area. A convoy of vehicles entered in the afternoon, driving into the warehouse area. The security guards of the warehouse area saw them and let them through without any inspection. The fleet, mainly consisting of heavy trucks and cranes, had a very clear destination, stopping in front of a small warehouse. Following that, more than a dozen formidable men jumped off the vehicles and rapidly approached the warehouse. They pulled out their spare keys and unlocked the warehouse doors. It was a busy time for warehouse transfers, with loading and unloading taking place in various warehouses. Their actions didn¡¯t raise any suspicions. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± ¡°All set, the warehouse district management has been informed, and the cameras here have been temporarily turned off.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get to work, and make it quick.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Hu, it¡¯s not our first time doing this kind of job. What could possibly go wrong?¡± The group chatted and laughed as they worked at a steady pace. In the warehouse, logs weighing tons were hoisted onto the trucks. The entire process was quick and orderly, suggesting they knew what they were doing. The whole operation was completed in less than half an hour. During that half hour, not a single security guard patrolled the area. ¡°` Apart from the noise of some timber being loaded onto trucks, there was nothing else. Once the precious timber had all been loaded, a few other heavy trucks arrived. They dumped a load of wood in the rear compartment, except it was only normal tree materials, cheap stuff worth a few hundred per ton. ¡°Lei Zi, is the fire set up ready?¡± ¡°All done, guaranteed no flaws.¡± ¡°Alright, retreat.¡± With an order, the heavy vehicles started up again. Shortly after they left, flames suddenly flared up inside the warehouse. Then the flames rapidly spread, engulfing the entire warehouse in a raging fire. Meanwhile, the convoy left the South Bridge Logistics Center amidst joyous laughter. But they didn¡¯t notice that, on various parts of their trucks¡ªthe front, the carriage, the bottom¡ªa few dragonflies were quietly perched. ... Jingjiang No.1 Villa! In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Su Jie¡¯s gaze turned toward the warehouse area, where he seemed to see the fierce flames burning. ¡°Indeed, wealth stirs the human heart; the ancients never lied to me.¡± Although he had expected it, Su Jie hadn¡¯t thought that the others would act so decisively. This was modern society, yet they carried out daylight robbery naturally and with ease. ¡°However, I quite like this kind of irrational business warfare. It means I don¡¯t have to hold back. In doing evil deeds, we Demon Cultivators will not be outdone by anyone.¡± Su Jie¡¯s mouth curved into a cold smile. If someone wanted to play dirty with a Demon Cultivator, Su Jie was very willing to oblige. Eating his stuff wouldn¡¯t be simply ended by throwing it back up. ........ The next day, at the South Bridge Logistics Center. Su Jie stood in front of his own warehouse, now ruins. After yesterday¡¯s fire, all that was left were ashes and broken bricks and metal. ¡°This is the fire investigation report from the fire department. It states that the fire was caused by the illegal storage of electric scooters in the warehouse, which ignited the batteries. Combined with the timber inside, it ultimately started the fire and resulted in this disaster. You need to compensate for our warehouse losses, totaling 950,000 yuan. Hmph, you should be grateful there were no casualties. Otherwise, with your actions, you would¡¯ve been arrested long ago.¡± A supervisor from the South Bridge Logistics Warehouse Center furiously waved the report, spitting as he accused Su Jie of illegal operations that burned down their warehouse. ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever storing electric scooters in the warehouse.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted to the supervisor as he said with a smiling face. The supervisor was startled, a flicker of unease passing over his face, and then roared: ¡°Who else but you? We rented this warehouse to you; everything stored was yours. It¡¯s pointless to play dumb now. You must compensate for our loss, or wait to be sued.¡± Su Jie¡¯s lips curled slightly as he said, ¡°I can give you the money, but...¡± Su Jie smiled, whispering menacingly in the supervisor¡¯s ear: ¡°Be careful, you might have the hands to take this money, but not the life to spend it.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, huh! Trying to scare and threaten me? Who do you think you are?¡± The supervisor sneered internally, accustomed to seeing plenty of people who were mentally unhinged after bankruptcy. This was a society ruled by law; he didn¡¯t take such threats seriously at all. ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Su Jie waved his hand and didn¡¯t bother to argue any further. He got into his BMW M8 and drove out of the South Bridge Warehouse. The real show was just beginning. ¡°` Chapter 18 - 17: Tea Art Chapter 18: Chapter 17: Tea Art Jingjiang Manor! In the sales office, a brand new Audi Q3 came to a smooth halt in the parking space. The door opened, and Liu Yingying, carrying her newly purchased Herme?s bag and looking radiant, stepped out and confidently strode into the sales department. Inside the sales department, property sales agents who were chatting idly all turned their heads to look, and many were green with envy at such a sight. ¡°Yingying, you¡¯ve really made a fortune, haven¡¯t you? How much commission did they give you yesterday?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, a new Audi Q3 plus that Herme?s bag, that¡¯s got to be at least five hundred thousand, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only been here a little over a month, Yingying. Hitting it big with a wealthy tycoon this time was really striking it lucky.¡± One after another, they either flattered or made snide remarks, but Liu Yingying didn¡¯t take them to heart. Instead, she graciously said: ¡°I still rely on everyone¡¯s support, and besides, I haven¡¯t forgotten about all of you¡ªI¡¯ve even brought gifts especially. Come and have a taste.¡± Liu Yingying opened a box of high-end pastries she had brought and said with a beaming smile, ¡°These I bought from Lanxin Xuan, their most expensive selection, selling for 2,999 yuan. Xuan Miao, didn¡¯t you have their 1,300-yuan box of chocolates just last week? Try this and see what it tastes like.¡± The pretty little beauty Zhao Xuanmiao, who had a solid eighty points for her looks and figure, didn¡¯t look too pleased. Because last week she had come boasting with a box of chocolates, and at that time, she distributed them to the other girls at the sales office, all except Liu Yingying. Before Liu Yingying arrived, she was the brightest flower in the sales department. And ever since Liu Yingying arrived, she had immediately stolen her limelight. ¡°I won¡¯t eat, I¡¯ve been having a toothache lately, not good for eating sweets. And not to speak out of turn, but Yingying, the money you make doesn¡¯t come easy. You can¡¯t always be that lucky.¡± Zhao Xuanmiao forced a smile, though her tone was dripping with sarcasm. Liu Yingying, holding her head high with confidence, retorted, ¡°Then don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll spend my money however I want.¡± ¡°Your money... who knows if it¡¯s clean or not.¡± They say when women fight, there¡¯s no reasoning involved¡ªand now Zhao Xuanmiao and Liu Yingying were quietly competing with each other. As they were speaking, someone walked into the sales office and exclaimed, ¡°Yo, it¡¯s quite lively in here today!¡± Everyone turned towards the voice, and then several female sales agents¡¯ eyes lit up. ¡°I came today to finalize some paperwork for a house. Who¡¯s free to help?¡± Su Jie glanced around, and as soon as he spoke, there was silence for a few seconds, then several female sales agents squeezed forward. ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯m free right now, let me help you with that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in charge of handling these matters, Mr. Su, you just have a cup of tea and I¡¯ll take care of everything for you.¡± Several female sales agents crowded around Su Jie, their gazes fixed on him. They had all witnessed Liu Yingying¡¯s rise to fortune and knew in these times it was better to be rich and shameless¡ªif you can make money, you¡¯ve got skill. Zhao Xuanmiao was the quickest to act, quickly securing a favorable position, while Liu Yingying felt a bit uncomfortable upon seeing Su Jie, remembering what had happened that night. Then seeing a group of ¡°fox spirits¡± swarm around him, she inwardly cursed them for their shamelessness. ¡°Let¡¯s go with this pretty young lady here.¡± Su Jie casually chose Zhao Xuanmiao, immediately putting a beaming smile on her face. Liu Yingying watched, feeling an inexplicable surge of anger, gazing at Su Jie with eyes full of hurt. Su Jie seemed not to notice and, after everything was settled, turned to everyone with a smile, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, to celebrate the complete handover of my new house, I¡¯m throwing a party at my villa tonight. I¡¯ve invited a top chef from a high-end restaurant. It looks like it¡¯s about time for you all to get off work too. How about coming over and joining the fun?¡± ¡°Wow, Mr. Su, you¡¯re really generous. We¡¯d be glad to accept your invitation.¡± With the opportunity for a free meal, nobody was going to turn down such good fortune. Especially some of the female property sales agents, who considered themselves quite attractive, each had their own ulterior motives, hoping to hook a wealthy husband. ... The night deepened. Lights shone brightly on the lawn of Jingjiang No.1, where a culinary team from an advanced restaurant was bustling about. Steak, lobster, tuna sashimi, and other high-end ingredients flowed onto tables like water, leaving a group of people eating to their heart¡¯s content. ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯d like to propose a toast to you.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, if you have friends who need to buy houses in the future, please make sure to come to me.¡± The central figure of the party was naturally Su Jie. At that moment, a flock of women surrounded Su Jie, casting coquettish glances that made Liu Yingying¡¯s eyes shoot flames. ¡°Brother Su, could you help me twist off this bottle cap? I¡¯m too clumsy.¡± Zhao Xuanmiao clutched a cola bottle, puffing her cheeks as she tried hard, then looked at Su Jie with eyes pleading for help. Su Jie raised an eyebrow, casually twisted open the cola, his smile full of playfulness. ¡°Are you a bit drunk?¡± ¡°Mhm, my head feels a bit dizzy. Brother Su, can I rest on your couch for a while? My place is too far, and you can trust me, I absolutely won¡¯t dirty it.¡± Zhao Xuanmiao hung her head in feigned embarrassment, looking like she couldn¡¯t handle her liquor, almost burrowing into Su Jie¡¯s embrace. ¡°Of course, you can. Why sleep on the couch when there are plenty of rooms.¡± ¡°Brother Su, you are so nice, so gentle and considerate. If you weren¡¯t taken, I might have been moved.¡± Zhao Xuanmiao covered her mouth, revealing an adoring and longing gaze. ¡°Xuan Miao, didn¡¯t you rent a small apartment nearby?¡± Just then, Liu Yingying walked over and said without mincing words, ¡°Also, at the last company dinner, I seem to remember you drinking on the box. How come you¡¯re drunk after just a few sips today, needing Mr. Su to hold you up?¡± Zhao Xuanmiao¡¯s pretty face turned dark, almost to the point of fury, yet she put on a pitiful expression: ¡°Sorry, sister, I wasn¡¯t steady on my feet. Brother Su just gave me a hand. Please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± The tension escalated. Liu Yingying glared fiercely, the saying goes that girls can spot whether someone¡¯s a green tea or not at a glance. And now, when Liu Yingying looked at Zhao Xuanmiao, it seemed as though the green tea was about to spill over. Suddenly, Liu Yingying staggered a bit, as if the alcohol had hit her, weakly wrapping an arm around Su Jie. ¡°Mr. Su, just now I don¡¯t know why, but I suddenly felt a bit... am I bothering you? I really have no other intentions. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t find anyone to talk to. I¡¯m not as outgoing as Xuan Miao, and I feel like such a failure.¡± Liu Yingying spoke softly, since her opponent had initiated with green tea tactics, she could only counteract magic with magic. It¡¯s just green tea tricks! As if she couldn¡¯t do the same. Now it was Zhao Xuanmiao¡¯s turn to feel irritated, looking at Liu Yingying, who had come out to stir up trouble, she felt extremely annoyed. ¡°By the way, Xuan Miao, Sister Zhang mentioned you have a doctoral student boyfriend who came to the company¡¯s door to give you flowers. When can you bring him to meet our colleagues?¡± Before Zhao Xuanmiao could speak, Liu Yingying pressed her advantage with a killer blow. Zhao Xuanmiao¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, saying, ¡°You remembered wrong. He¡¯s just a suitor, and we haven¡¯t confirmed our relationship. Don¡¯t spread rumors.¡± Liu Yingying feigned realization, saying, ¡°Oh, I see, my mistake. The one who gave flowers should be that college student from Medical University. I heard he¡¯s on the basketball team, quite a handsome young man.¡± ¡°Brother Su, I¡¯m feeling a bit unwell, so I¡¯ll head back first.¡± Zhao Xuanmiao¡¯s face looked very unpleasant, and there she definitely knew she had been outmaneuvered. She could only glare at Liu Yingying fiercely and leave in a huff. Whereas Liu Yingying stood like a triumphant general, her head held high with happiness written all over her face. Chapter 19 - 18: Dark and Windy Night Chapter 19: Chapter 18: Dark and Windy Night ¡°Do girls always compete with each other like this?¡± After witnessing a palace drama play out, Su Jie finally spoke up. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t stand watching Zhao Xuanmiao being all pretentious and fake there.¡± Liu Yingying became a bit embarrassed under Su Jie¡¯s gaze. She had her own tea ceremony skills, but she believed her moral character and demeanor were much higher than Zhao Xuanmiao¡¯s¡ªat least she wouldn¡¯t keep such a large circle of adoring fans. ¡°Su Jie, you don¡¯t think badly of me, do you? I... I might love money a bit, but I don¡¯t look down on others, and I¡¯ve never played with anyone¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite honest.¡± Su Jie touched Liu Yingying¡¯s flushed cheeks and said, ¡°Stay here tonight.¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s cheeks reddened even more as she played with her fingers and softly murmured an affirmative. Su Jie, with a smile on his face, held his wine glass and looked around, saying, ¡°Everyone, enjoy your food and drinks. I¡¯m feeling a bit under the weather, so I¡¯m going to rest early.¡± Having said that, Su Jie led Liu Yingying away from the lawn and into the villa. Many people at the venue understood what was happening and silently remarked on Liu Yingying¡¯s luck in finding a powerful supporter. ...... Accompanied by another high-pitched moan, an exhausted Liu Yingying fell into a deep sleep. Su Jie lit a black candle¡ªSoul Calming Incense¡ªwhich could aid in the cultivation of one¡¯s divine soul. Ordinary people who inhaled it would enter a deep sleep and wake up the next day feeling refreshed and clear-headed. After doing all this, Su Jie dressed himself and left the villa alone in the night, heading to the dock in the backyard. Splash splash! The sounds of water from Qingshui River in the backyard surged as the figure of the Thousand-Handed Centipede emerged. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll find some people to play with.¡± Su Jie patted the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, then stepped onto its back and let it carry him toward the eastern district of Linping City. .......... In an abandoned, unfinished building on the east side of Linping City, several heavy trucks stood in the deserted area. The building, which should have been quiet and desolate, buzzed with noise, along with loud voices¡ªa group of tattooed tough guys were drinking and making merry. ¡°Brother Hu, when can we go back? It¡¯s not fun just drinking without any girls!¡± ¡°Exactly, exactly. We¡¯ve pulled off such a big deal, we deserve some reward, right?¡± The group, now drunk, immediately revealed their true natures, seeking some entertainment. The man they called Brother Hu, a bald strong man nearly two meters tall, laughed and scolded, ¡°Once the coast is clear, I¡¯ll take you to the nightclubs, and you can live it up for a month. For now, just stay put and wait for the boss¡¯s arrangements.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we being too cautious? We did the job so cleanly, what could possibly go wrong now?¡± ¡°Hmph, our opponent most likely has overseas connections. Being careful never hurts.¡± Brother Hu pointed at the man who had just spoken, instructing, ¡°Lei Zi, stop thinking about what¡¯s in your pants all day. If we deliver this cargo smoothly to the boss, you¡¯ll be set for several years. Then you¡¯ll have all the women you want, but for now, hold it in for a few days.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, Brother Hu, I can¡¯t argue with you. Whatever you say goes.¡± Lei Zi scratched at his crotch, put down the bottle and said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go take a leak.¡± ¡°Lei Zi, you¡¯re not gonna chicken out on us, are you?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve only had a few bottles of horse piss! And now you wanna run off to pee?¡± ¡°Shut the hell up. As if I¡¯d back down. You just wait, I¡¯ll deal with you all when I get back.¡± Lei Zi cursed as he staggered out of the room with drunken steps. He didn¡¯t go far, as the place was just an unfinished building with bare concrete everywhere, so he simply found a corner and unzipped to relieve himself. Rustle rustle! Suddenly, Lei Zi heard a strange, faint sound by his ear. It was as if something was crawling. In the dark, where the eyes could not see, hearing often became more sensitive, so Lei Zi heard it very clearly. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± His body jerked, Lei Zi pulled up his pants and took out a lighter from his pocket. With the light of the flame, he looked towards the source of the sound. He saw a huge dark shadow dart across the ceiling, with grim, purplish-black insect armor and numerous pale limbs wriggling underneath. The terrifying and eerie sight immobilized Lei Zi as if he were under an immobilization spell; his mouth hung open, but no sound came out due to fright. Crack! Crack! Suddenly, the horrifying figure on the ceiling stopped moving and dangled half its body down. Just like an eagle snatching up a chick, it dragged Lei Zi up to the ceiling in one bite, followed by sounds of bones breaking. Then, silence ensued. Inside the house, the group that was drinking suddenly heard someone say, ¡°Why has Lei Zi been gone for so long and not come back yet?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s passed out somewhere. Someone go take a look.¡± ¡°Haha, I have to take a few embarrassing photos of him, so I can make fun of him when we get back.¡± Two tattooed men hooked arms and stood up to go outside and check. Another ten minutes passed, and someone said, ¡°Where are Broken Teeth Feng and that monkey? They¡¯ve been gone to look for Lei Zi for so long. Didn¡¯t they all pass out drunk outside, too?¡± Brother Hu, who was playing cards, frowned and said, ¡°Something¡¯s not right! Call them.¡± Clatter! Just then, the few candles lit in the room all went out, plunging the surroundings into pitch darkness. Before the drinking group could realize what was happening, several screams were heard around them. ¡°Get a flashlight, turn on the phone lights.¡± Brother Hu¡¯s complexion changed drastically as he shouted for someone to turn on their phones, while he himself hastily grabbed a prepared flashlight and switched it on. When light once again filled the room, a scene unfolded that shocked everyone present. Out of the original group of more than a dozen people, five were now gone, leaving only seven, including Brother Hu. ¡°Big Stupid Black, Ah Yun, Chen Luozhi, Brother Bing, and Ah Gu are all missing.¡± Someone counted out the missing persons, their voice trembling. In the space of just a few seconds, five people had vanished, in addition to the previously missing trio including Lei Zi. Eight people had disappeared without a trace, neither alive nor dead. ¡°Ghosts... could there be ghosts? When this building was under construction, a worker died from falling. Have we... have we angered something unclean...¡± One superstitious person was close to peeing their pants out of fear, and their words only heightened the others¡¯ nervousness. They huddled together like a flock of quail, clearly on edge. Brother Hu, who had never believed in ghosts, developed goosebumps on his skin and cursed loudly, drawing out a machete and looking into the darkness beyond the light, bellowing, ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who¡¯s playing tricks? Show yourself if you dare, I¡¯ll chop you to death! You think you can scare me like this? If my balls shrink even a bit, I¡¯ll take your surname.¡± No response came. In the darkness, only the cold night wind poured in through the unsealed windows. Chapter 20 - 19: Tit for Tat Chapter 20: Chapter 19: Tit for Tat ¡°` ¡°Go, check it out outside.¡± With a ferocious look in his eye, Brother Hu shoved one of his lackeys, ignoring his resistance, and sent him outside to investigate. However, no sooner had the lackey vanished under the glow of their flashlights than a scream erupted. The group watched in horror as the man appeared to be dragged away by some creature in the darkness. The cellphone he had been clutching tumbled to the ground, followed by a few more shrieks that ended abruptly, and then silence fell once again. When Brother Hu quickly shone his flashlight toward the spot, he saw a contorted figure lying on the ground. The man looked like a broken toy, with his head folded onto his backside, his limbs twisted into a pretzel shape, his eyes wide open, filled with intense fear. Gulp! A group of tattooed brutes turned pale with fear, some of them unable to hold onto their metal rods and knives, which clattered to the ground. They had cut people, been to jail; to ordinary folks, they were extremely violent thugs. But killing people was one thing¨Caside from Brother Hu, none of them had actual experience with it, let alone had seen such a spectacle! Even Brother Hu felt his hair standing on end; he had never seen anything this bizarre before. Now he began to believe that they had encountered a ghost. Otherwise, how could a living person be twisted into such a strange shape in just a few seconds? ¡°There really are ghosts, there really are ghosts, wuu, we¡¯re done for.¡± ¡°Call the police, quickly, call the damn police! Let them come save us.¡± The group of tattooed toughs was on the verge of a mental collapse, and even Brother Hu stopped insisting. Getting caught for a minor offense like stealing some wood would have landed him in jail for a few years at most, but staying here could mean death! ¡°Be careful, I¡¯ll call the police.¡± Brother Hu turned cowardly and tried to dial 911 himself. But before the call could go through, something in the darkness was rapidly closing in. Whoosh! A nasty gust of wind blew in, and the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s grotesque body emerged from the darkness, biting down hard on Brother Hu. ¡°Monster... Monster!¡± The thugs exploded into panic, scattering in terror. But what they didn¡¯t know was that escaping from this abandoned building was already an impossibility. Several pale human hands detached from the belly of the thousand-hand centipede and stealthily disappeared into the dark, and soon after, a few desperate screams echoed in the silent building, carrying far before everything turned quiet once more. The thousand-hand centipede made a sizzling noise twice, clutching Brother Hu, who was still struggling in terror. Behind it, the pale hands dragged the bodies, heading toward the ground floor. ... On the ground floor of the abandoned building, Su Jie stood in front of several heavy trucks, pulling back the tarpaulins to reveal loads of intact, precious small-leaved rosewood logs. ¡°Stealing from anyone but me, why do they all have to follow Peng Shiwen¡¯s example?¡± With a sigh, Su Jie lamented that he genuinely wanted to be a law-abiding citizen, so why did they insist on forcing his hand? At that moment, the thousand-hand centipede came down from the building, bringing back fourteen bodies, neatly arranged in front of Su Jie. Lastly, it dropped Brother Hu, whom it had been carrying in its mouth, at Su Jie¡¯s feet like a prized offering. ¡°Good boy.¡± Su Jie scratched the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s chin. The bulky tail of the thousand-hand centipede wagged back and forth like that of a happy puppy. ¡°Are you human or ghost, human or ghost...¡± Brother Hu trembled uncontrollably, glancing at the corpses of his subordinates all around him, his insides quaking with fear. He had never before encountered such a ruthless individual, and the methods of this person were beyond anything he had heard of. ¡°Who I am... didn¡¯t you investigate that thoroughly enough?¡± A hint of a smile played on Su Jie¡¯s lips as he stepped out from the shadows into the moonlight, bending down to face him. ¡°It¡¯s you, you are the owner of those materials...¡± Upon recognizing Su Jie¡¯s face, Brother Hu felt his legs go numb, realizing why Su Jie had come after them, and it was indeed no injustice. ¡°Now that you know, it will be easier to deal with you. I¡¯m interested in some information about your boss. If you give it up...¡± ¡°I won¡¯t betray the boss. In the movies, that¡¯s how it always goes, say it and you¡¯ll kill me to silence me.¡± Brother Hu wore a determined expression, and it almost made Su Jie laugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you as the tough guy type. Good, I do have some expertise in making people talk. I hope you don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Trying to play the hero in front of Su Jie, Brother Hu clearly didn¡¯t know the punitive measures of a Demon Cultivator. Ten minutes later... ¡°` ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I could, please, just give me a quick death.¡± The previously unyielding Brother Hu lay on the ground, consumed by despair and fear, wishing for nothing but death. ¡°Really, not even ten minutes endured. In the next life, remember to be a good person like me.¡± Su Jie snapped his fingers. You call yourself a good person, demons aren¡¯t as bad as you... This thought flashed through Brother Hu¡¯s mind. Then his consciousness was engulfed as swarms of Yin Fire Blood Bees covered his entire body, burrowing into him from his mouth and nose. Su Jie then opened the ancient mirror he had brought with him, tossing the corpse and the small-leaved red sandalwood into it, effectively erasing all traces of the scene. Having put everything in order, Su Jie vanished into the night. He was off to find the real mastermind; the ones he¡¯d killed were merely pawns. ... ¡°What did you say, Ah Hu isn¡¯t answering his phone, what about Lei Zi and the others?¡± In a luxurious villa in Linping City, Cui Yunchun, dressed in pajamas and listening to Ma Lanfei¡¯s report, stood up abruptly. ¡°Chairman Cui, you told me to call Ah Hu every three hours. I did as you instructed, but half an hour ago, no one answered his phone, and nobody responded to Lei Zi and the others either.¡± Ma Lanfei spoke anxiously, as it wasn¡¯t yet midnight and her calls had gone unanswered, prompting her to come and report immediately. ¡°Could it be that Ah Hu and the rest got greedy and decided to keep the merchandise for themselves...¡± Ma Lanfei hesitated before venturing a guess. ¡°Impossible, I raised Ah Hu from an orphan, he¡¯s loyal to me. Something¡¯s definitely happened to them. Make inquiries immediately, and focus on this Su Jie fellow.¡± Cui Yunchun was livid, his eyes fierce as if to devour someone. Startled, Ma Lanfei was about to make a call when suddenly a voice echoed in the room. ¡°Boss Cui, so eager to find me, huh!¡± The voice came from outside the door, startling both occupants of the bedroom. ¡°Who are you, wait, Mr. Su, you are Mr. Su, aren¡¯t you?¡± Cui Yunchun was initially taken aback but then quickly came to a realization. ¡°I admit I was wrong in this matter, and I am willing to apologize. I¡¯ll pay one hundred million yuan for your losses, how about that? I can add more if it¡¯s not enough.¡± True to his experience in surviving many upheavals, Cui Yunchun was quick to concede. If Su Jie could enter his home silently, it meant his life was under threat. ¡°One hundred million yuan is a big sum, but it¡¯s too late to talk about this now.¡± With a cold chuckle, footsteps approached from outside the bedroom. As the door opened, a figure stood in the moonlight, sending chills down the spine. Cui Yunchun and Ma Lanfei peered closely, and simultaneously shouted, ¡°Ah Hu!¡± The man at the door was their associate, Ah Hu. ¡°How are you here, did you actually betray me? You¡¯ve got some nerve.¡± Cui Yunchun seemed to realize something, his mix of shock and anger fixed on Ah Hu. ¡°Brother Hu, how could you do this? Chairman Cui had been so good to you, yet you conspire with outsiders to betray us.¡± Ma Lanfei was equally furious, her heart also secretly relieved. After so many years of companionship, at least Brother Hu wouldn¡¯t kill her, she hoped. However, facing Cui Yunchun¡¯s rage, Ah Hu responded strangely, lifting his arms stiffly, his eyes filled with despair: ¡°Save me, Mr. Cui, save me...¡± Before he could finish his plea, Ah Hu¡¯s face contorted, his skin twitched as if something was wriggling underneath, and he spoke in a hoarse, stiff voice: ¡°Tch, still far from perfect, a mere human can¡¯t maintain control. Well then, Boss Cui, you seem to like setting fires, so I¡¯ll offer you a fire in return. An eye for an eye, fair, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was only then that the two realized something was very wrong with Ah Hu, as if he was under someone¡¯s control. Unaware of Gu Masters, Cui Yunchun and Ma Lanfei didn¡¯t understand that this was a technique resulting from the application of spiritual power by a Gu Master, a skill that Su Jie had recently mastered while practicing the Insect Control Technique. Due to Su Jie¡¯s insufficient strength, coupled with inherent flaws in the technique, such as time and distance limits, similar to signal fluctuations, sometimes the victims would break free from control, just as had happened moments ago. ¡°Mr. Su, we can still talk, name your price.¡± Feeling utterly uneasy, Cui Yunchun shouted out in panic, but this time Ah Hu did not respond. His flesh split and Yin Fire Blood Bees emerged, swarming towards the two. The gory and terrifying scene nearly sent both into shock; pleas for mercy came too late. Inside the bedroom, tiny fires started to burn, igniting a massive blaze courtesy of the Yin Fire Blood Bees from Tianyuan World. Standing hundreds of meters away atop a tree, Su Jie surveyed the fiery blaze engulfing the building. ¡°Not bad at all, the flames are spectacular; no wonder villains love arson after murder, it really is quite satisfying.¡± A smile lingered on Su Jie¡¯s face as he cast one last look at the sky-high flames and then turned away from the place. ¡°Out for two hours, it¡¯s time to rest, tonight I can finally get some good sleep.¡± Chapter 21 - 20: Investigation Chapter 21: Chapter 20: Investigation ¡°Su Jie, do you want your eggs well-cooked or soft-boiled?¡± In the open kitchen of Jingjiang No.1 Villa, Liu Yingying, dressed in home clothes and wearing an apron, was busy preparing breakfast. ¡°Well-cooked!¡± ¡°Just a moment, it will be ready soon.¡± ¡°For such things, just let the chef do it, their cooking skills are so good.¡± Su Jie sat on the sofa, watching the TV report about the mansion fire that had shocked the city over the past few days. ¡°It¡¯s not the same! The breakfast made by others is full of love. Humph, I remember you said you could cook, Su Jie, yet you have never cooked for me.¡± ¡°Who said that? Didn¡¯t I just feed you milk this morning?¡± ¡°That was because you forced me... always bullying people.¡± Beneath Liu Yingying¡¯s creamy skin, a blush tint emerged, and her charming, affectionate eyes fiercely glared at Su Jie a few times. She had been living with Su Jie for two days, had taken leave from work, and although Su Jie hadn¡¯t made any promises to her, she was willing to wait. ¡°Now I¡¯m giving you a chance to strike back, maybe your cooking skills can conquer my stomach, then capture my heart.¡± ¡°Well... that might be, my cooking skills are just basic, I can only make a simple breakfast, just don¡¯t despise my cooking. Those complex lunches and dinners should still be handled by your hired chef.¡± While saying this, Liu Yingying¡¯s face was full of elation. A few minutes later, Liu Yingying brought the breakfast to Su Jie, glanced at the TV, and said, ¡°It¡¯s this news again, that Cold Lily boss is always topping our local TV news.¡± ¡°After all, a rich boss died from being burned alive, the news is bound to chase hot topics!¡± Su Jie smiled, eating the thoughtfully prepared breakfast by Liu Yingying. Hearing this, Liu Yingying commented, ¡°Nowadays, the news has no limits, it was just an accidental fire, but journalists chase around for interviews, making up conspiracy theories about murder and assassinations, just to generate traffic.¡± Su Jie couldn¡¯t stop laughing at her words, wondering what the reaction would be if the real mastermind behind this incident were sitting right in front of Liu Yingying. ¡°Mr. Su, there are two police officers outside, they said they want to see you.¡± As they were jokingly talking, a servant suddenly came over and respectfully said to Su Jie. ¡°Mm, let them in.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes flashed sharply as he waved his hand. ¡°What do the police want?¡± Liu Yingying looked puzzled, not knowing what was going on. ¡°Who knows.¡± Su Jie shrugged his shoulders and continued eating his breakfast as if nothing had happened. Shortly after, two police officers appeared in front of Su Jie. One had a square face, over forty years old, and looked like an upright senior officer. The other was a young female officer, probably in her early twenties, likely a recent graduate from the police academy. ¡°Mr. Su, hello, I am Zhang Yanqing from Linping City Criminal Police Brigade, and this is my partner Zhou Xinxin. We are here about a case and need your help in gathering some information.¡± While introducing themselves, they showed their police badges. ¡°Please sit down, feel free to ask anything you like, and I¡¯ll cooperate fully if I can be of any help to the police,¡± Su Jie warmly invited them to sit and asked a servant to bring some fruit. ¡°Mr. Su, then I¡¯ll get straight to the point,¡± Zhang Yanqing seemed easy to talk to as he continued, ¡°The day before yesterday, there was a major fire at villa number 12 in Long Beach Villa District in Linping City that resulted in the deaths of Linping¡¯s well-known businessman and the chairman of Cold Lily Company, Cui Yunchun, and his secretary Ma Lanfei.¡± Su Jie nodded, saying, ¡°I just saw it on TV earlier.¡± ¡°And as I know, Mr. Su is in the lumber business and had dealings with Cold Lily Company. On November 16, there was a fire in a warehouse you rented at South Bridge Logistics Center, which destroyed a batch of valuable wood,¡± he said quickly, his voice taking on a captivating authority. Zhang Yanqing¡¯s eyes were bright, his speech suddenly accelerated, possessing a compelling majesty. ¡°That¡¯s right, that batch of wood was painstakingly accumulated by my ancestors and handed down to me, and it all burned up in a big fire, costing me a lot of money,¡± Su Jie replied. Su Jie was not intimidated by Zhang Yanqing¡¯s imposing manner; compared to Taoist Qiu whom Su Jie had seen, Zhang Yanqing was far less impressive, having no effect on Su Jie. Hearing this, he immediately showed a pained expression on his face, seemingly heartbroken over the loss of the wood. ¡°I want to ask, on the day of the incident, the night of November 17, what was Mr. Su doing at that time?¡± Zhang Yanqing continued to inquire, closely observing Su Jie¡¯s facial expressions. Shrugging his shoulders, Su Jie said, ¡°I remember that night very clearly. I was celebrating the transfer of ownership of this villa by throwing a party at home, and many people can vouch for me.¡± ¡°You held a party just after your warehouse was burnt down?¡± Zhou Xinxin, who was taking notes, interjected. ¡°It was precisely because the warehouse was burnt down that I held a party to ward off the bad luck.¡± As Su Jie spoke, he paused briefly, looked shocked, and pointed at himself, ¡°Wait, you aren¡¯t suspecting me of setting fire to someone else¡¯s villa, are you? I¡¯m a law-abiding good citizen, always well-behaved. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask around; many people that night can testify for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Su Jie was with me at that time, I can testify,¡± Liu Yingying immediately stood up, somewhat unhappy looking at the two police officers across from her. How could they falsely accuse such a good Brother Su? ¡°We¡¯re just conducting a routine investigation and have not accused you of being the murderer,¡± Zhang Yanqing chuckled, asked Su Jie a few more questions, and then stood up to leave the villa with Zhou Xinxin. ... Outside the villa, Zhou Xinxin looked at Zhang Yanqing and pursed her lips, ¡°Captain Zhang, do you think he really could be a suspect?¡± ¡°Objectively, he has no suspicion, but subjectively, I have my doubts. Everything is too coincidental. Cui Yunchun himself is not clean, having cultivated a group of thugs to do his dirty work. It¡¯s possible that it was this group who burned Mr. Su¡¯s warehouse. Even more coincidental, on the day after the fire at Cui Yunchun¡¯s villa, this group disappeared¡ªvanishing without a trace,¡± Zhang Yanqing adjusted his police cap, sighed deeply and continued, ¡°Additionally, on the same day, a senior manager at South Bridge Logistics Center accidentally drowned, and this manager¡¯s account had just received a transfer from Cui Yunchun¡¯s private account. From all aspects, there are motives and suspicious points to consider.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can¡¯t we bring him in for questioning?¡± Zhou Xinxin said with slightly furrowed brows, implying Su Jie had a motive to commit arson and murder. ¡°How can we arrest someone without evidence?¡± Zhang Yanqing heard this and couldn¡¯t help laughing and shaking his head, ¡°First, the fire department and coroner at Cui Yunchun¡¯s haven¡¯t found any traces of murder or intentional arson, and then we checked the surveillance from Jingjiang District on that day; Su Jie and his vehicle were indeed not seen coming or going. Xiao Zhang also asked some of the salespeople at the real estate office, who all confirmed, they were with Su Jie at the party that night, the timelines don¡¯t match up.¡± ¡°Could it be that he had someone else do it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but where¡¯s the evidence?¡± ¡°This...¡± Zhou Xinxin fell silent, knowing cases aren¡¯t resolved on mere hunches. ¡°Xiao Zhou, you watched the video from Cui Yunchun¡¯s villa on the night of the incident, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve watched it several times; there are many cameras around his villa, but they only caught one person entering¡ªa man named Ah Hu, who is known to be close to Cui Yunchun,¡± ¡°Excluding all other suspects, then I could only conclude from the factual evidence that it was indeed Cui Yunchun who instructed Ah Hu to burn down Su Jie¡¯s warehouse, but perhaps later Ah Hu had a falling out with Cui Yunchun over sharing the spoils, and in the end, they both perished together,¡± Zhou Xinxin thought about it and realized Zhang Yanqing¡¯s guess about the situation sounded much more plausible than Su Jie committing arson. ¡°Now with both parties deceased, with no one to testify, maybe I got it wrong, but this case can only end here,¡± ¡°I understand, Captain Zhang,¡± Zhou Xinxin relaxed her brows, unable to resist looking back at that large villa, faintly seeing someone on the second-floor balcony watching her and Captain Zhang. Rubbing her eyes and looking again, the balcony was empty, apparently just a trick of her sight. Chapter 22 - 21: Recruitment Chapter 22: Chapter 21: Recruitment ¡°Really, they even suspected you, those police really lack professionalism.¡± Inside the villa, Liu Yingying was still indignant on Su Jie¡¯s behalf. ¡°The police are just serving the people, and as citizens, cooperating with them is the right thing to do. After all, if you¡¯re innocent, you have nothing to fear.¡± Speaking with integrity, Su Jie was telling the truth. All night long, he hadn¡¯t laid a finger on anyone; it was all the doing of the thousand-hand centipede. When animals kill people, it¡¯s the thousand-hand centipede they should be catching, right? Thousand-hand centipede: Squeak? ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore, Yingying, are you interested in becoming my secretary?¡± ¡°Ah! A secretary, me?¡± Taken aback by Su Jie¡¯s sudden change of subject, Liu Yingying was utterly bewildered. ¡°You heard just now, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m dealing with some wood materials, and I don¡¯t have any reliable help on this side. I was thinking, since you¡¯ve got some abilities, why not quit your job and come help me?¡± With his legs crossed, Su Jie pushed a drafted employment contract across the table. When Liu Yingying saw the salary figure on the contract, her mouth fell open in shock. ¡°Does this... does this count as being kept by you?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s heart raced, the number causing her mouth to go dry. ¡°Don¡¯t speak so crudely, I appreciate your abilities.¡± Su Jie poked Liu Yingying¡¯s forehead; he had limited time in Blue Star and needed someone to help watch over things. Liu Yingying was relatively close to him. Regardless of her abilities, ensuring a certain level of loyalty was all that mattered. Besides, Su Jie wasn¡¯t afraid of betrayal; just look at what happened with Cui Yunchun. ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t see any reason not to agree. From now on, I¡¯ll rely on Mr. Su to take good care of me.¡± After considering for a few seconds, Liu Yingying readily agreed, believing that making the right choices was more important than trying hard. In fact, she didn¡¯t mind being kept at all. Being a golden canary wasn¡¯t so bad, especially since Su Jie was neither old nor ugly. He was in great shape, thrilling her to death in bed, and not to mention, Su Jie had given her a platform to showcase herself. Patting Liu Yingying on the head, Su Jie said with a smile, ¡°You little rascal, I¡¯ll discipline you tonight. Go tell the auntie to prepare some tea; a guest will be arriving shortly.¡± ¡°Already bossing me around, huh!¡± Liu Yingying gave Su Jie a peck on the face and then left with a happy spring in her step. ... Twenty minutes later, the guest Su Jie mentioned arrived. At Jingjiang No.1 Villa, Liang Lianjun sat cautiously across from Su Jie, feeling very nervous. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Manager Liang? You¡¯ve grown distant after not seeing me for two days.¡± Serving Liang Lianjun a cup of tea personally, Su Jie said with a smile. ¡°No... no, I just, I just didn¡¯t expect Mr. Su to invite me for tea.¡± Liang Lianjun hurriedly held the tea with both hands, yet what Su Jie said next made Liang Lianjun¡¯s heart tremble. ¡°Ah, what can I say? After that kind of incident, inviting you over for tea is just to understand the situation. Chairman Cui was a good man; how could he die so suddenly? I was even planning to sell him this batch of wood materials.¡± The cup clattered! His hand shaking, the scalding tea spilled, and Liang Lianjun almost jumped out of his seat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the tea not to your liking?¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just a little excited, haha, haha, I¡¯m really fine.¡± Liang Lianjun¡¯s smile was extremely stiff. When he heard about Cui Yunchun¡¯s death in a fire a couple of days ago, a terrifying hypothesis crossed his mind. He had also heard that Cui Yunchun came from a shady background, and at the time, he wondered why Cui would refuse to purchase Su Jie¡¯s batch of wood. Putting together the fact that Su Jie¡¯s warehouse burned down, followed by the night when Cui Yunchun was burned to death at home, even without evidence, one could surmise a lot from the motives. ¡°You seem very afraid of me?¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile was amiable and sincere as he said, ¡°Let me make it clear! I¡¯m genuinely saddened by Chairman Cui¡¯s passing, but life must go on, right? You shouldn¡¯t dwell too much on it either.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯m not...¡± ¡°Alright, I know you¡¯re a man of loyalty. I called you here because I value that loyalty. I¡¯m thinking of starting a furniture company and you have many years of experience in the industry. I¡¯ll just come right out with it¡ªI want to poach you to work for me as the General Manager.¡± ¡°Cough, cough.¡± Choking on his tea, Liang Lianjun caught his breath. ¡°Su... Mr. Su, wasn¡¯t your batch of wood burned? How come you¡¯re still thinking of...¡± ¡°Oh, that? I¡¯ve already purchased a new batch, identical to the previous one in quality. You can rest assured.¡± Liang Lianjun became even more suspicious when he heard this. In his view, the ¡®material¡¯ Su Jie mentioned might very well be something snatched back from Chairman Cui. ¡°This is the annual salary I¡¯m offering you. Perform well and there¡¯s a bonus too. You can think it over. I¡¯m the kind of person who never shortchanges those who work earnestly for me.¡± Su Jie knew that talk is cheap, so he used the power of cash to put forth a contract. Just like Liu Yingying¡¯s reaction before, Liang Lianjun, who had intended to refuse Su Jie¡¯s offer, found himself unable to utter his rejection upon seeing the sincerity of the contract before him. Simply because the figures on the contract were too dazzling. ¡°You know my strength. If you come work for me, I can¡¯t promise other things, but a constant supply of high-quality wood material is guaranteed. Coupled with your abilities and connections, our new company will surely be able to quickly break into the high-end furniture market.¡± Recruiting Liang Lianjun was a move Su Jie had contemplated. Merely selling raw materials would always attract attention. If that was the case, it might be better to process the wood material himself and sell directly to consumers. Liang Lianjun, with his years of industry experience, capability, and connections, would certainly be more than adequate as a General Manager. Swallowing hard, although he surmised that Su Jie might be involved in illegal activities, the contract was just too tempting. Even though he knew that working with Su Jie came with risks, Liang Lianjun couldn¡¯t resist the lure. After several minutes of hesitation, he finally picked up the contract from the table. ¡°Mr. Su... Mr. Su, I don¡¯t have experience in managing a company¡¯s overall operations, but since you hold me in high regard, as long as I¡¯m still in the position, I will absolutely manage the company with dedication and help sell our furniture all over the country.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, I believe in you.¡± Su Jie shook hands with Liang Lianjun, then called over Liu Yingying: ¡°This is my personal secretary, Liu Yingying. When I¡¯m not around, you can go to her with anything, and she¡¯ll pass it on to me.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Secretary Liu.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Manager Liang.¡± After the introductions, Su Jie continued, ¡°You guys start with the company registration. Elder Liang, take a look at acquiring a processing plant. I¡¯m allocating thirty million in funds for you, that should be enough, right?¡± The thirty million was what Su Jie had mortgaged Jingjiang No.1 Villa for from the bank. ¡°That¡¯s plenty, that¡¯s plenty. But Mr. Su, what¡¯s the name of our new company?¡± Liang Lianjun was even more excited now, with abundant company funds providing him the confidence to work energetically. ¡°Let¡¯s call it... Tianyuan Home.¡± Chapter 23 - 22: Preparation Chapter 23: Chapter 22: Preparation Tianyuan World, Black Market. Having dealt with the matters on Blue Star, Su Jie used the Ancient Mirror to return here, preparing to purchase the last batch of supplies for the upcoming mountain patrol. The flow of people in the Black Market was much busier than on regular days. Many from Ghost Ridge Palace harbored the same thoughts as Su Jie, seeking to convert their stored Blood Marrow Crystals into combat power. Taixu Pavilion! Looking up at this seven-story building, one of the most prominent in the Black Market, Su Jie stepped inside. Taixu Pavilion specialized in selling talismans and Magic Artifacts, divided into Talisman Hall and Magic Artifact Hall. The talismans here were primarily used by Righteous Cultivators from the outside world; Demon Cultivators could also use them, but not as seamlessly. In the outside world, Taixu Pavilion also had quite a reputation, with a Sacrifice from the Secret Realm overseeing it. ¡°Mr. Su.¡± No sooner had he walked in than a woman with a spectacular figure and court attire, a long, splendid five-colored sash tied around her waist and full, round hips, together with rich, moist lips, free from make-up and appearing about thirty years of age with quite the mature charm, approached him. ¡°Sister Cai, we haven¡¯t seen each other for a month, and you¡¯ve become even more beautiful and captivating.¡± Raising an eyebrow, Su Jie spoke with a smile. The woman before him was named Cai Chun¡¯e, the manager of Taixu Pavilion, renowned in the Black Market for her beauty. As Su Jie had previously bought talismans from her and had also sold her several Poison Insects which Taixu Pavilion sought to acquire, they had interacted a few times. ¡°Mr. Su, you jest.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e smiled demurely and said with a grin, ¡°You never visit without a reason. What are you planning to buy today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to buy some protective talismans.¡± Su Jie stated his intentions, knowing that while he had sufficient offensive capabilities, his defenses were still lacking. As he had but one life, caution was never excessive. ¡°Come with me.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e nodded slightly and led Su Jie up the staircase to the second floor. As she ascended the stairs in her half-skirt palace attire, her exquisite legs were revealed, and her hips swayed enticingly with every step. Seemingly aware of the attention, Cai Chun¡¯e reach back to smooth down her skirt. On the second floor, hundreds of talismans were displayed on shelves protected by strict Prohibition spells, shimmering with Spiritual Radiance that was captivating to behold. Jealous of these talismans, Su Jie knew that, in the Tianyuan World, whether it was a talisman master, Alchemist, or Artifact Refiner, as long as one had talent and achieved success, they belonged to a first-class wealthy elite. ¡°This Low Grade Basic Golden Vortex Talisman can create a deflective Spiritual Power field, deflecting incoming long-range attacks, priced at 12 Blood Marrow Crystals. The Low Grade Basic Godspeed Talisman can stimulate the Spiritual Power meridians of the legs, greatly increasing your speed for one minute, priced at 10 Blood Marrow Crystals. There is also the Lower Grade Intermediate Sky Escape Fire Talisman that can form a high-temperature fire shield to protect the bearer, priced at 50 Blood Marrow Crystals...¡± Cai Chun¡¯e introduced these items to Su Jie in great detail, but she didn¡¯t elaborate much on the more advanced talismans. Their prices were beyond one hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, something ordinary Outer Disciples couldn¡¯t afford. ¡°Have the prices gone up? I remember the Golden Vortex Talisman was only 10 Blood Marrow Crystals before, and the others seem pricier as well.¡± Su Jie furrowed his brow slightly, noticing the hike in prices from the past. ¡°Due to recent disruptions to trade by Alien Ghosts, the cost of stocks has increased, and to barely break even, we had to adjust the prices slightly,¡± explained Cai Chun¡¯e without any sign of panic, apparently used to hearing such queries. Profiteer! Su Jie cursed inwardly. However, considering the sort of merchants who dared to enter the Black Market and conduct business with Ghost Ridge Palace, it was no surprise they would take advantage of scarcity to inflate prices. ¡°I¡¯ll check other stores first.¡± Though Cai Chun¡¯e was quite charming, when it came to his own purse, Su Jie was determined to compare prices from different sellers; he could not be blindsided by beauty. Cai Chun¡¯e smiled faintly, confidently saying, ¡°Please feel free, Mr. Su.¡± Su Jie left Taixu Pavilion and headed to other shops selling talismans. Talismans, especially the Lower Grade ones that had the highest production and sales, had no so-called intellectual property rules, and many shops sold them. But after touring the entire Black Market, Su Jie¡¯s face was grim. The price hikes in other shops were even worse than at Taixu Pavilion. It wasn¡¯t just the talismans, the prices of various combat-related materials had also skyrocketed, causing Su Jie¡¯s brows to continuously furrow. An hour later, Su Jie returned to Taixu Pavilion. Cai Chun¡¯e was waiting at the entrance, expecting his return. Upon seeing him, she greeted with a beaming smile, ¡°Mr. Su, Taixu Pavilion¡¯s prices are the most sincere in the Black Market, you can buy with confidence.¡± Su Jie was left speechless because Cai Chun¡¯e¡¯s words were indeed the truth. ¡°Give me two Golden Vortex Talismans and one Godspeed Talisman.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t haggle anymore and made his purchase from Cai Chun¡¯e. After spending 10 Blood Marrow Crystals on the Tiger Roar Fist martial art some time ago, he now had only 35 Blood Marrow Crystals left in total, which was the money he had earned from selling Peng Shiwen¡¯s corpse. Otherwise, Su Jie would have been even poorer. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Su, for taking care of the business.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e handed over the talismans to Su Jie and collected 34 Blood Marrow Crystals from him. ¡°Do you need to buy anything else? Would you like to take a look at the Magic Artifacts?¡± Perhaps seeing Su Jie as one of the wealthier Outer Disciples, Cai Chun¡¯e continued to pitch her products, hoping to sell even more. ¡°I¡¯m out of money, but if Sister Cai you¡¯re willing to give me one for free, I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Turning out his empty pockets, Su Jie wished he could buy a Magic Artifact. But unlike talismans, which are one-time use items that are gone after being used, Magic Artifacts can be used continuously as long as they are not damaged, so even the poorest quality Low Grade Basic Magic Artifact is priced at over a hundred Blood Marrow Crystals. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to buy one; he simply couldn¡¯t afford it. Cai Chun¡¯e pursed her lips with a smile, cast a charming glance at Su Jie, and said, ¡°I¡¯d be willing, but Taixu Pavilion isn¡¯t mine to give away, so I can¡¯t offer it. I can only welcome Mr. Su to come and shop again next time.¡± Spreading his hands, Su Jie said with a wry smile, ¡°With these prices, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t afford it.¡± If this trend of price hikes continued, and the Alien Ghost problem couldn¡¯t be resolved soon, the price of these battle-related goods would certainly keep soaring. After purchasing the talismans, Su Jie didn¡¯t linger. No sooner had he stepped out of Taixu Pavilion¡¯s main gate than his ears picked up a commotion. He saw on the street that a group of Disciples were ostentatiously pushing a flat cart through the crowd. On the cart lay a pale-skinned, over three meters tall humanoid creature with claws sharp as steel knives and blood-red eyes ¡ª an extremely terrifying sight. It was an Alien Ghost, but one that was already dead. Its heart had a large hole through which one could see that its internal organs had been shattered. A few Disciples stood beside the cart, looking rather pleased with themselves as they surveyed the crowd. Merchants swarmed around them, endlessly flattering the group of Disciples. ¡°You¡¯ve actually managed to kill an Alien Ghost; you guys are really something.¡± ¡°How about selling this Alien Ghost to us at Bright Light Tower? We¡¯re willing to pay a high price, 300 Blood Marrow Crystals for the purchase.¡± ¡°Our Chen¡¯s Commerce is willing to offer 350 Blood Marrow Crystals.¡± ¡°We will offer...¡± The merchants surrounded the cart, fiercely bidding against each other, and the number of joiners to this heated auction kept growing. Behind Su Jie in Taixu Pavilion, Cai Chun¡¯e also hurried out, lifting her skirt as she rushed into the bidding crowd. This scene of frenzied bidding made many Disciples on the Black Market street green with envy. Su Jie felt a pang of desire himself. Alien Ghost materials were extremely precious; their skin and flesh weren¡¯t worth much, but their bones were a different story. Grinding the bones of an Alien Ghost into powder to mix into the forging of a Magic Artifact could significantly enhance both the success rate and quality of the Artifact Refining, which was why these merchants were so eager to sell. ¡°Who knows what it cost them...¡± Looking at the Disciples around the cart, who were more or less bloodied, Su Jie knew the Alien Ghost¡¯s combat power was tremendously strong. Hurting it would require the cooperation of several Disciples, let alone killing it. Su Jie watched the auction, and in the end, the Alien Ghost was sold for a high price of 550 Blood Marrow Crystals. Those merchants who failed to secure the bid dispersed in twos and threes, and Cai Chun¡¯e returned with a forlorn expression. ¡°Sister Cai, does Taixu Pavilion also want the body of an Alien Ghost?¡± Su Jie saw Cai Chun¡¯e empty-handed and looking very disappointed. For a place as large and well-established as Taixu Pavilion, this seemed unlikely. ¡°The pride of the Lin Family, Lin Lan, will celebrate her 18th birthday soon. Her father is a famous Artifact Refiner, planning to personally create an exceptional Magic Artifact, which requires a large amount of Alien Ghost bone powder. The price of that has doubled recently,¡± Cai Chun¡¯e explained. Upon hearing ¡®Lin Family,¡¯ Su Jie immediately understood. In the outer region of Qingzhou, the Lin Family was a vast entity with a lineage spanning thousands of years and filled with numerous experts. These merchants wanted to acquire the Alien Ghost body likely in hopes of gaining favor with this millennial family. After finishing her explanation, Cai Chun¡¯e continued, ¡°Mr. Su, you¡¯re buying talismans because you¡¯re going on a Mountain Patrol, right? If you get a chance to acquire an Alien Ghost body, remember to think of me. I¡¯ll give you a good price.¡± ¡°You really think too highly of me, Sister Cai. I¡¯m not that powerful,¡± Su Jie replied. ¡°You never know, I tend to be quite accurate with people,¡± Cai Chun¡¯e said, looking thoughtfully at Su Jie¡¯s waist. Then, leaning in close enough for their faces to almost touch, she whispered with a teasing smile, ¡°You seemed quite taken with Sister¡¯s backside earlier, Mr. Su. If you manage to get an Alien Ghost body, I¡¯ll let you experience the feeling.¡± Leaving that provocative remark hanging, Cai Chun¡¯e returned to Taixu Pavilion with a seductive sway. ¡°That temptress.¡± Touching his chest, Su Jie looked down, lost in thought: ¡°Could she have noticed the situation with the thousand-hand centipede?¡± Unfortunately, this was a question he couldn¡¯t easily ask her to confirm. Su Jie had to suppress his doubts for the time being and turned to head back to the Ghost Ridge Palace base. Chapter 24 - 23: Departure Chapter 24: Chapter 23: Departure Two days later. In front of the Ghost Ridge Palace residence, numerous disciples gathered, all belonging to the lineage of Taoist Qiu. Atop the stairs, clad in a purple robe, with snake-like vertical pupils and a thin face, Taoist Qiu held a black python coiling around his left hand, hissing. His gaze towards the disciples was so chillingly cold that they dared not meet his eyes. Pei Haibing and Yu Wenxian, two inner disciples, served to the left and right of Taoist Qiu, as only inner disciples were qualified to stand beside him. ¡°Master, all the disciples from our branch above the Second Level of the Yunling Realm have arrived.¡± Yu Wenxian finished counting the numbers and turned to report to Taoist Qiu. Taoist Qiu¡¯s expression was indifferent as he slowly said, ¡°The task of patrolling the mountain has been distributed. All branch disciples will participate¡ªyou must not tarnish my reputation. Of course, whoever kills the most Alien Ghosts will also receive a corresponding reward from me.¡± While speaking, the python in Taoist Qiu¡¯s hand opened its massive mouth and spat out a White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was about three feet long, the blade translucent and pure white. As soon as it appeared, it immediately radiated a glowing spiritual charm, spinning and twirling in mid-air, slicing through the air with a whistling sound, effortlessly piercing through stones as large as millstones. ¡°This is the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, an excellent choice even among Low Grade Flying Swords. I give you one week, and whoever succeeds will depend on your fate.¡± Listening to Taoist Qiu¡¯s explanation, all disciples, including the inner disciple Pei Haibing, were envious. The typically stingy Taoist Qiu actually offered such a grand reward. Such a fine Low Grade Flying Sword could fetch thousands of Blood Marrow Crystals on the Black Market. ¡°What a great item!¡± Su Jie¡¯s heartbeat quickened; who wouldn¡¯t covet such a Flying Sword? ¡°It¡¯s just a pity I don¡¯t know Sword Formulas, otherwise I could have competed for it.¡± Atop the stairs, Yu Wenxian pursed her lips and said somewhat regretfully. Next to her, Pei Haibing became excited, his eyes intensely fiery as he stared at the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. He said, ¡°Master, your disciple will surely not disappoint you. I will slay the Alien Ghosts to celebrate your upcoming seventieth birthday.¡± His cultivation of the White Bone Transformation Taoist Skill was particularly suited for this Magic Artifact. Once he obtained the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, it would be akin to adding wings to a tiger. In Pei Haibing¡¯s view, this was a weapon Taoist Qiu had prepared especially for him, merely using a subtler method to give it to him. To avoid drawing criticism from other disciples, especially the envious looks from Yu Wenxian. ¡°If you outcompete the other disciples, this Magic Artifact will be yours.¡± Taoist Qiu retrieved the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, his tone calm. ¡°Master, I will not disappoint you.¡± ¡°Go arrange for the dispatch.¡± Taoist Qiu nodded slightly, then departed gracefully. ¡°It seems Junior Brother Pei is determined to obtain the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword!¡± Once Taoist Qiu had left, Yu Wenxian¡¯s eyes shifted, and she said with a gentle smile. Looking over, Pei Haibing was very grateful, ¡°Thanks to Senior Yu for giving me a hand.¡± If Yu Wenxian had competed with him, Pei Haibing would not have had any confidence of winning. Fortunately, from Yu Wenxian¡¯s tone just now, it seemed she was willing to step back and befriend him. Thinking this, Pei Haibing grew even more arrogant, thinking that if it weren¡¯t for Yu Wenxian¡¯s messy lifestyle, having a Taoist couple as beautiful and graceful as Senior Sister would indeed be wonderful. Yu Wenxian shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t really care, but Master has so many disciples, it¡¯s not certain you will get the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword.¡± Pei Haibing looked coldly at the numerous disciples below and arrogantly said, ¡°Senior Sister, you must be joking. Those insects below, lacking in potential and talent, are destined for a lifetime of menial tasks and catching Poison Insects. What can they use to compete with me?¡± These words sparked resentment among many disciples below. But what could they do when Pei Haibing was an inner disciple, and his strength was even at the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm? Down below, Su Jie also heard this, but he was not as angry as the others. While Pei Haibing was indeed arrogant, Su Jie was more concerned with Yu Wenxian. This woman, was she intentionally setting Pei Haibing up as a target to alienate him from the other disciples? ¡°This woman is not simple!¡± Su Jie sighed inwardly, finding Yu Wenxian more noteworthy compared to the simple Pei Haibing. ¡°Then let¡¯s congratulate Junior Brother Pei in advance. The Master said to arrange for the dispatch, so let¡¯s take action quickly.¡± Yu Wenxian smiled, leaving Pei Haibing appearing very pleased with himself. Pei Haibing nodded, regaining his indifferent expression, and spoke, ¡°Those called by name, come forward to fetch your token, which marks your assigned defense area. Luo Ruxin, Cheng Jian, Yao Shouye, First Token, stationed southwest of Golden Sand Mountain. Fei Yinglong, Lu Yu, Qu Dong, stationed at the eastern cliff of Plum Blossom Valley...¡± One by one, those called stepped forward. Some were elated as they received their tokens, while others looked like they were mourning. Because the teammates and stationed areas varied in danger levels, the weaker the teammates, the more hazardous their duty stations, the different the risk factor. Taoist Qiu had entrusted the full responsibility of arranging the mundane task of mountain patrolling to Pei Haibing and Yu Wenxian, and the duo did not miss the opportunity to profit heavily from it. Desiring strong teammates and safe stationed areas meant having to bribe the two. ¡°Su Jie, Gu Weonian, Sun Zhihai, Ninth C Token, stationed at Niu Jiao Ridge.¡± Most people had already completed forming their groups in pairs or trios, Su Jie looked at the token marked Nine C. On its front was his name, and on the back, the designated area where he would be stationed. Along with Su Jie who received the same token, there was also Gu Weonian, whom he had once met. There was also a disciple named Sun Zhihai, who suffered from a disability, missing a left hand, his complexion pale and showing signs of illness. Su Jie knew this was because the other party could not provide enough poisonous insects to his Lifebound poisonous insect and had to resort to regular blood transfusions, resulting in physical weakness. When the three of them received their tokens, Pei Haibing did not even look them in the eye. It was clear that the three were grouped together because they hadn¡¯t offered Blood Marrow Crystals as bribes; thus, they ended up as teammates. Moreover, Niu Jiao Ridge, far from Ghost Ridge Palace, was surrounded by poisonous miasmas and deep valleys, notoriously frequented by Alien Ghosts. ¡°These three individuals, one old, one disabled, one insignificant junior disciple, are all headed to Niu Jiao Ridge. Tsk tsk, it¡¯s doubtful they will return.¡± As they descended, many disciples cast strange glances their way, discerning people could tell that Su Jie and his companions were deliberately arranged by Pei Haibing. ¡°Brother Su, long time no see.¡± Gu Weonian greeted Su Jie with a clasped hand, his face showing a bitter smile, ¡°You didn¡¯t bribe the Inner Sect either, huh!¡± ¡°I¡¯m poor.¡± This concise statement left Gu Weonian speechless, as he was in the same boat. ¡°Ahem, it seems we are all in the same boat. My health is quite poor; I request you two look after me more when we are in Niu Jiao Ridge.¡± Sun Zhihai coughed twice, speaking with weak breath, his body extremely frail. ¡°Fellow Daoists, we are also assigned to station at Niu Jiao Ridge. My name is Chen Yun, this is my younger brother Chen Kouyan, and Xu Chaoxian, my husband.¡± A woman approached, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, quite beautiful and now clasped hands toward Su Jie and the others. ¡°My name is Su Jie, this is Gu Weonian and Sun Zhihai.¡± Su Jie returned the greeting; the family in front of him seemed well prepped for Mountain Patrol. A light shone in Gu Weonian¡¯s eyes as he eagerly stepped forward, ¡°Haha, it looks like we are not alone after all. It¡¯s better to be in a team, much better!¡± Xu Chaoxian, a man of few words, did not join the conversation, seemingly letting his wife, Chen Yun, make all decisions. ¡°Hmph, one old, one cripple, sis, why waste words with them? Make sure they don¡¯t hold us back later.¡± Chen Kouyan crossed his arms with a look of disdain. Sun Zhihai¡¯s eyes dodged, too intimidated to speak. Gu Weonian¡¯s face also colored with embarrassment since his age was apparent. ¡°What breed are you to talk like this? We¡¯re all here because we couldn¡¯t afford to be anywhere but Niu Jiao Ridge. How high and mighty can you be?¡± Su Jie wasn¡¯t one to tolerate disrespect, and immediately retorted against the disdainful remarks. ¡°What did you say?¡± Unexpected by Chen Kouyan¡¯s reaction, he became visibly embarrassed, and his clothes suddenly bursting open from the back. A swarm of finger-sized, fiery-red poisonous ants crazily emerged, covering half his body and started spreading toward Su Jie. ¡°Enough! Did I tell you to talk too much?¡± Chen Yun suddenly turned around, slapping her brother Chen Kouyan on the head, dazing him. Su Jie¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. This person did not hide the flow of Spiritual Power in her body while attacking, revealing her strength at the Fourth Level of the Yunling Realm. Or perhaps, was this intentionally done by her to set a dominating presence right from the start? When she acted, an ugly bat emerged from her sleeve, emitting a silent menace. The ants crawling on Chen Kouyan became rigid under the influence of the inaudible sound waves, their previously aggressive posture suddenly calming down. It must be Chen Yun¡¯s Lifebound poisonous insect, a very rare and unique type called Ming Sheng Bat. ¡°Sorry everyone, my younger brother is a bit unruly. I apologize on his behalf as his elder sister.¡± ¡°No worries, no worries, everyone¡¯s young once!¡± Gu Weonian, not wanting relations to sour, could only try to smooth things over as best as he could. Although he too was at the Fourth Level of the Yunling Realm, due to his advanced age and previous hidden injuries from his youth, his flow of Spiritual Power was not even as strong as that of Sun Zhihai, who was at the Third Level. Su Jie noticed Chen Kouyan glaring unhappily at him and touched his chest to soothe the restless Thousand-Handed Centipede. It wasn¡¯t to that extent yet; it wasn¡¯t necessary to kill anyone over a mere comment. He wasn¡¯t that heartless. ¡°Disciples who have received tokens must set out immediately without delay. Those who do not arrive at the designated station within the allotted time will face the Law Enforcement Team.¡± Meanwhile, Pei Haibing, having finished distributing the tokens, dropped a cold sentence and left Ghost Ridge Palace with two disciples. The disciples packed their bags and began their trek. ¡°Let¡¯s go as well.¡± Su Jie packed his hefty bag and followed the crowd heading toward the mountains far from the Sect. Chapter 25 - 24: Meng Dongge Chapter 25: Chapter 24: Meng Dongge So-called Mountain Patrol was not without its intricacies. The locations where the disciples were stationed were not randomly assigned; they were strategically placed concerning the key routes leading into Ghost Ridge Palace from the outside world. This arrangement was primarily to protect that trade route. Located within the mountains, most of the resources for Ghost Ridge Palace had to be brought in from the outside world. If external supplies were cut off, the black market would cease to operate, causing extreme difficulties for Ghost Ridge Palace. The weakest disciples sent on Mountain Patrol had at least attained the Second Level of Yunling Realm, which made them much stronger on foot than ordinary people. Even as they traversed steep mountains and ridges, their speed was not slow. As time passed, more disciples reached their temporary stations and departed, and the long dragon-like line of disciples became shorter and shorter. By sunset, only less than ten groups remained in the line. ¡°There¡¯s Niu Jiao Ridge,¡± Su Jie said. After crossing a ravine-filled narrow canyon, two small hills positioned like horn tips appeared in view. ¡°We¡¯ve finally arrived,¡± said Sun Zhihai, panting and drenched in sweat, sitting down on the ground while supporting his knees; the journey had almost worn him out. ¡°Black mountains and white waters, twin peaks like horns, a heart-piercing blade, precarious, truly a dangerous place!¡± Looking at the terrain of Niu Jiao Ridge, Gu Weonian twisted a string of prayer beads in his left hand, murmuring under his breath. Curiously, Su Jie asked, ¡°Brother Gu, do you understand geomancy?¡± With a self-deprecating smile, Gu Weonian responded, ¡°A bit of this and that. I can¡¯t advance in my cultivation, so I have to pick up various other skills.¡± The two groups, totaling six people, headed toward Niu Jiao Ridge. As they reached the foot of the hill, they spotted wooden huts built every few hundred meters within the forest, though these places were already manned. Six disciples waiting there kindly observed Su Jie and his group as they arrived. The leader among these disciples, an elegantly mannered middle-aged man, immediately approached them cheerfully, ¡°You are from Taoist Qiu¡¯s lineage, right? We received a letter from the Command Hall two days ago, we¡¯ve been waiting for you. My name is Meng Dongge. I¡¯ve been here twelve days, under Elder Zhong¡¯s command.¡± ¡°Meng Dongge, this man is a Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, I¡¯ve heard he offended an inner disciple, now it seems true. Otherwise, with his abilities, why would he be sent here?¡± Gu Weonian quietly said to Su Jie, who had been living in Ghost Ridge Palace for many years, and had access to much gossip. ¡°Mr. Meng, hello, we are ordered to be stationed here,¡± Su Jie said, pulling out his token, speaking in formal terms. ¡°Mr. Meng, hello, we just arrived; sorry to trouble you.¡± Chen Yun spoke very politely, representing her party. Meng Dongge¡¯s expression shifted slightly, seemingly noticing that among the six people from Chen Yun¡¯s side, she had the highest cultivation, and his tone became considerably warmer. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll lead you to your station. Having more people increases our sense of security. You wouldn¡¯t believe, but I haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in half a month.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s head over together.¡± The group moved towards the temporary station and soon Su Jie and Chen Yun¡¯s teams were assigned to adjacent wooden huts on the left side of the peak at Niu Jiao Ridge, approximately two kilometers away from the huts on the right side of the peak where Meng Dongge and others were stationed. Meng Dongge distributed some supplies necessary for living and repeated a few points of caution before turning to leave. ¡°He¡¯s really a good man! Much more pleasant than that guy named Chen Koudang who we just met,¡± Sun Zhihai exclaimed as he watched Meng Dongge walk away. Sincere disciples like this were rare among the often indifferent and ruthless Ghost Ridge Palace disciples. Gu Weonian nodded and added, ¡°Earlier, Meng Dongge mentioned hoping we could come over to share the burden and collectively face the threat of Alien Ghosts, a common human reaction, he¡¯s genuinely sincere.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Finding agreement, Sun Zhihai then turned to Su Jie and asked, ¡°Brother Su, what do you think?¡± ¡°Instead of discussing this, let¡¯s clean up the house first,¡± replied Su Jie, not delving too much into the conversation. After all, he felt that, in a Demon Cultivation Sect like Ghost Ridge Palace, finding a genuinely good person was extraordinarily difficult. As they talked, Su Jie stepped forward and pushed open the wooden door of the three-story wooden house in front of him. Such wooden huts were not temporarily built but had long been established. Disciples sometimes used them for short stays while on missions outside, and the houses contained dry food and simple bedding. However, as these instances were relatively rare and the houses were only used for temporary rest, no one cleaned them, leaving the houses generally very filthy. Creak! The grating sound of the heavy wooden door opening as Su Jie walked into the house first. The interior was not as disorderly as he had expected; rather, it was exceptionally well-kept. Running a finger across the surface of a table, Su Jie rolled his fingers together, finding no dust. Looking up, the ceiling also bore no cobwebs. It seemed that not long ago, someone had still been living and cleaning this place. Turning to Gu Weonian and Sun Zhihai, who had just entered, Su Jie said, ¡°There must have been people stationed in this room before we arrived. Did they mention if anyone other than Meng Dongge¡¯s group had been stationed here at Niu Jiao Ridge?¡± Taken aback, Gu Weonian said, ¡°Who knows! You can only find out the details of the disciples¡¯ assignments at the Command Hall, but no one cares unless it¡¯s an inner disciple.¡± ¡°Perhaps some disciples cleaned it when they temporarily stationed here, saving us the trouble.¡± Sun Zhihai put down his bundle, opened all the doors and windows, and then picked out a room for himself. ¡°Brother Su, what are you thinking about?¡± Seeing Su Jie¡¯s slight frown, Gu Weonian was puzzled. ¡°Meng Dongge only mentioned fearing the threat of the Alien Ghost. I remember they hadn¡¯t encountered an Alien Ghost, had they?¡± ¡°No, he seems not to have mentioned that. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Did you notice? Meng Dongge¡¯s two teams were perfectly intact, six people exactly. If a team had been stationed here before we arrived and they encountered an Alien Ghost disaster, yet Meng Dongge¡¯s group remained unharmed with all members accounted for, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a problem?¡± Su Jie shared some of his suspicions, as now was not the time for riddles since everyone was in the same trench¡ªmore fighting power meant more security. Old and cunning, Gu Weonian was woken up by Su Jie¡¯s hint and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Are you suggesting we fell into a trap?¡± ¡°Not sure, but it¡¯s possible, considering the house was chosen by Meng Dongge.¡± As Su Jie¡¯s tightly knit brows relaxed, he continued, ¡°I want to find another stationary spot. Whether it¡¯s true or not, it¡¯s safer to be cautious.¡± As they say, a wise man does not stand beneath a tottering wall. Su Jie was unwilling to take risks, especially those concerning life. ¡°Right, let¡¯s change places.¡± Surviving to such an old age in a ruthless sect like Ghost Ridge Palace, Gu Weonian might not have the best talent, but he knew that being cautious ensured longevity, albeit sounding either careful or cowardly. Hearing Su Jie¡¯s words and harboring suspicions, Gu Weonian wisely decided to follow. Just then, Sun Zhihai, who had chosen his room upstairs, came down and asked, ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you choosing rooms? I¡¯ve taken the one on the left upstairs. Pick another one.¡± ¡°Brother Sun, we plan to change our stationing spot,¡± Gu Weonian said, immediately sharing Su Jie¡¯s suspicions with Sun. ¡°Ah! Could it be that you¡¯re overthinking it?¡± Hearing this, Sun Zhihai was reluctant, since cleaning another house would be required. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Su Jie glanced at him, picked up his bundle, and walked out the door. ¡°Brother Sun, it¡¯d be best for you to come with us,¡± Gu Weonian kindly admonished, grabbing his bundle and quickly following Su Jie. ¡°Hey, you guys, I¡¯m coming too, don¡¯t leave me behind!¡± Although somewhat reluctant, Sun Zhihai was more afraid of being left alone. Seeing the two walking away, he hurriedly packed his bundle and caught up with Su Jie and Gu Weonian. At Niu Jiao Ridge, similar wooden houses were numerous. Su Jie did not go far and stopped at one about seven to eight hundred meters away. ¡°This is the place. Let¡¯s clean the house first.¡± As Su Jie pushed open the door of the chosen wooden house, a musty smell wafted out. The table and floor were covered with a thick layer of dust, indicating it had been uninhabited for a long time. ¡°Brother Su, about Chen Yun, should we go over and remind him...¡± Gu Weonian hesitated and then tentatively spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not that petty. However, others might not believe it or want to move.¡± Su Jie was noncommittal. Being a good person was not easy these days. Patting his chest, Gu Weonian said, ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll just go and let him know.¡± ¡°Then go quickly and come back quickly.¡± Su Jie looked at the sky; the sun was already setting behind the mountains. Though the Alien Ghosts roamed day and night, nighttime remained their most active period, making it too dangerous to be out alone. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading there now.¡± Gu Weonian immediately set off, considering the distance wasn¡¯t too far. Meanwhile, Su Jie and Sun Zhihai started cleaning the house, not thoroughly but just removing the dust accumulated in the living areas. Su Jie also set up a few simple bell traps afterward, though these were hardly effective against Alien Ghosts. Alien Ghosts weren¡¯t mere beasts. They possessed high intelligence and knew how to avoid common traps. The real security measure was the dozen dragonflies Su Jie released. Their panoramic vision greatly facilitated surveillance the area. Besides the dragonflies, Su Jie also released a few small moths since dragonflies¡¯ vision at night was poor, and night-active moths could compensate for this lack. Chapter 26 - 25: Tragic Scene Chapter 26: Chapter 25: Tragic Scene After cleaning the house, Su Jie heard crows cawing outside. Stepping out of the house, he saw a black crow circling in the sky, making strange, hoarse cries that echoed far and wide, continually tormenting people¡¯s ears. Su Jie took out a black feathered folding fan from his chest and vigorously waved it high. Soon, the black crow landed on Su Jie¡¯s shoulder, its beak gaping wide. Feeling around his body, Su Jie grabbed a Reconnaissance Dragonfly and fed it to the crow. Then he removed a piece of paper from its leg, picked up a pen, wrote down the day¡¯s itinerary, stamped it with his handprint, and tied it back onto the leg. Only then did he release the crow again, watching it disappear into the sky. This kind of crow was actually a Messenger Crow, cultivated by Ghost Ridge Palace to deliver messages. Divine Sense Thousand-Mile Transmission, a lofty magic skill, was not something disciples could learn. Messenger Crows traveled daily between Ghost Ridge Palace Mountain Gate and the various disciples¡¯ locations, with disciples required to report their daily activities and any situations encountered. If any actions were needed from the disciples, orders were also conveyed via Messenger Crow. Shortly after the crow flew off, Gu Weonian returned, but unfortunately, he brought back bad news. ¡°Not successful?¡± Seeing a trace of embarrassment on Gu Weonian¡¯s face, Su Jie knew that things had probably not gone well. ¡°Good talk or bad talk, they just wouldn¡¯t believe it, and that Chen Koudang was even...¡± Gu Weonian shook his head without continuing, evidently having faced no shortage of ridicule. Sun Zhihai also expressed his opinion, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s not meddle in others¡¯ affairs. Since they don¡¯t want to, we just need to look after ourselves.¡± Su Jie consoled, ¡°Let it go, just consider their words as idle talk and don¡¯t take them to heart.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. We¡¯ll take turns on watch tonight, you go and rest well first.¡± .......... Late at night, the third watch! The forest floor was completely engulfed in darkness. Atop Niu Jiao Ridge, the noisy cicadas of the day fell silent, clouds obscured the full moon. In front of the cabin, an ancient tree stood quietly. Its age was at least a thousand years, its roots like coiled dragons, its bark like cracked rocks, laden with scaly scars like a gaunt old man. Whoosh! A gust of night wind blew by, the branches swayed. The candlelight shining from the cabin cast patchy shadows amongst the withered branches and leaves, making it appear even more terrifying, like a fanged and clawed demon. At this moment, Su Jie was sitting atop this ancient tree, sharing a view with several moths, constantly watching for any movements within a hundred meters. ¡°Brother Su, it¡¯s my turn to take over.¡± From the cabin, yawning Gu Weonian walked out and waved toward Su Jie in the treetop. ¡°Brother Gu, be careful. If anything happens, call out immediately.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, despite my age, I still have my vigilance. If...¡± Gu Weonian hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Su Jie suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Wait, what was that noise? Did you hear something?¡± ¡°What?¡± Before Gu Weonian could react, Su Jie¡¯s gaze pierced through the darkness outside. In the silent night, apart from a few indistinct bird cries, there was no other sound, as if he had just imagined it. ¡°Brother Su, this is your first night patrol. You might be too tense.¡± Having thought there was a misunderstanding, Gu Weonian shook his head, about to continue speaking when his voice suddenly halted. He and Su Jie exchanged glances, together hearing a faint sound. Squeak squeak! The continuous, fragmented cries entered their ears, sounding somewhat like rats squeaking. Right after, Su Jie and Gu Weonian saw a blood-soaked bat tumbling from the sky like a bird with broken wings. ¡°It¡¯s Chen Yun¡¯s lifebound poisonous insect, that Ming Sheng Bat.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression shifted slightly as he recognized the origin of the bat. This type of bat was a very rare Poison Insect that could produce infrasound waves undetectable to humans. Not only could it shatter and explode objects, but when used on living beings, it could also cause resonance in human organs, leading to fatal ruptures of internal blood vessels, making it a particularly vicious and sneaky Poison Insect. The insect was now falling from the sky, suffering some kind of injury, bleeding from its mouth and nose. Su Jie stepped forward and leaped high to catch the Ming Sheng Bat. The bat was two sizes larger than a palm and was now emitting bursts of mournful cries. ¡°Something must have happened to Chen Yun, it might be an Alien Ghost, go wake up Brother Sun.¡± Su Jie took a deep breath; the Ming Sheng Bat¡¯s appearance here was a signal from Chen Yun, a plea for help. Gu Weonian quickly summoned someone, and soon Sun Zhihai was awakened from his sleep. Gu Weonian¡¯s shivering legs immediately ran fast, not daring to delay. Hearing that an Alien Ghost might be lurking, Sun Zhihai, still somewhat sleepy, suddenly felt a chill and instantly no trace of sleep remained. ¡°Should we... should we really go? If it¡¯s really an Alien Ghost...¡± At the critical moment, Sun Zhihai hesitated, a trace of fear appearing on his face. Su Jie, with a grave expression, said, ¡°Of course we can¡¯t be reckless; we¡¯ll first observe from the outskirts. If we indeed encounter a tough opponent, we can¡¯t be blamed for not rescuing them.¡± Sun Zhihai breathed a sigh of relief; this was much safer. Demon Cultivators didn¡¯t have the heart to sacrifice themselves for others. Gu Weonian said nothing more; through his interactions, he had realized that Su Jie was very cautious and felt confident in Su Jie¡¯s approach. The three of them headed toward Chen Yun¡¯s residence without any torches or lanterns, fearing they might attract unknown enemies in the dim environment. Still some distance away, Su Jie¡¯s nose twitched, faintly smelling blood in the air. The silhouette of Chen Yun and his colleagues¡¯ cabin was now visible nearby. ¡°The battle seems to have already ended there.¡± Having observed secretly with a moth, Su Jie¡¯s gaze grew complex as he stood up, lit the torch he carried, and walked toward the cabin. About a hundred meters from the cabin, a gruesome battlefield appeared before them. The ground was covered with a layer of dead poisonous insects, numerous poison snakes and ants crushed to pulp. An ant queen, the size of a soccer ball, was missing half of its body. Another, a desk-sized giant grasshopper, was bisected, green insect blood splattered everywhere. These were the lifebound poisonous insects of Chen Koudang and Xu Chaoxian. Since even the lifebound poisonous insects had met such a fate, needless to say about the owners themselves. During the day, the brash Chen Koudang¡¯s face was torn and hung on a branch, his body dismembered. Xu Chaoxian was left with only a head, his body nowhere to be found. At the edge of the battlefield, a blood-drenched ¡®corpse¡¯ leaned against the base of a large tree. If not for the chest that was still faintly heaving, almost no one would believe the person was still alive. It was Chen Yun, the only survivor still breathing at the scene. Unexpectedly, besides Su Jie¡¯s group who had just arrived, someone had reached the scene earlier¡ªit was Meng Dongge from the other side of Niu Jiao Ridge. He, holding a torch, seemed also surprised that Su Jie¡¯s group had arrived so quickly. Chapter 27 - 26: The Reason Chapter 27: Chapter 26: The Reason ¡°Brother Su, we¡¯re late!¡± As soon as they met, Meng Dongge sighed and pointed to the ground filled with dead insects, ¡°I heard the noise and sensed something wrong, so I came to support immediately. Still, I was a step behind the Alien Ghost and couldn¡¯t save Chen Yun¡¯s husband and brother. It¡¯s all my fault...¡± ¡°It¡¯s us who found out too late, after all, we were closer to Chen Yun and the others.¡± While speaking, Su Jie carefully observed his surroundings, staying on guard. After all, it wasn¡¯t necessarily the Alien Ghost who attacked Chen Yun and the others, it could very well have been Meng Dongge right in front of him. ¡°No one wants this kind of thing to happen. Since it really was the Alien Ghost, we can only blame bad luck.¡± Gu Weonian glanced at the situation on the scene and immediately figured out a rough scenario. Most likely, Chen Yun and the others encountered the Alien Ghost at night, lost due to an unfavorable defense, leading to the deaths of Chen Koudang and Xu Chaoxian. That Meng Dongge and his group could come so quickly to support was considered very loyal among the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples. You know, even Gu Weonian, from the same lineage as Elder Qiu as Chen Yun, hesitated quite a bit about coming to support, let alone the disciples of other branches like Meng Dongge¡¯s group. ¡°This is just too tragic.¡± Sun Zhihai felt his scalp tingle. It¡¯s not that he hadn¡¯t seen dead people before, but Chen Yun and the others were part of his group to patrol and guard the mountains. To fall into such a situation on the first day made him empathize deeply. ¡°Chen Yun is still breathing...¡± After checking Chen Yun¡¯s condition, Su Jie turned to Meng Dongge and asked, ¡°Mr. Meng, why are you alone? Where are the other five members of your team?¡± ¡°They went to kill that beast. We can¡¯t let the leader of this disaster get away. I stayed here to protect Chen Yun,¡± Meng Dongge gritted his teeth in hatred as he explained. As they spoke, intense shouts reached their ears. ¡°Quick, stop it!¡± ¡°Use the Nine Curves Net, block its escape route!¡± ¡°All together, we¡¯re about to get it!¡± Accompanied by shouts, a three-meter tall creature darted past Su Jie and the others. Its skin was pale, it hunched its body, and moved on all fours; its claws were like steel blades, creating a menacing sight. ¡°Alien Ghost...¡± Gu Weonian screamed in fear. The atmosphere was too eerie; any slight rustle could put one on edge. The sudden appearance of the Alien Ghost nearly scared him breathless. ¡°Could it be that I¡¯m overthinking?¡± Su Jie pondered inwardly. It was really an Alien Ghost. Had he misunderstood Meng Dongge? ¡°Run... Run! We can¡¯t defeat the Alien Ghost.¡± With a trembling voice, Sun Zhihai constantly touched his chest, where a green lizard poked its head out. He even summoned his Lifebound poisonous insect. ¡°Watch closely, this Alien Ghost is nearly finished.¡± Su Jie raised his hand to stop the two. The pair calmed down and then realized the Alien Ghost was covered with wounds, suffering from corrosive and penetrating injuries, and its torn muscular tissues were widely exposed to the air, even its internal organs spilled out. Its movements were sluggish; it couldn¡¯t survive much longer without interference. After darting out not too many meters, the Alien Ghost eventually collapsed due to severe injuries, its blood nearly drained, falling to the ground. Buzz, buzz! Following this, a large swarm of poisonous insects arrived. Hundreds of locusts, poisonous snakes, scorpions, killer bees, and venomous spiders engulfed the Alien Ghost. The massive influx of lethal toxins finished off the severely injured Alien Ghost, rendering it motionless and struggle-free. Five Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples emerged from the forest where the Alien Ghost had run through, holding various items such as nets and ropes. These were the other five members of Meng Dongge¡¯s team. They quickly surrounded the corpse of the Alien Ghost, eyeing Su Jie and his companions warily. This was due to the concern that Su Jie and the others might be tempted by the valuable corpse of the Alien Ghost, which had dramatically increased in price. ¡°What are you all doing? Our three comrades aren¡¯t the type to act recklessly. There¡¯s no need for such precautions; how does it look to others?¡± Meng Dongge rebuked sharply, scolding the other five fiercely. Instead, this made Sun Zhihai and Gu Weonian quite embarrassed. Gu Weonian cleared his throat and said, ¡°Mr. Meng, since this Alien Ghost was hunted by you and also avenged Chen Yun, we harbor no inappropriate thoughts.¡± Sun Zhihai similarly smiled awkwardly, ¡°Yes, Mr. Meng, you worry too much, we do have our principles.¡± Although they were extremely eager for the body of the Alien Ghost, which once sold on the Black Market, would easily bring in several hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, morally and especially in terms of power, any attempt to seize it would be suicidal. Su Jie¡¯s eyes narrowed; this approach of retreating to advance was quite crafty! Looking at Gu Weonian and Sun Zhihai¡¯s reactions, it was clear both had fallen for it. Su Jie didn¡¯t immediately point it out, instead he appeared even more righteous than Sun Zhihai and Gu Weonian, saying, ¡°Mr. Meng, it¡¯s only human for them to think this way. After all, our reputation as Demon Cultivators isn¡¯t very good. But rest assured, I, Su Jie, always act upright and detest evil. If it¡¯s not mine, I definitely won¡¯t take it.¡± Gu Weonian was speechless; wasn¡¯t that statement a bit too much? Are you really a Demon Cultivator, kid? Meng Dongge smiled again and loudly said, ¡°My fellow Daoists, please don¡¯t take offense. We expended a lot of effort and resources such as talismans and Poison Insects to successfully hunt this Alien Ghost. We have no choice but to sell it to recuperate our costs, otherwise we would have shared some with you. Ah, I do feel bad about this. Here, during this current battle, these dead poisonous insects will be left for you to handle, especially since they all belong to people from the same lineage as Elder Qiu.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Gu Weonian and Sun Zhihai bowed together. The many dead poisonous insects in the surrounding area, when used for their own Lifebound poisonous insects, were quite beneficial, especially those belonging to Chen Koudang and Xu Chaoxian. ¡°Mr. Meng, you¡¯re too polite.¡± Su Jie moved quickly and before Gu Weonian and Sun Zhihai could see his actions, he had already grabbed the most valuable queen ant corpse from the ground. This move even stumped Meng Dongge, who gave Su Jie a strange look: Is that what you call not taking? So, you¡¯re only interested in the big ones? ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, we won¡¯t stay here any longer. Chen is severely injured now, why not leave her to us? I will see if I can try to heal her.¡± Meng Dongge kindly made this suggestion as he looked toward Chen Yun. Sun Zhihai and Gu Weonian were just about to agree, since the now helplessly injured Chen Yun was just a burden, and handing her over would be convenient. However, at that moment, Su Jie suddenly spoke up, ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble Mr. Meng with this. Chen Yun belongs to our branch, and we have a responsibility to take care of her current condition.¡± ¡°We still have some medicine for injuries that could be very helpful.¡± Meng Dongge was startled, his eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Really, it¡¯s not necessary.¡± Su Jie shook his head to refuse; even Sun Zhihai and Gu Weonian were quite puzzled¡ªwas he really as upright as he claimed? ¡°Well, I won¡¯t force the issue then, I hope Daoist Chen Yun recovers soon.¡± Meng Dongge didn¡¯t insist further and smiled as he took his leave. ¡°We need to handle the Alien Ghost corpse as soon as possible, so we won¡¯t stay here any longer. The three of you, take care. If you encounter an Alien Ghost, be sure to ask for our help immediately. I don¡¯t want to see what happened to Daoist Chen Yun happen to you.¡± ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Take care.¡± The two groups bowed to each other, and Meng Dongge and his group carried the Alien Ghost corpse away from the battlefield. Meanwhile, Sun Zhihai and Gu Weonian could hardly wait to start collecting various poisonous insect corpses from the ground. The freshly dead poisonous insects were particularly suitable as food for their Lifebound poisonous insects. Su Jie watched Meng Dongge and the others disappear into the woods, his fingers curling slightly. A moth, taking advantage of the cover of night, silently followed them with fluttering wings. This method of Insect Control, common among the inner disciples, was hard to detect without specific defenses. ¡°Brother Su, we¡¯ve struck it big today!¡± After counting, Gu Weonian was quite excited. The poisonous insect corpses they collected from the battlefield filled a basket, a pretty fruitful loot indeed. ¡°Tonight¡¯s haul isn¡¯t bad.¡± Su Jie glanced over, but compared to Meng Dongge and his group¡¯s acquisition of the Alien Ghost corpse, these insect corpses were hardly impressive. ¡°But...did you really think you could deceive everyone?¡± Licking his lips, Su Jie glanced at Chen Yun on the ground and then at Meng Dongge and the others disappearing from view, his lips curving into a chilling smile. Chapter 28 - 27: Gentiana Chapter 28: Chapter 27: Gentiana Niu Jiao Ridge! Inside a wooden house on the southern peak. The six men from Meng Dongge¡¯s group had just returned here, jubilant beside them lay the corpse of an Alien Ghost. ¡°Dongge, it¡¯s your strategy that¡¯s formidable, another successful hunt for an Alien Ghost tonight, without any effort.¡± A disciple, extremely excited, spoke while caressing the Alien Ghost¡¯s body, utterly fascinated. ¡°Following my lead can¡¯t be wrong, those disciples are just paupers, how much money can they have? They don¡¯t compare to the value of an Alien Ghost, it¡¯s perfect for making use of such waste.¡± Meng Dongge¡¯s demeanor was no longer friendly and amiable, his face bore a trace of a cold sneer. ¡°Indeed, indeed, all thanks to you, Dongge, for getting a batch of Gentiana, otherwise this plan wouldn¡¯t have been so easily successful.¡± ¡°These demon-like Alien Ghosts, before I couldn¡¯t have even dreamed of hunting them without paying a price.¡± The disciples nearby continuously echoed in agreement, full of admiration and flattery in their words towards Meng Dongge. ¡°Speaking of which, what¡¯s with Su Jie and his people? I went over to the cabin earlier and noticed they¡¯ve moved to another hut. Could they have discovered something?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Meng Dongge immediately interjected, confidently claiming: ¡°I buried the Gentiana under the roots in the soil; only an Alien Ghost can smell that unique scent, no one else could find it. They¡¯re probably just a bit suspicious, not fully trusting our arrangements. In that case, next time I pay a visit under the guise of benevolence, I¡¯ll take the opportunity to bury some Gentiana around their hut, let¡¯s see if they can still change their dwelling.¡± ¡°This will definitely work, when they lure the Alien Ghost over, we just have to wait for them to fight the Ghost to a standstill and reap the benefits like a fisherman.¡± The disciples¡¯ eyes shone brightly, as if seeing a torrent of wealth flowing into their pockets. Meng Dongge and his people discussed their schemes without any restraint, contemplating how to set their trap. Little did they know, at the window, a moth quietly clung to the surface, hearing all their loud scheming loud and clear. ..... ¡°Heh, just as I thought, the last piece of the puzzle is in place.¡± At the same time. On the northern peak of Niu Jiao Ridge, Su Jie slowly opened his eyes, ceasing the vision sharing with the moth. In the main hall of the wooden house, Chen Yun, who had just been rescued, was temporarily placed here. Her wounds were severe, her body was ripped open by the Alien Ghost¡¯s sharp claws, leaving several deep gashes that exposed her bones, even her intestines were out in the open air. Had her body not been far superior to an ordinary human¡¯s, she would have died already. ¡°The bleeding has stopped for now, but the Alien Ghost¡¯s attack, due to its claws carrying some Corrosive Poison, will depend on whether she can survive without her wounds festering.¡± Gu Weonian checked and found Chen Yun¡¯s condition to be pessimistic. ¡°I understand, let¡¯s set Chen Yun aside for now and discuss other matters.¡± Su Jie stood up from the cushion, called Gu Weonian and Sun Zhihai over, and said, ¡°Regarding tonight¡¯s events, what are your thoughts?¡± ¡°Thoughts? Wasn¡¯t it just an accident? It¡¯s just that Chen Yun and the others were too unlucky. Ah, Brother Su, you don¡¯t think that they were attacked by Mr. Meng, do you? You saw the Alien Ghost corpse earlier, your previous suspicions weren¡¯t accurate.¡± Gu Weonian was perplexed, recalling how not long ago, Su Jie had doubted Meng Dongge. But the facts proved Su Jie was wrong; instead, Meng Dongge heroically saved others, fully proving himself to be a good person. ¡°Yeah, Brother Su, isn¡¯t Mr. Meng good enough? Braving the threat of the Alien Ghost, he personally led the rescue. We can¡¯t falsely accuse someone.¡± Sun Zhihai also defended Meng Dongge. Both appeared to hold Meng Dongge in high regard, his helpful character combined with the personal risk he took was indeed very convincing. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it all too coincidental?¡± Su Jie knew they would question him, and he analyzed the night¡¯s events one by one: ¡°Chen Yun and I just arrived today, and her group was attacked by an Alien Ghost, which seems far too coincidental. Also, wasn¡¯t Meng Dongge¡¯s group¡¯s response too quick after the attack? They were even further from Chen Yun¡¯s hut, yet they arrived before us and even had a fierce battle with the Alien Ghost, as if... they had been waiting there in advance.¡± Silence! The hall fell silent at Su Jie¡¯s words. Gu Weonian swallowed nervously, uneasy, and said, ¡°Su... Brother Su, with no concrete evidence, this might just be overthinking on your part.¡± Though he said this, Gu Weonian pondered Su Jie¡¯s words and indeed found several questionable points. ¡°Brother Gu, think about it, when Meng Dongge¡¯s group appeared, the items they were carrying, the Nine Curves Net, the Earth Sinking Thunder Fire Mirror, the Heavenly Gang Rope... do you remember? These items are all used for setting traps and ambushes. Do you think, if Meng Dongge really went on a rescue, would he bring all these items with him?¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice was eerily calm, not angered by Gu Weonian¡¯s skepticism but instead laid out the facts for analysis. Gu Weonian turned pale with nothing to retort, as Su Jie¡¯s analysis was all based on facts. ¡°Brother Su, this is all just your speculation, they don¡¯t count as evidence. I know you want to get your hands on that Alien Ghost¡¯s corpse, but we don¡¯t have the strength for it, and we can¡¯t just go and snatch it, please don¡¯t drag us down with you.¡± Sun Zhihai stood up angrily, feeling that Su Jie coveted the value of the Alien Ghost and had come up with these seemingly equivocal speculations to drag himself and Gu Weonian into the mess. Yet he didn¡¯t consider their combined strengths; all three of them together might not even match Meng Dongge, let alone the fact that they were outnumbered, as there were six disciples on Meng Dongge¡¯s side. Chapter 29 - 27: Gentiana_2 Chapter 29: Chapter 27: Gentiana_2 ¡°Do you all actually want evidence, or are you too afraid to admit the truth?¡± Su Jie looked over with a profound gaze that made Sun Zhihai feel somewhat guilty; he wasn¡¯t sure if Su Jie actually had any concrete evidence. ¡°You... cough cough... is everything you said really... true?¡± Just then, a voice as weak as a mosquito¡¯s came through. It was Chen Yun, who had been unconscious until now, waking up just in time to hear Su Jie¡¯s analysis; her eyes glaring fiercely, filled with intense rage that crowded her chest, so much so that she disregarded her own injuries, struggling to sit up and reopened her freshly closed wounds. Su Jie turned to look at Chen Yun and said indifferently, ¡°You should rest first. Even if this is true, you can¡¯t do anything about it. Right now, you¡¯re a cripple.¡± ¡°I want to kill them, kill them all.¡± Chen Yun bit her lips so hard they bled, unaware of the pain, her heart full of anger that had nowhere to be vented. That very night, the people closest to her, her husband, and brother, had both died, initially believed to be due to an Alien Ghost attack, a case of mere bad luck. However, listening to Su Jie¡¯s analysis, she realized there was more to the situation, seemingly a trap set up by Meng Dongge and his group. Su Jie no longer paid any attention to Chen Yun. When he had saved her, he had thought she might be treatable. Then he would have additional fighting power on his side, which would be convenient for a confrontation with Meng Dongge. But what he got back was just a cripple, which was disappointing. ¡°Brother Su, what evidence are you talking about?¡± Gu Weonian couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Ever heard of Gentiana? Meng Dongge planted this grass outside Chen Yun¡¯s hut. That¡¯s the biggest lure for tonight¡¯s Alien Ghost attack. Oh, and the hut Meng Dongge originally selected for us? He planted the same Gentiana there too.¡± ¡°What, Gentiana? Where did he get that from?¡± Gu Weonian broke out into a cold sweat. To Alien Ghosts, Gentiana is like catnip to cats. It emits a scent that Alien Ghosts love, easily attracting them. However, Gentiana is always rare and seldom found; many people have heard of it, but only a few have ever seen it. Patting his heart, relieved, Gu Weonian thankfully said, ¡°Lucky for us Brother Su, you made us move houses, otherwise tonight we probably would have ended up just like Chen Yun.¡± At this point, Gu Weonian completely believed Su Jie¡¯s judgment; the tragic situation today was indeed a sinister plot by Meng Dongge. The man appeared upstanding on the surface but harbored ulterior motives in secret, actually setting up such a trap and directly dooming three people like Chen Yun. ¡°I must say, the opponent really has a good scheme. Just like fishing, Chen Yun and the others were the bait; not only to attract the Alien Ghosts but also to consume their strength in advance. Betting on a mutually destructive fight, Meng Dongge would come out to ambush at the end and easily capture an Alien Ghost with the value of several hundred Blood Marrow Crystals¡ªhow utterly maddening!¡± Su Jie sighed, recalling the clean hut from the start; Chen Yun was probably not the first to be trapped this way. ¡°Gentiana... if only I had listened to you and moved earlier, none of this would have happened... I hate myself, I hate myself so much, Kou Dang, Chao Xian, it¡¯s my fault you died, all my fault....¡± Hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, Chen Yun was completely consumed by regret. If only she had heeded the advice, she wouldn¡¯t have lost her brother and husband that night. Gu Weonian didn¡¯t know how to comfort her and finally let out a long sigh, looking toward Su Jie. ¡°Brother Su, what should we do now? Should we present our analysis to the Command Hall?¡± ¡°Do you think that would be useful?¡± ¡°This... probably not.¡± Gu Weonian chuckled wryly; they were from a Demon Sect, where it was common for lower Disciples to kill each other, and even public murder could be let off if enough money was paid for compensation. Outer Disciples were just expendables to the high echelons of the Sect; one batch could easily be replaced by another, so the higher-ups couldn¡¯t care less about such trivial matters. Su Jie spread his hands wide, his tone grave, ¡°Now we have no choice; either kill Meng Dongge and his people, or it¡¯s our death. Those are the only two outcomes.¡± As for running away, without the Command Hall¡¯s permission, whoever dared to leave the station had better be prepared to be a corpse. ¡°How could we possibly be a match for Meng Dongge and his group?¡± Sun Zhihai immediately protested, his face filled with fear. The gap in fighting power between them was too great; not to mention quality, just the number of people in combat was double, and such a fight would be nothing but suicide. ¡°Do you have a better option?¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze pierced through him. ¡°I-I-I...¡± Sun Zhihai¡¯s lips moved, but he couldn¡¯t articulate a reason. ¡°Although they outnumber us, we¡¯re not without chances,¡± Withdrawing his gaze, Su Jie glanced at Chen Yun on the ground and said, ¡°As the saying goes, fight fire with fire. If Meng Dongge uses Gentiana to set a trap, we can use it against them too.¡± ¡°You mean, take out the Gentiana we had near our wooden hut and place it near where Meng Dongge and his people are staying to attract the Alien Ghost to deal with them?¡± Gu Weonian quickly grasped Su Jie¡¯s idea, and his eyes suddenly brightened with understanding. Because this plan had a good chance of succeeding. ¡°The Alien Ghost is quite useful. If it can¡¯t completely eliminate them, we¡¯ll go up and finish the job.¡± Su Jie set the tone for the plan and then said to Gu Weonian, ¡°You go there tonight. The Gentiana is buried under the roots around our hut; they probably haven¡¯t had a chance to take it out yet. Dig it up and bury it near Meng Dongge¡¯s hut, and be careful not to get caught.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go right now.¡± Gu Weonian quickly agreed, now fully prepared to follow Su Jie through thick and thin. Besides dealing with the threat of Meng Dongge, there was no other choice. Su Jie watched Gu Weonian leave, with moths secretly following him. He wasn¡¯t one to easily trust others; if Gu Weonian had any ulterior motives, he would know immediately. Among the Outer Disciples, none had learned the Insect Control Technique, and they had no defense against ordinary insects, giving Su Jie a significant advantage in surveillance. ¡°Mr. Su, let me join in the battle too. I can still be of help,¡± As Gu Weonian left, Chen Yun struggled to hold herself up. Her eyes were unwavering with determination, and her resolve for revenge didn¡¯t waver in the slightest despite her injuries. Su Jie took a hard look at Chen Yun and then seemed to think of something, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but you could die.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯d be afraid of death in my current state?¡± Chen Yun gave a wry smile. Having lost her brother and husband, she preferred to die rather than let Meng Dongge off easy. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help you.¡± Su Jie said no more. Chen Yun¡¯s wounds could actually be healed; it was just that she couldn¡¯t afford the Healing Pills needed. Carrying Chen Yun back to the bedroom, Su Jie prepared to perform surgery on her. Without much preparation, Su Jie released the thousand-hand centipede. Using the dexterous pale arms of the thousand-hand centipede, he cut off several strands of Chen Yun¡¯s hair and used the hair to stitch her wounds. Su Jie had never stitched wounds before; his technique was poor, the stitches ugly and awkward, with some skin not even aligned properly. With no anesthesia, Chen Yun bit down and endured the pain throughout the procedure, her sweat and blood soaking the bed. After the stitching was done, Chen Yun was completely drained, her body covered in centipede-like sewn wounds, including on her face. Su Jie poured some healing medicine on Chen Yun¡¯s wounds and gave her a Hemostatic Elixir to take. It wasn¡¯t even a low-grade elixir, but the hemostatic effect was still there, and because it was cheap, it was widely recognized among the Outer Disciples as a sacred healing medicine. ¡°Can you move now?¡± Su Jie asked. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Chen Yun grit her teeth and forced her body up off the bed. It had to be said that the physical resilience of Cultivators was much higher than that of normal people. A normal person with such injuries wouldn¡¯t think of leaving bed for at least half a year, yet Chen Yun was able to force herself to move slowly. Seeing this, Su Jie shook his head and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s still too forced.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s enough. I can still control the poisonous insects. Even if I have to sacrifice my Lifebound poisonous insect and my own life, I can manage a few more attacks. Let me join the battle.¡± Yet Chen Yun looked at Su Jie with determination and called over the Ming Sheng Bat. But now, her Lifebound poisonous insect was also severely injured, unable even to fly, merely lying weakly in Chen Yun¡¯s hand, emitting a faint squeak. ¡°Not bad.¡± Su Jie saw Chen Yun in a new light; her fortitude was indeed commendable, at least she was harsh enough on herself. ¡°When do we leave?¡± Chen Yun stroked the Ming Sheng Bat, the deep hatred in her nearly consuming her body. She sought vengeance for her brother and husband. ¡°We still need to wait for the good news from Brother Gu. And...¡± Su Jie opened the window and looked toward the east where the dawn¡¯s red sky was emerging. He chuckled lightly, ¡°And there¡¯s one more hidden danger to clear up. After all that¡¯s done, we¡¯ll be about ready.¡± Chapter 30 - 28: I Am a Good Person Chapter 30: Chapter 28: I Am a Good Person After a night of harrowing experiences, the sky gradually brightened, and the sun slowly rose from the horizon. A figure hurried through the woods, glancing back from time to time as if worried about betraying some guilt. Not until he crossed the dense forest did the figure breathe a sigh of relief, and just as he was about to continue on his way, a voice suddenly called out. ¡°Brother Sun, why leave so early in the morning without saying goodbye? I haven¡¯t even seen you off yet.¡± Su Jie was leaning against an ancient tree with a smile that was not quite a smile, watching the figure. This person was none other than Sun Zhihai, a teammate of Su Jie¡¯s. Startled by Su Jie¡¯s sudden appearance, Sun Zhihai, unsure where he had slipped up, nervously said, ¡°Brother Su, I was just...¡± ¡°Just what, wanting to run off to Meng Dongge to snitch and then sell us out to earn a place in their team, right?¡± Su Jie tugged at his sleeve, releasing large swarms of Yin Fire Blood Bees and Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas that buzzed into flight. Seeing Su Jie¡¯s serious move, Sun Zhihai¡¯s face changed dramatically, realizing he had been found out, and cursed, ¡°Are you an idiot? We have so few people, even if we bring in the Alien Ghost, we¡¯ll still have to fight it out with Meng Dongge¡¯s remaining forces. With one old and one disabled, relying on just you, how can we defeat them? My approach is the wise one; what¡¯s wrong with wanting to live?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. The problem is, you¡¯re too weak.¡± Su Jie waved his hand majestically, and the Yin Fire Blood Bees in the sky lifted their tails, sending streaks of fire raining down. Sun Zhihai reached into his chest and pulled out a Golden Vortex Talisman to use. The air wavered slightly, and the incoming streaks of fire were deflected to either side, burning two narrow strips of white earth over ten meters long. Following the fire streaks were several Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas flying at subsonic speeds. These small insects dealt physical attacks and couldn¡¯t be deflected. At the critical moment, a green lizard crawled out from Sun Zhihai¡¯s chest, spraying a stream of dark green poison smoke, which was his Lifebound poisonous insect. Regrettably, this poison smoke was useless against the Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas. Several streaks of gold and silver light easily skirted the poison smoke in front and slashed through from behind, puncturing holes the size of ping-pong balls through Sun Zhihai¡¯s shoulder, chest, and thigh, clean through to the other side. Sun Zhihai fell to the ground screaming, looking at Su Jie incredulously: ¡°You¡¯re only at the Third Level of the Yunling Realm like me, how can you control so many poisonous insects?¡± Su Jie, receiving a boost from the spiritual power of the thousand-hand centipede, had more robust spiritual power than the average disciple and could control a greater number of poisonous insects. ¡°I told you, you¡¯re too weak. You often nourish your Life Poisonous Insect with blood, leaving your own spiritual power severely lacking. Aside from your Life Poisonous Insect, you haven¡¯t cultivated any other insects at all, not even qualifying as a Gu Master.¡± Su Jie shook his head, stepped forward to check the items on Sun Zhihai but regretfully found nothing valuable. He was much poorer than Su Jie; that Golden Vortex Talisman was probably his entire fortune. ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re so poor; the only thing of value was the Golden Vortex Talisman you used, leaving only enough to give my Xiao Qian an extra meal.¡± With a sigh, Su Jie reluctantly withdrew, throwing the green lizard on the ground to the Thousand-Handed Centipede for its enjoyment. The centipede, which hadn¡¯t exerted itself just moments before, now voraciously ate the other¡¯s poisonous insect. The centipede¡¯s shell was shiny and black; it was already feasting greatly on Blue Star and on the brink of upgrading. Today, fed with numerous insects by Su Jie, it was clear that the time for its Second Spiritual Refining upgrade was in the next few days. As his Lifebound poisonous insect was eaten and their lifeblood connection severed, Sun Zhihai¡¯s inner spiritual power became chaotic and collapsed, his eyes filled with terror, and he couldn¡¯t stop begging for mercy while vomiting blood, ¡°Brother Su, I¡¯m willing to join you against Meng Dongge, I know I was wrong, truly I do.¡± ¡°Sorry, you are no longer of any value.¡± Su Jie stood up, his palm pressing down slightly. Dozens of Yin Fire Blood Bees came flapping their wings, and amidst Sun Zhihai¡¯s desperate screams, streaks of fire engulfed him, lighting him up into a human torch. Minutes later, only a charred corpse remained on the scene. The wind blew, scattering the burned remnants up into the air, spreading them far and wide, and quickly, no trace was left. ....... At the North Peak Wooden House, Su Jie pushed the door and entered. Gu Weonian had already returned, and upon seeing him, said, ¡°Brother Su, the deed is done. I used the excuse of seeking advice on how to counter the Alien Ghost to plant the Gentiana around Meng Dongge and their wooden houses.¡± ¡°Good, what we need now is time, waiting for the arrival of the Alien Ghost. Let¡¯s hope our luck isn¡¯t too bad.¡± Su Jie nodded slightly; he had known about Gu Weonian¡¯s actions since the moths he used for surveillance were always watching. ¡°Is everything taken care of?¡± Chen Yun, who was sitting to the side, asked with difficulty, clearly enduring the pain in her body. ¡°It¡¯s been handled, the last of the dangers has been eliminated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, now we have no reservations left.¡± Gu Weonian listened to the exchange between Su Jie and Chen Yun with a puzzled face. It took him a long while to ask, ¡°Brother Sun, why is there no sign of Brother Sun?¡± Su Jie smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re talking about Brother Sun? Right now, he should be personally fertilizing the wild grasses. Brother Gu, if you want to find him, I can take you there. You might even find a trace of him.¡± ¡°No, no, no need.¡± Gu Weonian¡¯s voice trembled, and he had already understood the situation. Su Jie patted Gu Weonian on the shoulder and said, ¡°Some people aren¡¯t with us, and instead think of stabbing their brothers in the back, then they can only be asked to die first. Brother Gu, no need to be nervous, I would never be so ruthless and heartless with true comrades.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m one of us. I did everything you told me to, to the letter.¡± Gu Weonian felt uneasy, and sweat dripped down his temples. He couldn¡¯t believe that Su Jie, who appeared harmless, was actually the most ruthless of them all. His methods against enemies were one thing, but the way he dealt with his own people was just as decisive, surpassing Gu¡¯s imagination. ¡°It seems that Brother Gu has misunderstood me! Never mind that, Brother Gu, just remember one thing, I, Su Jie... am a good person.¡± Su Jie emphasized this point as if it were of great importance, although he killed people, set fires, and destroyed corpses, he still considered himself a good person. Gu Weonian: ¡°...¡± He had never seen a ¡°good person¡± quite like Su Jie and was at a loss for words for the moment. He had even doubted whether Su Jie was a qualified Demon Cultivator, but now, it seemed there was no one more suited to the role than him. ¡°I believe you, you¡¯re an absolutely good person.¡± Chen Yun, who was sitting aside, nodded seriously, affirming Su Jie¡¯s words with solemn certainty. For Chen Yun, Su Jie was willing to avenge her, and that made him a good person. Whether the means were extreme or not, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°In the next few days, Brother Gu, you¡¯re responsible for patrolling around our station, Chen Yun, you should just recuperate and try to regain some combat strength. I¡¯ll keep a close watch over Meng Dongge¡¯s side, and I¡¯ll immediately notify you both if there¡¯s any stir.¡± After the jokes, Su Jie conveyed the final arrangements. Everything was ready; now all that was missing was the east wind. It all depended on whether the Alien Ghost would give them the courtesy of showing up. Chapter 31 - 29: Alien Ghost Night Attack Chapter 31: Chapter 29: Alien Ghost Night Attack Night! The silvery moonlight bathed the earth, and besides a few insect chirps, the forest was silent. Drip! Suddenly, a sound so faint it was almost undetectable reached the ear. A creature with a terrifying form hunched its body, stealthily prowling through the night. With the appearance of this creature, a sinister aura began to spread through the nocturnal forest. It was an Alien Ghost, a robust and muscular one, over three meters tall. Its nostrils flared slightly as if catching a whiff of something special. It became incredibly excited and ran swiftly toward the south side of Niu Jiao Ridge, its heavy body hitting the ground nearly silently. After covering several thousand meters, the Alien Ghost raised its head, its crimson gaze confirming something through the darkness. A few hundred meters away stood a wooden house, its faint light barely piercing the gloom. The Alien Ghost slowly opened its mouth, scenting the air for the living; its primal hunting instinct, encoded in its genetics, activated. It crouched lower, approaching the wooden house in a bizarre posture. ... Atop the roof of the wooden house, a Ghost Ridge Palace Disciple was on lookout duty ¨C one of Meng Dongge¡¯s followers. The night wind blew, prompting a yawn. He tightened his clothes around him, cursing under his breath, ¡°Damn this ghostly weather, not even winter yet and it¡¯s already this cold.¡± The Disciple failed to notice that as he complained, a grotesque and eerie Alien Ghost had silently climbed up the exterior wall of the wooden house and was now behind him. Its huge mouth, split to the ear, opened wide, each sharp tooth like a small dagger, drool dripping steadily. The Disciple touched his head and grumbled to himself, ¡°Is it raining? Just my luck.¡± But the next moment, as he instinctively looked up, all he saw was a gaping maw swiftly closing in on him. With a single bite, the Disciple¡¯s head vanished, chewed up and swallowed by the Alien Ghost. The headless corpse spurted blood meters into the air, like a blood-red firework blooming in the night, adding another layer of horror to the already terrifying scene. The smell of fresh blood was distinct. Within the wooden house, some sleeping Disciples were sensitive to blood because of their poisonous insects, which were already alerting their hosts. ¡°There¡¯s a disturbance.¡± ¡°Such a strong scent of blood.¡± ¡°Not good, something¡¯s happened.¡± Voices of alarm rose from within the wooden house as lamps were lit, weapons in hand, and Meng Dongge, accompanied by four Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, rushed out. No sooner had they exited the wooden house than a massive figure leaped down from the rooftop. ¡°It¡¯s the Alien Ghost.¡± The Disciples were utterly terrified, their cries of fright piercing the sky. Meng Dongge¡¯s face darkened, and he clenched his teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, there are five of us, enough to kill this beast.¡± A few Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples called forth swarms of poisonous insects, knowing they had no choice but to face the threat head-on. ¡°Attack.¡± With a loud shout, Meng Dongge knew the night would likely not end well. This wasn¡¯t like the previous times, setting ambushes for Alien Ghosts; the one in their presence was in peak condition. Clashing head-on, who knew how many would perish. Meng Dongge was irritated by his bad luck tonight, having actually encountered a roaming Alien Ghost. From beginning to end, Meng Dongge had never imagined that the Alien Ghost had been lured there by someone. ... At the southern foot of Niu Jiao Ridge. With the tree tops swaying slightly in the night breeze, Su Jie sat cross-legged among them, watching the flames and explosions light up from the distant wooden house, listening to the furious roars of the Alien Ghost, the wails of humans in their last moments before death, and clicked his tongue, ¡°Impressive! Even Fire Poison Cockroaches self-detonate, it¡¯s an all-in fighting style.¡± Standing under the tree, Gu Weonian rubbed his arms, which were prickling with nervous goosebumps, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Brother Su, when do we make our move?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush, with an Alien Ghost, I believe Meng Dongge and his team can handle it. It¡¯s not yet time for both sides to suffer.¡± Su Jie was in no hurry at all, letting the Alien Ghost wear itself out a little more. ¡°Good riddance, let them taste what it¡¯s like to be slaughtered by an Alien Ghost.¡± Compared to Gu Weonian¡¯s anxiousness, Chen Yun was exceptionally excited, her face bearing a crazed smile that never ceased. The battle was longer than imagined, almost twenty minutes passed before the distant conflict finally ceased, returning to tranquility. ¡°It¡¯s our turn to enter the scene.¡± Su Jie jumped down from the treetops, unhurriedly leading Gu Weonian and the other person forward. Merely seven or eight hundred meters ahead, the burning wooden house, fallen bodies, and countless dead insects were scattered everywhere. What was once a team of six from Meng Dongge, now only four remained, and they all bore injuries. One disciple was critically injured; his lower body was severed at the waist, blood and entrails flowing freely, his upper body still struggling and crawling on the ground, not yet having succumbed. This disciple also knew his fate was sealed, casting a pleading look towards Meng Dongge. ¡°End his suffering quickly.¡± Meng Dongge shook his head, about to put an end to the disciple¡¯s agony, when he suddenly heard abnormal sounds and abruptly turned his head shouting, ¡°Who¡¯s over there, show yourself!¡± Rustling crawling sounds emerged from the forest, several pale corpse hands wriggled out of the darkness, their bases raised high, fingers spread to crawl like spiders, entering Meng Dongge¡¯s field of view. The half-severed disciple was closest and was immediately caught by several pale corpse hands that twisted his head around, rotating it a full 360 degrees on the spot. The sound of breaking bones was particularly distinct in the dark and silent surroundings, bringing an end to his suffering. ¡°Enemy attack.¡± Meng Dongge¡¯s expression turned vigilant, and using the moonlight that pierced the dark sky, he witnessed a hair-raising scene. Su Jie, Gu Weonian, and Chen Yun emerged from the darkness, surrounding them in an encircling manner. ¡°Mr. Meng, we came here to kill you, no need to be nervous.¡± Su Jie wore a friendly smile as several pale corpse hands moved swiftly, climbing up his trouser leg, eventually disappearing into the wide sleeves of his robe. ¡°Mr. Su, what is the meaning of this? What have I done to offend you to warrant such a ruthless attack?¡± Meng Dongge¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment, seemingly completely unaware of any grievance. ¡°Stop pretending, Meng Dongge, you caused the death of my brother and husband, and today I demand that you go down and accompany them.¡± Chen Yun stared at Meng Dongge with an intense venomous hatred, her disheveled hair wild and with a hideous scar stitched across her face, like a terrifying female ghost clawing her way back from Hell. ¡°The one who killed your brother and husband was the Alien Ghost, what does that have to do with us? I even tried to save you yesterday.¡± Meng Dongge hastily defended himself, unwilling to admit to the accusations, and even called out to Gu Weonian, ¡°Mr. Gu, don¡¯t you believe me either?¡± Gu Weonian¡¯s eyes held a complex look as he said, ¡°Mr. Meng, we have already discovered something about the Gentiana. The reason you encountered the Alien Ghost tonight is that I buried the Gentiana near your location.¡± Upon hearing this, Meng Dongge fell silent for several seconds, then his expression calmed down as he countered, ¡°When did you find out?¡± Meng Dongge no longer feigned innocence, for his secrets had been laid bare, continuing the charade was pointless. Chapter 32 - 30: Great Victory Chapter 32: Chapter 30: Great Victory ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze drifted to the ground below, suddenly propelling himself into a leap with one push of his legs. Across from him, Meng Dongge did the same, his body rapidly retreating several steps backwards. Just as Su Jie was jumping, seven or eight earthworms as thick as arms burst from the soil beneath, their round razor-sharp mouths snapping at the air. While in front of Su Jie, the spot where Meng Dongge had stood was engulfed by a swath of fiery lines. The Yin Fire Blood Bees commanded by Su Jie launched a stealth attack from hiding, the flames burning fiercely and illuminating the dark night sky. ¡°Despicable.¡± Meng Dongge¡¯s face, under the glow of the firelight, was exceptionally grim. ¡°You¡¯re no better.¡± Su Jie sneered coldly, the two had the same idea, trying to engage in talk to delay and turn the tables on their opponents. ¡°Brother Gu.¡± Seeing that the sneak attack was unsuccessful, Su Jie gave a signal with his eyes. Gurgle, gurgle! Gu Weonian knew that battle was inevitable, his stomach swelling violently as strange noises emanated from it. Then, opening his mouth, a swarm of black mosquitoes flew out through his gullet, like dense steel needles they whooshed toward the three people opposite Meng Dongge, breaking branches and shattering bark as they flew. Meng Dongge flung out a Low Grade Basic Talisman, erecting a reddish Spiritual Power net that intercepted the black mosquito attack. But the two disciples accompanying him weren¡¯t so lucky. As they tried to dodge, standing by Su Jie¡¯s side, Chen Yun also made her move, the Ming Sheng Bat emitting a piercing screech. A subsonic wave swept over them, striking their internal organs like a tsunami, immediately causing them to vomit blood. Their movements slowed a beat, and half their bodies were pierced like a wasp¡¯s nest. But the real killing move was several Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas slicing down through the air, piercing through the two disciples¡¯ skulls in an instant, killing them before they could even summon their poisonous insects. This coordinated attack by the trio of Su Jie was specially practiced, and it seemed very effective now. Of course, if they hadn¡¯t been previously fighting with the Alien Ghost, exhausting so much of their energy and their poisonous insects, it wouldn¡¯t have been so easy to succeed. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough Spiritual Power left, I need to rest for a while.¡± Panting heavily, the elderly Gu Weonian lacked Spiritual Power, having launched such a forceful attack he now found it difficult to continue. Chen Yun was in an even worse state, already heavily injured. She forced her body to command her Lifebound poisonous insect, causing it to lose half its life right then and there. She herself collapsed to the ground, many wounds on her body split open again, blood seeping through her clothes. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you all, Fire Poison Cockroaches!¡± Upon witnessing the demise of his last two teammates, Meng Dongge first paused in shock before exploding in rage, his face contorted with hatred, as if wishing to tear Su Jie and his team limb from limb. Countless cockroaches emerged from the legs of his pants. The tails of these cockroaches shone like fireflies, a ghastly green light flickering as they immediately took to the skies and swooped down. Boom, boom, boom! Upon getting close, the Fire Poison Cockroaches self-detonated in mid-air, emitting a corrosive liquid that left pits and potholes in the rocks and trees, its power undeniable. Su Jie had to employ a Golden Vortex Talisman to protect himself, its shimmering golden light deflecting the corrosive liquid. The older Gu Weonian found it difficult to dodge in time, his lower leg getting corroded, flesh dissolving significantly to reveal pale, terrifying bones while he screamed in agony. Chen Yun, standing by Su Jie, thankfully wasn¡¯t affected by the explosions. ¡°He¡¯s going all out.¡± Locking her gaze on Meng Dongge, just as Chen Yun thought he would fight to the death, preparing to control the Ming Sheng Bat to deliver a death strike¡ª She saw Meng Dongge not looking back, using the delay caused by the Fire Poison Cockroaches¡¯ self-detonation to escape towards the dense forest. ¡°I already figured someone like you wouldn¡¯t fight to the death.¡± Su Jie followed unhurriedly, with his Insect Control Technique for reconnaissance, he wasn¡¯t worried about Meng Dongge getting away at all. He actually hoped Meng Dongge would keep running; with the injuries and blood loss he was sustaining, just continuing to run could be fatal. The chase continued, with Gu Weonian and Chen Yun quickly left behind. In the midst of pursuit, half an hour vanished in the blink of an eye; Meng Dongge, looking wretched from his escape, suddenly stopped. Su Jie approached with measured steps, and with a lifted eyebrow asked, ¡°Why have you stopped running?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to actually dare to chase after me alone, hehehe! You thought I was fleeing, but you fail to realize that I was simply dividing your team to defeat you one by one.¡± A cruel smile spread across Meng Dongge¡¯s face, and out of his sleeve crawled a grey mantis that visibly swelled, growing to the size of a person. Its forelimbs glinted with a cold light, looking like sickles. ¡°Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis, a Low Grade Poisonous Insect, and also my Lifebound Poisonous Insect. Today I¡¯ll show you the gap in our strengths. Even wounded, I can still effortlessly slaughter riff-raff like you.¡± No sooner had Meng Dongge¡¯s words fallen than the giant Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis let out a violent shriek, gliding with a flap of its wings, and its sickle-like forelimbs slashed towards Su Jie. On their path, ancient trees touched by the forelimbs were cut in half at their trunks, showcasing extreme sharpness. Boom! In the next moment, a ripple surged around Su Jie¡¯s waist. The terrifying body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede slithered forth, countless eerie pale corpse hands reaching towards the Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis. The sickle blades came down and severed several of the corpse hands. Enraged, the Thousand-Handed Centipede swiftly coiled around the assailant like a giant python, immediately entwining the Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis. Filled with terror, the mantis tried to escape, but an onslaught of corpse hands churned and pushed, swiftly wrapping the Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis into a Corpse Hand Ball, layer upon layer of corpse hands concealing it until not even a glimpse of the mantis could be seen. ¡°Low Grade One Refining Poisonous Insect, impossible, absolutely impossible. How could an Outer Disciple like you possess such a Poisonous Insect.¡± Meng Dongge¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he incredulously watched the scene before him. This was a Low Grade One Refining poisonous insect. Even as a Fifth Level of Yunling Realm Disciple, it took him the strength of nine oxen and two tigers, along with a bit of luck, to barely cultivate a Low Grade poisonous insect. As for further refining a Low Grade poisonous insect through Spirit Refining to catalyze its abnormal development, he dared not even consider it. How many resources would that require! Only inner disciples could afford such an expense. And yet, he now saw that Su Jie, who was clearly only at the Third Level of Yunling Realm, possessed a Low Grade One Refining poisonous insect. This completely surpassed his understanding. How could a mere Outer Disciple have so many resources to cultivate? ¡°People are not all the same, just as you thought you could defeat us one by one. Isn¡¯t it also intentional on my part? I certainly don¡¯t want my Lifebound poisonous insect to be seen by others.¡± With a light chuckle, Su Jie expressed that combat between Gu Masters is all about the poisonous insects; there is not much fanfare of magic colliding or Magic Artifacts and Flying Swords clashing. Even if Su Jie¡¯s cultivation was lower than Meng Dongge¡¯s, the Thousand-Handed Centipede was enough to easily close the gap. ¡°Impossible, how could I lose, how could I die here, I haven¡¯t become an inner disciple yet, I can¡¯t die.¡± Meng Dongge roared in frenzy, his only trump card, the Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis, was utterly countered, he didn¡¯t bring the poisonous earthworm this time, and the Fire Poison Cockroaches had self-destructed and been used up. Having used up his talismans and left with no other means, he actually charged forward, using his fists to attack, a Gu Master being forced into hand-to-hand combat. ¡°He who kills must be prepared to be killed, no one is invincible.¡± Su Jie had no intention of engaging in close combat. Although he had specifically learned the Tiger Roar Fist, it was only a superficial understanding, and close combat involved too many uncertainties. In the face of Meng Dongge¡¯s madness, Su Jie merely hooked his finger slightly. The Silver-Winged Golden Line Cicada darted forward, piercing his legs and causing him to fall to the ground, unable to get back up. At the same time, the battle between the Thousand-Handed Centipede and its opponent also concluded. The Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis, a species fond of consuming metal, had a body hardness three times greater than steel after ascending to Low Grade. But all of this was insignificant before the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Corpse Hands continually pressed inward, trapping the Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis and inhibiting its movements. When the pressure reached its limit, the body of the Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis instantly cracked under the strain and was torn apart by dozens and hundreds of Corpse Hands, with its muscles, viscera, and carapace all reduced to a pile of minced meat. Puft! As his Lifebound poisonous insect was destroyed, Meng Dongge¡¯s aura withered, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The Thousand-Handed Centipede swiftly crawled over, and in the midst of Meng Dongge¡¯s unwilling gaze, bit into his neck and snapped it. At last, carrying his head, the Thousand-Handed Centipede returned to Su Jie¡¯s side. ¡°Good girl, go ahead and eat.¡± Su Jie patted the Thousand-Handed Centipede on the head, letting it enjoy the Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis. Searching the body, Su Jie found fifty Blood Marrow Crystals on Meng Dongge, nothing else of note. Meng Dongge had used up all the resources he could during the fight and left nothing for Su Jie. Fortunately, the fifty Blood Marrow Crystals were enough to satisfy Su Jie. After the Thousand-Handed Centipede finished off the Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis, Su Jie burned the headless corpse and left with Meng Dongge¡¯s head in hand. ... In front of the wooden hut, Gu Weonian and Chen Yun listened for footsteps coming from the darkness and hastily looked around in alert. Su Jie had gone chasing for a long while without return, and both were afraid of an accident occurring. However, their physical conditions didn¡¯t allow them to keep up with Su Jie¡¯s pace. Now, they feared that Meng Dongge might not be dead and could come back for revenge. The footsteps grew closer and before long, a figure appeared before them. As though granted a pardon, Gu Weonian breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Brother Su, are you alright? Did you catch up to Meng Dongge?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Su Jie casually tossed a dark object towards Chen Yun. Chen Yun instinctively caught it, and upon seeing it clearly, her tears could no longer be held back. For it was indeed Meng Dongge¡¯s head¡ªher brother and husband¡¯s vengeance was fulfilled. ¡°Sob sob, Kou Dang, Chao Xian, do you see this? Meng Dongge is dead, I have avenged you both.¡± After a burst of crying and releasing all her emotions, Chen Yun suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to Su Jie. ¡°Mr. Su, my life from now on is yours. Whenever you need me, I, Chen Yun, will be there, even at the cost of my own life.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for so many words. When I need help, I will certainly not be polite.¡± Su Jie did not decline but nodded and accepted the offer. Afterwards, the three of them cleaned up the battlefield. The gains weren¡¯t much apart from the scene of the battle. Besides the scattered insect corpses and some still-live captured Poison Insects, there were two corpses of Alien Ghosts, their combined worth exceeding a thousand Blood Marrow Crystals¡ªan overnight fortune. Following the principle of distribution according to contribution, and according to the rules previously agreed upon, Su Jie could claim eighty percent of these spoils of war, while Chen Yun and Gu Weonian would share the remaining twenty percent. After all, it was Su Jie who personally dealt with the strongest and most troublesome Meng Dongge; no one else had the capability. With the spoils of war harvested, the remnants of battle were meticulously wiped clean, and then the corpses of all disciples were incinerated, leaving no evidence of their deaths. ¡°Brother Gu, regarding tonight¡¯s events, I will write a detailed report to the Command Hall: Meng Dongge and others bravely sacrificed themselves in the battle against the Alien Ghosts. As we are now short-handed and have many injured, we¡¯re unable to maintain our guard duty and request to be temporarily withdrawn back to the Sect for recuperation.¡± With a keen gaze, Su Jie looked at Gu Weonian, aligning their stories. ¡°I understand, Brother Su, I won¡¯t let a single word slip from my side,¡± Gu Weonian hurriedly nodded, indicating he got the message. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s head back then.¡± Satisfied, Su Jie nodded and, taking the two Alien Ghost corpses, returned to their own wooden hut. The battle that night was the most intense Su Jie had experienced since his transmigration, and it was also a supremely thrilling victory. After selling the two Alien Ghost corpses, Su Jie¡¯s wealth could easily increase more than tenfold. Chapter 33 - 31: Second Poison Refining Chapter 33: Chapter 31: Second Poison Refining The Command Letter was sent to the Command Hall via Messenger Crow, and for the following week, Su Jie and the others continued their stationing duties. However, on the seventh day, Su Jie used cultivation as an excuse to return to Blue Star from Tianyuan World. It was because the Thousand-Handed Centipede had reached the critical moment of its Second Spiritual Refining, and advancing in the Blue Star World was much safer. ... Blue Star, Linping City, Yaogang Scorpion Breeding Farm. Su Jie, accompanied by Chen Yaoguang, inspected the breeding farm after its expansion. In one of the newly established three stocking yards, one was packed with cobras, forming a dense mass of snake nests and balls. Another yard was filled with a large number of red-headed centipedes, with pairs of red thoracic legs crawling on the ground, inducing agoraphobia in anyone. Yet another yard was stacked with large and small glass cages, all containing different types of spiders. Such as bird-catching spiders, pleasing golden spiders, burrowing wolf spiders, and Chinese wolf spiders ¡ª because spiders have a habit of preying on their kind, they must be raised separately. ¡°Mr. Su, these are Poison Insects that were recently purchased from breeding farms in other regions, including a variety of poisonous snakes, centipedes, and spiders, costing about three million yuan in funds,¡± Chen Yaoguang said, pointing to the stocking yards, all purchases of his effort. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to spend money, keep purchasing.¡± Su Jie looked around and saw that there was enough to easily satisfy the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s advancement needs. Smiling, he patted Chen Yaoguang on the shoulder, ¡°You must have been running around in other places for these Poison Insects¡ªquite the effort. I¡¯ve arranged a five-star hotel banquet for you all. Take the employees and have a good rest for two days. In addition, the wages of all employees will be doubled this month.¡± Chen Yaoguang¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°What, really double the wages?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like making empty promises like other bosses do. When I say double, it means double.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, Mr. Su, I can¡¯t thank you enough on behalf of the employees.¡± Chen Yaoguang couldn¡¯t stop smiling as he repeatedly thanked Su Jie and turned to notify the other employees. In a short while, the cheers of the employees rose and fell one after another in the breeding farm¡ªSu Jie was an unusually generous boss. After Chen Yaoguang took the employees away, the entire breeding farm was left with just Su Jie, along with a few guard dogs. Su Jie calmly released the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Woof woof...whimper... The dogs were terrified by the sight, tucking their tails and shaking in their kennels. The menacing body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede stretched out and crawled into the cobra stocking yard. These cobras were bred for the extraction of their venom; their fangs and venom glands were still intact. The Thousand-Handed Centipede was clearly interested in them, grabbing several cobras and stuffing them into its mouth to chew and swallow. Hiss! The cobras became restless, and some with fiercer temperaments even tried to bite into the Thousand-Handed Centipede with their venomous fangs. But to no avail, as they couldn¡¯t even pierce its insect shell, let alone inject poison. Moreover, the neurotoxin of these cobras was insubstantial to the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡ªit was as if it were merely an itch. The Thousand-Handed Centipede ignored them completely, treating these terrifying poisonous snakes for humans as delicious snacks, akin to spicy strips. After consuming over a hundred snakes, the Thousand-Handed Centipede slowed its feasting. Its body coiled into a ball, its insect shell transformed into a semi-transparent cocoon, through which a dark shadow could be seen slowly squirming and struggling within. The entire ascension lasted a full three hours. When the accumulated nurturing power reached its peak, a new tender body cracked the insect cocoon and bit by bit, burrowed out of the old shell. The newly transformed thousand-hand centipede grew over six meters in length, towering over a one-story house when half-erect, with a fierce and intimidating aura that unabashedly spread out, silencing the insects and snakes in the breeding farm. In addition, the new outer shell of the thousand-hand centipede was a light purple color, full of a mysterious luster, becoming harder and harder. It was unclear whether this was due to it having eaten the Iron-Eating Scythe Mantis, but when the insect shell was struck, it felt as though one was hitting a steel plate, with astonishing hardness. Although its size had increased significantly, the thousand-hand centipede moved swiftly, even more agile and quick than before. All of this was thanks to the increase in the number of pale corpse hands below its abdomen. Now there were hundreds of those hands, working in unison to propel it forward at an astonishing speed. ¡°Second Spiritual Refining succeeded.¡± Su Jie couldn¡¯t stop the smile forming at the corners of his mouth. The thousand-hand centipede was now a low-grade second refinement poisonous insect. Su Jie might not be clear about the situation with inner disciples, but he knew that among the outer disciples, he definitely had the highest quality Lifebound poisonous insect. While other outer disciples were still struggling over a low-grade poisonous insect, he had already cultivated his thousand-hand centipede to the level of low-grade second refinement. Sizzle! The thousand-hand centipede emitted an excited sound. The reborn creature stretched its body and then suddenly swelled up, bursting apart noisily. The enormous body transformed into tens of thousands of little centipedes to form a small insect sea that surged forward like waves, frantically tearing and devouring every living creature in sight, leaving nothing but bones of the snakes bred on the farm. In the blink of an eye, the numerous small centipedes reassembled themselves, their flesh merging back into the six-meter-long original body. This was the ability mastered by the thousand-hand centipede after the second Spiritual Refining, division, and super self-healing. Division was what Su Jie had just witnessed, while super self-healing meant that during battle, even if thousands of the little centipedes were killed, as long as the one housing the soul was not caught, the thousand-hand centipede could survive. It would then rapidly feed to restore its original size afterward. After demonstrating its new abilities, the thousand-hand centipede crawled back to Su Jie¡¯s side, seeking as in the past to lie on him and return nourishment for cultivation. ¡°Are you trying to crush me? You¡¯re so big and still want me to hold you.¡± Su Jie slapped the centipede¡¯s head unhappily, causing it to make sizzling noises, and it looked at Su Jie with its large, aggrieved eyes. In such a ferocious beast, Su Jie actually saw an emotion of grievance, like that of a pitiful little thing abandoned by its parents. ¡°Coordinate with me by circulating your spiritual power; I¡¯ll shrink your size first.¡± Su Jie scratched the under-chin of the thousand-hand centipede, then placed both hands on its head, linking his inner spiritual power with the centipede. To the naked eye, the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s size was visibly reduced until it became just as long as an arm. This was one of the magic skills from the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture, allowing control over the size of the poisonous insect. Of course, this form was only suitable for carrying around; during combat, it would still need to revert to its original size. The thousand-hand centipede comfortably lay on Su Jie¡¯s waist and began to feed back the immense spiritual power and vital essence it had acquired from its second Spiritual Refining. This spiritual power was extremely refined by the centipede and, being from a Lifebound poisonous insect with which he shared a bond, had no rejection issues. Under this nourishment, Su Jie¡¯s cultivation rose like riding a train, climbing steadily, and in just ten minutes, he broke through to the Fourth Level of Yunling Realm. If told to others, they might not believe it; in just less than a month, Su Jie had advanced from the Second Level of Yunling Realm to his current Fourth Level. Even inner disciples did not have such a speed of cultivation. Even Su Jie felt that in less than a month, with the help of the low-grade second refinement thousand-hand centipede, he could ascend once more to the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm. Chapter 34 - 32: Shell Company Chapter 34: Chapter 32: Shell Company An hour of cultivation had come to an end, and Su Jie slowly opened his eyes, the orbs glowing brilliantly¡ªan almost tangible manifestation of his spiritual power. He swung his arms gently and walked over to his BMW M8. Crouching down, he exerted himself to lift the car. A scene that would astonish any Blue Star human unfolded: the 1.9-ton car was hoisted above Su Jie¡¯s head with his bare hands. ¡°The quality of spiritual power from this reverse nourishment is quite high.¡± Su Jie let out a long breath, extremely satisfied with the gains from his recent advancement. Beyond the changes in his body and spiritual power, Su Jie looked down at his own body. Then, with his right hand shaped like a blade, he fiercely chopped down on his left arm. Amidst the sound of breaking bones, Su Jie¡¯s left arm was viciously torn off at the shoulder with his fingers shaped like eagle claws. Without the agony he¡¯d imagined, at the severed shoulder stump, buds of flesh began to grow wildly outwards. Within a minute, a brand-new arm had regrown. The detached arm that Su Jie had thrown to the ground, as if possessing a will of its own, struggled unconsciously, its flesh eerily writhing, its arm resembling a vigorous Poison Insect refusing to die. The division and super self-healing traits of the thousand-hand centipede were manifesting in Su Jie. The body parts separated bore the influence of Su Jie¡¯s will, allowing them to act like living things. Of course, if left unattended, the severed arm would soon die completely, for creating life was not something he could do at his current level. Su Jie bent down to pick up the severed arm, placed it against his left shoulder, and the arm immediately sprouted buds of flesh, beginning to merge and adhere to the newly grown arm, quickly integrating completely, leaving no trace. ¡°Now, even with a pierced heart, I should be able to survive, heh, mere mortal wounds.¡± Su Jie thought to himself that if his cultivation kept improving, one day he could even manage to resurrect from a drop of blood. After completing his cultivation, Su Jie let the thousand-hand centipede feed abundantly in the rearing field, then cleaned up any traces and left the breeding farm, driving back to Jingjiang No.1 Villa. ... ¡°Su Jie, you¡¯re back.¡± As soon as he returned to the villa, Liu Yingying, dressed in a hip-hugging skirt uniform, brightened up and hurried over to greet him. ¡°How did things go while I was away?¡± Su Jie sat on the sofa, legs crossed, sipping the fragrant tea the housekeeper had brought him. Liu Yingying approached proactively, her delicate hands gently massaging Su Jie¡¯s shoulders, a hint of pride in her voice, ¡°I just got back from Hong Kong Island yesterday. I¡¯ve straightened out the few companies you had before, and I¡¯ve also registered three new shell companies. They are back-channeled to the Cayman Islands. I¡¯ve also cleared the checkpoints from Country Shan in Southeast Asia, successfully registering several cross-holding raw material companies, which makes our business even more legitimate.¡± ¡°So capable? Seems I made the right choice making you my secretary.¡± ¡°Well, I did study finance, after all. These moves are no big deal.¡± ¡°No difficulties encountered?¡± ¡°None. Money paves the way through anything; it works wonders. Especially in Chan Country, from customs to the forestry department and others, all the way up, they are blatantly taking bribes. Any document or procedure can be sorted out for you, as long as the price is right.¡± Liu Yingying went back to her room and brought out a stack of documents, placing them in front of Su Jie. Su Jie picked them up and saw things like Fuju Trading Co., Ltd, Jinde Di Wood Import Company, Jie Xin Furniture, followed by some paperwork. There were a series of related timber import and export documents including Chan Country¡¯s logging permits, fumigation certificates, plant inspection certificates, endangered species certificates, and the bill of lading. With these ¡®legal¡¯ certificates from Chan Country, the origin wood could pass through customs using legitimate procedures, allowing the shell companies to operate smoothly, importing from Chan Country to Hua Country, and finally landing in the hands of Tianyuan Home Furnishing Company. The reason Su Jie had taken such measures was that the mountains near Ghost Ridge Palace in the Tianyuan World had suffered from his actions; the Small-leaf Rosewood had been over-harvested and was increasingly hard to find. In desperation, Su Jie planned to harvest other precious woods, like Golden Nan Wood, yellow pear wood, and Golden Camphor. However, his previous low-profile activity under the guise of a family legacy no longer suited these operations. Those woods had to go through legal channels for domestic trading, especially now that he had established Tianyuan Home Furnishing Company. It was implausible for a company to only sell furniture made from one type of wood, so enriching the product line was necessary. Thus, this deceiving mechanism came into being, laundering the cherished wood of the Tianyuan Family onto the market. For this, Su Jie planned to take a trip to Chan Country when time permitted, not just to prepare wood raw materials, but also to verify an even crazier idea in Chan Country. As Su Jie was looking through these documents, Liang Lianjun, who had received news, hurried into the villa. ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯m sorry for my late arrival.¡± ¡°Have a seat.¡± Su Jie gestured for Liang Lianjun to sit down before asking, ¡°Did you manage to buy the factory?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve secured the purchase, but...¡± Liang Lianjun hesitated, looking somewhat embarrassed, ¡°It¡¯s just that, with the incident involving Leng Baihe, Chairman Cui¡¯s children are fiercely contesting the inheritance, scrambling to liquidate Leng Baihe¡¯s assets. I¡¯ve managed to buy a wood processing factory and some talent from the design department formerly under Leng Baihe, setting up the framework for Tianyuan Home Furnishing Company.¡± Su Jie laughed heartily and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Poaching the corner of our old employer is only smart if the opportunity presents itself; I certainly won¡¯t mind such a thing. As long as you can get the factory up and running as quickly as possible, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± I have to say, this Liang Lianjun is quite talented. ¡°So Tianyuan Home can operate normally now, can¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Su, now that the processing plant has all the necessary equipment and workers, we just need the raw wood to start making furniture.¡± ¡°Getting the wood isn¡¯t an issue. Look here, I¡¯ve even prepared various lists and data for you. Just place an order with Jinde Di Company on behalf of Tianyuan Home, and the wood can be shipped from Chan Country.¡± Su Jie said with a smile as he handed over a stack of documents. Liang Lianjun saw all the import and export documents for various types of wood on it and a smile immediately appeared on his face. After taking a sip of tea, Su Jie continued, ¡°I¡¯ve got the wood ready for you, but as for the actual sales, I won¡¯t get involved. That will depend on your ability.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Su. There¡¯s no shortage of buyers for these high-end and rare furniture pieces. The only thing we lack is sufficient supply. Our market competitiveness is too strong; selling them is not a problem at all.¡± Liang Lianjun patted his chest confidently, believing that even as a new brand, Tianyuan Furniture could rise to prominence with its variety of high-end wood materials. ¡°That¡¯s best.¡± After chatting for a while longer, Liang Lianjun noticed Liu Yingying¡¯s glances drifting towards him every now and then. Understanding the implication, he timely suggested taking his leave. ¡°Su Jie, you¡¯re not going out tonight, are you?¡± Once Liang Lianjun left, Liu Yingying sat next to Su Jie, swinging her arm and exhaling a fragrant breath, her eyes enchantingly alluring. ¡°I still have things to deal with on my end, but...¡± Liu Yingying had just shown a look of disappointment when Su Jie¡¯s tone changed, and he continued, ¡°We still have a bit of time. Seeing as you¡¯ve been running around so tirelessly both at home and abroad recently, as your boss, I should reward you properly and loosen those stiff muscles for you.¡± With his words barely finished and amidst Liu Yingying¡¯s shrieks, Su Jie scooped her up in his arms and carried her towards the bedroom. ... After a bout of passion! A spent Liu Yingying lay in bed, watching Su Jie, who had redressed tidily, her tone full of reluctance. ¡°Can¡¯t you stay a few more days? I don¡¯t want you to leave.¡± Her voice was soft and coquettish like a kitten¡¯s purr. If initially Liu Yingying was with Su Jie for money, then after these days of being together, especially with the work Su Jie had arranged for her that allowed her financial expertise to shine, she was incredibly happy with the sense of fulfilment. She became more and more dependent on and infatuated with Su Jie. ¡°You little glutton, I¡¯ll be heading to Chan Country in a few days, and I¡¯ll have you accompany me. Then you won¡¯t have to worry about not having enough time together.¡± He flicked Liu Yingying¡¯s forehead and walked out of the bedroom amidst her cries of ¡®ouch,¡¯ then went to a secluded place to open the Ancient Mirror and return to the Tianyuan World. ... Tianyuan World, Niu Jiao Ridge. Su Jie had just returned when he heard some good news. In the wooden cabin, Gu Weonian, holding a letter, said excitedly, ¡°Brother Su, we¡¯ve received a letter from the Command Hall. It permits us to return to the Sect to rest. Other disciples will come to guard Niu Jiao Ridge, and we can head back.¡± ¡°It took four or five days just to wait for a reply, could it be any slower?¡± Although Su Jie commented wryly, the news still brought joy. Any chance to escape the threat of Alien Ghosts was welcome. ¡°The Command Hall has always been like this; it¡¯s not the first day we¡¯ve dealt with their slow responses,¡± Gu Weonian remarked. Chen Yun, caressing the now mostly healed ugly wounds on her face, shared the sentiment common among the Outer Disciples: the lack of fondness for the Command Hall. ¡°At least the letter came. If they didn¡¯t let me return, I¡¯m afraid my leg would have gone lame,¡± said Gu Weonian, who was the most eager to leave. His right leg had been corroded by a Fire Poison Cockroach explosion last time and was still not healed, revealing the ghastly white bones with most of the muscles in his lower leg corroded away. ¡°Your injury can be mostly healed with a Low Grade Regeneration Pill from the Black Market, don¡¯t worry,¡± Su Jie reassured him, then went inside the cabin to drag out two Alien Ghost corpses, stacking them on a flatbed cart and covering them with thick tarpaulin. This was the most precious spoils of war, and Su Jie had to escort them personally. Gu Weonian and Chen Yun shouldered their bags. One was limping with a severely injured leg, and the other was slow-moving from serious injuries. Along with Su Jie, who was pushing the cart, the trio set off under the sun, leaving Niu Jiao Ridge and heading back to Ghost Ridge Palace Mountain Gate. They had hoped the journey back would go smoothly, all of them eager to get back to the Mountain Gate quickly. Things often don¡¯t go as wished, however. As Su Jie and the others made their way along a mountain path, they suddenly heard some screams and cries for help. The screams echoed off the imposing mountains. Su Jie, Gu Weonian, and Chen Yun exchanged a glance, opting not to act rashly. ¡°You both stay here; I¡¯ll go check out the situation.¡± Su Jie told Gu Weonian and Chen Yun to stay put due to their limited ability to move and proceeded into the dense forest, sending the Reconnaissance Dragonfly ahead to scout. Soon, with the dragonfly¡¯s field of vision, Su Jie discovered the source of the screams. A small merchant convoy of about a dozen people lay scattered on the ground, their carts with heavy loads overturned, with human limbs and body parts strewn all around. A three-meter-long Alien Ghost was chewing on a human thigh, its blood-red, ferocious eyes fixated on a few survivors desperately trying to flee. Chapter 35 - 33: Liuyun Manor Chapter 35: Chapter 33: Liuyun Manor The situation was already very clear. It must have been this merchant caravan that encountered an Alien Ghost while on the move. Although Ghost Ridge Palace had arranged for disciples to be stationed around the trade routes, most Alien Ghosts would be intercepted by the disciples. But there were always some Alien Ghosts that would breach the defenses and wander into the trade route, attacking the caravans. This caravan was just such an unlucky one. At that moment, the Alien Ghost that had killed dozens of people was in hot pursuit, and the three fleeing individuals were a portly merchant and two martial master guards. Using the vision of the Reconnaissance Dragonfly, Su Jie noticed the portly merchant pulling out a deep blue talisman from his chest, wincing with pain as he threw it at the Alien Ghost. Boom! The talisman ignited in mid-air and transformed into an Octagonal Spirit Pillar Cage, trapping the Alien Ghost inside. A talisman capable of trapping an Alien Ghost must be at least of Lower Grade Intermediate level, costing dozens of Blood Marrow Crystals. Seeing the Alien Ghost temporarily trapped, the portly merchant continued to flee with the help of the two martial master guards, stumbling toward Su Jie¡¯s direction. The distance was too short in a straight line, and soon they ran into each other. On seeing Su Jie and his companions, the merchant shouted loudly, ¡°Thank goodness, the people from Ghost Ridge Palace over there, I have an Alien Ghost behind me, please help me stop it.¡± The merchant¡¯s shoes had fallen off during his run, and his chubby face was scratched and bloody from branches and bushes. Upon seeing Su Jie, he didn¡¯t think twice before asking for Su Jie¡¯s help to fend off the Alien Ghost. ¡°What are you waiting for? We came all this way through countless hardships to support your business, do you dare not to help us in peril? Believe it or not, I can report you to the Command Hall, and the consequences will be beyond what you can bear.¡± The merchant pointed at Su Jie, his attitude was very aggressive. Being black market traders, they supported the resources for Ghost Ridge Palace, so even a Demon Cultivation Sect like Ghost Ridge Palace wouldn¡¯t harm the merchants but instead would try to woo and protect them. While speaking, the merchant fumbled over his body, intending to pull out a Pass Token issued by the Command Hall. However, he found nothing, the token was lost amidst the chaos. ¡°Fatso, you are really clamorous!¡± Su Jie frowned and his piercing eyes filled with a cold light made the merchant shiver. Enraged and embarrassed, the merchant bellowed, ¡°Do you know who I am? My uncle is Jia Geng, the manor master of Liuyun Manor and one of the five special authorized merchants of Ghost Ridge Palace! Do you believe I can make the Elder flay your skin?¡± ¡°Brother Su, this fat man indeed comes from a formidable background, a merchant from Liuyun Manor, let¡¯s not provoke trouble.¡± Gu Weonian seemed to recognize the man and cautioned Su Jie not to anger him. The so-called five special authorized merchants was a collaboration mechanism established by Ghost Ridge Palace with five major families. Ghost Ridge Palace would open up resources to them, and the five merchants must fulfill Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s special resource demands. And what special resources meant, of course, was people. Demon cultivation couldn¡¯t do without it. It could be said, these five authorized merchants were notoriously large slave masters, and practically all the human trafficking in the black market was monopolized by these five families. Because they could provide the scarce human resources that Ghost Ridge Palace needed, the five merchants held a high position within the Sect, no wonder he was so arrogant. ¡°Now that you know the consequences of offending me, be sensible and help me stop the Alien Ghost. There¡¯ll be plenty of Blood Marrow Crystals as a reward afterward, or else I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t afford the consequences.¡± Jia Xin looked triumphantly at Su Jie, about to continue his rant when he suddenly heard the roar of the Alien Ghost behind him. Following that, the terrifying hunched figure of the Alien Ghost appeared in their sight, having already broken free from the talisman¡¯s restraint. ¡°This is bad, Brother Su, we need to get out of here.¡± Gu Weonian involuntarily took a step back, his heart trembling, not everyone had the courage to face an Alien Ghost head-on. Not to mention he was injured, and Chen Yun was seriously hurt as well. Even if their team was at full strength, facing such an Alien Ghost, their chances of winning were less than thirty percent. Chen Yun took a deep breath, a determined look in her eyes as if making a decision, she stepped in front of Su Jie and said, ¡°Mr. Su, you go first, I¡¯ll hold off the Alien Ghost.¡± This act alone made it clear that Chen Yun was prepared to die, willing to buy Su Jie time by holding off the Alien Ghost. Su Jie paid no attention to Jia Xin¡¯s shouting on the side, just assessing the gap between himself and the Alien Ghost, then he patted Chen Yun¡¯s shoulder in front of him. ¡°There¡¯s no need, I¡¯ll handle this Alien Ghost myself. You won¡¯t be able to hold it back.¡± Su Jie locked eyes with the Alien Ghost, inwardly concerned about not being able to test the fight capabilities of the Second Spiritual Refining of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, now seeming like a perfect opportunity. Whirring! A swarm of Yin Fire Blood Bees flew out, their tails lifted, streaks of fire rained down. The Alien Ghost, incredibly agile, dodged most of the fire streaks with several swift movements. The occasional streak that landed only scorched a layer of its pale skin, hardly impacting its mobility. Several Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas also returned unsuccessfully, unable to breach the Alien Ghost¡¯s defenses. ¡°Quite formidable.¡± Su Jie took a step forward and suddenly dashed into the nearby forest. Alien Ghost was drawn by the offensive, and instantaneously, its attention shifted to Su Jie as it roared furiously in pursuit. Perhaps, in the Alien Ghost¡¯s perspective, others were merely prey to be toyed with, but Su Jie not only didn¡¯t flee but also dared to counterattack, so he had to be dealt with first. Su Jie¡¯s speed was no match for the Alien Ghost, and it wasn¡¯t long before he was caught up. As the heavy footsteps and panting sounds neared him, Su Jie also summoned his trump card. The Thousand-Handed Centipede climbed out from his sleeve, its body rapidly expanding and enlarging, transforming in the blink of an eye into a monstrous creature six meters long¡ªdouble the length of the Alien Ghost. Its terrifying, upright form forced the swiftly pouncing Alien Ghost to screech to a halt, carving two long trenches into the ground. Roar! The Alien Ghost let out a menacing roar, its sharp fangs still strung with flesh, overwhelmingly bloody. Hiss! The Thousand-Handed Centipede responded with a screech, a strong fishy wind sweeping forth, making the Alien Ghost¡¯s facial skin tremble like the surface of water, instantly deciding the outcome in terms of momentum. ¡°Kill it, Xiao Qian.¡± Su Jie rubbed the monstrous body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede while issuing the attack command. The next moment, the Thousand-Handed Centipede did not hesitate to carry out Su Jie¡¯s order. Its enormous body crushed a large swath of bushes, sweeping through like a black wind. With no fanfare, the Alien Ghost, unwilling to show weakness, lunged forward, using both claws and teeth. The ability to easily slice through steel with its sharp claws and teeth, coupled with its formidable physique, was the capital that the Alien Ghost relied on to dominate. Ordinary Outer Disciples couldn¡¯t kill an Alien Ghost with a single strike; they could only use poisonous insects to continuously inject poison and wear it down. This was also the reason why an Outer Disciple encountering an Alien Ghost alone almost certainly meant death. Unfortunately, today the Alien Ghost met an existence with a corporeal body even stronger than its own. In a melee battle of similar sizes, insects¡¯ perception, agility, and capturing abilities often surpass those of wild beasts, let alone the fact that the Thousand-Handed Centipede was much larger than the Alien Ghost. Mere contact was like being hit by a speeding train, with the Thousand-Handed Centipede blowing the Alien Ghost away. Then, the Thousand-Handed Centipede held the Alien Ghost tightly between its mandibles, smashing its way through several towering trees along its path. Roar, roar! The Alien Ghost struggled furiously; rocks and ancient trees touched by its claws, as soft as tofu, were easily torn apart. But when the target was switched to the Thousand-Handed Centipede, it was a different story altogether. The seemingly sharp claws of the Alien Ghost struck the chitin shell of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, merely etching deep grooves and scratches. Occasionally, some vulnerable joints where the chitin connected were injured, splattering green insect blood, but these injuries quickly healed. Even the wounded parts split directly, turning into smaller centipedes that fell and burrowed into the Alien Ghost¡¯s flesh. Hiss, hiss. The Thousand-Handed Centipede, more excited in battle, was like having obtained a large toy, stretching numerous pale corpse hands to wrap the Alien Ghost around an ancient tree trunk, twisting both the ghost and the tree together until they snapped. In an instant, the two massive figures were buried by the fallen branches. Seconds later, only the Thousand-Handed Centipede could be seen standing upright; the Alien Ghost on the ground had all its bones broken, and its colorful organs squeezed out of its belly, laying silent. Hiss, hiss! Holding the corpse of the Alien Ghost aloft, the Thousand-Handed Centipede continued to shake its head vigorously, seemingly not yet having its fill of fun. ¡°That¡¯s settled then.¡± Watching this scene, even Su Jie was somewhat astonished. Although Su Jie knew the Thousand-Handed Centipede enhanced a lot having evolved to Low Grade Second Refinement, the current situation still far exceeded his expectations. Such a formidable Alien Ghost, capable of wiping out a three-person squad, was dealt with by the Thousand-Handed Centipede in less than two minutes. Having had its fill of fun, the Thousand-Handed Centipede placed the battered corpse of the Alien Ghost in front of Su Jie. ¡°So this is the power of a Low Grade Second Refinement poisonous insect, indeed, my path is the correct one.¡± Su Jie looked at the Alien Ghost¡¯s corpse brought by the Thousand-Handed Centipede, a smile appearing on his face as this was a valuable addition of several hundred Blood Marrow Crystals to his account. After hanging the corpse of the Alien Ghost on a tree, Su Jie didn¡¯t rush to return, especially since he was near the site where the merchant convoy had been attacked by the Alien Ghost. Adhering to the principle of taking advantage of any opportunity, Su Jie, ignoring the bloodshed, sifted through each corpse on the ground. Some of these bodies held pieces of Blood Marrow Crystals, one or two per body, which Su Jie also didn¡¯t mind taking, gathering them all into his pockets. After a thorough search, Su Jie managed to collect twenty-three Blood Marrow Crystals in total. Finally, Su Jie turned his gaze to several overturned carts, those the merchants had intended to transport to Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s Black Market. A chill seeped out from the carts; pulling back the canvas, Su Jie gasped at the shocking scene it revealed. The carts held cubical blocks of ice, each enclosing the frozen corpse of a child. The eldest corpse was no more than five or six years old, the youngest perhaps not even a year old. The deceased were clearly strangled to death, evidenced by the purple strangulation marks around their necks. He turned over a few more carts, and all were the same. Chapter 36 - 34: Dead Men Dont Talk Chapter 36: Chapter 34: Dead Men Don¡¯t Talk ¡°Outrageous!¡± Su Jie was disturbed by the thought that these children were mostly used to cultivate some special Demon Technique. This was the impression Demon Cultivators gave: brutal, bloodthirsty, indiscriminate killers. Even though Su Jie himself was a Demon Cultivator, it didn¡¯t mean he could understand or accept such acts. As Su Jie frowned in contemplation, Chen Yun ignored the admonitions and insisted on checking the site of the battle, worrying about Su Jie¡¯s safety. But just as she arrived, both Chen Yun and Gu Weonian were shocked by the sight of the Alien Ghost¡¯s corpse hanging from a tree. ¡°Brother Su, did you kill this Alien Ghost?¡± Gu Weonian was initially scared, then realized the Alien Ghost was already dead. Then, Gu Weonian swallowed hard, looking incredulously at Su Jie. The Alien Ghost had become a corpse, which meant, had Su Jie fought and killed an Alien Ghost alone? At this thought, Gu Weian¡¯s heart pounded wildly. This was an Alien Ghost! He had never heard of any Outer Disciple who could confidently take on an Alien Ghost alone, let alone those who dared to face one. Chen Yun was equally shocked by Su Jie¡¯s formidable combat abilities. If he could single-handedly defeat an Alien Ghost, it meant that among the Outer Disciples, probably no one could match him in strength. ¡°The Alien Ghost was not in good condition, and by a stroke of luck, I found an opportunity,¡± Su Jie glanced at the two, not minding whether they believed him or not, and said, ¡°When we return to the Sect, say that the Alien Ghost was fought over by Meng Dongge and others, don¡¯t involve me.¡± Gu Weonian and Chen Yun knew Su Jie was concealing his skills, and nodded, ¡°Understood.¡± As Su Jie was speaking with Gu Weonian and Chen Yun, suddenly a commanding voice erupted. ¡°Hey, you three, get my goods packed right away. Don¡¯t let the ice melt, or you can¡¯t afford the losses.¡± Jia Xin had returned with two martial masters as his guard, evidently still concerned about his goods, or perhaps thinking that Su Jie had lured the Alien Ghost away, and he could sneak back to take his goods. Su Jie looked over, only to see Jia Xin staring intently at the Alien Ghost¡¯s corpse hanging from the tree, his eyes filled with greed. ¡°Also, this Alien Ghost attacked our caravan earlier. We inflicted severe wounds that nearly killed it, which gave you the chance to finish it off. So, it¡¯s my prey. Hand it over to me to deal with, which will compensate for part of my losses.¡± An Alien Ghost was worth several hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, and Jia Xin could not suppress the fiery greed in his heart, shamelessly wanting to claim the Alien Ghost¡¯s corpse. With this, he could not only break even but also make a small profit. If it was an Inner Disciple, Jia Xin wouldn¡¯t dare to meddle, but his confidence was high since they were just Outer Disciples. Hearing Jia Xin¡¯s ludicrous remark, Su Jie was amused to laughter, though his smile was rather cold. ¡°You still want my Alien Ghost?¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze was teasing, daring Jia Xin to make such a greedy request, as if he was incapable of drawing a sword anymore. ¡°What ¡®your Alien Ghost¡¯? It¡¯s my property now. My uncle is the Manor Master of Liuyun Manor, and people don¡¯t even get the chance to curry favor with me, so don¡¯t fail to appreciate what is good for you,¡± Jia Xin said brazenly, his words carrying a threat. Relying on the support of Liuyun Manor, he didn¡¯t take Su Jie seriously at all. ¡°Then I should thank you!¡± Lifting his right hand slowly, Su Jie was in a very bad mood and if he was upset, someone had to pay the price. A swarm of Yin Fire Blood Bees flew out and under Jia Xin¡¯s stunned gaze, a trail of fire targeted the carriages, turning the ice blocks and child corpses into ashes, eradicating these crimes. ¡°Brother Su, don¡¯t be rash.¡± Gu Weonian¡¯s eyelids twitched, sensing that things might turn bad. While he wasn¡¯t particularly affected by the sight of the child corpses, having spent many years at Ghost Ridge Palace, he had seen plenty of brutal scenes. Gu Weonian was merely worried that Su Jie¡¯s actions would bring trouble. After all, Jia Xin¡¯s background was significant, and compared to an Outer Disciple, the high echelons of Ghost Ridge Palace would definitely value Liuyun Manor more, which consistently contributed a steady stream of people. ¡°Rash? No, no, no, don¡¯t you think, Brother Gu, that these goods are too eyecatching, and burning them away for peace of mind is much better?¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze was sharp as a knife, making Gu Weonian feel inexplicably chilled, and he dared not say another word. At that moment, Jia Xin finally reacted, watching his cargo being consumed by the flames. The child corpses he had collected with great effort turned into charred remains in the fire, and this scene made his heart bleed and his rage uncontrollable. ¡°You¡¯re insane, you¡¯re insane! Have you lost your mind, daring to burn my goods? Do you know how much they were worth? It¡¯s more money than you, an Outer Disciple, could ever earn in your lifetime. I will go to the Command Hall and sue you to ensure you spend your life compensating for my losses.¡± Seeing his precious goods being destroyed, Jia Xin wished he could devour Su Jie alive. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have that chance anymore.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze was cold, as if he was looking at a dead man. ¡°What did you say...¡± Before Jia Xin could grasp the meaning of Su Jie¡¯s words, he suddenly saw a streak of gold and silver slash through the air. Snap! The heads of two guards standing next to Jia Xin rolled off their necks, blood spraying all over Jia Xin. These guards, being martial masters, knew some basic techniques, could shatter bluestone slabs with their fists, and could leap onto roofs several meters high, making them experts to common folks. But in front of a demon cultivator like Su Jie, they were merely slightly stronger mortals. ¡°How dare you, how dare you do this, aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll go to the Command Hall... My uncle is the Manor Master of Liuyun Manor.¡± The sudden murder, which left the previously furious Jia Xin as if doused with cold water, made his whole body tremble, and he involuntarily stepped back. ¡°If you had a pass token I would have given you some face, but now, what do you think this is?¡± Su Jie sneered, tossing a black token with his left hand. This was a pass specifically issued by the Command Hall for Black Market merchants. It was because Ghost Ridge Palace knew the nature of its Sect disciples. Without some measures, these merchants would probably be robbed clean before they even reached the Black Market. Once this token was activated, as long as it was near the mountains of Ghost Ridge Palace, it could send the surrounding imagery back to the Command Hall through divine sense. If the disciples attacked and plundered the merchant caravans, in order to maintain credibility, the Command Hall, upon catching the offending disciples, would severely punish them. Now that the token had fallen to the ground and was picked up by Su Jie, Jia Xin¡¯s biggest threat was gone. ¡°I know Elder Situ from your Ghost Ridge Palace, my uncle is the Manor Master of Liuyun Manor, if you dare to touch me...¡± Fear surfaced on Jia Xin¡¯s face. The demon cultivator in front of him was utterly lawless, and he had no means to check him. ¡°I dared to kill an Alien Ghost, do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare to kill a merchant? Dead men don¡¯t talk.¡± Su Jie pointed at the corpse of the Alien Ghost beside him, his eyes full of unrestraint. Jia Xin turned a livid shade of blue and fiercely addressed the other two, ¡°Did you hear what he said, you two? Are you really going to conspire with him? Capture him now, and I¡¯ll report this to the Command Hall later. Wealth and Blood Marrow Crystals will be at your fingertips.¡± Desperate, Jia Xin tried to get Gu Weonian and Chen Yun to side with him. ¡°Brother Su, if the Command Hall finds out about this, we...¡± Gu Weonian hesitated; the older one gets, the more timid one becomes, and if this matter were discovered, it would pose a great trouble. ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s why we must stick together.¡± Su Jie picked up a long knife from the ground and without saying another word, plunged it into Jia Xin¡¯s ribs. As Jia Xin screamed in agony, Su Jie, smiling cheerily, handed the long knife to Gu Weonian and said, ¡°Brother Gu, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Gu Weonian shuddered, understanding the clear intent behind Su Jie¡¯s cheerful demeanor. By committing this deed together, none would dare betray the others. Chen Yun remained silent, standing behind Gu Weonian as a Ming Sheng Bat peeked out of his robe, its gaze menacingly fixed on Gu Weonian. Gu Weonian then realized he was in a no-win situation. Su Jie, capable of killing an Alien Ghost, was not someone he could contend with. Now the only route was to follow Su Jie through thick and thin, otherwise, he had no doubt that Su Jie would ensure that he, a witness, wouldn¡¯t see tomorrow¡¯s sun. ¡°Blame yourself for being blind.¡± With a grimace, Gu Weonian took a few deep breaths, took the long knife, and stabbed it into Jia Xin¡¯s belly, brutally stirring it around. Without needing Su Jie¡¯s instruction, Chen Yun took the knife and swiftly chopped off all of Jia Xin¡¯s limbs, turning him into a human stick. ¡°Ah, the thing about people! Always aiming too high, not everyone fears your background.¡± Su Jie squatted in front of Jia Xin, patted his chubby face, then decisively chopped off his head, forever ending his life. Having searched the corpse, Jia Xin turned out to be quite wealthy. Su Jie found over two hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, truly a fat sheep, easy to slaughter, which explained why Ghost Ridge Palace had set rules; otherwise, these merchants wouldn¡¯t suffice to satiate the disciples¡¯ slaughter. After cleaning up the traces, the three continued their journey along the rugged mountainous path. The journey back proceeded without further incidents, and by afternoon, they saw the Mountain Gate of Ghost Ridge Palace. The atmosphere at the Sect was even more austere than when Su Jie had left, and there were noticeably fewer people. Clearly, the recent Alien Ghost menace had put a great strain on the disciples, with many being reassigned for guard duty. Chapter 37 - 35: Manager Wu Chapter 37: Chapter 35: Manager Wu Ghost Ridge Palace, Command Hall. Su Jie and his two companions entered the Mountain Gate and went directly to the Command Hall for task handover. This was a high tower a hundred meters tall, topped with swirling black smoke, like a dark behemoth swallowing clouds and spewing mist. At the entrance of the tower hung a plaque carved from blood, bearing the words ¡°Command Hall¡± in bold. The bright blood on the plaque seemed to flow continuously. ¡°You two watch the goods here; I¡¯ll go in to hand over the task.¡± Su Jie instructed Gu Weonian and Chen Yun, then walked into the Command Hall. Stepping inside, he entered a deep, dimly lit hall, where the temperature had dropped several degrees. There were very few disciples inside the hall, apart from those at the counter handling task handovers and assignments; ordinary disciples wouldn¡¯t come here to wander without reason. Su Jie approached a counter. ¡°What do you want?¡± Behind the counter, a man in a black uniform, about thirty years old, looked over. This was Manager Wu of the Command Hall. Su Jie had been here before, and knew his cultivation was only at the Third Level of Yunling Realm, but one shouldn¡¯t underestimate him. The Command Hall specifically managed task allocations for the inner and outer disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace. Those who could become a manager here might not be powerful in strength, but they must be confidants of the Sect Master. For instance, Manager Wu here had a distant blood relation with the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Outer Disciple Su Jie, here to submit a rest task.¡± Su Jie handed over his Task Token, along with the envelope allowing him to return for rest. Manager Wu took them and looked through the files briefly, then said indifferently, ¡°How come you lost so many people?¡± ¡°We were attacked by Alien Ghosts; out of twelve, only the three of us survived. We were lucky.¡± Su Jie reported truthfully. All traces of evidence had been erased, and since they were just Outer Disciples, the Command Hall wouldn¡¯t go to great lengths to investigate. Sure enough, Manager Wu had no further questions. After a brief inspection, he had Su Jie and his friends press their handprints to confirm the task handover. ¡°By the way, did you kill any Alien Ghosts?¡± Manager Wu seemed to recall something and asked another question. ¡°Yes, we brought back the bodies of the Alien Ghosts.¡± Su Jie nodded, since he couldn¡¯t hide that fact anyway; the bodies were indeed to be sold off. ¡°Do you have a buyer lined up? I know a few reliable merchants who offer fair prices.¡± Manager Wu suddenly became enthusiastic, his attitude changing by 360 degrees. ¡°We appreciate your help, Manager Wu. We were just on our way to auction in the Black Market. If it¡¯s convenient for you, could you lead the way and help us with the certification?¡± Su Jie seized the opportunity to say, knowing that these managers stationed in the Command Hall, being well-informed and well-acquainted, liked getting involved in business deals. Ordinary Outer Disciples would also engage a manager to act as a notary during large transactions to ensure that the dealings went smoothly. While talking, Su Jie also took out some Blood Marrow Crystals from his pocket and handed them over: ¡°Manager Wu, have these for tea.¡± Manager Wu quickly pocketed the Blood Marrow Crystals, smiling broadly, ¡°Well said, well said. The price of Alien Ghosts in the Black Market has gone up recently¡ªno less than six hundred fifty Blood Marrow Crystals per head. Make sure you don¡¯t sell them cheap. I know many merchants in the Black Market, and I absolutely won¡¯t let you suffer a loss.¡± Manager Wu promised earnestly, then stood up and left his post. The other managers acted as if they saw nothing; after all, they were all insiders, and a little slacking off was nothing. The two walked out of the Command Hall together and soon reconvened with Chen Yun and Gu Weonian, who had been watching the goods outside. ¡°This is Manager Wu of the Command Hall, and these are the friends I mentioned before, Mr. Gu Weonian and Ms. Chen Yun.¡± Su Jie made introductions for both sides. ¡°My real name is Wu Bin; no need to be so formal. Mr. Su, let¡¯s first check the quality of the bodies, as the prices of Alien Ghost bodies differ slightly depending on their size.¡± Wu Bin¡¯s gaze shifted toward the flatbed cart that Gu Weonian and Chen Yun were guarding, asking, ¡°Are they kept up there?¡± Su Jie gave a signal; Chen Yun stepped forward, grabbing the cover tarp and lifting a corner to reveal the true form of the Alien Ghosts underneath. ¡°You caught a good time. Previously, an Alien Ghost was only worth about three hundred Blood Marrow Crystals. They have surged in price recently. You were lucky to catch one at all, so you should capitalize on...¡± Wu Bin was still enticingly murmuring, but his words suddenly faltered, his eyes widening in astonishment as he stared at the three Alien Ghost bodies stacked on the flatbed cart. It wasn¡¯t just one body as he had expected, but three Alien Ghost bodies piled together, which left Wu Bin completely stunned. ¡°Three bodies, did you kill three Alien Ghosts?¡± His voice filled with disbelief, Wu Bin had seen more valuable goods handled before. But just a few Outer Disciples coming up with three Alien Ghosts? That he had never seen. ¡°It was just luck; we simply seized a good opportunity.¡± Su Jie narrated his past encounter very ¡®honestly,¡¯ with only a slight revision that altered Meng Dongge¡¯s death to being killed by an Alien Ghost, which made the story more plausible. Upon hearing that it was Meng Dongge who led the team to achieve most of the accomplishments, Wu Bin reluctantly accepted this reality. ¡°Meng Dongge, I¡¯ve heard of him, at the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, a formidable figure among the Outer Disciples, even with the potential to be promoted to Inner Sect Disciple. Such a pity.¡± Wu Bin sighed, then couldn¡¯t help but gaze at Su Jie from the corner of his eye. ¡°Seeing that you, Mr. Su, are so young and yet achieved such great results, I had no idea but was quite startled upon finding out, truly a case of a hero being a youth!¡± No matter whether Su Jie had just picked up an easy opportunity, managing to acquire three Alien Ghosts definitely showed his exceptional abilities, and he might rise to prominence in the future, Wu Bin instantly thought about fostering a good relationship with him. ¡°Manager Wu, you flatter me, this is nothing really.¡± Su Jie waved his hands continuously, but Wu Bin grabbed him by the arm. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Manager Wu, I¡¯m just a few years older than you; just call me Brother Wu.¡± ¡°Brother Wu.¡± ¡°Ah, young brother.¡± The two thus nauseatingly addressed each other, showing no signs of the awkwardness typical of new acquaintances. ......... Central Street of the Black Market. Juxian Tower, where two men with extraordinary demeanors were sitting, having been engaged in a game of chess for a long time. One of the elders, dressed in a purple robe, with a black python coiled around his arm, had a gaunt face and piercingly deep eyes, emanating a cold aura that discouraged direct eye contact. Across from him sat a short, middle-aged man with an ordinary face and a string of black prayer beads around his neck, from which faint wails and cries could be heard, as if someone were being tortured inside them, sending shivers down the spine. Both individuals were Hidden Realm Elders of the Ghost Ridge Palace, namely Taoist Qiu and Elder Yi. Next to them, a maid was serving them tea, who was none other than the inner disciple Yu Wenxian. ¡°It¡¯s a stalemate, shall we continue?¡± Pinching a white piece and placing it on the board, Taoist Qiu slowly spoke. Elder Yi tossed down his chess piece, his gaze cold and fierce as he turned to look out the window, ¡°I lost the game today, but when it comes to our wager, it¡¯s still unclear who between us will win or lose.¡± As his voice faded, Elder Yi pulled off a black prayer bead from around his neck and threw it out the window. The bead flew on its own towards a particular location. ¡°Let¡¯s see whose disciple catches more Alien Ghosts.¡± Taoist Qiu plucked a hair from his head, which transformed into a colourful little snake, flicking its tongue and quickly disappearing from sight. Soon, the disciples from both sides who received the message headed straight for Juxian Tower. Pei Haibing rode on a tall horse, followed closely by two disciples. Behind them, a high platform drawn by four horses carried two pale corpses of Alien Ghosts suspended from a pole. This eye-catching scene immediately caused an uproar in the Black Market as soon as it appeared. Merchants from half the street crowded around Pei Haibing, eagerly bidding for them. ¡°Mr. Pei, one thousand two, twelve hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, our Bright Moon Hall is willing to buy these two Alien Ghosts.¡± ¡°I represent Zhang¡¯s Trading Team offering one thousand three hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, and also a piece of Blood God Wood for Mr. Pei¡¯s cultivation, just for these two Alien Ghosts¡¯ bodies.¡± ¡°Our Taixu Pavilion...¡± Among these merchants, a plump young woman also joined the bidding, who was none other than Manager Cai from the Taixu Pavilion. Meanwhile, at the front, with arms crossed and a frosty expression, Pei Haibing seemed to think that the crowd was too noisy, saying coldly, ¡°All of you shut up, after the Master has reviewed them, the auction for these Alien Ghosts will begin.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Pei, having caught two Alien Ghosts at once, it seems the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword is destined for you.¡± Yu Wenxian stood waiting below Juxian Tower, now looking up at the two Alien Ghost bodies, she opened her mouth in a sweet smile. ¡°It took some effort, but fortunately, I didn¡¯t embarrass Master. Senior Yu, what did Master say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Elder Yi seems pretty confident as well.¡± Yu Wenxian was speaking when from the other end of the street came another commotion. A few disciples from the Ghost Ridge Palace were pushing a large vehicle, on which two Alien Ghosts¡¯ bodies were placed. The leader, a man in a blue robe with a handsome face, gracefully greeted the group, it was Feng Wenjin, an Inner Sect Disciple from Elder Yi¡¯s lineage. ¡°They also have two Alien Ghosts.¡± Yu Wenxian covered her mouth in shock. ¡°He¡¯s just lucky. If it weren¡¯t for the difficulty in finding Alien Ghosts that flee at the first sign of trouble, I could kill even ten of them.¡± Pei Haibing scoffed, attributing his results purely to bad luck, as Alien Ghosts were not something that the Outer Disciples feared, it was just bad luck that they didn¡¯t encounter many. Fortunately, he could somewhat accept this outcome since at least no one surpassed him, otherwise Taoist Qiu might be so furious he wouldn¡¯t even offer up the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Chapter 38 - 36: Astonishment Chapter 38: Chapter 36: Astonishment ¡°It seems we have reached a draw today.¡± At the same time, Taoist Qiu walked over from Juxian Tower, stepping through the air as if on an invisible bridge. Where he passed, a group of merchants bowed and lowered their gaze, and the previously noisy scene suddenly became much quieter. An Elder from the Secret Realm, in terms of both strength and influence, was not someone these common Black Market merchants could afford to offend. While some people dared to shout and holler in front of Pei Haibing, in the presence of Taoist Qiu, not a single person raised their voice. ¡°Hmph, Taoist Qiu, why don¡¯t we compare the number of Alien Ghosts our disciples have killed? This would be a better reflection of our ability to teach.¡± Yi Jingu, with a dragon¡¯s stride and a tiger¡¯s bearing, leaped down and, seeing such a result, his eyes turned particularly ferocious. He and Taoist Qiu had a long-standing feud, and since Taoist Qiu was always harsh on his disciples, Yi Jingu had been looking for a way to suppress him in this respect, seizing what opportunity he could. In terms of the number and quality of disciples, Yi Jingu believed he far exceeded Taoist Qiu and could not possibly lose. Taoist Qiu turned around, his narrow and long vertical pupils narrowed slightly; his gaze was like that of a venomous snake, chilly and slippery, sending shivers down the spine. Before he could speak, a commotion suddenly rose again in the crowd. One could faintly hear merchants shouting something about ¡®Alien Ghost corpses,¡¯ ¡®three heads,¡¯ ¡®hurry and grab¡¯ and such. The merchants who were originally gathered around Juxian Tower turned around to look, and saw a plain flatbed cart being pushed forward, on which were neatly placed three Alien Ghost corpses. Seeing this scene, the merchants were in uproar all at once, taking wide strides eagerly toward it, vying to grab the best spot for the auction. ¡°Which family¡¯s inner disciple is this, showing up right now.¡± Pei Haibing felt his limelight was being stolen and grumbled discontentedly. Yu Wenxian, who stood beside him, also cast a curious glance, but unlike Pei Haibing¡¯s cursory glance, she looked more carefully and quickly noticed something was amiss. ¡°Wait a minute, something¡¯s not right, aren¡¯t they our disciples?¡± Yu Wenxian spoke with surprise and uncertainty, recognizing the identities of disciples Su Jie, Gu Weonian, and Chen Yun from her own sect. ¡°What are you talking about? How could it be... be...¡± Pei Haibing almost couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing; which outer disciples could hunt down three Alien Ghosts? However, when he turned his head for a closer look, the three disciples around the flatbed cart were dressed in Outer Disciple uniforms, and he vaguely remembered they seemed to be indeed from his own sect. Taoist Qiu also heard the commotion and looked over, the corners of his mouth curling into a mocking smile as he sinisterly said to Yi Jingu, ¡°Elder Yi, our competition is not over yet.¡± Yi Jingu¡¯s complexion darkened slightly, his voice hoarse, ¡°Taoist Qiu, don¡¯t tell me you played some trick, even meddling in the competition between the disciples, have you no sense of honor?¡± ¡°What a joke, I, Taoist Qiu, need no deceit to beat you. Wen Xian, go over there and call them here. Let Elder Yi lose heart.¡± Taoist Qiu snorted coldly, although he didn¡¯t know where Su Jie and the other Outer Disciples got these three Alien Ghosts from, he didn¡¯t care as long as it could put Yi Jingu down a notch. ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Wenxian took the order and quickly headed towards the flatbed cart. ... ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t rush, all of our Alien Ghosts are for sale to the highest bidder.¡± Su Jie stood on the flatbed cart, stepping on the head of one of the Alien Ghosts, looking at the merchants who were attracted over with excitement. The more people, the fiercer the competition, the more he could earn! ¡°Fifteen hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, I¡¯ll buy these three Alien Ghost corpses.¡± A merchant squeezed to the front, but his words had barely left his mouth when Wu Bin, visibly annoyed, interrupted him. ¡°Scram to the side, thinking we don¡¯t know the value? If you don¡¯t have the money, go home and ask your mom for it, don¡¯t make a fool of yourself here.¡± As Wu Bin spoke, he even raised his foot to kick. As a Manager of the Command Hall, he was not an Outer Disciple, and regular merchants needed to greet him with smiles and flattery. ¡°This young master, our Zhang¡¯s Chamber of Commerce bids one thousand eight hundred Blood Marrow Crystals.¡± ¡°Biyue Mansion bids one thousand five hundred Blood Marrow Crystals plus one Low Grade Magic Tool and two Low Grade High-level Talismans.¡± ¡°You Dan Valley bids one bottle of Refining Pills, and an additional five hundred Blood Marrow Crystals on top.¡± A group of merchants surrounded Su Jie, spouting numbers that made his heart surge with excitement. Gu Weonian, standing to the side, was equally exhilarated, his face flushed with emotion. Although he only had a small share of the profit, it was still a substantial fortune for an Outer Disciple. Only Chen Yun remained cold as ice; the shadows of losing her brother and husband had not yet dissipated. ¡°Mr. Su, Mr. Su, it¡¯s me! Our Taixu Pavilion is willing to buy all three Alien Ghosts at a negotiable price,¡± Just then, Su Jie heard a somewhat familiar voice. Looking down, he saw that the manager of the Taixu Pavilion, the charming young widow Cai Chun¡¯e, had somehow made her way over, breathlessly calling out to him. While speaking, Cai Chun¡¯e unconsciously thrust out her ample, round bosom, causing the buttons on her chest to nearly burst apart, and her pair of phoenix eyes were incredibly seductive; she truly oozed charm from every pore. The surrounding merchants watched, and many cursed inwardly, accusing her of using seduction tactics, disregarding martial integrity. ¡°Sister Cai, how come you¡¯re here too.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as he nodded with a smile, without agreeing to her proposition. Though the woman in front of him was like a ripe peach begging to be bitten into. But when faced with sufficient value, Su Jie was not about to sell out his interests for a little allure. ¡°If not because Mr. Su you didn¡¯t visit me when you returned, I had to come over personally,¡± Cai Chun¡¯e coquettishly rolled her eyes at Su Jie, then said, ¡°Consider our Taixu Pavilion seriously for the three Alien Ghost corpses, our offer will definitely not be lower than others.¡± In her words, Cai Chun¡¯e¡¯s voice carried a tone of humility. Indeed, when Cai Chun¡¯e first saw Su Jie earlier, she could scarcely believe her eyes. An Outer Disciple managing to hunt down three Alien Ghosts seemed as laughable as a sow climbing a tree. Yet, against all odds, it had happened, and it completely shocked her for the whole year. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this later.¡± Su Jie shook his head and noticed a young woman in light gauze approaching; it was the Inner Sect Disciple Yu Wenxian, Su Jie¡¯s senior sister. ¡°Giggle, Junior Brother Su, it really is you! I knew I wouldn¡¯t recognize the wrong person.¡± Yu Wenxian¡¯s laughter preceded her words, and perhaps due to her formidable reputation, the merchants immediately cleared space for her as she neared. ¡°Senior Yu, you¡¯re here for...?¡± Su Jie grew inwardly vigilant, wondering if she was eyeing the fortune he had stumbled upon. ¡°Master is ahead; he wants you to come over,¡± Yu Wenxian extended her delicate fingers and poked at the Alien Ghost corpses on the cart, her tone cheerful, ¡°This time, Junior Brother Su, you might become quite famous with our master, hurry over.¡± After saying that, she lead the way gracefully. Su Jie was still pondering Yu Wenxian¡¯s intentions when Wu Bin, standing nearby, seized the chance to whisper and ask: ¡°Are you a disciple of Taoist Qiu?¡± He hadn¡¯t really looked closely at Su Jie¡¯s background before, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have asked this question. ¡°Yes, what about it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Taoist Qiu and Elder Yi Jingu have had another flare-up in their feud. They privately bet on whose disciples could kill more Alien Ghosts, and even put up handsome rewards to motivate their disciples. The whole Ghost Ridge Palace has been abuzz with it. It¡¯s probably for this reason they¡¯re calling you over,¡± Wu Bin, being the manager of Command Hall, was well-informed and knew all the gossip among the elders. ¡°Oh, no wonder our master was willing to put up such a big bounty, offering the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword as a reward,¡± Gu Weonian suddenly realized and understood some things from before. ¡°The deadline set by master was a week, right? We¡¯ve already exceeded the time; could the reward still count?¡± Su Jie licked his lips; he hadn¡¯t really considered this before. First, the time had already exceeded the agreed week, and besides, that White Bone Sky Slaying Sword seemed intended for Pei Haibing, who practiced the White Bone Transformation Skill. It seemed out of reach for them Outer Disciples. ¡°That¡¯s because Elder Yi had some accidents with his alchemy, causing some delays,¡± Wu Bin explained the reasons as Su Jie¡¯s heart began to heat up. He might actually get a chance at that White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Opportunity was never handed to you freely. You had to fight for it in the Righteous sects, even more so in the Demon Path. Chapter 39 - 37: Bestowing Treasures Chapter 39: Chapter 37: Bestowing Treasures Su Jie and his companions arrived at the entrance of Juxian Tower, where they indeed saw Taoist Qiu, along with a short-statured middle-aged man whose eyes bore a sinister look. This man must be Yi Jingu, Elder Yi, as mentioned by Wu Bin. ¡°Disciple Su Jie, pays respects to the Master,¡± Su Jie swiftly stepped forward, gave a bow to Taoist Qiu, and Gu Weonian and Chen Yun did the same. The three, one seriously injured and one severely wounded, only Su Jie was unharmed¡ªit was clear to any discerning eye who was in charge. Taoist Qiu¡¯s gaze moved past the three and settled on the flatbed cart stacked with three Alien Ghost corpses and he said, ¡°These three Alien Ghosts, where did you obtain them from? Explain in detail and do not conceal anything.¡± ¡°Master, the Alien Ghosts were not entirely hunted by us; there were others involved...¡± Once again, Su Jie avidly praised Meng Dongge and his ¡®heroic selflessness,¡¯ making him out to be capable of fighting ten at once. It was just good luck that they themselves ended up with the spoils. ¡°Enough of this, we of the Demon Sect do not dwell on the means but care only about results. The Alien Ghost Corpses are now with you, so the spoils are yours.¡± After listening, Taoist Qiu showed no intention of blaming Su Jie and the others, regardless if Su Jie and his companions had gained by fishing in troubled waters, or if there was any other scheme, what he valued was the end result. ¡°Elder Yi, do you have anything to say?¡± After speaking, Taoist Qiu turned his gaze towards Yi Jingu again, his eyes dark and deep as a placid lake. ¡°Hmph, nothing to say, my disciple simply lacked the drive¡ªthis round I lost,¡± Yi Jingu¡¯s expression was exceedingly grim. As Taoist Qiu said, they, as Demon Cultivators, focus on results, no matter how filthy or shameful the process might be. Yi Jingu wasn¡¯t a sore loser. After straightforwardly conceding the bet, he took off the Prayer Beads around his neck and tossed them to Taoist Qiu. Many merchants around them were secretly shocked, not expecting their wager to be so large. Those Prayer Beads were indeed a top-tier Mid Grade Magical Artifact, known as the Taisu Shining Soul Pearl, which had strong powers of Soul Refining and Evil Extinguishing. A normal cultivator hit by it would have their soul immediately sucked into it, enduring the torment of being burned by nether fire, until their soul was exhausted¡ªmore terrifying than death itself. ¡°Taisu Shining Soul Pearl, heh, poor taste, take it home to use as a dog collar.¡± Taoist Qiu ungraciously received the Taisu Shining Soul Pearl, and unhesitatingly mocked him. ¡°Next time, you might not be so lucky,¡± Yi Jingu grew even angrier, his gaze sharp as he looked at his own disciples, causing them all to sweat profusely. Conversely, Taoist Qiu now found everything about Su Jie agreeable. After acquiring the Taisu Shining Soul Pearl, Taoist Qiu even took out a luminous, spiritually charming, and dazzling Flying Sword from his Storage Bag¡ªit was the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, and he said somberly. ¡°Su Jie, a good name. As the saying goes, five people say you are strong, ten choose you, a hundred consider you distinguished, a thousand call you a hero, double a hero is called virtuous, and ten thousand a marvel. I hope that you will live up to this name and become a marvel among the Demon Path.¡± Having said that, he handed the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword to Su Jie. The move shocked and envious many disciples and merchants, their eyes filled with insatiable greed. This was a Low Grade Flying Sword, and among those, a top-tier one, ranking even higher than a Low Grade Advanced Magical Artifact. In the Black Market, the starting price would be no less than a thousand Blood Marrow Crystals, truly priceless¡ªa rarity that most dare not even dream of. Su Jie took a deep breath, realizing that if he accepted the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword now, he would instantly become a target in many people¡¯s eyes, and would also utterly offend Pei Haibing, an inner disciple. But... what of it? In the past, Su Jie had always been cautious, but when it came time to compete, he was ready to fight. He never believed in ¡®what is meant to be will be, and what isn¡¯t, should not be forced.¡¯ Even without this Low Grade Flying Sword, the wealth Su Jie would gain from selling the three Alien Ghosts would also make him a target for those seeking quick riches¡ªa situation simply unstoppable. So Su Jie took a deep breath, his face serious as he reached out with both hands to receive the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, and said, ¡°Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure. I shall diligently cultivate and not tarnish Master¡¯s reputation.¡± Pei Haibing stared at Su Jie, a fierce cold light shooting from his pupils. Just as the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was about to be taken, he finally couldn¡¯t hold back and said, ¡°Master, he is just an Outer Disciple, and it is only by luck. He is totally unworthy of this White Bone Sky Slaying Sword.¡± This White Bone Sky Slaying Sword had always been considered personal property by Pei Haibing. Seeing Su Jie taking it away, he couldn¡¯t just accept it. Elder Yi scoffed coldly, a smile mixed with disdain and contempt. ¡°It seems Taoist Qiu, you are lax in managing your subordinates! Any disciple dares to contradict you.¡± Taoist Qiu¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, Pei Haibing¡¯s behavior had undoubtedly been a slap in Taoist Qiu¡¯s face, especially in front of Elder Yi. Scanning with displeasure, Taoist Qiu, with the black serpent in his hand standing up, said coldly, ¡°My decisions are not for you to question.¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s body stiffened, realizing he had misspoken, but it was too late to explain. Suddenly, Pei Haibing grunted, his facial veins bulging violently as small snake-sized worms writhed under his skin and finally broke through like iron threadworms. The severe pain caused Pei Haibing¡¯s neck veins to bulge, and he writhed in agony. Yet, he dared not scream out, for fear of losing face for Taoist Qiu. Su Jie was secretly alarmed and noticed the black serpent in Taoist Qiu¡¯s hands. It was this black serpent that had hissed at Pei Haibing, resulting in his current predicament. He didn¡¯t even know how Pei Haibing was afflicted, it truly was exceedingly bizarre. The people around immediately backed away from Pei Haibing, fearing they might be affected. ¡°Master, Junior Brother Pei spoke without thinking, please don¡¯t be angry.¡± Yu Wenxian stepped forward to mediate, but she didn¡¯t make any move to help him up, and the slight smile on her lips seemed more like schadenfreude. ¡°Take him down and have him reflect in confinement for a few days.¡± Taoist Qiu looked coldly at Pei Haibing lying on the ground, the snake-like poisonous insect in his hand also stopped hissing, coiling back around his arm. Even Inner Sect disciples cannot lightly defy the dignity of the Secret Realm Elders, even if they are master and disciple. Pei Haibing should feel lucky he is an inner disciple; had he been a mere Outer Disciple, his body would likely be cold by now. Two of Pei Haibing¡¯s teammates carefully came forward, helped him up, and fled as if flying. After withdrawing his gaze from Pei Haibing, Taoist Qiu looked again at Su Jie. ¡°Remember to focus on your cultivation.¡± This time, Su Jie successfully received the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, and after encouraging him with a phrase, Taoist Qiu, whose mood had been ruined by Pei Haibing, also turned and left. Now that his purpose for today had been achieved, and considering he wasn¡¯t genuinely fond of Su Jie, naturally, he wouldn¡¯t waste more time. Elder Yi gave Su Jie a couple of looks, deep in thought, then departed the place with a few disciples accompanying him. ¡°Congratulations, Junior Brother Su, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword is indeed the best among Low Grade Flying Swords. You¡¯ve made a big gain this time.¡± Yu Wenxian approached with a bright smile. ¡°Senior Yu, this is like a hot potato, I don¡¯t know how many people want to get their hands on it.¡± As he caressed the cold blade of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, Su Jie spoke meaningfully. ¡°You got a bargain and still complain. If you¡¯re afraid, let your sister keep it safe for you.¡± ¡°No need to trouble Senior Yu, if I die because of this, it will just mean that my skills were inferior.¡± As he slung the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword over his back, Su Jie flatly refused, knowing that once it entered his possession, it wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere else. ¡°Virtue.¡± Yu Wenxian frowned and cutely wrinkled her nose, giving Su Jie a sideways glance that sounded almost coquettish. If Su Jie hadn¡¯t known Yu Wenxian¡¯s true nature, he might genuinely have been deceived. Su Jie exchanged a few more pleasantries with Yu Wenxian. Seeing the merchants gathering again, his smile returned. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was an unexpected gain, but the real value of the Alien Ghost had not yet been sold. Chapter 40 - 38: Green Rainbow Sword Technique Chapter 40: Chapter 38: Green Rainbow Sword Technique ¡°Mr. Su, our Zhang¡¯s Trading Team will add another 120 Blood Marrow Crystals, as well as a Low Grade Basic Magic Artifact.¡±Consider it carefully.¡± ¡°Our manager said that, if Mr. Su is willing to make a deal with us, we can arrange for good farmland and beautiful concubines whenever you like.¡± ¡°This is a top-tier seat Token from the Cui Lan Pavilion. Simply by collecting the rent yearly, you can earn over a hundred Blood Marrow Crystals. Mr. Su, if you...¡± As Su Jie announced the auction, the merchants started raising their hands and calling out their bids, and the scene heated up once again. ¡°Don¡¯t crowd, speak one by one, you¡¯re making so much noise that we can¡¯t hear anything clearly.¡± Wu Bin was maintaining order at the scene, while Gu Weonian and Chen Yun also stepped forward to help. Su Jie was constantly comparing the bid prices from each merchant. This was the greatest wealth he could earn at his current stage, and he certainly aimed to maximize his profits. After about fifteen minutes, the highest bid was called out at two thousand Blood Marrow Crystals. Above this price, the merchants were no longer willing to bid higher, worried that any further increase wouldn¡¯t be easily recovered through resale. There were some merchants who offered items other than Blood Marrow Crystals, ranging from Magic Artifacts and elixirs to promises of mansions and beautiful concubines. They threw out all sorts of temptations. The former was fine, but the latter left Su Jie speechless. Did he look like he lacked that kind of thing? When the bidding reached the psychological price limit of the merchants, the scene gradually quieted down. Just then, a melodious voice rang out. ¡°Mr. Su, our Taixu Pavilion has bid 1500 Blood Marrow Crystals, plus this scroll of Scriptures.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e gracefully stepped forward, her beautiful and charming face smiling, holding out a Jade Scroll with both hands. The words ¡®Green Rainbow¡¯ were inscribed on the Jade Scroll in clerical script. The entire scroll was pristine white and translucent, with countless small, tadpole-like characters flowing within the jade. Only very precious spells, Scriptures, and Secret Texts are recorded on Jade Scrolls, as the value of the Jade Scroll alone amounts to fifty Blood Marrow Crystals. ¡°What is this?¡± Su Jie was a bit curious. Seeing Cai Chun¡¯e¡¯s confident demeanor, what was recorded on the Jade Scroll was certainly not trivial. Cai Chun¡¯e pointed to the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword on Su Jie¡¯s back and said, ¡°Mr. Su holds such a divine weapon, but without the corresponding Sword Technique, it might be difficult to fully utilize its power. The Green Rainbow Sword Technique recorded on this Jade Scroll is a Sword Control Skill that encompasses the essence of sword manipulation, body sword, and refining sword. It will enable you to learn advanced Sword Control Techniques at the fastest speed.¡± Upon hearing this, the nearby merchants turned their heads in surprise. Su Jie¡¯s eyes lit up slightly. Since ancient times, Scriptures related to cultivation were the true clan treasures and fundamental practices. Spirit Pills and Magic Artifacts may run out one day, and Pocket Worlds might wane and no longer flourish due to the ever-changing world, but Scriptures can be passed down forever. Although the previous merchants seemed aggressive in bidding, none of them brought out cultivation Scriptures. Did they not have any? Of course not. Behind these merchants stood major families, almost all of whom had cultivation Scriptures, they were just unwilling to trade them, that¡¯s all. ¡°It seems you are truly sincere. I¡¯ll verify it first.¡± Su Jie stretched out his hand to take the Jade Scroll, intending to check it. ¡°Please feel free, Mr. Su.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e spoke with composure, clearly well-prepared and targeting Su Jie¡¯s newly acquired White Bone Sky Slaying Sword with her strategy, which could be considered hitting the nail on the head, quickly piquing Su Jie¡¯s interest. The Jade Scroll was cool to the touch as Su Jie examined it, pressing it against his forehead¡¯s sea of consciousness. The next moment, a flood of sword-shaped Scriptures poured into Su Jie¡¯s mind. Within the sea of consciousness, swords and rainbow lights flickered at times like thunder and lightning ¨C swift and fierce, and at other times like the wind blowing through catkins ¨C elusive and hard to trace. After checking, Su Jie verified that the Jade Scroll indeed contained a Flying Sword Manipulation Skill as Cai Chun¡¯e had said. Perhaps in the outside world, such Sword Control Skills might not be considered much, and a few hundred Blood Marrow Crystals could possibly buy them, but Cai Chun¡¯e¡¯s gesture was clearly more sincere than the other merchants, and this Green Rainbow Sword Technique was precisely what Su Jie needed. ¡°How about it, Mr. Su, are you satisfied with this sword technique?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e asked, seeing Su Jie¡¯s smile, she felt that he was satisfied. ¡°One thousand five hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, plus this Green Rainbow Sword Technique, and the three Alien Ghost bodies are yours.¡± Su Jie nodded, since Cai Chun¡¯e was so sincere, he didn¡¯t continue to haggle. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Su, for your generosity.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e jumped excitedly on the spot, her ample bosom trembling fiercely, quite intimidating. As for this trade, Gu Weonian and Chen Yun both refrained from commenting, knowing their place, leaving all decisions up to Su Jie. Su Jie did not shortchange them either, promising to share a larger portion of the Blood Marrow Crystals, since he took the Green Rainbow Sword Technique for himself. Cai Chun¡¯e did not carry so many Blood Marrow Crystals on her, so the group returned to Taixu Pavilion¡¯s location in the Black Market. Soon, under Wu Bin¡¯s witness, Su Jie and Cai Chun¡¯e successfully completed the transaction. Both parties were very satisfied with the outcome of the trade. Cai Chun¡¯e presented a small gift, a few Low Grade Basic Talismans, and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Su, do visit Taixu Pavilion more often in the future, and remember to come to me if you have such good deals!¡± ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯re running a matchmaking service, but speaking of which, Sister Cai, does that thing you told me last time still count?¡± Su Jie spoke teasingly, recalling the promise this charming woman had made him before. Cai Chun¡¯e¡¯s pretty face flushed with intoxicating redness, and she spat lightly, ¡°I was just jesting with you, brother, why did you take it seriously?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a straightforward person; I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a joke or for real, so...¡± Su Jie reached out, feeling her waist that was slender as a snake, then slid his hand further down, before he could marvel at the suddenly dramatic curve, he squeezed a handful of that peachy roundness. Yah! Cai Chun¡¯e cried out in alarm, her body going soft, as she glared over with sultry eyes. ¡°How could you, young master! That¡¯s... that¡¯s indecent, utterly indecent!¡± ¡°Haha, I am a Demon Cultivator, after all! Isn¡¯t it only natural for me to be indecent?¡± Su Jie winked at Cai Chun¡¯e, then, ignoring the scorned woman behind him, he left Taixu Pavilion. ¡°Brother Wu, I really troubled you today.¡± Su Jie handed over another twenty-some Blood Marrow Crystals to Wu Bin as a reward for today¡¯s help. ¡°Heh, as your junior, I only got to see such an exciting duel because of you. I¡¯d welcome such troubles any time!¡± Wu Bin had intended to gather for a meal together, but seeing Gu Weonian and Chen Yun with their injured legs, he knew it wasn¡¯t a good time, so he simply clasped his hands, exchanged contact details, and left. Su Jie personally accompanied Gu Weonian and Chen Yun to Ning Dan Hall to have a doctor look at their injuries and purchased Healing Pills for them to use. When they finally parted ways, Su Jie gave them their share of the Blood Marrow Crystals and cautioned them, ¡°Be extra careful these days, heal well, but also stay alert for the wild wolves outside, so you don¡¯t end up stripped clean.¡± ¡°I will take good care of myself.¡± Chen Yun nodded, understanding that in her current state, holding onto such a large sum of Blood Marrow Crystals was like a child walking through a bustling market with gold, a moment¡¯s inattention could mean it¡¯d be snatched away. ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared a way out, Brother Su need not worry.¡± Gu Weonian said so, an old hand at such matters, having spent so many years in Ghost Ridge Palace, he certainly had his ways to hide. Seeing this, Su Jie didn¡¯t say much, because compared to the two of them, he was the one in the greatest danger. What others coveted wasn¡¯t just the Blood Marrow Crystals, but that White Bone Sky Slaying Sword as well. Chapter 41 - 39: Return to Blue Star (Please Follow) Chapter 41: Chapter 39: Return to Blue Star (Please Follow) Watching Gu Weonian and Chen Yun leave, Su Jie stood in place for a while. Noticing some restless glances, he turned around and went back to the center of the Black Market. ¡°So impatient already?¡± As Su Jie walked, he pondered in his heart. He had already sensed several groups of people secretly watching him, many groups were eyeing him. Clearly, the wealth he held now had tempted far too many people. Moreover, being an Outer Disciple, they had even fewer scruples about making a move. Turning around, he once again entered the central area of the Black Market and went straight to a building. Spiritual Pill Association! On the plaque hung three large gilded characters; Su Jie strode inside. As the name suggested, the Spiritual Pill Association was a shop specialized in selling various kinds of elixirs. The store not only bloomed all over the Qingzhou region but also had a branch in the Black Market of Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Mr. Su, please come in, please come in. Your presence truly brings light to our humble shop!¡± The shopkeeper, seeing Su Jie, immediately shone with excitement, and greeted him with great enthusiasm. Today, Su Jie had made quite a stir in the Black Market. Many merchants recognized him and knew very well that he was extraordinarily wealthy and had money to spend. ¡°Shopkeeper, take me to the second floor.¡± Su Jie glanced around; the first floor mainly sold flawed and low-grade low-level elixirs, mostly crude products crafted by apprentices, which no longer interested him. The real treasures were on the second floor, where even mid-grade elixirs were sold. ¡°Absolutely, Mr. Su, this way, please.¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s face bloomed into a chrysanthemum, eagerly bowing to lead the way. Upstairs, as soon as Su Jie entered, he smelled the intoxicating faint scent of medicine, which made the spiritual power in his body circulate faster. Wherever he looked, large sparkling glass dishes displayed each glittering, colorful elixir. Even standing at a distance, he could feel the powerful spiritual charm fluctuations emitted by these elixirs. With a massive accumulation of elixirs, the spiritual energy half-liquefied in the air, forming mists of swirling spiritual power. The elixirs displayed here were at least Lower Grade Intermediate, and there were even several Mid-grade Elixirs. ¡°How many Nine Yang Pills are left?¡± After scanning around, Su Jie spoke up. Nine Yang Pills were a Lower Grade Intermediate elixir, crafted with nine types of yang attribute plants as the main ingredients and a large amount of yin attribute plants as secondary, refined by a Lower Grade Alchemist. After consumption, it could regulate the circulation of spiritual energy in the body, nourish spiritual power, and accelerate cultivation. ¡°Responding to Mr. Su, our shop has a total of 15 Nine Yang Pills left. Are you...¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s heart stirred the moment he saw Su Jie wave his hand grandly. ¡°Fifteen, not many. Wrap them all up for me; I¡¯m buying them all.¡± Hearing such a generous offer, the shopkeeper¡¯s smile grew even brighter, and even his back teeth showed. One Nine Yang Pill was worth twenty blood Marrow Crystals, fifteen equaled three hundred Blood Marrow Crystals¡ªa truly big customer indeed! ¡°Mr. Su, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll wrap them up for you right away.¡± Responding, the shopkeeper hurriedly went to pack the elixirs for Su Jie. Some ten minutes later, Su Jie left the Spiritual Pill Association under the enthusiastic farewell of the shopkeeper. ¡°Blood Marrow Crystals that I couldn¡¯t earn in a year, now exchanged for elixirs, something I wouldn¡¯t dare think about in the past.¡± Looking at the jade bottle he was holding, Su Jie secretly felt moved, enjoying the thrill of being wealthy. Such Nine Yang Pills, if it were the Su Jie of the past, would have taken a month of saved Blood Marrow Crystals, living without eating or drinking, just to barely afford one. Now, he bought fifteen in one go, and at the rate of consuming one every three days, it would be enough for Su Jie for a month and a half, probably making him the most extravagant among the Outer Disciples. After leaving the Spiritual Pill Association, Su Jie headed straight to a building not far away that bore the large sign of the Tiangong Pavilion, which primarily sold various special Magic Artifacts. Upon entering the store, Su Jie was also warmly greeted by the shopkeeper. ¡°Shopkeeper, get me a Storage Bag, the smallest size will do.¡± ¡°Our Tiangong Pavilion Storage Bags, the smallest storage area one sells for 99 Blood Marrow Crystals.¡± ¡°Bought it.¡± One minute later, Su Jie had a small blue Storage Bag in his hand. The Storage Bag was crafted from a rare Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure called the Nine Heavens Crystal Stone, which could only be refined by a Mid-grade Refiner or above and was always pricey. Even the smallest Storage Bag Su Jie had, measuring just one cubic meter, was valued at 99 Blood Marrow Crystals. Therefore, Storage Bags were typically unaffordable for Outer Disciples, only Inner Disciples would choose to wear one. After opening the Storage Bag with Spiritual Power, Su Jie stuffed in his Blood Marrow Crystals, White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, elixirs, and other such items. Yet, Su Jie did not stop his steps; he continued on a major shopping spree. In a few hours, he successively bought various objects related to cultivation. For instance, cushions that could calm the mind, sandalwood that accelerated meditation, and miscellaneous items like Spirit Grain and spirit water that could condition the body and slightly enhance physical strength. After a round of shopping, most black market merchants knew that a rich client had arrived; they greeted Su Jie with extraordinary enthusiasm as soon as they saw him. Even the beautifully dressed up ladies from Wan Hua Building, who enticed guests in the brothel to listen to songs, came out to the streets, pulling Su Jie to enjoy their pleasures. Fortunately, Su Jie was upright and completely opposed to gambling and drugs, ultimately managing to refuse them on the grounds of not having much money left, though it was extremely difficult. While Su Jie happily shopped, this scene made those secretly watching him grow anxious. A few Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples lowered their hoods, pretending to be passersby, and quietly discussed. ¡°How come he keeps shopping? He must have spent all his Blood Marrow Crystals.¡± ¡°No matter, we¡¯ll get those items anyway, and besides, he still has the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take action immediately once he leaves the black market, to avoid others beating us to it.¡± Unfortunately, these insidious Disciples didn¡¯t know that Su Jie had no intention of confronting them directly. Walking on the black market streets, Su Jie, having spent over a thousand Blood Marrow Crystals, looked at his full Storage Bag and nodded satisfactorily. These supplies were enough for him to comfortably cultivate for a couple of months without worrying about external disturbances. ¡°Tsk, over twenty people, wow, there are actually more than thirty waiting for me, do they think I¡¯m some kind of essential giblet?¡± Noticing this from his Reconnaissance Dragonfly secretly, Su Jie muttered to himself. With Su Jie¡¯s current strength, he was definitely unable to handle so many greedy jackals and hyenas. But Su Jie had no intention of tangling with them; it¡¯s better to avoid what you can¡¯t oppose. ¡°Once my Divine Skill is fully developed, I¡¯ll come back and slaughter you all one by one.¡± With a cold snort, Su Jie turned into a deserted alley, entered an abandoned courtyard, then closed the door, opened the Ancient Mirror, and stepped through, returning to the Blue Star World. Long after Su Jie had left, those Disciples realized something was wrong and hurriedly blocked the alley. Wave after wave of Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples from different groups, but with the same purpose, met each other and felt a bit awkward. Awkward as it was, knowing what the others were there for, the Disciples started searching in the alley. Unfortunately, these Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples turned the alley upside down but couldn¡¯t find a single hair from Su Jie. That was expected, unless they could chase him to the Blue Star, finding him would be impossible. Unable to find the person, these Disciples naturally became agitated and even suspected someone had secretly killed Su Jie. No one knew who started it, but these Disciples began accusing each other and eventually even fought amongst themselves, ending in a complete mess. Chapter 42 - 40: The Might of the Flying Sword (Please Follow) Chapter 42: Chapter 40: The Might of the Flying Sword (Please Follow) Blue Star, Linping City! Su Jie stood in a deserted, unfinished building and put away the Ancient Mirror behind him. ¡°Trying to chase me? Eat my dust.¡± Humming a cheerful tune, Su Jie released the Reconnaissance Dragonfly and then took the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword from his Storage Bag. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was very light. Its blade was made from the spine of an unknown demon beast, exhibiting an ivory-like white sheen that was far harder than steel. Once in hand, both the smooth surface and sharp edge radiated an intense chill. Even the blade itself faintly exuded the smell of blood, presenting itself as a fearsome sword of slaughter. Su Jie held the sword and aimed it at the ground, giving it a gentle swing. In an instant, a cold gleam burst forth, filled with murderous aura, as if the entire blade had come to life. The Flying Sword, made section by section from the spine, twisted and curled freely like a python flicking its tongue or an eagle swooping down, slashing a several meters long crack into the concrete floor. This was just the most basic application. Next, Su Jie bit his fingertip and let his blood, mixed with his Spiritual Power, drip onto it. Buzzing! The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword started to vibrate, as if it was resisting and struggling. Su Jie infused more Spiritual Energy, and after about ten minutes, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword finally settled down, becoming fully refined by Su Jie into a Flying Sword he could control with ease. ¡°Rise.¡± With a light shout, the Flying Sword suddenly soared into the air, circling around Su Jie smoothly, like a slender silver bird enamored with its master. As Su Jie willed it, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword shot out instantly like lightning, piercing the air with a sharp, heart-pounding sound. Boom! The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword penetrated a reinforced concrete building, creating a gaping hole front and back, like a meteor hitting the earth, its edge completely exposed. In an instant, an endless aura of slaughter spread out. Wherever the Flying Sword went, no object could withstand even a fraction of its force. Whether it was branches of trees or reinforced concrete, everything was pierced effortlessly. As it flew close to the ground, the ground itself rolled up into three-foot-high waves of mud, carved into a deep trench by the keen Sword Qi of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Whoosh! The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword flew past Su Jie, stirring up a whirlwind that made his clothes flutter loudly, followed only then by the splitting sound, deafening to the ears. This scene was too shocking; human eyes could not keep up with the speed of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, one could only hear the earth-shattering boom. The sound of the sword trembling caused nearby trees to quiver, battering people¡¯s eardrums. What human eyes could capture were mere streaks of silver light flashing swiftly, slicing through the sky, appearing as delicate as drawn lines. As the sword tip painted, silver light sped across areas, cracking the ground and scattering bricks and stones, penetrating a tall building with a thunderous roar, piercing through five or six levels of reinforced concrete before its spirit power was spent and its speed started to wane. In this devastating scene, one could discern a supreme beauty of power. After manipulating it, Su Jie¡¯s internal Spiritual Energy was greatly depleted, forcing him to lessen the energy supply, significantly slowing the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Even then, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword remained immensely powerful, easily piercing through reinforced concrete; if used against people, there was no need to maintain such immense power. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s the best among the Low Grade Flying Swords.¡± Finally, Su Jie retracted the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, looking at it still as shiny and devoid of any dust as ever, a smile involuntarily appearing at the corner of his mouth. ¡°However, it would be even better if the attack range could be stronger. It looks like I will have to rely on the Green Rainbow Sword Technique.¡± Su Jie caressed the cold blade. Limited by Su Jie¡¯s Divine Sense and Spiritual Power, the Flying Sword could only attack within a four-hundred-meter radius around him. Taking out the Jade Scroll of the Green Rainbow Sword Technique from the Storage Bag, Su Jie sat cross-legged on the ground, transferring the knowledge from the scroll into his sea of consciousness to study and comprehend it. This comprehension lasted an entire day and night. When Su Jie opened his eyes again, there was a hint of joy in his gaze. The Green Rainbow Sword Technique was divided into Sword Control, Body Sword, and Refining Sword. Sword Control involved the skills and ability to manipulate the Flying Sword, Body Sword was the method of fighting with a sword in one hand, and Refining Sword was how to maintain and refine the Flying Sword so that it communicated with the host¡¯s mind, achieving an arm-like command and a unity of person and sword. Because the Green Rainbow Sword Technique was not complicated, Su Jie mastered it very quickly. When Su Jie tried to control the Flying Sword again and applied the techniques of the Green Rainbow Sword Technique, sure enough, the speed of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword increased by one third. Speed equated to power, and naturally, its might also increased. Beyond the speed, the attack range of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword also significantly expanded, extending to a maximum attack radius of 800 meters. ¡°Now I also have long-range attack capabilities, annihilating the enemy with one sword from eight hundred meters away,¡± Unable to help himself, Su Jie imagined himself controlling the Flying Sword, the sword humming forth, and before the sound arrived, enemies eight hundred meters away were beheaded as easily as reaching into a bag. Of course, this level was still a tiny bit short of taking down an enemy machine gunner from eight hundred miles away with a single shot. After a series of tests, Su Jie fully grasped the power of the Flying Sword, which left him thoroughly satisfied. After clearing the traces around him, Su Jie packed up his things and left the abandoned construction site area. ....... Two days later! Jingjiang No.1 Villa. Liu Yingying lay on Su Jie¡¯s chest like a kitten, her face still bearing a trace of a flush. ¡°Su Jie, how long are you staying this time?¡± ¡°A month or two, I¡¯m free during that time,¡± Su Jie pinched Liu Yingying¡¯s tender face, full of collagen. Having obtained a month of rest time from the Command Hall, Su Jie had enough time to slowly cultivate. No one would disturb him in Blue Star, which was also why he had purchased so many cultivation resources. ¡°Really?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Could I still lie to you?¡± ¡°Humph, wasn¡¯t I tricked by you in the first place?¡± Liu Yingying said somewhat shyly yet proudly. ¡°It was clearly my sincerity that moved you,¡± If money also counted as sincerity, then Su Jie¡¯s sincerity was indeed full. Getting off the bed, Su Jie checked the time on his phone and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s about time, Manager Liang just sent a message, he¡¯s waiting at the airport. Let¡¯s get ready to head to Chan Country.¡± ... Linping City International Airport. Su Jie got out of the car, Liu Yingying in a black suit by his side, her crisp uniform displaying an elegant figure and an intellectual aura, keeping tempo by Su Jie¡¯s side, drawing envious glances from many men. ¡°Mr. Su, these are the people I brought,¡± Liang Lianjun came over with a few Tianyuan Home employees, prompting them to greet. ¡°Hello, Mr. Su.¡± The other employees called out, seeing Su Jie, the legendary big boss, for the first time. They were curious about his young age but dared not express it, fearing to offend, after all, it¡¯s hard to find a generously compensated job these days. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s board the plane first,¡± Su Jie nodded, his gaze turning towards the stationed airliner. His business venture in Blue Star would begin from Chan Country, Only in a nation as chaotic and with a weak national machinery like that could be the most suitable ground for the rise of his ambition. Chapter 43 - 41: I Want This Land to Take the Surname Su Chapter 43: Chapter 41: I Want This Land to Take the Surname Su Chan Country, East Qin State, Mande City, Shila Airport. After a layover, Su Jie and his group had just disembarked from the airplane when a wave of heat swept over them. Situated in the tropics, Chan Country still experienced quite high temperatures, even though it was already autumn. ¡°So this is Chan Country!¡± Su Jie looked around the airport, which wasn¡¯t very crowded; the locals, both men and women, wore rather simple clothing. Most men wore a type of skirt, with slippers on their feet, while most women wore colorful scarves and had their hair done up in high, sleek buns. As they exited the airport, many drivers immediately surrounded them to offer their services. Many even recognized that Su Jie and his group were from Hua Country and switched to speaking Hua language, albeit with a heavy accent which was mostly understandable. Because Chan Country bordered Hua Country, it had been culturally influenced since ancient times. Many locals in Chan Country could speak and write the Hua language, and Hua Yuan could even be used directly here and was especially stable compared to the local currency, which suffered from severe exchange rate fluctuations. ¡°Arrange for the staff to go to the hotel first; Yingying and Elder Liang can accompany me to the office,¡± Mr. Su instructed. Everyone got into the cars, and the vehicles started up, heading toward the company on the outskirts of the city. The driver, who was a talkative man, asked, ¡°Are you going to Lamao District to do the wood business as well?¡± ¡°How could you tell?¡± ¡°Haha, there are many wood merchants from Hua Country like you. I¡¯ve driven quite a few around.¡± The driver chuckled and then cautioned, ¡°However, while doing business, don¡¯t go too far into remote areas. It¡¯s safer to stay around the city; otherwise, there might be danger.¡± ¡°Is it very chaotic around here?¡± ¡°Very chaotic, very poor, nowhere near your Hua Country people; the average wage here is only equivalent to four or five hundred Hua Yuan. With no money, people often resort to dishonest means,¡± explained the driver. His words made Liang Lianjun fidget nervously, thinking of the various legends of opium planting, scam operations, and kidney harvesting in Chan Country. ¡°Do local officials not do anything?¡± ¡°Oh, they do something all right¡ªthey sit on top and collect benefits. What else can they do? Look at this road we¡¯re driving on, full of potholes. It hasn¡¯t been repaired for many years, the money all embezzled.¡± A few exchanges with the driver revealed his evident bitterness. At that moment, the car passed a checkpoint where several soldiers, armed with AKs and dressed in green military uniforms, were stopping cars and collecting fees. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything for a minute.¡± He advised and then stopped the car, handing 500 Zen Coins to one of the soldiers while speaking in the local language; they were then allowed to proceed. As the vehicle started moving again, Liang Lianjun curiously asked, ¡°Who are those people, and why are they collecting money?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our military here, the Mande United Army. They charge a vehicle operation fee, applicable to all vehicles including motorcycles and bicycles,¡± explained the driver. The driver gave a wry laugh, and fearing that Liang Lianjun might not understand, added, ¡°It¡¯s not a government army, but a local militia.¡± Liang Lianjun responded, exasperated, ¡°Setting up roadblocks everywhere to charge fees, they really dare to do all sorts of things.¡± Liu Yingying chimed in, ¡°Chan Country is very chaotic. It¡¯s a multi-ethnic nation with over a hundred ethnic groups, leading to many large and small local warlords; their relationships are very complex, continually in a semi-independent state, much like our Tang Dynasty in its later stages.¡± She had been to Chan Country before and had some impressions of the severe chaos and fragmentation in the country. As they chatted, the car gradually left the city area and arrived at a vast expanse of warehouses. This area was filled with numerous logs, some stored outdoors, others stacked in warehouse buildings, and vehicles carrying logs frequently passed by, kicking up clouds of dust. This was Lamao District, a center for wood storage and trading. Chan Country was a major exporter of wood, shipping out millions of tons annually; this was a pillar industry for Chan Country, with numerous such wood trading centers scattered across the nation. The car continued driving and eventually stopped in front of a three-story building. The building bore the sign of Jinde Di Company, with a row of warehouses behind it. This was the shell company that Liu Yingying had registered in Chan Country as per Su Jie¡¯s instructions. The office inside the building was not heavily staffed¡ªjust six local employees, who greeted Liu Yingying in slightly awkward Hua language as soon as they saw her. ¡°This building and the warehouses behind have been purchased; the building is for office use, and the warehouses are for storing and transferring wood,¡± Liu Yingying briefly explained and then said to Su Jie, ¡°All the procedures have been completed; I am waiting for your commands.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else; just follow me to pick up the goods,¡± he responded. Su Jie smiled and immediately energized Liang Lianjun at his side, who had been waiting a long time for the timber Su Jie had promised. ... The next day. In an empty area, Su Jie took out the Ancient Mirror and stealthily returned to Tianyuan World. He found the timber he had initially cut near the Black Market, then transported it through the Ancient Mirror to Blue Star for the truck team to haul away. Su Jie completed the whole process quickly, as he discovered that some disciples were tracking him again. He could only swiftly blend into the crowd at the Black Market and then enter a room to shake off the pursuers. The quantity of timber was even greater than before as Su Jie, having nothing to do in Tianyuan World, had indulged in excessive logging. When all the timber entered Jinde Di¡¯s warehouse, Liang Lianjun was almost moved to tears in excitement. ¡°Small-leaf rosewood, Golden Nan Wood, Yellow pear wood, Golden Camphor...¡± Mouth clearly naming each kind of timber, Liang Lianjun touched the piled wood in the warehouse, his fingers trembling slightly. Because just the value of these timbers alone was already worth several billion. If turned into furniture, the prices would double even further. ¡°Mr. Su, when do we start shipping? With this batch of timber, Tianyuan Furniture can make an immediate name for itself domestically.¡± Liang Lianjun¡¯s face flushed with excitement, foreseeing the huge success of Tianyuan Home once this batch of timber was back in the country. Su Jie turned his head to Liu Yingying and said, ¡°Yingying, have Jinde Di Company contact an international air freight company and ship all this timber back to the country.¡± ¡°Are we going for air freight? That¡¯s quite expensive.¡± ¡°No worries, we can afford the freight fee, time is more important.¡± Generally speaking, timber transportation mostly uses sea and land routes due to the high cost of air freight, but these timbers had no original cost for Su Jie, so a few million or a hundred million in freight charges was nothing. Liu Yingying nodded her acknowledgment and immediately went to make arrangements. In the following days, the entire Jinde Di Company operated at full capacity. Contacting international air freight, declaring goods with Hua Country customs, and pre-disinfecting and segmenting the timber, and more. Only when each piece of timber was loaded onto five cargo planes flying to Hua Country, could the matter be considered concluded. Meanwhile, Liang Lianjun returned to the country, overseeing the manufacture and sale of furniture made from this precious wood, working overtime. Su Jie did not return but rather registered a new company locally, named Jieke Biology Development Company. ¡°How much money is left in the company accounts?¡± In the office, Su Jie asked his personal secretary. ¡°We still have 5.5 million Hua Yuan.¡± Liu Yingying replied without hesitation. That was all the liquid funds they had until that batch of timber was sold. ¡°It¡¯s a bit low, but it¡¯s almost enough for the initial phase.¡± Su Jie stroked his chin and turned around. On the wall behind him, there hung a map of Mande City and its surrounding towns, home to three different ethnic groups, with a population of about 700,000. Mande City was part of East Qin State, which had an approximate population of 3.5 million. ¡°Let¡¯s start with this, Yingying. Have the employees of Jieke Biology go out to the villages for promotion, start the first plan, and let Jieke Company buy various poisonous insects in bulk from the locals without a limit, telling them to go up into the mountains to catch insects.¡± Liu Yingying nodded, then, unable to restrain herself while looking at Su Jie¡¯s back, asked, ¡°Su Jie, what exactly are we doing this for?¡± She knew that Su Jie owned an insect farm, but she did not understand why he needed to start a new insect farming company in Chan Country. ¡°You think I¡¯m really just doing this for raising insects?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only one aspect.¡± Su Jie chuckled softly, drew a circle on Mande City with a pen, and said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning right now. Next, I¡¯m only doing one thing. I want the Mande City region to henceforth carry the last name ¡®Su¡¯ and become my personal kingdom.¡± Oh! Liu Yingying¡¯s heart nearly stopped, her eyes wide open, speechless for a long time as she didn¡¯t know whether to say Su Jie was fantasizing or simply too ambitious. Su Jie¡¯s gaze did not waver; he simply waved his hand and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, just go on and work.¡± After Liu Yingying left, Su Jie touched the thousand-hand centipede that was crawling out of his collar and muttered to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, very soon, very soon, this will be your paradise, the opening of our Kingdom of Poisonous Insects will be grand on this land.¡± Chapter 44 - 42: The Transformation of Lazhi Village Chapter 44: Chapter 42: The Transformation of Lazhi Village Autumn, the golden rice fields swayed with the wind, resembling waves rippling. At Lazhi Village, the villagers, as always, hastened to harvest the rice while the sun¡¯s heat was still mild. ¡°I asked yesterday, and this year¡¯s rice purchasing price is much lower than last year¡¯s.¡± In the fields, a dark-skinned man in his twenties complained to his fellow villagers as he wielded a sickle to cut the rice. ¡°We earn so little from the grain, when will we ever make enough money to move to the city, I¡¯m even considering growing poppy.¡± His companion was equally resentful, cursing this dog¡¯s age. ¡°I would never grow that harmful poppy even if it killed me.¡± Miao Lun¡¯s face darkened, and he shot an angry glance over. The poppy, indeed opium, was the very reason his father had died, and he held a profound loathing for it. ¡°Alright, alright, I was just saying, those things are grown in the north, no one here messes with that.¡± His companion gave a sheepish laugh and quickly explained. Miao Lun¡¯s expression softened somewhat, but just then, a strange noise interrupted the moment. [Extraordinary good news! Extraordinary good news! Jieke Company is now purchasing all kinds of poisonous insects and snakes, with no limit on quantity, priced by weight, payment made on the spot, fair to everyone.] [Extraordinary good news! Extraordinary good news! Jieke Company is now purchasing all kinds of poisonous insects and snakes, with no limit on variety, priced by weight, payment made on the spot, fair to everyone.] ... A dilapidated van drove past the muddy road by the field ridge, its body adorned with festive red advertisements. A loudspeaker mounted on the roof repeated the message, drawing the attention of the busy villagers looking up. ¡°What¡¯s this, buying bugs?¡± Miao Lun was befuddled. Where on earth did this Jieke Company come from, and why were they buying bugs? The van stopped right in front of him, and a man dressed in a uniform emblazoned with the word ¡°Jieke¡± stepped out and called to him, ¡°Friend, are you interested in learning more?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really buying bugs? Paying money?¡± Miao Lun asked tentatively, even as he picked up a grasshopper from the ground and held it up, ¡°Like this kind of insect?¡± The Jieke employee laughed upon seeing it and said, ¡°Of course, our Jieke is owned by a prominent Chinese businessman, absolutely genuine. For the grasshopper in your hand, let me see, ah, an orthopteran insect, we¡¯ll pay 5 Hua Yuan per kilogram.¡± ¡°How much, 5 Hua Yuan a kilogram, and you pay in Hua Yuan?¡± Miao Lun could hardly believe his ears, his daily wage converted to Hua Yuan was no more than 15 Yuan. Catching three kilograms of grasshoppers would equal a day¡¯s wage, and it was paid in Hua Yuan at that, which was far more useful than their Zen Coins. It wasn¡¯t just Miao Lun who heard this; the nearby villagers also caught wind of the conversation, causing a stir throughout the area. Who was this fool offering such a high price for grasshoppers? ¡°Our Jieke Company is a major brand, very trustworthy. Everyone can catch with ease, and we absolutely won¡¯t default on payment. Not just grasshoppers, we buy all sorts of poisonous insects and snakes, and the prices are even higher. You all can take a look,¡± the Jieke employee reassured, handing out flyers to the villagers, but some already could not wait. Like Miao Lun, who, after confirming it wasn¡¯t a scam, immediately dropped his sickle, picked up a snake bag, and began to search and catch grasshoppers all around. In the fields during the harvest, there was no shortage of grasshoppers, a simple stomp could startle many. Miao Lun, who had caught plenty as a child, was adept at catching them now, nailing it each time. Seeing this, others followed suit, afraid the grasshoppers in the field would all be snatched away. It all happened in the blink of an eye, the villagers who had been harvesting millet one moment turned into bug-catching experts the next, with many even running back home to call their wives, children, and parents to join the frenzy, with entire families getting involved. As darkness fell, Miao Lun approached the Jieke employee for the third time, handing over the two kilograms of grasshoppers he had just caught. ¡°Ten Hua Yuan, take care.¡± The transaction complete, the Jieke employee poured all the grasshoppers into a glass box, and as the sky continued to darken, he found himself compelled to announce a temporary departure. ¡°It¡¯s getting too late, I¡¯ll come back tomorrow, and I¡¯ll still buy the bugs, so everyone, don¡¯t worry.¡± After the Jieke employee finished speaking, he got into the van loaded with grasshoppers and drove off unsteadily. Meanwhile, the villagers at the site were still buzzing with excitement, everyone¡¯s faces alight with excitement and thrill. Because the day¡¯s catch from bug-catching surpassed what they would earn in a day¡¯s wage by far. Miao Lun counted the Hua Yuan in his hands over and over, amounting to 27 Hua Yuan, nearly equal to his two days¡¯ earnings. Wearing a simpleton¡¯s grin, Miao Lun excitedly said, ¡°If they come every day to buy, I¡¯ll be able to save up enough money for my mother¡¯s treatment soon, and at the same time, my sister will be able to go to school and study.¡± His mother had been bedridden since the year before due to a severe illness, unable to seek medical attention due to lack of funds. Now, his greatest desire was to save enough money to take his mother to a big city hospital for treatment. Pocketing the money, Miao Lun headed back home. In the dim, cramped earthen house, his 12-year-old sister was busying herself at the stove, preparing a meager dinner of thin porridge and dried vegetables¡ªclear and watery. As soon as Miao Lun entered the house, he couldn¡¯t wait to tell his mother and sister about what had happened that day. Only when they saw the Hua Yuan that Miao Lun took out did they believe that he wasn¡¯t talking nonsense. ¡°Mother, I won¡¯t keep talking, while there¡¯s still time, I have to hurry and catch some more bugs.¡± After a quick dinner, Miao Lun grabbed his flashlight and went out again, searching for Poison Insects that the Jieke Company needed. It was creatures like toads, venomous snakes, scorpions, centipedes, and the like, which only came out at night, making it suitable for nocturnal hunting. Many villagers shared Miao Lun¡¯s plans; the day¡¯s earnings had motivated many, letting them realize that bugs could be so valuable. The following day, Miao Lun, with dark circles under his eyes, stood with a group of villagers at the village entrance, eagerly waiting. When the loud honking sounded and the van came into sight, Miao Lun and the surrounding villagers cheered, swarming toward it. That night¡¯s catch meant another twenty yuan in earnings for Miao Lun, who was over the moon with excitement. And a villager who had caught a venomous snake was boasting loudly, for it had sold for a whopping hundred yuan. Compared to their farming, these earnings were far more rewarding for the local villagers whose livelihoods mainly depended on agriculture. From that day on, the villagers busied themselves daily searching for various Poison Insects and snakes, exchanging them for Hua Yuan from the Jieke Company. Similar events were not limited to Lazhi Village; the same was true for a dozen other villages and towns nearby. In no time at all, the Jieke Company¡¯s reputation soared in the surrounding area, and even Mande City had heard of it. The local villagers¡¯ view of the Jieke Company grew increasingly positive, with several Poison Insect purchasing stations crowded every day, and bug-catching became a major source of income for many villagers. While the villagers were elated over their newfound wealth from catching bugs, they were unaware that they had entered into a carefully orchestrated grand scheme. As the transactions became more frequent, their economy was being tethered, tied to the great tree that was Jieke. When people grew increasingly dependent on Jieke, a time would come when if Jieke were to collapse, the entire economy of Mande City would regress into chaos¡ªthat would also be the day when Mande City would be utterly dominated and bound. Chapter 45 - 43: Funds in Place Chapter 45: Chapter 43: Funds in Place The purchasing plan for the insects proceeded smoothly and in an orderly fashion. Within a warehouse in Lamao District, various Poison Insects and snakes that had been acquired from the outside world were brought to this place. At this moment, the thousand-hand centipede lay on the ground, its body now stretching over nine meters in length. The copious amount of food it consumed during this period allowed it to grow crazily in size; if anyone were to discover the centipede in this state, they would probably faint from fright. Not far from the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie sat cross-legged on a purple cushion, with the invigorating scent of sandalwood burning beside him. He took out a Nine Yang Pill from the Jade Bottle and swallowed it. Overwhelming Spiritual Energy navigated through his limbs and marrow before being absorbed and stored in the meridians. During cultivation, the thousand-hand centipede shrank its body, laying on Su Jie¡¯s waist and abdomen, attaching its pale corpse hands one by one. Time moved on, and several hours went by. Su Jie¡¯s Spirit Essence grew stronger and stronger, like a lotus breaking through the mud and surfacing from the water. Eventually, the accumulated Spiritual Power reached its peak, breaking through a clogged meridian pathway. Bang! Spiritual Power shimmered around Su Jie¡¯s body, and as naturally as water flows along a channel, he advanced to the Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm. The resources bought with the thousands of Blood Marrow Crystal prepared in the Tianyuan World allowed Su Jie¡¯s cultivation to skyrocket in just two weeks. He had now reached the Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm, something he hadn¡¯t dared to dream of in the past. The thousand-hand centipede climbed up Su Jie¡¯s neck, happily rubbing back and forth, sharing in the joy of Su Jie¡¯s advancement. ¡°You¡¯re about to level up too, huh?¡± Touching the cold body of the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie could feel the abundant vitality and vigor within it. Sizzle. The thousand-hand centipede responded with a hissing sound. It was steadily progressing toward its third evolution of Spirit Refining. With an abundant supply of poisonous insects, it would face almost no obstacles before advancing to a Mid-grade poisonous insect. But Su Jie had even more considerations. Because according to the records in the books, after advancing to a Mid-grade poisonous insect, to continue evolving, apart from relying on Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and the passage of time, swallowing ordinary Poison Insects would be of no effect; it would require Grade-Entry Poison Insects, and at that point, the insects from Blue Star would no longer serve a purpose. Su Jie had come to Chan Country to plan ahead and make preparations. Once the thousand-hand centipede advanced to Mid-grade, Su Jie would bring some of the Tianyuan World¡¯s poisonous insects over at that time. For instance, he would feed a large number of Poison Insects to a non-Grade human-faced moth in order to advance it to Low Grade, and then have the thousand-hand centipede devour it. In this way, small fish would eat shrimp, and big fish would eat small fish, completing a new evolutionary process. To achieve this, Su Jie must gain complete control over a region. After all, if the Poison Insects from the Tianyuan World were brought to Blue Star and discovered, Su Jie would inevitably become the focus of everyone¡¯s attention, placed under scrutiny by various powers and countries. In Hua Country, such undertakings by Su Jie would certainly not be feasible. The number of poisonous insects he dealt with was too great, making it very easy to arouse curiosity and investigation from others. If a checkup occurred, the truth would be uncovered. However, Chan Country was entirely different; the national machinery here was weak. Controlling one region meant it was essentially independent, allowing for far greater secrecy. Leaving the thousand-hand centipede in the warehouse to continue feeding, Su Jie left and drove back to Jieke Company¡¯s residence. Just as he entered, he saw Liu Yingying walking towards him, brimming with joy. ¡°Su Jie, we¡¯ve succeeded.¡± She wrapped her arms around Su Jie¡¯s neck, jumping and shouting happily. ¡°` ¡°Stop, stop, stop, what¡¯s going on?¡± Su Jie patted the girl¡¯s buttocks, signaling her to be mindful of her image. ¡°Hehe, Manager Liang is back, and he brings good news.¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s pretty face turned red with a hint of guilt, she looked around and sighed in relief when she noticed that no employees were paying attention. As soon as Su Jie heard this, he knew what it was about. Walking into the company¡¯s office, indeed, he saw Liang Lianjun¡¯s figure. ¡°Mission accomplished, Mr. Su, our furniture has successfully penetrated the market.¡± The moment he saw Su Jie, Liang Lianjun immediately stood up to report, his eyes brimming with joy. ¡°Let¡¯s hear the details.¡± Su Jie asked Liu Yingying to pour some tea, and he sat opposite Liang Lianjun. ¡°Yes.¡± Liang Lianjun cleared his throat and began, ¡°After we transported the batch of timber back to the factory, I immediately arranged for staff to work overtime on the design and construction. We rushed the production of a batch of furniture, then I contacted some wealthy businessmen I knew from before and organized a small furniture sale. Our furniture was an instant hit as soon as it was showcased, with many pieces being bought on the spot by those businessmen. Most of their friends are also wealthy, and the remaining furniture was sold the next day. And as the news spread by word of mouth, many other wealthy people came to place deposits for custom-made high-end furniture at Tianyuan Home. The first batch of payments and deposits we received totaled up to 500 million yuan. We estimate that once all the timber is sold, we can recover funds between 4.5 and 5 billion yuan.¡± Suppressing his excitement, Liang Lianjun went through Tianyuan Home¡¯s progress one by one. The high-end furniture market in Hua Country has always been in short supply, and Tianyuan Home easily carved out the most delicious slice of the market pie for itself with those top-quality timbers. Given the nature of wealthy people in Hua Country, faced with high-end furniture that can demonstrate their taste and wealth, they couldn¡¯t help but be tempted. That¡¯s why the discovery of Tianyuan Home¡¯s high-end furniture sparked such a frenzy of purchasing. Su Jie¡¯s eyelids twitched when he heard the number 500 million. It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s overcome with emotion. Just a year ago, he was an ordinary person who had just graduated and couldn¡¯t even find a job, and now he controls a cash flow of hundreds of millions and has goods worth tens of billions under his command. Even with mental preparation, Su Jie still felt excited. ¡°Haha, Manager Liang, I really didn¡¯t misjudge you. I won¡¯t say anything else, but tonight, you must stay for a good drink, and rest assured, you won¡¯t be shortchanged on your bonus either.¡± ¡°I dare not, I dare not, it¡¯s all thanks to Mr. Su¡¯s batch of timber; otherwise, with all the ability in the world, I couldn¡¯t have sold it for that price.¡± Liang Lianjun humbly waved his hands in declination, speaking the truth. The great success of Tianyuan Home lies in the extremely high quality of the timber. Su Jie¡¯s words made him blush with modesty. ¡°Don¡¯t be humble, Manager Liang. With such great news, how can we not celebrate with a drink?¡± ¡°Then I shall accompany Mr. Su for a couple of drinks.¡± Liang Lianjun, feeling valued by Su Jie, was filled with the sentiment that one would die for a confidante. After talking with Liang Lianjun for a while and noticing that he was somewhat tired from catching a ride over, Su Jie told him to go and rest. ¡°Yingying, notify Jieke Biology to start the second plan. It¡¯s time for our Jieke Company to expand.¡± Su Jie instructed Liu Yingying. Previously, due to a shortage of funds, their insect-catching plan was only carried out in a dozen villages and towns. Now that the funds were in place, Su Jie naturally didn¡¯t want to play small anymore; he planned to completely cover the entire surrounding area of Mande City. Chapter 46 - 44: Accident (Vote for monthly ticket, ask for follow-up reading) Chapter 46: Chapter 44: Accident (Vote for monthly ticket, ask for follow-up reading) ¡°` Following Su Jie¡¯s order, Jieke Company received its directives, and one after another, Jieke employees headed in all directions, expanding the insect catching plan to the entire Mande City region. Especially in over a hundred rural townships and villages, those farmers with meager incomes celebrated with their families, joining the bug-catching team with great enthusiasm. For a time, streams of people could be seen wandering through the mountains and fields everywhere in the Mande City region. All of these people were out to catch poisonous insects and snakes to sell to Jieke Company. At each sales station set up by Jieke Company, long lines formed at the door, with a steady flow of people from morning till night, bringing newly captured Poison Insects to sell. The sudden surge in the number of insects was too much for the thousand-hand centipede to handle at once, so huge plots of land and warehouses were purchased. Su Jie specifically called for Chen Yaoguang from Hua Country, along with a group of breeding experts, to transform these warehouses into insect breeding farms, allowing more people to work for Jieke Company. It wasn¡¯t just the countryside, even a large number of city residents in Mande City joined the bug-catching team. Because the income from catching insects was far more than the paltry wages earned from their jobs. On the Jieke Company¡¯s side, the insect catching plan was unfolding with great fanfare, while the local rent-seeking class merely saw it as a joke. In their view, Jieke Company was simply squandering money and would soon run out of resources and quiet down. But they waited, and ten days went by, Jieke Company was still thriving. Twenty days passed, and Jieke Company¡¯s purchasing stations were still bustling with people every day. A month went by, and Jieke Company¡¯s expansion continued, with the number of employees recruited even breaking through to two thousand five hundred. Hundreds of thousands of people from the Mande Region were working for Jieke Company, catching insects for it. Even facing an overwhelming number of people, and to protect the local insect resources due to the decrease in the number of Poison Insects brought about by the catching, Jieke Company thoughtfully proposed a measure of breeding insects with people¡¯s help. They distributed Poison Insects to the local populace for free and taught them artificial breeding, shouting powerful slogans like ¡°Prosper through insect breeding,¡± ¡°Stride toward well-being, start with insects,¡± ¡°Want to get rich, let Jieke lead the way,¡± and so on. Under this sky-high propaganda and wealth offensive, almost every last labor force in the Mande City region was swept into the insect-catching craze triggered by Jieke. Now, the rent-seeking elites in the Mande City region couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. Because people no longer wanted to work for them and only wanted to run to Jieke Company. ... In front of the Jieke Company headquarters building, a jeep drove up, followed by two military vehicles from which a group of soldiers in green military uniforms, holding AKs, jumped out swiftly. A well-dressed officer in a crisp military uniform and shiny leather shoes stepped out of the jeep, surrounded by a group of soldiers, and strutted into Jieke Company. The employees inside the building were astonished, unclear what was happening. It was not until they saw the identity of the leading officer that many employees¡¯ complexions changed, recognizing who he was. Because this face was all too famous in the Mande Region. This man was Lu Wenbo, the actual ruler of Mande United Army. To many, he was known as General Lu. Born into one of the three major families, the Lu Family, he commanded a force of over a thousand in the Mande United Army, armed with a large stockpile of firearms and ammunition, light and heavy machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, and managed businesses such as taxation, casinos, brothels, entertainment complexes, opium, fraud, and organ trading. He was the undisputed local warlord of the Mande Region. In the Mande Region, the most sensational thing Lu Wenbo did was that when a large-scale escape incident occurred in a phone scam park under his name, he dispatched troops to surround and suppress the escapees, killing and injuring countless people, with half a street drenched in blood. Wu Wenbo pointed to an employee and said, ¡°Where¡¯s the manager here?¡± ¡°The boss... The boss has gone out to the countryside to inspect the insect breeding farms.¡± The employee pointed out shivered, explaining in a trembling voice. ¡°Are you playing me?¡± ¡°` Wu Wenbo¡¯s mouth twisted into a sinister smile, and without a word, he pulled out his pistol from his waist and pulled the trigger. Bang! The employee who was questioned was shot in the stomach, blood gushing out and staining his clothes red as he fell to the ground writhing in pain. ¡°You tell me, where is your boss?¡± Pointing at another employee, Wu Wenbo continued to inquire with an arrogant air, completely indifferent to the fact that he had just fired a gun in public. ¡°He really went down to the countryside, I don¡¯t know where the boss is!¡± Seeing the fate of the previous unlucky one, the second employee was almost in tears. The other employees didn¡¯t dare to back him up, all of them trembling, as the AKs of the other soldiers were also aimed at them. Wu Wenbo snorted coldly, knowing that his timing wasn¡¯t the best, and that the employees didn¡¯t have the guts to lie to him. ¡°Tell your boss that when he comes back, he must visit my barracks. From now on, your Jieke Company must pay an 80% special business tax, and if you don¡¯t pay, tell him the consequences of offending me here as a Chinese.¡± After saying that, Wu Wenbo aimed the gun at the ceiling and emptied a whole clip of bullets. Then, with a grand wave, he turned and left with his men. It wasn¡¯t until Wu Wenbo was far away that the employees frantically helped the wounded man up and rushed him to the hospital for treatment. As for calling the police, no one did such a thing. After all, the police station was just Wu Wenbo¡¯s lapdog, and what dog would dare manage its owner? ... Lazhi Village! Su Jie was inspecting a local breeding farm and Chen Yaoguang was by his side. ¡°Mr. Su, we have helped the villagers rebuild the centipede and scorpion farms according to local conditions. The tropical climate and temperature here are ideal for the growth of these poisonous insects. As long as no serious diseases occur, breeding can be carried out with ease,¡± Chen Yaoguang pointed to a small-scale farm, which was transformed from an abandoned mud house. Between the cracks of the bricks and broken tiles, centipedes were seen crawling in and out. A dark-skinned young man was laboring, scattering mealworms inside as food for the centipedes. Su Jie nodded and stepped closer, asking the dark-skinned young man, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°This is our boss from Jieke Company, Mr. Su.¡± Chen Yaoguang reminded the young man, as he often went down to the countryside to teach villagers breeding techniques and many recognized him. ¡°My name is Miao Lun, are you the big boss of Jieke Company?¡± Hearing Chen Yaoguang¡¯s words, Miao Lun trembled all over, excited to come forward and shake hands but was too wary to do so. ¡°Genuine as can be. May I ask, are you satisfied with your current life?¡± Su Jie took the initiative to move closer, pat him on the shoulder, and asked with a kind smile. ¡°Satisfied, I am of course satisfied. Ever since Jieke Company came here, the money I earn from catching insects has cured my mother¡¯s illness, and I was able to send my sister back to school. Now my family also has shares in the local poisonous insect farm. This is the life I¡¯ve dreamed of day and night,¡± Miao Lun¡¯s voice was filled with passion as he recounted the events that had taken place in his life. Nearby, villagers who were working and heard that the boss of Jieke Company came over crowded around, expressing their profound gratitude all at once. Mr. Su responded with a smile to each of their thanks when Liu Yingying rushed over in a panic and shouted to him, ¡°Mr. Su, something has happened.¡± Chapter 47 - 45: Security Department Chapter 47: Chapter 45: Security Department ¡°The Mande United Army attacked our company headquarters this morning, injuring one of our employees with gunfire. General Lu Wenbo of the Mande United Army even demanded that you... that you go see him at the military camp.¡± Liu Yingying quickly reviewed the incident at Jieke Company. From her hurried tone, her anxiety was unmistakable. After more than a month of doing business in Mande City, who hadn¡¯t heard of the notorious Mande United Army and Lu Wenbo? ¡°He wants me to see him, interesting.¡± After listening to Liu Yingying¡¯s account, Su Jie appeared quite calm. ¡°Su Jie, that warlord intends to take our industry. They don¡¯t seem like they¡¯ll let this go easily.¡± Seeing Su Jie still smiling, Liu Yingying thought he didn¡¯t grasp the seriousness of the situation. ¡°I know.¡± Su Jie nodded, responding coolly, ¡°After all, we¡¯ve touched their interests, so I¡¯m not at all surprised by this reaction.¡± ¡°Lu Wenbo... Boss Su, Lu Wenbo is causing you trouble.¡± Miao Lun, who stood by, overheard Liu Yingying due to his proximity, his eyes turning fierce. Su Jie looked at him and asked, ¡°You have a grudge against him?¡± ¡°Not just me, many people hold a grudge against him. His cultivation of opium has harmed so many, he controls the grain companies in the city too, selling fertilizer and pesticide at high prices every year, and buys grain at prices so low that we can¡¯t make any money all year, sometimes even at a loss.¡± Grinding his teeth, Miao Lun shouted to the surrounding villagers, ¡°Everyone, Jieke Company is about to be destroyed by that bastard Lu Wenbo, we absolutely can¡¯t sit by and do nothing.¡± ¡°What, they¡¯re going to destroy Jieke Company? No, absolutely not.¡± ¡°We need to sell the bugs, we can¡¯t let that bastard ruin a good thing!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s Lu Wenbo, he has the army, what can we do?¡± At his words, many nearby villagers responded in unison, though some were fearful, bowing their heads, not daring to speak, or quietly hiding back in their homes. ¡°See, the people¡¯s hearts are with us!¡± Su Jie smiled at Liu Yingying, maybe these villagers were only standing up for the promise of Jieke Company, for the life improvement that the annual insect buying contract brought. But their willingness to stand up at this moment showed the weight Jieke Company held in their hearts, and that they were willing to exert effort on its behalf ¨C Su Jie was already very gratified. ¡°I see everyone¡¯s sentiment, those interested can join the newly established Security Department of Jieke Company, to protect Jieke Company from the harm of law offenders.¡± Seeing the public sentiment, Su Jie announced the news. ¡°The Security Department, can we sign up to join now?¡± The speaker was still Miao Lun; his support for Jieke Company was genuine. Without Jieke Company, his mother would still be bedridden, and it would be impossible for his sister to go to school to study, so he was the last one who wanted to see Jieke Company destroyed. Quite a few villagers were in the same situation as Miao Lun, with Jieke Company having brought them a new life, so they echoed in agreement one after another. ¡°Yingying, go arrange for people to get ready for registration, write down everyone who signs up,¡± Su Jie ordered before he walked onto a platform, looked around, and began, ¡°Think about what this land has brought you, aside from poverty and chaos. The rulers here only need you to be a honest toiling machine, toiling for their glory and wealth, selling your sweat and blood. Now, seeing Jieke Company leading you to prosperity, they have become anxious, afraid, terrified... afraid that you people will no longer obey their commands, no longer toil obediently to make money for them.¡± Su Jie slowly raised his right hand, his voice calm but laced with a seductive power. ¡°Think about your past wages, three to four hundred Hua Yuan a month, living hand to mouth, how many of you fell ill and couldn¡¯t afford to see a doctor, how many children couldn¡¯t recognize a single character, and the dilapidated mud houses you lived in. ¡°Now, look at the present. Since Jieke Company arrived, we¡¯ve built roads for your village, erected a schoolhouse, and increased your incomes several fold. Just last week, we even brought doctors to the countryside to examine and treat the villagers for free.¡± Su Jie¡¯s tone grew increasingly intense, and the genuine emotion in his gaze made many villagers reflect on their past and feel even more grateful for Jieke Company¡¯s goodness. ¡°I am a Chinese, not long in Mande City, but I¡¯ve heard of Lu Wenbo¡¯s reputation. This warlord monopolizes local transportation and electricity, operates illegal mining, gambling, brothels, opium trade, and so forth. Your poverty is brought on by him. ¡°And Jieke Company, which leads you towards wealth, naturally becomes a thorn in their side. ¡°Some may ask, ¡®You¡¯re just a Chinese, what does this have to do with you?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, it¡¯s because I¡¯ve suffered poverty and hardship too, just like you have all experienced brutal autocratic rule. I empathize with you, and that is why I¡¯ve traveled thousands of miles to establish Jieke Company here, doing everything to lead you all out of poverty.¡± ¡°Now, there are people who don¡¯t want you to live a good life, who want to destroy everything you have. You tell me, what should we do?¡± The final question was delivered in a roar. ¡°Kill them!¡± ¡°If Jieke Company is driven away, won¡¯t we just have to live a hard life like before? Anyone who dares touch Jieke Company, I¡¯ll fight them to the end.¡± ¡°My family has five children, now able to eat their fill all thanks to Jieke Company. If Jieke Company is gone, who will feed my children...¡± The villagers were stirred by Su Jie¡¯s words and immediately became agitated, wielding sickles and hoes. Some even brought homemade shotguns from their homes, and shouts rose one after another. Liu Yingying¡¯s body trembled slightly, seeing the villagers around her stirred up, their faces so unfamiliar. Pairs of blood-red eyes, faces distorted in anger; it was a scene she had never witnessed before. Chen Yaoguang took a sharp intake of breath. What he had only read about in history books was unfolding before him; he couldn¡¯t help fearing that Su Jie¡¯s actions might trigger a major upheaval in Mande City. Su Jie saw the heated scene below and a smile curled the edges of his mouth. Chan Country itself was a poor and chaotic nation, where civil wars had never ceased since its inception, and news of warring warlords was a constant. Such a fragile country, especially in the areas surrounding Mande City where Lu Wenbo held sway over most money-making ventures and operated various illegal businesses, exploiting the local poor farmers. This also caused particularly intense class conflicts in the area that needed only a spark to explode. Jieke Company was the key that ignited this powder keg. People, once they have experienced better things, cannot accept a return to a past of poverty and backwardness. The contrast is too painful to bear. Having experienced Lu Wenbo¡¯s rule and now Jieke Company¡¯s better life, it goes without saying whom the villagers would choose. Chapter 48 - 46: Entering the City Chapter 48: Chapter 46: Entering the City Seeing the villagers growing more and more excited, Su Jie dropped his final bombshell and announced the benefits of joining the Security Department. ¡°Those who now wish to sign up for the Security Department, come here to the right-hand side to sign your name, and after screening, you can become a member of the Jieke Security Department. At the same time, I solemnly declare that anyone who joins the Security Department, if a family member falls ill, will receive medical coverage from Jieke Company, children can attend school for free, and enjoy a monthly salary of 4,000 Hua Yuan. If you are injured in combat assigned by the Security Department, the company will subsidize your salary, and in the event of death, in addition to substantial subsidies, your family will be taken care of by Jieke Company. We will see to the elderly until their last moments and raise the children. The sole purpose of establishing the Security Department is to protect the employees and property of Jieke Company and to combat all organizations and forces that seek to harm Jieke Company, including the Mande United Army I mentioned earlier. Are you willing to join?¡± Upon hearing this, the villagers, previously fueled simply by enthusiasm, became even more excited. Such a salary was nearly ten times what they used to earn. With the other benefits and treatments added, even those villagers who initially wanted to back out were now eagerly signing up. Even if it meant serving in the military for the Chan Country Government, it couldn¡¯t compare to these terms. It¡¯s just risking our lives, after all! Since they had nothing to lose and there was money involved, who would be afraid! Suddenly, the registration spot almost burst with the crowd of villagers. Queuing up were not only young men but also middle-aged uncles and women in their forties and fifties. In terms of warfare, the Chan Country has always had a fierce culture. Being a multi-ethnic country, the conflicts among different ethnic groups over so many years have long embedded warfare into their bones, so there was no psychological burden or fear whatsoever. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, now it¡¯s our turn to control Mande City, it¡¯s others who should be afraid.¡± Su Jie stepped down from the stage and, noticing the fear in Liu Yingying¡¯s heart, naturally reassured her. ¡°Are we going too far with this?¡± Liu Yingying didn¡¯t doubt Su Jie¡¯s ability, but she was still struggling to adjust to the fact that Jieke Company, which she thought was just a regular business, was now taking on the major task of overthrowing the local warlord¡¯s rule. ¡°Everyone else wants to plunder our assets, are we not allowed to fight back?¡± Su Jie patted Liu Yingying on the shoulder and chuckled, ¡°Look at these villagers, enthusiastic about joining our Jieke Security Department; this already proves we are on the right path.¡± Liu Yingying hesitated for a while, finally nodding slowly. Even if she wanted to oppose it now, it was already impossible. Su Jie¡¯s will was not something she could influence. ¡°Su Jie, you are right,¡± biting her lip, Liu Yingying made up her mind. ¡°You will see my success, and soon, this place will become Jieke Company¡¯s territory, to take and to rule as we see fit.¡± Touching Liu Yingying¡¯s delicate face, Su Jie did not hide his ambition for the Mande City area. Watching Su Jie¡¯s confident and ambitiously lit eyes, Liu Yingying felt her heartbeat quicken unexpectedly, finding the man before her even more charismatic. ......... After Jieke Company announced the establishment of the Security Department, within just three days, it had swept through hundreds of villages and towns around Mande City. Previously, Jieke employees who bought Poison Insect in the countryside transformed overnight into recruitment officers, using loudspeakers to canvass the streets and alleys. Hearing the news, applicants to join flowed in continuously, and every recruitment station in the townships was packed with villagers. After three days of screening, eight thousand young and able individuals officially became employees of the Security Department, and this was the result of a stringent selection process. If they were let loose, the number would have doubled. The rapid actions of Jieke Company were too swift; before the Mande United Army could react, the Jieke Security Department had already been established. And right after its establishment, the newly-formed Jieke Security Department, after brief training, received orders to eradicate the longstanding cancer of the Mande United Army in Mande City. Suddenly, on the muddy roads leading to Mande City from various villages, old tractors, vans, and three-wheeled vehicles were crammed with people. Members of the Jieke Security Department, dressed in blue uniforms and armed with spears, carrying homemade guns, and holding detonators, sat in the dump beds of tractors, forming long lines converging from all directions toward Mande City. ... In front of a police station in Mande City. A few policemen were stunned, watching as the endless, mighty procession of tractors approached. The black smoke spewing from the tractors lingered and rose, nearly covering half the sky. From a distance, it looked like a steel torrent made up of tanks. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What are they trying to do? Are they staging a rebellion?¡± A policeman, full of confusion and disbelief, wondered; yet before he could figure it out, a volley of gunshots rang out. Bang bang bang! The range and accuracy of the homemade guns were too poor. The security members in the dump beds of the tractors only aimed roughly, and the bullets flew off to who knows where. Unfortunately, these policemen were not elite forces; on the contrary, they indulged in eating, drinking, gambling, and prostitution on ordinary days and were only placeholders. At the critical moment of life-and-death combat, they simply lacked the courage to draw their guns. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, don¡¯t shoot, don¡¯t kill us! We surrender, we surrender.¡± A group of policemen lay trembling on the ground, offering no resistance until the barrier was broken through and a large number of Jieke Security members disarmed them. ¡°This is for the times you bullied people.¡± A group of Jieke Security members grabbed the policemen; some of whom had previously been bullied and extorted. Naturally, it was time for a beating, which left the policemen howling like ghosts and wolves. After this minor episode, the vast army of the Security Department marched mightily into Mande City. The residents of the city were equally baffled, then saw with their own eyes, under the guidance of some Jieke employees, how the Security members coordinated and stormed into gambling dens, brothels, opium factories, fraud parks, and several mansions of the powerful and rich. All of these were the properties of Wen Bo, as well as those officials in cahoots with him. Having dominated Mande City for many years, Wen Bo had become something akin to an emperor. The number of people colluding with him in Mande City was countless, and these businesses had been expanded and strengthened by him, turning into money trees sustaining the Mande United Army. There weren¡¯t many people guarding these properties, and the weaponry was outdated, with few firearms. For Wen Bo saw himself as the Emperor of Mande City, wondering who would dare to provoke him. Therefore, when members of the Security Department arrived, those fraudsters and bouncers in the gambling dens were flabbergasted by the sheer number and fierce onslaught of the Jieke Security Department. Even though the Jieke Security members were armed only with homemade and hunting rifles, and even though they were also a disorganized crowd, the two sides¡¯ ineffectual combat still easily overwhelmed and even directly led to surrenders from the majority. In just a few short hours, Mande City had been completely taken over by the Security Department. Besides Wen Bo¡¯s enterprises, other strategic locations such as the local power station, government buildings, TV stations, airports, and granaries were also seized. The number of various captured individuals, mostly Wen Bo¡¯s henchmen and colluding officials, tallied up to seven or eight hundred people. And only by then did Wen Bo, stationed far away in the military barracks, receive the news and explode in fury. Chapter 49 - 47: Mande United Army Chapter 49: Chapter 47: Mande United Army Fifty kilometers southwest of Mande City, there was a military camp dotted with watchtowers, combat readiness warehouses, barracks, and drill grounds, where soldiers patrolled back and forth. This was the headquarters of the Mande United Army, with thousands of soldiers stationed here. These troops, cultivated with financial support from drug trafficking, casinos, scam parks, brothels, and such, were Lu Wenbo¡¯s greatest asset and the capital that allowed him to dominate the Mande region. At this moment, inside a lavishly decorated villa in the military camp, Lu Wenbo clenched the phone tightly and roared, ¡°You can¡¯t even handle a bunch of farmers, useless, all of you are useless, what¡¯s the point of having you.¡± On the other end of the phone was the Mande City Mayor, who was frantically reporting the unrest that had occurred in Mande City to him. Finding out his large swathes of industry had been occupied and destroyed by Jieke Company¡¯s Security Department, the warlord leader was beyond furious and ignored the calls for help on the phone, abruptly smashing the handset down. ¡°Bring me someone, immediately order a full military mobilization, prepare the weapons and ammunition, and follow me into the city to suppress the unrest. Whoever sees Jieke Company¡¯s people, show no mercy and kill them all.¡± Lu Wenbo summoned his aide-de-camp and issued the murderous command. ¡°Yes, General, I will mobilize the troops right now.¡± Seeing that Lu Wenbo was in a bad mood, the aide-de-camp dared not irritate him further and hastily left to carry out the orders. Soon, the entire camp was filled with rallying calls and assembly shouts as squads of soldiers ran out of the barracks and gathered on the drill ground. Lu Wenbo donned a general¡¯s uniform adorned with medals, strapped a command saber to his waist, and stepped onto the command platform at the front of the drill ground. Standing in front of the microphone, he shouted loudly, ¡°My children, today Mande City has experienced a premeditated, vicious unrest. Hired thugs from Jieke Company have attacked Mande City, taking over and destroying our casinos, brothels, and scam parks, and they have even claimed they will wipe out our Mande United Army.¡± His voice echoed across the field through the microphone, and the soldiers in green uniforms changed their expressions slightly, their gazes becoming particularly fierce. ¡°You joined the Mande United Army, the funds that let you live comfortably all came from my industries in Mande City; Jieke Company is cutting off our roots, can we let them go?¡± ¡°No!¡± A roar like a mountain tsunami came back as thousands of soldiers, holding their guns, responded to Lu Wenbo with fury against Jieke Company. As soldiers of the Mande United Army, they clearly knew what they were doing, and never hesitated to follow the warlord in committing crimes. As long as they could make money and grow rich, they were more than willing, even if it meant murder and evil deeds. ¡°Jieke Company, a despicable and shameless corporation, daring to unite with those mud-legged farmers to overthrow my rule. Today we will tell them that no matter how capable Jieke Company is, only we, the Mande United Army, rule in Mande City. My children, take up your Long Spears and steel knives, follow me into Mande City, and exterminate everyone from Jieke Company.¡± Lu Wenbo revealed a cruel smile as he loudly announced the mobilization command for war. ¡°Kill, kill, kill them all!¡± The soldiers stood up thunderously, slung their steel guns over their shoulders, and headed orderly towards the military trucks. A few armored fighting vehicles started to move, and overhead a military helicopter hovered¡ªthese were all of Lu Wenbo¡¯s assets. ¡°Jieke Company, really think it¡¯s still ancient times, eh? Wanting to get by with just a bunch of mud-legged farmers.¡± Looking at the mighty exodus of his own army, Lu Wenbo felt a surge of pride. What nonsense Jieke Company was, it was just relying on a group of mud-legged farmers, and they hardly had any decent guns. Once his army arrived, they would be able to crush them effortlessly. Just as the vanguard of the army had left the camp, heading towards Mande City, the leading military truck suddenly slowed down and stopped, causing the following convoy to come to a halt as well. ¡°What¡¯s the matter.¡± Sitting in the jeep, Lu Wenbo asked dissatisfiedly as the staff officer hung up the communicator and said in astonishment, ¡°General, there¡¯s someone blocking the way ahead, who also claims to be the boss of Jieke Company and wants to come see you.¡± ¡°What, you heard that right?¡± Lu Wenbo was equally stunned when he heard this and almost thought he had heard wrong. He hadn¡¯t gone looking for trouble with Jieke Company, yet their boss dared to come and find him alone. Was he not afraid of death? ¡°General, the person claims to be Su Jie, which is indeed the name of Jieke Company¡¯s boss.¡± The staff officer affirmed, his face filled with surprise. If they could capture the big boss of Jieke Company first, then they would have won more than half of this battle. ¡°Ha ha, such a fool. Have him brought to me; I want to see what he looks like, daring to provoke our Mande United Army.¡± Lu Wenbo¡¯s lips curled into an icy smile. If not for Jieke Company, he wouldn¡¯t have faced such heavy losses, and behind it all, the mastermind Su Jie, he wished nothing more than to tear him limb from limb. ... At this moment, in front of the army, Su Jie stood alone with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on this military force. Most of the soldiers were marching on foot, with nothing more than an AK for their personal equipment. The entire force¡¯s firepower consisted of just a few dozen vehicles, including several armored infantry vehicles, and one armed helicopter. ¡°Quite shabby! They earn so much money but don¡¯t even bother to equip the troops with better gear, spending it all on their own pleasures.¡± Su Jie shook his head, thinking about the news he had heard. It was said that Lu Wenbo enjoyed his luxuries, having not only a private plane but also many mansions and luxurious cars around the world. Most of the money he earned through illegal means was spent on his own pleasures. While Su Jie was observing the troops, a dozen armed soldiers surrounded him, their eyes mocking and indifferent as they looked at Su Jie. ¡°He¡¯s the boss of Jieke Company, so young. It¡¯s going to be so much fun to torture him; I want to see him kneeling and begging for mercy.¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s Chinese. He mustn¡¯t think we¡¯d reason with him, daring to come here all by himself.¡± ¡°Ha ha, I love killing Chinese the most. When I was dispatched to guard the scam zone, those Chinese were so much fun. When they first arrived, they all clamored to go home, but after we chopped their hands, cut their feet and threw them into watery dungeons, they all became as meek and compliant as could be.¡± The soldiers talked about Su Jie without any restraint, laughing mockingly from time to time. ¡°The General said to capture him and bring him over.¡± A platoon leader put down the walkie-talkie. Having received the order, he waved his hand and the soldiers immediately rushed forward to apprehend Su Jie and take him to Lu Wenbo. Su Jie loosened his shoulders and said with a light chuckle, ¡°No need for you to bother. I will go see him myself.¡± As soon as his voice fell, the soldiers caught a glimpse of a flash of silver light out of the corners of their eyes, followed by a pain in their necks, their vision spinning, and they lost consciousness. The soldiers who had surrounded Su Jie, in just an instant, had their necks sliced through, their heads rolling to the feet of Su Jie. Chapter 50 - 48: Annihilation Chapter 50: Chapter 48: Annihilation ¡°` Buzz buzz! The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword hovered in front of Su Jie, blood dripping off of its blade as if the recent killings were nothing but an illusion. The pupils of the Mande United Army soldiers violently shook, mouths agape, upon seeing Su Jie standing there with a strange flying sword whirling before him, severing the necks of a dozen comrades in an instant. This eerie and terrifying sight sent a cold fear through many of the soldiers, and various superstitious legends came flooding back into their minds. Su Jie gently stroked the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword and chuckled, ¡°Go on, kill them all.¡± Whoosh! The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword trembled and sped away, turning into a silver line of death, cutting the necks of soldiers who were still in a daze. The speed of the flying sword was simply too fast to catch with the naked eye of a common man. Wherever the flying sword passed, many soldiers didn¡¯t have time to react before their heads tumbled off their necks with a thud. A thick scent of blood spread quickly; within a mere ten seconds, a large number of soldiers lay dead under the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. ¡°Fire, fire at that monster,¡± some soldiers finally shouted as a reminder. Some aimed their guns at Su Jie, while others tried to shoot the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. The bullets aimed at the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword all missed their target, while the bullets shot at Su Jie were met with the thousand-hand centipede emerging from his sleeve, acting as a flesh shield in front of him. The bullets pinged off the insect shell, leaving only white marks. These troops, fed with poisonous sustenance, were quite fierce ¨C upon seeing bullets ineffective, some soldiers shouldered rocket launchers, aiming at the thousand-hand centipede and pulling the trigger. Boom! The fireball from the rocket made the thousand-hand centipede cry out twice as its shell cracked a bit. On a nearby armored vehicle, the heavy machine gun revolved, spitting out a two-meter-long tongue of flame. A 30mm armor-piercing incendiary bullet shot forth, penetrating the shell of the thousand-hand centipede and green insect blood gushed out. Luckily, the thousand-hand centipede had a strong regenerative ability; the injured parts turned into small centipedes and fell off, with the wound healing quickly. ¡°It¡¯s working, it¡¯s afraid of rocket launchers and machine guns, fire and blow it up,¡± the soldiers excitedly shouted, seeing hope as more heavy weapons focused their fire. ¡°It seems I still can¡¯t withstand heavy firepower after all,¡± Su Jie mused after testing the defense capabilities of the thousand-hand centipede against ordinary heavy firepower. If they were to use tank armor-piercing bullets or missiles, the current stage of the thousand-hand centipede would definitely not be able to withstand them. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s finish them off first.¡± Having figured out the defensive limits of the thousand-hand centipede against modern heavy firepower, Su Jie¡¯s thoughts changed in an instant, and he operated the Green Rainbow Sword Technique with full power. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword whistled through the air, its flying speed increasing dramatically. A few soldiers carrying rocket launchers only saw a blur before they were cut in half by the flying sword. The momentum of the flying sword didn¡¯t wane, piercing through the armor of an armored vehicle, killing everyone inside before drilling out the top. Suddenly, an explosive roar came from the sky. A missile flew in from a distance, landing where the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword had been, igniting a massive fireball. The nearby soldiers were not spared either; a huge blast wave swept over them, knocking down many, and the fierce explosion left the entire battlefield eerily silent. Then, noise returned, and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword flew out of the smoke unscathed, heading towards the attack helicopter that had attacked it. The approaching attack helicopter had just opened its rocket pod when it saw the silver light approaching in a flash, cleaving off the propellers in midair. ¡°` ¡°Crash, crash, the helicopter¡¯s out of control...¡± The two pilots were terrified, frantically pulling at the control stick, trying to make the helicopter autorotate and land. But all their efforts were in vain. The helicopter, spinning erratically at high speed, flung them around the cockpit, and eventually, it lost all control and exploded into a ball of fire on the ground. After dealing with several major threats, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was unconstrained. Military vehicles were pierced by the Flying Sword, blood flowing freely and staining the earth red. The soldiers armed with light weapons met an even more tragic fate. Wherever the Flying Sword passed, whether the soldiers stood or lay down, they were bisected at the waist. Those who were not immediately dead could only drag their bisected bodies across the ground, their continuous screams of agony piercing the heart with fear. ¡°My waist, my waist is broken, someone save me.¡± ¡°Wuu, that guy¡¯s not human, I want to go home, I want to go home.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve angered the gods, this is their punishment for us. Everyone kneel and pray with me for the forgiveness of the divine.¡± The morale of the Mande United Army suddenly collapsed. As the saying goes, an army¡¯s defeat is like a landslide. The Mande United Army, previously courageous enough to resist, screamed in terror under the onslaught of the Flying Sword. All thoughts of resistance dissipated as they dropped their weapons and scattered in all directions. Patting the Thousand-Hand Centipede, Su Jie issued his command calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t let a single one escape.¡± Su Jie was determined not to let them go. Only the dead could keep secrets, and all eyewitnesses had to be completely eliminated today. The Thousand-Hand Centipede screeched, and pale corpse hands detached from its body, chasing after the fleeing soldiers. The Corpse Hands latched onto their bodies and twisted their necks. At the same time, soldiers were accurately slain by the Flying Sword, and even their attempts to throw smoke grenades to disrupt its vision were futile. Every minute, every second, soldiers died. The entire Mande United Army turned into a slaughterhouse, disappearing at a terrifying speed. Lu Wenbo, who was waiting for Su Jie to be captured, initially didn¡¯t take the gunfire seriously, thinking it was just some people Su Jie had brought to resist. But then the continuous loud explosions, and his eyewitness of his own armed helicopters falling and exploding, changed everything. ¡°What¡¯s happening, what exactly is happening?¡± Lu Wenbo grabbed a staff officer, eager for an answer. ¡°Report, General, the soldiers say they encountered a non-human. The boss of Jieke Company is... he¡¯s a monster...¡± The staff officer stuttered his response and was immediately slapped away by Lu Wenbo. ¡°I¡¯ve got no time for your jokes right now. Is it the Security Department from Jieke Company that has come? He must have gotten his hands on some military hardware.¡± Lu Wenbo¡¯s face twisted savagely, he simply couldn¡¯t believe the staff officer¡¯s tall tale. No sane person would. He was convinced that Jieke Company must have secretly bought military hardware and armed those country bumpkins, launching an attack on his Mande United Army. Click! Just as Lu Wenbo was thinking this, he suddenly felt the sky darken as if something was blocking the sunlight. When Lu Wenbo looked up, he saw a sight that he would never forget. A gigantic centipede, nearly ten meters long and unspeakably ferocious and terrifying, loomed above his head. Its cold, emotionless Insect Eyes moved, causing all the hairs on his body to stand on end and his breathing to halt. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t General Lu. I¡¯m the boss of Jieke Company. You wanted me to come see you, right? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m late.¡± Su Jie stood atop the Thousand-Hand Centipede, looking down at Lu Wenbo with a genial smile. If one could ignore the burning military vehicles behind Su Jie, the scattered limbs and arms, and the soldiers who were still screaming in agony as they lay dying, then that smile could indeed be described as harmless to humans and animals. Chapter 51 - 49: Execution Chapter 51: Chapter 49: Execution Having witnessed Su Jie¡¯s bizarre and terrifying figure with his own eyes, Lu Wenbo finally understood why his staff had reported to him in such a manner. Because the boss of Jieke Company was really a non-human! ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Su Jie jumped down from the back of the thousand-hand centipede and walked step by step in front of Lu Wenbo. ¡°You... what exactly are you?¡± Lu Wenbo¡¯s pupils shrank to the size of a needlepoint. The existence of Su Jie shattered his worldview; how could such supernatural powers exist in this world? Could it be that the ghosts, deities, and devils of legend were all real, and he had been kept in the dark and deceived his entire life? ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary businessman.¡± Su Jie approached Lu Wenbo with an ever-growing smile on his face. Lu Wenbo: ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t... don¡¯t come any closer, I told you not to come any closer.¡± Shivering, Lu Wenbo drew the gold-plated handgun from his waist; his eyes filled with fear as he pointed the gun at Su Jie, yet it offered him no sense of security. ¡°Tsk tsk, it was you who called me here to meet, and now you¡¯re telling me not to come closer. Is there something wrong with your brain?¡± Su Jie cracked a smile, and in the blink of an eye, the gold handgun was in his hands. ¡°Nice taste, I¡¯ll add it to my collection.¡± After fiddling with it for a moment, Su Jie tossed it into his Storage Bag. And Lu Wenbo had lost all his courage and collapsed on the ground, powerless, no longer maintaining the air of a warlord who once commanded the winds and clouds. ¡°I am from the Wu Family, one of the three major families. If you dare kill me, my family will never let you off.¡± Faced with such an inhuman monster, he could only invoke the name of his backer now, hoping to scare Su Jie away. In Chan Country, apart from the government army, various warlords stood in great numbers, and the three major families¡ªthe Wu, Bai, and Liu Families¡ªcontrolled a large part of the economic and political resources of Chan Country. They could influence certain political elections behind the scenes and held significant sway in the country. Lu Wenbo was a scion of the Wu Family, one of these three major families. Upon hearing this, Su Jie shook his head repeatedly: ¡°Kill you? No, no, no, you can¡¯t die yet.¡± Lu Wenbo¡¯s face brightened, thinking his family¡¯s influence had intimidated the other party. ¡°Let me go quickly, or else my family...¡± ¡°Killing you now would be a loss. There¡¯s nothing more intimidating than an execution on the spot. Many people want to see you executed with their own eyes.¡± Lu Wenbo¡¯s voice stopped abruptly. How could he not understand Su Jie¡¯s intentions? This was a demonstration to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys! Su Jie squatted down, casually picked up a bayonet, and shattered Lu Wenbo¡¯s tongue to prevent him from speaking out of turn. Ignoring the other¡¯s screams, he threw him onto the jeep. At the same time, the pale corpse hands of the thousand-hand centipede had dealt with the last of the fleeing soldiers. On Su Jie¡¯s command, they began digging a mass grave to bury all the corpses. The aftermath of the battlefield could be handled by the Security Department to clean up, collecting useful firearms and equipment. The barracks of the Mande United Army would be just right for the newly established headquarters of the Jieke Security Department. After settling all this, Su Jie got into the jeep and headed back to Mande City. ............. Mande City, at the central square. A large crowd of citizens had gathered because staff from Jieke Company had been spreading word all over the city about the downfall of the Mande United Army and the capture of Lu Wenbo, who was to be publicly tried and executed for his crimes. Such news naturally drew the attention of the public. When the time reached 3 p.m., a squad from Jieke Security brought the limp Lu Wenbo to the square. At that moment, the entire square erupted. Mande City had suffered under Lu Wenbo¡¯s misdeeds for far too long. During his years as a warlord, his brutal and greedy actions had caused public outrage, and now seeing him dragged along like a dead dog naturally thrilled the crowd, who applauded and cheered with glee. Meanwhile, near the square, Su Jie was amiably patting the shoulder of a middle-aged man. This was the newly appointed mayor, previously the deputy mayor of Mande City, An Sangshen, who spoke, ¡°Mayor An, it¡¯s your turn to go on stage. You should know what to say, right?¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Su, please be assured, I will absolutely follow your instructions.¡± As the mayor, An Sangshen was nodding and bowing to Su Jie, almost as if he were ready to cut open his chest and show his loyalty. Because An Sangshen was acutely aware of how he got his position, and he knew that if the other party wished, they could dismiss him at any time and replace him with another puppet to serve as mayor. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, and An Sangshen dared not delay. He jogged up to the temporary platform and, upon seeing Lu Wenbo being brought over, he said into the microphone, ¡°I am An Sangshen, the new mayor of Mande City. Everyone, please look, this is Lu Wenbo, who has poisoned the Mande Region for many years, also known as General Lu in everyone¡¯s words. Here, I would like to especially thank Jieke Company for assisting our municipal government in capturing him. His so-called Mande United Army has also been completely annihilated. From now on, you no longer have to pay exorbitant levies or taxes, nor worry about being oppressed by the Mande United Army... ¡± An Sangshen, with a script in hand, spoke eloquently on the platform, drawing cheers like thunder from the crowd below. Meanwhile, below the platform, Su Jie walked over slowly and sat down next to Liu Yingying. Liu Yingying, serving as the nominal president of Jieke Company, sat in the best location, accompanied by a group of Mande City officials who were specially invited. Most of these officials were uninvolved with Lu Wenbo, or had only minor connections. Those who were deeply entangled with the official had already been taken into custody by Jieke Company. Seeing that Su Jie said nothing, Liu Yingying, recalling his earlier admonitions, voiced a warning to the officials beside her. ¡°Gentlemen, many key positions in Mande City are now vacant. I hope that after you take office, you won¡¯t forget what happened today. Do not repeat the same mistakes. Keep your hands clean, or else you won¡¯t want to experience the methods of Jieke Company.¡± Liu Yingying cast her gaze aside, and her words made several officials sweat profusely as they hurriedly assured her, ¡°Not at all, not at all. Whatever Jieke Company asks us to do, we will do.¡± After all, Chan Country was a nation full of warlords, and the officials were accustomed to such changes in power. Although Jieke Company was nominally just a company, being able to unite hundreds of thousands of civilians and annihilate the powerful Mande United Army undoubtedly made it the new overlord of the Mande Region. The officials were very clear about who they served. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Liu Yingying nodded indifferently, though her heart was far from calm. She had never had the chance to speak with officials who controlled a city before. Now, not only could she converse with them, she could also reprimand them, which gave Liu Yingying an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. All of this was brought about by Su Jie. Su Jie had clearly stated that he wanted her to act as the spokesperson for Jieke Company in the Mande Region, overseeing all affairs big and small in his absence. Liu Yingying raised her head, her gaze complicated as she looked at Su Jie by her side. She had also been to the Mande United Army camp and saw all the remnants of battle there. Without a sound, the Mande United Army, which had boasted over a thousand soldiers, was suddenly annihilated, and Lu Wenbo had been captured alive. Liu Yingying speculated that Su Jie must still secretly control a military force; otherwise, it wasn¡¯t possible to accomplish all this without anyone noticing. Shaking her head, Liu Yingying cast aside the thoughts swirling in her mind and heard An Sangshen announce the various crimes of Lu Wenbo and the Mande United Army. ¡°... I hereby declare, 21 counts of crimes have been proven against Lu Wenbo, and the death penalty will be carried out.¡± After An Sangshen finished reading, several members of Jieke Security forced the trembling Lu Wenbo to kneel on the ground. One stood behind Lu Wenbo, raised a long spear, aimed it at the back of his head, and pulled the trigger. The Jieke Security executor was in his early twenties, specifically appointed by Su Jie ¨C Miao Lun. Crack! Along with a gunshot, Lu Wenbo fell, his eyes still wide with disbelief, and a resounding cheer rose from the square, celebrating the removal of the largest tumor in the Mande Region. With microphone in hand, An Sangshen glanced at Su Jie seated below, then addressed the crowd again, ¡°To prevent incidents like that with Lu Wenbo from happening again, our municipal government has signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Jieke Company. We support Jieke Company in providing commercial cooperation and security assurance in the Mande Region. Next, I would like to invite the president of Jieke Company to speak on stage. Please welcome her.¡± Liu Yingying took a deep breath, feeling somewhat nervous. ¡°It¡¯s just reading from a script, you¡¯re a top student, what¡¯s there to fear from such a small occasion.¡± Su Jie gave Liu Yingying a push, and with courage, she stepped up onto the platform, picked up the microphone, and her clear voice rang out. ¡°Fellow citizens, I am Liu Yingying, the president of Jieke Company. Now that the Mande United Army has been destroyed, our Jieke Company hereby solemnly promises that we will not allow any outside forces to disrupt the peaceful lives in the Mande Region. We will protect everyone¡¯s safety and property. Also, our Jieke Company will increase our investment in the Mande Region. As long as everyone focuses on breeding insects, Jieke Company¡¯s farms will purchase them unconditionally, allowing everyone to become wealthy by raising insects and enjoy a comfortable life.¡± ¡°Jieke Company!¡± ¡°Jieke Company!¡± ¡°Jieke Company!¡± The crowd below shouted one after another, with Jieke Company, having eliminated the Mande United Army, now shining brightly in the eyes of the citizens. Chapter 52 - 50: Reaction Chapter 52: Chapter 50: Reaction Yang City. Nine hundred kilometers south of Mande Region, within a manor in Chan Country¡¯s capital, Yang City. A group of men and women dressed in traditional Chan Country attire, with serious expressions, sat around a conference table, discussing the recent changes in the Mande Region. They were members of the Wu Family and held key positions within it. The Wu Family had migrated to Chan Country from a powerful nation in the north during the war years. They were descendants of a defeated army and had initially conquered a territory with formidable military force. Later, they settled, reproduced, and gradually infiltrated and merged into Chan society. Nowadays, the Wu Family controlled five warlord forces, and Lu Wenbo was just one of the smaller ones. ¡°According to intelligence from our informants, Wen Bo is dead, and his army has been annihilated. Now the Mande Region is controlled by a power called Jieke Company,¡± one reported. Wu Qingjie, the head of the Wu Family, sat at the head of the table. He was about fifty years old, with a decent appearance, and looked like a kind and amiable old man. ¡°Jieke Company? What¡¯s their background? They were actually able to defeat Wen Bo¡¯s army.¡± Someone asked incredulously. Wars were frequent in Chan Country, and the Wu Family had rivals. Mutual attacks were common, and there had been instances of family warlords being annihilated before. ¡°Their exact origin is unknown, but what is known is that the company is financially strong and has great mobilization capabilities; they easily armed nearly ten thousand warriors.¡± Wu Qingjie passed the documents over, then relayed the most crucial piece of information, ¡°Additionally, the owner of Jieke Company is ostensibly a woman named Liu Yingying.¡± At these words, the meeting room fell silent, so quiet one could hear a pin drop. After a long while, someone spoke up with a parched voice, ¡°Chinese... Could it be that the great northern nation wants to make a move on us?¡± Many furrowed their brows, and some felt a nervous urge to urinate, their whole bodies uncomfortable. Nobody feared retaliation from the great northern nation more than they did. They were deserters themselves, and although they had fled to a foreign land and bullied their way into power using military strength, they knew the power of the northern nation that had caused them to flee in the first place, and that was even more true today. ¡°You all take a look for yourselves, the way Jieke Company started up; they united the lower-class poor to rise up, enticing with profit and influencing with power. First stirring up public resentment in the Mande Region, then sweeping away the Mande United Army with a thunderous force, and executing Wen Bo publicly to win over the poor, winning the hearts of the Mande Region¡¯s people. These methods, don¡¯t they seem familiar?¡± Wu Qingjie said gravely as he displayed some documents on a projector. Gulp! Someone nervously swallowed their saliva. The more they considered these tactics, the more they resembled the shadow of that great nation. ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s still unknown how exactly the Mande United Army was annihilated. Our local informants asked the civilians near the barracks. They heard dense gunfire and explosions from the mountains, which stopped after less than half an hour. All sounds disappeared. We don¡¯t know which military force annihilated the Mande United Army, but looking at the strength of our Chan Country¡¯s warlord forces, even mobilizing an army of ten thousand for a battle that lasts days and nights wouldn¡¯t be strange. Such a clean and decisive fight could only mean it was a one-sided crushing.¡± With an expressionless face, Wu Qingjie pulled out a photo. It was the last photo of Liu Yingying giving a speech in Mande City Square. ¡°This person, there¡¯s definitely a powerful armed force behind her. With her Chinese identity, do I need to say more?¡± The meeting room fell into silence again, filled only with the sound of heavy breathing. Someone bit their teeth in shock and fear, whispering, ¡°How can this be, how can this be? After so many years, why would they still lay hands on us?¡± ¡°Have you really thought others were unaware of the business you¡¯ve been doing lately? Aren¡¯t the piglets that mainly come from the north, the ones used in your scam operations? Even I¡¯ve heard about your infamous practice of harvesting kidneys countless times.¡± Wu Qingjie slapped the conference table and huffed, ¡°They¡¯re probably warning us now, can¡¯t you see? Stop the business in the scam parks for now.¡± ¡°Ah! Patriarch, the scam parks are our most profitable venture at the moment. If we don¡¯t have those piglets, how are we going to maintain the army?¡± ¡°Fools, what¡¯s more important, money or life? Let¡¯s wait for this storm to pass. If there is no reaction from the north, we¡¯ll resume work. We have the piglets in our possession, anyways; we can make money anytime.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Patriarch. I¡¯ll let them shift and avoid the limelight for now. As for the Mande Region...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother, act as if you haven¡¯t seen anything. As long as the other party makes no further moves, we must not provoke them.¡± ........... The power shifts occurring in the Mande Region didn¡¯t attract much attention. In a country like Chan Country, teeming with warlords, it wasn¡¯t unusual for powers to fight one another, with the newly risen being ousted in no time. The people had grown so accustomed to the changing flags that nobody took it seriously anymore. With the complete annihilation of the Mande United Army, nothing further hindered the rapid growth of Jieke Company, which steered into the fast lane. In the Mande Region, with its several hundred thousand inhabitants and over a hundred thousand households, the majority chose to enter into insect breeding agreements with Jieke Company. Jieke Company supplied the insect species and feed, while the villagers bred Poison Insects, which Jieke Company would buy back upon maturity. Such a commercial model blossomed everywhere in the Mande Region, simply because it was profitable. In the past, farming barely earned a few hundred Hua Yuan a month, but after collaborating with Jieke Company, income easily broke through the thousand yuan mark monthly. That was the real reason why villagers eagerly sought partnership with Jieke Company. Before long, the entire Mande Region was teeming with Insect Breeders. The Poison Insects and snakes they bred would, in turn, become food for the Thousand-Hand Centipede. Every day, Poison Insects and snakes were delivered continuously by the ton, to the extent that the Thousand-Hand Centipede, even after gorging until its belly rounded, could only gaze longingly at the mountainous pile of Poison Insects and snakes, unable to finish them, simply unable to consume them all. Amidst this binge-eating spree, the growth of the Thousand-Hand Centipede was naturally swift. Especially now that it consumed a variety of Poison Insects, it benefitted from a more balanced diet, allowing the strength of the Thousand-Hand Centipede to surge dramatically, once again entering a Spirit Refining state. This was the Third Spirit Refining for the Thousand-Hand Centipede. Su Jie, worried about the disturbance it might cause, took the Thousand-Hand Centipede deep into the mountains, silently observing its transformation. The Spirit Refining evolution took even longer this time. After about ten hours, Su Jie finally saw the solid Insect Cocoon showing signs of reaction. The giant Insect Cocoon, several meters high and over ten meters long, lit up with a purple glow. Light burst through fissures, the vigorous Spiritual Power fluctuations also surged, sweeping in all directions, forcing Su Jie to retreat a few steps to avoid the intense storm of Spiritual Power. Chapter 53 - 51: Low-Grade Three-Refining Poisonous Insect Chapter 53: Chapter 51: Low-Grade Three-Refining Poisonous Insect ¡°` Crack! Crack! The top of the Insect Cocoon was drilled open, and the tender body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede crawled out of the cocoon. The freshly molted body was a pinkish color, but as it came into contact with the air, the insect shell quickly turned black and thickened, turning into a heavy chitin shell. By now, the fully transformed Thousand-Handed Centipede had reached an astonishing length of 12 meters, comparable to the size of a bus. Sizzle! The new insect shell was somewhat itchy, and the Thousand-Handed Centipede stood up straight and rubbed against a large tree to scratch the itch. However, this action unexpectedly caused the tree, tens of meters high, to collapse, and the falling branches and leaves landed on the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s head. It looked very confused, still not quite adapted to the sudden increase in its immense power. ¡°A low-grade poisonous insect that has undergone Three Refinements in Spirit Refining. Even among the inner disciples, I¡¯m afraid not many could achieve this,¡± Su Jie thought happily, turning his gaze to the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. The most significant change in this round of Spirit Refining evolution was not the increase in size, but the growth of a layer of hard carapace on its head, presenting a ghastly white color similar to the pale Corpse Hands, as if made from pale bones. The surface of the mask was filled with cracks, and a purple glow seeped and flowed underneath, eerie beyond words. In the eyeholes of the mask, there were a pair of deep grooves, and at the dark center lay a pair of cold, merciless insect eyes, staring at any living being that came close. The appearance of this Bone Mask made the Thousand-Handed Centipede even more bizarre and sinister. Just one look at it sent shivers down the spine, invoking an instinctual fear that warned not to touch, not to come close, not to attempt communication, for despair was all that awaited. Thud thud! Su Jie knocked on the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s mask, placing his hand upon it. The mask felt cold and hard to the touch, with a deep purple glow flickering as if warm currents were surging within it. The stroked Thousand-Handed Centipede lowered its head, happily arching forward seeking affection. ¡°Xiao Qian, try the new ability,¡± Su Jie said as he patted the massive head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede and took several steps back to stand firm. Sizzle! The Thousand-Handed Centipede rose halfway up and upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s command, a gloomy blue-purple light flashed on its bone mask. Boom boom boom! The next moment, dozens of purple light rays burst forth from the cracks in the mask¡¯s cheeks, like beams of high-temperature lasers. Whatever the purple light touched, trees snapped, rocks melted, the super high temperature distorted the very air. Each Purple Light Ray was extremely powerful, blasting through and severing at least a dozen large trees before their energy dissipated into nothing, leaving hot wind in their wake that caused the surrounding temperature to rapidly rise by more than twenty degrees. Immediately after, the Thousand-Handed Centipede slightly shifted its head, and with it the Purple Light Rays shifted, cutting through the lush trees as if they were slicing through butter. In the blink of an eye, the trees were severed and toppled, with smoke and dust filling the air. It sounds like a lengthy process, but actually, it happened incredibly fast. In just a few seconds, a large swath of forest in front was laid to waste, with the ground covered in scorched earth and burning trees. The Thousand-Handed Centipede then closed the cracks on its bone cheeks, appearing somewhat languid as it lay down. It was clear that this move took a great toll on it and could only be used as a trump card, not as a normal attack. ¡°Purple Light Rays akin to high-temperature lasers, this move is suitable as a trump card,¡± Su Jie marveled at the new ability the Thousand-Handed Centipede had mastered after its third Spirit Refining. ¡°` Such high-temperature beams could melt through solid steel, let alone the flesh of ordinary humans. Following this, Su Jie summoned the thousand-hand centipede to shrink its body and began operating the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture. The surging life force and spiritual power within the thousand-hand centipede continuously poured back into Su Jie¡¯s limbs and bones through reverse nourishment. After circulating through thirty-six Grand Circulations, Su Jie finally digested and absorbed them, synchronizing his aura completely with that of the thousand-hand centipede. Several hours later, Su Jie lifted his head, rubbed his eyes, and mobilized his spiritual power. In an instant, Su Jie¡¯s pupils turned a deep purple, and two beams of purple light burst forth, snapping several large trees before burning a hole several meters deep and one meter wide into the ground. The soil and rocks at the edge of the hole melted into flowing magma. Whew! Seeing the power of this strike, Su Jie was satisfied, but his complexion turned somewhat pale as over half of his spiritual power was depleted. Although this move was sudden and possessed astonishing power and style, it consumed a huge amount of spiritual energy indeed. Su Jie tried to minimize the supply of spiritual power while increasing the number of times he could fire the beam, but the power of the Purple Light Ray also dropped significantly. As Su Jie was happily testing his abilities, the thousand-hand centipede was not so pleased. Hiss! The thousand-hand centipede cried out, looking at Su Jie with a grievance and signaling its hunger. Having just advanced and burned through its energy reserves, its stomach was very hungry. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll take you back,¡± Su Jie chuckled, cleaned up the scene, and drove the thousand-hand centipede to an insect warehouse. This place stored a large number of various poisonous insects and snakes, all prepared as food for the thousand-hand centipede. Upon entering the warehouse, the thousand-hand centipede resumed its original size and began to eat and drink lavishly. Being as large as a bus, its appetite was incredibly vast. The thousand-hand centipede grasped a box full of poisonous insects, opened it, and with a wide-open maw, the waterfall of insects cascaded into its mouth, swallowed directly. Although the thousand-hand centipede ate quickly, the warehouse held such a vast quantity of poison insects, they filled more than half the space. The thousand-hand centipede had eaten less than one-tenth of the warehouse¡¯s insects before its belly became round and tight. And this was just one of the many insect warehouses of Jieke Company. In addition, there were several large-scale poisonous insect breeding farms; after all, the tens of thousands of citizens in the Mande Region were almost all rearing and catching insects. Daily, a massive quantity of poisonous insects was purchased by Jieke Company, which was already far beyond the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s dietary needs. ¡°Its size is growing slower.¡± Su Jie watched the thousand-hand centipede eat and frowned slightly. His concern was not with the amount the thousand-hand centipede consumed but the fact that after eating so many poisonous insects and snakes, there were hardly any signs of evolution. In the past, the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s size could almost always be seen increasing after devouring a large amount of poisonous insects. The current situation further confirmed one thing: regular poison insects and snakes were becoming less and less effective for the thousand-hand centipede, almost approaching zero. Fortunately, Su Jie had anticipated this. His occupation of the Mande Region was preparation for this very challenge. Only by capturing poisonous insects from the Tianyuan World and breeding them on Blue Star, using Blue Star¡¯s insect resources to enable their rapid evolution and quality enhancement, and then feeding them to the thousand-hand centipede, could he maintain its growth speed. ¡°It¡¯s about time to go back and catch some poisonous insects from Insect Valley,¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes flashed with a fierce light. He had initially fled from the Black Market under duress, but now, with greatly increased strength, cultivation at the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, the thousand-hand centipede advanced to Low Grade Three Refinements, and mastery of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, Su Jie now had the confidence to face everything in Tianyuan World once again. Chapter 54 - 52: Return to Tianyuan World Chapter 54: Chapter 52: Return to Tianyuan World Several days later! In the Tianyuan World, at the Black Market of Ghost Ridge Palace. Inside a low house, Su Jie stepped out of the Ancient Mirror and quickly released a Reconnaissance Dragonfly from his sleeve. Humming! The Reconnaissance Dragonfly flew out of the house, circling in the air above the nearby buildings. ¡°Is there no one there?¡± Su Jie raised an eyebrow, thinking about it, it made sense, as the disciples who were after him would have assumed that Su Jie had escaped from another location and wouldn¡¯t choose to stake out the original spot for two months. That was not persistence, that was stupidity. He took out a mask from his Storage Bag and put it on his face, pulled his hood over, and stepped out of the house onto the streets of the Black Market. Two months had passed, and the Black Market was even more desolate than when Su Jie had left. The disciples on the road were few and far between, with a gloominess in their expressions. ¡°The Alien Ghost issue still hasn¡¯t been resolved, huh!¡± Su Jie thought to himself as he walked for about fifteen minutes and arrived in front of the gatehouse of Taixu Pavilion. In the Black Market, he only knew one person, and to understand the recent situation in Ghost Ridge Palace, he had to come here. Su Jie walked into the Taixu Pavilion and saw a woman organizing talismans inside the hall. Upon hearing footsteps, the woman hurriedly turned around, revealing her high-bridged nose, lips red as fire, eyes like peach blossoms, and a full figure that, with the mellowing of the years, exuded the unique charm of mature femininity that was mesmerizing. ¡°Fellow Daoist, may I ask if you need to purchase talismans or Magic Artifacts? I am the manager of Taixu Pavilion...¡± Cai Chun¡¯e¡¯s following words were cut off as she saw Su Jie remove his mask, her pretty face instantly showed astonishment, ¡°Mr. Su, it¡¯s you...¡± ¡°Surprised to see me?¡± Su Jie walked forward while taking off his black hooded robe. ¡°Because... everyone recently said you were being pursued and hadn¡¯t been seen for a long time; many people thought you were already dead, I also thought you really...¡± Cai Chun¡¯e was somewhat embarrassed, obviously, she had harbored such thoughts before, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised to see Su Jie. ¡°With a beautiful woman like Sister Cai worrying about me, how could I willingly die so easily.¡± ¡°Go on, stop being so shameless,¡± retorted Cai Chun¡¯e, rolling her eyes at Su Jie before quickly walking to the entrance of Taixu Pavilion. After looking around, Cai Chun¡¯e closed the main gate and hung up a sign indicating it was temporarily closed for business. ¡°It¡¯s already such a time, and you still dare to show up directly. What if someone discovers you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way around it, hiding forever isn¡¯t an option. I still need to live and continue my cultivation. Besides, I¡¯ve used up all the resources I got from the Alien Ghost, so there must be a lot fewer disciples wanting to hunt me down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but as long as Mr. Su still has the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, I¡¯m afraid...¡± Cai Chun¡¯e shook her head, then seemed to think of something, looking at Su Jie hesitantly. Su Jie¡¯s eyes flashed with a sharp light as he drew closer, facing Cai Chun¡¯e, ¡°Sister Cai, feel free to speak your mind.¡± The two were so close that they could even feel each other¡¯s breath. Cai Chun¡¯e stepped back, turned her head slightly, and said tentatively, ¡°I was thinking, Mr. Su could choose to sell the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword to Taixu Pavilion. This is also for your consideration, as the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword is too tempting. If it¡¯s openly sold, naturally, it would eliminate many hidden prying eyes.¡± With her charming and seductive eyes, Cai Chun¡¯e spoke softly and gently, trying to persuade him to boost her own performance. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, as a top-notch Low Grade Flying Sword, was incredibly powerful, which was evident from the ease with which Su Jie used it to effortlessly kill thousands from the Mande United Army. It was an absolutely deadly weapon. Such an expensive and rare treasure, which would start at a thousand Blood Marrow Crystals on the Black Market, and with no guaranteed availability¡ªno wonder Cai Chun¡¯e would make such a statement. If a deal could be struck, it would surely raise her status within the Taixu Pavilion. In Cai Chun¡¯e¡¯s view, Su Jie was surely eager to escape from his pursuers now, and her offer was mutually beneficial, making it the best time to propose the trade. ¡°Is that so? So that¡¯s what Sister Cai thinks!¡± Su Jie advanced again, and although Cai Chun¡¯e might not have meant any harm, Su Jie definitely couldn¡¯t accept such a request¡ªperhaps he had been too accommodating! Had it been an inner disciple, Cai Chun¡¯e would certainly not have dared to suggest such an audacious idea. Just as Cai Chun¡¯e was about to say something else, her expression suddenly changed. A strong murderous intent swept over her, making her petite body feel as if it had fallen into an icy cave. Her heart felt as if it was clenched by a demonic claw, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Clang clang! The Taixu Pavilion suddenly shook as the Defense Formation automatically activated. Gleaming golden Seal Talismans emerged from the building¡¯s floor, and there appeared Dharma Wheel, Heavenly Arrow, Wen Spear, and Jade Sword¡ªfour attack and kill arrays, faintly aiming at Su Jie. This was the Taixu Pavilion¡¯s Defense Formation, which would respond automatically to any perceived threat to protect the personnel and property of the Taixu Pavilion. Even with the protection promise from the Ghost Ridge Palace, a business that sold talismans and elixirs still had comprehensive protective measures¡ªjust in case it encountered disciples who were driven mad by greed, ignoring the rules of Ghost Ridge Palace, and taking desperate risks. ¡°What¡¯s happened? Is there a thug causing trouble?¡± In the Taixu Pavilion¡¯s backyard, a group of guards rushed over with weapons in hand, thinking they had encountered a dangerous situation. But as soon as they appeared, Su Jie¡¯s gaze moved toward them. Boom! In an instant, two high-temperature beams shot out from his pupils, immediately melting the weapons in their hands into molten metal, causing the guards to retreat in shock and horror. ¡°Everyone stop! Who told you to come here? Everyone back off!¡± Cai Chun¡¯e took a deep breath, turned around to scold, preventing the guards¡¯ rash actions, and then took out a Token, shutting down the Taixu Pavilion¡¯s self-operating Defense Formation. After doing all this, Cai Chun¡¯e turned her gaze back to Su Jie, speaking gravely, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that Mr. Su, you are so powerful, to have reached the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm cultivation.¡± While speaking, Cai Chun¡¯e felt some regret about her earlier suggestion. The Su Jie before her was not as ordinary as others had implied. The three Alien Ghosts were certainly not a matter of luck; it was possible he had hunted them himself. Because the threat and pressure Su Jie presented to her were far beyond what a mere Fifth Level of Yunling Realm would imply. A woman¡¯s intuition told her that if Su Jie truly wanted to kill her, even the Defense Formation laid out in the Taixu Pavilion might not be able to stop him. They might end up both harmed, but certainly, she wouldn¡¯t survive. Su Jie, looking at the receding talisman array, said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t have some strength, I would have been wiped clean by the other disciples long ago, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Seeing Su Jie¡¯s attitude, Cai Chun¡¯e gave a wry smile, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Su, I misspoke earlier. If I had known that you had such strength, I wouldn¡¯t have made that foolish suggestion. Even without our Taixu Pavilion, it seems no one could target you.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes gleamed with amusement. It appeared strength was indeed what earned one respect. He hadn¡¯t wasted his performance just now¡ªCai Chun¡¯e was finally taking the right attitude. ¡°Sister Cai, you shouldn¡¯t covet others¡¯ belongings so carelessly. I know you¡¯re worried about my safety, but to those unaware, they might think you¡¯re trying to force a sale at a lower price.¡± ¡°How could I? I never intended to force a price. Even if buying the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, it would be at a price satisfactory to you. Alright, I won¡¯t talk anymore. I apologize, I should not have had any designs on the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. You don¡¯t need to look like you¡¯re about to commit murder; we¡¯re not at that point in our relationship, right?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e personally poured tea to apologize to Su Jie. As someone in the Black Market business, she wasn¡¯t naive. Seeing Su Jie¡¯s strength, she naturally extinguished any improper thoughts she might have had. ¡°Sister Cai jokes, how could I ever lift a hand against you? I¡¯m the type who is always compassionate to women.¡± Su Jie reined in his aura and wore a smile on his face, as if nothing had happened moments before. Cai Chun¡¯e was speechless. Given his gaze and aura just now, with the Defense Formation activated, did he really have the nerve to say such a thing! Chapter 55 - 53: The Situation (Request for Follow-up Reading) Chapter 55: Chapter 53: The Situation (Request for Follow-up Reading) After the misunderstanding was cleared, Su Jie no longer acted hostilely but asked Cai Chun¡¯e about the recent situation at Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Are you saying the Alien Ghosts are wreaking havoc more severely now?¡± Su Jie set down his teacup, his fingers gently tapping the tea table as he looked across at Cai Chun¡¯e. ¡°Why would I lie to you? Just go out and ask around a little, and you¡¯ll find it¡¯s very difficult for us merchants to bring in goods now. Many types of elixirs, talismans, and Magic Artifacts in the Black Market are out of stock.¡± When Cai Chun¡¯e talked about this, she was full of complaints. ¡°Aren¡¯t there disciples stationed around the trade routes? Is that ineffective?¡± Before he returned to Blue Star, Su Jie recalled, Ghost Ridge Palace had mobilized most of its disciples to station outside. Cai Chun¡¯e shook her head and said, ¡°It was effective at first, but later the Alien Ghosts got smarter. They no longer move alone but travel in groups of twos and threes, and many stationed disciples have become the targets of the Alien Ghosts. Without a numerical advantage, the Outer Disciples are no match for the Alien Ghosts. Later, this strategy was canceled, and now the disciples primarily form trade route patrol teams of dozens or more, or they get involved in merchant convoy transports, acting as guards. Even so, the casualties and losses remain high.¡± Due to the threat of the Alien Ghosts, the number of merchant convoys coming to the Black Market has decreased by seventy percent, including our Taixu Pavilion. We can¡¯t bring in goods from Qingzhou, and many talismans and Magic Artifacts cannot be replenished. Each one sold reduces the stock further. Mr. Su, you might want to buy some now, or later, you might not even have a place to buy them,¡± warned Cai Chun¡¯e as her merchant nature revealed itself, trying to sell her products to Su Jie. ¡°I¡¯m penniless now, where would I get the money to buy goods, besides...¡± Su Jie pointed at the displayed talismans and Magic Artifacts and complained, ¡°Besides, your prices have soared too terrifyingly. They¡¯ve tripled in just two months¡ªwho can afford that? You really think all disciples are easy marks!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the market situation now. It¡¯s because Ghost Ridge Palace has been unable to eliminate the threat of the Alien Ghosts that we¡¯ve had to raise our prices out of necessity.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e was quite indignant, attributing the problem to the inaction of Ghost Ridge Palace. This time, Su Jie did not refute, understanding that one cannot hold Black Market merchants to too high a moral standard, and changed the subject, ¡°Sister Cai, being well-informed in the Black Market, I want to know, with the Black Market doing so poorly, has the business of trafficking human slaves also declined?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e was slightly startled and looked at Su Jie with a trace of significance, ¡°Are you also looking to use ¡®Human Refining¡¯?¡± So-called Human Refining involves using humans to practice Demon Techniques, such as consuming human flesh to enhance one¡¯s body, using human blood for Array Drawing, and Soul Extraction for nourishing elixirs, etc. These methods often provide rapid progression in cultivation, and although there are hidden dangers later on, they are powerful in the early stages. ¡°I¡¯m just asking. After all, if the slave traders in the Black Market have decreased, the Elders will certainly not let it go,¡± said Su Jie with a shrug, unbothered by the topic of Human Refining as a Demon Cultivator. ¡°That¡¯s still okay,¡± Cai Chun¡¯e breathed a sigh of relief; she disliked those Demon Cultivators who practiced using human slaves, finding it too creepy and evil. After thinking for a moment, Cai Chun¡¯e said, ¡°Indeed, as you guessed, the Black Market currently has ninety percent fewer human slaves for sale, and most of the slave trading businesses have already closed down. Think about it! With the Alien Ghosts being so dangerous, and even the disciples struggling to resist, bringing along a group of powerless slaves into the mountains, caring for their food, drink, and travel along the way not only slows them down but also makes large-scale actions more likely to be targeted by the Alien Ghosts. Just from what I¡¯ve heard, there have been no fewer than a dozen cases of slave traders being annihilated by groups of Alien Ghosts, and who knows how many more there have been that haven¡¯t been reported.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Su Jie¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as he pondered the impact of the current situation. Although Su Jie wasn¡¯t aware of other Demon Cultivation Sects, the higher-ups and Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace, if not all, most practiced the Human Refining Demon Technique and needed human slaves to sustain their daily consumption. You could tell by looking at the flourishing human slave market on the Black Market. It was like smoking opium; once you started practicing the Human Refining Demon Technique, it was very hard to stop. If there was a prolonged stoppage in the intake of human slaves, the withdrawal symptoms of practicing the Human Refining Demon Technique would become apparent. Getting easily angered or going insane were the lesser evils, some would even undergo flesh mutations and soul disarray, turning into deformed monsters, which were much more horrifying than the Righteous Cultivators running amok. This was precisely what Su Jie was worried about. The high-ranking Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace would certainly not disregard a decline in the number of human slaves available on the Black Market. In the end, to solve this problem, orders were issued one after another, but it was still the Disciples like him who had to run the errands. Unfortunately, he was just an Outer Disciple and, despite feeling a storm coming and being fraught with anxiety, he was utterly helpless. After learning some information from Cai Chun¡¯e, Su Jie didn¡¯t continue to bother her and said, ¡°Thank you for telling me, Sister Cai. While I still have some free time, I need to find something to do. Eh, the weather is nice today, perfect for fishing. Sister Cai, would you like to join me?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e thought Su Jie was joking and rolled her pretty eyes, ¡°You still have the leisure for that, but I don¡¯t have the time; I still need to mind the store.¡± ¡°Then, all right. I¡¯ll just go by myself then, Sister Cai, I take my leave.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e nodded and said, ¡°Be extra careful out there on your own. I¡¯m still counting on you to look after my business.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Su Jie grinned, didn¡¯t say much else, and got up to leave Taixu Pavilion. Cai Chun¡¯e watched Su Jie leave, but just as he reached the door, Cai Chun¡¯e suddenly gasped, saw the mask left on the table, and realizing something, hurriedly picked up the mask and chased after Su Jie. ¡°Wait a minute, Mr. Su, you haven¡¯t put on your mask yet, don¡¯t go out yet.¡± However, by the time she said this, Su Jie had already pushed open the door and walked out boldly. ¡°Sister Cai, one can¡¯t fish without baiting the hook,¡± he said. Su Jie didn¡¯t go to take the mask, just waved his hand and, without turning back, walked into the streets of the Black Market. ¡°Wait, he¡¯s going to...¡± After a moment of stunned silence, Cai Chun¡¯e quickly understood the reason behind Su Jie¡¯s actions. She stared in shock at the gradually receding figure and couldn¡¯t resist blurting out after quite a while, ¡°This madman.¡± ... Although the Black Market was in decline, there were still Disciples around. Acquiring resources for war preparation was a rigid demand for the Disciples, regardless of how high the prices soared, it was insignificant in comparison to the value of life. And Su Jie, who had become a notable personality in the Black Market just two months ago, was recognized by many Disciples, and those Black Market merchants remembered his face even more clearly. Much like the relationship between Su Jie and Cai Chun¡¯e, the merchants always had some familiar Disciples. Seeing Su Jie appear on the Black Market, some merchants¡¯ eyes flickered and they stealthily went to pass on the news. Su Jie, seemingly oblivious, wandered the Black Market several times, attracting a lot of attention before finally leaving the Black Market and heading toward Insect Valley. Chapter 56 - 54: Fortune Turns with Time (Seeking Continued Reading) Chapter 56: Chapter 54: Fortune Turns with Time (Seeking Continued Reading) Insect Valley! Deep and boundless, the true core of Insect Valley lay within a natural basin in the dense and verdant forest. Here, the deep veins of the land leaked Spiritual Energy onto the surface, and coupled with the suitable environment, it formed a paradise for various Poison Insects. Within Insect Valley, there weren¡¯t only countless inferior poisonous insects, but also Low Grade and Mid-grade poisonous insects made their appearances. Yet, ordinary Outer Disciples dared not capture them, for they were no match. At this moment on the perimeter of Insect Valley, Su Jie stood atop a tall tree, gazing at the vast expanse of the valley basin which had no visible end. The sounds of various insects crawling and chirping filled his ears. One could see spiders weaving webs everywhere, venomous bees hidden in the grass and shrubs, and ants marching in groups, Most of which were inferior poisonous insects that Outer Disciples could capture, but they also posed a certain threat. However, Su Jie was not worried at the moment. Instead of intending to capture any, he quietly stayed in place, silently calculating the time in his mind. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted slightly as he slowly turned around. Behind him, figures were rapidly darting through the forest. In just a matter of ten-odd seconds, they had moved hundreds of meters to come close to Su Jie. A total of eight Disciples, wearing the garb of Outer Disciples from Ghost Ridge Palace, their identities were self-explanatory; it was just unknown which Elder they served under. ¡°Who are you? What do you want to do?¡± Su Jie shook his body, feigning an expression of great alarm and looking anxiously at the approaching Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples. ¡°Mr. Su, you sure made us search for you. A whole two months, you¡¯ve wasted two months of our time, and now you¡¯re asking us what we want to do?¡± The leader of the group of Outer Disciples was a man with a Fifth Level of Yunling Realm cultivation. His face was sinister, with sunken eyes, and within one of his eye sockets was not a human eyeball but instead a rounded black beetle. At this moment, he was glaring fiercely at Su Jie, his malevolence not at all concealed in his gaze. The other Disciples mostly had a cultivation around the Third Level of Yunling Realm and were cooperating with the Insect Eye man to block Su Jie¡¯s path. ¡°So what exactly do you want to do? If you have no business with me, I¡¯ll be leaving!¡± Su Jie took a couple of steps back, his gaze shifting towards the forest beyond. More Disciples were on their way. The enemies were clearly stalling for time with their conversation, not aware that this also aligned perfectly with Su Jie¡¯s intentions. ¡°Want to leave? Hand over the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword first and we can let you go.¡± The Insect Eye man exuded a chilling aura. As he spoke, his eyes remained fixated on Su Jie, ready to react to any movement instantly. Shoo, shoo, shoo! Several more Disciples hurried over; they were a separate group from the Insect Eye man and not part of his faction. The arrival of the new Disciples changed the confrontation, with each group warily guarding against the other, fearing the others would reap the benefits of their conflict. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve come for the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. You should have said so sooner. If you want it, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Su Jie seemed to relax and took out the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword from his Storage Bag. Whoosh! In an instant, unknowable greed was firmly captivated. However, the Disciples did not relax their vigilance; on the contrary, they became even more alert, conjuring hordes of poisonous insects from their sleeves, prepared for Su Jie to take advantage of the situation. Yet none of them took the initiative to attack, as the threat of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was too great. Although reports indicated that Su Jie¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t formidable, only at the Fourth Level of Yunling Realm Cultivation, and acquiring Alien Ghost was merely good luck, Even the Insect Eye man felt intimidation in his heart; had it not been for the numerical advantage, he would certainly have turned tail and fled. Hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, the man with insect eyes could not help but say, ¡°Throw the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword over here, and I¡¯ll let you go.¡± ¡°Shut up, hand over the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword to us, and I guarantee your safety.¡± Another group of disciples likewise spoke up, their gaze vigilant and fixed on the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Su Jie looked back and forth with a wry smile and said, ¡°This puts me in a difficult spot, whom should I give it to? Why don¡¯t you fight it out among yourselves? I¡¯ll hand it over to whoever wins.¡± Both groups exchanged glances, and the man with insect eyes sneered, ¡°Trying to sow discord among us? Gentlemen, why don¡¯t we join forces to kill him first, then decide how to divide this White Bone Sky Slaying Sword?¡± The man with insect eyes seemed quite confident, and while he spoke, he even glanced back a few times inadvertently. The other group didn¡¯t speak, only quietly blocking Su Jie¡¯s retreat. At the same time, two other groups of disciples rushed over hurriedly. They were not on the same side either. In this way, with four groups combined, a total of twenty disciples surrounded Su Jie, each bearing an encircling stance. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here now! I¡¯ll just toss the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword randomly; whoever grabs it can have it.¡± Su Jie narrowed his eyes slightly and, having confirmed with his Reconnaissance Dragonfly that everyone had arrived, flung the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword out, By some twist of fate, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was thrown in the direction of the man with insect eyes, drawing the rapt attention of countless disciples towards this supreme Flying Sword. The man with insect eyes felt a chill in his heart, thinking that Su Jie intended to frame him and shouted angrily, ¡°Want to frame me? Kill him first.¡± It was precisely at this moment that the ground beneath Su Jie suddenly churned and shook. Following that, streams of purple light rays burst forth from underground. While the disciples were distracted, the rays instantly shone upon their bodies. Dozens of high-temperature beams struck the bodies of the disciples. They didn¡¯t even have a chance to cry out. The poisonous insects didn¡¯t have time to react before their bodies were ignited by the beams. Bones and flesh melted like ice and snow under the rays, leaving no intact corpses behind. In the blink of an eye, over twenty disciples met their untimely deaths. Only the man with insect eyes and three other disciples, all at the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, reacted quickly enough to narrowly avoid the rays, lucky to survive. ¡°Sorry, I might have gone a bit overboard. Next time, I will restrain myself a bit and try to leave you with a complete body.¡± Su Jie looked at the three men with a grin. No sooner had he finished speaking than the ground beneath Su Jie roared and shook, followed by a thunderous rumble as the thousand-hand centipede burst out from below. The previous attack had been unleashed by the thousand-hand centipede lying in wait underground, with exceedingly good effect. It truly lived up to its reputation as a skill honed through thrice-refined Spirit Refining, annihilating the majority of the enemies in one blow. ¡°Three times Spirit Refining a poisonous insect, how could it be, I must be seeing things.¡± ¡°This is bad, we¡¯ve been deceived, he set a trap for us.¡± ¡°This person is incredibly tricky, we...¡± The man with insect eyes, who was among the survivors, looked at Su Jie in terror. Before the last person could finish speaking, his pupils dilated dramatically, and his head fell from his neck; the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword didn¡¯t let him utter his last words before severing his head. ¡°Your turn now, don¡¯t make the brothers down below wait; they get lonely.¡± Su Jie smiled as he turned his gaze towards the remaining two men with insect eyes. Run! Run! Run! With their souls nearly fleeing their bodies, the two men were utterly terror-stricken and scrambled away without looking back. ¡°Go, bring them back.¡± Su Jie patted the head of the thousand-hand centipede he was riding, controlling the poisonous insect and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, intending to utterly obliterate his enemies. The thousand-hand centipede let out an excited hiss, charging through the forest like a war chariot, booming as it pursued its prey. The man with insect eyes and his fellows could probably never have imagined that Su Jie, whom they once chased to the point of forcing him to retreat to Blue Star, was, just two short months later, now hunting them down relentlessly, leaving them with no escape to the heavens and no doors to the earth, such are the vicissitudes of life. Chapter 57 - 55: Inner Disciple Chapter 57: Chapter 55: Inner Disciple The man with the Insect Eye panted heavily as he frantically fled. Hearing the footsteps growing heavier behind him, he couldn¡¯t help but look back. In the forest, flocks of birds took flight en masse, and a trail of dust rapidly approached in his direction¡ªthe result of trees being forcefully knocked down. ¡°Damn it, who said his strength was mediocre? Is this what you call mediocre?¡± The disturbance sent chills over the man with the Insect Eye as he tried to gauge the distance between himself and Su Jie. Even though he had stuck a Godspeed Talisman on his legs in an attempt to escape his pursuer, he couldn¡¯t really increase the distance. Instead, the sounds of the pursuit grew ever closer. Oddly, the man with the Insect Eye thought of a cat playing with a mouse. With the speed of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, he shouldn¡¯t have been able to make it this far. Unfortunately, in his panic, the man with the Insect Eye had no time to think deeply, or rather, he dared not think about it. The sparse light in the jungle had already frightened the man with the Insect Eye, turning him into a scared bird. Especially the deep shadows cast by the dense canopy and the twisted, dry branches swaying in the wind, which seemed like multiple shadows of Su Jie watching him from the darkness, leaving him with nothing but fear. ¡°I can¡¯t escape. There¡¯s no escape at all. Someone needs to help me delay him, buy me time to get back to Brother Feng. Only then might I have a chance to survive.¡± The tightly wound nerve in the man with the Insect Eye was about to snap. At that moment, he turned to look at another man who had fled with him, also an inner disciple with Fifth Level of Yunling Realm cultivation. A malicious look flashed across his face as the black beetle in his left eye suddenly writhed and burrowed out of his eye socket. This was his low-grade life-bound poisonous insect. Once it crawled out, its wings unfolded, emitting a mist that silently spread. The man, also with Fifth Level of Yunling Realm cultivation, suddenly went limp as if drunk, struck by the poison. This type of poisonous insect was mediocre in direct combat but sinisterly effective in ambush¡ªdespite the other man¡¯s preparedness, he fell victim to the schemes of the man with the Insect Eye. ¡°Thank you, fellow Daoist. Help me hold off that monster for a while. I will find someone to avenge you.¡± Not stopping for a moment, the man with the Insect Eye leapt over the other man and plunged deeper into the dense forest. ¡°You won¡¯t die a good death.¡± The enfeebled man roared bitterly, but his anger was futile. He could only helplessly listen to the increasingly approaching sounds of pursuit, as the fearsome low-grade three-refining poisonous insect came into view, its eyes emitting intense fear and despair. ... After a short while, the heart of the man with the Insect Eye trembled. He faintly heard a scream from behind, which made him speed up even more. Minutes later, the man with the Insect Eye caught sight of a small stream in the distance. Under the willow trees by the stream, a handsome young man with clear and gentle eyes and dressed in a white robe leaned against a tree. With one hand propping his cheek, he enjoyed the sunlight and breeze while admiring the lively swimming fish in the stream, seemingly immersed in his own world, exuding a sense of comfort and ease. Upon hearing footsteps, the young man slightly lifted his eyelids and spoke indifferently, ¡°Why are you the only one back? Did you handle things well?¡± With a thud! The man with the Insect Eye knelt on the ground, his voice trembling, ¡°Brother Feng, that Su... Su Jie was pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger. His strength is not at all as weak as we anticipated. Everyone we sent has been killed by him.¡± ¡°What are you saying? You can¡¯t even deal with an Outer Disciple? He wields the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword; didn¡¯t you guys team up? Could his Flying Sword still protect him, you bunch of trash.¡± Brother Feng snorted disdainfully and disdainfully kicked the man with the Insect Eye on the ground. ¡°No, Brother Feng, Su Jie... he¡¯s not just about the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. He also has... ¡± ¡°What else? You think finding excuses will save you? Incompetence in handling matters and wasting Spiritual Energy just by being alive.¡± Feng Wenjin interrupted the man with the Insect Eye without explanation, for he had seen too many of those who looked for excuses for their losses. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie, Su Jie really has...¡± The man with the Insect Eye hastily shouted, but before he could finish his sentence, Brother Feng¡¯s eyes sharpened, and he suddenly slapped toward the man with the Insect Eye. Buzzing! Countless tiny mosquitoes and flies formed a palm-sized one zhang square, which swooped down with a howl. ¡°Brother Feng, I really tried my best.¡± The man with the Insect Eye was terrified and instinctively tried to dodge. However, the palm formed by the mosquitoes and flies merely swept over the man¡¯s head, carrying with it a foul wind, and several dragonflies that couldn¡¯t dodge in time were shattered into blood foam by the powerful slap. ¡°Idiot, trailed by a long line without even realizing it.¡± Brother Feng snorted coldly, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed into the depths of the dense forest, slowly saying, ¡°Mr. Su, since you are here, why not show yourself.¡± The branches and leaves in the dense forest shook as a figure slowly stepped out. Just as this figure appeared, Brother Feng raised his right arm, and a dark light burst from his sleeve, instantly piercing through the heart of the figure emerging from the forest. Upon closer inspection, that dark light was actually a black centipede with six pairs of wings, arm-length, and its belly¡¯s limbs were shaped like blades, cutting like an electric saw in rapid flight, incomparably sharp. ¡°Hmm, an Insect Puppet?¡± Brother Feng saw the figure¡¯s heart pierced, yet there was no trace of joy on his face. Because that was clearly a corpse puppet forcibly controlled by insects. The man with the Insect Eye also saw the figure clearly, and felt a chill in his heart. This figure was precisely the man with the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm Cultivation whom he had underhandedly placed behind to draw Su Jie¡¯s attention; he had already lost all signs of life, and even in death, he was not left in peace but used to scout the way. ¡°Insect Control Technique, that is a magic skill only inner disciples are allowed to observe, where did you learn it from?¡± Brother Feng¡¯s gaze deepened as his eyes swept repeatedly through the forest, trying to locate Su Jie¡¯s figure. Whistling sounds! Several fire streaks shot out from the forest, a swarm of small flies had just appeared, only to be burnt to ashes; these flies were reconnaissance insects controlled by Brother Feng using the Insect Control Technique. However, Brother Feng didn¡¯t care at all, more flies flew chaotically in the forest, quickly detecting traces of movement. ¡°As expected of an inner disciple, your mastery of the Insect Control Technique is more proficient.¡± Along with a burst of applause from within the forest, Su Jie clapped his hands as he walked out from the gloomy and ominous forest. Since both parties mastered the Insect Control Technique, hiding was not very meaningful. After walking a few dozen meters, Su Jie stopped his steps, and both parties stood opposite each other across a small stream, sizing each other up. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the one hunting me would be an inner disciple under Elder Yi¡¯s lineage; your name is Feng Wenjin, right?¡± Su Jie recognized the identity of the handsome man opposite, having met him once before. Back then, at a black market betting fight, this man was an inner disciple under Yi Jingu, and the opponent had competed with Pei Haibing in hunting Alien Ghosts; although they had tied, in the end, the emerging Su Jie had taken the lead. Chapter 58 - 56: The Insect Fight Chapter 58: Chapter 56: The Insect Fight Feng Wenjin nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Heh, Mr. Su still remembers my name. Two months have passed since we last met, and you seem to have been doing quite well.¡± ¡°No, no, no, I haven¡¯t been doing well at all. Your disciples have never given me peace, and now even the Inner Sect disciples are joining in. It seems I¡¯ve underestimated the allure of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword.¡± Su Jie slightly moved his fingers, and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword flew through the clouds and broke through the sky, hovering above Su Jie¡¯s head, spinning around. Upon hearing this, Feng Wenjin sighed with a hint of self-reproach, ¡°It was my fault that my Master lost the wager, and with it, the Mid Grade Magical Artifact Taisu Shining Soul Pearl. Although Master didn¡¯t blame me afterwards, I felt extremely guilty and wanted to make it up to him personally. And what better way to make amends than to bring back the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword? Surely he would be very pleased.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re sure you¡¯ve got me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and from his sleeves, dozens of Yin Fire Blood Bees and Silver Winged Golden Line Cicadas flew out together. ¡°Mr. Su, you underestimate the strength of Inner Sect disciples. A flying sword doesn¡¯t mean you can truly match up to us Inner Sect disciples.¡± Feng Wenjin hooked up the corner of his mouth, and as he smiled lightly, he threw out a few poisonous insects that grew upon exposure to the wind. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a massive Poison Insect five meters in length, its body covered with pustules and barbs. This was a Low Grade One Refining poisonous insect, known as the Scale-prick Long Ghost Worm. Besides that, there were also four giant beetles over two meters in length, clad in thick insect armor, all Low Grade poisonous insects called Thundering Beetles, not only with immense strength and thick armor but also possessing the power of lightning. ¡°We Gu Masters rely on poisonous insects to fight. Relying on external items like flying swords, you can only act fierce for a moment.¡± Feng Wenjin elegantly spread his arms, as the four Thundering Beetles shook their bodies, baring their teeth and claws. Their horn-like antennae, comparable to spears, flickered with cold light, while the Scale-prick Long Ghost Worm raised its swollen head high. The Six-winged Centipede also hissed menacingly at Su Jie. Seeing this, Su Jie was not surprised; instead, he questioned skeptically, ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®that¡¯s all¡¯?¡± Feng Wenjin felt he had made quite an impact with his entrance and didn¡¯t quite grasp the meaning behind Su Jie¡¯s words. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s all the poisonous insects you, an Inner Sect disciple, have got? That¡¯s not enough! You are an Inner Sect disciple!¡± Su Jie rubbed his temple. Even though a Low Grade One Refining poisonous insect along with five Low Grade poisonous insects was already a terrifying combination, capable of an overwhelming victory over Outer Disciples, it was totally inadequate before Su Jie. ¡°Still acting tough at the brink of death. You defeated those worthless ones relying on the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, didn¡¯t you? But I¡¯m different.¡± Feng Wenjin was somewhat displeased. He felt a surge of irritation at Su Jie¡¯s belittlement. The ¡°worthless ones¡± he referred to were the Insect Eye man who managed to escape. Hearing Feng Wenjin¡¯s comment, the man¡¯s mouth opened to speak, but before he could say a word, he noticed the dense forest behind Su Jie shake, and a terrifying figure appeared in his field of vision. Ten or so meters in length, its vast insect body was black as ink jade, with hundreds of pale corpse hands creeping along. On its grotesque and terrifying Bone Mask head, a pair of cold and ruthless Insect Eyes moved, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine and a primal fear of the gigantic creature rising uncontrollably. Once the Thousand-Handed Centipede appeared, Feng Wenjin¡¯s expression changed dramatically, and his previously tranquil demeanor vanished. Instead, his mouth hung open slightly, his gaze blank. Disbelieving, he looked at the low-grade three-refining poisonous insect that had appeared behind Su Jie. ¡°Low Grade Three Refinements... How could there be a Low Grade Three Refinement poisonous insect? Where did you get the resources to cultivate it?¡± Feng Wenjin¡¯s confusion and shock received no answer, and he could only turn and glare at the Insect Eye man. If looks could kill, the Insect Eye man would probably be riddled with blood holes by now. With a cold face, Feng Wenjin forced out a soul-searching question through his clenched teeth, ¡°He has a Low Grade Three Refinement poisonous insect, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± The Insect Eye man had a gloomy expression, frantically explaining, ¡°I wanted to tell you, but you kept interrupting, and I never got the chance!¡± Feng Wenjin fell silent. He had looked down on the Outer Disciples too much, assuming Su Jie was merely acting fierce with the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword and dismissed the Insect Eye man¡¯s earlier attempts to explain himself. ¡°It seems I overestimated you, Inner Sect disciples. No, I should say I overestimated you. Not all Inner Sect disciples can be as lackluster as you are.¡± Su Jie shook his head. Before confronting the Inner Sect disciples, he had always overestimated Feng Wenjin¡¯s abilities. Now that he saw what was before him¡ªa Low Grade One Refining poisonous insect joined by several ordinary Low Grade poisonous insects¡ªhe was deeply disappointed. Of course, this was also related to Feng Wenjin¡¯s strength. Su Jie could vaguely sense that he was at the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm, which just met the minimum threshold for an Inner Sect disciple, certainly not comparable to seasoned Inner Sect disciples. Roar! The Thousand-Handed Centipede seemed to sense its master¡¯s dissatisfaction and let out a heavenward shriek. Its heavy and terrifying body charged forward like a rumbling train. A few Thundering Beetles surged with electricity, and several Lightning Balls fell, striking the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s Insect Shell, causing only minor cracks in the beautiful ink jade shell. The Scale-prick Long Ghost Worm opened its mouth wide as its barbs exploded and along with the pus from its pustules, sprayed at the Thousand-Handed Centipede, turning it into a hedgehog of sorts. Despite this, the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s speed was undiminished in the slightest, as if these attacks were no more than a tickle. Then, it was seen biting down ferociously. One of the Thundering Beetles shrieked as the Thousand-Handed Centipede bit it into two halves. After the strike, the upper body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede stood erect, and the numerous pale Corpse Hands detached from its body, crawling rapidly towards the other insects in an eerily mesmerizing manner, encroaching and biting like a horde of ants. In the blink of an eye, the remaining three poisonous beetles were enveloped by countless pale Corpse Hands and forcefully kneaded into a pulp of flesh and debris. Only the Scale-prick Long Ghost Worm, covered in pustules all over its body, experienced a stress response when attacked. Patches of pustules on its surface burst open, ejecting corrosive poisonous blood that eroded many of the approaching pale corpse hands. Less than ten seconds had passed since the battle started. Although there was only one Thousand-Handed Centipede, the difference in grades between the two sides was vast, like an adult striking a child. A few Thundering Beetles were crushed in the blink of an eye, and the Scale-prick Long Ghost Worm was also shivering. At the same time, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword pierced downward, nailing the Six-winged Centipede to death, then continued its relentless flight toward Feng Wenjin. ¡°Thousand mosquito swarm!¡± Feng Wenjin¡¯s complexion turned ugly as he slapped the blue pouch at his waist. Buzz buzz. A massive swarm of mosquitoes and tiny insects surged out of the bag, enveloping Feng Wenjin within them and forming a black Insect Cloud that covered hundreds of square meters. The Flying Sword dived into the swarm, like a swordfish entering a school of sardines, unable to locate Feng Wenjin¡¯s figure, only capable of killing those tiny mosquitoes and flies. Even the fire lines sprayed by the Yin Fire Blood Bees controlled by Su Jie were engulfed and extinguished by the Insect Cloud, and the Silver Winged Golden Line Cicada that flew into it was devoured cleanly in an instant. ¡°Thousand mosquitoes, Body Worm!¡± From within the Insect Cloud, Feng Wenjin¡¯s high-pitched voice resonated. Countless mosquitoes and flies converged into the form of a Jiaolong, a mythical dragon, rolling and twisting in the air as it lunged to attack Su Jie. Wherever the Insect Cloud passed, stones turned into hornet nests, and ancient trees exploded into a shower of wood chips, demonstrating formidable power. ¡°Xiao Qian.¡± Su Jie called out. The Thousand-Handed Centipede let go of the nearly consumed Scale-prick Long Ghost Worm. The Bone Mask split open, and beams of Purple Light Ray burst forth, instantly sweeping away scores of mosquitoes and flies with extreme heat, creating large voids within the Insect Cloud. The Insect Cloud churned, and a black pagoda floated in the void. This powerful Magical Artifact appeared, the layers of the pagoda opened, the air vibrated, and invisible air blades slashed in all directions. The Thousand-Handed Centipede coiled its body, protecting Su Jie at its center, as countless air blades slashed the ground into pieces. The Thousand-Handed Centipede sustained some light injuries but rapidly healed them in the blink of an eye. As the Thousand-Handed Centipede defended, the Scale-prick Long Ghost Worm opened its mouth wide, its abdomen swelling as white insect eggs spewed out like a waterfall from its oral apparatus. The moment the eggs touched the ground, they embedded themselves in all flesh and blood bodies. Visible to the naked eye, bulges formed under the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s insect shell. White maggots hatched and began to squirm through the flesh. In just a moment, the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s body shook violently, its massive form exploding into millions of small centipedes which turned around and consumed the white maggots as if they were delicious snacks. It was at this critical moment that Feng Wenjin, who had been waiting, saw his chance and decisively threw out three Advanced Low Grade Thunder Charms. Because the Thousand-Handed Centipede had fragmented into smaller centipedes, Su Jie¡¯s figure was exposed, and three arc-shaped bolts of lightning struck him from above. The rapidly intercepting White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was continuously buzzing from the impact, and Su Jie felt suffocated, with his internal qi and blood surging. Inner disciples indeed had many tricks up their sleeves. It was only because Su Jie was one level below in strength that he couldn¡¯t fully harness the power of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, otherwise Feng Wenjin wouldn¡¯t have been able to shake this Flying Sword at all. ¡°Die.¡± Feng Wenjin let out a cold laugh as the swarm of insects sharply compressed, condensing into a black giant sword. He himself merged with the sword, striking towards Su Jie like a bolt of lightning. The black pagoda continuously emitted air blades, bombarding the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword without pause, delaying the sword¡¯s offensive. ¡°Finally showing yourself.¡± Su Jie had been waiting for this opportunity. With a cold snort, the flesh on his side split open, and countless pale arms rapidly grew, continuously turning outwards like a blooming Corpse Hand flower, desperately blocking the advance of the Insect Sword. Countless pale arms were chopped off, only for new ones to grow back and take their place, holding their ground. Feng Wenjin bit down hard, wanting to break through with one final push when he suddenly saw Su Jie¡¯s cold eyes looking at him. Boom! Two Purple Light Rays shot out from Su Jie¡¯s pupils, with less than a meter separating them, giving Feng Wenjin no chance to avoid them. His entire upper body was melted by the high temperature of the Purple Light Rays, leaving only his legs standing rigidly in place. Clap clap clap clap clap! With Feng Wenjin¡¯s death, without the supply of Spiritual Power to control them, the swarm of mosquitoes dispersed and fled like rain. Not far away, countless small centipedes surrounded the Scale-prick Long Ghost Worm, which by now was eaten down to just a skeleton. Farther away, the Insect Eye man, who was affected by the battle between Su Jie and Feng Wenjin, was covered by the Scale-prick Long Ghost Worm¡¯s eggs, with white maggots hatching inside out all over his body, turning him into lifeless rotting corpse. It could be said that he was the most wronged in his death. The saying goes, ¡°When immortals fight, mortals suffer,¡± and Insect Eye man was a prime example. Chapter 59 - 57: Body Worm Focusing Method Chapter 59: Chapter 57: Body Worm Focusing Method ¡°Let¡¯s see what good stuff there is.¡± Su Jie bent down, happily collecting the loot. A roughly thirty-centimeter-tall black Nine-layered Pagoda. This was a Low Grade Middle Level Magical Artifact that continuously released invisible blades with just the supply of Spiritual Energy, easily worth hundreds of Blood Marrow Crystals. ¡°Void Light Nine-Blade Tower, nice name, it¡¯s my treasure now.¡± Su Jie saw the seal script engraved at the base of the tower, which also bore the stamp of an Artifact Refiner, serving as a kind of advertisement. Beyond this artifact, Su Jie found a palm-sized blue pouch, which was an Insect Control Bag. An Insect Control Bag is a special branch of a Storage Bag; it has a unique space inside where poisonous insects can survive. It cannot store items like a Storage Bag, its sole function is to carry poisonous insects and toxins. Once inside, the insects enter a semi-hibernation state where their metabolism nearly halts. Since Gu Masters primarily rely on poisonous insects for combat, and often can carry only a limited amount, especially in the case of a large quantity of tiny insects, the Insect Control Bag is essential for transportation. Like the swarm of mosquitoes and flies that Feng Wenjin had summoned, they would normally be kept in an Insect Control Bag and summoned for battle, because it would be impossible for an individual to carry such a large swarm otherwise. Su Jie checked it and quickly covered it with his own blood, then used Spiritual Energy to refine away the prohibitions left by Feng Wenjin. He found that this Beast Control Bag had about several dozen cubic meters of space, quite substantial. It would cost at least two to three hundred Blood Marrow Crystals on the Black Market. ¡°This guy is loaded.¡± Su Jie clicked his tongue twice, he hadn¡¯t been willing to buy an Insect Control Bag himself, but this unexpected find had saved him an expense. Next to the Storage Bag was another small bag, a three cubic meter mini Storage Bag. Within the Storage Bag, there were a good number of Blood Marrow Crystals, as well as some Low Grade Talismans and elixirs, along with many auxiliary Cultivation Materials. Their value also added up to hundreds of Blood Marrow Crystals. Adding up the previous findings, Feng Wenjin had provided Su Jie with loot worth over a thousand Blood Marrow Crystals. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s this?¡± As Su Jie was digging through the Storage Bag, his gaze suddenly sharpened when he saw three pale golden Scriptures. The Scriptures were made from the same material as the Insect Control Technique he had previously obtained, which made Su Jie¡¯s heart leap with joy. He concentrated and saw that each of the three books had a line written in seal script on the cover. ¡°Gu Master¡¯s Secret ¨C Insect Control Technique¡± ¡°Gu Master¡¯s Secret ¨C Body Worm Focusing Method¡± ¡°Gu Master¡¯s Secret ¨C Human Worm Refining Technique¡± Besides the Insect Control Technique that Su Jie had previously acquired, the other two Scriptures were unknown to him. Based on the material, these three Scriptures should be texts only available to inner disciples for cultivation, considered an advanced version of the Hundred Poison Refining Insect Scripture. Su Jie opened the Scriptures and read carefully. He discovered that the Body Worm Focusing Method was the technique Feng Wenjin had used to command the mosquito and fly Insect Cloud. This method, in essence, was about controlling swarms of insects. The specific process involved finding a type of insect that lived in a community, then continuously bathing them in Spiritual Power to gradually blend one¡¯s own essence with the swarm¡¯s. Many insect communities have social structures with strict hierarchies and clear divisions of labor. For example, in ant colonies, the queen ant is the core of the entire colony, and bee swarms have a queen bee. The Body Worm Focusing Method is about disguising oneself as the leader of an insect swarm and thereby controlling the entire swarm. Otherwise, like regular Gu Masters that connect through heart and blood, facing tens of thousands of insects, trying to control each one individually would be toilsome to the point of death! ¡°It¡¯s actually a magic skill for controlling insect swarms.¡± As Su Jie read more about the Body Worm Focusing Method, the more he liked it, feeling very tempted. Then, Su Jie couldn¡¯t wait to flip through the last scripture, the Human Worm Refining Technique. However, the more Su Jie read the scripture, the more somber his expression became. Because the cultivation method recorded in this scripture was too horrifying to contemplate. The so-called Human Worm Refining Technique involved using living humans for cultivation feeding insects with humans, merging humans with insects, and finally transforming oneself into a human-like poisonous insect. The whole process was incredibly bloody and terrifying. Even though the scripture stated that once mastered, this technique was mighty, Su Jie had no intention of practicing it. ¡°I¡¯m afraid those Elders bought so many living people from the Black Market precisely to cultivate this kind of magic skill.¡± Su Jie murmured to himself, relegating the Human Worm Refining Technique to an untouched shelf, unable to overcome the psychological barrier it presented. After acquiring the three scriptures, Su Jie found no other spoils that caught his eye. Looking around, the thousand-hand centipede had already cleaned up all the scattered insect corpses on the battlefield, its insect armor becoming even more lustrously shining. Cleaning up some of the traces at the scene, Su Jie collected all the corpses and burned them thoroughly, destroying the evidence, leaving no bodies behind for identification. An inner disciple was different from an Outer Disciple, whose status was expendable killing an Inner Sect disciple would definitely lead to an investigation by their respective Elders, and Su Jie certainly didn¡¯t want to provoke an Elder at this time. After making sure he left no personal information behind, Su Jie put away the Void Light Nine-Blade Tower, called back the thousand-hand centipede, and swiftly left the area. .......... Two days later! On the periphery of Insect Valley, in a desolate mountain cliff valley, thumb-sized insects with facial features akin to humans lay on rocks and trees. The noise created when they fluttered their wings sounded like the wind blowing through a sea of trees, and their number was astonishingly large. This was the territory of the human-faced moth, and the human-faced moths living here would devour any enemy bold enough to intrude and disturb them. On a cliff within the terrain of the human-faced moths, a figure stood. It was Su Jie, who had just learned the Body Worm Focusing Method and wanted to test his newly acquired skills. Facing the swarm of insects at the bottom of the cliff, Su Jie took a deep breath and took out a small bottle from his Storage Bag, filled with shimmering red blood. The human-faced moths were extremely sensitive to blood. As soon as Su Jie opened the bottle, the human-faced moths within several kilometers were immediately alarmed. Flapping their wings and lifting their rotund bodies quickly into the air, they formed a dark, towering sandstorm that furiously surged towards Su Jie. Su Jie had just positioned the thousand-hand centipede to coil itself properly, with him sheltering inside it. Then he saw the masses of human-faced moths, drawn by the scent of blood, dive-bombing from the sky, hitting the thousand-hand centipede like rain, their ferocious mouthparts tearing and spitting corrosive acid. The thousand-hand centipede, already at Low Grade Three Refinements, should not have feared the human-faced moth, which was considered an inferior poison insect. But as the saying goes, quantity can cause a qualitative change¡ªants can bite an elephant to death. The coiled-up thousand-hand centipede was completely enveloped by the human-faced moths, resembling an onion ring covered in breadcrumbs, with countless moths viciously biting and spitting acid, the insect shell hissing as it corroded. If this continued, not even a Mid Grade Three Refinements could withstand it. This demonstrated the terrifying nature of the group-living human-faced moths. Su Jie dared not delay. He decisively grew numerous pale corpse hands that reached out from between the coiled segments of the thousand-hand centipede, grabbing large numbers of human-faced moths. Without time to count them, he immediately made the thousand-hand centipede take off. The thousand-hand centipede twisted its body, managed to swallow a few human-faced moths, then raised its head. The Bone Mask split open, and dozens of Purple Light Rays cleared a path. Its dense underside full of pale Corpse Hands crawled rapidly, breaking out of the territory of the human-faced moths. Chapter 60 - 58: Human-faced Moth Swarm Chapter 60: Chapter 58: Human-faced Moth Swarm After escaping the territory of the human-faced moth, the monstrous swarm chasing him slowed down. The Thousand-Handed Centipede took a burst of energy and carried Su Jie tens of kilometers away, completely losing sight of the human-faced moth and successfully evading their pursuers. ¡°How fierce!¡± Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Su Jie used to sneak around in the past when facing the human-faced moths, crouching stealthily all day, looking for a chance to snatch a few. This was the first time he had been so dominantly aggressive, and the process was quite perilous. This could be seen from the state of the Thousand-Handed Centipede; its beautiful jade-like insect body had become pockmarked and some flesh had been corroded. It was currently whimpering pitifully and sneakily eyeing the captured human-faced moths, wanting to feed on them. ¡°You can¡¯t eat these.¡± Su Jie pushed the huge head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede away, delightfully looking at the captured human-faced moths, numbering at least a thousand. Fearing that the vitality of these human-faced moths would decline, Su Jie grabbed a few and crushed them with his fingers, smearing the insect blood on his palm. He then sat down with his legs crossed and began to practice the Body Worm Focusing Method. The insect blood in his palm seemed to be scorched by high heat, evaporating into mist which Su Jie inhaled into his lungs. Spiritual Power surged with his breath, and Su Jie¡¯s breathing rhythm became extremely slow, taking a dozen minutes for his chest to rise and fall once, his long breath accompanying the flow of Spiritual Energy, his aura gradually changing, his thoughts slowing down, his mind emptying. The human-faced moths, originally held by the pale corpse hands, were extremely agitated, frantically attacking everything around them. But as Su Jie practiced the Body Worm Focusing Method, the scent of the insect blood on him changed, quieting many of the human-faced moths down. Several hours later, almost all the human-faced moths had calmed down, lying quietly on the pale corpse hands. Even when Su Jie loosened their restraints, the human-faced moths did not fly away to escape. Opening his eyes from cultivation, Su Jie picked up a few human-faced moths and placed them on his palm. These short and stout poisonous insects, with human-like features, showed no intention of attacking. ¡°Take off!¡± With a thought from Su Jie, a few human-faced moths looked up at him, then continued to lie on his hand, with only one moth moving slightly, rolling over on his palm, making Su Jie¡¯s forehead crease with a black line. ¡°It seems I¡¯m not quite commanding as an Insect King yet! Need more practice.¡± Though not disappointed, Su Jie had only been practicing for a few hours, and the effect he achieved had already surprised him. After thinking it over, Su Jie took out several Blood Marrow Crystals from his storage bag, crushed them, and threw them to the human-faced moths. The once calm moths immediately started nibbling on the Blood Marrow Crystals. ¡°Take off.¡± After the few human-faced moths had eaten their fill, Su Jie issued the command again. This time, the moths flapped their wings and flew up from Su Jie¡¯s palm, swirling around him in chaotic flight. ¡°Dammit, there¡¯s no loyalty without feeding.¡± Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but express his annoyance; his Body Worm Focusing Method was still not perfected, and he could only rely on this method to speed up the Insect Control. ¡°But wanting to eat, that¡¯s much simpler.¡± Su Jie took out the Ancient Mirror from his bosom, stepped back into the Blue Star World, and soon returned with a large number of ordinary poisonous insects and snakes, feeding them to the human-faced moths. The human-faced moths, unabashed and unreserved, treated this as a royal treat from the Insect King, joyously eating and drinking incessantly. After several trips back and forth, Su Jie had fed the human-faced moths to their satisfaction and started the Body Worm Focusing Method again to command them. Buzz buzz! A large swarm of human-faced moths fluttered their wings and took to the air, following Su Jie¡¯s commands, forming an ¡®S¡¯ shape at one moment and an ¡®O¡¯ shape the next in the sky. Amid the roaring, thousands of human-faced moths vibrated their wings under Su Jie¡¯s direction, attacking the forest ahead. Like a group of bombers, the human-faced moths flew at low altitude, spewing acid water that riddled the extensive forest with holes, blackening it and causing many trees to fall one after another. In the end, the swarm perched on the tree tops, their ferocious mandibles wide open, leaving the ancient trees completely bare as they devoured them. ¡°Not bad, not bad, it¡¯s just that their numbers are still a bit too few.¡± Su Jie admired the swarm¡¯s destructive performance, a smile inevitably spreading across his face. But Su Jie¡¯s laughter meant that the Thousand-Handed Centipede was in trouble. Because when it came to capturing insects, it was the one that got beaten up. Sizzle sizzle! The Thousand-Handed Centipede let out a hiss, constantly rubbing its head against Su Jie, expressing its protest against his actions. ¡°Good boy! I¡¯ll give you something tasty to eat soon.¡± Su Jie patted the Thousand-Handed Centipede on its head and coaxed, ¡°Just think, I¡¯m doing this to enhance my strength. If I can master the swarm, I can capture a large number of poisonous insects to bring back to Blue Star in the future, and then evolve them into low-grade poisonous insects for your extra meals.¡± Perhaps understanding the meaning of an extra meal, the Thousand-Handed Centipede immediately calmed down and willingly carried Su Jie as it ran toward Insect Valley. ... Several days later! In a dense jungle, Su Jie slapped his Insect Control Bag at his waist and called out, ¡°Body Worm.¡± The Insect Control Bag opened, and a wisp of black smoke rose from the bag, which upon closer inspection, was densely packed with human-faced moths. Due to their overwhelming number and density, the tens of thousands of human-faced moths resembled a black cloud, blocking the sunlight, and like a surging tide flowing, wherever the human-faced moth swarm passed, all living creatures and plants were decayed and devoured completely, leaving the ground barren and turned to white land. ¡°Body Worm Focusing Method, indeed a powerful magic skill.¡± Looking at the chilling scene, Su Jie felt extremely satisfied. Over the past few days, relying on the mighty defense of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie had entered and exited the territories of the human-faced moths repeatedly, capturing a large number of them. Su Jie wasn¡¯t worried about catching all the human-faced moths; these creatures were the most numerous poisonous insects in Insect Valley, numbering in the hundreds of millions. The ones Su Jie caught were merely a drop in the bucket, hardly worth mentioning. In a few days, Su Jie had captured tens of thousands of human-faced moths, using the Body Worm Focusing Method to continuously release Spiritual Energy allowing his scent to be detected by the human-faced moths. Fed continuously with a supply of Poison Insects, these human-faced moths gradually recognized Su Jie as their Insect King, following his commands faithfully. The tens of thousands of human-faced moths represented the limit of what Su Jie could currently control. Any more, and Su Jie might not be able to control them ¡ª the swarm could potentially rebel and devour their master. The swarm continued to dance in the sky, the buzzing sound of their wings flapping echoed from above. A few human-faced moths, compared to the regular ones, had a dark golden hue on their bodies and flew extremely fast. The acid they spat out was so corrosive that it could create holes over two meters deep in the ground. These were human-faced moths that had evolved into low-grade poisonous insects. Generally speaking, the evolution of communal poisonous insects is particularly difficult, as they do not rely on individual strength against enemies but on their astonishing numbers, with little difference between individuals. But under Su Jie¡¯s ample supply of Poison Insects, some of the human-faced moths were lucky enough to complete their evolution, becoming stronger than the ordinary individuals in their species. Although there were only a few for now, the number of human-faced moths that successfully evolved was definitely going to increase. With an unending resource of Poison Insects, Su Jie was very confident about this. Chapter 61 - 59: Fumen Breeding Farm Chapter 61: Chapter 59: Fumen Breeding Farm Mr. Su spent nearly ten days in the wild. Every day, besides practicing the Body Worm Focusing Method, he would enter Insect Valley to capture various types of poison insects and snakes, all of which were of the lowest grade. Beyond these two activities, Mr. Su also wreaked havoc on the trees in the forests near Ghost Ridge Palace. Whenever he found some valuable trees, he would use the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword to chop down these ancient trees that were unremarkable in the Tianyuan World but highly valued on Blue Star, some of which had grown for hundreds or thousands of years. It was not until ten days had passed that Mr. Su, with a good number of poison insects in his Insect Control Bag, finally ended this busy lifestyle and headed back to the Black Market. .... Taixu Pavilion. Cai Chun¡¯e looked at the weary Mr. Su as he took out a pile of miscellaneous materials¡ªincluding raw materials related to cultivation such as Shattered Purple Silver, Ghost Spring Grass, golden crown flowers, and various minerals and medicinal herbs, as well as some finished low-grade elixirs and talismans. On some of the materials, Cai Chun¡¯e even noticed traces of blood, which sent a silent shock through her heart, guessing the origin of these materials. Given that Mr. Su had returned here unharmed, those who were pursuing him had likely become the Dead Souls under this man¡¯s sword, and the spoils of battle must be these traded materials. ¡°You want to sell them all?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e asked Mr. Su. Taixu Pavilion conducted business in talismans and Magic Artifacts and naturally accepted disciples¡¯ sales. ¡°Sell them all, I want to buy your Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram, but I¡¯m a little short on funds.¡± Mr. Su piled these spoils in front of Cai Chun¡¯e and stated with certainty. ¡°The Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram, you want to buy this?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e was slightly taken aback. The Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram was a type of one-time, portable array that Artifact Refiners and Array Masters cooperated to infuse into a Magic Artifact. These Array Maps are generally used in places like caves, spirit fields, and mines, crucial locations where, as long as Blood Marrow Crystals are provided, the Array Map can exert its enemy-repelling and defensive capabilities. Since this product is for one-time use and cannot be moved once it¡¯s been deployed, and considering the high cost, very few disciples would purchase it. After all, there is no need for such things in Ghost Ridge Palace, and typically, only certain cultivation powers would buy such items. Mr. Su raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°What, do you have business you don¡¯t do? Then I¡¯ll go to another place to buy the Array Map.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e quickly grasped Mr. Su¡¯s arm and said with a coy smile, ¡°Not at all, Missy is just a little surprised. Mr. Su, please wait a moment; I will give you an estimate right away.¡± Ten minutes later, Mr. Su and Cai Chun¡¯e struck a deal. The battle spoils were sold for a total of 635 Blood Marrow Crystals. Adding to the Blood Marrow Crystals Mr. Su already had, he spent them all, expending over a thousand to successfully purchase a complete set of Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagrams. After completing the transaction, Mr. Su turned and left Taixu Pavilion, vanishing into the forest. In a deserted area, he quietly opened the Ancient Mirror and returned to the Blue Star World, also bringing back with him the large quantity of timber he had chopped down. .... Blue Star, Chan Country, Mande City. In the suburbs of the city, a gigantic insect breeding farm with dozens of breeding factories and over a thousand employees covered a vast area. At the entrance of the farm, the glittering words ¡°Jieke Fumen Breeding Farm¡± shone brightly. The employees who worked in and out of the breeding farm all beamed with ruddy complexions, brimming with vitality. Simply because they had joined Jieke Company, as official staff members, their monthly salary and status were the envy of others. Beep beep! A fleet of several luxury cars drove up the newly built tar road, and the standing guard carrying an AK courteously stopped the convoy. Jieke Security was responsible for this super-large insect breeding farm, and besides the stationed guards and patrolling security, the entire factory also implemented strict access control measures, with many areas requiring credentials and fingerprints for entry. To defend this insect breeding farm, there was also a Jieke Security barracks located three kilometers away. More than two thousand members of Jieke Security were stationed at the barracks, ready to assist the factory at a moment¡¯s notice should any situation arise. The leading vehicle rolled down its window, and the pretty face of Liu Yingying was seen by the guards, who immediately became serious, recognizing her as the president of Jieke Company, and saluted her with utmost respect. However, they still checked her credentials according to protocol before letting the convoy through. The vehicles entered the factory and came to a stop, and suit-clad individuals began to step out one after another. Aside from the senior executives of Jieke Company, the cars also carried many high-ranking officials from Mande City, including Mayor An Sangshen. A large group revolved around a young man as they toured the newly built largest insect breeding plant in Chan Country. ¡°Mr. Su, the Fumen Breeding Farm was just completed last week, built entirely to your specifications. It can accommodate hundreds of millions of poison insects and snakes for breeding and has completed comprehensive firefighting and virus protection systems. We owe much to the assistance provided by the municipal government departments; otherwise, our construction wouldn¡¯t have been so swift,¡± Liu Yingying reported in detail while accompanying Su Jie, holding a folder in her hands, and referred to him with honorifics before the outsiders. Su Jie strolled along the green walkways of the breeding farm, observing the surrounding breeding workshops. Poison insects and snakes purchased from outside farmers were carefully bred here through specialized disinfection, disease prevention, and waste cleaning processes to ensure the creatures thrived. The scene before him pleased Su Jie, and he said to An Sangshen with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Mayor An. I hear you¡¯ve set up a special channel just for Jieke Company, ensuring that matters concerning us are expedited as a priority.¡± ¡°Not at all, Jieke Company is one of Mande Region¡¯s major taxpayers and a model corporation. Without Jieke, without your wise leadership, Mr. Su, our Mande Region wouldn¡¯t be thriving as it is now. Of course, it¡¯s only right that our municipal government makes an effort to show support,¡± responded An Sangshen with an ingratiating smile, looking more like a fawning lackey than the Mande City Mayor in front of Su Jie. ¡°I must say, Mayor An is performing quite well! Perhaps we can entrust him with more responsibilities in the future. It¡¯s important for Mande City to have such talented individuals for it to prosper and develop,¡± Su Jie commented to Liu Yingying, who nodded and made a note of it. ¡°Mr. Su, you flatter me. My small contributions are nothing compared to yours; I am not even worthy to carry your shoes. Should you have any instructions in the future, our municipal government will definitely cooperate with full dedication,¡± said An Sangshen, his face brightening. With Su Jie¡¯s words, his position as the newly appointed Mande City Mayor seemed secured. Nobody knew better than him the influence that Su Jie wielded, as the young man who single-handedly established Jieke Company was the real power behind the scenes in the Mande Region. Especially recently, there were frequent reports about Jieke Company ¨C from recruiting retired soldiers for security training to tying up economically with a vast number of farmers via commercial channels, to gargantuan public infrastructure development such as schools, hospitals, and roads, advancing their cause through both military and economic influence. It could be bluntly stated that the entire Mande Region was Jieke Company¡¯s backyard, and whether he remained as mayor was just a matter of a word from the man before him. Other officials, upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s remarks, couldn¡¯t help but show a trace of envy on their faces. Flattering was not something just anyone had the opportunity to do. Many officials, full of ambition, were extremely jealous of An Sangshen. Even if it meant being a puppet, it was a position atop Mande City¡¯s power hierarchy, second only to one person. Who wouldn¡¯t want that? Chapter 62 - 60: Poisonous Insect Breeding Base (Happy New Years Eve) Chapter 62: Chapter 60: Poisonous Insect Breeding Base (Happy New Year¡¯s Eve) After touring the Fumen Breeding Farm for half an hour, Su Jie sent the accompanying officials away. Even Liu Yingying wasn¡¯t with him, as Su Jie came alone to the core area of the breeding farm and stood in front of a building. This building was the true heart of the Fumen Breeding Farm. Outwardly claimed to be Su Jie¡¯s personal laboratory, in reality, it actually was a laboratory. However, the subjects of experimentation here were quite extraordinary, the results of which would be beyond the understanding and common knowledge of the people of Blue Star. Swipe! Through a password, fingerprint, and iris scan, Su Jie opened the laboratory to which only he had access. The lab symbolically contained a row of equipment which Su Jie didn¡¯t give a second glance; he didn¡¯t know how to use them but simply turned on the signal scrambler and then made a beeline for the elevator inside, descending dozens of meters to a secret base located underground. The base was sealed with thick, sturdy reinforced concrete on all sides, with only a few large pipes connecting to the outside world. These pipes led to the surface¡¯s Poison Insect Warehouse. Some poisonous insects and snakes, as per Su Jie¡¯s instructions, purportedly needed for experimentation, would be dropped into the pipes by the staff, ending up at this secret base. But Su Jie¡¯s true intent was actually to prepare for the advancement of the poisonous insects. At this moment, the underground base was already filled with a mass of all sorts of poisonous insects and snakes. Colorful snakes and countless insects surged like the tide, giving one goosebumps just looking at them. Yet, when Su Jie saw this scene, he was not at all afraid; instead, he revealed a hint of a smile. ¡°With so many Poison Insects, you¡¯ll have a lot to enjoy,¡± he said. Su Jie revealed a smile like that of a villain in a TV drama, casually taking out a black round plate from his Storage Bag¡ªthis was the Qiankun Xuanbing Array Plate. Placing the Array Plate at the center of the base, Su Jie channeled Spiritual Energy into it and, albeit reluctantly, embedded it with hundreds of Blood Marrow Crystals. With an ample supply of energy, the Array Plate was immediately activated, glowing faintly as waves of Spiritual Power swept out. Layers of Ice Crystals grew out of thin air, forming a hemispherical dome-shaped protective barrier, covering the underground base and then gradually dissipating into the air. Trying it out, Su Jie stepped forward and threw a full-strength punch. Boom! The cannonball-like fist had barely shot out when a layer of Ice Crystals spontaneously appeared in the air, and mysterious Array Patterns scurried across the Ice Crystals. As the fist struck down, the entire Array of Ice Crystals remained unmoved, and Su Jie ended up causing his own fist to throb with pain. After all, it was a defense Array Map worth thousands of Blood Marrow Crystals. Su Jie, being only at the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm in cultivation, certainly couldn¡¯t break it with brute force alone, unless he used the Thousand-Handed Centipede or the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. However, Su Jie didn¡¯t attempt to do so, as he couldn¡¯t afford to buy another Array Map. The defensive capabilities of the current Array Map were already sufficient for his use. After experimenting, Su Jie didn¡¯t hesitate and patted the Insect Control Bag at his waist. Crash! As the Insect Control Bag opened, terrifying Poison Insects of bizarre shapes and ferocious appearances swarmed out like a flood. Seven-colored Poison Frogs, Ghost Flame Spiders, Armored Vulture Blood Ants, Black Shark Snakes... One after another, inferior poison insects from Tianyuan World, all captured by Su Jie from Insect Valley, were now released in one fell swoop. Hiss! Sizzle! Rustle! The Tianyuan Poison Insects moved about, their initial unease in the unfamiliar environment was quickly allured by the countless food in front of them, and a multitude of Tianyuan Poison Insects began crawling towards the Blue Star Poison Insects. With the brain capacity of these Poison Insects, they obviously couldn¡¯t understand the consequences brought by the change in environment, only feeling like they were in heaven as they rushed into the Blue Star insect swarm and started to gorge themselves. Although the Blue Star Poison Insects held an advantage in numbers, the poisonous creatures from Tianyuan World were undoubtedly much more fierce and brutal, resulting in a completely one-sided battle. Apart from stuffing Tianyuan Poison Insects to death, the Blue Star Poison Insects had no real means of fighting back. Su Jie let these Poison Insects fight and devour each other. Many Tianyuan Poison Insects, already having accumulated a substantial amount within themselves, showed a tentative trend toward evolution as they fed. Hiss Hisss! A Red Blood Silver Bee furiously devoured a batch of Poison Insects, then suddenly targeted another Tianyuan Poison Insect, a Golden Winged Lion Spider, flashing its massive stinger and firmly plunging it into the body of its fellow creature. As the poison took effect, the Golden Winged Lion Spider quickly became stiff, and the Red Blood Silver Bee dragged it up to the light fixtures on the ceiling, where its sharp mouthparts voraciously consumed it. Halfway through the meal, the Red Blood Silver Bee¡¯s speed gradually slowed down. Eventually, it stopped eating entirely as an Insect Cocoon formed around it, signaling the start of its evolution. Tianyuan Poisonous Insects devouring and attacking each other was not an uncommon sight, but Su Jie naturally would not allow such things to happen. It was too wasteful. He had ample resources of Blue Star Poison Insects, but the Tianyuan Poison Insects were ones he had painstakingly captured. If a Poison Insect, that he had managed to cultivate to Low-Grade status with great difficulty, were to be eaten halfway by its kin, that would be a tremendous loss. To prevent such pointless infighting, Su Jie manipulated the Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram. Layers of Ice Crystals fell from the ceiling, dividing the underground base into separate small compartments that were not interconnected. Each compartment contained only one Tianyuan Poisonous Insect, along with a massive amount of Blue Star Poison Insects for its consumption. Without the threat of cannibalism from their kind, the Tianyuan Poison Insects could only devour the common Blue Star Poison Insects before them. For a while, the entire underground base was filled with the sounds of various insects feeding. Amidst this continuous feeding, the Red Blood Silver Bee completed its evolution, doubling in size and becoming a genuine Low-Grade poisonous insect. The newly-evolved Low-Grade Red Blood Silver Bee flapped its wings, attempting to escape its cage in a restless high-speed flight, but alas, even after ascending to Low-Grade status, it could not budge the Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram in the slightest. Hiss! The Red Blood Silver Bee brandished its stinger proudly, undeterred and planning to strike again with its poison, only to be suddenly overwhelmed by a gaping maw that lunged at it; the next moment, its entire body was engulfed. Crunch! The Thousand-Handed Centipede chewed on the protein-rich Red Blood Silver Bee, its body exuding a joyous aura. To it, a mere Low-Grade poisonous insect was nothing but a delicious snack. After consuming one, the Thousand-Handed Centipede eagerly eyed the other Poison Insects, hoping they would quickly evolve. The evolved Low-Grade Poison Insects were even more delectable and nutritionally rich to eat. ¡°You¡¯re so greedy; these are for you to enjoy once you¡¯ve advanced to Mid-Grade. You¡¯ll have to wait a bit longer,¡± Su Jie chuckled and scolded. The underground base would continue to operate, today was just the beginning. As time went on, more and more Low-Grade poisonous insects would emerge. This place was essentially a production line factory for cultivating Low-Grade poisonous insects that Su Jie had established. In the future, once the Thousand-Handed Centipede evolved to Mid-Grade, having it devour these Low-Grade poisonous insects would continue to aid its ascent. The Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram stored here acted like a prison, trapping all those evolved insects inside. As for Su Jie himself, he wasn¡¯t too interested in ordinary Low-Grade poisonous insects at the moment. With the Thousand-Handed Centipede for high-end combat power and the human-faced moth swarm for area attacks, utilizing both required a lot of effort given his Fifth Level Yunling Realm Cultivation. Contracting more Poison Insects would only dissipate his focus. Rather than doing that, it would be better to fully cultivate the Thousand-Handed Centipede, enabling it to ascend to a higher grade more quickly. Imagining the various possibilities for the future, Su Jie looked at the production line Insect breeding base before him, feeling a surge of pride and satisfaction. Chapter 63 - 61: Current Development Status Chapter 63: Chapter 61: Current Development Status Having left the Fumen Breeding Farm Laboratory, Su Jie arrived at a meeting room. At that time, Liu Yingying, Chen Yaoguang, and Liang Lianjun, who were the core of Su Jie¡¯s team, were already waiting. Among the three, Liang Lianjun was responsible for the lumber business of Tianyuan Furniture, Chen Yaoguang handled the breeding, production, and acquisition of Poison Insects, and Liu Yingying managed all the affairs, big and small, of the Jieke Company in the Mande Region. ¡°Mr. Su.¡± ¡°Mr. Su.¡± Liang Lianjun and Chen Yaoguang quickly stood up when they saw Su Jie. Especially the former, Liang Lianjun hadn¡¯t expected Su Jie to cause such a commotion in Chan Country, becoming akin to a local overlord in the Mande Region. Su Jie nodded and spoke, ¡°Everyone, please sit, let¡¯s first discuss what has been going on recently.¡± Liang Lianjun stood up first and said, ¡°Mr. Su, the last shipment of lumber returned to Hua Country has been sold out. Tianyuan Home Furnishing has sent back a payment of 4.3 billion yuan, which is the income after tax deduction. Aside from holding back three billion for company development, the remaining funds have all been transferred to Jieke Company.¡± Su Jie tapped the table and praised, ¡°Very good, do not worry about resources. I have prepared another batch of precious lumber in the warehouse. It can continue to be shipped back to Hua Country for sale after clearing customs.¡± Liang Lianjun¡¯s eyes lit up, and with Su Jie¡¯s words, he felt reassured. As long as the supply of precious lumber was ensured, he was confident that he could make Tianyuan Home Furnishing the number one high-end furniture brand in Hua Country. After Liang Lianjun had reported, Chen Yaoguang promptly stood up. ¡°Mr. Su, the Poison Insect Breeding Outreach campaign I was managing is nearly complete. Now, families throughout the Mande Region have taken up Poison Insect breeding. Our industry is very prosperous, only the funds for buying Poison Insects are being spent too quickly.¡± ¡°Money matters, Yingying will sort it out for you.¡± Su Jie was noncommittal and looked at Liu Yingying. Liu Yingying took out some documents and reported, ¡°Currently, Jieke Company¡¯s accounts still hold 800 million Hua Yuan. Besides the payment from Tianyuan Home Furnishing, after taking over the Mande Region, we have cleared out Lu Wenbo and his officials¡¯ assets. They had squeezed the locals of the Mande Region for years, amassing substantial riches including luxury cars, shops, and gold, which significantly supported our building efforts in the Mande Region. Further, according to your instructions, Mr. Su, aside from developing public facilities in the Mande Region, we have also increased our investment in Jieke Security. We have now recruited retired soldiers from other countries for relevant military training. After streamlining Jieke¡¯s security forces, we have a total of five thousand combat-ready personnel. Those who were let go are now working in logistics and production. As for weaponry, several arms dealers contacted us, and Jieke Company has purchased a batch of weapons. This has been our largest expenditure apart from the breeding factories.¡± ¡°Did buying the weapons go without a hitch?¡± Su Jie showed little reaction; Chan Country was a nation constantly disturbed by internal conflicts, where the presence of arms dealers was perpetual as long as there was war. After disturbances arose in the Mande Region, many arms dealers reached out, hoping to make a profit from arms trading. This aligned perfectly with Jieke Company¡¯s needs, and they have since purchased a batch of arms worth several billion Hua Yuan. ¡°No, we dealt in cash transactions within the Mande Region, so the arms dealers could not play any tricks. The weapons purchased, as advised by foreign retired officers, are primarily light weapons, which suit our current needs given the tropical, mountainous terrain in Chan Country,¡± Liu Yingying confidently stated. Her company¡¯s unprecedented influence in the Mande Region meant ordinary arms dealers wouldn¡¯t dare cause trouble unless they wanted a harsh retaliation. ¡°You all worked hard; inform me if there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t handle.¡± Su Jie nodded; with the development of the Mande Region now on track, he needed not worry too much. ¡°Working for Mr. Su, I am now filled with drive,¡± Liang Lianjun frankly stated, his mind set on expanding Tianyuan Furniture to become the leading timber furniture enterprise domestically. This professional advancement, combined with bonus rewards, kept Liang Lianjun highly motivated even in middle age, his vigor not falling short of younger men. ¡°Mr. Su, I feel the same way.¡± Chen Yaoguang scratched the back of his head and gave a silly smile. He was extremely satisfied with his current life. In the past, he had managed a small scorpion breeding farm, and now he was the actual controller of over a hundred thousand household small breeding farms in Mande Region. It was still the career he loved; he couldn¡¯t ask for too much more. After talking in the conference room for half an hour and instructing the next steps for development, Su Jie and Liu Yingying shared some affectionate time, then returned to Tianyuan World once again. ... Mountain Gate of Ghost Ridge Palace. Su Jie returned here alone. As soon as he entered the gate, a disciple looked over skeptically, obviously recognizing Su Jie, the lucky one. Indeed, in the eyes of most disciples, Su Jie, who had obtained the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, was seen as someone who had stumbled into good fortune, profiting from the capture of an Alien Ghost that someone else had hunted. Su Jie pretended not to notice, since, if anyone couldn¡¯t hold back and wanted to take action, Su Jie wouldn¡¯t mind laying them to rest. Instead of returning to his own stone cave, Su Jie went straight to the Command Hall and stepped inside. ¡°Brother Wu.¡± In front of a counter, Su Jie found Wu Bin, the manager of the Command Hall. Wu Bin, who had been dozing off out of sheer boredom, lifted his head and showed a surprised look upon seeing Su Jie. ¡°Haha, dear brother, where have you been these past two months? I haven¡¯t seen you come by to visit even once,¡± Wu Bin warmly stood up, expressing slightly reproachfully. To Wu Bin, Su Jie was impressively memorable, not merely for hunting three Alien Ghosts, but also for being favored by Taoist Qiu who bestowed upon him the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, likely marking him as a future inner disciple. Being a manager of Command Hall with moderate authority, Wu Bin was keen on building good relations with Su Jie, a potential stock, gambling on Su Jie¡¯s future promotion to being an inner disciple. Becoming friends with an inner disciple would highly benefit him. Su Jie sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but recently too many people have been keeping tabs on me, and I couldn¡¯t find the time to come here.¡± Hearing this, Wu Bin nodded in understanding and said, ¡°I still have confidence in your strength, brother.¡± ¡°To avoid those troubles, I¡¯d like to ask for your help, Brother Wu.¡± Su Jie coughed twice, taking the opportunity to make his request. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to help me arrange a mission,¡± Su Jie stated his intentions. In Ghost Ridge Palace, any disciple movement had to go through the Command Hall. As the manager of Command Hall, though Wu Bin didn¡¯t have the authority to dispatch inner disciples, he could assign tasks to Outer Disciples. For instance, for a mission requiring herb collection or insect capture that Ghost Ridge Palace would announce, it specified which tier of disciples should take it. But with so many disciples in Ghost Ridge Palace, who specifically takes on the mission could be manipulated. This was entirely dependent on the arrangements made by Command Hall, and since rules were set by humans, they were inevitably influenced by human factors. Chapter 64 - 62: Jia Changxun Chapter 64: Chapter 62: Jia Changxun ¡°Your rest period should have already expired, and it¡¯s likely that you will be assigned to deal with tasks related to the Alien Ghosts. I¡¯m finding it quite difficult to arrange things on my end.¡± Upon hearing this, Wu Bin¡¯s face showed a look of difficulty. Currently, Ghost Ridge Palace faced a threat from the Alien Ghosts, and aside from tasks related to them, most other tasks were put on hold. Wu Bin thought that Su Jie wanted him to arrange a leisurely and safe task, which was not easy to do. After all, while the Alien Ghosts posed a threat to the safety of the entire Ghost Ridge Palace, if you were to slack off on other tasks while the others fought life and death battles against the Alien Ghosts, it would surely draw criticism from other disciples. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I can accept tasks related to the Alien Ghosts, but they must be far away from the vicinity of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s mountain gate.¡± Su Jie expressed his own needs. With his current strength, as long as he didn¡¯t come across a large-scale attack by Alien Ghosts, a few of them would pose no threat to him, and naturally, Su Jie was not afraid. The reason for this was that Su Jie wanted to stay away from Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s mountain gate. Because he had too many secrets; a low-grade three-refining poisonous insect, the Insect Control Technique, and the Body Worm Focusing Method, which only inner disciples could cultivate. Especially the Body Worm Focusing Method, which caused quite a commotion when practiced. If he were near the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, a knowledgeable inner disciple or Elder might see through it once he began to perform the technique. Before advancing to an inner disciple, Su Jie planned to stay away from the vicinity of the mountain gate and find a remote place to properly develop his skills. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s easy to handle.¡± Wu Bin breathed a sigh of relief, as this request was easy for him to fulfill. ¡°Then I¡¯ll thank Brother Wu in advance. Please arrange it for me as soon as possible.¡± Su Jie wasn¡¯t one to have others work for him without compensation; he took out some Blood Marrow Crystals from his storage bag and handed them over. ¡°Young brother, what are you doing? There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony over such a small matter.¡± Although he verbally declined, Wu Bin¡¯s hands didn¡¯t hesitate at all as he deftly took the Blood Marrow Crystals, his face showing even greater enthusiasm. As for Su Jie, he didn¡¯t take it to heart. Their relationship was just that ¨C merely based on mutual benefit. After exiting the Command Hall, Su Jie returned to his stone cave dwelling to cultivate in peace. Breaking through from the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm to the Sixth Level was an extremely difficult barrier to cross. The key to breaking through this step was to compress the gaseous Spiritual Power in the Dantian into liquid. Once accomplished, the storage capacity for Spiritual Power would multiply by four or five times, but achieving this was by no means easy. That is also why the inner disciples and Outer Disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace use this as a divide, with only those reaching the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm being able to ascend to become inner disciples. And most disciples, for their entire lives, are blocked by this difficult barrier, able only to wander around at the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm. Su Jie himself had very ordinary cultivation aptitude, one might even call it rubbish. The fact that he had come this far and reached the Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm was not due to his own talent, but more because of the Spiritual Power feedback from the thousand-hand centipede. Now Su Jie faced the same problem. After several days of cultivation, there was virtually no progress, and breaking through to the Sixth Level seemed far off in the future. Su Jie could only hope that the thousand-hand centipede would advance to a mid-grade poisonous insect soon, thereby allowing him to advance to the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm. ... Several days hastily passed by. That day, Su Jie was still in his stone cave dwelling at Ghost Ridge Palace practicing cultivation, waiting for a message from Manager Wu when he suddenly heard faint noises of commotion from outside. Pushing open the stone door of his cave dwelling, Su Jie saw that today Ghost Ridge Palace seemed to have some distinguished guests arriving. He saw a procession of women dressed in colorful garments, glamorously attired, wearing red and adorned with festive decorations, taking stiff steps and gradually ascending the stone steps of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s mountain gate one after another. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that these young women all wore a numb and mournful expression on their faces, with a red silk ribbon threaded through the waists of all the young women, forcibly controlling their movements. The one holding this red silk magic artifact was a middle-aged man at the rear of the group of women dressed in floral clothing. His hair was sparse and greasy, his belly bloated, dressed in silk, with a jade ring on his finger, he epitomized the look of wealthy and luxurious. He sat atop a sedan carried by a group of servants, his left hand holding the red silk, and in his right, he twirled a pair of dragon-pattern walnuts, bursting into hearty laughter. ¡°Jia Changxun from Liuyun Manor, under the Manor Master¡¯s orders, has come to visit Ghost Ridge Palace, with a tribute of 36 virgin maidens.¡± Thud, thud! The young women, one by one, released from control, knelt down before the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace. Some of the women couldn¡¯t stop weeping, others shouted angrily, and many more looked around in terror, trembling, not knowing what to do. Su Jie squeezed amongst a crowd of Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples who were there to watch the excitement, and when he heard the name Liuyun Manor, his eyes inevitably narrowed slightly. The last time he heard that name was when he killed Jia Xin. As one of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s five special merchant teams, Liuyun Manor was a well-known slave owner in the Black Market, dealing in the mass buying and selling of slave populations. The Jia Xin whom Su Jie had killed came from Liuyun Manor, and fortunately for Su Jie, he had been discreet that time, attracting no suspicion. ¡°So, it¡¯s a visit from Liuyun Manor, please come in quickly.¡± Within Ghost Ridge Palace, an elder whom Su Jie did not recognize, with half-white hair, wearing a wide robe, and with a goatee, walked over and greeted Jia Changxun with a bow. ¡°Elder Hu, long time no see, this is a little token of appreciation.¡± Jia Changxun stepped down from the sedan, seeming well-acquainted with Elder Hu¡¯s preferences, clapped his hands, and at once several servants dragged over a pair of children, around ten years old, and presented them before Elder Hu. ¡°Much appreciated. The Black Market has been short on goods recently; it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve come across such nice human slaves.¡± Elder Hu stroked his goatee, his eyes gleaming green. The bottom of his robe rustled softly, damp and slimy, as slug-like soft-bodied flesh worms wriggled out and in an instant dragged the two children inside his wide robe. All that was seen were a few bulges on the robe, accompanied by the sound of breaking bones, and then silence. ¡°Comfortable.¡± Elder Hu¡¯s face became particularly rosy, as if rejuvenated. Su Jie watching felt a chill in his heart; if it were the past, he would not have known what magic skill this was, but now he knew. Elder Hu was clearly practicing the Human Worm Refining Technique, feeding people to the worms, merging them with his body. Jia Changxun, as if accustomed to such cruelty, chuckled and said, ¡°Our Manor Master knew that Ghost Ridge Palace was short on supplies, so he ordered me to come help out. We have a lot of human slaves prepared outside the mountain, just waiting to be brought in.¡± As he spoke, Jia Changxun whispered in Elder Hu¡¯s ear, ¡°Please speak favorably of us to the Sect Master, and should you have a chance, Elder, you may visit our Liuyun Manor. We have many kids of suitable age.¡± ¡°I appreciate your sentiments from Liuyun Manor, but I dare not venture out of the mountain gate lightly. If those lunatics from the Jiuluan Sword Pavilion knew, I fear I wouldn¡¯t make it back.¡± Elder Hu shook his head, he who had just swallowed two children whole, now referring to others as lunatics, sounded like a great irony. ¡°As for the Sect Master, I¡¯ll speak on your behalf. As long as you can bring us human slaves, the price is definitely not an issue.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, then. I¡¯ll leave it in the care of Elder Hu.¡± Jia Changxun smiled broadly, flicked the red silk, and the group of young women still kneeling on the ground became rigid again, moving their stiff steps like puppets toward the depths of Ghost Ridge Palace. And no one knew what fate or experiences awaited them, the thought of the two children from before enough to send shudders down one¡¯s spine. Chapter 65 - 63: Mission Chapter 65: Chapter 63: Mission ¡°Isn¡¯t this Junior Brother Su?¡± After watching the lively scene, Su Jie was about to leave when suddenly a light laugh came from behind him. Turning around, he saw Yu Wenxian wearing a delicate golden hairpin, dressed in a light gauze dress, her graceful figure fully revealed, walking towards him with light steps. ¡°Senior Yu.¡± Su Jie greeted Yu Wenxian with a bow, unsure of why she had stopped him. ¡°Why so formal? I am only two years older than you, you can call me ¡®sister¡¯ if you want.¡± A smile played on the lips of Yu Wenxian as she drew closer, a faint, fragrant scent drifting over. Her snow-white skin was tantalizing beneath the light gauze, utterly enticing. Faced with such a scene, Su Jie felt his scalp tingle and said with a forced smile, ¡°Senior Yu, I still have matters to attend to, so I must be going.¡± Yu Wenxian did not stop him, but casually mentioned, ¡°Pei Haibing is looking for you.¡± Pei Haibing! At the mention of the name, Su Jie¡¯s steps faltered. ¡°Sister won¡¯t harm you, why are you so afraid of me?¡± It seemed Yu Wenxian knew Su Jie would stay, and she smiled charmingly, her eyes curving into crescent moons. Su Jie cleared his throat twice, ignoring her bait and inquired, ¡°Senior Yu, is Brother Pei really looking for me? Do you know what it¡¯s about?¡± ¡°Ah, did I ever say that?¡± Yu Wenxian blinked innocently, displaying a very innocent expression. Su Jie was speechless, thinking ¡®Stop putting on that innocent look, you notorious witch of the Ghost Ridge Palace.¡¯ ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re so easily teased. Alright, I¡¯ll stop joking,¡± Yu Wenxian said, pursing her lips and smiling, ¡°Brother Pei was quite angry last time. He was just released from confinement by our master. Right after that, he began asking around for your whereabouts.¡± ¡°Is that so!¡± Su Jie was well aware that Pei Haibing wasn¡¯t looking for him to share a tea or admire the moon. Other than revenge for the last time Su Jie had stolen the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, he couldn¡¯t think of another reason. Yu Wenxian sized Su Jie up from head to toe and said, ¡°You seem not at all surprised.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s about the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword incident from last time.¡± Su Jie looked resolutely at Yu Wenxian and spoke, ¡°Senior Yu, the fact that you specifically came to tell me this, it might be too much, considering I¡¯m just an Outer Disciple.¡± ¡°You are not just any Outer Disciple, which other Outer Disciple can kill three Alien Ghosts? As the saying goes, beauty loves a hero; Junior Brother Su, you¡¯re so powerful, it really makes my heart flutter. What if you stay with me, and I help you fend off Junior Brother Pei, would that be alright?¡± Yu Wenxian¡¯s eyes were seductive, she took a step forward, her jade hand touching Su Jie¡¯s chest, her red lips close to his ear, breath as sweet as orchid, making his bones itch. ¡°Thank you for the kind offer, Senior Yu, but I am physically weak and have weak kidneys, I fear I can¡¯t take care of you. Perhaps you should find someone else. There are so many male disciples in the sect who are both strong and handsome without me.¡± Su Jie stepped back, not at all tempted, but instead, more guard arose within him. Many young male disciples were seduced by Yu Wenxian just like this, step by step they fell into submission, eventually becoming enslaved by her, their lives no longer their own. ¡°Who is spreading rumors about me? Now the junior brothers are not so easily fooled.¡± Yu Wenxian slightly complained, then said, ¡°Junior Brother Su, let me secretly tell you something, ¡®White Bone Transformation Skill,¡¯ Weak Fire.¡± Pei Haibing practiced this very Taoist Skill, the White Bone Transformation Skill. At this, Yu Wenxian covered her mouth, as if she had only just realized. ¡°Ah! Did I say something wrong? Don¡¯t tell Junior Brother Pei it was me who told you. I just want to see Junior Brother Su again after all, a junior brother as interesting as you are pretty rare these days.¡± After leaving this comment, Yu Wenxian looked around cautiously and, seeing that no one had noticed, she patted her chest with some relief and said with a smile, ¡°I won¡¯t stay any longer, just in case someone finds out. I wouldn¡¯t want Junior Brother Pei to hold a grudge against me. Giggle, Junior Brother Su, you must survive.¡± Having said that, Yu Wenxian turned and left gracefully, her figure swaying attractively as she walked slowly away. Standing in place, Su Jie rubbed his brow, digesting the words Yu Wenxian had said, and exclaimed, ¡°The strife among the inner disciples has already become so intense, huh!¡± ...... Two days later. Su Jie finally received news from Wu Bin: his task had been issued. As soon as Su Jie arrived at Command Hall, Wu Bin handed him a token and said, ¡°The patrol task at Jade Pillar Mountain requires a rotation every two months, mainly to guard against attacks by Alien Ghosts.¡± Jade Pillar Mountain is on the border of Ghost Ridge Palace and is known for producing a type of mineral called Jade Magnetic Vein Crystal, often used in artifact refining to increase the temperature of the flames. It is a common consumable material in artifact refining. Because the mine has a large reserve, Ghost Ridge Palace disciples are stationed there all year round, with dedicated slaves working the mining. With Alien Ghosts running rampant, this mining site is naturally also affected. To ensure mineral extraction, naturally, the number of disciples must be increased to guard against attacks by Alien Ghosts. ¡°Thank you, Brother Wu. This task is perfect for me.¡± Su Jie was very satisfied with this assignment. The location was remote, with little personnel movement, and without inner disciples stationed there, making it even more suitable for his activities. ¡°No big deal, I can still help you with this little favor as your brother.¡± Wu Bin said cheerfully, when just at that moment, a dark-faced man came over, also dressed in Command Hall manager¡¯s attire. ¡°Wu Bin, the task you just issued, change the personnel from Su Jie to an escort mission.¡± What. Upon hearing this, both Su Jie and Wu Bin were taken aback. Especially Wu Bin, who immediately stood up, feeling his dignity had been offended, and said discontentedly, ¡°what¡¯s the meaning of this, Lao Yang? I¡¯ve already arranged everything properly, why the sudden change?¡± ¡°Lao Wu, don¡¯t stick your neck out, it seems like someone is targeting him, they¡¯ve paid off quite a few connections.¡± Yang Chengkun lowered his voice. He had a good relationship with Wu Bin and even took the chance to give him a heads-up. Then, looking at Su Jie with a somewhat sympathetic expression, Yang Chengkun shook his head and said, ¡°You are Su Jie, right? We are just following the rules. Are you going to accept the command or refuse and show disrespect?¡± He held a task token in his hand with Su Jie¡¯s name written on the front. Su Jie took a deep breath and took the token from his hand. ¡°Since it is a task issued by Command Hall, as a disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace, I naturally won¡¯t refuse.¡± Task Disciples have no right to refuse a task issued by Command Hall unless they want to be pursued by the Law Enforcement Team. Yang Chengkun pointed towards the gate, saying, ¡°Then please proceed. The task requires you to depart today, and your escort team is probably waiting at the Mountain Gate already. Hurry up, don¡¯t delay.¡± ¡°Brother, be careful, someone is targeting you this time.¡± Wu Bin looked somewhat upset; after all, there are dozens of managers in Command Hall, and he couldn¡¯t decide everything alone. ¡°I understand.¡± Su Jie nodded, with a vague guess already forming in his mind. Chapter 66 - 64: Please Take Good Care of Me Chapter 66: Chapter 64: Please Take Good Care of Me Walking toward the Mountain Gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, from a distance, Su Jie could see a group of about a dozen disciples gathered there. There were roughly fifty to sixty people in the group, each with a bundle on their back, standing beside several dozen sturdy, tall horses. All of them were Outer Disciples, with strengths ranging from the Third Level to the Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm. Among these disciples, Su Jie also noticed two familiar figures, Gu Weonian and Chen Yun. Since their last parting at the Black Market, the two had taken the Blood Marrow Crystal allocated by Su Jie and gone into hiding to evade assassins. He hadn¡¯t expected to see them both here at the same time. ¡°Mr. Su.¡± ¡°Brother Su.¡± Both of them also noticed Su Jie. ¡°Brother Gu, Chen, it¡¯s been more than two months, hasn¡¯t it? How have you been lately?¡± Su Jie also nodded and greeted them. Gu Weonian had a somewhat melancholy expression as he said, ¡°Ah, we were well hidden, but then a Messenger Crow suddenly brought a Task Token, and I truly did not wish to go out at my old age.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, I didn¡¯t expect to be so fortunate this time to be in a team with you.¡± Chen Yun showed goodwill towards Su Jie. Su Jie, who had helped her take revenge and deal with the murderer of her brother and husband, held a special place in her heart. ¡°This may not be a matter of luck.¡± Su Jie shook his head and looked towards a slender figure slowly approaching. The blue long robe that signified the distinguished status of an Inner Sect disciple, the indifferent eyes, and the aura that warned others to keep their distance. This person was Pei Haibing, an inner disciple from Taoist Qiu¡¯s lineage. The moment he saw the other party, Su Jie understood everything. The modification of his task was most likely this person¡¯s doing. With the influence of an inner disciple, it wasn¡¯t hard to accomplish with just some money. It wasn¡¯t just Su Jie; Gu Weonian and Chen Yun also thought of this. Otherwise, it was all too coincidental. Their already decent mood immediately cooled down. Offending an inner disciple was not something they were able to withstand, and the retaliation was too swift. ¡°Brother Pei.¡± ¡°Brother Pei.¡± Upon Pei Haibing¡¯s arrival, a group of disciples immediately spoke up. Regardless of whether they were disciples from Taoist Qiu¡¯s lineage or not, or whether they had joined the Sect earlier, calling an inner disciple ¡®Brother¡¯ was definitely correct. Pei Haibing looked around with a cold gaze, his eyes lingering on Su Jie, Chen Yun, and Gu Weonian for a few seconds. Especially with Su Jie, he could feel a concealed killing intent from the other¡¯s eyes. Pei Haibing slowly began speaking as he took out a Task Token, ¡°This time our mission is to escort a shipment, which requires leaving the domain of Ghost Ridge Palace and going to the territory of Qingzhou Shaojia Prefecture to transport back a batch of human slaves for Liuyun Manor.¡± As these words were spoken, there was a slight commotion among the disciples. Because their Task Tokens had only mentioned a simple escort mission, they had not expected to actually leave the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace. Demon Cultivators were reviled and persecuted everywhere outside; once they lost the protection of their Sect, being discovered while traveling in the outside world would be extremely dangerous. Especially those from reputable sects who prided themselves in eliminating demons and defending the Dao, they were most keen on causing trouble for them, the Demon Cultivators. ¡°Liuyun Manor, huh!¡± Su Jie immediately thought of the scene from two days earlier when Jia Changxun had come to visit. This mission was most likely an ad-hoc addition, due to the transportation needs for a large number of human slaves after Jia Changxun¡¯s arrival. ¡°Mount up and depart now.¡± Pei Haibing did not care about the astonishment of the disciples and led a tall horse over to mount and ride. Other disciples, even if they were extremely reluctant, could only grit their teeth and mount their horses to head out of the mountain gate. Su Jie also mounted a Horned Scale Horse. This breed of horse had hooves similar to those of a goat, and not only were they remarkably enduring, but they could also travel through mountains and steep trails. The Horned Scale Horse was specially bred by Ghost Ridge Palace, generally only provided to the disciples for long journeys. ¡°Mr. Su.¡± Gu Weonian, riding a Horned Scale Horse, caught up with Su Jie with a troubled look on his face, ¡°You¡¯re quick-witted, so think of a way quickly. Pei Haibing is clearly targeting us, it must be because we offended him at the Black Market last time, causing him to be punished by our Master, and he has remembered that grudge.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying that now? It¡¯s quite obvious.¡± Chen Yun spoke coldly from the other side of Su Jie when she heard this. This woman, because of the scars from a previous wound, had centipede-like suture marks on her face and neck, which made her look very intimidating when she was stern. Su Jie laughed, his gaze shifting toward Pei Haibing ahead, and said, ¡°If you want to know, why not just go and ask him?¡± After finishing his sentence, Su Jie tugged the reins, his horse neighed, and he dashed towards the front. Gu Weonian stared agape; he even trembled when talking to the inner disciples, yet Su Jie was not only unafraid but even dared to approach proactively, which truly astounded him. As the other disciples watched with amazement, Su Jie rode up beside Pei Haibing and smiled, ¡°Brother Pei, long time no see. This time heading out away from Ghost Ridge Palace territory, the mountains are high, and the roads are long, I must trouble you to take good care of us.¡± Pei Haibing glanced over, not knowing if Su Jie was playing dumb or was genuinely foolish, and smirked, ¡°Rest assured, I will take very good care of you, in the most meticulous way possible.¡± While speaking, Pei Haibing touched his face, which still seemed to be faintly in pain. That was the aftereffect of being punished by their Master, Taoist Qiu, who had made snakes wriggle underneath the skin. Su Jie¡¯s face was radiant with a smile, and after hearing those words, he gestured with cupped hands atop his mount, ¡°Then I thank Brother Pei in advance. Brother Gu, Chen, aren¡¯t you going to come over and pay your respects? We are all disciples of the same Master, why be so estranged? Brother Pei has already said he will take care of us.¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice was very loud, clearly audible to the entire line of riders, and an unknown number of disciples cast envious glances their way. If they could obtain Pei Haibing¡¯s care, this journey would undoubtedly be much safer. Gu Weonian and Chen Yun, having been called out by Su Jie, looked at each other and could only cautiously ride their horses over and exchange a few polite words with Pei Haibing. However, all they received in return was Pei Haibing¡¯s cold gaze. ¡°Brother Pei, we won¡¯t disturb you any further then.¡± After that, Su Jie took Gu Weonian and Chen Yun back to the rear of the column. It wasn¡¯t until then that Gu Weonian finally could not help but say: ¡°Brother Su, does doing this actually help? Just saying a few nice words won¡¯t really make him let us off, right?¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°Uh, I think it¡¯s not very likely.¡± Gu Weonian thought about it ¨C Pei Haibing did not seem like someone easy to talk to; otherwise, why would he intentionally assign the three of them to the task under his command if not for retribution? ¡°With opposition comes resistance, with difficulty come solutions; fear won¡¯t solve anything.¡± Chen Yun had much more backbone than Gu Weonian, perhaps because she had once returned from the brink of death at Ghost Gate and thus had a more relaxed view of death. ¡°Look at Chen Yun¡¯s resolve, Brother Gu, you should be more composed.¡± Watching the silhouette of Pei Haibing ahead, Su Jie¡¯s face bore a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°You ask why I do this, of course, it¡¯s to tell the other disciples traveling with us that we have a great relationship with Brother Pei.¡± There was something Su Jie left unsaid, which was that if Pei Haibing had any ¡®accidental incidents¡¯, it couldn¡¯t be connected to him. After all, he and Brother Pei had a ¡®close as brothers¡¯ relationship! Inner disciples having some mishaps, such as accidental falls leading to death, wasn¡¯t that a normal occurrence? Like what happened to Feng Wenjin; who says inner disciples can¡¯t have accidents? Gu Weonian and Chen Yun beside him couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill in their hearts. Su Jie¡¯s seemingly humorous smile reminded them of a similar expression on his face when he had outwitted Meng Dongge in the past. Chapter 67 - 65: Dangerous Ground Chapter 67: Chapter 65: Dangerous Ground Clip-clop! The crisp sound of horse hooves echoed through the forest. After more than a day of traveling, Su Jie and his group of several dozen people had moved away from near the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace and had entered the outer area. ¡°That is Cloud Mist Mountain.¡± Mounted on a Horned Scale Horse, Su Jie held a map in his hand and looked towards a mountain over six thousand meters high. This mountain was lofty, with clouds twisting around its middle and its form imposing and extraordinary, resembling a crouching Pixiu overseeing the mortal realm. Eerie shrieks emitted from the mountain periodically. Residing on this mountain were a male and a female Golden Winged Luan Bird, whose strength was terrifying. Even when the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace had led a team to encircle and suppress them, he had been unable to subdue these two spiritual beasts. Fortunately, these two Golden Winged Luan Birds had mild temperaments and usually stayed around Cloud Mist Mountain, coexisting peacefully with Ghost Ridge Palace. As long as the disciples did not invade their territory, there generally was no danger. After walking tens of miles, Su Jie and the others arrived at a strange region. Ahead, the ground was scorched and yellowed. Numerous pitch-black holes were scattered haphazardly, from which a foul-smelling black smoke rose slowly and sinister shadows flickered within the holes. This place also had an unusual type of flower, blood-red in color, with blooms half a meter in diameter when fully opened, extremely delicate and beautiful. ¡°Dismount and pass quietly.¡± With a serious expression, Pei Haibing dismounted, gripping the reins and muffling the horse¡¯s mouth as he cautiously stepped into this eerie land. The disciples followed suit, leading their horses carefully by the reins. ¡°Earth Shadow Cave, ranked among the top ten most dangerous places within the domain of Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± This was also Su Jie¡¯s first time here. In the continuous mountain range where Ghost Ridge Palace was situated, this Earth Shadow Cave was indeed well-known. It was one of the main transit points to the outer world, and over the years, countless lives had been lost here. Su Jie had seen numerous human skeletons half-buried in the ground. ¡°Alien Ghost, we have Alien Ghosts behind us.¡± As the group was halfway through Earth Shadow Cave, an unexpected event occurred¡ªseveral Alien Ghosts appeared within sight. The disciples began to panic at the sight of the Alien Ghosts; fear was evident in many of the disciples¡¯ eyes. Some, driven by instinct, quickened their steps, only to miss one and step half into a hole. The falling rocks made a noise, and the black smoke in the holes immediately changed. The black smoke surged out violently, as if alive, coiling around this disciple like a creature. Within the smoke, strands of black fungal filaments spread out, invading the disciple¡¯s eyes, mouth, nose, ears, and other parts of his body, filling him with spores. Shortly after, he was dragged into the hole, without even having time to cry out. A minute later, a new hole appeared nearby, and green vines grew out of it, bearing buds of bright red flowers waiting to bloom. Through the holes in the ground, the disciple who had been devoured was now entwined and covered with white fungal filaments, with vines emerging from his eyes and mouth, serving as nutrients for the flowers. Seeing this scene, the remaining disciples felt a chill in their limbs and dared not make any noise. Fortunately, the Alien Ghosts also feared the dangerous land of Earth Shadow Cave and merely lingered outside without entering. Otherwise, a battle here would have made too much noise, and both sides would have been swallowed up by Earth Shadow Cave entirely. Because they dared not make any noise, everyone moved slowly and took a half-hour to finally get through Earth Shadow Cave. After leaving Earth Shadow Cave, they walked for another two hours, and the sky was almost dark. Su Jie and his group of several dozen people found a flat area, tied the Horned Scale Horses to trees, and began setting up tents to camp. ..... Under the night sky! The disciples who had been traveling for a whole day were mostly exhausted and asleep under the cover of night. Only a few disciples on night duty were sitting around a campfire to keep warm. At this time, winter had already set in. Although it had not yet started snowing, the temperature was very low, making the cold night wind especially hard to endure. ¡°This damn weather; if it weren¡¯t for the mission, I¡¯d still be sleeping in a warm bed right now,¡± one grumbled. ¡°Tell me about it; we¡¯ve only been out for a little more than a day, and we¡¯ve already lost a brother. Once we¡¯re out of Ghost Ridge Palace territory, if the Righteous Sect discovers us, who knows how many of us will die,¡± another added. As the disciples heated themselves by the fire, they complained, but they remained vigilant, having set up numerous noise traps around, continuously scanning the surroundings to monitor any movement around the campsite. Being in the dangerous wilderness, having a sense of alertness could save lives. Yet, despite their vigilance, an accident still happened. While the disciples were talking, several vague, towering dark shadows were approaching stealthily from the darkness not illuminated by the fire. Crack! A disciple heard a noise and was about to turn to check when he saw several Alien Ghosts lunging out of the darkness. ¡°Enemy attack!¡± The disciples on guard screamed in shock; they hadn¡¯t expected that with so many of them, Alien Ghosts would still venture to launch a night attack. The screams disturbed the entire camp; as the fire flickered, disciples sleeping in their armor rushed out of their tents, only to see the shapes of Alien Ghosts. ¡°A bunch of useless fools, you can¡¯t even keep watch properly,¡± Pei Haibing said, his face frosty. Instead of dealing with the Alien Ghosts, he confronted the disciples responsible for standing guard first. Of the five disciples who were originally on duty, only two had survived. ¡°Were you on guard tonight?¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s gaze settled on them. The two disciples, with expressions of having narrowly escaped death, nodded repeatedly, ¡°Brother Pei, we didn¡¯t know how the Alien Ghosts got so close. We had the perimeter secured, but then...¡± Before they could explain further, Pei Haibing had already made his move. His slender, pale hands shot out like lightning, instantly crushing the necks of the two disciples, cutting off any further explanations. ¡°The useless only look for excuses,¡± Pei Haibing coldly stated as he flung away the corpses of the two disciples who died with their eyes wide open. ¡°Finish off these Alien Ghosts, what are you standing around for?¡± The disciples hurriedly turned away, not daring to look anymore, and focused on dealing with the Alien Ghosts. One by one, poisonous insects were summoned, swarming towards the Alien Ghosts. There were four Alien Ghosts that had appeared this time, while there were more than fifty disciples, more than ten times the number of the Alien Ghosts. Despite the powerful combat abilities of the Alien Ghosts, the difference in numbers was too great. The disciples gained the upper hand in the fight, and two of the Alien Ghosts were quickly torn apart by the poisonous insects, the toxins overwhelming their bodies and ending their lives right there. The remaining two Alien Ghosts, seeing that things were going badly and being not low in intelligence, immediately turned and fled. They jumped into a hole outside the forest and disappeared from sight in a blink. The disciples surrounding the Alien Ghosts looked at each other and at the hole before them, none daring to jump down to pursue. Su Jie stepped out from the crowd, waved a torch inside the hole, and pinched some fresh soil near the hole, saying, ¡°These are the Alien Ghosts that appeared in the Earth Shadow Cave during the day. They are quite clever, following our trail here and having learned to dig tunnels there, approaching us undetected in this manner.¡± At this statement, the disciples exchanged strange looks, astonished at Su Jie¡¯s audacity. His words were tantamount to slapping Pei Haibing in the face on the spot. Just before, Pei Haibing had killed two guard disciples indiscriminately, but it turned out that those killed weren¡¯t negligent in their duties, they just hadn¡¯t expected the Alien Ghosts would launch an attack from underground¡ªa scenario no one had anticipated, making their deaths truly unjust. Chapter 68 - 66: Coming Out of the Pass Chapter 68: Chapter 66: Coming Out of the Pass Pei Haibing¡¯s gaze was cold and indifferent. Hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, he slowly walked over to Su Jie. Swish, swish! As Pei Haibing passed by, the disciples made way for him, fearful of becoming collateral damage. ¡°You have an opinion on the way I handle things?¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s eyes drooped, the two disciples he had previously killed were completely unworthy of an apology in his eyes. ¡°Of course not, Brother Pei. I can only admire the way you handle matters,¡± said Su Jie with a bright smile, brushing the dirt off his hands as he stood up. Chen Yun and Gu Weonian watched the scene worriedly, afraid that Pei Haibing would, without a second word, kill Su Jie like he did the two other disciples. ¡°What about you all, does anyone else have an opinion?¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s sharp gaze swept over the surrounding area as each disciple promptly lowered their heads. Who would dare say a word? Only if they were tired of living. ¡°On this journey, without me, what could you all do? Once we¡¯re outside Ghost Ridge Palace, I am your greatest reliance. Today, I¡¯m going to teach you all a lesson: As long as you have strength, even if I kill you by mistake, you¡¯ll still have to beg me for protection. If you¡¯re going to be a dog, you¡¯d better understand your place and not think you can stand on equal footing with your master.¡± With such arrogant words, Pei Haibing didn¡¯t even regard the Outer Disciples as human; they were merely tools to be used and easily disposed of. The disciples still dared not raise their heads, even if they were furious inside. Facing the power disparity with an Inner Sect disciple, they had no choice but to listen to Pei Haibing¡¯s demeaning speech. ¡°As for you.¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s gaze once again fell on Su Jie, suddenly he patted Su Jie on the shoulder and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you speak. You should learn more from me. As for these Outer Disciples, it doesn¡¯t matter how many of them die.¡± This abrupt change stunned all the disciples present. No one had expected the previously ruthless Pei Haibing to suddenly show Su Jie in such a different light. For a moment, many disciples looked at Su Jie differently, wondering if the two of them truly had a close and unbreakable bond, otherwise why would Pei Haibing speak to Su Jie, an Outer Disciple, like that. ¡°Brother Pei, I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I¡¯m a rather kind person by nature. I can¡¯t do such things.¡± Su Jie laughed, and behind him, Gu Weonian¡¯s face twitched. How could you have the nerve to say such things! If Meng Dongge had known, he might have risen from his grave to protest. Pei Haibing¡¯s hand grew slightly heavier on Su Jie¡¯s shoulder, perhaps sensing the sarcasm in Su Jie¡¯s words about his malicious methods. He spoke indifferently, ¡°You will understand what I¡¯m saying in time.¡± Su Jie was also an Outer Disciple, and Pei Haibing¡¯s words, showing blatant disregard for the life and death of Outer Disciples, meant that he could kill Su Jie at will. ¡°Thank you then, Brother Pei, for your guidance. I will seek your advice in the future,¡± said Su Jie, his smile undiminished, seemingly not understanding the veiled threat because he was certain that Pei Haibing wouldn¡¯t make a move at such an occasion. Pei Haibing said nothing more, instead, he began storing the bodies of the Alien Ghosts in his waist Storage Bag. Although he had exerted no effort in the battle with the Alien Ghosts, Pei Haibing was at the forefront when it came to claiming the spoils of war, with a face that said it was only natural. Each Alien Ghost was worth over a thousand Blood Marrow Crystals, causing the envy of countless disciples. Pei Haibing didn¡¯t care what the Outer Disciples thought, simply minded his own business and left. However, just as he entered his tent, Pei Haibing¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Master valuing you so much...¡± With cold eyes, Pei Haibing remembered, it was only because Master Taoist Qiu highly regarded Su Jie that he dared not act against Su Jie to his face, instead maintaining an outwardly brotherly facade. Especially since not long ago, Su Jie had made Taoist Qiu proud. Taoist Qiu had personally bestowed the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword upon Su Jie and even said he would remember Su Jie¡¯s name, a great honor. If Pei Haibing were to kill Su Jie in the presence of others without restraint, and the news reached Taoist Qiu¡¯s ears, it would be like a slap to Taoist Qiu¡¯s face, and Pei Haibing¡¯s fate would be very grim indeed. Therefore, after much deliberation, Pei Haibing would not move against Su Jie to his face. ¡°But not for much longer. As soon as we leave the domain of Ghost Ridge Palace, your fate will no longer be up to you.¡± Pei Haibing murmured coldly to himself that once he left Ghost Ridge Palace, he could easily arrange some ¡°accidents¡± for Su Jie to die in, leaving no one the wiser. What a pity that Pei Haibing did not know he was not the only one with such thoughts. .......... After a night of harrowing experiences, the team continued their journey the next day. For another two days, they traveled through the mountains, passing across treacherous terrains and checkpoints guarded by the Law Enforcement Team. Perhaps luck was on their side; ever since the encounter with the Alien Ghosts that night, the convoy had not run into a single one, unbelievably reaching the very edge of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s domain without incident. Sigh! Su Jie pulled at the reins and looked up. Blocking their path was the last checkpoint before leaving Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s domain. If one wished to leave Ghost Ridge Palace, this was the easiest route to take. The other exits involved treacherous locations teeming with demons and Alien Ghosts, places even the Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace would avoid like the plague. At the checkpoint, three towering watchtowers stood imposingly beside the mountain path. On these hundred-meter-high stone towers, not only did the elite Law Enforcement Team stand guard, but three Elders also took turns overseeing the area. The towers themselves provided both living quarters and defensive capabilities. Once a battle commenced, the multiple formations carved into the towers would activate, repelling any invading forces. Beneath the towers, being the sole passageway between Ghost Ridge Palace and the outside world, traders weary from travel often made temporary stops to rest and prepare before embarking on their journey to the Ghost Ridge Palace Black Market. Over time, a small town camp formed nearby, modest in structure but fully equipped. Upon entering the town, Su Jie¡¯s convoy did not stop to rest but continued through the town to the checkpoint formed by the three high towers. They were quickly subjected to inspection. ¡°Another batch transporting slaves for Liuyun Manor? How many has it been now?¡± Dressed in red uniforms that reeked of blood, several members of the Law Enforcement Team flipped through the Task Tokens, and upon verification, one of them picked up a snail. This snail¡¯s spiral shell featured a ghostly face that seemed to slowly revolve upon closer inspection, its faint crimson eyes nearly sucking one¡¯s soul into its vortex. Su Jie¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he dared not look any longer, suspecting this was a Mid-grade poisonous insect. ¡°Everyone, release any restrictions on your Spiritual Power, including you.¡± The Law Enforcement Team spoke in an icy tone, showing no courtesy even to an inner disciple like Pei Haibing. Answerable only to the Sect Master and possessing strengths starting from the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm and above, the team could easily disregard inner disciples, often holding even greater authority than those less-experienced ones. Once everyone deactivated the automatic circulation of Spiritual Energy within their bodies, the Law Enforcement Team member holding the snail smeared its secreted mucus onto the skin of the disciples. Su Jie felt a chill on his skin. Without the defense of Spiritual Power, an odd gas penetrated his body and quickly dispersed throughout his limbs and bones. ¡°This is a Red-eyed Ghost-faced Snail, a Mid-grade poisonous insect. Once it¡¯s mucus is applied, no matter the distance, it can track the scent. So don¡¯t think just because you¡¯ve left Ghost Ridge Palace, you¡¯re free as a bird and can think of escaping never to return. Our execution order is still valid outside the domain of Ghost Ridge Palace. There¡¯s only one path for traitors¡ªdeath.¡± After dropping the chilling warning, the Law Enforcement Team waved their hands, signaling the convoy to move along. Su Jie barely had time to contemplate the strictness of Ghost Ridge Palace as he passed through the last checkpoint, and suddenly, his view became startlingly clear. No longer surrounded by towering mountains, the vast plains stretched before him beneath the brilliant blue sky. The grass was soft and lush, like a vast yet delicate green carpet extending to the horizon. ¡°Qingzhou, the Da Li Dynasty¡¯s largest grain-producing plain, lives up to its reputation.¡± Seeing a landscape never visible from within Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s domain, Su Jie looked back at the rugged mountain path wrapped in clouds, the continuous range of peaks, and realized Ghost Ridge Palace really was like a different world. For some reason, looking out at the vast plain before him, Su Jie felt a surge of boldness within. In the half-year since his accidental arrival at Ghost Ridge Palace, this was Su Jie¡¯s first time venturing out. Unknowingly, he had grown from someone who could only hide in cave dwellings at the Mountain Gate, constantly hunting insects and worrying about surviving the next day, to someone not bounded by the constraints of the Second Level of Yunling Realm. ¡°I wonder what the outside world will be like.¡± Breathing the exceptionally fresh air, Su Jie realized that book knowledge was shallow after all. Only by seeing with his own eyes could he truly understand the outside world. Chapter 69 - 67: Shaoshan Town Chapter 69: Chapter 67: Shaoshan Town Riding on Horned Scale Horses, a group of people stepped into the vast plain. Looking around, the terrain was flat and expansive. Although the weather was bone-chillingly cold, various wildflowers and wild grasses on the plain still stood resilient, swaying uncertainly in the cold wind. ¡°It¡¯s indeed much safer outside.¡± Having traveled a distance, Su Jie and the others hadn¡¯t encountered any dangers, unlike the perilous environments within the borders of Ghost Ridge Palace. This was also easy to understand. Good territories were always occupied by the powerful; no one coveted poor and inhospitable lands. In the history of Blue Star Hua Country, fertile and expansive plains were always occupied by the Zhongyuan Dynasty, while ethnic minorities mostly lived in resource-poor areas of mountains, snowfields, and high altitudes. Was it because they didn¡¯t want to live in the comfortable climate and resource-rich plains? Of course not, it was simply because they couldn¡¯t defeat the Zhongyuan Dynasty. The same logic applied to Ghost Ridge Palace. Nowadays, with the righteous sects flourishing and powerful, Ghost Ridge Palace could only reluctantly settle in the mountains, amidst pervasive crises, harsh environments, and scarce resources. In the past, during the prime of the Demon Path, various Demon Cultivation Sects had also occupied the fertile plains. Few people preferred the environment of deep mountains and old forests. Even in cultivation, aside from some Spiritual Mountain Blessed Lands, people preferred staying in the plains. Walking on the plain without the rugged mountain paths and steep cliffs, the disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace could finally let go of the reins and gallop across the grassland on their horses, increasing their speed by more than tenfold. In half a day¡¯s effort, everyone crossed the grassland plain and could already see signs of human habitation. Smoke curled upward from cooking fires, and a small village appeared in their view. Peasants were tending the fields, women spun and picked mulberry, children played and frolicked, chickens crowed and dogs barked, neighbors heard each other. Su Jie and the others passed near the village on their Horned Scale Horses. Thud, thud. The village bell was rung as a peasant working in the field spotted the group of dozens of horsemen, immediately changed expression, ran back to the village to give the alarm, shouting about bandits and the like. It turned out that they mistook Su Jie and his companions for marauding bandits. Young and strong villagers came running out with pitchforks and hoes, warily eyeing the passing group of dozens of horsemen. This road wasn¡¯t frequently traveled by the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s black market caravan. It was densely populated and congested with visitors, so typically, black market caravans took detours, but this time, due to the task at hand, Su Jie and his companions had to take this relatively unfamiliar shortcut. Looking at the small village of over three hundred people before him, Pei Haibing¡¯s fingers twitched slightly, his eyes filled with bloodthirsty greed. Ultimately, he restrained the impulse to attack the village. They still had a task to complete, and engaging in such an act would cause a huge commotion, quickly alerting the local government, and even leading to a siege by reputable sects¡ªa surefire way to court disaster. ¡°Try to avoid densely populated areas and choose less-traveled paths,¡± Pei Haibing issued a new order, perhaps noting that his group was attracting too much attention. Following the map¡¯s directions, the horsemen set off again, this time avoiding crowded areas and taking more secluded roads. Although they still encountered villages and travelers along the way, the frequency was significantly reduced. Su Jie rode on horseback, contemplating the world outside as described in the books. The location where Su Jie and his companions now found themselves was within the borders of Da Li Dynasty, Qingzhou, Jia Shao Prefecture. Qingzhou was the largest grain-producing area of the Da Li Dynasty, with a population too large to qualify as sparse. Especially in the backward Tianyuan World, a large population was needed to maintain farm operations. Despite the cultivators possessing various Divine Powers and magic techniques, they never demeaned themselves by engaging in agricultural production. The lower class commoners naturally couldn¡¯t rely on such conveniences; they could only depend on human labor and water buffalo-driven mills. ¡°Ahead is Shaoshan Town. We¡¯re running low on supplies; we need to go there to purchase goods. Those who are called out by name will be responsible for the shopping,¡± Pei Haibing ordered as he pulled the troop to a halt for rest after three days, also arranging their tasks. This was indeed a fact; not every disciple had a Storage Bag equipped; almost all Outer Disciples lacked this item, and supplies had to be carried by the team. The constant travel had already depleted most of it, and replenishment was indeed necessary. ¡°Su Jie, Xu Tu, Chen Qin¡¯an...¡± Pei Haibing called out seven or eight names, including coincidentally, Su Jie, Gu Weonian, and Chen Yun. ¡°Brother Pei, we¡¯re on our way.¡± Bowing, Su Jie didn¡¯t say anything else; he turned his horse toward Shaoshan Town, the named disciples following in suit. ... Half an hour later. Su Jie could see Shaoshan Town marked on the map from afar. It was a moderately sized town, mostly surrounded by land cultivated by the townspeople, who were wearing rather thin clothes as they worked in the fields. ¡°Hmm, a glow of Spiritual Power.¡± Standing on a small dirt mound, Su Jie saw fluctuations of Spiritual Energy to the southeast of Shaoshan Town. There lay a faint spirit land where the veins of the earth were permeating the surface with Spiritual Power, suitable for cultivating some ordinary Spirit Grain. Su Jie¡¯s vision was quite good; he could clearly see the nearby spirit field with towering buildings, flying eaves, and couplets hanging between them. Moreover, there were some Cultivators with Spiritual Power tending to the fields. Some were employing a rain-making technique, with small clusters of dark clouds forming above the spirit field, drizzling rain mixed with Spiritual Power onto the land. Others enslaved a kind of burrowing worm that easily turned over acres of soil to plant spirit plant seeds. Some were carefully protecting the fields, with a formation in place above the spirit field that prevented insects and birds from pecking. The span of this spirit field was not very large, at most just over eighty acres, and there were only a few Cultivators managing it, which was starkly different from the labor-intensive ordinary fields. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there.¡± Su Jie led the way into Shaoshan Town. The town was primarily built of wooden structures, and families that could afford to live in bluestone brick houses were relatively wealthy locals. From what Su Jie could see, most of the townspeople weren¡¯t living well. It wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t survive, but the paleness of their faces and their numb expressions said enough. Even in the dead of winter, they were still clad in thin clothing, and most families were struggling to get by, barely subsisting above the poverty line. ¡°Time to pay the monthly fee, the autumn harvest ended a half a month ago. Anyone who hasn¡¯t paid up yet, make it snappy.¡± Just as they entered the town, Su Jie witnessed a bizarre scene. A group of arrogant individuals were going door to door, knocking and announcing. Su Jie didn¡¯t ask further and headed directly to the town¡¯s grain shop, only to see a long queue forming there. A large number of townspeople had carts filled with sacks of grain, paying their dues to several men who looked like managers. ¡°Ah, the Chu Family¡¯s fee has gone up again this year.¡± ¡°What can we do, we¡¯ve still got to pay the fee!¡± ¡°Hopefully they¡¯ll weigh less on the scales.¡± ¡°Expecting the Chu Family to be charitable is like seeing a pink elephant in your dreams.¡± The townspeople discussed quietly among themselves, and the arrival of Su Jie and his group, as outsiders, attracted quite a few glances. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d have to pay a fee here too.¡± Gu Weonian seemed quite sentimental, reminded of the monthly fee he paid to Taoist Qiu every month. ¡°These townspeople aren¡¯t living any better, barely getting enough food and clothing. It¡¯s only on paper that everyone has plenty to eat and wear.¡± Chen Yun scoffed. Ghost Ridge Palace received many books from the outside world stored in the Book Collection Pavilion, which included non-Cultivation related books accessible to ordinary Disciples. Those books were mostly written by scholars of the Da Li Dynasty, depicting Da Li as a peaceful and prosperous kingdom where swords were sheathed, wars ceased, and the citizens lived comfortably and contentedly. But taking Shaoshan Town as a microcosm, it was clear the people were barely clothed and fed, burdened with heavy land fees, far from living comfortably. ¡°Hey, where are you folks from? Do you know this is Chu Family territory? Keep spouting nonsense, and I¡¯ll smash that ugly face of yours.¡± A grain shop manager, who just happened to pass by, overheard Chen Yun¡¯s comments and immediately glared hostilely. Chen Yun¡¯s face darkened. Ever since Su Jie had saved her life, several centipede-like scars had marred her face. Being a woman, she was particularly sensitive to comments about her appearance. ¡°What nonsense Chu Family, they¡¯re just a local tyrant of a small town.¡± Chen Yun suppressed her urge to kill and simply kicked the Chu Family manager, sending him flying. This action stirred up a hornet¡¯s nest as several Chu Family managers began shouting around. Others tried to continue the trouble but were promptly sent scrambling by Chen Yun charging at them on horseback. ¡°Let¡¯s grab some supplies from the shop and prepare to leave.¡± Su Jie did not stop Chen Yun¡¯s impulsive action, and as he spoke, his eyes caught a glimpse of a honey bee flying across the street. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t engage in a big fight here, let¡¯s move quickly.¡± Chapter 70 - 68: Chu Family Chapter 70: Chapter 68: Chu Family Su Jie watched as Chen Yun and a few others entered the store to fetch supplies. That so-called Chu Family was clearly the owner of the spirit field; they were used to throwing their weight around in the town. Today, they hadn¡¯t expected to be beaten by newcomers, and surely they wouldn¡¯t let it go. If one wished to avoid trouble, it would be wise to leave as soon as possible. Su Jie did not participate in gathering supplies; instead, he strolled around the town. ¡°Uncle, may I know your name? I¡¯m a businessman from out of town. I¡¯m a bit thirsty after my travels. Could I trouble you for a bowl of water at your place?¡± Su Jie stopped an old farmer who had just finished tilling the land and was carrying his hoe back to his house, his face crisscrossed with deep wrinkles. ¡°Everyone just calls me Old Man Chen. You look like you come from a wealthy family, as long as you don¡¯t mind our humble little home.¡± Old Man Chen was slightly taken aback, then he pushed open the door to his house and invited Su Jie inside. The interior of the house was simple, with a set of old and damaged furniture, and a corner rice bin piled with coarse grains, not many in quantity. There were other people in the house too, an old woman with white hair lying on a bed in an inner room, fast asleep. In addition, there were five children, the oldest about twelve or thirteen years old and the youngest three or four. Curious yet somewhat fearful, the children hid inside the house and took furtive glances at Su Jie, the unfamiliar guest, through a crack in the door. ¡°We don¡¯t have much to offer. If you¡¯re really thirsty...¡± Old Man Chen was somewhat restrained as he brought over a bowl of water. The bowl was chipped in several places; perhaps feeling embarrassed to present it, Old Man Chen¡¯s dark face flushed slightly. Su Jie took the bowl and drained it in one gulp. Wiping his mouth, he smiled and said, ¡°Uncle, what are you talking about? We who travel and trade in the wilderness drink from rivers when we¡¯re thirsty. Why should I be so finicky?¡± Old Man Chen sighed in relief. Seeing that Su Jie was easy to talk to, he relaxed and called out to the inner room, ¡°Erlang, mind your siblings and don¡¯t disturb the honored guest.¡± Su Jie pat himself down and, secretly from his storage bag, took out a bag of unwrapped candy, slipping it into the hands of the children and patting their heads, ¡°Take these candies to eat.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, this isn¡¯t right.¡± The children¡¯s faces lit up with joy, but Old Man Chen repeatedly tried to refuse. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re fated to have met. Besides, I have to ask the uncle here some questions.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, and Old Man Chen, unable to stop him, let the children go out to play. ¡°Thank you, big brother.¡± The children sweetly called out their thanks, delightedly running out the door. In the Tianyuan World, just like in ancient times on Blue Star, sugar was a precious commodity; these children rarely had the chance to taste something sweet. Putting down the bowl, Su Jie started to ask, ¡°I¡¯d like to inquire about this Chu Family from you, uncle. I¡¯ve noticed many people in the town paying rent to them. Are your fields not your own?¡± Old Man Chen¡¯s face darkened as he said, ¡°Not to deceive you, young master, in our Shaoshan Town, those who still own their fields are few and far between. That accursed Chu Family hired experts from the big city to cast spells, diverting local underground water veins to the spirit field, forcing us to rent from them because we haven¡¯t water to irrigate our lands. Otherwise, we can only watch helplessly as our fields yield nothing.¡± Su Jie pondered in his heart. Major Sects generally look down on the trivial produce of commoners, but it¡¯s different for the smaller households of cultivators. By consolidating land and making the populace tenants, they could amass a large output of grain. Grain could be exchanged for gold and silver, and gold and silver are related to artifact refining materials. Although the value was low, for cultivators of small households, it was entirely possible to exchange gold and silver for cultivation resources, making it a very decent way to realize assets. After a moment of reflection, Su Jie asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the government care?¡± ¡°The Chu Family is a major local clan. For generations, they produce scholars, and some of their people hold office in the city. Plus, with their reliance on the output of the spirit field to cultivate cultivators, the government turns a blind eye.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Su Jie nodded and continued to query Old Man Chen about the situation in Shaoshan Town. ¡°Child, why are there strangers at home? Could it be the government officials have come to collect the Demon Extermination Tax again, haven¡¯t we already paid it this year?¡± Just then, an elderly woman with white hair fumbled her way out from the inner room, awakened by the conversation between the two. She was Old Man Chen¡¯s mother. The old lady walked unsteadily, with a vacant look in her eyes¡ªit was clear she could no longer see clearly. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not that, we have a guest at home.¡± Old Man Chen quickly helped his mother back to her bed, afraid that she would fall because she couldn¡¯t see the path. When Old Man Chen had returned, Su Jie curiously asked, ¡°Uncle, what is this Demon Extermination Tax that the elder mentioned?¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know, young master?¡± Old Man Chen was taken aback and then smacked his forehead: ¡°I almost forgot, with your background, young master, surely the tax doesn¡¯t fall upon you. The Demon Extermination Tax is imposed by the Jia Shao Government. They claim it¡¯s to guard against the havoc wrought by the Demon Ghost Ridge Palace on the common folk. They collect this tax to train armies, with the aim of securing peace for the realm and eradicating the cancer that is the Ghost Ridge Palace once and for all. The tax is especially burdensome, and each year we have to dish out quite a bit of our wealth to cover it. However, I¡¯ve heard that if a family has produced a cultivator, then they can be exempt from this tax. It¡¯s said that since cultivators contribute to the fight against the Ghost Ridge Palace, there¡¯s no need for them to pay taxes. I¡¯m sure someone from your family must have practiced cultivation, right?¡± ¡°Ah, something like that.¡± Having heard this, Su Jie was speechless and, at the same time, a certain phrase came to mind involuntarily. We certainly lack the guts to wipe out the bandits, yet we have the audacity, and quite substantial at that, to amass wealth under the pretext of doing so. The Demon Ghost Ridge Palace has taken root in the mountains for so many years, and Su Jie had neither heard nor seen any government troops entering the mountains. On the contrary, the prosperity of the black market at the Ghost Ridge Palace likely had much to do with the local government¡¯s laissez-faire approach. As the topic of the Demon Extermination Tax grew somber, Old Man Chen¡¯s mood sank. Seeing his state, Su Jie did not continue to bother him, and suggested that he should take his leave. Before leaving, Su Jie discreetly placed a piece of broken silver beneath the water bowl, then departed from the place. By the time Su Jie returned to the shop and grain store, Chen Yun and the others had already gathered the supplies, loading them onto the Horned Scale Horses. It was unexpected how quickly the Chu Family had mobilized; just as Su Jie and his companions were about to mount their horses and leave, a large group of Chu Family members blocked their path. ¡°Esteemed Heavenly Masters, it was they who assaulted our Chu Family members.¡± Among this group of Chu Family members, several cultivators distinguished by their elegant clothing adorned with embroidered patterns and silk bandanas emerged, exuding an air of nobility. The one at the lead had the appearance of an ancient, with the poise of both a dragon and a tiger, and eyes that shone with vitality, creating the image of a venerable person. ¡°I am Lu Feng, the Sacrificial Elder of the Chu Family. Who might you young ones be apprenticed to, and what brings you here? Speak the truth promptly, or else do not blame me for being discourteous.¡± With a cold snort, Lu Feng guessed that Su Jie and his companions possessed cultivation, yet he did not fear them, instead he demonstrated his power, allowing his spiritual power to surge unabashedly within him. His cultivation was at the Yunling Realm Second Level; the fluctuation of spiritual power was not like a tidal wave but more like a refreshing breeze brushing against the face. The cultivators following Lu Feng did the same, proudly releasing their spiritual power fluctuations, and these individuals were even more formidable, each possessing the cultivation of the Yunling Realm First Level. The expressions of Su Jie and his group were peculiar, especially Chen Yun, who had previously engaged in the fight. She had thought that Lu Feng was a great hidden expert living discreetly in town, with cultivation no less than her Master, Taoist Qiu of the Secret Realm. Yet, after this introduction, such modest ability proved anticlimactic, and all of her fright had been for naught. Chapter 71 - 69: Departure Chapter 71: Chapter 69: Departure ¡°It¡¯s too late to regret now; all of you, stay right where you are.¡± Seeing that Su Jie and his group remained silent, Lu Feng stroked his white beard, thinking they had been intimidated. ¡°I thought you had some real strength. To dare call yourself a Heavenly Master with such skills?¡± Chen Yun didn¡¯t even know where to begin her criticism¡ªa Heavenly Master at the Second Level of Yunling Realm, what a grandiose facade. She had actually been startled for a moment and had made too much of a small issue. Gu Weonian couldn¡¯t help but snicker and said, ¡°Staying here, he must¡¯ve grown accustomed to flattery.¡± ¡°After all, it¡¯s just a small town. It¡¯s already remarkable to have Cultivators here.¡± Su Jie shook his head. Shaoshan Town was just a small place; those who could stay here were mostly Cultivators with poor talent and resources. Truly talented and formidable individuals would have long joined various sects or entered into major clans and noble families, or else they would forge their own enterprises. Who would lack such ambition to domineer in a small town? The current situation made sense. If a place as small as Shaoshan Town could produce Cultivators at the Fourth or Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, Ghost Ridge Palace would have been trampled flat long ago; it wouldn¡¯t have stood for so many years. Those on par with Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples were mostly elite disciples from renowned sects Righteous Sects. A place like Shaoshan Town at best could be considered a breeding ground for Loose Cultivators¡ªlacking talent and resources, a far cry from higher echelons. Su Jie didn¡¯t plan to delay any further and addressed Lu Feng, ¡°If you¡¯re sensible, clear the way now, and I can pretend this never happened.¡± Lu Feng, with his head held high, thought Su Jie had chickened out and arrogantly said, ¡°You expect to leave after offending our Chu Family? Without kneeling and knocking your head on the ground several times, offering a batch of compensation gifts, I won¡¯t be so easy to talk to.¡± ¡°Seeking death.¡± Chen Yun was very displeased with Lu Feng¡¯s disrespect towards Su Jie and immediately charged forward to teach the old man a lesson and vent Su Jie¡¯s anger. ¡°How audacious, a bunch of juniors! Let me teach you how to respect your elders and the way of the Taoist; how dare you be so disrespectful to your seniors,¡± Lu Feng bellowed when he saw Chen Yun daring to confront him. He angrily clapped his hands together with a swift motion. Tianyuan Inversion. Spiritual Power burst forth from Lu Feng¡¯s palms, transforming into a surging river. Unfortunately, due to his inadequate Spiritual Power, the technique lacked force, far from the dominance of a great river and more resembling the gentle flow of a stream. It was shockingly lethal to ordinary people, but against a group of Demon Cultivators, it was nothing more than a futile effort. Chen Yun took the lead. Without even employing her Ming Sheng Bat, she dispersed the stream of Spiritual Power with her enhanced punches and kicks, then closed in on Lu Feng. Lu Feng¡¯s complexion underwent a drastic change, losing his earlier composure, and he cried out in panic, ¡°Quickly come help me, these people are not easy to handle.¡± While calling for help, he struck rapidly with both hands while reciting incantations. ¡°Behold my Palm Thunder.¡± Crack! Electric currents danced between his fingers, striking out at Chen Yun. Chen Yun reined in her steed to dodge the Palm Thunder. The sizzling electricity, accompanied by static, grazed the neck of the Horned Scale Horse, causing its mane to stand on end, before her hand landed on the wall beside the street, smashing several bricks and leaving behind a charred handprint. With that level of power, Lu Feng still had the gall to boast, ¡°Ha ha, you see the might of the Palm Thunder now, do you? Kneel and surrender quickly if you don¡¯t want to suffer.¡± Su Jie stroked his chin and made a judgment, ¡°His Spiritual Power isn¡¯t pure enough! The Cultivation Technique he¡¯s practicing is no good.¡± At the same Second Level Cultivation of the Yunling Realm, if Su Jie knew the Palm Thunder, its power would be two to three times stronger than the old man¡¯s. ¡°Overestimating oneself.¡± Chen Yun pulled out her horsewhip while on horseback, infused it with Spiritual Power, and lashed down fiercely. Timing it perfectly with the arrival of another Palm Thunder, she struck Lu Feng¡¯s leg with her whip, sending him tumbling to the ground. ¡°My leg.¡± Lu Feng screamed in agony, clutching his broken thigh. It seemed he hadn¡¯t suffered much in his daily life, as such a minor injury had him crying out as if it were life-threatening. The cultivators following Lu Feng hadn¡¯t reacted yet and were just about to come forward to help when they saw their leader being whipped over, followed by the lash of a whip that left them howling like ghosts and wolves. Even the Chu Family members who came with them were whipped to the ground. In the blink of an eye, the entire scene was overturned by Chen Yun alone. Although the whip couldn¡¯t withstand the continuous use and started breaking inch by inch, it was already enough, as there were no longer any Chu Family members who could stand before her. ¡°How should these people be dealt with?¡± Chen Yun looked towards Su Jie, expecting him to make a decision. The other disciples did the same, since in their opinion, not only did Su Jie master the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, he also had a deep friendship with Pei Haibing. In Pei Haibing¡¯s absence, the disciples looked to Su Jie for leadership. ¡°Just loot them and leave.¡± Su Jie understood Chen Yun¡¯s intention and shook his head. They had come to purchase supplies, so a fight was normal and no one would delve deeply into it. If they killed someone, however, things could get out of hand easily; if they attracted the attention of a righteous sect, the repercussions could be severe. Chen Yun nodded and dismounted to loot a few cultivators of their resources. But these poor sods really had nothing, with poverty written all over them, hardly possessing any worthwhile cultivation resources. After all, if they were reduced to being the local landlord¡¯s sacrifices in some backwater town, how rich could they be? ¡°How dare you do this to us? I am a member of the Chu Family. Our family has a powerhouse at the Third Level of Yunling Realm studying under the Purple Mist Sect. If you offend our Chu Family...¡± Lu Feng, who was being robbed, cried out more sorrowfully than when his leg broke, desperately clutching his money pouch. ¡°A big shot at the Third Level of Yunling Realm, huh? It seems your Chu Family isn¡¯t good for much apart from boasting, which you seem unrivalled in.¡± Chen Yun would not indulge the other party, kicking Lu Feng until he coughed up blood and became listless. Seeing that Chen Yun meant business, the others obediently offered their money to avoid further beating. After a thorough plunder, Chen Yun only managed to loot some worthless cultivation materials. Even the elixirs and talismans were defective products sold off due to their flaws. The only thing that caught her eye was five low-grade Spirit Stones. This was a commonly used cultivation material in the outside world. The Spirit Stones contained abundant natural Spiritual Power, which could speed up one¡¯s cultivation. They served a similar purpose and held nearly the same value as Blood Marrow Crystals. The only difference was that Blood Marrow Crystals were suitable for Demon Path cultivation, while Spirit Stones could be used by both the righteous and demon cultivators. For this reason, Spirit Stones were the hard currency of Tianyuan World, serving as the general mainstream currency among cultivators. Chen Yun returned to Su Jie¡¯s side, intending to give him the Spirit Stones she had looted. ¡°Keep them for yourself.¡± Su Jie waved his hands, then asked Chen Yun, ¡°Have you advanced to the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm now?¡± During the battle, Su Jie noticed that Chen Yun¡¯s displayed strength suggested she had possibly broken through to the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm. ¡°Thanks to the Blood Marrow Crystals last time, my Lifebound poisonous insect made a breakthrough, and as a result, so have I.¡± Chen Yun was far from complacent; she originally possessed cultivation at the Yunling Realm Fourth Level, and her Lifebound poisonous insect was the rare Ming Sheng Bat, which was considered talented among the disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace. Now, over two months later, with the batch of Blood Marrow Crystals provided by Su Jie, her Ming Sheng Bat had advanced to a low-grade poisonous insect, and it was very normal for her to boost her cultivation to the fifth level of Yunling Realm. Su Jie nodded and then turned to look at Gu Weonian. Gu Weonian, with a wry smile, spread his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯m getting old, and my potential is nearly exhausted, I still can¡¯t break through.¡± ¡°These things can¡¯t be forced.¡± Without saying much more, Su Jie swept his gaze over the townspeople hiding behind windows and street corners spectating and cast a glance towards the Chu family mansion. He then pulled on the reins, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s head back.¡± The seven or eight disciples immediately followed Su Jie and dashed out of Shaoshan Town. Chapter 72 - 70: Slaughter Chapter 72: Chapter 70: Slaughter Shaoshan Town¡¯s Chu Family. As the town¡¯s largest landlord, in control of a miniature spirit field, the Chu family¡¯s income was enough to crush the entire town. With wealth, naturally, the family¡¯s manor was not lacking. Among the painted rafters and decorated ridgepoles of the veranda, a dark iron-colored Qilin was displayed, grand and stately. Stone steps paved a path leading to every corner of the courtyard, and the windowsills were filled with various green plants and flowers, their fragrance overwhelming. In the main hall of the main house, translucent Liuli tiles sparkled, and the walls were adorned with various calligraphies and exquisite porcelain. In front of the door was a large plaque, with the words ¡®Chu Mansion¡¯ written in gold paint, as if to declare the family¡¯s name to the world. At this time, in the main hall of the Chu family, a middle-aged man wearing a crown and silk robes was slightly bowing his waist; he was Chu Xuntan, the current patriarch of the Chu family. ¡°Mr. Pei, I have already notified all the Chu family members to come and join the banquet,¡± he said. If the townsfolk saw this, they probably wouldn¡¯t believe their eyes: the domineering head of the Chu family in Shaoshan Town, speaking so respectfully and obsequiously. In front of Chu Xuntan, a tall figure slowly turned around, revealing an expressionless face¡ªit was Pei Haibing, an inner disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Have you taken care of the things I asked you to do?¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s gaze did not fall on Chu Xuntan but rather indifferently observed the Chu family¡¯s mansion, as though the air of haughty coldness had seeped into his bones. Chu Xuntan¡¯s body shuddered slightly, and he quickly said, ¡°Mr. Pei, we dare not neglect the tasks you have assigned. Upon receiving your notification, we sent a pigeon to deliver the message to Sanlang. He is an Outer Disciple at the Purple Mist Sect. Upon receiving the letter, he will surely return immediately.¡± When talking about Sanlang, pride surfaced on Chu Xuntan¡¯s face. This was his most promising child, who, due to exceptional talent, had been accepted into the Purple Mist Sect at the age of fifteen, beginning as a servant and now already an Outer Disciple. The Purple Mist Sect was a mid-sized sect within the Jia Shao Prefecture, with thousands of disciples, and the Sect Master was a mighty figure of the Secret Realm. Having such a connection with the sect was a matter of pride for the entire Chu family. ¡°Good, you¡¯ve done well,¡± said Pei Haibing, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked slowly toward the banquet. A look of joy appeared on Chu Xuntan¡¯s face. He had made an acquaintance with Mr. Pei half a year ago by chance. This man with a mysterious background was said to hail from a real family of great wealth and influence, possessing a demeanor that kept others at a significant distance, a quality hard to imitate. What amazed people even more was his strength. Having demonstrated a minor show of power, he had made several Sacrificial Elders of the family tremble with fear. At that moment, Chu Xuntan knew that by forming a good relationship with Mr. Pei, the family would greatly benefit in the future. Perhaps they could rise to great heights, become true elites, and move into a great city. Not to remain in a rural town, mingling with barefooted paupers, looked down upon in secret by city families as country bumpkins. Jogging to keep up with Pei Haibing, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, Chu Xuntan continued, ¡°However, Mr. Pei, those people you mentioned, are they really Demon Cultivators?¡± In this meeting, Pei Haibing had brought a piece of news that he had encountered Demon Cultivator disciples and instructed Chu Xuntan to inform the Purple Mist Sect to prevent calamity from befalling Shaoshan Town. ¡°Do you not believe what I say?¡± Pei Haibing turned back indifferently, startling Chu Xuntan with a shiver, feeling that the gaze was far too terrifying, cold as if it could freeze a person solid. ¡°No, no, of course, I do not doubt what you say, Mr. Pei. It¡¯s just... if they really are Demon Cultivators, aren¡¯t they too mild? The people we sent to test them were only injured, not a single one was killed,¡± Chu Xuntan said cautiously, which differed vastly from his impression of Demon Cultivators. His impression of Demon Cultivators was of bloodthirsty cruelty, prone to massacres, with rather excessive methods. ¡°Have you ever seen a real Demon Cultivator?¡± Pei Haibing spoke while continuing to the banquet venue. To host this mysterious Mr. Pei, the entire Chu family had been mobilized, with every member, young and old, participating in the banquet, amounting to over two hundred people. ¡°Well, no,¡± Chu Xuntan hesitated, then shook his head. ¡°Heh, take a look at me, do I seem like the demon cultivator you have in your memory?¡± Gazing at the over a hundred people gathered for the banquet, men, women, elderly, and children of all sorts, Pei Haibing let out a soft chuckle, his laughter filled with mockery and teasing. ¡°Mr. Pei, you... you shouldn¡¯t joke like this...¡± Chu Xuntan felt a surge of unease upon seeing Pei Haibing¡¯s sinister smile, premonitions of something very wrong emerging. ¡°A joke? Today I will show you just what sort of methods a demon cultivator employs.¡± Licking his lips, Pei Haibing reached out with a large hand, and the top of the skull of Chu Xuntan¡¯s wife, who had come up to offer her respects, was suddenly lifted off. Following that, her beautiful head was pulled out from the root, blood spurting over a meter high, showering both Pei Haibing and Chu Xuntan nearby. Silence! The Chu family members at the entire banquet were stunned, unable to believe what they were seeing. Why had this mysterious Mr. Pei suddenly turned to murder? ¡°You you you, you really are...¡± Chu Xuntan¡¯s lips trembled, pointing at Pei Haibing, his face turning deathly pale. Piecing together what Pei Haibing just said, how could he not understand that the Mr. Pei he had invited into his home was an authentic demon cultivator? ¡°Now do you understand? Do our demon cultivator methods meet your standards?¡± Pei Haibing sneered sarcastically; amidst the laughing, his clothes burst apart, and countless bone spikes protruded from his skin like a hedgehog suddenly bristling its quills. The bones branched out like tree limbs, piercing through the Chu family members one by one, stringing them together and hanging them in mid-air like skewered insects. Blood, screams, struggles, a scene ripe with gore unfolded in what should have been a celebratory banquet, as the entire Chu Mansion was enveloped by terror and death. ¡°Demon demon demon demon demon...¡± The Chu family members ran about in panic, but how could they possibly escape the slaughter by Pei Haibing, an inner disciple? In less than half a minute, everyone in the Chu Mansion, whether family members or servants, was pierced by the white bones. From a distance, it looked like a coral giant tree made of bone grew into the sky above the mansion, every coral branch impaled with struggling human bodies, the blood pooling towards Pei Haibing¡¯s feet, forming a puddle of blood. ¡°My third son, my third son will take revenge for the Chu family...¡± Chu Xuntan was not yet dead, his eyes full of blood and regret, the sight of his family being slaughtered filled him with indescribable rage and remorse. ¡°Revenge? Rest assured, once I¡¯m done using him, your third son will come to join you soon. We demon cultivators, when we say we will annihilate an entire family, we mean it¡ªno one will be spared.¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s gaze was dark and deep as a still pond; as he spoke, his hands formed a spell, and he uttered a low shout: ¡°White Bone Transformation? White Bone Dao? No, all wrong, ha ha, it¡¯s the White Bone Immortal Path.¡± In his maniacal laughter, the live bodies on the white bone coral branches violently shook, uttering screams of extreme agony, as their bones pierced through the skin, turning into bone fluid absorbed by the white bone coral. And the bodies, without bone support, slumped like mud, thumping down from mid-air, gathering into a small mound of corpses. ¡°Pleasurable, truly, the Demon Path requires murder for one to achieve Dao.¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s face was sickly flush, as the white bone coral withdrew back into his body, his cultivation soaring rapidly, fueled by the marrow of the bones he had absorbed from others. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for the Purple Mist Sect to perform, be good pawns for me.¡± After completely slaughtering every living soul in the Chu Mansion, regardless of age, Pei Haibing licked his lips and strolled towards the outside of the mansion. With each step he took, the bones in his face shifted, and the bones throughout his body changed as well, his height and features transforming, taking on the appearance of Su Jie. Stepping out of the Chu Mansion, Pei Haibing observed the alarmed townspeople around him and sneered, ¡°I am the demon cultivator Su Jie. Everyone in the Chu Mansion, over two hundred people, have been slaughtered by me. This is the fate of those who offend a demon cultivator.¡± The townspeople shuddered and their pupils dilated at the mention of this and the sight of the carnage behind Pei Haibing. A scream erupted from someone in the crowd. In an instant, everyone turned and fled, wishing they had more than two legs with which to escape. However, Pei Haibing, who had planned everything, failed to notice a small dragonfly hiding on one of the fleeing townspeople. Due to the crowds and the chaos, and because he was caught in his proud and arrogant mood, he let down his guard and missed this detail. Chapter 73 - 71: Tracking Chapter 73: Chapter 71: Tracking The cold wind whistled sharply as several figures darted rapidly through the mountain forest, startling a flock of birds into flight. It was a team of three men and one woman. ¡°Senior Brother Zhang, we¡¯re almost at my home. Let¡¯s go find my father and ask about the situation first,¡± said a tall man who spoke up. He was dressed in a robe adorned with patterns of purple mist and floating clouds, a garment that would be recognized by any Jianghu person as the attire of a Purple Mist Sect disciple. His name was Chu Pu, the third son of Chu Xuntan. He had joined the Purple Mist Sect at the age of fifteen and had now been promoted to an Outer Disciple with cultivation at the Third Level of Yunling Realm. The other three who traveled with him were entirely different. These three were clad in iron clothes, wearing pointed iron hats, with double swords at their waists. They moved like dragons soaring and tigers leaping, their eyes filled with the resolute and bloodthirsty intent of seasoned warriors. They were disciples of the Punishment Hall of the Purple Mist Sect, each with cultivation at or above the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, and they were not in the same league as him. In addition to capturing and punishing those who violated the sect¡¯s laws, the Punishment Hall also dealt with matters related to the Demon Path. The trio formed a standard reconnaissance team when investigating the Demon Path, deployed by the Purple Mist Sect when the enemy¡¯s situation was uncertain. Senior Brother Zhang, who Chu Pu referred to and also the team leader Zhang Changxin, turned his head to look toward a small town and said indifferently, ¡°Be quick. If we can¡¯t find the Demon Cultivator, I¡¯ll hold you accountable.¡± ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t bother with such a backwater place if it weren¡¯t for your steadfast assurances.¡± ¡°Talk less, Chu Pu. I hope your intelligence is accurate. If there truly is a Demon Cultivator, you won¡¯t be left out of the rewards from the sect.¡± The other two disciples from the Punishment Hall, Qu Lingxuan and Hou Yongqing, also spoke, a couple they were. ¡°Are we really going to give it to him? He¡¯s just a...¡± Qu Lingxuan expressed her dissatisfaction in a whisper to Hou Yongqing. To suppress the re-emergence of Demon Cultivators, the major Righteous Sects often set corresponding bounty rewards for exterminating demons, based on the strength and number of the Demon Cultivators killed, including elixirs, Magic Artifacts, talismans, Cultivation Techniques, Spirit Stones, and more. ¡°Just soothe him for now. Whether we give it to him or not is still up to us,¡± Hou Yongqing whispered back, exchanging a glance with Zhang Changxin and instantly understanding each other¡¯s thoughts. Chu Pu chimed in with an awkward laugh, ¡°Senior Brothers and Senior Sister, this news was personally transmitted to me by my father through a carrier pigeon. There can¡¯t be any mistakes.¡± Without further delay, Chu Pu hurriedly led the three seniors towards their family estate in Shaoshan Town. ... Several minutes later. Chu Pu knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly as he watched the Chu Family estate burn fiercely. The numerous corpses had been set ablaze by an enemy intent on destroying the evidence after a massacre. The once-mighty Chu Family estate, which reigned supreme in Shaoshan Town for many years, was now erased by the raging fire. ¡°It really was the work of Demon Cultivators,¡± Zhang Changxin, who was initially somewhat skeptical, now utterly believed that Demon Cultivators had come to Shaoshan Town. ¡°The methods of these Demon Cultivators are truly despicable,¡± said Qu Lingxuan, visibly moved, not out of sorrow for the deceased members of the Chu Family but out of the realization that the Cultivators¡¯ trail would be difficult to trace due to their scorched earth tactics. For Cultivators, whether from the Righteous sects or Demon Path, they are considered far above ordinary people, and it¡¯s rare for the two to be conflated. Hou Yongqing examined the scene, casually pocketing Spirit Stones and gold and silver among the ruins of the Chu Family estate. ¡°Senior brothers and sister, I beg you, help me; I¡¯ll do anything,¡± pleaded Chu Pu. Chu Pu clenched his teeth hard, knowing he was weak and alone, and the only way to seek revenge was to rely on the three Disciples from the Punishment Hall. Zhang Changxin didn¡¯t respond, as the dead were just ordinary folks, which meant little to him. He was more concerned about the strength of these Demon Cultivators and thought about finding more hands to ensure safety. ¡°Young master, Young Master Chu Pu, you¡¯ve returned! You must avenge our family head, you must avenge the entire Chu Family! You must kill that Demon Cultivator.¡± At that moment, a cry came from outside the Chu family estate. Shortly after, Chu Pu saw the Sacrificial Elder hired by his family, who he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time, stumble back from the outside, crying loudly as soon as he saw him. ¡°You are... called Lu something...¡± Chu Pu hadn¡¯t returned home for several years since he was at the Purple Mist Sect, making him somewhat unfamiliar with the clan¡¯s personnel; he couldn¡¯t recall the name for a moment. ¡°I am Lu Feng! Entrusted by your father, I came to preside over Shaoshan Town. Just today, I personally had dealings with that Devil named Su Jie. He had too many treasures on him, including a superior Flying Sword, as well as a large number of talismans and Magic Artifacts. We inadvertently discovered his secret, and as a result, he exterminated my entire Chu Family.¡± Lu Feng sobbed continuously, yet before Chu Pu could react, Zhang Changxin and his two companions¡¯ eyes lit up at the news. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Demon Cultivator has a lot of resources?¡± Zhang Changxin stepped up to Lu Feng and picked him up with one hand. ¡°It was I who witnessed it with my own eyes, and there is definitely no mistake. He also has a powerful Flying Sword, and his own strength isn¡¯t strong; he relies on all kinds of Treasures. Otherwise, our entire Chu Family would not have been defeated by him.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s body trembled, showing a hint of fear. ¡°How strong is he?¡± Hou Yongqing pointed at Lu Feng and asked Chu Pu. ¡°He should be at the Second Level of Yunling Realm,¡± Chu Pu answered honestly, although not very certain. But this answer was sufficient to put Zhang Changxin and his companions at ease. Even someone weak at the Second Level of Yunling Realm like Lu Feng was spared, indicating that that Demon Cultivator really wasn¡¯t very strong and was likely just flexing his muscles with the aid of Treasures, not a real threat. ¡°Do you know where that Demon Cultivator went? If you want revenge, you¡¯ll have to lead the way for us.¡± Qu Lingxuan couldn¡¯t wait to speak up, without the threat of an opponent, a Demon Cultivator carrying a large quantity of resources was definitely someone they needed to capture. ¡°I know. I¡¯m very familiar with the terrain around here, and since they rode horses, they must have left traces, which I can find.¡± Lu Feng nodded repeatedly, speaking with absolute certainty. ¡°Good! Such a vicious Demon Cultivator, we can¡¯t let them get away no matter what.¡± Zhang Changxin exchanged glances with Qu Lingxuan and Hou Yongqing, and the two of them understood, immediately speaking in unison. ¡°In that case, we mustn¡¯t delay. Let¡¯s set out immediately and arrest that brutal Demon Cultivator.¡± At this moment, the three had no mention of their earlier hesitation, nor did they continue to suggest adding more people to their group. More people meant more divisions of the spoils later, which was absolutely unacceptable. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brothers.¡± Chu Pu wasn¡¯t dim-witted either, though he had some doubts in his heart as to why everyone in his family was dead except for Lu Feng who survived. But considering the revenge for the extermination of his family was now at hand, he felt only excitement. The group quickly left Shaoshan Town, and under the guidance of Lu Feng, they pursued the trail at high speed. Zhang Changxin and others found that while Lu Feng¡¯s cultivation was not impressive, his tracking skills were exceptional. He could find clues even from traces that had been deliberately erased, following them closely. Chapter 74 - 72: Exposure Chapter 74: Chapter 72: Exposure In the afternoon, as the sky gradually darkened, accompanied by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, a torrential downpour suddenly arrived, the fierce wind whipping huge raindrops that drenched the forests and mountains. Thump, thump, thump! Seven or eight large horses with high heads sped through the downpour, their hooves striking the ground and splashing huge amounts of muddy water, turning the ground into a quagmire. Whoa! Atop a mountain peak, Su Jie suddenly pulled on the reins to stop his horse. ¡°Brother Su, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Weonian and a few other disciples looked perplexed¡ªthey were still a long way from returning to their original group. ¡°What if I said that my stomach feels a bit off, possibly from something I ate back in Shaoshan Town, would you believe me?¡± Su Jie deliberately rubbed his stomach, and upon hearing this, everyone was speechless. Due to their cultivation of the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture, disciples of the Ghost Ridge Palace were mostly immune to many poisons. It was quite rare for someone to get an upset stomach, let alone be affected by poison in their food. ¡°Haha, just kidding with you. I left something in Shaoshan Town and need to go back and retrieve it. You don¡¯t need to follow me,¡± Su Jie said with a laugh, and this reason seemed convincing enough. ¡°Then you¡¯d better hurry up and catch up with us.¡± The group didn¡¯t think too much about it and quickly moved on. After all, Shaoshan Town wasn¡¯t the kind of place where one would encounter danger. Su Jie turned his horse around, heading back the way they had come. ¡°To drive out one wolf only to be devoured by a tiger, who exactly is the wolf and who is the tiger is yet to be determined.¡± Su Jie, looking up at the light rain falling from the sky, tied his Horned Scale Horse to a tree and casually broke off several branches. Swoosh, swoosh! With a flick of his fingers, the branches shot through the curtain of rain, pinning several small bees to the tree trunk. Then Su Jie chuckled and walked alone through the muddy mountain terrain. ... Elsewhere. Tracking the caravan¡¯s tracks, Zhang Changxin and his group of five moved through the forest as swiftly as monkeys, the raindrops shattering into pieces as they struck their iron clothes. Displeased with Lu Feng¡¯s slow pace, Qu Lingxuan simply picked him up and sped along with him in tow. ¡°I can feel it, we¡¯re about to catch up with that demon cultivator.¡± At a spot where the muddy hoofprints remained slightly intact, Lu Feng spoke out. ¡°Prepare for battle.¡± Zhang Changxin issued a command, and the other three nodded, their palms resting on the hilts of their swords and blades. ¡°We¡¯ll proceed from here, they can¡¯t be more than five miles away from us, as long as we...¡± Lu Feng pointed in a direction, but in the midst of his sentence, his voice suddenly halted, and he instinctively rubbed his eyes. ¡°As long as what...¡± As Zhang Changxin turned his head to speak, unaware that two Low Grade Junior Fire Gathering Talismans had been buried by someone and were now suddenly detonated, huge flames shot up into the sky. Caught off guard, among the five, including Lu Feng, only Hou Yongqing and Chu Pu were far enough away to avoid the blast. Zhang Changxin, Qu Lingxuan, and Lu Feng were all simultaneously scorched by the flames. ¡°` Fortunately, with their considerable cultivation, Zhang Changxin and Qu Lingxuan turned their iron hats, which deflected most of the fierce flames. The few that weren¡¯t deflected were blocked by their iron clothes. But it was different for Lu Feng. ¡°Hey, how are you doing?¡± Zhang Changxin immediately looked toward Lu Feng, worried that their guide had been burned to death. However, what happened next made his eyes widen in shock. In the midst of the fire, Lu Feng¡¯s body underwent a drastic transformation, his bones cracking loudly as his skin melted like wax, revealing a man with an indifferent gaze. It was Pei Haibing, an inner disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace. Pei Haibing¡¯s cold eyes flickered, and his right hand shot out like lightning, snaking toward Qu Lingxuan, who was closest to him. ¡°Who are you?¡± Qu Lingxuan¡¯s heart pounded furiously, sensing a fatal threat. She quickly retreated, while her double swords hissed out of their sheaths and flew from her waist, turning into two silver crescents that crossed and spun, slashing toward Pei Haibing. ¡°Trifling tricks.¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s outstretched fingers sprouted bones that pierced through the skin, growing wildly and expanding into a huge bony hand that spanned two zhang in diameter, firmly capturing the high-speed spinning crescent swords. Accompanied by a grating cutting sound and a flurry of bone fragments, he ultimately managed to grab them by brute force, crushing them into deformed scrap metal. ¡°White Bone Transformation Skill, you are an inner disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± Seeing this, Zhang Changxin¡¯s voice suddenly changed. As a disciple of the Punishment Hall with an in-depth understanding of demon cultivators, he was naturally familiar with the infamous Ghost Ridge Palace within Jia Shao Prefecture. Famous cultivation techniques from Ghost Ridge Palace were also well-documented, and Pei Haibing¡¯s use of the White Bone Transformation Skill matched with the records. ¡°Hmph, not bad eyesight, but it¡¯s a pity. Seems there was a slip in the plan, that kid noticed it, didn¡¯t he?¡± Pei Haibing licked his lips; his reconnaissance insects had suddenly died all at once just before, and immediately afterward, he was attacked. The weak fire of the White Bone Transformation Skill, the detonation of the Fire Gathering Talisman, perfectly exposed his disguise. Otherwise, according to Pei Haibing¡¯s plan, he should have been the one leading Zhang Changxin and the others to catch up with Su Jie, letting Su Jie be killed by the disciples of the Purple Mist Sect, then he would emerge to clean up all traces and let one or two survivors escape to bring the news back, pinning the incident for certain. In this way, he could hide his involvement and attribute Su Jie¡¯s death to the Purple Mist Sect, for Su Jie¡¯s reckless actions had exposed his whereabouts, leading to a deadly disaster. That way, Taoist Qiu would also have an explanation, and the incident wouldn¡¯t trace back to him. ¡°What¡¯s going on, what exactly is happening?¡± Chu Pu¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. The sudden turn of events had completely taken him by surprise. ¡°Idiot, don¡¯t you get it yet? It¡¯s likely this man staged the whole thing himself, and if things are as I suspect, your Chu Family people were killed by him.¡± Hou Yongqing slapped Chu Pu, causing him to stagger. His gaze was severe as he stared at Pei Haibing, sensing a profound threat from this man. The Ghost Ridge Palace, a demon sect, was much stronger in both ranking and power compared to their Purple Mist Sect. Every inner disciple from Ghost Ridge Palace was extremely difficult to deal with. One wrong move could mean total annihilation. ¡°Was it you who massacred my Chu Family?¡± Chu Pu¡¯s pupils dilated as the realization finally hit him that this man was the mastermind behind everything. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, soon I¡¯ll send you to reunite with your family.¡± Pei Haibing glanced coldly at Chu Pu, paying little attention to this minor character, and instead looked toward the mountains shrouded by the rain, calling out loudly, ¡°Su Jie, I underestimated you. Heh, I know you¡¯re secretly watching. You think you can use these wastes to wear me down. You thought wrong; if I want to kill you, nobody can stop me.¡± As he spoke, Pei Haibing also made his move. His skin writhed unnaturally, and white bones burrowed out, growing and spreading rapidly into forks, and in the blink of an eye, a White Bone Coral Giant Tree tens of meters tall silently rose up. Chu Pu didn¡¯t have time to feel anger before he was frightened pale by this eerie and terrifying scene, instinctively looking for Zhang Changxin¡¯s protection. Too bad Zhang Changxin and the other two disciples from the Punishment Hall were just as terrified. Pei Haibing¡¯s power was far beyond their expectations. ¡°Attack together.¡± Zhang Changxin shouted fiercely, taking up a triangular position with Qu Lingxuan and Hou Yongqing, coordinating with each other to charge toward Pei Haibing¡¯s true form. ¡°` Chapter 75 - 73: The Gap Chapter 75: Chapter 73: The Gap Seeing the three of them charge forward, Pei Haibing¡¯s mouth twisted into a cold smile as his left hand formed a spell. Whoosh whoosh! The White Bone Coral Giant Tree swayed, and hundreds of White Bone Tree Branches fell down, densely stabbing towards Zhang Changxin and his two comrades from mid-air like a volley of countless arrows. In that moment, all one could hear was the whistling of the branches cutting through the air. ¡°Thunder, descend, vanquish the demon!¡± Zhang Changxin roared, his iron clothes shattering raindrops as big as beans, while thunder and lightning flashed in the sky. A curved bolt of lightning fiercely struck the twin blades, covering them with a layer of erratic purple arcs. This was none other than the most famous Cultivation Technique of the Purple Mist Sect, the Wanxiang Heavenly Power True Method, which borrowed the power of Heavenly Might for one¡¯s own use. Slash slash slash! The thunder twin blades slashed continuously, shredding each White Bone Tree Branch into pieces. But for the White Bone Coral Giant Tree, these attempts were merely a drop in the bucket due to the overwhelming density of the attack. Qu Lingxuan let out a stifled groan. With her twin blades destroyed, her defense was not tight enough, and her shoulder and calf were pierced by two White Bone Tree Branches. The iron clothes worn by the disciples of the Punishment Hall were a defensive Magic Artifact, which blocked much of the damage for her, but ultimately, they could not prevent the White Bone from penetrating flesh and blood. In just an instant, Qu Lingxuan¡¯s facial muscles trembled, and her bones made a series of crisp noises, especially in the shoulder and calf where the trembling was severe. Argh! Qu Lingxuan cried out in aguish, her eyes wide with shock and anger as she looked at her shoulder and calf, ¡°My leg... ¡± Before she could finish speaking, all 206 bones in her body, as if having their own will, moved to align with the White Bone Tree Branches. The two White Bone Tree Branches, like grafted living saplings, rapidly grew on the surface of Qu Lingxuan¡¯s body, transforming into two White Bone Dwarf Trees roughly two meters tall. The cold wind carried the freezing rain down, falling on Qu Lingxuan¡¯s face, frozen with horror. Seconds ago, she was full of life, but now her body was already cold, devoid of bones and support, spread out like putty, in an extremely tragic death. This process was all too rapid. Zhang Changxin and Hou Yongqing, who were focused on their breakthrough, were too late when they noticed the situation and could only watch helplessly as Qu Lingxuan met such a fate. ¡°Die die die, I want you dead,¡± Hou Yongqing¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with rage. The tragic death of his lover had driven him to insanity, and he rushed towards Pei Haibing recklessly. ¡°Yongqing, be careful!¡± Zhang Changxin shouted, but as the White Bone Tree Branches began to densely stab down again, he had no choice but to forcibly channel Spiritual Power and send out a wave of air over a dozen meters long. The powerful force of the thunder evaporated the rainwater and shattered the large swath of White Bone Tree Branches, clearing a path for Hou Yongqing, a path leading straight to Pei Haibing¡¯s true body. Aaargh! Hou Yongqing was the first to charge forward, his twin blades shining with silver light as he too used the Wanxiang Heavenly Power True Method. His blades whipped up a tornado, seemingly capable of shredding everything. In the midst of the tempest, man and demon began a close quarters encounter. ¡°The whimpering of the weak, do you think I, a Gu Master, would fear close combat?¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s back sprouted bones that connected into a coral giant tree tens of meters high. He seemed to be fixed in one spot, but it was only when Hou Yongqing actually got close to Pei Haibing that he realized, to his dismay, that his twin blades could only tear the flesh and could not sever his opponent¡¯s bones. Boom! Unconvinced, Hou Yongqing swung his twin blades frantically, seizing the moment while Zhang Changxin blocked the White Bone Tree Branches, aiming to completely slay Pei Haibing. In just a few seconds, Pei Haibing¡¯s body was covered in wounds, his skin hanging like torn rags on his skeletal frame, turning into a mound of flesh exposing the underlying bones, which shimmered with a faint golden glow. ¡°Are you trying to tickle me?¡± Pei Haibing mocked with a sneer. Having cultivated the White Bone Transformation Skill, he had long since abandoned his useless flesh and skin; his bones were his true form and the foundation of his life. ¡°Why, how can it not be cut?¡± Hou Yongqing screamed hysterically, unable to believe he was actually unable to break through Pei Haibing¡¯s defenses. With the strength of his twin blades, he could even cut through an iron pillar as thick as a human waist, yet he was unable to sever a human bone. ¡°White Bone Transformation Skill, you think you can break through with only the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm cultivation, what a joke.¡± No sooner had the words fallen than Pei Haibing struck to kill. White Bone Tree Branches fell from above, piercing through Hou Yongqing¡¯s top of the skull, skewering him high into the air. He soon became a soft-bodied creature without the support of a skeleton, like a piece of flesh and skin clothes, swaying in the wind on the branch, following in the footsteps of Qu Lingxuan. ¡°Yongqing.¡± Zhang Changxin knew the odds were against him, and without time for much sentiment, he ran away without looking back after once again cutting through the White Bone Tree Branch. ¡°Did I say you could leave?¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s fingers curled and branches of white bone fell rapidly, sealing off all of Zhang Changxin¡¯s escape routes and initiating a frenzied siege. At this moment, Zhang Changxin¡¯s iron clothes were riddled with scars, and with his Sixth Level of Yunling Realm cultivation, he lasted much longer than Qu Lingxuan and Hou Yongqing, who only had the Fifth Level cultivation. However, such resistance was futile. The White Bone Tree Branches falling from the sky were endless, and no matter what he did, he could not break out. After one minute. Zhang Changxin¡¯s twin blades shattered, and his whole person was listless, forced to use Palm Thunder with his hands. With every clap of his palms, the Palm Thunder was as powerful as a rocket launcher¡¯s blast, much stronger than Lu Feng¡¯s, but still, it was unable to change his fate. Half a minute later, Zhang Changxin¡¯s whole body was pierced by the White Bone Tree Branches and he was hung in the air, becoming another trophy of Pei Haibing¡¯s exploits. ¡°Cough, cough, run, hurry and run, go back to Purple Mist to inform... the master...¡± Zhang Changxin had not yet taken his last breath, bloodied all over, he struggled to look toward Chu Pu, who had already become petrified with fear, hoping he could seek revenge for himself and others. Chu Pu only had the Third Level of Yunling Realm cultivation. He couldn¡¯t intervene at all in a battle of this level. Previously, during the indiscriminate attack of the White Bone Tree Branches, although he had luckily escaped a disaster, he lost all courage to resist. Seeing the strongest among them, Zhang Changxin, die miserably before him, Chu Pu¡¯s heart turned cold. He ignored the enmity of the entire Chu Family¡¯s extermination and, like a terrified stray dog, fearfully began to run on his wobbly legs toward the direction away from Pei Haibing. The downpour grew heavier, connecting the river in the sky with the earth like a pouring curtain, blurring the vision and turning the ground into a muddy swamp. Thump! In his panic, Chu Pu did not see what was in front of him. It was as if he had hit a wall, and he was thrown back, falling into the muddy ground, splattering mud all over himself. But at that moment, he could not care less. His body trembled unconsciously due to extreme fear, his eyes filled with despair. In the pouring rain, a massive dark shadow slowly emerged into his field of vision. Pale and eerie, hundreds of Corpse Hands meandered through, leaving palm prints in the muddy ground. On the body, stretching over ten meters long, bloodthirsty and ruthless cold insect eyes slowly rotated, an image that could stop one¡¯s breath and freeze their blood. A figure stood on the head of this supergiant centipede, with the rain sliding down his long neck, but it could not hide those pitch-black eyes shining with a blood-chilling murderous intent. I¡¯m doomed! Chu Pu gave up struggling and lay in the mud for a long time, unwilling to get up. Pei Haibing was still unresolved behind him, and now there seemed to be an even more ferocious one in front of him. Chapter 76 - 74: Bone Forest Chapter 76: Chapter 74: Bone Forest Thwack, thwack, thwack! In the midst of the downpour, a round of applause came through the rain. ¡°Brilliant, just brilliant. Worthy of Brother Pei, your strength is truly formidable. You dealt with those Purple Mist Sect disciples so easily.¡± Standing atop the head of the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie narrowed his eyes and clapped his hands. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t dare to show yourself. Do you think you have a chance to defeat me because my spiritual power is greatly depleted? Haha, you overestimate those pieces of trash. The reason I engaged the Purple Mist Sect to act on my behalf is because I¡¯m confident I can handle them.¡± Pei Haibing turned around and showed some surprise in his eyes upon seeing Su Jie appear. He had thought that after witnessing the battle just now, Su Jie would most likely be scared off. However, as soon as he recognized the thousand-hand centipede beneath Su Jie, his gaze turned solemn, and he understood the source of Su Jie¡¯s confidence. With his insight, although he did not pursue the path of a Gu Master, in the Ghost Ridge Palace sect, who hasn¡¯t seen a pig run even if they haven¡¯t eaten pork? The exaggerated size of the thousand-hand centipede made it immediately apparent that it was a powerful three refinement poisonous insect of Low Grade. Su Jie smiled and said, ¡°Who knows unless we try? No one can be on guard against a thief every day. Rather than living in constant fear, it¡¯s better to kill you here and pin the blame on the Purple Mist Sect, wouldn¡¯t that be perfect?¡± As he spoke, Su Jie also took the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword out of his storage bag. ¡°You want this flying sword, don¡¯t you? Come on, let¡¯s see if it likes you.¡± With a smile on his lips, the flying sword in Su Jie¡¯s hand suddenly vanished, piercing through the clouds and breaking through the air. In the next moment, it approached right in front of Pei Haibing. Pei Haibing¡¯s hands clapped together fiercely, trying to grab the flying sword, but the sharpness of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword exceeded that of his bones. In the instant of contact, the flying sword ascended once again, while two of Pei Haibing¡¯s left fingers dropped to the ground, severed by the sword. The very bones that Hou Yongqing couldn¡¯t break no matter what were no match for the sharp edge of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. ¡°What a treasure, indeed a fine one.¡± Having lost two fingers, Pei Haibing did not care. His eyes greedily followed the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword as it attacked again, while numerous White Bone Tree Branches surged wildly in mid-air, like a horde of serpent-like poisonous snakes, chasing and entwining themselves around the sword as it grew. Under Su Jie¡¯s control, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword moved like a nimble bird, threading through every gap and opening. Simultaneously, Su Jie patted the head of the thousand-hand centipede he was sitting on. The thousand-hand centipede raised its head, and its facial plates cracked open, revealing purple luminescence flowing within the crevices. Boom, boom, boom! A second later, dozens of purple light rays scorched the air, blasting a large area of White Bone Tree Branches, turning many to flying ash. Immediately after, several pale corpse hands crawled out from under the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s belly and rushed towards Pei Haibing at high speed. ¡°Skypiece!¡± Pei Haibing was somewhat fearful of the high temperature of the purple light ray, but he still retained his confidence in victory and coldly spat out two words. The rain in the sky began to pause, a strong sense of crisis swept over him, and Su Jie suddenly looked up. In the sky, the rain stopped, and large snowflakes began to fall in a dense flurry. ¡°` Upon closer inspection, these weren¡¯t snowflakes at all but clearly bone powder. As the bone powder landed, dyeing the earth white, Su Jie wasted no time in having the thousand-hand centipede wrap around him for protection. Hiss hiss! The thousand-hand centipede let out two cries. Bone powder was ineffective against stones and trees, but its contact with living flesh was entirely different. The bone powder actually melted its chitinous insect shell, which even high-velocity machine gun fire struggled to damage. The insect shell on the surface of the thousand-hand centipede kept cracking and breaking into smaller centipedes, which then died off. It healed its wounds through super self-healing. Fortunately, Su Jie acted quickly, or else if he had come into contact with this bone powder, his end would have been miserable indeed. This was evident in Chu Pu¡¯s case, who had been touched by the falling bone powder, his bones dissolving into nothingness and, in the end, could not escape his demise. ¡°Earth Bones!¡± Pei Haibing clapped his hands together and, suddenly, it was as if dragons and serpents churned beneath the ground. The soil heaved and white bones mixed with dirt and rocks, growing into white bone trees that branched out endlessly, shielding the curtain of the sky. Looking down from above, a dense White Bone Forest blossomed upon the land with layers upon layers of crisscrossing white bones, transforming the area into a White Bone Domain. No sooner had he charged into the White Bone Forest than both the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword and the pale corpse hands faced continuous and relentless assault by the white bones, with branches above and roots below, nearly completely blocking all lines of attack. ¡°How would the Three Refinement Poisonous Insect fare in the White Bone Forest I created? Not a single insect shall fly in,¡± Pei Haibing declared, his voice emanating from the Bone Forest. This was his true strength, cultivation at the Yunling Realm Seventh Level. In combat with Zhang Changxin and the others, he merely controlled a single giant White Bone Tree. Now, however, it was a White Bone Forest, with dozens of trees, which showed just how wary he was of Su Jie. ¡°If one insect isn¡¯t enough, what about a swarm of them?¡± Su Jie slapped his Insect Control Bag at his waist as a black smoke swiftly rose from the bag. Tens of thousands of human-faced moths flapped their wings, resembling a thick black cloud rushing toward the White Bone Forest. ¡°Body Worm Focusing Method? You¡¯re not an inner disciple, where did you learn that?¡± For the first time, Pei Haibing¡¯s voice was a bit troubled, obviously caught off guard by Su Jie¡¯s trump card. Directed by Su Jie, their Insect King, the human-faced moth swarm braved the bone powder falling from the sky, using the moths on the outer layer to shield those within. The entire swarm plunged straight into the White Bone Forest. Human-faced moths are insignificant poisonous insects with little more than a good bite and corrosive acid, but that¡¯s just a single moth. When it comes to a flock of them, a human-faced moth swarm turns into a truly devastating weapon. Boom. The White Bone Forest began to collapse in succession. Wherever the human-faced moth swarm passed, it was like a surging torrent, corroding and devouring all vegetation and rocks in its path, leaving behind barren white lands. The White Bone Forest met the same fate. In ordinary Body Worm Focusing Methods, that might not be very powerful. Yet among Su Jie¡¯s well-cultivated swarm of human-faced moths, there were dozens shining with a golden light, having broken through to the Low Grade level. A single acidic vomit from them could dissolve a large swath of white bones. Leading the swarm through the forest, crashing and smashing, any White Bone Tree Branch that attempted an attack was instantly eaten clean by the moths. ¡°Found you.¡± Suddenly, the corner of Su Jie¡¯s mouth lifted into a smirk. Amidst the smashing and crashing of the swarm, vast sections of the White Bone Forest were destroyed, and Pei Haibing, hiding within, was now exposed in Su Jie¡¯s sight. ¡°Human Bones.¡± Pei Haibing¡¯s face turned ugly as he watched the approaches of the Supersonic White Bone Sky Slaughter Sword, the creepingly sinister pale corpse hands, and the engulfing swarm darkening the sky. In a desperate struggle, he bit off his tongue, using the blood on its tip to draw a twisted character of a human on his forehead. ¡°` Chapter 77 - 75: The Death of Pei Haibing Chapter 77: Chapter 75: The Death of Pei Haibing Crack, crack! Strange sounds came from inside Pei Haibing¡¯s body, his flesh withered all over, leaving a humanoid skeleton lying on the ground¡ªan ocher skeleton covered with brain matter and internal organs that grew at an unimaginably fast rate, with countless misshapen bones sprouting wildly. ¡°So many tricks up his sleeve.¡± Seeing Pei Haibing ready to unleash a powerful move, Su Jie was not like the simpletons in dramas, who just watched their opponent complete their powerful technique. As a Demon Cultivator, Su Jie cared nothing for martial ethics. Before Pei Haibing could complete his transformation, dozens of pale corpse hands, capable of easily snapping steel, pressed down on him. The human-faced moth swarm immediately covered Pei Haibing¡¯s entire body, forming a ball of insects, furiously nibbling and corroding him. Meanwhile, under Su Jie¡¯s control, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword aimed straight at Pei Haibing¡¯s forehead and plunged in. After advancing to the Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm, the increase in Spiritual Power allowed Su Jie to wield the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword with even greater might. A single strike of the Flying Sword penetrated Pei Haibing¡¯s head, with bits of white brain matter spurting out. The Flying Sword turned agilely in mid-air and struck again, furiously piercing through Pei Haibing¡¯s body. At the scene, one could hear Pei Haibing¡¯s agonizing screams and his increasingly chaotic and frantic words. ¡°It hurts so much, you should die, you all should die! I will kill... kill the Master, kill all of you, turn you all into sacrifices for my White Bone Immortal Path... ha-ha, the Immortal Path, I¡¯m about to become an immortal and ascend...¡± Amid those mad shouts, Pei Haibing¡¯s body swelled further, transforming into a ten-meter-tall giant skeletal monster. Its overall form resembled a magnified version of an Alien Ghost, with a misshapen body, and a pair of wings that twitched uncontrollably due to poor control. On his slim, sharp head, a pair of crimson eyes was filled with bloodlust and ferocity, emitting a deafening screech. However, because his starting move took too long, his enlarged misshapen skeletal body, already pit-marked from the biting of the human-faced moth swarm, had exposed organs everywhere, with blood spraying like a fountain. Roar! As Pei Haibing roared, he charged toward Su Jie... and toward a small hill two hundred meters to the left. Boom! Pei Haibing smashed into the rocks, with disgusting sticky saliva dripping from his mouth, madly attacking the rocks and trees. Each strike blasted a huge crater in the ground, easily shattering giant rocks and uprooting trees to be flung away. At this moment, Pei Haibing seemed to consider the small hill his mortal enemy, attacking it relentlessly, ignoring the fact that his body was riddled with holes from the human-faced moth swarm, just venting his madness on the hill. ¡°Has he gone mad?¡± Su Jie muttered, unsure whether this was a flaw in Pei Haibing¡¯s White Bone Transformation Skill or if his mind had been damaged by the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, causing his mental state to become deranged and even mistaking who his enemy was. But this was fine with Su Jie. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword hovering above his head soared again, continuously piercing through Pei Haibing¡¯s body. By now, Pei Haibing posed no threat, yet in this form, his life force was incredibly resilient. Even though he was constantly slashed and pierced by the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword and torn and corroded by the human-faced moth swarm, his life was not completely ended. After all, given his massive size now, without a fatal weakness, the wounds created by the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword were indeed too small. Seeing this scene, Su Jie patted the head of the thousand-hand centipede. The thousand-hand centipede twisted its body and ran swiftly. With a giant leap forward, it pressed Pei Haibing to the ground. Low Grade Three Refinements of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, in terms of constitution, was immensely powerful. Not to mention Pei Haibing¡¯s currently battered and perforated body, even at his peak in perfect condition, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in a direct physical confrontation with the Thousand-Handed Centipede. ¡°Big bug, such a huge bug, ah ah ah, I hate bugs.¡± Pei Haibing, blurting out indistinct words, intertwined his massive body with the Thousand-Handed Centipede as they both flailed their limbs, fighting relentlessly. The ground and rocks under the feet of the man and the bug constantly shattered; large ancient trees fell in clusters. Broken bones and shattered insect shells littered the area, creating a scene akin to hell. Su Jie held his breath, focusing intently on the fight whose outcome was already destined. A pair of hands fighting against a hundred hands, what more is there to say! In less than ten seconds, the grotesque bone-like growths on Pei Haibing had been severed by the Thousand-Handed Centipede at the waist into two parts; his upper body was tightly covered with pale corpse hands, as bones were forcibly pulled out one by one by the Thousand-Handed Centipede. In this scene, Pei Haibing resembled a toy destructively torn apart by a mischievous child, completely ravaged by the Thousand-Handed Centipede. His aura visibly wilted, and at the end of his life, Pei Haibing¡¯s consciousness seemed to have somewhat returned, as he began to plea, ¡°My White Bone Immortal Path is not yet perfected, I am an inner disciple, Master his... his elderly...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if Master his elderly wants to seek revenge, he will go after the Purple Mist Sect, it was you, Brother Pei, who picked this fight, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Su Jie chuckled lightly, while Pei Haibing glared at Su Jie with eyes full of resentment and unwillingness, but he no longer had the ability to speak. As his brain matter was destroyed, he died with a heart full of anger and resentment. Su Jie didn¡¯t go over immediately, instead, he cautiously let the Thousand-Handed Centipede completely disassemble Pei Haibing¡¯s skeleton. Only after confirming that he was truly dead and not feigning his own death, did Su Jie finally walk over. ¡°White Bone Transformation Skill, truly a dangerous Magic Skill.¡± Looking at the scattered bones all around, Su Jie squatted down in front of Pei Haibing. Crack! A flash of lightning streaked across, illuminating the dim surroundings and allowing Su Jie to see that something seemed to be growing out of Pei Haibing¡¯s head. ¡°Hmm, this is...¡± Su Jie focused his gaze and saw a small White Bone Tree sprouting from Pei Haibing¡¯s forehead. The tree, about the size of a palm, had its trunk made entirely of bone, looking delicate yet exuding an inexplicable evil aura, making one feel slightly queasy at the sight. Su Jie put on gloves and carefully picked up the small White Bone Tree, already guessing what it was. Su Jie had perused many public scriptures at Ghost Ridge Palace, including records of similar scenes. Cultivation reaching a certain height, cultivators who have practiced for many years would have tempered their bodies to possess various miraculous abilities, akin to a Magic Artifact. Thus, after death, cultivators might have a very small probability of leaving behind some special relic. For example, Shariputra left by Buddhist monks after they pass away, Immortal Bones and Golden Cores left by true Taoists after they transform. The Demon Path, naturally, also has such entities, like the White Bone Tree in front of him. In terms of cultivation, Pei Haibing was far behind the Buddhist monks and Taoist masters, but owing to the specialty of his cultivation technique, his bones were closely related to the White Bone Transformation Skill. After years of training and a fortuitous coincidence, this kind of relic was produced. Chapter 78 - 76: Relic of the White Bone Tree Chapter 78: Chapter 76: Relic of the White Bone Tree The touch of the White Bone Tree was icy cold, with a chill spreading from his palm. Su Jie was not afraid, he had killed Pei Haibing when he was alive, why would he fear his relic left after death! Trying to feel around, Su Jie channeled some Spiritual Power into it, and the little White Bone Tree suddenly began to tremble. The bones rapidly proliferated and expanded, and once it reached the ground, it took root in the soil. The bones continued to branch out and spread, transforming into a White Bone Tree over ten meters tall. ¡°Eh!¡± Su Jie stood up in front of this towering White Bone Tree, sensing the abundant Spiritual Energy diffusing from the tree. Looking up along the trunk, Su Jie discovered, to his surprise, that the canopy of the White Bone Tree was incessantly absorbing the Spiritual Energy drifting in the air. The roots that had anchored into the ground were also slowly absorbing the Spiritual Energy pervasive in the veins of the earth. In the Tianyuan World overall, the distribution of Spiritual Power is such that the Spiritual Energy floating in the air is often the most tenuous. Beneath the earth veins, lies the most abundant and rich Spiritual Energy, which flows like underground currents. Over the years, this has led to the formation of Spirit Stone Mines and various rare mineral deposits. The Spiritual Energy that drifts to the surface can, in places where it is abundant, create all kinds of Pocket Worlds, and in areas with less, it can make a region suitable for the growth of Spirit Plants. For instance, the miniature spirit field that Su Jie saw in Shaoshan Town, belonging to the Chu Family, was actually formed by the Spiritual Energy escaping from the earth veins to the surface. Now, on this massive White Bone Tree, Su Jie could sense that it was not only absorbing the loose Spiritual Energy in the air, but it was even absorbing the Spiritual Energy from underground. ¡°Could it be that I have stumbled upon great fortune?¡± Su Jie¡¯s heart thumped rapidly, and he sat cross-legged with his palms pressed against the large White Bone Tree. Upon contact, a surge of abundant Spiritual Energy flowed into Su Jie¡¯s limbs and bones, making him so comfortable he almost moaned with pleasure. The leaves of the White Bone Tree swayed in the wind, continuously absorbing the wandering Spiritual Energy. The roots reaching dozens of meters into the ground were also absorbing the stray Spiritual Energy in the soil, which cultivators found difficult to utilize. Tiny crystalline droplets began to emerge on the leaves of the White Bone Tree, like dewdrops in the early morning. Actually, these were the result of highly concentrated Spiritual Energy condensing into a misty and liquid form. The liquified Spiritual Energy slid down the trunk of the tree, halfway down it was captured by Su Jie, who then absorbed the pure Spiritual Power within it. Su Jie closed his eyes slightly and focused on absorbing this rare, pure Spiritual Power. Even the barrier that hindered his breakthrough to the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm felt like it was beginning to loosen. Whooshing! Torrential rain hit the White Bone Tree. The storm swept away leaves, and in the dim environment, Su Jie sat on the ground with the branches of the massive White Bone Tree swaying behind him, like the menacing claws of a demon. After absorbing the nutrients and Spiritual Energy from the rain, the White Bone Tree gradually grew rough bark resembling human skin. The top branches grew air roots that hung down like a woman¡¯s long hair, blown chaotically by the fierce wind, giving it a sinister and eerie appearance. If an ordinary person were to see such a strange tree, they would be considered brave if they weren¡¯t immediately frightened into fainting. Some fifteen minutes later, Su Jie slowly opened his eyes and looked at the large White Bone Tree before him, involuntarily inhaling a breath of cold air. Because the contact just now had provided Spiritual Energy that was more than triple what Su Jie normally absorbed from the air. Such abundant Spiritual Energy was already comparable to some miniature Pocket Worlds. Even within Ghost Ridge Palace, if there were similar environments with the effects of a Pocket World, they wouldn¡¯t be something Su Jie could dare to covet. Yet this White Bone Tree could actually help Su Jie artificially create a cultivation environment akin to a Pocket World. Following that, Su Jie continued to experiment and discovered even more uses for the White Bone Tree. Besides absorbing Spiritual Energy, this White Bone Tree was also a living plant. It could switch between a dormant and a growing state through the manipulation of Spiritual Power¡ªone state resembled a small tree in dormancy, like a seed. Another was the current growing state, which meant that the tree could continue to grow in the future, and the efficiency at which it absorbed Spiritual Energy would improve. ¡°Such a treasure, if people knew about it, even the Hidden Realm Elders would be unable to resist snatching it away,¡± Su Jie murmured to himself, looking at the White Bone Tree with a smile that he couldn¡¯t hide at the corner of his mouth. Today truly seemed to be his lucky day to have stumbled upon such an exotic relic. It could be said that with this miniature Pocket World he could carry around, Su Jie¡¯s cultivation speed would greatly increase from now on. He carefully returned the White Bone Tree to its original state and stored it away, then Su Jie proceeded to open Pei Haibing¡¯s Storage Bag. This was a sizable Storage Bag of five cubic meters. Inside, there were over 800 pieces of Blood Marrow Crystals and Low Grade Spirit Stones alone, not to mention the elixirs, talismans, materials, and various other miscellaneous items. Su Jie estimated their value to be at least a thousand or so. Additionally, there were two Alien Ghost corpses. Altogether, just this Storage Bag was worth more than three thousand Blood Marrow Crystals¡ªit was evident that Pei Haibing¡¯s wealth was significantly more substantial than Feng Wenjin¡¯s, whom Su Jie had hunted previously. But it made sense when he thought about it, as Su Jie had clashed with both Feng Wenjin and Pei Haibing. One had the cultivation of the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm, the other the Seventh Level of the Yunling Realm. Pei Haibing¡¯s combat power was much stronger than the former, and a cultivator¡¯s wealth was often tied to their strength. For an average Outer Disciple, the monthly income was merely a dozen or so Blood Marrow Crystals, out of which they still had to pay the monthly fee to the Elder, and then buy some elixirs and talismans. They couldn¡¯t save much money by the end of the year. However, inner disciples didn¡¯t have this problem. Not to mention, Su Jie knew that during the last Alien Ghost incident, Pei Haibing had received no small amount of tribute from his own Outer Disciples just to arrange a better stationed location. And Su Jie¡¯s gains were not only limited to this. Besides Pei Haibing¡¯s spoils of victory, there were also the corpses of four Purple Mist Sect disciples at the scene. Quickly, Su Jie harvested three more Storage Bags. Only Chu Pu, the wretched one, didn¡¯t even have a Storage Bag. The three Storage Bags exploded with a hundred to several hundred Spirit Stones and materials, respectively. Although the iron clothes and iron hats on their bodies were somewhat damaged, Su Jie still collected them. As raw material recycling, they were quite valuable, and covering tracks while destroying evidence was a Demon Cultivator¡¯s specialty. Apart from these gains, Su Jie did not, however, obtain any Cultivation Techniques this time. It was understandable, as profound Cultivation Techniques were mostly in the form of Jade Scrolls. Besides when one¡¯s cultivation was insufficient and they needed to repeatedly study the technique, most people kept their Cultivation Techniques at home rather than carrying them around. Su Jie had even wanted to try and learn the Wanxiang Heavenly Power True Method of the Purple Mist Sect, but now it seemed he was thinking too much. Fortunately, Su Jie wasn¡¯t disappointed, as the harvest for the day was already substantial. ¡°You can rest in peace, knowing you¡¯ve met a fitting end. Rest assured, I¡¯ll inherit your legacy and strive to elevate it,¡± Su Jie said, glancing at Pei Haibing¡¯s skeletal remains on the ground. Clapping his hands, corpse hands, pale as death, crawled out from beneath the Thousand-Handed Centipede. They moved rapidly like nimble little sprites, quickly cleaning up the battlefield. Finally, he used the Purple Light Ray to destroy any potential traces of himself several times, leaving no blood, hair, or skin flakes behind. Only after confirming that no traces were left did Su Jie leave the place alone, fetching the Horned Scale Horse to catch up with Gu Weonian¡¯s group. Chapter 79 - 77: Arrival Chapter 79: Chapter 77: Arrival ¡°It¡¯s already been a day, we can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve inquired for news, and it seems there were traces of Purple Mist Sect disciples, maybe Brother Pei...¡± ¡°There are only three days left for the mission deadline, we must arrive on time.¡± In the dense forested mountain, teeming with the sounds of insects and birds, a group of several dozen riders were temporarily camped here. As Su Jie listened to the disciples¡¯ clamor, he rotated the rabbit he was roasting in his hand, occasionally seasoning it. ¡°Come, see how my cooking is.¡± After dividing the roasted rabbit into three portions, Su Jie passed them to Gu Weonian and Chen Yun, who were sitting beside him. ¡°Brother Su, do you think Pei Haibing is really dead?¡± Gu Weonian chewed on the rabbit meat, his eyes filled with a sense of relief. If Pei Haibing were dead, then they wouldn¡¯t have to live in fear of retaliation from him ever again. ¡°Who knows, now the living can¡¯t see him, and the dead can¡¯t find him; it¡¯s possible he really did have the misfortune of encountering a reputable sect. Haven¡¯t our disciples gone to investigate? They said that recently, there have been Purple Mist Sect disciples spotted in this region but luckily we didn¡¯t run into them.¡± Su Jie shrugged his shoulders, making guesses along with Gu Weonian¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe. They say that Pei Haibing¡¯s White Bone Transformation Skill is terrifyingly powerful, and ordinary disciples of reputable sects are mostly no match for him.¡± Chen Yun¡¯s gaze flitted over Su Jie with a hint of uncertainty. Su Jie had returned en route the day before without a trace, and considering Pei Haibing¡¯s disappearance, she harbored a terrible suspicion. Yet, when thinking of the disparity in their strength, she couldn¡¯t quite believe it. ¡°That, I don¡¯t know. Perhaps the Purple Mist Sect disciples who took action are also formidable figures.¡± Su Jie laughed, but whatever the case, there was no evidence of his death now. An hour later, the group of several dozen made a decision and continued their journey on horseback. Regardless of whether their leader Pei Haibing had met with an accident or not, everyone had a mission to fulfill and couldn¡¯t wait forever. ... Three days later! At noon, with the sun high in the sky, Su Jie and the others finally arrived at the prearranged escort destination, Liuyun Manor. It was a manor built beside a mountain, surrounded by dense forests and flowing streams. Nestled against the mountain and by the water, its scale was incredibly magnificent. From afar, one could see the antique towers and pavilions interspersed among the mountains. Each building was exquisitely crafted, and the flowers and bamboo in the courtyards were in full bloom, exuding bursts of fragrance. There were numerous guards patrolling inside the manor, most of them possessing cultivation, suggesting Liuyun Manor¡¯s capability to do business with Ghost Ridge Palace in the trade of human slaves was not to be underestimated, beyond what would be expected of mere merchants. Su Jie¡¯s cavalcade was very conspicuous; as soon as they emerged from the forest, several swift horses from Liuyun Manor came to meet them. In accordance with the prearranged meeting, Su Jie and the others unfurled the Ghost Ridge Palace banner early to reveal their identity. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for a long time, esteemed representatives of Ghost Ridge Palace. The manor has prepared a feast to refresh and welcome you all.¡± A few guards rushed over to the forefront of the riders. It was evident that they were accustomed to hosting the disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace and knew their business well. After a brief exchange to confirm their identities, they entered Liuyun Manor with the guards. ¡°This is just too wealthy.¡± Gu Weonian¡¯s eyes were filled with envy, marveling at the manor¡¯s intricate and scattered buildings, its garden pavilions, ponds and rockeries, and the lush greenery of trees, all highlighting the owner¡¯s immense wealth. ¡°Please, this way.¡± The guards led the guests to a separate courtyard where tables and chairs, carved from wood and stone, were arranged, and pretty maids in long skirts were bustling about, brewing tea leaves and serving up delicious dishes to the disciples. By this time, the courtyard had already filled with numerous disciples from Ghost Ridge Palace, mingling and making merry in a noisy crowd. Most of these were Outer Disciples, but a small number were dressed in the attire of the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s Inner Sect. Clearly, they too had been assigned the task of escorting human slaves, gathering at Liuyun Manor awaiting the moment to set off. In this group of Ghost Ridge Palace disciples, Su Jie spotted a familiar face; Yu Wenxian was sitting among a group of Inner Sect disciples, dressed in white brocade like a newly-blossomed white lotus, her beauty striking and her long hair cascading down like a waterfall. The arrival of a new batch of disciples entering the antechamber drew the attention of those already drinking tea in the courtyard. ¡°Oh, Junior Brother Su.¡± Yu Wenxian stood up, holding her tea cup, and walked over with a graceful step. ¡°Senior Yu!¡± Su Jie called out reservedly; in truth, he did not want to draw attention to himself. As Yu Wenxian approached, the group of Inner Sect disciples from Ghost Ridge Palace also turned their gazes towards him, and Su Jie could overhear people inquiring about his background. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. I recall that Junior Brother Pei should be leading your group of disciples. He hasn¡¯t given you any trouble, has he?¡± Yu Wenxian looked genuinely surprised, her gaze sweeping around but not spotting Pei Haibing. With a cough, Su Jie replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to report to you, Senior Yu, but on our way here, Brother Pei went missing unexpectedly. Based on our speculation, it¡¯s possible he encountered disciples from a reputable sect and conflict arose between them. He has not rejoined our group up to now.¡± ¡°Missing?¡± Yu Wenxian blinked her foxy phoenix eyes at Su Jie for several seconds before suddenly asking, ¡°You don¡¯t know his whereabouts?¡± Su Jie, of course, knew what Yu Wenxian was suspecting; after all, it had been she who had warned Su Jie to be wary of Pei Haibing. Fortunately, Su Jie was prepared, and with a composed expression on his face, he spread his hands wide, ¡°You jest, Senior Yu; if I knew Brother Pei¡¯s whereabouts, I would have found him by now.¡± Yu Wenxian pondered for a moment, let out a light chuckle, and said, ¡°Ah, poor Junior Brother Pei, such terrible luck. Such a pity for Master¡¯s favourite disciple. At least you¡¯re here, Junior Brother Su¡ªotherwise, it would be terribly lonely being here all alone.¡± For some reason, Su Jie felt the heat intensify in Yu Wenxian¡¯s gaze upon him. ¡°She couldn¡¯t possibly have taken a liking to me, could she?¡± Alarmed at the thought, Su Jie knew all too well the kind of person Yu Wenxian was. He couldn¡¯t handle such a deadly woman. While they were speaking, Su Jie heard sobs and cries echoing from a building in the antechamber. Immediately after, several young men and women, with faces full of terror and limbs trembling, burst out attempting to flee as if their lives depended on it. Following their escape, a pungent smell of blood wafted from the opened doors, and Su Jie¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Within, the scene was reminiscent of a slaughterhouse; more than a dozen human slaves were tied up, awaiting their turn to be served at the feast. Not far away, several Inner Sect disciples from Ghost Ridge Palace were sipping hot wine and munching on ¡®special ingredients¡¯¡ªprocessed by chefs from Liuyun Manor and prepared in various ways: fried, boiled, or sliced raw. Upon seeing the human slaves dash out, the Inner Sect disciples made no move to chase them, but instead pointed and laughed heartily, their bloodthirsty and savage expressions revealing a twisted sense of delight. In the antechamber where some Inner Sect disciples were drinking tea, a few sneered or looked on with indifference toward the goings-on inside the building. To most, such scenes seemed all too familiar, and it was clear not everyone enjoyed such spectacles. Chapter 80 - 78: Young Girl Chapter 80: Chapter 78: Young Girl ¡°What¡¯s this, Junior Brother Su, you¡¯re also interested? These are human slaves provided by Liuyun Manor for our amusement. You know, we demon cultivators are always killing and practicing all sorts of bizarre demon techniques. Many of us are under great psychological pressure and have special hobbies, enjoying some thrilling activities to invigorate the spirit and body.¡± Seeing Su Jie looking intently, Yu Wenxian offered an invitation, ¡°If you¡¯re truly interested, I can help you talk to them.¡± ¡°Never mind, I¡¯d rather not go.¡± Su Jie immediately shook his head and then saw a group of fierce guards from Liuyun Manor capturing all the escaped human slaves, ignoring their cries and screams, and sending them back to the slaughterhouse-like building. ¡°I am truly sorry, we did not manage well. To show our apologies, we will offer another twenty people for your enjoyment,¡± a Liuyun Manor manager said with a smiling face, bowing to the inner disciples inside the house. The doors of the house closed again, and such amusements for inner disciples were not even accessible for outer disciples to watch; they could only listen to the faint sound of laughter from killing inside the house. ¡°Miss Yu, I didn¡¯t notice you were also here. Would you need some male companions?¡± The manager from Liuyun Manor saw Yu Wenxian and immediately plastered a pleasing smile on his face. ¡°What male companions? Are you trying to tarnish my reputation?¡± Yu Wenxian¡¯s face turned cold, possibly because Su Jie was nearby. ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s my fault for speaking carelessly. I¡¯ll slap myself, I¡¯ll slap myself.¡± Upon hearing this, the manager of Liuyun Manor knelt, his face panicking, and began slapping himself harshly back and forth across his cheeks. It wasn¡¯t until both cheeks swelled like steamed buns that Yu Wenxian waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Get lost.¡± After all, it was Liuyun Manor, and Yu Wenxian still gave some face. The manager from Liuyun Manor quickly got up and left, then Yu Wenxian turned to Su Jie with a smile, ¡°Junior Brother Su, don¡¯t believe his nonsense! Actually, I¡¯m quite proper myself, I just play around with those men, my heart has yet not settled on anyone.¡± Hearing this, Su Jie¡¯s lips twitched, doubting whether Yu Wenxian understood the meaning of ¡®being proper.¡¯ ¡°Senior Yu, come over for tea.¡± At the tea table where inner disciples sat, someone called Yu Wenxian back. ¡°Coming, what¡¯s the hurry.¡± Yu Wenxian turned back and gave a glance, then said to Su Jie, ¡°I¡¯ll leave first then. Come visit me if you¡¯re free; I hardly have friends here to talk to.¡± Yu Wenxian turned, twisting her snakelike waist, and returned to the midst of the inner disciples. Su Jie noticed that after Yu Wenxian took her seat, most of the inner disciples treated her with utmost respect, a reflection of her quite extraordinary status. ........ Two days later! Nighttime! Liuyun Manor, tonight was the day to escort the human slaves back to the sect. Early in the morning, the entire Liuyun Manor was bustling. Batches of human slaves, shackled by iron chains on their hands and feet, were driven by escorts from Liuyun Manor and pushed onto horse-drawn carriages. Su Jie stood by the roadside, counting the number of human slaves. The overwhelming number of heads looked harrowing. ¡°I heard that a drought recently occurred in Jingzhou, and some refugees fled to Qingzhou. Jia Shao Prefecture also has many unattended refugees who were captured by the government and left unhandled; some were driven out and died from hunger and cold, some were sent to dark mines never to see daylight again. Some, however, were sold into slavery by Liuyun Manor. Ha, this is the Da Li Dynasty, treating its own citizens this way; I think they are no better than us demon cultivators.¡± Chen Yun¡¯s tone was full of mockery toward the dynasty. Before, he had browsed through the books stored at the Mountain Gate, many of which had come from the Da Li Dynasty. These books were full of praise for the Da Li Dynasty, but now such first impressions were shattered and fragmented. Although Liuyun Manor had restricted the movement of Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples within its bounds, fearing that the Demon Cultivators might cause trouble, news still leaked out. ¡°Most human slaves were captured by factions; it has become a lucrative business,¡± she said. Gu Weonian, having seen many such situations, displayed no mockery; he simply followed orders. ¡°Rise, and the people suffer; fall, and the people suffer,¡± he said. Su Jie sighed leisurely, watching as one human slave after another passed by the numerous disciples, reaching out their hands pleading for help. ¡°Please, let my child go, she is only five. If you must kill, kill me, but spare my child,¡± they pleaded. ¡°My family is in Qiren County, we are wealthy. Take me back, take me back, and I will give you money, I swear it¡¯s all true,¡± another begged. ¡°Guan Chao Pavilion, Taiching Mountain, Moonlight Society... so many reputable sects in Qingzhou will not let you devils off easily; you¡¯ll have a dire end one day,¡± another threatened. These human slaves included men and women, old and young, some begging for mercy and others boldly cursing. More of them felt desperate about their future, their faces numb, like living dead, clumsily moving about. Horse-drawn wagons held these human slaves, while numerous Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples lined up on either side to escort them. Lit torches illuminated the night sky, resembling a fiery dragon snaking across the land. The convoy did not head towards the official roads; such a large-scale operation was far too conspicuous to transport them back to Ghost Ridge Palace this way. The wagons¡¯ destination was clear after two hours of travel under the cover of night. Su Jie¡¯s ears twitched, hearing the sound of the tide surging. A large river flowed quietly under the night sky, its waters slapping against the banks, embellished by the moonlight that lent a sparkling brilliance, like a black jade belt rimmed with silver. About a dozen large boats were docked there, with Liuyun Manor guards patroling back and forth along the shore with torches. Leading this group of Liuyun Manor guards was a portly middle-aged man handling a pair of Dragon Pattern walnuts, with sparse hair and a belly swollen as if he were nine months pregnant. He was currently directing the operations; it was Jia Changxun, who had once visited Ghost Ridge Palace and was one of the significant figures of Liuyun Manor. It was Jia Changxun¡¯s visit to Ghost Ridge Palace that initiated this large-scale transportation operation, with a significant number of disciples deployed to escort the human slaves due to a shortage at Ghost Ridge Palace. By the riverbank, Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples followed the prior arrangement, escorting batch after batch of human slaves onto the boats. Due to the sheer number of people, each boat¡¯s hold was packed like a sardine tin with human slaves. The murky air, poor sanitation, and the jolting journey made the conditions not for humans, but rather like those for livestock. Su Jie boarded the seventh large boat, which, aside from a few crew members provided by Liuyun Manor, was supervised by the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples. This large boat also had an inner disciple from Ghost Ridge Palace, a burly man nearly two meters tall with a rare red beard, named Xu Yihu. ¡°Brother Xu, this is a gift specifically for our Sect Master. I hear you¡¯re skilled in Fire Technique, so you shouldn¡¯t be afraid. You must take good care of it,¡± he said. Jia Changxun arrived with a group, carrying a huge box onto the boat. ¡°What is this?¡± Xu Yihu asked, surprised, not knowing what was inside the box. ¡°Open it,¡± ordered Jia Changxun. With a nod, his guards quickly opened the box, laboriously lifting out a man-sized crystal. Astonishingly, sealed within the crystal was a young woman wearing a light yellow long dress with a blue silk belt tied around her waist and fresh, tender flowers inserted in her hair. Her eyes were tightly shut, hands clasped around her knees, curled up¡ªshe looked like amber frozen within resin, securely sealed inside. Chapter 81 - 79: Slave Ship (Please Follow) Chapter 81: Chapter 79: Slave Ship (Please Follow) The crate was engraved with golden array patterns, and upon opening it, the Ice Crystal released a creeping cold. The wooden deck crackled as frost formed swiftly, and several guards from Liuyun Manor hurriedly moved aside. ¡°A woman?¡± Xu Yihu¡¯s chin puffed out like a frog¡¯s inflating throat, his skin emitting a fiery light as it resisted the approach of the frosty chill. Jia Changxun stepped back twice, shaking his frozen trouser legs, and explained, ¡°This woman has a special physique, and her identity seems quite extraordinary. We captured her by accident, but after capturing her, she froze herself, and despite all our efforts, we haven¡¯t managed to thaw her. Thinking your Sect Master is well-informed, he might know her origins and physique.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± Xu Yihu nodded and eyed the Ice Crystal, casually calling nearby disciples to carry the Ice Crystal into the ship¡¯s hold. Along the way, many disciples witnessed this supernatural scene, but most simply glanced curiously a couple of times before turning back to escort human slaves. Working well into the night, over twenty large ships heavily loaded with human slaves formed a formidable fleet that set sail, heading downstream on the wide Golden Sand River. ... ¡°So you are Su Jie?¡± On ship number seven, in a spacious room on the upper deck, Xu Yihu sat sprawled on a tiger-skin chair. His robust physique made the wooden chair creak, raising doubts about whether the legs of the chair might snap. In front of him stood Su Jie and two other outer disciples from Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Met Brother Xu.¡± Su Jie bowed his hands, unsure of why the other had suddenly summoned him. ¡°I heard you¡¯re on good terms with Senior Yu. Well, I¡¯ve recently been short-staffed, so you¡¯ll be in charge of patrolling the Third Level of the cabin,¡± said Xu Yihu, then turning his gaze toward the two standing with Su Jie, ¡°Luo Junzhi, you manage the Second Level of the cabin, and Qian Guoqiong, you oversee the First Level.¡± ¡°Yes, rest assured, Brother Xu.¡± The two outer disciples¡¯ faces brightened with joy, delighted to be connected with an inner disciple, something many disciples hoped for. ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± Xu Yihu waved his hand, then seemed to remember something else and said, ¡°Right, go down and bring up a few human slaves, younger females, their blood tastes better.¡± Luo Junzhi was quick-witted and immediately responded, ¡°I¡¯ll find them right away, definitely choosing the younger ones.¡± Qian Guoqiong hesitated for a moment, unable to stop himself from saying, ¡°Brother Xu, these are to be delivered to the Sect, and there are crew members from Liuyun Manor on board. If we do this and it gets discovered, won¡¯t it cause a scandal?¡± ¡°Are you teaching me how to do my job?¡± Xu Yihu¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Realizing his mistake, Qian Guoqiong trembled slightly. Xu Yihu¡¯s expression softened slightly, and he spoke indifferently, ¡°Hmph, we¡¯ve struggled along the way, and with so many human slaves, some are bound to die of sickness or exhaustion. When the time comes, we¡¯ll just inform Liuyun Manor, as long as it doesn¡¯t exceed a certain limit, I doubt they will make much fuss about it.¡± Qian Guoqiong nodded repeatedly, his face wearing a flattering smile, ¡°Understood, Brother Xu is right, I was making too much of a fuss. I¡¯ll go find someone right away.¡± With that, he turned to leave, intending to make up for his slip by fetching the human slaves. ¡°Did I say you could leave?¡± Xu Yihu watched as Qian Guoqiong approached the door, a malicious smile curling the corners of his mouth. His jawbone dislocated like a snake¡¯s, his chin swelling, with a surge of firelight from within. The next moment, a torrent of raging magma spewed forth, instantly dousing Qian Guoqiong and igniting him into a human-shaped torch. His flesh melted away in the flames, and his screams lasted only a brief two seconds before cutting off abruptly, leaving nothing but a charred skeleton crumpled on the ground. ¡°To think I wasted my breath explaining, I certainly don¡¯t want fools as my subordinates.¡± Xu Yihu closed his mouth, letting out a mocking laugh. ¡°Brother Xu... Brother Xu, I¡¯ll bring the human slaves right away.¡± Seeing this, Luo Junzhi¡¯s face turned pale, fearing that if he had misspoken just now, Qian Guoqiong¡¯s fate could have easily befallen him. Su Jie¡¯s gaze was calm. He had interacted with enough inner disciples to know their fickle nature; hardly any of them were easy to get along with. ¡°Alright, you two go ahead and take the body away. I don¡¯t want it to be an eyesore.¡± Xu Yihu waved his hand, and Su Jie dragged Qian Guoqiong¡¯s remains out of the room. ¡°Brother Su, together?¡± Luo Junzhi looked towards Su Jie, hoping to accompany him to fetch the human slaves. He was mainly afraid of facing Xu Yihu alone. That man was terrifying and could kill without a second thought. ¡°Capturing human slaves isn¡¯t my job, you go by yourself.¡± Su Jie glanced at Luo Junzhi and dumped Qian Guoqiong¡¯s remains into the Golden Sand River, letting the riverwater lay them to permanent rest on the riverbed. ¡°It¡¯s just a little connection with Senior Yu, why the pretense?¡± Luo Junzhi made a sour comment and, not daring to delay, hurriedly went to select human slaves. Su Jie returned to his room, fetched Gu Weonian and Chen Yun, and then headed to the Third Level cabin he was responsible for. As soon as they entered, a pungent, sour odor rushed into their nostrils. In the sealed environment, the stagnant, murky air made the smell even more intense. As a specially modified Slave Trading Ship, the lower cabin was packed with densely crowded human slaves. Huddled together in the sunless cabin were the sounds of children crying, the stench of seasickness vomit, and faces of numb despair. Most eyes had already lost the sparkle of sentient beings, seemingly resigned to await death¡¯s approach. ¡°Patrolling disciples, come open a few ventilation holes, give them some food, and bring over some clothes and medicine for warmth. These are all assets of Ghost Ridge Palace; we can¡¯t have too many die on the way,¡± Su Jie told some disciples on patrol at the site. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Su Jie. From now on, I¡¯m in charge of the Third Level. If you disagree, take it up with Brother Xu.¡± ¡°Ah! It turns out to be Brother Su, forgive us for not recognizing you sooner. We will do as you say right away.¡± The group of disciples immediately straightened up and obediently carried out Su Jie¡¯s orders. Several new ventilation holes were opened, and a crowd of human slaves pressed forward to breathe the outside air mingled with the cold wind, frantically scrambling for the scant food being brought in. They cherished every chance to stay alive, to eat their fill, for even in death, they wanted to depart as satiated souls. ¡°Thank you, thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Eat quickly! Who knows if we¡¯ll have such luck again.¡± ¡°Sir, sir, please show some mercy and help me get out. I¡¯m not even twenty years old; I don¡¯t want to die here!¡± In the cabin, some human slaves heard Su Jie¡¯s conversation with the disciples. Many crowded at the bars of the ventilation holes, expressing their gratitude to Su Jie and pleading for a chance to live. Su Jie didn¡¯t respond. He then reminded Chen Yun and Gu Weonian with a few more words to rotate and watch over the cabin in his absence, otherwise those disciples would surely take liberties. Chapter 82 - 80: Ning Xinyue (Please Follow) Chapter 82: Chapter 80: Ning Xinyue (Please Follow) After finishing all this, Su Jie continued his inspection, sparing no criticism for the disciples who were carelessly performing their duties. Soon, all the disciples stationed on the Third Level of the cabin knew there was a superior who liked to reprimand them. As Su Jie went on with his corrections, he reached the end of the cabin and saw a sealed single cabin. The door of the cabin was covered with a layer of frost that sealed it with ice, the cold air freezing the surrounding walls as the white frost made Su Jie tighten his clothes. ¡°That Amber Girl, huh!¡± Muttered Su Jie. Since the Third Level cabin was closest to the bottom of the ship and Xu Yihu lived in the upper level, he had thrown her into this most marginal cabin to imprison her in order to keep the chill emitted by the Ice Crystal Amber from disturbing his rest. ¡°I wonder what her story is.¡± Shaking his head, Su Jie turned to leave, planning to check if the other disciples had corrected their behavior according to his rules. But as Su Jie had just taken a few steps away, an unusual sensation of being watched arose in his heart. ¡°Hmm?¡± Su Jie quickly turned back, the ice-sealed door flashed, and an icy crystal butterfly retreated back into the crack of the door. ¡°Interesting.¡± After thinking for a moment, and seeing no one around, Su Jie left a Reconnaissance Dragonfly on guard and walked toward the ice-sealed door. The closer he got, the more a chill eroded his organs. Su Jie extended his right hand, and the Thousand-Handed Centipede wriggled out from his sleeve, with several pale corpse hands exerting force to smash the layer of ice. Pushing open the door, Su Jie went in alone. The room was only about one hundred square feet. In the center, a girl with bright eyes and white teeth was sealed within the Ice Crystal Amber, her body curled up, eyes closed, seemingly completely dead. Even through the thick Ice Crystal Amber, Su Jie still felt a strong wave of Spiritual Radiance. The clothes, shoes, necklace, and earrings she wore were all emitting this ripple, none of them ordinary items. Circling the Ice Crystal Amber, Su Jie tapped it with his finger, and the next moment his hand jerked back as if electrocuted. The Ice Crystal Amber had nearly frozen his blood solid. ¡°Tch, such a cold sleeping beauty. Is she alive or dead? She can¡¯t breathe in there, can she?¡± After studying for a moment, Su Jie breathed on the part of the Ice Crystal covering the girl¡¯s cheeks and used the Thousand-Handed Centipede as a hand warmer, rubbing it on the ice to get a clearer view, wanting to see if she was dead or alive. Sizzle! The Thousand-Handed Centipede shivered and curled up, clinging tightly to Su Jie¡¯s palm, squeaking in protest against Su Jie¡¯s inhumane act. Su Jie leaned closer, observing the girl in the Ice Crystal Amber who had her eyes tightly shut. Her facial features were delicate and her skin was as white as snow, with slightly curved eyelashes and a hint of playfulness, yet also a faint shyness around her eyes and brow. The air was very quiet, and as Su Jie stared for several minutes, the girl did not even flutter her eyelashes, apparently completely unconscious. ¡°Looks like she really is dead, how boring.¡± Su Jie shook his head and sighed as he pounded his knees. Two pale arms grew out from his waist, hit the ground, and mimicked the footsteps of a walking person as they stepped one by one toward the door. At last, he walked out of the room, the two arms also conveniently closing the door behind him. Bang! The room fell into silence, with only the chill spreading through the air. Several more minutes passed, and inside the Ice Crystal Amber, the girl¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, followed by her moist, bright eyes slowly opening. ¡°Yah!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes widened, like a startled deer, thinking the room was empty when in reality, there was a man staring at her with a half-smile. ¡°Yo, I thought you were dead. Turns out you were just pretending to be asleep!¡± Su Jie stroked his chin and chuckled lightly, ¡°She¡¯s still too green, duped so easily.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s dead, tricking me like that.¡± The girl wrinkled her nose, her crisp voice coming through the Ice Crystal¡ªsurprisingly, she could still make gestures and facial expressions inside it. ¡°What is your name?¡± Su Jie sat on the ground, in no hurry to leave, as the girl before him clearly came from no ordinary background. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± The girl had a fierce expression, but it didn¡¯t scare anyone. Instead, it seemed somewhat cute. Su Jie raised an eyebrow, pretending to stand up, ¡°Not telling, huh? Well then, I might just inform the others so we can figure out how to break your little ¡®turtle shell.''¡± At these words, the girl immediately became anxious and shouted, ¡°Wait, my name is Ning Xinyue, there, I told you, what do you really want?¡± Su Jie pointed to himself and asked, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°A villain, a thug, a filthy kidnapper!¡± Ning Xinyue blurted out a string of words that could infuriate anyone. ¡°Ha, ha, all you said is correct, but still not quite accurate. My official title is a demon cultivator who has killed countless people. Now, do you understand what I want?¡± Su Jie sneered twice, unintentionally revealing a murderous aura that was enough to silence a crying child. ¡°You want to rob... rob me of my... my dignity...¡± It was clear that Ning Xinyue was truly frightened, her pale face tightly clutching her own collar. ¡°Wrong!¡± Su Jie shook his finger, correcting Ning Xinyue¡¯s mistaken assumption, and said, ¡°You must come from a major cultivation power, right? Share the Cultivation Techniques you know, and I will keep your awakening a secret. Otherwise... right now, this ship is surrounded by demon cultivators. If they discover you¡¯re awake, they will use every means to capture you, and then you¡¯ll really be in trouble.¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s clothes and jewelry all sparkled with a spiritual charm, characteristics of someone from a significant power and likely of no ordinary status. ¡°You promise you¡¯ll keep your word?¡± Biting her tender lips, Ning Xinyue appeared visibly relieved upon hearing that Su Jie wasn¡¯t after her body, and showed little resistance to his request. ¡°Of course, I am very trustworthy.¡± ¡°A demon cultivator¡¯s trustworthiness?¡± ¡°Do you have a choice right now?¡± Su Jie¡¯s remarks made Ning Xinyue realize the direness of her situation, reluctantly parting her lips slightly. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you, but don¡¯t blame me if you can¡¯t remember it yourself. This is called the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique, which is based on the principle of yin and yang, initiating the bright path, naturally flowing, hidden within the Heavenly Guardian Technique, requiring golden threads to weave veins, winding silk into wind...¡± Su Jie took out paper and pencil, jotting down everything Ning Xinyue said. Besides just the spoken words, he had Ning Xinyue explain the detailed pathways and related nodes. After recording everything, which amounted to thousands of words, and listening to Ning Xinyue explain it once more, Su Jie released the Thousand-Handed Centipede for protection and said, ¡°I¡¯ll try it first. If something¡¯s wrong, see this? This Three Refinement Poisonous Insect, don¡¯t blame me...¡± ¡°Humph, I¡¯m not like you, I have no interest in deceiving others.¡± Ning Xinyue was very haughty, clearly holding a grudge about the earlier deception by Su Jie. After checking the Reconnaissance Dragonfly and confirming no one was approaching, Su Jie sat cross-legged and attempted to cultivate the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique Magic Skill Ning Xinyue had just taught him. No sooner had he begun than his shadow abruptly lengthened, his chest felt stifled, spiritual power within him became chaotic, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Ning Xinyue was dumbfounded, staring bewilderedly at Su Jie, wondering if she had somehow relayed the Cultivation Technique incorrectly. A moment later, Ning Xinyue finally understood what was happening and couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face: ¡°Hahaha, what kind of cultivation aptitude is this! You actually made yourself vomit blood, so silly, so silly!¡± Chapter 83 - 81: Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique Chapter 83: Chapter 81: Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique ¡°This cultivation technique is quite complicated!¡± Su Jie wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. This Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique was more complex than the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture and Body Worm Focusing Method he had learned before. It required not only allowing the spiritual energy to travel through hundreds of meridians in the body along a predefined route but also precisely controlling the functioning of several major human acupoints. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re too weak. I got it on my first try.¡± Ning Xinyue finally found an opportunity to get back at Su Jie; she did not skimp on her mockery and enjoyed watching him struggle. ¡°You can¡¯t generalize about everyone. I indeed have limited room for improvement in terms of talent, but it doesn¡¯t matter since I am a demon cultivator. There are many ways to enhance my strength, such as, for instance, kidnapping young ladies.¡± Su Jie shrugged his shoulders, and Ning Xinyue suddenly couldn¡¯t laugh anymore. ¡°You, you...¡± Ning Xinyue felt irritated but had no way to vent it, as her status as a captive couldn¡¯t be changed. ¡°Aside from this Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique, you must have other magic skills, right?¡± Su Jie temporarily set aside his practice of the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique, as it was something he couldn¡¯t grasp in a short time. Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes rolled around, and she crisply said, ¡°I know many more magic skills, but unless you rescue me, I won¡¯t teach them to you. Otherwise, once you learn all the techniques, I won¡¯t have any value left. Who knows what you might do?¡± Su Jie was taken aback and chuckled, ¡°You have that kind of mind, huh!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me.¡± Ning Xinyue puffed her cheeks, finding Su Jie detestable no matter how she looked at him. ¡°Rescuing someone, I don¡¯t see any benefits for me right now. First, let¡¯s see the effects once you¡¯ve mastered this Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique.¡± ¡°How long will you need to learn? With your poor talent, it¡¯s difficult for you to even grasp the basics in a month...¡± Upon hearing this, Ning Xinyue instantly became anxious. ¡°Without seeing the effects, how can I know the level of your secret technique? It might just be a juggling trick, and I can¡¯t trust merely what you say.¡± ¡°Then, then...¡± Seemingly making up her mind, Ning Xinyue glared and said, ¡°Come closer, place your palm on the Ice Crystal, let go of your own limitations, I¡¯ll guide your cultivation.¡± Su Jie had been waiting for these words. He sat down cross-legged on the ground, extending his left hand and placing it on the Ice Crystal. An extreme cold transferred from the crystal, and Su Jie¡¯s arm was immediately coated with a layer of frost. The frost roamed over his skin, transforming into several streams of cold air like arrows, guiding the flow of spiritual energy within Su Jie¡¯s body. These streams of cold air acted like diligent teachers, helping Su Jie familiarize himself with the operational route of the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique. After about ten minutes, Su Jie¡¯s shadow started to change. The shadow suddenly elongated, rose from the ground in a three-dimensional form, flowed like water, and eventually took the same shape as Su Jie himself. Su Jie turned to look at the shadow, and the shadow simultaneously looked back at him. Su Jie blinked, and the shadow across from him mimicked the blinking motion, as if looking in a mirror. Hiss! Su Jie, amazed, reached out to touch it, and the figure across from him did the same. Their palms passed right through each other¡¯s bodies as if touching air, the shadow was completely intangible. ¡°You really look handsome.¡± Su Jie spoke, the mouth of the shadow across from him moved in sync, but no sound came out. ¡°Shameless, since shadows can¡¯t even talk.¡± Ning Xinyue looked disgusted, wondering how thick-skinned this man could be. ¡°Can¡¯t talk, huh! Then it¡¯s a bit lacking.¡± Su Jie felt somewhat regretful. If it could talk or even physically touch, it would have been the perfect puppet substitute. Before he could try a few more times, the shadow that had transformed into his likeness suddenly started fluctuating, as if it were glitching, and then abruptly disappeared. Ning Xinyue¡¯s voice came from the ice crystal, explaining, ¡°Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique lets the shadow mimic oneself, but the shadow has no offensive capabilities; it can only confuse the enemy and cause them to misjudge their attacks. Currently, your proficiency is too low, and you can only make the shadow perform mirrored actions. Like me¡ªI can simultaneously condense three different shadows, each performing unique actions. You still need more practice.¡± ¡°The imitation is so realistic; it¡¯s just like the real thing.¡± Su Jie shook the frost off his left hand, impressed by how the shadow¡¯s stature, scent, and spiritual charm were exquisitely imitated. Despite having control range, time limit, and the number of shadows limited, it couldn¡¯t be said to not be impressive. Often, when cultivators fight, a critical killing move based on a misjudgment happening on the shadow could potentially overturn the situation instantly. ¡°It¡¯s only somewhat useful in the Yunling Realm. Cultivators in the Secret Realm wouldn¡¯t be deceived. I seldom use it myself.¡± Ning Xinyue was smug, very satisfied with Su Jie¡¯s astonished performance. ¡°Speaking of which, for someone who knew so many incredible magic skills, how exactly were you captured?¡± Su Jie smiled at Ning Xinyue, his words making the young girl¡¯s face turn red. ¡°That was ... that was because they were too despicable, slipping drugs into my drink. Luckily, I was clever and immediately used the Nine Yin Ice Seal, thwarting their efforts against me.¡± Ning Xinyue grumbled, amusing Su Jie. Thinking about how easily he had tricked her before, it was clear that Ning Xinyue was naive with hardly any Jianghu experience. Although she grasped numerous cultivation techniques, a slight lack of awareness could lead to downfall. Su Jie shook his head and said, ¡°You call that being clever? For a mysterious lady like yourself to venture out without any bodyguards, you must have secretly run away from home, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°How did you know ...¡± Ning Xinyue inadvertently began to speak, then quickly covered her mouth, afraid of revealing her family background. ¡°I guessed right after all. With a young one like you coming out to mix in the Jianghu, no wonder you were captured so easily.¡± ¡°Hey, what exactly are you saying? Are you going to help me escape or not?¡± Ning Xinyue yelled, displeased with Su Jie¡¯s probing questions and only wanting him to help her escape. ¡°This, let¡¯s talk about it later.¡± Su Jie stretched lazily, recalled the thousand-hand centipede into his sleeve, and turned toward the door. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you keeping your word? I¡¯ve already taught you a secret technique! Hey, hey, you jerk ...¡± No matter how Ning Xinyue shouted, Su Jie didn¡¯t stop his steps and quickly exited the room, firmly closing the door behind him. ¡°Scoring a secret technique for free, that feels great.¡± Su Jie observed his slightly twisting shadow behind him, a satisfied smile forming on his lips. As for rescuing others, he had never made any promises. With such a vast fleet of slave trading ships, even if Su Jie had the inclination, he lacked the capability; he certainly didn¡¯t possess such selfless spirit. Exiting the cabin, Su Jie returned to his own room. His accommodations, like those of the other disciples, consisted of a cramped cabin, only slightly better than those sleeping in hammocks, at least he had a bed. Su Jie prepared to thoroughly study the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique and quickly master it for use in battle. Chapter 84 - 82: Slaying Demons and Eradicating Evil Chapter 84: Chapter 82: Slaying Demons and Eradicating Evil Days quickly passed. Life on the slave trading ship was monotonous and dull, Su Jie spent his time studying the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique besides occasional inspections. ¡°Divide!¡± In the cabin, Su Jie moved his hands. The shadow behind him suddenly stood upright, transitioning from a two-dimensional plane to a three-dimensional figure, the pitch-black shadow gaining luster, morphing into Su Jie¡¯s form. Controlled by Su Jie, the shadow agilely ran back and forth in the room, its movements indistinguishable from a real person¡¯s. ¡°It worked.¡± Su Jie nodded in satisfaction, the shadow now under his control could basically be used in combat. Although Su Jie¡¯s talent was poor, he did not pursue complex variations; having a substitute to take hits was enough to meet his expectations. As for controlling several shadows at the same time, Su Jie did not even consider such things. Having made progress in his cultivation, and as mealtime approached, Su Jie cleaned up and went up to the deck. On the deck, the crew had specially cast nets today, catching fresh fish from the river, which were then barbecued by the chef. Su Jie picked a grilled fish and savored the earthy-tasting flesh while admiring the Golden Sand River before him. Over several days, the Golden Sand River had reached its lower course, its flow becoming more turbulent with steep cliffs on both banks. Wild grass swayed in the wind, and flocks of water birds frolicked on the cliffs. It was now sunset, the river¡¯s surface shimmering with golden light. Even the clear sand at the river¡¯s bottom was tinted with a faint golden hue, which is also the origin of the name Golden Sand River. On the Golden Sand River, over twenty large ships were also covered by the sunset, painted in an enchanting golden color, resembling a golden dragon threading through the valley. ¡°We will be back within the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace in five days.¡± Chen Yun, who was also dining on the deck, saw Su Jie coming over with his plate and shared the news she had learned. ¡°The last part of our journey, don¡¯t let down your guard, we are only safe once we return to the grounds of Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± Su Jie, with a deep look in his eyes, mused that their journey had been smooth sailing, perhaps due to traveling by ship. Even though there were other ships on the Golden Sand River, nobody realized this fleet was entirely made up of slave trading ships carrying human slaves. As for the navy inspections by the Da Li Dynasty, they mostly just extended their hands for money. As long as the silver was sufficient, they would let them pass without checking. Conversely, if the bribe was not enough, even if you were conducting your business honestly, they would find trouble for you. Su Jie and Chen Yun were speaking when suddenly, a loud noise came from the upper decks. Bang! A figure crashed onto the deck, blood immediately pooling beneath her; this was a young female slave, her youthful face filled with fear. Due to the height, this human slave did not die instantly and writhed in pain on the deck, screaming. And on a window ledge above the deck, Xu Yihu appeared, coldly watching the struggling human slave below. ¡°Another damaged human slave, completely useless.¡± Chen Yun lowered her voice, perhaps as a woman herself, she found this quite intolerable. Ever since Xu Yihu boarded the ship, he called upon a batch of human slaves every day, and from time to time, piercing screams could be heard coming from his room. Sometimes, when Su Jie was patrolling, he would bump into Xu Yihu in a good mood, personally coming over to select human slaves. Su Jie saw firsthand the undisguised greed and bloodlust in the other¡¯s gaze as he looked at those imprisoned human slaves. If these human slaves were not the property being sold to Ghost Ridge Palace by Liuyun Manor, he would have likely started slaughtering long ago. ¡°Where can you escape to?¡± With a cold laugh, Xu Yihu flicked his left hand, his arm skin cracking and swelling inch by inch, sprouting scales and exoskeleton, the palm splitting open into a gaping maw that resembled a several-meters-long red lizard. Then, a tongue attached to flames shot out from the mouth, whooshing as it wrapped around the struggling human slave on the ground. The surging flames lit the human slave on fire, turning them into a torch, and wafts of flesh odor spread, causing many disciples to feel physically ill. Human characters vary widely, and not every Demon Cultivator disciple savors bloody cultivation methods. After roasting the human slave, Xu Yihu¡¯s left hand retracted the tongue, swallowing the person whole into the gaping maw in his palm. It was visible that after the killing, the skin on Xu Yihu¡¯s left hand deepened in redness, turning darker and redder. Human Worm Refining Technique! Su Jie knew exactly what cultivation technique this was. For Xu Yihu at this stage, practicing the Human Worm Refining Technique meant there wasn¡¯t much difference with a Lifebound poisonous insect. Because he had already merged with his Lifebound poisonous insect, nurturing the poisonous insect meant nurturing himself. The two had become one entity, capable of fully utilizing the advantages of both the insect and the human body. However, the downside was also apparent, because the poisonous insect and the host were fused, it was constantly necessary to seek living humans for Blood Sacrifice and consumption. Should the supply of living human sacrifices decrease, an extremely severe backlash would occur, turning him into a monster that was neither human nor ghost, devoid of human reason. Of course, if the supply of living human sacrifices were continuous and even increased in quantity, then the cultivation speed of this technique and the strength increase would surpass expectations, at least in the initial stages, it is undeniably powerful. After finishing the cultivation, Xu Yihu¡¯s arm returned to normal, gracefully pulling out a handkerchief to wipe off the traces of blood on his hand. His gaze swept across the deck then turned toward the expansive river in the distance, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. ¡°What¡¯s going on, can¡¯t anyone here steer a boat?¡± Yet on the river surface, a dozen or so twin-sailed fast boats were directly heading toward them. Although the river was wide, that fleet was precisely blocking the path of the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s fleet. It is known that turning ships, especially large ones, is not like turning carriages; they require a vast area and are very inconvenient. The two fleets were so close and moving in opposite directions, that a slight mishap could easily lead to a collision. ¡°Signal with the flag, tell them to quickly move aside and make way.¡± Just as Xu Yihu uttered these words, an astonishing scene unfolded. The sides of those dozen twin-sailed fast boats cracked open, revealing large oars that extended out, rowing uniformly, which rapidly increased the boats¡¯ speed, making them shoot across the river surface like arrows, inserting themselves next to each Slave Trading Ship, the two fleets connecting. Then, from the decks of these twin-sailed boats, from the cabins and behind the sails, figures rose high into the air like winged roc, swinging grappling hooks and with weapons in their mouths, they leapt toward the Slave Trading Ships. ¡°Disciples of Guan Chao Pavilion heed my command, follow me to slay demons and eradicate evil.¡± ¡°Ghost Ridge Palace scoundrels, let us from Dragon and Tiger Sect meet you.¡± ¡°Purple Mist Sect brothers and sisters, follow me, rescue the citizens, and annihilate these cruel and ruthless Demon Cultivators.¡± ¡°Kill a Demon Cultivator, reward a hundred spirit stones, kill, kill, kill!¡± Wearing various uniforms, coming from Qingzhou Jiaxing Prefecture, numerous disciples from several Righteous sects surged toward the Slave Trading Ships like wolves and tigers. Amidst the battle cries, the entire Slave Trading Ship fleet instantly turned into chaos. Chapter 85 - 1: Fierce Power Chapter 85: Chapter 1: Fierce Power Su Jie was shocked. No wonder the journey back had been so calm, they were waiting to strike with force. Before one could speak, the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, who were still feasting on the deck, were caught off guard and killed. Twenty meters away from Su Jie¡¯s Slave Trading Ship was the attacking twin-sailed fast ship. On the opposing deck, seven or eight disciples clad in white Sun Moon robes and wearing purple-gold crowns spat out a sword pill each, which transformed into sparkling cold three-foot Flying Swords. In a swooshing sound, several disciples were slain on the spot, their bodies severed. They were disciples from the Golden Sword Sect, a sect skilled in controlling Flying Swords. There was also a group of disciples with blue facial paintings, who, while manipulating spells, stepped on the bursting waves of the Golden Sand River, advancing step by step toward the Slave Trading Ship. These were disciples of the Guan Chao Pavilion, practitioners of the Spirit Turtle Water Heart Method, making the Golden Sand River their advantageous home ground. Besides these, there were Purple Mist Sect disciples Su Jie knew well, dressed in Purple Mist Cloud Collar shirts and iron clothes and hats. Charging with them were hordes of body cultivators from the Dragon and Tiger Sect, all above two meters tall, broad-shouldered, stout, powerfully built, and fighting bare-handed. The most ferocious were the disciples from Guan Chao Pavilion who, by joining forces, churned up the Golden Sand River, creating a massive tsunami aiming to topple and sink the Slave Trading Ship, heedless of the large number of human slaves on board. ¡°Kill these hypocritical bastards.¡± Xu Yihu¡¯s face was ashen, with rage he smashed the window with a palm and jumped out alone. In mid-air, a stream of lava flame burst forth, consuming several Righteous Disciples who couldn¡¯t dodge in time, screaming as they burned to charcoal. Thereafter, his hands swelled, transforming into grotesque and sturdy insect-like arms, he swung his arms scattering lava everywhere, igniting the nearby river and forcing the Guan Chao Pavilion disciples to retreat. Seeing Xu Yihu take action, the morale of the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples surged, and they summoned a large number of poisonous insects. Ghost-faced spiders, giant horned centipedes, mystic ice poison bees, spotted venomous snakes, and various other types of poisonous insects formed a sky-covering swarm that immediately charged forward. Although most of the Outer Disciples¡¯ poisonous insects were of very low grade, with only a few low-grade poisonous insects, the sheer number was overwhelming; the insects relied on numbers and toxicity. Under the swarm¡¯s attack, Righteous Disciples were bitten if they weren¡¯t careful, the toxins eroding their internal organs, making their movements stiff and slow. A few consecutive bites could immediately result in death from poisoning. Whoosh! Su Jie turned his head, a Flying Sword grazed past his cheek, the wind it brought disheveled his hair. In front of him, a Guan Chao Pavilion disciple stood on splashing waves, the river water forming a giant water palm that struck down towards Su Jie. Behind him, a tall, sturdy disciple from the Dragon and Tiger Sect bellowed, charging towards Su Jie at high speed. ¡°Trouble.¡± Su Jie leaped aside, the water giant palm smashed the deck, blasting into the inner part of the ship where human slaves were detained. The closely packed crowd had nowhere to dodge; wherever the water giant palm passed, it left chaos, numerous objects and bodies were smashed, fresh blood turned the giant water palm bright red. The Guan Chao Pavilion disciple didn¡¯t hesitate, continuing to control the giant water palm in attacking Su Jie. Su Jie¡¯s brow furrowed, and flicking his fingers, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword flew out with a howl. First, it chopped the giant water palm into two sections, pierced through layers of water defenses, and pierced the forehead of the Guan Chao Pavilion disciple. The Flying Sword did not stop there, just as the Dragon and Tiger Sect¡¯s body cultivator got close, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, returning at supersonic speed, slashed down from the air. The body cultivator just raised his head when a bloodline formed from his forehead to his groin. Then the bloodline cracked, his body split into two halves, with organs spilling out, as if his body, as strong as steel, was as soft as tofu in front of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. The previously returning Flying Sword attacked again, Su Jie remained unphased, and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword faced it head-on. Clash! In the sound of metal striking metal, the incoming Flying Sword was directly broken in half. Not far away, a Golden Sword Sect disciple spat blood, having suffered a severe backlash. Su Jie¡¯s eyes were icy cold; this was a clash of camps that allowed no mercy. ¡°Slash!¡± With supersonic speed, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword splattered blood, heads rolled on the ground. ¡°Senior Brother Zhang, you demon cultivator, give back my Senior Brother Zhang¡¯s life.¡± Several body cultivators from the Dragon and Tiger Sect roared furiously, seizing the moment when the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was away, they surrounded and attacked Su Jie. Su Jie did not dodge. From his waist, pale human hands burst through the skin and after touching the ground, they rapidly crawled, then leaped onto a few body cultivators, covering them from head to toe. The terrifying force transmitted from the fingers tore their bodies apart, leaving a bloody mess on the ground. ¡°Great opportunity!¡± An Purple Mist Sect disciple¡¯s eyes brightened as dozens of silent, hidden steel needles shot at him at the speed of sound. Clang, clang! Su Jie threw out a low-grade intermediate talisman, ensuring his own safety. He had obtained many talismans from Pei Haibing though their grade was not high, they were not very effective in intense battles, but were quite useful in lesser conflicts. Afterward, Su Jie moved his neck and looked towards the Purple Mist Sect disciple who had attempted the sneak attack. Seeing things go south, that person immediately hid below the deck. ¡°Die!¡± The color in the depths of Su Jie¡¯s pupils changed, and they dilated to a light purple. Subsequently, two beams of purple light rays burst forth, instantly melting several layers of the deck and striking the hiding Purple Mist Sect disciple. His flesh and blood body melted like a candle in the high heat, without even a chance to scream. A few righteous disciples tried to rush in to fight but under the fierce might of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, they were either decapitated or their hearts pierced and they died. It could be said that, with its unstoppable sharpness, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was overwhelming against those below the sixth level of the Yunling Realm. Swoosh! Seeing how fierce Su Jie was, the surrounding area quickly cleared out. A group of righteous sect disciples were frightened by Su Jie¡¯s killing, surrounding him but not daring to advance, instead instinctively stepping back. Seeing Su Jie¡¯s divine might, the Ghost Ridge Palace disciples were incredibly emboldened, rallying around Su Jie to resist the attacks from the righteous disciples. ¡°Demon cultivator, let me meet you.¡± A cold snort accompanied the sound of surging waves. An inner disciple at the seventh level of the Yunling Realm approached walking on water, from the Guan Chao Pavilion. He displayed the strong fluctuations of his spiritual power without any restraint. Su Jie thought it was aimed at him, but the opponent targeted Xu Yihu instead. Mainly because Xu Yihu had been very conspicuous with his fully unleashed power and the inner disciple¡¯s robes. ¡°Where did this water-playing brat come from, get down from there.¡± Xu Yihu was annoyed by the other¡¯s arrogance, and without another word, he breathed out intense flames, which looked terrifying. However, the actual effect was profoundly different. Water conquers fire among the Five Elements, which holds some truth. Several dragon-sucking water tornadoes began to spin, with water currents mixed with a myriad of sharp rocks rotating at high speeds. They not only extinguished the flames but also slammed Xu Yihu back into the river, slicing his body to the point of bloody tatters, leaving him without a spot of intact skin. Soon after the fight began, the previously arrogant and imposing Xu Yihu was turned into a battered tiger. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Xu Yihu roared as he leaped out of the water, his body completely transformed. He had grown over five meters tall, his cracked skin dripping with magma, and a triangular, bizarre head. A thick tail had grown, making him resemble a fiery red lizard standing on its hind legs, barely recognizable as human. Seeing this, the Guan Chao Pavilion inner disciple was not intimidated. He held a bell magic artifact in his left hand and a long spear made of condensed water in his right, stepping on the waves to meet Xu Yihu head-on. Meanwhile, the battle on the slave trading ship intensified, with severed limbs and blood staining every inch of the deck. Worse off than the sect disciples engaged in combat were the human slaves imprisoned below deck. Neither the Ghost Ridge Palace disciples nor the righteous sect spared them as they fought. During the combat, some human slaves were bitten to death by poisonous insects, others were severed in half by flying swords, or thrown into the roiling Golden Sand River, or grabbed by Dragon and Tiger Sect disciples and used as weapons to be thrown around chaotically. One slave trading ship, due to the fierce firefight, was severely damaged and began to slowly sink into the Golden Sand River. Apart from the various sects¡¯ disciples, the human slaves on the ship were dropping into the river like dumplings, either struggling desperately or unable to escape before being pulled to the river¡¯s depths by the sinking ship. ¡°Scum of Ghost Ridge Palace, daring to move freely outside your confines. It seems the lesson we taught you last time wasn¡¯t enough.¡± At the same moment, a tremendous booming sound filled the sky. An extraordinary elder, standing with his hands behind his back on a cliff overlooking the river, watched coldly below as he slowly raised his hand. ¡°I am Jiang Yanyi, the Supreme Elder of the Guan Chao Pavilion. Today I am here to subdue the demon.¡± Boom! In the center of the Golden Sand River, a colossal whirlpool slowly formed, and a water dragon, completely made of solidified water and about seventy to eighty meters long, soared out of the whirlpool, its tail striking and splitting a huge slave trading ship in half. The formidable cultivation of the Secret Realm, entering the fray, was completely a dimension-shifting assault. Chapter 86 - 2: Top Grade Talisman Chapter 86: Chapter 2: Top Grade Talisman ¡°` ¡°Secret Realm.¡± Su Jie¡¯s face turned dark, foes from this realm were simply not something disciples could contend with. Usually, when disciples sparred, the Elders wouldn¡¯t interfere. Because an Elder taking large-scale action against disciples would only prompt equivalent retaliation from the opposing sect. If both sides¡¯ Elders were determined to assassinate ordinary disciples, it would lead to heavy casualties among the sects¡¯ disciples, a loss no sect could bear. It could be said that within Jia Shao Prefecture, Secret Realm Elders are like nuclear weapons, not easily mobilized, merely an invisible deterrence. Even when Elders engaged in combat, it was mostly limited to clashing among themselves. They wouldn¡¯t involve ordinary disciples on a large scale, unless it was a battle to exterminate a sect. But for the Demon Path, such scruples were nonexistent. After all, the Demon Path was suppressed everywhere. Look at the Ghost Ridge Palace Elders, they were holed up in the Mountain Gate, not daring to venture out easily, without the expectation of delivering an equivalent retaliation to deter the Righteous Sects. If it were a few hundred years ago, it might have been possible, but now the Demon Path is in decline, such things can only be dreamt about. Jiang Yanyi¡¯s massacre did not stop; as a Secret Realm Elder, his arrival completely established the battle situation. The water dragon soared through the air, its body covered with iron-hard dragon scales that glittered with the luster of flowing water, its keen dragon eyes piercing, and its tail as sharp as an arrow, creating a powerful airstream that agitated the Golden Sand River, giving rise to waves and billows. Bang! A simple tail slap was enough to break a slave trading ship in two. Under the dragon¡¯s claws, two more slave trading ships were crushed into the Golden Sand River, water pouring in frantically. Raising its head, the dragon¡¯s roar was soul-shaking, terrifying to the point of splitting hearts and shattering gallbladders. ¡°Heavenly Thunder aid me in expelling demons.¡± Jiang Yanyi stood atop the head of the water dragon, on those majestic dragon horns even more blinding thunder condensed, turning into lightning that struck around him. One after another, Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples screamed, those hit by the lightning were torn apart, completely powerless to resist. ¡°Mountain and River Seal, crush these petty villains.¡± A Mid Grade Magical Artifact was thrown out; this was a Seal inscribed with the image of mountains and rivers, the surface of the Seal emitting golden flames, releasing rays of golden light in mid-air. The air around it instantly became heavy, and the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples caught in the light felt as though bearing the weight of mountains on their back, as if an invisible hand was slowly squeezing their bodies, bones emitting sounds of unbearable strain, until eventually, their skeletons shattered and their internal organs were squeezed into a pulp. ¡°By the Sect Master¡¯s order, today I shall ensure you all dissipate into ash and smoke, returning a bright and orderly world to these lands.¡± Bringing his hands together, in front of Jiang Yanyi a sudden tsunami rose, but in the blink of an eye, it was frozen, turning into an ice wall. Upon the ice wall, it was as if a paintbrush rapidly drew upon it, in between vigorous strokes and outlines, countless ice swords shattered the wall, separating out, and converged into a brilliant river of swords. Wherever the river of swords went, Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples were pierced through the heart by thousands of swords; there was simply no way to block it. Such a display of power terrified the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, turning them as pale as death, shaking like chaff, feeling like a disaster was imminent. Who knows how many disciples, driven by fear, chose to leap into the Golden Sand River, hoping to find a way out to escape. Forcing through was absolutely impossible now. ¡°The dignified Supreme Elder of Guan Chao Pavilion actually bullying our junior members, truly shameless.¡± Suddenly, a voice came from a slave trading ship at the back end of the Golden Sand River. Su Jie recognized it, that seemed to be the voice of Jia Changxun. ¡°Hmm, is there still an expert present?¡± ¡°` Jiang Yanyi narrowed his eyes, looking at the slave trading ship, and then sneered, ¡°A mere practitioner of the Ninth Level of the Yunling Realm dares to bark so furiously.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t defeat you, but I can¡¯t let you destroy all of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s property.¡± As soon as his words fell, a palm-sized talisman was thrown out. Atop the talisman, the blood of demons etched complex and intertwined patterns, each like wriggling earthworms, twisted and knotted, obscure and difficult to understand, imbued with intense spiritual power radiance between the lines. ¡°Top Grade Talisman.¡± Jiang Yanyi¡¯s face changed dramatically, he hurriedly tried to retreat, but it was already too late. The talisman burned to ashes, and with a thunderous boom, a golden sun appeared in the sky. Upon closer inspection, it was not any sun but a massive alchemy furnace constructed of spiritual power, over a hundred meters in size, engulfing Jiang Yanyi, with raging golden flames rising from the bottom of the furnace, as though attempting to refine Jiang Yanyi into an elixir. ¡°This talisman might not kill him, but while he¡¯s trapped, let¡¯s make our escape.¡± The voice of Jia Changxun came from the slave trading ship, relying on the talisman given by the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace, they managed to make the terrifying man, Jiang Yan Yi, withdraw. However, the situation remained grim as Jiang Yanyi had inflicted heavy losses on many of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s forces, and their disciples suffered heavily. Now, being attacked by disciples from various sects, they could no longer hold out and started to turn their ships around, fleeing at full speed. On the water, Xu Yihu, looking utterly miserable, escaped back and shouted, ¡°Set sail quickly, we need to leave this place.¡± The sails were hoisted, and the disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace, under the threat of life and death, fought with all their might, attacking the disciples of the Righteous Sects that charged them from all sides. Blood, screams, severed limbs, scattered weapons¡ªbodies floated on the river¡¯s surface. Flying swords crisscrossed, magic clashed, poisonous insects swirled; the entire Golden Sand River had descended into chaos, the battle reaching its most brutal and feverish stage. Su Jie maneuvered the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, and with every sword¡¯s hum, a life was lost beneath its edge. There were not many disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace still fighting on the deck, and aside from Xu Yihu, Su Jie was the most outstanding one. Countless disciples of Righteous Sects wished to kill Su Jie, the roadblock, but all eventually became the dead souls under Su Jie¡¯s sword. Chen Yun closely followed Su Jie, holding a Ming Sheng Bat in her arms, coordinating with Su Jie in combat. Under the resonance of the Ming Sheng Bat¡¯s sound waves, those slightly weaker disciples suffered internal bleeding, broken meridians, and slowed movements, making it even harder to block the fatal strikes of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Heads were beheaded and sent flying; the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword remained as pristine as ever, with blood pooling into a small stream beneath Su Jie¡¯s feet. Su Jie stepped up to the ship¡¯s side, his White Bone Sky Slaying Sword slashed swiftly, cutting off all the oars on both sides of the pursuing twin-sail speedboat and tearing the sails apart. Quickly, the speed of the twin-sail speedboat decreased sharply, and it could no longer keep up with the chase. ¡°Well done.¡± Xu Yihu laughed heartily, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood with this laughter. His injuries were very severe, inflicted by that Guan Chao Pavilion inner disciple. ¡°Ruining my plans.¡± The Guan Chao Pavilion disciple looked over coldly, stepping on the water, ready to make a move on Su Jie. Su Jie¡¯s fingers moved, and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword turned into a silvery-white bolt of lightning. Its sword qi was sharp, causing the inner disciple of Guan Chao Pavilion to become wary and stop in his tracks. ¡°Get lost back to where you came from.¡± Xu Yihu¡¯s cheeks bulged, and a mouthful of thick molten rock sprayed out, coordinating with the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, igniting half the body of the follower, forcing him to dive into the river to escape, frantically looking for water to put out the fire. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword made several thrusts in the water, and the murky river no longer offered any visibility to pinpoint its position. However, having driven him off, their main goal had been achieved. Now it was important to flee. Who knew when the Hidden Realm Elder would break free. Chapter 87 - 3: Greed Chapter 87: Chapter 3: Greed ¡°` About fifteen minutes later, unimpeded, Su Jie¡¯s slave trading ship broke through the encirclement. Bodies were floating on the river surface, most of them were human slaves, with a portion being cultivators, belonging to both Right and Evil factions. The corpses were carried by the river downstream and hadn¡¯t sunk yet for quite a while. On the slave trading ship, some of the surviving disciples paid no mind to their wounds, hurriedly running to the gunwale to salvage the bodies, snatching valuable magic artifacts, talismans, and elixirs from them. Splash. Several figures jumped into the river, swimming towards the bodies in the distance. Many disciples had been impoverished for too long and couldn¡¯t restrain their greed, oblivious to the fact that they were still on the battlefield. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Gu.¡± Chen Yun pointed at the surface of the water, the one swimming towards the bodies to salvage them was actually Gu Weonian. He and a few Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples were competing for valuable objects on the corpses, and the appearance of a storage bag incited a frenzy among them. Barely escaped from a predicament, and with the battle still raging behind them, the disciples could not restrain their avarice. People die for wealth, as birds die for food; it¡¯s always been so. ¡°Call him back, seeking fortune at this time is tantamount to not wanting to live.¡± Su Jie walked to the gunwale, and Chen Yun shouted loudly. ¡°Brother Su, I¡¯ll search a few more bodies and then come back, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Upon hearing the shout, Gu Weonian turned his head to see it was Su Jie, stiffened in his movements, hesitated for a while, but still unable to give up the wealth, swam towards the corpses again. ¡°Foolish, get back here now...¡± Su Jie had not finished speaking when below the surface of the river, currents surged, transforming into a massive beast¡¯s head which bit several Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples who wandered out to rob valuables, including Gu Weonian, instantly staining the river red with blood. The inner disciple from Guan Chao Pavilion who had competed with Xu Yihu had been lurking underwater, originally planning to ambush Xu Yihu. But since Xu Yihu had kept hiding and was protected by other disciples especially with Su Jie around, he dared not rashly charge in and chose to attack the weaker disciples instead. ¡°Next time, you won¡¯t be so lucky.¡± The Guan Chao Pavilion inner disciple threatened, then dived back into the river. No one dared to venture into the depths and fight with the disciples of Guan Chao Pavilion; it was their turf. The disciples whose bodies were crushed struggled momentarily, then became silent. On the slave trading ship, watching Gu Weonian¡¯s lifeless body on the river surface, Su Jie slowly sighed, ¡°What was the point? Without the strength, you shouldn¡¯t covet that wealth ¨C it only led to a pointless death.¡± Gu Weonian only had the cultivation level of the Third Level of Yunling Realm; it was fortunate enough for him to have survived by hiding in the cabin. Yet he couldn¡¯t resist his greed and fell at the last hurdle. Chen Yun remained silent, accustomed to life and death, her grief was fleeting. Too many had died in today¡¯s battle, with less than thirty percent of Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples surviving. Aside from those they knew well, no one really cared about the passing of another life. Su Jie controlled the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword and salvaged Gu Weonian¡¯s body from the water. After all, he deserved a proper burial and not to be used as food for fish and shrimp. As Su Jie did this, on the Golden Sand River, seven or eight slave trading ships each employed their own methods to speed up and break out of the encirclement. Another ten or so were surrounded completely, already boarded by Righteous Disciples who slaughtered every Ghost Ridge Palace disciple, raising the flags of various sects on the mast. Catching up to them relentlessly, in their panic, the remaining slave trading ships disregarded formation, stretching out a considerable distance before either sneaking into tributaries or running aground, with their disciples disembarking and fleeing in terror. The slave trading ship under Su Jie¡¯s control was quick, its sails undamaged and to his surprise retained its propulsion, smoothly shaking off the pursuers from behind. ... Many hours later, nightfall descended. ¡°` Disciples of the Ghost Ridge Palace gathered on the deck, treating injuries, counting losses, and repairing the ship, still in the busiest phase following the end of the battle. Originally, there were dozens of Ghost Ridge Palace disciples stationed on the slave trading ship, but now less than ten were alive, and almost all of them were injured. On the other side of the deck, the bodies of the dead Ghost Ridge Palace disciples were piled up. There weren¡¯t many, as most of the bodies had fallen into the river. Su Jie helped Chen Yun clean up the wound. Compared to the last time when she was seriously injured and near death, this time at least, there were no severe injuries. Patting his knee and standing up, Su Jie said, ¡°Alright, after taking this elixir, and resting for a few days, you¡¯ll be mostly recovered. If you can¡¯t bear the pain, take a few Drunk Numbing Pills yourself.¡± Drunk Numbing Pills are like anesthetics, able to numb bodily pain, but they interfere with body movement and seriously affect combat. ¡°I won¡¯t take that. It¡¯s just a bit of pain. I¡¯m already very grateful that I could survive.¡± Chen Yun swallowed the healing pill, her face easing quite a bit. As for the Drunk Numbing Pill, she didn¡¯t need it yet. ¡°You decide for yourself.¡± Su Jie looked around and didn¡¯t see Xu Yihu anywhere. ¡°Where¡¯s Brother Xu?¡± Su Jie stopped a disciple to ask about Xu Yihu¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°It seems he¡¯s gone to the lower cabins.¡± The answer from the disciple furrowed Su Jie¡¯s brows slightly, as a bad premonition arose in his heart. As if to confirm Su Jie¡¯s suspicion, sudden cries and wails emanated from the lower cabins of the slave trading ship. A few disciples scrambled up to the deck, and those who were slower were entangled by a tongue and dragged back into the darkness. ¡°He¡¯s gone mad, Brother Xu has gone mad, he¡¯s eating people, anyone he sees.¡± The disciples who escaped back were terrified, their voices trembling. ¡°He can¡¯t control it, huh?¡± Su Jie muttered to himself, took out the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, and cut a big hole in the deck with his flying sword. Through the hole, one could see a ghastly scene in the lower deck. Xu Yihu was crouching on the ground, having turned into a gigantic half-lizard creature about seven or eight meters long, with skin covered in fine scales and a thick tail that had sprouted. He was paying no heed to the cries and pleas of the human slaves, opening his bloody maw and crazily devouring them whole. Whether it was men or women, elderly or children, he swallowed them all. His belly was visibly bloated, and one could dimly see the outlines of human limbs struggling inside, immensely terrifying and chilling. Disturbed by the noise, Xu Yihu slowly lifted his head, the flesh under his chin puffing up as he emitted a sharp, piercing laugh. ¡°Haha, are you trying to stop me? Then I¡¯ll kill you first. Dead men tell no tales.¡± Amidst laughter, Xu Yihu¡¯s mouth opened, and over a dozen split tongues shot out like lightning, dragging all the disciples toward him to be devoured. ¡°Brother Xu, spare me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything, don¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°You monster, I won¡¯t let you off even as a ghost.¡± No matter how the disciples pleaded for mercy, Xu Yihu continued as he pleased, devouring them all. Clang! Amidst the resonating sound of a sword¡¯s cry, the tongue attacking Su Jie and Chen Yun was severed. Blood with a strong scent of sulfur gushed out, causing Xu Yihu¡¯s face to twist with spite. The next moment, Xu Yihu¡¯s massive body used all four limbs to clamber up through the hole, glaring menacingly at Su Jie, his eyes filled with brutal killing intent. Chapter 88 - 4: You Are Far Inferior to Pei Haibing Chapter 88: Chapter 4: You Are Far Inferior to Pei Haibing ¡°Do you not think this is too much, Brother Xu?¡± Staring at the immense figure before him, half man, half lizard, Su Jie caressed the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, his gaze turning cold. ¡°Hehe, an Outer Disciple like you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Xu Yihu squatted on the ground, his upper body covered in overlapping scales. He looked bloated; he had eaten too many people and had not yet digested them. ¡°It all comes down to wanting to practice the Human Worm Refining Technique, taking advantage of the attack by the Righteous Sect to claim that the entire Slave Trading Ship was destroyed and taking the opportunity to take all the human slaves on the ship as food to satisfy your cultivation,¡± Su Jie said indifferently, having seen Xu Yihu¡¯s greed for living humans before. If it weren¡¯t for today¡¯s incident, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to harbor such deviant thoughts. But now, with the Slave Trading Ship¡¯s fleet mostly lost, he counted his own Slave Trading Ship among the casualties, and by killing all witnesses, he could freely enjoy the human slaves aboard the entire ship without anyone suspecting him. Su Jie had once read news about a bank being robbed by bandits; the bank manager took the opportunity to exaggerate the loss amount and cover up his embezzlement, a similar principle. Xu Yihu was somewhat surprised and sneered, ¡°I¡¯m impressed that you know! That makes it even more impossible to let you go. I was thinking of looking after you because of your connection with Senior Yu, but you¡¯re just too blind.¡± Xu Yihu shook his heavy body, stood up on his two hind legs, and cast a shadow over Su Jie. His mouth emitting a foul smell, he said, ¡°Your strength is quite good, using the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword to perfection, but it¡¯s still not enough against me. If Pei Haibing from your branch were here, he might pose some threat to me, but unfortunately, he died too soon. Now, let me show you the strength of an Inner Sect Disciple.¡± Roar! With a roar, Xu Yihu bent his legs, tore through the air, and the powerful impact cracked the deck with each step. Chen Yun bit her lips tightly, holding the Ming Sheng Bat in her hands, sending out resonance attacks, but being merely a low-grade poisonous insect, it clearly couldn¡¯t inflict any effective damage on Xu Yihu, and she could only watch helplessly as the half-man, half-monster lunged toward her. Su Jie watched Xu Yihu nearing, shadows stretching behind him, covering his entire body. Like stepping into an ink pad for printing, a new Su Jie emerged and darted off in another direction. The lunging Xu Yihu paused for a moment, then smashed down with a palm, dispersing the shadowy illusion. ¡°Quite useful.¡± Su Jie, having just learned to use the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique, nodded his head in satisfaction at its effect. ¡°With the vast Golden Sand River here, where can you escape to? If you don¡¯t use your White Bone Sky Slaying Sword now, you¡¯ll soon have no chance,¡± Xu Yihu mocked and laughed heartily, not caring about Su Jie¡¯s tricks, confident he could handle any problem. ¡°Running away? You thought too much, and besides, I generally don¡¯t like using swords against big fellows.¡± With a slight smile on his lips, Su Jie raised his right hand; ¡°Xiao Qian, come out and play with him.¡± Hiss! His sleeve ripped apart, and the ferocious thousand-hand centipede burst out, its myriad pale corpse hands and insect eyes cold and ruthless, hurtling toward Xu Yihu. ¡°What, a Three Refinement Poisonous Insect.¡± Xu Yihu¡¯s pupils dilated sharply, as if he had encountered an archenemy, and in sheer panic, he attempted to back away. The ten-meter-long thousand-hand centipede was far more formidable than Xu Yihu, giving him no chance to dodge. At the moment of contact, the thousand-hand centipede used its unrivaled strength to overwhelm him. Its massive fangs clamped onto Xu Yihu¡¯s neck, blood spurting like a fountain, exposing the windpipe and neck bone to the air while pairs of pale corpse hands tightly coiled around Xu Yihu¡¯s body. ¡°Su...Su Jie, is this truly yours...¡± Chen Yun was utterly shocked by the scene before her, the overturned battle power making her feel as if she were dreaming. Su Jie actually had a Three Refinement Poisonous Insect, something many Inner Sect Disciples struggled to cultivate. ¡°Luck was on its side, allowing it to evolve three times.¡± Su Jie smiled, while Chen Yun remained silent, knowing this wasn¡¯t just about luck. Evolution from a low-grade poisonous insect to a mid-grade one also far surpassed evolving to a low-grade three-refining poisonous insect in terms of resource consumption. The latter was more difficult, and in terms of combat power, one low-grade three-refining poisonous insect could easily overpower an ordinary mid-grade poisonous insect that hadn¡¯t evolved. But Su Jie said this, Chen Yun was sensible and did not continue to question him. On the deck, Xu Yihu was being overwhelmed by the thousand-hand centipede, not to mention he hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the injuries inflicted by inner disciples at Guan Chao Pavilion during the previous battle. In addition, in terms of strength, defense, and speed, the thousand-hand centipede utterly dominated him. Once the fight started, pale corpse hands fiercely pressed in, crushing countless hard bones on his body. Xu Yihu could only struggle continuously, as streams of scorching lava erupted from his mouth and skin, hoping to make the thousand-hand centipede release him and retreat in difficulty. The thousand-hand centipede turned a blind eye. Its hard insect shell was extremely fire-resistant. Even if it couldn¡¯t stand the heat, it would split into smaller centipedes to heal itself. Boom! The thousand-hand centipede, entwined with Xu Yihu, crashed into the upper structure of the ship. The teak hull, built to be sturdy, shattered upon contact; the mast was broken, and the fallen sail covered the two massive beings engaged in a frenzied battle, but it could not prevent them from tearing the upper part of the slave trading ship to shreds. ¡°Xiao Qian, take him down to the river.¡± At Su Jie¡¯s command, the thousand-hand centipede decisively grabbed Xu Yihu and plunged with him into the turbulent river waters. Gurgle, gurgle! Huge bubbles and waves surfaced, nearby fish flipped belly-up, cooked by the boiling river water. Giant shadows could be seen entangling under the water, the river roiled with massive waves, and large amounts of silt and sand muddied the water. Affected by the environment, the fiery lava fire was greatly suppressed by the river water, significantly reducing its power and posing no threat to the thousand-hand centipede as both entered into a true melee combat. Half a minute later, with bursts of dazzling purple light emanating from the riverbed, the turbulent Golden Sand River gradually calmed down, the thousand-hand centipede surfacing with Xu Yihu in its grasp. By this time, Xu Yihu was left with only his upper body; his torso below the chest had vanished, and the outcome was quicker than imagined. After throwing Xu Yihu onto the deck, the thousand-hand centipede flicked its two antennae and buzzed at Su Jie as if to claim credit. ¡°I¡¯ll reward you with a chicken leg later.¡± Su Jie patted the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s head and walked over to Xu Yihu. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not seeing through you earlier, you hid it so well.¡± Xu Yihu¡¯s voice was weak, his words full of unwillingness as most of his organs had fallen into the Golden Sand River, his life ticking down. ¡°You¡¯re just too weak to make me reveal my true strength.¡± Su Jie, smiling, reached out for the Storage Bag, then added, ¡°Right, you are far weaker than Pei Haibing. At least he could spar with me and pose a threat, but you¡¯re completely useless!¡± Xu Yihu¡¯s eyes bulged, and although Su Jie spoke the truth, as an inner disciple, he had never seen an Outer Disciple dare to belittle him like this. With eyes bloodshot, Xu Yihu stared intensely at Su Jie, his mouth opening and closing, wanting to curse angrily. But he couldn¡¯t catch his breath, and the last bit of light in his eyes dimmed, halting his breathing. ¡°He¡¯s dead already, inner disciples really can¡¯t handle much, can they!¡± Su Jie shook his head, took off the Storage Bag, and with a kick, sent the corpse into the river. Such scum didn¡¯t deserve a burial, better to serve as a meal for the river fish. Chapter 89 - 5: Could He Really Be a Good Person? Chapter 89: Chapter 5: Could He Really Be a Good Person? ¡°Tsk tsk, truly worthy of an inner disciple, such wealth is indeed substantial.¡± Su Jie was counting the spoils in the storage bag, a battle had added thousands of Blood Marrow Crystals to his account. Indeed, murder and arson for a golden belt, this kind of windfall really comes easily. The prerequisite is to have enough strength, otherwise, if someone kills you instead, you become their spoils of war. ¡°Dead? Is Xu Yihu really dead?¡± Chen Yun¡¯s head was still spinning, unable to believe that an outer disciple had actually overturned and killed an inner disciple. If someone had told her this in the past, she would have thought they were out of their mind. But having witnessed Su Jie kill Xu Yihu with her own eyes, Chen Yun had to believe this exaggerated outcome and secretly categorized Su Jie as a freak of nature. After all, being able to cultivate a poisonous insect that had undergone Spirit Refining three times, not many freakish inner disciples could manage that. ¡°Who made him want to kill me? I had no choice but to send him on his way first.¡± Su Jie shrugged, raised his finger to his lips, and reminded, ¡°This stays between you and me, remember to keep it a secret.¡± ¡°I know, even if I die, I won¡¯t speak.¡± Chen Yun nodded repeatedly, Su Jie had already saved her twice, such a debt of gratitude could not be fully repaid, how could she possibly betray him? Su Jie was not worried about any leaks, aside from those human slaves, and the surviving Su Jie and Chen Yun, there were no other living Ghost Ridge Palace disciples or crew on the ship. Even if Chen Yun really decided to betray him, without proof, accusing Su Jie, a disciple favored by Taoist Qiu, no one would believe such one-sided words. After clearing the spoils on the slave trading ship, Su Jie looked at the ship, which was a mess and badly damaged from the battle. This ship was basically on the verge of being scrapped; it was fortunate it hadn¡¯t sunk just from being sturdy, but Su Jie didn¡¯t have the capability to drive it back to Ghost Ridge Palace alone; it would sink halfway. Thinking it over, Su Jie let the Thousand-Handed Centipede jump back into the water, pushing hard at the stern to beach the slave trading ship toward the shore. With the buoyancy of the water flow and a number of pale corpse hands paddling wooden paddles, this process was somewhat difficult, but ultimately it was barely accomplished. Crack! The ship¡¯s bottom deeply stuck into the river sand silt, and the riddled large ship finally swayed a few times before grounding ashore. ¡°Chen Yun, go and bring out those human slaves and let them go home. Just make sure they don¡¯t see your face.¡± Su Jie instructed Chen Yun, then turned and entered the third level of the cabin, arriving in front of a door covered with frost. Breaking the layer of ice, Su Jie walked into the room with temperatures several tens of degrees below zero. ¡°It¡¯s you, you scoundrel.¡± Within the Ice Crystal, seeing Su Jie, Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in anger, and she stopped pretending to be asleep. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you for several days, you¡¯ve slept quite soundly.¡± Su Jie stepped up to the Ice Crystal, smiling as he spoke. ¡°What are you planning to do now? Hmph, whatever you¡¯re thinking, I won¡¯t be fooled again.¡± Ning Xinyue looked on guard, still unable to forget how Su Jie had tricked her out of the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique. ¡°I¡¯m here to fulfill a promise and rescue you. Did you forget what we agreed on?¡± Su Jie spoke very sincerely, seeming to have completely forgotten what he had done a few days before. ¡°Uh, wait, wait a minute, you said you¡¯re going to rescue me?¡± The girl was a bit disheveled, having anticipated many things, but she hadn¡¯t expected that Su Jie was actually there to rescue her. ¡°No, you¡¯re too kind for no reason; there must be a conspiracy that I don¡¯t know about.¡± Having been deceived once, Ning Xinyue had become much more cautious. Su Jie summoned the Thousand-Handed Centipede to carry the Ice Crystal outside, and said, ¡°Where do you think all these conspiracies come from? Don¡¯t think of people as too filthy.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t demon cultivators always scheming and plotting? Besides, you tricked me last time.¡± Ning Xinyue wanted to scold Su Jie, but, held by the grotesque Thousand-Handed Centipede and even through the solid Ice Crystal, her fair skin still crawled with goosebumps, and her small face turned slightly pale as she turned her head away, unable to look. After stepping out of the cabin, Ning Xinyue saw the heavily damaged Slave Trading Ship and exclaimed in horror, ¡°What happened here? I heard shouts and cries of fighting below; were you attacked by bandits?¡± ¡°Which bandit has the death wish to rob a demon cultivator?¡± Su Jie could hardly contain his laughter; the girl didn¡¯t think before she spoke. Ning Xinyue thought about it, and indeed, compared to demon cultivators, bandits were insignificant. It was like hoodlums running into a fully armed military force, specifically one that played by concentration camp rules. If provoked, a quick death would be hard to come by. ¡°I understand now, there must have been a righteous sect here to rescue us.¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s mind clicked, and she shouted in delight. ¡°You¡¯re happy too soon. The rescue team was already repelled, and given your situation, being rescued may not necessarily be a good thing.¡± Su Jie smirked; those from the righteous sects were equally cruel, as seen by how they disregarded and let their magic affect the human slaves without concern for collateral damage. If Ning Xinyue fell into their hands, given the numerous cultivation techniques she held, her ending would not necessarily be good. ¡°Still, it¡¯s better than falling into the hands of demon cultivators.¡± Ning Xinyue argued, biting her silver teeth. ¡°Ah, you got that right,¡± Su Jie chuckled. By then, Su Jie had reached the deck and looked down. The Golden Sand River Mudflats were filled with human slaves released by Chen Yun, who one by one knelt down thunderously, creating a dense sea of heads continuously knocking the ground. ¡°We commoners thank the noble lord for granting us a chance at life. Though we do not know your honored name, your grace will never be forgotten. Should we be fortunate enough to survive and return home, we swear to write of your deeds and worship at your shrine.¡± The group of human slaves chanted thrice in unison, mothers holding their children and trembling elders all knelt, even if their foreheads bled, their faces were full of gratitude and joy, which were genuinely from the heart. Chen Yun, standing to the side and glancing at Su Jie, was unexpected that Su Jie would release all these human slaves. Logically, with heavy losses to the slave ship fleet, if Su Jie managed to bring back a large number of human slaves urgently needed by Ghost Ridge Palace, he would surely receive great commendation from the sect. Yet, Su Jie chose to grant the slaves their freedom instead. In the meanwhile, Ning Xinyue secretly opened her eyes, then her eyes widened in shock at the absurd scene before her, throwing her into disarray. What did she see? A group of human slaves, who had been transported for sale, were thanking their demon cultivator overseers, kneeling and giving thanks profusely. ¡°Could he actually be a good person?¡± Suddenly, Ning Xinyue entertained this ridiculous thought. ¡°Hurry and scatter. I can¡¯t guarantee that other demon cultivators won¡¯t come by here, and if they see you, you know the consequences,¡± Said Su Jie, waving his hand. Hearing this, the human slaves immediately panicked, hurrying under the moonlight with the map Chen Yun gave them, running towards the nearest village. Su Jie, along with Chen Yun and the Thousand-Handed Centipede holding the Ice Crystal, left the slave ship and entered the dense woods. While walking, Su Jie glanced at the quiet girl inside the Ice Crystal, considering her his greatest gain from this journey. It remained to be seen what kind of cultivation technique could be obtained from her. Chapter 90 - 6: Ah! Open Your Mouth! (1st Update) Chapter 90: Chapter 6: Ah! Open Your Mouth! (1st Update) In the dense forest. A bonfire crackled as it burned, several wild chickens, birds, and rabbits skewered beside it, their skins roasted golden brown, the aromatic scent wafting through the air. Chen Yun sat in front of the bonfire, carefully turning the food to ensure even heating. Elsewhere, Su Jie stood in front of a person-high Ice Crystal and spoke, ¡°Miss Ning, now that you are safe, do you still plan to stay inside?¡± Inside the Ice Crystal, Ning Xinyue looked around, a flicker of glee in her eyes, ¡°Then I¡¯ll come out.¡± Crack crack! The Ice Crystal developed cracks, and in the next second, it exploded violently. Just then, Ning Xinyue burst out in an instant, her body splitting into four, fleeing in all directions of southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this move.¡± Su Jie clapped his hands, and from around the trees, one Corpse Hand after another swooped down from the treetops. Three fake shadows were exposed, and Ning Xinyue¡¯s true body, seeing the pale corpse hand leaping towards her, turned alarmingly pale, and a white shield sprung up, that was the protection from the Magic Artifact clothing on her body. ¡°Indeed, if you want to catch me, you¡¯ll need to practice a few more years.¡± Ning Xinyue turned back and flashed Su Jie a triumphant smile, stepping with the Seven Star Steps, her figure moving unpredictably, seemingly about to vanish from sight. However, while Ning Xinyue was running, suddenly her feet gave way. She staggered as if drunk, and with a tumbling sound, she fell to the ground. ¡°You... you poisoned me, how despicable...¡± Hearing footsteps behind her, Ning Xinyue felt completely drained of strength, pointing at Su Jie with a grief-stricken face. It turned out the air was filled with a colorless and odorless poison. After all, lacking the experience of Jianghu, she did not shield her breath out of vigilance. With her fast breathing from running and the quick circulation of blood and qi, she had unknowingly been poisoned too deeply, unable to muster any strength. Su Jie, grinning, walked over to Ning Xinyue, grabbed her by the neck as one would pick up a kitten. ¡°You even said last time you were captured because you were poisoned, and as a Demon Cultivator, how could I not know a bit about using poison? I was just trying, but I didn¡¯t expect you to fall in the same place twice. That was unexpected.¡± ¡°Ah, you rascal, so sinister, let me go if you dare, I want to fight you one-on-one.¡± Ning Xinyue struggled vigorously in Su Jie¡¯s grasp, but without any strength, she was completely like a fish on the chopping block, with no possibility of escape. ¡°Are you sure you want to challenge me one-on-one?¡± Su Jie dragged Ning Xinyue back in front of the bonfire, leaning her against a tree trunk. Behind him, numerous Corpse Hands gathered around Su Jie. Seeing this scene, Ning Xinyue shrank her neck back. With these eerie skills, she felt like tying three of herself together might still not suffice to match the man before her. ¡°Alright, it seems you¡¯ve figured it out.¡± Su Jie sat cross-legged in front of Ning Xinyue, pinching her chin, saying, ¡°Now let¡¯s keep your promise. I kindly saved you, so tell me about the Cultivation Technique you know.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell. What if you kill me after finding out?¡± Ning Xinyue turned her head away childishly, her gaze meeting directly with the roasted chicken in front of the bonfire; she couldn¡¯t help swallowing. ¡°Not telling? I¡¯m very patient, you can just stay here slowly then.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, he turned and sat in front of the bonfire, picking up a golden brown, fragrant roast chicken and took a bite. ¡°Chen Yun, your cooking is really good!¡± Su Jie gave a thumbs up, enjoying the taste of the roast chicken. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to these seasonings you brought. I didn¡¯t even know there were so many kinds of seasonings in the world.¡± Chen Yun, eating a rabbit leg, pointed at the bottles and jars on the ground, which were all brought by Su Jie. ¡°Even with seasonings, you still have to control the cooking time yourself, right? Hmm, delicious, have some more.¡± Gurgle! Suddenly, an untimely noise came. Su Jie and Chen Yun turned their heads at the same time, only to see Ning Xinyue tilting her head, pursing her lips, and pretending to look at the moon. Gurgle! The sound came again from Ning Xinyue¡¯s stomach. With a swoosh. Ning Xinyue¡¯s beautiful face turned red like a tomato, and even her fair neck had a flush of crimson. ¡°I completely forgot, you were sealed in the Ice Crystal for so many days without any food; you must be starving, right? Want to join us for a bite?¡± Su Jie tore off a chicken leg and dangled it in front of Ning Xinyue, tempting her, ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be shy; ah, open wide.¡± Smelling the delicious aroma of the chicken, Ning Xinyue imperceptibly nodded her head, opened her mouth, and was about to bite into the chicken leg. But as Su Jie lifted the chicken leg, Ning Xinyue also stretched her neck, only for Su Jie to turn his hand and put the chicken leg into his own mouth. ¡°Delicious, this chicken is smooth and tender, absolutely scrumptious!¡± ¡°You, you... you¡¯re bullying me.¡± Tears swirled in her eyes, Ning Xinyue was about to cry out of frustration caused by Su Jie. Carrying a roast chicken, Su Jie raised an eyebrow, ¡°So, do you want to speak now?¡± Ning Xinyue puffed her cheeks but didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Is that so! Then Chen Yun, let¡¯s eat all this food alone, no need to save any for her.¡± Su Jie chuckled softly, pretending to take back the roast chicken, but Ning Xinyue could no longer hold back. Aowo! With her cherry lips parted, Ning Xinyue bit into the roast chicken. Su Jie pulled back, pinching Ning Xinyue¡¯s tender little face, trying to make her let go. Ning Xinyue bit down hard, possessing a spirit of ¡®I¡¯d rather die than let go¡¯; finally, a large piece of chicken was bitten off, and she swallowed it down, feeling thoroughly satisfied yet making her stomach crave more food. ¡°Just say it, and this whole roast chicken is yours, oh.¡± Su Jie squatted in front of Ning Xinyue, looking at the bite-marked roast chicken, his voice like that of a devil tempting someone into sin. Ning Xinyue¡¯s stomach kept making noises, smelling the savory roast chicken and eventually she couldn¡¯t resist anymore, ¡°Most of my Cultivation Techniques have prohibitions, they cannot be spoken or written down by others; I can only teach those who can write on their own.¡± Su Jie closely examined Ning Xinyue¡¯s face; she was probably not lying. ¡°Pen and paper, write it out now.¡± Retrieving pen and paper from the Storage Bag, Su Jie placed them in front of Ning Xinyue, ¡°As soon as you finish writing, you can eat, but you better be quick, or we might consume all the food first.¡± ¡°Save some for me!¡± Ning Xinyue was startled and began to write rapidly on the paper. Su Jie intentionally stood beside her, eating and making smacking sounds, which made Ning Xinyue feel both infuriated and anxious. Infuriated by Su Jie¡¯s indecency and anxious for fear the food would be all gone. Under the lure of food, Ning Xinyue found for the first time that her writing speed could be so fast; in just half an hour, four new Cultivation Techniques were written out. ¡°I¡¯ve finished writing; quickly give me the roast chicken.¡± Ning Xinyue put down the pen and, with puffed cheeks, stretched out her hand towards Su Jie. ¡°Here, eat up.¡± Su Jie handed over the roast chicken and pointed to the fireside roast chicken and rabbit, ¡°Those are all yours now.¡± Ning Xinyue took the roast chicken and took a bite, the juice and delicious meat filling her mouth. Her crescent-moon-shaped eyes squinted happily as she indulged in the feast contentedly. Chapter 91 - 7: Soul Summoning Banner (2nd Update) Chapter 91: Chapter 7: Soul Summoning Banner (2nd Update) Su Jie picked up the four Cultivation Techniques written by Ning Xinyue, and using the light from the campfire, he read the text on them. ¡°Seven Star Steps¡± ¡°White Crane Zen Dao¡± ¡°Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint¡± ¡°Soul Summoning Banner Secret Manual¡± There were four Cultivation Techniques in total, and Su Jie studied them in detail. The Seven Star Steps must have been the strange stepping pattern Ning Xinyue used to escape just now. After cultivating it, one could step on the Heavenly Gang Seven Stars, activating corresponding major acupoints in the body, and at a minimum, double one¡¯s speed. Those proficient in this method could increase their speed even more. The White Crane Zen Dao, on the other hand, was a Magic Skill for absorbing Spiritual Energy. Just from reading the text, Su Jie could feel the complexity of this Cultivation Technique, and its efficiency in cultivation was much higher than that of the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture, suitable for daily cultivation to enhance one¡¯s absorption of Spiritual Energy. The Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint was purely an offensive Magic Skill, and its principle wasn¡¯t too complicated, it was just that Su Jie didn¡¯t really like the name. After repeatedly observing this Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint, Su Jie tried to use it. The next moment, Su Jie¡¯s right palm struck out. A handprint formed from condensed Spiritual Power suddenly took shape, measuring a full ten feet in size, smashing a few towering ancient trees before dissipating into the air. ¡°Lacking the application of the Five Elements, this is merely a handprint constructed from pure Spiritual Power, and its power is much less.¡± Ning Xinyue flipped a beautiful eye-roll and ridiculed Su Jie¡¯s poor aptitude. Su Jie didn¡¯t retaliate. The simplicity of the Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint was relative, and it wasn¡¯t possible to master it in one go. Su Jie wasn¡¯t discouraged. Finally, Su Jie picked up the Cultivation Technique that documented the Soul Summoning Banner Manual. Upon studying it, Su Jie realized that this wasn¡¯t a Cultivation Technique, but rather a Refining Device Scripture describing how to craft the Soul Summoning Banner Magic Artifact. ¡°Start with the heavy, then move to the soul cloth, and diverge to the Soul Banner...¡± The Artifact Refining Technique for the Soul Banner turned out to be simpler than expected, and he also had the necessary crafting materials in his Storage Bag. According to this Soul Summoning Banner Manual, the Soul Summoning Banner could absorb living souls and gradually nurture them into Yin Souls. The Soul Summoning Banner Magic Artifact had no specific grade; it entirely depended on the quantity of Yin Souls it contained. With the current limit imposed by his own Spiritual Power, the more Yin Souls it contained, the stronger the power of the Soul Summoning Banner would be. ¡°Hey, where did you get this Soul Summoning Banner Manual? This doesn¡¯t seem like a Cultivation Technique you should be learning,¡± Su Jie said as he turned his gaze towards Ning Xinyue, wondering where this young girl had learned it from, since the Soul Summoning Banner was clearly something only Demon Cultivators would use. Ning Xinyue wiped her oily little mouth, saying, ¡°I got it in Jingzhou from a Demon Cultivation Sect known as the Heavenly Soul Sect. You wouldn¡¯t believe it, but their sect had a Soul Summoning Banner for nearly every member, and they liked to slaughter the common people to nourish ghosts and play with souls. Because they were so cruel and unprincipled, they were jointly attacked by the Righteous sects of Jingzhou, and they should have been broken down by now.¡± ¡°You exchanged for it? Just a young girl like you daring to deal with Demon Cultivators, shouldn¡¯t you have been captured by the Heavenly Soul Sect for Soul Extraction?¡± Su Jie was quite skeptical, thinking that it was already lucky Ning Xinyue hadn¡¯t been captured, let alone managing a deal with the Demon Cultivators. At his words, Ning Xinyue puffed her cheeks, angrily said, ¡°My sister was there at the time, they didn¡¯t dare to touch me.¡± ¡°You have a sister too!¡± ¡°Of course, my sister is very powerful, she could crush you with a single finger. If you know what¡¯s good for you, let me leave immediately.¡± Ning Xinyue threatened, her confidence overflowing when she mentioned her sister. ¡°That¡¯s enough; just eat your food for now,¡± he said. Su Jie ignored Ning Xinyue and began to take out various materials for making the Soul Summoning Banner from the Storage Bag. Divine Gold Liquid, Dragon Bone Pine Bamboo, Silver Silk Grass, Empty Spirit Illusion Jade Powder... Su Jie took out the materials one by one and processed them in sequence through grinding, weaving, applying, and other steps. Since the Soul Summoning Banner is an item that every disciple of the Demon Cultivation Sect possesses, it indicates that its production is relatively simple, and the cost is not that high; otherwise, a Demon Cultivation Sect wouldn¡¯t have the resources or the number of Artifact Refiners necessary. Su Jie had never studied Artifact Refining, yet the process of making the Soul Summoning Banner was overly simplified; any cultivator could easily grasp it. More than an hour later, after failing twice, Su Jie successfully made the rudimentary Soul Summoning Banner on his third attempt, which was worth a dozen Blood Marrow Crystals. A small white banner appeared in Su Jie¡¯s hand, and its body was blank as paper, looking utterly ordinary without any trace of the quality a Magic Artifact should have. Su Jie bit his fingertip and drew on the Soul Summoning Banner with his blood, sketching the image of a Yin Soul. It was a blurry humanoid silhouette; since it was drawn with blood, it also established that the Yin Soul inside the Soul Summoning Banner would obey Su Jie¡¯s commands. ¡°Is this really a Magic Artifact?¡± Chen Yun curiously watched Su Jie¡¯s actions. The Magic Artifacts she had seen before, even the low-grade basic ones, would radiate a Spirit Charm, clearly distinguishing them from ordinary objects. Ning Xinyue, having finished eating and drinking, replied, ¡°There is no Yin Soul in the Soul Summoning Banner yet, so of course, it¡¯s different! I¡¯ve seen other people¡¯s Soul Summoning Banners; with a single wave, souls shriek and thousands of ghosts emerge, a terrifying sight indeed.¡± Su Jie sat down cross-legged, planted the Soul Summoning Banner into the ground, and then began to chant the Soul Summoning Spell. As the spell took effect, a cold breeze slowly swept through, and several invisible light points floated in from the air within a few hundred meters radius. These were souls, also known as spirits, which could only be seen with Spiritual Energy enhancement; but not visible to the ordinary eye. Su Jie stepped back and watched as these light points entered the Soul Summoning Banner. The Yin Soul image that Su Jie had drawn with his blood on the Soul Summoning Banner gained a light black layer on its face, as if stained with ink, so small and slight that it was almost imperceptible. ¡°Where did these souls come from?¡± Su Jie himself was surprised; he had only been trying it out, yet he indeed summoned some souls. Chen Yun suddenly stood up and ran towards the direction from which a light point had come, soon returning with a struggling fox in her left hand and a rabbit in her right. ¡°When I got there, the fox had just caught the rabbit and had killed it.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying one of those souls was the rabbit¡¯s?¡± Su Jie became interested, having initially thought that only humans could provide souls; he hadn¡¯t expected animals could as well. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just humans who have souls; animals have them too!¡± Ning Xinyue also curiously watched and then commented. To verify Ning Xinyue¡¯s statement, Su Jie captured various animals and insects and experimented with them. Indeed, the souls that the Soul Summoning Banner could absorb happened to be from some animals. Some small reptiles and insects, however, their souls could not be absorbed by the Soul Summoning Banner. It wasn¡¯t that these insects lacked souls, but their souls were too small and weak to be detected by the Soul Summoning Banner and quickly vanished into the environment. This is akin to fishing; the Soul Summoning Banner acts like a net filtering souls in the air, capable of catching certain fish and shrimp but unable to capture the microorganisms in the water. In this sense, the souls of these small insects are like microorganisms, elusive to the Soul Summoning Banner. Chapter 92 - 8: Wanted (3rd Update) Chapter 92: Chapter 8: Wanted (3rd Update) For the experiment, animals within a few hundred meters had suffered a calamitous fate. Near the bonfire, the carcasses of animals mercilessly slaughtered were piled into a small hillock, and the Soul Summoning Banner, having absorbed these souls, finally underwent some changes. The human figure drawn by Su Jie with fresh blood had its face invaded by blackness, its silhouette as dark as ink. Under the bonfire and the night sky, the figure seemed to be slowly moving, its eerie form undergoing subtle transformations. The gloomy face of the figure, with its especially slender eyes and a twisted body, the skin on its face contorted as if trying to squeeze out of the Soul Summoning Banner. If one stared for too long, one could feel the chilling aura emanating from the Soul Summoning Banner, accompanied by malice, as if the Yin Soul on the banner was eying the living creatures of the outside world. Su Jie felt nothing much, but Chen Yun and Ning Xinyue clearly felt a cold shiver down their backs. ¡°Ptui, filthy thing.¡± Ning Xinyue huffed lightly, feeling that this Soul Summoning Banner was very ominous. Glancing sideways, Su Jie said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, why did you agree to the trade in the first place?¡± ¡°I was thinking, if I had the Soul Summoning Banner, I¡¯d have free servants to help with the work, how great would that be!¡± Ning Xinyue spoke with conviction, then with a look of disgust added, ¡°After the trade, I realized how evil this thing is, and since Yin Souls can¡¯t affect the physical realm, it¡¯s all show and no use. I don¡¯t fancy it one bit.¡± Chen Yun pointed at the Yin Soul on the Soul Summoning Banner and asked, ¡°Can it be summoned to fight now?¡± Shaking his head, Su Jie answered, ¡°Not yet, there aren¡¯t enough souls, and the Yin Soul has not truly taken form.¡± Chen Yun looked at the various animal carcasses slaughtered nearby and said, ¡°It seems that the souls provided by ordinary animals are too few in number. Even if we hunted the animals of several mountains, it wouldn¡¯t condense much Yin Soul. The Soul Summoning Banner can become the signature Magic Artifact of the Heavenly Soul Sect, but it should not be used this way; the efficiency is too poor. It is most likely...¡± Chen Yun did not finish her sentence, but Su Jie knew what she wanted to say. ¡°To quickly refine the Soul Summoning Banner, most likely human souls are needed.¡± Su Jie spoke slowly, well aware of the nature of demon cultivators. Even without experimentation, Su Jie knew that as intelligent beings, humans could provide a far greater quantity of souls than ordinary animals could. And earlier, Ning Xinyue had also mentioned that the Heavenly Soul Sect loved to kill and extract souls, which was surely not without reason; it was most likely for refining the Soul Summoning Banner and cultivating more Yin Souls, probably going too far in the end, provoking an assault from the various Righteous Sects. However, that was for ordinary demon cultivators, Su Jie thought as he looked at the animal carcasses. Since ordinary animals also had some effect, he had plenty of methods to refine the Soul Summoning Banner. Packing up the Soul Summoning Banner, Su Jie¡¯s gaze turned towards Ning Xinyue. ¡°What?¡± Ning Xinyue became alert. ¡°Have you eaten your fill?¡± ¡°Yes, I have.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re full, why are you still here? Why not leave?¡± Su Jie pointed towards the dense forest and tossed a map over to her. Ning Xinyue had already provided a few Cultivation Techniques and the Soul Summoning Banner; Su Jie guessed that it was unlikely to squeeze much more out of her. Since she had no further value to exploit and killing her was not an option¡ªthis young lady¡¯s background was mysterious, and who knew how extensive it could be¡ªSu Jie did not want to bring major trouble upon himself. If she could not be killed, then he might as well let her leave on her own. After all, today¡¯s gains were already substantial; Su Jie was not overly greedy, and the fate of Gu Weonian was still fresh in his mind. Hearing Su Jie speak like this, Ning Xinyue was visibly shocked and asked incredulously, ¡°What did you just say, you¡¯re letting me go?¡± ¡°Take your chance while I haven¡¯t changed my mind.¡± Su Jie sneered menacingly and threatened, ¡°I know that the vestment robe you wear will conjure Ice Crystals automatically when your life is in peril, allowing you to safely hide within, but what if I were to dig a hole and bury you deep underground, or find a volcanic vent to throw you into? How would you deal with that? We demon cultivators stop at nothing and are capable of anything.¡± Ning Xinyue shivered and suddenly leaped up, her body now free of the paralytic toxin and regained motion. ¡°You filthy demon cultivator, I¡¯ve committed you to memory, and you better not fall into my hands, or I swear I¡¯ll make you pay for this in the future,¡± she vowed. Turning her head back, Ning Xinyue shook her little fist at Su Jie and, without looking back, snatched the map and fled deep into the dense forest. ¡°Is it really fine to let her go like this? What if she comes back for revenge?¡± Chen Yun was somewhat worried. She had discerned that Ning Xinyue¡¯s origins were undoubtedly significant and feared that Su Jie might not be able to handle it. ¡°What else can we do? Kill her or keep her imprisoned by our side forever? Either of those would only bring about our own demise,¡± Su Jie replied, shaking his head with a laugh. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve seen her nature; she¡¯s essentially good-hearted, as innocent as a blank slate. After all, I did save her. She couldn¡¯t possibly repay kindness with enmity.¡± Chen Yun pondered this and decided to let it be. ¡°Let¡¯s pack up, we should also make our exit,¡± Su Jie said while extinguishing the campfire. Despite saying he wasn¡¯t worried, he was actually a bit afraid that Ning Xinyue, the young girl, might lead people to them. It would be a huge problem if a big shot from the Secret Realm showed up. Better safe than sorry, they both agreed to withdraw first. As Chen Yun packed up, she asked, ¡°Are we heading back to Ghost Ridge Palace?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s find a city to settle down in first. Ghost Ridge Palace just had a bunch of human slaves seized by the Righteous Sect. We¡¯ll see what impact that has first,¡± Su Jie said slowly. He was worried that Ghost Ridge Palace might blame him and the fellow disciples assigned to the escort. Su Jie planned to improve his strength before returning to Ghost Ridge Palace. Chen Yun had no objections and followed Su Jie as they rapidly left the thicket under the cover of night. .... Zhenning City! Su Jie and Chen Yun, having disguised themselves, arrived here. Zhenning City was just an ordinary city, hardly noteworthy within Jia Shao Prefecture. Due to this year¡¯s famine in Jingzhou, coupled with the decline of the Da Li Dynasty after more than five hundred years, signs of the dynasty¡¯s final days became evident. Corruption was rampant among officials, who imposed excessive taxes on the common people, and land consolidation had become a severe issue. As soon as they entered the city, Su Jie saw the city streets crowded with refugees who had lost their homes. Some were victims of Jingzhou¡¯s drought who had fled here after their crops failed, while others were landless poor who had come to the city seeking a livelihood. ¡°Su Jie, look over there...¡± Chen Yun suddenly gasped, lowering her voice. Su Jie looked in the indicated direction and saw several wanted posters not far from the city gate entrance. Among them was Su Jie¡¯s own face, while not very accurate, the general likeness was discernible. Many citizens gathered around, murmuring among themselves. On these posters, Su Jie also recognized a few familiar faces, including Yu Wenxian and Xu Yihu, mostly images of inner disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Notice to all: the following twelve individuals are the remaining scourges from the battle at Golden Sand River, regarded as the most dangerous and brutal among the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples. Should any traces of them be found, report immediately to the government. A verified sighting will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver...¡± Two constables were announcing loudly, recounting the united strike by the Righteous sects at the battle of Golden Sand River, along with Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s heavy losses, and details concerning the wanted. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll find a place to stay, then take our time to gather information,¡± Su Jie said, lowering his bamboo hat further over his head. It seemed that making himself too conspicuous on the Slave Trading Ship and killing too many Righteous Disciples had landed him on the wanted list. The two wandered around the city and eventually purchased a residential property where they settled in peacefully. Before long, Su Jie took the pretext of entering a cultivation retreat but, in fact, he used the Ancient Mirror to return to Blue Star. Chapter 93 - 9: Return to Blue Star (4th update) Chapter 93: Chapter 9: Return to Blue Star (4th update) Blue Star! Chan Country, East Qin State, Mande City. In the newly innovated heart of this city, a new skyscraper was rapidly rising, as workers busied themselves to speed up construction. It was the newly-built headquarters of Jieke Company, more than seventy stories tall, employing a construction company from Hua Country, with still some time to go before completion. Not far away, a thirteen-story building served as the current office space for Jieke Company. Entering the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor, Su Jie pushed open the door. Behind the desk, an attractive woman dressed in a figure-hugging skirt with her legs sheathed in black stockings looked up at the sound. ¡°Su Jie.¡± Liu Yingying stood up at once, her enchanting eyes filled with surprise. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± As Su Jie entered the office, before he could exchange pleasantries, she had already kissed him. Long after their lips parted, Liu Yingying pounded softly on Su Jie¡¯s chest, her voice tinged with complaint, ¡°Why were you gone so long this time, are you even concerned about the company anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been busy!¡± Seated on the boss¡¯s chair, Su Jie stroked Liu Yingying¡¯s hair in his arms and asked, ¡°How has Jieke Company been developing during this period?¡± ¡°Following your instructions, we didn¡¯t expand blindly; we just solidified our base in the Mande Region. Our insect breeding business has now reached each household. Jieke Company has over six thousand employees, and more than eighty thousand farming households have signed cooperation agreements with us. Just this, and other places are still mocking our company in the news.¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s eyes narrowed gently, full of contentment, as she recited the company¡¯s situation with ease. ¡°That¡¯s right, with you gone all these days, things inside the city became a bit unstable.¡± Liu Yingying seemed hesitant, as if there was something more she wanted to say. Su Jie paused his stroking hand and said indifferently, ¡°Oh, some outsiders causing trouble?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s our own people. Some officials have started to reach out for bribes again, including the moths within our company. I¡¯ve dealt with them, but it wasn¡¯t very effective.¡± ¡°How did you deal with them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve suspended them, dismissed some from their posts, and seen others jailed, but there are still many who can¡¯t resist reaching out. Moreover, some officials have significant authority. With you gone, and the officials protecting each other, it was difficult for me to make decisions directly.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression grew colder, and he shook his head, ¡°You have been too lenient. Have you forgotten how we started? We have control of the violence machine; those who don¡¯t listen should go join Lu Wenbo.¡± ¡°Ah! You mean to utilize the military to clean house?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s mouth fell open in shock, dumbfounded by Su Jie¡¯s words. She had never considered using the military to deal with a group of corrupt officials; such a tactic was unheard of in Hua Country! ¡°We¡¯ve just established our foothold in the Mande Region. How could others accept us so easily, especially after we dealt with the officials who had deep ties with Lu Wenbo, creating a power vacuum? The temporary officials who were promoted are of mixed quality. When faced with pests, we need to be ruthless. Otherwise, if they can be corrupt today, they might betray us tomorrow. After all, to Chan Country, we are just outsiders and naturally face exclusion.¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice was calm, Liu Yingying¡¯s methods were just too gentle; while being gentle isn¡¯t a flaw, it¡¯s not suitable for this place. This was Chan Country, and Su Jie was an outsider. Being too gentle only made others think he was weak and could be bullied, leading them to push even further. On the contrary, instilling fear in the enemy was the fastest way to establish a foothold in a foreign land. Knowing Liu Yingying, who had lived in peaceful times, might find this hard to accept, Su Jie continued, ¡°I¡¯ll handle this matter, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. Tell me about the company back home.¡± ¡°Tianyuan Home back home is also developing smoothly. Our high-end furniture, relying on raw materials, has completely made a name for itself domestically. Without the steady cash flow from Tianyuan Home, our rapid development would have been impossible.¡± ¡°How much cash is left in the account?¡± Su Jie nodded in satisfaction and continued to inquire. ¡°2.9 billion Hua Yuan, are you going to use it?¡± ¡°Get it ready, we¡¯re acquiring a few breeding farms.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we already have a lot of breeding farms?¡± Hearing this order, Liu Yingying subconsciously thought it was referring to insect breeding farms. ¡°Not the insect breeding farms, but livestock breeding ones, the large-scale ones that include an assembly line for slaughter operations.¡± Su Jie gave a mysterious smile, and though Liu Yingying was puzzled, Su Jie¡¯s orders were the highest command. She didn¡¯t ask any further and immediately went out to make arrangements. ... Night! In Mande City, a deluxe villa. Even in the poorest places there are rich people, and Mande City was no exception. Inside the villa, a group of officials and businessmen were holding a party. Since Jieke Company took over the supreme power in Mande Region, they eradicated the extensive industries of the Mande United Army. But capital never disappears, nor can it be eradicated; any business void would be swiftly refilled. Especially now that Jieke Company was heavily involved in infrastructure projects and the insect breeding industry was booming, businessmen could smell the money and naturally returned. And where there were businessmen, collusion between officials and businessmen was an inevitable affair. As the de facto controller of Mande Region, it was the interests of Jieke Company being sold out. What was being destroyed was also Jieke Company¡¯s reputation. Because everyone knew whom these officials were working for. ¡°Mayor, let me toast to you.¡± ¡°Mayor, about the last time the Pudon Bridge collapsed, it really wasn¡¯t our construction fault, I hope you can help us out a bit more...¡± ¡°Mayor, this is the son of the head of the Electric Power Bureau, Pasha, just back from studying abroad. He¡¯s just opened a construction company, and I heard there¡¯s a big government project coming up, if you ask me...¡± Mande City¡¯s Deputy Mayor Manarin held a wine glass as one businessman after another came up to him with flattery and ingratiation. ¡°Absolutely, as long as everyone works with one heart, and builds Mande Region well, there will certainly be no shortage of opportunities for prosperity for you all.¡± Manarin was in high spirits; he hadn¡¯t originally been the Deputy Mayor but had risen quickly after picking sides early in the last demise of the Mande United Army, and as a result, he soared to the Deputy Mayor role, also taking the real position of Director of the Land Planning Bureau. ¡°Mayor Ma, I¡¯ve heard about your promotion. Having just returned from abroad, I didn¡¯t bring much, so consider this box of cigars my meet-and-greet gift.¡± Pasha handed over a box, personally delivering it into Manarin¡¯s hands. ¡°Who brought cigars? I, you know...¡± As Manarin took the cigar box, he felt the weight was off. When he opened it, beneath the cigars there were gold bars, their rich golden gleam dazzled the eye. Pasha smiled and said, ¡°Just a small token of appreciation, Mayor Ma, please don¡¯t refuse it.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll be the death of me! I was about to quit smoking, but seeing your sincerity, I¡¯ll have to smoke a few more sticks, just a few, and you all have to bear witness!¡± Manarin¡¯s face bloomed into a chrysanthemum-like smile, as he passed the cigar box to his secretary. The businessmen nearby all very much got the hint, and they raised their glasses, indicating they would bear witness. Chapter 94 - 10: Clearing Pests (50,000 words, please subscribe) Chapter 94: Chapter 10: Clearing Pests (50,000 words, please subscribe) ¡°Mayor Ma, I heard that Jieke Company is planning to construct a new road from Mande City to Qingguo City. Can you pull some strings at Jieke Company? My company wants to take on the construction.¡± Seeing Mayor Ma accept the gift, a smile spread across Pasha¡¯s face, and he found the right moment to make his request. ¡°After all, Jieke Company is just a company; it¡¯s our government that controls the land. You did the right thing coming to me for this matter.¡± With a feigned casual tone, Mayor Ma explained that he was in charge of the land planning bureau and was acquainted with some people inside Jieke. As long as the bribes were in place, there was a good chance it could work out. He was just worried Liu Yingying would block it, as Pasha¡¯s newly established construction company had no credentials whatsoever. Calling the roads they built substandard would be an overstatement. ¡°With Mayor Ma in Mande City, there¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be done.¡± ¡°Mr. Pa, you¡¯ve just returned from abroad and might not know, but our Mayor Ma in Mande City, he¡¯s absolutely omnipotent.¡± A group of businessmen echoed in agreement, expressing their respect for Mayor Ma. In the midst of this laughter and chatter, several glaring beams of light suddenly shot through the glass windows, dazzling many of the guests. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s messing around with the searchlights?¡± Mayor Ma was a bit annoyed, then saw his own driver, along with a group of security guards, tumble and scramble into the room. ¡°What happened? Why are you all running?¡± Mayor Ma¡¯s face darkened. He felt it was inauspicious for this pleasant banquet party to be thrown into such chaos. ¡°Ma... Mayor, a lot of military vehicles have arrived outside... it¡¯s Jieke Security.¡± The mayor¡¯s driver was panic-stricken. As soon as these words came out, the entire villa fell silent. Mayor Ma shuddered, a hint of fear in his eyes, and hurriedly rushed to the villa¡¯s window to look down. The roar of engines filled the air as an armored vehicle led a convoy of military vehicles painted in camouflage. Soldiers, branded with the words ¡®Jieke Security,¡¯ wearing bulletproof vests and helmets, and armed with guns, jumped down and quickly surrounded the villa. ¡°Jieke Security conducting an operation to arrest criminals. Everyone, put your hands on your head and squat down. Do it now!¡± A fierce group of Jieke Security personnel kicked open the doors of the villa, their gleaming gun barrels pointed at everyone. ¡°What are you trying to do, what are you trying to do? I am Mande City¡¯s Deputy Mayor Ma Manarin; you¡¯re barging into a private residence without any propriety.¡± Mayor Ma tried to maintain his dignity, attempting to use his official position to intimidate them. With a list in his hand, Miao Lun looked at the photos, then up at Mayor Ma, and sneered, ¡°Mayor Ma Manarin, right? You¡¯re the number one target. Take him down.¡± Two Jieke Security operatives, fierce as wolves, charged forward and pinned Mayor Ma to the ground. ¡°On what grounds are you arresting me? What evidence do you have to arrest me? I am the Deputy Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, do you understand? I¡¯ll file a complaint against you to Jieke Company.¡± Mayor Ma¡¯s face turned red with anger, and he spat out a frenzied protest at Miao Lun, attempting to resist arrest. ¡°We¡¯re not the police; we don¡¯t need evidence to arrest someone, just a list. Unfortunately for you, your name is right on it.¡± Miao Lun struck Mayor Ma in the stomach with the butt of his gun, instantly silencing his defiance. ¡°Proceed with the arrests according to the list. Those who resist, are authorized to be shot on sight.¡± Miao Lun¡¯s icy gaze swept over the others present, his sharp look making them feel the threat at their backs. One by one, they crouched down with their heads in their hands, like quails, watching as officials and businessmen were dragged away. They just prayed that they wouldn¡¯t be next, and no one dared say another word. Soon, a dozen officials and businessmen had been dragged out of the villa. Outside the villa, Su Jie leaned against an armored vehicle, as An Sangshen, the Mayor of Mande City, shamefacedly lowered his head, looking like a schoolboy who had done something wrong. ¡°Mr. Su, I failed to manage things well and let you down,¡± An Sangshen said hoarsely. He had always been cautious since being promoted to mayor by Su Jie, but he couldn¡¯t withstand the corruption flourishing among his subordinates. His lack of authority as the newly appointed mayor meant that the corruption below him grew even more rampant. ¡°You definitely made a mistake, in not being decisive enough. If you had taken action sooner, I wouldn¡¯t have had to deploy Jieke Security.¡± Su Jie watched as one official after another was arrested, and he spoke without any courtesy. ¡°Mr. Su, you¡¯re right, perhaps I¡¯m not suited to sit in high positions,¡± With a bitter face, An Sangshen admitted his shortcomings. Although he was just a puppet, the police did listen to him, but he lacked the decisiveness to cut off the rot clinging to the great tree of Mande City. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you didn¡¯t collude with them this time, do you think you would still be standing here talking to me?¡± Su Jie glanced over, scaring An Sangshen into breaking out in a cold sweat on the spot. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance. You know what to do if something like this happens again, don¡¯t you? I won¡¯t need to teach you again.¡± Su Jie withdrew his gaze, ultimately deciding not to strip An Sangshen of his official title. From among the short, he was a tall man, and though lacking in decisive decision-making, as a puppet, he was still competent. Su Jie couldn¡¯t find a better replacement. An Sangshen breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had felt his soul almost leap out in fright, thinking that in a moment of anger, Su Jie would have him taken down as well. ¡°Sir, all the targets have been apprehended.¡± Miao Lun stood before Su Jie with a salute, behind him a line of officials and businessmen being dragged in. ¡°Hmm, thank you for your efforts.¡± Su Jie patted Miao Lun on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all to serve you, sir,¡± Miao Lun¡¯s face showed a simple smile, his family¡¯s circumstances had changed dramatically thanks to Su Jie. Gone were the days of not knowing if they would make it to tomorrow. Compared to their current comfortable life, with his mother recovering from a serious illness, his sister able to study and learn culture, and meat in every meal at home. These dramatic improvements in life made him feel that even laying down his life for the man before him would be worth it. While some of the arrested businessmen did not recognize Su Jie ¡ª more familiar with Liu Yingying, the beautiful CEO of Jieke Company ¡ª it was different for the official Manarin. At the sight of Su Jie, his legs turned to jelly. He had personally experienced the previous regime change, well aware of Su Jie¡¯s iron-fisted methods. This man single-handedly instigated the people of the Mande Region to eradicate the Mande United Army and executed Lu Wenbo; afterwards, he conducted a major purge of Mande City¡¯s officials ¡ª Manarin himself had ascended to high rank riding on the coattails of that purge. In the Mande Region, neither An Sangshen nor Liu Yingying had a word that was worth more than this man¡¯s. ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯ll give back all the money I embezzled, every last bit to you, just spare me this once,¡± Manarin, no longer caring for the mayor¡¯s decorum, pleaded in terror. ¡°Just because you tampered with my possessions, do you think a simple apology will turn the page? You¡¯re thinking too highly of yourself,¡± Su Jie, not bothering with further words, gestured for Jieke Security to load everyone onto the military trucks. ¡°Mayor An, Mayor An, please beg for mercy on my behalf!¡± Manarin frantically turned to An Sangshen, like a drowning man desperately clutching at anything within reach. ¡°Had you known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place,¡± An Sangshen sighed, turned his head away, and no longer looked at his former colleague. One after another, the officials and businessmen were loaded onto military trucks. Such scenes were not only happening here; Jieke Security was in action all over Mande City. Officials, businessmen, senior executives within Jieke Company, and anyone else on the list was subject to house arrest by Jieke Security. Tonight, many people were destined to have a sleepless night. Chapter 95 - 11: Yin Soul (1st Update) Chapter 95: Chapter 11: Yin Soul (1st Update) The operation persisted throughout the night and by the next day, all targets listed had been apprehended. In Mande City Prison, Su Jie sat alone in a room, watching as a convict was escorted in. Based on the severity of their crimes, the officials and businessmen captured last night faced differing trials, with the lesser offenders condemned to toil in the mines until death. As for those with more serious offenses, they were brought to Su Jie. ¡°Chief, the convict has been brought in.¡± A soldier from Jieke Security saluted Su Jie. Su Jie put down the cup of fragrant tea he was holding and waved his hand, saying, ¡°You may leave.¡± The Jieke Security guards stationed outside the door retreated, leaving just Su Jie and the newly escorted convict in the room. This convict was a middle-aged man, terrified to the point that his clothes were soaked with sweat. ¡°Mr. Su... Mr. Su... I¡¯ve been wronged, I really didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Upon seeing Su Jie, the man was desperate to explain. ¡°Everyone who comes in says they¡¯ve been wronged. During your time as head of public security, murder, embezzlement, taking bribes, covering up crimes for others, colluding with gangs...¡± Su Jie recited a list of charges, and with each one, the face of the middle-aged man before him grew more fearful. Because he knew what fate awaited him in the hands of Su Jie. ¡°You had a good life, a high enough status, yet you repeatedly challenged my bottom line. Did you think I¡¯d be more merciful than Lu Wenbo, afraid to deal with you?¡± Su Jie twisted his neck, turned around, and picked up a revolver from the table, loading bullets one by one. This enterprise he had built up from scratch and he would not allow anyone else to destroy it. ¡°You scum from Hua Country, this is our Chan Country, our land. Even if I were guilty, it would be for the Chan Country Government to deal with, not for you to arrest me.¡± Seeing Su Jie showing no mercy, the middle-aged man roared, his mind overheated, and despite his handcuffed hands, he actually tried to attack Su Jie. Bang! Su Jie raised the revolver, aimed at the man¡¯s thigh, and pulled the trigger. ¡°Your land? Ask the hundreds of thousands of people from the Mande Region if they welcome the arrival of our Jieke Company. Those who don¡¯t are just you parasites. You wish too well for yourself. For the crimes you¡¯ve committed, I¡¯ll give you the most fair trial, making sure your death is exceptionally stimulating.¡± Su Jie sneered, pulled the trigger, and the bullets hit the man¡¯s limbs, causing him to wail incessantly. Finally, the revolver was pointed at the middle-aged man¡¯s forehead, and the trigger was pulled. The bullet penetrated the skull, splitting it open, and a mix of red and white matter spilled everywhere. At the same time, a soul emerged uncontrollably from the corpse¡¯s head and was absorbed into the Soul Summoning Banner that Su Jie had taken out. For such enemies, Su Jie had no mercy, letting their souls become sustenance for his Soul Summoning Banner, which was a way to utilize the waste one last time. If the middle-aged man knew that after his death his soul would be scattered, leaving nothing behind, who knows if he would still dare to commit those evil deeds. Whoosh whoosh! On the Soul Summoning Banner, the image of the Yin Soul drawn with blood became increasingly vivid. Night fell, and the moonlight streamed through the window into the room, a gentle breeze fluttering the Soul Summoning Banner in Su Jie¡¯s hand, with the Yin Soul figure on it seeming alive, swaying unpredictably with the wind. ¡°Still not enough,¡± Su Jie felt the change in the Soul Summoning Banner and picked up the walkie-talkie, saying, ¡°Bring all the convicts waiting outside here.¡± One after another, Jieke Security officers brought in more than twenty convicts into the room. None of them spared a second glance at the body killed on the ground. Su Jie raised his pistol again, this time too lazy for words, and pulled the trigger on the several people in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, don¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°Spare me, I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°You devil.¡± Their short, terrified screams did nothing to cause Su Jie to hesitate as he coldly and mercilessly pulled the trigger over and over. The bullets accurately entered the criminals¡¯ brains, taking both their lives and souls. After killing nine people, the Soul Summoning Banner absorbed their souls post-death, and it finally underwent earth-shattering changes. An odd, pungent stench of blood and decay filled the room. The light shone on the Soul Summoning Banner, distorting the rays. The Yin Souls in the painting cracked their mouths open to their ears, the pitch-dark cavities seemed to silently laugh with faces full of malice and misfortune. The next moment, the Yin Soul twisted its neck, scraped its hands on the banner, and floated right out from the Soul Summoning Banner. The Yin Soul was like a cluster of ashes, its body twisted in form, the eyes hollow and lifeless, emitting an eerie aura, conveying an indescribable weird power as if the souls were shivering. That was a Yin Soul, the first fully formed Yin Soul. ¡°Ghost, there¡¯s a ghost!¡± While Su Jie was appreciating the newly born Yin Soul, the criminals pushed into the room were shaking in terror. Witnessing such a supernatural event first-hand had an immeasurable impact on their worldview, a group of people huddled together in the corner of the wall, hysterically shouting and yelling. ¡°Go!¡± With a soft command from Su Jie, the Yin Soul floated away, resembling the likeness of phantoms in movies and TV shows, passing directly through solid objects like tables and chairs. At high speed, the Yin Soul¡¯s body elongated and thinned, turning into a curved blade as it instantly passed through one of the criminals¡¯ bodies. The criminal¡¯s body convulsed once; despite showing no external or internal injuries, the pupils immediately lost their sparkle. Su Jie noted that as the Yin Soul, turned into a blade, passed through the man¡¯s body, his soul was also torn apart simultaneously. It is extremely difficult to harm a human soul, and even Su Jie currently had no means to directly target a soul. However, the Yin Soul itself was born from the condensation of souls and possessed an innate ability to attack souls. The torn soul floated out from the corpse and was directly absorbed into the Soul Summoning Banner. The attack of the Yin Soul did not stop; its bizarre and eerie figure swept through like a cold wind, passing through each criminal¡¯s body and taking their lives as well. Looking around, one by one, the lifeless and cold bodies lay on the ground. If it were not for their still chests, they would seem as if they were sleeping peacefully. The souls of these ordinary people had not undergone any cultivation or purification, so their resistance to the Yin Soul was virtually non-existent. As souls were harvested, another new Yin Soul condensed on the Soul Summoning Banner, seemingly sensing the scent of death in the external world, it was eager to drill out, its face revealing madness and chilling coldness, giving people a sense of suffocation. ¡°Ten ordinary people¡¯s souls to produce one Yin Soul, eh!¡± Su Jie muttered to himself, then beckoned with his fingers, directing both Yin Souls to charge towards him. Whoosh! As the two Yin Souls passed through his body, Su Jie felt a mysterious chill, his vision slightly blurred, but was immediately restored. Chapter 96 - 12: Livestock Farm (2nd Update) Chapter 96: Chapter 12: Livestock Farm (2nd Update) He shook his head and had the Yin Soul continue attacking. As the attack went on, one of the Yin Souls weakened, its soul body becoming ashen and insubstantial like smoke¡ªseemingly about to disperse into nothingness. It had been scorched by Su Jie¡¯s soul. ¡°Hmm, the quantity is too few,¡± he muttered. ¡°If there were dozens or hundreds more, perhaps they could truly display their power.¡± Making his judgment, as a Cultivator, Su Jie¡¯s soul was unlike that of ordinary people¡ªit was as impervious as fortified gold, certainly not something a Yin Soul or two could tear apart. Yin Souls could be lethal to ordinary people, but achieving that effect on a Cultivator was not so simple, and one or two Yin Souls were not very effective. ¡°Human resources are limited, and the range of the Soul Summoning Banner is also limited. Even if placed in a hospital, the number of souls harvested each day wouldn¡¯t be substantial unless I decided to become a thug and kill people to generate souls.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze flickered. Although he was the only Cultivator on Blue Star, he had his own moral boundaries. And if he recklessly killed people to extract souls, he risked exposing himself to various governments. It¡¯s often said, ¡°If you often walk by the river, you are bound to get your shoes wet.¡± With Su Jie¡¯s current strength, if he were to be discovered, facing modern weaponry, he would definitely be no match. ¡°Fortunately, killing to extract souls is not part of my plan. There are plenty of other ways to cultivate Yin Souls,¡± he reflected. After storing the Soul Summoning Banner in the Storage Bag and acquiring valuable experimental data, Su Jie felt even more confident about his plans. He stood up, shot each corpse in the forehead to make sure they were dead, and then called Jieke Security to take care of the bodies. He was ready to proceed with the next experiment. ........... Two days later. In the suburbs of Mande City, Su Jie stepped out of the car and looked at the farm before him, his lips twitching slightly. ¡°Why not buy a larger farm? There¡¯s still so much cash in the account,¡± he said. His tone somewhat helpless, the scale of the farm from the outside did not meet his needs. ¡°This farm outputs 1,500 pigs, 800 sheep, and over 300 cows annually. This is already the largest farm locally. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to buy a bigger one; we just can¡¯t spend all our money!¡± Liu Yingying explained, feeling aggrieved. After all, the Mande Region was still quite undeveloped. Although average incomes had significantly increased after Jieke Company¡¯s arrival, they could not compare with those in developed countries, hence the low consumption of meat. ¡°It¡¯s a city with a population of several hundred thousand, right? Is this little farming enough to feed them?¡± Su Jie asked, not knowing where to begin his criticism. This level of farming was barely on par with the township-level farms in Hua Country, and its annual output was just enough for a larger town at most. ¡°Eating meat in every meal would definitely not be possible,¡± Liu Yingying added fearfully. Worried Su Jie wouldn¡¯t understand, Yingying even pulled out a stack of documents to explain. ¡°In Mande, as in the entirety of Chan Country, the livestock industry is very underdeveloped. Large-scale farming enterprises are rare, with most farming based around individual families, many of which raise a few livestock or poultry. According to data officially released by Chan Country, there are currently about 1.2 million water buffalo, 1.6 million sheep, and 4.2 million pigs within the country. Compared to Chan Country¡¯s tens of millions of people, meat consumption is very limited. To give a comparison, considering pigs¡ªwhich are raised the most¡ªHua Country consumes 900 million pigs a year, with an average person eating almost half a pig a year. In Chan Country, ten people together consume less than one pig per year,¡± Yingying explained, laying out the data. Presenting the statistics and documents, Su Jie looked over the surveys about Chan Country, and eventually had to acknowledge the facts. Limited by factors such as population, demand, and price, it was extremely difficult to develop large-scale livestock farming in Chan Country. ¡°Alright, if it¡¯s smaller then it¡¯s smaller¡ªlet¡¯s just make do for now.¡± Su Jie knew this was a tough ask and instructed, ¡°Look for other farms, don¡¯t limit yourself to within Chan Country. Our domestic and international farms, especially those big companies specializing in livestock, we can negotiate with them too.¡± ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll have the company start with the research first.¡± Liu Yingying agreed and then accompanied Su Jie into the farm. There was a distinct smell on the farm, causing Liu Yingying to cover her nose and put on a mask. The manager had been waiting for a long time and hurriedly greeted them as they got out of the car. ¡°Mr. Liu, please follow me, the smell inside might be a bit strong.¡± The manager¡¯s face bore a flattering smile. Having received the acquisition proposal the day before, he couldn¡¯t resist the lure of Jieke Company¡¯s substantial offer for more than a few minutes. ¡°Lead the way, let¡¯s have a good look around the farm.¡± Su Jie gestured with his hand, and the manager bowed to invite them in. The farm was similar to what Su Jie had seen outside. Although it was the largest in the Mande Region, it was particularly crude on the inside. As for the environment and sanitation, let alone mentioning those. In Hua Country, it would be the kind where they would be fined heavily. ¡°Our country¡¯s livestock industry isn¡¯t doing well, especially our large-scale farming. We need to buy processed feed, unlike family farms that can use a bit of pig grass, leftover food to sustain themselves. If swine fever hits, losing many at once, the government doesn¡¯t provide subsidies. Before Jieke Company came along, the Mande United Army was still charging us all sorts of taxes...¡± While introducing the farm, the manager also complained about past operational difficulties. As they walked and talked, they visited pigs, sheep, cattle, chicken cages and so on, with the manager quite proud that his was the largest farm in the Mande Region. However, in Su Jie¡¯s view, what the manager called large-scale farming was nothing more than township level, nowhere near the large-scale companies he knew of that processed millions of animals annually. ¡°This here is our slaughterhouse. The livestock that are led out daily are slaughtered here, then transported by van to town to be sold to vendors.¡± As they walked, Su Jie and his group arrived at the slaughterhouse. Several plump pigs were led into the slaughter room. The butcher, sharpening his knife briskly, deftly inserted the slaughtering knife into the vital parts of the plump pigs. Accompanied by resounding squeals of pigs, as they struggled desperately, the butcher, with some assistants pressing down, efficiently completed the slaughter. The manager cheerfully described the process, while Liu Yingying disliked such scenes. Only Su Jie could see that a soul light point flew towards him, entering the Soul Summoning Banner in his embrace. ¡°I haven¡¯t been back to the company for a long time. Now that we have our farm, let¡¯s celebrate today. Manager, please have someone butcher the pigs and sheep, distribute some meat to the employees of Jieke Company.¡± Su Jie casually mentioned this to the manager while watching. ¡°Ah, right, right. I¡¯ll have the butcher get to it immediately.¡± Upon hearing this, the manager thought internally of the extravagant spending but dared not delay, quickly instructing the butcher to catch sheep and kill pigs. ¡°Yingying, go let the staff know to collect the meat soon. You don¡¯t need to stay here,¡± Noticing that Liu Yingying did not enjoy the bloody scene, Su Jie asked her to leave first, while he eagerly continued his visit, watching the slaughtering and conducting his own Soul Banner experiment. Chapter 97 - 13: Mid-grade Poisonous Insect (3rd Update) Chapter 97: Chapter 13: Mid-grade Poisonous Insect (3rd Update) Pig after pig, live sheep, yellow cattle, chickens, ducks, geese, and others were bled and slaughtered, filling the slaughterhouse with strong stenches of animal odors. The range of the Soul Summoning Banner, capable of capturing souls, generously enveloped the entire slaughtering room. Each type of animal produced a different soul. Su Jie watched the souls of the dead livestock fly out and get absorbed by the Soul Summoning Banner. He recorded the progress of the third Yin Soul on the banner and then made comparisons with his notes. Taking the soul of an ordinary person as an example, the quality of an ordinary person¡¯s soul was marked as 1. Although there were differences in soul quality between individuals, the variance was not significant since they were not cultivators. ¡°Pig soul 0.033, sheep soul 0.005, cattle soul 0.012, chicken soul 0.0001...¡± Su Jie recorded each piece of data, while also comparing the animal soul data he had gathered during his recent trips into the forests. Eventually, he came to a conclusion. Apart from humans, elephants and primate gorillas had the highest ranking souls. Orca and other whale souls might also be of good quality, but Su Jie hadn¡¯t had the chance to find them. Beyond these animals, the soul quality of pigs was the highest, followed by cattle, sheep, and others. Su Jie¡¯s attention focused on pigs, creatures often associated with stupidity, yet possessing such high soul quality. It seemed there was indeed a saying that pig intelligence was equivalent to that of a three or four-year-old child. ¡°It¡¯s decided then, it will be you.¡± Su Jie made a decision in his heart. Thirty pig souls equaled the soul of one ordinary person. Ten ordinary souls could condense into one Yin Soul, meaning he would need the souls of three hundred pigs to create a Yin Soul without having to kill any people. As for other wild animals, even though they might have higher soul quality, their numbers were too few. Even driving them to extinction wouldn¡¯t satisfy Su Jie¡¯s needs. From an efficiency standpoint, only pigs, the animal whose meat ranked second in human consumption after chicken, were most suitable for cultivating Yin Souls. ¡°We need to buy a big breeding company as soon as possible.¡± Su Jie was impatient and eager to fully nurture the Soul Summoning Banner. Once the banner was unfurled, tens of thousands of ghosts and souls would howl, significantly enhancing battle strength beyond comparison. Meanwhile, the fifth Yin Soul had also condensed within the Soul Summoning Banner Su Jie was holding. ¡°Mr. Su, do you think these are enough?¡± The factory manager jogged over and looked at the slaughtered animals that had already filled up the slaughterhouse. ¡°Alright, let these be for now.¡± Su Jie nodded. The livestock in this small breeding farm were too few; even slaughtering them all would not produce many Yin Souls. They still needed those real large-scale breeding farms. After instructing Liu Yingying briefly, Su Jie did not stay for the subsequent meat distribution event but instead took a car to Fumen Breeding Farm. Fumen Breeding Farm was the largest insect breeding farm in the Mande Region, where various insects bought from farmers were mostly brought here. Deep underground in Fumen Breeding Farm, a large batch of Tianyuan Poisonous Insects from Tianyuan World were continuously devouring the Blue Star Poisonous Insects, achieving evolution and transformation. Su Jie took the elevator and arrived at the long-unvisited underground poisonous insect cultivation base. At fifty meters underground, as soon as the elevator doors opened, a series of piercing buzzing sounds entered his ears. After stepping out of the elevator, the view that met his eyes was a floor divided and sealed off by a layer of blue ice curtains. This was the Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram that Su Jie had purchased. Within the array map, many Tianyuan World poisonous insects, having benefited from the incalculable consumption of Blue Star Poison Insects every day, had undergone transformations, evolving from inferior poisonous insects to low-grade poisonous insects. ¡°Xiao Qian, come out, evolve right here.¡± Su Jie released the thousand-hand centipede. The massive creature, over ten meters in length, stood upright, its head reaching the feed inlet. Clattering sounds. Huge quantities of spiders, centipedes, venomous snakes, poisonous frogs, and venomous wasps, all bred on the surface, were dumped down the large feed pipeline; these were regularly fed to the underground Tianyuan poisonous insects. The Jieke employees working there were oblivious, thinking that these poisons were merely being experimentally processed. The thousand-hand centipede opened its vast mouth, and the sensation of food automatically entering its mouth was so delightful that it lingered long after eating its fill, reluctant to leave. However, when it came to evolution, it wasn¡¯t something the thousand-hand centipede could just stop when it wanted. Su Jie took out several hundred Blood Marrow Crystals and personally fed them to the thousand-hand centipede to swallow. The Spiritual Energy contained in the Blood Marrow Crystals allowed the thousand-hand centipede to achieve its final leap. A thick Insect Cocoon formed from its outer shell and eventually covered the entire body of the thousand-hand centipede. The cocoon, over ten meters in length, was a deep red color, pulsing up and down like a beating heart, transforming into a mid-grade poisonous insect. Squeak! Buzz! Squeal! Perhaps sensing danger, various poisonous insects within the Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram, alarmed by the scent of danger, became restless. They thrashed wildly within the array, trying to distance themselves from the thousand-hand centipede. This transformation of the thousand-hand centipede progressed swiftly. Normally, evolving from a low-grade poisonous insect to a mid-grade one not only took a long time but also carried substantial risks. Any slip-up and, at best, the transformation would fail, damaging the foundation; at worst, it would be fatal. However, as a Low Grade Three Refinements poisonous insect, the power of the thousand-hand centipede far exceeded that of a typical mid-grade poisonous insect. This transformation was simply a natural progression, involving no difficulties whatsoever. Compared to past transformations that could easily take ten-plus hours, this one took less than two hours for the thousand-hand centipede to complete its evolution. When the Insect Cocoon split open, the emerged thousand-hand centipede was now twenty meters in length. Its insect armor was lustrous and black, tougher than steel, and it had over two hundred pale corpse hands, each larger than the thigh of an ordinary person. With the completion of the evolution, every capability of the thousand-hand centipede enhanced, with each of the pale corpse hands possessing an immense strength, easily crumpling steel into mud. The capabilities of self-healing split and Purple Light Ray also were upgraded comprehensively as the thousand-hand centipede evolved into a mid-grade poisonous insect. This was still not the limit of the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s evolution. Su Jie patted its head and sequentially deactivated the Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram, releasing the uneasy low-grade poisonous insects inside, smilingly said, ¡°Go eat, all these are yours.¡± With a shrill scream, numerous pale corpse hands emerged from underneath the thousand-hand centipede, charging ferociously at a low-grade poisonous insect, the Evil Eye Thunder Worm. This Evil Eye Thunder Worm was the most powerful poisonous insect in the breeding base, its appearance being a basketball-sized solitary eye mounted on top of a pudgy maggot. Boom boom! The solo eye of the Evil Eye Thunder Worm blinked, bolts of lightning striking down, smashing onto the massive body of the thousand-hand centipede. The electricity fizzed over its body surface, but the thousand-hand centipede was hardly affected, the disparity in strength between the two was too great; the next moment, the pudgy Evil Eye Thunder Worm was grasped by over ten pale corpse hands and dragged to the mouth of the thousand-hand centipede. Chapter 98 - 14: Flight (4th Update) Chapter 98: Chapter 14: Flight (4th Update) In the fierce struggle of the Evil Eye Thunder Worm, the Thousand-Handed Centipede swallowed it whole, engulfing it entirely into its stomach. After chewing briefly, this taste, unlike that of the Blue Star Poison Insects, was as rich as comparing plain steamed buns and thin porridge to a full Manchu Han Imperial Feast. The Thousand-Handed Centipede was extremely excited and swiftly rushed toward the next Low-Grade poisonous insect. The cries of the insects incessantly echoed underground. No matter how much the Low-Grade poisonous insects resisted, it was futile before the Mid Grade Three Refinements Thousand-Handed Centipede, which could only obediently become its food. Visibly, the body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede began to grow. After evolving into a Mid-Grade poisonous insect, ordinary Blue Star Poison Insects could no longer provide growth for the Thousand-Handed Centipede, and the batch of Low-Grade poisonous insects specially bred by Su Jie became the resource for its continued evolution; he had been waiting for this day for a long time. Once all the Low-Grade poisonous insects were wiped out, the Thousand-Handed Centipede once again entered a dormant transformation, rushing towards its fourth Spirit Refining. One day and night later, accompanied by strange sounds, the Thousand-Handed Centipede emerged from the Insect Cocoon, its body length soaring to thirty meters, reminiscent of a train car, now a powerful Mid Grade Four Refinements poisonous insect. Compared to the past, the biggest change in the Thousand-Handed Centipede was the row of sharp, hard spines that grew along the middle line of its back. These hard spines on the back were completely hollow, derived from the spine. The Thousand-Handed Centipede cried out twice, and simultaneously, luminescent patterns, resembling the twisted markings of centipedes, lit up on the hard spines on its back. Its massive body slithered and moved, pairs of pale corpse hands stepping through the air as if treading on nothing, and its dorsal fins maintaining balance. Its body, weighing hundreds of tons, was actually completely airborne, soaring freely in the air like a bird. This was the new ability bestowed upon the Thousand-Handed Centipede by its Fourth Refinement, flight. Bang bang bang! The underground environment was too cramped for the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Although it was thrilling to fly, it wreaked havoc here, accidentally colliding with the walls, resulting in several cracks appearing in the Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram. ¡°Stop, stop, stop, don¡¯t wreck my house.¡± Su Jie was distressed beyond measure; a few more bumps, and the Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram he had spent a great deal of money on would definitely be damaged. ¡°We can¡¯t spread out here, I¡¯ll take you to Tianyuan World.¡± Seeing the Thousand-Handed Centipede with big, pitiful eyes, Su Jie sighed, called it back to his side, then reduced its size, opened the Ancient Mirror, and returned to Tianyuan World. Blue Star had too many satellites; taking the giant Thousand-Handed Centipede out for a chaotic flight would get discovered in minutes, making headlines in countries¡¯ news everywhere. Only Tianyuan World was suitable for it to stretch its legs. Coming out from Zhenning City, Su Jie took the Thousand-Handed Centipede to a secluded area outside the city. Szz Szz! The Thousand-Handed Centipede cried out twice, then lowered its head in front of Su Jie. Understanding its gesture, Su Jie walked over to its head, sat down, and patted its forehead. ¡°Fly, you are free to frolic as much as you want here.¡± Hearing this command, the vast body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, unfazed by gravity, eagerly soared into the sky. The piercing cold wind blasted against him, causing Su Jie¡¯s clothes to flutter noisily. The Thirty-meter-long body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede was not at all stiff or bloated in the air, flying with remarkable stability. ¡°Xiao Qian, fly at top speed, let me see your limit.¡± Su Jie¡¯s mood soared along with the ascent, gradually becoming wilder as he let the Thousand-Handed Centipede fly freely. Rearing its head with a roar, the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s tail swayed slightly, bringing a powerful push-back sensation. The distant city gradually shrank, turning into small cubes like Rubik¡¯s cubes, until they rose above the clouds. Suddenly. A bright beam of light shone down, and Su Jie raised his head. A vast expanse of blue sky unfolded before him, the cloud layer seeming like an endless ocean of white, slightly shimmering with a misty brilliance. Su Jie spread his arms, the Thousand-Handed Centipede scattering clouds in every direction, resembling a fast-moving boat on the white ocean, akin to a train skyrocketing on its ascent path, blowing through the heavens and earth. ¡°Awesome!¡± Su Jie took a deep breath and looked down, mountains and rivers below unfurling like a massive scroll. The speed of the Thousand-Handed Centipede reached its limit. Although it did not break the sound barrier, it was comparable to a civilian helicopter. As the Thousand-Handed Centipede continued to evolve, this speed would continue to increase. High in the sky, the excited Thousand-Handed Centipede exploded into hundreds of thousands of tiny centipedes, like a school of sardines in the sea, sometimes clustering together, sometimes dispersing in all directions. A group of small centipedes, holding onto Su Jie¡¯s clothes, carried him to a thick Insect Blanket formed by the smaller centipedes. Su Jie could freely sit or lie on it, but he was the only one who could enjoy this kind of flight; ordinary people wouldn¡¯t dare lie on this sky-filled blanket of small centipedes. Letting the Thousand-Handed Centipede carry him soaring through the clouds for over an hour, after having his fill of fun, Su Jie finally directed the Thousand-Handed Centipede to land, finding a primeval forest to stop. After tidying his messy hair, Su Jie took out the White Bone Tree and infused it with Spiritual Power. The palm-sized White Bone Tree grew inch by inch, its vigorous roots delving into the earth like coiling dragons, drawing spiritual energy from deep within the earth¡¯s veins. The lush tree canopy opened, with air roots hanging down like a woman¡¯s black hair, tangled and densely interwoven, absorbing the free-floating Spiritual Energy in the air. Su Jie sat down with his back against the White Bone Tree, feeling the rapidly enriching environment of Spiritual Energy, and motioned to the Thousand-Handed Centipede. ¡°Had enough fun? Now it¡¯s time to cultivate.¡± The Thousand-Handed Centipede shrank in size and lay on Su Jie¡¯s chest, steadily transferring Spiritual Power and vital energy into Su Jie¡¯s limbs and bones. Su Jie closed his eyes and meditated, feeling the subtle changes within his body. The vital energy of the Mid Grade Four Refinements Thousand-Handed Centipede was so strong, it was like a towering mountain. Under the nurturing of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie¡¯s cultivation climbed incrementally, the gaseous Spiritual Power in his body continuously compressed further. A gentle breeze passed, the leaves of the White Bone Tree rustled, and the drifting air roots fell on Su Jie¡¯s back, resembling countless pipelines connecting with his flesh. The Spiritual Energy from the ground and air, transformed by the White Bone Tree, flowed into his body. Time quietly passed in the silent dense forest, with nothing but the sounds of various small animals and the bubbling noises of the circulation of Qi within Su Jie¡¯s body. Sometimes slow, sometimes rapid¡ªthe sound of its surge was sometimes audible within a hundred meters, and at other times, only by Su Jie¡¯s inner ear. Gradually, impurities began to emerge from Su Jie¡¯s pores¡ªcontaminants from within his marrow. A faint fragrance emerged from within Su Jie, reminiscent of century-old medicinal herbs, and his skin gradually took on the bright sheen of mutton fat jade. Su Jie¡¯s body steadily transcended the category of ordinary beings. In the eyes of some demons, a cultivator like Su Jie was no less precious than a spiritual elixir. Hours later, after repeated attempts, the first drop of Spiritual Power in Su Jie¡¯s Dantian was compressed to its limit, condensing from a gaseous state into liquid Spiritual Power. The Spiritual Power in the Dantian surged violently, transmitting to every meridian, compressing more and more Spiritual Power into liquid. Chapter 99 - 15: Dong Hongtian (50,000 words, please subscribe) Chapter 99: Chapter 15: Dong Hongtian (50,000 words, please subscribe) When all the Spiritual Power within the body compressed from gas to liquid, it ultimately triggered a qualitative change. The Sixth Level of Yunling Realm was achieved. Su Jie slowly opened his eyes, and in a flash, the Spiritual Energy Divine Light flashed through his eyes and shot meters into the void. Feeling the booming Life Force inside him, which was seven to eight times stronger than before, advancing from the Fifth to the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm was the cultivator¡¯s first qualitative change. The next qualitative change would have to wait until the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm, when advancing to the Secret Realm. Reaching the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm also meant that Su Jie¡¯s cultivation had reached the entry standard for an inner disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Taking off now,¡± Su Jie¡¯s lips curved into a smile. He wasn¡¯t just saying it¡ªhis body actually took flight, quietly floating in the air. Flying without the aid of any external items is generally something only the Secret Realm Elders could achieve, but through sharing the abilities of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie had also mastered flying. However, Su Jie¡¯s flight should be called hovering or gliding¡ªhe could freely hover off the ground and also glide swiftly from high places, controlling his posture in the air. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t fly, but his flying speed was only a pitiful ten meters per second, which compared to the soaring of the Thousand-Handed Centipede was virtually crawling. ¡°At least it¡¯s a flying ability,¡± Su Jie comforted himself. Against enemies who couldn¡¯t fly, even though it was slow, he could still leave them staring. He was satisfied with the gains from this breakthrough. The Thousand-Handed Centipede had advanced to Mid Grade Four Refinements, and he had successfully broken through to the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm. Although his cultivation was just the entry standard for an inner disciple, in a real fight, there probably weren¡¯t many inner disciples at Ghost Ridge Palace who could defeat Su Jie. He got up, packed up the White Bone Tree, and walked back toward Zhenning City. ... ¡°Boss, bring on the good wine and dishes,¡± Inside an inn in Zhenning City. Having just broken through, Su Jie was somewhat hungry and it was a good time to eat something here. ¡°Right away, young master, please wait a moment,¡± The waiter hurriedly wiped clean the table and chairs, smiling as he went to the kitchen to pass the order. Because Su Jie had worn some makeup, and the wanted poster was not very accurate, he was not afraid of being recognized. Soon, dishes and drinks were served. Su Jie sat by the window on the second floor, pouring and drinking by himself, when suddenly he heard several noisy shouts coming from the street. ¡°Catch him, don¡¯t let him escape,¡± A few beggars scrambled out from a street corner followed by a group of constables chasing to capture them. ¡°The beggars are being driven away... Hmm, that¡¯s not right,¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes shifted slightly, not noticing in his earlier rush, and now he realized that the migrants who had stopped in the city had vanished without a trace. Several days ago, there were a large number of refugees in the city. ¡°Waiter, come here.¡± Su Jie waved to call the waiter over, threw a few copper coins, and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve been away for a few days. Why are there so few refugees in the city now? Could it be that some wealthy family has opened their granary to distribute food and porridge, and the refugees have all rushed over there?¡± The waiter¡¯s eyes lit up as he quickly collected the copper coins and replied, ¡°It¡¯s not as you think, young master. These days, who would distribute porridge? The rich families would rather hoard all the grain and wait for the prices to rise before selling. This follows the great victory at the Golden Sand River, where multiple Righteous Sects collaborated to defeat the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s slave trading fleet. Later, investigations revealed that those human slaves were refugees. To prevent the refugees from being sold again, these Righteous Sects came forward together, pressing the local government to gather the refugees, so they wouldn¡¯t be captured by Ghost Ridge Palace again.¡± ¡°The government is involved in this?¡± Su Jie, incredulous, considering the current administrative level of the Da Li Dynasty, those officials didn¡¯t seem the type to manage refugees at all. If they wanted to manage, they would have done so long before now. ¡°Several Righteous Sects, especially the Guan Chao Pavilion, intervened. Even in Qingzhou, this sect is extremely prestigious, so the government has to give them face.¡± Su Jie furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°How does the government manage the refugees?¡± The waiter looked around cautiously, lowered his voice, and said, ¡°Jingzhou has been severely affected by disasters. The government has mobilized the army to send all the captured refugees back to Jingzhou. Once the refugees are in the Jingzhou area, Qingzhou no longer has jurisdiction over them. To prevent them from coming back, the Qingzhou Army has set up quarantine walls at the state border. Anyone who dares to force their way through is shot with arrows.¡± ¡°So despicable.¡± Su Jie furrowed his brow again. Such measures were akin to treating human lives like grass, and it was hard to imagine that a dynasty would do such a thing to its own people. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡± The waiter also sounded indignant, ¡°I heard that because of this, Jingzhou has also started mobilizing its army, standing off against Qingzhou, unwilling to receive these refugees.¡± ¡°Truly shameless, acting like irresponsible landlords.¡± A cold snort, not from Su Jie, but from a nearby dining table, broke the silence. A man in a blue long robe with a sword at his waist and a beard around his jaws slammed the table and stood up, his voice booming like thunder. The waiter was so startled he nearly fell to the ground. ¡°This brother, I accidentally overheard your conversation, and it¡¯s truly infuriating. The current court is utterly decadent and certainly not worthy of our allegiance as chivalrous warriors of Jianghu.¡± The bearded man looked at Su Jie, took the initiative to clasp his fists, his face still flushed with anger. Su Jie also stood up and clasped his hands in return, saying, ¡°It appears you are also a man of great generosity. The Da Li Dynasty has accumulated too many vices, five hundred years of reign fallen to this day, akin to the slowly setting sun heading towards its final descent, pitiful are the common people of this realm.¡± ¡°It seems there are still many perceptive people! Haha, how should I address you? I am Dong Hongtian, hailing from Lanzhou, passing through this place in my journey.¡± Dong Hongtian, sensing a kindred spirit in Su Jie, took a seat at Su Jie¡¯s table and said to the waiter, ¡°Bring some good wine and dishes, it¡¯s rare to meet a confidante, today I shall treat you, and we must drink to our hearts¡¯ content.¡± ¡°Xu Changqing, also on a journey here, quite the coincidence.¡± Su Jie did not reveal his true name, as he was still wanted, and if his identity as a member of Ghost Ridge Palace ever leaked, at least he wouldn¡¯t be suspected. ¡°So, it¡¯s Brother Xu, pleased to meet you.¡± Dong Hongtian, clearly a straightforward man, sat down, clinked glasses with Su Jie, and boisterously said, ¡°You must have also heard about the recent battle at the Golden Sand River and came here on purpose. It¡¯s a pity I missed that major event; even if I wasn¡¯t strong enough, I would have drawn my sword to slay demons and exterminate those slave-trading Demon Cultivators.¡± Su Jie smiled, his expression full of longing, ¡°Yes! Recently, the biggest matter in Qingzhou is this event, the battle at the Golden Sand River where the Demon Cultivators fled in disarray, truly exhilarating.¡± Chapter 100 - 16: Invitation (1st Update) Chapter 100: Chapter 16: Invitation (1st Update) ¡°Missing such a gratifying event is truly one of life¡¯s great regrets.¡± Dong Hongtian shook his head, about to say more, when his gaze suddenly turned toward the window. It was the constables whom he had been chasing earlier, who were now dragging a group of filthy beggars back along the street, occasionally punching and kicking them. ¡°Brother Xu, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± With a slap on the table, Dong Hongtian abruptly rose from his seat, leapt out of the second-floor window, and landed right in front of the constables. ¡°You, as court officials, ought to be arresting thieves and enforcing strict laws rather than beating and kicking beggars and refugees. What is the meaning of this?¡± Dong Hongtian¡¯s voice was extremely loud, his beard quivering with anger, his large, bell-like eyes glowering at the constables. ¡°Where did this stray dog come from? Scram immediately, or I¡¯ll throw you in prison too.¡± The leading constable threatened, and had it not been for Dong Hongtian¡¯s robust build and muscles that could not be concealed by his clothes, he would have already summoned his men to subdue and bring him to the jail for a good beating to extort some money. ¡°I go by the name Wild Sword Dong Hongtian, and I have not changed it.¡± Dong Hongtian drew his sword, sending multiple sword shadows whistling through the air, his movements as agile as a flying swallow and his strokes as fluid as running water, carrying a wild and domineering aura. The constables were unable to draw their swords in time and were knocked to the ground by the sword¡¯s spine. Clang! The entire scene lasted less than two seconds; by the time the sword was sheathed once more, none of the constables could stand, all were lying on the ground groaning. ¡°Be more careful in the future, and don¡¯t let yourself get caught again.¡± Dong Hongtian took some copper coins from his pocket, not too many because otherwise, these young beggars wouldn¡¯t be able to keep them safe. ¡°Hero, this food has been sent down from upstairs, and it¡¯s already been paid for.¡± Just then, the server ran out, handling some durable pancakes to Dong Hongtian. Dong Hongtian looked up to see Su Jie nodding at him. Understanding the situation, Dong Hongtian handed the pancakes to the little beggars and said, ¡°Go on now.¡± ¡°Thank you, uncle.¡± The little beggars, hugging their pancakes, ran off cautiously. Dong Hongtian glanced at the constables on the ground, ignored them, and jumped back up to the second floor. ¡°Brother Dong is truly benevolent.¡± Su Jie immediately offered praise and poured Dong Hongtian a cup of wine. ¡°I apologize for the earlier incident, Brother Xu. I can¡¯t stand this kind of thing, but thankfully I possess some martial skills, so I can offer help when injustices arise.¡± Dong Hongtian raised his wine glass to Su Jie, drank it with a hearty tilt of the head, and drained it in one go. ¡°Brother Dong, you are too modest. That was surely the skill of the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm. In the realm of Jianghu martial arts, your strength is among the very top.¡± Su Jie put down his cup and spoke with admiration. The Tianyuan world is a cultivator¡¯s realm, endowed with the magical element of spiritual energy. In addition to the Demon Path and Righteous Sect, the major long-standing noble families holding Spiritual Mountain Blessed Lands, ordinary people who wish to access spiritual energy can also learn to fight and strengthen their bodies as a way out. However, compared to the various mystical Cultivation Methods of the Sect, practicing martial arts was a reluctant choice when one lacked innate talent and resources, considered a less favored option. Those in the Martial Arts community who had mastered their craft could run on rooftops and vault over walls, shatter steles and split rocks, all of which sounded quite impressive. But compared to cultivators, because martial arts used Spiritual Energy too crudely and lacked Spirit Stones, Magic Artifacts, elixirs, and talismans, relying solely on brute force with a weapon, their combat power was a tier below that of cultivators. In Jianghu¡¯s Martial Arts community, having Cultivation that could reach the Third Level of the Yunling Realm was enough to be considered a first-class master and a well-known figure. Those who could reach the Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm were amongst the legends of Jianghu, dominating one side and revered as Sword Gods or Great Grandmasters. As for those martial artists who had broken through to the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm, they were almost nonexistent. With that level of talent, they would have long since joined a Sect to pursue higher Cultivation, for who would prefer martial arts over Cultivation? Practicing martial arts was a grueling way to temper the body, only to be defeated by a cultivator¡¯s Flying Sword in the end. ¡°I dare not presume, my strength is only impressive in front of ordinary people. If I really faced a cultivator, this level of cultivation wouldn¡¯t count for much,¡± he said. Dong Hongtian shook his head, quite aware of his own capabilities. The two exchanged drinks, consuming three jugs of strong liquor and chatting spiritedly about the recent battle at Golden Sand River¡ªSu Jie had insightful views, being someone who had experienced it personally. Dong Hongtian, a bit tipsy, slapped his sheathed sword on the table, saying, ¡°Brother Xu speaks well, there¡¯s still an opportunity to strike at the arrogance of Ghost Ridge Palace. I wonder if you¡¯re interested.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds like a good deal. Brother Dong, you must tell me all about it,¡± he replied. Su Jie, discussing Demon Cultivators and Ghost Ridge Palace, clearly displayed a look of common enmity. With a gulp of strong liquor, Dong Hongtian pounded his chest and declared excitedly, ¡°Most of the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s slave trading ships were annihilated in the battle at Golden Sand River, but some managed to break through the blockade. These escaping Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples are surely rushing back to their base now. Besides, upon hearing this, many chivalrous warriors in various places, under the summons of several famous Martial Arts experts, have decided to go to Green Valley Plain, blocking the return route of those Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, intending to annihilate them in the vast wilderness.¡± ¡°Going to Green Valley Plain to block them?¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyebrow twitched. Green Valley Plain was the green meadow that served as the entrance to the base of Ghost Ridge Palace. It was also a critical thoroughfare for entering and leaving Ghost Ridge Palace. When Su Jie had left Ghost Ridge Palace, he had passed through this plain. It wasn¡¯t that other places couldn¡¯t access the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace, but the perilous zones restricted by mountainous terrain were no joke, increasing the danger substantially. Some perilous zones even caused Hidden Realm Elders to retreat definitively. ¡°Exactly, Green Valley Plain. Many heroic figures have already gathered there, not making it easy for those fleeing Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples.¡± Dong Hongtian, full of excitement, then said to Su Jie, ¡°Since you, Brother Xu, are also a practitioner of martial arts, why not join us and take a trip to Green Valley Plain?¡± Because Su Jie¡¯s Cultivation had broken through to the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm, giving him a clear physique, brilliant and spirited eyes, and a presence that naturally changed with his biological magnetic field, every move radiated an indescribable aura that demanded respect. This led Dong Hongtian to mistakenly assume that Su Jie was also a practitioner of martial arts. Su Jie thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of people from Ghost Ridge Palace coming out to fight, especially since they have Hidden Realm Elders inside?¡± ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t ventured deep into Green Valley Plain. We¡¯re still quite a distance from Ghost Ridge Palace. Besides, with the current situation, if Ghost Ridge Palace doesn¡¯t keep a low profile and dares to show off, the major Righteous sects definitely won¡¯t let them off easy,¡± he replied nonchalantly, confident in their plan. However, he did have a point. Ghost Ridge Palace was like a country that had lost a war. Though the battle at Golden Sand River hadn¡¯t damaged their foundation, they likely wouldn¡¯t start another war lightly, so as to avoid further trouble. Chapter 101 - 17: Mu Hua Food Company (2nd Update) Chapter 101: Chapter 17: Mu Hua Food Company (2nd Update) Su Jie pondered briefly before smiling and saying, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll accompany Brother Dong on a trip to Green Valley Plain to strike at the Demon Path and also take the opportunity to witness the elegance of the other chivalrous warriors.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s settled then, we¡¯ll depart at late afternoon tomorrow, along with three other brave men joining us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal, I¡¯ll bring someone along from my side as well.¡± Su Jie and Dong Hongtian slapped each other¡¯s shoulders and laughed heartily, a perfect opportunity to blend into the enemy¡¯s ranks and reduce the risk of being discovered. Now that Su Jie¡¯s strength had advanced to the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm, he necessarily had to make a trip back to Ghost Ridge Palace. On one hand, since the low-grade poisonous insects at the cultivation base had been devoured by the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie had to restock and prepare for the fifth Spirit Refining. Moreover, with the increase in strength, Su Jie could continue to capture more human-faced moths to cultivate, enhancing the power of his Body Worm Focusing Method. Lastly, Su Jie planned to officially advance to inner disciple after returning this time, earning this respected status within Ghost Ridge Palace. ... Blue Star, Mande City. Inside a luxurious estate covering hundreds of acres, complete with fountains, a bowling alley, a private cinema, a revolving ballroom, a gym, a swimming pool, and a wine cellar. This was once Lu Wenbo¡¯s residence, now owned by Jieke Company. Accompanied by the slowly subsiding gasps of a woman, in the bedroom filled with hormones, Su Jie leaned against the headboard and said with a slight laugh, ¡°You¡¯re too easily exhausted, you need to work on your fitness!¡± Liu Yingying punched Su Jie¡¯s arm with her small fist, her cheeks still flushed, ¡°How come you never run out of strength, you¡¯re like a monster.¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Who would like that.¡± Bashfully lowering her head, Liu Yingying was too embarrassed to express herself too clearly. Touching the tip of Yingying¡¯s delicate nose, Su Jie didn¡¯t call her out on her little fancy, and instead asked. ¡°The breeding enterprises you¡¯ve been looking into, do you have any results yet?¡± Before heading back to Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie had returned to Blue Star first to finalize the details regarding the Soul Summoning Banner. ¡°We have a target.¡± When they got onto serious business, Yingying propped up her weary body, took a laptop from the bedside table, and set it on her long, straight legs. After powering it up, she clicked through the data she had collected over the last two days. ¡°We have preliminarily zeroed in on a company called Mu Hua, a domestic enterprise in Hua Country founded in the 1990s, starting from a small breeder and working its way up. Now, it¡¯s an industrialized, integrated pork breeding enterprise that includes feed processing, pig breeding, breeder pig extension, commercial pig raising, slaughtering, and processing.¡± Currently, Mu Hua¡¯s pig farms collectively house over three million piglets, sows, and commercial pigs, and went public on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange fifteen years ago, with a current market value of 89 billion. The current power-holder of Mu Hua is named Song Chengde, who possesses 39% of the company¡¯s shares. The remaining shares are partly in the hands of the introduced management team, partly controlled by the Song Family, partly mortgaged at the bank, and partly circulating on the market...¡± Yingying detailed the information about Mu Hua Company for Su Jie, with numerous data points listed. The company, fully named Mu Hua Food, primarily engages in pig farming, with breeding revenues accounting for over 80% of its overall income, while the remaining revenue from food production and livestock feed constitutes less than 20%. ¡°Mu Hua Company has faced operational difficulties in the past two years. Last year, they reported floating losses exceeding 800 million, and in the first and second quarters of this year, the losses have already surpassed 560 million. They even struggle with breeding sows, paying employee salaries, and purchasing corn and soybean meal.¡± To bolster cash flow, the founder Song Chengde pledged a large amount of shares through the bank, up to 90 million shares, which is 30% of the company¡¯s stock. As a result, the company¡¯s stock market value continues to decline, with severe market pessimism. This is also why I¡¯ve targeted them for acquisition.¡± After listening to Liu Yingying¡¯s analysis, Su Jie got out of bed and poured a cup of tea for Liu Yingying to moisten her throat. Curiously, he asked, ¡°How can a pig farming enterprise lose so much money?¡± Liu Yingying shook her head and said with a laugh, ¡°On one hand, the losses are influenced by the pig cycle. On the other hand, it¡¯s largely because Song Chengde, the founder of Mu Hua Company, diverted company funds to develop other industries and went on to manufacture new energy vehicles. The cars flopped on the market due to dismal sales, and because of a lack of cash flow, it led to Mu Hua Company facing significant operational hardships, struggling every step of the way.¡± Su Jie, who was drinking water, nearly choked and said with wide eyes, ¡°Ha, a pig farmer venturing into car manufacturing, what was he thinking?¡± Liu Yingying pursed her lips, trying to hold back laughter, ¡°In recent years, new energy vehicles have been very popular. Internet companies, appliance makers, smartphone manufacturers, and real estate firms have all jumped into car manufacturing. Song Chengde was convinced this was a new track to bet on and invested heavily in it, but the result... building cars isn¡¯t as simple as just assembling four wheels and a few sofas. Not everyone can successfully build cars, at least he couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perhaps too much confidence.¡± Su Jie was speechless, thinking of a pig farmer trying to make cars sounded too far-fetched. ¡°Now that Mu Hua Company¡¯s car manufacturing venture has failed, the losses are incredibly severe, and they¡¯ve even started to delay employee salaries. We have the opportunity to acquire them, but I wonder if this company meets your requirements.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go with this one. I¡¯m delegating authority to you, negotiate the acquisition, and aim for as much stock as possible. We want to have a say.¡± Su Jie nodded his head. The scale of Mu Hua Company, with a live pig inventory of three million, could create one Yin Soul from every 300 pigs¡ªit added up to ten thousand Yin Souls. Modern pig farming is extremely efficient; it doesn¡¯t even take half a year for a pig to grow from birth to market weight. Increasing production capacity is entirely possible by purchasing piglets from other businesses and breeding them ourselves. As long as there¡¯s money, renting space can quickly expand breeding operations like a rolling snowball, enough to satisfy the needs of the Soul Summoning Banner. Three million pigs, in comparison to the Tianyuan World, where pig farming is mostly free-ranging. Furthermore, as times grow ever harder, ordinary people struggle to merely survive, let alone rear pigs. They won¡¯t understand what modern intensive efficient farming is, or how a businessman¡¯s company can send so many pigs to market. ¡°Then I¡¯ll fly to Hua Country another day and bring in some professional business negotiation teams to help with the acquisition.¡± Liu Yingying immediately said, knowing that large-scale business acquisitions are a lengthy and complex process. Jieke Company has a strong cash flow, and with continuous returns from Tianyuan Home, it¡¯s sufficient to meet the acquisition criteria. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Su Jie stroked Liu Yingying¡¯s hair and, watching her intently jotting down notes in her notebook, felt his desire stirring, gripping a soft handful. ¡°Hey, what are you doing.¡± ¡°Before you leave, I have to feed you well, you little sprite.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m already so full.¡± ¡°...¡± The room gradually filled with the sounds of a male and female duet, as an ambiguous atmosphere quietly spread. Chapter 102 - 18: Bizarre (3rd Update) Chapter 102: Chapter 18: Bizarre (3rd Update) ¡°` Tianyuan World! In the late afternoon, at the gates of Zhenning City, Su Jie and Chen Yun rode their swift horses to this place. From afar, they could see Dong Hongtian, along with three other men wearing short tunics and armed with swords and blades, with large frames that clearly belonged to martial artists. ¡°Brother Dong.¡± ¡°Brother Xu.¡± Su Jie and Dong Hongtian greeted each other with a clasped fist, and Dong Hongtian introduced his three friends beside him. ¡°These are friends who will join us on our journey to Green Valley Plain, Jade-faced Dragon Cui Bingyuan, White Tiger Iron Claw Xiao Chang, Butterfly Sword Gan Huren; all of them are first-class fighters.¡± All these people had impressive titles, which sounded quite appealing. Su Jie looked over and greeted with a bow, ¡°I have seen all the brothers here.¡± ¡°Brother Xu is too courteous, we¡¯re all friends going to remove demons at Green Valley Plain, no need for such formalities.¡± After exchanging greetings and introducing Chen Yun briefly as his friend, the party of six horses left Zhenning City and proceeded along the official road. Chen Yun rode up next to Su Jie and whispered, ¡°Su Jie, these people seem rather average in strength!¡± From Chen Yun¡¯s perspective, aside from Dong Hongtian, who seemed somewhat capable, the other three didn¡¯t appear very strong, making her wonder if they even had the cultivation of the first level of the Yunling Realm. A resounding nickname doesn¡¯t guarantee fighting skill, and who knows if it¡¯s just self-proclaimed. Chen Yun couldn¡¯t comprehend why people of such calibre would dare to set up a blockade at the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°If our strength were strong, we¡¯d be worried about exposing ourselves.¡± Su Jie smiled, as joining Dong Hongtian was merely a ruse to sneak into Ghost Ridge Palace; he didn¡¯t truly need the fighting power of others. Upon considering this, Chen Yun said no more. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we should hurry back to Ghost Ridge Palace, otherwise Taoist Qiu might think we¡¯ve died out here.¡± With a squeeze of his legs, Su Jie urged his horse to quicken its pace. ........ Two days later! The temperature dropped further, and the first snowfall dressed the earth and forests in a silver cloak. The howling cold wind blew, causing the dried leaves to dance through the air. The group of six fine horses moved along the long-neglected official road, their hooves treading on the snow and leaving behind clear prints. Whoa! Dong Hongtian reined in his horse, removed his bamboo hat, shook off the snow, and looking at the small village ahead covered in white said while examining a map, ¡°I¡¯ve been to this village before; Nanyang City isn¡¯t far ahead, and that¡¯s a big city. We should rest there; after running for two days, not only the people, but the horses too can¡¯t take much more.¡± After rushing for two days with little rest, Su Jie and the others were now less than half a day¡¯s journey from Green Valley Plain. ¡°As you say, Brother Dong, you have the experience, and I have no objections.¡± Su Jie shrugged, and Chen Yun followed his lead. The other three young heroes appeared visibly relieved; as the weakest among them, their rears were sore from the horseback ride, and they were eager for a break. ¡°I¡¯ve run out of water; I¡¯ll go ask for some in the village, wait for me a moment.¡± Cui Bingyuan rubbed his neck and hurried off towards the village. Dong Hongtian shook his head, complaining, ¡°This guy doesn¡¯t even bring enough water for a long journey.¡± Xiao Chang laughed, ¡°He¡¯s not just going to ask for water; it¡¯s his old habit acting up, he needs to borrow someone¡¯s pit toilet.¡± Gan Huren grinned, ¡°Old Cui, he enjoys that one-time exhilarating feeling, and while others trouble to recognize their beds, he troubles to recognize toilets.¡± Chen Yun pursed her lips, her face full of disdain. ¡°` ¡°Alright, let¡¯s drop it; Miss Chen is here, let¡¯s refrain from such coarse talk.¡± Dong Hongtian interrupted the discussion between the two men. To continue would be impolite. Xiao Chang and Gan Huren glanced at Chen Yun. Due to the terrifying centipede-like stitched scar on her face, which made her look fierce and ferocious, they subconsciously didn¡¯t regard her as a woman. Su Jie was idly chatting with Dong Hongtian. After a while, Su Jie frowned, ¡°Why is it taking him so long to return? Is he usually gone this long?¡± Xiao Chang was stunned, then scratched the back of his head and said, ¡°No, he¡¯s actually been gone longer than usual today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and bring him back.¡± Gan Huren volunteered, riding his horse towards the village. Time passed, and now even Gan Huren¡¯s presence had faded. Su Jie and several others, including Dong Hongtian, immediately realized something was amiss. ¡°Something¡¯s happened.¡± Dong Hongtian¡¯s expression was grave as he drew the long sword from his waist, gazing towards the small village. ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look and be careful.¡± Mounted on his horse, Su Jie took the lead towards the small village. Upon drawing closer, they found the entire village deathly silent. Although it was midday, not a single soul could be seen. ¡°Gan Huren and Cui Bingyuan¡¯s horses.¡± Dong Hongtian saw two horses tied to a banyan tree at the entrance of the village. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Without making a sound, Su Jie released a Reconnaissance Dragonfly. Following the footsteps on the ground with his gaze, he looked towards a house at the front of the village and then back at Dong Hongtian. Dong Hongtian nodded, dismounted, and followed Su Jie step by step towards the house. The house was built with yellow mud with a stone mill at the entrance and firewood stacks and water jars on both sides. ¡°Brother Cui, Mr. Gan, reply immediately if you hear us.¡± Taking a deep breath, Dong Hongtian filled his lungs with air and his voice thundered like a tidal wave, spreading throughout the entire village. Silence! There was no echo throughout the village, a silence that was chilling to the bone. Su Jie flicked a pebble from the ground to open the door to the house. The inside was just as quiet, but there lay two familiar figures on the ground¡ªGan Huren and Cui Bingyuan. They were clearly still conscious but seemed as if poisoned, with their bodies extremely stiff. Trying to get up, their movements were like those of drunkards, their mouths open but unable to utter a sound. Dong Hongtian was shocked and immediately rushed into the house, where he saw a family of seven, old and young, all lying scattered on the ground, seemingly asleep, without any external injuries yet having ceased breathing and heartbeat. ¡°It¡¯s not poison.¡± Chen Yun squatted down, checked the two men¡¯s injuries, and shook her head at Su Jie. The disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace were experts in using poison, and could easily recognize if poisoning was the cause. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not poison¡ªthis is damage to the soul.¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice turned cold as he looked at the corpses in the house. This familiar style of death was recognizable to him at first glance as being caused by soul destruction. Su Jie had conducted experiments and even possessed a Soul Summoning Banner, so he was well-versed in such matters. No wonder they had not smelled blood upon entering the village; those killed by Yin Souls would not have any external injuries. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Seeing Dong Hongtian at a loss, Su Jie walked up to Gan Huren and Cui Bingyuan with a bottle of Soul Nourishing Pill in hand. This elixir was one of Su Jie¡¯s spoils of war; he had obtained a variety of elixirs from several inner disciples, including this one, which could nourish and calm the soul. It wasn¡¯t expensive and was typically used by disciples to accelerate meditation. Chapter 103 - 19: The Yin Soul Reappears (4th Update) Chapter 103: Chapter 19: The Yin Soul Reappears (4th Update) ¡°Elixir.¡± Xiao Chang and Dong Hongtian were both surprised. People in the martial arts rarely buy these things because they are too expensive and have to be purchased with Spirit Stones, and not many have the financial means. Dong Hongtian himself had a few elixirs, which were for treating external injuries. At first, he had to grit his teeth, save up money for a long time before he could exchange it for Spirit Stones to buy them. Now seeing Su Jie taking out an elixir so casually, their evaluation of Su Jie went up another level. He fed Gan Huren and Cui Bingyuan an elixir each, and their twitching, uncoordinated bodies quickly calmed down. The Soul Nourishing Pill stabilized their souls; in fact, their soul injuries were not that serious, and even without treatment they could have recovered by themselves over time. Although they practiced martial arts, they had absorbed Spiritual Energy, and their souls had been baptized. Compared to ordinary people, their tolerance for soul attacks was much stronger. ¡°Thank you, Brother Xu, for the lifesaving grace.¡± Gan Huren¡¯s mouth moved, and after finding out he could speak, his face lit up with surprise. ¡°Brother Cui, what exactly happened?¡± Dong Hongtian immediately pressed for the cause of the incident, wondering how things had suddenly turned out this way. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, just entering the room, intending to use the restroom, and as soon as I pushed open the door, a cold wind blew in, then I felt dizzy.¡± Cui Bingyuan himself was unclear about what had happened, completely bewildered. ¡°I felt the same, but I vaguely saw a shadow; it was too blurry though.¡± Gan Huren interjected, adding that they hadn¡¯t seen their attacker clearly. ¡°Are you talking about that one?¡± Su Jie pointed to the southeast corner of the ceiling where a gray mist was hovering. Looking closely, one could see an evil face, hollow eyes, a blurry and insubstantial body, carrying an ominous aura. It was indeed a Yin Soul. ¡°That¡¯s him, that¡¯s the thing that attacked me.¡± As everyone turned to look, Gan Huren instantly had a reactive response, shouting excitedly. The shouting startled the Yin Soul, which twisted its body off the beam and swiftly pounced toward the crowd. ¡°Where did you come from, demon, die.¡± Dong Hongtian shouted angrily, drew his sword, and stepped forward to make a slashing strike, his swordsmanship like thunder striking down, piercing through the body of the Yin Soul. The Yin Soul was not hindered and crashed directly into Dong Hongtian¡¯s body. Crack! Dong Hongtian¡¯s movements stiffened, he staggered, then turned around and slashed again. After all, with the Third Level of Yunling Realm cultivation, his soul could not be torn apart by a single Yin Soul. The long sword pierced through the Yin Soul again, but Dong Hongtian¡¯s expression changed¡ªwhy couldn¡¯t he hit it? ¡°Try covering the long sword with Spiritual Power.¡± Just then, Su Jie suddenly spoke up, reminding Dong Hongtian of the correct way to combat it. Dong Hongtian¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately tried Su Jie¡¯s method, channeling Spiritual Energy into the long sword. The next moment, a crescent-shaped Sword Qi soared into the sky, accurately penetrating the Yin Soul. Woo woo! The Yin Soul whimpered, its body painfully twisting. Dong Hongtian¡¯s eyes brightened, and his sword attacks became like a violent storm, relentlessly piercing into the body of the Yin Soul. The twisting body of the Yin Soul gradually faded, its attacks growing weaker, until it finally turned into a wisp of blue smoke and dissipated into the air. Dead. A group of people gasped for air, except for Su Jie and Chen Yun. ¡°What kind of demon is this, that it has no substantial form and can still launch attacks against a person¡¯s soul? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± Dong Hongtian breathed heavily, and despite the lone Yin Soul causing him no injury, his spirit had been greatly shaken. ¡°No wonder Brother Cui and I were targeted, if there were several more, I would have been in danger just now.¡± Gan Huren patted his chest fearfully, with an expression as if he had just narrowly escaped death. Su Jie glanced at him, thinking that if the Yin Soul hadn¡¯t been masterless, lacking intense aggression, then someone of Gan Huren¡¯s strength, not even at the First Level of the Yunling Realm and lacking Spiritual Power for defense, would hardly survive, let alone against several more. ¡°Let¡¯s go, check the village to see if there are more of these demons.¡± Dong Hongtian was fierce, his blood boiling after just having slain a Yin Soul. Now knowing the tactics of the Yin Soul, as long as they were not in groups, he was confident he could handle them. ¡°Good, we can¡¯t let these demons harm people.¡± Su Jie agreed, and the group immediately set off, including Gan Huren and Cui Bingyuan, who had just recovered; it seemed they were eager to prove their worth by rushing to the front. The entire village was not large, estimated to be inhabited by just two or three hundred people. After a thorough search, no Yin Souls were found, but the bodies of villagers were seen everywhere. In the village, villagers lay on the ground, long dead and silent. The village was so quiet because there were no longer any living people there. ¡°How cruel, that demon actually killed so many people.¡± Dong Hongtian¡¯s palms trembled slightly as he spoke through clenched teeth with hatred. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the murderer is someone else; just one demon could not have done this.¡± Su Jie looked at the corpses on the ground, shook his head and said, making a different judgment. Someone with a Soul Summoning Banner must have visited this place, to reap the souls of all the villagers. As for why they left a masterless Yin Soul behind, perhaps it was to proclaim their evil deed. Su Jie had watched the legal channel; ordinary criminals would hide evidence as much as possible after carrying out a crime, hoping to evade the police¡¯s pursuit. But in the case of serial killers, the criminal might deliberately leave clues, as a way to mock and provoke the police. This Yin Soul was clearly the murderer¡¯s personal signature, intentionally telling others, ¡°I did this.¡± ¡°The Heavenly Soul Sect, huh?¡± Su Jie speculated, the method for creating the Soul Summoning Banner being taught to him by Ning Xinyue. And the Soul Summoning Banner was traded to Ning Xinyue by a Demon Cultivation Sect in Jingzhou, the Heavenly Soul Sect. According to Ning Xinyue, each disciple of the Heavenly Soul Sect had a Soul Summoning Banner, making it hard for Su Jie not to associate them with this tragedy. ¡°If there is someone else behind the crime, then the matter is even more serious.¡± Dong Hongtian¡¯s eyes were piercing, but now they couldn¡¯t even find the murderer; who knows how long it had been since the actual crime took place. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we couldn¡¯t come a few days earlier; if we¡¯d run into the murderer, I would have made sure they knew that my Butterfly Sword is not to be taken lightly.¡± Gan Huren huffed, causing those around him, including his friends Cui Bingyuan and Xiao Chang, to involuntarily look over and roll their eyes. Dong Hongtian sighed, though he wanted to bury the villagers, he was afraid of disturbing the scene, and said, ¡°Brother Xu, we should leave for now. Let¡¯s go to Nanyang City. This village is under the jurisdiction of Nanyang City. Inform the local government, and hopefully, they can send some capable people to investigate and bring justice to these unjustly slain villagers.¡± ¡°Rely on the government?¡± Chen Yun¡¯s voice was disdainful, remarking that if the government were of any use, such a murder wouldn¡¯t have occurred here without stirring some reaction for so long. Dong Hongtian got on his horse and said, ¡°There are some remarkable people in the government too; maybe they¡¯ll find some traces.¡± Su Jie stopped Chen Yun, who was about to speak again, shook his head, mounted his horse, and the group continued on towards Nanyang City. Chapter 104 - 20: City of Depression (50,000 words, please subscribe) Chapter 104: Chapter 20: City of Depression (50,000 words, please subscribe) Nanyang City. At sunset, Su Jie and his companions finally arrived at Nanyang City. Nanyang City was a large city with a dense population and bustling commerce. According to Dong Hongtian, there were bound to be many remarkable and unique individuals here who might be able to resolve the village massacre. Yet, upon actually entering Nanyang City, things were a bit different from what Dong Hongtian had described. From the outside, Nanyang City had tall walls reaching up to six Zhang, towering and sturdy buildings, and a wide area. It indeed possessed the grandeur of a major city. But the city was not bustling at all. The desolate streets had only sparse foot traffic, and the occasional pedestrians hurried along without stopping. The street-side shops were mostly closed, and many usually crowded places like pubs, gambling dens, and brothels were eerily deserted. ¡°What¡¯s going on? It wasn¡¯t like this when I was here last time!¡± Dong Hongtian was baffled, even wondering if he had mistaken the city. ¡°Could it be an epidemic? It might explain why everyone is afraid to come out on the streets. Have you seen that? Many houses have white mourning banners hanging in front of them, and some passersby are also dressed in plain garments.¡± Gan Huren spoke, and his theory seemed quite plausible. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Cui Bingyuan and Xiao Chang were a bit panicked. Epidemics didn¡¯t discriminate, and regardless of whether one was a martial artist, contagion was contagion. Their cultivation levels were also not very high as far as resistance to epidemics was concerned. ¡°Let¡¯s just ask and find out.¡± Dong Hongtian saw a passerby and, without waiting for him to leave, rushed over and said, ¡°Excuse me, sir, we¡¯ve come from outside and are passing through Nanyang City. Why is this city so desolate? Could there be an epidemic here?¡± The intercepted passerby, a scholar, looked up at Dong Hongtian and said, ¡°You still dare to enter the city? Here¡ªhere... Anyway, I advise you to leave quickly and not stay in the city.¡± The scholar seemed to have some unspeakable difficulty. He hesitated as he spoke, merely urging Su Jie and the others to leave Nanyang City. After talking, possibly wary of something, the scholar looked around, then hurriedly dodged past Dong Hongtian and ran off. ¡°I hate it when people don¡¯t finish their sentences.¡± Xiao Chang was visibly annoyed. Was there anything that couldn¡¯t be said outright? ¡°I have a bad feeling.¡± A chill wind swept through, and Gan Huren shrank his neck. Perhaps due to the past experiences with Yin Souls, he felt a shadow over this somewhat desolate and quiet city. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the government office first, then find an inn to rest.¡± Dong Hongtian checked the sky, worried they wouldn¡¯t make it in time, and hurriedly set in motion. ¡°Stay alert.¡± Su Jie discreetly released the Reconnaissance Dragonflies and alerted Chen Yun. Dozens of Reconnaissance Dragonflies buzzed around, observing the tightly shut doors of every household in the city. The dragonflies flew through the cracks of doors and windows, and inside most of the houses, people were present, but many households had constructed mourning halls, clearly having had deaths in the family. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Su Jie also noticed that each household had a red stone hanging. These red stones appeared quite vibrant overall, with the red hue spreading over the surface of the stones, hung by people at their doors, rooms, and windows. Without much time to ponder, Su Jie and his companions arrived at the government office area of Nanyang City. However, contrary to expectations, although the government office was not completely closed off, there was no sign of any work being conducted. Instead, a group of officials in scarlet robes were devoutly kneeling on the ground, paying their respects to a statue of a deity with utmost reverence. The statue depicted a kindly old man with a benevolent and gentle appearance. Beside the statue, several men dressed in black ceremonial robes embroidered with auspicious beasts of the four directions could be seen sitting cross-legged on the ground, chanting complicated and esoteric phrases. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Wild Sword Dong Hongtian was taken aback but, remembering the incident in the village, he steeled himself and stepped forward. ¡°Esteemed officials, I am Wild Sword Dong Hongtian. I have urgent matters to report. Today, as we passed through Tianjia Village, we found that over three hundred villagers had died mysteriously, their bodies...¡± ¡°This matter isn¡¯t my responsibility, go find someone else.¡± An official interrupted Dong Hongtian¡¯s report, his expression full of impatience. ¡°May I ask where the local head of the Heavenly Patrol Department is?¡± Dong Hongtian paused. Unlike constables, the Heavenly Patrol Department, established by the Da Li Dynasty specifically for dealing with demons, cultivators, and demon cultivators, was crucial because ordinary constables surely perished trying to arrest cultivating criminals. For this reason, the Da Li Dynasty had set up the Heavenly Patrol Department, recruiting cultivators to handle incidents involving demons within the kingdom and crimes committed by cultivators. In the past, the Heavenly Patrol Department had its glorious days, not only capturing demons outside but also arresting corrupt officials within. They even stormed into cultivating sects to apprehend individuals, holding a position akin to the Jinyiwei in the history of Hua Country. However, as the Da Li Dynasty decayed, the Heavenly Patrol Department underwent several weakening reforms and had significantly lost its power, with many top experts fleeing and its combat ability severely depleted. Typically, most major cities would have a branch of the Heavenly Patrol Department stationed there. Thus, it was natural for Nanyang City of its size to have one, which led Dong Hongtian to his question. ¡°The Heavenly Patrol Department? Who knows where Lao Wu has gone? I can¡¯t find him; you¡¯ll have to search on your own.¡± ¡°Could I please...¡± ¡°No, can¡¯t you see I am worshiping the Miao Mo Venerate? Leave quickly and do not disturb me here.¡± The official glared furiously at Dong Hongtian, extremely displeased with him for talking too much and interrupting. Dong Hongtian¡¯s forehead pulsed with veins as he choked out, ¡°That is the lives of hundreds of people. Are you truly indifferent?¡± ¡°What does it have to do with me? Just a bunch of impoverished peasants; if they¡¯re dead, they¡¯re dead.¡± The official lifted his head disdainfully and scoffed, ¡°You rangers always like to meddle in affairs that aren¡¯t your concern. Our Da Li Dynasty has its own laws and national conditions. Meddle any further, and believe me, I will arrest you.¡± Dong Hongtian was embarrassed and even more furious, unable to restrain himself from cursing, ¡°You corrupt official! You dare to act so wantonly as the local parent official. Are you worthy of the black gauze cap on your head, worthy of the clothes you wear?¡± ¡°Guards, guards! Seize this insolent man who dares to insult me. I shall punish him severely.¡± The official, not expecting Dong Hongtian to be so bold as to actually insult him, was momentarily furious. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Gan Huren and others turned pale and hurriedly dragged Dong Hongtian away. This offense against an official could be seen as either significant or trivial. Ranger knights, typically nomadic and fearless, still needed to behave in the city. The group of officials, including the one cursing, continued to kneel and pray on the ground, not taking it upon themselves to genuinely pursue the matter any further, instead turning back to continue worshiping the deity, as if Dong Hongtian was not worth the effort. Su Jie turned back to look and noticed among the men in ceremonial robes beside the statue, one of them followed them with his gaze, seemingly observing something attentively. Then the man turned his head briefly, his gaze slightly shifting toward the direction of the Reconnaissance Dragonfly, which sent a chill through Su Jie¡¯s heart. Chapter 105 - 21: Female Ghost (First Update) Chapter 105: Chapter 21: Female Ghost (First Update) ¡°Brother Dong, you¡¯re too impulsive. Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting caught?¡± Inside Nanyang City, Gan Huren and a few others were escorting Dong Hongtian and whispering complaints. ¡°I just can¡¯t help myself.¡± Dong Hongtian knew he had been rash and chuckled bitterly, ¡°I¡¯ve worried you brothers. Next time, I¡¯ll definitely restrain myself.¡± Su Jie, riding on horseback, spoke up, ¡°Stop apologizing for now. It¡¯s already getting dark, let¡¯s find a place to stay.¡± As night fell, the streets of Nanyang City grew more desolate, with almost no pedestrians in sight. ¡°There¡¯s an inn over there.¡± Chen Yun walked up to an inn not far away, knocked on the door, but no one responded. The inn also displayed a sign indicating it was closed for business. ¡°There¡¯s no one inside.¡± After Su Jie used the Reconnaissance Dragonfly, he saw that the inn was completely empty. ¡°This is a bit odd!¡± Dong Hongtian was somewhat astonished, and the group continued to rush to other lodgings and post houses, only to find them all closed for business. By this time, the sun was almost setting below the horizon, and the temperature kept dropping in the cold wind; even bundled up, they still felt a chill. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s find a private residence to stay in temporarily.¡± Su Jie approached a house with a courtyard and gently knocked on the door, ¡°Is anyone home? We are travelers passing through and would like to stay for the night.¡± Voices inside the house could be faintly heard, and the door was slowly opened a crack. Through the gap was a man over fifty years old, which in this era was considered quite old. Seeing the strangers outside, the old man appeared wary and spoke through the gap, ¡°Our house is inconvenient, you should find another.¡± ¡°Please, kind sir! It¡¯s almost pitch-dark, and in these winter months, we won¡¯t be able to find another place to stay for a while.¡± While speaking, Su Jie passed a silver piece. Dong Hongtian also spoke up, ¡°Old man, we truly only need to stay one night, and we absolutely won¡¯t cause any disturbances.¡± The old man glanced at the silver, a struggle showing on his face. He looked at Su Jie and the others again and quickly said, ¡°Come in quickly, and tie your horses in the yard.¡± Su Jie motioned to the others to follow, secured the horses to a poplar tree in the yard, shook the snow off his clothes, and entered the house. Inside the house, besides the old man, there were his son and daughter-in-law, whom they learned about through conversation. The old man was named Rong Shibao, and his son and daughter-in-law had just married last year. They made a living as small vendors, and Su Jie noticed many materials for making candied haws in the house. ¡°Have something to eat, just some simple tea and food.¡± Now far less cold-hearted, Rong Shibao saw the exhausted travelers and poured hot tea for them, while his daughter-in-law prepared some food. His son, meanwhile, was cleaning up the guest rooms, with a few simple beds with straw mats laid on them. Su Jie wasn¡¯t fussy; these conditions were better than sleeping outdoors. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rong. I finally feel a bit warmer.¡± Sipping hot tea, Su Jie¡¯s gaze examined the surroundings, landing on the bright red stone hanging in the center of the living room. ¡°Mr. Rong, why is Nanyang City so desolate? I¡¯ve been here before, and it wasn¡¯t like this at that time.¡± Dong Hongtian sat across Rong Shibao, expressing his confusion. ¡°You better not pry into this matter. Stay for the night, and leave tomorrow.¡± Rong Shibao¡¯s expression darkened, his face showing unexpected concern, as if this topic was extremely sensitive to him. ¡°Hey, old man, even just talking is no good?¡± Cui Bingyuan¡¯s eyes bulged, wondering if talking could somehow break the law. Dong Hongtian turned back with a warning look and said, ¡°This young brother of mine doesn¡¯t quite know how to speak. Please, don¡¯t take offense, Mr. Rong.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat something first.¡± Su Jie picked up the chopsticks and began eating the food on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll fetch some dry food inside.¡± Gan Huren glanced at the dishes on the table, which, as one would expect in a small household, were not very abundant. He planned to go to the horses in the courtyard and get some dried meat to eat with the meal. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s already dark.¡± Rong Shibao¡¯s son ran over alertly, leaned against the window crack, peeked outside at the sky, and whispered. ¡°You can¡¯t go out.¡± Hearing this, Rong Shibao abruptly stood up, blocking Gan Huren¡¯s way. Gan Huren was startled and said, ¡°Why not? I¡¯ll be right back in.¡± ¡°If I said you can¡¯t go out, then you can¡¯t,¡± Without further ado, Rong Shibao pushed and shoved, keeping Gan Huren away from the bolted door. ¡°Hey, why are you being so unreasonable, old man?¡± Gan Huren was getting displeased. What on earth was going on? ¡°I don¡¯t care what you want to do, none of you can leave this house tonight.¡± The wrinkles on Rong Shibao¡¯s face deepened as he said this very firmly. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s that sound?¡± Su Jie¡¯s ears suddenly perked up. Seeing Gan Huren about to speak, he gestured with his hand for him to be quiet. Immediately after, Su Jie got up quickly, peeking through the crack of the window. Thud-thud¡ª¡ª¡ªClang! Some strange sounds entered the ears, sounding like the notes of a suona, yet also like a woman¡¯s high-pitched singing of refined music, stretching out the tremulous tones. Snowflakes slowly drifted down onto the flagstone-paved streets, where the lampposts still stood, their lanterns long extinguished. Suddenly! A cold wind blew by, accompanied by a wailing and sighing, and a woman appeared on the street. She wore a floor-length white dress, drenched all over, with mud packed in the gaps between her toenails. With each step, she left a puddle of water on the ground. ¡°This is...¡± Su Jie¡¯s pupils contracted abruptly. The woman had appeared too suddenly, and even he was unaware of where she had come from. Even more hair-raising was the fact that Su Jie¡¯s Reconnaissance Dragonflies, which he had positioned outside, were nowhere to be seen. Instead, as soon as this woman in the white dress appeared, one by one, Su Jie¡¯s Reconnaissance Dragonflies lost control, most probably dead. ¡°Don¡¯t make noise... no one makes a noise,¡± Gazing at the red stone hanging overhead, which now emitted an eerie red glow, Rong Shibao trembled uncontrollably and his voice quivered as he spoke. His son and daughter-in-law were so frightened that their legs gave out, and they hid in the inner room. Curiosity is a strong force. Despite Rong Shibao¡¯s warning, Dong Hongtian and others crowded at the window crack to look outside. They saw the woman in the street singing a difficult song, her steps jerky and her motions wooden. As if sensing the gaze upon her, the woman on the street stiffly turned her neck to reveal a pale face as swollen as dough, with two highly decayed eyes, staring straight over here. ¡°A ghost, it¡¯s a ghost!¡± Xiao Chang was suddenly startled and shouted reflexively. But his cry brought disaster. No sooner had his voice dropped than Xiao Chang¡¯s stomach suddenly swelled. In pain, he fell to his knees, vomiting uncontrollably ¨C everything he had eaten and even more horrifying things: a woman¡¯s long hair, fingernails, seaweed, rotten fish and shrimp. His mouth was like a faucet that couldn¡¯t be shut off, as the reek spread throughout the room. Witnessing such a bizarre scene, Chen Yun and Su Jie both stepped back. Cui Bingyuan¡¯s pupils were full of disbelief, Gan Huren¡¯s mouth moved slightly, then he seemed to think of something, quickly covering his own mouth. Chapter 106 - 22: Ghost City (Second Update) Chapter 106: Chapter 22: Ghost City (Second Update) Clack clack! Xiao Chang had not died. He clasped his throat tightly with both hands, eyes bulging to the point of nearly bursting out of their sockets. This action did not stop the violent retching; various items like fingernails, hair, dead fish, and rotten shrimp gushed out of his mouth, quickly gathering and forming a puddle on the ground. Dong Hongtian clenched his teeth, struggling to endure the nausea and fear, wanting to help Xiao Chang. Su Jie promptly pulled him back, shaking his head at him. Splat! The puddle beneath Xiao Chang seemed bottomless. His body flailed as he gradually sank down until the water completely submerged him, and the surface became calm again, leaving only a clump of hair and fish and shrimp floating on the floor. On the street, the woman in white had vanished without a trace. If not for the missing Xiao Chang and the clump of hair and rotten fish and shrimp on the ground, it would seem as if everything that had just occurred was only a dream. ¡°I told you not to speak, not to speak. Startling those things, how can there still be a reason to be alive,¡± Rong Shibao¡¯s voice trembled. A living person just disappeared right in front of him, and the chilling scene a moment ago nearly caused the old man, who was over fifty, to suffer a heart attack. ¡°You, you old undead, why didn¡¯t you explain things clearly earlier, that this place is haunted...¡± Gan Huren flew into a rage, drawing the long saber at his waist. ¡°Don¡¯t shout so loudly. If you don¡¯t care about your life, that¡¯s fine, but if you attract them, it could endanger my entire family,¡± Rong Shibao said, as if oblivious to the blade. Instead, he covered Gan Huren¡¯s mouth, extremely taboo about noise, which made him more frightened than facing the sword itself. Su Jie¡¯s brow furrowed. During the instant that the female ghost in white attacked, Su Jie felt only a strange and chilling breath drift by. It was different from mere Spiritual Energy, unlike any Spiritual Power Su Jie had encountered before. Although he did not know the specific details of the attack, Xiao Chang¡¯s miserable state just now was enough to understand how terrifying the female ghost was. ¡°I was wondering why Nanyang City felt so strange. So that¡¯s why, that¡¯s why,¡± Dong Hongtian expressed regret in his eyes. If he had understood earlier, Xiao Chang would not have died tonight. ¡°Shush, don¡¯t talk,¡± Rong Shibao suddenly became alert again. Seeing a red stone hanging in the room flicker a few times, emitting an enchanting red halo, he quickly gestured for everyone to be silent. At the same time, noises came from the street outside the door. Hiss hiss! In the courtyard, all the horses became extremely agitated, neighing wildly as if something was attacking them. Accompanied by the stench of blood that wafted into the room and the sound of something heavy being dragged, everything eventually settled down to silence. When everything was quiet, Su Jie and others peeped outside through the crack of the door. All six horses that had been tied up in the yard had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a pool of blood on the ground. ¡°There¡¯s more than one here...¡± Chen Yun¡¯s face paled; this was her first encounter with a ghost. Fortunately, she had Su Jie by her side, whose formidable combat strength provided her with some reassurance. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t just one ghost that she encountered, but an unknown number. ¡°The weather is dry, be careful with candles and fire,¡± a clanging gong sounded, and it was the voice of the night watchman. No one spoke this time; the eerie phenomena that had just occurred were truly terrifying and fearsome. The voice of the night watchman on the street grew fainter and fainter, as if he had left the street. Just when everyone breathed a sigh of relief, an abrupt cold voice suddenly came from the doorway. ¡°Is anybody home?¡± The door was knocked, and it was the voice of the night watchman. Su Jie looked at the red stone; its red light was flashing crazily, just like a warning light. Mr. Rong tightly covered his mouth, not daring to move an inch, his eyes filled with terror. The rest were the same, including Su Jie. Right now, no one knew what was happening outside. Faced with this kind of ghostly creature they had never seen before, Su Jie was also feeling uncertain. ¡°Is anybody home?¡± ¡°Is anybody home?¡± ¡°Is anybody home?¡± The night watchman¡¯s cold voice repeated the same words over and over again, creating a sinister and terrifying atmosphere in the room that made one¡¯s heart pound violently, and left them with a parched mouth and tongue. Many had their backs soaked with sweat. Along with the questioning voice, several pale, corpse-like fingers crept through the crack of the door. The fingers groped around for something, not touching the bolt or lock, and quickly retracted. The questioning voice disappeared at the same time, and the red stone inside the house stopped flashing. After several ghostly disturbances, everyone¡¯s faces looked grim. Once the night watchman was gone, Su Jie immediately asked, ¡°Mr. Rong, what¡¯s really going on here? Why are there ghostly hauntings in this place?¡± ¡°Half a month ago, the city has been restless from the evening onwards. Those filthy things wander the streets, and if one inadvertently makes a sound and attracts their attention, they will notice someone inside the house, and then what happened just now occurs.¡± Mr. Rong bit his teeth, his eyes filled with pain: ¡°I used to have a grandson, just because he cried at night, the result, the result...¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but everyone understood. ¡°Why not leave Nanyang City? If it¡¯s haunted here, wouldn¡¯t it be better to go to a safe place?¡± Chen Yun was very puzzled. The few ghosts that just appeared had even made her, a Demon Cultivator at the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, feel terrified, so she couldn¡¯t understand why these ordinary people still stayed in Nanyang City instead of leaving. Mr. Rong sighed deeply, his face full of bitter sadness, ¡°Leave? It¡¯s easier said than done! The city¡¯s top officials have already issued an order that anyone who wants to leave the city must forfeit their property and houses. We have struggled all our lives to secure a place to live here in the city, who can bear to give it up? We can only stay here, hoping that these ghosts will leave someday.¡± Thinking of the scene where Dong Hongtian argued with the officials today, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s those damn officials again. Since the government doesn¡¯t care, why not turn to the Heavenly Patrol Department, or report it to the Righteous Sect. Surely, they can¡¯t ignore this as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any Heavenly Patrol Department, and as for the Righteous Sect, there¡¯s a Miao Yin Temple two hundred miles away from Nanyang City. Some of the more prestigious family elders had called on everyone to send for help, but, sadly, there has been no response till now, and no one has come back.¡± Su Jie¡¯s heart jumped at Mr. Rong¡¯s words, and he immediately had a bad premonition. ¡°What about the influential families in the city? They haven¡¯t left either?¡± Su Jie asked. Nanyang City was a large city, and apart from ordinary commoners, there were certainly aristocratic families and Cultivation Families. For instance, the merchants who conducted business with Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s Black Market were largely from these Cultivation Families. These families had long legacies and also possessed Cultivation Methods, controlled vast wealth, thereby nurturing the younger generations in their clans for cultivation, or recruiting Loose Cultivators to serve as Sacrifices. The prosperous and powerful Cultivation Families were sometimes not weaker than a Sect and could occupy Spiritual Mountain Blessed Lands, cultivate Spirit Medicine Seedbeds, open Artifact Refining Workshops and Alchemy Pavilions, and talented individuals from these families were sometimes sent to Sects for training. Once they grew up, they formed intricate relationships with their families, engaging in exchanges of interests. Furthermore, these families and aristocratic clans enjoyed forming marriages among themselves, intertwining relationships intricately, sharing each other¡¯s fortunes and misfortunes, forming a massive interest group. These households had significant influence and were no ordinary commoners; they had some means to resist. Chapter 107 - 23: White Fog (3rd Update) Chapter 107: Chapter 23: White Fog (3rd Update) ¡°They have already left Nanyang City, having departed right from the beginning. The wagons for hauling goods blocked the road for quite a stretch, and those noble families wouldn¡¯t care about whether we live or die,¡± Rong Shibao commented sarcastically, harboring a considerable amount of resentment in his heart. ¡°They all ran away? So many ghosts entering the city at the same time, that¡¯s not normal in any way.¡± Dong Hongtian said with a look of helplessness. He thought about the grand clans and noble families; when these city cultivators were leading the way in fleeing, how could ordinary people counter the ghosts? Su Jie furrowed his brows in thought and pointed to a red stone hanging in the room, saying, ¡°Mr. Rong, I want to ask where this stone comes from. I noticed just now that when those ghosts approached, the stone would emit a red light, it¡¯s like a warning signal, right?¡± ¡°You, the younger generation, do observe quite meticulously.¡± Rong Shibao gave Su Jie another look and explained, ¡°This is an amulet given to us by the Miao Mo Sect to peace and safety called the Primordial Spirit Pearl. It bears the blessing of Miao Mo Venerate; it will alert us whenever ghosts are near. Now, every household in Nanyang City is equipped with one.¡± ¡°May I have a look at this Primordial Spirit Pearl?¡± ¡°Be careful with it, don¡¯t break it.¡± Rong Shibao hesitated for a moment and stood by, watching Su Jie closely out of concern that he might damage it. When Su Jie took the Primordial Spirit Pearl in his hands, it felt smooth and warm, unlike ordinary Spirit Stones or Blood Marrow Crystals¡ªthere was no Spiritual Power in it. On the contrary, Su Jie felt an extremely unusual energy in the Primordial Spirit Pearl, one that was filled with a sense of malevolence. While holding the pearl, Su Jie used his own Spiritual Power to probe delicately and discovered that the energy within was slowly increasing. According to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be created out of thin air... Su Jie¡¯s gaze swept back and forth across the room, finally resting on Rong Shibao, Dong Hongtian, Chen Yun, and the others. He then saw strands of grayish-black energy emanating from their bodies and flowing into the Primordial Spirit Pearl, including himself, although what drifted from him was much less. ¡°This is... fear energy.¡± Su Jie felt a surge of realization deep inside. The Primordial Spirit Pearl was absorbing the energy of fear emitted from everyone¡¯s emotions. Thinking back to what Rong Shibao had said about every household possessing one of these pearls, a bold speculation formed in Su Jie¡¯s mind. Su Jie suppressed his thoughts and placed the Primordial Spirit Pearl back in its original position. ¡°Try not to make too much noise while sleeping tonight, or the ghosts will be attracted, and we¡¯ll all die.¡± Rong Shibao picked up a broom, and while fighting back nausea, he swept the bunches of hair, fingernails, rotten fish, and shrimp vomited onto the floor to one side. If he had known that hosting Su Jie and the others would result in deaths, he might not have been willing to shelter them. After finishing these tasks, Rong Shibao continued to stay in the living room, apparently to stay awake through the night. ¡°We¡¯ll take turns to keep watch tonight.¡± Su Jie and the others exchanged glances and immediately made a decision. Given the situation with the ghosts outside, they would have to leave Nanyang City during daylight, so they had to spend the night. ....... The night passed uneventfully. The next day, as dawn broke and the sun rose, many people got out of bed with dark circles under their eyes. The commotion last night was significant, with various noises of ghosts traversing the city streets being heard from time to time. More than a few were awakened repeatedly by the disturbances, and under the nervous and uneasy tension, few people really managed to sleep well. Exiting the house to the courtyard, all the horses were gone, with only the dried black blood on the ground as proof of their ordeal from the night before. There were significantly more people on the streets in the city. Yesterday, when Su Jie and the others entered Nanyang City, it was already dusk. Perhaps because it was nearing night, and fearing the ghosts, there had been very few pedestrians on the streets. But now in the morning, there were street vendors setting up their stalls, children running and playing, and noodle shops, medicine stores, and restaurants all opening their doors to welcome customers, with their sales pitches carrying far and wide. Just as Rong Shibao had said, for these ordinary families in Nanyang City, their entire livelihoods were here. Many had fields outside the city, and even with the presence of ghosts, they could only choose to endure in silence. ¡°To leave home and livelihood and go to a strange place, one may encounter roving bandits and villains, all kinds of difficulties and humiliations; the danger might even be greater than staying in Nanyang City.¡± ¡°During the day, those who live in the Ghost City still have to come out to make a living. Fortunately, there are no disturbances from ghosts in daylight, or else you wouldn¡¯t see such scenes on the streets.¡± ¡°Mr. Rong, we will be taking our leave now.¡± ¡°Listen to my advice: leave the city as soon as you can and don¡¯t come back.¡± Without even caring for breakfast, Su Jie and the others bid farewell to Rong Shibao, bought a few horses at the market, and then galloped out of the city gates, leaving behind the city plagued by ghostly dangers. It was about a two-day journey from Nanyang City to Green Valley Plain. Su Jie and his companions urged their horses to go faster, wishing to arrive as soon as possible. However, contrary to their wishes, a heavy fog enveloped the official road mere forty li outside the city. This dense fog was like smoke and waves, vast like water, severely limiting visibility. ¡°Such a massive fog.¡± Dong Hongtian slowed down to prevent the horses from misstepping or crashing into trees. ¡°This damn weather, we should¡¯ve left later.¡± Gan Huren¡¯s clothes were soaked with the mist, complaining about the terrible conditions. ¡°Stop complaining; it will get better once the sun rises high.¡± Dong Hongtian dismounted and led his horse by the reins as he walked on. ¡°Su Jie.¡± Chen Yun led her horse to Su Jie¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t alarm the enemy unnecessarily.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he calmly observed the unfolding events. To the untrained eye, the thick fog ahead seemed innocuous. But Su Jie and Chen Yun were Demon Cultivators, and they immediately recognized something was amiss¡ªit was a Formation. Whoosh! Right at that moment, something seemed to stir within the fog. Suddenly, Cui Bingyuan and Gan Huren in the team fell to the ground without so much as a groan. Their horses, also panicked, broke free and ran into the fog. ¡°Who¡¯s there, be careful.¡± Dong Hongtian was greatly startled and quickly drew his sword. Sounds of light laughter came through the mist. ¡°Don¡¯t kill them; these martial artists have decent bodies. Bring them back to be turned into Iron Armor Corpses.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Tan, we¡¯ll just knock them out.¡± ¡°This sword-wielding one has some skill; I¡¯ll take him.¡± Dong Hongtian¡¯s expression turned grave, and he shouted angrily, ¡°Whoever you are, stop playing tricks and show yourself!¡± He then glanced urgently at the unconscious Gan Huren and Cui Bingyuan on the ground and said to Su Jie, ¡°Brother Xu, our enemies mean us harm. You take Mr. Gan and Brother Cui and retreat first. I¡¯ll hold them back.¡± ¡°Alright, Brother Dong, be very careful. I¡¯ll take them to a safe place and then come back for you.¡± Su Jie nodded, signaled Chen Yun with a glance, and the two of them picked up Gan Huren and Cui Bingyuan. They mounted their horses and rode off swiftly. Dong Hongtian¡¯s face turned dark. Although he indeed intended to cover their retreat, Su Jie¡¯s departure was far too decisive. Without a hint of hesitation or struggle, he had just run off, leaving Dong Hongtian behind. ¡°Your friends sure run fast, but it¡¯s alright. With the Water Wave White Mist Formation, they don¡¯t even know where the Array Eye is. No matter how they run, it¡¯s futile.¡± With the mocking voice drifting through the fog, the white mist in front of Dong Hongtian surged like a tidal wave, and silhouettes loomed in and out of view, rushing toward him. Chapter 108 - 24: Unleashing the Ghost (4th Update) Chapter 108: Chapter 24: Unleashing the Ghost (4th Update) Slash. With a single slash of his sword, Dong Hongtian¡¯s swordsmanship was like a violent storm, cutting through several figures in the fog into pieces, along with clearing away the mist. However, no trace of joy was visible on Dong Hongtian¡¯s face, as the feel of his sword told him that he hadn¡¯t actually hit anything. The figures in the white mist rapidly approached, with layers of phantoms shuttling through his body. In an instant, Dong Hongtian felt as though his head had split in two, and the intense pain threw his steps into disarray. ¡°Is it you, you were behind what happened in Tianjia Village?¡± With his hair and beard bristling in rage, Dong Hongtian recognized his assailants from the white fog¡ªdemons, capable of attacking the soul, that he had encountered in Tianjia Village. The unknown enemy seemed to scorn a response, as hundreds of indistinct Yin Souls howled and charged towards Dong Hongtian from all directions. In the end, Dong Hongtian only managed to swing his sword a few times, eliminating two Yin Souls before his own soul was slashed with numerous fissures by their attack, causing him to faint. Within the thick fog, three figures gradually emerged and stood in front of Dong Hongtian, who had fallen to the ground. These were three men; two wore white robes and broad bamboo hats with several bells hanging from the brim that jingled mournfully like a death knell when they moved. The other, apparently of higher status, wore a black robe that was extremely eerie. It was solid black, seamless, and woven from countless black human hairs, deep and dark. When the wind blew, the black robe seemed to come alive, as if possessing its own life. The sleeves, collar, and hems moved independently, and the folds morphed into human facial expressions of joy and sorrow. This sight sent shivers up one¡¯s spine. ¡°You go find those who fled,¡± said the man in the black robe, waving his hand as he bent down with hands as pale and delicate as a woman¡¯s, reaching for Dong Hongtian. It was at that moment, light footsteps could be heard approaching from the opposite direction. Su Jie¡¯s figure appeared from within the mist, and they faced each other. ¡°Uh, I got lost here, could you give me some directions?¡± Scratching the back of his head, Su Jie was the first to break the silence. ¡°Get rid of him, let¡¯s head back early,¡± instructed the man in the black robe after being momentarily silenced by Su Jie. Two seconds later, he waved his hand again. ¡°You want to ask for directions, heh, come a little closer, and we will tell you,¡± said the two men in white robes with a vicious smile on their faces, each shaking a small flag¡ªthe Soul Summoning Banner used to control Yin Souls. Over a hundred Yin Souls swirled in the dense fog, scrambling to howl towards Su Jie. ¡°Bullying with numbers, how despicable of you,¡± said Su Jie as he pretended to take a fearful step backwards. The Yin Souls howled and sped forward, their bodies stretching and thinning like blades, aiming to slice Su Jie¡¯s soul into pieces. ¡°Split!¡± Simultaneously, Su Jie let out a soft cry. His body split into two¡ªthe true body and the shadow intertwined and separated. The Yin Souls, shaped like blades due to their high speed, were unable to change direction and all struck the empty shadow. Su Jie¡¯s true body, however, appeared dozens of meters away. ¡°A cultivator,¡± remarked the men in white robes, their expressions shocked. Before they could react further, a delicate buzzing sound came from the void, like the sound of rain hitting banana leaves. Above, in the dense fog, tens of thousands of human-faced moth swarms flapped their wings, swooping down eagerly for the kill. The faces of the two men in white robes changed drastically as the bells on their hats shook violently, emitting a strange, mournful melody, but they only managed to shatter one layer of the human-faced moths. Pulling out Protective Talismans from their chests, the spirit light shield that just rose was quickly corroded clean by the acidic secretions. Countless human-faced moths enveloped the two men in white robes layer by layer into a ball of insects, from which only the sounds of chewing and screams could be heard. Seconds later, the two men of the Yunling Realm at the third and fourth levels fell silent forever. By the time the human-faced moths took flight again, nothing was left on the ground, not even the bones; the moths had devoured everything entirely. ¡°Sorry, gentlemen, outnumbering the enemy, I too like using this tactic,¡± Su Jie said, his gaze fixed on the black-robed man without glancing at the two white-robed men who had been devoured, for the real trouble was this person. ¡°Insects, people of Ghost Ridge Palace?¡± The black-robed man showed no emotion at the tragic death of his companions, his lifeless eyes staring intently at Su Jie. Originally thinking Su Jie was merely a martial artist, it turned out he was a cultivator and a local Demon Cultivator. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re from the Heavenly Soul Sect, right?¡± Su Jie made a guess, and the Soul Summoning Banner had given away their identity. ¡°Heavenly Soul Sect, inner disciple, Tan Qing.¡± The black-robed man took off his bamboo hat, and although he was a man, his cheeks were painted with rouge, and his lips coated with lipstick, looking quite bizarre. ¡°Stand down now, and I can pretend nothing happened.¡± Behind Su Jie, his voice flat, a human-faced moth swarm gathered into a cloud, dispersing the dense fog nearby, leaving the battlefield with an air of somberness. ¡°Killing our people and thinking you can just walk away, I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be so easy,¡± said Tan Qing, a sinister smile curling the corners of his mouth. A Soul Summoning Banner appeared in his hand, and thousands of Yin Souls howled out, colliding with the human-faced moth swarm. Thousands of Yin Souls invaded the Insect Cloud, annihilating souls, and countless human-faced moths fell like rain. Dozens of low-grade human-faced moths exhaled acid containing Spiritual Energy, a potent poison acid; with each exhalation, they corroded a Yin Soul into dissipating as green smoke. The moment they engaged, the sky turned into a cruel battlefield, with life expiring en masse. However, the Yin Souls, having the advantage of being incorporeal, held the upper hand in the battle. ¡°Heh, your Heavenly Soul Sect has overstepped its bounds. This place is the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± Su Jie lifted his hand, and the body of a human-faced moth fell into his palm as his gaze turned cold. ¡°Is that so? What of it?¡± Tan Qing¡¯s mouth twisted into a mocking smile as clumps of black hair writhed and contracted on his chest, forming a bundle from which a pale female face emerged and slowly crawled out. This was a disheveled woman, her long black hair dragging on the ground, exuding an ominous and sinister aura. Tan Qing¡¯s robes also shed their black hue, revealing that he had been wearing a ghost as clothing. ¡°Kill him.¡± The smile on Tan Qing¡¯s face remained as he nonchalantly issued the command. The female ghost¡¯s bloodshot eyes fixated on Su Jie, her black hair rapidly expanding and reaching towards him. At the same time, on the back of Su Jie¡¯s head, black hair grew unnaturally, the scalp undulating as it faintly formed the face of the female ghost. ¡°I hate it when people move around on me.¡± With a cold snort from Su Jie, pale corpse hands emerged from his shoulders, stacking layer upon layer on the female face on the back of his head, ruthlessly tearing it off along with the scalp. The torn scalp was discarded on the ground, the resentful eyes still staring at Su Jie. The next moment, the thousand-hand centipede emerged from his sleeves, sensing its master¡¯s anger, it transformed into a thirty-meter leviathan, and with one stomp obliterated the face of the woman on the ground into nothingness. Sizzle! From the belly of the thousand-hand centipede, numerous pale corpse hands detached independently, the hands continuously split off, merging into a dense tide of corpse hands, each wave higher than the last, submerging the approaching black hair. With the rumble of a moving train, the massive body of the thousand-hand centipede thundered forward, rolling over to the front of the female ghost. Chapter 109 - 25: Annihilation (Five updates of 10,000 words, please subscribe) Chapter 109: Chapter 25: Annihilation (Five updates of 10,000 words, please subscribe) As a Mid Grade Four Refinement poisonous insect, the Thousand-Handed Centipede was not afraid of any Fierce Ghost. For insects, lacking the rich emotions of humans, they didn¡¯t grasp the concept and meaning of the word ¡°ghost.¡± With its monstrous insectoidal body leaning forward, its gaping maw opened wide, ready to swallow the female ghost whole. The female ghost wanted to retreat, but she was too slow, and the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s mouth had already clamped shut. The disheveled female ghost couldn¡¯t withstand the horrific biting force of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, and was instantly crushed. Yet bizarrely, no blood flowed from the crushed woman; instead, her body transformed into a tangle of black hair, from which a new female ghost grew from the ground. Not just one, but several female ghosts emerged, sharing a common, cold aura. Realizing the Thousand-Handed Centipede couldn¡¯t handle them, they slowly began to move towards Su Jie. The Thousand-Handed Centipede became furiously angry; its facial armor cracked open, unleashing bursts of Purple Light Ray, the surging high-temperature beams penetrating the dense fog, melting earth and stone, and turning the sprawling black hair into ash. The female ghosts¡¯ figures blurred momentarily, emitting a painful scream as several of them collapsed. It turned out that the hair was the true body of the female ghosts. Tan Qing¡¯s smile disappeared, and his expression turned stiff. The appearance of the Thousand-Handed Centipede had caught him off guard; clearly, his female ghosts were no match for it. But Tan Qing still had a backup plan. He tossed dozens of red stones onto the black hair, The red stones dimmed, all their essence absorbed by the female ghosts. The black hair rapidly grew and began to entangle the Thousand-Handed Centipede again. ¡°This is... Primordial Spirit Pearl.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted to the stones, recognizing them as the Primordial Spirit Pearls he had seen in Nanyang City. He then looked to the female ghost, who, full of ferocious energy, engaged in a fierce battle with the Thousand-Handed Centipede. ¡°Absorbing fear to enhance strength and heal, eh!¡± Su Jie¡¯s heart shook as he addressed Tan Qing, ¡°You¡¯ve taken over Nanyang City, turning it into a breeding ground to cultivate Fierce Ghosts by absorbing fear. Aren¡¯t you afraid that such audacity will provoke a siege by the Righteous sects?¡± This feeling of de?ja? vu helped Su Jie understand everything. Su Jie planned to use a pig farm to cultivate Yin Souls, while the Heavenly Soul Sect, more crazily, had turned an entire city into a breeding ground to cultivate Fierce Ghosts by absorbing fear. The ghosts wandering Nanyang City at night were clearly a ploy by the Heavenly Soul Sect, designed to instill fear in the citizens and absorb that fear into the Primordial Spirit Pearls. If they really wanted to kill people, the Heavenly Soul Sect could have slaughtered the city long ago. Such a mad operation, Su Jie wondered where the Heavenly Soul Sect got its confidence from. ¡°As long as no one can leave, no one will know this secret.¡± Tan Jing was about to laugh, but then saw the Thousand-Handed Centipede erupt. The body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede bizarrely burst layer by layer, its massive form splitting into numerous small centipedes, each with a small slit on their forehead from which fine, short Purple Light Rays burst forth, chasing and burning the scattered black hairs on the ground. Having evolved into a Mid-grade poisonous insect, its capabilities were significantly enhanced, thus enabling the Thousand-Handed Centipede to perform like this. Although each small centipede¡¯s Purple Light Rays were much weaker than the main body¡¯s, they were more than enough to handle those black hairs of the female. As Tan Qing felt troubled, a silver light cut through the air, blasting a long vacuum trail and suddenly arrived in front of him. In a critical moment, the black hair under Tan Qing¡¯s feet dragged his body, shifting his position as the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword tore through the air, spilling a handful of fresh blood. Looking at Tan Qing again, half of his cheek along with his ear had been sheared off, his bone-white teeth and tongue exposed to the air, mirroring the torn scalp at the back of Su Jie¡¯s head ¡ª they looked almost like brothers in misfortune. But thanks to sharing abilities with the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie¡¯s scalp had already stopped bleeding and healed, with new skin and hair quickly regrowing. Though not as exaggerated as the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s self-healing power, limb regeneration was merely a trifle for Su Jie. ¡°Trying to make me go bald, your methods are truly wicked!¡± Su Jie touched the back of his head and beckoned to Tan Qing with his finger. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword surged like thunder, like a supersonic missile, chasing after Tan Qing. Tan Qing swallowed an elixir to stop the bleeding and heal, and hurriedly took out a Jade Bottle from his Storage Bag as he saw the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword flying towards him. The Jade Bottle exhaled a yellow, bizarre wind, accompanied by the sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling. This strange wind blew past, turning stones and trees into specks of sand and dust. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was struck by a strange wind, and its sword body erupted in brilliant spiritual radiance. Despite the odd wind, its course was still terrifying as it rushed towards Tan Qing. ¡°Capture it for me.¡± Tan Qing activated his spell, and the Jade Bottle switched from emitting wind to sucking air. Entire trees and rocks were uprooted, and even the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was swallowed into the Jade Bottle. The Jade Bottle was a Low Grade Advanced Magical Artifact of extreme power and terror. Anything swallowed by it, including gold and silver, would dissolve into dust, but this did not include the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. The Jade Bottle vibrated with a buzzing sound, a crack appearing at its base. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was about to break free. Tan Qing¡¯s face turned ashen, and he threw out several talismans, activating his spell. Bang! Bang! Bang! Coffins hit the ground, and several zombies with green faces, sharp black nails, and sinister expressions leaped out. These zombies had skin as hard as steel and possessed immense strength. Their movements were not clumsy like in movies but agile like leopards, slightly more powerful than even the Alien Ghosts. The swarm of Yin Souls in the sky stopped their struggle with the human-faced moths, charging rapidly at Su Jie. Afterwards, Tan Qing produced a blue Treasure Umbrella, its surface etched with many ghostly figures. At that moment, the umbrella opened, and ghostly figures on its surface came to life, glaring angrily at Su Jie, freezing him in place. Fortunately, Su Jie had grown significantly by then. The Thousand-Handed Centipede roared, tens of thousands of little centipedes took flight, layering around Su Jie, leaving no gaps for penetration. Although Yin Souls could pass through solid bodies, they faced the Mid Grade Four Refinement Poisonous Insect ¨C tens of thousands of centipedes formed a swarm, annihilating any daring Yin Souls that tried to penetrate, scattering their souls. Clang Clang! The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword completely pierced through the Jade Bottle, light as a feather, its movements like a swallow piercing the clouds, turning into a streak of light. Several of the furiously rushing zombies paused, their heads rolling off their necks. Even though their bodies were harder than steel, in front of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, they were like made of paper. Having ascended to the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm, Su Jie could finally unleash the true power of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword ¨C unstoppable against anything, piercing through all laws with one sword strike. This is a Flying Sword, a Magic Artifact, renowned for its first rank attack power. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword continued its relentless advance, flying toward Tan Qing. Tan Qing raised the Ghost-faced Treasure Umbrella to block, but the umbrella, not primarily meant for defense, was easily pierced by the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword; the several layers of spirit shields around him were pierced consecutively, and finally, the sword pierced through Tan Qing¡¯s heart. ¡°Uh! Uh!¡± Tan Qing¡¯s pupils constricted, his eyes staring in disbelief at the returning White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, vomiting blood heavily, ¡°A top grade Flying Sword, how is that possible.¡± He recognized the grade of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, a top grade among Low Grade Flying Swords, even more precious and powerful than a Low Grade Advanced Magical Artifact. It was no wonder all his defenses were futile. ¡°Why did it have to be this bloody? You just had to force me to stay.¡± By now, Su Jie stood on top of the thirty-meter-high head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, flying hundreds of meters above the ground, and coldly observing Tan Qing who had reached a dead end below. ¡°This is where it ends...¡± Tan Qing still vainly hoped for mercy. ¡°That¡¯s not what you said before.¡± Su Jie gave a cold smile, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword swung, decapitating him, severing the life of this Inner Sect disciple of Heavenly Soul Sect, who had reached the Eighth Level of Yunling Realm. But the battle was not yet completely over. With Tan Qing¡¯s death, the female ghost was still alive. Su Jie shifted his gaze to the female ghost, which was miserably chased by the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Most of its black hair had been burned by the Thousand-Handed Centipede, and after Tan Qing¡¯s death, the female ghost did not leave. Its eerie eyes still fixed on Su Jie. Sensing a sip of cold energy lingering, Su Jie patted the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede and crisply said, ¡°Destroy it.¡± The Thousand-Handed Centipede screeched, coiling in the sky, lowering its head as its face armor parted. A blinding Purple Light Ray pierced the thick fog, completely enveloping the female ghost¡¯s body, rendering it into ash under the extreme heat. Chapter 110 - 26: Arrival (First Update) Chapter 110: Chapter 26: Arrival (First Update) The flames died out. Su Jie alighted on the ground aboard the thousand-hand centipede, and on the scalding surface, there was actually a strand of black hair twisting about. ¡°Hmm, a relic.¡± His eyes lit up immediately as Su Jie recognized the origin of this strand of black hair. Like the White Bone Tree, it was a treasure that had burst forth from a coincidental opportunity after death. The black hair twisted on the ground, resembling a tangled mess of lines, as well as a poisonous snake that was dead but not stiff. Out of caution, Su Jie didn¡¯t immediately pick it up; instead, he manipulated several pale corpse hands to grab it. The strand of black hair kept writhing, winding itself around the corpse hands autonomously, but it had no aggression¡ªmerely encircling, not strangling. Su Jie looked around. This wasn¡¯t the place for experiments. Once he confirmed there wasn¡¯t too much danger, he stored the strand of black hair in the storage bag. Then Su Jie began to clean up the battlefield, collecting everything that had burst forth from the three Heavenly Soul Sect disciples he had killed, including the clothes they were wearing and the bamboo hats they carried, which were clearly magic artifacts. Also, the Jade Bottle and Treasure Umbrella that had been damaged by the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword could be sold for a good sum of money as materials, even in their broken state. Beyond that were the various strange and curious items in Tan Qing¡¯s storage bag. Upon opening it, the storage bag contained several zombies that had not yet been refined, stiff fingers, the teeth of some animal, moldy white funeral attire, makeup used on the dead stored in bottles, heart blood, and so on. These materials were all brimming with a sinister aura and were mostly likely used to practice some Demon Technique. Apart from these, there were as many as two thousand Blood Marrow Crystals and a hundred or so Primordial Spirit Pearls. After hastily going through the items in the storage bag, Su Jie didn¡¯t linger for long. He destroyed a few corpses and then rode away from the battlefield at high speed on the thousand-hand centipede, finding Chen Yun and the others, and carrying them all on the back of the centipede. As for this White Mist Formation, it wasn¡¯t particularly clever¡ªthe range and height of concealment were limited, and the thousand-hand centipede capable of flight couldn¡¯t possibly get lost. ¡°Your poisonous insect can fly?¡± Chen Yun sat on the broad back of the thousand-hand centipede, her long hair blowing about in the fierce wind, and looked at Su Jie with envy. Such a centipede that could fight, withstand damage, and fly, was what many Ghost Ridge Palace disciples dreamt of! ¡°Impressive, right? In case we encounter an enemy too strong to defeat, having this means makes escape convenient.¡± Su Jie stroked the head of the thousand-hand centipede, but as he was saying so, the centipede seemed to have discovered something and let out two cries. Su Jie looked down and saw on the official road below, hundreds to thousands of overturned carriages, and corpses were everywhere. ¡°So many corpses.¡± Chen Yun¡¯s face paled slightly; there must have been thousands of bodies. ¡°They must be the noble families that left Nanyang City.¡± Due to the luxurious carriages and the family crests, Su Jie recognized the identity of what was once a grand caravan. The noble families that were the first to leave Nanyang City after the ghost incident. However, it seems now that they hadn¡¯t managed to escape the clutches of the Heavenly Soul Sect, and were trapped and killed in the wilderness. No wonder Nanyang City was still under the firm control of the Heavenly Soul Sect; it was likely that the news hadn¡¯t spread. ¡°There¡¯s probably an Elder from the Secret Realm stationed in Nanyang City, and not just one. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been so easy to kill so many from the noble families.¡± Su Jie stroked his chin, inwardly expressing relief. The noble families had deep roots; the one capable of wiping them out here definitely involved an Elder from the Hidden Realm taking action. Fortunately, Su Jie had left early; otherwise, if he had truly provoked an Elder from the Hidden Realm, even fleeing would have been difficult. ¡°` ¡°The Heavenly Soul Sect is acting so domineering.¡± Chen Yun found it incomprehensible. Although she too was a Demon Cultivator, Ghost Ridge Palace had always been accustomed to lurking within the mountains, seldom venturing out, relying mostly on the Black Market to transport resources. The battle at Golden Sand River only happened because Alien Ghosts caused the trade routes to be blocked and there was a shortage of human slaves, which was an unlikely reason to mobilize so many disciples to go out. Yet the Heavenly Soul Sect conducted themselves with such arrogance, displaying behavior more befitting of a Demon Sect, which was prone to incur the wrath of the major Righteous Sects and potentially lead to their annihilation. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not bother with this.¡± Su Jie no longer paid attention. Those noble families abandoned Nanyang City and its citizens to escape at the first sign of trouble, so it wouldn¡¯t be unjust if they died here. The thousand-hand centipede flew high, disappearing into the clouds, and sped toward the Green Valley Plain. Half a day after Su Jie left, a group of Heavenly Soul Sect disciples arrived at the scene. Seeing the traces of battle on the ground, the group was seething with rage but unable to find the perpetrator. Su Jie had already flown far away on the thousand-hand centipede. ........... ¡°Hmm, where am I?¡± When Dong Hongtian groggily regained consciousness, he found himself lying inside a carriage. Aside from himself, there were two other familiar figures in the carriage. ¡°Brother Dong, you¡¯re awake. You¡¯ve been unconscious for two whole days, we were so worried about you,¡± said Gan Huren and Cui Bingyuan, who had woken up before him, their spirits lifted immensely. ¡°Is this Brother Xu who saved me?¡± Dong Hongtian quickly realized that someone had obviously rescued him. ¡°That¡¯s right, we were both saved by Brother Xu and Miss Chen,¡± said Gan Huren and Cui Bingyuan, nodding continuously, filled with gratitude. ¡°Haha, at that time on the battlefield, Brother Dong, you were unconscious just as the fog lifted, and I took the opportunity to drag you back while the enemy was distracted,¡± Su Jie explained as he entered the carriage. ¡°I owe you my life, a debt I¡¯ll never forget. If there¡¯s anything I can help you with in the future, please be sure to let me know,¡± said Dong Hongtian, disregarding his physical weakness as he quickly got up and gave a deep bow of respect to Su Jie. Thinking back on how he had once misunderstood Su Jie and thought he had sold him out and run away, his face flushed with shame. What a selfless person Su Jie was! ¡°We, the people of Jianghu, need not be so coy and formal,¡± Su Jie shook his head and then pointed ahead of the carriage, saying, ¡°Up ahead is the Green Valley Plain, Brother Dong, you¡¯ve woken up just in time.¡± An expanse of lush green plain stretched as far as the eye could see ¨C that was Green Valley Plain. Compared to when Su Jie left, the only difference was that there were now tents dotted across the plain. Strong and formidable-looking martial artists, swords and knives in tow, had gathered here. ¡°Halt, who goes there?¡± The appearance of Su Jie and his companions stirred many, and some martial artists called out with loud inquiries. Stepping down from the carriage, Dong Hongtian replied. ¡°I am Wild Sword Dong Hongtian. Hearing of the grand assembly here united against demons, I¡¯ve brought a group of friends to lend our assistance in this righteous endeavor,¡± said Dong Hongtian, whose name was not without its renown as his cultivation at the Third Level of Yunling Realm placed him among the first-class masters of the Martial Arts world, and many recognized him. ¡°` Chapter 111 - 27: Return to the Sect Chapter 111: Chapter 27: Return to the Sect ¡°It seems Wild Sword has come to visit, please come in quickly.¡± A few martial arts veterans of seemingly high status stepped forward, expressing their welcome to Dong Hongtian¡¯s arrival. Su Jie sized up the tent campsite, which wasn¡¯t very large and didn¡¯t have a proper blockade line. If one wanted to enter or exit the Green Valley Plain, they could simply take a slight detour and pass without anyone knowing, let alone talk about blocking Ghost Ridge Palace. However, once Su Jie saw the cultivation level of these martial artists in the campsite, he understood the reason. There were roughly a few hundred people from the Jianghu, with varying strengths, most of them at about the First Level of Yunling Realm¡ªperfect cannon fodder. Someone with Dong Hongtian¡¯s cultivation, placed among them, would stand out as top-notch. It was those few martial arts veterans, one or two of them, who gave Su Jie the impression of having the cultivation of the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm. With such power, how could they possibly be opponents of the Ghost Ridge Palace disciples? The so-called blockade was more form than substance. Probably these people from the martial arts community came here just to ride on the coattails of the Golden Sand River battle¡¯s hype, to announce their presence and advertise their renown; to truly fight against the demon cultivator disciples of the Ghost Ridge Palace was merely delivering themselves as easy targets. If he had known it would be like this, Su Jie would have just taken Chen Yun back with him in the first place. Dong Hongtian, Gan Huren, and Cui Bingyuan were all familiar with this kind of situation, chatting in twos and threes, boasting about various deeds of eradicating evil, robbing the rich to aid the poor, and they quickly became acquainted, also introducing Su Jie and Chen Yun quite a bit. As for Su Jie and Chen Yun, even though they hadn¡¯t made a name for themselves in the Jianghu yet, these people of the martial arts world treated them as just greenhorns who had recently started wandering through the Jianghu¡ªit was normal not to have any reputation. Possibly out of gratitude for saving his life, Dong Hongtian kept introducing Su Jie to highly respected and powerful martial arts veterans. Su Jie just smiled on the surface, until a middle-aged man carrying two long swords on his back with a majestic aura appeared, which finally sparked some interest in Su Jie. ¡°This is Jinghong Sword God, Yuan Ying, Senior Yuan. On his way to the Green Valley Plain, Senior Yuan killed the inner disciple Xu Yihu of Ghost Ridge Palace with his sword, which truly gratified all of us. Brother Xu, look over there, that¡¯s Xu Yihu¡¯s head; even an inner disciple has been slain, which is enough to prove the success of our action.¡± Su Jie followed Dong Hongtian¡¯s pointing finger and saw Xu Yihu¡¯s head stuck on a bamboo pole. The head¡¯s face was swollen from being in the water, and eaten away by fish and shrimp, leaving it riddled with holes, but one could still make out that it was Xu Yihu¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to boast of. Killing that fiend was a matter of luck; he had been injured by various disciples of the righteous sects, otherwise I would have stood no chance. Fortunately, we removed this blight, venting the anger for the many taken captives, without tarnishing our reputation in the martial arts community.¡± Yuan Ying stood with his hands behind his back, appearing modest as he spoke. After speaking, with an appreciative expression towards the younger generation, Yuan Ying patted Su Jie¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I heard that you once saved Brother Dong¡¯s life. We need young heroes like you to join us; as long as we work together, those remnants of Ghost Ridge Palace will surely flee at the sight of us.¡± Chen Yun, who was next to Su Jie, bowed her head, shoulders shaking constantly, barely able to stop herself from slapping this guy to death. What ¡®sword-slaying Xu Yihu¡¯? If she hadn¡¯t seen with her own eyes the Thousand-Handed Centipede biting Xu Yihu to death, she really might have been fooled by him. This man must have fished Xu Yihu¡¯s body from somewhere and presented it as a trophy of his own, truly the epitome of shamelessness. ¡°Senior Yuan¡¯s bravery is remarkable. We martial artists can also slay demon cultivators with our swords, even inner disciples. I wonder when I will be able to reach the profound and unfathomable realm that you have attained, Senior.¡± Su Jie clasped his hands together, his smile somewhat playful. ¡°As long as you diligently practice and do not forget your initial resolve, you will eventually reach my level.¡± Yuan Ying spoke gracefully, advising the junior in front of him as if truly facing another one looking up to him. Afterward, Yuan Ying chatted with Dong Hongtian for a few more words before leaving with an easy-going manner. ¡°How about it? Senior Yuan is great, isn¡¯t he? Knowing him, when you travel the Qingzhou Martial World in the future, his reputation can solve many problems,¡± Dong Hongtian said with admiration, genuinely respecting him from the bottom of his heart. Su Jie just smiled without saying a word, instead he pressed down on Chen Yun¡¯s arm to keep her from really causing trouble; it wasn¡¯t worth killing anyone over such a trivial matter. ........ Night. Around the Green Valley Plain, people from the martial arts community gathered together, lit fires, and drank freely from jars. Su Jie left behind a letter and, accompanied by Chen Yun, quietly left the camp blending into the night. Hurrying along the way, this time there were no further troubles encountered on their return to Ghost Ridge Palace, as the Green Valley Plain was void of dangers. Thanks to the swift flying speed of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie and Chen Yun arrived within the borders of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s territory by late night. From a distance, they could see three tower buildings with members of the Law Enforcement Team patrolling back and forth; this was the junction separating Ghost Ridge Palace from the outside world. ¡°Disciple Su Jie, returning from a mission, here is the token of proof,¡± As a member of the Law Enforcement Team just stopped them, Su Jie promptly presented his token to affirm his identity. ¡°Kid, ran back from Golden Sand River? Lucky you.¡± The Law Enforcement Team member checked the token and commented. ¡°I wonder how much we lost this time at Golden Sand River, and how many ships made it back.¡± Curious to learn more, Su Jie handed over two Blood Marrow Crystals as he inquired for news. Taking the Blood Marrow Crystals, the Law Enforcement Team member sighed and said, ¡°Following the battle at Golden Sand River, eight out of every ten disciples who went out haven¡¯t returned, and almost all the human slaves have been wiped out. I heard the Elders are particularly furious.¡± ¡°Thank you for the information.¡± Su Jie nodded; this was consistent with his own assessment. Having obtained the desired answers and without further delay, he continued up the mountain path with Chen Yun. After several days of traveling through mountains and ridges without even encountering an Alien Ghost, they successfully returned to Ghost Ridge Palace Sect. ¡°Finally back, I¡¯m going to head home and clean up first.¡± Gazing at the familiar Mountain Gate, Chen Yun felt deeply moved, as the journey had been rather frightful and harrowing. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Command Hall to submit the mission.¡± Su Jie parted ways with Chen Yun and headed towards the Command Hall. Although the slave trading trip from Liuyun Manor ultimately failed, it was still necessary to submit the task to at least let the Sect know he was still alive. Inside the Command Hall, Su Jie entered and noticed it was much emptier than usual. Due to the battle at Golden Sand River and the loss of a large group of disciples, those who had gone out on missions, even the Outer Disciples, were mostly third level or above in the Yunling Realm; they were the backbone of the Command Hall for accepting tasks. Now with fewer disciples, it was natural for the Command Hall to be quieter. ¡°Su... Brother Su, is it really you? I thought you must have...¡± Upon seeing Su Jie¡¯s return, Wu Bin¡¯s face was filled with surprise, likely thinking that Su Jie had perished at Golden Sand River. ¡°Brother Wu, long time no see, you probably thought I died out there, didn¡¯t you?¡± Su Jie stepped forward, handing over the token. ¡°Hey, hey, I didn¡¯t mean...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to explain, Brother Wu. After all, too many disciples died this time, it¡¯s not strange for you to think so,¡± Su Jie shrugged his shoulders, and as he handed over the token again, he asked, ¡°Brother Wu, if I remember correctly, your Command Hall is also responsible for the promotion exams for inner disciples, right?¡± ¡°Correct, why do you ask? Could it be...¡± Wu Bin seemed to realize something, shuddering all over, his mouth agape and his eyes wide in astonishment as he looked at Su Jie. ¡°I¡¯ve come for the promotion to inner disciple.¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice was calm, and as his words fell, the Managers in the Command Hall turned their heads in shock, their expressions spelling disbelief. Chapter 112 - 28: Promotion to Inner Sect Disciple Chapter 112: Chapter 28: Promotion to Inner Sect Disciple ¡°Brother Su, has your strength reached the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm?¡± Wu Bin finally reacted, his face a mix of shock and joy as he looked at Su Jie. Although he had felt that Su Jie had the potential to be promoted to an inner disciple when they first met, the reality of Su Jie¡¯s breakthrough to the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm left him immensely shocked because it had all happened too quickly. However, he didn¡¯t harbor too many doubts, as the breakthroughs of Demon Cultivators were never by the book. Rapid early-stage cultivation progress had become synonymous with Demon Cultivators. ¡°Genuine beyond doubt.¡± Su Jie nodded, and Wu Bin¡¯s smile brightened as he hurriedly turned around to call someone. ¡°I¡¯ll go find the Hall Master right away to confirm your promotion. Please wait a moment.¡± Wu Bin had left, but even more people were crowding around Su Jie. ¡°Congratulations, Mr. Su, on your promotion to the Inner Sect. From now on, the sky¡¯s the limit, and the ocean is yours to explore.¡± ¡°An inner disciple, I never imagined I would witness this grand occasion today. I wish Mr. Su great accomplishments in the future and an early promotion to the Secret Realm.¡± A group of Managers surrounded Su Jie, ceaselessly offering their congratulations, trying to get on his good side and familiarize themselves with him for any future dealings. Apart from these Managers, the disciples from the Command Hall couldn¡¯t help but cast glances his way. ¡°That person has been promoted to an inner disciple; what¡¯s his background? He looks so young.¡± ¡°Hiss, that¡¯s our branch¡¯s Brother Su. He used to talk to me.¡± ¡°I recognize him; he was quite prominent in the Black Market. He had an Elder¡¯s gifted White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. I didn¡¯t expect him to be promoted to an inner disciple so quickly.¡± These disciples didn¡¯t dare to come closer, just watching from a distance, and their words were filled with envy for Su Jie. After all, being an inner disciple is a completely different concept than being an Outer Disciple. Outer Disciples are mere cannon fodder while inner disciples are candidates for the Secret Realm, and their status is beyond comparison. The news spread quickly, soon leaving the Command Hall and drifting to the ears of more disciples within the Sect. There were not many inner disciples in Ghost Ridge Palace, and every promotion of an inner disciple sparked discussions among the disciples, creating buzz that lasted for quite some time. It didn¡¯t take long for Su Jie to wait; soon Wu Bin returned with an elder. Su Jie recognized the man, Master Zuo Xiping of the Command Hall, a genuine cultivator of the Secret Realm. ¡°So you¡¯re Su Jie, right? Not bad, not bad. To reach the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm at such a young age, Taoist Qiu has indeed taught a fine disciple!¡± Zuo Xiping stroked his goatee, appearing extremely amiable. It wasn¡¯t that Master Zuo needed to curry favor with an inner disciple, but rather, he had a good relationship with Taoist Qiu, which accounted for his warm demeanor. ¡°Disciple has seen Master Zuo.¡± Su Jie performed a respectful salute. ¡°Show me your spiritual aura.¡± Master Zuo gestured with his hand, and without hesitation, Su Jie activated his Spiritual Power, not concealing the fluctuations of his aura. Strong Spiritual Power that only a cultivator of the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm could possess, clearly telling everyone present that Su Jie¡¯s status as an inner disciple was well-deserved. ¡°Very good, your Spiritual Power is quite pure.¡± Master Zuo nodded slightly and took out a bunch of items from his Storage Bag. ¡°This is the robe for inner disciples, this is the Identity Token, and these are one hundred Blood Marrow Crystals. From now on, every month, you will receive this amount as your monthly fee. These are the three Cultivation Techniques that inner disciples can practice, this is the Token for the Medicine Pavilion and the Scripture Collection Tower. You may claim three Xuanling Pills from the Medicine Pavilion every month and browse the precious texts above the second floor for free. This is your new residence, which includes a small blessed land with a richer and more abundant supply of Spiritual Energy to aid in your cultivation.¡± You also have the privilege to purchase Magic Artifacts; you can contact the Artifact Refiners of the sect to create the Demon Path Magic Artifacts you desire according to your specifications...¡± A huge pile of items was handed over to Su Jie, including the Cultivation Techniques for Insect Control, Body Worm, and Human Worm, as well as various other benefits exclusive to inner disciples. This is the advantage of being an inner disciple; only then are you truly acknowledged and accepted by the Ghost Ridge Palace and not just considered expendable cannon fodder. Seeing Su Jie scoop up so many benefits, envy turned the eyes of the disciples in the Command Hall red. They had to pay the Elder their monthly fee every month, while Su Jie was not only exempted from this payment, but he would also receive hundreds of Blood Marrow Crystals as a monthly fee from the sect; the gap was simply too huge. ¡°This disciple thanks Master Zuo. From now on, I will certainly strive in my cultivation and not disappoint the sect¡¯s nurturing.¡± Su Jie took a deep breath, his heart swelling with indescribable excitement. Inner Sect Disciple, finally, he was also an inner disciple. ¡°Brother Su, congratulations, congratulations.¡± Wu Bin was standing beside Su Jie, with a smile even brighter than Su Jie¡¯s; even his molars were showing. ¡°Brother Wu, join me for a couple of drinks tonight.¡± Su Jie did not become arrogant because of his promotion to inner disciple; instead, he smoothly extended the invitation. ¡°That sounds splendid. I just so happen to have stored away two jars of twenty-year-old brew; tonight, we won¡¯t return until we¡¯re drunk.¡± Seeing Su Jie¡¯s unchanged attitude, Wu Bin felt even happier inside. As the Manager of the Command Hall, he may have a bit of authority, but his status was still not comparable to that of an inner disciple¡ªafter all, this was a world where power reigned supreme. And being acquainted with an inner disciple, having Su Jie as a contact, would be greatly beneficial for Wu Bin, potentially raising his status in the Command Hall by quite a bit. Wearing the blue robe of an inner disciple, Su Jie stepped out of the Command Hall. The sun was just right outside, its bright light shining on his face, and Su Jie¡¯s lips curled up ever so slightly. A year ago, he was just an ordinary person from Blue Star, but when he crossed over to the Tianyuan World, he was merely unpaid labor in Ghost Ridge Palace, catching insects every day. Now, a year had passed, and his life and status had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. Sometimes, Su Jie himself felt as if it was all a dream. ¡°Brother Su!¡± ¡°Brother Su!¡± ¡°Brother Su!¡± The news spread quickly; no sooner had Su Jie been promoted to inner disciple and walked out of the Command Hall than the surrounding disciples all started to greet him, their tones respectful. These were all disciples of Taoist Qiu¡¯s lineage, who had specially rushed over to congratulate Su Jie on his promotion. Su Jie ignored them and looked toward a figure in the crowd. ¡°Senior Yu, why are you here too?¡± Su Jie rubbed his brow, for the person standing in front of him was none other than his Senior Sister, Yu Wen Xian. ¡°I heard you were promoted to inner disciple. As your Senior Sister, how could I not come to witness my Junior Brother¡¯s impressive rise?¡± Yu Wen Xian giggled behind her hand, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she looked at Su Jie. ¡°My judgment wasn¡¯t wrong; Junior Brother Su would sooner or later become an inner disciple. It¡¯s just a pity that I didn¡¯t seize the opportunity; otherwise, you and I could have already become a splendid tale by now.¡± ¡°Senior Yu, I¡¯m in a hurry to get home and won¡¯t chat more with you.¡± After hearing this, the corner of Su Jie¡¯s mouth twitched. If he really had taken the opportunity, by now he would likely be serving as a servant, toiling like an ox or a horse. He hastily said goodbye to Yu Wen Xian, to avoid this dangerous woman who was constantly after him. Chapter 113 - 29: A New Source of Wealth Chapter 113: Chapter 29: A New Source of Wealth Su Jie didn¡¯t return to his former residence in the cave dwelling; instead, he arrived in front of a grand manor with four courtyards. The mansion was quite imposing, with spacious grounds, intricately carved beams, and painted rafters adorned with various exotic flowers and rare herbs. This was the residence assigned to Su Jie by the Sect after his promotion to inner disciple, a stark contrast to his narrow cave dwelling from before. In front of the main gate, having been informed earlier, a dozen or so servants, maids, and chefs were waiting at the doorstep; as soon as Su Jie appeared, they all knelt down in unison. ¡°Greetings to Mr. Su.¡± They knelt on the ground without daring to move an inch until Su Jie spoke. They now belonged to Su Jie¡¯s personal possessions, given to him along with the mansion; Su Jie could kill them on a whim without any repercussions. ¡°Rise, go prepare dinner. I will be hosting friends tonight.¡± Waving his hand, Su Jie walked into the mansion. The group of servants breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed their new master was reasonably approachable. He pushed open the door to the mansion¡¯s practice room, which was simply laid out but indeed the most crucial part of the estate. ¡°As expected, the spiritual energy here is much denser than in the outside world.¡± After taking a few breaths, Su Jie felt the increase in spiritual energy and looked down at his feet. The earth¡¯s vein here constituted a minor blessed land, not very large¡ªonly a few dozen square meters¡ªbut sufficient to speed up cultivation. If Su Jie had such a blessed spot for cultivation in the past, he would have been ecstatic for days and nights. Unfortunately, now that Su Jie had the White Bone Tree, he looked down on this small blessed land. The White Bone Tree provided spiritual energy at a much higher efficiency. Not in a rush to cultivate, Su Jie took out a strand of black hair, to be precise, Ghost Hair, from his storage bag. The Ghost Hair wrapped around Su Jie¡¯s arm. He hadn¡¯t experimented with it on the road, but now, settling down, Su Jie planned to see what effects this relic dropped by the female ghost might have. As he tried to infuse some spiritual power, Su Jie saw that the Ghost Hair merely writhed more actively yet showed nothing extraordinary. ¡°Could it be...¡± Su Jie thought of something and tried to touch his scalp with the Ghost Hair. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Like a shark sensing blood, the strand of Ghost Hair instantly burrowed into Su Jie¡¯s scalp and began to grow wildly. At a thought from Su Jie, the Ghost Hair cascaded down like a waterfall, swelling and expanding rapidly, overflowing with the intent to kill, shredding everything ahead according to Su Jie¡¯s will. This was one of Tan Qing the female ghost¡¯s attack abilities, albeit a bit weakened. However, Su Jie¡¯s face showed little joy; the Ghost Hair was powerful, but uncontrollable, growing wildly and falling to the floor, dragging at a length of three meters. Crack, crack. Using the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, Su Jie cut off the Ghost Hair, but it continued to grow frenziedly until it reached three meters in length, similar to the original length of the female ghost. Looking at himself in the mirror, Su Jie¡¯s face was full of speechlessness; he had some trouble accepting this appearance. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m not lacking in attack power right now.¡± After giving it some serious thought, Su Jie decided to remove the Ghost Hair for the sake of his own majestic and valiant image. Not sure if it absorbed Su Jie¡¯s blood, but this strand of Ghost Hair became even more domineering. It wrapped around him on its own, as if seeking a host, emanating a strong aggression. The twisted hairs filled the practice room, intent on ripping and shredding everything. In addition, Su Jie¡¯s own hair began to grow wildly again, though without any offensive power this time¡ªmerely growth influenced by radiation from the Ghost Hair. Hmph. With a flutter of his eyes, Su Jie released a Purple Light Ray, instantly dissolving a large mass of Ghost Hair, which then slowly withered; however, it still possessed strong radiating abilities, causing Su Jie¡¯s hair to begin growing wildly as soon as it came near. ¡°Could it be that only a ghost can truly control this thing?¡± Su Jie was somewhat helpless; it was, after all, a product of the female ghost¡¯s body, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that as a human, he couldn¡¯t precisely control it. If Su Jie could sacrifice his personal image a bit, its power was indeed not bad, but unless absolutely necessary, Su Jie wouldn¡¯t really consider it. ¡°Go collect dust in my Storage Bag, I¡¯m not bald and don¡¯t need you.¡± The more he thought about it, the angrier Su Jie got, cursing and picking up the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword like a razor, once again cutting off the hair that had grown down to his legs, preparing to take this Ghost Hair back into the Storage Bag so it wouldn¡¯t keep radiating and making his hair grow. But it was this very complaint that sparked a flash of spirit light in Su Jie¡¯s mind, and he suddenly turned to look at the strand of Ghost Hair in his hand. ¡°Right, I¡¯m not bald, but there are plenty of people who are!¡± Su Jie slapped his thigh, having thought of a new use for it. This thing wasn¡¯t just for combat, it could also be used for hair growth! To verify this bold idea in his mind, Su Jie immediately began a new experiment. This time, Su Jie wasn¡¯t testing the attacking power of the clump of Ghost Hair, but the radiant ability of the Ghost Hair radiation to make human hair grow after radiation exposure. ... An hour later. Su Jie sat cross-legged on the floor, with a basin of clear water in front of him, in which floated the strand of Ghost Hair. Su Jie first shaved his own hair clean, revealing a shiny bald head, then dabbed a bit of the water from the basin onto his head. Whoosh whoosh. Strands of shiny black hair sprouted from his scalp, quickly hanging down to his waist and continuing to grow to several meters before stopping. ¡°The effect is still too strong.¡± Su Jie stood up and shouted outside, ¡°Ah Fu, bring in more water.¡± On hearing the voice, the old steward named Ah Fu hurried in with several maids and servants, carrying a large tub of water inside. Su Jie put the Ghost Hair into the water tub, then called Ah Fu to halt. ¡°Does the young master need anything else?¡± Ah Fu asked, trembling. ¡°Help me with an experiment.¡± Su Jie looked at Ah Fu¡¯s thinning crown and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Ah!¡± At this statement, remembering all sorts of terrifying rumors about Demon Cultivators eating people and conducting human experiments, Ah Fu turned pale with fright and his legs went weak. Su Jie had no idea what messy things Ah Fu was thinking about and, feeling that the soaking time was about right, he picked up a ladle of water and poured it over Ah Fu¡¯s head. At the same time, Su Jie put a hand on Ah Fu¡¯s shoulder to check for changes in his body. Ah Fu trembled all over, clenching his teeth, waiting for the cruel fate to come. However, the expected pain did not arrive, and instead, Ah Fu felt a bit of itchiness on his scalp. Then, through the mirror placed in front of him, Ah Fu saw something that shocked him beyond belief. His head, which had been balding for years, was suddenly covered with thick hair, and he instantly looked several years younger. ¡°Eh, is this, do I have hair now?¡± Ah Fu touched his head in disbelief, it wasn¡¯t bald anymore, this time he felt a handful of lush hair. ¡°No side effects, it worked.¡± Su Jie also finally showed a smile, withdrawing his hand. He had just used his Spiritual Power to probe, and the water flow only stimulated hair growth without damaging any other part of the body. This meant that right after his timber business, Su Jie was about to master another code to wealth. The hair loss market on Blue Star, including wigs, hair transplants, maintenance, hair loss treatment, and more, was worth trillions of dollars. Chapter 114 - 30: Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill (First Update) Chapter 114: Chapter 30: Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill (First Update) After celebrating with Wu Bin and Chen Yun for one night, Su Jie came to the courtyard where Taoist Qiu resided the next day. Thud, thud. Gently knocking on the door knocker, footsteps came from inside, and a middle-aged man dressed as a butler walked out. ¡°Disciple Su Jie seeks an audience with Master.¡± Su Jie spoke loudly, while simultaneously handing over the gift he had prepared to the butler. With his new position, Su Jie of course came to pay a visit to his direct leader. ¡°So it¡¯s Mr. Su, I will immediately inform the master.¡± The butler, obviously aware of Su Jie¡¯s promotion, quickly went in to report. It didn¡¯t take long before he came out again. ¡°The master asks you to come in, please follow me, Mr. Su.¡± With the butler leading the way, Su Jie arrived at a flower court. In the spiritually rich soil were planted full gardens of Dragon Blood Flower, blossoming like blood in their splendid beauty. This was a special type of Spirit Plant, the magnificent blossoms required fresh blood to nourish and promote growth, preferably by watering with human blood to look their best and most vibrant. At the moment, Taoist Qiu was standing in the middle of the flower garden, back towards Su Jie, and said lightly, ¡°Without human slaves, my flower garden has lost much of its luster, you have come at an untimely moment.¡± ¡°Disciple is at fault for not bringing the human slaves back to the Sect, please punish me, Master.¡± Su Jie stood upright, taking the blame. ¡°That is everyone¡¯s fault, you do not yet have the status to bear such responsibility.¡± Taoist Qiu slowly turned around, his face lean, his eyes like ancient wells without ripples. ¡°Your senior brother is dead, now you are one of only two inner disciples on my side, do not tarnish my name.¡± Taoist Qiu slowly spoke, and as he did, Su Jie always felt he was being stared at by Taoist Qiu, wondering whether he suspected that Pei Haibing¡¯s death was related to him. A chill went through Su Jie¡¯s heart, and he earnestly said, ¡°Master, I will definitely glorify our branch and won¡¯t perform worse than others.¡± ¡°It would be best that way; don¡¯t be like your senior brother, less capable than others, ultimately just a handful of yellow earth.¡± Seeming to be giving Su Jie a warning, Taoist Qiu might have guessed something but did not probe further. Competition within the Demon Path is brutal; it¡¯s quite normal for the successful to climb over the bodies of the defeated. For Taoist Qiu, even if Su Jie really killed Pei Haibing, it meant no loss to him, rather he gained a more promising disciple. Especially under the circumstances of limited resources, it was certain to select the best and cultivate the stronger one. Just like the competition in the animal kingdom, the eaglets nurtured by an eagle are not fed on an equal footing, but the fiercest chick gets fed, and the weaker chicks, unable to get food, grow thinner and eventually are abandoned and starve to death. ¡°Your potential is not bad; choose one Cultivation Technique out of the three.¡± After the slight admonishment, Taoist Qiu offered a sweetener and brought out three Jade Scrolls. The Jade Scrolls were inscribed with the names of the Cultivation Techniques: White Bone Transformation Skill, Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, and Yaksha Body Refining Technique. ¡°White Bone Transformation Skill, your senior brother practiced that. Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, cultivates the great Dao of the soul, where the soul emerges purified from extinction, allowing the divine soul to traverse space in a single day. Yaksha Body Refining Technique seeks a body like a demon, thrown into the flames, and at its successful completion, one can dive into the sea to capture flood dragons and fly to seize and consume giant birds.¡± Listening to Taoist Qiu, Su Jie looked at the three Cultivation Techniques, having seen Pei Haibing use the White Bone Transformation Technique. The Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, strengthens the divine soul, primarily enhancing inherent talents. The Yaksha Body Refining Technique was quite domineering, but Su Jie knew, with the temperament of demon cultivators, the more ruthless and powerful the technique, the more it required the blood sacrifice of human slaves. ¡°Master, the disciple chooses the Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill.¡± Su Jie made his choice, knowing his own talents were lacking and now that he had been promoted to an inner disciple, he likely wouldn¡¯t face any danger in a short span; instead, improving talent excited him greatly. ¡°Have you decided? This technique is more orthodox and requires patient cultivation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure, I choose this one.¡± ¡°Take it then, and do not teach it privately.¡± ¡°Disciple understands.¡± Having received the Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, Su Jie felt joy in his heart, yet he also felt somewhat sentimental. Calling him Master wasn¡¯t in vain, for he had given such a precious Cultivation Technique. This also showed Taoist Qiu¡¯s generosity and the depth of his resources, as other Elders might not have had so many superior Cultivation Techniques, and even if they did, they might not have been willing to let their disciples practice them. ¡°You may leave now. Go back and practice well.¡± Taoist Qiu averted his gaze and plucked a Dragon Blood Flower. The large blossom bloomed, falling into Su Jie¡¯s hand, where the petals¡¯ infant mouths opened, seeking to suckle Su Jie¡¯s blood. ¡°Thank you, Master, for this gift.¡± Su Jie bowed and then left the courtyard. The butler waiting outside saw this and laughed, ¡°It seems that Mr. Su is greatly favored by the master. The master usually only cares about his flowers and fish, and he does not give Dragon Blood Flowers to a disciple he doesn¡¯t highly value.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that Master holds me in high regard; I still have much to work on.¡± Su Jie gave a bow and left Taoist Qiu¡¯s residence, eager to return and practice. ........ Inside the Practice Room of the mansion. ¡°This Cultivation Technique is indeed quite orthodox.¡± Su Jie sat cross-legged on the ground, the Jade Scroll pressed to his forehead, and the vast knowledge of the Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill flooded into his mind. After several hours, Su Jie manipulated a spell with his hands and looked into the void ahead, chanting spell names and the Voice of God in the air. Behind Su Jie, the air gradually rippled and a phantom-like darkness emerged. Rustle, rustle! Then, above Su Jie¡¯s head, a ghostly sphere slowly rose¡ªthis was Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul. As the Divine Soul exited the body, Su Jie¡¯s perspective changed too, residing within the Divine Soul, and he saw his physical body sitting in the Practice Room. At this moment, Su Jie could control this Divine Soul, while his physical body was immobile like a vegetative state. This novel perspective excited Su Jie immensely, and he moved back and forth through the Practice Room. However, when Su Jie tried to pass through the door to the outside world, a wave of discomfort overcame him. The Divine Soul, hit by the sunlight, had wisps of bluish smoke rising from its surface. Having just practiced the Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul was still too weak, and instinctively felt uncomfortable under the sacred light of the sun, which was extremely Yang. ¡°The Divine Soul is still too weak.¡± Thinking this, Su Jie controlled his invisible Divine Soul to soar into the sky. However, the farther away he got, the weaker the connection between Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul and his physical body became. Ultimately, Su Jie could only move within a hundred meters around the mansion. Any further, and his physical body would truly die, and his Divine Soul, exposed to the elements and storms, wouldn¡¯t last long either. After thoroughly testing his capabilities, Su Jie controlled his Divine Soul to return to the Practice Room and looked towards the darkness behind his physical body, his Divine Soul flying back into it. Within the darkness, a burst of light suddenly shone forth. Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul appeared like a great sun suspended in the dark Nine Nether, its light and heat illuminating the darkness. Suddenly, Su Jie felt a refreshing clarity, his mind working much faster. With a single thought, the meridians within his body clearly appeared, the roaring flow of Qi and blood, and the complexity of the human body¡¯s major acupoints were all revealed. The path to the Seventh Level of Yunling Realm was no longer obstructed for Su Jie, there were no more secrets, leaving only the need for continuous, meticulous effort. ¡°So this is what it feels like to be a genius!¡± A smile played on Su Jie¡¯s lips, his Divine Soul previously confined within the Mud Pill Palace, immobile like an Earth-bound Spirit. But now, Su Jie allowed his Divine Soul to step out of the Mud Pill Palace, and the darkness it illuminated was actually the parts of the body he had never clearly seen before¡ªa fundamental improvement in bodily control, giving Su Jie a comprehensive and clear understanding of himself. Simultaneously, the physical body would nourish the Divine Soul too, the abundant Spiritual Power and Qi blood constantly tempering the fragile Divine Soul, making it as firm as rock. And as Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul grew stronger, this understanding would deepen even further, body and Divine Soul boosting each other, complementing each other. Eventually, he would achieve a state as clear as a mirror, the Soul transforming into the Primordial Spirit, body and Soul at will, one thought manifesting myriad forms, one thought returning all to ruins. Of course, such a state was far beyond what could be achieved in the Yunling Realm, or even in the Secret Realm. Chapter 115 - 31: Return to Hua Country (Second Update) Chapter 115: Chapter 31: Return to Hua Country (Second Update) Half a month later! Insect Valley, Su Jie, clutching a Nine-tailed Ghost Scorpion, ignored its struggles and stuffed it into an Insect Control Bag. During half a month, aside from his cultivation practice, he would also come to Insect Valley in his spare time to collect various Poison Insects. Whoosh whoosh! The sky reverberated with howling as a massive thousand-hand centipede hurriedly flew by, followed by a sky-darkening swarm of human-faced moths, their numbers either in the millions or tens of millions. Nobody knew how the thousand-hand centipede had provoked them, but the human-faced moths were furious, seemingly determined to engulf the centipede. The thousand-hand centipede flew erratically until, after more than ten minutes, it finally managed to shake off these swarming creatures. Boom! The thousand-hand centipede landed, its body still draped with dense clusters of human-faced moths. These little things kept biting the centipede and wouldn¡¯t let go. Beneath the belly of the thousand-hand centipede, numerous pale corpse hands clutched oversized nets. Inside were vast amounts of human-faced moths ¨C the reason why the human-faced moth swarm chased the thousand-hand centipede. Setting the net in front of Su Jie, the thousand-hand centipede shook its body similar to a dog shaking off water after a bath, flinging all the human-faced moths off its back. At this moment, the originally dark and glossy insect shell of the thousand-hand centipede was pitted and uneven, with many parts exposed to flesh, sizzling and smoking from the corrosion of acid. Thankfully, the thousand-hand centipede had a strong self-healing power; other people¡¯s poisonous insects would hardly endure such injuries. ¡°Sizzle sizzle!¡± The thousand-hand centipede let out a pitiful noise, seemingly lodging a complaint to Su Jie about the malicious deeds of the human-faced moths. ¡°How did you come to make such a spectacle? Don¡¯t be like a bandit, charging into someone else¡¯s territory and causing chaos!¡± Su Jie was both amused and annoyed as he patted its big head. Whereas others subtly snuck into villages to catch human-faced moths, the thousand-hand centipede would barrel straight in and forcefully plunder, which naturally enraged the human-faced moth swarm. The thousand-hand centipede crawled and called out chaotically as if to say that if it weren¡¯t for Su Jie¡¯s orders, it wouldn¡¯t have bothered to provoke those dim-witted human-faced moths. Su Jie ignored the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s grievances and began collecting the human-faced moths on the ground. After advancing to the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm, Su Jie, practicing the Body Worm Focusing Method, could control a significantly increased number of human-faced moths. With this new batch, Su Jie now had control over seventy to eighty thousand human-faced moths, and the power of the resulting Insect Cloud had drastically increased. He then put the thousand-hand centipede into his sleeve and looked at his now brimming Beast Control Bag. Inside, various poisonous insects lay dormant, nearly bursting the seams of the bag. ¡°About enough, this batch of Poison Insects will suffice for Fumen Breeding Farm¡¯s use for some time; it¡¯s time to head back.¡± Attaching the Insect Control Bag to his waist, Su Jie opened the Ancient Mirror and stepped through it to return to Blue Star. ........ Mande City. Fumen Breeding Farm, the underground poisonous insect breeding base. Su Jie tossed the inferior poison insects from the Tianyuan World into it and set up the Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram. With a little time, those poisonous insects would be fattened up by the Blue Star Poison Insects, converting into Low-Grade Poisonous Insects, ready for harvest by the thousand-hand centipede later. He then took out the newly cultivated human-faced moths, and tens of thousands of them feasted in this place. A myriad of Blue Star Poison Insects became their sustenance, with the number of human-faced moths achieving a breakthrough to Low Grade already reaching hundreds, and still slowly increasing as time went on. Though these low-grade human-faced moths had limited attack methods and were considered weak in combat among low-grade poisonous insects ¨C after all, few colony insects have strong individual combat abilities ¨C they were still Low-Grade Poisonous Insects, and any Outer Disciple with such an insect would stand out among their peers. For Su Jie, it was like wholesaling, and if anyone saw it, their eyeballs would probably pop out. After the human-faced moths had their fill, Su Jie took out several new Insect Control Bags and took away most of the Blue Star Poisonous Insects from Fumen Breeding Farm, so that he could feed the human-faced moths anytime and anywhere. Having completed all this, Su Jie left Fumen Breeding Farm and returned to Mande City, entering the headquarters of Jieke Company. ¡°Mr. Su.¡± ¡°Mr. Su.¡± ¡°Mr. Su.¡± One after another, company employees called out Su Jie¡¯s name, some even trembling with apprehension. Ever since Su Jie acted decisively one night, executing a group of greedy officials and businessmen who were overstepping their bounds, the atmosphere in Mande City was greatly improved, including at Jieke Company. Within the company, Su Jie summoned Chen Yaoguang. After Liu Yingying returned to Hua Country, the affairs of Jieke Company were temporarily managed by Chen Yaoguang. However, his main focus was still insect breeding. The real decision making was to report to either Liu Yingying or Su Jie for ideas, given the convenience of telephones and the internet nowadays. ¡°Mr. Su, what do you need?¡± Chen Yaoguang, having received the message, hurried over. ¡°During this period, continue to expand the insect breeding business.¡± Su Jie succinctly took out a plan and directed Chen Yaoguang to expand production according to the demands listed. Currently, Su Jie¡¯s Body Worm Focusing Method and the thousand-hand centipede both required a large quantity of poisonous insects, especially the consumption by the thousand-hand centipede. Its resource demand for each advancement grew exponentially, so to complete the fifth spirit refinement, the breeding of Poison Insects needed to keep up. ¡°Hiss, Mr. Su, do we need to breed so many? Our financial resources might not keep up,¡± Chen Yaoguang said, shocked after seeing the number of Poison Insects listed in the plan. Because the quantity had increased several times compared to before. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the money. Our Poisonous Insect breeding business is now at the time of harvest. The lab has produced results, and we¡¯ll soon have a new source of revenue.¡± ¡°What, there are results?¡± Chen Yaoguang became instantly energized, ecstatic with joy. Because all along, although Jieke Company¡¯s Poison Insect breeding had been bustling, there had been no output, only consumption with no returns. This had caused the higher-ups at Jieke Company to be extremely anxious, fearing that one day the company might not be able to hold up any longer, and they would lose their good treatment. ¡°Otherwise, why would I breed so many poisonous insects? Our newest experiment is to extract and cultivate a new type of cell factor from poisonous insects that has a potent hair growth effect,¡± Su Jie said, smiling as he searched for a suitable excuse. Continuously breeding so many poisonous insects without any output would also raise suspicions, and the emergence of Ghost Hair gave Su Jie a reasonable excuse. As for the so-called cell factors, it is a new direction in the development of therapeutic drugs that is currently of global interest. Various different cell factors regulate every aspect of the human body, including immunity, development, growth, and tissue repair. Whether cell factors were involved in the induction of Ghost Hair, Su Jie wasn¡¯t sure. Matters of mysticism should not concern science; as far as Su Jie was concerned, if he said they existed, they existed. ¡°That¡¯s great, I¡¯ll get right to it and carry out the expanded reproduction plan as you instructed, Mr. Su,¡± Chen Yaoguang didn¡¯t harbor any doubts. Perhaps because of his simplistic nature, he couldn¡¯t fathom that someone would continuously foolishly throw money into a bottomless pit. And developing a new drug to tap into a huge market¡ªeven Chen Yaoguang, who was not directly involved, knew how lucrative it could be. The prior expenses on breeding poisonous insects could be earned back in one fell swoop. ¡°Work hard, and you¡¯ll get a share of the company¡¯s year-end dividends. I will leave Mande¡¯s matters to you, as I need to return to the country soon to address the new company¡¯s issues,¡± Su Jie said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Su, I will definitely take good care of your business,¡± Chen Yaoguang assured. Emboldened by the pie in the sky Su Jie had painted, Chen Yaoguang was filled with vigor, treating Jieke Company as his own family. Chapter 116 - 32: Acquisition (Third Update) Chapter 116: Chapter 32: Acquisition (Third Update) Linping City International Airport. At the entrance, a luxurious convoy of cars approached from a distance. BMWs, Bentleys, and various high-end business vehicles formed a long queue, driving grandly into the airport and drawing the gaze of many passersby. From the center of a Bentley, a woman full of feminine charm and grace stepped out. She was tall and shapely, wearing a black body-hugging skirt, her long, pale legs captivating the gazes of many men, subtly sexy yet not vulgar, her demeanor exuding confidence and cool composure. One after another, individuals in suits and leather shoes got out of the cars, with a middle-aged man giving orders, ¡°Make sure you¡¯re all looking sharp! The big boss is back in the country, we need to show him the spirit and style of Tianyuan Home.¡± With that, Liang Lianjun turned his head and said to the tall woman with a smile, ¡°Secretary Liu, do you think this is appropriate?¡± ¡°Stop fussing, I doubt Mr. Su would even like this kind of showy display.¡± Liu Yingying rolled her eyes, signaling her disapproval. ¡°That can¡¯t be right, men all like this sort of thing, look, I even brought everyone.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go in.¡± Liu Yingying knew it was a done deal and waved her hand dismissively, walking toward the airport. Inside the airport, several attractive women were chatting and laughing until they suddenly noticed a group of business elites entering the airport. ¡°Hey, look, that person looks familiar, it seems like, it seems like Yingying?¡± One woman rubbing her eyes in disbelief recognized the identity of the leading woman as Liu Yingying. The other women all turned to look, exclaiming aloud. ¡°Liu Yingying, it really is her.¡± ¡°How did she become like this? She looks so amazing, I almost didn¡¯t recognize her.¡± ¡°She seems to be the leader of those people; you see how a group is gathering around her.¡± The group of women were former colleagues of Liu Yingying, real estate salespeople at Jingjiang Manor, ready for a shared vacation during the holidays. Seeing their long-unseen colleague now so transformed, the group of women were taken aback. Among them, a petite woman with a cute face clenched her small fists. This was Zhao Xuanmiao, who used to clash with Liu Yingying at the company. Now, seeing Liu Yingying at the airport, Zhao Xuanmiao¡¯s pupils dilated, as the change in Liu Yingying was too great compared to the past. From an ordinary real estate salesperson to a business elite, the style and aura she showed were not something ordinary people could have, leaving Zhao Xuanmiao feeling inferior and quite unbalanced. The group of women had complex expressions as they saw Liu Yingying¡¯s radiance, the powerful aura of a successful woman discouraging them from even approaching to say hello. ¡°She must be with the boss of Jingjiang No.1.¡± Zhao Xuanmiao was both jealous and envious; if only she had been more resolute back then, maybe she too could have changed her class and become someone superior. Liu Yingying didn¡¯t notice this little incident and quietly waited at the airport until a plane landed. At the passenger disembarkation aisle, Liu Yingying saw Su Jie appear and quickly went to greet him, linking her arm through his. ¡°Mr. Su, we¡¯ve come to pick you up.¡± Led by Liang Lianjun, a group of core members from Tianyuan Home also greeted Su Jie with smiles. ¡°Thank you for your efforts.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze passed over Liang Lianjun and then fell on the Tianyuan Home employees, with whom he shook hands. After exchanging pleasantries, they boarded the vehicles waiting outside the airport. ¡°Mr. Su, the banquet has been prepared; do we go to the welcome dinner to freshen up or...¡± ¡°No rush for the meal, Yingying. How are things going with Mu Hua Company?¡± Su Jie sat in the back seat of a Bentley, with Liu Yingying beside him, her delicate legs crowned with a document bag. Hearing his question, she pulled out a document. ¡°We¡¯ve reached a preliminary deal with Mu Hua Company. Under the name of Tianyuan Home, we plan to acquire all the shares of the founder, Song Chengde, as well as those of the other shareholders. Adding on the portion of circulating shares we¡¯ve acquired from the secondary market, we expect to hold over 80% of the equity after the deal is completed. Due to the current difficulties faced by Mu Hua and the pessimistic market sentiment, the shareholders are eager to cash out, so the purchase price for the shares is quite reasonable. The agreed price for all the shares is 6.85 billion yuan, with a 40% down payment and the remaining balance to be paid within a year. We just need your signature now,¡± Liu Yingying explained, as Jieke Company wasn¡¯t suitable to make an appearance, the acquisition was being carried out in Tianyuan Home¡¯s name. Su Jie pinched Liu Yingying¡¯s cheek, surprised, ¡°To have gotten things done so quickly, you truly deserve your reputation as a finance prodigy.¡± These types of large-scale business acquisitions normally take a long time, often dragging on for several months to even a year and a half. That Liu Yingying could wrap it up in a month was really eye-opening for Su Jie. ¡°I didn¡¯t do much, the negotiation was handled by a professional team, we just took advantage of Mu Hua¡¯s current predicament and our offer, which was fairly sincere, with both sides keen to close the deal as soon as possible,¡± Liu Yingying replied modestly. Negotiations like these couldn¡¯t have happened without her setting the bottom line and making final decisions. ¡°Have the negative assets of Mu Hua been stripped off? I¡¯m not planning on continuing with the production of new energy vehicles,¡± Su Jie asked further, not having forgotten how Mu Hua fell. ¡°Of course, the new energy automobiles are part of a subsidiary, which has been stripped away already, as per our agreement,¡± Liu Yingying responded promptly, worried Su Jie might impulsively want to join the car manufacturing industry. After all, the new energy car scene in Hua Country is booming, with every business magnate getting involved, but now it seems she worried unnecessarily. ¡°Hmm, is there a strain on our finances?¡± Su Jie looked toward Liang Lianjun, who was confidently driving upfront, and he said, ¡°Mr. Su, our Tianyuan Home products are in high demand, holding a significant market share in the high-end furniture segment. Moreover, with the company in good financial health and ample cash flow reserves, we can easily handle this acquisition. If push comes to shove, we can always take out a loan from a bank; they are more than willing to lend to our company.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved. Yingying, start the process to acquire a shampoo company, one that has its own manufacturing facilities,¡± Su Jie instructed, giving Liu Yingying a new directive upon hearing this. ¡°A shampoo company?¡± Liu Yingying was taken aback, unable to see how the industries of their various companies were related to shampoo. ¡°The laboratories at Jieke have developed a new product using hair-growth cell factors extracted from Poison Insect, which can significantly accelerate hair growth. It can treat any type of hair loss, show effects within a week, and is harmless to humans with no side effects,¡± Su Jie resumed his pitch, glancing at Liang Lianjun¡¯s somewhat sparse hair. He took a bottle of hair growth liquid from his backpack and handed it over, ¡°Give it a try, apply it regularly and wash your hair daily; you¡¯ll come back thanking me.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Liang Lianjun was somewhat skeptical but accepted it due to Su Jie¡¯s status. Chapter 117 - 33: You Are the Real Capitalist (Fourth Update) Chapter 117: Chapter 33: You Are the Real Capitalist (Fourth Update) ¡°Mr. Su, does it really have a therapeutic effect?¡± Liu Yingying was equally skeptical. In her understanding, hair loss was very difficult to cure. Various drug treatments had varying effects on different people, sometimes producing terrible side effects, and it was hard to say how high the success rate was. The time it took to see even a slight effect could be several months. Hair transplants were the same; they needed healthy hair follicles on the scalp, or it was impossible to succeed with the transplant. The numerous difficulties in treatment were also the tough issue why hair loss was difficult to cure. Otherwise, with so many powerful and influential leaders in the world, balding and hair loss was prevalent among them. If drugs and transplants were really that effective, they would have regrown their hair a long time ago. And according to Su Jie, the hair-growth cell factor developed by their own laboratory had effects within a week, no side effects, and could treat all types of hair loss symptoms. It sounded like the exaggerated claims of a quack selling fake medicine on the streets. ¡°I¡¯ve brought back quite a few samples. You guys can find several test subjects. It¡¯s only a week; you¡¯ll soon know whether I¡¯m telling the truth or not. I¡¯m not interested in telling such clumsy lies.¡± ¡°Our company has many people just like me; I¡¯ll have them all try it.¡± Liang Lianjun added, planning to find more people for comparison. Hearing Su Jie so confident, and recalling that everything he had said in the past came true, Liu Yingying¡¯s heart gradually began to believe in Su Jie¡¯s words. ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, Mr. Su, this is a road paved with gold rolling in. We¡¯re going to be rich.¡± Liu Yingying got excited, her eyes sparkling. If the effects were truly as Su Jie described, no, even if only half as effective, Liu Yingying believed that once such a product hit the market, men and women afflicted by hair loss would certainly make it sell out. Her excitement was so great she couldn¡¯t calm down, and she quickly started looking up information. According to the World Health Organization, over 1.5 billion people worldwide are troubled by hair loss; just in Hua Country, there are over 250 million people suffering from it, meaning 1 in 6 people experience hair loss. Hair loss does not concern health, but everyone has a desire for beauty, just as women can¡¯t get enough of cosmetics. In such a huge market, there¡¯s definitely serious money to be made, a very lucrative project. ¡°Little moneygrubber.¡± Su Jie pinched Liu Yingying¡¯s cheek and said with a smile, ¡°Hurry up and acquire a shampoo company. We¡¯ve already stocked up on plenty of raw materials. When we launch the product for sale, we¡¯ll circumvent the regulatory scrutiny of pharmaceuticals. Just in case, go acquire a health supplement company as well. If the shampoo route doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll take the dietary supplement route.¡± It was because the procedures for launching new drugs were too cumbersome¡ªvarious phases of clinical trials, applications, approvals were all trouble, and it would take years before the product could actually go on sale. By that time, the opportunity would have passed, and Su Jie couldn¡¯t wait that long. Distributing it as shampoo to the market was much simpler and quicker. After all, the current market was saturated with all kinds of hair growth shampoos, fleecing the gullible under the pretense of hair restoration¡ªshearing the sheep ruthlessly. Su Jie simply decided to join the fray directly, with a Heavy Punch, ready to turn the industry upside down. Liu Yingying nodded again and again, then added, ¡°Mr. Su, our shampoo pricing should be...¡± ¡°One hundred per bottle.¡± Su Jie set a price that was not high. Compared to various other hair loss treatments, this price was very cheap, let alone compared to hair transplants, which were extremely expensive. ¡°That¡¯s so cheap¡ªaren¡¯t we going to lose a lot?¡± Liu Yingying got anxious, feeling like they were on the losing end of the deal. How could such a miraculous hair loss treatment sell for such a low price, benefiting society is not done this way! ¡°You, having just become a capitalist for a short time, have already fully adopted the capitalist way of thinking. Can¡¯t you think more about the patients?¡± Su Jie flicked Liu Yingying¡¯s forehead, speaking with a look of heartfelt pain. ¡°I¡¯m considering your interests, Mr. Su! Others help you make money, yet you complain about me.¡± Clutching her forehead, Liu Yingying puffed up her cheeks, unconvinced by Su Jie¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, Mr. Su, if this hair growth liquid is truly so effective, we really are selling it too cheaply.¡± Liang Lianjun also couldn¡¯t help but interject, as a businessman, his first thought was naturally profit, which was very normal. Su Jie shook his head with a laugh and said, ¡°You guys, how come you just can¡¯t turn this corner, do you only use one bottle of shampoo for your whole life?¡± Liu Yingying was taken aback, pondering Su Jie¡¯s words, and then her bright eyes widened as she suddenly understood and said dumbfoundedly, ¡°You mean, you mean our product has to be used regularly and in proper amounts to maintain the hair growth effect, and that once stopped, hair loss will continue?¡± ¡°Exactly. With so many people worldwide troubled by hair loss, if we price it too high, many will be deterred. But if we price it low and the treatment lasts a shorter time, everyone can accept that. Then our company can harvest a substantial amount of money daily, monthly, yearly, securing the company¡¯s operations.¡± Su Jie smirked proudly, heaven knows how many times he adjusted the formula to achieve this effect. As a product meant for the masses, Su Jie¡¯s hair growth liquid wouldn¡¯t be expensive, but it required regular use by those with hair loss, or they¡¯d continue to face hair loss upon cessation. While this might seem to draw limited profits in the short term, the steady income over time would outweigh the profits from a one-off cure. This is like medicine, where typically, long-term medication for chronic diseases has more market value compared to a one-time cure. If there were a monopoly on a medical product, even if a curative medicine was produced, for the sake of profits, the companies would still supply medications that only alleviate symptoms to ensure continued use by patients. Of course, nowadays, such cases are rare because of fierce competition among pharmaceutical companies, making it difficult to monopolize, and competitors might take market share by offering better products. But Su Jie wasn¡¯t afraid! Others might fear business competition, but could any competitor understand the principle behind the hair growth liquid? That was a true, ¡®Mysterious Side¡¯ level blow. Facing other hair loss medicines and hair transplants, the hair growth liquid could completely dominate the market, fearing no competition whatsoever. Even if someone really developed a similar hair loss treatment that was cheaper, Su Jie could then introduce a curative product when the time came. Engaging in a price war was something Su Jie¡¯s side could handle without the burden of research and development costs and much manufacturing cost, capable of thoroughly beating the competition. After listening to the analysis, Liu Yingying glared fiercely at Su Jie with her beautiful eyes and complained: ¡°You say I¡¯m the capitalist, but I think you are the real capitalist. I¡¯m far behind compared to you.¡± ¡°Nothing I can do, considering how poor I am now. Raising pigs costs money, raising insects costs money. It¡¯s tough for me too; I just have to find ways to make money to support the family.¡± Su Jie shrugged his shoulders, speaking the truth, as his power grew stronger in the future and he needed more resources from Blue Star, he¡¯d have to make even more money to meet his needs. ¡°That¡¯s how capitalists are, the richer they are, the more they claim to be poor.¡± ¡°And they like to say they don¡¯t love money and have never touched it.¡± Liu Yingying and Liang Lianjun bantered back and forth, filling the car with a joyous atmosphere for a while. With a new money-making goal, everyone was in a good mood. Chapter 118 - 34: Astonishing Effects (First Update) Chapter 118: Chapter 34: Astonishing Effects (First Update) A week later. Jingjiang No.1 Villa, basement. A sealed Glazed Glass Calming Dust Array Map quietly operated, the semi-transparent magic shield it upheld excluded all sounds and secular dust. Su Jie sat cross-legged on the ground, spiritual energy circulated around his body, his energy channels surged with activity. The minimized chibi version of the White Bone Tree was placed on his knees, the spiritual energy stored within it was being summoned. It was like a spiritual energy version of a power bank, providing Su Jie with temporary cultivation energy. When the spiritual energy was insufficient, he would return to the Tianyuan World to let it take root and replenish by absorbing the earth¡¯s veins and the spiritual energy in the air. Hu! In the tranquil environment, as Su Jie gently exhaled, the room was instantly filled with a refreshing fragrance that warmed the heart and spleen, and the mysterious spiritual power emanating from his body faintly formed a white crane, its cries resounding through the universe. ¡°The White Crane Zen Dao is indeed powerful.¡± Golden divine radiance flowed over his body, Su Jie¡¯s cultivation had greatly improved, taking a big step toward the Yunling Realm Seventh Level. The key to this was the White Crane Zen Dao he had extorted from Ning Xinyue, which he had just successfully practiced. This Cultivation Technique¡¯s efficiency in absorbing spiritual energy¡ªputting aside the reciprocal cultivation of the thousand-hand centipede¡ªwas significantly higher than the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture in terms of the use and absorption of spiritual energy. Standing up from the ground, Su Jie lifted his palm and shouted, ¡°Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint.¡± A handprint made of spiritual energy was struck out, twined with the energies of the metal, wood, water, fire, and earth elements, and it hit a thick steel plate, instantly creating a handprint half a meter deep on the nearly one-meter-thick steel plate, scattering sparks and iron filings around. If it weren¡¯t for the Glazed Glass Calming Dust Array Map isolating the sound and movement, the vibration would have affected a hundred meters radius. ¡°With this, the Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint can be considered successfully cultivated.¡± A smile hung on Su Jie¡¯s lips. The Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint, which he had not grasped before, now had its essence understood by Su Jie, truly unleashing the power of this palm technique. ¡°Splitting Shadows.¡± Su Jie¡¯s body swayed, and two shadowy figures, rapid illusions within the Array Map, darted chaotically¡ªmuch improved from before when he could only condense a single false body. The vast improvement was entirely due to the Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, which had enhanced his comprehension, markedly elevating Su Jie¡¯s talent, and made learning multiple Cultivation Techniques much more effective. Su Jie continued to experiment with the gains from his progress, and over an hour later, he walked out of the basement. The villa¡¯s living room was quite lively; Liang Lianjun was excitedly talking about something. Next to him, Liu Yingying was covering her mouth, staring back and forth at Liang Lianjun¡¯s forehead. Upon seeing Su Jie enter, Liang Lianjun, like a child with a new toy, excitedly showed his hair to Su Jie. ¡°Mr. Su, it¡¯s amazing, the hair growth liquid you gave me is just miraculous, my hair really grew back, look how thick and dense these are!¡± Only to see, on Liang Lianjun¡¯s formerly balding crown, a layer of short, fine hair had grown, covering the previously bare scalp. The growth rate of human hair is 0.27-0.4 millimeters per day, and now in just seven days, his hair had begun to sprout, enough to prove that his hair growth had returned to normal, and the symptoms of hair loss truly altered. ¡°What did I tell you? You¡¯d come back in a week to thank me.¡± Su Jie stepped forward, looked at Liang Lianjun¡¯s hair for a few moments, and said, ¡°Now do you believe what I said? Isn¡¯t the effect of the hair growth liquid incredibly potent?¡± ¡°I¡¯m convinced, this effectiveness is freaking amazing.¡± Unable to contain his excitement, Liang Lianjun exclaimed with extreme joy, ¡°Not only did I grow hair, but I also had several of my subordinates at Tianyuan Company, who suffer from the same hair loss issue, use it. They all experienced hair growth like I did, without any side effects.¡± ¡°A one hundred percent cure rate, isn¡¯t that a bit exaggerated?¡± Liu Yingying covered her mouth, though she had anticipated the results, seeing the effectiveness of the hair growth liquid still shocked her to no end. This was far superior to any hair loss product available today, including hair transplants, and it perfectly solved the global issue of hair loss. ¡°This is the latest achievement of our lab. If it didn¡¯t have such miraculous effects, we wouldn¡¯t have put it on the market. Now all we need is the east wind, have we bought a shampoo company?¡± Su Jie sat on the sofa, looking at Liu Yingying as he inquired. ¡°We have acquired a local shampoo company in Linping City. The company has a factory with about two hundred employees.¡± Liu Yingying quickly reported, such a minor acquisition was no big deal for the financially powerful Tianyuan Company¡ªit could be settled simply by throwing money at it. ¡°Upgrade the production line as soon as possible, change the packaging, and rename the product Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. At the same time, expand the factory to ensure we meet future demand. Regarding the raw materials, they will be transported from the Mande Region later on; you¡¯ll be responsible for the coordination.¡± Su Jie immediately gave instructions, considering safety and confidentiality, Ghost Hair was not suitable to be brought into Hua Country. When the time came, they just needed to transport the raw materials regularly, dilute them, and package them into products. ¡°I¡¯ll have them speed it up; we¡¯ll get things sorted out soon.¡± Clutching her little fists, Liu Yingying, having witnessed the amazing effects of the hair growth liquid, was eager to see the product hit the market. Every night it wasn¡¯t available was money lost! ¡°By the way, Mr. Su, we¡¯ve finished the final coordination with Mu Hua Company. They are urging us to finalize the deal as quickly as possible.¡± Liu Yingying continued, bringing up the matter regarding Mu Hua Company. ¡°Okay, I have time now, let¡¯s go together.¡± Su Jie nodded. Once he acquired the livestock farm, his Soul Summoning Banner would have a use. ........ That same afternoon, Su Jie led a team to Guangyi County. Not only was this the location of Mu Hua Company, but it was also home to the company¡¯s largest pig farm. At the entrance to the biggest livestock farm in Guangyi County, owned by Mu Hua Company. Su Jie met with the founder of Mu Hua Company, Song Chengde. ¡°Young people nowadays are really something, Mr. Su. When I was your age, I was still struggling just to clothe and feed myself, yet you¡¯ve already created such a large enterprise. If my good-for-nothing son had even half of your talent, I¡¯d be completely satisfied.¡± Song Chengde expressed goodwill. He was an ordinary middle-aged man wearing a black suit, his hair meticulously groomed. Even though he was now mired in debt due to a failed venture into car manufacturing, resulting in a mixed reputation, he still maintained the air of a company CEO. ¡°Mr. Song, you flatter me. I still have much to learn in the field of animal husbandry.¡± Su Jie shook hands with Song Chengde, maintaining humility in his words. ¡°Indeed, animal husbandry is a field with significant risks and fluctuations, but I believe that since Mr. Su has decided to join in, you must have made thorough preparations. Young people have drive, and I¡¯m confident that you will succeed.¡± Song Chengde kept praising, eager to sell off his assets to repay debts, he was somewhat ingratiating himself to Su Jie. Chapter 119 - 35: Taking Down Mu Hua Company (Second Update) Chapter 119: Chapter 35: Taking Down Mu Hua Company (Second Update) ¡°Mr. Su, welcome to invest in Guangyi County. The business environment here, along with the tax incentives, are all substantial.¡± After exchanging a few pleasantries with Song Chengde, an enthusiastic official extended his hand to greet Su Jie. Accompanying the teams from both sides were also a few local officials from the industry and commerce department. Guangyi County is just an ordinary city without any significant industrial advantages. Mu Hua Company is a well-known large enterprise there, a heavy asset and technology-intensive company that provides employment for over two thousand people in the county, and the population of the families behind these workers is over ten thousand. During the period when Mu Hua Company was caught in a business turmoil, it was not only the banks that had difficulty recovering their loans who were anxious; the local government also feared that mass unemployment might lead to unrest. ¡°We at Tianyuan Home also come with great sincerity to develop and operate. As long as there are no other problems, we promise to keep the original workers and their compensation unchanged.¡± Su Jie also spoke with a smile. Hearing this response, the other party¡¯s face immediately broke into a smile. However, just as everyone was enjoying a lively conversation, a group of plainly dressed elderly men and women suddenly ran over, having apparently heard the news from somewhere. Some were even carrying hoes and rakes, pulling banners that read ¡®Mu Hua, get out of our Pingfeng Town¡¯, their presence overpowering as they surrounded the group. ¡°Get out, Mu Hua Company, get out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of your pig farm that the stench is drifting to our homes.¡± ¡°Shameless, smoke-belching company, move away immediately, we don¡¯t welcome you here.¡± The group of elderly men and women were chanting slogans, making a commotion as they gathered at the entrance of the breeding farm, cursing and clamoring. Song Chengde¡¯s expression turned ugly, and he looked at his secretary, ¡°What¡¯s going on, why have they come to cause trouble again?¡± The secretary was also somewhat panicked, anxiously saying, ¡°I¡¯ve already given them compensation! Besides, the farm has made environmental improvements, we¡¯re six kilometers away from their Pingfeng Town, there¡¯s no way the stench could pollute their area.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Song Chengde whose expression turned unsightly, several local officials also had stiff faces as they shouted, ¡°Chairman Song, quickly disperse these people.¡± They were also nervously looking at Su Jie and his group, afraid that this negative incident would scare away Tianyuan Home, their potential goldmine. ¡°Mr. Song, does your farm still cause pollution?¡± Su Jie looked over, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. ¡°Absolutely not, our company has been in operation for many years, and we take pollution prevention very seriously. These people are just here to cause trouble,¡± Song Chengde hurriedly said, fearing Su Jie would get the wrong impression of him. No sooner had he finished speaking, several news vans rushed to the gate, and a group of journalists and media carrying cameras and microphones circled around without a word. ¡°I¡¯m a reporter from Longcheng Daily. Are you all protesting against the severe pollution by Mu Hua Company? If you have any demands, feel free to talk to us.¡± ¡°We are from Jingxin Finance News. Is Tianyuan Home planning to completely acquire Mu Hua Food Company? As far as I know, Tianyuan Furniture has never been involved in this industry. Wouldn¡¯t it be unwise to enter hastily?¡± ¡°Does Mu Hua Company still intend to continue making cars? Sales of your newly launched Xunlong Brand Car have only reached 11 units this month. Mr. Song, do you have anything you¡¯d like to say to consumers?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that Yikang Company was also once interested in acquiring Mu Hua. Mr. Song...¡± The media relentlessly bombarded with questions, making Song Chengde¡¯s face turn black with anger. Watching this scene, Su Jie was contemplative. If the peasants¡¯ arrival could still be considered an accident, the journalists¡¯ presence made Su Jie sense a long-premeditated scheme. ¡°Mr. Song, let¡¯s go inside for a visit now,¡± Su Jie spoke up at the right time, not paying any further attention to the disturbance outside. Song Chengde, worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to extricate himself and negatively affect Mr. Su¡¯s impression of the company, hurriedly nodded. ¡°Mr. Su, please, allow me to take you on a thorough tour of our company¡¯s largest breeding farm.¡± A few people entered the company, leaving Liu Yingying and others to deal with the news media. Entering the breeding farm, the place was entirely different from the pig farms Su Jie had seen before, not flat breeding grounds, but six-story pig houses built up high. ¡°Mr. Su, please look. This is Mu Hua Company¡¯s First Level breeding base, totaling 24 six-story pig houses. Unlike traditional single-story pig farms, this is equipped with high-tech technologies. Numerous smart machines work in coordination, and using the building space substantially saves room, improving breeding efficiency. We can produce two million pigs annually, which is the company¡¯s most important breeding base,¡± Song Chengde became more talkative now that he was on his home turf, speaking knowledgably about the breeding farm. Su Jie moved his nose slightly and barely smelled any odors, much less something that could drift for several kilometers to the villages. Walking into one of the pig house buildings, they saw various automated equipment everywhere; the few workers there didn¡¯t need to do much physical labor¡ªall handled by controlling the equipment. One building is a complete swine production line, divided into sow housing, farrowing areas, nursery zones, and fattening areas. A pig would complete its entire life cycle from birth to growth in this place, and once it left the building, it was time to go to the slaughterhouse. Su Jie focused on inspecting their environmental control measures. He discovered that every level of these pig house buildings was equipped with an automatic sprinkler system. Each floor had an angle of tilt to it, and with regular timed spraying, all wastewater could be channeled into the building¡¯s sewage discharge treatment system. The entire pig breeding park also had a circulating odor-removal system, with no severe pollution problems in existence. Finally, Su Jie arrived at the slaughterhouse located at the rear of the breeding farm, where the operations also featured mechanized assembly lines. The fattened pigs ready for market were brought here and would be slaughtered and processed by workers operating machinery. By the end of the tour of the breeding farm, two hours had passed. As the group left, the villagers and news reporters who had been causing trouble at the door had been dispersed. After dining together at the hotel, and seeing that the day was nearly over, Su Jie finally relaxed and said to Song Chengde, ¡°Mr. Song, I think your company is quite good. The acquisition deal will proceed as we previously agreed.¡± Song Chengde let out a huge sigh of relief. He had been worried that the trouble at the breeding farm might lead to a failed transaction and was extremely nervous. Now, hearing the news he most wanted to hear, he eagerly grasped Mr. Su¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. Su, I have feelings for Mu Hua Company. If it weren¡¯t for the debts on my side... Ah, I hope Mr. Su will develop Mu Hua Company well,¡± ¡°Naturally, I intend to develop it well. Mr. Song will see it thrive in the future,¡± Su Jie smiled, knowing that with this breeding farm, his Soul Summoning Banner would soon take shape. After the big boss made his decision, the business teams they had brought along took out the contracts they had prepared. Under the lawyers¡¯ scrutiny, Su Jie and Song Chengde signed their names, completing this large-scale acquisition deal worth more than fifty billion. As of this moment, Mu Hua Company, a large-scale breeding enterprise that bred three million pigs and also raised broiler chickens, cattle, and dairy cows, was completely owned by Su Jie, holding over 80% of the shares and possessing absolute control of the company. Chapter 120 - 36: Massive Yin Souls Chapter 120: Chapter 36: Massive Yin Souls ¡°` After signing the contract, Song Chengde¡¯s smile was impossible to conceal. Because of the car manufacturing, he had accumulated a huge personal debt. Now, with this acquisition deal, he wouldn¡¯t just be able to repay the bank loan, but also start anew with a sum of capital, which naturally made him very happy. Otherwise, if it really came to the bank taking over and auctioning off Mu Hua Company, he figured he wouldn¡¯t be left with much at all. ¡°Mr. Su, be wary of Yikang Company, the turmoil at the entrance of the breeding farm today might have been their doing.¡± Song Chengde reminded Su Jie before leaving. ¡°Oh, Yikang Company?¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted to Liu Yingying, seeking an explanation. ¡°Yikang Company is also a large-scale breeding firm, currently valued at 12.5 billion. During our participation in the negotiations to acquire Mu Hua Company, they also stepped in with an offer, but their price showed little sincerity, and they were eliminated from contention right from the start.¡± Liu Yingying had done her homework; she had researched a lot about the breeding industry and was familiar with the major companies. ¡°Yikang Company¡¯s CEO, Yu Duanchong, has always been competing with me in this industry. Apart from my own reasons, I suspect that Yikang Company played a part in the crisis of Mu Hua Company, kicking us when we were down and hoping to acquire my company at a low price.¡± Song Chengde explained, emphasizing that he was not making unfounded accusations. Liu Yingying felt somewhat guilty and said, ¡°Mr. Su, my background check wasn¡¯t thorough enough.¡± If they had known that Mu Hua Company was being targeted by a malicious competitor, then they would have had to think twice about the acquisition, as the opponent might very well consider Su Jie, whom they thought had taken their business, as a new rival. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Su Jie gestured dismissively and said to Song Chengde, ¡°Mr. Song, if you have any information on Yikang Company, send me a copy.¡± ¡°No problem. Yu Duanchong of Yikang Company tends to be quite aggressive; you¡¯d better be careful,¡± Song Chengde readily agreed and reiterated his warning. He hadn¡¯t mentioned Yikang Company earlier for fear that Su Jie would hesitate to take over. Now that the acquisition deal was completed, he felt free to speak his mind. Su Jie chuckled nonchalantly and said, ¡°Business competition is all it is, and we¡¯re quite skilled at that.¡± ¡°How old are you to be skilled at anything!¡± Hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, Song Chengde inwardly sneered, thinking that young people were just arrogant and might need to face some hardships. After all, as far as Song Chengde was aware, Su Jie was managing Tianyuan Home, and although it had been making a splash in the home market recently, it was mainly due to their high-end materials overpowering competitors, with no cunning business battles involved, let alone any experience in the breeding industry. He had no idea how deep the waters were. ¡°Well, I wish Mr. Su prosperous business and to quickly become the leader in the breeding industry.¡± Song Chengde didn¡¯t say much more. He had decided to exit the industry anyway, and since he had so little attachment left to Mu Hua Company, he wouldn¡¯t have sold it so readily otherwise. Whatever happened afterward was none of his concern. As they watched Song Chengde leave, Liu Yingying voiced her concern, ¡°I¡¯ll have our people be more vigilant immediately, just in case Yikang Company really causes some trouble.¡± ¡°Yeah, go ahead and do that. And you needn¡¯t worry too much. Small tricks are fine, but if they go too far, I¡¯ll step in,¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression was deep as he spoke, startling Liu Yingying. ¡°Mr. Su, you wouldn¡¯t be thinking of... this is domestic, if you resort to guns and violence, it could get too out of hand for us to manage.¡± Liu Yingying felt extremely uneasy, recalling what Su Jie had done in the Mande Region. Those who crossed Su Jie ended up miserably, so she couldn¡¯t help wondering if he planned to employ the same tactics in Hua Country. ¡°` But Hua Country is different from the Mande Region! In Chan Country, there was already division and chaos, so if you killed someone in Hua Country, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to get away with it, and you would be more likely to trap yourself. ¡°What are you thinking? I¡¯m a law-abiding businessman, so why would I do such a tasteless thing? I won¡¯t act rashly,¡± Mr. Su said with a smile, but he did not mention one thing, which is that to cause someone¡¯s death, you need not necessarily resort to knives and guns. .......... Guangyi County, Mu Hua No.1 Breeding Farm. When the acquisition was completed, Su Jie immediately began his transformation work. It took several days to hire a construction team, which transformed the place completely according to his own vision. Inside the slaughterhouse, several altar-like structures were built, enclosed by high-strength glass for protection. On the altars were enshrined several deities from Hua Country, such as the Jade Emperor, Guanyin, Lord Guan, and others. Hidden among these statues were Soul Summoning Banners, not just one, but quite a few. After all, Soul Summoning Banners were cheap and simple to make, so Su Jie made several more to cover the entire slaughterhouse. ¡°Hmm, not bad, this looks very comfortable.¡± Standing in front of the altar, Su Jie lit the incense and placed it in the incense burner, nodding in satisfaction as he observed his masterpiece. There were some workers around, but actually many of them were stealing glances at this spot, incessantly gossiping behind the scenes, feeling that Su Jie was too superstitious, building altars in this place when they weren¡¯t running a temple. ¡°Mr. Su, the altars have also been built in the other slaughterhouses according to your requirements,¡± reported the person in charge of the breeding farm, as Mu Hua Company owned multiple breeding and slaughtering facilities, some not located in Guangyi County, and all had undergone similar transformations. ¡°What do you think, do these altars look good?¡± Su Jie asked as he wiped the statues, which were not ordinary¡ªfor the exterior was the likeness of the gods, but inside, besides Soul Summoning Banners, there were Spirit Stones and even some rudimentary prohibitions set up. In this way, even without Su Jie¡¯s control, the Soul Summoning Banners could automatically absorb souls. ¡°Um, I... I think, the workers have some minor complaints, slaughtering pigs all day and then looking at these statues, it seems a bit unnatural.¡± The person in charge chuckled awkwardly, carefully conveying the workers¡¯ sentiments. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. These statues are specially invited by me. It is exactly because the killing is too heavy that we need the altars for evil-suppressing and disaster-relief, to protect our safety.¡± Su Jie shook his head with a smile, but as he spoke, from the pigs that had just been slaughtered in the facility, streams of Soul Light Balls flew like swallows returning to their nest, entering the statues, and eventually being absorbed into the Soul Summoning Banners. If a cultivator from Tianyuan World were here to hear Su Jie¡¯s words, they would surely curse loudly. For what Su Jie was doing was the terrifying method of Soul Extraction and Yin Refining, and far from being used for evil-suppressing and disaster-relief, these Soul Summoning Banners were the most evil objects of all. The person in charge twitched the corner of his mouth, treating this as the new boss¡¯s superstitious quirk and silently gazed at the statues atop the altar. Not sure if it was an illusion, but he felt that these statues really had some inexplicable aura, as if they were discreetly watching him, a sinister chill making him somewhat uneasy. ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion; I¡¯m not superstitious,¡± the person in charge shook his head and looked again, finding the statues appeared completely ordinary. But what he didn¡¯t know was that, inside the statues, eerie shadows were wildly twisting on the face of the banners, and as the black Soul Banners grew increasingly defined, more and more Yin Souls were taking shape, their weird and cold gazes chilling to the core. Chapter 121 - 37: Business Competition (Fourth Update) Chapter 121: Chapter 37: Business Competition (Fourth Update) Su Jie¡¯s mouth curled into a smile. At this farm that churns out two million pigs a year, an average of over five thousand pigs were slaughtered every day, the Soul Summoning Banner alone could condense nearly twenty Yin Souls in a single day. Including the output from other farms, as well as the slaughter of cattle, sheep, and meat chickens, that added up to thirty to forty Yin Souls a day, easily exceeding ten thousand Yin Souls over the course of a year. No need to kill a single person, one could effortlessly obtain a large number of Yin Souls. This was something the cultivators of Tianyuan World would find difficult to accomplish, given their low productivity. To slaughter five thousand pigs, they would have to scour several cities and surrounding towns, going door to door to redeem them. With that effort, it would be more efficient to just kill people. But in modern society, a large farm could easily achieve this, and that was just the slaughter volume for one day. Even so, this wasn¡¯t the most impressive farm. In Hua Country, where nine hundred million pigs were consumed a year, the most powerful breeding company had an annual turnover of sixty to seventy million pigs, with a market value of several hundred billion. And Su Jie¡¯s goal was precisely to become such a company, or even to surpass it. ¡°Starting from today, since we¡¯ve acquired Mu Hua Company, we must make some major moves. Let¡¯s start with raising salaries. All Mu Hua Company employees will get a 10% raise,¡± Su Jie announced indifferently, pleased with the Soul Summoning Banner¡¯s absorption efficiency and even more eager for the employees to work diligently, providing more Yin Souls for him. Some financial expenditure was not that important, after all, money was meant to be spent. There was silence for a few seconds; the farm manager¡¯s mouth hung open, his body shuddered, and then he finally realized. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Su. You were so right just now. Our slaughterhouse has too much killing, and the feng shui is bad. Now with the protection of the altar, we no longer need to fear sneaky demons.¡± The attitude of the farm manager changed drastically in the face of the irresistible force of a pay raise, succumbing without bottom line. What had seemed a somewhat eerie altar now felt dearer than his own ancestors¡¯ tombstones. Anyone daring to speak against it would be showing grave disrespect to Chairman Su. When this news spread throughout the farm, it caused a sensation. Stimulated by money, employees no longer had any qualms about the establishment of the altar. Instead, they praised it extensively, asserting that it was a proper gesture of respect for folk traditions. ¡°Mr. Su, there¡¯s been a problem,¡± Just as the farm was buzzing with excitement, Liu Yingying hurried in and found Su Jie. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Su Jie closed the protective glass and turned around. ¡°A lot of negative news about our company has shown up online, take a look at this.¡± Liu Yingying took out her phone and showed Su Jie the messages. ¡°Explosive! Mu Hua Food Company has changed hands, Tianyuan Home has acquired Mu Hua Food for 6.8 billion Hua Yuan. What could be the intrigue behind a timber seller getting into farming? Please see our analysis below.¡± ¡°The actual controller of the new Mu Hua Company is under 25 years old. Such a leader is simply incapable of leading Mu Hua out of its loss-making trend. The company¡¯s future is worrisome.¡± ¡°Our news reporter received an anonymous tip claiming that Mu Hua Company owes money to grain suppliers, has delayed payments for corn purchases, and faced suspension of pig feed supplies, leading to a tragic incidence of ¡®pigs eating pigs¡¯.¡± ¡°Mu Hua Company confronted with massive public protests. It is known that for many years, Mu Hua has been lenient in dealing with pollution, prompting concerns about the safety of the pork produced by such an enterprise.¡± ¡°According to consumer reports, we have obtained a sample of pork from Mu Hua to conduct tests, and found that multiple hormones exceed the standard. It¡¯s suspected that during the breeding process, to maximize profits, hormones were massively misused.¡± One news story after another appeared in Su Jie¡¯s field of vision, all publishing negative information about Mu Hua Company, and it seemed they had also purchased a lot of popularity online, as many people were discussing it. ¡°Mr. Su, due to the impact of these news stories, our stock market value has been falling continuously, and now the company¡¯s market value has already dropped by 18%, and it¡¯s still sliding down,¡± Liu Yingying said worriedly, as the adverse effects brought by these negative news pieces had begun to manifest in the stock market. ¡°The stock market, why fuss about that, we don¡¯t need to make money off the stock market anyway.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t care about the stock market at all, nor was he afraid of how much his nominal wealth had shrunk. His game was about heavy asset cash flow; he couldn¡¯t care less about the stock market, especially since the circulating shares outside were just about ten percent or so, rises and dips had no significant impact on the grand scheme of things. Signaling Liu Yingying to not be so anxious, Su Jie asked, ¡°Is it Yikang Company¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking into it.¡± Liu Yingying gave a wry smile and continued, ¡°Apart from these negative news stories, today there were villagers making trouble at the company again, and we did find out that indeed someone spent money to get those elderly men and women to create a disturbance.¡± ¡°Merely some underhanded tricks that can¡¯t affect us in any way.¡± Su Jie shook his head, as Mu Hua Company was extremely important to Guangyi County, since the company¡¯s operations affected the livelihood of thousands of people; such a heavy-asset enterprise would be somewhat protected by the government, which wouldn¡¯t allow it to fall into trouble easily. Seeing Su Jie so composed, Liu Yingying also calmed down quite a bit. Her experience was still lacking, after all, having followed Su Jie for just a few months, and upon returning to the country, she became somewhat flustered when suddenly faced with the suppression of a large company. Though Su Jie also lacked experience, he who was accustomed to life-and-death situations, found the business competition before him to be too mild by comparison. You must understand, when Su Jie competes with someone, it¡¯s always with a do-or-die attitude. Ring, ring! Liu Yingying¡¯s work phone suddenly rang. After she answered it, her face took on a somewhat peculiar expression. ¡°Who is it?¡± Su Jie asked curiously. Liu Yingying handed the phone to Su Jie, with a strange look, ¡°It¡¯s the chairman of Yikang Company, Yu Duanchong.¡± ¡°Oh, that is interesting.¡± Su Jie took the phone and put it to his ear, and heard a voice from the other end of the call. ¡°Is this Mr. Su answering, haha, I am Yu Duanchong, the chairman of Yikang Company, your senior in the business. I hope I¡¯m not disturbing you with my call. Actually, I had some free time and saw quite a lot of negative news about Mu Hua Company on the internet, and thought, since we¡¯re in the same industry, as someone with experience I should give you a heads-up. Being in our line of business, one must act openly and honestly, not engage in fakery, producing things with pollution and hormones. Aquaculture is not just anything, if you ruin your reputation, it makes business hard for everyone, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Yu Duanchong¡¯s voice was somewhat rough, and while he seemed to be speaking politely, he placed himself in a high position, admonishing Su Jie in the tone of a senior and yet subtly accusing him of improper conduct. ¡°So it¡¯s Director Yikang Yu, I¡¯ve heard much about you. Before Mr. Song left, he told me he had an old friend. I hadn¡¯t expected Director Yu to reach out so soon.¡± Su Jie¡¯s mouth curved slightly, the guy on the other end of the phone was really interesting, actually daring to call him, clearly a provocation. Chapter 122 - 38: Yu Duanchong (First Update) Chapter 122: Chapter 38: Yu Duanchong (First Update) ¡°` ¡°Mr. Song, he¡¯s a good person, alright! Just not quite cut out for the breeding business, and the industry is tough nowadays. Mr. Su, even an old hand like Mr. Song has chosen to wisely disengage. While you are young and capable, breeding comes with high risks, and you might not be able to develop Mu Hua Company well. It might be better to hand it over to us. Yikang can offer 5 billion to buy out Mu Hua Company.¡± Yu Duanchong said with a chuckle, revealing perhaps the true purpose behind the phone call. ¡°Let¡¯s not even talk about me having no intention of selling the company, but this 5 billion offer, Mr. Yu, are you kidding me?¡± Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but laugh sardonically. He had spent around 7 billion in total to acquire Mu Hua Company, and here the other party was, trying to knock down the price by 20 billion just like that¡ªan analogy less fitting than a snake trying to swallow an elephant. He also understood why Mu Hua Company hadn¡¯t taken Yikang Company¡¯s acquisition offer; it was merely a ploy to strip the company down to its bones, lacking any business sincerity. ¡°Mr. Su, you¡¯re still young, don¡¯t make the same mistake Mr. Song did. Sometimes, it¡¯s wiser to quit while you¡¯re ahead to prevent further losses.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m the type who knows the dangers yet still insists on heading towards Tiger Mountain. I¡¯m not happy without a bit of pressure.¡± The person on the other end of the call was caught off guard, and Yu Duanchong was clearly annoyed. ¡°A word of advice for you, young man, don¡¯t be too hot-headed. The current predicament of Mu Hua Company is probably just the beginning, and with your temperament, you¡¯re not fit to run a company.¡± ¡°If a young person isn¡¯t hot-headed, can he still be called young?¡± Su Jie snorted with disdain, unwilling to engage in any more hypocrisy with the other party, and bluntly stated into the phone, ¡°Mr. Yu, petty tricks are useless, and they can¡¯t harm the backbone of Mu Hua Company. But rest assured, all your actions are firmly etched in my memory, and I do welcome you to come as a visitor. I¡¯ll be sure to extend a warm reception when you do.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯ve given you an out, don¡¯t be ungrateful.¡± ¡°Ha, you might as well be bolder; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even know what fear is.¡± ¡°Hmph, then just wait and see.¡± Beep beep! The call was abruptly ended. ¡°So quick to anger, huh!¡± Su Jie shook his head and said to Liu Yingying, ¡°It¡¯s alright, let¡¯s get back to work.¡± ... Meanwhile. In Xinzheng City, inside an office at Yikang Company¡¯s headquarters. Yu Duanchong slammed down the phone and cursed coldly, ¡°This brat, getting cocky just because he¡¯s got a bit of money, I¡¯ll show him.¡± ¡°Uncle, since the kid won¡¯t play ball, it¡¯s time to show him who¡¯s boss,¡± said Yu Runming, the head of Yikang Company¡¯s Public Relations Department, who had been listening to the conversation on speakerphone along with others in the office. ¡°Dad, Runming is right; that little rat is even more arrogant than I am, acting all high and mighty just because he sells wood. What¡¯s so great about that?¡± exclaimed Yu Shichang, Vice President of Yikang Company. ¡°Yu, it¡¯s infuriating; we¡¯ve worked our butts off to bring Mu Hua Group to its knees, fully intending to snap it up for a song. Then, out of nowhere, Tianyuan Home barges in and steals the deal. We can¡¯t let them off the hook,¡± slapped the table Wang Huilian, Yikang¡¯s Chief Financial Officer and Yu Duanchong¡¯s wife. The office was filled with directors and senior executives, who were also Yu Duanchong¡¯s relatives, and they were all cursing and swearing. Yikang Company is a typical family business, with the Yu Family controlling the majority of the senior management positions. ¡°Hmph, Runming, take your friends and make a trip to Guangyi County. Since they won ?t drink a toast, let them drink a forfeit. Let¡¯s show them that not everyone can handle the breeding business,¡± snorted Yu Duanchong, opting for a more aggressive approach. ¡°` This was about a rivalry involving billions of interests, with both companies located in Xiping Province, at the top two positions in the breeding industry, they had been competing for many years. Now that Song Chengde had finally been pushed out and he was about to dominate the breeding industry in Xiping Province, soon he could form a semi-covert monopoly. Then he would be able to buy pigs at low prices from contract farmers, and sell piglets and feed at high prices. At this critical juncture, he, of course, didn¡¯t want Su Jie coming in to stir up trouble. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon, just you watch, Uncle.¡± Yu Runming got up, rubbing his hands together, decided to teach the ignorant newcomer a lesson. ... Guangyi City. In front of the Mu Hua Company building. A black business car was parked there. Inside the car, Yu Runming, who came from Xinzheng City, smoked a cigarette. He rolled down the window, looking at the Mu Hua Headquarters Building with a look full of contempt and disdain. ¡°Brother Yu, we¡¯ve found out that the person in charge at Mu Hua Company is a woman named Liu Yingying, who parachuted over from Tianyuan Home to take over Mu Hua. She leaves the company every night at nine o¡¯clock. We have figured out her driving route, but her place of residence is not easy to get into, it¡¯s the most high-end building complex locally.¡± A short and sloppy-looking young man ran up to the car and reported. ¡°Hmm, not bad. Let¡¯s start by scaring the other side first, Mountain Mule, you know what to do.¡± Yu Runming snapped his fingers, giving the order. ¡°Heh heh, you don¡¯t have to tell us twice, Brother Yu. We¡¯ve done this kind of thing before, guaranteed not to slip up.¡± The young man known as Mountain Mule swung his head cockily. He was essentially a troublemaker, and such tasks were right up his alley. ¡°Brother Yu, how far should we go? There are more surveillance cameras now, and if we make too much noise, it¡¯ll attract trouble.¡± There were several other people in the car, all cronies who usually hung out with Yu Runming. None of them were upstanding citizens, and they sometimes did dirty and tiring jobs for the Yu Family. ¡°Just give the other side a warning, don¡¯t make too much of a fuss. After the job is done, there will be benefits for you,¡± Yu Runming said casually as he stubbed out his cigarette. Time quietly passed, and soon it was nine o¡¯clock in the evening. Liu Yingying ended a day of busyness, having just taken over Mu Hua Company, and was in the midst of a slew of tasks. Leaving the Mu Hua Company, Liu Yingying got into a Maybach car in the underground garage and said to the driver, ¡°Lao Wu, let¡¯s head back to the villa.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Liu.¡± The driver started the car, followed by another vehicle that also moved along. Inside was a team from Jieke Security, who had obtained visas to enter the country. With a population of one million, Guangyi County wasn¡¯t large in area. The distance from the Mu Hua Headquarters Building back to the residential villa wasn¡¯t far. However, it was at this moment that the unexpected occurred. Bang! On a rather secluded street, a van burst from around the corner and scraped against the Maybach. The sound of brakes screeched, and Liu Yingying frowned, asking her driver, Lao Wu, ¡°Did we hit someone?¡± ¡°Miss Liu, they were the ones who violated the rules. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Lao Wu unbuckled his seat belt, but just as he got out of the car, he saw seven or eight guys emerge from the van, reeking of alcohol, cursing at him. They were armed with baseball bats, steel pipes, and so on, and started to swing at him. Chapter 123 - 39: Warning (Second Update) Chapter 123: Chapter 39: Warning (Second Update) Liu Yingying heard the commotion and, through the car window, saw the driver they had hired, Lao Wu, surrounded by a group of people. ¡°Damn it, driving a luxury car like you¡¯re something special, huh? These blind idiots, brothers, smash it for me and drag the people inside out for a beating.¡± ¡°Look at that, there¡¯s a real beauty inside, must be some rich guy¡¯s kept mistress.¡± ¡°Right, definitely a fox spirit. Let¡¯s teach her a lesson.¡± The gangsters, reeking of alcohol, cursed and swore as they swung their weapons and smashed them towards the car. Liu Yingying was startled, having not expected such an incident to occur. What she hadn¡¯t noticed was that a beautiful bracelet on her wrist was slightly warm. It was a gift from Su Jie, said to be blessed by a high monk, guaranteed to be very effective at keeping one safe. A few of the thugs at the front suddenly felt an uncomfortable sensation in their chests and their steps slowed down. Right then, several members of Jieke Security swiftly exited a van behind them, wielding batons and striking out. Mountain Mule was stunned, not expecting these bodyguards to be so fierce; each one of them was muscular and their cold gazes were somewhat frightening. Before he could react further, these Jieke Security guards stormed into the fray like tigers among wolves, leaving the gangsters crying for their fathers and mothers. These bodyguards, assigned to Hua Country, were selected from thousands of Jieke Security personnel through rigorous screening for their outstanding abilities; they all had blood on their hands. Against a group of thugs, even without firearms, their overwhelming combat prowess allowed them to easily floor the numerically superior gangsters. ¡°Damn, we¡¯ve hit an iron wall.¡± A curse slipped from his mouth just as Mountain Mule was about to run, only to be flipped over by a kick from behind by a Jieke Security member, who then subdued him snugly with a series of grappling and combat moves. When the conflict was over, Liu Yingying stepped out of the vehicle, her expression unchanged. The Mande Region was much more violent than domestically; this was just child¡¯s play. ¡°Who sent you here?¡± Liu Yingying glanced around, though inside she already had a guess at the answer. ¡°Pah, you bitch, just you wait. When I...¡± Mountain Mule was about to arrogantly spout off, but was swiftly silenced with a harsh slap to the face by Jieke Security. These Jieke Security didn¡¯t care about excessive self-defense; their families were in Mande Region, aware of Liu Yingying¡¯s influence and status there. If Liu Yingying was harmed, their privileges would be revoked, and their families would suffer, so their loyalty to Jieke Company was absolute. ¡°Boss, how shall we deal with them next...¡± One of the Jieke Security approached Liu Yingying, speaking in a deep voice. His Mandarin might not be perfect, but it was comprehensible. ¡°Call the police.¡± Liu Yingying instructed, knowing this wasn¡¯t the place for recklessness. The police responded quickly, arriving at the scene soon after and taking the group back to the station. After making a call to Su Jie, Liu Yingying proceeded to recount the events at the police station. Since there were surveillance cameras at the site of the incident, everything was clear; it was a typical case of drunken brawling and harassment. Later, a car pulled up at the station. Su Jie got out, straightened his collar, and walked into the police station with a few lawyers in tow. ¡°Mr. Su,¡± Liu Yingying was explaining something to the police, but immediately ran over upon seeing Su Jie. ¡°How¡¯s everything been handled, are you hurt?¡± Su Jie looked at Liu Yingying, scanning her with Spiritual Power, finding no issues. ¡°I¡¯m fine, the people from Min Sang protected me.¡± Liu Yingying gestured to the Jieke Security personnel and recounted the incident. ¡°Thank you all for your hard work. You did well in handling this matter. A 12-month bonus for each of you,¡± Su Jie said, promptly rewarding them without further ado. ¡°Serving Jieke is our duty, it¡¯s no hard work.¡± Several Jieke Security personnel stood in a line before Su Jie, saluting sharply, their efficient and fierce demeanor drawing frequent glances from the police officers in the station. Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted to the group of thugs who were brought into the police station, a total of eight people who didn¡¯t seem to care at all about being there. ¡°What are you looking at? Believe it or not, I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes.¡± Mountain Mule glared at Su Jie with anger. They had all seen his photo before coming and knew that Su Jie was the competitor that Yikang Company was targeting this time. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since someone dared to talk to me like that.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes held a playful look as he regarded Mountain Mule as if looking at a dead man. ¡°Are you Su Jie?¡± Aside from these few thugs, there was also a man in a suit in the police station. Seeing Su Jie, he straightened his collar, walked over, took out a lighter to light a cigarette, and introduced himself, ¡°My name is Yu Runming, Yu Duanchong is my uncle, and he asked me to send his regards to you.¡± Su Jie raised an eyebrow and replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ve received your regards, and I¡¯ll go have a chat with your uncle later.¡± ¡°Today is just a small warning, if you know what¡¯s good for you...¡± ¡°You mean these pieces of trash? Is this how people in the underworld operate now, so rough and ready that they still have the face to talk tough after getting beaten up!¡± Yu Runming¡¯s words were cut off by Su Jie, leaving him with an ugly expression, ¡°We¡¯re just giving you a warning, we haven¡¯t started playing for real yet.¡± After saying this, he also turned his head and glared at Mountain Mule and the others. If it wasn¡¯t for their incompetence, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to come here to clean up their mess and be mocked by an enemy. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m still waiting to see what Yikang Company is capable of,¡± Su Jie laughed, thinking the other party must have been too arrogant if they believed these tactics could scare him. Yu Runming exhaled a smoke ring, his demeanor extremely arrogant, ¡°Since you¡¯re not appreciating the face I¡¯m giving you, don¡¯t come back begging me later.¡± ¡°Smoking is not allowed here.¡± A police officer came over and snatched the cigarette from Yu Runming¡¯s mouth, snuffing it out. Yu Runming, who was just trying to act tough, was left with an extremely dark expression on his face but unfortunately couldn¡¯t lose his temper at the police officer. ¡°Miss Liu, this is their settlement letter, offering to compensate you with one hundred thousand yuan, as well as covering the medical expenses for the injuries. Please look over it and decide whether you want to sign. If you don¡¯t settle, according to the regulations, we can detain them for 15 days.¡± The police officer was holding a settlement letter, as Mountain Mule and the others were judged to be guilty of provoking trouble, without more serious punishment, which was also the reason for Mountain Mule¡¯s fearless attitude. For people like Mountain Mule, who were used to being detained for ten or fifteen days, it was nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°I don¡¯t want the money, keep these scumbags locked up...¡± Liu Yingying was about to speak but was stopped by Su Jie. ¡°Ah Sir, we choose to settle.¡± Su Jie chose another option, which confused Liu Yingying greatly. ¡°But doing this, wouldn¡¯t it...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, let them go.¡± Su Jie ruffled Liu Yingying¡¯s hair. It was a bit too ostentatious to take action here, better to let them leave and whatever happens outside, that¡¯s where Su Jie would have the final say. Su Jie also wanted to see what kind of moves these people had up their sleeves. ¡°Is that your decision?¡± The police officer asked again. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve decided, we choose to settle.¡± Liu Yingying signed her name on the settlement letter. ¡°Send over your account number, and I¡¯ll transfer the money, but don¡¯t think this is the end of it.¡± Yu Runming¡¯s gaze was icy cold, filled with threatening intent. Released by the police, Mountain Mule and his gang strutted out, casting unfriendly looks at Su Jie. ¡°No need for that, you better keep the money for yourself.¡± Su Jie left the police station with Liu Yingying and got into his car. Before getting into the car, Su Jie gave Yu Runming a friendly smile, ¡°We¡¯ll meet again soon, gentlemen, I believe we¡¯ll be seeing each other again very soon.¡± The convoy sped away, leaving behind Yu Runming and the others with discontented expressions, cursing at the entrance of the police station, venting their frustration. Chapter 124 - 40: Poisoning (Third Update) Chapter 124: Chapter 40: Poisoning (Third Update) Two days later. Nighttime. Mu Hua No.1 Breeding Farm in Guangyi County. Because pig farms inevitably have some odors drifting around, the No.1 Breeding Farm was located in a very remote suburb. Besides the breeding farm, the surrounding area was covered with uninhabited mountains and forests. At that moment, in the midst of the forest, Yu Runming appeared with seven or eight thugs. ¡°Brother Yu, do we really have to do this? This seems a bit too much,¡± one of the underlings nervously remarked, afraid of getting caught if something went wrong. If they went in, that would be at least ten years in prison to start with. ¡°What are you afraid of? Keep tight-lipped, and I will take the fall if anything happens,¡± Yu Runming coldly snorted, his eyes filled with malice, ¡°I have already discussed this with the uncle. Since we¡¯re completely at odds now, it¡¯s all or nothing. We aren¡¯t giving them any chance to turn things around.¡± Mountain Mule slapped the underling across the face and cursed, ¡°What are you afraid of at this critical moment? Has Brother Yu ever treated us badly?¡± Yu Runming raised his hand to stop Mountain Mule and added, ¡°I know what you all are worried about. Our Yikang Company won¡¯t let you down. After this job, everyone will get a million each. How many years would it take you to earn that much money? Once it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone.¡± Upon hearing this, the gang¡¯s eyes gleamed, and they breathed rapidly. Even the one who had been slapped no longer cared about the pain, repeatedly saying, ¡°Brother Yu, we¡¯ll do whatever you say; we listen to you.¡± For these thugs, they had nothing to lose. A million was enough for them to take the risk. Yu Runming signaled to Mountain Mule with a glance, and the group unpacked several drones that had been modified from their backpacks. Then Yu Runming took out several glass bottles and carefully mounted them on the drones. The thugs, working in small groups, controlled a drone each and, under the faint moonlight, directed the drones towards the Mu Hua No.1 Breeding Farm. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll see if you die.¡± An excited smile spread across Yu Runming¡¯s face. The bottles carried by those drones contained the African swine fever virus. African swine fever is a major killer. It¡¯s an acutely febrile disease of pigs, highly infectious, with a short disease course and a mortality rate of up to 100%. If one pig in the farm contracted the virus, it could quickly spread throughout the whole breeding operation. Then, the entire farm would have to be scrapped. Even if there were any pigs left alive that hadn¡¯t contracted the disease, to prevent the spread of the swine fever virus, they would also have to be culled and buried. Yu Runming planned to use the drones to drop the swine fever virus into the breeding farm to facilitate rapid transmission of the virus. This way, all two million pigs inside would be doomed, resulting in a total loss. Calculating at a cost of 1800 yuan per pig, the death of two million pigs would result in a loss of at least 3.6 billion yuan, certainly enough to drive Mu Hua Company to the brink of bankruptcy. ¡°To think you could compete with us at Yikang, clueless fool.¡± The more Yu Runming thought about it, the more excited he became. He already began to imagine Su Jie kneeling and crying, begging them to buy out Mu Hua Company. Though Mu Hua Company wouldn¡¯t have many pigs left by then, its equipment, factories, land, and skilled workers were still valuable. A drone flew leisurely, but it hadn¡¯t even left the woods yet. In the night, a moth the size of a human fingertip, stubby and plump with pale human-like features, reached the drone and spat a precise stream of corrosive acid at its propeller, making it plummet down like a spearhead. Underneath where the drone fell, a swarm of black clouds surged forward, engulfing it with densely packed moths of the same kind. ¡°My drone¡¯s controls are gone; it seems like something knocked it down,¡± ¡°Same here; it looks like the night vision camera captured a bug,¡± ¡°Damn, my drone is gone too,¡± Yu Runming, still immersed in his fantasies, suddenly heard a chorus of panic from the thugs. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How could the drone just fall down, did they set up a jammer over there?¡± Yu Runming rushed over and looked at the remote control in one of the underlings¡¯ hands. He saw that the screen connected to the drone camera had gone black, indicating it had obviously crashed. ¡°Go find the drone immediately and see what exactly happened!¡± Yu Runming was puzzled and hastily sent people to look for the reason. ¡°Crow, Wei Zi, Er Hu, you guys come with me.¡± Mountain Mule picked up a flashlight and took several underlings, volunteering bravely to go out. But they¡¯d only taken a few steps when these guys suddenly turned pale. They scrambled back, crawling and rolling. ¡°What the hell happened now?¡± Yu Runming¡¯s anger rose at these useless underlings whom he wished could be more dependable. ¡°Brother Yu... Brother Yu, it¡¯s... it¡¯s... haunted, there are ghosts!¡± Mountain Mule¡¯s pants were soaking wet, he had pissed himself, screaming in utter terror. ¡°Ghosts? Your head! Are you brain-damaged? With such little courage, how can you survive in this life? Believe it or not, I could kick you to death.¡± Furious, Yu Runming could not understand how the usually dependable underlings had become such an embarrassment after arriving in Guangyi County. Grabbing the remote control in his hand, Yu Runming was about to smash it. But at that moment, he heard a strange rustling sound coming from the woods. What followed made his heart stop, and his pupils dilate in terror. Rows of pale corpse hands were crawling on the ground, their eerie pale skin and fingers moving in a disturbing and terrifying manner. ¡°Ghosts... Ghosts!¡± Yu Runming let out a scream. He wanted to run, but his legs would not obey. The other gang members, seeing this, were so frightened that their souls were nearly shattered, their cries and screams could be heard nonstop. But when they tried to run, it was already too late. Rows of pale corpse hands covered them, seizing their arms and legs, rendering them immobile. ¡°Hehe, waited two days for you and this is what you came up with! I thought you were planning on murdering someone.¡± In the darkness, Su Jie slowly emerged, still holding the bottle containing the African swine fever. ¡°Are you human or ghost?¡± It was too dark for Yu Runming to recognize Su Jie. ¡°We just saw each other two days ago and you already forgot me? I told you, we¡¯d meet again soon.¡± As Su Jie approached, his face was also visible in the moonlight. For a moment, all the gangsters including Yu Runming were dumbfounded. They thought it was a ghostly occurrence, but behind the scenes, it was a person manipulating everything. ¡°How... How could it be you?¡± Yu Runming¡¯s throat desperately swallowed saliva, and goosebumps covered his skin. What kind of enemy had he provoked? The enemy even possessed supernatural power. Instinctively, Yu Runming struggled fiercely, his hands flailing, trying to escape from Su Jie¡¯s vicinity. ¡°Is it so strange that it¡¯s me? I am your number one enemy, it¡¯s really not appropriate to ignore me like this.¡± Smirking, Su Jie stepped down, crushing one of Yu Runming¡¯s palms into pulp. Chapter 125 - 41: Cruelty (4th Update) Chapter 125: Chapter 41: Cruelty (4th Update) Ah! In an instant, excruciating pain pierced through Yu Runming¡¯s heart, causing his facial features to contort as his screams echoed through the air. ¡°Why scream so loudly? I can hear you,¡± Su Jie said as he dug his ear, his face displaying an indifferent expression. ¡°My hand, it hurts so much, it¡¯s a misunderstanding, everything is a misunderstanding, I give up.¡± At that moment, Yu Runming was truly frightened. In Su Jie¡¯s calm expression, he could see not a trace of mercy or sympathy. To the other party, it was as if he was stepping on an ant; his life meant nothing. Su Jie squatted down, patted Yu Runming¡¯s face, which had twisted out of shape from pain, and chuckled, ¡°Tsk tsk, look at you now. Didn¡¯t you say I would come back begging you? How the tables have turned, this isn¡¯t right!¡± ¡°My uncle... my uncle is the chairman of Yikang, I will persuade him... persuade him not to oppose you. Let me go back, and I will speak for you, I will stand up for you.¡± ¡°Ha, wait, you¡¯ll persuade him not to oppose me? The problem now is, I don¡¯t want to let him go!¡± Su Jie¡¯s face revealed a devilish grin as he pulled out a handful of human-faced moths from his pocket. ¡°What are you going to do, stop, stop... I beg you...¡± At the sight of the human-faced moths, Yu Runming¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, his voice altering from extreme fear. ¡°My little pets want to have some fun with you.¡± Su Jie placed the human-faced moths on Yu Runming¡¯s chest, where they opened their jaws wide and started ripping his flesh voraciously. They then proceeded to crawl inside his rib cage, burrowing into his viscera to gnaw. Some burrowed into his limbs along the blood vessels and muscles. The intense pain caused Yu Runming to spasm and convulse. This sensation of insects gnawing inside his body brought unbearable pain, far beyond imagination. He could only emit a series of inhuman screams, sounds of pain and despair echoing repeatedly through the woods. ¡°Mr. Su, Brother Su, I only followed Yu Runming¡¯s orders, it¡¯s not my fault. I can testify against his crimes for you, help you put him in jail.¡± Mountain Mule, the leader of these gangsters, seeing Su Jie¡¯s method of handling Yu Runming, lost all his spine and immediately sold out Yu Runming without a second thought. Su Jie turned his head, touched his chin and smiled lightly, ¡°I remember, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to gouge out my eyes.¡± ¡°That was just a joke, all a joke.¡± Mountain Mule¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he met Su Jie¡¯s gaze and then saw Su Jie¡¯s eyes turn a light purple. The next moment, two weakened Purple Light Rays emitted, accurately melting Mountain Mule¡¯s eyes into bloody holes. ¡°My eyes...¡± Mountain Mule collapsed in agony, clutching his eye sockets and screaming continuously. ¡°I can¡¯t tell the difference between a joke and the truth,¡± said Su Jie nonchalantly, turning his gaze to the others. Seeing how Su Jie dealt with Yu Runming and Mountain Mule, the other gangsters were completely dumbfounded. They were usually involved in petty thuggish acts and had never encountered a merciless killer like Su Jie, who possessed superpowers they could never hope to counter. At that moment, each gangster¡¯s eyes filled with regret for why they had gotten involved in such a business rivalry. While others¡¯ business competition involved making money, Su Jie¡¯s involved taking lives! And they had foolishly plunged into it, becoming pawns in the business conflict, standing on the opposing side of Su Jie, which was exactly like seeking death by holding a lantern in the toilet. ¡°Big brother, please spare us. We only got paid to do the job, we don¡¯t know anything else.¡± ¡°It was Brother Ming and Mountain Mule¡¯s idea to poison, it has nothing to do with me. I tried to dissuade them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯m only nineteen years old, I don¡¯t want to die!¡± These gangsters begged for mercy one after another, but Su Jie remained emotionlessly unmoved from beginning to end. ¡°Since you showed up here tonight, you should be aware of the consequences.¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice was calm; too much blood had stained his hands for the scene before him to stir any emotion. ¡°If you dare kill someone, the police will definitely find you. You won¡¯t escape.¡± One of the hoodlums, realizing his fate, understood that they could not struggle against such a reckless superpower user and could only hope that Su Jie would be punished by the law. ¡°Please, we live under the rule of law now. Your disappearance has nothing to do with me. I¡¯ve never met you. I¡¯ve been home eating a late-night snack all evening. How would the police ever suspect me?¡± Su Jie scoffed and turned away, walking step by step toward the forest, gradually disappearing into the darkness. In the woods, a dense Human-faced Moth Cloud descended, devouring all flesh and traces, relieving Su Jie of any worries. Amidst the screams, Su Jie looked up at the moonlight and chuckled, ¡°The moonlight is beautiful! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve killed; I¡¯m almost out of practice.¡± ...... In a luxurious villa in Guangyi County. Liu Yingying hummed a song while preparing a late-night snack for Su Jie. At home, she wore light clothes, her attractive figure clearly visible. ¡°Su Jie, the spicy crayfish is ready. Come and eat.¡± Spicy crayfish and several other dishes were brought to the table, along with some cold beer taken out from the refrigerator, but Liu Yingying saw no sign of Su Jie. ¡°Strange, he just asked me to make a late-night snack. Where did he go?¡± Just as Liu Yingying was about to look for him, she saw Su Jie walk back in from the balcony. ¡°What were you doing on the balcony? You didn¡¯t even hear me calling you for the snack.¡± Su Jie wrapped his arms around Liu Yingying¡¯s slender waist and smiled, ¡°Enjoying the night view. Don¡¯t you think the moonlight is beautiful tonight!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat the snack first.¡± Liu Yingying slapped Su Jie¡¯s hand gently, feigning anger. They sat at the dining table, eating the late-night snack and chatting about amusing incidents that had happened to them, and discussing company matters. ¡°You must be really tired recently.¡± Towards the end of the meal, Su Jie showed concern for his secretary. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any major changes in the structure of Mu Hua Company, and all employees have been retained, making it quite stable. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s been a lot of handover work lately. Once things settle down, I¡¯ll have an easier time.¡± Liu Yingying, somewhat materialistic, actually reveled in this commanding lifestyle, controlling a company with thousands of employees and managing billions in funds. She was addicted to this feeling. It is said that power is an aphrodisiac for men, and it is the same for women. ¡°Don¡¯t work too hard. Once you¡¯re done with this busy period, I¡¯ll take you on a holiday. We haven¡¯t really enjoyed a honeymoon vacation yet.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up with anticipation. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve planned it all out already.¡± Su Jie brought over a map with cities circled in red ink through which their journey would pass. Quite coincidentally, one of the cities was Xinzheng City, where Yikang Company¡¯s headquarters was located. ¡°I love you, Su Jie. You¡¯re so good to me.¡± Liu Yingying peeled a crayfish and brought it to Su Jie¡¯s mouth, her face brimming with joy. ¡°I¡¯m this good to you, how will you repay me?¡± After eating the crayfish that Liu Yingying had peeled for him, Su Jie peeled another one and handed it over. ¡°Hmm, whatever you want.¡± While eating the crayfish, Liu Yingying also sucked on Su Jie¡¯s fingers, her gaze filled with coquettish allure. ¡°If my late-night snack hasn¡¯t filled me up, let¡¯s add another grand meal.¡± Su Jie picked up Liu Yingying amidst her screams, and the room gradually filled with suggestive noises as a new opulent meal was served. Chapter 126 - 42: Yu Family (First Update) Chapter 126: Chapter 42: Yu Family (First Update) Xinzheng City, within the Yu Family¡¯s luxurious mansion. This mansion occupied a vast area, ranking among the top in Xinzheng City. As three days passed without any news, Yu Duanchong once again gathered his family members. ¡°Is there still no news of Runming?¡± Fingers lightly tapping on the armrest of his chair, Yu Duanchong looked imposingly at the others. ¡°The phone doesn¡¯t go through, including the friends he took with him, all have gone missing without any message.¡± Yu Duanchong¡¯s son, Yu Shichang, was somewhat uneasy. The disappearance of seven or eight people without a word for days would arouse suspicion in anyone. ¡°Runming must have encountered trouble, big brother, you can¡¯t ignore your nephew, it must be Mu Hua Company¡¯s doing.¡± A man whose face couldn¡¯t hide his sorrow stood up, he was Yu Ting¡¯an, Runming¡¯s father. ¡°Younger brother, we still don¡¯t know what exactly happened, don¡¯t panic.¡± Yu Duanchong took a sip of tea and instructed the others, ¡°Second brother, have someone discreetly investigate, see if they can find Runming and his group.¡± ¡°Alright, big brother.¡± Another middle-aged man nodded in agreement. However, Yu Ting¡¯an wasn¡¯t ready to give up and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Big brother, can we get the police...¡± ¡°No.¡± Cutting off Yu Ting¡¯an¡¯s words abruptly, Yu Duanchong put down his tea cup and said coldly, ¡°If we call the police now, and they manage to find leverage, not only will we not be able to save Runming, but it might also put him in more danger. It¡¯s not Xinzheng City there; we have no connections with the police department. We can¡¯t let the police get involved.¡± Yu Ting¡¯an was somewhat angry and shouted, ¡°But that¡¯s my son, your nephew!¡± ¡°Our Yu family relies on Yikang Group to feed dozens of people, do you think I don¡¯t care? For Runming, do you want to drag Yikang Group down too?¡± Yu Duanchong slammed on the table and stood up, his voice devoid of any warmth. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your command for Runming to do those things, how could my son have...¡± Yu Ting¡¯an was resentful, and at this point, other family members couldn¡¯t sit still and started to persuade him. ¡°Ting¡¯an, I understand your feelings, but we need to prioritize the bigger picture!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Ting¡¯an, listen to your elder brother, he won¡¯t harm us.¡± ¡°I still want to collect my monthly salary from Yikang Group, if Yikang Company fails, what will we live on?¡± A chorus of advice ensued, and these core members of the Yu family quickly formed their alliances. They all depended on Yikang Group, the big tree; Yu Duanchong¡¯s decisions being beneficial for Yikang Company also meant protecting their interests, so such choices were not surprising. Opposed unanimously by all family members, Yu Ting¡¯an¡¯s face turned ashen, and ultimately, he had no choice but to bow his head. The atmosphere inside the room became extremely oppressive and somber, making the situation a thorny one even for these core members of the Yu family. Now, with Runming¡¯s life and death uncertain in Guangyi County, the capability of Mu Hua Company might not be as straightforward as they appeared. Wang Huilian, watching her husband break the silence, said, ¡°Yu, we are too passive now, why don¡¯t we make a call and see if we can reconcile with Mu Hua. Moreover, Runming might still be in their hands; if we can get him out, everything else can be discussed.¡± Hope returned to Yu Ting¡¯an¡¯s eyes and he looked expectantly at his elder brother. ¡°Foolish, what use is calling them now? If Runming is still alive, they will only demand an exorbitant ransom, threatening Yikang Company¡¯s interests. We have already deeply offended them, and if we want to completely resolve this situation, the only way is to take down Mu Hua, show our strength, and then, if Runming is alive, they will naturally send him back obediently.¡± Yu Duanchong snorted coldly. Now, if the Yikang Company he led won this battle, they could nearly monopolize the pig farming market in Xiping Province. Why would he stop for the sake of Yu Runming and halt the battle? In the face of several billion in profits, one human life is negligible, especially since it wasn¡¯t his son. ¡°Enough, stop trying to persuade me, I have my own methods going forward.¡± With those words, Yu Duanchong walked out of the room. .......... Tianyuan World. Ghost Ridge Palace Black Market. Su Jie walked down the street, with constant hawking noises all around. The disciples, seeing him in the blue robe of an inner disciple, all actively made way for him. A few minutes later, Su Jie arrived in front of an imposing pavilion, with the brightly gilded sign ¡°Taixu Pavilion¡± hanging overhead. ¡°Sister Cai, come out to greet a guest.¡± Entering Taixu Pavilion, Su Jie called out. ¡°Tsk, what greeting a guest, you make it sound so crude, this is not a brothel.¡± A voluptuous and beautiful mature woman came over, her tight palace dress hardly containing her lush figure, accentuating her slim waist, flat stomach, and round, full buttocks in the most enticing shapes. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a testament to how popular you are, Sister Cai! You¡¯re so pretty, if you went to Wan Hua Building, all those young girls would feel downright ashamed!¡± ¡°Mr. Su, you¡¯ve become an inner disciple now, why are you still so slick with your words?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e rolled her eyes charmingly and said somewhat irritably. ¡°Being an inner disciple only elevated my status and position; my appreciation for beauty hasn¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°Go on, stop teasing me.¡± As she spoke, Cai Chun¡¯e¡¯s gaze flitted over Su Jie, her heart actually quite shocked. When she met Su Jie a year ago, he was just selling some common Poison Insects. At that time, Su Jie was short on money, always hurrying in and out without daring to linger on any talismans or Magic Artifacts sold in the pavilion. But now, just in the span of one year, he had become an inner disciple, not to mention his elevated status at Ghost Ridge Palace. How could such a dramatic rise of a seemingly insignificant person not leave Cai Chun¡¯e feeling moved? ¡°What have you come to buy today?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e turned the conversation to business and directly took Su Jie upstairs, where the best products of Taixu Pavilion were kept. ¡°I¡¯m not here to buy today; I¡¯m here to sell.¡± Su Jie took out a pile of Magic Artifacts, materials, elixirs, and talismans from his Storage Bag, including some damaged artifacts. These were his spoils from a recent outing, and they stacked up to be about two meters high. ¡°So much?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e was overjoyed. Though the pile contained no high-grade items and many of the Magic Artifacts were damaged beyond repair so that they could only be recycled for materials, even so, the sheer quantity represented a substantial fortune. With the Alien Ghosts rampant and trade routes blocked, many items couldn¡¯t be brought in from outside. But the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples had high demands due to their constant battles, making the prices of battle-related Magic Artifacts and talismans skyrocket. With a quick estimation, Cai Chun¡¯e knew the materials were worth about four to five thousand Blood Marrow Crystals, an extremely astonishing amount. Chapter 127 - 43: Corpse Scale Worm (Second Update) Chapter 127: Chapter 43: Corpse Scale Worm (Second Update) ¡°They are all spoils from the battle at the Golden Sand River, at least it wasn¡¯t a wasted trip.¡± Su Jie said with a smile, these were all things he couldn¡¯t use, so it was better to exchange them for Blood Marrow Crystals. Cai Chun¡¯e took a quick look and indeed saw many Magic Artifacts unique to the Righteous Sects. Such as the Purple Mist Sect¡¯s Colorful Cloud Iron Armor, the standardized Flying Sword of the Golden Sword Sect, the Magic Bell and Water Stepping Boots of the Guan Chao Pavilion, all stained with spots of blood, indicating clearly how Su Jie had come by them. ¡°Mr. Su, please wait a moment, I will have someone come over to appraise the value immediately.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e didn¡¯t dare to delay, she immediately went to call someone over as this was unmistakably a big deal that warranted full attention. This appraisal alone took several hours to complete. ...... When Su Jie left the Taixu Pavilion, his Storage Bag contained fewer various materials but was richer by 4800 Blood Marrow Crystals. Adding to the Spirit Stones and Blood Marrow Crystals Su Jie already held, his wealth now broke through the ten thousand mark. It sounds like a lot, and it really was a lot. This wealth, calculated based on the hundred Blood Marrow Crystals monthly fee of an inner disciple, would take nearly ten years to accumulate. It was really difficult to save up, as inner disciples earned much but also spent much. It could only be said that looting was indeed a very lucrative business, by his own efforts alone, Su Jie would have taken ages to amass so much money. ¡°Mr. Su, we welcome you to come and have fun again!¡± Cai Chun¡¯e personally saw Su Jie to the door, an honor reserved for valued clients only. Su Jie gave a mischievous smile and raised his eyebrow, ¡°Have fun with what, Sister Cai, speak plainly!¡± Cai Chun¡¯e placed her hands on her hips, saying, ¡°Mr. Su, how about I give you a massage and back rub personally?¡± ¡°That lacks sincerity; Sister Cai, why don¡¯t you consider visiting my residence, it¡¯s where the real fun activities are.¡± Su Jie teased Cai Chun¡¯e for a couple of sentences, then turned and left the Black Market. This time, Su Jie left openly and legitimately, even though many disciples knew he was wealthy, no one dared to rob him. Incidents from the past where he was forced to rob before retreating back to Blue Star were not likely to be repeated for Su Jie now. After leaving the Black Market, Su Jie arrived at an active volcano. The surface of the mountain was bare, covered with sulfur and volcanic ash. But that was just the surface, Su Jie took out his inner disciple token, and after the Law Enforcement Team verified his identity, he successfully entered the Refining Hall belonging to the Ghost Ridge Palace. Inside the volcano, pavilions soared amidst hot, searing waves of air that were segregated by Arrays, while various exotic flowers and plants thrived wildly, blooming into a dazzling sea of flowers. Numerous human slaves bustled about, engaged in the most basic tasks of ore crushing and sorting. The ore produced by the Ghost Ridge Palace was brought here, the most toilsome labor always relegated to the human slaves. It was said no human slave could endure this intensity of work for more than three years, and in the Demon Cultivators¡¯ hands, slaves without work value were squeezed dry of their last worth, used for cultivation in blood sacrifices for Demon Techniques. The management of these hardworking human slaves was done by Outer Disciples who studied Artifact Refining. Although rewards here were meager, they could gain knowledge. Just like how Su Jie used to go to Insect Valley to catch insects every day, Outer Disciples always had to find ways to support themselves. Su Jie¡¯s arrival disrupted the peace, these Outer Disciples quickly sat upright, supervising the human slaves with increased severity. ¡°Excuse me, brother, can I help you with something?¡± A disciple cautiously approached Su Jie and asked. ¡°Is Elder Tang here?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Lead the way.¡± Su Jie nodded, and under the guidance of the disciple, he arrived at an open Refining Room. There stood octagonal fire wells with a diameter of three meters, their interiors filled with ceaselessly churning molten lava. Now and then, pillars of magma would erupt up to several meters high, like a blooming flower of flame. Along with the surging magma, some radiant, shining or subtly enchanting materials like Heavenly Jade Ore, Alien Ghost Demon Bone, Glazed Wood, and Nine Curves Sand were also thrust into the sky. In mid-air, as the Artifact Refining Array operated spontaneously, chains of lightning crisscrossed and struck the materials, removing impurities from them. This was the most basic step of tempering; only after completing this step could the materials officially be used for artifact refining. An old man with his hands behind his back was inspecting the fire well tempering site. His eyebrows and temples were white and hung down his cheeks, with exceptionally deep eye bags and profound eyes that seemed to have experienced the vicissitudes of time and could see through people¡¯s hearts. He was the Elder Su Jie was looking for, Tang Peiqing, a Secret Realm Elder proficient in both artifact refining and alchemy. He was also one of the most famous Gu Masters inside Ghost Ridge Palace, having cultivated many poisonous insects with various eerie abilities. Moreover, he was the oldest elder in Ghost Ridge Palace, reputed to be 280 years old, even more seasoned than Taoist Qiu. ¡°Disciple Su Jie, a student of Taoist Qiu¡¯s lineage, greets Elder Tang.¡± Su Jie quickly stepped forward and performed a bow. Tang Peiqing¡¯s eyebrows drooped slightly as he said indifferently, ¡°From Taoist Qiu¡¯s family, did your master send you to find me?¡± ¡°No, I wanted to buy a bottle of Corpse Scale Worms from Elder Tang.¡± Su Jie stated his purpose; he planned to use them on Blue Star. These Corpse Scale Worms were extremely tiny and could freely carry various types of viruses, possessing strong infective capabilities. The only disadvantage was that these Corpse Scale Worms had an exceedingly short lifespan, dying shortly after use, and lacked reproductive abilities to prevent other Gu Masters from learning and cultivating them¡ªonly Tang Peiqing knew the breeding method. ¡°Did you bring enough money?¡± Tang Peiqing gave Su Jie a few more looks and directly asked the core question. He bred various kinds of poisonous insects, sometimes selling them to disciples to earn money. These Corpse Scale Worms were specially cultivated, originally just a common flea. ¡°The money is sufficient, Elder Tang, rest assured, I don¡¯t do things on credit.¡± Su Jie patted his chest, now financially robust and not short on cash. ¡°No, I am willing to give credit here.¡± Tang Peiqing stared at Su Jie and said indifferently, ¡°If you can¡¯t pay back, your body can also make the payment, many of my poisonous insects lack good cultivators to serve as breeding nests.¡± Su Jie¡¯s heart pounded¡ªindeed, few of these elders were normal. ¡°No, I¡¯ll pay directly with cash.¡± Su Jie said without hesitation, not daring to test whether Taoist Qiu would protect him. Tang Peiqing seemed somewhat disappointed, flicked his sleeve, and a line of bottles appeared in front of him, varying in size and totaling dozens. ¡°What grade of poison do you plan to buy?¡± Like a vendor, Tang Peiqing generously displayed the various deadly poisons he had produced. These toxins were all compatible with the use of Corpse Scale Worms, which acted like fighter jets, and these toxins were the various types of ammunition and weapons, customized for different enemies. Chapter 128 - 44: Swallow Yikang Company? (Third Update) Chapter 128: Chapter 44: Swallow Yikang Company? (Third Update) ¡°I need a toxin with high transmissibility and concealability, one that¡¯s difficult for others to detect.¡± Su Jie stated his needs, knowing that even the weakest toxin from Tang Peiqing was exceedingly lethal. ¡°Then, choose this Mica Yin Vein Poison. Go back and check your needs, if you¡¯re planning to deal with cultivators, keep it in its original concentration. If it¡¯s for ordinary people, dilute it with more water. Additionally, take this bottle of Corpse Scale Worms. In consideration of Taoist Qiu, I¡¯ll charge you this amount.¡± With his left hand, Tang Peiqing gestured a figure that even made Su Jie wince at the cost. But there was no choice, as these worms were exclusive to Tang Peiqing. Su Jie took out the Blood Marrow Crystal and paid. The other party took the Blood Marrow Crystal and handed over two bottles¡ªone containing the Mica Yin Vein Poison and the other, the Corpse Scale Worms¡ªas well as an instruction manual to Su Jie. All of these items were extremely dangerous, to prevent anyone from accidentally poisoning themselves. Upon receiving them, Su Jie saw one bottle contained a black liquid, while the other housed a cluster of tiny, dense worms. The worms were extremely small, just 0.2 millimeters in size, and similar in shape to fleas. At that moment, they were dormant inside the bottle, which was how Corpse Scale Worms looked when hibernating. The steep price was, nonetheless, worth the value. Once infected with the Mica Yin Vein Poison, even disciples at the sixth or seventh level of the Yunling Realm would be severely affected; with a light infection causing bodily chaos, while a severe one could result in immediate death. Combining it with the Corpse Scale Worms would have an even greater effect. ¡°The method of use is all here. Consecrate it for a while, and remember, once you open the bottle, you must use it within an hour, or it will lose all its potency.¡± After explaining how to use it, Tang Peiqing sent Su Jie away. Unfazed, Su Jie took the Mica Yin Vein Poison and Corpse Scale Worms back to his residence, then returned to the Blue Star World. ........... Xinzheng City. Liu Yingying was walking arm-in-arm with Su Jie, browsing the largest mall in the area, entering various jewelry and clothing stores. She wasn¡¯t shopping impulsively; instead, she relished the process of choosing. Given how Su Jie treated her, she hardly lacked anything materially. ¡°Let¡¯s grab something to eat; it¡¯s getting late.¡± Su Jie glanced at his watch and took Liu Yingying to a restaurant. This was the seventh day of sightseeing with Liu Yingying. After dealing with most of the affairs at Mu Hua Company, Su Jie had asked Liu Yingying to take time off from work, and the two started a national honeymoon trip together. The first stop was the capital, the second was Shanghai, and now they were in Xinzheng City. ¡°Su Jie, try this¡ªthis crab with salmon is really delicious.¡± Liu Yingying kept offering Su Jie delicacies. During their time in the Mande Region, since Su Jie often had to leave for ten days or half a month, she cherished every moment they spent together. ¡°Alright, you eat more, look how thin you¡¯ve gotten.¡± ¡°Ah! My figure is just about perfect, where have I gotten thin?¡± ¡°This area needs to fill out a bit more.¡± Su Jie pointed at Liu Yingying¡¯s chest, at a pair of melons, suggesting she needed to work on that aspect. ¡°You¡¯re so improper.¡± Liu Yingying blushed, and looked around instinctively to check if anyone was nearby before relaxing. ¡°Why are you still shy? We¡¯ve been together for so long, we¡¯re already at the stage where we can meet the parents.¡± Su Jie pinched Liu Yingying¡¯s face, his words making her even more bashful and nervous. ¡°My parents don¡¯t know about us; I haven¡¯t told them yet.¡± Liu Yingying spoke softly. Her family was rather ordinary, and honestly, she was initially attracted to Su Jie for his wealth, which made her reluctant to tell them. Later, as she accompanied Su Jie to work in the Mande Region, her heart gradually became his. But the experiences in the Mande Region involved warlords, corrupt officials, and murders¡ªincidents she dared not reveal a hint of to her parents. ¡°You can keep the Mande Region affairs a secret and just talk about working for other companies; they would understand that.¡± ¡°I plan to visit home and tell them in person when I have some time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you when the time comes.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Liu Yingying softly hummed in agreement. Though her face was tinged with shyness, it was overwhelmingly filled with sweetness and joy. ¡°We can go back earlier. My dad likes drinking, my mom enjoys square dancing, and I¡¯ll help you pick out gifts...¡± After the moment of bashfulness, Liu Yingying began chirping away, already pondering over the gifts for the return home. ¡°Let¡¯s not rush it. In a couple of days, there¡¯s a flower-viewing festival here in Xinzheng City. We¡¯ll go back after that.¡± Su Jie had to interrupt Liu Yingying to share his plan. Liu Yingying paused mid-motion and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Su Jie, did you come here for Yikang Company?¡± ¡°Oh, you guessed it.¡± Su Jie smiled. It wasn¡¯t surprising that Liu Yingying, having been with him for so long, would understand this. ¡°After all, the Yu Family from Yikang Company are all here. Su Jie, if we were to kill someone here, the police...¡± Liu Yingying said worriedly. She knew Su Jie had the ability to deal with the Yu Family but was afraid that he would get himself involved too, considering this was Hua Country, not the chaotic Mande Region. Her face bore genuine concern, and even when speaking of killing, she used the word ¡°we.¡± This showed both the depth of her feelings for Su Jie and her growing acceptance of brutal realities. ¡°No, don¡¯t overthink it. Leave these matters to me to handle. You just make sure Mu Hua Company has the funds ready. Before long, we might be able to take over Yikang Company.¡± ¡°Take over Yikang Company?¡± Hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, Liu Yingying blinked, not understanding how that could be achieved. After all, Yikang Company was currently well-operated, unlike Mu Hua Company, which was laden with debt. ¡°I had no idea at first, but then Yikang Company taught me a business competition tactic. It¡¯s perfect to return the favor with their own strategy. Anyway, just be prepared.¡± Su Jie stood up and called the waiter over to pay the bill. Liu Yingying silently followed behind Su Jie, having decided to stick with him to the very end, no matter what he was up to. Back at the hotel, after a passionate night, Su Jie lit a stick of sandalwood, letting Liu Yingying sleep soundly. Then he dressed himself, caressed Liu Yingying¡¯s pretty face, said nothing, and pushed open the door to leave. In the corridor, as Su Jie stepped out, the working red light of the surveillance camera simultaneously dimmed. Inside the hotel¡¯s monitoring room, the equipment suddenly began to smoke as if some machines had overheated and burned out. Amidst the hotel staff¡¯s confusion, a Yin Fire Blood Bee silently emerged and flew out of the window. Su Jie¡¯s stride was steady. He walked through the hotel¡¯s long corridor, took the elevator, and never encountered a single guest or staff member. The closest anyone got to encountering him always just missed by a hair¡¯s breadth. In the hotel lobby, the two front desk ladies suddenly discovered cockroaches crawling on their feet. They screamed and frantically called for help. Ding! At that moment, the elevator reached the first floor. Su Jie walked out of the elevator as if nobody else was there, striding across the hotel lobby. By the time the ladies had killed the cockroaches, Su Jie was already gone. On the street outside the hotel, Su Jie strolled leisurely, and every surveillance camera he passed happened to be conveniently obscured by a leaf, a plastic bag, a balloon, or something else just as he walked by, only for the obstruction to be carried away by small insects once he was past. Chapter 129 - 45: The First Strike (Fourth Update) Chapter 129: Chapter 45: The First Strike (Fourth Update) Pugang Town. The largest breeding farm of Yikang Group, Pugang Farm, is situated here. The entire Pugang could be said to have completely taken on the shape of Yikang Company, with massive scale pig farms, a smart logistics park, a food city, and an agricultural and pastoral manufacturing equipment incubation park, among others, creating a gigantic industrial aircraft carrier group for pig production. And the most core of them all is, of course, the pig breeding farm in Pugang. Pugang pig farm employs integrated high-efficiency breeding techniques and consists of eight high-rise buildings arranged in a pattern, each reaching 19 stories and housing over four million pigs. It is the core of the Yikang Group¡¯s core, contributing over 80% of the company¡¯s revenue. As night deepened, Su Jie stood on a deserted hill outside Pugang Farm, spreading out dragonflies to monitor every move of the Pugang Farm. When he felt the timing was right, Su Jie took out the prepared Mica Yin Vein Poison and Corpse Scale Worms from the Storage Bag. First, he opened the Mica Yin Vein Poison and cautiously poured the dark brown poison into a basin, diluting it according to the amount required. This type of Mica Yin Vein Poison was extremely lethal even to Cultivators, so Su Jie had to be very careful as well. Then Su Jie took out some bottled water and poured it into the basin bottle by bottle. The reason for this was that Su Jie¡¯s actions did not require such potent poison; pigs¡¯ resistance couldn¡¯t compare to that of Cultivators, so diluting it thoroughly would allow it to cover a greater number of pigs. After everything was ready, Su Jie opened the bottle containing the Corpse Scale Worms and poured all of the tightly clustered worms into the basin. With the naked eye, it was visible that these Corpse Scale Worms stretched out their bodies, flapped their wings, and emitted a sinister red glow. The poison in the basin boiled violently and then slowly evaporated, all absorbed by the Corpse Scale Worms. Their size did not increase, but their appearance turned to a dull gray, almost invisible. ¡°Go.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, and the Corpse Scale Worms flew with the wind, their wings vibrating as they headed toward Pugang Farm. Inside Pu Gang Farm, despite it being night, the lights in the pig building were still bright. The stock of four million pigs needed care and inspection at all times; any issues had to be dealt with promptly, and therefore, there were also many employees remaining there. The tiny Corpse Scale Worms entered each pig house through windows, gaps in the doors, and other such places, and even if they flew right in front of the employees, they would not raise any alarm. Quickly, the first Corpse Scale Worm entered a pigsty and landed on a pig. Next, the Corpse Scale Worm displayed a proboscis-like mouthpart and inserted it into the surface of the animal¡¯s skin. Because the Corpse Scale Worms were so small, this insertion was much smaller than even a mosquito bite and was virtually undetectable to the human eye. The pig seemed to feel slightly uncomfortable, twitching its tail, turning over, and then continuing to lay down and sleep soundly. A few seconds later, the Corpse Scale Worm withdrew its mouthpart, flapped its wings, and flew toward another pig, repeating the previous action. Similar scenes occurred in each building of Pu Gang Farm. The Corpse Scale Worms were like industrious little bees, injecting every pig with lethal poison. The entire process was not only rapid and efficient but also exceedingly covert, with nobody realizing that anything was awry. An hour later, these injected Corpse Scale Worms flew back to Su Jie. Their brief lives dissipated with the wind, and after completing their mission, they died explosively; this was Tang Peiqing¡¯s method of preventing the poisonous insects from being learned by others. ¡°Xiao Qian, it¡¯s your turn to set out.¡± Su Jie looked up at the sky, which was pitch-black with scarcely any moonlight, making visibility quite low. He then summoned the thousand-hand centipede from his robe sleeve, allowed it to split into smaller centipedes, and selected dozens from them. Su Jie took out several Soul Summoning Banners from his Storage Bag, which he had prepared earlier, and attached them to the little centipedes. These small centipedes couldn¡¯t stray too far from the main body or they would collapse directly, but now, being only about a kilometer from Pugang Farm, distance was not an issue at all. Su Jie infused each Soul Banner with Spiritual Power to keep them operating for a few hours. One by one, the little centipedes flew into the sky, carrying the Soul Banners above Pugang Farm, circling at an altitude of two hundred meters. Under the cover of night, the small, unlit, noiseless centipedes were invisible to the human eye. Just after Su Jie finished all these preparations, at Pugang Farm, the dreadful Mica Yin Vein Poison finally emerged from its dormancy and began its violent outbreak. A pig that had been sound asleep suddenly started convulsing. Its limbs went into spasm and its surface veins bulged as if they were writhing earthworms gone berserk. Overwhelmed by intense pain, the pig let out mournful cries and its breathing weakened swiftly. In less than five minutes, the large pig became rigid, losing both breath and life. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Huang Hui, who was on night patrol at Pugang Farm, heard the pig¡¯s wails and hurried over to inspect, while using his walkie-talkie to report the situation. By the time he reached the source of the cries, he saw the pig on the ground in the throes of violent convulsions, its twisted veins protruding like it had been branded with a curse, enduring a painful struggle to death. ¡°Sss! What¡¯s going on here?¡± Huang Hui froze for a few seconds in shock, having never seen pigs in such a state before. For a moment he even thought the pig resembled a zombie from a movie, with bulging veins as if it were about to pounce on him and bite him at any second. ¡°Hey, Huang Hui, what¡¯s the problem? Have you figured it out?¡± The voice of the supervisor came through the walkie-talkie. Huang Hui picked it up, ready to respond, when suddenly he heard wails rising and falling in succession all around him. Looking around, pigs in nearby pens that had been lively and bouncing just moments ago were now falling and starting to convulse one after another, their wailing noises deafening. ¡°Hey, hey, what the hell is going on over there, why so much noise?¡± Hearing the voice over the walkie-talkie, Huang Hui swallowed and replied with a dry voice, ¡°Boss, we seem to have a big problem, the pig farm... the pig farm has had an outbreak of swine fever.¡± There was silence on the other end of the walkie-talkie for a few seconds, followed by a sound of chairs and tables being knocked over, and when the supervisor¡¯s voice came through again, it was an anxious roar, ¡°Initiate the emergency quarantine measures immediately, disinfect the entire pig farm, round up all the sick pigs for concentrated destruction...¡± Orders were issued one after another, and workers from each pig building were mobilized, running back and forth in alarm. But all their efforts were in vain, as the eight 19-story pig buildings were already completely dominated by the terrifying Mica Yin Vein Poison. After brief convulsions and spasms, pig after pig passed away, leaving bodies scattered all over the pens within the farm. Above the farm, unseen by anyone, the souls of the deceased pigs were being absorbed into the Soul Banners. Under the veil of night, a dozen Soul Banners flapped in the wind, and upon the banners, hundreds upon hundreds of overlapping Yin Souls condensed, revealing eerie and chilling smiles in the darkness, rendering the night sky even darker and colder. Chapter 130 - 46: Formation of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner (First Update) Chapter 130: Chapter 46: Formation of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner (First Update) The entire Pu Gao Farm fell into unprecedented chaos, with the mass death of the pigs also allowing the Soul Summoning Banner to gain a vast number of Yin Souls. Half an hour later, there was not a single living pig left in the entire Pu Gao Farm. A full four million pigs had been annihilated by the Mica Yin Vein Poison. At this time, several dozen centipedes also returned, carrying the Soul Summoning Banner back to Su Jie¡¯s side. Ominous and bizarre silhouettes of Yin Souls emerged on the Soul Summoning Banner brimming with a vast number of souls, their eerie and hollow gazes penetrating the fabric of the banner, watching over all living beings on the outside. ¡°Over ten thousand Yin Souls, I¡¯ve struck it rich overnight!¡± Su Jie was overjoyed in his heart, as the Soul Summoning Banners now stored more than ten thousand Yin Souls. It was a number that would have taken Mu Hua Company a long time to accumulate, but now it had been accomplished all at once by Yikang Company. Picking up the Soul Summoning Banners, he summoned all of the Yin Souls within. Whoosh whoosh. The space around Su Jie became oppressively heavy, as the howling apparitions of Yin Souls spontaneously gathered and took their positions, forming a Yin Soul Blood Nether Array. Within the Formation, an extremely gloomy mist drifted, with each Yin Soul linking and fitting together, transforming into myriad soul-killing blades, their piercing screams and maniacal laughter reverberating across the wild. At the same time, a vaguely visible Void Door cracked open in the sky, revealing an ancient world the size of hundreds of acres within. Vaguely visible inside was a sky filled with bloodlight, endless crimson fog swirling, waves of putrid air nauseating to the sense, and sanguine blood collected into a small river. Above the Blood River, an old wooden bridge spanned across. On the bridge railing, dozens of corpses hung, and in the river human remains¡ªtorso remnants, organs, limbs, heads¡ªbobbed and floated... This blood-veiled, ghastly domain of the Blood River was but the tip of the iceberg of the true might of the Yin Souls. When the number of Yin Souls reaches ten thousand, they automatically huddle together for warmth, forming various mysteries¡ªa natural instinct like ants building nests, no learning necessary. A large congregation of Yin Souls, driven by their obsessions, created their own dwelling place, the blood-colored world Su Jie had just seen, which essentially amounted to a horrifying Formation constructed by the Yin Souls. Yin Souls in essence are souls, and when there are enough of them, they can turn illusion into reality, creating various realistic and illusory terrifying Array Maps. Any living being caught within would have their soul scattered and reduced to ashes across the aeons. Currently, ten thousand Yin Souls represented one level, a hundred thousand another qualitative change, and a million another level of might. Legend has it that during ancient times, there was a coalition of Demon Cultivator sects that slaughtered countless living beings, amassing hundreds of millions of Yin Souls, to construct the formidable eighteen levels of hell, intending to turn the entire Tianyuan World into a collecting ground for souls, to have every deceased being¡¯s soul collected and then transformed into Yin Souls. In battle, each level of the eighteen levels of hell was an extreme killing Formation, possessing the might to subdue gods and immortals. Of course, rumors are just rumors, and who knows whether they are true or not. Watching the Blood Nether Array constructed by the Yin Souls, Su Jie, as the controller, felt a chill over his whole body, and his soul trembled slightly. It should be noted that Su Jie¡¯s soul had been strengthened by cultivating the Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, yet even his spirit was inevitably affected. Even without trying to fight, Su Jie could sense the power of this great Formation. ¡°With this, the true power of the Yin Souls is revealed.¡± Su Jie could hardly hide his shock in his heart, no wonder each disciple of the Heavenly Soul Sect carries a Soul Summoning Banner. A small number of Yin Souls hold no advantage against Cultivators and can even be utterly defeated one-sidedly. But with numbers, even to the extent of gathering into a great Array like Su Jie had done, the power becomes something else entirely. Ultimately, all Yin Souls were stored by Su Jie in a Soul Summoning Banner, no, it should now be called the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. The newly formed Ten Thousand Soul Banner looked even more eerie, its fabric soaked with the hue of blood, vaguely revealing a blood-colored river raging and roaring, its rich scent of blood wafting out as if the Blood River truly existed. ¡°All the Blood Marrow Crystal I spent was worth it.¡± A slight smile played on the corners of Su Jie¡¯s mouth. The Corpse Scale Worms he had acquired at a high price from Tang Peiqing had not only bankrupted the most important asset of Yikang Company but also helped him complete the formation of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner¡ªa double victory indeed. Glancing in the direction of Pu Gao Farm, Su Jie sneered, ¡°Yikang Company, I hope you will appreciate this return gift.¡± ............ Inside a high-end private club in Xinzheng City. Yu Duanchong was entertaining a group of guests. ¡°Mr. Ding, then we have an agreement,¡± Yu Duanchong said, his face sporting a cordial smile as he held his drink. ¡°Haha, rest assured, Mr. Yu, since you are willing to take over the quota, I will halt the supply to Mu Hua Company for the time being,¡± replied the smiling Mr. Ding. He was a grain merchant from Xiping Province, dealing mainly in common livestock feed materials like corn, soybean meal, and wheat bran, and he was a major supplier for both Mu Hua Company and Yikang Company. Because Mu Hua had its own pig feed processing factory, it would usually purchase raw materials and process them into feed for pigs. A disruption in supply would certainly make it difficult to find a new channel in the short term. Even if one were found, transporting large quantities from other regions would push up the breeding costs, as would purchasing feed from other companies. Yu Duanchong then turned his attention to another man, whispering, ¡°The stocks your wife owns in the United States, I¡¯ve already taken care of that, take a look at this...¡± Lu Pinghu raised his glass and clinked it against Yu Duanchong¡¯s, then spoke slowly, ¡°Your points were valid earlier; our department has received a lot of complaints, indicating Mu Hua Company¡¯s pollution is indeed serious! Later our environmental bureau will issue a document ¨C it¡¯s time for reforms and fines, we can¡¯t let these big companies recklessly pollute our green waters and hills.¡± The smile on Yu Duanchong¡¯s face deepened as his gaze shifted to the other guests, who were all important figures in sectors related to Mu Hua Company. This was the combination punch he had prepared for Mu Hua Company. When they all struck together, Mu Hua Company would either be crippled or at least severely wounded. Just as Yu Duanchong was preparing to continue his persuasion, his mobile phone inconveniently rang. The phones of the other guests also rang one after another. After answering, their faces showed odd shifts in expression. Less than a minute into the call, Yu Duanchong¡¯s face turned forbiddingly dark. He hurriedly put down his phone, ¡°Gentlemen, my company has had an emergency, and I must rush back immediately. I¡¯m really sorry. This meal is on me¡ªenjoy yourselves without holding back.¡± Mr. Ding cleared his throat and said, ¡°Mr. Yu, upon reflection, I believe in doing business with integrity. I fear I won¡¯t be able to help with Mu Hua Company anymore.¡± He had his own sources of information and was already aware of what had happened at Yikang¡¯s Pu Gao Farm. Lu Pinghu said coolly, ¡°Regarding the issuance of the document, our environmental bureau needs to conduct further investigation. We cannot simply take the complaint at face value, can we?¡± A bank chairman, looking very distressed, stood up, ¡°Chairman Yu, the loan policy has been tightened recently, and about the 2.2 billion Yikang borrowed last time...¡± ¡°Chairman Chen, we¡¯ll talk about this later. I need to go back to handle company affairs right now,¡± Yu Duanchong said, before rushing out as if he were fleeing. On his way out, he stumbled and fell, gashing his forehead, but he barely paid attention to the injury, quickly getting up with the help of his secretary and leaving straight away. In the room, a group of people exchanged glances. Finally, someone whispered, ¡°Old Yu has suffered such a heavy loss this time, he may not make it through. We should all prepare accordingly.¡± For a moment, the thoughts of those present diverged. Even though they had been jovial just before, now that they witnessed Yu Duanchong¡¯s fall, they were all thinking about how to distance themselves and recoup their losses. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; it was no different in this case. Chapter 131 - 47: Evil Approaches the Gallbladder (Second Update) Chapter 131: Chapter 47: Evil Approaches the Gallbladder (Second Update) Pu Gang Farm. Yu Duanchong stood inside the pigsty, his eyes dull and lifeless as he stared at the corpses of pigs scattered all over the ground, looking like a walking corpse who had lost all vitality. Batch after batch of workers inspected each pig pen in an attempt to find any pigs that had miraculously survived, only to be met with disappointment time and again. There were also scientists in white coats, wearing masks, conducting autopsies on the bodies, searching for the cause of the swine fever outbreak. On the open ground of the farm, piles of pig carcasses formed small hills, a sight that was shocking to behold. ¡°It¡¯s all over, all gone.¡± Yu Duanchong muttered to himself, watching the pig farming empire he had built collapse at an unimaginable speed. He struggled to breathe, his chest writhed with pain; he had severe heart disease, which was now triggered by the stress. ¡°Boss!¡± The accompanying secretary was shocked and quickly fed medicine to Yu Duanchong. After a while, Yu Duanchong finally recovered, but the pain on his face was even more sorrowful than during the angina attack. ¡°Dad, we¡¯re here.¡± A large group of people rushed into the farm. The top executives of Yikang Company and other members of the Yu Family had received the news and rushed here. However, upon seeing the current state of Pu Gang Farm, everyone, without exception, was struck with horror, and panic quickly seized their hearts. Pu Gang Farm was the core of Yikang Company, accounting for 80% of the company¡¯s revenue. Now, with four million pigs dead within the farm, just this alone amounted to a direct loss exceeding seven billion. The market value of Yikang Company was only around 12 billion or so. It could be said that the downfall of Pu Gang Farm was a disaster for Yikang Company. From the perspective of market value, Yikang Company seemed to have started with a loss, but pig farming is a capital-intensive operation, always indebted with bank loans and payment dues to raw material suppliers; they needed to sell the pigs to recoup funds for repayment. But with Yikang Company in its current state, what could they use to discuss repayments? Whether the company could continue to operate was an unknown. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t the swine fever detected earlier? What are the people at the farm even for?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve signed agreements with Xunlan Commercial Supermarkets and several other companies to deliver 120,000 pigs the day after tomorrow as per the contract; what do we give them now?¡± ¡°Huasheng Bank still owes more than two billion in loans, and they will not let us off the hook...¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been neglecting your duties, engaging more in the company instead of such matters, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. Such a virulent contagious disease in pigs went undetected.¡± ¡°Nonsense, you still have the nerve to say that about me, you were soaking in a bar all night yesterday, not coming home, what right do you have to talk?¡± A large group of the Yu Family felt as if the sky had collapsed and began to blame and complain about each other. ¡°Old... Old Yu, say something!¡± Wang Huilian looked at her husband, hoping that he, as the principal decision-maker, would come up with an idea. The other Yu Family members also stopped arguing, all turning their eyes to Yu Duanchong, hoping he could stand up in this time of crisis. Yu Duanchong¡¯s face was pale, silent all along until his wife¡¯s call finally made him come back to his senses. ¡°Chen Shang, has the swine fever test result come out yet?¡± Having regained some composure, Yu Duanchong immediately summoned the company¡¯s chief swine disease expert to inquire about the exact type of swine fever they were dealing with. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Yu, this is a type of swine fever virus we have never seen before, and we still cannot detect the cause,¡± responded Chen Shang, who was questioned. As soon as the swine fever outbreak was identified, they conducted tests right away, performing various related tests, but until now, they could not find the cause of the swine fever. ¡°Is someone poisoning them?¡± Yu Duanchong asked again, a bit suspicious whether it was Mu Hua Company¡¯s doing, since they had recently used the same tactic against Mu Hua Company. ¡°It¡¯s impossible, this is an unprecedented swine fever virus, with no similar cases found anywhere in the world; we¡¯re just purely unlucky to have encountered it.¡± Chen Shang shook his head, giving a very certain judgment. ¡°Is there a risk of it being a zoonotic disease?¡± Thinking of something, Yu Duanchong¡¯s eyes flickered, with a palpable fear in his gaze. Startled, Chen Shang then shook his head and said, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any risk. Although the pork is severely above standard levels, it won¡¯t transmit back to humans.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you, Old Chen, you may go now.¡± After dismissing Chen Shang, Yu Duanchong turned to his family members with fierce determination, gritting his teeth: ¡°From now on, no one enters or leaves Pugang Farm, completely lock down this swine fever issue, collect all employees¡¯ phones, give them enough hush money, and make them all keep their mouths shut. Junior, with your brother-in-law at the Epidemic Prevention Bureau, go back right now and have him issue a batch of animal health certificates for us. We won¡¯t let him down afterwards. Huili, you will personally oversee the slaughterhouse, and we must process and send these diseased pigs to the market as soon as possible, and the price can be kept as low as possible.¡± Hearing Yu Duanchong¡¯s words, the Yu Family members were all shocked. ¡°Uncle, this is illegal!¡± A member of the Yu Family trembled, the thought of millions of diseased pigs flooding the market made his scalp tingle. ¡°So what if it¡¯s illegal? Do you want to go bankrupt?¡± Clenching his fists tightly, Yu Duanchong¡¯s face twisted fiercely, resembling a demon. The others thought about their own interests, realizing that if Yikang Company went bankrupt, they would have nothing left. In a moment, they all fell silent, no longer voicing any objections. Having lived in luxury, the thought of bankruptcy and having nothing was something most of them couldn¡¯t bear; the psychology of taking risks began to take over. ¡°Big brother, I understand. I¡¯ll go to my brother-in-law¡¯s myself.¡± The Yu Family¡¯s junior immediately agreed, supporting his elder brother¡¯s decision. ¡°Go to the second floor safe, the Third Level, take those two boxes of cigarettes, they are all little yellow croakers, make sure he cooperates with us.¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll look for channels to sell off the pork.¡± Yu Shichang also sprang into action, seeking out his connections. The other Yu Family members also offered their advice in turn, as after all, the diseased pigs didn¡¯t kill people; Yikang Company was far more important, it absolutely must not go bankrupt. After giving his orders, Yu Duanchong had everyone assigned tasks. After everyone left, Yu Duanchong smoked, his gaze cold: ¡°No one can bring down my Yikang Group, no one.¡± Stamping out the cigarette, Yu Duanchong quickly got in his car and left; he had to personally handle matters. With such important assets in Yikang Company, linked to so many people¡¯s livelihoods, just by persuading with reason and appealing to feelings, Yikang Company wouldn¡¯t fall. Meanwhile, none of them noticed that not far away, several tiny flying insects hovered over the trees, with pinhole cameras attached, quietly recording this entire conversation. And inside the farm, more pinhole cameras silently operated, recording scenes of the swine from falling ill to death. Chapter 132 - 48: The Second Strike (Third Update) Chapter 132: Chapter 48: The Second Strike (Third Update) Three days later. The Xinzheng City Flower Festival arrived as scheduled. Xinzheng City is a sacred place for flower planting, and it produces a large quantity of flowers for the market every year. Just in Xinzheng City alone, the output of flowers accounts for 15% of the local GDP. Therefore, to attract investors, tourists, and purchasers, a grand celebration is held at the festival every year. On the bustling streets, stalls were stacked with various vibrant flowers, and residents and tourists were coming and going, participating in this annual festival. In the central square of Xinzheng City, there was an even larger gathering of people. On the south side of the square, a huge screen was set up for promotional purposes by the festival organizers, displaying various promotional videos. ¡°Huh, why has the screen changed?¡± A tourist looked at the screen, where the content suddenly changed to a video clearly shot in an automated breeding farm. At first, the video appeared normal, but soon enough, the pigs in the breeding farm began to convulse violently, fall to the ground, and develop worm-like veins protruding from their skin. It seemed as if they had contracted some terrible disease and struggled briefly before dying. More and more tourists and citizens on the square turned their heads and noticed the change in the screen content. Out of curiosity, and as the video continued, some locals recognized that the breeding farm shown was owned by Yikang Company. When that video ended, a new segment appeared. Yu Duanchong, the CEO of Yikang Company, along with a group of senior executives were gathered, secretly planning their strategy. ¡°Completely block the news about swine fever...¡± ¡°Go to your brother-in-law, get a certificate of animal health...¡± ¡°Have the slaughterhouse process the infected pigs 24 hours a day, and sell them off at low prices as quickly as possible,¡± In the video, orders issued by Yu Duanchong were being listened to and watched by the crowd on the square. When the crowd heard Yu Duanchong personally order the sale of four million infected pigs to the market, the square instantly burst into uproar. ¡°Damn it, is Yikang Company even human, to actually sell millions of diseased pigs to the market?¡± ¡°Ugh, I just bought pork from the market today, almost all of our local pork comes from Yikang Company. I wondered why the price of pork had dropped so much today; it turns out to be because of the diseased pigs.¡± ¡°This boss, I remember his name is Yu Duanchong, he was even once nominated as one of the top ten outstanding entrepreneurs in the province. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s such a rotten scoundrel, stopping at nothing to make money.¡± Curses rose all around the square, particularly from the locals of Xinzheng City. Hearing that diseased pigs had entered the market, they were infuriated and wished they could grab Yu Duanchong and beat him up, since the pork they were eating might well be from diseased pigs. ¡°What exactly is going on with the screen? Go fix it now.¡± The organizers of the flower festival on the square realized something was wrong and hurried backstage, only to find it locked by someone unknown, leaving them no choice but to turn off the power. But by that time, it was already too late. As the staff turned off the screen, the content of the video had already been recorded by the tourists and citizens with their phones, and sent online, where the related videos were quickly spreading across the internet. The era of self-media is now. As soon as the public hears about major news, with the help of the internet, it can quickly spread far and wide. And seeing the trending news, the media, carrying cameras and other equipment, raced to Pugang Farm, eager to gather firsthand news. ... ¡°What are you doing? What do you want? This is our breeding base, unrelated personnel should leave immediately.¡± At the entrance of Pugang Farm, security guards were sweating buckets, desperately trying to stop journalists from entering. ¡°Is it true that your farm has had an outbreak of swine fever and you are letting infected pork enter the market?¡± ¡°We have press freedom, if you¡¯re not guilty, why won¡¯t you let us in?¡± ¡°Where is Yu Duanchong? Ask him to come out and say a few words.¡± The journalists were not easy to deal with, absolutely refusing to leave the entrance. Some tried to forcefully break in, others sneakily climbed over walls, and some used their connections to attempt contacting employees working at Pugang Farm, employing various methods to get direct evidence. The farm was pushed to the brink, with security guards continually blocking them. Xie Yulei from Phoenix City TV Station was pushing and trying to break through the security defense. Just then, a phone call suddenly came in. ¡°I have whistleblower material regarding Yikang Company selling infected pork. If you¡¯re interested, walk twenty meters to the left. There¡¯s a recessed crack in the wall there with something you want?¡± A harsh, unpleasant voice came from the other end of the phone before hanging up. Xie Yulei held her phone, a glint of joy flashing in her eyes as she quickly walked to the indicated spot and indeed found a USB drive in the crack of the wall. ¡°I have the material you need, just under the flower bed on your right hand side.¡± ¡°Video revealing the insider dealings at Pugang Farm, the location is...¡± At the entrance of Pugang Farm, several journalists received similar mysterious calls. The person on the phone hung up immediately after stating the location. The journalists who obtained critical material rushed back to their companies, and news was being broadcast overnight. In front of the TV, when viewers saw the automated slaughterhouse cutting and dissecting swine that had been dead for a long time and were clearly infected, the scene was disgustingly horrific. As well as the bulldozer pushing the corpses into a freezer, stacking them up like a mountain, the public¡¯s emotions exploded. ¡°Shock! Yikang Company allows 4 million infected pigs to flood the market, ignoring public safety for profit.¡± ¡°Massive outbreak of swine fever at Yikang Pugang Farm. 4 million pigs died overnight and yet they chose to do this...¡± ¡°Selling sick and infected pigs, money versus safe meat, Yikang Company chose the former, making the public pay for the company¡¯s losses with their health.¡± ¡°A den of iniquity, not only neglecting to dispose of infected pigs but also colluding internally and externally, fabricating fake inspection certificates. Such vile behavior must be sternly punished, and Yikang Company¡¯s top executives and responsible personnel arrested.¡± ¡°Raising pigs has dulled their senses, do they really think we are pigs too? Let this trash company be ousted from the market.¡± One eye-catching headline after another appeared online, drawing an immense amount of attention and dominating the top of the trending searches. Overnight, Yikang Company was being denounced across the entire network. Yikang Company¡¯s stock price plummeted repeatedly, and angry locals smashed the windows of Yikang Company¡¯s building. Banks and suppliers joined together demanding immediate debt repayment from Yikang Company. Batch after batch of people brought pork that had come from Yikang Company for testing, and substantial amounts of abnormal data confirmed the reality of infected pigs. The controversy intensified, but Yikang Company had yet to make any response, because by this point, the scandal of selling infected pigs was irrefutable. Chapter 133 - 49: Collapse (Fourth Update) Chapter 133: Chapter 49: Collapse (Fourth Update) Yikang Company headquarters building. Downstairs, a continuous stream of citizens who had come to demonstrate kept throwing rotten eggs. Media reporters also gathered around, dragging everyone who came out of the building into an interview. Even many internet celebrities came over to ride the wave of attention, as Yikang Company was now truly a hot topic, with related news views skyrocketing. Above the building, Yu Duanchong seemed to have aged twenty years overnight. Watching the noisy crowd of debt collectors, his eyes were filled with immense pain and desolation. ¡°Mr. Yu, when will you settle the final payment for the intelligent feeding system you owe our company? If you don¡¯t pay, I¡¯ll just stay here and not leave.¡± ¡°Yu, we¡¯ve been old friends for many years, you can¡¯t make this difficult for me, that¡¯s the bank¡¯s money, if I can¡¯t recover it, I can¡¯t explain it away.¡± ¡°Mr. Yu, I¡¯ve already returned all 80,000 pigs you delivered last week. Give me back the money I paid for the pigs, and compensate for my losses too.¡± The creditors surrounded Yu Duanchong, their spittle flying so much that Yu Duanchong could hardly catch his breath. A few days ago, he was still gloriously the chairman of Xiping Province¡¯s largest livestock enterprise. Now, Yikang Company had fallen into a dire situation of impending bankruptcy and he had become like a street rat that everybody wanted to hit. Yu Duanchong finally seized an opportunity and scurried out of the encirclement in a disheveled state. At that moment, his suit was torn, his hair messy, and his face seemed to have been punched several times, looking very pitiful. ¡°Everybody, please let me say a few words.¡± Seeing another group of creditors about to rush up and beat him, Yu Duanchong kept waving his hands and shouting. ¡°What nonsense, pay back the money!¡± ¡°Right, pay back the money now.¡± ¡°Pay back the money!¡± ¡°Pay back the money!¡± ¡°Pay back the money!¡± The creditors were furiously indignant, everyone knew Yikang was tottering, liable to collapse at any moment and then they might not retrieve their money, accepting the loss for nothing. ¡°I know everyone wants their money back, and something like the swine fever is beyond my control, but please believe me, I have worked hard to build and develop Yikang until now, I definitely won¡¯t let it fall, even if I have to sell everything, I will pay back everyone¡¯s debts. I have already sent my wife and son to handle the properties and cars under our name, as soon as I gather the money I will immediately pay everyone back. Yikang has operated for many years, we still have quite a few assets, definitely enough to cover a huge deficit. I also ask for one more chance, Yikang will apply for debt restructuring, doing our utmost to weather this crisis and be accountable to the public and society.¡± Yu Duanchong gasped for air, bowing deeply with utter sincerity as he finally broached the topic of debt restructuring. Planning to renegotiate with the creditors about the timing, amount, or method of debt repayment. Perhaps knowing that seizing Yu Duanchong now was useless, and that Yu Duanchong still possessed quite a few properties and shops under his name, these real estates, if converted into money, could indeed relieve a lot of Yikang¡¯s current distress. ¡°Are you serious, will you guarantee the repayment?¡± ¡°Truly, I founded Yikang with my own hands, I can¡¯t just watch it fall, please give me a little more time.¡± ¡°You must pay me back first when you return the money.¡± ¡°Definitely, I won¡¯t miss a single cent for everyone here.¡± Through repeated bowing and apologies, it took a long time for Yu Duanchong to eventually persuade all the creditors to leave. And on Yu Duanchong¡¯s face, there was no sign of joy; only endless exhaustion. After a long while, Yu Shichang managed to gather his energy and took a car back home. ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Yu.¡± Yu Shichang and his wife, Wang Huilian, looked at the disheveled Yu Duanchong and already guessed what had happened at the company that day. Bang! Yu Duanchong slammed his hand on the table, and thinking about the recent events at Yikang Company, his face was filled with anger. ¡°Mu Hua Company, if I ever catch a chance, I¡¯ll make your life miserable.¡± With his intelligence, how could he not suspect there was a mastermind behind this? Combining this with those he had recently offended, he immediately targeted Mu Hua Company. ¡°Dad, did our company end up like this because of what Mu Hua Company did?¡± Yu Shichang was both shocked and furious, clenching his teeth so hard they squeaked. ¡°That Su guy is no good, Runming must have been discovered by him when he went to poison, and he¡¯s using the same tactics to retaliate against us.¡± Wang Huilian had also figured everything out, and her expression was dark and terrible. ¡°If we had just been a bit more ruthless back then...¡± Yu Duanchong felt helpless, now even if he understood everything, so what? Struggling to even protect himself, let alone deal with Mu Hua Company. Just as the family was engulfed in anger, a phone call came in. When Yu Duanchong saw the caller ID, his face immediately changed. After picking up the smartphone and talking for less than two minutes, Yu Duanchong¡¯s face turned black as the bottom of a pot, and he slumped down on the couch. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu Shichang didn¡¯t understand what could have changed so drastically just from receiving a phone call. ¡°The government is getting involved, they¡¯re coming to investigate Yikang and hold us accountable.¡± Yu Duanchong¡¯s expression was grim, he had connections in the government who had given him insider information. ¡°What?¡± The news made Yu Shichang¡¯s body tremble, feeling like the sky had collapsed. ¡°Huili, all those preparations you made, are they ready?¡± Yu Duanchong looked at his wife, having anticipated that this day might come, he had started to prepare an escape route early. ¡°Everything is ready, I¡¯ve transferred whatever assets I could to the United States.¡± Wang Huilian spoke, as the financial director of Yikang Company, she was well versed in the practice of capital transfer. ¡°Then let¡¯s stick to the plan and leave separately, Shichang, let¡¯s meet in the United States.¡± Yu Duanchong stood up, although he was reluctant to leave his family business, he was more averse to ending up behind bars. The crimes he had committed were too great, although due to time constraints, only a small part of the diseased pigs were sold, but now, given the huge uproar, his status as a businessman wouldn¡¯t help him anymore, so escaping abroad was the only option. ¡°What about your brother and sister-in-law?¡± Wang Huilian asked, as the crimes weren¡¯t limited to just a few of them, the entire Yu family was involved. ¡°We have to leave some people behind to draw their fire, that way we can escape more safely from Hua Country.¡± Yu Duanchong did not hesitate at all, readily using the rest of the Yu family as stepping stones, sacrificing them for his own wellbeing. The three of them made a few disguises, then quickly left the house, each taking separate ways to flee. Not long after, Yikang Company faced its true downfall. The company¡¯s only remaining cash flow was embezzled, and with the core leaders fleeing, this large breeding enterprise collapsed thunderously, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. The remaining Yu family members who didn¡¯t escape in time were arrested one by one, and at the time of their arrest, they still didn¡¯t know that their trusted elder brother and sister-in-law had betrayed them. Chapter 134 - 50: The Final Strike (Fifth Update) Chapter 134: Chapter 50: The Final Strike (Fifth Update) On a road in Xiping Province. Disguised, Yu Shichang drove towards the border. Xiping Province bordered An Nan Country, with the provincial capital only a few hundred kilometers from the border. His parents had long since arranged for contacts to meet him, assuring that once he crossed the border into An Nan Country, he would be completely free from the mess in Hua Country. At a gas station, Yu Shichang got out to refuel and bought some snacks. As his destination grew near, a glint of excitement appeared in his eyes. ¡°Still want to catch me? Wait till I get to the United States. With the millions of US Dollars my parents left there, I can live comfortably for the rest of my life.¡± Thinking about continuing his good life in the United States, his dejection at leaving his homeland gradually dissipated as he started to indulge in fantasies of a bright future. Lost in his daydreams, he drove onto a large bridge, beneath which turbulent waves surged. Thud! A noise sounded, as if the car had been struck by something. Yu Shichang looked back instinctively, but it was that one glance that brought an image he would never forget. A pale, eerie arm was resting on his car window, the distinct lines on the palm visible through the white skin mottled with livor mortis, the fingers slowly tapping, grinding the glass, trying to worm their way inside. In extreme fear, Yu Shichang¡¯s mind went blank, and he slammed on the brakes hard, veering off course. Subsequently, the car broke through the guardrail and plunged into the churning river below. The vehicles passing by stopped, attempting to rescue, but the car gradually sank into the water. Given the high drop between the river¡¯s surface and the bridge, jumping down would be fatal, so they could only watch as trails of white bubbles emerged from the river until both car and man were swallowed by the water. ....... Inside a hotel suite. Pseudonymously registered, Wang Huilian was taking refuge here. She was about to leave Xiping Province tomorrow, preparing to take the ferry to Hong Kong Island, her visa and paperwork already in order. Beep beep! Listening to the busy signal coming from the phone, Wang Huilian hung up and frowned, saying, ¡°This child, why doesn¡¯t he answer the phone? I hope nothing has happened.¡± Feeling anxious, she had only this one son, and the escape route she had planned for him was very safe. But now she couldn¡¯t get through to him at all. She feared the police might have discovered him. ¡°No, no, my plan can¡¯t be wrong.¡± The more Wang Huilian thought about it, the more anxious she became, and she got up to open a window for some air. Whoosh whoosh! The cold wind blew in from outside. Wang Huilian was just about to turn around when she noticed something wriggling on the left side of the window sill. Upon closer inspection, she saw a mass of hornets gathered there, as if the swarm had split to form a new nest and was temporarily resting here. The movement of opening the window disturbed the bees. The aggressive hornets took flight, as if commanded by someone, and dive-bombed Wang Huilian with a clear target, completely covering her before injecting their stingers into her skin. Wang Huilian, accustomed to a life of luxury, could not bear the agony. Her screams echoed far and wide as she frantically tried to swat at them and shut the window. But she lost her footing due to the frantic movement and tumbled out of the window. Thump! On the street below the hotel, a body fell from the sky, slamming forcefully onto the pavement. Pools of bright red blood seeped out from under Wang Huilian¡¯s body as onlookers quickly gathered around. By the time the ambulance arrived, the body was already cold. ...... Xinzheng City, Kunyun International Airport! A man donning a baseball cap and clad in thick clothes appeared here. It was none other than Yu Duanchong, who had gone through a transformation in his appearance. ¡°Attention passengers bound for Shanghai, your flight CY2926 is now open for check-in. Please proceed to counter 17 for...¡± As he listened to the airport¡¯s public address system, Yu Duanchong kept checking his watch. His flight would be boarding in half an hour, taking him directly to Japan; once there, he would be as free as a bird in the sky. ¡°Why does time pass so slowly?¡± Yu Duanchong took deep breaths continuously, feeling a nervous urge to urinate. Looking around, he lowered the brim of his cap and headed to the restroom. It was almost back-to-back. Just as Yu Duanchong had entered the restroom, a figure holding a ¡®Under Maintenance¡¯ sign placed it at the entrance and followed closely behind him. After relieving himself and giving his body a shake, Yu Duanchong zipped up and bent over the sink to wash his face thoroughly. It was at that moment that someone patted his shoulder, accompanied by an unfamiliar voice. ¡°Mr. Yu, I believe this is our first meeting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yu Duanchong jerked his head up and found a strange young man standing behind him, who had appeared out of nowhere. ¡°You are... Mu Hua¡¯s Su Jie.¡± Yu Duanchong, of course, recognized his competitor, having seen his photo before. ¡°Hehe, Mr. Yu, I hope you¡¯re in good health!¡± The smile on Su Jie¡¯s face was as refreshing as a spring breeze, but to Yu Duanchong, it was devilish. ¡°You, you, you¡ªit was all your doing behind the scenes, wasn¡¯t it? My company, my family, they were destroyed because of you...¡± Yu Duanchong¡¯s emotions flared up suddenly; if looks could kill, Su Jie would already be riddled with holes. ¡°What goes around comes around! When you said you wanted to show me your methods, Mr. Yu, I didn¡¯t expect Yikang Company to collapse after just a little bit of business rivalry.¡± Su Jie shrugged his shoulders, then added, ¡°By the way, I¡¯m not one to kick someone when they¡¯re down. To spare you the heartbreak of seeing Yikang Company go bankrupt, I¡¯ve had Mu Hua¡¯s PR team head out, ready to take over Yikang Company. I wonder if this will ease your mind a bit.¡± This is what you call a stab to the heart. Su Jie was doing exactly that. First, he ruined your company, and then, right in front of you, he planned to acquire it, claiming your life¡¯s work for his own. ¡°You, you, you...¡± Yu Duanchong glared at Su Jie, and overwhelmed by fury, clutched his chest as his angina acted up again. ¡°Don¡¯t be so angry, look at you. And if I tell you that I preemptively sent your son and wife to reunite in hell, would you want to kill me even more?¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile grew even brighter as the words he spoke completely shattered Yu Duanchong¡¯s last psychological defenses. ¡°I¡¯ll kill... kill you...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a Yin Soul passed through his body, eerily appearing behind him. Affected by the Yin Soul, his angina intensified; he collapsed to the ground, trembling as he fished for medication in his pocket. ¡°Tsk tsk, if your heart is weak, you shouldn¡¯t be so greedy. Why bother?¡± As he knelt down, Su Jie took the medicine bottle from Yu Duanchong¡¯s desperate hands. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, I¡¯ll soon send you down to join your son and wife, so they won¡¯t feel lonely. A family should be together after all. Of course, don¡¯t think you can get away so easily. This Yin Soul was cultivated at Pu Gang Farm, and it seems to really like you; it plans to accompany you on this final journey.¡± Yu Duanchong¡¯s pupils dilated continuously as he watched Su Jie turn and leave. Behind him, the Yin Soul revealed a sinister, eerie smile. As Yu Duanchong watched with immense horror, the soul drew closer little by little, tormenting and toying with his spirit. Chapter 135 - 51: Acquisition of Yikang Company (First Update) Chapter 135: Chapter 51: Acquisition of Yikang Company (First Update) Trending Topics: #1: Recently, the fugitive Yu Duanchong was found dead at Kunyun Airport, and after a police autopsy, it was determined that the cause of death was a myocardial infarction! #5: All involved with Yikang Yu Family have been captured, and their judgement day is set; they will face severe legal penalties. #13: Yikang Company is facing bankruptcy. It is known that Mu Hua Company has officially launched an acquisition bid, willing to negotiate on debts and assets. #25: The general manager of Mu Hua Company, Liu Yingying stated she will ensure the original employees¡¯ benefits remain unchanged and continue to expand the production of pig farming. In the villa in Xinzheng City, Su Jie lay on the sofa, browsing through the news on his phone, with Yikang Company frequently appearing in trending searches. Click. The door was pushed open, and Liu Yingying, dressed in uniform, entered and sat down next to Su Jie, her face showing signs of fatigue from work. ¡°What¡¯s the situation now?¡± Su Jie put down his phone and inquired about the progress of today¡¯s acquisition. ¡°It¡¯s almost confirmed that Yikang Company will be sold as a whole; we¡¯re still discussing the defaulted debt, initially planning to...¡± Liu Yingying reported the details of today¡¯s meeting. Given the size of Yikang Company, involving thousands of employees, Xinzheng City also does not want Yikang Company to go bankrupt, as it would lead to mass unemployment affecting their political performance. Therefore, when Mu Hua Company showed interest in the acquisition, the local area was even more enthusiastic than Mu Hua Company, proactively offering various incentives and credit support. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Borrow some more loans now, quickly take over Yikang Company, and restore the production capacity of Pu Gao Farm. Otherwise, waiting for bankruptcy and liquidation could take half a year to a year. By then, even though the assets acquired will be cheaper, the waiting time will be too long.¡± Su Jie stretched languidly, adamant about acquiring Yikang Company. Although Yikang Company has a tarnished reputation now, the foundation of the company¡¯s land, machinery, and skilled workers remains. Just by investing money and purchasing piglets and sows from other farms, they could quickly restore production capacity. Otherwise, if they were to expand capacity themselves by building factories, training employees, and installing equipment, it would take a lot more time, and the pace of expansion would be nowhere near as swift as that of an acquisition. If they could swallow Yikang Company and restore its production capacity, by then, Mu Hua Company¡¯s annual output of pigs could reach over ten million, enough to enter the top ten of Hua Country¡¯s pig farming companies. Su Jie was doing this because he valued the Yin Soul output from farming; martial power was the very foundation of Su Jie¡¯s status. Listening to Su Jie¡¯s plans, Liu Yingying brought up a problem: ¡°Relying solely on Tianyuan Home¡¯s finances is still very stressful, and Jieke Company also needs transfusions.¡± ¡°No worry, the local authorities will be eager to lend to us, and any financial issues will be resolved once the hair growth liquid hits the market.¡± Speaking of which, Su Jie asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation with the hair growth liquid, and when can it be launched?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already revamped the production line, currently stockpiled 5 million bottles, and plan to officially launch it next week for sale, in coordination with supermarkets and other offline channels we¡¯ve opened up, as well as major e-commerce platforms, while also conducting advertising.¡± ¡°Keep ramping up the production pace, this amount of hair growth liquid definitely can¡¯t meet the demand; the market is too vast.¡± Su Jie said without hesitation, identifying this as a larger cash flow source than the home market. With over two hundred million potential users in Hua Country alone, it¡¯s imperative to fully tap into this potential. ¡°The new production line is still being installed, but once it¡¯s in place, our capacity will increase dramatically.¡± ¡°Once the product is launched, I¡¯ll accompany you back to see our parents.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± Hearing Su Jie say this, Liu Yingying was overjoyed, hugged Su Jie¡¯s neck and kissed him, eager to dominate like a female knight. Su Jie naturally wouldn¡¯t indulge Liu Yingying and quickly left her disarmed and begging for mercy after a fierce bout. Another night of passions stirred under tumultuous skies. ......... Ghost Ridge Palace. In the manor, Su Jie was sitting on a recliner with a fire beside him radiating warmth, making it quite cozy. A few maids were nearby, busy preparing fresh juice as per Su Jie¡¯s orders, pressing fruits collected from the mountains into juice. ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s ready.¡± The maids cautiously presented the juice to Su Jie. ¡°Mmm, it tastes good.¡± Su Jie took a sip and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Master, someone is waiting for you outside.¡± Uncle Fu hurried over, bowing as he reported. ¡°I know.¡± Standing up from the recliner, stretching lazily, several maids quickly draped a fur coat over Su Jie. He walked slowly to the front hall, where it was still snowing outside, and several Outer Disciples were waiting, all belonging to the branch under Taoist Qiu. Next to them, freshly cut trees were piled up. ¡°Brother Su, do you think these trees are enough?¡± An Outer Disciple spoke up, his name Duan Guanghai, at the Fourth Level of Yunling Realm, like the other disciples at the Third Level of Yunling Realm, had come forward to serve after Su Jie became an inner disciple. Looking at the high piles of rare woods like Golden Nan Wood, small-leaf rosewood, and yellow pear wood, Su Jie no longer needed to personally go to the forest to cut wood ever since he had disciples to serve him. ¡°That¡¯s enough, go ahead and use them.¡± Tossing a small bag that contained Blood Marrow Crystal, Su Jie was not letting them go unrewarded. ¡°Brother, how could we accept money for such a small favor...¡± Duan Guanghai hesitated, his motive to serve under Su Jie was primarily to find a protector in the Ghost Ridge Palace, having an Inner Sect Disciple as a backer was indeed a prestigious matter. ¡°Just take it if I tell you to, I don¡¯t lack this bit of money.¡± Su Jie waved his hand dismissively, Duan Guanghai nodded in agreement, and the other disciples also showed happy expressions. It seemed that Su Jie was an easy-going senior, unlike the typically haughty Inner Sect Disciples. ¡°I just came out of seclusion, has there been any important events inside the sect recently?¡± ¡°Well, these past few days have been quiet, but recently it¡¯s time for the sect¡¯s new disciple examination. Are you interested, Brother?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s that time already!¡± Su Jie was momentarily surprised, recalling that he had also entered Ghost Ridge Palace around this time last year. A year had passed, and he was already an Inner Sect Disciple, his promotion speed being notable among the disciples. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go have a look together.¡± Su Jie, having nothing else urgent, pulled his fur coat tighter, left the manor, and came to the open space outside the Mountain Gate of the Ghost Ridge Palace. The place was now incredibly lively, with a large crowd of newcomers gathered here, young ones barely in their teens, and the older ones slightly over twenty, the right age for cultivation. The origins of these newcomers were also quite diverse, some were referred by the sect. For instance, if Su Jie had a family outside the Mountain Gate, he could recommend his relatives to the sect. Provided their aptitudes were sufficient, joining would be no issue within the set quota. Chapter 136 - 52: Newcomer (Second Update) Chapter 136: Chapter 52: Newcomer (Second Update) Some newcomers actively came to join after hearing about the famed reputation of Ghost Ridge Palace. Even though Ghost Ridge Palace was a Demon Cultivation Sect known for its notorious cruelty, many people still joined without second thoughts, driven by the desire for power and the hope of becoming immortals. Among these, many had failed the entry tests of other Righteous Sects and turned to join Ghost Ridge Palace instead. After all, Righteous Sects laid great emphasis on qualities like aptitude and comprehension, while Ghost Ridge Palace, as a sect of the Demon Path, operated on a broad net policy¡ªcatching all and refining them, not fussing much about innate talent. Compared to Righteous Sects, Ghost Ridge Palace did not have to provide resources to Outer Disciples and even collected a monthly tribute, effectively charging for employment. In such an environment, even talent just sufficient to cultivate to the First Level of Yunling Realm was not a big deal. In the ¡®farming pests¡¯ model, Outer Disciples were essentially released into the wild; amid extraordinarily high mortality rates, there would always be someone who broke through layers to become an inner disciple¡ªthat was the core elite Ghost Ridge Palace needed. Of course, it¡¯s not that Ghost Ridge Palace did not like disciples with good aptitude¡ªeveryone likes good students. It¡¯s just that today, with Righteous paths holding sway, those with good aptitude often chose Righteous Sects first. Ghost Ridge Palace could only pick up the leftovers others deemed unworthy¡ªthe quality of disciples was mixed, to put it mildly. These disciples were not fools; facing such brutal competition and still deciding to join meant there were benefits in Ghost Ridge Palace¡ªthey just had to find their own resources, such as catching bugs in Insect Valley to sell for money. In the outside world, if you were a Loose Cultivator without a sect, finding a channel to even earn cultivation resources would be incredibly challenging¡ªreaching the Second or Third Level of Yunling Realm would be quite an achievement. At the assessment venue, three Elders were responsible for testing these newcomers, assisted by a group of disciples for management. Among the three Elders, Su Jie unexpectedly saw someone he recognized, Tang Peiqing, with whom he had an acquaintance. The assessment in Ghost Ridge Palace was straightforward; they did not test basic physical strengths. Having managed to travel through mountains and rivers to get here, their physical strength inevitably was up to mark. At a testing formation, the three Elders controlled the array, allowing the newcomers to enter one after another. Depending on their aptitudes, the formation would give different feedbacks¡ªwhile not guaranteed to be 100% accurate, it was correct most of the time. The passing criteria for Ghost Ridge Palace was set very low; most newcomers arriving here passed. After passing the tests, they then had to choose a Master to follow. At this point, the newcomers had to rely on their own judgment, luck, and some insider tips they had heard beforehand. ¡°It seems we have very few people coming from our branch.¡± Su Jie looked at the assessment scene and couldn¡¯t help but comment. The number of newcomers choosing Taoist Qiu as their Master was very few; they were indeed the lowest in number at the scene. ¡°It has always been like this.¡± Duan Guanghai touched the back of his head; although his strength was only at the Fourth Level of Yunling Realm, he had been in the sect for seven years and understood the situation well. ¡°I think I understand why.¡± Su Jie thought about Taoist Qiu¡¯s high monthly fee, typically twice that of other Elders, plus adding the presence of Yu Wenxian, a little witch in the branch who liked to seduce disciples and brand them as servants. Newcomers also received tips from each other; hearing about this situation, they naturally chose to stay away. The rest either were unaware of the details or were simply headstrong. Su Jie initially belonged to the former. While they were talking, a commotion suddenly erupted at the venue. On the assessment array, glows flashed, looking like dancing jade belts in the air. A young girl stood in the array, appearing somewhat bewildered. ¡°Class A, top quality; it¡¯s rare to encounter someone with excellent aptitude,¡± Tang Peiqing stroked his beard and asked kindly, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Although Ghost Ridge Palace did not prioritize aptitude, having it was certainly better than not. ¡°I... my name is Zhu Qingya.¡± The girl, being watched by everyone, seemed very nervous, her voice trembling as she spoke. ¡°Are you interested in joining under my name?¡± Tang Peiqing suddenly spoke up, personally attempting to recruit her, an extremely rare occasion. With Tang Peiqing¡¯s credentials in Ghost Ridge Palace, his status was among the highest of the Elders, just below the Sect Master, and even among the numerous Elders, his combat capability ranked in the top three. ¡°Elder Tang, that¡¯s a bit much!¡± ¡°Exactly, little lady, would you like to join under my name?¡± The other two Elders, Cai Shangbai and Ruan Feng, joined in, laughing and teasing, adding to the scramble for the new recruit. A disciple of such caliber, who could easily break through the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm, was indeed worthy of an Elder personally stepping in to increase the number of Inner Disciples in their lineage, which would reflect well on them. If such a disciple later advanced to the Secret Realm, it would greatly increase an Elder¡¯s influence and connections within Ghost Ridge Palace, and the Sect would also grant substantial rewards. Zhu Qingya looked around, biting her thin lips, and after a hard deliberation, ultimately chose Tang Peiqing. The nearby newcomers watched with envy, but such talent and gifts were not something one could envy into existence. Amidst the excitement, Su Jie suddenly focused his gaze, looking towards the distant woods. In the faintly visible forest, there were several Alien Ghosts, three meters tall with hunched figures and blood-red eyes. Clearly attracted by the large crowd, but due to the presence of many disciples, particularly sensing the vast aura of the three Elders, they only dared to linger from afar, not daring to come closer. Seeing this, the three Elders, including Tang Peiqing, took a glance but did not bother to respond, continuing to oversee the examination tasks. A few Alien Ghosts weren¡¯t worth them deactivating the formation and interrupting their work. The Elders might not care, but that was not the case with Su Jie; an Alien Ghost was worth several hundred Blood Marrow Crystals. Immediately, Su Jie stepped out swiftly, using the Seven Star Steps, moving rapidly towards that dense forest. Almost synchronously, two other figures leapt quickly from the crowd. Like Su Jie, these Inner Disciples also had their sights set on the Alien Ghosts, though they were a step slower than Su Jie, who used the Seven Star Steps. The three lurking Alien Ghosts, upon sensing Su Jie¡¯s aura, turned and fled without a second thought, their limbs rushing through the dense forest. ¡°Body Worm.¡± From his Storage Bag, thousands of human-faced moths flew out, swooping down on a lagging Alien Ghost. Without even a chance to scream, the Alien Ghost was gnawed into a skeleton in the blink of an eye. This was merely because Su Jie had ordered the swarm to leave the bones intact; otherwise, even the bones would have been devoured, as the bones were the most valuable part of an Alien Ghost. The other two Alien Ghosts, very alert, split up and ran in different directions, knowing that if Su Jie pursued one, the other could escape his sight. This was the most sensible choice for the Alien Ghosts, knowing they couldn¡¯t face him head-on. Even though they were demons, their intelligence wasn¡¯t low at all. Unfortunately, today they encountered Su Jie. Su Jie didn¡¯t pursue but aimed at one Alien Ghost and struck with his palm from a distance. Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint! The massive palm, a meter wide and roaring out, hit the Alien Ghost straight from a hundred meters away, blowing it to pieces. The other Alien Ghost took the opportunity to escape a nearly thousand meters, and just as it was about to disappear from sight, a streak of cold light abruptly crossed the distance. Thud! The head of the Alien Ghost rolled off, and its headless body tumbled dozens of times before stopping. Above the corpse, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword floated quietly, its blade still as pristine as snow after the beheading, untainted by dust. Chapter 137 - 53: Competition (Third Update) Chapter 137: Chapter 53: Competition (Third Update) Su Jie¡¯s sudden and swift attack lasted only about half a minute. The many new recruits undergoing assessment watched in shock, their eyes wide as they observed Su Jie¡¯s fierce killing methods. Still ordinary humans, they now fully experienced the visual and spiritual shock of martial cultivation. Their looks towards Su Jie were filled with immense admiration. Quite a few even began to fantasize about themselves, after cultivation, casually killing an Alien Ghost with a single palm strike. However, these novices, who had not yet comprehended the difficulties of cultivation, mostly didn¡¯t know a cruel truth. Even if they exhausted all their resources, the vast majority would not be able to reach Su Jie¡¯s level and would have to spend their lives below the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm. ¡°Whose disciple is that? So brave and fierce.¡± Elder Cai Shangbai looked on; it was no problem for an inner disciple to handle two or three Alien Ghosts, but to do so as cleanly and decisively as Su Jie was not simple. ¡°From Taoist Qiu¡¯s side, quite capable indeed.¡± Tang Peiqing nodded slightly, having some recollection of Su Jie. ¡°Indeed capable. I¡¯m very impressed with Taoist Qiu¡¯s female disciple. This young fellow also seems to have extraordinary potential. Sometimes I really envy him.¡± Another elder, Ruan Feng, could not help but comment as well. When they assessed disciples, it was not just about the moves; the purity of the spiritual power demonstrated by Su Jie during the fight was definitely excellent among inner disciples. Su Jie, unaware that a few elders were discussing him, blissfully looked at his spoils of war. ¡°Brother Su, we¡¯ve come to help... to help...¡± Duan Guanghai, arriving with several others, hesitated, as it hardly looked like help was needed. Seeing the three Alien Ghost bodies, Duan Guanghai felt almost as shocked as those new recruits just entering. Recently, due to their patrolling and guard duties, they were certainly no strangers to Alien Ghosts. Just one of these demons could easily annihilate a small team. Yet, in front of Su Jie, they were like rabbits, only knowing how to flee in an ignoble fashion, and quickly dealt with in a few moments. This also made it clear to them just how vast the gap was between themselves and an inner disciple. ¡°Go pick up that Alien Ghost body over there.¡± With a command from Su Jie, Duan Guanghai quickly stood, ready to go. Just then, two inner disciples approached: a man and a woman. The man had a golden-red gourd hanging at his waist, and the woman had a graceful figure with skin white as snow. These two had started out at the same time as Su Jie but were just a bit slower, and the Alien Ghosts had already been disposed of by Su Jie. ¡°Fellow Daoist, what you see you share. I¡¯ll take a share.¡± The man with the gourd saw the dead Alien Ghosts, smiled, and reached out to take one. The woman did the same, perhaps thinking that with two against one, Su Jie wouldn¡¯t dare to oppose them. However, Su Jie¡¯s eyebrows raised, and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword whooshed in; had the gourd carrier not quickly withdrawn his hand, his arm would have been directly severed. ¡°Did I say you could move?¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice was calm, but the murderous intent it carried quieted the surrounding air. The smile disappeared from the gourd man¡¯s face, and he looked unfriendly. ¡°Not giving face like this, I, Cao Yuan, am just taking one Alien Ghost, a windfall that should be shared by all who see it.¡± As Cao Yuan spoke, the fluctuations of his cultivation, revealing a seventh level in the Yunling Realm, became apparent. ¡°Respect isn¡¯t earned by stealing from others.¡± Su Jie was not about to be polite with him. Being at the seventh level of Yunling Realm meant little; Su Jie had faced and defeated higher before, thinking he could be scared off was wishful thinking. ¡°I remember you just got promoted to inner disciple, called Su something. I¡¯m your senior sister, Nan Wenli. Leave this Alien Ghost to me, and in return, I¡¯ll spend a night with you.¡± The other inner disciple, Nan Wenli, smiled enchantingly, her delicate fingers tracing her red lips, her eyes seductive, as she made her exchange offer. ¡°Are you embedding Blood Marrow Crystals in there? I can¡¯t afford that, find some other sucker,¡± Su Jie¡¯s face was full of disdain. What a joke, an Alien Ghost was worth over six hundred Blood Marrow Crystals. With a monthly rate of a hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, it amounted to half a year¡¯s salary. He certainly wouldn¡¯t throw half a year¡¯s pay into just one operation. Upon hearing this, Nan Wenli¡¯s face immediately soured, as if Su Jie had just stopped short of saying she wasn¡¯t worthy. Duan Guanghai and the others twitched at the corners of their mouths, Su Jie¡¯s words made them want to burst out laughing, but in front of the inner disciples, they had to hold it in. ¡°Is that funny?¡± Though Duan Guanghai and his group made small movements, Nan Wenli still noticed and a cold light swept towards them. Clang! A metallic clash rang out as the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword sent a golden hairpin flying, a lower grade intermediate Magic Artifact, aiming for the lives of Duan Guanghai and the others. Duan Guanghai was terrified, he had merely moved his lips slightly, yet this woman had taken it to heart. ¡°Killing my people right before my eyes, how absurd.¡± Hitting a dog depends on the owner; Nan Wenli¡¯s behavior made Su Jie¡¯s face turn cold. Nan Wenli laughed in extreme anger, ¡°A newcomer who was just promoted, you¡¯re at most at the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm, aren¡¯t you? The younger generation is indeed arrogant. You need to learn how to respect your seniors.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you also at the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm?¡± With a single sentence from Su Jie, Nan Wenli was seriously angered. Su Jie had seen through her level during their brief exchange. ¡°I¡¯ll spare you this time. Hand over three Alien Ghosts, and kowtow, then we¡¯ll let this go,¡± Cao Yuan approached Su Jie, his impressive aura making Duan Guanghai and the others shiver. ¡°I¡¯ll say it once more, hand over the Alien Ghosts and I¡¯ll spare you.¡± Seeing Su Jie unresponsive, Cao Yuan continued to advance, confident that with his cultivation at the Seventh Level of Yunling Realm, defeating one at the sixth was absolutely achievable. ¡°You guys leave this place.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, his gaze never leaving Cao Yuan and Nan Wenli. Duan Guanghai and the others felt as if they had been granted amnesty, quickly distancing themselves from Su Jie, lest they be caught in the fray and die for unclear reasons. ¡°The youngsters are stirring things up again.¡± From a distance, Tang Peiqing watched the tense scene, showing no intention of intervening. Inner Sect disciples were also promoted from Outer Disciple; their strength improved, but their temperament would not change. Those capable of advancing to inner disciple were no easy opponents, and it was normal for them to compete sharply with each other. However, disciples of this level wary of each other seldom took action. ¡°Who do you think will win? I¡¯m betting on the newcomers, Cao Yuan, and Nan Wenli,¡± Cai Shangbai was excited, favoring Cao Yuan and Nan Wenli. ¡°Two against one, I¡¯ll also bet on the newcomers,¡± Ruan Feng made the same choice. On paper, Su Jie really was no match for the two. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go for Su Jie, otherwise this betting won¡¯t take off,¡± Tang Peiqing laughed and shook his head, his words also leaning towards Cao Yuan and Nan Wenli. Although Su Jie had performed well when killing the Alien Ghosts, the odds were against him in a two-on-one, not to mention an unequal fight. Winning would be highly difficult. Many newcomers and disciples also noticed the disturbance, casting their interested glances toward it. Many hadn¡¯t seen inner disciples spar before. ¡°Hurry up, help me give that bastard a good thrashing,¡± Among the crowd, Zhu Qingya clenched her teeth, muttering softly. Chapter 138 - 54: Sword Nourishing Gourd (Fourth Update) Chapter 138: Chapter 54: Sword Nourishing Gourd (Fourth Update) Su Jie summoned back the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword and watched the two approaching figures with an expressionless face. His eyes darkened as he said, ¡°Stop now, and I might let you off the hook. Otherwise, once we start fighting, it won¡¯t end so easily.¡± Cao Yuan seemed to have heard a joke and burst into laughter, ¡°Haha, do you really think you can beat me? How about this, if you can even land a hit on me, I¡¯ll...¡± ¡°Scram!¡± With just a single word, Su Jie made his intentions crystal clear. Cao Yuan sighed lightly and patted the golden gourd at his waist, ¡°Turn around, my treasure.¡± Whoosh! Boom! A beam of black light shot out from the mouth of the gourd, accompanied by the sound of thunderous explosions. The black light headed straight for Su Jie¡¯s chest, revealing itself to be a three-foot-long Low Grade Advanced Flying Sword. Su Jie channeled the Green Rainbow Sword Technique, and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword spun to meet the attack, tangling the two flying swords in battle immediately. In the forest, a black and a white sword intertwined and shot back and forth, moving too fast to see clearly, looking like a black and white aurora tangling together. Wherever they passed, ancient trees collapsed, boulders shattered, and the ground was crisscrossed with a maze of deep ravines and fissures. The newcomers in the distance watched, dumbstruck, feeling as if their field of vision were enveloped by the deadly murderous intent hidden in the beautiful aurora. However, with this exchange, Su Jie realized something was wrong. The grade of the opponent¡¯s flying sword was clearly lower than that of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, yet its power seemed to be a notch higher. He couldn¡¯t help but look at the red gourd at Cao Yuan¡¯s waist and remembered a type of Magic Artifact. ¡°A Mid Grade Sword Nourishing Gourd, seeing one for the first time, aren¡¯t you? Did you think a Low Grade top-tier Flying Sword could dominate?¡± Cao Yuan, as if having read Su Jie¡¯s mind, confidently displayed his Magic Artifact, which was indeed a Mid Grade Magical Artifact. The Sword Nourishing Gourd is a special Magic Artifact that complements Flying Swords. It utilizes the gourd vines that grow naturally and have inherent spiritual properties. Small gourds picked from these vines go through several refinements, with various materials added, to finally be crafted into what they become. Once forged, the Sword Nourishing Gourd nourishes the Flying Sword placed within it, maintaining its sharpness and radiance and allowing it to exert its power to a greater extent. In Su Jie¡¯s understanding, the Sword Nourishing Gourd was like the combination of firearms and ammunition. A Flying Sword nurtured by the Sword Nourishing Gourd would elevate in speed, distance, power, and controllability. Moreover, the Sword Nourishing Gourd was not limited to housing just one Flying Sword. A Mid Grade Sword Nourishing Gourd could house up to a hundred Flying Swords, as long as one had the wealth and abundant reserves of Spiritual Energy. Su Jie stared at the opponent¡¯s Sword Nourishing Gourd at his waist, the golden-red gourd teeming with life and entwined with Spiritual Energy. Its golden-red patterns on the shell gleamed with a dazzling luster as the Spiritual Energy surged, like flames dancing. ¡°Nice piece, I¡¯ve decided, it¡¯s mine now.¡± Su Jie licked his lips, his desire evident. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts.¡± Cao Yuan¡¯s face darkened as he intensified his efforts. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword gradually began to lose ground in the clash; with each collision, the sword trembled and buzzed. If it hadn¡¯t been made from such hard material, it might have already developed cracks. ¡°Let me show you my true strength, so you¡¯ll be thoroughly convinced of your defeat,¡± Cao Yuan said. He brought his fingers together as if wielding a sword, and more than a dozen Flying Swords flew out of the Sword Nourishing Gourd. Although these flying swords were all of the lowest grade, Low-Grade Beginner Flying Swords, valued at a little over a hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, the sheer number of them, coupled with the boost from the Sword Nourishing Gourd, formed a vast swarm that immediately overwhelmed and blasted away Su Jie¡¯s White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. ¡°All these flying swords you see have been gathered by me through hard labor. No one can compete with me in the sea of swords; this is my path as a sword cultivator,¡± Cao Yuan said with a smug smile, confident of his victory. ¡°Playing the sword cultivator in Ghost Ridge Palace, you¡¯re indeed talented,¡± Su Jie said speechlessly, realizing that in the realm of flying swords, he was indeed no match for Cao Yuan. ¡°Brother Cao, let me help you,¡± Nan Wenli, unwilling to be left out, saw Cao Yuan¡¯s impressive display and, waving her sleeve, summoned her lifebound poisonous insect¡ªa five-meter-long, Low Grade First Refinement Evil Horned Beetle. At the same time, she employed the Body Worm Focusing Method, and one after another, robust flame locusts emerged from the Insect Control Bag and swarmed towards Su Jie. But Cao Yuan was not grateful, feeling that Nan Wenli was just there to take advantage of the situation. He again manipulated the torrent of flying swords toward Su Jie, hoping to reap even more benefits afterward. ¡°It seems the fight is about to end,¡± the many disciples watched intently as Cai Shangbai made his conclusion. ¡°He hasn¡¯t used his poisonous insects yet, but it probably won¡¯t last much longer,¡± Ruan Feng also made the same judgment, doubting Su Jie¡¯s chances of victory even if he resorted to his insects. ¡°Let¡¯s not end up with a loss of life here, we...¡± Tang Peiqing hadn¡¯t finished his sentence when he suddenly noticed something, paused mid-sentence, and turned his head in surprise towards the battlefield. There, Su Jie faced the joint attack of two Inner Sect disciples, his expression unchanged. He did not summon his trump card, the Thousand-Handed Centipede, but instead pulled out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner from his chest. ¡°The soul yearns for life, while the shade yearns for death,¡± with a gentle wave of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, the scene was immediately filled with flying sand and stones, and the sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling echoed from all directions. The approaching swarm of Flame Locusts trembled slightly, as if sensing something unsettling. On the surface of the banner, myriad yin souls revealed their forms¡ªvague and ghostly shapes with hollow and eerie gazes set upon all living beings, surging out of the banner like a tide. The sky grew dark! Ten thousand yin souls wildly danced in the air, casting a shadow that covered the heavens. One by one, the Flame Locusts fell like rain. In the instant they were pierced by the yin souls, their spirits were taken, leaving behind merely warm corpses as they fell. ¡°Humans have three souls and seven spirits: the Heavenly Soul, the Earth Soul, and the Life Soul. Of the spirits, there are seven: one is the Heaven Surge, the second is the Spirit Wisdom, the third is Qi, the fourth is Strength, the fifth is the Central Hub, the sixth is Essence, and the seventh is Heroism,¡± With another wave of the Soul Summoning Banner, it flapped loudly, and a scent of blood began to permeate the air. Ten thousand yin souls shrieked in unison, forming a terrifying tapestry. The atmosphere transformed; a bloody mist permeated, and the ground turned ominously dark. Layers of black clouds churned as if night had descended, with silence and stillness that pressed heavily around them. The howling wind caused Cao Yuan and Nan Wenli to stumble backwards repeatedly, their faces as foul as if they had swallowed flies. ¡°Are you ready? Which soul, which spirit, do you wish me to pluck?¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes were filled with cold indifference as he waved the Soul Summoning Banner one last time, unleashing the Ten Thousand Yin Blood Nether Array. A river of blood flowed from the sky above as if billions of ghosts were wailing and moaning in the air. A bridge spanned across the river with strange corpses suspended from it. Human limbs rose and fell in the Blood River amidst a scene like the apocalypse, as if the gods were enraged and ready to punish all beings. Chapter 140 - 56: What is the Primordial Spirit (First Update) Chapter 140: Chapter 56: What is the Primordial Spirit (First Update) ¡°Darling, please turn around.¡± In the practice room, Su Jie softly called out. The white brilliant light from the Sword Nourishing Gourd at his waist flew out and effortlessly pierced through seven or eight giant rocks. With the enhancement from the Sword Nourishing Gourd, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword¡¯s speed had increased drastically, almost reaching the power of a Mid-grade Flying Sword. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! More Flying Swords emerged from the Sword Nourishing Gourd, following behind the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword like a little tail, or a flock of birds flying together. With the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword as the core, the practice room was filled with sword shadows howling, the wind caused by breaking the sound barrier swept around fiercely, the intense aura daring anyone to make a careless move, as if any movement would result in being sliced into scattered pieces. ¡°The Sword Nourishing Gourd is indeed a Mid-grade Magical Artifact, truly remarkable.¡± Su Jie murmured to himself, having spent two days refining the Sword Nourishing Gourd to completion, and indeed, the power had not disappointed him. Touching the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword that flew up to him, its sharpness caused a tingling pain in his palm. Compared to before, a faint layer of spiritual energy arc-light, which only appears on Mid-grade Flying Swords, could be seen on the surface of the blade. This Sword Qi not only allowed the Flying Sword to penetrate anything but also continuously absorbed the external Spiritual Energy. In the past, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword required Su Jie¡¯s command, but with the Sword Qi, the Flying Sword could autonomously absorb stray Spiritual Energy and engage in self-directed combat within a certain range. This was like the difference between a bullet and a missile; the bullet needs one to aim manually, whereas once released, a missile can turn and track the enemy on its own. He spent several hours in the practice room, testing and familiarizing himself with all the features of the Sword Nourishing Gourd. Later, Su Jie sat cross-legged on the ground, cultivating the Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill. Through his breaths, his Spirit Body¡¯s soul floated above his head and under the effect of the Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, it passed through the walls of the practice room to the clear night outside. A bright moon hung high in the sky, with silence engulfing the wilds. Su Jie¡¯s soul soared freely in the sky, using this as a way to strengthen the soul, bathed in the external Spiritual Energy. This method of cultivation was the best Su Jie had discovered; the daylight was too harsh for the delicate soul, but during the night, the disembodied soul was more suited to Su Jie¡¯s current cultivation state. The drifting soul rippled unpredictably, each gust of wind carrying snowflakes caused Su Jie¡¯s soul to shudder incessantly. ¡°The origin calls for essence, and the clash of essences is deemed divine.¡± Reciting the spell, Su Jie¡¯s soul landed in front of a large tree. On the soul shaped like a light ball, Su Jie struggled to form his facial features and limbs. This state of the soul, known as Fetal Light, signifies the nascent light, representing the weakness of the soul, akin to an embryo in the womb, not even an infant yet. Only when the soul was cultivated into a human form, featuring limbs and facial features, could Su Jie¡¯s soul be considered truly advanced. This process is similar to the development of the human body, which also starts from an embryo and slowly develops into a human form. Once achieving that, the soul could be termed Primordial Spirit. The physical body undergoes various transformations, while the true essence of the Primordial Spirit remains forever. The capabilities of the Primordial Spirit allow it to withstand eternal tribulations, extend lifespan, unaffected by intense brilliance or thunder, possess divine insight, fundamentally supporting perpetual life and long-term vision. After achieving the Primordial Spirit, one gains various miraculous abilities, such as Divine Sense. Last time, Tang Peiqing¡¯s voice appeared in his mind from a great distance, that was Divine Sense transmitting voices, a derivative application of the Primordial Spirit. It¡¯s extremely difficult, even for the powerful ones in the Secret Realm, to cultivate a Primordial Spirit. It can be said that not every Elder of the Secret Realm possesses a Primordial Spirit. But those who have a Primordial Spirit are undoubtedly the powerhouses of the Secret Realm, without a doubt. Bang! Bang! Bang! Su Jie had struggled for a long time before a faint arc that resembled a mouth finally appeared on the Soul Light Ball. As the mouth opened and closed, a few leaves rustled slightly. Su Jie drifted back and forth, attempting to attack, but the ancient tree stood unmoving. If he had been in his physical body, Su Jie could have shattered the ancient tree with one hand, but in his soul form, he couldn¡¯t even dislodge a single leaf. Looking at his own soul, flickering unsteadily as if it could be dispersed by a mere gust of wind, he realized he still had a long way to go. After a session of cultivation, when his soul felt weak and exhausted, Su Jie decided not to linger outside any longer, lest he damage his Divine Soul. However, just as Su Jie was about to return his soul to his body, he suddenly saw something through the perspective of his soul. Outside his residence, a sneaky figure was crouching in the bushes, throwing a small jade bottle. The Jade Bottle wobbled and floated in mid-air, flying toward the direction of the residence. Su Jie took a closer look and through the neck of the Jade Bottle, saw a blue powder inside. ¡°Hmm, Blue Dawn Itch Flower Pollen?¡± Even in his soul state, Su Jie recognized the origin of the powder in the bottle. This powder was produced by a Spirit Plant and once it landed on human skin, it would cause unbearable itching. Although it wasn¡¯t a harmful poison, the itch could last for days, making even Cultivators suffer greatly. The Jade Bottle continued its erratic flight around the residence, seemingly searching for something. Until it floated to the door of the Practice Room, the bottle finally stopped and seemed eager to enter. But as a private area, the Practice Room was under Su Jie¡¯s protection, enforced with an array. Looking at the figure crouching in the bushes, Su Jie recognized the person. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the genius newcomer who just joined?¡± Su Jie was taken aback, the person sneaking in the bushes was a young girl, and a recent joiner, Zhu Qingya. ¡°Where did she get the cultivation spiritual power? No, she¡¯s not just a newcomer. Could she be a spy from a Righteous sect, but why would she target me...¡± Su Jie¡¯s brow furrowed deeply as he watched her every move. Seemingly aware of the array¡¯s presence, Zhu Qingya pulled out a small silver arrow. This was a Demolishing Demon Arrow, capable of silently penetrating and breaking through arrays, something Su Jie had only heard of and never seen sold on the Black Market. Zhu Qingya blew on the Demolishing Demon Arrow, releasing Frost Cold Spirit Energy, and like tossing a paper airplane, she flung it toward the Su Mansion. The Demolishing Demon Arrow soared smoothly, slowly approaching the Practice Room. The maids and servants inside the Su Mansion were all ordinary people who couldn¡¯t detect the arrival of the Demolishing Demon Arrow. At that moment, Su Jie saw that gust of Frost Cold Spirit Energy, and a flash of enlightenment suddenly revealed a girl¡¯s figure in his mind. ¡°So it was her.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression darkened. Damn, how vindictive is this girl to chase down the culprit to Ghost Ridge Palace? Is she crazy? Without hesitation, Su Jie¡¯s soul quickly returned to the Practice Room, then his soul reentered his body, and sitting cross-legged on the cushion, he opened his eyes. Standing up from the cushion, Su Jie pushed open the large doors of the Practice Room. Just then, the Demolishing Demon Arrow also arrived in front of the Practice Room door. Su Jie spread his hand wide and firmly caught the Demolishing Demon Arrow. ¡°Ei ei ei?¡± The figure crouching in the bushes, Zhu Qingya, was dumbfounded; this was not what she had anticipated! Chapter 141 - 57: Fake (Second Update) Chapter 141: Chapter 57: Fake (Second Update) ¡°We¡¯re in trouble.¡± The thought flashed through Zhu Qingya¡¯s mind, but her body reacted faster. Stepping into the Seven Star Steps, she frantically attempted to escape. But Su Jie wouldn¡¯t let her escape so easily. ¡°Darling, please turn around.¡± He slapped the red and gold Sword Nourishing Gourd at his waist, and a white beam of light shot out. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword sprang forward, rapidly approaching Zhu Qingya. ¡°Watch my Vajra Bracelet, hit!¡± Hearing the noise behind her, Zhu Qingya shook her delicate, jade-like wrist, and the golden bracelet on her left wrist flew out, expanding in midair and knocking the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword away. With that impact, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword actually fell to the ground, its spirit light fading as though it turned into a mundane object. But it only took two or three seconds for the spirit light to surge out again, the sword vibrating as it prepared to launch itself once more. Zhu Qingya was startled and hurriedly operated the Vajra Bracelet. ¡°Retrieve it, quick, retrieve this broken sword.¡± The Vajra Bracelet radiated brilliantly, as if turning into a magnet, its terrifying suction force directly pulling the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword towards it. ¡°Darling, please turn around.¡± By this time, Su Jie had exited the mansion, raising the Sword Nourishing Gourd. How could this girl have so many treasures? ¡°Darling, please stand down.¡± Zhu Qingya stood holding the Vajra Bracelet, facing off against her opponent. From a distance, their eyes locked and Su Jie scoffed, ¡°Shameless! In ancient times, there were divine beings who could, with one Vajra Bracelet, transform all things, weigh billions, strike down many magical treasures and divine items, and swallow myriad weapons. Your Vajra Bracelet is clearly a fake, yet you dare boldly command ¡®stand down¡¯.¡± Zhu Qingya¡¯s bright eyes widened with indignation, ¡°Shameless yourself, where do you get off? In ancient times, seven Sky-reaching Gourds were born and turned into treasures by divine beings, each with immense power. The spell you shouted is clearly one for a Sky-reaching Gourd, yet this lousy Sword Nourishing Gourd is miles apart from it, and you dare claim the same incantation as the real Sky-reaching Gourd.¡± ¡°Fake.¡± ¡°Yours is the counterfeit.¡± ¡°One of mine is worth ten of yours.¡± ¡°Watch me take all your treasures.¡± Zhu Qingya and Su Jie hurled insults across the air, this scene of heated exchange and magical artifact clash was fortunate to occur in a secluded area, otherwise, it would certainly alarm the elders of the Sect. Even so, there were servants inside the Su Family Mansion who heard the commotion and decided to come out to check. In the midst of their clash, Su Jie¡¯s Sword Nourishing Gourd seemed to be faintly losing, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword uncontrollably flying towards the Vajra Bracelet. A smug smile appeared on Zhu Qingya¡¯s delicate face, but just as she was about to laugh, she suddenly felt something crawling on her ankle. Looking down, she saw the eerie and terrifying figure of the Thousand-Handed Centipede climbing up her leg. Ah! Zhu Qingya turned pale with fright, jumping erratically on the ground trying to shake the Thousand-Handed Centipede off. The pale corpse hands of the Thousand-Handed Centipede clung to Zhu Qingya¡¯s legs, proving not so easily shaken off. While struggling, Zhu Qingya felt a tug at her collar and suddenly, her feet were off the ground. It turns out, Su Jie had somehow got behind her and was lifting her up by her collar. Zhu Qingya wanted to struggle further, but a word from Su Jie calmed her down. ¡°Miss, you don¡¯t want to cause a big scene and bring the Sect elders here, do you?¡± Zhu Qingya made a face of grievance, but faced with this threat, she really didn¡¯t dare to move rashly anymore. If their fight were to create a big disturbance and bring the Sect elders, she would undoubtedly be the one to suffer. Even though she was confident she could escape using a Teleportation Talisman, her plans would be ruined by then. ¡°Watch her.¡± Having the Thousand-Handed Centipede keep an eye on Zhu Qingya, Su Jie walked to the other side. Several servants, upon seeing Su Jie holding the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, nervously knelt to the ground. ¡°Young... Young Master, we heard noises and came out to check, not knowing it was you practicing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like being watched while I practice, mess up again and I¡¯ll chop off your heads.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± The servants were so frightened that they scurried back, rolling and crawling. With the methods of a demon cultivator, taking lives on a whim, these ordinary people were fortunate just to be alive and not used for practicing demon techniques, and they did not dare to test whether the demon cultivator¡¯s sword was sharp or not. After today¡¯s incident, they would never dare to be so curious again. By the time Su Jie returned to where Zhu Qingya was, the girl had her eyes tightly closed, since the Thousand-Handed Centipede was quietly laying on her chest. She looked very scared of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, her body tensed and daring not to move an inch. ¡°Quickly get your pet off of me.¡± Upon hearing footsteps, Zhu Qingya opened her eyes, and once again locked gaze with the cold insect eyes of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, involuntarily screaming once more. Su Jie waved his hand, and the Thousand-Handed Centipede crawled back into his sleeve. Sitting in front of Zhu Qingya, Su Jie propped his chin with his left hand and scrutinized her back and forth, directly exposing her identity and said, ¡°Spill the beans, Ning Xinyue, what were you thinking daring to come to Ghost Ridge Palace to trouble me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Zhu Qingya blinked her eyes, pretending to be confused. ¡°Stop pretending.¡± Su Jie curled his lips, then reached out with his right hand to touch Zhu Qingya¡¯s cheek. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhu Qingya¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°I¡¯m checking what kind of human skin mask you¡¯re wearing, making your disguise look so convincing.¡± The girl hastily dodged Su Jie¡¯s hand, and seeing that she could no longer hide it, she reluctantly rubbed her own cheeks and muttered, ¡°What are you talking about, as if something like that could fool the Secret Realm, I cultivate the Four Symbols Unification Divine Scripture, which can change one¡¯s physique, appearance, and hide spiritual power.¡± As she spoke, her appearance began to change. A girl with a face even more beautiful and pure, with picturesque eyebrows, big watery eyes, charming like a blossoming rose, appeared before him. It was indeed Ning Xinyue, the mysterious girl Su Jie had rescued from a slave trading ship in the past. ¡°No more pretending.¡± Su Jie pinched Ning Xinyue¡¯s cheeks, full of collagen, and the touch was as good as ever. ¡°Hmph.¡± Ning Xinyue puffed up her cheeks and hummed, saying nothing. ¡°I am, after all, your lifesaver, and this is how you repay me?¡± ¡°Is it common to rescue someone by kidnapping and threatening them...?¡± ¡°That was a fair trade, voluntary on both sides; is your life not worth a few Cultivation Techniques?¡± ¡°... ¡± Ning Xinyue was at a loss for words, but still felt annoyed inside. ¡°Nothing more to say? Leave Ghost Ridge Palace right now. I know you must have some escape Magical Treasure or talisman on you. Leave now and I¡¯ll pretend I never saw you tonight.¡± Su Jie withdrew his hand. Ning Xinyue was no simple girl; her confident intrusion into Ghost Ridge Palace was clear proof that she had a safety net. ¡°I can¡¯t leave yet,¡± Ning Xinyue shook her head like a rattle, adamant about not leaving. Chapter 142 - 58: Innate Spiritual Object (Third Update) Chapter 142: Chapter 58: Innate Spiritual Object (Third Update) Su Jie¡¯s eyebrows drooped as he said, ¡°Hmm, are you still looking to trouble me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± ¡°Then why are you still here?¡± Su Jie paused, looking Ning Xinyue up and down, thoughtfully saying, ¡°What exactly is your plan in coming to Ghost Ridge Palace? Lay it out clearly for me.¡± ¡°I just, I just came to get back at you.¡± Turning her head away, unable to meet Su Jie¡¯s eyes, Ning Xinyue¡¯s lying was too obvious to ignore. ¡°Not talking, huh? I¡¯ll call someone! Maybe handing you over to the elders for a tough interrogation will get the truth out, they are much harsher than I am.¡± Su Jie pretended to get up, judging from her reaction that this girl¡¯s visit to Ghost Ridge Palace was not as simple as seeking revenge. Ning Xinyue grabbed hold of Su Jie, saying, ¡°Wait, just wait, let me think.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to think about? I didn¡¯t hesitate when I saved you.¡± ¡°Um...¡± Biting her tender lips, Ning Xinyue finally caved in, gritting her teeth, ¡°You swear to keep it secret, not to tell anyone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m famously trustworthy.¡± Seeing Ning Xinyue¡¯s expression, Su Jie realized, just as he had guessed, that this girl had another motive for coming to Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Heh.¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s face was incredulous as she almost scoffed at Su Jie¡¯s so-called trustworthiness. ¡°Enough with the nonsense, out with it.¡± Su Jie¡¯s face grew stern, this was Ghost Ridge Palace territory after all, where his word was law. ¡°I came here to hunt for treasure.¡± Ning Xinyue hesitated, revealing her true purpose for coming to Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Hunt for treasure, what treasure?¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of treasure; he loved such things best. Ning Xinyue rolled her eyes, vigorously saying, ¡°How would I know what it is?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know and yet you came treasure hunting?¡± His lips twitched, this time it was Su Jie¡¯s turn to be speechless. ¡°I just know that here lies an exotic treasure about to emerge, but I don¡¯t know exactly what it is. The recent Alien Ghost riots in your Ghost Ridge Palace territory, I suspect it has something to do with that.¡± ¡°Exotic treasure!¡± Su Jie¡¯s breath caught, the so-called exotic treasure, formally known as an Innate Spiritual Object. Innate Spiritual Objects are formed naturally by the influences of spiritual energy and other factors between heaven and earth. Unlike man-made Magic Artifacts, these objects are extremely powerful and possess various miraculous properties. An innate spiritual object in the outside world was something even the major sects¡¯ holy lands coveted. ¡°Is your theory accurate, could the Alien Ghost riots be related to the innate spiritual object? Isn¡¯t it just turbulent earth energy, magnetic field changes causing it?¡± ¡°Have there been Alien Ghost riots at your Ghost Ridge Palace in the past that lasted this long?¡± Hearing Ning Xinyue¡¯s words, Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but ponder deeply. From the Alien Ghost riots to now, it had been half a year, while according to some elder disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace, the riots in the past decades had ended in a month or two and never persisted for over half a year. That said, Ning Xinyue¡¯s analysis made some sense. Su Jie smacked his lips, then another thought occurred to him. ¡°That can¡¯t be right! Have the sect¡¯s elders not noticed?¡± ¡°Do you think exotic treasures are that easy to discover? Divine objects obscure themselves, don¡¯t you understand? If they were so easily detected, all the treasures in the world would have already been dug up. And no offense, but when it comes to finding treasures, I¡¯m far better than those Ghost Ridge Palace elders who might excel in fighting off foes but not in treasure hunting.¡± Ning Xinyue held her head high with pride, staring intently at Su Jie as if he was the one to frighten her. Regarding Ning Xinyue¡¯s reasoning, Su Jie offered no counter; searching for treasures buried deep underground was not something his masters had taught him. ¡°When you were caught and put on the slave trading ship, you didn¡¯t intentionally try to infiltrate the Ghost Ridge Palace, did you? You already knew about the exotic treasure, didn¡¯t you?¡± Seeing the girl¡¯s proud expression, Su Jie was somewhat doubtful. If that was the case, her scheming mind was not to be underestimated. Ning Xinyue¡¯s expression stiffened and she weakly said, ¡°That was really an accident.¡± Su Jie breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to himself, ¡°That makes sense. With your intellect, you probably wouldn¡¯t have the cunning to use yourself as bait. I was overthinking things.¡± ¡°Hey, what do you mean by that!¡± Ning Xinyue was angry. Were those even proper words? ¡°Can you find the location of the exotic treasure?¡± Su Jie ignored the girl¡¯s anger and continued to speak, focusing on the core issue. Ning Xinyue¡¯s expression weakened further, and she whispered, ¡°I need time to calculate.¡± ¡°So, you can¡¯t?¡± Su Jie stared at her, seeing Ning Xinyue¡¯s guilt. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I just need to perform calculations. Don¡¯t doubt my abilities.¡± Ning Xinyue puffed up her cheeks, displeased with Su Jie¡¯s underestimation of her. To prove herself, Ning Xinyue even took out a Jade Compass. The compass was incredibly exquisite, with intricate patterns all over it like a sky full of stars, grabbing anyone¡¯s attention. Ning Xinyue took several spirit stones from her storage bag. As soon as the stones appeared, the air immediately became denser, and the concentration of spiritual energy greatly increased. These were Mid-grade Spirit Stones, containing extremely abundant and refined spiritual energy. They could almost be used for cultivation without filtration, transforming directly into one¡¯s spiritual power. The only downside was the high price. A single Mid-grade Spirit Stone was worth hundreds of Low-Grade Spirit Stones and was rarely seen used among disciples. Under Su Jie¡¯s pained gaze, Ning Xinyue placed the Mid-grade Spirit Stones above the compass. The spiritual energy within the stones was continuously absorbed by the compass, eventually turning them into ordinary stones. With the spirit stones providing energy, an illusory map appeared on the surface of the compass. It displayed the mountains, rivers, and streams surrounding the Ghost Ridge Palace, evolving on the compass. ¡°This is the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate. It can deduce geomantic formations of mountains and rivers.¡± Pointing at the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate, different colors and halos shined from the veins of the earth. ¡°Blue represents mineral veins, white represents underground rivers, black represents lurking Yin Qi, gold represents branches of dragon veins, grey represents...¡± Ning Xinyue slowly explained before pointing at the geomantic map above. There, a light purple cloud was floating, unlike the stable mineral veins. This cloud moved back and forth, completely without pattern. ¡°Do you understand? This is the target we are looking for. Once my Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate locates the position of this cloud, we can find the exotic treasure.¡± ¡°I see, how long will it take to successfully locate it?¡± Su Jie nodded, understanding that the purple haze was indeed the aura of a treasure, signifying supreme nobility. ¡°As little as a week, or as long as a year and a half. I need to supply energy with spirit stones every day, allowing the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate to calculate. I can¡¯t decide when it will be done.¡± ¡°That long.¡± ¡°Of course, deducing the secrets of geomancy is inherently fraught with difficulties. It¡¯s not something that can be deduced at will.¡± ¡°I mean, do you have enough spirit stones to sustain that daily investment?¡± Su Jie emphasized, this girl really doesn¡¯t treat spirit stones as money! With such an investment, it could run into a huge amount. Ning Xinyue placed her hands on her hips, finally finding something to tease Su Jie about, and retorted, ¡°That¡¯s just a poor person¡¯s mentality. You should know, even the Sect Holy Lands would be tempted by an Innate Spiritual Object. What does a little investment now count for? As the calculations advance, it will require more computing power, so the investment in spirit stones will keep increasing. But once we find the exotic treasure, the current investment will return a hundredfold, a thousandfold.¡± Su Jie calmed down. That was right! The value of an Innate Treasure could incite bloody battles among sects. Every time an exotic treasure emerged, it caused a storm of bloodshed. Such a treasure, if a sect knew they could deduce its location, they wouldn¡¯t blink an eye at investing hundreds of thousands of spirit stones upfront. Su Jie was penniless, but for the sect, emitting such an amount was absolutely not a problem. However, Su Jie narrowed his eyes, looking at Ning Xinyue. This girl could bring out so many spirit stones without changing her expression; she was truly a walking treasury! Chapter 143 - 59: Yunling Realm Seventh Level (Fourth Update) Chapter 143: Chapter 59: Yunling Realm Seventh Level (Fourth Update) ¡°` ¡°What for!¡± Feeling uneasy under Su Jie¡¯s stare, Ning Xinyue instantly formed a layer of ice crystals over her body, encasing herself inside like a vigilant little squirrel with her big eyes blinking rapidly. ¡°Are you a turtle or something, always liking to seal yourself in ice?¡± Su Jie was amused and laughed, finding the girl quite cautious. ¡°Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t figured it out, you just tried to rob me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ning Xinyue puffed up her cheeks, clearly aware of the fable of the child who walks through a noisy market holding gold. ¡°Nothing of the sort. But speaking of which, how about we cooperate? I¡¯ll help you conceal your identity, and once you locate the exotic treasure, we can dig it up and sell it and split the money.¡± Su Je suddenly spoke up, proposing a plan of cooperation. Ning Xinyue paused, pondering seriously. After a while, Ning Xinyue seemed to have thought it through and nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do as you say.¡± But inside, Ning Xinyue was scoffing. Thinking of sharing the money with her? Once she got hold of the exotic treasure, she would make a quick escape, leaving you to work for nothing. Especially since the process of digging for the treasure might not go smoothly. With all sorts of complex environments around Ghost Ridge Palace, demons, beasts, and perilous places, it would be good to find a local to lead the way. Su Jie volunteering suited her perfectly. Little did she know, Su Jie held the same idea, planning to secretly take the exotic treasure and throw it back to Blue Star through the Ancient Mirror, making it impossible for her to track. Let¡¯s see you deduce the location of Blue Star. Even if the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate were ruined, you wouldn¡¯t be able to find it! What do you have to compete with me, little girl? ¡°That¡¯s settled then.¡± ¡°Pleasure working with you!¡± ¡°Pleasure working with you!¡± The two exchanged a smile, apparently burying the hatchet while secretly calculating their own schemes. ¡°I should be going back.¡± Ning Xinyue, thinking she¡¯d found a free fighter, didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. ¡°I¡¯m going back too; you¡¯ve disturbed my sleep all night.¡± Su Jie also stretched lazily and turned to walk back to his family mansion. But Su Jie hadn¡¯t gone far when Ning Xinyue, seemingly having a sudden realization, hurried back, grabbed Su Jie¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Ning Xinyue extended her right hand in front of Su Jie with a very assertive attitude. ¡°Back with what?¡± Su Jie looked down, feigning innocence. ¡°My Demolishing Demon Arrow, return it to me.¡± Ning Xinyue showed her cute little fangs, demanding her treasure with strong momentum. ¡°What Demolishing Demon Arrow? I haven¡¯t seen it!¡± Su Jie was genuinely perplexed, insisting he had never laid hands on the thing. ¡°You... I clearly saw you take it and hide it in your Storage Bag.¡± Ning Xinyue stomped her feet angrily, finding this man extremely vexing. ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s just compensation for the mental distress you caused tonight. Who asked you to disturb my sleep? I should get some reparation, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Return it quickly, that treasure is very important to me.¡± Ning Xinyue glared at Su Jie, cheeks puffed with anger. Although she was very wealthy, the Demolishing Demon Arrow was vital to her. Since she had run away from home, always searching ancient lands for treasures, she often encountered various Array Formation Restrictions, and without the Demolishing Demon Arrow, she would be at a loss. Seeing Ning Xinyue¡¯s anxious expression and not wanting their recent cooperative plan to fall through, Su Jie reluctantly chose to give in a little. ¡°One hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones.¡± Su Jie¡¯s concession wasn¡¯t for nothing; he demanded a high price for the redemption. ¡°At most ten Mid-grade Spirit Stones.¡± Ning Xinyue immediately started to bargain. ¡°Ninety-nine.¡± ¡°` ¡°20 pieces.¡± ¡°98 pieces.¡± ¡°30 pieces.¡± ¡°97.5 pieces.¡± ¡°...¡± Ning Xinyue was on the verge of losing her composure, annoyed and angry as she pounded on Su Jie¡¯s chest and said through gritted teeth, ¡°What are you trying to do? Who haggles like this, one piece at a time? You think I picked up these Spirit Stones off the ground? ¡°Let me tell you, 50 pieces of Mid-grade Spirit Stone tops; don¡¯t think you can extort me...¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Su Jie suddenly agreed, and Ning Xinyue didn¡¯t even have time to react. ¡°No take-backs.¡± The next moment, Ning Xinyue took out fifty Mid-grade Spirit Stones and exchanged them for the Demolishing Demon Arrow from Su Jie. Looking at her smiling face without a hint of heartache, it was obvious that Su Jie¡¯s asking price was still too low. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you¡¯re a partner.¡± Su Jie felt a twinge of regret; he had considered the bigger picture. This young lady was an outright wealthy lady, and it was a shame to not extort more Spirit Stones when he had the chance. ¡°Hmph, you scoundrel.¡± Anxious that Su Jie might find another reason to extort her, Ning Xinyue gave him a cutting glare and then ran off as if flying. Meanwhile, Su Jie looked at the Mid-grade Spirit Stones in his hand and a smile couldn¡¯t help but spread across his face. With this, he could advance his breakthrough to the Yunling Realm Seventh Level much sooner. ...... Five days later. In the practice room of the Su Family Mansion at Ghost Ridge Palace. Surrounded by Mid-grade Spirit Stones and a large amount of Blood Marrow Crystals, Su Jie sat cross-legged, with the White Bone Tree behind him having grown into a small tree three meters tall. Most of the Spirit Stones had been drained of their inner Spiritual Energy and turned into ordinary rocks, and the White Bone Tree had nearly exhausted its reserve of Spiritual Energy as well. But the expenditure wasn¡¯t in vain. All of a sudden, Su Jie let out a long howl. Although the sound was isolated by the Formation, it still shook the air and a surging Spiritual Radiance flowed around him. Within his meridians, torrents of Spiritual Power broke through various blockages, entering unfamiliar channels and also expanding the capacity for Spiritual Power. Above Su Jie¡¯s head, the phantom of a white crane circled in the air, emitting clear chirps as if to celebrate Su Jie¡¯s breakthrough. The Yunling Realm Seventh Level was attained. Su Jie exhaled deeply, his eyes filled with intense joy. This time, without relying on the enhancement from the thousand-hand centipede and by cultivating the White Crane Zen Dao, the Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, coupled with the Blood Marrow Crystals and the pure energy of the Mid-grade Spirit Stones, plus that little bit of accumulation, Su Jie had made the breakthrough to the Yunling Realm Seventh Level all on his own. Thousand-Handed Centipede: So love does fade away, right? It was also the luck that the Thousand-Handed Centipede was in hibernation; otherwise, if it knew what Su Jie was thinking, it would surely rise to protest, fearing for its cherished status. After ascending to the Yunling Realm Seventh Level, the greatest change was the abundant Spiritual Power within his body, which was at least double that of the sixth level. His physical body had also been strengthened, his physique even more robust, with the power to throw an elephant with one arm. However, Su Jie seldom engaged in hand-to-hand combat during fights, or rather, he almost never did. He preferred to smash people with Magic Artifacts, let bugs bite them, or use laser eyes to burn them to a crisp. Stepping out with the Ancient Mirror, Su Jie returned to the Blue Star World, planning to check on the progress of his business ventures there. After arriving back at Jingjiang No.1 Villa, Su Jie didn¡¯t see Liu Yingying. Only after making a call did he learn that not long ago, she had just completed Mu Hua¡¯s formal takeover of Yikang Company. She was currently overseeing the final preparations for the market launch of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, which would be fully introduced to the market tomorrow. ¡°Today really is a day of double happiness!¡± Su Jie¡¯s lips curled into a smile, his confidence in the hair growth liquid absolute. Once this mysterious side product hit the market, all the other hair loss treatments and hair transplants could be dumped in the trash. ¡°I¡¯ll soon have a huge cash flow, and then it¡¯s time to continue expanding my breeding ventures. Whether it¡¯s bugs or livestock breeding, I want it all.¡± Su Jie was eager to proceed, especially with the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. He wanted to upgrade it to the level of 10,000 Yin Souls as soon as possible. When that happened, its might would increase exponentially, which would require a lot of livestock souls, all supported by money. Chapter 144 - 60: Hair Growth Liquid Hits the Market (First Update) Chapter 144: Chapter 60: Hair Growth Liquid Hits the Market (First Update) ¡°Xiao Xu! Send over the report tomorrow, we urgently need it here.¡± Inside Xiao Runfa Supermarket, as Xu Hong looked at the message from his boss on his phone, pushing the shopping cart with one hand and holding his phone with the other, he sighed softly and complained, ¡°That idiotic boss, looks like I have to work overtime again tonight, who knows how much hair I¡¯m going to lose.¡± He tenderly touched his thinning hairline, where not much was left. Xu Hong was an internet industry programmer, not yet thirty years old, but prematurely balding. Back in university, he had been a dashing young man, but just a few years of work and relentless overtime had ravaged his good looks. Especially his once thick, black hair, which was falling out relentlessly day and night, leaving him with a Mediterranean hairstyle. Looking at his graduation photo from university, it was like looking at a completely different person. ¡°I also need to buy some shampoo.¡± Xu Hong put his phone back in his pocket and pushed the cart toward the toiletries section. A young sales assistant dressed in the store¡¯s uniform eyed him for a while, as if spotting prey, and seamlessly appeared before Xu Hong. ¡°Handsome guy, we¡¯re having a promotion recently. Are you interested in this Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid? It¡¯s a new product with a powerful hair nourishing effect. The promotional price is only 119 yuan, and there are gifts with purchase right now...¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just...¡± Xu Hong intended to refuse loudly, but seeing the sales assistant was a good-looking young lady, the words got stuck in his throat. In the end, after the sales assistant¡¯s persuasive talk, a dazed Xu Hong left Xiao Runfa Supermarket and only realized what had happened when he got home. Looking at the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid in the bag, he almost slapped himself. ¡°Xu Hong, oh Xu Hong, what are you thinking, you single dog? Can¡¯t you show a little bit of willpower? Getting fooled into buying something again, and you didn¡¯t even dare to ask for her WeChat.¡± Xu Hong started to mock himself, then looked down again at the bottle of shampoo. ¡°Hair nourishment, visible results in one week, moisturizing the scalp, bringing back the thick black hair of my youth? Shampoos these days are just full of hot air.¡± Seeing the product introduction on the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, Xu Hong was speechless. He had tried many things to save his hair, tried all sorts of methods, medication was ineffective, and hair transplants failed due to rejection. He had also been misled by shampoos, falling for tricks like ginger shampoo that claimed to grow hair after washing but ended up being completely useless, harvesting nothing but his tax on gullibility. ¡°A price of 120 yuan, I could buy two or three bottles of regular shampoo instead, and it¡¯s such a small amount, enough for maybe a month¡¯s use.¡± Xu Hong shook his head, justifying his susceptibility to temptation, and now that he had bought it, he thought he might as well just use it. He was too shy to even consider returning it. He picked up the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and went into the bathroom. As he washed his hair, it fell out in clumps in his hands, which deeply saddened Xu Hong. What fell wasn¡¯t just hair, it was his youth! After showering and using the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, Xu Hong felt a coolness on his scalp, as if something was penetrating deep into it. But Xu Hong didn¡¯t make much of it, he had already lost hope for his hair. Time passed just like that for several days. Xu Hong kept to his routine of working from nine to five, sometimes staying late until nearly midnight, and upon returning home, he would take a shower and fall asleep as soon as he hit the bed. One day, Xu Hong arrived at the office for work as usual. Chen Jun, a colleague from the next workstation, passed by Xu Hong¡¯s desk and seemed to notice something, asking curiously, ¡°Ah Hong, did you go get a hair transplant?¡± Xu Hong, who was hunched over coding, lifted his head and said irritably, ¡°Why would I go for a hair transplant? One transplant costs twenty to thirty thousand, and I¡¯ve tried twice, both times were failures. The doctor said my scalp is no good, why would I waste that money?¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s that on your head, a layer of fuzz, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?¡± Chen Jun pointed to Xu Hong¡¯s forehead, where a fine layer of fuzz was growing. ¡°What fuzz, are you joking with me?¡± Xu Hong reached up to touch his head and then froze. He felt a layer of fine, prickly sensations. ¡°Damn, could it really be...¡± The sensation Xu Hong felt abruptly told him that something had changed on top of his head. Rushing to the bathroom, Xu Hong saw through the mirror his own scalp, which was previously sparse, was now covered in a large amount of new hair. This new growth was fine and dark, and although it was still just a shallow layer, it was visibly healthy and not at all like weak, fluffy hair. ¡°The hair growth liquid is actually real, my god, it hasn¡¯t been long at all! And the effects are so astonishing.¡± Xu Hong¡¯s pupils dilated with shock. He had been so exhausted recently that washing his hair had been a hasty affair, neglecting any changes on his scalp. It was only now that he noticed the new growth. And this change was clearly due to the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid; it was the only hair growth product he had used recently. ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s amazing! This hair growth liquid actually works, the product description wasn¡¯t exaggerating!¡± Xu Hong was thrilled, looking at the new growth on his head with disbelief in his eyes. Heaven knows how much money he had spent trying to fix his hair, easily more than a hundred thousand, only to be met with disappointment time and again. But now, unexpectedly, there was light at the end of the tunnel. A simple shampoo had saved his hair. He had initially thought that the 119-yuan shampoo was a bit expensive, but now Xu Hong didn¡¯t think so at all. Such miraculous hair growth effects at this price were incredibly reasonable. When Xu Hong came out of the bathroom, many of his nearby colleagues had gathered around, curiously looking at his hair, clearly, Chen Jun had spread the word. ¡°Damn, you really grew hair.¡± ¡°Ah Hong, no, Brother Xu, how did you do it, tell your buddies, will you?¡± ¡°What anti-hair loss treatment did you use? The effect is quite strong, recommend it to us quickly.¡± A group of colleagues crowded around Xu Hong; they were all internet technicians well aware that most people in the industry have serious hairline worries, and they also had a need for hair growth. ¡°I used a shampoo, just a few days, and it¡¯s like this. I¡¯m not lying to you, it¡¯s called something... Tian something, I¡¯ll go back and check, then tell you tomorrow.¡± Xu Hong was not stingy and started sharing with everyone right away. ¡°Shampoo?¡± The colleagues looked at each other, feeling skeptical about the product, but the result on Xu Hong¡¯s head was undeniable. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll buy a bottle to try out later.¡± After all, a bottle of shampoo wouldn¡¯t break the bank, so these colleagues all planned to buy and try it out later. Chapter 145 - 61: Explosive Sales (Second Update) Chapter 145: Chapter 61: Explosive Sales (Second Update) As the days passed, Xu Hong persisted in using the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid every day, and its effect was remarkably evident. Originally, every time he washed his hair, a lot of it would fall out, but now the shedding had completely stopped. Meanwhile, the newly grown hair kept getting longer, covering the previously sparse areas on his scalp. Xu Hong specifically spent several hundred to get a short haircut from Tony, dramatically changing his previous disheveled and sloppy look, making him appear as if he had returned to his college days. One day, Xu Hong returned to the company. Once inside, he could see everywhere colleagues who, not long ago, had receding hairlines and bald heads, now sporting new hair growth. At Xu Hong¡¯s recommendation, everyone had started using the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, and the results were astonishingly good. No matter the type of hair loss, regardless of gender, using the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had improved everyone¡¯s condition: first, the hair loss stopped, and then new hair began to grow, resulting in thick, dark hair. Even Xu Hong¡¯s so-called ¡®dumbass boss,¡¯ who had been bald, now sported thick short hair after using the hair growth liquid, and he was so happy he smiled all day long, treating Xu Hong, the major advocate of the product, much better¡ªeven though the overtime hadn¡¯t decreased at all. ¡°Brother Xu...¡± Suddenly, a soft call came from behind him. Xu Hong turned around and saw Guo Tingting, the company receptionist, approaching him. In a company where men significantly outnumbered women, Xu Hong had previously tried to pursue her. But just as he was starting to show interest, she turned him down because she was very particular about looks, and he didn¡¯t pass her attractiveness criteria. ¡°Brother Xu, are you free tonight? Let¡¯s go have dinner together,¡± Looking at the much more handsome Xu Hong, Guo Tingting extended the dinner invitation. ¡°Ah! Me?¡± Xu Hong was stunned; his goddess was actually inviting him to dinner, and he felt like the world had become surreal. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, well, let me treat,¡± Xu Hong tried to maintain his composure and dignity, but the joy of being invited by his goddess made it as hard to curb his smile as suppressing an AK. Internally, Xu Hong was screaming. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, forever divine. His hair had returned, and now it seemed even love was on its way; this made Xu Hong genuinely appreciate and be grateful for the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. ... This kind of scenario wasn¡¯t only happening to Xu Hong. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had started off unknown, spending money on advertising on major e-commerce platforms, radios, and televisions during its launch, but with poor results in attracting traffic. Even going so far as to employ infomercial tactics to make it more widely known. Liu Yingying hired a few actors with a very master-like demeanor, who sat on TV claiming to be the 56th generation descendant of a royal court physician or from a family of traditional Chinese medicine, saying things like, ¡°After much thought and struggle, I¡¯ve decided to break with our ancestral tradition and contribute our secret formula,¡± and other such advertising tactics. But despite the money spent, the results weren¡¯t very good. These days, people have developed a high immunity to all kinds of messy advertisements, and those willing to spend real money were initially few. However, a week after the first batch of customers used the product, astonishing hair regrowth effects appeared, astonishing men and women troubled by hair loss. And hair is something outwardly noticeable, so when a person suddenly grows more hair, a coworker who used to have an M-shaped forehead grows front bangs, a neighbor with a receding hairline now has thick hair, and a previously bald friend grows a full head of black hair. Such examples were seen by many and word of mouth spread like wildfire, making this the best form of free advertisement. Consequently, sales of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid in major supermarkets and on e-commerce platforms skyrocketed. In all channels, during the first week, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid sold merely twenty thousand bottles, even with extensive advertising. But as the second week arrived, sales of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid began to explode, reaching 500,000 bottles in the second week, 7 million bottles in the third week, and by the fourth week, the sales had already surpassed 40 million bottles. All major channel merchants were stunned by these incredible sales and without consensus, sent buyers to Tianyuan Daily Company to pick up the goods themselves. Before this, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had to beg and pay for these merchants to stock their product; now, the situation had completely reversed. The massive volume of shipments nearly brought Tianyuan Company to a halt, with the factory operating 24 hours a day, non-stop, and trucks queued up for miles at the factory door to pick up goods. Cases of hair growth liquid were barely off the production line before they were loaded onto trucks and shipped out to various supermarkets for sale. In each major offline channel, each batch of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was sold out within half an hour of being restocked. On online e-commerce platforms, the appointments for orders reached several million, all patiently lining up. The enthusiastic and devoted sufferers of hair loss had come to regard Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid as a Divine Medicine, and in the hair loss treatment arena, amongst all hair loss drugs and hair transplant surgeries, it could be said that none could compare. In front of hundreds of millions of potential consumers, the production capacity of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was not enough even if the machines smoked with the effort; new production lines were installed continuously, and batches of workers were quickly trained and put to work, but it was still unable to meet the enormous market demand. The explosive sales of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid also sparked a great deal of discussion and debate, being dubbed the savior for those suffering from hair loss. On Douyin, ManShou, Weibo, and other major social platforms, there was nothing but praise. Middle-aged Bald Uncle: Ever since I used Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, my mom no longer worries about my hair. Three Billion People¡¯s Gunfight Dream: To be honest, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is awesome plus, I had failed hair transplants before, and I thought I¡¯d have to live with a receding hairline for life, but Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid seriously grew my hair back. Love to Eat Grapes Without Spitting Skins: I declare, domestic hair loss medication manufacturers and hair transplant surgeries might as well go bankrupt on the spot. Supremely Smart Programmer: I threw the Mino hair spray I bought before in the trash. What trash, from now on, I only love Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Joyful Chubby Otaku: Today was my first time visiting my girlfriend¡¯s house, bringing two bottles of Moutai that her father disapproved of, saying I wasn¡¯t worthy of his daughter. But when I brought out a bottle of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, he treated me like a brother, saying his daughter wasn¡¯t good enough for me and wanted to introduce me to someone better. 68001: Dude above, could it be your father-in-law simply didn¡¯t like you and wanted his daughter to escape a bad situation? Of course, apart from these praises, there were also criticisms. Poor Spirit Rich Dreams: Who has Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, I¡¯ll pay 200 bucks for a bottle. Loli Loves Popsicles: The one above, why are you raising the price, got too much money and nowhere to spend it? This isn¡¯t cars or smartphones. Poor Spirit Rich Dreams: Damn it, do you think I want to! It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t get any Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, and after I finished the last bottle my hair started falling out in bunches, I don¡¯t want to become bald again. Master of Picking Fights: There¡¯s definitely a conspiracy here, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is for sure turned into a slow-working drug to exploit and deceive us consumers. I am Qin Shi Huang: Are shampoo companies now doing hunger marketing? I resolutely resist such trash companies and trash culture. Poor Spirit Rich Dreams: Seriously, who has Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, I¡¯ll raise my offer to 250 a bottle. I am Qin Shi Huang: Add me 28473638, I¡¯ll sell it to you. The discussion about Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid nearly overwhelmed all social media platforms, facing such an unparalleled innovative hair regrowth product, not a single person suffering from hair loss could stand not joining the rush to buy, making Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid even more in demand and sales blazingly hot. Chapter 146 - 62: Malicious Competition (Third Update) Chapter 146: Chapter 62: Malicious Competition (Third Update) ¡°Cheers.¡± In a five-star hotel. Su Jie hosted a celebration banquet for the executives of Tianyuan Daily Company, accompanied by Liu Yingying, to celebrate Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid¡¯s sales breakthrough of 50 million units. Tianyuan Daily is simply the rebranded name after acquiring a shampoo company, and currently, they only have Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid on the market. However, it was exactly this single product that, within just a month, had the company making a fortune daily, with monthly revenue exceeding 5 billion. Although this was not pure profit and various costs and taxes had yet to be deducted, it was more than enough to show the enormous market and cornucopia-like nature of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid now. ¡°To Mr. Su.¡± A group of Tianyuan Daily¡¯s senior executives promptly rose to clink glasses. Many of them were veterans retained from the previous company, who had witnessed the growth of Tianyuan Daily Company firsthand. They were well aware that with such an innovative product, Tianyuan Daily was bound to become world-famous, and therefore they were exceedingly respectful toward Su Jie. After dining and drinking with the group, Su Jie returned to Jingjiang No.1 Villa with Liu Yingying. ¡°Su Jie, we¡¯ve succeeded.¡± In public, Liu Yingying couldn¡¯t let loose, but once alone, she was as happy as a child. ¡°Success was inevitable, after all, the effect of the hair growth liquid is evident,¡± Su Jie said, flicking Liu Yingying¡¯s forehead, unimpressed by her surprise, ¡°Now, with enough cash flow in the company¡¯s account, we can expand the pig farming and insect breeding according to our previous plan.¡± ¡°Understood. However, Su Jie, there are a lot of online comments smearing our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid now. They come from domestic hair loss treatment enterprises, wig businesses, beauty salons, relevant industry doctors, and so on,¡± Liu Yingying reported, her expression turning serious as she brought up a different issue. ¡°They got anxious so quickly, huh,¡± Su Jie nodded, having anticipated this move. The launch of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had significantly eroded the market shares of these interest groups, causing their businesses to plummet. As the main culprit, it was expected that they would take action to retaliate. Su Jie opened his phone, browsed online, and sure enough, there were many sensational news stories smearing Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. ¡°Ma Tingkang, an expert in hair disease and gene therapy for hair disease, hair transplantation, renowned dermatologist, professor, and doctoral supervisor, recently spoke up, claiming the effectiveness of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is unclear and it could produce some extremely severe side effects, such as skin cancer...¡± ¡°A hair loss patient suffered from severe allergic reactions all over the body, and persistent rash after using Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, and is still hospitalized to this day.¡± ¡°Multiple victims of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid have come forward, stating that the product has made their hair loss even worse.¡± All these news stories were completely fabricated without any shred of truth. The sources and authenticity had virtually no value, and it was clear to any discerning person that they were the work of internet trolls. But not everyone is wise, and there were still many people online who were deceived, leaving likes and comments below the posts. ¡°These can¡¯t hurt us. Are there any other tactics in play?¡± Su Jie continued to inquire, confident in the undeniable effectiveness of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, which these accusations couldn¡¯t undermine. ¡°Besides these, the largest hair loss treatment company in the country, Linghui Pharmaceutical Company, has made a move. They¡¯ve introduced a health product aimed at hair loss treatment called Yafa Hair Growth Liquid, which also boasts impressive hair growth effects. We¡¯ve tested it, and indeed, it works very well; it¡¯s only slightly less effective than our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid.¡± Liu Yingying raised another more serious issue, causing Su Jie to pause momentarily. ¡°They cracked the secret of our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid?¡± Su Jie looked at Liu Yingying with suspicion. Could Blue Star¡¯s technology be so advanced that they could decipher the effects of radiation from Ghost Hair? ¡°At first, I thought the same, but after we bought back their Yafa Hair Growth Liquid for testing, the result...¡± Liu Yingying shook her head, her face expressing annoyance as she explained, ¡°We found the components of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid in their product. We suspect that they bought our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, diluted it, and then filled their own Yafa Hair Growth Liquid bottles with it.¡± ¡°That works for them? Aren¡¯t they losing money?¡± Su Jie rubbed his temples, shocked by the rogue moves of these competitors. Really, to make money, they¡¯ll resort to any means! ¡°They sell it at a much higher price, marketing it as a health product. Moreover, this brand is a big company, a well-known brand. The best-selling alopecia topical medication in our country used to be the foreign Asder Company¡¯s product represented by Linghui Company, a drug called Mino Hair Growth. So, many people trust the products produced by Linghui, and many are willing to pay a high price for this product, which is why they can make a profit. Additionally, in remote areas not covered by our sales, many people still don¡¯t know about the existence of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. There, they sell their product at an even higher price.¡± Liu Yingying was also furious about this because the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had just been launched and was lesser-known; there would always be people who trust these so-called big brands and big manufacturers. ¡°We can¡¯t let them get away with this, disclose the information.¡± Su Jie was very upset; his painstakingly produced hair growth liquid was being sold by others as their own product. Although their sales don¡¯t significantly affect Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid¡¯s market, it¡¯s just infuriating! ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the company¡¯s lawyer to prepare the lawsuit materials and issue a statement revealing the despicable actions of this company.¡± Liu Yingying said, determined not to let Linghui Company take advantage of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid without consequences. ¡°Besides that, I¡¯ll help gather some evidence on my end.¡± Su Jie added. The effectiveness of a lawsuit is limited; such profit-driven companies would definitely delay as long as possible, and if it really came down to it, they¡¯d drag out the lawsuit for years. By the time they¡¯d have to settle and pay a trivial sum, they would have made enough money, and by then, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid¡¯s brand would be established, and they could retire on their success. Thus, it was necessary to use public opinion to press them and let more people know about Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid so that companies like Linghui couldn¡¯t exploit loopholes. ¡°The main issue was that our production capacity was struggling to keep up, but once our hair growth liquid production increases, it¡¯ll be better. Right now, the construction of three new factories will soon be completed, and the workers have all been trained. Then we¡¯ll be able to meet domestic demand and also expand to international sales.¡± ¡°Oh, going international, huh?¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes brightened. The domestic demand for hair growth liquid would slowly decline; although there were over two hundred million potential users, not all patients with mild hair loss would buy it, and there was also the issue that patients are always anxious about new products, requiring time to cultivate brand trust. ¡°Right, we¡¯ve already started preparing for it. There is still one issue unresolved, though. We don¡¯t know how much to price it overseas?¡± Liu Yingying turned her gaze to Su Jie, looking to him to make a decision. Su Jie furrowed his brows and pondered for a while before saying, ¡°Considering taxes and shipping costs, let¡¯s sell it for 159.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds reasonable.¡± ¡°I meant in US dollars.¡± ¡°US... US dollars?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock. ¡°Of course, developed countries earn more, so naturally, we should charge a bit more.¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile beamed, ready to reap a new harvest from the tender crops abroad. Chapter 147 - 63: Battle of Public Opinion (Fourth Update) Chapter 147: Chapter 63: Battle of Public Opinion (Fourth Update) Liu Yingying acted promptly and decisively after consulting with Su Jie. The following day, she served a lawsuit to Linghui Company and publicly condemned them online. ¡°Linghui Company, a completely unethical forgery workshop.¡± Liu Yingying, aiming to spread the news further, purposefully registered accounts on multiple social media platforms for the announcement of her allegations. At this time, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was a hot topic in the news, and the announcement of the accusations immediately sparked widespread interest from onlookers. Milk Tea Don¡¯t Cry: What¡¯s with this Linghui Company, pouring Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid into their own health products and then selling them at such high prices, it¡¯s mind-blowing. Chirp Chirp Wobble: I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessarily the case, Linghui is a well-known company with a longstanding reputation, their Mino has always been effective, it¡¯s likely they¡¯ve developed a new product, and Tianyuan is just trying to suppress its competitor because they see a threat. July¡¯s Naiko: To the person above, a neighbor of mine bought Linghui¡¯s hair growth health product, and it also takes effect within a week, but if one stops using it after a month, the hair falls out; how do you explain the striking similarity between the two companies¡¯ products? Lychee Kitten Q: Exactly, why did Linghui have to launch a hair growth health product just after Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was released, I don¡¯t believe in such coincidences. Sunken Starry Evening: Have you noticed how beautiful the CEO of Tianyuan Daily Company is? All I Think About is Roundness: +1, indeed beautiful! ZYLZYWY: I noticed too, this woman has appeared in Tianyuan Home, Tianyuan Daily, and Mu Hua Food; along with the last Mu Hua acquisition case and the Yikang merger case, this woman¡¯s background is really intriguing! Online public opinion quickly fermented, with most people siding with Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid since the similarity in products was easy to spot. Faced with the ferocious wave of public opinion, Linghui Company also promptly came forward to clarify. ¡°Regarding the baseless slander from Tianyuan Daily Company, we at Linghui Company have been established for twenty-three years, possess numerous world-class patents and research institutes, and Yafa Hair Growth Liquid was completely independently developed by our company, every drop and every bottle is produced and assembled in-house. Linghui Company solemnly declares once again that it will use legal measures to sue Tianyuan Daily for their slanderous actions.¡± After issuing the statement, more healthcare related companies and doctors came out in support of Linghui Company. Kangxun Pharmaceutical: Support Linghui Company in protecting its legitimate rights and interests, and fighting malicious competition. Qian Zhongxun (famous haircare medical expert): Linghui Company is a large mature company with top-notch industry research and development standards. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is not the only company in the world that can develop good anti-hair loss products. Qingzhou Chain Beauty Salons: We have been partners with Linghui Company for many years, Linghui has always prioritized integrity, I believe in them. These statements were in stark contrast to most of the public opinion, as most ordinary people supported Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, while these experts and pharmaceutical companies backed Linghui Company. Both sides furiously argued online, each hurling insults at the other. Then, just a few days later, a news piece broke that completely reversed the trend of the quarreling. ¡°Recently, our country has made significant breakthroughs in the field of haircare, with the revolutionary Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid emerging. This product not only breaks the foreign monopoly in the haircare sector but also demonstrates our country¡¯s ability and strength to ensure the healthcare of all its citizens.¡± This news might not have meant much on any other platform, but coming from the CCAV-1 7 o¡¯clock news program, the impact and effect was sensational. This was essentially a national endorsement, something Linghui Company couldn¡¯t touch. But that wasn¡¯t all; that same evening, a video went viral online. The video was shot at the local contract manufacturer for Asder hair growth drugs, where production lines had been repurposed. In the video, it was clearly visible that bottles of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid were being unboxed and emptied, then mixed into Linghui¡¯s own Yafa Hair Growth Liquid. The video was shot in a wide-angle, capturing the factory setting, workers, and company logo, making it tough to deny. Following these two major news items, public opinion online instantly experienced a drastic turnaround. Always My Fault: Ha, I told you so, now that the country has stepped in, what more can your Linghui Company argue? Steam Furious: It¡¯s just shameful, still a ¡®long-established company¡¯? Mr. Liu was right, it¡¯s nothing but a forgery workshop. Iron Road as Vast: What can Linghui Company possibly say now? Hope everyone informs their relatives and friends not to be fooled by Linghui¡¯s disgusting tricks, if you want to treat hair loss, just trust Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, it has even been certified by the state. Just a Passerby: Personally, I think although Linghui Company¡¯s methods aren¡¯t great, they are considering the consumer. We don¡¯t want to see a monopoly by a single product in the market, do we? Then they¡¯ll just manipulate us consumers arbitrarily, raising prices whenever they want. Yellow is a Serious Color: Get lost, stealing others¡¯ stuff and forging and you still have the guts to justify it, and it¡¯s pricier than others, I¡¯d rather Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid monopolize the market. A Fleeting Dream Too: Others monopolize with technology, if you¡¯re capable then research your own hair growth drug, stealing from others and still having the power to shout about it, get lost. ... Facing overwhelming denunciations, Linghui Company deleted their counterclaim articles and decisively shut down the comment section, opting to lie low. The previously warring factions, those healthcare companies and expert scholars who supported Linghui, were dragged out one by one for cyber lynching, receiving vicious lashings online with swathes of comments celebrating the great victory of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. On the sales front, exposed for forgery, sales of Linghui¡¯s Yafa Hair Growth Liquid plummeted to rock bottom, completely losing its ability to compete with Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Seizing the opportunity, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid advanced victoriously. New production lines were progressively put into operation, while advertising efforts were ramped up, capturing almost all markets related to hair loss. Like a sweeping storm, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid¡¯s market share climbed steadily, reaching well over 90%, leaving no company capable of competing. Related companies suffered greatly, with wig companies, hair loss drug companies, and beauty salons either shutting down or being forced to change industries or cut projects, as the market was completely dominated by Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Having accomplished a full sweep of Hua Country, under the leadership of Liu Yingying, Tianyuan Daily Company then began its march overseas, aiming to extend its conquest abroad, using Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid to meticulously annihilate competition. Chapter 148 - 64: Asder Pharmaceutical (50,000 words in five installments, subscription requested) Chapter 148: Chapter 64: Asder Pharmaceutical (50,000 words in five installments, subscription requested) Linghui Company. Chairman Wang Xiaotong shredded a document, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at the head of the medical research lab, Lu Yixin, and roared: ¡°Have you not yet figured out the composition and manufacturing process of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid? What use is there in keeping you all, just eating without contributing? I provide you with all these sophisticated and expensive high-tech instruments, and this is how you repay me?¡± Wang Xiaotong had reasons to be angry; before the release of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, the hair growth products he represented held a 20% share in the Hua Country¡¯s hair loss market, making him filthy rich every year. But after the launch of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, especially following the public scandals and exposed fake video, the market share of Linghui Company completely collapsed. Now, it¡¯s not to say that no one inquires, but the daily sales aren¡¯t even enough to maintain the cost of water and electricity for the factory. Moreover, after the scandal was exposed, his company also faced enormous fines, sending the entire company to the brink of bankruptcy. For this reason, Wang Xiaotong placed all his hopes on imitation. As long as they could decipher the composition of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and successfully replicate it, there was a chance for Linghui Company to make a comeback. Wang Xiaotong had also specifically checked that Tianyuan Daily Company had not registered any related patent for the formula. As long as he could replicate it and register the patent himself, he could turn the tables, preventing Tianyuan Daily from producing it, thereby monopolizing the entire hair loss market in Hua Country. However, as beautiful as the idea was, reality was brutally harsh. The replication of the hair growth liquid was not successful yet, and with the company on the verge of collapse, Wang Xiaotong could no longer bear it, and he called people over to scold them wildly. Lu Yixin, berated and humiliated, insisted resolutely, ¡°Mr. Wang, we really have tried our best, but there is a very special substance in the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid¡ªit¡¯s this substance that promotes hair growth, and we cannot decipher it.¡± ¡°Mr. Wang.¡± There was another person in the office, who then stood out; his name was Liu Canlin, the general manager of Linghui Company. ¡°Mr. Wang, we have obtained relevant information. According to the intelligence provided by an informant we bought, the magic of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid mainly comes from a certain imported hair growth original fluid.¡± This imported hair growth original fluid comes from Chan Country¡¯s Mande Region, is always airfreighted into Hua Country, and is processed in strict secrecy by designated personnel, in which our informant couldn¡¯t get involved at all,¡± said Liu Canlin, who, being this company¡¯s general manager and also holding shares, felt utterly devastated watching Linghui Company on the verge of closure, as his shares would soon become worthless. Thus, in the matter of replicating Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, Liu Canlin did his utmost, contacting many channels for investigation; the idea of the Yafa Hair Growth Liquid was initially his as well. ¡°Hair growth original fluid, imported from Chan Country?¡± Wang Xiaotong, like a drowning man clutching at a straw, quickly asked, ¡°Is the information reliable? Can we import this hair growth original fluid?¡± ¡°It might be difficult. This hair growth original fluid is definitely confidential information of Tianyuan Daily, and it¡¯s likely a proprietary product. It¡¯s nearly impossible for us to interfere,¡± Liu Canlin shook his head, sharing his speculation. Wang Xiaotong slammed the table, shouting angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s exclusive or not; even if it means stealing or robbing, we must get this hair growth original fluid. Once we decipher it, we can not only save Linghui Company but also gain a dominant position in the market.¡± Liu Canlin nodded and finally said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Wang, we should try.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about should, we must,¡± Wang Xiaotong huffed coldly. Hmm. It was at this moment that a popup for a corporate-level remote video conference came through on Wang Xiaotong¡¯s computer. Wang Xiaotong glanced over, was immediately startled, quickly reined in his anger, and clicked on the video popup. In the video, a blond blue-eyed Caucasian smoking a cigar appeared, who was the CEO of Asder Pharmaceutical, Polo Ben. Asder Pharmaceutical is a listed pharmaceutical company in the United States and also a renowned multinational pharmaceutical corporation amongst the global top 500. The company¡¯s main business encompasses pharmaceuticals, human vaccines, and animal health, with approximately 60,000 employees worldwide, 15,000 of whom are research and development staff. ¡°Mr. Polo, I am still dealing with the situation here. Please give me a little more time, and I will have a result for you shortly,¡± Upon seeing Polo, Wang Xiaotong immediately became submissive in his tone. In the video, Polo, who appeared to be about 60 years old, was dressed in a finely tailored suit and spoke calmly, ¡°Wang, it¡¯s not that I am not giving you a chance, but you have truly disappointed me. I entrusted you with the agency of our products, and this is how you repay us?¡± Wang Xiaotong¡¯s face faltered, the words feeling eerily familiar, but he dared not show his anger to Polo, only nodding and bowing continuously. ¡°Mr. Polo, our team has verified the effects of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid you sent over. This product is simply too exaggerated, our products cannot compete with it, and now the Hua Country market is basically monopolized by this Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. We are truly at our wit¡¯s end,¡± Wang Xiaotong laid out his difficulties and kept complaining in hopes of gaining some understanding. ¡°The Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid you sent indeed has an astonishing efficacy. Our research staff, after various tests, still could not understand its production principle,¡± Polo also expressed amazement when he mentioned this. It¡¯s worth noting that modern technology is highly developed, and the components and principles of a drug can be easily analyzed once it is developed, with perhaps only the purity differing due to different production techniques. Essentially, it is not difficult to replicate a drug and produce it. The real reason pharmaceutical companies do not replicate is the existence of patent barriers. Before a patent expires, everyone adheres to the rules of the game. Of course, there are those who do not play by the rules, such as Brother Ah San¡¯s rampant generics. However, even a multinational pharmaceutical corporation like Asder could not decipher the ingredients and principles of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, which perplexed and baffled them greatly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly our problem, but I have already found a solution,¡± Wang Xiaotong became excited and began to explain his next plan to Polo, ¡°Mr. Polo, we discovered that the miraculous effects of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid are all due to a hair growth original fluid that is effective. This hair growth original fluid originates from the Mande Region in Chan Country. We are preparing to go there to obtain the respective production formula, and we also hope Asder Company could provide some assistance, given our current shortage of manpower.¡± Polo squinted his eyes, listening to these words, exhaled a smoke ring, and his eyes briefly showed interest: ¡°I hear that Chan Country is quite chaotic. I can provide some military support from my side. As long as we can obtain the hair growth original fluid formula, we can collaborate on its development. With Asder Pharmaceutical¡¯s reputation, we can quickly monopolize the market.¡± For Asder Pharmaceutical, hair loss medications are just one of their many pharmaceutical products, constituting only a few billion US Dollars of the company¡¯s revenue¡ªconsidered insignificant for the core of the company. However, that was before the miraculous efficacy of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid came to light, which became effective in a week, was affordable, free of side effects, and could potentially capture most patients with hair loss. This is a massive market with hundreds of millions of patients and nearly a trillion US Dollars in market size. Once seized, it could absolutely make Asder Pharmaceutical¡¯s market value multiply several times, and this was the real reason behind Polo¡¯s interest. ¡°Mr. Polo, with your words, I am reassured. In that small place, we can definitely get our hands on the hair growth original fluid formula,¡± Wang Xiaotong was extremely excited and confidently made a promise. ¡°I look forward to hearing good news from you,¡± Polo was noncommittal and hung up the phone. Meanwhile, Wang Xiaotong, looking around at Liu Canlin and Lu Yixin in the office, waved his hand grandly, ¡°Get ready immediately. We will depart for Chan Country to retrieve the formula and let our Linghui Company regain its peak.¡± Liu Canlin¡¯s eyes blazed with excitement, and Lu Yixin, not wanting to lose his job, agreed readily. Chapter 149 - 65: Changes in the Mande Region (First Update) Chapter 149: Chapter 65: Changes in the Mande Region (First Update) In the East Qin State of Chan Country, on the road towards Mande City. Two off-road vehicles trudged along a muddy, dilapidated trail. Due to a torrential downpour the previous night, the cars had been stuck in mud pits multiple times, forcing the passengers to get out and push while filling the holes, dirtying themselves in the awkward process. In the leading off-road vehicle sat Wang Xiaotong, Liu Canlin, and Lu Yixin, with a local guide doubling as a translator driving. The vehicle behind them carried the guard team they had hired to ensure their safety throughout the journey. ¡°What kind of crap road is this, it¡¯s just not meant for driving.¡± Wang Xiaotong said with a resigned expression, his trouser legs and sleeves still caked in mud from the recent ordeal of pushing the car. ¡°Boss, this is how it is around here! But once we get past this section and reach the Mande Region, it¡¯ll be much better,¡± the guide, Cai Geng, explained cheerfully, already accustomed to the bumpy, mucky roads. In the passenger seat, Lu Yixin, the weakest of the body, turned pale. Suddenly feeling nauseous again, he quickly stuck his head out the window and retched violently. Liu Canlin frowned, observing the tall, forest-covered mountains on either side of the road¡ªan untamed jungle yet to be developed. He was beginning to doubt whether the information he had collected was indeed accurate. Could such a place really have ¡°hair growth original fluid¡±? As he contemplated, a road marker came into view, with the characters for ¡°Mande¡± written in Chan Country¡¯s script on it. The jolting sensation suddenly smoothed out as the car entered a concrete road, a two-way thoroughfare that extended further than the eye could see. Wang Xiaotong finally understood why Cai Geng had said it would be better once they entered the Mande Region. ¡°This is Mande. It¡¯s very different from other parts of our country, isn¡¯t it? Apart from the capital and other large cities, it¡¯s rare to see roads like this elsewhere,¡± Cai Geng spoke with pride as he slowed down upon seeing several military police on duty ahead, rolling down the window. Wang Xiaotong thought Cai Geng was going to hand over money to pass through, as they had encountered several checkpoints along the way that had required a bribe to cross. Unexpectedly, Cai Geng merely greeted the military police. The officers, accompanied by German Shepherd police dogs and wielding scanning devices, waved them through after not detecting any contraband. Wang Xiaotong was surprised and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Do the military police here really not take bribes?¡± Cai Geng smiled and replied, ¡°They used to, but since the new leader came to power, they stopped the random exaction of money. They¡¯ve switched to inspecting for contraband and prevent Opium from being transported here.¡± The three men looked at each other. In Chan Country, Opium was rampant and an important source of income for many local warlords. To encounter a place that actually enforced an Opium ban was unexpected. The two off-road vehicles continued along the concrete road, and Wang Xiaotong made a surprising discovery. This area was vastly different from what he had seen in other parts of Chan Country. In territories controlled by other warlords, one could see many human-pulled rickshaws, horse carts, ox carts, and other modes of transportation on the roads. But here, most of the vehicles were motorcycles and some inexpensive small cars¡ªreminiscent of Hua Country when its economy had just begun to take off. In some of the fields, Wang Xiaotong also noticed modern agricultural machinery at work, including harvesters and tractors. In other parts of Chan Country, water buffaloes were still the primary source of labor for fields. The car entered the Mande Region around noon, right when students were getting out of school. Everywhere, students could be seen carrying backpacks, joking and playing around, or biking home, their numbers unprecedented. In Chan Country, the enrollment rate for schools was extremely low; the government hardly allocated any funds for education, with educational expenses accounting for less than 1% of fiscal revenue. Even the few students who did attend schools were largely concentrated in big cities under government control. Local warlords didn¡¯t bother to spend money on education, leaving most school-aged children without the opportunity to attend school. Yet in the Mande Region, Wang Xiaotong saw crowds of students, which he found utterly astonishing. Furthermore, Wang Xiaotong noticed that the people of the Mande Region had a spirit unlike that seen in other cities of Chan Country. It was an active and optimistic demeanor, unlike other places which conveyed a sense of just getting by. Seeing the confusion on Wang Xiaotong and his companions¡¯ faces, Cai Geng explained, ¡°The people in the Mande Region are now rich. Almost every household has made a good profit from selling insects, so the living environment has improved significantly.¡± ¡°Selling insects? Can such an industry really become the economic pillar? Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting stuck with unsellable stock?¡± Liu Canlin couldn¡¯t grasp the concept. With a population of seven or eight hundred thousand in the Mande Region, if every household raised insects, the output would be enormous! These weren¡¯t pigs, cows, sheep, or other livestock¡ª who could absorb such tremendous output? ¡°Jieke Company guarantees to purchase at a fixed price. Here, people are only worried that they don¡¯t raise enough insects; there¡¯s never been a case of surplus they couldn¡¯t sell. Up to now, Jieke Company is still increasing their monthly purchase amount,¡± said Cai Geng, his tone tinged with envy. Although his salary as a guide and translator was not bad, some insect farmers in the Mande Region with a knack for breeding earned more than he did and could even afford to buy small cars. Unlike his off-road vehicle, he was still paying off its loan. ¡°Jieke Company?¡± Liu Canlin and Wang Xiaotong were both instantly energized. According to the intelligence they had collected, the miraculous hair growth original fluid was transported from a farm owned by Jieke Company. However, the company was shrouded in mystery, developing only within the Mande Region and with hardly any more information available from the outside world. As they spoke, two off-road vehicles entered Mande City. The streets here were clean and tidy, filled with buildings of distinctive local architecture, bustling and lively in a way seldom seen in other warlord-controlled cities, with streams of vehicles and a constant flow of people. There were even sports stadiums, libraries, parks, schools, operas, and cinemas¡ªfacilities that were rare in other regions controlled by warlords. Accompanied by Cai Geng, Wang Xiaotong took a tour of the city. The thing that impressed them the most was an insect collection station they found in the city. Truckloads of boxed insects were delivered, and Jieke Company employees, dressed in company uniforms, skillfully weighed and sorted them before handing over money to the farmers and citizens who came to sell their insects¡ªand they paid in Hua Yuan, which the farmers accepted with no resistance, but rather with joy. They also discovered that employees in Jieke Company uniforms could be seen everywhere in the city. Many of the restaurants in the city were Jieke Company employee canteens, offering very affordable prices. The shopping malls bearing the Jieke Company logo were selling a variety of scarce goods from the outside world. The hospitals were fully run by Jieke Company, providing affordable medical care to the local population. All in all, one could see numerous connections to Jieke Company throughout the city, with the company¡¯s influence permeating every aspect of Mande City. Chapter 150 - 66: Buying Off (Second Update) Chapter 150: Chapter 66: Buying Off (Second Update) After the visit, the few who had just returned to the hotel couldn¡¯t afford to rest. Wang Xiaotong, Liu Canlin, and Lu Yixin sat together to discuss the next plan. ¡°Now we can confirm that the Fumen Insect Breeding Farm is indeed owned by Jieke Company, and the hair growth original fluid we want should be inside.¡± Liu Canlin said. He had made a special trip to Fumen Breeding Farm that day and had looked at it from a distance, shocked by the scale of the insect breeding farm and had also seen the strictly guarded Jieke Security at the entrance. Wang Xiaotong¡¯s brows were furrowed as he said, ¡°Our problem now is whether we can persuade Jieke Company to sell the hair growth original fluid to us.¡± ¡°That...¡± Lu Yixin, who had always had a low presence, now raised his hand and said in a low voice, ¡°I suspect that Jieke Company¡¯s large-scale insect breeding might involve extracting some substance from the insects to manufacture the hair growth original fluid, which must be very important to Jieke Company. How much money do we need to spend to buy the formula for the hair growth original fluid?¡± ¡°Since they¡¯re willing to sell the hair growth original fluid to Tianyuan Daily, that means as long as the value is sufficient, we can also purchase the formula. However, I would prefer to acquire the formula at a smaller cost.¡± Wang Xiaotong had his own schemes in mind. The people from Asder Company wouldn¡¯t arrive until the day after tomorrow, and at the moment, there was hardly any capital left on Linghui Company¡¯s books. He hoped to get the formula in advance to take a leading position in the upcoming cooperation, so he wasn¡¯t planning to take the conventional route. Otherwise, if they really did make an offer for the formula, his funds would definitely be insufficient, and if they let Asder Company underwrite it, he would be out of the picture by then. ¡°Shall we set off now?¡± Liu Canlin was also somewhat impatient. What these two didn¡¯t know was that, due to their lack of information, if they stayed a little longer, they could have found a photo of Liu Yingying from Jieke Company and thus understand the connection between Jieke Company and Tianyuan Daily. ....... The group, accompanied by the translator Cai Geng, arrived at a house in Mande City, which belonged to a manager at Fumen Breeding Farm. After ringing the doorbell, a middle-aged man wearing traditional Chan Country clothing opened the door. After the necessary introductions and reporting, Wang Xiaotong explained their purpose. ¡°Manager Min Sen, this is a token of our goodwill and sincerity,¡± Wang Xiaotong said with an enthusiastic smile, as a case was pushed in front of Min Sen and opened, revealing a set of very exquisite and expensive gold ornaments. ¡°What do you gentlemen mean by this?¡± Min Sen glanced at the gold ornaments on the table and immediately stopped pouring the tea. ¡°I hear that Fumen Breeding Farm has developed a very impressive product that can promote hair growth. If Manager Min Sen can help us get the formula, we will give you ten million Hua Yuan once it¡¯s done,¡± Wang Xiaotong blurted out his astronomical offer, hoping to buy off insiders with money and obtain what he wanted. But while translating this statement, even Cai Geng looked at them with quite the wrong expression. ¡°Translate it to him?¡± Wang Xiaotong glared at Cai Geng, wondering why the translator was so unreliable. ¡°Boss Wang, you are courting death,¡± Cai Geng said without translating, instead looking at them with a face full of anger. He too grew up in the Mande Region and did not know the purpose of Wang Xiaotong and the others before, but now it was different. On the other hand, Min Sen had actually understood Wang Xiaotong¡¯s words. Chan Country is close to Hua Country, and many people can speak Chinese, a fact evident from their acceptance of Hua Yuan as currency. Especially now that the boss is Chinese, leading by example, nearly everyone in the company can speak Chinese. ¡°I do not welcome you here, now get out immediately.¡± Min Sen¡¯s face turned ashen as he stood up abruptly to evict the visitors. Wang Xiaotong was dumbfounded, not understanding why Min Sen reacted so strongly. Before coming here, he had researched the income situation in the Chan Country Region. The average monthly income was only equivalent to a few hundred Hua Yuan, and he thought his offer of ten million Hua Yuan was enough to dazzle and buy any executive. ¡°Twenty million. I am offering twenty million Hua Yuan as compensation. You just have to lift a finger to get twenty million Hua Yuan. If you refuse, you¡¯ll never earn this amount in your lifetime.¡± Wang Xiaotong¡¯s words were seductive; if money could solve the problem, there was indeed a good chance of success. But it wasn¡¯t just about money. Min Sen¡¯s face turned utterly dark as he said coldly, ¡°I told you, I do not welcome you here. It doesn¡¯t matter how much money you offer, I will not help you.¡± Having said that, Min Sen made his move to expel them. As for taking money to spy, of course the money tempted him, but he was even more afraid for his life. Not long ago, Jieke Company had purged a large number of officials and businessmen in the Mande Region, and even corrupt executives within Jieke Company were shown no mercy, with a shocking number of heads rolling. Having just lived through such events, Min Sen had no courage to undertake such actions. Moreover, only Su Jie had access to the central laboratory at Fumen Breeding Farm; Min Sen didn¡¯t even have the qualifications to get near, and all the hair growth original fluid came from the lab, protected by Jieke Security. He was risking his head if he tried to get his hands on it. Wang Xiaotong and his colleagues were unceremoniously thrown out the door, and with the door slamming shut behind them, Min Sen¡¯s figure disappeared from view. ¡°Crap, this piece of crap, refusing money even when it¡¯s right in front of him.¡± Wang Xiaotong was both shocked and furious, unable to understand why his generous offer failed to buy even a single executive. ¡°Why don¡¯t we try other executives? Surely someone will be tempted by the money.¡± Liu Canlin was equally puzzled, but he didn¡¯t believe everyone was so unyieldingly principled. ¡°We can lower our demands. Even if we can¡¯t get the formula, just getting the hair growth original fluid might work, we can analyze it with machines.¡± Lu Yixin suggested, maybe it was the high secrecy of the formula that made Min Sen refuse. ¡°Good idea, let¡¯s find someone else.¡± Wang Xiaotong also thought these suggestions were good, and then he turned to the guide, Cai Geng, with great annoyance and said, ¡°What are you still doing here, I declare you¡¯re fired.¡± Cai Geng didn¡¯t lose his temper, but looked at the three men with the eyes one reserves for the dead and turned to leave the place. Clearly, the three of them still did not understand what it meant to offend Jieke Company in Mande. Not long after leaving, Cai Geng made an anonymous call to Jieke Company¡¯s Security Department. His and his family¡¯s life had improved because of Jieke Company, and he could not stand to see such scum damage the company and succeed. If Jieke Company were to close due to financial losses, who would build schools and hospitals for them, establish breeding farms, and hand out salaries. Meanwhile, inside the house, Min Sen also immediately called his superior to report today¡¯s events. Unaware of any of this, Wang Xiaotong and his colleagues continued on to their next target, searching for an executive to bribe, oblivious to the impending disaster. Chapter 151 - 67: Rafael (Third Update) Chapter 151: Chapter 67: Rafael (Third Update) ¡°Auntie and Uncle, you¡¯re also welcome to visit Linping City, and I¡¯ll have my driver pick you up when you do,¡± In Nanfeng City of Hua Country, within a residential neighborhood, Su Jie was chatting and laughing with a middle-aged couple. This was Liu Yingying¡¯s childhood home, and Su Jie, fulfilling his promise to her, had accompanied her to her family¡¯s place. ¡°Ah Jie, eat up,¡± Mr. Liu, his face aglow, kept clinking glasses with Su Jie at the dinner table, clearly in high spirits. ¡°Our Yingying can be a bit arrogant. Don¡¯t indulge her too much, Ah Jie. If she misbehaves, call me, and I, as her aunt, will teach her a lesson.¡± Mrs. Liu was also nodding with a smile, looking more and more pleased with her son-in-law by the minute. ¡°Mom, what are you talking about? Where am I arrogant?¡± Liu Yingying murmured under her breath, feeling that ever since Su Jie¡¯s arrival, her status at home had plummeted. ¡°Let the young people sort things out themselves; we shouldn¡¯t worry too much,¡± Mr. Liu gestured dismissively, exerting the authority of the head of the family. After learning about Su Jie¡¯s background, especially that Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was produced by his company, both Mr. and Mrs. Liu were astounded. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had been incredibly popular lately; many of their neighbors and friends were using it, and they had witnessed the changes firsthand as new, black hair grew on balding heads. And as for their daughter securing such a capable boyfriend, all the parents could feel was joy and blessings. While the family was in the midst of laughter and conversation, Su Jie¡¯s phone suddenly rang. After looking at the incoming call, Su Jie stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m just going to take a call, you all keep eating,¡± Having said that, Su Jie took his phone and walked out to the balcony. Ten minutes later, seeing that Su Jie had not returned, Liu Yingying also got up and went to the balcony, where she overheard the tail end of a conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s play the long game and see if they have more people in the wings, just make sure they don¡¯t leave the Mande Region,¡± Su Jie gave a few instructions and then hung up his call with Chen Yaoguang. ¡°What¡¯s happening in Mande City?¡± Liu Yingying hadn¡¯t heard everything, but since the call was from Mande, it must be something significant. ¡°People from Linghui Company went to Mande, trying to get the formula for the original fluid of our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid,¡± Su Jie summarized the situation in the Mande Region and chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to be so persistent, to actually go to Mande.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let them off easy,¡± The moment Liu Yingying heard it was Linghui Company¡¯s people, she was furious¡ªtheir Yafa Hair Growth Liquid had disgusted quite a few people. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they clearly haven¡¯t done their homework, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t dare to come into our territory,¡± Su Jie never showed mercy to those who were asking for trouble. In Hua Country he had to be cautious, but in the Mande Region, Su Jie had a thousand ways to take them down. ¡°Should we hurry back to Mande?¡± ¡°No need, a few jumping clowns won¡¯t cause a stir. Spending time with your parents is more important right now. After everything is settled, I¡¯ll head over,¡± Su Jie wrapped his arms around Liu Yingying and kissed her, and she felt a warm glow in her heart. ... In the Mande Region. Wang Xiaotong, Liu Canlin, and Lu Yixin were driving an SUV, navigating the twisting rural roads. Liu Canlin, sitting in the passenger seat with a phone in hand, was following instructions from a voice on the phone, driving around seemingly aimlessly. Another hour passed, and the three of them finally parked their off-road vehicle and entered a dense forest alone, waiting in front of a marked tree. They were preparing to meet with the support staff dispatched from Asder Pharmaceutical¡¯s headquarters, reportedly a person of no ordinary status. ¡°Mr. Wang, someone is coming.¡± Liu Canlin, hearing footsteps, hurriedly gave a warning. In the woods, a group of three people walked over. The one in front was a white man in his forties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Behind him, there was a black man and another white man, both with well-built figures and ferocious demeanors, their gazes sharp like those of eagles. ¡°So you are Asder Pharmaceutical¡¯s special affairs PR manager, Mr. Rafael Averson? I am Chairman Wang Xiaotong of Linghui Company.¡± Wang Xiaotong greeted him fluently in English, and the two shook hands. ¡°Chairman Wang, Asder Company has sent me here to take full charge of all matters concerning the hair growth original fluid formula, so I will be directing the subsequent operations. First, tell me about the progress of your activities here without omitting any details,¡± Rafael said with a long, hooked nose that gave him an air of seriousness. At the same time, he spoke in a dominating tone, almost as if he was giving orders. Wang Xiaotong did not see anything wrong with this; after all, his initial fortune came from distributing drugs for Asder Company. Furthermore, facing bankruptcy now, he had even more reason to rely on Asder Company for a chance to rise again. Without delay, Wang Xiaotong recounted the actions of his group over the past two days in detail. After being rejected the previous time, Wang Xiaotong once again teamed up with Liu Canlin and Lu Yixin. Through gathering information and visiting two other higher-ups of Fumen Breeding Farm, one of them also turned down his proposal for an insider deal, but the other accepted his bribe and provided a map of the internal layout of Fumen Breeding Farm. This further solidified Wang Xiaotong¡¯s belief that he would someday be able to bribe an inside man to obtain the hair growth original fluid. ¡°What you did was somewhat risky. Here we are strangers in a strange land, and you rashly approached those executives. What if they leaked our information, giving the other side a heads up? Moreover, for something as important as the hair growth original fluid formula, the other company will certainly have extremely tight security; it¡¯s not something one or two middle managers would have access to. Plus, we don¡¯t have that much time to waste; you have no idea how dangerous this place can be. In unfamiliar territory, we must cut through the mess swiftly.¡± Rafael, however, did not approve of Wang Xiaotong¡¯s plan after hearing his explanation. Wang Xiaotong felt slightly panicked and blurted out subconsciously, ¡°Of course I know about the dangers; that¡¯s why I brought bodyguards.¡± Rafael couldn¡¯t help but laugh, his eyes mocking, ¡°Those few bodyguards of yours, do you even know what Jieke Company is all about?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a company that breeds insects?¡± ¡°You actually took their word for it when they said they were a company? Clearly, this is a regional warlord with thousands of armed forces. The so-called Mande City is nothing more than a city maintained by Jieke Company; the whole city has taken on the form of the company.¡± Rafael laid out the actual situation. A city entirely dependent on a single company for its operation is quite rare around the world. Yet, it was really happening in Mande City. ¡°Really? The company is run by a warlord?¡± Wang Xiaotong was stunned. Was he actually dealing with a warlord? ¡°Others merely disguise it as a company, but that does not change its intrinsic nature as a warlord. Our intelligence network isn¡¯t wrong,¡± Rafael said icily. The intelligence network of large pharmaceutical companies is formidable. In their day-to-day operations, to ensure the distribution of their drugs everywhere, pharmaceutical companies must collect intelligence to target their products effectively, colluding with various powers and using all sorts of methods to curry favor with and corrupt numerous officials and hospital directors. Therefore, through intelligence, Rafael knew the true face of Jieke Company. Chapter 152 - 68: Hosting, Beheading, Subordinate Acting Like a Dog (Fourth Update) Chapter 152: Chapter 68: Hosting, Beheading, Subordinate Acting Like a Dog (Fourth Update) ¡°So... what should we do?¡± Wang Xiaotong panicked, thinking he was dealing with the company, where he had some confidence. But facing the unreasonable warlords, he had no idea how to handle the situation. With a layout map of Fumen Breeding Farm in hand, Rafael pointed to the two muscular men behind him and said, ¡°To get the hair growth original fluid formula, we must rely on their strength. They are professionals. Dandy, Marco, can you do it?¡± ¡°Rafael, in the past we operated in the Middle East and the Black Continent dealing with vicious warlords and terrorists. It¡¯s not necessarily easier than here, especially since we brought two teams this time.¡± The Caucasian man, Marco, spoke calmly, filled with an indescribable persuasiveness. He then took the map handed over by Rafael, checked it against a tablet, and nodded, ¡°The map is correct, it matches the layout we compared with satellite.¡± ¡°Who are these people?¡± Liu Canlin sensed these two were not easy to deal with, their gaze chilling. ¡°Let me introduce myself. Marco, former Seal Assault Team member, now engaged in the mercenary business. Boys, come out and meet some people.¡± Marco flashed a faint smile. As soon as his words ended, Wang Xiaotong and the other two were perplexed by what they saw. The bushes and branches around the dense forest moved, and then more than twenty soldiers emerged, wearing camouflage, blended with weeds and branches, armed with various firearms, equipped with night vision goggles and bulletproof vests, their faces painted with colorful patterns. The closest of them was less than five meters from Wang Xiaotong and his group, yet they had remained undetected. Looking at his team, Marco confidently said, ¡°One squad consists of twelve people. Here we have two squads, 24 men, all retired elites from various international special forces. Assault and strong attacks are our specialties.¡± Amid a group of mercenaries, Wang Xiaotong, shocked at first, was immediately overjoyed afterward. The renowned reputation of the Seal Assault Team was familiar to him; to him, getting the formula with such an elite group of mercenaries seemed easily achievable. ¡°Marco, split into two teams for the operation. One led by Dandy to capture the executives of Jieke Company, and the other to raid Fumen Breeding Farm. If we can find the hair growth original fluid formula, great, if not, capture those executives and make them talk.¡± Rafael gave the instructions, then pulled out a photo of Su Jie. ¡°This man is our primary target. We must capture him at all costs.¡± ¡°Mr. Rafael, please trust our professionalism. I¡¯ve captured numerous terrorist leaders; this man Su Jie will be no exception.¡± Marco saluted militarily, looked at his team, and loudly announced, ¡°Boys, get ready. We¡¯re going to play nicely with the local warlords here, teach them what special operations are all about.¡± ¡°Cool, I love messing with these dumb donkeys.¡± ¡°Boss, load me up with more ammo, just so I have fun.¡± ¡°I hope they are not like Uncle Black, which would be too unchallenging.¡± The mercenaries showed excited smiles, accustomed to living on the edge, trivializing raid and abduction operations. With the sluggish response time and military proficiency of these local warlords, probably by the time we complete our raid and kidnapping, the warlord forces won¡¯t even have managed to leave their barracks. Rafael looked very satisfied with this spirited group of mercenaries, really owned and bred by Asder Pharmaceutical. In the past, when faced with tough nuts that couldn¡¯t be bought or refused pharmaceutical approvals, they would deploy this troop to make people disappear. ¡°So this is how big corporations work! Even rougher than us.¡± Lu Yixin shrank his neck as he watched the menacing troop. ¡°These are our methods¡ªhospitality, beheading, submission, and sometimes simple and brutal approaches are very effective in business competition. Since Jieke Company won¡¯t accept our good will and bribery is difficult, we¡¯ll use bullets to make them comply.¡± Rafael chuckled softly, commanding Marco, ¡°Proceed as planned, let¡¯s move out.¡± ¡°Yes, boss, just watch.¡± Marco nodded, his face breaking into a bloodthirsty smile. ......... Late at night. Fumen Breeding Farm. With the employees gradually going home, only a few staff members were left in the vast farm, in addition to the hundreds of members of Jieke Security stationed there. When the time reached two o¡¯clock in the morning, Marco led a squad of twelve mercenaries. Along with Lu Yixin, a specially invited pharmaceutical expert, they approached the largest insect farm in the Mande Region without making a sound. The team coordinated seamlessly, no one speaking in the darkness as they quietly neared the perimeter wall. A sniper and observer did not follow the team¡¯s movements but instead found a high spot to set up a sniper rifle and watch the movements of Jieke Security, ready to assist in the evacuation. ¡°Can we really do this?¡± Lu Yixin shivered, unable to believe that he had been chosen to infiltrate the heavily guarded Fumen Breeding Farm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are a professional team, leave the difficulties on the road to us, you just need to find the hair growth original fluid,¡± Marco patted Lu Yixin on the shoulder, then pulled on his mask and waved his hand. Seeing this, the team already at the base of the farm¡¯s wall immediately sprung into action. First, they used technological means to temporarily block the surveillance cameras, then, helping each other to form a human ladder, they cut the electrified wire mesh on the wall with insulated pliers and one by one climbed over the wall into the interior of the breeding farm. Such infiltration had been performed many times by them, making their movements appear practiced and incredibly swift. ¡°Now do you believe in our capabilities? We can come and go as we please in this small Fumen Breeding Farm.¡± Marco was about to demonstrate the strength of his team to Lu Yixin, but an accident happened at that moment. The last mercenary to climb over the wall had a small scorpion crawl up his pant leg. Immediately, the mercenary staggered as if something had bitten him, and due to the severe pain, he leaned against the electrified wire mesh beside him. Sizzle. In just a flash, sparks erupted, and the mercenary convulsed a couple of times before hanging lifelessly on the wire mesh. Faint electric arcs still flickered intermittently at the point of contact, and the man¡¯s body was completely charred. The mercenaries who had already infiltrated stared dumbfounded, while Marco¡¯s face turned dark and sour as if he had swallowed a fly. Lu Yixin¡¯s face turned pale as he watched a living person being electrocuted into a charred corpse, feeling an overwhelming physiological shock. ¡°Havier is dead, we continue with the mission.¡± Taking a deep breath, Marco was resolute, having witnessed too many such incidents, his heart had long since grown as cold as iron. After the accident, he first contacted the sniper team outside via earpiece. ¡°Evil Wolf, is there any movement from the farm¡¯s defense team?¡± ¡°Nothing so far, you can proceed safely,¡± ¡°Move quickly, head to the central lab.¡± At Marco¡¯s command, the team covered and observed each other as they ran towards their destination. Chapter 154 - 70: The Terrifying Biosphere (First Update) Chapter 154: Chapter 70: The Terrifying Biosphere (First Update) The elevator descended slowly, and in the stifling, enclosed space, the only sound was the ragged breathing of a group of mercenaries. All of them were on high alert, guns pointed at the elevator doors. Ding! As the elevator reached the bottom floor, the moment the doors opened, a fishy and foul stench was the first to invade their nostrils. ¡°Advance in a search formation.¡± Marco made a gesture, and the team filed out in an expedited CQB tactical formation, searching as they moved forward. As the group delved deeper, the fishy smell became even stronger, accompanied by the bizarre hisses and groans that accompanied a terrifying scene unfolding before them. The ground was piled with all kinds of rocks, and the walls were covered with moss growing from a mass of rot-flesh fungi, the moss taking the place of soil, upon which many nauseating and frightening plants and trees grew. Among the rocks and trees were all sorts of oddly shaped creatures: a black-patterned poisonous snake with nine heads and measuring seven to eight meters in length, a giant spider with the size of a table and a ghostly face, and a corpse-eating poisonous frog with its body covered in festering pus, along with many other terrifying beings dwelling in the subterranean space. From the ceiling hung numerous meat tumor-like pillars, resembling stalactites, with their surfaces pocked with holes that housed fist-sized wasps, moths, fierce mosquitoes, and locusts swarming in and out. Splash! Various passageways in the subterranean space¡¯s ceiling opened, and massive quantities of Blue Star Poison Insects and snakes were dumped down. The previously dormant poisonous insects began to stir, employing various means; some consumed voraciously with their gaping maws, others dissolved their prey into pus to absorb nutrients, and yet others laid eggs inside the bodies, turning them into a nurturing bed for their larvae¡¯s development... As a large number of Blue Star Poison Insects were devoured and killed, the remaining insect blood and flesh fell to the ground, nourishing vast swathes of fungal moss. Some ants, cockroaches, and rats that had begun to adapt to this environment and had survived through constant crossbreeding and mutation scurried out from the crevices and fungi, foraging the remnants of flesh. The mutated plants and trees occasionally lashed out violently with their vines and sharp, tooth-like leaves, attacking these smaller creatures. Here, killing was a constant occurrence, but with a never-ending supply of poisonous insects thrown into the fray, the cycle of life and death continued, composing a grotesque and bloody ecological circle of horror. Seeing all this, Lu Yixin¡¯s entire body trembled violently, his teeth clattered against each other, and his legs were so weak he could barely stand. Even the mercenaries, usually fearless and accustomed to bloodshed, had their pupils shrink and foreheads glisten with beads of cold sweat, their arms breaking out in goosebumps. ¡°What the hell is this place, fuck me, and what the hell are these things?¡± ¡°God bless us! Have we come to Hell?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do this mission, boss, let¡¯s retreat quickly.¡± The group of mercenaries was on the verge of wetting themselves, the scene before them challenging their worldviews too violently. Marco was also frightened inside, but he still managed to maintain a semblance of calm and began speaking to ease the tension among his team. ¡°This must be Jieke Company¡¯s hidden secret laboratory. No wonder they were breeding so many poisonous insects; they were conducting such bloody and terrifying research, studying these inhuman, monstrous creatures. But don¡¯t worry, everyone. As long as it¡¯s a carbon-based lifeform, it can¡¯t withstand the bullets in our hands. Also, let¡¯s search; maybe the hair growth original fluid is here, as long as we...¡± Before Marco could finish his sentence, a golden-lined viper above in the ceiling spotted the group. Its thick golden tail suddenly stretched out rapidly, and its sharp hook pierced through the chest of a mercenary, hoisting him into the air like a fish on a line. Screams and wails filled the air as the mercenary was flung into the gaping mouth of the golden-lined viper, which crunched down with a snap, gushing blood splattering and staining the ground red. After a few bites, the golden-lined viper, having tasted the deliciousness of its prey, leaped down from the ceiling and barged into the crowd with the ferocity of a tiger among wolves. ¡°Open fire!¡± The mercenaries triggered their triggers in terror, bullets chipping away tiny holes on the viper¡¯s body, but such wounds were not fatal to the golden-lined viper. Instead, they completely enraged the poisonous insect. As one mercenary kept firing, the viper¡¯s tail swept across, hooking his head open directly. Two pairs of pincers clamped down on another mercenary from both sides, snapping his body in two. Someone threw a grenade, but it also failed to truly kill the golden-lined viper, and in the blink of an eye, two more mercenaries were dead. Only three mercenaries remained, along with Marco and Lu Yixin. They now fully realized they stood no chance against the monstrous insects, the path back to the elevator blocked, and could only flee desperately ahead. The golden-lined vipers were chasing behind them, and monstrous insects were on both sides. These monsters seemed to be restrained by a strange force, only revealing their ferocious forms to them from the sides. When they attempted to attack, they were blocked by a layer of blue light, letting out earth-shaking roars in their anger. The stench from their mouths made their faces sting, hearts leaping to their throats, as they felt as though they had entered the world of prehistoric animals, so insignificant and fragile. A minute later, a group of people who had luckily survived ran blindly until their path was blocked by a rockery. And the golden-lined viper that was pursuing them seemed to sense something, mysteriously retreating and no longer daring to chase them. At the same time, a mercenary leaning against the rockery suddenly shivered, raised his head, and cried out in terror. ¡°Boss, boss, look over there.¡± His voice trembled, carrying the utmost fear. All eyes turned, only to see what they had thought was a rockery unfolding into a gigantic centipede several tens of meters long, with hundreds of pale arms coiled around its body. ¡°Oh, God!¡± ¡°Hell, how did this thing get so big?¡± ¡°Crap, what kind of shitty mission is this? I quit.¡± ¡°Are we in a movie? How can we fight such a monster? We¡¯re not superheroes!¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯re just cannon fodder before the main character shows up.¡± A group of mercenaries cursed continuously in shock at the sight of the gigantic centipede, its thick shell seemingly impenetrable by bullets. Above the centipede¡¯s head stood a figure. Marco took a closer look, wasn¡¯t that Su Jie, the one they had been thinking about capturing? ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting a long time for you, gentlemen.¡± Su Jie looked at the mercenaries with a smile on his face. ¡°The mastermind behind Jieke Company.¡± Marco felt apprehensive. Su Jie¡¯s demeanor was altogether too villainous, giving him an ominous premonition. Knowing he would not be spared, he quickly tried to inform the outside world through his earpiece, intending to contact the sniper team they had arranged. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your effort. We are nearly a hundred meters underground, with signal-blocking equipment in operation. No message can get out. And your sniper team outside, they have already gone down to wait for you.¡± The thousand-hand centipede beneath Su Jie propped up its body, towering like a seven- or eight-story building, causing the eyelids of the mercenaries to twitch uncontrollably. One mercenary, excessively nervous, accidentally pulled the trigger, and the bullets from his gun struck the thousand-handed centipede, not even leaving a white mark. At that moment, everyone felt a sense of despair enveloping them. This was an enemy they simply could not fight. Chapter 155 - 71: Bombing (Second Update) Chapter 155: Chapter 71: Bombing (Second Update) ¡°Who exactly are you, and aren¡¯t you afraid that researching these things will expose you?¡± Marco stared at Su Jie, completely unaware before his arrival that he would encounter such a situation. ¡°Who can expose me, you?¡± A smile curled at the corner of Su Jie¡¯s mouth, as pale, sinister corpse hands fell like a tide from the thousand-hand centipede, surrounding the mercenaries. ¡°Kill this monster.¡± The mercenaries struggled desperately, opening fire with all their might; most of the bullets were aimed at Su Jie, hoping to kill him and survive. Su Jie stood unmoving, the bullets that were fired at him were stopped by the Qiankun Xuanbing Formation Diagram before they could even draw near, failing to create even the slightest ripple. In the blink of an eye, mercenary after mercenary was enveloped by the pale corpse hands, crushed into mangled, unrecognizable piles of flesh. Lu Yixin¡¯s face turned white as a sheet as he watched the corpse hands approach, only able to open his mouth in despair, emitting not a sound before being overran and compressed into a mound of crushed flesh. Marco, too, was covered with crawling corpse hands, leaving only his head exposed. Su Jie walked up to him leisurely, smiling and said, ¡°As the brain of this team of mercenaries, you must know quite a bit of important information, hehe. I know you won¡¯t easily speak up, but no matter, I will have time to slowly play with you.¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than a dense swarm of Poison Insects burrowed out from his sleeves, drilling into Marco¡¯s mouth, eyes, ears, and other crevices. Marco¡¯s pupils dilated with terror, and feeling the agony of his body being devoured by countless insects, he could only emit screams that hardly sounded human. ..... It was five o¡¯clock in the deep of the night, a little over an hour until dawn. In a forest in Mande City. Wang Xiaotong, Liu Canlin, and Rafael were waiting here, alongside another team of mercenaries. This team of mercenaries had originally planned to capture the executives of Jieke Company, but they had not seen any sign of said executives yet. Now, they could only wait for Marco to lead his team on an assault on Fumen Breeding Farm in an attempt to obtain the hair growth original fluid. Inside the tent, Rafael, who hadn¡¯t slept all night, was waiting for Marco¡¯s team to return. ¡°Mr. Rafael, if we get our hands on the hair growth original fluid, Linghui Company will only need the Hua Country market, and we¡¯re willing to give 80% of the profits to Asder Company.¡± Wang Xiaotong¡¯s face was full of smiles as he fantasized about monopolizing Hua Country¡¯s hair growth market. ¡°Boss Wang, it¡¯s not up to me to decide these things. You¡¯ll need to discuss it with President Polo.¡± Rafael¡¯s face remained composed, but inwardly he sneered. Once he had the hair growth original fluid, Wang Xiaotong would be of no further use. Following President Polo¡¯s instructions, he would silence the other man to prevent any leak of today¡¯s events. As for the Hua Country market, with the miraculous effect of the hair growth original fluid, they could easily support a new agent or even sell directly. With such a powerfully effective product, there would be no shortage of buyers. ¡°Mr. Rafael, we¡¯ve lost contact with Marco.¡± Inside the tent, a black mercenary named Dandy walked in, looking somewhat uneasy. ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± Rafael stood up abruptly, looking down at his watch. The action plan that had been prepared beforehand only required half an hour for the assault, yet now more than an hour had passed since Marco¡¯s team had set off. Logically, whether the assault was successful or not, Marco should have sent back a message. ¡°Communications have been completely cut off; it¡¯s possible that the mission failed and they couldn¡¯t even send back a final message before being wiped out by the enemy.¡± Dandy¡¯s eyes were heavy as he voiced the most likely conjecture. ¡°Given the disorganized military forces of these warlords, even if Marco was discovered, a few of them should have been able to break through and return. How could it be that not even a message got out before they were completely annihilated?¡± Rafael clutched his forehead. Marco¡¯s execution of every mission in the past had been clean and decisive, and he was reluctant to believe that he could fall at the hands of a minor warlord. Although he was loath to believe it, reason ultimately prevailed. Rafael gritted his teeth and gave the order, ¡°Notify everyone, we need to move our position, we can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡± ¡°Have we failed the mission, Mr. Rafael?¡± Hearing the conversation between Dandy and Rafael, Wang Xiaotong only then belatedly realized what was happening, looking at Rafael helplessly. ¡°Yes, we must move now.¡± Rafael had barely spoken when he suddenly heard strange sounds beside him. ¡°Artillery fire, get down.¡± Dandy¡¯s face changed dramatically, and he tackled Rafael to the ground with one motion. Immediately following, several sharp whooshing sounds arrived. Then the earth and mountains shook, a blaze of light blossomed, and several fireballs soared into the air around the camp. Two mercenaries didn¡¯t manage to dodge in time and were caught in the blast. They were thrown several meters away, and by the time they hit the ground, their internal organs had been shattered. ¡°Retreat quickly!¡± Rafael stood up swiftly, and Dandy quickly directed the other mercenaries toward a predetermined evacuation point. In the darkness, a dense hail of bullets and artillery shells rained down madly, with continuous explosions tearing up vast swathes of scorched earth from the sky. Seeing the scale of the assault, Dandy knew it involved at least several hundred enemies, a thought that made his scalp tingle. Although they were mercenaries, they were also elite retired special forces with rich combat experience. But this wasn¡¯t a movie, and they weren¡¯t Rambo, capable of a small squad taking on hundreds of armed enemies. They had been successful in past missions because they operated on a principle of striking fast against small, slower groups, not engaging with large enemy forces. The mercenaries protected Rafael as they retreated swiftly, but Wang Xiaotong wasn¡¯t afforded such treatment. Bullets whizzed past him, causing his legs to turn to jelly. Bang! An enormous hole burst open in the back of Liu Canlin¡¯s head next to him, the bullet exiting through his forehead. His body fell mid-escape onto the ground, landing on Wang Xiaotong and scaring him to the point of wetting himself. ¡°Mr. Rafael, save me, don¡¯t leave me behind!¡± Wang Xiaotong cried out, but Rafael was struggling to save himself and naturally paid no heed to Wang Xiaotong¡¯s life or death. On the contrary, Wang Xiaotong¡¯s cries in the darkness attracted gunfire. A flare shot up into the sky, and a barrage of bullets swept over, riddling the director of Linghui Company like a hornet¡¯s nest. More and more flares rose into the sky. Two wheeled armored vehicles entered the battlefield, with anti-aircraft guns crazily firing into the dark woods. An armed helicopter hovered at low altitude, firing rockets in the general direction, with the constant succession of explosions and roaring creating an incessant din, and the mercenaries¡¯ slight resistance was immediately extinguished. Armed only with light weapons, they were no match for the regular army equipped with heavy weapons. Rafael turned his head to look at Dandy, who was helping him escape; a recent machine gun volley had shattered Dandy¡¯s upper body. Looking back at the battlefield, the mercenaries were dead or injured. Rafael listened to the dense footsteps around him and could only raise his hands high in surrender. Chapter 156 - 72: There Are No Good Outcomes when Hogging Everything (Third Update) Chapter 156: Chapter 72: There Are No Good Outcomes when Hogging Everything (Third Update) Mande City Prison. Rafael lay on the narrow single bed, his eyes lifeless as he stared at the mold-covered ceiling. Back on the battlefield, the desire to survive and fear of death had made him surrender. He had been captured for three days now and didn¡¯t know what fate awaited him. Clang. The cell door was opened by someone, and two Jieke Security guards stepped aside, as a very young man with his hands behind his back walked in. ¡°Rafael, do you recognize me?¡± Su Jie brought over a stool and sat down on it, crossing his legs. Rafael slowly turned his head and upon seeing Su Jie, he recognized him as the dangerous person who was a top target in their plan and the true mastermind behind the Jieke Company. ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m willing to pay twenty million US Dollars for my release. That¡¯s all the money I have.¡± Rafael, trying to appear calm, sat up and spoke. In the West, there is a culture of paying ransoms, and he hoped to buy his life back with money. ¡°The mighty minister of foreign affairs at Asder Pharmaceutical, a member of the Averson Family, and the third son of the current family head... your offer seems a little insincere!¡± Su Jie laughed and exposed Rafael¡¯s true identity. The so-called Averson Family was the secretive power behind Asder Pharmaceutical. This family controlled more than just this one company, their business interests included construction, shipbuilding, and chemicals among others. But undoubtedly, Asder Pharmaceutical was the most important company of the family, making up more than half of their assets. Rafael¡¯s complexion changed, suddenly realizing something, he said, ¡°It was Marco who told you, wasn¡¯t it? You took a couple of days before coming to see me because you were torturing Marco during these days. He couldn¡¯t withstand it and confessed, right?¡± Su Jie shook his head and said, ¡°You overestimate him. He spilled everything he knew in less than an hour after he was captured. The reason I only came to see you now is that I¡¯ve been dealing with other matters. You¡¯re not as important as you think.¡± ¡°Impossible, unless you used truth serum or other drugs. Marco has undergone professional training to resist interrogation. There¡¯s no way he couldn¡¯t last an hour.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t experienced it, and of course, you wouldn¡¯t want to.¡± Su Jie chuckled softly, his gaze roaming over Rafael, and leisurely said, ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re still alive?¡± ¡°You want to use me to threaten my father, but it¡¯s useless. In my father¡¯s eyes, the family¡¯s interests far outweigh my life. He has seventeen sons and eight daughters; he won¡¯t miss one.¡± Facing this topic, Rafael¡¯s expression turned bitter. ¡°Maybe, but who knows without trying?¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile was mischievous as he tossed a satellite phone to Rafael, saying, ¡°Call your father now, I doubt he would refuse to take the call.¡± Rafael didn¡¯t struggle, quietly took the phone, and dialed a series of numbers. The phone rang for a long time before it finally connected. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s me, Rafael, I¡¯m currently at...¡± Rafael¡¯s gaze shifted toward Su Jie. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, indicating that Rafael could speak freely. ¡°I¡¯m currently at Mande City Prison, standing in front of Su Jie, and he wants to speak with you.¡± There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, then a somewhat aged voice came through: ¡°Hand him the phone, I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± Su Jie took the satellite phone from Rafael¡¯s hand and started speaking proactively, ¡°I assume you are the renowned Mr. Jose Averson. My name is Su Jie, currently the founder and owner of hair growth original fluid.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, name your price.¡± On the phone, Jose¡¯s voice was very calm, lacking the agitation and anger that one might have expected. The other party might have already known that Rafael¡¯s operation had failed, and the mercenary force had been wiped out, falling into Su Jie¡¯s hands. Looking at Rafael, Su Jie said, ¡°Want to redeem your son? It won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°No, the price I mentioned refers to the hair growth original fluid. You can do whatever you want with my son.¡± Jose¡¯s voice was exceptionally cold, just as Rafael had said, he was an old man lacking in human warmth. ¡°That makes things difficult for me. The hair growth original fluid is a non-sellable item to me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a non-sellable item, it¡¯s just that the profit value isn¡¯t enough. I¡¯m offering fifty billion US dollars to buy out the formula for that product.¡± ¡°Fifty billion US dollars, too little, too little.¡± ¡°Eighty billion US dollars.¡± ¡°Not enough.¡± ¡°120 billion US dollars, plus a 5% stake in Asder Pharmaceutical, and the friendship of the Avelson Family.¡± Jose¡¯s voice altered slightly, perhaps thinking that Su Jie was asking for too much. ¡°Mr. Jose, we both know the market value of the hair growth original fluid. What you¡¯re offering doesn¡¯t even come close to one-tenth of its actual value, showing completely no sincerity at all!¡± Su Jie, smiling wryly, had no intention of selling the formula for the hair growth original fluid; he just wanted to see the extent of the other party¡¯s obsession with the product. ¡°Mr. Su, some things¡¯ value is not for you to control. The wise know when to let go. I¡¯m willing to let you share a larger part of the profits of the hair growth original fluid. Either hand over the formula, or let Asder Pharmaceutical take stakes in Tianyuan Daily.¡± Jose¡¯s voice carried a hint of a threat, a warning issued by a multinational pharmaceutical giant that not just anyone could withstand. ¡°What if I say no?¡± Su Jie raised an eyebrow, such verbal threats meant little to him. ¡°In this world, those who monopolize without sharing meet bad ends. You can¡¯t swallow such huge benefits on your own, Mr. Su. Having expanded your business to this extent, you should understand this principle.¡± ¡°Heh, fortunately, I happen to have a good appetite. Up to now, I¡¯ve always engaged in business monopolistically.¡± Su Jie stated naturally. If he were a powerless ordinary person, indeed, he would need to share profits with these big players, even getting only the smaller share. But as the sole Transcendent of Blue Star, a being whose power was unto himself, Su Jie had the confidence to say no. Monopolizing? Su Jie had no intention of sharing his own benefits with others, which would simply be lowering his own Cultivator¡¯s dignity. Besides, before crossing over, he worked for capitalists; now that he had crossed over and was cultivating, if he still needed to bow down to these capitalists, then his cultivation would have been in vain. There was a long silence on the other end of the phone before Jose¡¯s voice came through again. ¡°It seems we can¡¯t agree then, Mr. Su. You just take care of yourself.¡± With that, Jose hung up the phone. ¡°Tsk, it looks like your father really doesn¡¯t care about you. He never cared about you at all from beginning to end.¡± Su Jie put down the satellite phone, looking at Rafael as he said this. ¡°I¡¯m of no use to you anymore, are you going to execute me now?¡± Rafael closed his eyes silently, seemingly foreseeing his end. ¡°Whether you are of use is not for you to decide. Just stay put; the prison won¡¯t miss your meal.¡± Su Jie glanced at Rafael, then turned around and walked out of the prison. Chapter 157 - 73: Each Makes Preparations (Fourth Update) Chapter 157: Chapter 73: Each Makes Preparations (Fourth Update) Across the ocean in the United States, New Mexico State, within the Averson Family estate. Jose Averson, over seventy years old, dressed in an old-fashioned suit, seemed quite spry as he hung up the phone, his face suddenly darkening, Sitting alone for a long time, Jose pulled out a document. All the data collected were related to Su Jie, Jieke Company, Tianyuan Home, Tianyuan Daily, and Mu Hua Company, among others. After about fifteen minutes, Jose put away the documents and then called someone over. ¡°Mr. Jose.¡± The man who entered the room was a blond man, shorter than five foot seven. This was Jose¡¯s personal assistant, who managed many of the Averson Family¡¯s secretive matters, serving only Jose. ¡°Contact Councilman Ivan for me, I want to invite him to dinner tomorrow evening. Also, get the company¡¯s public relations department moving, go and stir things up in Southeast Asia, I remember there are many warlord organizations in Chan Country, perhaps they could use our help.¡± Jose spoke unhurriedly as he gave his instructions, since some young upstarts wanted to monopolize the game, he naturally would teach them that the rules of this world were not so easily played. ¡°Yes, Mr. Jose.¡± The assistant nodded, taking note, then hesitated before speaking: ¡°Mr. Jose, regarding the information about Rafael, Miss Milissa Dogan has heard some rumors and is now making a fuss, demanding that you ...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother, consider her son dead.¡± Jose interrupted his assistant in a cold tone, his face devoid of warmth, as if Rafael were not his son at all. The assistant bowed his head, daring not to say more, and hurriedly left the room. .......... Elsewhere. After being released from prison, Su Jie returned to the conference room at the Jieke Company headquarters. Liu Yingying and Chen Yaoguang were already waiting there. ¡°Listen to this recording first.¡± Su Jie inserted a USB drive into the computer and played the conversation he had previously with Jose Averson. After listening to the entire conversation, Liu Yingying and Chen Yaoguang both looked worried. ¡°What are your thoughts?¡± Su Jie looked at them, asking for their opinions. ¡°Well, I think that Asder Pharmaceutical will definitely take action and hit our business, but I don¡¯t know from which angle they will approach.¡± Chen Yaoguang frowned, slightly embarrassed. He was skilled in raising insects, but when it came to business competition and scheming, that was where he struggled. ¡°Yingying, what about you?¡± Su Jie then turned his gaze to Liu Yingying. After a moment of contemplation, Liu Yingying spoke, ¡°Our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is about to launch overseas soon, and the United States is an important market for us. The opponents might exploit this aspect.¡± ¡°Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid¡¯s overseas sales, as that¡¯s not our stronghold, the opposition indeed might exploit that.¡± Chen Yaoguang nodded. Asder Pharmaceutical ranked seventh among global pharmaceutical companies and was a domestic company in the United States. If they wanted to target Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, it would indeed be hard to handle. ¡°Now our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid has already entered overseas markets, stored in major offline malls and platforms like Amazon. It¡¯s too late to pull back.¡± Liu Yingying was somewhat worried. Being targeted by such a renowned multinational pharmaceutical company was indeed a tremendous pressure. ¡°If enemies approach, we meet them in battle; if flood comes, we build a dam¡ªthere¡¯s no reason to shrink back before the battle has even begun because of fear.¡± Su Jie remained noncommittal before continuing, ¡°Aside from these issues, intensify the training for Jieke Security in the coming period. Increase recruitment, and purchase more weapons and ammunition from the outside world as a precaution.¡± ¡°Su Jie, are you saying...¡± Liu Yingying and Chen Yaoguang were both suddenly startled. Su Jie¡¯s words had a very clear implication. ¡°The other party knows our real base is in the Mande region and according to the usual behavior of the Anglo-Saxons, given substantial interests, they will not give up easily, and will surely target our Achilles heel.¡± Su Jie spoke calmly. The United States people often began by using political black gold to bribe leaders of target countries, fostering democratic leaders to instigate peaceful evolution in those countries. If they couldn¡¯t buy them off, they¡¯d go for decapitation. Especially in chaotic regions, they dispatched commando squads with precision-guided missiles to decapitate leaders. If a problem couldn¡¯t be solved, they would eliminate the person who pointed it out. If the peaceful change succeeded smoothly, they would end up having a barking dog raising their flag. If it failed, they either claimed your home held laundry detergents, or labeled you a terrorist, and then, under the guise of peacekeeping and anti-terrorism, they stayed in your home and wouldn¡¯t leave. Fittingly, Chan Country, where Su Jie was located, was such a war-torn chaotic country, still in a semi-split state, giving outsiders plenty of opportunities to intervene. Although the Mande region, where Su Jie was located, had no oil, given Asder Pharmaceutical¡¯s financial capacity, orchestrating a proxy war was well within their means. Su Jie would not overestimate the moral limits of the United States people; they were entirely capable of engaging in such acts. ¡°We are still in contact with several arms dealers. Now that the company is financially robust, we can afford a lot of military equipment.¡± Liu Yingying nodded in response. Given the perennial conflicts in Chan Country, it was naturally replete with arms dealers, and many kinds of weapons were available. Su Jie continued, ¡°Besides purchasing arms, pay attention to distributing some intelligence operatives, or perhaps purchase some, to monitor the nearby forces. We must be the first to know about any changes.¡± Since Su Jie couldn¡¯t always stay on Blue Star, he would eventually return to the Tianyuan World, and thus would need to rely on the strength of Jieke Security. If a proxy war indeed erupted, the power of Jieke Company would also be crucial. The impending war wouldn¡¯t be minor, as quite a few satellites would likely be monitoring by then, along with the existence of various communications. Unless Su Jie wished to expose himself, he had to control his methods of action, necessitating the inherent strength of the Jieke Company. Once Jieke Company had purchased a large arsenal to bolster its capabilities, Su Jie might even opt for a preemptive strike to eliminate external threats. ¡°I will arrange for someone to handle it right away.¡± Liu Yingying was somewhat nervous. After hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, she felt like war could break out at any moment. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid; things might not be as bad as I envision.¡± Su Jie said this, but Liu Yingying didn¡¯t dare take it lightly. She understood the importance of the Mande region. In Liu Yingying¡¯s view, whether it was timber or hair growth original fluid produced here, without this territory, everything in Hua Country would be illusory, as this place was the real foundation. ¡°One last thing, send some people to gather as much information as possible about the Avelson Family.¡± Su Jie issued his final command. The enemy situation was unclear, and that side was still a foreign land to him; he was not confident that he could annihilate the people of the Avelson Family. Killing one or two members of such a family was inconsequential; even if a clan leader were killed, they could quickly appoint someone else, which might alert the enemy prematurely. But gathering information beforehand was always good. When necessary, Su Jie didn¡¯t mind making a personal visit to the United States homeland. Chapter 159 - 75: Promotion (First Update) Chapter 159: Chapter 75: Promotion (First Update) As Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was selling hot across the world, Fumen Breeding Farm, Underground Poisonous Insects Cultivation Base. A golden-lined viper several meters in length screamed in agony as a horrifying figure pinned it to the ground, unable to escape its fate as prey despite its struggles. Accompanied by the sound of chewing, this powerful poisonous insect capable of easily wiping out a human elite squad vanished inside a gaping maw. Under the bright light illuminating the underground space, the assailant¡¯s form gradually became visible. Like a train in its immense size, with pale arms thicker than human thighs protruding from both sides of its body, its head set with bony cheeks embedded in flesh, from which cracks emitted a scintillating purple fluorescence, giving off a scorching heat. Its eyes, characteristic of an insect, displayed a cold ruthlessness; its smooth, glossy insect shell was stained with various insect blood and flesh from its killings, mixed with the scent of death from the consumed creatures. Its appearance brought immense terror to this underground space, the somber and menacing atmosphere silencing all smaller life forms, which hid in their nests, shivering. The massacre continued, the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s segmented body twisted, each segment as heavy as metal, yet moving with incredible speed uncharacteristic of its massive form. As it advanced at an unbelievable speed, the segments rubbed against each other, sounding like countless bone joints knocking against a death knell, echoing a loud ¡°clang.¡± Su Jie stood in another open space, his gaze directed at the ceiling. There, tens of thousands of human-faced moths hung from the ceiling, densely packed like honeycombs, turning it a grayish-white. At the core of the human-faced moths, as many as a hundred had evolved into low-grade poisonous insects. Among them, even three human-faced moths, five meters in length, had remarkably evolved into mid-grade poisonous insects. For a colony-dwelling social poisonous insect like the human-faced moth, undergoing Spirit Refining transformation was difficult, limited by genetic constraints, with only a few being capable of evolution. These three mid-grade human-faced moths were the ones that evolved the fastest and most fiercely in the past two months, fed by a vast amount of Blue Star Poison Insects. Of course, although they were mid-grade poisonous insects, because they had not undergone Spirit Refining, they were not at all comparable to the Mid Grade Four Refinements Thousand-Handed Centipede; the two were not on the same level. ¡°Come back.¡± Pulling out the Insect Control Bag, Su Jie gestured to the swarm of human-faced moths. The moths hanging from the ceiling spread their wings, like a tornado storm, they whirled into the Insect Control Bag one by one, hiding and falling into a dormant state inside. Su Jie then turned his gaze to the Thousand-Handed Centipede. The opponent had cornered the last low-grade poisonous insect in the underground space into a dead end. The lizard with two tails and six legs frantically attempted to escape, panicking into a pile of chaotic rocks. But it was to no avail. The Thousand-Handed Centipede lowered its head, resembling steel, the pale corpse hands emitted a piercing screeching noise, instantly crushed the chaotic rocks along with the low-grade poisonous insect inside and swallowed the flesh and broken stones, the powerful stomach acids easily dissolving even steel, rendering some stones completely insignificant. Seeing this, Su Jie stood up, fetched a hose, and started hosing down the Thousand-Handed Centipede, washing away the blood stains and dirt on its body, revealing the sleek, dark shell. The Thousand-Handed Centipede buzzed twice, squinting its eyes in enjoyment of its master¡¯s service. Once Su Jie had cleaned off all the pollutants, the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s 38-meter long, terrifying, and fierce body lost some of its ferocity and gained an air of majesty befitting a colossal creature. After consuming this batch of poisonous insects from the underground breeding farm, the Thousand-Handed Centipede had grown significantly. It was 30 meters long just after breaking through the four times Spirit Refining, but now it had grown another eight meters. Its width, height, weight, and various abilities all improved significantly. Although it had not yet reached the threshold for the fifth Spirit Refining, it was much closer to that breakthrough point, needing perhaps one or two more such feasts to break through and become a Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect. Su Jie took out another Insect Control Bag and deposited a new batch of inferior poisonous insects brought from the Tianyuan World into the underground cultivation base, waiting for them to grow into low-grade poisonous insects before bringing the thousand-hand centipede to harvest them. After completing all this, Su Jie put away the thousand-hand centipede, opened the Ancient Mirror, and returned to the Tianyuan World. .......... Tianyuan World, Ghost Ridge Palace. After handling all matters related to Blue Star and successfully launching Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid overseas, Su Jie returned to Ghost Ridge Palace. Because Ning Xinyue had already sent news that there were clues to the location of the Exotic Treasure. In the study of Su Mansion, Su Jie and Ning Xinyue sat opposite each other. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s this location?¡± Looking at the location of the Exotic Treasure provided by Ning Xinyue, Su Jie¡¯s tone was somewhat conflicted. ¡°I¡¯ve painstakingly deduced for two months and invested a lot of spirit stones, it definitely won¡¯t be wrong,¡± Ning Xinyue assured, pointing to the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate which displayed a virtual image of mountains and rivers, above which a purple cloud floated over a mountain peak. ¡°The problem is, this place isn¡¯t easy to get to!¡± Su Jie rubbed his forehead, explaining the difficulties about this place. ¡°This mountain is called Eagle Peak Mountain, and underneath it lies Bihe Pond, one of the notorious treacherous places within the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s territory. That¡¯s not all; there is also activity from other disciples there,¡± Having lived in Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie had of course heard about the dangers of this territory. Some of these dangerous places posed a great threat to Ghost Ridge Palace and were difficult to clear. For example, Earth Shadow Cave, which is located on the trade route from Ghost Ridge Palace to the outside world. While it might not pose a threat to the Elders, it was different for disciples. And there were dangerous places where even the Hidden Realm Elders had to steer clear of. Then there were those in between, where Ghost Ridge Palace could clear them but didn¡¯t need to. After all, the dangerous places were not obstructing the trade route, so there was no need to exert much effort. These places could still be used to train disciples, like Eagle Peak Mountain right now. Ning Xinyue glanced sideways and curled her lips: ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to provoke me with that tactic, it won¡¯t work,¡± Su Jie took out a map, marked out the route, and said nonchalantly, ¡°The two of us will act together. Just don¡¯t hold me back, and I¡¯m quite confident.¡± Ning Xinyue, not taking Su Jie¡¯s sarcasm well, retorted, ¡°What do you mean I hold you back? I found the location, and you should be thankful I¡¯m even willing to start this with you.¡± ¡°We leave tomorrow, and remember to listen to me on the way,¡± Su Jie did not argue with Ning Xinyue and after confirming the action route, he seriously instructed her. ¡°Got it, just make sure you lead the way properly, guide,¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes rolled around, perhaps thinking of something. Su Jie stood up, preparing to go to the Black Market to purchase some supplies for tomorrow¡¯s action. He still had quite a few Blood Marrow Crystals; keeping them now was meaningless, it was safer to convert them into combat power first, which would also increase the success rate. Chapter 160 - 76: Flying with Sister (Second Update) Chapter 160: Chapter 76: Flying with Sister (Second Update) Ghost Ridge Palace, Taixu Pavilion in the Black Market. When no fewer than twelve Flying Swords were laid out before him, Su Jie nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Mr. Su, are you sure you want to buy them all?¡± Cai Chun¡¯e asked again, these Flying Swords were all the stock they had in their store. Although these Flying Swords were all Low Grade Beginner Flying Swords, each worth over a hundred Blood Marrow Crystals, it was still the first time she had encountered someone buying more than a dozen at once. ¡°That¡¯s right, count them.¡± Su Jie tossed over a bag filled with Blood Marrow Crystals and then started placing the Flying Swords on the table into the Sword Nourishing Gourd at his waist one by one. At this moment, the number of Flying Swords inside the Sword Nourishing Gourd had reached seventy-two. Su Jie did not only buy from Taixu Pavilion; he also purchased Flying Swords from other shops, spending all the Blood Marrow Crystals he had to maximize the power of his Sword Nourishing Gourd to the greatest extent. ¡°The count is correct.¡± Cai Chun¡¯e nodded her head, a beautiful smile playing on her lips as she said, ¡°Mr. Su, you are welcome to come again next time.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Su Jie replied. He stood up and, with time being of the essence; had it been any ordinary day, he might have taken the opportunity to flirt with the young woman, but right now, Su Jie was completely preoccupied with thoughts of the Exotic Treasure. Leaving the Black Market, Su Jie returned to the Practice Room and meticulously consecrated all the Flying Swords he had bought. The room sparkled with the silver brilliance of dragons, filled with the radiant glow of sword light, and the fierce Sword Qi was so intimidating it made one feel as though they could be pierced by a thousand swords at any moment. If Cao Yuan¡¯s Sword Nourishing Gourd had contained this many Flying Swords back then, defeating him may have truly required much more effort. Having completed all this, Su Jie looked at the sky and left the Mountain Gate, stepping into the forest and heading towards the prearranged rendezvous point. When Su Jie saw Ning Xinyue again, she was squatting under a tree, idly counting ants out of sheer boredom. ¡°Why are you so slow?¡± Ning Xinyue complained, ¡°I told Elder Tang I would be in closed-door cultivation for a week. Our time is precious. If we don¡¯t get it done in a week, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s disguised identity was that of a cultivation prodigy, an inner disciple in reserve, thus she enjoyed certain privileges. Not only was she personally taken as a disciple by Elder Tang, but he would also occasionally inquire and instruct her cultivation, a luxury not afforded to ordinary Outer Disciples, whom the Elders would hardly bother to speak an extra word to. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, traveling won¡¯t take up much time,¡± Su Jie assured her. He summoned the Thousand-Handed Centipede from his sleeve; they were already far from the Mountain Gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, beyond the detection of the Elders¡¯ Divine Sense. ¡°Why are you letting the centipede out?¡± Ning Xinyue instinctively took a step back; she was fine with most things, but the eerie appearance of the Thousand-Handed Centipede unnerved her. ¡°To speed up our travel. We¡¯re going to fly there,¡± explained Su Jie. Su Jie had the Thousand-Handed Centipede revert to its original form, dozens of meters long, and then sat on its broad, flat back. ¡°Your centipede can fly?¡± Ning Xinyue was first taken aback, but then, seeing the enormous and fearsome form of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, her complexion grew pale, and she asked weakly, ¡°Is it possible not to sit on it?¡± Without a word, Su Jie just hooked his finger, motioning for her to come aboard. Ning Xinyue reluctantly moved her stiff legs, no longer mentioning the urgency of time. The Thousand-Handed Centipede turned its head to look at Ning Xinyue and then, under Su Jie¡¯s command, nudged the girl with its head, as a pale corpse hand grabbed her and placed her on the back. ¡°Hold on tight,¡± Su Jie said. He patted the Thousand-Handed Centipede and the immense creature began to float and rise on the spot, gradually picking up speed as it flew over the forest, the green sea of the dense forest canopy bowing and collapsing to either side from the wind pressure. ¡°So... so fast...¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes widened as she steadied her wind-blown hair, her voice barely audible over the howling wind. ¡°Xiao Qian brand express flying service, just joking with you,¡± said Su Jie. Su Jie said something Ning Xinyue couldn¡¯t understand, then he walked over to the head of the thousand-hand centipede, took out a map, and compared it as they flew towards Eagle Peak Mountain. ¡°What a huge bug.¡± She cautiously touched the cold, smooth insect shell, stuck out her tongue, and as she looked down at the dense forest below, Ning Xinyue also felt the convenience the thousand-hand centipede provided. Without this poisonous insect, it would take a whole day to reach Eagle Peak Mountain on foot. But flying there would take less than an hour. The thousand-hand centipede sped through the air, its massive size and the aura of a Mid Grade Four Refinement poisonous insect causing the animals below to panic. Even demons and spiritual beasts would mostly choose to retreat when they saw the thousand-hand centipede. Su Jie saw Alien Ghosts in the forest, and these fierce creatures were quickly avoiding them. However, the flight of the thousand-hand centipede was still too conspicuous, and there were always some powerful demons that did not fear its presence. In the middle of the flight, the thousand-hand centipede suddenly veered, tracing a C-shaped arc through the air. Ning Xinyue, caught off guard, nearly got thrown off its back and promptly tightened her grip on the centipede¡¯s segments to stabilize herself. Right where the thousand-hand centipede had been flying straight before, a huge demon was flapping its enormous wings and chasing after them rapidly. This was a demon even larger than the thousand-hand centipede, its rough skin covered in light green scales, with blood-red eyes harboring wildness and ferocity, and the thick aura of its murderous intent was chilling to the bone. ¡°A Yunling Realm Black Scale Blood Bat Demon, Xiao Qian, fly faster,¡± Su Jie said as he looked back at the pursuing demon. Such demons, when fully grown, possessed the peak cultivation of the Yunling Realm. There were cases within Ghost Ridge Palace where they had directly devoured disciples of the Ninth and even Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm. Su Jie felt that he might not necessarily lose in a fight, but now was clearly not the time to delay. The thousand-hand centipede sped up, and the Black Scale Blood Bat Demon behind them flapped its wings tirelessly, pursuing them for tens of kilometers. When it realized it wasn¡¯t closing the gap, it let out a reluctant roar and plunged back into the forest. That¡¯s how demons were. There were many demons in the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace; demons and spiritual beasts were basically the same in that they absorbed the essence of the sun and moon and breathed in Spiritual Energy to cultivate. The difference was that demons preferred to absorb the turbid energy of the earth¡¯s veins for their cultivation, making them more aggressive and ferocious, while spiritual beasts preferred to absorb Spiritual Energy, and were somewhat more gentle in nature. ¡°That was close.¡± Ning Xinyue patted her chest, not sure if she meant her near fall or the encounter with the Black Scale Blood Bat Demon. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you can pinpoint the location of the Exotic Treasure, for behavior like what you just did, I¡¯d leave you here, to avoid bringing trouble along,¡± Su Jie said indifferently, which caused the young girl¡¯s pretty face to flush with anger. ¡°It¡¯s clearly your pet¡¯s fault for changing direction so abruptly. Now that I¡¯ve secured my grip, isn¡¯t everything fine?¡± Ning Xinyue complained, not willing to admit defeat, indicating it was her own lack of attention. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course, don¡¯t underestimate my grip strength.¡± Ning Xinyue had just said this when the thousand-hand centipede suddenly did a 360-degree flip in mid-air. Accompanied by the girl¡¯s scream, Ning Xinyue clung desperately to the centipede¡¯s joints, her body hanging upside down in the air, spinning around with it. ¡°It seems you are not holding on tight enough after all!¡± Su Jie sat on the head of the thousand-hand centipede, admiring Ning Xinyue¡¯s figure. ¡°You... you insufferable rogue, bullying people,¡± Ning Xinyue said as she noticed the smile on Su Jie¡¯s lips, realizing he was up to mischief. ¡°But you were the one who said you were holding on tight. I was just checking your standard,¡± Su Jie shrugged as the thousand-hand centipede prepared to roll again. Frightened, Ning Xinyue quickly took out a rope from her Storage Bag, tied one end around her waist and the other to a protruding segment of the centipede¡¯s limb, and gritted her teeth, ¡°Now there¡¯s no way I could possibly fall off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Su Jie snapped his fingers and continued to guide the thousand-hand centipede in flight. Meanwhile, Ning Xinyue shook her clenched fist behind him, secretly making up her mind. ¡°Letting you bully me; once we find the Exotic Treasure, I won¡¯t leave you a single hair of it.¡± Chapter 161 - 77: Eagle Peak Cliff (Third Update) Chapter 161: Chapter 77: Eagle Peak Cliff (Third Update) The thousand-hand centipede flew rapidly, and along the way, they no longer encountered any demons bold enough to attack them. By three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Su Jie and Ning Xinyue had finally neared their destination, Eagle Peak Mountain. From a distance, Su Jie stowed the thousand-hand centipede and walked with Ning Xinyue toward Eagle Peak Mountain. It was an extremely treacherous peak, not particularly high, but devoid of trees or vegetation. It resembled a thousand-meter-high stone sword standing proudly, its cliff faces so sheer they seemed to offer no foothold, the edges sharp as though cleaved by an axe, sending chills down one¡¯s spine. On the back side of the mountain, there was a steep cliff from where a waterfall poured down, collecting into a deep pond below, which was filled with many delicate lotus flowers¡ªthis was Bihe Pond. At the foot of Eagle Peak Mountain, Ning Xinyue once again changed her appearance and followed Su Jie to this place. It wasn¡¯t just Su Jie and Ning Xinyue here; disciples were already active in the area. A few dozen disciples were lingering around the mountain peak, each controlling various poisonous insects. They instructed the insects to climb or fly onto the steep rock walls to chisel away at the solid rocks like woodpeckers, extracting a purple-gold ore from within. This was a material known as Purple Dark Cold Iron Ore. During the growth of some insects, they need to consume certain minerals to enhance their bodily defences, and the Purple Dark Cold Iron Ore was an excellent choice of mineral. This ore was only produced within the cliffs of Eagle Peak Mountain. However, this process wasn¡¯t completely safe, as Eagle Peak Mountain had its native inhabitants. At the mountain¡¯s highest ridges, inhabited by large numbers of Feathered Sky Eagles, these spiritual beasts were not as ferocious as demons, but if agitated by too much disturbance, they would still attack. Due to the danger and the value of the Purple Dark Cold Iron Ore, not only Outer Disciples came here, but it also attracted quite a few Inner Disciples. Amongst the several dozen disciples present, Su Jie glanced around and noticed the presence of seven or eight Inner Disciples. As Su Jie noticed these disciples, they also became aware of Su Jie and Ning Xinyue. ¡°New Inner Disciples?¡± ¡°That guy¡¯s name is Su Jie; he has a record of beating two Inner Disciples in a two-on-one fight.¡± ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t provoke him.¡± A group of Disciples whispered among themselves. As Su Jie reached the foot of the mountain, the Outer Disciples bowed their heads in an act of respect, and the Inner Disciples also displayed a cautious demeanor. After all, the news of Su Jie¡¯s two-on-one fight had spread just two months ago; if not everyone knew of it, at least most of the Disciples had heard. ¡°Mr. Su, are you also here to mine Purple Dark Cold Iron Ore?¡± An unfamiliar Inner Disciple took the initiative to come over and inquire about Su Jie¡¯s intentions. ¡°What else would I come here for? It¡¯s not like this place is bustling with life; I obviously didn¡¯t come to enjoy the scenery,¡± Su Jie shrugged. Of course, his aim was to find Exotic Treasures, but that was naturally not something he would share with strangers. ¡°Heh heh, so it is. My name is Chu Zai Ming. Mr. Su, this must be your first time here. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, feel free to ask me.¡± Chu Zai Ming clasped his hands together, emanating goodwill. ¡°In that case, thank you, Mr. Chu.¡± Su Jie returned the gesture and, along with Ning Xinyue, reached the base of the mountain, looking up at the cliff faces sharp as the edge of a sword. After some thought, Su Jie released the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword from his Sword Nourishing Gourd. This action caused many Inner Disciples to show surprise, as they clearly recognized the origin of the Sword Nourishing Gourd; a treasure that once belonged to Cao Yuan and was now in Su Jie¡¯s possession, it was obviously taken by force. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was peerlessly sharp. Controlled by Su Jie, it pierced into the mountain rock as if it were slicing through tofu, with large chunks of rock continuously falling off. A piece of Purple Dark Cold Iron Ore fell down, and with a wave of his sleeve robe, Su Jie caught the palm-sized ore. On the surface of the ore, spirit patterns shone, the material was solid, emitting a thick chill. Su Jie patted his Sword Nourishing Gourd, and more Flying Swords drilled out, swiftly destroying the mountain rock, chiseling out Purple Dark Cold Iron Ore. Whoosh! Just then, a shadow swiftly fell from the sky, enveloping Su Jie. This was a giant eagle with a wingspan of five to six meters, with beautiful long tail feathers in gold, blue, and red, along with black massive claws and a sharp beak. It was a Feathered Sky Eagle from the Yunling Realm. During its descent, the Feathered Sky Eagle¡¯s tricolor tail feathers lit up with Spiritual Power halos, the red feathers raining down a mass of crimson flames, the blue feathers stirring up a storm, and the gold feathers splitting down golden lightning. All these attacks were aimed directly at Su Jie, and if it were an ordinary Outer Disciple, they would likely be killed on the spot. However, Su Jie simply took a light step backward, moving with the Seven Star Steps, and easily avoided these attacks. Meanwhile, the ground around him was ravaged, bombed into crater after crater, while the fire ignited the vegetation, and the storm uprooted ancient trees. Seeing that they missed, the Feathered Sky Eagle was unrelenting, issuing another cry, its gorgeous tricolor tail feathers shining with divine brilliance. Its beak opened wide, transforming into a tricolor giant net crashing down. Su Jie summoned back the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, rapidly tearing through the giant net. The shredded net fell around him, sinking deeply into the ground for several meters, melting rock and trees alike. ¡°You feather-brained beast, still coming at me with full force.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes glared, and 72 Flying Swords moved in unison, instantly surrounding the Feathered Sky Eagle. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Flying Swords swept through the air, slicing off huge clusters of feathers, including those beautiful tricolor tail feathers. The Feathered Sky Eagle let out a mournful cry, nearly turning into a bald chicken, and fled back to the mountain peak in a pitiful and sorrowful state. Su Jie did not deliver a killing blow because judging by its size, this was just a young eagle. The Feathered Sky Eagles were highly united. If a disciple actually killed one of their members, these Feathered Sky Eagles would mercilessly pursue the killer, not stopping until death ensued. The surrounding Disciples inwardly clicked their tongues, seeing the 72 Flying Swords. Just that Middle Grade Sword Nourishing Gourd alone made many inner disciples¡¯ scalps tingle with fear. Indeed, he was a ruthless person! Ning Xinyue, looking at the scattered beautiful feathers, collected them joyfully, then said to Su Jie, ¡°These would make a beautiful fan when we get back.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, you¡¯re making too much of a commotion. The Purple Dark Cold Iron Ore is also on the Feathered Sky Eagle¡¯s menu. They¡¯ll see us as enemies who are stealing their food and attract their attacks. So, this job requires stealth. Keep the noise to a minimum and don¡¯t alarm them,¡± At this moment, Chu Zai Ming looked over and warned Su Jie. ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll go ahead, Mr. Chu.¡± Su Jie said, grabbed Ning Xinyue, who was still picking up feathers, and dashed into the woods at high speed. Not long after Su Jie left, shadows appeared in the sky, as fully grown Feathered Sky Eagles, each with a span of ten to thirteen feet, dived towards the ground. The leading one happened to be the young eagle Su Jie had plucked bald just before. It had come back for revenge, bringing its elders. Luckily, Su Jie was quick to escape. Diving into the woods, the Feathered Sky Eagles circled in the sky for a while but ultimately could only leave in disappointment. Chapter 162 - 78: Lotus (Fourth Update) Chapter 162: Chapter 78: Lotus (Fourth Update) After the Feathered Sky Eagles had left, Su Jie came out again with Ning Xinyue. The nearby ground looked devastatingly chaotic. Upon failing to find their target, the Feathered Sky Eagles had recklessly unleashed their fury, carpet bombing the area where Su Jie had been located, in a vain attempt to vent their frustration. This time, Su Jie was smarter. He mined carefully, and by nightfall, he had gathered over a dozen pieces of Purple Dark Cold Iron Ore. Such days continued for several more. Until several days later! In the dead of night, Su Jie and Ning Xinyue stealthily moved forward under the veil of darkness. In Ning Xinyue¡¯s hands, she held the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate. Under Su Jie¡¯s pained gaze, she kept inputting Mid-grade Spirit Stones into it to conduct deductions. The Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate lit up with different colors before finally guiding the two to a specific direction, then stopped showing any further changes. In front of Su Jie and Ning Xinyue lay a silent and deep pond. This was Bihe Pond, with cold air emanating from its water, and the edges were covered with large patches of water lilies. The pond¡¯s icy water emitted an intense cold, so much so that when Su Jie got close, a thin layer of Ice Frost formed on his eyebrows and eyes. On the contrary, Ning Xinyue had a special constitution that made her completely unaffected by the cold, leaving no trace on her whatsoever. ¡°Are you sure this is the place? After fixing the position for so many days, there won¡¯t be any more mistakes, right?¡± Su Jie looked at Ning Xinyue, expecting that beneath Bihe Pond lay the Exotic Treasure. ¡°Confirmed, it¡¯s right here.¡± Ning Xinyue firmly nodded her head, guaranteeing with certainty that there were no mistakes. ¡°I¡¯ll go down first to scout the path.¡± Rubbing his frozen hands, Su Jie said with an air of righteousness, ready to dive into Bihe Pond. ¡°No, let me go first. I¡¯m not afraid of the cold because of my constitution. It won¡¯t be good if you encounter any accidents.¡± Ning Xinyue grabbed Su Jie, her face stern with a heroic expression as if ready to sacrifice herself. ¡°I¡¯m stronger, it¡¯s better if I go.¡± ¡°I have more treasures, I¡¯m confident I can find the Exotic Treasure first.¡± The two went back and forth with each other, but eventually, Su Jie looked at Ning Xinyue¡¯s puffed-up face and could only say, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go down together then.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go down together.¡± Ning Xinyue nodded, and then they heard a splash¡ªSu Jie had already jumped into the water. ¡°We agreed to go together, and you jumped the gun.¡± Without further ado, Ning Xinyue dived into Bihe Pond as well and quickly swam toward the depths. The pond water was bone-chillingly cold, carrying an icy sensation that seeped into the bones. Su Jie¡¯s limbs were numb from the cold, leaving him no choice but to summon the Thousand-Handed Centipede to carry him deeper into the pond. The Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s constitution was strong, with high strength and speed, and it had greater resistance to the cold, making it much faster than Su Jie in the water. Using the Xiao Qian brand submarine device, Su Jie quickly descended to the bottom of the pond. At this point, they were over three hundred meters from the surface, surrounded by unknown underground rivers that seemed like endless Demon Caves, which made one¡¯s heart tremble with fear. Ning Xinyue followed closely behind, swimming down. The Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate in her hand no longer flickered, instead covered in dense purple clouds. ¡°Where¡¯s the location?¡± Using his Spiritual Power to transmit his voice through the water, Su Jie inquired about the exact position. Ning Xinyue shook her head and communicated using the same method. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate can only locate this general area, maybe it¡¯s right beneath one of the underground rivers. Let¡¯s split up and search.¡± Su Jie nodded, casually pointed in a direction, and signaled that he would explore that way. Then, holding the thousand-hand centipede, he dived into the underground river. However, at this moment Ning Xinyue revealed a smile, like a little fox that had sneaked a chicken, carefully observing her surroundings. Once she was certain Su Jie had truly left, she quickly swam into action, heading toward the northeast direction of the underground river. ¡°Haha, such a fool. You believe whatever I say; the Exotic Treasure will be mine.¡± Ning Xinyue was extremely excited in her heart, with a smile on her face that she couldn¡¯t suppress, thinking about the Exotic Treasure soon to be in her hands. ¡°This temperature is way too abnormal.¡± Suddenly, Ning Xinyue felt the temperature of the nearby river water drop again. Within the river, wisps of silver-white halos emerged, resembling hidden ice crystals or congealed frost qi. ¡°Could this be the Qingliu Earth Spirit River?¡± Ning Xinyue appeared to have realized something, her expression subtly changing. The Qingliu Earth Spirit River is a river formed from the convergence of some kind of underground spirit veins. Beneath the veins, rich spiritual energy abounds; not only does this energy create many spiritual material mines, but sometimes it also gives rise to spirit rivers. ¡°Legend has it that the Qingliu Earth Spirit River possesses the Ten Thousand Cold Qi, originating from the Source Sky Vein, rising from the earth spirit, it is extremely rare, capable of accelerating the cultivation speed of all Yin cold attribute cultivation techniques. I didn¡¯t expect to find it here, but it makes sense, that¡¯s why the Exotic Treasure appeared here, the environment is indeed very suitable.¡± With this revelation, Ning Xinyue understood that the Exotic Treasure might have formed under such unique conditions. The confirmation of the Qingliu Earth Spirit River made Ning Xinyue even more convinced that she was heading in the right direction. Therefore, Ning Xinyue kept feeding Mid-grade Spirit Stones into the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate to lock the position. In the deep and dim underground river, after swimming for about fifteen more minutes, Ning Xinyue finally sensed a vast and unparalleled spiritual energy. In an instant, Ning Xinyue narrowed her eyes and felt as though her field of vision had suddenly brightened. Ahead in the dark river, it was as if an immortal gem nourished and illuminated all things, emitting a glow a million times more dazzling than any jewel. ¡°How beautiful!¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s mouth hung open as she saw a green lotus swaying gently in the tranquil and shadowy river water, moving with the current. Its stem was straight, slender, and transparent, with eighteen lotus petals about to bloom, seemingly nurturing some kind of miraculous object from heaven and earth. Its light illuminated the entire dark river, like a deity showing off its splendor to the world. Surrounding the lotus, influenced by it, grew a multitude of wondrous spirit plants and medicinal herbs. There were lush grasses, sprawling vines, and many colorful flowers¡ªall of which had sprung to life because they had been nourished by the Exotic Treasure Lotus. As Ning Xinyue approached, she instantly felt a mysterious and profound aura permeating the space between heaven and earth, as if all the air was solidifying, and even the surging currents seemed to be subdued. This was not pure spiritual energy but more like a special change in space; stepping into it felt like one¡¯s body and soul were being cleansed. ¡°My body...¡± Ning Xinyue felt minor changes occurring inside her body as if her flesh and blood were being purified. Although she was still hundreds of meters away from the Exotic Treasure Lotus, its immense and limitless power not only nourished all living beings but also further purified her physique. ¡°Indeed an Exotic Treasure.¡± ¡°Indeed an Innate Spiritual Object.¡± Two voices sounded one after the other; the first was uttered by Ning Xinyue, the second came from behind her. Ning Xinyue¡¯s expression froze on her face as she turned in shock and saw Su Jie appearing behind her, watching her with an almost smiling look. Chapter 163 - 79: The Emergence of an Exotic Treasure Chapter 163: Chapter 79: The Emergence of an Exotic Treasure ¡°You, you, you...how could you be here...¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s face was filled with disbelief; she hadn¡¯t expected Su Jie to show up here like a ghost. ¡°I¡¯ve known for a while that you were up to no good, planning to send me away so you could take the Exotic Treasure for yourself. I¡¯ve been on guard against this move of yours.¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile was radiant, his gaze intently fixed on the Exotic Treasure Lotus in front of him. Even from a distance, Su Jie could clearly feel the thrilling power emanating from it, vast as the ocean, overwhelming as the sky, leaving one in awe and wonder. ¡°I discovered it first; the Exotic Treasure is mine.¡± Realizing her plan had been exposed, Ning Xinyue panicked and quickened her pace, attempting to strike first. ¡°Exotic Treasures belong to those with true strength.¡± Su Jie grabbed Ning Xinyue¡¯s left leg, swung her behind him, and propelled himself upwards. ¡°Ah, ah, ah, I¡¯m going to fight you to the end.¡± Furious, Ning Xinyue couldn¡¯t accept the reality of the Exotic Treasure being snatched away by Su Jie. She pulled out her Vajra Bracelet and swung it at the back of Su Jie¡¯s head, determined to knock him out and take the Exotic Treasure for herself. ¡°Darling, please turn around.¡± Patting the Sword Nourishing Gourd at his waist, Su Jie didn¡¯t slow down and with a swift motion, his Flying Swords shot out like silver dragons emerging from the depths, spewing out of the gourd and blocking Ning Xinyue¡¯s path. The power of the Sword Nourishing Gourd was now astounding. After absorbing dozens of Flying Swords with the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword at its core, it deflected the Vajra Bracelet upon collision and sent it flying away, forcing Ning Xinyue to retreat continuously. ¡°Dragon Bone Sky Silkworm Rope, bind that scoundrel for me.¡± When one plan failed, Ning Xinyue took out another treasure from her pockets¡ªa rope glittering with golden light that seemed to have its own consciousness as it swiftly coiled towards Su Jie. Well-prepared, Su Jie¡¯s hands formed spell gestures, activating the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique. In an instant, Su Jie¡¯s form blurred, and then three Su Jies charged forward. ¡°Using a move I taught you against me, how despicable.¡± Initially startled, Ning Xinyue was a bit outraged¡ªafter all, she was the one who had taught him that technique. Watching the three Su Jies without blinking, Ning Xinyue tried to discern the real one. Because she also cultivated the same technique, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to do so. But the problem was, Ning Xinyue had too little time. She had just identified the real one. And Su Jie had already reached the Exotic Treasure Lotus and was about to pluck it. However, just as his hand was about to touch the Lotus, Su Jie¡¯s motion suddenly paused, a great panic swept over him, threatening to push his internal organs out through his throat. ¡°Damn, this Exotic Treasure belongs to someone; it¡¯s being cultivated here.¡± Su Jie¡¯s heart raced as his hand was repelled, and he noticed that beneath the Lotus, a formation covered in mud¡ªwhose depth and breadth were unknown¡ªwas erupting in divine brilliance. It seemed that Su Jie¡¯s arrival had disturbed the formation, which collapsed instantly. The Exotic Treasure Lotus, originally about to bloom, suddenly absorbed all the essence of the formation, its petals unfolding one by one as the Lotus bloomed. Boom! The ground shook violently as the overwhelming shockwave sent Su Jie and Ning Xinyue flying. A divine pillar of light pierced through the thick layers of earth, shooting straight into the clouds. The vast expanse of the Ghost Ridge Palace realm was illuminated by this sky-reaching light pillar, while powerful fluctuations of Spiritual Energy swept through the area like a raging tide. Above in the sky, clouds were tinged with the hue of Purple Mist. On the ground, countless flowers bloomed, and even the iron trees blossomed. A profound and terrifying energy burst forth from the lotus, so powerful that even thousands of miles away, one could feel this sacred and divine might. The lotus actively pulled out its roots and placed them in the river water. An odd reverse current appeared in the Qingliu Earth Spirit River, with countless frost energies madly converging towards the lotus. This lotus was absorbing the spiritual energy of the entire Qingliu Earth Spirit River to accelerate its own maturity. ¡°Quick, depart, the Exotic Treasure has emerged.¡± Ning Xinyue was also greatly startled, seeing the situation with the Exotic Treasure Lotus and the formation below that was dissipating. She knew this signaled the emergence of an Innate Spiritual Object. This lotus had definitely not yet matured before; someone had placed it into this Qingliu Earth Spirit River to draw on the river¡¯s nutrients for growth. The one who placed the Exotic Treasure here likely intended for the Exotic Treasure Lotus to mature slowly and then inconspicuously take it away. However, her and Su Jie¡¯s arrival undoubtedly disrupted this quietude, forcing the Exotic Treasure Lotus to mature more swiftly and simultaneously causing a tremendous stir. ¡°Wait.¡± When Su Jie saw the Exotic Treasure Lotus rise in the water, leaving the mud without the tangle of its roots, he noticed the extraordinariness of that mud. Within the mud, specks of five-colored luster revealed themselves. If Su Jie was not mistaken, this should be the legendary Five Elements Spiritual Soil. Instantly, Su Jie quickly scooped up handfuls of Five Elements Spiritual Soil into his Storage Bag, disregarding the internal bleeding caused by the energy burst from the lotus, as he deemed it a worthy sacrifice. After Su Jie collected all the Five Elements Spiritual Soil, the Exotic Treasure Lotus, drawing on the Qingliu Earth Spirit River¡¯s energy, unleashed increasingly formidable might. Su Jie followed Ning Xinyue and swiftly headed upstream on the river¡¯s surface. ....... At the very moment the Exotic Treasure emerged, the disciples near Eagle Peak Mountain were the first to sense this immense energy. Each disciple awoke from slumber bewildered, gazing at the Sky-reaching Light Pillar extending to the heavens, with clouds within dozens of miles tinted with purple mist. ¡°Purple clouds vast and endless, this is the sign of an Exotic Treasure¡¯s birth.¡± Chu Zai Ming¡¯s eyes glazed over with fixation upon seeing the Sky-reaching Light Pillar, and he felt both his soul and body trembling with excitement. Such a treasure, if obtained... He was not the only one to think this way. Many disciples shared this thought, but after exchanging glances, their expressions turned somber. For the appearance of an Exotic Treasure would undoubtedly provoke not just them, but also the Hidden Realm Elders and even the Sect Master himself, who would find it hard to resist such an item. With the strength of these disciples, it was not about daring to touch the treasure, for even an extra glance could get them blasted to smithereens by the true powerhouses who desired such treasures. This was beyond their reach. Just as these disciples thought. As the light pillar rose to the skies with the birth of the Exotic Treasure, the Hidden Realm Elders at the Mountain Gate of the Ghost Ridge Palace abruptly stood. An unknown number of Elders cast their deep gazes toward the light pillar, with ripples beginning to disturb their usually placid state of mind, and greed gradually emerged in their eyes. And in even more distant lands, far beyond Ghost Ridge Palace, other sects also felt the strong energy fluctuations coming from afar, signaling the legend of an Exotic Treasure¡¯s emergence. For a time, countless cultivators opened the doors of their meditation chambers, mounted their Flying Swords, and raced towards the direction of Ghost Ridge Palace, hoping to get a share of the spoils. Chapter 164 - 80: Seize (First Update) Chapter 164: Chapter 80: Seize (First Update) Su Jie and Ning Xinyue emerged from beneath Bihe Pond to find their surroundings utterly transformed. The small pond had been artificially expanded by powerful shockwaves into a large lake hundreds of meters across, with the Exotic Treasure Lotus at its center. ¡°My Exotic Treasure.¡± Ning Xinyue was heartbroken as she saw the lotus floating in the water, her tears falling swiftly; it pained her deeply. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place first, so no one suspects us.¡± Su Jie¡¯s mood was similar to Ning Xinyue¡¯s. They were so close to obtaining the treasure, but now could only watch helplessly as it flew away, inevitably feeling a pang of pain, though ultimately reason prevailed. Therefore, Su Jie led Ning Xinyue away from the lake, and not more than half a minute had passed since the emergence of the Exotic Treasure. Smoothly, Su Jie and Ning Xinyue blended among Chu Zai Ming and other disciples, pretending to have just woken up. Meanwhile, atop Eagle Peak Mountain, Feathered Sky Eagles soared into the sky, flapping their wings rapidly as they flew toward the lake, their wings several meters wide, ready to swoop down and devour the lotus. However, when they were still tens of meters away from the lotus, these Feathered Sky Eagles were blown away by terrifying shock rings, reluctantly circling around the lotus. But soon, these Feathered Sky Eagles were struck by misfortune. In the sky above, a swarm of insects floated over from the horizon. Several Feathered Sky Eagles couldn¡¯t react in time and were engulfed by the Insect Cloud, their bodies torn by Poison Insects into a mass of gaping wounds. The numerous Feathered Sky Eagles let out enraged cries; their three-colored tails whistled, creating storms, golden lightning, and scorching flames that they hurled at the Insect Cloud. Inside the Insect Cloud, an Elder from Ghost Ridge Palace, dressed in a red robe, stood coldly, his emotionless eyes sweeping over everything. His right arm transformed into a fierce insect-like mouthpart, not only swallowing the incoming flames and lightning but also biting down on two Feathered Sky Eagles and devouring them whole. ¡°Scum, get lost.¡± The Elder let out a cold huff, and from his tailbone grew a long bone whip tail that continuously forked and crisscrossed, whipping through the void and piercing into the bodies of Feathered Sky Eagles, draining their blood dry and turning them into desiccated corpses that rained down onto the ground. The Feathered Sky Eagles were thrown into disarray, and just then, more and more swarms of insects arrived from the distance. Dozens of Elders from Ghost Ridge Palace converged on Eagle Peak Mountain, their robust Spiritual Power resonating in the surroundings. Screech! Screech! Screech! The Feathered Sky Eagles, in terror, flapped their wings to soar high, these once proud spiritual beasts finally cowed, forced to flee far from their homelands at Eagle Peak Mountain. So many Elders from the Secret Realm, a single confrontation would be enough to annihilate their entire species. Numerous Elders landed on the branches of ancient trees, watching over the Exotic Treasure Lotus in Bihe Pond. ¡°My Master has arrived.¡± Su Jie looked up and saw among the many Elders, the figure of Taoist Qiu. The latter stood in the front row among the Elders, his chilling gaze sweeping over everyone, sending shivers down their spines. ¡°Elder Tang is here too.¡± Ning Xinyue also saw Tang Peiqing, an Elder with profound seniority in Ghost Ridge Palace, stirred by the Exotic Treasure, present at the scene. ¡°Tell us everything that has happened here, without omitting a detail.¡± Just then, Taoist Qiu beckoned Su Jie over. ¡°Master.¡± Su Jie dared not dally and quickly got up to go over, starting, ¡°Master, I came here to collect ore. Just tonight, a Sky-reaching Light Pillar erupted from Bihe Pond, the powerful shockwave awoke all of us, and by the time we got here, we saw this scene.¡± Su Jie told the truth, merely leaving out any mention of himself and Ning Xinyue. ¡°It¡¯s rare to witness the emergence of an Exotic Treasure,¡± Taoist Qiu nodded slightly, then once again turned his gaze to the Exotic Treasure Lotus. By now, some Elders couldn¡¯t resist trying to seize the Exotic Treasure Lotus. But just like the Feathered Sky Eagles from before, as soon as they approached, they were blocked. Centered around the Exotic Treasure Lotus, a dazzling Spirit Ring had formed, with powerful Spiritual Energy erupting like a volcano, ascending into a Sky-reaching Light Pillar thousands of meters tall, isolating it from any external force. ¡°This Exotic Treasure Lotus is still absorbing the Spiritual Power from the water, it should mature in about an hour. Someone has set up a Formation here; until it matures, the Spiritual Power aura of the Exotic Treasure will resist our touch,¡± Tang Peiqing noticed the remnants of a Formation underneath the Lotus. Having lived for a few hundred years and witnessed many things, he identified the cause at a glance. ¡°Two hours at most, we can afford to wait.¡± An Elder said, the appearance of an Exotic Treasure could greatly enhance the foundation of Ghost Ridge Palace, and it had appeared in their own territory, so it must be obtained at all costs. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this might be more a curse than a blessing!¡± Tang Peiqing¡¯s face, however, showed little joy. For the Ghost Ridge Palace, now hidden within the continuous mountains, the Exotic Treasure might not necessarily be a good thing. Once the news spread, the various powers attracted by the Exotic Treasure would come continuously. By then, Ghost Ridge Palace might not be able to hold on. ¡°Let¡¯s join forces and forcibly break through to take the Exotic Treasure first, without further delay.¡± Tang Peiqing had made up his mind and loudly instructed the other Elders. ¡°If we act now, before the Exotic Treasure has matured, its power will be diminished.¡± Some Elders still wanted to wait longer. ¡°If we wait any longer, this might no longer be ours. We must take the Exotic Treasure first and break its protection.¡± As Tang Peiqing spoke, he stepped forward and said in a cold voice, ¡°The Sect Master is still in seclusion, now you listen to me here.¡± Dozens of Elders were silent for several seconds before finally deciding to move forward with Tang Peiqing. Boom! Boom! Boom! The bodies of the Elders erupted with divine light, their Spiritual Powers reflecting off each other, forming a massive hand that reached for the Exotic Treasure Lotus. The Sky-reaching Light Pillar shook, and intense roars like Heavenly Thunder exploded, the brilliance of daytime Spiritual Radiance almost too blinding to keep one¡¯s eyes open. Su Jie¡¯s eyes watered, feeling like a lone skiff tossed uncontrollably back and forth in the tempest, ancient trees uprooted and blown into the sky like straw. ¡°Quick, retreat!¡± Disciples present were shaken to the core, their internal organs damaged, blood flowing from their mouths and noses as they scrambled to leave the area, to avoid being affected by the Elders¡¯ attack. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Su Jie gave Ning Xinyue a knowing look; it was no longer safe to stay here. As the Elders joined forces in their attack, the Exotic Treasure Lotus too erupted. Its blooming petals trembled slightly, releasing brilliant rays of light. Each brilliant ray was like an unrivaled sword light, slicing the nearby ground into shattered fragments. Tang Peiqing and the group of Elders changed their expressions slightly, realizing that the Exotic Treasure Lotus before them was even more powerful than they had imagined, and was probably among the top ranks even among Exotic Treasures. Thinking this, the many Elders¡¯ eyes blazed with even more fervor as they united their efforts once more, determined to capture it. Chapter 165 - 81: Attack on the Mountain Gate (Second Update) Chapter 165: Chapter 81: Attack on the Mountain Gate (Second Update) The collision between the two sides caused a disturbance that swept through like a tsunami, as if friction was generating heat, and under violent collision, a surging sea of flames burst forth suddenly. Like a flash flood, the sea of fire rolled on, and an Outer Disciple who was too slow to escape was directly engulfed by the sea of fire, screaming as his flesh melted away, dying by the hands of his own people. Su Jie ran ahead, looking back to see the heat wave from the sea of fire approaching, scorching his hair into curly, yellowed strands. This was the power of the Secret Realm, where merely the residual effects of an attack could kill and devour disciples one after another. ¡°Quick, back to the Mountain Gate.¡± Chu Zai Ming¡¯s right foot was burned, the skin gone, revealing charred muscles exposed outside, but he dared not stop, even for a moment, continuing to run through the pain. Although Ning Xinyue might not be good at fighting, she was quite skilled at running, using the Seven Star Steps, she almost kept up with Su Jie. The disciples exerted all their strength, driven by the terrifying fear of being burned alive, which made everyone¡¯s heart pound and flesh jump. As the disciples fled in panic, the Elders hardly spared them a glance, focusing on breaking through the defenses of the Exotic Treasure Lotus. At that moment, the Elders began using various means, summoning their Lifebound poisonous insects, wielding various magic artifacts, and employing different attack skills. The sound of booming was like a dense cluster of heavy artillery bombarding, the shockwaves sweeping continuously. The lake where the Exotic Treasure Lotus was located was artificially enlarged once again, its water mostly evaporated in the attack, and sunlight shining down mixed with the mist to form rainbows hanging in the sky. The defenses of the Exotic Treasure Lotus gradually began to falter, its vibrant Spiritual Radiance growing dim. ¡°A few more attacks, and it will break.¡± Seeing the effect of their attacks, Tang Peiqing¡¯s eyes burned with even greater fervor. The Elders spared no effort, and just as they were about to forcibly break open the Exotic Treasure Lotus¡¯s defenses, an unexpected event occurred. Ding! Ding! Ding! Bell sounds from an unknown source resonated in all directions, surging like a tide, covering the entire territory of Ghost Ridge Palace. While running away, Su Jie felt his body and soul slightly tremble, the bell sounds directly invading his Divine Soul. Even disciples and Elders within isolation chambers were alerted by these bell sounds. ¡°The Soul Suppressing Bell has been rung.¡± The Elders¡¯ faces tightened, their eyes turning toward the northwest. ¡°Run faster, something fierce is coming.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression changed drastically, loudly addressing Ning Xinyue. ¡°What is this bell sound?¡± Ning Xinyue asked, puzzled; she had just entered Ghost Ridge Palace and had never heard such a bell sound before, not understanding its significance. Although it was also Su Jie¡¯s first time hearing it, having lived in Ghost Ridge Palace for a year longer than Ning Xinyue, he knew the meaning behind the bell sound. ¡°At the outermost perimeter of our sect¡¯s territory, there are three Elders stationed, overseeing a Top Grade Magical Artifact, the Soul Suppressing Bell. It not only acts as the Array Eye for the Mountain Protection Array but also serves to alert the sect of an enemy invasion, and is not rung unless it¡¯s a moment of crisis.¡± Su Jie explained without hesitating, instantly understanding why the Soul Suppressing Bell was rung upon hearing its sound. Attracted by the Exotic Treasure, it wasn¡¯t just Ghost Ridge Palace; other sects from outside couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and had attacked Ghost Ridge Palace. And the boldness to brazenly attack Ghost Ridge Palace meant that the coming enemies were definitely Secret Realm powerhouses. Right then, Su Jie dared not delay and quickly sped towards the Mountain Gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, to avoid becoming collateral damage on the battlefield. Ning Xinyue followed closely beside Su Jie, reluctantly glancing back at the Exotic Treasure Lotus as they ran, her eyes filled with reluctance, knowing they were so close, so close to making that Exotic Treasure her own. ¡°Stop looking; we can¡¯t get involved in this anymore,¡± Su Jie tapped Ning Xinyue¡¯s head, urging her to focus on escaping. ¡°Who is so despicable to have set up a formation under the Exotic Treasure? Otherwise, it would have been mine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dreaming too much, even without the formation, the Exotic Treasure should belong to me.¡± Su Jie pursed his lips, thinking Ning Xinyue was still daydreaming at such a time. The two ran for over ten kilometers, when suddenly Su Jie felt a tremor in his body, and massive fluctuations descended from the sky like an ocean. It seemed as if thunder exploded in the sky, and Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but look up, only to see a Magic Boat coursing through the clouds, descending slowly with a tsunami-like divine radiance pressing down the trembling air. On the Magic Boat, figures in blue robes stood on the deck, their aura majestic as mountains, their eyes shining with divine light. These were the Elders from Qingzhou¡¯s number one Great Sect, Guan Chao Pavilion. At the same time, streaks of flying rainbows tore through the clouds, and figures merged with their swords, flying swiftly towards them. There were Goddesses gliding through the air, their dresses fluttering as they arrived. Strong figures riding Phoenix Blood Spiritual Beasts flew into the sky. The arrival of these Secret Realm strong figures made the faces of the Ghost Ridge Palace Elders turn grave. Su Jie inhaled sharply, glad that he had run quickly; otherwise, had he still been at the scene, he might have been killed either by the Elders¡¯ waves of attacks or squashed by these strong figures. After all, these external Righteous Sects despise Demon Cultivators and wouldn¡¯t mind casually killing a little demon brat. In terms of numbers, the Ghost Ridge Palace Elders were at a disadvantage; the Righteous Sects had several times their numbers, all being Secret Realm strong figures. Tang Peiqing looked up, facing the many predatory Righteous Sects alone, his eyes dark and his voice as quiet as a deep pool, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen came uninvited. Ghost Ridge Palace does not welcome you as guests, so it¡¯s wise to leave quickly.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± On the Magic Boat, a mountainous, overwhelmingly mighty man stood at the bow, arms behind his back, his cold eyes sharp and bearing the pressure of a superior, imposing and formidable. ¡°You bunch of dying Demon Cultivators dare to speak grandly here; eliminating your Ghost Ridge Palace is merely a matter of lifting a hand.¡± His voice thundered, scattering the clouds in the sky, putting immense pressure on the Ghost Ridge Palace Elders. ¡°Guan Chao Pavilion¡¯s Supreme Elder, Zhuang Liangru.¡± Tang Peiqing¡¯s expression darkened as he recognized this person¡¯s identity. The other was Guan Chao Pavilion¡¯s Supreme Elder, a status above the ordinary Elders, and likewise, his Cultivation was higher, at the Taoist Platform Realm, well above the Secret Realm. ¡°Hahahaha, mere Ghost Ridge Palace, do you even dare to covet the Exotic Treasure? It is you who should leave this place, otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t mind starting a demon slaughter.¡± In the sky, a hearty voice rang out, a white-haired elder carrying Nine Dragon Swords stood in the air. Anyone who caught his gaze, even the Secret Realm Elders, felt as if they heard the swish of a sword being drawn. Every flicker of his eyes was like a sword¡¯s gleam, causing one¡¯s body and mind to shiver. This was also a well-known strong figure in Qingzhou, Lu Kefa, a top-tier strong figure within the Secret Realm. ¡°We didn¡¯t come here wishing to harm wantonly. Ghost Ridge Palace folks, just step back and hand over the Exotic Treasure, and we can all live in peace.¡± A melodic voice like pearls falling on a jade plate sounded. A woman, veiled and with a graceful figure, her skin like jade, exuding a mysterious air, slowly spoke. This was Master Si Xin Ying from Miao Yin Temple; the Sect Leader herself had come here, flanked by several similarly dressed and powerful female cultivators. Chapter 166 - 82: Clashing Blades (Third Update) Chapter 166: Chapter 82: Clashing Blades (Third Update) ¡°Your bullying is excessive, this place is the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace, and the Exotic Treasure should rightfully belong to our sect.¡± Tang Peiqing burst into rage, his Spiritual Power erupting like a tidal wave. Si Xinying and Lu Kefa both focused intently, their spiritual auras clashing fiercely. They overwhelmed Tang Peiqing instantly, causing him to bleed from the corners of his mouth. ¡°The strong take advantage of the weak.¡± Taoist Qiu¡¯s gaze was as venomous as a snake, cold and slippery. His left sleeve unleashed thousands of poisonous snakes, which lunged towards Si Xinying, who was closest. Si Xinying¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, the Heavenly Constitution in her mouth, her red lips parted slightly, ¡°Miao Method¡ªKill!¡± As soon as her words fell, the divine radiance in the eyes of the snakes dimmed, their lives snuffed out. Taoist Qiu¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he too opened his mouth, his tongue transforming into a forked serpent¡¯s tongue. Si Xinying¡¯s skin, as clear as jade, swelled with pustules, with tiny snakes burrowing beneath her flesh. ¡°Miao Method¡ªProhibition!¡± Si Xinying¡¯s expression turned cold as dazzling auroras streaked across the sky, and a Divine Bridge appeared above Taoist Qiu¡¯s head. On the bridge, figures of benevolent, meditating Immortal beings were drawn, and a mysterious murmur pierced through both ears. The malevolent look on Taoist Qiu¡¯s face gradually softened, his knees bending as if he were about to kneel before the paintings of Immortals on the Divine Bridge to seek redemption. But before his knees could touch the ground, Taoist Qiu suddenly regained his senses and stood upright. ¡°You¡¯re not yet qualified to make me kneel.¡± A brutal ferocity gleamed in Taoist Qiu¡¯s eyes, like that of a bloodthirsty beast. As he spoke, his skin gradually coarsened as if he were a snake preparing to shed its skin. Rip! His scalp split open, and with a twist and leap of his body, the skin sloughed off like shedding snakeskin, revealing his true form¡ªa huge snake several meters long with black and white stripes. This snake, except for its head, which still bore Taoist Qiu¡¯s facial features as if his face were plastered on the snake¡¯s head, looked utterly identical to its reptilian brethren and was incredibly eerie and chilling. Whoosh whoosh! The moment the great snake appeared, it surged toward Si Xinying with an aggressive momentum, riding the wind as it attacked. The female cultivators from Miao Yin Temple behind Si Xinying could no longer hold back. They took out instruments like flutes, pipas, and guzhengs, all of which were Magic Artifacts, and played an enchanting Immortal Sound. The sound transformed into various spiritual beasts, Immortal Soldiers, and Arrays, creating a myriad of mysterious attacks. The void trembled bit by bit, and the great snake was battered to the point where its flesh and bones turned to mush. ¡°Miao Yin¡ªImmortal Sound.¡± Si Xinying¡¯s hands formed Dharma Seals, and the clouds in the sky morphed into an Immortal God Dharma Form, hundreds of meters high. It smashed down from the air with a single palm strike, sending Taoist Qiu from the sky into the dust. A massive, palm-shaped crater appeared on the ground, with the large snake at its center, its upper body completely shattered. ¡°Do you think you can kill me, Ten Thousand Snake Transformation.¡± The half-remaining body of the great snake, its tail flesh squirming, grew a face resembling Taoist Qiu, his gaze haunting and chilling. As he spoke, his mouth kept splitting open, and a new great snake emerged, soaring from the ground. Its body rolled over, crushing and shattering every spiritual beast, Immortal Soldier, and Array in its path. Even though he was badly wounded, Taoist Qiu remained undeterred, opening his bloodied mouth wide and swallowing a female cultivator from Miao Yin Temple in the Secret Realm. Within the snake¡¯s belly, one could clearly see an outline of struggling limbs, and the faint sound of her screams could be heard. But soon, the struggling visibly slowed, as if the body was being melted away bit by bit. ¡°Demon Cultivator!¡± ¡°How dare you, showing no regard for us.¡± ¡°Kill this devil.¡± A group of cultivators, who had been confident in their inevitable victory, were stunned, having not expected Taoist Qiu to be so ferocious and powerful. It wasn¡¯t until someone was devoured that their anger was fully ignited, and countless divine glows burst forth with the intention of slaying Taoist Qiu. Facing the furious onslaught of the Righteous sect, the elders of Ghost Ridge Palace couldn¡¯t restrain themselves any longer and clashed with dozens of Righteous cultivators. ¡°Earth Evil Dragon Mantis!¡± An elder of Ghost Ridge Palace summoned his Lifebound poisonous insect, a mantis as large as a small hill, which was actually a Top Grade Four Refinements poisonous insect. With a wave of his hand, he summoned over a dozen Mid Grade One Refinement and Mid Grade Two Refinement poisonous insects. From the Insect Control Bag, hundreds of Low-Grade poisonous insects continuously crawled out. ¡°Nine Nether Blood Sacrifice.¡± Several elders joined forces, together invoking a great Array, splitting the sky with a bloodstain, as if the Sky Dome itself had opened a giant Heavenly Eye. Whoosh! The bloodstain flashed momentarily, as if the Heavenly Eye blinked, and a torrent of dim light flooded the heavens and the earth. A Righteous cultivator, caught off-guard, was touched by the dim light, causing his flesh, bones, and even his soul to become transparent in an instant. His body remained intact, but his soul was utterly obliterated into ash. The expression on Tang Peiqing¡¯s face turned ferocious as he expelled a breath forcefully, and countless invisible poisonous insects fluttered out. A Righteous cultivator suddenly screamed in agony as poisonous insects wriggled out from his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes, his entire body¡¯s interior hollowed out and consumed. Tang Peiqing took out his Insect Control Bag and flicked it, and a myriad of bizarre poisonous insects scattered in all directions. These carefully nurtured poisonous insects varied greatly in power; most carried fatal toxins. Many Righteous cultivators¡¯ complexions abruptly turned green, vomiting black blood, mysteriously succumbing to poisons. This chaotic battlefield was perfect for Tang Peiqing¡¯s talent in poison¡ªhis toxins even the Secret Realm could not immunize against. Several cultivators fell straight from the sky, poisoned to death on impact. The remaining people were also severely poisoned, and resentful glares shot in his direction, wishing nothing more than to swiftly kill Tang Peiqing. More elders summoned swarms of poisonous insects or transformed into Human Worms themselves, wielding Magic Artifacts to attack head-on. On the opposite side, the various Righteous sect cultivators, not to be outdone, continuously bombarded them with Flying Swords, Magic Artifacts, and killing moves. Lu Kefa commanded nine Mid-Grade Flying Swords, their Sword Qi unrivaled, slicing an elder of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s Lifebound poisonous insect into minced flesh. He then pursued relentlessly, the light from the swords shooting through the air like a meteor across the sky, beheading the elder of Ghost Ridge Palace with a single strike. ¡°Heavenly Sword Cluster Technique!¡± Merging his body with the blades, Lu Kefa controlled the nine Mid-Grade Flying Swords to dash like lightning, leaving behind daunting black trails of Sword Qi in the void. In the howling, as the Flying Swords cut through the wind, elder after elder of Ghost Ridge Palace was forced to evade their sharpness, using Eagle Peak Mountain to dodge the might of the swords. The towering sounds of Eagle Peak Mountain collapsing were incessant, with swords shattering rocks, cliffs crumbling, and stone debris flying in all directions. An elder of Ghost Ridge Palace couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was turned into a bloodstain in the sky, as he was mercilessly thrust into the interior of Eagle Peak Mountain by the nine Flying Swords, his entire body shattered to pieces. The Flying Sword was indeed the most formidable among Magic Artifacts, especially nine of them, combined with an expert Sword Control Technique, leaving the array of Devil elders with faces of grim fear. ¡°Demon Cultivator, return our sect elder¡¯s life!¡± Si Xinying invoked the Heavenly Constitution with her words, her Miao Yin boundless, giving the Demon Cultivators splitting headaches and causing copious amounts of blood to flow from their mouths and noses. Some even had their heads explode on the spot, scattering their brains and other viscera around. Above the nine heavens, the grand Magic Boat erupted with successive surges of Heavenly Might, and columns of fiery light bombarded down like a series of volcanoes simultaneously erupting. Chapter 167 - 83: Insect Valley Riot (Fourth Update) Chapter 167: Chapter 83: Insect Valley Riot (Fourth Update) In the struggle between life and death, the clash quickly escalated to a fever pitch. Some cultivators were blasted to dregs by magic artifacts, others were trampled into mud by gigantic insects; both sides had blood in their eyes. But ultimately, the numerical disadvantage was too great, and Ghost Ridge Palace began to fall behind. The experts from the righteous sects here were several times that of the Ghost Ridge Palace elders, leaving no equality in strength between the two sides. If it wasn¡¯t for the weakening of the righteous cultivators¡¯ combat effectiveness by Tang Peiqing¡¯s poison, the battle would¡¯ve already been lost. ¡°You hypocrites of the righteous path, how dare you bully Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± It was at this moment that a thunderous roar of fury erupted from afar. At the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, billowing smoke and boiling blood surged up, filling half of the sky. A man in a black robe walked out from his retreat, looking towards the scene at Eagle Peak Mountain; this was none other than Zhang Junwei, the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace. Boom! Zhang Junwei soared into the sky and arrived at the scene. His overwhelming spiritual power erupted, like the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting, its divine radiance illuminating everything under the heavens. The boundless spiritual power seemed to boil this piece of land, and the faces of many righteous cultivators turned extremely grave. As the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace, Zhang Junwei¡¯s strength was, without a doubt, formidable, his Cultivation in the Taoist Platform Realm overpowering the whole field. Zhuang Liangru¡¯s Divine Eye sparkled as he rushed like a rainbow towards Zhang Junwei and sneered, ¡°You¡¯ve been holding back just for this moment, hiding in the shadows waiting for a chance to strike. Now you finally can¡¯t bear it any longer, let me measure just how much weight you, the Sect Master, carry.¡± ¡°Seeking death!¡± Zhang Junwei looked over coldly, and suddenly his body burst apart, transforming into countless tiny insects. In an instant, Zhuang Liangru was engulfed by the swarm and vanished from sight. However, at the core of the swarm, infinite divine radiance burst forth, as if a great sun was rising, igniting one insect after another. Zhuang Liangru was clashing hard against the swarm, contending with Zhang Junwei. The swarm formed Zhang Junwei¡¯s face, and he proactively dragged Zhuang Liangru above the clouds. Then each insect flapped its wings, emitting a tremendous demonic sound. ¡°Old Tang, take the Ten Thousand Insects Order, call upon Insect Valley. Let them witness the consequence of intruding on our Ghost Ridge Palace, as if we are to be trifled with.¡± As Zhang Junwei¡¯s voice transmitted, a Mo Jade Token flew out, landing in the hands of Tang Peiqing. Tang Peiqing¡¯s eyes were chilling, like a fierce ghost from the netherworld claiming lives. By now, several Ghost Ridge Palace elders had fallen. Even a clay figure has a temper, let alone a Demon Cultivation Sect like Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°All of you righteous scum, none of you are leaving.¡± Tang Peiqing cut open his palm, and his blood rolled down onto the token. A pair of cold insect eyes emerged on the token, blinking like a living creature, it seemed to establish a connection with a certain region, and a special magnetic field began to transmit. In the distant Insect Valley, swarms of insects as if sensing something, emitted a frantic, piercing shriek. Netherworld Fire Ghost Snake, Dragon Evil Sky Sunflower Worm, Thunder Light Giant Bee, Blood Poison Frog, Blade-legged Demon Spider, Armored Demon Ant... Countless insects became restless, among them were inferior poisonous insects, as well as low-grade and mid-grade poisonous insects, and even top-grade poisonous insects that were hundreds of meters long. A few seconds after the disturbance, all the insects, regardless of size or strength, rolled towards Eagle Peak Mountain. Strong experts from various righteous sects looked over, their faces instantly covered with cold sweat. Su Jie, who was escaping, heard strange noises, a continuous rustling sound. He looked and saw an endless sea of insects rolling like tidal waves towards Eagle Peak Mountain, leaving in their wake barren land where not a blade of grass remained. The sky turned to gray-white, like a boundless fog, or like clouds continuously falling. The most numerous in Insect Valley, the human-faced moth swarm, veiled the sky, billions of insects threatening to engulf all living beings. ¡°Are you kidding me? That¡¯s way... too... too many.¡± Ning Xinyue clung tightly to Su Jie¡¯s arm, her body covered in goosebumps, nearly frightened to death by this terrifying spectacle. ¡°So this is the strongest trump card of Ghost Ridge Palace!¡± Even Su Jie gasped sharply, watching this stunning scene unfold before his eyes, his heart pounding fiercely. When discussing the most dangerous places within the boundaries of Ghost Ridge Palace, no one ever mentioned Insect Valley. Because Insect Valley was a place of opportunity for many disciples, where they captured poisonous insects to become stronger and improve. For Ghost Ridge Palace, it was a blessed land. But in fact, if one were to argue about the most dangerous place in terms of strength, within the domain of Ghost Ridge Palace, Insect Valley was the true strongest. And now, as billions of poisonous insects were mobilized, it was the true outburst of Insect Valley. ¡°Ghost Ridge Palace, do you really seek your own death?¡± From above the clouds came Zhuang Liangru¡¯s voice, filled with anger and embarrassment, for he had not anticipated that Ghost Ridge Palace harbored such a trump card. ¡°It is you who have gone too far.¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s voice was cold, for a Demon Cultivator was not someone to be trifled with. Among Insect Valley, those flying top-grade poisonous insects were the fastest and immediately rushed towards Eagle Peak Mountain at extreme speed. A fist-sized, golden flying mosquito darted like lightning, piercing through several Protection Magical Artifacts and talismans, and its relentless force punctured the heart of a Righteous Cultivator. This was a top-grade poisonous insect refined six times, making its debut by instantly killing a Righteous Cultivator. Roar! A centipede over a hundred meters long flew across the sky, its massive mouth wide open, turning into the eye of a storm, and several Righteous Cultivators were directly sucked into its belly. More poisonous insects appeared at the scene, and suddenly an Elder of Ghost Ridge Palace let out a horrifying scream. His body melted like wax, as he was sprayed with poison by a gigantic flying insect, his flesh gruesomely dissolved, and then the liquid was sipped up by the flying insect. ¡°Everyone, operate the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture and the Body Worm Focusing Method at full strength, and those Elders who haven¡¯t cultivated this Scripture should quickly stay away.¡± Tang Peiqing¡¯s lips twitched; after all, the poisonous insects from Insect Valley were wild, and they were lured here only by a special magnetic field and pheromones, not being able to distinguish friend from foe. However, there was this advantage in cultivating the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture; it could deceive many poisonous insects into thinking you were one of their own, thereby reducing the risk of attack. More and more poisonous insects appeared at Eagle Peak Mountain, and finally, the sky-darkening human-faced moth swarm arrived, causing even the Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace to turn pale, as these large moths were not very smart and attacked humans on sight. As expected, swathes of human-faced moths began their assault, tearing and biting every living creature on the field, including poisonous insects and Cultivators, Mainly the Righteous Cultivators suffered greatly, their bodies rich in Spiritual Energy particularly sweet in the eyes of the human-faced moths, which frantically chased them and enveloped each Cultivator into balls of moths hundreds of meters thick. Even though human-faced moths were just of inferior grade, the sheer number was simply overwhelming, and despite how the Cultivators fought and killed, they were but a drop in the ocean compared to the human-faced moth swarm. On normal days, human-faced moths were reluctant to leave their territory, but once they were on the move, even the Secret Realm and top-grade poisonous insects dared not clash with them directly, as no one could endure a war of attrition against billions of human-faced moths. Taoist Qiu, expressionless, plucked off a human-faced moth gnawing at his eyelid and, facing the dense moth-covered battlefield, couldn¡¯t help but turn to Tang Peiqing, ¡°What are you doing summoning these moths?¡± ¡°This is not something I can control.¡± Tang Peiqing, looking at the moths rushing towards him, unable to poison them quickly enough, quickly turned and flew away in escape. Just as the battlefield descended into chaos with the arrival of the human-faced moths, the Exotic Treasure Lotus suddenly vibrated violently, its divine light retracted, the Sky-reaching Light Pillar disappeared, and a strange fragrance wafted in all directions. In an instant, countless eyes turned towards it, for the Exotic Treasure Lotus had finally ripened. ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± Zhuang Liangru¡¯s figure darted, appearing before the Exotic Treasure Lotus, and reached out to grasp the Lotus. ¡°This treasure belongs to my Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± Suddenly, an insect exploded, transforming into Zhang Junwei¡¯s form, who also reached for the Exotic Treasure Lotus. The two Taoist Platform Realm powerhouses locked in a contest, each channeling their Spiritual Power, trying to push the other back. Crack! The Exotic Treasure Lotus emitted a crisp sound, and Zhuang Liangru and Zhang Junwei both looked down. The Lotus trembled and shook, the bud split open, and one by one, the lotus seeds turned into a myriad of divine lights scattering in all directions. The Exotic Treasure, sentient, sought its own path of escape. ... Meanwhile, Su Jie, hurrying on his way, saw a meteor shower fall from the sky, with one meteor striking precisely in the forest up ahead. Immediately after, a boundless surge of Spiritual Energy¡¯s vitality spread, reviving all life within thousands of kilometers nearby. In that moment, Su Jie, Ning Xinyue, Chu Zai Ming, and other Disciples all looked at each other in astonishment, then, as if by silent agreement, they dashed towards it. Chapter 168 - 84: Internal Strife (First Update) Chapter 168: Chapter 84: Internal Strife (First Update) The intense surge of Spiritual Power and life force erupted, causing the grass and trees nearby to grow wildly. Although it only lasted for a few seconds, the change captured the greedy and longing eyes of the disciples. Su Jie had run just two hundred meters when he saw a crystal-clear lotus seed embedded in the muddy ground. The strong fluctuations of Spiritual Energy gradually became restrained, yet it was still immediately apparent that it was no ordinary object. ¡°This Spiritual Energy, it has the same aura as the Exotic Treasure Lotus.¡± When Su Jie saw the shape of the lotus seed and felt the faint aura within, his heart was instantly stirred. Unexpectedly, behind the clouded hills, there was a new village. Everyone had thought the Exotic Treasure Lotus was beyond their fate, yet now a lotus seed coincidentally flew to him, thrusting the opportunity right into his face. While Su Jie was contemplating, someone had already made their move. Chu Zai Ming leaped forward in a few bounds and pounced towards the lotus seed, intent on seizing it. ¡°This is mine.¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Mr. Chu, you might be making a mistake.¡± A group of Demon Cultivators shouted angrily, and various attacks were launched instantly, each person wanting to obtain the lotus seed for themselves. The relationship among the disciples was not one of mutual trust to begin with, and it was superficial at best. Now, in the face of immense benefits, any semblance of relations they had maintained shattered in an instant. With Chu Zai Ming being at the eighth level of the Yunling Realm, he had incited the wrath of the others by attempting to seize the loot first, causing the other disciples to attack him in a sorry state as he was forced to dodge. Pu! A Flying Sword pierced through Chu Zai Ming¡¯s shoulder, and as he observed the barrage of subsequent attacks, his scalp tingled with dread. While dodging, Chu Zai Ming caught sight of Su Jie at the side, and an idea suddenly struck him. He yelled, ¡°Gentlemen, fighting amongst ourselves here is just giving others the chance to reap the benefits. You must realize, there is a formidable man in our team. Do you really have the confidence to face him alone?¡± As Chu Zai Ming spoke, his gaze drifted towards Su Jie, slyly diverting trouble in Su Jie¡¯s direction, hoping to redirect everyone¡¯s attention onto him. The disciples snapped out of their fervor, noticing Su Jie¡¯s figure standing by the cliff¡¯s edge, immediately realizing whom Chu Zai Ming was referring to. Su Jie¡¯s record of defeating two by himself was undoubtedly the most exaggerated among them. ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯m sorry, but if you leave now, we won¡¯t make it difficult for you.¡± Chu Zai Ming bowed to Su Jie with apparent regret, a very discreet look of self-satisfaction in his eyes. By setting up Su Jie as the target, he had managed to avoid being ganged up on. ¡°Mr. Su, you are already so powerful; you might as well not compete for the lotus seed and give everyone else a chance.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let him get away, what if he comes back for revenge?¡± ¡°Why talk nonsense with him. Let¡¯s just make him disappear first.¡± The group of disciples spoke out one after another, not because they couldn¡¯t see Chu Zai Ming¡¯s scheming, but because it was a blatant scheme. Everyone understood the principle of ¡®when the snipe and the clam grapple, it is the fisherman who profits.¡¯ There were more than twenty disciples present, both from the outer and inner sectors. If Su Jie remained there, it would be difficult for them to have a chance to snatch the lotus seed. ¡°You seek your own death.¡± Faced with the exclusion from the crowd of disciples, Su Jie¡¯s voice was ice-cold as he slapped his Sword Nourishing Gourd at his waist. ¡°Darling, please turn around.¡± A white light flashed as 72 Flying Swords spiraled in the sky, then with the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword at the core, they flew towards Chu Zai Ming at supersonic speed. ¡°Damn it.¡± The color drained from Chu Zai Ming¡¯s face as he threw out a Moon Wheel Magical Artifact, radiating purple light. He also controlled his Lifebound poisonous insect, a Mid-grade Two Refinement Silver-Horned Demon Bat, and several Low Grade poisonous insects. With the strength of the eighth level in the Yunling Realm, his power was definitely not weak either. Boom! The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword swept the Moon Wheel Magical Artifact into the Silver Dragon Sword Light, and with a screeching friction and clash, the Low Grade Magic Tool shattered completely. The Silver-Horned Demon Bat spread its wings wide, streaks of blood emerging and transforming into crimson blade lights exuding ferocity, slashing down wildly. Su Jie blinked, and two Purple Light Rays shot out, instantly striking the Silver-Horned Demon Bat, melting two gaping holes through its chest that went clean through from front to back. This not only caused the blood blade lights to collapse on their own but also brought the Silver-Horned Demon Bat crashing down from the sky, its body reeling. At the same time, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword whizzed down, beheading the Silver-Horned Demon Bat with a single strike. As his Lifebound Poisonous Insect was killed, Chu Zai Ming instantly grew listless, vomiting fresh blood and suffering internal injuries from the backlash. When he panicked and tried to flee, a stern look flashed through Su Jie¡¯s eyes, and with a finger like a sword, 72 Flying Swords pierced down, making him resemble a human hedgehog, and nailed him to the ground. Su Jie glanced at Chu Zai Ming¡¯s corpse and said indifferently, ¡°Sometimes, keeping your mouth shut could mean a longer life.¡± The scene fell instantly silent. If Chu Zai Ming, the strongest among them in terms of cultivation, wasn¡¯t a match for Su Jie, who was overpowered in just a few exchanges, it greatly deterred the disciples who were eager to move. If they were ordinary cultivators, they might have chosen to retreat by now, but this was a group of demon cultivators, more insane and cruel than the average person. Su Jie¡¯s display of formidable combat power only strengthened the disciples¡¯ belief in what Chu Zai Ming had said earlier ¡ª that as long as Su Jie was here, no one else would have a chance at the Exotic Treasure Lotus Seed. ¡°If this man isn¡¯t eliminated, none of us will have a chance. Let¡¯s attack together.¡± Someone among the disciples was the first to speak up, and everyone made the same choice. One poisonous insect after another was summoned, one magic artifact after another was wielded. The surging killing intent swept over like a tide, threatening to drown one whole. Su Jie¡¯s expression remained unchanged as his cold gaze swept over the disciples present. ¡°Body Worm Focusing Method.¡± The next moment, Su Jie opened his Insect Control Bag and released his human-faced moth swarm. Body Worm Focusing Method! A swarm of inner disciples released their insect clouds in unison. The tiger spot locust swarm, Dragon Bee Swarm, Poison Snake Group, Sky Barbarian Ant Swarm, and others collided with Su Jie¡¯s human-faced moths. The sky rained an enormous downpour of insects, each insect falling from above. However, the swarm of human-faced moths Su Jie had summoned was not just any run-of-the-mill little bugs. Among them were over a hundred Low Grade and three Mid-grade Human-faced Moths. They were like the captains and generals among the human-faced moths, not only frighteningly fast but their acid spray could corrode a large area of space, managing to suppress the insect swarms of several inner disciples. Before these disciples could even react in shock, Su Jie waved his sleeve, and the Mid Grade Four Refinement Thousand-Handed Centipede made a stunning entrance. Bang bang bang! The Thousand-Handed Centipede coiled around, protecting Su Jie in the middle. One after another, Low Grade Magic Tools with Green Mist Golden Radiance¡ªFlying Swords, Jiao Scissors, Seals, Vajra Pestles, Magic Rulers, and more¡ªall struck the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Some Low Grade High Level Magical Artifacts were able to break the defense and penetrate into the flesh, but other Low Grade Junior and Middle artifacts couldn¡¯t even damage the insect shell and posed no harm to the Thousand-Handed Centipede. The expressions of the disciples stiffened, seeing such defense they opened their mouths wide enough to swallow an apple, and their entire beings went numb. ¡°What a joke, is this a Mid Grade Four Refinement Poisonous Insect?¡± ¡°How does he raise his insects?¡± ¡°Be careful, this guy is even more terrifying than the rumors.¡± The faces of the disciples changed drastically; wrapped in fear, they realized the power of such a grade of poisonous insect was incredibly strong. The man before them was far more powerful than anyone present. Chapter 169 - 85: Annihilation (Second Update) Chapter 169: Chapter 85: Annihilation (Second Update) ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, he¡¯s just one person, we can win,¡± Some disciples were inspiring others, lest everyone was scared off. Facing Su Jie, they only had a chance of victory by joining forces. Bang! Just as the situation was on a knife-edge, a disciple appeared to notice something and suddenly cast a Dharma Seal, forcing a shadow that was sneaking towards the Exotic Treasure Lotus Seed to retreat two steps. This person was none other than Ning Xinyue, who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to snatch the treasure. ¡°This woman is with him, let¡¯s attack and kill them together,¡± A disciple shouted, and a barrage of attacks immediately engulfed Ning Xinyue, intending to eliminate her along with Su Jie as one of his accomplices. ¡°Hey, why target me...¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s explanation fell on deaf ears. Facing the angry stares of the disciples, she had no choice but to run to Su Jie¡¯s side and said through clenched teeth, ¡°Su Jie, I¡¯ll help you fight these disciples, and we¡¯ll split the lotus seed fifty-fifty.¡± Su Jie felt a bit of pressure as he watched the numerous disciples closing in. The Thousand-Handed Centipede was alone, and it was risky to face a group attack. It wasn¡¯t the Thousand-Handed Centipede he was worried about but his own safety. So after pondering for two seconds, Su Jie nodded and said, ¡°Good, we¡¯ll join forces.¡± No sooner had he spoken than the fierce and hideous mask of the Thousand-Handed Centipede split open, revealing bursts of purple light, as tens of Purple Light Rays shot out explosively. The ground upheaved, heat twisted the air, and patches of scorched earth appeared. Some disciples were too slow to dodge and were immediately vaporized by the Purple Light Rays. Several Magic Artifacts bombarded them, filling the sky with shimmering light and explosive energy, as Spiritual Power crashed down like a tsunami. Ning Xinyue took off the Vajra Bracelet from her pale wrist and shouted, ¡°Gather to me.¡± The Vajra Beak shone with divine brilliance, and the Magic Artifacts wobbled as if they were drunk, struggling to maintain their assault due to the suction of the Vajra Bracelet. ¡°Look at my Dragon Bone Sky Silkworm Rope,¡± Ning Xinyue threw out a golden rope, which like a nimble snake, wrapped around a disciple¡¯s entire body, leaving him unable to struggle free. Su Jie raised his hand and struck out with his palm. The Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint slammed down, utterly crushing the defenseless disciple. Flesh and blood splattered on the treetops and bushes, painting the greenery a vivid red. In the sky, the human-faced moth swarm and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword coordinated their attacks, specifically targeting disciples¡¯ poisonous insects, leaving the ground littered with insect corpses. The Thousand-Handed Centipede also left Su Jie¡¯s side, charging forward like a hurtling train. Its enormous maw opened wide, biting down on a human body and reducing it to torn flesh. An inner disciple roared, piercing the forehead of the Thousand-Handed Centipede with a Low Grade Advanced Magical Artifact, the Green Light Spear, which buried deep into the insect shell. But in the next moment, the Thousand-Handed Centipede shook its head, the injured part transformed into small centipedes that fell off and rapidly healed. Pale corpse hands then pressed down, crushing it into a pulp. A few disciples saw an opportunity during the centipede¡¯s absence and attempted to break through to attack Su Jie himself. ¡°Secret technique¡ªGlazed Glass Air Strike!¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s delicate fingers rapidly flicked, and the attacking disciples¡¯ bodies dented in several places as if hit by invisible air cannons, their blood spurting from their mouths and noses as they were blown away. Hisss! She then took out another treasure from her Storage Bag, a small Jade Heavenly Book. Ning Xinyue recited the complex engravings and the characters on the Heavenly Book came alive like wriggling tadpoles, forming a semi-transparent light shield that protected the two of them. All sorts of attacks and Magic Artifacts struck only to cause ripples, lacking the power to breach this protective shield. Meanwhile, Ning Xinyue continued to control the disciples¡¯ Magic Artifacts with the Vajra Bracelet and, combined with the binds of the Dragon Bone Sky Silkworm Rope, severely restricted the disciples¡¯ output, giving the Thousand-Handed Centipede chances to strike. The 72 Flying Swords also joined in from time to time, severing heads the size of Dou Lords. ¡°` Once it had dealt with the other insect swarms, the human-faced moth swarm descended like a dark cloud, devouring one disciple after another who had lost the ability to resist. ¡°We can¡¯t beat them, we simply can¡¯t, if we don¡¯t leave now we¡¯re all going to die here,¡± someone said. Finally, a disciple could no longer hold out and, panicked, wanted to retreat. ¡°You want to leave? Stay right where you are,¡± said another. Su Jie took out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and the sky changed color, a terrifying scene unfolded. Above the dense forest, more than ten thousand Yin Souls turned the area into a realm of death, obscuring the sky and earth, and they screeched, attacking one surviving disciple after another. Rip! An inner disciple was pierced by a multitude of Yin Souls, his body convulsing violently. His Divine Soul, like a candle in the wind, was shredded by the impact of the Yin Souls, his soul torn apart. The disciple trembled for a few seconds, then stood still in place, eyes wide open, but life had already faded away. ¡°Ten Thousand Yin Blood Nether Array, arise.¡± Su Jie waved the Ten Thousand Soul Banner again, and the tens of thousands of Yin Souls merged to form a surging Blood River. An inner disciple, his face filled with terror, watched the Blood River rushing toward him. In desperation, he slashed down with his sword, which was surrounded by streams of corrosive black liquid; he tried to use this to fend off the Blood River. But the Blood River only obliterated a small part of it, its momentum unceasing, like a surging flash flood, it enveloped the disciple in the blink of an eye. Aah! The disciple, as if being devoured by a myriad of ghosts, struggled for less than two seconds before his body and spirit were annihilated, leaving only an empty husk of flesh on the ground. The Blood River, sword array, swarm of insects, and the presence of the thousand-hand centipede turned the place into a battlefield akin to that of the Asuras. With Ning Xinyue¡¯s support, the group of disciples had overestimated their own abilities and underestimated Su Jie¡¯s strength. After about fifteen minutes, the last disciple also lay dead under the massive jaws of the thousand-hand centipede. Su Jie shook the Soul Summoning Banner, and the numerous Yin Souls returned to their nest, entering into the banner one after another. After such a fierce battle, a fair number of Yin Souls had condensed inside the Soul Summoning Banner. It wasn¡¯t that one disciple¡¯s soul condensed into a single Yin Soul, rather, the stronger the disciple, the more abundant the number of Yin Souls their soul condensed into. This was because disciples¡¯ souls were of much higher quality than those of ordinary people, which is why this effect occurred. ¡°It¡¯s finally over.¡± Ning Xinyue rubbed her cheeks, looking around at the battlefield scattered with severed limbs. She gained a new level of understanding of Su Jie¡¯s combat power. This man was quite too terrifying, not to mention that he killed so many people, he even used their souls to refine Yin Souls. ¡°Are you badmouthing me in your head?¡± Su Jie suddenly spoke up, turning to look at Ning Xinyue. Ning Xinyue huffed and said, ¡°Who¡¯s badmouthing you? You don¡¯t have mind-reading abilities, so how could you know what others are thinking?¡± ¡°I always feel like the way you look at people is a bit off.¡± Su Jie took his gaze away, then decisively reached for the lotus seed. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t hog it all! We agreed to split it fifty-fifty,¡± Ning Xinyue exclaimed, following close beside Su Jie. ¡°Who¡¯s taking five?¡± Su Jie scratched his head, looking utterly confused. Ning Xinyue was taken aback, her mind not catching up at the moment. By the time she reacted, Su Jie had already picked up the lotus seed and placed it in his Storage Bag. ¡°` Chapter 170 - 86: Acquiring Divine Skills (Third Update) Chapter 170: Chapter 86: Acquiring Divine Skills (Third Update) Ning Xinyue felt she might cry out of frustration at Su Jie, glaring at him as she angrily said, ¡°You jerk, this lotus seed is clearly our combined battle loot.¡± With a shrug, Su Jie responded, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to share, but how can we split it when there¡¯s only one?¡± ¡°This Enlightenment Lotus Seed is not meant to be eaten. I know how to use it, and it can be used by two people.¡± If Ning Xinyue weren¡¯t unable to beat Su Jie, she would have given him a punch. Curiosity piqued, Su Jie asked, ¡°Do you know the origins of this exotic treasure?¡± ¡°I just remembered after flipping through a book.¡± Pointing to the Jade Heavenly Book, Ning Xinyue explained, ¡°That Exotic Treasure Lotus is called the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. The last time it appeared was eight hundred years ago. The treasure itself has infinite marvelous uses, and when it matures, it releases Enlightenment Lotus Seeds. Cultivators can use these seeds to comprehend the profound Heavenly Dao and even obtain special constitutions.¡± ¡°Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, Enlightenment Lotus Seeds?¡± Touching his chin, Su Jie then turned and began to clean the battlefield. ¡°Hey, are you a man of your word or not?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s clean up the battlefield first; this place is not suitable for a long stay.¡± Su Jie glanced at Ning Xinyue and quickly proceeded with the battlefield cleanup and trace elimination. The corpses of the bugs were prime feed, perfect to add to the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s meals. As for the Magic Artifacts, good or bad alike, all could be sold for Blood Marrow Crystals, and he took them all. Not to mention the contents of those Storage Bags; there were still plenty of good things inside. Watching Su Jie pick up spoils happily, Ning Xinyue helped herself to several Storage Bags as well, but after seeing what was inside, the girl disdained and curled her lips in contempt. The items in these Storage Bags were of such low value that, together with the Blood Marrow Crystals, they were worth only a couple of thousand at most. When she was looking for the Exotic Treasure, she had spent more than that amount on Spirit Stones for the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate in a single day. After cleaning up the battlefield, Su Jie and Ning Xinyue didn¡¯t linger any longer and quickly left the area. Half an hour later, riding the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie found a cave and led Ning Xinyue inside. When the campfire lit up the dark cave, Su Jie also took out the Enlightenment Lotus Seed. The seed was the size of a peanut and was colored a pure white. It had countless dense patterns on its surface, vaguely forming the shape of a qilin. Fixing his gaze on the Enlightenment Lotus Seed, Su Jie turned to Ning Xinyue and asked, ¡°How should it be used?¡± ¡°Just activate it with Spiritual Power.¡± Su Jie attempted to channel a stream of Spiritual Power into it. Suddenly, the seed levitated, emitting divine brilliance, resembling a bright star. A qilin phantom emerged from the Enlightenment Lotus Seed, creating a ripple of visions, bringing an auspicious and divine presence to the world. Golden lotuses blossomed spontaneously in the empty cave surrounding Su Jie and Ning Xinyue, with pollen fluttering and filling the room with fragrance. Roar, roar. The qilin phantom opened its mouth in a roar, and the Enlightenment Lotus Seed shone brightly, collapsing inward and releasing endless light and heat. Feeling as if he were in a pool of volcanic lava, Su Jie¡¯s skin, muscles, bones, and organs heated to an unbearable temperature, engulfed by an intense burning sensation. In the midst of this fiery torment, black impurities seeped out of his pores. Gradually, Su Jie¡¯s bones began to exhibit a jade-like coloration, and his flesh refined to perfection, radiating an aura of completeness. Within the channels of his body, as the lotus seed was ingested, the Spiritual Energy inside Su Jie boiled and rampaged. The originally white Spiritual Energy gradually turned purple, with a density several times greater than before. As his body underwent a transformative metamorphosis, Su Jie remained seated in the lotus position with his eyes closed. After the extreme heat, a cool breath entered Su Jie¡¯s body, and a mysterious Taoist chant arose from his sea of consciousness. This sound was filled with myriad mysteries, as if an Immortal was expounding the three thousand great Dao, and it seemed as though each bright Dao pattern was being branded into his mind. For Su Jie, his comprehension of cultivation and understanding of Taoist skills deepened unceasingly. Boom! An even more astonishing change occurred within the sea of consciousness, where a Purple Cloud Qilin congealed into existence, causing waves and storms. Where the sea of consciousness was originally dim and murky, streaks of purple thunder now appeared as if heralding the beginning of the heavens and the earth, illuminating the nine heavens and ten lands. Located in the sea of consciousness, the Divine Soul of Su Jie, which was originally only an orb of light, underwent a marvelous transformation with the appearance of the myriad thunderous Heavenly Thunders. The orb took on the form of a Divine Soul with arms, legs, facial features, and even showing signs of transforming from Fetal Light into a Primordial Spirit. Naturally and effortlessly, Su Jie¡¯s cultivation automatically broke through to the eighth level of the Yunling Realm without any obstruction. But this was not the end¡ªSu Jie had entered a mysterious state of Enlightenment, perceiving the changes in all things in heaven and earth. Time gradually passed. It was unclear whether ten days or half a month had passed. Suddenly, changes began to surface on Su Jie¡¯s body, subtle arcs of electricity danced across his skin, and crackling sounds echoed continuously in the cave. Opposite Su Jie, Ning Xinyue¡¯s body exuded frost, freezing half the cave into ice crystals. The purple electric currents on Su Jie¡¯s side reflected against it, clashing and sparking continuously as if competing with each other. Several more days passed. One day, all of a sudden, Su Jie¡¯s eyes opened, bursting forth with a dazzling divine light that extended several meters. Purple thunders emerged from the void like the might of nature, their booming sounds causing the animals within hundreds of meters to shudder in fear. Su Jie felt the vast strength within his body and clenched his fist, delivering a punch into the air. Crack! Boom! The void trembled, and thunder revealed itself, blasting a ten-meter-deep crater into the ground. Behind Su Jie, the phantom of a Purple Cloud Qilin appeared, with his physical body and Spiritual Power now at least four or five times stronger than before. ¡°All beings observe me, with the divine skill of great freedom.¡± Su Jie brought his hands together, and the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder spread from his body, turning the underground space into a world of rolling thunders, with streaks of purple lightning bursting into a sea of thunder. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, then it grew wider and wider, until Su Jie clenched his fist firmly, feeling the boundless strength within, unable to stop smiling. ¡°So this is not just an Enlightenment Lotus Seed, but also a Divine Skills Lotus Seed. As expected from an Exotic Treasure, indeed extraordinary. To consume it nurtures divine skills.¡± Su Jie murmured to himself, realizing that from now on, he too was a wielder of divine skills. The so-called divine skills represent a special kind of innate gift, similar to an electric eel generating electricity or a bat using echolocation¡ªnatural gifts that typically appear only in special constitutions and are generally beyond the reach of cultivation. Such special constitutions are almost invariably powerful and beneficial for cultivation. For example, the famous innate constitutions in the Tianyuan World, like the Innate Taoist Body, Five Elements Immortal Body, Primordial Yin Xuan Demon Body, Radiant Sun Saint Body¡ªthe top ten constitutions in the Tianyuan World¡ªcan be said to reach the Taoist Platform Realm before adulthood if nothing goes awry, and their emergence will cause a sensation in all directions. And the divine skills that come with these Divine Bodies and Immortal Bodies are nearly invincible among their peers, capable of crushing most enemies at the same level, or even achieving a level leap to challenge higher realms. Another advantage of divine skills is that they are not driven by Spiritual Power but by the power of the Divine Soul. The stronger the Divine Soul, the stronger the divine skills. Because even if Su Jie¡¯s Spiritual Power were to run out in a prolonged battle, or even if his physical body were destroyed, he could still invoke his divine skills to strike down enemies, as long as his Divine Soul persisted. ¡°This should now be called the Purple Cloud Thunder Body, I guess.¡± Su Jie was inwardly thrilled. Acquiring the divine skill of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder was like adding brilliance to his arsenal of attacks, enriching his means to strike at enemies. What Su Jie valued even more was the increase in innate talent that this constitution brought to him. Chapter 171 - 87: Xuanyin Body (Fourth Update) Chapter 171: Chapter 87: Xuanyin Body (Fourth Update) ¡°My Divine Soul was about to transform into a Primordial Spirit,¡± Su Jie said. He gently closed his eyes, and his Divine Soul lept out from the top of his head. The next moment, a diminutive soul appeared in the void, resembling a small person. Its hands and feet were mostly formed, but the facial features were still very blurry, like a simple sketch not yet fully detailed. With a whoosh! Su Jie controlled his Divine Soul to fly forward; as it moved, the Divine Soul Immortal Light shone brightly, and Dao rhymes flowed around it, resembling a tiny sun, occasionally accompanied by the roaring of Heavenly Thunders, thundering in all directions. ¡°There!¡± Suddenly, Su Jie struck out a palm, and the short arms of the Divine Soul hit the cave¡¯s stone wall, creating a spiderweb-like crack. Tiny stones tumbled down, spreading out over a distance of ten feet. Not long ago, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul could barely damage a leaf. But now, the power of a single punch had increased to such an extent. Although it was still far from comparable to his physical body, for the Yin Soul, accomplishing this was no easy feat. Su Jie carefully felt the changes in his Divine Soul, then slightly condensed his thoughts. The power of the Divine Soul flowed out like water and spread like radar electromagnetic waves. Despite the thick cave rocks, without using his eyes or insects, the outside scenery entered his sea of consciousness in a 360-degree panoramic view. Beyond mere observation, Su Jie could even vaguely see the internal structures and the routes of Spiritual Power circulation within all things. This was Divine Sense¡ªusing the mind¡¯s eye in place of the physical eye. Although Su Jie¡¯s range and strength of Divine Sense were still very limited, to be able to use Divine Sense in the Yunling Realm was an already exaggerated achievement. ¡°Maybe, I could cultivate a Primordial Spirit within the Yunling Realm.¡± Such a crazy idea emerged in Su Jie¡¯s mind. The Primordial Spirit was something not even cultivators in the Secret Realm might achieve. Every cultivator in the Secret Realm who managed to cultivate a Primordial Spirit was a standout, an expert among masters. And yet, Su Jie wanted to cultivate a Primordial Spirit in the Yunling Realm. If people knew, their eyes would likely pop out in shock. After experiencing the marvels of the Divine Soul, Su Jie then shifted his focus to his physical body. The quality and purity of the Spiritual Energy within Su Jie¡¯s body were now four to five times that of an average cultivator of the same level, drastically widening the gap between him and other cultivators. This meant that Su Jie, even without relying on various methods, could overpower his enemies simply with his robust physique and Spiritual Power. Additionally, Su Jie felt the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder coursing through his body, continuously tempering his physique and gradually strengthening his body. Although it was not apparent in the short term, as time passed, Su Jie¡¯s physique might possibly be able to withstand Magical Treasures and even Exotic Treasures such as Innate Spiritual Objects. ¡°But let¡¯s avoid physical confrontations; one never knows when they might encounter a crafty old fox who could pull out a trump card, leaving nowhere to hide.¡± Su Jie was very purposeful with his career planning. Being a Gu Master, his job was to use insects to bite people. If that failed, he still had his Flying Sword and Yin Soul, including the newly acquired Divine Skill of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, which could have his opponents howling in pain. Engaging in hand-to-hand combat with enemies was an imprudent action, something not advisable. To avoid being outwitted by a crafty old fox, Su Jie decided to become the crafty old fox himself. Once his Divine Sense developed, he would remotely utilize insects, Magical Treasures, Flying Swords, and Heavenly Thunder against his enemies, while his true body could simply stay out of sight! ¡°This is just one lotus seed. If I could obtain an entire Exotic Treasure Lotus...¡± Although he was quite regretful, overall, Su Jie was very satisfied with acquiring the body type of Purple Cloud Thunder Body. Just as Su Jie was reflecting on his transformations, Ning Xinyue across from him also slowly opened her bright eyes. As she awoke, the chill instantly spread, like fierce, icy winds from the high heavens. Rocks under extreme low temperatures became brittle, and with a slight breeze, they turned into fine dust, as if they had been weathered for thousands of years. ¡°My Xuanyin Body has been completed.¡± Ning Xinyue looked at her body, beaming with a glow and overflowing with joy. ¡°Xuanyin Body, huh, you¡¯re saying you have the Xuanyin Body?¡± Su Jie¡¯s pupils shook in surprise as he stared at Ning Xinyue. A moment ago, Su Jie had expressed envy towards those top ten special physical constitutions, not expecting one to be right in front of him. Although the Xuanyin Body isn¡¯t ranked among the top ten powerful constitutions, it¡¯s still within the top thirty, famously hailed as the foremost of ten thousand colds and the eternal frost. If its power really grew and its foundation accumulated more, it could contend with those ranked in the top ten Divine Bodies and Immortal Bodies. ¡°Ah, did I say that? You must have heard wrong.¡± Ning Xinyue, realizing belatedly, had been too surprised earlier and ignored Su Jie¡¯s presence. She now panicked a bit as she realized she¡¯d said something she shouldn¡¯t have. Looking at Ning Xinyue, who couldn¡¯t lie, Su Jie chuckled and nodded in agreement, ¡°If cultivators of the Xuanyin Body were as weak as you, it would truly be an insult to the name!¡± ¡°What did you say, what about my strength, I¡¯m not weak at all.¡± At these words, Ning Xinyue instantly bristled, glaring at Su Jie like a ruffled cat. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not a Xuanyin Body? Why so fired up when I¡¯m just saying a few words. Come on, say it with me, the Xuanyin Body is the worst constitution in the world.¡± Su Jie lifted Ning Xinyue¡¯s chin, grinning at her. Ning Xinyue was so angry! She parted her cherry lips, ready to bite Su Jie¡¯s hand. ¡°So what if I am a Xuanyin Body, let you belittle me, I must show you the might of the Xuanyin Body.¡± As she grew angry, extreme frost burst from her body, freezing the air around, covering Su Jie¡¯s eyebrows and hair with frost. Zizz! Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder burst from Su Jie¡¯s body in response, clashing continuously with the frost, exploding in the middle with dazzling divine light, one side a world of ice and snow, the other rolling with heavenly thunder. Su Jie pulled back his hand, pursing his lips and said, ¡°Are you a dog or what!¡± But Ning Xinyue stared at the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder on Su Jie¡¯s body, her mouth slightly open, ¡°What kind of constitution is that, did the Enlightenment Lotus Seed trigger it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, maybe it did, maybe it didn¡¯t.¡± Su Jie shrugged his shoulders, continueing to gaze curiously at Ning Xinyue and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve always felt your constitution was very special, so it¡¯s the Xuanyin Body, but why were you so weak before?¡± Ning Xinyue snorted and said to avoid being looked down by Su Jie, ¡°My sister and I are twins, my sister also has a special constitution, having two Divine Bodies from the same mother is rare. When our mother was pregnant, she couldn¡¯t supply enough nutrients, so when I was born, my Xuanyin Body was incomplete and had never been fully developed.¡± Su Jie nodded, saying, ¡°I see, so when you were in your mother¡¯s womb, you couldn¡¯t outcompete your sister, right? All the nutrients went to her.¡± ¡°You really have a nasty way of speaking.¡± Ning Xinyue pouted, not pleased, though what Su Jie said was true. It was fortunate that the Enlightenment Lotus Seed appeared, and through a fortunate coincidence, it helped her to fully restore her Xuanyin Body. Thinking of this, the corner of the girl¡¯s lips curved into a warm smile, her eyes looking at Su Jie carried a hint of gratitude. Although this bastard often annoyed her, sometimes he was actually quite nice. If those disciples who were beaten, killed, and had their souls extracted knew Ning Xinyue thought this, they would probably curse a few words from beyond the grave. Of course, those without souls couldn¡¯t descend to the underworld either. Chapter 172 - 88: Planting the Holy Lotus Sapling (First Update) Chapter 172: Chapter 88: Planting the Holy Lotus Sapling (First Update) Picking up the cracked Enlightenment Lotus Seed from the ground, it had lost its Spiritual Charm and had become a mundane object. Su Jie fiddled with it for a moment and found a shriveled, pitch-black hard object inside the seed. In fact, the lotus seed was a complete fruit, with the seed inside once the husk was peeled away. ¡°This Enlightenment Lotus Seed is useless now,¡± Ning Xinyue didn¡¯t understand Su Jie¡¯s actions and reminded him. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case,¡± Su Jie took something out of his Storage Bag. It was a handful of pale yellow soil, with a luster more dazzling than pure gold; it shimmered with a soft glow, its Spiritual Radiance surging like the tide, with the principles of the Five Elements intertwining within, forming a Formation. This was the soil Su Jie had dug from beneath the Exotic Treasure, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, known as Five Elements Spiritual Soil. This type of soil possessed an incredible power of creation, not only promoting the rapid growth of Spirit Plants but also possessing an extremely strong vitality and Spiritual Charm of its own. Legend had it that people who had died and were buried beneath the Five Elements Spiritual Soil had miraculously come back to life. The amount of Five Elements Spiritual Soil in Su Jie¡¯s hands wasn¡¯t much, barely a bowlful. Yet in Su Jie¡¯s view, its preciousness was not much less than that of the Enlightenment Lotus Seed. This was the Five Elements Spiritual Soil, famed for the saying, ¡°Better to have a pinch of Five Elements soil than ten thousand treasures in a vault.¡± The handful of Five Elements Spiritual Soil that Su Jie had could definitely sell for a sky-high price if put on the market. Of course, it was more likely to attract robbery, even the Secret Realm Elders would be unable to resist their greed. After all, soil that could grow Exotic Treasures was obviously foreseeably valuable. ¡°Are you going to revive the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus? Can you do it?¡± Ning Xinyue also became interested and watched Su Jie¡¯s movements with wide eyes. ¡°That¡¯s precisely my intention,¡± Su Jie took out a Glazed Bottle and put the Five Elements Spiritual Soil into it. Then, holding the Nine-grade Holy Lotus Seed, he buried it into the Five Elements Spiritual Soil. Once the seed was buried, there was a change on the surface of the Five Elements Spiritual Soil. The interconnected Five Elements Formation within began to operate automatically, with flashes of golden light bringing creation back to life, and waves of water rippling. The Qi of the Five Elements circulated, nourishing everything that was gestating within. The Nine-grade Sacred Lotus seed, originally shriveled, began to show a slight change. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem a bit plumper?¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes widened, observing the half-exposed Nine-grade Sacred Lotus Seed sticking out of the Five Elements Spiritual Soil, much plumper than before. Could it really have been revived by Su Jie, promising the future harvest of an Innate Spiritual Object? ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Su Jie¡¯s brow furrowed, sensing that something was still missing for the Holy Lotus Seed to truly come back to life. Suddenly, Su Jie thought of something and took out the White Bone Tree from his Storage Bag. The miniaturized White Bone Tree was only the size of a palm, this relic was also a living being capable of free growth. Su Jie tried burying the White Bone Tree into the Five Elements Spiritual Soil. In an instant, the luster of the Five Elements Spiritual Soil grew even more dazzling, and upon the White Bone Tree, Spiritual Power erupted like a volcano, resembling the great sun across the sky, releasing vast amounts of Spiritual Energy. Because the White Bone Tree possessed the ability to absorb a wide range of Spiritual Energy from the heavens and the earth¡¯s veins, it could transform and purify them for cultivation. When Su Jie placed the White Bone Tree into the Five Elements Spiritual Soil, a wondrous chemical reaction immediately occurred. The Spiritual Charm within the Five Elements Spiritual Soil was ceaselessly absorbed, and after being transformed and purified by the White Bone Tree, it turned into drops of glittering and translucent Pure Spirit Water, which condensed into droplets on the branches and leaves of the tree and then fell, landing on the Holy Lotus Seed. Rustle rustle. This seed, long parched, quickly transformed upon being nourished by the Pure Spirit Water, as a hint of greenness surfaced and sprouted, growing a slender and clean sprout with two cotyledons. Boom! Outside the cave, the sky suddenly became overcast with dark clouds. Purple Heavenly Thunder, golden Divine Thunder, and white Immortal Thunder flashed, as the birth of an Innate Spiritual Object caused an extraordinary phenomenon between heaven and earth. The Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, nurtured in the Five Elements Spiritual Soil, also manifested endless marvels. It was as if the Tao Heavenly Sound was resonating, with visions of Qilins, True Spirits, and Phoenixes circling around, accompanied by the sound of clashing swords and the deep tolling of bells, like the sonorous clanging of myriad divine soldiers and weapons. As the lush green sprout emerged, the room instantly entered early spring, filled with fragrance and a flowing of Spiritual Liquid, which made one feel vigorous just by smelling it, as if bathing in a hot spring, bringing an indescribable comfort and relaxation. ¡°It¡¯s really alive?¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s mouth gaped open in disbelief. Su Jie had actually done it, he had brought an Innate Spiritual Object, the Nine-grade Holy Lotus, back to life. ¡°I really am a genius.¡± A smile crept up on the corners of Su Jie¡¯s mouth as he looked at the germinated seed, his heart unable to contain the surging excitement. This was an Innate Spiritual Object; once he grew it himself, possessing the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus in hand and refining it into a Treasure would surely allow him to prevail tremendously. With just a single Enlightenment Lotus Seed from the Nine-grade Holy Lotus, he could obtain formidable Divine Skills. One could hardly imagine the might of a complete Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. And now the newly born Nine-grade Sacred Lotus was already showing extraordinary signs; just being close to it, one could feel a cleansing of body and soul. Under the roaring Tao Heavenly Sound, there was an enhancement in the understanding of all things. ¡°Hard work pays off! Heaven truly doesn¡¯t let down those who strive; although I didn¡¯t obtain a full-grown Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, acquiring a sapling compensates for my wounded heart.¡± Su Jie smiled very happily, this unexpected gain exciting him even more than obtaining the Enlightenment Lotus Seed. Standing nearby, Ning Xinyue couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°You¡¯re getting happy too soon. The maturity of such Innate Spiritual Objects is counted in hundreds or even thousands of years. It¡¯s possible that this Holy Lotus won¡¯t have matured even by the time you die of old age.¡± Hearing Ning Xinyue¡¯s sour tone, Su Jie flicked the girl¡¯s smooth forehead. ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about that; I have the patience to wait. Little missy, if you stick with me, I may benevolently allow you to experience the mystery of this Exotic Treasure.¡± ¡°Ow!¡± Ning Xinyue glared with her big watery eyes and retorted in contest, ¡°As if! Who would want to follow you? I could get an Exotic Treasure like this any time I want.¡± As she spoke, she took out the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate, boasting, ¡°See this? I have the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate. Since we managed to find the Nine-grade Holy Lotus this time, who¡¯s to say we won¡¯t find other Innate Spiritual Objects next time?¡± ¡°You think Innate Spiritual Objects are cabbages, that you can just find them whenever you say so?¡± Su Jie scoffed, not taking her seriously. Indeed, the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate was powerful, but Exotic Treasures were exceedingly rare in the world, and even if they existed, it was unlikely to always be so fortunate as to come across them. ¡°I¡¯ll prove it to you,¡± Ning Xinyue declared, puffing her cheeks out like a little chipmunk. Seeing Su Jie showing off with the Sacred Lotus sapling, she was determined not to tolerate it. She had to obtain an Exotic Treasure that was just as good, to make Su Jie envious and resentful. Chapter 173 - 89: Heavenly Thunder Annihilates the Enemy (Second Update) Chapter 173: Chapter 89: Heavenly Thunder Annihilates the Enemy (Second Update) In the deep forest, the lush great trees towered majestically, their dense branches and leaves obscuring the sky, preventing sunlight and rain from penetrating. Thick moss climbed over rocks and tree trunks, rendering the entire forest dark and damp. Su Jie and Ning Xinyue walked between the trees after leaving the cave, the duo chose to return to the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace. Due to the use of the Enlightenment Lotus Seed, they had already been out for a week and were unsure of the current situation at Ghost Ridge Palace, especially concerning the contest for the exotic treasure. Su Jie stepped on the soft ground, dry leaves rustling underfoot, occasionally spotting some oddly shaped mushrooms and plants; strange roars echoed from a distance occasionally. Walking in such a forest, one absolutely needed some guts. Suddenly, Su Jie, who was walking, stopped, his divine soul sending out an alert. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ning Xinyue turned her head, puzzled. Su Jie raised his right hand, and a dragonfly landed on his fingertip, its tens of thousands of compound eyes failing to detect any enemy. ¡°I have a bad feeling.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes flashed, his divine sense spreading like water, conveying the nearby terrain and living creatures into his mind. The next moment, Su Jie turned his head towards the 11 o¡¯clock direction, where there were five human silhouettes made of spiritual power hiding. They were clad in cloaks with special patterns; the reconnaissance dragonfly flew past nearby but completely failed to detect them, as if it directly ignored their presence. ¡°Specifically aimed at the Insect Control Technique for reconnaissance, huh! Could these people be...¡± Su Jie¡¯s thoughts shifted, and then he reached out to stop Ning Xinyue, disappearing with her from the spot. Almost simultaneously, streaks of dark light suddenly flashed by, passing through the position where Su Jie and Ning Xinyue had just stood. Thousands of fine dark lights left dozens of towering trees riddled with holes, the attack coming very suddenly. Upon closer inspection, those dark lights were clearly numerous fine needles, yet they exhibited the power of large-caliber machine guns. Ning Xinyue, slightly slow to react, looked in the direction from which the dark light had come. There, the five people, failing in their sneak attack, actually stepped forward deliberately, blocking Su Jie and Ning Xinyue¡¯s path. The five people wore white robes and feathered crowns, appearing only in their early twenties. Their dress and temperament clearly differed from those of Ghost Ridge Palace, resembling disciples from some other righteous sect. ¡°Who are you?¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s voice was very displeased, her mood naturally not too good after being ambushed. ¡°Disciples of Qingluan Mountain, Zhuang Camp. We¡¯re lucky today, having discovered two demon cultivators from Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± The one who introduced himself as Zhuang Camp moved with the grace of a dragon and the strength of a tiger, his aura long and his spiritual power torrential, revealing seventh-level cultivation of the Yunling Realm; the other four had fourth-level and fifth-level cultivation of the Yunling Realm. As he spoke, Zhuang Camp stared intently at Su Jie, the robe of an inner disciple on Su Jie making him very wary. ¡°Qingluan Mountain.¡± Su Jie had heard of this sect, a righteous sect located in Qingzhou. However, due to its distance from Ghost Ridge Palace, there had been little interaction. Now that people from Qingluan Mountain appeared here, Su Jie vaguely understood something. ¡°Everyone attack, there¡¯s no need to talk about morals with these demon cultivators.¡± Zhuang Camp was not fond of idle talk. With a grand wave of his hand, he took out a Divine Light Treasure Seal and smashed it towards Su Jie¡¯s side. In mid-air, the Treasure Seal already enlarged to the size of thirty feet, as heavy as a mountain, rolling through the void with an imposing sound. The other four also charged forward, employing various Mystic Taoist Skills to launch their attacks. Disciples recited scriptures, each word adhering to their bodies like ink, enhancing their strength and defense as they charged forward. Others commanded flying swords, the cold light gleaming as the swords aimed straight for Su Jie¡¯s neck. Facing attacks from all directions, Su Jie¡¯s eyes did not waver; he simply raised his hand calmly and coldly uttered a word, ¡°Thunder comes.¡± Boom! Rolling heavenly thunders emerged from the void, with the majesty of the heavens, and the deafening sound of thunder exploded along with flashes of lightning. Each thunderbolt, carrying unrivaled might, struck the descending Divine Light Treasure Seal, directly flipping the Low-Grade Advanced Magical Artifact and even causing a crack to appear. Ahhhhhh! The cultivator covered in Taoist scriptures was struck by the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, howling miserably as his flesh turned to char under the high temperature, his organs cooked thoroughly as he fell forward onto the ground. The flying sword attacking Su Jie shattered inch by inch under the assault of the heavenly thunder, this Low-Grade Junior Flying Sword being too fragile to withstand even a single thunderbolt in the presence of Su Jie¡¯s Divine Skill, Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted as he made a clasping motion with his right hand. In the void, a spherical lightning appeared, resembling an invisible cage, enveloping the disciple who commanded the flying sword, his entire body exploding into fragments, dying an extremely tragic death. ¡°What kind of move is this ... you are a Ninth Level, no, Tenth Level disciple ...¡± Zhuang Camp¡¯s pupils shook violently because the spiritual power contained in Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Thunder Body was several times that of his peers, misleading him into misjudging Su Jie¡¯s cultivation strength. ¡°This is a Great Divine Skill, Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder.¡± A smile curled at the corner of Su Jie¡¯s mouth. Having just obtained this Divine Skill, there were people coming to him to practice, and after this test, Su Jie was even more satisfied with his Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder Divine Skill. ¡°Divine Skill, how is that possible ...¡± Zhuang Camp¡¯s face turned as white as paper, his whole body trembling slightly with fear. Those who possess Divine Skills have extremely special physiques, recognized as Divine Bodies, Immortal Bodies, or Sacred Bodies, and are genuine cultivation geniuses who are peerless among their peers. ¡°Not just him; I have Divine Skills too.¡± Ning Xinyue, unwilling to be outdone, blew a breath lightly. Two disciples from the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm who were backing away suddenly stiffened, then their bodies broke apart inch by inch, the severed parts emitting cold air, frozen from the inside out into icy fragments. Zhuang Camp¡¯s gaze turned dull, utterly dumbfounded, never expecting that he would kick an iron plate and encounter two Divine Skill users at once. When he came to his senses, he no longer had any will to fight, but turned around and fled like a dog that had lost its home. Such enemies were simply not ones he could afford to provoke. ¡°Ever heard of Five Thunders Bombing?¡± Su Jie did not pursue but connected his Divine Soul with heaven and earth, directing the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder to give chase. Boom! Boom! Boom! The sky seemed enveloped by a layer of dark clouds, then thunderbolts danced like dragons and snakes, as if the heavens decreed the thunder to descend onto the world, turning it upside down, the drums shaking the firmament. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Five consecutive heavenly thunders struck, and in an instant, the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunders crossing the skyline hit Zhuang Camp squarely, creating five deep pits on the ground, dirt flying up like waves several meters high, trees uprooted by the shockwave and lying flat on the ground like straw, with rising dust and smoke lingering long afterward. And Zhuang Camp, struck by the thunders, gave off blue smoke, and a breeze blew by, his body turning to ash and scattering with the wind. The might of heavenly thunder was terrifying to this extent. Unbeknownst to others, Su Jie¡¯s strength had grown to the point where even disciples of the Seventh Level of Yunling Realm were no match for him in a fight. Chapter 174 - 90: Destroying Mountains and Temples (Third Update) Chapter 174: Chapter 90: Destroying Mountains and Temples (Third Update) After dealing with Zhuang Camp¡¯s group, Su Jie began to gather the spoils of battle while looking over at Ning Xinyue. ¡°You¡¯re pretty ruthless yourself, actually freezing someone into ice shards.¡± Ning Xinyue pursed her lips and said, ¡°They tried to ambush me just now. Besides, what¡¯s going on here? Even disciples from the outer world¡¯s Righteous sects have invaded this place.¡± ¡°Not sure, let¡¯s find out after we return to the sect.¡± Shaking his head, Su Jie finished collecting some of the spoils and then quickly left with Ning Xinyue. ... Half a day later, Su Jie and Ning Xinyue encountered another attack. This time they met disciples from the Purple Mist Sect, whom Su Jie knew quite well. The group was led by a disciple with Sixth Level of Yunling Realm cultivation, accompanied by three other disciples between the Fourth and Fifth Levels of Yunling Realm. Their strength was even weaker than Ning Mao¡¯s. Su Jie easily turned them into charred corpses and collected a wave of spoils. When they returned to their sect, Su Jie discovered that there had been drastic changes. The sect was now on high alert, with members of the Law Enforcement Team stationed and patrolling everywhere. Along the way, there were disciples who had returned wounded, resting and recuperating, their expressions sullen. Law Enforcement Team disciples were collecting various Magic Artifacts, elixirs, and talismans. There were disciples embedding Blood Marrow Crystals and materials into the ground, hurrying to set up formations, the atmosphere of war extremely heavy. ¡°Su Jie.¡± As Su Jie was observing, a shout came from behind him. Turning around, he saw it was Chen Yun, a former teammate of his. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Chen Yun.¡± Seeing the blood seeping from Chen Yun¡¯s left leg, he asked, ¡°Were you injured by those Righteous Disciples?¡± Chen Yun nodded and said, ¡°After taking some Healing Pills, I¡¯m more or less fine. I was fortunate to survive a fight with some Righteous Disciples not long ago.¡± The situation seemed even more severe than Su Jie had anticipated. He furrowed his brow and said, ¡°I just came back from the outside world, tell me in detail.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s what happened: The Elders and the Righteous Sects were both left injured during their struggle over the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. Later, the Enlightenment Lotus Seeds released by the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus scattered across various locations. Unwilling to accept defeat, the Righteous Sects mobilized a large number of disciples to enter our Ghost Ridge Palace territory, aiming to destroy our sect.¡± ¡°Destroy our sect!¡± Su Jie¡¯s heart trembled at the thought. This was a war aimed at breaking the gates of Ghost Ridge Palace and severing its lineage! Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes sparkled with glee, looking as if she enjoyed a good spectacle regardless of its gravity. Although she didn¡¯t belong to Ghost Ridge Palace and was here only to seek Exotic Treasures, the prospect of witnessing the destruction of a sect was particularly shocking to her. ¡°Where are the Elders now?¡± After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Su Jie asked. Touching the wound on his arm, Chen Yun said, ¡°The Elders are staying at the border to confront the Hidden Realm powerhouses of the Righteous Sects. They¡¯re afraid we¡¯ll call upon the power of Insect Valley again and dare not barge into our Ghost Ridge Palace territory. They just tie down our sect¡¯s Elders. Just a few days ago, these Righteous Sects opted to send out their elite disciples to harass us, infiltrating deep into Ghost Ridge Palace to scout for intelligence and map out routes.¡± This was akin to the scouting and reconnaissance before a major battle. Without a clear understanding of the situation within Ghost Ridge Palace, and learning from the incident at Insect Valley, the Elders of those Righteous Sects did not dare to enter lightly. While they were talking, a group of people from the Command Hall suddenly approached, evidently having just received the news of Su Jie¡¯s return and specifically came to inform him. ¡°Where is Su Jie?¡± The person asking the question was an old man dressed in a black robe with golden edges. He was Zuo Xiping, the Hall Master of the Command Hall, with cultivation in the Secret Realm. Su Jie had once met him briefly. ¡°The disciple is here.¡± Su Jie performed a salutation, his mind quietly speculating. It seemed that the sect was now short of manpower, for they had sought him out as soon as he returned. ¡°Inner disciple Su Jie, you are hereby ordered: outsiders have invaded our sect, led by disciples from Guan Chao Pavilion, Miao Yin Temple, Golden Sword Sect, Purple Mist Sect, and Qingluan Mountain. You are commanded to set out the day after tomorrow, eliminate any righteous disciples you encounter, and uphold the dignity of our sect.¡± Zuo Xiping handed over a token. Aside from bearing Su Jie¡¯s name, there was a line on the back authorizing him to command five Outer Disciples. ¡°The disciple accepts the order.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression was solemn as he reached out to take the token. The token represented not only his identity but was also a magic artifact, providing a decent magic defense skill. As Su Jie accepted the order, many other disciples gathered around, discussing the scene among themselves. ¡°That must be Brother Su. His combat achievements are impressive; he will surely make the enemy tremble in fear.¡± ¡°If only I could join Brother Su¡¯s team.¡± ¡°Those righteous sects are powerful in numbers; I¡¯m afraid this battle...¡± These disciples, having heard of Su Jie¡¯s battle achievements and seeing him set out to face the enemy, couldn¡¯t help but show a look of admiration. Zuo Xiping patted Su Jie on the shoulder and said, ¡°Remember to bring back the bodies after killing them. For any disciple below the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm, kill one and you¡¯ll be rewarded with two hundred Blood Marrow Crystals. For those above the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm, each kill will net you three thousand Blood Marrow Crystals. Your Master Taoist Qiu is already at the front lines in a standoff, and Yu Wenxian has gone out to meet the enemy. Your strength is considerable; don¡¯t disappoint everyone.¡± ¡°The disciple always bears in mind the sect¡¯s kindness. At this time of crisis, I will go through fire and water for the sect, slaughtering all the invading enemies without hesitation, even if it costs my life.¡± Su Jie¡¯s face was filled with resoluteness, and while his words carried righteous fervor, they also bore a hint of sincere intention. If Ghost Ridge Palace were to fall, Su Jie, as a Demon Cultivator, would become a rootless Loose Cultivator, the kind everyone would want to eliminate, like a wanted criminal, unsafe wherever he went. As long as Ghost Ridge Palace stood, it was Su Jie¡¯s biggest support. Being part of Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie naturally needed to protect the interests of the sect. Unless Ghost Ridge Palace truly couldn¡¯t hold on, defeated by the righteous sects at the mountain gate, no longer capable of turning the tide. However, by then, Su Jie could still hide back in the Blue Star World and wait until everything was over before reemerging, though he would then be forced to live in exile. ¡°Very good, worthy of being Taoist Qiu¡¯s disciple.¡± Zuo Xiping was very satisfied with Su Jie¡¯s declaration and resolved, laughing heartily, ¡°Ghost Ridge Palace needs this kind of awareness now. Go back and get ready. Take this opportunity to select a group of disciples; you¡¯ll head out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Please rest assured, Hall Master Zuo. I won¡¯t let the sect down.¡± Su Jie bowed his hands in salute and watched as Zuo Xiping left. Ignoring the eager gazes of the surrounding disciples, Su Jie spoke up, ¡°Chen Yun, do you want to join my team?¡± After all, Chen Yun was an old acquaintance he had worked with for a long time. She was quite skilled, and although she was not quite at the level of inner disciples, she was easy to work with. As for other common disciples, Su Jie was not planning to recruit them. He was not in need of ordinary fighting power now. ¡°I¡¯ll join.¡± Chen Yun didn¡¯t hesitate at all. She had come back injured to recuperate, and joining Su Jie¡¯s team was naturally the better option. Su Jie then turned his gaze to Ning Xinyue. The girl hesitated for a few seconds before saying, ¡°It seems quite interesting. I¡¯ve never seen a sect war before, so count me in.¡± Su Jie revealed a satisfied smile and said to the people around, ¡°The team is formed. I don¡¯t need anyone else to join. You can all disperse now.¡± With this team composition, unless they encountered a Hidden Realm Elder, Su Jie was not afraid of any inner disciple. Chapter 175 - 91: Setting Out (Fourth Update) Chapter 175: Chapter 91: Setting Out (Fourth Update) The next day. In the morning. At the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie rode a Horned Scale Horse, with a Sword Nourishing Gourd hanging at his waist, ascending the dim staircase that led outside Ghost Ridge Palace. On both sides of the staircase, large numbers of Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples were watching. Most of these disciples were Outer Disciples with Cultivation below the Third Level of the Yunling Realm; they didn¡¯t qualify to join the fight against the Righteous Sects, cannon fodder needs to be used where it makes sense. By Su Jie¡¯s side, Chen Yun and Ning Xinyue were also riding horses. Although Ning Xinyue had only joined the sect for just over two months, she was considered a cultivation genius, so nobody thought much of it. In addition to Su Jie, there were several other teams heading out to face the enemy today, all led by Inner Disciples with Outer Disciples serving as support. ¡°That¡¯s Brother Su from our branch. With Brother Su taking action, we¡¯ll definitely be able to suppress those arrogant Righteous Disciples.¡± ¡°Brother Yan is also there, his Blood Copper Mace can shatter anything, those Righteous Disciples are going to be unlucky.¡± ¡°Brother Su is even stronger, for heaven¡¯s sake. Do you even know what the Soul Summoning Banner and White Bone Sky Slaying Sword are? Those are the truly powerful magical artifacts.¡± ¡°Clearly, it¡¯s Senior Sister Xu¡¯s Nether Water Heavenly Marrow Skill that¡¯s impressive. Senior Sister Xu has reached the Ninth Level of the Yunling Realm.¡± ¡°Stop arguing, if you ask me, Brother Xiao Fengyuan is the strongest. He¡¯s one of the top three disciples in our sect.¡± The disciples discussed with one another nonstop, unable to participate in battle; they could only join in the war atmosphere through such discussions. Among these disciples, Su Jie was quite popular, but even so, he wasn¡¯t the most famous one. Su Jie looked towards the other side¡ªabout twenty meters ahead¡ªwhere a tall, dark-skinned man with long hair was standing. His left hand was wrapped with a Multi-legged Centipede, and his right hand held a black-patterned Long Spear. Beneath him wasn¡¯t an ordinary Horned Scale Horse, but a tamed spiritual beast, the Four-eyed Illusion Demon Fox. As he rode, his cold eyes swept around, sharp as a hawk¡¯s, emitting a chilling light. A powerful aura surrounded him, the majestic Spiritual Power like a vast river and the robust Qi like a signal fire soaring fiercely, all speaking of his terrifying strength. This man was named Xiao Fengyuan, with Cultivation at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm and recognized as one of the top three fearsome beings among the many Inner Disciples. The other two ranked in the top three were Qi Shijian and Luo Jian, both also at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm. Of course, in the vast Ghost Ridge Palace, there were naturally more than these three who had reached the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm. It¡¯s not so easy to advance to the Secret Realm; many disciples are stuck at the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm, their potential exhausted, unable to break through. But among the numerous disciples at the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm, only these three are acknowledged as the strongest. Besides their Cultivation, their magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, talismans, and physique are equally astonishing, and each of them has made headlines with their deeds. For example, Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s famous battle occurred during a mission where he single-handedly annihilated over ten Inner Disciples from a Righteous Sect. Moreover, he successfully escaped back to Ghost Ridge Palace under the pursuit of the enemy¡¯s Elder, creating a sensation at the time. Sensing Su Jie¡¯s gaze, Xiao Fengyuan suddenly turned his head from atop the fox. ¡°You¡¯re Su Jie from Taoist Qiu¡¯s branch, right? I heard you won against two Inner Disciples in a two-on-one fight.¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s voice was calm, his expression devoid of any ripple; compared to his achievements, a two-on-one fight wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Brother Xiao.¡± Su Jie met Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s gaze, unsure of what kind of person he was. ¡°Cao Yuan is my junior brother.¡± Xiao Fengyuan looked at the Sword Nourishing Gourd at Su Jie¡¯s waist and suddenly made this remark. ¡°Uh!¡± Su Jie was taken aback, his Sword Nourishing Gourd had been snatched from the inner disciple Cao Yuan, so was the other party going to stand up for him? Subconsciously, Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted to the Multi-legged Centipede entwined around Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s left hand, a Top Grade Three Refinements poisonous insect, the black-patterned long spear in his right hand was a Mid Grade Magical Artifact, the magic robe he wore was a Mid Grade Magical Artifact, and the mount, a Four-eyed Illusion Demon Fox, was a spiritual beast at the pinnacle of the Yunling Realm. Hisss! With such strength, it made sense that he was one of the recognized strongest disciples! ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Cao Yuan lost fair and square due to his own inferior skills, there¡¯s nothing much to say about it. I don¡¯t have the idle time to fight his battles,¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s mouth curved up in a smile, which seemed a bit awkward as if he seldom smiled. ¡°You have good potential, so don¡¯t get yourself killed out there. If you encounter danger, remember to send up a signal flare. If I¡¯m nearby, I¡¯ll stop by.¡± Xiao Fengyuan nodded to Su Jie and then, without waiting for a reply, sped up his Four-eyed Illusion Demon Fox and left the Mountain Gate steps, entering the dense forest with a few teammates. Su Jie was somewhat confused; having gotten used to the arrogance of the Ghost Ridge Palace inner disciples, the sudden appearance of a seemingly normal person, at least on the surface, made Su Jie somewhat uncomfortable. Riding alongside Su Jie, Chen Yun opened her mouth to say, ¡°I¡¯ve actually heard some things about Brother Xiao. This brother has always been easy to talk to, especially to us Ghost Ridge Palace disciples¡ªeven the Outer Disciples would receive patient help and answers to their questions from him. If there were any conflicts or disputes, he would mediate to help both sides shake hands and make peace.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re talking about a Demon Cultivator?¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s reaction was similar to Su Jie¡¯s, both were half skeptical. After all, from what was rumored, Xiao Fengyuan seemed more in line with the temperament of a Righteous Disciple. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet, there is a reason for it. He has a tragic background; his parents and family were once a minor local noble family who offended the Righteous Sect, Guan Chao Pavilion, over a minor matter. The entire clan was eradicated by Guan Chao Pavilion¡¯s hand; only he happened to escape death while being out. Later on, he deliberately joined Ghost Ridge Palace to learn from their masters. After making a name for himself, he would specifically venture out to seek Righteous Disciples to improve his skills.¡± Chen Yun revealed all she knew. ¡°I see.¡± Su Jie nodded slightly, that explained it. ¡°Sounds a bit fishy.¡± Ning Xinyue muttered under her breath. ¡°There¡¯s nothing fishy about it. In the struggle between factions, there are bad people in the Righteous Sect and good people in the Demon Sect; for instance, I am one of the good ones.¡± ¡°...¡± Ning Xinyue rolled her eyes, dismissive of Su Jie¡¯s self-praise. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we should also pick up the pace.¡± Su Jie glanced at Ning Xinyue and, without further small talk, spurred his horse and galloped into the dense forest and mountains. ... Outside the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace. Above the clouds of the sky dome, several large Magic Boats were constantly sending down Skyfire Fury Flames, bombarding the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s Mountain Protection Array, and a long assault had opened a crack. On the deck, a special Magical Treasure, the Mystic Light Sky Mirror, was activated, forming a small Transmission Array connected to the interiors of the Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°To eliminate demons and uphold the path of righteousness, today is the day. Follow me and slay all Demon Cultivators, eradicating a major scourge from Qingzhou.¡± Batches of disciples, wearing different outfits and filled with righteous indignation, shouted their slogans, eager and confident as they stepped into the transmission array. As precious Spirit Stones were consumed one after another, an endless stream of disciples were sent into the territories within the Ghost Ridge Palace, with the intention of flattening this major Demon Sect in Qingzhou, destroying their legacy, and obliterating their Mountain Gate. Chapter 176 - 92: Sect War (First Update) Chapter 176: Chapter 92: Sect War (First Update) ¡°Insect Control Technique!¡± After leaving the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace and entering the dense forest, Su Jie immediately initiated his reconnaissance vision, with dragonflies flying in all directions. Reconnaissance is a very important part of warfare; whoever grasps the enemy¡¯s movements first gains the initiative in the battle. In addition to the Insect Control Technique, Su Jie also constantly expanded his Divine Sense for double reconnaissance. The layered peaks and the dense forest that blocked the sun created speckled patterns of light and shadow on the ground, where the sounds of insects and birds masked the traces of human presence. In such a place, having the upper hand in an encounter was extremely important. I knew your location while you were still clueless, leaving you no choice but to passively take hits. ... Several hours later, after traversing mountains, streams, pine forests, and waterfalls, Su Jie suddenly stopped. ¡°To the southeast, 1500 meters away, six enemies: one at the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm, one at the Ninth Level of the Yunling Realm, two at the Fifth Level, and two at the Fourth Level. Preliminary estimate, they are disciples from Guan Chao Pavilion.¡± Su Jie dismounted and calmly reported the enemy¡¯s information. Upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s precise report, Chen Yun immediately took action, releasing the low-grade poisonous insects and Ming Sheng Bats she was holding into the air. The bats¡¯ unique echolocation further pinned down the enemies¡¯ positions and numbers. ¡°I¡¯ll ambush from the front, Chen Yun, you create a diversion.¡± As Su Jie spoke, he released the thousand-hand centipede from his robe, instructing it to conceal its presence and then lie in wait on the enemy¡¯s path. Seeing no role for herself, Ning Xinyue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You are responsible for covering any slips and protecting my main body. You¡¯re not needed right now.¡± Su Jie glanced at Ning Xinyue, indicating the significance of bringing her along. ¡°Are you treating me as a human shield?¡± Ning Xinyue puffed her cheeks but still took out her Jade Heavenly Book, chanting Taoist scriptures and forming a protective barrier. Time quietly passed, and a few minutes later, when Su Jie once again sensed the location with his Divine Sense, he hesitated no further and slapped his Sword Nourishing Gourd at his waist. ¡°Darling, please turn around.¡± Streams of brilliant sword light burst forth from the mouth of the gourd. Boom! The thousand-hand centipede¡¯s body suddenly enlarged, its split bone cheeks emitting beams of purple light rays. The first wave of dozens of high-temperature beams covered the team of Guan Chao Pavilion disciples. These disciples of Guan Chao Pavilion were not slow to react. Being on alert already, they immediately took out Protective Talismans or used their movements to evade. But the high-temperature beams from the thousand-hand centipede were not only fast but also incredibly powerful, melting several disciples on the spot, including one at the Sixth Level of the Yunling Realm. Buzz, buzz! The Ming Sheng Bats opened their mouths, emitting an inaudible howl that, through resonance, affected the enemies¡¯ innards and movements. Immediately after, dozens of Flying Swords whizzed toward them, delivering a high-intensity barrage of firepower that decapitated several heads. In an instant, only one person was left alive. ¡°Nine Turns Crossing!¡± The last disciple at the Ninth Level of the Yunling Realm was terrified and attempted to flee, darting onto tree branches, covering a hundred meters in a single leap. Boom! Crack! Suddenly, a bolt of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder struck the disciple, immobilizing him. From below the woods, the massive body of the thousand-hand centipede leaped high, biting onto the disciple¡¯s torso and bringing him back to the ground. After two short screams, all was silent as the thousand-hand centipede chewed, leaving no further sound. ¡°So... so powerful.¡± Chen Yun secretly stuck out her tongue, originally thinking there would be a drawn-out fight to the death, she had not expected the battle to be so completely one-sided. The disciples of Guan Chao Pavilion didn¡¯t even see the shadows of those lying in ambush before they fell, one after another, to the relentless assault. This hardly seemed like a battle; it could almost be called a massacre. Ning Xinyue, bored, yawned and pouted, ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to do.¡± ¡°Su Jie, we should clean up the battlefield now and withdraw as soon as possible,¡± Chen Yun reminded him, having participated in such wars before, she knew too much commotion could easily attract the righteous disciples. ¡°The battlefield needs to be cleaned, but we¡¯re not withdrawing yet.¡± Instead of going personally, Su Jie commanded the thousand-hand centipede to extend multiple pale corpse hands, gathering all the corpses and spoils of war. After completing these tasks, Su Jie took a bamboo tube out of the enemy¡¯s storage bag. ¡°This should be the righteous disciples¡¯ call for reinforcements with a smoke signal, right?¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze turned towards Chen Yun. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re thinking of...¡± Chen Yun nodded and then her face suddenly showed surprise. ¡°Hunting down the righteous disciples one by one is too inefficient; better to have them come to us,¡± Twisting open the bamboo tube, a stream of yellow smoke spewed out, shooting straight up into the sky¡ªso visible that it could be seen even from afar. ¡°Prepare for the next battle.¡± Su Jie, with the thousand-hand centipede, lay in ambush once more. ...... A dozen minutes later. A team from the Golden Sword Sect, one from the Purple Mist Sect, and one from the Guan Chao Pavilion hurried from different directions, aiming to rescue the allies who had sent up the smoke signal. All three groups together numbered nearly twenty people, including five inner disciples¡ªfirepower enough to sweep through most of the defending teams of Ghost Ridge Palace. However, unfortunately for them, they ran into Su Jie, who happened not to be part of that ¡®most¡¯. ¡°We need to support the front, hurry up,¡± A disciple from the closest Golden Sword Sect shouted out, not knowing they were slowly stepping into the hunter¡¯s trap. The leading inner disciple, controlling a flying sword, was about to scout ahead when suddenly a thunderbolt as thick as a water barrel came crashing down from the heavens. ¡°What?¡± The disciple¡¯s face changed as he dodged by launching himself into an arc of light, but at that moment, a buzzing of flapping wings came from the sky¡ªswarms of human-faced moths descended like a storm, form a dense insect cloud that devoured everything in its path. A few Golden Sword Sect disciples managed to defend themselves using flying swords only for a moment before hundreds of low-grade human-faced moths broke through the defense line, planting themselves on the disciples¡¯ bodies to feast on flesh and blood. The Golden Sword Sect inner disciple suffered the same fate, torn to pieces by three mid-grade human-faced moths, meeting his end on the spot. Meanwhile, several other sides found themselves surrounded by dozens of flying swords encircling the disciples of Guan Chao Pavilion, while the disciples of Purple Mist Sect were ensnared within the Ten Thousand Yin Blood Nether Array, with screams of agony unceasingly coming forth. Amid the sounds of falling human remains, some were beheaded by flying swords, others had their souls swallowed by Yin Souls. Ten minutes later! Su Jie once again cleaned up the battlefield, collecting a great number of spoils. Atop the Sword Nourishing Gourd, some damaged flying swords were replaced with those from the Golden Sword Sect, bringing the number of Su Jie¡¯s flying swords to one hundred, reaching the current limit of the Sword Nourishing Gourd. He also selected some suitable elixirs and talismans from the spoils, and after completing all this, Su Jie carefully gathered the corpses and then, accompanied by Ning Xinyue and Chen Yun, calmly left in search of the next location from which to launch a rescue smoke signal. Chapter 177 - 93: Influence (Second Update) Chapter 177: Chapter 93: Influence (Second Update) A week later. Outside the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace, a floating magic boat was flying through the vast misty clouds. The shell of the magic boat shone with golden light, and the surface of the glaze reflected the last remnants of the setting sun, casting a fairyland-like scenery amidst the elegant clouds. On the deck of the floating magic boat, there was a man-made miniature garden with waterfalls cascading down from artificial hills, and the splashing water droplets sparkled with rainbow-like light under the sun. A variety of delicate and exotic flowers and spirit plants bloomed around, emitting a fragrant aroma. With the small streams flowing and pavilions scattered around, the scene was graceful and refined. It was hard to imagine such scenery on top of a magic boat. Such a magic boat was extremely expensive, basically a floating miniature ecosystem that could rely on powerful formations to rapidly produce elixirs, magic artifacts, and talismans. It also had complete defensive and offensive capabilities and could enhance the power of the cultivators¡¯ magic. The sects of medium size within Qingzhou could not afford one even if they pooled all their resources. And now, the three floating magic boats in the sky, all belonging to Guan Chao Pavilion, showed their immense wealth and power, worthy of being the number one sect in Qingzhou. Near the deck garden, a group of young people with extraordinary presence arrived at a leisurely pace, including both men and women, their attire and temperament far from ordinary. The men were handsome, and the women stunning, all iconic figures among the disciples of the great sects. The leaders were a young man and a woman, both with remarkable presence, with the others revolving around them like stars accompanying the moon. This group came to the edge of the deck, gazing down at the vast mountains below the magic boat. ¡°Brother Du, when can we break into Ghost Ridge Palace? I¡¯m getting impatient.¡± Mo Shiyao parted her cherry lips slightly, her jet-black hair dancing in the breeze, her slender body emitting a faint fragrance, dressed in a gorgeous brocade gown. Her beautiful face featured crystal-clear eyes, shining like brilliant stars. Mo Shiyao was a disciple from Miao Yin Temple, a sect comprising only female cultivators. And because of her looks and talent, she was chosen by Si Xinying to serve at her side and be trained as the successor. The young man she addressed was wearing a feathered robe and a coronet on his head, his face like a piece of jade, and his body emitting an aura of wholeness and stability, like an ancient pine. This young man was the direct disciple of Elder Zhuang, named Du Shaochang, who at a young age not only attained the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm but also possessed the special constitution of the Jade Sun True Body, overwhelming his fellow cultivators by a large margin. ¡°The map of the inside of Ghost Ridge Palace is not yet complete; rushing in recklessly would leave us unfamiliar with the terrain and environment, making us vulnerable to an incident like the Insect Valley uprising. Hence, the elders have discussed that we must be fully prepared before we crush Ghost Ridge Palace entirely in one fell swoop,¡± replied Du Shaochang with an indifferent voice, his eyes shining like torches. Although he had yet to step into the Secret Realm, he already possessed a bit of the dignity of a superior being. With that, Du Shaochang¡¯s lips curled into a cold smirk as he slowly said, ¡°Ghost Ridge Palace is now merely struggling on its deathbed. Sooner or later, our united Five Sects will break in and flatten the Mountain Gate.¡± ¡°I think so, too. Those bugplayers are not capable of much. If it weren¡¯t for their geographical advantage and familiarity with the terrain, they would have been flattened by us a long time ago.¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow, I am going to enter the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace. Everyone, wait for my good news. I won¡¯t come back unless I¡¯ve killed at least ten Ghost Ridge Palace disciples.¡± ¡°Actually, there are some formidable people in Ghost Ridge Palace. I heard from a friend that there¡¯s someone named Su Jie who has killed many of our disciples recently.¡± A group of junior brothers and sisters following behind discussed among themselves, with some agreeing and others disagreeing. ¡°What formidable people? They are just showing off because I haven¡¯t taken the stage yet,¡± commented Du Shaochang arrogantly, with an air suggesting that all the heroes of the world were no match for him. ¡°I also want to see for myself these Ghost Ridge Palace disciples, but it¡¯s a pity Master won¡¯t let me go in,¡± Mo Shiyao shook her head, her smile as blooming as a flower, enchanting the male disciples and making their divine souls capsize. Just as the group of disciples was chatting merrily, the upper deck of the magic boat presented a completely different scene. ............ With a stack of lists of the dead and missing in his hand, Zhuang Liangru¡¯s face turned iron blue as he heavily slapped the table with a palm. As a cultivator of the Taoist Platform Realm, his rare display of anger with a pair of fierce, tiger-like eyes sent shivers down one¡¯s spine. ¡°Tell me, why has the number of our sect¡¯s disciples killed in action increased so much this week.¡± Zhuang Liangru snorted coldly, his gaze turning toward Yang Xu, the person responsible for the disciples¡¯ battles. ¡°To report to Elder Zhuang, recently a demon cultivator from Ghost Ridge Palace named Su Jie has been using rescue smoke as bait, ambushing and stealth attacking our righteous sect disciples. Adding to that, his formidable strength has led to many disciples being caught off guard and killed in his ambushes.¡± Yang Xu¡¯s face was somewhat pale as he painstakingly relayed the situation to Zhuang Liangru. Since the righteous sects also capture disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace, getting such information was not difficult. ¡°Useless! If they resort to such methods, can¡¯t you also employ the same tactics in battle?¡± Zhuang Liangru was furious and wouldn¡¯t listen to any explanation. As the Supreme Elder of Guan Chao Pavilion and a cultivator of the Taoist Platform Realm, he had been appointed as the chief person in charge of the attack on Ghost Ridge Palace. However, he did not have the energy to handle the affairs of the disciples but was responsible for keeping the elders of Ghost Ridge Palace in check. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Yang Xu spoke in a low voice, ¡°We have tried it, but those demon cultivators mostly ignore their own rescue smoke, so our ambushes have had little effect. However, I¡¯ve already ordered the disciples to be cautious of the rescue smoke traps and to withdraw immediately upon spotting them to avoid further casualties.¡± For demon cultivators, it was every man for himself; many ignored their own distress signals, rendering the tactic quite ineffective. Zhuang Liangru suddenly stood up and said loudly, ¡°This cannot go on. Are we to be afraid of demon cultivators?¡± As he spoke, Zhuang Liangru rose and left the room, his gaze immediately falling upon Du Shaochang and the others on the deck. ¡°Shaochang, come here at once,¡± he called out. His voice, like Heavenly Thunder, echoed across the entire magic boat. A moment later, Du Shaochang saluted Zhuang Liangru and said, ¡°Master, what are your orders?¡± ¡°Go to Ghost Ridge Palace and capture this person for me,¡± Zhuang Liangru ordered as he pushed the information forward, continuing coldly, ¡°Within five days, I want to see this person¡¯s head displayed before me.¡± ¡°Master, leave everything to your disciple.¡± Du Shaochang¡¯s eyes lit up. He had come here to hone his skills but had yet to have a chance to take action. Now, at last, he could fully unleash his abilities. ¡°Elder Zhuang, perhaps I could go along as well. My strength could also be of help to Brother Du,¡± proposed Mo Shiyao as she gracefully approached, her gaze toward Du Shaochang especially gentle, conveying her wish to accompany him. ¡°If your master has no objections,¡± Zhuang Liangru replied with a smile, immediately recognizing the affection between the two, a development he approved of. ¡°I will personally discuss it with my master,¡± Mo Shiyao replied joyfully in her heart, resolved to convince her master, Si Xinying, no matter how difficult it might be. Chapter 178 - 94: Corpse Hand Man Slaughter (Third Update) Chapter 178: Chapter 94: Corpse Hand Man Slaughter (Third Update) Ghost Ridge Palace! In the dark forest under the night sky, everything was pitch black, with only the faint moonlight piercing through dense leaves to illuminate some areas. A gentle breeze blew, causing the leaves to rustle loudly, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. A demon cultivator, his chest soaked in blood and already severely injured, was staggering as he fled. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to die here.¡± Yin Wenwen clutched her chest, where a through-and-through bullet wound was visible, faintly revealing the beating heart inside. If it weren¡¯t for her having seventh-level cultivation in the Yunling Realm and having swallowed a mid-grade elixir to hang onto a breath of life, she wouldn¡¯t have possibly made it here with such injuries. Suddenly, Yin Wenwen saw a faint flicker of firelight ahead, as if there was a bonfire burning. ¡°Someone¡¯s there, friend or foe...¡± Yin Wenwen was still hesitating when she suddenly heard noise from behind her. ¡°There¡¯s blood on the ground, she ran west.¡± ¡°Chase, don¡¯t let her get away.¡± ¡°She is an inner disciple, her head is worth two thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones.¡± The shouting was getting closer, Yin Wenwen knew it was a squad from the Purple Mist Sect, led by a strong individual at the ninth level of Yunling Realm. Yin Wenwen¡¯s squad had encountered the enemy group; after a dire battle, she was the only one who had barely managed to escape. ¡°All or nothing.¡± Clenching her teeth, Yin Wenwen recklessly ran toward the direction of the firelight. Hu hu! After taking a few hundred more steps, Yin Wenwen, panting heavily, finally appeared in the range illuminated by the bonfire. Upon seeing three figures in Ghost Ridge Palace robes in front of the bonfire, her tense heart finally relaxed, and with her last breath, she gasped, ¡°Run, quick, there are Righteous Disciples chasing from behind...¡± She had not finished speaking when she collapsed to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, leave this to us.¡± A gentle female voice came through, followed by someone stuffing an elixir into Yin Wenwen¡¯s mouth, which immediately improved her chest wound significantly. ¡°Heh, I didn¡¯t expect to have such a fortuitous find in the dead of night. Could today be my lucky day?¡± ¡°Hey, you go handle the enemy quickly, don¡¯t steal my roast chicken.¡± Yin Wenwen then heard the voices of a man and a woman. After swallowing the elixir, her injuries improved slightly, and she barely managed to open her eyes. With the help of the bonfire light, she looked toward the three people. A woman with ugly, centipede-like scars on her face, a cute and beautiful young girl, and... Upon seeing the figure eating chicken legs in front of the bonfire, Yin Wenwen¡¯s pupils dilated dramatically as she exclaimed, ¡°You, you, you... you are Corpse Hand Man Slaughter.¡± It was a figure wearing an inner disciple¡¯s magic robe, with even features and bright eyes. Illuminated by the bonfire, his eyes shone like two flickering and burning sparks. The usually groggy Yin Wenwen was shocked the moment she saw this man, recognizing him as the infamous Corpse Hand Man Slaughter¡ªSu Jie. Because in the past week since Su Jie had entered the battlefield, he had ambushed various sect teams, striking them down one after another with rescue smokescreens. Nowadays, when teams from Righteous Sects saw their own rescue smoke signals, they thought not of rescue but of fleeing as far away as possible at the first chance, such was the awe-inspiring reputation Su Jie had carved out. And within Ghost Ridge Palace, with the current tense battle situation, Su Jie¡¯s achievements were naturally being heavily publicized to boost morale, hence Yin Wenwen¡¯s excitement upon seeing Su Jie. ¡°Don¡¯t call me by that nickname, it sounds too unpleasant.¡± Su Jie meticulously chewed and swallowed a chicken bone before slowly rising from the ground. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Almost at the same instant, four Purple Mist Sect disciples chased down to this location. ¡°Haha, I wonder where you can run to now. Oh, there are other Demon Cultivators here too, buy one get three, just what I need...¡± A ninth-level disciple of the Purple Mist Sect burst out laughing, but as soon as he recognized Su Jie¡¯s face, the self-satisfied smile instantly froze, turning uglier than a cry. ¡°Corpse Hand Man Slaughter¡ªSu Jie.¡± The four Purple Mist Sect disciples broke out in cold sweat; they had heard of Su Jie¡¯s great reputation and had seen his portraits. Seeing Su Jie¡¯s appearance at this moment, the four felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, and without a second thought, they turned and tried to flee. ¡°I¡¯ve said stop calling me by that nickname; it really doesn¡¯t suit my image.¡± Su Jie sighed lightly and snapped his fingers gently, ¡°However, since you¡¯ve gone to the trouble of delivering yourselves to me, I will give you a swift end.¡± As soon as these words fell, from the forest branches, ground¡¯s dead leaves, and crevices in the vines, numerous pale corpse hands swarmed. Their fingers rapidly crawled on the ground, pouncing towards these Purple Mist Sect disciples. Ah! One disciple was tackled by several corpse hands; his neck was twisted into a spiral, and his body was subsequently torn apart. Creak! Creak! Creak! More pale corpse hands ran on the ground, filling the surrounding forest, seeming to form barriers with their bodies, blocking all paths of retreat and plunging the Purple Mist Sect disciples into despair. ¡°Let¡¯s fight him.¡± Someone, breaking down, launched a suicidal charge towards where Su Jie was. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t taken more than two steps when his head, as big as a fist, thudded onto the ground. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword flashed in the dark, forming a brilliant galaxy with hundreds of Flying Swords, its Sword Qi like wind, its chill piercing, creating a vortex-like whirlwind. Wherever the Flying Sword Galaxy passed, Sword Qi swept across all directions; whether it was rocks, trees, flowers, or animals, all trembled and shattered before its power. Su Jie stood quietly in his place, his gaze calm and deep, appreciating the screams in the dark and the limbs strewn about. In less than three minutes, when the sword swarm returned into the gourd, Su Jie also turned around and walked back towards the campfire. Behind him, streams of pale corpse hands climbed up Su Jie¡¯s trouser legs, continuously burrowing into his robe and disappearing. Gulp! Yin Wenwen swallowed saliva hard, now understanding why Su Jie was called Corpse Hand Man Slaughter. This terrifyingly eerie demeanor, the scene of tormenting the enemy, was indeed striking. Returning to the front of the campfire, Su Jie opened one of the storage bags and rummaged inside to find a rescue smoke bamboo tube. ¡°This should be useless now, now that those Righteous Disciples dare not come close to a rescue smoke plume.¡± While eating a chicken leg, Ning Xinyue mumbled a reminder. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, maybe someone who hasn¡¯t received the message will still take the bait.¡± Su Jie twisted open the rescue smoke bamboo tube, the orange-yellow smoke column gleaming and flashing under the night sky. Because a special type of mineral powder was added to the smoke, it lit up the night sky like a flare, so dazzling and eye-catching that it could be spotted from a great distance. ¡°Thank you, Brother Su, for saving my life.¡± Yin Wenwen struggled to stand up at this moment and bowed seriously to thank Su Jie. ¡°It¡¯s nothing but a small favor.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, continuing to enjoy his food. Yin Wenwen sighed in relief but then noticed that Su Jie¡¯s food-eating hand paused. ¡°Huh, someone is actually coming! Haven¡¯t these guys learned their lesson yet!¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted towards the dark forest, sensing two humans rapidly approaching from his three o¡¯clock direction with his Divine Sense. Chapter 179 - 95: Jade Sun True Body (Fourth Update) Chapter 179: Chapter 95: Jade Sun True Body (Fourth Update) ¡°Something¡¯s not right about them.¡± Su Jie¡¯s Divine Sense swept over the area. As he sensed the two approaching at an alarming speed, so too did they hasten their advance toward him. ¡°Be careful, we¡¯ve got a master coming. Chen Yun, you take her and get out of here first.¡± A serious expression crossed Su Jie¡¯s face. Judging solely by their speed, this enemy was no ordinary one, not at all comparable to the previous Righteous Disciples. ¡°Understood.¡± Without asking more, Chen Yun decisively picked up Yin Wenwen and retreated deeper into the mountains. Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes rolled around, also thinking of slipping away. ¡°You stay and draw their fire for me, I don¡¯t want to be outnumbered.¡± At this moment, however, Su Jie called out to Ning Xinyue to stay. ¡°Hmph.¡± Ning Xinyue pouted and said subconsciously, ¡°So I¡¯m your human shield again.¡± As they spoke, the silhouettes of the approaching enemies quickly closed in, appearing before Su Jie. The leader, dressed in a blue robe, had a face like fine jade and a straight figure that exuded an extraordinary bearing. His body seemed to scatter the essence of starlight, casting a glow over the night like a myriad of dawn¡¯s colors. Beside him was an extremely beautiful woman with a slender figure. With delicate eyebrows, bright teeth, and skin white as snow, she carried an ancient zither on her back. A shallow smile and light frown gave off an indescribable charm. ¡°So you¡¯re the one called Su Jie? We finally found you.¡± The man in blue took out a portrait of Su Jie, compared it, and then suddenly spoke with a chilled voice, ¡°By the command of our master, Zhuang Liangru, the one to take your head is Du Shaochang of Guan Chao Pavilion.¡± Mo Shiyao slightly parted her red lips, a radiant, tender smile on her face, yet the words she spoke were filled with murderous intent. ¡°Brother Du, don¡¯t waste words with them. Just kill this scum directly.¡± As she spoke, she floated more than a meter above the ground, taking the ancient zither off her back. Her slender jade fingers fluttered like dancing butterflies, playing the ethereal music of the great path beneath the moonlight. ¡°So they¡¯ve come specifically for me.¡± Su Jie narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the impressive duo that had appeared, knowing this night would not end well. ¡°Hey, Su Jie, if we can¡¯t beat them, can we run?¡± Ning Xinyue clung to Su Jie¡¯s arm, asking cautiously. ¡°We can, but I don¡¯t think we necessarily can¡¯t fight them.¡± Su Jie nodded. However, his words were overheard by the other side. ¡°Still thinking of putting up a futile resistance? See the gap between us.¡± With his hands clasped behind his back, Du Shaochang stepped toward Su Jie, his face filled with composure and the grandeur of a grandmaster, not taking Su Jie seriously at all. ¡°True Word¡ªThousand Sword Marvelous Sound!¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s fingers rapidly strummed, and the sound of sword chimes emanated from the ancient zither. In the void, a number of translucent long swords materialized, the moon¡¯s glow giving each sword a layer of cold light, transforming them into divine swords as sharp as mud-cutters, aiming for Su Jie and Ning Xinyue. Ning Xinyue pulled out the Jade Heavenly Book, its tadpole-like moving engravings forming a barrier that splashed ripples against the onslaught of the divine swords. ¡°True Word¡ªMoon Wheel Slash.¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s hands gently stroked the ancient zither, the pleasant and wonderful music suddenly becoming urgent. The moon¡¯s essence in the sky turned liquid, forming a silver-white moon wheel ten zhang in size. It spun at high speed, its cutting edge slicing through the air, leaving a deep gorge in the earth as it traveled. Zzzt! The Moon Wheel rubbed against the engraving barrier, causing ripples to continuously spread across it. Both parties poured their Spiritual Power into their confrontation, gazing intently at one another across the divide. ¡°What a fierce woman,¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s expression grew solemn, the strength of Mo Shiyao was not to be underestimated. ¡°Xiao Qian.¡± Su Jie released the thousand-hand centipede from his sleeve. As soon as it touched the ground, it transformed into its original form tens of meters long, its hideous and terrifying bug body thundering forward, lunging at Du Shaochang. ¡°Mid Grade Four Refinement poisonous insect... no wonder you can act so violently for a moment. However, since you¡¯ve encountered me tonight, your massacre stops here.¡± Du Shaochang¡¯s face underwent a subtle change, but he still maintained a cool demeanor, leisurely extending his left hand and lightly rebuking, ¡°Vast and mighty sun, arise!¡± Around him erupted tens of thousands of treasure lights as if he had turned into the sun itself, the intense shockwave sweeping in all directions, creating a spiral pit tens of meters in diameter on the spot. Boom! The next moment, Du Shaochang¡¯s arms reached out, blocking the two massive pincers of the thousand-hand centipede, his body turning as clear and translucent as jade, while terrifying power exploded from 36,000 acupoints all over his body as if he had lit up countless brilliant stars within him. One was a colossal creature nearly forty meters in length, and the other was a mere two meters tall human. The collision of forces between the two should logically have had no chance of surprise, and yet, surprisingly, Du Shaochang really resisted the violent impact of the thousand-hand centipede with his physical body alone. ¡°Jade Sun True Body.¡± Ning Xinyue let out a startled cry, recognizing Du Shaochang¡¯s special physique. This was one kind of Sacred Body that was said to be able to grapple with Kunpengs when fully cultivated, with defensive strength comparable to mountains, possessing unpredictable divine might, and an unparalleled reputation in close combat. ¡°Just a poisonous insect, lie down for me.¡± Du Shaochang¡¯s face was cold, his arms exerting force, his body making strange sounds as if stars were shaking, Spiritual Power surging like enormous waves, his blood and Qi shooting up to the sky, attempting to flip the thousand-hand centipede onto the ground. Fizz! The thousand-hand centipede¡¯s cold bug eyes fixed dead on Du Shaochang, the bone armor on its head suddenly splitting open with fine cracks, purple light escaping from them. Du Shaochang¡¯s face changed abruptly as he quickly disengaged and retreated at high speed. Boom boom boom! Purple Light Rays penetrated tens of meters into the ground, turning the area into a honeycomb. Looking at Du Shaochang on the opposite side, his body was covered with fresh blood, his face, neck, and chest all bearing shocking wounds. ¡°I hate it most when people act tough in front of me.¡± Su Jie patted the head of the thousand-hand centipede, which was capable of much more than simply brute force. Du Shaochang wiped the blood from his body, his entire person shining with treasure light and rosy clouds, the wounds slowly healing. ¡°To actually inflict injury on me, you¡¯re pretty good.¡± At this time, Du Shaochang¡¯s hair was disheveled, the crown that had been fixed upon his head had fallen in the fight, and with the blood not yet dried on his body, he looked somewhat bedraggled, but he still spoke with an air of arrogance. ¡°You¡¯ll be injured even more in a moment.¡± Su Jie patted the Sword Nourishing Gourd, waved the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and, holding Ning Xinyue by the waist, they rapidly fled into the Dark Forest. The guy across from them was clearly a close-combat Cultivator, and Su Jie had no intention of engaging in close-quarters combat with his opponent. ¡°Thinking of escaping?¡± Mo Shiyao slightly lifted her ancient musical instrument, moonlight sprinkling upon her, making her snow-white skin even more translucent and jade-like, her dress floating around her, as if she were a Moon Goddess who had descended from the moon itself. Ding ding dong dong! Mo Shiyao stood the ancient instrument up, strumming a series of notes toward Su Jie¡¯s direction. Likes pearls and jade falling on a plate, the crisp and beautiful sound of the music rang out, as if the moon above descended, the moonlight turning into a colossal Luan Bird, screeching as it dove to grab at Su Jie and Ning Xinyue. Meanwhile, Du Shaochang was crouching down, releasing a burst of power like a cannonball to catch up to Su Jie. Chapter 180 - 96: Bloody Battle (First Update) Chapter 180: Chapter 96: Bloody Battle (First Update) Ning Xinyue twisted her head, her hands covered with a heavy layer of frost. With a push of her hands, a cold current spread out, freezing the grass, trees, and rocks. The Luan Bird that flew overhead fell to the ground, turning into a pile of ice debris emitting cold air. Du Shaochang, who was in pursuit, was also frozen into an ice sculpture. Boom! Star Light erupted like a volcano, as Du Shaochang forcibly broke free from the ice sculpture, his gaze fixed on Ning Xinyue. ¡°Xuanyin Body?¡± Du Shaochang touched his skin, which had cracked due to the low temperature, and guessed some information about Ning Xinyue. Without further thought, amid the silent environment, howling Sword Qi suddenly came from the sky. Hundreds of Flying Swords, enhanced by the Sword Nourishing Gourd, broke through the clouds at supersonic speed, their sword intents like a frost-covered waterfall, instantly overwhelming the area where Du Shaochang stood. ¡°Break for me.¡± Du Shaochang roared, striking with his hands and fists, his flesh shaking the heavens, and most of the Flying Swords were unable to pierce into his flesh. However, one white bone sword, exceptionally sharp and comparable to the capabilities of a Mid-grade Flying Sword, was so potent that even he dared not touch its edge lightly. Bang bang bang! Du Shaochang kept throwing punches, breaking the Flying Swords that were struck on impact. ¡°Useless, useless, useless.¡± Du Shaochang¡¯s voice gradually became hoarse, as he suddenly erupted in dazzling Divine Power, his punching wind howling fiercely, not only knocking away the dozens of Flying Swords that were close but also causing the thousand-hand centipede to stagger. Then, like lightning, each step he made left deep craters several meters in diameter on the ground as he rapidly approached Su Jie and Ning Xinyue. ¡°One Force Breaks All Techniques.¡± Du Shaochang¡¯s right fist gathered dazzling Star Light, as if numerous deities within him had suddenly opened their eyes, conveying the terrifying might of a world-shattering force. A Star Radiance Divine Fist, several tens of meters in size, smashed down, causing the engraving barrier to shatter with a roar, Su Jie and Ning Xinyue both used the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique, transforming into several clones to scatter and flee. Bang! A strong shockwave transmitted from behind, Su Jie¡¯s body flashed with lightning, resisting the impact, yet still, he spat out blood. Ning Xinyue, however, sealed herself in ice, and like a golf ball, was sent flying into the depths of the dense forest. From afar, Chen Yun and Yin Wenwen turned their heads in astonishment, only to see the explosive battle fluctuations in the distance, the strong winds blowing through their hair. It was hard to imagine that even from such a distance, one could feel the aftereffects of the battle, hinting at how fierce the confrontation at the epicenter of the battlefield must be. ¡°A mere heretical force, how can you stand against my Jade Sun True Body? My cultivation is focused on proving the Tao with strength, something you Demon Cultivators will never understand.¡± A proud voice came through, Du Shaochang looked over the smoky battlefield, which now contained a massive crater. ¡°Brother Du, let¡¯s finish them in one fell swoop, kill these two devils.¡± From a distance, Mo Shiyao took a light breath, her gaze towards Du Shaochang filled with admiration. She had heard that Du Shaochang, for the sake of cultivating the method of proving the Tao with strength, purified his mind and never relied on any Magic Artifact or talisman. In battle, his fist could cause the sky to collapse, with few enemies able to withstand his ordinary punch. ¡°One Force Breaks All Techniques, I want to see if you¡¯re truly as durable as they say.¡± Suddenly, amidst the dusty haze, Su Jie rose into the air from his original spot, flying higher and higher. ¡°Hm, can fly too...¡± Du Shaochang¡¯s expression changed slightly, and with a flick of his foot, several stones were kicked away. He stepped on a few stones as if he were a weightless leaf, using the stones to gain momentum, and floated unsteadily upwards to pursue and kill Su Jie. ¡°Heavenly Thunder.¡± A dark cloud appeared above Su Jie, from which rolling Heavenly Thunder continuously struck down, and Du Shaochang, unable to exert force in mid-air, was struck down. Su Jie floated little by little towards the sky, and although his speed was very slow, it undeniably gave him a great advantage over enemies who could not fly. ¡°Brother Du, I will help you.¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s hands moved rapidly, conjuring transparent staircases out of thin air, forming a stairway that led to Su Jie. Du Shaochang¡¯s eyes brightened, his qi and blood surged, and he emitted a terrifyingly palpitating aura as he rushed up the stairway towards Su Jie. Su Jie¡¯s expression remained unchanged, while above him, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as dark clouds continued to bring down Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. From afar, dozens of Purple Light Rays also converged and shot over, once again knocking him out of the sky. The thousand-hand centipede rushed forward, leapt high into the air, and opened its vast maw to swallow Du Shaochang whole into its belly. ¡°Brother Du!¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s face turned pale with fright, and her mind instantly became chaotic. From within the belly of the thousand-hand centipede, a cluster of Treasure Light pierced through flesh and blood, as a terrifying surge of Spiritual Power burst forth like a vast ocean. The next moment, Du Shaochang tore open the centipede¡¯s belly and escaped. His skin was corroded in many places by stomach acid, exposing white bones that glowed with a faint golden color, and his majestic Divine Power shone brightly as he fixed his eyes, filled with murderous intent, on Su Jie. ¡°Indeed, the physical body is formidable.¡± Su Jie muttered to himself. The centipede¡¯s stomach acid could instantly digest even steel, yet it was unable to kill this man, whose body¡¯s toughness was abnormally strong, and he possessed Divine Power capable of subduing dragons and tigers. ¡°If you have the skills, come down here, what¡¯s so great about floating in the sky.¡± Grinding his teeth, Du Shaochang¡¯s long hair was in utter disarray. By this point, he had realized how difficult Su Jie was to deal with. Not only did Su Jie have numerous methods at his disposal, but he also fought in an exceedingly resilient manner. ¡°You have the ability to come up here!¡± Su Jie curled his lips, formed a Dharma Seal with his hands, and from his elevated position, struck down towards Du Shaochang with a palm. Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint. Du Shaochang responded with a punch, directly shattering the Handprint, then his gaze quickly surveyed his surroundings, pondering how to bring Su Jie down. However, Su Jie did not give him the chance, as he slapped his Insect Control Bag at his waist. Tens of thousands of human-faced moths swarmed out, forming an insect cloud that blotted out the sky and covered Du Shaochang. Du Shaochang neither dodged nor avoided; when the human-faced moths landed on him, they tried to gnaw at his flesh but found their teeth shattered instead, and their acidic secretions left no marks. Only the Low Grade and Mid-grade Human-faced Moths could cause any damage to Du Shaochang. Spiritual Radiance layered around him, shattering each human-faced moth into insect mud, as Du Shaochang shouted, ¡°Relying on a bunch of little bugs, you think you can do anything to me? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± ¡°Jade Sun True Body, is it? I refuse to believe I can¡¯t break through your tortoise shell.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes were filled with cold intent as he waved the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. The night grew even darker. Over ten thousand Yin Souls crawled out from the Soul Summoning Banner, blanketing the sky alongside the countless human-faced moth swarm, covering Du Shaochang. A river of souls formed by the Yin Souls approached Du Shaochang, but some were extinguished by his boiling qi and blood as soon as they came close. However, the Yin Souls, devoid of fear, along with the human-faced moths drawn to flame, continuously and repeatedly assaulted Du Shaochang¡¯s body. In the distance, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, carrying the remaining dozens of Flying Swords, whistled as it approached, and the terrifying form of the thousand-hand centipede once again thundered forward. Chapter 181 - 97: War of Attrition (Second Update) Chapter 181: Chapter 97: War of Attrition (Second Update) Insect Cloud, Flying Swords, Yin Souls, Corpse Hands, Heavenly Thunder¡ªall launched round after round of frenzied attacks on the battlefield. The swarm tore flesh and blood, the Flying Swords whistled past, Yin Souls coiled into rivers, and Corpse Hands climbed aboard. Add to that the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s own body, which also engaged in a bloody brawl with Du Shaochang. As they fought, blood and flesh flew everywhere. Relying on its massive size and superior self-healing ability, the thousand-hand centipede traded wound for wound with Du Shaochang. Under this relentless assault, the Star Light on Du Shaochang¡¯s body gradually dimmed. Dragged into a war of attrition, he was slowly worn down. No matter how divine his power, he, unable to fly, was at a loss against Su Jie. Conversely, Su Jie, despite feeling pained by his broken Flying Swords, scattered Yin Souls, and human-faced moths reduced to mince, found such losses completely acceptable. On another part of the battlefield, Mo Shiyao saw Du Shaochang get trapped and gradually fall into disadvantage. Her heart instantly tightened. She had not expected that with Du Shaochang¡¯s strength, he would actually be at a disadvantage in the fight. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable for her side, Mo Shiyao had no choice but to use her trump card. ¡°True Word¡ªStar River Sword!¡± Mo Shiyao paid a great price to forcibly wield the secret technique, spitting fresh blood onto the ancient zither, her complexion instantly turning as pale as paper. The ancient zither then echoed with haunting melodies, seemingly connecting with a certain star. The void shuddered, lights flooded the sky, and an aurora dragged a long tail of light, bringing a vast and terrifying presence from above the heavens. The area within ten miles was illuminated by the aurora. Birds and beasts fled in terror, and the old and strong trees were bent over, as if a natural disaster had struck. The aurora moved extremely quickly, one second still far in the horizon, the next instant it rushed close by, its powerful Spiritual Power turning into a light sword, carrying utmost beauty and endless lethal force. Su Jie looked up, his face serious, planning to summon the thousand-hand centipede to help defend. But at that moment, a sharp yell came from the dense forest. ¡°Hey, vicious woman, I haven¡¯t lost yet.¡± Ning Xinyue moved both her hands to cast spells, layer upon layer of ice pressed upward from the ground, forming a giant throne of ice. Atop the throne, the ice goddess sat in the void, extending a jade hand into the air. ¡°River Map Sky Void Skill.¡± Ning Xinyue called upon her cultivation of the River Map Sky Void Skill, her movements mirroring those of the ice goddess on the throne. Crack! The ice goddess¡¯s right hand, composed of frost and cold, expanded mid-journey, becoming a sky-supporting giant hand that grabbed the radiant aurora. Boom! In an instant, the world seemed to turn upside down, as if to rip the Sky Dome apart. Two ultimate attacks collided with a roar, terrifying shockwaves spread in every direction. Finally, both the aurora and the ice goddess dissipated, and Ning Xinyue¡¯s complexion also faded, suffering a significant backlash. ¡°Thanks for that!¡± Su Jie nodded towards Ning Xinyue¡¯s direction and then redoubled his efforts against Du Shaochang. At this moment, Du Shaochang¡¯s body was drenched in blood, his arms weakly held as if bearing a mountain, and heavily plummeted downward. Boom! The thousand-hand centipede descended, numerous pale corpse hands broken, its body split in half from the middle. But soon, at the severed end of the thousand-hand centipede, tiny centipedes emerged from the flesh, sticking together and instantly recovering their wholeness, though their size was significantly reduced. ZZZ! The thousand-hand centipede¡¯s counterattack was fierce. It stood upright, clamping onto Du Shaochang¡¯s waist with its deadly bite, and with its brutish insect body, it slammed him hard against a mountain peak. Rocks tumbled down, and the earth cracked open. Following that, the centipede¡¯s facial armor emitted streaks of purple light. The high temperature ignited the air, melted the mountains, and also struck Du Shaochang. By this time, Du Shaochang, worn out by the incessant battles, was severely sapped of his vitality and could scarcely dodge, being hit squarely by dozens of high-temperature beams. Holes opened all over Du Shaochang¡¯s body, his left arm was completely melted, his liver was pierced by the high-temperature beams, and his intestines were exposed. Roar! Du Shaochang became even more frenzied, like a cornered beast fighting back in its death throes, his whole body¡¯s essence blood boiling and burning. He crouched on the ground and leaped high into the air. His body released star light like a bursting mountain torrent, using blood as the guide, the blood flowing from his body pooled beneath his feet into a bloody crystal platform, creating a staircase to ascend to heaven, heedlessly rushing towards Su Jie in the sky. Thousands of thunders! Seeing his opponent¡¯s attempt to take his own life, Su Jie continued to ascend, all the while releasing Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunders, bombarding Du Shaochang until his skin split and his flesh burst. Below, the less than ten thousand human-faced moths, a dozen or so Flying Swords, and several thousand Yin Souls stubbornly flew over, surrounding the sky-stepping Du Shaochang, launching frenzied attacks. Even if they would be blown to bits by Du Shaochang¡¯s punch or annihilated by his palm, these moths and Yin Souls did not hesitate for a second, surging forward like moths to a flame, bit by bit depleting Du Shaochang¡¯s physical strength, Spiritual Power, and Life Force. The thousand-hand centipede also soared into the sky, blocking Du Shaochang¡¯s path. This relentless barrage of attacks, unending and overwhelming, would have driven a common man to despair, but Du Shaochang was a man of immense perseverance. ¡°Even in death, I¡¯ll drag you to hell with me.¡± Du Shaochang was almost drained of his essence blood, his body like a great roc bird, his flesh and blood obscured by the thunder strike. His heart had been penetrated by the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, and the human-faced moths crawled into his chest cavity through the wounds, feasting on his fragile organs while Yin Souls shredded his soul, leaving it fragmented. With his last breath, Du Shaochang broke through the onslaught of thunder strikes, flying insects, Yin Souls, Flying Swords, and the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s defenses, finally reaching Su Jie, who stood on a cluster of small centipedes as his foothold. At this point, there was hardly an inch of intact flesh on his body, his Spiritual Power was depleted, his breath hanging by a thread, his eyes still filled with rage as he stared at Su Jie and swung his last punch. This punch carried all his raging fury, with the brilliance of star light bursting forth like a long river, the sky trembled, the clouds were blasted apart, delivering a supremely transcendent punch. Bang! The star light exploded all around, and Su Jie¡¯s body burst apart. ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡± The sensation of the hit was off, and in the next moment, Du Shaochang¡¯s eyes widened in shock because Su Jie¡¯s body dissipated into smoke in front of him, and at the same time, a light laugh sounded from behind. ¡°Tch, tch, worthy of the Jade Sun True Body, truly terrifying. You almost killed me there.¡± The familiar voice made Du Shaochang twist his head in disbelief, only to see at the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s back, where the insect armor had shattered, turning into tiny centipedes the length of chopsticks, gushing out like a fountain. And the real body of Su Jie, amidst the swarm of tiny centipedes erupting, slowly revealed himself. Unbeknownst to him, Su Jie had already stealthily infiltrated within the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s body, and the figure left outside was nothing but a shadow remnant created by the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique. Severely injured, with his soul torn apart, Du Shaochang had not discerned the false body and had wasted his last attack in vain. Chapter 182 - 98: The Death of the Divine Body (Third Update) Chapter 182: Chapter 98: The Death of the Divine Body (Third Update) ¡°You... despicable...¡± Pointing at Su Jie, Du Shaochang¡¯s pupils dilated, his lips parted as if he wanted to say something more, but his body no longer allowed him to do so. Before he could finish a complete sentence, the last vestige of life in his body dissipated, his life force severed, like a wing-clipped eagle plummeting from the sky to the ground. ¡°Despicable, eh! For a demon cultivator, that should be considered a compliment.¡± A slight curve formed on Su Jie¡¯s lips as the swarm of insects carried Du Shaochang¡¯s corpse towards him. ¡°No!¡± Having witnessed Du Shaochang¡¯s fall, Mo Shiyao¡¯s clear eyes stared blankly ahead, her body completely still, tears already blurring her vision. ¡°Return Brother Du to me.¡± After snapping back to reality, Mo Shiyao embraced her ancient zither and began strumming with both hands, sending out mysterious heavenly sounds that transformed into divine weapons, attempting to retrieve Du Shaochang¡¯s body. ¡°If you want to take back the body, first see if you can get past the swarm of insects.¡± Su Jie issued a challenge like a true villain, while swallowing an elixir to restore his depleted spiritual power and orchestrating the swarm to block the divine weapons of Miao Yin. Humm, humm! The human-faced moths formed a sparse swarm, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword whistled through the air, and only a few thousand Yin Souls remained, unable to even conjure a Blood River. While Du Shaochang had been eliminated, Su Jie¡¯s forces had also suffered greatly; now, only the thousand-hand centipede retained its formidable combat strength. Decisively, Mo Shiyao attacked, sending one divine weapon after another flying towards her target. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword went to meet the assault, flying straight towards Mo Shiyao, while the Yin Souls enveloped each of the divine weapons. Clang! The sound of the zither rose in waves, the reverberations forming a bell-shaped dome above Mo Shiyao¡¯s head. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword plunged into the surface of the bell, half its tip piercing through, its sharp sword qi leaking out, causing a trickle of blood to appear in the center of Mo Shiyao¡¯s brow, almost penetrating her head. It was evident that from her earlier clash with Ning Xinyue, her body had been severely overdrawn; she had not yet recovered. ¡°Maid Ning, go!¡± Su Jie called out to Ning Xinyue, all the while dividing his attention to deal with the Miao Yin Divine Weapons. ¡°Always bossing me around.¡± Ning Xinyue puffed her cheeks in frustration, but despite her words, she still made her move. With one handprint, Ning Xinyue unleashed the Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint. A three-foot wide handprint, shining with the lustrous light of five-colored glaze, struck the bell, causing several new cracks to appear on its surface. Clang! Clang! Clang! Ning Xinyue¡¯s palms produced a rapid series of strikes, as spiritual power surged within her. This time, she didn¡¯t use the Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint but instead summoned the special frosty air from her Xuanyin Body, forming streams of cold frosty air that froze layer upon layer of solid ice on the surface of the bell. Under the extreme cold, even as Mo Shiyao continued to strum her zither, strengthening the sonic bell, it did no good; more and more cracks appeared on it. At the same time, Su Jie, riding atop the Thousand-Handed Centipede, approached, ready to deal with this last troublemaker. Boom! The immense body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede collided with the sonic bell, acting as the final straw that broke the camel¡¯s back; the bell shattered, and beams of light scattered all around. Mo Shiyao bit her lip fiercely, knowing that the situation was beyond recovery. If she had the capability, Du Shaochang wouldn¡¯t have died just moments earlier, and a two-on-two had already failed, now with only her alone, how could she possibly turn the tables against two? Whoosh! Clutching her ancient zither, Mo Shiyao¡¯s graceful body seemed to transform into a sonic rainbow light, fluttering among the descending pale corpse hands, making her escape. Crack! Su Jie turned his head to the side, dodging the flying sonic rainbow light. Numerous terrifying corpse hands, human-faced moths, and flying swords chased after the enemy, following his intent. Having failed to strike successfully, Mo Shiyao still wanted to play another tune on her ancient stringed instrument. ¡°Who dares to act so recklessly here?¡± Suddenly, a roar came from a distance. They saw a Demon Fox stepping on the void, rushing over from the horizon. ¡°Su Jie, I, Mo Shiyao, will not let you go. Sooner or later, I will take your head to pay homage to Brother Du,¡± she vowed. Finally giving up, Mo Shiyao¡¯s exquisitely beautiful face was filled with sparkling teardrops in her eyes, as she looked at Su Jie with immense hatred and resentment. It seemed as though she wanted to deeply engrave his appearance in her memory. As her words ended, she suddenly broke the strings of the instrument, destroying it, and triggered a wave of light from within. Her body was then swept away by the light wave, drifting far into the distance, disappearing into the dense forest. ¡°Whew!¡± Having let out a sigh of relief after Mo Shiyao¡¯s departure, Su Jie collapsed, sitting down on the back of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Waves of intense pain radiated through his mind, as if countless steel needles were jabbed into his head. Relying on the power of the Divine Soul, after unleashing so many bouts of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, Su Jie himself was nearing the end of his strength, on the brink of reaching his body¡¯s limit. In addition, due to the depleted Spiritual Power within his body, and the sparse swarm of insects and flying swords left, Mo Shiyao still retained her combat strength. It was impossible for Su Jie to catch up. Once the battle ended, the Thousand-Handed Centipede landed on the ground with Su Jie and stood by his side vigilantly. Ning Xinyue ran over and saw the Thousand-Handed Centipede baring its fangs and grimacing, its cold insect eyes staring at her. ¡°Xiao Qian, I¡¯m here to help with his healing,¡± she said. Ning Xinyue approached cautiously and finally gained the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s approval to come near Su Jie. She took the initiative to take out a Jade Bottle and poured out two elixirs. ¡°These two Thousand-year-old Jade Marrow Pills are Mid-grade Elixirs. They have excellent healing effects,¡± she explained. This was the first time Ning Xinyue saw Su Jie in such a weakened state. The pressure Du Shaochang had brought was too strong; his Divine Power was like a vast ocean, and his physique was incredibly powerful. Although Ning Xinyue had awakened her Xuanyin Body, her combat experience was too shallow. If she faced Du Shaochang, she wouldn¡¯t be able to talk about winning; escaping successfully would be considered a success. ¡°It¡¯s not poison, is it?¡± Su Jie said, sitting cross-legged on the ground, meditating to recover his chaotic inner breath. ¡°Hmph, if you don¡¯t want it, forget it,¡± Ning Xinyue said, arrogantly lifting her little head. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you this time,¡± he said. When Su Jie smelled the faint fragrance of the elixirs, his damaged meridians felt like drought-stricken land receiving timely rain, starting to heal. After making sure, Su Jie took the elixirs and swallowed them. The effect was quick; the pain in his brain eased a lot, and the damaged meridians were also continuously repairing. At this moment, there was a disturbance in the sky again, and a Demon Fox descended from above. Several figures jumped down from the back of the Demon Fox. The leader was Xiao Fengyuan, who Su Jie had met once before, along with several of his companions. ¡°It¡¯s Corpse Hand Man Slaughter Su Jie.¡± ¡°How did he get into such a state?¡± ¡°This whole area looks like it¡¯s been bombarded. Just what kind of enemy was he fighting?!¡± The Demon Cultivators looked at the severely damaged surroundings. Every few dozen meters, there was a large pit, with smoldering charred earth inside¡ªas if the area had been bombarded by heavy artillery. These were caused by the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. The dire state of the environment shocked them. What level of confrontation would cause such destruction to the environment? Chapter 183 - 99: Shocking (Fourth Update) Chapter 183: Chapter 99: Shocking (Fourth Update) Xiao Fengyuan glanced at the thousand-hand centipede, his eyes showing surprise, and then he clasped his hands and said, ¡°Junior Brother Su, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, eliminating a strong enemy is not a wasted trip.¡± Su Jie coughed dryly twice, discreetly remaining on alert as he observed Xiao Fengyuan. If the other party showed any sign of taking advantage of the situation, Su Jie would immediately have the thousand-hand centipede carry him away. Luckily, Su Jie was overcautious¡ªXiao Fengyuan seemed to guess Su Jie¡¯s thoughts, voluntarily stepped back a few steps, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand; I came to see the situation. The noise of the fight here was too loud, and I hurried over when I heard it. It¡¯s good that everything is fine.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Brother Xiao.¡± Su Jie stood up from the ground, patted the thousand-hand centipede, and smiled, ¡°Lately, I¡¯ve been overly aggressive. The Righteous sects specifically sent masters to target and assassinate me, but luckily, my poisonous insects are quite powerful, I¡¯ve killed one and let another escape.¡± The thousand-hand centipede shook its body, its ferocious and fierce appearance made several other Demon Cultivators, besides Xiao Fengyuan, pale; their movements became extremely gentle, afraid to stir up loud noises and be swallowed by this massive creature. Xiao Fengyuan had also heard of Su Jie¡¯s style and knew that he had killed many recently. It wasn¡¯t surprising that the Righteous sects would send a special team to target him. ¡°I wonder who initiated the attack.¡± With this thought, Xiao Fengyuan directly asked the question. ¡°Look over there.¡± Su Jie pointed at a corpse covered by human-faced moths. As the moths took flight, Du Shaochang¡¯s corpse was also exposed. ¡°A man named Du Shaochang, who claimed to be a disciple of Zhuang Liangru, and a woman named Mo Shiyao, both are first-class fierce fighters.¡± Su Jie rubbed his still aching head and said with lingering fear. ¡°Jade Sun True Body, Du Shaochang, Qingyin Fairy, Mo Shiyao.¡± At the sight of Du Shaochang¡¯s corpse, Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s composure was shaken, he was utterly astonished and even found it hard to believe. ¡°Are these two very famous?¡± Su Jie asked, having the human-faced moth bring over Du Shaochang¡¯s body. ¡°Both of them are well-known young talents amongst the Cultivators in Qingzhou, especially Du Shaochang, whose Jade Sun True Body is exceptionally domineering and divine power is unmatched, reputed to be invincible in close combat under the Qingzhou Secret Realm.¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s spirit was shaken, and as he looked at Su Jie, shock mixed with a trace of admiration emerged in his eyes. ¡°This man indeed possesses divine valor in close combat.¡± Su Jie nodded, it was fortunate that he had not let his opponent close the distance; otherwise, the outcome would still be uncertain. ¡°To speak the truth, even if I faced this man, the chances of victory would at most be fifty-fifty. I can¡¯t imagine that tonight you managed to strike him down, Junior Brother Su. Haha, those Righteous sects definitely couldn¡¯t have anticipated this; this act will greatly boost the morale of our Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± After overcoming his shock, Xiao Fengyuan couldn¡¯t help but get excited. For the currently besieged Ghost Ridge Palace, the emergence of this news would be a strong tonic, boosting the spirit of the entire sect. The others, upon hearing Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s conversation, also came to understand that the person Su Jie had slain was such an important figure. ¡°Brother Xiao, don¡¯t praise me too much. Look at me; I was almost killed by him. I managed to kill him only because he underestimated me and was careless. It was merely a stroke of luck.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t show much happiness on his face. Having heard what Xiao Fengyuan said, Su Jie figured he was probably on the blacklist of the Righteous sects now, which wasn¡¯t good news for him. However, things having reached this point, Su Jie had no regrets about killing Du Shaochang. The conflict between factions was indeed a matter of life and death; if Du Shaochang hadn¡¯t been killed earlier, it would have been Su Jie who died. ¡°Su Jie!¡± At this moment, Chen Yun, who had left earlier, also returned with Yin Wenwen to this place. Seeing the chilling battlefield, her heart was stricken with fear. If she had stayed here just a moment ago and had been accidentally caught in the battle, she wouldn¡¯t even know how she died. ¡°This is not a place for discussion. Junior Brother Su, seeing that you are seriously injured, you should return to the mountain gate to recuperate first.¡± Xiao Fengyuan took the initiative to speak up. The commotion of the previous battle had been great, but whether it was the Righteous Disciples or the Demon Cultivators, those who saw the skirmish from afar didn¡¯t dare come near. Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s boldness to approach was purely due to his exceptional skills and courage. Now that Su Jie had killed Du Shaochang and Mo Shiyao had fled, who knew if there would be any retaliatory actions. To prevent other Righteous Sect disciples from rushing here, it was wise to retreat first. Su Jie unleashed his Corpse Hands, numerous pale corpse hands emerged from his trouser legs, quickly crawling around to collect broken Flying Swords, dead insect remains, etc., and also took Du Shaochang¡¯s Storage Bag. As expected, there were no Magic Artifacts and talismans in this Storage Bag. Du Shaochang had not used them before, seemingly afraid that using these items would affect his cultivation mindset of proving his path through power. Although there were no Magic Artifacts, there were various elixirs and Spirit Stones, roughly estimated to be worth about twenty thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones, which could be considered a massive harvest. After collecting the spoils of battle, Su Jie, along with Chen Yun, Yin Wenwen, and Ning Xinyue, mounted the thousand-hand centipede and soared towards the mountain gate. With Xiao Fengyuan escorting nearby, riding the Four-eyed Illusion Demon Fox, he ensured no mishaps occurred. In this manner, one leading and the other following, by the time Su Jie returned to Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s mountain gate, dawn had arrived, and a red sun was slowly rising on the horizon. Flying arbitrarily within the mountain gate was not allowed, as there were various lethal formations here. Su Jie quickly landed on the steps in front of the mountain gate. Dozens of stationed members of the Law Enforcement Team immediately surrounded them. In a short while, when Du Shaochang¡¯s body was displayed, almost half of the Ghost Ridge Palace was stirred. Disciples ran over one after another, crowding around to view the Jade Sun True Body and praising each other. ¡°That is Brother Su. He¡¯s the one who killed the Jade Sun True Body. This man was a grand cultivator of the Taoist Platform Realm, a direct disciple of Zhuang Liangru, yet he still got bitten to death by the centipede controlled by Brother Su.¡± ¡°Mid Grade Four Refinement poisonous insect. How is it cultivated? My own poisonous insect can¡¯t even break through Low Grade. I can¡¯t imagine how strong such an insect is; no wonder it could kill Du Shaochang.¡± ¡°Brother Su is powerful!¡± ¡°Brother Su is powerful!¡± A chorus of noisy discussions echoed around, the disciples¡¯ expressions excited, eventually escalating into chanting Su Jie¡¯s name in unison. ¡°Su Jie, you did very well this time, very well indeed!¡± Master Zuo, Zuo Xiping himself, stepped out of the mountain gate and welcomed Su Jie at the steps, his face beaming with a radiant smile. ¡°Master Zuo, fortunately, I have completed the mission without any mishaps.¡± Su Jie felt Zuo Xiping¡¯s unprecedented warmth. Zuo Xiping laughed heartily and said, ¡°Ha ha, you, you¡¯re still so humble at this time. Don¡¯t worry, after I report this victory to our Sect Master, he will definitely reward you generously. Now go and rest to heal your injuries.¡± ¡°Disciple obeys.¡± Su Jie nodded and returned to his own residence. Meanwhile, behind him, Ghost Ridge Palace had become buzzing with activity. Du Shaochang¡¯s body was paraded through the streets, and soon, Su Jie¡¯s name was known in every corner of Ghost Ridge Palace, truly known by everyone. Chapter 184 - 100: Aftermath (Fifth Update) Chapter 184: Chapter 100: Aftermath (Fifth Update) Atop the Sky Dome Floating Magic Boat. The atmosphere in the grand hall was unusually heavy, like the oppressive calm before a storm, making it hard for anyone to breathe. Zhuang Liangru sat upright in his chair, his face clouded over with dark fury, a rage that seemed impossible to suppress, and deep in his eyes was a trace of sorrow that couldn¡¯t be wiped away. Next to him sat the master of Miao Yin Temple, Si Xin Ying, also seated here. Even with a veil covering her face, it was evident that her complexion was very poor. ¡°Yao¡¯er, you¡¯ve disappointed your teacher greatly,¡± Si Xin Ying said with a sigh, looking at the disciple kneeling before her. ¡°Master, Elder Zhuang, it¡¯s my fault for not saving Brother Du. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s tears had already streaked her beautiful face, and she knelt on the ground, sobbing non-stop. Thinking of how Du Shaochang was not only beaten so miserably but also failed to recover his body, she couldn¡¯t help but feel an overwhelming sadness, crying even more heartbreakingly. Crack! Zhuang Liangru sat alone in his chair, with dark red lightning streaking across the void around him, and the sound of thunderous rumbling filled the room with an air of deadly silence. This was a capability unique to the Taoist Platform Realm; the soul was itself Heavenly Might, and the various emotions of a person could cause phenomena in the heavens and the earth, indicating the extent of his rage. ¡°Brother Zhuang, restrain your grief, the dead cannot be brought back to life,¡± Si Xin Ying turned to comfort Zhuang Liangru, knowing that although Zhuang Liangru had more than one disciple, Du Shaochang was his only direct disciple. The man was extremely talented and had a powerful divine body. He had made quite a name for himself in Qingzhou, recognized as a reserve of the Taoist Platform Realm. It was said that he could have broken through to the Secret Realm much earlier but chose to suppress his cultivation and refine his foundation to perfection, aiming for higher achievements in the future, and had always been regarded by Zhuang Liangru as his successor. Now, he had perished in the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace, a young life with barely a tenth of his talent and genius fulfilled, truly a cause for endless sorrow. ¡°Su¡ªJie...¡± Zhuang Liangru¡¯s voice seemed to drift out from the Nine Netherworld, it was he who had personally ordered Du Shaochang to go to the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace to execute Su Jie. He hadn¡¯t imagined that this parting would be forever. ¡°What kind of means does this person possess, Yao¡¯er, tell me in detail how you could have been defeated so miserably, is the enemy truly that strong?¡± The atmosphere in the room was so tense that even Si Xin Ying, a powerhouse of the Secret Realm, felt alarmed. Concerned that Mo Shiyao might bear the brunt of the anger, Si Xin Ying took the initiative to ask about the full story. ¡°That Su Jie is also a person with a divine body, wielding a mysterious Heavenly Thunder, and hanging on his waist is a Sword Nourishing Gourd, nurturing over a hundred Flying Swords and tens of thousands of Flying Insects, among which there are not only Low Grade but also Middle Grade poisonous insects, as well as a Ghost Banner wrapped in Yin Souls. His Lifebound poisonous insect is a Thousand-Handed Centipede over ten zhang long, a Mid Grade Four Refinement poisonous insect,¡± Speaking of the battle, Mo Shiyao gritted her teeth in anger and said resentfully, ¡°What¡¯s more, this person¡¯s methods are utterly despicable, with no regard for martial virtue. Capitalizing on his flying ability, he struck from high above, attacking and harassing Brother Du from the sky, using a myriad of poisonous insects and Yin Souls to deplete Brother Du¡¯s physical strength and Spiritual Power. In the end, Brother Du was worn down to death.¡± ¡°This man must not be spared.¡± Hearing her disciple¡¯s words, Si Xin Ying couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. With such numerous attack methods and powerful poisonous insects, along with the flying ability usually only possessed by those in the Secret Realm without relying on external objects, it was no wonder Du Shaochang was defeated by the opponent. Such a demon cultivator so powerful in the Yunling Realm, if he were to break through to the Secret Realm and be given time to grow, he would likely become another powerhouse of the Secret Realm, at the level of people like Taoist Qiu and Tang Peiqing. ¡°Besides that Su Jie, there was another female demon cultivator at the scene. She has a Xuanyin Body constitution, and she was holding me back, so I couldn¡¯t provide help to Brother Du.¡± Mo Shiyao provided the complete account of the incident without hiding any details. It was at this moment that Zhuang Liangru slowly spoke, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and his voice, booming like thunder, spread across the heavens. ¡°Issue an order, the one who kills Su Jie shall be rewarded with one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.¡± The voice carried far and wide, and in order to avenge Du Shaochang, Zhuang Liangru was willing to offer a hefty reward of a hundred thousand spirit stones for Su Jie¡¯s head. .............. Meanwhile. At the checkpoint leading to the outside world of Ghost Ridge Palace, atop a towering tower. Over twenty Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace were seated cross-legged, their auras intertwining. The terrifying presence caused ripples in the void. Beneath their cushions lay the array eye that connected and controlled the Mountain Protection Array that shielded the entire territory of Ghost Ridge Palace. They had to maintain the operation of the Mountain Protection Array while also dealing with the assaults from the righteous sects¡¯ Secret Realm, which meant nearly all available Elders were mobilized. Most had gathered here to guard against the righteous sects¡¯ offensive. Had it not been for the Mountain Protection Array, and the enemy¡¯s fear of an Insect Valley uprising, Ghost Ridge Palace could never have withstood the combined forceful assault of the five righteous sects. Caw! A golden Messenger Crow flew to the window, its amber eyes lively as it looked at those present, then hopped and jumped towards Sect Master Zhang Junwei, delivering the letter tied to its left leg. Zhang Junwei¡¯s face was solemn as he took the letter with gravity. This kind of golden Messenger Crow was used by the Elders to convey important messages, signifying that the news was extraordinary. Currently, only a few Elders stationed at the mountain gate of the inner sanctum of Ghost Ridge Palace would not easily leave their strategic post. Could it be that the righteous sect had broken through, attacking the mountain gate... A bad premonition flashed through Zhang Junwei¡¯s mind as he tore open the envelope and began to read the letter word by word. However, as he read on, the solemn expression on his face gradually dissipated, replaced by a light smile in his eyes, and he ended up exclaiming ¡°Good!¡± three times. ¡°Good, good, good! Taoist Qiu, you¡¯ve truly taken on a fine disciple!¡± One Elder after another opened their eyes, puzzled by their Sect Master¡¯s reaction. Zhang Junwei wasted no words, directly using spiritual power to project the words from the letter for everyone to see. Gradually, the expressions on the Elders¡¯ faces varied. Some were envious, some jealous, some stroked their beards and smiled, while others had a stern countenance. The former were mostly those on good terms with Taoist Qiu or neutral, while the latter were mainly those with a discordant relationship with him. Eventually, all eyes fell on Taoist Qiu. ¡°He even let that Qingyin Fairy go, which is really unacceptable. I will have a stern talk with him when we return.¡± Facing the gaze of many eyes, Taoist Qiu spoke with an indifferent tone, but the slight lift of his eyebrows made it hard to miss his joy. There, putting on airs for us. One Elder after another looked at Taoist Qiu without a word, knowing well that a formidable disciple had emerged from your branch. That tone was not one of blame but clearly one of boasting. Killing a Jade Sun True Body was not enough; he even wanted to net Miao Yin Temple¡¯s proud disciple, such wishful thinking! ¡°However, being able to achieve such a feat also shows that those righteous sects are not so fearsome after all. What of the Jade Sun True Body? Our poisonous insects can still devour him.¡± Taoist Qiu shifted his rhetoric, then spoke from the bigger picture to boost morale. ¡°You speak truly. These righteous sects have gone too far, and this time it¡¯s a lesson for them.¡± Zhang Junwei nodded in satisfaction and then took something out of his storage bag, saying, ¡°Taoist Qiu, your disciple¡¯s actions cannot go unrewarded. This treasure shall be given to your disciple as encouragement for him to continue striving. Our sect will not let down any of its disciples.¡± Chapter 185 - 101: Friends (First Update) Chapter 185: Chapter 101: Friends (First Update) Five days later! In the early morning, near Insect Valley, amidst the swirling white fog. Su Jie appeared here, with several nets placed on the ground, each containing fresh human-faced moths that the thousand-hand centipede had just captured from Insect Valley, all lively and squirming. Whoosh whoosh! The sky was filled with the sound of whooshing as the thousand-hand centipede rapidly descended from mid-air, its belly¡¯s pale corpse hands clutching the special trait nets, each full of newly captured human-faced moths, furiously gnashing their teeth and spitting acid. ¡°Eat up.¡± Su Jie patted the shell of the thousand-hand centipede, which had been gnawed pitifully by the human-faced moths, and reluctantly took out a low-grade poisonous insect from the Insect Control Bag to feed the centipede. The thousand-hand centipede immediately opened its mouth and bit into the poisonous insect, chewing it thoroughly without waiting for it to struggle, savoring its meal. After polishing off its meal, the thousand-hand centipede, following Su Jie¡¯s command, soared into the sky once more and entered the human-faced moth¡¯s territory to continue collecting and capturing them. Su Jie then started to practice the Body Worm Focusing Method, transforming these wild human-faced moths into his own caged insects. This operation was something Su Jie did smoothly, and soon the human-faced moths recognized him as the Insect King. He removed the nets, and one by one, the human-faced moths took flight, intimately circling around Su Jie. This work had been ongoing for several days. After returning to the mountain gate to recuperate from the forest, Su Jie came to Insect Valley to collect insects. By now, the number of human-faced moths in Su Jie¡¯s Insect Control Bag had just exceeded two hundred thousand. The Spiritual Power of the Purple Cloud Thunder Body was incredibly abundant, thus the number of human-faced moths under Su Jie¡¯s control also greatly increased. However, the current human-faced moths were only numerous in quantity, as the low-grade and mid-grade human-faced moths had almost all perished. In the battle with Du Shaochang, these leaders charged to the front, so their losses were the greatest. Therefore, although the number of Insect Cloud increased, the actual combat power had decreased significantly. Su Jie needed to return to the insect breeding base to properly cultivate them and evolve some low-grade and mid-grade human-faced moths to recover their strong combat strength. Moreover, the losses Su Jie suffered from that great battle were not limited to this. Now, his Sword Nourishing Gourd, including the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, contained only a handful of flying swords left, and the number of Yin Souls in the Soul Summoning Banner had sharply decreased from over ten thousand to just four thousand. One could say that although Su Jie won the battle with Du Shaochang, the price he paid was extremely heavy, significantly depleting his assets. Even though he retrieved twenty thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones from Du Shaochang, after converting the real value, Su Jie might still be at a loss, as after all, these poisonous insects and Yin Souls are not easily replenished in Tianyuan World. Even something like flying swords was hard to resupply because Ghost Ridge Palace was caught in a sect war and the Black Market was at a standstill, with all sorts of supplies already sold out. Even if there were still goods, the prices had skyrocketed, making it difficult for Su Jie to replenish his flying swords. While Su Jie was busy refining insects, some movement occurred nearby, a graceful figure leaping between ancient trees, and then Ning Xinyue appeared beside Su Jie. ¡°Hey, Su Jie, how long are you planning to catch these? Surely a few human-faced moths is enough.¡± Ning Xinyue passed through the Insect Cloud made up of human-faced moths. Having dealt with Su Jie for a long time, she had become quite immune to these insects. Su Jie, with a flat expression, said, ¡°You don¡¯t realize how expensive firewood and rice are until you run a household. I lost so many human-faced moths in the last battle. If I don¡¯t replenish them, will you compensate for my decrease in strength?¡± ¡°Your strength decreasing has nothing to do with me. Find Du Shaochang if you need to find someone.¡± ¡°So what brings you to me?¡± Su Jie asked, getting to the heart of the matter. This Maid Ning hardly ever appeared without a reason, and he was curious about what she was busying herself with. ¡°I want to talk to you... there¡¯s something I need to discuss.¡± Ning Xinyue suddenly began to speak hesitantly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? This isn¡¯t like you. Just spit it out.¡± Su Jie glanced at Ning Xinyue and stopped the insect refining he was doing. ¡°How is that Holy Lotus of yours doing?¡± Ning Xinyue hesitated for a moment, her voice carrying a hint of nervousness. Su Jie was taken aback and looked at Ning Xinyue with suspicion, saying solemnly, ¡°What now, you¡¯re thinking of targeting my Holy Lotus again?¡± ¡°I want to borrow it for a few hours for my practice. I¡¯m cultivating a secret technique called Hundred Treasures Divine Light, which allows me to use the special Spiritual Charm of various treasures to confirm my own way and thereby improve my cultivation and combat abilities. The stronger the treasure, the better the effect.¡± Ning Xinyue was a bit embarrassed. With her pride, it was the first time she had asked someone to borrow something. ¡°Okay!¡± Su Jie agreed without a second thought. ¡°Eh.¡± Ning Xinyue had been expecting some kind of entanglement, or even an outright refusal from Su Jie, but she didn¡¯t expect him to agree so readily. ¡°I said you could borrow it, but you have to use it in front of me.¡± Su Jie turned his head to look at Ning Xinyue, who looked puzzled, and laughed, ¡°What are you thinking? We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we? I can definitely help with such a small request!¡± Ning Xinyue stared at Su Jie, as if seeing him for the first time. ¡°Friends, huh!¡± Ning Xinyue looked somewhat delighted, but then she seemed to recall something, blurting out subconsciously, ¡°You¡¯re suddenly being so nice to me, you don¡¯t have some kind of sinister plot, do you?¡± ¡°Me, have a sinister plot? As a favor to a friend, how about giving you a 20% discount and just charging you a hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones?¡± Su Jie smiled and finished his sentence. In an instant, Ning Xinyue¡¯s facial expression fell. ¡°Is this how you treat your friends?¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s bright eyes were wide with disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve got to understand, Maid Ning, this is an Exotic Treasure. Me being willing to let you borrow it is already incredibly generous. For an ordinary person, whether it be a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones, I wouldn¡¯t even bat an eyelid.¡± Su Jie asserted confidently, not even having asked Ning Xinyue for extra money. ¡°You¡¯re just dying for money.¡± Ning Xinyue felt an itching hatred. That bastard, and to think she had actually been moved for a second just now. She had clearly overestimated him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to make the exchange, then give me the secret technique, this Hundred Treasures Divine Light you¡¯re talking about, and I can consider charging you less.¡± ¡°Hmph, even if I taught you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to learn it. This Cultivation Technique can only be initiated under specific conditions.¡± ¡°Then pay up honestly.¡± Su Jie flicked the young girl¡¯s forehead, laughing, ¡°You¡¯re getting a bargain at this price. It¡¯s your own fault for not seizing the opportunity earlier or for not taking the chance to kill me while we were together outside participating in the Sect conflicts and then taking this Holy Lotus Exotic Treasure for yourself.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be that wicked.¡± Ning Xinyue was first taken aback, her pretty face flushed red, as she glared at Su Jie, huffing angrily. Chapter 186 - 102: Another Windfall (Second Update) Chapter 186: Chapter 102: Another Windfall (Second Update) ¡°So opportunities should be cherished!¡± Su Jie took out the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus and extended his hand toward Ning Xinyue. ¡°Would fifty Spirit Stones work?¡± Ning Xinyue wanted to haggle, indicating that the price was too high. ¡°Exotic Treasures are priceless, just say whether you want to borrow it or not.¡± Su Jie¡¯s tone was firm, and since Ning Xinyue was quite the little rich girl, he felt completely at ease overcharging her; who knew when he¡¯d get the chance to take advantage of her again. ¡°60?¡± ¡°100.¡± ¡°75 at most.¡± ¡°Say another word and I won¡¯t lend it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ruthless.¡± Seeing that Su Jie¡¯s attitude showed absolutely no sign of relenting, Ning Xinyue had no choice but to take out a hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones and hand them over to Su Jie, getting extorted once again. Su Jie was satisfied as he accepted the Spirit Stones and handed the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus sapling over to Ning Xinyue. In just a few hours, he made what amounted to tens of thousands of Low Grade Spirit Stones; money was just too easy to earn. The Nine-grade Sacred Lotus was planted in the Five Elements Spiritual Soil inside the Glazed Bottle. It had grown taller than when Su Jie first got it, with two leaves sprouting, and a new one emerging. Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes sparkled when she saw the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. The heartache of spending a hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones was quickly forgotten, and she sat down joyfully on the ground, her fingertips touching the tiny leaves of the Sacred Lotus. Whoom! The next moment, Spiritual Power surged within Ning Xinyue like a tide, and her luminous skin shone with Treasure Light, dazzling and magical. Changes also occurred on the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus; the sapling¡¯s leaves shimmered with Treasure Light, and both seemed to be engaged in some kind of mysterious causative connection. Gradually, a tiny Nine-grade Sacred Lotus phantom appeared behind Ning Xinyue. Beyond the Sacred Lotus phantom, Su Jie saw several other unique Treasure shadows, each extraordinary in its own way. Suddenly, a strange fluctuation burst forth from within Ning Xinyue. A rainbow bridge spanned between Ning Xinyue and the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, and waves of powerful magical force brewed constantly, with the mysterious aura on Ning Xinyue climbing higher and higher. It was as if she had broken through some shackles; in an instant, her delicate body glowed brightly, wrapped in bands of Purple Mist divine light, looking like the most dazzling gem between heaven and earth, its beautiful colors unforgettable at a glance. ¡°This is... a breakthrough...¡± Su Jie sensed the change in Ning Xinyue and could not help but twitch the corners of his mouth. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t wish for Ning Xinyue to break through, but rather he felt that he had charged too little for the Spirit Stones. If he had known the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus would enable her to make a breakthrough in her cultivation, he would have been even tougher in his price, guessing she would have agreed. But it was too late for any regrets now; Su Jie could only watch as Ning Xinyue¡¯s Spiritual Power soared and, after crossing a certain threshold, powerful Spiritual Power burst forth from within her, entering a new realm. An hour later, Ning Xinyue had finished her cultivation, her bright black eyes brimming with joy. ¡°Exotic Treasures are indeed powerful.¡± Ning Xinyue happily returned the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. Her current cultivation was indeterminable, because, as someone with a Xuanyin Body, her Spiritual Power far exceeded that of a Cultivator of the same level; the normal way of estimating was completely inaccurate. ¡°Tch, I¡¯ve taken a huge loss! Maid Ning, do you still need the Sacred Lotus? I could lend it to you again, for a cheaper price this time.¡± Su Jie sighed, feeling like he had lost a billion. Ning Xinyue made a playful face and proudly said, ¡°Still trying to extort me? The Hundred Treasures Divine Light Secret Technique can only be used once on each type of treasure, so don¡¯t think about extorting me again.¡± ¡°Well, well, a hundred Spirit Stones isn¡¯t too bad.¡± Su Jie consoled himself in his heart, took back the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, and called back the Thousand-Handed Centipede. ¡°You¡¯re not catching bugs anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a bad mood, and it¡¯s just about mealtime. I¡¯ll head back to eat and soothe my feelings.¡± Su Jie mounted the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Ning Xinyue was teased into laughter, her whole body trembling with merriment, and seeing Su Jie deflated brought her even greater joy. However, as she laughed, Ning Xinyue soon found herself unable to continue laughing. ¡°Hey, Su Jie, wait for me! I want a ride too.¡± ¡°I thought you detested bugs, so use your legs and walk back yourself.¡± ¡°Jerk, it¡¯s so far, I don¡¯t want to run anymore, just stop for me!¡± ....... In front of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s Mountain Gate. The thousand-hand centipede landed, and Su Jie and Ning Xinyue got off, after all Su Jie had relented and given Ning Xinyue a lift. ¡°Brother Su!¡± ¡°Brother Su!¡± ¡°Brother Su!¡± Upon seeing Su Jie, each disciple greeted him with a bow, his or her eyes filled with more than a little respect and admiration. Ever since he had killed Du Shaochang, Su Jie¡¯s status within Ghost Ridge Palace had soared, elevating him to a position second only to the Elders. ¡°Who¡¯s that woman?¡± ¡°Seems like she¡¯s called Zhu Qingya or something, heard she¡¯s a genius.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s just a vixen, flaunting her beauty and sticking to Brother Su.¡± ¡°So Brother Su likes the youthful type, huh? Maybe I should also try a change of style.¡± Besides the greetings, some disciples began gossiping out of curiosity. There were discussions about who between Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan was more powerful, as well as speculations about when Su Jie would break through to the Secret Realm. Since Ning Xinyue was accompanying Su Jie, a man and woman riding together, naturally there was no shortage of gossip about her as well. These disciples thought they could keep it from Ning Xinyue, not knowing she was very strong, keen of hearing and sharp-eyed, and she heard all their gossip. ¡°Keep talking nonsense, and see if I don¡¯t tear your mouths apart.¡± Angered, Ning Xinyue lashed out at a few disciples with foul comments with a palm strike. Boom! Pure and powerful Spiritual Power erupted, knocking those disciples to the ground. With just her Spiritual Power, she silenced the gossiping disciples. A few members of the Law Enforcement Team glanced over, but seeing Su Jie standing nearby, they hesitated, withdrew their steps, and didn¡¯t come over to intervene. At this critical juncture of strife within the Sect, the Sect had heavy punishments for conflicts among disciples, all in the effort to minimize infighting and focus their energies on fighting external enemies. However, with Su Jie standing by Ning Xinyue¡¯s side, even the members of the Law Enforcement Team lost their nerve, afraid of offending Su Jie, the man of the hour. ¡°If you talk nonsense again in the future, it won¡¯t be a simple lesson like this one.¡± Ning Xinyue withdrew her palm, pretending to be fierce as she scared the gossiping disciples into scrambling away. ¡°Hmph, what are you laughing at?¡± Ning Xinyue shifted her gaze back to notice Su Jie¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Maid Ning, give me a smile, and there¡¯s a reward for you,¡± Su Jie teased, playfully tormenting the young maid. ¡°Little Jie, what nonsense are you talking about? Do you really think I¡¯m a fox spirit that wants to seduce you? What would I gain from that? I¡¯m richer than you are,¡± Ning Xinyue countered, hands on her hips and chin up in pride, saying, ¡°Moreover, I was born with a natural grace, and in the future, I¡¯m destined to become immortal and sit with the founders. How could I possibly fancy a lowly Demon Cultivator like you?¡± Su Jie rolled his eyes, speechless, and said, ¡°I can see now, you¡¯re quite full of yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I do as I say, you just wait and see.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll live for a thousand, ten thousand years, just waiting for that day to see you ascend to immortality,¡± Su Jie said sarcastically. Chapter 187 - 103: Generous Rewards (Third Update) Chapter 187: Chapter 103: Generous Rewards (Third Update) ¡°Brother Su, Master Zuo invites you.¡± After parting with Ning Xinyue, Su Jie had just returned to his own residence when he saw a disciple come over to relay a message. Originally planning to have lunch, Su Jie could only pat his belly and proceeded to the room on the second floor of Command Hall to meet Zuo Xiping. ¡°Su Jie, take a seat.¡± Zuo Xiping was hunched over a table, a map of Ghost Ridge Palace spread out before him. He busily scribbled and sketched on it, apparently working on some tactical arrangements for the defensive teams. ¡°Master Zuo, is there something you need me for? Are you sending me out to defend against enemies?¡± Su Jie found a chair and sat down, unclear on the purpose behind Zuo Xiping¡¯s summons. Logically speaking, because he had been injured during his last fight with Du Shaochang, Zuo Xiping had personally granted him a week off, and it wasn¡¯t yet time for him to head out again. ¡°There¡¯s a piece of bad news and a piece of good news. Which one would you like to hear first?¡± Zuo Xiping looked up and teased with a smile on his face. Su Jie shrugged and said with a laugh, ¡°Then I¡¯ll hear the bad one first. When I eat, I like to save my favorite dishes for last.¡± ¡°The bad news is, you¡¯ve become famous. And not just within Ghost Ridge Palace, but in the righteous circles as well,¡± Zuo Xiping said as he passed a paper over. Upon receiving it, Su Jie saw his own portrait drawn on it, with a line of text below. [Red Level Wanted Order: Criminal Su Jie, a demon cultivator of Ghost Ridge Palace, about eight feet tall, in his early 20s, skilled in insect control, soul driving, and flying sword, possessing a mid grade Four Refinement poisonous insect. The individual is cold-blooded and heartless, sly and crafty, fond of extracting living souls and feeding live people to insects, has committed numerous heinous and blood-soaked crimes, and is an extremely vicious and dangerous demon cultivator. Guan Chao Pavilion is issuing a red level wanted order, calling upon all heroes of justice to actively provide clues and assist in the capture of this demon cultivator. For those who provide important information and participate meritoriously, a reward of 10,000 low grade spirit stones will be given. If one successfully kills or apprehends and delivers him to Guan Chao Pavilion, a reward of 100,000 low grade spirit stones will be issued.] In the wanted poster, Su Jie was portrayed as extremely bloodthirsty and cruel, and the portrait featured an eerily menacing smile that immediately associated him with evil, terror, brutality, and homicide. Zuo Xiping tapped his index finger on the table and chuckled, ¡°What do you think after seeing this? Such treatment isn¡¯t something ordinary demon cultivators get to enjoy.¡± ¡°Who drew this? They¡¯ve made me look too sinister, and I¡¯m not as bad as the wanted poster says,¡± Su Jie complained while touching his own cheek, criticizing the righteous sects for their lack of propriety. ¡°Aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± Zuo Xiping asked in astonishment. Su Jie¡¯s reaction was much too calm. ¡°When I killed Du Shaochang, I had anticipated that this day would come, after all, he proclaimed himself a disciple of Zhuang Liangru.¡± Su Jie shrugged. After his joke, his expression turned less spirited as he said with a bitter smile, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect them to issue a red-level wanted order with 100,000 spirit stones as a bounty. That¡¯s how much they hate me, eh!¡± In the cultivation world, righteous sects issue wanted orders against traitors, demon cultivators, loose cultivators, etc., with varying levels of threat determining the nature of the order. Generally, a red-level wanted order is associated with criminals of Secret Realm level. For someone in the Yunling Realm like Su Jie to be featured is quite a rare occurrence. ¡°To be honest, with that price, I¡¯m even considering catching myself to claim the reward, 100,000 spirit stones is really quite a high valuation!¡± ¡°Considering Du Shaochang¡¯s reputation in Qingzhou, a bounty of 100,000 spirit stones and a red-level wanted order is a bit excessive, but still reasonable. Think about it, with that face of yours from now on, whoever sees you will have to show you some respect.¡± Zuo Xiping comforted Su Jie at this moment, but Su Jie always felt that there was something odd about his reassurance. ¡°Those Righteous Disciples stimulated by the bounty reward now look at me like I¡¯m a prized trophy. If my identity is exposed, I¡¯ll immediately be besieged by a large number of them.¡± ¡°Stay inside the Mountain Gate for now. Those Righteous Sects might have sent specialized teams to assassinate you, or even Secret Realm Elders to infiltrate and come for you. Let¡¯s wait until this storm blows over.¡± Su Jie heaved a sigh of relief. Walking out now with a bounty of 100,000 Spirit Stones on his head was truly too much pressure. ¡°Elder Zuo, may I know what the good news is?¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about these things because you¡¯re not strong enough, and the good news is related to that,¡± Elder Zuo said, pulling something out of his Storage Bag. It was a fist-sized object, pitch-black with carbonized cracks on its surface, resembling a burnt sweet potato. ¡°What is this?¡± Su Jie curiously examined the item, unable to understand what it was. ¡°The Sect Master has heard of your deeds and specifically rewarded you with Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit,¡± Zuo Xiping said, solemnly handing it over to Su Jie. ¡°A reward from the Sect Master.¡± Su Jie was initially stunned. Although he still didn¡¯t understand what the object was, he quickly reached out with both hands to accept it. ¡°This fruit is from a spirit plant called Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood that grows in the core area of Insect Valley. It comes to maturity only once every hundred years and is the most beloved by countless poisonous insects. Just because after a poisonous insect consumes it for the first time, it will be able to master an additional new ability after its Spirit Refining breakthrough. In other words, it can achieve two abilities with one round of Spirit Refining.¡± As Zuo Xiping explained the workings of the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit, Su Jie immediately became excited. ¡°There¡¯s such a treasure in the world?¡± Su Jie held the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit in his hands. What he had originally considered ordinary now seemed more precious than Spirit Stones. To know that a poisonous insect gaining a new ability could only happen through Spirit Refining. Even as a poisonous insect advanced from Low Grade to Middle Grade, or from Middle Grade to top grade, it would only enhance its existing abilities, not bestow new capabilities. One might say that the appearance of the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit was akin to offering a free round of Spirit Refining for the poisonous insect. ¡°This item is extremely rare. Every time we collect it, we have to gather the power of the Sect Elders to break through the blockade and scrambling of infectious insects to get it. Generally speaking, it¡¯s only given to disciples after they break through to the Secret Realm by order of the Sect Master. This time the Sect Master has heard you possess a Mid Grade Four Refinement poisonous insect, so he has given it to you in advance, hoping it will encourage you to move forward and break through to the Secret Realm as soon as possible,¡± said Zuo Xiping, stroking his beard with a chuckle as he relayed the story. ¡°The Sect Master¡¯s great kindness will never be forgotten, disciple. I will take down more enemies in the future, to let those hypocritical Righteous pretenders know. One must not insult a demon, and anyone who offends Ghost Ridge Palace will be punished, no matter how far they flee,¡± Su Jie declared, pounding his chest with determination, ready to take risks for this reward. It was just a bounty of 100,000 Spirit Stones; once the Thousand-Handed Centipede completed its next Spirit Refining and gained two new abilities, it wasn¡¯t certain who would kill whom. ¡°Well said, as Demon Cultivators, we should have this spirit. If the other disciples all thought like you, we as Elders would have such an easier time,¡± Zuo Xiping replied with a warm smile, his look upon Su Jie growing even more gentle. Truly a seedling valued by the Sect Master, with such high awareness. Chapter 188 - 104: Return to Blue Star (Fourth Update) Chapter 188: Chapter 104: Return to Blue Star (Fourth Update) After saying goodbye to Zuo Xiping, Su Jie returned to his own mansion and released the Thousand-Handed Centipede. The moment it emerged, the Thousand-Handed Centipede sensed something and immediately turned its insect eyes towards the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit that Su Jie held in his left hand. Szzz! In the next second, the Thousand-Handed Centipede excitedly stood upright, all its corpse hands waving, clinging tightly to Su Jie¡¯s arm, its open mouth fixated on the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit. Were it not for the lack of an order from Su Jie, it would have already pounced to snatch the fruit and feast on it. Meanwhile, perhaps due to the presence of the poisonous insect, the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit underwent a change. The outer peel automatically shed, revealing the true core inside. Glorious radiance blossomed as the dense mesh of patterns on the core, resembling contorted insects, appeared to be crawling. ¡°Eat it, this is what I¡¯ve prepared for you,¡± Su Jie said. With a loosened hand, Su Jie dropped the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit into the gaping mouth of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. The Thousand-Handed Centipede didn¡¯t even chew, swallowing the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit whole. As the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit was ingested, layers of dark golden light illuminated the abdomen of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Its insect shell grew increasingly glossy and shiny, and although its body size didn¡¯t expand, there were lines resembling insect veins spreading across the shell, like an innate ancient scripture, primitive and profound, mysterious and unfathomable. Under its influence, the gleam of sentience in the eyes of the Thousand-Handed Centipede grew more pronounced than before. ¡°Xiao Qian, whether I can continue to enjoy life¡¯s luxuries depends on you, so you better advance sooner rather than later!¡± Su Jie said, touching the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s head, full of expectation and eagerness. Thinking all this, Su Jie took out the Ancient Mirror, opened the teleportation gate, and stepped through. ....... Blue Star Zen Country! In the Underground Poisonous Insects Cultivation Base of Fumen Breeding Farm, with Su Jie¡¯s return, each of the poisonous insects there sensed the arrival of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, and they scurried about in a panic, trying to flee from this dangerous fellow. ¡°One, two...¡± Su Jie counted the inventory inside one by one. As the remittance from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid came in, the breeding scale in the Mande Region further expanded. The quantity of Low-Grade Poisonous Insects here also increased as a result, many of them not merely Low Grade, but even having advanced to Low Grade One Refining, were not few in number. If not for the fact that Su Jie had previously reinforced the Formation here, using quite a few Array Maps, they really wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop these poisonous insects from breaking out and escaping, which would have been earth-shattering news. ¡°Go ahead, these low-grade poisonous insects are all yours,¡± Su Jie said. Having been impatiently waiting for this moment, the Thousand-Handed Centipede immediately set off at full speed, pouncing on one Low-Grade Poisonous Insect after another, indulging in a feast, enjoying an all-you-can-eat buffet of insects. At forty meters in size, the Thousand-Handed Centipede was enormously huge, and its appetite and digestive capacity were terrifying. Although there were many insects in the Underground Poisonous Insects Cultivation Base, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to satisfy it for more than a few days. Three days later. The Thousand-Handed Centipede, having devoured all the poisonous insects, grew to a length of 45 meters, ¡°Not much longer now, I wonder what two new abilities will emerge when the time comes.¡± Being a Lifebound Poisonous Insect, Su Jie roughly estimated the time for the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s advancement in Spirit Refining wouldn¡¯t be far off. Given the production speed of Low-Grade Poisonous Insects here, in at most another month, the quantity of insects in this place would be enough to satisfy the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s advancement. Su Jie was now looking forward to the fifth Spirit Refining with immense anticipation, feeling that time was passing far too slowly. However, since he had returned, there wasn¡¯t much happening at Ghost Ridge Palace for the time being. So, Su Jie planned to stay on Blue Star for a while to see how the development of the arms and ammunition was coming along. After leaving the Fumen Breeding Farm, Su Jie didn¡¯t return to his private luxury estate in Mande City, but instead went to a Jieke Security training base. This place was originally a base for the Mande United Army. After the collapse of the Mande United Army, it was requisitioned by Jieke Security and underwent large-scale expansion. Now, this base was the largest of Jieke Security in the Mande Region, housing eight thousand members of Jieke Security. Before he even got close, the patrol sentries noticed the car driven by Su Jie. ¡°Commander.¡± Upon seeing Su Jie, those soldiers who were previously on high alert immediately straightened their bodies and saluted. ¡°Don¡¯t notify the people inside. I want to go in alone and take a look,¡± Su Jie said as he waved his hand, showed his credentials, then changed into a military uniform and entered the military camp alone for a secret inspection of Jieke Security¡¯s training achievements. After crossing two more lines of defense, when Su Jie entered the base, the training inside was in full swing. Some soldiers were engaged in physical training, taking off their shirts to reveal toned bodies, working in pairs carrying wooden logs. Some soldiers were fully equipped with weapons and ammunition, carrying plenty of ammo and rations, participating in armed cross-country training. Others were traversing various obstacles¡ªclimbing walls, crossing high nets, crawling through mud under barbed wire. Some were involved in live-fire shooting training, with the sound of gunfire ringing nonstop. The instructors training these Jieke Security personnel were elite soldiers retired from various countries, attracted by high salaries. Under excellent welfare and benefits, neither the instructors nor the soldiers had any complaints; the former were able to earn satisfying pay. As for the latter, the arrival of Jieke Company changed their lives, and their training was undertaken with an even more diligent spirit. After touring the training facilities, some soldiers finally noticed Su Jie, and the military camp was instantly abuzz. In the Mande Region, Su Jie¡¯s reputation far exceeded that of Ghost Ridge Palace. While Ghost Ridge Palace had Elders and a Sect Master, in the Mande Region, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that Su Jie was the unrivaled king. Upon receiving the news, Liu Yingying, who was working in Mande City, also hurried over. ¡°Yingying, you¡¯ve developed the troops quite well!¡± Su Jie was the first to speak, noting that even in his absence, Liu Yingying had not neglected the development of Jieke Security¡¯s strength. Liu Yingying shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m only responsible for providing the funds. The training is all managed by the instructors, even the purchase of weaponry.¡± ¡°Take me to the armory to see what you¡¯ve bought recently,¡± Su Jie said, surrounded by soldiers. He asked them to continue their training while he, accompanied by a few officers and Liu Yingying, headed for the armory. As heavy doors were opened one after another, the cold machinery of war was revealed in Su Jie¡¯s view. Main battle tanks, armed helicopters, infantry fighting vehicles, military trucks, combat engineering vehicles, grenade launchers, mortars, and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns lay quietly on high-strength reinforced concrete floors, exuding a deadly threat that only human beings from Blue Star could understand. Apart from these war vehicles and artillery, there was an even greater number of light weapons. Rifles, especially the cheap and abundant AKs, numbered over a hundred thousand alone, with rocket launchers, machine guns, land mines, and the like in abundance. In another section of the warehouse was the ammunition depot, with shells of various calibers stored upright¡ªalmost too many to see the end at a glance. Modern warfare is a matter of logistics, so it was natural to have a surplus of weaponry and ammunition. Judging from the stock in the armory, even if a war involving tens of thousands erupted and persisted for years, these supplies would be sufficient to endure. Chapter 189 - 105: Current Development (First Update) Chapter 189: Chapter 105: Current Development (First Update) Su Jie looked at these weapons and equipment. There was nothing much to say about the light weapons. The heavy vehicles were basically somewhat outdated models or the cheaper monkey versions. However, for Chan Country, they were still considered top-notch equipment. ¡°According to the plan, we have currently established Jieke Security First Brigade and Second Brigade. The former is a heavy synthetic brigade with a strength of six thousand, and the latter is a Mountain Brigade with a strength of nine thousand, totaling fifteen thousand. Most of them are newly recruited soldiers with short training time. Considering the population in the Mande Region, if we need to conscript more, the local young and able-bodied could provide an additional twenty to thirty thousand. However, that would affect production.¡± Although Liu Yingying had no understanding of military affairs, she had been studying hard during this period and had learned quite a bit of related knowledge. ¡°The number of troops is sufficient. The rest of the able-bodied can spare time to participate in militia training. We will be responsible for the costs of meals and ammunition during training and provide some subsidies. I think everyone would be quite willing.¡± Su Jie was satisfied with this number of troops. Chan Country was often in turmoil, so the people here were naturally fierce and highly identified with the idea of joining the army and facing the sharp edge of a knife. With the lucrative offerings at Jieke Security, once the news of recruitment was released, it was easy to gather the required number of people. In the Mande Region with a population of seven to eight hundred thousand, fifteen thousand professional soldiers was not too heavy a military burden, roughly equivalent to drafting one out of every fifty men. In comparison, North Korea with a population of twenty-five million had an army of one hundred and twenty to thirty thousand, several hundred thousand reservists, and several million paramilitary personnel. By comparison, Su Jie¡¯s strategy was restrained and not excessively militaristic. ¡°With so many newly recruited soldiers, what is their combat effectiveness like?¡± Su Jie continued to inquire, as it concerned his next moves. Liu Yingying felt a bit troubled and could only look towards a few officers nearby. An officer stood up and explained, ¡°Chief Su, the new recruits are quite proficient with firearm usage and they are quick learners. However, because most soldiers haven¡¯t had much education, their efficiency in learning how to operate mechanical vehicles and artillery shooting is low. We can only compensate for this by increasing live-fire training and night classes to teach academic knowledge, and it will take time to integrate fully. Therefore, the mountain brigade, which is mainly light infantry, has basically been formed. The synthetic brigade, with up to a hundred tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, etc., is expected to need a long period of intensive training to maintain sufficient combat effectiveness. Command is also a weak point. Our instructors can handle the general direction of command, but at the lower basic level of squads and platoons, etc., the level of battle command and coordination are relatively limited and lack experienced and committed veterans.¡± The officer said a lot in one breath. These were the pain points he saw, and he added, ¡°Fortunately, due to Chan Country¡¯s local mountainous and dense forest environment, it isn¡¯t very suitable for armored unit activities. Our training usually focuses on guerrilla and mountain warfare. The experience and skills required for conventional warfare are still lacking, and these are things that take many years to learn.¡± Hearing this, Su Jie smiled and shook his head, then asked the blond, blue-eyed foreign officer. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Valenkin, Russian.¡± The officer straightened his chest and reported his name loudly. ¡°Do you know what enemy we are preparing to face?¡± Su Jie continued, as purchasing so much military equipment certainly was not just for show, but for a future conflict. ¡°The surrounding other warlords?¡± Valenkin thought about it and realized there probably was no other answer. ¡°Do you think the level of those warlord soldiers is higher than your country¡¯s professional soldiers? If they fight, while our level is terrible, theirs isn¡¯t much better,¡± Su Jie said. Su Jie mentioned this not because he disregarded human life and planned to use untrained soldiers as cannon fodder on the battlefield; it was truly because the warlords¡¯ side was even more terrible than Jieke Security. Su Jie, after all, had hired foreign retired officers to oversee the training, and he had provided ample equipment. The warlords were not so generous; many warlords squandered money on themselves, and the quality of the armed forces was difficult to describe. If the warlord factions were to battle each other, it would be a competition of who performed worse. Valenkin was at a loss for words, because what Su Jie said was entirely accurate. Given the level of those warlords, it wasn¡¯t about looking down on the opponent. They were not devoid of military competence; they were quite good at guerrilla warfare, which is low-intensity combat. In a high-intensity conventional battlefield, the opponent didn¡¯t have much training in such tactics, and the heavy firepower armored forces might not have a chance to be effective. ¡°So, you see! We need not belittle ourselves,¡± Su Jie said. Seeing that Valenkin understood his point, Su Jie nodded in satisfaction. It was merely a skirmish of the inept, and Su Jie planned to lend a hand and thus tilt the scales; the odds were quite in his favor. After visiting the arsenal, as the day turned dark, Su Jie and Liu Yingying had dinner with many common soldiers in the military canteen, and then they drove back to their private estate in Mande City. ..... ¡°How are the sales of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, and how much money is currently in the account?¡± On the villa¡¯s sofa, Su Jie inquired about the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid with Liu Yingying. He had been in Tianyuan World for nearly two months, and even before his departure, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had been a hot seller in various countries of Blue Star, definitely drawing in a substantial amount of funds. ¡°Currently, our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid sells over 120 million bottles per month in Hua Country, with monthly revenue of about 12 billion Hua Yuan. The international launch was a bit delayed, with current sales of 70 million bottles per month in various countries. Each bottle of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is sold for 159 US Dollars in the market. We offer a cheaper wholesale cost to distributors, but the high price reduces the number of buyers, bringing in about 8 billion US Dollars each month. And, sales of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid are still slowly growing. With our expansion into some potential user markets, monthly revenues are expected to break through 120 to 125 billion US Dollars, easily exceeding a trillion US Dollars annually,¡± Yingying explained, her interest piqued when talking about business, much more enthused than discussing armaments, endlessly detailing the brilliant performance of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. ¡°With our product selling so well overseas, the existing products for hair treatment and the hair transplantation market must have been disrupted, right?¡± Su Jie had prepared himself for this, and the figures were close to his estimates. The global market for hair transplants, hair loss, wigs, and hair care products already involved several billions of dollars. By monopolizing the old market and exploiting the remarkable efficacy to penetrate new markets, turning some of the incurable hair loss populations into its own customers, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had achieved such massive revenues. ¡°Yes, compared to medications that are dubious and slow to show effects, as well as hair transplantation surgeries that rob Peter to pay Paul without guaranteeing survival of the hair follicles, our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is simple, fast, and less expensive, devastating a host of overseas products, causing many related businesses in Europe and America to go bankrupt, with the market essentially dominated by our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid,¡± Yingying spoke, her face radiant with pride, controlling a business artifact like Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, wielding over billions of dollars in capital, and being extremely energized every day, almost getting too delighted to think of anything else. Chapter 190 - 106: Fist is Power (Second Update) Chapter 190: Chapter 106: Fist is Power (Second Update) After understanding the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, Su Jie finally asked the question he was most concerned about. ¡°How is the investigation of the nearby warlords going? Have they made any strange moves?¡± Liu Yingying took out a document and said, ¡°Starting a month ago, three warlords from East Qin State, Guo Mindeng, Ang Yulun, and Suomin Tun, successively increased their military forces to a certain extent and have had large quantities of arms supplied through external channels, the amounts of which are quite astonishing.¡± Su Jie frowned and looked at the information Liu Yingying handed over. The document detailed the statistics on several warlords. Among the three, the warlord with the largest population and territory was Guo Mindeng, with a soldier count reaching 18,000, even more than Jieke Security¡¯s forces. Comparing the military strength of the three warlords, they had a total shocking number of 35,000 soldiers. Besides these military numbers, there were also maps of various military camps and defensive fortifications, as well as photos of the arms purchases. Transporting large-caliber weapons like tanks in a place like Chan Country is very difficult to conduct in secret. ¡°It seems they¡¯ve made up their minds, spending such massive amounts of money in a rush, eager to devour our interests,¡± Su Jie remarked. Su Jie tapped his fingers lightly on the table. With such grand actions from these warlords, if it¡¯s said to be a reflex to Jieke Security¡¯s own military expansion, in an arms race, they might recruit a lot of soldiers, but as for those heavy equipment and weaponry, Su Jie had only managed to build such an arsenal through aggressive profiteering with Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. These local ¡¯emperors¡¯ of their own small territories simply couldn¡¯t afford to buy so many complete armored units. The entire Chan Country¡¯s military didn¡¯t even consist of more than a few hundred armored units. It was impossible for a single warlord to have such financial strength, unless there was external funding involved. Without any precious mines, such as those for oil, iron, or natural gas in the vicinity, investing so much money to support these warlord forces made the target quite obvious. Asder Pharmaceutical, one of the Fortune 500 multinational pharmaceutical companies, has always been coveting the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, or more accurately, the Averson Family that controls Asder Pharmaceutical has been greedy for the profits from the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Before Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid hit the market, they owned the biggest market share in the hair loss medication sector. Now, with Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid¡¯s impact, related products worldwide have been suffering defeats, causing significant losses to this renowned pharmaceutical company, which in turn set its sights on the lucrative Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Previously, they had dispatched mercenaries to attack in an attempt to seize the formula for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. After failing, it seems they plan to settle the issue with military force, which is consistent with the Anglo-Saxons¡¯ customary way of conducting affairs. ¡°Keep a close eye on the situation with Guo Mindeng and the other two warlords. Inform me immediately of any troop movements. Also, have Jieke Security proceed with offensive drills and to draft war plans,¡± Su Jie instructed. Su Jie was accustomed to holding the initiative. Rather than waiting for others to adjust and attack, it¡¯s better to strike first. After all, war is a completely different beast when it breaks out on foreign soil compared to one¡¯s own territory in terms of the damage inflicted. Having managed the Mande Region for so long, Su Jie had no intention of reducing it to rubble and ruins. Liu Yingying felt a hint of concern and said, ¡°We are at a disadvantage in terms of troop strength. Wouldn¡¯t it be unfavorable to start a war now?¡± The three warlords bordered the Mande Region, with a population of two to three million people in East Qin State, of which they controlled two million, with only seven to eight hundred thousand on the Mande side. No matter whether it¡¯s military strength or potential for war, the forces of the three warlords led by Guo Mindeng held the advantage. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, although we are not ready, neither is the enemy, and the final victor will definitely be us.¡± Su Jie held Liu Yingying in his arms and said with a smile, ¡°As for the issue of numbers, we can enhance our individual soldiers¡¯ combat effectiveness to compensate for the numerical difference.¡± Feeling Su Jie¡¯s teasing hands, Liu Yingying¡¯s pretty face blushed. She suppressed her chaotic thoughts and asked, puzzled, ¡°Soldier training needs to progress step by step, can this be greatly improved in a short time?¡± ¡°Of course not by ordinary methods, but we don¡¯t take the common path. You¡¯ll know when the time comes. Actually, what I¡¯m really worried about isn¡¯t these warlords; I¡¯m worried about the United States intervening.¡± Su Jie spoke calmly, pronouncing the name of Earth¡¯s number one hegemon. Liu Yingying began to feel insecure, questioning, ¡°The United States shouldn¡¯t personally get involved, right? After all, they are a country, and we don¡¯t have any conflicting interests with them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too highly of the United States¡¯ integrity. Now that the profits from the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid are so large¡ªhundreds of billions of dollars in net profits per year, equivalent to one-tenth of the United States¡¯ annual military expenses¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they were tempted.¡± Su Jie had a look of disdain. The nature of Americans as troublemakers is well known, having inherited the fine traditions of the British Empire; wherever there is war, they are sure to be found. Look at the turmoil in the Middle East; oil brings profits, so the region can¡¯t escape the shadow of the United States. Jieke Company has considerable interests here as well, naturally, it will attract wolves. Especially since this time, the opposition to Jieke Security includes Asder Pharmaceutical¡ªa true-blue American company. With the lobbying capabilities of those interest groups, it¡¯s hard to say whether they might intervene or not. Unless there¡¯s a major country to act as a shield, it¡¯s not easy to stay stable. Actually, Su Jie could also move all his businesses back to Hua Country, but compared to being constrained everywhere, Su Jie preferred freedom. Many things can only be effectively managed on one¡¯s own territory. Otherwise, places like the Fumen Breeding Farm¡¯s underground poisonous insect breeding base would be difficult for Su Jie to establish. Even later, as profits grow larger, not knowing how to share the wealth will make it difficult to function in any country. So Su Jie had more faith in his own strength; the fist is the authority. Every relied-upon power may collapse, so it¡¯s better to be self-reliant. It may be tougher, but it leads to a more comfortable and free life. ¡°So, are we still going to war?¡± Liu Yingying was somewhat confused by Su Jie¡¯s words. Thinking about the possibility of conflict with the United States¡ªthe top military power of Blue Star¡ªshe couldn¡¯t help feeling tense. ¡°The fight must definitely happen,¡± Su Jie said. ¡°Better to land a punch now than take a hundred later. We can¡¯t be indecisive because we¡¯re worried about intervention from the United States. When facing hungry wolves and other wild beasts, feeding them pieces of your flesh will only make them greedier. You must pick up the stick and the gun to make them back down and bare their teeth less.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression was icy, not showing a shred of weakness. If he failed, at worst he could hide in Tianyuan World for a while before making a comeback¡ªSu Jie had the confidence for that. Liu Yingying, looking up at Su Jie¡¯s resolute face, her eyes filled with admiration, couldn¡¯t help but wrap her arms around his neck proactively. Feeling the gradually rising temperature of the soft body in his arms, her flushed cheeks, Su Jie immediately understood Liu Yingying¡¯s intentions. He smiled, picked her up around the waist, and walked with big steps toward the bedroom. Chapter 191 - 107: Divine Sense Transmission (Third Update) Chapter 191: Chapter 107: Divine Sense Transmission (Third Update) Hua Country! Mu Hua Company¡¯s primary pig farming base. Su Jie appeared here to inspect, with Liang Lianjun and several other heads of Mu Hua Company by his side. After spending a few days in Chan Country, Su Jie had returned to Hua Country because his Ten Thousand Soul Banner¡¯s Yin Soul had suffered significant losses, and it was time to replenish them. ¡°Not bad, it seems you¡¯ve developed the company quite well!¡± After inspecting the area, Su Jie exclaimed reflectively. Here, compared to Su Jie¡¯s last visit, the number of pigs being raised was noticeably higher, and a simple sensing revealed that the slaughterhouse stored numerous Soul Summoning Banners, rich in Yin Soul reserves. The feeling of being wealthy was great; without doing anything, there was a continuous supply of Yin Souls to acquire. The professional manager of Mu Hua Company explained, ¡°We owe a lot to the financial support from Tianyuan Daily and Tianyuan Home. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to develop so rapidly.¡± Liang Lianjun chuckled bitterly, ¡°The funds provided by Tianyuan Home are limited; most of it relies on Tianyuan Daily.¡± In the past, Tianyuan Home supported the development of Chan Country¡¯s Mande Region and the acquisition of Mu Hua Company, always acting as the money bag. However, after the launch of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, the chief financial support shifted to Tianyuan Daily Company, leaving Tianyuan Home in second place. Although Tianyuan Home still actively sold high-end furniture every month, compared to the profits from the hair growth liquid, it was entirely negligible due to the vast difference in market scale. Su Jie continued to ask, ¡°Tell me about the current situation at Mu Hua Company.¡± ¡°Nowadays, our pig farming is booming immensely; after acquiring Yikang Company¡¯s equipment and skilled workers, the number of pigs has already exceeded nine million, but many are still piglets and will need time to grow. In addition, according to your plans, Mr. Su, more factories are continuously being built, and workers are constantly being recruited and trained. Through purchasing piglets from other companies and breeding our own sows, we hope to boost the pig count to thirty million by the end of the year. It¡¯s just that due to unskilled workers, high costs of purchased piglets, and the current downward phase of the pig market cycle, the more pigs we raise, the more profit we lose.¡± As the person in charge spoke, he carefully watched Su Jie¡¯s expression. Most bosses, when hearing about company¡¯s profit losses, would not show a good face to these professional managers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, keep expanding production. I can afford this little loss,¡± Su Jie waved his hand, now financially robust. With Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid backing him, a slight financial loss was completely negligible. What Su Jie cared about was the quantity of Yin Souls; as long as that was sufficient, everything else was negotiable. Saying this, Su Jie looked at the altars and statues placed within the farming and slaughtering area. ¡°Right, these statues have been here for two or three months now. Have them removed, I¡¯ve got a new batch of statues coming in, which will better maintain the effects of exorcising evil and pacifying souls.¡± Su Jie instructed, causing several people present to be taken aback, not understanding what the issue was, as it was unusual for statues to be replaced every few months. However, seeing Su Jie¡¯s expression, they dared not ask further and could only nod in agreement. After all, if the boss was wealthy enough to be whimsical, they might as well comply with his wishes. Under Su Jie¡¯s command, in the following days, workers moved the altars and statues from the slaughterhouse, replacing them with new ones. The employees in the slaughterhouse were confused about why the perfectly good statues needed replacing. However, as Mu Hua Company announced another raise, rewarding them for outstanding performance in pig farming, no one discussed the matter anymore. Everyone cheered happily, expressing profound gratitude to their generous new boss. And similar events occurred not only in this farm but in every Mu Hua farming facility. ...... Linping City. Jingjiang No.1 Villa basement. Su Jie sat cross-legged on the cushion, surrounded by Purple Cloud Divine Thunder flickering and white cranes soaring with continous mystical phenomena. Whew! Above his head, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul detached from his physical body. The tiny figure resembled a halo of cloud mist, its body radiating brilliant divine light, complete with arms and legs. On its face, the previously indistinct features had now formed a mouth. ¡°Xiao Qian.¡± Su Jie¡¯s Divine Sense swept over, and the soul¡¯s mouth moved slightly, seemingly without making any sound. Yet the thousand-hand centipede dozing in Su Jie¡¯s sleeve heard it and immediately crawled out. Sizzle! Looking at the closed-eyed, meditating physical body, the thousand-hand centipede was somewhat puzzled because it had indeed heard Su Jie calling it. In the end, the thousand-hand centipede raised its head and looked at Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul. The small Divine Soul intrigued it, sensing its master¡¯s soul presence but looking different from the master, with only a mouth¡ªwhat was that about? Su Jie slightly smiled, his Divine Sense spreading like water, transferring the surrounding scenes one by one into the Divine Soul in a three-dimensional form. ¡°Aunt Chen, I¡¯d like sweet and sour fish tonight.¡± Transmitting via Divine Sense, a chef napping in the villa suddenly woke up, looked around instinctively, but saw no one. ¡°Am I dreaming of work? It¡¯s not even dinner time yet.¡± Aunt Chen murmured and lay down again to continue her nap. ¡°Done.¡± Seeing this reaction, Su Jie knew his Divine Sense transmission had succeeded. Now his Divine Soul was becoming more perfect, already mastering soul transmission, and once all his facial features were formed, that would be the day his Divine Soul evolved into his Primordial Spirit. Su Jie felt he could complete it before advancing to the Secret Realm. After testing his newly acquired ability, Su Jie looked towards the corner of the basement where several statues stood, blowing out a gentle breath. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The statues shattered one after another, revealing the Soul Summoning Banners inside. From the banners, one after another eerie and twisted figure floated, turning the basement dark, filled with a suffocating, chilling aura, and faintly, one could hear the wailing of resentment¡ªthe entire scene was weird and terrifying, as if becoming a den of ghosts. There were too many Yin Souls, and had they been corporeal, even the basement would not have sufficed to contain them. However crowded it might have been, these Yin Souls did not come near Su Jie¡¯s soul. As Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul evolved towards the Primordial Spirit, it already possessed a hint of the Primordial Spirit¡¯s power. Further shielded by the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder inherent in his Divine Soul, it kept these Yin Souls instinctively away from him. ¡°Gather!¡± Su Jie collected all the Yin Souls and then merged them all into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. The number of Yin Souls in the Ten Thousand Soul Banner kept increasing, from a few thousand to climbing steadily until it returned to ten thousand. This number of Yin Souls enabled the use of the Ten Thousand Yin Blood Nether Array, restoring its power. Having accomplished this, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul returned to his body, placed the Ten Thousand Soul Banner into his Storage Bag, completing his main purpose of returning to Hua Country. Chapter 192 - 108: Coercion and Bribery (4th Update) Chapter 192: Chapter 108: Coercion and Bribery (4th Update) ¡°Mr. Su, there¡¯s a visitor at the door claiming to be from Asder Pharmaceutical,¡± the butler hurriedly reported after returning to the villa from the basement. ¡°I¡¯ve only been back for two days, and they¡¯ve already tracked me down. Their intelligence is indeed impressive! Go and have them come up, take them to the reception room,¡± Su Jie ordered after a sweep with his Divine Sense. Soon, Su Jie saw two figures. One was a blond-haired, blue-eyed man, around fifty or sixty, dressed in a sharp suit, with thick hair and an intelligent, shrewd look in his eyes. Following behind him was a beautiful female secretary, carrying a briefcase, very capable-looking. ¡°Mr. Su, I am Polo Ben, the president of Asder Pharmaceutical.¡± Polo smiled even before he spoke, and he greeted in Chinese as a sign of sincerity, although his accent was so thick that Su Jie almost couldn¡¯t understand him. The personal visit from the president of a Fortune 500 company certainly showed plenty of sincerity. ¡°Please take a seat, let¡¯s communicate in English,¡± Su Jie said, guessing the purpose of the visit. As the president of Asder Pharmaceutical and helmsman of a Fortune 500 company, he surely wasn¡¯t here for idle chatter. ¡°In English? That¡¯s perfect, Lisa, it seems you won¡¯t be needed here after all,¡± Polo chuckled, pointing to his female secretary: ¡°This is my secretary, Lisa.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Lisa said with a sweet smile, bending down to greet Su Jie. As she bent down, the low-cut V-neckline allowed a glimpse of her snowy white fullness, a highly annoying temptation. She was a flawless beauty, a standard sweetheart in the eyes of Americans. In the aesthetic standards of Asians, she had a finely sculpted, three-dimensional face, and her skin lacked the large pores typical of Europeans and Americans, making her a top-tier beauty there, too. ¡°Lisa, you always admired Mr. Su for his business savviness starting from scratch. When you have the time, you could learn a lot about doing business from him,¡± Polo said with enthusiasm, not in a hurry to state his purpose, sounding more like a pimp. From the data he had collected, one attribute of Su Jie was indeed labeled as lecherous, along with a penchant for uniforms, a detail inferred entirely from Liu Yingying¡¯s side. Su Jie gave a casual smile; they had resorted to using a beauty trick. ¡°Mr. Polo, feel free to speak your mind. My time is quite precious,¡± Su Jie said, glancing at his phone: ¡°I have to take a nap soon. If you don¡¯t get to the point, I¡¯ll have to excuse myself.¡± It seemed that a nap was far more valuable to him than the opportunity to interact with an international pharmaceutical CEO. Polo¡¯s smile remained undiminished, but the warmth in his eyes faded noticeably. ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯m here on behalf of Asder Pharmaceutical today, and you should know why. The market for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid isn¡¯t something you can take on alone, and even Asder Pharmaceutical can¡¯t handle it; we need to share the benefits with others. In this world, cooperation and mutual benefit are the true path, or as you Chinese say... what is it again?¡± Polo turned his gaze to his secretary, Lisa. ¡°The tree that stands out in the forest is the first to be brought down by the wind,¡± Lisa pronounced fluently in Mandarin. ¡°Not bad, your Chinese is quite good, but your Chinese teacher didn¡¯t teach you another saying¡ª¡¯He who doesn¡¯t cross the river cannot get the dragon,''¡± Su Jie said, glancing at them both, indifferent: ¡°These days, the brave die of their courage, and the timid starve to death. With a monopolistic product like Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, you want to make a quick deal and expect me to give up profits just like that? You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Polo¡¯s smile faded a bit more, and his tone carried a hint of threat, ¡°The consequences of a monopolistic product¡ªhow many businesses have gone bankrupt, and how many people have lost their jobs because of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid around the world¡ªdon¡¯t you ever consider the impact?¡± Su Jie scoffed with disdain, ¡°Cars replaced horse carriages, machinery replaced handicrafts¡ªit¡¯s the development of the times, necessary sacrifices.¡± ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s true, but it¡¯s predicated on power. You know, we in Europe and America have labor unions and industrial associations. I wouldn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen when you do this.¡± Polo leaned forward slightly and said indifferently, ¡°Join us, and we can help you deal with the troublemakers, distribute your products to every customer through our sales networks worldwide, and further push your profits higher. Don¡¯t you want Tianyuan Daily to go public? With most of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid¡¯s revenue coming from overseas, maximizing market value means listing in the United States. This requires collective strength¡ªthe underwriters for going public, private financing, IPOs, etc., all of which we can help you plan and manage, eventually helping you list in the United States and creating a trillion-dollar market value legend. At that point, you could own a top ten global company, become the wealthiest person in the world, receiving the admiration and worship of thousands, enjoying endless flowers and applause¡ªisn¡¯t that worth your temptation?¡± Polo, worthy of being a CEO, was likely used to making such promises to his employees. Such rhetoric could easily ignite passion and make people daydream about that kind of scenario. ¡°What¡¯s the loss to you? Although you¡¯ll share profits, the ¡®cake¡¯ will grow as everyone contributes, and so will your net worth¡ªthat¡¯s the benefit of a win-win cooperation.¡± Polo continued, believing that a young man like Su Jie, who longed for fame and attention, couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of becoming the center of the world¡¯s focus. ¡°Done talking? Then my response is very simple: I refuse.¡± Su Jie listened to Polo¡¯s spiel with a playful smile on his lips. Becoming the world¡¯s richest man and every action taken scrutinized under the spotlight? What about all his secrets? Su Jie was more interested in becoming immortal¡ªno matter how much money one has, you can¡¯t take it to hell when you die, can you? Besides, even if Su Jie really wanted to go public, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. Surely, the new stakeholders would want to know the real secret behind Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. How was he supposed to introduce the core technology of the product during the IPO¡ªGhost Hair from Tianyuan World? Expose the Mysterious Side¡¯s dimensionally transcending impact? Polo¡¯s expression became stiff; there were indeed people in the world who weren¡¯t interested in becoming the richest person. Lisa, too, was taken aback, her eyes wide with incredulity. After a long while, Polo, who had been leaning forward, leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, raising three fingers up. ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯ve said all I had to say, and I¡¯ll give you three final options. First, sell the formula for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Second, let Asder Pharmaceutical buy into Tianyuan Daily. And third...¡± Polo¡¯s attitude was exceptionally stern, staring at Su Jie for several seconds: ¡°Third, be defeated by Asder Pharmaceutical.¡± ¡°I prefer challenging jobs.¡± Su Jie smiled faintly, his demeanor unshaken by such posturing¡ªit was nothing compared to a Yin Soul. Polo frowned slightly, stood up from the sofa, and said, ¡°You¡¯ll soon regret what you said today. When you see our company¡¯s power, negotiating won¡¯t come with such generous terms.¡± With that, Polo turned to leave the reception room with Lisa. ¡°Wait a moment, are you from the Averson Family?¡± Suddenly, Su Jie called out. ¡°I¡¯m a professional manager hired to serve Asder Pharmaceutical. Of course, if you like, you can lump me in with them, after all, our interests are aligned for now.¡± After saying this, Polo turned and left with Lisa. As Polo¡¯s figure disappeared out of sight, Su Jie chuckled quietly, glancing at a small beetle resting on the tip of his left finger, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± He was but a minor character pushed to the forefront, inconsequential to the grand scheme of things. It wouldn¡¯t do to scare off other key figures by acting now. As Polo left, he felt an inexplicable chill down his spine, unaware that he had just walked by the Ghost Gate. Chapter 193 - 109: Business Warfare Offensive (First Update) Chapter 193: Chapter 109: Business Warfare Offensive (First Update) ¡°Mr. Jose.¡± After leaving the Jingjiang No.1 Villa, Polo made a call in the car. ¡°How did the negotiation go?¡± On the other end of the phone was the current head of the Averson Family, Jose Averson, who was also the true controller of Asder Pharmaceutical. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t clinch the deal.¡± Polo briefly described the negotiation process; the other party was a major shareholder of Asder Pharmaceutical. He was just an employee, and the president in name couldn¡¯t decide anything. ¡°Understood, proceed with the plan, and let¡¯s give him a taste of hardship first.¡± Jose Averson spoke calmly, and then he hung up the phone. Turning his head to glance at the villa once more, Polo shook his head and said, ¡°Honestly, what a hassle.¡± ....... As Polo returned disheartened, Asder Pharmaceutical¡¯s retaliation came swiftly. In the United States, the trouble started first: groups of the unemployed, who had lost their jobs due to the listing of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and the subsequent business closures, organized by unions and industry associations, formed massive protest marches. Carrying various banners and signs with messages like ¡°Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid Out,¡± ¡°Give Us Back Our Jobs,¡± and ¡°China-Made is Eroding Our Country,¡± they demonstrated and marched through busy streets. This commotion began in the United States and soon spread to various parts of Europe and America, aided by those with ulterior motives. Past hair transplantation doctors, wig industry workers, pharmaceutical company employees, and others protested that the appearance of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had upended their livelihoods. If these protests seemed minor and more like a bit of media frenzy, then what came next was a piece of news that plunged Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid deeply into a whirlpool of public opinion. On March 15th, International Consumer Rights Day, Nuonan Pharmaceutical and Food Testing Laboratory, globally renowned and having undertaken national-level project testing and verification, suddenly issued a shocking announcement. ¡°After a series of complex tests, we have discovered multiple harmful substances in Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, which may cause skin diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases in humans.¡± Once this message was released, it immediately caught the attention of major news media. New York Times: A mysterious medical product from the Eastern Ancient Country, packaged as a hair treatment but in reality a dangerously limitless poison. Guardian: A shocking shampoo that is endangering the health of hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide. Daily Mail: How has Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid remained explosively popular to this day? The secret behind it is finally uncovered. One after another, well-known global news media fervently publicized the story, and over the next few days, more and more testing institutions joined in, releasing their own reports on Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. One day a report suggested the discovery of excessive heavy metals, another day the possibility of a high risk of cancer was raised, followed by advice for consumers to choose carefully. .... CNN television, on a popular current news program. The host David held the microphone, smiling at the camera, ¡°Hello my friends, welcome to ¡®David Speaks,¡¯ I¡¯m your boldest truth-teller, King David. The topic we¡¯re discussing today is serious. I¡¯m sure many viewers have used Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, but have you ever wondered if this product could harm our bodies?¡± ¡°In pursuit of the most authentic data, we invited a heavyweight guest, a renowned scholar in the medical field and a Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, Terry Hades.¡± An elderly man with gold-rimmed glasses and a kind face appeared on camera. ¡°Mr. Terry, what is your opinion on Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a product designed to make money without any regard for public health. The presence of such a product on the market is a shame for government agencies around the world.¡± Terry adjusted his glasses and delivered his verdict. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s quite a sharp statement. Mr. Terry, do you have detailed test data?¡± ¡°Of course, this is the data I have tested: various harms significantly exceed the standards, and I am willing to be responsible for every word I have said.¡± Facing the camera, the medical authority directly addressed the issue: ¡°To safeguard the physical health of the people, I urge Tianyuan Daily to immediately disclose the detailed formula and undergo more stringent testing. If it can be proved that Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is harmless, I am personally willing to apologize.¡± ........ After being fanned by major news media, the claims about the dangers of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid to human health reached a climax. One by one, consumers who had purchased and used the product could not hold back, lashing out on social media platforms like Twitter. ¡°The Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid I bought just doesn¡¯t seem appealing anymore, I¡¯m going to get a refund.¡± ¡°Damn it, I knew something was up with my skin breaking out in rashes recently, I can¡¯t believe such a product could brazenly be on shelves.¡± ¡°Hua Country products have always been predominantly low quality, I¡¯ve been telling you not to buy them, now you regret it, right?¡± ¡°I just bought a bottle of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid yesterday, this shitty company, Hua Country people are all a bunch of liars.¡± ¡°This is a monopolistic product, and they also practice price discrimination against us foreign users, selling it for twenty US dollars in Hua Country and 159 US dollars in our country. They should have been punished long ago.¡± ¡°The Hua Country company must pay the price, compensating us for our losses.¡± ¡°Things are still unclear, I¡¯ve been using Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid for two months without any discomfort!¡± ¡°Exactly, could it be a testing error? I really can¡¯t do without Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid now.¡± ¡°I believe Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is fine, fake news in our country isn¡¯t new, only idiots believe them.¡± ¡°Just a bunch of anti-intellectual idiots. I work for a pharmaceutical company, and although there¡¯s one substance in Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid that can¡¯t be detected, there¡¯s absolutely no harm to the human body.¡± ¡°When a Nobel Prize winner has personally come forward, and you¡¯re still deceiving yourselves.¡± These negative attacking comments flooded social media, accompanied by a chorus of curses. Meanwhile, those seemingly rational voices defending Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid were quickly suppressed on these platforms¡ªvanished without a trace, and even their accounts were mercilessly banned. As the controversy intensified, even the United States Commerce Department stepped forward, with the spokesperson openly stating, ¡°After our investigation and evidence collection, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid does indeed pose a potential risk of causing illness to consumers. Considering the health of our citizens, we are now ordering all major supermarkets to temporarily remove this product from shelves. Furthermore, the Tianyuan Daily person in charge is required to come to our country within a fortnight to attend a business committee hearing, where issues such as consumer health, product hazard, price discrimination, and monopoly will be discussed for self-examination. If the safety hearing is not passed, we will fine the involved enterprise, with the expected amount exceeding three billion US dollars.¡± Almost immediately after the United States issued the notice, Europe swiftly followed suit with a colossal fine of 34.68 billion euros and ordered a comprehensive recall of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Following the official intervention, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid went from being a product sought after by tens of thousands to one mired in constant skepticism, its sales plummeting, losing a vast market. Chapter 194 - 110: The Oldest Commercial Activity (Second Update) Chapter 194: Chapter 110: The Oldest Commercial Activity (Second Update) Chan Country, Mande City. Back at Jieke Company¡¯s headquarters building from Hua Country, Su Jie was convening a meeting with Chen Yaoguang and Liu Yingying, when he received a phone call from Polo, the president of Asder Pharmaceutical. No one knew how Su Jie¡¯s phone number had been leaked, but one should never underestimate the intelligence capabilities of these pharmaceutical companies. ¡°Mr. Su, I wonder if you¡¯ve seen our sincerity.¡± Over the phone, Polo¡¯s tone was somewhat elevated, exuding a confident assurance. ¡°Asder Pharmaceutical really lives up to its reputation as one of the world¡¯s top 500 companies. Such lobbying groups have great capabilities, even mobilizing government departments of the United States. To wield such influence in both the political and business realms, you must have poured quite a lot of money into it.¡± Su Jie sat on the sofa, with the computer screen in front of him still displaying the news from the United States Commerce Department announcing sanctions against Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Polo¡¯s voice over the phone was hearty as he said, ¡°This is the result of sharing interests. We can leverage their power in the political, business, and media circles, and you¡¯ve seen the effects. I imagine, Mr. Su, you must be out of your wit¡¯s end right now. How does it feel to have large quantities of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid in stock but unable to sell?¡± ¡°Then you are probably thinking too much. I¡¯m still eating well and sleeping well. Even if sales have dropped, that hasn¡¯t stopped me from making a lot of money every day. The Hua Country market alone is enough to keep me well-fed.¡± ¡°...Mr. Su, this is just the beginning. Our influence in Europe and America is not something you can imagine. Although you have money, you do not understand the importance of sharing interests. Eventually, you won¡¯t even be able to keep the Hua Country market. It¡¯s not too late to change your mind now. You should cherish the opportunity we¡¯re giving you.¡± ¡°My answer is still the same two words, ¡®I refuse¡¯.¡± Su Jie spoke without a moment¡¯s hesitation and continued, ¡°Also, don¡¯t call me again unless it¡¯s important. I¡¯m very busy.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, aren¡¯t you afraid that when we launch comprehensive sanctions, not only will your overseas market vanish, but Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid will be completely banned from customs, and you¡¯ll also have to deal with fines from our country...¡± Polo¡¯s voice on the phone was a bit exasperated, as he obviously hadn¡¯t expected Su Jie to be so unyielding. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had fallen into such dire straits, on the verge of being driven out of the European and American markets, and still, he refused to relent. This was a market worth trillions of dollars, and yet someone was able to endure such a loss of interests and not bow their head. This was something profit-centric Polo just couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Is this what you Americans propound as free trade? Fine then, I welcome your continued targeting.¡± Su Jie hung up the phone, no longer interested in entertaining Polo¡¯s jabber. ¡°Mr. Su, Asder Pharmaceutical admitted it was them?¡± Both Liu Yingying and Chen Yaoguang were deeply worried about this situation. ¡°Who else could it be, if not them? Their influence is just somewhat beyond imagination.¡± Su Jie nodded, acknowledging that Asder Pharmaceutical, one of the world¡¯s top 500 companies, truly should not be underestimated. ¡°Given the current situation, Mr. Su, will attending the inquiry to prove our product is problem-free have any effect? Can we get Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid back on the shelves for sale in the Europe and America region?¡± Chen Yaoguang pointed at the news on the computer screen. The United States usually imposes sanctions on tech companies, and it was rare to see them target hair shampoo. ¡°If you went, it would be uncertain whether you could come back or not. Besides, even if you think you are innocent, as long as others want to slander you, any explanation is futile.¡± Su Jie shook his head. He had no trust in the United States government, which followed a logic of banditry¡ªseeing something good belonging to others and wanting to seize it for themselves. For many years, this had not changed. The so-called free trade is free when it benefits them, but when it doesn¡¯t, they resort to sanctions and blockades. ¡°Then, about the penalty...¡± ¡°Fines? We don¡¯t have any assets within their jurisdiction, nor can they freeze our assets in Hua Country.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t care at all about this. Other tech companies feared sanctions because they needed the industry support from their counterparts, like smartphones reliant on chips and other supplies, sometimes forcing them to pay fines. But the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid didn¡¯t need a cent from the United States for supply; let them fine as much as they wish¡ªif they could collect even a hair, consider them lucky. That was where Su Jie¡¯s confidence came from. Liu Yingying explained, ¡°Because we¡¯re in a seller¡¯s market, we require foreign vendors to pay in full before shipping, so there¡¯s no issue with outstanding payments, and they have nothing to withhold. The only thing I¡¯m worried about now is the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid being taken off the shelves in Europe and America. If this continues, our biggest source of revenue will be cut off, and we have to do something.¡± Su Jie stroked his chin. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid could still operate in the Hua Country market and achieve annual revenues of a trillion Hua Yuan. But compared to the global revenue of a trillion US Dollars, there¡¯s a bit of a gap. Su Jie thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the current reaction from the citizens in Europe and America?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had people check. Because of the mass removal of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, many consumers who previously used it can¡¯t find a substitute, and their once lush hair has begun to fall out again. This has led to a situation where Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is hard to come by in Europe and America, with the price continually rising. On the Black Market, it¡¯s even been sold for three hundred dollars, five hundred dollars, and sometimes a thousand dollars a bottle.¡± Liu Yingying said with regret. Were it not for Asder Pharmaceutical¡¯s interference and the United States Commerce Department not playing fair, starting trade sanctions, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid could have been hugely successful on the market. ¡°It seems there are still many who remain unswayed; as long as users have truly tried our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, they¡¯ll know our product is unproblematic.¡± Su Jie nodded. This aligned with his expectations. After the major supermarkets took Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid off their shelves, the demand for it didn¡¯t vanish. Anyone who had used Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid wasn¡¯t going to relinquish it so easily¡ªtheir hair would protest. ¡°But now they can¡¯t buy the product, even if they want to support us, they can¡¯t,¡± Chen Yaoguang sighed with disappointment, pained by the sight of all that potential profit just beyond reach. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± As Su Jie pondered, an idea suddenly came to him. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Liu Yingying asked anxiously, knowing Su Jie always had many ideas. Su Jie nodded and shared his thought, ¡°Since ancient times, wherever there is high profit, the more forbidden the trade, the more willing people are to take risks. In ancient times, there was a monopoly on salt and iron, which is why the smuggling of salt thrived. The United States once issued a Prohibition order last century, which led to the rise of bootleggers and the mafia. For patients, our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid has become a necessity they can¡¯t live without. Since the officials won¡¯t let us in, then we¡¯ll just sell it ourselves and don¡¯t even pay them taxes.¡± ¡°Could it be...¡± Liu Yingying seemed to understand something, her mouth agape. Su Jie snapped his fingers and said with a smile, ¡°Exactly, I¡¯m going to engage in one of the oldest businesses in human history¡ªsmuggling. Yingying, go buy a ticket to fly to Mexico. Remember to disguise your identity so that those watching us won¡¯t notice.¡± Chapter 195 - 111: The Group (Third Update) Chapter 195: Chapter 111: The Group (Third Update) Two days later. On a plane to Mexico. Su Jie was holding a book, studying the Mexican language. ¡°Is cramming at the last minute actually useful?¡± Liu Yingying, sitting beside Su Jie, asked curiously when she saw this. Her English was very good, but she hadn¡¯t dabbled in the native language of Mexico. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. Once I¡¯ve learned it, I can take you touring around the place and we¡¯ll be able to communicate without barriers,¡± Su Jie said, flipping through the pages quickly. His Divine Soul was so strong that with a sweep of his Divine Sense, he could grasp the basics of the language. The only issues were fluency and accent. ¡°You don¡¯t seem nervous at all, but that¡¯s Mexico we¡¯re talking about. Maybe we should forget about the tourism part,¡± said Liu Yingying, shaking her head repeatedly. She had also done her homework before heading to Mexico and knew how chaotic and dangerous the country was. Here, unlike in the Mande Region, there was no large contingent of Jieke Security, which always caused concern. ¡°We¡¯re going on business, they¡¯ll be more than welcoming to us,¡± Su Jie responded without lifting his head. If they encountered an unreasonable business partner, even without a single member of Jieke Security present, Su Jie could easily handle the danger. Liu Yingying just didn¡¯t know that the greatest protection came from right beside her. ... Mexico. With more than 1.96 million square kilometers of land and 120 million people. Despite being so close to the United States, the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world, and sharing a 3,000-kilometer border with it, the people living here are exceptionally poor. When it comes to Mexico, the impressions one gets about the country are chaos and violence. In this country, the most infamous thing is the prevalence of opium. For decades, the opium trade has become an important pillar of Mexico¡¯s economy, with over 500 cities involved in the smuggling of opium. The main reason for this is the proximity of the United States, the world¡¯s largest consumer of opium. Currently, more than 60% of the world¡¯s opium is sold to the United States, with nearly 10% of the US population being drug users. The several thousand kilometers of the US-Mexico border undoubtedly make it the best location for the production and distribution of opium. The annual trade in opium between the US and Mexico, valued at thirty to forty billion dollars, has fostered a thriving opium industry within Mexico¡¯s borders and countless drug lords. Even if a drug lord is taken down, driven by enormous profits, more will continue to emerge and enter the trade. Te Lu City¡ªa city near the US-Mexico Border, and also a major center for drug trafficking and criminal activity. At the airport, Su Jie walked out with Liu Yingying. They had planned to hail a taxi to the hotel, but unexpectedly, the taxi took them to an increasingly remote location. When the car stopped on a desolate road, Su Jie felt the local customs were quite simple. The taxi driver got out quickly and blew a sharp whistle. Outside the taxi, several locals responded to the sound and warmly welcomed Su Jie and his companions. One by one, black handgun muzzles were pressed against Su Jie¡¯s forehead. ¡°Hand over all the money you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Hurry up, you yellow monkey, can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°And the woman, we can have a good time with her.¡± These hooligans used foul language and were wildly enjoying the situation. Liu Yingying bit her lip in the back seat, trying to maintain her composure. ¡°Ah, I feel your warm welcome, so as a return gift, I¡¯ll send you on a trip to hell,¡± Su Jie replied in Mexican Spanish with a strange accent. With a stretch of his hand, a gun flew from the grasp of a thug straight into Su Jie¡¯s own hand. Su Jie held the handgun, aimed it at the thug¡¯s forehead, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Bang! A gunshot rang out, and the body heavily fell to the ground, with fresh blood oozing out of the bullet hole right between the eyebrows. Just as a few thugs began to react and were about to pull their triggers, several gunshots almost sounded at the same time. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three lifeless bodies lay on the ground, and finally, Su Jie looked at the driver who was leading the way, pointing the handgun at him. ¡°Are you going to take me to the hotel, or do you plan to sleep here like them?¡± The driver was terrified and nodded hastily, ¡°I¡¯ll take... take you to the hotel.¡± The car continued to start, and Su Jie also sat back in the back seat, resuming his reading as if nothing had happened. ¡°Su Jie, you¡¯re so skilled!¡± Liu Yingying was astonished. She had asked why Su Jie hadn¡¯t brought a few Jieke Security guards with him; now she understood why. ¡°Haven¡¯t you felt it in bed?¡± Su Jie raised an eyebrow, causing Liu Yingying¡¯s pretty face to blush. ¡°This place is too dangerous. We should have brought more people.¡± Liu Yingying clung to Su Jie¡¯s arm, the dangerous gazes of those Mexicans towards them, if not for Su Jie being there, she would never have come to this place. ¡°It¡¯s okay; I¡¯m here.¡± He comforted Liu Yingying with a few words, telling her not to worry. Chit-chatting along the way, they soon arrived at a hotel in the city center. Su Jie got out of the car with Liu Yingying and entered the hotel. Behind them, the taxi sped away with a slam on the gas, fleeing from Su Jie, this dangerous person. ¡°Wait until I notify the boss. Killing our brothers and thinking it will just end like this, wait for your beheading.¡± The expression on the driver¡¯s face was no longer sycophantic but full of hatred. Hiss! As he spoke, the driver suddenly felt a pain in his neck. Reaching out, he slapped and killed a strange bug. ¡°Where did this bug come from...¡± The driver didn¡¯t finish his words before his body became paralyzed, unable to speak, his body convulsing violently. The accelerator beneath his foot uncontrollably floored, and the car charged straight towards a thick concrete wall. ... In the hotel room. Liu Yingying took out some information, which were gathered using the means of Jieke Company, including some intelligence within Mexico, among which were the largest drug lord organizations in the country. Te Lu City was the headquarters of one such organization called the Tijuana Drug Lord Organization, which ranked in the top three among many groups trafficking opium in Mexico. Their main work was cultivating and selling opium, and they also dealt with some human smuggling businesses, helping people from various countries scale the border wall and enter into the United States to breathe the sweet air of freedom and realize the American dream. ¡°This man is named Huarez Gusman Loera. He is the head of the Tijuana drug trafficking group, the number one most wanted criminal in the world.¡± Liu Yingying pointed at a photo of a bald man with a very fierce face. ¡°I like the look of him, so I¡¯ve decided it¡¯s going to be him.¡± Su Jie nodded in satisfaction. This man had strength and was a good partner to work with. To complete the smuggling of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, it was necessary to rely on local forces, as it was impossible to do it alone. And these arrogant and brutal drug traffickers were just the partners Su Jie had chosen. While others feared to work with such people, Su Jie, a Demon Cultivator, found these opium sellers to be just little darlings in his eyes. Chapter 196 - 112: Business Partner (Fourth Update) Chapter 196: Chapter 112: Business Partner (Fourth Update) In Te Lu City, there was an extremely luxurious and large mansion. Around the mansion, every five steps there was a guard, and every ten steps a sentry, all armed gang members on watch. This was because the mansion belonged to the head of the Tijuana drug trafficking group, Huarez Guzman, who had implemented the most extensive protective measures to guard against police arrest. Late at night, Huarez returned home, seething with anger. That day, yet another shipment had been intercepted by US police at the border, and a covert route for transporting goods had been discovered, causing him significant losses. ¡°Fuck, those idiot minions, can¡¯t they give me a break?¡± Cursing under his breath, Huarez walked into his bedroom, intending to go to bed and rest. However, the moment he looked down, he noticed an envelope on the pillow. ¡°What... Get over here, we¡¯ve got intruders!¡± The look on his face turned to shock, and Huarez immediately called for his men while drawing a pistol from his coat. As a notorious wanted criminal, there was no shortage of people after his life. Who knew if the room still harbored danger? Only after a horde of gang minions had rushed into the room and thoroughly searched every nook and cranny, ensuring there was no danger, did Huarez dare to come in. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s going on?¡± The number two man of Tijuana, Carter, who was in charge of strategizing, hurried over to inquire about the situation. Huarez¡¯s expression was grim as he shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, this envelope just appeared on my pillow.¡± Carter cursed the surrounding minions: ¡°What kind of protection is this? Someone sneaked into the boss¡¯s room, and you¡¯re clueless. What¡¯s the use of you? What if it was a bomb?¡± The minions, scolded until they were drenched in metaphorical blood, could only promise with shame, ¡°We really didn¡¯t notice any movement. This won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°You think there¡¯s going to be a next time?¡± ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s open the letter and see what it says.¡± Huarez interrupted and picked up the envelope, tearing it open. Dear Mr. Huarez, we are business partners from the Chan Country region and plan to visit tomorrow morning before ten o¡¯clock. That was all that was written on the envelope, nothing more. Huarez and Carter looked at each other, eye to eye, for quite a while. ¡°Do you know anyone over there?¡± ¡°Not a single person.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s with this ¡®business partner¡¯?¡± As they spoke, it was Carter who first came to a realization, slapping his thigh, ¡°I know who sent this letter.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Huarez quickly asked, as anyone capable of slipping an envelope into his bedroom undetected was certainly skilled. ¡°It must be a peer from the Golden Triangle.¡± Carter shared his guess. In Blue Star, there are two most famous Opium production regions, one is the Golden Triangle, the other the Silver Triangle. The Silver Triangle is located at the intersection of Mexico, Peru, and Colombia within the Andes Mountains and Amazon Region. The Golden Triangle is similarly situated at the confluence of three countries, with Chan Country being one of its origins, where there is a strong atmosphere for Opium production, and the local warlords all support the cultivation of Opium. ¡°Hiss, so that¡¯s how it is. No wonder they said ¡®business partner¡¯; it¡¯s all within the industry!¡± Huarez had an epiphany; it all made sense now. ¡°But, why are they looking for us? We¡¯ve never dealt with them before, right? Isn¡¯t their market mainly in East Asia?¡± Having understood where the letter came from, Huarez was filled with even more doubts, not comprehending what these people could want with him. Even though they had not interacted before, he knew well that the drug lords from that region were extremely powerful and domineering. If one were to say that the primary business of Mexican drug lords was to engage in armed drug trafficking, then the primary business of the Golden Triangle drug lords was for warlords to engage in drug trafficking to fund their military expenditures. Their business philosophies also differed, with the Golden Triangle side being more militarily factionalized governments and military organizations with a strong military background. While the Mexican drug lords also clashed with the government, they did not harbor ambitions to carve out their own independent territories and could be considered a more advanced criminal organization. Due to the difference in business philosophies, and the great distance between them, they had coexisted peacefully in the past, with one focusing on the East Asia market and the other on the United States market, neither stepping on the other¡¯s toes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ve heard that the Golden Triangle has been struggling recently. Aren¡¯t they mainly selling traditional opium products like flour? Besides marijuana, we mainly deal with newer synthetic opium substances, so maybe they want to collaborate with us to get their flour into the United States market,¡± Carter frowned, as the military strategist of the Tijuana drug trafficking group, he tried hard to comprehend the other party¡¯s intentions. ¡°If we can expand our business, it¡¯s good to have a win-win collaboration!¡± Huarez¡¯s face brightened at the thought. Collaborating with the Golden Triangle might allow his opium business to grow even further and reach new heights of success. Thus, the two discussed, looking forward to the cooperation tomorrow with great anticipation. ....... The following day. The sun rose in the east, and the morning fog cleared. Outside the manor, a taxi slowly approached. If the driver hadn¡¯t been held at gunpoint, he wouldn¡¯t dare come anywhere near this place¡ªeveryone in Te Lu City knew this was a drug traffickers¡¯ manor. At the manor gate, gang members notified earlier stood ready for the arrival. Seeing a taxi approach was somewhat unexpected, though. ¡°How much?¡± Su Jie asked the driver with a smile. ¡°No... no charge,¡± The driver shivered, assuming Su Jie was some drug lord and dared not take his money. ¡°I¡¯m not one to take advantage of free rides, keep the change,¡± Su Jie shook his head, tossed a few bills, and got out of the car. Liu Yingying, carrying a briefcase, also got out, following close behind Su Jie. As soon as they exited the taxi, fierce gazes scrutinized them. The tattoo-covered, scar-faced drug traffickers were unquestionably dangerous, brandishing their guns conspicuously. An ordinary person might indeed be intimidated by these drug traffickers, but Su Jie was no ordinary person; such pressure to him was merely like a gentle breeze. Liu Yingying maintained a calm demeanor, repeatedly envisioning the scenes of Jieke Security¡¯s forces in her mind, murmuring to herself: There¡¯s nothing to fuss about, we have an army on our side; it¡¯s these gangsters who should be afraid of us. Emboldening herself this way, Liu Yingying showed no fear. ¡°Take me to your boss, as we agreed upon yesterday,¡± Su Jie strode up to a few of the gang members, gestured commandingly, and spoke fluently in Spanish as if he were issuing orders to his own subordinates. After a few days of practice, his Spanish no longer had any accent issues. ¡°Please follow me,¡± This Mexican drug trafficker, a towering man of two meters, dared not make any improper moves in front of Su Jie. Everyone had been strictly warned that the visitors were foreign warlords; they did not want to cause trouble for their organization. Su Jie and Liu Yingying entered the manor, and a few minutes later, in a reception room, Su Jie met Huarez, the head of the Tijuana Organization, and Carter, the second-in-command. Upon seeing Su Jie, Huarez and Carter exchanged looks, and their hearts settled. An Asian; their guess was on target¡ªhe was indeed looking to collaborate with them on the opium business. Chapter 197 - 113: Seventy Percent Is Ours (First Update) Chapter 197: Chapter 113: Seventy Percent Is Ours (First Update) ¡°Mr. Huarez!¡± Su Jie scanned the room and, looking towards Huarez, extended his hand and said, ¡°I am Su Jie from Jieke Company.¡± ¡°Hello, we¡¯ve always heard about the great reputation of the Golden Triangle. Are you operating as a group now?¡± Huarez extended his hand warmly, and the two shook hands. ¡°The Golden Triangle... Mr. Huarez, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood; I¡¯m not here to talk about opium trade.¡± Su Jie shook his head. Hearing the term ¡®Golden Triangle,¡¯ he knew there had been some misunderstanding. Huarez was taken aback and instinctively turned to look at Carter, who was next to him. ¡°Mr. Su, my name is Carter. Aren¡¯t you a local warlord from Chan Country? If it¡¯s not about opium, then what is it about?¡± Carter continued to scrutinize Su Jie. He couldn¡¯t discern anything particular about the man, except that he seemed exceedingly dangerous, significantly more so than even the most lethal gang member in his group. ¡°If you say we are warlords, you¡¯re not wrong, but our business isn¡¯t about dealing with opium.¡± Su Jie snapped his fingers, and Liu Yingying opened the briefcase. Gang members nearby instinctively reached into their jackets, warily watching Liu Yingying. Their concerns were unnecessary as Liu Yingying took out a bottle of the international version of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid from the briefcase. ¡°I presume you have heard of this Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. We would like to partner with you to distribute this product.¡± Su Jie looked at Huarez¡¯s hair. The wanted pictures still showed him as bald, but now he had grown a head of thick hair, possibly using Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. ¡°Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid.¡± Huarez and Carter both recognized the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, a product that sold very well in the United States but had not yet been released in Mexico. They had heard much about it, even if they hadn¡¯t used it personally, they surely had seen the advertisements. ¡°Is this produced by you?¡± Huarez looked at Su Jie with an odd expression, surprised that Su Jie would bring up such a product to discuss a partnership. ¡°Yes, the product is currently banned from being shelved for sale in the United States, and the price of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid has shot up to several hundred US Dollars per bottle. As long as you can smuggle Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid across the border into the United States, you can reap huge profits, with an income of at least billions of dollars each year.¡± Su Jie chuckled lightly, placing the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid on the table, his eyes intensely fixed on the two opposite him. ¡°This...¡± Huarez and Carter were both tempted, their breathing becoming somewhat hurried. They were also aware of the recent uproar about the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid ban. Smuggling the hair growth liquid into the United States would be no issue for them. Having dared to smuggle opium, they certainly wouldn¡¯t hesitate over a hair growth product. ¡°Mr. Su, what kind of partnership do you have in mind?¡± Carter immediately asked; he had heard about Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid selling more than twenty million bottles a month in the United States. If they could take it all, it would be a vast fortune, far more extravagant than the outrageous profits from trafficking opium. Especially since smuggling hair growth liquid carried far lighter penalties, no need to risk their lives against US police like with opium, where one slip could lead to total ruin. ¡°We ship the product to Mexico, you find people to receive it and smuggle it into the interior of the United States, where there is a large shortage and buyers are scrambling. As for the price, we split it seventy-thirty,¡± Su Jie stated his terms. ¡°That¡¯s too little, seventy percent hardly covers our costs.¡± Huarez immediately became restless, very dissatisfied with the distribution. ¡°Seventy percent is ours,¡± he stated. Su Jie glanced at Huarez, What was he thinking? Without his own supply, was he going to sell air? Still expecting to take seventy percent. ¡°Also, you should suspend the opium business for now and focus on selling my Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Just this product alone will make you earn pots full of money.¡± Su Jie continued to make more demands, hoping they would not get distracted by selling opium and affect his own smuggling business. After all, with monthly sales volumes of tens of millions of bottles, they couldn¡¯t meet the massive consumer market in the United States unless they dedicated themselves fully to smuggling. ¡°What? Impossible, the opium business is our core, that¡¯s something we cannot give up. Moreover, in terms of distribution, we want eighty percent of the profits. You just deliver the goods, and we can handle the rest. You don¡¯t need to worry about it. Taking a twenty percent profit is already enough for you to earn.¡± Huarez was extremely dissatisfied, his gaze at Su Jie filled with anger and yet greedier still. ¡°Boss, this negotiation will collapse like this,¡± Cartel couldn¡¯t help but whisper in Huarez¡¯s ear, fearing that such greed would scare people off from such a profitable business. ¡°The smuggling process is the most dangerous, and we bear all the risks. We rightfully deserve the biggest share of the profit.¡± Huarez didn¡¯t care at all, his mind clouded by the huge profits. ¡°Huh, it seems there¡¯s no deal to be made,¡± Su Jie shrugged, smiling and said, ¡°Mexico isn¡¯t the only place with a drug lord, we have plenty of partners.¡± ¡°This is my territory, not some Golden Triangle. Here you have to listen to me. If you don¡¯t agree, you might not be able to walk out of this room today.¡± Huarez gave a signal, and the nearby gang members took out guns from their bosoms. ¡°No sense of etiquette, you drug lords handle things too crudely.¡± Su Jie shook his head, the smile on his face vanished, his eyes ice-cold, ¡°I really hate being threatened. I didn¡¯t even care about threats from Asder Pharmaceutical; you bunch of gutter rats dare to prickle me, really... ignorant of death.¡± Almost as soon as his voice fell, a whistling sound came, and the gang members who had pulled out their guns had blood holes going straight through their heads almost simultaneously. Thud! One body after another heavily fell to the ground, their blood staining the floor. ¡°There¡¯s a sniper.¡± The surviving members screamed in horror, the scene before their eyes clearly indicating a sniper hidden in the dark, the immediate thought they had. ¡°Dare to deceive, seize them,¡± Huarez was taken aback, ordering people to come over while scrambling off, running into the neighboring room, fearing the sniper would shoot him. Liu Yingying leaned next to Su Jie, watching as one gang member after another charged fiercely, nearly bursting into tears. ¡°I originally intended to do business amicably, but you had to make it so bloody.¡± Su Jie sighed helplessly, his Divine Sense sweeping over like water, constructing a three-dimensional scene in his mind. The next moment, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul Power condensed, turning into an invisible yet existent Divine Soul Arrow, swiftly shooting out. Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud! The soul arrows pierced through the heads of the gang members, taking their lives. Chapter 198 - 114: Easy Crush (Second Update) Chapter 198: Chapter 114: Easy Crush (Second Update) Bodies fell one after the other onto the ground, their spilled blood emitting a thick stench of iron. To prepare for Su Jie¡¯s arrival today, Huarez had intentionally strengthened the manor¡¯s defenses, solely to be safe rather than sorry. Now that the conflict had erupted, these defensive forces naturally swarmed to suppress the danger and protect their boss. Little did they know, they were not facing an ordinary person, but the only Transcendent of Blue Star. For these gangsters, Su Jie would not show a shred of pity. Arrows condensed from Divine Soul Power were fired continuously, each with the power of a rifle bullet. Such might was naturally not effective against Cultivators in the Tianyuan World, for a Cultivator endowed with Spiritual Power could see the Divine Soul Power, to say nothing of its relative weakness. But on Blue Star, it was a different matter altogether, an unseen and deadly technique for murder. More and more gang members fell to the ground, baffled, without even catching a glimpse of Su Jie¡¯s face, losing their lives just like that. ¡°Rocket Launcher!¡± ¡°Throw grenades inside!¡± ¡°Quick, find the sniper.¡± Seeing so many of their people dead, those still alive became scared. They were no fearless warriors; instead, they hid behind walls, loudly blustering all sorts of things, yet none dared to charge forward anymore. But what they did not realize was that bullets may not turn corners, but Divine Soul Arrows could. A gang member crouched under a windowsill, spraying the room with his AK, with only part of his arms exposed and the rest of his body tucked behind the wall, firing blindly without any accuracy, embodying Uncle Black¡¯s textbook bad marksmanship. Whoosh! A faint whizzing sound was followed by that gang member gaining a new bloody hole in his forehead. As the body slowly fell, eyes wide open, it seemed to struggle with the incomprehensible truth that it could be shot even while hidden behind a wall. A mere wall was no match for the sweep of Divine Sense, and with a single shot from a Divine Soul Arrow, life was easily taken. Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul had not yet reached the level of Primordial Spirit, evolving in that direction; its current power was only so much, but it was more than enough to deal with a bunch of gangsters. Some drug lords had just shouldered their Rocket Launchers, then were preemptively shot through the eye socket by a soul arrow. Some drug lords picked up heavy machine guns, and before they could pull the trigger, big holes appeared in the back of their heads. Some drug lords tried to call for reinforcements with their cell phones, yet before they could even dial out, their heads burst open. In the end, not a single one of the hundreds of drug lords hiding throughout the manor escaped, all shot dead by soul arrows. Those drug lords who realized the situation was dire and attempted to flee did not escape their doom; the Divine Soul Arrows intercepted them mid-route, piercing through their heads. In the end, only four living people remained in the manor. Su Jie, Liu Yingying, Huarez, and Carter. ¡°Dead... all dead.¡± At that moment, Huarez, who had escaped to the next room, could no longer hear the voices of his subordinates; the entire manor was eerily silent. This drug lord, who had been arrested and escaped from prison numerous times, and who often tormented others, now felt the proximity of death like never before, his face turning deathly pale. He couldn¡¯t understand why, on his own turf, Su Jie had such a strong armed presence whose killing efficiency was so terrifyingly high. Carter swallowed hard, his body trembling slightly in panic. ¡°Mr. Huarez, it seems your men can¡¯t save you.¡± Su Jie still sat comfortably in his chair, looking at Huarez who had retreated to hide behind the sofa in the next room. His face wore a gentle smile as he spoke lightly, ¡°Are you ready? Your men are quite lonely down there; don¡¯t keep them waiting too long.¡± ¡°I surrender, I agree to the way of cooperation you mentioned before, I am willing to follow your demands...¡± Huarez screamed desperately, if he had known earlier that Su Jie had such a strong armed force, he wouldn¡¯t have dared oppose him at all! ¡°It¡¯s already too late.¡± Su Jie walked step by step towards Huarez, with a pistol appearing in his hand, aimed at Huarez. Ignoring the desperate pleas for mercy, he emptied the magazine in one go, every bullet hitting Huarez. And then there were three left in the mansion. When Su Jie turned his gaze towards Carter, the man had already slumped to the ground, begging for mercy incessantly. ¡°Mr. Su, spare my life, I never intended to oppose you, all that just now was Huarez acting on his own...¡± Carter was almost scared to pee himself; after all, they were just a gang, which didn¡¯t have much resolve to begin with. Touching his chin, Su Jie chuckled, ¡°Do you have the capability to manage the Tijuana drug cartel? A person with no value to me, I don¡¯t mind using another magazine.¡± ¡°I do, I do, I can integrate Tijuana¡¯s forces to serve you.¡± Carter shouted loudly, knowing this was his only hope of survival, to serve this harbinger of death. ¡°Very well, then get to work. I¡¯ll give you three days. If you can¡¯t manage...¡± The pistol in his hand spun around, its dark muzzle pressed against Carter¡¯s forehead. Su Jie smiled and said, ¡°Our snipers will be watching you at all times. Any attempt to flee or step out of line, and your head will burst like a watermelon. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Understood, understood, I¡¯ll get on it now, right now. I¡¯ll take over Tijuana.¡± Carter shivered, recalling the bizarre headshots of the gang members outside, unsure how many snipers were aiming at this place from the darkness. Even with the cruelty of a drug lord, he felt intimidated and dared not harbor any thoughts of resistance. Watching Carter leave, Su Jie said to Liu Yingying, ¡°Yingying, let¡¯s get out of here too, this place doesn¡¯t smell very good.¡± ¡°Ah! Oh, yes, yes.¡± Liu Yingying snapped back to reality and hurried to follow Su Jie out of the mansion. They hadn¡¯t walked two hundred meters when suddenly, flames erupted from the mansion behind them. Initially small, the fire soon grew as more flammable material caught ablaze, and eventually, the entire mansion was engulfed in flames, erasing every piece of incriminating evidence within. ¡°Why keep staring at me?¡± As they walked, Su Jie suddenly turned his head. Liu Yingying hesitated for a few seconds before speaking, ¡°With so many people killed this time, won¡¯t Carter seek revenge? And if the Mexican government investigates...¡± ¡°Just some drug lords, their deaths are a cleansing of nuisances; the local government would be too happy to care. As for Carter, if he dares to retaliate, it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll just replace him with another person in charge. It¡¯s a matter of one more magazine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I really was scared to death just now. When did you bring reinforcements to Mexico? I had no idea, and I was so worried.¡± ¡°That? A secret. Just know that being by my side is very safe,¡± Su Jie said with a smile, offering no further explanation. Liu Yingying didn¡¯t ask any more questions, only feeling that Su Jie was even more mysterious. This man surely had many secrets she did not know. Chapter 199 - 115: Smuggling (Third Update) Chapter 199: Chapter 115: Smuggling (Third Update) Carter was indeed skilled. After Huarez met his sudden death, he swept away Huarez¡¯s followers with the speed of thunder and promoted his own people, already being the second-in-command of the Tijuana drug cartel. Thus, within mere three days, he had unified all factions, and the entire drug cartel was under his control. The numerous gang members were not particularly disturbed by this; after all, drug lords tend to have short lives, and it¡¯s normal for the upper echelons to engage in chaotic battles for profit. People just needed to follow the ultimate victor. As for everything that happened at Huarez Manor, no one had any clue. The gang subordinates below thought Carter had betrayed and killed Huarez, taking control of Tijuana, unaware that others were behind him. This wasn¡¯t considered a big deal¡ªjust a change of leadership. Weren¡¯t they all just normally growing and selling opium? But then, an order from the upper ranks completely baffled the numerous gang underlings. ... ¡°What, you want us to stop our current operations and sell this stuff?¡± In a poor community in Te Lu City, Chiou Russell looked at a dozen large boxes filled with bottles of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, his face expressionless. ¡°Yes, this is the new boss¡¯s order. You¡¯re to smuggle it into the United States and sell it there. A portion of the selling price is your compensation.¡± The person responsible for the delivery was also from Tijuana, and he was just as confused about the order but had been instructed to pass it on like this. ¡°Can this stuff even sell? I remember it¡¯s just shampoo, right?¡± Chiou Russell showed a worried face, never having dealt with hair loss himself; he just recognized the name Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid without knowing much about it. ¡°Who knows? Anyway, the boss wants it this way. You have activities tomorrow, right? Just take it and test the waters. Honestly, none of us are sure.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll give it a try, but don¡¯t blame me if it doesn¡¯t sell.¡± Chiou Russell was helpless; he had no idea if the new boss, Carter, was out of his mind. Abandoning the lucrative opium trade to sell shampoo¡ªcould they still consider themselves drug dealers? But as a subordinate, regardless of his dissatisfaction, Chiou Russell could only obediently follow the orders. In a drug cartel like this, disobedient underlings faced extremely tragic fates. The next day, Chiou Russell got everything ready, found a familiar truck driver, and loaded up the truck with boxes of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. ¡°You¡¯re transporting so much this time?¡± The driver shuddered, looking at the dozen big boxes mixed in with fruit and vegetable crates, and felt his scalp tingle. If they were caught, he¡¯d be sitting in jail for a long time. ¡°Just drive your truck and don¡¯t ask questions you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Chiou Russell glared at him and took the passenger seat. The driver, worried, turned his gaze away. If it weren¡¯t for his family that he needed to provide for and the brutality of these drug lords, he wouldn¡¯t want to take such private jobs. The truck soon started moving, heading in the direction of the US-Mexico Border. The driver kept pressing the gas pedal, hoping to deliver the goods quickly and without mishaps. But typically, the more one worries about something, the more likely it is to happen. On a road, a military police checkpoint appeared ahead, every officer armed and with dogs checking passing vehicles. In Mexico, where drug trafficking is rampant, the police could be quick to shoot if anything seemed amiss. Because they were just now climbing a hill, by the time the driver saw the checkpoint, it was already too late to turn around without being chased down and shot at. ¡°It¡¯s all over.¡± The driver looked at Chiou Russell next to him with a resentful expression. Generally, for such a large-scale opium transport, specialized armed forces would be dispatched for escort, led by elite troops from the group, armed and ready to match the police firepower. Why was it his unlucky day today? If the opium in the truck were found, even if he miraculously escaped the police¡¯s punishment, the drug lord would not let him, the driver, off the hook. Unfortunately, it was already too late for regrets. When the truck arrived at the checkpoint, several military police immediately started searching the vehicle with their dogs. Chiou Russell looked calm, as what they were transporting was not opium, so he had nothing to fear. However, the driver, due to his excessive nervousness, aroused the suspicion of the police, resulting in a more thorough inspection of the truck. Still, in the end, nothing was found, and the dogs didn¡¯t detect the scent of opium. Indeed, the police had found Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, but since it wasn¡¯t a dangerous substance, the police didn¡¯t take it seriously, allowing them to pass smoothly. After a rigorous search lasting over an hour, the truck was finally allowed to pass. The driver breathed a sigh of relief, his body already soaked with sweat. ¡°Look how scared you got, start driving.¡± Chiou Russell sneered, dismissing the driver¡¯s lack of courage. After driving for another half hour, the truck arrived at a small town near the border, finally stopping in the yard of a house. Chiou Russell jumped down from the truck, called several accomplices from the house, and together they unloaded the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. After sending the driver away, the group immediately moved everything inside the house. After lifting a carpet, there was a disguised underground tunnel. This tunnel stretched under the US-Mexico border and led directly into the United States. The tunnel was equipped with lighting lamps, oxygen cylinders, and storage units, making it very secret and safe. The group used a cart to load all the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, traveling along the underground tunnel to reach inside the United States. ... Several hours later. United States, Arizona, Phoenix. Chiou Russell, wearing a trench coat, walked through the largest city in Arizona. Following the manual issued by his superiors, he targeted a neat, young white-collar worker with early baldness, approaching him step by step. ¡°Hey, buddy, looking for goods?¡± He tapped the man¡¯s shoulder and lowered his voice. The white-collar worker was startled, glanced at Chiou Russell¡¯s attire, and thinking he was being offered opium, repeatedly shook his head, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not an addict.¡± ¡°I¡¯m selling shampoo, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid.¡± Chiou Russell opened his trench coat, revealing small pockets sewn inside, filled with bottles of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. ¡°Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid?¡± The white-collar worker¡¯s tone immediately became excited, his eyes lit up, and he subconsciously touched his head. He had also used Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid before, but it was taken off the market leading to shortages. His lush, flowing hair had fallen out. His new girlfriend had dumped him for his baldness, a dilemma that had troubled him for a long time as he wished to regain his hair. Chapter 200 - 116: Face Swollen from Being Slapped (Fourth Update) Chapter 200: Chapter 116: Face Swollen from Being Slapped (Fourth Update) Upon seeing the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, the white-collar worker immediately got excited and hastily asked, ¡°How much is this Tianyuan Shampoo, and is it authentic?¡± ¡°Five hundred US dollars, absolutely genuine. Smell this scent, it¡¯s exactly like the original factory¡¯s. There¡¯s a special substance inside that fake products simply can¡¯t replicate.¡± Seeing there was a chance to make a sale, Chiou Russell eagerly opened a bottle and let the other party take a sniff. ¡°Give me three bottles, no, five bottles.¡± Once he¡¯d confirmed it was the real thing, the white-collar didn¡¯t even discuss the price and agreed on the spot, despite it being three times the regular price. Due to the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid being taken off the shelves in the United States, the supply had become scarce and the price had risen sharply. You¡¯d want to buy it for five hundred dollars but there was nowhere to get it, which is why the white-collar bought five bottles in one go, fearing he wouldn¡¯t be able to find it later. Chiou Russell himself couldn¡¯t quite believe how easily he¡¯d made the sale. This TM seems easier than selling opium, they didn¡¯t even haggle over the price. After the deal was struck, Chiou Russell took the money and handed over five bottles of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, feeling that money was too easy to make for the first time. ¡°Could the market for this stuff really be that big?¡± Not believing his luck, Chiou Russell went to find other customers. He approached anyone with thinning hair, regardless of gender, and began to chat and pitch the product. He was astounded by the outcome of the transactions; the success rate was as high as 70%. The remaining 30% weren¡¯t disinterested buyers; they just didn¡¯t have the money. Yet they still wanted to take his number to call him once they had saved enough to purchase. By the end of one day of selling, and upon returning to his lodging, Chiou Russell took stock and found that he had sold a grand total of 126 bottles of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, making sixty-three thousand dollars. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the number. You see, his income was linked to the sales volume. Three percent commission was his wage, he made almost two thousand dollars in just one day, which could amount to fifty to sixty thousand dollars a month. And in the United States, an average middle-class income was around seventy to one hundred and sixty-seventy thousand dollars per year. If he could continue to sell at these prices and volumes, he¡¯d make sixty to seventy thousand dollars a year, which would definitely put him in the affluent class. Thinking this, Chiou Russell¡¯s eyes reddened and his breathing grew heavy. In the past, even though he sold opium, the lion¡¯s share of the profits were devoured by the bosses and his life was only slightly better than average folks, with the risk of literally risking his neck. But now, selling shampoo could bring such exorbitant profits, and he instantly felt his head heat up, his heart thumping wildly. This was much quicker money than opium, and without the risks of opium trafficking. Making a fortune was effortlessly simple. ¡°No wonder the big boss Carter wants us to sell this, it¡¯s practically a money tree!¡± Chiou Russell, who had initially complained about Carter¡¯s methods, now realized that selling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was basically like stealing money. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and Chiou Russell quickly took inventory of his stock, then called the organization inside Mexico to reserve the next batch of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. ¡°Sell, I¡¯m going to sell it out.¡± Chiou Russell danced the samba in excitement in his room. The prospect of becoming wealthy had ignited his once restless heart, filling him with an overwhelming passion for entrepreneurship. In the following days, Chiou Russell continued to roam the streets, peddling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Every day he sold a large amount of product, counting cash until his hands grew tired. In just three days, he¡¯d sold all the inventory he¡¯d brought and joined some companions to head back to Mexico via the underground tunnel. After handing over the sales proceeds and receiving his commission, he acquired a new batch of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. The generous commissions greatly stimulated these people, who threw themselves into smuggling with even more passion. Similar actions spread throughout the Tijuana Group, where batches of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid were transported to the United States through underground tunnels. Then, through various middlemen, the liquid was distributed to the market and, because the quantity was so large, a further-reaching sales network developed. The middlemen acted as distributors, selling the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid for a lower price to the locals, who were responsible for the sales. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had once sold up to twenty to thirty million a month in the United States, enough to prove how deeply its powerful effects resonated with people; only those who had lost hair could understand the value of such a product. Therefore, when Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid re-entered the market, unless consumers were really strapped for cash, they found it hard to refuse the product. Under these circumstances, the once stagnant market was stirred up once again. In a short period, after the sales of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid were banned in the United States, it was reborn in an alternative form and found its way again into many households, helping them regain their once youthful hair. On social media, while people were still debating whether the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was truly harmful to health, a new wave of comments flooded in. ¡®The newly bought Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is as good as ever.¡¯ ¡®Those worried about health have already gone bald, while I¡¯ve long since regained my youthful hair. Keep ranting all you want, just don¡¯t buy it.¡¯ ¡®Damn, where are you guys buying the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid from? I want to buy it too, give me the deets!¡¯ ¡®If you¡¯re losing a lot of hair, just don¡¯t wear a hat when you go out on the street, and you¡¯ll be approached soon enough.¡¯ ¡®You can add me; I can ship the product quickly.¡¯ ¡®Go to the busy malls, there are many salespeople there.¡¯ ¡®Are you all out of your mind? This product was taken off the shelves for a reason, there¡¯s a danger it could harm your health as per government warnings.¡¯ ¡®You actually support products made in Hua Country, a bunch of traitors who are a disgrace to our United States.¡¯ ¡®The idiots at the Commerce Department have made fools of themselves already, I¡¯ve been wanting to curse them out. They prohibited a perfectly good hair growth liquid, causing the price to double if I want to buy a bottle now. They should all just drop dead.¡¯ ¡®Bullshit, you bunch of idiots. What Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid causing harm to health? That¡¯s clearly just an interest group targeting Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, wanting to seize their good product, and deliberately spreading fake news. If it were really harmful, how come I haven¡¯t had any problems after using it for so long?¡¯ ¡®The miraculous medicine of Hua Country¡¯s traditional medicine, I¡¯m not afraid anyway, I¡¯m going to keep using it, and if you don¡¯t use it, mind your own business.¡¯ The debate raged on the internet, and these conversations made even more people aware of the smuggled Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid on the market, further boosting its sales. Batch after batch of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid showed up on the market through underground channels, and despite large quantities leading to a price drop, still costing as much as three hundred dollars per bottle, buyers kept streaming in. As the market was roiled by the impact of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, the distress was widespread. Major retailers and the tax authorities were the first to panic. The former, who had made a killing from stocking and selling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, could only watch as smugglers took their share of profits, causing them intense distress. The tax authorities were even more furious; when Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was a hot seller, the taxes paid were calculated in billions per month. But now, with it being smuggled in, the tax authorities couldn¡¯t collect a dime in taxes, and it was said that the head of the tax authorities was so angry, he couldn¡¯t even eat. The anger extended beyond just these entities; Tianyuan Daily completely disregarded the hearings requested by the United States Commerce Department and continued to sell Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid within the country through smuggling, effectively slapping them in the face. Furthermore, the bragging by internet users on social platforms about obtaining Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid from the Black Market was like one slap after another on the face of the Commerce Department, drawing many onlookers who came with their popcorn to watch the Eagle being laughed at. Chapter 201 - 117: CIA (First Update) Chapter 201: Chapter 117: CIA (First Update) United States! Inside a certain government meeting room, the air was thick with smoke, and a group of people were puffing on cigars, their expressions exceedingly grim. The current head of the Avelson Family, Jose Avelson, sat in a chair, his demeanor cold and detached, as he slowly began: ¡°Gentlemen, it seems our plan to force the other party into compliance has failed.¡± Facing Jose Avelson, an official from the tax bureau, visibly annoyed with a darkened face, said, ¡°Mr. Avelson, we could have been collecting taxes properly, but because of our cooperation with your operation, now there¡¯s a huge loss in the national treasury. Your way of doing things has made it difficult for everyone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, my chain of supermarkets has suffered severe losses. We used to earn commissions of over a hundred million US Dollars monthly from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, and now all the money¡¯s been made by the Black Market smugglers instead. Who¡¯s going to compensate for our losses?¡± Another chairman of a large supermarket chain was also pounding the table, deeply regretting the failed operation of trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to lure it. If only I hadn¡¯t cooperated with Asder Pharmaceutical, losing so much interest for nothing. The meeting room was filled with the privileged elite. A world top 500 and renowned multinational pharmaceutical company like Asder Pharmaceutical always preferred to interact with the influential and powerful. Now, facing the rampant smuggling of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, there was no doubt that their strict blockade policies had failed, which is why they had gathered together to discuss countermeasures. In response to the accusations, Jose Avelson bowed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t anticipate this and it has resulted in losses for all of you. However, we¡¯re not without opportunities to recoup. Since smuggling is rampant, then we will crack down on these smugglers. The smuggled Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid comes from Mexico; first, we¡¯ll have Mexico seal off the transportation channels at the border. Furthermore, we¡¯ll send special teams to combat criminal gangs involved in smuggling these items. For this, we need the strength of relevant personnel.¡± ¡°As long as we subdue the smuggling, Tianyuan Daily will have no choice but to accept our demands.¡± As he spoke, Jose Avelson looked towards a stern-faced middle-aged man in the room. ¡°Your Excellency Judith, Asder Pharmaceutical is willing to donate 50 million US Dollars in cash to your department as funding for overseas activities. I believe with your methods, taking down those criminal gangs shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡± The man named Judith was no other than a high-ranking official from the CIA, especially invited to the scene by Jose Avelson. ¡°After the success of the operation, we at the CIA will take thirty percent of the net revenue from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid,¡± Judith said in a calm tone, stating his demand. As these words were spoken, numerous people¡¯s eyelids twitched in response, cursing inwardly. Jose Avelson furrowed his brows and thought for a long time. Considering that they needed to rely on the CIA¡¯s power, he finally had no choice but to nod, ¡°I can agree to that demand.¡± A hint of a smile appeared on Judith¡¯s indifferent face. Although the CIA is the United States¡¯ most important foreign intelligence agency, responsible for collecting intelligence on foreign governments, companies, terrorist organizations, individuals, political, cultural, and scientific developments, and also boasts formidable operational capabilities ¨C from bribery and assassination to sponsoring anti-government forces in enemy countries and facilitating arms trades and more. It can be said that the CIA has always had multiple roles, but to complete all these tasks, the CIA also needs funding! In order to rake in money, apart from government appropriations, the CIA takes quite an initiative. Not to mention, the shadow of the CIA looms behind many drug lords and organized crime figures. ¡°In addition to combating the smuggling in Mexico, we also need the CIA¡¯s power to help us deal with Jieke Company within Chan Country¡¯s territory ¨C that¡¯s Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid¡¯s stronghold. Only by taking them down can we truly gain the profits from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid.¡± Jose Avelson continued to lay out his demands; he was also aware that Jieke Company had been aggressively expanding its military capabilities recently, which made him uneasy. If it weren¡¯t for the local warlords, whom they supported, not being ready, he would have already given the order to strike. ¡°He¡¯s just a regional warlord; we can help you with that,¡± Judith replied without hesitation. All they needed to do was to label the other party as a terrorist; how could they not control him? The right to define was in the hands of the CIA after all. In the past, the CIA had done this kind of thing more than once. As long as the funding was in place, they could even overthrow a nation, let alone a minor warlord. With Judith¡¯s assurance, Jose Avelson visibly relaxed a great deal. Although promising a substantial part of the profits, gaining the friendship of the CIA was beneficial overall for Asder Pharmaceutical. With the CIA¡¯s vast influence overseas, Asder Pharmaceutical could go further and deeper. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, victory is in sight; we will undoubtedly be the final victors over a mere enterprise,¡± Jose Avelson stood up and bowed once again. Everyone exchanged smiles; with the CIA¡¯s involvement, they already saw the hope of victory. ...... Soon after the meeting ended, the United States Commerce Office held another press conference. The spokesperson angrily stated in front of the reporters, ¡°Recently, we discovered large-scale smuggling at the US-Mexico border. Criminals have brought Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, which our department has explicitly banned from selling, into our territory. Behind this must be the aiding and abetting of Tianyuan Daily, circulating products through illegal channels and supplying criminals, thus endangering the public. We urge Mexico to immediately initiate the corresponding ban to prevent Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid from passing through customs and becoming a weapon for criminals to earn Black Gold. Hereby, our commerce department officially issues the final ultimatum. Tianyuan Daily has jeopardized the national security of the United States and must immediately stop this smuggling activity and pay a fine of 3.698 billion US dollars, or we will initiate comprehensive sanctions.¡± Reporters below, sensing big news, raised their microphones and asked, ¡°Are you saying Tianyuan Daily is involved in smuggling¡ªdo you have evidence?¡± ¡°Of course there is evidence, but it is not convenient to show it at the moment. Once we catch all the culprits, they will be punished by law.¡± The spokesperson from the commerce office insisted, stating they would make Tianyuan Daily pay the price. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask, how exactly has Tianyuan Daily jeopardized our national security? Is there detailed medical validation and data to support the harm to health?¡± Another reporter stood up, the tone excited. ¡°It involves national security secrets, so it is not convenient for us to answer. Next.¡± The spokesperson¡¯s face turned darker, hurriedly looking for a friendly journalist. ¡°With such actions from Tianyuan Daily, should we consider directly freezing their funds?¡± A CNN reporter immediately made the suggestion to the spokesperson, ignoring the disdainful looks from fellow journalists. ¡°That¡¯s something we¡¯ll consider.¡± The spokesperson said dryly; had Tianyuan Daily¡¯s money been stored overseas, they would have frozen its assets long ago, letting them know what it means to be the world police. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t have the opportunity. Seeing the eager eyes below, the spokesperson felt the press conference was a bit like being under siege and didn¡¯t dare to let the questioning continue. They hastily ended the conference and left somewhat awkwardly. Chapter 202 - 118: Not Qualified to Interfere With Me (Second Update) Chapter 202: Chapter 118: Not Qualified to Interfere With Me (Second Update) The statement from the United States floated across the ocean, and in today¡¯s highly developed global information society, it quickly topped the trending searches on Weibo. Facing the accusations and fines from the United States, Tianyuan Daily also released an announcement. ¡°Regarding the smuggling allegations made by the United States, we were completely unaware. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is only sold by our company, and where the buyers transport it to after the sale is entirely their own business. Additionally, we would like to kindly remind you that smuggling is rampant within the United States and perhaps you should start by looking within, to see if there is something wrong on your end. Otherwise, why don¡¯t other countries have smuggling issues? As for the fine, we are a Hua Country enterprise, and you, the United States, have no jurisdiction over us.¡± This tough announcement caused a sensation in Hua Country, and the netizens were overjoyed. Prince Cookies: Tianyuan Daily is awesome, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a tough Hua enterprise, and just for that, I support them. Humans Don¡¯t Deserve Luo Ji: The logic of the old robbers in the United States, claiming health hazards without a shred of evidence. Mao Lian: Turns out there¡¯s the smuggling route, all I can say is Tianyuan Daily did a beautiful job. Drunken, Listening to Rain Tower: The announcement by Tianyuan Daily is so arrogant! It¡¯s as if they¡¯re saying, ¡°I just love how you hate me but can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Napoleon Loves Noodles: Even your American public is snapping up Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, which proves the product is genuinely good. Why not just open up the market? At least then you could collect some taxes. Smiling Fish nn: To the comment above, do you think we in the United States are shameless? We just blocked and removed the product, and now you want us to lift restrictions under the pretext of smuggling. What will Europe think of us? What will Russia think of us? What will our allies think of us? Qingshan Escapee: I support the United States in strictly punishing Tianyuan Daily, such an unscrupulous company should be banned sooner. Everyone should support the judgment of the United States Commerce Department, the beacon of freedom and democracy, can¡¯t be wrong. Momo¡¯s Cat: The know-it-all above should get lost, if you like it so much, go wash dishes over there yourself. Frenzy Chemistry Class Representative: So-called free trade is just a joke. The United States doesn¡¯t even follow its own rules. When losing in business competition, just impose sanctions, number one in double standards. The discussions continued online, with the majority of Hua Country people supporting Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. With over eighty million users in Hua Country, the product has a large fan base. Plus, it¡¯s a fight against America, which really excites everyone, eager to watch the United States¡¯ bustle. However, these various discussions did not stop the actions of the United States, which has long been accustomed to being criticized by others. Under pressure from the United States, particularly with the increase of tariffs on Mexican goods, within three days, Mexico was forced to declare a ban on Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. At the same time, at the US-Mexico border, US police also stepped up their search and patrol efforts against smuggling, working hard to crack down on the issue. ... Ten days later. In Mexico, Te Lu City. Inside a villa, Su Jie sat on a sofa, flipping through a newspaper. The newspaper had excerpts from the speech by the President of Mexico, which was about banning the circulation and importation of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. ¡°Mr. Su, the day before yesterday one of our underground tunnels was discovered. The US police blew up the tunnel and seized a batch of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, capturing quite a few of our people. Moreover, Mexico has enforced the ban, and now it¡¯s very difficult for us to bring Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid into the country by sea. Several ships carrying the liquid have been seized.¡± Next to the sofa, Carter bent down, cautiously reporting on the recent news from the Tijuana Group. These developments were highly disadvantageous for the current situation in Tijuana, for with the opium business canceled, the group relied entirely on profits from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. In the short term, this blockade might have been inconsequential, but the longer it lasted, the more troublesome it would become. Su Jie put down the newspaper and said, ¡°Two things, go to Putu Logistics¡¯ number eight warehouse. There, you will find a batch of hair growth original fluid for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Follow the instructions and use some small factories for bottling. On Mexico¡¯s side, spend some money on customs. We¡¯ve made so much, it¡¯s enough to shut their mouths.¡± For the current predicament, Su Jie had long made preparations. He had transported a batch of hair growth original fluid in advance with a Storage Bag, planning to produce and sell it directly in Mexico. After all, this substance didn¡¯t require high production technology or conditions. As long as the hair growth original fluid was in place, any other Material could be processed in just about any small factory. And there was no need to worry too much about Mexico¡¯s blockade orders. The somewhat chaotic system in Mexico, where bribery was rampant, proclaimed prohibitions. However, under the onslaught of money, the actual enforcement of these orders was questionable. Through these two preparations, most of the blockade could be neutralized. ¡°Mr. Su, did you anticipate this all along?¡± Carter was somewhat shocked. Su Jie¡¯s words clearly indicated he had been prepared. Su Jie smiled, took out another map, and said lightly, ¡°The Americans want to take over my business. Naturally, I won¡¯t just sit back and wait. Take this map. Everywhere marked on it represents a newly opened underground tunnel along the US-Mexico Border, enough for you to smuggle and counter the US police¡¯s crackdown.¡± ¡°All of these... are?¡± Carter¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief upon seeing the dozens of marked underground tunnels on the map. How was this achieved? The Tijuana Group had toiled for over a decade to establish only seven or eight smuggling tunnels, and discovering each one resulted in severe losses. Because underground tunnels are difficult and time-consuming to construct, there was the risk of collapses besides the physical and labor-intensive work involved. Underground tunnels had always been one of the most important assets for drug lords on the Mexico side. Whoever controlled more tunnels commanded a larger share of the opium market. ¡°Keep these to yourself and don¡¯t let me find you smuggling opium through them, or...¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice was cold. To him, creating underground tunnels with the thousand-hand centipede was easy, far more effective than any tunnel-boring machine. Just one drilling operation was all it took to smoothly carve out an underground tunnel several meters wide. It was impossible for US police to block the smuggling routes completely. ¡°Absolutely not. Right now, selling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is more profitable than opium. No one will abandon the main pursuit for something less important,¡± Carter assured, his face pale. He knew all too well how ruthless Su Jie¡¯s methods were. He had been working diligently for a while now, for he feared walking down the street might end with his head being blown off. Because of his fear, he sometimes felt like he was developing a psychological shadow. He always sensed that in the darkness, several pairs of eyes were watching him, no matter what he did. In reality, Carter¡¯s feeling was not misplaced. Only, the eyes watching him were not those of snipers, but insects controlled by the Insect Control Technique. With Su Jie¡¯s current Spiritual Power, he kept half of Te Lu City under surveillance, keeping an eye on the Tijuana Group¡¯s every move. Carter couldn¡¯t hide any small actions from him. Chapter 203 - 119: We have our own national conditions in Mexico (third update) Chapter 203: Chapter 119: We have our own national conditions in Mexico (third update) As the United States began to impose sanctions, the smuggling industry was immediately dealt a significant blow. Especially in Mexico, under the pressure exerted by the United States, an unprecedented crackdown was demonstrated. The United States also sent a specialized investigation team to assist Mexico in cracking down on the smuggling of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. The behavior involving Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was too egregious, and the United States Commerce Department could no longer tolerate it. If they didn¡¯t act, others might think the United States was a paper tiger, open to challenges from anyone. ... In an office building in Mo City, the capital of Mexico, Mikael Canto, the person in charge of the smuggling task from the United States, sat in an office chair, browsing through a stack of documents. Mikael Canto came from a formidable background. At only forty-five years old, he was one of the most famous law enforcement elites in the United States in recent years, having solved numerous major cases and possessing an exceptionally impressive resume. This time, due to the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid incident that had embarrassed the United States, he was specifically sent to assist in the investigation. Normally, it was very difficult to get approval for such international cases, and even Interpol didn¡¯t have this kind of authority. But it was the United States that made the request, and since Mexico was right next to the United States and had been taken advantage of for many years, it really didn¡¯t have much strength to refuse. Thus, Mikael Canto led the team over. Near Mikael Canto were dozens of elite personnel from the United States, some from the Commerce Department, some from law enforcement, and some from border management. They were all top talents drafted from various departments. ¡°Nitel, we hope that the Mexican officials can cooperate with us. Fighting smuggling benefits both countries,¡± he said. At that moment, in front of Mikael Canto, was a Mexican with slightly curly hair. He was the official sent by the Mexican government to coordinate with Mikael Canto, named Nitel Raxinpta. ¡°Rest assured, I have been directed by the President himself. I will fully cooperate with your operations. If there are any issues, just come to me,¡± Nitel said, thumping his chest loudly in assurance. ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve received a tip-off from an informant, at the Mexican customs...¡± Just then, a subordinate suddenly rushed over, speaking in a hushed tone. ¡°What? Come with me immediately,¡± Mikael Canto said, his face darkening. He immediately got up, grabbed his service weapon, and led a team of people driving at high speed toward the port. ... Nightfall! Mikael Canto organized a group of elite troops to covertly stake out at the Samanni Port in Mexico, witnessing a scene that enraged him. As a cargo ship docked, the crew members were busy organizing the unloading of goods. At the unloading site, individuals clearly part of gang members were swaggering around directing the scene, with several port officials smiling obsequiously nearby. The two groups were fraternal, warm towards each other to an excessive degree. ¡°Boss, we have already notified the local police, and they will send someone to assist us,¡± a subordinate whispered to him as he approached. ¡°Good, keep an eye on their movements. We...¡± Mikael Canto was speaking when suddenly, he noticed the unloading area erupt into chaos. The leader of the gang received a phone call and immediately ordered everyone to get in the car and flee. ¡°The news has leaked, don¡¯t wait for police backup, let¡¯s handle it ourselves.¡± Mikael Canto quickly realized something was wrong and seeing the gang escaping, he could no longer hold back, leading his team to swiftly strike. The apprehension was easier than expected; it seemed they were unprepared for their arrival, and some gang members hadn¡¯t even had time to get in the car before they were caught red-handed. That included the crew assisting at the scene and the dock officials, all of whom were arrested as well. As soon as they opened those unloading boxes, they were all filled with bottles of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, an astonishing quantity. Without the officials¡¯ permits, smuggling such large quantities via little boats would have been very difficult. After all, this wasn¡¯t opium, which is light and doesn¡¯t press down the hold, allowing a small boat to easily approach and unload. Seeing these stolen goods, Mikael Canto became even angrier. Thus, by the time Nitel arrived, some of the port¡¯s key officials had already been cornered in their office by Mikael Canto. ¡°Mr. Mikael, what are you doing?¡± Startled, Nitel hurried forward to intervene. Mikael Canto snorted coldly, ¡°Ask these officials, involved with the gang, colluding in smuggling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, they must have taken the gang¡¯s dirty money.¡± Nitel¡¯s face twitched; he quickly figured out what was happening and could only respond with bitter laughter. He was well aware of these officials¡¯ nature; corruption among Mexican officials was hardly a new occurrence. ¡°Mr. Mikael, please calm down, we can talk this over slowly!¡± ¡°How can I calm down? Do you know, just after we had requested support from the local police station, the gang heard about it and ran away. Is this a police station or a den of thieves!¡± Mikael Canto slammed the table, visibly furious. Nitel was at a loss for words, knowing that given Mexico¡¯s local chaos and poverty and low police salaries, facing threats from various gangs, it was not uncommon for some police to turn a blind eye or even for special forces units to join forces with the cartel. This is the state of things in Mexico; police and gangs often becoming indistinguishable. ¡°Hey, you Americans, get out of my office, this isn¡¯t your country, you have no jurisdiction over us.¡± At that moment, several port officials trapped in the office cursed at Mikael Canto, calling in the port-area police to confront Mikael Canto¡¯s team. Their arrogant attitude only fueled Mikael Canto¡¯s rage further. ¡°Mr. Mikael, please withdraw your men.¡± Nitel continued to persuade, striving to prevent a conflict from erupting. ¡°You will regret this.¡± Mikael Canto¡¯s face turned livid, and since he truly had no authority and this was Mexico, he was forced to bitterly lead his team away. Walking outside on the port road, Mikael Canto was still determined, saying, ¡°Nitel, your country really needs to reform its bureaucracy. Look at the state of corruption; those officials need to be dealt with to set an example and have a deterrent effect.¡± ¡°Mr. Mikael, that¡¯s impossible. We have our national circumstances in Mexico, so you better not worry about these matters.¡± Nitel dismissed the idea without a second thought. Given the lucrative nature of a port job, even a fool could guess these officials had powerful backers behind them; who would dare mess with them lightly? Given the circumstances, Mikael Canto was helpless. This was a sovereign nation after all; even if it often sought to appease the United States, it was beyond the influence of a mere special project leader. Chapter 204 - 120: Peoples War (Fourth Update) Chapter 204: Chapter 120: People¡¯s War (Fourth Update) Facing such national conditions in Mexico, Nitel could only excitedly withdraw his team, but what he hadn¡¯t expected was the news he received three days later. Not only were the port officials left unprocessed, but even the gang members they had caught were released by the police, and all the confiscated Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had vanished without a trace. ¡°The gang members escaped? A fire broke out in the police warehouse, and the confiscated Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was burned? Are they treating me like a three-year-old child?¡± In the office building in Mo City, Mikael Canto looked at the explanations given by the police, almost laughing in anger. ¡°Nitel, do your country¡¯s officials have any bottom line at all?¡± ¡°This...¡± Nitel was extremely embarrassed; he couldn¡¯t outright tell Mikael Canto that the bottom line of officials in his country was that there was no limit¡ªas long as it could make them money, they would dare to do what you could only dare to imagine. ¡°Forget it, arguing about this with you is pointless. I¡¯ve received information that there¡¯s a production line for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid in the Jimacan slums. I hope your police can work together with us to destroy it.¡± Mikael Canto then took out a stack of documents, speaking in a serious tone. ¡°Ah, going to Jimacan could be dangerous, maybe we shouldn¡¯t go in after all.¡± Nitel hesitated, showing his reluctance. ¡°I know, the security in the slums of Mexico is poor, so I requested the support of your police, and we have made preparations.¡± Mikael Canto asserted, declaring that they were ready. ¡°Well, alright, I¡¯ll contact the police.¡± After thinking it over, Nitel realized it wasn¡¯t good to keep refusing, otherwise the higher authorities in the United States would send letters to their President again. ... Mo City is the capital of Mexico, and it is a large city with a population exceeding twenty million. It¡¯s hard to imagine that a super metropolis like Mo City still has slums. Jimacan is the largest slum in Mo City, where the astonishing number of 1.5 million destitute people gather. When Mikael Canto led the team along with a large group of police officers into this area, they couldn¡¯t help but frown. In the slum, makeshift shelters made of wood and tin kept appearing, where people who came to Mo City looking for opportunities and work settled due to their dire economic situations, gradually forming this enormous and chaotic slum. There are also slums in the United States, but most of them were formed after the decline of industrial cities, still using brick and concrete housing, which is completely different from those in Mexico. As they moved deeper, Mikael Canto gradually sensed that something was off, as the destitute gaze they met was not friendly at all. However, Mikael Canto soon had to ignore these concerns. He arrived in the central area of Jimacan, where he discovered dense small workshops, with workers numbering in the thousands. They saw batches of raw materials for hair growth liquid being brought in for simple production and manufacturing. For example, the simplest production of packaging bottles: numerous small earth workshops were busy, with piles of PET materials being purchased and then formed through injection molding machines to complete the simple packaging bottles. The text on the packaging was exactly from the batch of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid imported into the United States. Upon seeing these production workshops, Mikael Canto immediately fired into the air and shouted loudly, ¡°Everyone put your hands on your head and squat down, this is a police operation!¡± However, the expected scenario did not occur, and instead of obediently placing their hands on their head, the workers¡¯ eyes revealed a dangerous look. ¡°These police are going to destroy our factory.¡± ¡°If the factory is gone, we¡¯ll all starve,¡± he said. ¡°Kill them, kill them, kill them!¡± After a brief silence, workers fetched long and short guns from their rooms and fired through door cracks and window sills, their faces filled with a resolve to defend their homes at all costs. For these poor souls with nothing left but their lives, working in the production of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was a hard-earned job with generous benefits that supported entire families. Now that someone was threatening this livelihood, they would not back down, not even from the police. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! The slums erupted with gunfire in an instant. Mexico was awash with guns, and firearms circulated widely among civilians. The factories themselves were well-stocked and now handed out weapons to workers, transforming them into merciless militias. What was even more terrifying was that as the battle erupted on this front, it alarmed the vast majority of the slums. One by one, the poor grabbed guns and rushed to join the fight. Some were family members of the workers, others relied on the factory for food, and many more were spurred by the economic revitalization the hair growth liquid factory brought to the slums, voluntarily coming forth to repel the attackers. Bang! A Mexican police officer fell heavily to the ground, his heart pierced through by a bullet. A gun barrel peeked out from a hidden gap in the wall, aimed and fired, felling several figures. A special agent from the United States crouched around a corner, exchanging fire with those up ahead. Suddenly, the door beside him was quietly pushed open, and a few impoverished individuals wielding machetes shouted incoherent curses as they slashed down mercilessly, chopping him into an unrecognizable mess. A truck drove up, aimed at Mikael Canto¡¯s team, and rammed into them, flinging several people into the air. A large group of poor jumped out of the back of the truck, firing and slashing without a second word. Someone poured gasoline on the vehicles of Mikael Canto and others, igniting them in flames to vent their fury, completely destroying the vehicles. Those without weapons picked up rocks, beer bottles, slippers, and more, hurling them through the air, a chaotic flurry of debris soaring everywhere. The local populace in Mexico was extraordinarily fierce, striking with brutal ferocity. In just a few short minutes, Mikael Canto and his team had plunged into a vast ocean of people¡¯s warfare, being sniped from all directions. Leveraging their numerical and geographical advantages, Mikael Canto and his troops were beaten back in disarray, fleeing in panic. The Mexican police were the first to collapse, running faster than rabbits, wishing they had sprouted extra legs. ¡°Retreat, retreat quickly!¡± Mikael Canto, too, started to panic, having never experienced such a scenario. Faced with these rioting people, he felt as if he had stirred up a hornet¡¯s nest. ¡°I told you not to come here, not to come here, but you just wouldn¡¯t believe it,¡± Nitel said, his face a mask of regret, his guts turning green. He never expected things to get this serious; he had only heard the slums were unruly, but this was no mere lawlessness¡ª it was like being on a battlefield! ¡°Stop talking, just run!¡± Although Mikael Canto was skilled with a gun and hand-to-hand combat, and his team was indeed elite, they were embarrassingly outmatched. Despite being heavily outgunned, they managed to commandeer some vehicles and frantically charged out. However, once they cleared the slums and conducted a headcount, only a third of those who entered survived to escape; over two-thirds had left their lives behind forever. Chapter 205 - 121: Heavy Losses (First Update) Chapter 205: Chapter 121: Heavy Losses (First Update) ¡°` ¡°We... we¡¯ve escaped.¡± Nitel sat down on the ground with the joy of a narrow escape, his body covered in both blood and sweat. The terrifying sensation of bullets whizzing past his scalp from moments ago still left his heart palpitating. ¡°Old Bill, David, Sarina... they didn¡¯t make it out.¡± Mikael Canto¡¯s eyes were filled with self-reproach and regret, those were elite agents from various departments of the United States, and now they all lay buried in the slums of Jimacan, not even their bodies could be recovered. Such devastating casualties were unprecedented for Mikael Canto. ¡°So you just run away, bastards? We help you destroy the smuggling factory, and this is how you betray us?¡± At this, other special agents who saw their comrades dead or wounded couldn¡¯t help but yell angrily at the police who had escaped first. ¡°It was you who insisted on going into the slums to provoke trouble, you insisted on dismantling people¡¯s factories, causing the death of many of our colleagues. You are the real cancer.¡± The Mexican police were also filled with grievances. Normally they wouldn¡¯t enter the slums, but today they had lost many men aiding these Americans, and they had nowhere to vent their anger. ¡°What did you say? If your police had done something, the slums wouldn¡¯t be in such chaos, allowing every thug to carry a gun.¡± ¡°Heh, as if you Americans are any better. Shootings happen every day, and those chaotic slums in Di Te City are also world-famous.¡± The argument between the two sides grew more heated, eventually escalating into a fight, fists flying in a free-for-all. ¡°Enough, all of you stop it.¡± Mikael Canto bellowed, putting a stop to the conflict. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After a struggle to separate the fighters, Mikael Canto led his men to head back. In Mexico, they were always outsiders, any conflict with local police would only put them at a disadvantage. ¡°Mr. Mikael, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nitel looked at Mikael Canto¡¯s grim face, not sure what else to say. ¡°The mistake was mine, I underestimated the risks of the slum. The waters here are too deep.¡± Mikael Canto let out a sigh, feeling the path to mission success was long and arduous. ... At the US-Mexico border. A team of anti-smuggling patrol officers was driving towards a wasteland near the border, with no less than a dozen police cars on the road. They had received a tip-off about smuggling activities nearby, where traffickers of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid were moving goods in bulk. Patrol officer Charles, as he had done so many times before, drove on the rugged road, turning to his partner in the passenger seat with a smile, ¡°Get ready, our team is about to start the action soon. I hope we seize more contraband this time; the higher-ups are really focusing on this.¡± The passenger was a rookie named Lana Peters, who had recently joined the border patrol. With her looks, she had plenty of admirers, Charles included. ¡°I know, I¡¯ll shoot immediately if anything goes wrong.¡± Lana nodded, her hand resting on the holster at her waist, visible tension on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, we¡¯re only going after the guys smuggling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, not drug traffickers or illegal immigrants. They know their crimes are minor and they wouldn¡¯t dare to shoot back.¡± Charles, a seasoned veteran of many years, reassured the rookie, seizing the opportunity to endear himself. ¡°Hey, Charles, we¡¯re approaching the target area, but it¡¯s a bit close to the Mexican border. That¡¯s a disputed area between the two countries; we might be crossing the border here.¡± The voice of a colleague came through the radio. ¡°No worries, we¡¯ll make it quick and come right back, just grab the people and return.¡± Charles was unconcerned; they were the world¡¯s police. Arresting a criminal in a disputed area was no big deal, akin to American soldiers intervening in other countries¡¯ internal affairs under the pretext of anti-terrorism ¡ª not a rare occurrence. Even if they did cross the border, it would be federal law that punished him, not Mexico. ¡°` The convoy continued on, entering an endless expanse of desert, canyons, and hills bristling with cacti. ¡°Once we get to the scene, we only need to make the arrest. Those smugglers have made a pretty penny, and there¡¯s a good amount to skim off them. As long as we...¡± Boom! Before Charles could finish, the lead police car exploded violently, as if something had blown it away. ¡°What happened, what¡¯s going on?¡± Charles¡¯s face changed dramatically, and he bellowed into the walkie-talkie. As a response, an RPG fired from not far away hit another police car, blasting it into a twisted wreck. On a hillside, dozens of people lay in ambush, each armed with a variety of weapons, and opened fire on the police convoy, their gunshots blending together in a relentless barrage. ¡°Enemy attack, enemy attack, we¡¯ve encountered armed assailants, location... request support, request support...¡± Charles slammed on the brakes and hurried out of the car with his Long Spear, using the police car as cover as he fired back at the enemy. Lana¡¯s hands trembled slightly as she gripped her gun and got out with the main force. Due to her nervousness and fear, her shots drifted skyward. Suddenly, the gunfire from the other side quieted down, as if the shooting had stopped. ¡°They ran away, huh?¡± Muttering to himself, Charles turned to Lana beside him and said, ¡°Looks like they were scared off. Those guys actually dared to resist. We can¡¯t let them go this time, no matter what.¡± Seeking to showcase his heroic spirit, Charles cautiously stood up to scout the situation. Lana didn¡¯t speak; she only stared at the right side of the convoy with her pupils shrinking violently. Her teeth chattered as she desperately clung to Charles¡¯s arm. Following Lana¡¯s gaze, the next moment forced Charles to widen his eyes in shock. An Infantry Fighting Vehicle with six wheels slowly ascended from the base of the hill, its dark 30mm machine gun aimed at their side of the police convoy. ¡°Shit...¡± Charles cursed, and in the next instant, his body was blown apart, his blood splattering all over Lana¡¯s face and head. With the machine gun fire, the formidable weapon swept across the battlefield. The so-called cover of the police cars was like paper ma?che? before the 30mm machine gun, and body parts flew everywhere. The counterattack by the police officers was pathetically weak because their equipment simply couldn¡¯t penetrate the armor of the Infantry Fighting Vehicle. In just one minute, the machine gun turned the battlefield into a slaughterhouse. After unleashing a barrage of fire, the Infantry Fighting Vehicle slowly retreated back into an underground tunnel, and the entire smuggling team vanished without a trace. By the time support police forces arrived, the scene was littered with limbs and body parts, and only Lana, who had lost an arm, was still alive. ¡°Those people are not human; they deployed an Infantry Fighting Vehicle. They are not ordinary smugglers,¡± Lana¡¯s recount made all the police officers gasp in shock, staring at the deep tunnel entrance with a chill crawling up their spines. To face an Infantry Fighting Vehicle in combat was something these officers had never encountered in their many years on the job; it felt exceptionally insane. ¡°We must chase them, we must bring those brutal smugglers to justice.¡± The police forces at the scene were enraged. While requesting military support, they sent officers into the underground tunnel to try and pursue the fleeing enemies. But the officers who entered the tunnel hadn¡¯t gone far when they saw a wide Claymore mine on the ground with ¡°Front Toward Enemy¡± painted on it, and an infrared tripwire trigger device was active. ¡°Shit...¡± A group of officers were terrified and tried to run, but by then it was too late. The activated Claymore mine exploded in an instant, with hundreds of steel balls covering 60% of the arc in front, directly perforating the police officers in the tunnel into a honeycomb. Some steel balls even shot out of the entrance, hitting the unlucky ones observing from outside. The steel balls, with a range of tens of meters and designed as anti-personnel mines, were extremely powerful. The balls embedded into flesh and kept tearing through muscle, causing extreme damage and pain, filling the site with cries of agony for a moment. The remaining officers were stunned, a chill running from their feet to the top of their skulls, their minds filled with bewilderment and fear. Why were these smugglers of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid so ferocious, even more ruthless than the drug lords they had encountered in the past? Deploying Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Claymore mines, rocket launchers¡ªwere they fighting a counter-terrorism war? Chapter 206 - 122: Deploy (Second Update) Chapter 206: Chapter 122: Deploy (Second Update) Mo City. United States Special Envoy Team Office Building. A gloomy atmosphere enveloped the place, like a depressive rainy day, with the whole team exuding an atmosphere of negativity and dejection. Since the failed operation in the slums a week ago, the United States special investigation team had suffered heavy losses. Although the United States had subsequently replenished its staff, they faced difficult investigative situations, arrogant smugglers, colluding bureaucrats, and many lower-class people lured by heavy profits. All these instances were telling them that here in Mexico, they were the vulnerable group. Mikael Canto sat on the couch, the ashtray in front of him piled up with cigarette butts. In just a week, he had aged ten years, even developing grey hair. ¡°In one week, there have been multiple premeditated attacks targeting patrol officers at the border. Smugglers have changed their usual style, using a large number of powerful weapons, appearing and disappearing through underground tunnels, causing massive casualties. Our border patrols are now full of complaints. Even if they receive tips about smuggling activities, they dare not crackdown easily anymore, instead, they need to rely on the support from the military and the National Guard.¡± Mikael Canto looked at the latest intelligence report brought to him, his head spinning. Originally thinking it was just a smuggling case, who would have thought that these guys were crazier and more terrifying than drug lords, seemingly deliberately targeting the United States. Such madness was infuriating. Thinking about the recent incidents, since he had come to Mexico, it had been one bad thing after another. All he heard were bad news, one after another, almost driving him insane. ¡°Boss, someone is looking for you.¡± At that moment, a subordinate rushed in knocking on the door. ¡°Who?¡± Mikael Canto looked up. ¡°CIA.¡± The reporting subordinate had a strange expression on his face. ¡°Hmm, let him in.¡± Mikael Canto recalled what his former superior had mentioned in a cryptic manner before he left, that this smuggling case involved high-level officials, and he must be extremely cautious and careful. Soon, a Caucasian man entered the room. ¡°Dika Douglas, CIA-appointed Mexico Affairs Commissioner, responsible for this Tianyuan smuggling case.¡± Dika extended his hand, his smile somewhat insincere. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Mikael.¡± ¡°I heard you guys have suffered heavy casualties recently. Let our Central Intelligence Agency take over this case completely, you guys just assist us. We¡¯ll smooth everything out.¡± Dika¡¯s tone was decisive, intending to take over the command right away. Mikael Canto frowned as he looked at the other party, disliking his tone. ¡°How do you plan on handling it? Those smugglers aren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡± ¡°Hehe, I understand. Tijuana is one of the largest gang organizations in Mexico, originally dealing in opium businesses with their stronghold in Te Lu City. Before expanding, the organization had over six thousand members. Now, by smuggling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, they attract poor people to join and have brought in instructors for military management and training. Plus, they¡¯re deeply enmeshed with local Mexican bureaucrats¡ªyou guys having no way to deal with them makes sense.¡± Dika threw a pile of documents on the table, all about the Tijuana Organization, even clearly detailing how Carter had killed Huarez to rise to power. ¡°Tijuana is just the public face, the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid comes from a regional warlord of Chan Country. We at the CIA suspect that both parties have colluded with the intent of disrupting our market to make a huge profit. To take on such an organization, it was hard to strike overtly, the local military and police were just as unreliable, and we could only opt for a decapitation strategy. Within the Tijuana Organization, we had contacted high-ranking insiders. Once Carter was dealt with, our people could quickly rise to power and take control of this large criminal group. By then, the smuggling channel for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid would be cut off. Only by resolving the source in Chan Country could the matter be completely settled. But to accomplish all these, your strength is still far from sufficient.¡± Looking at the confident expression on Dika¡¯s face, and thinking of the CIA¡¯s rumors of bribery, assassination, supporting anti-government forces, and so forth, Mikael Canto¡¯s first interaction with them made him realize that the rumors were indeed not unfounded. If everything went as the CIA intended, then it might truly be possible to thoroughly resolve the issue. ¡°I wish you success, and I will have my team cooperate with you.¡± Mikael Canto did not pursue power but instead offered his cooperation actively. Compared to a clash of egos, he preferred to seek justice for his deceased subordinates. ¡°A wise choice. Once Carter is dealt with, we can arrest him and hand him over to you for custody,¡± Dika replied, smiling confidently, as if the operation had already succeeded before it had even started. After all, they were the renowned CIA, who had dealt with terrorist groups and enemy governments, and armed territorial forces. A mere drug lord was hardly considered a threat in their eyes. ......... Two days later, in Te Lu City. In a high-rise flat, Su Jie was meditating. Threads of Divine Light spread around his body, and his Divine Soul leaped out from his head, gradually forming a face, now with a nose besides a mouth. Hu! With a gentle breath from the Divine Soul, the White Bone Tree Leaves planted in the Five Elements Spiritual Soil unfolded continuously, and the tree¡¯s Spiritual Energy surged wildly, immensely absorbed into the body. This Spiritual Energy was already refined by the White Bone Tree, but with Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul nose taking shape, the human body gained another filter to compress and refine the Spiritual Power once more. This meant that with the same amount of Spiritual Power, Su Jie used less to achieve the same effect, effectively increasing his reserves of Spiritual Power. Slowly opening his eyes, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus on the Five Elements Spiritual Soil had now sprouted three cotyledons. The Sacred Lotus had grown a few more centimeters, now about ten centimeters tall, its stem tender and vibrantly green, cotyledons pure as jade, with natural patterns of Tao flowing on them. He took out several Mid-grade Spirit Stones and buried them in the Five Elements Spiritual Soil to fertilize the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. Susu! The cotyledons of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus fluttered, and a sky full of Star Light and Purple Mist swirled up, as if jubilant, accelerating the circulation of Spiritual Power inside Su Jie¡¯s body. This Exotic Treasure, constantly surrounded by the sound of Tao Heavenly Sound and a myriad of auspicious Purple Mist, was immensely valuable just as a cultivation accelerator, gradually revealing its extraordinary nature. Su Jie reached out and gently touched the delicate cotyledons. Invisible Sword Qi autonomously acted to fend off any approaching entities. Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound of sword clangs vibrated as a Low Grade Beginner Flying Sword used for loosening soil immediately broke. Even in its nascent form, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus displayed such power. Despite the danger, Su Jie still touched it, the Thousand-Handed Centipede crawling up his arm to help him fend off the Sword Qi. Su Jie imprinted his own aura onto the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, slowly refining it. With such an Exotic Treasure, an Innate Spiritual Object, it was very difficult to refine it for personal use. Su Jie hoped to start refining it from a young stage to reduce the difficulties of use in the future. ¡°Grow quickly.¡± After observing the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus for a while, Su Jie heard footsteps behind him, got up, tidied up his cultivation items, and finally put away the protective Array Map. Chapter 207 - 123: Declaration of Allegiance (Third Update) Chapter 207: Chapter 123: Declaration of Allegiance (Third Update) ¡°Su Jie, Carter is here.¡± A pair of lotus-like arms reached from behind, wrapping around Su Jie¡¯s waist. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll go have a chat with him.¡± Patting Liu Yingying¡¯s pert bottom, Su Jie stood up and walked into the living room. ¡°Mr. Su.¡± Carter was standing there, having been called by Su Jie. Step by step, Su Jie walked to the balcony, from where he could overlook the entirety of Te Lu City. ¡°Mr. Su, we¡¯ve achieved considerable success in our operations this week.¡± Carter said with excitement. His drug traffickers, after training, utilized underground tunnels to significantly challenge the border patrol¡¯s spirit. This could not have been achieved by his drug lords alone since their training was still lacking. Many were elite soldiers from Jieke Security, drafted to operate various heavy weaponry. ¡°Carter, are you loyal to me?¡± Faced with Carter¡¯s excitement, Su Jie suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question. Carter was taken aback. He immediately knelt down and lay prone on the floor, saying, ¡°Mr. Su, my loyalty to you is unwavering. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t be in the position I am today.¡± ¡°Good, I need you to do something to prove this loyalty,¡± Su Jie said. Writing an address on a piece of paper, Su Jie spoke indifferently, ¡°Kill everyone at this place. In our Hua Country, this is called ¡®submitting a name card.¡¯ With your loyalty, I trust you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡± ¡°Third Community Fawendun Building?¡± Carter raised his head, not understanding what was special about this location. ¡°Inside, a group of CIA operatives and a United States Special Forces team have arrived. They plan to launch a decapitation strike to eliminate the heads of Tijuana and eradicate the smuggling network. You see how good I am to you, informing you in advance about the danger. Now, what you need to do is treat these people as prey. Understood?¡± ¡°CIA, we¡¯re to kill the CIA,¡± Carter said. Carter¡¯s pupils constricted sharply. This was the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the famous world¡¯s strongest military intelligence organization, backed by the global hegemon. If they touched their people, it was hard to imagine the kind of retaliation they would face. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid, you can just sit quietly and wait for them to take off your head. I won¡¯t force you,¡± Su Jie said, imposing psychological pressure with his words, to firm up the other¡¯s resolve. A fierce look flashed across Carter¡¯s face. Born a drug lord, he had a ruthless heart. Grinding his teeth, he said, ¡°Mr. Su, I understand what to do. If those CIA agents dare come here, I absolutely won¡¯t let them leave. This is my territory in Mexico, and I¡¯ll make them understand the consequences of encroaching on my turf.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll await your good news, and also, the team isn¡¯t pure anymore. Eliminate a group,¡± Su Jie instructed, waving his hand and tossing out a piece of paper. Carter caught it reflexively and saw the names written on it. Several were his close aides. Cold sweat broke out instantly, and a vicious light flickered in his eyes. ¡°Mr. Su, I will hang all traitors,¡± Carter stated firmly. ¡°Go handle it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After Carter left, Su Jie chuckled to himself. ¡°Things are getting more and more interesting.¡± The CIA¡¯s notoriety is known worldwide, and its presence is felt in the subversion of many hostile regimes. This time they even mobilized for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, who knows what interests Asder Pharmaceutical has promised them. Mr. Carter, having just walked out of the grand flat, hadn¡¯t yet gotten into his car when two loud thuds of heavy objects hitting the ground were heard. Turning his head, he saw two bodies plummeting from the neighboring high-rise. Security guards went to check and found they were gang members, and discovered surveillance equipment on the corpses. ¡°It was Mr. Su who helped me clear the trouble.¡± Mr. Carter raised his head, barely making out Mr. Su¡¯s solitary figure on the balcony, and immediately understood the situation, his face growing darker. It seems it was indeed CIA personnel who had already begun to monitor his movements. ¡°Drive back, tell the brothers in the gang to arm themselves, we¡¯re going on a killing spree.¡± With a cold command, a murderous intent surged in Mr. Carter¡¯s eyes. ... The Third Community Fawendun Building! Located in the city center, it was one of the earliest constructed old houses, but with urban redevelopment, it had been neglected and was ordered to be evacuated and demolished to make way for new property sales. Dika was currently in one of the houses, scribbling on a map surrounded by the elite of the CIA¡¯s field operatives from Special Action Division Group A, consisting of 12 members all with rich combat experience, either active duty or retired military. Unlike the office workforce specializing in intelligence gathering and political work, the field operatives were the CIA¡¯s sharp blades, mainly engaged in assassination, sabotage, raids, ambushes and so on, occasionally training foreign insurgents and leading them in combat. In addition to the field operatives, a Delta Special Team was also called in to coordinate with this operation, totaling 25 members of the elite forces of the United States military. ¡°Carter is a cautious man with as many as 12 residences, and the place where he rests each night is a spur-of-the-moment decision. To strike, we must first determine his whereabouts.¡± Mikael Canto sat on the couch. For this operation, Mikael Canto had brought his subordinates to Te Lu City. At that moment, another man with a robust build and fierce demeanor, a black man, slowly spoke, ¡°We¡¯re only responsible for eliminating the target. It¡¯s up to you to pinpoint the enemy¡¯s location.¡± His name was Jacquen James, captain of the Delta Force. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have informants in Tijuana, and they will provide the intel. Pinning down Carter¡¯s location won¡¯t be difficult.¡± Dika pointed to a residence on the map and chuckled lightly, ¡°He certainly won¡¯t expect that one of his loyal bodyguards is also on our payroll. What¡¯s the plan for taking action?¡± ¡°Same as usual, we¡¯ll conduct a helicopter-borne raid, with support from fixed-wing platforms, drones, and satellites. The attack will take place from midnight to early morning, taking advantage of the darkness. Our side has excellent night-vision equipment, allowing us to achieve unilateral transparency on the battlefield, which is highly advantageous in capturing the target.¡± Jacquen James pounded the map with a heavy fist, his tone decisive. ¡°No problem, I will contact the Mexican officials and have the higher-ups authorize our operation so the aircraft can cross the border.¡± Mikael Canto spoke, noting that armed raids required coordination with Mexican officials, otherwise, helicopters would not be easily deployed. ¡°There¡¯s an even easier way, send a few missiles from a Predator drone to this man named Carter¡¯s residence, and everything would be solved.¡± Jacquen James expressed some regret, as such precise targeted decapitation would be much simpler. ¡°We need a live capture. The Tijuana crime syndicate has been provoking us through smuggling. We must capture a live suspect and bring them back for trial to have a sufficient deterrent effect.¡± Dika directly refuted; capturing Carter was not the primary reason, they needed to bring down the entire Tijuana Group. It was also a demonstration of power against the backers of companies like Jieke and Tianyuan Daily, and the local warlord of Chan Country, Su Jie. If they could force the adversary to hand over Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid directly, that would be ideal, but if not, they could still showcase the unparalleled strength of the United States, showing how foolish it was to think a crime syndicate could challenge the US. Chapter 208 - 124: Ferocious (Fourth Update) Chapter 208: Chapter 124: Ferocious (Fourth Update) ¡°Boss, something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± As Dika and his men were discussing their next move, a sudden voice came through the walkie-talkie, as the lookout sent out an alert. Dika quickly stood up, pushed open the window, and looked outside, just in time to see several drones circling overhead. ¡°Binoculars.¡± Dika¡¯s expression changed slightly, as it was still the afternoon. With several drones flying over, there must be a problem. The moment he picked up the binoculars, Dika saw a scene that made his eyelids twitch. On the streets, members of the Tijuana Group were streaming through the alleys, converging on the Third Community Building from all directions. ¡°Fuck, our movements have been leaked. Organize the team to retreat immediately.¡± Dika swore, unsure where the error had occurred. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. The first Tijuana members to reach the Third Community had already engaged with the outer CIA security team. The sound of gunfire startled the nearby residents, who, accustomed to the chaos of Mexico, swiftly fled with their heads covered. The members of Tijuana, ignoring these civilians, quickly broke through the blockade and reached the base of the building, thanks to their overwhelming numbers. ¡°Assault team, set up a two-tiered line of fire; snipers act at your discretion, prioritizing enemy machine gunners; emergency support team stand by for reinforcement; ensure logistical ammunition supply and casualty treatment. Also, get me in touch with the United States Special Operations Command, report our situation, request air support, and arrange our evacuation.¡± Jacquen, truly an elite of the Delta Force, remained fearless in the face of sudden danger and calmly issued combat orders. Dika¡¯s face was somber as he picked up his phone and dialed CIA headquarters to report the situation. Mikael Canto also made a hurried call to the high-ranking officials in Mexico and hung up after one minute. ¡°The Mexican police and military will come to support us, but it will take time.¡± ¡°No matter, they can¡¯t break in.¡± Jacquen glanced at the battle that had broken out below and was very confident in his team. Once inside the Community Building, the Tijuana members with their numerical advantage quickly found themselves in trouble. The cramped and complex indoor environment hindered their advance, and their bravado was no match for the elite Special Forces. After dozens of them died in the corridors, the others became hesitant and afraid to move forward. These gang members might handle fighting the police, but they were no match for the well-trained Special Forces, whose true capabilities quickly came to light. ... Meanwhile, outside the Third Community Building, Carter, who was commanding the operation, looked displeased. ¡°Call the Zhetasi Forces to strike.¡± Carter issued the command coldly, as a group of Tijuana members with a distinctly different bearing appeared on the battlefield. They were dressed in full sets of advanced gear and moved with trained precision. They were few in number, only about thirty, formerly soldiers of Mexico¡¯s air-mobile Special Forces who had defected to Tijuana for money, becoming its most elite assault force. The Zhetasi members quickly exploited a gap to infiltrate the building, engaging in fierce gunfights with Delta Force inside, causing significant casualties. However, amidst the crossfire, the battle attracted other actors. The sound of helicopters circled above, while sirens blared on the ground. An armed helicopter flew in at low altitude, ready to provide fire support. It was a Mexican military aircraft summoned by the CIA for assistance. Not far away, two more aircraft flew in, heading straight for the rooftop of the Community Building. It seemed they planned to land on the rooftop and evacuate everyone inside. ¡°Carter, how long do you plan to keep this up?¡± Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind Carter. ¡°How did you get here, Mr. Su?¡± Carter turned around and was instantly startled. ¡°You turned a battle of annihilation into a siege. Do you plan to spend one hour or two to finish this fight? By then, the CIA personnel will have long since fled.¡± Su Jie¡¯s tone was indifferent, making Carter feel quite embarrassed. ¡°Mr. Su, those elite special forces inside the building are really tough to deal with. Our people are going all out, but the casualties are a bit heavy.¡± ¡°Who told you to engage in a shooting match with special forces? Why haven¡¯t you brought in the armored units I trained you to use? When facing such enemies, just use heavy firepower to cover the area indiscriminately and get your men out of there. If you continue to drag this out, air support from within the United States will arrive.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, watching the armed helicopters that were providing suppressive fire overhead. At this moment, the support troops from Jieke Security arrived at the scene. Bang! Bang! Bang! Several Jieke Security personnel picked up shoulder-launched air defense missiles and fired after a brief aim. Accompanied by the dull sound of launch, the missiles rapidly ascended, hitting the armed helicopters which were flying too low to evade, despite using flares. They were hit by two missiles in succession and fell from the sky, black smoke trailing behind them. More Jieke Security forces arrived majestically with a dozen armored vehicles, tanks, and self-propelled grenade launchers, all brought into Mexico directly through Storage Bags. ... On a concealed windowsill of the community building, sniper Jamie and spotter Harlan Ben were carrying out their sniping mission. ¡°Number nineteen.¡± With another bang, a life was taken effortlessly. After killing someone, Jamie¡¯s eyes remained undisturbed¡ªthe messy drug traffickers he killed held no pressure for him, except for a brief challenge from a Zhetasi sniper squad that he had counter-sniped earlier. Ordinary gang members were merely toys under his sniper rifle. ¡°These gangs think numbers will make a difference, that killing a few others will scare the rest into retreating.¡± Harlan Ben scoffed with a contemptuous smile, then patted his old partner¡¯s shoulder, ¡°There¡¯s a target at 11 o¡¯clock on the street corner.¡± ¡°Number twenty...¡± The scope locked onto a gang member peeking out from the street corner. As Jamie was about to pull the trigger, the gang member ducked back like a startled rabbit. The ground trembled slightly; a massive object emerged from around the corner. With a hemispherical turret, a 125mm smoothbore gun, and dark green paint, explosive reactive armor plates were affixed to the vehicle¡¯s body, weighing tons. The turret rotated, and a flash from the barrel followed. Boom. Bricks and stones flew, and gun smoke filled the air. Jamie suddenly felt a warmth in his lower body. Glancing aside, he saw that spotter Harlan had been crushed to death by pieces of fallen concrete. The reason for the warmth in his lower body was that his legs had been severed. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t there any intel on the enemy having tanks...¡± Jamie curled up in pain; his pupils dilated as he watched a dozen armored units rolling onto the streets, their dark barrels pointing this way. Boom boom boom boom boom! The 155mm self-propelled howitzers demolished large swaths of reinforced concrete buildings with each shell, blood and flesh scattering with the flying concrete. The 30mm machine guns of the Infantry Fighting Vehicles fired incessantly, boring large holes into the walls¡ªif someone were behind those walls, they would be split in half. Tanks rolled down the streets, approaching for direct fire while their mounted machine guns provided continuous suppression. Wherever there was gunfire from the community building, it was immediately met with several shells, and in an instant, the entire world fell silent. From a distance, Su Jie watched this scene, a bloodthirsty smile on his lips. He chuckled, ¡°What age are we living in that they¡¯re still playing at sniping?¡± No matter how strong your flesh and blood, or how elite the special forces are, when faced with heavy artillery fire, there¡¯s only one way out, death¡ªunless you¡¯re a cultivator, of course. As the bombardment continued, the entire community building was on the verge of collapse, and the death toll inside was horrendous. ¡°There will be big news tomorrow¡ªforty to fifty elite troops dead here. The famous Black Hawk downed with only 19 fatalities. I wonder what charges they will pin this time.¡± Thinking of the interesting scenes, Su Jie¡¯s smile grew even more intense. Chapter 209 - 125: The Entire Army is Wiped Out (First Update) Chapter 209: Chapter 125: The Entire Army is Wiped Out (First Update) Third Community Building, inside a severely damaged house, Jacquen¡¯s mangled body lay on the ground, already devoid of warmth. Dika had a steel rebar piercing through his thigh, and his face was pale due to excessive blood loss. Across from him, Mikael still held a submachine gun, staying with the last few remaining survivors. Some were CIA agents, others were elite soldiers from the Delta Special Forces, but now they all looked as ragged as refugees. ¡°Everyone, I underestimated the enemy¡¯s ferocity,¡± Dika pulled painkillers from his pocket and swallowed them in one gulp, then injected his thigh with a needle. ¡°How could the enemy have so many armored units?¡± Mikael¡¯s voice was dull as he glanced down at the tanks and self-propelled grenade launchers continuously bombarding below, each blast shaking their hearts like a heavy hammer, causing agitation and chaos. ¡°Cough, cough, I¡¯m afraid this can¡¯t be separated from that warlord in Chan Country. Our intelligence showed that they only deployed infantry fighting vehicles; we never expected them to bring tanks,¡± Dika coughed dryly. In Mexico, although drug lords were rampant, conflicts were generally gunfights focused, and utilizing heavy machine guns was considered significant firepower. Deploying tanks and grenade launchers was practically unheard of, only that insane warlord named Su Jie would do such a thing. ¡°Mikael, try to break out with them,¡± Feeling the building shaking and on the verge of collapse, even making creaking noises, Dika spoke again, ¡°The United States¡¯ aircraft will arrive in eight minutes, the helicopter rapid response team in thirty-one minutes, and the Mexican military ground forces won¡¯t arrive for another two hours. Leave now; I remember there¡¯s a manhole cover not far from the building, you guys can escape through the sewer.¡± ¡°Dika, what about you...?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here. I misjudged the strength of the enemy, which is my due reward. Besides, with the condition of my body, I can¡¯t escape with you.¡± Mikael fell silent for a moment, then took the recorder and identity token that Dika handed him. He made eye contact with the other survivors, nodded, and said, ¡°Take care.¡± After speaking, Mikael left behind a handgun with a single bullet in it and then led the team charging out of the building. Meanwhile, Dika, hearing the ever-closer sound of tank treads and the dull bombardment, slowly took out the handgun and put it in his mouth. His mind was filled with vital intelligence; he wasn¡¯t sure if he could withstand torture if captured alive. ¡°I hope the boss takes this enemy seriously, to avoid repeating our mistakes.¡± Dika was about to pull the trigger when suddenly the floor beneath him shook, and a 155mm shell blasted into the room. ¡°Dam...¡± The last curse wasn¡¯t uttered as Dika, along with the floor, was engulfed by the blinding explosion. Boom! As Mikael hastily fled the Third Community Building, he turned back to see the building collapsing under continuous bombardment, plumes of dust obscuring the view. ¡°Good opportunity.¡± Mikael put on a gas mask and, using the dust from the collapsing building for cover, led the remaining few towards the manhole. Bang! Suddenly, one person in the group fell hard to the ground, his head bursting open. Bang! Bang! Bang! Several gunshots rang out again, and three members of the team were shot in the head. Mikael couldn¡¯t believe it and looked up toward the direction from which the gunshots were coming. Despite the dust and ash obscuring the vision, how had the enemy sniper spotted him and his team? Thermal imaging perhaps? Before Mikael could figure out what was happening, his head too burst open like a balloon, and all his thoughts and consciousness faded away. ... From a distance, Su Jie dropped the Barrett sniper rifle in his hand and said to Carter beside him, ¡°It¡¯s done, notify everyone to retreat, unless you want to face retaliatory bombing by the United States.¡± Sitting upright with a serious demeanor, Carter immediately picked up the walkie-talkie, ¡°Operation successful, everyone retreat from the scene.¡± Su Jie slowly walked downstairs and said, ¡°Go collect some identity tokens and take photos at the bodies, and then issue a statement in the name of the Tijuana Group, claiming that we annihilated a CIA and Delta Team this afternoon.¡± ¡°This... Alright.¡± Carter was slightly taken aback, this act was practically provoking the United States, much like terrorists claiming responsibility for a bombing attack. Now, it was impossible for the United States to cover this up and pretend ignorance. Su Jie walked downstairs, got into a black sedan driven by a member of Jieke Security. On the battlefield, the Tijuana members loaded into pickups and trucks and departed. About a dozen armored units also started their tracks and turned to leave the streets. As they passed a street, police lined up on both sides, staring dumbfounded at the tanks and Infantry Fighting Vehicles passing by, too shocked to move, just dumbly watching the scene as if sending off the convoy. The retreat took just a few minutes, and the Tijuana Group members dispersed locally, while the armored units entered a warehouse. Not until the Tijuana Group completely left the area did the sirens, which had been sounding for a long time, approach the battlefield, and a group of Mexican police cautiously moved closer. In fact, they had arrived earlier, but faced with the ferocious Tijuana Group, and the terrifying bombardment from about a dozen armored vehicles, they, armed only with light weapons, were too scared to approach, merely watching the scenario unfold from a distance. Shortly after, the sound of fighter jets swooshed through the sky. These were jets from a certain United States Air Force base that had urgently armed and taken off, authorized to enter Mexican airspace. The Mexican police looked up to see several small black dots detach from the belly of the aircraft. Several missiles dropped from high above, accurately striking the warehouse where the armored units had entered. The intense explosion shattered the warehouse, lifting flames tens of meters high and producing shockwaves that swept in all directions. However, what the jets in the sky didn¡¯t know was that the warehouse had connected underground tunnels, and the armored units had already evacuated through the tunnels, rendering the missile attack futile. Soon, more and more support arrived, including Mexican military forces, air-dropped special forces sent by the United States, and specialized investigation teams, all arriving at the ruins of the Third Community within a few hours of the incident. As the remains of body after body were dug up, each bearing the identity of the CIA and Delta Force, the Mexican military at the scene were momentarily speechless, wondering if the Tijuana Group had gone mad to commit such an act. And as for the personnel from the United States, their expressions were even more grim. For many years, few organizations had dared to provoke the authority of the United States like this. This anger and humiliation engulfed every United States personnel present, and when they saw the recent announcement from the Tijuana Group claiming responsibility for the incident, their suppressed rage finally erupted. Many declared their resolve to eradicate this dangerous criminal organization. Chapter 210 - 125: The Entire Army is Wiped Out (First Update) Chapter 209: Chapter 125: The Entire Army is Wiped Out (First Update) Third Community Building, inside a severely damaged house, Jacquen¡¯s mangled body lay on the ground, already devoid of warmth. Dika had a steel rebar piercing through his thigh, and his face was pale due to excessive blood loss. Across from him, Mikael still held a submachine gun, staying with the last few remaining survivors. Some were CIA agents, others were elite soldiers from the Delta Special Forces, but now they all looked as ragged as refugees. ¡°Everyone, I underestimated the enemy¡¯s ferocity,¡± Dika pulled painkillers from his pocket and swallowed them in one gulp, then injected his thigh with a needle. ¡°How could the enemy have so many armored units?¡± Mikael¡¯s voice was dull as he glanced down at the tanks and self-propelled grenade launchers continuously bombarding below, each blast shaking their hearts like a heavy hammer, causing agitation and chaos. ¡°Cough, cough, I¡¯m afraid this can¡¯t be separated from that warlord in Chan Country. Our intelligence showed that they only deployed infantry fighting vehicles; we never expected them to bring tanks,¡± Dika coughed dryly. In Mexico, although drug lords were rampant, conflicts were generally gunfights focused, and utilizing heavy machine guns was considered significant firepower. Deploying tanks and grenade launchers was practically unheard of, only that insane warlord named Su Jie would do such a thing. ¡°Mikael, try to break out with them,¡± Feeling the building shaking and on the verge of collapse, even making creaking noises, Dika spoke again, ¡°The United States¡¯ aircraft will arrive in eight minutes, the helicopter rapid response team in thirty-one minutes, and the Mexican military ground forces won¡¯t arrive for another two hours. Leave now; I remember there¡¯s a manhole cover not far from the building, you guys can escape through the sewer.¡± ¡°Dika, what about you...?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here. I misjudged the strength of the enemy, which is my due reward. Besides, with the condition of my body, I can¡¯t escape with you.¡± Mikael fell silent for a moment, then took the recorder and identity token that Dika handed him. He made eye contact with the other survivors, nodded, and said, ¡°Take care.¡± After speaking, Mikael left behind a handgun with a single bullet in it and then led the team charging out of the building. Meanwhile, Dika, hearing the ever-closer sound of tank treads and the dull bombardment, slowly took out the handgun and put it in his mouth. His mind was filled with vital intelligence; he wasn¡¯t sure if he could withstand torture if captured alive. ¡°I hope the boss takes this enemy seriously, to avoid repeating our mistakes.¡± Dika was about to pull the trigger when suddenly the floor beneath him shook, and a 155mm shell blasted into the room. ¡°Dam...¡± The last curse wasn¡¯t uttered as Dika, along with the floor, was engulfed by the blinding explosion. Boom! As Mikael hastily fled the Third Community Building, he turned back to see the building collapsing under continuous bombardment, plumes of dust obscuring the view. ¡°Good opportunity.¡± Mikael put on a gas mask and, using the dust from the collapsing building for cover, led the remaining few towards the manhole. Bang! Suddenly, one person in the group fell hard to the ground, his head bursting open. Bang! Bang! Bang! Several gunshots rang out again, and three members of the team were shot in the head. Mikael couldn¡¯t believe it and looked up toward the direction from which the gunshots were coming. Despite the dust and ash obscuring the vision, how had the enemy sniper spotted him and his team? Thermal imaging perhaps? Before Mikael could figure out what was happening, his head too burst open like a balloon, and all his thoughts and consciousness faded away. ... From a distance, Su Jie dropped the Barrett sniper rifle in his hand and said to Carter beside him, ¡°It¡¯s done, notify everyone to retreat, unless you want to face retaliatory bombing by the United States.¡± Sitting upright with a serious demeanor, Carter immediately picked up the walkie-talkie, ¡°Operation successful, everyone retreat from the scene.¡± Su Jie slowly walked downstairs and said, ¡°Go collect some identity tokens and take photos at the bodies, and then issue a statement in the name of the Tijuana Group, claiming that we annihilated a CIA and Delta Team this afternoon.¡± ¡°This... Alright.¡± Carter was slightly taken aback, this act was practically provoking the United States, much like terrorists claiming responsibility for a bombing attack. Now, it was impossible for the United States to cover this up and pretend ignorance. Su Jie walked downstairs, got into a black sedan driven by a member of Jieke Security. On the battlefield, the Tijuana members loaded into pickups and trucks and departed. About a dozen armored units also started their tracks and turned to leave the streets. As they passed a street, police lined up on both sides, staring dumbfounded at the tanks and Infantry Fighting Vehicles passing by, too shocked to move, just dumbly watching the scene as if sending off the convoy. The retreat took just a few minutes, and the Tijuana Group members dispersed locally, while the armored units entered a warehouse. Not until the Tijuana Group completely left the area did the sirens, which had been sounding for a long time, approach the battlefield, and a group of Mexican police cautiously moved closer. In fact, they had arrived earlier, but faced with the ferocious Tijuana Group, and the terrifying bombardment from about a dozen armored vehicles, they, armed only with light weapons, were too scared to approach, merely watching the scenario unfold from a distance. Shortly after, the sound of fighter jets swooshed through the sky. These were jets from a certain United States Air Force base that had urgently armed and taken off, authorized to enter Mexican airspace. The Mexican police looked up to see several small black dots detach from the belly of the aircraft. Several missiles dropped from high above, accurately striking the warehouse where the armored units had entered. The intense explosion shattered the warehouse, lifting flames tens of meters high and producing shockwaves that swept in all directions. However, what the jets in the sky didn¡¯t know was that the warehouse had connected underground tunnels, and the armored units had already evacuated through the tunnels, rendering the missile attack futile. Soon, more and more support arrived, including Mexican military forces, air-dropped special forces sent by the United States, and specialized investigation teams, all arriving at the ruins of the Third Community within a few hours of the incident. As the remains of body after body were dug up, each bearing the identity of the CIA and Delta Force, the Mexican military at the scene were momentarily speechless, wondering if the Tijuana Group had gone mad to commit such an act. And as for the personnel from the United States, their expressions were even more grim. For many years, few organizations had dared to provoke the authority of the United States like this. This anger and humiliation engulfed every United States personnel present, and when they saw the recent announcement from the Tijuana Group claiming responsibility for the incident, their suppressed rage finally erupted. Many declared their resolve to eradicate this dangerous criminal organization. Chapter 211 - 126: Crimes (Second Update) Chapter 210: Chapter 126: Crimes (Second Update) ¡°` ¡°Recently, our Tijuana Group carried out a military operation in Te Lu City, eliminating a bunch of foreign spies who had secretly crossed the border. These spies were not only a threat to national security, but were also suspected of espionage, assassination, and bribery, exhibiting outright terrorist behavior. Upholding anti-terrorism, we decisively struck and returned peace and quiet to Mexico.¡± An announcement from the Tijuana Group of Mexico went viral online, complete with photos and videos, clearly showing the gruesome deaths of the CIA and Delta Force operatives. ... United States! At CIA headquarters, a special meeting was convened once again. In attendance were not only high-ranking CIA official Judith, United States Army Special Operations Command Lieutenant General Sean Fernandes, but also White House senior official Hameson Fofana. Before these individuals lay a report defined as the 4.14 case investigation reality. Looking at the casualty list reported by the investigation team, 12 elite CIA field agents, 25 Delta Force special operators, and 15 investigators of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid smuggling case, along with Dika, Jacquen, and Mikael, made for a staggering 55 people who had died in Te Lu City. ¡°Unforgivable.¡± Sean¡¯s expression turned to steel, unable to contain his fury, he bellowed, ¡°Fifty-five lives, this Tijuana Group¡ªis deliberately provoking us. We must uproot this organization entirely.¡± Judith activated the multimedia, displaying Su Jie¡¯s photo. ¡°This person is likely the mastermind behind the current case. He controls several enterprises, one of which is the Tianyuan Daily, the manufacturer of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, and the biggest beneficiary of the Tianyuan smuggling case. He is also the actual controller of a local warlord in Chan Country, commanding a military force of over ten thousand, with significant influence in East Qin State.¡± As she spoke, Judith scrolled through the PPT, detailing Su Jie¡¯s profile. Included were his controlled assets, overt and covert, life and connections, as well as his current movements. ¡°Currently, we have reason to believe that this dangerous individual has not appeared in Hua Country or Chan Country for several days. We suspect that he has come to Mexico and is directing the Tijuana Group behind the scenes.¡± White House senior official Hameson, frowning, interrupted Judith coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this nonsense. When can you arrest this person? Are you aware of how detrimental this incident has been? I demand you resolve this matter swiftly.¡± ¡°Can we send regular troops into Mexico?¡± Judith asked directly, Mexico was right next to the United States; if they could send in troops, they could easily clamp down on Tijuana. ¡°They won¡¯t agree to it. Right now, anti-American sentiment in Mexico is severe. If we send in the military, do you want our country to be overwhelmed by those illegal immigrants? When a large number of refugees remain, will the CIA take responsibility for them?¡± Without a second thought, Hameson immediately refused, aware that Mexico shared thousands of kilometers of border with the United States that seemed ready for an invasion at any moment. But the reality was that Mexico was a mess¡ªits political situation was chaotic, poverty was rampant, and it was rife with drugs and violence. If they were to wage an anti-terrorism war in such a country, it would be not only unprofitable but also a source of endless trouble. Furthermore, if war broke out, the impoverished Mexicans would have even more reason to flee to the United States. A border spanning thousands of kilometers could not be plugged by a mere border wall. ¡°Sending military is not an option; Mexico is not the Middle East, and waging a war there won¡¯t be that simple.¡± ¡°` Not only did Hameson of the White House¡¯s upper echelons oppose sending troops, but so did Sean, a hawkish figure within the military. The United States and Mexico are simply too close to each other; rashly deploying the military would only mean facing smugglers akin to guerrillas, blended among urban civilians. According to the United States¡¯ past military experience in the Middle East, this type of public order battle has always met poor performance by the United States, with too high a casualty rate among innocent civilians, likely stirring up immense resentment among the populace. Before long, the enemy wouldn¡¯t be vanquished, yet such actions could provoke Mexicans to adopt extremist ideologies. This was not the Middle East, separated from the United States by vast oceans, but neighboring Mexico, where Mexicans could easily come over, a thousand times easier than Middle Easterners entering the United States. If Mexicans were to start resorting to terrorist attacks, employing human bombs and the like, it would truly be a tragedy. ¡°Then, apart from targeting the high-ranking figures of the Tijuana organization, we must also aim at Jieke Security, that local warlord in Chan Country, eradicating their roots, otherwise we¡¯d only be treating the symptoms, not the disease.¡± Judith thought for a moment and proposed a plan. Targeting the Tijuana Group certainly was feasible, but as long as the profits from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid were on the table, Su Jie could easily support a second and third Tijuana. Eradicating one Tijuana would just lead to thousands more. ¡°As for Chan Country, since it¡¯s rather close to Hua Country, it¡¯s not appropriate to declare war openly. However, we can send secret forces to participate in the form of instructors and mercenaries.¡± After some thought, Hameson offered this response and continued, ¡°You folks at the CIA sort this out on your own. I know you want a piece of the pie from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, but this mess was of your own making, don¡¯t expect us to wipe your butts for you.¡± Judith¡¯s eyes flashed with a sharp light, turning to look at Sean, hoping for the military¡¯s support. ¡°I will have the forces stationed in Lion City and Luzon assist you, and additionally, I¡¯ll deploy a number of special forces to join the battle,¡± Sean said. Sean didn¡¯t refuse. In a place like Chan Country, where a mere local warlord stood, the Heavenly Soldiers of the United States could easily crush the opponent upon arrival. Judith let out a sigh of relief. With the military¡¯s assurance, the task ahead seemed much more manageable. ¡°In any case, this Su Jie must be arrested and brought to the United States for a public trial,¡± Hameson finally declared the case, placing the highest target on the dangerous individual Su Jie. An enemy that dared challenge the hegemony of the United States had to be decisively eliminated. ... The very next morning, 12 hours after the 4.14 incident took place, the White House press secretary convened a press conference. Facing a crowd of reporters, the spokesperson expressed outrage, ¡°Just twelve hours ago, our deployed forces in Mexico, striking at the local drug lords, were attacked by the Tijuana criminal organization, resulting in a total of 55 deaths. The assailant used heavy firepower in a cruel manner, infringing upon and trampling the peaceful intentions of the free world. Hereby, we designate the Tijuana criminal organization as an extreme terrorist group, engaged in activities such as smuggling, opium, and human trafficking. We will spare no effort in our fight to destroy this extreme terrorist organization.¡± The audience erupted in surprise, with reporters initially thinking the United States was about to declare war on Mexico, asking questions excitedly. ¡°Mexico is our ally; we will not go to war with them. I want to make it clear that we are only targeting the extreme terrorist organization Tijuana,¡± the spokesperson promptly explained, leaving the reporters¡ªwho seemed to thrive on stirring the pot¡ªsomewhat disappointed. Chapter 212 - 127: Departure (Third Update) Chapter 211: Chapter 127: Departure (Third Update) The United States government¡¯s proclamation caused a huge uproar. There are still many capable people in the world, and soon enough, some knowledgeable folks uncovered many secrets about the Tijuana Group. Its original identity was as a notorious opium smuggler in Mexico; later, they began to smuggle Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. The group that was wiped out in Te Lu City was actually the CIA and active United States military forces, most likely aiming to capture the heads of the Tijuana Organization. After all, not long before, the United States had just announced the delisting of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, followed by the smuggling incident, which was a major embarrassment for the United States. According to the style of the United States, it was only natural that they would not let the Tijuana get away with smuggling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and that sending personnel to capture them was reasonable. It¡¯s just that the capture operation ended in disaster, not only failing to catch the Tijuana leaders but also being completely annihilated themselves. With such reasoning put forth, the entire sequence of events became clear, which also attracted a large crowd of onlookers to the spectacle. ¡®The United States labels Tijuana as an extremist terrorist organization, but how do you explain the CIA and Delta Force¡¯s presence in Te Lu City? That¡¯s not American territory.¡¯ ¡®To the person above, the United States is the world police, and Mexico is just their toilet, so sending personnel there to capture criminals is just normal. Do you actually expect the United States to truly respect the sovereignty of other nations?¡¯ ¡®This organization called Tijuana really isn¡¯t afraid of death, daring to make trouble so close to the United States. I¡¯m impressed.¡¯ ¡®Hopeless, even if the United States doesn¡¯t send troops, just carrying out decapitation strategies would mean Tijuana won¡¯t last many days.¡¯ ¡®Good riddance! Tijuana should take out more of the CIA, let them stop causing trouble all over the world.¡¯ ¡®So you also have days like this, going to others¡¯ territory trying to capture people, really thought they wouldn¡¯t dare to kill?¡¯ ¡®Support the beacon of the world in eliminating extremist terrorist organizations, the sooner Tijuana is destroyed, the better it is for humanity.¡¯ ¡®Talking about extremist terrorist organizations, it¡¯s just about coveting the profits from someone else¡¯s Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Anything not in line with American interests will be labeled with various crimes.¡¯ Amidst the chaos, the United States swiftly established a department known as the Mexican Anti-Terrorism Bureau, drawing the core elite from the military, mainly comprising cooperation between the CIA and the military. The day after this department was established, it loudly announced it would dispatch special forces into Mexico to work with the Mexican officials in combating terrorist organizations and preventing the spread of terrorism in Mexico. Anyone with clear sight could tell who the Mexican Anti-Terrorism Bureau was targeting. .......... Mexico, Te Lu City. Seeing the news on TV, Su Jie sighed and said, disappointed, ¡°That¡¯s it? They didn¡¯t directly deploy troops.¡± Sitting on the other side, Carter, puzzled, asked, ¡°Mr. Su, if the United States deployed troops, wouldn¡¯t that be a big problem for us? We simply can¡¯t contend with those fully armed soldiers.¡± In Carter¡¯s mind, even if his Tijuana Group was capable in combat, they were nothing more than a target for an American infantry regiment¡¯s few charges; the two sides¡¯ fighting power was completely unequal. Even with the armored units provided by Mr. Su, the United States possessed aircraft, missiles, and satellites, which made the Tijuana Group even more disadvantaged. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, if they send troops, that¡¯s when we have room to operate.¡± Su Jie shook his head. If the United States directly sent troops, then Su Jie would fully liberalize Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, forsaking some profits to involve numerous gangs in this benefit chain. Then, the United States would not only have to deal with the Tijuana Group but with the entire smuggling industry chain of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, reminiscent of the Opium Wars Mexico fought in the past. The fundamental reason the opium ban was hard to enforce in Mexico was economic interests. Through unreasonable demands, the United States had reduced Mexico to its own factory and a dumping ground for its products. The farmers here grow crops, but due to the agricultural dumping from the United States, their produce sells for half the price of Mexican farmers¡¯ products, making it impossible to sell without incurring losses. Since they can¡¯t sell their crops, farmers have switched to cultivating more profitable opium and cannabis, so banning opium is simply not feasible, as when one group is exterminated, another rises. When they can¡¯t even solve the problem of feeding themselves, how can they talk about banning opium? And if the United States really sends troops to Mexico, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid will become another iteration of the Opium Wars. The profits from smuggling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid are even higher than those from selling opium¡ªthose gang organizations would go crazy for it! Plus, with the American military¡¯s customary mode of operation and the harm it causes to civilians during war, anti-American sentiment among Mexicans is sure to surge, which would drag the United States into a quagmire of security warfare¡ªa prospect Su Jie, as a Transcendent, would delight in, as it would play to his advantage. ¡°Su Jie, there¡¯s been a stir in Chan Country.¡± Just then, Liu Yingying walked in, holding a document in her hand, and reported, ¡°Our spies in East Qin State have discovered that the three warlords led by Guo Mindeng have been frequently mobilizing their troops recently, seemingly planning something big.¡± ¡°Oh, changing the target of their attack, are they?¡± Su Jie immediately understood what was going on. Clearly, the CIA had some capable people on their side, well aware that eliminating one Tijuana Organization is not a cure-all. As long as there¡¯s great profit to be offered, Su Jie could support even more forces to smuggle Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid at any time. However, the situation in Chan Country¡¯s Mande Region is different; this is Su Jie¡¯s stronghold, and targeting it would be a radical solution. ¡°How is the training of Jieke Security¡¯s troops going?¡± ¡°They are basically ready and can be mobilized at any time.¡± Liu Yingying spoke up; the 15,000 soldiers of Jieke Security were the backbone of the Mande Region. Although the heavy combined arms battalion was still green in training, those warlords weren¡¯t exactly formidable forces, so they were sufficiently prepared for battle. Su Jie nodded without hesitation and said, ¡°Then prepare for battle; it¡¯s time for us to expand.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, are you departing?¡± Carter was somewhat anxious. Mexico¡¯s newly established Anti-Terrorism Bureau was just getting started, and Su Jie, their pillar, was about to leave, making him genuinely fearful of a strike from the United States. ¡°Remember to break the Tijuana Group into pieces, root them among the masses, benefit the general populace, and get them involved in our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid business, just like in the slums of Mo City¡¯s Jimacan. Leave smuggling to the vast poor, let them participate in production, and let them act as our informants. By that stage, the United States will be powerless against us.¡± Su Jie pulled out a map, which was filled with a dense network of underground tunnels. ¡°If the United States sends special forces to strike us, you need to take refuge in these underground tunnels and set multiple traps. Retreat when the enemy advances, harass when they halt, strike when they tire, and pursue when they retreat. We have plenty of money, and the advantage of terrain and people. We can just keep wearing them down.¡± ¡°Besides, smuggling should not be confined to the United States alone; we can expand our business to European and American countries, drawing in more people to join our smuggling ventures.¡± In the end, Su Jie gave his instructions. His purpose for coming to Mexico had been fully accomplished: he had established a comprehensive smuggling chain for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, securing a continuous stream of profits. Now that war was about to break out in the Chan Country region, Su Jie needed to return there to oversee things, planning to let Mexico run its course for the time being. If Carter were to really be captured or arrested, that would be due to his lack of capabilities, and it would warrant someone else taking his place. After all, the channels for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid were in his hands. As long as there was profit to be made, no matter how much the Tijuana Group suffered, Su Jie could always support more forces to act as his smuggling proxies, without worrying that the smuggling business would be affected. Chapter 213 - 128: War (Fourth Update) Chapter 212: Chapter 128: War (Fourth Update) Tianyuan World, Ghost Ridge Palace! Su Jie had arrived at the Alchemy Hall of Ghost Ridge Palace, a place where the palace¡¯s Pill Masters were nurtured. The elixirs produced here differed from those in the outer world, often peculiar and sinister in nature. ¡°Brother Su.¡± ¡°Brother Su.¡± The disciple guarding the Alchemy Hall was startled upon seeing Su Jie. After killing Du Shaochang, Su Jie had become quite famous within Ghost Ridge Palace, hailed as one of the strongest among the disciples of the Yunling Realm. ¡°I¡¯m here to buy some items. Do you still have any Blood Slaughter Pills for sale?¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t beat around the bush and directly stated his purpose. The Blood Slaughter Pill was a common elixir, easy to produce. Its primary function was for ordinary people, extracting the body¡¯s potential and enhancing various bodily functions in a short period. It also had side effects; taking the Blood Slaughter Pill caused severe blood deficiency in the body. If no blood transfusion was administered afterward, it would consume the person¡¯s lifespan. In Ghost Ridge Palace, the production of Blood Slaughter Pills was cheap, requiring only some common Spirit Plants mixed with a small amount of Blood Marrow Crystal. In the past, Blood Slaughter Pills were used on human slaves working in mines and herb fields of Ghost Ridge Palace. These human slaves were often forced to consume the pills to increase their work intensity and efficiency. Under the influence of high-intensity labor and the aftereffects of the Blood Slaughter Pill, those human slaves typically had less than a year to live. Since they were bound to be used by Demon Cultivators to feed insects at the brink of death, treated as consumables, their lives were of no concern; naturally, there was no need for blood transfusions or anything of the sort. ¡°Blood Slaughter Pills, yes, yes, Brother Su, how many would you like?¡± The disciple quickly spoke, mentioning that with the Righteous Sects surrounding Ghost Ridge Palace, some of the mines and herb fields had ceased operations, leaving a large quantity of Blood Slaughter Pills in storage. ¡°Start me off with two hundred thousand pills, and if that¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll buy more.¡± Su Jie stated a number that left the disciple astonished. ¡°This... so many.¡± Although Blood Slaughter Pills were inexpensive, buying so many at once would still cost thousands of Blood Marrow Crystals. ¡°Don¡¯t have any?¡± ¡°We do, we do.¡± If it were someone else, selling so many Blood Slaughter Pills at once would require reporting to the Elder for permission, but with Su Jie as the buyer, there were no such complications. The disciple quickly left to prepare the Blood Slaughter Pills. ............ Three days later. Chan Country, Mande Region, military camp. Su Jie, clad in military uniform, appeared on the high platform of the parade ground. Below, tens of thousands of Jieke Security Soldiers formed a massive battalion, holding steel rifles, standing ramrod straight. Nearby, neatly parked tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery were all fully armed. The densely packed soldiers gathered here, creating a sea of heads that spread a solemn atmosphere throughout the area. From the sidelines, journalists with cameras were loyally recording everything, broadcasting it to television stations. In the Mande Region, every household was glued to the TV, watching a scene that would go down in the history of the Mande Region. The spring breeze fluttered as Su Jie surveyed his surroundings, receiving fervent gazes from the Jieke Security Soldiers, everyone aware of what was about to happen. Prior continuous military drills had already sent whispers through the winds of an impending action against other warlords of East Qin State. ¡°My soldiers, I am the founder of Jieke Company, Su Jie. Most of you should recognize me, so I won¡¯t bother introducing myself much.¡± Su Jie stood straight, his resonant and sonorous voice reaching all around. ¡°Today is April 18, an ordinary day, yet at this moment, the warlords of East Qin State are already stirring.¡± Yesterday, Guo Mindeng¡¯s troops breached Haiyan Mountain, crossing the alert lines in the Mande Region. Yesterday, Ang Yulun¡¯s forces initiated a military drill in Qi Wu, deploying planes and artillery. Yesterday, Suomin Tun personally made a speech, accusing our Mande Region of human rights abuses, enslaving the people through an economy reliant on insects. Yesterday, some so-called renowned international media slandered Jieke Company for engaging in illegal businesses, manufacturing raw materials for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, thereby poisoning people worldwide. Yesterday, someone suddenly contacted me. If we do not hand over the formula for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, they threatened to shut down Jieke Company. This morning, a new batch of arms was delivered via sea to a region controlled by the warlords. Where did these arms come from? Naturally, they came from the support of foreign powers. Why are they targeting us everywhere? Because we in the Mande Region are not in line with them, because we have lived better lives, and our lives have undergone radical changes. Because we possess the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, a product that sells well worldwide, which naturally these foreign powers do not want to see. They only allow us to live in poverty and hardship forever, doing the most menial jobs, being part of the global industrial chain with the least profit, subjected to their enslavement and scorn, and they will never allow us to challenge their authority, live the life they enjoy, or obtain high-profit margins in the industrial chain. We crave peace, but the hyenas and tigers will show their fangs, saying, ¡°You do not deserve to sit at the same table and share a meal with us, the dog bowl is where you belong.¡± Those noble capitalists will say, ¡°You only deserve the scraps we leave behind.¡± Those foreign powers wanting our submission only wish to see us wag our tails at them, hoping they throw us an extra bone or two. Do you say we should submit?¡± The voice traveled through the microphone throughout the venue, each soldier gripping their steel guns, responding with deafening roars. ¡°Never.¡± ¡°Never.¡± ¡°Never.¡± Dust flew and thunderous voices echoed, the resolute iron-blooded sound declaring their choice. Before the TV, citizens of the Mande Region also rose, shouting angrily. ¡°Damn it, we¡¯ve finally started to live well; whoever dares to touch Jieke Company, I will kill them.¡± ¡°Before Jieke Company came, my monthly salary was only three or four hundred Hua Yuan. After Jieke Company arrived, my salary is now fifteen hundred Hua Yuan. Who is good and who is bad, don¡¯t we, the wage earners, know?¡± ¡°Down with those who want to oppress us, Grandpa, where is that old gun you hid? Give it to me, I also want to join Jieke Security to fight the enemies.¡± A torrent of voices arose, and the whole Mande Region boiled over. Su Jie was very satisfied with everyone¡¯s response. The morale of the troops was usable! ¡°I heard everyone¡¯s response, but words are the weakest weapons. Bullets and corpses will show them our determination. I of course know what war means. The enemy has support from foreign powers, equipped with the most advanced weapons. It will be a tremendously harsh test, a prolonged struggle filled with suffering. As I have said before, all we can offer is our blood, sweat, tears, and toil. But are we afraid? We will fight those overconfident warlords on land, sea, and air. With bullets and iron blood, we will tell them that for victory, for a hard-earned life, we will spare no expense, fear no terror, no matter how long or arduous the road ahead, we will seize this victory because without victory, we cannot survive. Now, as the highest commander of Jieke Security, I order you to launch a cleansing war against the three warlords Guo Mindeng, Ang Yulun, and Suomin Tun for the safety of the Mande Region.¡± ¡°War!¡± ¡°War!¡± ¡°War!¡± In a roar that shook the heavens, rows of armored vehicles started, and armed helicopters whirred overhead. Massive columns of soldiers, marching along the newly paved asphalt road, headed toward the border areas adjoining the three warlords. Since the enemy wants war, then I will give them war. Su Jie gazed into the distance with a profound look, as if seeing a pair of invisible giant hands named Capital maneuvering everything. Behind him, Liu Yingying looked up in admiration, her heart pounding, her gaze at Su Jie somewhat infatuated. Chapter 214 - 130: Rout (Second Update) Chapter 214: Chapter 130: Rout (Second Update) Situang moved extremely agilely, with a strength and speed far surpassing those of the past, coupled with enhanced neurological reactions, which made him as comfortable as a fish in water on the complex and ever-changing jungle battlefield. After executing several soldiers with his bayonet, his figure was finally spotted by a large group of soldiers, and the warlord soldiers furiously shot at his area. Situang was not in a hurry; he had already opened a breakthrough, and a significant area showed an obvious vacuum of firepower. Behind him, Jieke Security Soldiers, informed by the intercom about the gap in firepower, immediately rushed to seize the fire points. On the entire battlefield, there were dozens of soldiers like Situang who had ingested Strengthening Pills. Stimulated by the Strengthening Pills, each one transformed into a relentless killing machine, embodying the might of Lamborgini gods of war. Incredibly enhanced stamina, speed, strength, and neurological reactions; they occasionally felt little pain even when injured, paired with precise shooting skills, which were even more exaggerated than being fully pumped with adrenaline. In less than half an hour, the warlord soldiers, who originally had the high ground and the advantages of terrain and numbers, had been crushed. These warlord soldiers horrifyingly discovered that the enemy army contained supermen. These supermen had exceptionally accurate shooting and extremely robust physiques, darting around the battlefield like wild cats, unbeknownst to many soldiers who fell to these supermen¡¯s gunfire. Being far from elite themselves, they were immediately petrified by the massacre of the Super Soldiers. Unsure who surrendered first, but on the entire battlefield, warlord soldiers began to emerge from their covers one after another, raising their guns, unwilling to endure the threats of the Super Soldiers anymore. N¡ð¦ÍG¡ð.?¡ð .......... Two hours later, after the effects of the Strengthening Pill had worn off, Situang felt very unwell. If previously he felt as if he had endless strength, he now felt like he had used a hand pump a dozen times, resulting in devastating weakness and debility hard to sustain. ¡°Situang, come for a blood transfusion.¡± Just then, the battalion commander called out his name. A modified logistics support vehicle drove over, around which gathered many soldiers just like Situang, who had ingested Strengthening Pills, and battlefield paramedics were performing blood transfusions on each one. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Situang.¡± ¡°Let me check, Situang, blood type B.¡± The paramedic expertly hung the blood bag and inserted the needle into the vein to administer a blood transfusion to Situang. As the continuous flow of blood entered his body, Situang immediately felt his body change. Like drought-stricken land blessed with timely rain, his bodily fatigue gradually decreased, moving towards a normal state. ¡°Brother, how many did you kill?¡± The Super Soldier next to him, also receiving a blood transfusion, greeted and inquired. ¡°Didn¡¯t count exactly, probably around thirty or so,¡± Situang mentioned a number that even he found surprising. Even though he had indeed excelled in military exercises and became a Super Soldier of Jieke Security, issued with Strengthening Pills, achieving such record still seemed incredible to him. In the past, it was not unheard of for soldiers to achieve such records; some soldiers were naturally born kings of soldiers, with records of killing over a hundred people in one battle, but those were achieved after fighting for several hours or even a day. In contrast, Situang¡¯s entire battle lasted less than half an hour. If it had continued, who knows how many more he could have killed. ¡°Are you a First-class Super Soldier? I¡¯m third-class, only killed twelve people. How do you train?¡± The Super Soldier who was asking questions spoke with evident envy. At Jieke Security, based on the screening and compatibility with the Strengthening Pill, Super Soldiers were divided into three levels: third-class, second-class, and first-class. First-class Super Soldiers like him could maximize the medicinal effects of the Strengthening Pill, gaining more enhancements than others. They possessed strength comparable to tigers or leopards and could easily break the human speed limit for a hundred meters. Also, the effects lasted much longer. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯m not first-class, I¡¯m a second-class Super Soldier. My training just includes some additional subjects.¡± Situang was not very talkative, typically responding only when asked. By this time, the captured warlord soldiers had been counted and, looking downcast, were being escorted out by Jieke Security. As they passed by the logistical support vehicles, these warlord soldiers tread lightly, some with faces pale from fright. Yet, these Super Soldiers were covered in blood, their eyes filled with a murderous aura. It was these battlefield Super Soldiers who had annihilated many of their comrades, fighting like Transformed Persons, forcing them into retreat, which was the primary cause of their defeat. ¡°Form ranks, we continue moving. The captives will be handed over on the spot to the rear, as we must reach Hunei City by tonight.¡± The battalion commander continued to speak as the Jieke Security soldiers prepared to move forward, striding powerfully over mountains and ridges, heading towards Hunei City, the most important city within Ang Yulun Warlord¡¯s territory. ....... Almost irresistibly, Jieke Security split into two groups, carrying out a two-pronged attack. The territories defended by Ang Yulun and Suomin Tun kept losing high-risk areas. In front of the Super Soldiers who had taken the Strengthening Pill, these warlord soldiers were no match, with about one tenth dying or wounded before the rest would collapse and surrender. Often, the defense lines manned by thousands would rely on the dense forests for resistance, yet they would be riddled with holes under the breakthroughs of the Super Soldiers. Even later, upon hearing about the existence of Super Soldiers within Jieke Security, these warlord soldiers would flee at the slightest wind, abandoning their positions completely. Hunei City. This was the most important city in the territory of the Ang Yulun Warlords, with a population of five hundred thousand. Facing the fierce attack by Jieke Security in the dense forests, Ang Yulun had no choice but to recall all his soldiers to defend Hunei City, hoping to delay time through street fighting and wait for reinforcements. ... At night, the Second and Fourth Regiments of Jieke Security¡¯s Mountain Brigade assembled here. The two light infantry mountain regiments had a total of four thousand people and had not suffered much loss on the way. After a brief rest, the battle kicked off the next day. Situang, as a Super Soldier, would lead the way with other Super Soldiers, acting as the spearhead. ¡°That is...¡± Situang saw several Super Soldiers different from himself; their shoulders bore an Arabic number one with a Centipede wrapped around on both sides, and they looked even more ferocious, causing even Situang some alarm. Situang knew these men were first-class Super Soldiers, under regiment-level control, not available to basic battalion-level and company-level units. ¡°Do we have the confidence to take down the battle in three hours?¡± ¡°Commander, leave it to us.¡± The dozen or so first-class Super Soldiers appeared calm without the pre-battle jitters. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news. Get them outfitted.¡± Soon, a few armored transport vehicles drove over. Under the watchful eyes of Jieke Security soldiers, the armored transport vehicles opened and the logistics soldiers laboriously moved out several heavy armor suits. Chapter 215 - 131: First-class (Third Update) Chapter 215: Chapter 131: First-class (Third Update) The heavy steel castings were not only thick but also made from high-strength steel, making them astonishingly heavy. Yet the First-class Super Soldiers didn¡¯t care, at this moment each of them swallowed eight to twelve Strengthening Pills. They bent down and pulled on those steel components one by one, completely sealing their bodies. They resembled medieval Heavy Armor Knights, true canisters of iron, and also looked like Single Soldier Mechas from science fiction stories, which were quite intimidating. Click-clack! Over a dozen First-class Super Soldiers moved their bodies, these steel components had no trace of technology and weren¡¯t the so-called Mechas, being entirely powered by human strength. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t even take a step if they wore them, much less fight. But when these First-class Super Soldiers geared up, they turned them into the most formidable Heavy Armor, operated by their sheer brute force. The logistic soldiers hustled about, bringing Gatling machine guns and large-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns to these ¡°iron cans.¡± These weapons, mainly used on vehicles or as helicopter aviation guns, were finally equipped with heavy ammunition boxes. Once the faceplates were sealed, one by one, these human-formed Steel Monsters were complete. ¡°Move out.¡± At a command, these steel soldiers boarded armored personnel carriers and sped towards Hunei City. A large contingent of soldiers followed behind, surging into the inner city of Hunei with formidable momentum. In the sky, drones ascended one after another, beginning their reconnaissance and search for the enemy. N¡ð¦ÍG¡ð.?¡ð On the ground, the barely arrived reinforcements from the heavy synthetic brigade, a dozen tanks and armored vehicles, also raced to the streets. As for the more substantial firepower, they were trapped on the mountainous muddy roads, either breaking down or being unable to move forward or backward, without the chance to make it to the battlefield. The war immediately erupted after Jieke Security entered the city. The warlord soldiers relied on the city, constantly shooting from windowsills, door cracks, and sandbag bunkers. Some carried Rocket Launchers, others set up heavy machine gun positions, and some called for artillery bombardment. Situang fired his rifle, blowing the head off an enemy who had just appeared, but more gunfire poured in, preventing him from going out. Suddenly, a loud noise came from the sky as a warlord¡¯s armed helicopter flew in low, slowly aiming at Situang¡¯s hiding spot. Situang¡¯s face dramatically changed. Even though he had taken Strengthening Pills, his body was still flesh and blood, and covering fire from machine guns and rocket launchers would still tear him apart. At this critical moment, a series of muffled shots rang out. A line of fire appeared in the sky; relentless bullets continuously struck the armed helicopter. Turning his head, Situang saw a First-class Super Soldier appear on the street, crazily firing a 14.5mm large-caliber anti-aircraft machine gun like a heavy-duty concrete drill, shooting out Armor-piercing incendiary bullets. This type of ammunition, specifically for striking aircraft and light armored targets, was a narrowed version of the 23mm auto cannon rounds, with tens of thousands of joules of energy upon exit, repeatedly exploding on the armed helicopter. The First-class Super Soldier first adjusted his trajectory using tracers, quickly damaging the helicopter¡¯s optoelectronic pod and thermal imaging among other target-searching equipment. The armed helicopter in the sky continually climbed and accelerated, attempting to escape at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour and get away from the attack site. In theory, the cumbersome anti-aircraft machine gun would have a hard time keeping up with the agile and maneuverable armed helicopter, unless multiple anti-aircraft guns locked the area with their combined firepower. But this First-class Super Soldier was obviously different; enduring the powerful recoil of the anti-aircraft gun, his enhanced body quickly ran to the rooftop, continuously firing at the armed helicopter. With precise marksmanship and neurological reaction, his bullets chased the armed helicopter, targeting the rotor linkage and the engine compartment. The armed helicopter began to smoke and eventually lost control, spiraling down and crashing heavily to the ground, turning into a pile of scrap metal. Miao Lun looked around; the hail of gunfire from the warlord soldiers pinged and bounced off the Heavy Armor Steel Mecha, but couldn¡¯t truly penetrate it to injure the enclosed Miao Lun. It was only because his Mecha suit was too heavily armored that only violent explosions and continuous firing from 12.7mm calibre machine guns with armor-piercing incendiary bullets, or an anti-material heavy sniper rifle could genuinely penetrate the suit. Facing a barrage of bullet attacks akin to a splash of water, Miao Lun paid them no heed, moving constantly along the rooftops of buildings scattered throughout the city, leaping from one to another. Despite wearing the heavy Mecha, he still moved with remarkable speed. It was only the weight he had to be concerned about, for if the roof quality was lacking, he would crash through it entirely. ¡°Two hundred meters to the left, nine o¡¯clock direction, Third Level residential building, five to eight enemy soldiers.¡± ¡°Five hundred and twenty meters ahead, a tank is on the move, be cautious and seek cover.¡± ¡°An Infantry Fighting Vehicle is heading your way, seven o¡¯clock direction, three hundred meters away.¡± The earpiece continuously transmitted the voice of the commander, with three drones circling nearby in the sky, searching and serving as eyes and providing a broad view. They offered intelligence for Miao Lun, a First-class Super Soldier, providing better means to cope with heavy firepower threats and to survive on the battlefield. Confronting those enemy soldiers sneaking attacks from within the civil buildings, Miao Lun gripped an anti-aircraft machine gun, aimed unapologetically at a house, and mercilessly pulled the trigger. The warlord soldiers hiding behind the brick and concrete screamed as 14.5mm calibre bullets easily penetrated the walls and shattered the bodies inside into several parts. Boom! A shell came hurtling in, and a heavy main battle tank slowly appeared on the street, trying to aim its gun barrel at Miao Lun. Miao Lun¡¯s ears twitched slightly. Besides the information provided by the drone commander, he also caught the loud noises and engine sounds of the tank¡¯s movement himself. Super Soldiers like him received enhancements not just in strength and speed, but also improvements in hearing, vision, and smell. Perceiving danger, Miao Lun immediately ducked into a blind spot in a back alley at the end of the street. The tank¡¯s launched high explosive bomb blew up a two-story residential building and caused Miao Lun to stagger from the blast wave, but it did not truly harm him. Running to another street, Miao Lun didn¡¯t confront the tank head-on, as Single Soldier Anti-Tank Missiles and Rocket Launchers would deal with that. What Miao Lun needed to do was utilize his defensive capabilities, especially against those infantry with lighter weapons. The warlord soldiers defending this area on the new street looked up to see a Steel Monster charging towards them head-on. The terrified warlord soldiers pulled their triggers in panic, but the bullets couldn¡¯t breach the defense, and in the next moment, Miao Lun, like a tiger among sheep, swept a few of them into a bloody mess with his machine gun. One soldier directly in front was knocked flying, his ribcage shattered upon landing, and he was rapidly running out of breath. Miao Lun¡¯s left fist lashed out, striking a warlord soldier¡¯s head. Having consumed twelve Strengthening Pills, his powerful physique allowed him to punch the man to death with one blow, even scattering his brain matter. Bang Bang! Several grenades landed at his feet, but Miao Lun didn¡¯t even glance down, unafraid of such a weapon that primarily relied on shrapnel, instead turning his attention to the warlord soldiers shouldering Rocket Launchers. Amidst the grenade explosions, Miao Lun hoisted the high-caliber anti-aircraft machine gun and, under the terrified gaze of the opposing warlord soldiers, he pulled the trigger. The large bullets swept out, and those attempting to shoot at Miao Lun with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers were the first to fall into a pool of blood. Screech! A six-wheeled armored vehicle entered the street, and as Miao Lun and the driver locked eyes, he, having already picked up on the sound of the vehicle¡¯s movement, had his gun ready in advance. The next moment, relying on his neurological reaction speed, Miao Lun fired first, the long chain of ammunition quivering continuously. The armored vehicle, equipped only to defend against 12.7mm bullets, was easily pierced by 14.5mm calibre bullets. The soldiers inside, needless to say, were already thoroughly dead, their armored vehicle becoming their iron coffin. If they had fired first, with the power of their mounted machine gun, it would have been Miao Lun turned to slag. Having completed this ordeal, Miao Lun continued on to the next battlefield. Chapter 216 - 132: Occupation (Fourth Update) Chapter 216: Chapter 132: Occupation (Fourth Update) With the deployment of Super Soldiers, the territory of Hunei City was being gradually consumed. The lethality brought by the Super Soldiers was one thing, but more importantly, the presence of these Super Soldiers greatly defeated the morale of the warlord soldiers. Especially with the engagement of First-class Super Soldiers, the warlord soldiers were filled with fear. Their 7.62 caliber rifles could not penetrate the defenses at all, it was like facing an indestructible monster. When armed helicopters and tanks with heavy firepower were deployed, those Steel Monsters would skillfully escape, taking advantage of the complex urban environment to dodge. Moreover, with the intelligence provided by drones from the sky, the attack was utterly elusive, specifically bullying those light infantry and making the warlord soldiers cry for their parents. If it were in the plains, these First-class Super Soldiers would just be slightly tougher live targets¡ªvarious high-powered weapons could be fully leveraged, and no amount of armor would help. But in the city, heavy weaponry was difficult to utilize; the best method to handle First-class Super Soldiers was to conduct large-scale comprehensive bombing. Several First-class Super Soldiers were bombarded to death by artillery, even blasted into pieces by tanks. Yet, the military achievements they brought were astounding. They transformed into the spearheads of two Mountain Brigades, pioneers clearing the path, stabbing directly into the crucial parts of Hunei City like sharp swords, significantly hindering the defense lines of the garrison forces and forcing the warlord soldiers to gather heavy firepower for suppression. Due to the disarray in the defense lines caused by the First-class Super Soldiers, the front battlefields were left exposed, allowing the other Jieke Security soldiers to proceed with the occupation methodically, sparing many dangers and sacrifices. In the brutal combat, facing the dominance of Jieke Security, especially the massacre conducted by those Super Soldiers. N¡ð¦ÍG¡ð.?¡ð Many warlord soldiers, while fighting, snapped the tense string in their minds. These remaining forces in Hunei City were the elite troops of the warlords, and at this point, they began to surrender en masse. Eventually, above a government building in the city center, the flag of Jieke Company was raised high. The entire battle for Hunei City, from start to finish, only took two hours. Nothing like those lengthy and bloody urban sieges that could last for ten days, half a month, or even months. In Hunei City, Miao Lun, with the help of logistics soldiers, took off his Battle Armor. He seemed utterly exhausted, gasping heavily as if he were a bellows. The surrounding Jieke Security Soldiers cast admiring glances at him. They had witnessed the combat of these First-class Super Soldiers and calling them little Supermen wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration. Without these Super Soldiers, capturing Hunei City easily would have been unthinkable; it could have turned into a tug-of-war, with the entire city turning into a meat grinder, both sides incessantly pouring infantry into the city, which is the most common outcome of city siege battles. The logistics support vehicle rushed over, and a medic started transfusing blood into Miao Lun, sustaining the lives of these powerful soldiers. Each First-class Super Soldier was a precious asset to Jieke Security. Out of fifteen thousand personnel in Jieke Security, only a mere few dozen could perfectly adapt to the Strengthening Pill and needed immediate medical attention. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Miao Lun looked at Situang, who was also receiving a blood transfusion next to him. During the battle, he had noticed Situang, who was evidently a Super Soldier as well. ¡°Situang, from the Second Brigade, Third Battalion.¡± Situang scratched his head and curiously scrutinized Miao Lun, asking, ¡°We both take Strengthening Pills, but why are your changes so drastic? Does eating a few more really make such a difference?¡± Miao Lun cracked a slight smile and explained, ¡°Besides taking Strengthening Pills, a few days ago, Jieke Security also performed a round of enhancement modifications on us. At the Fumen Breeding Farm, Chief Su personally conducted surgery on us. It seemed like he implanted something into my body. I can¡¯t quite specify what it was, but afterward, our bodies became exceptionally strong.¡± Miao Lun was unaware that in the Tianyuan World, there existed something called a Symbiotic poisonous insect. A Symbiotic poisonous insect called Silver Scale Worm had been implanted in his body. This type of insect required the host¡¯s fresh blood for sustenance and greatly stimulated the host¡¯s physical abilities during combat, endowing the host with a powerful physique in return. If the host died, the Symbiotic poisonous insect would also perish simultaneously. Similarly, if the Symbiotic poisonous insect died, the host would die as well. However, because the enhancement effect of the poisonous insect was limited, Cultivators didn¡¯t value it highly and considered it an additional vulnerability. For a Gu Master, finding an insect hidden inside a human body was simple, and if the Symbiotic poisonous insect was targeted, it really was the end for the host. ¡°Is that so!¡± Situang felt envious; unfortunately, his body wasn¡¯t perfectly compatible with the Strengthening Pill to advance to a First-class Super War and undergo the body enhancement modification. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on fighting for now. Drive those scrappy warlords out, and once Jieke Company grows stronger, more and more soldiers will surely receive enhancement modifications.¡± Miao Lun comforted him this way. He had come from a poor family, and Jieke Company had changed his family¡¯s life. Thus, upon hearing the news of the war, he wasn¡¯t scared but rather, he was boiling with excitement to serve the Jieke Company. ¡°I will do my best to kill the enemy.¡± With a naive smile, Situang engaged warmly in the conversation about Jieke Company. Both firmly supported the cleansing war. ... As Hunei City on the eastern front fell, the most capable troops of the Ang Yulun Warlords surrendered, and the remaining forces could no longer withstand Jieke Security¡¯s assault. The warlord soldiers started surrendering to Jieke Security one after another. On the western front, the territory of the Suomin Tun Warlords was similarly pushed back by Jieke Security. To avoid having his city destroyed, Suomin Tun intentionally shifted the battle lines into the forest, causing both sides¡¯ soldiers to engage in jungle warfare in the densely forested and mountainous rainforest. However, he was unaware that this primitive jungle environment was naturally a battlefield for Super Soldiers. Under conditions of poor visibility, plentiful cover, and complex terrain, group after group of Super Soldiers leading the charge shattered Suomin Tun¡¯s forces in just a few rounds, causing many to surrender to Jieke Security. When the Mountain Brigade later stationed in the core city under Suomin Tun¡¯s control, only some hastily assembled militia were present, with hardly any regular army troops. As Jieke Security prepared to attack the city, the troops inside promptly ran out to wave the white flag and surrendered, capturing the city without shedding blood. After the first phase of the battle, Jieke Security had seized all territories from both the Suomin Tun and Ang Yulun Warlords. Over ten thousand warlord soldiers were mostly captured, extending Jieke Company¡¯s territory by 32,000 square kilometers. The entire first phase of the war lasted just a mere week. Due to unforeseen heavy rain, the heavy composite brigade in Jieke Security¡¯s rear faced major issues with the old mud roads deteriorating severely. The tanks, armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery were still struggling to move, while the Mountain Brigade had already ended the battle. But even in such conditions, relying on the powerful Super Soldiers to break through the defensive lines, Jieke Security¡¯s Mountain Brigade executed a blitzkrieg typically performed by armored floods, annihilating nearly ten thousand soldiers from the two mercenary warlords in one fell swoop. Chapter 217 - 133: Intervening in the War (Part Five) Chapter 217: Chapter 133: Intervening in the War (Part Five) On the international front, after another fierce exchange of fire in Chan Country, there was significant reaction in public opinion. Since Chan Country often had internal conflicts, sometimes with warlords clashing among themselves and sometimes with the warlords fighting the government army, it was difficult to make big news. But this war initiated by the Mande Region was different; soldiers who were clearly of superior standard appeared on the battlefield. Especially the appearance of First-class Super Soldiers, captured and uploaded to the internet by the soldiers from the warlord¡¯s side, attracted quite a crowd online. ¡®Oh my God, is that a Mecha? Are there already Single Soldier Mechas? Which country is so advanced?¡¯ ¡®Looks fake at first glance. Must be a movie trailer, right? Rather than employ such marketing gimmicks, they should focus on making good movies with convincing quality.¡¯ ¡®7.62 caliber bullets can¡¯t even pierce through; a human wearing this kind of Heavy Armor Mecha can barely move, what¡¯s the difference from a metal coffin? Current human technology can¡¯t provide the power for such all-covering Single Soldier Mechas.¡¯ ¡®What place is Chan Country? They can¡¯t even produce their own artillery or aircraft; how could they have such advanced Single Soldier Mechas? Only fools would believe that.¡¯ ¡®Although I also know it¡¯s fake, these Mecha warriors do look really cool. The portrayal of the battlefield is so bloody and realistic. I look forward to the release of this movie, I will definitely go to support it at the cinema.¡¯ ¡®Doesn¡¯t seem right, I don¡¯t see any traces of editing in the video, it seems like actual footage. Could those Mechas be real?¡¯ ...... While the internet was abuzz, the vast majority of people did not believe in the existence of such Single Soldier Mechas. However, in the command center of Guo Mindeng¡¯s warlord camp in East Qin State, his expression was extremely solemn. Because he knew that the batch of Super Soldiers, including those terrifying soldiers clad in Heavy Armor, truly existed. At this moment, sitting beside him were Ang Yulun and Suomin Tun, the best evidence of their existence. These two warlords, whose territories were completely annexed and occupied by Jieke Company, had come to his territory seeking refuge via helicopter when the battle turned against them; they had no determination to fight the enemy to the last moment. ¡°General, Jieke Security soldiers are currently active around Puling Mountain and Old Fortress Pass, they could launch a two-pronged attack on our forces at any moment,¡± the Chief of Staff reported the adverse battle situation to Guo Mindeng, looking at the map. ¡°You can¡¯t hold on even for a week, what kind of soldiers are you training?¡± Guo Mindeng¡¯s expression darkened as he vented his anger on Ang Yulun and Suomin Tun. ¡°Hmph, when I asked you to send reinforcements, you dallied and took ages; no wonder we lost, it¡¯s all your fault,¡± Ang Yulun slammed the table, spitting as he spoke to Guo Mindeng. Having lost the grounds vital for their survival, he believed the fault lay entirely with Guo Mindeng. Guo Mindeng had eighteen thousand soldiers; if he had been willing to send troops to their aid, they wouldn¡¯t have failed. ¡°You haven¡¯t encountered those Super Soldiers; if you had, your soldiers wouldn¡¯t have performed much better than ours,¡± Suomin Tun was also filled with grievance. In his view, his soldiers were definitely tough, often engaging in guerrilla warfare with the government army in the woods and repelling many government encirclements. That¡¯s why he was confident enough to deploy his forces into the deep forests to confront Jieke Security, instead of positioning them in the cities. As one might expect, his confidence was shattered into pieces in front of the Super Soldiers. Realizing the terror of the Super Soldiers was by then too late to recall his troops. He sent soldiers to conduct guerrilla warfare in the forest, but they went like meat buns thrown to dogs¡ªgone without a return; they were either killed or surrendered, suffering a miserable defeat. ¡°Hmph, I have nearly twenty thousand soldiers, plus aircraft, tanks, and artillery. How could I be like you?¡± Guo Mindeng sneered coldly. He was about to say something else when a call from the military intelligence suddenly rang. The staff officer immediately went to answer it, but his expression grew increasingly grim. ¡°General, Jieke Security has launched an attack on us. They¡¯ve divided their forces into two groups; one is approaching from Qigang Mountain, having breached several of our outposts, and captured Hongshang City within an hour. The other advanced from Minshui River and was engaged in a fierce battle at Yipo City two hours ago; now, I fear Yipo City is likely in grave danger...¡± The staff officer, having studied at military academies in Europe and America, spoke these words not to alarm but to attest to the power of Jieke Security. ¡°Where are our armored units, our aircraft? Why haven¡¯t they taken action against them?¡± Guo Mindeng looked incredulous, questioning whether the elite troops he had trained were really so easily defeated. ¡°Before the invasion by Jieke Security, our Houxun Air Force Base and Zolunping Air Force Base were infiltrated by armed personnel. Those were Super Soldiers from Jieke Security. More than a dozen military aircraft, purchased from overseas, were destroyed, and several hired pilots were also shot dead.¡± ¡°As for the armored units, now in the spring rainy season, the roads are mired in mud. Many of our armored units are stuck in the muddy terrain, lacking sufficient logistical support with maintenance troops and engineering vehicles, making it difficult for our armored units to be present on the battlefield.¡± The staff officer¡¯s tone became increasingly despondent as he spoke, indicating the disadvantageous position they were in. Although Guo Mindeng¡¯s army had received substantial military support from abroad, they were previously only light infantry. To efficiently operate armored units required more than just theoretical data on paper; comprehensive logistics were essential for these units to be effective in combat. ¡°General, Mr. Lawrence has arrived.¡± A soldier entered the command center with the message, bringing a moment of jubilation to Guo Mindeng, who was worried about how to counter Jieke Security¡¯s invasion. This Lawrence was a representative sent by Asder Pharmaceutical, and the arms he brought were procured by this pharmaceutical company contacting arms dealers. Soon, the door opened, and two Caucasians entered. To Guo Mindeng¡¯s surprise, the formerly haughty Mr. Lawrence was now standing behind the other Caucasian man, seemingly indicating that the other man was the real authority. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, this is...¡± ¡°A senior special agent with the CIA, you can call me Moritz.¡± After Moritz disclosed his identity, everyone present was shocked, and it became clear why Mr. Lawrence was so humble. Guo Mindeng immediately became excited and asked, ¡°The CIA? Is the United States going to intervene in this war?¡± Moritz smiled and said, ¡°Jieke Company has committed many evils, and we in the United States have decided to eradicate this tumor in Chan Country. However, we will not declare war openly but will instead send a covert force to support you.¡± ¡°We have also contacted the Chan Country Government Army, and they too will deploy troops to combat Jieke Company, breaking this Chinese warlord¡¯s rule over the Mande Region.¡± Guo Mindeng and the other warlords were overjoyed at the involvement of the United States, putting an end to any suspense over the outcome of the war. No matter how formidable the Super Soldiers from Jieke Security were, how could mere flesh and blood withstand aircraft missiles? Without any hesitation, Guo Mindeng announced his agreement to the CIA¡¯s assistance. Even though the CIA offered a stringent agreement demanding various concessions after the war, he signed his name without hesitation. After all, he could be defeated by Jieke Security at any moment; once his life was gone, worrying about territory and money would be pointless! Chapter 218 - 134: Expeditionary Fleet (First Update) Chapter 218: Chapter 134: Expeditionary Fleet (First Update) ¡°Recently, at the invitation of the Chan Country, our United States Navy is preparing to dispatch an Amphibious Assault Task Force to hold joint military exercises with Chan Country in parts of the Bay of Bengal¡¯s sea domain and on land. The aim is to hone the interoperability of multi-brigade troop types in transoceanic warfare, to fully strengthen naval cooperation with Chan Country, and to jointly address global threats, ensuring the safety of civilian shipping in the Asia-Pacific region. The exercise begins on April 28, and the specific end date is to be determined.¡± On April 25, just as Jieke Security had fully taken control of the territories of two warlords and was aggressively advancing toward the area where Guo Mindeng was located, a piece of news suddenly appeared before the public eye. Many people were puzzled by the news, wondering why the United States would not conduct exercises with India but instead play around with Chan Country. Chan Country was so poor it clinked; all they could bring to the table were a few battered frigates. People saw little meaning in such exercises. Then, a news release by the Chan Country Government put things into perspective for many. ¡°Recently, within our country¡¯s Mande Region, a group known as the Jieke Group has wantonly stirred up violence and sparked intense conflicts, endangering innocent civilians, causing numerous casualties, and displacing many civilians. In the spirit of our responsibility to protect the lives and property of our citizens, our country has decided to dispatch troops to clamp down, to eradicate the cancer of Jieke Company that has entrenched itself in the Mande Region, and to restore stability and peace to the area.¡± Almost back-to-back announcements from the United States and Chan Country, combined with the recent outbreak of warlord conflicts in the East Qin State, led many to put two and two together. It was mostly believed that the United States, ever the meddler, couldn¡¯t stand being alone and had to mess around wherever there was a conflict. Several neighboring countries voiced their protests, but the United States didn¡¯t care at all and continued in its own way, hastily assembling a fleet to head to the Bay of Bengal. ... The Lion City! United States Zhangyi Naval Base. Early this morning, two Freedom-class Coastal Combat Ships slowly sailed out of the naval base. This class of Coastal Combat Ship has a length of 127.4 meters, a beam of 13.16 meters, a draft of 3.9 meters, and a full-load displacement of over three thousand tons. They are capable of carrying helicopters and multiple missiles and possess formidable firepower, proving highly effective in coastal battles. The two Coastal Combat Ships set out to sea and merged with a fleet composed of over twenty other vessels. This was a military force summoned by the United States from the Middle East, where soldiers were stationed on high-speed troop transport ships; fifteen of these ships in total, each loaded with hundreds of soldiers from a battalion. In addition to that, there were specially designed roll-on/roll-off ships, tank landing ships, hospital ships, ammunition ships, and logistic support vessels, carrying a large amount of military supplies and equipment. The United States had named this force The Bay of Bengal Expeditionary Fleet, which had just been put together. On the transport ships, there were a large number of soldiers: an infantry regiment, a light armored vehicle battalion, a tank battalion equipped with M1A2 main battle tanks, an artillery battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, an engineer battalion, and a mixed squadron of short-range helicopters, with a service support group, totaling around eight thousand personnel. Within this fleet, the most eye-catching was the Amphibious Assault Ship, displacing tens of thousands of tons. Onboard were several F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and various types of helicopters, as well as nearly two thousand Marine Corps special task force members. Escorting the Amphibious Assault Ship, there were two Aegis Destroyers on either flank. Beyond this fleet¡¯s paper strength, once the Marine Corps of The Bay of Bengal Expeditionary Fleet landed ashore, they would have satellite intelligence support, naval missile support, and the convenience of mobilizing troops from global bases. The appearance of such an expeditionary fleet in the Bay of Bengal put the neighboring countries on alert. Especially those with poor relations with the United States, who were closely monitoring the movements of the fleet at all times. ... In the Amphibious Assault Ship¡¯s command room, CIA senior special agent Moritz was here, sitting across from a Major General who was the military commander of the expeditionary fleet for this operation, David. The two were engaging in their final tactical discussion. ¡°We¡¯ll first land at the Dan Mian port controlled by the government army, then take the land route, following the Chan Country Government Army, joining forces and fighting our way through, to test the so-called strength of Jieke Security,¡± David said gravely. He had struggled through family connections to secure the command of this Marine expeditionary fleet. If the campaign went well, it would add a significant achievement to his resume. Another star on his epaulets and a promotion with a raise were within easy reach, so David took this combat mission very seriously. ¡°I have no objections, you¡¯re the military experts, but could we at the CIA make use of the Seal Assault Team?¡± Moritz shrugged his shoulders, making a request. David adjusted his military cap, asking with surprise, ¡°What do you plan to do with the Seal Assault Team?¡± The Seal Assault Team is under the Navy¡¯s command, managed by the United States Navy, Special Command. Considering the complex mountainous environment of Chan Country, they had also brought along a team from the Seal Assault Team. ¡°Our mission this time, aside from striking Jieke Security, is to capture a dangerous individual named Su Jie. He¡¯s the mastermind behind these challenges to the hegemony of the United States, and we need the power of the Seal Assault Team to bring him back to the United States for trial,¡± Moritz would not let go of a dangerous individual who dared challenge the hegemony of the United States. ¡°Su Jie? Did he create those Super Soldiers, too?¡± David showed an interested expression. He knew that Jieke Company had a group of special Super Soldiers, each highly agile, with exceptional marksmanship; some were even clad in Heavy Armor, impervious to ordinary bullets. Moritz nodded, adding, ¡°The White House think tank suspects that Su Jie might have extracted a special enhancing drug from insects, a thing named ¡®Strengthening Pill¡¯ that warlord soldiers have gotten their hands on. We¡¯ve already sent it back for testing.¡± ¡°No wonder that guy started so many insect farms in the Mande Region; he¡¯s not to be underestimated. If we got hold of that stuff and spread it throughout the army...¡± The more David talked, the brighter his eyes shone. If he could get his hands on the method of making those Strengthening Pills, his status in the military would surely rise significantly. ¡°Those Super Soldiers are tough to deal with, we¡¯ve learned from the warlords and satellite reconnaissance that these Super Soldiers have extraordinary physical abilities.¡± ¡°No matter, we¡¯ve brought enough heavy firepower this time; flesh and blood can¡¯t withstand artillery shells, after all.¡± ¡°That is indeed the case.¡± Seeing David full of confidence, Moritz said no more. The fleet, at cruising speed, raced through the night, entering the Bay of Bengal and heading straight for Chan Country¡¯s Sea Domain. Midway, four small frigates of the Chan Country Navy, just over a thousand tons, also came alongside, forming a fleet formation to conduct naval exercises. The exercises were serious. They symbolically towed derelict vessels out to use as targets and even invited the media to watch and take photos, so they could write articles and prevent, anyone from thinking that we, the Eagles, were bullying others and causing trouble everywhere. After several days of sailing, the fleet reached the designated sea area, and from afar, they could see the coast and the docks on the horizon. This port named Dan Mian had excellent hydrological conditions and was deep enough for the Amphibious Assault Ships to berth. However, the Amphibious Assault Ships did not dock but remained adrift at sea, preparing for the upcoming air-to-ground assault. The other transports, loaded with soldiers, approached the dock slowly, intending to disembark the personnel and equipment first. Meanwhile, as the fleet was busy preparing to dock, Su Jie appeared on a hilltop in the Dan Mian military port. Because of those naval exercise press releases, it wasn¡¯t hard to deduce the fleet¡¯s destination using a map. Plus, considering that this was the only dock in the vicinity suitable for landing, Su Jie had been waiting here for quite some time. Chapter 219 - 135: The Erratic Water Mine (Second Update) Chapter 219: Chapter 135: The Erratic Water Mine (Second Update) ¡°Tsk, so many ships.¡± Su Jie watched the dozens of vessels making up the transport convoy ahead, pulled out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner from within his clothes, and touched the head of the thousand-hand centipede wrapped around his arm. ¡°Xiao Qian, go, let me see what dropping dumplings into boiling water looks like.¡± ¡°Sizzle.¡± The thousand-hand centipede hissed and crawled down from Su Jie¡¯s arm, plunging into the nearby sea. Gurgle! In the water, the thousand-hand centipede bubbled as it swam, its pale corpse hands detaching on their own, flitting through the water, burrowing into the mud, and finding the preplaced magnetic water mines. The pale corpse hands, ten to a group, quickly approached the United States Bay of Bengal Expeditionary Fleet, clutching the magnetic water mines. Water mines are known as the sea battle artifacts of poor nations, with even ten-thousand-ton warships taking severe damage if hit by just one, but because of their sit-and-wait nature, they can only remain stationary, waiting for ships to collide with them. However, modern sonar technology has become very advanced, making water mines easy to detect and clear away with minesweepers. But Su Jie¡¯s use of water mines was different; he wasn¡¯t playing the waiting game, but rather, he launched an active assault. ... Aboard the Wichita Coastal Combat Ship. Emra Abudula, who was working in the sonar room with ear protection, suddenly caught strange acoustic feedback in the hydrophone. ¡°Fish schools, dolphins, or something else, wait, this is the feedback from mines...¡± At first, Emra paid little attention, but upon detecting the sonar signature of the mines, she was so startled she nearly jumped, hurriedly passing the information to the captain. The pale corpse hands, formed of Spiritual Power, were incredibly strong. Ten arms would clutch a mine, moving their limbs in a fin-like motion, and despite pushing the heavy mines, they moved through the water at a surprisingly rapid pace. Passing information takes time, making critical judgments and issuing orders takes time, but Su Jie didn¡¯t plan to give the fleet much time at all. ... The United States Bay of Bengal Expeditionary Fleet was completely unaware of the imminent danger. The sailors were preoccupied with preparing to port, many United States Marine Corps soldiers walked onto the deck, chatting and joking about the upcoming battles. Nadaya Herbert stretched lazily, looking at the land slowly coming into view, and said to her friend beside her, ¡°Blais, do you think those rumors about Super Soldiers are true? Just yesterday, the commander called us for a military seminar specifically to deal with those little Supermen. ¡°You¡¯re scared now, if you¡¯re scared you can shrink back into the cabin.¡± Blais chuckled, leaning on the railing enjoying the sea breeze. ¡°Bullshit, how could I be scared? Even if someone stuck a gun barrel up my ass, I wouldn¡¯t frown. I don¡¯t believe the enemy is really impervious to bullets and blades, maybe it¡¯s all exaggerated propaganda. If the generals don¡¯t exaggerate the enemy¡¯s strength, how can they get more military funding from Congress?¡± Nadaya smirked, not quite believing in Super Soldiers; she trusted her own rifle more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, there are so many tanks over there, and we have aircraft support from the Amphibious Assault Ship behind us, we¡¯ll make them cry for their parents.¡± Blais pointed to the tank landing ships and the military roll-on/roll-off vessels nearby that were carrying tanks, armored vehicles, and military Humvees. ¡°When the time comes, I will...¡± Just as Nadaya was about to speak, she suddenly saw the bow of the tank landing ship lift high, a violent explosion throwing up a water column tens of meters high, ripping a massive ten-meter gash in the bow as water poured in frantically. Onboard, the heavy main battle tanks shook with the explosion, their securing straps snapped, and they tumbled around in the cargo hold. Several sailors on the ships were crushed to a pulp by the tumbling thirty-ton main battle tanks. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? What is this?¡± Nadaya shivered, staring wide-eyed at the tank landing ship that was taking on water, helplessly sinking slowly, her mind a blank. ¡°Are you kidding me? Hit by a mine? What on earth are the sonar operators doing?¡± Blais took a sharp intake of breath, this was the Chan Country¡¯s naval port¡ªcould it be that a submarine had secretly come here to lay mines? But that did not make sense! Weren¡¯t they just dealing with a warlord? Where could he have gotten a submarine from? As the tank landing ship struck the mine, the sailors of the expeditionary fleet immediately tensed up, realizing that these were indeed heavy water mines. If their own ship were to be hit like that... In the command room of the amphibious assault ship still drifting at sea, David received the news and his face changed color dramatically, issuing commands rapidly, ¡°Order the fleet to halt their advance immediately, retreat from the minefield. Dispatch minesweepers to clear the mines, and deploy anti-submarine helicopters to intensify sonar searches to locate the water mines. The enemy¡¯s submarine might still be hiding here; find it.¡± One must admit, David¡¯s orders were not wrong¡ªif these were ordinary water mines, at most they would lose a ship. But this time, these water mines were powered by biological kinetic energy. Above the sea, following the explosion of the tank landing ship, the United States¡¯ transport fleet immediately slowed down. Fortunately, because the fleet was preparing to dock, their speed had already been reduced, which was good, as large ships don¡¯t stop immediately like cars do¡ªnot just with a touch of the brakes. Several frigates and destroyers immediately turned on their active sonar, operating at full power. Anti-submarine helicopters took off from the flight deck, releasing sonar buoys, initiating surface search radar, and lowering dipping sonars for comprehensive monitoring of this sea area. ¡°What... fuck, what the hell are these things, water mines? Active water mines are not that fast!¡± Inside the cockpit of an anti-submarine helicopter, the pilot nearly popped his eyes out upon seeing the information detected by sonar. The sonar confirmed they were water mines, but why were these mines moving through the water erratically and at such a great speed, as if they were fitted with a hundred and eighty boosters, and even faster than the Maozi¡¯s straight-running, ultra-high-speed torpedoes. The pilot was not unfamiliar with active-trigger mines, which can sense changes in magnetism, sound, and pressure in the water, and would automatically activate and head towards a target from a distance away. But those mines were much slower and their active target-searching range was very limited, thus posing a minimal threat to warships. Below the surface, a magnetic water mine pushed by pale hands moved toward a high-speed troop transport ship. The transport ship, now slowing down and turning around, was an easy target, with no chance of evading. Once the magnetic water mine approached the bottom of the ship, the mine¡¯s collision mechanism activated, and these devices contained several hundred kilograms of high explosive, causing a massive blast. Boom! The high-speed transport ship¡¯s keel rose upwards sharply as the mine detonated, creating a high-temperature, high-pressure air mass. The air mass expanded and contracted several times underwater, causing repeated violent attacks. From afar, the transport ship looked like a toy broken by a mischievous child¡ªsteel ripped and twisted, the ship¡¯s body fractured into two from the middle. The hundreds of United States Marine Corps soldiers onboard met a tragic end. Many were killed instantly by the blast¡¯s shockwaves, and more soldiers clung to the broken ship, falling into the sea one after another like dumplings. A transport ship was not a combat vessel after all¡ªit was typically thin-skinned and big-bellied, and the water mine¡¯s charge was up to six or seven hundred kilograms. In comparison, a 155-millimeter artillery shell¡¯s charge is around ten kilograms, and the famous Harpoon anti-ship missile only carries about two hundred kilograms of explosives. One can imagine the destructive power of this mine¡¯s explosion. Not to mention that the mine detonated underwater¡ªwater, being an excellent medium for energy transmission, greatly increased the impact of the explosion. It was visible to the naked eye that this high-speed transport ship, 103 meters in length, 28.5 meters in width, with a full load displacement of 2,400 tons, could not withstand the blast and broke directly into two parts. The bow and the stern rose high, as it sank into the icy depths of the ocean. Chapter 220 - 136: Miserable (Third Update) Chapter 220: Chapter 136: Miserable (Third Update) On the deck, Nadaya stood frozen like a petrified fowl. The high-speed transport ship that had just exploded and sunk was not far from him; he saw everything that happened on board. The soldiers that were thrown and torn apart, the broken hull, the propeller sticking out of the water at the stern, and the soldiers dropping into the ocean one after another, crying for help, all deeply impacted his fragile heart. ¡°Nadaya, come and put on a life jacket,¡± Blais pulled at the still dazed Nadaya. Because of underestimating the enemy and complacency, the originally thought-to-be-safe landing had turned perilous. The US soldiers had made plans to go ashore to entertain themselves in the Chan Country and had not bothered to wear the cumbersome life jackets. The entire transport fleet was in disarray. Some soldiers were fighting over life jackets, some were lowering lifeboats, and some new recruits with poor psychological quality were breaking down and falling into chaos, running around like headless flies. Splash! Splash! The two Aegis Destroyers and two Coastal Combat Ships escorting the transport fleet also detected the positions of the underwater mines through sonar. Several warships sounded their combat alarms and began launching deep bombs wildly into the sea from their sterns, attempting to detonate the mines in advance. They also deployed acoustic decoys, trying to make the mines mistake their targets and explode prematurely. The deep bombs were indeed effective; many mines were destroyed, and the pale corpse hands propelling the mines shattered, dissolving into Spiritual Power that dissipated into the air. But though the United States¡¯ defenses were tight, there were even more mines. ¡°I want to see how much you can defend.¡± From a distant hilltop, Su Jie sat with his legs crossed on a large tree branch, looking at the fleet in utter chaos below, a cold smile on his lips. Compared to the expensive cost of warships, which can reach over a hundred million US dollars each, mines lack the bright trajectory and sleek appearance. But due to their low cost and simple manufacturing, Su Jie had purchased a large batch. He even acquired the production methods from the Maozi, and the Mande Region¡¯s military factories had replicated a batch. After all, they weren¡¯t too high-tech; they were just simple contact mines. Even if they were traded for the warships, Su Jie would turn a profit if a hundred mines took down one transport ship, not to mention the additional casualties of personnel. His eyes narrowed, Su Jie looked toward the direction of the sea, where his waterborne poisonous insects were deployed to serve as eyes for scouting. Su Jie only needed to command the pale corpse hands pushing the mines toward their targets as if he were playing a game. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The sea surface seemed to boil as the mines were detonated one after the other. The destroyers and escort ships fired rockets with deep bombs, creating rows of water columns. Above the sky, anti-submarine helicopters also dropped deep bombs, desperately trying to stop the mines from approaching the transport ships. But even under such intense blockade, some mines managed to get close to the transport ship and then exploded upon contact, overturning people and vessels alike. One by one, high-value military high-speed transport ships were torn apart by mine explosions. The crew located in the lower cabins were crushed against steel walls by the impact, turning into bloody mush. The soldiers who ran to the upper decks also could not escape their fate; some were crushed by heavy objects on the ship, burnt to death by the fiery cabins, and those who were lucky enough to survive ended up struggling in the sea water. A fierce naval battle thus erupted. On one side were the US expeditionary fleet, defending themselves on the sea surface like hedgehogs, and on the other side, seemingly insignificant biological energy mines hidden in the water. They attacked each other relentlessly, and under Su Jie¡¯s ruthless onslaught, another seven or eight transport ships slowly sank amid the explosions. Those transport ships had really bad luck, encountering someone as ruthless as Su Jie. Using mines holding seven or eight hundred kilograms of explosives to blow up transport ships, no transport ship could withstand such a powerful firecracker! Transport ships broke in half on the spot, with their bows and sterns tilting high up. Some transport ships had their entire bows blown away, plunging straight into the sea like a stick, dragging the soldiers who didn¡¯t have time to jump into the sea with them, sinking to the seabed to keep the fish company. Some transport ships were directly blown to capsize, like fish with their white bellies up, showing off barnacle-, limpet-, and algae-covered bottoms; many soldiers were pressed under the overturned ships, their pounding and cries echoing in the cabins as they were dragged to the bottom of the sea. An ammunition transport ship was hit by a water mine and exploded into a small mushroom cloud on the spot, with various debris scattered hundreds of meters. Boom! A fleet oil tanker was hit, spilling a massive amount of fuel oil. Due to the difference in density between the fuel oil and water, the leaked fuel¨Cvarious types of aviation fuel, gasoline, diesel, and heavy oil used for ships¨Cfloated on the surface of the sea. Blais and Nadaya¡¯s transport ship was also hit by a water mine, but the two were lucky enough to jump into the sea and escape. Fortunately, this wasn¡¯t the cold Atlantic; they were in the water with life jackets, not drowning anytime soon, and were now searching for debris that could provide buoyancy. But at that moment, the leaked fuel from the oil tanker reached them. Blais raised his head and saw the various burning debris blasted into the sky by the ammunition ship¡¯s explosion falling down, his eyes uncontrollably showing a thick fear. ¡°Escape, fast!¡± Without any hesitation, Blais paddled with all his might, and they just managed to swim out of the range of the oil spill. The burning debris from the sky ignited the leaked fuel, creating moving patches of fiery oil slicks on the surface of the sea. One by one, soldiers who had jumped into the sea screamed as the fires on the surface engulfed and scorched them. Near the oil tanker, apart from a few soldiers at the edges who managed to escape, the rest were either burned alive or suffocated beneath the water. Su Jie was happily blowing things up on his end, with the supply of water mines in his Storage Bag steadily depleting. After twenty minutes of action and seeing the dwindling supply of water mines, Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted toward a few destroyers and frigates that were still launching deep bombs. The Aegis Destroyer was a bit too far away, and Chan Country¡¯s tattered little frigates weren¡¯t worth the effort; finally, Su Jie targeted a Coastal Combat Ship, sending all the remaining water mines hurtling towards it. The 3,000-ton Coastal Combat Ship, running at a high speed of 45 knots, still couldn¡¯t escape the pursuit of the water mines. In the end, three water mines approached and exploded thunderously, dismembering the Coastal Combat Ship on the spot; the crew members plunged into the sea like dumplings, moving away from the doomed vessel. Having done all this, Su Jie casually put away the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, glanced at the disturbed Chan Country Navy dock in the distance, coming to provide support, and then turned away to leave. When the Chan Country Navy arrived late on the scene, they were met with a hair-raising sight. The burning sea, sunken ships, soldiers struggling and calling for help in the water, and the dense floating corpses on the surface, with the waves slowly pushing the bodies towards the beach, forming a small mountain of the dead. As time went on, more and more support arrived, and military bases from the United States sent out rescue forces as soon as possible. But with the distance being too great, by the time they arrived, those who were going to die had already perished, and those who were alive had been rescued. And this sea battle, as the information spread from all parties, set off an uproar on the internet. Chapter 221 - 137: Uproar Around the World (Fourth Update) Chapter 221: Chapter 137: Uproar Around the World (Fourth Update) In the information society, any major event spreads across the globe in no time. Not to mention that not long ago, the United States grandly announced a joint exercise with Chan Country in Mengjia Bay, inviting over Amphibious Assault Ships, observed by quite a number of international satellites in the sky. Moreover, at the docks, there were military families and civilians living nearby. The thunderous booms and the rising flames and thick smoke on the sea surface were quickly captured on smartphones and shared online. In a moment, the United States Navy surged to the top of the trending news with unstoppable speed. ¡®The United States exercise fleet has been bombed, for real?¡¯ ¡®There are pictures and videos, it¡¯s all over the internet.¡¯ ¡®Who attacked them, exactly? I see so many sunk transport ships, the sea is littered with bodies, how many people must have died!¡¯ ¡®Even a Coastal Combat Ship was sunk, that¡¯s too exaggerated, isn¡¯t it? Among those small Southeast Asian countries, who has the naval power to hit the Eagle¡¯s navy so hard? That¡¯s impossible!¡¯ ¡®I heard it was Chan Country¡¯s anti-government militants.¡¯ ¡®Impossible, absolutely impossible, how could a local warlord afford a navy.¡¯ ¡®From the videos spreading on the internet, it seems that water mines and torpedoes caused the damage. Maybe these warlords have a submarine?¡¯ The internet was ablaze with heated discussions, while the White House spokesperson, cursing under their breath, was forced to hold a press conference. Faced with a barrage of questions from reporters, they could only finish the conference with dry remarks like ¡®investigating the cause of the exchange of fire,¡¯ ¡®will not let any culprit get away,¡¯ ¡®will make every effort to rescue the wounded,¡¯ without revealing any substantive information. Facing a rare setback for the United States, the whole world seemed to be mocking the incident. Maozi¡¯s news spokesperson immediately released a statement, declaring firmly, ¡°Regarding the battle that erupted in Mengjia Bay, it¡¯s another act of hegemony imposed by the United States on the local population. If necessary, our side is willing to offer any support to help local patriots resist American hegemony.¡± On the same day, the official Maozi newspaper added a special edition. The front-page headline alarmingly read, ¡°The decline of hegemony, the battle in the Dan Mian waters is sounding the death knell for American dominance.¡± Two countries, locked in mutual enmity for decades, naturally would not miss an opportunity to kick an adversary when they¡¯re down. ¡°A vile sneak attack, the assailants are an extreme anti-humanity organization, we must unite to contain and eliminate this anti-human organization and defend the peace and justice of Blue Star.¡± This was the headline from Europe, high-minded in their speech. When reporters asked whether they would dispatch warships to join the fight, Europe immediately began to equivocate, with all countries shaking their heads. Even the mighty American Amphibious Assault battle group had been hit hard; Europe¡¯s few remaining old warships were a scarce family asset. Without a clear understanding of the enemy¡¯s method of attack, who would dare send naval ships into the fray? ....... On the night of the naval battle. Davila and Moritz aboard the Amphibious Assault Ship received a call from the President, who chewed them out thoroughly. When the call ended, the two looked at each other, silent for a long time, neither having any interest in speaking. It wasn¡¯t until a staff officer entered the command room that the suffocating silence was broken. ¡°General Davila, the report on losses is complete. We¡¯ve lost nine transport ships, one ammunition ship, one oil tanker, one Coastal Combat Ship, and the following casualties: 2891 dead or missing, over 1260 wounded...¡± As each cold number was spoken, Davila¡¯s expression grew even more somber. For how many years, the United States had never suffered such a significant loss, a naval battle with four thousand casualties, was the first since World War II. Regrettably, he was the one in command of this battle; his name was destined to remain forever in the military academies of the United States. This battle¡¯s materials would be used for teaching over and over again, but this was not the kind of reputation he wished to have. ¡°What exactly did the enemy use to attack our fleet? Have you figured out the cause?¡± Moritz couldn¡¯t help but ask; to this day, he still didn¡¯t understand how the expeditionary fleet was bombed into total disarray. ¡°Water mines. We sent divers to recover some undetonated water mines. The mines are spherical but must employ a new type of propulsion, moving extremely fast in the water and able to seek out the enemy automatically. However, we have not found any trace of the propulsion mechanism, which is quite puzzling,¡± the staff officer sighed as he reported this. The humiliation was extreme for the United States, which had always prided itself on having the world¡¯s premier navy; not only had it been defeated disgracefully at sea, but it was also unclear how the enemy had managed to do it. ¡°The prime suspect for the perpetrator at the moment is Jieke Company.¡± Moritz spoke gravely. Such a significant loss from a naval battle meant that the CIA, which had been pushing against Jieke Security, was naturally the first to be held accountable; his boss, Judith, was probably at her wit¡¯s end as well. ¡°We must eliminate Jieke Company.¡± General Davila clenched his teeth. After such a defeat, not only was he not going to get a promotion or a raise, he was lucky not to be stripped of his position, thanks to nobody willing to take over this mess. His only chance now was to perform meritorious service by eradicating Jieke Security and achieving a victory substantial enough to make up for the losses suffered by the United States. Otherwise, once the conflict ended, what awaited him might be a military tribunal. ¡°Good Long, draw up the operation plan, scramble the jets, load them up, and set off. I want you to target key facilities in the Mande Region with Tomahawk cruise missiles to bomb the soldiers of Jieke Security. I want them all dead under our firepower. In addition, find a safe location for our Marines to land. This time, make sure to conduct a thorough reconnaissance of the waters. Send the troops to rest there for a couple of days, and when the subsequent support arrives, deploy them against Jieke Security.¡± Taking a deep breath, Davila issued the combat orders to his staff officer. He had initially thought of holding back a little, since Chan Country was close to Hua Country and making too much of a commotion could end poorly. But now, with such a heavy loss in one battle, Davila certainly couldn¡¯t let it end like this. He had to strike back at Jieke Company¡¯s arrogance. The members of Congress back home would surely not have too many objections if they knew. Jieke Company had slapped the United States in the face. How could the world look at him, the Blue Star Dominator, if he couldn¡¯t even handle a local warlord? Did he still deserve the title of the world¡¯s foremost? The staff officer looked surprised and said, ¡°We¡¯re going to war directly? With our current morale...¡± ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t need to worry about that now. As for morale, I trust my boys; they will not fear any enemy, a bunch of yellow-skinned monkeys hiding in the mountains¡ªwe cannot possibly lose to them.¡± ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll get right on it.¡± The staff officer nodded and quickly left to arrange the operation plan. ¡°Moritz, I need the intelligence support of your CIA.¡± Davila then turned his gaze to Moritz. ¡°As you wish, we do work closely together after all.¡± Moritz wasn¡¯t from the military, but the intelligence held by the CIA could provide significant convenience to military operations. Chapter 222 - 138: Bombing (First Update) Chapter 222: Chapter 138: Bombing (First Update) April 30. Two days after the Dan Mian naval battle broke out. In the Mande Region, government buildings, power stations, signal towers, oil depots, military camps, bridges, roads, and various factories were bombed. As flames and smoke filled the air, Su Jie stood on the rooftop of his private estate, watching the fires erupting throughout Mande City. ¡°Desperate times call for desperate measures, huh!¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression was indifferent as he watched the warplanes buzzing thousands of meters above. The air-to-ground missiles, hanging beneath the fuselages, detached and then ignited, plunging toward important facilities in the Mande Region. There were also Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from destroyers, fired from the sea using the ships as platforms, guided precisely by satellites, and bombing the Mande Region relentlessly. Whoosh! A missile suddenly headed towards Su Jie¡¯s private estate. His expression sharpened, and he spread his Divine Soul Power, damaging the delicate internal components of the missile. The missile immediately veered off course, drunkenly crashing into a nearby hillside, causing an explosion that sent mud and rocks flying. But that was all; the range of Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul Power was limited, and he could not protect the entire Mande City. Smoke still rose in Mande City, where factories lay in ruins, and fire trucks and ambulances shuttled back and forth on the streets, extinguishing flames and rescuing the injured. This bombing lasted intermittently for an hour. Without air defense missiles and warplanes, Jieke Security could only take the beating one-sidedly, watching the Beautiful Country¡¯s warplanes wreak destruction, the loss of air superiority led to such a tragic outcome. Buying high-end air defense missiles was not easy, and Jieke Security hadn¡¯t managed to acquire them. And even if they really had air defense missiles, it would be almost impossible to withstand this kind of beyond-visual-range bombardment. Modern warfare is about system confrontation; it¡¯s not something that can be solved with one or two types of weapons; this is not nuclear warfare. Luckily, Su Jie had anticipated retaliation from the Beautiful Country when he first acted against their fleet. He had arranged for personnel to be evacuated from these important facilities in advance, so there were only a few people present. When Su Jie received the damage report, these series of attacks had resulted in the deaths of over two hundred people and injuries to hundreds more. The bombing also caused many civilian and military facilities in the Mande Region to be paralyzed, with disruptions in water and electricity. ¡°What goes around comes around, you¡¯ll all pay this back in spades,¡± Su Jie scoffed, opening his phone and flipping through the news. The Chan Country Government issued a statement, which read, ¡°We are carrying out fire strikes against anti-government armed groups and the Jieke Group in the Mande Region. Through integrated air-land bombardment, we have severely damaged Jieke Group¡¯s various important military facilities. Following this, our side will recruit instructors from the Beautiful Country to train our troops to help us better deal with these anti-human bandits and launch a military campaign against the Mande Region.¡± This was an official news announcement from the Chan Country Government, but anyone with clear eyes could see who was orchestrating all this. Given the old planes of the Chan Country Government that barely took off a few times a year and were lucky not to crash, they didn¡¯t have the capability to execute such sophisticated air-land bombardment. ¡°The latest Dan Mian assault case, our preliminary conclusion is that it was the work of certain extremist organizations in Chan Country.¡± Another news piece popped up, followed by a video of the Beautiful Country President speaking. In the Congress Building, the Beautiful Country President waved an angry fist and declared loudly, ¡°Gentlemen of Congress, the day before yesterday, April 28, 2024, was a day of disgrace for our Navy. Our fleet, conducting joint exercises in Meng Bay, was subjected to a premeditated sudden attack by certain organizations. Before this, our side was in a friendly state with Chan Country and, at the request of the official Chan Country Government, aimed to reconcile the heavily conflicted disputes and restore regional security and stability. However, this appeal was shamefully sabotaged by certain organizations. These violent organizations, taking advantage of our relaxed drills, launched a stealth attack on our warships with water mines and torpedoes, causing twelve ships to sink and thousands of casualties. This attack inflicted severe damage on our Beautiful Country Navy, and I regret to inform the public that many of our brave young men sacrificed their lives in this attack, We will forever remember the nature of this attack. To avoid repeating the same mistakes, at the invitation of Chan Country, we will provide Chan Country with all necessary equipment and ammunition support and will provide instructors to train the Chan Country Army to help Chan Country end its turmoil soon. At the end of this news report, a vote was conducted with hands raised, passing the support for Chan Country with 392 votes in favor and 29 against. It is evident that considering the influence, Beautiful Country has been restrained and has cloaked the Chan Country Government, letting it act as the main combatant, while keeping itself hidden behind the scenes. As for who is operating the supplied weapons, that is known only to Beautiful Country, especially now that there are mercenaries involved! ... Just as Mande City was being bombed, Jieke Security Soldiers on the frontlines were also subject to similar artillery fire. On the battlefield, Miao Lun shook the dirt from his head and watched the dust fall in the underground tunnels until the shaking gradually subsided. He then crawled out of the tunnel and watched the warplanes whiz away. At this time, the ground of the camp where his troops had originally been had several large craters. Scattered around were several dummy models dressed in camouflage military uniforms. If it weren¡¯t for the underground tunnels, anyone in the camp would have certainly been a casualty. ¡°Is there ever going to be an end to this? It¡¯s been bombing for days.¡± Miao Lun complained; originally, their Mountain Brigade was advancing smoothly, having taken over half of Guo Mindeng¡¯s territory and were on the verge of eliminating the last warlord, when in the past two days, the brigade had been subjected to various bombings, severely hindering Jieke Security¡¯s progress, and even killing many Super Soldiers. Even the First-class Super Soldiers in heavy armor struggled to withstand the strikes from air-to-ground missiles if they were within the blast radius. Having been bombed frequently, the Jieke Security Soldiers now had experience; they never left the mountainous forests, relying on the forest¡¯s cover to effectively block aircraft and satellite surveillance and avoid artillery strikes. Especially in the mountains, an extensive network of narrow underground tunnels had been dug up by someone from the higher command at some point, serving as natural air raid shelters, which minimized casualties for Jieke Security after the surprise of the initial bombing. The battle line had thus come to a standstill while Jieke Security was methodically taking over the cities they had captured and restoring production and daily life. Without the advance of ground troops, mere bombing was unlikely to reclaim lost territories or capture land. ¡°Miao Lun, come here,¡± suddenly called the Jieke Security commander. ¡°What¡¯s going on, commander?¡± ¡°The Chan Country Government Army has come to support the movement into the mountains; it looks like they are heading straight for us, and the group includes foreign mercenaries, likely those Beautiful Country soldiers. Be ready to strike at any moment.¡± ¡°Haha, I can hardly wait.¡± Miao Lun¡¯s eyes lit up. He had spent the last few days being bombed, which was Beautiful Country¡¯s doing, and although they couldn¡¯t counteract the planes, if the enemy dared to enter the mountains and engage in guerrilla warfare with him, Miao Lun would personally use his bullets to show them who in these mountains was the hunter and who was the prey. Chapter 223 - 139: Into the Mountains (Second Update) Chapter 223: Chapter 139: Into the Mountains (Second Update) Chan Country Yang City! As the capital of Chan Country, this city is populated by over six million people and is considered one of the few large cities in Chan Country. The Beautiful Country expeditionary fleet had carefully checked everything before finally choosing this location as their landing point, and batches of Marine Corps soldiers disembarked from the transport ships. Because the depth of Yangon port was insufficient for docking mega ships and for fear of those inexplicable water mine attacks, the expeditionary fleet remained offshore, serving solely as a platform for firepower strikes. Over these days, Beautiful Country also brought many soldiers to Chan Country from the Middle East and Japan and South Korea, using its globally scattered military bases and transport planes. A constant flow of planes kept shuttling, with fighter jets arriving at Chan Country Airport. The number of Beautiful Country soldiers stationed within Chan Country had steadily increased, already surpassing ten thousand. General Davila had also come ashore by this time and was inspecting the Chan Country Government Army. As a world superpower, General Davila had visited many armies worldwide, but he was still shocked by the state of the Chan Country Government Army he encountered. The levels of training and weapons equipment aside, the main issue was the extremely disorganized morale and rampant occurrence of ghost employment. From what General Davila saw during his inspection, a battalion supposed to have two to three hundred people was ghosting over a hundred headcount. Nominally called a battalion, it was in reality just an infantry company. ¡°Moritz, has Chan Country always been like this?¡± General Davila looked at Moritz, who was accompanying him on the inspection, unable to suppress the desire to complain. ¡°Otherwise why would Chan Country always be in turmoil? If they were capable of fighting even slightly, they wouldn¡¯t be split and chaotic up to this day.¡± Moritz shook his head and spoke some data: ¡°In 2000, Chan Country still had an army of 400,000. Over the years, they never advanced, draining the system with ghost employment. Now the soldiers under the Chan Country Government are only about a hundred thousand, and those fit for combat are just sixty to seventy thousand. According to informants, back in 2000, a typical battalion in Chan Country had a combat structure of 857 people, including 31 officers. Later, due to a shortage of soldiers, the structure was reduced and dispersed, cutting a battalion size down to 200, with the aim to deploy at least 120 on the front lines, leave about 60 back at the base, and approximately 20 in mobile service outside the battalion. But in reality, very few battalions ever reached the reduced threshold of 200 people, most having only about a hundred or even fewer.¡± ¡°A small amount of force, mostly deployed to guard banks, administrative offices, and towns where bases are located, lacking the capability to venture out for combat.¡± General Davila twitched his mouth twice, speechless at such an army, which was weaker than anything he could have imagined. ¡°It seems the main fighting will have to be done by us.¡± General Davila sighed, already having little hope for the combat effectiveness of the Chan Country Government Army. ¡°Right now, Jieke Security is attacking the Guo Family Warlords, which is the last territory in East Qin State not yet occupied by Jieke Security. We need to preserve it and gain a foothold for advancement, General Davila, when can your soldiers be in position?¡± ¡°Currently, two of our infantry battalions have already rushed to the frontline. In the name of mercenaries, they will join up with eight thousand government army soldiers and five thousand warlord forces to counterattack the Mande Region. In the last few days, we have been intensifying the saturation bombing of the mountainous area where Jieke Security is based. According to satellite reconnaissance, our bombings are quite effective. Under our intensive bombing, they probably have already suffered heavy losses and are in panic. Just a bit more effort, and our ground forces can flatten them in one go, and this war can also be concluded.¡± General Davila was highly confident, with a battalion of the Beautiful Country¡¯s Marine Corps consisting of over three thousand men, along with air support, winning this battle seemed to pose no problem. As Davila spoke, he suddenly thought of something, ¡°Enough about my situation, have you located Su Jie yet?¡± ¡°Not yet, the other party is very cunning, appearing only in public places and never showing himself otherwise.¡± Moritz was a bit troubled, the enemy¡¯s cunning nature made capturing the person and bringing him back for trial in Beautiful Country more difficult. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, once we defeat those Jieke Security, Su Jie will be nothing but a commander without troops. At that point, he will be ours to shape as we please.¡± Davila didn¡¯t care about this; capturing Su Jie was not important to him. His current desire was to defeat the Jieke Group, to make up for his previous mistakes in the Dan Mian naval battle. Moritz, on the other hand, had even more concerns, as the CIA needed the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid formula. The warlord supported by Asder Pharmaceutical obviously wasn¡¯t up to the task, and now the CIA had no choice but to take matters into their own hands, given their interests. ........ Two days later. At a front line 800 kilometers from Yang City, Fengpo Mountain, a very complex and narrow mountainous dense forest. Guo Mindeng¡¯s territory was shaped like a dumbbell, thick at both ends and thin in the middle. Fengpo Mountain was located right in the middle, and was now occupied by Jieke Security, cutting Guo Mindeng¡¯s territory into two parts, making it impossible for the two ends to communicate. To relieve Guo Mindeng¡¯s encirclement, this mountain area was essential to capture. At noon, after yet another extensive barrage of artillery fire, thousands of soldiers from the Beautiful Country¡¯s Marine Corps, in collaboration with thousands from the Chan Country Government Army and the few remaining defeated troops of Guo Mindeng, cautiously approached Fengpo Mountain. The reason they dared to enter the mountain was not that they didn¡¯t learn from the previous defeats of the warlord forces. It was because of their confidence in the devastation of their own bombing, the commanders from Beautiful Country gauged through satellite reconnaissance that the bombing had taken care of most of the enemy; it was now just a matter of sending troops to clear up the remnants and secure the position, posing no significant threat. The search team spread out, with warlord soldiers who had previously encountered Jieke Security up front, followed by government troops, and finally the soldiers from Beautiful Country at the rear. The whole team moved very slowly, especially the warlord soldiers, who were terrified by Jieke Security and had become skittish, dropping to the ground at the slightest rustle, not daring to lift their heads. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen a single person, could they all have been bombed to death?¡± Nadaya looked at the bomb-scarred mountaintop, not seeing a soul for a long time. On the other side, Blais nodded, saying, ¡°The Air Force and artillery have been bombing here for days. The soldiers stationed here should have retreated, not just waiting to be bombed.¡± ¡°Damn it, last time we lost so many ships, it was this bunch of warlords doing, I was hoping to kill some yellow-skinned monkeys to avenge.¡± Nadaya cursed, he and Blais were fortunate to have survived the Dan Mian naval battle without injury, but seeing many comrades die in foreign lands had long festered a fire inside them. ¡°No worries, once we reach the Mande Region, there will definitely be plenty of warlord soldiers, and we¡¯ll get our revenge one by one.¡± As the two conversed, they gradually ventured deeper into the forest. And as these Beautiful Country soldiers thought they were retreating from Fengpo Mountain, Jieke Security had not actually left. Unbeknownst to everyone, the forested area of the mountain had already been excavated by the Thousand-Handed Centipede, creating a vast network of underground tunnels. The soldiers from Jieke Security were lurking underground, silently lying in wait, ready for their prey to step into the trap. Chapter 224 - 140: Carnage (Third Update) Chapter 224: Chapter 140: Carnage (Third Update) Fengpo Mountain Underground Tunnel. Miao Lun was clad in heavy armor and carrying a 14.5mm caliber air-defense machine gun. Through the observation port at his cheek, his eyes flashed coldly. ¡°One hundred and fifty meters to the southeast, there are about thirty warlord soldiers. Directly ahead is a company from Beautiful Country, equipped with heavy machine guns, anti-material sniper rifles, and rocket launchers. Make sure to be careful during the attack and prioritize neutralizing these firepower sources. Also, watch the 11 o¡¯clock direction, where there are armed helicopters...¡± An intelligence officer continuously relayed the external situation to Miao Lun via the headset, and due to the presence of the Insect Control Technique, the battlefield was almost transparent to Jieke Security. Miao Lun did not know how this information was obtained, but he trusted it was accurate. He kept taking deep breaths, as just above his head was the enemy¡¯s main force entering the mountain. ¡°Ten seconds.¡± Miao Lun¡¯s hands gripped the steel alloy ladder, step by step, he climbed toward the ground above. The heavy battle armor stepped on the escalator, making a creaking sound as mud shook off. ¡°Three seconds, two seconds, attack now.¡± As the command to attack was transmitted through the headset, Miao Lun had also climbed to the top of the shaft, pushing aside the manhole cover buried under fallen leaves and dirt, and his entire body suddenly accelerated as he leaped out. On the ground, a soldier after another turned their heads at the noise only to see a Steel Monster emerging from the ground that didn¡¯t belong to their side. ¡°Eat bullets.¡± Miao Lun grinned wickedly, pressed down the gun barrel, and unleashed a barrage of 14.5mm bullets, thicker than fingers. The soldiers, caught off-guard, were cleaved into two by the tens of thousands of joules from the bullets. The surrounding ground was instantaneously stained red with blood, filled with the sounds of agonizing screams. Miao Lun¡¯s first targets of attack were the soldiers from Beautiful Country directly in front of him. These soldiers were especially well-armed, carrying a lot of individual heavy firepower, which he needed to eliminate first. ¡°Oh God! Where did this guy come from?¡± ¡°Fire quickly, retaliate, retaliate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use, my bullets can¡¯t penetrate, what kind of armor is that?¡± ¡°Fuck, David you piece of shit, stop cowering in the back, bring up the rocket launcher and blast this monster.¡± The mercenaries from Beautiful Country were terrified. Although they had heard rumors about Super Soldiers, facing one directly and seeing such a violent side was utterly petrifying to them. Miao Lun did not choose to stay in one spot. His body, fortified by the Strengthening Pill, provided him with a robust physique and keen senses. While sprinting rapidly, the air-defense machine gun in his hands continued to spray fire, the long chain of ammunition wildly trembling. The first to fall to Miao Lun were the machine gunners and those carrying rocket launchers among the soldiers. Occasionally, some missed rocket launchers and snipers attempted to aim, but he made it difficult for the enemy to target him accurately by moving at high speeds, and he would neutralize those fire points at the first opportunity. Even in heavy steel armor, he ran with superhuman speed, transforming the machine gun in his hands into the reaper¡¯s scythe to harvest row after row of living lives. At this moment, Miao Lun on the battlefield was almost conducting a unilateral slaughter. Ordinary bullets did not scare him at all. Soldiers carrying heavy machine guns, anti-material sniper rifles, and rocket launchers were his first targets to eliminate, and with exceptionally precise marksmanship, he left rivers of blood in his wake. ¡°Operation center, this is A3, we need close air support.¡± ¡°Received, arranging 23rd helicopter for support.¡± ¡°How long until arrival? Our position is marked with red smoke grenades. The enemy is at 185 degrees, 200 meters away, within a dangerous distance.¡± ¡°Received, I am at your six o¡¯clock, currently searching for the enemy, preparing to attack.¡± Whoosh whoosh! A fully armed helicopter rushed towards Miao Lun, a consistent practice of the Beautiful Country¡ªto call for air support whenever there¡¯s a disagreement. But Miao Lun was not alone. Having initiated the battlefield, other members of Jieke Security climbed out of the Fengpo Mountain Underground Tunnel, occupying nearby shelters, and launched several man-portable air defense missiles straight into the sky. ¡°God, incoming air defense missiles, quickly deploy flare decoys.¡± The armed helicopter luckily avoided the air defense missiles and performed drastic low-altitude maneuvers, causing the missiles to miss their target. However, the helicopter¡¯s reduced altitude also provided Miao Lun with an opportunity. The next moment, Miao Lun aimed the anti-aircraft machine gun at the helicopter and opened fire, his tracers almost forming a continuous line of light. With precise control, the bullets hit the helicopter¡¯s vulnerable rotor linkage, causing it to spin uncontrollably and crash down out of control. Similar scenes occurred everywhere in Fengpo Mountain, and not many armed helicopters providing low-altitude support were lucky enough to dodge the man-portable air defense missiles, most were directly shot down. Jieke Security had assembled almost all of their super soldiers in ambush here, who now surged out from underground, blooming amidst the enemy troops. And in the mountainous dense forests, the heavy vehicles of the Beautiful Country struggled to advance, their heavy firepower rendered ineffective. Facing this scenario, the soldiers of the Chan Country Government Army and the warlord soldiers were the first to collapse, either surrendering on the spot or turning to flee, leaving the soldiers of the Beautiful Country behind. Beautiful Country soldiers continued to hold their ground as they had already called for reinforcements from the military airport at the rear, and those fighter jets were not as easily taken down by man-portable air defense missiles. The killing on the battlefield continued. Yet these engaged Beautiful Country soldiers didn¡¯t know that the air support they so desperately awaited might not arrive in time. ... Feike Airport. This used to be a military airport of Chan Country, which had now been commandeered by the Beautiful Country, significantly expanded, hosting numerous jet fighters. When the battle in Fengpo Mountain kicked off, the airport received a report, and the control tower immediately organized for several jet fighters to enter the runway, preparing for take-off to support the front-line operations. But at the same time as the battle in Fengpo Mountain began, ten kilometers away from Feike Airport, a huge underground tunnel was being opened. Multiple rocket launchers began to roll out. ¡°All rocket units, pay attention, target number three, support point, vertical coordinates 83123, horizontal coordinates 62382, altitude... finalize parameters, prepare to launch.¡± Following rehearsed procedures, the rocket launchers gradually raised their barrels, and with the command, a barrage was unleashed. Thick rockets ignited rapidly, ascending into the sky, creating a stunning meteor shower as they plummeted towards Feike Airport. After a brief flight, the rockets landed on Feike Airport. The jet fighters, which were urgently preparing for take-off, were fully fueled and armed¡ªthe rockets landed precisely. Like a volcanic eruption, rockets exploded one after another, turning the airport instantly into a charred wasteland, strewn with remains, with expensive fighters destroyed on the runway. The fully fueled and armed jet fighters exploded due to the rocket hits, greatly magnifying the destruction. From a distance, Feike Airport constantly experienced explosions, with burning fuel flowing everywhere, engulfing the entire airport in flames. Even more disastrously, due to the rush to arm and take off in support of the front line, the ammunition and fuel depots were not properly secured. The final two massive explosions sent up two large mushroom clouds¡ªit was the ammunition and fuel depots hit by the rockets, igniting countless tons of fuel and ammunition stored inside, completely devastating the airport, with hardly one in ten survivors. Chapter 225 - 141: Surrender (Fourth Update) Chapter 225: Chapter 141: Surrender (Fourth Update) On Fengpo Mountain. Miao Lun grew increasingly excited as he fought, and after running out of the ammunition he carried, he picked up a 12.7mm heavy machine gun and used it as a rifle. Whenever he encountered any obstruction, a spray of bullets was usually enough to clear it. The enemy¡¯s resistance, however, was very weak; their feeble rifle bullets were simply deflected by the heavy armor, and since they were also running at high speeds, the enemy struggled to aim, lacking heavy firepower restrictions. The forest became a playground for Super Soldiers like Miao Lun, where he left blood flowing in rivers. A hundred meters away, Nadaya lay on the ground, trembling all over, watching the unstoppable, crazed killing by the steel monster in front, her eyes filled with uncontrollable fear, muttering incessantly, ¡°Demon, this is a demon from Hell, oh God! Why have you unleashed this demon back to earth...¡± At this moment, Nadaya no longer had the spirited vigor of seeking revenge she had before, only endless fear and chill. ¡°Get ahold of yourself, Nadaya, now¡¯s not the time to pray, run!¡± Blais felt a similar terror in his heart, facing an enemy that couldn¡¯t be killed, combined with the continued lack of air support, everyone¡¯s morale was on the brink. ¡°My leg, my leg is twisted, I can¡¯t get up.¡± ¡°Fuck, I must have owed you in a past life.¡± Blais looked at his best buddy, gritted his teeth, ran over, and carried Nadaya on his back, not looking back as he sprinted down the mountain. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of bullets swept past as the Super Soldiers pursued relentlessly. Bullets whizzed everywhere; some of the soldiers from Beautiful Country had their heads blown open, others were ripped in half, and some had their organs splattered on the tree branches. ¡°Run, run, run.¡± Carrying Nadaya, Blais¡¯s adrenaline surged, propelling him to run faster than he ever had before, simply running headlong without daring to look back, not daring to see what was happening behind him. Because he feared that one glance would strip him of even the courage to flee. Running along, he suddenly spotted a gentle slope up ahead and some boulders that could serve as cover. Blais hurried over and only then did he feel a searing pain in his chest. ¡°No more gunfire, Nadaya, do you think we are safe now...¡± Blair gasped for air, but there was no response from behind. Suddenly, Blais felt his back growing wet; he subconsciously loosened his grip and turned around, only to see Nadaya¡¯s head had already been blown off, and he had been running with a headless corpse, its blood soaking his back. Before Blais could grieve, a shadow suddenly loomed over him. Looking up, Blais saw a tall figure standing before him. The steel-encrusted heavy armor was splattered with blood and flesh; those eyes, cold and merciless, exuded a bone-chilling coldness, making one feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave at a mere glance. Blais¡¯s mouth opened wide, his fear nearly paralyzing him, robbing him of all ability to speak or act. Miao Lun raised his machine gun and aimed at Blais, about to pull the trigger, when suddenly a new order came through his headset. ¡°Tch, your lucky day, surrender and you won¡¯t be killed.¡± Miao Lun sneered, speaking in broken English. Because of military requirements, every Jieke Security Soldier knew a few simple phrases like surrender, lay down your arms, and prisoners. ¡°I surrender, I¡¯ve surrendered.¡± Blais finally snapped back to reality, hastily dropping all the ammunition he carried. Faced with such a non-human steel monster, he no longer had the courage to fight back. The entire Fengpo Mountain battlefield could be described as a military collapse, like a mountain toppling over. Even if one wanted to flee, how could infantry without vehicles outrun Super Soldiers in the mountains and forests? Finally, there were massive groups of soldiers surrendering and being captured, including those from the Beautiful Country. They too were human, they too felt fear, and faced with the brutal slaughter of the battlefield, they were only a bit more resilient than the warlord soldiers. When the combat aircraft from the Amphibious Assault Ship hurried to Fengpo Mountain, the war had already ended, and all prisoners were being escorted away in batches. .............. Yang City! David sat dried-up in a chair, staring at the battle report on the table, hardly believing his eyes for a long time. ¡°Defeat at Fengpo Mountain, destruction of Feike Airport, the artillery corps¡¯ station attacked, Jie Xun City military camp bombarded...¡± Looking at the string of losses and casualty figures on the battle report, David felt dizzy and stuffy in the chest, almost unable to breathe. ¡°The enemy had planned this in advance. Today, they launched surprise attacks on various locations. They definitely must have some sort of advanced tunneling machine; all these attacks were carried out through underground tunnels, and we were basically unable to defend.¡± When Moritz saw these battle reports, he too could hardly believe it. The enemy had actually deployed various kinds of long-range firepower directly through this means, and because the distance was too close, even if radar detected it, interception would be too late. However, Moritz never would have expected that the advanced tunneling machine he mentioned did not exist, just a giant centipede diligently digging underground, only this centipede was far bigger than he imagined. ¡°Has the loss been accounted for?¡± David knew he had completely messed this up, no one would allow a general who kept losing battles to stay on the front lines. Now he could only hope that the losses were smaller, enough to keep his military position. ¡°The losses are still being tallied, but for now, we have accounted for more than two thousand eight hundred deaths, and over four thousand have been captured by Jieke Security.¡± The staff officer spoke with a heavy tone, giving David a number that made his eyelids twitch. ¡°More than four thousand surrendered, are you sure?¡± David¡¯s mouth gaped open, the number truly impactful. The staff officer nodded, confirming, ¡°The data won¡¯t be too off, especially from Fengpo Mountain, where our troops were blocked front and back, lacking heavy fire support and air cover, leading to a large number of soldiers choosing to surrender after several hours of fierce fighting. This number was published by the Jieke Group, which is very close to our estimate, and highly reliable.¡± ¡°How did this happen, how could we have lost?¡± David murmured to himself, even though they possessed fleets, air superiority, and overwhelming firepower, they still lost. For a moment, David found the reality quite surreal; with such significant advantages they still lost, he supposed that when this news spread, the whole world would probably laugh at him as the commander. ¡°General, the President¡¯s call.¡± Just then, even more distressing news arrived. David stiffly took the phone, and before he could explain, he was thoroughly berated by a few higher-ups on the other end of the call. Naval warfare could still be attributed to the emergence of new enemy weapons, but on land, losing despite having a massive advantage was unforgivable. Finally, hanging up the phone, David was entirely drained, devoid of any spirit, simply uttering bitterly, ¡°Send the orders, cease fire and withdraw the troops.¡± Chapter 226 - 142: Ceasefire (First Update) Chapter 226: Chapter 142: Ceasefire (First Update) Beautiful Country! On the day the battle at Fengpo Mountain ended, an urgent meeting was immediately convened. CIA representative Judith, military representative Sean Fernandes, and White House official Hameson Fofana once again sat together. Last time, they had gathered to deal with the Jieke Group. This time was no different, but the purpose was not quite the same; this time, they sought to eliminate the impact as much as possible. ¡°How do your military and the CIA operate? Such a large Bay of Bengal expeditionary fleet, and this is the record you achieve, sinking so many ships, and even being defeated on the ground by a warlord, do you want us to relive the Vietnam War? Ah! Speak up!¡± Hameson pounded the table, his anger making his face turn crimson red, like a baboon¡¯s butt, his saliva sprayed onto Judith and Sean. Judith and Sean both bowed their heads, obediently taking the scolding, as they had indeed embarrassed themselves in this battle. ¡°You, Judith, the CIA promised over and over again that the Jieke Group was nothing to worry about, saying that to eliminate the Tijuana Group in Mexico, we must first strike at the Jieke Group. What happened then? The Tijuana Group is now still smuggling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid like mad, and the Jieke Group keeps losing battle after battle; how am I supposed to explain this to the President, the senators, and the entire nation? Are our tax dollars just feeding these useless people?¡± In his rage, Hameson, nearly roaring, pointed at Judith, the deputy director of the CIA, and verbally blasted her. ¡°And you, Sean, how does the military fight? Spending hundreds of billions of US dollars on the military budget every year, and you can¡¯t even defeat a mere warlord, do you still have the face to ask for a rise in the military budget every year? I think the military is only getting more corrupt; might as well not fight at all, just go home and farm or raise pigs, to avoid losing face from another defeat in battle.¡± Hameson didn¡¯t spare the military representative Sean either, his verbal assault was relentless. Unlike Judith, Sean¡¯s face showed clear defiance as he defended himself, ¡°Chief of Staff, our enemy this time may not be as simple as just a warlord. The enemy used new naval weapons and mysterious digging machines; such equipment couldn¡¯t possibly belong to a mere warlord. We suspect that the big country to the north is secretly messing with us, providing these new weapons to the Jieke Group to test them in real combat against us.¡± ¡°When defeated, any excuse will do. Our Beautiful Country¡¯s technology is the most advanced. What new naval technology, digging machines are you talking about? It¡¯s because your military was negligent and underestimated the enemy that you were defeated.¡± ¡°The naval defeat was mainly due to the enemy employing a high-tech water mine. We suspect it included a new type of propeller, giving the mine a speed far exceeding that of a torpedo. As for the digging machines, the former Soviet Union once did research a submarine that could advance by drilling underground; perhaps the enemy has this kind of black technology too.¡± Sean tried hard to explain, indicating that his military¡¯s loss was not due to their incompetency but rather the enemy¡¯s numerous tricks. ¡°Mr. Hameson, when we were dealing with the Tijuana Group in Mexico, we found that they indeed have many extensive underground tunnels. Considering the relationship between the Tijuana Group and the Jieke Group, it¡¯s certain that both used the same kind of digging machines.¡± Judith also couldn¡¯t help but speak up, defending Sean a bit. Hameson¡¯s anger subsided slightly, and he snorted coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t care whether there are the new weapons you mentioned; the defeat is a fact, right? This matter has put the White House in a very passive position.¡± Sean eagerly persuaded, ¡°Your Excellency Hameson, if the enemy has these new weapons, it¡¯s mostly likely supported by that big country to the north, aiming to disrupt our military operations. It¡¯s not our fault that we were caught off guard and lost.¡± Hameson¡¯s face went dark, and he snapped, ¡°If not your fault, then whose? It was you who demanded to go to war, and now that you¡¯ve lost, you¡¯re completely absolving yourselves of responsibility, expecting the President to clean up after you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Sean chuckled nervously, his face flushing with embarrassment. ¡°In any case, stop the war immediately. Before the news of the defeat spreads, contact the Jieke Group right away to negotiate a peace. We¡¯ll pull out of Chan Country, and they must release the prisoners.¡± Hameson tapped on the table and declared the White House¡¯s decision, indicating they no longer wished to continue the conflict. ¡°Are we just giving up like this?¡± Judith spoke with a complex tone, feeling somewhat reluctant to abandon their preparations. ¡°What else do you want us to do when you yourselves said there¡¯s a shadow of that major nation in the north over this? Are we supposed to keep pouring military resources there!? Continue our chain of islands plan, that¡¯s more important than anything, what our country needs now is stability.¡± Hameson glared at Judith, and there was something else he didn¡¯t say. This year was the election year in the Beautiful Country, and both parties were competing for votes. Ever since the loss at the Battle of Dan Mian, a wave of opposition had swept through the Beautiful Country. If the news broke out now that Chan Country had been defeated, losing troops and capturing thousands of prisoners, who knew how much the current support rate of the one sitting in the White House would drop, and whether he still wanted to be re-elected. And his position as the Chief of Staff was closely tied to the White House, with all his power originating from the President. If he couldn¡¯t be re-elected, he would lose all his power¡ªsomething absolutely impermissible. Judith was smart and quickly understood the underlying meaning of Hameson¡¯s talk on stability. ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll handle the media side of things.¡± Judith said, despite the battle at Fengpo Mountain being monitored by many satellites, and the involved countries being aware, as long as the news wasn¡¯t leaked, there was still room for manipulation. The voices of the Western media were in their hands, the so-called freedom of the press was just lip service. ¡°The military must also settle down immediately, those who need to be withdrawn should be withdrawn, and those who need to be removed from office should be removed from office.¡± ¡°I will take care of it.¡± Sean had no choice but to comply earnestly. Having been defeated, they truly lacked the confidence to talk tough. Hameson instructed many things here and only after saying it all did he stand up and leave. ¡°Ah, this time it¡¯s like losing even our underwear.¡± Sean chuckled bitterly. As a hawk previously supporting the war, he too would be greatly affected by this ordeal. ¡°Who could have expected the Jieke Group to be so formidable, we¡¯ll just have to look for another opportunity in the future.¡± Judith also shook her head, but hadn¡¯t truly given up. Whether it was the Super Soldier¡¯s Strengthening Pill or the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, these were the items they coveted. It was just that the situation had become too heated, forcing them to press the pause button for now. Thinking of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, Judith also thought of Asder Pharmaceutical. All the warlords funded by them had been wiped out, a huge sum of money had vanished into thin air, and they were probably having headaches now. Chapter 227 - 143: Overtures of Friendship (Second Update) Chapter 227: Chapter 143: Overtures of Friendship (Second Update) On May 1st, International Labor Day. The Department of Commerce of the Beautiful Country suddenly issued a statement. ¡°After a detailed investigation and evidence collection, we have discovered that Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid does not contain harmful ingredients; therefore, the ban is lifted, and Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid can be reasonably imported and put on the shelves for sale.¡± With this statement coming out, the dramatic face-change of the Commerce Department of the Beautiful Country immediately sparked a public outcry and widespread mockery. Not long ago, the ban on Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was a hot topic, and even resulted in the deaths of quite a few CIA agents in Mexico due to a crackdown on smuggling it, only to end up being dismissed as a misunderstanding¡ªit was enough to make people laugh their teeth off. ¡®What did I say, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is fine, and you called me ignorant. Now, let¡¯s see who the ignorant one is.¡¯ ¡®My brother just got a pretty girlfriend, and we are twins with a family history of baldness. Yet my brother firmly trusted the government¡¯s judgment and dared not use Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Now he¡¯s bald, and his girlfriend couldn¡¯t accept it and has come to me¡ªsweet.¡¯ ¡®Careful, the guy above, your brother might see this.¡¯ ¡®Now that legal sales are allowed, I hope the price of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid can come down. Three hundred US dollars a bottle for the smuggled stuff is still a bit painful to buy.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯ve really lost all their faces, previously they swore up and down that Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid could poison our bodies and talked about fines and bans, and now they¡¯re saying it¡¯s fine. Hypocrisy at its best.¡¯ ¡®Hehe, now I just want to know if the faces of those officials at the Department of Commerce hurt?¡¯ ¡®The sun must be rising from the west, the Beautiful Country is actually admitting its mistakes voluntarily. Shouldn¡¯t they just persist in their error?¡¯ ¡®Maybe they¡¯re yearning for the tax revenue from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid; after all, tax revenue of several billions of US dollars a year is quite alluring.¡¯ ¡®Haha, it must be that the pharmaceutical groups¡¯ efforts to suppress it have failed and have had to bow to the competition before thinking about letting it in to collect taxes.¡¯ ¡®Why do I hear military bloggers saying the Beautiful Country suffered a military defeat in Chan Country and then had to compromise and make concessions?¡¯ (This account is suspected of violating regulations, banned for 99 years.) .............. Chan Country, Mande City. A special trial is taking place here. Guo Mindeng, Ang Yulun, Suomin Tun¡ªthe three warlords¡ªas well as a large number of deeply sinful officers and bureaucrats, were all brought to court together. Journalists were live broadcasting the entire trial, with viewers not only from the Mande Region but also from the territories formerly under the control of the three warlords. Following the battle at Fengpo Mountain, Jieke Security established a victory and seized the moment to emerge victoriously at the point where the morale of the government army and warlord soldiers collapsed, taking over the remaining territory of Guo Mindeng in one fell swoop. In doing so, they also captured the three warlords including Guo Mindeng before they could escape, wiping them out completely. Since then, the territory under Jieke Group¡¯s control had expanded to encompass the entirety of East Qin State, covering an area of 72,000 square kilometers, with a population of nearly three million. As the conflict had ended quickly, there wasn¡¯t much population loss, and now Jieke Group was orderly arranging personnel and work to carry out post-war reconstruction. ¡°I hereby announce the sentence of death for Guo Mindeng, Ang Yulun, Suomin Tun... and all the rest, to be taken to the execution ground and executed immediately.¡± Su Jie also watched the trial through a live TV broadcast, looking at a group of weeping and shouting warlords being taken away by Jieke Security, with their executions to be broadcast live next. These warlords had a notorious reputation locally; their public execution would greatly win over the hearts of the people and enhance the fame of Jieke Group, facilitating their future work. ¡°Su Jie, there¡¯s a new statement from the Beautiful Country, have a look,¡± Liu Yingying rushed over, saying with a face full of excitement. Su Jie took the smartphone and saw the latest statement issued by the United States Department of Commerce. ¡°Huh, they¡¯re actually making an overture to me!¡± Su Jie raised an eyebrow, it seemed that the battle at Fengpo Mountain had really given them a tough fight; otherwise, the Blue Star¡¯s leading nation, with military strength at number one, would hardly be willing to humble itself like this. ¡°Su Jie, now that the ban has been lifted, do we need to go through the normal import channels for our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid?¡± ¡°No need, continue supporting the development of the Tijuana Group in Mexico. Instead of paying taxes to the Beautiful Country, it¡¯s better to use that money to develop the Tijuana Group and thus avoid them finding an excuse to block our Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid again.¡± Su Jie waved his hand dismissively, anyway, the money earned from smuggling was almost the same as from normal imports. Although the smuggling volume was a bit less, it sold for a higher price! When calculated, it was not a loss at all, and he could also support the development of Tijuana, planting a thorn in the Beautiful Country¡¯s side, to the annoyance of their tax bureau and the CIA. ¡°Mr. Su, good news.¡± No sooner had Liu Yingying arrived than Chen Yaoguang also appeared, his face alight with excitement. ¡°Mr. Su, the United States has sent a negotiation team over, along with officials from the Chan Country¡¯s government, saying they want to make peace with us.¡± There was a slight movement in Su Jie¡¯s eyes, he wasn¡¯t surprised by the news. Since they had already made goodwill gestures over the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, it indicated that the Beautiful Country wanted to stop the war. ¡°Have we won then?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened with astonishment at the usually aggressive and domineering Beautiful Country taking the initiative to seek peace. ¡°Rather than saying we won, it¡¯s more like they¡¯re unwilling to gnaw on this tough bone. After all, they¡¯re still a nation driven by capital; everything has to consider interests first. When the losses from attacking us surpass the benefits they gain, naturally, they don¡¯t have the motivation to wage war anymore.¡± Su Jie¡¯s tone remained calm, without a hint of arrogance or complacency. What they had beaten was just a small advance force of the Beautiful Country; the military strength of the Beautiful Country was far more than that, with military bases spread across the globe and numerous carrier strike groups. The other side simply felt it was not worth it to continue the fight. ¡°What terms are they offering?¡± ¡°They¡¯re asking for the release of prisoners on our side, their troops to withdraw from Chan Country, and in addition, for secrecy regarding this conflict.¡± ¡°We can talk to them, see to what extent we can negotiate the terms. For now, let a first batch of five hundred prisoners go.¡± Su Jie thought for a moment and spoke. Fighting a war was indeed draining both in terms of energy and finances. Not to mention the money spent on buying weapons and equipment, and post-war reconstruction. In response to this war, Su Jie had acted as an intelligence officer himself, controlling insects for reconnaissance and having the thousand-hand centipede dig tunnels everywhere, both of which had left him quite fatigued. Apart from that, Su Jie also had to run around all the time, using a Storage Bag to transport equipment; otherwise, those multiple rocket launchers and artillery couldn¡¯t have been moved near the Beautiful Country military camps and airports under satellite surveillance. Now that the Beautiful Country was softening its stance, Su Jie saw no need to continue the spat with Eagle Sauce over a temporary fit of pique. After all, if he pushed Eagle down to desperation, the Mande Region simply wouldn¡¯t withstand the destruction, and his main base could be bombed into a wasteland. It was better to end the battle early so that his territory could recover production and life sooner, continuing to raise insects for money. Time was on Su Jie¡¯s side anyway; with the backing of the Tianyuan World, his strength would continue to grow. Su Jie still didn¡¯t dare to reveal his true capabilities, but there would come a day when even nuclear bombs wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to him, and by then the so-called Dominator of Blue Star would not amount to much. Chapter 228 - 144: Steel Camp (Third Update) Chapter 228: Chapter 144: Steel Camp (Third Update) ¡°` Three days later! Su Jie sat in a car heading to the military camp, with Liu Yingying seated in the back, reporting to Su Jie on the negotiation outcomes with the Beautiful Country from the past few days. ¡°According to your wishes, we have settled most of the terms. We will release the prisoners, and the Beautiful Country will withdraw troops from Chan Country. It¡¯s just Asder Pharmaceutical¡ªthey refuse to compromise,¡± Yingying reported. ¡°Hmm, what did they say?¡± Su Jie turned his head. Asder Pharmaceutical had been the spark that ignited this war. If it hadn¡¯t been for their blockade and ban, there wouldn¡¯t have been smuggling or the Beautiful Country¡¯s subsequent war. Besides, they supported the warlords against him, and Su Jie never forgot¡ªthat was one thing he held a grudge over. Therefore, during negotiations, Su Jie demanded that Asder Pharmaceutical compensate Jieke Group for its losses. ¡°They say that Asder Pharmaceutical¡¯s actions are commercial decisions, independent of their government.¡± ¡°They managed to convince the Department of Commerce to delist Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, yet claim it has nothing to do with them? That¡¯s utterly hypocritical.¡± Su Jie let out a cold laugh, though he understood why the Beautiful Country wouldn¡¯t agree. As a highly developed capitalist country, the Beautiful Country is, to some extent, dominated by capitalists. Losing a war is one thing, taking responsibility for the loss is quite another. Even though it was they who had started the situation, the capitalists preferred that the nation pay reparations rather than taking money from their own pockets. After all, it wasn¡¯t their money being spent, but the taxpayers¡¯¡ªwhy would they pay for the damages themselves? ¡°Then let¡¯s keep pressing on. We still have the prisoners. They will eventually compromise, right?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. The Beautiful Country may consider that complying with our demands would cause dissatisfaction among other capitalists and capital flight.¡± Su Jie shook his head, glancing out the car window at the military camp coming into view and made another decision: ¡°If Asder Pharmaceutical is unwilling to compensate and claims it¡¯s a commercial activity, then I¡¯ll just repay them with a commercial move and play the high-end business war game with them.¡± If others provoked him time and again and didn¡¯t face consequences, they¡¯d really believe he was powerless against them. ... In the Mande Region military camp, an awards ceremony was taking place. Su Jie personally attended the event, with the Jieke Security Soldiers standing below. This war had resulted in over a thousand casualties for Jieke Security. In addition to compensating the wounded and dead, it was necessary to reward those who had distinguished themselves in action. Clear rewards and punishments were the hallmark of the Righteous sect. ¡°Ge Yin, a First-class Super Soldier at the time, killed 201 enemies, was at the forefront of his troops in numerous battles including the Hunei City siege and the Fengpo Mountain campaign, bravely fighting the enemy. Situang, a Second-class Super Soldier, killed 86 enemies, undaunted by danger, and survived more than ten battles. Miao Lun, a First-class Super Soldier, killed 340 enemies, was courageous and fearless in battle, once stormed into the enemy¡¯s command post alone and killed enemy generals. Throughout several battles, he destroyed three armed helicopters, eight armored vehicles, and demolished artillery positions... To severely acknowledge these 25 combat heroes, Jieke Group has decided to bestow the First-class Combat Pioneer Medal. I hope everyone will remember their initial mission and purpose, remain loyal to their duties, and continue to play a pioneering and exemplary role, as well as the role of a combat fortress.¡± One by one, the called Jieke Security Soldiers stepped forward, all standing tall and proud. ¡°Do a good job.¡± Standing on the stage, Su Jie personally adorned each with the gold medal and offered encouragement. After all the medals had been awarded, Su Jie looked at each soldier below and slowly began to speak: ¡°` ¡°We¡¯ve won this war, but the sacrifices were substantial, and I¡¯ve seen everyone¡¯s contributions,¡± ¡°So for those who participated in the battle, for soldiers who died or became disabled, in addition to the Jieke Group¡¯s compensation, if they have parents, our Jieke Group will take care of them for the rest of their lives. If they have children, we will ensure their education and raise them into capable individuals.¡± ¡°Furthermore, the rewards for killing enemies on the battlefield will be distributed by our Jieke Group immediately.¡± Besides medals, these soldiers were also given numerous financial and material rewards. The Jieke Group now had money, and Su Jie was not stingy with his meritorious soldiers who fought for him. ¡°Long live Chief Su.¡± The soldiers below showed joyful expressions and couldn¡¯t help but shout in unison at Su Jie¡¯s words. Aside from not wanting the Jieke Group to fall, they also sought to improve their impoverished living conditions, and these rewards hit the spot. Even for those who died in battle, with this promise from Jieke Security, they would fight without worries in the future and be even more fearless in death. Seeing the soldiers¡¯ fervor, Su Jie announced a new decision. ¡°Considering the existence of Super Soldiers, we will create a new unit to manage them. I¡¯ve heard that many enemies on the battlefield call our First-class Super Soldiers ¡®Steel Monsters¡¯, so we¡¯ll name this new unit ¡®Steel Camp¡¯. The first commander will be Miao Lun. From now on, all First-class Super Soldiers will automatically join this unit.¡± Su Jie¡¯s decision was well-considered; these First-class Super Soldiers were the strongest special forces, their bodies transformed and adapted by the Symbiotic Gu. Ordinary military training was no longer suitable for them unless there was a war. Otherwise, assigning them to ordinary units would be a waste. Since other countries have their specialized forces, Jieke Security must also have its own Steel Camp to match. ¡°Chief, I will lead the team well.¡± Miao Lun, who had been informed in advance, stood out among his envious comrades and received this special position. And once everything settled down, Su Jie summoned Miao Lun in private. ¡°Chief.¡± Standing at attention, the newly appointed Miao Lun was not yet aware of why Su Jie summoned him. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, have a seat first.¡± With a friendly smile, Su Jie chatted casually with Miao Lun to ease the atmosphere, and after a few minutes, he changed the subject. ¡°Miao Lun, I have a mission for you, and this one is very dangerous.¡± ¡°Chief, I¡¯m not afraid of danger.¡± Miao Lun, who had just sat down, sprang to his feet resolutely at the statement. ¡°This man in the photo, I need you to lead a team to execute him. Don¡¯t be fooled by his appearance as an old man; he is the mastermind behind this war, supporting several warlords.¡± Su Jie took out a photo and slid it across to Miao Lun. The person in the photo was none other than the mastermind behind Asder Pharmaceutical, the contemporary patriarch of the Avelson Family, Jose Avelson. ¡°This is the first mission I¡¯m giving you since establishing Steel Camp. He is currently in the Beautiful Country, and once there, I will arrange your movements and exfiltration. What you need to do is kill him within a limited timeframe. Are you confident you can do it?¡± ¡°Confident.¡± Without hesitation, Miao Lun believed that a soldier¡¯s duty was to die for a worthy cause. No matter how difficult the mission, he would not frown. ¡°Very well, pick a few teammates, and you will depart the day after tomorrow, early in the morning.¡± Su Jie was satisfied with Miao Lun¡¯s response. With the Steel Camp special forces unit, he wouldn¡¯t need to handle everything personally anymore. Chapter 229 - 145: Retaliation (Fourth Update) Chapter 229: Chapter 145: Retaliation (Fourth Update) Beautiful Country. New Mexico State. As the state with the lowest population density in the Beautiful Country, New Mexico State has only about two million people, less than some cities, a typical case of vast land with sparse population. Originally, this state was seized from Mexico, and because it borders Mexican territory and has a sparsely populated environment, it is one of the major disaster areas for smuggling of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. In a secret underground tunnel, several average-looking East Asian men pushed aside a disguised carpet, each carrying two huge iron boxes, and appeared in a villa courtyard. By their side, there were also a few Mexicans following along. ¡°Miao Lun, brother, we¡¯ll go this way, the cars outside are already prepared,¡± said Chiou Russell carefully. These East Asian men were the bosses of his boss¡¯s boss; Cartel had personally ordered him to accompany them. It was said they came from Southeast Asia and were persons of such importance that even Cartel¡¯s boss would have to receive them. ¡°Is the escape route all arranged?¡± Miao Lun scanned the surroundings to confirm once again. ¡°No problem, we¡¯ve made thorough preparations,¡± Chiou Russell reassured, nodding again and again, yet he couldn¡¯t help asking curiously, ¡°But brother Miao Lun, what exactly are you going to do, being so secretive?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask about things you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Miao Lun said indifferently, casting a glance that was fierce and bloodshot, an intimidating gaze. In that moment, Chiou Russell even felt as though he had seen the Grim Reaper, experiencing a suffocating sensation akin to being on the brink of death. ¡°What¡¯s the real story behind these guys?¡± Chiou Russell felt a bit of fear in his heart, but he dared not ask any more questions and hurried to call his companions to drive up several cars. When Miao Lun and his companions placed the iron boxes into the bed of the pickup truck, the vehicle slightly sank downward, indicating their heavy load. ... Two days later. The cars arrived at a rather secluded manor town. The place looked like a forest park, beautiful and serene, quiet and tidy, an image of tranquility and harmony. The wealthy in the Beautiful Country are fond of manor environments, maybe because of their cowboy culture. Despite their remote locations, these are undoubtedly affluent neighborhoods. Each manor is like a secluded kingdom for the wealthy, where they can raise cattle and horses, go fishing, admire the flowers, and enjoy their various leisure activities, making it an ideal retirement spot for the aged rich. In the southeastern part of the town, there is a large manor surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, with flowers in bloom and artistic statues scattered throughout. The interior is luxurious and grand, while the outside is so beautiful it seems like a paradise on earth, a hidden haven away from the world. As the cars came to a stop, Miao Lun and his group got out one by one, and after confirming their location with a map, they swiftly began their operation. Each person opened their heavy iron boxes; one contained thick battle armor, and the other was filled with high-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns, Gatlings, rocket launchers, and other destructive weapons made by humans. Under Chiou Russell¡¯s stunned gaze, Miao Lun and the others quickly put on their battle armor, connected the ammunition belts to the machine guns, and without another word headed towards the manor. ... Meanwhile, inside the manor, an unpleasant meeting was underway. ¡°Jose, why has the ban on Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid been lifted? Doesn¡¯t this mean all our previous preparations have been for nothing?¡± ¡°We invested billions of US dollars in the warlords, and now it¡¯s all gone to waste, and you¡¯re fully responsible for it.¡± ¡°Our hair growth products have almost completely lost the market under the pressure from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid; Uncle Jose, you must come up with a solution!¡± Jose Avelson sat at the head of the long table, surrounded by the members of the Averson Family. Because of a series of decision-making errors, these family members today were here to confront him and put pressure on him. ¡°I indeed didn¡¯t give enough consideration to dealing with the Jieke Group and underestimated how difficult Jieke Group would be.¡± Jose¡¯s voice was heavy, the general public was still unaware of Chan Country¡¯s defeat at Fengpo Mountain, but as a capitalist from the Beautiful Country, he had his own channels of information and had already understood the truth of the matter. Looking around at the family members, who were either angry, secretly pleased or expressionless, Jose continued, ¡°It¡¯s okay to blame me, and I know some of you want to take my place. But as for Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, I will not give it up. It concerns the entire family¡¯s interests. As long as I sit in this position, I can maintain the implementation of our established policies. If a new family head comes in, it might not be the case.¡± ¡°Jose, what do you mean by that?¡± Someone immediately expressed their dissatisfaction upon hearing this. Jose said indifferently, ¡°Isn¡¯t my meaning clear enough? I¡¯m afraid that someone might betray our family¡¯s interests and seek a compromise and pacification with the Jieke Group. There has been so much gossip in the family lately, suggesting that we pay off the Jieke Group as a goodwill gesture and obtain the rights to distribute Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid.¡± ¡°Nonsense, I think you¡¯re really senile, Jose. How could the family ever agree to that kind of thing?¡± ¡°Actually, this plan might not be so bad. Making money is what counts the most. Do we really have to fight to the death to prevail?¡± ¡°What? Jamal, I¡¯m ashamed you¡¯re a member of the Avelson family. The Avelson family would never compromise with a warlord.¡± The meeting room immediately erupted into arguments, some willing to compromise, others insisted on fighting to the end. ¡°A disarrayed bunch, you vermin will never be able to strengthen the family!¡± Jose watched this scene, shaking his head inwardly with a sigh. It wasn¡¯t until everyone argued themselves out of energy that Jose finally continued to speak, ¡°Compromise is out of the question. Although Asder Pharmaceutical failed this time, we haven¡¯t lost. Sooner or later, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid will be ours.¡± Although no one knew where Jose¡¯s confidence came from, they were too exhausted to argue any further and could only watch as Jose performed. A faint smile crossed Jose¡¯s mind as he was about to continue unveiling his plan to seize Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and demonstrate his ability to his family when he suddenly heard some noisy voices. It seemed like a lot of people were running and yelling outside, as if there were also fireworks going off. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± Jose¡¯s face showed anger; he was a person who highly valued noble courtesy, and such shouting and yelling were behaviors he absolutely couldn¡¯t tolerate. Just as Jose was about to find someone to inquire about the situation, the meeting room¡¯s wall was riddled with row after row of holes the size of sea bowls. Large-caliber bullets penetrated the concrete walls and entered, severing several of the Avelson family members, who had just been in the meeting, in half; their blood even splattered onto Jose¡¯s face. Bang bang bang! Only then did the meeting room, which had excellent soundproofing, finally make out the commotion¡ªit was the sound of gunfire and explosions. Jose¡¯s expression was stiff; gone was his previous nonchalance as he looked outside in fear. Through the bullet-ridden holes, it seemed a few creatures clad in steel armor were slowly advancing toward the meeting room, leaving a river of blood in their wake. Chapter 230 - 146: Chief Su Sends His Regards (Part One) Chapter 230: Chapter 146: Chief Su Sends His Regards (Part One) In the fierce light of the explosion, Miao Lun ruthlessly pressed down the gun and strafed. The barrage of bullets poured down like a hurricane, tearing the bodyguards in the manor to shreds as easily as clay figures. A Super Soldier, armed with a heavy sniper rifle, picked off any bodyguard daring enough to resist, with exceptional physical abilities and keen senses ensuring each shot was a headshot. Another Super Soldier, holding a Gatling gun, unleashed a crazed spin of the barrel. Its firing rate of thousands of rounds per minute reduced several fleeing cars to a honeycomb of bullet holes. Altogether, five Super Soldiers rampaged through the manor as if it were uninhabited. The Averson Family had dozens of bodyguards in the manor, armed with various firearms, so their defense was incredibly tough. But when they came up against the Steel Camp, these killers forged on the battlefield, they were as fragile as children, completely outclassed in combat. ¡°It¡¯s the Super Soldiers from Jieke Security, quick, to the panic room!¡± Jose¡¯s eyes showed a trace of fear as he recognized the origins of these killers. Only Jieke Group in Blue Star had such formidable, inhuman soldiers ¨C they must have come for revenge against him. The conference room was thrown into chaos, those once genteel and self-proclaimed gentlemen of the Averson family now ran around like dogs who had lost their homes, screaming and crying out in panic that spread throughout the entire manor. Bang Bang Bang! Bullets don¡¯t have eyes, and many were torn to pieces while trying to escape. ¡°Captain, the target is at two o¡¯clock, in a tower 120 meters away.¡± A Super Soldier with a heavy sniper rifle had caught a glimpse of Jose passing by a window and immediately relayed the situation through his headset. Miao Lun looked up and smashed the head of a nearby bodyguard with his gunstock, then turned his gaze toward that tower. Breaking into a stride, his steel battle boots left deep impressions in the ground as he charged forward. Any bodyguards in his way were sent flying along with their guns by Miao Lun¡¯s force. Crack! Digging his fingers into the exterior wall of the tower as effortlessly as a gecko, Miao Lun scaled the building in no time. At that moment, Jose had just reached the escape room under the escort of several bodyguards when he suddenly heard the terrified shouts of his protectors. ¡°A monster¡¯s coming!¡± ¡°Fire, fire!¡± ¡°Aim for his eyes and joints!¡± The bodyguards¡¯ voices were abrupt and frantic but then abruptly fell silent, and the outside of the escape room became eerily quiet. Jose understood that his bodyguards were likely doomed. Luckily, he had been quick to act, and the escape room was extremely well-made, not something that could be breached by mere bullets. Outside the panic room, Miao Lun took up an anti-tank Rocket Launcher and fired it straight at the sturdy door ahead. The Rocket Launcher, typically used against tanks, blasted open the entryway to the panic room. Jose, disoriented from the blast, hardly had time to collect himself before he saw the door being kicked open and a Steel Monster clad in Heavy Armor standing before him. ¡°Jose Averson, Chief Su sends his regards,¡± said Miao Lun, pointing his weapon coldly at Jose. ¡°No, we can...¡± Jose gasped in horror, attempting to say something else, but Miao Lun did not entertain his babbling and simply pulled the trigger. A bullet blasted a gigantic hole in Jose¡¯s chest cavity, spewing his organs onto the wall behind him under the force of the impact. The patriarch of the Averson Family, the shadowy controller of Asder Pharmaceutical, thus died in the secret chamber. Shouldering the 14.5mm machine gun, Miao Lun took out a camera and snapped several photos of the body on the ground to confirm the kill before turning to leave. Outside, the few remaining bodyguards were so chilled by the killing spree that they all fled in terror. Having accomplished their objective, Miao Lun and his team didn¡¯t linger; they immediately left the estate and got into the car waiting outside. Ding wu! Ding wu! The shrill sound of police sirens echoed. The intense gunfire had already alerted the police, and given the commotion was at the Averson Family estate, a large number of US police hurried to respond, tailing the car Miao Lun and the others were in. There were also helicopters in the sky, belonging to a TV station, which got there even faster than the police and were broadcasting the raging police pursuit live. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, this is CNN, and we are currently on Flynn Avenue, where a group of vicious criminals bloodied an estate ten minutes ago and are now on the run. As you can see, our police are in hot pursuit, closing in on them with a net above and a trap below, they only have... Oh my God...¡± The beautiful blonde reporter in the helicopter exclaimed in shock. This was because one of the criminals in the fleeing car had picked up a rocket launcher and aimed it at the police cars behind them. Accompanied by a flash of fire, the rocket whooshed out. Several of the lead pursuing police cars had to brake urgently and then rolled over uncontrollably. ¡°Oh my God, these criminals are actually using rockets, they¡¯re trying to blow up police cars, it¡¯s insane, just insane. This is definitely the craziest crime of the year. I¡¯m reporter Melissa Odway, currently broadcasting for the audience. Let¡¯s give them a close-up, zoom in on the camera. Oh heavens! What are these people wearing, Mechas from a game? These criminals, are they cosplay enthusiasts who have confused games with reality, turning to a life of crime in search of thrills in the real world?¡± The reporter was excited and thrilled, and the TV station¡¯s ratings were climbing. This kind of high-heat news was irresistible. The reporter was willing to do anything for fame, but the helicopter pilot was terrified of becoming collateral damage and quickly gained altitude. The Super Soldiers¡¯ frenzy also made the pursuing police fearful, slowing down their pursuit as they hastily looked for reinforcements. It wasn¡¯t just the police who were mobilizing, but the state government urgently called in the National Guard to join the manhunt, as these criminals were clearly not your average robbers ¨C the police¡¯s light firepower was no match for them. The National Guard is actually the militia of the Beautiful Country, equipped with tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, missiles, fighter jets, and other heavy firepower, more than sufficient to deal with a few Super Soldiers. Chiou Russell stepped on the gas, watching the distant police cars and Miao Lun laying down suppressive fire with the other Super Soldiers, swallowing nervously. If he had known that Miao Lun would make such a big scene, Chiou Russell might not have dared to bring them here. But now that they were too far in, Chiou Russell just hoped they could escape successfully and not get caught by the police. A few minutes later. Whoosh! Suddenly, the sound of whirring came from the sky as armed helicopters arrived. ¡°We¡¯ve reached the underground tunnel.¡± Chiou Russell yelled, slammed on the brakes, and the car stopped on a slope. They quickly got out of the car, opened the cover that concealed the entrance to the underground tunnel, and one by one, they scurried down, disappearing from sight. By the time the heavy support arrived, everyone had already slipped away. Chapter 231 - 147: Follow-up (Second Update) Chapter 231: Chapter 147: Follow-up (Second Update) CIA Headquarters. Judith¡¯s face turned ashen as she watched the news, the attack on Averson Manor this morning had already spread across the Beautiful Country. The entire estate was slaughtered, with over seventy casualties. The head of the Avelson family, Jose Avelson, was also found dead in a secret room. Others might not know who did it, thinking it was some extremely vicious bandits. But Judith knew very well that the attackers must have been directed by Su Jie. Because only the Jieke Group possessed those inhuman steel soldiers. Given the feud between Jieke Group and Asder Pharmaceutical, it was not surprising that Su Jie did this; however, the fact that the other party dared to implement these actions was indeed unexpected. ¡°They¡¯re getting more and more arrogant.¡± Judith clenched her fists tight. Although Jose had died, the Avelson family would find someone else to take over the family. However, Jieke Group¡¯s actions were not just a warning to Asder Pharmaceutical but also a slap in the face for the Beautiful Country. ¡°Boss!¡± The office door was knocked on, and a man walked in who had just returned from Chan Country to report back to the CIA, Moritz, a high-ranked special agent. ¡°How goes the investigation?¡± ¡°There were five Super Soldiers. They initiated the attack at 8:45 this morning, carrying anti-aircraft machine guns, Gatlings, heavy sniper rifles, and rocket launchers. After killing Mr. Jose, they escaped through an underground tunnel and destroyed the tunnel midway, leaving no trace for the pursuers. We suspect they crossed over from Mexico, and we will intensify clandestine investigations there and enhance surveillance in Tijuana to see if we can find any leads.¡± Moritz answered every question in a systematic way, laying out the facts as they stood. ¡°The headquarters have decided to set up a special task force specifically targeting Jieke Group. Congress has allocated funding. You will be in charge.¡± Judith nodded, assigning Moritz the new task. ¡°What level task force is it?¡± Moritz inquired, knowing it determined how much funding he would get and how much force he could mobilize. ¡°A-level. Start preparing from today. I need you to keep a close watch on Jieke Group.¡± Judith¡¯s words made Moritz¡¯s eyelids twitch. S-level corresponded to major countries, and A-level already signified extreme importance. Even Al-Qaeda was only A-level during its time. ¡°I will give it my all.¡± Moritz took the appointment letter with not much joy of promotion on his face, but solemnity. Because he knew that dealing with an extremely dangerous criminal organization like Jieke Group, led by a reckless madman, a slight misstep could mean losing his head. ¡°As for this attack case...¡± ¡°Have all the captives been returned?¡± ¡°This morning, Jieke Group sent back the last batch of people.¡± Upon hearing this, Judith felt extremely frustrated. The other party knew that the attack would upset the Beautiful Country, so they deliberately released the captives to make amends, delivering a slap and then a sweet date, preventing the Beautiful Country from breaking off relations now. ¡°Congress is preparing to implement trade sanctions against Jieke Group. As for other measures, the domestic elections are at a critical point. It¡¯s not appropriate to stir up more troubles, so those will have to wait until later.¡± Shaking her head, Judith was angry, but now was not a good time to take action against Jieke Group. The recent devastating defeat was still fresh in memory; causing another debacle would reduce the support for the one in the White House, and she would be the first person on the chopping block. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and start preparing.¡± Moritz did not like discussing these high-level political maneuvers and immediately turned around to leave. ......... ¡°Mr. Su, Miao Lun and his four companions have already been arranged on board. They will take a fishing boat to Lizhi Country and then fly back,¡± In Mand City, Chan Country, Su Jie received a call from Carter. ¡°You did well this time, Carter.¡± ¡°Serving Mr. Su is what I should do.¡± Carter on the other end of the phone humbly denied any praise, having come to understand the true strength of his boss. He was the hidden mastermind behind the Jieke Group, who dared to directly confront the Beautiful Country; he couldn¡¯t afford any ulterior motives. Su Jie talked with Carter for a few more sentences and instructed him to continue smuggling the promising Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid before hanging up the phone. ¡°Why do you seem unhappy? Is it because of the sanction statement the Beautiful Country just released?¡± Liu Yingying asked, embracing Su Jie¡¯s arm, just shortly after the Beautiful Country had issued a statement. ¡°Recently, our nation discovered that an extremist organization is holed up in the East Qin State of Chan Country. To prevent this organization from growing and to maintain world peace and security, our country and its allies declare the implementation of sanctions against this region and will propose to the United Nations to prohibit any forces from sending military equipment, steel, food, and energy to this area.¡± This statement was clearly a retaliation by the Beautiful Country against the Jieke Group for attacking the Averson Family. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be happy about. Killing Jose did not shake the foundation of Asder Pharmaceutical. They will simply choose someone else from the family to take charge. It was just a matter of letting off steam for us.¡± Su Jie stroked Liu Yingying¡¯s black hair and said softly, ¡°Moreover, after this incident, those capitalists will definitely be more vigilant against us. Now they¡¯re imposing sanctions and embargoes. We will face even more difficulties in the future. So it¡¯s not time to be complacent. Our strength is still very weak. Jieke Group needs to continue cultivating its internal strength. We must take advantage of the current situation where the Beautiful Country is too busy to pay attention, urgently develop ourselves, continue purchasing military weapons from the outside, expand our insect breeding, and assimilate the newly acquired territories into our stronghold.¡± Beyond that, increase grain purchases through international channels and encourage local farmers to initiate agriculture. This includes coal, steel, mechanical equipment, and all other living and energy resources, which we need to import and stockpile. Not everyone will heed the Beautiful Country¡¯s sanctions. If we offer a higher price, there will always be countries willing to make money. Also, be cautious of the surroundings. The Beautiful Country might not get involved directly in the future, but they will definitely support other warlords and government armies against us or exploit any shortage of supplies to stir up public sentiment on our turf and incite a colored revolution,¡± said Su Jie to Liu Yingying. Now, things were different from before. Jieke Group was managing nearly three million people, worrying about their life¡¯s every aspect, especially under external threats, necessitating extensive preparation and precautions. Fortunately, Chan Country has a good tropical ecological environment and a rich grain output, ranking as the fifth largest rice exporter worldwide. With rice yielding two to three harvests a year, even harsh trade blockades could ensure basic food supply concerns are unfounded. ¡°Are you leaving again?¡± Upon hearing this, Liu Yingying knew that Su Jie was about to leave, her eyes filled with reluctance. ¡°I¡¯ll be away for a while, but I will return often.¡± Su Jie said with a smile as he flicked Liu Yingying¡¯s forehead. The situation had changed in Ghost Ridge Palace, Tianyuan World, and Su Jie couldn¡¯t stay long in Blue Star. Thinking this, Su Jie took out a white necklace from his bosom, placing it around Liu Yingying¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯m giving you this necklace, and you must never take it off.¡± The necklace was a Low Grade Advanced Magical Artifact with self-protection capabilities; even without spiritual power, it could safeguard her safety. Just in case, although it was unlikely that the Beautiful Country would target Liu Yingying¡ªgiven that, to outsiders, Su Jie was the real core of Jieke Group and others didn¡¯t matter much, rash actions could provoke Su Jie. However, it¡¯s better safe than sorry. With this necklace and the two protective magical device bracelets Su Jie had given Liu Yingying before, even a rocket launcher explosion couldn¡¯t harm her life. ¡°I really like it.¡± Liu Yingying leaned in and offered a passionate kiss. She didn¡¯t understand the true purpose of the necklace, but she could feel Su Jie¡¯s affection. What followed was naturally another night of passion, an endless loving embrace under the spring chamber¡¯s silken drapes. Chapter 232 - 148: Mid Grade Five Refinement Poisonous Insect (Third Update) Chapter 232: Chapter 148: Mid Grade Five Refinement Poisonous Insect (Third Update) A week later! Fumen Breeding Farm, Underground Poisonous Insects Cultivation Base. Strife, shrieks, blood, and insect cries constantly occurred here. When everything had returned to calm, the several-tens-of-meters-long body of the thousand-hand centipede began to grow layers of insect cocoons, wrapping its entire body as it entered a state of transformation. Su Jie sat cross-legged in front of the thousand-hand centipede. The low-grade poisonous insects accumulated in the base had once again been devoured by the thousand-hand centipede, which had finally stepped into the much-anticipated fifth Spirit Refining stage for Su Jie. In the dim Underground Gu Insect Base, the giant insect cocoon seemed to be breathing, akin to a beating heart, expanding and contracting rhythmically. The cocoon swelled increasingly larger as it expanded, providing more sustenance for the poisonous insect incubating inside. As time passed, the cocoon gradually underwent changes, sprouting verdant greenery as if it were moss or fungal fluff, spreading outwards from the cocoon¡¯s center. The concrete ground beneath the fungal growth corroded into powder, releasing a damp smell. The surface of the cocoon, similarly covered with emerald patterns, ancient and mysterious, was filled with vitality and life force, The entire Underground Poisonous Insects Base continued to transform, the fungal growth extending a hundred meters away, turning the place into an endless green world. Su Jie looked at the fuzzy fungi strands climbing onto his body. The fungi intermingled with his skin, rooting with an intense desire to parasitize Su Jie¡¯s flesh and blood while seemingly devouring his life force. Spiritual energy surged as Su Jie shook off the fungi trying to grow upon him, feeling not fear but joy within. The more drastic the change in the thousand-hand centipede, the stronger the abilities it would gain from the evolution, naturally bringing joy to Su Jie. Several days passed and the expanding insect cocoon ceased to grow any further, resting quietly in the base, entering the silence before the final transformation. Three more days passed, and the quiet cocoon finally began to change again. Cracks spread from the top of the cocoon, with strong tidal waves of energy gushing from the openings, making everything around even darker, and ordinary poisonous insects in the underground base fell silent as if an existence that all beings feared was breaking out. Under Su Jie¡¯s expectant gaze, a towering and terrifying figure emerged from the cocoon, the evolved thousand-hand centipede appeared before Su Jie. Each pale corpse hand had become more robust and prominent, now numbering six to seven hundred, and its overall form had also grown larger, with sharp mandible-like mouthparts, its two eyes now a dark red, emitting a sinister and dangerous light. The thousand-hand centipede had undergone significant changes compared to before, besides growing to the length of 80 meters, it had developed a surface layer of dark green scale armor through the fifth Spirit Refining abnormal development. The scales were incredibly hard. When rubbing against giant stones on the ground, it crushed the stones to dust without leaving a single scratch on the scales. The thousand-hand centipede was now a genuine Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect, a powerful and terrifying creature. Sizzle! The thousand-hand centipede, with the joy of rebirth, happily pounced in front of Su Jie, its huge head nuzzling him, causing Su Jie to stagger. Boom, boom, boom! The enormous weight of the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s body was unknown, but as it ran, it made the ground shake, even the formation could not fully isolate it. ¡°It¡¯s an earthquake!¡± ¡°Quick, evacuate the people, there¡¯s been an earthquake here.¡± ¡°First, go shut off the electricity and inform the company.¡± On the ground, a violent tremor threw the staff of Fumen Breeding Farm into panic, thinking an earthquake had occurred, and chaos ensued. ¡°Stop, stop, stop, I know you¡¯re happy, but don¡¯t tear down my house!¡± Su Jie patted the head of the thousand-hand centipede to calm it down; his possessions certainly weren¡¯t enough for it to tear apart. The thousand-hand centipede wiggled its antennae, placed Su Jie on top of its head, and then eagerly began to demonstrate its newly acquired abilities. It opened its ferocious mouthparts and sprayed outward. A cloud of black smoke surged out, instantly covering a large area ahead. This black fog carried a curse effect, moving at a rapidly fast pace, and anything it touched began to age, decay, and disintegrate acceleratedly. The steel-reinforced concrete ground quickly rotted and cracked, as though it had weathered thousands of years. Some of the poisonous insects¡¯ bodies decayed directly into dried-up shells, their flesh withering away like snow in the spring sun, crumbling into dust and dispersing with the wind. In the face of the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s rampant curse, the entire Gu Insect Base was thrown into disarray. The insects, in terror, attempted to flee. Those that had not yet advanced to Low Grade, upon the slightest contact with the deathly black fog, were consumed by the curse spreading through their entire bodies. Within seconds they aged, decayed to dust, and their Spiritual Power was extinguished, unable to withstand such a powerful death and decay curse. After the black fog enveloped the area, the ground turned a pale gray, resembling lifeless dead land, devoid of vitality and vigor. Conversely, the surface of the thousand-hand centipede itself was dotted with numerous green fungal threads that drifted around, extracting the Life Force from the curse¡¯s harvest to heal its body. This was a new ability that the thousand-hand centipede had mastered after its fifth Spirit Refining, the Death Decline Curse Cloud. A terrifying curse capable of aging and wilting all things. With the centipede¡¯s current ability, almost anyone below the Secret Realm stricken by this Death Decline Curse Cloud would find survival incredibly difficult. And yet, this wasn¡¯t the full extent of the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s new powers. Having previously consumed the fruit of the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree, this Spirit Refining allowed the centipede to master two abilities at once. After unleashing the Death Decline Curse Cloud, luminescence surrounded the thousand-hand centipede. Its dark green scale armor bore extremely mysterious patterns that emerged, naturally primitive, like the ultimate truth of the universe. Boom, boom! Su Jie used the Purple Light Ray, and two High-Temperature Beams shot from his eyes onto the body of the thousand-hand centipede. Yet, they did not penetrate the layer of dark green scale armor but caused some black charring on the surface. This was the second ability the thousand-hand centipede had acquired, a defensive scale armor, which had elevated its resistance to various kinds of damage to an entirely new level. This ability might not seem as flashy as the Death Decline Curse Cloud, but defense was an indispensable aspect for the thousand-hand centipede. With its inherently strong physique, extreme scale armor defense, as well as the centipede¡¯s original self-healing and splitting abilities, the centipede of today, if placed in a game, would be like the final boss¡ªhigh attack, high defense, hefty health bar, robust recovery, and a wealth of tactics, seemingly an insolvable form. At this stage, Su Jie believed that ordinary High-grade Poisonous Insects would likely have to flee in the face of the thousand-hand centipede. Even in the perilous Insect Valley, the thousand-hand centipede could dominate a territory; not many insects would be a threat to it. After all, insects that had gone through five refinements of Spirit Refining were extremely rare. Chapter 233 - 149: Yunling Realm Ninth Level (Fourth Update) Chapter 233: Chapter 149: Yunling Realm Ninth Level (Fourth Update) The Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s spirit refining this time not only garnered a new ability but also greatly enhanced its previous capabilities. Such as the Purple Light Ray, which now allows the Thousand-Handed Centipede to burst out hundreds of rays at once, densely packed, making it difficult for foes to dodge or evade. Feeling the changes in the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie was tremendously exhilarated. If he had faced Du Shaochang, the bearer of the Jade Sun True Body, with the Thousand-Handed Centipede possessing the Death Decline Curse Cloud back then, perhaps the battle would not have been so arduous. Sizzle! After demonstrating its abilities, the Thousand-Handed Centipede automatically shrank its form, flew to Su Jie¡¯s chest, and coiled up, feeding back its evolved vigorous blood and spiritual power to Su Jie. Su Jie sat cross-legged on the ground, his body¡¯s meridians expanding continuously under the relentless wash of spiritual power, like a riverbed scoured by a mountain torrent. Besides relying on the feedback from the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie also took out a pile of spirit stones and a White Bone Tree, creating a spiritually rich environment for himself. Boom! The sound of Su Jie¡¯s circulating blood reverberated into the outside world, resembling thousands of rivers raging, and his spiritual power, unable to be contained any longer, escaped from his pores and formed a cloud of spiritual energy above him. As time trickled by, Su Jie was continuously adapting to the changes in his body. The spiritual energy from the spirit stones and the White Bone Tree, along with the energy fed back from the Thousand-Handed Centipede, finally converged at the Mingtang Acupoint, transforming into a mighty river. The boundless river traversed every meridian and blood vessel in his body, causing every cell to tremble and roar, sweeping through his limbs and bones. In an instant! Su Jie¡¯s mind cleared. The spiritual power inside his body was compressed once again, his cultivation reached a new level, breaking through to the Ninth Level of the Yunling Realm. At the same time, due to the breakthrough in cultivation, Su Jie¡¯s divine soul also reaped great benefits. In the out-of-body divine soul, a pair of ears slowly took shape. The divine soul moved slightly, and various sounds began entering his ears¡ªthe movement of insects, the flapping of flies, including sounds audible to humans as well as inaudible subsonic and ultrasonic waves, and various complicated environmental noises. Su Jie heard the ground above, where the earthquake caused earlier by the centipede¡¯s blunder had led to many factories undergoing maintenance. He also heard many whispers¡ªemployees gossiping about someone else¡¯s love life, employees slacking off to watch TV shows during work hours, employees... ¡°The middle laboratory, is there a way to get in?¡± ¡°No, only Mr. Su can enter that place.¡± ¡°Try to find a way...¡± Su Jie overheard this conversation, two employees, bribed by the CIA, were plotting to steal secrets. These employees were unaware that Su Jie was eavesdropping and also unaware of the secrets within the laboratory¡ªall who entered the Underground Poisonous Insects Cultivation Base had never left alive. Su Jie smirked callously. He did not rush to address it but decided to bide his time and fish for a bigger catch, hoping to trace the vine to find the truly important figures behind the scenes. ¡°This Divine Soul¡¯s Ear, it¡¯s like having the wind at my ears,¡± Su Jie muttered to himself. This ability would be extremely beneficial for eavesdropping on intelligence, but unfortunately, Su Jie neither had the time nor the need to gather information himself. For dealing with these ordinary people, the Insect Control Technique provided sufficient intelligence convenience. ¡°I wonder what abilities the Divine Soul¡¯s Eye will have when it manifests, a Thousand-Mile Eye perhaps.¡± At present, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul had essentially taken shape, complete with human limbs and facial features¡ªonly the last pair of eyes were yet to form. Once the eyes were also completed, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul would then be able to transform into a Primordial Spirit. As the Divine Soul returned, Su Jie¡¯s physical body slowly opened his eyes. ¡°The body has been strengthened again!¡± Su Jie immediately noticed that his skin was very dirty, covered with a layer of grime, as if smeared with black mud. With a gentle wipe of his hand, he could see the jade-like skin underneath. When he activated his Spiritual Power, his skin shone brightly, more dazzling than a diamond, resembling a flawless glass body, difficult to gaze upon directly. Su Jie took an AK rifle out of his Storage Bag and aimed it at his palm before pulling the trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A string of bullets hit and were directly deflected off, not to mention causing his palm to bleed, they couldn¡¯t even break the skin. Seeing this, Su Jie took another weapon from his Storage Bag, an Anti-Material Sniper Rifle, and conducted the experiment again. This time, Su Jie¡¯s palm did feel pain, and a red mark appeared in the center, still unable to truly penetrate Su Jie¡¯s skin. It was clear that Su Jie had also inherited the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s defensive abilities. Now, firearms like these posed no threat to him. To truly threaten Su Jie¡¯s life, at the very least, artillery-level weapons would be needed. To an ordinary person, skin that even heavy sniper rifles couldn¡¯t penetrate was no different from that of a monster. This was just Su Jie inheriting a weakened defensive power of the Thousand-Handed Centipede; if it were the centipede itself, its defense would be even more terrifying. ¡°Death Decline Curse Cloud.¡± Su Jie looked at the sniper rifle in his hand, and suddenly pointed a finger. A dark glow flashed at his fingertip, enveloping the sniper rifle. Visible to the naked eye, the sniper rifle rusted quickly, with rust flakes falling off continually, until the entire rifle decomposed into rust and was dispersed by the wind. As Su Jie moved his finger, the dark glow also moved smoothly, acting like a death laser sweeping across the land, creating a line of death on the ground. The land within the line appeared deadly mute, and all the Poisonous Insects that had crossed were obliterated. Similarly inheriting the weakened Death Decline Curse Cloud from the Thousand-Handed Centipede, the effect was still quite astonishing. Rising from the ground, Su Jie touched the Thousand-Handed Centipede coiled around his arm, his face wearing a smile. With his current strength at the Yunling Realm Ninth Level, and his Divine Soul soon to transform into a Primordial Spirit, along with a Mid Grade Five Refinement Thousand-Handed Centipede, ordinary Yunling Realm Cultivators engaging in combat with Su Jie¡ªeven those at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm¡ªwould be effortlessly defeated in seconds. Only individuals like Du Shaochang, who possessed a Divine Body and Holy Body, or the Saint Heirs and Divine Daughters of certain Sects, cultivated with high expectations and equally standing at the pinnacle of Yunling Realm, could contend with Su Jie to some extent. Even Su Jie felt he could challenge some Cultivators who had just broken through to the Secret Realm, bolstered by the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s support. ¡°No, I mustn¡¯t get too cocky. Why play with fire by challenging those beyond my level?¡± This suicidal idea only circulated in his mind for a moment before Su Jie immediately dismissed it. Why court death when bullying lower-level Cultivators in the Yunling Realm was fruitful? He had nothing better to do than to challenge those in the Secret Realm. Even if he could indeed defeat Cultivators of the Secret Realm, it would surely result in mutual destruction. Su Jie liked to bully the weak; he didn¡¯t like being on the receiving end of such treatment. Considering all these factors, Su Jie cleaned up the Underground Poisonous Insects Cultivation Base and added a new batch of Poisonous Insects. Then he took out the Ancient Mirror and stepped into it, heading to the Tianyuan World. Chapter 234 - 150: Return to Tianyuan World (First Update) Chapter 234: Chapter 150: Return to Tianyuan World (First Update) Tianyuan World, Ghost Ridge Palace. Su Jie stepped out of the practice room, took a deep breath, and savored the Spiritual Energy that was absent in Blue Star. ¡°Greetings, Young Master, on your emergence!¡± Seeing Su Jie, a servant immediately knelt down to pay respects. ¡°Go prepare some food for me, and also, notify a few of my friends to come over for a gathering.¡± Su Jie stretched lazily, instructing someone to summon his friends. After stretching his limbs, Su Jie walked to the garden in the backyard of the residence and saw a young girl leisurely sunbathing there, with a maid beside her narrating a book. It was none other than Ning Xinyue, who possessed the Xuanyin Body. ¡°You, girl, really know how to enjoy yourself!¡± Su Jie walked up and pinched Ning Xinyue¡¯s delicate nose. ¡°Ow, who is it!¡± Unable to breathe, Ning Xinyue opened her eyes, showing a fierce expression. But seeing that it was Su Jie, her expression softened. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s words immediately made Su Jie burst into laughter. ¡°This is my home, you ask why I am here? It¡¯s me who should be asking that. How did you end up in my home?¡± Su Jie pinched Ning Xinyue¡¯s cheek and then looked at the maid beside her, asking, ¡°Did this one sneak over to freeload while I was in seclusion?¡± ¡°How can you speak so unpleasantly? What do you mean freeload? I clearly came to visit, do you understand visit?¡± Ning Xinyue puffed up her cheeks, looking like a cute, angry pufferfish. The maid, put on the spot, didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°Alright, stop it, I know she¡¯s been here often.¡± Su Jie gestured dismissively, knowing from Ning Xinyue¡¯s comfortable demeanor that it wasn¡¯t her first time enjoying herself at his estate. Given the close relationship between Ning Xinyue and Su Jie, the servants were well aware and certainly wouldn¡¯t dare obstruct her too much. ¡°What can I do? It¡¯s only the inner disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace like you who get allocated estates. Those stone caves and hollows are uncomfortable to live and eat in. You wouldn¡¯t want to see such a cute, beautiful, and clever friend of yours suffer, would you?¡± Ning Xinyue put on a pitiful expression, sounding very heartbroken and helpless. It¡¯s not that she couldn¡¯t endure hardships. In the past, when she ran around the forests with Su Jie, weren¡¯t they always exposed to the elements? But now, inside the sect, with better conditions available, naturally, she wouldn¡¯t want to put herself through hardships. ¡°Sorry, I really don¡¯t mind either way.¡± Su Jie answered without hesitation, leaving Ning Xinyue speechless. ¡°You, calling yourself a friend. Is this how you treat your friends?¡± ¡°Being my friend comes with a price.¡± ¡°I have no money.¡± Ning Xinyue rolled her eyes and sprawled in the chair, adopting an ¡®I won¡¯t leave no matter what you do¡¯ attitude. ¡°Xiao Qian, come out, let¡¯s play a game.¡± This trick might work on others, but thinking it would work on Su Jie was wishful thinking; he knew all too well what this young girl feared the most. As soon as the words were out, the Thousand-Handed Centipede crawled out of Su Jie¡¯s sleeve, making a move as if to pounce on Ning Xinyue. Yikes! Ning Xinyue turned pale and leapt up as if flying. Although she had encountered the thousand-hand centipede many times, she was still afraid of its appearance. Especially after not seeing it for a while, she felt that the thousand-hand centipede looked even more ferocious than before. Su Jie, grinning widely, casually lay back in the chair, occupying Ning Xinyue¡¯s seat, which irritated Ning Xinyue to the point of itching teeth. ¡°Can¡¯t you have some decency, always scaring me with bugs?¡± ¡°Please, I am a demon cultivator, talking to me about decency is a joke, isn¡¯t it!¡± Ning Xinyue thought about it and realized he was right, with nowhere to vent her frustration. ¡°Haven¡¯t you taken any missions in these months?¡± Su Jie looked at Ning Xinyue; this girl seemed far too leisurely. ¡°Humph, I¡¯m just at the third level of Yunling Realm, who would send me on a mission!¡± A sly glint flickered in Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes; she had always masqueraded as a newly admitted genius girl. Unless she was willing, such a talent, in its infancy, was not something the sect wanted to throw into battle and waste potential. ¡°You sure are cunning.¡± Su Jie figured it out too; no wonder the girl was so relaxed, spending her time leisurely here at Su Jie¡¯s residence while others were engaged in deadly sect battles. But strictly speaking, the girl wasn¡¯t really a demon cultivator; she indeed had no obligation to serve Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m the smartest.¡± Ning Xinyue proudly lifted her chin, then her gaze lingered on Su Jie, poking his arm with her slender fingers, curious, ¡°Has your strength improved again? And your centipede, it seems to have metamorphosed, hasn¡¯t it?¡± An electric light flashed over Su Jie¡¯s body, as Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder was triggered, instantly brightening the surroundings into a vast expanse of white. Ning Xinyue¡¯s instincts kicked in, internal frost like a cold moon, the frost fog freezing the void, keeping the thunder outside. ¡°What are you doing, you scared me!¡± Ning Xinyue patted her chest, startled by Su Jie¡¯s action. ¡°Being secluded for so long, I had to have some gains to show before coming out.¡± Su Jie stroked the thousand-hand centipede lying in his arms, his gaze wandering over Ning Xinyue: ¡°But you, your strength hasn¡¯t fallen behind, has it!¡± From that probe just now, Su Jie could clearly feel that Ning Xinyue¡¯s cultivation had grown significantly since their last encounter, almost reaching the top level of Yunling Realm. It seemed that after fixing the flaws of her Xuanyin Body, her strength was advancing by leaps and bounds, truly reflecting the potential of her divine body. ¡°I¡¯m going to advance to the Secret Realm soon; by then, you¡¯ll be left far behind.¡± As Ning Xinyue spoke, thinking about surpassing Su Jie¡¯s cultivation in the future and getting back at him for all the times he had bullied her, making him cry and beg for mercy, she couldn¡¯t help but giggle foolishly. ¡°Are you thinking of defeating me in strength and then making me repent everything I¡¯ve done?¡± Su Jie narrowed his eyes, and his words snapped Ning Xinyue back to reality. ¡°I never thought that, you¡¯re making it up.¡± Ning Xinyue waved her hands repeatedly, though denying it, her facial expression was all too telling. ¡°Dream on, little girl,¡± Faking annoyance, Su Jie stood up, intending to catch Ning Xinyue. Ning Xinyue quickly stepped back, shouting, ¡°Stinky Su Jie, you¡¯re just bullying me because you¡¯re stronger now, wait till I reach the Secret Realm, then you¡¯ll see how amazing I can be.¡± Su Jie smirked, ¡°Xiao Qian, go bite her.¡± Seeing the menacing thousand-hand centipede, Ning Xinyue dared not talk back, ¡°Stop, don¡¯t! I was just joking.¡± Walking over, Su Jie thumped Ning Xinyue¡¯s smooth forehead. ¡°Ouch.¡± With teary eyes, Ning Xinyue secretly vowed that there would come a time for revenge; the tables would turn, don¡¯t underestimate a girl¡¯s poverty¡ªshe would definitely make Su Jie taste his own medicine. Chapter 235 - 151: Qi Shijian (Second Update) Chapter 235: Chapter 151: Qi Shijian (Second Update) Su Jie ultimately didn¡¯t let Ning Xinyue leave, and even had a lavish lunch imposed on him by her. With Su Jie¡¯s return, the news of his emergence spread mouth to mouth, and soon, many in the sect knew about it. ¡°Young master, there are quite a few people outside seeking an audience.¡± A servant came to report, informing Su Jie of the situation. ¡°An audience with me? Why?¡± Su Jie was puzzled as he had only a few friends within the sect. After some thought, Su Jie decided to go out. At the entrance of his residence, Su Jie saw many distinguished individuals gathered there, some were managers of mines and medicinal gardens, others were responsible for distributing rewards to disciples, and some were related to certain Elders, all influential figures of Ghost Ridge Palace, with power only second to the Elders. ¡°Mr. Su, ha-ha, congratulations on your emergence. We¡¯ve recently harvested many spirit plants at Pan¡¯an Valley, and thought you might find them useful. Here are some for you to try.¡± A portly middle-aged man bowed slightly, his face adorned with a warm smile. ¡°Manager Ji, you are too kind.¡± The man in front of Su Jie was familiar, someone responsible for a certain Spirit Medicine Valley plantation at Ghost Ridge Palace, not a realm as secretive as the Secret Realm, but his brother was, which was why he got this lucrative position. ¡°Mr. Su, this is our Hundred Flower Garden¡¯s self-brewed Spiritual Wine, a token for you to taste.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, my master sends you 10 servants and 10 pounds of Bodhi Iron.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, my young daughter is 20, the perfect age for marriage...¡± A crowd of people eagerly pressed around, continuously flattering and offering gifts. ¡°Thank you all for your generosity, but why are you giving me so many gifts? Can someone tell me why?¡± Su Jie was baffled, not understanding why these people were so enthusiastic, both giving gifts and offering their daughters, why he had become so popular. ¡°It¡¯s... There are rumors that Mr. Su, your recent cultivation retreat was tremendously rewarding, and that you¡¯ll soon break through to the Secret Realm.¡± Someone spoke up, explaining the reason. Su Jie realized then that these people had heard a distorted rumor; they were eagerly trying to curry favor with him, hoping to get on his good side before his breakthrough to the Secret Realm. ¡°Who started that rumor? I¡¯m currently at the Ninth level of the Yunling Realm; I¡¯m still a good distance from breaking through. Please, take your gifts back.¡± Su Jie shook his head, unwilling to take advantage of these offerings. ¡°The rumors must be true then.¡± ¡°Mr. Su was promoted to inner disciple less than half a year ago and has already reached the Ninth Level of the Yunling Realm. Within a year, he shouldn¡¯t need to break through to the Secret Realm.¡± ¡°Please accept these gifts, Mr. Su; let them be early congratulations for our sect having another Elder soon.¡± ¡°I also have a distant niece, gentle and virtuous, definitely a good match.¡± ¡°My daughter is exceptionally beautiful, even more suitable.¡± ¡°Stop it, my Wan¡¯er...¡± Contrary to his intentions, Su Jie¡¯s words made the influential figures at the door even more eager, warming up more than before. These people, recognizing Su Jie¡¯s progressive stages in prowess, were determined he would someday ascend to the Secret Realm and insisted on currying favor with him. Su Jie, helpless, faced the enthusiastic crowd, unable to chase them away, and was coerced into accepting the gifts, though he dismissed any thoughts of a marriage alliance. When everyone had finally left, Su Jie wiped the sweat from his forehead, more worn out than after a great battle. ¡°Su Jie, with so many wanting to marry their daughters to you, why aren¡¯t you interested?¡± Ning Xinyue had been peeking from behind the door the whole time and immediately jumped out when she saw everyone leave. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to be tied down in marriage.¡± Su Jie placed the gift into the storage bag, then turned to Ning Xinyue and said, ¡°You should probably go back now.¡± ¡°Someone else is coming, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Ning Xinyue swiftly made an excuse and disappeared back inside, vanishing from sight. ¡°This girl.¡± Su Jie turned around to see a man dressed in elegant white approaching. This person had a handsome and refined appearance, eyebrows as white as snow, eyes bright as stars, and emitted a warm smile, much like a refreshing breeze. Upon seeing this person, Su Jie¡¯s eyes slightly squinted. This person was not like the previous nobles; he was a genuine disciple, and moreover, he was a recognized master among the disciples. In Ghost Ridge Palace, there were three inner disciples at the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm acknowledged as the strongest. The three were Xiao Fengyuan, Qi Shijian, and Luo Jian, but Su Jie had only previously dealt with Xiao Fengyuan. And now, the person before him was one of the three, Qi Shijian. ¡°Mr. Su, I¡¯ve long admired your renowned name,¡± Qi greeted with a smile before he even spoke, his serene and radiant aura naturally drawing others in, creating a sense of warmth and familiarity. ¡°In front of Qi, I wouldn¡¯t dare mention any renowned name.¡± Su Jie clasped his hands together; this person was among the older generation of strong disciples, and Su Jie, being newer to gaining renown, was somewhat inferior. ¡°Hehe, Mr. Su, you are being too modest. Your battle with Du Shaochang tremendously boosted the morale of numerous disciples within the sect, and now everyone in the sect knows your name.¡± ¡°May I know what brings Brother Qi here this time?¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t engage in much small talk, as he hadn¡¯t previously interacted with this person, and his sudden appearance felt somewhat strange. ¡°It¡¯s like this, during my skirmishes with the Righteous Disciples, I accidentally discovered a vein of Vajra Tribulation Jade Ore, but there are many Green Sea Red Scorpions around, and my power alone is insufficient. Informing the sect would mean limited rewards, so I thought to find someone to collaborate and conquer this ore vein together. I estimate that the site could produce over a hundred pieces of jade, and we could extract everything in about a week, then split the proceeds fifty-fifty afterward.¡± Qi Shijian explained his intentions, speaking very sincerely. Vajra Tribulation Jade Ore is an extremely precious mineral, primarily used to forge Mid Grade Magical Artifacts, and a single piece of Vajra Tribulation Jade can sell for over a thousand Blood Marrow Crystals. If things are as Qi Shijian described, then the hundred pieces of Vajra Tribulation Jade could amount to an astonishing total of one hundred thousand Blood Marrow Crystals. With an equal split, that would be a staggering fifty thousand Blood Marrow Crystals each. ¡°Is this true?¡± Su Jie was astounded; such a fortunate affair seemed rare. ¡°Absolutely true, this is one piece I mined before.¡± While speaking, Qi Shijian also took out a piece of Vajra Tribulation Jade, pure and flawless, its surface smooth like a mirror, and under the sunlight, it reflected a dazzling radiance. Su Jie nodded firmly and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what are we waiting for? Qi, you should go find someone else.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, you aren¡¯t willing to collaborate?¡± Qi Shijian¡¯s facial expression clearly exhibited great surprise at Su Jie¡¯s response. ¡°Indeed, I am not interested in this.¡± Su Jie responded without a second thought. For pies falling from the sky, Su Jie felt his luck wasn¡¯t that good. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll look for someone else to collaborate with.¡± Qi Shijian seemed somewhat regretful but did not persist further. As he walked away, Qi Shijian¡¯s face suddenly darkened. Su Jie watched Qi Shijian disappear into the distance and muttered to himself, ¡°Considering the nature of a demon cultivator, finding a vein of Vajra Tribulation Jade Ore and kindly looking to share the profits seems highly suspicious.¡± That was also why Su Jie was unwilling to go. Although unclear about Qi Shijian¡¯s intentions, Su Jie was not about to take that risk. Chapter 236 - 152: The Traitor (Third Update) Chapter 236: Chapter 152: The Traitor (Third Update) Su Jie had been at Ghost Ridge Palace for a few days, primarily to gather with a few friends, such as Chen Yun, Wu Bin, and Ning Xinyue. He had originally planned to rest for two days before heading out to join the sect war, but a piece of shocking news reached the sect first. ¡°What, Luo Jian is dead.¡± In his residence, Wu Bin from the Command Hall came running over to relay this significant news to Su Jie. Luo Jian was one of the three top experts among the disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace, as famous as Xiao Fengyuan and Qi Shijian. In the outside world, he was on the same level as cultivators like Du Shaochang. Hearing the news of his sudden death, even Su Jie was surprised. ¡°Now it¡¯s spread all over Ghost Ridge Palace that Luo Jian died in the war, and what¡¯s more, he was betrayed and killed by someone. It¡¯s said that the betrayer is another one of the three top experts, Qi Shijian.¡± When Wu Bin spoke these words, his tone was filled with shock; the impact of this news was truly immense. One of the three top experts betraying and killing another¡ªthis incident sounded incredibly surreal. ¡°Qi Shijian...¡± Su Jie immediately thought back to the scene a few days ago when Qi Shijian had come to find him, probably already harboring sinister intentions. ¡°To actually betray the sect, how could he dare.¡± Su Jie rubbed his temples; the culprit was already at the pinnacle among the disciples, on the verge of a breakthrough to becoming an Elder, and yet he chose this moment to betray the sect. ¡°Is he worried about the sect losing the war and thus seeking a way out in advance?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t lost yet; the outcome is still uncertain. If he betrays us now, then it can only be said that he has acted too hastily.¡± Su Jie said solemnly. In any sect, a betrayer is always the most despised and scorned. Especially in a Demon Cultivation Sect, betrayers are dealt with heavy punches; once caught, the punishment is so cruel you couldn¡¯t even die quickly if you wished. If Qi Shijian betrayed due to the sect war, Ghost Ridge Palace had not yet truly fallen into despair or reached a dead end. The Elders from the Righteous Sects did not dare to personally enter Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s territory at the moment, and most of their own Elders were still alive, with the war¡¯s potential yet untapped; betraying at this time was far too premature. Wu Bin continued, ¡°Anyway, the sect is abuzz with discussions now. Master Zuo has also asked me to inform you to go see him immediately.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head there right now.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t hesitate any longer, walked straight out of the residence, and followed Wu Bin towards the Command Hall. Along the way, he noticed that the sect¡¯s environment had become even more desolate than before. The ongoing sect war had drafted away too many disciples. Most of those now seen within the sect were disciples at the First or Second Level of the Yunling Realm, a level of disciples that didn¡¯t even qualify as cannon fodder. As for those above the Third Level of the Yunling Realm, most had been forced to take part in the sect war. Seeing them now in the sect meant they were either back to recuperate from injuries or resting in between shifts. ¡°Brother Su.¡± ¡°Brother Su, is it true that Brother Luo Jian is dead?¡± ¡°Brother Su, the betrayal by Brother Qi¡ªis it really true or just a rumor?¡± As Su Jie passed by, many disciples crowded around him. In the eyes of these disciples, Su Jie was also one of the strongest disciples, so the information he had was definitely more reliable. ¡°I¡¯m not fully aware of the details yet, but Ghost Ridge Palace will absolutely not let any traitor off the hook.¡± After Su Jie said this, he walked out of the crowd and headed to the Command Hall, seeking out Hall Master Zuo Xiping. ¡°Master Zuo, Disciple Su Jie pays his respects.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Su Jie pushed open the door and entered the room where, in addition to Zuo Xiping, there was a dark-skinned, tall man present. This man was also known to Su Jie, one of the three strongest cultivators at the Third Level of the Yunling Realm of Ghost Ridge Palace, Xiao Fengyuan. ¡°You¡¯ve both heard the news, I guess.¡± Zuo Xiping glanced at Su Jie, who had just come in, with a very grim face, clearly in a foul mood. ¡°Master Zuo, is it true that Luo Jian¡¯s fall was caused by Qi Shijian¡¯s betrayal of the Sect?¡± The person who spoke was Xiao Fengyuan. He had originally been in the forest outside, engaging in Sect warfare. Now he hurried back as soon as he received the message that Luo Jian, who was as famous as Xiao Fengyuan, had perished in the Sect warfare, betrayed by Qi Shijian. In Ghost Ridge Palace, Xiao Fengyuan, Luo Jian, and Qi Shijian were all cultivators at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm, standing at the pinnacle of the Yunling Realm¡¯s strength. They didn¡¯t just represent themselves; their fall would severely dampen the morale of the other disciples, just like how Su Jie¡¯s slaying of Du Shaochang dealt a severe blow to the morale of the Righteous Sects. Not to mention that Luo Jian¡¯s fall was caused by betrayal by another disciple, Qi Shijian. The acknowledged three strongest among the disciples, one dead and one a traitor, it was too great an impact on morale. ¡°Three days ago, Luo Jian trusted Qi Shijian¡¯s words and was lured out by him to join forces with Xiao Guanglian, the Divine Son of Purple Mist Sect, for an ambush attack. He was gravely injured and barely made it back near the Mountain Gate, revealing the truth before he died.¡± Zuo Xiping nodded. Xiao Guanglian was not an ordinary disciple either, being the favorite grandson of the Sect Leader of the Purple Mist Sect, gifted from a young age, possessing the Mystical Treasure Golden Body, and carrying numerous treasures, his strength was extremely formidable. ¡°Qi Shijian... Hall Master, such a traitor must not be allowed to escape.¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s eyes flashed with anger; these kinds of traitors were even more despicable than the enemy. ¡°This is why I called you here. Su Jie, Xiao Fengyuan, you two are among the strongest disciples in our Sect. Now, the Sect needs you to carry out a cleansing mission; Qi Shijian has not shown himself since his betrayal and likely has fled the Sect¡¯s domain. I want you to capture him alive and bring him back to the Sect for punishment.¡± Zuo Xiping¡¯s gaze swept over the two, issuing the capture order with a stern face. For Ghost Ridge Palace, such traitors must be dealt with immediately. Now, still in the midst of Sect conflict, if a ringleader like Qi Shijian isn¡¯t dealt with, to make an example for the other disciples, they might follow suit, thinking similar thoughts. ¡°This disciple is willing to go.¡± ¡°This disciple will not fail the entrusted task.¡± Both responded in unison, this kind of task now only suited Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan. The Secret Realm Elders needed to stay to guard the Sect and could not leave, catching Qi Shijian out and about would surely be fraught with danger and difficulties. After all, outside was the dominion of the Righteous Sects, only Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan, working together, could accomplish this task. ¡°We leave at dawn tomorrow. I will personally take you through a hidden route to leave the Mountain Gate. Qi Shijian has definitely sought refuge with Purple Mist Sect by now. Your mission starts from there...¡± Zuo Xiping cautioned them further and took out a specialized Identity Jade with Qi Shijian¡¯s name clearly inscribed on it. This was an identity token that each inner disciple received upon promotion, one copy for the individual, another kept by the Sect. This Identity Jade, consecrated with the disciple¡¯s Heart Blood, actually served as a locator device. It would be activated when a disciple betrayed, locking onto the rough position of the disciple, also acting as a sword of Damocles hanging over the head of every inner disciple. Chapter 237 - 153: Leaving the Clan (Fourth Update) Chapter 237: Chapter 153: Leaving the Clan (Fourth Update) By the time everything had ended, Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan walked out of the house. ¡°Brother Su, this time we must fight side by side.¡± Xiao Fengyuan looked at Su Jie and extended his hand. Su Jie reached out and gave Xiao Fengyuan a slap on the hand, then asked, ¡°Brother Xiao, I don¡¯t know much about Qi Shijian. What kind of person is he, and do you know the reason why he defected?¡± Xiao Fengyuan thought for a moment before replying, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t talk about. Before this incident occurred, I had a decent relationship with him. He was more elegant and cultured than most Demon Cultivators, sometimes more like a scholar than a fighter. As to why he betrayed us, I have some guesses. It might be related to a woman he met on the outside.¡± ¡°A woman?¡± ¡°Mo Shiyao, you should know her.¡± Xiao Fengyuan nodded and mentioned a name that was somewhat familiar to Su Jie. ¡°That woman from Miao Yin Temple, the one called Qingyin Fairy?¡± Su Jie was of course not unfamiliar with the name, the woman who was with Du Shaochang. ¡°Yes, that is her. She is known as the most beautiful woman in Qingzhou, and she has many admirers due to her great fame.¡± Xiao Fengyuan sighed, continuing, ¡°During a mission outside, Qi Shijian interacted with this woman and developed feelings for her. After returning, he lost his appetite and couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her. He was too infatuated, and I¡¯m afraid he was used by others because of this and defected from the Sect.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this just being a simp! There are such people among the Demon Cultivators too!¡± Su Jie scratched his head, finding the reason for betraying the Sect hard to believe. It seemed too outlandish, betraying Ghost Ridge Palace for a woman as if it were a fairy tale like Cinderella. But then Su Jie thought again, Qi Shijian had come to invite him a few days ago, probably at Mo Shiyao¡¯s instigation. After all, he had killed her beloved Du Shaochang, and she had always wanted to kill him in revenge. ¡°Simp suits the situation quite well.¡± Xiao Fengyuan shook his head wryly and said, ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t want to think that way, but Qi Shijian had a history of hiding his Demon Cultivator identity to meet with Mo Shiyao secretly. Not many people knew about it, and I found out by chance. Before the Sect conflict broke out, I relented to his plea and didn¡¯t disclose it. I thought once the war started he would cut off that unrealistic fantasy, knowing the division between Right and Evil. But little did I expect, one wrong step led to another, and he ended up where he is now.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing else to say. Since he has betrayed the Sect, he must face the consequences. Once we capture him and bring him back to the Sect, everything will come to light.¡± Su Jie became serious. Qi Shijian was involved with Mo Shiyao and had once tried to plot against him, so Su Jie felt the need to capture him for interrogation. Xiao Fengyuan agreed completely, saying, ¡°Indeed, we can¡¯t let him off easily.¡± .... After parting with Xiao Fengyuan, Su Jie returned to his residence to prepare for the journey the next day. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re leaving? Take me with you, I¡¯m getting a bit bored being alone.¡± Ning Xinyue saw Su Jie packing various daily necessities into his Storage Bag and guessed that he was heading out. ¡°I can¡¯t take you this time. I¡¯m going to capture a traitor, not to sightsee.¡± Su Jie rejected her without hesitation. Ning Xinyue¡¯s identity was complicated. If Xiao Fengyuan recognized her, it wouldn¡¯t be good¡ªhe was someone who abhorred evil and wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill someone who disguised their identity and infiltrated the Sect. Ning Xinyue blinked her large eyes and asked, ¡°Are you going to capture Qi Shijian?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard too?¡± ¡°The entire Sect knows Qi Shijian has betrayed the Sect. I¡¯m neither deaf nor blind.¡± Ning Xinyue pouted, shook Su Jie¡¯s arm, and coaxed, ¡°Take me with you, I really want to go out too.¡± Ever since she had entered Ghost Ridge Palace, and after the Exotic Treasure incident followed by the Sect wars, all routes out of the Sect¡¯s territory were guarded by Elders, making it impossible for her to leave unless she used an extremely precious talisman. ¡°No point discussing it, the Elder assigned just the two of us, it wasn¡¯t up to me to decide.¡± Being pestered, Su Jie said directly, ¡°If you¡¯re capable, go and persuade Master Zuo Xiping to let you join.¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes rolled as she placed her hands on her hips, ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll go then.¡± ......... Su Jie had thought Ning Xinyue was just talking big, but to his surprise, when he and Xiao Fengyuan met up the next day ready to set off, Ning Xinyue actually came with Zuo Xiping. ¡°This girl...¡± Su Jie watched Ning Xinyue with a speechless expression. Did this girl really make it happen? ¡°Su Jie, Xiao Fengyuan, one more person will be added to your capture team this time. Your Junior Sister Zhu Qingya will also go with you to help complete the capture.¡± Zuo Xiping¡¯s words confirmed what Su Jie had thought. Ning Xinyue glanced sideways at Su Jie, the triumph almost spilling from her face. ¡°Master Zuo, Junior Sister Zhu¡¯s strength...¡± Xiao Fengyuan was somewhat puzzled because as far as he knew, this Junior Sister was indeed talented but had only just started. ¡°I thought the same at first, then I found out she has been hiding her strength. What¡¯s more important is that she has a disguise technique that can help you with appearance and bodily transformations, which is very beneficial for hiding your identity and preventing mission failure due to exposure.¡± Zuo Xiping spoke cheerfully and emphasized the importance of Ning Xinyue. In reality, these reasons alone weren¡¯t enough to persuade Zuo Xiping. The main factor was that Elder Tang Peiqing had come to plead on her behalf, and considering Ning Xinyue had indeed teamed up with Su Jie in past Sect wars, it made sense to add another woman, who was better suited for action in certain special environments. ¡°Brother Su, Brother Xiao, please take good care of me in the future.¡± Ning Xinyue greeted the two with a smiling face and sneakily made a face at Su Jie. ¡°Junior Sister Zhu!¡± Xiao Fengyuan nodded slightly, acknowledging the greeting. ¡°Little Zhu! Remember to hide behind me if there¡¯s danger, so I won¡¯t have to worry about you.¡± Su Jie coughed awkwardly; the nickname ¡®Little Zhu¡¯ almost caused Ning Xinyue to lose her composure as she bit down on her teeth. ¡°You are the little pig...¡± While inwardly fuming, Ning Xinyue maintained an elegant smile on her face, ¡°Then I thank Brother Su for his care, make sure to protect me when there¡¯s danger!¡± ¡°Enough talk, let¡¯s not waste any more words. I¡¯ll lead you out of the Sect.¡± Zuo Xiping cut off the pleasantries and led the way ahead. Given the current environment of the Sect, even the disciples of the Righteous Sect entering the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace didn¡¯t do so openly but were using some sort of Magical Treasure to teleport inside. Hence, to leave, they also needed an Elder from inside like Zuo Xiping to lead the way. The three followed closely behind, stepping towards the exit of the Sect. Chapter 238 - 154: Forced Entry (First Update) Chapter 238: Chapter 154: Forced Entry (First Update) Three days later! Su Jie and his companions left the Ghost Ridge Palace without incident, parting ways with Hall Master Zuo Xiping. ¡°The rest of the journey is up to you, be careful on your way.¡± With Zuo Xiping¡¯s parting advice, Su Jie and the other two gradually left the towering mountains of the Ghost Ridge Palace and arrived at the plains. ¡°Let me change your appearance first.¡± Ning Xinyue bounced over to Su Jie, her delicate little hands pinching Su Jie¡¯s facial muscles as a strange Spiritual Power flowed into him, cool to the touch. Su Jie¡¯s facial muscles slackened first, then gradually morphed into a different appearance. After a dozen seconds, Ning Xinyue clapped her hands, satisfied with her handiwork, ¡°Done, see how I did.¡± As she spoke, she even took out a mirror to show Su Jie the transformation. In the mirror was a plain face, showing no trace of Su Jie¡¯s original appearance. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be quite skilled.¡± Su Jie touched his own face, feeling the remnants of Spiritual Power. Until this power completely dissipated, his countenance wouldn¡¯t change. This way, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his identity being discovered while traveling in the outside world. After all, his original face had a bounty of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones on it, making being recognized extremely dangerous. ¡°Now you know how important I am.¡± Ning Xinyue proudly lifted her chin, then went on to alter Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s appearance, and finally changed her own as well. After these maneuvers, even the members of the Ghost Ridge Palace, if standing in front of the trio now, would not be able to recognize them. ¡°First, let¡¯s pinpoint Qi Shijian¡¯s location.¡± Su Jie took out the Identity Jade from his bosom. A red light spot appeared in the upper left corner of the Jade, flickering on and off. ¡°To the northwest, he¡¯s heading towards Fengzhou.¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly. The light spot on the Identity Jade could act like a compass, indicating direction, and the closer it was to the Jade¡¯s host, the brighter it would become. They would use this method to seek their target. ¡°No matter the distance, we must capture him.¡± Su Jie put away the Identity Token, imagining that the other party might also be on alert, which explained why he had traveled so far. ¡°Brother Su, Brother Xiao, someone¡¯s coming.¡± Ning Xinyue tugged at Su Jie¡¯s sleeve, pointing to a cavalry team that appeared in the distance. The cavalry team consisted of more than a dozen Righteous Sect disciples, clearly on a patrol mission. Upon seeing several strangers like Su Jie and the others, they immediately spurred their horses to quicken their pace. After all, due to the Sect wars, no ordinary people dared to venture near the area. ¡°Who are you, skulking about? State your origins.¡± A harsh voice bellowed as weapons were drawn. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Xiao Fengyuan turned around, his left sleeve fluttering, and from within flew a Top Grade Three Refinement Multi-legged Centipede. In an instant, it swelled to over thirty meters long, countless underbellies turning into elongated tentacles. Hundreds of tentacles obscured the view with their messy, intense barrage. Dirt and stones burst from the ground, accompanied by screams and blood as numerous bodies were smashed into mush, mingling with the soil and vegetation on the ground. The unfortunate Righteous Sect disciples had encountered two of the strongest disciples from the Ghost Ridge Palace. Although they had the advantage in numbers, they were actually trapped in a hopeless situation. ¡°Run, run!¡± ¡°That move, it¡¯s the Nine-headed Demon Spear.¡± ¡°Quick, notify the Sect Elders... ¡± Some of those lucky enough not to be killed were so frightened they ran for their lives without looking back. Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s hand now held a black long spear that had appeared out of nowhere, a Mid Grade Magical Artifact. Facing several disciples in a sorry state of escape, he didn¡¯t give them a chance to return and send a message. The blood-colored patterns on the long spear were faintly emerging. The fleeing Righteous Disciples¡¯ eyes, nose, and ears gushed with blood as they convulsed on the ground, all the blood in their bodies uncontrollably being sucked out as it flowed into the black long spear, making the blood-colored patterns on the spear¡¯s body even more vivid. Less than half a minute had passed before the battle had already ended. These Righteous Disciples, with the gap in combat strength too great compared to Xiao Fengyuan, were slaughtered without much resistance. ¡°So powerful.¡± Ning Xinyue couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue in secret admiration and involuntarily turned to look at Su Jie, subconsciously comparing the strengths of the two men. ¡°Brother Xiao¡¯s skills are truly extraordinary,¡± Su Jie said with a smile, offering his compliments. He had intended to deal with any stragglers, but it seemed there was no longer any need for his help. ¡°These Righteous gentlemen, I certainly won¡¯t be merciful when killing them,¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s eyes were bloodthirsty and brutal, and at this moment, he truly resembled a Demon Cultivator, a far cry from his previous demeanor. ¡°Let¡¯s clean up and leave. It¡¯s not suitable to stay here for long,¡± After tidying up the battlefield a bit, the three quickly left the area, heading northwest. ................ Su Jie and the others had planned to leave quietly, but the area sealed off by the Righteous Sect was larger than they had anticipated. Along the way, they would occasionally run into patrolling Righteous Disciples. The slightest discrepancy in passcodes or secret phrases would reveal their identities as Demon Cultivators, forcing them to silence witnesses along their path. However, engaging in such actions too frequently naturally came with the risk of exposure. ¡°The patrols by the Righteous are getting denser; our identities have likely been exposed,¡± Su Jie said, concealed among the dense branches, after watching a patrol team leave moments ago. No matter how many were silenced, with so many patrolling disciples going missing, those Righteous Sects would definitely realize something was amiss and suspect a group of powerful Demon Cultivators had slipped away. ¡°If need be, we¡¯ll just force our way through.¡± Xiao Fengyuan spread out the map, noting that their current location was actually far from Ghost Ridge Palace, but the intensity of the patrols was abnormal, clearly targeted based on their trail of killings. The Righteous were strengthening their defenses and blockades, attempting to capture Su Jie and the others. ¡°That¡¯s indeed our only option. I will lead the way and fly us out,¡± Su Jie nodded, releasing the thousand-hand centipede from his sleeve. Flying was too attention-grabbing, which was why Su Jie had been reluctant to do so before. But now that their general location had been exposed, they might as well use the fastest way to break out of the encirclement. Sizzle! Once the thousand-hand centipede was released, its body rapidly expanded in coils, transforming in a moment into an eighty-meter-long massive creature. ¡°Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect.¡± Xiao Fengyuan was taken aback. The last time he saw the thousand-hand centipede, it was at Mid Grade Four Refinements. Just a few months had passed, and it had advanced to Mid Grade Five Refinements. Its transformation speed was indeed too fast. ¡°Come on up,¡± Su Jie stood on the head of the thousand-hand centipede, while Xiao Fengyuan, without fuss, joined him. He owned a mount too, the Four-eyed Illusion Demon Fox, but it wasn¡¯t fast at flying, nowhere near as useful as the thousand-hand centipede. Ning Xinyue hesitated, only climbing onto the back of the thousand-hand centipede after receiving a stern look from Su Jie, closing her eyes in the process. ¡°Xiao Qian, take off and ascend. We¡¯re breaking out,¡± Su Jie patted the head of the thousand-hand centipede, which then trembled with force, propelling itself rapidly skyward. Now with a size comparable to a Boeing 747, the Righteous Cultivators were certainly not blind. As the thousand-hand centipede took flight, it immediately became a magnet for attention, attracting eyes from all directions. Chapter 239 - 155: Manhunt (Second Update) Chapter 239: Chapter 155: Manhunt (Second Update) ¡°Look up in the sky.¡± ¡°That centipede is the Corpse Hand Man Slaughter¡¯s signature poisonous insect.¡± ¡°Bring it down.¡± As soon as the Righteous Cultivators heard the news, Flying Swords, talismans, Taoist Skills, and other attacks all bombarded it. The enormous body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, with its scale armor as invulnerable as a fortress, resisted all attacks, which fell upon it like fireworks on steel, sparking not even a ripple. However, taking hits without fighting back was not the style of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. In response to those tiny ants tickling it, the Thousand-Handed Centipede slightly lowered its head, its bony faceplate split open, and hundreds of Purple Light Rays suddenly burst forth. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The next moment, the high-temperature beam twisted the air and struck the Righteous Disciples attacking from the ground. Many disciples, with insufficient cultivation, didn¡¯t even have the time to scream before being directly melted by the extreme heat. Hot winds swept across the ground, creating hundreds of holes on the surface as rocks and soil turned into bubbling, boiling lava. Countless disciples died instantly from that strike; those lucky enough to survive, with higher cultivation, were also pale and terrified as they watched the sky, their numerous attacks nearly all extinguished in a blink. The Thousand-Handed Centipede continued to fly higher, getting farther and farther from the ground, escaping the reach of most disciples¡¯ attacks. The ordinary Yunling Realm disciples lacked the ability to fly, making them almost no threat to the Thousand-Handed Centipede in these circumstances. But things were not so smooth. While these ordinary disciples couldn¡¯t fly, there were always some exceptions. The reckless actions on Su Jie¡¯s part merely enraged the numerous Righteous Disciples. Two figures rapidly ascended from the ground, chasing after the Thousand-Handed Centipede. One of them rode a Flying Spiritual Beast, a massive lion with a mane like a blazing flame, standing ten feet tall. The other person used Sword Control, dragging streaks of Sword Light and leaving a trail of sonic booms as he relentlessly pursued. ¡°Fire Lion Ren Yunchang.¡± ¡°Ming Wang Sword Wang Chong¡± Xiao Fengyuan recognized the two approaching figures, noting that neither was a simple character. Indeed, anyone who could master flight in the Yunling Realm was not ordinary. Su Jie lowered his head, looking at the two pursuing him, and snapped his fingers with his right hand, ¡°Heavenly Thunder.¡± Thunder boomed! The void¡¯s Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder fiercely struck down. Wang Chong skillfully dodged with his Flying Sword, but Ren Yunchang, who rode the giant lion, chose to withstand it but clearly underestimated the power of the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. The giant lion under him howled miserably from the electricity; his own hair stood on end like porcupine quills, his skin charred and cracked, bleeding profusely. Just as he became stiff, the Thousand-Handed Centipede suddenly decelerated, turned around, and its gaping jaw opened wide. Under the shocked gazes of countless Righteous Disciples below, the Thousand-Handed Centipede directly swallowed both the giant lion and Ren Yunchang in one bite. Ah! You could hear something struggling inside the stomach of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, and screams emanated from it. But within just a few seconds, everything returned to silence. The so-called Fire Lion Ren Yunchang, in the face of the Mid Grade Five Refinement Thousand-Handed Centipede, was merely a bite-sized matter. ¡°Brother Ren, Corpse Hand Man Slaughter, I want you to pay with your life.¡± Wang Chong roared in grief and fury, his eyes splitting from rage as he slashed down a Spiritual Energy Giant Sword ten meters long, directly at Su Jie. The thousand-hand centipede flicked its tail, shattering the Spiritual Energy Giant Sword outright. ¡°Go join your brother now,¡± he said. With a cold laugh, Su Jie watched as the thousand-hand centipede opened its mouth and spat out a cloud of black mist that instantly enveloped Wang Chong. It was the Death Decline Curse Cloud, and the unsuspecting Wang Chong had no time to dodge. Under the terrifying curse, his skin instantly lost moisture and became as rough and aged as tree bark, sprouting dense age spots and shrinking into a dried, skeletal corpse as his life force dissipated like a siphon. ¡°Ah... you demon... demon!!!¡± Wang Chong¡¯s pupils gradually dilated, and after his final words, his vital breath ceased, leaving him like a piece of withered wood. His flesh, bones, and organs all decayed, scattered into the heavens by the fierce wind, vanishing into the high sky. This battle had lasted only briefly, and the two experts whom the Righteous Disciples had pinned their hopes on died at the hands of the thousand-hand centipede, leaving the ground disciples gaping in disbelief, their faces filled with incredulity. ¡°Hey, Su Jie, you better fly fast; there¡¯s a big one coming after us,¡± someone called out. Su Jie had barely had a chance to rejoice when he suddenly heard Ning Xinyue¡¯s anxious voice. Turning his head, Su Jie saw a rage-filled elderly man flying unaided toward them in the distance, the mark of the Secret Realm Elders who required no external tools for flight. ¡°Really, even an Elder has come out,¡± Su Jie thought with a jolt and promptly urged the thousand-hand centipede to speed up. ¡°It¡¯s Elder Xu, Elder Xu has come,¡± said someone. ¡°Elder Xu, this person killed Senior Brother Wang and Senior Brother Ren. You must avenge them!¡± ¡°We cannot let these few demons escape,¡± another added. The morale of the Righteous Disciples on the ground surged as they saw him as a savior. ¡°Evil demon, stop fleeing,¡± bellowed Elder Xu, deploying his Taoist Skill simultaneously. Above the clouds, clouds transformed into massive palms, stacking and striking down towards the thousand-hand centipede. Where the giant palms passed, divine brilliance was overwhelming like tidal waves, the air vacuumed away by their force, possessing astonishing power. ¡°Blood Cang Spear!¡± Xiao Fengyuan pulled out a black long spear, and from around him, blood-patterned flying knives emerged, slashing towards the giant cloud palms. They only managed to hinder them slightly, barely holding on before being smashed apart by the overwhelming force of the successive cloud palms crashing down on the thousand-hand centipede. The body of the thousand-hand centipede twisted upward, its massive form breaking through the giant cloud palms. Numerous pale corpse hands tore apart the giant palms smashing from every direction. Amid the fierce collisions, some pale corpse hands broke off and fell from the sky, while more cloud palms were completely annihilated in the air. ¡°Hmm, this poisonous insect,¡± Elder Xu remarked, visibly shocked as he watched the thousand-hand centipede, the creature¡¯s combat prowess far exceeding his expectations. This was no ordinary poisonous insect; its strength made him feel a slight threat. The next moment, the thousand-hand centipede suddenly turned back, spewing another mouthful of Death Decline Curse Cloud at Elder Xu while also firing several Purple Light Rays. ¡°How dare you!¡± Elder Xu was furious, unable to believe that a mere creature from the Yunling Realm dared to be so bold. His magic robe lit up with thousands of golden glimmers as layer upon layer of Purple Light Rays were blocked, bursting and sending a rain of fire scattering beneath the ruptured sky, the robe itself showing some signs of damage. When the Death Decline Curse Cloud reached him, the sinister and terrifying curse began to erode Elder Xu¡¯s limbs and body. His complexion changed instantly as his body uncontrollably began to age, his robust Spiritual Power struggling greatly against it. In just a few seconds, Elder Xu aged by twenty years, his hair and beard turned completely white, and the wrinkles on his skin were so deep they could trap mosquitoes. By the time Elder Xu recovered slightly, managing to suppress the curse and regain some vitality, there was no sign of the thousand-hand centipede in the sky; it had long escaped from view. Chapter 240 - 156: The Han Family (Third Update) Chapter 240: Chapter 156: The Han Family (Third Update) Half a day later! On the ground, the Thousand-Handed Centipede slowly landed. ¡°At last, we¡¯ve escaped.¡± Feeling secure, Ning Xinyue patted her chest with lingering fear. ¡°You just muddled along without making any effort,¡± Su Jie said irritably, flicking Ning Xinyue¡¯s forehead. ¡°I was the one who spotted the Secret Realm Elder in advance. How can you say I didn¡¯t contribute?¡± Ning Xinyue protested, covering her forehead. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d provoke an Elder. Luckily, we had Brother Su and this Poisonous Centipede; otherwise, our escape wouldn¡¯t have been so simple,¡± Xiao Fengyuan said. He had also experienced successful escapes from Secret Realm Elders in the past, but this time they had been deeply trapped within the encirclement of a Righteous Sect, and if they were delayed for long, there would have been more than one Elder appearing later. ¡°It was also luck, that Elder wasn¡¯t very fast at flying. If we had encountered one who excelled at it, we would have had to confront them head on.¡± Su Jie retracted the Thousand-Handed Centipede back into his robe. They needed to continue on foot; flying in the sky was too conspicuous, and the outside world belonged to the Righteous Sects. Caution was paramount. Fortunately, once they left the encirclement, there would be no more patrolling disciples, which would make things easier. ¡°Where are we now? How far is that Qi Shijian from us?¡± ¡°Let me check.¡± Checking the Identity Jade, Su Jie was pleasantly surprised to find that the glowing spot on it was brighter and blinking faster, indicating that Qi Shijian was within a few hundred miles from them. ¡°Southeast direction. There are many cities that way; we just don¡¯t know which city the other party will be in.¡± Ning Xinyue consulted the map, noting that Qi Shijian¡¯s location was indeed in a densely populated area. Su Jie took the map, gave it a quick glance, and to his surprise, came across a familiar name. ¡°Wait, Nanyang City?¡± Su Jie was startled to see the name Nanyang City. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ning Xinyue didn¡¯t understand Su Jie¡¯s strong reaction. ¡°Nanyang City is a haunted place!¡± Su Jie¡¯s face darkened as he recalled the terrifying night he had spent in Nanyang City. Back in Nanyang City, Su Jie had stayed overnight with Dong Hongtian and other martial artists, and experienced a ghostly procession. ¡°Haunted, really?¡± Ning Xinyue blinked her eyes with curiosity. ¡°Why would I lie to you? That city was taken over by the Heavenly Soul Sect. They corralled the townspeople, using them as a source of fear to harvest...¡± Su Jie briefly recounted what he had witnessed in Nanyang City. ¡°The Heavenly Soul Sect, this Demon Sect has really gone too far,¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s voice deepened. It¡¯s said that two tigers cannot share one mountain, and it is the same with Demon Cultivation Sects. Unless it¡¯s a region rich in resources, Demon Cultivation Sects rarely cluster together, usually avoiding each other. Then again, Demon Cultivation Sects wouldn¡¯t get the chance to occupy resource-rich areas since those are generally under the control of Righteous Sects. ¡°Eh, the Heavenly Soul Sect has moved from Jingzhou to this place!¡± Ning Xinyue mumbled to herself; she had traded the method to create the Soul Summoning Banner with the Heavenly Soul Sect in Jingzhou, but that was something she preferred not to mention in front of Xiao Fengyuan. ¡°We should try to avoid Nanyang City as much as possible, our mission is to capture Qi Shijian and bring him back to the Sect, not to compete with the Heavenly Soul Sect.¡± Su Jie said, even though he knew that the Heavenly Soul Sect had overstepped its boundaries, given the current situation of Ghost Ridge Palace, they were already struggling to protect themselves and did not have the ability to defend their territory. Even if they wanted to settle accounts with the Heavenly Soul Sect, they would have to survive this round of Sect warfare before addressing it. Xiao Fengyuan fell silent for a moment and then nodded, ¡°Capturing Qi Shijian is more important, let¡¯s put this matter aside for now.¡± The three of them set off again, heading towards the densely populated area ahead. .......... Two days later! In East Victory City, the bustling streets were filled with a wide, flat pavement of bluestone, and a bustling crowd was shuttling back and forth, among whom were descendants of wealthy families dressed in luxurious clothes. On both sides of the street, tall shops stood in rows, displaying a dazzling array of merchandise, while the streets swarmed with performers and small vendors, presenting a lively and prosperous scene. At the city gate entrance, Su Jie, Xiao Fengyuan, and Ning Xinyue arrived at the city. ¡°Three copper coins per person for the city entry fee.¡± A few soldiers at the city gate stood listlessly, collecting the entry tax. Su Jie tossed over a few copper coins, but his gaze drifted to the other side, to the wanted poster affixed at the city gate. At the top of the bounty list was Su Jie himself, with a reward of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, an amount that could drive anyone mad. If it weren¡¯t for Ning Xinyue¡¯s disguise, Su Jie wouldn¡¯t dare to enter the city with such confidence. Below his wanted poster, there were many others sought for capture, mostly Jianghu bandits and villains of serious crimes, incomparable to Su Jie. ¡°Hey, make way, please, make way.¡± Suddenly, a team of family servants came marching quickly, shoving through the crowd and posting a notice at the city gate. ¡°The Han Family is recruiting capable and righteous individuals. Anyone with real skills can collect a reward of three hundred taels of silver on the spot, and those who can solve the problems of the Han Family will be given ten thousand taels of silver,¡± one of the servants shouted, immediately drawing the nearby commoners to gather and watch. Su Jie took a quick glance and saw, indeed, a recruitment order. ¡°So it¡¯s the Han Family, it seems the rumors are true.¡± ¡°Who would dare to go? I heard even the Heavenly Patrol Department rushed to help and suffered casualties.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the skills to claim that money anyway.¡± The onlooking commoners discussed among themselves, and Ning Xinyue, who had an impulsive nature, approached a scholarly-looking man and asked, ¡°Excuse me, sir, we¡¯ve just come from outside the area. What is this Han Family you¡¯re all talking about?¡± The scholar turned his head, initially not intending to respond, but upon seeing Ning Xinyue¡¯s appearance, even though she had altered her face, her figure and the aura of her cultivation greatly attracted the scholar. ¡°That¡¯s a prestigious family in East Victory City. Five hundred years ago, an ancestor, Han Chong, led the frontier wolf cavalry and repelled the invaders from the Blood Moon Demon Country at Heavenly Peak Pass, thereby quelling the Revolt of the Ten Thousand Shadows. He was honored by the founding Emperor of the Da Li Dynasty as the National Guardian General and the Heavenly Strategy Supreme General, bestowed the title Lord Zhen¡¯an, and was once extremely illustrious. After Han Chong passed away, the Han Family began to decline slowly, but due to their foundation and the emergence of talented and virtuous descendants, who achieved great honors, there were still family members who became officials in the court. Forty-five years ago, the Han Family took the wrong side during the struggle for succession after the change of thrones, which displeased Emperor Yonglong who ascended to power. In retaliation, he demoted and dismissed Han Family officials, confiscated their wealth for the state treasury, and executed many family members, leading to the Han Family¡¯s gradual decline to this day.¡± The scholar spoke slowly, showing off his vast knowledge to Ning Xinyue. ¡°Recently, the Han Family has encountered strange occurrences. People in their household began to die mysteriously, one per day at first, which escalated to two per week, and as of today, three members of the Han Family die daily. Not only servants and maids but also relatives from both the branch and main lineage have perished. Because of this, the Han Family Master has issued a recruitment order, seeking the help of capable and righteous individuals. Whoever solves the Han Family¡¯s crisis will be rewarded ten thousand taels of silver.¡± As he spoke, the scholar pointed at a towering mansion within the city. Despite the distance, one could see magnificent banners hanging there, inlaid with five-colored glaze, standing out prominently in the city. ¡°Look, that is where the Han Family estate is located.¡± Chapter 241 - 157: Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body (First Update) Chapter 241: Chapter 157: Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body (First Update) ¡°Indeed, luxurious,¡± Ning Xinyue said, feigning a surprised expression. ¡°It looks like the Han Family has had some bad luck. They arranged a marriage alliance with the Nanjing King and sent off their young lady, Han Ruyan, but then this happened recently. I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯ve sought help from many disciples of first-class sects, including the Purple Mist Sect, Miao Yin Temple, and Guan Chao Pavilion,¡± the scholar said. At these words, Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. The reason why Su Jie and his companions had come to East Victory City was the directive of the Identity Jade, suggesting that Qi Shijian was likely residing within the city. Putting together what the scholar said, things became progressively clearer. ¡°Thank you for the clarification.¡± Ning Xinyue smiled sweetly and bid farewell to the scholar. ¡°The Han Family, huh!¡± After entering the city, Su Jie checked the guidance of the Identity Jade, and as luck would have it, the direction it pointed to was right where the Han Mansion was located. ¡°It seems that the whereabouts of Qi Shijian indeed lie with the Han Family,¡± Su Jie thought to himself and shared the guidance of the Identity Jade with Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan. ¡°Are we going in directly?¡± Xiao Fengyuan asked, his voice low, contemplating a swift and decisive strike to capture their target. ¡°I would like to do just that, but over at the Han Family...¡± Su Jie shook his head. The Han Family had many disciples from the reputable sects gathered there. With only Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan to fight, plus Ning Xinyue who doesn¡¯t exert much effort, they were outmatched by the numerous disciples of the righteous sects, and a head-on confrontation was too risky. ¡°Now, given that our identities are those of ordinary capable people set on doing good, isn¡¯t the Han Mansion seeking assistance? We could respond to their call, first seek an opportunity to scout, and then strike when the moment is right,¡± Su Jie suggested after some thought. Xiao Fengyuan nodded, ¡°I have no objections.¡± ¡°That sounds quite interesting,¡± Ning Xinyue chirped, her eyebrows raised in delight. The thrill of subterfuge appealed greatly to her. ............ The Han Mansion was located in the southwestern corner of East Victory City, sprawling over an extensive area. Tall and majestic courtyards with intricately carved beams and painted ridges, overwhelming eaves, deep gates and alleyways twisted and turned like a labyrinth. This estate was like a small city in itself, with embroidered buildings, kitchens, family schools, academies, flower gardens, servant residences, and surrounded courtyards¡ªthere were thousands of rooms and hundreds of courtyards, large and small. Everywhere was planted with a variety of flowers and trees, teeming with colorful blossoms, towering bamboos, picturesque ponds, and pavilions interspersed. They say even a starving camel is still bigger than a horse; even in decline, the Han Family¡¯s splendor was beyond what common people could even dare to dream about. At this moment, in the Han Family¡¯s rear garden, distinct with its seasons, with spring¡¯s purple hazes and summer¡¯s inviting cicada songs, autumn¡¯s gold and green trees, a group of young men and women were enjoying the scenery and playing. The men were graceful and extraordinary in appearance, while the women had bright teeth and beautiful brows, with hair piled high and elegant. Among these people, two were particularly striking. One had long hair over the shoulders, slender shoulders, a delicate waist, skin as smooth as ice and bones as fine as jade, an absolutely gorgeous appearance, eyes that captivated the soul, wearing dazzling silk clothes, adorned with gold and jade jewelry, sparkling with pearls, and footed in jade shoes, moving with dignified grace, shining bright as precious pearls and jades. This girl was none other than the darling of the Han Family, Han Ruyan. Another woman, with a countenance pale as snow and features like a painting, her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall. She was clad in celestial clothes adorned with cloud patterns and tassels, holding a Phoenix Feather Fan in her hand. She seemed like a Goddess seated on high clouds, her gait surrounded by an enchanting melody, exuding an aura of spiritual energy that could sway one¡¯s soul. This was Fairy Mo from Miao Yin Temple, Mo Shiyao, widely known as the first beauty among the young generation in Qingzhou. ¡°Miss Han, do you truly not wish to join our Miao Yin Temple? With your talent, you could surely reach Taoist Platform Realm in your cultivation journey, or even ascend to a higher realm, observing the world¡¯s transformation without being tainted by a speck of dust, enjoying a long and lasting life.¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s voice was sweet, laced with an enchanting allure. Her gaze followed the dazzling girl beside her, and solely in terms of beauty, the two were evenly matched. But as for their aura, she was like a Goddess descending from the Ninth Heaven, while the other merely possessed a nobility from birth, distinguishing their ranks. ¡°Fairy Mo, I cannot defy my parents¡¯ orders. I am already betrothed to the Nanjing King and will be married in five days. There¡¯s no longer any opportunity for me to seek the path of cultivation and query the Dao.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s voice was soft and mellow, like a rich wine that could intoxicate the listener. ¡°Miss Han, your Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body is such that you would progress at a rapid pace in your cultivation. If you are willing to join the Purple Mist Sect, I¡¯m sure our sect elders can help mediate the matter with the Nanjing King.¡± A young man clothed in white, with flowing hair and handsome features, exuded an extraordinary aura that seemed detached from worldly concerns spoke persuasively. He was the beloved grandson of the Sect Master of the Purple Cloud Sect, Xiao Guanglian, a Divine Son intensively nurtured by his sect. By Xiao Guanglian¡¯s side stood a man with a gentle smile. At the moment, he chimed in, saying, ¡°Miss Han, the Purple Mist Sect is one of Qingzhou¡¯s reputable sects. Your concerns about your family and the Nanjing King are trivial matters that we will handle for you.¡± If Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan were here, they would have recognized the man speaking. It was none other than Qi Shijian, whom they had been desperately seeking. He was now mingling with a group of people from reputable sects, his eyes occasionally fixing on Mo Shiyao with a gaze filled with intense adoration. ¡°Miss Han, Guan Chao Pavilion has a certain rapport with the Imperial Family of the Da Li Dynasty. I imagine the Nanjing King would give us some face.¡± A man dressed in a wide, blue robe with a white jade belt tied around his waist, his black hair fluttering in the wind, stood with an impressive and commanding air. His eyes and eyebrows reflected an untamed spirit, and he spoke with strong confidence and charm. He was Yu Wenjing from Guan Chao Pavilion, who possessed the Obsidian Scale Body, ranking fourteenth among Divine Bodies, and boasted of a Seventh-level cultivation within the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm. His status and strength within his sect were even above what Du Shaochang once had. While speaking, he looked at Han Ruyan with admiration. This young woman, who bore the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body ranked seventh among the Divine Bodies, was a first-class cultivation physique in the world. Known as the Beichen Chui Xiang, orbited by all stars, it was deemed the Creation Mechanism, the master of gods and men, commanding awe across the Three Realms, ruling All Spirits. This was the terrifying potential of the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, said to be capable of shaking the Three Realms and ruling All Spirits upon its growth. Being born in the Han Mansion and exposed to music, chess, calligraphy, and painting from a young age, she had not rigorously cultivated, and solely through the natural growth of her spiritual power, she already possessed a Seventh-level cultivation in the Yunling Realm. If she embraced the path of cultivation and received nurturance and teachings from a sect, she was bound to become, at the very least, a powerful being in the Taoist Platform Realm and possibly ascend to even higher realms, having the potential to protect her sect for a millennium. After Xiao Guanglian and Yu Wenjing had spoken, about a dozen other men and women also took turns to persuade her. They were all disciples from various sects in Qingzhou, drawn here because Han Ruyan¡¯s Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body had been discovered during a routine check-up before her marriage to the Nanjing King, which had caused a sensation throughout Qingzhou. This was, after all, a Divine Body ranked in the top ten¡ªShould she join any sect, it would greatly benefit from her growth. Consequently, these sects sprang into action, each in a hurry to invite Han Ruyan to join their ranks. Chapter 242 - 158: Persuasion (Second Update) Chapter 242: Chapter 158: Persuasion (Second Update) Mo Shiyao stepped onto the cobblestone path by the pond and looked at the mandarin ducks playing in the water, pointing with her hand. ¡°Miss Han, look at these mandarin ducks, forming pairs and casting shadows. You are entrusting your life to the Nanjing King without even meeting him once. Do you think you will be happy in the future?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for anyone to say more. Having been cared for by the Han Family since childhood, I¡¯ve long been prepared for this. Personal emotions are of little significance.¡± With the light shining on her profile, Han Ruyan appeared as flawless as white jade, her beautiful face displaying an indifferent calm like water, showing neither much sorrow nor much joy. For the Han Family, the Nanjing King, the real power-holder of Jingzhou, was the best marriage alliance prospect and key to their potential resurgence. To regain high positions in the court, the support of the Nanjing King was extremely important. Even if it meant sending away the treasured daughter of the family for marriage, it was unanimously approved by everyone in the Han Family. Han Ruyan was well aware of her fate. Born into a famous family like the Han Family, indulging in exotic delicacies and silk since childhood, her fate had been silently labeled with a price, and now, it was time to repay through this arranged marriage. ¡°If you want to change the fate of the Han Family, once you achieve the Taoist Platform Realm, only then can you truly help your clan.¡± Yu Wenjing chuckled lightly, exuding an unstoppable domineering aura, and slowly said, ¡°Instead of relying on someone else as your support, why not become the support for your own family? The influence and pressure that a cultivator of the Taoist Platform Realm can bring ¨C you must be quite aware of it, Miss Han.¡± Those words struck a chord in Han Ruyan¡¯s heart, and she couldn¡¯t help but look towards Yu Wenjing. The Han Family was also a cultivation family. Their ancestor had fought alongside the founding emperor of the Da Li Dynasty, leaving behind many cultivation scriptures, but as the family declined, much was sold or lost. Nowadays, few of the Han Mansion¡¯s family members who practice cultivation have reached the Secret Realm, with most of them either studying hard for official exams or engaging in business. The number of family members dedicated to cultivation is very small, and their cultivation levels are generally mediocre. Still, this didn¡¯t mean Han Ruyan was unaware of how formidable a Taoist Platform Realm cultivator could be. In a Sect, that level corresponded to the Supreme Elder, the battle power of a Sect Master. In a cultivation family or a great clan, it was a strength usually possessed only by patriarchs. Even in the Da Li Dynasty, where the current politics were in shambles and talent scarce, a Taoist Platform Realm cultivator could easily assume a Second Grade or higher position in the court if they wished to serve the Da Li Dynasty. Seeing Han Ruyan wavering, Yu Wenjing continued, ¡°My Guan Chao Pavilion is the leading Great Sect in Qingzhou, with numerous strong cultivators. If Miss Han joins us, I dare say the Nanjing King wouldn¡¯t dare cause you trouble. Regarding the Han Family, our Sect is willing to take in a group of talented youth, encouraging them to join our Sect for cultivation. Even if the Han Family completely falls apart one day, these clan members within our Sect can still spread their branches and rebuild a more splendid cultivation family.¡± Yu Wenjing¡¯s words were undeniably tempting. With just a nod, she could soar into the Immortal Sect, become a disciple specially nurtured, and even benefit the younger members of her family. ¡°This matter carries the hopes of my parents. I¡¯m afraid I will disappoint you all; my mind is made up.¡± Ultimately, Han Ruyan still shook her head. Her wedding date with the Nanjing King was approaching, and calling it off now would be akin to slapping the face of the powerful Prince, which would greatly offend him. She herself could enter the Immortal Sect and ignore the mortal world. But the Han Family would undoubtedly face oppression on all fronts, not to mention the impossibility of returning to high positions in the court ¨C that was her father¡¯s lifetime aspiration. The surrounding disciples from the Sect fell silent, not expecting this woman¡¯s resolve to be so firm. As the group wandered, they neared the front hall area, hearing the faint commotion. ¡°What¡¯s going on up ahead?¡± Han Ruyan asked a servant. ¡°To report to Miss, it¡¯s those able people who have come to answer the call for the examination, seeking to resolve the mysterious deaths occurring in the mansion as of late. The Master and the others are also in the front hall,¡± the servant replied, stealing glances at the breathtakingly beautiful daughter of the house who, regretfully, would soon marry the Nanjing King and would no longer be seen after a few more days. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, would anyone care to take a closer look?¡± Han Ruyan found an excuse to divert attention from the previous topic. ¡°Let¡¯s all go together and see.¡± Mo Shiyao gave a faint smile, walking shoulder to shoulder with Han Ruyan. The group arrived at the front hall and found it crowded with many people. There were about a dozen individuals of various attire¡ªable people with unusual skills¡ªas well as the Han Family¡¯s servants and several of the clan¡¯s elders. ¡°Ru Yan!¡± A middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe, with a jade pendant hanging at his waist and a folding fan in hand, looked over. His brows were furrowed, betraying a heavy heart, as he paced around the courtyard, seemingly lost in thought. He was Han Ruyan¡¯s father, the current master of the Han Family, Han Jinghuan. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve come to take a look with these distinguished young cultivators from the Immortal Sects.¡± Han Ruyan approached with graceful steps, speaking cheerfully in front of Han Jinghuan. ¡°Uncle Han, I apologize for the intrusion.¡± Mo Shiyao walked over leisurely, nodding with a smile. Miao Yin Temple was not far from East Victory City, and Master Si Xinying had some familial connections with the Han Family. ¡°So it¡¯s Miss Mo, is your master well?¡± Han Jinghuan stroked his beard and spoke lightly, unfurling his fan. ¡°My master is currently engaged in the campaign against the Ghost Ridge Palace and is too occupied to be present, so he instructed me to come and lend assistance with the crisis in Han Mansion.¡± Mo Shiyao spoke very politely, though her main reason for coming here was for Han Ruyan, which naturally she did not say. ¡°Uncle Han, I fear that you won¡¯t get much hope from these applicants¡ªmost of them possess mere trivial skills.¡± Yu Wenjing looked toward the courtyard, where the so-called able people were energetically showcasing their skills¡ªmost were Loose Cultivators without any sect or school, performing minor tricks like Palm Thunder, Drawing a Prison, Earth Tunneling, Rain Summoning Technique, and Evil Avoidance and Fortune Telling. And that was the better lot; some weren¡¯t even Loose Cultivators, just martial artists with basic boxing, swordplay, and other martial arts skills, and there were even swindlers from Jianghu who relied on sleight of hand to deceive others, none of whom caught his interest. ¡°Nephew Yu Wen, my family is not at peace, struck by some calamity, with mysterious deaths occurring day and night. Regardless of the reason, I have to try something, and what I¡¯ve paid is just some Silver Coin, which amounts to little.¡± Han Jinghuan shook his head, responding noncommittally to Yu Wenjing¡¯s remark. ¡°If Uncle Han doesn¡¯t mind, we¡¯re also willing to lend a hand. Without making any bold claims, whether it¡¯s the work of demons or the mischief of thieves, with so many of us from reputable sects here, we won¡¯t ignore the situation. We will help you get to the bottom of it.¡± Yu Wenjing clasped his hands, speaking confidently, intending to first gain favor with the Han Family by resolving their crisis before making a move to persuade Han Ruyan, thus increasing his chances. ¡°That would be wonderful.¡± Han Jinghuan¡¯s face lit up with joy, confident that with the help of these upright sect disciples, the ominous calamity within the mansion would certainly be resolved. Chapter 243 - 159: Mysterious Child (Third Update) Chapter 243: Chapter 159: Mysterious Child (Third Update) ¡°Let the new batch in.¡± Selecting a few promising candidates, Han Jinghuan did not give up his own recruitment despite Yu Wenjing¡¯s promise, knowing very well that these Righteous Disciples may need to stay for an indeterminate amount of time. If the issue wasn¡¯t resolved by then, he would still need to rely on the people he had recruited himself. Shortly after, a new batch of able individuals entered the courtyard. Among them, Su Jie, Xiao Fengyuan, and Ning Xinyue were discreetly mixed in. As soon as he entered the courtyard, Su Jie¡¯s peripheral vision caught sight of two familiar figures. One was a woman with an ethereal presence and stunning beauty, Qingyin Fairy Mo Shiyao. The other was Su Jie¡¯s target for this mission, Qi Shijian, who stood behind a man dressed in the attire of the Purple Mist Sect, chatting and laughing with others, showing no hint of the murderous intent of a Demon Cultivator. A sharp light burst from Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s eyes, and his blood surged. ¡°Stay calm,¡± Su Jie advised, putting a hand on Xiao Fengyuan and shaking his head slightly. Now was not the time to make a move. There were too many Righteous Disciples. These weren¡¯t merely Outer Disciples, nor were they common inner disciples. To recruit Han Ruyan, the possessor of the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, each Great Sect had sent their elite disciples, aiming to showcase the teaching standard of their respective sects. Therefore, each Righteous Disciple present in the Han Mansion had robust vitality like dragons, towering spirit pressure, and a remarkable aura. Among them, a few exerted on Su Jie a pressure no less than Du Shaochang, perhaps even surpassing him. ¡°Gentlemen, please take turns to demonstrate your abilities. Once successfully recruited, regardless of success or failure, you will receive three hundred taels of silver. Moreover, should you help resolve the dire calamity of the Han Family, ten thousand taels of silver will be presented with both hands.¡± Han Jinghuan lightly waved his folding fan, his gaze sweeping over. ¡°Having long heard of the Han Family¡¯s great name, I am Ji Yingxuan, known in Jianghu as the Vast Divine Palm,¡± declared a confident man in a green shirt, stepping forward boldly. With a flick of his head, he leapt over ten meters into the air and thundered, ¡°Divine Power Sky Palm!¡± Boom! A loud explosion echoed from the void, shattering several cobblestones in the courtyard, and a small tree, as thick as a calf¡¯s leg, was snapped in two. The man in green exhaled deeply, clapped his hands repeatedly, and palm prints fell in succession, kicking up dust in the courtyard and leaving shallow pits in the ground. ¡°Good, not bad,¡± complimented Han Jinghuan with a satisfied nod and signaled discreetly. Immediately, a servant approached with a tray, containing ingots of silver. One by one, talented individuals took the stage, some being recruited, and others failing to catch Han Jinghuan¡¯s eye. ¡°My name is Zhu Ya, and I specialize in the Ice Control Technique.¡± When it was Ning Xinyue¡¯s turn, the girl gracefully lifted her skirt, and wisps of frost spread from her feet, the ground and the trees in the courtyard crystallized into ice, transforming the space into a world of frost and snow. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite interesting,¡± remarked Yu Wenjing with keen eyes. He snapped a piece of solid ice with his hand, quite proud of himself, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you practice the Ten Thousand Cold Skill. It¡¯s quite remarkable for a Loose Cultivator to master such a technique. Although the Ten Thousand Cold Skill is just a Low-level Technique and widely circulated, it still speaks to your abilities.¡± Ning Xinyue lifted her head and smiled slightly, ¡°That¡¯s right, oh, I naturally cannot compare to your Righteous Disciples. However, with this skill, I¡¯ve been quite successful among the Loose Cultivators.¡± Clearly, Ning Xinyue did not use her Xuanyin Body; otherwise, the severe cold would have made it impossible for Yu Wenjing to touch it with his bare hands without circulating his Spiritual Power. ¡°Very well, Heroine Zhu, I hope you can help us resolve the disaster in the mansion soon,¡± laughed Han Jinghuan heartily, feeling that Ning Xinyue¡¯s participation made his recruitment worthwhile. ¡°My name is Storm Gun, Xia Xiusi.¡± Xiao Fengyuan also took the stage, his spear thrusting like a fierce storm, performing a set of spear technique as a member of the martial arts community. Smoothly, Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s performance too received acknowledgment. ¡°Shadowless Sword, Xu Changqing.¡± At last, Su Jie stepped forward and performed a set of sword techniques, a complementary sword maneuver of the Green Rainbow Sword Technique. In the past, Su Jie always used the Flying Sword, controlling the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword to kill enemies from a distance, never having the opportunity to fight up close with sword moves. However, the proficiency, physical strength, and sharpness of his eyes were apparent; Su Jie performed vigorously, filling the air with layers upon layers of sword shadows, easily gaining recognition. ¡°This pure martial artist must be at most at the Third Level of Yunling Realm in cultivation,¡± Xiao Guanglian looked on with disdain; such martial artists only practiced the basics of punches and kicks. In their Immortal Sect, even a disciple at the Second Level of the Yunling Realm could not be defeated. ¡°So-called people from the martial arts, with nicknames that sound grand and imposing,¡± Mo Shiyao pursed her lips with a light laugh, appearing somewhat indifferent. These able people weren¡¯t worth her special attention. ¡°Just some trivial tricks, not worth mentioning at all,¡± Qi Shijian echoed repeatedly, adding his comments, his gaze often drifting towards Mo Shiyao, his eyes warm, but Mo Shiyao hardly gave him a direct look. Han Ruyan listened to the words of these Righteous Disciples, her lustrous eyes glancing over, showing a hint of disappointment as well. After Han Jinghuan finished gathering all the necessary hands, he ordered his servants to make arrangements and treated them to good food and drinks. ......... As night fell, Su Jie and the others were arranged to stay in the guest rooms. Under the moonlight, the three met on the rooftop to discuss their next plans. ¡°Brother Su, Brother Xiao, what shall we do?¡± Ning Xinyue was sitting on the ridge, swinging her delicate little legs lazily, asked. ¡°I have figured out the direction Qi Shijian lives, but it¡¯s also where that group of Righteous Disciples reside. Acting directly would surely attract a siege.¡± Xiao Fengyuan drew up a map of Han Mansion and marked the location where Qi Shijian lived. ¡°It¡¯s not wise to act openly, we...¡± As Su Jie was speaking, he suddenly turned his head, his gaze shifted towards a dark, lightless corner. Thud! Thud! Thud! An object, round and plump like a ball, rolled over. Accompanied by the sound of bells and running, a faint smell of blood wafted through the air; the ball was clearly a human head. From the darkness, a pair of pale arms reached out and suddenly embraced the head on the ground. Immediately after, a child in a red bellyband, with his head tilted, looked up at Su Jie and the other two on the rooftop. This child¡¯s skin was utterly bloodless, revealing a morbid pallor, a bell tied around his ankle, and his eyes void of sclera and pupils, deep black in the night, which was extremely terrifying. ¡°Brother, come play with me!¡± The child let out giggly laughter; the eyes of the head he held snapped open, and it stared straight into Su Jie¡¯s eyes. Crack! A faint line of blood appeared on Su Jie¡¯s neck, and blood began to flow. ¡°Don¡¯t look into the eyes of the head.¡± No sooner had Su Jie spoken than the wound on his neck closed up. Su Jie stepped forward in an instant, appearing before the child holding the head, looking down at him with a cold smirk, ¡°Little ghost, Brother will play with you, but you must not run away, okay?¡± Chapter 244 - 160: Human Skin (Fourth Update) Chapter 244: Chapter 160: Human Skin (Fourth Update) The child, who emitted a chilling and eerie aura, opened his mouth wide for a silent scream that seemed to shatter one¡¯s brains. Pale arms crawled out from Su Jie¡¯s flanks, swiftly covering the child¡¯s entire body. Spiritual Power spread over the Corpse Hands, forcibly controlling the child and preventing his escape. The child kept opening his mouth, emitting howls unlike any human sound. Several pale corpse hands twisted into a braid, but more hands quickly covered them, the numbers and strength obviously mismatched. ¡°Let me take a look, just a small Fierce Ghost.¡± Su Jie squatted down and peered through the dense gaps between the corpse hands to see the struggling child inside. Su Jie was far from unfamiliar with such beings. Back in Nanyang City, when he was still weak, he had personally experienced the terror of such fierce ghosts. ¡°Is this a ghost monster?¡± Xiao Fengyuan appeared next to Su Jie, looking at the trapped child and feeling a very cold Spiritual Power. Generally speaking, Spiritual Power is warm, like the sun during daylight, and even Demon Cultivators prefer to absorb the purple qi and the early morning spiritual energy of the rising sun. Encountering the cold aura of Spiritual Energy like that from this child ghost was a first for Xiao Fengyuan. ¡°The strange and violent deaths at Han Mansion, were they caused by this child? Since there¡¯s a Fierce Ghost, does that mean the Heavenly Soul Sect is involved?¡± Ning Xinyue speculated, making her guess. ¡°It probably can¡¯t be separated from the Heavenly Soul Sect, but this one Fierce Ghost isn¡¯t enough to influence the vast Han Family. There are likely other Fierce Ghosts lurking here.¡± Su Jie stood up, his left hand suddenly clenched into a fist. Hundreds of pale corpse hands pressured inward toward the center, instantly crushing the child Fierce Ghost into nothingness, his essence dissipating into the cold spiritual air. All that was left at the scene was a withered and tattered rag doll, the image of the child Fierce Ghost. Crack! With a stomp from Su Jie, the entire rag doll was crushed, disappearing into smoke and clouds. Although the Fierce Ghost possessed eerie abilities, which to ordinary people might seem an unkillable horror, this principle didn¡¯t hold true for Cultivators. After all, strictly speaking, a Fierce Ghost is a product of Spiritual Energy. Since it¡¯s Spiritual Energy, a Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power can naturally harm and deal damage¡ªit¡¯s only a question of how much. Almost immediately after Su Jie had killed the child Fierce Ghost, they heard urgent footsteps from outside. ¡°Hero Xu, Hero Xia, Heroine Zhu, something¡¯s happened... someone else... someone else has died; you must come quickly to help.¡± Several servants ran over, panting and with faces filled with shock and fear, as if they had witnessed something terrifying. ¡°Lead the way.¡± The three exchanged looks, and Su Jie took the lead in speaking. He still had to maintain his disguise, so for now, he had to follow and see. Exiting the guesthouse where they had been staying, the nearby area was already stirred up, and a number of able people, aroused from their slumbers, ran towards a certain courtyard. This courtyard housed the servants, but now, not a single living person remained. The bodies of the servants hung eerily, like bats, head down and feet up from clotheslines. Upon a closer look, each servant was actually a human skin, every bit of flesh, bones, and organs inside was completely gone, and the skins were inflated with air to retain a lively and full appearance. Their eyes sometimes moved, giving the impression that they were still alive, which was exceptionally horrifying and chilling. ¡°What is this, haunted... haunted!¡± Some capable people and odd talents were pale as ghosts, this truly challenged their physiological limits. ¡°Not good, this Han Mansion was indeed strange and dangerous, if only I knew I wouldn¡¯t have been greedy for those few hundred pieces of silver.¡± There were also people filled with immense regret, originally thinking it was an easy job, but this first night was so horrifying, far beyond what the rumors suggested. ¡°Taking people¡¯s money to eliminate disasters for them, if you aren¡¯t going to do the work then step aside for me, the Chen brothers are not easily scared.¡± Some wanted to take the opportunity to show off, mustering their courage to walk into the side courtyard, intending to inspect those floating pieces of human skin. ¡°Hey, I advise you it¡¯s best not to touch those.¡± Su Jie watched their reckless behavior and spoke up to warn them. ¡°Hmph, even if there really are malevolent ghosts, the two of us brothers can cut it into pieces.¡± The two ungrateful men drew their steel pattern knives and cautiously approached, using the tip of the knife to lift a piece of human skin. The accident happened just then, this action seemed to have touched some taboo. The human skin suddenly billowed, enveloping the two brothers. In the instant they touched the human skin, their flesh dissolved in the blink of an eye, their clothes immediately caved in emptily, turning into two thin pieces of human skin. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Ghost, ghost!¡± ¡°Quick, use thunderbolts, use fire, ghosts are most afraid of these.¡± A group of capable people and odd talents was terrified by this hair-raising scene into chaos. Some began to retreat, while others started to use methods they had heard in rumors, like Palm Thunder and the Fire Control Technique to burn those pieces of human skin. However, these actions completely ignited the human skins. All skins fluttered up and flew towards these able people. Any able person who came into contact with these pieces of human skin, whether they were martial arts experts or relatively powerful Loose Cultivators, would see their flesh obliterated, becoming weird pieces of human skin. In an instant, hundreds of pieces of human skin filled the sky, like the doomsday of ghosts. The watching servants and maids of the Han Mansion were so frightened that they faltered and trembled, their screams and cries echoed through the night. Su Jie retreated with measured steps, avoiding a piece of skin that flew past. That piece of skin turned back halfway through and came flying at Su Jie again. Su Jie deftly dodged without a trace, always seeming to narrowly escape, but in fact everything was calculated. ¡°A bunch of rats, all of you back off, don¡¯t make a mess.¡± A thunderous commanding voice came from the sky. Yu Wenjing descended from the heavens, his eyes emitting divine light, with his overwhelming spiritual power bearing down like mountains, causing the air to congeal. With a single hand formed into a claw and a press, five fiery dragon pillars descended from the sky, annihilating many of the floating human skins. ¡°How dare such trivial ghosts be so presumptuous, take this.¡± Xiao Guanglian, riding a Spirit Feathered Phoenix, threw out a Golden Turtle Seal. One of the Four Directions Divine Beasts, the Xuanwu, materialized and immediately shook many skins to death, tearing them into myriad tiny pieces. One after another Righteous Disciple arrived, these human skins might have caused chaos among the able people, but facing these peak disciples of the Righteous sect, the tide of battle instantly turned. ¡°How could this be, this shouldn¡¯t be happening! There were only a few deaths each day before, how come so many died all at once today.¡± When all was settled, Han Jinghuan and other members of the Han Family finally arrived late on the scene, witnessing what had happened, every single one of their faces turned pale. With quivering lips, Han Jinghuan was the first to sense that something was wrong; such a large number of deaths overnight had not happened in the Han Mansion before. Chapter 245 - 161: Beauty Emerging from Bath (Fifth Update) Chapter 245: Chapter 161: Beauty Emerging from Bath (Fifth Update) ¡°Uncle Han, it is likely that these ghosts, agitated by our presence, are now desperately causing trouble tonight as a last resort.¡± Yu Wenjing snorted disdainfully, looking over the many of able people who were injured or dead, he spoke with scorn, ¡°Uncle Han, I¡¯ve long said these people are unreliable. Look at them in battle; they do nothing but add to the chaos.¡± The remaining able people, upon hearing these words, were all too angry to speak. ¡°The true form of that ghost must still be hidden among us. Everyone, follow me inside to kill the enemy.¡± With the tone of a leader, Yu Wenjing was the first to step into the servants¡¯ quarters. Many disciples from the righteous sects also entered, and soon after, sounds of fierce fighting came from within. ¡°Right, how is Ru Yan faring? I hope she hasn¡¯t encountered any danger.¡± Worriedly pacing outside, Han Jinghuan suddenly thought of something and quickly asked. ¡°Master, the young miss has been reading in her boudoir tonight, accompanied by Miss Mo.¡± A servant reported immediately, which made Han Jinghuan breathe a sigh of relief: ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly; no wonder he hadn¡¯t seen Mo Shiyao¡¯s presence, nor had he seen Qi Shijian¡ªit was likely that sycophant was lingering around Mo Shiyao again, which is why he hadn¡¯t shown up in this side courtyard. Making eye contact with Xiao Fengyuan and Ning Xinyue, the two understood his signal, and the three of them silently withdrew from the crowd. Su Jie found a maid to lead the way, and the three of them quickly headed towards Han Ruyan¡¯s location. While the righteous disciples were distracted by the fierce ghost, it was the perfect time to deal with Qi Shijian. ¡°Just ahead is the young miss¡¯s boudoir courtyard. I¡¯ll go announce your arrival...¡± Before the maid could finish speaking, her neck was struck by Su Jie¡¯s hand, and she fainted hazily to the ground. ¡°Brother Xiao, block the exit. Junior Sister Zhu, you¡¯re in charge of monitoring the movements of the righteous disciples; cover any oversights. I¡¯ll go in first to check the situation.¡± Su Jie gave his orders and then used the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique to silently enter the courtyard. The yard was quite large, with pavilions and terraces hidden among the clouds, and the flying eaves provided a serene environment. Su Jie pricked up his ears and heard the voices of Mo Shiyao and Han Ruyan. His eyes lit up with joy, ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Given Qi Shijian¡¯s sycophantic nature, he would certainly not be far from Mo Shiyao. Finding her equaled finding Qi Shijian. The next moment, Su Jie pushed open the door from where the voices were coming. The room inside was elegantly furnished, with a graceful landscape painting hanging on the wall. Several layers of colorful curtains divided the space, and the candlelight was dim. The air was filled with a faint scent of flowers. The candles burned brightly; several flower vases were placed on the dressing table, filled with fresh flowers that danced in the night breeze, radiating bursts of fragrance. The room was filled with steaming mist, creating a hazy atmosphere. As Su Jie opened the door, he found himself face to face with a beautiful silhouette. It was a stunning woman, lightly dressed in translucent silk. Her curvaceous figure, perfect teeth, and elegant brows, a graceful neck leading to exquisite shoulders, her waist as slim as willow, an exemplar of elegance, with partial bare shoulders, water droplets slowly sliding down her fair and delicate skin into the deep valley of her bosom, her exposed long jade legs were beautiful, defining her as a peerless beauty, full of charm and allure. This woman was none other than Han Ruyan, the Han Family¡¯s young miss, with whom he had a brief acquaintance. As if time stood still, Su Jie was startled, then turned his gaze towards the curtains behind her. He could vaguely see the steam rising on the other side, and the blurred figure of another woman, which undoubtedly must be Mo Shiyao. The two women were bathing here, no wonder Qi Shijian was nowhere to be seen. While Su Jie¡¯s thoughts drifted away, the expressions on Han Ruyan¡¯s face transformed from dumbfounded, to dazed, to shocked, to bewildered, and finally to a color of sheer embarrassment. ¡°You, you scoundrel...¡± ¡°` A cry of rage, Han Ruyan tightly clutched her immaculate and enchanting body, but the thin gauze could hardly hide her alabaster skin that was faintly discernible. ¡°What¡¯s going on.¡± Behind the curtain, Mo Shiyao burst forth from the water with lightning speed, spun in mid-air, items from her Storage Bag flying about as she quickly dressed in a white robe, stepping onto the rippling water and arriving just in time to see the scene before the door. She immediately understood what was happening. ¡°True Word¡ªThousand Sword Marvelous Sound!¡± Mo Shiyao walked forward, with frost gathering behind her in the moonlight. She stepped upon a bridge of moonlight, her mouth emitting heavenly sounds, with swords divine shooting forth, aiming straight for Su Jie¡¯s vital spots. ¡°Misunderstanding.¡± Su Jie hastily sidestepped backward, and the divine swords flashed by, burying themselves ten meters deep into the ground. ¡°You shameless thief, how dare you peep! Today, I will grind your bones to dust and scatter them to the winds.¡± Enraged to the extreme, Mo Shiyao didn¡¯t understand why she hadn¡¯t detected Su Jie approaching. Logically, people of the martial arts world with such mediocre skills should be noticed by her over a distance of a hundred meters. ¡°Who¡¯s peeping? I detected an enemy presence and came over here to catch a ghost.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Su Jie hadn¡¯t detected Qi Shijian, and it wasn¡¯t a good time to reveal his identity, he would have seized Mo Shiyao and beaten her right there for daring to slander him so. Mo Shiyao¡¯s eyebrows furrowed downward in anger, seething with rage, ¡°Still saying it¡¯s not you? Where is there any ghost here...¡± ¡°Miss Mo, don¡¯t... don¡¯t kill him... Just beating him up to vent your anger will suffice.¡± Hidden behind the curtain, Han Ruyan advised in a soft voice. Although she was very angry, she did not intend for Su Jie¡¯s life to be taken. However, as she spoke, not two meters away from her on the hanging ink painting, what was originally a landscape started to reveal a beautiful woman¡¯s figure. At first, it was just a faint speck, but then she walked closer and closer until her entire figure seemed to step out of the painting, her jade arms so fair that they put frost to shame, reaching straight out of the painting. Eventually, her upper body also leaned forward, reaching out toward Han Ruyan. Mo Shiyao, with her back to Han Ruyan, did not notice, but Su Jie, who was facing Han Ruyan, saw it all too clearly. ¡°Hey, watch out behind you.¡± Su Jie pressed his foot down, causing a floor tile to tilt up. He kicked it, and the tile exploded forward, striking the face of the woman emerging from the painting. The tile sunk in as if into water, without feeling the impact of a solid body, but this act disrupted the ghost¡¯s movements. The Painting Woman¡¯s long hair danced with the wind, her mouth curving up into a smile with a hint of eeriness. ¡°Ah!¡± Clueless until the last moment, Han Ruyan turned around and was horrified by the sight of the woman emerging from the painting. Although she had seventh-level cultivation in the Yunling Realm, she had been protected and pampered since childhood, had never experienced battle, and her practice was more like a method of physical and spiritual cultivation. Naturally, she had little response to a crisis. ¡°What ghost dares to appear.¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s eyes flashed, her figure swiftly moved in front of Han Ruyan, her mouth contained the Heavenly Constitution, and Marvelous Sound began to play effortlessly. The painting in front was torn apart, and the woman from within was separated at the waist, her upper body falling to the ground while her lower half remained within the painting. Moreover, both halves calmly began to turn right-side up, creating an exceptionally eerie sight. ¡°` Chapter 246 - 162: The Curse (First Update) Chapter 246: Chapter 162: The Curse (First Update) Mo Shiyao retreated two steps with Han Ruyan, clasped her hands to form a spell, and chanted the mystic Immortal Sound. ¡°True Word¡ªNine-layered Heavenly Firmament Tower!¡± The mystic sound transformed, and the silhouette of a towering building flickered into existence, suppressing the Painting Woman from above, squashing her into a pulp. Splat! However, almost as soon as the Painting Woman had died, on the other side of the room, within the mirror hanging on the wall, the Painting Woman appeared again, stepping out from the mirror plane into reality. Crash! Mo Shiyao unleashed a blast of Spiritual Power, shattering the mirror, and the scattered fragments fell onto the ground. Yet an even more astonishing scene unfolded. From each mirror fragment, the figure of the Painting Woman emerged, stepping into reality little by little. In the room appeared hundreds of Painting Women, all wearing eerie smiles, looking at Su Jie, Han Ruyan, and Mo Shiyao. Especially Mo Shiyao, who had just made a move, felt as if struck by lightning when one of the Painting Women touched her. Her skin turned a layer of white ash, the remains of bone ash left after a corpse was burned. This layer of ash spread continuously, and Mo Shiyao¡¯s body flattened, as if compressed into two-dimensional existence. The Painting Woman pressed Mo Shiyao into her body, attempting to engulf her within herself. ¡°Immortal Sound Seal!¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s hands worked non-stop casting spells, continuously summoning Spiritual Power, her body emanating Spiritual Radiance like sacred fire to resist the terrifying compressive force, slowly regaining her normal three-dimensional form. Mo Shiyao, now utterly enraged by the Painting Woman, continuously chanted Miao Yin, slashing the Painting Women into pieces with divine swords. But this action resulted in the chopped-up pieces of the Painting Women bloodily regenerating. A fingertip, a section of calf, each grew a new Painting Woman. Unless it was crushed into a powder, it was impossible to completely destroy a Painting Woman. ¡°What kind of principle is this Ghost based on?¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s expression changed slightly, finding this Ghost incredibly difficult to kill. Han Ruyan covered her mouth, watching as the Painting Woman approached her, instinctively moving to retreat. Su Jie looked around and suddenly spoke, ¡°Miss Han, come to my side.¡± Han Ruyan blinked her eyes, hesitated for a moment but still cautiously approached the direction where Su Jie was. Su Jie took Han Ruyan¡¯s delicate hand and quickly walked to a certain position, then stopped still. Han Ruyan¡¯s face flushed, allowing Su Jie to arrange her as he pleased. Soon, Han Ruyan was surprised to discover that the Painting Women suddenly stopped their approach. They seemed to completely ignore the two, turning instead to converge on Mo Shiyao. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Han Ruyan was astonished that the female ghosts were ignoring them. Su Jie smiled without speaking. These Painting Women only attacked humans identified by mirrors, or more precisely, any reflective surface that could show a person¡¯s shadow. The position Su Jie had chosen was one that avoided all reflective entities. While Su Jie was at ease, Mo Shiyao had to bear the attack of all the Painting Women. This female ghost was on a different level from the child Fierce Ghost encountered before, much stronger, and even with Mo Shiyao continuously employing the Miao Yin technique, she was still unable to kill them quickly enough. ¡°Keep it up, keep trying, you can do it.¡± Su Jie brought over a chair, sat down, and watched Mo Shiyao struggle in the intense battle as though he had no concern at all. Mo Shiyao was so angry that her chest heaved violently, glaring at Su Jie. ¡°Miss Mo, come over to us quickly,¡± urged Han Ruyan, waving at Mo Shiyao. ¡°Tsk tsk, Miss Mo, a noble disciple from a reputable sect, couldn¡¯t possibly be unable to deal with a mere female ghost, needing instead to hide away with the people from the Martial Arts world.¡± Su Jie¡¯s mocking tone was perfectly timed, agitating Mo Shiyao¡¯s heart and immediately causing her temper to flare up. ¡°You needn¡¯t run your mouth, I will surely show you my strength.¡± Mo Shiyao clenched her teeth, unwilling to show weakness in front of someone from the Martial Arts world. ¡°Ah, is your name Xu Changqing? I got you wrong just now, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Realizing the two were sparring verbally, Han Ruyan, who had a good memory, remembered Su Jie¡¯s name even though they had met only once. ¡°Miss Han, your Han Mansion seems to be quite troubled tonight!¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze settled on Han Ruyan, whose tall figure, plump and slender waist, and especially her light veils that barely covered her body, revealing her soft and delicate skin in a tantalizing manner, were enchanting beyond compare. ¡°I am quite curious, these Fierce Ghosts seem to have a specific purpose, and their target might just be you.¡± Su Jie extended his finger, lifting Han Ruyan¡¯s chin, looking at her moist and alluring lips, truly a woman full of allure. ¡°Hold on, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Han Ruyan crossed her arms over her chest, her teeth gently biting her red lips, obviously a bit angry, yet even with that anger, her voice was still sweet and tingling. ¡°There¡¯s something on your body...¡± Su Jie brushed aside the hair at the temple of Han Ruyan¡¯s forehead, then grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her around to face away from him, and pulled down a layer of light veil, speaking indifferently, ¡°Here, you¡¯ve been cursed. That might be the reason why your Han Mansion is so troubled.¡± But on Han Ruyan¡¯s flawless white back, stimulated by Su Jie¡¯s Spiritual Power, a strange black and purple pattern began to emerge. ¡°What!¡± Han Ruyan instinctively reached for her own back but felt nothing. ¡°Hey, you little thief, get your dirty hands off her.¡± On the other side, seeing Su Jie¡¯s actions, Mo Shiyao was displeased; she was here fighting desperately, and he was flirting with a woman, which was intolerable. Then, Mo Shiyao took out a wooden fish with a pained expression. The wooden fish was covered in cracks and the surface was engraved with dense spell inscriptions, seemingly a part of some scripture. Thump! Mo Shiyao gently struck the wooden fish, and a profound sound as vast as the stars spread out. Wherever the ripples of the sound passed, the bodies of the Painting Women suddenly stiffened and then crumbled into dust, directly shattered by the vibration. One after another, the Painting Women turned to dust, leaving nothing behind in the room. Obviously, these Painting Women were not present in their true form. Su Jie looked thoughtfully at the fragments of the mirror on the ground. Perhaps the Fierce Ghost¡¯s real body was in the world within the mirror. ¡°Miss Han, are you alright?¡± Mo Shiyao tenderly put away the wooden fish, now with even more cracks, then marched over, barely able to restrain herself from lashing out at Su Jie. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just now, Young Master Xu was helping me.¡± Han Ruyan quickly held Mo Shiyao back from taking action, and then repeated Su Jie¡¯s earlier deduction. ¡°You were cursed?¡± Mo Shiyao exclaimed in shock as she lifted the veil from Han Ruyan¡¯s back. As expected, there were the eerie traces of a Spell, altogether resembling a vertical eye. The curse was invisible to Han Ruyan herself, and Mo Shiyao hadn¡¯t noticed it either; it had only revealed a hint of its mark when stimulated with Spiritual Power. Chapter 247 - 163: The Curse (Second Update) Chapter 247: Chapter 163: The Curse (Second Update) ¡°How did you find out?¡± Mo Shiyao couldn¡¯t help looking towards Su Jie, surprised that this guy could actually detect traces of a curse, something she hadn¡¯t even noticed. ¡°As we wander through Jianghu, we rely on caution and discretion, always equipped with some secretive methods.¡± Su Jie smiled and did not elaborate further. His Divine Soul was on the verge of becoming a Primordial Spirit, surpassing many of the Secret Realm Elders, which was why he could detect this hidden curse through the power of his Divine Soul. In this regard, Su Jie had an advantage far superior to those disciples from reputable sects. Seeing that Su Jie did not wish to speak, Mo Shiyao could only withdraw her gaze with dissatisfaction, trying to remove the curse spell. But no matter how Mo Shiyao stimulated her Spiritual Power, the curse spell on Han Ruyan couldn¡¯t be peeled off or removed. ¡°It¡¯s no use, I can¡¯t dispel this curse spell.¡± Mo Shiyao had no choice but to give up and speak, ¡°I¡¯ll go find someone else to try, maybe they have a way.¡± Han Ruyan instinctively looked towards Su Jie. ¡°Looking at me is useless, if even these Righteous Sects have no solution, I certainly cannot do it.¡± Su Jie shrugged and walked straight out of the room. The door to the room had been blown shut by the wind, and as Su Jie pushed the door open to step outside, his foot suddenly froze in midair. Outside the room, a thin fog had appeared out of nowhere, and within a few meters, visibility was reduced to almost zero. And when Su Jie used his Divine Sense to investigate, his expression changed dramatically. For Su Jie discovered that the outside was no longer the Han Mansion they were accustomed to, but an entirely unfamiliar place. ¡°We¡¯ve been screwed over because of you guys.¡± Su Jie pulled his foot back and retreated inside, his face looking very unpleasant. ¡°It was fine just before, where did this thick fog come from?¡± Mo Shiyao also saw the situation outside the door, and this thick fog was truly abnormal. ¡°True Word¡ªGangfeng Dragon Storm.¡± Mo Shiyao waved her arm, and immediately, several huge tornadoes rose up, dispersing the surrounding fog and greatly clearing the view. But when they saw the environment revealed outside, Mo Shiyao¡¯s face stiffened in shock, and Han Ruyan¡¯s complexion turned pale. All they saw was that the Han Mansion, with its numerous buildings, had vanished, replaced by large mounds of earth¡ªthe grave hills stood tall on the ground. In the sky, yellow Paper Money fluttered down, accompanied by faint, lamenting sobs carried by the night wind, sometimes distant, sometimes near, causing one¡¯s scalp to tingle. ¡°What kind of ghostly place is this?¡± Mo Shiyao was filled with disbelief. They were just inside dealing with the Painting Woman, and now outside, the scene had changed beyond recognition. Such power was beyond her capabilities; not to mention this silent change was undetected even by her, a high-ranking practitioner at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm. Han Ruyan looked around uneasily at the strange environment, feeling a burning sensation on her back as if a red-hot iron was being pressed against her skin, causing her beautiful willowy eyebrows to knit together. ¡°Miss Mo, my back hurts a lot.¡± Han Ruyan instinctively circulated the Spiritual Power within her body. Her Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body contained an extremely vast Spiritual Energy, which erupted forth, soaring up to the skies. Yet this burst of Spiritual Energy was different from normal, carrying a tinge of gray, exuding a chilly aura, akin to that of a ghost. ¡°It¡¯s the curse acting up; we must have been targeted.¡± Mo Shiyao recognized the problem at a glance. This curse that had wrapped itself around her, flaring up at this particular moment, was clearly intentional. Its target, including the changes in the environment outside, was evidently Han Ruyan. Su Jie stepped back a few paces, closed the door again, and walked back to Han Ruyan¡¯s side. Without a word, Su Jie slapped his palm onto the jade back of Fu Ou, covering the eye-shaped rune. Watching Su Jie¡¯s action, Mo Shiyao did not try to stop him because she could tell that Su Jie was trying to halt the onset of the curse. And Su Jie¡¯s method was simple: use his formidable divine soul power to forcefully suppress the curse¡¯s imprint. His divine soul was exceptionally powerful, and he was just one step away from transforming into a primordial spirit. As a result, the effect was significant, and soon Han Ruyan felt the burning sensation on her back gradually fade away. ¡°Thank you, thank you, Young Master Xu. I had misunderstood you earlier, thinking you wanted to take advantage of me. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± After recovering, Han Ruyan repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Su Jie. ¡°It¡¯s fine, your body is indeed beautiful.¡± Su Jie shrugged his shoulders, instantly causing Han Ruyan¡¯s face to turn beet red. She quickly pulled up her lightweight silk garment to cover her fragrant and pure jade back. Mo Shiyao paid no attention to what was happening on this side because at that moment, sounds were approaching from outside the house. It seemed to be the sound of the procession¡¯s musical instruments: suona horns, bronze gongs, clappers, drums, and flutes. Whoo! The closed door was blown open, and a procession composed of paper figures, moving with fluttering steps, marched straight toward the house. These paper figures were crafted from white paper with ink-dotted eyes, noses, and mouths, and heavy rouge on both cheeks. They looked strikingly lifelike, but due to the uncanny valley effect, the more they resembled humans, the more terrifying they appeared. Among these paper figures was a large red flower sedan chair, also made of paper, decked with silk and other woven fabrics, embroidered with patterns of goldfish frolicking among lotuses, a vermilion phoenix greeting the sun, a qilin bringing offspring, peonies symbolizing wealth, and wishes of good fortune. The embroidery was exceptionally fine and vivid, bright and eye-catching. With music and fanfare, these paper figures held up signs with the characters for ¡°welcoming the bride¡± and ¡°double happiness,¡± clearing the path as they went. As the flower sedan chair came to a stop in front of the house, the paper figures ceased their celebratory music and shouted in unison, ¡°The auspicious time has arrived, please, bride, enter the sedan.¡± No sooner had their call ended, the paper figures all turned to look at Han Ruyan, scaring the maiden witless. It became blatantly obvious that the bride referred to by these paper figures was none other than the Han Family¡¯s young lady. ¡°Who dares to play tricks like this, come out!¡± Mo Shiyao was furious, after all, she was a high disciple of Miao Yin Temple, and was not intimidated by the scene. While speaking, Mo Shiyao chanted the heavenly sounds and flicked her finger. ¡°True Word Miao Yin¡ªTen Thousand Blade Formation.¡± Row upon row of sharp blades sprouted from the ground, swarming upward rapidly, piercing the paper figures through and through, leaving them hanging in mid-air like skewered kebabs. ¡°Is it necessary to be so rash?¡± Su Jie had a headache, as Mo Shiyao¡¯s actions had triggered a certain kind of stress response. One by one, the impaled paper figures caught on fire, the flames not only reduced them to ash, but also destroyed the blades, causing them to dissolve into spiritual energy and scatter. ¡°Insolent youths, daring to interfere with my good work.¡± Just then, a hoarse male voice came from the sky. Following that, a middle-aged man wearing a black robe embroidered with black other-shore flowers descended from above. The spiritual energy emanating from his body immediately informed Su Jie and the others that he was a cultivator from the Secret Realm. Chapter 248 - 163: Domination of All Spirits (Third Update) Chapter 248: Chapter 163: Domination of All Spirits (Third Update) ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Mo Shiyao faced the situation as if she were encountering a formidable enemy. As soon as she saw the other party¡¯s flying ability descending from the sky, along with the robust Spiritual Power emanating from their body, she realized she was up against a tough opponent. Such a Demon Cultivator from the Secret Realm was not someone she could handle. Han Ruyan turned pale with shock, her jade hands gripping her fists so tightly that her knuckles had turned white from the tension. ¡°Elder of the Heavenly Soul Sect, Zhong Shiguan.¡± Zhong Shiguan revealed his identity, his gaze passing over Mo Shiyao as if she were not worth mentioning, and looking intently at Han Ruyan, a chilling smile appeared on his face, ¡°Come on, my betrothed bride, what are you waiting for? To acquire you and your Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, to make you feel my intense affection, I have been restraining, always restraining myself! If it weren¡¯t for these Cultivators coming to meddle, I had planned to marry you in five days, but you¡¯ve ruined my plans.¡± ¡°Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body.¡± Su Jie looked at Han Ruyan with surprise and suspicion¡ªhe had no idea this woman possessed such a physique. ¡°So all those bizarre deaths in the Han Mansion were your doing.¡± Mo Shiyao understood, feeling a surge of nervousness herself. The name of the Heavenly Soul Sect seemed somewhat familiar to her. ¡°Our Han Family has no grudges with you, why would you harm us?¡± Han Ruyan mustered her courage and shouted at Zhong Shiguan. ¡°Hehe, hehe, hahaha!!!¡± Zhong Shiguan laughed uproariously, his laughter tinged with madness as he gazed fervently at Han Ruyan. ¡°Why, tsk tsk, do you really not know about your own constitution? The Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body is not only excellent material for cultivation, but also the best material for nurturing Ghost entities. The Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body is said to command the respect of the Three Realms and dominate All Spirits, and by ¡®spirit¡¯, it¡¯s not referring to spiritual beasts, but Spirit Bodies! You were born a sovereign among Ghost entities. Come here, come to me, and I will nurture you into the strongest of Ghost entities, a Ninth Grade Fierce Ghost, and perhaps even higher realms.¡± While saying this, Zhong Shiguan extended his hand, and his arm eerily lengthened, reaching straight for Han Ruyan. Ah! Han Ruyan retreated until she bumped into Su Jie. Mo Shiyao bit her lip fiercely, glanced at Su Jie, and then at Han Ruyan, before suddenly saying, ¡°My master is Si Xinying. If you don¡¯t let us go, Miao Yin Temple will surely strike back with full force in the future.¡± ¡°Hehe, so what if they will? Do you think you¡¯ll still be alive to get out? Dead people can¡¯t bear tidings.¡± Zhong Shiguan appeared confident that no one would be able to leave this place. ¡°Immortal Sound, Annihilate!¡± Seeing no point in further dialogue, Mo Shiyao¡¯s gaze hardened, and she took out her wooden fish, striking it methodically, and a stream of profound Immortal Sounds resonated. ¡°Hmm, a Top Grade Magical Artifact, but it¡¯s damaged; how much power can you really exhibit with it.¡± Zhong Shiguan said this but still withdrew his arm. The ripples of the Immortal Sound spread out from Mo Shiyao¡¯s instrument, and the moment his arm came into contact with them, it was eroded to smithereens. Just as the Immortal Sound ripples were about to touch Zhong Shiguan¡¯s body, a woman appeared in front of him. The woman was dressed in a white skirt, pale-skinned, standing quietly in front of Zhong Shiguan. This woman¡¯s appearance was exactly the same as the Painting Woman¡¯s from earlier in the house; she must be the real body of the Painting Woman. The Immortal Sound surged forth, aiming at the Painting Woman. The surface of this fierce ghost displayed porcelain-like cracks, but she was unfazed. Her skin transformed into a series of reflective mirrors, which rebounded the ripples of the Immortal Sound back. ¡°This is a fifth-grade fierce ghost, my most outstanding work to date. Of course, she won¡¯t be for long.¡± With a light chuckle, Zhong Shiguan conjured the Ten Thousand Soul Banner in his hand. Tens of thousands of Yin Souls howled out, swarming towards Mo Shiyao and battering her relentlessly. Meanwhile, the Painting Woman¡¯s gaze shifted to Mo Shiyao, and her palm morphed into a small round mirror. Within it, Mo Shiyao¡¯s reflection appeared. The next moment, Mo Shiyao¡¯s figure blurred, as if erased by an eraser, and vanished into thin air, reappearing within the round mirror held by the Painting Woman. It was evident that Mo Shiyao was frantically attacking and struggling inside, trying to escape. ¡°She can be trapped for a quarter of an hour.¡± With no hint of emotion, the Painting Woman held up the round mirror and stated a time frame for imprisoning Mo Shiyao. ¡°Enjoy yourself in the world within the mirror for now. I¡¯ll deal with you when I¡¯m free.¡± As Zhong Shiguan spoke, he began to approach Han Ruyan step by step. ¡°Young Master Xu...¡± Biting her lip, Han Ruyan seemed to have made some resolute decision, ¡°I am willing to go with you, but you have to release Miss Mo and Young Master Xu.¡± ¡°You have no right to negotiate terms with me.¡± Zhong Shiguan¡¯s eyes held a disdainful light as he raised his index finger towards Su Jie, ¡°Let¡¯s dispose of the nuisance first.¡± Thousands of Yin Souls howled towards Su Jie, ready to devour him into nothingness. Su Jie also looked up, facing those Yin Souls, and suddenly spoke, ¡°As an Elder of the Heavenly Soul Sect, the number of your Yin Souls isn¡¯t that impressive, is it?¡± A Ten Thousand Soul Banner identical to Zhong Shiguan¡¯s materialized in Su Jie¡¯s hand as tens of thousands of Yin Souls burst out from the banner, clashing and slaughtering the opposing Yin Souls head on. For a while, the sky was filled with translucent Yin Souls entwining and weaving through each other. ¡°The Ten Thousand Soul Banner.¡± Zhong Shiguan¡¯s pupils slightly contracted, caught off-guard by Su Jie¡¯s move. Even Han Ruyan gaped in disbelief at Su Jie, not understanding how he, seemingly a figure from the Martial Arts world, possessed a Ghost Banner akin to that of a Demon Cultivator. ¡°Looks like I have the greater number of Yin Souls!¡± With a wave of his left hand, the silhouette of the Thousand-Handed Centipede emerged from Su Jie¡¯s sleeve, transforming into an eighty-meter-long horrific poisonous insect. ¡°A technique from Ghost Ridge Palace, so you¡¯re a Demon Cultivator too. What, are you after the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body as well? This is my prey. If you dare to vie for it, you¡¯re asking for death.¡± Zhong Shiguan¡¯s face turned cold instantly upon seeing a fellow path cross his, misunderstanding Su Jie¡¯s intent. ¡°Awaken, my hundred ghosts.¡± Zhong Shiguan clapped his hands, and upon his summons, giant graves outside cracked open, as eerie figures emerged one after another. Among them was a female ghost dressed in white garments, with a beautiful face, long hair black as ink, her dead, dull eyes reflecting pain and hatred, and she radiated a chill and ominous presence. There were sounds of heavy, labored breathing that grew more intense. A meager, emaciated body dragged a Beheading Blade stained with patches of blood. The whole body exuded a foul stench, that of the Evil Blade Ghost. There were also large figures with terrifying visages, sporting crimson faces, sharp and tough claws, and eyes like ghostly flames that sent shivers down one¡¯s spine, occasionally letting out sharp laughter and chilling roars. There were over a hundred fierce ghosts all cultivated by Zhong Shiguan, with grades ranging from first to fourth. They were weaker than the Painting Woman, but they were terrifyingly strong in number and combat power. Chapter 249 - 164: Challenging the Secret Realm (Fourth Update) Chapter 249: Chapter 164: Challenging the Secret Realm (Fourth Update) ¡°Competing in numbers?¡± Su Jie slapped his Insect Control Bag on his waist, and countless human-faced moths, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, fluttered out, obscuring the sky dome like dark clouds. ¡°Darling, please turn around and kill!¡± A flash of white light shone from the Sword Nourishing Gourd, and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword charged directly at Zhong Shiguan¡¯s face, followed by hundreds of Flying Swords. The Painting Woman, expressionless, blocked in front of Zhong Shiguan. Mirror after mirror, as tall as a person, stood all around, flying forward like shields, reflecting and bouncing all the Flying Swords. ¡°Devour him.¡± With a cold press of his arm, Su Jie commanded the human-faced moth swarm that howled through the air, frenziedly devouring everything, be it mirrors, the Painting Woman, or those fierce ghosts; everything was on their menu. ¡°How dare you.¡± Rage contorted Zhong Shiguan¡¯s face as ghost after ghost began charging towards Su Jie. An evil ghost, with sharp fangs and a body twisted like a gecko, crawled on all fours, rapidly approaching Su Jie under the relentless attacks of countless human-faced moths. The Thousand-Handed Centipede writhed its body, a pale corpse hand smashing down, instantly flattening the evil ghost into a pulp. Sizzle. The cheekbones of the skull cracked open, emitting beams of Purple Light Rays, evaporating many ghosts before they could even get close. There were also ethereal ghosts that shifted between reality and illusion. Facing such ghosts, Su Jie unleashed a Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder directly. Divine Skills, derived from the power of the Divine Soul, were especially effective against these spirit-bodied ghosts, turning many into ashes with the heavenly thunder. Many ghosts of First and Second Grade didn¡¯t even have the ability to join the fight, as they were struck dead by heavenly thunder, devoured by the Insect Cloud, or evaporated by the rays, unable to get within a hundred meters of Su Jie. A massive Fourth Grade Evil Ghost, ten feet tall with a green face and sharp teeth, and magma flowing from cracked skin, charged at Su Jie. The human-faced moths that got too close were scorched by the lava, and the Purple Light Rays seemed almost immune, as it rushed furiously towards Su Jie. Seeing this, Su Jie raised his finger and lightly tapped. A cloud of darkness formed by the Death Decline Curse Cloud engulfed the evil ghost. The terrifying curse erupted, causing the ghost¡¯s body to continuously dissolve and decay, a curse that even ghosts couldn¡¯t withstand. With a slight movement of his eyes, two Purple Light Rays shot out, instantly hitting Zhong Shiguan. Zhong Shiguan¡¯s body flickered ethereally, and the Purple Light Rays passed directly through him. Crack! On Su Jie¡¯s chest, a disheveled female ghost had somehow clung there, her cold and eerie gaze fixed intently on Su Jie. The gigantic body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede was just about to move when the Painting Woman suddenly appeared in front of it. Her calm eyes met the cold insect eyes, and with a flash of her body, she attempted to drag the Thousand-Handed Centipede into the Mirror World within her. The Thousand-Handed Centipede, massive and only partially blurred, clearly exceeded the Painting Woman¡¯s capacity to contain; she simply couldn¡¯t trap the giant creature. The Thousand-Handed Centipede opened its gaping maw, beginning to devour the Painting Woman, swallowing her in one gulp. The Painting Woman vanished, only to walk out again from a standing mirror. Puff. Seeing this, the Thousand-Handed Centipede spit out a deathly curse cloud. The Painting Woman was hit, her skin instantly becoming wrinkled, and each mirror surface began showing signs of age spots simultaneously, a curse that can¡¯t be avoided no matter how its physical location changes. The woman in the painting doubled over in a violent cough, emitting a hoarse, old-woman-like voice, severely affected by the Death Decline Curse Cloud. The thousand-hand centipede seized the victory, chasing after her with a ferocious momentum. In the critical moment, a woman from the painting emerged from each mirror, one of them appearing above the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s head, her round mirror directed at the centipede. Layers of bone ash fell, compressing the body of the centipede. However, the thousand-hand centipede shook its body, easily resisting that compressive force. Conversely, countless pale corpse hands detached from its body, not only crushing the woman from the painting but also chasing after the other women in the paintings. In a head-on clash, this Fifth Grade female ghost clearly could not hold her own against the thousand-hand centipede of Mid Grade Five Refinement; instead, she was being chased by the centipede. Han Ruyan¡¯s eyes darted around, witnessing these demon cultivator¡¯s combat techniques for the first time. In the sky, Yin Souls entangled in battle, an Insect Cloud devoured everything, hundreds of Flying Swords crisscrossed, one fierce ghost after another descended weirdly, giant insects shook the heavens and earth, and the woman in the painting changed unpredictably. Seeing all this, she looked in Su Jie¡¯s direction, where several fierce ghosts had already pounced on him, making her hold her breath in anxiety. ¡°Although the insects are powerful, my fierce ghosts are even stranger,¡± the voice of Zhong Shiguan came eerily. In front of Su Jie, a female ghost¡¯s hand pierced through his chest, tearing open his muscles. On his back, a child ghost clung, gnawing away at Su Jie¡¯s flesh. Beneath his feet, the ground turned into a frying pan, deep-frying both of Su Jie¡¯s legs. A ghost stood in place, twisting its own head off; Su Jie¡¯s neck also twisted as if trying to break his own neck. Another ghost displayed a creepy smile, and uncontrollably, Su Jie¡¯s face started to mimic the grin, his heartbeat slowing down as if about to stop completely. The actions of these ghosts rapidly deteriorated Su Jie¡¯s body. Zhong Shiguan walked step by step towards Han Ruyan, passing by Su Jie and chuckling, ¡°Being able to struggle up to now already shows your strength, did you really think you could reverse the realms from Yunling to Secret Realm?¡± ¡°Young Master Xu, be careful!¡± Han Ruyan had momentarily forgotten her own safety, perhaps aware that once Su Jie died, she too would inevitably meet her death. ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re going to be disappointed. I really want to see if I can challenge the Secret Realm myself.¡± The smile on Su Jie¡¯s lips subsided, his neck returned to normal, and the flesh that had been torn, gnawed, and fried began to repair as pale arms emerged, crushing and entangling the nearby ghosts. Zhong Shiguan was shocked: ¡°How are you unaffected?¡± ¡°Hehe, you think you can use those little ghosts to affect the Divine Soul of someone who is about to achieve the Primordial Spirit, what a joke. I was just playing along with your act.¡± Su Jie¡¯s lips curved into a savage, bloodthirsty smile. His Divine Soul burst out of his body in a flash, leaving his flesh enveloped by densely packed Corpse Hands forming a huge sphere several meters tall, making all external attacks unable to reach his true self within. ¡°Primordial Spirit Soul.¡± Seeing Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul, complete except for the eyes which remained unenlightened, Zhong Shiguan was terrified. Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul erupted with blinding lightning, diving into Zhong Shiguan¡¯s body. Zhong Shiguan¡¯s body turned ethereal, but this time it was not a physical attack but an attack of the spirit body, rendering his move futile. His illusionary body screamed miserably, exploded by the thunder into flesh and blood. Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul broke into Zhong Shiguan¡¯s sea of consciousness, causing him to tremble slightly. Once his soul was occupied or erased by Su Jie, his consciousness would vanish, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell of a body. Chapter 250 - 165: Clash of Divine Souls (First Update) Chapter 250: Chapter 165: Clash of Divine Souls (First Update) Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul broke into Zhong Shiguan¡¯s flesh, and the two Divine Souls began to make contact. In an instant, Su Jie only felt a brightness before his eyes and found himself in a world filled with black seawater. There were no sun, moon, stars, or seasons here, just the icy seawater with no waves to be seen, its depth unknown. This was the Sea of Consciousness of mankind, also known as the Sea of Souls, where the soul resides and is nurtured. Within the Sea of Consciousness, Su Jie saw Zhong Shiguan¡¯s Divine Soul, one with legs and arms, but with blank features where its face should be. Compared to Su Jie, although Zhong Shiguan was of the Secret Realm, his Divine Soul cultivation lagged behind Su Jie¡¯s by a significant level. ¡°Get out of my body,¡± Zhong Shiguan shouted angrily. Within the Sea of Consciousness, his Divine Soul stretched into a long arc, like a crescent moon scimitar, and swung down at Su Jie¡¯s head. Underneath the blade¡¯s edge, the Sea of Consciousness roiled like overturned seas; this was his flesh after all, his home ground where his Divine Soul could exert greater might, instinctively repelling the approach of Su Jie¡¯s foreign Divine Soul, much like a body¡¯s rejection response. ¡°Your Divine Soul is far too weak!¡± Su Jie¡¯s lips curled into a cold arc; Divine Thunder surged within his Divine Soul, with countless thick bolts of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder rampaging brutally, striking down Zhong Shiguan¡¯s Divine Soul, blasting it into an unrecognizable form, riddling the blade with cracks. Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul was not only on the verge of transforming into the Primordial Spirit, but he also possessed Divine Skills like the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder within his Divine Soul¡ªhis combat strength was simply too strong for Zhong Shiguan to contend with. ¡°How can a Yunling Realm have such a strong Divine Soul?¡± Zhong Shiguan retreated repeatedly and then gritted his teeth fiercely. Within the Sea of Consciousness, a sinister female figure appeared. Clad in a white dress with a pale and delicate face, it was the Painting Woman, the fifth-grade fierce ghost. Turns out Zhong Shiguan, knowing he was no match, had summoned the Painting Woman into the Sea of Consciousness to help in the fight, akin to a ghost possession. ¡°Even with a female ghost, it¡¯s useless.¡± Su Jie formed seals with his hands, and Thunder condensed, turning into a Thunder Spear in his right hand. As Su Jie pointed with the tip of the spear, myriad bolts of thunder struck down, illuminating the entire Sea of Consciousness. The Painting Woman¡¯s body was pierced through by bolts of thunder. The domineering Heavenly Thunder, lethal to the Divine Soul, even as the Painting Woman withstood it, her body sustained serious damage, flickering like a short-circuited bulb, her form blurring and distorting uncontrollably. ¡°Mirror!¡± The Painting Woman¡¯s body flattened and widened, transforming into an antique vanity with a brass mirror on top, reflecting the image of Su Jie. An eerie, chilling force transferred through, and as Su Jie looked down, he saw legions of Painting Women emerging below his legs, clutching tightly at him and dragging him towards the mirror, pulling half of Su Jie¡¯s body into the Mirror World. ¡°Child¡¯s play. You dare flaunt inferior skills at my door.¡± The Thunder Spear spun and pierced directly into the copper mirror; countless bolts of thunder erupted from the spear, forming a column of thunder that connected the Dome of the Sky with the Sea of Consciousness. Above, it punctured through the Sea of Souls; below, it evaporated countless black seas, lighting up the entire Sea of Consciousness. Crack! The legion of Painting Women directly disintegrated under the thunder, and the vanity showed signs of electrical scorching. But Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul, too, showed many colorful cracks. Under the assault of the copper mirror, enduring the damage to his Divine Soul, he let out a loud cry. ¡°Thunder, come.¡± The thunderous trembling sound of thunder echoed throughout the land. Above the Sky Dome, rows of Thunder Dragons roamed, tearing apart this Sea of Consciousness. Zhong Shiguan fled in madness, but within the Sea of Consciousness, where could he possibly escape? Pierced by falling bolts of thunder, his entire Divine Soul shrank by more than half, his cries of agony unceasing. Facing Su Jie¡¯s dominance, all that remained for Zhong Shiguan was terror. His Divine Soul plunged into the Painting Woman¡¯s mirror, then vanished within the Sea of Consciousness. ... Outside. While Su Jie and Zhong Shiguan were battling, changes had already taken place outside. Attacked by one fierce ghost after another, Su Jie¡¯s physical body was under constant assault. Yin souls fought and perished in the sky, and the thousand-hand centipede protected the vicinity of Su Jie¡¯s body, but still ghosts broke through the blockade. Many of the ghosts¡¯ abilities were extremely strange, and with Su Jie¡¯s body lacking a Divine Soul, it was nothing more than a target, only capable of taking hits without any means of resistance. Many wounds of various sizes appeared on Su Jie¡¯s body. On the other side, Zhong Shiguan¡¯s body trembled like a sieve, but suddenly, the shaking stopped, and a remnant soul was taken out by the Painting Woman. ¡°Don¡¯t think of escaping.¡± It was at this moment that Zhong Shiguan suddenly opened his eyes, but the tone of his speech was distinctly Su Jie¡¯s. It turned out Su Jie had occupied his sea of consciousness and his Divine Soul had seized control of this physical body. As Su Jie attempted to pursue, Zhong Shiguan¡¯s figure had already vanished from sight. With the help of the Painting Woman, his speed of escape was extraordinarily fast. In the blink of an eye, Zhong Shiguan appeared before a grave mound, swiftly rolling up a pair of scrolls. This was a black and white scroll, and the pattern drawn inside was precisely the mountainous terrain of the grave mounds they were in. As the scroll was rolled up, the surroundings began to turn topsy-turvy, with space changing and gradually reverting to the original scene of Han Mansion. It was apparent that Zhong Shiguan¡¯s scroll was no trivial object. Seeing the changes in the scenery around him, Su Jie had no choice but to withdraw his Flying Sword, human-faced moth, and the thousand-hand centipede. This battle had cost Su Jie dearly; his Flying Sword, Yin Soul, and human-faced moth all incurred significant damage. Su Jie¡¯s own physical body and Divine Soul had also been seriously injured. While the wounds on the body could heal easily, the damaged Divine Soul would take several days to recover. Although he defeated Zhong Shiguan, this was far from a great victory for Su Jie. ¡°We¡¯re back.¡± Behind him came Han Ruyan¡¯s surprised voice. Su Jie turned around to see the girl holding Mo Shiyao, both shocked and overjoyed. Just as Su Jie looked their way, Han Ruyan abruptly stopped talking and cautiously asked, ¡°Are you Young Master Xu?¡± ¡°I am Zhong Shiguan, become my bride,¡± he said. A sinister smile appeared on Su Jie¡¯s face, scaring Han Ruyan into taking two steps back. ¡°You¡¯re lying, you¡¯re clearly Young Master Xu.¡± However, Han Ruyan quickly came to her senses, recognizing the tone of voice as that of the Young Master Xu she knew. ¡°I am a Demon Cultivator, aren¡¯t you afraid of me?¡± ¡°Young Master Xu, you didn¡¯t come here for me, did you? If you wanted to harm me, you wouldn¡¯t have saved me just now.¡± ¡°Save you? I was only looking out for myself.¡± Su Jie raised his hands and grasped firmly around his neck, twisting his head off his shoulders. The next moment, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul darted out, flying back into his own body. ¡°Sigh, my own body is more comfortable after all; others¡¯ bodies always feel rejected.¡± Su Jie twisted his neck, uttering this lament. Although his Divine Soul had usurped Zhong Shiguan¡¯s body, that body was not his own, and it didn¡¯t match his Divine Soul, making it as awkward and stiff as a rusted, oil-starved machine. Forget using it for battle and cultivation; even everyday life was difficult to manage. Chapter 251 - 166: Its a Deal (Second Update) Chapter 251: Chapter 166: It¡¯s a Deal (Second Update) ¡°Young Master Xu, your name must not truly be that, is it? Ghost Ridge Palace, the Demon Cultivation Sect in the north that¡¯s currently embroiled in war?¡± Han Ruyan felt slightly unwell witnessing the scene before her. The method of seizing another¡¯s body was indeed characteristic of a demon cultivator. She had also heard legends about Ghost Ridge Palace. This Demon Sect was quite famous in Qingzhou, especially with the recent battles at Golden Sand River and the ongoing sect wars. If Qingzhou had a popularity ranking, then the name Ghost Ridge Palace would certainly be on the list. ¡°My name is not for you to inquire about if it is unnecessary.¡± The injuries on Su Jie¡¯s body were healing at a rapid pace, with new flesh sprouting and torn skin knitting itself back together smoothly. The regenerative power inherited from the thousand-hand centipede was taking effect, once more agitating Han Ruyan¡¯s senses. ¡°Speaking of which, the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body... If I were to take you back to Ghost Ridge Palace, there ought to be a sizable reward, right?¡± Su Jie lifted Han Ruyan¡¯s chin, clicking his tongue. Han Ruyan¡¯s body tensed up. She was alone and without support, even Mo Shiyao had fainted from exhaustion. If Su Jie insisted on taking her away, she truly had no means to resist. Despite possessing substantial spiritual power and being at the Yunling Realm Seventh Level, she had no combat experience and knew she was no match for Su Jie. ¡°For the life-saving grace of Young Master Xu, I have no way to repay you. If there¡¯s anything I can assist you with in the future, I definitely will help you.¡± Han Ruyan gritted her teeth, unsure of what else to say. ¡°As it happens, I need you to keep tonight¡¯s events secret for me. Don¡¯t reveal that I am a demon cultivator. Can you manage that?¡± Su Jie was waiting for just this. Faced with Zhong Shiguan earlier, Han Ruyan had displayed commendable character, leading Su Jie to believe he could try to trust her. He planned to continue disguising his identity. ¡°I promise you.¡± Without a second thought, Han Ruyan agreed immediately. She didn¡¯t know why Su Jie had come to Han Mansion, but he had indeed saved her life, making this request seem all too simple. ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Su Jie extended his hand. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Han Ruyan slapped palms with Su Jie, sighing with relief inwardly. Su Jie saw Mo Shiyao¡¯s eyelashes flutter, signaling she was about to wake up, so he promptly stopped talking. ¡°Eh, what happened to me?¡± Outside in the courtyard, the maid Su Jie had knocked unconscious earlier was groggily coming to. ¡°My head hurts so much.¡± Mo Shiyao also awoke at the same time. ¡°Ah, Miss...¡± The maid was somewhat dazed, looking at her mistress dressed in a sheer gown with great confusion. ¡°Little Butterfly, go find my father and the others.¡± After changing her clothes and returning to the room, Han Ruyan soon saw the maid return, accompanied by a bustling group of people. ¡°Ruyan, how are you doing?¡± Han Jinghuan was visibly anxious. ¡°Father, I¡¯m fine. It was Young Master Xu who saved me.¡± Han Ruyan shook her head and answered with poise. ¡°Which Young Master Xu?¡± Han Jinghuan was puzzled, with no recollection of him. ¡°Xu Changqing, the able man you recruited today, father.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s gaze moved toward Su Jie, who had been ignored up until then but now suddenly became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. A person from the martial arts world? Yu Wenjing and the rest of the Righteous Disciples looked on, deeply perplexed. Han Ruyan briefly explained the situation, of course, keeping it succinct and focusing mostly on events that occurred before the encounter with Zhong Shiguan. Upon hearing this, Han Jinghuan quickly stepped forward, gratefully grabbing Su Jie¡¯s hand. ¡°Hero Xu, I indeed did not misjudge you. Thank you for rescuing my daughter in a critical moment and for discovering the curse on her. I truly am, you must accept these ten thousand taels of silver no matter what.¡± Han Jinghuan was immensely thankful to Su Jie. He only had this one daughter, and the thought of a parent burying their own child was a hit he could not withstand. Two chests of silver were brought to the side, the bright silver stimulating to many people¡¯s eyes. ¡°Young Master Xu, thank you.¡± Han Ruyan spoke again, finding Su Jie still making faces at her, feeling an inexplicable thrill like that of a naughty child telling lies. ¡°It¡¯s a minor matter, since I have come across this, I would not ignore it, but Uncle Han, you should take more care of your daughter, about how to solve the curse on her.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, although he didn¡¯t lack this bit of silver, but he still needed to maintain his disguise. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I will trouble the young heroes then.¡± Han Jinghuan¡¯s pleading gaze turned to the others. ¡°It is what we ought to do.¡± Yu Wenjing, Xiao Guanglian, and others all clasped their hands in agreement. At that moment, Mo Shiyao, supporting her frail body, said to Han Ruyan, ¡°Miss Han, when I was trapped in the body of the female ghost, you need to tell everything you saw, leaving nothing out.¡± ¡°After you were trapped, that Zhong Shiguan suddenly felt ill, as if trapping you had consumed much of his strength, leading to the barrier breaking, probably afraid that fighting would cause a disturbance, attracting Lord Yu Wen and the others for an encirclement, so he hurriedly fled.¡± Su Jie stepped forward before Han Ruyan could reply, answering for her. Han Ruyan bit her red lips and nodded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it.¡± ¡°I see, it seems that the Hidden Realm Elder is a charlatan, or perhaps he only recently advanced.¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s spirit lifted, suddenly feeling confident. Her voice became much louder and clearer. Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but cast a sidelong glance, thinking to himself that the charlatan trapped by the Painting Woman was actually you. Next, Mo Shiyao began to examine the curse on Han Ruyan¡¯s back. The others also came forward, but out of propriety, they used the method of pulse diagnosis to sense the curse. After a final attempt, although they could not remove the curse, they managed to suppress it, preventing it from causing trouble. ........ When everything had settled down, Su Jie also regrouped with Xiao Fengyuan and Ning Xinyue in the guest room. ¡°Brother Su, what¡¯s the situation?¡± Xiao Fengyuan had been waiting for the signal to fight and was puzzled. ¡°Qi Shijian wasn¡¯t there.¡± Su Jie shook his head, for it had been an excellent opportunity. ¡°What a pity.¡± Ning Xinyue glanced over, poking Su Jie¡¯s arm and said, ¡°What were you doing in there for so long?¡± ¡°Someone tried to use a beauty trap on me, but my will is firm, and I made them lose their wife and soldiers.¡± Su Jie told a blatant lie, eliciting an eye roll from Ning Xinyue. ¡°Keep bragging, you clearly haven¡¯t done anything good.¡± No sooner had Ning Xinyue finished speaking than she saw Su Jie take out a corpse. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°A Heavenly Soul Sect Elder, Zhong Shiguan...¡± Su Jie briefly recounted his experiences at Han Ruyan¡¯s place. After listening, Xiao Fengyuan was astonished, ¡°What, such a thing happened, and I didn¡¯t sense anything at all!¡± Besides being shocked, Xiao Fengyuan was even more astounded by Su Jie¡¯s combat abilities, capable of defeating a Hidden Realm Elder head-on. ¡°That scroll must be an extraordinary treasure.¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s eyes brightened. They were so close and yet couldn¡¯t sense it, which showed how potent the scroll was¡ªit must contain a world of its own. ¡°Pity he got away with it, but we still need to continue our mission. Let¡¯s keep a close watch on Han Mansion; as soon as Qi Shijian leaves, we¡¯ll follow him immediately.¡± Su Jie put forward his suggestion, determined to capture Qi Shijian. The group discussed their plans in the room for a while longer before they left. Su Jie then began inspecting the spoils of war left by Zhong Shiguan. In his haste to escape, Zhong Shiguan hadn¡¯t even managed to take his storage bag. The storage bag contained a significant amount of spirit stones and various materials, totaling a value of seventy thousand. Su Jie did not know if among the elders, Zhong Shiguan was considered wealthy or poor; this was his first time looting spoils from an elder. Su Jie figured the man must have been quite poor since he didn¡¯t see him use any formidable magic artifacts in combat, the scroll aside. Chapter 252 - 167: Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique (Third Update) Chapter 252: Chapter 167: Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique (Third Update) In addition to these items, Su Jie also saw quite a few Primordial Spirit Pearls, which are beads that absorb fear. Next to the Primordial Spirit Pearls, Su Jie found several coffins. Upon opening them, inside were some half-completed Fierce Ghosts. ¡°Eh, this is...¡± Suddenly, Su Jie unexpectedly discovered a booklet titled ¡°Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique¡± inscribed in large characters. After flipping through it, Su Jie quickly understood that it was a Magic Skill that taught one how to cultivate and control Fierce Ghosts, similar to how Ghost Ridge Palace was proficient in rearing poisonous insects, and Heavenly Soul Sect in nurturing ghosts and souls. The Cultivation Technique was not difficult to learn. Su Jie, with his current cultivation aptitude, was no longer the poor student of the past, but rather the possessor of the Purple Cloud Thunder Body. Several hours later, Su Jie looked towards the coffins in the room, bit his fingertip, and dropped his fresh blood onto several half-completed Fierce Ghosts that were not yet fully nurtured. Out of the three coffins and three Fierce Ghosts, the bodies of two Fierce Ghosts trembled, yet they did not open their eyes, unable to truly awaken. Only one, standing two meters tall yet ghastly thin, opened its eyes and walked out of the coffin. This Fierce Ghost¡¯s body was entwined in iron chains, its eyes profoundly deep, and its hands so long they nearly touched the ground, with nails black and sharp. As it moved, the iron chains collided and rubbed against each other, emitting a chilling oppressive aura. ¡°A First-grade fierce ghost.¡± Su Jie stroked his chin, examining the Fierce Ghost before him. Fierce Ghosts are classified from First Grade to Ninth Grade, with First Grade being the weakest and Ninth Grade the strongest, like the Painting Woman from Zhong Shiguan¡¯s case which was a Fifth-grade Fierce Ghost. Fierce Ghost is a general term; they often are souls bearing grievances who died unjustly, their resentments fueled by special surrounding conditions, ultimately forming into a product of negative energy. Usually, wild Fierce Ghosts won¡¯t necessarily kill humans; they possess a certain killing mechanism that once triggered leads to an attack, conversely, if lucky not to have triggered it, one could potentially be unharmed. However, Fierce Ghosts under the control of a Demon Cultivator are different. Even without triggering the killing mechanism, one would still be attacked. But wild Fierce Ghosts are rare, given the stringent conditions for their formation, whereas Heavenly Soul Sect authored this ¡°Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique¡± specifically for this purpose. In the Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique, it discusses how to cultivate such Fierce Ghosts. Besides capturing and seeking wild Fierce Ghosts, it can also be artificially created, though the process is utterly bloody and brutal. For instance, one of the sections describes taking a pregnant woman carrying twins and, at the time of delivery, sealing her entire body with black glue, placing her into a clay pot, and burying it three and nine feet deep in a shaded land. Day and night, reciting scriptures with soul incense on an altar. After fifteen days, a type of Fierce Ghost called the Child and Mother Ghost can be cultivated. Beyond the initial level, a Fierce Ghost¡¯s grade can also be cultivated to increase. Fierce Ghosts require the emotion of fear to advance, the more intense the fear, the greater the aid it provides to the Fierce Ghost. Thus, originally in Nanyang City, Heavenly Soul Sect trapped this city without killing much, precisely to continuously harvest fear to cultivate Fierce Ghosts. Compared to poisonous insects, the methods of Fierce Ghosts are even more mysteriously unpredictable, such as walking through walls, teleporting, and casting curses, which for Fierce Ghosts are basic operations. ¡°Go, let me see your capabilities.¡± Su Jie crooked his finger, and the iron chain ghost before him slowly walked to the windowsill and opened the window. Under Su Jie¡¯s divine sense perception, less than two kilometers from here, a few drunken soldiers were beating a beggar sleeping on a street corner, occasionally bursting into loud laughter. It was already deep into the night, and there were virtually no pedestrians on the street. The Iron Chain Ghost leaped down and walked slowly on the street. Heavy iron chains hung to the ground, dragging along the bluestone pavement and leaving two long traces behind. With each step it took, the Iron Chain Ghost would appear tens of meters away; it did not walk in a regular manner. Within just a minute, it had reached those soldiers. ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡± One soldier, hearing the raspy whisper and the sound of chain friction, looked up from the beating, only to see a tall, thin figure standing in front with rusty chains coiled around it. On a twisted face, narrow and cold eyes shone with a sinister light in the darkness, piercing through to the marrow as if freezing the soul itself. In the darkness, when that soldier and the Iron Chain Ghost made eye contact, it instantly triggered its killing mechanism, and several chains bizarrely sprouted from the ground, swiftly entwining the soldier and lifting him into the air. The chains squeezed tighter around him, working like a meat grinder. Flesh and blood burst from between the chains, scattering his body in all directions like the Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers, turning him into a ground of flesh, splattering over a dozen meters around. ¡°A ghost, it¡¯s a ghost!¡± Several soldiers were terrified out of their wits. Some were so scared they lost control of their bladder and bowels, some went weak in the legs and collapsed on the spot without any strength left, some opened their mouths wide but could not make a sound, and some turned and fled immediately. The Iron Chain Ghost¡¯s eyes blinked, and with one step, it bizarrely appeared in front of the fleeing soldiers. This soldier could not dodge in time and slammed right into the Iron Chain Ghost. The next moment, the Iron Chain Ghost placed its nearly ground-touching long arms on the shoulders of this soldier. The soldier stiffened on the spot, chains broke through his skin, coiling from inside out, wrapping his body into an iron chain statue. ¡°This is the ghost coming to claim my life for what happened with Xu San, I truly was confused then, I didn¡¯t mean to kill her, I¡¯m willing to pay and repent.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, please spare my life, I will never dare to do it again!¡± ¡°We¡¯re all going to die here, might as well fight him..¡± These soldiers cut a pitiful figure, not that no one tried to resist, but their swords hacked at the Iron Chain Ghost only splintered sparks and slid into the chain gaps like stabbing into straw, not the usual sense of flesh and blood. Before these soldiers could run away, chains from the Iron Chain Ghost flew out in all directions, instantly wrapping around these soldiers and pulling them in front of it, binding them together with its own chains. The chains continued to tighten, and the painful screams of these soldiers could be heard, their struggles slowly fading. Under the wide-eyed and trembling gaze of that old beggar, the Iron Chain Ghost ignored him, slowly turning around and walking down the street, leaving a trail of blood dribbling with each step. In the end, there was no trace of the few soldiers left, only chains stained red, and some hair, skin, and bones mixed amongst the chains, hanging like decorations, exceptionally horrifying and chilling. Su Jie had been observing with his divine sense. The power of the Iron Chain Ghost was nothing extraordinary among cultivators; a cultivator of the third or fourth level of the Yunling Realm was enough to contend with it. But for ordinary people, even a first-grade fierce ghost was almost an unsolvable existence. ¡°The ability isn¡¯t bad, if the level of the Fierce Ghost could be raised.¡± An idea slowly formed in Su Jie¡¯s mind. Chapter 253 - 168: Getting Married (First Update) Chapter 253: Chapter 168: Getting Married (First Update) Su Jie stayed comfortably at Han Mansion. He often took the opportunity to look for opportunities with Xiao Fengyuan and Ning Xinyue. However, Qi Shijian was indeed an expert sycophant, almost never leaving Mo Shiyao¡¯s side. Especially after Mo Shiyao had been injured, he was constantly circling around her. As Qingzhou¡¯s foremost beauty, Mo Shiyao always had numerous suitors, many Righteous Disciples often followed her, which left Su Jie without any chance. Su Jie could only wait patiently for an opportunity, temporarily residing in Han Mansion. Since that night, Han Mansion had not witnessed any more deaths, and everything was changing for the better. In the blink of an eye, several days passed, and Han Mansion became increasingly festive, decorated with red everywhere, because the date for Han Ruyan to marry the Nanjing King was approaching. Inside the bridal chamber, Han Ruyan sat in front of a mirror. Several maids responsible for her makeup and attire stared at the reflection of their young mistress, and even as women themselves, they felt genuinely amazed. Han Ruyan was dressed in a red wedding dress, wearing a gold-thread phoenix crown, the red-picked robe extending to the ground, and a red belt around her waist, the carved pleats displaying intricate elegance. The brilliant red wedding dress and the sparkling gold phoenix crown complemented each other beautifully. Delicate bracelets adorned her wrists, a red cinnabar dot on her forehead, her small feet trembling slightly, wearing a pair of red embroidered shoes, emitting a faint fragrance. In her wedding dress and phoenix crown, combined with Han Ruyan¡¯s nation-overturning beautiful features, her face blooming like a peach blossom, her eyebrows resembling distant mountains, she looked like a lotus emerging from water, her elegance natural and poised. ¡°Miss, the Nanjing King has come to fetch the bride, hurry up and get ready.¡± Someone pushed the door open and entered, and immediately, the room descended into chaos as the maids finalized the makeup. ¡°My daughter! When you get to the Nanjing King¡¯s side, be sure to...¡± Han Mother touched her daughter¡¯s cheek, and as she spoke, tears of sorrow began to fall. ¡°Mother!¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s nose tingled, and her eyes teemed with reluctance. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, tears will ruin the makeup, and you won¡¯t look beautiful. You should go there in grandeur, not frail like your mother.¡± Han Mother caressed her own daughter and personally covered her with the red bridal veil. Outside Han Mansion, the scene was even livelier as Han Jinghuan personally awaited the arrival of the Nanjing King. From afar, the dense sound of horse hooves could be heard. ¡°They¡¯re here! They¡¯re here!¡± At the entrance of Han Mansion, someone excitedly lowered their voice, causing a stir among the nearby friends and relatives. Han Jinghuan collected his scattered thoughts, gently smoothed his brocade robe, and looked towards the end of the street, where the bridegroom¡¯s procession appeared. At this moment, most of East Victory City was stirred, as people craned their necks, gathering on either side of the street, all because the bridal procession of the Nanjing King was exceptionally grand. Under the watchful eyes of countless people holding their breath, a group carrying red festive flags slowly advanced, followed by rows of stout horses, their hoofbeats particularly forceful. The riders, bearing ceremonial weapons, were followed by colorful chariots, ceremonial covers, whisk brooms, horse stools, and yoke chairs. Then there were the formidable armored soldiers, bearing lying melons, standing melons, Wu sticks, ceremonial knives, Deng staffs, Bone pieces, and Golden Festivals, followed by Jade Chariots, Golden Chariots, elephant carts, and leather carriages, each bearing one, ten treasure elephants, four quiet whips, and 300 parade horses. In the center, there was a giant royal bridal sedan from the Royal Family, more than ten feet tall, with red lacquered pillars, cloud-shaped carvings, gilt floral leaves, gilded copper treasure beads on sedan tops, and crimson curtains shining brilliantly under May¡¯s sunlight, dazzling to behold, immensely majestic and noble. ¡°Wow, look at the grandeur.¡± A group of onlookers stood by the roadside, their exclamations nonstop upon witnessing such a spectacle. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, Miss Han still made the wrong decision,¡± Yu Wenjing spoke with a calm tone. As a disciple of the Immortal Sect, he appeared unruffled by such worldly affairs. No matter how lavish the splendor or overwhelming the power, after a hundred years, it all becomes just a handful of yellow earth. Since ancient times, it has been said that a hundred-year dynasty, a thousand-year noble family, and a ten-thousand-year Immortal Sect exist. Compared to a dynasty that occupies vast territories and governs countless people, the Immortal Sect stands high above all. Every few hundred years, dynasties change, unable to escape this cycle of fate, but the Immortal Sect, unconcerned with the secular world, resides high in heavenly towers and seems uninvolved in worldly affairs, yet its existence far outlasts any dynasty. ¡°It truly is a pity for Miss Han,¡± Mo Shiyao was also shaking her head; she had ultimately failed to persuade Han Ruyan to join the Sect. ¡°As far as such individuals go, the Nanjing King does have cultivation resources, and a solid foundation too. That elder must be from the Secret Realm,¡± Xiao Guanglian¡¯s gaze flickered, having noticed in the wedding procession several Armored Soldiers from the Fourth or Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm. Obviously, these were guest elders and retainers recruited by the Nanjing King, including an old man whose depth even he could not discern¡ªlikely a Cultivator from the Secret Realm. Although the Royal Family of the Da Li Dynasty had declined, a rotten ship still has three pounds of nails, so it still had some backbone. ¡°Brother Su, I¡¯m afraid that after today, those Righteous Disciples will also leave. Then they will split up, and we can ambush and take action on Qi Shijian¡¯s intended route,¡± Xiao Fengyuan stood on both sides of the steps, his voice reaching Su Jie¡¯s ears. Su Jie nodded slightly, standing together with Ning Xinyue, witnessing a tall figure in the approaching wedding procession. This was a man on a Jade Liu Steed, distinct in features, and with a stable and dignified demeanor. He was dressed in golden silk brocade garments, wore a Jade Pendant at his waist, and held a Jade Ruyi in his hand, exuding an air of noble refinement. This person was the Nanjing King, Xie Wenyi. ¡°Grand Master Taishan, your son-in-law offers his respects,¡± Xie Wenyi dismounted from his horse and bowed in greeting. ¡°Haha, Xie Wenyi, you are too polite. Our families are one from now on. There¡¯s no need for such formality,¡± Han Jinghuan hurriedly helped Xie Wenyi rise, his eyes growing increasingly satisfied with the Nanjing King. In the past, the Han Family was also a powerful noble family with great influence in the court; however, they had fallen into decline after choosing the wrong side when the new Emperor ascended. The Nanjing King would now be their greatest support for re-entering the temples of the court. For Xie Wenyi too, through this marriage alliance, he would gain an additional force to speak for him in the court. Although the Han Mansion was in decline, the connections from the past still remained, and they had blood and marital ties with many noble families in the capital, all of which would become his strength in the future. After they exchanged pleasantries, and Xie Wenyi, following the protocols, formally invited three times and clarified four times, Han Ruyan was also helped out. ¡°This wedding dress is really beautiful,¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s lips parted slightly, as she saw Han Ruyan wearing a Phoenix Crown and Brocade Robe, the wedding dress with fine golden embroidery shimmering brightly, the phoenix-tail dress fluttering in the wind, her slim waist and exposed pale wrists and neck glowing like the tender sprouts in spring. The tranquil and graceful demeanor, as if stepping out of a painting, was unforgettable at first glance. ¡°Jealous, you little girl, are you even old enough to think about wearing a wedding dress?¡± Su Jie chuckled as he patted Ning Xinyue on the head. ¡°I¡¯m eighteen, alright?¡± Ning Xinyue puffed her cheeks and slapped Su Jie¡¯s hand away. Chapter 254 - 169: Uninvited Guest (Second Update) Chapter 254: Chapter 169: Uninvited Guest (Second Update) Han Ruyan was supported by her mother at the door of Han Mansion, where her mother fed her a mouthful of ¡°riding sedan rice,¡± signifying not to forget the grace of being raised. ¡°All right, prepare to get on the flower sedan chair,¡± she said. Han Jinghuan gently twisted his mustache and waved his hand to signal. The flower sedan chair arrived at the front, and Xie Wenyi stepped forward, about to take Han Ruyan¡¯s hand to lead her onto the sedan chair. ¡°The auspicious time has come.¡± But just at that moment, a laugh suddenly echoed in everyone¡¯s ears. This voice arose not only at the entrance of Han Mansion but was also heard by all the citizens of East Victory City. Yu Wenjing, Xiao Guanglian, Mo Shiyao, and other Righteous Disciples¡¯ faces changed dramatically. ¡°Who is speaking?¡± Han Jinghuan looked around, unable to find the source of the sound, only noticing that the sky in the distance had darkened layer by layer. Black mist enveloped the sky dome, like a massive black bowl, covering East Victory City underneath. ¡°Eh!¡± Su Jie frowned and, with one hand pulling Ning Xinyue and the other hand pulling Xiao Fengyuan, silently retreated behind Yu Wenjing and the others. Xie Wenyi took two steps back. Seeing the black mist in the sky dome, he seemed to realize something, and his face turned several shades paler. Next to him, an elder with white hair and beard appeared, whispering, ¡°Prince, quick, follow me, those evil people from Heavenly Soul Sect.¡± ¡°Haha, on such a joyous day, how could we miss it? The Heavenly Soul Sect comes to offer a wedding gift as well. I am Zou Minzun, presenting a wedding dress.¡± ¡°I am Gongyang Ji, presenting a phoenix crown.¡± ¡°Zhong Shiguan, presenting a pair of embroidered shoes.¡± Above the clouds of the sky dome, three figures appeared, floating in the heavens, with sinister gazes sweeping around, finally fixing their eyes on Han Ruyan. ¡°Elder Gongyang, let the children in; everyone can hardly wait to dine. The Ghost Bride needs enough Blood Sacrifice,¡± one of the elders with a cold demeanor and clearly the highest status said sternly. He was Zou Minzun, a senior elder of the Heavenly Soul Sect. ¡°Elder Zou, as you say, I will control the Heavenly Soul Formation well,¡± replied Elder Gongyang Ji, dressed in a black robe and of short stature. ¡°Elder Zhong, if you dare to act rashly again, don¡¯t blame me for flaying your skin first,¡± Zou Minzun added, his gaze turning toward the last elder with disgust and murderous intent. ¡°Rest assured, Elder Zou, not a single person will escape from East Victory City,¡± said the elder, trembling and with a hint of fear in his eyes. Under their command, black mist spread throughout East Victory City, enveloping the entire city. Various ghostly creatures appeared with the mist, killing anyone they encountered, shrouding the entire city in bloodshed and slaughter. Su Jie watched the mist spreading, and he also saw the many ghosts. There were Fierce Ghosts, grim and terrifying, with hunched figures; with every step, they coughed violently. Once any of the nearby citizens came within fifty meters of one, they would start coughing violently, coughing up their own heart, liver, and lungs, dying a pitiful death. ¡°My skin, my skin, I need a new skin,¡± chanted one. Some ghosts have gigantic forms, their bodies covered with burnt flesh; their eyes flickered with blood-red ferocity, as they repeatedly uttered this phrase. And as for the common folk, it caught by this ghost, their skin would be violently stripped away and stuck onto the charred flesh of the ghost itself. With each person killed, it was like putting on a tattered, ragged garment, each patch made of human skin. There were ghosts whose bodies were the size of wheels, with faces set in the middle, emitting crazy, piercing screeches. As they rolled thunderously over, they left a trail of crushed human remains behind. In a short amount of time, East Victory City was filled with dead bodies everywhere. All the common folk who had been slaughtered left behind grudges that refused to disperse, slowly drifting into the black fog and gathering above the Han Mansion. ¡°This is a demon, a demon has appeared.¡± Startled, Han Jinghuan kept backing away, paralyzed by the scene. Han Ruyan¡¯s body trembled. She understood that these Demon Cultivators from the Heavenly Soul Sect had come for her too. Her Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body had actually attracted several members of the Secret Realm from the Heavenly Soul Sect. High above in the sky, an Elder from the Heavenly Soul Sect descended, the short statured Gongyang Ji looked past Han Ruyan and locked his gaze on Xie Wenyi, ¡°Nanjing King of Jingzhou, you meddled with the eradication of our Heavenly Soul Sect. We have been looking for you for a long time; don¡¯t be so eager to leave!¡± Color drained from Xie Wenyi¡¯s face, and he shouted loudly, ¡°Heavenly Soul Sect, you sinners, if you dare lay a hand on me, the entire Da Li Dynasty will have no place for you.¡± ¡°Heeheehee! Well said! We of the Heavenly Soul Sect have long lost any refuge, and isn¡¯t it all thanks to you? What fear could a bunch of lost souls and wandering ghosts have of being hunted? Today, I, Gongyang Ji, will kill you as the first sacrifice!¡± With a light wave of his hand, a rotten corpse, reeking of decay, appeared behind Gongyang Ji. The rotting corpse possessed some sort of special ability, and just by appearing, Xie Wenyi¡¯s entire body began to decompose, his skin blistering with abscesses as he screamed in terror. Buzz! Xie Wenyi¡¯s jade pendant at his waist lit up with a fluorescent light; if not for this Defensive Magical Artifact, Xie Wenyi would have been killed instantly. Xie Wenyi let out a wretched scream. The elderly Secret Realm cultivator, Tang Lie, stepped in front of him. His Spiritual Energy surged skyward, shielding Xie Wenyi behind him. ¡°Kill him, Elder Tang, quickly kill him for me.¡± Xie Wenyi¡¯s eyes were full of hatred, as he gazed at his severely decayed skin and shakily pointed at the emaciated Gongyang Ji. Tang Lie stood before Gongyang Ji, his expression serious and grave. As for the other Armored Soldiers brought by Xie Wenyi, they were now shrouded in black fog, locked in combat with a multitude of ghosts, barely able to protect themselves. In the sky, two other Elders were also slowly descending, one of whom was a figure that Su Jie found somewhat familiar. It was the Painting Woman, except now, the voice that came out was male; clearly, Zhong Shiguan¡¯s Divine Soul had taken refuge in this Fierce Ghost¡¯s body, clinging to life desperately. Dragging Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan with him, Su Jie quickly took cover inside the Han Mansion. ¡°We must kill all these Righteous Disciples to avoid further chaos.¡± Zhong Shiguan¡¯s eyes held deep hatred as his gaze swept wildly across the crowd. However, the Ghost Ridge Palace Demon Cultivator Disciple he loathed most was nowhere to be seen. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± At first glance, Mo Shiyao recognized the Painting Woman. Hearing Zhong Shiguan¡¯s voice, as if understanding something, she shouted, ¡°You actually dare to show up again, forsaking even your physical body just to trap me. With such power, you shouldn¡¯t talk so big about killing all of us.¡± Zhong Shiguan appeared momentarily stunned, looking at Mo Shiyao with confusion. What nonsensical things was this woman talking about? ¡°So you are that worthless Elder!¡± Qi Shijian stepped forward, eager to impress Mo Shiyao. A giant toad came forth from his sleeve, opening its mouth to swallow Zhong Shiguan whole. ¡°Another one from Ghost Ridge Palace, seeking death.¡± Enraged, Zhong Shiguan eerily appeared before Qi Shijian, and a pair of pale, ghostly hands reached out, causing Qi Shijian¡¯s entire body to jolt. A chunk of flesh from his neck seemed to have been erased from existence, its edges crystalized as if mirrored. Had he stayed a moment longer, his whole body might have been wiped from the air. Chapter 255 - 170: Ghost Bride (Third Update) Chapter 255: Chapter 170: Ghost Bride (Third Update) ¡°This person, so fierce.¡± Qi Shijian couldn¡¯t help but turn back to look at Mo Shiyao. This Zhong Shiguan didn¡¯t seem like a watered-down opponent at all! But considering the goddess would surely not lie, Qi Shijian gritted his teeth, released a large swarm of poisonous insects, and attacked again. ¡°Let¡¯s go together, we have three from the Secret Realm on our side, we might not necessarily be unable to fight.¡± Yu Wenjing snorted coldly, he was very confident as he walked toward Zou Minzun, leading a group of Righteous Disciples to confront him. And with Tang Lie dealing with Gongyang Ji, Qi Shijian and Mo Shiyao cooperated to hold off the watered-down Zhong Shiguan. The battle seemed still fightable, but with the arrival of the black fog came a large number of fierce ghosts, which had all thrown themselves into the fight as well. Pfft! A few minutes later, Yu Wenjing spurted out a mouthful of fresh blood, looking at Zou Minzun across from him with a mix of shock and anger. To be exact, he was looking at the densely packed hundreds of fierce ghosts behind Zou Minzun. The grade of these ghosts was at least third-grade, not to mention fourth and fifth-grade, and even the presence of sixth-grade terrifying beings, which was really hair-raising. Already, several bodies of Righteous Disciples had fallen near Zou Minzun. These were all high disciples from the Immortal Sect, with cultivations of the Ninth Level or even Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm, but still, they were being killed and forced into retreat. ¡°Is this the legendary Heavenly Soul Formation? We can¡¯t confront it head-on, let¡¯s retreat first.¡± Yu Wenjing¡¯s face was extremely ugly, as Qingzhou and Jingzhou were adjacent, he had heard of this formation. It is said that this formation had the ability to summon souls and ghosts, usually set up in the wilderness to attract wild wandering spirits and fierce ghosts. It needs regular human sacrifices inside to feed the ghosts for slaughtering, so as to foster fear and elevate their grade. When deployed in battle, it becomes a Ten Thousand Ghost Array. He had only heard of it, but he didn¡¯t expect to witness it with his own eyes today, and it was such a massive Heavenly Soul Formation, covering the entire East Victory City. Under Yu Wenjing¡¯s leadership, a group of Righteous Disciples didn¡¯t even consider continuing the fight and fled in a very flustered manner. ¡°Run, if you¡¯re not scared, then how can you provide more fear?¡± Zou Minzun¡¯s lips curled up into a weird smile as he watched the Righteous Disciples flee, then turned to look at Han Ruyan. Whoosh! The curse mark on Han Ruyan¡¯s back turned red and hot; it turns out the real curser was not Zhong Shiguan, but Zou Minzun. ¡°It hurts so much.¡± Han Ruyan suddenly stiffened, the red wedding dress on her body tightened increasingly, making it impossible to breathe. ¡°Ru Yan.¡± Han Mother and Han Jinghuan both cried out, wanting to rush over, but were firmly held back by the family retainers and fled back deep into the Han Mansion. ¡°Almost let that useless Zhong Shiguan ruin my plans. The Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, plus dying wronged on her wedding day, the Ghost Bride that will be cultivated, I wonder how strong she will be!¡± Zou Minzun¡¯s hands constantly formed seals, and the resentment and fear that filled the city from those who had been killed was continuously absorbed by the black fog and then poured into Han Ruyan¡¯s body. Gradually, Han Ruyan¡¯s figure began to change, with a faint glow flashing in her eyes that were bottomless, seemingly hiding endless resentment and sorrow. As time went on, Han Ruyan, dressed in a luxurious red wedding dress, had a complexion as pale as paper, lips so faded they were nearly transparent, filled with a chilling aura, some death qi emerged on her body, and although she still looked beautiful on the outside, it was a chilling sort of beauty that made people feel uneasy. ....... Inside the Han Mansion. Su Jie was also in action. In the midst of the black fog, other people easily had their vision limited, and even Insect Control Technique couldn¡¯t work well, but thankfully, Su Jie still had Divine Sense, a form of exploration carried out through the Divine Soul, which the black fog could not block. Su Jie trailed far behind the group of Righteous Disciples. After being scattered by Zou Minzun, these people fled in panic. Su Jie¡¯s gaze mainly locked onto Qi Shijian. Gurgle! At his side, a butcher ghost, wearing a blood-stained apron and holding a pig-killing knife, and with a corpulent build, appeared around the corner. The butcher ghost slowly raised the pig-killing knife in its hand and slashed through the air, causing a shiver down Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s spine, who was walking next to Su Jie. A line of blood appeared from his brow to his groin, deep enough to show bone, nearly slicing him in two. ¡°Hmph, seeking death.¡± Wiping the fresh blood from his face, Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s right hand produced a Mid Grade Magical Artifact, the Blood Cang Spear, and hurled it directly at the ghost, impaling its chest and nailing it to the wall, rendering the fourth-grade fierce ghost incapable of moving. ¡°Quick battle, quick decision.¡± Leading the way, Su Jie with Ning Xinyue following closely with small steps, Xiao Fengyuan quickly dealt with the butcher ghost. This sort of battle had already happened no less than four times, with fierce ghosts of both third and fourth grades dying at their hands. Ten minutes later, Su Jie¡¯s eyes twitched, and he finally saw the opportunity. It was the Righteous Disciples, anxious to leave East Victory City, who were now split up and looking for the weakness in the Heavenly Soul Formation, with Xiao Guanglian and Mo Shiyao leading one group, and naturally, the sycophant Qi Shijian was among them. ....... ¡°Damn it, where is the way out of this Heavenly Soul Formation?¡± At the edge of the East Victory City walls, Xiao Guanglian once again found himself back at this location. As soon as they left the range of East Victory City and entered those deep black mists, they would lose their direction and become disoriented. Walking and walking, they would find themselves back at the starting place. For these top-notch disciples, if it were just a simple maze formation, they could break it with a wave of their hand. However, the maze effect that came with the Heavenly Soul Formation was so perplexing that even these disciples couldn¡¯t find any way to break it. ¡°True Word¡ªThousand Ranges Wind!¡± With the Heavenly Constitution in her mouth, Mo Shiyao unleashed dense moonlight blades that sliced a suddenly appearing fierce ghost into a thousand cuts, blasting it into oblivion. Whew! After catching her breath, Mo Shiyao said, ¡°Qi Shijian, have your insects found a way out?¡± ¡°No, the insects also get lost in the black mist.¡± Qi Shijian shook his head repeatedly, indicating his helplessness. ¡°Useless, as one of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s strongest disciples, how can you not find an exit? It¡¯s bad enough that you lost to a watered-down Secret Realm like Zhong Shiguan.¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, her mood very displeased. ¡°Miss Mo, that Zhong Shiguan isn¡¯t weak...¡± Not wanting Mo Shiyao to underestimate him, Qi Shijian spoke up. In a previous fight with Zhong Shiguan, he had been beaten badly, and if not for the other disciples coming to his aid, he might have died at the hands of Zhong Shiguan. ¡°Still making excuses, when I and Xu Changqing, a mere mortal from the Martial Arts world, could force him back, how could he be so strong if he had to abandon his physical body?¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s voice grew colder and more impatient, causing Qi Shijian to hesitate, feeling that something was off. ¡°Miss Mo, quick, save me!¡± As they were discussing with troubled minds, suddenly, a voice came through. Turning their heads, Mo Shiyao and others saw through the black mist, Xu Changqing, whom Mo Shiyao had just mentioned, running towards them while occasionally looking back as if being chased by some fierce ghost. Chapter 256 - 171: Capturing the Traitor (Fourth Update) Chapter 256: Chapter 171: Capturing the Traitor (Fourth Update) ¡°How is it you? You¡¯re still alive?¡± Mo Shiyao was utterly surprised to see Su Jie, especially since East Victory City was in chaos with demons running amok and fierce ghosts roaming and killing the inhabitants, even resulting in numerous casualties among the cultivators. The fact that Su Jie, a martial artist, had managed to survive and run from the city center to the city walls was beyond Mo Shiyao¡¯s expectations. ¡°Miss Mo, quick, come and help, there are fierce ghosts chasing after me.¡± Su Jie ran over with a panic-stricken face, his footsteps disordered and his body covered in blood stains, making him look utterly miserable. ¡°Oh, now you seek my help?¡± Mo Shiyao, with her aloof demeanor, crossed her arms and, remembering all of Su Jie¡¯s past actions, made no move to lend him assistance. Su Jie stumbled forward and shouted, ¡°Miss Mo, do you really intend to stand by and watch me die?¡± ¡°So what if I do? If you die, it¡¯s because you lack the strength.¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s voice was flat, showing no connection with Su Jie. Seeing him approach, she even gestured lightly with her hand, signaling to others to stop him. ¡°This brother, please leave, we¡¯re not on the same path.¡± Qi Shijian, the first to ingratiate himself, quickly stepped in front of Su Jie, disdaining anyone whom Mo Shiyao disliked as well. Su Jie didn¡¯t have time to stop and collided into Qi Shijian. Just as Qi Shijian was about to push this person away, he suddenly felt a pain in his chest and a cold voice echoed in his ear, ¡°Indeed, we¡¯re not on the same path! How could a traitor like you walk the same road as me?¡± Qi Shijian numbly looked down only to see an arm piercing through his chest. Ahead, Su Jie¡¯s face was cold as the distinct swarm of insects from Ghost Ridge Palace disciples crazily burrowed out from his sleeves. The group of Righteous Disciples, who were ready to mock, were stunned, staring at the bloody hand emerging from Qi Shijian¡¯s back, disbelief written all over their faces. Sizzle! While the Righteous Disciples were still dazed, pale corpse hands burst out from Su Jie¡¯s flesh, tightly grasping Qi Shijian¡¯s whole body. Boom! Just as Mo Shiyao opened her mouth, wanting to utter the True Word, a terrifying cold current swept through, forcing Mo Shiyao to sidestep and miss the optimum moment. Next to her, just as Xiao Guanglian raised his arm, a blood-red long spear pierced through the void within a cloud of black mist. ¡°The Blood Cang Spear, it¡¯s the Nine-headed Demon Spear.¡± Xiao Guanglian recognized the weapon in an instant, and his expression immediately darkened. The primary combat reliance of Ghost Ridge Palace disciples was on poisonous insects. When Qi Shijian tried to retaliate, Su Jie¡¯s eyes flashed with a purple light, shooting out two Purple Light Rays which directly melted Qi Shijian¡¯s arms. Additionally, the fingers of the Death Decline Curse Cloud touched down on Qi Shijian. Qi Shijian visibly aged and decayed; his skin slackened, his hair turned white, his teeth fell out, and corpse spots densely appeared on his skin, with his vitality continuously declining ¡ª from a Demon Cultivator in his prime to an old man with white hair. Not giving Qi Shijian a chance to release the insects, pale corpse hands surrounded the aged Qi Shijian, leaving only his head exposed. ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Mo Shiyao finally came to her senses and cried out. ¡°Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie.¡± Beneath Su Jie¡¯s feet, the thousand-hand centipede rapidly grew in size, lifting both Su Jie and Qi Shijian, towering over the few Righteous Disciples below. ¡°Ghost Ridge Palace, Xiao Fengyuan.¡± Xiao Fengyuan emerged from the black mist, with the Blood Cang Spear circling around his body, his aura full of murderous energy. ¡°Ghost Ridge Palace, Zhu Qingya.¡± Ning Xinyue sat on the city wall, her delicate legs swinging as she cheerfully introduced herself. Su Jie¡¯s features shifted like flowing water, restoring his true appearance. ¡°It¡¯s you, the murderer.¡± The moment she saw Su Jie¡¯s true face, Mo Shiyao¡¯s beautiful eyes immediately reddened because her beloved, Du Shaochang, had died at Su Jie¡¯s hands. ¡°Miss Mo, Qingyin Fairy, long time no see!¡± Su Jie waved humbly and greeted Mo Shiyao. ¡°Ghost Ridge Palace, cough cough, you...¡± Qi Shijian was still conscious and, hearing Su Jie and the others revealing their Sect allegiance and seeing their faces, he instantly realized that they were sent by the Sect to capture him, the traitor. Su Jie turned his head to look at Qi Shijian, his smile fading as he said sternly, ¡°Qi Shijian, you have betrayed the Sect. Today, we are here by the orders of Master Zuo to escort you back to the Sect for trial. For the crime of treachery and defection, you will certainly have your tongue pulled out, skin flayed, tendons severed, bones picked, boiled in oil, organs fried, your soul devoured by worms, and your spirit shall enter the Heavenly Soul Lamp, condemned to eternal damnation.¡± With every sentence Su Jie uttered, Qi Shijian¡¯s face grew paler, and his body trembled like chaff. Being from Ghost Ridge Palace, how could he not know the ruthlessness of the Secret Realm Elders¡¯ methods? If caught and taken back, he certainly faced torture worse than death. ¡°You devil, die!¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s lips were tightly bitten, her eyes filled with deep-seated hatred; she suddenly produced a wooden fish and started pounding it towards Su Jie. The thousand-hand centipede coiled its massive body into a ball, shielding Su Jie within. Layers of Immortal Sound ripples fell on the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s body, colliding with its outer scales. Some scales cracked, and the outer flesh blasted open, creating holes, but this was nothing for the massive body of the thousand-hand centipede. The next moment, the thousand-hand centipede lowered its head and its skull-like face opened wide. Mo Shiyao¡¯s face changed, she knew this move of the thousand-hand centipede, and she quickly retreated backward. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Hundreds of violent high-temperature beams erupted, melting metal and iron insufficiently to describe this heat; Mo Shiyao moved slightly slower, and her right leg was missing a chunk of flesh. On the other side, Xiao Fengyuan, holding the Blood Cang Spear, summoned the Mid Grade Five Refinement Multi-legged Centipede, directly facing the other three Righteous Disciples. ¡°Demon Cultivator, let me take you on.¡± Xiao Guanglian shouted loudly, riding a Spirit Feathered Phoenix towards Su Jie, and midway he threw a Golden Turtle Seal which transformed into the size of a house, with Xuanwu Dharma Form manifesting, pillars supporting the heavens, heavily suppressing downwards. The thousand-hand centipede twisted and flew, bravely facing the descending Golden Turtle Seal and forcefully shaking it off. ¡°Hmm, this poisonous insect, Mid Grade Five Refinement...¡± Xiao Guanglian¡¯s expression grew solemn, he waved his hand and multiple artifacts appeared: Five Elements Tripod, Purple Jade Sky Staff, Moonstone Sword, Star Wheel Magic Plate, Heaven-breaking Trident... Low Grade Magic Tools did not catch his interest; there were as many as ten Mid Grade Magical Artifacts and one Top Grade Magical Artifact present. This was the Fire Tower, once deployed, it burned a vast vacuum, with seas of fire spreading in all directions. Being the Divine Son of the current generation of the Purple Mist Sect and the Sect Master¡¯s own grandson, the treatment he enjoyed and the Magical Artifacts he possessed had already far surpassed most of the Hidden Realm Elders. ¡°With so many artifacts, Junior Sister Zhu, your turn, you have more treasures, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Upon seeing this, Su Jie immediately drew the battle towards Ning Xinyue, who had been watching the scene. ¡°Hey hey, you scoundrel.¡± Ning Xinyue immediately stamped her foot, ignoring the spectacle and shaking her tender lotus-like wrists, a Vajra Bracelet whirled out: ¡°Darling please withdraw, collect all his treasures for me.¡± Chapter 257 - 172: The Tycoons Method of Combat (First Update) Chapter 257: Chapter 172: The Tycoon¡¯s Method of Combat (First Update) The Vajra Bracelet shone brilliantly, emitting a terrifying suction force. Several Mid-Grade Magical Artifacts were caught in its pull, uncontrollably flying towards the Vajra Bracelet like iron to a magnet. Xiao Guanglian¡¯s mount, the Spirit Feathered Phoenix, screeched and let out a hostile cry towards Ning Xinyue, its mouth and nose spewing violent black water, which Ning Xinyue narrowly avoided. ¡°Wind, Fire, Thunder!¡± Xiao Guanglian rapidly formed spell gestures, and the Top Grade Magical Artifact, the Fire Tower, soared into the sky dome. Gale-force winds raged, accompanied by sweeping flames and roaring heavenly thunder. In an instant, the area around Ning Xinyue became the eye of the storm, with wind feeding the flames, fire borrowing the wind¡¯s force, and continuous lightning strikes, the terrifying onslaught seemingly set to shatter heaven and earth. ¡°Su Jie, come help me quickly.¡± Ning Xinyue was desperate. She took out the Jade Heavenly Book, and as the tadpole-like characters on it shifted ceaselessly, they formed a faint layer of scripture light screen, protecting Ning Xinyue within it. However, Xiao Guanglian¡¯s Top Grade Magical Artifact, the Fire Tower was truly formidable; its terrifying assault forced Ning Xinyue to retreat repeatedly, and cracks began appearing on the light screen. Su Jie patted the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede and said, ¡°Xiao Qian, take care of this woman.¡± The Thousand-Handed Centipede slithered forward, rumbling towards Mo Shiyao with an aggressive charge. As a Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect, even in a one-on-one fight, its combat instinct kicked in and did not require Su Jie¡¯s constant command. ¡°Darling, please turn around.¡± Su Jie pointed his fingers like a sword, his gaze locked onto Xiao Guanglian. Flight upon flight of Flying Swords, led by the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, transformed into a dazzling sword river and appeared before Xiao Guanglian. ¡°Hah, mere Low Grade Flying Swords.¡± Disdain appeared on Xiao Guanglian¡¯s face. He pressed his left hand downward, and three Mid-grade Flying Swords moved to meet the sword river, clashing with Su Jie¡¯s swords. These Low Grade Flying Swords, even though enhanced by the Sword Nourishing Gourd, were still fundamentally inferior to the Mid-grade Flying Swords. Only the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, an exceptional Low Grade Magical Artifact, could contend with a Mid-grade Flying Sword. The other Low Grade Swords broke upon contact with the Mid-grade Swords as easily as tofu. But the smug look on Xiao Guanglian¡¯s face didn¡¯t last more than a few seconds, as an overwhelming Human-faced Moth Cloud swept in. Su Jie, too, waved the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and terrifying Yin Souls surged forth, forming the Ten Thousand Yin Blood Nether Array. A mighty Blood River descended from the sky, as if the river was falling from the ninth heaven, a sight to shock the soul. ¡°Demon Cultivators are just that, employing nothing but underhanded tactics unfit for the public eye.¡± Despite Xiao Guanglian¡¯s reproach, his eyes were filled with extreme gravity as he maneuvered several Mid-grade Magical Artifacts to confront both the Insect Cloud and the Blood River. Within the cloud, five to six Mid-grade Human-faced Moths and over a hundred Low-grade Human-faced Moths led the charge, backed by over three hundred thousand inferior Human-faced Moths, as they surged up en masse, clashing against each artifact. There was a Five Elements Tripod that overturned, unleashing Five Elements Divine Light from within; gold, wood, water, fire, and earth transformed into a mixed elemental tornado, sweeping up Human-faced Moths and obliterating them on the spot. Purple Jade Heavenly Mace fell with earth-shattering tremors, turning numerous Human-faced Moths into pulp. The Star Wheel Plate presented zodiac patterns, with beams of Star Light falling from the sky dome as if connecting to distant constellations; amid the cascade of starlight, many Human-faced Moths evaporated into sparkling points of light disappearing into the void. ... Numerous Mid-grade Magical Artifacts launched their attacks, but the sheer number of Human-faced Moths made it impossible for these artifacts to deal with the terrifying swarm in a short time. The Blood River swept in as well, engulfing several Mid-grade Magical Artifacts within its raging currents. This river constructed of countless Yin Souls, not only tainted the Spiritual Radiance of these artifacts but also eroded the spiritual power Xiao Guanglian had attached to them. The next moment, the vast Insect Cloud surged, enveloping Xiao Guanglian and forming a massive cocoon of insects around him, as each Human-faced Moth spat acid, continuously biting and gnawing at him. ¡°` As the grandson of the Sect Master of the Purple Mist Sect, Xiao Guanglian was naturally under heavy protection. He wore a Top Grade Protection Vestment robe, and although the Insect Cloud could wear it down, it would take too much time. However, while Xiao Guanglian was protected, his mount, the Spirit Feathered Phoenix, wasn¡¯t so lucky. It was covered in countless human-faced moths, eating away at each inch of its flesh and blood furiously. Especially those low-grade and mid-grade human-faced moths, each squirt of their acidic saliva caused the beautiful Spirit Feathered Phoenix to let out tragic cries as feathers fell and it spiraled down from the sky. Before even hitting the ground, this spiritual beast with no small cultivation was gnawed down to a white-boned skeleton, its death was a pitiful sight. Xiao Guanglian¡¯s face was grim, as he stood on the Golden Turtle Seal to maintain flight while taking out a large number of talismans from his embrace, all of them mid-grade. ¡°Heavenly Fire Burning God Talisman, go.¡± Holding the talisman, Xiao Guanglian muttered under his breath, and the talisman transformed into a column of light that coalesced into a massive Fire Qilin that charged toward Su Jie. Su Jie¡¯s brow did not move; with a light wave of his right hand, the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder kept striking down from the sky, obliterating the Fire Qilin. ¡°Let¡¯s see how many you can block.¡± Xiao Guanglian¡¯s hands moved quickly, flinging talisman after talisman as if they cost him nothing. With the sounds of dragon roars echoing, the talismans turned into silver-white dragons tens of meters long, colliding head-on. Some talismans became tens of thousands of golden swords, piercing from all directions. Others turned into streaks of Divine Thunder, continuously countering Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. Facing this tycoon-like battle method of throwing money around, Su Jie could only continue to use Purple Cloud Divine Thunder, and call upon the Human-faced Moths and the Blood River for defense. Having used Purple Cloud Divine Thunder repeatedly, even his head began to throb with pain. And the Human-faced Moths and the Blood River were also being depleted greatly. As one attacked and the other defended, Su Jie¡¯s side, with its greater number of insects, exhausted most of Xiao Guanglian¡¯s talismans. However, Su Jie¡¯s originally large swarm was also decimated by these rounds of talisman detonations, leaving very few remaining. After the offensive ended, both Su Jie and Xiao Guanglian were still flying in the air, but their auras were completely different. Su Jie had a faint layer of sweat on his forehead, having overused the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder. While Xiao Guanglian appeared more composed, as if he had not been through a battle at all. Finally, Xiao Guanglian spoke lightly, ¡°Your tricks are insufficient; once the insects are dead, I¡¯ll see what you can use to block me.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Jie¡¯s face revealed a cold smile, ¡°I still have the strength for one more fight, but whether your friend does is another matter.¡± At that moment, Mo Shiyao was also engaged in a tough fight. She was no match for the thousand-hand centipede, being chased around in disarray. The counterattack of the True Word Immortal Sound hardly bothered the thousand-hand centipede. The battle there was about to end, and if the thousand-hand centipede were to join this side, the situation could flip instantly. Xiao Guanglian was slightly distracted, as he also feared the presence of the thousand-hand centipede. The involvement of this mid-grade Five Refinement poisonous insect in the fight was terrifying. To prevent such a situation, he directly sent several Magical Artifacts flying to Mo Shiyao¡¯s location to help stabilize the situation. ¡°You dare to be distracted.¡± Su Jie had been waiting for this moment. As soon as he spoke, the Blood River stretched toward Xiao Guanglian. The onslaught of the Blood River caused Xiao Guanglian¡¯s Vestment robe to begin to quiver, and ripples spread across his Magic Shield. ¡°` Chapter 258 - 173: Defeat (Second Update) Chapter 258: Chapter 173: Defeat (Second Update) ¡°Do you really think I can only rely on magic artifacts?¡± Amid the wash of the Blood River, Xiao Guanglian coldly snorted, his body radiating Xuanjin Radiance, his skin turning jet-black. With a punch, a gap instantly appeared in the Blood River. As a Divine Son of the Purple Mist Sect, Xiao Guanglian did not rely solely on his status as the Sect Master¡¯s direct grandson. He himself also possessed a Mystical Treasure Golden Body, and though this treasure body was only ranked in the seventies or eighties among divine bodies, with various powerful magic artifacts added, his strength was still far beyond Du Shaochang¡¯s at his prime. On Ning Xinyue¡¯s end, she was still entangled with the Fire Tower, a top grade magical artifact. Su Jie¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, leaving behind a decoy with the Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique, and using layers of Corpse Hands to defend against the attacks of mid grade magical artifacts, he could still maintain safety for a short time. His true body silently entered the Blood River, using it to disguise his position as he slowly approached Xiao Guanglian. Xiao Guanglian, engrossed in battle, dispersed great swathes of the Blood River with each punch and kick. Relying on the protection of his top grade vestment robe, he acted recklessly and fiercely. Whirl! At a distance of ten meters from Xiao Guanglian, just as the other party threw another punch, a flash of brilliance crossed Su Jie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hit me.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes burst forth with Purple Light Rays. At such a close distance, and with Xiao Guanglian unguarded, the Purple Light Ray hit its mark directly, its high temperature all blocked by the vestment robe. ¡°To actually deliver yourself to me, you¡¯re truly seeking death.¡± Sheng Lie threw a punch, as Xiao Guanglian activated the Zhenzong Technique of the Purple Mist Sect, the Wanxiang Heavenly Power True Method. This punch, borrowing the Heavenly Might, blasted forth accompanied by winds and clouds, tossing a vast swath of cloud sea afar, turning everything a hundred meters in front of the fist into a vacuum state. With this punch, Xiao Guanglian was filled with a resolve to kill. As far as he knew, Gu Masters were not good at close combat, and this was his chance to end the battle. But what he didn¡¯t know was that Su Jie¡¯s real trump card was not the Purple Light Ray. Almost as soon as Xiao Guanglian counterattacked, Su Jie¡¯s body flashed, closing the distance even further between him and Xiao Guanglian. With a palm strike from his left hand, he unleashed the Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint on the void, while his right hand condensed the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, turning it into a Thunder Spear that pierced through the sky. The two attacks clashed fiercely, as if there was a volcanic eruption in the skies, and a myriad of divine lights swept across all directions. Bang! A figure flew backward, and unexpectedly, it was Xiao Guanglian who couldn¡¯t withstand it. Now, Su Jie at the Ninth Level of Yunling Realm, combined with his Purple Cloud Thunder Body, was physically stronger than Xiao Guanglian¡¯s Mystical Treasure Golden Body by a head, even though Xiao Guanglian was at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm, he was no match for Su Jie in a clash. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Xiao Guanglian¡¯s face was filled with bewilderment; he couldn¡¯t believe that he had not succeeded in close combat against Su Jie. Fortunately, with the protection of the top grade vestment robe, he wasn¡¯t injured, and the aftermath of the attacks were blocked outside. Su Jie¡¯s right hand formed a claw, the Death Decline Curse Cloud turning into a dark light, instantly creating a huge ripple on the top grade vestment robe. Xiao Guanglian was startled, as he sensed a breath of death from the Death Decline Curse Cloud. But after all, it was a top grade vestment robe and ultimately withstood this strike. ¡°Heh, with your meager methods, you think you can break through my vestment robe?¡± His face regained confidence, but just as Xiao Guanglian¡¯s voice fell, a terrifyingly cold flow suddenly covered him from behind. Ning Xinyue finally stopped slacking off and, seizing the opportunity, ran the Xuanyin Body at full strength, the Xuanyin Cold Flow hitting Xiao Guanglian directly. The terrifying cold flow caused the top grade vestment robe to emit crisp cracking sounds, as if it could shatter at any moment. ¡°Xiao Qian!¡± Su Jie shouted, and Xiao Guanglian turned his head in terror, just to see the distant thousand-hand centipede fighting with Mo Shiyao. The bone-white cheeks of the centipede split open as hundreds of purple light rays burst forth. When he tried to escape, he found that corpse hands had surrounded him without his knowledge, encroaching on his space to dodge. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The hundreds of purple light rays hit Xiao Guanglian continuously. Each ray, carrying terrifyingly high temperatures, combined with the Xuanyin Cold Flow previously cast by Ning Xinyue, all piled onto the protective vestment robe. The effects of thermal expansion and contraction took place, and this incredibly sturdy vestment robe, under successive attacks, could no longer hold up. Cracks spread across it, and several small gaps appeared. ¡°How is this possible.¡± Xiao Guanglian could not believe that his top grade vestment robe, which even cultivators from the Secret Realm struggled to damage, was actually broken by the joint efforts of two disciples from the Yunling Realm. ¡°There¡¯s nothing impossible. Don¡¯t you know what thermal expansion and contraction is? Carrying a tortoise shell around, you really thought you were untouchable or what!¡± At this moment, the distance between Su Jie and Xiao Guanglian was extremely close. The instant the top grade vestment robe was breached, his Divine Soul left his body. His physical body was supported by the human-faced moth cloud, but his Divine Soul dived into the breach of Xiao Guanglian¡¯s shattered vestment robe. ¡°This is...¡± Xiao Guanglian was shocked again, his forehead covered with cold sweat. Seeing the state of Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul, he was only a pair of eyes away from condensing into a Primordial Spirit. ¡°Die.¡± How formidable Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul was. Even Zhong Shiguan from the Secret Realm was forced to abandon his body and flee in a wretched state. Xiao Guanglian, finding an opportunity for Su Jie, his Divine Soul entering the body, was likely to die without question. However, Su Jie hadn¡¯t accounted for how much Xiao Guanglian¡¯s grandfather feared for his grandson¡¯s safety. Not only was he equipped with the vestment robe, but even the Magical Artifacts for his Divine Soul had been fully prepared. Just as Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul was about to crash into Xiao Guanglian¡¯s head, an amulet around his neck was activated. The Life Protection Talisman was a defense against Divine Soul attacks, with intense soul power arcs surging on it, forcefully driving back Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul. Pff! Even so, Xiao Guanglian was in a lot of pain. Blood streamed from his seven apertures, and his Divine Soul was covered in scars. The next moment, Xiao Guanglian pulled out a bunch of Qilin Crystal Silver Flower Fruits, each emerald crystal fruit resembling grapes, one plucked and tossed into his mouth, his soul injuries steadily recovering. ¡°Damn wastrel.¡± Su Jie cursed under his breath. These Qilin Crystal Silver Flower Fruits were extremely precious, growing only on the summits of snowy mountains. Not only were they rare, but they were often guarded by spiritual beasts. Besides healing soul injuries, the Qilin Crystal Silver Flower Fruits also strongly nourished and enhanced the Divine Soul. However, unlike other things, a slight mishap with the Divine Soul could lead to mental disorder, or worse, turn someone into a vegetative state, necessitating careful consumption for cultivation. Even Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but be envious of Xiao Guanglian. This was the benefit of a good background. If it hadn¡¯t been for the numerous Magical Artifacts and talismans protecting him, Su Jie would have defeated him much earlier. Seeing Su Jie¡¯s wounds, Xiao Guanglian showed fear. He was terrified by Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul. Such encounters were extremely dangerous, easily leading to the obliteration of the Divine Soul and theft of the body. His own Divine Soul was no match for Su Jie¡¯s. At this moment, he decided decisively, and without turning his head, he fled. Seeing this, Su Jie reached out with one hand, turning the Purple Cloud Thunderbolt into a Heavenly Saber. His tiny Divine Soul grabbed the Heavenly Saber and slashed through the air, severing Xiao Guanglian¡¯s arm which was holding the Qilin Crystal Silver Flower Fruits. Yin Hong¡¯s fresh blood spilled profusely. In the process, Xiao Guanglian fled even faster, using one Magical Artifact after another to fend off Su Jie¡¯s pursuit. Chapter 259 - 174: Battle Results (Third Update) Chapter 259: Chapter 174: Battle Results (Third Update) Xiao Guanglian¡¯s defeat meant the other Righteous Disciples could no longer hold it together. ¡°Let¡¯s retreat.¡± Mo Shiyao clenched her silver teeth, her body covered in wounds inflicted by the thousand-hand centipede. She did not want to admit it, but she couldn¡¯t even defeat one of Su Jie¡¯s poisonous insects, and that was the fact. Recognizing the reality with the last two remaining Righteous Disciples, Mo Shiyao decisively chose to flee. ¡°Should we chase them?¡± Xiao Fengyuan stood beside Su Jie, his Blood Cang Spear hanging with a corpse drained of blood, clothed in the garments of the Righteous Disciples. ¡°They must have run to meet with Yu Wenjing. If they get us wrapped up in their scheme, it would be difficult to fight them off. Besides, our main task is to capture Qi Shijian. It¡¯s best if we can kill some enemies along the way, but it doesn¡¯t matter if we can¡¯t, we shouldn¡¯t take risks.¡± Su Jie shook his head, Xiao Guanglian was not even the strongest among these Righteous Disciples, Yu Wenjing from Qingzhou¡¯s biggest sect, Guan Chao Pavilion, was. Even Xiao Guanglian was so difficult to deal with, possessing many Magic Artifacts and tricks, it took Su Jie a lot of effort just to defeat him. He didn¡¯t dare to imagine how formidable Yu Wenjing would be. Not to mention that Yu Wenjing had about a dozen Righteous Disciples with him, all skilled members from various sects. If a real fight broke out, the odds of Su Jie¡¯s side winning were extremely low. However, the battle was not without its gains. Xiao Guanglian had fled, but he hadn¡¯t managed to take all his Magic Artifacts with him; he only had time to grab those nearby. As for the Mid Grade Magical Artifacts that were swept up in the Blood River, several of them were left behind at the scene. The Heaven-breaking Trident, Five Elements Tripod, Purple Jade Sky Staff. Looking at the three Mid Grade Magical Artifacts they had acquired, a smile inevitably appeared on Su Jie¡¯s face. The price of one Mid Grade Magical Artifact typically ranged from five thousand to ten thousand Spirit Stones. Only the top-notch or specially effective Mid Grade Magical Artifacts would exceed the price of ten thousand Spirit Stones. Before this incident, the Sword Nourishing Gourd was the only Mid Grade Magical Artifact Su Jie possessed. This battle had netted him three more Mid Grade Magical Artifacts. Although these artifacts might not suit him, selling them would still represent a tremendous fortune. Thinking this, Su Jie turned his gaze to Ning Xinyue, who was currently eyeing the Fire Tower with great delight. Xiao Guanglian had fled in such a rush that he hadn¡¯t managed to reclaim the Fire Tower, and Ning Xinyue ended up snagging it. Feeling Su Jie¡¯s gaze, Ning Xinyue instantly became wary, stuffing the Fire Tower into her Storage Bag and said to Su Jie, ¡°What¡¯s up? This is my loot, I¡¯m not giving it to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the laziest in battle, yet the quickest to grab the loot.¡± Su Jie pinched Ning Xinyue¡¯s delicate cheek, speaking irritably. Even he had been injured in the fight, but this girl was spotless, clearly not exerting herself at all. ¡°You taught me to always consider the benefits, why should I exhaust myself to the point of getting hurt or even sacrificing myself? That would be too uneconomical.¡± Ning Xinyue rolled her eyes and argued, after all, she wasn¡¯t from Ghost Ridge Palace, there was no need for her to die for it. For Ning Xinyue, it wasn¡¯t so much about coveting a top grade Magical Artifact since she was indeed very wealthy. But since she had personally seized this artifact, especially under Su Jie¡¯s watchful eye, Being usually bullied by Su Jie and taken advantage of, having a chance to turn the tables and snag something from him was particularly joyful and worth celebrating for Ning Xinyue. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s retreat; we don¡¯t know if this battle has attracted other enemies.¡± Su Jie looked at Ning Xinyue¡¯s rascally demeanor, unsure of who she had learned it from, and shook his head before turning to lead the team away from the battlefield. ......... Su Jie and his two companions carried Qi Shijian, feeding him a sleeping anesthetic to ensure he would not cause any trouble. Along the way, they dealt with several fierce ghosts, but they faced the same problem that Xiao Guanglian had encountered earlier. That was the inability to leave the formation that enveloped the entire East Victory City. Each time they walked not far from the city wall, they would lose their way in the black fog and eerily return to their original location. ¡°This is the Heavenly Soul Formation, and it seems we can¡¯t get out,¡± Ning Xinyue said, blinking her eyes, her face not tense. She had a talisman that could teleport her away if necessary. ¡°This is troublesome, Brother Su, do you have any ideas?¡± Xiao Fengyuan was not as optimistic as Ning Xinyue; the number of fierce ghosts in East Victory City was increasing. If they stayed any longer, they would eventually be overwhelmed by the ghosts. Su Jie furrowed his brows in deep thought. He had initially thought that with his powerful Divine Soul Power, he could easily find a flaw in the formation and leave smoothly. However, Su Jie underestimated the power of the Heavenly Soul Formation. Even his Divine Soul could not find the correct way out. No matter how he explored with his Divine Sense, all he saw was a haze. ¡°Perhaps...¡± Suddenly, Su Jie¡¯s gaze turned toward the center of East Victory City, where the Han Mansion was located. Because he also practiced the Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique, Su Jie could now sense the intense fear and resentment in the black fog, continuously flowing toward the city center. Combining this with the conversation he had overheard from Zhong Shiguan and Zou Minzun and other elders of the Heavenly Soul Sect, Su Jie speculated. Those people planned to turn Han Ruyan, the body of the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light, into a ghost, using the whole city for a Blood Sacrifice to grant her extraordinary power upon birth. At this point, Han Ruyan was surely the Array Eye of the Heavenly Soul Formation; otherwise, the resentment would not be surging in that manner. ¡°To break the formation, we must first deal with the Array Eye,¡± Su Jie concluded, surprising Xiao Fengyuan and Ning Xinyue. ¡°Miss Han turned into a ghost?¡± Ning Xinyue felt a pang of regret, remembering the stunning sight of Han Ruyan in her wedding dress, saddened by her grim fate. ¡°Brother Su, you decide, I¡¯ll follow your lead,¡± Xiao Fengyuan said gravely. After their journey together, he had immense trust in Su Jie, who was superior in both combat and intellect; he chose to follow the wise. ¡°We need to visit the Han Mansion, but not just yet,¡± Su Jie said, taking out a string of Qilin Crystal Silver Flower Fruits, which he had seized from Xiao Guanglian. As Xiao Guanglian fled, his arm was severed, and the Qilin Crystal Silver Flower Fruits he was clutching for healing his Divine Soul injuries fell, turning into Su Jie¡¯s spoils of war. ¡°Hopefully, I can take that final step!¡± With a slight smile on his lips, Su Jie thought that although Xiao Guanglian liked to burn through money in combat, having gold coins truly made him explode with riches, and he had too many good items on hand, each one desirable. Right now, this string of Qilin Crystal Silver Flower Fruits was incredibly important for Su Jie. Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul was only lacking eyes, and this string of Qilin Crystal Silver Flower Fruits might help him take the final step to achieve the Primordial Spirit Soul. Chapter 260: 175: Lantern Ghost (Fourth Update) Chapter 260: Chapter 175: Lantern Ghost (Fourth Update) ¡°` Three days passed in a flash. In a densely populated residential area of East Victory City, flanked by high walls covered in moss, corpses lay strewn about¡ªsome dismembered, some with their innards hollowed out, some twisted into spirals by iron wire¡ªshowing various manners of death, all emitting waves of foul stench. These were all ordinary civilians who had fallen victim to fierce ghosts, and now, the winding, dark, and damp alleys were almost entirely devoid of the living. Only the smell of rot wafted to one¡¯s nose, and all around was quiet, subdued, gloomy, and dangerous. ¡°Let me see you run now, let me see you scratch me.¡± Suddenly, the silence of the alley was shattered by shouts. A battle was erupting here. Ning Xinyue wielded the Vajra Bracelet like a brick, riding atop a white-clothed female ghost and thumping it on the head, scattering the third-grade fierce ghost¡¯s soul. ¡°Huff, huff, more and more fierce ghosts are showing up; it¡¯s not safe to stay in this place,¡± Xinyue sat on the ground uncaring of her ladylike demeanor, fiddling with the Vajra Bracelet and complaining to Xiao Fengyuan, who was meditating with eyes closed nearby. ¡°It¡¯s probably because many civilians have died; lacking the attraction of civilians, fierce ghosts have continuously attacked us,¡± Xiao Fengyuan opened his eyes, he and Ning Xinyue had been taking turns on watch these past few days, killing no small number of fierce ghosts. But the number of fierce ghosts was seemingly endless and only increasing. ¡°I wonder how much longer that guy will be in seclusion; he¡¯s at ease while we can¡¯t even get a good night¡¯s sleep,¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s gaze drifted towards a civilian house where Su Jie was in seclusion. She and Xiao Fengyuan stayed in this place, protectors for Su Jie. ¡°You go rest for a while, I¡¯ll take over from here,¡± Xiao Fengyuan stood up, ready to relieve Xinyue of her duties when footsteps echoed from the alley. Xiao Fengyuan immediately turned, only to see a lantern ghost with a tall figure and cold eyes, carrying a lantern, slowly approaching from around the corner. As soon as this Lantern Ghost appeared, the white lantern he carried now bore the large character ¡°mourn¡±. Within the lantern, numerous blood-red eyes had appeared, staring intently through the lantern¡¯s paper at Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan, exuding an aura that chilled them to the bone. ¡°Would you like to be my lamp oil?¡± the Lantern Ghost lifted its head, its gaze landing on Xiao Fengyuan, its voice as hoarse as a crow¡¯s caw. Xiao Fengyuan didn¡¯t speak, silently raising the Blood Cang Spear and thrusting it towards the Lantern Ghost. Days of battle had taught him that words and persuasion were useless against fierce ghosts; any contact or triggering of their killing mechanism would lead to an immediate attack. The Blood Cang Spear pierced the Lantern Ghost¡¯s body, pinning it against the wall. Xiao Fengyuan walked up slowly, about to deliver the final blow. With the strength of the Blood Cang Spear and his robust spiritual power, not even a fourth-grade fierce ghost stood a chance against him. But at that moment, something unexpected happened. The Lantern Ghost, pinned to the wall, maintained a calm expression, merely lifting the lantern in its hand. On the lantern, the hidden cluster of red eyes blinked intensively, like twinkling light bulbs, causing the white lantern to flicker with red light. Crackle! Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s steps halted as a wick slowly grew from the top of his head, igniting a ghostly green flame, and his skin began to melt slowly as if it were candle wax. ¡°What...¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s demeanor changed in an instant, his gaze fierce as he stared at the Lantern Ghost opposite him, his spiritual power surging in an attempt to rid himself of the sinister spectral influence. ¡°` But the action that had been effective in the past seemed somewhat ineffective this time; his skin was still melting, only at a significantly slower pace. ¡°Not good, this might be a fifth-grade fierce ghost.¡± Ning Xinyue was also taken aback, as this was the first time they had encountered a fifth-grade fierce ghost over these three days. Not daring to be negligent, Ning Xinyue threw the Vajra Bracelet and unleashed the Profound Ice Cold Flow to freeze the Lantern Ghost, while also taking out the Jade Scripture to protect Xiao Fengyuan. The Lantern Ghost¡¯s head was shattered by the Vajra Bracelet, and its body was frozen in place. What was eerie, however, was that the Lantern Ghost did not die. Within the ice, the flickering lights in the white lantern intensified, and they were accompanied by creepy chuckling. On the light screen protected by the Jade Scripture¡¯s tadpole text, white candles were sticking out, lit with ghostly flames, and slowly piercing into the screen. Ning Xinyue¡¯s arm went numb, and looking down, she found her left hand sprouting numerous eyes, which were bizarrely rotating and staring straight at her face, the eerie influence seeping into the protection of the Scripture. ¡°So fierce, this ghost!¡± Enduring the pain, Ning Xinyue used the Profound Ice Cold Flow to freeze her left hand. ¡°Difficult to deal with.¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s expression was solemn too, as the strength of this Lantern Ghost was somewhat beyond expectations. ¡°Hehehe, to think there are still living humans here.¡± Suddenly, another chilling laughter came from above. They saw a pale-faced woman floating over, who although appeared female, emitted a male voice. ¡°Painting Woman, Zhong Shiguan.¡± Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan both became truly nervous, as they had heard Su Jie speak of the Painting Woman before and recognized the background of this foe. Dealing with one fifth-grade Lantern Ghost was already troublesome, but now there was also a Secret Realm Elder, which truly seemed like bad luck was upon them. ¡°This is bad!¡± Ning Xinyue stepped back, internally regretting causing such a disturbance. ¡°Junior Sister Zhu, watch for the opportunity to take Brother Su and leave, I will hold them off.¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s eyes were firm as if he had made a certain decision, and he resolutely stepped forward. ¡°Two cultivators, ah, this power, a Xuanyin Body, haha, it seems my luck is quite good today, just right for making into a ghost creature.¡± Zhong Shiguan licked his lips, his eyes filled with insatiable greed as he ogled Ning Xinyue. ............... Meanwhile, inside a civilian house. Light streamed through the window, illuminating the entire room, a gentle glow casting over the bedhead. A man dressed in a Black Robe was sitting cross-legged in silence, his eyes tightly closed, only his chest rising and falling with his breathing. The light shone on the man¡¯s cheeks, and suddenly his eyelashes trembled slightly, as his eyes slowly opened. Time seemed to stand still here, and as his dark eyes opened, a brilliance a thousand times more intense than the sunlight bloomed radiantly. A profound and transcendental power, like tender sprouts emerging from withered rotten wood, was reviving within his body, an invisible force coalescing and bursting forth, baptizing his entire sea of consciousness and body. ¡°Primordial Spirit, achieved!¡± Su Jie could feel his Divine Soul rising like the early morning sun, and with the last pair of eyes transforming, the divine radiance rose like a pillar, shining to the extremes of the Sky Dome, truly completing the ascent from Divine Soul to Primordial Spirit. Chapter 261: 176: Primordial Spirit (First Update) Chapter 261: Chapter 176: Primordial Spirit (First Update) The moment Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit took shape, numerous vague and fleeting images flashed through his mind. They seemed to be the familiar figures of many humans, apes, and even the memories of animals and fish. In human consciousness, the island that rises above the water represents an individual¡¯s conscious mind, while the submerged part of the island represents the subconscious. As Su Jie awakened his Primordial Spirit, his subconscious mind also began to stir. Humans are not born as blank slates, but rather carry the genetic memories of millions of years. Suddenly, Su Jie seemed to see the lives of his ancestors in ancient times¡ªapes making fire by drilling wood, beasts hunting for prey, and even earlier memories of the oceanic origins of life, where large fish competed in the vast seas. These were fragments of genetic memory; the memories he saw were pieces of his body¡¯s ancestral evolution passed down through generations. The existence of the Primordial Spirit, being aware of the past five hundred years, is not an empty claim. But these memories were too vast, and the moment Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit revived, it automatically blocked and eroded all these memories to avoid affecting his true self. ¡°So this is what the Primordial Spirit is,¡± Su Jie slightly clenched his fist, looking at it from the perspective of Taoism, only those who have achieved the Primordial Spirit are considered to have found the Dao. Otherwise, one¡¯s body is nothing more than a stinking sack of flesh, merely a ¡®fake person.¡¯ Su Jie¡¯s thoughts continued to expand, and his Primordial Spirit leaped out of the physical shell. At this moment, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul still resembled a child, but the final pair of eyes had also been successfully enlightened, making him look like a complete child, a Q-version of Su Jie as a child. The sunlight shined upon the Primordial Spirit, and all Su Jie felt was a warm and exceedingly comfortable sensation. In the past, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul would feel uncomfortable in sunlight, typically only coming out to wander at night. Su Jie¡¯s consciousness was immersed, and his thoughts gradually began to connect with this world, feeling as if his soul could touch some form of intangible existence. His eyes shimmering with golden light, Su Jie saw what are called the traces of the Dao in this world. It was a concentrated mass of a type of Spiritual Quality energy, with no potential energy, no movement, and no sound, light, shape, or color. It was silent and unmoving. But as soon as Su Jie tried to observe, his Primordial Spirit began to tremble violently, as if continuing to observe would annihilate his soul. However, just as Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit touched a corner of the Dao, something in his Storage Bag flickered. The Ancient Mirror that had helped Su Jie travel between two realms transformed into a phantom image and directly collided into Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit. Startled, Su Jie had no time to react when suddenly the whole world seemed to change. No, the Dao was not motionless or colorless. Shock filled Su Jie¡¯s mind; the Dao was indeed in motion, like a vast and boundless river flowing through this world. The reason he felt the Spiritual Quality of the Dao was static was purely because his Primordial Spirit was too weak. Compared to the Dao, his Primordial Spirit was like plankton dwelling in the great ocean, lacking even the most basic brain structure and merely drifting along the current. To his Primordial Spirit¡¯s point of view, the entire world appeared static and colorless, akin to the principle of observing the sky from the bottom of a well. ¡°This Ancient Mirror.¡± Su Jie looked toward the Ancient Mirror within his Primordial Spirit, his heart more shocked than even when he achieved the Primordial Spirit. This Ancient Mirror had actually allowed his Primordial Spirit to glimpse the true form of the Dao. Any Magic Artifact that could touch the Dao, no, even Magical Treasures, hardly ever come into contact with the Dao. Only certain special Innate Spiritual Objects, or indeed genuine Innate Treasures, can reach the extraordinary domain of the Dao. ¡°` Even Primordial Spirit, the achievement of Divine Soul which most can¡¯t reach even in the Secret Realm, seemed no more than a plankton before the grand dao! He didn¡¯t dare to make contact. Merely a glimpse could have caused Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit to explode. However, once the Ancient Mirror entered his Primordial Spirit, Su Jie still dared not touch it, but at least he wouldn¡¯t feel like his Primordial Spirit was about to explode, and he was also able to see the true form of the dao. All this time, Su Jie thought the Ancient Mirror was only meant for traveling between two worlds. Now it seemed his understanding of the mirror was still too superficial. Indeed, even Innate Spiritual Objects probably couldn¡¯t manage to traverse two worlds, judging by the significance involved. As Su Jie thought this, his gaze shifted to the battle unfolding outside. The next moment, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit returned to his body, he pushed open the door, and walked into the alley. The battle raging in the alley had reached its climax. The Lantern Ghost and Zhong Shiguan were completely overpowering Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan. Both were covered with many wounds, and had Zhong Shiguan not wished to capture Ning Xinyue alive to turn her into a ghost, they probably would have given in by now. ¡°Brother Su?¡± Xiao Fengyuan was surprised to see Su Jie emerge. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t come out, we would have had to make a run for it.¡± Ning Xinyue complained with her mouth, but slyly retreated behind Su Jie, after all, Su Jie had defeated Zhong Shiguan once before, surely he could win again... hopefully, as Ning Xinyue wasn¡¯t too confident. ¡°Zhong Shiguan.¡± Suddenly, Su Jie called out, drawing Zhong Shiguan¡¯s attention to himself. Meeting a nemesis does inflame one¡¯s wrath. ¡°It is you, after all! You sure made me search,¡± Zhong Shiguan said through gritted teeth, his eyes ablaze with uncontrollable anger, like an enraged lion. His present plight, having forsaken his physical body to inhabit the Painting Woman, was all thanks to Su Jie. So upon seeing Su Jie, if glares could kill¡ªbut actually, Zhong Shiguan¡¯s glare could really kill. In his fury, Zhong Shiguan¡¯s gaze locked on Su Jie, and suddenly a mirror appeared under Su Jie¡¯s feet, and he was bizarrely swallowed into it. This scene not only stunned Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan but even made the attacking Zhong Shiguan freeze. ¡°Haha, last time you ambushed me with your Divine Soul, now you have today, entering my Mirror World. No matter how skillful you are, you will be trapped to death inside.¡± Zhong Shiguan was overjoyed, although he didn¡¯t understand why Su Jie didn¡¯t dodge or resist, he wouldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity. A brass mirror appeared in his hands, and it was containing Su Jie¡¯s reflection. Previously, Mo Shiyao herself was trapped in the Mirror World, unable to escape no matter what. Zhong Shiguan feared Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul, but once inside the Mirror World, even if Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul were strong, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape quickly. If he first took care of Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan, then together with the Lantern Ghost, they could defeat him. ¡°Su Jie, you idiot, you couldn¡¯t withstand a single move.¡± Ning Xinyue stamped her feet in frustration, not understanding the meaning behind Su Jie¡¯s actions. ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s just come out of seclusion and his consciousness is still confused, his combat consciousness hasn¡¯t recovered yet.¡± Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s heart sank, having thought Su Jie¡¯s arrival would turn the tide, only to be met with such an outcome. ¡°` Chapter 262: 177: Another Defeat (Second Update) Chapter 262: Chapter 177: Another Defeat (Second Update) Su Jie looked at the suddenly changing scenery; the gloomy and damp alley had disappeared, replaced by bizarre, human-height standing mirrors. This space, only several hundred square meters, was densely packed with mirrors. Su Jie¡¯s figure appeared in each mirror, and behind each reflection of Su Jie stood a Painting Woman. At this moment, her arms were strangling Su Jie¡¯s neck, thighs, arms, and even directly piercing into Su Jie¡¯s internal organs. Su Jie¡¯s body burst with Spiritual Energy, instantly blowing the several-hundred-square-meters space into disarray. However, a strange scene occurred¡ªSu Jie¡¯s vision blurred, and the same space appeared before him again. In front of him was a shattered mirror. It was as if his actions had only broken the space within a mirror. The Fierce Ghost is a rather idealistic existence. For example, in the Mirror World, no matter how one tries to break the mirrors, one will find that these mirrors are one layer within another. The large mirrors contain smaller ones, which in turn reflect you into even smaller ones, much like Russian nesting dolls; it is very difficult to escape by brute force. ¡°The Mirror World, huh!¡± Su Jie looked at his increasingly distorted figure in the mirror, standing still, his hands passing in front of his eyes. ¡°Divine Eye!¡± An indifferent voice of Su Jie sounded as his eyes shimmered with divine light. Wherever his gaze fell, the mirrors began to crumble as if affected by some unknown force. This was a power Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul had gained after enlightenment, capable of penetrating illusion. The mirrors in front of him were in fact mere falsehoods, existing only to trap Su Jie. Raising his head, Su Jie¡¯s footsteps lightly moved. With each step he took, more cracks formed in this space. Within Su Jie¡¯s sea of consciousness, his chibi Primordial Spirit shone with a myriad of golden rays, fundamentally shaking the Mirror World. When it comes to the level of power, the Primordial Spirit is far superior to the Divine Soul. This is an existence that touches upon the Heavenly Dao; even if it¡¯s just a microscopic organism in the face of the Heavenly Dao, against such a Fierce Ghost, it¡¯s utterly overpowering. When it comes to idealism, is there anything more abstract and pervasive, running through the historical river of the Tianyuan World, than the Heavenly Dao? ¡°Heavenly Dao, Heavenly Eye, Heavenly Might!¡± Su Jie brought his hands together, and a blood line slowly cracked open on his brow, borrowing power from the Heavenly Dao by temporarily linking with it. The Heavenly Dao and the real world are like two parallel rivers that never cross. Su Jie¡¯s physical body is a product of reality, but his Primordial Spirit can touch the Heavenly Dao. In doing so, he created a conduit between the two, allowing the boundless river of the Heavenly Dao to leak its power into the river of the real world. Using his Primordial Spirit as a guide and his physical body as the foundation, Su Jie successfully channeled a trace of the Heavenly Dao¡¯s might. Just a whiff of the Heavenly Dao¡¯s aura was enough, and in an instant, the entire Mirror World was blown apart. Even the Primordial Spirit, which can¡¯t touch the majestic Heavenly Dao, would explode from a few more glances. The Painting Woman, an idealist existence, was even less resistant; against the destructive nature of the Heavenly Dao, she found it very difficult to resist. The Mirror World completely shattered, and Su Jie once again appeared in the real world. Zhong Shiguan looked at Su Jie, who had suddenly appeared before him, his eyes filled with confusion, incomprehension, and astonishment. He never imagined that he had only placed Su Jie into the Mirror World for a few seconds before the latter came out. Glancing at the brass mirror in his hand, it was full of cracks; with a light touch, it completely disintegrated. ¡°Thinking of trapping me, this thing of yours is not qualified.¡± With a wave of Su Jie¡¯s sleeve, the ferocious figure of the thousand-hand centipede emerged, crushing a large number of houses and attacking Zhong Shiguan. ¡°` ¡°Heavenly Ghost Map!¡± Zhong Shiguan¡¯s face looked awful as he knew the fierceness of Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul and did not dare to approach rashly, only managing to throw out a scroll from afar. On the scroll, numerous burial mounds opened up with fierce ghosts crawling out. However, compared to the past, the number of ghosts on this scroll had greatly diminished; those Su Jie had killed last time had yet to be replenished. ¡°Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint!¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression was calm as he pressed down with his palm, transforming Spiritual Energy into Five Elements Handprints that stamped directly onto the scroll. This time, Su Jie¡¯s handprints also carried the force of his Primordial Spirit. If one were to describe it using gaming terminology, it would be that Su Jie¡¯s attack included bonus damage. The Five Elements Palm Seal struck the scroll, causing the fierce ghosts to stiffen on the spot. Those who intended to crawl out were all deterred and forced to retreat. ¡°Heavenly Thunder, seal!¡± Su Jie snapped his fingers, and a series of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunders spread across the scroll. Thunder itself is a force many ghostly beings fear, let alone the Heavenly Thunders released by Su Jie, which were further empowered by the force of his Primordial Spirit, making them an even greater restraint against ghosts. The ghostly beings within the scroll wouldn¡¯t be able to escape for quite some time. After that, Su Jie¡¯s gaze turned towards Zhong Shiguan, with rays of purple light flashing in his eyes. Zhong Shiguan wanted to dodge, but the Thousand-Handed Centipede had already blocked his path, and the Purple Light Ray hit him precisely. In an instant, Zhong Shiguan let out a painful scream. Not only did his body make a sizzling noise as it was eroded, but the Divine Soul hidden within the Painting Woman also seemed like it had been splashed with hot oil, emitting puffs of green smoke and causing the luster of his soul to dim and shrink significantly. Why is it said that the Secret Realm Elders, who possess the Divine Soul, are among the best? It is because their attacks can deliver dual damage, injuring not only the flesh but also the soul simultaneously. ¡°You actually broke through...¡± Zhong Shiguan¡¯s pupils shrunk to the size of needle tips, revealing a look of terror as he realized the problem. Su Jie¡¯s soul had condensed into a Primordial Spirit, no wonder he could walk out of the Mirror World with ease. A Yunling Realm disciple condensing a Primordial Spirit is an ability not even many Hidden Realm Elders possess, leaving Zhong Shiguan speechless with shock. ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it? For us Demon Cultivators, rapid advancement in cultivation is quite normal!¡± As Su Jie spoke, he steadily approached Zhong Shiguan. The more fearful Zhong Shiguan¡¯s eyes became. Even with all his life¡¯s experience, Su Jie was an absolute top prodigy; a Yunling Realm disciple achieving a Primordial Spirit, he had only heard of such disciples in the long-standing Sects of the Capital. Such disciples are often called Immortal Seeds! He never expected to encounter one today. He might have been able to reverse defeat and beat Su Jie when he had not yet condensed his Primordial Spirit, but now that Su Jie has achieved it, Zhong Shiguan stood even less of a chance. Without a second thought, Zhong Shiguan turned and fled. ¡°You managed to escape last time, do you think you can successfully escape from my hands every time?¡± A cold curve formed on Su Jie¡¯s lips as the Thousand-Handed Centipede roared, spewing forth the Death Decline Curse Cloud. The terrifying curse cloud enveloped the area, causing Zhong Shiguan¡¯s face to turn extremely ugly. He wanted to flee, but Su Jie had already reached behind him, uttering in a cold voice, ¡°Let Heavenly Might assist me.¡± Boom! A muffled sound echoed from the void as if a pathway to some vast and boundless world had been opened. ¡°` Chapter 263: 178: Counterattack the Elder (Third Update) Chapter 263: Chapter 178: Counterattack the Elder (Third Update) Su Jie¡¯s brow split open with blood, as if a third vertical pupil had opened. The Great Dao is the most essential force of heaven and earth. Su Jie, by harnessing the power of the Great Dao, was manipulating nature itself, leveraging the power of the surrounding environment. With the strength of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit, he could only control this level of power for a few seconds, but that was enough. In a single breath, Spiritual Energy began to surge like a massive funnel, swirling around Su Jie as the center. At that moment, Su Jie was the master of this realm. With a flick of his finger, Spiritual Energy, under Su Jie¡¯s control, cascaded like layers of giant tsunamis, engulfing Zhong Shiguan¡¯s body. His body uncontrollably rolled, compressed by the tsunami-like surge of Spiritual Power. The body of the Painting Woman, layer by layer, was eroded away until half of her body turned into nothingness; a single strike had severely injured Zhong Shiguan. Right at this moment, the Death Decline Curse Cloud spat out by the Thousand-Handed Centipede arrived, hitting the unavoidable Zhong Shiguan. The terrifying curse power of the Death Decline Curse Cloud could also affect the ghost. The remaining half of the body of the Painting Woman progressively aged, her skin becoming wrinkled until she couldn¡¯t maintain her human form anymore, transforming into an old dressing table with a brass mirror atop it; this was the true form of the Painting Woman. A hazy orb of light flew out from it, within which a small human figure could be seen¡ªthat was Zhong Shiguan¡¯s soul. Su Jie appeared in a few flashes in front of Zhong Shiguan¡¯s soul, reached out his hand, and grasped the battered soul in his palm. ¡°Spare...¡± Before Zhong Shiguan could finish his plea for mercy, Su Jie had already clenched his fingers, Palm Thunder erupting in his palm, completely destroying the battered soul. In the sky, having lost Zhong Shiguan¡¯s control, the Heavenly Ghost Map also fell, carried in the mouth of the Thousand-Handed Centipede to Su Jie. Having observed the dozens of fierce ghosts in the Heavenly Ghost Map quieting down and burrowing back into the graveyard, Su Jie didn¡¯t immediately start studying it but looked towards the dressing table at his feet instead. Fierce ghosts are independent beings, and the death of Zhong Shiguan didn¡¯t mean that the fierce ghosts would also die. It simply meant that from having a master before, they had become masterless, wandering wild fierce ghosts. Watching the Painting Woman¡¯s figure slowly reappear in the brass mirror on the dressing table, Su Jie snorted coldly without bothering to be polite. He continuously struck down with Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, then let the Thousand-Handed Centipede swallow her, temporarily imprisoning her. At this time, Su Jie turned to face another Fifth Grade Lantern Ghost. This Lantern Ghost was entangled with Xiao Fengyuan and Ning Xinyue. Together, they were suppressing the Lantern Ghost. Seeing this, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit left his body and directly controlled the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, reinforcing it with the power of his Primordial Spirit to strike the Lantern Ghost, causing it to tremble violently. Swiftly, Su Jie appeared in front of the Lantern Ghost. The white lantern flickered, its blood-red eyes blinking, causing Su Jie¡¯s skin to slowly dissolve, as if transforming him into a candle wick. However, with a jolt of his Primordial Spirit, Su Jie removed all negative effects. Following this, Su Jie, while wielding the Heavenly Might, had the Thousand-Handed Centipede continuously emit Purple Light Rays to dissolve the body of the Lantern Ghost. The lantern shifted from white to red and floated mid-air, which was the true form of the Lantern Ghost. Looking at the lantern before him, Su Jie bit his fingertip, letting a few drops of fresh blood drip out. The fresh blood trickled onto the lantern, immediately soaking in as Su Jie channeled the Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique, starting to try taming the Lantern Ghost. ¡°Eh, still trying to struggle!¡± Su Jie¡¯s palm pressed on the lantern, which began to float unpredictably, trying to escape Su Jie¡¯s control. For these wild fierce ghosts, especially those that had stayed in the Heavenly Soul Formation for years, it was very difficult to control them. They were not completely wild, at most semi-wild, and were somewhat controlled by Zou Minzun, which made it even harder for Su Jie to control them. In response, Su Jie had a simple method, which was to suppress them with his Primordial Spirit. Compared to the fifth-grade fierce ghost, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was stronger. Seeing that the opponent was still not behaving, Su Jie took out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, summoned a large number of Yin Souls, and began a frenzied attack, devouring and damaging them. Yin Souls were also condensed from souls, and were very effective against the consciousness-dependent existence of fierce ghosts. Although they would be eaten like snacks by the Lantern Ghost in a one-on-one fight, when attacked by thousands together and suppressed by Su Jie, the light inside the lantern gradually dimmed, and one blood-red eye after another extinguished. After several minutes, the lantern finally stopped struggling. At this time, inside the sea of consciousness in Su Jie¡¯s mind, he formed a slight connection with the lantern. Su Jie understood that this was a successful capture, and from now on, the Lantern Ghost would also have Su Jie as its host. However, because of the contract with the Lantern Ghost, it occupied a large area in his sea of consciousness, which meant that the number of fierce ghosts Su Jie could sign and control was limited. Thinking about it, even Zhong Shiguan, a senior elder of the Heavenly Soul Sect, had to rely on the Heavenly Ghost Map; Zou Minzun also had to rely on the Heavenly Soul Formation to barely manage the fierce ghosts, otherwise they could not control too many of them. Su Jie was not disappointed, seeing that the Lantern Ghost had taken shape. He then had the Thousand-Handed Centipede spit out the dressing table, repeating the previous operation of capturing the Lantern Ghost, thus forming a contract with the Painting Woman as well. Thus, Su Jie now possessed two fifth-grade fierce ghosts simultaneously. Su Jie, with a lantern in his left hand and a brass mirror in his right, chuckled softly, ¡°Evil spirits, reveal yourselves.¡± The moment his words fell, a tall figure, with a chilling gaze, slowly emerged at his left side, taking the lantern from Su Jie¡¯s hand. On his right, as the dressing table vanished, the falling brass mirror was embraced by a pair of pale hands, a woman with long hair down to her waist, pale face, and vacant eyes, standing at Su Jie¡¯s right side, holding the ancient mirror. These were the Lantern Ghost and Painting Woman, now quietly standing on both sides of Su Jie, much like protectors, devoid of their previous ferocity and eerie nature. To be precise, they were like this only in front of Su Jie, their master. Once Su Jie issued an attack command, they would turn into murderous fierce ghosts, slaughtering countless. ¡°You¡¯ve controlled them?¡± Xinyue had not disturbed Su Jie just now, but seeing this scene, she could no longer contain her curiosity. ¡°I am a Demon Cultivator, meddling with souls should be considered part of my day job, right?¡± Su Jie smiled and waved his hand, the Painting Woman appeared in front of Xinyue, taking Su Jie¡¯s place to pat Xinyue¡¯s head. The cold touch, devoid of any warmth, made Xinyue react like a startled cat, quickly escaping and glaring at Su Jie with irritation. ¡°Brother Su, your strength is progressing faster and faster.¡± Xiao Fengyuan felt quite emotional, as he could barely manage a tie with one of the two fifth-grade fierce ghosts, and there was a high chance he would fail. After all, fierce ghosts were creatures with exceedingly strange abilities, many of which were hard to combat. ¡°You guys rest for a bit, heal your injuries, and then we will head to Han Mansion, it¡¯s time to leave this place.¡± With the addition of both the Painting Woman and the Lantern Ghost to his forces, and the condensation of his Primordial Spirit, Su Jie felt more confident about the actions to come. Chapter 264: 179: Seeing Han Ruyan Again (Fourth Update) Chapter 264: Chapter 179: Seeing Han Ruyan Again (Fourth Update) Half a day later. By the time Su Jie arrived, what he saw was the desolate Han Mansion, which seemed to have become a Ghost Mansion. The open gates appeared to invite every passerby, the characters ¡®Han Mansion¡¯ carved above the door were already indistinct, and the lion statues on both sides had fierce expressions with dried, black blood on them. Carrying Qi Shijian in his hand, Su Jie had just arrived with Xiao Fengyuan and Ning Xinyue. They had barely arrived when, coincidentally, footsteps sounded from the other direction. They saw Yu Wenjing, Xiao Guanglian, and Mo Shiyao¡ªthe elite disciples from Guan Chao Pavilion, Purple Mist Sect, and Miao Yin Temple¡ªaccompanied by twelve Righteous Disciples, appearing before Su Jie at the other end of the street. The two groups faced each other across the street; Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan had already drawn their Vajra Bracelet and Blood Cang Spear, while Mo Shiyao took out her wooden fish, and Xiao Guanglian even took out a large quantity of Magic Artifacts, with the other disciples not willing to show weakness either. Only Su Jie and Yu Wenjing remained motionless. ¡°Brother Yu Wen, since we¡¯ve all gathered here, presumably you¡¯ve come to destroy the Array Eye as well. Do you want to join forces to increase our chances of success, or would you rather fight until both sides suffer and unwittingly become nourishment for the fierce ghosts? The choice is yours.¡± Su Jie looked toward Yu Wenjing, who was born into Guan Chao Pavilion and was clearly the leader among the group of Righteous Disciples opposite him. ¡°Associate with a Demon Cultivator like you and wait to be backstabbed?!¡± Xiao Guanglian¡¯s eyes were filled with murderous intent; although his severed arm had regrown, he still vividly remembered his grudge from losing a hand and couldn¡¯t forget his defeat at Su Jie¡¯s hands a few days ago. ¡°I forgot to thank you last time. The Magic Artifact and Qilin Crystal Silver Flower Fruit you left behind were very useful.¡± With a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, Su Jie turned Xiao Guanglian¡¯s face an eggplant purple, making him feel as though he¡¯d lost all face. ¡°Su Jie, the strong among the new generation of Ghost Ridge Palace disciples¡ªis it you who killed my worthless junior brother, Du Shaochang?¡± Yu Wenjing¡¯s eyes were cold and calm as he intercepted Xiao Guanglian, who wanted to rush forward. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, but who told him to willingly seek his own death.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Su Jie¡¯s words caused Mo Shiyao¡¯s eyebrows to furrow. She pointed at Su Jie and said, ¡°Demon Cultivators deserve to be killed by everyone. I will definitely avenge Brother Du with my own hands.¡± Poor Qi Shijian had been fawning over them, and now, imprisoned, Mo Shiyao didn¡¯t even mention his name once. Instead, she reacted the moment she heard Du Shaochang¡¯s name. ¡°You think you can?¡± Su Jie touched the Thousand-Handed Centipede coiled around his right hand¡ªhis meaning clear. If you can¡¯t even beat my Thousand-Handed Centipede, how can you talk about avenging him with your own hands? The Thousand-Handed Centipede rose vertically and opened its gaping maw toward Mo Shiyao. Clearly, it also remembered the woman it had fought with, flaunting its martial prowess aggressively. ¡°Vile vermin.¡± Mo Shiyao gritted her teeth in frustration. It was unfortunate for her that she truly couldn¡¯t beat the Thousand-Handed Centipede; she vividly remembered being chased and forced to hide everywhere during their last encounter. ¡°Hey, are you going to fight or make peace? Make it quick. Don¡¯t think that we¡¯re afraid just because you have more people. If it comes to a fight, our Brother Su here can take on ten of you by himself,¡± Ning Xinyue said, hands on her hips and arrogantly assured with Su Jie by her side. Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but turn his head and glare at the young girl, ¡°When did I say I was going to fight ten of them?¡± Ning Xinyue, feeling guilty under Su Jie¡¯s gaze, playfully twisted her black hair and quietly stopped interjecting. ¡°Heh heh, since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s join forces then,¡± Yu Wenjing¡¯s eyes flickered slightly before he made his decision. Many Righteous Disciples looked over, but no one objected to this decision, and Mo Shiyao and Xiao Guanglian were also persuaded by the other disciples to agree. From their last fight with Mo Shiyao and Xiao Guanglian, they had recognized the strength of Su Jie and the other two Demon Cultivators. Especially Su Jie, who could almost be said to have defeated both Xiao Guanglian and Mo Shiyao on his own, his power was extremely formidable, a danger within dangers. If a conflict were to break out here, even if they won, their own side would suffer heavy casualties. And with the entire area covered by the Heavenly Soul Formation, if they were to lose more hands, it would be even more impossible to break out, and everyone would die here. ¡°A pleasure to cooperate.¡± Su Jie made a cupped fist salute, the two sides had previously been enemies, fighting fiercely as Right and Evil cannot coexist, but now faced with an even more dangerous enemy, they had no choice but to temporarily cease hostilities and cooperate. Both parties entered the Han Mansion with a trace of wariness toward each other. Within the Han Mansion, huge black steles stood everywhere, carved with dense and numerous magic symbols, emitting a faint glow. Some strangely shaped statues were also placed around the Han Mansion, and as if they were alive, their eyes would move when someone passed by, adding a bit more eeriness and mystery. Merely in a matter of days, the place had become somewhat unfamiliar to Su Jie; the rooftiles were mottled as if they had been sealed for years, and each closely shut courtyard and house, with their doors adorned with bronze rings, seemed to hide ghosts watching Su Jie and his group, exuding cold and eerie vibes, making people unconsciously clench their fists and their heart rate accelerate. Passing through the front hall, they entered a quiet bamboo grove where the bamboo leaves gently swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound. In the depths of the bamboo grove, one could see a quaint pavilion, surrounded by hanging wind chimes that tinkled crisply whenever the breeze blew. Around the pavilion, unlike the quiet and elegant bamboo grove, lay a forest of skeletons; human heads were trampled into felt, flesh rotted like mud, stuck in the cracks of the ground tiles, with sinews hanging on the walls, the stench spreading all around, a true vision of a human inferno. Everywhere, the corpses thrown by Fierce Ghosts could be seen forming towering mounds of bodies. As a result, the lingering black resentment and fear enveloped the entire Han Mansion like smoke, and the pavilion inside absorbed a figure shrouded within. That figure had her eyes closed, her beauty once comparable to that of early spring cherry blossoms, but now with her hair flowing in the wind and her red wedding dress torn, as if smeared with a layer of blood, she appeared vividly red as blood. Her long hair fell like a waterfall, covering most of her face, and beneath the wedding dress were visible transparent ankles and embroidered shoes; the surging resentment and Yin Qi were incessantly absorbed by her and taken into her body, where the deathly aura churned like waves. This was indeed Han Ruyan, but at this moment, she was clearly no longer the Han Ruyan of the past. The parents of Han Ruyan, Han Jinghuan and Han Mother, as well as everyone else in the Han Mansion, both young and old, were hung to death near the pavilion, like dried cured meat. Including Xie Wenyi, the Prince, whom Su Jie had once met, as well as his accompanying Hidden Realm Elder Tang Lie, was seen gutted and hung upside down on bamboo, Seemingly with the intention to use this method to make the resentment of Han Ruyan, who had passed away, even stronger, and the ghost that would be formed even more fierce. Just as Su Jie and his group entered the bamboo grove, Zou Minzun and Gongyang Ji, two Hidden Realm Elders, who had been waiting there, appeared, blocking Su Jie and Yu Wenjing¡¯s party from the front and the back. Chapter 265: 180: Fierce Battle (First Update) Chapter 265: Chapter 180: Fierce Battle (First Update) ¡°The Ghost Bride isn¡¯t fully cultivated yet; I can¡¯t let you disrupt this great event.¡± The short-statured Gongyang Ji stood ahead, his voice echoing a chilling, mocking laugh. Behind him was the silhouette of the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan. The resentment and fear of the entire city also needed time to be absorbed and digested. ¡°Seeing this tactic, could it be from the Demon Cultivators of Ghost Ridge Palace who have actually mixed with these people from the Righteous sect?¡± Stroking his goatee, Zou Minzun¡¯s gaze lingered on the thousand-hand centipede wrapped around Su Jie¡¯s arm and the multi-legged centipede hanging from Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s neck for several seconds before he spoke, ¡°Why not join our Heavenly Soul Sect? With your talents, if you revere me as your master, I might spare your lives.¡± The Righteous Disciples on guard watched Su Jie and the other two with increasing wariness. ¡°We are all Demon Cultivators, let¡¯s not deceive ourselves and others; you really wouldn¡¯t believe such simple acts of instigation, would you?¡± With a calm voice, Su Jie knew this was nothing but Zou Minzun¡¯s deliberate attempt to sow discord. If he really agreed, what awaited Su Jie would be a betrayal after crossing the bridge, and Su Jie certainly wouldn¡¯t trust the promises of a Demon Cultivator. ¡°Get ready to engage.¡± Tall and straight like a pine, Yu Wenjing advanced towards Gongyang Ji, setting an example for the other Righteous Disciples. With accelerating steps, a blue tide appeared under Yu Wenjing¡¯s feet, an illusion of spiritual power. He stood at the crest of the tidal wave, a two-meter long Dragon Bone Pearl Water Flag rustling vibrantly in his hand. Boom! The wave transformed into a tsunami over thirty feet high, collapsing lush green bamboo trees. At the crest of the tsunami, images of various sea demons and spiritual beasts like crocodiles, poisonous insects, water horses, flood dragons, and Kunpeng appeared. Thousands of tides surged forth, hundreds of demons competed in swimming, and the ground trembled violently. Gongyang Ji¡¯s expression suddenly turned solemn as he quickly tore off a necklace around his neck. It was a string of skulls, each the size of a baby¡¯s fist. Now the skulls rose into the air, becoming a gigantic specter, several yards across, emitting a glowing green light and biting towards the tidal wave. Blue tsunami and spectral head collided, then the crest of the wave crushed the skull specter. One by one, the sea demons and spiritual beasts roared and tore the skull heads to shreds. ¡°Brother Yu Wen is mighty!¡± Seeing this scene, the morale of the remaining Righteous Disciples surged. The thought of the Yunling Realm opposing the Secret Realm was exhilarating. Su Jie¡¯s eyes also showed a hint of admiration; truly befitting a top disciple of Guan Chao Pavilion. Being the foremost major sect in Qingzhou was evident just from Yu Wenjing¡¯s performance. From the fundamental robustness of spiritual power, Yu Wenjing was a level above Xiao Guanglian and Mo Shiyao. In the heat of battle, even the Secret Realm seemed pale in comparison before him. Being suppressed by a Yunling Realm disciple, Gongyang Ji¡¯s expression was quite unappealing. He quickly channeled the spiritual power in his body, and several fourth-grade fierce ghosts appeared around him, including a fiery phosphorous ghost, a disheveled female ghost with a sinister face. The last one, adult-faced on one side and a woman¡¯s face on the back of its head, was a fifth-grade fierce ghost. ¡°Brother Yu Wen, we¡¯ll assist you.¡± ¡°Everyone, shoulder to shoulder; there¡¯s no need to talk about the ethics of Jianghu when dealing with these kinds of Demon Cultivators.¡± Righteous Disciples saw this scene and also joined the fight, attacking Gongyang Ji, surrounding him with a righteous thrashing. Gongyang Ji suddenly found himself in an awkward predicament as Divine Radiance Taoist Skills and Magic Artifacts suppressed him, and his talismans were thrown in disarray, covering him in dust and dirt. Several fierce ghosts could not possibly match the numbers of disciples, and in the blink of an eye, two fourth-grade fierce ghosts were annihilated. Even as a person of the Secret Realm, Gongyang Ji couldn¡¯t overcome so many high-caliber Righteous Disciples. Particularly Yu Wenjing, who alone was enough to greatly pressure him. Fighting him one-on-one was challenging, let alone facing so many others who were ganging up on him. ¡°Useless!¡± Watching these righteous disciples act so arrogantly, Zou Minzun snorted coldly and pressed a single hand onto the ground. A strand of sinister power spread out. Inside Han Mansion, one door after another burst open with a loud bang, and from the dark houses, fierce ghosts began to emerge. These were the true reliance of Zou Minzun, ghosts drawn in by the Heavenly Soul Formation, and under Zou Minzun¡¯s command, each of them turned their heads, and after a brief moment of hesitation and confusion, they started moving toward the bamboo forest. He, himself, entered the fray personally, holding the Ten Thousand Soul Banner in his left hand and a Residual Soul Sword in his right, with a sixth-grade fierce ghost appearing behind him. This fierce ghost took the form of a pregnant woman with a translucent belly, through which could faintly be seen undeveloped fetuses squirming in struggle, their little hands and feet flailing as if trying to burst out and devour people. ¡°Nine Sons Ghost Mother.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes twitched slightly, recognizing it as a powerful type of fierce ghost documented in the ¡°Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique.¡± ¡°Kill!¡± Zou Minzun shook the Ten Thousand Soul Banner in his left hand, unleashing over a hundred thousand Yin Souls, their number so vast that they blanketed the sky, forming a giant black mountain range. The mountain made of Yin Souls was a hundred feet tall, with many caves and demon holes that looked like they were exhaling demonic qi from the gates of hell, a fearsome sight to behold. ¡°The Ten Thousand Soul Banner, with a hundred thousand Yin Souls.¡± Su Jie¡¯s pupils constricted. This man was not on the same level as Gongyang Ji and Zhong Shiguan. The mountain range in the sky began to slowly descend, and the Yin Souls, like relief sculptures, remained motionless on the surface of the mountain. A terrifying scene unfolded as the mountain range lowered. The seemingly bottomless caves suddenly lit up with a bloody glow. Suddenly, several Righteous Disciples collapsed on the ground, their souls sucked out of their bodies and directly pulled into the Demon Cave, becoming nourishment for the growth of the mountain. ¡°Xiao Qian!¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression hardened, knowing this situation couldn¡¯t end well. He immediately released the thousand-hand centipede, directing it toward the Demon Cave Mountain, where beams of Purple Light Rays melted pits into the mountain. The bloody holes of the Demon Cave targeted the thousand-hand centipede, attempting to absorb its soul. However, the thousand-hand centipede was a mid-grade, five-refined poisonous insect and one of Su Jie¡¯s Lifebound poisonous insects. Its soul was somewhat connected to Su Jie, which was why the death of a Lifebound poisonous insect would severely injure its master. Now, Su Jie¡¯s soul was a Primordial Spirit, protecting it from any harm. ¡°Quite capable, no wonder you dared refuse me.¡± Zou Minzun tossed the Residual Soul Sword into the air, where it rapidly sliced through the air. It was an authentic top-grade Magical Artifact, especially powerful in the hands of an Elder like Zou Minzun. With one strike, the sky and earth cried and howled, while blood rained down as if even the heavens and earth were wounded, with the rain of blood pouring down. ¡°Junior Sister Zhu, Brother Xiao, let¡¯s act together now!¡± Su Jie tapped his Storage Bag at his waist, and three mid-grade Magical Artifacts¡ªthe Heaven-breaking Trident, Five Elements Tripod, and Purple Jade Sky Staff¡ªwhirled out. The Five Elements Tripod exhaled a storm, flashing with Five Elements Spiritual Power. The Heaven-breaking Trident traveled through the void, densely covered with talisman inscriptions on its surface. The Purple Jade Sky Staff thunderously crashed down, blocking the Residual Soul Sword to the left and right along with the Heaven-breaking Trident. Chapter 266: 181: Sixth-grade Fierce Ghost (Second Update) Chapter 266: Chapter 181: Sixth-grade Fierce Ghost (Second Update) Three mid-grade magical artifacts had already been completely refined by Su Jie; possessing a primordial spirit, he did not expend much effort. Xiao Fengyuan controlled the Blood Cang Spear to fly up into the sky, and Ning Xinyue also hurled the Vajra Bracelet. A total of five magical artifacts collided with the Residual Soul Sword, indeed fighting to a draw. Although at a disadvantage, they could barely contain it so as not to threaten those below. Xiao Guanglian, who was fighting elsewhere, had a very complex look in his eyes upon seeing his own magical artifacts in use; he always felt that Su Jie wielded them as if they were more suited to him. ¡°Kill them,¡± Zou Minzun waved his hand, and behind him, the Nine Sons Ghost Mother placed her hands on her belly and gently patted it. Gulp! A strange noise echoed in the ears of everyone present, and within Su Jie¡¯s abdomen, it seemed like something was stirring. Lowering his head, Su Jie¡¯s belly eerily swelled up, as a wriggling pale ghost infant chewed on his entrails from the inside. Crack! In the chest cavity, the ghost infant burst through the skin and flesh, holding Su Jie¡¯s heart in both hands, and chewed heartily, enjoying the meal tremendously. Xiao Fengyuan and Ning Xinyue turned their heads in shock to witness this horrifying scene. ¡°The... the heart¡¯s been eaten,¡± gasped Xiao Fengyuan, his face one of disbelief. ¡°Su Jie,¡± Ning Xinyue cried out in panic, rushing forward. ¡°Nine Sons Ghost Mother, truly worthy of being a sixth-grade fierce ghost.¡± A normal person, with their heart swallowed and entrails hollowed out, would already be dead beyond dead, but Su Jie¡¯s expression remained as calm as a placid cloud. From the torn chest cavity, eerie pale fingers wriggled out of the flesh, continuously rolling outward, transforming into Su Jie¡¯s internal organs. Eventually, a series of pale corpse hands grew out, grabbing the ghost infant nibbling away and crushing it into a mass of meat paste, which then dissipated into spiritual power. Immediately after, rows of pale corpse hands pulled at the ribs and flesh on both sides of Su Jie¡¯s chest cavity. Like closing a zippered bag, they forcibly sealed the opening; with the jagged wounds on both sides, numerous buds of flesh sprouted, rapidly intertwining and entangling to visibly heal the injury. ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s healed...¡± Ning Xinyue covered her mouth in shock; even with his heart consumed, he acted as if nothing had occurred, stunning her completely. ¡°Merely a fatal wound, it still cannot kill me,¡± Su Jie snapped his fingers, and to his left, a lantern suddenly appeared. A towering figure held the lantern, which turned white, with a bold ¡°Settle¡± character on it. The Lantern Ghost turned its gaze toward Zou Minzun on the opposite side; the blood-red pupils within the lantern flickered, and Zou Minzun¡¯s body started turning into wax. To his right, the Painting Woman touched a brass mirror that reflected his image, attempting to drag him into the Mirror World. ¡°Using ghosts to deal with me, you¡¯re still far from capable,¡± Zou Minzun snorted coldly as a hanging corpse appeared behind him, which was a fifth-grade hanging ghost. The coarse hemp rope wound around the Painting Woman, diverting the brass mirror¡¯s beam. The Nine Sons Ghost Mother also waved her belly, causing the Lantern Ghost¡¯s stomach to uncontrollably swell, as if a ghost infant was pecking inside. ¡°Two fifth-grade fierce ghosts under your control, impressive,¡± Zou Minzun remarked, looking at Su Jie with an unexpected look in his eyes after the crisis was averted. Controlling fierce ghosts also depends on the individual¡¯s divine soul; even Hidden Realm Elders like Gongyang Ji and Zhong Shiguan can only control one fifth-grade fierce ghost; the rest of the fierce ghosts are all below the fifth grade. Now a Yunling Realm cultivator, which made Zou Minzun somewhat puzzled, how he could control two fifth-grade fierce ghosts. ¡°Just two fifth-grade fierce ghosts, is this your confidence?¡± Zou Minzun was merely curious and not frightened. By his side, the belly of the Nine Sons Ghost Mother writhed, with infant handprints protruding on it, as if the babies were moving inside. On Su Jie¡¯s skin, one after another greenish-purple handprint appeared; not only on the skin but also on the bones, and even the internal organs, these handprints remained. Su Jie¡¯s body shrank, inch by inch, his limbs curled up as if he was about to return to the womb. But it was only a moment; suddenly, Su Jie¡¯s primordial spirit burst into brilliance, and his body reverted to its original state, only his surface and inside bore many distorted scars. ¡°Heavenly Thunder!¡± A flash in Su Jie¡¯s eyes, streaks of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder struck down, all hitting the Nine Sons Ghost Mother who did not dodge or avoid. Nine small ghost infants appeared around the Ghost Mother, their mouths gaping into black holes, swallowing up the falling heavenly thunder. Death Decline Curse Cloud! A black light struck the Ghost Mother, but the one that suffered the damage instantly switched to a tiny ghost infant. The body of the ghost infant decayed and dissipated under the curse, yet the Ghost Mother remained unscathed, instead opening her arms wide, ¡°Become my child.¡± The remaining eight ghost infants emitted giggling laughter, surrounding Su Jie, holding hands, running in circles. Snap! Crack! Gurgling! The ghost infants made sounds akin to wild beasts, at the beginning, they seemed unaccustomed, but later the sounds became more and more rhythmic, turning into crisp childish voices, singing a strange nursery rhyme. ¡°Little sister carries the cloth doll, goes to the flower garden to see the Japan blossoms, the doll cries for mama, while the little birds in the trees laugh ha-ha.¡± These ghost infants nodded and swayed, holding toys such as cloth tigers, Rabbits, rattles, spinning tops, topple-proof dolls, and kites, as if inviting Su Jie to join them. Seeing the ghost infants closing in on him, Su Jie said in an icy tone, ¡°A bunch of evil spirits, you dare to want me to join you, get lost.¡± Purple Light Rays burst from Su Jie¡¯s eyes, the high temperature did not drive away these ghost infants; they vanished from the spot and reappeared, already clinging to Su Jie, some holding onto his arms, some onto his head, some onto his legs. ¡°This big toy is mine.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me, it¡¯s me!¡± The ghost infants started to squabble, trying to tear Su Jie apart. One after another pale corpse hands emerged from Su Jie¡¯s body, reaching back to grab the ghost infants, while his body¡¯s Purple Cloud Divine Thunder kept exploding, mixing with the soul-damaging Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, instantly turning one infant ghost into ashes. Su Jie also took out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, waving it to bring forth the Blood River, annihilating one ghost infant that couldn¡¯t dodge in time. The Lantern Ghost appeared before a ghost infant, the lantern¡¯s light bathed it, turning it into melting wax. The Painting Woman used herself as a mirror to drag a ghost infant into the Mirror World. Rip! Su Jie also suffered; one arm and one leg were torn off, the ghost infants ran back to the Ghost Mother with Su Jie¡¯s limbs. The Ghost Mother showed a sorrowful expression, as if mourning for the dead ghost infant. Chapter 267: 182: Are You My Husband? (Third Update) Chapter 267: Chapter 182: Are You My Husband? (Third Update) ¡°It¡¯s really troublesome.¡± Su Jie glanced at the severed limbs, inheriting the self-healing ability of the Thousand-Hand Centipede; it accelerated recovery from the injuries, with flesh buds crazily sprouting on the regenerating limbs, yet the process consumed an immense amount of Spiritual Power. For a Sixth-Grade Fierce Ghost, even Su Jie, who possessed a Primordial Spirit, found the fight extremely difficult. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite some endurance, but this is where it ends,¡± remarked Zou Minzun with a cold laugh. It was because of the numerous ghosts within this Heavenly Soul Formation that he truly felt confident. Just at this moment, the ghosts that had walked out of the houses in the Han Mansion finally reached the battlefield. These ghosts ranged from First Grade to Sixth Grade, especially the three Sixth-Grade ghosts¡ªthe Sword Labor Ghost, the Headless Ghost, and the Starving Ghost¡ªtheir strength was not inferior to that of the Nine Sons Ghost Mother. As for the Fifth-Grade Fierce Ghosts, they numbered over a dozen, while the other Fourth-Grade, Third-Grade, down to Second-Grade and First-Grade Fierce Ghosts, totaled more than a thousand, forming a terrifying ghost army. Such a ghost army was something not even a combined force of Su Jie and Yu Wenjing could handle. ¡°Now, do you understand the gap between us?¡± The voice of Zou Minzun was cold. The Heavenly Soul Formation actually wasn¡¯t his but belonged to the Heavenly Soul Sect, and he had merely borrowed it to influence these semi-wild ghosts inside the formation. In the Heavenly Soul Sect, the Heavenly Soul Formation was the Sect¡¯s ultimate asset; it was said that the most powerful Heavenly Soul Formation even housed a Ninth-Grade Fierce Ghost. Compared with Ghost Ridge Palace, the Heavenly Soul Formation was equivalent to Insect Valley, which could usually be used for disciple training and capturing fierce ghosts. During a fight, it could also be carried around for deployment, controlling the semi-wild fierce ghosts inside for attacks. The expressions of Xiao Fengyuan, Yu Wenjing, and Mo Shiyao all changed drastically at the scene. ¡°Indeed terrifying!¡± The voice of Su Jie fell, and the Painting Woman and the Lantern Ghost attacked Zou Minzun once again. As the Lantern Ghost and the Painting Woman were mobilized, Su Jie also made his move; his Primordial Spirit connecting with heaven and earth, tapping into the nearby Tao River, allowing a wisp of Taoist aura to descend upon the world. As a bloodline slit opened at the top of his skull, Su Jie soared high, shouting, ¡°Heavenly Might, aid me.¡± With a thunderous crash! Su Jie¡¯s entire aura surged, seemingly becoming the center of this world. Zou Minzun was shocked to his core, finally understanding why Su Jie could control two Fifth-Grade ghosts. This man, clearly of the Yunling Realm in cultivation, possessed a Primordial Spirit¡ªthere was no mistake, that was the effect of the Primordial Spirit. Using the Heavenly Might for oneself, managing the flow of Spiritual Power of a small part of the world, was something only a Primordial Spirit could do. While Zou Minzun was shaken, a fissure at Su Jie¡¯s glabellar region wildly absorbed Spiritual Power, and eventually, Su Jie, like an air-to-ground missile, swiftly flew through the sky. As Zou Minzun watched with splitting eyes, Su Jie flashed past one ghost after another, landing in front of a pavilion in the bamboo forest, and slapped his palm on Han Ruyan¡¯s top of the skull. With that palm strike, the Spiritual Power of this world surged like a tide. Han Ruyan was the Array Eye of the Heavenly Soul Formation; when she was struck by Su Jie, it was as if the Array Eye was damaged. Sizzle! At that moment, in the sky dome above, the black fog enveloping East Victory City gradually dissipated, revealing the long-unseen blue sky to the view. ¡°The formation has been broken.¡± ¡°Run quickly, those fierce ghosts are catching up.¡± ¡°Haha, we can finally leave.¡± The disciples were overjoyed, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, seeing hope for survival continue. ¡°Brother Su¡¯s righteousness is acknowledged. I owe you a favor today; let¡¯s meet again another day.¡± Yu Wenjing smiled and clasped his hands, disengaging from the battle with Gongyang Ji and rising to the high skies with a wave carrying many disciples. ¡°Su Jie, hurry up!¡± Ning Xinyue also cheered up, following Xiao Fengyuan as they climbed onto the back of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, ready to make their escape. However, to Ning Xinyue¡¯s surprise, Su Jie had been standing still ever since he struck that palm. Su Jie didn¡¯t want to stay; he simply couldn¡¯t move. As he struck Han Ruyan¡¯s body, his spiritual power erupted like a volcano. The woman¡¯s eyes, which had been tightly closed all along, slowly opened to reveal a pair of eerily vacant ones. Their gazes met, and Han Ruyan, with her arms on Su Jie¡¯s shoulders, unleashed a weirdly cold force that pervaded his body, making him stiff on the spot. ¡°Break free for me.¡± Su Jie¡¯s primordial spirit emerged, shining brightly with golden light as the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder exploded, forcibly regaining control and breaking the stiffness. Just as he turned around, Zou Minzun, with a massive army of ghosts, charged crazily towards him. ¡°I swear to flay you alive.¡± Zou Minzun was going mad; he had not expected Su Jie to possess a primordial spirit, let alone that Su Jie would head straight for Han Ruyan. The Ghost Bride, not yet fully cultivated, awoke. She was currently a fifth-grade fierce ghost. If things had gone as he planned, with a month of cultivation, he could have elevated the Ghost Bride to the sixth or even seventh grade. Before him was the sinister Ghost Bride, and behind him was the massive ghost army brought by Zou Minzun; Su Jie¡¯s chance for retreat had been lost. High above in the sky dome, the Thousand-Handed Centipede constantly blasted Purple Light Rays and spit Death Decline Curse Clouds while Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan did their best to block them. The Lantern Ghost raised its lantern, and one by one, the Painting Women emerged, but against the massive ghost army, it was merely a drop in the bucket; their defense line was instantly torn apart. Su Jie furrowed his brows, with Zou Minzun right at his heels and Han Ruyan eerily blocking his path. Su Jie¡¯s divine sense kept spreading, searching for an escape, but suddenly discovered that the eye-shaped curse on Han Ruyan¡¯s jade-like back, due to the recent surge of spiritual energy, had become greatly blurred. That was the curse Zou Minzun used to control Han Ruyan, ensuring the successful cultivation tied to their contract. With the Ghost Bride¡¯s cultivation process disrupted by Su Jie, the curse rune also withered simultaneously. An audacious idea suddenly sprang into Su Jie¡¯s mind. ¡°Let¡¯s risk it all!¡± Looking at the vacant-eyed Han Ruyan, Su Jie bit his fingertip and, as fast as lightning, smeared his blood on Han Ruyan¡¯s forehead while vigorously activating the ¡°Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique,¡± with his primordial spirit controlling the infiltration into Han Ruyan¡¯s body. Han Ruyan paused on the spot, affected by Su Jie¡¯s forceful contract, causing her already fragile connection with Zou Minzun to disintegrate instantly. Now, Han Ruyan, like a wild fierce ghost, was free from control. ¡°You dare!¡± Seeing this scene, Zou Minzun¡¯s veins bulged on his neck, his face turning red with anger. ¡°Are you my husband?¡± Suddenly, a chilling, ghostly voice emerged. Han Ruyan¡¯s gaze swept over the dried corpses hanging from the pavilion, including Han Jinghuan and Han Mother, and her lifeless eyes locked onto Su Jie with an incomprehensible sound. ¡°No...¡± Just as Su Jie uttered the word, it instantly triggered the Ghost Bride¡¯s killing mechanism. Mysteriously, Su Jie¡¯s body began to transform from his legs, swiftly turning towards a clay and wooden sculpture, even the light of Su Jie¡¯s primordial spirit trembled intensely, flickering like an unstable flame. Chapter 268: 183: Contract Ghost (Fourth Update) Chapter 268: Chapter 183: Contract Ghost (Fourth Update) ¡°Wait, I am your husband.¡± Su Jie immediately corrected himself, while taking a step back. Unexpectedly, Han Ruyan also took a step forward. As Su Jie spoke, the blood dripping from his forehead began to slowly seep into the space between Han Ruyan¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°My husband!!!¡± The next moment, Han Ruyan took Su Jie¡¯s hand, and the clothes he wore transformed into the festive ancient wedding attire. The palm Han Ruyan held felt like touching a block of ice, devoid of any human warmth. Su Jie¡¯s mouth hung open, not expecting things to go so smoothly. As the blood infiltrated Han Ruyan¡¯s forehead, a red phoenix crown and brocade robe wedding dress fluttered within Su Jie¡¯s sea of consciousness, and he successfully bound a contract with the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan. But it seemed that, due to the limited space in the sea of consciousness, the presence of the Ghost Bride there began to push out the connections belonging to the Lantern Ghost and the Painting Woman that were already present. Even the connection between Su Jie and the Ghost Bride felt highly unstable because of the domineering nature of this fierce ghost. It was at this time that Zou Minzun arrived with a ghost army in front of the pavilion, witnessing everything with his own eyes. This was a blow to Zou Minzun that was no less than a direct cuckoldry. It must be known that the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan, was someone he painstakingly nurtured, even going so far as to sacrifice East Victory City for her. In the end, it was Su Jie who benefited; Su Jie, who had come out of nowhere and contracted her. His face instantly darkened, as if a sunny sky was suddenly overwhelmed by a mass of dark clouds, his painstaking efforts rapidly turning into deep resentment. ¡°How dare you steal my possession, even if your Sect Master came, I would still extract your soul and light a lamp with it.¡± Fury overtaking his heart, Zou Minzun¡¯s voice rose from low to high, increasingly roaring, his face gradually turning green and his neck swelling as if ready to explode, clearly revealing his rage. ¡°Our Sect Master is right here; you¡¯d probably be running away so fast.¡± Su Jie felt no perturbation within; after all, the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace was of the Taoist Platform Realm. If Zou had the audacity to say this to Sect Master Zhang Junwei¡¯s face, Su Jie would indeed respect him as a real man. ¡°Wait until I catch you, and we¡¯ll see if your mouth can still be so tough.¡± Zou Minzun spoke no further, and the ghost army surrounding Su Jie began to close in from all directions. Han Ruyan turned around slowly; her exquisite face was devoid of color, a pale visage, with waterfall-like black hair falling to her hips and lifeless eyes that showed no sign of a living person, her mouth slightly opening and closing, seemingly whispering something. Zou Minzun, standing far away, couldn¡¯t hear her, but Su Jie, standing nearby and holding hands with the Ghost Bride, heard that it was a verse exclusive to wedding days. ¡°First bow to heaven and earth, to respect the vast skies and the land, to joyously unite as one.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s voice was plaintive like a sob, and the approaching ghosts, one after another, showed uncontrollable expressions of joy on their faces, as if they were celebrating the union of the new couple, Su Jie and the Ghost Bride. ¡°Second bow to the high hall, the nurturing kindness heavy as a mountain.¡± When Han Ruyan said this, a sorrowful and crying expression appeared on the faces of the many ghosts, as if they were playing the roles of parents, reluctantly bidding farewell to a daughter who was getting married. ¡°Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body.¡± Su Jie seemed to understand something; known as Beichen Chui Xiang, surrounded by all stars, it was the Creation Mechanism, the sovereign of gods and humans, asserting authority over the Three Realms, ruling over All Spirits. And according to what Zhong Shiguan had said, the All Spirits that the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body could command did not refer to spiritual beasts, but to Spirit Bodies. Naturally, ghosts were included in the category of Spirit Bodies. In other words, Han Ruyan, the Ghost Bride transformed from the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, was naturally the emperor among ghosts, bearing the commanding authority. ¡°The couple bows to each other; it¡¯s a match blessed through three lifetimes, a match made in heaven.¡± As soon as Han Ruyan uttered these words, one ghost after another suddenly knelt, facing the direction of Su Jie and Han Ruyan. But there were ghosts who remained unmoved, many fifth-grade fierce ghosts either trembling or frozen in place, avoiding kneeling down. Those sixth-grade fierce ghosts, including four such as the Nine Sons Ghost Mother, showed resistance to the Ghost Bride and joined forces to launch an attack on her. The first to launch an attack was the Ghost Mother. Ghost infants ran over, and the Ghost Mother herself flapped her belly, intending to breed ghosts within the Ghost Bride¡¯s body. Logically, as the Ghost Mother was a sixth-grade fierce ghost and the Ghost Bride merely fifth grade, the Ghost Bride should have been suppressed. But the reality was the exact opposite; the deathly pupils of the Ghost Bride saw through the past, and several ghost infants fell to the ground with a thump, dying silently. The Ghost Mother continued to advance, tearing open her own abdomen, from which ghost infants began to crawl out. However, before her action was complete, her facial expression started to twist uncontrollably, the left half of her face laughing wildly, while the right half cried in sorrow. Her body also started to change with this intense contrast, filled with more and more deathly aura and seeming to wilt away. Normally, the Ghost Mother wouldn¡¯t be so weak, but near the Ghost Bride, she seemed to have a special aura of weakening. Any ghost that got close to her would have their strength significantly reduced, and the greater the gap between their powers, the greater the weakening. Roar! Like a crab, the tall Sword Labor Ghost, wielding two meat cleavers, sent out slashes. Despite the great distance, these landed directly on Su Jie and the Ghost Bride, aiming to dismember them. In front of Su Jie, numerous pale corpse hands surged out from flesh, only to be neatly severed under the invisible blade light, broken ends smooth and clean as they fell to the ground like dead but twitching snakes. The blood-red light ripple from Han Ruyan¡¯s red wedding dress she wore lit up, and the invisible blade light that touched the wedding dress simply extinguished upon contact. As Han Ruyan¡¯s palm caressed the blood-colored wedding dress, the skin of the crab-like Sword Labor Ghost began to tighten, changing into a red wedding dress, constricting the ghost¡¯s flesh and bones, shrinking inward continuously. The unimpressive Headless Ghost stepped forward. Facing the Ghost Bride, he lifted his hands, and a red line appeared on Han Ruyan¡¯s neck. The Headless Ghost sought to transplant Han Ruyan¡¯s head onto his own neck. But immediately after, the phoenix crown atop Han Ruyan¡¯s head shone with a faint ghostly gleam. The phoenix crown was beautiful and majestic, worn by Han Ruyan on the day she was married, adorned with a phoenix head gold hairpin, a phoenix flower hairpin crown, jeweled, and interwoven with gold and silver threads forming a golden phoenix and twenty-four varying flowers. Its phoenix mouth held a long tassel, from which a step-shaking amulet dangled. At that moment, the phoenix crown on her head seemed to come to life, like a Heavenly Phoenix spreading its wings, but the pearls that represented its eyes were lifelessly dim. Suddenly, the flesh of the Headless Ghost¡¯s neck ignited, turning to fuel, burning fiercely and spreading upwards from below. This was a black Netherworld Fire, which even the sixth-grade Fierce Headless Ghost scrambled to retreat from, unable to evade in time. The last Starving Ghost was even more brutal. He was gaunt, his face pale, his eyes sunken, looking like a skeleton, always munching on something in his mouth. The moment it approached the Ghost Bride, the lower jaw of the Starving Ghost dislocated, his mouth ripping open wide, and he began to chew and swallow frenziedly. On the body of the Ghost Bride, rows of teeth marks and bite marks appeared, and the Starving Ghost was stronger than the Headless and Sword Labor Ghosts, and even the Nine Sons Ghost Mother. For the first time, Han Ruyan retreated, and the other sixth-grade fierce ghosts seized the opportunity to break free from control, the Sword Labor Ghost escaping the grasp of the wedding dress, the Headless Ghost extinguishing the fire, and the Ghost Mother¡¯s facial expression returning to calm. Fierce ghosts are notoriously difficult to kill, let alone sixth-grade fierce ghosts. Even though Han Ruyan was fighting against four sixth-grade fierce ghosts, being powerful was not enough to guarantee victory, especially as she was only fifth grade herself. If she were a sixth-grade fierce ghost, then these sixth-grade fierce ghosts might not be enough for her to hammer once. However, she was not at that level yet. Chapter 269: 184: Ability (First Update) Chapter 269: Chapter 184: Ability (First Update) ¡°We need to retreat,¡± Su Jie recalled the Painting Woman and the Lantern Ghost, grabbing the Ghost Bride with one hand, preparing to escape on the Xiao Qian brand sky train. ¡°Trying to flee...¡± Zou Minzun¡¯s eyes were blood red, the Residual Soul Sword kept slashing down, and the Demon Cave Mountain glowed brightly with blood. Ning Xinyue stretched out both arms, releasing the Xuanyin Cold Flow from the Sky Dome that silently spread within the quietness. The air seemed to have solidified, as the cold flow carried ice and darkness, continuously streaming forward. Plants and animals along the way were instantly frozen, turning into lifelike ice sculptures, all of which shattered when a breeze blew through. The towering Demon Cave Mountain, in the midst of its furious power, had half of its mass sealed in ice, turning into a lump of icy bumps. Ning Xinyue¡¯s cute little face turned red as she exerted all her strength, managing to temporarily seal the Ten Thousand Soul Banner crafted by a hundred thousand Yin Souls. Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s body trembled violently, his flesh on the neck bulged rapidly, and his upper body completely deformed, transforming into nine huge snake heads joined to long necks, each with gaping mouths madly snapping and chasing after that top-grade Residual Soul Sword. The Residual Soul Sword kept piercing through the clouds, cutting off huge snake heads that crashed into the ground, creating large pits. Luckily, having nine heads, Xiao Fengyuan could withstand the onslaught for a moment. The thousand-hand centipede was also in motion, spewing out intense Death Decline Curse Clouds, covering the area below where Gongyang Ji and Zou Minzun were. It forced the two Secret Realm Elders to dodge left and right, not daring to touch this terrifying curse. Taking advantage of the time gained, Su Jie stepped onto the Seven Star Steps, weaving through the army of ghosts, closing the distance with the thousand-hand centipede. With the Ghost Bride by his side, even if Su Jie bumped into these Fierce Ghosts, they made no move to attack. It was only when some fifth-grade fierce ghosts neared Su Jie that they showed a desire to attack, but the Painting Woman and the Lantern Ghost also protected Su Jie, preventing his speed from being affected. As long as they got far enough away, they did not continue the chase, allowing Su Jie to break free from the encirclement of the fierce ghost army. But the four sixth-grade Fierce Ghosts were different; they were still relentlessly pursuing Su Jie. The Ghost Bride looked over the four sixth-grade Fierce Ghosts and suddenly waved her hand. The large form of the Lantern Ghost suddenly collapsed, its flesh turning into a bright red paint. The Ghost Bride stretched out her pale left hand, catching the falling lantern. At that moment, the lantern had turned from white to festive red, and the character ¡®µì¡¯ originally on the lantern was replaced with a large ¡®Ï²¡¯ character. If the past lantern was for mourning, what the Ghost Bride now held, representing the festivity of a marriage, was a bridal lantern, a palace lantern. ¡°Great joy!¡± The Ghost Bride raised the lantern, the character ¡®Ï²¡¯ on the lantern facing the approaching Starving Ghost. Characters of ¡®Ï²¡¯ appeared on the Starving Ghost¡¯s body, causing it to begin to weirdly disintegrate and melt, greatly slowing down the pursuit. In the sky, numerous large red lanterns drifted, blocking the view and creating eerie vows echoing from within the lanterns. ¡°A husband should be as unwavering as a rock, and a wife as resilient as reed; the reed is as tenacious as silk, the rock never shifts its place; in life we reside in separate rooms, in death we share the same grave. If you say that I am distrustful, you are as stark as the noon sun.¡± The vows caused several sixth-grade Fierce Ghosts to look up, only to see the lanterns descend, covering their heads, transforming into red bridal veils, momentarily confusing their direction and attack. ¡°Heavenly Might!¡± Su Jie held his breath and used his Primordial Spirit to connect with the Tao River once more, pulling a wisp of Tao essence into his body. Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint! Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder! High-Temperature Beam! Su Jie launched a triple strike, leveraging the power of his Primordial Spirit¡¯s Heavenly Might to make these attacks especially ferocious. The several sixth-grade fierce ghosts opposite were covered by red veils, completely unable to dodge. Boom! The Ghost Mother was enveloped by the Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint, and without the enhancement of the Primordial Spirit¡¯s Heavenly Might, this move would hardly be effective against her, but now it was different. As the handprint struck the Ghost Mother, she was blasted a hundred meters away, her entire body folding in half. Streaks of Heavenly Thunder struck the Starving Ghost, with the thunder suppressing the most ferocious of the ghosts, turning dense flashes of lightning into an electric cage, trapping it inside. And the two high-temperature beams emitted from the eye sockets hit the Headless Ghost and the Sword Labor Ghost respectively, melting huge cavities into their chests. The three attacks, almost simultaneous, though unable to kill them, once again slowed their pursuit. As Su Jie launched his attack, the Ghost Bride, as if in perfect synchrony, slowly lifted her right hand. The Painting Woman beside her body twisted and turned into a delicate Double Phoenix Mirror, hanging on the Ghost Bride¡¯s chest. In the Tianyuan World, mirrors are considered auspicious objects, often used to ward off evil spirits, exorcise demons, and ensure safety. Mirrors also symbolize perfection and eternity. Also, because the sound of ¡®mirror¡¯ is somewhat similar to ¡®son-in-law¡¯, many newly married women hang a mirror on their chests. ¡°Arranging my hair in the mirror.¡± The Ghost Bride picked up the Double Phoenix Mirror she wore on her chest, as if she was dressing up. Reflected in the mirror was the Ghost Bride¡¯s hauntingly beautiful face. The faces of several sixth-grade fierce ghosts convulsed and twisted violently, changing to resemble the Ghost Bride¡¯s visage. Arriving almost simultaneously with Su Jie¡¯s strike, this froze the powerful ghosts where they stood. The Lantern Ghost and the Painting Woman, originally fifth-grade fierce ghosts, in the hands of the Ghost Bride, their power rose to another level. Su Jie¡¯s eyes flickered. It seemed Han Ruyan¡¯s ability was not just to weaken the spiritual power of the ghosts that came close; she could also enhance the combat power of the ghosts through contact, making her a sovereign among them. No wonder she could become an emperor among the ghosts. Su Jie¡¯s thoughts flashed, but now was not the time to ponder this. Seizing the opportunity when several sixth-grade fierce ghosts were preoccupied, Su Jie wrapped his arm around Han Ruyan¡¯s waist and, holding her, jumped up. The thousand-hand centipede roared past, catching Su Jie and immediately soaring high into the sky. Behind them, Zou Minzun and Gongyang Ji ascended, unwilling to let Su Jie escape like this. Su Jie also saw that the several sixth-grade fierce ghosts were gradually recovering, their stiff bodies slowly moving. He knew a decision had to be made now. ¡°Xiao Qian!¡± Su Jie patted the thousand-hand centipede he was riding. Understanding Su Jie¡¯s intent, the thousand-hand centipede roared towards the sky, its huge body bursting apart, turning into countless tiny centipedes. Swarm after swarm of tiny centipedes congealed into insect blankets, wrapping around Su Jie, the Ghost Bride, Xiao Fengyuan, Ning Xinyue, and Qi Shijian. Among the cover of hundreds more insect blankets, they scattered in every direction. ¡°We¡¯ll regroup at West Ridge Mountain.¡± As he performed this move, Su Jie transmitted this message through Divine Sense into the ears of Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan. Zou Minzun and Gongyang Ji were stunned. They tried hard to find Su Jie¡¯s real body, but without the Primordial Spirit Divine Sense, and before they could sense the breath of Su Jie and his group, the thousand-hand centipede had already scattered everywhere. Zou Minzun attacked all the insect blankets he could see in a fury, but to no avail, there were simply too many to be extinguished. The remaining insect blankets had already vanished from sight, leaving no trace. Chapter 270: 185: Husband, I Want It! (Second Update) Chapter 270: Chapter 185: Husband, I Want It! (Second Update) An hour later. In a mountain recess, Su Jie appeared with the Ghost Bride, the vast insect blanket dissipated. As for Ning Xinyue, Xiao Fengyuan, and Qi Shijian, they were transported to another area by the insect blanket. Su Jie wasn¡¯t worried about being separated; he already knew their approximate location and could find them later. The insect blanket disappeared one by one until the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s body, the size of a chopstick, crawled up Su Jie¡¯s arm. Sizzle! The Thousand-Handed Centipede gave two weak cries; using this technique meant it had discarded most of its body mass. Not even ¡°cutting off an arm to survive¡± would suffice to describe this¡ªit was tantamount to severing everything below the neck. With a heavy heart, Su Jie stroked the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede and took out an Insect Control Bag, from which he fed it a large quantity of poisonous insects. He then pulled out Spirit Stones and Blood Marrow Crystals from his Storage Bag to feed the Thousand-Handed Centipede, helping it recover its body and replenish its nutrients. The Thousand-Handed Centipede chewed with relish, its body slowly recovering, but it would take several days to return to its peak condition. Ghost Bride Han Ruyan stood quietly on the other side, seemingly watching Su Jie, or perhaps just lost in a daze. Su Jie turned around to look at Han Ruyan¡¯s pale figure. Sensing Su Jie¡¯s gaze, a profound stillness shone from Han Ruyan¡¯s eyes. She quietly met his gaze and slowly spoke, ¡°My husband.¡± Her voice was two cold tones as she extended her pale, bloodless fingers, elegant and hauntingly beautiful. Only her fingernails were painted a striking red, exceedingly enchanting. This meant she wanted Su Jie to take her hand. As Su Jie watched this scene, even with his composure, his heart began to race. The presence of Han Ruyan in front of him made him feel a chill, even with his Primordial Spirit; she posed a threat to his safety. Su Jie did not act immediately but connected to the depths of his sea of consciousness to check the contract with the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan. To his surprise, the contract within his sea of consciousness was quite unstable. The Wedding Dress inside the sea of consciousness showed faint signs of transparency, and once it completely dissolved, it meant that the contract would break. Su Jie speculated that the Ghost Bride, having transformed from the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, was a royal among ghosts, making her far more difficult to control than ordinary fierce ghosts. For Su Jie to control such an existence, even with his Primordial Spirit, the contract would be extremely challenging. With that thought, Su Jie took the hand of the Ghost Bride; it was still cold to the touch. Han Ruyan stood there in her exquisitely beautiful and majestic Wedding Dress, which floated gently around her. Although no emotions showed on her face, inside Su Jie¡¯s sea of consciousness, the translucent red Wedding Dress gradually stabilized and settled within. ¡°I can¡¯t just keep holding her hand forever,¡± Su Jie thought with a headache. It was clear that the Ghost Bride, while being contracted, had her consciousness and was not as obedient as the Lantern Ghost and the Painting Woman. After some thought, Su Jie took out a bunch of Primordial Spirit Pearls from his Storage Bag. Each pearl was black, resembling a beautiful piece of ink jade, indicating they were filled with Fear Energy. This was one of the spoils obtained from Zhong Shiguan. Su Jie attempted to activate the Primordial Spirit Pearls and transferred the Fear Energy into the Ghost Bride. The Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique included methods for making and using Primordial Spirit Pearls, which Su Jie found very easy to use. Within the Heavenly Soul Sect, a Primordial Spirit Pearl filled with Fear Energy was a valuable commodity for the Demon Cultivators, able to fetch a high price in Spirit Stones. However, there were not many who practiced ghost cultivation in the outside world, hence there was little recognition for it. Ordinarily speaking, a general first-grade fierce ghost would need ten Primordial Spirit Pearls to be able to advance. The stronger and more ferocious the ghost is at the same grade, the more Primordial Spirit Pearls it would need, which is indeterminate. As Su Jie activated the Primordial Spirit Pearls, a faint, almost invisible wisp of black qi emerged, swirling around the Ghost Bride. The originally ink-black Primordial Spirit Pearls gradually lightened in color, eventually becoming crystal clear. They could be used again in the future to store Fear Energy, as they were reusable. Looking at the Ghost Bride across from him, the dense death qi, resentment qi, and Yin Qi around her were all climbing, and her strength was also slowly increasing. For fierce ghosts, Fear Energy is like the relationship between Cultivators and Spiritual Energy, the most critical thing for ghosts to upgrade their grade. Su Jie could distinctly sense that the connection between the Ghost Bride and himself was becoming tighter. This confirmed Su Jie¡¯s speculation that feeding the Ghost Bride could significantly improve their affinity. Soon, the hundreds of Primordial Spirit Pearls in Su Jie¡¯s hand were all consumed. This amount of Fear Energy was but a drop in the ocean for the Ghost Bride¡¯s advancement. A fifth-grade fierce ghost looking to advance to a sixth-grade fierce ghost would need an enormous amount of Fear Energy, let alone the Ghost Bride. A ghostly emperor transformed from a Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, the Ghost Bride would need at least ten times the Fear Energy of other ghosts at the same grade. ¡°This strength is strong, but the Fear Energy needed seems way too much,¡± Su Jie lamented in his heart, feeling like a weary father, completely consumed with worry for his family. Already raising a Thousand-Handed Centipede and now with the Ghost Bride, another big eater, Su Jie¡¯s burden was undeniably heavier. The Ghost Bride, not understanding Su Jie¡¯s troubles, gazed at Su Jie with a longing look after absorbing hundreds of Primordial Spirit Pearls, clearly wanting to consume more Fear Energy. ¡°There¡¯s none left. You¡¯ve eaten it all. I haven¡¯t even fed the Painting Woman and the Lantern Ghost yet¡ªthey¡¯re still hungry.¡± Su Jie spread his hands; he had no stock left. The Primordial Spirit Pearl was something the Heavenly Soul Sect used; he had no idea where to find so much Fear Energy to feed the Ghost Bride. Thinking of the Painting Woman and the Lantern Ghost, Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted to the big red lantern carried in the Ghost Bride¡¯s left hand and the Double Phoenix Mirror worn on her chest. Su Jie coughed twice and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we let them out?¡± The Ghost Bride cocked her head to the side. Perhaps the recent feeding had had an effect, as she did not refuse. After the lantern was released, it floated in mid-air, revealing the tall figure of the Lantern Ghost, and the color of the lantern slowly turned white. The moment the Lantern Ghost appeared, it stepped back, keeping its distance from the Ghost Bride, its body even trembling slightly. The Double Phoenix Mirror also flew out from the chest of the Ghost Bride, revealing the figure of the Painting Woman, who likewise trembled and stayed away from the Ghost Bride. Both being fifth-grade fierce ghosts, the Lantern Ghost and the Painting Woman were clearly in fear of the Ghost Bride. The Ghost Bride said nothing, but with a glance, the retreating Lantern Ghost and the Painting Woman stiffened. After a moment¡¯s struggle, the Lantern Ghost obediently went to the Ghost Bride¡¯s side, taking the initiative to light the way with its lantern, acting like an attendant holding a lamp. The Painting Woman floated behind the Ghost Bride, dutifully fixing the long red wedding dress, like a little maid. ¡°She¡¯s more impressive than me, the master,¡± Su Jie said with a wry smile. Han Ruyan seemed to understand something and turned her head to look at Su Jie, slowly extending her hand toward him, ¡°Husband, I want.¡± Chapter 271: 186: Time to Go to Bed and Rest (Third Release) Chapter 271: Chapter 186: Time to Go to Bed and Rest (Third Release) ¡°` ¡°Hmm!¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression changed slightly, he certainly didn¡¯t want to be Ning Cai Chen! At least he was not mentally prepared for that yet. However, Su Jie clearly misunderstood Han Ruyan¡¯s intention, as she reached out not for him, but for a scroll in Su Jie¡¯s arms. It was the Heavenly Ghost Map, a trophy obtained from Zhong Shiguan. Since Su Jie had been busy refining a few Mid Grade Magical Artifacts before, he hadn¡¯t had time to study it. ¡°You want this?¡± Su Jie took out the Heavenly Ghost Map, and as Han Ruyan took it, she gently unfolded it. Once the ghost map was unfurled, the surrounding environment immediately darkened; the map was overlapping with reality. In Han Ruyan¡¯s boudoir, Su Jie had already experienced this scene: the world changed, entering the environment of the Heavenly Ghost Map, which wasn¡¯t an independent space, but felt more like some kind of barrier. When the Heavenly Ghost Map was completely unrolled, mounds resembling graves crawled across the earth, with sparse wild grass growing, enveloped by a thick, dark fog. Because of the intrusion of the living, these mounds one by one cracked open, and fierce ghosts climbed out. There were hanging ghosts with dishevelled hair, pale faces, bulging eyes, and necks circled with purple strangulation marks. There were evil ghosts dragging heavy Beheading Blades, towering two meters tall, seemingly executioners in life. There were ghosts with ferocious faces, wide mouths, and large eyes, with sharp fangs in their mouths and beast horns on their heads, draped in human bones and hair. These fierce ghosts were of various kinds; some Su Jie had seen recorded in the Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique, while others were completely unfamiliar with varying abilities. About thirty of these ghosts remained: previously, there had been nearly a hundred, but many were killed in the last battle with Su Jie. Those left were mostly First and Second Grade Fierce Ghosts, which to Su Jie seemed weak and sickly. Besides them, there were only a few Third-grade fierce ghosts to show rank, and not a single fourth-grade fierce ghost remained. All of these fierce ghosts were contracted by Zhong Shiguan, and upon his death, they all became feral. Sensing Su Jie¡¯s presence, the killing mechanism in many ghosts was triggered, and they instinctively moved towards Su Jie, wanting to kill. But it was at this moment that Han Ruyan¡¯s dead yet luminous eyes glanced over. The stirring ghosts, as if encountering a natural predator or an emperor, knelt one after another, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Even these lower-grade ghosts, incapable of fear, were being suppressed and influenced by the Ghost Bride¡¯s presence. Su Jie watched from the side, impressed once again. Although he¡¯d seen it before, when the Ghost Bride had demonstrated this power in the face of an army of ghosts, witnessing it anew still amazed him. Then, Han Ruyan spread her arms, and one by one, eerie and cold wedding dresses appeared on the ghosts, beginning to seep into their flesh. The ghosts resisted and struggled; they were still free to follow verbal orders, But once the wedding dresses had completely penetrated them, they would no longer be able to escape the Ghost Bride¡¯s control. ¡°Controlling a host of ghosts.¡± Su Jie murmured; he still didn¡¯t know much about the Ghost Bride, but his Primordial Spirit could clearly sense that these ghosts¡¯ souls were being reshaped and bound by the Ghost Bride. It was like tethering wild animals with a collar, making them serve oneself, similar to how Su Jie contracted fierce ghosts. The only difference was that Su Jie¡¯s contracts required the capacity of his sea of consciousness, limiting the number of fierce ghosts he could contract. But the Ghost Bride had no such limitation; she was born for this very purpose. This contracting process was much faster than imagined; the first-grade fierce ghosts were contracted within a few seconds, and the second-grade ones lasted about a minute. The few third-grade fierce ghosts also merely took about five minutes; they went from resistance, to struggle, and finally to submission, completing a striking transformation in role. One after another, the wedding dresses merged with the flesh and fully integrated with the fierce ghosts. ¡°` ¡°Come here.¡± Han Ruyan slowly spoke, her perfectly beautiful and pallid face exuding nobility and elegance, like a natural-born empress giving out her commands. Dozens of fierce ghosts came before Han Ruyan, standing quietly, waiting for her instructions. ¡°Husband, come with me into the sedan chair,¡± she said. Han Ruyan¡¯s gaze shifted towards Su Jie. In her lifeless eyes, a flicker of emotion appeared, though Su Jie wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination. As soon as the words left her lips, Han Ruyan tossed the Heavenly Ghost Map suddenly. Instantly, under the influence of the Ghost Bride¡¯s powers, the ghost artifact transformed into a beautiful flower sedan chair. The sedan chair was adorned with over five thousand pearls and more than three hundred various gemstones. Twelve dragons and phoenixes were carved on the top, with dragons on the front and phoenixes on the sides. The dragons either held their heads high, stood on all fours, walked, or galloped, each displaying a distinct posture. The phoenixes were all depicted with outstretched wings in flight, holding red and blue gemstones in their beaks. Surrounding them were emerald carvings of clouds and leaves, as if soaring through the clouds. The entire sedan chair glimmered, the dragons and phoenixes vibrant, the jewels and gold and jade glistening brightly, and amidst the grandeur, there was a sense of nobility. The environment suddenly turned chilly, with gusts of Yin wind, and the nearby plants withered, as if all life had been stripped away. The Ghost Bride possessed the ability to transform fierce ghosts, and the powers of the Lantern Ghost and Painting Woman greatly increased when held by her. The same principle applied to the Heavenly Ghost Map. The flower sedan chair it transformed into was exceptionally terrifying. And as the sedan chair was formed, the ghosts began to stir. Several tall and burly fierce ghosts acted as carriers, lifting the red-topped flower sedan chair. A Lute Ghost played a four-stringed lute, producing a clear and pleasing melody. Some Blazing Ghosts used themselves as torches, setting up flares all around the sedan chair to light up the surroundings. The Lantern Ghost transformed into lanterns, hanging in front of the sedan chair door. The Painting Woman played a maid, drawing aside the silk curtains of the sedan chair, inviting the bride and groom to board. Watching this scene, Su Jie was impressed. Not mentioning Han Ruyan¡¯s strength, this pomp, this bearing, was that of a firmly grasped heiress of a big family. Even in death, her procession was just as grand. Muttering inwardly, Su Jie joined Han Ruyan in the sedan chair. The space inside the sedan chair was much larger than a small room, adorned anew, approximately a hundred square feet in size, obviously transformed by the powers of the Ghost Bride. Upon sight, there was a rosewood marble desk, piled with famous people¡¯s calligraphy and treasure inkstones, with various brushes standing in their holders like a forest. In the room, there was a large Ru Porcelain Flower Vase with peonies, and many paintings and couplets hanging on the walls. The most eye-catching piece was a step bed in the room, a platform with posts at each corner and wooden railings, forming a shallow gallery. Compared to the previously lifeless and grave-filled Heavenly Ghost Map. The flower sedan chair, transformed from the Heavenly Ghost Map, was decorated with all things red paper, but it felt much more comforting to look at. When Su Jie and Han Ruyan entered the sedan chair, all the fierce ghosts outside bowed to the ground. The fierce ghosts carried bridal dowries, vermilion-painted and gold-lacquered boxes filled with various dazzling and gleaming jewels, jade, and silk. The procession was long and majestic, like a golden dragon draped in red, moving grandly for miles. And within the sedan chair, Han Ruyan took Su Jie¡¯s hand, blew out the candles, and said, ¡°Husband, it¡¯s time for us to go to bed and rest.¡± Chapter 272: 187: As Long as Youre Brave, The Female Ghost Goes on Maternity Leave (First Update) Chapter 272: Chapter 187: As Long as You¡¯re Brave, The Female Ghost Goes on Maternity Leave (First Update) ¡°Could it be that today, I too must devote myself?¡± Su Jie swallowed, looking at Han Ruyan across from him. Although her figure and appearance were the same as before, her skin was pale, and her body lacked the warmth of a normal person. Han Ruyan took Su Jie¡¯s hand and walked towards the bedchamber. With each step she took, her red wedding dress became ever more brilliant, making her ghostly pale skin stand out even more. They sat on the bed, facing each other with their eyes locked. Han Ruyan gently twisted her sleeves, slipped off her delicate embroidered shoes, and sat poised, her dead and still eyes staring intently. ¡°Husband, am I beautiful?¡± Han Ruyan suddenly spoke; her voice did not carry the usual shyness of a woman, but was indifferent, devoid of any fluctuation or emotion. ¡°Of course, you are my wife, the most beautiful of all, the number one beauty in the world,¡± Facing such a topic, even if the other person was a ghost, she presumably would like to hear words of admiration. After all, a female ghost should still count as a woman... right? Su Jie was somewhat unconfident in his scattered thoughts. After he finished speaking, Han Ruyan, sitting calmly across from him, seemed to hook the corners of her mouth into an almost imperceptible smile. She was... smiling. Ever since Han Ruyan had become the Ghost Bride, Su Jie had never seen her express such an emotion. ¡°Husband is considerate too.¡± Han Ruyan leaned against Su Jie, placing her hands on his shoulders, spreading a strange and chill aura. Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but shiver. Lowering his head, he saw the distance between himself and Han Ruyan closing. Han Ruyan¡¯s lips slightly parted as she moved closer, her face devoid of blood, her eyes deep and dark, seemingly filled with disdain and animosity for the mortal world, emitting a strong sense of oppression. In the next moment, their lips touched and quickly separated. Before Su Jie could react, after their kiss, Han Ruyan¡¯s red wedding dress began to transform. Streams of Yin Qi infiltrated Su Jie¡¯s body and then flowed back onto the wedding dress, as if completing some kind of transformation ritual. The bodice of Han Ruyan¡¯s red wedding dress revealed dense, intricate patterns, with little plum blossom-shaped red veins becoming visible. Su Jie relaxed, seeing that things weren¡¯t as bad as he had feared. Just then, Su Jie felt a subtle change in his body. With Han Ruyan¡¯s kiss, his Primordial Spirit shone resplendently, as if it had received a kind of baptism, becoming increasingly solidified. At the same time, Su Jie¡¯s physical body, countless cells actively evolving, became stronger and more robust. ¡°Is this dual cultivation?¡± Su Jie was somewhat surprised, thinking of Han Ruyan¡¯s Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body. Beichen Chui Xiang, surrounded by stars, is the Creation Mechanism. The emphasis was on the latter part of the phrase about Creation. This term signifies the act of creating and evolving, as well as nurturing life. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit seemed to have formed an unknown connection to certain stars in the heavens, and even his connection to the Dao of this world had become more intimate. Even as a fierce ghost, Han Ruyan still retained the characteristics of her past Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body. This physique, ranked among the top ten in the Divine Bodies, inadvertently brought Su Jie numerous benefits. Just as Han Ruyan could transform the Lantern Ghost, the Painting Woman, and the Heavenly Ghost Map, Su Jie¡¯s body also underwent positive transformations during this intimate contact, his vitality growing longer, his physical strength increasingly formidable, and his Primordial Spirit shining like a constellation, bright and dazzling. ¡°My lady, you are so beautiful, let¡¯s kiss again.¡± Su Jie cleared his throat and took the initiative to hug her, kissing Han Ruyan¡¯s cold lips. Although he previously said he didn¡¯t want to be Ning Cai Chen, times had changed, and Su Jie possessed a flexible moral baseline. Han Ruyan¡¯s body was very cold, with waves of Yin Qi eroding into Su Jie¡¯s flesh and blood. Through this contact, Su Jie baptized his physical body and Primordial Spirit. However, when Su Jie¡¯s arm embraced Han Ruyan, there was no sensation of a body inside the wedding dress, as if he was touching nothing but air. ¡°Hiss! Strange... there¡¯s no body at all.¡± Su Jie was startled to realize this situation. It turned out that the Ghost Bride was indeed just a red wedding dress; the flesh inside the dress did not exist. ¡°Husband, aren¡¯t you afraid of me?¡± Han Ruyan parted her lips, looking at Su Jie¡¯s shocked expression, her voice as cold and indifferent as ever. Based on her looks, Han Ruyan was extremely beautiful with a delicate and unparalleled face and a proud physique. Unfortunately, after death, Han Ruyan was no longer her past self. Pale skin, dead and cold eyes¡ªone glance was enough to feel an inner fear and trembling. It was difficult to overcome this psychologically; after all, the pressure Han Ruyan brought to someone was so intense that only the toughest of the tough could stand firm. ¡°You are my wife, what is there to be afraid of?¡± Su Jie said confidently, as the saying goes, with enough courage, a female ghost could be sent on maternity leave. ¡°Husband turns out to be so lascivious, huh? My current body is still unable to do more. Wait until I ascend to Ninth Grade and my jade body solidifies, then I will be able to rock your world endlessly.¡± Han Ruyan quietly watched Su Jie, her Yin Qi growing increasingly fierce. After saying this, Han Ruyan pushed Su Jie away. It may have been Su Jie¡¯s misperception, but he seemed to see a hint of disdain in Han Ruyan¡¯s eyes. Perhaps it was Su Jie¡¯s presumptuous manner that made Han Ruyan, the powerful ghost entity, uncomfortable¡ªshe had never seen someone so shameless. Others would keep as far away from a female ghost as possible or be terrified out of their wits. Su Jie, on the other hand, was really going for it! ¡°A Ninth Grade Fierce Ghost, how much Fear Energy is that?¡± Su Jie wasn¡¯t truly driven by lust; he coveted the power and assistance of the Ghost Bride. Han Ruyan, as a fifth-grade fierce ghost, already possessed battle strength far above her peers. She also had the ability to control a horde of ghosts and enhance and transform the special abilities of fierce ghosts. Even individuals like Zhong Shiguan and Gongyang Ji from the Secret Realm, who were weaker, were no match for Han Ruyan in a one-on-one battle. If she were to advance to Ninth Grade, the thought of her combat power was unimaginable. But as much as he coveted it, Su Jie faced a difficult problem and dared not to flaunt himself like the Heavenly Soul Sect, imprisoning an entire city to provide Fear Energy as sustenance. ¡°Husband, killing is very easy.¡± Han Ruyan held up the red wedding dress; to a ghost of her level, killing an ordinary person was no different than crushing an insect. Su Jie shook his head, suppressing Han Ruyan¡¯s eagerness with his Divine Sense, secretly lamenting in his heart. When she was alive, how kind Han Ruyan was! Even knowing Su Jie¡¯s Demon Cultivator identity, she never revealed the slightest hint. Now that she had become a fierce ghost, it seemed all human emotions had vanished; killing, in her words, had become a trivial matter. ¡°Killing is too crude a method; I will find you a better way later on.¡± Su Jie wanted to pat Han Ruyan¡¯s head, but seeing her dead and sharp eyes like daggers, he could only sulkily pull back his hand. ¡°I believe in you, husband.¡± Han Ruyan tilted her head, like a young girl about to be married off. But Su Jie knew well that once he could no longer provide Fear Energy, and the contract broke, he would likely be the first to suffer. Chapter 273: 188: Rescue (Second Update) Chapter 273: Chapter 188: Rescue (Second Update) ¡°` The flower sedan chair made its way forward. Heading towards West Ridge Mountain, all living beings retreated and the myriad beasts fell silent as it passed. This rate of advance was no slower than that of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. The flower sedan chair, transformed from the Heavenly Ghost Map, moved sporadically, one moment it was a hundred meters away, and in the next second, it appeared in another place altogether. As the sky gradually darkened, the flower sedan chair arrived near West Ridge Mountain, where Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan, along with Ning Xinyue, had agreed to meet. However, as soon as he got there, Su Jie found that the place was anything but peaceful, with the sounds of shouting and fighting deafening to the ears. Peering through the parted curtains of the sedan chair, Su Jie¡¯s Divine Eye saw the battlefield several kilometers away, where intense fighting was taking place. Dozens of Righteous Disciples were fighting together, with the glows of Magic Artifacts, Magic, and talismans streaking across the night sky. These disciples¡¯ backgrounds were unknown, but those they were attacking were none other than Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan. ¡°Those Demon Cultivators, don¡¯t you dare resist arrest.¡± ¡°They¡¯re nearly done for, let¡¯s all work together to kill them right here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away, they wreaked havoc in East Victory City, slaughtered the entire town, and harmed our brothers and sisters, they must pay with their lives.¡± The disciples shouted in anger. East Victory City had been sealed off for a few days, and within it were high-ranking students from various sects. These disciples had come to investigate, but since they couldn¡¯t enter East Victory City, they lingered outside. On the other side of East Victory City, they did not collide with Yu Wenjing and others who had escaped, but they did encounter Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan, who had been carried out by the Centipede Insect Blanket, and they had been pursuing them ever since. ¡°It¡¯s just our luck, we told you, we had nothing to do with East Victory City, can¡¯t you understand human speech?¡± Ning Xinyue knocked a Righteous Disciple away with her Vajra Bracelet, her pretty face full of displeasure as she shouted with her hands on her hips, ¡°Your brothers and sisters were saved by us, and now you turn your back on us, don¡¯t you have any brains?¡± ¡°Demon Cultivator, how dare you spout such nonsense, our brothers and sisters would never work with you demons.¡± ¡°The more you emphasize something, the more it shows what you lack. Brother surely must have been killed by them.¡± ¡°Quick, go to the sect and call for help, capture them and bring them back to the sect, maybe we can find our brothers¡¯ whereabouts.¡± ¡°The opponent is the Nine-headed Demon Spear from Ghost Ridge Palace, killing him will definitely boost our morale.¡± Despite Ning Xinyue¡¯s words, the group of disciples did not believe her at all, and their shouting only intensified, which infuriated Ning Xinyue. ¡°There¡¯s no use talking to them, all these Righteous Disciples deserve to be killed.¡± Xiao Fengyuan held the Blood Cang Spear, its body piercing through two Righteous Disciples, turning them into dried husks to replenish his own injuries, yet the small amount of blood was but a drop in the bucket for his severe wounds. At that moment, Xiao Fengyuan was in a tragic state, covered in blood from head to toe, with bones and organs severely damaged, broken beyond count. On the other side, the Multi-legged Centipede with Top Grade Three Refinements was severed in half, and both the man and the beast were at the end of their tether. Even so, he fought at the forefront, because his family had been harmed by the Righteous Sect, and he harbored an extraordinary hatred for these Righteous Disciples. ¡°Brother Xiao, you should retreat first.¡± Ning Xinyue was anxious, feeling helpless despite her willingness to fight. In East Victory City, both had sustained serious injuries from their confrontation with Zou Minzun, and had nearly exhausted their Spiritual Energy. Otherwise, these disciples really wouldn¡¯t be a match for the two of them. In the midst of speaking, a Flying Sword shot towards them with immense speed, Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s neck was penetrated, and his windpipe was torn apart. If it weren¡¯t for his cultivation of Demon Technique, which allowed him to recover by consuming others¡¯ blood, he would have long since been on his way to report to hell. ¡°It¡¯s alright, even if I¡¯m dying, I¡¯ll take a few of them with me.¡± ¡°` His body swayed, and Xiao Fengyuan steadied himself with his hands on the Blood Cang Spear, barely managing not to fall. He wanted to muster his strength again but the spiritual power inside him was nearly exhausted. ¡°He¡¯s almost done for, everyone together now, slay the demon and subdue the evil, to avenge our brothers and sisters.¡± Seeing this, the hearts of numerous Righteous Disciples surged with fervor; filled with the intent to slay demons and make a name for themselves, they charged forward en masse. Once they killed Xiao Fengyuan, the celebrated wielder of the Nine-headed Demon Spear, they would surely receive great rewards from their sect and become instantly famous throughout the land. ¡°You want to slay demons? What bold words. But it seems I should be the one to send you on your way.¡± Suddenly, a voice filled with wild domination rang out across the battlefield. The disciples turned their heads to look toward the source of the voice. Upon hearing this familiar voice, both Ning Xinyue and Xiao Fengyuan relaxed as if a massive burden had been lifted from them and their faces filled with joy. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s speaking?¡± The Righteous Disciples were filled with unease when they saw a dragon and phoenix adorned flower sedan chair being carried up the mountain path by eight fierce ghosts each as tall as ten feet. Around the sedan, numerous fierce ghosts carried flower vases, flower candles, incense balls, skirt boxes, clothes boxes, and other items while papermen beat gongs and scattered flower candies and golden paper, creating a grand bridal procession that stretched for miles. A few of the Righteous Disciples at the outskirts of the battlefield instinctively wanted to retreat; the ghosts accompanying this bridal flower sedan were a bit too terrifying. But their movements were too slow; the speed of the sedan was much faster than the eye could see. A few disciples who stood in the path of the advancing sedan fell apart, their muscles disintegrating and bones turning to dust, leaving nothing but their skins behind on the spot. The human skins developed the texture of paper, transforming into brand new papermen, except these were made from human skin paper. The papermen held instruments made of paper and joined the sedan procession, their faces adorned with upsetting smiles as they continued to play, becoming an inconspicuous part of the wedding procession. ¡°It seems like something even fiercer has come.¡± This scene sent chills down the spines of the Righteous Disciples present. As the sedan advanced, it appeared auspicious with dragons and phoenixes, wrapped in golden silk, glittering with pearls, and ornately decorated with gold and jade, unrivalled in splendor and majesty, meant to exude an atmosphere of joy and auspiciousness. But in reality, there was an invisible chilling aura around the sedan, and the air was oppressively heavy. Wherever the sedan passed, neither the moonlight nor the insect noises among the plants dared to approach the ghostly vehicle. The Righteous Disciples couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what sort of entity rode within the sedan; they could only watch helplessly as what should have been called a ¡°flower sedan chair¡± would be more aptly deemed a ghostly one, continued its eerie advance, and the atmosphere on the mountain path became filled with dread. As the disciples were uncertain whether to fight or flee, The curtain of the sedan, woven from golden silk, was lifted, and the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan, stepped out. The ferocious ghosts around her bowed down, as if welcoming an honored empress. ¡°Husband, may I start killing?¡± Han Ruyan surveyed her surroundings with a chilling and eerie gaze. ¡°Kill them all.¡± Su Jie stepped out from the sedan as well, without any intention of restraining Han Ruyan¡¯s request. Almost as soon as Su Jie granted the request, the windows on either side of the sedan and the front curtains blew open, and a wave of chilling aura swept across relentlessly. A ghastly ghost face appeared on the sedan, the embedded pearls becoming ghostly eyes, and its gaping mouth seemed bottomless as if leading straight to the depths of hell. In the next moment, the chilling wind backlashed, and the disciples lost control of their bodies, getting swallowed toward the ghost face on the sedan. Chapter 274: 189: Jealousy (Third Update) Chapter 274: Chapter 189: Jealousy (Third Update) These Righteous Disciples varied in strength, but even those at the eighth or ninth level of the Yunling Realm could only struggle to resist the devouring force of the flower sedan chair¡¯s ghostly face. Thump! The weakest disciple was the first to be sucked into the ghost¡¯s gaping maw, which was actually the main door of the flower sedan chair. The disciples sucked in were like being fed into a meat grinder, their bodies sliced into bits and pieces. These fragments scattered about and flew out, turning into a sky full of Paper Money, which then reconfigured into Papermen. As for those disciples who still wanted to resist and struggle, the other Fierce Ghosts were not indifferent. A group of Fierce Ghosts joined the battle, and without Han Ruyan having to lift a finger, they completed their task. The Painting Woman, holding a copper mirror in her hand, multiplied as she moved, strangling the disciples¡¯ necks and limbs, erasing them from the air. The Lantern Ghost walked slowly, the bodies of one disciple after another turning into melting wax, dead body oil flowing everywhere. A hanging ghost stood out, an old hemp rope flying from its hand, one end wrapping around its own neck and the other around the neck of a disciple across, both hanging in mid-air together. As the hanging ghost descended, the disciple it caught ascended, quickly turning into a dried corpse. A ghoul with scapula bones plucked at the strings, playing a mournful and sorrowful tune. Upon hearing this music, a disciple went mad, his body twisting like a tangled ball of thread, with fascia and blood vessels bursting out of the skin, wrapping around him and contorting into a ball of flesh. Under the amplification of the Ghost Bride¡¯s abilities, these ghosts had varying degrees of strength increases, and with their sheer numbers, it took only a few minutes for this place to become a slaughterhouse. ¡°We can¡¯t win, we can¡¯t beat them at all, these ghosts are too terrifying.¡± ¡°Run... run!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to die, if we stay we¡¯ll all die.¡± The Righteous Disciples collapsed, attempting to flee in all directions. Han Ruyan watched as several fleeing Righteous Disciples waved her hands at them. These disciples showed expressions of sorrow on one half of their faces and joy on the other half. As they ran, their bodies suddenly collapsed to the ground with a thump, their life force already extinguished. Even in death, their faces maintained a look that was halfway between crying and laughing, chilling to the bone. Dozens of Righteous Disciples, with only modest intervention from Han Ruyan, failed to leave this place alive. And the resentment and fear that they emitted in their dying moments were all collected by Han Ruyan, with the other Fierce Ghosts only looking on eagerly, not daring to fight for even a bit of it. When everything settled, Su Jie instructed the ghosts to clean up the battlefield, before walking over to Xiao Fengyuan and Ning Xinyue. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± ¡°Not bad, I won¡¯t die.¡± Xiao Fengyuan smiled, blood trickling from his mouth as he spoke. Luckily, he was a Demon Cultivator, and when it came to self-preservation abilities, Demon Cultivators were quite a bit stronger than those of the Righteous sect. ¡°You nearly had to collect our bodies.¡± Ning Xinyue wiped the dirt from her face, complaining. While speaking, Ning Xinyue sneaked a few glances at Han Ruyan and murmured softly, ¡°By the way, why did they call you husband, and you actually...¡± She trailed off without finishing, casting a strange look towards Su Jie. That look clearly said, ¡°You can¡¯t even leave female ghosts alone?¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t become her husband and married her in a ceremony, could you have escaped from East Victory City? I made such a sacrifice, and you don¡¯t even think to be grateful?¡± Su Jie pinched Ning Xinyue¡¯s cheeks, full of collagen and tender pink. If he hadn¡¯t contracted with the Ghost Bride back then, Su Jie would have died in East Victory City. Even though the Ghost Bride was very dangerous, and didn¡¯t listen to his commands very well, she ultimately saved his life in East Victory City. Ning Xinyue blinked her eyes, understanding the reasoning, and shook Su Jie¡¯s arm back and forth: ¡°I was wrong, I won¡¯t laugh at you anymore.¡± However, Ning Xinyue¡¯s actions immediately caught the attention of the Ghost Bride. Han Ruyan slowly turned her head, her dead and icy pupils fixed on Ning Xinyue. The suffocating feeling and the scent of death caused goosebumps to rise on Ning Xinyue¡¯s arms. When she looked up, she found herself in a staring contest with the Ghost Bride. ¡°Die!¡± The wedding dress on Han Ruyan looked magnificent and pretty, fluttering slightly, signaling the prelude to her attack. In front of Su Jie, Ning Xinyue¡¯s facial expressions kept changing, revealing an emotion that looked like a mix of crying and laughing. The Righteous Disciples just now had died by this very move. A page of the Jade Heavenly Book floated up around Ning Xinyue, the tadpole-like characters moving on their own, forming a barrier of light to fend off this unknown, bizarre curse. Nonetheless, the strength of Han Ruyan¡¯s attack was too terrifying, like a fragile eggshell; the scriptures continued to crumble and vanish. ¡°Wife, don¡¯t attack, she is one of us.¡± Su Jie spoke hurriedly, not expecting that Han Ruyan, having become a Fierce Ghost, could get jealous, and quite intensely at that. While speaking, Su Jie stepped between Han Ruyan and Ning Xinyue, simultaneously holding Han Ruyan¡¯s arm to make her cancel the curse. ¡°Husband, are you going to betray our vows?¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s gaze stayed on Su Jie, feeling some instability in the contract within her sea of consciousness. Her aura became even more mournful and sad. The silver moonlight cast upon her pale skin, her long hair cascading like a waterfall under the night sky. The red wedding dress gently swayed, her hollow eyes revealing a deep resentment. Ning Xinyue was also taken aback by Han Ruyan¡¯s gesture and began waving her hands. ¡°Miss Han Ruyan, I have nothing to do with your husband, I¡¯m not competing for him! I wouldn¡¯t fall for that kind of guy.¡± In order to prove her innocence, Ning Xinyue voluntarily put more distance between herself and Su Jie. Clearly, Ning Xinyue knew how terrible Han Ruyan was. In East Victory City, not even the ghostly hordes could do anything to her, having just now witnessed Han Ruyan¡¯s slaughter firsthand. Han Ruyan felt a vague sense of familiarity with that address. But without her memories from when she was alive, she didn¡¯t take Ning Xinyue¡¯s words seriously. At this moment, Su Jie had already taken Han Ruyan¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Of course, I have not forgotten our past vows. The person who loves you the most is me, don¡¯t you know that yet?¡± Hearing these cheesy words, Ning Xinyue looked at Su Jie as if he were a scumbag. Han Ruyan didn¡¯t speak, still watching Ning Xinyue with a look as if she were seeing a dead person, which made Ning Xinyue feel very uncomfortable. ¡°She and I have a senior-junior disciple relationship. Think about it, we just had our wedding ceremony today with so many witnesses present, she was there too. How could she possibly commit such an unforgivable act?¡± Sensing the shift in Han Ruyan¡¯s aura, Su Jie spoke faster. What he said was indeed true; back at the Han Mansion in East Victory City, the two of them had married in a ceremony witnessed by the army of ghosts, the only difference being that the witnesses were not human, but ghosts. Han Ruyan slowly averted her gaze, not continuing her attack, though it was unclear whether she had been convinced or not. Chapter 275: 190: Control Your Wife (Fourth Update) Chapter 275: Chapter 190: Control Your Wife (Fourth Update) Ning Xinyue also breathed a sigh of relief, as the conflict ultimately dissipated into nothingness. Subsequently, the group cleaned up the battlefield and dug Qi Shijian out of the ground, who had been kept unconscious with drugs ever since being captured. Then, the trio no longer delayed and set off again, embarking on the road back to Ghost Ridge Palace. However, due to the rush, the choice of transportation became a problem. The Thousand-Handed Centipede was still recovering its body and unable to carry people in flight, making it difficult for Su Jie to overextend it. Thus, Han Ruyan¡¯s flower sedan chair was the only suitable option for the journey. ¡°Come up here.¡± Su Jie took Han Ruyan¡¯s hand and nodded towards the flower sedan chair, signaling Xiao Fengyuan and Ning Xinyue to get inside. Ning Xinyue, observing Han Ruyan¡¯s expression and seeing no impatience, quickly boarded the sedan chair. Xiao Fengyuan followed, giving Han Ruyan a nod: ¡°Thank you for the inconvenience.¡± It was clear that Xiao Fengyuan did not regard Han Ruyan as a Fierce Ghost, but rather treated her as a living person with her own will. ¡°It¡¯s really beautiful.¡± Once inside, Ning Xinyue discovered a different realm altogether, looking enviously at Su Jie. Having such a sedan chair for travel, which inside resembled a luxurious house, and rode so smoothly that one could hardly feel any bumps or shakes. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely amazing.¡± Xiao Fengyuan also expressed his amazement, having personally witnessed how Su Jie had signed the contract with Han Ruyan. Such an aide was something Demon Cultivators could only dream of. ¡°It¡¯s not as great as you guys make it out to be.¡± Su Jie smiled, sitting on a carved chair embellished with phoenix designs. Everything inside the room was made of paper, as it essentially came from the Heavenly Ghost Map, which was constructed out of paper. Han Ruyan¡¯s long black hair was pinned up, and her Wedding Dress had subtly changed into a more homely style. ¡°Please have some tea.¡± Picking up the teapot, Han Ruyan poured tea for the guests with impeccable manners, inheriting very well what she had learned as a young lady before her death. ¡°This...¡± However, Ning Xinyue almost lost her composure upon seeing the tea. Because it wasn¡¯t real tea. The Ghost Bride did not have the ability to create something from nothing; her prowess was in transformation. Thus, the tea was actually as dark as ink, entirely made of the most concentrated Fear Energy and resentment, compressed and condensed. For Ghosts, such tea could enhance strength and was nothing short of wonderful. But for normal people, it might not be so pleasant to consume. ¡°Drink, drink it!¡± Seeing their reactions, Su Jie gave the others a meaningful look, then picked up a cup of tea and drank it himself. As the Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique operated, all the resentment and Fear Energy were transferred to Han Ruyan through the contract with her. Xiao Fengyuan, keeping his expression unchanged, lifted the teacup and took a sip. Ning Xinyue, looking for help from Su Jie and finding him intentionally ignoring her, and with Han Ruyan staring at her, had no choice but to bite her lip and gently sip the tea after kicking Su Jie under the table. As the tea entered her mouth, the resentment and Fear Energy within burst forth instantly. ¡°Ah!¡± Ning Xinyue shivered, as with the tea going down her throat, the minds of many humans screaming in their dying moments resounded in her mind. Her body synchronized with this pain and fear, making Ning Xinyue involuntarily cry out. On the other hand, Xiao Fengyuan managed to barely maintain his facial expression. For him, who had experienced a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, even if it were a cup of magma, he could drink it without changing his face, let alone a cup of the Water of Resentment. He still restrained himself. The painful sensation came quickly and departed just as fast. Ning Xinyue, drenched in sweat, felt as if she had truly walked in front of the Ghost Gate. The Fear Energy that Han Ruyan absorbed and transformed came from the Righteous Disciples she had just killed. The fear and pain of death were also hidden in the tea. Han Ruyan looked at Ning Xinyue, then continued to pour tea, ¡°Please enjoy, there¡¯s not much else I can offer here.¡± As for Xiao Fengyuan on the other side, he was completely ignored by the Ghost Bride. Even a fool could see that Han Ruyan was targeting Ning Xinyue, and she still hadn¡¯t truly let go of what had happened earlier. ¡°Hey, Su Jie, control your wife.¡± Ning Xinyue couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and suddenly stood up. Looking at the teapot in Han Ruyan¡¯s hand, she would rather confront Han Ruyan than keep drinking. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m not a good host?¡± Han Ruyan put down the teapot and slowly stood up. The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned cold. Ghost faces materialized on the walls around them, the color of the Wedding Dress became even more vivid, and the pearls on the phoenix crown atop her head shone with a ghostly light. The wailing of ten thousand ghosts drifted through the air. Ning Xinyue was furious. People often lose their rationality in extreme anger. However, people are not all the same. Ning Xinyue, in her extreme anger, just reached the peak of her fury, well, she just got angry for a moment. ¡°The tea is good.¡± Ning Xinyue obediently sat back down on her chair, matching her furious expression from before¡ªit was as if she was saying, ¡®Mess with me, and you¡¯ll realize you¡¯ve picked on the soft persimmon.¡¯ It must be said, Ning Xinyue was still very sincere, or one might say rational. After all, if it really came to a fight, she was no match for Han Ruyan. Han Ruyan glanced at Ning Xinyue, then stood up and walked to the dressing table nearby, picking up a comb and began grooming herself, losing interest in Ning Xinyue. ¡°Pfft!¡± Su Jie let out an unkind smile, which caused Ning Xinyue to glare at him, her cute little fangs showing. She wished she could bite Su Jie. ¡°Laugh, laugh, all you know is laughter. Do you think I¡¯m stupid? You didn¡¯t even speak up for me just now.¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s face puffed up like a blowfish, greatly dissatisfied with Su Jie¡¯s indifferent observation earlier. ¡°No, with the way things were just now, I thought you didn¡¯t need my help, that you wanted a fair fight.¡± Su Jie shrugged. Naturally, had Han Ruyan really made a move, Su Jie would have intervened, but the situation had not quite reached such a tense level yet. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. If I could fight, I would have fought long ago. How could such a nice sister in life become so fierce after death? It must be your fault; one takes on the color of one¡¯s company.¡± Ning Xinyue muttered, not daring to provoke Han Ruyan, and spoke resentfully to Su Jie. But her words were overheard by Han Ruyan. Ning Xinyue felt a chill run down her spine and turned her head to see Han Ruyan dressing up with her back to her. The brass mirror reflected her stunningly beautiful face, and a pair of dead, cold eyes locked onto her through the mirror. ¡°Don¡¯t speak ill of my husband.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s voice echoed, still very protective of her spouse. Ning Xinyue wanted to cry without tears, biting her silver teeth, ¡°I used to be bullied by you, now I¡¯m being bullied by her.¡± In the past deceived and coerced by Su Jie, and now threatened by Han Ruyan¡¯s martial force, Ning Xinyue suddenly felt a strong desire to become stronger. ¡°Hmph, wait till my Xuanyin Body is fully developed; I¡¯ll definitely take your husband...¡± Ning Xinyue stuck out her tongue at Han Ruyan, her mind entering a blissful realm of fantasies. Chapter 276: 191: Return to the Sect (50,000 words in five updates, asking for monthly passes!) Chapter 276: Chapter 191: Return to the Sect (50,000 words in five updates, asking for monthly passes!) Several days later! At the entrance to the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace, here lies a critical pass between a mountain range. From afar, one could see three Obsidian Towers standing on the mountain peaks; these served as the eyes of the Mountain Protection Array and were key positions held by the Elders. Next to the towers, there were numerous military tents spread out. A large number of Disciples gathered here for rest, recuperation, and launching attacks, conveniently demolishing nearby enemies or killing those surrounding Righteous Disciples. However, with the forces from Guan Chao Pavilion, Miao Yin Temple, Purple Mist Sect, Golden Sword Sect, and Qingluan Mountain continually adding troops, the Disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace seldom ventured out to counter-encircle, as too many Disciples never returned. The manpower had now shrunk back within the Sect¡¯s boundaries, hardly ever venturing out. ... As usual, Jing Weitao stood at the watchtower on the mountain peak, relying on his eyesight to survey the surroundings while releasing scouting insects to inspect the wilderness. As an Inner Sect Disciple, his strength wasn¡¯t formidable, possessing only up to the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm Cultivation. However, he had mastered the Insect Control Technique well, so he had been assigned as a sentry, daily scanning the activities of those Righteous Sects. ¡°We dare not go out, and they dare not come in, it¡¯s so boring. How long should this guarding last?¡± Jing Weitao, watching a butterfly fluttering at his fingertips and sharing the insect¡¯s vision, complained to his companion, who was also a sentry. ¡°Come on, this task is good, it¡¯s safe and there¡¯s no need to risk your life. Do you really want to go into the mountains and forests of the Sect, battling those Righteous Disciples?¡± His companion rolled his eyes, saying begrudgingly. ¡°You¡¯re right, with my level of strength, I¡¯m barely able to protect myself,¡± Jing Weitao thought about that scenario and immediately shivered. Many Disciples lost their lives in the primitive forests of Ghost Ridge Palace, and now, it was said that the Sect was preparing to mobilize those of the Second Level of Yunling Realm as fodder to replenish the losses, indicating how fierce the battles were. ¡°Uh oh, that¡¯s not good, there¡¯s a situation.¡± Jing Weitao¡¯s expression changed as the shared vision from scouting insects made him involuntarily cast his gaze towards the southwest direction. ¡°What happened?¡± The companion also followed his gaze, and immediately witnessed a shocking scene. In the vast grassland outside the mountain peaks, a red flower sedan chair was seen flying towards them. And around the flower sedan chair, massive groups of Righteous Disciples were crazily attacking it. ¡°Is that a Fierce Ghost?¡± Jing Weitao, through the scouting insects, could see more clearly and spotted an extraordinarily beautiful woman in a red wedding dress on top of the flower sedan chair. The scouting insect and the woman in the wedding dress locked eyes, and it seemed that through the insect, she had spotted him, far behind. Jing Weitao¡¯s heart pounded wildly, his blood ran reverse, and cold sweat soaked his body. He quickly controlled the insect to avoid eye contact, fearing his heart might burst otherwise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Noticing Jing Weitao¡¯s unusual behavior, his companion grew anxious. ¡°I don¡¯t know, that woman is very strange, she doesn¡¯t seem like a normal person.¡± Jing Weitao couldn¡¯t precisely describe the feeling, but when he looked in that direction again, he saw many of the attacking Righteous Disciples silently fall to the ground, turning into cold corpses. Boom! A massive Thousand-Handed Centipede emerged from the flower sedan chair, transforming into a nearly hundred-meter-long behemoth. Its bony jaws split open, emitting high-temperature beams that melted metal and dissolved the bodies of many Disciples. Several figures also emerged from the flower sedan chair, joined hands in repelling those attacking Righteous Disciples, and hurriedly ran towards the Ghost Ridge Palace encampment. Behind the pursuing Righteous Disciples, their Sect Elders from the Hidden Realm had already appeared, flying in to intercept, preparing to fight without martial ethics. ¡°That is, it¡¯s Brother Su and Brother Xiao.¡± After seeing the figure clearly, Jing Weitao drew in a breath of cold air and quickly took out a small black insect whistle from his mouth, blowing it hard. Atop the three Obsidian Towers, a powerful unmatched aura awakened. One by one, the Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace opened their eyes and soared up from the towers. ¡°It¡¯s actually him.¡± Taoist Qiu, recognizing the familiar figure, seemed to understand something and hurriedly flew forward to intercept the Secret Realm Elders from the Righteous Sect. You want to pick on my disciple, bullying the weak? Is this the style of your Righteous Sect!¡± With a furious shout from Taoist Qiu, he struck down with his palm. The sea of clouds roiled and the ground split open, blasting two Secret Realm Elders away. ¡°Master!¡± Su Jie called out, his face breaking into a joyous smile. Originally, Su Jie and the others had planned to return the same way they came, but the blockades set by the Righteous Sect had become increasingly tight. The exit they had used before was sealed, and entry from other places would be blocked by the Mountain Protection Array. Hence, Su Jie and the others had no choice but to enter through the main gate, forcibly making their way in. More and more Elders from Ghost Ridge Palace arrived, and the situation immediately became secure. ¡°Come back with me.¡± Taoist Qiu looked at the few Elders opposite him who were intimidated, snorted coldly, and looked scornful. The other Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace, seeing the corpses scattered around the flower sedan chair and looking at Su Jie, Xiao Fengyuan, and others, were quite surprised because even for the Secret Realm Elders, it was not easy to force their way into this prairie. Under the escort of a group of Ghost Ridge Palace Elders, Su Jie and his companions safely returned to the inside of the Mountain Protection Array. Because of the Elders¡¯ mobilization, the Disciples here had already been alerted. ¡°It¡¯s Brother Su.¡± ¡°Brother Xiao is here too. How did they end up outside?¡± ¡°No wonder there hasn¡¯t been news of the two lately. Maybe they were out on a mission.¡± Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan were celebrities at Ghost Ridge Palace. The number of Disciples who knew them was not small. Taoist Qiu naturally knew what kind of mission his Disciples had been on and intended to step forward to inquire about the mission status. But suddenly, the crowd spontaneously made way, and shouts of ¡°Sect Master!¡± arose. A man in a black robe walked slowly forward. It was Zhang Junwei, the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Sect Master!¡± Su Jie bowed, not expecting even the Sect Master to be disturbed. Zhang Tianjun¡¯s gaze swept over them, lingering a bit longer on the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan, and asked, ¡°Was the mission accomplished?¡± Fortunately, the traitor to the sect, Qi Shijian, has been captured and awaits the Sect¡¯s judgment.¡± Su Jie beckoned, and Qi Shijian was spit out by the Thousand-Handed Centipede from its mouth, and Xiao Fengyuan stepped forward and fed him an elixir. Soon, under the effect of the medicine, Qi Shijian groggily woke up. Seeing his surroundings after awaking, this pitiable creature who had been unconscious all the way turned deathly pale. Originally quiet after Zhang Junwei¡¯s arrival, the surrounding Disciples could no longer hold back their silence when they saw Qi Shijian appear, and bursts of shock and anger erupted. ¡°It¡¯s Qi Shijian. Brother Su and Brother Xiao have captured this traitor.¡± ¡°Good! Finally, this traitor has been captured. He must be made to die a terrible death.¡± ¡°Killing him would not be enough to quench our anger; we must make him beg for life yet be unable to live and beg for death yet unable to die.¡± Countless Disciples angrily stared at Qi Shijian, for his betrayal of the sect during the war and harming one of the sect¡¯s three top experts, Luo Jian, had already caused an uproar in Ghost Ridge Palace, significantly lowering the morale. Now seeing Qi Shijian again, this time being brought back as a captive, these naturally cruel Demon Cultivators were eager to punish him harshly. Not just Disciples; several Secret Realm Elders also watched Qi Shijian. The chilling murderous intent in their eyes settled on Qi Shijian, causing this once top Disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace to tremble uncontrollably. Chapter 277: 192: Punishment (First Update) Chapter 277: Chapter 192: Punishment (First Update) Zhang Junwei¡¯s expression was somber, not a trace of warmth to be found in his eyes. ¡°Why did you betray the sect?¡± Gazing at Qi Shijian, Zhang Junwei¡¯s dark eyes flickered with cold light, bone-chilling like being in an ice cellar. Qi Shijian opened his mouth but ultimately chose to remain silent. Seeing this, Su Jie added, ¡°Sect Master, this man, in pursuit of the so-called Qingyin Fairy, Mo Shiyao, from Miao Yin Temple, was bewitched by such a despicable woman, losing his senses and betraying the sect without a word, running off to flatter and fawn. His actions have lost all face for our Demon Sect and wasted the cultivation the sect had invested in him.¡± Upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, the surrounding disciples looked at Qi Shijian with even more disdain. Upon hearing Su Jie demeaning Mo Shiyao, Qi Shijian immediately became agitated, ¡°Fairy Mo is knowledgeable, graceful, gentle and virtuous, not something a blood-soaked demon cultivator like you could understand.¡± ¡°Nonsense, if she¡¯s willing to be in contact with you, there must be another plot, and you¡¯re too foolish to notice it.¡± Xiao Fengyuan sneered coldly from the side, his gaze at Qi Shijian full of tragedy and hatred. ¡°You vile demon cultivators, Fairy Mo made me leave the Hell of the Demon Sect to prevent me from being trapped there, her thoughtful intentions are something you all cannot understand.¡± Qi Shijian was enraged, even at this moment, he still insisted on his view, clearly delusional, repeatedly calling demon cultivators ¡®vile,¡¯ seemingly forgetting his own origins. Ning Xinyue couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and interjected with a sharp remark, ¡°You¡¯re so painstakingly protecting her, yet since we captured you, your so-called Fairy Mo hasn¡¯t even asked about you once.¡± Qi Shijian trembled, muttering to himself, ¡°Impossible, absolutely impossible, how could Fairy Mo forget about me, she cares about me...¡± By now, Zhang Tianjun, clearly understanding the situation, looked down at Qi Shijian on the ground, his deep, dark eyes filled with icy coldness. ¡°For a traitor to the sect, what should the punishment be, please tell me.¡± His voice was calm, yet it sent chills down one¡¯s spine with its sternness. The surrounding disciples began to suggest eagerly. ¡°Soul Extraction and skinning are best!¡± ¡°Boil him in hot oil, let thousands of insects devour his body, start with that first.¡± ¡°The execution by sword and axe suits him, have him slowly dismembered by ten thousand cuts, crushed into a pulp.¡± Voices poured out from the mouths of the disciples, and Qi Shijian¡¯s forehead beaded with cold sweat, his complexion ashen. As a disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace, he certainly knew what he was about to face. ¡°Elder Guo Yuan, you are the elder of the Punishment Hall, did you hear what those disciples just said? Let this traitor understand the consequences of betraying the sect, don¡¯t let him die easily, let him feel the sins he has committed.¡± Zhang Junwei shouted to the elder watching from the side, calling out the name of the elder from the Punishment Hall. The called elder from the Punishment Hall, Elder Guo Yuan, stood up, his gaze venomous as a snake, cold and slippery, issuing a hair-raising laugh, ¡°Hehehe, Sect Master, rest assured, we at the Punishment Hall will take good care of him. He will be escorted back to the Mountain Gate, and the punishment will be administered daily for all to see.¡± By this time, Qi Shijian had nearly collapsed; he stood up frantically, shouting, ¡°Haha, even if you kill me, what of it, you group of demon cultivators are doomed to fail. Fairy Mo will certainly triumph, Guan Chao Pavilion is already mobilizing more Righteous Sects to join this war, and soon they will break through Ghost Ridge Palace, and she will avenge me.¡± Upon hearing this, many disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace were suddenly startled. Now that Guan Chao Pavilion and other Five Sects had Ghost Ridge Palace trapped here, could they withstand if several more joined? ¡°You will never see the Ghost Ridge Palace broken in your lifetime,¡± Zhang Junwei snorted coldly, fury brimming in his eyes, his aura astonishing, the sand flying around him, and spiderweb-like cracks appearing on the ground. With the capabilities of the Taoist Platform Realm, anger invokes Heavenly Might; human emotions simultaneously cause anomalies in heaven and earth. Looking at the surrounding disciples, Zhang Junwei continued, ¡°As Demon Cultivators, we rest and survive in these steep mountains. These Righteous Sects have gone too far, failing to snatch our Exotic Treasure and even wanting to destroy our temple and annihilate our millennium-old heritage. Ever since our founding ancestor established the Ghost Ridge Palace, it has endured over three thousand springs and autumns, survived countless wars and tribulations¡ªeven the last great battle between Right and Evil five hundred years ago couldn¡¯t bring us down. All the sects in Qingzhou joining forces think they can achieve that? With me, Zhang Junwei, still here, along with many elders, and so many outstanding disciples like Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan, the Ghost Ridge Palace has nothing to fear from a bunch of hypocritical men of the Righteous Path. Those elders don¡¯t even dare to enter our sect¡¯s territory; in this sect war, victory will surely be ours.¡± Upon hearing this, the disciples gradually relaxed. Only the Secret Realm Elders did not show happiness, for they knew the current situation was difficult. ¡°There¡¯s no need to take him back to the Mountain Gate for punishment, start here,¡± Zhang Junwei commanded again, his disdain for Qi Shijian making him choose to execute him publicly right here. Upon hearing this, Elder Guo Yuan decisively took a large cauldron from his Storage Bag, poured in hot oil, and raised a fierce fire. Qi Shijian¡¯s eyes showed uncontrollable fear, but no matter how he struggled, he couldn¡¯t escape his fate of punishment. Soon, accompanied by the crackling sound of the hot oil, waves of inhuman screams resounded. Elder Guo Yuan controlled the fire and also preserved Qi Shijian¡¯s life; he couldn¡¯t let him die too easily when there were hundreds of rounds of torture waiting for him. Even after death, his soul would still be extracted to light the sky lantern. Many disciples witnessed all this and shouted with satisfaction, wishing for more rounds of punishment for such a traitor. Originally, due to the words of Qi Shijian, the morale had been somewhat chaotic, but now it began to rise steadily. After all, how could the words of a traitor thrown into a cauldron be trustworthy? Su Jie was indifferent to the scene, as a Demon Cultivator, he was long prepared for this. At this moment, Su Jie was standing from the perspective of Ghost Ridge Palace, having nothing to say about Qi Shijian. Zhang Tianjun glanced at Qi Shijian, then lingered on Han Ruyan for a while, finally shifting his gaze to Su Jie and others, and spoke, ¡°Su Jie, isn¡¯t it? Since the time you killed Du Shaochang, I have heard your name. Taoist Qiu, you have nurtured a good disciple! This time, you, along with Xiao Fengyuan and Zhu Qingya, did well capturing the traitor Qi Shijian and preventing such a traitor from living freely outside, tarnishing our Demon Sect¡¯s reputation. Although the current situation is turbulent, our Ghost Ridge Palace clearly rewards and punishes. Qi Shijian betrayed the sect and has already been punished. As for those who have merited, our sect will not overlook them.¡± ¡°This is a disciple¡¯s duty!¡± Su Jie knew the main event was coming and felt a slight joy in his heart. Last time for killing Du Shaochang, the reward of the Heavenly Poison Treasure Wood Tree Fruit allowed the Thousand-Handed Centipede to undergo one Spirit Refining and obtain two abilities, the Death Decline Curse Cloud and Defense Scales. He wondered what reward the sect would offer this time. Chapter 278: 193: Reward (Second Update) Chapter 278: Chapter 193: Reward (Second Update) Taoist Qiu stroked his beard and said, ¡°Sect Master, my disciple has only done some trivial things, which are his duty. Since I started teaching him, over the years, I have always emphasized that the sect comes first, from being an Outer Disciple to advancing to an Inner Sect, and even till today, I have never slackened in this teaching.¡± Taoist Qiu seemed humble but was actually boasting. The surrounding Secret Realm Elders were rolling their eyes secretly and were truly envious. Listening to Taoist Qiu¡¯s words, instructing Su Jie for just a few years had nurtured such a powerful disciple, who stood at the pinnacle of all the Ghost Ridge Palace disciples and whose promotion to the Secret Realm was almost a certainty. This would greatly benefit an Elder¡¯s status within the sect. As the saying goes, ¡°Once a teacher, always a father.¡± Even in a Demon Cultivation Sect, this master-disciple relationship was extremely solid and close-knit. ¡°Qing Ya, you¡¯ve done well this time.¡± On the other side, Tang Peiqing, the senior Elder, was also nodding and smiling. Ning Xinyue had taken part in this mission due to his arrangements, and to his surprise, she had truly brought him honor. ¡°Master, I was just helping out the two brothers.¡± Ning Xinyue was curious, imitating Su Jie, wondering what rewards would be given. ¡°To serve the sect is my duty as a disciple.¡± Xiao Fengyuan bowed, his mentor had sacrificed himself in this sect war, and now he was the strongest in his lineage. If he were promoted to the Secret Realm in the future, he would inherit the disciples of the former lineage and become their new Master. ¡°There¡¯s no need for modesty, we have rules of reward and punishment.¡± Zhang Junwei took out a Storage Bag and from it he retrieved three bottles. The bottles of extremely high purity allowed one to see a single elixir inside each. The elixirs were brimming with life force, and their spiritual radiance, bright as the midday sun, with fiery red patterns emitting dazzling luster. In the air, the temperature rose, making steam rise as if golden flames were burning, leaving everyone around parched and thirsty. ¡°This is the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill, a top-grade elixir, you should have heard of it.¡± Zhang Junwei used Spiritual Power to float the Jade Bottles in front of the three as a reward for capturing Qi Shijian. ¡°The Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill, Sect Master is indeed generous.¡± ¡°Distributing three at once, if only I had one.¡± ¡°Even Junior Sister Zhu, who¡¯s new to the sect, has one. I should have joined Brother Su¡¯s team back then.¡± ¡°You wish to go, but others wouldn¡¯t want you. With your mere Fifth Level of Yunling Realm cultivation, Brother Su would not look your way.¡± ¡°Then why does he take a liking to Junior Sister Zhu, is it because she¡¯s flirtatious? I can do that too! My figure is much better than that little girl¡¯s.¡± ¡°What Brother Su and the others deserve, only such strong individuals are worthy of the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill.¡± The surrounding disciples watched the scene with eyes filled with envy and jealousy, wishing they could replace Su Jie to obtain such a precious elixir. ¡°Thank you very much, Sect Master.¡± Su Jie¡¯s face lit up with joy instantly, this Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill being a top-grade elixir, it was something only those at the Taoist Platform Realm could refine, requiring several months of preparation and the use of many rare and hard-to-find materials. The main purpose of this elixir was to enhance cultivation and enlightenment. Only disciples at the Yunling Realm level can consume it, and each person can only consume it once. It may look ordinary, but this elixir has a domineering aspect¡ªif swallowed, it can increase the chances of breaking through to the Secret Realm by 50%. Its main function is to temporarily simulate the bodily conditions and changes of the Secret Realm, providing a template for comparison, thereby helping one understand the path ahead and increasing the likelihood of breaking through to the Secret Realm. This level of elixir is not even available in the Black Market, with prices amounting to tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, and they are essentially priceless. After all, this type of elixir that unreasonably enhances the chances of breaking through to the Secret Realm is excessively domineering. The difficulty of concocting it, along with the rarity of the materials used, is extremely high. Within Ghost Ridge Palace, only Zhang Junwei is capable of refining it, and it was also distributed in the past¡ªrewarded to senior inner disciples who have made significant contributions and have the potential to advance to the Secret Realm. Sometimes not even a single pill would be bestowed in seven or eight years. To take out three at once as a reward, Zhang Junwei was indeed making a generous investment. When Su Jie saw the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill, he had a premonition that it might be because of his cultivation level that Zhang Junwei made such a decision. Because Su Jie¡¯s cultivation level was precisely at the Ninth Level of the Yunling Realm, once he advanced his cultivation to the Ten Levels, and after swallowing the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill, At that time, Su Jie could begin to attempt the breakthrough to the Secret Realm. ¡°Break through to the Secret Realm as soon as possible. Your Divine Soul has exceptional talent; I hope you can reach even greater heights. Only when you reach the Secret Realm can your Divine Soul combine with your Spiritual Power and physical body to truly unleash your power.¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s voice was calm. For Ghost Ridge Palace as it stands today, although the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill is precious, the combat power of a Secret Realm Elder is far more invaluable. He bestowed the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill as a mark of his confidence in Su Jie and Xiao Fengyuan. Especially for Su Jie, he had already seen through the existence of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit. This type of achievement of Primordial Spirit in the Yunling Realm, he had only seen in those great sects. Because disciples with such talent would naturally not choose to join a desolate Demon Cultivation Sect. Just look at those righteous sects where there often are super-geniuses with Divine Bodies, Sacred Bodies, Immortal Bodies, and the like. Even the top disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace, such as Luo Jian, Qi Shijian, and Xiao Fengyuan, do not possess Divine Body aptitudes; it¡¯s because the truly good seeds have all gone to righteous sects. Now that his own sect has acquired an Immortal Seed, it naturally requires proper cultivation. Once Su Jie reaches the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm and swallows the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill to complete his breakthrough, by then Ghost Ridge Palace will have gained a new warrior in the Secret Realm, and not just any warrior but a formidable one within the realm. This is an incredibly important addition to their current situation at Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Disciple will not let you down and will achieve the Secret Realm as soon as possible. Then, I¡¯ll kill more of those hypocrites from the righteous sects for the sect, alleviating its worries and resolving its troubles,¡± Su Jie vowed. Upon hearing Zhang Junwei¡¯s words, Su Jie knew that the existence of his Primordial Spirit had not been concealed from the other; with Zhang¡¯s eyesight at the Taoist Platform Realm, discovering this was not surprising. ¡°I feel the same, and I thank the Sect Master,¡± said Xiao Fengyuan gravely, storing the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill in his bosom. ¡°Sect Master, I will make good use of it,¡± Ning Xinyue said joyfully, as she had not anticipated getting her hands on such a Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill. Her cultivation was also close to the pinnacle of the Yunling Realm, so she¡¯d be able to consume the pill quite soon. ¡°Alright, let everyone disperse! Su Jie, come with me,¡± said Zhang Junwei with a nod, instructing Su Jie and then walking towards a tall tower. Su Jie stood up, followed Zhang Junwei¡¯s steps, and entered the Obsidian Tower. Chapter 279: 194: Planning Against the Heavenly Soul Sect (Third Update) Chapter 279: Chapter 194: Planning Against the Heavenly Soul Sect (Third Update) The tower was constructed primarily of Moonlight Crystal Soul Ore, supplemented by a vast quantity of precious mineral materials. At the very heart of the tower, what maintained its operation were Top Grade Spirit Stones. One should know, a single Top Grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for ten Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and one Mid-grade Spirit Stone was worth over a hundred Low Grade Spirit Stones. In other words, one Top Grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for over a thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones. The mere cost to build such an Obsidian Tower was an astronomical figure that even Su Jie dared not contemplate. The three towers were arrayed in a character ¡°Æ·¡± shape, forming the Mountain Protection Array that defended the entirety of Ghost Ridge Palace. Now, in a state of war, the Mountain Protection Array was operating at full strength, and the maintenance costs alone were swallowing up untold numbers of Top Grade Spirit Stones each day. When the cannon fires, ten thousand taels of gold are spent. War, no matter which world one is in, is always a gold-devouring beast. It seemed that even with Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s long-standing heritage, such a war would eventually be unsustainable. In terms of financial resources, how could Ghost Ridge Palace, struggling to survive hidden among the mountains and forests, possibly compare with the Righteous Sects that occupied Spiritual Mountain Blessed Lands, especially when facing multiple adversaries? Aside from Su Jie, the others who entered the tower were Taoist Qiu and Tang Peiqing, both of whom had been summoned by Zhang Junwei. ¡°Su Jie, seeing this tower, what goes through your mind?¡± Zhang Junwei asked, hands clasped behind his back as he walked. Su Jie understood that he was being tested. After pondering for a moment, Su Jie replied, ¡°Sect Master, our Sect is struggling to maintain itself, with vast resources being consumed. However, I believe that those Righteous Sects are also not having an easy time. Offense always consumes more than defense, and besides, we have the geographical advantage¡ªthis is our home ground. We will surely hold out until victory.¡± Su Jie¡¯s response was standard and also reflected the mindset that had enabled most Disciples to persevere: the hope that they could outlast the Righteous Sects until they retreated of their own accord. Tang Peiqing chuckled, ¡°Many people think we can¡¯t hold out, but you seem quite confident.¡± Taoist Qiu, without participating in the conversation, began to prepare tea, taking out a tea table and cups from his Storage Bag and busying himself with the leaves. Zhang Junwei¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he said coolly, ¡°You do have a way with words. If only things were as simple as you say.¡± ¡°I am but a humble disciple with limited abilities, currently at the Yunling Realm, unable to contribute significantly to the Sect¡¯s war efforts.¡± ¡°Enough with the modesty. Having achieved a Primordial Spirit at the Yunling Realm, you are the most outstanding Disciple Ghost Ridge Palace has seen in recent years. If you are considered dimwitted, then the other Disciples do not even deserve to cultivate.¡± Zhang Junwei cast Su Jie a couple of glances before walking over to the window of the tower and pushing it open. ¡°Was this fifth-grade fierce ghost obtained from the Heavenly Soul Sect?¡± He directed his gaze below the tower, where the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan, stood silently, resembling a statue. With his discernment, he could naturally see the extraordinary nature of the Ghost Bride. However, with his own Cultivation at the Taoist Platform Realm, he had no intention of coveting his disciple¡¯s possessions. Besides, fostering ghosts did not align with his path of Cultivation, as he was not skilled in nurturing ghost entities. ¡°Yes, Sect Master. I was actually planning to report to you that Heavenly Soul Sect has been causing disturbances throughout Qingzhou as of late. In executing our current mission...¡± Su Jie recounted everything he had experienced in East Victory City, naturally omitting some secrets automatically. After listening, Zhang Junwei nodded indifferently and said, ¡°Heavenly Soul Sect, I¡¯ve been aware of their existence since they entered Qingzhou territory. Our Ghost Ridge Palace has been in Qingzhou for so many years, and we do have such intelligence. Over a year ago, Heavenly Soul Sect¡¯s mountain gate in Jingzhou was destroyed by various righteous sects, forcing them to flee with a group of disciples to Qingzhou. Their sect mainly deals with Yin Souls and Fierce Ghosts; they are not the same type of Demon Cultivators as us. Of course, it¡¯s a good thing that you can learn their methods. With your talent, having a wide range of skills does not burden you, nor does it cause your cultivation of our sect¡¯s techniques to progress slowly. It¡¯s always good to have more abilities.¡± Zhang Junwei said this and shook his head, ¡°Speaking of which, we also took a disaster off their backs. Those from Heavenly Soul Sect act arrogantly. The righteous sects of Guan Chao Pavilion were planning to clean them up, but later, because of the war with our sect, it actually made it inconvenient for them to spare the effort to deal with Heavenly Soul Sect.¡± ¡°This Heavenly Soul Sect is quite lucky; no wonder they have been so arrogant recently.¡± Su Jie was clear in his mind that besides this reason, it was also because Heavenly Soul Sect currently had no base, existing entirely like roaming bandits. Heavenly Soul Sect could pack their bags and run without the slightest psychological burden if they couldn¡¯t win a fight. On the contrary, provoking them could easily bring about retaliation from Heavenly Soul Sect. If they weren¡¯t ethical in martial combat and specifically sent Hidden Realm Elders to attacked ordinary disciples, such tactics would ensure that no sect could endure for long. It¡¯s the principle that the barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes. As long as I¡¯m poor and desolate, anyone who touches me will be troubled.¡± Ghost Ridge Palace can¡¯t do this. You can run away from the monk, but not the temple; with such a large sect located here, where could they possibly run to? Not to mention, Ghost Ridge Palace consists of Gu Masters who rely heavily on the Insect Valley, a special and fierce place. Without Insect Valley to supply poisonous insects, not only the disciples but also the Elders would be ruined. While Heavenly Soul Sect mainly cultivates Fierce Ghosts and Yin Souls, killing wherever they go. Fierce Ghosts can be captured from the wild, or they can capture living people to refine. Yin Souls are even easier; just kill and perform Soul Extraction. Civilians are easy to catch for this purpose! ¡°Heavenly Soul Sect may not be an unwelcome aid for us.¡± Zhang Junwei seemed to have thought of something and suddenly spoke out this sentence. ¡°Sect Master, are you thinking of aligning with Heavenly Soul Sect...¡± Su Jie immediately understood Zhang Junwei¡¯s intention; Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect were both Demon Cultivators, which naturally provided a basis for an alliance. Tang Peiqing also pondered and said, ¡°That¡¯s indeed a good idea.¡± ¡°Nowadays, our Ghost Ridge Palace is not living comfortably, and Heavenly Soul Sect is the same. They occupy Nanyang City, Lantai City, Tan City, and Pingwu City, absorbing fear emotions, seeming to be doing okay. But in reality, once the righteous sects of Qingzhou figure it out, they can easily take down those cities and rescue the civilians. Then they¡¯ll have no choice but to flee, and even if they can kill along the way, excessive conspicuous actions will lead them to be pursued and cornered.¡± Zhang Junwei had quite an understanding of Heavenly Soul Sect, even knowing about their occupation of those cities in detail. Taoist Qiu frowned and said, ¡°That involves several righteous sects, I¡¯m afraid those from Heavenly Soul Sect may not agree to get involved in this murky water.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all about interests. As long as the benefits are sufficient, there¡¯s no worry they won¡¯t join in.¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s eyes lit up with a wise glint as if he already had an idea, and he continued, ¡°Heavenly Soul Sect¡¯s original mountain gate was destroyed. They definitely also want to find a new base, as wandering endlessly is not sustainable. We can promise to help them find a foothold. In Qingzhou, we understand the lay of the land better than these outsiders.¡± Chapter 280: 195: Competing for a Disciple (Fourth Update) Chapter 280: Chapter 195: Competing for a Disciple (Fourth Update) ¡°The Sect Master speaks the truth, without a base of operations, we may appear free, but in reality, the hearts of our sect members will become increasingly unstable, and the Sect¡¯s power will become dispersed. Over time, the entire Sect could dissipate.¡± Tang Peiqing made his comment, noting that a Sect without a piece of territory, constantly drifting about, lacking resources like spirit fields and spiritual mines, can only scatter and flee when danger strikes. The Sect would be like bandits and marauders, capable only of short-lived triumphs. Without a territory, the Sect is like a body without a spine; few organizations can endure under such circumstances. Take Heavenly Soul Sect, for example; should danger arise and the troops scatter, those Hidden Realm Elders would be leading their teams alone. In time, each would inevitably foster ambitions of their own. Whether they would still heed the Heavenly Soul Sect¡¯s commands, or even betray the Sect¡¯s interests for their own safety, that becomes uncertain.¡± ¡°Sect Master, if needed, I can make a trip to the Heavenly Soul Sect.¡± Tang Peiqing volunteered, as Zhang Junwei couldn¡¯t leave at such a critical time. His experience was deep enough to represent Ghost Ridge Palace in negotiations, an eminently suitable choice. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. We¡¯ll need you to take a trip once we¡¯ve devised our strategy.¡± ¡°Understood, though it seems we¡¯ll likely have to promise some of our Sect¡¯s interests.¡± ¡°Right now, what Ghost Ridge Palace needs is to survive. Minor losses of interest are, indeed, bearable.¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s eyes gleamed with divine brilliance as he gazed upon the majestic mountains standing tall amidst the grey miasma. ¡°Fifty years ago, I received the position of Sect Master from my Master and have diligently maintained this legacy. Unfortunately, due to difficult times, I failed to protect Ghost Ridge Palace as my Master entrusted to me, letting the situation deteriorate to this extent.¡± Zhang Junwei fell into reminiscence, his voice filled with melancholy, ¡°When I first took over, I also dreamed of making Ghost Ridge Palace more glorious and powerful, but it seems I lacked the talent. To this day, not only have I struggled to expand it, but even preventing its destruction is extremely difficult. I have let down my Master. Fortunately, our Ghost Ridge Palace has successors, with disciples emerging in each generation, having disciples like Su Jie, as well as Zhu Qingya, who impressed from the moment they joined.¡± As Zhang Junwei spoke, he suddenly shifted the topic to Su Jie. Su Jie said nothing, listening to Zhang Junwei¡¯s narrative. ¡°I tell you this in hopes that you will grow quickly. This Sect is mine and also belongs to the younger disciples, but ultimately, it will be yours. With your talent, one day you may take over my position. Reaching the Taoist Platform Realm is a very promising prospect for you.¡± Zhang Junwei suddenly changed his tone, his piercing gaze fixed on Su Jie, his eyes full of earnest affection. Taoist Qiu¡¯s expression was somewhat peculiar. His tea-making slowed down as if he sensed something, and his gaze flitted between Su Jie and Zhang Junwei. ¡°Disciple will adhere to his duties, take Ghost Ridge Palace as his own responsibility, and wholeheartedly strive to enhance Ghost Ridge Palace, not letting down the Sect Master¡¯s expectations.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Jie immediately showed excited agitation, his face flushing¡ªa perfect portrayal of a disciple who is impulsively excited to be valued. Yet in his heart, Su Jie was exceedingly cautious and calm. He did not take Zhang Junwei¡¯s grand promises seriously. The thought of one day becoming Sect Master never crossed Su Jie¡¯s mind as something feasible. The words of a Demon Cultivator were just that, words, much like a boss promising shares and wealth upon a company¡¯s IPO in exchange for overtime and hard work ¡ª the goal being to make the workhorse labor more and endure more, resulting in an endless consumption of hardship. To Su Jie, these words from Zhang Junwei were all empty promises; tangible benefits would be more persuasive. ¡°It¡¯s good that you think this way. The future of Ghost Ridge Palace will depend on you young people.¡± Zhang Junwei was very pleased with Su Jie¡¯s reaction, unaware of what Su Jie was truly thinking. ¡°Our Ghost Ridge Palace lacks disciples with your level of awareness. Given your high talent, I would like you to become my Direct Disciple. What do you say?¡± At that moment, Zhang Junwei finally revealed his true purpose. He wanted to recruit Su Jie as a disciple, even as a direct disciple. ¡°Sect Master, this is not appropriate,¡± Taoist Qiu, sensing his suspicions confirmed, became anxious immediately. For many hard years, only Su Jie, a talent, had emerged from his branch; he was the face of their lineage. If Zhang Junwei were to recruit him, what would that make him? There was a way to poach people, but surely not like this! ¡°Sect Master, this does not quite conform to the rules,¡± Tang Peiqing did not stand by the Sect Master either, because this way of freeloading was somewhat excessive. Tang Peiqing had even more seniority than Zhang Junwei, and his words carried great weight. Zhang Junwei, looking at the two dissenters, said indifferently, ¡°Of course I know this is not quite suitable, but now the sect is in a time of crisis, and we need to quickly cultivate our lower-level fighting force. Su Jie is exceptionally talented, and under my guidance, he could grow faster. You are senior elders of the sect, why not first listen to what Su Jie thinks?¡± After Zhang Junwei finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Su Jie. Taoist Qiu and Tang Peiqing also looked over at the same time, putting a lot of pressure on Su Jie. Had it been any other disciple hearing such good fortune, they would have been overjoyed and eagerly agreed on the spot. Being the direct disciple of the Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace, what an honor it was! Walking out from there, one could look down upon others, and anyone who saw them would have to look up in admiration. But upon hearing this, Su Jie appeared to struggle internally, faced the gazes of the three, and then said, ¡°Well, Sect Master, forgive my disrespect, but I have no intention of changing allegiances for now. My master has been very kind to me; I want to continue learning from my master.¡± ¡°Good, good, good, you truly are my good disciple; your master has not treated you in vain,¡± Hearing this, Taoist Qiu immediately showed a smile on his face, his gaze even involuntarily glanced at Zhang Junwei, as if to say: Kid, competing with me for a disciple, even if you are the Sect Master, it¡¯s useless. Su Jie quickly said, ¡°Master, you are too kind; I always remember your grace.¡± For Su Jie, agreeing to Zhang Junwei would definitely offend Taoist Qiu. Respecting the master and valuing teaching were also prized within demon cultivators; changing allegiances for Su Jie would be like slapping Taoist Qiu in the face. Others would merely say Taoist Qiu was inept at teaching, unable to even keep his most talented disciple. And Taoist Qiu had been generous with Su Jie, who did not want to be the subject of gossip and dislike, and least of all to offend this senior and powerful elder. Furthermore, to speak frankly, Ghost Ridge Palace was indeed in danger now. If the Righteous Sects really did break through the Mountain Gate, the significance of being an inner disciple versus being a direct disciple of the Sect Master and targeted by those Righteous Sects was night and day. The former might even be spared, for after all, having killed an important figure like Du Shaochang and made an enemy of the Guan Chao Pavilion; the latter would be chased to the ends of the earth. Multiple sects would join forces to eradicate him completely. After all, the temperament of demon cultivators for revenge was infamous; those who became direct disciples of the Sect Master undoubtedly had the highest talent in the sect and the deepest affection for it. If such a person escaped, once they grew stronger and sought revenge, the whole sect would suffer tremendous loss. Chapter 281: 196: 100,000 Spirit Stones (50,000 words in five updates, asking for monthly passes) Chapter 281: Chapter 196: 100,000 Spirit Stones (50,000 words in five updates, asking for monthly passes) Su Jie¡¯s choice surprised Zhang Junwei, who had just been so excited and now appeared so calm. ¡°Su Jie, make sure you think this through. My offer isn¡¯t always on the table. Once this opportunity is missed, there won¡¯t be another,¡± he emphasized, perhaps genuinely valuing Su Jie¡¯s talent. ¡°Thank you for your generous offer, Sect Master, but I prefer to remain with my Master,¡± Su Jie still chose to refuse, making Taoist Qiu very happy. His look became increasingly benevolent as he contentedly sipped his tea. Zhang Junwei fell silent for a few seconds, staring at Su Jie as if he could see through to a person¡¯s very soul. Suddenly, he added a new twist, ¡°Become my disciple, and I will give you thirty thousand Spirit Stones at once, and an additional one thousand Spirit Stones each month as a stipend.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression subtly changed as his heart began to beat faster. Pfft! Taoist Qiu, who had been relaxed until now, almost sprayed out a mouthful of tea, furiously staring at Zhang Junwei for shamelessly throwing money around to compete for a disciple. ¡°Sect Master, aren¡¯t you afraid of being ridiculed for doing this?¡± Taoist Qiu was furious, and had the person in front of him not been the Sect Master, he would have slapped him already. Tang Peiqing also felt speechless and said, ¡°Sect Master, what you are doing is really indecent.¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he spoke somberly, ¡°I have been a Sect Master for so many years and have taken only two Direct Disciples. One died unexpectedly early, and the other disappeared after reaching the Secret Realm. In my lifetime, the knowledge I¡¯ve accumulated needs a disciple to carry on. Are you really willing to see me without even a successor to inherit my mantle?¡± Taoist Qiu originally wanted to say he was indeed willing, but seeing Zhang Junwei¡¯s menacing look, he had to suppress his words, his dissatisfaction peaking as he resentfully regarded Zhang Junwei, a Sect Master who would stop at nothing to recruit a super-genius. If he had known it would come to this, he wouldn¡¯t have let Su Jie perform so brilliantly. But Su Jie was a disciple he valued highly¡ªstrong, sensible, well-measured, and highly respectful of him, his Master. There was no way he could let him go. Right away, Taoist Qiu put down his teacup and stood up, saying, ¡°Sect Master, since you¡¯ve said as much, I, Taoist Qiu, am not without resources either. He is my disciple, and I care about him more than anyone else. It just so happens, Su Jie, didn¡¯t you suffer heavy losses on this mission? The Insect Cloud Moths were greatly reduced, and the Swords in your Sword Nourishing Gourd were completely exhausted. I¡¯ll give you fifty thousand Spirit Stones. Go and replenish what you¡¯ve lost. Buy a few more Mid-Grade Flying Swords so in future battles your swords don¡¯t always get chopped up, tarnishing my face.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, ¡°Disciple is grateful, Master. You needn¡¯t go to such lengths.¡± But in his heart, Su Jie was screaming for the bidding to become even more intense. Now, Su Jie finally realized what it was like to be a high-achieving student at Blue Star, vied for by top schools. Zhang Junwei¡¯s mouth twitched at Taoist Qiu¡¯s guts to compete financially with him, the Sect Master. But indeed, Taoist Qiu¡¯s seniority was only slightly less than that of Tang Peiqing. He had been in the Secret Realm for many years and wasn¡¯t a newly promoted, impoverished practitioner without even a Mid Grade Magical Artifact. ¡°Seventy thousand Spirit Stones!¡± Zhang Junwei also put down his teacup. Although he was the Sect Master, in front of a senior Secret Realm practitioner like Taoist Qiu, he couldn¡¯t just forcibly take a disciple and assign him to his own name. He had to let Su Jie make his own choice, which meant others wouldn¡¯t have much to say on the matter. Su Jie felt parched, and his heart raced even faster. Such a price was already about the wealth of a Secret Realm practitioner, albeit one with weaker combat abilities. For instance, Zhong Shiguan. The value of various spirit stones and materials that Su Jie had acquired from Zhong Shiguan¡¯s Storage Bag amounted to seventy thousand Spirit Stones. ¡°Hey, you two are really overdoing it; what¡¯s the point of all this arguing? Give me some face.¡± Elder Tang couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and suddenly spoke up, smiling amiably at Su Jie, ¡°Su Jie! I heard that the Guan Chao Pavilion outside offered you a reward of a hundred thousand spirit stones, and I¡¯m not one to be petty. As long as you agree to become my disciple, I¡¯ll give you that price. Otherwise, those from the Righteous Sect might think we at the Ghost Ridge Palace treat our disciples poorly. It would also save Taoist Qiu and the Sect Master the trouble of arguing back and forth, losing face for our Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± Upon hearing this, Taoist Qiu and Zhang Junwei both turned their gaze toward him, thinking he was the peak of shamelessness! ¡°Elder Tang, why are you getting involved too? Didn¡¯t you just recruit Zhu Qingya, who also has the talent of the Secret Realm? And now you¡¯re competing with me for a disciple.¡± Taoist Qiu was furious! It seems everyone is eyeing the good disciple he had finally found. If they were capable, they should cultivate their own! ¡°That¡¯s not right; who would complain about having too many disciples?¡± Elder Tang shook his head, feeling no psychological burden about outbidding the others. A single Secret Realm talent represents a guaranteed value of over a hundred thousand spirit stones. Not to mention Su Jie, who clearly has the makings of a strong Secret Realm cultivator and might even advance to the Taoist Platform Realm one day. Which master wouldn¡¯t be greedy for such a disciple? ¡°I¡¯ve offered a hundred thousand spirit stones. If you compete with me, let¡¯s just all stop playing around. I¡¯ll go issue a blood post and complain to the ancestor.¡± Taoist Qiu¡¯s slaps on the table made a loud bang, and his face turned beet red. The moment they heard the word ¡®ancestor,¡¯ Zhang Junwei and Elder Tang instantly calmed down, as if the term had a significant deterrent effect. Su Jie was curious about who this ancestor was, wondering if there was a presence in Ghost Ridge Palace stronger than the Sect Master. But given the situation, it wasn¡¯t his place to ask questions. ¡°Fine, Taoist Qiu, you need to take good care of Su Jie in the future, and make sure you don¡¯t misguide such a talent of our sect. Su Jie, if you have any questions about cultivation, you can come to me for advice.¡± Zhang Junwei shook his head, ultimately giving up the competition. ¡°Heh, Taoist Qiu, don¡¯t spoil the disciple. Be more attentive daily.¡± Elder Tang also felt a bit regretful, choosing to give up. ¡°You don¡¯t need your nonsense; I can definitely teach my disciple well.¡± Taoist Qiu was still angry at these two fools, and his tone was unfriendly. ¡°Master, please don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ve always firmly chosen you as my master. The Sect Master and Elder Tang are just worried about me; please don¡¯t blame them.¡± At that moment, Su Jie stepped forward. Even though he was overjoyed inside, his face showed a tragically earnest expression, giving a speech that could rival any cliche. If those disciples from Ghost Ridge Palace saw this scene, their jaws would probably drop. Usually, it is the disciples who are picked and chosen by the masters and elders, often facing disdain. Outer disciples even have to submit Blood Marrow Crystals to their masters monthly, and Inner Disciples receive limited guidance. For someone like Su Jie, being competed for by several elders and the Sect Master, others would probably think of it as nothing but a fanciful tale. Chapter 282: 197: Before Leaving (First Update) Chapter 282: Chapter 197: Before Leaving (First Update) ¡°Go back and cultivate diligently to advance to the Secret Realm as soon as possible, lest the Sect Master and Elder Tang say that my teaching is ineffective. If you have any unresolved issues in your cultivation, just come to find me.¡± At the gate of the Obsidian Tower, Taoist Qiu had given Su Jie a hundred thousand Spirit Stones and repeatedly instructed him. ¡°Master, I will strive to break through to the Secret Realm within half a year.¡± Su Jie scratched his head, stating a timeline that he considered fairly lenient for himself. Currently at the Yunling Realm Ninth Level, Su Jie only needed to advance to the Tenth Level and consume the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill to elevate to the Secret Realm, which did not pose a big problem for him. His Purple Cloud Thunder Body now had a much better aptitude than before. ¡°I¡¯ve managed to get you a month of rest. Take this time to replenish your centipedes and Flying Sword. You¡¯ll also need to participate in the Sect war, so perform well on the battlefield.¡± Taoist Qiu was very pleased and then glanced at the Sword Nourishing Gourd hanging from Su Jie¡¯s waist, saying, ¡°The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword I bestowed upon you last time is gradually unable to keep up with your strength. Hand it over to me, and I will help you refine it again to upgrade it to a Mid Grade Magical Artifact.¡± The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was personally forged by Taoist Qiu. He now valued Su Jie highly and planned to reforge this low-grade top level Flying Sword, adding some materials to elevate its grade to mid-grade. ¡°Thank you, Master. I have indeed grown quite fond of this Flying Sword.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Jie¡¯s smile brightened even more, appreciative of Taoist Qiu¡¯s heartfelt efforts to assist him. As the foremost weapon for killing, Flying Swords are considerably more precious compared to other magical artifacts of the same grade. A Mid Grade Magical Artifact typically costs between 5,000 and 10,000 Spirit Stones, but a Mid-grade Flying Sword generally requires ten thousand Spirit Stones. For most individuals in the Secret Realm, their weapons are only at the Mid Grade Magical Artifact level, though possessing a Top Grade Magical Artifact indicates considerable strength. Of course, someone like Xiao Guanglian who owned over a dozen Mid Grade Magical Artifacts and two Top Grade Magical Artifacts was out of the ordinary, benefiting from fortuitous circumstances at birth. Taoist Qiu gave a few more words of advice to Su Jie, took the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, and then sent him away. ... One week later! Insect Valley! The sun was just rising, its rays penetrating the clouds and casting light over the forest of Insect Valley. On the grass, dewdrops sparkled with a silver glow under the sunlight, leaves rustled softly in the breeze, and the air was filled with a fresh and natural scent. On a protruding rock on the cliff, Su Jie sat cross-legged, absorbing the morning¡¯s Purple Mist light, with his robes fluttering in the morning wind, seemingly merging with heaven and earth. The distant mountains surrounded him, shrouded in clouds and mist with valleys and streaming springs, all of which relaxed his mood completely. He successively practiced the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture, White Crane Zen Dao, and Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill. Although his strength improved slowly, it never ceased, constantly progressing toward the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm. At this rate, Su Jie would be able to advance to the Tenth Level of the Yunling Realm within two months. After a session of cultivation, as the sun climbed higher, Su Jie slowly opened his eyes, which sparkled brightly. He stood up and let out a casual long howl, the sound echoing through the valleys. Soon after, a huge shadow above the sky blocked the sunlight as an eighty-meter-long thousand-hand centipede thundered down, kicking up a cloud of dust. Under the abdomen of the thousand-hand centipede, numerous pale corpse hands held nets, within them newly caught human-faced moths squirming vigorously. This past week, Su Jie had primarily stayed here in Insect Valley, using the thousand-hand centipede to capture human-faced moths to replenish what he had used up during his last venture. In his spare time, he went to the black market to purchase some Flying Swords, ensuring his Sword Nourishing Gourd maintained its lethality. Now wealthy with tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, Su Jie might have even bought a few Mid-grade Flying Swords to play around with, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that they weren¡¯t available on the black market. Sizzle! The Thousand-Handed Centipede set down the human-faced moth, its injuries from last time had completely recovered. The Mid Grade Five Refinement Thousand-Handed Centipede capturing the human-faced moth, possessed defensive scales particularly resistant to biting and corrosion, making it far more efficient than before. ¡°You did really well.¡± Su Jie patted the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, which squinted its eyes, thoroughly enjoying itself. Whoosh! Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Su Jie, as Han Ruyan appeared in front of him. A dragon and phoenix flower sedan chair wafted over from afar, and after approaching, it opened to release a massive swarm of human-faced moths. These moths, naturally, were the work of the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan. She had also entered the territory of the human-faced moths to participate in the capture, otherwise it would take a long time to capture hundreds of thousands of them with just the Thousand-Handed Centipede. ¡°Is that enough?¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s lifeless, hollow gaze turned toward Su Jie. This kind of bug catching posed no challenge to her; it was just exceedingly tedious. If it weren¡¯t for Su Jie¡¯s wishes, his repeated requests, she wouldn¡¯t bother with such menial tasks. Even as a fierce ghost, Han Ruyan still retained some traits of a lady from her previous life, evident from her extravagant manner of travel. The Han Ruyan of the past would never stoop to do such crude work. When Han Ruyan spoke, it wasn¡¯t just Su Jie who heard her; the Thousand-Handed Centipede did, too. Sizzle! The Thousand-Handed Centipede bared its gaping maw, clearly not fond of Han Ruyan, who seemed to be stealing its job. ¡°Quiet, or I¡¯ll slaughter you!¡± Han Ruyan glanced at the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Faced with its tremendous size, her eyes were sinister and horrifying, filled with a potent scent of death. Roar! The Thousand-Handed Centipede reared up, like a towering skyscraper. Humans fear fierce ghosts because human emotions are too rich. But insects don¡¯t think about such matters. In the world of insects, size, venom, strength, and defense are everything. Even though the Ghost Bride possessed bizarre abilities, the Thousand-Handed Centipede was not the slightest bit afraid of her. Its massive size meant that even if Han Ruyan unleashed her full might, it would be hard for her to inflict a fatal blow. And the Thousand-Handed Centipede, with its mastery of the Death Decline Curse Cloud and high-temperature beam, possessed energy and curse-based offensive capabilities that could also harm ghostly entities without a physical form. Seeing that the Thousand-Handed Centipede and Han Ruyan, an insect and a ghost, were about to clash, Su Jie¡¯s head swelled, and he stepped forward to stand between them. ¡°Stop, stop, stop, what¡¯s going on with you two? My dear, you calm down first, Xiao Qian, you calm down too. You¡¯re on the same side now, what¡¯s the point of in-fighting?¡± Sizzle! The Thousand-Handed Centipede made a couple of aggrieved noises, its antennae waving back and forth, as if it were complaining to Su Jie, ¡®I was here first, why does this woman have to compete with me for favor?¡¯ ¡°Alright, alright, I know what you want to say.¡± Su Jie, unable to help but laugh, stroked the body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, coaxing it to reduce its size and coil around his right arm, and began feeding it human-faced moths as snacks. As long as it had food, the Thousand-Handed Centipede quickly forgot its troubles and conflicts. Han Ruyan looked on quietly at all this, without making a comment. After feeding it, Su Jie took out the Ancient Mirror from his Primordial Spirit, opened the portal and said, ¡°My dear, remember what I told you before, about going to a new place? Come with me.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s dead, hollow gaze watched the portal, as she followed Su Jie¡¯s steps into the portal. Chapter 283: 198: Return to Blue Star (Second Update) Chapter 283: Chapter 198: Return to Blue Star (Second Update) Blue Star Zen Country, East Qin State, Mande Region. Fumen Breeding Farm¡¯s Underground Gu Insect Base. With the disappearance of the transfer portal, Su Jie and Han Ruyan found themselves here. As soon as they arrived, the red wedding dress that Han Ruyan wore suddenly became dull, as if covered with a layer of dust, no longer as eye-catching. ¡°Why is there no Spiritual Energy in this place?¡± Han Ruyan felt somewhat uncomfortable; ghosts only emerged in the Tianyuan World because of the magical existence of Spiritual Energy. For fierce ghosts, they do not have a physical existence; their bodies are also not entirely soul-like. Yin Souls can usually reside and dwell within the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, but fierce ghosts do not have this method. Su Jie had previously conducted experiments, after death, the souls of humans in the Tianyuan World could usually exist for half an hour. In the Blue Star, after a person dies, their soul generally dissipates into the air within a matter of seconds, and what¡¯s missing here is the participation of Spiritual Energy. In an environment like Blue Star with no Spiritual Energy, fierce ghosts, beings of pure yin, are like fish out of water, extremely uncomfortable and severely suppressed. If it were humans who went to a strange planet, if it wasn¡¯t a planet suitable for human life, they too would face all kinds of challenges. ¡°From your understanding, you can consider this place as a separate realm. There¡¯s no Spiritual Energy here, unlike in the Tianyuan World. Can you adapt to it?¡± Su Jie looked at Han Ruyan with concern because his series of plans to follow would still require Han Ruyan¡¯s participation. If Han Ruyan was unable to act, then there would be a big problem. Han Ruyan observed the surroundings, with various poisonous insects living within the underground base. Her gaze fixed on a Low Grade Snow Frost Spider, activating her Curse Killing ability. The next moment, the Snow Frost Spider struggled for three seconds, then its body stiffened and lost life. However, Han Ruyan showed no reaction, and even Su Jie could see the problem. In the past, Han Ruyan could instantly kill such ordinary low-grade poisonous insects, but now it took her two seconds. Su Jie also sensed that the curse power spreading from Han Ruyan¡¯s body was much reduced, both in speed and lethality. In Su Jie¡¯s understanding, it was like a flame lacking the medium of oxygen, making it difficult to burn. The reason Han Ruyan could still use her ability relied purely on her own strength, without the involvement of Spiritual Power. This, in turn, led to a problem, Han Ruyan was weakened. Fortunately, judging by her condition, this weakening was still within a tolerable range. However, when Han Ruyan took out the Heavenly Ghost Map and released the fierce ghosts inside, things became different. More than thirty fierce ghosts appeared in the underground base. Except for the Painting Woman and the Lantern Ghost, these two Fifth-Grade fierce ghosts were still in good condition, the other First, Second, and Third-Grade fierce ghosts showed varying degrees of collapse. Some fierce ghosts flickered in and out of visibility, some trembled all over, and some had difficulty moving. Without the influence of Spiritual Energy, those incorporeal fierce ghosts, the weaker they were in strength, the more severely affected they were in Blue Star. The reason is quite simple: without water (Spiritual Energy), strong fish can choose to go on land, evolve to change from gill breathing to lung breathing, and adapt to environmental changes. But weaker creatures would be eliminated by nature, with natural selection favoring the survival of the fittest. Fierce ghosts could not naturally emerge in Blue Star; the same goes for the transfer of fierce ghosts from Tianyuan World, which would also lead to a series of symptoms. Compared to them, the Gu Insects were faring much better. After all, whether in Tianyuan World or Blue Star, insects and animals exist. It¡¯s just that their strength varies. Even without Spiritual Energy, their survival wouldn¡¯t be affected. Moreover, poisonous insects on Blue Star can transform by consuming Poison Insects, generating a unique type of Spiritual Energy that ensures their combat power. ¡°How can it be so serious, we can¡¯t go on like this.¡± Witnessing this scene, Su Jie took out a Spirit Stone from his Storage Bag and stimulated the Spiritual Energy within. This Spiritual Energy dispersed into the air, and some of the Fierce Ghosts¡¯ bodies improved slightly, but they were still disintegrating, just at a slower pace. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Han Ruyan took the Spirit Stone from Su Jie¡¯s hand, her fingers brushing against it. Immediately, Han Ruyan used her transformative ability to modify large quantities of Spirit Stones, ghostifying them to better suit the constitution of the Fierce Ghost Baby. Well... For Han Ruyan, these ghosts below Third-grade were no different from babies, pitifully weak. The Spirit Stone gradually became dark and black, eventually turning into beads that emitted a heavy Yin Qi. By embedding these beads into the bodies of the Fierce Ghosts, their condition soon improved, and at least they would not naturally disintegrate into the air. Of course, the weakening was still present. Even Han Ruyan couldn¡¯t avoid it, let alone these ghosts. ¡°Indeed, it is my wife who has the ability.¡± Seeing this scene, Su Jie breathed a sigh of relief and picked up Han Ruyan to give her a kiss. ¡°This is against propriety.¡± Han Ruyan stared expressionlessly at Su Jie, her cold and stern gaze making him feel a tingling on his scalp, so he decisively released his hold on Han Ruyan. ¡°Ghosts can only maintain their state for a while and need regular insertion of Spirit Stones.¡± Han Ruyan withdrew her gaze and looked at the ghosts she had brought, recalling them into the Heavenly Ghost Map to reduce the consumption of Spirit Stones. Meanwhile, Su Jie released the thousand-hand centipede to feast in this place, while he took out a Jade Scroll. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit left his body, enveloped the Jade Scroll, and then imparted a section of knowledge into it, all in the languages and common knowledge of the various countries of Blue Star. The principle was the same as engraving spells, Scriptures, and Secret Texts on the Jade Scroll, and it was even easier and simpler. The only requirement was a Primordial Spirit to do the carving, which Su Jie had. In a short while, Su Jie handed the Jade Scroll to Han Ruyan, ¡°Study the things inside. They are the basic knowledge of this pocket world.¡± After Han Ruyan received the Jade Scroll and understood the basic knowledge of Blue Star, her numb and vacant eyes showed a ripple of emotion. ¡°Wife, can you change your aura a bit? Like this woman in the photo, change your clothes to match hers.¡± Su Jie then took out a photo, which was of Liu Yingying wearing a skirt. Han Ruyan slowly turned around, the red Wedding Dress changed to pure white, and the phoenix crown on her head gradually turned into a golden hairpin with her hair piled up. ¡°And then this one, there we go, all set.¡± Seeing this, Su Jie put sunglasses on Han Ruyan to cover those lifeless, chilling eyes that could cause panic. With these changes, Han Ruyan had become a pretty woman with a slightly pale complexion, and no one would suspect that she was a terrifying Ghost Bride. ¡°Now, let me show you this world.¡± Su Jie took Han Ruyan by the hand, leading her away from the Underground Gu Insect Base, and rode the elevator up to the surface. Chapter 284: 199: A Date with the Ghost Bride (Third Update) Chapter 284: Chapter 199: A Date with the Ghost Bride (Third Update) Mande City! As night fell, Su Jie personally drove, bringing Han Ruyan to Mande City. Along the way, the sight of towering buildings, ceaseless flow of cars, and the dynamic vista of the modern city filled Han Ruyan with an unprecedented sense of novelty. Houses were packed densely like dust and smoke, billboards flickered, convenience stores were filled with colorful merchandise, glass curtain walls reflected specks of light, resembling a star-studded night sky. The brightly lit city seemed never to pause, with neon lights racing around, crowds weaving through the streets, the clamor, car horns, and footsteps blending together to create an atmosphere of prosperity. Compared to the past, Mande City had developed swiftly. ... After winning the war to unify the East Qin State, Jieke Company once again threw around money lavishly, continuously developing the infrastructure of Mande City, boosting the economy and elevating the happiness of its citizens. The population of Mande City had now surpassed one million, attracting people from other cities in the East Qin State to come here to work. Although these numbers in Hua Country might only be the size of a county town, in Chan Country, this was already a major city. ¡°This is the city, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡± Sitting in the passenger seat, Han Ruyan touched the steel chariot that ran without horses and then turned to gaze at the bustling traffic outside the window. The Mande City before her eyes was a bizarre city she had never seen. Everywhere one could see houses made of steel, cement, and glass, people talking to a small metal box, wearing odd clothing, screens in glass showing flickering images with vivid human figures appearing inside, as if someone lived within, performing a show. Even though she had learned about these things from the Jade Scroll¡ªknowing that the self-moving chariots were called cars; the talking metal boxes were communication tools called mobile phones; and the glass devices were televisions that could store and project images. But knowing was one thing, experiencing it firsthand was completely different. ¡°It¡¯s good you haven¡¯t seen it before, come on, I¡¯ll take you down for a look.¡± Su Jie parked the car, put on big sunglasses to cover his face to avoid recognition, and then led Han Ruyan out of the car. ¡°Why does it feel a bit cold?¡± ¡°It¡¯s July now, so hot it¡¯s unbearable, huh, it does seem a bit cold.¡± ¡°Right? I said it felt a bit chilly.¡± Some pedestrians near Han Ruyan shivered inexplicably and muttered as they walked away. The place they got out of the car was a bustling night market, where the aroma of barbecue wafted through the air, the cries of vendors at their stalls were continuous, and the scent of various snacks permeated the atmosphere. The game stalls at the roadside were full of cheer, and amidst the flashing lights, a vast array of small goods, decorations, leather products, toys, textiles, and more were displayed for sale. Chan Country¡¯s specialty jade and jewelry stalls, in particular, attracted many customers who stopped to admire. ¡°Boss, want to give it a try! One ring for one Hua Yuan.¡± A game stall owner enthusiastically approached Su Jie and Han Ruyan as they passed by, beckoning to drum up business. Su Jie saw a banner advertising behind the game stall; this night market had been planned and built by the Jieke Company. The stall owner clearly had no idea that he was attempting to drum up business from the big boss of Jieke Company, the true controller of the East Qin State. Seeing the owner so enthusiastic, Su Jie pulled out twenty bucks in exchange for some rings and handed them to Han Ruyan, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t use your powers, just give it a try.¡± Han Ruyan glanced at Su Jie, and although her eyes were not visible behind the sunglasses, Su Jie could imagine that she probably wanted to say something again that was against decorum. However, with the crowd coming and going, in the end, Han Ruyan did not refuse, she took a ring and casually tossed it. Twenty rings scattered like a Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers, each one precisely hooking onto various plush toys at the stall. The boss¡¯s mouth gaped open, and his face turned green. Out of all the people to choose from, he chose the last customer who should be involved in the game. No amount of toys would be enough to satisfy the hooping. ¡°I¡¯ll just take this one, boss. I¡¯ll swing by to support your business when I have more time.¡± Su Jie picked up a fluffy panda from the stall and stuffed it into Han Ruyan¡¯s arms, continuing to stroll the city with Han Ruyan, enjoying the rare leisure time. As they passed a movie theater, Han Ruyan suddenly pointed at a poster and asked, ¡°Is that also a Fierce Ghost?¡± Su Jie turned his head to look, it was a horror film from Hua Country being released, and the ghost on the promotional poster had caught Han Ruyan¡¯s eye. ¡°This is just fake, not like you. If you want to know, I will take you to see it.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s fake, there¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just right for you to see how people here understand ghosts and demons. Besides, we are husband and wife. According to customs here, a couple watching a movie together is called a date, which is a symbol of close relationship.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Han Ruyan tilted her head, not understanding how such an activity could be related to feelings. ¡°Anyway, just come with me to see it.¡± Su Jie pulled Han Ruyan into the cinema, where the ghost movie had not yet started. However, after Su Jie made a phone call, the manager of the cinema ran out sweating profusely, eagerly welcomed them with bowing and scraping, and helped clear out a theatre for Su Jie and Han Ruyan to have some private space. Inside the cinema, as the screen gradually lit up, Su Jie and Han Ruyan started to watch the movie. ¡°This is a movie. It conveys images through a big screen. People shoot them in advance and then screen them in cinemas to earn money. This movie is called ¡®Bixian vs. Zhenzi 3¡¯. Tsk, sounds like a crappy movie. I will have someone find a few classic horror films from the small Japanese days. They are the real experts in making this kind of movie.¡± Han Ruyan didn¡¯t understand Su Jie¡¯s reaction; to her, the mere fact that people could move around on the screen was already very novel. And after the movie started playing, Han Ruyan suddenly understood why Su Jie had reacted that way. ¡°Killing people is that troublesome for a ghost, killing these ordinary people?¡± Han Ruyan couldn¡¯t understand. Watching the so-called Fierce Ghost on the screen dealing with a normal person with so much trouble, she inexplicably felt insulted. As the movie was nearing its end, the movie revealed that the so-called female ghost was just an illusion experienced by the female protagonist before drowning. Han Ruyan felt as if she had been deceived when she heard this. Her waterfall-like black hair fluttered, her eyes cold and eerie, exuding an oppressive atmosphere that was almost suffocating. All electronic devices in the cinema began to flicker violently, showing signs of malfunction. ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, you can¡¯t kill people here, we¡¯ll watch something else.¡± Su Jie hurriedly held back Han Ruyan, knowing that if Han Ruyan truly lost her composure here, countless people wouldn¡¯t live to see tomorrow¡¯s sun. Fortunately, at the critical moment, a new movie was delivered, and Su Jie managed to placate Han Ruyan for the time being. At the same time, he made a mental note to never let Han Ruyan watch such lousy movies again. If Han Ruyan truly got angered, even Su Jie himself wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the situation, and the consequences were too dreadful to imagine. Chapter 285: 200: Arrest (Fourth Update) Chapter 285: Chapter 200: Arrest (Fourth Update) Several hours later. When another movie ended, Han Ruyan, hugging a plush panda, shifted her gaze away from the screen. ¡°The local Fierce Ghosts, the weak ones are too weak, but the strong ones are not bad.¡± Han Ruyan looked at Su Jie and voiced her assessment after watching movies for several hours. The horror films Su Jie had shown her were classics from the small days, featuring characters like Zhenzi and Kayako. Later on, Han Ruyan wasn¡¯t angry anymore and kept watching quietly. Although Han Ruyan didn¡¯t laugh, Su Jie could tell that she was quite interested in these horror movies, perhaps due to the instincts of a Fierce Ghost. ... Su Jie laughed heartily and said, ¡°These Fierce Ghosts are all fictional, different from the kind you understand. They can be set to be as strong as desired¡ªthey shouldn¡¯t be taken seriously. In my heart, you are the strongest Fierce Ghost.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t defeat the Headless Ghost, the Sword Labor Ghost, the Ghost Mother, and the Starving Ghost. Last time, they forced me to retreat. Next time I see them, I¡¯m going to kill them.¡± Han Ruyan was vengeful and hadn¡¯t forgotten the scene of her defeat in East Victory City. ¡°Alright, if I get the chance, I¡¯ll help you get revenge.¡± Su Jie stretched and stood up, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom, you stay here for now. If someone comes in to play games with you, don¡¯t hold back.¡± Han Ruyan didn¡¯t speak, her eyes moving back to the screen. As Su Jie left his seat, Divine Sense caught an interesting scene, and a cold smirk formed at the corner of his mouth. ...... Meanwhile! Several blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners suddenly walked into the cinema. A forty-something-year-old man, wearing casual beach shorts and shirt as if on a vacation, was chewing gum and pressed on a hidden earpiece in his left ear. ¡°Smith, the target is in Cinema 3, a man and a woman, the opportunity is rare, the other party has gone out alone, without bodyguards. You must capture them. The support helicopter will lower a rope ladder in the amusement park two kilometers away after you succeed. You must act fast, otherwise Jieke Security will respond, and no one will be able to save you,¡± Listening to the continuous instructions from his superior through the earpiece, Smith calmly said, ¡°BOSS, this isn¡¯t our first field mission. We understand what you¡¯ve spoken, so rest assured and leave it to us.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t yet realized the seriousness of the situation. The person we are capturing is an extremely vicious and dangerous individual. It can¡¯t be ruled out that the other party is also a Super Soldier. Your chance is only before the target has swallowed a Strengthening Pill to subdue and capture them,¡± In the earpiece, the mission team¡¯s superior, Mahat Butler, sternly reminded his team not to take the situation lightly. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m aware, which is why I¡¯ve brought the best. Elite among the CIA elite, all with decades of successful missions under their belts. BOSS, as long as the support operation goes smoothly, I¡¯ll bring the person back to you,¡± Smith spit out his gum and led three team members to the door of Cinema 3. The three teammates simultaneously drew their mini submachine guns and pistols, all equipped with silencers. Smith also pulled out a compact Taser Gun from his waistband, planning to first immobilize the target with electricity; thus, even if the target was a Super Soldier, they couldn¡¯t swallow the Strengthening Pill in time to resist capture. Smith held up three fingers and bent them down one by one. ¡°Go.¡± As the last finger bent, the four of them, with great coordination, kicked open the door of the cinema. They filed in swiftly, and Smith quickly located the target. p>Top> his surprise, there was only a woman in the cinema¡ªthe person they wanted to capture was not there. ¡°There¡¯s been a mistake in the plan; the target is not in the cinema.¡± Smith found the situation tricky, but he wasn¡¯t without his decisiveness in the moment. The target was so close to this woman that she must also be an important figure. Arresting her first and if they couldn¡¯t capture the primary target, they could take this woman back to fulfill their duty. With this thought in mind, Smith pressed the trigger of the Taser gun. The nitrogen pressurized cartridge was activated, and the barbed dart was fired out. At such a close distance, an elite CIA agent like Smith simply couldn¡¯t miss. The dart struck the woman accurately, releasing an electric shock that would cause any criminal¡¯s muscles to spasm uncontrollably, curling up, incapable of any resistance. But what surprised Smith even more happened¡ªthe woman was clearly hit, yet showed no signs of being subdued. Instead, she slowly turned her head to look over. Those eyes hidden beneath the sunglasses suddenly instilled a strong sense of panic in him, like a small, grazing animal faced with its natural predator. ¡°It¡¯s a Super Soldier, open fire!¡± Seeing this, Smith immediately thought that she might be a Super Soldier who had taken a Strengthening Pill. Such soldiers, according to their CIA intelligence, were already beyond human category, capable of wearing Heavy Armor that could withstand rifle bullets, carrying vehicle-mounted weapons while moving as nimbly as ever, scaling mountains as if on flat ground, with strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, vision, hearing, and other senses far surpassing human limits. That a Taser gun would struggle to subdue such a non-human creature was understandable. In Smith¡¯s view, the woman might be the bodyguard of the target, ensuring the target¡¯s safety. He saw the need to take her down to eliminate the obstacles for the subsequent capture of the primary target. Pop, pop, pop! The silenced firearm fired, bullets shooting out one after another. The noise wasn¡¯t loud, for their elite agents used modified submachine guns and pistols. ¡°That should do it, even if she¡¯s a Super Soldier, without Heavy Armor. As long as it¡¯s a body of flesh and blood, it can¡¯t possibly block bullets.¡± Smith thought to himself, even an African elephant couldn¡¯t withstand bullets and went down with a single shot. Human-created weapons were such that not even the flesh of Super Soldiers could resist. However, the next moment, Smith heard the terrified screams of his companions. ¡°Fuck, is this the devil?¡± ¡°Is this person even human?¡± ¡°Retreat, retreat! Bullets are useless on her.¡± His teammates were in a state of panic. Logically, experienced CIA elite agents shouldn¡¯t lose their composure in any situation. But the scene that unfolded before them was beyond their comprehension. The bullets that were fired hung in mid-air, losing their kinetic energy and falling to the ground with a clatter, turning into red wedding candies. The wrappers of the candies on the ground peeled off and grew at a rapid pace, morphing into stiff-faced, heavily made-up papermen, staring at the group. ¡°You¡¯ve disturbed my time with my husband.¡± An ominous voice, as if coming from the depths of hell, resounded. Smith, terrified, saw the woman take off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of dead and hollow eerie eyes that definitely were not human. ¡°Devil, this is a devil that crawled out from hell...¡± Smith let out a fearful cry, as the woman before him shattered his scientific worldview that he had been raised with. Overwhelmed with inner panic, he instinctively wanted to flee. But it was already too late for them to think of escaping. Pale papermen eerily floated over, accompanied by flying human limbs; after a few screams, all became silent, leaving behind several dismembered, unrecognizable corpses on the ground. The whole event took less than half a minute. From the time Smith and his colleagues entered until their demise, Han Ruyan didn¡¯t even bother to rise from her chair, casually wiping out the four elite CIA agents. Chapter 286: 201: Ghost House and Horror Movie Plan (First Update) Chapter 286: Chapter 201: Ghost House and Horror Movie Plan (First Update) After Su Jie returned from the restroom, he noticed several dismembered corpses scattered across the floor, along with firearm parts. ¡°Having fun?¡± Su Jie raised his right hand, and Primordial Soul Power swept over like water. All the corpses and firearm parts on the floor, including the bloodstains, floated up and were drawn into the Storage Bag to avoid dirtying the cinema. ¡°They don¡¯t even qualify as Cultivators, so how dare they make a move?¡± Han Ruyan didn¡¯t react much; she simply didn¡¯t understand why a few ordinary people had attacked her. ... Are the humans of this Pocket World all so unafraid of death? ¡°Here, there is no concept of Cultivators. Humans rely on external things to fight.¡± Su Jie chuckled softly, starting to enlighten Han Ruyan. ¡°Is it because of Spiritual Energy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, because there is no Spiritual Energy here, they are all ordinary people.¡± ¡°Too weak.¡± Han Ruyan found it very hard to understand how such a world could even survive. ¡°The humans here have embarked on a completely new path. You can¡¯t call them weak; their technological weapons are quite formidable.¡± Su Jie pulled out his phone from his pocket and started showing videos of various technological weapons. When the brilliance of a nuclear bomb rose on the phone screen, Han Ruyan suddenly fell silent. ¡°Missiles, fighter jets, aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, drilling bombs, incendiary devices, biochemical weapons, neutron bombs... especially the last, nuclear bombs, paired with ballistic missiles, can strike enemies thousands of kilometers away, reaching terminal speeds tens of times the speed of sound, with central temperatures reaching hundreds of millions of degrees. The strongest nuclear bomb ever created in human history, the Emperor bomb, produced a fireball with a radius of 4600 meters and a mushroom cloud nearly 40 kilometers wide and about 64 kilometers high¡ªover seven times taller than the highest mountain peak in this world. In addition, the humans here are also researching laser weapons, electromagnetic weapons, genetic weapons, particle beam weapons, nanoweapons, space weapons, antimatter weapons, unmanned intelligent weapons, and so on ¡ª you can¡¯t call them weak because of this.¡± Su Jie seriously explained to Han Ruyan so she wouldn¡¯t take them lightly. Other weapons aside, the ultimate human weapon, the nuclear bomb, even if Han Ruyan didn¡¯t have a body, she absolutely couldn¡¯t withstand the massive release of energy from a nuclear explosion, the extreme high temperatures, radiation, various radioactive radiations, shock waves, and electromagnetic pulses. If it weren¡¯t for fear of attracting the attention of Tianyuan World, Su Jie would consider acquiring a few nuclear bombs. An innocent man holds no blame, yet possessing a precious item makes him guilty. Such powerful weapons could never be used without being noticed. After all, the commotion caused by a nuclear explosion is too great, and by then, the beings in the Taoist Platform Realm, perhaps even more powerful beings like a hundred or a thousand times stronger from the Buddhist Saint Monks and Taoist True Immortals, would cast their sights over. Su Jie never dared to speculate whether the powerful beings of Tianyuan World could find him or not. You must understand that in Tianyuan World, there are those who unreasonably predict and calculate the fortunes that could pinpoint a person. As soon as he did it, attracting the gaze of a true powerhouse, he would definitely be exposed. And in Blue Star, Su Jie temporarily had no need to use nuclear bombs. Even though he could obtain them and stealthily take several with his Storage Bag. But while being weaker, it¡¯s better to keep a low profile to avoid drawing too much attention. If a nuclear bomb was secretly taken, it could at most serve as a warning or show of force, but the fight would still have to be fought. Russia and Ukraine are examples; Russia having nuclear weapons didn¡¯t avoid war, as intimidation can¡¯t deter those driven by interests. Unless Su Jie went mad and actually detonated one in a city, which would be an act so grave that he would have no place in Blue Star anymore. Thus, for Su Jie, nuclear bombs are essentially optional. His territory is only so large; he doesn¡¯t need such a big toy to decorate his own land. ¡°It¡¯s a world that seems very weak yet very powerful, quite a contradiction.¡± Han Ruyan, watching those weapon videos, began to have a basic understanding of the combat power of this world¡¯s humans. In her view, even a powerhouse in the Taoist Platform Realm, directly hit by a nuclear bomb, would be reduced to ashes. But other weaker individual weapons and regular soldiers, facing a Fierce Ghost, even just a First-Grade Fierce Ghost, would find them troublesome enough. ¡°So they mistaken you for an ordinary person as well, it¡¯s not strange that they dare to strike.¡± Su Jie, smiling, pointed at himself: ¡°In this world, I occupy a piece of territory, managing approximately 2.8 million people. At the same time, I¡¯m in conflict with some countries and forces of this world who are actually trying to capture me. You were just hit by mistake.¡± ¡°City Lord?¡± Han Ruyan, using her understanding, categorized Su Jie¡¯s identity. ¡°You can consider me a City Lord. Maybe later, as my territory expands, I might even become an Emperor.¡± Su Jie took Han Ruyan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Speaking of which, doesn¡¯t the term ¡®City Lord¡¯s wife¡¯ sound much more exciting, fitting for your status, right?¡± ¡°These people, can they be killed? To harvest their fear and resentment?¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s train of thought, unlike Su Jie¡¯s, ventured into an eerie suggestion. ¡°You can¡¯t kill them; these people are all my subjects.¡± Su Jie firmly suppressed Han Ruyan¡¯s frenzied idea. ¡°Then outside your territory...¡± ¡°We can¡¯t make enemies of the whole world; such actions can¡¯t be taken lightly.¡± Su Jie emphasized again, careful not to make any definitive statements. ¡°In any case, don¡¯t recklessly kill people here. If you want to absorb the fear to grow stronger, I¡¯ll provide you with a new method.¡± Han Ruyan calmly looked at Su Jie, seemingly indifferent to his words. Su Jie, noticing this, pointed to the still playing movie screen: ¡°What do you think about these movies?¡± ¡°Too fake.¡± Han Ruyan spoke indifferently. No matter how realistically the movie was made, to Han Ruyan, a real fierce ghost, it was just so-so, hardly causing her any emotional turbulence. Su Jie pondered for a moment and then suddenly said, ¡°What if you were to act as the protagonist in the movie, would you be willing?¡± ¡°Make a movie!¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s hollow eyes flickered slightly, clearly not understanding. ¡°Yes, make a movie.¡± Su Jie nodded and shared his idea. ¡°You see, fierce ghosts need fear emotions to enhance their grade! This kind of movie is a very good carrier. After filming it, not only can it be shown in the territory under my management, but it can also be broadcast worldwide. Using the Primordial Spirit Pearl, we can absorb the fear emotions for you to use.¡± This inspiration came from what the Heavenly Soul Sect did in Nanyang City. The Heavenly Soul Sect imprisoned an entire city and turned it into their fear granary. Every night, they created a procession of hundreds of ghosts, putting the citizens in constant fear and greatly increasing their terror. Then, they used the Primordial Spirit Pearl to absorb the citizens¡¯ fear emotions, completing round after round of harvest. Su Jie also planned to operate similarly. However, he did not intend to create a procession of hundreds of ghosts; it was too attention-grabbing. Su Jie was not yet strong enough and did not want to expose his supernatural powers. Therefore, selecting a sufficient fear carrier, horror movies were an excellent choice. Current movie playback is done using hard drives. Distribution companies hand over the hard drives to cinemas, play them until the movie is off, and the hard drives are then mailed back to the distribution companies or sent to the upper-level cinema chain for a unified return. This provided Su Jie with room to operate. The movie-level hard drives were even larger than power banks. With such a large volume, it was more than enough to fit a Primordial Spirit Pearl the size of a fingernail cap. When the movie is played, as the hard drive is inserted for playback, the Primordial Spirit Pearl is also activated, covering the entire cinema. The fear emotions generated by the audience during the film would naturally be absorbed into the Primordial Spirit Pearl. Of course, this required a lot of manipulation, such as how to disguise the Primordial Spirit Pearl to combine it with the hard drive. How to achieve enough cinema chain coverage, how to ensure his movies could play adequately and attract more viewers, Su Jie needed to handle these aspects. Hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, Han Ruyan was silent and did not agree or refuse. Seeing that Han Ruyan did not refuse, Su Jie knew she was tempted and continued, ¡°You said these movies are too fake, right? In that case, you can be the star and show the world what real ghosts are like, while also harvesting fear emotions. It¡¯s like hitting two birds with one stone.¡± Su Jie¡¯s simple provocative technique was indeed effective on Han Ruyan. ¡°Agreed!¡± Han Ruyan uttered a word, agreeing to participate in Su Jie¡¯s horror film scheme. Upon hearing this, Su Jie¡¯s face showed delight. The population under his rule was larger than that of Nanyang City, not to mention the billions potentially able to provide vast amounts of fear emotions. But a horror film, even starring Han Ruyan, could not be watched by people every day, so Su Jie had other ideas. Suddenly, Su Jie continued, ¡°Besides making movies, I plan to use other methods to absorb fear emotions, which will involve your fierce ghost subordinates.¡± In this world, there is an amusement venue known as the Ghost House. People seeking sensory thrills would venture in to challenge it, and the Ghost House would have humans dressed up as fake ghosts. We would do the opposite by using real ghosts for the act, ensuring enough thrills and a continuous flow of fear emotions.¡± Su Jie talked about another plan, which was to set up a Ghost House. Although the movie¡¯s coverage is broad, reaching millions of viewers. But once a movie is played, the viewers wouldn¡¯t go to watch it a first time. Even if some watched it two or three times, the fear threshold would increase significantly. After all, knowing where the scary parts are, people would be prepared, and their fear emotions would decrease significantly. Ghost Houses are different; each day, as long as there is enough traffic, fear emotions would be flowing continuously, not having the kind of gaps that movies have when they are taken down. Moreover, watching on a screen is completely different from being on the spot in a Ghost House; the brought fear is fundamentally different. A typical Ghost House might be instantly seen as fake, not scaring people much. But the Ghost House that Su Jie planned to set up would have real fierce ghosts personally taking part. The fear that would be brought could be too terrifying, making people piss themselves, possibly even causing heart attacks. Though Ghost Houses had fewer numbers compared to the people covered by movies, the quality was high, and both could perfectly offset and complement each other.¡± ¡°It seems a bit troublesome, but I¡¯ll leave it to you,¡± she said. Han Ruyan found it troublesome, far less straightforward than directly killing people. But since Su Jie wouldn¡¯t let her kill indiscriminately, she could only gather fear energy this way. After all, it was her fierce ghost subordinates doing the actual work, so she naturally had no reason to refuse. Now Han Ruyan needed fear energy to enhance her grade; she did not want to keep running away the next time she encountered a sixth-grade fierce ghost. Su Jie needed Han Ruyan to become stronger. With a top Sixth Grade Wedding Dress Ghost, if they encountered Zou Minzun again later, Su Jie would be confident enough to beat him. Chapter 287: 202: Laboratory (Second Update) Chapter 287: Chapter 202: Laboratory (Second Update) In the northwest direction, bordering Chan Country, lies the capital of Siam, Manchester. A heavily guarded, secretive military base is situated here, with soldiers patrolling back and forth, each leading a military dog and armed with live ammunition, and watch posts and surveillance equipment scattered all around. Meanwhile, it¡¯s only a half-hour drive from the Beautiful Country¡¯s military forces stationed in Siam; the army can arrive even quicker on the ground, and air force support is even faster. This is the location of the CIA¡¯s Jieke Affairs Bureau, officially named the Jieke Group Intelligence Research and Report Office, directly accountable to the CIA. The resources and manpower invested here are on the same scale as those initially directed towards Al-Qaeda, attracting only the most elite forces to this bureau. In the office, a man with thick, flaxen hair and sharp, insightful eyes is working; he is none other than the bureau¡¯s director, Moritz. Rubbing his temples, Moritz sighed and said, ¡°The C5 field team failed, huh?¡± ... Standing in front of Moritz was a man in his fifties, with a prominent, hawk-like nose. ¡°Smith and his team botched it, they¡¯ve been out of contact for 4 hours and 20 minutes, most likely they are dead.¡± Mahat Butler¡¯s expression was somber, as he was the person in charge of the field team, and the operation to capture Su Jie at the movie theater was directed by him. Unfortunately, as soon as the four elite agents entered the theater, they vanished without a trace, never to relay any more intelligence. Mahat Butler, who had been in this line of work for many years, knew all too well what this implied. ¡°According to our intelligence, there were no Jieke Security guards with the target at the time, just a woman; now that the mission has failed, we suspect that the strange woman seen with Su Jie is a Super Soldier.¡± Mahat spoke with a mix of pain and sorrow in his eyes. Smith had been his old friend for many years, and it was unimaginable that he had met such a fate. The loss of four such elite agents was substantial, as cultivating such experienced agents was extremely difficult. ¡°Mahat, we should have been prepared for this, after all, we are dealing with an unimaginably crazy and terrifying organization. If capturing them had been so easy, there¡¯d have been no need to establish our bureau,¡± Moritz said, twirling his pen and shaking his head with a bitter smile. Just as Mahat was about to say something, the office door was suddenly knocked on, and an assistant rushed in. ¡°Director, the lab is requesting your presence.¡± Moritz looked away and asked, ¡°Is there a discovery?¡± ¡°Yes, Professor Rori Sanchez has made a new discovery.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head over now.¡± Moritz stood up and said to Mahat, ¡°Come with me, let¡¯s see what the lab has discovered. Let¡¯s hope they bring us some good news today to comfort the souls of Smith and the others, as they ascend to heaven.¡± Together, they left the office and arrived at a large-scale laboratory. The facility was fully equipped with an array of high-end instruments, and the researchers were elites from major medical and life sciences research centers. Within the Jieke Affairs Bureau, to better study Super Soldiers, collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies were specifically established. Asder Pharmaceutical was the leading sponsor of this research and development project. Generally, such military-industrial projects in other countries are led by governments and military forces. However, in the Beautiful Country, where capital reigns supreme, even defense weaponry is often outsourced to military-industrial complexes for production and R&D, becoming defense contractors that are virtually extensions of the state. Pharmaceuticals are similarly highly lucrative, and Jieke Company, which rose to prominence with Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, now captivated the interest of major pharmaceutical groups with the existence of Super Soldiers, all eager to partake in the profits. After donning protective gear and going through multiple disinfection processes, Moritz entered the laboratory. Inside, Moritz saw several soldiers training. Some were lifting heavy barbells with one arm, managing with a single arm to lift weights so heavy that others couldn¡¯t manage with both. Others were undergoing speed tests; even with a 30-kg weight, they ran faster than Bolt. Others were undergoing firearms testing; blindfolded, they used their heightened senses to hit a swinging bell by identifying its position by sound. These soldiers were Super Soldiers who had ingested Strengthening Pills. Around them, researchers in white coats were documenting various parameters and occasionally let out exclamations of amazement, clearly shocked by the physical capabilities of the soldiers. In the battlefield, the Beautiful Country also captured some Strengthening Pills. Now, they were having their own soldiers take them to test the effects of these pills. Moritz did not stay long, continuing onward to find the head of the Super Soldier research project, Professor Rori Sanchez, the chief scientist from Asder Pharmaceutical and a Nobel Prize winner in Medicine. ¡°Director Moritz.¡± Professor Rori stood up and shook hands with Moritz. ¡°Professor Rori, how is your research coming along?¡± Moritz directly inquired about Jieke Company¡¯s Super Soldiers, which had always been something the Beautiful Country wanted to thoroughly investigate. ¡°Please follow me.¡± Professor Rori led Moritz deeper into the laboratory while explaining, ¡°We dissected the Super Soldier corpses and Strengthening Pills you sent us. Through dissection, the Super Soldiers¡¯ physiques remain within the range of normal humans, but after taking the Strengthening Pill, they exhibit some truly miraculous changes. This medicine, the Strengthening Pill, we have analyzed its pharmacology multiple times, yet certain ingredients remain elusive, and we do not know exactly how to synthesize it.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Moritz frowned. In the last battle with Jieke Company, they had also killed some Super Soldiers, collected their bodies, and Strengthening Pills¡ªall used in covert research, aiming to decipher the secrets of the Super Soldiers. If the Beautiful Country possessed the Strengthening Pill, they could train these inhuman soldiers en masse. Coupled with their global leadership in advanced weapons technology, their combat power would surge to a new level. ¡°I am sorry, we also want to solve the Strengthening Pill, but we haven¡¯t made much more progress yet.¡± Professor Rori shook his head; he did not know that the essence of Strengthening Pill was actually Blood Slaughter Pill, made using something called Blood Marrow Crystal; it was impossible that he could detect and replicate it. ¡°However, we have discovered new secrets about the Super Soldiers, Director Moritz, and it is you who told me that Super Soldiers are divided into First-class, second-class, and third-class. Thanks to Mahat capturing a First-class Super Soldier, we have found crucial secrets in him.¡± Professor Rori¡¯s voice was excited as he arrived at a laboratory protected by bulletproof glass. Inside the lab, a man lay motionless, typically Asian in appearance. Upon seeing the man, Mahat¡¯s brows furrowed: ¡°Did you kill him? This First-class Super Soldier named Ruan Qianguang was not easy to capture.¡± A week ago, Mahat had organized a secret operation. Using intelligence, they dispatched elite field agents to capture a Jieke Security First-class Super Soldier named Ruan Qianguang who had left the military camp to visit his home. He went home because his mother was seriously ill¡ªa piece of information intercepted by the CIA. The Chan Country¡¯s Mande Region was Jieke Security¡¯s territory, so the CIA was extremely cautious. Even with full preparations, the fact that Ruan had visited home without his Heavy Armor or having taken his Strengthening Pill still resulted in two dead elite agents. Ruan demonstrated such physical strength and combat capabilities that, even without taking Strengthening Pills, he was comparable to an ordinary third-class Super Soldier. Eventually, only after using a tranquilizer dose sufficient to sedate a tiger and electric shocks were they able to capture him alive. Professor Rori shook his head, saying: ¡°Such precious material, how could we possibly kill him? He¡¯s just under sedation. This guy keeps struggling when awake, and you agents failed to persuade him to cooperate with us. Now we¡¯ve only done some blood extraction and lab tests, but when we did a more detailed physical examination, we made new discoveries.¡± He took out a stack of X-ray chest films, enhanced CTs, and MRI scans among other medical data and images from the table. Pointing at one of the X-ray images, Professor Rori said, ¡°Director Moritz, Team Leader Mahat, please look here, this is our new discovery, at the position of the heart, there is a foreign object in his heart. We suspect it is a living parasite that absorbs nutrients from the body¡¯s blood. Typically dormant, during combat it nourishes its host by providing energy and nutrients necessary for explosive physical activity. This is why, even without ingesting Strengthening Pills, he possesses such terrifying physical prowess.¡± ¡°A parasite?¡± Moritz stared at a white spot the size of a marble in the X-ray image, faintly oval in structure with shadow contours on both sides that indeed resembled insect limbs. ¡°Yes, a parasite, an unprecedented type of parasite capable of enhancing human bodies.¡± Rori¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement behind his glasses; in human knowledge, parasites are generally harmful. But today, a First-class Super Soldier cultivated by Jieke Company has demonstrated with a practical example that parasites could also be beneficial, aiding in human physical enhancement. ¡°So this is Jieke Company¡¯s secret! No wonder they breed so many Poison Insects in the Mande Region, probably for such biological insect studies.¡± Mahat pondered thoughtfully, linking many of Jieke Company¡¯s strange behaviors to a much more logical explanation now. ¡°Director Moritz, I wish to request more First-class Super Soldier material, and to operate on this Super Soldier to extract the parasite. Only then can we better proceed with our research, perhaps unlocking Jieke Company¡¯s true secrets.¡± As soon as Rori spoke, Moritz hadn¡¯t replied when Mahat¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Professor Rori, do you think these First-class Super Soldiers are as common as cabbages? That you can just pluck them from the ground? You know how robust his physique is, and he¡¯s from the Mande Region; once our men are exposed, they will be attacked by large forces.¡± Mahat was furious, especially since he had just lost four elite agents. ¡°I¡¯ll permit the operation, but you must ensure Ruan Qianguang¡¯s life as much as possible. This material, we only have one sample at the moment. Regarding other living Super Soldiers, the CIA also faces difficulties and can¡¯t provide more for the time being.¡± Moritz spoke, aware that Rori represented the interests of domestic pharmaceutical groups. With such a discovery, even if he wanted to stop the operation, it was impossible; domestic forces would press him. ¡°Then, Director Moritz and Team Leader Mahat, please observe here. We¡¯ll commence the surgery now, and we will ensure Ruan Qianguang¡¯s safety to our fullest capability.¡± Rori had been waiting for this response; clapping his hands, a large group of doctors immediately entered the bulletproof glass lab to conduct the surgery to remove the parasite. Rori himself also put on surgical gloves and a mask, holding a scalpel to personally lead the operation. To prevent any accidents, armed soldiers were also called nearby to stand guard and ensure the operation proceeded safely. Chapter 288: 203: Parasite (Third Update) Chapter 288: Chapter 203: Parasite (Third Update) Once everything was ready. The sharp scalpel cut through the flesh, opened the chest cavity, revealing the vigorously beating heart inside. ¡°Forceps, please.¡± ¡°Stop the bleeding!¡± ¡°How are the vital signs? Pay attention to the transfusion.¡± ¡°The patient¡¯s vital signs are normal, no decreasing trend.¡± ... ¡°Keep a close watch, don¡¯t be complacent, we only have this one specimen.¡± Sweat formed on Professor Rori¡¯s forehead as nurses by his side helped wipe it off. Age was one factor making it challenging to perform the surgery himself, but the tension of fearing a mistake that could waste the precious specimen was another. It wasn¡¯t just Professor Rori who was tense; Mahat and Moritz outside the laboratory were also holding their breath, staring unblinkingly at the screen hanging on the exterior wall of the lab, which was broadcasting live everything happening in the surgery. Professor Rori picked up the scalpel again and cautiously proceeded to operate on the heart. Through a previously determined parasite location, he made a minimally invasive cut on the heart. Professor Rori and the surrounding doctors¡¯ pupils constricted, filled with excitement and thrill. For what they saw hidden in the heart, which didn¡¯t belong to human heart tissue, was a grayish-white, thumb-sized insect with eight abdominal limbs, somewhat resembling a flea residing in it. ¡°It really is an insect!¡± Moritz spoke in a tone full of surprise, finding it incredible that a human could still be alive with such an insect burrowed in the heart. ¡°If we can decipher the secret of this parasite, we too can cultivate such Super Soldiers.¡± Mahat, as the field operations leader, valued practicality even more.¡± ¡°Forceps!¡± In the lab, Professor Rori lowered his voice as if afraid that the sound might disturb the parasite. As the forceps were positioned by a nurse, Professor Rori took a deep breath, steadied his arms, and inserted the forceps deep into the incision in the heart, clamping the parasite and slowly peeling it off from the heart. This process was extremely slow and lasted several minutes, but ultimately, Professor Rori successfully removed the forceps from the heart, bringing the parasite out with them. ¡°We did it, we succeeded.¡± ¡°The biggest secret of the Jieke Company will be unveiled before us.¡± ¡°Haha, thank God, I¡¯ve already thought about how generous a bonus they will give us.¡± ¡°This parasite could enhance human bodies, perhaps even extend life spans.¡± ¡°Even if it can¡¯t extend life spans, as long as it¡¯s confirmed to enhance the human body without side effects, I would willingly have one.¡± The doctors on scene immediately erupted into excitement, their gazes fervently fixed on the extracted parasite, a creature they had never seen before.¡± ¡°Quickly move it to a petri dish to secure it, we can¡¯t afford any mistakes.¡± Professor Rori removed his mask, delegating the suturing to other doctors. He turned to signal a thumbs-up to Mortiz and Mahat outside the lab, intending to share his joy with them. But at that moment, Professor Rori suddenly noticed something off in their gazes; the look of utter shock directed behind him. When Professor Rori turned around, he saw the parasite that had seemed dormant just after being extracted, suddenly stand up. Its hind legs kicked ferociously, shooting through the air and striking a doctor in the neck. Human flesh was like fragile foam, instantly penetrated by it. Ugh, ugh! The doctor with a pierced neck fell down, clutching at his neck desperately trying to call for help, but unable to make a sound because of the damaged trachea. The surrounding doctors, including the soldiers and both Moritz and Mahat outside, were stunned. But the parasite, more accurately described as a Symbiotic poisonous insect, didn¡¯t stop its carnage because of the humans¡¯ startled gaze. It bounced back and forth, continuously piercing through several people, and finally, the remaining doctors panicked and subconsciously tried to flee the laboratory. But when they opened the door, the parasite jumped out with them, spreading the slaughter outside. ¡°Quickly, kill it!¡± Moritz was shocked and enraged, never imagining that a small parasite could be so savage after leaving its host. Bang, bang, bang! The sound of gunfire erupted densely, and the small parasite was hard to hit with bullets, instantly resulting in more than a dozen people falling victim to its attack. Some had their necks pierced, others their hearts, and some their eye sockets. More soldiers started to arrive, and soon a flame thrower was brought into play. Now, people didn¡¯t care if they might destroy the valuable equipment here, and fired at the parasite. The parasite instinctively avoided the flames, but its speed was slowing down. The symbiotic poisonous insect was one with its host; without the host¡¯s nourishment, it could only bounce around for a while before its body would quickly weaken. The soldiers seized the opportunity. Just as the parasite had pierced a soldier and was about to jump again, the flames engulfed both the man and the insect. By the time the flame thrower was turned off, the parasite had already been burned to death. ¡°My sample.¡± Professor Rori shrieked, not caring that he had been stepped on a few times in the chaos, he lunged forward and stared at the charred parasite, wanting to cry but unable to shed tears. This only sample was gone; how heartrending it was. ¡°Damn it, Professor Rori, what kind of research are you conducting? Is this what you call safe? Not even detecting how dangerous this single parasite was, causing so many deaths, even the director was implicated.¡± Mahat was uncontrollable with anger, nearly twenty people had died here in a short time, an absolute blunder. Moritz was holding his arm, which had been accidentally wounded by a ricocheted bullet. ¡°I¡¯m alright, hurry and check on Super Soldier Ruan Qianguang¡¯s condition.¡± Moritz shouted, and a crowd rushed back into the laboratory, only to be met with more bad news. ¡°Director, Ruan Qianguang is dead.¡± The crowd was devastated. Since the symbiotic poisonous insect and the host were one, with the host¡¯s death, the symbiotic poisonous insect could not survive either. Similarly, with the death of the symbiotic poisonous insect, the host could not live on his own. As soon as this news was reported, it greatly enraged Moritz, who stared furiously at Rori. If it weren¡¯t for the other party¡¯s reckless surgery, they wouldn¡¯t have killed such a valuable sample ¨C how was he going to explain this to the country? ¡°This is a symbiotic insect, ah, the symbiotic relationship between humans and insects, such type of symbiotic relationship is also very rare in nature.¡± Rori stood up, collected the charred parasite first and sent it into the laboratory for analysis and research, then pushed his glasses and made his analysis. ¡°I think, Jieke Company is much further ahead of us in the biological field. I need more samples and research data; only then can we obtain this miraculous insect, gain stronger physiques, and even longer lifespans.¡± Rori was not too reactive about the dead, his gaze still passionate, only pitying the loss of the material. Moritz, suppressing his anger, said with a reproachful tone, ¡°It¡¯s because of your recklessness that we¡¯ve suffered such a huge loss, now.....¡± Before Moritz could finish, Rori interrupted him. ¡°I will personally report this matter to the country, Director Moritz. You will soon see a significant increase in funding, as most capitalists and interest groups in the country will be thrilled by it.¡± Rori¡¯s words significantly alleviated Moritz¡¯s dissatisfaction. If they had full support from the country, his chances of dealing with Jieke Group would be much greater. Chapter 289: 204: Eight Nations Alliance (First Update) Chapter 289: Chapter 204: Eight Nations Alliance (First Update) Mande Region. A large hospital, which had nearly completed construction, was halted and underwent redesign and reconstruction. Vast quantities of construction machinery and workers moved in, initiating feverish building activity. The number of workers gathered here was even greater than before, with piles of steel and concrete stacked up on the site. The workers, wearing safety helmets, directed large dump trucks filled with sand and soil and enormous cranes that came from afar, while the roaring sounds of various heavy machinery filled the air. As the project continuously progressed, some workers began installing windows and doors, breathing life into the building. ... However, the previously pristine white exterior walls of the hospital were now painted in darker, more somber hues, exuding a slightly eerie vibe. Su Jie, accompanied by Chen Yaoguang, walked through the bustling construction site, followed by several engineers. These engineers, hailing from Hua Country, were members of the China Construction Third Bureau. Hua Country was known as a construction frenzy nation; with enough money, their building speed was unquestionable. ¡°What¡¯s the projected timeline for completion based on the current pace?¡± Su Jie looked up at the repurposed hospital, with its surroundings also undergoing extensive expansion, aiming to create a vast-scale Ghost House. ¡°Since the hospital was nearly finished originally, only some light renovations remain. With workers operating in three shifts around the clock, the first phase of the project could be completed in about half a month and initially put to use. The larger-scale second and third phases of the project, involving an area of over 6,000 acres, will require more time to build progressively.¡± The site¡¯s chief engineer answered respectfully; this massive Ghost House spanned over 6,000 acres, almost as large as Tsinghua University, with only a small part completed so far. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable timing!¡± Su Jie nodded. The sooner the Ghost House was built, the earlier they could open and start harvesting the emotions of fear, which Su Jie valued highly. In Su Jie¡¯s vision, the future Ghost House would rival Shanghai¡¯s Disneyland, which, despite only being open for seven to eight years, had already accommodated over a hundred million visitors. Chen Yaoguang handed over some documents and interjected, ¡°Mr. Su, according to your instructions, we have already placed advertisements on multiple promotion platforms to boost awareness for the Ghost House. We¡¯ve also contacted various travel groups and spent a lot on several internet bloggers who will help promote it when the time comes. However, do we really need to offer such a huge prize? If someone truly completes the Ghost House challenge, this high reward of one million dollars...¡± Thinking of the advertisement Su Jie had demanded, Chen Yaoguang still found it unbelievable to this day. At Su Jie¡¯s behest, Jieke Company had invested an immense amount in advertising and set up exorbitant prize money for successful challengers, which, in Chen Yaoguang¡¯s view, seemed almost like throwing money into the water. ¡°Are we lacking money?¡± Su Jie smiled; to him, money was not an issue at all, at least for now. ¡°Jieke Company now makes over one billion US dollars in revenue each month; our cash flow is substantial.¡± Chen Yaoguang said immediately, understanding Su Jie¡¯s intention. However, he still couldn¡¯t grasp why, even with ample funds, they needed to splurge on a Ghost House. Compared to amusement parks, a Ghost House was a niche concept, and turning a profit to recover the initial investment was very challenging. ¡°Since we¡¯re not short of money, nothing else is a problem. I¡¯m not planning to recoup the investment through the Ghost House; this is my plan. I want to make Mande City the largest top-tier Ghost House in the world, and I¡¯m willing to invest billions of dollars to achieve that.¡± Su Jie spoke calmly, of course not revealing the real reasons to Chen Yaoguang. Money is meant to be spent. The population in the Mande Region is limited, totaling around two million, and the entire Chan Country has only fifty million inhabitants. Unless it were mandatory for all citizens to visit the Ghost House, it would be hard to ensure the volume of fear emotions Su Jie needed. Moreover, continuously having the same group of people entering the Ghost House would acclimate them to fear, leading to a decrease in the emotions provided, which wasn¡¯t in line with Su Jie¡¯s expectations. To meet Su Jie¡¯s demands, he would need to attract more tourists to enter the Ghost House. To achieve that, apart from gaining fame, offering attractive rewards was clearly the most effective. Su Jie, while walking on the construction site, pointed towards a large building on the left and said, ¡°The Ghost House will offer five levels of difficulties: Ordinary, Hard, Nightmare, Hell, and Unsolvable. This building will be set at the Ordinary level. The interiors should follow my design. If visitors successfully complete the challenge, they will be rewarded with ten thousand dollars, Hard will offer fifty thousand dollars, Nightmare one hundred thousand dollars, Hell three hundred thousand dollars, and Unsolvable level, a direct reward of one million dollars.¡± In Su Jie¡¯s plan, the Ordinary level of the Ghost House would only feature a First-grade fierce ghost. The Hard level would see Second Grade, and Nightmare would include Third-grade fierce ghosts. In the Hell level, the Lantern Ghost and Painting Woman would make an appearance. As for the Unsolvable level, once this massive Ghost House was constructed, it would become the resting place for Ghost Bride. This Unsolvable-level Ghost House was planned as a venue for the Ghost Bride to relax and unwind. Normally, most individuals would be terrified out of their wits facing a real First-grade fierce ghost in the Ordinary level. Who would be audacious enough to try the Unsolvable level? Other than Su Jie, those on the site inhaled sharply upon hearing this. ¡°This money will drive countless people crazy.¡± Engineers from Hua Country murmured to themselves, noting that in Hua Country, the average yearly income was only ten thousand US dollars. Yet here, all one needed to do was to successfully complete a haunted house of ordinary difficulty to earn a year¡¯s salary, which was incredibly tempting. ¡°Mr. Su, isn¡¯t there a limit?¡± An engineer couldn¡¯t help but wonder, fearing that continuing this way would drain even the deepest coffers. ¡°As long as one has the skill, no matter how many people succeed, we won¡¯t miss a penny of the bonuses. With Jieke Company¡¯s reputation, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid of us defaulting on payments.¡± Su Jie chuckled lightly, his voice casual as he mentioned that to Jieke Company, flush with cash, such trifles were too small to be considered. Moreover, succeeding in the haunted house was certainly not as easy as they imagined. It required not only courage but also sufficient cunning, or else one would simply be delivering themselves up on a platter. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± A few engineers thought the same, knowing Jieke Company was famed as a potential top contender in the pharmaceutical industry once it went public. Their Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was known around the world. One million dollars was a massive wealth for an individual, but for a transnational pharmaceutical giant like Jieke Company, it really wasn¡¯t much. ¡°Old Chen, increase the investment in promotion, we can start heating up now.¡± Su Jie instructed Chen Yaoguang, noting that half a month was plenty of time to get things sorted, and the training of personnel had already begun, let alone worrying about the employees who would act as ghosts in the haunted house. ¡°Mr. Su, you haven¡¯t come up with a name for this haunted house yet, what do you think of calling it?¡± ¡°Hmm, how about calling it Nightmare Park? I hope the visitors can experience a truly authentic and thrilling adventure here,¡± Su Jie said thoughtfully, stroking his chin as he named the haunted house. ¡°That¡¯s a good name, very fitting,¡± Chen Yaoguang agreed repeatedly, as if the name carried great significance, his flattery a bit too apparent. Su Jie shook his head smiling, then continued touring the construction site, sharing his plans with the engineers. Half an hour later, trouble found them first. Liu Yingying rushed out of her car, put on her hard hat, and walked up to Su Jie, whispering, ¡°There¡¯s trouble, Su Jie.¡± Su Jie gestured for Chen Yaoguang to leave, and, taking a hint, Chen led the engineers away. ¡°Is it Beautiful Country making moves again?¡± Su Jie asked, knowing that his current enemy was none other than the Blue Star Dominator. ¡°Exactly, just now, Beautiful Country announced a new round of sanctions against Chan Country¡¯s East Qin State, aiming to freeze Jieke Company¡¯s overseas bank channels and initiating a stricter trade embargo.¡± Just half an hour ago, a cargo ship headed for Jike Port in East Qin State, laden with our industrial purchases, was seized by the Chan Country Government Navy claiming we were transporting illegal smuggled goods and demanding a fine of thirty million US dollars. In addition, Beautiful Country announced they would deploy a long-distance escort fleet, in collaboration with Temasek, Luzon, Siam, Jawa, Johor, Chan Country, and Japan, to combat the pirates in Mengjia Bay and maintain the safety of the route, clearly aiming at us, intending to block us on land. They also plan to make this escort a routine, creating an Eight Nations Security Agreement led by Beautiful Country, forming an Asia-Pacific Eight Nation Alliance organization designed to stifle our development,¡± Liu Yingying explained as she quickly showed the latest news to Su Jie. Su Jie looked down at the news, with entries from various countries, though Japan¡¯s were the most conspicuous. As a loyal servant of Beautiful Country, openly signing a reciprocal military access agreement with Chan Country, the agreement would allow the Japan Self Defense Forces to be deployed to Chan Country¡¯s territory in turns. Other countries simply send their navies, following behind Beautiful Country with their poorly maintained small frigates to boost morale. But only Japan was sending troops; they were truly audacious! ¡°Well, they seem to have forgotten the pain after a scar heals. Are they living too comfortably that they have never been beaten?¡± Su Jie mused as he saw the Prime Minister of Japan¡¯s speech at the news conference on his phone, expressing their intent to provide Chan Country with coastal radar systems, technical support for patrol boats to investigate illegal maritime smuggling routes, and assertively maintain Chan Country¡¯s territorial integrity and national sovereignty against all dictatorial warlords and illegal elements. The news made Su Jie laugh. You think you can just step from Northeast Asia to create mischief in Southeast Asia? Look at you go. Yet, upon reflection, Su Jie wasn¡¯t surprised. Japan, as a country deeply controlled by Beautiful Country from top to bottom and hosting the most overseas military bases of Beautiful Country, was clearly playing the vanguard role this time. It seemed the last encounter had hurt Beautiful Country badly, leading them to skulk in the back this time and instead send Japan, their top lackey, to test the waters and provoke Jieke Group. If Jieke Group remained as fierce and formidable as before, it would be Japan that suffered. If Jieke Group backed down, Beautiful Country, along with other countries, could push further and claim more benefits. Chapter 290: 205: Blockade (Second Update) Chapter 290: Chapter 205: Blockade (Second Update) ¡°Is there a deployment time mentioned?¡± Su Jie put down the tablet and sat on a piece of stone, pulling Liu Yingying to sit down beside him. ¡°Japan plans to send five thousand Self-Defense troops, saying that they aim to complete the deployment within two months, stationed along the line of Jinlao Mountain, Wu River, and Nanguan City in Ji State.¡± Liu Yingying took out a map. East Qin State was to the west of Chan Country, bordered by Mengjia Bay to the left next to the sea, mountainous to the north with sparse population and poor land, and near Zha Yin State to the east, where a group known as the East Ancient National Alliance Army held sway. And on the southern border with Ji State was the territory of the government army. The Japanese military, according to the plan, wanted to position its forces along the border between the government army and East Qin State. ... The difficulties facing Jieke Group were clearly visible on the map. To the north, the land was barren. To the west, access to the sea was blocked. To the east lay the territories of other warlords, and to the south, an overtly hostile government army. It was like an invisible net aiming to trap Jieke Company within East Qin State, forbidding any form of expansion by Jieke Group and, it seemed, also planning to slowly squeeze the living space of Jieke Company. Having seen the map, Su Jie had a clear understanding of the current situation. ¡°Su Jie, we released our prisoners too early, Beautiful Country doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of reconciling with us.¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s ample chest heaved with emotion, indignant at the shamelessness of Beautiful Country. It had been only two months since the last war ended and the peace agreement that had been reached was torn up in the blink of an eye, launching another round of trouble for Jieke Group. The only difference was that this time Beautiful Country had learned its lesson; it didn¡¯t enter the fray directly but brought a bunch of underlings to stir up trouble. It was rather like a bully who got beaten in a fight and came back the next day with a gang of friends, snarling and itching for revenge. ¡°Eagle¡¯s thuggish ways are nothing new. They¡¯ve tasted blood here at our Jieke Company; how could they possibly give up so easily?¡± Su Jie sneered mockingly, having been mentally prepared for this for some time. Agreements were nothing more than toilet paper, easily torn apart in the face of hefty benefits. Jieke Company, thanks to Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, had made a fortune, now garnering daily net profits of over two hundred million US Dollars, just slightly trailing behind Apple Company. This astonishing capability to amass wealth, while sustaining the operation of Jieke Company and Mu Hua Food Company¡¯s pig farming business in Hua Country, as well as subsidizing the development of East Qin State, was more than sufficient. Consider that the population of Chan Country, with over fifty million people, had a yearly GDP of just sixty billion US Dollars, with a per capita GDP around a thousand US Dollars. The entire country didn¡¯t earn as much as Jieke Company. Based purely on net profits, Jieke Group could rank among the top five corporations in the world. That was the reason why Beautiful Country just couldn¡¯t forget about Jieke Company. A company that made short video apps for the internet already had Beautiful Country dropping all pretense of decorum. Imagine then, a pharmaceutical giant like Jieke Company. If captured, this feast would be enough to sate a host of capitalists. ¡°Luckily, Su Jie, you reminded us last time. We stored plenty of steel cement, machinery industry products, coal, and oil in advance through trade. Plus, with our grain production, there won¡¯t be any problems for a year,¡± Liu Yingying said with emotion. If it weren¡¯t for Su Jie¡¯s foresight, the situation in East Qin State could have been much worse. Up to today, Beautiful Country had also announced sanctions against East Qin State, and even brazenly brought it up to the United Nations for resolution, which, unsurprisingly, was vetoed by Hua Country and Russia. With sufficient interest, many national businesses are willing to trade with Jieke Company, even if it means paying a premium; after all, not everyone cares about the face of Beautiful Country. But now it was different. With a group of underlings under the guise of naval protection, Beautiful Country was implementing de facto sanctions. Commercial vessels entering now risked being attacked or even sunk, severing Jieke Group¡¯s trade routes. ¡°This is only temporary. Millions need our support. If we want true freedom, we need to break through this blockade line,¡± Su Jie spread the map on the ground and picked up two stones¡ªone placed on the Mengjia Bay to the west and the other on Ji State to the south where the government army was positioned. ¡°We have two options. With the blockade at sea here, after our last lesson with torpedoes, I reckon the escort fleet won¡¯t dare come close to the coast. It¡¯s hard for us to find them in the open sea, and we¡¯re not in a hurry about this blockade. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid now has a production factory in Mexico and can be partly self-sufficient. The rest we can smuggle through land transport, and later through sea transport to Mexico. The ingredients for the hair growth liquid take up little space, they can¡¯t inspect it all; they can¡¯t stop our smuggling. To the east, the East Ancient National Alliance Army, an alliance of twenty-four different ethnic groups, is a mess, and even if we took it over, they wouldn¡¯t side with us in the short term. Ji State here, on the other hand, might be worth a shot. Once those Self-Defense troops are deployed, we can start to get ready, aiming to take over this piece of ¡®fatty meat¡¯.¡± Su Jie looked at the position of Ji State on the map, where the terrain of Chan Country grew increasingly forested and mountainous as you moved north, while the southern plains were relatively wider. For example, Yang City, the capital of Chan Country, located in the south, sat amidst the plains, which could support a population of five to six million people. The population in Ji State, under the control of the government army, was about five million. This was also one of the few industrial areas in Chan Country. Due to the presence of coal, iron ore, and oil fields in Ji State, many factories were established nearby to utilize these resources efficiently, ranking in the top three industrial zones within Chan Country. ¡°Ji State, that¡¯s a good place indeed,¡± Liu Yingying nodded emphatically, confident in the strength of Jieke Security. During the last confrontation, even the military intervention by Beautiful Country had been sent packing in disarray. This time, facing Japan and the Chan Country Government Army, there¡¯s no reason they couldn¡¯t succeed. ¡°However, two months is too long, since the Beautiful Country is causing trouble for us, it wouldn¡¯t be polite not to return the favor.¡± As Su Jie said this, his tone turned grave, ¡°There¡¯s a score to settle with the Beautiful Country anyway. The disappearance of Ruan Qianguang you mentioned last time, there¡¯s no need to continue investigating it.¡± ¡°Su Jie, do you have a lead?¡± Liu Yingying was shocked. The disappearance of a First-class Super Soldier had alarmed everyone at Jieke, mobilizing a vast amount of manpower and resources, but sadly they had not found any clues. ¡°He¡¯s with the CIA, sent to the capital of Siam, Manchester, where they have an important division called ¡®Jieke Group Intelligence Research and Report Office,¡¯ focused specifically on our Jieke.¡± Su Jie spoke indifferently; as for where the intelligence came from, it was actually supplied by the enemy themselves. The CIA had planted many spies in Mande City, some were locals who had been bribed, others were their own agents, all monitoring Jieke¡¯s operations. However, these watchers were in fact being watched by reconnaissance insects. In the days since Su Jie returned to Blue Star, he had been using the reconnaissance insects, gaining a lot of intelligence from the unwitting conversations between CIA agents and their colleagues and superiors, including information about Ruan Qianguang¡¯s disappearance. For this reason, Su Jie didn¡¯t make a move against those agents spying on Jieke. They had become an important source of intelligence for him. ¡°These bastards.¡± Clenching her silver teeth, Liu Yingying had complete trust in Su Jie. Hearing this answer, Liu Yingying didn¡¯t doubt its authenticity at all, because the CIA was always like this. ¡°But Su Jie, since they¡¯ve placed their headquarters in Siam, the defenses there must be very tight. Should we dispatch the Steel Camp for a raid?¡± Having shared a bed with Su Jie for so long, Liu Yingying was well aware of his character. From the tone of Su Jie¡¯s voice, it was not difficult to infer that he planned to make a move on the CIA. But Siam was, after all, not Chan Country; it was a bit remote, and digging an underground tunnel there quickly would be difficult. Besides, after dealing with Jieke for so long, the CIA couldn¡¯t possibly be unprepared for Jieke¡¯s Super Soldiers. Making a rash move could lead to a successful attack, but the losses might be heavy. ¡°We won¡¯t use the Steel Camp this time, let them continue their training. To deal with these CIA rats from the sewers, we¡¯ll use killers that are even darker and more terrifying than they are, and strike back at them.¡± A cold curve appeared on Su Jie¡¯s lips as he looked towards the under-construction Nightmare Park, saying coldly, ¡°Just in time, before the opening of this Ghost House, let the employees practice and do a trial run to avoid becoming rusty.¡± Liu Yingying blinked her beautiful, large eyes, not quite understanding what Su Jie meant. Fortunately, she was very sensible and didn¡¯t ask further questions. It was her job to help manage Jieke, and Su Jie had his own plans. More secrets that Su Jie did not disclose, she would never probe into. Su Jie touched Liu Yingying¡¯s cheek and asked, ¡°Almost forgot to ask, Yingying, have you chosen targets for the movie production and distribution companies?¡± Su Jie had entrusted the film production preparations to Liu Yingying. ¡°We¡¯ve surveyed numerous film production, distribution companies, and theater chains, mainly focusing on Asia. We plan to buy several at once and integrate them into a new matrix for film production, distribution, and theaters. In the future, depending on the circumstances, we¡¯ll break into the market in Europe and America. But there, due to strong protectionism and constant exclusion of Jieke, breaking into that market will be a bit difficult.¡± Liu Yingying picked up the documents, which contained the names of the companies slated for acquisition, their operational situations, and the estimated funds needed. ¡°Decide on these yourself, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to cost much.¡± For Su Jie, it was no big deal; after all, the global box office market combined didn¡¯t match Jieke¡¯s annual revenue. Such a market segment wasn¡¯t worth the effort for Jieke; they could simply throw money around and create a film industry behemoth. As for losses, Su Jie could well afford them. His foray into films was to promote the horror movie starring the Ghost Bride, with the aim not to harvest box office returns but to absorb fear emotions. When the time came to attract an audience, even if it meant price wars and substantial ticket subsidies, half-price or even free tickets, Su Jie could do it with ease. ¡°Then I¡¯ll arrange the acquisitions. The current entertainment market is indeed thriving; it¡¯s not too late for us to enter now.¡± Liu Yingying nodded in agreement, thinking that Su Jie was interested in the entertainment market. Although the market was not large, the monthly earnings of Jieke were too frightening. With so much money they couldn¡¯t spend, it would just sit in accounts and devalue. In that case, it would be better to invest more broadly across industries, optimizing asset allocation and improving Jieke¡¯s influence and risk resistance. After discussing with Liu Yingying for a while and arranging the upcoming plans for Jieke, Su Jie prepared for the potential conflicts to come. Having done all this, Su Jie rose unhurriedly, ready to set off for Mande City. Chapter 291: 206: If Kou Can Go, So Can I! (Third Update) Chapter 291: Chapter 206: If Kou Can Go, So Can I! (Third Update) Mexico border. Adjacent to the Beautiful Country, the terrain here featured sparse vegetation with the earth showing hues of yellow and brown, gullies and woodlands resembling the wrinkles of an elderly man. A gust of wind blew, lifting dust and sand into the sky. Amidst the swirling dust, a building encompassing over a dozen acres stood resilient against the sandy storm. This was a border checkpoint of the Beautiful Country, surrounded by a multitude of ragged individuals who roamed aimlessly like soulless husks, utterly devoid of vitality. Due to the border wall and wire fencing, a significant number of illegal immigrants lingered here every day. ... These illegal immigrants hoped to infiltrate the Beautiful Country by any means, to breathe in the air of freedom and sweetness. Unfortunately, the border wall cut off their passage, and now they could only wander on the Mexican side, constantly devising ways to sneak across. As the saying goes, where there¡¯s demand, there¡¯s opportunity. Some gangs from Mexico and the Beautiful Country set their sights on this business, earning commissions by smuggling people across the border. Each serpent has its path; each rat has its route. These local snakes were well-acquainted with the terrain, often knowing where to smoothly slip between the borders of the two countries. These smuggling heads were joyously raking in the extra cash. However, during this period, the situation began to change. The local snakes discovered an even more profitable business¡ªsmuggling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. What¡¯s the money in poor illegal immigrants? The wealthy don¡¯t need to smuggle their way in; they¡¯ve long since immigrated legally and aboveboard. But Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was different¡ªit was a tiny commodity priced at three hundred US Dollars a bottle, extremely popular within the Beautiful Country, selling out instantly. Those suffering from hair loss who used it once found it hard to ever go without this miraculous shampoo. All they needed to do was obtain their supply from the Tijuana Group, bring it into the Beautiful Country, and they could reap astonishing profits. A single small bottle of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid could garner a profit of sixty to seventy US Dollars. Light in weight and small in volume, a person could easily carry dozens or even hundreds of bottles, earning several thousand US Dollars from a single run. Some more diligent ones could make two trips a day. As a result, the local snakes ingeniously devised a new method for transporting goods. That was to have the people they were smuggling also carry a box of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, foregoing the smuggling fee and instead secretly bringing them into the Beautiful Country. This tactic also caused the border police of the Beautiful Country significant distress and anger. In the past they dealt with body smuggling of drugs, but now, keeping up with the times, they used the same method to transport Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, which was utterly despicable. Within the border checkpoint, Lares Petrovich tugged at his stifling hot uniform and with a quick snap of his belt, whipped it fiercely across a smuggler, adding a new bloody welt to their body. ¡°I don¡¯t know, please stop hitting me, I really don¡¯t know.¡± The beaten smuggler was a Latin American woman in her thirties, her cries and screams already hoarse. ¡°Tell me where¡¯s the meeting place with the Tijuana Group, where do they distribute the goods to you?¡± Lares bellowed, his face a shade of heated red, his stubbled beard trembling as if he were an enraged lion. ¡°I don¡¯t have any, I don¡¯t know. The snake head has already run away. What Tijuana Group? I¡¯ve never heard of it. I just carried a box in as instructed by the snake head.¡± The Latin American woman cried miserably, and it was fortunate that no media reporters were present, otherwise this would have surely become headline news in the Beautiful Country. ¡°Fuck, do you even know what you¡¯re carrying, you just do whatever they tell you to do?¡± Lares looked annoyed. Ever since Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was banned in the Beautiful Country, it had caused a series of problems, and smuggling had become increasingly severe. Initially, the Tijuana Group personally handled the transportation of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, but as the Beautiful Country clamped down with a heavy hand, deploying police dogs, helicopters, and military scouts. They also infiltrated and bribed to gather intelligence, destroying many of the Tijuana Group¡¯s smuggling tunnels used exclusively at the border. Later on, the Tijuana Group began to lay low, but this did not reduce the amount of smuggling. Instead, they distributed the profits among other gangs and the public, involving them in the smuggling. Although smuggling without the tunnels didn¡¯t match previous volumes, a single spark can start a prairie fire¡ªthe number of smugglers and the amount smuggled were too vast. The Beautiful Country was at a loss, unable to detain these people for long, as many were illegal immigrants and smugglers, possessing nothing. To this day, the Tijuana Group remained a thorn in the side of these border officers. The emergence of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid had significantly increased their anti-smuggling pressure, with endless tasks day and night. The Latin American woman who was beaten and yelled at offered no response; she lowered her head, and Lares¡¯s expression changed. He reached to check for breath and felt nothing. This smuggler, already weakened by the long journey and the recent beating, had not survived. ¡°Bad luck.¡± Lares spat out and prepared to have the body taken away for burial; as for resuscitation? There was no need¡ªit would have been a futile waste of medical resources. It¡¯s common knowledge how expensive medical care is in the Beautiful Country. An uninsured smuggler hoping for medical treatment was nothing but trouble. Moreover, smugglers here have no one to rely on. Even if they die, nobody cares. Whether smuggling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid or before its time, the Beautiful Country¡¯s police had never regarded these smugglers as human beings. Chapter 292: 206: If Kou Can Go, So Can I! (Third Update)_2 Chapter 292: Chapter 206: If Kou Can Go, So Can I! (Third Update)_2 Under Lares¡¯s summoning, a doctor walked into the interrogation room, seemingly unfazed by the scene of torture. After a brief check, he wrote on the report, ¡®Died of sudden cardiac death due to heart disease,¡¯ and stamped it. ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink sometime.¡± Lares, smiling, patted the doctor on the shoulder, walked out of the interrogation room, and gulped down some water. Shortly after, colleagues from other interrogation rooms appeared one by one, their outcomes similar. The real smugglers had escaped long ago, those guys knew the terrain well and slipped away as fast as rabbits. They had returned empty-handed once again. ¡°Lares, any results on your end?¡± ... A colleague looked up and greeted him. ¡°No, tough nuts to crack, those Tijuana bastards have turned into turtles, only daring to hide behind Mexico and spread their goods. If I knew their whereabouts, I¡¯d stuff their heads right up their asses.¡± Lares cursed angrily, his frustration evident. Hearing Lares¡¯s complaint, the surrounding officers burst into laughter. ¡°Ha ha, good idea, Lares, I¡¯d love to see those bastards suffer.¡± ¡°Tijuana Group just knows how to hide and seek all day, and those CIA folks are so useless, haven¡¯t found their boss Carter even after all this time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t see members of Tijuana around anymore, otherwise I would let them experience my marksmanship.¡± The group continued to joke and laugh, but suddenly, a cacophony erupted from outside, sounding like eight hundred ducks quacking. ¡°Those illegal immigrants are causing a ruckus again, trying to breach the barbed wire and run over here.¡± Lares set down his water bottle, adjusted his holster, and grabbed a baton, walking out aggressively. But as soon as he exited the interrogation building, he was shocked by the scene in front of him. A helicopter was flying above, its metal body shimmering in the sunlight; the Gatling gun beneath its belly was rotating, spewing out a lengthy, dazzling flame, the source of the noisy ruckus he heard. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Countless bullets rained down, creating a metallic storm at this border checkpoint. Many Beautiful Country policemen who couldn¡¯t react in time were torn apart by the bullets, limbs flew, and the ground was stained red with blood. A bullet grazed over Lares¡¯s scalp, causing goosebumps all over his body, and he immediately came back to his senses, shouting in panic, ¡°Ambush, ambush!¡± Although he didn¡¯t need to shout, the entire border checkpoint was already alarmed. These Beautiful Country policemen were suppressed by the firepower and had difficulty shooting back; they could only look for rocket launchers and individual air defense missiles while calling for backup. Due to the special nature of the border checkpoint, these border guards were not lacking in firepower. Especially after the emergence of the Tijuana Organization, they had intensified their armament. Vroom Vroom! The roaring of vehicles approached as a dozen armored trucks charged to the border checkpoint. Men in red bandanas, wearing bulletproof vests, camouflage military uniforms, and helmets, armed with AK47s, jumped down from the trucks and without hesitation, pulled the triggers upon seeing the Beautiful Country policemen. At the connection between the truck¡¯s cab and the rear, a heavy machine gun added there vibrated crazily with its long bullet chain, its fierce firepower resonating a symphony of metal and gunpowder, accompanied by spurting blood, sending chills down one¡¯s spine. ¡°It¡¯s the Tijuana Group, they are here.¡± Lares, witnessing the scene, instantly recognized the assailants¡¯ identity. These individuals exhibited military training traces and wore uniformed outfits; their firepower was so fierce, they could only be members of the Tijuana Organization, deemed by the Beautiful Country as an extreme terrorist group. ¡°Fire back, fire back now.¡± ¡°Where are the reinforcements? We need support, ground forces, air support, anything, hurry up and help us!¡± ¡°No good, the enemy¡¯s firepower is too fierce, they are so strong.¡± The policemen at the Beautiful Country border checkpoint still wanted to return fire and fight. Those allocated to such a dangerous place like the border were surely skilled, not just loafers. Normally, despite being caught off guard, relying on their training and marksmanship, dealing with scattered Tijuana fighters should have been easy. But they quickly realized they were not fighting a disorganized, undisciplined band of extremists. Most people had military training, but among them, some members were even stronger than the elite special forces in the army, with incredibly precise marksmanship, agile and ferocious movements, and senses as sharp as a swift. Many brave police officers who dared to retaliate had just peeked their heads out when they were accurately shot in the head, their brains spilling hot and white all over the ground. ¡°They are Super Soldiers, they have taken Strengthening Pills, Jieke Company gave them Strengthening Pills.¡± The many Beautiful Country police officers below were still unclear as to how these Tijuana members were so proficient with guns, but the head of the checkpoint turned deathly pale. He had some connections in Beautiful Country and was aware of Beautiful Country¡¯s defeat in Chan Country. This included information about Strengthening Pills and Super Soldiers. Right now, those five or six adept enemies had definitely taken Strengthening Pills; otherwise, they couldn¡¯t possibly possess such inhuman speed and neurological reaction. Although to the head officer, these Super Soldiers were not wearing Heavy Armor, nor were they carrying vehicle-mounted Gatlings or large caliber machine guns¡ªthe most terrifying type of First-class Super Soldiers. However, their border checkpoint was not a regular military fortified with heavy armaments. These Third-class and Second-class Super Soldiers relying just on marksmanship and physical capabilities were more than enough to crush them. Soon, each Beautiful Country police officer was shot until they dared not show their heads, hiding inside the buildings shivering, just like quails. Fortunately, the border checkpoint was solidly constructed with reinforced concrete and heavy steel doors, built to the specifications of a wartime fortress; as long as they did not wish to go out, it was quite safe. ¡°Bang bang bang!¡± Faced with this situation, members of the Tijuana Group chose not to storm in but began clearing out those Beautiful Country police officers who hadn¡¯t entered the buildings. ¡°Hurry, open the door, let me in,¡± Lares roared, his eyes bloodshot and red, continuously banging on the door. He had stormed out of the interrogation building just moments ago and now wanted back in, but his colleagues and comrades had already shut the door. ¡°It¡¯s Lares¡¯ voice, open the door.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, do you want to let those terrifying guys in?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t open the door, anyone who dares open it, I¡¯ll blow their head off.¡± The faint sounds of argument from inside suddenly turned Lares red with rage, he cursed loudly, ¡°Fuck shit, you bunch of shitty cowards and traitors, open the damn door now or I¡¯ll blow your guts out.¡± ¡°Lares, don¡¯t blame us, we don¡¯t want you to get us killed.¡± ¡°Yeah, Lares, it¡¯s time to show your bravery, go fight, didn¡¯t you say that Tijuana is all turtles hiding in their shells, wanting to shove their heads up their asses?¡± ¡°Sacrifice one for the good of all, Lares, don¡¯t you have any courage to sacrifice yourself?¡± Inside the room, after a moment of silence, the voices of his colleagues and comrades mocking him followed. Lares was uncontrollably furious, howling, ¡°I will kill you bastards, I mean it, I¡¯ll kill all of you.¡± But as Lares was still howling, footsteps and the sound of guns being loaded came from behind him. Lares turned around in terror, a cold gun barrel pressed against his forehead, and a pair of chilling eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t kill...¡± Before he could finish pleading, the bullet had penetrated his skull, his brain matter and blood splattering onto the door behind him. The Super Soldier, holding Lares¡¯ limp body, dipped his finger in the blood and wrote a line on the door. Similar scenes occurred in many places around the checkpoint. These Beautiful Country police officers kept hiding, daring not to show themselves until this group of Tijuana members had long departed and support arrived, then the people inside cautiously opened the doors and came out. ¡°What comes around goes around!¡± ¡°If the enemy advances, so will I!¡± ¡°The game has only just begun!¡± The lines written with blood all over the checkpoint, some in English, some in Chinese, and seeing these, each of the police officers¡¯ faces turned extremely grim. This act of mass slaughter and flagrant provocation, considering themselves superior as the world¡¯s dominating power, made them nearly explode with rage. Never had they seen such an audacious and arrogant organization, not even Al-Qaeda dared to do so. To kill and then trample on the dignity of Beautiful Country! Chapter 293: 207: Heading to Siam (First Update) Chapter 293: Chapter 207: Heading to Siam (First Update) Manchester, Moritz received a call from the CIA headquarters back home that day. When the video communication opened, appearing on the computer screen was Moritz¡¯s direct supervisor, Judith, the Deputy Director of the CIA. After the video connection was established, Judith¡¯s face was gloomy, like the sky dense with dark clouds. ¡°BOSS, your expression, what happened?¡± A sense of alarm struck Moritz¡¯s heart; he wondered if he had recently done something wrong to offend his immediate superior. ¡°Tijuana has been provocatively challenging us at the Mexico border over the past two days, causing multiple bloody incidents, with significant casualties on the side of the border police. ... Just before this video conference with you, the military and the White House were questioning how the CIA operates, how we failed to detect any intelligence. Moritz, can you answer me?¡± Judith pulled out a stack of photos, her gaze sharp as a blade, staring intensely at Moritz, applying pressure. Looking at the photos of the killed border police and the provocative writing in blood on the walls, Moritz felt an inexplicable sting in his heart, a sense of infuriation as if he experienced it himself. But as a former veteran agent, Moritz quickly regained his calm. ¡°BOSS, this is Jieke Group¡¯s response to our recent actions. Our establishment of the Asia-Pacific Eight Nation Alliance has angered Jieke Group.¡± Moritz said in a steady voice, quickly understanding the reasons behind it. The Beautiful Country¡¯s pressure on Jieke Group led them to use the Tijuana Group, which they supported in Mexico, to cause trouble at the Beautiful Country¡¯s border as a form of retaliation. ¡°However, we cannot retreat. The more they show their fury and try to use bloodshed to intimidate us, the more it shows that we have indeed hit their sore spot. We should not only keep up the blockade against Jieke Group but also increase our efforts.¡± Moritz¡¯s speech grew faster, not because he harbored deep hatred for Jieke Group. It was because the existence of Jieke Group obstructed the nation¡¯s interests and had to be eliminated. ¡°The higher-ups are very dissatisfied with your performance. So much funding has been spent with little to show for it. Tell me, do you have any high-value intelligence recently?¡± In response to Moritz¡¯s analysis, Judith nodded slightly. A ceasefire was out of the question; these losses would not intimidate the Beautiful Country. The Beautiful Country had sustained significant casualties in the Middle East and the Vietnam War as well but managed to endure. Although eventually withdrawing in defeat, they at least held out for several years. ¡°There¡¯s a new discovery.¡± Moritz produced a stack of documents, the photos on them showing a construction site undergoing renovation. ¡°Recently, Jieke Group has been ostentatiously working on some Ghost House, earmarking several thousand acres of land, with unclear intentions.¡± ¡°Did the satellites pick up anything?¡± Judith immediately perked up and conjectured, ¡°Could it be that under the guise of building a ghost house, they¡¯re actually planning to deploy missile bases, radar, and military facilities? Jieke Group has the world¡¯s top underground excavation technology, we cannot afford to be complacent.¡± ¡°So far, there has been no such discovery. Satellites and our agents have been monitoring the area, and the vehicles entering and leaving aren¡¯t military, but we do not rule out new developments following. We will continue to watch. BOSS, to prevent future problems, we should cut off Jieke Group¡¯s external military supply routes to facilitate future warfare.¡± Moritz responded; he felt that Jieke Group wouldn¡¯t invest so much effort into constructing a Ghost House, it was likely a cover for other purposes. Moritz was concerned that if the other side deployed radar and missiles, Jieke Group always acted like a nouveau riche, similar to those from the Middle East with their turbans, who liked to spend money to buy what they couldn¡¯t produce themselves. ¡°I will notify the navy to intensify the naval blockade. Even if it¡¯s Russian vessels trying to breach, have them directly detained.¡± Judith gave her reliable right-hand man a guarantee. In the last clash with Jieke Group, the CIA had discovered that most of Jieke Group¡¯s armaments were Russian models. The Old Russians have been opposed to the Beautiful Country for so many years, with these two foes continuing their rivalry since the Cold War. Those Slavs have always upheld a principle: any organization or power that displeases the Beautiful Country definitely gets support from us, the Russians. After discussing this matter, Judith suddenly brought up another topic. ¡°Moritz, regarding the lab, you need to be more attentive and provide more support to their research.¡± Upon hearing this, Moritz subconsciously said, ¡°BOSS, did those scientists tattle on me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hardly the case!¡± Judith waved her hand off, explaining, ¡°You know that behind those scientists stand the various pharmaceutical giants, with complex intertwined relationships and interests. Now, those companies have been piqued by Strengthening Pill and Parasites, looking to research something related to longevity. They¡¯ve also provided us at the CIA with significant operational funds, so it¡¯s in our best interest to produce some results to avoid allegations of collecting money without doing work.¡± ¡°That Strengthening Pill does not extend life, it only temporarily enhances the body after ingestion. The same principle applies to Parasites. Just think, having such a creature lying on your heart, sucking your blood and nutrients, definitely won¡¯t lead to longevity; it might even reduce lifespan.¡± Moritz looked speechless; those tycoons were just afraid of death. They used to be keen on investing in cutting-edge life sciences, studying things like anti-aging drugs, telomeres, genetic engineering, and so on. Now that they¡¯ve seen something new at Jieke Company, they¡¯ve heatedly shifted their focus to longevity, but these two matters don¡¯t relate at all. Chapter 294: 207: Heading to Siam (First Update) _2 Chapter 294: Chapter 207: Heading to Siam (First Update) _2 Judith lit a cigarette, tapped the table, and said with a faint smile, ¡°Moritz, it¡¯s fine if you just say this to me, but don¡¯t go public with it. If they knew the truth, would they still sponsor so much funding for our CIA activities? What we need is to stir up their desires, show them the hope for longevity, so that our funding for next year will be even more substantial. You¡¯re not yet at my level and don¡¯t need to worry about the countless CIA members¡¯ needs around the globe; doesn¡¯t each one require money? The appropriations from Congress are only enough to maintain the status quo, not to provide any benefits for us. Since those wealthy capitalists have money, let them bleed a bit more. It can be considered helping national construction, rather than letting their money go to waste in foundations for tax avoidance.¡± ... Moritz understood, recalling one of the sources of CIA funding involved drug trafficking activities. This highlighted the CIA¡¯s thirst for money, and he suddenly fell silent. ¡°Moritz, do well, and once the Jieke Group is dealt with, you might just take my place. Then you¡¯ll understand that at our level, how strong the decision-making is, whether the mind is sharp, or if one has great talent, isn¡¯t really that important. What counts is how much funding you can bring to the department, how much money you can secure, making the CIA¡¯s budget prosper, and then everyone will really acknowledge your capabilities.¡± Judith left a thought-provoking comment and hung up the video conference. ¡°That¡¯s politics!¡± Moritz shook his head, spaced out for a few seconds, and then went to call someone over. ¡°Mahat, prepare to plan a new round of operations, and capture a few more First-class Super Soldiers.¡± Moritz tried to keep his voice as calm as possible, but his words still made the field operations director across from him, Mahat, frown. Mahat shook his head repeatedly, expressing his difficulties, ¡°Director, this is too risky. Nowadays, Jieke Group has set up a Steel Camp specifically for these First-class Super Soldiers. They move mysterously and hardly show up, staying only at Jieke Security¡¯s military base for training. Capturing Ruan Qianguang last time was an accident, we can¡¯t always succeed.¡± ¡°Of course, I know it¡¯s not easy, which is why I¡¯m just asking you to look for opportunities,¡± Moritz didn¡¯t explain further; he couldn¡¯t ignore the demands from above. ¡°Just have someone investigate the family situation of these Super Soldiers more. If possible, start from this aspect and actively get these First-class Super Soldiers out of the barracks.¡± ¡°Kidnap their family members to lure them out? This indeed is a method, but considering Ruan Qianguang¡¯s previous experience, Jieke Group will definitely protect those family members more rigorously.¡± Targeting family members didn¡¯t cause much hesitation in Mahat, as CIA¡¯s interests outweigh these personal ethics. In the past, the CIA was too familiar with these deplorable methods: kidnapping, assassinations, bribing, bombing civilians, overthrowing foreign governments, inciting racial hatred leading to massacres¡ªthese activities were like daily meals for CIA. ¡°Keep trying, there will definitely be a loophole, I¡¯ll have the Intelligence Department assist you.¡± Moritz said, and then he thought of something else: ¡°Besides the family members of those Super Soldiers, also start monitoring the families of Jieke Company¡¯s top management. In necessary moments, this will become our bargaining chip.¡± ¡°Jieke Group¡¯s real top leaders are Chinese, their families are mostly in Hua Country. If we operate there...¡± Mahat hesitated, then added, ¡°The main thing is, the behind-the-scenes controller of Jieke Group, Su Jie, is a loner without weaknesses to exploit. I don¡¯t think capturing Liu Yingying and Chen Yaoguang will make him compromise; it might only lead to even more terrifying retaliatory actions.¡± ¡°Fuck, this really is a tough nut to crack.¡± Moritz also felt a headache; Jieke Group was truly the CIA¡¯s number one enemy now. The usual methods of assassination and kidnapping were obviously hard to execute on Jieke Group. ¡°Anyway, prepare everything well. Whether or not it¡¯s successful, it¡¯s always good to be prepared.¡± Eventually, Moritz just waved his hand, telling Mahat to proceed with the operation preparations. ....... Manchester, the capital of Siam Country. This is a modern metropolis, with towering buildings, and glass facades reflecting dazzling sunlight. On both sides of the street, pedestrians were weaving through traffic, cars shuttling back and forth, and the sound of horns echoed continuously. At this time, around noon, a man and a woman emerged from the airport on the city¡¯s edge, and the scorching heat enveloped them as they walked out. These two were none other than Su Jie and the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan. Looking at the endless city skyline in the distance, and the bustling streets and skyscrapers, Su Jie felt reflective, ¡°Though they are neighboring countries with similar geographical locations, the disparity in development is vast, the destruction brought by wars has been severe.¡± Siam is a major Country in Southeast Asia, with a population similar to Chan Country, and both are the first and second largest countries in the Southeast Asia peninsula, but their economies and development differ greatly. With a population of over sixty million and an annual GDP exceeding 500 billion US Dollars, Siam¡¯s economy is almost ten times that of Chan Country. This is evident from the capital, Manchester, which is one of the few international metropolises in Southeast Asia. It hosts the headquarters of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, and more than 20 other international agencies. Its tourism industry is highly developed, earning it the nickname ¡°the City of Angels with everything you could wish for.¡± The stable situation in Siam since its establishment has led to rapid economic growth, while the continuous internal conflicts in Chan Country have seriously hindered its development. To this day, Chan Country is still mired in civil war and de facto division, and although it borders Siam, it appears like a poor boy standing next to a rich man¡¯s son. In terms of national strength and international status, the two are incomparably unequal. ¡°When do we kill?¡± Han Ruyan stood next to Su Jie, her voice chilling, her aura of a Fierce Ghost repelling any passersby from coming too close. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, it¡¯s rare for us to travel outside, I¡¯ll take you around here to appreciate the beauty of a big city.¡± Su Jie lovingly intended to pat Han Ruyan¡¯s head, but was met with her deep, still gaze from beneath her sunglasses. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in these worldly affairs.¡± Seeing Su Jie retract his hand, Han Ruyan also shifted her gaze away. Su Jie had a bit of a headache, as Han Ruyan, having become a Fierce Ghost, had lost many human emotions and lacked the spectrum of feelings. ¡°Sawadee ka! Do sir and madam need a place to stay? My name is Nong Lan, I¡¯m a tour guide well-versed with Manchester¡¯s tourist attractions and venues. You are from Hua Country, right? I know many tourist areas that Hua Country people love to visit.¡± At the airport entrance, a young Siam woman approached with her hands pressed together, eagerly introducing her services in Chinese with a slight accent. Su Jie looked at her and said, ¡°Your name is Nong Lan, right? How did you know we are from Hua Country?¡± ¡°Hua Country people have a different aura. Many Hua Country people come to our country for tourism, and I have hosted many Hua Country tourists. Your demeanor is very distinct, easily recognizable.¡± Nong Lan sensed from Su Jie¡¯s tone that she would probably land the business. ¡°Then lead the way, take us to the best hotel here.¡± Su Jie chuckled softly, handing over a stack of bills: ¡°Ensure we eat well and have fun, you will be well tipped, this is for you.¡± Nong Lan¡¯s eyes lit up with surprise, knowing she had encountered a wealthy client, and her enthusiasm increased. ¡°Sir, madam, please follow me, I promise you won¡¯t be disappointed, and you will enjoy both playing and dining.¡± Nong Lan ran to the roadside and flagged down a taxi. Su Jie, holding Han Ruyan¡¯s cold, jade-like hand, got into the cab, watching the passing traffic. As he contrasted it with the CIA¡¯s base in Siam in his mind, his gaze grew colder. Chapter 295: 208: Fierce Ghost Emerges (Second Update) Chapter 295: Chapter 208: Fierce Ghost Emerges (Second Update) Su Jie had spent two days in Manchester, taking Han Ruyan on a tour around the area. In his spare time, Su Jie also used the Insect Control Technique to gather the intelligence he needed. Two days later, under the cover of night, Su Jie and Han Ruyan arrived at the Siam CIA base. This base was located in a very remote area, the few nearby residences had been relocated, making it appear exceptionally desolate. The base had been converted from a military base. During the Vietnam War in the last century, the Beautiful Country built numerous military bases in Siam for logistical support and rest. After the war ended, the Beautiful Country gradually reduced its military presence in Siam. ... Some military bases were handed over to the Siam military, while others were slowly abandoned. The CIA base facing the Jieke Affairs Bureau was one such base. Fortunately, the military bases constructed during the war used genuine materials, so even after so many years, a little renovation made them reusable, avoiding many complications of new construction. ... Two hours later, Su Jie and Han Ruyan stood on a mountaintop, smiling as they gazed at the brightly lit base at the horizon, ¡°My lady, let your ghosts out to have a good time with the humans over there.¡± At his words, Han Ruyan¡¯s red wedding dress shimmered, and the Heavenly Ghost Map flew out of her palm, fluttering in the mid-air. One ghost after another began to emerge, quietly standing in front of Han Ruyan, waiting for her commands. Among them were weaker first-grade fierce ghosts, as well as fifth-grade fierce ghosts like the Painting Woman Lantern Ghost. ¡°Go and wreak havoc.¡± With a ghostly tone, Han Ruyan injected numerous Spirit Stones into these fierce ghosts to prevent their bodies from disintegrating in a spirit-less environment. The moment her words fell, the ghosts understood their targets and vanished one by one into the night. Following Su Jie¡¯s earlier hint, Han Ruyan fixed her gaze on the base; the Heavenly Ghost Map transformed into a flower sedan chair, taking both her and Su Jie on board. ... Late at night, under the moonlight, Jill yawning, was on guard duty. He was stationed in a high tower lookout, equipped with an M2 Browning heavy machine gun and a searchlight in operation. The tower overlook was adjacent to the base¡¯s perimeter wall and entrance, with several soldiers patrolling with guard dogs below. They were not CIA agents but were from the Beautiful Country¡¯s military base in Siam, reassigned here to assist. Given the ferocity of the Jieke Group, relying solely on the CIA agents wasn¡¯t feasible. The military was also deeply involved in securing the base, enhancing safety measures. After all, the Jieke Group had a history of attacking the CIA, having once deployed heavy artillery to bombard CIA personnel in Mexico without military protection, which would have been very dangerous. ¡°Buck, my fiance?e just messaged me, once I¡¯m done with my assignment here at CIA, I¡¯m going back home to get married.¡± To shake off sleepiness, Jill spoke to his buddy nearby with a bragging tone. ¡°What, you¡¯re getting married so soon?¡± Buckson¡¯s gaze immediately turned towards him, full of envy. He had seen photos of Jill¡¯s fiance?e, a blonde, blue-eyed Caucasian beauty with outstanding looks. ¡°Heh heh, if it hadn¡¯t been for being assigned here at CIA, I would have gone back last month to get married, all because of that damn Jieke Group.¡± Jill chuckled, his eyes lighting up as he mentioned his wedding. ¡°Then let me congratulate you in advance, too bad I can¡¯t attend your wedding...¡±Uh, what¡¯s that?¡± Buckson was adjusting a high-power searchlight while speaking when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention, prompting him to quickly reposition the searchlight. The glaring beam of the searchlight enveloped the area in front of the base, illuminating the dark land. In the dead silence, a strange series of footsteps arose, and a figure was illuminated. It was an incredibly tall figure, probably two meters in height, dressed in ancient attire and carrying a white lantern. As the night wind blew, the lantern swayed and emitted a ghostly glow. The air seemed to carry an ominous vibe, and the figure slowly lifted the lantern, staring straight back. Buckson was about to call out, but suddenly, his eyes dimmed; the searchlight he controlled snapped off, along with the lights at the watchtower, which flickered before extinguishing suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s happening, Buckson, what did you shine the light on? Why are the lights out, did someone fire and hit the searchlight?¡± Jill¡¯s sleepiness vanished instantly, his body tensed, and he immediately started to load the machine gun. ¡°Damn it, such a piece of crap, it¡¯s so cumbersome to load this antique; my grandfather operated an M2 during his service, my father operated it during his, and here I am still operating an M2, can¡¯t those old guys in Congress approve some upgrades?¡± In the pitch darkness, Jill fumbled in his haste, struggling to properly load the steel chains as he swore continuously and called out to Buckson, ¡°Buddy, get the lights back on here, fix the searchlight, I can¡¯t shoot without seeing the enemy.¡± His voice was met with no response, except for the light suddenly coming back on, brightening the watchtower area. Now Gill efficiently loaded the M2 machine gun, pulled the bolt, and aimed the barrel at the empty space outside the base. ¡°Whew, let¡¯s see who¡¯s causing trouble. Buckson, have you fixed the searchlight yet?¡± As he spoke, Jill turned his head. But that look almost scared him senseless. Buckson¡¯s body was stiff, his skin resembling white candle wax, slowly melting as a wick on his head burned fiercely, lighting up the watchtower area. This horrifying scene dumbfounded Jill; he rubbed his eyes in disbelief and reached out to touch Buckson, his friend. As his palm made contact with the other¡¯s body, it sank in. The body was incredibly fluffy, no longer possessing the normal flesh and blood of a human. ¡°God, what is this, what the hell is this?¡± Jill¡¯s lips trembled, as if he had seen a ghost, feeling an unprecedented fear of everything happening before him. ¡°Stop, I told you to stop.¡± ¡°This area is a military zone, keep it smart, I¡¯ll open fire if you move any closer.¡± ¡°Who is this idiot, never mind, open fire.¡± Just then, Jill heard the patrolling soldiers below getting agitated, with the sound of gunfire erupting. Jill, unconcerned with what was happening with Buckson, firmly grasped the handle of the M2 heavy machine gun, swung the muzzle around, and prepared to attack those unknown enemies attempting to break into the base. Bang! A flare shot up, its parachute scattering brilliant light, illuminating everything within a kilometer radius. Immediately thereafter, Jill saw several figures with slow steps approaching the base. They were both men and women, with vacant and numb expressions. The bullets from other soldiers already hit these audacious folks. Just when Jill thought these people would fall, something unexpected happened. The figures, seemingly without any sensation, barely paused in their movements and continued towards the base at an unhurried pace. ¡°Damn, these people aren¡¯t afraid of bullets?¡± ¡°These are not human, they definitely are not human.¡± ¡°You dumb ass, haven¡¯t you ever watched a zombie movie? These people¡¯s stiff, weird movements, they must be zombies, you¡¯ve got to shoot them in the head.¡± The soldiers were somewhat panicked. Jill took a deep breath, aimed at one approaching figure, and decisively pulled the trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The 12.7 mm caliber heavy machine gun was absolutely a lethal weapon on the battlefield, human bodies being as fragile as straw in front of its might, easily torn apart. However, the result shocked all the soldiers present, as the bullets hit a figure in the front. It was a wobbly man whose skin appeared as if soaked in water, swollen and rotting to an unnaturally immense size, with weeds and rotten fish and shrimp hanging off his body, which was why the soldiers mistook him for a zombie. Each bullet pierced through the man, raising dust from the ground, and his body sported several holes the size of large bowls. Instead of flesh, his interior was filled with sludge, river clams, snail shells, and miscellaneous items. After being attacked, the man paused his movement momentarily, then suddenly opened his mouth, seemingly uttering a strange, murmuring sound. ¡°The water... The water is so dark!¡± As the sound echoed, the bodies of a dozen soldiers began to shake violently, rapidly rotting and swelling, transforming into giants like the man, their lives disappearing in an instant as their bodies changed. ¡°Devil, this is a devil.¡± Some of the survivors, whose pupils dilated in rapid fear, turned and ran in terror. Ghastly! A woman¡¯s throat emitted an unclear, hoarse sound, her hands placed on her neck, slowly beginning to twist her head! 45 degrees! 90 degrees! 180 degrees! Finally twisted into 360 degrees. Every soldier who was in her line of sight or fleeing with their back to her uncontrollably placed their hands on their necks. ¡°My hands, my hands are out of control.¡± ¡°Someone help me, please, Mom, I want to go home.¡± Regardless of how the soldiers pleaded or cried, their hands, bursting with superhuman strength, began to turn their necks round and round, twisting like a twisted pastry as bones cracked. Even though they were already dead, their hands kept moving until their neck bones completely shattered, artificially elongating a segment, each neck twisted to the back and meeting the eyes of the woman whose head had twisted 360 degrees. The killing spread, and the soldiers ran in frenzy. ¡°Run, I still need to go back and marry Yelena. I absolutely can¡¯t die here.¡± Jill climbed down the steel ladder of the watchtower. Anxiety made his limbs weak, and he fell. As he tried to stand up again, his vision caught a pair of feet, bare, with nails caked in black mud. Looking up, amid Jill¡¯s horrified gaze, stood a man dusting off graveyard dirt frantically from his body, reeking of a strong stench of death. ¡°God bless, God bless, all of you evil spirits, begone quickly.¡± Jill trembled as he pulled out the crucifix from his neck, hoping the almighty Lord would protect him. Chapter 297: 210: Slaughter (First Update) Chapter 297: Chapter 210: Slaughter (First Update) On the rooftop of a building within the base, Su Jie sat on the railing, enjoying the night breeze on his face, watching the slaughter unfolding below with satisfaction. Aside from soldiers, this CIA base was home to over one thousand three hundred people including other agents, various scientific researchers, chefs, doctors, logisticians, and more. However, as these people came into contact with fierce ghosts, their numbers were rapidly dwindling. Fierce ghosts had a high resistance to technological weapons, particularly ordinary infantry arms. To eliminate a fierce ghost wasn¡¯t impossible¡ªafter all, the fierce ghosts were greatly suppressed by the lack of Spiritual Energy on Blue Star. But often, killing a single first-grade fierce ghost could come at the cost of dozens or even hundreds of soldiers¡¯ lives. With over thirty fierce ghosts, the truly powerful Lantern Ghost and Painting Woman hadn¡¯t even made a move, while the Ghost Bride simply watched the chaos like a spectator, exerting effort only to block signals. As a fifth-grade fierce ghost and a Ghost King, the Ghost Bride possessed the ability to disrupt human technology machines. Her power could precisely cover the entire base, blocking all signals¡ªboth outgoing and incoming¡ªmaking it impossible to send or receive any communications. ... ¡°Huh! Quite clever, aren¡¯t they? But I can¡¯t let you expose my secret by calling for reinforcements.¡± Suddenly, Su Jie¡¯s expression shifted slightly, his Divine Sense washing over like water, and he overheard all the plans brewing in the command room. Next to Su Jie, Han Ruyan stood quietly, the night wind lifting her red wedding dress, which seemed to grow more vividly red as the massacre progressed. The fear and resentment of the dying soldiers were mostly absorbed by the Ghost Bride. Nevertheless, the Ghost Bride didn¡¯t absorb everything. A portion of the deathly fear and resentment were taken in by the fierce ghosts carrying out the slaughter themselves. It was evident that the Ghost Bride had some sense of conscience. Watching a group of soldiers run towards the ammunition depot, intending to blow it up, and others heading to operate the air defense missiles, Su Jie pulled out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. A horde of Yin Souls screamed and flew out, attacking the soldiers planning to set fire to the ammunition depot. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°Ghosts, so many souls!¡± ¡°Why are there so many ghosts? We¡¯re done for.¡± The soldiers shouted in terror, futilely trying to shoot the Yin Souls with their bullets, but it was completely ineffective. In the blink of an eye, the Yin Souls passed through their bodies, taking with them their souls and body heat. Thump! Thump! Bodies fell to the ground, lifeless, although there were no wounds on them. In the distance, a group of soldiers was operating two close-range air defense missile vehicles; the missile nests in the rear of the carriages had been erected, pointing straight into the sky, ready to launch the air defense missiles inside to attract attention from Siam-deployed radars. Su Jie¡¯s gaze shifted towards them, his pupils showing a ring of faint purple. The next moment, two beams of Purple Light Rays shot out, instantly striking the two air defense missile vehicles. The rays melted the steel casing and made contact with the highly explosive warheads inside, triggering a massive explosion. Such a launcher could hold several air defense missiles, which depended mainly on shrapnel for destroying aircraft, with explosive charges weighing up to several kilograms and a projectile weight of over a hundred kilograms. Along with the fuel, the resulting explosion was significantly more powerful than the usual 155mm howitzer. As a series of explosions occurred, the shrapnel from the exploding air defense missiles acted like a harvester¡¯s blade, tearing and piercing through nearby soldiers, turning them into a bloody mess with limbs and torsos flung up to dozens of meters away¡ªa horrific sight to behold. Having easily thwarted the enemy¡¯s attempt to send out a distress signal, Su Jie looked at the time and spoke nonchalantly, ¡°There¡¯s one more hour, do you want to go down and have some fun?¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s eyes were deep as she replied, ¡°Too weak, not interested.¡± The ongoing slaughter below didn¡¯t pique her interest at all. Just with some ordinary fierce ghosts, the base was almost annihilated. If she were to make a move, it would be an absolutely crushing blow. ¡°Then let¡¯s speed things up!¡± Playing with a lighter, Su Jie took out boxes of gasoline from his Storage Bag. Behind him, pale corpse hands swiftly emerged from the hem of his pants, grabbing the gasoline cans and pouring them all over the base. ... Inside the base, the battle became increasingly intense. ¡°Don¡¯t turn your back on her, never turn your back.¡± A company commander kept reminding the soldiers, yet there were still those who became panic-stricken and, under the fierce ghost¡¯s terrifying presence, turned to flee. But it was this very act¡ªturning around¡ªthat caused one to place their own hands around their neck, twisting their head 360 degrees around, again and again. In front of them, the figure of the female ghost in white floated in, deliberately adjusting her position so that the soldiers would turn their backs to her. In an instant, several more soldiers were killed, panic spreading even further among the troops. They realized that the bullets from their guns, when fired at the female ghost, were as effective as shooting the air, rendering their firearms nothing more than sticks for kindling. ¡°Flamethrower Soldiers!¡± Responding to the company commander¡¯s call, a few flamethrower soldiers, weighted down by heavy fuel tanks, stood forward and pulled the trigger towards the female ghost. A surge of flame shot out, forming a long jet of fire. The temperature at the mouth of the flame reached thousands of degrees in an instant, the heat waves rolling around them. The female ghost covered in the crossfire let out agonizing screams, her body turning into a burning torch, half of her figure melting away as she darted up and down erratically, fleeing the range of the fire, no longer daring to approach. Chapter 298: 210: Slaughter (First Update) _2 Chapter 298: Chapter 210: Slaughter (First Update) _2 The nearby soldiers were overjoyed; they had successfully repelled the ghost and heavily wounded it. In another location, accompanied by beast-like howls, the fierce tiger, having breached the first level of defenses, faced a direct hit from the heavy firepower that awaited it. ¡°Fire, smash this bastard to pieces.¡± The commander roared, and several rocket projectiles launched quickly, hitting the fierce tiger in rapid succession. Rocket projectiles capable of damaging tanks were also more than the fierce tiger could withstand; its body was torn into two pieces. ... The next moment, a barrage of gunfire rained down, mixed with the furious firing of heavy machine guns and Gatlings, completely shredding the fierce tiger¡¯s body. In the end, as the black smoke dissipated, all that was left on the scene was a cloth tiger torn to shreds. ¡°We¡¯ve killed this devil, haha, we¡¯ve won.¡± After a cautious inspection, the soldiers on the scene finally confirmed this fact, and instantly became as excited as if injected with chicken blood. This was the first fierce ghost they had killed, which was enough to prove that fierce ghosts could indeed be killed. In the command monitoring room, it too turned into a sea of cheers, everyone hugging each other with high spirits, overflowing with excitement. ¡°Use more weapons, we can win.¡± Moritz had just started celebrating when Mahat hurried back, reporting, ¡°Director, our plan has failed. The soldiers assigned to start the fire and those manning the air defense missiles suffered an unknown attack; they are now all out of contact. And the soldiers we sent for reinforcements have all perished en route.¡± This news caused Moritz¡¯s expression to change drastically, grinding his teeth and saying, ¡°Damn, these ghosts must be under human command; this is no accident.¡± Interrupting external communication channels and preventing them from setting fires and launching air defense missiles, it doesn¡¯t look like an accident at all, more like a carefully planned trap. ¡°It¡¯s the Jieke Group, it must be them.¡± Moritz voiced the fact that he didn¡¯t want to believe, but which was the most likely. Although there was no evidence that the Jieke Group had orchestrated this supernatural attack, there¡¯s a saying that goes, ¡°The biggest beneficiary is the prime suspect.¡± This CIA base was specifically aimed at collecting intelligence on and acting against the Jieke Group. In Southeast Asia, other countries didn¡¯t dare offend, nor had reason to, so the greatest suspicion fell on the Jieke Group. Because only the Jieke Group would benefit from the destruction of this base, and even without any evidence, Moritz believed that the attackers must be the Jieke Group, the CIA¡¯s number one enemy. ¡°Fuck, more and more ghosts are showing up.¡± ¡°The A2 defensive line has been breached; the target is an evil spirit with droopy ears, its mode of attack is sound, we can¡¯t make any noise or we¡¯ll be attacked by it.¡± ¡°The second-level defenses have been breached; we need support, I repeat, we fucking need support.¡± ¡°Immediately close the inner alloy gates; don¡¯t let them get inside.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use; the ghosts are passing directly through walls, our defensive line has been breached.¡± After a brief moment of excitement, with more and more ghosts appearing on the scene, the situation became tense again. Moritz quickly looked towards the surveillance screens, only to see the group of soldiers who had just killed the fierce tiger ghost now being pursued. Their assailant was a man with a frail body, pale skin, a pair of sunken, hollow eye sockets, a face painted with heavy makeup, dressed in fancy theatrical attire. With every step he took, a soldier would fall, their bodies twisted into bizarre contorted shapes. ¡°Fire.¡± Under the command of their platoon leader, the soldiers tried to repeat their previous victory by using rocket launchers, flamethrowers, and machine guns to shred the ghost. But facing the attack of these soldiers, the frail ghost showed no intention of running away. Instead, any soldier who tried to pull the trigger within a hundred meters would suddenly display an eerie smile, they would turn their weapons around, and attack their comrades instead. ¡°Shit, we¡¯re on the same side.¡± ¡°They have been possessed by evil spirits,¡± ¡°It¡¯s the shadows, their shadows.¡± The soldiers were caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties; some were ignited into torches, some were shredded by 12.7mm bullets, and others were blown to pieces by rocket launchers. The mutinous soldiers, with their shadows standing upright behind them, with fingers of both hands spread wide as if playing with shadow puppets, controlled the soldiers to carry out the slaughter. These controlled soldiers clearly still had their consciousness, but they were unable to control their own bodies and could only instinctively use firearms to kill their former comrades. ¡°We can¡¯t fight them, we really can¡¯t fight them,¡± The soldiers despaired; they had just killed a Fierce Tiger Ghost, but now faced with the Fierce Ghost in costume, the firearms instead turned into weapons that assisted the enemy. These soldiers didn¡¯t know that the Fierce Tiger Ghost they had previously killed was just a common First-grade fierce ghost, and the severely injured female ghost was only a Second Grade Ghost, weakened without the Spirit Ring. But the Ghost in costume they were facing now was a genuine Third-grade fierce ghost, far more powerful than the Fierce Tiger Ghost. As Second and Third Grade Ghosts joined the battlefield, the situation deteriorated rapidly, and scores of soldiers were slaughtered. The shut alloy doors couldn¡¯t stop the fierce ghosts. Along their path, all living were killed, leaving behind only cold corpses. ... Moritz sat dejectedly in his chair, watching the footage on the monitors of the evil spirits and fierce ghosts penetrating deeper into the base, his eyes filled with pain and despair. ¡°Jieke Group actually controls such supernatural powers; Su Jie, the puppet master behind the scenes, must hold secrets that could pierce the heavens,¡± With myriad thoughts in his mind, Moritz knew he couldn¡¯t leave the base alive. He clenched his teeth, grabbed paper and pen, and quickly wrote down line after line of intelligence. Meanwhile, outside the command monitoring room, the night fell, and a crescent moon hung in the pitch-black sky. Fierce gunfire sounded in the corridor outside, as soldiers stationed at the last line of defense began to grapple with the fierce ghosts. But the gunfire was brief, lasting less than half a minute before all the gunshots and screams subsided. Inside the command room, the staff and sergeants drew their pistols for self-defense, their eyes showing panic and unease. In the silence, layers of moss grew on the wall near the door, emitting a strange and foul odor. Click! Click-clack! The doorknob turned slowly, and a chilling cold breath drifted into the room. Everyone inside tensed up involuntarily, their hearts pounding. Someone rushed to the door, trying to hold it shut, but it was futile; the door continued to open bit by bit. Moritz stuffed the note into his mouth and swallowed it, hoping that the forensic pathologist would discover the clues in the intelligence when they performed an autopsy on his body. Having done all this, Moritz¡¯s expression gradually became calm. He knew his fate and did not draw his pistol to resist. Even the soldiers with various rifles and heavy weapons had been killed; their mere pistols were as futile as ants shaking a tree, resistance was sure to fail. ¡°He¡¯s coming in, those devils are coming in,¡± ¡°Oh God! Please protect Your people.¡± ¡°No, no, no, I don¡¯t want to be killed by a fierce ghost.¡± The fear in the room peaked, and in this fear, someone even turned their handgun around, stuck it in their mouth, and pulled the trigger, preferring suicide over being brutally murdered by a fierce ghost. When the door was fully opened, everyone inside stared with wide eyes, but outside it was eerily quiet with not a single figure in sight. ¡°He... he¡¯s here, the evil spirit is here...¡± Suddenly, a staff member felt something hit the back of his head; when he instinctively looked up, he saw a pair of feet dangling above him. A disheveled fierce ghost with bulging eyes, hanged by a hemp rope from the ceiling, appeared in the command room. The pupils of the staff members contracted, unable to scream, with concentric circles of cyanotic strangulation marks appearing on their necks. They struggled as they were hoisted into the air as if an invisible hemp rope was winding around their necks. Chapter 299: 211: The Anger of Beautiful Country (Second Update) Chapter 299: Chapter 211: The Anger of Beautiful Country (Second Update) Mahat fired all the bullets in his pistol in one breath and before could do more, his feet started to leave the ground. He could only desperately grasp his own neck, trying to break free from the invisible thing entwined around his neck. But compared to the abilities of the Fierce Ghost, relying solely on human strength was truly difficult to contend with. Moritz awaited being hoisted into the air, but even as everyone else in the command room was suspended, he remained unscathed. In his anxiety, he then saw someone walk into the command room. With just one glance, Moritz recognized the person¡ªit was Su Jie, the hidden mastermind behind the Jieke Group whom he had been obsessing over. ¡°Director Moritz, this must be our first meeting,¡± Su Jie said. ... Su Jie approached Moritz, a gentle smile on his face that, combined with the thrashing shadows of the hanged people around him, created an indescribably eerie and terrifying scene. ¡°Su Jie, so it is your Jieke Group that has been orchestrating all this. How did you manage to create these evil spirits?¡± Moritz asked. Moritz looked at the devil before him, this man who opposed their Beautiful Country at every turn and had now slaughtered thousands at the base. ¡°How we conducted our research is none of your concern. I came here just to see you, after all, opposing our Jieke Group for so long, the least I could do was to escort you on your way,¡± Su Jie replied as he sat down in a chair, casually crossing his legs. ¡°You may be arrogant for now, but our Beautiful Country has multiple carrier strike groups, the world¡¯s most powerful air force, and military bases all over the globe. Your extreme organization, Jieke Group, disregarding human rights, killing the innocent, and brutally violent, will eventually be eradicated by us. Especially you, you will be captured and publicly tried in our country and you will regret your actions,¡± Moritz said. Knowing death was inevitable, Moritz did not beg for mercy but instead shouted angrily and helplessly at Su Jie. ¡°Disregarding human rights, killing the innocent, brutally violent? Are you not describing your own Beautiful Country?¡± Su Jie raised an eyebrow and said contemptuously, ¡°Hasn¡¯t your Beautiful Country initiated and manufactured countless wars? How many nations and peoples worldwide oppose you, you being a senior CIA official, surely you are aware?¡± ¡°Our Beautiful Country is the beacon of the free world. Although some countries¡¯ people have lost their homes, they have gained precious freedom. We brought them advanced systems and civilization, helping them escape ignorance and backwardness. You will never understand this greatness,¡± Moritz retorted without hesitation, not knowing if he truly believed what he said or if he was merely debating. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than a conflict of interest masked with noble words, a thug is a thug,¡± Su Jie scoffed and waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Forget it, why am I even arguing this with you? You and your Anglo-Saxon Gang coveted the wealth of Jieke Group, and when you couldn¡¯t reap your harvest, you obstructed us at every turn. I am a person who doesn¡¯t respond to threats or force; the more you try to take what¡¯s mine, the more I like to surprise you. Today¡¯s base is a little gift for your country,¡± Su Jie added, snapping his fingers. The next moment, Moritz felt his neck being constricted and his body suspended in mid-air, struggling for breath instinctively scratching at his neck. ¡°Oh, and take whatever¡¯s inside your stomach to Hell. If you were planning to convey any messages to your bosses, do that in your next life,¡± Su Jie finished speaking. With these last words, Moritz despaired, realizing he could hide nothing from the man before him! After saying this, Su Jie no longer paid any attention to the bodies hanging from the ceiling and walked out of the command room. Outside the command room, countless pale corpse hands swarmed from all directions, tending to the bodies. Throughout the base, all electronic devices and instruments began to smoke and became damaged beyond repair due to the abilities of the Ghost Bride. Han Ruyan gripped the Heavenly Ghost Map in her palm as one fierce ghost after another entered it. By the time Su Jie walked out of the base holding the hand of the Ghost Bride and leaving behind, flames erupted violently throughout the base. As the ammunition storage ignited and alerted the police, Su Jie and the Ghost Bride had already vanished without a trace. ... That night, Siamese City was exceptionally bustling. When news of the incident at the CIA base spread, not only were troops from Beautiful Country alarmed, but local police, fire departments, and military in Siam were also urgently mobilized, joining the rescue and investigation efforts at the CIA base. The raging fire was only extinguished near dawn, and as rescue teams entered the base, many areas had already turned into ruins. ¡°No survivors.¡± ¡°I found a body here, oh.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all dead, everyone¡¯s dead.¡± When Beautiful Country¡¯s troops and Siam¡¯s search and rescue team entered the site, they immediately felt a turmoil in their stomachs. Inside the base, thousands of bodies were piled up, forming layers upon layers of corpse mountains. The high temperatures melted human fat, and clumps of charred bodies stuck together, indistinguishable from one another. When the scene unfolded before their eyes, even hardened veterans, seasoned in battle, felt a wave of physical discomfort. Not to mention the police and firefighters from Siam, many of whom vomited up their dinner from the night before. ¡°Report to our homeland immediately.¡± A general from Beautiful Country, visiting the Kangxi Air Force Base in Siam, walked to the scene with a mask on. The sights before him had him unable to restrain his anger anymore. After issuing a command, he yelled, ¡°Find them for me; dig three feet into the ground, if necessary, to bring these criminals to justice.¡± Turning his gaze toward the officials behind him, he then said to the mayor of Siamese City and the chief of police, ¡°Gentlemen, Beautiful Country needs your assistance. Please help Siam search for clues.¡± ¡°Certainly, certainly. We have been partners with Beautiful Country for many years, and it is our duty to respond in such circumstances.¡± The mayor of Siamese City was the first to make a statement. With such a severe terrorist attack occurring within their borders¡ªresulting in thousands of casualties, among whom were soldiers and CIA agents¡ªthe possibility of the attackers turning against Siam made it impossible to sleep without resolving the case. ¡°Our police are already gathering clues. The enemy, capable of such a heinous bloodbath, must be numerous, well-equipped, and involved a large group of elite operatives. They will inevitably leave traces. Once we find any clues, we will immediately notify you.¡± The chief of police, too, thumped his chest in assurance, promising to notify Beautiful Country of any leads so they could handle the situation. As for their police taking direct action themselves, that was utterly out of the question. The thought of attacking a CIA base and killing thousands of soldiers and agents was utterly terrifying. The Siam police would not muddy the waters; providing intelligence was more than enough to save face for Beautiful Country. While the discussions continued inside, outside, a large crowd of onlookers and media had already gathered. Reporters, armed with cameras and microphones, broadcasted this globally sensational news, instantly making headlines across various countries. ¡°Shock! At 1:30 a.m. today, a military base in Siam named Emigalowa, occupied by Beautiful Country, was attacked. The exact casualties are still being tallied, with initial estimates over several hundred.¡± ¡°Currently, Siam is gathering clues all over the region, searching for information about the assailants of this attack. Anyone providing effective clues will be rewarded with five hundred thousand US Dollars.¡± ¡°Aircraft carrier battle groups from Beautiful Country, stationed in Japan, are mobilizing and expected to deploy to the naval base in Lion City, presumably in connection to the Emigalowa attack.¡± One news piece after another was instantly shared on social media, causing a significant uproar. Shortly afterward, a White House spokesperson stepped forward, making the news even more explosive. ¡°A despicable, shameful, and inhumane vile attack happened. Utilizing our country¡¯s desire for peace, the enemy launched a surprise attack on our base in the dead of night.¡± The spokesperson¡¯s face darkened with furious condemnation. ¡°Have you found out who the perpetrator is?¡± A reporter asked eagerly, raising a hand. ¡°Let me answer that. We have initially identified the enemy as an extremist group from Chan Country, actually funded by certain major groups and nations that oppose us, such as Jieke Group.¡± Not only the White House spokesperson attended this press conference, but also the CIA Deputy Director, Judith, who now, filled with righteous indignation, took the microphone and made this statement. ¡°Jieke Group, do you mean the one that sells Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly them. They use a pharmaceutical company as a front to engage in various illegal and unethical activities. Smuggling Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is just one of their crimes. This group has become an actual militarized warlord group in Chan Country, persecuting the people, causing social unrest, and triggering terrorist incidents. This time, it¡¯s very likely that the attack on our Emigalowa Base involved the Jieke Group. We had intensified our efforts against Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, a well-known core product of the Jieke Group. The enemy, in retaliation against our forces of justice, sponsored this utterly despicable ambush.¡± Judith nodded heavily, her gaze filled with undisguised fury and loathing. Her most trusted subordinate, Moritz, had died in the Siam base. At that time, over one thousand three hundred people were killed; not only soldiers from Beautiful Country but also carefully trained agents from the CIA. The destruction of the Emigalowa Base was a severe blow to the CIA. ¡°This is just your one-sided claim. Do you have any evidence that this attack was carried out by the Jieke Group?¡± A reporter boldly spoke up. Framing and setting traps were not new tactics for Beautiful Country, often distorting facts to shift the target toward their actual intended enemies, with the classic example being the washing powder incident. ¡°We are still gathering evidence, and we will publish it when it¡¯s ready.¡± The reporter was spot on. Judith had no evidence; the site was burned, erasing all traces and leaving the investigation fruitless up to now. However, Judith¡¯s stance against Jieke Group allowed her to pin the blame on them first. Whether it was Jieke Group¡¯s doing or not, Beautiful Country would use this incident to stir trouble. Chapter 301: 213: Ghost House Opens (First Update) Chapter 301: Chapter 213: Ghost House Opens (First Update) While the Beautiful Country was in a storm over their confrontation with the Jieke Group, the Jieke Group itself was steadily progressing as per its agenda. ... In the Chan Country Capital, Yang City, inside an ordinary apartment building. Min Xingyao was having breakfast when he spoke to his wife, ¡°Lisa, I need to go on a business trip to Mande City in two days.¡± ¡°Mande City? Haven¡¯t there been news reports recently about unrest there?¡± Lisa immediately frowned, her husband worked as a salesperson in a machinery company, and though their income wasn¡¯t much, they managed to get by. ... ¡°Don¡¯t believe the propaganda from the Chan Country Government, the safety and environment there are quite good.¡± While biting into a piece of bread, Min Xingyao explained, ¡°On one hand, it¡¯s a business need; I have to discuss procurement cooperation with a subsidiary of the Jieke Group. On the other hand, a new Ghost House has opened up over there. They say that if you beat it, you get at least ten thousand dollars. I¡¯m planning to give it a try. Mom¡¯s condition has been dragging on for too long, we need to gather enough money for her treatment as soon as possible.¡± Min Xingyao¡¯s tone was heavy. He and his wife were deeply in love, and her parents had always been kind to him. Now, his mother-in-law had developed a tumor six months ago, but due to a lack of money, they had been unable to afford the operation, and all they could do was watch as she grew increasingly frail. Seeing this opportunity, he was determined to try it out. Ten thousand dollars would be enough to cover his mother-in-law¡¯s surgery costs. ¡°Can we trust this?¡± Lisa was somewhat skeptical. A Ghost House offering ten thousand dollars just for getting through seemed too good to be true. ¡°The Ghost House is operated by the Jieke Group. Are you worried that they can¡¯t afford that amount of money?¡± With just one sentence, Min Xingyao left Lisa speechless. In Chan Country, who didn¡¯t know the immense wealth of the Jieke Group ¨C far richer than even the Chan Country Government itself? It was simply unthinkable for the Jieke Group to default on payments with their strength. ... ¡°Nightmare Park will grandly open on August 18, offering the most realistic and spine-tingling horror scenes. With lifelike humanoids and layers upon layers of mechanisms, it will bring you the ultimate sensory terror experience. Join us now, and you could win rewards just by playing ¨C the minimum prize is ten thousand dollars, with up to a million dollars up for grabs. Wealth is within your grasp, come and explore with us.¡± In Zhenla Country, bordering Chan Country, a group of citizens stirred with excitement as this advertisement played on their televisions. ¡°Ten thousand dollars as a prize, is that even real?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certified by the Jieke Group, a big corporation. Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid is one of their products, they wouldn¡¯t deceive people.¡± ¡°I remember our Country has a visa-free agreement with Chan Country, it should be pretty convenient to go there.¡± In no time, many people felt tempted. The GDP per capita in Zhenla was just under two thousand dollars, meaning even the lowest prize on offer at the Ghost House could represent several years¡¯ worth of salary for them. Some of them immediately sprang into action, while others were still watching from the sidelines. Yet even so, the number of interested individuals was not insignificant. Scenes like these were unfolding in many other countries and regions. The Jieke Group bombarded the media with advertisements for Nightmare Park, drawing tourists with the allure of high cash prizes. ... In Hua Country, on the Douyu Live Platform. ¡°Haha, Sister Calm has conquered another horror game.¡± ¡°Unbelievable, Sister Calm. When I played this ¡®Rot¡¯ game, I kept screaming in fright, but Sister Calm played through it emotionless, straight to the end. She¡¯s really badass.¡± ¡°When are you going to become the number one horror streamer, Sister Calm?¡± The chat was bustling, with several thousand live viewers in the streaming room. ¡°Thank you for the support, my family. That¡¯s it for today¡¯s stream. Also, I have an announcement. I¡¯ll be a bit missing for a few days. I¡¯m planning to travel to Chan Country, and when I come back, I¡¯ll have a surprise for you all,¡± said Shen Xueqing as she took off her headset. As a female live streamer on the Douyu platform who mainly played horror games, Shen Xueqing was known not just for her high beauty standards but for choosing a path different from other female streamers. Instead of attracting viewers with screams and frights, she remained calm and expressionless no matter how terrifying the game or movie. Regardless of the horrors she faced, she never frowned or showed any fear, slowly building her reputation as Sister Calm and attracting a solid following of viewers. ¡°Is Sister Calm also going to the opening event of Nightmare Park?¡± ¡°Lately, many streamers and bloggers, including some big names, have been invited. Jieke Group really has deep pockets!¡± ¡°With the million dollars hype, I wonder if Sister Calm can win it. I think with her skills, she really has a chance!¡± ¡°Make sure to edit the video when you¡¯re back. I want to see if that so-called world¡¯s biggest Ghost House is all talk and no show.¡± As discussions among netizens continued, Shen Xueqing turned off the streaming software and stood up from her chair. Shen Xueqing, a long-time horror enthusiast since her youth, had developed an increasingly high threshold for fear. As a grown-up, no horror game, movie, or show could stimulate her senses. When she started streaming, Shen Xueqing had hoped to find new fearsome games and movies through viewer recommendations, rekindling her initial love for terrifying thrills. Unfortunately, she had yet to fulfill this small wish. ¡°The world¡¯s largest Ghost House, I hope it won¡¯t let me down,¡± she muttered to herself. Contrary to what the viewers suspected, Shen Xueqing wasn¡¯t being paid to promote for the Jieke Group. Her interest in Nightmare Park was pure curiosity, to see if the widely advertised attraction lived up to the hype and genuinely offered substantial substance. Chapter 302: 213: Ghost House Grand Opening (First Update)_2 Chapter 302: Chapter 213: Ghost House Grand Opening (First Update)_2 If it were those insincere costumes and makeup, the crude environment, and impersonators so fake they couldn¡¯t get any faker, even if the other party was the large multinational company Jieke Group, she would still fiercely post a video to rant about it. .... August 24th, Year 24. In Chan Country Mande City, all the major hotels were filled with tourists, who came with a clear purpose, and that was for the Nightmare Park. Shen Xueqing arrived at the entrance of Nightmare Park early in the morning. A large crowd of tourists and locals had already gathered here, and Shen Xueqing also saw many fellow live streamers and video bloggers, who were invited here by the Jieke Group with payment. ... ¡°Wow, Sister Calm...¡± A small cry of astonishment came, and then Shen Xueqing saw a sweet and adorable-looking young girl covering her mouth, looking at her with an expression of delight. ¡°Sister Calm, I¡¯m a fan of yours. Can I take a photo with you?¡± The girl hopped over, her cute apple-shaped face flushed with excitement. ¡°Of course, but you can call me Sister Shen.¡± Shen Xueqing noticed many strange looks from the people nearby; many people in Chan Country understood Chinese and could comprehend the conversation. ¡°Okay, Sister Shen, my name is Su Su. I was originally traveling in Siam, but when I heard that Nightmare Park was opening here, I decided to come and check it out.¡± Su Su was a lively girl who chatted nonstop with Shen Xueqing. Meanwhile, Min Xingyao, who had just finished his work, also rushed over, waiting for the opening of the ghost house. When the time reached eight o¡¯clock in the morning, Nightmare Park officially opened, and the large group of waiting tourists immediately entered like a tide. And those who truly entered Nightmare Park had their eyes widened by the scene inside. There were many huge buildings, the walls crumbling, with moss and weeds growing in the corners, and some places even had saplings sprouting. The steps at the entrances of the buildings were mostly very worn, some areas even broken, and even before getting close, one could smell a pungent, moldy scent wafting through the air. On the balconies, you could see old cloth banners hanging everywhere, reminiscent of unwashable Blood Clothes or white mourning garments; when the wind blew, a rustling sound could be heard. ¡°This is so exaggerated. The area this occupies must be hundreds of acres, and the atmosphere has been created so well.¡± Su Su looked around in surprise, feeling immensely enlightened. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s quite something.¡± Excitement flickered in Shen Xueqing¡¯s eyes. Just from the appearance, it was clear that a lot of effort had been put into the place. At that moment, a staff member came over to receive them and explain the ghost house¡¯s gameplay procedure. ¡°Our Ghost House is divided into five different difficulty levels: Normal, Hard, Nightmare, Hell, and Unsolvable. The prize money differs for each level. Generally speaking, we recommend clearing the prerequisite levels before challenging the higher-difficulty ghost houses. As for the Hell and Unsolvable Level ghost houses, they are open on a limited basis. For instance, today, if someone successfully completes the challenge, they can then challenge these two difficulty levels unrestrictedly...¡± A staff member provided a detailed explanation and then led a group of about a dozen people to a ghost house. It was a huge five-story building. As they approached, they could smell the scent of disinfectant. ¡°This ghost house is called Yuanqi Building. In the past, this building served as the Women and Children Hospital, treating numerous pregnant women and delivering loads of newborns. It was then abandoned for unknown reasons, leaving behind only three Blood Handprints. You need to find these three Blood Handprints, make rubbings of them on paper, then bring them to the head office on the top floor to successfully complete the challenge.¡± While speaking, the staff member also handed out a stack of notices, mainly to prevent individuals with heart conditions or sudden illness tendencies from entering, to avoid uncontrollable accidents. ¡°Also, these are the immersive AI glasses specially developed by Nightmare Park. When you enter to play, you must not take off these glasses.¡± The staff member took out a pair of glasses, somewhat similar to 3D glasses from a movie theater. ¡°These glasses can provide you with a brand-new experience. Once you take off the glasses, it¡¯s considered a challenge failure, and our staff members will lead you out.¡± The staff member spoke up to this point and shivered involuntarily as he remembered the last time, for training purposes, they were made to experience the Ghost House adventure. Let¡¯s just say that he had to hold onto the stairs on his way out because he had been so frightened that his hands and feet had gone soft and couldn¡¯t muster any strength. ¡°I¡¯m a broadcaster, and I heard that your Nightmare Park allows limited filming. Can I bring this portable camera in?¡± Shen Xueqing pointed to the portable camera clipped to her collar; most Ghost Houses wouldn¡¯t permit filming inside. Because once the mystery is lost and the scare points and segments inside the Ghost House are known, it would become extremely easy to get through. ¡°Of course, you can,¡± The staff member confirmed again, emphasizing, ¡°Our Ghost House is very terrifying, you all need to be mentally prepared.¡± ¡°Cut the crap, I¡¯ve been to plenty of Ghost Houses, I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything that can scare me.¡± A few punks sporting an alternative style sneered; they had come specifically to rake in Gold Coins. They wouldn¡¯t miss out on the chance for a free ride with a reward for getting through worth tens of thousands of US dollars. The staff member gave the group a long look and then took the money for the tickets, handed out the 3D glasses to everyone, and finally produced a key to push open the heavy door. ¡°Everyone, please come in.¡± A group of more than a dozen people walked into the Ghost House known as Yuanqi Building. ¡°It¡¯s kind of cold!¡± Su Su was also in the group, following Shen Xueqing into the Ghost House. Just upon entering, she felt a chill invade her body. ¡°Little sister, this is just a regular trick of the Ghost House, nothing but the air conditioning turned up high.¡± One of the nearby punks, Pu Changmin, scoffed with a sneer, ¡°I don¡¯t know what this Ghost House was thinking, letting so many people in at once; how is this supposed to scare anyone?¡± Su Su curled her lip, knowing he wanted to show off in front of her and couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him. Shen Xueqing didn¡¯t converse but rather scanned the Yuanqi Building. At that moment, their group stood in the registration hall on the first floor, which seemed to have been abandoned for many years. The dust and cobwebs inside had already formed their own ecosystem, the door handles were spotted with rust, rotten planks were everywhere, disassembled sickbeds and leftover medical equipment were scattered about, the scent of disinfectant wafting through the air. The light could not penetrate through the glass windows covered in thick dust, leaving the interior very dim and enveloping the environment in an oppressive atmosphere that sent shivers down one¡¯s spine. Suddenly, Shen Xueqing felt a vague unease, her sixth sense of being watched surfacing. This feeling had been very sensitive ever since her school days. During class, when a male classmate would sneak glances at her from behind, she would simply turn her head and, more often than not, catch the boy looking at her. Suddenly, Shen Xueqing¡¯s gaze drifted, and she focused on the stairs leading to the second floor. At the dim end of the staircase, she saw a silent, twisted shadow standing there. In the darkness, it was unclear, but those eyes filled with resentment and malice made her heart beat faster. ¡°Sister Shen, there¡¯s a map of the building here, look, we can go that way,¡± Su Su tugged at her sleeve. Shen Xueqing was distracted and when she looked back at the stairs, the twisted shadow had disappeared. ¡°Did I see things?¡± That¡¯s what Shen Xueqing thought, but she immediately denied it. The resentful eyes had been too memorable; she couldn¡¯t have been mistaken. ¡°Could it be because of these glasses? Things are getting interesting.¡± Shen Xueqing adjusted the 3D glasses on her nose. Perhaps these glasses could simulate some lifelike yet phantasmal images to the human eye, making one feel as though they were truly in the Ghost House, undoubtedly a new kind of sensory stimulation. With such a technological breakthrough, Shen Xueqing had a feeling that here, she would experience a long-missed sense of fear and excitement. Chapter 303: 214: Scared Silly (Second Update) Chapter 303: Chapter 214: Scared Silly (Second Update) Dozens of people in the group did not walk together. Some ascended the stairs on the left, while others took the stairs on the right. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡± Shen Xueqing glanced at the floor plan index then headed up the left staircase. But just as she set foot there, several cries of alarm sounded. In the dim lighting, down the corridor of the second floor, there stood some bizarrely shaped humanoid shadows. Upon closer inspection, they were actually medical anatomical models, made of plastic, with red muscles and organs painted on the surface. ... ¡°That startled me.¡± Su Su patted her flat chest, amused by her own scare. ¡°This place is pitch-dark; they put a human model here to scare people!¡± ¡°It seems they¡¯ve run out of tricks. What¡¯s so scary about this.¡± ¡°And yet you were just hiding behind me, and now you are the one shaking.¡± The visitors on the second floor joked with each other, laughing and chuckling. With their numbers, they emboldened each other. Plus, their psychological instinct was to know everything they saw was fake, so they were very brave. ¡°I still feel something¡¯s off.¡± For some reason, Shen Xueqing felt that the eyes of these medical anatomical models possessed a malign presence, as if they were watching her group. Amid the joking of her companions, the group continued forward. Shen Xueqing took out her phone, using the flashlight to slightly illuminate the surroundings. Operating room, doctor¡¯s office, nurse¡¯s station, dressing room, ultrasound examination room... In the dim light of her phone, Shen Xueqing could see department signs hanging over the doors of several damaged rooms, rust-stained but the lettering still discernible. ¡°They said to find three Blood Handprints, this place is so big without any hints. Where should we even start looking!¡± Grumbling to herself, Su Su kicked a discarded can, which rang out crisply in the silent surroundings. ¡°This is the Women and Children Hospital, the so-called Blood Handprints should be related to departments like the infant care room or labor room.¡± Shen Xueqing spoke up, recalling so many horror games she had played before; many had similar themes. ¡°Sister Shen is so clever, to think of a solution that quickly, let¡¯s hurry...¡± Su Su¡¯s eyes lit up, just as she was about to continue, she suddenly saw Shen Xueqing place a finger to her lips. ¡°Shush!¡± Su Su quieted down, puzzled. Suddenly, a tinkling sound echoed, it was the can rolling. Instinctively, everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see the can Su Su had kicked rolling back from the darkness. ¡°Who, who¡¯s there?¡± A few cellphones lit up the area, revealing only a medical anatomical model standing in the darkness. ¡°Damn, not another one of these human models. Could there be a real person inside, disguised by the model to scare us?¡± A burly visitor mustered his courage to investigate further and discovered it was indeed just a model, not a person in disguise. Shen Xueqing was also observing, suddenly sensing that something was amiss. ¡°Wait, were these anatomical models this close to us before?¡± Shen Xueqing noticed several models that were previously about twenty or thirty meters away. Looking now, the distance had shrunk to just a few meters, and they were positioned differently. Alerted by her, the others unconsciously looked over. In the darkness, these anatomical models cast eerie and bizarre shadows, standing motionlessly in place. Just when everyone thought it was a misunderstanding, a faint cracking noise started. But the sound was not coming from in front of them, but from behind. The group quickly turned around, only to see the burly visitor who¡¯d gone forward for inspection standing in front of another medical anatomical model, whose neck was stiffly turning. Each twist contorted the model¡¯s body a bit more, filled with an eerie misalignment. When someone nervously shone a cellphone light over, they saw an utterly terrifying face. The anatomical model, displaying its muscles and internal organs, was now oozing fresh blood from its open cross-section, with the intestines rhythmically moving and the heart thumping, the lungs expanding and contracting. The model at this moment looked as if a living person had been sliced open, incredibly real and horrific. Su Su¡¯s face turned pale, and Shen Xueqing clenched her fists tight, as the pupils of all the visitors rapidly constricted. Not to mention the burly visitor nearly glued to the medical model; he had personally checked it earlier, confirming it was just a regular model. But now, the palm he had placed on the model¡¯s abdomen sunk slightly inward, distinctly feeling the slight movement of the intestines, a warm and sticky sensation transmitting through. It was as if he truly stuck his hand into human organs. This vivid sensation, the smell of blood at the tip of his nose, and the eerie friction noise around his ears froze him in place, his eyes wide open, mouth agape, too terrified to make a sound. ¡°It hurts so much!¡± A raspy voice full of agony emanated from the model¡¯s mouth. It locked onto the burly man, rapidly dragging him into the darkness, leaving behind nothing but his earth-shattering screams. ¡°Mommy!¡± Su Su clung tightly to Shen Xueqing¡¯s arm, her whole body quivering into a ball like a terrified quail. Before the other visitors could react, that spine-chilling cracking sound echoed once more. This time, the sound came from behind them, from another few medical anatomical models. These models sprawled on the ground, moving their limbs, resembling a giant spider, launching themselves toward the crowd. ¡°A ghost, there¡¯s a ghost!¡± ¡°Damn it, what are you spacing out for, run!¡± ¡°Wuuwuu, don¡¯t chase me!¡± A group of tourists turned pale with fright, some of them went weak in the knees and stood rooted to the spot, not reacting at all. Some chose to take off their glasses, intending to quit the game directly, but panicked to discover that the glasses seemed fused to their flesh and could not be removed no matter how hard they tried. Some chose to turn and run, like Shen Xueqing. ¡°Hurry.¡± Dragging Su Su, Shen Xueqing ran swiftly; her physical fitness was quite impressive, not just some housebound girl. She had even joined the track and field club in college, and her long legs moved quickly and powerfully. Whoosh! Half a minute later, after turning a corner, Shen Xueqing found an abandoned office and hid inside, shutting the door. Noise came from the hospital corridors, and inside the room, neither Shen Xueqing nor Su Su dared to breathe heavily. After a while, Su Su managed to calm her mind a bit and said, trembling, ¡°Sister Shen, did we really encounter a ghost?¡± ¡°It must be these glasses doing this.¡± Shen Xueqing pointed at the 3D glasses, her tense nerves causing her to feel fear after a long absence, yet her face unexpectedly showed a hint of a smile. ¡°Does that mean it¡¯s fake?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡± Shen Xueqing nodded. It was the 21st century after all, and people no longer believed in improbabilities. Upon hearing this, Su Su felt relieved and carefully peeked outside through the broken part of the door. But that one glance nearly frightened her soul away. She saw an anatomical mannequin spread-eagled, climbing across the ceiling, its vacant, numb eyes still surveilling around as if searching for living people. As it crawled, fresh blood dripped from its body onto the floor, and the smell of blood was unbearably pungent. Su Su was about to scream on the spot, but fortunately, a hand reached from behind and covered her mouth. Mmm-mm! When the anatomical mannequin left the corridor, Shen Xueqing finally let go of her hand. ¡°Wuuwuu, Sister Shen, this doesn¡¯t look fake at all!¡± Su Su was almost scared witless, her petite face stained with tears, her psychological defenses nearing collapse. ¡°That¡¯s the cleverness of Nightmare Park, these glasses are quite high-tech.¡± Shen Xueqing¡¯s eyes burned with excitement and enthusiasm; this experience in Ghost House made her feel the trip was worthwhile. As far as Shen Xueqing was concerned, these 3D glasses provided terror in visual form, powered by high-intelligence AI simulation, real-time scenario computation, and tailored ghostly actions based on player reactions, making them seem genuinely real. This visual stimulus would consequently trick the brain into mistaking it for a life-threatening signal, causing adrenaline and glucose to rapidly release into the bloodstream, providing energy for fleeing and defense, thus offering an exhilarating experience akin to flying. The human eye is the organ that receives the most external information, and visual stimulation is the most intense. This is much like watching a horror movie; even if many people know it¡¯s not real, they still feel scared and frightened. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Shen Xueqing pulled Su Su, but now Su Su was clearly too scared to continue. ¡°No, no, no, Sister Shen, I don¡¯t want to play anymore, I want to quit.¡± Su Su¡¯s head shook like a rattle-drum as she reached to take off her glasses. However, she quickly felt a tingling on her scalp because she found she couldn¡¯t take off the glasses at all. ¡°I can¡¯t actually take off these glasses.¡± Su Su¡¯s mouth gaped open, unbelieving, and she tried forcefully to pull them off, but still couldn¡¯t. ¡°Detection indicates you are currently within a special dangerous scene, temporary exit is not possible, please execute this operation after safety.¡± Just then, a cold voice suddenly sounded in Su Su¡¯s ears, the glasses even had bone conduction features, leaving her in disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s a mechanism here.¡± Shen Xueqing checked and found the reason. At the back of these 3D glasses, there were two special magnetic devices that adhered to the skin, possessing a special adhesive quality, making them difficult to dismantle. ¡°No one said we couldn¡¯t take off the glasses when we came in!¡± Su Su was furious, outraged that the glasses had such a capability, which severely tricked consumers. ¡°No, they did say it, but you weren¡¯t listening carefully then.¡± Shen Xueqing took out a paper, signed at the entrance of Ghost House earlier. It had a line of small text stating that once inside Ghost House, and upon triggering certain special scenarios, the AI glasses could not be removed. At that point, one either waits, allowing the special scenario to pass. Or continues the adventure, playing through the Ghost House. Or, gets attacked by ghosts, and once the player is deemed dead, the glasses can be removed. ¡°What kind of shady dealer is this! Such a small line of text, who could see it clearly?¡± Su Su gritted her teeth; indeed, before experiencing the true terror here, even if she had seen this line, she wouldn¡¯t have cared about it. Most people always have a kind of blind confidence in themselves. Chapter 304: 215: Extreme Fear (Three updates of ten thousand words, asking for monthly passes!) Chapter 304: Chapter 215: Extreme Fear (Three updates of ten thousand words, asking for monthly passes!) Su Su had not chosen to leave after all. Because Shen Xueqing opted to continue the challenge, leaving Su Su alone here at that time seemed chilling to think about¡ªcompelled by necessity, she chose to follow Shen Xueqing. ¡°I remember the delivery room is in this direction on the third floor.¡± Shen Xueqing had a good memory; she still recalled the hospital floor guide on the First Level just seen earlier. Carefully, she led Su Su up to the third floor. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t encounter those terrifying medical mannequins and managed to ascend to the third floor without incident. The two slowed their pace, trying to avoid any debris on the ground that could make noise as they checked each of the door plaques they passed. ... ¡°This is the maternity ward.¡± Suddenly, Shen Xueqing found the target she had been looking for. She wiped the dust off the door plaque, confirmed that it indeed read ¡°Delivery Room,¡± and gestured to Su Su before turning the doorknob. Click! Click! Click! The noise of the locking mechanism turning wasn¡¯t loud, but in the eerie silence, one could hear it very clearly. As the door opened, they saw nothing but dim darkness inside, barely making out an operating table, along with a changing room, washroom, instrument room, and so on. The room was smeared with dry bloodstains everywhere, the ceiling still leaked water, damp and cold, with water droplets dripping down, making a crisp sound upon hitting the ground. The flashlight from the mobile phone flickered within the dark room, casting an unreal feeling. Upon entering this place, Su Su got nervous again. She was inherently timid, and the current environment was exceedingly oppressive for her. Su Su¡¯s expression stiffened awkwardly; she shrank back, moving her feet hesitantly as if about to cry, looking back every few steps. Using the light from her cell phone, Shen Xueqing carefully searched inside the ward and indeed found something. In the washroom, Shen Xueqing discovered a Blood Handprint on the half-mirror above the wash basin, clearly left by a baby¡¯s small hand. Quickly pulling out the white paper issued earlier from her pocket, Shen Xueqing pressed the paper onto it, successfully obtaining an imprint. The sheet of paper exhibited the same blood handprint trace, and Shen Xueqing smelled it; it had a faint scent of blood, uncertain what paint was used, but it looked very real. ¡°Shen... Sister Shen.¡± As Shen Xueqing felt a thrill of accomplishment, Su Su¡¯s terrified scream echoed. Shen Xueqing also heard an abnormal sound, which was coming from the wooden door of the lavatory behind her. Creak! An unsettling creaking noise suddenly arose, echoing far in the quiet surroundings. Shen Xueqing instinctively stopped breathing, hoping that this would prevent disturbing whatever was causing the noise, but unfortunately, it did not work. The noise continued from inside the lavatory cubicle and grew clearer and clearer. If this had been a horror game, Shen Xueqing would have already pushed open the lavatory door without any change in expression. Yet experiencing all of this in person¡ªdespite mentally reassuring herself it was all fake¡ªthe overwhelmingly realistic sensations were still agitating her innate self-preservation instincts, frantically alerting her brain to run, the farther the better. Everything in front of her felt unnervingly real, making it instinctive to forget this was the Ghost House, where Shen Xueqing had earlier reassured Su Su that everything was fake. But now she felt as if she truly saw a Fierce Ghost. ¡°This feeling.¡± Shen Xueqing¡¯s adrenaline surged, her heart rate escalated to explosion, and a debilitating terror seemed to devour her physical strength. Shen Xueqing didn¡¯t try to fatally push open the lavatory door; instead, she just looked up at the mirror directly facing the lavatory door. Cold sweat trickled from her forehead as Shen Xueqing widened her eyes. Through the mirror, she saw the door being slowly pushed open. A few ghastly pale fingers crept out from the door crack, scratching the door and producing a grating noise like some crawling creature, an eerie chill wafting through. These fingers seemed as if they were about to drill right through the mirror, causing Shen Xueqing¡¯s pupils to contract, her mouth to dry and her heart to thump violently, overwhelmed by a sense of panic that sapped her physically and mentally. Shen Xueqing actually felt her legs weaken; she had played countless horror games and watched many horror films, always with a stoic face, but today she couldn¡¯t maintain her composure for the first time, her mouth agape, her body trembling slightly. Move, move! Her inner voice screamed, and her instinctive fear told Shen Xueqing that she needed to run, to get as far away as possible from the terrifying presence extending its hand from within the lavatory. But the unseen terror inside the lavatory seemed like a ghostly presence that could instantly kill her, paralyzing her to the spot, as she stood there, simply staring at the mirror, watching as the owner of those fingers pushed the door open. In the darkness, a pair of deeply terrifying, blood-red eyes looked her way. The instant those eyes met hers, Shen Xueqing¡¯s scalp turned numb, her breathing halted, followed by the sensation of a pair of hands landing on her neck. The hands, unlike those of the living, were chillingly cold, with a faint smell of decay. In the darkness, Shen Xueqing could only glimpse a pair of arms covered in mottled bruises grabbing her neck, which began to ache. ¡°Aaaaahhhhh! Let me go!¡± Just when Shen Xueqing thought she was going to die, Su Su exploded into action. Somehow overcoming her fear to save her idol, she picked up a piece of debris from the ground and hurled it at the terrifying presence in the darkness. But she missed, failing to hit the target, and instead, she smashed the mirror. The shattered mirror crackled and fell, the bloody handprint on the fragments shattered, and the terrifying presence near Shen Xueqing also stopped moving. Shen Xueqing finally snapped out of it and, driven by peak fear, burst forth with unprecedented potential and started running, pulling Su Su along without a word. However, before leaving, Shen Xueqing couldn¡¯t curb her curiosity and couldn¡¯t resist looking back toward the restroom. Within the darkness, the sight was not clear, but she could make out a ghostly, pale face with a pair of blood-red eyes staring venomously at the two fleeing from the office. It was just a single glance, but a chill rushed from the soles of her feet to the top of her skull, leaving Shen Xueqing with a deep, lingering fear. The two ran quite a distance in one go, and only after confirming that the terrifying fierce ghost wasn¡¯t in pursuit did they stop and gasp for air, hands on their knees. ¡°That was a female ghost, right? My heart nearly stopped from fright.¡± Su Su looked horrendous, her face streaked with tears, appearing so about to cry that it tugged at the heartstrings, as she had been crying while running. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be that terrifying either,¡± Shen Xueqing said, feeling deeply emotional at this time, knowing in her mind it was fake, yet her natural body reactions¡ªfear, weakness, trembling, frailty¡ªkept sending her brain warnings that this was a real malevolent spirit. After a brief recovery, they slowly made their way to the fourth floor. The baby nursery was on the fourth floor, which Shen Xueqing guessed might be the location of another Blood Handprint. But when they got there, they found that others had gotten there first. The door to the nursery was tightly closed, with a bowl-sized hole in it, the metal bent inwards like a trumpet. At that moment, continuous screams could be heard coming from inside, the screams of other visitors. ¡°I¡¯m not playing anymore, I want to go home, I want to find my mom.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t grab me, I give up, sob, I really give up.¡± ¡°Ah Min, Ah Min has passed out.¡± Su Su, scared to death, pressed her hand firmly over her mouth upon hearing the screams from inside. Shen Xueqing took Su Su and hid in the room next door, and after a while, the screams next door finally ceased. Heavy footsteps resonated in the hallway; Shen Xueqing and Su Su watched through the broken door as a very tall figure slowly walked by, carrying several people. This figure emitted a strong murderous aura, his face covered with an iron mask, holding several people with one hand, while dragging a heavy executioner¡¯s sword with the other, sparking against the ground, inspiring awe and fear. The ones he was carrying were the very rowdy non-mainstream hoodlums from before, who had now been frightened into unconsciousness. ¡°Finally, he¡¯s gone.¡± Several minutes later, seeing no further movement, Shen Xueqing and Su Su heaved a sigh of relief, sharing a look where both seemed momentarily lost. What they witnessed and heard in this Ghost House even made them a bit unsure of the line between illusion and reality. Rising to their feet, they went to the nursery next door, where Shen Xueqing successfully found the mirror and collected another Blood Handprint. ¡°Only the last Blood Handprint left, where could it be?¡± After a series of terrifying experiences, Su Su now just wanted to finish the game quickly and leave this extremely horrifying Ghost House. ¡°Based on past game experience, if I¡¯m not wrong, the last Blood Handprint is in the principal¡¯s office, which is also our exit from the building,¡± Shen Xueqing said confidently, giving her verdict. ¡°So... do we need to go up to the Fifth Level?¡± Su Su bit her lip, her voice trembling as she spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll go together.¡± Shen Xueqing nodded and led Su Su to the highest level ¨C the Fifth Level. The building was even more dilapidated here, with tiles cracked on floors and walls, and clinical records and X-rays scattered all around. The air was thick with an ominous scent, and it seemed like a woman¡¯s cries could be heard on the wind. No, there really was a woman crying. That infinitely sorrowful, ghostly crying softly wove into their ears. Shen Xueqing and Su Su immediately thought of the building¡¯s name, Yuanqi Building. Upon arriving here, not only Su Su felt uneasy, but even Shen Xueqing was internally shivering. ¡°Just one last step to go.¡± Not wanting to falter at the last hurdle, Shen Xueqing braced herself and made her way to the principal¡¯s office. The crying was coming from there. Taking a deep breath, Shen Xueqing slowly pushed open the slightly ajar door of the principal¡¯s office. The room inside was in its normal state¡ªdesk, coffee table, computer¡ªall covered with a thick layer of dust. Yet Shen Xueqing¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t there; her eyes moved behind the desk. A figure covered in black hair was squatting on the ground, hands covering the face, the crying filled with endless grief and lamentation, gripping the heart with a chilling unease. Chapter 305: 216: Clearing the Level (First Update) Chapter 305: Chapter 216: Clearing the Level (First Update) As the sound of the wind grew stronger, the crying became clearer, and the figure of a female ghost appeared under the dim light. Her complexion was pale, and her hair disheveled, fluttering lightly in the wind like withered twigs. Su Su and Shen Xueqing¡¯s pupils dilated upon seeing the female ghost, as if they had encountered their nemesis, their nervousness was so acute they even held their breaths. As the light from the cellphone flickered, the female ghost suddenly moved, appearing to rise from the ground, which frightened Shen Xueqing into hastily covering the light from Su Su¡¯s cellphone to prevent it from shining through. Fortunately, with the disappearance of the light, the female ghost did not initiate an attack but merely squatted down and wept alone, carrying an endless sorrow. Shen Xueqing¡¯s gaze searched within the room, but her face showed no joy upon discovering the Blood Handprint. ... Because that Blood Handprint was on the computer screen on a desk, and the crying female ghost was squatting right there. That meant, to lift the impression of this Blood Handprint, she had to approach the crying female ghost. Shen Xueqing, always bold and known as Sister Calm, now visibly paled at the thought, her hair standing on end. Su Su secretly tugged at Shen Xueqing¡¯s sleeve and shook her head at her, suggesting she give up. Shen Xueqing took several deep breaths, internally battling between retreat and moving forward. Eventually, Shen Xueqing clenched her teeth and made up her mind. She gently patted Su Su¡¯s hand, handed her own cellphone to Su Su, whispered a few words, and carefully started walking toward the desk. As she approached, Shen Xueqing felt a thick Yin Qi and a bloody smell. Her heart raced, her skin formed fine cold sweat, and her body seemed controlled by an invisible fear, each movement exceptionally slow. If it were not for her extraordinary courage, the current Shen Xueqing would have already retreated in fear back to the entrance. It¡¯s all fake, Biting her lips, Shen Xueqing plugged her ears and stepped closer to the desk. At this moment, she was less than half a meter away from the crying female ghost, could clearly see the ghost¡¯s horrifyingly contorted form, her long hair touching the ground, and a pair of eyes without pupils that seemed like deep black abysses, not something any human could possess. Shen Xueqing dared not hesitate, taking out a paper and pressing it against the Blood Handprint on the computer screen. It was successful. Watching the paper getting closer to the Blood Handprint, Shen Xueqing¡¯s eyes lit up with joy. Just one last step, and she could successfully collect three Blood Handprints and complete the challenge. But just then, strands of black hair appeared on Shen Xueqing¡¯s arm, wrapping around her hand like thorny iron wire, immobilizing her progress and causing intense pain. Joy instantly turned into horror, and Shen Xueqing turned stiffly to see the crying female ghost¡¯s twisted, blurry, dark form standing up, the crying also stopped, a pair of pitch-black eye sockets staring at her, the long hair entangling her arms. Even more terrifying, the dense black hair moved like a swarm of snakes, covering her head. The ghost¡¯s pale, twisted face rapidly closed in on her. In an instant! An indescribable, heavy fear enveloped Shen Xueqing, her scalp tightening, a chill spreading from her spine to her neck, electrifying her entire body, pressing down on her, making it hard for her to exert any strength. I can¡¯t fall here! Shen Xueqing, seeing the Blood Handprint so close, suddenly whispered softly, ¡°Mom... Mom.¡± This whisper, faint as a mosquito buzz, momentarily paused the movements of the crying female ghost. Just as I thought. Shen Xueqing was overjoyed. It was a shot in the dark, based on her experience with horror games and movies. Yuanqi Building required the collection of three Blood Handprints, all left by an infant, and with this grieving ghost, there was a good chance she was the mother mourning her lost child. She tried calling out ¡°Mom¡± to awaken the maternal love in the ghost. Whether it would work, she wasn¡¯t sure, but it seemed to have some effect. But just as Shen Xueqing was about to continue, she suddenly saw another pale ghost face in front of her, its jaw unhinged, its mouth torn to the ears, revealing a mouth full of sharp, dagger-like teeth, about to bite off her head. Shen Xueqing¡¯s mouth opened wide, her body freezing as if it had crashed. ¡°Look over here.¡± Suddenly, Su Su¡¯s voice came from next door, her hands holding up the cellphone, switching on the flashlight which beamed directly onto the crying female ghost. Upon being hit by the light, the female ghost immediately covered her face with her arms, issuing an angry and spiteful howl. This was the task Shen Xueqing had arranged for Su Su, perhaps thoughtfully planned by the Ghost House designer; the crying ghost was highly sensitive to light, giving Shen Xueqing a chance. Taking advantage of the ghost¡¯s pause, Shen Xueqing used her last bit of strength to press the paper against the computer screen, successfully lifting the impression of the third Blood Handprint. At that moment, the extremely angry ghost¡¯s black hair had already covered her face and upper body, almost engulfing her entirely. In this critical moment, suddenly there was a snap, and the entire building plunged into darkness. After a few seconds of darkness, blinding lights illuminated the surroundings, and Yuanqi Building¡¯s hidden lights turned on, brightly lighting up the building. Chapter 306: 216: Clearing the Level (First Update)_2 Chapter 306: Chapter 216: Clearing the Level (First Update)_2 Originally, Shen Xueqing, who had been too frightened to close her eyes tightly, suddenly felt the restraints on her body disappear, and she inexplicably relaxed. Upon opening her eyes, Shen Xueqing saw that the crying female ghost in front of her had vanished, leaving the office empty except for a very happy Su Su. ¡°Sister Shen, we¡¯ve cleared the level, Sister Shen is awesome, Sister Calm is awesome.¡± Su Su jumped around excitedly on the spot, her face blooming like peach blossoms with joy, and her twin ponytails bouncing happily. Shen Xueqing let out a long sigh, feeling as though she had just been fished out of water, her back soaked with cold sweat. ¡°We¡¯ve cleared it?¡± ... Shen Xueqing struggled to calm the turmoil in her heart. The experience the Ghost House had given her was too terrifying. The moment she was entangled by the crying female ghost, she really thought she was going to die. ¡°Sister Shen, you¡¯re too fierce; we¡¯re the only two who¡¯ve cleared this building.¡± Su Su hugged Shen Xueqing¡¯s arm. The place was so horrifying, and yet she somehow muddled through and cleared the level. She felt a sense of pride and joy bubbling up inside her. ¡°It was sheer luck; we were just more fortunate.¡± Shen Xueqing took off her 3D glasses and a smile also appeared on her face. ¡°Congratulations to both of you for successfully clearing the challenge. Please follow me to exit now.¡± Footsteps approached, and a staff member entered the room, looking at the two women with surprise in his eyes. They, the staff, were well aware of the difficulty and terror of these Ghost Houses, but they did not expect that two girls would successfully clear one. It was a sight that truly commanded respect. Shen Xueqing followed the staff member out of the Yuanqi Building and looked back after exiting the building. The lights inside the building dimmed again, the broken windows swung back and forth in the wind, the dark interior remained impervious to the sun¡¯s rays, and a frightening atmosphere pervaded, giving the building the appearance of a sinister ghostly den. ¡°Sister Shen, look at them.¡± At that moment, Su Su pointed to the side and playfully winked at Shen Xueqing. Shen Xueqing turned her head and saw the players and tourists who had entered the Yuanqi Building with them, each one paler than the next, with expressions of people who had not yet recovered their spirits. Some didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up and were being helped out, while others were woozy and had fainted from fright, being carried out on stretchers. As these people looked back at the Yuanqi Building, they would shiver occasionally, their eyes full of fear, evidently quite traumatized by the experience. There was also a couple who had just gone in, and at that moment, the girlfriend was furiously scolding: ¡°Chen Huijie, let¡¯s break up. You actually ran away and left me alone when we encountered the ghost. Do you have any idea what I went through? I see you for who you are now.¡± ¡°Xiao Hui, it wasn¡¯t like that; under those circumstances, I had no other choice.¡± ¡°Pah! You¡¯re such a jerk, stop talking. Don¡¯t come looking for me ever again.¡± The girl¡¯s face was still streaked with fresh tears; she kicked her boyfriend hard and stormed off. Clearly, she had been severely betrayed by her boyfriend inside the Yuanqi Building; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have broken up with him as soon as she came out. ¡°Damn, does it need to be this exaggerated? What a mess they¡¯ve been scared into. Is it even playable anymore?¡± ¡°Dude, is this Ghost House really that scary? It¡¯s only been a short time, and you¡¯ve turned into this. You guys aren¡¯t actors hired by the organizers, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll haunt your ghost; if you don¡¯t believe it, go in and try it yourself. If you can walk out without weak knees, I¡¯ll call you daddy.¡± ¡°Holy mother, I suddenly don¡¯t want to play anymore. Hey, beautiful, can I get a refund for the ticket I just bought?¡± The tourists waiting outside to queue up were thrown into an uproar after seeing the state of this group of visitors. They had never seen a Ghost House that could have such an effect, with nearly everyone who went in suffering various post-traumatic symptoms from excessive fright. ¡°A bunch of cowards, what¡¯s the point of a Ghost House if it doesn¡¯t scare people? Sell me tickets, three of them. I want to play in three different Ghost Houses consecutively.¡± ¡°Exactly, haven¡¯t you seen that two girls over there cleared the level? If even ladies can clear a Ghost House, how scary can it really be?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all just cheap tricks pretending to be supernatural. My heart is as hard as steel, ten thousand dollars, I¡¯m going to earn that no matter what.¡± But not everyone was scared, and those young people in search of thrills were only more curious and eager to experience the Ghost House for themselves. Young people have always been full of bravado, thinking themselves invincible, completely oblivious to their own limits. ¡°Bro, you guys are seriously brave.¡± Su Su looked at the boastful youths with a hint of pity in her eyes, giving a thumbs-up to the brave soul who dared to purchase three tickets, hoping that after they emerged from the Ghost House, they would still retain their competitive spirit. ¡°Please follow me, our chairman will personally give you the reward.¡± After resting for a while, the staff led Shen Xueqing and Su Su away from the entrance of the Yuanqi Building to the plaza of Nightmare Park. Many shops and stores were nearby, where weary park-goers could rest, shop, and eat. At the moment, there were only a few people gathered in the plaza who had successfully cleared the game, just like Shen Xueqing. Su Jie, who had personally attended the opening ceremony, was holding several stacks of cash, which caused quite a stir among the onlookers. This was ten thousand dollars after all. Although they had heard about Jieke Group¡¯s promotion, seeing the cold hard cash in person was heart-stirring. ¡°It¡¯s really ten thousand dollars, what a windfall!¡± ¡°I¡¯m signing up right away, this is like picking up money!¡± ¡°So many people tried, but only a few got the money. The difficulty is insane, they really thought it would be easy to win!¡± The spectators below looked on with fervent desire, wishing they could take their place. The reward for clearing the Ghost House challenge was indeed ten thousand dollars, no mere talk. Shen Xueqing was curious about the man before her, was this really the chairman of the Jieke Group? He looked too young. ¡°All seven of you have courageously cleared the Ordinary Level Ghost House and will receive ten thousand dollars each. We keep our promises. In addition, you now qualify to challenge the Ghost Houses of Hell Level and Unsolvable Level. If anyone wants to try, you can sign up now.¡± Su Jie handed over the money to the few, saying cheerfully, knowing that with these examples of winners, the haunted houses would attract even more participants ¨C a little financial outlay was nothing. ¡°Excuse me, is the reward really one million dollars for clearing the Unsolvable Level Ghost House?¡± Suddenly, a man¡¯s voice rang out, and Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but look over. Min Xingyao felt a bit anxious, he was well aware of Su Jie¡¯s status in East Qin State, and though he was lucky enough to have cleared the challenge and earned ten thousand dollars, more money would ensure better treatment for his mother-in-law¡¯s tumor. Su Jie smiled lightly and said, ¡°Of course, if you can clear it, one million dollars will be paid immediately.¡± ¡°Then I want to sign up.¡± Min Xingyao raised his hand, even though he knew the likelihood of success was slim; the Ordinary Level Ghost House had nearly terrified him to death, and he had only succeeded by chance. The Unsolvable Level was leagues harder, but even with just a slim probability, he wasn¡¯t willing to miss out. ¡°Count me in, with one million dollars, I¡¯d be rich if I won.¡± A few others nearby also expressed their interest, and Shen Xueqing raised her hand as well, purely out of curiosity about what made this level of Ghost House so terrifying. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Su Su shook her head repeatedly, knowing her limits. Out of the seven people, three chose to attempt the Unsolvable Level Ghost House, while the remaining four were too traumatized to try again. ¡°Take them to the wedding ghost house.¡± Su Jie instructed the staff, shaking his head with a slight amusement as he watched the group depart, underestimating the competitive spirit of humanity. Well, it would serve as some amusement for the Ghost Bride, rather than having her be bored alone. About fifteen minutes later, the staff drove Shen Xueqing, Min Xingyao, and one other person in a beach cart to the Unsolvable Level Ghost House, the wedding ghost house. From afar, they could see a vast expanse of interconnected structures, a smaller version of Han Mansion with intricately carved buildings, oozing sophistication and extravagance. Two majestic stone lions sat on either side of the red-painted gate, lanterns hanging high. The layout here mirrored Han Mansion, a residence specially created by Su Jie for the Ghost Bride. Chapter 307: 217: Unsolvable-Level Ghost House (Second Update) Chapter 307: Chapter 217: Unsolvable-Level Ghost House (Second Update) After putting on the 3D glasses and signing the waiver, those with prior experience moved with ease. ¡°To clear the level, find the Ghost Bride and take her golden hairpin.¡± The staff explained the condition for passing and then pushed open the large door. Once the group entered, they immediately closed it behind them. Bang! Only after the door shut did the group begin to observe their surroundings. Inside, everything was set up like a scene straight out of a period drama, with pavilions, towers, bridges over flowing water, and luxury apparent in every detail. ... Red lanterns hung all around, and festive ribbons and the character for ¡°happiness¡± could be seen everywhere. ¡°This decor mustn¡¯t have come cheap.¡± Shen Xueqing murmured to herself, contrasting it with the previous experience in the Resentful Building, which was filled with dilapidation and eeriness, while in this wedding ghost house, there was a lively, festive atmosphere, without a trace of the macabre or terrifying. ¡°Shall we stick together?¡± Min Xingyao looked towards the two other visitors who had come in with him. ¡°It¡¯s safer to move as a group. My name is Shen Xueqing.¡± ¡°Zhang Pei.¡± ¡°Min Xingyao.¡± After briefly getting acquainted, the three set off. The two men and one woman walked along a small pebbled path, through the front courtyard garden, and arrived at the middle courtyard. So far, the ghost house didn¡¯t seem scary at all, which helped the trio relax a little. ¡°The staff mentioned that to pass the challenge, we need to find the Ghost Bride, and this place is dressed up for a big wedding. Hence, the bride should be in her bridal chamber. In the layouts of ancient wealthy households, the main hall usually lies along the central axis, and residences are more honored on the eastern side. We need to find the hanging flower gate first, which serves as the barrier between the inner and outer court. When they say a ¡®well-off lady seldom steps out the main gate or strides beyond the secondary gate,¡¯ they are referring to this gate. Inside the hanging flower gate is where the true ladies of the house, the young mistresses, and the master reside, while the servants¡¯ quarters and activity areas are outside. We¡¯re still in the outer court, and it¡¯s likely that the bride¡¯s chamber is within the inner court.¡± Shen Xueqing determined the direction they should head, as it would be easy to lose one¡¯s way in such a large mansion. Zhang Pei and Min Xingyao looked at Shen Xueqing with a touch of admiration. Although she was a young lady, she knew far more than them. The three quickly made a plan and pushed open a door to a room, hoping to find some clues, or even better, a map. Inside the room, it appeared to be a cloakroom, with racks of freshly washed cloth strips and garments hanging. They were layered upon each other, obstructing the view. ¡°This isn¡¯t what we¡¯re looking for, let¡¯s move on.¡± After a brief inspection, the trio found nothing of note. Just as they were about to leave, Dong! A startling drum sound abruptly rose, intermingling with the sound of a bell, striking more than a dozen times in total. ¡°Where is that bell and drum sound coming from?¡± Min Xingyao touched the back of his head, that bell and drum sound making him feel uneasy. ¡°It¡¯s the morning bell and evening drum, coming from the bell and drum tower. It¡¯s like a big, dumb clock, meant to tell the time. The number and sequence of the strikes indicate it¡¯s dusk now, which is bad!¡± Shen Xueqing also sensed a change in the atmosphere, her expression growing rigid. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with dusk? Is there some significance to that time?¡± Zhang Pei was equally puzzled, unclear on the meaning. Shen Xueqing, somewhat exasperated, explained to them, ¡°In ancient times, wedding customs included a morning welcoming and an evening proceeding. The groom would go to the bride¡¯s side in the morning to escort her and the wedding ceremony would be held at dusk. If you split the Chinese character for ¡®marriage,¡¯ it comprises ¡®woman¡¯ and ¡®dusk.¡¯ With dusk upon us, it implies that the wedding ceremony is about to begin and the bride will soon appear.¡± Almost right after Shen Xueqing finished speaking, celebratory sounds of blowing and beating emerged from outside. It was the music of suonas, gongs, and flutes, coupled with the sound of numerous footsteps approaching, as if a large procession was thunderously marching by. The trio inside the room exchanged glances, but in the next moment, there was unrest behind them as well. The previously white cloth strips and garments seemed to become imbued with red as the auspicious time arrived, taking on the hue of fresh blood, utterly eerie and strange. Zhang Pei, who first noticed this anomaly, curiously looked closer, but that single glance was all it took for him to regret it deeply. He saw the blood clothes beginning to flutter as if something within was slipping them on. The spectral yet palpably real limbs slowly extended from the collars, sleeves, and hems, and the garments took on a fuller shape, as though someone was being clothed in them. When Zhang Pei witnessed this scene, it seemed as if the blood clothes noticed his gaze, and their motions of dressing abruptly halted. The next second, without warning, intense pain overwhelmed him. Zhang Pei discovered with horror that his own clothes had turned blood-red and were constricting tightly around his body, as if intent on crushing him into pulp. The blood clothes wafted over to him, layer upon layer, each emitting sinister, creepy laughter, swiftly obscuring Zhang Pei¡¯s form from sight. ¡°Hurry up and run.¡± Shen Xueqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she burst through the main doors, running at breakneck speed. ¡°Wait for me.¡± Min Xingyao nearly peed himself in fear, scrambling to escape from the clothing room. But as soon as they made it outside, both were horrified to discover that the environment was entirely different from when they had arrived. All around them, to the deafening sound of gongs and drums, a cutting cold wind swept through. The once beautiful flora had withered, turned to a barren landscape of silence. The mottled paint peeled from the walls, cracks filled with weeds and moss, as if tentacle-like vines ensnared the twisting trees, slithering through the air. Distant towers loomed, tangled in mist, while somber green candlelight flickered eerily. On the clearing, the scene had transformed entirely. Rows of round tables stretched endlessly, loaded with rich feasts and fine wines¡ªall the delicacies of land and sea. In the distance, footsteps approached incessantly, as if guests drawn to partake in the wedding banquet were preparing to take their seats. But this feast was held for a netherworld marriage, and as for the origins of these guests... That thought sent a shiver down Shen Xueqing¡¯s spine. ¡°We absolutely can¡¯t stay here.¡± Shen Xueqing¡¯s heart tightened, as though a cold serpent had slithered around her neck. Her sweaty palms clenched into fists, unable to stop the shaking of her body as she staggered forward. Min Xingyao was running as well, but as he passed a round table, the delicacies beckoned him. Unable to resist his curiosity, he reached out to touch the food, wanting to verify its reality. However, the moment his hand barely brushed the food, the dishes transformed into venomous insects and snakes, crawling all over his body. Aaaaah! Min Xingyao shrieked piercingly, as if truly bitten and torn by venomous creatures. The agonizing pain turned Shen Xueqing¡¯s face deathly pale. Having distanced themselves, Shen Xueqing looked back through a thick fog that seemed to have risen from nowhere. She could only make out vague and terrifying figures among the long banquet tables¡ªghastly, distorted, emitting an air of pure malevolence. These horrifying entities awaited the start of the banquet, and before the true master emerged, none dared so much as touch a chopstick. Not far off, a stage was set, where a troupe was performing a joyous wedding opera. The actors, dressed in lavish costumes, had skin lackluster as the dead, resembling a collection of corpses. By the time Shen Xueqing looked again for Min Xingyao, who¡¯d fled with her, it appeared as though his body had been dismembered and made part of the feast. ¡°Someone¡¯s dead, no no no, something¡¯s not right, this is all wrong!¡± Shen Xueqing¡¯s breath halted, and she froze in terror, ducking into a room for cover. When Shen Xueqing turned around, gasping for air, she noticed the room¡¯s bizarre furnishings. Creepy paintings hung on the walls, their twisted ghostly figures leering. A huge stone bed rested on the left, draped with thick Ghost Hair, a massive ghost head pillow at its center adorned with a few withered Ghost Flowers. The room exuded an essence of the eerie and terrifying, sending chills down one¡¯s spine. Suddenly, Shen Xueqing felt something stir. She turned and saw a mirror placed upon the desk. In the mirror, a woman sat in front of a dressing table, adorning herself. Her head bore intricate golden hairpins, her body clad in a Wedding Dress, embodying elegance and grace, except that her face remained obscured by a hazy layer, like a veil of fog. Yet, guided by instinct, Shen Xueqing knew she must be a woman of peerless beauty. ¡°Ghost Bride.¡± Witnessing the woman in the mirror with her ink-like hair and Blood-colored wedding dress adorned with golden hairpins, Shen Xueqing immediately recognized her identity. But as Shen Xueqing gazed upon her, the Ghost Bride in the mirror slowly turned her head as if she had sensed Shen Xueqing¡¯s presence through the glass. Then, the Ghost Bride¡¯s arm reached out of the mirror, extending into the room. ¡°Zhenzi... Zhenzi.¡± Shen Xueqing¡¯s eyes widened, remembering the iconic horror movie she had seen. However, the Ghost Bride in the mirror didn¡¯t crawl out with disheveled hair¡ªit would¡¯ve been quite beneath her, possibly. The hand reached out from the mirror; its fingertips were delicate and as white as cream, painted with cinnabar patterns, the jade bracelets on her wrist jingling softly. Before she could take a clearer look, the hand suddenly grasped at the air. Shen Xueqing felt as if her neck was being choked from afar, suffocating, unable to breathe. What was worse was that Shen Xueqing found her body starting to move beyond her control, helplessly watching as the Ghost Bride¡¯s eyes in the mirror gazed back at her, cold and lifeless. Just one glance was all it took for Shen Xueqing to see her own reflection in the mirror, immersed in fear, weakness, fury, regret, darkness, and terror¡ªall her negative emotions pulling her rapidly towards the glass. In that instant, panic flooded in like a tide, saturating every part of Shen Xueqing, mind, and body. In the grip of extreme terror, Shen Xueqing¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she fainted. Outside, with the demise of the trio, the red lanterns one by one dimmed, and one after another, the corridors and rooms fell into darkness. The woman in the red wedding dress slowly shook her head, muttering a few words: ¡°Fainted, just like that. How boring.¡± Chapter 311: 219: Frightened Foreigners (First Update) Chapter 311: Chapter 219: Frightened Foreigners (First Update) ¡°` The booming phenomenon of Nightmare Park attracted more and more tourists. As a result, the tourism industry of the Mande Region reaped tremendous benefits, basking in economic prosperity. Half a month later. Nightmare Park, White Yabo walked through this recently internet-famous and must-visit terrifying ghost house. White Yabo, from the Beautiful Country, was an employee of the Microsoft Company in Asia-Pacific, and at the same time, he was a CIA intelligence collector. ... Apart from collecting intelligence through various espionage methods, CIA agents are also placed within many foreign companies, maintaining a legitimate identity to better conceal their intelligence gathering activities. ¡°This place is really huge!¡± White Yabo looked at Nightmare Park, this terror-themed ghost house that already occupied hundreds of acres, with thousands more awaiting development. If it were all built up, it would be an incredibly spectacular sight, to the point where even Disney¡¯s theme parks would pale in comparison. After passing the security check, White successfully entered the park. The dense flow of people inside gave him a small shock; it was hard to imagine seeing this in a poor and weak country. ¡°Ha-ha, Jamie, Lune, Vermo, Dudley, let¡¯s compete and see who can win the challenge medal.¡± ¡°Levinya says she likes brave men; I must succeed in the challenges and show her my courage.¡± ¡°I want to record my adventurous pose to show my friends back home what a real man looks like.¡± Among these tourists, White saw many blond and blue-eyed tourists from Europe and America, loudly taking pictures and videos. Compared to East Asia, people from Europe and America were more enthusiastic about all kinds of extreme sports, which explained why such sports were so popular there; the emergence of the Nightmare Ghost House perfectly satisfied these people¡¯s competitive desires. ¡°I hope this mission goes smoothly.¡± White followed the tourists around the park, but in truth, he was observing secretly, often deliberately wandering to more secluded areas with a small device, scanning around away from the cameras. This time at Nightmare Park, White had two missions. One was assigned by the CIA, which required him to come here and do some scouting. To see if the Jieke Group, under the guise of building Nightmare Park, was secretly constructing any military facilities. The other task was a requirement from Microsoft, asking him to go to the Nightmare Ghost House and experience the 3D glasses inside to see if they were as miraculous as others claimed. These 3D glasses had been hyped on the internet to an incredible extent, allegedly boasting ultra-realistic real-time AI simulation, which intrigued all the tech giants. Especially since Microsoft¡¯s recent introduction of the HL2 smart glasses had just hit the market. This product, featuring mixed augmented reality, allows users to click, swipe, and drag by waving their arms and fingers while wearing the smart glasses, using the same principle as a smartphone. It¡¯s claimed to be able to replace smartphones in the future and become a personal information terminal for humanity. Yet, no sooner had Microsoft¡¯s HL2 smart glasses been launched than the overwhelming promotion of Nightmare Park began, with continuous praise for the 3D smart glasses in the ghost house. Thus, White was also arranged to come over to verify their authenticity. After some inspection, White found no traces of military facilities here. ¡°Are the people up top nuts, who would put a military base in a place with so much foot traffic, do they want to leak more secrets or what?¡± White muttered to himself, yet he didn¡¯t consider that if Fierce Ghosts were deemed a biological weapon, then Nightmare Park really could count as a military base. While pondering, White walked over to the square of Nightmare Park, wanting to buy a cup of coffee but got distracted by the bustling noise. ¡°Does anyone want to team up for Resentful Spirit Mansion? We need someone who runs fast; screamers who frighten themselves and others need not apply.¡± ¡°Soul Desire House, Soul Desire House Ghost House challenge recruitment over here; if you have enough courage, come and join us at Lanyao Studio.¡± ¡°Over at Dark Castle, we¡¯ve got veterans guiding the way. Our leader has been through five Ordinary Level Ghost Houses and one Hard Level Ghost House challenge. In the spirit of cooperative success, we are now selecting suitable partners to take on the challenges.¡± ¡°Lamenting Wilderness, due to challenge requirements, we need a person under 1.6 meters tall, male preferred. If you meet the criteria, come and sign up. We¡¯re offering a reward of 500 Hua Yuan, and you must obey instructions inside the Ghost House.¡± ¡°Death Maze, are there any experts out there wanting to take on the Death Maze challenge? I have a lot of experience with this level, 300 Hua Yuan per attempt, and I can accompany experienced challengers as a team.¡± White curiously looked over and saw groups of men and women holding signs with the names of ghost houses on them, recruiting team members as if they were gearing up for a gaming raid. ¡°I never realized people actually treated this as a business!¡± White was inwardly astounded; he had only heard about it on the internet. To earn the challenge bonuses offered by Jieke Group, many people formed teams spontaneously, venturing into the ghost houses to take on the challenges. Though the success rate was low and each visit to a ghost house was different, unlike games where past experience could be followed, yet there were still many who were drawn to the challenge. This was largely due to the enticing rewards offered by Jieke Company¡ªthe Ordinary Level Ghost House offered a reward of ten thousand in prize money, equivalent to an ordinary person¡¯s annual salary. As for the Hard Level, a successful challenge could yield a reward of fifty thousand US dollars, and so far only three people had succeeded. No one had yet succeeded in the Nightmare Level challenges since the park¡¯s opening half a month ago; no one had claimed the prize of a hundred thousand US dollars. Because of these high rewards, professional challenge teams had emerged in Nightmare Park. The prize money also drew more tourists, each hoping to be the lucky one. Many people are blindly confident about themselves, some even plan how they¡¯ll spend their lottery winnings before they¡¯ve won a single dime. ¡°` ¡°` Walking out of the plaza, White chose a haunted house named Blood Castle. After half an hour of queuing, he successfully followed a group of tourists, put on 3D glasses, and entered. ¡°Is this environment real, or is it rendered by the 3D glasses?¡± As soon as White entered the haunted house, he was immediately shocked. The castle was quite large, featuring the style of a European castle, with tiny windows through which only a few beams of light could penetrate, casting shadows on the decrepit furniture. The interior of the castle was dilapidated, the walls mottled, and the furniture so old and musty it seemed like it might collapse at any moment. In various corners, there were piles of miscellaneous objects, old-fashioned oil lamps hung on the walls, as well as some ancient paintings. Most of the portraits had faded, and the blurred faces in the paintings seemed to twist slightly under the oil lamp¡¯s glow, as if they were staring at the visitors, exuding a sinister light. ¡°Amazing, the setup of this environment is just terrific.¡± ¡°Just like what¡¯s said online, the atmosphere is explosive.¡± ¡°If I bump into a ghost later, watch how I¡¯ll play tricks on it.¡± Next to White, one tourist after another exclaimed as if they had never seen anything like this before. ¡°Woo woo!¡± Suddenly, a gust of wind passed, and the windows rattled, the room was filled with the sound of men and women talking, bickering, and crying, but when one approached the source of the sounds, they discovered there was no one there, just paintings hanging on the walls. A chill rose up the tourists¡¯ spines, and the more faint-hearted started hugging their arms and shivering. White was shocked. Having earned his place at Microsoft through genuine talent and ability, he knew the value of what he was witnessing. If it were indeed a real-time computation by the 3D glasses, with glasses simulating a quasi-real visual experience, coupled with real-time sound effects transmitted through bone conduction, then Jieke Company, the master of such technology, undoubtedly possessed a technological capability that surpassed Microsoft¡¯s smart glasses. Such super-realistic AI computation could easily generate a trillion-dollar market. Bang! Suddenly, the carefully advancing group let out a collective scream of panic. They had arrived at a place resembling a slaughterhouse, with the pungent smell of blood hitting their nostrils. Before their eyes, a fat butcher, large and robust, holding a huge cleaver, was chopping human bodies on a cutting board ¡ª he was dismembering them. In the kitchen¡¯s large pot, a bubbling, boiling soup containing fingers and hair occasionally surfacing, stirred the senses. Several dogs as large as calves prowled under the table, licking up the scraps of flesh and splinters of bone that had fallen on the floor. Above, on the ceiling, bodies stripped bare were hung upside down by hooks, like fattened pigs ready for slaughter, which caused onlookers to break out in a cold sweat and their complexions to change drastically. ¡°Living people, food.¡± The green-eyed fat butcher, holding the cleaver, approached with a sinister laugh while the fierce dogs, baring their teeth, rushed toward them with wild barks. A number of tourist players were petrified with fear; some screamed, some wet their pants, and others turned and ran. And as the ferocious dogs pounced, the panic reached its zenith. Many tourists, who had earlier confidently boasted about completing the challenge, were now trembling, like lambs awaiting slaughter, with their vulnerability and fear laid bare for all to see. White saw the black youth who had previously been boasting about toying with fierce ghosts, caught by the fat butcher and hoisted one-handed, a large hook piercing through his shoulder blade and suspending him mid-air, leaving him to struggle, beg and cry for mercy. ¡°This is fake, this has to be fake,¡± White assured himself internally, but seeing the tourists being pulled down and incessantly screaming in pain from the dogs¡¯ bites, his heart convulsed violently, and his psychological defenses were eroded, as he began to step backward. No matter how much his mind told him it was not real, his body was desperately honest; people believe what they see, and his eyes were convincing him that everything was indeed real. ¡°I have to escape. I need to get out of here, fuck, this doesn¡¯t look fake at all!¡± Fear continued to grow within him, and between the choice of fleeing or staying, White ultimately decided that it was better to run. But his hesitation had cost him; it was now too late to run. The fat butcher, wearing an apron soaked with foul-smelling fresh blood, wielded a shiny, massive cleaver and swung it down towards White¡¯s head. He must dodge! Utilizing his hands and feet, tapping into all his strength, White narrowly avoided the cleaver, his skills from the CIA training hadn¡¯t left him. Phew! But before White could even catch his breath, the butcher¡¯s large hand seized his throat with a grip like a vise, and the cleaver plunged towards his head. White¡¯s face went pale as if drained of all blood, and his eyes, wide with terror, filled with horror. In the next moment, everything went black before White¡¯s eyes. ¡°Fuck, this is for real!¡± Right before losing consciousness, this last thought flashed through White¡¯s mind, and then he knew nothing more. ¡°` Chapter 312: 220: Visit to Microsoft Company (Second Update) Chapter 312: Chapter 220: Visit to Microsoft Company (Second Update) Temasek! The Microsoft Asia Pacific Research Group is located here, a research institution built with a billion US Dollars, having a research and development team of over 3000 people. At this moment, in the research group, the President of Microsoft Asia Pacific, Dallas Lynch, was inspecting the research center and asked, ¡°Rolf, are there still no results from the Jieke Group¡¯s 3D glasses?¡± ¡°President, things are a bit unexpected.¡± Chief Technical Officer Rolf, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looked scholarly. ¡°Unexpected in what way?¡± ... Dallas slightly furrowed his brows and said, ¡°The headquarters in Beautiful Country is already urging us to uncover the secrets of Jieke Company¡¯s 3D glasses.¡± Ever since Nightmare Park was created, Microsoft had noticed the 3D glasses therein. They obtained several pairs through special channels for research, aiming to decipher their secrets. ¡°These 3D glasses have no technological content, just ordinary smart glasses with a bone conduction system, integrated with Bluetooth and communication, but nothing much remarkable. In fact, I even found familiar assembly traces in some places, much like those produced by contract factories in Hua Country.¡± Rolf spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. ¡°What, are you sure?¡± Dallas was stunned. Although he had never personally visited Nightmare Park, some former employees who had been there claimed emphatically that the 3D glasses contained high technology capable of simulating extremely realistic visual scenes. ¡°I vouch for my personal integrity and thirty years of experience in the industry, and I take responsibility for every word I say.¡± Rolf nodded, indicating that this was indeed his judgment. ¡°Hold on a moment.¡± Dallas frowned and then made a phone call. Shortly after, an employee appeared here, none other than White, who had returned from Nightmare Park. ¡°This is White. He personally investigated Nightmare Park.¡± After introducing him, Dallas directly asked, ¡°White, tell us everything you saw in Nightmare Park.¡± ¡°...When I woke up, I was already in the pavilion outside the Ghost House.¡± White recounted his experience at Nightmare Park, of course, omitting the part about working for the CIA. After speaking, White emphasized, ¡°Nightmare Park¡¯s 3D glasses integrate ultra-high information technology and computation technology, capable of conducting such complex computations and AI integration in such small glasses. There must be multiple world-leading technologies involved.¡± White¡¯s assertion was so firm that Dallas subconsciously nodded, agreeing with him. ¡°This is the research data from our teardown test of the 3D glasses; you can see that it¡¯s just an ordinary smart glass.¡± Rolf looked exasperated as he threw out the evidence, indicating that he absolutely could not have made a mistake. ¡°These data...¡± After reviewing it, White¡¯s mind felt overwhelmed. Such data support could not possibly meet the requirements of what he experienced and observed at Nightmare Park. ¡°Then where could the problem lie? It¡¯s impossible that White and the other investigators made a mistake all at once.¡± Dallas spoke gravely, wanting to understand the crux of the issue. ¡°Perhaps in these glasses, there¡¯s technology we don¡¯t yet know about, such as quantum cloud transfer or something, with big data processed in the background, and the glasses merely acting as an interface. Maybe they have a mature quantum computer? Such a quantum computer could definitely fulfill the needs for real-time AI simulation, couldn¡¯t it?¡± White made a bold conjecture. If this were true, it would also be very significant for the CIA, and thus they would need to pay even more attention to the Jieke Group. Rolf was startled and thought carefully, unable to refute. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this futuristic technology you¡¯re talking about is feasible, but with our current level of technology, we cannot detect it.¡± And in his heart, Rolf was still mostly incredulous. What quantum transmission and quantum computers, from a pharmaceutical company, and one that sells shampoo, could they possibly invent such super technology? Such super technology, without years of investment and development, generations of iterative improvements, how could it suddenly emerge, without a hint of it heard around the world. ¡°It seems, to find the real answers, we must have a talk with the Jieke Company.¡± Dallas stroked his chin. As a globally renowned tech giant, Microsoft¡¯s current main business includes gaming, cloud computing, intelligent R&D, operating systems, and office software, nearly reaching the market ceiling in these areas. That is to say, the market for these businesses is only so big, and they still face fierce competition from other tech giants, making it very tough to carve out more market share. Smart glasses represent a new competitive track, and although their own HL2 glasses had mediocre sales, mainly because the technology was still immature and their price as high as twenty to thirty thousand US Dollars... But if they could acquire the technology of Jieke Group¡¯s 3D glasses, possessing that kind of super-realistic visual experience, they would be able to carve out a vast blue ocean market in this entirely new track, a multi-trillion-dollar super market. ............ Mande City, headquarters of Jieke Company. Liu Yingying found Su Jie to report an important piece of news. ¡°Su Jie, the President of Microsoft Asia Pacific wants to visit you personally.¡± When Liu Yingying spoke, her tone was calm and steady, having mastered her composure even when facing a visit from a globally renowned tech giant. ¡°Let him come up, to the guest room.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, guessing the visitor¡¯s intentions. Jieke Company, if it were related to pharmaceuticals, they might have dealings, but with a tech giant like Microsoft, there had been absolutely no contact before. Soon, inside the guest room, Liu Yingying entered with a blond, blue-eyed foreigner. ¡°Mr. Su, I am Dallas, the President of Microsoft Asia Pacific. I apologize for this sudden visit and any inconvenience caused.¡± Dallas greeted him fluently in Hua Country¡¯s language. As the President of the Asia Pacific region, Hua Country was one of Microsoft¡¯s most important markets, and anyone sitting in this position spoke fluent Hua Country¡¯s language. ¡°Please sit.¡± Extending his hand to a smiling face, Su Jie stood up and shook hands with him amicably. Liu Yingying timely brought over some tea, and the two sat face to face. ¡°Mr. Su, you really are young and successful. At your young age, you¡¯ve already established such a substantial enterprise. When I was your age, I was busy running around looking for a suitable job every day.¡± Dallas said cheerfully, his demeanor very friendly. Of course, Dallas¡¯s flattery wasn¡¯t hollow, despite having checked the information, Su Jie¡¯s youth was indeed impressive. Typically, the image people have of major entrepreneurs is that of middle-aged or older individuals. Like Su Jie, who at his youthful age, in his twenties, had become the controller of a global pharmaceutical giant, truly challenged people¡¯s perceptions. Su Jie took a sip from his tea cup and said, ¡°President Dallas, you¡¯re too polite. I have only achieved a little, not enough to be considered young and successful.¡± The corners of Dallas¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. To own a company like Jieke, with annual revenues in the hundreds of billions of US Dollars and call it a small achievement... how could other small and medium enterprises survive? After exchanging a few more courtesies, Dallas, who was Caucasian and disliked beating around the bush, straightened up and said, ¡°Mr. Su, the reason for our visit is actually to ask for something.¡± ¡°Please speak, I¡¯m quite curious about your intentions too,¡± Su Jie said, looking at him, waiting for what he had to say next. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, our Microsoft Company would like to form a strategic partnership with Jieke Company regarding smart glasses.¡± Dallas stated his purpose, which was also the real reason why he had come to see Su Jie, in search of new business opportunities. Su Jie paused for a moment, and asked dubiously, ¡°What smart glasses?¡± ¡°Mr. Su, I mean the 3D glasses you use in Nightmare Park. They contain extremely high levels of technology, capable of real-time AI-based processing of scenes. Not only are the visual effects realistic, the audio transmission is clear, and the dynamic movement is seamlessly coordinated. Such technology impresses us deeply. Therefore, we came to seek collaboration. Our Microsoft Company occupies half of the global market share with our latest HL2 glasses. Additionally, our company has well-established online and offline channels which facilitate easy global distribution, whether in promotion or sales.¡± In terms of management, Jieke Company would provide technological support while our Microsoft Company would handle the actual operations. Both parties would establish a new company. We are willing to invest 12 billion US Dollars. You wouldn¡¯t need to invest any money, only the technology. We would own 70% of the shares. What do you think?¡± Dallas clearly stated his proposal while bringing forth his cooperative plan. Now Su Jie understood the misunderstanding. The other party mistook the 3D glasses from Nightmare Park Ghost House as some high-tech invention. In reality, those devices were merely manufactured by an ordinary factory and their realistic effects in the Nightmare Park weren¡¯t due to the 3D glasses. Instead, it was because the fierce ghosts were real, and the visitors saw genuine ghosts, formations, and some illusion arrays. It was normal for them to think mistakenly. Compared to the mysterious occurrences of fierce ghosts in the world, people would naturally think it was some groundbreaking technology developed by Jieke Company. ¡°I apologize, President Dallas, but we cannot agree to this partnership. The smart glasses technology you mentioned is not for sale.¡± Su Jie shook his head. He couldn¡¯t agree to this partnership even if he wanted to; after all, he couldn¡¯t just explain about the fierce ghosts. ¡°Is it the share ratio you¡¯re unsatisfied with? We can negotiate that slowly. We can increase our investment, but the share ratio is difficult to change. We need to hold the controlling stake in the new company to enhance its stock price.¡± Dallas thought Su Jie¡¯s refusal was due to the financial offer not being sufficient, because Jieke Group was also known for its deep pockets. ¡°It¡¯s not about the money, President Dallas. This partnership is simply not possible. You should give up.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not about money, what if we help convince your military to drop their actions against you, to have the Beautiful Country relinquish their moves against you?¡± Dallas pondered for a while, then suddenly threw out a startling suggestion. Chapter 313: 221: Japan Garrison Arrives (First Update) Chapter 313: Chapter 221: Japan Garrison Arrives (First Update) Hearing Dallas¡¯s words, Su Jie paused in his movements, looking quite surprised at him. Seeing this expression on Su Jie¡¯s face, Dallas smiled and said, ¡°Our Microsoft Company does have some clout in political circles. With a minor share of benefits allocated, we are largely confident in persuading those high-level politicians to forgo initiating military action in East Qin State.¡± Dallas appeared very confident¡ªMicrosoft¡¯s main products nowadays are cloud computing and smart devices, mainly targeting corporate clients, and they have a massive number of enterprise customers all over the world. And for these customers, naturally, interacting with government levels is unavoidable; the profits from government projects are extremely lucrative. In this process, Microsoft had accumulated a substantial amount of network resources. Not to mention, a tech giant like Microsoft would have its respective interest appeals and government spokespersons. ... The essence of capitalism: politicians also need to serve capital. The influence of Microsoft in the politics of the Beautiful Country is undeniably strong. Hearing the firm promise from him, Su Jie finally shook his head and declined, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust President Dallas¡¯s promises, but regarding the cooperation on smart glasses, they truly are our non-sale items; there¡¯s no room for negotiation on this matter.¡± Dallas frowned, Su Jie¡¯s stance was too firm; there were no discussions about shares distribution, no talks about capital input, clearly showing he did not want to cooperate with the outside world. Although previously he had heard of Jieke Group¡¯s reputation for acting alone, it was only upon direct confrontation that Dallas realized the truth of those claims. ¡°Mr. Su, to be honest, your current situation is extremely perilous. If you cannot seek external mediation to resolve this crisis, I fear a total disaster is imminent,¡± Dallas said earnestly, re-emphasizing his company¡¯s influence. ¡°Now, the only one with the capability and desire to help you is our Microsoft Company. Mutual benefit and cooperation is the normal state of development in modern society. Your problem only needs some of the benefits from Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid to be distributed, and we at Microsoft guarantee that we will make the Beautiful Country¡¯s government call off their targeting of you.¡± ¡°Should I take this as a threat?¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile slowly faded. If he wanted to allocate some benefits of the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, he definitely didn¡¯t need the Microsoft Group to play the mediator. ¡°No, no, no, I don¡¯t mean that at all. Our Microsoft Company conducts legitimate business. We are not a military complex; we do not need to provoke wars everywhere to reap benefits,¡± Dallas hurried to clarify. Dallas felt a chill in his heart. The intelligence he had gathered mentioned not only the various conflicts between Jieke Company and the Beautiful Country but also the man¡¯s character¡ªabsolutely ruthless. If he offended him here, Dallas feared he might not leave Mande City alive. Maintaining composure, Su Jie picked up a cup of tea and said lightly, ¡°In that case, President Dallas, please return. This is a dispute between me, Asder Pharmaceutical, and the Beautiful Country.¡± Dallas, well-versed in Hua Country customs, understood this meant it was time to leave, so he regretfully stood up. ¡°Mr. Su, I hope there¡¯s a chance for cooperation in the future,¡± Dallas expressed his hope. ¡°I hope so,¡± Su Jie replied. After walking out of Jieke Group, Dallas¡¯s tightly drawn face gradually darkened. Coming here full of confidence, he did not expect to be directly rejected. After Microsoft Group became a multinational giant, very few companies dared to disrespect Microsoft like this. Looking at the bustling streets of Mande City, Dallas felt somewhat regretful, ¡°What a pity, you had the opportunity but couldn¡¯t seize it yourself. Soon, we¡¯ll only be able to obtain what we want from the remains of Jieke Group.¡± Once Jieke Company is dissected by the Beautiful Country, the items that couldn¡¯t be bought today, with their influence, Microsoft could also purchase from the military of the Beautiful Country. However, by then, they would have to face competition from other tech giants. ¡°Better start preparing early, I¡¯ll contact Congressman James when I get back to ensure we get the juiciest piece of meat after the war.¡± Dallas muttered to himself, thinking about how to secure the distribution of benefits after the war, mostly requiring Microsoft Group to make some contributions during the war to ensure they aren¡¯t excluded. Throughout, Dallas was fully convinced that the Jieke Group possessed advanced smart glasses technology, not knowing it was all a misunderstanding. .......... In the office, Liu Yingying gently massaged Su Jie¡¯s shoulders and whispered, ¡°Su Jie, the proposal from Microsoft Company...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trust the words of capital. Even if we agreed to cooperate with them, they could turn on us at any moment, not to mention, we¡¯re challenging their hegemony, having offended the Beautiful Country so many times; they won¡¯t let go easily.¡± Su Jie lay back on the couch and rested with his eyes closed, entirely unaffected by the olive branch thrown by Microsoft Group. To truly believe a wolf would turn vegetarian was to be truly foolish. Capital chases profits; if betraying Jieke Group could bring greater benefits, they would do so ruthlessly. Besides, it wasn¡¯t as if Su Jie actually possessed any smart glasses technology and even if he did, he would never cooperate with Microsoft Group. ¡°Recently, the first batch of stationed troops from Japan has arrived near Yang City in Chan Country. These soldiers mainly come from the 13th Brigade and 1st Airborne Regiment. Currently, 2,000 personnel have arrived ahead via air transport, with the heavy equipment still being transferred, including an Aviation Mixed Group they¡¯re preparing to mobilize that is also undergoing transit and readiness checks at an airport controlled by the Chan Country Government Army.¡± Additionally, our reconnaissance intelligence has found these soldiers undergoing mountain and jungle combat integration training, adapting to the local climate and environment.¡± Liu Yingying mentioned another matter, regarding intelligence about the enemy¡¯s defenses. Su Jie raised his eyebrows and sneered, ¡°So eager to fight on their master¡¯s behalf, deploying their elite forces already. Then we must give them a surprise.¡± The main mobile combat forces of Japan¡¯s Ground Self-Defense Force consist of nine divisions and eight brigades, including logistics troops, with a total active duty force of nearly two hundred thousand. These eight brigates are joint operation units formed by Japan Self-Defense Force, modeled after the organizational structure of Hua Country and the Beautiful Country, possessing strong independent operation and special operation capabilities. The transferred 13th Brigade has a force of about 3,600 personnel. The 1st Airborne Regiment, the only airborne unit of Japan¡¯s Ground Self-Defense Force, was established in 1955. Together with the 1st Water and Land Mobile Corps, they form the core of Japan¡¯s special operations, with a total force of about 1,900 personnel, under the Japan Army Central Mobile Command. As for the Aviation Mixed Group, it primarily comprises aviation regiments, air early warning control units, and high-altitude artillery groups, and includes several squadrons of fighter jets like F-15J and F-15DJ, as well as transport and armed helicopters such as Chinooks, Cobras, and Apaches, having around 1,500 personnel. With several naval ships deployed from Sakura Garden and accompanying the Beautiful Country¡¯s oceanic escort fleets patrolling in Bangladesh, the operations involve sea, land, and air forces. ¡°No wonder that guy from Microsoft in Dallas was so confident. It seems he had received a tip-off beforehand.¡± Su Jie opened his eyes, and this war, in contrast to the last one where the Beautiful Country was careless and underestimated the enemy, the other side will definitely be more cautious. Perhaps for the Eight Nation Group, as long as they advance step by step, they can squeeze Jieke Group. After all, in terms of war potential, how could Jieke Group possibly be a match for the Eight Nation Group.¡± ¡°Not only has Japan deployed its military, but they¡¯ve also offered to train soldiers for Chan Country and provided the Chan Country Government with a twenty billion US Dollar loan.¡± Liu Yingying clenched her fist, deeply dissatisfied with Japan.¡± ¡°They want to make their presence felt here in Southeast Asia! They don¡¯t realize their own strength, wanting to bite off more than they can chew, risking breaking their own teeth.¡± Su Jie chuckled. Japan is over four thousand kilometers away from Chan Country by a direct route, and even farther if traveling by sea. The opponent has come a long way; just a simple cut-off in their logistics, and their soldiers would be at a loss.¡± ¡°Does the Beautiful Country have plans for their logistics?¡± Su Jie asked, knowing that logistics are crucial in modern warfare, a fact understood by anyone who has been educated.¡± ¡°Yes, the Beautiful Country has already announced in the news that they will mobilize various overseas military bases and coordinate with other members of the Eight Nation Group, to provide logistics support to Japan, which will then be handed over to the Chan Country Government Army,¡± Liu Yingying reported, confident in the Beautiful Country¡¯s extensive global bases and powerful fleet to ensure a robust logistics supply.¡± ¡°Are other countries taking any action?¡± Su Jie pulled Liu Yingying into his arms, his hands beginning to wander.¡± With a faint blush on her face, Liu Yingying continued, ¡°The Beautiful Country has announced an increase in counter-terrorism patrols and training in the Asia-Pacific region. Besides the Beautiful Country and Japan, the other six countries of the Eight Nation Group have not deployed troops to Chan Country, merely sending small escort ships to flaunt their presence alongside the Beautiful Country¡¯s escort fleet.¡± The countries in Chan Country are mostly small and militarily weak. Although they would accommodate the Beautiful Country, they are entirely different from countries like Japan, which are deeply controlled by the Beautiful Country. They possess considerable autonomy and would not wade into muddy waters unless the Beautiful Country offers substantial benefits. ¡°Even the Beautiful Country isn¡¯t stepping directly into the fray, yet Japan is active, truly a loyal dog.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t know what the Beautiful Country had promised Japan to make it lead the charge, but he had to admire the Beautiful Country¡¯s skills in handling their ¡®dogs.¡¯ Without entering the fray themselves, they still had such a loyal dog baring its teeth and challenging Jieke Group.¡± ¡°These guys who live comfortably might still think they¡¯re the ¡®big boss¡¯ in Asia.¡± Su Jie thought about it, his face speechless. Japan once briefly assumed the lead in Asia, but then the ¡®big boss¡¯ position caught fire, grilling them severely and nearly costing them their lives.¡± But having been powerful in the past, Japan most likely still aspires to be the leading power in Asia, seeking to flaunt its strength in the Asia-Pacific region through military conflicts with the Jieke Group.¡± The Beautiful Country, leading this dog, may also fear the dog biting back, so by pitting it against Jieke Group, they can both sharpen and wear out the dog¡¯s teeth and energy.¡± ¡°In that case, we too should upgrade our military capabilities in response, even though the new equipment, needing training and integration, might not be used in this war,¡± Su Jie said as he stroked Liu Yingying¡¯s smooth long hair.¡± ¡°I remember that Russia will soon be hosting an international air show. Yingying, take a team there to discuss new arms trade deals.¡± Liu Yingying nodded obediently and then felt Su Jie¡¯s playful hand, her face growing even more flushed, ¡°Wait, wait, this is an office.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make it more thrilling!¡± In the midst of Liu Yingying¡¯s mild protest and coy reprimand, the office was filled with an intimate atmosphere. Chapter 314: 222: Airshow (Second Update) Chapter 314: Chapter 222: Airshow (Second Update) Russia, Rukovski City! The biennial international air show opened as scheduled once again. Arms enterprises from various countries showcased their latest products here, including all kinds of aviation equipment, airplane models of various types, and actual aircraft samples. Besides aviation products, there were also all sorts of weaponry like guns, tanks, ships, and so on. They were all looking for prospective customers to fulfill arms orders. The air show has evolved into a large-scale international trade fair, similar to an auto show. It¡¯s mainly for showcasing a country¡¯s military strength and capabilities, with various physical exhibits and lively flight performances to attract others to observe and negotiate. The only difference is that an auto show exhibits a company¡¯s image, while the air show displays a nation¡¯s image and power. ... September 3rd. The second day of the air show¡¯s opening, when many tourists were present and the atmosphere was bustling. Crack! A luxurious motorcade arrived at the air show, Liu Yingying stepped out of the car energetically. Accompanied by several Russian officials, she led a group of sharply dressed elites into the air exhibition. Many tourists and military procurement agents from other countries frequently looked over curiously. Some recognized the Russian officials accompanying her, holding not-so-low positions. Among them, one with a beard was none other than Ivanov, the head of Russia¡¯s military trade agency, causing many onlookers to be secretly astonished. ¡°Director Ivanov, which models of fighter jets do you sell?¡± Liu Yingying, dressed in a professional suit and looking immaculate and capable, stood her ground even in the face of the head of Russian military foreign trade. She was the one spending money after all, and the customer is king. ¡°Miss Liu, our current fighter jets for export mainly include the Su-30, Su-35, and MiG-29. The Su-30 and Su-35 are our country¡¯s current main heavy fighters; one is twin-seat, the other is single-seat, and both are equipped with thrust vector engines. The former emphasizes dual-use for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, while the Su-35 is a super-maneuverable multi-role fighter. The MiG-29 is a medium fighter, relatively affordable and cost-effective...¡± Ivanov immediately perked up, giving Liu Yingying an enthusiastic rundown, with the translator barely keeping up with his pace. Arms trade has always been one of the most profitable industries in the world, not only with huge profit margins but also generating long-lasting returns. Therefore, it is often mentioned in the same breath as drug trafficking and smuggling, referred to as the world¡¯s three most profitable industries. And fighter jets, as the pinnacle of industry, are frighteningly expensive, easily costing tens to hundreds of millions of US dollars. Last time, Russia had cooperated with Jieke Company, selling them artillery, rocket launchers, armed helicopters, armored vehicles, tanks, and more, earning a hefty sum for Russia. Now, seeing the major customer Jieke Company coming over again, and knowing the current situation faced by the Jieke Group, they were extremely enthusiastic, aware that this was another big deal knocking at their door. Liu Yingying nodded, then returned to her team to consult with several military experts she had brought along. These were all retired senior military officers from various countries, re-employed by the Jieke Group due to various real-world difficulties, and now their families were living in the Mande Region, bound to Jieke Group¡¯s ship, as it were. ¡°Miss Liu, considering all factors, the MiG-29 has short legs, its combat radius is too small. If it took off from our Mande Region, it would be difficult to threaten the southern prime areas controlled by the Chan Country Government Army,¡± said one military expert in a low voice, crossing off the infamous short-legged MiG-29 from consideration. Chan Country is shaped like a diamond, stretching 2,000 kilometers from north to south and over 900 kilometers from east to west. Considering the MiG-29¡¯s range is insufficient to threaten the Chan Country Government Army¡¯s heartland, it was definitely not an option. ¡°The Su-35 is good, but it¡¯s too expensive and too delicate, beyond our own industry¡¯s capability to properly maintain and service,¡± another military expert added, ruling out the priciest Su-35. ¡°In terms of best value for money, the multi-role Su-30 is the most suitable for us.¡± After some discussion, the Su-30 stood out as the preferred choice of fighter jet. Liu Yingying took note and then continued her visit accompanied by Ivanov. With Liu Yingying¡¯s arrival, and especially with Ivanov personally accompanying her, all attending military enterprises with discerning eyes began to inquire and investigate, quickly understanding her identity. Liu Yingying¡¯s past wasn¡¯t much talked about, just an ordinary undergraduate who had worked in finance and real estate. Now, though, it was different; she represented the Jieke Group. Nowadays, who didn¡¯t know that the Jieke Group was wealthy! Otherwise, why would the United States be so keenly targeting them, if not for envy at Jieke Group¡¯s huge profits? After understanding her background and identity, these people¡¯s eyes lit up, and the heads of various military enterprises eagerly pushed their way forward, warmly introducing their businesses to Liu Yingying. Those rushing to approach Liu Yingying, apart from some more neutral countries, included many member states from Europe, such as the UK, Germany, France, and others; they all swarmed forward as if on fire, eager to snatch up the order. ¡°These paupers, do they not have any pride left of us Westerners, to actually go lick the boots of Jieke Group, disgraceful, utterly disgraceful.¡± Not far away, Dixon, an official from the Beautiful Country delegation, had a face as dark as a pot¡¯s bottom. He had come over with a stunt flight team and what he witnessed made his blood pressure soar. As an ally of the Beautiful Country, knowing well that the Beautiful Country was preparing to take action against Jieke Group, they still went ahead to sell arms to the other side, utterly losing the face of European gentlemen. If Dixon hadn¡¯t been mindful of the occasion, he would have burst into a torrent of curses. ¡°Heh, Mr. Dixon, it seems your power of persuasion is not strong enough!¡± Next to Dixon stood Cao Shanmu, an official from the Hua Country delegation. The two were old partners and often met at various airshows. As he talked, Cao Shanmu glanced at Liu Yingying out of the corner of his eye, filled with emotion. As for the situation of Jieke Group, his superiors had already conducted multiple investigations. Cao Shanmu also knew about the financial power of Jieke Group. If he weren¡¯t worried about causing an international dispute, he would have taken his own Huaqi Military over there already. However, the arms trade to some extent is linked with political deals. With the relationship between Hua Country and Jieke Company being somewhat sensitive and Su Jie¡¯s background being what it was, along with the border it shared with Chan Country. If this arms deal were made, it would be deliberately misinterpreted by the whole Western bloc, and they would collectively condemn, leaving no chance to clear their name even if they jumped into the Yellow River. ¡°A bunch of fools blinded by money, only understanding to earn short-term profits, no wonder they¡¯ve lost the position of world hegemony. Not like our country, able to stand where we are today, because of our unity.¡± Dixon mocked coldly and contemptuously, looking down upon those Europeans who only recognized money. ¡°Cough cough, Dixon, why don¡¯t you take another good look?¡± Cao Shanmu, struggling to restrain his laughter with a twitching mouth, pointed towards Liu Yingying, his face full of mocking jest. Dixon was startled, took off his glasses to wipe them, and after putting them back on to take another look at Liu Yingying, he nearly had a hypertensive crisis, his face turning shades of purple and green. Because at Liu Yingying¡¯s side, Dixon saw the all-too-familiar military enterprises of the Beautiful Country¡ªBoeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General Dynamics¡ªcrowding in front of Liu Yingying, incessantly showcasing their products, hoping to draw business. ¡°Miss Liu, Lockheed Martin is truly the world¡¯s number one aerospace company. If you are interested in procurement, I will try to persuade my country to allow it.¡± ¡°General Dynamics is the frontrunner in ground vehicles. We have various types of military armored vehicles that can meet combat needs in different terrains and environments.¡± ¡°Boeing Company is the largest aerospace company in the world and a leading manufacturer of both commercial and military aircraft, with customers in over 150 countries and regions. If Miss Liu is interested in procurement, we can absolutely provide you with value for money service...¡± These companies were jostling in front of Liu Yingying, outbidding each other, strongly recommending their own products. As for the conflict between Jieke Company and the Beautiful Country, what did that have to do with them, the arms dealers? There¡¯s a saying that you¡¯re not a real international arms dealer if you don¡¯t sell arms to your own country. Of course, their willingness to sell didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d get approval from Congress, that was a different matter altogether. Regardless, they made their stance clear; Jieke Company was so wealthy, with a market value not showing off because it wasn¡¯t listed, but in terms of net profits, it ranked among the top few in the world. It would be quite inappropriate not to introduce themselves and seek business from such an oil-rich company. ¡°Fuck, a bunch of utterly shameless bastards, traitors, the termites of the United States. I¡¯m truly ashamed of them; I¡¯ll certainly impeach them with the President when I get back,¡± Dixon could no longer hold back and began to curse out loud. Cao Shanmu watched the farce, chuckling to himself, knowing this joke would bring down the house when shared with his colleagues back home. Liu Yingying, oblivious to the small stir her presence had caused, browsed around the airshow, lavishly purchasing various kinds of arms based on military experts¡¯ recommendations, much to the delight of the arms dealers, including Ivanov. Especially today¡¯s biggest winner¡ªRussia clinched an arms deal worth seven billion US Dollars in preliminary negotiations, totaling one-seventh of their annual arms export quota. This deal wasn¡¯t just about the price of combat aircraft and weapons; it included ground support equipment, spare engines, ground crew and pilot training, software, and other related support. As for the subsequent logistical maintenance and periodic repairs and upgrades, that was yet another considerable expense. The money for this had to be paid out periodically, and the additional revenue generated by the maintenance and part replacement of a fighter jet over its service life far exceeded the jet¡¯s initial cost. A small country normally would neither have the qualification nor the financial means to purchase such a significant amount of arms. Apart from Russia, other arms dealers also had their share of the pie, making Jieke Company the biggest cash buyer of this Russian airshow, attracting envious glances from many. Chapter 317: 224: The Situation Heats Up (First Update) Chapter 317: Chapter 224: The Situation Heats Up (First Update) ¡°`plaintext ¡°Daily News: Jieke Group claims that arms procurement with Mao Bear Country will proceed as normal and will be used in foreign wars... Conclusion: A terrifying warmonger is showing a devilish smile.¡± ¡°New York Daily: Private enterprises getting involved in arms trade poses a great danger to the safety of the local population. Mao Bear Country must immediately stop its related arms exports and stop assisting in the tyranny.¡± ¡°Wall Street Journal: Bloated wealth brings bloated desires. The head of Jieke Group, Su Jie, speaks boldly, saying if business competition does not yield results, then they would resort to force to gain benefits.¡± The next morning, fresh newspapers had put Su Jie on their front pages, mostly with negative headlines. These news articles had long departed from basic professional ethics, disregarding facts and wantonly slinging mud. ... It wasn¡¯t just in the newspapers. On the radio, television, and online, various forms of abuse and twisted interpretations of Jieke Group were being synchronized. Through a variety of channels, they spared no effort in smearing, to better provoke emotions. Because only in this way, could the subsequent military actions by the Eight Nation Group better brand themselves as the force of justice. A similar set-up had been adeptly employed by Western media for some time. The battle for public opinion in modern society is also very important; they first wanted to isolate Jieke Group so as to conveniently take action. These overwhelming news articles ranged from the statements made by Su Jie of Jieke Group to the recent explosive posts by the Eight Nation Group. The heated verbal exchanges between the two sides immediately sparked lively discussions among the observant masses. ¡®Fuck, I just found out that Jieke Group is so powerful, having bought seven billion US dollars¡¯ worth of fighter jets and missiles. I used to think they were just selling shampoo.¡¯ ¡®If you understand the development history of Jieke Group, you¡¯d know that they cannot be regarded as an ordinary company. In the East Qin State region of Chan Country, it can be said that Jieke Group actually plays the role of the local government, a small country disguised as a company.¡¯ ¡®Oh my God, the real owner behind Jieke Group turns out to be Chinese, and so young too. That fortune must be enough to make it onto the Forbes billionaires¡¯ list, right?¡¯ ¡®The person above, at most that¡¯s a small warlord.¡¯ ¡®Here is the information I¡¯ve collected from both public and covert channels, to reveal a bit about Jieke Group and its behind-the-scenes player, Su Jie. According to publicly disclosed information, Su Jie owns Jieke Group and also Tianyuan Home, the leading enterprise in Hua Country¡¯s high-end home market. There¡¯s also Mu Hua Food Company, with pig breeding exceeding 15 million, ranking in the top five of pig breeding enterprises in Hua Country.¡¯ ¡®Besides, there are numerous subsidiary companies. A preliminary estimate puts Su Jie¡¯s personal net worth definitely in the top ten of the global Forbes billionaires¡¯ list.¡¯ ¡®You guys have got the wrong idea, isn¡¯t it time to discuss how rich someone is? I think Su Jie¡¯s remarks at the press conference are clearly gearing up for a fight!¡¯ ¡®This is courting death. The Chan Country Government Army has a force of 300,000 troops, plus the rotation of troops from Japan. Jieke Group can¡¯t possibly win the fight; once a war starts, they will collapse instantly.¡¯ ¡®A man¡¯s pride will be his downfall, and now the Eight Nation Group has publicly declared that they will take measures against Jieke, including but not limited to military action. Even if Jieke Group bought fighter jets and air defense missiles, so what? Can those rookies use them?¡¯ ¡®Just another Captain Ka in real life, young and foolish, thinking he can stand against heaven, earth, and the air, not realizing he¡¯s already half buried in the ground.¡¯ ¡®Beautiful Country isn¡¯t wrong; Jieke Group is indeed an extreme radical organization. Otherwise, how could they buy so much military hardware? All that talk about suppressing rioters, that amount of firepower is overkill for a warlord. So, I support the just sanctions by Beautiful Country, to eliminate the cancer of Jieke Group that is festering in Southeast Asia and return peace and prosperity to the region.¡¯ ¡®I guess this Su Jie is all bark and no bite; he wouldn¡¯t dare instigate a military conflict. Otherwise, under the ¡®Sakura-Chan Mutual Defense Treaty,¡¯ Japan could send troops legitimately and flatten his little Jieke Group. Long live our Great Sakura Empire.¡¯ ¡®Even though I¡¯m not a fan of war, bullying a little warlord should be no problem for our Japan Self Defense Force. I wish you victory and safe return, transport!!!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m from Hokkaido. My husband Oda-san has gone to Chan Country. Oda-san told me that if he distinguishes himself in Chan Country, the reward will be very generous. When he returns, we¡¯ll settle down and buy a house in Tokyo, becoming Tokyo people.¡¯ These overseas netizens kept discussing, mostly mocking and pessimistic about Su Jie¡¯s remarks. And those who tried to speak up for Jieke Group, criticizing the hegemonism of the Eight Nation Group, were ruthlessly limited and hidden. After all, these news media and social platforms are completely controlled by capital, and any discourse unfavorable to them would naturally be swept away. The freedom of speech extolled by Western social media should not be taken seriously. However, in Hua Country, the public opinion was the complete opposite. On social media platforms like Douyin, Man Shou, Little Broken Station, Weibo, and Bi Hu, people were leaving comments and discussing. BigPixiuBeast: Holy shit, we actually have such a badass in our country. Awesome, bro. WorldSoBigEarnMoneyToSee: Having money and guns, damn, the young people nowadays really know how to play, huh? ¡°` Chapter 318: 224: Escalating Situation (First Update)_2 Chapter 318: Chapter 224: Escalating Situation (First Update)_2 Legion Record Officer: He¡¯s the real winner in life, carving out his own territory for development. Those capitalists back home are so weak in comparison. Mo Ranqinghua: It¡¯s not even on the same level. Jieke Group occupies a territory of 70,000 square kilometers in East Qin State. Domestic capitalists can¡¯t even compare; not to mention in terms of financial power, they¡¯re no match for Jieke Group. Romantic to Death: A net worth of hundreds of billions of US Dollars, wow, I declare, from now on, Su Jie is my idol. Cao Cao ¨C Liu Xie Certified Loyalist: I even want to go travel to East Qin State now. Nightmare Park there is super popular recently, but the country just issued a notice saying that recently the security situation in Chan Country is severe and complex, with a high risk to personal safety. Otherwise, I would have already bought a plane ticket and set off. Fish Guarding the Cat: Haha, it can¡¯t really be about starting a war with Japan, can it? If so, I¡¯m all hands and feet in favor, smash them hard for me. Your Meow P I Guava, right: If it¡¯s about fighting Japan, then do we still need more troops? I¡¯ve been a soldier, I can go support you guys for free, fighting Japan has been my dream since I was a kid! ... Just Drink AD Calcium, Haha: I also want to fight Japan, @Jieke Group, when will the registration channel open? Just give me some food and a gun. Tennoji Shinoku: You guys upstairs, do you really think war is a child¡¯s play? Once you actually get on the battlefield and the fighting starts, you¡¯d probably be scared to piss yourself. It¡¯s different from games; you can restart a game, but on the battlefield, you have only one life. Who Doesn¡¯t Love Big Orange Cats: I guess it won¡¯t really come to fighting. Objectively speaking, the power difference between the two sides is too large. If a real conflict happens, they¡¯d be steamrolled by Chan Country and Japan. Cotton Hands Who Can¡¯t Play Guitar: Being able to talk tough is already awesome, okay, but we need to be rational about war. We¡¯ve gotten this territory with difficulty, let¡¯s not just spit it out. These Hua Country netizens support Su Jie even more because his identity gives them a sense of belonging. After all, it¡¯s Chan Country that occupies the territory, and Chan Country has not been short of nuisances over the years. All kinds of scam parks have popped up everywhere, leading most Hua Country people to have an extremely poor opinion of Chan Country. Su Jie carving out territory in Chan Country has only led to encouragement. Moreover, at the press conference, the video of Su Jie fiercely rebuking the Japanese female reporter also received tens of millions of likes on various major video platforms. Seeing Japan¡¯s misfortune is always a delight to netizens, as they are historic enemies of Japan. Su Jie¡¯s tough response naturally drew cheers. Of course, more netizens just treated it as a spectacle. After all, they think, with Chan Country¡¯s 230,000 active troops plus the help from Japan, how could Jieke Group dare to start a war. ....... Responding to Jieke Group, right after Jieke Group¡¯s press conference ended. The Government of Chan Country immediately jumped out and wrote a thousand-word long article vehemently criticizing Jieke Group. ¡°Jieke Group, a cancer harming the people of East Qin State. As the legitimate government of Chan Country, we have the right to demand that Jieke Company immediately stop its military expansion and withdraw from East Qin State early. Otherwise faced with this military threat, we, the authorities of Chan Country, will absolutely not stand by idly. We, Chan Country, announce that starting from September 7, we will officially move 30,000 troops to the area around Jibang Jinlao Mountain, mobilize the 19th Division, 8th Division, 2nd Armored Division, and establish a Northern Regional Command...¡± The news was from an ¡°Global Times¡± interview with the President of Chan. On the day the news was released, the Foreign Minister of Chan Country began a series of intensive visits to the other countries of the Eight Nation Group. Meanwhile, a large number of troops began to be stationed near the Jibang Jinlao Mountain area, adjacent to East Qin State. During its visit to Chan Country, members of the Eight Nation Group came forward to support Chan Country¡¯s actions. ¡°Recently, we have noticed that the Chan Country Government¡¯s dissatisfaction with the Jieke Group is not only limited to Jieke Group¡¯s disregard for the law and their reckless behavior, but their covetous eyes on more territories of Chan Country still exist.¡± ¡°Japan has always firmly supported the legitimate claims of the Chan Country Government and decided to upgrade military cooperation with Chan Country again, hastening the deployment and training of soldiers in Chan Country to respond to the substantial threat posed by Jieke Group in the northeast part of Chan Country.¡± ¡°In response to the repeated provocations by the Jieke Group, Beautiful Country has formally issued a resolution that if Jieke Group continues to engage in arms trade with Russia, ignoring the warnings from Chan Country, and maintaining such a dangerous military expansion, Beautiful Country will not stand idly by. I declare that in order not to let Chan Country fall under the strategic shadow of Jieke Group¡¯s expansion, becoming a possession of Jieke Group, I will provide substantial material and financial aid to Chan Country, and at the same time, I will call upon the entire West to further sanction Jieke Group, placing them on the ¡®Dangerous Organizations¡¯ list.¡± ¡°It is hard to imagine that in the 21st century, there is still an organization like Jieke Group that adheres to World War II thinking, so greedily fond of land, population, and resources, attempting to expand its territory by creating regional chaos as an excuse. Therefore, at the invitation of the Chan Country authorities, Siam will provide corresponding logistical support to Chan Country, and I officially announce that all products from Jieke Company are banned from entering our country.¡± ¡°Temasek will strengthen its far-sea escort cooperation with the Eight Nation Group in Mengjia Bay, dispatching an additional formidable frigate to restrict the navigation of Jieke Company¡¯s transport ships in the region, as a retaliation against Jieke Group¡¯s military intimidation.¡± Voices of support and backing subsequently emerged from the Eight Nation Group, creating a tense sense of a looming stormy weather. Jieke Group also responded to these accusations and sanctions with concrete actions, sending multiple troops majestically toward the Jibang Jinlao Mountain region, bordering the Chan Country Government. They also gave interviews to major neutral parties, gravely protesting the Eight Nation Group¡¯s sanctions. ¡°Jieke Group has repeatedly stated that its dealings with Russia are normal commercial trades. In view of the false accusations of the Eight Nation Group, we urge Chan Country not to act as Beautiful Country¡¯s pawn, stirring up trouble in sensitive areas like Mengjia Bay. We also reiterate, if it is thought that by joint provocations and intimidation from Chan Country and Japan, fabricating stories of thieves crying thief and sanctioning the export of Jieke Group¡¯s products, these tactics will not intimidate us.¡± Meanwhile, to respond to the escalating regional situation, the Security Department of Jieke Group will deploy the 1st and 2nd Brigades to the southern Jinlao Mountain area, to protect Jieke employees from external threats and resolutely safeguard the life and property safety of Jieke employees.¡± Jieke Group¡¯s response was very tough, not giving in at all, but instead substantially mobilizing the army. Fifteen thousand soldiers arrived at the Jinlao Mountain, bordering the Chan Country Government, where both sides¡¯ armies began to confront each other across the mountains. The strong response from the Jieke Group made Chan Country seem like a powder keg at that moment, ready to explode at the slightest spark. In this tense situation, Japan frequently made major moves. In just half a month, it swiftly deployed the 13th Brigade of the Ground Self-Defense Force and the 1st Airborne Regiment to Chan Country. The Aviation Mixed Group also occupied major airports controlled by the Chan Country Government Army, constantly conducting training exercises everywhere. Warplanes continuously flew over East Qin State, sometimes even intentionally lowering their flight altitude to skim the ground, provocatively. On the ground, Japan was not to be outdone, joining forces with the Chan Country Government Army to engage in joint military exercises in Jinlao Mountain. With artillery booming ceaselessly, day and night, some shells even fell within the territory of East Qin State. When held accountable, the opposing side would lightly claim it was a misfire, the shells deviated from their intended trajectories due to strong winds. In less than a month, the tension in the Chan Country region reached a precarious level. The Eight Nation Group further conducted mutual state visits, held leadership summits, and signed several defense agreements with each other, continuously supplying military ammunition to both the Chan Country Government and Japan, their intention to contain and strike at Jieke Group unspoken yet evident. Chapter 319: 225: Stirring Up Conflict (Second Update) Chapter 319: Chapter 225: Stirring Up Conflict (Second Update) Chan Country, East Qin State. In a village near Ji State. Su Jie was here visiting some displaced disaster victims. ¡°Fellow countrymen, rest assured, Jieke Group will definitely stand up for you. If you have any difficulties now, speak up, and I will solve them immediately,¡± Su Jie said. Su Jie stood in front of an elderly farmer, holding the latter¡¯s rough and calloused palms in his hands. ¡°Mr. Su, thank you, thank you so much. Jieke Group has treated us well with proper arrangements for tents and food. We don¡¯t have any difficulties now,¡± the old farmer said, excited and nervous as he shook Su Jie¡¯s hand. It was his first time shaking hands with such a significant figure, and he was so nervous his speech quivered. ... Behind the old farmer was a house that had been toppled by practice artillery shells from Japan. The shells had exploded dozens of meters away, severely injuring several of his family members who were still receiving treatment in the hospital. ¡°Jieke Group must not let those scoundrels get away with this.¡± ¡°Exactly! Some people even came to persuade me to move south to Ji State. Bah, what kind of life did I have before? It was Jieke Group that made my life better. I would have to be crazy to go there and be exploited by them!¡± ¡°If Jieke Group needs to enlist soldiers, both my second and third sons are over eighteen, and they¡¯re ready to serve in the army and fight for Jieke Group.¡± ¡°Down with Japan, long live Jieke Group!¡± Many other villagers who had gathered around were brimming with righteous indignation. They had been living a poor life under the rule of other warlords in East Qin State, with no job security, bare survival wages, frequent arbitrary exploitation and taxation, and no avenue for redress when wronged. After Jieke Group arrived, just the act of raising wages had won countless hearts. The local wages increased by two to three or even four times, and, in addition to tax reductions, many destitute families and orphans received support. With Jieke Group¡¯s investment in various civil infrastructure industries, such as establishing schools for free education, constructing hospitals that dramatically reduced medical costs or even offered free treatment to the needy, and paving roads to ease travel, it significantly improved lives. The greatest measure was Jieke Group redistributing the land taken from corrupt officials and warlords to the landless poor, granting many impoverished citizens their own land. Plus, Jieke Group¡¯s massive recruitment of employees, high welfare, high remuneration, and the distribution of profits from breeding insects were all visible benefits to the public. As the saying goes, without comparison, there is no harm felt. Having experienced the administration of Jieke Group, people no longer wanted to return to their former lives. Now, those who wanted to force Jieke Company to withdraw from East Qin State and destroy it essentially wished to revert them to those impoverished, miserable days. This naturally led to widespread opposition and an intense dislike towards the Chan Country Government and Japan. Su Jie turned around, faced the indignant villagers, and raised his fist, saying, ¡°I have heard all your demands, and I once again assure you that I will not tolerate anyone who harms Jieke Group. I will ensure that we obtain justice, righteousness, and a voice for everyone.¡± Clap, clap, clap! Applause immediately filled the air as the villagers chanted the name of Jieke Group. The accompanying official photographer and reporters clicked their cameras, capturing these valuable moments. As Su Jie left the village and got into the car, he turned to Liu Yingying and smiled, saying, ¡°See that? The will of the people can be utilized!¡± Liu Yingying, wrapping her arms around Su Jie¡¯s, nodded and said, ¡°With the support of these people, our chances of winning are even higher.¡± ¡°How is the military preparation going now?¡± Su Jie rolled down the car window, looked at the verdant fields outside, and seemed to gaze toward Jinlao Mountain, sensing the tense atmosphere there. ¡°Currently, we have assembled eight brigades, one of which is a heavy composite brigade equipped mainly with various armored vehicles and tanks, including 88 tanks, 112 infantry fighting vehicles, 12 40-barrel 122mm rocket artillery, 18 122mm self-propelled howitzers, and corresponding anti-aircraft and engineer battalions, totaling 9,800 personnel per brigade. The other seven brigades consist of two mechanized brigades and five mountain brigades, primarily made up of light armor and infantry, which form our major combat forces. In these eight brigades, totaling over sixty thousand troops, we also have Second-class and Third-class Super Soldiers serving as scouts and battlefield spearheads, numbering 320 in total. Furthermore, we have established an artillery regiment and an aviation brigade, which includes sixty-eight helicopters, covering transport helicopters, general support helicopters, medical rescue helicopters, armed helicopters, and a drone squadron.¡± ¡°Lastly, there is your direct command unit, the Steel Camp, responsible only to you, consisting of 92 personnel, all First-class Super Soldiers from Jieke Security, the elite unit. In addition to these regular soldiers, we also have reserve militias serving as reserves, who are trained during their spare time and, although they obviously cannot compare in combat prowess to regular soldiers, can be called upon to the battlefield if necessary.¡± Without hesitation and without needing to consult any data, Liu Yingying accurately recounted these details and the military situation, having diligently managed Jieke Group¡¯s affairs. Su Jie stroked his chin, the population of East Qin State had reached three million today, originally just around two million seven or eight hundred thousand. The people from other areas of Chan Country, hearing of the life here, chose to migrate, increasing the population to three million. Three million people, sixty thousand combat troops, still adhering to the initial ratio Su Jie had set: one soldier for every fifty citizens. This ratio was just right, neither affecting the production and life under the rule of Jieke Group nor compromising the formidable combat power. It wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t recruit more soldiers, Jieke Security offered very attractive conditions, and entering it required selection of the best candidates. But there was no necessity, with the current situation, if sixty thousand regular soldiers couldn¡¯t hold, recruiting new recruits to throw into battle to fill the lines would be useless. ¡°How about the military deployment on Chan Country Government¡¯s side, and Japan? Have all their stationed soldiers arrived?¡± Su Jie asked again, he had also been preparing for war these days, the thousand-hand centipede had been digging everywhere underground, even more diligent than a mole. ¡°After Chan Country accepted the qualifications of the Eight Nation Group, they have also been frantically recruiting soldiers during this period, refilling the slots of soldiers who were previously drawing pay without serving, and they have been significantly bolstered by the Eight Nation Group with many heavy weapons. Currently according to the intelligence we hold, the combined forces of Chan Country¡¯s army, navy, and air force total 350,000 soldiers. Their main equipment includes 600 various types of main battle tanks, armored vehicles more than 1000 units, 150 self-propelled artillery, and over 800 towed artillery. They have about 300 aircraft, including 100 fighter jets, more than 120 helicopters, 25 transport planes, and more than 90 trainer aircraft. Although these heavy weapons are somewhat outdated models, the sheer numbers still represent a hugely terrifying force.¡± Meanwhile, Japan¡¯s soldiers have already all arrived in Chan Country, all stationed in Jibang territory, amounting to about eight thousand soldiers. Together with the soldiers Chan Country has deployed at Jibang Jinlao Mountain, the soldiers now facing us on the Jinlao Mountain frontline amount to a whopping 80,000.¡± Liu Yingying was familiar with the enemy¡¯s situation as if she had counted it herself, many were exposed by foreign media themselves, it was unclear if there was any exaggeration. From the paper strength, Chan Country¡¯s armament situation was much stronger than Jieke Group. Especially in terms of heavy weapons, it was nearly ten times that of Jieke Group, completely dominating the skies over Jieke Group. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Chan Country Government needed many forces to defend against other directions¡¯ warlords, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to bring them all up, even if these soldiers¡¯ training was questionable, they could still pose a huge pressure on Jieke Group. ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot of heavy firepower! We need to take some of them out first.¡± Su Jie narrowed his eyes, a cold light flickering within, these devices posed a huge threat to Jieke Group. ¡°Ah! Are we going to fire the first shot?¡± Liu Yingying was startled. She detected this intention from Su Jie¡¯s tone, indicating a proactive approach. ¡°Rather than letting the enemy fully prepare and draw the battlefield into East Qin State, I¡¯d rather strike first.¡± Su Jie touched Liu Yingying¡¯s pretty face, and said lightly, ¡°Notify all, from today on, the entire territory will progressively enter a wartime state, close the domestic airspace, mobilize all regular military forces and special forces, initiate first-level combat readiness, and utilize all bomb shelters and strategic logistical warehouses.¡± ¡°We... Are we directly committing aggression? In the international community, that might be...¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s heart thumped rapidly, although forewarned, still tense upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s war commands. Su Jie tapped Liu Yingying¡¯s head, correcting her erroneous terminology, ¡°What aggression? This is called liberation, liberating the vast masses of oppressed people. You too must maintain this statement externally.¡± Liu Yingying, holding her head, looked at Su Jie with great admiration. Simply changing a word made the perception completely elevated. ¡°Then, the reason for starting the war...¡± ¡°Leave that to me. Have Steel Camp prepared, first give those Japanese soldiers who came all the way to Chan Country and have constantly been challenging us recently, a grand welcoming gift.¡± Su Jie looked at the map spread out before him, his lips curling into a cold smile. .......... Three days later, October 16th. On this day, Jieke Group announced that they would hold an anti-violence exercise near Jinlao Mountain to increase their measures and experience in dealing with violent elements. For this, participants in the exercise included Jieke Group¡¯s only heavy composite brigade, an air brigade, three mountain brigades, with over a hundred tanks, countless light and heavy weapons, and thirty thousand soldiers entering the exercise area. The news being released immediately made the outside world judge Jieke Group¡¯s move as a reaction forced by the threats from Chan Country and Japan. Many professional military commentators definitively stated, ¡°Jieke Group¡¯s such ostentatious exercise is merely a bluff, warning Chan Country and Japan not to provoke them, actually revealing their own weakness. Otherwise, why make such a big fuss? If they were truly strong, they could completely ignore the provocations.¡± However, on the next day, the 17th, Jieke Group officially suddenly issued a statement. ¡°At 11 AM today, one of our soldiers participating in the exercises, Lu Qiufei, disappeared. After meticulous investigation, it was discovered that the soldier disappeared near Wuhe Military Camp where Japanese soldiers are stationed. We demand immediate access to the camp for a search, and the Japanese soldiers must cooperate with our work.¡± The appearance of this declaration immediately caused a huge stir worldwide, especially in East Asia, awakening long dormant memories. Chapter 320: 226: The War Begins (30,000 words in three updates, asking for monthly votes) Chapter 320: Chapter 226: The War Begins (30,000 words in three updates, asking for monthly votes) ¡°` Boom! In Yang City, the highest-ranking officer of the Chan Country¡¯s Japanese Army, Major General Yoshimura Yuichi, slammed his palm onto the table. Eyeing the provocative statement issued by the Jieke Group, the all-too-familiar words instantly enraged Yoshimura Yuichi. ¡°How dare they, how dare they make such a statement! This is a provocation against us, against the entire Great Japan Empire.¡± Spittle flying from his mouth, Yoshimura Yuichi was echoed by a group of angry staff officers beneath him, who waved their fists and shouted angrily. ¡°General, we must retaliate. Let the artillery ¡®accidentally¡¯ fire a few more shells over there.¡± ... ¡°Send the fighter jets loaded with bombs to patrol their airspace and let them know that one can eat indiscriminately, but words must not be spoken carelessly.¡± ¡°It seems they really have no other options left and can only show off their verbal skills. Once we defeat them and capture that Su Jie, we¡¯ll make him face the consequences of his reckless words.¡± These staff officers and military officers were the elite of the Japan Army, not ordinary citizens confused by distorted history. They knew that the Jieke Group¡¯s statement was mocking Japan. ¡°Could it be, might the Jieke Group actually intend to use this as an excuse to launch an attack on us?¡± Suddenly, a staff officer whispered. The command room fell silent at once, all eyes turning to look in that direction, then unanimously shaking their heads. ¡°Impossible, they don¡¯t have the guts.¡± ¡°They are barely able to resist us in their defensive positions, how could they dare to strike first? That would be suicidal!¡± ¡°Mr. Antian, you worry too much. The Jieke Group is already at a disadvantage in international public opinion; they can¡¯t possibly launch an offensive and plunge themselves into an extremely unfavorable media atmosphere.¡± After a brief silence, these officers immediately began discussing all at once, eventually concluding that the chance of the Jieke Group taking the initiative to launch an attack was extremely slim. ¡°Tighten security among the troops below, though I don¡¯t believe they will dare to attack. It¡¯s better to be cautious,¡± Yoshimura Yuichi said with a wave of his hand, then commanded someone to go down with additional orders: ¡°Also, immediately send a telegram to notify the media. Tell the Jieke Group not to be delusional; we haven¡¯t seen any of their soldiers, and we certainly won¡¯t allow them to enter our military camps for an inspection.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The group of staff officers stood up and saluted, then walked out of the command room to make arrangements. Soon, a press release issued in the name of the Japan Army garrison was freshly baked. ¡°We, the Japan Army, have no knowledge or involvement concerning the Jieke Group¡¯s sophistry about missing soldiers. We also absolutely forbid any Jieke Group personnel from entering our military bases. Hereby, we advise the Jieke Group to refrain from any fantasies of crossing the border, instigating border conflicts, and pushing themselves to the brink of disaster.¡± This news release, as a response to the Jieke Group, immediately stirred up a heated debate. Unusually, the Jieke Group remained silent instead of responding right away. ............... The training field! At dusk! The Jieke Security First Brigade, the only heavy mixed brigade, was in the midst of training exercises when the soldiers suddenly received a command to assemble. Soon after, they saw a brigade officer carrying a signed military order walking over. ¡°Everyone, attention!¡± Swish! The soldiers, with their hands behind their backs, stood straight and tall, despite being covered in the dust from the exercises, radiating high spirits and morale. ¡°Half an hour ago, General Su, the highest commander of the warzone, issued a war order against the Chan Country and Japan Army garrisons. Our target is no longer the training field but the enemy¡¯s military camp. The mission requires a direct, lightning-fast assault, crossing the Baoji River by tomorrow morning, and as the first assault armored group, attacking the southern part of the Chan Country forces at Jinlao Mountain. Note, this is not an exercise, this is not an exercise.¡± With a formidable glance, the brigade officer, clutching the red-sealed military documents, roared, ¡°Any questions? Anyone who wants to back out?¡± ¡°None!¡± A tsunami-like roar ensued, every soldier¡¯s eyes burning with fervor and their faces set with determination. ¡°Good. Carry out the mission. Everyone, put on your identification armbands and move out.¡± At the command, the infantrymen, who were scheduled to train, began embarking on the infantry fighting vehicles, wearing their equipment. Tanks rumbled into life, billowing out white smoke; dozens of tons of steel monsters roared, and the formidable armored and transport vehicle convoy immediately set off toward the border. A similar scene took place not only with the 1st Heavy Mixed Brigade but also with the 3rd Mountain Brigade, the 6th Mountain Brigade, and the 7th Mountain Brigade. All received the same war order, switching from exercise to war and executing different combat missions. ........... Four in the morning, East Qin State, Jieke Security 1st Aviation Brigade base. The airport was ablaze with lights. The rotors of the Mi-8 helicopters began to rapidly spin, with strong winds sweeping across the land, making it difficult for people to keep their eyes open. ¡°Our mission is divided into two parts. The first platoon will follow me in assaulting the Japan Army¡¯s Wuhe Military Camp and shatter the enemy there, detonating their strategic warehouse. The second platoon will head toward the Nanguan City route, destroying the military airfield and annihilating those fighter jets. Don¡¯t let a single one take off. Understood?¡± I must emphasize that this mission is of utmost importance. General Su trusts us with this heavy responsibility. Do you all have the confidence to complete the mission given to us by General Su?¡± Commanding the Steel Camp was Miao Lun, wearing heavy battle armor. His gaze, fierce and chilling, was enough to freeze the soul. Before Miao Lun stood an entire line of First-class Super Soldiers, each clad in heavy armor and carrying Gatling guns and large-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns. ¡°` ¡°First battle, use me, with me, victory is assured!¡± The thunderous voice rose, each First-class Super Soldier had a tiger-like momentum. Although there weren¡¯t many of them, less than a hundred, they exuded a terrifying aura like a steel torrent, causing the logistical personnel and the pilots at the nearby airport to tremble with fear down to their hands and feet. When they regained their senses and looked at Jieke Group¡¯s absolute trump card, their eyes filled with immense admiration and respect. ¡°All personnel, board the aircraft, execute the supreme commander¡¯s orders, and destroy any enemy in our way.¡± Miao Lun looked around, picked up the heavy 14.5 mm anti-aircraft machine gun at his feet, closed the bulletproof glass mask, and strode towards an Mi-8 helicopter. Behind him, the metal-clad warriors stepped forward in an orderly fashion, boarding the helicopters one by one. The logistical staff were conducting the final checks. When everything was ready, they waved the little yellow flags to notify the control tower that all preparations were complete. Upon receiving the instructions, the Mi-8 helicopters¡¯ propellers rotated at maximum power. Under the control of the pilots, they slowly lifted off the ground and hovered. Minutes later, after joining the escorting armed helicopters, this massive air assault squadron flew at ultra-low altitude under cover of darkness, heading straight towards the location of the Japanese forces. The curvature of planet Blue Star affected the radar coverage, limiting the height range it could scan. Moreover, low-altitude flight using terrain, trees, buildings, and other obstacles to block radar signals made it difficult for radars to detect helicopters flying at ultra-low altitudes. Even if Chan Country¡¯s radars were operating, they would hardly be able to capture this air assault squadron. ...... Dawn. The first ray of light shone down, and the bright sunlight fell on the Wuhe Military Camp of Japan. The sentinel Ikegaya Heikou, who was on watch in the latter part of the night, stretched and mumbled, ¡°I wonder if today¡¯s meal includes rice balls and miso soup. Always eating these local foods is going to ruin my stomach someday.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re such a pampered guy. We¡¯re here to fight a war, and you¡¯re expecting gourmet meals.¡± Nakazawa Ichiro, a veteran who had served in peacekeeping, smacked him on the back of the head, wiped his rifle, and chided him. Ikegaya Heikou shook his head, nonchalantly saying, ¡°What war? At most we¡¯ll do an armed parade. That Jieke Group will probably surrender under threat in the end, for all we know. I want to go back home sooner. This place is unbearably hot, with so many bugs¡ªI never want to come back here in my life.¡± Just thinking about the training in the mountains made Ikegaya Heikou shudder. That had been the most painful training of his life, even worse than when he was a new recruit. There were all kinds of mosquitoes everywhere, tormenting him severely. ¡°That¡¯s true, but...¡± Nakazawa Ichiro stopped mid-sentence and suddenly paused. His ears twitched, and he became alert, looking around. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± While Ikegaya Heikou was still puzzled, he suddenly heard some strange noises as well. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! It sounded like countless massive fan blades stirring a fierce wind. The noise was coming from the northwest, and it was getting louder. When Ikegaya Heikou looked toward the direction of the sound, he saw a squadron of helicopters rushing in at ultra-low altitude in the light of the rising sun. The strong winds from their propellers made the nearby grass and trees undulate wildly like waves, and the cold steel bodies had an intimidating air that created a sense of dread. ¡°What? Nonsense, this this this... Could it be the enemy?¡± Ikegaya Heikou¡¯s pupils constricted violently. He thought he had vaguely seen the emblem of Jieke Group on the sides of those helicopters, but his instincts and fear made him refuse to believe this fact. ¡°Enemy attack, enemy attack.¡± Nakazawa Ichiro¡¯s face turned pale. Upon seeing the massive air assault squadron, he realized that things were terribly wrong. He went to notify others immediately, but by then it was too late. The helicopters were incredibly fast. They timed their entry with the dawn, giving the Japanese soldiers inside the camp no time to respond or assemble. The escorting armed helicopters opened their rocket pods, and 80 mm caliber air-to-ground rockets burst out from both sides of the helicopters. Under Ikegaya Heikou¡¯s stunned gaze, they hit various critical points throughout the camp. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The explosions echoed far and wide, striking fuel depots, anti-aircraft guns, communication stations, barracks, and warehouses with volleys of rocket fire. Many Japanese soldiers were still asleep, confusingly torn apart by the blasts. But dying this way was perhaps a mercy for them, as at least they didn¡¯t feel the pain. Many more soldiers were wounded by the rocket fire. Some soldiers had limbs thrown dozens of meters away, crawling on the ground, desperately searching for their own body parts. Some soldiers had their intestines spilling out and could only try to stuff their protruding insides back into their stomachs, crying out in hopeless agony that made one¡¯s scalp tingle. Some soldiers were set ablaze by the fire, turning into human torches, screaming and running around, setting more firespots alight. In the chaos of the military camp, many Mi-8 helicopters took the opportunity to air-drop everywhere. The helicopter doors opened, and Miao Lun looked down at the camp that plunged into chaos with cold eyes. Without hesitation, he grabbed the rope and rapidly rappelled down. When he was still five or six meters above ground, he leaped forward and landed upright on the ground with a thud. Boom! Like Miao Lun, one after another, the metal behemoths hit the ground, stood up slowly, and with machine guns in hand, delivered a rain of bullets from Jieke Group to the Japanese soldiers. Chapter 321: 227: Massacre (First Update) Chapter 321: Chapter 227: Massacre (First Update) Wuhe Military Camp is the site of the Japan Self Defense Force¡¯s 13th Brigade, with about three thousand six hundred soldiers stationed there. As Wuhe Military Camp was bombarded by the surprise helicopter assault, Miao Lun and other steel soldiers also rappelled down from the Mi-8 helicopter. Click! Carrying a 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine gun, Miao Lun led the charge toward a barracks building that housed soldiers. That barracks building had not been hit by air-to-surface rockets, its combat effectiveness was intact, and given that the barracks consisted of an armory, equipment room, storage room, and supply depot, ¡°three rooms and one depot¡± structure, with all weapons stationed at the entrance on the first floor, it meant that the Japanese soldiers inside the barracks, once startled awake, aside from those who were in panic and disoriented, a large number hurried downstairs. ¡°The camp is under enemy attack by Jieke Group¡¯s forces, enemy infantry are parachuting inside the camp, there are many helicopters, drive them out immediately, and bring the shoulder-fired air defense missiles.¡± ... A company level officer was frantic, opening the armory on the first floor, quickly handing out loaded rifles, rocket launchers, man-portable air defense missiles, and other weapons to every soldier that passed by. ¡°What¡¯s happening? What exactly is going on?¡± ¡°We¡¯re at war, Jieke Group is attacking us.¡± ¡°Dammit, how dare they.¡± ¡°I saw the barracks in Area C, Block 2, half-collapsed and many people are dead, there are bodies everywhere.¡± There were successive cries of alarm, and most of the soldiers were still confused, instinctively obeying the officer¡¯s orders, grabbing their guns and ammunition, and running out of the barracks in a flurry. However, these Japanese soldiers did not realize that stepping out of the barracks was the beginning of their nightmare. Behind his mask, Miao Lun¡¯s gaze was sharp as a hawk¡¯s, radiating a chill, as if closely watching every move of his prey. When he saw a large number of Japanese soldiers filing out of the barracks, Miao Lun didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment and pulled the trigger of the machine gun. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The next moment, a long tongue of flame sprayed from the gun barrel, and the powerful recoil caused Miao Lun¡¯s body to slightly quiver. Bullets with tens of thousands of joules of kinetic energy whizzed out, their power was overwhelming for human targets. Some twenty soldiers who had just run out of the barracks were cut down like wheat under a scythe, directly bursting into incomplete chunks of corpses, most soldiers were severed at the waist, blood and viscera spreading all over the ground, leaving almost no whole bodies. Miao Lun¡¯s expression did not change, the gun barrel turned, and the large 14.5mm bullets directly swept into the first floor of the barracks, turning the soldiers inside who were arming themselves into a bloody mess, with limbs and body parts scattered everywhere. The company level officer who had just been boosting morale, half of his body was blown apart. It wasn¡¯t that the soldiers didn¡¯t think to fight back, but most of their weapons were simply not a threat to Miao Lun. And Miao Lun¡¯s slaughter was extremely fierce; armed with a 14.5mm machine gun, he was unstoppable. This weapon¡¯s effective range exceeded 2300 meters, with high muzzle velocity, long range, and flat trajectory, ordinary light weapons could not resist it. ¡°It¡¯s the Super Soldier, Jieke Group¡¯s indestructible Super Soldiers.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t penetrate, need to use sniper rifles and rocket launchers.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stick your head out, you¡¯ll get shot dead.¡± In just a minute, the soldiers in the barracks were scared out of their wits, rolling and crawling back behind wall cover, planning to wait for Miao Lun to enter, to ambush him with various individual heavy weapons by making use of visual obstruction. ¡°Calling Eagle Falcon, calling Eagle Falcon, strike the barracks in front of me, there¡¯s a large enemy force inside, enemy position... Repeat, strike....¡± Miao Lun didn¡¯t rashly go in, nor did he choose to directly use 14.5mm bullets to break the wall and create a path. Although he could do so, his weapon¡¯s muzzle energy was higher than the famous Barrett¡¯s, definitely capable of penetrating thin reinforced concrete. But the ammunition he personally carried was limited, and it was inconvenient to keep replenishing via helicopters, so leaving this task to the armed helicopters was fitting. On the outside of the camp, several armed helicopters responsible for fire support were striking nearby air defense units, clearing obstacles for other helicopters. Their attack plan involved the entire group of armed helicopters rotating in circles, executing a carousel tactic, continuously providing fire support to ground targets. At this time, a Ka-52 armed helicopter that received the call changed direction, nose-dived down, and quickly flew over the area. After confirming the target with Miao Lun, the Ka-52 armed helicopter took an attack stance. The 30mm caliber machine gun under the belly of the helicopter spat out a flame several meters long, and high explosive tracer bullets the size of wine bottles and as thick as an arm easily pierced through reinforced concrete. Upon penetration, if they encountered a human body, they would shatter the entire person. Even if they didn¡¯t directly hit a body, the warhead¡¯s built-in shaped charge and contact fuze would explode, and the high explosive bomb¡¯s blast, containing a bit more explosive than a grenade, would spray shrapnel to kill enemies within several meters. Accompanied by billows of white smoke, the barracks turned into a slaughterhouse, filled with screams and wails. The helicopter continued its burst for twenty seconds, firing nearly half of its machine gun ammunition. Finally, the Ka-52 helicopter flew over the barracks, and a FAB-500 type air bomb detached from its mount, delivering the last blow. Indeed, this Russian-supplied armed helicopter was capable of carrying air bombs, mainly because they were too poor to afford a lot of precision-guided munitions. Boom! The barracks collapsed on one side, and bodies were blown away. Although basic, the power of these air bombs was undeniable, instantly eliminating the last of the barracks¡¯s viable forces on the spot. Chapter 322: 227: Massacre (First Update)_2 Chapter 322: Chapter 227: Massacre (First Update)_2 Miao Lun stepped back, looking toward other parts of the battlefield, as the battle fully entered the rhythm of the Jieke Group. Super Soldiers rampaged below in the camp, eliminating all Japanese Soldiers in their sight. These Super Soldiers were precise in shooting, fierce in firepower, and strong in defense¡ªordinary rifles were mostly harmless, unable to penetrate their armor. However, those weapons that could cause damage weren¡¯t easy to deploy against the agile and keenly sense-driven Super Soldiers. But war was cruel, and casualties were likewise inevitable among the Jieke Group. Miao Lun saw a Super Soldier get pinned down by several machine guns. Smoke led him to a misjudgment, and he carelessly was shot through the face mask by a heavy sniper, his body wavering as it fell. ... Miao Lun couldn¡¯t afford to grieve, as he swung his gun around, firing at the sniper¡¯s hiding building, the bullets going through the walls and bursting the concealed sniper. Afterward, he turned his gun again to suppress those emerging machine gunners. With the support of armed helicopters circling above, each point of resistance was rapidly eliminated. ¡°Kill all these Japanese bastards!¡± Miao Lun shouted in anger, and when his ammunition ran out, he directly seized an enemy machine gun to use. Inspired, many Super Soldiers became even more reckless and fearless, turning the military camp into a river of blood. ¡°Haha, Captain, I¡¯m sending all these damn dogs to Hell.¡± A Super Soldier wielding a Gatling gun, with the barrel spinning rapidly, unleashed a dense barrage of bullets that ripped through the bodies of several Japanese Soldiers. Enemy bullets came shooting in, clanging lively against the Battle Armor, but it did hardly any harm. The Super Soldier, with the Gatling gun, advanced step by step, chilling the hearts and shaking the courage of the Japanese Soldiers. ¡°The 35th, the 36th, the 37th...¡± Another Super Soldier, wielding an Anti-Material Sniper Rifle, lay at the camp¡¯s high point, muttering with each kill. The keen senses enhanced by the Strengthening Pill made their eyes as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. Within a kilometer range, they accurately sniped those holding rocket launchers and machine guns. Many high-threat infantrymen didn¡¯t get a chance to retaliate before being disembodied by bullets from nowhere. Some Super Soldiers carried double-layered flamethrowers, modified to be wider and thicker, which were immune to routine bullets. ¡°Little Japanese, grandpa invites you to a barbecue.¡± This Super Soldier roared, holding a flamethrower in each hand, sweeping left to right, with roaring fire dragons spewing up to a hundred meters in high-temperature flames, drastically raising the air¡¯s temperature. Many soldiers hiding in shelters and buildings, facing this unreasonable flamethrower, were immediately ignited and turned into burning figures, screaming as they ran out from cover, and after excruciating pain, they collapsed and were burned into charred corpses. ¡°Demons, they are a group of demons that have burrowed out from the depths of the Earth.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doomed, completely doomed! How did we provoke these devils?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mecha, like those from the cartoons. We stand no chance against them.¡± ¡°Why did we come here? Those damn politicians, why did they send us here to endure such a wretched journey through Hell?¡± ¡°I want to go home, let me go home, I don¡¯t want to die here.¡± The morale of the Japanese Soldiers was rapidly declining as they faced the god-like Super Soldiers, feeling only that the enemy were ferocious butchers, and they were merely lambs awaiting slaughter. Even though these Super Soldiers were extremely few in number, their individual combat effectiveness was far too terrifying. Wherever they went, it was difficult for many Japanese Soldiers to be left with whole bodies. After killing several more Japanese Soldiers, Miao Lun, following the prearranged plan, headed towards a strategic warehouse. The warehouse, filled with plenty of military ammunition aided by the Eight Nation Group, was located in the Wuhe Military Camp, intended to resupply the frontlines upon the outbreak of war. The air assault group attacked this location not only to kill Japanese Soldiers but to destroy this critical strategic munitions depot. This strategic munitions depot, already subjected to multiple rounds of bombardment by armed helicopters, was exceptionally sturdy to withstand such firepower, and the bombings had not destroyed it. Miao Lun hurried to the strategic warehouse, kicked open the wobbly twisted steel door, and burst in alone. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s the enemy.¡± ¡°Open fire quickly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let him come in.¡± There were still quite a few soldiers present because the strategic warehouse was so robustly constructed, it had become a target for the Japanese soldiers to hide. Miao Lun swung his gun horizontally, the chain of bullets trembled rapidly, and the bullets continuously pierced through bodies, soon forcing these soldiers to surrender in a horrific state, all raising their hands. ¡°Open the blast doors to the strategic warehouse, or die.¡± Miao Lun looked at them coldly, and without much hesitation, he pulled the trigger, randomly killing a few more. ¡°I¡¯ll open it, I¡¯ll open it, please don¡¯t kill me.¡± Seeing Miao Lun, a veritable killing star, the logistics officer could only stand up tremblingly and proceed to open the multi-layered defenses of the strategic warehouse. Soon, Miao Lun witnessed a scene he would never forget. Densely packed munitions and ammunition, bullets and shells of various calibers, and a large amount of armor and individual weapons. Miao Lun knew he had come to the right place. He took out the timed explosives he had brought, threw it into a pile of high-explosive air bombs, set the detonation timer, and then withdrew. The soldiers outside had all run off. He had just left the warehouse when Miao Lun¡¯s ears twitched and he quickly ducked into a corner. From a distance, an armored vehicle that had driven out of the warehouse opened fire on him, the large-caliber machine gun creating deep pits in the ground. A moment slower, and he would have been turned into mincemeat. This military camp housed a tank battalion and several armored platoons, and some undamaged armored units were desperately driven out by the Japanese soldiers. This was also their best method against Super Soldiers. Battle Armor under the pounding of machine guns and high-explosive bombs was as penetrable as paper. The fierce firepower also made evasion extremely difficult, and these armored units would severely restrict the capabilities of Super Soldiers. However, the battlefield was not limited to Super Soldiers. In the sky, there were numerous armed helicopters, these aerial vehicles known as the bane of ground armored units, the tank killers. ¡°Here we go.¡± The helicopter pilots laughed heartily as the anti-tank missiles loaded on them flew out of their launch nests. Barely a minute after a tank had driven out of the hangar, an anti-tank missile fell from the sky, poured through the tank¡¯s vulnerable top, and the shaped charge warhead activated, penetrating the tank¡¯s interior in an instant. Boom! The crew inside was almost wiped out instantly. The tank emitted black smoke and fire, followed by the explosion of internal ammunition that sent the tank¡¯s turret flying ten meters into the air, crashing onto the ground as if saluting in surrender. Scenes like this happened repeatedly on the battlefield. Armour vehicles and tanks became live targets for the helicopters above; as soon as they showed their heads, they were locked in by anti-tank missiles, their own air defense missiles having no chance to launch. On the ground, Japanese Soldiers fired man-portable air defense missiles from their shoulders, while helicopters evaded by releasing flares and maneuvering wildly. These Japanese Soldiers would soon face attacks from Super Soldiers. Armed helicopters struggled to find these stealthy individual anti-air soldiers, but for Super Soldiers, it posed no problem at all. Super Soldiers and helicopters coordinated seamlessly, one striking armored units and providing fire support, the other attacking the remaining enemy infantry. Under this dual assault, Japanese soldiers began to collapse. Initially, it was just small groups of soldiers turning to run, but soon this retreat spread like a plague. Up till now, more than a thousand Japanese soldiers had died in the military camp, and countless more were injured. This had surpassed the casualty threshold that these Japanese Soldiers could withstand. ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve found the command building, we¡¯re engaging. Do you want to capture a few high-ranking officers and take them back?¡± An excited voice came through the communication, and Miao Lun, who was about to issue a retreat order, suddenly brightened up. If they could capture high-ranking Japanese officers early in the battle, it would undeniably be a slap in the face. ¡°Good, send me the coordinates.¡± Soon, Miao Lun also arrived at the command building, joined several Super Soldiers, and fought their way in. Upon reaching the command room, it was dazzling with officers. The ranks were of Assistant Officer level, First, Second, Third Assistant Officers, and even a high-ranking official equivalent to Major General of other countries, with two stars on his uniform. Japanese military ranks differ from most other countries. This level of official could be compared to the Major General of other nations, which delighted Miao Lun, as it was a grand harvest indeed! Chapter 323: 228: Airport Blitz (Second Update) Chapter 323: Chapter 228: Airport Blitz (Second Update) ¡°Bastards, you cruel bastards, my great Empire of Japan will never admit defeat.¡± An officer cursed angrily, actually drawing his samurai sword and chopping it down on Miao Lun¡¯s forehead. Clang! The commander¡¯s sword left a white mark on the battle armor but instead broke a notch in itself. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re a Superman? Idiot.¡± Miao Lun indifferently grabbed the samurai sword, his opponent¡¯s face turned red with strain, but still he couldn¡¯t pull it out. ... ¡°Is this little guy suffering from ¡®chuunibyou¡¯? What¡¯s he thinking, trying to chop with a sword.¡± ¡°Boss, maybe he thinks he¡¯s a swordsman from One Piece, able to cut through metal with one strike.¡± ¡°Can you all stop making me laugh? We¡¯re in the middle of a battle.¡± The Super Soldiers laughed uproariously, the scene was just too ridiculous. In this day and age, still playing with cold weapons, against battle armor that a rifle couldn¡¯t penetrate¡ªthinking a samurai sword could cut through it was a joke. A group of Japanese officers were filled with despair. Their only weapons for self-defense were the pistols and ceremonial swords for show, how could they resist these steel soldiers who were like wolves and tigers? The major general¡¯s hand trembled as he pointed at Miao Lun and the others, his voice quivering, ¡°You initiate war on your own, offend Japan, offend the entire Western world. Now you may be smug, but once the Empire reacts, you will soon face our retaliation. Then we¡¯ll see who can still smile.¡± ¡°Lun Valley, what¡¯s this old guy babbling about, translate it for me, will you? Your Japanese is good.¡± Miao Lun stared at the man as one of the Super Soldiers behind him translated. After hearing the translation, Miao Lun sneered, ¡°Heh, whether or not we¡¯ll face retaliation is another matter, but for now, you better behave.¡± With that, Miao Lun threw a powerful punch into the major general¡¯s abdomen. The immense force on the spot made him vomit up his overnight meal and curl up on the ground. Grabbing his neck and lifting him like a dead dog, Miao Lun grabbed the major general, disarmed him of his sidearm, and led him straight out of the command center. The other Super Soldiers followed suit, though not as ¡®gently¡¯ as Miao Lun; some dragged Japanese officers by the leg across the ground, others slapped them so hard that teeth flew out. These officers were utterly powerless to resist the violence of the Super Soldiers, and one by one they were dealt with in extremely wretched ways. Outside the military camp, there were no organized Japanese soldiers left resisting. Those remaining were either fleeing or too scared to come out from behind buildings and cover. Even as Miao Lun captured their regiment leader, these Self Defense Force soldiers had no intention of attempting a rescue. Upon seeing this, the captured Japanese major general¡¯s eyes filled with anguish as he cursed, ¡°Those wasters in the air force, why is there no support yet, ah ah ah, clumsy idiots, even if they¡¯re slow, they should have arrived by now.¡± This was the most incomprehensible thing to him: he had already reported the attack. The main command must have dispatched fighters by now, and given the speed of aircraft, they should have arrived long ago. If the fighters could reach Wuhe Military Camp, those helicopters would have been shot down one by one; there¡¯s no way they would have been able to rampage until now. Without the helicopters, the remaining Super Soldiers would have nowhere to retreat and would be eliminated one by one. The major general had thought out a perfect response, but the reality was vastly different from what he had imagined. Even now, he hadn¡¯t seen a single fighter jet appear, and his patience finally broke into curses. Miao Lun, not understanding what the other was saying but seeing his expression, thought he was being insulted and threw another punch, immediately quieting the man down. ¡°All units, begin an orderly retreat from the battlefield, our mission is over.¡± After issuing the retreat signal, the Mi-8 helicopters in the sky began to descend, and the blood-stained steel soldiers rapidly climbed aboard the cabin. Miao Lun, carrying the Japanese major general in one hand and holding onto the cabin door with the other, felt the wind whipping up debris on the ground. As the helicopter slowly ascended, Miao Lun gazed at the entire Wuhe Military Camp. The once orderly camp was now a scene of devastation, with smoke and flames rising everywhere, soldiers¡¯ cries heard across the fields, and bodies in pieces strewn about. He also saw some dazed Japanese soldiers, some still alive but with their skulls blown open, standing in place, lifeless. Some soldiers dragged their shattered legs, crawling hundreds of meters on the ground, leaving behind blood trails that were a sight to behold. Some held their spilled guts in their hands, calling out for doctors and medics, running back and forth in search of someone to save them. Some Japanese soldiers were missing jaws, faces, or arms, sheared off by flying shrapnel. Miao Lun even saw a soldier shot in the arm, biting down on his artery to avoid bleeding to death.... The stench of blood permeated the battlefield, the camp like a giant meat grinder consuming the lives of the Japanese soldiers one by one. The air assault by the ground attack group was undoubtedly a success, their surprise attack had all but crippled the 13th Brigade of the Japan Self Defense Force, forcing the enemies, who had been so arrogant before the battle, to pay a heavy price. In contrast, Jieke Group had lost four helicopters in the attack, with six first-class Super Soldiers killed and five injured. Compared to crippling a brigade of 3,600 personnel, such a result was exceedingly disproportionate. Miao Lun had long known the cruelty of war and showed little emotion on his face. He merely checked the time and told the helicopter pilot to speed up. As the helicopter fleet retreated into the distance, Miao Lun, sitting near the helicopter door, suddenly squinted as a blinding light burst out, and a mushroom cloud reaching six or seven hundred meters skyward arose. ¡°` The strategic depot had detonated, setting off a chain of explosions from the countless pieces of military ammunition stored inside. The powerful blast wave carried a wild wind, and even from a great distance, one could feel its terrifying power. Many people began to record this heart-stopping scene. ¡°With this battle, we crush these most arrogant Japanese soldiers and let them understand that they are nothing special. My Jieke Group can completely eradicate them,¡± Miao Lun removed his mask, pointing at the giant mushroom cloud with one hand, and gripping a Japanese Major General with the other. Under his wind-blown hair was a face of steely resolve, his eyes bright as torches. Click! Click! Click! The accompanying military photographers pressed their shutters, capturing this iconic moment, planning to distribute it to the major media outlets after the war, so the world could witness Japan¡¯s misery. Amid the cheers and laughter of the super soldiers, the entire air assault team flew at ultra-low altitudes, skimming the ground to avoid radar detection, carrying a group of victorious ace pilots back home. ......... When the battle at Wuhe Military Camp concluded, there were, in fact, simultaneous battles erupting in other parts of Chan Country, some even predating the fight at Wuhe Military Camp. Xavier Airport, the sole military airport within Ji State¡¯s territory, was also a newly constructed field airport. As a forward airport, it was the storage site for Chan Country¡¯s front-line warplanes. Chan Country¡¯s airplanes were relatively outdated, but in Southeast Asia, if it could fly, drop bombs, and fire missiles, it was considered an upscale aircraft. Now Chan Country had received quite a few outdated model warplanes as aid from the Eight Nation Group, but to the Chan Country Government, they were still treasured assets. In response to the threat from Jieke Group, one-fourth of Chan Country Government¡¯s operational aircraft were parked here, representing one of the government army¡¯s few valuable assets. At dawn, when the sky was just lighting up, the airport was already engulfed in a sea of flames. Another team of helicopters flying at low altitude arrived, and the Chan Country soldiers, loosely trained at the airport, were thrown into disarray by the sudden helicopter attack. The armed helicopters¡¯ rocket pods trembled frantically as a barrage of aerial rockets, anti-tank missiles, and large-caliber machine guns plowed through the airport. The planes parked on the tarmac and in hangars were doomed. Several Sky Dome eagles were blasted on the ground before they could even take off, twisted and decomposed into piles of scrap. There were more than twenty aircraft at the airport, a mix of fighters, attackers, and some armed helicopters. But no matter how powerful these warplanes were once airborne, dominating and ravaging ground forces, they were sitting ducks on the ground, vulnerable to any rocket that could tear them apart. With the incessant roars of explosions inside the airport, most of the Chan Country warplanes were destroyed directly inside the hangars. On the other side, a few struggling fighters attempted to glide and take off from the runway. But the landing super soldiers did not show them any mercy. Large-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns tore through the alloy outer shells of the fighters, damaging the delicate internal components and electronic equipment. The pilots¡¯ cockpit glass was penetrated; they were killed instantly in their seats, condemning these tens of tons of warplanes to immediate scrap. More super soldiers charged towards the flight crew barracks, wielding various heavy weapons, and commenced a massacre. These pilots included not only those trained by the Chan Country Government Army but also a portion of pilots who were mercenary hires aided by the Eight Nation Group. Since the Chan Country Government did not have enough pilot talents, supporting only the warplanes would be futile¡ªthe government couldn¡¯t operate them¡ªhence, pilots were part of the bundled support that came with the planes. ... ¡°Evelyn, no.¡± Pal, a pilot from Beautiful Country, had bloodshot eyes as he watched a female pilot who had come with him get her upper body shredded by a steel soldier wielding a machine gun. His secretly adored goddess vanished in an instant. Anger led him to lose his sanity, and he picked up a rifle, ready to fight to the death. However, as he stepped out of the barracks and saw the dead bodies everywhere, with pilots, ground service personnel, and maintenance technicians brutally slaughtered, his courage and blood heated by anger were immediately doused with a bucket of ice water. Fearfully swallowing, Pal started to regret and wanted to retreat into the barracks. Unfortunately, the super soldier¡¯s bullet reached him first. As Pal felt a dizzy spell, seeing a familiar headless corpse, he realized in shock that it was his own body. In the next moment, endless darkness swallowed his consciousness. ¡°Kill all these pilots, they are all high-value targets,¡± the commander shouted loudly. ¡°The more we kill, the less our airspace will suffer from intrusion.¡± One by one, the super soldiers kicked open the doors and charged into every hidden place, massacring any concealed pilots and ground technicians, the scent of blood heavy in the air. It costs a lot to train a pilot, but to kill them, only a single bullet is needed. Following the near complete obliteration of the pilots at the airport, the super soldiers swiftly returned to the helicopters and departed. Before this air assault team left, they also attacked the airport¡¯s runway, blasting it full of craters, rendering it unusable for takeoffs and landings for some time. ¡°` Chapter 324: 229: Xiao Qian Train Gun (30,000 words in three updates, asking for monthly votes!) Chapter 324: Chapter 229: Xiao Qian Train Gun (30,000 words in three updates, asking for monthly votes!) Southern Chan Country, Yang Province, Putuo Airport. This airport is a permanent 4F military airport. The so-called 4F level refers to the length and width of the airport runway; the larger the number, the longer the runway. A 4F level airport has a runway length of at least 1800 meters and a width of several dozen meters, capable of accommodating the takeoff and landing of behemoths like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A380. Unlike the Xavier Airport, a field airport, Putuo Airport has numerous permanent buildings and fully equipped facilities, naturally possessing strong defensive capabilities. Especially after receiving funds from the Eight Nation Group, the other seven countries came with their own provisions to further reinforce and expand the airport. ... Many ammunition and fuel depots, constructed with thick rebar and concrete, are partially buried deep within mountains and underground. Nowadays, Putuo Airport is the largest military airport within the borders of Chan Country. The majority of the fighter jets within Chan Country, including the Aviation Mixed Group from Japan, are resting and stationed here. Putuo Airport, located in the south of Chan Country, is quite remote from East Qin State; its primary purpose is to protect the essential coastal cities of Southern Chan Country. But considering the operational radius of fighter jets, this distance isn¡¯t really a problem; they can cover and strike the airspace of East Qin State just the same. Previously, those Japanese fighter jets took off and landed from here. Even the outdated jets, by simply carrying auxiliary fuel tanks and carrying less munitions, could fly over East Qin State and maintain combat efficacy. At the same time as the battles in Wuhe Military Camp and Xavier Airport erupted. Putuo Airport, being closest to the western side of Chan Country and due to the rotation of Blue Star, had not yet seen dawn, with only a faint light visible on the horizon. In a dense forest tens of kilometers east of Putuo Airport, where the ground covered in dead branches and leaves was noticeably arched, a gigantic and grotesque head emerged. Immediately afterward, an eighty-meter-long, train-width, hideous giant creature appeared on the ground, crushing several towering trees in its vicinity. ¡°The weather¡¯s pretty good today!¡± Su Jie leapt down from the back of the thousand-hand centipede, looking up through the dense forest canopy towards the Sky Dome. His Primordial Spirit leapt out from the top of his physical body. Despite the great distance, Su Jie didn¡¯t feel any intense sensation of being scrutinized. This suggested that there were probably no satellites repositioning to surveil this area from their corresponding orbital trajectories above. However, just to be cautious, Su Jie took out a portable Array Map, secured it, and activated a Formation called Bibo Cloud Mist Array inside it, letting a faint mist spread throughout the surroundings. In this manner, even if there were satellites changing orbits above or reconnaissance planes and thermal imaging or the like, they wouldn¡¯t be able to discern the silhouette of the thousand-hand centipede. After completing all this, Su Jie released a batch of human-faced moths to act as reconnaissance cameras. He then took out a Storage Bag and extracted several huge artillery shells, almost as tall as two people and weighing seven to eight tons each. Caressing the cold shell of the artillery, Su Jie knew that these specially made shells, designed under his direct orders, were custom-ordered from Maozi. When the experts from Russia first heard of Su Jie¡¯s specifications, they were baffled and almost thought they were manufacturing World War II-era giant train guns. But such enormous cannonry, in the age of missiles, had no place on the battlefield. ¡°Today, it¡¯s all about you big guns.¡± Su Jie shifted his focus, already having dispatched scouting insects to Putuo Airport. Using the Insect Control Technique, and pushing the limits of his reconnaissance range, he continually received updates about the situation at the airport. Seeing that Putuo Airport was still oblivious to the impending danger, Su Jie¡¯s lips curved into a cold smile, ¡°Xiao Qian, combine technique, train gun form.¡± Zzzt! Hearing Su Jie¡¯s command, the thousand-hand centipede joyfully cried out twice. One after another, pale corpse hands thicker than thighs quickly crawled up, climbing onto the centipede¡¯s back. The densely-packed corpse hands entwined and solidified with each other, and innumerable small centipedes acted as lubricants, defensively growing layers of scales for reinforcement. One minute later, a thirty-meter-long cannon with an 800-millimeter diameter quietly tilted upwards on the back of the thousand-hand centipede. The cannon, entirely constructed of corpse hands, centipedes, scales, and various Tianyuan World spiritual materials, revealed pulsating flesh and centipede joints within. Su Jie hoisted a seven-ton shell, sliding it directly into the barrel. The corpse hands inside the barrel lightly touched and turned, lodging this heavy shell deep into the cannon. ¡°Distance 25.8 kilometers, southwest wind, hm, no big issue.¡± Su Jie leaped onto the centipede¡¯s back, his palms covering the flesh cannon, intense electricity sparking from his palms. The Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder was controlled by Su Jie in terms of power and current, coursing into the barrel. The current circulated in a powerful magnetic field. Even Su Jie¡¯s hair crackled with purple arcs as he fully immersed himself in precise manipulation, finally shouting, ¡°Xiao Qian, lock onto the target, elevate the muzzle 35 centimeters, ready for a test fire.¡± The thousand-hand centipede¡¯s body shook violently, its pale corpse hands burrowing deeply into the ground, serving as braces like a gun carriage¡¯s spade. Zzzt¡ªzzz!¡± With two short and one long cries, the thousand-hand centipede signaled its readiness. ¡°Roar, Xiao Qian Train Gun, fire.¡± With a push from Su Jie¡¯s hand, a powerful electric current erupted, generating a strong magnetic field propulsion. Boom! Within the flesh and blood cannon barrel, a gigantic shell weighing several tons rapidly drilled out, flying at hundreds of meters per second towards the Putuo Airport more than twenty kilometers away. About halfway through its flight, the lower half of the shell was covered with numerous pale corpse hands, resembling the tentacles of a jellyfish. By this time, these pale corpse hands had reached the limit of the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s control range. One by one, the palms of the pale corpse hands slightly cracked open, and faint high-temperature beams burst out continuously, much like a rocket¡¯s second-stage boost, allowing the shell, whose force was waning, to keep flying and also to slightly adjust the shell¡¯s course for increased precision. ....... Putuo Airport. Inside the radar room, a radar soldier, seeing the sudden appearance of a flying object signal, incredulously rubbed his eyes. After triple-checking and confirming that it wasn¡¯t a radar error and comparing the size and speed of the flying object on the radar screen, he suddenly shouted, ¡°Enemy attack, cruise missiles incoming, air defense alert.¡± The air defense alarm instantly resounded throughout the entire Putuo Airport, waking up many soldiers who were still asleep. They ran out of their barracks in a panic, only to see a horrifying scene they would never forget. A long, train horn-like wail came from the sky, and a dark shadow flashed by above, landing at the apron on the north side of the airport. The next second, all the soldiers at the airport felt the ground shaking. A dust and smoke column more than a hundred meters high rose into the air, and the powerful shockwave, like a rolling tsunami, tossed nearby fighter jets around like toys, directly flipping and tearing them apart, scattering various parts clanging to the ground hundreds of meters away. The soldiers who were on night shift duty nearby the explosion didn¡¯t even have time to hum before their flesh and blood bodies were shattered into mincemeat. Even those two hundred meters away were thrown several meters by the shock wave, their internal organs displaced, vomiting blood profusely, inhaling more than exhaling, clearly not going to survive. The explosion¡¯s force spread over the area of several football fields, leaving a giant crater in its wake. The explosive force, surpassing that of a conventional warhead cruise missile, dumbfounded every soldier who witnessed it. ¡°Fuck, what the hell was that, what kind of missile is bombing us?¡± ¡°Scramble the fighters, get them the hell airborne for combat.¡± ¡°Where exactly did the enemy attack us from? Radar, detect immediately and lock onto the enemy¡¯s firing position.¡± The airport was in chaos; the soldiers were stunned by the astonishing explosive force. Su Jie, from afar, watched through reconnaissance insects and nodded in satisfaction at the destructive effect of his shell. ¡°Hey, it looks like my combo technique wasn¡¯t wasted; the effects are pretty good.¡± Su Jie then hoisted another shell, loading it into the cannon barrel before patting the head of the thousand-hand centipede. After a brief aiming period, another shell howled out. The sound waves and shockwaves near the muzzle were immense, breaking the surrounding trees. The powerful recoil caused hundreds of the pale corpse hands that burrowed deep underground to break, leaving deep grooves in the ground. Boom! The second shell had been aimed at the runways, intending to make the planes unable to take off and become easy targets. However, this shell went astray, landing in the repair hangar instead, where various equipment and airplane parts were stored. They were destroyed in the violent explosion, leaving a crater large enough to be used as a swimming pool, the shockwave spreading out, turning over a hundred soldiers into airborne figures. ¡°Xiao Qian, you damn missed!¡± Su Jie poked at the forehead of the thousand-hand centipede, speaking irritably. ¡°Sizzle.¡± The thousand-hand centipede made a somewhat aggrieved sound, with a few corpse hands covering their eyes, not daring to look at Su Jie. ¡°Again, don¡¯t miss this time.¡± While Putuo Airport was hurriedly fueling and arming fighter jets, Su Jie had already finished reloading on his end. Since it wasn¡¯t a real heavy artillery, Su Jie didn¡¯t have to consider heat dissipation and complex feeding. The flesh and blood inside the cannon barrel, once destroyed by the electric current, could be simply replaced with a new batch of pale corpse hands, a process simpler than modular components of modern machinery by thousands of times. ¡°Third shell, target runway, fire.¡± The muzzle elevated, accompanied by the stimulation of the electrical current, the shell was once again pushed out of the barrel, heading straight for the airport twenty-five kilometers away. After about a minute in the air, the shell fell heavily. At the airport, high-altitude artillery and air defense missiles tried to intercept, but the doubly boosted shell flew quickly, successfully penetrating the final defense and accurately landing on the airport runway. ... ¡°Wait until I take off, wait until I take off, then see how I bomb you to death.¡± Koizumi Keiji clenched his teeth tightly. He had already received a message from the tower that the enemy was only dozens of kilometers away, a distance he could reach instantly in his fighter jet. As one of Japan¡¯s most outstanding pilots, Koizumi Keiji had risen to the rank of elite pilot at a young age and was decorated with a Lieutenant Colonel¡¯s commission. He was confident he could take care of it, as he was piloting one of the most advanced fighters on the planet, the F-35. ¡°Runway condition, fighter condition good, taking off immediately.¡± The ground marshal waved the flags and shouted, and Koizumi Keiji was ecstatic as he pulled the throttle. The pre-heated fighter jet accelerated on the runway, ready to glide and take off. Just then, unexpectedly, the dread-inducing sound of a long train horn was heard, and soon Koizumi Keiji saw a dark shadow descending. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± The thought barely crossed his mind when the explosion erupted like a volcanic eruption, shaking the earth. The massive shell, weighing several tons, smashed the jets trying to take off into a sprawl of debris. Koizumi Keiji was right at the center of the explosion, his body instantly reduced to shreds, and the F-35 he was seated in, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, was also torn apart and disintegrated. Chapter 325: 230: Destroying Air Supremacy (First Update) Chapter 325: Chapter 230: Destroying Air Supremacy (First Update) ¡°` ¡°Xiao Qian, nicely done.¡± Su Jie patted the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, looking at the super huge crater in the cement runway caused by the explosion that turned several awaiting jets, F-16s, F-35s among them, into a pile of scrap metal. But just one missile was not enough to completely resolve the issue, as a military airport has far more than just one runway. Besides the regular concrete runways, there were also dirt and grass airstrips. Since runways are an important target for enemy air strikes and time-consuming to repair once damaged, ... the airport was constructed with additional dirt airstrips to ensure that airplanes could continue taking off. Even if a dirt airstrip was hit by enemy fire, it could be easily repaired and adapted to wartime requirements. The Thousand-Handed Centipede, chirping joyfully, cooperated with Su Jie in continuing the assault, firing over a dozen colossal shells in succession, obliterating several concrete and dirt runways. By then, the airport had plunged into complete chaos, with the colossal shells possessing extremely terrifying destructive power. Where they fell, it was almost impossible for anyone within a radius of one hundred and fifty meters to survive. Not only did these artillery rounds destroy the runways, but they also pockmarked the refueling apron, parking apron, taxiways, calibration ranges, and pilot barracks, completely blocking any possibility of emergency takeoffs or landings for the fighter jets. Being unable to take off didn¡¯t mean the threat was eliminated; Su Jie¡¯s attack had already alarmed the entire military of Chan Country. Fighter jets from other military airfields were urgently taking off, or transferring via civilian airports, to rush to the aid of Chan Country¡¯s largest military airport. Su Jie looked up and saw, in the distance, several missiles screaming through the sky towards him. These missiles were fired from the west, likely launched from sea-based warship platforms. ¡°Xiao Qian, let¡¯s move, let¡¯s find another spot to fire from.¡± Su Jie took the Thousand-Handed Centipede back underground and packed up the portable Array Map. Not long after they left, several missiles hit the area, causing everything to fly around like charred earth, breaking trees and leaving a total mess. ¡°The shelling has stopped. We have destroyed the enemy¡¯s attack position.¡± Inside the Putuo Airport control room, the air force commander Wen Cai was overjoyed, his face filled with the relief of having survived a calamity. ¡°Damn it, immediately dispatch ground forces. Use helicopters to search the area; we might capture some survivors and bring them in for questioning,¡± yelled Jing Shangyan, the commander of Japan¡¯s Aviation Mixed Group. During the recent barrage of attacks, more than a dozen Japanese fighters were destroyed, with many elite pilots and ground crew killed or injured. This significant loss made him crack under pressure; he wanted to capture the culprits responsible for this disaster as soon as possible. ¡°We¡¯ve already sent people there. Thankfully, our missiles were powerful and prevented them from reaching the airplanes sheltered in the hangar bunkers; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to explain to the President.¡± Wen Cai took a deep breath; though the airport had lost over thirty fighters, many more were preserved, and the destroyed airfield could be quickly repaired to maintain a formidable fighting force. ¡°I¡¯ve just received news that it¡¯s Jieke Group that¡¯s attacking us. At Wu River Base and Xavier Airport, Jieke Group has launched surprise attacks on us. The attackers here at the airport must also be from the Jieke Group, aiming to prevent us from flying in reinforcements to those two battlefields,¡± Wen Lai reported with the latest intelligence from headquarters, finally identifying the attackers. ¡°What? They dare to start a war? They dare attack the military bases of our great Japan; I¡¯ll never forgive those beasts of Jieke Group,¡± Jing Shangyan exploded in rage, still in the dark about the situation at Wu River Base; it would be a difficult situation to explain domestically if the losses were too heavy. ¡°First, let¡¯s repair part of the dirt airstrip to allow for emergency takeoffs and landings. Mobilize the planes from the bunkers ¨C we need to support [the other battles],¡± decided Wen Lai. It was risky to take off from a dirt runway, but given the grim circumstances, there was no time for caution; air support was needed for the other battlefields. What Wen Lai felt most grateful for now was that the enemy had been eliminated quickly; otherwise, if they had damaged those hangar bunkers, things would have been truly disastrous. However, almost as soon as Wen Lai had finished speaking, the familiar sound of a train horn once again pierced the night sky. Wen Lai and Jing Shangyan¡¯s faces changed dramatically as they saw a dark shadow streak across the sky, landing near the airport¡¯s control tower. ¡°The enemy is still alive?¡± ¡°Where did this shelling come from?¡± Jing Shangyan and Wen Cai were shocked to see the shell fall, destroying the control tower, and they were utterly dumbfounded. ... A few kilometers away, Su Jie emerged again with the Thousand-Handed Centipede, set up the camouflage Array Map, and positioned the Xiao Qian Train Gun to stand upright. ¡°This spot is pretty good for shelling,¡± remarked Su Jie as he dusted himself off. He had not left so easily after all; the previous assault had only targeted the planes parked in the open. This was not a wartime makeshift airfield; Putuo Airport, as a permanently established airport, naturally took into account the possibility of missile strikes and air raids. The majority of the fighter jets were stored in various cunning hangar bunkers, with only a few outside. Su Jie needed to destroy the formidable air superiority of Chan Country and Japan to aid the upcoming ground operations. It wouldn¡¯t do just to bomb a few exposed planes. ¡°Xiao Qian, this time switch to armor-piercing bullets. We¡¯re striking at the enemy¡¯s core,¡± ordered Su Jie. Su Jie took out an armor-piercing bullet, replacing the previously used high explosive bomb, and loaded it into the fleshy cannon. Once ready, the massive shell whizzed out, dropping into the cut-and-cover aircraft cave a couple of kilometers from the runway. ¡°` Chapter 326: 230: Destroying Air Supremacy (First Update)_2 Chapter 326: Chapter 230: Destroying Air Supremacy (First Update)_2 Although the cave entrance was well concealed, it could not fool the scrutiny of reconnaissance insects. The rapidly descending giant armor-piercing shell head, made of ultra-high-hardness alloys, struck the aircraft cave with high precision, where there was a door protruding outwards, weighing dozens of tons. This door could withstand the impact of ordinary missiles, but it was no match for the giant armor-piercing shell. Upon contact with the steel door, the shell head turned the point of impact into molten steel, brutally penetrating through. Inside was a hangar housing twenty warplanes, with some work and rest rooms on both sides. Within the cave entrance, there was a tow path connected to the runway, paved smoothly and straight, where the internal warplanes were in the midst of emergency dispatch, fueling and arming, preparing for takeoff, capable of launching swiftly into combat once they glided out the entrance. ... But just then, the logistics personnel and pilots stationed there heard a thunderous explosion overhead, while the lights shook violently. The next moment, a gigantic shell plummeted in, rolling and crushing countless bodies and warplanes along its path. The soldiers inside the hangar stared blankly, their bodies trembling, witnessing the red-glowing shell, filled with panic and desperately trying to escape. But barely seven or eight seconds later, the delayed fuse of the armor-piercing bullet was triggered, and the entire shell exploded with a roar, engulfing all the soldiers and warplanes inside in flames that burst forth from the entrance. No sooner had the hangar been destroyed than a second armor-piercing shell fell at high speed, burying itself into the front half of a runway. Below this concrete runway was a large underground tunnel, hidden like a subway. It had lifts specifically for airplanes to ascend and descend between underground and above ground, operating on a principle similar to that of an aircraft carrier which moves its planes from the hangar to the deck using an elevator. But in their concealed defense, they never considered how to defend against insect reconnaissance. Nor did they imagine that someone would attack with giant armor-piercing shells. As the shell smashed in, the soldiers at the airport could only clutch their heads and weep in despair, watching helplessly as the ground was blown away, with warplanes stored underground destroyed utterly. Then several more armor-piercing shells fell, destroying one protective hangar after another, blowing up all the warplanes parked inside. But this was not the end. Su Jie, with the thousand-hand centipede, moved their position again, reemerging a kilometer away. This time, Su Jie¡¯s target shifted again. This time, Su Jie aimed at the fuel storage in the airport. Modern jet aircraft consume a lot of fuel¡ªa single warplane could easily be fueled with two to three tons¡ªso the capacity of the airport¡¯s fuel depot was substantial. This Putuo Airport was Chan Country¡¯s largest military airport, with the fuel storage inside holding over ten thousand tons of fuel. Apart from a small amount of fuel at the ground refueling apron, most of the airport¡¯s fuel was stored in a depot inside the mountain caves. The depot was divided into large fuel tanks with fire doors at intervals to contain any fire outbreak. In case of a fire, these doors could seal off to prevent the spread to other tanks. Su Jie fired several shells in succession, completely detonating the oil depot housing tens of thousands of tons, just as with the previous assault on the aircraft hangar, where continuous bombardment overwhelmed any fire protective measures. Eventually, the oil depot exploded, with flames and rolling smoke blanketing the sky above the airport. Many soldiers were burnt to death outright, the airport resembled a disaster scene with lava flowing everywhere post-volcanic eruption, many engulfed and ignited by the fierce flames. The high temperatures scorched everything nearby, while the fire, like a fierce devil, devoured life after life. Su Jie then struck the oxygen plant, the air conditioning units, and charging stations among other critical facilities, and finally, Su Jie aimed at the ammunition depot within the airport. ¡°The final blow, we¡¯ll pack up after this,¡± Guessing that fighter jets from other locations were on their way to provide support, Su Jie decided to make it quick. Into the barrel of the Eternal Spear, they stuffed a specially designed ultra-heavy armor-piercing shell weighing over ten tons, the biggest shell of all. As the shell entered the barrel, the Spirit Stones embedded on its surface flickered, continuously providing energy. Meanwhile, Su Jie released the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder to its maximum, granting the shells greater initial velocity as they left the barrel. Boom! In the enormous rumbling of thunder, the Thousand-Handed Centipede was pushed back several steps by the recoil. The heavy, high-speed armor-piercing bullets frictions with the air, emitting a terrifying, piercing scream that sounded like an Eternal Spear thrown by a god, piercing through everything. In less than a minute, the giant armor-piercing bullet burrowed into the underground ammunition depot located thirty meters beneath Putuo Airport, protected by five meters of thick concrete and one meter of armored steel plate. To maintain the high sortie rate of the large aircraft fleet, a massive amount of ammunition was stored here, necessitating such strong defenses that even heavy bunker-busting ordnance might not penetrate it. But the giant armor-piercing bullet did just that. Propelled by tremendous thrust, it entered the earth at a perfect angle, drilled through dozens of meters of soil, as well as the thick concrete and steel armor, dissolving Putuo Airport¡¯s strongest fortress defenses, successfully striking its target and bringing death and destruction to the entire Putuo Airport. ¡°Boom!!!¡± The explosion of the ammunition depot was shockingly beautiful; the ground heaved upwards rapidly, with hot waves surging from below. Accompanied by the earth-shattering blast, rolling smoke rose like a massive sandstorm, and crimson flames bloomed seductively, resembling gorgeous and vibrant flowers from the other side, vying for brilliance. The explosive light, carrying massive waves of air, spread rapidly in all directions, the scorching airflow picking up dust and debris. The air raid siren wailed miserably, as the relentless sounds of explosions filled the ears, and buildings collapsed in succession, with shattered steel and concrete falling like meteor showers, mercilessly pounding on the fleeing soldiers. Screams and cries echoed across the entire airport, as fear surged over the hearts of each soldier like a tidal wave. The entire airport, with the ammunition depot at its center, saw all buildings within a kilometer radius collapse, and the soldiers nearby were blown apart, with not a single intact body part to be found. The power of countless tons of ammunition exploding simultaneously was chilling, and even residents dozens of kilometers away could see the massive explosion and its bright flames, hastily capturing it on their mobile phones. ¡°Tsk, tsk, caliber is justice. That shot was so satisfying. Let¡¯s go, Xiao Qian.¡± Watching the spectacular scene of the ammunition depot¡¯s detonation, Su Jie nodded in satisfaction. Before the enemy¡¯s warplanes arrived, he and the Thousand-Handed Centipede burrowed back underground, quietly leaving the area. Although Su Jie had left, the nightmare he brought did not disappear. As more and more support and rescue forces arrived at Putuo Airport, they were stunned by the horrific scene before them. The airport now resembled Hell, with twisted parts of destroyed fighter jets everywhere. Large swathes of buildings lay in ruins, with terrifying bomb craters scattered throughout the airport ground, and burning fires and billowing smoke everywhere. The soldiers and crew stationed at the airport suffered unimaginable casualties, with cries of agony and the groans of those severely wounded and maimed echoing everywhere. ¡°It¡¯s over; we¡¯re finished.¡± Wen Cai knelt on the ground, painfully witnessing the devastation of Putuo Airport. This airport had gathered the majority of Chan Country¡¯s fighter jets, and now nearly a hundred of them were destroyed. It could be said that after this battle, Chan Country¡¯s air combat capabilities were almost completely decimated, setting them back to the pre-liberation era overnight. ¡°We must seek revenge. I will report to His Majesty the Emperor; we must have our revenge.¡± Jing Shangyan¡¯s face was ashen, his eyes somewhat dazed and unfocused as he stared at it all. The Aviation Mixed Group from Japan station here, with its 204th and 304th squadrons, including 40 F-15 fighter jets, two E-2C early warning aircraft, and four F-35 fighter jets, was left with nothing. Along with the deaths and heavy injuries of many pilots and ground staff, the loss amounted to six or seven billion US Dollars, driving him to the brink of agony, his hatred for the Jieke Group peaking at that moment. Chapter 327: 231: Japans Decision (2nd update) Chapter 327: Chapter 231: Japan¡¯s Decision (2nd update) Japan! In the capital Tokyo, merely a few meters from the National Congress Hall, lies the Prime Minister¡¯s Residence. Tsunoshima Shouichi flipped through the documents and said to the Secretary-General beside him, ¡°Is the crowd still causing a stir at the Tokyo Electric Power Company in the Chiyoda District?¡± The Secretary-General nodded, replying, ¡°Yes, Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to hold a press conference today. As long as they bow and admit their mistake, the matter will mostly blow over.¡± ¡°Let Tokyo Electric Power Company quiet down for a while. Give them a call and tell them to promise at the press conference to temporarily suspend the fifth ocean discharge until the heat dies down, then resume.¡± Tsunoshima Shouichi adjusted his glasses and gave new orders calmly. ... The Secretary-General was about to go out and relay the message when he opened the door to see someone running towards him in a hasty and disheveled state, hair all tousled. He was about to scold the person but paused in surprise as soon as he recognized the visitor. Because the person who had come running was none other than Inoue Fumihiro, the Defense Minister of Japan¡¯s National Defense Department. The Defense Minister was in charge of national defense affairs across the country, responsible for proposing defense-related bills and budget plans. He also oversaw the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chiefs of Staff of the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces, supervising the troops and agencies of the Japan Self Defense Force. He had the authority to mobilize any division of Japan¡¯s Intelligence Headquarters. His power was immense, and with the Emperor¡¯s power practically nonexistent today, his status was second only to the Prime Minister. Such an influential military official was seldom seen except during important meetings, and it was unclear why he had rushed to the Prime Minister¡¯s Residence in such a hurry today. The Defense Minister Inoue Fumihiro didn¡¯t even glance at the Secretary-General and barged straight into the Prime Minister¡¯s office. Hearing the commotion, Prime Minister Tsunoshima Shouichi was puzzled and asked, ¡°Inoue, what brings you here so early in the morning? Is there some issue?¡± Then, seeing the frosty expression on Inoue Fumihiro¡¯s face, he immediately sensed that something was amiss, that there must be some emergency. Inoue Fumihiro, gasping for breath and with a heavy heart, said, ¡°Prime Minister, at dawn today, Jieke Group used the pretext of an exercise to secretly mobilize an air strike team and Super Soldiers, launching wars on Chan Country and our forces in Japan. ¡°They attacked Wuhe Military Camp, Xavier Airport, and Putuo Airport in succession, causing extremely heavy casualties. The entire fleet of the Aviation Mixed Group has been destroyed, and 519 pilots, ground crew, and maintenance technicians died or were injured, with 220 missing. ¡°As for the Self-Defense Team stationed at Wuhe Military Camp, we¡¯re still tallying the dead and injured, but we¡¯ve already confirmed 1,322 deaths and around a thousand injuries. Many armored units have been destroyed, and several high-ranking officers have been captured. ¡°At the same time, Chan Country has suffered equally grievous losses. The aircraft stationed at Xavier Airport and Putuo Airport were largely destroyed as units, and now Chan Country has less than ten operational fighter jets. We have lost air superiority over Chan Country¡¯s skies in the immediate future.¡± Upon hearing this dire news, Tsunoshima Shouichi¡¯s hand, clutching a pen, trembled, and his eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What did you say? Repeat that to me.¡± ¡°Prime Minister, this is the detailed battle report just sent over from Chan Country¡¯s command center.¡± Inoue Fumihiro, with a pained expression, understood the Prime Minister¡¯s state of mind; he had felt as if struck by lightning when he first heard the bad news. Tsunoshima Shouichi¡¯s hand stiffened as he took the battle report and read through it thoroughly, his complexion darkening and his eyes filled with rage and frustration. When he finally set down the report, Tsunoshima Shouichi could no longer contain his fury and stood up, knocking over a tea cup with a slap of his hand. ¡°Damn it all, a bunch of incompetents, how could you manage to fight such a disgraceful battle? Is this how you repay the expectations of the Emperor and over a hundred million nationals?¡± Tsunoshima Shouichi had every reason to be angry. They had sent Self-Defense Force soldiers to Chan Country hoping to fight a splendid battle, not to be routed disgracefully. This war had barely begun, and of the eight thousand soldiers sent to Chan Country, all aircraft were destroyed, with nearly two thousand dead and countless more injured. It could be said that the Aviation Mixed Group and the 13th Brigade were basically annihilated, leaving only the 1st Airborne Regiment intact. The situation was nothing short of a disaster! ¡°We did not anticipate that Jieke Group would truly declare war. They completed troop mobilizations under the guise of an exercise. Combined with the nighttime operations, the helicopter assault team made a low-altitude breakthrough and initiated the attack at dawn, catching our soldiers completely off guard¡ªmost were still in their dreams when they were hit unexpectedly,¡± said Inoue Fumihiro dryly, pointing to the report and slowly explaining, ¡°As for Putuo Airport, we suspect the enemy used tunnels to transport, bringing in some kind of super heavy artillery to bomb the airport, resulting in the destruction of key facilities such as hangars, fuel depots, and ammunition depots.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the reasons. In this war, I¡¯m only asking about the balance of power. Don¡¯t we, Japan and Chan Country combined, have the upper hand? Even if the enemy caught us by surprise, the battle shouldn¡¯t have gone this badly. How do I explain this to all the nationals?¡± Tsunoshima Shouichi demanded fiercely. Although he was not very knowledgeable about military matters, he knew that on Chan Country soil, his side had an absolute advantage. How could he accept such an outcome on the very first day of the war? ¡°Tell me, is our annual domestic military budget not hefty enough? Last year we spent 51 billion US dollars on military expenses to support hundreds of thousands of soldiers across the navy, army, and air force. In Asia, aside from that large Eastern Country, who else spends more on their military than us? ¡°And yet the soldiers we have fostered with so much military spending have been beaten into disarray by a small-time warlord from Chan Country. How can I believe that your Self-Defense Army isn¡¯t derelict in duty, isn¡¯t wasting the tax money of all taxpayers?¡± Spittle sprayed onto Inoue Fumihiro¡¯s face as Tsunoshima Shouichi became apoplectic with rage. ¡°We were supposed to strike a blow that showcased the might of Japan, but instead, at the very start, we¡¯ve crumbled to this extent. Forget about demonstrating our military prowess, others will only see the Japan Self Defense Force as a ¡°noodle army¡± ¨C going limp as soon as it¡¯s hit.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Inoue Fumihiro had nothing to say, and could only hang his head in shame. Although he wanted to explain that the enemy wasn¡¯t just some small-time warlord, but a tough character who had once defeated his own masters and even commanded Super Soldiers that the Beautiful Country didn¡¯t possess ¨C a force beyond ordinary comprehension. But a defeat was a defeat, and no amount of explanation could erase Tsunoshima Shouichi¡¯s anger; he simply had to accept the scolding in silence. Tsunoshima Shouichi ranted at Inoue Fumihiro for a full ten minutes, only stopping when he himself was out of breath. ¡°Prime Minister, please calm down.¡± The Secretary-General hurriedly administered some blood pressure medicine to the Prime Minister and patted his back to help him catch his breath. ¡°What¡¯s the current situation on Chan Country¡¯s side?¡± Tsunoshima Shouichi had had his fill of yelling and finally began to discuss serious matters. ¡°After confirming that the Jieke Group had declared war on us, the Chan Country Government immediately heightened military alertness and called up more troops to Jibang Jinlao Mountain, deciding to launch an offensive against the Jieke Group tomorrow morning.¡± Inoue Fumihiro quickly relayed the information, highlighting his own predicament and embarrassment: ¡°Prime Minister, the Chan Country Government is urgently requesting our assistance for combat. According to the mutual defense pact we signed with Chan Country previously, we are indeed obligated to send troops. But the current situation is that our local forces have been severely hit, our aircraft entirely destroyed; we can¡¯t assist them at all. Now we have only two choices: either withdraw our troops and no longer participate in this military conflict, or send reinforcements from within our country to aid Chan Country.¡± ¡°Withdraw the troops? No, that¡¯s not an option. If we withdraw now, our losses will indeed be real, and the promises made by the Beautiful Country would likely be indefinitely postponed.¡± Without a second thought, Tsunoshima Shouichi immediately dismissed the suggestion. The reason Japan was so actively involved in Chan Country¡¯s affairs was because the Beautiful Country made promises prior to the conflict. If the Jieke Group was defeated, they would ease the pressure on the Japan Self Defense Force, allow changes to the security laws, and break through the ultimate bottom line, allowing Japan to become a regular country again and upgrade the Japan Self Defense Force to a ¡°Self-defense Army.¡± Although it was still uncertain whether these were empty promises by the Beautiful Country, Japan had already committed itself to the situation in Chan Country, suffering a lot of loss both materially and in pride. If they were to withdraw now in disgrace, the Beautiful Country¡¯s promises would certainly be void, and Japan would become a global laughingstock. Japan itself is a nation prone to taking gambles, particularly fond of staking its national destiny in the past century. The country gambled correctly twice before, but on the third occasion, it lost, forfeiting not only what it had previously won but also the principal investment. But Japan never thought it was because of their own shortcomings; facing the gamble once again, they succumbed to the old gambler¡¯s mentality. At this moment, Japan was like a gambler. There¡¯s a term called ¡°sunk cost fallacy,¡± the more they lost in Chan Country, the more they wanted to push more chips onto the table. Because only by persevering and ultimately winning the war could they win everything back at once. ¡°So, are we going to reinforce our troops?¡± Inoue Fumihiro felt a glimmer of surprise; of course, he did not want to pull the Chan Country garrison back home with his tail between his legs. If he did that, after suffering such a significant defeat, his position as Defense Minister would be all but over, surely followed by dismissal. Only by continuing to send reinforcements to Chan Country did he have a chance to turn the tables, win the war, and secure his position. ¡°Redraft a proposal for sending additional reinforcements; I need it to discuss terms with the Beautiful Country.¡± Tsunoshima Shouichi fell silent for half a minute, then eventually opted for reinforcement, his expression stone-faced as he stared at Inoue Fumihiro and said coldly, ¡°This time, if you lose again, prepare to be dismissed.¡± ¡°Prime Minister, we will win, please trust me, trust the 350,000 brave and fearless soldiers of the Self Defense Force,¡± Inoue Fumihiro quickly assured, ready to commit wholeheartedly to defeating the Jieke Group, even if only for his own sake. Chapter 328: 232: Armored Torrent (30,000 words in three updates, asking for monthly votes!) Chapter 328: Chapter 232: Armored Torrent (30,000 words in three updates, asking for monthly votes!) ¡°` Chan Country! The border between Ji State and East Qin State. A river runs through the two provinces, the Baoji River, which carves out fertile land on both banks and also serves as the dividing line between the two provinces. The terrain of Ji State is mostly flat; it is one of the few plain areas within Chan Country, a basin plain surrounded by high mountains. The industry here is relatively developed. Besides the abundant mineral resources, this is also inseparable from the region¡¯s topography. Most of Chan Country¡¯s territory is crisscrossed with mountains and jungles, making it difficult to transport resources out, and constructing infrastructure in the dense forests and mountains is beyond the country¡¯s capabilities. ... At this moment, as the sun had just risen not long ago, many early-rising farmers in Ji State, near the Baoji River, carrying hoes and other farm tools, rolling up their trouser legs to head to the fields, heard a strange rumbling sound. In the distance, they could see black smoke trailing in the sky, extending towards them. Just as these farmers were puzzling over it, they arrived at the banks of the Baoji River and witnessed a sight they had only seen on television¡ªthe steel tide. An iron bridge, hastily constructed overnight by the engineer corps, spanned the Baoji River. Countless tanks, armored vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, rocket artillery, self-propelled air defense missile vehicles, high-altitude artillery, infantry carriers, and trucks were lining up to cross it. ¡°Brigade Commander, a tank has broken down on the bridge; we¡¯re working on repairs,¡± Inside a command vehicle, Valenkin frowned as he received the report. He stepped out of the vehicle, picked up a pair of binoculars, and indeed saw a tank that had, inconveniently, broken down on the bridge, blocking the way. He did not hesitate, giving a direct order, ¡°Keep the troops orderly. Don¡¯t bother repairing the broken-down tank. Have the armored vehicles on both sides work together and push it into the river. We must reach the attack position on time.¡± He did not spare a thought for the multi-million-dollar main battle tank¡¯s loss, only desiring to cross the bridge as quickly as possible. After issuing this command, Valenkin returned to studying the map, estimating the speed of the crossing. Crossing the river should take about an hour, and then a full-speed assault for another two hours should bring them to the first offensive position. ¡°I hope everything goes smoothly.¡± Valenkin watched the brightening sky with some unease. Such a large-scale movement of armored troops, without having established air supremacy, would be extremely dangerous. As a person from Bear Country, after his retirement, he was employed by the Jieke Group. At first, he only served as a military instructor. However, his diligence earned the Jieke Group¡¯s trust. After bringing his family to Mande City, he was honored to become the brigade commander of the Jieke Group¡¯s only heavy combined brigade, commanding this armor onslaught on lightning strike missions. Valenkin was an officer in an armored unit back in Bear Country, and after retiring due to certain incidents and his parents¡¯ severe illness, he was forced to leave the army and sought livelihood with the Jieke Group. It was unexpected that the Jieke Group, urgently requiring high-level military personnel, would treat him well. He cherished this hard-earned opportunity and did not want the heavy combined brigade to suffer serious losses. In fact, when he received this military mission, Valenkin was quite resistant. In modern warfare, air supremacy reigns supreme, and the enemy could launch fighter jets and ground attack planes for a strike at any moment. Even with air defense missiles and high-altitude artillery, ground armored troops would struggle against a large number of fighter jets. The enemy only needed to eliminate the air defense armored units with air-to-ground missiles, and the remaining armored troops would be sitting ducks for the aircraft overhead, a tempting snack. However, his opposition was not acknowledged; his superiors merely hinted at solving the enemy¡¯s air supremacy issue, but how it would be resolved was not something within his knowledge. Even now, he was unsure whether the assurances from above were true or false. Should the enemy¡¯s air supremacy remain, the heavy combined brigade would undoubtedly suffer heavy damage. ¡°Brigade Commander, urgent telegram from headquarters.¡± Suddenly, a signalman ran over in a hurry, holding a stack of telegrams, his face beaming with great joy. Valenkin grabbed the telegrams and, after reading them, his previously furrowed brow gradually relaxed until he couldn¡¯t contain himself and burst into hearty laughter. ¡°Hahaha, excellent, we have won for sure now.¡± Valenkin excitedly punched the air; the telegram stated that the air strike group¡¯s three attacks launched in the early hours of the morning had been a complete success. The enemy¡¯s air combat jets, which he had been most worried about, were mostly destroyed on the ground. Now his armored troops could advance unobstructed. ¡°Full speed ahead, today I will stay overnight in Jiwei City, Ji State¡¯s largest city. Tell the lads below to put their backs into it.¡± Valenkin¡¯s excitement was palpable. Without the threat of airstrikes, the armored troops¡¯ advantage would become limitless. Jieke Security First Brigade continued crossing the river, under the watchful eyes of some curious farmers by the roadside, completing the river crossing in less than an hour. Then, the whole unit turned south and headed straight for the nearest Chan Country Army camp. ....... Two hours later. A Chan Country Army camp, where a thousand soldiers were stationed, saw fire rain from the sky. Rockets streaked with beautiful trails, dropping haphazardly around the camp, blasts turning the earth to scorched rubble, with human limbs scattered everywhere. ¡°` Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Following that, shells from 152mm caliber artillery fell, blasting the soldiers in the barracks into dizziness and confusion. Caught in a state of panic, they had no thoughts of preparing a defense. Many of these Chan Country Soldiers were newly recruited and had never faced such a battle with gunfire flying and shells raining down indiscriminately. Those who could still hold onto their guns without ducking were considered good enough. Many of the new recruits were so frightened they wet their pants, crying and lying on the ground, not daring to even peek their heads out. Even those so-called veterans from the Chan Country, who were more accustomed to dealing with guerrillas in the mountains and forests, had never encountered such a fierce and concentrated artillery barrage. Neither their government army nor the warlords had ever operated like this. It¡¯s as if they thought artillery shells and fuel didn¡¯t cost money! Most of the armored vehicles they had purchased were kept in storage, these gas-guzzlers rarely had the chance to see action. ¡°Is anyone still alive, make a sound! I¡¯m scared.¡± When the shelling stopped, a new recruit in a dugout bomb shelter started shouting tremulously. He couldn¡¯t hear any noise outside and the silence led him to fear that all his comrades had died. ¡°Hey, is there still anyone alive, I...¡± Before the recruit could finish speaking, he saw a veteran crawl in, reach out his hand, and drag him out to the cover behind the dugout. The veteran was furiously yelling, but the recruit could hear nothing. It was not until then that he realized he had lost his hearing from the artillery shock. The recruit vigorously rubbed his ears, terrified that he might truly have gone deaf. Fortunately, his hearing loss was only temporary. Gradually, he began to hear the chaotic noise from outside: the cries and the shouting. ¡°My leg is gone, has anyone seen my leg?¡± ¡°Where is the enemy, where exactly is the enemy?¡± ¡°Medic, we need a medic over here, my brother¡¯s belly has been hit by shrapnel, I can barely hold in his intestines.¡± The recruit, shivering, listened to the chaotic noise of the battlefield when suddenly, he felt the ground trembling slightly beneath him. Then, the sound of mechanical rumbling grew closer. The recruit poked his head out of the trench and saw an endless number of tanks and armored vehicles appearing on the horizon of the plains, rolling like a steel flood shaking the earth, with black smoke blotting out the sky. Seeing this sight for the first time, the recruit¡¯s mouth hung open as fear made his whole body tremble. It wasn¡¯t just the recruits who were afraid; all the soldiers in the barracks were terrified. They were just a bunch of infantrymen, and on this plain terrain, how could they stop the advancing steel flood? The few resistances they had attempted to put up by firing a few shots; as a result, after tanks blasted them sky-high, the remaining soldiers, one after another, sensibly raised white flags and walked out of their shelters to surrender. This steel flood hardly paused. After leaving a small number of infantry to take over the prisoners, the remaining forces continued to advance. At this moment, the headquarters of the Chan Country had already received intelligence about this heavy mechanized brigade and immediately issued orders to set up multiple layers of defenses. But the military officials of the Chan Country had overestimated the mobilization speed of their troops. On the plains, how could human legs outrun an armored force? Before the Chan Country troops could reach the blocking positions, the heavy mechanized brigade had already breached the defensive line. Even for the units that managed to catch up and attempt to block, on the plains facing the assault of armored forces, they had no option but to dig trenches and set up defenses with drones, artillery, rocket launchers, and anti-tank missiles. However, compared to the vast steel flood, such defenses were too easily broken through; with armed helicopters in the sky and tanks and armored vehicles on the ground, the infantry also coordinated their efforts. Especially those second-class and third-class Super Soldiers assigned to the units, each nearly a Sharpshooter. The soldiers trying to ambush with rocket launchers often got sniped in the head by Super Soldiers before they even had a chance to aim properly. Many infantrymen didn¡¯t even have time to dig trenches before encountering the steel flood on the open plain, getting shattered on impact, and having their defense lines broken through layer by layer. Lacking air superiority, the heavy mechanized brigade charged forward unhindered, advancing at a lightning-fast pace and tearing through the defensive lines laid out by the Chan Country Army within Ji State. After crossing Baoji River, they swiftly moved ahead, reaching Jiwei City, the capital of Ji State, by sunset. Meanwhile, a sizeable elite force of 50,000 from the Chan Country Army was mostly deployed in Jibang Jinlao Mountain, facing off against the East Qin State border, where they had built numerous defenses. In the basin plains surrounded by forests and mountains of Ji State, Jiwei City was their logistical backbone. Now that it had been blocked by the Jieke Group¡¯s heavy mechanized brigade, the 50,000 Chan Country troops at the border were immediately at a loss. If they failed to break through Jiwei City, they faced the prospect of running out of water and food, without logistics for ammunition and supplies, this large contingent of troops could only become isolated. As history has shown, no strategy is more devastating than cutting off provisions. Chapter 329: 233: Post-War Reaction (First Update) Chapter 329: Chapter 233: Post-War Reaction (First Update) When the news of Jiwei City being captured spread, the entire Chan Country Government was stunned. With their retreat cut off, the fifty thousand troops left in Ji State had become sitting ducks, causing great anxiety throughout Chan Country. Upon hearing this news, the current President of Chan Country promptly delivered a nationwide television address. ¡°A despicable sneak attack. The Jieke Group, ignoring international morality, launched a dawn raid on our troops and our Japanese allies today, committing heinous crimes at Wuhe Military Camp, Xavier Airport, and Putuo Airport, and now they have taken control of our Jiwei City, plunging our unprepared military and civilians into war. This is a shameful crime, and the Jieke Group and its puppet master, Su Jie¡ªa new Nazi element¡ªis spreading the flowers of evil on the soil of Southeast Asia. In the face of this catastrophic invasion, Chan Country is now shrouded in darkness, and the Jieke Group is attempting to erase anything that does not comply with their objectives. But ladies and gentlemen, the people of Chan Country will not give up, nor will we allow the continuation of this evil war; ultimately, the victors will surely be us, the righteous. ... Now, in the name of the highest commander of Chan Country, I mobilize the entire military to respond to the shameless invasion of the Jieke Group. At the same time, we will call on all allies to stand with us on a united front, to fight against the evil Jieke Group, until complete victory is achieved.¡± After Chan Country delivered its war speech, other member states of the Eight Nation Group also spoke out in quick succession. Beautiful Country: We strongly condemn the vile act of Jieke Group¡¯s instigation of war, and my Beautiful Country will not stand by as this new Nazism and extreme radical organization spreads in the Southeast Region, bringing terror and destruction to the world. We have decided to formally initiate an aid proposal, providing the first installment of 5 billion US dollars in military aid to help the Chan Country Government cope with the threat of the Jieke Group, to curb the emergence and spread of this evil force, and to resist this unjust military aggression. Japan: A shameless military sneak attack, the Jieke Group used the excuse of maneuvers to attack our troops stationed in Chan Country. Now, my country declares that Japan will, in accordance with the mutual defense treaty signed with Chan Country, dispatch new Self-defense Team 9th Division, 7th Division, and Aviation Mixed Group, totaling twenty-two thousand soldiers into Chan Country to help expel and defeat the evil Jieke Group. Temasek, Luzon, Siam, Jawa, Johor, members of the Eight Nation Group, openly stated: We reiterate that we will not send troops into Chan Country to intervene in the civil war. But bound by the security agreement of the Eight Nation Group, we will initiate the lease legislation, aid programs including helmets, firearms, grenade launchers, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, drones, and a range of supplies and financial support to provide all corresponding logistics and armament safeguards for the Chan Country Government. After the Eight Nation Group voiced their stance, the Jieke Group responded at the same time. Su Jie also held a press conference, expressing with regret: ¡°Regarding the war that broke out today, all the blame is not on us. The Eight Nation Group left us no choice, militarily cornering our Jieke Group, constantly creating security threats, with fighter plane provocations and random shelling, and even capturing our soldiers during exercises. This is Chan Country in collusion with what they call the Eight Nation Group, wanting to impose power and violence upon the Jieke Group. The Chan Country Government, in order to grovel before Beautiful Country and Japan, is willing to act as their lackey, blindly instigated to become a puppet state. For the safety of the lives and property of all our employees, the Jieke Group had no choice but to take up arms for self-defense, forced to initiate special military actions. Here I want to say, no matter how advanced the enemy¡¯s weapons are, no matter how large the number of soldiers, our Jieke Group will achieve a perfect victory in this war. Because, standing behind us are three million civilians who support us, brave warriors who are unwilling to accept any more exploitation from the Chan Country Government and have risen in righteous indignation. Therefore, the final victor of this war will only be the Jieke Group. Our Jieke Group will make every effort to liberate the masses oppressed by the Chan Country Government.¡± As soon as Su Jie finished speaking, a large number of reporters quickly raised their hands. ¡°Mr. Su, the Eight Nation Group has announced their intent to provide the greatest scale of aid to the Chan Country Government. The continuation of the war will only cause widespread carnage in Chan Country. Is there any possibility of a ceasefire negotiation, to peacefully resolve the conflict?¡± A Chinese reporter stood up and asked this question. Su Jie shook his head and said, ¡°Today, all our combat missions have been perfectly completed, and the balance of the war victory is tilting in our favor. No matter how much financial aid the Eight Nation Group provides, it will not shake the pace of our military operations. To tell you the truth, we do not wish to initiate war, but if war is forced upon us, we will not shy away from it. If the Eight Nation Group is sincere, they can first let the soldiers in Ji State lay down their weapons, then we will consider accepting the ceasefire negotiations.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, due to your attack on our Chan Country garrison, the Prime Minister has officially issued a new troops reinforcement resolution. Soon, more than twenty thousand soldiers will land on the Chan Country battlefield, do you regret provoking our Japan?¡± A Japanese reporter stood up, holding a microphone and looking angrily at Su Jie. Upon hearing this, Su Jie let out a scornful laugh and said indifferently, ¡°Japan, are you referring to the 13th Brigade that we decimated, and the Aviation Mixed Group that had all its warplanes destroyed? If Japanese Soldiers dare to set foot on this land, I will kill one for every one that comes, and a pair for every pair that comes.¡± As he spoke, Su Jie gestured for Liu Yingying to show the Jieke Group¡¯s achievements. Several high-ranking Japanese officers captured were brought in, the 13th Brigade¡¯s flag was trampled and burned, various images of the deathly conditions of Japanese Soldiers, and high-resolution photos of destroyed warplanes were displayed, causing the Japanese reporters present at the press conference to look extremely uncomfortable, just like they had eaten dead rats. ......... The next day, on October 18th, on the second day of the war, news of the civil war in Chan Country exploded across all media, bombarding everyone¡¯s eyesight. All major news and military-related media were urgently broadcasting this major event. ¡°Jieke Group brazenly invades Chan Country Government territory, instigating civil war and creating a humanitarian disaster!¡± Global Times. ¡°The military invasion triggered by the conspiracy of soldiers¡¯ disappearance during exercises, Jieke Group¡¯s brutality and ferocity are deeply concerning.¡± Washington Post. ¡°Japan announces it will militarily intervene in the Chan Country situation and impose unprecedented sanctions on the Jieke Group to eliminate the terrorist organization entrenched in Chan Country.¡± Asahi News. ¡°In-depth interpretation of the Chan Country war situation reveals the West¡¯s hype of the situation, with hidden agendas.¡± Hua Xin International Telecommunications. ¡°Insiders reveal that on the first day of the war, Chan Country and Japan suffered heavy losses, losing air superiority, with multiple military bases destroyed. The Jieke Group¡¯s heavy composite brigade advanced into Jiwei City and surrounded fifty thousand soldiers of the Chan Country government army.¡± Mao Bear Truth Newspaper. ¡°A new type of Biochemical Soldier: The Jieke Group is conducting dangerous biochemical research, an act that could bring catastrophic harm to the whole world.¡± New York Times. The barrage of news only belatedly made the public realize that the Jieke Group had indeed gone to war, and they were the ones who initiated the conflict¡ªthis move shocked many people. Many military experts, who had confidently claimed before the war that the Jieke Group was merely feigning strength and would never dare to start a war, had their faces figuratively swollen. Related to these news items, many videos from the day the war broke out also simultaneously leaked onto social media platforms. Some were released by the Jieke Group itself, and some by Chan Country and Japan. Of course, most of them were released by the Jieke Group¡ªlosers do not want their disgrace seen by the world. These videos were shot not only by embedded journalists but also from the first-person perspective of soldiers¡¯ action cameras. The most explosive video was of First-class Super Soldiers wearing heavy Battle Armor, boarding helicopters for low-altitude penetration attacks into enemy camps and airports. The video clearly showed the terrifying nature of the First-class Super Soldiers, their Alloy Battle Armor impervious to regular gunfire and their physical abilities far beyond human limits. They wielded various heavy weaponry and rampaged through the camps, slaughtering indiscriminately. Although many parts were blurred out, the gruesome scene was evident, with hardly a single body left intact. The emergence of these individual powered suits and Super Soldiers led netizens around the world who saw the footage to believe they were watching some AI-generated special effects video, until it was verified as real, which then left them gaping in shock, internally exclaiming ¡°damn.¡± The appearance of these videos further fueled the firestorm of news about the war¡¯s outbreak, sparking widespread discussion. ¡®Damn, the Jieke Group is awesome! They just went straight to war.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve read the battle report. The helicopter combat group made a low-altitude breakthrough, destroying several important camps and airports, resulting in the loss of over a hundred fighter jets and complete loss of air superiority. The losses for Chan Country and Japan were devastating!¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s the deal with those Super Soldiers? Did they take some Super Soldier serum? Their physical strength is too high.¡± ¡°F*ck, no wonder they fought so smoothly. The other side was clearly cheating. With the power of those Super Soldiers, and they¡¯re wearing bulletproof Battle Armor, how could ordinary soldiers possibly win?¡± ¡°Where can I buy that Battle Armor? I want to get a set for my collection.¡± ¡°The news said those Super Soldiers are Biochemical Soldiers, transformed by taking some drug.¡± ¡°Japan still dares to send troops into Chan Country? They won¡¯t admit defeat!¡± ¡°When the Eight Nation Group acts together, even if the Jieke Group took some early advantage, they¡¯ll be flattened by the overwhelming forces eventually.¡± Endless debates raged online as everyone turned into a military expert, sharing their opinions on Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. Among these, the emergence of Super Soldiers caused the loudest discussions. People were very curious; this was the first batch of Super Soldiers to be formally commissioned globally, and no other country had yet developed their own Super Soldiers. While the Jieke Group¡¯s Super Soldiers achieved remarkable battle results, countries around the world, almost simultaneously, stepped up or initiated research on Super Soldiers to acquire these inhuman troops. After all, the immense combat capabilities of single soldiers, especially for special operations missions, were far too appealing. It could be said that the emergence of Super Soldiers overturned all previous experiences in the field of special operations around the globe and initiated a complete transformation. However, these countries and organizations wanting to develop Super Soldiers like the Jieke Group¡¯s either had to research gene potions themselves or investigate Strengthening Pills. Influenced by this, prices for Strengthening Pills skyrocketed on the international Black Market. For the countries researching Super Soldiers, obtaining the gene potion was virtually impossible, while the Strengthening Pill provided some hope. However, they were unaware of something called the Blood Marrow Crystal¡ªwhat they saw as hope was nothing more than a mirage. Chapter 330: 234: Urban Siege (Second Update) Chapter 330: Chapter 234: Urban Siege (Second Update) While discussions about the war that had erupted in Chan Country were rampant overseas, various regions of East Qin State were also preparing for war. On the streets of Mande City, many citizens spontaneously took to the streets, carrying various banners and slogans, donating money and goods to the Jieke Group. ¡°Boycott the threat from the Eight Nation Group, the victor will surely be ours.¡± ¡°I want to donate money, this is ten thousand two hundred Hua Yuan, please give it to the Jieke Group for me, and hit those Chan Country Government Army and Japanese bastards hard.¡± ¡°I want to sign up for soldier training, please let me enter the barracks.¡± ... Su Jie drove through the streets and saw the figures of enthusiastic citizens everywhere on the road. The people of East Qin State were mostly supportive of the war between the Jieke Group and the Chan Country Government. Having experienced the chaotic and exploitative rule of the Chan Country Government, the people knew the goodness of the Jieke Group. These citizens of East Qin State would say anything rather than see the Jieke Group lose and return to the rule of the Chan Country Government. Seeing the scene outside, Su Jie¡¯s mouth harbored a smile. With such support, we simply cannot lose this war! The car continued on its way to Nightmare Park, which was still open at the time. However, due to the onset of war, foreign tourists dared not enter the war zone, and relying only on the population of three million in East Qin State, coupled with less desire to play during the war, Nightmare Park became quite desolate. At the core of the park, Su Jie found the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan. Inside an old house of ancient style, a graceful figure was sitting quietly by the pond, watching the koi swimming below, somewhat looking lonely and desolate. ¡°My lady!¡± Su Jie walked up and sat beside Han Ruyan. Han Ruyan tilted her head slightly, her hollow and lifeless eyes conveying, ¡°My lord, the number of Elemental Spirit Stones has decreased a lot recently.¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a war, Nightmare Park lacks tourist spending; I came to find you for this matter as well.¡± ¡°War? Is it necessary for me to kill people?¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s eyes slightly shimmered, seemingly intrigued. The instinct of a Fierce Ghost, compared to collecting fear emotions through rent from Nightmare Park, they still prefer the simple and brutal method of collecting through killing. ¡°Yes, come have fun with me on the battlefield. Call all the Fierce Ghosts over, and I¡¯ll select a few suitable ones to take along.¡± Upon hearing this, Han Ruyan swiftly summoned a host of strangely shaped, bizarre Fierce Ghosts in front of Su Jie and herself. ¡°This one¡¯s not bad, it still looks somewhat human.¡± ¡°This ability is barely acceptable, count it in.¡± ¡°Tsk, it looks too filthy; better stay in the Ghost House to scare tourists.¡± Su Jie picked and chose, quickly selecting a batch of Fierce Ghosts that met the requirements. Since Su Jie did not want to expose the existence of the Fierce Ghosts just yet, and the complex environment of the battlefield could easily reveal their presence, the Ghosts Su Jie chose had to meet several requirements: good at disguising (indistinguishable as human or ghost), strong killing ability (no survivors), and high adaptability on the battlefield (knowing how to destroy bodies and traces, leaving no evidence). With these conditions met, Su Jie would select them. ¡°Let¡¯s choose these.¡± In the end, Su Jie picked a squad of Fierce Ghosts, ready for the upcoming battlefield mission. ¡°When do we depart?¡± Han Ruyan took out the flower sedan chair transformed from the Heavenly Ghost Map and packed all the Fierce Ghosts inside it. ¡°Right now.¡± Su Jie took Han Ruyan¡¯s cold jade hand and led her away from Nightmare Park. ....... October 20th. Jiwei City! By now, the Jieke Heavy Synthesized Brigade had occupied Jiwei City for three days, and this capital of Ji State was immersed in a somber atmosphere of war. After days of preparation and fortification, bunkers, concrete obstacles, and underground tunnels crisscrossed the city. On the streets, furniture blocked stairway entrances, barbed wire and remote-controlled explosive devices stood ready, various cars, buses, and construction vehicles were moved to the streets and overturned to obstruct enemy armoured vehicles or infantry movement. Barricades blocked roads, snipers awaited in concealment, armored units hid throughout the city, and infantry maneuvered in combat, forming an entire urban defense system. In the morning, Valenkin did not stay in the hidden underground command post but came to a high-rise, holding binoculars, observing the outside activity. ¡°The enemy is about to attack, confirm the targets are the Chan Country¡¯s First Armored Brigade and the Third Mechanized Division?¡± Valenkin, tireless in his inquiry, knew this was crucial for the upcoming defense. ¡°Commander, there¡¯s no mistake, it¡¯s those infantry who can¡¯t walk fast; now it¡¯s these two units that have rushed over,¡± the staff officer responded, nodding in confirmation. ¡°It seems the enemy is eager to breakthrough Jiwei City¡¯s lifeline!¡± Valenkin put down his binoculars and said in a stern voice, ¡°Notify everyone, prepare for battle, and let the Chan Country Army understand that we¡¯re the nail they can¡¯t pull out.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ..... Outside Jiwei City. A large group of Chan Country Soldiers was assembling here, with the rumble of artillery fire marking the start of the urban siege. The Chan Country Government wanted to break through Jiwei City to rescue fifty thousand soldiers surrounded inside Ji State; these two units advanced from their barracks with substantial firepower. Following the artillery strike, the second wave was not ground troops but drones launched into the air. Under the signal enhancement of the communication relay drones, they flew towards many bunkers and windows on the edge of the city. Chapter 331: 234: Urban Siege (Second Update)_2 Chapter 331: Chapter 234: Urban Siege (Second Update)_2 Chan Country itself didn¡¯t have any drone production capability; these drones were all previously supplied by the Eight Nation Group, which also trained numerous drone operators for Chan Country. The drones being deployed were mainly suicide-style crossing drones and consumer-grade multi-rotor drones. By mounting hand grenades, mortar shells, anti-tank rockets, and self-destructive explosives, they could be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and attack missions. They could not only strike infantry but also target the weak spots of tanks such as the rear and tracks, destroying armored units. However, as these drones approached Jiwei City, they began experiencing varying degrees of remote control signal disruption, and the video transmission became intermittent. The closer they got, the more severe the signal interference became, until finally the drones disappeared without a trace. ... Even the drones¡¯ magnetic compasses malfunctioned, making it impossible to discern directions; most of them spiraled down to crash or hit walls, returning to mother earth. This left the Chan Country Government Army¡¯s drone operators completely bewildered, speculating that Jieke Group had set up a large number of countermeasure devices to cause the interference. ¡°The group¡¯s gadget is really useful.¡± Valenkin praised repeatedly as he watched this scene through his binoculars. Behind him, in the room, a machine was operating. It looked like a drone jammer, and indeed it was, only it had been enhanced a bit by Ghost Bride. In more common terms, it had been enchanted. Han Ruyan had the ability to block signals; when she attacked the Siam CIA¡¯s base, she disabled the entire base¡¯s ability to communicate with the outside world. Since drones are controlled and send images via radio, interrupting the signal is like flying a kite, and if the string is cut, you no longer have control over the kite. The method Ghost Bride used to enchant these drone jammers was simple: she added some ashes from Paperman into them, boosting the jammers¡¯ power. It sounds incredible and utterly unscientific. But creatures like Fierce Ghost, with their bizarre and outrageous nature, are inherently beyond human comprehension. When these enchanted drone jammers were turned on, the approaching drones were doomed. Even the drones with some anti-interference capabilities, in the face of these enchanted jammers, could only crash disastrously. With the drones obstructed and ineffective, Chan Country could only deploy ground troops. Large numbers of armored units, cautiously advancing under the cover of infantry, pushed towards Jiwei City. By then, Jiwei City had already been transformed into a fortress of war; these Chan Country troops entered the urban area and were immediately subjected to heavy fire. ... At a window ledge, two Jieke Soldiers felt the vibrations beneath their feet. One of them, serving as an observer, was looking through a hollowed-out hole in the wall, watching the enemy movements outside. ¡°A total of eight infantry, one tank, thirty meters away, get ready.¡± The observing soldier raised his hand while the soldier next to him, holding a rocket launcher, crouched and hoisted the launcher onto his shoulder. ¡°Now, blow it up.¡± The soldier with the rocket launcher, upon hearing the command, quickly popped his head out from the ledge. What came into view was a tank passing down the street, flanked by several accompanying infantry. Bang! The rocket was fired. Without looking at the result, the two Jieke Soldiers quickly retreated. Behind them, a loud explosion erupted as the rocket hit the side of the tank. The rocket¡¯s metallic jet penetrated up to 600mm of homogeneous steel. Chan Country¡¯s outdated tanks, mostly not equipped with explosive reactive armor, had side armor plates only 60mm thick, which were utterly inadequate for protection. After the explosion, a small hole appeared on the side of the tank, but the crew members inside were severely wounded by the metal jet, killing two instantly, leaving the other two critically injured. The tank moved a meter or two, spewing black smoke, its hatch opened, and the tank driver struggled to crawl out. The belatedly aware Chan Country Soldiers then vigorously opened fire toward the window ledge, and some even attempted to storm the room. But as soon as they entered, they triggered the trap mines set up there, shrapnel piercing through flesh as cries of agony rose. ... In another location, a hidden sniper positioned himself within a high-rise building. Tipasang, aged twenty-two, had become a glorious Super Soldier after passing the physical adaptability screening by using Strengthening Pills. Although only a Third-class Super Soldier, he couldn¡¯t match the Second-class Super Soldiers who could swallow three to five Strengthening Pills, let alone those wearing impenetrable Battle Armor and mowing down enemies like cutting grass. But within this heavy composite brigade, he was still a well-known ace sniper. ¡°Little darling, come a bit closer.¡± Chewing gum, Tipasang, who had no assigned spotter, always preferred to operate like a lone wolf. Through his sniper scope, he saw an infantry platoon searching through the block, hoping to secure it and establish a foothold for the Chan Country Army. Dozens of men were checking every building and floor slowly, not only inefficiently but also exposing themselves under the sunlight. Tipasang didn¡¯t fire blindly; instead, he contacted the self-propelled howitzer unit in the rear and reported the enemy¡¯s position. Without much waiting, three 152mm shells smashed into the street district three minutes later, instantly killing half of the infantry platoon on the spot in a bloody scene. The surviving soldiers were dazed and confused by the explosion, unable to tend to the wounded before Tipasang made his move. Click! A round was chambered into the sniper rifle, and the next moment, the trigger was pulled. A bullet shot out of the barrel and, in less than a second, drilled into the eye socket of a Chan Country Soldier several hundred meters away, blowing away half of his skull. ¡°Enemy attack!¡± ¡°Where is the enemy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, the bullet seemed to come from that direction.¡± The group of Chan Country Soldiers shouted loudly; some quickly sought cover, while others picked up their rifles and began firing wildly in the general direction. Tipasang, unhurried, pulled the bolt again, ejecting the spent casing and chambering a new round. Bang! Another soldier¡¯s head burst open, dying a gruesome death. Tipasang calmly fired shot after shot, almost never missing, precisely sniping Chan Country Soldiers. The remarkable five senses and physical qualities of Super Soldiers made each a match for ace sharpshooters. Many soldiers couldn¡¯t figure out where the shots were coming from and were bewildered when their heads exploded. After several shots, Tipasang packed up his sniper rifle and moved to another sniping point. Because he didn¡¯t know whether his position had been exposed. If exposed, what awaited him was not an enemy sniper duel but most likely an artillery strike from the enemy. Thus, he couldn¡¯t linger in one place, for even Super Soldiers could not withstand a shell hitting them. Meanwhile, on the streets, those Chan Country Soldiers continued to hide behind building covers, daring not to move. In the complex and changing urban environment, the fear brought upon the soldiers by a sniper was even stronger than that by armored vehicles¡ªat least with the latter, one could understand where the enemy was attacking from, while with the former, one couldn¡¯t even see the person. ... Four kilometers away from Tipasang, an armored personnel carrier of the Chan Country Government was driving down the street, its crew in a panic. They had just been attacked by an anti-tank mobile squad. Fortunately, the several rocket launchers and anti-tank missiles aimed at them missed, allowing their escape; in a blind panic, they took a wrong turn on the city road and became lost. As they passed a street corner, they were unaware that a dangerous hunter had set his sights on them. In a street-facing shop of a building, the roller shutter of the first floor rose, revealing a heavy composite brigade¡¯s tank hidden inside. As the tank slowly turned its turret, its front half drove out of the shop and the cannon aimed at the armored vehicle, firing a shell swiftly. Boom! In an instant, the personnel carrier was turned into a pile of scrap metal, all crew members killed. After confirming the kill, the tank slowly reversed back into the shop, pulling down the shutter and waiting for the next prey. Similar scenes were playing out across Jiwei City, lacking the intelligence and reconnaissance vision provided by drones; the Chan Country Soldiers who plunged into the fray were caught off guard. Chapter 332: 235: Arrival at Jiwei City (30,000 words in three updates, asking for monthly votes!) Chapter 332: Chapter 235: Arrival at Jiwei City (30,000 words in three updates, asking for monthly votes!) The battle for Jiwei City began on October 20th, signaling that the war between the Jieke Group and the Chan Country Government had escalated intensely. The Jieke Group¡¯s heavy synthetic brigade was stationed in Jiwei City, once again reinforcing their defenses tightly, staunchly blocking Chan Country Army¡¯s attempt to capture the city. The city¡¯s complex terrain was inherently advantageous for the defenders. Streets and alleys were deadly traps for attackers, with defenders ready in strong formations, able to launch attacks from all directions¡ªhence why urban warfare is also called war in hell. The soldiers of the Chan Country Government were not exceptionally elite, and currently lacking air superiority, they struggled to strike against the heavy armor and artillery of the synthetic brigade. With drones rendered useless and a severe lack of intelligence gathering, they could only rely on the soldiers¡¯ eyesight to scout the city. ... Such circumstances naturally resulted in the waiting Jieke soldiers beating them brutally. Especially with the presence of Super Soldiers, elusive and sudden, they often caused many Chan Country Soldiers to panic and flee helter-skelter, with some so intimidated that they surrendered en masse. Not just the soldiers from Chan Country, but even world powers have found little solution to urban warfare. Whether it was the bloody, brutal city battles between Dezi and Maozi last century, or the urban security struggles the Beautiful Country¡¯s military faced in the Middle East in the 21st century, all had suffered severely and failed to devise effective strategies. ¡°Artillery, give me a massive barrage, I must take Jiwei City, never mind the civilians,¡± he commanded. Faced with such desperate and urgent circumstances and the pressure from the Eight Nation Group, especially the threat of aid cut-off by the Beautiful Country, the Chan Country high command completely lost their senses and issued a shocking order. Following this command, the Chan Country Soldiers disregarded international laws and indiscriminately launched a massive barrage. Any area suspected of harboring Jieke Group forces was bombarded without hesitation, regardless of whether civilians were still present or not. Although a portion of Jiwei City¡¯s civilians had left before the war, many residents found it hard to leave their homeland. These citizens thought this civil war would be like past skirmishes between the government army and the warlords, perhaps a few shot exchanges and hiding in the jungles, not posing much threat to them. However, when the Chan Country Government indiscriminately bombarded Jiwei City¡ªeven within Ji State they controlled¡ªmany civilians realized their mistake. The war was far crueler than they had imagined. And the soldiers, who should have been nurtured by their taxes and meant to protect them, chose instead to bomb their unarmed civilians. Videos of these events uploaded by some war journalists to the internet immediately caused an uproar, with the international community and online public opinion overwhelmingly condemning the Chan Country Government. However, the Chan Country Government, disregarding this, continued their relentless bombardment. But trying to destroy a city with artillery took too long, by the time they had shattered the city, the fifty thousand soldiers trapped within Ji State would have already starved. Faced with this situation, all the Chan Country Government could do was to send even more soldiers into Jiwei City amidst the intense bombardment, to fight for control. By now, Jiwei City had almost turned into a merciless meat grinder of life, with Chan Country Soldiers and Jieke Soldiers dying every moment. To hasten the capture of Jiwei City, the Chan Country Government brought in more troops continuously, attacking day and night. This action indeed proved effective after paying a significant price. Facing the staunch defense of Jieke Soldiers and the slaughter by Super Soldiers, the Chan Country Government paved a path with lives, capturing some streets and buildings in the city, occupying some high points, and were no longer on the defensive. With only ten thousand soldiers in the heavy synthetic brigade and facing enemy forces far exceeding their own numbers, even with the geographical advantage and Super Soldiers, as the Chan Country Government pressed on regardless of losses, casualties and losses became inevitable, forcing them to further contract their line of defense. ............ Just as the battle for Jiwei City was in full swing, an unexpected guest arrived. Jiwei City, Jieke Group¡¯s underground command post. Valenkin, utterly baffled, looked at Su Jie who walked in through the main entrance, his mind slightly overwhelmed. ¡°Mr. Su, how... how did you get here? This place is too dangerous, no, I will arrange for someone to escort you out immediately,¡± he said. Valenkin was truly frightened; if anything were to happen to Su Jie here on the battlefield, he¡¯d be torn apart by the Jieke Group from top to bottom. Su Jie waved his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about safety. I came here because I heard that the Chan Country Government has been particularly aggressive?¡± ¡°Uh, yes, that¡¯s correct. The Chan Country Government has brought in the Eighth Armored Brigade, a helicopter squadron, and five infantry divisions from within their territory to seize Jiwei City, now attacking our defenses day and night, and many of our streets and buildings have been taken.¡± ¡°But please rest assured, Mr. Su, our heavy synthetic brigade is confident we can hold on. Without a month¡¯s time, they won¡¯t even think about taking Jiwei City,¡± he assured. Valenkin guessed the reason for Su Jie¡¯s visit; could it be that he thought they weren¡¯t managing the war well and had come to hold them accountable? He also knew his task was very important. Now, fifty thousand soldiers trapped within Ji State were stretched at Jinlao Mountain, facing encirclement and bombardment by several other Jieke brigades, continual attrition of those Chan Country troops¡¯ supplies and ammunition. And those fifty thousand soldiers, lacking ammunition and supplies, could still hold in the fortified trenches and reinforced concrete of Jinlao Mountain, but once they stepped onto the open fields, they would be devoured by the Jieke Group in no time. Jiwei City was now the focal point of the battlefield, and also the core city that the Jieke Group and Chan Country Government were desperate to capture. If the Jieke Group held out, those fifty thousand Chan Country Soldiers would only be trapped and killed in Jinlao Mountain, ultimately annihilated by the Jieke Group. Once successful, the Jieke Group would easily occupy Ji State, an industrial stronghold within the territory of Chan Country, whose output and economy accounted for 30% of Chan Country¡¯s national economic output, a critical concern for the Chan Country Government. And if the Chan Country Government reopened this lifeline through Jiwei City, it could supply those fifty thousand soldiers with logistics and ammunition, and might even push forward into East Qin State. ¡°Which area is the most fiercely contested right now?¡± Su Jie turned around and looked at the map of Jiwei City hanging on the wall. The map was annotated in different colors representing the areas occupied by the two sides, with blue representing the Jieke Group occupying three-quarters of the city and red representing the Chan Country Government Army¡¯s quarter. Valenkin did not dare to delay, quickly saying, ¡°The fiercest and most brutal fights are in several areas including Lianxin Hospital and its nearby blocks, Lingyuan Building, Luyuan Street... These areas all have great strategic significance, and we are currently caught up in repeated tug-of-wars over these places with the Chan Country Government, with many areas changing hands several times.¡± Su Jie stroked his chin thoughtfully and nodded, saying, ¡°Then things should be easy, let¡¯s pull our soldiers out of these areas and stop competing with the Chan Country Soldiers for them.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hearing this command, Valenkin¡¯s mouth dropped open, unable to close for a long time. Thinking Su Jie had not understood his earlier meaning, Valenkin anxiously, his face turning red, said, ¡°Mr. Su, these places are critical vulnerabilities, among them Lingyuan Building is the tallest in Jiwei City with a high-end CBD area around it full of high-rise buildings. If taken by Chan Country, they would be able to monitor our troop movements from a higher vantage point. And Luyuan Street is a critical junction separating our third and fourth regiments; if Chan Country Soldiers take it, the connection between these two regiments would be severed, and then there¡¯s Lianxin Hospital...¡± ¡°I understand what you are saying, we are not truly giving up these territories, but there is no need to sacrifice the lives of our soldiers; we have a better method of taking them.¡± Su Jie said with a smile, looking at the personnel he had brought with him. Following Su Jie¡¯s gaze, Valenkin also saw these people accompanying Su Jie. One woman wearing sunglasses, with pale skin and an inexplicable chill emanating from her, was too intimidating to stare at for long. Behind this woman, stood figures draped in large black robes, nearly obscuring their entire bodies. These mysterious figures also had an indescribable aura about them. Upon seeing them, Valenkin felt his heartbeat slow down and goosebumps rise on his skin. ¡°Could these be First-class Super Soldiers? If we use First-class Super Soldiers to take these positions, even if they succeed against heavy firepower, the casualties would be significant.¡± Valenkin thought of the existence of the First-class Super Soldiers, having only heard of this unit¡¯s reputation. This unit, belonging to Su Jie¡¯s Steel Camp, was very secretive, and Valenkin had not seen them in person. But even as First-class Super Soldiers, Valenkin knew they were few in number, an absolute trump card of the Jieke Group. Such sharpshooters should be used for special missions, squandering them on large-scale frontal battlefields would be a great waste. If the Chan Country Government knew First-class Super Soldiers were attacking, they would definitely do everything possible to bombard them indiscriminately along with their own soldiers. With a light chuckle, Su Jie spoke up to clarify, ¡°They are not First-class Super Soldiers, but another special unit. In terms of combat power, they are even stronger than the First-class Super Soldiers. They can take the positions you all have been fiercely contesting.¡± Valenkin was stunned again, a unit even more formidable than Super Soldiers. The outside world had been saying that Jieke Group was conducting bio-chemical research, which he had somewhat doubted before, but hearing Su Jie say this, he began to suspect it was true. First-class Super Soldiers already seemed freakishly superhuman; how terrifying then must be a unit even stronger than them? Valenkin felt his heart rate increase and his scalp tingle at the thought. ¡°The commander of this unit, you can call her Miss Han, but don¡¯t bother her unless it¡¯s necessary; she doesn¡¯t have the best temper. Just know that as long as she¡¯s in charge of the territory, you can be absolutely reassured.¡± Su Jie pointed to the Ghost Bride beside him, Valenkin¡¯s eyes followed, and he locked eyes with her. Even behind sunglasses, Valenkin was so frightened that he instinctively stepped backwards. He felt as if he saw a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood in her presence. ¡°Alright, alright, I understand.¡± Valenkin nervously swallowed his spit, having no choice but to trust in Su Jie¡¯s promise, hoping that this unit was as powerful as Su Jie claimed. Su Jie stroked Han Ruyan¡¯s jet-black hair and said, ¡°Tonight, I leave it to you.¡± Han Ruyan did not speak, only looking outwards, waiting for the sky to darken. Night was the best disguise and provided the perfect hunting time for Fierce Ghosts. Behind her, sensing the numerous fresh blood and corpses in the city, the group of Fierce Ghosts had started to grow restless, craving to go out and slaughter. Chapter 333 - 323: 228: Airport Blitz (Second Update) Chapter 323: Chapter 228: Airport Blitz (Second Update) ¡°Bastards, you cruel bastards, my great Empire of Japan will never admit defeat.¡± An officer cursed angrily, actually drawing his samurai sword and chopping it down on Miao Lun¡¯s forehead. Clang! The commander¡¯s sword left a white mark on the battle armor but instead broke a notch in itself. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re a Superman? Idiot.¡± Miao Lun indifferently grabbed the samurai sword, his opponent¡¯s face turned red with strain, but still he couldn¡¯t pull it out. ... ¡°Is this little guy suffering from ¡®chuunibyou¡¯? What¡¯s he thinking, trying to chop with a sword.¡± ¡°Boss, maybe he thinks he¡¯s a swordsman from One Piece, able to cut through metal with one strike.¡± ¡°Can you all stop making me laugh? We¡¯re in the middle of a battle.¡± The Super Soldiers laughed uproariously, the scene was just too ridiculous. In this day and age, still playing with cold weapons, against battle armor that a rifle couldn¡¯t penetrate¡ªthinking a samurai sword could cut through it was a joke. A group of Japanese officers were filled with despair. Their only weapons for self-defense were the pistols and ceremonial swords for show, how could they resist these steel soldiers who were like wolves and tigers? The major general¡¯s hand trembled as he pointed at Miao Lun and the others, his voice quivering, ¡°You initiate war on your own, offend Japan, offend the entire Western world. Now you may be smug, but once the Empire reacts, you will soon face our retaliation. Then we¡¯ll see who can still smile.¡± ¡°Lun Valley, what¡¯s this old guy babbling about, translate it for me, will you? Your Japanese is good.¡± Miao Lun stared at the man as one of the Super Soldiers behind him translated. After hearing the translation, Miao Lun sneered, ¡°Heh, whether or not we¡¯ll face retaliation is another matter, but for now, you better behave.¡± With that, Miao Lun threw a powerful punch into the major general¡¯s abdomen. The immense force on the spot made him vomit up his overnight meal and curl up on the ground. Grabbing his neck and lifting him like a dead dog, Miao Lun grabbed the major general, disarmed him of his sidearm, and led him straight out of the command center. The other Super Soldiers followed suit, though not as ¡®gently¡¯ as Miao Lun; some dragged Japanese officers by the leg across the ground, others slapped them so hard that teeth flew out. These officers were utterly powerless to resist the violence of the Super Soldiers, and one by one they were dealt with in extremely wretched ways. Outside the military camp, there were no organized Japanese soldiers left resisting. Those remaining were either fleeing or too scared to come out from behind buildings and cover. Even as Miao Lun captured their regiment leader, these Self Defense Force soldiers had no intention of attempting a rescue. Upon seeing this, the captured Japanese major general¡¯s eyes filled with anguish as he cursed, ¡°Those wasters in the air force, why is there no support yet, ah ah ah, clumsy idiots, even if they¡¯re slow, they should have arrived by now.¡± This was the most incomprehensible thing to him: he had already reported the attack. The main command must have dispatched fighters by now, and given the speed of aircraft, they should have arrived long ago. If the fighters could reach Wuhe Military Camp, those helicopters would have been shot down one by one; there¡¯s no way they would have been able to rampage until now. Without the helicopters, the remaining Super Soldiers would have nowhere to retreat and would be eliminated one by one. The major general had thought out a perfect response, but the reality was vastly different from what he had imagined. Even now, he hadn¡¯t seen a single fighter jet appear, and his patience finally broke into curses. Miao Lun, not understanding what the other was saying but seeing his expression, thought he was being insulted and threw another punch, immediately quieting the man down. ¡°All units, begin an orderly retreat from the battlefield, our mission is over.¡± After issuing the retreat signal, the Mi-8 helicopters in the sky began to descend, and the blood-stained steel soldiers rapidly climbed aboard the cabin. Miao Lun, carrying the Japanese major general in one hand and holding onto the cabin door with the other, felt the wind whipping up debris on the ground. As the helicopter slowly ascended, Miao Lun gazed at the entire Wuhe Military Camp. The once orderly camp was now a scene of devastation, with smoke and flames rising everywhere, soldiers¡¯ cries heard across the fields, and bodies in pieces strewn about. He also saw some dazed Japanese soldiers, some still alive but with their skulls blown open, standing in place, lifeless. Some soldiers dragged their shattered legs, crawling hundreds of meters on the ground, leaving behind blood trails that were a sight to behold. Some held their spilled guts in their hands, calling out for doctors and medics, running back and forth in search of someone to save them. Some Japanese soldiers were missing jaws, faces, or arms, sheared off by flying shrapnel. Miao Lun even saw a soldier shot in the arm, biting down on his artery to avoid bleeding to death.... The stench of blood permeated the battlefield, the camp like a giant meat grinder consuming the lives of the Japanese soldiers one by one. The air assault by the ground attack group was undoubtedly a success, their surprise attack had all but crippled the 13th Brigade of the Japan Self Defense Force, forcing the enemies, who had been so arrogant before the battle, to pay a heavy price. In contrast, Jieke Group had lost four helicopters in the attack, with six first-class Super Soldiers killed and five injured. Compared to crippling a brigade of 3,600 personnel, such a result was exceedingly disproportionate. Miao Lun had long known the cruelty of war and showed little emotion on his face. He merely checked the time and told the helicopter pilot to speed up. As the helicopter fleet retreated into the distance, Miao Lun, sitting near the helicopter door, suddenly squinted as a blinding light burst out, and a mushroom cloud reaching six or seven hundred meters skyward arose. ¡°` The strategic depot had detonated, setting off a chain of explosions from the countless pieces of military ammunition stored inside. The powerful blast wave carried a wild wind, and even from a great distance, one could feel its terrifying power. Many people began to record this heart-stopping scene. ¡°With this battle, we crush these most arrogant Japanese soldiers and let them understand that they are nothing special. My Jieke Group can completely eradicate them,¡± Miao Lun removed his mask, pointing at the giant mushroom cloud with one hand, and gripping a Japanese Major General with the other. Under his wind-blown hair was a face of steely resolve, his eyes bright as torches. Click! Click! Click! The accompanying military photographers pressed their shutters, capturing this iconic moment, planning to distribute it to the major media outlets after the war, so the world could witness Japan¡¯s misery. Amid the cheers and laughter of the super soldiers, the entire air assault team flew at ultra-low altitudes, skimming the ground to avoid radar detection, carrying a group of victorious ace pilots back home. ......... When the battle at Wuhe Military Camp concluded, there were, in fact, simultaneous battles erupting in other parts of Chan Country, some even predating the fight at Wuhe Military Camp. Xavier Airport, the sole military airport within Ji State¡¯s territory, was also a newly constructed field airport. As a forward airport, it was the storage site for Chan Country¡¯s front-line warplanes. Chan Country¡¯s airplanes were relatively outdated, but in Southeast Asia, if it could fly, drop bombs, and fire missiles, it was considered an upscale aircraft. Now Chan Country had received quite a few outdated model warplanes as aid from the Eight Nation Group, but to the Chan Country Government, they were still treasured assets. In response to the threat from Jieke Group, one-fourth of Chan Country Government¡¯s operational aircraft were parked here, representing one of the government army¡¯s few valuable assets. At dawn, when the sky was just lighting up, the airport was already engulfed in a sea of flames. Another team of helicopters flying at low altitude arrived, and the Chan Country soldiers, loosely trained at the airport, were thrown into disarray by the sudden helicopter attack. The armed helicopters¡¯ rocket pods trembled frantically as a barrage of aerial rockets, anti-tank missiles, and large-caliber machine guns plowed through the airport. The planes parked on the tarmac and in hangars were doomed. Several Sky Dome eagles were blasted on the ground before they could even take off, twisted and decomposed into piles of scrap. There were more than twenty aircraft at the airport, a mix of fighters, attackers, and some armed helicopters. But no matter how powerful these warplanes were once airborne, dominating and ravaging ground forces, they were sitting ducks on the ground, vulnerable to any rocket that could tear them apart. With the incessant roars of explosions inside the airport, most of the Chan Country warplanes were destroyed directly inside the hangars. On the other side, a few struggling fighters attempted to glide and take off from the runway. But the landing super soldiers did not show them any mercy. Large-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns tore through the alloy outer shells of the fighters, damaging the delicate internal components and electronic equipment. The pilots¡¯ cockpit glass was penetrated; they were killed instantly in their seats, condemning these tens of tons of warplanes to immediate scrap. More super soldiers charged towards the flight crew barracks, wielding various heavy weapons, and commenced a massacre. These pilots included not only those trained by the Chan Country Government Army but also a portion of pilots who were mercenary hires aided by the Eight Nation Group. Since the Chan Country Government did not have enough pilot talents, supporting only the warplanes would be futile¡ªthe government couldn¡¯t operate them¡ªhence, pilots were part of the bundled support that came with the planes. ... ¡°Evelyn, no.¡± Pal, a pilot from Beautiful Country, had bloodshot eyes as he watched a female pilot who had come with him get her upper body shredded by a steel soldier wielding a machine gun. His secretly adored goddess vanished in an instant. Anger led him to lose his sanity, and he picked up a rifle, ready to fight to the death. However, as he stepped out of the barracks and saw the dead bodies everywhere, with pilots, ground service personnel, and maintenance technicians brutally slaughtered, his courage and blood heated by anger were immediately doused with a bucket of ice water. Fearfully swallowing, Pal started to regret and wanted to retreat into the barracks. Unfortunately, the super soldier¡¯s bullet reached him first. As Pal felt a dizzy spell, seeing a familiar headless corpse, he realized in shock that it was his own body. In the next moment, endless darkness swallowed his consciousness. ¡°Kill all these pilots, they are all high-value targets,¡± the commander shouted loudly. ¡°The more we kill, the less our airspace will suffer from intrusion.¡± One by one, the super soldiers kicked open the doors and charged into every hidden place, massacring any concealed pilots and ground technicians, the scent of blood heavy in the air. It costs a lot to train a pilot, but to kill them, only a single bullet is needed. Following the near complete obliteration of the pilots at the airport, the super soldiers swiftly returned to the helicopters and departed. Before this air assault team left, they also attacked the airport¡¯s runway, blasting it full of craters, rendering it unusable for takeoffs and landings for some time. ¡°` Chapter 335 - 325: 230: Destroying Air Supremacy (First Update) Chapter 325: Chapter 230: Destroying Air Supremacy (First Update) ¡°` ¡°Xiao Qian, nicely done.¡± Su Jie patted the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, looking at the super huge crater in the cement runway caused by the explosion that turned several awaiting jets, F-16s, F-35s among them, into a pile of scrap metal. But just one missile was not enough to completely resolve the issue, as a military airport has far more than just one runway. Besides the regular concrete runways, there were also dirt and grass airstrips. Since runways are an important target for enemy air strikes and time-consuming to repair once damaged, ... the airport was constructed with additional dirt airstrips to ensure that airplanes could continue taking off. Even if a dirt airstrip was hit by enemy fire, it could be easily repaired and adapted to wartime requirements. The Thousand-Handed Centipede, chirping joyfully, cooperated with Su Jie in continuing the assault, firing over a dozen colossal shells in succession, obliterating several concrete and dirt runways. By then, the airport had plunged into complete chaos, with the colossal shells possessing extremely terrifying destructive power. Where they fell, it was almost impossible for anyone within a radius of one hundred and fifty meters to survive. Not only did these artillery rounds destroy the runways, but they also pockmarked the refueling apron, parking apron, taxiways, calibration ranges, and pilot barracks, completely blocking any possibility of emergency takeoffs or landings for the fighter jets. Being unable to take off didn¡¯t mean the threat was eliminated; Su Jie¡¯s attack had already alarmed the entire military of Chan Country. Fighter jets from other military airfields were urgently taking off, or transferring via civilian airports, to rush to the aid of Chan Country¡¯s largest military airport. Su Jie looked up and saw, in the distance, several missiles screaming through the sky towards him. These missiles were fired from the west, likely launched from sea-based warship platforms. ¡°Xiao Qian, let¡¯s move, let¡¯s find another spot to fire from.¡± Su Jie took the Thousand-Handed Centipede back underground and packed up the portable Array Map. Not long after they left, several missiles hit the area, causing everything to fly around like charred earth, breaking trees and leaving a total mess. ¡°The shelling has stopped. We have destroyed the enemy¡¯s attack position.¡± Inside the Putuo Airport control room, the air force commander Wen Cai was overjoyed, his face filled with the relief of having survived a calamity. ¡°Damn it, immediately dispatch ground forces. Use helicopters to search the area; we might capture some survivors and bring them in for questioning,¡± yelled Jing Shangyan, the commander of Japan¡¯s Aviation Mixed Group. During the recent barrage of attacks, more than a dozen Japanese fighters were destroyed, with many elite pilots and ground crew killed or injured. This significant loss made him crack under pressure; he wanted to capture the culprits responsible for this disaster as soon as possible. ¡°We¡¯ve already sent people there. Thankfully, our missiles were powerful and prevented them from reaching the airplanes sheltered in the hangar bunkers; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to explain to the President.¡± Wen Cai took a deep breath; though the airport had lost over thirty fighters, many more were preserved, and the destroyed airfield could be quickly repaired to maintain a formidable fighting force. ¡°I¡¯ve just received news that it¡¯s Jieke Group that¡¯s attacking us. At Wu River Base and Xavier Airport, Jieke Group has launched surprise attacks on us. The attackers here at the airport must also be from the Jieke Group, aiming to prevent us from flying in reinforcements to those two battlefields,¡± Wen Lai reported with the latest intelligence from headquarters, finally identifying the attackers. ¡°What? They dare to start a war? They dare attack the military bases of our great Japan; I¡¯ll never forgive those beasts of Jieke Group,¡± Jing Shangyan exploded in rage, still in the dark about the situation at Wu River Base; it would be a difficult situation to explain domestically if the losses were too heavy. ¡°First, let¡¯s repair part of the dirt airstrip to allow for emergency takeoffs and landings. Mobilize the planes from the bunkers ¨C we need to support [the other battles],¡± decided Wen Lai. It was risky to take off from a dirt runway, but given the grim circumstances, there was no time for caution; air support was needed for the other battlefields. What Wen Lai felt most grateful for now was that the enemy had been eliminated quickly; otherwise, if they had damaged those hangar bunkers, things would have been truly disastrous. However, almost as soon as Wen Lai had finished speaking, the familiar sound of a train horn once again pierced the night sky. Wen Lai and Jing Shangyan¡¯s faces changed dramatically as they saw a dark shadow streak across the sky, landing near the airport¡¯s control tower. ¡°The enemy is still alive?¡± ¡°Where did this shelling come from?¡± Jing Shangyan and Wen Cai were shocked to see the shell fall, destroying the control tower, and they were utterly dumbfounded. ... A few kilometers away, Su Jie emerged again with the Thousand-Handed Centipede, set up the camouflage Array Map, and positioned the Xiao Qian Train Gun to stand upright. ¡°This spot is pretty good for shelling,¡± remarked Su Jie as he dusted himself off. He had not left so easily after all; the previous assault had only targeted the planes parked in the open. This was not a wartime makeshift airfield; Putuo Airport, as a permanently established airport, naturally took into account the possibility of missile strikes and air raids. The majority of the fighter jets were stored in various cunning hangar bunkers, with only a few outside. Su Jie needed to destroy the formidable air superiority of Chan Country and Japan to aid the upcoming ground operations. It wouldn¡¯t do just to bomb a few exposed planes. ¡°Xiao Qian, this time switch to armor-piercing bullets. We¡¯re striking at the enemy¡¯s core,¡± ordered Su Jie. Su Jie took out an armor-piercing bullet, replacing the previously used high explosive bomb, and loaded it into the fleshy cannon. Once ready, the massive shell whizzed out, dropping into the cut-and-cover aircraft cave a couple of kilometers from the runway. ¡°` Chapter 336 - 326: 230: Destroying Air Supremacy (First Update)_2 Chapter 326: Chapter 230: Destroying Air Supremacy (First Update)_2 Although the cave entrance was well concealed, it could not fool the scrutiny of reconnaissance insects. The rapidly descending giant armor-piercing shell head, made of ultra-high-hardness alloys, struck the aircraft cave with high precision, where there was a door protruding outwards, weighing dozens of tons. This door could withstand the impact of ordinary missiles, but it was no match for the giant armor-piercing shell. Upon contact with the steel door, the shell head turned the point of impact into molten steel, brutally penetrating through. Inside was a hangar housing twenty warplanes, with some work and rest rooms on both sides. Within the cave entrance, there was a tow path connected to the runway, paved smoothly and straight, where the internal warplanes were in the midst of emergency dispatch, fueling and arming, preparing for takeoff, capable of launching swiftly into combat once they glided out the entrance. ... But just then, the logistics personnel and pilots stationed there heard a thunderous explosion overhead, while the lights shook violently. The next moment, a gigantic shell plummeted in, rolling and crushing countless bodies and warplanes along its path. The soldiers inside the hangar stared blankly, their bodies trembling, witnessing the red-glowing shell, filled with panic and desperately trying to escape. But barely seven or eight seconds later, the delayed fuse of the armor-piercing bullet was triggered, and the entire shell exploded with a roar, engulfing all the soldiers and warplanes inside in flames that burst forth from the entrance. No sooner had the hangar been destroyed than a second armor-piercing shell fell at high speed, burying itself into the front half of a runway. Below this concrete runway was a large underground tunnel, hidden like a subway. It had lifts specifically for airplanes to ascend and descend between underground and above ground, operating on a principle similar to that of an aircraft carrier which moves its planes from the hangar to the deck using an elevator. But in their concealed defense, they never considered how to defend against insect reconnaissance. Nor did they imagine that someone would attack with giant armor-piercing shells. As the shell smashed in, the soldiers at the airport could only clutch their heads and weep in despair, watching helplessly as the ground was blown away, with warplanes stored underground destroyed utterly. Then several more armor-piercing shells fell, destroying one protective hangar after another, blowing up all the warplanes parked inside. But this was not the end. Su Jie, with the thousand-hand centipede, moved their position again, reemerging a kilometer away. This time, Su Jie¡¯s target shifted again. This time, Su Jie aimed at the fuel storage in the airport. Modern jet aircraft consume a lot of fuel¡ªa single warplane could easily be fueled with two to three tons¡ªso the capacity of the airport¡¯s fuel depot was substantial. This Putuo Airport was Chan Country¡¯s largest military airport, with the fuel storage inside holding over ten thousand tons of fuel. Apart from a small amount of fuel at the ground refueling apron, most of the airport¡¯s fuel was stored in a depot inside the mountain caves. The depot was divided into large fuel tanks with fire doors at intervals to contain any fire outbreak. In case of a fire, these doors could seal off to prevent the spread to other tanks. Su Jie fired several shells in succession, completely detonating the oil depot housing tens of thousands of tons, just as with the previous assault on the aircraft hangar, where continuous bombardment overwhelmed any fire protective measures. Eventually, the oil depot exploded, with flames and rolling smoke blanketing the sky above the airport. Many soldiers were burnt to death outright, the airport resembled a disaster scene with lava flowing everywhere post-volcanic eruption, many engulfed and ignited by the fierce flames. The high temperatures scorched everything nearby, while the fire, like a fierce devil, devoured life after life. Su Jie then struck the oxygen plant, the air conditioning units, and charging stations among other critical facilities, and finally, Su Jie aimed at the ammunition depot within the airport. ¡°The final blow, we¡¯ll pack up after this,¡± Guessing that fighter jets from other locations were on their way to provide support, Su Jie decided to make it quick. Into the barrel of the Eternal Spear, they stuffed a specially designed ultra-heavy armor-piercing shell weighing over ten tons, the biggest shell of all. As the shell entered the barrel, the Spirit Stones embedded on its surface flickered, continuously providing energy. Meanwhile, Su Jie released the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder to its maximum, granting the shells greater initial velocity as they left the barrel. Boom! In the enormous rumbling of thunder, the Thousand-Handed Centipede was pushed back several steps by the recoil. The heavy, high-speed armor-piercing bullets frictions with the air, emitting a terrifying, piercing scream that sounded like an Eternal Spear thrown by a god, piercing through everything. In less than a minute, the giant armor-piercing bullet burrowed into the underground ammunition depot located thirty meters beneath Putuo Airport, protected by five meters of thick concrete and one meter of armored steel plate. To maintain the high sortie rate of the large aircraft fleet, a massive amount of ammunition was stored here, necessitating such strong defenses that even heavy bunker-busting ordnance might not penetrate it. But the giant armor-piercing bullet did just that. Propelled by tremendous thrust, it entered the earth at a perfect angle, drilled through dozens of meters of soil, as well as the thick concrete and steel armor, dissolving Putuo Airport¡¯s strongest fortress defenses, successfully striking its target and bringing death and destruction to the entire Putuo Airport. ¡°Boom!!!¡± The explosion of the ammunition depot was shockingly beautiful; the ground heaved upwards rapidly, with hot waves surging from below. Accompanied by the earth-shattering blast, rolling smoke rose like a massive sandstorm, and crimson flames bloomed seductively, resembling gorgeous and vibrant flowers from the other side, vying for brilliance. The explosive light, carrying massive waves of air, spread rapidly in all directions, the scorching airflow picking up dust and debris. The air raid siren wailed miserably, as the relentless sounds of explosions filled the ears, and buildings collapsed in succession, with shattered steel and concrete falling like meteor showers, mercilessly pounding on the fleeing soldiers. Screams and cries echoed across the entire airport, as fear surged over the hearts of each soldier like a tidal wave. The entire airport, with the ammunition depot at its center, saw all buildings within a kilometer radius collapse, and the soldiers nearby were blown apart, with not a single intact body part to be found. The power of countless tons of ammunition exploding simultaneously was chilling, and even residents dozens of kilometers away could see the massive explosion and its bright flames, hastily capturing it on their mobile phones. ¡°Tsk, tsk, caliber is justice. That shot was so satisfying. Let¡¯s go, Xiao Qian.¡± Watching the spectacular scene of the ammunition depot¡¯s detonation, Su Jie nodded in satisfaction. Before the enemy¡¯s warplanes arrived, he and the Thousand-Handed Centipede burrowed back underground, quietly leaving the area. Although Su Jie had left, the nightmare he brought did not disappear. As more and more support and rescue forces arrived at Putuo Airport, they were stunned by the horrific scene before them. The airport now resembled Hell, with twisted parts of destroyed fighter jets everywhere. Large swathes of buildings lay in ruins, with terrifying bomb craters scattered throughout the airport ground, and burning fires and billowing smoke everywhere. The soldiers and crew stationed at the airport suffered unimaginable casualties, with cries of agony and the groans of those severely wounded and maimed echoing everywhere. ¡°It¡¯s over; we¡¯re finished.¡± Wen Cai knelt on the ground, painfully witnessing the devastation of Putuo Airport. This airport had gathered the majority of Chan Country¡¯s fighter jets, and now nearly a hundred of them were destroyed. It could be said that after this battle, Chan Country¡¯s air combat capabilities were almost completely decimated, setting them back to the pre-liberation era overnight. ¡°We must seek revenge. I will report to His Majesty the Emperor; we must have our revenge.¡± Jing Shangyan¡¯s face was ashen, his eyes somewhat dazed and unfocused as he stared at it all. The Aviation Mixed Group from Japan station here, with its 204th and 304th squadrons, including 40 F-15 fighter jets, two E-2C early warning aircraft, and four F-35 fighter jets, was left with nothing. Along with the deaths and heavy injuries of many pilots and ground staff, the loss amounted to six or seven billion US Dollars, driving him to the brink of agony, his hatred for the Jieke Group peaking at that moment. Chapter 339: 238: Results of the Battle (First Update) Chapter 339: Chapter 238: Results of the Battle (First Update) Jiwei City, Lingyuan Building. When Valenkin received the message and came over with his subordinates to take over, what he saw was a scene akin to purgatory. In this area of the building complex, there were destroyed and twisted helicopters and armored vehicles everywhere. Some tanks had overturned, some had exploded with their hatches open, and rolling flames were still not extinguished. In front of the open square of Lingyuan Building, the bodies of over a thousand Japanese Soldiers were piled up, forming a small mountain of corpses. The fire spread over the mountain of bodies, gradually burning these corpses to ash. ... At some places the fire had not yet reached, Valenkin saw with his own eyes that some bodies had limbs broken, some heads had flown off, and some were completely chopped up, with not a single intact body part to be found; the pungent stench of blood was nauseating. It could be seen that the faces of many Japanese Soldiers as they died were filled with bulging eyes and terror, and it was unknown what they had seen before their deaths. ¡°Mr. Su, the entire First Airborne Regiment of the Japan Army... all dead?¡± Valenkin felt his voice trembling slightly as he spoke because such a military achievement was too astonishing. He had not been without attempts to dispatch forces to retake Lingyuan Building, but after trying twice he had been repelled. This paratrooper unit was indeed elite. Su Jie stood shoulder to shoulder with Han Ruyan at this moment and smiled upon hearing this, ¡°Your eyes do not deceive you. I¡¯ve said before that the night operations were to be left to Miss Han. She would be responsible for dealing with the enemy forces.¡± Swallowing hard, Valenkin was inwardly shocked. ¡°Miss Han, I hope we can cooperate more in the future.¡± Valenkin glanced at Han Ruyan, who still had the same icy demeanor, but thinking of her mysterious unit that had easily eliminated more than a thousand Japanese paratroopers, he felt a genuine awe for such combat power. Although she was secretive, for the heavy combined brigade stationed here, it was undoubtedly great news. ¡°Alright, take your men to handle those equipment and ammunition; there is still a lot of usable equipment, don¡¯t waste it.¡± Su Jie dismissed Valenkin and said to Han Ruyan, ¡°How about it? Isn¡¯t this battlefield quite suitable for you?¡± Han Ruyan nodded slightly, ¡°Killing provides more Fear Energy than scaring people. I hope it can continue like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only during wars that there are so many opportunities, not on ordinary days.¡± Su Jie reached out and held Han Ruyan¡¯s hand. Because he was bound to Han Ruyan through the Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique, Su Jie could sense her condition. At this time, Han Ruyan, having absorbed a large amount of Fear Energy, was like a kettle about to be filled to the brim, on the verge of completing her promotion to a Sixth-grade Fierce Ghost. Han Ruyan withdrew her hand and said indifferently, ¡°It will take some more time.¡± A smile appeared on Su Jie¡¯s face, ¡°I¡¯m about to break through as well. Let¡¯s see who advances first.¡± ............ Yang City Command Center, the highest officer of the Chan Country Sakura Army, Major General Yoshimura Yuichi, was trembling as he held the telegram. Looking at the report about the First Airborne Regiment going missing, his eyes were bloodshot as if he were about to devour someone. ¡°What do you mean ¡®missing¡¯? More than fifteen hundred members of the First Airborne Regiment, so many soldiers, and it¡¯s not just one or two. You¡¯re trying to fob me off with ¡®missing¡¯?¡± Slamming the report onto the table, Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s voice almost seethed through clenched teeth, scarily cold. Now, the only Japan Army troops left in Chan Country were the First Airborne Regiment, and then they mysteriously went ¡®missing¡¯. How could he accept this? They were not ordinary troops but elite paratroopers, whose combat strength was top-notch even in Japan. Facing Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s anger, the staff officers and intelligence personnel exchanged looks, their faces filled with bitter smiles. ¡°General Yoshimura, this incident might be inseparable from Chan Country¡¯s involvement. Our Airborne Regiment went to help them capture the city, but they didn¡¯t fulfill their responsibility, leading to the disappearance of our First Airborne Regiment.¡± Someone quickly had the idea to first shift the blame to the Chan Country Government. ¡°Yes, yes! If it weren¡¯t for the incorrect command of the Chan Country Government, how could our First Airborne Regiment face mishap?¡± ¡°We should never have sent our troops to Jiwei City. Those Chan Country Government definitely used the Airborne Regiment as cannon fodder. They handed over the most dangerous Lingyuan Building to our Airborne Regiment to defend, leading to this failure.¡± ¡°We demand an explanation from the Chan Country Government; our soldiers can¡¯t just disappear without a trace.¡± The other staff officers in the command room lit up and began to echo the sentiment. After a defeat in the last battle, many at the command had been demoted and dismissed. If this time the disappearance of the First Airborne Regiment was blamed on them, who knew how many would be held accountable? Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s expression softened slightly, but he was still furious, ¡°How is the investigation into the First Airborne Regiment going, how could they suddenly go missing without any message getting out?¡± ¡°General, according to our investigation, our First Airborne Regiment is not the only unit that suffered mishap. Last night, a total of four stationed units in Jiwei City mysteriously vanished. Indeed, nearby Chan Country Soldiers heard gunfire, but no communication came out. The soldiers sent to investigate also disappeared. In just one night, as many as two thousand five hundred soldiers went missing. We suspect that Jieke Group used electronic warfare suppression and most likely mobilized Steel Camp to attack. There might be some new technology we are unaware of. Those missing soldiers have likely died heroically, and the areas they belonged to have been recaptured by Jieke Group.¡± ¡°Three thousand men, gone overnight without any news getting out.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi inhaled sharply, the casualty figures were staggering. ¡°Can that Steel Camp really accomplish this? I recall the Chan Country Government has quite a few new armored units, can those First-class Super Soldiers hold up?¡± Yoshimura Yuichi was somewhat skeptical. After all, they¡¯re but flesh and blood; they surely can¡¯t withstand machine gun fire. ¡°We¡¯re still investigating. The movements of the Steel Camp are very secretive, and we haven¡¯t obtained precise information yet.¡± ¡°Figure out what¡¯s going on as soon as possible. If we can¡¯t determine how the enemy managed to do this, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to capture Jiwei City according to the planned schedule.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi ordered, then sighed as he looked at the eager staff officers below him. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the situation back home. The disappearance of the 1st Airborne Regiment this time is not our responsibility, but the result of the Chan Country Government¡¯s irresponsibility.¡± Upon hearing this, many military staff officers breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Additionally, the 9th Division, 7th Division, and Aviation Mixed Group newly dispatched from home, totaling twenty-two thousand soldiers, will arrive in Chan Country in the next ten days. I reckon we won¡¯t be able to take Jiwei City, and Ji State will most likely fall into the hands of the Jieke Group. We cannot accept this outcome, so we must be prepared for the upcoming battle. This Jieke Group is even more troublesome and fearsome than we expected.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi shifted to another concern. As the Chan Country Government Army was blocked from aiding Jiwei City and Ji State faced imminent danger, the Eight Nation Group became anxious. The countries coordinated with each other to assist Japan in transporting soldiers and equipment. Otherwise, transporting a twenty-thousand-strong military force from thousands of kilometers away by sea would not be possible in such a short period of time, given the troubles and preparations involved. ¡°Excellent, with these twenty thousand troops, especially once the fighters reach Chan Country and we regain air superiority, the advantage in this war will return to us,¡± said the officers below, their spirits uplifted. The extreme difficulty of this war so far was 90% due to losing air superiority at the outset. If we had air control, that heavy combined brigade of the Jieke Group, traveling across the plains toward Jiwei City, would have been bombed to ruin first, instead of being like it is now ¨C a nail in our side that has led to the encirclement of fifty thousand Chan Country Soldiers. ¡°With the arrival of twenty thousand elite troops, we will make sure the Jieke Group is wiped out. Gentlemen, may you have the fortunes of war.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi stood up, his expression serious. ¡°Yes, long live the Emperor!¡± the group of staff officers stood up, their faces fervent. ...... The struggle for Jiwei City continued, and since the turn of the new century, this siege has been one of the most brutal urban battles. Countless countries are watching intensely, looking to learn from the experiences and lessons, to refine and specially train their own armies. On the internet, both the Chan Country Government and the Jieke Group upload videos of the ongoing battle daily, drawing the attention of the onlookers. ¡°Is Jieke Group¡¯s electronic warfare systems really that powerful? Not even a drone can get close to Jiwei City.¡± ¡°Have you seen the sniper Tipasang from the Jieke Group, his first-person sniper perspective? His accuracy is unreal! Shot after shot, headshots, I¡¯ve heard his kill count has surpassed two hundred, almost rivaling those legendary snipers from World War II.¡± ¡°The Chan Country Government is bogged down in urban warfare; their indiscriminate bombing of military and civilian targets isn¡¯t achieving much. Large areas of the city are still in Jieke Group¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Look at the news, Japan¡¯s 1st Airborne Regiment has been wiped out, haha, delightful to hear.¡± While everyone discussed enthusiastically, half a month passed in a flash. The Chan Country Government continued to deploy troops to contest Jiwei City, but the effects were negligible at best. Especially during the last half-month¡¯s offensive, nighttime became a nightmare for those Chan Country Soldiers. It was not just the transition from day to night; the enemies they faced shifted from human to the inhuman Fierce Ghosts. At first, the Chan Country Soldiers were bewildered; but gradually, they came to their senses. Although they did not know how the Jieke Group managed to annihilate regimented defense forces without leaking a whisper of news, those Chan Country Soldiers no longer wished to stay in Jiwei City at night. The Chan Country Army indeed made efforts, such as establishing a relief system and sending telegrams every ten minutes, but this still failed to prevent the wholesale disappearance of entire units. When one unit lost contact and the relief forces arrived at the location, they only found a scene strewn with corpses, or even the relief forces themselves would go missing. In the end, even the Chan Country Government could not sustain such losses. Having the stationed forces suffer casualties ranging from a few hundred to over a thousand nightly was unsustainable, no matter how resourceful one might be. Eventually, the Chan Country Government had to relinquish parts of Jiwei City they had occupied, and these areas were retaken by the Jieke Group. The offensive became increasingly feeble. In face of the tremendous losses, the morale of the entire encircling Chan Country Army around Jiwei City crumbled, and they could no longer pose a credible threat. When the Chan Country Government abandoned the attempt to capture Jiwei City, the fifty thousand elite Chan Country Soldiers besieged in Jinlao Mountain met their doom. Chapter 340: 239: Swallowing Ji State (Second Update) Chapter 340: Chapter 239: Swallowing Ji State (Second Update) Jibang Jinlao Mountain. Fifty thousand Chan Country soldiers found themselves in a desperate situation with no ammunition and no food. Those who could be sent to the front line to confront the Jieke Group were the most capable veteran units of the Chan Country Government. But even the most capable units, faced with a lack of food, water, and exhausted ammunition, would inevitably head towards defeat, whether they were a modern army or an ancient one. Within the trenches of Jinlao Mountain, a short figure rolled in, clutching two struggling field mice in his left hand, his dark face brimming with a smile. ... ¡°Old Pu, Tangerine, Ah Feng, everyone come over quickly, look what good stuff I¡¯ve caught.¡± Duwa excitedly held up the field mice, but the joy on his face didn¡¯t last for more than a few seconds. Upon seeing the sorrowful mood of his comrades in the bunker, he seemed to understand something. ¡°Squad leader, the squad leader...¡± Duwa¡¯s hands trembled slightly as he saw a sealed body bag added to a corner of the bunker. Five days before, the squad leader who had always taken care of him had gone to make trouble at the logistics officer¡¯s place to get food and was injured when being dispersed by the discipline enforcement team. The wound got infected, and lacking food and clean drinking water, he kept having a high fever. ¡°He didn¡¯t make it.¡± A comrade¡¯s voice was low. With the ongoing siege and continuous bombardment by the Jieke Group, soldiers often either got blown up by shells or died due to the lack of water, food, and medicine on Jinlao Mountain where the Chan Country army was stationed. Those who were blasted to death were the minority. Hidden in the bunkers, unless hit directly by large-caliber howitzer shells, they wouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about. More soldiers died of various diseases. In such a tropical rainforest environment as Chan Country, October was the time of scorching weather, and high temperature with frequent rainfall was the norm. The constant high temperatures baked the soldiers hiding in the bunkers and trenches, making them like a group of moles trapped in a sweltering steam box. Both their physical strength and will were enduring torture, with people suffering from heatstroke at every moment. And sometimes after the high temperatures, there would be days of continuous rainy weather, turning the trenches into a muddy mess. This hot and humid environment led to many soldiers developing various skin diseases. The most common was jungle rot of the feet. Lacking medicine, they could only watch helplessly as their feet rotted away bit by bit. Even more soldiers became ill after eating contaminated food and drinking rainwater, leading to various kinds of diarrhea, high fever, and dehydration. Now, the field hospitals were no longer accepting patients, and the sick soldiers had to fend for themselves. If they could hold on, they lived; if not, they died. ¡°Can we still win this war?¡± Duwa sat in despair on the muddy ground, his eyes full of confusion and helplessness. Before the war began, Duwa¡¯s unit, the 5th Infantry Division of the Chan Country Government Army, an elite among elites, had faced off against warlords in the jungle on many occasions, boasting a commendable record. Duwa initially thought this deployment would be like any other, but they ended up trapped on Jinlao Mountain with daily bombardment and torment from hunger and sickness, completely wearing down the morale of these soldiers. ¡°Win? Unless the government manages to break through Jiwei City, otherwise we¡¯d have to stake our lives to win!¡± A nearby soldier muttered as he started a fire to roast the two field mice. Several soldiers sat around swallowing their saliva, their eyes almost glowing green with hunger. Hunger was another problem for the Chan Country Army on Jinlao Mountain. They started with three meals a day, then two, and now, it had come down to one meal every two days, and that food was so bad even dogs wouldn¡¯t eat it. The lower-ranking soldiers, with growling stomachs every day, had no choice but to seek out game to supplement their diet, risking being blown up by Jieke Group¡¯s shells, like Duwa. But the ecosystem of Jinlao Mountain was not sufficient to support the consumption of fifty thousand famished troops. After many days, the ground had been scraped bare, and finding any kind of game, let alone a mouse, was top-notch, and people had now started to gnaw on tree bark and wild grass. The Chan Country Government had also tried air-dropping supplies, but how much food could that deliver? When divided among fifty thousand people, it wasn¡¯t enough for even one meal. Latterly, they had even lost several cargo helicopters to the Jieke Group¡¯s portable air defense missiles, and since then, no more airdrops had been seen. ¡°Hey, starting a fire will cause smoke. Do you want to attract shells and get us all killed?¡± A roar came over, and the group of soldiers roasting field mice turned to see two members of the discipline enforcement team approaching. As there had been numerous cases of disorder and desertion lately, these discipline enforcement teams were intensifying their patrols, showing no leniency to deserters they found. Seeing the two roasted field mice, their eyes immediately lit up, and they hurried over. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re just too hungry. You see, it¡¯s broad daylight and we¡¯re in thick jungle, the smoke isn¡¯t that visible. We¡¯ll put out the fire as soon as we finish roasting.¡± An older soldier stood up, trying to smooth things over. ¡°Hmph, if everyone acted like you, what would be the point of rules?¡± The discipline enforcers stamped out the fire and then picked up the two field mice, saying, ¡°We¡¯re confiscating these as a lesson for you.¡± Although these discipline enforcers ate slightly better than the ordinary soldiers, they too were starved and couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of roasted field mice. A group of soldiers were so angered by the actions of the two discipline enforcers that their faces turned red and then white, unable to utter a word for a long time. But Duwa wasn¡¯t ready to let it go. Thinking of his deceased squad leader, he reached the peak of his anger, his eyes flashing with an uncontrollable rage, his facial muscles twisting ferociously as his hand reached for his rifle. Chapter 341: 239: Swallowing Ji State (Second Update)_2 Chapter 341: Chapter 239: Swallowing Ji State (Second Update)_2 Click! The clear sound of the safety being released rang out, and at the sound, two supervisory soldiers instinctively turned their heads to look back. Then they saw Duwa raising his rifle at them, which left them in utter shock. One of them was quick to react, immediately flipping over to take cover, but the other was too slow. The next second, bullets streamed out, piercing several holes through this supervisory soldier in an instant. Up until the moment of his death, he wore an expression of disbelief, unable to fathom that these ordinary soldiers would dare to kill a member of the supervisory team. ... Duwa, holding his gun, was about to search for the other supervisory soldier who had dashed around the corner and into a trench. But he found his target already lying in a pool of blood, attacked by another squad of soldiers. That group of soldiers kept drawing their bayonets, stabbing the supervisory soldier over and over again in a vengeful frenzy, all the while cursing loudly. ¡°For skimping on our rations, for not caring if we live or die, for your damned arrogance, I¡¯ve had enough today, I¡¯m rebelling. To hell with it, I¡¯ll surrender to the Jieke Group rather than serve you bastards any longer.¡± Only when the screams of the supervisory soldier finally faded did the group of soldiers look up. They turned to Duwa and said, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sick of their shit. Let¡¯s rebel.¡± Duwa clenched his teeth audibly, nodded emphatically, and, through gritted teeth, said, ¡°Let¡¯s rebel against them, we won¡¯t serve the Chan Country Government anymore, we want to live.¡± At this moment, Duwa¡¯s comrades also stood up, shouting angrily, ¡°Enough of this, if we lose our heads, so what? It¡¯ll just leave a scar. I¡¯m sick of eating bark and roots.¡± The commotion attracted a large number of soldiers, who emerged from their trenches and bunkers. Hearing the shouts and roars, they too joined in the fiery uproar. ¡°Rebel against them!¡± ¡°We want food, we want bread.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done with this damn war, I want to eat.¡± The pent-up anger and frustration of being besieged for so many days finally burst forth, and the soldiers rallied behind Duwa en masse. As they advanced, the rebelling group swelled with more soldiers joining along the way, sending ripples of unrest through the entirety of Jinlao Mountain. The fact that the Chan Country Army stationed on Jinlao Mountain had resisted mutiny until now was testament to their strong will. After all, most of their families lived under the jurisdiction of the Chan Country Government, and the soldiers feared that surrendering would bring trouble to their loved ones. But as things escalated, discontent reached a breaking point, much like a torrential flood that couldn¡¯t be contained. And when the mutiny erupted, the supervisory soldiers simply couldn¡¯t suppress it, being beaten and forced into a retreat. As for the high-ranking officers¡¯ guards, facing the backlash of tens of thousands of soldiers was like a pebble in a surging tide¡ªthrown in, it would barely cause a ripple before ultimately being swept away, joining the ranks of the rebels. ... The commander of the Jinlao Mountain operations was Major General Wu Dengkai of Chan Country, who was jolted awake by the noise outside and hastily went to the command center, where he received news of the soldiers¡¯ mutiny. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± Wu Dengkai was dumbstruck, aware that prolonged encirclement could lead to war-weariness and dissatisfaction among the troops. But he had thought at most, the soldiers would surrender to the Jieke Group¡ªnow, the situation seemed wrong; they were coming after the senior officers themselves. ¡°Prepare the helicopter immediately, I need to leave.¡± Shivering with fear, Wu Dengkai didn¡¯t dare to face the rebellious soldiers to try to appease them. Instead, he wanted to flee the scene via helicopter right away. Many officers shared his thoughts; most high-ranking officers were from influential local families in Chan Country, with virtually none having climbed their way up from the bottom. If they made it back to the Chan Country Government territory, most could continue indulging in wealth and luxury, unwilling to surrender to the Jieke Group alongside the ¡°lowly commoners.¡± Wu Dengkai and a group of high-ranking officers ran to the helicopter landing zone in disgrace, many regretting their actions. If they had known, they would have fled sooner, but fearing accountability from the Chan Country Government, they had not wanted to give up their power, resulting in their delay until this day. ¡°They¡¯re running, those pampered officers are trying to run!¡± The counterattacking soldiers witnessed this scene, which only fueled their anger even more. Feeling abandoned and betrayed, the soldiers opened fire directly at the airstrip. Bullets killed many high-ranking officers who could not board the planes in time, and some who managed to get on helicopters were blown out of the slowly ascending aircraft by soldiers with rocket launchers, resulting in extremely heavy casualties on the scene. ¡°No, don¡¯t.¡± Wu Dengkai saw a rocket propelling straight toward him just as he had boarded the helicopter, his eyes wide open like bronze bells, fear making him wet his pants. However, his life, amidst the brilliant explosion of the rocket, dissipated like fireworks regardless. Minutes later, the majority of the high-ranking officers had been slaughtered by the enraged soldiers, leaving the scene in complete disarray. ... Five kilometers away from Jinlao Mountain, Jieke Group soldiers were carrying out routine stationing duties here to prevent any breakout by the Chan Country Army. Suddenly, many of the soldiers heard a flurry of footsteps. The drones also spotted a large number of ragged soldiers approaching on the ground, numbered in the hundreds. ¡°Enemy attack.¡± The Jieke soldiers immediately readied themselves for battle, but, curiously, these soldiers were not carrying any firearms and, instead, were raising their hands high, some even waving white fabric tied to sticks. ¡°What¡¯s going on, this is surrender.¡± The company commander stationed here gradually regained his composure, instructed his soldiers to hold their fire for now, and then relayed the message to the highest-ranking officer in the vicinity. After some time, Liu Yingying arrived at the front line accompanied by a group of high-ranking officers. She had come over today to inspect and was also arranging some logistical supplies for the area; she hadn¡¯t expected to encounter this situation. ¡°Are you looking to surrender?¡± Liu Yingying gazed at these emaciated soldiers covered in mud and dirt, many of whom were staggering as they walked, looking as if they might collapse at any moment. ¡°We wish to surrender, but I speak not just for myself, but for all fifty thousand soldiers at Jinlao Mountain... but there is one precondition to our surrender.¡± Duwa looked at Liu Yingying, his heart somewhat apprehensive, afraid of being rejected. ¡°What condition?¡± Liu Yingying stared intently at Duwa, already noting that he was not some high-ranking officer, lacking any kind of epaulettes or stars on his shoulders, just an ordinary soldier. ¡°Let us eat, let us eat to fullness.¡± Duwa expressed his demand, for only those who have experienced hunger know how blissful it is to have a full stomach. Liu Yingying was taken aback, having thought it would be something more serious. ¡°Just that, I agree to it.¡± Without a second thought, Liu Yingying agreed immediately. A smile appeared on Duwa¡¯s face, and he saluted respectfully, loudly declaring, ¡°On behalf of Chan Country¡¯s 12th Infantry Division, 5th Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Division, 3rd Armored Brigade, and 19th Mechanized Infantry Division, I, Private First Class Duwa, officially surrender to the Jieke Group as of November 10th.¡± ¡°On behalf of the Jieke Group, I accept your surrender. Go and eat.¡± Liu Yingying smiled, knowing what they needed most at this moment, and with a wave of her hand, she instructed that they be taken to eat. An hour later, hundreds of Jieke Group logistics support vehicles rolled grandly up Jinlao Mountain without encountering any resistance along the way; Chan Country Soldiers simply stood by the road, watching the convoy with longing eyes. As the support vehicles stopped and the cargo holds opened up, baskets of steaming buns, congee with meat, sausages, jams, and hot dishes and soups were brought out, and cheers filled the air instantly. Soon after, rifles were discarded in piles on the ground, turning into small mounds, as Chan Country Soldiers surrendered to the Jieke Soldiers in large numbers, then eagerly devoured the food with ravenous hunger. With this, the more than a month-long effort by the Chan Country Government¡¯s most elite fifty thousand soldiers came to an end. They surrendered to the Jieke Group in exchange for some spent artillery shells and a satisfying meal. At the same time, this meant that the last resistance force in Ji State had vanished. Ji State, the wealthy industrial state of Chan Country, officially fell under the control of the Jieke Group. When this news spread, Chan Country was shaken, Southeast Asia was shaken, the whole world was shaken. No one had expected the war to progress so rapidly; in just under a month, the Jieke Group had swept through the entirety of Ji State with a formidable force, killing over ten thousand enemies, capturing fifty thousand, and decisively determining the outcome of the conflict. Chapter 343: 241: Sixth Grade Wedding Dress Ghost (First Update) Chapter 343: Chapter 241: Sixth Grade Wedding Dress Ghost (First Update) Su Jie felt the Ancient Mirror calming down again and tried to use it to help open the Sea of Heaven in Blue Star, but nothing happened. ¡°Forget it, there will always be a chance in the future.¡± Shaking his head, Su Jie knew that the Ancient Mirror had an extraordinary origin. He was already very fortunate to be able to use the Two Realms Shuttle Gate. As for more, that would depend on fate. Putting away the Ancient Mirror, Su Jie stretched out his hand and pressed it on the floor, his Divine Soul Power surging through. The concrete crumbled like a collapsing sandcastle, continuously turning into dust and collapsing downwards. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was now one meter tall, and its strength had greatly increased. In the past, his Primordial Spirit couldn¡¯t achieve this. ... ¡°Let the thunder come.¡± Su Jie looked up, and above the ground at Fumen Breeding Farm, thunder burst forth from clear skies. A massive thunderbolt struck a several meters tall giant bronze statue, instantly causing it to crack all over. The nearby staff who came out to check on the noise were all tongue-tied; such clear sky thunderbolts were rare. In the underground base, Su Jie greatly enjoyed this scene, the power of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder determined by the Divine Soul. As his Primordial Spirit had strengthened, so did the intensity of the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. ¡°In the Yunling Realm, I want to see who dares to clash with me.¡± Su Jie stood up from the ground, feeling the perfect and flawless Spiritual Power inside his body, and a smug smile appeared on his face. In the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm, a Cultivator at this stage is like a bucket filled with water, unable to absorb any more Spiritual Energy. Of course, because Cultivators have different talents and opportunities, even those at the same realm can have varying amounts of internal Spiritual Power. With Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Thunder Body constitution, his Spiritual Power was much more condensed and intense, seven to eight times that of a regular disciple at the same realm. If you include the Cultivation Techniques, Magic Artifacts, talismans, etc., the gap in strength at the same realm would be even wider. ¡°It¡¯s time to start making the breakthrough to the Secret Realm.¡± Su Jie murmured to himself, his Spiritual Power could no longer increase, and disciples at the ten levels of the Yunling Realm were all preparing to advance to the Secret Realm. But as easy as it is to say, it is difficult to achieve. Throughout history, how many disciples were stuck at this stage, unable to take the final step until their death? Advancing to the Secret Realm depends on talent, comprehension, and opportunity. Sometimes, an epiphany can set one on the path of the Secret Realm, but more often, it remains elusive. Those who could break through to the Secret Realm could truly be considered exceptional among men. Su Jie already had a plan in mind for how to break through to the Secret Realm. ¡°Secret Realm, I wonder what kind of power it holds.¡± In Su Jie¡¯s palm, an elixir appeared with red fire patterns and golden flames burning on the surface, carrying an immense aura. This was the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill, a reward given by the Sect Master to Su Jie, Ning Xinyue, and Xiao Fengyuan after they captured Qi Shijian. This elixir could help increase the success rate of advancing to the Secret Realm. Su Jie had treasured it, planning to consume it when he reached the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm. Now that the time had come, coupled with Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Thunder Body and Divine Soul Primordial Spirit, the advancement to the Secret Realm would be difficult for others, but not so much for Su Jie. Considering the environment needed for advancing to the Secret Realm, Blue Star was not very suitable, so Su Jie planned to return to Tianyuan World to make the breakthrough. It was just right that Blue Star needed to consolidate the Jieke Group, assimilate the newly absorbed Ji State, recruit new troops for training, and allow factories to produce various weapons, all of which needed time. The Eight Nation Group was also reallocating forces; everyone knew this was just the calm before the storm, and the next great war would soon arrive. ¡°Once I reach the Secret Realm, I can have my own power and properties in Ghost Ridge Palace. Then I can find some good things to prepare for the next war.¡± Su Jie thought to himself, suddenly sensing a chilling presence drifting over, like the sinister ghostly air exhaled from the Nine Nether Hell, causing one to shiver. Su Jie¡¯s eyebrows twitched, a gleam of joy flashing across his face as he quickly walked to another area covered by a formation. ¡°All things are equal, open.¡± Following Su Jie¡¯s manipulation of the spell, the portable Array Map Array covering this area was activated, and Su Jie stepped inside. Within the Array, a woman dressed in a wedding dress was sitting with her eyes closed. Her face was as pale as snow, her features breathtakingly beautiful but carrying a chilling sensation. It was the fifth-grade wedding dress ghost, Han Ruyan. Around Han Ruyan, just like Su Jie moments ago, numerous beads were arranged. However, instead of Spirit Stones and Blood Marrow Crystals like Su Jie¡¯s arrangement, this place had Primordial Spirit Pearls filled with Fear Energy. As Su Jie had advanced to the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm, Han Ruyan was also making her final breakthrough, advancing from a fifth-grade fierce ghost to a Sixth-grade Fierce Ghost. At this moment, Han Ruyan¡¯s blood-colored wedding dress was more eerie than ever, the blood light spreading out, dyeing every inch of space red. The phoenix crown on her head was exceedingly bright, like a round of bright moonlight, casting gentle rays of light. However, if one looked closely, the pearls on the crown showed pupil after pupil, endlessly layered, luring one into a deep illusion. Sizzle! The Thousand-Handed Centipede crawled out of Su Jie¡¯s sleeve, seeing the transformation of the Ghost Bride and looking back at Su Jie while chirping. It seemed to complain that it had arrived earlier, yet had not yet advanced to the Six Refinements Poisonous Insect, while this woman had already taken a step ahead. ¡°You¡¯re close too; taking over Ji State¡¯s territory will make breeding more insects even more convenient.¡± Su Jie laughed and patted the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, his gaze meeting Han Ruyan¡¯s now open eyes. Boom! The blood-colored wedding dress rustled loudly, undulating unpredictably, like thousands of layers of blood waves piling up, the surging Yin Qi bursting forth like a high tide. Even the array could not block the infiltration of this weird power. Lights in the underground base turned red, as if countless bloodshot eyes had opened, watching the impurities and mortals of this world. The ground had turned into soft, decaying soil, making it feel like one was stepping on rotten flesh. Stalks of hair-like plants grew from it, unconsciously dragging one down into the marsh below, sending shivers down the spine. ¡°Husband, I¡¯ve reached the sixth grade.¡± With a curve of her lips, Han Ruyan actually smiled. Su Jie could feel that his contract with the Ghost Bride was even more solid, as if they were closely interlocked structures. It seemed that Su Jie¡¯s feeding had been very effective. His palm touching Han Ruyan¡¯s hair, the Ghost Bride remained quiet without any objections, even moving slightly closer to make it more comfortable for Su Jie to touch her, half-leaning on him. Su Jie bowed his head and kissed Han Ruyan¡¯s lips. In such intimate contact, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was cleansed, becoming more condensed. This was a characteristic of the Ghost Bride in front of him, the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, which could enhance a part of his Primordial Spirit. After a long while, they parted lips. Han Ruyan looked at Su Jie and slowly confessed, ¡°Husband, you really do like to take advantage, just like before.¡± There seemed to be a hint of playfulness in Han Ruyan¡¯s tone. ¡°Oh, your emotions seem to have recovered a lot, but what do you mean, ¡®just like before¡¯?¡± Su Jie looked at Han Ruyan with some surprise. She had always been cold and seemingly devoid of human emotions. He hadn¡¯t expected that after upgrading to a sixth-grade fierce ghost, it would also bring back her human emotions. Although still quite different from a normal person, the progress was simply too great compared to before. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just feel like you¡¯ve seen my body before. I also remembered my name and some fragments of my life.¡± Han Ruyan tilted her head, then said this. Su Jie¡¯s expression stiffened as he coughed, ¡°Cough cough, you might be mistaken. Your husband is a gentleman.¡± Inwardly, Su Jie was secretly shocked. After the Ghost Bride¡¯s upgrade, her memories from her life were also gradually resurfacing. He had never seen a fierce ghost with memories from their life before; at most, they would have habits from when they were alive. This was the first time Su Jie had encountered someone like Han Ruyan. ¡°Perhaps this is the special nature of the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, worthy of a Ghost King who can command the Three Realms and oversee all spirits.¡± Thinking of the Ghost Bride¡¯s background and origins, Su Jie was no longer surprised; Han Ruyan herself was an extraordinary being. Su Jie pondered inwardly, asking about more important matters, pointing at the color-changing tubes: ¡°Is this your ability after advancing to the sixth grade?¡± ¡°Thousand Blade Soul Eye, a part of the abilities I mastered after my upgrade.¡± As Han Ruyan spoke, a black moon appeared above her, silent and vast like a gigantic obsidian suspended under the sky dome, illuminating the entire Underground Poisonous Insects Base with a sinister black and red light, seemingly harboring a bizarre power slowly emanating within. Su Jie looked up at the black moon, feeling a deep and oppressive power. Inside the black moon, numerous eyes stared back at him, instilling a deep unease and fear. Swoosh! Suddenly, the black moon split open from top to bottom, like an eye opening, revealing layers of blood-red pupils, and a surge of intense blood light enveloped down. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit instinctively became alert, as if the black moon wanted to imprint something on his body, a terrifying curse. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was very strong and could spontaneously eliminate negative states from his body, including curses. Although the effect of this black moon curse was unknown, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit had easily defeated a fifth-grade fierce ghost before, and now that it had been significantly strengthened, it was understandable how powerful it could be to make Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit feel alarmed. Han Ruyan did not take action against Su Jie but instead looked at the ground beside him, where a stone pillar stood. As the black moon¡¯s blood eyes gazed upon it, countless tiny blades burst forth from within, instantly disintegrating the stone pillar. The sky was filled with tiny, blood-red blades fluttering in the wind, like beautiful bloody roses, beautiful yet extremely lethal. Zzz! The Thousand-Handed Centipede beside Su Jie chirped twice, the blade¡¯s disintegrating and cutting ability posing a significant threat to it, which could transform into a swarm of centipedes. ¡°Amazing!¡± Su Jie¡¯s mouth gaped wide, slapping his thigh in excitement. The move shown by Han Ruyan was just a part of the Ghost Bride¡¯s abilities, and she was extraordinarily powerful after her upgrade to the sixth grade. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help my husband.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s gaze withdrew, and the black moon disappeared. ¡°Now we¡¯re more secure in the Tianyuan World.¡± Su Jie felt joy inside, as when he had advanced to the Secret Realm, having Han Ruyan by his side to guard him greatly increased his safety. ¡°Are we going back to Tianyuan?¡± Han Ruyan saw the opened transfer gate, leading to the familiar Tianyuan World. ¡°Yes, we need to make a trip back.¡± Su Jie nodded, with the Ghost Bride, he was planning to bring back. Nightmare Park was still operational, maintaining some fierce ghosts there while also setting up corresponding formations to ensure nothing went awry. ¡°Wherever the master goes, I will follow!¡± Han Ruyan naturally linked her arm with Su Jie¡¯s and together they stepped through the transfer gate. Chapter 344: 242: The Banquet (Second Update) Chapter 344: Chapter 242: The Banquet (Second Update) Tianyuan World, Ghost Ridge Palace. In front of a residence at Ghost Ridge Palace, it was incredibly lively at this moment. This belonged to Xiao Fengyuan, and by morning, the area was already bustling with activity. Apart from a large number of disciples who were there to watch the excitement, many of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s managers were also present in their finest attire. Inside the residence, at the banquet, all kinds of fine wines and delicacies were available, a collection of rarities from both land and sea. The grand banquet and the scale of the event were all because Xiao Fengyuan, a disciple of renown within Ghost Ridge Palace, had successfully advanced to the Secret Realm three days ago. ... Each promotion within the Secret Realm was a significant affair for Ghost Ridge Palace, as this level of power served as one of its pillars. Because of the Sect war, the scale of the event was reduced; otherwise, it would have been even more extravagant in the past. ¡°Master Zhang Pingkang from the Refining Pavilion presents a gift of one Eight Treasures Wood and a pair of Golden Brilliance Qilins.¡± ¡°Chen¡¯s Trading House presents a gift of a Low Grade Advanced Magical Artifact, the Double Dragon Fan, and a copy of the Yan Gui Step Book.¡± ¡°Manager Xu Hu from Yougu Garden presents a gift of a jug of Heavenly Palace Golden Pearl Water.¡± The old housekeeper at the door, like listing menu items, continuously noted down the noble guests who were present to offer gifts, announcing them loudly. This not only gave face to the host family but also made the guests feel valued. Suddenly, a slight disturbance arose in front of the residence, and a group of disciples watching the excitement respectfully made way. A man with the stride of a dragon and the gaze of a tiger approached. ¡°Congratulations to Brother Xiao on his promotion, I have come to see this for myself.¡± Su Jie brought out the spiritual materials he had prepared and said with a smile. The old housekeeper dared not neglect him, his survival in the Demon Cultivation Sect of Ghost Ridge Palace depended on his judgment; he clearly recognized all the important figures, lest he unwittingly offend someone and die without knowing how. And Su Jie was undoubtedly an important person in Ghost Ridge Palace, who after capturing Qi Shijian, was hailed as the number one among the current disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°The esteemed disciple of Elder Qiu, Brother Su Jie, presents a gift of three spirit stone bamboos, a string of Sea Jade Pearls...¡± Inside the residence, upon hearing the announcement of his gift, Xiao Fengyuan, who had been greeting guests, quickly came out. As soon as he saw Su Jie, Xiao Fengyuan laughed heartily, saying, ¡°Brother Su, you¡¯ve come out of seclusion.¡± ¡°I left my retreat early just so I wouldn¡¯t miss your promotion banquet. Congratulations to Brother Xiao on successfully advancing to the Secret Realm, from now on the sea is vast for the fish to leap, and the sky is high for the birds to soar.¡± Just yesterday, Su Jie had returned to Tianyuan World with Han Ruyan for this very banquet. As they spoke, Su Jie also glanced at Xiao Fengyuan a few times, noticing the robust aura of the other party, which compared to the past was like the difference between mud and solid rock, indicative of the cultivation of the Secret Realm. ¡°I also managed to break through with the aid of the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill by sheer luck. With Brother Su¡¯s strength and talent, it won¡¯t be long before I¡¯ll be attending your promotion banquet.¡± Xiao Fengyuan seemed to have noticed Su Jie¡¯s advancement to the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm, evident from the complete and flawless aura that only those at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm possessed. ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not stand at the door any longer, Su Jie, please come inside.¡± The two entered the residence, and the first thing Su Jie saw was Ning Xinyue who was blatantly enjoying the food and drink at a table. Upon seeing Su Jie, the girl even made faces at him, then gestured towards a spot not too far away. Su Jie then saw his Master, Taoist Qiu, along with a number of Elders also present at the event. For a promotion banquet like this, the Elders would also give some face to the newly promoted within the Secret Realm, even if they might not personally attend, they would have their disciples send gifts. ¡°Master.¡± Su Jie approached Taoist Qiu and greeted him. ¡°Hmm, not bad, the ten levels are fully achieved. Have you consumed the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill?¡± Taoist Qiu surveyed Su Jie and asked. Shaking his head, Su Jie responded, ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m planning to take it soon.¡± ¡°Swallow it as soon as possible to advance to the Secret Realm.¡± Taoist Qiu¡¯s voice deepened as he spoke, ¡°A big battle is about to happen, and the Sect urgently needs the power of those in the Secret Realm.¡± A thought stirred in Su Jie¡¯s mind, and he asked, ¡°Master, have we made any progress with the Heavenly Soul Sect?¡± ¡°Indeed, a few days ago Elder Tang brought a group from the Heavenly Soul Sect to Ghost Ridge Palace, and both sides are currently discussing the joint venture. If everything goes well, the alliance should be formed.¡± Taoist Qiu nodded slightly. Now more than ever, reliant on the defensive advantage alone, Ghost Ridge Palace was struggling to withstand the siege of several Righteous Sects. If they could get the Demon Cultivation Sect of Heavenly Soul Sect to join the battle, that would greatly relieve the pressure on Ghost Ridge Palace and possibly scatter the surrounding Righteous Sects. ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡± Su Jie felt exhilarated by this, knowing that if Ghost Ridge Palace fell, he would be left to wander aimlessly, pursued by the Righteous path with nowhere to settle. Ghost Ridge Palace is now Su Jie¡¯s biggest backer, and he naturally hopes that it will continue to exist, offering him protection. Without having grown strong himself, the protection of a major power is very important. ¡°In any case, you should strive to advance to the Secret Realm as soon as possible, without dragging your feet by polishing your Dao heart and invincible path, which are far less important than strength. ¡°Your strength will definitely be needed on the battlefield eventually. Don¡¯t squander your potential and die an early death due to an accident; I¡¯ve seen too many cases like this.¡± Elder Qiu repeatedly admonished, earnestly advising Su Jie to make a breakthrough soon. ¡°Master, I won¡¯t drag it out. I¡¯ll strive to ascend to the Secret Realm within a week.¡± Su Jie spoke assertively, confident in his ability to break through within a week, then chatted with Taoist Qiu a bit more before heading over to Ning Xinyue¡¯s table. ¡°How can a girl like you eat so much? Don¡¯t you understand what it means to be ladylike? Leave some for me.¡± Su Jie unceremoniously seized the large pork knuckle that Ning Xinyue was about to pick up and began to relish it. Ning Xinyue glared with her cute almond eyes, quite peeved, ¡°Can¡¯t you go eat at another table? Why are you robbing me of my food?¡± ¡°No, bullying others is no fun; it¡¯s much more amusing to bully you.¡± Su Jie chuckled cheekily, his chopsticks reaching out once more to snatch the delicacies in front of Ning Xinyue. Ning Xinyue got angry, her chopsticks flashing rapidly, leaving afterimages on the table that dazzled onlookers. ¡°Eh! Your strength has increased!¡± Suddenly, Su Jie found something odd. This little girl¡¯s strength was outrageously strong, and somehow, Su Jie¡¯s hand speed was slower than hers. Wait, something¡¯s not right, seriously not right. Su Jie felt increasingly that something was off, and said with surprise, ¡°You haven¡¯t really...?¡± ¡°Hmph, still want to bully me? Now I am the stronger one, okay? Remember to call me Elder Ning from now on.¡± Ning Xinyue arrogantly lifted her chin, transmitting to Su Jie via Divine Sense the secret that if it weren¡¯t for the crowd, she could have given Su Jie a small shock of the Secret Realm right then. ¡°When did you make a breakthrough?¡± Su Jie was truly astonished. It made sense for Xiao Fengyuan to make a breakthrough, as he had long been at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm with a profound foundation; under the influence of the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill, the breakthrough came naturally. But Ning Xinyue, this girl, had been weaker in cultivation than Su Jie and now she had caught up, reaching the Secret Realm first. ¡°I haven¡¯t wasted any time during your retreat. I¡¯ve been searching for all kinds of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures every day here, and found quite a few good treasures with the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate.¡± Ning Xinyue also had her own fortuitous encounters. Su Jie guessed she must have consumed some kind of Spirit Fruit, which caused her cultivation to soar so rapidly ¨C a method that Su Jie couldn¡¯t learn. Although that Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate could locate treasures, it was also a gold-devouring beast, and to pinpoint a treasure it would consume who knows how many Spirit Stones. Ning Xinyue, the little rich girl, didn¡¯t care, but Su Jie didn¡¯t want to spend a huge amount of Spirit Stones on such an uncertain opportunity. ¡°You¡¯re just lucky. But how come there hasn¡¯t been any news about your promotion? Didn¡¯t you inform the Sect?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to say. Anyway, the Sect¡¯s Elders can¡¯t tell anyway, and I have a special Magic Skill for hiding my cultivation. When it comes to fighting, if the enemy thinks I¡¯m only at the Yunling Realm, hehe, I¡¯ll definitely give them a surprise.¡± Ning Xinyue divulged her plan, quite smugly. She managed to fool the Elders by practicing some concealment Magic Skill. She had previously disguised herself as a newcomer to join Ghost Ridge Palace, now having reached the Secret Realm, she still could conceal it securely. If she hadn¡¯t voluntarily revealed it, neither Su Jie nor any of the present Elders would have realized that this girl had already attained the cultivation of the Secret Realm. ¡°Sigh, I don¡¯t know who taught you. Such a good girl becoming so insidious; really, it¡¯s hard to learn to be good in the Demon Sect, but all too easy to learn bad.¡± Su Jie lamented. Luckily, he would break through to the Secret Realm in at most a week, and Ning Xinyue would only get to strut her stuff for that week. A week later, Su Jie would surpass her. ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one to blame for me turning out this way!¡± Ning Xinyue rolled her eyes, huffing, ¡°I learned all this from you! You¡¯re always thinking about how to trick people. Of course, I had to pick up a few tricks too.¡± ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯m such a righteous and magnanimous person, don¡¯t slander me.¡± ¡°Ptui, shameless! If you¡¯re a good person, then there are no bad people in this world.¡± The two bantered back and forth, never stopping their movements, joyously feasting at the banquet. Two hours later, the banquet had mostly come to an end, and Xiao Fengyuan had finished speaking. Just when everyone was preparing to leave, some uninvited guests suddenly arrived and appeared at the banquet. ¡°We heard that a disciple of your esteemed Sect has ascended to the Secret Realm today. We from the Heavenly Soul Sect also wish to offer a gift to celebrate the friendship between our two Sects.¡± About a dozen people strode in; they were all Demon Cultivators from the Heavenly Soul Sect, some Elders and some disciples there to gain experience. The one who had spoken was a middle-aged man with an eerie presence, wearing a nearly floor-length black robe. His left eye was normal while his right eye was inlaid with a Primordial Spirit Pearl, seemingly absorbing the Fear Energy within his own body, giving him a bizarre appearance. ¡°That is the Supreme Elder from the Heavenly Soul Sect, named Zhao Lianshan.¡± Ning Xinyue whispered to Su Jie, realizing he might not be up to date with Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s recent affairs after his retreat, and provided an explanation for him. Su Jie didn¡¯t say anything, his gaze fixed on one of the Ghost Ridge Palace personnel, a cold-faced elder. He was an acquaintance of Su Jie; it was none other than the Heavenly Soul Sect Elder Zou Minzun, who had instigated the tragedy in East Victory City and who had created the Ghost Bride. Chapter 345: 243: I Want to Fight Ten (30,000 Words for Third Update, Request for Monthly Pass!) Chapter 345: Chapter 243: I Want to Fight Ten (30,000 Words for Third Update, Request for Monthly Pass!) Zou Minzun was also staring at Su Jie, his face revealing a sinister smile. Su Jie instantly understood in his heart that the other party was most likely here because of the Ghost Bride issue. ¡°If you are here to celebrate, I welcome you, of course, but today is a special day for me, so let¡¯s not make things unpleasant here,¡± he said. Xiao Yuanshan, having also experienced the East Victory City incident, immediately sensed that Zou Minzun¡¯s arrival was hostile upon seeing him in the crowd. ¡°Ha-ha, I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be easy!¡± Zhao Lianshan smiled faintly, a newly promoted member of the Secret Realm who had at most refined one organ; he didn¡¯t take him seriously at all. ... His piercing gaze swept over the crowd and fixed on Su Jie: ¡°This must be Su Jie, the most outstanding disciple of the Ghost Ridge Palace, right? Don¡¯t you want to explain what happened in East Victory City?¡± Without expression, Su Jie set down his chopsticks and rose from his seat: ¡°Elder Zhao, by East Victory City, are you referring to the unprovoked attack by your Heavenly Soul Sect on us? Considering our sects are about to join forces, I shall temporarily refrain from pursuing that matter.¡± Zhao Lianshan was taken aback, clearly not expecting Su Jie to talk back like this under such circumstances, and to openly criticize their Heavenly Soul Sect first. ¡°Boy, you disrupted our plans and snatched away my Ghost Bride; do you mean to say that this is our fault?¡± Zou Minzun stepped out, his eyes gleaming with a cold, murderous intent. If looks could kill, Su Jie would have no flesh left by now. ¡°We were in East Victory City to carry out the mission of capturing the traitor Qi Shijian. It was your so-called Elder Zhong Shiguan who attacked us first, and moreover, it was utterly shameless, using his superior strength against the weak.¡± ¡°Your people wanted to kill me; surely we aren¡¯t just expected to stretch out our necks to the blade without even allowing us to resist.¡± ¡°Sometimes I really wonder if your Heavenly Soul Sect is deliberately trying to hinder our mission, wanting to protect the fugitive traitor Qi Shijian.¡± Su Jie walked up to Zou Minzun, his gaze unwavering as he looked him in the eye, and declared loudly, ¡°If you disagree, we can have the Sect Master come to bear witness and search our souls to see who is lying.¡± These words instantly made Zou Minzun¡¯s expression incredibly ugly. Because what Su Jie said was true, it was indeed Zhong Shiguan who had attacked the Demon Cultivator first. Zhong Shiguan had indeed told Zou Minzun about it afterward. Although his main target at the time was to snatch away Han Ruyan and attacking Su Jie was just to silence him, it was indeed his people who attacked first, and there was no denying it. What a sharp-tongued kid. Zhao Lianshan, watching Zou Minzun fall into a speechless state, spoke with a sinking tone: ¡°Regardless of the causes of the incident, the Ghost Bride is a Fierce Ghost cultivated by an elder of our Heavenly Soul Sect. If you return her, this matter can be considered over.¡± Speaking, Zhao Lianshan¡¯s gaze never left Su Jie. The intangible aura of a Senior Secret Realm member was enough to make a Yunling Realm disciple shiver intensely with fear. ¡°Hmph, Elder Zhao, that statement is mistaken,¡± Su Jie retorted. Just then, a figure appeared in front of Su Jie. Taoist Qiu, his eyes sharp like venomous snakes, looked at Zhao Lianshan with a smug yet cheerless smile: ¡°How can the cause of the matter be ignored? Right and wrong must be clearly distinguished. No one should expect to humiliate my disciple so easily. Where did you get the face to do that?¡± Zhao Lianshan¡¯s Primordial Spirit Pearl in his right eye rotated slightly, dense runes emerging upon it, locking onto Taoist Qiu as a deep, abyss-like Yin Qi enveloped it, his black robe fluttering without wind. Fine snake scales appeared on Taoist Qiu¡¯s neck, and from within his sleeves, a myriad of colorful snakes peeked out, hissing and flicking their tongues. The aura of the two Senior Elders clashed, causing the surrounding bluestone pavement to crack and split. The guests nearby swiftly backed away, and those who were slow to retreat had blood spilling from their mouths and noses, their faces filled with terror. Behind Taoist Qiu, several elders of the Ghost Ridge Palace who had been attending the banquet rose to their feet. Even those who did not get along with Taoist Qiu would still need to stand united in the face of an outsider¡¯s bullying, at least in such a public setting. Zou Minzun also took a few elders of the Heavenly Soul Sect and moved behind Zhao Lianshan. The two groups faced each other across the distance, the atmosphere was extremely tense and solemn, as if a great battle could break out at any moment. Su Jie looked at the back of Taoist Qiu, feeling somewhat touched. Although Taoist Qiu was somewhat harsh on ordinary disciples, he had nothing but praise for him, and at this moment he had stepped up to take the pressure off Su Jie. Bang! Just as the tension escalated, a figure descended from the sky. ¡°All of you, cease at once,¡± a stern voice commanded, as Tang Peiqing appeared between the two parties, preventing a potential battle from erupting. ¡°Elder Tang, these people from the Heavenly Soul Sect came out of nowhere to trouble my disciple. Surely our Ghost Ridge Palace isn¡¯t so weak as to be trampled upon by outsiders, right?¡± Upon seeing Tang Peiqing, the most senior elder of the Ghost Ridge Palace, Taoist Qiu breathed a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t want to pick a fight with Zhao Lianshan for no good reason, not because he feared defeat, but because he didn¡¯t want to affect the grand plan of alliance between Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect. ¡°Elder Tang, it turns out your high disciple is quite remarkable! Snatching away a Fierce Ghost cultivated by an elder of our Heavenly Soul Sect and now refusing to return her?¡± Zhao Lianshan tempered his aura, his words tinged with displeasure. ¡°Tsk, something belonging to an elder being snatched by a disciple is embarrassing to mention. I would feel ashamed to speak up on behalf of that elder,¡± A quietly muttered, crisp voice arose, and the assembled guests bowed their heads, struggling to hold back their laughter. Zhao Lianshan¡¯s face twitched as he scanned the crowd: ¡°Who, who¡¯s speaking?¡± Chapter 347: 244: Sweep (First Update) Chapter 347: Chapter 244: Sweep (First Update) Tang Peiqing and others served as judges, and with a command, those ten Heavenly Soul Sect disciples all made their move. These disciples took out their Soul Summoning Banners, and wailing Yin Souls surged out, among which three banners were surprisingly of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner rank. Or they summoned various terrifying and gloomy ghosts, ranging from first to fourth grade, and there were even two fifth-grade fierce ghosts. A female ghost, silent as a shadow, appeared behind Su Jie. There was also a highly decayed male corpse riddled with maggots squirming all over, standing before him, staring straight at Su Jie. Both of these were fifth-grade fierce ghosts, and behind them were even more ghostly creatures. ... Above Su Jie¡¯s head, a formation constructed by three Ten Thousand Soul Banners was in operation, standing ready without attacking immediately; instead, it was guarding against the thousand-hand centipede. Clearly, Zou Minzun had transmitted a lot of intelligence on Su Jie through Divine Sense to these Heavenly Soul Sect disciples. ¡°Relying on fierce ghosts to gang up, huh? However, have you ever heard of a technique, called ¡®One Force Breaks All Techniques¡¯?¡± A smile hung on Su Jie¡¯s face, and in the next moment, Su Jie suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Wife, save me!¡± Inside the Divine Soul, the contract with the Ghost Bride was triggered. Almost as soon as his words fell, a red dragon and phoenix bridal sedan chair swooped across the sky. Bang! The fifth-grade decaying male corpse was directly hit by the sedan chair, its body severed at the waist and falling to the ground, unable to get up for a long while. The curtains of the bridal sedan chair were lifted, and Han Ruyan¡¯s figure appeared on the scene. The female ghost that was close to Su Jie, under Han Ruyan¡¯s dead gaze, found her clothes transformed into a red wedding dress, which tightly strangled her body. ¡°You dare to approach my husband?¡± Han Ruyan took steps on air, approaching the bound female ghost. The fifth-grade female ghost attempted to break free from the wedding dress¡¯s constraints, but Han Ruyan had already reached out her delicate hand, gently tapping the ghost¡¯s forehead. The body of the female ghost shook violently, its body like dye losing color, being steadily erased. In the blink of an eye, only a head remained, which Han Ruyan casually held in her hand. Roar! Hiss! A large number of other fierce ghosts surged up, swarming out of their cages. ¡°A bunch of little ghosts.¡± Han Ruyan swept her chilling gaze over them. One after another, the fierce ghosts slightly trembled as if in fear. ¡°Scram.¡± Under Han Ruyan¡¯s rebuke, the group of ghosts halted, beginning to step back, and even the weaker ones immediately knelt on the ground as if submitting to their emperor. Bear in mind, these fierce ghosts were controlled by Demon Cultivators and were not the kind of wild or semi-wild fierce ghosts that could be easily suppressed, yet Han Ruyan managed to do so with just a shout. ¡°This is a sixth-grade fierce ghost.¡± The group of Heavenly Soul Sect disciples was stunned. As Demon Cultivators who commonly dealt with fierce ghosts, they recognized the rank of the Ghost Bride at first glance. Just as Ghost Ridge Palace disciples could identify the number of times a poisonous insect had undergone Spirit Refining at a glance. ¡°A sixth-grade Ghost Bride? Impossible, how did he nurture it?¡± Zou Minzun was in disbelief; when the Ghost Bride was taken away by Su Jie, it was only a fifth-grade fierce ghost. Even if Su Jie knew the Magic Skill for the promotion of fierce ghosts, from where would he gather so much Fear Energy? Recently, he had not heard of any major massacres happening within Qingzhou territory. ¡°Elder Zhao, I guess my disciple¡¯s strength is still pleasing to the eye?¡± Taoist Qiu, witnessing this scene, showed a mocking smile to Zhao Lianshan beside him. Although he was unfamiliar with ghostly rules and products such as fierce ghosts, he could sense Han Ruyan¡¯s strength, and it seemed there was no need for him to worry about this fight. ¡°You really hid it deep, didn¡¯t you? You must have invested a lot of resources in him, right?¡± Zhao Lianshan¡¯s face was stiff as he spoke, glancing back fiercely at Zou Minzun now and then. If it weren¡¯t for Zou Minzun¡¯s firm assurance that the Ghost Bride was only fifth-grade, he would never have agreed to this battle that could potentially disgrace the Heavenly Soul Sect. A sixth-grade Ghost Bride battling against a group of Yunling Realm disciples was utterly a case of dimensional advantage. ¡°Heh, it¡¯s all thanks to the child¡¯s own efforts; we usually let our disciples roam free.¡± Tang Peiqing, stroking his goatee, said breezily, infuriating the Elder from Zhao Lianshan¡¯s side. This was like saying that a disciple left to roam free could easily outclass the meticulously groomed elite disciples from the other side. The scene in the arena changed again, as the ten Heavenly Soul Sect disciples manipulated their spells, throwing out numerous Ghost Binding Ropes. These were ropes solidified from special Spiritual Power, highly effective against ghosts, capable of suppressing all abilities of a fierce ghost. If it were just an ordinary fifth-grade fierce ghost, being bound by these ropes might really render it powerless. Simultaneously facing the threat of the Ghost Bride, the Yin Soul Formations roared down. Additionally, many disciples released several Silver Armor Corpses and Golden Armor Corpses, these types of zombies possessing incredible strength, invulnerability to blades and bullets, immune to water and fire; a close encounter would pose a significant danger even to inner disciples. Faced with consecutive offensive moves, a red lantern and a mirror appeared in front of Han Ruyan. The red lantern immobilized all the Ghost Binding Ropes, then absorbed them into the mirror. These Lantern Ghost and Mirror Girl, held by Han Ruyan, were far more powerful than when fighting solo. And as the Yin Soul Formation pressed down, Han Ruyan remained unflustered, only her blood-colored wedding dress radiating a brilliant light, like layers of crimson waves churning. Countless Yin Souls enveloped in the glow of the wedding dress dissipated like snow meeting magma, as wisps of green smoke drifted up, and a vast number of Yin Souls vanished in an instant. Yin Souls, creatures devoid of fear, continued their fearless assault, trying to penetrate the body of the Ghost Bride to harm her soul. Chapter 348: 244: Sweep (First Update)_2 Chapter 348: Chapter 244: Sweep (First Update)_2 But doing so would only hasten their own demise. Ordinary Ten Thousand Soul Banners¡¯ Yin Souls were nothing in front of the Ghost Bride. If one were to take out a Ten Thousand Soul Banner at the level of a hundred thousand Yin Souls, perhaps it might pose a threat to the Ghost Bride. Roar! Roar! Roar! The Silver and Golden Armored Zombies had already charged to Han Ruyan¡¯s front, their fierce and brutal faces, bodies shimmering with silver or golden light, lunging towards Su Jie and the Ghost Bride. Just then, a Black Moon hung high in the sky, a hundred meters above; as the Black Moon ¡°opened its eyes,¡± its red pupils swept over the vast land. ... Within the Silver and Golden Armored Zombies, muscles, meridians, blood vessels, internal organs, brains, and other parts began to manifest delicate blades. These blades split into two, two into four, four into eight, multiplying continuously. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen Silver and Golden Armored Zombies stiffened on the spot, from their mouths and noses, from the pores of their bodies, countless tiny blades could be seen sawing back and forth. Seconds later, all the blades burst forth from their bodies, scattering in the wind like petals of a rose. And these zombies exploded with a bang, accompanied by puffs of blood and mud splattering around, drenching the surrounding area with blood and flesh. Ten disciples of the Heavenly Soul Sect trembled, taking out various magical artifacts, still wanting to make one last stand. They were the proud talents of the Heavenly Soul Sect, having lost one against ten, which would bring shame upon them if word got out. ¡°Curse.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s dead and indifferent gaze turned towards them, and a chill ran down the spines of the ten Heavenly Soul Sect disciples, feeling as if some great terror had descended upon them. Their skin was penetrated by layers upon layers of eerie black patterns, and somehow, a ¡°Ï²¡± character had appeared on their foreheads. This curse ravaged their insides, no matter how they used their spiritual power to dispel it, it had little effect. In just over ten seconds, the faces of these disciples turned blank, as they bent over in pairs, as if bowing to each other in matrimony, a barely audible whisper echoing from the air. ¡°Exchanging matrimonial vows.¡± Behind these disciples, on their shadows, a red bridal veil fell over the shadow¡¯s heads, obscuring their consciousness as well. As these Heavenly Soul Sect disciples bowed, their life forces visibly waned, and once the wedding rites were completed, it would be their moment of death. ¡°We admit defeat.¡± Zhao Lianshan couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, seeing the defeat was set, and if he didn¡¯t step in now, all these elite disciples of his sect would be dead. ¡°Wife, spare them.¡± Su Jie, seeing it was time to call it quits, signaled Han Ruyan to come back. Killing everyone would only cause complications with the alliance between the two Demon Sects; Su Jie was reasonable enough to understand that. Besides, his grudge was with Zou Minzun, not these minor disciples whom Su Jie hadn¡¯t even taken into consideration. Han Ruyan slowly retracted her gaze, dissolving the curse imposed on the ten disciples. Thump! The ten disciples collapsed to the ground, some with skin ulcerated, exposing white bones; some with teeth falling out, tongues severed, and others with numerous broken bones. The scene was a mess of blood, many disciples rolling on the ground in pain, only slightly relieved after taking healing pills. All these disciples had previously insulted Su Jie, and Han Ruyan, protective of her husband, had punished each one. The filth they had spewed was now matched by their grim fate. ¡°We are grateful for your mercy in sparing our lives,¡± they said. ¡°Against a Sixth Grade Wedding Dress Ghost, I have no complaints about my loss.¡± ¡°It seems I was a frog in a well, Mr. Su truly deserves to be the top disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace; I, Xu Jun, am convinced.¡± When those Heavenly Soul Sect disciples who had not been tormented regained their bearings, their faces showed the relief of having survived a catastrophe; their eyes filled with extreme terror and fear when they looked at Han Ruyan. It was this female ghost who had almost taken their lives. ¡°Now that the outcome is clear, does Elder Zhao have anything to say?¡± Taoist Qiu spoke in a tone neither cold nor warm, causing Zhao Lianshan¡¯s face to alternatingly flush and pale, as if he¡¯d been through a dyeing workshop. His face had lost all its dignity as the leader of ten disciples who couldn¡¯t beat a single opponent. ¡°Our Heavenly Soul Sect is willing to accept the loss, the matter of East Victory City shall be written off.¡± Elder Zhao glared fiercely at Zou Minzun, then looked at his disciples with a mix of anger and frustration, as if regretting their inability to meet his expectations. With a sweep of his sleeve, he turned and left without looking back, to avoid further embarrassment in front of onlookers. As for the disciples, they too rose to their feet, supporting each other as they staggered away from this heartrending place. Behind them, many guests whispered among themselves, their gazes towards Su Jie filled with admiration. With just the Wedding Dress Ghost, he managed to defeat ten elite disciples from the Heavenly Soul Sect, and Su Jie hadn¡¯t even used his other techniques, like the poisonous insects from Ghost Ridge Palace. This indicated that Su Jie¡¯s strength was far greater than what had been witnessed. Taoist Qiu approached Su Jie, clearly satisfied with his performance. ¡°As my disciple, you should be just as formidable. With me here, no one can oppress you by their status.¡± he said. While speaking, Taoist Qiu also took out an item from his Storage Bag. ¡°I¡¯ve reforged this White Bone Sky Slaying Sword for you. Use it well,¡± he said. The item Taoist Qiu brought out was a flying sword, exuding a formidable murderous aura, and its whole body was pristine white. ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± Su Jie said. Looking at the newly reforged White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, with fresh spiritual materials added, the sword appeared even sharper and caused pain with just one glance. ¡°Eh, Master, this flying sword¡¯s grade...¡± Su Jie said. Suddenly, Su Jie noticed something wrong with the grade of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. It wasn¡¯t the Mid Grade Magical Artifact he had expected, but a genuine Top Grade Magical Artifact. Su Jie had an eye for quality, and he knew the difference between a real Top Grade Magical Artifact and a Mid Grade Magical Artifact was enormous. ¡°Recently, I killed an Elder from the Purple Mist Sect who had many suitable spiritual materials and Divine Ores. I incorporated them into the forging process and produced a Top Grade Flying Sword, consider it an advance gift for you before entering the Secret Realm,¡± Taoist Qiu spoke indifferently, while the surrounding guests turned envious to the point their eyes were practically glowing red. Everyone knew a normal Mid Grade Magical Artifact cost between five thousand to ten thousand Spirit Stones, and this grade of artifact was the standard weapon for most Hidden Realm Elders of average strength. As for Top Grade Magical Artifacts, their prices started at fifty thousand Spirit Stones, with some of the finest or those possessing special functions reaching two to three hundred thousand Spirit Stones. Only the powerful Hidden Realm warriors would use Top Grade Magical Artifacts in battle. Now, seeing Taoist Qiu bestow a Top Grade Magical Artifact to Su Jie, such extravagant action made countless people wish they could be in his shoes. ¡°Master, this is too valuable. I...,¡± Su Jie began. At that moment, Su Jie suddenly understood Xiao Guanglian¡¯s joy; to have such a strong backing was indeed exceedingly thrilling. ¡°As long as you advance to the Secret Realm and don¡¯t disappoint my expectations, a mere Top Grade Magical Artifact is well within my means to give,¡± Taoist Qiu said, glancing at the astonished guests around him. If they knew that Su Jie was an Immortal Seed whom even Sect Master Zhang Junwei couldn¡¯t resist attempting to take as a disciple, and that Su Jie had condensed his Primordial Spirit in the Yunling Realm, they would immediately understand his actions. ¡°Master, I will certainly not tarnish your reputation,¡± Su Jie said. Caressing the icy blade of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, Su Jie felt reassured knowing this Top Grade weapon would significantly bolster his combat arsenal. ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me,¡± Taoist Qiu said, nodding his head and turning to leave with Tang Peiqing. The rest of the guests gradually followed suit, dispersing from the area. Ning Xinyue approached Su Jie, her curiosity piqued as she gazed at the flying sword in his hand. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t my master, Elder Tang, give me such nice things?¡± she complained, puffing up her cheeks with envy at Su Jie¡¯s effortless acquisition of magical artifacts. She had to invest Spirit Stones and scour hills and dales with the Tianxi Eight Diagrams Plate to find treasures, while Su Jie simply had the Treasures delivered to him. Su Jie laughed and replied, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to reveal your Xuanyin Body, Elder Tang might indeed present you with a Top Grade Magical Artifact.¡± With a pout, Ning Xinyue responded, ¡°Forget it, I prefer to enrich myself through my own hard work. Who knows, I might even come across an Exotic Treasure and make a fortune.¡± ¡°Do you think Exotic Treasures are like turnips in the ground, just waiting to be found?¡± Su Jie said, shaking his head amusedly. He nodded to Xiao Fengyuan before departing. ¡°Just wait, the day I find an Exotic Treasure, I¡¯ll make you green with envy, you jerk,¡± Ning Xinyue mumbled, wrinkling her nose and pulling a face at Su Jie¡¯s retreating figure, her competitive spirit unwavering. Chapter 349: 245: Advancement to the Secret Realm (Second Update) Chapter 349: Chapter 245: Advancement to the Secret Realm (Second Update) ¡°` Inside the closed-door cultivation chamber of the residence. After bathing and burning incense, Su Jie sat cross-legged on a cushion. In front of him, there was a Jade Bottle, inside which was a Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill. Behind him was a Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, still in its seedling state, creating a better environment of Spiritual Energy. To Su Jie¡¯s left and right were the thousand-hand centipede and Han Ruyan to guard the Dao, ensuring his safety should any risks arise during his breakthrough. ... The reason for such caution was that today, Su Jie was about to officially start his breakthrough into the Secret Realm. ¡°Secret Realm, come forth.¡± Su Jie took a deep breath, grabbed the Jade Bottle, and swallowed the Rainbow Gathering Flame Pill in one gulp. As the elixir entered his body, faint golden light spread throughout Su Jie¡¯s limbs and bones. At this moment, Su Jie¡¯s mind seemed to explode with myriad images surfacing in his sea of consciousness¡ªvarious Cultivation Techniques and combat experiences he had learned before¡ªHundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture, White Crane Zen Dao, Enlightenment Returning Ruins Skill, Mysterious Shadow Secret Technique, Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint, Seven Star Steps, Insect Control Technique, Body Worm Focusing Method, Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique... An enormous amount of knowledge was continuously crushed and imprinted into his brain, and at this moment, Su Jie had a deeper understanding of these Magic Skills. Han Ruyan turned her head to look at Su Jie and saw him hovering half a meter off the ground, with a circle behind him representing wisdom and enlightenment. That was the Heart Enlightenment Ring, born of enlightenment and the supreme wisdom it brings forth. It was said that if one had this halo for nine days and nights, one could use wisdom to verify the true nature of all things. The Heart Enlightenment Ring behind Su Jie lasted for a brief five minutes before slowly fading away, but in this short state of enlightenment, Su Jie saw the grand avenue leading to the Secret Realm. Within Su Jie¡¯s body, at the location of the five organs, five divine beings slowly opened their eyes. Those eyes, like galaxies in the universe, sparkled with extraordinary divine light, their gaze penetrating the void, through time and space, as though they could perceive everything in the world. In the heart, a Fire God stood atop a volcano, crowned and overlooking the mortal realm as if he was the sovereign of thousands of worlds, from whom divinity emerged. In the liver, a Divine Wood soared into the sky with the Wood God sowing seeds and sprouts that quickly grew into a lush forest that spread throughout the universe, forming the world of the forest. In the lungs, the Golden God roared and metals like gold and silver fell from the high heavens like meteorites, tearing through everything in their path and shattering the ground upon impact, with a violent and dangerous storm raging in their wake. In the spleen, a majestic and tall mountain was home to the Earth God of immense virtue, from whom all things drew life and propagated. In the kidneys, there was a boundless ocean where the Water God resided in the deep abyss, capable of generating towering tsunamis with a mere movement. Heaven and Earth have the Five Elements, and the human body has five organs to match them as one. The human body is like a microcosm, and the Secret Realm is the process of tapping into the power of the five internal organs¡ªheart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys¡ªand nurturing gods within them. These gods are not true deities but rather a form of deity, created by infusing Spiritual Power with different attributes within the five organs. For example, the heart is associated with fire, and the Spiritual Power circulating in that area needs to naturally possess the attribute of Fire Element Spiritual Power. Simply put, it is turning the heart into a high-temperature processing center; when the circulating Spiritual Power enters, it becomes imbued with Fire Element Spiritual Power, carrying the damage of burning and explosion. When refining the kidneys, associated with water, it increases the endurance of Spiritual Power. The spleen belongs to earth, and refining it strengthens the defensive power of Spiritual Power. The liver is associated with wood, which can increase the recovery speed of Spiritual Power. The lungs are associated with metal, enhancing Spiritual Power with greater armor-piercing capability. The human body¡¯s five organs correspond to the Five Elements. Each organ refined adds an elemental increase to the damage of Spiritual Power, greatly enhancing its lethality. Additionally, the five organs are interrelated; refining one is like adding a new Spiritual Power reservoir within the body, enabling the absorption and storage of more Spiritual Energy and naturally strengthening the power of Magic. The Cultivation of the Secret Realm is the process of nurturing the divine. Once the five organs are refined, the five divinities interact incessantly like the Five Elements, with Spiritual Power as vast as the ocean. With every little action, it is as if the Five Elements cycle is in motion, pressing down with overwhelming power, making one unstoppable in battle. Su Jie understood the path that lay ahead of him and decisively chose the heart as the first location for nurturing the divine being within his Secret Treasure Divine Palace, as the heart is the most important organ in the body and the power center of circulation. Spiritual Power surged relentlessly towards his heart, stimulating specific acupoints and meridians according to the patterns encoded in Su Jie¡¯s mind, turning it into his first inner god. Generally, Disciples who have just broken through to the Secret Realm can take a shortcut, which is to postpone the development of a divine being and first break through the realm, allowing Spiritual Energy into the five organs to establish corresponding Spiritual Power reservoirs. This way, their bodies, having reached the peak of the Yunling Realm, can continue to absorb external Spiritual Energy. Many Disciples do this, as their talents are limited and just being able to break through to the Secret Realm is already quite an accomplishment. Bringing forth a divine being in one attempt is something these Disciples simply cannot achieve, so they must slowly refine their craft over time. Most Disciples truly nurture their first inner god within a year. However, Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Thunder Body was not just for show. In his recent moment of enlightenment, he had already seen his future path and knew how to cultivate his first inner god. He had no hesitation, going straight to the heart, this source of power, to begin the process. Spiritual Energy continually penetrated into the intricate and hidden acupoints of the heart, coding them as if they were being encoded. Since each person¡¯s genetic makeup has subtle variations, the path to nurture a divine being is also different for everyone, and one must rely on personal enlightenment rather than treading in the footsteps of predecessors. Gradually, the heart¡¯s beating slowed, and within its chambers, bright sparks of fire began to emerge; that was the intensification of Spiritual Power. ¡°` Su Jie needed to make this spark catch fire completely and ignite a large blaze. Time trickled by, and Su Jie kept trying. His heartbeat became slower and slower, yet there were more and more sparks, and the spiritual energy entering his heart was gradually dyed red. One hour! Ten hours! Three days passed! Five days passed! Above Su Jie¡¯s mansion, many people looked up and could see the spectacle resembling clouds lit by fire. That was the naturally occurring phenomenon presented by Su Jie¡¯s outwardly dispersed gaseous spiritual power. ¡°That¡¯s the direction of Brother Su¡¯s residence. Could it be that he is breaking through to the Secret Realm?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with these fiery clouds? Can the spiritual power of someone in the Yunling Realm be that abundant?¡± ¡°You¡¯re making a big deal out of nothing. Brother Su is the top disciple, capable of single-handedly taking down ten men from the Heavenly Soul Sect. How can his spiritual power be comparable to ours?¡± ¡°Looking at these fiery clouds, Brother Su is nurturing his spirit! If he breaks through and ascends to the Secret Realm, he will directly enter the First Level realm.¡± Many disciples noticed this change; after all, the scene was massive, making it impossible to ignore. From the start of Su Jie¡¯s breakthrough, disciples came every day to watch and discuss when Su Jie would emerge, adding another powerful figure to the sect. Not only the disciples, but many Elders were secretly paying attention as well. With the title of top disciple, Su Jie¡¯s breakthrough would surely draw the attention of the entire sect. When the seventh day arrived, it was on this day that Su Jie¡¯s nearly stopped heart suddenly emitted a thunderous roar. Brilliant firelight surged from within, almost instantly igniting all the spiritual power in his body. Sizzle! The thousand-hand centipede, feeling the vast and intense changes in Su Jie¡¯s aura, joyfully spun in circles, emitting happy cries. And Han Ruyan could see that within Su Jie, fiery patterns emerged around his heart. With every breath, a hot aura was released. ¡°Haha, the Secret Treasure Realm, where all Five Elements are divine!¡± Su Jie suddenly opened his eyes, rising from his cross-legged position. The spiritual energy from the outside world surged into his body, while the spiritual power erupting from Su Jie¡¯s body came with violent, fervent, and destructive qualities, and its color also turned fiery red. At the heart, it was as if a Fire God also opened its eyes, instantly igniting the spiritual power. Su Jie waved his hand, and the omnipresent spiritual power transformed into fireworks, igniting the air strand by strand. It was as though a shower of fire had fallen from the sky, magnificently beautiful; yet when it touched the ground, it burned pits the size of basins. Mixed within these flames were streaks of purple lightning, a sign of the influence of the Primordial Spirit. The Primordial Spirit and the physical body were united; now when Su Jie launched a strike, he could simultaneously inflict damage with both Primordial Spirit and fire. Within the Divine Soul, the Ancient Mirror trembled slightly; to Su Jie¡¯s slight regret, the mirror only vibrated but did not open the Sea of Heaven. Just as Su Jie felt a trace of regret, unexpectedly, his breakthrough caused changes in the heavenly phenomena. It was seen that above the sky of Su Jie¡¯s residence, the void appeared to split open, creating an invisible crack, while ancient chimes echoed through the universe. Under the Sky Dome, clouds and mist intertwined, and as green rain fell, dead wood sprang to life, and purple aura spread out, transforming into auspicious creatures like phoenixes, qilins, and divine deer. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never seen this before! That doesn¡¯t seem like spiritual energy.¡± ¡°This is a heavenly and earthly phenomenon, mentioned in books. Legends say that only when Saints and Immortal Seeds breakthrough, such phenomena occur.¡± Many disciples who came to Su Jie¡¯s residence every day, waiting for his breakthrough, witnessed this astonishing sight. Many were puzzled by the occurrence, but some well-read disciples guessed the reason. As the news spread, it caused a great stir among the disciples, and their gaze towards Su Jie¡¯s residence changed. ¡°Heavenly and earthly phenomena, indeed an Immortal Seed, the fortune of Ghost Ridge Palace!¡± Tang Peiqing, pushing open the windows of the Refining Pavilion, gazed at the scene from afar, his face unable to hide his astonishment. Since ancient times, it has been said that when sages are born, heavenly and earthly phenomena accompany them. In the realm of cultivators, this is a sign of the birth of a true Immortal Seed, favored by heaven and earth. ¡°Haha, this is my disciple. Today, I shall host a feast, and everyone is invited for a drink.¡± Taoist Qiu, who was making magic artifacts with a group of Elders for the upcoming war preps, was also startled by the phenomenon. Realizing it originated from Su Jie, his face beamed with pride that he couldn¡¯t conceal. The surrounding Elders, though silent, had eyes full of envy. A disciple such as this Immortal Seed was a rare sight in a hundred years, especially for the now decline-ridden Demon Path. The entire Ghost Ridge Palace Sect was stirred by these heavenly and earthly phenomena. It had been many years since a disciple¡¯s breakthrough had caused such a commotion. Even the most senior Elders couldn¡¯t recall the last time their sect had cultivated an Immortal Seed that caused heavenly and earthly phenomena. Chapter 350: 246: Holy Lotus Evolution (First Update) Chapter 350: Chapter 246: Holy Lotus Evolution (First Update) Su Jie looked up in astonishment. In the void, a mysterious bird soared, purple energy surged into the courtyard, divine light illuminated the room, and clouds hung over his head like a car cover. At this moment, Su Jie¡¯s body felt as if it were soaking in a hot spring, immensely warm and comfortable. Some hidden injuries in his body healed instantly, and his body was enveloped in purple energy, emitting sounds like dragon scales¡¯ chime and becoming covered with scale patterns, turning completely golden as if he were a golden divine being. During this process, Su Jie¡¯s body was visibly strengthening, bones, flesh, organs, and divine soul, all these fundamentals were being solidly enhanced. ¡°Phenomenon between heaven and earth, a celebration by the Heavenly Dao.¡± Su Jie murmured to himself, his heart pounding with excitement. This was a phenomenon that appeared only when favored by the Heavenly Dao. Although he was a Demon Cultivator, he too was favored by the Heavenly Dao. ... Because the Heavenly Dao regards all things as straw dogs, it does not show human bias or favoritism, nor does it adhere to concepts of right and wrong, good and evil. The Heavenly Dao treats all humans equally. As long as your talent is strong enough, exceptionally outstanding, whether you are a killer of countless men or a merciful high monk, it will bestow blessings. Because the Heavenly Dao follows the natural law, much like nature itself, it honors the law of the survival of the fittest. Su Jie gained great benefits from this heavenly and earthly phenomenon. But it wasn¡¯t just Su Jie reaping rewards. Behind him, tender sprouts and leaves fluttered, greedily absorbing the purple energy diffused by the phenomenon. That was Su Jie¡¯s Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, an exotic treasure undergoing transformation; its branches quickly growing and sprouting, its three lotus leaves gradually forming, emitting a persistent fragrance. The thousand-hand centipede stared at the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, drooling from the corner of its mouth, irresistibly lured by this exotic treasure. Han Ruyan slapped the head of the thousand-hand centipede and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about eating it.¡± Zzz! The thousand-hand centipede, quite dissatisfied with Han Ruyan¡¯s behavior, stood up and brandished its claws at her. But fortunately, it knew that this was its master¡¯s possession; it was merely coveting and did not actually bite. ¡°Hmph!¡± Han Ruyan slowly exhaled and said, ¡°Little bug.¡± Zzz! The thousand-hand centipede wanted to show its true form, to see who the real little one was. A ghost and a bug faced each other just as the heavenly phenomenon finally began to fade slowly. Su Jie felt the changes in his body, lightly clenched his fist, and air in his palm rushed out violently, as if a bomb had exploded in his palm. Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint! Su Jie shouted lightly, unleashing a palm with his left hand. The abundant Spiritual Power after ascending to the Secret Realm, enhanced by the Fire Element Spiritual Power, transformed the handprint into a huge size, and when it landed on the ground, it directly smashed a deep pit nearly ten meters deep, with a scorching aura rising from its surface. The entire seclusion room trembled violently, its power immensely shocking. If it weren¡¯t for the array barriers, it might have collapsed immediately. Buzz buzz! From the Insect Control Bag, a swarm of human-faced moths surged out, the insect cloud under Su Jie¡¯s command intertwined with each other, faintly forming some kind of creature array. In the ocean, many small fish gather together, disguising themselves as a massive beast to intimidate predators. However, the insect cloud formed by the human-faced moths wasn¡¯t just about outward intimidation. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit spread out, connecting points into lines, lines into planes, making the vast insect cloud truly unify. Hu! The insect cloud trembled, ripples emerging in the air as they connected through Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit. Su Jie took out an iron ingot, and one of the human-faced moths landed in his palm, spewing its acidic liquid. The iron ingot corroded with a sizzling sound, forming fine honeycomb-like deep pits, its power much greater than before. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit acted as a conduit for energy transmission, forming a biological array, leveraging other human-faced moths¡¯ blood and Spiritual Power among other things, enhancing the potency of this moth¡¯s acid. Su Jie picked up the human-faced moth and set it on the ground, then took out a Spirit Stone to feed it. The human-faced moth happily started munching on it, while Su Jie placed his hand above it, red light emanating from his palm, magnifying the Spirit Stone that the moth had just ingested. Under the red light irradiation, akin to high particle radiation, the body of the human-faced moth slowly underwent changes. Its leg muscles became stronger than before, its wings broader, and the poison sac inside more corrosive. Su Jie had modified the body of this human-faced moth. During his state of Enlightenment in the Secret Realm, Su Jie gained a new understanding of various magical skills he cultivated. Among them, the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture and Three Secrets of Gu Master (Insect Control Technique, Body Worm Focusing Method, Human Worm Refining Technique), which Su Jie had practiced for the longest time, he understood the deepest. Although Su Jie had only read about the Human Worm Refining Technique and had not truly practiced it, the core of the Human Worm Refining Technique, the ability to merge Lifebound poisonous insects with the cultivator¡¯s body, he could now use this transformative ability in a simplified form. Essentially, all that a Gu Master cultivates is for better utilization of poisonous insects. When a realm is reached, many skills follow the same principle and are not limited to one path; other paths can also achieve similar results. ¡°Xiao Qian.¡± Su Jie called out, and the thousand-hand centipede hopped onto Su Jie, eyes eagerly watching him. Su Jie took out tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, the upper body of the thousand-hand centipede grew larger by several sizes, and it swallowed these Spirit Stones in a few gulps. Subsequently, Su Jie activated his transformation ability, sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead. This was completely different in difficulty from modifying the human-faced moth. Several minutes later, Su Jie observed that the scales on the surface of the thousand-hand centipede had become deeper, its defense had improved a tiny bit, though it wasn¡¯t very noticeable. However, the thousand-hand centipede was very excited, its mouth wide open, hoping to coax more Spirit Stones from Su Jie to modify it further. Chapter 351: 246: Holy Lotus Evolution (First Update)_2 Chapter 351: Chapter 246: Holy Lotus Evolution (First Update)_2 ¡°I¡¯m broke.¡± Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry; after all, the Thousand-Handed Centipede was a Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect. The total wealth of spirit stones and Blood Marrow Crystals Su Jie owned could hardly strengthen it by much. The Thousand-Handed Centipede coiled around Su Jie¡¯s arm as he checked the savings of spirit stones in his storage bag, which still had over a hundred thousand, with the majority being the hundred thousand given by Taoist Qiu last time. After tapping the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s forehead, Su Jie helplessly said, ¡°I¡¯ll upgrade you after I¡¯ve made some money, let¡¯s forget about it for today.¡± Having said this, Su Jie¡¯s gaze turned to the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. ... This exotic treasure had completely changed its appearance; previously, it had only small cotyledons, resembling the shape of bean sprouts. The Nine-grade Sacred Lotus had now grown to twenty centimeters tall, and the cotyledons were fully developed into three lotus leaves. Overall, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus stood tall, with the spiritual energy from the Five Elements Spiritual Soil below condensing into a mist, and the nearby White Bone Tree converting the spiritual power into mist that settled on the lotus leaves as droplets. The droplets shone with a crystal clear brilliance, resembling pearls embedded in the verdant leaves, emitting a soft luster and a mouth-watering fragrance. This exotic treasure, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, greatly benefited from absorbing the phenomena of heaven and earth, tremendously promoting its growth. ¡°Three lotus leaves; it has developed to the first stage,¡± Su Jie was thrilled and began to examine it eagerly. After obtaining the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, Su Jie had specially researched the scriptures about this exotic treasure in the library of Ghost Ridge Palace. Once the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus grows three leaves, it can already be used. Of course, it isn¡¯t meant to be eaten. The mature entity has nine leaves and blossoms with buds, only at full bloom it reaches completion. Now at only the first stage, Su Jie followed the scriptures he had read before, performed the spell, and lightly shouted, ¡°Control!¡± The Nine-grade Sacred Lotus floated up and began to spin around Su Jie. This exotic treasure, which Su Jie had often used to imprint with his own aura and repeatedly nurtured before, was already semi-recognized by him, allowing Su Jie to control it with ease. ¡°Xiao Qian, Purple Light Ray.¡± Su Jie waved to the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Understanding the cue, the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s faceplate split open, launching terrifying beams of purple light. The leaves of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus glowed faintly, emitting a blue-dark light membrane that shielded against the purple rays. Boom! The purple rays only caused ripples on the blue-dark light membrane and were easily defended against. Han Ruyan, upon seeing this scene, suddenly raised her left hand, allowing curse power to spread. Similarly, the blue-dark light membrane shielded Su Jie, nullifying the invisible curse power and preventing it from affecting him. This is the purpose of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus; it¡¯s considered a first-class defensive treasure. Now at only its initial stage, its defensive power is still limited, but with each additional leaf it grows, its defensive capabilities will increase substantially. Once it reaches its complete form, with nine leaves and flowering, if a cultivator can fully refine it, then the defensive power of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus will be exaggerated to an extremely astonishing extent, among other marvelous effects. The initial destruction of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus was mainly because it had no master at the time, no one to refine it and spontaneously utilize its defensive abilities, as plants do not have much self-defense consciousness. Su Jie then had Han Ruyan and the Thousand-Handed Centipede increase their efforts to test the current defensive limits of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. Under the full effort of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, the defense was eventually breached, and some of Han Ruyan¡¯s curses began to penetrate as well, but not all could be entirely blocked. Yet even so, Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but smile at the corners of his mouth. The current defensive power of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus was already extremely exaggerated, considering the attackers were a Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect and a Sixth Grade Wedding Dress Ghost. Even the Secret Realm could not ignore their attacks, yet the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus could reduce their attacks by a great deal under their full strength. ¡°The only pity is that this third-grade state Sacred Lotus cannot be used for a long duration,¡± Su Jie observed the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, which appeared somewhat wilted, its previously upright stance now curving downwards. Because it was not in its complete form, using it for defense would undoubtedly consume a great deal of its nutrients and slow down its growth rate. If it were to be damaged, that would be even more painful for anyone to endure. Su Jie placed the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus under his feet. As his thoughts moved, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus sprinkled around itself a holy and beautiful starlight, and the sounds of heaven and earth flowed automatically. Susu! The leaves of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus swayed, spilling starlight, accompanied by thousands of auspicious Purple Mist spirits. The spiritual power within Su Jie¡¯s body circulated, increasing the speed of absorbing the spiritual energy from the surroundings and making it easier to understand various cultivation practices. Beyond providing defense, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus also acted as a cultivation accelerator, which was the second ability of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. Initially, Su Jie had merely eaten a lotus seed of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus and had improved his physical constitution, obtained the Purple Cloud Thunder Body, and gained the divine skills of the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. This showed just how powerful the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus was in aiding others with enlightenment and cultivation. Su Jie was still satisfied with the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus at its Third Grade Lotus Leaf stage because in a life-threatening crisis, using the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus could undoubtedly compensate for Su Jie¡¯s defensive shortcomings. After storing the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, Su Jie got up, pushed open the door of the seclusion room, and stepped outside. Outside the mansion, a large number of disciples had already gathered. The celestial phenomenon caused by Su Jie¡¯s breakthrough was something these disciples were seeing for the first time; they had run over out of curiosity. As the door was pushed open and Su Jie appeared, the crowd of disciples felt as if they were looking directly into the radiance of the sun. A dazzling golden light spread around Su Jie, resembling a deity from ancient times, possessing an extraordinary aura. Some of the disciples who met Su Jie¡¯s gaze could feel the vigorous vitality of Su Jie¡¯s body, like that of a towering ancient tree, and vaguely, the grand sounds of the Dao were transmitted, mysterious and unfathomable. This was the result of Su Jie still being in resonance with the Dao after the blessing of Heavenly Dao, his body¡¯s aura not yet fully dissipated, still resonating with the Dao, and not all qi had been retracted. On seeing Su Jie¡¯s aura, far surpassing the Yunling Realm, the crowd of disciples knew that Su Jie had successfully made a breakthrough. ¡°Congratulations, Elder Su, on advancing to the Secret Realm.¡± ¡°Congratulations, Elder Su, on advancing to the Secret Realm.¡± ¡°Congratulations, Elder Su, on advancing to the Secret Realm.¡± Unified shouts echoed; Su Jie¡¯s status was promoted from Brother Su to Elder Su by everyone present. The title of Elder within the Ghost Ridge Palace was highly revered, something numerous disciples of the Ghost Ridge Palace dream of achieving. Su Jie¡¯s promotion undoubtedly added a powerful force in the moment the Sect was waging a war. ¡°I have not let your expectations down; today, I, Su Jie, have advanced to the Secret Realm.¡± Su Jie bowed to the crowd around him, not looking down on other disciples just because he had advanced to the Secret Realm. ¡°Elder Su!¡± In the crowd, Chen Yun and Wu Bin were also present, wearing proud smiles on their faces after Su Jie¡¯s advancement. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal, just call me as you used to. Calling me ¡®Elder¡¯ makes me feel as if I am seventy or eighty years old. Let¡¯s have a drink together tonight.¡± Su Jie patted Chen Yun and Wu Bin on the shoulders. ¡°Yes, Brother Su, may you continue to ascend to greater heights in the future.¡± Wu Bin looked at Su Jie, feeling immensely moved in his heart. When he first met Su Jie, the latter was just an Outer Disciple. Back then, Wu Bin thought that Su Jie¡¯s potential was merely to advance to being an inner disciple. However, Su Jie¡¯s rise far exceeded his expectations. He watched step by step as Su Jie grew stronger, from advancing to an inner disciple to becoming the number one disciple, and now even advancing to the Secret Realm, much further than he had imagined. ¡°Mr. Su, you will certainly achieve great things in Ghost Ridge Palace in the future.¡± Chen Yun¡¯s face was quite excited; she was not yet an inner disciple, just at the Fifth Level of the Yunling Realm. But knowing someone like Su Jie, a young and boundlessly promising Elder of the Secret Realm, even inner disciples wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke her. ¡°I hope your good words come true.¡± Su Jie chuckled, seeing the admiration and awe in the eyes of the surrounding disciples, a surge of ambition unavoidably arose in his heart. Having been in Ghost Ridge Palace for nearly three years, he had finally taken the most solid step, achieving the cultivation of the Secret Realm. Soon, the news about Su Jie¡¯s advancement to the Secret Realm and the induced celestial phenomenon spread far and wide. Chapter 352: 247: Puppet Hall (Second Update) Chapter 352: Chapter 247: Puppet Hall (Second Update) Su Jie exchanged pleasantries with Chen Yun and Wu Bin for a while before he parted with them and arrived at Taoist Qiu¡¯s residence. After entering, Su Jie not only saw Taoist Qiu but also several Elders nearby. They were together refining standard Magical Artifacts, and Taoist Qiu¡¯s expertise in artifact refining was evident from the craftsmanship of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Many older Elders, apart from battling, possessed other special skills, such as Alchemy, Artifact Refining, talisman painting, and Array Drawing, among others. For instance, the oldest among them, Tang Peiqing, was unrivaled in the entire Sect in both alchemy and poison making, while also being proficient in Artifact Refining and talisman painting. The long passage of time had given him ample opportunity to study and hone his skills. ... Elders like him, with rich experience and a multitude of skills, were considered treasures in any Sect. ¡°Disciple Su Jie, greets Master.¡± Su Jie stepped forward and performed the disciple¡¯s salute. Taoist Qiu put down his work and observed the changes in Su Jie¡¯s aura, nodding with satisfaction. ¡°Very well, you indeed advanced to the Secret Realm within a week, living up to your word.¡± ¡°Disciple has been solely focused on cultivation, not daring to slack off in the slightest. With the Righteous Sects¡¯ great power looming outside, advancing early to the Secret Realm also enables me to alleviate the Sect¡¯s concerns sooner.¡± Su Jie spoke with righteousness, sounding sincere. Upon hearing this, the Elders nearby couldn¡¯t help but praise him. ¡°Mr. Su, not only do you possess exceptional talents, but your heart is also top-notch!¡± ¡°Just a few days ago, I executed several cowards and traitors. If everyone shared Mr. Su¡¯s mindset, we might have already flattened those Righteous Sects.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, come visit my place later, teach my disciples a lesson and show them what the proper ideological state for a member of the Ghost Ridge Palace should be.¡± Now that Su Jie had advanced to the Secret Realm, he was considered an equal among these Elders, who now addressed him as a fellow cultivator. The Elders being here at Taoist Qiu¡¯s meant they had good relations with him and were not stingy with their acclaim. ¡°Hehe, Su Jie, you truly did not disappoint.¡± Just then, a voice was heard. A figure descended from the sky, wearing a black gold robe and a stern face¡ªit was Zhang Junwei, the Sect Master of the Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Greeting the Sect Master.¡± Su Jie turned and saluted with his hands clasped. ¡°Greeting the Sect Master.¡± Taoist Qiu and the other Elders also rose to perform their salutations. ¡°I am here to find Su Jie, with such celestial phenomena and an Immortal Seed advancing, it¡¯s been many years since our Ghost Ridge Palace experienced this.¡± Zhang Junwei waved his hand, motioning Su Jie to come forward. Su Jie quickly stepped forward, wondering what Zhang Junwei wanted with him. ¡°Sit first.¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s face bore a harmonious smile as his eyes beheld Su Jie with increasing satisfaction. ¡°The words you spoke earlier were heard by my eyes. Lately, in our confrontations with the Righteous Sects, many Elders have fallen. Now that you have advanced to become of the Secret Realm, it means you are qualified to undertake the responsibilities of the Secret Realm. Here are the recently deceased Elders; their names are all here and their duties as well. You may select one to replace and assume command to maintain the Sect¡¯s safety.¡± Zhang Junwei took out a booklet and handed it to Su Jie. Su Jie instantly understood Zhang Junwei¡¯s intent; such level of power in the Secret Realm usually entailed significant duties. However, positions of great responsibility were typically rare, like a single position for each eligible person. For instance, Tang Peiqing held the position of Alchemy Pavilion Master and also served as Artifact Refining Hall Master merely because of his wide range of skills and being the most experienced Elder in the Sect. The Hall Master of the Command Hall was Zuo Xiping, a relative of Sect Master Zhang Junwei, thus holding the crucial position managing task distributions in the Command Hall. Even Taoist Qiu served as the Deputy Master of the Refining Hall, one of the highest-ranking departments in the Ghost Ridge Palace, holding the same status as the Alchemy Pavilion, Punishment Hall, and the Command Hall, thus making it a highly authoritative position. Under normal circumstances when Elders were still alive, these key positions would not be opened up. Newly advanced Secret Realms could not take office and had to instruct disciples as Elders. But due to the Sect wars, many Elders had fallen, leading to vacancies in these positions, which became prized targets for those Elders without official roles. By giving Su Jie the choice, Zhang Junwei was clearly using his authority for personal reasons. Of course, knowing this, the other Elders dared not say much. Su Jie guessed that probably the fuss he made during his advancement was too great, and Zhang Junwei¡¯s offer of a significant post was a kind of enticement. The nearby Elders heard this, and aside from Taoist Qiu, who was smiling, the rest revealed a hint of envy. Among them, there were those who had yet to hold any Sect duties. Su Jie flipped through the booklet; he was not one to be overly idealistic. Holding a role with real authority was far better than being among the powerles... ¡°Sect Master, may I take up this position?¡± Su Jie pointed to a page in the register and directly asked. ¡°Puppet Hall, you want to take up this position?¡± Zhang Junwei was slightly startled. He hadn¡¯t heard that Su Jie was skilled in puppetry techniques. On the contrary, he had only heard that Su Jie was good at refining poisonous insects and also possessed a formidable female ghost. ¡°Sect Master, I¡¯ve always been interested in puppetry techniques, but I¡¯ve never had the opportunity to study them before,¡± Su Jie said with a smile. He thought that if he could become the Hall Master of the Puppet Hall, he might be able to refer to some of Blue Star¡¯s technological blueprints and replicate related products in Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Hmm, that could work. Previously, the Hall Master Peng Tan¡¯an was the only one in the sect skilled in puppetry techniques. Since you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll entrust it to you.¡± Zhang Junwei did not ponder further. Puppet Hall was just a marginal department within Ghost Ridge Palace, except for the sacrificed former Hall Master Peng Tan¡¯an, it was left with some disciples interested in or talented in puppetry techniques. In Ghost Ridge Palace, a sect filled with those playing with insects, it seldom attracted any attention. The other Elders, seeing Su Jie¡¯s choice, looked at each other in dismay. Clearly, there were better positions available, yet Su Jie seemed oblivious to them. Some Elders, still without positions, watched with envy and nearly wished they could take that role in Su Jie¡¯s stead. ¡°Su Jie, think it over again. There are many important positions available,¡± Taoist Qiu coughed lightly, worried his disciple didn¡¯t understand the importance of the position and wanted Su Jie to choose another. ¡°Master, I have thought it through. I¡¯m really interested in puppetry techniques, so I won¡¯t change my decision.¡± Su Jie shook his head, leaving Taoist Qiu speechless. As for the Puppet Hall department, it virtually had no funds, and previously, it was just a place where Peng Tan¡¯an, the Elder, entertained himself with no status within Ghost Ridge Palace. Ghost Ridge Palace neither allocated funds to the Puppet Hall nor assigned any tasks, demanding no deliverables from the hall. Had it not been for the fact that Peng Tan¡¯an was a seasoned practitioner and had a cultivation at the Fourth Level of the Secret Realm, such a department would have been abolished by Ghost Ridge Palace long ago. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ll be the Hall Master of the Puppet Hall from now on. I hope you work hard and continue the legacy of the Puppet Hall,¡± Zhang Junwei handed Su Jie a token representing the identity of the Hall Master of the Puppet Hall and said somewhat nonchalantly. ¡°Sect Master, don¡¯t worry, when the time comes, I¡¯ll brandish an AK in my left hand and a Winchester in my right, and I will surely expand and strengthen the Puppet Hall to new heights,¡± Su Jie stood up, full of momentum, his voice booming like thunder. ¡°Very ambitious, but what is an AK and a Winchester?¡± Zhang Junwei looked puzzled, hearing these terms for the first time. ¡°Ah, those are types of weapons I¡¯ve conceptualized, still in the idea stage, but perhaps I¡¯ll design them in the future,¡± Su Jie replied while scratching his head. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to your performance. As for funds, if you can achieve results, the sect will not be stingy in allocating funds,¡± Zhang Junwei patted Su Jie¡¯s shoulder and then turned to leave. As the Sect Master, amidst external sieges, he had numerous matters to deal with. Taking the time to meet Su Jie was a significant sign of his regard for him. ¡°You, oh you. You could have chosen anything, but you chose the Puppet Hall. Do you even know puppetry techniques?¡± No sooner had Zhang Junwei left than Taoist Qiu couldn¡¯t help himself, looking at Su Jie as though disappointed. These puppetry techniques, very few in the entire sect were proficient, transmitted only through Peng Tan¡¯an¡¯s lineage. Naturally, Taoist Qiu did not know them either, and he didn¡¯t believe Su Jie did. ¡°Master, I can learn it. I¡¯m quite confident in my ability to learn. Just you wait and see, I¡¯ll bring you something big when the time comes,¡± As for puppetry techniques, although Su Jie had not studied them before, he had indeed practiced them. The Thousand-Handed Centipede used to bombard Putuo Airport with an 800mm caliber biological cannon, could also be considered a form of puppetry technique, as it incorporated quite a bit of spiritual material. Of course, the biological cannon of that scale relied more on the powerful physical division capabilities of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, powered entirely by Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Divine Thunder, and wasn¡¯t considered orthodox puppetry. ¡°I don¡¯t expect any surprises from you. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we just played with insects? Can puppetry even feed us?¡± Taoist Qiu was quite dismissive and said bluntly, ¡°That Peng Tan¡¯an, I¡¯ve dealt with him before, his puppetry is indeed skillful, some of his mechanical men and demon statues had some combat power. But in a fight, your master here would definitely win. I could simply wear him out.¡± Su Jie knew that there probably wasn¡¯t any exaggeration in Taoist Qiu¡¯s words. Puppet Masters use various spiritual materials to create combat puppets, controlling them through spiritual power for battle. Generally, the stronger the combat puppet, the more precious the required spiritual materials, and the cost is extremely high. Compared to Gu Masters, not far from Ghost Ridge Palace was Insect Valley, naturally convenient for sourcing materials. Even the most ordinary disciples could capture poisonous insects with virtually no cost involved. While a Puppet Master labors to create expensive combat puppets, pitted against a Gu Master¡¯s swarm of insects, even if both were completely lost, the Gu Master could quickly resupply in Insect Valley. Whereas the Puppet Master would have to spend money and effort to rebuild anew, not that the Puppet Masters aren¡¯t capable, but within Ghost Ridge Palace, their cost-effectiveness is clearly inferior to that of Gu Masters. ¡°Master, I know all that you¡¯ve said, but I really want to study puppetry techniques. I feel they could be quite lucrative,¡± Su Jie chuckled, sharing another perspective. Chapter 353: 248: Cauldron (30,000 Words for Third Update, Request for Monthly Pass!) Chapter 353: Chapter 248: Cauldron (30,000 Words for Third Update, Request for Monthly Pass!) ¡°Make money?¡± Taoist Qiu gave a look as though treating him like a fool, disdainfully said, ¡°You think I don¡¯t know about puppetry techniques? Researching this is the most costly thing. Peng Tan¡¯an himself was in heavy debt, and he still owed me thirty thousand spirit stones, which he never paid back. When he died, that was the end of it; I have no idea who to get my money back from.¡± The surrounding Elders couldn¡¯t help but snicker, marveling at Su Jie¡¯s wildly imaginative ideas. ¡°Mr. Su, you haven¡¯t yet studied puppetry techniques and don¡¯t know, this magic is the most expensive to indulge in. To power combat puppets, even a decent quality puppet uses top grade spirit stones as a power source. Just think about it, a single top grade spirit stone alone is worth thousands of low grade spirit stones, not to mention other rare spiritual materials. The wood must be made of various spirit trees, which best conduct energy, combined with various divine ores to construct them. After a major battle, if many puppets are damaged, you would even lose your undershorts in compensation.¡± ... ¡°Elder Peng Tan¡¯an frequently fretted about money during his lifetime; many elders lent him money, all because researching puppetry techniques was too costly.¡± ¡°In Ghost Ridge Palace, once you study puppetry techniques, you¡¯ll understand, poison refining is the most worthwhile.¡± The Elders started advising Su Jie not to think too much; if researching puppetry techniques could make money, the puppetry lineage wouldn¡¯t be ignored within the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace, with only a very few disciples following Elder Peng Tan¡¯an to learn it. ¡°I¡¯ll show everyone my achievements in the future, Master, that...¡± Su Jie looked at his master, feeling a bit embarrassed and rubbed his hands. ¡°You haven¡¯t started studying puppetry techniques yet, and now you want to borrow money from me?¡± Taoist Qiu began to puff up his beard and glare, if it had been someone else, they would probably have been scared stiff. Su Jie spread his hands and said, ¡°Master, after all, I am your disciple. Seeing how poor your disciple is now, please support me with some spiritual materials. I don¡¯t need your money, it¡¯s just that starting the Puppet Hall is too difficult; surely you wouldn¡¯t want your disciple to end up on the streets because of studying puppetry techniques, tarnishing your reputation.¡± ¡°You rascal, it seems you haven¡¯t learned anything else, but you¡¯ve fully learned Peng Tan¡¯an¡¯s ability to borrow money.¡± Taoist Qiu had no way to handle Su Jie, and although he spoke strictly, he eventually relented. ¡°Our Refining Hall can lend a portion of spiritual materials to your Puppet Hall at an internal price¡ªnote, this is a loan, and you must pay it back. The Sect is currently at a critical juncture in the war, any spiritual material can be used for making magic artifacts, it should not be wasted.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master, your words are enough for me. I will make full use of these spiritual materials.¡± Su Jie showed a smile; having a backing like a master was beneficial, as many things within Ghost Ridge Palace could be expedited. Otherwise, even if Su Jie wanted to buy them with spirit stones, due to the Sect¡¯s war situation, the outside trade was almost cut off, and the prices of various spiritual materials had soared to terrifying levels. Even in Ghost Ridge Palace, the spiritual materials were supported by past strategic reserves, specifically used for producing various magic artifacts and arrays. Although Su Jie had over a hundred thousand spirit stones, buying a batch of precious materials at outside prices wouldn¡¯t go far. And besides, those hundred thousand spirit stones, Su Jie still needed them for his cultivation and other purposes. Taoist Qiu shook his head; he cherished Su Jie primarily because Su Jie was a once-in-a-century immortal seed of Ghost Ridge Palace, and that was his reason for supporting Su Jie. If it had been Pei Haibing from before, he would have been told to get lost long ago. Su Jie was a rising star whom even the Sect Master would curry favor with, not just any ordinary disciple could compare. After receiving the authorization letter and seal from Taoist Qiu, Su Jie left the residence and headed straight for the Refining Hall. ¡°Elder Su...¡± A manager at the entrance saw Su Jie and immediately approached with a flattering smile. Su Jie¡¯s promotion to the Secret Realm had already spread throughout Ghost Ridge Palace; apart from disciples still fighting in the forest, there was no one in the Palace who didn¡¯t know. ¡°Call me Master Su, I¡¯m now the Hall Master of the Puppet Hall.¡± Su Jie, smiling, took out Taoist Qiu¡¯s letter and said, ¡°I am here to collect some spiritual materials; this is a letter from your vice hall master.¡± After reading it, the manager was a bit surprised, but seeing the correct seal, he nodded and said, ¡°Master Su, please wait a moment, I¡¯ll have someone check and bring the spiritual materials right away.¡± Half an hour later, Su Jie received a large amount of spiritual materials. The quantity and value of these materials, even at internal price, amounted to seventy to eighty thousand spirit stones; at the outside black market price, it would be astronomically higher. With Taoist Qiu¡¯s endorsement, Su Jie successfully obtained the right to use this batch of spiritual materials. Of course, it was something he needed to return eventually. After finishing all this, Su Jie intended to go straight to the Puppet Hall, but he realized he didn¡¯t know the way. ¡°Junior Brother Su, no, I should call you Elder Su now.¡± Just then, a charming and seductive laugh sounded, carrying hints of allure. Su Jie turned his head and saw a graceful figure standing there, her light yellow long dress brushing gently over her smooth, jade-like skin, her hair flowing like clouds in the wind, her face stunningly beautiful, her eyes deep like autumn waters, her eyebrows like distant green hills, her light robe slightly fluttering, the pale skin beneath semi-visible, her demeanor both inviting and hesitant, stoking boundless imagination. This woman was none other than Su Jie¡¯s senior sister Yu Wenxian, who had not been seen for a long time. She stood outside the Refining Hall, apparently also there to purchase magic artifacts. ¡°Senior Yu, what a coincidence!¡± Su Jie hadn¡¯t expected to encounter Yu Wenxian here. In the past, he had always been cautious around this woman, but times had changed, and seeing her now, Su Jie no longer had that overly cautious attitude. ¡°You call me senior sister; I hardly dare accept it. You are now a respected elder, and it would not be proper to be heard by others.¡± ¡°Senior Yu is just joking, isn¡¯t she? We know each other from before, spent a few years as senior sister and junior brother. If I were to change how I address you just because I¡¯ve ascended to the Secret Realm, others would say I¡¯ve forgotten my roots.¡± Su Jie smiled as he spoke, while sensing the flow of Spiritual Energy in Yu Wenxian. This woman seemed to have noticed this, and without hiding or concealing it, deliberately displayed her internal Spiritual Energy, revealing herself to be at the complete, Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm. Yu Wenxian¡¯s eyebrows curved as she said, ¡°Junior Brother Su, then I¡¯ll be bold. Speaking of which, I am quite behind you, you see. I¡¯m only at the Ten Levels of the Yunling Realm now, and you¡¯ve already caught up and advanced to the Secret Realm. Compared to you, I have been too negligent!¡± ¡°Watching your flow of energy, it is already complete and satisfying, hinting at an imminent breakthrough. It seems the breakthrough is near,¡± he observed. Su Jie spoke¡ªhis words were not flattery, for the flow of energy from Yu Wenxian truly was extremely complete, emanating a natural and polished light, as if she could break through at any moment. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take your auspicious words, Junior Brother Su. If I really break through, I¡¯ll definitely treat you well,¡± she said. Yu Wenxian pursed her lips, constantly smiling coquettishly, her eyes full of seductive allure, and her ample bosom heaving with her laughter, which was enough to stir hearts and minds. ¡°Hehe, no need for treatment, Elder Sister Yu. If you can breakthrough, it would strengthen the power of our lineage, and I would be too delighted to care,¡± he laughed. Su Jie would not really accept Yu Wenxian¡¯s invitation to her soft couch; he outright refused the so-called treat. This woman was always very mysterious, having instilled fear among numerous Inner Sect disciples in the past, not just because of her control over the Mother-child Love Poisonous Insect, but also due to her own strength. Su Jie had never seen her Life Poisonous Insect, nor had he heard anyone else mention it, which proved many things. That was, whoever had seen her Life Poisonous Insect had already died¡ªdead people naturally don¡¯t spill secrets. Thus, even though Su Jie had advanced to the Secret Realm, he did not underestimate this woman. ¡°Elder Sister Yu, I still have some matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll be leaving first,¡± he said. Su Jie shrugged his shoulders, made room, and turned to leave the place. Yu Wenxian stood in the shadow outside the Refining Hall, watching Su Jie¡¯s departing figure, her smiling face gradually becoming solemn as she muttered to herself, ¡°The aura of the Holy Lotus, does he still have lotus seeds on him? It couldn¡¯t be, did he get the Holy Lotus itself?¡± Her eyes turned dangerous, and Yu Wenxian clenched her fingers into a fist. Originally, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus was shattered during the fierce battle between Ghost Ridge Palace and the Righteous Sects, destroying only its lotus bud and seeds. The true body of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus wasn¡¯t something that those in the Secret Realm or Taoist Platform Realm could shatter; its whereabouts now unknown. ¡°Junior Brother Su, this Immortal Seed itself had already charmed me, but now with this Holy Lotus, I admire you even more,¡± she said. Yu Wenxian returned to her bedchamber, stood before a mirror, and bit her fingertip, letting her blood drip onto it. Half a minute later, various sceneries appeared in the mirror, as if soaring across thousands of mountains and rivers, eventually entering a mysterious peach blossom hot spring. Sounds of silvery laughter and seductive panting echoed from the mirror; in the hot spring, several women dressed in thin, revealing gauze lounged, their elegant bodies displayed, their smooth arms and long legs highlighted, their skin as white as jade. Occasionally, water splashed around, scattering fragrant peach blossoms, which fell on the charming figures, creating an enchantingly beautiful scene that made one¡¯s mouth go dry and tongue tingle. The scenery then shifted, focusing on a woman who just emerged from the hot spring, appearing as a fresh lotus out of water. This woman had a radiant and delicate complexion, light makeup accentuating her eyebrows, her eyes brimming with vivacity, and her skin as tender as warm jade. Her lips were as delicate as flowers, her waist so fine it could seemingly be encompassed by a hand, her allure unparalleled, beautiful as if she were a fairy not of this mortal world; both her figure and appearance far surpassed Yu Wenxian. ¡°How is the situation progressing? Any clues?¡± This woman spoke softly, her voice melodious and gentle, like stream water trickling and willow branches swaying, low and soft yet charmingly alluring. ¡°Sect Master, I haven¡¯t found where the Holy Lotus itself is yet,¡± Yu Wenxian responded softly, a hint of self-reproach on her face. ¡°Originally, only Ghost Ridge Palace discovered the Qingliu Earth Spirit River to be suitable for the growth of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. You were ordered to infiltrate Ghost Ridge Palace to plant the Sect¡¯s sacred artifact in the Qingliu Earth Spirit River, but in the end, our Desire Sect came away empty-handed!¡± The woman¡¯s voice from the mirror couldn¡¯t be discerned as either happy or angry, just slightly sighing. ¡°Sect Master, although I haven¡¯t found the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus itself, I¡¯ve found some important clues. Additionally, I¡¯ve also discovered an Immortal Seed,¡± Yu Wenxian quickly spoke, sharing all her findings from inside Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°An Immortal Seed, you mean he might carry the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus on him?¡± After hearing this, the woman in the mirror showed disbelief and then said, ¡°Regardless of whether there is a Holy Lotus, an Immortal Seed is nevertheless rare. You should bring him in for dual cultivation. This will compensate for your faults, and I will have the Sect Elders aid you. Meanwhile, continue to search for the Holy Lotus itself. The Sect¡¯s sacred artifact must not be spied upon or usurped by others.¡± ¡°Yes, Sect Master, I will accomplish it.¡± Yu Wenxian knelt on the ground, assuring the figure. The mirror image gradually faded, leaving only a soft sound coming through: ¡°Complete the mission soon so your infiltration can also end early, and you may return to the Desire Sect.¡± ¡°Return.¡± Watching the dissipating image in the mirror, Yu Wenxian¡¯s eyes filled with longing and nostalgia, as she pondered various plans in her mind. As for Su Jie, it was impossible to take him by force; she could only resort to the combined strengths of other forces within the Desire Sect for any chance of success. ¡°Junior Brother Su, don¡¯t blame your elder sister. Becoming the Desire Sect¡¯s cauldron isn¡¯t a disgrace to your talents,¡± she murmured, suddenly thinking of something, as Yu Wenxian flicked her hair at her temples, revealing a tipsy, captivating smile. An Immortal Seed was enough for her to take risks, let alone the hint of a Nine-grade Sacred Lotus on Su Jie. Chapter 354: 249: Puppetry Technique (First Update) Chapter 354: Chapter 249: Puppetry Technique (First Update) Su Jie asked around for directions, and this time, he finally found the location of the Puppet Hall. It was situated at the edge of the Mountain Gate¡¯s territory. That wasn¡¯t really a problem; many departments like the Refining Hall had their risks, such as explosions occurring from failed artifact refining. ¡°This place, it truly is dilapidated!¡± Su Jie looked at the Puppet Hall. Although it covered a large area, it was very old inside. The wooden vermilion door was mottled and peeling, stubborn weeds grew through the gaps in the blue stone pavement of the courtyard, the iron railings were speckled with rust, and the corners of the roof beams had become a haven for spider webs. Creak! ... Su Jie pushed open the semi-closed door and confidently stepped inside. ¡°Brother Zhu, the Poison Demon Vine extract is ready. Do you think we need to dry it further and extract the fibers?¡± ¡°Take this Xuanbing Stone for grinding; we need it in powder form to enhance the puppet¡¯s resistance to cold.¡± ¡°The movements of this puppet arm are too rough. Who was in charge of handling this? I can¡¯t even straighten the arm.¡± ¡°Top Grade Spirit Stone? Where am I supposed to find you a Top Grade Spirit Stone now? Just make do with Mid-grade Spirit Stones; a little less power is not too bad.¡± Bursts of discussion came from the yard. About thirty disciples were busily engaged there, some processing materials, others assembling puppets, and some testing the puppets¡¯ functionalities. Su Jie did not immediately approach to disturb them but stood aside and watched. He saw the disciples clearly divided their tasks on a vast, flat ground, using their physical prowess far beyond that of ordinary people to calibrate and train a combat puppet standing two and a half meters tall. This combat puppet was covered in a bright blue color, with a round head that featured gems as eyes and sensors. The body was similar to that of an ordinary person, with broad feet and arms that could freely extend and retract. The materials used were extraordinary, including Purple Rhyme Gold Mulberry Wood, Polar Crystals, Moon Spirit Iron, Poison Demon Vine, and Earth Flame Steel Bone... As Su Jie¡¯s Divine Sense swept over the area, he recognized that even the spiritual materials he knew were worth over two thousand Spirit Stones. If one considered the seven or eight Mid-grade Spirit Stones used as the driving source, the cost of such a combat puppet was approaching three thousand Spirit Stones, enough to empty the entire fortune of an ordinary inner disciple. Such a combat puppet, gauged by the depressions it made on the ground, weighed nearly ten tons. Once the combat puppet was adjusted, the test was conducted by a topless, burly man whose voice was extraordinarily loud. ¡°Move aside, move aside! I¡¯m going to test this Angry Flame Puppet now.¡± The burly man shouted and the surrounding disciples hurriedly scattered, gathering at another side to watch. Su Jie naturally blended into the crowd, observing with the others. ¡°Heave, Angry Flame One, target the rock ahead.¡± The brawny man manipulated the spell, and the two gemstone eyes of the blue puppet shone brilliantly. Its heavy body moved in light footwork, flowing nearly at ground level at high speed. Whoosh! A miniature formation emerged on the puppet¡¯s surface, and brilliant blue flames blazed furiously, igniting the entire body. It then swung its fists at a faux-mountain ten meters high in front of it. Boom! The blue flames transformed into a dragon-like fire, instantly blasting the faux-mountain into fragments. Large pieces of broken rock flew through the air, stirring cheers among the group of disciples. Puff Puff Puff! The puppet opened its mouth, spewing a series of fireballs accurately at the falling rocks, further blasting them into smaller pieces, showcasing its long-range attack capabilities. The next moment, the puppet slammed powerfully into a solidly cast steel plate, directly deforming and indenting the steel plate while staying undamaged itself, demonstrating a good defense capability. Finally, in testing its strength and speed, the puppet was capable of achieving speeds over a hundred meters per second. If not for the concern of Spirit Stone energy consumption, its highest speed could break three hundred meters, and it could lift steel columns weighing hundreds of tons. After a series of tests, the arena immediately erupted in applause. The disciples¡¯ faces were elated, and they began discussing excitedly. ¡°This Angry Flame Puppet is really not bad. Based on combat capability, it must have the strength of a Fourth-grade Puppet, right?¡± ¡°Definitely, Brother Zhu is really amazing! He designed this puppet all by himself.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make more of them. With our speed, we can produce one in half a month.¡± ¡°Are you paying? The costs for this Angry Flame Puppet were only gathered by everyone scrimping and saving.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± The mood slightly dampened towards the end of the discussion. ¡°I can sponsor some.¡± Just then, a voice suddenly rose. ¡°Who, who wants to sponsor us?¡± The group of disciples looked around and soon noticed Su Jie speaking. ¡°Who are you?¡± The disciples looked surprised, realizing that a stranger had mixed into their group. ¡°Your awareness for security is completely lacking!¡± Su Jie shook his head. These disciples had probably not left the Puppet Hall for days while working on the Angry Flame Puppet and were unaware of the major event of Su Jie¡¯s advance to the Secret Realm. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re Brother Su.¡± Suddenly, a disciple recognized Su Jie¡¯s face. As the first among disciples, his face was well-recognized in Ghost Ridge Palace, even by these disciples who spent all their days in the Puppet Hall doing research. ¡°Elder Su.¡± Meanwhile, the burly man who was testing the Angry Flame Puppet suddenly shouted out, his face full of shock. ¡°Ah! Elder?¡± The surrounding disciples were collectively stunned, their eyes filled with astonishment. ¡°Brother Su advanced to the Secret Realm, and his breakthrough even triggered a heavenly phenomenon. I saw it when I was outside earlier.¡± Chapter 357: 251: We Will Win (Third Update) Chapter 357: Chapter 251: We Will Win (Third Update) ¡°It¡¯s not hard to understand, those Europeans are so clever! They see even the Americans don¡¯t want to get involved, afraid of getting mired in another Vietnam War quagmire.¡± Su Jie wasn¡¯t at all surprised by this, Europe had no significant stakes in Southeast Asia, and naturally, they wouldn¡¯t bother coming here to clash with the Jieke Group or charge into battle for the Beautiful Country. ¡°Apart from Japan, that loyal dog, the other countries are all watching and waiting.¡± Liu Yingying smiled with pursed lips. As a Hua Country person, Liu Yingying naturally had no fondness for Japan. ¡°It just goes to show the remote breeding techniques of the Beautiful Country are highly sophisticated; this ¡®raising sons to provide in old age¡¯ strategy really paid off. Without Japan to fight on their behalf, I wonder if they could bear such casualties if the Beautiful Country soldiers were to come forward,¡± he said, caressing Liu Yingying¡¯s thigh, causing her to let out a chuckle. ¡°Recently, Japan¡¯s air force began to strut their stuff again, making multiple passes at the edge of the airspace over East Qin State and Ji State. However, according to our intelligence, this time Japan has dispersed their airports and built them all in the hinterlands of Southern Chan Country. Every sortie is accompanied by two or three extra fuel tanks for long-distance flights, precisely because they fear a repeat of our last surprise attack.¡± ... ¡°The next big war, if it comes to a conflict, will only be fought in high-mountain and dense-forest environments. Air superiority isn¡¯t the main issue here. What we need to guard against is Japanese fighter jets launching attacks in East Qin State and Ji State ¨C bombing our power plants, fuel depots, electronic communications facilities, and weapons factories, crippling our command, control, communications, and intelligence capabilities. How is our underground defense preparation coming along?¡± asked Su Jie, stroking his chin. Given Japan¡¯s nature, they were certainly capable of such a move. If a large number of civilian and military infrastructure was destroyed, it would cause significant problems for the Jieke Group. ¡°Following your orders, we¡¯ve trained the locals in the corresponding air raid warning exercises and set up multiple air-raid shelters in the city. In addition, we¡¯ve dug out vast bunkers in the mountains and underground throughout East Qin State and Ji State, stocked up on a mass of communication equipment, fuel, and power-generating devices, etc., as well as various munitions and ammunition. We are also using underground bunkers for protection to prevent them from striking at our war potential,¡± Liu Yingying reported everything was progressing smoothly. With the Thousand-Hand Centipede as the main force in the excavation, it was far more formidable than any so-called shield tunneling machine. With various construction machinery, pouring concrete and building in the bunkers was no trouble for the Jieke Group. ¡°By the way, Su Jie, there have been some movements from our neighbors recently. Our informants found that CIA members have been in touch with those warlords from Chan Country Northern Territory.¡± Liu Yingying suddenly brought up a matter that once again brought the CIA into Su Jie¡¯s attention after a long absence. ¡°The CIA, it seems they can¡¯t stand being idle. Are they trying to bribe those warlords, setting us up for a pincer attack?¡± Su Jie raised an eyebrow, immediately guessing at the CIA¡¯s intentions. On the map, Chan Country looked like a diamond-shaped crystal, pointed at both ends and thick in the middle. The territory of the Jieke Group currently spanned the upper part of the diamond shape, with East Qin State located mainly in the higher region, and Ji State in the middle, thicker waist. To the south was the domain of the Chan Country Government Army. To the north lay the various scattered warlord territories of Chan Country, who financed their military through opium cultivation and management of various illegal businesses like telecom fraud, gambling, and brothels. The infamous Golden Triangle was situated in this region. These warlords were not obedient to the Chan Country Government, and frequently clashed fiercely with the Chan Country Government Army. In the past, it would have been virtually impossible for the Chan Country Government to form an alliance with these warlords, as both sides had been locked in conflict for many years and were deeply entrenched in their respective differences. But now, with the CIA meddling, things became unpredictable. You could curse the CIA, but you definitely couldn¡¯t doubt their ability to stir up trouble, instigate discord, and create war conflicts¡ªthey were top-notch in that regard. ¡°We also need to be wary of these warlords now.¡± Liu Yingying felt that there were still too few Super Soldiers prepared and planned to increase the number of militia training. ¡°Those warlords don¡¯t amount to much, relying on armies sustained through illegal businesses, with limited combat power and will. It¡¯s only because of the vast primeval jungles in the northern territory of Chan Country that they seem formidable. Using jungle and guerrilla warfare, they can make the Chan Country Government Army run in circles, but against us, heh!¡± Su Jie scoffed. When it came to special operations in the jungle, who was more suitable than Steel Camp? It was almost overkill. Even if they only deployed First-class Super Soldiers from Steel Camp, let alone the second-class and third-class ones, entering such a primal jungle environment would let their individual soldier qualities be fully realized. Without the cover and suppression of heavy weapons firepower, that place was practically heaven for Super Soldiers. ¡°Su Jie, when do you predict the war will break out?¡± Liu Yingying asked the most pressing question. The foreboding atmosphere throughout Chan Country was palpable not only to the warring parties but also, the international community generally believed that a monumental war would soon erupt in Chan Country. This war could very well determine the fate of Chan Country¡¯s sovereignty. ¡°The war could break out as soon as within two months, or within half a year at the latest. Pay attention to the online public opinion. When international public opinion intervention explodes, and when the Eight Nation Group starts frequent military drills, those will be the precursors to the outbreak of war,¡± Su Jie said in a grave tone. Both the Chan Country Government and Japan needed time to prepare logistical supplies, as did the Jieke Group. The consumption of resources in modern warfare is astonishingly high¡ªa single missile costs several million Hua Yuan. The preparation of various supplies before the outbreak of the war, including ammunition, steel, oil, cement, coal, food, medicine, etc., are all critical resources. Neither side would rashly go to war without being fully prepared; otherwise, if the supply lines were cut during the conflict, it would be an utter tragedy. ¡°We can win this,¡± Liu Yingying clenched her small fist and swung it a few times to boost her spirits, albeit feeling a bit uncertain. After all, they were facing the Eight Nation Group, backed by the Beautiful Country, the world¡¯s superpower, along with Japan, the world¡¯s fourth-largest economy, and a bunch of minor powerhouses from Southeast Asia. It could be said that in terms of national power, financial resources, and military strength, the Eight Nation Group surpassed the Jieke Group by an immeasurable margin. Just considering Beautiful Country alone, its annual military expenditure neared one trillion US dollars, accounting for about 40% of the world¡¯s military spending. This figure, compared to the Jieke Group¡¯s annual profit of seventy to eighty billion US dollars and a military expenditure of two to three hundred billion US dollars, was especially stark, not to mention that the Beautiful Country brought along a string of allies. ¡°Of course, we will win. When have I ever lost? No matter how many enemies come, I will make this primeval jungle of Chan Country their graveyard. I¡¯ll show those outsiders that the forest can¡¯t be simply conquered with technology and weapons¡ªit¡¯ll become our perfect slaughterhouse for special operations.¡± Su Jie patted Liu Yingying¡¯s head reassuringly. Chapter 358: 252: Rocket Artillery (First Update) Chapter 358: Chapter 252: Rocket Artillery (First Update) Click! Click! A week later, Su Jie was fiddling with a half-meter-tall puppet on the table. The puppet was made of simple spirit wood, with very little precious spiritual material. It couldn¡¯t compare to those truly used in battle. ¡°Yin God Puppet Technique.¡± When Su Jie bit his fingertip, letting his blood drop onto the puppet, it immediately started moving with clicks, stepping forward under the control of Su Jie¡¯s Spiritual Power. ¡°Jump!¡± ... Receiving the command, the puppet hopped. ¡°Roll!¡± ¡°Run!¡± ¡°Squat!¡± ¡°Backflip!¡± ¡°Dog paddle with all four limbs on the ground!¡± ¡°Attack my house¡¯s thousand-hand centipede.¡± Su Jie continuously performed tests; the little puppet got noisy due to its poor material causing severe joint friction. In the end, it even annoyed the sleeping thousand-hand centipede, which turned over and sent it flying with one flip, the puppet crashing against the wall with a smack, its body cracking twice and completely breaking down. Buzz! Buzz! The thousand-hand centipede turned over and went back to deep sleep. ¡°Looks like I have quite a talent for learning puppetry techniques!¡± Despite this, a smile appeared on Su Jie¡¯s face. Having practiced the puppetry technique to this extent in just a week, Su Jie considered himself quite gifted. He dismantled the broken puppet, recycling some materials that were still usable, tidied up and left the residence to go to the Puppet Hall. As with his last visit here, the disciples of the Puppet Hall had gathered, but this time they weren¡¯t fiddling with puppets but were huddled around a drawing board covered with dense drafts of designs, discussing new puppet schemes. ¡°Master.¡± Zhu Zhangqi spotted Su Jie and hurriedly stood up. The other disciples followed, getting up to salute, their voices rustling as they ran up near Su Jie. Because a few days earlier, Su Jie had mentioned that he would show them a brand new puppet design, and everyone was curious. ¡°Here are my design drawings.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t keep them in suspense, pulling out a bunch of drawings from his Storage Bag, the number of which was considerable. Taking one of the weapon structure drawings, Su Jie placed it in front of the drawing board for everyone to see. ¡°What is this, so many tubes?¡± Zhu Zhangqi leaned in, looking at the weirdly shaped puppet design in front, his head popping up with a bunch of question marks. The design depicted a perfectly square rectangular shell. The front of the shell had dozens of honeycomb-shaped openings, with several round wheels below, similar to car wheels, and a pulling device, mostly pulled by oxen or horses. ¡°Is this a puppet?¡± ¡°What are all these chimneys for?¡± ¡°Such a strange puppet, how does it fight? It doesn¡¯t look fast, and there isn¡¯t a levitating array on top, it shouldn¡¯t be able to fly.¡± A group of Puppet Hall disciples looked utterly baffled; they had played with puppets for many years and seen all kinds of ingenious designs, but they had never seen such a square puppet. ¡°This type of puppet, I call it a Rocket Artillery.¡± Su Jie explained with a smile, pointing to the rocket artillery drawings, which Liu Yingying had collected for him. Rocket artillery isn¡¯t a sophisticated weapon nowadays. Current rocket artillery is advancing towards informatized, digitalized, and intelligent development. Liu Yingying got it from the Mao Bear Country, the inventor of rocket artillery, without asking for a price. Hearing that Jieke Company, a super military-goods customer, wanted old rocket artillery designs, the Mao Bear Country¡¯s ordnance design bureau sent a package directly. ¡°Rocket Artillery? Master, how does this weapon attack?¡± Zhu Zhangqi was scratching his head, the currently most skilled puppet master in Puppet Hall, capable of independently designing fourth-grade puppets, yet baffled by this oddly shaped puppet. ¡°Its weapon isn¡¯t for close combat but for striking enemies several kilometers away. The specific principle uses spirit stones as kinetic energy to launch this tail-fin rocket ammunition from the barrel, striking distant enemies.¡± As Su Jie spoke, he pointed to a young disciple next to him and smiled, ¡°Zhang Lei, didn¡¯t you come up with a kind of jet-type spirit stone kinetic energy device last time? It can be used here; the specifics are on the drawings, let¡¯s start like this...¡± Su Jie took the drawings and began to educate them one by one about the structure of the rocket artillery. ¡°Did everyone understand?¡± An hour later, Su Jie looked around at them again. A group of disciples nodded; they were all talents studying puppetry techniques. Although the rocket structure was weird, the principle wasn¡¯t complex, and they quickly understood. ¡°Good, then let¡¯s start production. Let¡¯s first make a prototype.¡± Su Jie clapped his palms and handed over the design blueprints to them. ¡°Yes, Master, but we don¡¯t have much spiritual material left in our hall.¡± Zhu Zhangqi was full of confidence, but when it came to spiritual materials and money, his tone immediately sank. ¡°What spiritual materials do you plan to use to make it?¡± Su Jie asked directly. ¡°I plan to use Bihai Iron as the main body. This type of steel is sturdy and heat-resistant, with good anti-vibration properties, and it can also improve firing accuracy. Moreover, to make the triggering device more rapid, it would be best to use the Shunri Treasure Pearl for energy storage... Also, for the tail fins of the rocket, I plan to use golden thread tail feathers....¡± Zhu Zhangqi went on without stopping, already clear in his mind on how to create the rocket artillery Su Jie was talking about. ¡°Stop, stop, stop.¡± Su Jie interrupted Zhu Zhangqi, looking at him with a helpless expression. ¡°Why are you using such good materials? Based on your approach, how high would the cost of this rocket artillery be?¡± ¡°But, shouldn¡¯t puppets use good materials!¡± Zhu Zhangqi scratched his head, looking quite innocent as he spoke. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed your way of thinking. Listen to me, the main body of the rocket should primarily use some lower-grade Spirit Steel. Except for the Spiritual Power used in the propulsion, replace all other spiritual materials with the lowest grade possible, wherever you can save, save.¡± Su Jie commanded without hesitation. Zhu Zhangqi and the other disciples of the Puppet Hall hadn¡¯t shifted their thinking and were still thinking of following the high-quality route of past puppet creations, but Su Jie had no intention of doing so. ¡°But in that case, the accuracy and stability would greatly decrease....¡± Zhu Zhangqi wanted to argue further, but facing Su Jie¡¯s gaze, he eventually bowed his head like a defeated rooster, resignedly. ¡°You¡¯ll understand why I¡¯m doing this once the prototype comes out.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, jokingly. What precision does rocket artillery need? Being able to rapidly pour a large amount of explosives onto the target area, creating a dense barrage with a large coverage area, was already sufficient to meet the requirements. As for precision bombing, that was the goal of cannons and missiles, but compared to other cannons, rocket artillery was easier to produce, making it Su Jie¡¯s first choice. ¡°Additionally, this is the spiritual material I have borrowed from the Refining Hall for the Puppet Hall. If any of you need it in the future, you can come to me for approval, as I¡¯m not against supporting your research in puppetry.¡± Su Jie took out a brand-new Storage Bag filled with spiritual materials he had previously borrowed from the Refining Hall. Momentarily, the inside of the Refining Hall was filled with a treasure light, shining brightly with Spiritual Radiance. ¡°Cold Gold Divine Sand, Fire Essence Black Gold, Star Magnetic Crystal Stone, Sky Blue Silk, Heavy Iron Wood, Ten-thousand-year-old Sky Blue, Auspicious Cloud Stone Milk, Xuanbing Soul, Nanming Leaving Fire Stone, Golden Thunder Bamboo...¡± All the disciples present brightened their eyes; many of these spiritual materials were advanced grade and worth thousands of Spirit Stones. Being accustomed to poverty, they were almost too overwhelmed to move upon seeing these materials. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, start making.¡± Su Jie knew what would motivate these guys the most. ¡°Just watch, Master, give us two days, no, one day. We will make the rocket artillery for you in one day.¡± Zhu Zhangqi, as if infused with an adrenaline rush, swung his fist and shouted, ¡°Everyone, get moving, let¡¯s craft the rocket so Master Su can witness our capabilities.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± The disciples rolled up their sleeves and wholeheartedly agreed. Quickly, thirty-six disciples sprung into action. Some began processing steel, throwing Spirit Steel Ore into the furnace to melt using Spiritual Power, refining the necessary steel liquid. Next to them, some used Spiritual Power for artificial casting into the specific molds, channelling the steel liquid into them. Others refined the processed steel liquid, further enhancing the strength of the steel, and while the steel was not yet fully set, they tapped on the cast barrel guides with their bare eyes, achieving precision even finer than a ruler. Some started creating the rocket base, others set up the barrels one by one, and some began manufacturing the corresponding rotating mechanisms and aiming devices. The disciples were clearly divided in their tasks, busy as bees. Compared to crafting the exquisite puppets of the past, making the simple and robust rocket artillery was quite a few levels easier, not to mention the extraordinary power of Spiritual Power which made their production speed soar. Su Jie was not just watching; on those specially made tail fin rockets, he released human-faced moths from the Insect Control Bag, which spat acid into specially made glass containers, completing the manufacturing of the tail fin rockets. As afternoon arrived, the first rocket artillery was produced thanks to everyone¡¯s joint efforts. It was still the first production and a bit rough with many areas needing a bit of research, but after becoming practiced, the speed would increase even more. ... As the sun set, a rocket artillery appeared on the ground of the Puppet Hall. The cold steel body of the vehicle, 32 cold barrel guides arrayed in 4*8 formation, and 220 mm caliber tail fin rockets placed within them. The wheels underneath formed largely, not of rubber but of a type of resin called Yellow Dragon Liquid, which performed similarly to rubber. Seeing the completed rocket artillery, Su Jie called forth the Thousand-Handed Centipede and said to Zhu Zhangqi and the others, ¡°Come up, let¡¯s go test the effectiveness of this weapon.¡± ¡°So big!¡± The disciples, having seen Su Jie¡¯s widely renowned Thousand-Handed Centipede, internally marveled at its well-deserved reputation as a Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect, and then cautiously climbed onto the back of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Su Jie also stored the rocket rounds in the Storage Bag, guiding the Thousand-Handed Centipede into the air, ready to find a spot to test the power of the Tianyuan World version of the rocket artillery. Chapter 359: 253: Commission Research and Development (Second Update) Chapter 359: Chapter 253: Commission Research and Development (Second Update) Half an hour later, Su Jie arrived at a relatively flat area. He took out the rocket artillery again. This tens of tons big guy was placed on the level ground. Su Jie looked around and then pointed at a spot, saying, ¡°See that forest over there, we¡¯ll hit that place.¡± Zhu Zhangqi personally went into action, adjusting the orientation and elevation of the rocket projectile to form an angle with the horizon, and after triple checking everything was correct. ¡°Master Su, it¡¯s been aimed.¡± ¡°Then what are we waiting for, fire.¡± At Su Jie¡¯s command, the disciples who had been waiting there pressed the activation device. ... Whoosh whoosh whoosh! As the spiritual stone propulsion devices at the rear of the rockets were activated in sequence, the rockets emitted rolling spiritual power glows. The 220 mm, 280 kg tail-fin rockets dashed out one after another. In less than 20 seconds, all 32 rockets were launched, their foldable tail fins snapping open, stabilizing the flight of the projectiles. After a brief flight, the rockets fell at the predetermined location. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! In the forest designated by Su Jie, 32 rockets landed and exploded, but instead of flames, a large amount of acid splashed out. A terrifying scene unfolded: the trees touched by the acid solution were directly corroded and dissolved, and the ground became pockmarked, dissolving into numerous deep pits. The 32 rockets weren¡¯t especially precise, but the area of damage they covered was enormous. The trees within the killing range were in trouble; they looked as if they had been gnawed by dogs. Large ancient trees were corroded and fell, leaving the ground looking like the surface of the moon. ¡°This... This method of attack...¡± Seeing this scene with his own eyes, Zhu Zhangqi suddenly stood up, his mouth forming an ¡®O¡¯ shape, standing there like a wooden man. The other disciples were more or less the same, staring agape as if they had been hit on the head with a stick. In the past, they had been dedicated to researching combat puppets that were stronger in defense, faster, more powerful, and had more capabilities. They had never imagined that a rocket artillery, which seemed so ordinary and as if it had been cobbled together from junk, could deliver such terrifying firepower in a short period of time and strike at an enemy from extreme range. This distance had already far exceeded the limit of what Yunling Realm disciples could attack, even when controlling swarms of insects it wouldn¡¯t reach that far. ¡°Little Zhu, how much does one of these rocket artillery vehicles cost to make, and how much does it cost to fire just once?¡± Su Jie chuckled lightly and patted Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s shoulder standing beside him. Zhu Zhangqi quickly did some calculations in his mind and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°We used cheap materials, so a single rocket artillery vehicle costs around 200 spirit stones. The cost per rocket fired is 3 spirit stones each, plus other materials, the price to produce each rocket projectile is 5 spirit stones. To fire all at once would be just 160 spirit stones, of course, this doesn¡¯t include the value of your poisonous insect acid.¡± Such power at such a cost was an extremely high value for money. Though at first glance, firing a salvo of rocket artillery required 160 spirit stones, equivalent to an Outer Disciple¡¯s annual income or the price of a low-grade lower-level magical artifact. But these 32 rockets covered such an extensive area, and their power was so astonishing, the value for money was incomparable. ¡°So now you understand why I wanted to develop this kind of rocket artillery and had you use inexpensive materials.¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile grew bigger as he gestured with his hands, ¡°Think about it, if we were to possess a hundred, or even a thousand of this kind of rocket artillery, all firing at once, can you imagine the scene?¡± Upon hearing this, everyone on site shuddered simultaneously. Zhu Zhangqi finally understood why Su Jie had repeatedly asked him to reduce costs. If indeed they could get a few hundred rocket artillery vehicles, the killing power of firing all at once would be incomparable. Perhaps they couldn¡¯t threaten the Secret Realm, and posed little threat to Inner Sect Disciples, but most Outer Disciples, faced with the overwhelming assault of rocket artillery, would find it difficult to defend effectively and could only hope to dodge quickly enough. ¡°Master Su, I understand now. You want to use these rocket artillery pieces to confront those of the Righteous Sect outside, wreaking havoc on their Outer Disciples.¡± Zhu Zhangqi became excited. Making such rocket artillery was not difficult for him, and after becoming proficient, the production speed could be made even faster. ¡°As long as you understand. Our Sect is heading into a great battle soon, and this rocket artillery will be our Puppet Hall¡¯s trump card. You start by making thirty rocket artillery vehicles, and then I will personally find the Sect Master and show him the fruits of our Puppet Hall¡¯s labor. Once we pass the Sect Master¡¯s inspection, funding for the Puppet Hall will start rolling in.¡± Su Jie laughed heartily, confidant that once the rocket artillery¡¯s effectiveness was demonstrated, Sect Master Zhang Junwei would not skimp on investing in the war effort. On one hand, this would secure benefits for the Puppet Hall and also help to establish a reputation for both the Puppet Hall and for Su Jie himself, facilitating future endeavors. ¡°We will do as you say, Master Su.¡± ¡°The Sect Master will definitely see us in a new light.¡± ¡°Who would have thought that something so cheap could produce such deadly force, I originally thought that puppets had to be made in human form to maintain their combat capabilities.¡± The many disciples looked on fervently¡ª if they could realize Su Jie¡¯s idea, their Puppet Hall would make a massive impact. ............ After arranging the tasks for the Puppet Hall, in the following days, Su Jie started to study the abilities he had gained mastery over after visiting the Secret Realm, mainly concerning the modifications of the human body. Later, Su Jie also visited the Alchemy Pavilion. The head of the Alchemy Pavilion was Tang Peiqing, an Elder well-known to Su Jie. ¡°Master Su, please come in quickly. Are you here to see the Pill Master?¡± A disciple from the Alchemy Pavilion scurried over. The recent commotion about Su Jie taking the position of the Puppet Hall¡¯s master had become well known. Many openly said that Su Jie was squandering his great talent and aptitude, so his appointment as a hall master was common knowledge among the Ghost Ridge Palace disciples. ¡°Not so fast, I want to ask for your Alchemy Pavilion¡¯s help to develop a few kinds of elixirs that can be made from common materials plus Blood Marrow Crystals, with the cost and difficulty of creation being as low as possible.¡± Su Jie took out a piece of paper with his requirements written on it. ¡°Slimming pills, whitening powder, near-sighted pills.¡± The disciples who had gathered around were somewhat astonished as they looked at Su Jie¡¯s list of requests. ¡°Well, Master Su, our Alchemy Pavilion doesn¡¯t offer this service. If you want to purchase elixirs, we¡¯ll try our best to meet your needs if we have them.¡± One of the disciples replied, somewhat embarrassed. The elixirs Su Jie wanted to be made seemed unusual and didn¡¯t appear too difficult to make, it¡¯s just that the Alchemy Pavilion had no precedent for such requests. ¡°The payment will certainly not be shortchanged,¡± Su Jie stated. With a pat to his storage bag at his waist, a series of mid-grade Spirit Stones emerged and floated in the air. Gurgle! The disciples¡¯ eyes widened, and they swallowed hard, hearts racing with excitement. ¡°Haha, Su Jie, when you come to my territory, how can you not contact me first?¡± At this moment, a burst of laughter sounded. Elder Tang Peiqing appeared in sight, obviously informed by the disciples. ¡°Elder Tang, I was planning to look for you after dealing with some matters,¡± Su Jie replied with a smile, explaining his intentions. ¡°These types of elixirs, huh, are for mortals?¡± Elder Tang Peiqing glanced at the list of elixirs and realized that these were made specifically for mortals. In the past, some wealthy cultivators refined such potions for the sake of their descendants in the mortal world. ¡°The difficulty shouldn¡¯t be too great. Please do me a favor, Elder Tang.¡± The alchemists were like the chemists of the Tianyuan World, capable of creating amazing elixirs for regenerating limbs, increasing cultivation, and explosive improvements in battle. As long as they dedicated their efforts, they would certainly be able to develop the elixirs Su Jie had requested. And Su Jie¡¯s pursuit of these elixirs was also to increase the revenue streams for the Jieke Group, creating new flagship products besides the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, to avoid a shortage of funds. ¡°A small matter. You guys go and work on the research,¡± Elder Tang Peiqing brushed it off as trivial, directing a few disciples to assist Su Jie with the task, leaving them with faces full of joy at the rare opportunity to earn extra money. Afterward, Su Jie entered Tang Peiqing¡¯s reception room, where the two enjoyed tea, played chess, and conversed. ¡°Your master, Taoist Qiu, mentioned that you¡¯ve been studying human body modification techniques recently,¡± Elder Tang Peiqing casually inquired while playing chess. ¡°Mainly because advancing to the Secret Realm gave me a new understanding of our sect¡¯s Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture and the Three Secrets of Gu Master. I¡¯m looking to make breakthroughs by trying to modify human bodies.¡± Su Jie opened his left hand, and a human-faced moth appeared on it. As Su Jie fed it Spirit Stones, the moth¡¯s size expanded, becoming stronger. ¡°Elder Tang, now that I have the ability to transform poisonous insects, I was wondering if it¡¯s possible to apply this ability to the human body, compensating for the Gu Master¡¯s weakness in close combat. I heard from my master that you had researched a Cultivation Technique in this area before, so I wanted to ask for your advice.¡± Elder Tang Peiqing asked, ¡°Why not directly learn the Human Worm Refining Technique? That can fundamentally alter the weakness in close combat.¡± ¡°Elder Tang, the Human Worm Refining Technique has some dangerous side effects. If something goes wrong, it could lead to serious problems.¡± Su Jie shook his head; he couldn¡¯t bring himself to cannibalize, plus Su Jie had poisonous insects and the Ghost Bride to protect him, as well as various spells and the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for anyone to approach him. Su Jie approached Elder Tang Peiqing with this topic not because he wanted to learn the technique himself, but to prepare for the upcoming war on Blue Star. Elder Tang Peiqing glanced at Su Jie, understanding his concerns. There were quite a few Demon Cultivators in Ghost Ridge Palace who shared such thoughts¡ªa few could be decisive killers, but not everyone could stomach consuming their own kind. Of course, even so, it didn¡¯t stop them from killing others. ¡°Do you know what Spiritual Quality is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± This was the first time Su Jie had heard of such a concept. ¡°Every person¡¯s Spiritual Quality is different. The Human Worm Refining Technique allows one to devour others¡¯ Spiritual Quality and transform it for combination, gaining better compatibility with one¡¯s Lifebound poisonous insect.¡± Elder Tang Peiqing, with his wealth of experience and deep knowledge within the Ghost Ridge Palace, easily clarified Su Jie¡¯s confusion with some simple pointers. To Su Jie¡¯s own understanding, so-called Spiritual Quality might be something similar to genes. Chapter 360: 254: Biochemical Troop Concept (Third Update) Chapter 360: Chapter 254: Biochemical Troop Concept (Third Update) ¡°Every Gu Master who advances to the Secret Realm will find that the ability to modify and enhance poisonous insects essentially stems from the insects¡¯ own suitability for modification, with their extraordinarily strong evolutionary bodies that only require Spirit Stones to undergo rapid metamorphosis,¡± Su Jie understood that Tang Peiqing was referring to the extraordinary developmental capability of the poisonous insects, a trait that human bodies do not possess. Take the butterfly, for example, after hatching from the egg into a tiny caterpillar, it begins to feed non-stop. In just a few weeks, the larva can increase its weight by 100 times and completely change its form through pupation, emerging as a butterfly. It would be impossible for humans to possess such a frightening rate of abnormal development. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t achieve this kind of ability.¡± ... Tang Peiqing paused, then changed the subject, sparking Su Jie¡¯s interest. ¡°Is there a way?¡± ¡°Of course, there is a way, but the cost is even greater.¡± Tang Peiqing stretched out his left hand and then took out a Low Grade Second Refinement Green Scale Worm and a large number of Spirit Stones. Bang! The Green Scale Worm was slapped to death, and it seemed as if Tang Peiqing extracted something from it, absorbing it into his palm, then placing his palm over the pile of Mid-grade Spirit Stones, drawing the boundless Spiritual Power from them. Visible to the naked eye, the massive amount of Spiritual Power contained within the Spirit Stones was sucked into his arm, causing Tang Peiqing¡¯s arm to undergo drastic changes. His palm thickened and enlarged, his nails became sharp as razors, his arm grew thicker than an elephant¡¯s leg, and it sprouted dense scales. Once those Spirit Stones were depleted, Tang Peiqing¡¯s left hand had transformed into a two-meter long limb, wrapped with blood-red patterns; with a simple wave, the arm smashed through the floor, crushing steel as if it were kneading clay, inheriting the Green Scale Worm¡¯s qualities of increased defense and strength. ¡°Do you understand? This technique is called ¡®Insect Transformation Manual.¡¯ In plants, there¡¯s a method of grafting, where a bud or branch of one plant is joined onto another, resulting in the two parts growing into a complete plant. Similarly, I have grafted the Spiritual Quality of the Green Scale Worm onto my arm, and then used the technique for strengthening poisonous insects to transform my arm into what it is now, having inherited the powerful abilities of the Green Scale Worm.¡± ¡°Incredible! But if this Insect Transformation Manual is so powerful, why haven¡¯t I heard of you using it much, Elder Tang? Inheriting the abilities of some powerful poisonous insects would be extremely formidable, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Su Jie¡¯s face showed his amazement; it was no wonder that Elder Tang was one of the most experienced elders in Ghost Ridge Palace ¨C he knew so much. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you think. You should have discovered when you modify and enhance poisonous insects yourself that the more powerful the poisonous insect is, the more Spirit Stones it requires for modification. Moreover, not just any poisonous insect Spiritual Quality is compatible for grafting; it depends on the compatibility. Also because of the body¡¯s rejection reaction, you need to use Spirit Stones to absorb Spiritual Power periodically, or else this will happen.¡± Tang Peiqing looked at his arm, which, robust as an elephant¡¯s leg, slowly shrank and withered until he simply twisted and broke it off. A new arm writhed on his shoulder, slowly growing out. ¡°The most important reason is that grafting the Spiritual Quality of overly powerful poisonous insects depends on your physical strength; if your body is not strong enough, forcibly grafting the Spiritual Quality of Sixth and Seventh Refinement Poisonous Insects will only cause your own Spiritual Quality to be contaminated and disintegrate, leading to the collapse of your body and death.¡± Tang Peiqing pointed to the severed arm on the ground and explained, ¡°Grafting the power of strong poisonous insects consumes too much in Spirit Stones and requires continuous supply. If you opt for grafting the Spiritual Quality of weaker insects, the increase in combat prowess is minimal, offering little utility. On the other hand, grafting the Spiritual Quality of an insect far beyond your own bodily limits could cause your body to collapse, preventing you from gaining an advanced combat advantage.¡± ¡°Simply put, it comes down to not having enough money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, in this world, many problems can be traced back to money,¡± Elder Tang, looking as if he had found a promising student, laughed heartily as he stroked his beard and continued, ¡°I did pass on the ¡®Insect Transformation Manual¡¯ to quite a few people, but now, within our Sect, the number of Demon Cultivators using this technique is extremely scarce. Because compared to the ability of a Gu Master to inherit the powers of a Lifebound poisonous insect and the strength of the Human Worm Refining Technique, the ¡®Insect Transformation Manual¡¯ doesn¡¯t offer any significant advantage. The only thing that¡¯s not bad about it is that its grafting ability isn¡¯t limited just to the Lifebound poisonous insect; instead, it can consider a wide variety of strange and unusual poisonous insects. Even if there is compatibility, the variety of poisonous insects that can be expanded upon is still much richer. But in the end, because it consumes too many Spirit Stones, it becomes all show and no substance, far less straightforward, practical, and economical than the Human Insect Sacrifice.¡± ¡°Elder Tang, could you teach me this Cultivation Technique?¡± Su Jie, however, lit up at hearing this; he didn¡¯t plan to use this technique himself but considered it for his ordinary soldiers. His concept of transforming the biochemical troops could now be put on the schedule right away. After all, ordinary soldiers don¡¯t require poisonous insects of high Spiritual Quality; they aren¡¯t facing Cultivators, just ordinary humans. The Spiritual Quality extracted from common insects on Blue Star is more than enough. In this way, the financial burden on Su Jie wouldn¡¯t be too heavy, and he could also acquire a powerful force of Transformed Persons, advancing beyond the foundation of the Steel Camp. ¡°There¡¯s no problem in teaching you, but are you sure you really want to learn this? I see that your thousand-hand centipede is already at Mid Grade Five Refinement; the inherited ability of your lifebound poisonous insect must be quite good. There¡¯s no need to be overly greedy.¡± ¡°Elder Tang, I want to compensate for my close combat deficiencies and plan to graft. Whatever the toll on Spirit Stones, I¡¯ll accept it,¡± ¡°All right then, as long as you have your own ideas about it,¡± Hearing this, Elder Tang didn¡¯t try to dissuade him any further and instead took a Jade Scroll from his bosom. ¡°This is the scripture for the ¡®Insect Transformation Manual;¡¯ you should study it when you return. The difficulty of learning isn¡¯t high, and with your aptitude, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Thank you, Elder Tang.¡± Su Jie jubilantly accepted it; indeed, Taoist Qiu was right¡ªthere was good stuff to be found with Elder Tang, and this Cultivation Technique perfectly suited Su Jie¡¯s needs. ¡°Don¡¯t place too much hope in this Cultivation Technique. If you truly want to make up for close combat deficiencies, it would be better to practice Human Worm Refining Technique. At most, you would just be conflicted at the beginning. We Demon Cultivators should not be troubled by such trifles,¡± Elder Tang, unaware of why Su Jie was so pleased, couldn¡¯t help but speak out, fearing that Su Jie would recklessly graft too powerful poisonous insect Spiritual Quality without considering the risks. Even Elder Tang, who created the ¡®Insect Transformation Manual,¡¯ had not continued to practice it himself, which shows that such a technique has its flaws and isn¡¯t as practical as the ancestral Magic Skill of the Human Worm Refining Technique. ¡°Elder Tang, don¡¯t worry about me; I¡¯ll be careful in my cultivation,¡± Su Jie said with a smile, waving his hand and walking out of Elder Tang¡¯s house, eager to go back and start his experiments. Chapter 361: 255: Gene Potion and Human Body Modification (First Update) Chapter 361: Chapter 255: Gene Potion and Human Body Modification (First Update) ¡°Yes, I understand. I will report immediately.¡± Half a month later, at the training grounds of Jieke Group¡¯s Steel Camp, Miao Lun hung up the phone and strolled onto the drill field, bellowing loudly. ¡°Assemble.¡± In an instant, the First-class Super Soldiers who were training there rapidly converged, lining up neatly in front of Miao Lun. Each of them exuded a fierce presence, along with a formidable aura. Miao Lun looked around the group before saying, ¡°We¡¯ve received orders from above. We need to conduct a human enhancement experiment similar to the one to become a First-class Super Soldier. Those willing to participate, step forward.¡± Whoosh! ... The moment Miao Lun¡¯s words ended, the hundred or so soldiers of the Steel Camp stepped forward in unison, with none choosing to remain in place. To become the Jieke Group¡¯s ace Super Soldiers, these Steel Camp soldiers were among the most loyal to the Jieke Group. From volunteering to become Super Soldiers to joining the Steel Camp, there were many checkpoints along the way, one of which required proving their loyalty. Moreover, they had already participated in related biological experiments. Symbiotic poisonous insects still lay dormant in the hearts of every soldier¡¯s body. When these symbiotic insects were first integrated, there was a half-month period of rejection during which nearly every soldier endured daily torment. If it weren¡¯t for their unwavering loyalty to the Jieke Group, they wouldn¡¯t have signed up voluntarily. Of course, after the half-month adaptation period, the symbiotic poisonous insects also provided them with physical prowess far beyond that of ordinary soldiers, making them the strongest special forces in the history of Blue Star humans, with physical qualities surpassing those of champions in all areas of athletics. ¡°Very well, pack your gear and come with me to meet General Su,¡± Miao Lun nodded. The soldiers quickly got ready, each carrying two large iron boxes containing their Battle Armor and weapons, and then boarded the armored personnel carriers. ........ In a large bio-experimental lab, security was tight, with guard posts every five steps and sentries every ten steps. Patrols of soldiers with military dogs and placements of Heavy Weapons made the atmosphere so strict that it could chill the timid. However, this was hardly a concern for the Steel Camp soldiers who had been through countless brutal battles and whose hands were stained with blood. ¡°Camp Commander Miao, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I am Wu Guosuo, the deputy head of Research and Development at Jieke Group,¡± said a man in a white lab coat who appeared quite amiable as he welcomed Miao Lun and his entourage. ¡°Good to meet you, Supervisor Wu.¡± The two shook hands and greeted each other. Jieke Security and the Jieke Group weren¡¯t traditionally in a superior-subordinate relationship. Even though the military funding of Jieke Security all came from the Group, these ordinary executives of the Group had no authority to command Security Department soldiers. The Steel Camp was even more special, taking orders only from Su Jie himself, with any deployment requiring his personal consent. ¡°Please come with me, Camp Commander Miao. I¡¯ll take you through a decontamination process and some prep work first,¡± Wu Guosuo led the group of Super Soldiers into the laboratory compound and started briefing them, ¡°For the next month, after undergoing the enhancement, you¡¯ll need to live here for adaptation and observation. If any problems arise with your bodies, we can deal with them promptly as we have the most professional equipment and doctors.¡± Each Super Soldier went through a rigorous decontamination process, changed into loose-fitting clothing, and with the help of nurses, completed the preliminary medical checkups to receive reports on their physical conditions. Miao Lun stood by the laboratory window, chatting idly with Wu Guosuo. Through their conversation, Miao Lun learned that Wu Guosuo had studied abroad when he was young, worked in well-known medical institutions, returned to Chan Country to become one of the few high-end medical researchers, and eventually joined the Jieke Group. People like Wu Guosuo were not uncommon in the Jieke Group. With benefits superior even to those of a Fortune 500 company, working here was very comfortable, provided no betrayal occurred. The fate of those who did betray the Jieke Group or who infiltrated as spies needed no explanation; there were always a few people every month who would be taken away to be used for target practice. ¡°What are those people doing?¡± While they were talking, Miao Lun suddenly pointed. Following the direction of his finger, a few container trucks could be seen driving in. Armed soldiers escorted a group of men and women, dressed in prisoner attire with hoods over their heads, down and into a nearby building. ¡°Those are experimental consumables,¡± Wu Guosuo replied calmly, pushing his glasses up his nose. ¡°Consumables?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s a human-related enhancement experiment, to ensure no mistakes, we¡¯ve conducted several clinical trials in advance to find a safe and suitable modification plan. Of course, don¡¯t mind it, Camp Commander Miao. These people are death row inmates taken from prisons. As you know, in the recent new regime of Ji State, many capitalists and former officials who didn¡¯t comply with us and profited from the crisis were purged by the Group¡¯s forces. Others are thugs who caused havoc during the chaos of the war. They have provided valuable data during clinical trials, which you could say is the last bit of value in their lives.¡± Miao Lun nodded. He was aware of the Jieke Group¡¯s severe treatment of corrupt officials within its ranks. He himself had participated in similar capture operations and had no sympathy for those scoundrels. Chapter 362: 255: Gene Potion and Human Body Modification (First Update)_2 Chapter 362: Chapter 255: Gene Potion and Human Body Modification (First Update)_2 Several hours later, Miao Lun, the commander of Steel Camp, was the first to be called in for the transformation experiment. The experimental site was not on the ground, but inside a mountain structure similar to a nuclear defense facility, ensuring absolute safety of the experiments and protecting them from enemy attacks and destruction. In a dust-free, sterile operating room, Miao Lun met several doctors, including Wu Guosuo and his direct superior. ¡°Hello, General Su.¡± Miao Lun instinctively stood at attention and saluted. ¡°Hmm, Miao Lun, are you feeling nervous now?¡± ... Su Jie nodded at Miao Lun while wearing medical gloves. ¡°No, I trust General Su.¡± Miao Lun shook his head, his eyes determined. ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry, the transformation is very safe; we have conducted numerous experiments already.¡± Su Jie waved his hand and a doctor handed him an album that contained various insect illustrations and their descriptions. In the album, Miao Lun saw ants, venomous snakes, dragonflies, bats, beetles, and more, but they were different from the insects he knew; their appearances varied significantly. ¡°These are newly bred after hybridization.¡± Su Jie offered a reason, but in reality, these insects were native to Tianyuan. Su Jie originally planned to extract the genes of the Blue Star¡¯s Poison Insects, but he found their genes too fragile; upon entering and strengthening the human body, they often caused collapse due to various rejections, so Su Jie chose these Poison Insects from Tianyuan World instead. ¡°This experiment is about enhancing a certain specialized ability of the Poison Insect in your body. You can understand it as genetic modification, allowing you to have the powerful characteristic abilities of insects. According to your physical health report, you can be enhanced with the abilities of three different Poison Insects. These are the combinations of abilities we recommend for you, which also had the highest compatibility with you in the blood tests. You make the choice.¡± ¡°I choose this one.¡± After some contemplation, Miao Lun finally chose the Long Spear Demon Beetle, Wind Feather Jumping Worm, and Purple Light Bat. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, I am sure.¡± After a brief reply, Miao Lun lay down on the operating table, his upper garment removed. Several doctors fastened Miao Lun¡¯s hands and feet with steel hoops and attached electrodes all over his body, monitoring the data on the supervisory instruments. ¡°You are going to endure severe pain, as it is not suitable to administer anesthetics during the transformation process.¡± Su Jie stood in front of Miao Lun. ¡°General, I will not let you down.¡± Miao Lun¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Being the commander of Steel Camp, he certainly had extraordinary courage. ¡°Endure it.¡± Su Jie nodded, picked up three glass bottles with solutions of different colors inside. These were the Poison Insect genes extracted by Su Jie using the ¡°Insect Transformation Manual,¡± mixed with the Spiritual Power emanating from within the Spirit Stones, creating a special solvent which Su Jie called the gene potion. The solutions from the three vials were drawn out and injected into the body through syringes. Because he wasn¡¯t a Cultivator, Su Jie could only carry out the transformation in this way. As the needle pierced his skin, a chilly sensation spread through his skin. Miao Lun could feel a mysterious power in the gene potion that seemed to be taking root and sprouting silently within his body. A slight sensation of warmth followed, as if his entire body was gradually being activated, his muscles starting to tremble slightly. Then, a strong urge for life began to surge within him, his heartbeat intensifying immeasurably, that warm mysterious power permeating every cell. A minute later, as the gene potion was fully injected, Miao Lun¡¯s body began to undergo drastic changes. His skin turned red and hot as if he were a cooked shrimp, his body temperature began to skyrocket wildly. Miao Lun initially still clinched his teeth, not uttering a sound, even as veins began to bulge on his neck. ¡°` But later, the pain became more and more intense, as if countless Poison Insects were gnawing at his body. Miao Lun, the tough man, began to growl lowly, his muscles started to surge wildly, undergoing even more astonishing transformations. His body kept enlarging, his blood vessels and muscles were like dragons roaming on the surface of his body. Roar! Miao Lun roared in pain, his voice like an enraged brown bear, the iron hoops restraining his limbs cracked, and finally, Miao Lun broke free. Several doctors watched this astounding scene, shocked to the point that their glasses shattered on the floor. In the past, ordinary people involved in experiments could only bear the injection of one type of gene potion, and the amount of gene potion injected was only one-third or half a tube, with far less intense changes; they certainly couldn¡¯t break solid iron hoops. ¡°General, be careful.¡± Fearing Miao Lun might harm Su Jie, a few doctors wanted to take Su Jie away from there. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± But Su Jie waved his hand and quietly watched Miao Lun. Miao Lun had not lost his sanity, it was just the intense changes in his body that made him instinctively want to move around, to vent that burning and itchy pain inside. And in Miao Lun¡¯s heart, where the Symbiotic poisonous insect was parasitic, sensing the danger its host faced, it had already injected sugar and adrenaline into the body, providing Miao Lun with more emergency energy. Gradually, the roaring sound from Miao Lun became lower, he was slowly adapting to the changes in his body. A bizarre scene occurred, on the surface of Miao Lun¡¯s body, layers of a peculiar gel-like substance secreted and proliferated, rapidly solidifying into an exoskeleton like that of insects. His ears enlarged and widened, his leg muscles were so thick that they seemed ready to burst, and on his forehead, two long spear-like horns shot up into the sky. At this moment, Miao Lun looked nothing like a human being and resembled a demon from Hell, with horns on his head and armor all over his body, standing over two meters tall and weighing more than 300 kilograms, exuding an aura that made people tremble. Gurgle! The doctors, sensing an aura like that of a natural predator, began to retreat in panic. ¡°General... General.¡± Miao Lun¡¯s voice was a bit hoarse; he was not used to the changes in his body. ¡°Take a look at your new form.¡± Su Jie pushed over a full-length mirror for Miao Lun to see the changes in himself. When Miao Lun saw his own form in the mirror, he was somewhat stunned. He had originally thought that this transformation would be similar to the Symbiotic poisonous insect, but he did not expect such substantial physical changes. Seeing Miao Lun¡¯s expression, Su Jie chuckled and asked, ¡°Regret it?¡± ¡°Not at all, I am willing to die for Jieke Group,¡± Miao Lun said loudly; however, at the end, he scratched his head with a bit of regret, ¡°My only slight regret is that I didn¡¯t get married sooner. With this form, I¡¯ll certainly be rejected.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± Su Jie smiled and said, ¡°I forgot to tell you, your form can be changed. Insects can molt their exoskeleton, and you can shed this outer exoskeleton and horns too.¡± Upon hearing this, Miao Lun felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Trying to sense his body, the piece of exoskeleton on his hand suddenly turned into a gel-like substance and flowed down to the ground, revealing the normal skin and flesh underneath. Wanting to experiment more, he found that he couldn¡¯t control his body well, some parts could shed while others couldn¡¯t. ¡°You¡¯ll have to slowly master this body¡¯s proficiency in the future, then you¡¯ll be able to change your form at will. But for now, don¡¯t rush to shed your exoskeleton. Come with me to test this body¡¯s data and see how much stronger you¡¯ve become,¡± Su Jie patted Miao Lun¡¯s chest and stood up to leave the operating room, Miao Lun followed behind. Along the way, Miao Lun¡¯s exaggerated and ferocious form attracted countless stares. In a testing ground, there was a specialized track for testing, a barbell for testing strength, and various weapons testing ranges. With several staff members recording, Miao Lun began his first test after taking the gene potion. He grabbed a barbell weighing 500 kilograms with one hand, which didn¡¯t put much pressure on him. Eventually, the weight was increased to two tons, and Miao Lun could still lift it over his head, which was the weight of a small car. In terms of defense, Miao Lun¡¯s performance was equally outstanding. He could easily fend off direct shots from a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun with that exoskeleton made of chitin and ignored sniper rifle shots. Only large-caliber machine guns posed a threat to him. ¡°` Chapter 363: 256: The Power of the Genetic Warrior (Second Update) Chapter 363: Chapter 256: The Power of the Genetic Warrior (Second Update) The staff responsible for recording test data were left dumbfounded as they witnessed Miao Lun¡¯s almost monstrous strength and physical defense, feeling as if their entire worldview had been reshaped. ¡°This is the capacity of the Long Spear Demon Beetle, strength enhancement, and exoskeleton defense. Miao Lun, go try out your speed.¡± Su Jie commented, noting that both strength and defense were quite apparent. ¡°Okay.¡± Miao Lun moved to the front of the track, gently warmed up his well-developed, thick legs¡ªmuscles rippling with raw explosive power. As the staff member uttered the word ¡®start,¡¯ its trailing sound still hung in the air when Miao Lun already sped off like a gust of wind, leaving two dark streaks on the plastic track from the friction. He ran ten laps around the standard four-hundred-meter track without stopping for breath. ... The staff member at the finish line felt like he was watching a peregrine falcon swooping low over the field; every time Miao Lun flashed past, the gust of wind he generated would mess up his hair. When the run was complete and after the high-speed cameras and speedometers completed their calculations, the timekeeper announced that Miao Lun maintained a speed between 145 and 150 kilometers per hour, with top speeds reaching up to 180 kilometers per hour. The fastest land animal on Blue Star, the cheetah, peaks at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour but doesn¡¯t have the same stamina as Miao Lun. As for the fastest human athletes, even the hundred-meter dash, when converted to an hourly speed, is just around forty-some kilometers per hour. At such speeds, let alone running, even driving on a highway at this high velocity wouldn¡¯t be permitted. In short, the staff nearby were all in disarray, feeling as if they were witnessing a legend. ¡°Not bad at all. The abilities of the Wind Feather Jumping Worm are also well-realized here. This agility and neurological reaction speed have improved significantly. Lastly, let¡¯s check out the ability of the Purple Light Bat.¡± Su Jie tossed over a rifle and a piece of cloth, leading Miao Lun to the shooting range. In the field, there were many moving targets, along with chickens and ducks scurrying all around. Miao Lun blindfolded himself, picked up the rifle, and in complete blindness, he fired, hitting every moving target and also killing those unfortunate chickens and ducks in one shot¡ªlooks like the staff will have extra food today. While Miao Lun was shooting, his broad ears twitched sharply, and his throat muscles moved slightly, emitting inaudible low-frequency sound waves, receiving all external information. The Purple Light Bat is a type of poisonous insect in the Tianyuan World, possessing a formidable biological radar ability that allows it to locate itself by emitting ultrasonic waves. These waves bounce back after encountering any obstacle, and the echoes contain information about previously encountered objects, which it uses to construct a picture of the external world. Beyond this, the bat also possesses a geomagnetic sense and polarization vision, essentially acting as a walking compass, able to sense the position of the sun in the sky even on overcast days or at night, much like an internal GPS system. Polarization vision enables the Purple Light Bat to detect hidden light or images, providing an edge in hunting. Simply put, Miao Lun had become a biological radar; even without sight, he could easily lock onto the enemy¡¯s position. His eyesight was similarly greatly enhanced, and polarization vision allowed him to look directly into the midday sun without being dazzled. That¡¯s why Miao Lun could shoot with unerring accuracy without using his eyes. His plethora of senses provided too much information. Once Miao Lun emptied several magazines, the staff went to check and then loudly declared, ¡°90 shots fired, 88 hit their mark.¡± The nearby staff tasked with recording the data applauded in unison, their faces filled with excitement. With such potent Biochemical Soldiers, what fate would await ordinary soldiers who faced them? Miao Lun removed the black cloth blindfolding his eyes. Despite the workout, he barely seemed out of breath, indicative of his excellent physical condition. ¡°General Su, have I succeeded?¡± Miao Lun himself found it incredible; in his current state, he felt significantly more robust than when he had previously taken the Strengthening Pill. Su Jie nodded with satisfaction, saying, ¡°A resounding success. With further training, you can still enhance some aspects. The body gets stronger the more you exercise it, so don¡¯t slack off now because of your current strength.¡± ¡°Yes, General Su. I, Miao Lun, and all of Steel Camp won¡¯t slack off even a bit.¡± Finally, Miao Lun relaxed, fearing he would waste Su Jie¡¯s efforts, as the gene potion he had been given was clearly not cheap. Miao Lun wasn¡¯t wrong in his thinking. The graft of the ¡°Insect Transformation Manual¡± did require Spirit Stones, and a continuous investment of them. ¡°General Su, I feel like I don¡¯t need to take Strengthening Pills anymore.¡± Miao Lun clenched his fist, his physical attributes even more potent than those conferred by the Strengthening Pill, and he felt an itch to destroy something. ¡°Even if you wanted to take them, it would be useless. Strengthening Pills will have no effect on your body anymore.¡± Su Jie smiled and warned, ¡°Aside from training and combat, come back to the base once every two or three months to soak in a nutrient pod; otherwise, your abilities will diminish.¡± The nutrient pod is where Su Jie liquified Spirit Stones and diluted them. Su Jie would regularly add to the pod to ensure the combat effectiveness of these Genetic Warriors. ¡°Miao Lun, starting today, you are responsible for recruiting more Genetic Warriors. If there are suitable talents in the army, you can select them and start their preliminary training. Once they are suitable, transform them into Genetic Warriors. Henceforth, Steel Camp will no longer reserve Super Soldiers but will disseminate them across units, becoming their spearhead assault force.¡± Su Jie issued the stern new order. Though Genetic Warriors were powerful, the grafting process was costly in terms of Spirit Stones, so it was indeed necessary to select the best of the best. Moreover, Super Soldiers had a good cost-performance ratio. Su Jie used to wholesale Strengthening Pills by the tens of thousands from Ghost Ridge Palace, so they would still be retained but dispatched to ordinary troops instead. In the future, Steel Camp would only conserve Genetic Warriors, who, compared to Super Soldiers, had greater fighting power, more diverse skills and abilities, and were better suited for special combat training systems. ¡°Yes, mission guaranteed to be accomplished.¡± Miao Lun was somewhat excited. Just the thought of leading a team of genetically modified warriors into battle made his blood boil with enthusiasm. ¡°Go and carry out the adaptation and coordination; remember to communicate with the engineering department. Have them create weapons and new battle armor that are suited to your genetic modifications,¡± After issuing his final instructions, Su Jie turned and left to perform another genetic warrior modification surgery. Time slipped by quietly, and one by one, the soldiers waiting here from the Steel Camp were transformed. Some had a lower genetic compatibility and could mostly only inherit two insect abilities, but outstanding individuals like Miao Lun inherited the abilities of three insects. Su Jie didn¡¯t interfere much with this. The more insect abilities a genetic warrior inherited, the more expenses for the transformation and the subsequent Spirit Stone supplements. Su Jie had to consider his own wallet. ... Ten days flashed by in the blink of an eye. Within this large experimental base, Miao Lun had seen the creation of hundreds of genetic warriors like him. They trained together, lived together, ate together, adapting to the various changes in their bodies after the modifications. Meanwhile, Su Jie had already returned to Tianyuan World because he too had important matters to attend to. ¡°When did he leave?¡± In Su Jie¡¯s residence, Su Jie asked Ning Xinyue, who was in front of him. ¡°The night before last. The Heavenly Soul Sect left together. You¡¯re really going to take action, huh!¡± Ning Xinyue lounged comfortably in a deck chair, rocking back and forth, enjoying the desserts and fruits served by Su Jie¡¯s maid. ¡°They think they can offend me and then just walk away? It¡¯s not that simple. I couldn¡¯t do much before I was promoted to Secret Realm, but now? Can I really let Zou Minzun run back to his nest?¡± Su Jie snorted coldly. He was one to hold a grudge. The previous targeting from Zou Minzun was fresh in his mind, and now that Su Jie had been promoted to Secret Realm, there was no way he¡¯d allow his foe to continue living in peace. That was not Su Jie¡¯s style. ¡°I have a grudge to settle with him too; he¡¯s blocked me in East Victory City before.¡± Ning Xinyue looked at Su Jie, opened her left hand to reveal five fingers, and said earnestly, ¡°Shall we split it fifty-fifty?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t haggle with Ning Xinyue over the spoils. He stood up and walked towards the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, with Ning Xinyue following closely behind. Stepping out of the mountain gate, Su Jie began to fly, not relying on the flight ability inherited from the thousand-hand centipede, but utilizing the unique Qi Manipulation Flight exclusive to the Secret Realm. With each breath, Su Jie soared upward, flying into the high clouds. Ning Xinyue accompanied him in flight, even intentionally turning back to make a face at Su Jie while their speed continued to increase. ¡°You little rascal, trying to compete with me in speed?¡± Su Jie glanced sidelong at Ning Xinyue who was half a body¡¯s length beside him. He stacked the flying ability inherited from the thousand-hand centipede on top of his Primordial Spirit¡¯s influence on his torso, further increasing his speed. In less than a minute, Su Jie had completely outpaced Ning Xinyue, leaving her unable to even see his taillights. ¡°How can he fly so fast...¡± Ning Xinyue¡¯s bright eyes were wide with disbelief. Ice currents swirled around her, but no matter what she did, she couldn¡¯t catch up to Su Jie, as there was a clear gap between them. Chasing and fleeing, the two of them flew towards the edge of the mountain gate. ¡°Heavens cast the omens, revealing fortune and misfortune; Demon Map, open.¡± Su Jie manipulated the spell, and the air rippled, revealing a semi-transparent portal. This was a method of safely activating the Mountain Protection Array that only the Hidden Realm Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace would teach. Through it, Su Jie was able to sneak out of Ghost Ridge Palace with Ning Xinyue. ¡°Can you lock onto their location?¡± Having left the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie looked at Ning Xinyue. She had been tasked by Su Jie with tracking Zou Minzun¡¯s group. ¡°I placed a traceable object on one of the Heavenly Soul Sect disciples; they likely haven¡¯t noticed it yet.¡± Ning Xinyue pulled out a compass, fiddled with it for a while, and after taking some time to estimate the direction, she said, ¡°Southwest, a little over three hundred li away.¡± ¡°It matches my estimate. They are not flying as fast as us with disciples in tow, so we can catch up.¡± Su Jie chuckled coldly, and then whispered his plan into Ning Xinyue¡¯s ear. ¡°Driving the wolf to devour the tiger, that¡¯s really ruthless.¡± Ning Xinyue murmured, but her eyes gleamed with excitement and clearly looking forward to it. Chapter 364: 257: I am a Demon Cultivator (Third Update) Chapter 364: Chapter 257: I am a Demon Cultivator (Third Update) When the afternoon arrived, Zou Minzun and Zhao Lianshan¡¯s group, who were hurrying back to the Heavenly Soul Sect, suddenly heard shouts of killing. Then they saw a troop of Righteous Cultivators charging and attacking, loudly shouting as they fought. ¡°Kill these Demon Cultivators from Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± ¡°To think they¡¯d dare to barge into our territory and act recklessly, our Elder is here now, let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll escape.¡± ¡°Quick, chase them, they¡¯re running towards the southwest, don¡¯t let them get away.¡± This group of Righteous individuals numbered over a hundred, with eight or nine Elders leading them, their faces filled with rage as they pursued their prey. ... Zou Minzun and the others were completely dumbfounded. They had originally been extremely cautious to avoid the patrols of the Righteous Sects, and with the eerie ability of the fierce ghosts, their movements were still very smooth. Who would have thought that these Righteous Cultivators would create such a mess, charging over as if their lair had been poked. Now their secret operation was ruined, as both parties had caught sight of each other from a distance. ¡°Is it these people?¡± An Elder leading the Righteous Cultivators inquired of a disheveled Disciple beside him. These Elders had rushed over in response to a distress signal, and had not actually seen what the enemies looked like. ¡°It¡¯s them, shrouded in ghostly energy. The Demon Cultivators who attacked us also mockingly used fierce ghosts. There¡¯s absolutely no mistake.¡± The Disciple didn¡¯t hesitate to say, leaving the members of the Heavenly Soul Sect across from him with a question mark over their heads. They were just walking along here, who the hell attacked you? ¡°Wait, it¡¯s a misunderstanding...¡± Zhao Lianshan still wanted to explain, but how would Righteous Cultivators listen to the words of Demon Cultivators? ¡°What¡¯s there to quibble about? Fellow comrades, Disciples, follow me to vanquish the demons.¡± The leading Elder of the Righteous side took out the Xuanmu Ancient Bronze Tripod and, without another word, used it to attack. The other Elders and Disciples followed in the charge, believing that the opposing side was definitely made up of Demon Cultivators, so there was no mistake in their attack. ¡°Meet the enemy, and look for an opportunity to scatter and run later on.¡± Zhao Lianshan¡¯s expression turned solemn as he ordered those around him. Seeing the ferocity of the incoming enemies, he was already thinking of escaping. When the two sides clashed, it was like water and fire meeting, instantly escalating the battle to a fever pitch. One side used various mysterious Taoist Skills and Magic Artifacts, while the other wielded fierce ghosts and Yin Souls, fighting in an extremely brutal manner. ........... Twenty kilometers away from the battlefield, Su Jie and Ning Xinyue were hiding in a cave concealed by a Formation. Seeing this scene, Ning Xinyue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t they fighting a bit too fiercely? The Righteous side has so many people. What if they are all killed? Wouldn¡¯t that affect the alliance meeting?¡± ¡°Who told you to recklessly collect Magic Artifacts in others¡¯ territories? The Vajra Bracelet you sent flying around, geez, it was like you were shopping, taking away the fellow Cultivators¡¯ livelihood tools. How could they not react fiercely?¡± Su Jie knocked Ning Xinyue¡¯s head, speaking irritably. Ning Xinyue, holding her head, rolled her eyes at Su Jie, very dissatisfied, ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, you were the one who let the Ghost Bride release Papermen, you¡¯re no better than me.¡± The two chatted idly, and in less than twenty minutes, the Heavenly Soul Sect¡¯s outnumbered group had already been overwhelmed. When disaster struck, they scattered in all directions. The members of the Heavenly Soul Sect fled separately. There is a saying that when facing a tiger, you don¡¯t need to run faster than the tiger, just faster than your friends. Zou Minzun was lucky, he flew faster than his comrades. As long as those lagging behind could stop the Righteous Cultivators, he saw it as his chance to escape. And fortunately for Zou Minzun, he was quite confident in his speed and swiftly moved away from the tense battlefield. This escape lasted until nightfall. He had actually shaken off the pursuers long ago, but he didn¡¯t dare to stop for too long. He ran into a desolate mountain range and finally came to a halt. ¡°Phew, finally shook off those Righteous Cultivators.¡± Zou Minzun tidied his clothes, ready to find a hidden place to hide for a while. But just then, Zou Minzun instinctively became alert, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw something in the sky approaching, accompanied by a voice. ¡°Hahahaha, I have noticed the fateful tie with you, my friend, please stop for a chat, a gift awaits as you turn around.¡± The approaching figure was a person, who from afar laughed heartily. As Zou Minzun was in doubt, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he swiftly turned his head aside. Whoosh! A white light streaked past his neck, tearing open half of his neck, exposing his throat, blood vessels, and muscles to the air. Had he reacted any slower just then, his head would have been severed. ¡°You actually dodged that.¡± Su Jie caught the white light, which was the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, refined into a top grade Magic Artifact. Su Jie had intended to launch a sneak attack, but Zou Minzun had been alert. His laughter was meant to lower the hostility, then he invited the treasure to spin around, which Zou Minzun narrowly avoided. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Zou Minzun looked up to see a young man descending upon an Insect Cloud from the sky. With just one look, Zou Minzun recognized Su Jie. ¡°Surprised, aren¡¯t you? Did you think that after I became the ruler of Secret Realm 2, I would come looking for you?¡± Su Jie sat with a faint smile on his face, sitting atop a giant throne formed by the Insect Cloud, with the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword in his hand, he looked down at Zou Minzun from his elevated position. ¡°I was thinking that today I would finally be able to take back my Ghost Bride.¡± Zou Minzun, with a malicious tone, violently threw out a black sphere, ¡°Soul Capturing Ball, explode!¡± The Soul Capturing Ball was a one-time use Magic Artifact, which had the mighty ability to capture souls and steal spirits. Even those in the Secret Realm wouldn¡¯t dare to touch it lightly. Boom! The Soul Capturing Ball burst open, but it only emitted a puff of white smoke, and nothing happened. Meanwhile, Zou Minzun had already flown away from the battle, fleeing from Su Jie¡¯s side. He had only thrown a fake Soul Capturing Ball to scare Su Jie, his real intention was to escape. ¡°Pretty clever, but not by much. I¡¯ve never been afraid of anyone when it comes to speed.¡± Under Su Jie¡¯s feet, swarms of insects dispersed with a rumble, his hair lighting up with purple arcs of electricity. With his Primordial Spirit¡¯s power also being utilized, Su Jie swiftly caught up to Zou Minzun without much effort. This time, without even getting close, Su Jie had already let fly the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword again, with continuous bolts of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder raining down from the sky. Crack! Zou Minzun, who was dodging the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, was unable to avoid the Heavenly Thunder. Half of his body was blackened and scorched by a strike. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was extremely powerful and even made the might of the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder increase dramatically. Zou Minzun, a guy on the Second Level of the Secret Realm, couldn¡¯t withstand it at all. ¡°Not a bad place! A treasured land of Feng Shui, using it as your burial ground is letting you off cheap.¡± Su Jie moved through the void with leisurely steps, approaching Zou Minzun step by step, further shaking the opponent¡¯s spirit. ¡°Do you really think you can finish me off?¡± Zou Minzun, seeing no way to dodge, revealed a sinister expression. He didn¡¯t waste any more words with Su Jie, his left hand taking out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and his right hand summoning the Nine Sons Ghost Mother. However, compared to the last time they clashed, Zou Minzun¡¯s Ten Thousand Soul Banner, which was once filled with a hundred thousand Yin Souls, now only had a sparse twenty to thirty thousand. And around the Nine Sons Ghost Mother, there were only five Ghost Infants left, with the other four gone without a trace. It was evident that Zou Minzun had suffered a terrible beating in the process of clashing with those from the Righteous sect previously, which is why he ran upon seeing Su Jie ¨C because at this point, his strength was greatly diminished. ¡°Tsk tsk, so this is all that¡¯s left of your assets? A crippled Sixth-grade Fierce Ghost, a Ten Thousand Soul Banner that has dropped to only two or three thousand souls, and your Top Grade Magic Tool Soul Fragment Sword, which you threw over there on the battlefield. What do you have to fight me with?¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes glinted with a fierce chill, like daggers, stabbing into Zou Minzun¡¯s heart, making his face look extremely ugly. ¡°Let me go if you have the guts, and wait until I¡¯m fully restored to give you a fair fight.¡± Zou Minzun knew that Su Jie was not easy to mess with. He had heard about Su Jie¡¯s advancement through the ranks with the Immortal Seed¡¯s potential. Even at his peak, he didn¡¯t have absolute confidence in winning against Su Jie, let alone now in his weakened state. ¡°Talking about fairness? Do you think I¡¯m a fool? I¡¯m a Demon Cultivator; I prey on the likes of you, the weak and sickly.¡± Su Jie had no concern for martial ethics. On his left side appeared the shadow of the Ghost Bride, and on his right, the Thousand-Handed Centipede transformed into a dozen meters long, ferocious poisonous insect. ¡°Wife, Xiao Qian, no need for courtesy,¡± As Su Jie waved his hand grandly, Su Jie¡¯s left and right protectors sprang into action together. The thousand-hand centipede roared, its massive body rearing up, its facial armor splitting open, as hundreds of Purple Light Rays burst forth. Zou Minzun, manipulating the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, resisted the thousand-hand centipede, as beams of Purple Light Ray instantly annihilated a large number of Yin Souls. In the past, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner could form the Demon Cave Mountain Formation and block the thousand-hand centipede, even suppress it, but this time the tables had turned. Faced with these Yin Souls that couldn¡¯t form the Demon Cave Formation, the thousand-hand centipede acted extremely arrogantly, directly charging into the crowd of Yin Souls. Beams of high-temperature rays exploded everywhere, its mouth spewing Death Decline Curse Clouds, killing Yin Souls which continuously turned into black smoke and dissipated, charging straight at Zou Minzun. At the same time, the Ghost Bride gently lifted her hand, looking at her enemy Zou Minzun, as terrifying curse power spread, causing Zou Minzun¡¯s complexion to change drastically. His body became stiff, his clothing transforming toward a wedding dress as he hastily had the Nine Sons Ghost Mother block in front of him. Yet the Nine Sons Ghost Mother, when fighting alone, was no match for the fifth-grade wedding dress ghost, let alone now that the Ghost Bride had advanced to the sixth grade. Just as the ghost infants began to move, intending to pounce on Su Jie and the Ghost Bride, a terrifying scene occurred. Lantern after lantern descended like red twilight from the sky, swaying gently, the Ghost Mother¡¯s head and body began to stretch and twist violently, pulled by an invisible force. The five ghost infants trying to return were blocked by Mirror Girls appearing on the scene, fair arms cradling the ghost infants, each layer piling upon the other, with thousands of Mirror Girls compressing, utterly submerging the figures of the ghost infants. ¡°Do you...know the meaning of death?¡± Han Ruyan had appeared in front of the Ghost Mother at some point, her jade hand gently caressing the Ghost Mother¡¯s cheek. Above her head, a Black Moon quietly rose, her bloody pupils blooming. The Ghost Mother¡¯s body began to be severed from her feet upward, with tens of thousands of fine blades interweaving and cutting, spreading upwards incessantly. Shins, thighs, hips, waist, chest. The Ghost Mother tried to struggle, but against the power of the Ghost Bride, her struggles seemed utterly futile; perhaps sensing the fear known as annihilation, she opened her mouth wide, calling for her children. It was a pity that her ghost infants were already suppressed by the combined effort of the Mirror Girl and the Lantern Ghost, and she could hardly save herself. In the end, the Ghost Mother could only watch helplessly as she was sliced into pieces by the Ghost Bride¡¯s hand, with even her brain being cut into dregs, leading to her complete death. Han Ruyan¡¯s face revealed a trace of dead, icy cold smile, remembering how the Ghost Mother had once pursued her in East Victory City, and now, she had completed her revenge. Elsewhere, Zou Minzun could not afford to worry about the death of the Nine Sons Ghost Mother as he was nearing the same fate as her. It was during Zou Minzun¡¯s retreat that the long-hidden Ning Xinyue leapt down from a tree, her left hand Vajra Beak striking Zou Minzun¡¯s head, smashing his brain to pieces, while her right hand unleashed rolling cold waves, aimed to freeze him in ice. Chapter 365: 258: Slaughter (Four updates of 12,000 words, asking for monthly passes!) Chapter 365: Chapter 258: Slaughter (Four updates of 12,000 words, asking for monthly passes!) ¡°Two Secret Realms, you all have such ruthless hearts!¡± Zou Minzun¡¯s left foot was frozen to the ground, and without any hesitation, he severed his left leg and continued to run, his face a mixture of shock and rage, unable to believe that Su Jie had reinforcements hidden. His life force was indeed very tenacious, a common trait among Demon Cultivators. ¡°What to say.¡± Ning Xinyue tilted her head as she looked at Su Jie. ¡°What else can we say, dealing with this devil, we don¡¯t need to talk about Jianghu¡¯s righteousness, everyone attack together!!!¡± ... Su Jie, riding on the thousand-hand centipede, flew past, his voice echoing far and wide. Ning Xinyue was speechless, looking at Su Jie, who was riding the thousand-handed poisonous insect, with fierce ghosts lingering behind him, the insect cloud obscuring the sky dome, a bone sword in his left hand, and a Soul Summoning Banner in his right hand, she couldn¡¯t suppress her desire to mock: ¡°This bastard must have forgotten he¡¯s also a Demon Cultivator, you look even more like a devil than Zou Minzun does.¡± Despite her mockery, Ning Xinyue¡¯s actions didn¡¯t slow in the slightest, swiftly intercepting Zou Minzun as he turned to flee. At this moment, Zou Minzun had no way out. Faced with the blockade of two Secret Realms, this half-crippled cultivator from Secret Realm Second Level, despite his cultivation, could only be beaten back step by step. The Nine Sons Ghost Mother was killed, and the Ten Thousand Soul Banner was nearly destroyed. ¡°If you kill me, are you not afraid of exposing the plot and causing the collaboration between Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect to fail?¡± As Zou Minzun fled, he attempted to use his words to secure a sliver of survival. ¡°Dead men don¡¯t speak, and afterward, if Heavenly Soul Sect seeks someone to blame, they would blame the Righteous Cultivators. Perfectly, in the coming war, Heavenly Soul Sect could avenge you and strike harder against the Righteous Cultivators. That aligns perfectly with my desires.¡± Su Jie was utterly unmoved, his words just fell, and he raised his hand to summon. Boom! A Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder struck from afar, a thunder bolt as thick as a thigh sent Zou Minzun from the sky to the ground, leaving a deep crater five or six meters deep with Zou Minzun at the center, emitting blue smoke. Zou Minzun tried to burrow into the ground to escape, but Ning Xinyue directly covered the area with a cold current, not only solidifying the surface as hard as steel, difficult to dig through but also freezing his entire body. ¡°I can¡¯t die, how can I possibly die here, at the hands of you two juniors.¡± Screaming frantically, Zou Minzun struggled to leap up, however, although he managed to break free from the ice, his outer skin remained attached to the ice. With his leap, what came out was a bloodied figure with exposed flesh and sinews, like a skinned live pig, with its skin left completely intact below. ¡°Hmph, what about juniors, when I was your age, if I was still stuck in the Secret Realm, I would have been too ashamed to meet anyone.¡± Ning Xinyue threw out a Vajra Bracelet, smashing Zou Minzun¡¯s skull, and his left eye burst out of its socket. ¡°Ahhhh! Such a ruthless girl, I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you ahhhhhh!!!¡± Zou Minzun, like a dying beast, with his remaining eye flashing with brutal ferocity. ¡°Scaring me? You think just because you¡¯re ugly I¡¯d be afraid of you?¡± Ning Xinyue muttered, the Xuanyin body¡¯s cold current burst out in an instant, freezing Zou Minzun into the ground. The next moment, Su Jie riding the thousand-hand centipede smashed down heavily. The eighty-meter-long, immensely heavy thousand-hand centipede crushed Zou Minzun into a pulp, leaving a deep crater in the ground. This time, no matter how tenacious Zou Minzun¡¯s life force was, he was unable to continue his escape. ¡°I want you dead.¡± A furious roar erupted, and a semi-transparent orb flew out from the ground, starkly revealing Zou Minzun¡¯s battered remnant soul. His Divine Soul had already developed limbs and facial features including mouth, nose, and ears, only the most difficult eyes remained unformed. It was still not a Primordial Spirit, and the Divine Soul was riddled with holes, having been battered into disrepair during the previous battle by Su Jie¡¯s attacks mixed with Primordial Spirit power. However, this Divine Soul nearing the state of a Primordial Spirit gave Zou Minzun the power for one final strike. His target was clear, he headed straight for Su Jie, intending to rush his Divine Soul into Su Jie¡¯s brain, determined to drag Su Jie down with him even in death. Even though Su Jie had a Primordial Spirit, the head is a person¡¯s most vulnerable spot. Charging in to create havoc would make Su Jie suffer, even if it couldn¡¯t kill him. ¡°Useless struggle.¡± Su Jie quietly watched as Zou Minzun¡¯s Divine Soul rushed towards him. As it neared him, an arc-shaped light membrane appeared in front of Su Jie, directly blocking Zou Minzun¡¯s remnant soul and preventing it from advancing even an inch. Zou Minzun could hardly believe it. He saw a golden lotus appear in Su Jie¡¯s hand, its three green leaves swaying gracefully and sprinkling starlight, effortlessly blocking his death blow. ¡°Nine... Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, an Innate Spiritual Object, hahaha, I¡¯ve lost fairly, lost so fairly!¡± Zou Minzun felt despair. He started to give a bitter laugh, realizing that even making Su Jie suffer was now an impossible dream. ¡°In your next life, find a good family to be born into and stop being a Demon Cultivator. You¡¯re not cut out for this.¡± Su Jie¡¯s palm radiated with Heavenly Thunder, turning into a spherical lightning that enveloped Zou Minzun¡¯s remnant soul. Amidst his screams, it completely obliterated and vaporized him, erasing him from existence between heaven and earth. From then on, Zou Minzun, the Elder of Heavenly Soul Sect who had once brought immense pressure to Su Jie in East Victory City, fell by Su Jie¡¯s hand on this day. ¡°All done and dusted.¡± Ning Xinyue picked up the storage bag on the ground, jumped beside Su Jie with high spirits, and shared the joy of victory with Su Jie, taking out everything inside the storage bag. First, Su Jie took down Zou Minzun¡¯s Ten Thousand Soul Banner. Following Zou Minzun¡¯s death, this banner had become ownerless. Su Jie only needed to erase the marks left by Zou Minzun to claim the remaining Yin Souls for himself and integrate them into his own Ten Thousand Soul Banner. ¡°So much money, Su Jie, we are rich.¡± Ning Xinyue happily bounced around, wanting to hug Su Jie¡¯s neck but suddenly felt a chill on her back. Turning her head, she saw the Ghost Bride, Han Ruyan, not far away, her lifeless hollow eyes prompting Ning Xinyue to decisively abandon her attempt. ¡°All these items combined must be worth two hundred thousand Spirit Stones, right? No wonder he¡¯s a senior Elder of Heavenly Soul Sect, unlike those poor novices just promoted in the Secret Realm.¡± Su Jie looked to the ground¡ªrows of bottles and jars containing elixirs, spiritual materials piled up like a small mountain, about five or six meters tall, along with some magic artifacts and talismans, although they were rather low level, not useful in combat at the Secret Realm. Presumably, Zou Minzun had intended them as rewards for his disciples, but now they all went to Su Jie. ¡°We agreed to share it equally.¡± Su Jie divided half of it for Ning Xinyue, which somewhat surprised her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, you don¡¯t want it?¡± Su Jie raised an eyebrow and looked back at Ning Xinyue. ¡°I thought you would take more for yourself.¡± Ning Xinyue stuck out her tongue, delightedly hugging her spoils. Although she was rich, who would complain about having more money? ¡°I¡¯m fair with my own people.¡± Su Jie smiled. If he exploited Ning Xinyue too many times, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to make use of Ning Xinyue¡¯s free labor in the future. Patting the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie stretched and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, time to head home.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ning Xinyue also jumped aboard the Thousand-Handed Centipede, counting her gains on the back of the centipede, looking like a little money-lover. The Thousand-Handed Centipede took to the sky. Beams of Purple Light Rays repeatedly bombed the surrounding ground, erasing all traces of the battle. After sweeping the area with his Primordial Spirit and making sure there were no errors, Su Jie took Ning Xinyue and returned to Ghost Ridge Palace. Chapter 366: 259: Sect Convention (First Update) Chapter 366: Chapter 259: Sect Convention (First Update) Ghost Ridge Palace! Su Jie and Ning Xinyue successfully returned to the Sect. ¡°If there¡¯s ever another good opportunity like this, be sure to find me again.¡± Ning Xinyue hopped off the Thousand-Handed Centipede, turned her head back to Su Jie, said these words, and, humming a cheerful tune, ran off into the distance. Su Jie, holding the new fortune he had acquired, returned to his residence¡¯s secluded meditation room. ¡°Xiao Qian, let¡¯s see what your limit is.¡± ... Su Jie lifted the shrunken Thousand-Handed Centipede high into the air and piled a mountain-like heap of Spirit Stones on the ground, looking incredibly bold. The Thousand-Handed Centipede, knowing Su Jie was about to enhance it, twisted its body excitedly. ¡°Go ahead and eat.¡± Upon hearing this, the Thousand-Handed Centipede let out a whinny and happily began feasting. It swallowed the Spirit Stones one by one, and soon its belly swelled up. Su Jie then placed his hand on the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, beginning to use the enhancement ability for poisonous insects he had acquired after reaching the Secret Realm to modify his Lifebound poisonous insect. The Thousand-Handed Centipede was a Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect, and enhancing it was much more difficult compared to other poisonous insects. Even with the First Level Cultivation from the Secret Realm, Su Jie did not have a smooth journey. Fortunately, the Thousand-Handed Centipede was a Life Poisonous Insect, and it was in perfect sync with Su Jie¡¯s intentions, very much cooperating with him, and would actively regulate its qi and blood circulation to fuse with Su Jie¡¯s enhancement. And those swallowed Spirit Stones transformed into a surging flow of energy, continuously baptizing the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s body, allowing the enhancement to proceed non-stop. This enhancement process continued for three whole days and nights. ... Three days later, Su Jie finally completed this round of enhancement. ¡°Xiao Qian, show me what you can do now.¡± Su Jie took the Thousand-Handed Centipede to the training ground of his residence and took out a three-meter-diameter, twenty-meter-long solid cast alloy iron column from his Storage Bag. This thing was used by the Puppet Hall as a tool for a certain kind of pressing machine effect, but it got damaged and was scrapped. Usually, Su Jie took it to tease the Thousand-Handed Centipede for fun, similar to a cat toy. But because it was too heavy, Su Jie could hardly move it himself; aside from barely fitting it into his Storage Bag, he could only roll it down from the high mountain using a massive number of Pale Corpse Hands, and the Thousand-Handed Centipede liked to chase after it for play, rolling along while standing on top of it. Sizzle! At Su Jie¡¯s command, the body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede swelled as it caught the wind and returned to its eighty-meter original form before it opened its massive mouth. Compared to before, the mouth of the Thousand-Handed Centipede had completely changed. Its mouth now featured a pair of razor-like mandibles, much like those of many beetles. In the past, although the Thousand-Handed Centipede was large, due to its structural limitations, its mandibles lacked sufficient biting power, making it weaker than other beetle-type poisonous insects of the same level. This time, Su Jie focused on transforming the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s mouthparts, endowing it with a much greater threat in close combat. The massive mandibles of the Thousand-Handed Centipede opened wide, and it took a bite. In the next moment, the seemingly indestructible body seemed to contain infinite potential, as the power and biting force exploded forth like a landslide. Crack! With one bite, the alloy steel column sparked and distorted, and the Thousand-Handed Centipede bit it in half at the waist. The broken edge wasn¡¯t smooth, showing many uneven traces, which further demonstrated the power of the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s razor-like mandibles. With such a terrifying biting force, any cultivator who got close and bitten by the Thousand-Handed Centipede in the future would present an incredibly gruesome scene. The Thousand-Handed Centipede, seemingly aware of the ferocity of its mandibles, proceeded to bite the remaining steel column, breaking it into segments, the massive noise echoing all around. Su Jie tried to take out the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword and activated the sword technique. ¡°Xiao Qian.¡± With a loud shout from Su Jie, the Thousand-Handed Centipede stood tall and proud as the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, cutting through clouds and piercing the sky, slashed towards its mandibles. A fierce collision and frictional noise rang out, and a mere faint dent appeared on the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s pair of mandibles, which were almost unscathed under the attack of the Top Grade Magical Artifact, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Crack! Then the Thousand-Handed Centipede bit down sharply, with its razor mandibles clamping down on the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. An eruption of terrifying biting strength made the sword violently tremble, and a fierce struggle began between the two. One side exhaling a sword aura sharp enough to easily pierce steel, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword attempted to penetrate the mandibles. The other side, relying on the monstrous strength of the beast and mandibles even tougher than steel, sought to snap the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. After about ten minutes of intense struggle, the trembling of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword grew weaker, and a faint sound of fracturing could be heard from within it. Continuing this would surely result in the Top Grade Magical Artifact being bitten into pieces by the Thousand-Handed Centipede. In this battle of might, the Thousand-Handed Centipede proved to be the superior one. At this point, the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s mandibles could even crush a Top Grade Magical Artifact, which highlighted the significant boost in strength it gained from this enhancement. Against a normal Mid Grade Magical Artifact, it would certainly not withstand a single bite from the Thousand-Handed Centipede and would be destroyed on the spot. ¡°Xiao Qian, that¡¯s enough.¡± Su Jie clapped his hands, and the Thousand-Handed Centipede finally released its mandibles, not wishing to truly damage its master¡¯s weapon. It then ran over to Su Jie, happily rubbing its head against him, its eyes full of joyful expression, and then it turned to look at its other body parts. The implication was clear; it wished for Su Jie to also enhance its other parts. ¡°No more money.¡± Stroking the cold mandibles of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie had already poured over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones into it, just to grant the creature unparalleled mandibles. The Thousand-Handed Centipede shrank its body, ran back into Su Jie¡¯s arms, and began to roll back and forth as if acting like a spoiled child. ¡°Acting spoiled is useless; your master is truly poor now.¡± Flipping the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s forehead, Su Jie thought about how just strengthening its mouthparts had used such an enormous amount of resources. To enhance its larger body and the hundreds of Corpse Hands would cost an unknown number of Spirit Stones, a cost Su Jie simply could not afford at present. For the Thousand-Handed Centipede, this kind of enhancement wasn¡¯t akin to an overall evolution of a poisonous insect, but more like assembling a racing car; it was about swapping in better basic components for the insect. Su Jie, of course, also wanted to upgrade the Thousand-Handed Centipede to top configuration, but alas, his pocket was embarrassingly empty, and he genuinely couldn¡¯t afford it. ¡°Master, someone requests an audience.¡± While Su Jie was interacting with the Thousand-Handed Centipede, suddenly there were footsteps from outside. Turning around, Su Jie saw the steward leading in a Disciple from the Law Enforcement Team. Upon seeing Su Jie, the Disciple immediately handed over a document and a transmission token, respectfully saying, ¡°Master Su, the Sect Master has convened a Sect meeting; please proceed to the Sect Grand Hall immediately.¡± Unfolding the document, Su Jie glanced through it and his brow relaxed. ¡°Lead the way.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The Disciple from the Law Enforcement Team immediately took the lead. Although they were a team directly under the Sect Master, Su Jie was an Elder of the Secret Realm, truly a pillar of the Sect, and his status was far above theirs. Unconsciously, Su Jie was no longer the insignificant character who had to bow and yield in the face of the Law Enforcement Team. Walking along the path, Su Jie arrived at the Sect Grand Hall by the mountain gate. He saw that the place was towering into the clouds, imposing and magnificent, with two Xuanxiao Parasol Trees standing like guardians at the entrance, their branches lush and leaves abundant. The surroundings were paved with blue stones, the walls stood tall, and the rooftop of the hall was carved with dragons and phoenixes made of Tiangang Stones as spiritual materials, lifelike and radiating a splendid glow. Sunlight poured through the many windows outside the hall, making the entire interior dazzlingly bright. The Sect Grand Hall was where the Elders discussed important matters, and it wasn¡¯t open on normal days. If it was open, it meant something big was happening. Since joining Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie had only experienced two Sect Grand Hall meetings. One was about the rampant Alien Ghosts, and the other was about the Sect Wars¡ªboth events having a far-reaching impact on Su Jie. Originally, Su Jie could only stay inside the gates, waiting for orders based on the outcomes of the Sect Grand Hall meetings. Now, he was one of the members inside the hall, with every word and action potentially affecting countless Outer Disciples and Inner Disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Master Su!¡± The Disciples from the Law Enforcement Team standing guard saw Su Jie, and they promptly greeted and opened the heavy glazed crystal door for him, providing a passageway to the interior. With a step, Su Jie entered, and the grand hall seemed to grow even more solemn. Directly ahead, a large image of the ancestor was hung on the wall, with Sect Master Zhang Junwei sitting beneath it. Along two sides, a row of high chairs were placed, already occupied by about twenty Elders. All but those with guarding duties were present. Looking around, Taoist Qiu, Tang Peiqing, Xiao Fengyuan, and a few other familiar faces were there. Su Jie took a seat next to Taoist Qiu, and the Elders in the hall thought to themselves that with Su Jie, this Immortal Seed among them, Taoist Qiu¡¯s lineage was likely to grow stronger. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been out on a trip?¡± Taoist Qiu looked at Su Jie, who, having used his Elder privileges to pass through the Mountain Protection Array and leave the Sect, was naturally known to have left. ¡°Hmm, went out to have a bit of fun,¡± Su Jie nodded, keeping the actual circumstances to himself. ¡°Master, when does it begin?¡± In defense against Taoist Qiu¡¯s further inquiry, Su Jie changed the subject. Attending a Sect Grand Hall meeting for the first time, Su Jie was quite curious. ¡°Just two more to come, soon,¡± answered Taoist Qiu, closing his eyes to rest. As he had said, before long, the last two Elders arrived. With the hall doors closed and the formation activated, the meeting officially began. ¡°The reason I¡¯ve summoned everyone is to discuss the matter of forming an alliance with Heavenly Soul Sect,¡± announced Zhang Junwei, unleashing the topic. Ghost Ridge Palace wanted to break the siege of the Righteous sects and needed external assistance. Heavenly Soul Sect was the chosen ally. ¡°The specific terms of cooperation with Heavenly Soul Sect have been preliminarily settled. They require payment of eight million Spirit Stones after defeating Righteous Cultivators and our assistance in establishing their Mountain Gate in the Nanyang City region. In return, we demand that Heavenly Soul Sect must fully mobilize, deploying at least twenty Elders from the Secret Realm, one at the Taoist Platform Realm, and five thousand Disciples to join in battle, striking the Righteous Sects from both front and back in unison with us,¡± said Zhang Junwei, stating the demands of the cooperation, which to Ghost Ridge Palace, were actually not excessive. Eight million Spirit Stones were indeed a large sum. Many of the less advanced Elders barely had a few tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, with those newly promoted perhaps not even possessing ten thousand. Seasoned Elders could boast assets of two or three hundred thousand, while individuals like Tang Peiqing¡ªwho had lived for hundreds of years¡ªor combat-powerhouses like Taoist Qiu in the Secret Realm, might have wealth exceeding a million. It was thus evident how vast a fortune eight million Spirit Stones represented, but considering Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s current beleaguered state, if the siege could be lifted, the cost was entirely acceptable. Chapter 367: 260: Alliance (Second Update) Chapter 367: Chapter 260: Alliance (Second Update) ¡°The remuneration is fair, but they intend to establish a mountain gate in Nanyang City and then cling to Qingzhou without leaving? That place is not far from us,¡± With a furrowed brow and a heavy voice, Taoist Qiu said. Although Ghost Ridge Palace is now forced by the Righteous sect into treacherous mountains filled with crises, it still holds ambitious aspirations. In Qingzhou, although there is more than one Demon Sect, Ghost Ridge Palace stands as the only significant one. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for it to withstand the siege of the Five Righteous Sects for so long while still maintaining its combat effectiveness. Ghost Ridge Palace does not wish for more powerful Demon Sects to enter Qingzhou, especially when they are so close to their own base. ... Even villains don¡¯t like living next to other villains! Let alone allowing others to snore beside one¡¯s bed. ¡°Let¡¯s allow them to stay here for now. If those Righteous Sects continue the siege, having two sects nearby could provide mutual support,¡± Zhang Junwei said this and then added, ¡°Once we have regained our strength, we will address the opposition. Now is the time to unite outside forces.¡± The elders below whispered among themselves. Through Divine Soul transmission, Xiao Fengyuan asked Su Jie, ¡°Brother Su, what do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sit and watch.¡± Seeing Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s speechless face, Su Jie corrected himself, ¡°Right now, the key for Ghost Ridge Palace is to survive. Whether Heavenly Soul Sect will be trouble for us in the future, at least for the current stage, we have no other choice.¡± Su Jie was whispering with Xiao Fengyuan, and Zhang Junwei caught on to their conversation. Zhang Junwei looked over and said indifferently, ¡°Su Jie, you are our sect¡¯s Immortal Seed and the youngest from the Secret Realm. I¡¯d like to hear your opinion.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t expect to be called upon, but he wasn¡¯t stage fright and spoke, ¡°I think the Sect Master is right. His considerations are for the overall situation. No one wants a new competitor in their territory, but as elders, you should be aware of our sect¡¯s current plight. A large number of low and mid-level disciples have fallen in battle, trade routes are cut, and Righteous disciples continually harass us. Our sect¡¯s reserves of wealth, materials, and manpower are all being consumed. We can barely keep going by relying on the Mountain Protection Array, and that¡¯s only because those Righteous Sects have slowed down their offensive. If we continue like this, we will definitely be the first to falter.¡± With this well-spoken plea, many elders nodded in agreement. Zhang Junwei looked at Su Jie a few more times and revealed a faint smile on his face ¨C obviously, he was satisfied with Su Jie¡¯s response. ¡°That¡¯s right, Ghost Ridge Palace has reached a do-or-die moment. If we still care about our reputation now, we¡¯ll only end up losing this war. When our mountain gate is breached, what face will we have to meet the founders of Ghost Ridge Palace in the afterlife?¡± At that time, Tang Peiqing also provided assistance, sharing Sect Master Zhang Junwei¡¯s concerns. The discussions gradually died down. Clearly, everyone understood the rationale behind what Su Jie and Tang Peiqing had said, but there was an innate reluctance, an unwillingness to accept other Demon Sects encroaching on their territory. ¡°Now, anyone who disagrees with this alliance, please raise your hand,¡± Zhang Junwei knocked on the armrest and made the proposal. Only a few hands were raised, with the majority of the elders in concurrence with the alliance. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. We¡¯ll join forces with the Heavenly Soul Sect and fend off the siege of the mountain gate by the Five Righteous Sects led by Guan Chao Pavilion,¡± Zhang Junwei brought down the gavel, settling the alliance with Heavenly Soul Sect. ¡°As for the specific time of combat, we¡¯ve set it for four months from now. During this time, Refining Hall, Alchemy Pavilion, Sword Casting Platform, Spirit Medicine Garden... all departments must work together to produce various war necessities. This will determine the outcome of the great battle,¡± Upon this declaration, many elders stood up to express their support. ¡°Sect Master, Refining Hall and Alchemy Pavilion will spare no effort to provide Magic Artifacts and spiritual elixirs, arming our disciples,¡± Tang Peiqing bowed and said. He managed the Refining Hall and Alchemy Pavilion, second only to Zhang Junwei in status within Ghost Ridge Palace. His stance said a lot. ¡°Sect Master, the Sword Casting Platform I oversee will also give it our all, crafting more Flying Swords and Demon Swords to help our sect weather this storm,¡± Another elder stood up. The Sword Casting Platform was also part of Artifact Refining, but specialized in crafting Flying Swords. Those who worked there were rare Sword Cultivators in Ghost Ridge Palace. Though few in number, their combat prowess should not be underestimated. Cao Yuan, the previous owner of the Sword Nourishing Gourd hooked on Su Jie¡¯s waist, was a member of the Sword Casting Platform, and the gourd was cultivated by them. ¡°Sect Master, from tomorrow on, Puppet Hall will dedicate all our manpower to talisman production, ensuring each disciple is equipped with three talismans before the battle commences,¡± ¡°Array Pattern Palace will expedite the creation of war-related Arrays. When the great battle comes, we¡¯ll deploy them for slaughter and help the sect achieve victory,¡± ¡°Sect Master, I, Xiao Fengyuan, may not have much, but I do have this life. When the decisive battle comes, I will lead the charge, opening a path of victory for our sect,¡± One after another, elders stood, even those without departments to oversee, indicating they were ready to exert their utmost for the sect. Zhang Junwei, looking at this fervent scene, said with gratification, ¡°I appreciate your dedication. The sect will allocate funds to all departments, working together to secure victory in this decisive battle,¡± ¡°Yes,¡± The elders shouted in unison. ¡°Sect Master, Puppet Hall also has something to say,¡± At this time, Su Jie stood up, indicating that his Puppet Hall was also ready to contribute. However, upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, the eyes of many elders turned strange. That was because the Puppet Hall was so marginalized that it was almost unnoticed. In past sect affairs like this, they were practically non-existent. Zhang Junwei was rather puzzled and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say? Let me make it clear upfront, there is no spare funding for Puppet Hall to carry out puppet research. Any extra money has to be spent on the war.¡± ¡°Sect Master, I¡¯m not here to ask for funds. I¡¯m here to contribute to the sect.¡± With a confident smile, Su Jie said, ¡°I¡¯ve designed a brand new type of special puppet that can play a huge role in the war. You may not believe me just by my word, so I¡¯d like you to come and see the quality of the new puppet for yourself.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s news to me. Then let¡¯s take a look,¡± he replied. Zhang Junwei was somewhat skeptical, but Su Jie¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem like he was boasting. ¡°Please, Sect Master, and all Elders, you might also want to take a look. Our Puppet Hall has changed.¡± Turning to invite the other Elders, and considering the face of the Immortal Seed as well as their genuine curiosity about what new inventions Puppet Hall had created to make Su Jie so confident, the Elders all nodded and agreed to go. After the sect¡¯s grand hall meeting concluded, Su Jie had someone notify Zhu Zhangqi, while he personally led the Sect Master and Elders outside the Mountain Gate. Half an hour later. In a flat grassy valley, Su Jie led a group of Ghost Ridge Palace higher-ups to the site. The terrain here was open with a clear view, an excellent place for a trial. ¡°Where is the puppet you spoke of?¡± Tang Peiqing¡¯s curiosity was piqued by Su Jie and he wanted to witness the secret puppet Su Jie had mentioned. The other Elders felt the same; in their minds, Puppet Hall was only known for flashy but impractical combat puppets. The fighting power was passable, but they were too costly. A large-scale battle could deplete all resources, and most still preferred poisonous insects. ¡°Please look, the people have arrived.¡± Su Jie extended his hand toward the south, where a row of huge dark silhouettes appeared on the horizon. The Elders turned to look and saw groups of twelve Horned Scale Horses, each cluster dragging a strange steel puppet behind them. This puppet was entirely different from the humanoid ones they had seen in the past; it didn¡¯t share any similarities. Round, black wheels with a silver-gray, rectangular steel shell; it looked quite ordinary. The Horned Scale Horses, known for their stamina and strength and as the primary beasts of burden for the sect, moved effortlessly over mountains as if on flat ground. Even while dragging the heavy Rocket Artillery, they quickly reached Su Jie¡¯s location, accompanied by dozens of Puppet Hall disciples making their way over. ¡°Hall Master, all thirty Rocket Artilleries have been brought here,¡± said Zhu Zhangqi as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and hurried over to Su Jie. Ever since receiving the task from Su Jie, the entire Puppet Hall had been working nonstop, busying themselves in the Rocket Artillery production. Although the process was simple, the workload became significant when producing in large numbers. And since they were handcrafted, it was very tiring. ¡°This is the Sect Master and the Elders. Introduce the Rocket Artillery to them. Sect Master, this is Zhu Zhangqi, the most skilled disciple of our Puppet Hall. He was the one who oversaw the initial production and final shape of the Rocket Artillery,¡± Su Jie said, patting Zhu Zhangqi on the shoulder, offering him this rare opportunity to show his face. ¡°Sect... Sect Master, Elders... good, the puppet is called Rocket Artillery, it¡¯s a... a kind...¡± Zhu Zhangqi, a burly man, started to tongue-tie, struggling to speak clearly under the gaze of the Elders. ¡°Take it easy, no rush,¡± said the Sect Master with a wave of his hand, then walked over to examine the odd steel machine up close. ¡°...this was independently designed by the Hall Master, a special puppet that launches attacks using remote firepower. Powered by Spirit Stones, it fires a warhead filled with poison...¡± As Zhu Zhangqi talked about the puppets he specialized in, he became more fluent and began to speak more freely and at length. After listening, Zhang Junwei gave no reaction; one simply couldn¡¯t grasp the allure of the Rocket Artillery from words alone. ¡°Sect Master, this is the secret puppet I mentioned, the Rocket Artillery that can help our sect win the decisive battle. You may not think much of it just from hearing about it, but please allow me to demonstrate the attack effect. I promise you won¡¯t be disappointed,¡± Su Jie said with a smile, gesturing for the Puppet Hall disciples to start adjusting the Rocket Artillery for a live demonstration. ¡°Can you pull this off, kid?¡± Taoist Qiu couldn¡¯t help asking, hoping his most promising disciple wouldn¡¯t be looked down upon in his first sect assembly. ¡°Master, when have I ever let you down?¡± replied Su Jie confidently, watching the Puppet Hall disciples get the Rocket Artillery ready to fire. As the Rocket Artillery slowly elevated to an angle, pointing its dark maw towards the sky dome, disciples brought out rockets and began to load them. Once everything was prepared, Zhu Zhangqi looked at Su Jie and said, ¡°Hall Master, all is ready. We can fire at your command.¡± ¡°Fire,¡± commanded Su Jie with a nod, issuing the directive. Chapter 368: 261: Struck it Rich (Third Update) Chapter 368: Chapter 261: Struck it Rich (Third Update) Boom. When the series ignition was initiated, a continuous, thunderous roar erupted from the launch site of the thirty rocket artillery units, resembling a landslide and a tsunami. Rockets with tail fins shot out of the barrels, spraying spiritual power, and soared straight up into the sky. The Elders at the scene were quite astonished, not expecting that this puppet weapon named Rocket Artillery would launch with such immense momentum. Far away, the rockets, spewing tongues of flame and accelerating into the air, streaked a silvery-gray trail across the night sky. In just over twenty seconds, a total of 960 rockets were fired, making it look like a meteor shower was falling from the sky. The predetermined target was a small hill, and after a brief flight, all rockets began to fall in parabolic trajectories. ... The next moment, the small hill shook violently. The acid liquid inside the rockets splattered upon impact. This acid, provided by the human-faced moth and even more corrosive than strong acid, splashed around, covering trees and soil which then shook, dissolved, and sank. The lush trees that had been growing on the hill now quivered like ocean waves and collapsed directly under the corrosion of the acid. Black smoke rose into the sky, nearly erasing all life from the small hill. The massive amount of poison acted like a demon, devouring everything around it. When all the dust had settled, the entire hill was covered in charred scars, craters, and trenches corroded by the poison, resembling wounded flesh, the sight of which was startling. ¡°This puppet¡¯s weapon is interesting,¡± said Tang Peiqing, his eyes lighting up, finding this inventive method of attack fascinating. He had lived for hundreds of years and had never seen a puppet like this before. ¡°Did Puppet Hall really come up with this? I¡¯ve underestimated them.¡± ¡°I did not expect Master Su to be so capable. He hasn¡¯t been in charge of Puppet Hall for long but has already produced such a formidable puppet.¡± ¡°This kind of large-area strike is indeed extremely lethal in battle, especially against the lower disciples.¡± ¡°Such a puppet must not be cheap to produce. If it¡¯s too expensive, then its practicality drops considerably.¡± The Elders began discussing among themselves. The simultaneous firing of the rocket artillery had overturned their prior assumptions. The unimpressive-looking rocket artillery had effects that were nothing short of astonishing. Taoist Qiu¡¯s face showed a smile. Although he did not speak, his face was filled with satisfaction. ¡°Not bad. This rocket artillery might not be effective against inner disciples and the Secret Realm, but the threat it poses to outer disciples is foreseeable, just as you said, making it suitable for use in major battles. How much would these puppets cost? The Sect needs a batch to serve as a reserve,¡± Zhu Zhangqi finally spoke up, realizing that for Ghost Ridge Palace, this rocket artillery was a good weapon even as he was more concerned about the cost. In the past, the puppets produced by Puppet Hall were often expensive, usually costing several thousand spirit stones, even painful to use in the Secret Realm. If the price is too expensive, then their importance will be greatly reduced, as even targeting outer disciples one has to consider cost-effectiveness. ¡°Master, our rocket artillery itself costs 400 spirit stones, and each rocket costs 10 spirit stones, making a full volley cost 320 spirit stones,¡± said Su Jie, calling out figures that made Zhu Zhangqi gape. Because Su Jie had doubled the price of the rocket artillery, which only cost 200 spirit stones, and the rockets, which only cost 5 spirit stones. Even taking into account the cost of the human-faced moth acid liquid, this was still too much. ¡°That¡¯s so cheap.¡± Zhang Junwei was stunned, finding the price surprisingly low. Compared to the combat puppets previously made by the Puppet Hall, the price was like a fracture. ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s how cheap it is. Moreover, Master, our rockets can carry different kinds of venom, not just acid. Various types of insect poisons can also be incorporated. Imagine, Master, during a war if we had two hundred units of this rocket artillery, firing a volley of 6400 rockets covering the positions of the Righteous Cultivators with different types of poison-filled warheads...it would definitely catch them off guard and result in heavy casualties,¡± Su Jie further persuaded, painting the scene vividly. The Elders, imagining that scenario, suddenly looked very intrigued. If these puppets really were that cheap, then they had seriously underestimated the effectiveness of the rocket artillery. ¡°Can different warheads be loaded?¡± asked Tang Peiqing, his eyes lighting up. As the master poisoner of Ghost Ridge Palace, no one could surpass him in terms of utilizing poisons¡ªnot even the Sect Master compared to Tang Peiqing. ¡°Certainly,¡± Su Jie nodded affirmatively. Blue Star¡¯s rocket artillery could be equipped with cluster munitions, missiles, fuel-air explosives, mines, illumination rounds, electronic jamming shells, and chemical gas shells. Ghost Ridge Palace also had a wealth of Poison Insects to meet these needs. The many Elders became interested; these Elders, who played with insects, lacked many things, but creating some insect poison was not an issue for them. ¡°Two hundred units...that¡¯s too few. Let¡¯s go with three hundred...no, five hundred units,¡± Zhang Junwei thought, not hesitating much but rather increasing the order quantity. ¡°Sheesh!¡± Taoist Qiu heard the figure and plucked out a few of his beard hairs. ¡°That many?¡± The Elder standing beside him was also stunned, their jaw dropping. One had to know, a low-grade lower-level Magical Artifact was priced just over one hundred Spirit Stones, while a mid-grade Magical Artifact had an average price of seven to eight thousand Spirit Stones. The cost for five hundred units of Rocket Artillery was about 200,000 Spirit Stones, and the cost of the rockets fired in a single volley was 160,000 Spirit Stones. This volley was equivalent to scrapping 1,500 low-grade lower-level Magical Artifacts at once, or alternatively, scrapping twenty mid-grade Magical Artifacts. Moreover, the acquisition of these rockets, each vehicle must be equipped with five or six batches of ammunition, the procurement cost alone would nearly reach a million Spirit Stones. Such a price was almost an unbearable burden for individual Cultivators, including the Elders. ¡°The upcoming battle with the Righteous Sect might very well determine the life or death of our Ghost Ridge Palace. If we hold onto our money now and lose the battle later, would we rather give it to those Righteous Sects as spoils of war or pay them as war reparations?¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s words were unquestionable; with these words, he hammered down the final decision. Su Jie could no longer hide the smile on his face; such a quantity of orders far exceeded his expectations. After a quick calculation, Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but get excited. ¡°Complete the production within three months.¡± Zhang Junwei issued the command, hastening preparations for the great battle against the Righteous. Hearing this, Su Jie knew, given the production speed of the Puppet Hall, that after becoming proficient, they could manage to produce two Rocket Artillery units per day¡ªthis was about the limit. However, many of the simpler tasks could be handled by employing Outer Disciples, while the disciples of the Puppet Hall would take care of the core components; this shouldn¡¯t pose too great a problem. ¡°Sect Master, I, Su Jie, guarantee to complete the task,¡± Su Jie directly nodded and promised, making a commitment. ¡°In the future, the Puppet Hall should research more of these beneficial puppets.¡± After encouraging Su Jie with a few words, Zhang Junwei then led the team away. As soon as Zhang Junwei left, the disciples of the Puppet Hall couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, and they all started cheering. ¡°Master is mighty!¡± ¡°Such a large volume of Rocket Artillery Puppet production, our Puppet Hall has never been given such attention by the Sect before.¡± ¡°Unbelievable, the sect used to not even ask for our puppets¡ªwe used to have to beg the Sect for funds.¡± Tears welled up in the eyes of these Puppet Hall disciples, as their department was no longer marginalized within the Sect but had gained its attention. Zhu Zhangqi also shared in everyone¡¯s joy, but then couldn¡¯t help expressing his concern: ¡°Master, we charge so much for the Rocket Artillery and rockets, if the Sect finds out...¡± Su Jie scowled and said, ¡°Where is it expensive? Isn¡¯t this our cost price?¡± Zhu Zhangqi subconsciously said, ¡°Aren¡¯t the cost of our Rocket Artillery two hundred Spirit Stones, and the rockets can be made with just five Spirit Stones each?¡± Having never conducted business before, Zhu Zhangqi thought merely of completing the Sect¡¯s tasks. The Puppet Hall always operated at a loss; the idea of making a profit never crossed his mind. ¡°Doesn¡¯t labor cost money? Aren¡¯t my design patents worth money? What about the storage fees for puppets during the period, management fees, fire loss, utility, and spoilage costs...¡± Su Jie counted on his fingers, explaining each item to Zhu Zhangqi. Many things Zhu Zhangqi couldn¡¯t understand, but he felt that Su Jie made many good points and was essentially beyond contradiction. Munitions trading was one of the most profitable businesses; how could Su Jie pass up such an opportunity to make money? With the great battle imminent, Ghost Ridge Palace would not be stingy with procurement costs. Naturally, Su Jie intended to make a profit; otherwise, why go through all the trouble of producing Rocket Artilleries? And now, the order for five hundred Rocket Artillery units was enough to make Su Jie¡¯s fortunes, easily earning him several hundred thousand Spirit Stones. If the Sect found out about this, the worst that could happen would be a punishment for Su Jie, confiscating some of the Spirit Stones. As a Demon Cultivator, who doesn¡¯t seek benefits for themselves? Many Elders sought benefits for themselves, such as Taoist Qiu, who had pulled strings for Su Jie at the Refining Hall to borrow spiritual materials, was also a way of seeking benefits. Having earned so much this time, Su Jie had no intention of keeping it all for himself and quickly issued a new decision. ¡°Starting from today, the work of our Puppet Hall will not be unpaid. Based on the division of labor and the number of puppets produced, we will reward everyone with varying salaries. I will issue detailed rules in a few days.¡± Upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, the Puppet Hall disciples, after a few seconds of daze, cheered even louder, continuously offering compliments. ¡°It¡¯s really great that the Master has come to our Puppet Hall.¡± ¡°Does this mean we can make money by producing puppets in the future?¡± ¡°Long live Master Su!¡± The faces of these Puppet Hall disciples were excited. In the past, not to mention making a profit, they even had to pool money to produce puppets, pouring in a lot of funds. It can be said that the disciples still remaining in the Puppet Hall had an extraordinary passion for puppets; otherwise, ordinary disciples would have left at the prospect of having to spend their own money. Amid the compliments of these disciples, Su Jie ended his day¡¯s journey contentedly. Chapter 369: 262: Tianyuan Myopia Pills (First Update) Chapter 369: Chapter 262: Tianyuan Myopia Pills (First Update) ¡°` ¡°Master Su, the three products you asked us to research, the Near-Sighted Pill has been developed according to the requirements.¡± That day, Su Jie received the news, and after rushing to the Alchemy Pavilion, the disciples he had initially commissioned came up to him, proudly showing him their results. In a tray, there lay a blue-colored elixir, which was the Near-Sighted Pill that the disciples had developed. Su Jie picked up the blue Near-Sighted Pill and asked, ¡°Have they all been tested?¡± ¡°They have been tested. After taking the Near-Sighted Pill, one¡¯s vision will gradually return to normal levels over the following three days.¡± ... ¡°What about side effects?¡± ¡°There are no other side effects, and in terms of production costs, we¡¯ve simplified as much as possible according to your instructions. Most of it is made from common materials, so it doesn¡¯t cost much to use for ordinary people. Refining a batch of Concentrated Liquid and mixing it with several common medicinal herbs is enough to supply a million pills.¡± After hearing this, Su Jie was extremely satisfied; the elixir perfectly met his requirements. ¡°The slimming pills and whitening powder are still in the process of research. These are a bit more difficult to develop, but we are working hard.¡± ¡°Take your time with the research; this is your reward for making progress.¡± Su Jie poured out a pile of Spirit Stones, which made the disciples¡¯ eyes gleam with excitement, not expecting an additional reward. ¡°Master Su, we will definitely develop the whitening powder and slimming pills as soon as possible.¡± With the Alchemy Apprentice¡¯s respectful farewell, Su Jie took the formula for the Near-Sighted Pill and returned to his mansion, taking out a Pill Furnace to begin refining. As for alchemy, Su Jie had almost no clue. But the thing about the Near-Sighted Pills was that they were exceedingly simple. After ruining hundreds of batches, Su Jie finally got the hang of it within three days. Alchemy required the control of Spiritual Power to manipulate the spirit flame for refining, and the Secret Realm was far superior in controlling Spiritual Power than the disciples. Considering the low difficulty of these elixirs, which were at the level an Alchemy Apprentice would make, mastering them wasn¡¯t a big deal for Su Jie. ¡°Success.¡± Inside the Pill Furnace was the Concentrated Liquid; just a small amount of the Concentrated Liquid needed to be extracted and mixed with ordinary herbs to produce a large number of pills. Su Jie gathered it up, then opened the Ancient Mirror and stepped through the portal. Blue Star! Su Jie brought back the Concentrated Liquid and then called for Liu Yingying. ¡°Su Jie, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Yeah, I missed you.¡± Su Jie touched Liu Yingying¡¯s cheek. Although she knew Su Jie was just saying it to please her, Liu Yingying still felt very happy, rubbing her cheek against Su Jie¡¯s hand like a cat. ¡°Take a look at what I brought back this time.¡± Su Jie took out the blue Near-Sighted Pill and placed it in front of Liu Yingying. ¡°What is this?¡± Liu Yingying looked it over but couldn¡¯t figure out what it was made of. ¡°It¡¯s a Near-Sighted Pill. As long as you swallow it, your nearsightedness will begin to improve in just three days, and your vision will adjust to normal levels.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the Jieke Group is in need of money? With this Near-Sighted Pill, we can make a fortune and rejuvenate the Jieke Group¡¯s cash flow.¡± Su Jie tossed the Near-Sighted Pill in his hand and explained its effects. ¡°Really!¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s thin eyebrows shot up in surprise, her face a mixture of nervousness, excitement, and incredulity. She knew that nearsightedness was a huge industry; although Liu Yingying had no direct contact with it, she was aware of how lucrative those eyewear companies were. Glasses that cost very little to make sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars, reaping profits from so many consumers! While Liu Yingying was not certain of the exact number of people worldwide who suffered from nearsightedness, she was aware that the modern habit of long-term use of mobile phones and computers meant that the number was certainly over a billion and growing every year. Many people with mild nearsightedness either did not wear glasses or used contact lenses or had undergone laser correction surgeries instead. Even if not everyone bought the Near-Sighted Pill, just replacing glasses could create a trillion-dollar super market for Jieke Group, assuming the Near-Sighted Pill was as miraculous as Su Jie claimed. Liu Yingying had no reason to doubt this; she had unconditional trust in Su Jie, and with the example of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, the Near-Sighted Pill would certainly deliver as well. ¡°Start a factory to produce these pills, and let¡¯s put them on the market to earn war funds for Jieke Group. We¡¯ll price it at one thousand US dollars per pill and call it Tianyuan Myopia Pills.¡± The price Su Jie set was well-considered. Laser correction surgeries currently cost between 2,500 and 6,000 US dollars. Although relatively safe, all such surgeries carry the risk of complications or side effects. These are, aside from the cost, why many people are reluctant to undergo such procedures, and others are simply unsuitable for them. The Near-Sighted Pill, however, carries none of these concerns. People instinctively resist surgery, but taking a pill¡ªespecially one that works in just a few days¡ªhas a much higher acceptance rate. Any nearsighted person can take it. The price of the Near-Sighted Pill is cheaper, making it highly cost-effective. It can also topple the eyeglass market and take over its substantial revenue. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it right away.¡± Excited, Liu Yingying hastily ran out to make it happen. ....... The Jieke Group moved quickly, with Liu Yingying personally overseeing the production, which produced a large number of Tianyuan Myopia Pills in a short period. After confirming the effects, they were distributed worldwide, using the previously established sales network of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. ... In Georgia of the Beautiful Country, Renek Jaka walked the streets towards a black market venue that sold Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid exclusively. ¡°` Chapter 370: 262: Tianyuan Myopia Pills (First Update)_2 Chapter 370: Chapter 262: Tianyuan Myopia Pills (First Update)_2 Renek worked at an internet company, and as everyone knows, the hair loss rate among internet enterprise employees is notoriously high. Renek himself suffered from premature balding; back in college, he had a full head of hair, but less than ten years into his job, he had developed a severe case of male pattern baldness. To save his head of hair, Renek naturally became a loyal customer of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, the only product that could rescue his good looks. He arrived at a more secluded street corner and, after a phone call, a Latino man walked over. ¡°McGill, why switch the trading spot again?¡± As soon as they met, Renek started to complain, recognizing the guy opposite him. The man before him was named McGill, a former street thug turned smuggler of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, now doing this gig for a living. ... People like McGill were a dime a dozen in the Beautiful Country. Jieke Company distributed their products to the Tijuana Group in Mexico, who then smuggled large quantities of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid into the Beautiful Country, handed it down to locals¡ªoften hoodlums, vagrants, and addicts¡ªwho in turn distributed it to a diverse clientele, creating a vast smuggling network. ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s those cops, always watching us. If they catch me, I¡¯ve worked for nothing this week,¡± grumbled McGill, his mouth full of obscenities. These hoodlums now relied on Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid to make a living and naturally had no love for the police who were out to get them. Even if they did get caught selling this stuff, they wouldn¡¯t face serious punishment and would be out in a few days, but the confiscated Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid was a significant loss they couldn¡¯t afford. Amidst the curses, McGill opened his jacket, lined with bottles of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Renek was a regular customer and had bought from him numerous times. ¡°How many bottles this time?¡± ¡°Give me three, to save the hassle.¡± ¡°Sure, three bottles.¡± The two exchanged cash for goods and at the end, McGill, looking at Renek¡¯s thick glasses, asked, ¡°Almost forgot, Renek, I¡¯ve got a new product here, Tianyuan Myopia Pills, a thousand bucks a pop. They can cure your nearsightedness, wanna buy one?¡± ¡°Tianyuan Myopia Pills, what¡¯s their story?¡± Renek pushed his glasses up, taken aback. ¡°You can tell by the name, it¡¯s from the same company as the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, a product of the Jieke Group.¡± McGill took out a small bottle with a blue pill inside. ¡°You must have a high prescription, right? Swallow this Tianyuan Myopia Pill for three days, and it will cure your nearsightedness, leaving you with no need for glasses ever again.¡± ¡°Cured in three days, really?¡± Renek¡¯s mind stalled at the promised effectiveness; what kind of medicine could have such a result? ¡°Told you, it¡¯s produced by the Jieke Group, big company, big brand, definitely trustworthy. See the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid in your hand, doesn¡¯t it start working in a week?¡± McGill asserted confidently, assuring there would be no problems. Renek thought, indeed, it must be another miraculous Eastern Divine Medicine from the Jieke Group, just like the Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. With this thought, Renek hesitated before pulling out a thousand US dollars, saying, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯m coming back for my money.¡± ¡°No problem, I¡¯ve sold Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid on this block for so long, I wouldn¡¯t damage my reputation over your thousand bucks.¡± The transaction was smooth, completing the first Beautiful Country order of Tianyuan Myopia Pills. ... Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Renek¡¯s experience was quite extraordinary; after taking the Tianyuan Myopia Pills, the skin and muscles around his eyes felt cool and refreshing, as if wrapped with an ice pack. Initially nervous, he went to the hospital for a check-up. The eyes are too delicate, and he feared complications. But the various medical tests showed nothing wrong, and when Renek returned home, he started noticing a significant improvement in his nearsightedness the next day. On the third day, the improvement became even more pronounced. On the fourth day early in the morning, Renek instinctively still wanted to put on his glasses. However, after he put on his glasses, he found that his vision was extremely blurry. ¡°My eyes...¡± Renek pushed open the window, took off his glasses, and gazed into the distance. Having myopia of 800 degrees, he used to be absolutely unable to see clearly. But now, he could even make out the license plates of cars below and the text on distant billboards. Even the men and women walking around, Renek could see their faces clearly, not like in the past when beyond a certain distance, he couldn¡¯t even tell if they were male or female. ¡°It¡¯s over, my nearsightedness is completely cured.¡± Renek¡¯s lips trembled with excitement as he leaped into the air. The myopia he thought would accompany him for life was completely cured with just a thousand US dollars. ¡°Tianyuan Myopia Pills are awesome, really amazing. This feeling of seeing clearly is so exhilarating!¡± Renek yelled and shouted, feeling reborn, with an indescribable excitement in his heart. Taking out his phone, Renek turned his excitement into words, starting to share this joy with tens of thousands of netizens. Gradually, the news about Tianyuan Myopia Pills began to spread online. As more and more people with nearsightedness were cured, Tianyuan Myopia Pills also became hot. ¡®I recommend nearsighted patients to buy Tianyuan Myopia Pills, one pill and you can say goodbye to nearsightedness, they are cheap and effective.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s indeed a product of Jieke Group, just like Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, effective in just three days, no need to worry about surgical risks, much better than corrective surgeries.¡¯ ¡®Holy Mary! These Tianyuan Myopia Pills are simply a masterpiece from God; there¡¯s hope for me, a severe nearsighted patient.¡¯ ¡®A bunch of morons, do you even realize that Jieke Group is an extreme radical organization endangering our country¡¯s security? By buying their products, you are funding the enemy. Each penny you spend turns into bullets fired at our soldiers.¡¯ ¡®Bullshit, who do you think you are? If you didn¡¯t go to Chan Country, how could they shoot you? Are you also claiming Chan Country as our territory?¡¯ ¡®Others sell Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid properly, but you just have to go and pull it off the shelves, forcing me to buy smuggled Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid at a much higher price.¡¯ ¡®Those politicians are just manipulated by capitalists. When they can¡¯t compete in business, they start to play dirty, who doesn¡¯t understand this trick?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t care too much, anyhow, Tianyuan Myopia Pills are good medicine. There¡¯s nothing wrong in curing my own nearsightedness, right? If you¡¯re so patriotic, then go on accepting those expensive nearsighted surgeries.¡¯ ¡®The eyeglass manufacturing company I work for has started to lay off staff, just yesterday HR talked to me about my dismissal. I hope Jieke Group gets destroyed quickly, they ruin one industry after another. Previously the hair growth company entered a depression, now it¡¯s our turn, the eyeglass manufacturing companies.¡¯ Online, there was a buzz of controversy, and it had become a regular occurrence in the Beautiful Country, where netizens always had endless topics to discuss regarding how to deal with Jieke Group. Online arguments aside, Tianyuan Myopia Pills¡¯ sales were hardly affected offline, where sales kept climbing higher and higher. Not long after Tianyuan Myopia Pills hit the market, they almost immediately took over a large share with their miraculous effects and affordable price. Not just in the Beautiful Country, but Jieke Group¡¯s smuggling channels had long been spread all over the world. These underground organizations in Europe and America, who had previously made a fortune off Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, now had a new opportunity to make money and naturally would not reject a profitable business. The volume of Tianyuan Myopia Pills shipped grew ever larger, from a hundred thousand, to a million, then to tens of millions. They catered to all people with nearsightedness, including men, women, the elderly, and children. With over a billion nearsighted patients and two to three hundred million with high degrees of myopia worldwide, these were all potential customers for Tianyuan Myopia Pills. Because of this, major companies that manufactured glasses began to see a decline in sales, and related eyeglass company stocks began to fall as if they had diarrhea. When the sales of Tianyuan Myopia Pills broke ten million and a celebratory announcement was made, it also meant that this new product had brought Jieke Group billions of dollars in net revenue. Although Tianyuan Myopia Pills are a one-time purchase, the profit margins were still quite remarkable given their pricing. However, as more and more nearsighted patients were cured over time, sales could only rely on newly-diagnosed nearsighted patients, meaning future profits were expected to decline. But for at least the next few years, Jieke Group wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that. The existing nearsighted patients alone would provide several years¡¯ worth of exorbitant profits for the company. Facing the profits of Tianyuan Myopia Pills, a simple calculation would make countless businesses in the medical field green with envy. In this context, a global medical conference specifically aimed at addressing Jieke Group was convened in the Beautiful Country. Chapter 371: 263: Sanctions (Second Update) Chapter 371: Chapter 263: Sanctions (Second Update) Beautiful Country, New York. On January 3rd, the ¡°World Medical and Health Safety Conference¡± was successfully held at the New York City International Convention Center. Attendees included Asder Pharmaceutical, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Huirui Pharmaceutical... All the top ten global pharmaceutical companies made their appearance, each with a market value of hundreds of billions of US dollars and annual revenues of several tens of billions of dollars, true super-multinational pharmaceutical conglomerates. Countless more big and small pharmaceutical companies were in attendance as well; the majority of the world¡¯s medical companies were present. In addition to the major pharmaceutical companies, there were charitable relief organizations, representatives from Medical University, renowned experts in the medical field, and legendary surgeons, to name a few. It could be said that while this medical event might not capture the attention of the general public, those in the medical field had been paying close attention to it for a long time. ... The conference lasted for five days and included a free medical treatment session for patients. The event was conducted quite smoothly. Until the last day of the conference. In the largest exhibition hall of the International Convention Center, as the initiator and main sponsor of this medical conference, Asder Pharmaceutical personally took the stage to speak and gathered everyone participating in the conference. A blond-haired, blue-eyed man in his forties, dressed in a suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, exuding a gentle and scholarly demeanor, stood on the stage. ¡°Good afternoon, medical experts and pharmaceutical companies. I am Pedro Avilesen, the new chairman of Asder Pharmaceutical.¡± Pedro introduced himself with a smile. Pedro was indeed the new head of the Avilesen Family, after the former head, Jose Avilesen, was assassinated by a Super Soldier sent by the Jieke Group. After a fierce struggle for power and profit, it was Jose¡¯s third son, Pedro Avilesen, who ultimately took over as the head of the family. ¡°Today, I have called this meeting to discuss a single topic, that is, regarding certain forces that are destroying the medical environment, smuggling medical products illegally, and defying the law. The trash lurking within our industry, the Jieke Group.¡± Pedro held the microphone, his voice spreading throughout the venue through the speakers. Upon hearing the name Jieke Group, many medical experts and scholars in the audience showed varying expressions. This group had recently become famous for achieving a series of victories in wars despite being targeted and blockaded by the Eight Nation Group. But in the eyes of medical professionals, the Jieke Group was the number one pharmaceutical company in the world and was already well-known to them. Whether it was Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid or the newly launched Tianyuan Myopia Pills, countless experts and institutions had conducted secret research in an attempt to understand why Jieke Group¡¯s medical products were so effective and had such astonishing results. They directly addressed hair loss and myopia caused by various factors, almost like the legendary Universal Medicine. However, no matter how these experts and institutions studied, they could never uncover the real secret of the Jieke Group. They could only find that there was a special substance in those medicines, whose synthesis and production methods were unknown to anyone. It was said that another product of the Jieke Group, the Strengthening Pill, which allowed humans to exceed their physical limits, also contained this substance; hence the medical community named it the Universal Medicine Quality. ¡°The misdeeds of the Jieke Group are too numerous to document. All of you present are the most authoritative experts and professors in the medical field worldwide. Seizing this rare opportunity, I would like to propose a motion. To carry out a medical blockade against the Jieke Group, as well as the regions under its rule, preventing all medical equipment and medications from entering the area, so as not to contribute to their arrogance.¡± Pedro tapped the table, finally getting to the point. This statement immediately caused an uproar among the audience. No one expected that Pedro¡¯s proposal would be so aggressive, to block the entry of Jieke Group¡¯s medical products. The last country subject to a medical blockade was Cuba, which, under the name of the Beautiful Country, unilaterally prohibited Cuba from purchasing medical equipment and supplies. It also made it difficult for Cuban medical workers to obtain visas from other countries, preventing them from participating in top-level academic exchanges and understanding advanced medical technologies and future research directions, seriously hindering Cuba¡¯s potential for the continued development of medicine. The region now under the rule of the Jieke Group had a population of over ten million who heavily depended on medical equipment and medications. Such a blockade would inevitably lead to a shortage of essential medical supplies for patients, resulting in various medical treatment issues and causing a significant and far-reaching impact. Many prominent figures in the medical industry below exchanged looks, and many had already realized that the true purpose of Asder Pharmaceutical¡¯s medical conference was probably aimed at the Jieke Group. ¡°Mr. Pedro, we are merely medical institutions, and we have no right, nor should we, to carry out a medical blockade against any group or region. This is inhuman and disregards life. We, as doctors, have a duty to heal the sick and save lives. Such actions go against our principles and would be tantamount to sacrificing the lives of over ten million people governed by the Jieke Group. I am firmly opposed.¡± A leader in the field of life sciences stood up, his eyes stern, his voice raised, and he angrily rebuked Pedro. ¡°That¡¯s right, such a despicable act is simply smearing all of us in the medical industry.¡± ¡°` ¡°To block the medical equipment and drug inputs of a region, how is that different from what robbers do? This is no longer the work of white-coated angels, but of black-winged demons.¡± One after another, people stood up. There were always those righteous individuals who, for the sake of justice, dared to confront Asder Pharmaceutical without giving any face to this global top ten pharmaceutical company. Of course, many of them were industry leaders, representative figures in their respective medical fields, whom Asder Pharmaceutical could not afford to offend. However, in the vast exhibition hall, those who stood up to explicitly express opposition were just a minority of a minority. More people remained seated, watching the progress of events without taking a stance. Pedro¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he spoke into the microphone, ¡°I can understand everyone¡¯s feelings. It pains me to make such a proposal, but...¡± Pedro raised his voice and gestured with his arms, stirring up emotions, ¡°But look at what Jieke Group has done. They¡¯ve smuggled Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and Tianyuan Myopia Pills to obtain Black Gold, then intensified the persecution of people under their rule, disrupted the political situation in Chan Country, and conducted evil biochemical gene research. Their so-called Super Soldiers are evidence. According to rumors, for every Super Soldier that is created, there are 99 unseen human experiment failures that die, cruelly discarded by the Jieke Group. How can we continue to enable a company that lacks humanity, moral boundaries, and medical order? And I¡¯m not planning to block them forever. As long as Jieke Group is willing to comply with medical field regulations, register new drugs and patents through international approvals, and commit to not conducting any more biochemical experiments, we will naturally lift the blockade.¡± The exhibition hall grew somewhat quiet until a blond, blue-eyed man stood up. When everyone looked over, they immediately recognized him as the CEO of Huirui Pharmaceutical, Renzo Benavides. Renzo held the microphone and locked eyes with Pedro on the stage, saying, ¡°I represent Huirui Pharmaceutical, and I agree with Mr. Pedro¡¯s proposal. The illegal human experiments of the Jieke Group and their persecution of people around the world must be sanctioned to make clear to them that their unchecked illegal activities will eventually backfire.¡± Following Renzo¡¯s lead, a woman in her fifties also stood up beside him¡ªshe was the CEO of Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Marina Setis. ¡°As a responsible and committed pharmaceutical company, I cannot ignore the despicable actions of the Jieke Group. I declare that Bayer Pharmaceuticals and all its partners will impose medical sanctions and a blockade against the Jieke Group. We will lift the blockade once the Jieke Group offers an apology and makes amends.¡± The representative of Novartis Pharmaceuticals stood up next, sternly saying, ¡°If Jieke Group does not want the medical care in its region to be blockaded, please show sincerity soon, disband the human experiment labs, and ensure the drug patents are properly registered. Only then will the international community choose to accept you.¡± One after another, pharmaceutical companies stood up, the global top ten pharmaceutical companies without exception. Their combined market value was even greater than that of the world¡¯s largest company, and their influence was unmatched. After all, the field of medicine had long penetrated every aspect of human society. Who could say they would never fall ill in their lifetime? The attendees at the conference were shocked, their eyes wide open. These pharmaceutical companies had always been fiercely competing with one another, and it was unexpected to see such a united front. Now, it was even clearer that these giant pharmaceutical companies had already reached an agreement in private to blockade Jieke Group. Today¡¯s gathering was just a formality to make it public. More and more pharmaceutical companies stood up. Too many enterprises were connected upstream and downstream with these multinational giants, and in order not to be given a hard time, they had no choice but to go with the flow and stand in support. In virtually no time at all, the prevailing mood at the scene had become one-sided, beginning to publicly denounce Jieke Group. This left many of the righteous individuals who had spoken up for Jieke Group quite frustrated, but their personal power was far from comparable to these influential giants whose influence permeated every country and whose annual revenue was in the range of billions of dollars. Moreover, it was a monumental effort for the world¡¯s top ten pharmaceutical companies to join forces, an unprecedented endeavor that was beyond the reach of any individual¡¯s modest power. Pedro¡¯s face showed a faint smile. He had only recently become the head of the Averson Family, and many within the family opposed him. But if he could suppress the Jieke Group and obtain the miraculous Universal Medicine Quality they possessed, surely he would be able to produce various universal medicines and gain a massive fortune, truly solidifying his position. That¡¯s why Pedro had this idea, to reach out to other giant pharmaceutical companies. In the face of the huge benefits of Universal Medicine Quality, these otherwise fiercely competing companies reluctantly came together to form such an agreement. As for avenging his father, Jose? That was never something Pedro seriously considered; his actions were entirely motivated by self-interest. Before deciding to stand out, Pedro had also strengthened his own security measures. Spending his days in seclusion was designed to guard against Jieke Group sending Super Soldiers to assassinate him, avoiding the fate of the old man. ¡°It seems we all share a heroic consensus. Following the principle of the minority yielding to the majority, I hereby declare that the medical equipment and drug embargo against Jieke Group will officially commence after the conclusion of this conference.¡± As Pedro¡¯s words concluded, applause suddenly began to sound from below, initially sparse but then growing louder and louder until it was deafening. Quickly, news spread from New York and, as it was carried across oceans by the media, exploded around the world. ¡°` Chapter 372: 264: Horror Movie (Three updates, 10,000 words, seeking monthly passes!) Chapter 372: Chapter 264: Horror Movie (Three updates, 10,000 words, seeking monthly passes!) When the medical ban in Beautiful Country had just been announced, on the other side of the ocean, Mande City was still in a state of peace and prosperity. In a newly constructed film and television base in the suburbs of Mande City, Kitagawa Ayaka, who had been ¡®invited¡¯ here by the Jieke Group, was shivering with fear. Kitagawa Ayaka was a Japanese actress, the kind with little fame who sometimes had to work part-time jobs to cover living expenses that her acting career could not support. This clearly showed how obscure Kitagawa Ayaka really was. A week ago, she had suddenly heard that a wealthy film crew was recruiting for a big-budget movie that required shooting overseas. Struggling financially, she had not thought twice before signing up. ... The selection process had gone smoothly, and she had even landed an important role as the leading lady, so excited that she could not sleep the entire night. Initially, she had doubted whether this so-called big production team was a scam until she saw Xicun Ying, a director well-known for his horror films in Japan. Moreover, part of her lead actress salary had already been deposited, amounting to much more than what she would have earned for a supporting role in any of her previous films. All these factors completely dispelled her doubts, and she confidently followed the production team overseas, first flying to Hua Country and then taking a connecting flight to Mande City. Upon disembarking, she was utterly bewildered because the people greeting them were all fully armed soldiers. At that moment, the entire chartered plane¡¯s team, from the director to the actors and crew, was dumbfounded. At first, Kitagawa Ayaka thought that their big production team had been kidnapped, a common occurrence in foreign lands where local gangs extort film crews. It wasn¡¯t until she saw that the financiers of the big production team were all happily greeting and chatting with the soldiers that she finally realized, it was only they, the team members from Japan, who were kept in the dark. Confused, Kitagawa Ayaka, along with the crew, was taken to a hotel in the city by the soldiers, who weren¡¯t closely guarding them. Initially, some crew members tried to escape, but what was despairing was that it seemed like everywhere in the city was under surveillance by those soldiers. No matter where they ran, they would be immediately captured upon trying to leave the city. Later, they learned that the place they had landed was called Mande City, which had an even more notorious reputation well-known to every Japanese, known as Jieke Group¡¯s lair, referred to by the Japanese as the ¡°demon¡¯s den.¡± When Kitagawa Ayaka learned that they had been kidnapped by the Jieke Group, she cried bitterly. Because in the propaganda in Japan, the Jieke Group was always portrayed as evil, cold-blooded killers who persecuted innocent civilians. In contrast, Japanese Soldiers who went to Chan Country were there to ensure the safety of the local civilians, on a humanitarian rescue mission, yet were shamefully ambushed and defeated by the unscrupulous Jieke Group, which many in Japan deeply resented. Kitagawa Ayaka thought the same until she later took part in an escape attempt. During her escape in Mande City, she realized that the local civilians were not living in misery as the Japanese government had propagated, starving and dying of hunger. Instead, the local people were living orderly lives, looking healthy and vibrant, and were extremely supportive of the Jieke Group. Most of the time, the failures of Kitagawa Ayaka¡¯s escape attempts were due to these civilians reporting them. Kitagawa Ayaka finally delved deeper and realized that most people in Mande City work directly or indirectly for Jieke Group. Wherever they went, there were employees of Jieke Group, just ordinary people, not professional agents or scouts, how could they escape? Latter on, the entire crew became docile, prayed that Jieke Group wouldn¡¯t kill them, and they were then assigned a task to prepare to shoot a horror film. When they heard about this assignment, everyone was a bit stunned; so all this trouble to bring them to Mande City was indeed to have them shoot a movie! This shock remained to this day; Kitagawa Ayaka could only enhance her acting skills by studying the script, to avoid being taken out for target practice by Jieke Group if she performed poorly. ¡°Is everyone here? Lighting, how is this reflector set up? Hurry up and adjust it, the camera track is not in the right position, move half a meter to the left, prop master...¡± Director Xicun Ying, holding a megaphone, started preparing for the shooting. ¡°Ayaka, come over here, you understand all the scenes you are going to play, right?¡± Xicun Ying beckoned to Kitagawa Ayaka. ¡°Director, I¡¯ve read the script many times, but I have never acted in a horror film before, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t master the right expression of fear.¡± Kitagawa Ayaka said timidly; she wasn¡¯t a genius, and although she believed her acting was competent, not being recognized was not her fault, but she had indeed never acted in a horror film and feared she couldn¡¯t display its essence. ¡°We are about to start shooting soon, if your acting isn¡¯t good, I¡¯ll guide you then.¡± Xicun Ying, holding a walkie-talkie, continued arranging other shooting tasks. Just as everything was wrapping up and he was about to take a drink, Kitagawa Ayaka handed him a cup of warm water in a paper cup. ¡°Thanks.¡± Xicun Ying gulped it down in one go, wiped his mouth, and said with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this, Ayaka, you are quite observant. You¡¯ll make it big one day.¡± Kitagawa Ayaka felt a bit bashful and, seeing Xicun Ying¡¯s seriousness and passion for the shooting work, couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Director, aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± ¡°Afraid of what?¡± Xicun Ying looked puzzled. ¡°I mean, I mean... this is Jieke Group, the heartless Jieke Group; aren¡¯t you afraid they might do something to you...¡± Kitagawa Ayaka¡¯s expression was exaggerated, gesticulating wildly. Xicun Ying lit a cigarette and said blandly, ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by the propaganda back home, Jieke Group isn¡¯t as bad as you think. If it were as you said, wouldn¡¯t all of you who tried to run away so many times have been shot by now?¡± Kitagawa Ayaka was at a loss for words, not knowing how to counter. ¡°When I was shooting back home last time, because of being overly confident, I invested all my savings into my own movie, but that movie bombed and I ended up heavily in debt. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know before coming here, but later the Jieke Group helped me deal with those involved in high-interest loans in Hua Country. Otherwise, I can¡¯t imagine what would have happened to my family,¡± he said as he exhaled rings of smoke, his words tinged with melancholy and gratitude. Kitagawa Ayaka opened her mouth hesitantly, ¡°But, but they tricked us into coming here mysteriously and even restricted our personal freedom.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not losing any money, and besides, this shoot is a huge production with top-level setup. I heard that they plan to make this movie into a series. By then, you probably won¡¯t want to leave,¡± Xicun Ying replied with a chuckle. Kitagawa Ayaka was startled and asked puzzledly, ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± Xicun Ying prompted, ¡°Think carefully. Didn¡¯t you post online cursing the Jieke Group?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t... well, it seems I actually did, but that was ages ago,¡± she admitted, her voice growing weaker. She had followed the crowd and criticized Jieke Group as an evil force online, suggesting it should be banned. ¡°Hehe, everyone brought here, including me, has cursed the Jieke Group.¡± With a final note, Xicun Ying did not add anything more. Kitagawa Ayaka stood frozen, and after realizing, she felt a strong impulse to slap herself. What was I thinking back then? Who could have suspected that Jieke Group would seek revenge in such a manner? ... Half an hour later, the first scene of the first act officially started. The scene involved Kitagawa Ayaka, where she encounters the female ghost for the first time. Filming was not done in chronological order but rather based on the setup, meaning later parts might be filmed first. Kitagawa Ayaka lay in her bed, within the confines of her bedroom, which was only equipped with fixed multi-camera setups, and no other objects. She was to act as a girl who had found a ¡°death envelope¡± during the day, opened it out of curiosity, and was cursed. Tonight would be her first experience encountering the ghost due to the curse. Peeking out from under her covers, Kitagawa Ayaka eyed the eerily quiet surroundings, wondering if the female ghost would truly be frightening. What if the makeup was so bad that she burst out laughing? That would definitely earn her a scolding from the director. Her mind was filled with wild thoughts when suddenly, a slight clicking sound came from the bedroom door. Kitagawa Ayaka instinctively looked over, and just then, the bedroom lights began to flicker as if due to a poor connection. A chill permeated the air through the door crack, and in the flickering light, Kitagawa Ayaka¡¯s vision blurred for a moment. It seemed as if the door had been opened halfway and a ghostly figure stood outside, its face unclear, only its sinister, hollow eyes visible, as if staring at someone about to die. Goosebumps covered Kitagawa Ayaka¡¯s arms, and a chill spread throughout her body as she clung to the blanket, only her eyes peeking out, fearful as she glanced toward the door, continually reminding herself it was all just actors and mechanisms. But even with such reassurances, the panic inside her surged like a tide, overwhelming her sanity. Snap! The lights flickered back on, and the shadow at the door seemed to vanish. Kitagawa Ayaka hesitantly reached out with her left hand to press the bedside lamp. As the lamp lit up, no one was outside the door; it was just a stretch of haunting silence. But as soon as Kitagawa Ayaka turned off the lamp again, a slender figure clad in red reappeared at the door. Kitagawa Ayaka shuddered and instinctively turned on the light, and the ghostly figure disappeared again. Upon turning the lamp off. The figure reappeared yet again. Turning on the light made the ghostly figure at the door vanish once more. Kitagawa Ayaka was utterly terrified, her face rigid with horror and sweat dripping down as she curled up under the covers, resembling a caterpillar. Snap! The lamp was turned off once more. Ah! The next second, Kitagawa Ayaka let out an ear-piercing scream. Because she saw the red-clothed ghostly figure, which had been at the door, suddenly appear right beside her bed, its red head covering obscuring its face, leaving only a silent terror that swept through her soul. With a swift movement, Kitagawa Ayaka buried her head into the covers, her fear bringing her to tears. Underneath the covers, the bed frame was concave, and a camera was positioned perfectly to capture Kitagawa Ayaka¡¯s frightened expression, pushing her to the brink of collapse. Just then, Kitagawa Ayaka felt as if something had touched her shoulder. She slightly turned her head and saw a pale hand resting on her shoulder, and through the covers, she could vaguely discern a terrifying presence staring at her with a deathly gaze. This horrifying scene had made Kitagawa Ayaka¡¯s eyes widen in terror, prompting her to throw off the covers and flee the bedroom without looking back. ¡°Cut, perfect, just perfect!¡± Xicun Ying exclaimed excitedly outside, ¡°Are all young people so humble these days? Saying she couldn¡¯t act out fear, yet her acting skills exploded! Not only does she stand out among her peers, but even if some of those veteran actors were here, few could display such a demeanor.¡± Chapter 373: 265: Dual Soul Contract Chapter 373: Chapter 265: Dual Soul Contract After a while, Kitagawa Ayaka came running out, crying her eyes out, tears falling on the spot. ¡°Alright, alright, Ayaka, that¡¯s enough, no need to act anymore, tone down your expression.¡± Director Xicun Ying walked over and patted Kitagawa Ayaka on the shoulder, quite pleased with her performance. ¡°Ah, act... what acting? I wasn¡¯t acting! There really is a ghost.¡± Ayaka looked bewildered, insisting she had truly been scared. ¡°Look, all you actors come over here and see what true acting is, completely immersing oneself in the character. An actor like this will sooner or later become famous.¡± ... Xicun Ying was even more satisfied upon hearing this, leaving Kitagawa Ayaka at a loss for words. The surrounding actors who were watching turned their gaze toward Kitagawa Ayaka. Many of the supporting actors had previously been a bit jealous and resentful, wondering why Kitagawa Ayaka, a nobody, had landed the lead role. Now, seeing Kitagawa Ayaka¡¯s impressive acting skills, each of them could only admit they were outclassed. There truly were mountains beyond mountains and skies beyond skies. At that moment, Kitagawa Ayaka finally gathered her wits and asked, swallowing hard, ¡°That... who was the actress playing the female ghost just now?¡± ¡°That was someone arranged by the Jieke Group, apparently a big shot, not from our crew. Come on, now let¡¯s shoot the next scene.¡± Xicun Ying cheerfully continued with the filming. However, when the supporting actors began acting in scenes with the Fierce Ghost, things often spiraled beyond Xicun Ying¡¯s control. One by one, the actors, when shooting scenes with the Fierce Ghost, managed to perform exceptionally well in terms of fear, but too much of anything is bad. Many actors were so terrified they lost their composure and couldn¡¯t even recite their lines, with some even crying and wanting to go to the police. Faced with this situation, Xicun Ying, after failing to console several actors, had no choice but to approach the actress playing the Fierce Ghost. As he drew near, Xicun Ying felt a chill running through his body. ¡°Um, Miss Han... Miss Han, I¡¯m the director Xicun Ying, there¡¯s something I need to ask of you.¡± Xicun Ying swallowed hard, standing beside Han Ruyan, his brain sounding alarms, and his instincts urging him to flee. ¡°What is it? My performance wasn¡¯t convincing?¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s eyes, behind her sunglasses, conveyed such a sense of dread, akin to that of a Fierce Ghost reaping lives, that Xicun Ying immediately stepped back, sweat breaking out on his forehead. ¡°No... no, I mean, Miss Han, you¡¯re acting too convincingly. It would be great if you could tone it down a bit, otherwise my actors can¡¯t perform properly.¡± Stammering out his lines, Xicun Ying finally understood why his actors had depicted their fear so vividly. The woman playing the female ghost unnerved him deeply. The ominous and dangerous aura she emitted caused his heart to race uncontrollably, much like encountering a natural predator. ¡°I¡¯ll go down and control it.¡± Han Ruyan gave Xicun Ying a glance, and like finding redemption, he quickly made himself scarce. In the following shots, Han Ruyan voluntarily reduced her presence, still scaring the actors pale, but at least they managed to deliver their lines, and filming could continue. ... After the last scene of the day was shot, outside the crew area, Su Jie sat on a lounge chair and smiled at the approaching Ghost Bride Han Ruyan, asking, ¡°How did it feel filming just now?¡± ¡°Scaring ordinary people without stepping on the ants or harming them is harder to control than just killing outright.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s voice was icy cold; her wedding dress fluttered gently in the wind, and her phoenix crown shone even more brightly. Su Jie could tell that Han Ruyan wasn¡¯t objecting, which meant she was not resistant to acting. After all, the more fear they left in the audience after the movie¡¯s release, the more Primordial Spirit Pearls they would collect. In such a case, Han Ruyan taking action personally was naturally more effective at maximizing the fear experienced by the audience than sending out Papermen and Fierce Ghosts. ¡°Once the movie is released, the effort now will be worth it. The filming team we¡¯ve got this time will do their utmost to help you with the shooting.¡± Su Jie grasped Han Ruyan¡¯s hand. Horror films shot in Japan were known to be unique in Asia for their psychological terror and sense of oppression, something that horror films from Europe and America struggled to match. For this reason, Su Jie had deliberately brought in Xicun Ying¡¯s professional team to create a truly terrifying horror film. Combining a Japanese script that excelled in psychological horror with the Ghost Bride¡¯s devoted performance, the filmgoing audience was sure to be in for a treat. He hoped they¡¯d come to the theaters equipped with diapers. ¡°When will it be released?¡± Han Ruyan asked a question. ¡°Film shooting and production will take a few months, and we¡¯re still in the process of acquiring and investing in more theaters, which also takes time.¡± Su Jie shook his head. Film production can¡¯t be rushed. Industrialized movie production isn¡¯t like the old guerrilla days where a film finished in a few days or a week would find an audience. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back to Nightmare Park.¡± Han Ruyan didn¡¯t say much else. Acting in a movie was merely a pastime, a form of entertainment for her, and that was after she had regained some human emotions. Had it been the Han Ruyan of the past, she may not have been willing to personally participate in the filming. Su Jie stood up to see Han Ruyan back to Nightmare Park. The place was becoming increasingly desolate. The war between Jieke Group and the Chan Country Government Army had not ended, with both sides merely replenishing their logistics under a tacit ceasefire. As a result, tourists were scarce, leaving the once bustling grand Ghost House with only a few visitors, mostly adventurous online bloggers who came to experience what was touted as the world¡¯s largest Ghost House, aiming to shoot videos to attract traffic to their websites. Chapter 374: 265: Dual Soul Contract_2 Chapter 374: Chapter 265: Dual Soul Contract_2 In the architectural compound that mimicked the antique Su-style garden, Su Jie led Han Ruyan into the place. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Just as Su Jie turned to leave, a small hand caught him. Turning around, he saw Han Ruyan gently parting her red lips, ¡°Come in and sit.¡± Su Jie was somewhat bewildered, but he followed her inside nonetheless. Inside the mansion, lights and decorations adorned every corner, many laid out just as Han Mansion had been when Han Ruyan was alive. ... At a pavilion, Han Ruyan slightly raised her head and said, ¡°My parents, they must have died right around here, right? My father hanged himself here, and my mother was hung at this place.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s voice was as detached as always, Su Jie couldn¡¯t detect much fluctuation in it. ¡°You remembered?¡± Su Jie was somewhat surprised; Han Ruyan¡¯s demeanor clearly indicated that she had recalled many things from her life. ¡°After killing Zou Minzun, I intermittently get flashes in my mind; my parents died at his hands.¡± Han Ruyan spoke slowly, then turned to look at Su Jie, ¡°Thank you, my husband.¡± Su Jie shook his head, saying, ¡°Why thank me? As your husband, isn¡¯t it my duty to help my wife avenge her deep-seated hatred?¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s brows furrowed slightly; she looked down at herself and said, ¡°Deep-seated hatred... My husband, why can¡¯t I feel much sorrow? The only person I seem to care about now is you.¡± ¡°Even if there¡¯s only me, your husband will always love you.¡± Su Jie touched Han Ruyan¡¯s icy jade-like face. Although he couldn¡¯t feel body warmth, he seemed to grasp Han Ruyan¡¯s complex and indescribable state of mind through this gesture. Normally, one would be greatly distressed and unable to suppress their grief if their parents were killed and their family destroyed. But Han Ruyan had become a fierce ghost and lost so many human emotions. She knew she should be grieving, but she was unable to empathize, even unsure of how to grieve and mourn, making such emotional perception overly burdensome for her. ¡°My husband...¡± The blood-colored wedding dress on Han Ruyan fluttered, winding around Su Jie¡¯s waist. The chilling cold of the fierce ghost began to seep in. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit reacted instinctively, like how human adrenaline surges in the face of danger. Two authoritative eyes on the Primordial Spirit opened, their divine radiance illuminating the Nine Nether, dispelling evil filth. However, the next moment, Su Jie controlled the instinctive reaction of his Primordial Spirit and opened his arms to embrace Han Ruyan in her blood-colored wedding dress. Threads and wisps of blood-red light spread between them; Su Jie¡¯s body remained unchanged, but atop the Divine Soul emerged a blood-red cape that slowly materialized behind the Primordial Spirit. The Primordial Spirit automatically leapt out from atop Su Jie¡¯s head, and with a gust of wind, the red cape rustled. Whoosh! Invisible ripples spread out, the Primordial Spirit standing like a divine god, as its red cape billowed slightly, the ground cracking inch by inch. Nearby small animals and insects were instantaneously felled, their souls utterly extinguished. ¡°Dual Soul Contract.¡± Su Jie murmured to himself. The so-called Dual Soul Contract was a deep binding between humans and fierce ghosts. This binding was somewhat similar to the relationship Su Jie had with the thousand-hand centipede, his Lifebound poisonous insect. Dual Soul Contracts were extremely rare and usually, only one fierce ghost could be bound. After binding, this contract would strengthen Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit, bestowing various divine abilities and greatly increasing its power. Zhong Shiguan had established a Dual Soul Contract with the Mirror Girl, which allowed him, after his physical death, to take possession of the Mirror Girl¡¯s body with his human consciousness, controlling it. As Han Ruyan now had established a Dual Soul Contract with Su Jie, this also meant that Han Ruyan truly opened her heart to Su Jie, with no defenses whatsoever. The Primordial Spirit soared high into the sky, barely visible. The next moment, dark clouds gathered, thunder roared, lightning snakes flashed. The Divine Skill of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder originated from the Primordial Spirit, and as the Primordial Spirit strengthened, it also drew upon natural phenomena. A violent wind arose, and a downpour began, with the sound of thunder rolling, starting a heavy rain. ¡°Strange, it was scorching a moment ago, but this rain came so suddenly.¡± ¡°This is sunshower, when it¡¯s raining while the sun is out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only raining near Nightmare Park; there¡¯s no rain in other areas.¡± Passersby nearby were astonished. As they looked for shelter from the rain, they noticed the sun brightly shining above while the relentless rain fell, covering only a small area around Nightmare Park. These passersby had no idea that the heavy rain was entirely caused by a human being. ¡°To leverage human form to manipulate changes in the weather, such is the might of the Taoist Platform Realm,¡± Su Jie¡¯s mouth was slightly ajar, his heart shaking with amazement. This was a phenomenon-level hallmark of the Taoist Platform Realm: ¡°My heart as the heart of heaven,¡± the waxing and waning of one¡¯s mood could cause synchronous changes in the weather. This was possible because the Primordial Spirit of the Taoist Platform Realm had evolved to the God Unification stage, where it was the same size as the physical body and perfectly merged with it. Su Jie had never imagined that the Dual Soul Contract he had bound with Han Ruyan would allow his Primordial Spirit to advance to such a level. This state could truly be called the Small God Union Realm. Although the celestial phenomena induced by this realm were more for show and did not possess truly powerful might, incomparable to the heavenly might of the Taoist Platform Realm. Yet, to achieve this right after advancing to the Secret Realm was already an exaggeration beyond belief. Looking again at Han Ruyan, she was merely watching Su Jie quietly, as if nothing had happened. ¡°Is this a gift from my lady?¡± Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit returned to his body, and he took Han Ruyan into his arms. ¡°My lord, do you not like it?¡± Han Ruyan, held by Su Jie, looked steadily into his eyes. ¡°How could I not like it? Even if you gave me a blade of grass or a stone, your husband would cherish it immensely.¡± Su Jie planted a gentle kiss, and Han Ruyan did not resist. After their lips parted, Han Ruyan asked with a calm expression, ¡°My lord, could it be this is what men call sweet nothings?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t sweet nothings, this is love,¡± Su Jie began to explain. Although his initial binding with Han Ruyan had been due to a combination of coincidences, he couldn¡¯t deny that after getting to know her, his relationship with Han Ruyan had long transcended mere exploitation. ¡°By the way, where did you learn to talk like that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of it in movies. Those men often talk like that, but some of them, after sweet-talking, will abandon their wives. My lord, you wouldn¡¯t do that, would you?¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s lips parted slightly, breathing in Su Jie¡¯s scent, she said very assuredly, ¡°But it¡¯s alright. If my lord were to do that, I would turn you into a Fierce Ghost. That way, we could always be together, forever, and no one could take my lord away from me.¡± Whoosh! Hearing such a Yandere statement, Su Jie¡¯s expression froze for a moment, detecting the scent of a kitchen cleaver on Han Ruyan. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Could it be, my lord, you...¡± Han Ruyan seemed to sense the change in Su Jie¡¯s body, and tightened her embrace. Su Jie coughed twice and waved his hands, ¡°What are you talking about, my lady? I¡¯m not that kind of man, I would never abandon a woman after causing chaos.¡± At the same time, Su Jie silently added to himself, ¡°You¡¯re all a part of my harem, I would never toy with and then discard anyone.¡± ¡°I always feel like my lord is hiding something.¡± It had to be said, even as a Fierce Ghost, a woman¡¯s intuition could still be so terrifying. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, my lady.¡± Su Jie said earnestly, ¡°Also, my lady, you should watch fewer of those messy movies in the future, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll have a bad influence on you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± ... After leaving Han Ruyan¡¯s residence, Su Jie sighed to himself. ¡°Thank goodness I didn¡¯t introduce Yingying to her, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.¡± Su Jie wasn¡¯t afraid for himself, but Liu Yingying was just an ordinary person and if Han Ruyan saw her as a rival, the consequences would be very bad. Just as Su Jie thought of Liu Yingying, his phone rang. Picking it up, it was indeed her calling. After picking up and listening for a few sentences, Su Jie¡¯s expression gradually turned grim. ¡°Heh, it seems they really can¡¯t sit idle for a day without stirring up trouble, medical embargo... It looks like it¡¯s time to remind them of the fear of being under the control of the Steel Camp.¡± Chapter 375: 266: One Culture, One Martial Chapter 375: Chapter 266: One Culture, One Martial In the meeting room of Jieke Group Headquarters Building. Su Jie, Liu Yingying, and Chen Yaoguang were sitting together. Rustle. Su Jie closed the file and spoke indifferently, ¡°The situation is clear now, Asder Pharmaceutical in collaboration with the top ten pharmaceutical companies, want to force us to give up some of our profits through an embargo.¡± Chen Yaoguang spoke up, ¡°Mr. Su, most of the drugs and medical equipment in our controlled regions depend on imports. They are using this as leverage, aiming to leave us without any medical supplies.¡± ¡°We can purchase from Hua Country and Bear Country, as these two nations don¡¯t care about any medical sanctions.¡± ... Liu Yingying stated the facts: Jieke Group is not like Cuba, which is too close to Beautiful Country and is even called the backyard of Beautiful Country, illustrating the immense influence of geopolitical factors. Cuba finds it hard to defy the will of Beautiful Country. However, Jieke Group is different. Its territory is miles away from Beautiful Country, and the surrounding nations don¡¯t completely obey it, not to mention Hua Country and Bear Country, who often oppose Beautiful Country. These are places where Jieke Group could procure medical devices and drugs. ¡°The problem is that while most drugs have substitutes, there are some drugs for which only pharmaceutical companies in Europe and America hold the patents to manufacture the specific treatments. Even Hua Country and Brother Mao Xiong rely on imports and cannot meet all our needs.¡± Liu Yingying was not blindly optimistic and quickly pointed out another issue. Europe and America lead in the pharmaceutical sector, and for some medical conditions, only the specific drugs produced by pharmaceutical companies in Europe and America can be effective¡ªthis quasi-invisible monopoly also symbolizes the dominance of Western pharmaceutical companies. ¡°India should be able to supply them; they are not much affected by these limitations, but we fear those pharmaceutical companies might interfere due to their substantial influence,¡± he said. Chen Yaoguang suggested purchasing drugs from India. Unlike most countries that adhere to the pharmaceutical patent laws, India doesn¡¯t regard such laws at all, having enacted specific legislation that legitimizes generic drugs. Of all the nations in the world, India is the only one bold enough to do this, which has led to a rampant proliferation of generic drugs within the country. ¡°Instead of buying generic drugs from India, why don¡¯t we go a step further and start producing and selling our own generic drugs?¡± Su Jie crossed his arms under his chin and smirked as he voiced his idea. ¡°Us creating generic drugs? But the patents...¡± Chen Yaoguang instinctively felt uneasy. However, after thinking it over, it seemed feasible¡ªJieke Group truly had both the capability and the strength to do so. ¡°If those pharmaceutical companies are not playing by the rules, then why should we adhere to the 20-year drug patent protection laws they¡¯ve set up?¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up, strongly agreeing with Su Jie¡¯s idea. As is well known, drugs are mainly divided into patented drugs and generic drugs. Patented drugs are those that first filed for patent protection. For a period of 20 years, other companies are not allowed to produce generics. This period is taken into account for pharmaceutical companies to independently develop new drugs, a process that involves extensive experimentation and high R&D costs, typically averaging over a decade before success is achieved. This protection period is intended to allow pharmaceutical companies to recuperate their investments and make profits, thus motivating them to invest in developing new drugs. As for generic drugs, they not only lack significant R&D costs but also their efficacy is nearly comparable to that of the original patented drugs. Therefore, they are priced much lower than the expensively developed patented drugs, making them more affordable and preferred by the majority of patients. The reason generic drugs are scarce is that most countries have joined the World Trade Organization and thus must adhere to related patent laws; otherwise, in today¡¯s economy integrated into global markets, a country could find itself in an isolated and unsupported position. Even if some national forces wanted to take risks, they couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and strikes from pharmaceutical companies. India could develop generic drugs due to many complex factors. As for Jieke Group developing generic drugs, just as Su Jie said, there was no difficulty at all. Jieke Group itself started with smuggling, never expecting to engage in normal commerce in Europe and America. Its global smuggling network was one of the foundations that enabled Jieke Group to develop generic drugs. As for the pressure and suppression from the pharmaceutical companies due to the development of generic drugs, they were already experiencing it. Moreover, the entire Jieke Group was already ostracized by the Beautiful Country led by Europe and America, and was now in a stage of warlike stalemate, having long been in an irreconcilable relationship. Even without producing generic drugs, they would not be accepted by European and American societies. Having produced generic drugs, the relationship could not worsen much further; there was little room for decline. Consequently, the natural choice was to develop generic drugs, which was more beneficial for Jieke Group. Not only could they directly break the medical blockade imposed by European and American pharmaceutical companies on Jieke Group, but they could also further introduce generic drugs into the European and American circles, disrupting their ecosystem¡ªa double victory. ¡°With our equipment, producing generic drugs is not difficult. We can just use those most vile criminals as guinea pigs, since those consumables are just lying around anyway, might as well put them to use.¡± Su Jie finalized the decision with a definitive strike of the hammer. ¡°I will take charge of this matter when I return.¡± Liu Yingying nodded; Jieke Group¡¯s scientific research capability was indeed very strong, with high remuneration attracting many talents, making duplication easy. After all, the truly difficult part of drug development is the stage of developing new drugs; for generic drugs, it only requires obtaining the original drugs and using various high-polymer instruments to analyze the chemical components of the drugs, then making the corresponding formulations. While different production processes may lead to slight differences in drug properties, the effects are essentially similar; moreover, the price can be completely floored, as there are no high research and development costs to spread, making the costs quite low indeed! The meeting soon adjourned, and Su Jie picked up his phone. ¡°General Su.¡± A robust and strong voice came through the phone, it was Miao Lun, commander of the Steel Camp. ¡°Have you received the new operation order?¡± ¡°Received, eliminate all key members of the Averson Family, the puppet masters behind Asder Pharmaceutical.¡± ¡°Get ready, depart at the scheduled time. I will have a special entity assist you with this mission.¡± ¡°Understood, please rest assured, General. Steel Camp guarantees the completion of the mission.¡± After hanging up the phone, Su Jie stood up from his seat, looking out through the glass curtain wall at the sunset¡¯s afterglow, his expression cold as he said: ¡°Time and again you provoke us, this time, I¡¯ll let you know on what Jieke Group thrives.¡± For Su Jie, producing generic drugs was merely a bureaucratic struggle, while the deployment of the Steel Camp was a battle of force. One in writing, one in warfare, complementing each other, that was the style of Jieke Group. Without making an example of someone, those capitalists might really think Jieke Group couldn¡¯t wield a knife anymore. Chapter 376: 267: Counterattack (First Update) Chapter 376: Chapter 267: Counterattack (First Update) When the top ten pharmaceutical companies started to enforce a medical blockade on Jieke Group, the media went into a frenzy, reporting wildly before rushing to interview the Jieke Group. You should know that the last time Jieke Group faced criticisms from the Eight Nation Group regarding arms purchases, they had made threats in a press conference, cautioning all to heed their warnings. Latterly, Jieke Group did as they had said, using the excuse of the disappearance of training soldiers to provoke the Chan Country war, leaving the Chan Country Government Army and Japanese Soldiers in a disarray. That instance of media coverage had satisfied news outlets around the world, and naturally, they wanted to see how Jieke Group would respond this time, whether they would choose to concede or stand their ground. And indeed, Jieke Group didn¡¯t disappoint them, promptly calling for a press conference. January 8. ... At the Jieke Group Headquarters Building in Mande City, hundreds of journalists from around the world gathered, signing in at the first-floor lobby before taking their cameras to the fourth-floor conference hall that could accommodate a thousand people. The media were from all around the world, including the four renowned international news agencies, Associated Press, Reuters, AFP, and United Press International. Besides them, there were Global Times, Time Warner, Asahi News, Truth Newspaper, Sun Newspaper, and other famous news outlets, none of whom missed the chance to come to Mande City. When it was ten in the morning, Su Jie personally attended the press conference. ¡°I am Su Jie, the chairman of Jieke Group. I think everyone here recognizes me, and I will not introduce myself further to avoid any suspicion of self-promotion. Lest someone sees it and accuses me of false advertising again.¡± Su Jie made a small joke and sat down on the chair. Many journalists couldn¡¯t help but admire below, truly a bold figure who dares to confront the Eight Nation Group head-on. Even at such a time, he could still joke around, a quality not everyone possesses. ¡°Now I announce the press conference has officially begun. I will start with the journalist in front, the one from Associated Press, please go ahead.¡± Su Jie pointed to a man in a suit who stood up with a microphone and said, ¡°The top ten multinational pharmaceutical companies have announced that due to a series of humanitarian disasters caused by Jieke Group, they will enforce a medical blockade on Jieke Group, blocking all medical supplies from entering regions under Jieke Group¡¯s control. They have stated that unless Jieke Group publicly apologizes and accepts responsibility, taking several corrective measures, they might consider lifting the blockade depending on the performance. How does Jieke Group view this?¡± ¡°What are these top ten pharmaceutical companies, to demand an apology from our Jieke Group?¡± Su Jie contemptuously curled his lips and said lightly, ¡°Regarding the so-called medical blockade, our Jieke Group has decided to immediately lift the restrictions on our pharmaceutical patent laws and begin research on generic drugs. We will not only provide affordable and effective generic drugs to our people but also offer life-saving medicine to people around the world who suffer from high drug prices. Look, a company like Jieke Group, which considers the welfare of its people, how could it possibly cause humanitarian disasters?¡± As soon as Su Jie spoke, the room erupted. Many journalists widened their eyes; Su Jie indeed boldly claimed to start researching generic drugs, completely disregarding the global top ten pharmaceutical companies and challenging the existing rule of the game, overturning the table outright. ¡°By researching generic drugs, isn¡¯t Jieke Group afraid of isolating itself from the international community?¡± The Associated Press journalist couldn¡¯t help asking, an action he had not anticipated. ¡°Were we ever accepted by the so-called Western international community?¡± Su Jie retorted, instantly leaving the Associated Press journalist speechless. Jieke Group was defined as an extreme radical organization; the attitude of Europe and America was obvious. ¡°In any case, we Jieke Group are committed to producing generic drugs. If India can do it, why can¡¯t we, Jieke Group?¡± ¡°This lady journalist, your turn.¡± Su Jie pointed to another female journalist from Japan¡¯s Yomiuri Shimbun. The Japanese female journalist stood up, speaking sternly, ¡°At the United Nations Security Council meeting held on January 5, the major multinational pharmaceutical companies have submitted relevant evidence and grievances. Currently, many members of the Security Council, including the Beautiful Country, England, the French Republic, Canada... a total of 24 countries have stood up, openly demanding an explanation about the rumors of Jieke Company, under your flag, conducting human biochemical experiments.¡± Su Jie chuckled lightly, spreading his hands out, and said, ¡°Slander, this is pure slander against our Jieke Group. We have never conducted such human experiments, this is just another attempt to smear our Jieke Group.¡± Below, a group of journalists were speechless; do you take us all for blind? Those super soldiers beyond human limits, along with the existence of Steel Camp, are we all deaf and blind? Isn¡¯t this genetic modification? ¡°What¡¯s the deal with your super soldiers? Do you dare to let international teams enter various laboratories under Jieke Group for inspection?¡± The Japanese female journalist clenched her teeth, clearly not buying any of Jieke Group¡¯s nonsense. Su Jie raised an eyebrow, teasing, ¡°Our super soldiers are selected from athletes, as everyone knows, athletes have excellent physical development. As for inspections, our group has many business secrets, which makes it inconvenient for outsiders to enter. Of course, if you really want to come, Jieke Group will not refuse.¡± Chapter 377: 267: Counterattack (First Update)_2 Chapter 377: Chapter 267: Counterattack (First Update)_2 ¡°It¡¯s just that at the Jieke Group¡¯s location, there are many Poison Insects and the floors are slippery, which makes it easy to fall. In case of any accident, the local hospitals lack medicines, which might lead to life-threatening situations if treatment is unavailable,¡± Arrogant, this is what you call supreme arrogance. This is definitely a threat from Su Jie! Now, who would dare to come to investigate the Jieke Group, entering their territory where they can easily control you? It¡¯s likely that you¡¯ll enter standing and leave lying down. ¡°Next question.¡± Su Jie ignored the frustrated Japanese female reporter and turned to the next journalist from Russia. ... ¡°Please ask when the war between Jieke Group and the Chan Country Government will truly end.¡± The journalist asked a question that was outside the agenda of the press conference, but Su Jie didn¡¯t refuse to answer. ¡°Regarding that question, the decision is not ours to make. The war will stop the moment the Chan Country Government ceases its persecution of the people. Otherwise, my Jieke Group will definitely liberate all the people oppressed by the Chan Country Government.¡± Su Jie¡¯s tone was forceful and resolutely determined. The journalists below hurriedly took notes. As a major contemporary conflict, with behind-the-scenes manipulation by the Beautiful Country and direct involvement by Japan, this war has attracted extreme attention, followed by several related questions. After answering some questions, Su Jie successfully concluded today¡¯s press conference. ...... The next day, news about Jieke Group¡¯s response immediately topped the trending searches. Leading the opposition was not the Beautiful Country or the Top Ten Pharmaceutical Companies, but damn India. ¡°Jieke Group¡¯s actions disregard international pharmaceutical patent laws and destroy the good order of the pharmaceutical industry, bringing endless misfortune to the global medical industry. Jieke Group must immediately stop the development of generic drugs, or our country will impose sanctions on Jieke Group.¡± This news, once released, immediately sparked a flood of amusement and discussion online. ¡°I don¡¯t object to Jieke Group making generic drugs; after all, it¡¯s those pharmaceutical companies that break the rules first. But why does India have the right to criticize? They are the biggest producer of generic drugs in the world.¡± ¡°Heh heh, isn¡¯t that easy to understand? Your exclusive business now has a competitor who is snatching business from you and affecting your earnings; wouldn¡¯t you be anxious too?¡± ¡°India: Damn it, just sitting at home, trouble comes from the sky. Who¡¯d have thought there¡¯d be another shameless fellow in the world apart from me¡ªnone other than Jieke Group, a young phoenix rising.¡± The internet was amused by India¡¯s statement, much like a vicious murderer criticizing another for robbery, saying robbery is bad and illegal and one should strive to be a good person. It sounded absurdly theatrical. Jieke Group didn¡¯t respond to the outburst from India, focusing instead on developing their generic drugs. A week later, the first batch of generic drugs hit the ground, entering the stage of mass production. These generic drugs not only supplied more than ten million people under the control of Jieke Group but also successfully exported overseas through Jieke Group¡¯s smuggling channels, breaking into the pharmaceutical markets of Europe and America. Faced with prices that were ten, several tens, or even hundreds of times cheaper than patented medicines, the price war reached a level of ruthless insanity. Nearly all patients, faced with such pricing, overwhelmingly chose with their feet. This time, it was the turn of the Top Ten Pharmaceutical Companies to be dumbfounded. They had not expected Jieke Group to be so aggressive, daring to employ such a wildcard as generic drugs. Aren¡¯t they afraid of international sanctions? Well, okay, Jieke Group really isn¡¯t afraid because they are already under sanctions. One could say the counterattack from Jieke Group left the Top Ten Pharmaceutical Companies somewhat in disarray. Though these companies allowed India to create generic drugs, it was influenced by many factors. The most important factor was that Western pharmaceutical companies used Indian citizens as ¡®human guinea pigs.¡¯ Most of their patented drugs in the final stages of development were tested in India to verify the effectiveness of these medicines. Thus, Western pharmaceutical companies couldn¡¯t formulate their patented medicines without India, and that¡¯s why, despite India significantly harming their interests, both sides had remained peaceful up to now. But Jieke Group was different. To Western pharmaceutical companies, they were even more shameless than India. Not only did they drastically reduce the prices of generic drugs, but they also recklessly allowed these drugs to infiltrate the market through smuggling, unlike India, which had a tacit agreement with the major pharmaceutical companies to control the quantity of generic drugs entering the market. Facing the unscrupulous actions of Jieke Group, the top ten pharmaceutical companies could only look for government lobbying while intensifying the inspection and arrest of counterfeit drugs entering the country. At the same time, they increased the sentencing for those selling counterfeit drugs; getting caught meant starting at ten years, which deterred many smugglers of loose counterfeit drugs. With the massive influence and various actions of these giant pharmaceutical enterprises, the situation was barely stabilized. Even though they still suffered huge economic losses caused by Jieke Group¡¯s counterfeit drugs, as long as there were sufficient profits, there were always those unafraid to take risks; however, fortunately, the situation was still barely under control. Meanwhile, the top ten pharmaceutical companies realized that these measures were only treating the symptoms, not the root cause; only by uprooting Jieke Group, the source of the counterfeit drugs, could they truly solve the problem once and for all. After several discussions among themselves, the top ten pharmaceutical companies issued a related aid agreement. They provided free medical supplies to Chan Country soldiers and Japanese soldiers on the battlefield in Chan Country and also sponsored the Chan Country Government with a huge aid of 5 billion US dollars, which was equivalent to one-tenth of Chan Country¡¯s annual GDP, hoping that the Chan Country Government could act more vigorously to eliminate Jieke Group early. Just as these pharmaceutical companies attempted to suppress Jieke Group, another counter-attack from Jieke Group arrived. ... Mande City Prison. A disheveled man, resembling a walking corpse, was escorted out by Jieke Security. This man was Rafael, son of the former head of the Averson Family, Jose Averson, who had come to Mande City hoping to uncover the secret of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid. Him, along with his elite mercenary squad, were either killed or captured by Jieke Group, and Rafael had been imprisoned ever since. Seeing the sun after many days, Rafael squinted until his eyes slightly adjusted, only to discover a man and a woman standing in front of him. ¡°Remember me, Rafael?¡± Su Jie sat in a chair with a smile at the corner of his mouth, legs crossed, and playfully asked the other. ¡°Su Jie, you damn...¡± Upon clearly seeing Su Jie¡¯s face, Rafael¡¯s eyes turned red; never had he, a member of the Averson Family, suffered such imprisonment. Having been jailed without seeing the daylight for nearly two years, he now saw Su Jie, the main culprit, and wished he could tear him to pieces. Su Jie shook his head, smiling, and said, ¡°It seems you do remember me. I¡¯m very sorry for your prolonged prison life. Today, you can be free.¡± ¡°Letting me go, haha, did my father put pressure on you? You finally understand how terrifying the Averson Family is. Now you want to let me go as if nothing happened; you¡¯re dreaming.¡± Rafael displayed excitement in his eyes; he still didn¡¯t know that his father Jose had already passed away and thought that Su Jie was releasing him. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve been locked up too long; your mind is not so clear, not even distinguishing good from bad words.¡± Su Jie stood up from his chair and said to Han Ru Yan, ¡°My dear, I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡± ¡°Wait, what are you doing...¡± At this moment, Rafael finally realized the situation, his pupils shrinking dramatically. Just as he was about to beg for mercy, Han Ru Yan had already stretched out her delicate finger and lightly tapped. The next moment, Rafael¡¯s entire body was enveloped in a glow of blood, his flesh and bones compressed directly into a drop of crystal-clear fresh blood, which landed on Han Ru Yan¡¯s fingertip. Han Ru Yan slightly closed her eyes, as if sensing something, and slowly spoke, ¡°Bloodline as the lead, search.¡± Ten minutes later, Han Ru Yan reopened her eyes and nodded at Su Jie. ¡°Relatives related by blood to this person total 226, including both males and females, young and old; their locations have been identified.¡± ¡°Hehe, my dear, you haven¡¯t been to the Beautiful Country for tourism, have you? Are you interested in going for a visit?¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile grew more radiant; typically, when he showed such a smile, it often meant that someone was about to have bad luck. As their retaliation in corporate warfare bore fruit, Su Jie was also preparing for armed action, to once and for all solve the problem of the Averson Family, who had repeatedly provoked Jieke Group. Chapter 378: 268: Annihilation (Two updates: 8500 words!) Chapter 378: Chapter 268: Annihilation (Two updates: 8500 words!) Beautiful Country, California, San Francisco. Having smuggled himself in through an underground tunnel from the Mexico border, Miao Lun, carrying a climbing backpack, nonchalantly walked the streets of the Beautiful Country. San Francisco had a population of approximately 780,000, of which about 200,000 were of Chinese descent, making it the city with the highest proportion of Chinese people in the Beautiful Country. Miao Lun¡¯s face blended perfectly as he walked along. He tipped his cap lower over his eyes and slowly made his way into a high-end villa district. The high-end villa districts in the Beautiful Country had higher taxes, more patrolling police officers, and a fast response to emergencies. But Miao Lun¡¯s seemingly aimless movements allowed him to preemptively avoid the patrolling police, entering through the blind spots of surveillance cameras. ... ¡°Ferry Avenue, Villa Number 24.¡± His phone vibrated briefly, indicating a GPS location from some mapping software, marking a private villa. Also sent were seven or eight sketched portraits, the most conspicuous being that of a chubby, greasy-faced middle-aged man. Miao Lun had looked up information on Asder Pharmaceutical online; this man seemed to be one of the executive directors. Seeing how clear the photo was, Miao Lun couldn¡¯t help but think of the woman in red he had met in Tijuana, Mexico, who exuded a chilly aura. Even as a Genetic Warrior, the sense of danger she gave him felt as if she could kill him with a flick of her finger. And that woman, known as Miss Han, was the special personnel assisting him on this mission, as General Su had mentioned. She provided the location and photos. Crushing the phone in his hand, he tossed it into the back of a pickup truck that passed by. Miao Lun tightened his backpack straps and headed towards Villa Number 24. His walking speed increased, his steps nearly blurring, yet Miao Lun¡¯s upper body remained steady as he confidently took out gloves, a head cover, a mask, pulled two short-barreled submachine guns out and stuffed them into his jacket, and wrapped a magazine belt around his waist. Lastly, he took out an enchanted disruptor, switched it on to incapacitate the nearby wireless cameras, and carefully avoided wired ones. By the time he finished these preparations, Miao Lun had reached the vicinity of Villa Number 24. This was an ultra-luxurious private villa, more like a manor than a villa, complete with a horse stable, garden, pond, lawn, and more. Upon arriving, Miao Lun¡¯s ears enlarged slightly, emitting ultrasonic waves that spread out and sent back every collision feedback into his mind. ¡°3... 5... 8 targets, all here.¡± Miao Lun slipped on his head cover and, pulling a fuse from his climbing pack, he threw it towards the villa¡¯s main gate. A few well-dressed bodyguards, wearing earpieces and looking robust, stationed at the entrance, momentarily stunned, then skilfully reached for the guns at their waists. But they were still a moment too slow. The TNT explosives hidden in the backpack were ignited by the fuse, and with a flash and a booming blast, fences, barriers, and body parts scattered everywhere. Amidst the flames, like an arrow shot from a crossbow, Miao Lun charged into the villa. ... ¡°What¡¯s happened, where did that explosion come from?¡± In the villa¡¯s master bedroom, Xisuo Averson woke up startled and ran out in his pajamas. Xisuo was the uncle of the current patriarch of the Averson Family, Pedro, with a 1.6% shareholding in Asder Pharmaceutical, also serving as one of its executive directors, holding a significant weight within the family. Having recently made an enemy of the Jieke Group, Xisuo had been feeling uneasy, mindful that the previous patriarch, Jose, had been killed by those lunatics. To avoid being targeted by the Jieke Group, he had spent a lot of money upgrading his security. So, at the sound of the explosion, he immediately became anxious. ¡°Daddy, mommy, what¡¯s happening? I was just disciplining the manservant. What¡¯s that noise ruining my mood?¡± ¡°Honey, what¡¯s going on, where¡¯s that explosion coming from?¡± ¡°Son, who would dare to make trouble here? Don¡¯t they want to live?¡± Xisuo¡¯s family also ran out, some holding whips, some with face masks, and others with phones in hand, looking furious, gathering around Xisuo. ¡°It might be an assassination by the Jieke Group.¡± Xisuo voiced his uneasy guess. No sooner had he spoken than his previously brash family turned pale, fully aware of how the previous patriarch had died. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯ve hired many elite bodyguards and prepared plenty of Heavy Weapons. The glass and buildings of the villa have been modified; he can¡¯t get up here.¡± Xisuo reassured his family and took out a remote to lock down the security system leading to their floor, as iron bars fell across the glass and doors. Combined with the dozens of elite bodyguards and powerful Heavy Weapons, it resembled a small fortress, providing a strong sense of security. After ensuring his own safety, Xisuo couldn¡¯t resist moving to the window, quietly opening a small viewing slot, only to be startled by the sound of gunfire, like beans being fried. As he looked down, Xisuo saw a sight that left him agape. He saw a man clad in a head cover and mask, reminiscent of a ruthless gangster from the movies, unleashing a slaughter. The man¡¯s two submachine guns were spitting bullets incessantly, snatching the lives of the bodyguards. ¡°Super Soldier.¡± Xisuo instantly realized that anyone possessing such formidable combat skills was undoubtedly a Super Soldier, confirming that the Jieke Group had indeed begun their bloody revenge on the Averson Family. ¡°No, no, no, I have so many bodyguards, and without Battle Armor, he shouldn¡¯t be able to overpower my men.¡± Chapter 379: 268: Annihilation (Two updates of 8,500 words!)_2 Chapter 379: Chapter 268: Annihilation (Two updates of 8,500 words!)_2 Xisuo thought so, and then he saw the bodyguards who had brought the heavy weapons had not achieved any success. Several bodyguards were hiding behind a wall with a shooting window open, where a machine gun was mounted, hoping to sweep Miao Lun to his death on the spot as he approached. But as Miao Lun made his way through, it was as if he had anticipated the danger in advance. The biometric radar abilities he inherited from the Purple Light Bat made any attempt at ambush completely futile. Clang! A grenade was tossed into the recently opened firing window by Miao Lun. ¡°Grenade, get down!¡± ... Several bodyguards screamed in terror. Boom! Amidst the splattering of shrapnel and the cries of agony, Miao Lun stepped forward to shoot each fallen bodyguard, lifted the heavy machine gun with his feet, and grasped it firmly in his hands, draping the ammunition belt over his shoulder. ¡°Still, this big guy feels comfortable to use.¡± Miao Lun revealed a bloodthirsty and ruthless smile, for he had traveled light and had not carried heavy armor or a large-caliber machine gun. Recently, the Beautiful Country had been very strict with inspections; even the slightest suspicion would lead to a search, and even though he could kill anyone who inspected him and flee, it would affect the progress of his mission, so he did not carry those inconvenient things. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The ammunition belt wildly jumped, and in front of Miao Lun, these bodyguards were as vulnerable as sheep before a tiger; their so-called resistance was nothing more than a one-sided massacre. The heavy machine guns and sniper rifles specially placed in the villa for defense, including various traps, were always neutralized by Miao Lun¡¯s preemptive radar before they could be effective. He would blow their heads off as if he had the entire map exposed in front of him. Occasionally, stray bullets from rifles and submachine guns hit Miao Lun, but he seemed unaffected, even though he was not wearing the impressively defensive steel heavy armor. In the midst of battle, Miao Lun moved as fast as the wind, crossing distances of over ten meters with a single stride. Many bodyguards didn¡¯t have time to react before losing sight of him, and then their heads were pierced by bullets that followed. With a heavy machine gun in hand, Miao Lun accelerated his killing, many bodyguards were directly hit by 12.7-caliber bullets, breaking arms and legs, cutting waists in half, leaving the scene a bloody mess. Xisuo, whose lips turned white with fear, watched in disbelief as his elite bodyguards were slaughtered like chickens and dogs, blood smeared everywhere. This group of bodyguards, as expected, collapsed under Miao Lun¡¯s assault, scattering in panic, but Miao Lun did not let them escape easily as bullets chased and bit at their heels. Xisuo had hired fifty elite bodyguards, but now they were running for cover. Some bodyguards, in a desperate bid to survive, sought to hide under beds and in wardrobes, or simply played dead. But these little tricks couldn¡¯t fool Miao Lun with his biometric radar. His machine gun fired through wardrobes and bed boards, killing those hiding as blood trickled down from the crevices. Killing as he went, not a single person, not even a dog that had entered the villa that day would survive. After dealing with these small fries, Miao Lun¡¯s ultrasonic biological radar indicated there was no other living person left, so he stepped upstairs into the villa. ¡°Reinforced concrete and alloy doors are not thick enough, do you think this will help?¡± Miao Lun looked at the steel alloy door blocking his path, first sprayed the same area continuously with the heavy machine gun until the steel twisted and deformed. Then, he grabbed the deformed area with both hands, his arm veins bulging, his arms thickening, secreting the protective insect shell of his exoskeleton, and tore the steel door apart, walking in calmly. Clang! Clang! Clang! Several pistol bullets were fired at Miao Lun¡¯s face, passing through the mask but were deflected by the exoskeleton that had grown on his face. Xisuo kept his finger on the trigger, unable to release it, not even realizing he needed to reload after firing blanks. Those few shots had drained him of all his courage. Miao Lun turned around, his eyes cold and indifferent like a nightmare, staring down at Xisuo and his family, who were screaming and crying like quails. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Husband, talk to me! I don¡¯t want to die, wuu, I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Xisuo trembled, knelt to the ground, and shouted, ¡°I have money, a lot of money. Is ten million US dollars enough, a hundred million dollars, I will pay a hundred million US dollars for my life. Please don¡¯t kill me, there¡¯s a head for a debt, and it was the head of the family, Pedro, who offended you, I have nothing to do with this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be sending Pedro down to join you soon enough, not one will escape. As for your money, keep it to spend in hell,¡± Miao Lun¡¯s expression on his face remained unchanged, like an emotionless assassin, as he pointed the gun at Xisuo. ¡°Spare my family...¡± Bang Bang Bang! Bullets tore through bodies, and after several quick screams, a group of people huddled in the corner, already dead from the random shooting. After the killing, Miao Lun stepped forward to check for survivors to prevent any unexpected ones from living through. Once confirming his victory, Miao Lun then looked at Xisuo¡¯s deathly wide eyes and spat out contemptuously, ¡°When your Beautiful Country bombed the Mande Region back then, I didn¡¯t see them stop firing because they might hurt civilians.¡± Having said that, Miao Lun turned and walked out of Villa No. 24, the whole process seemed complicated, but it all happened in just five minutes. Only at this moment did the sound of sirens finally approach from a distance. Miao Lun, upon exiting, came face to face with the racing police cars. Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Miao Lun didn¡¯t pause, pulling the trigger, as large 12.7 caliber machine gun bullets turned the police cars into a beehive of holes. Chapter 380: 268: Annihilation (Two updates of 8,500 words!)_3 Chapter 380: Chapter 268: Annihilation (Two updates of 8,500 words!)_3 Seven or eight police cars, like rabbits chased by dogs, hurriedly turned around and retreated, leaving behind four vehicles emitting black smoke, whose drivers and passengers had been shot dead. ¡°Reinforcements, calling police headquarters for reinforcements, I am Officer C¡ª14 Pierre, a violent shooting occurred on Fran Avenue, the perpetrator used high-powered weapons, send helicopters immediately and request the deployment of the National Guard.¡± The officers who had luckily survived the heavy machine gun fire were pale, continuously shouting into the walkie-talkies for reinforcements, saying they dared not get any closer. Miao Lun did not entangle with these officers too much, to avoid drawing the tanks and armored vehicles of the National Guard. After temporarily pushing back these officers, Miao Lun, using both hands and feet, directly climbed over the wall and left. When a large number of police officers surrounded the villa, Miao Lun had already taken off his bulky coat, removed his hood and gloves, set them on fire with a lighter, and threw them into a trash can. Then, he quickly blended into the crowd of onlookers who had gathered upon hearing the commotion and ultimately disappeared. ... Upon entering the villa, many officers, upon seeing the horrifying scene inside, some of the newer officers with weaker stomachs vomited on the spot. The villa was strewn with dismembered limbs and spilled intestines, with blood splattered on the walls and glass as if it were a scene from a tableau of Hell. ¡°This is... this is Mr. Xisuo, we must catch the perpetrator immediately, mobilize the entire city¡¯s police force immediately.¡± As the leading officer looked at the bodies of the Xisuo family, his complexion turned dark and his eyes filled with dread, immediately recognizing them as prominent figures in San Francisco, regulars at high-end social gatherings, and major donors of money and materials to their police department, important high-level members of the Averson Family. Nearby officers couldn¡¯t help but whisper among themselves. ¡°It¡¯s madness, I heard Mr. Xisuo is the son-in-law of State Senator Kevin Bradley. Who on earth is this perpetrator? To massacre an entire villa like this, slaughtering the whole family.¡± ¡°Not just people, even the two pit bulls raised in the villa had their necks crushed and were trampled to death.¡± ¡°Stop chatting, go find the storage for the surveillance cameras immediately.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any, the surveillance cameras were tampered with.¡± ¡°From the combat traces, it seems there was only one perpetrator, and with that kind of combat ability, it¡¯s probably... a Super Soldier, even a First-class one from Steel Camp.¡± Suddenly, a police officer skilled in trace analysis reached a conclusion that made the legs of everyone who heard it weaken. Super Soldiers, the fiercest of the fierce, ruthlessly non-human who slaughtered countless enemies on the battlefield. If their police were to confront them, it would be like delivering themselves to the slaughter. ¡°Jieke Group, Super Soldier, Averson Family, medical embargo.¡± An officer who often followed the news had by now pieced together the logic, and couldn¡¯t help but inhale sharply. How audacious was Jieke Group, that just because the Averson Family advocated for and facilitated a medical embargo, they came to Beautiful Country to kill people unscrupulously, an absolute abuse of power. ¡°The Averson Family must be protected immediately, we must prevent any more members from dying, or else how can Beautiful Country save face.¡± The message was passed up the hierarchy, and the higher-ups immediately issued this directive. However, this message was a bit delayed, because almost at the same time as the villa massacre was taking place, many members of the Averson Family were also experiencing a series of massacres, with a large number of members lying in pools of blood, destined not to receive effective protection from the officials of Beautiful Country. Chapter 381: 269: Slaughter Chapter 381: Chapter 269: Slaughter Los Angeles, Kangxi Bar! Danilo Averson walked out of the bar, arm in arm with a scantily clad blonde bombshell, reeking of alcohol. As the son of the contemporary patriarch of the Averson Family, Danilo was a well-known playboy in Los Angeles, always chasing after women, especially movie stars, which gave him an extraordinary sense of achievement. The woman he was holding, for instance, was Jillian, who had just played the lead actress in a blockbuster film. ¡°Danilo, you promised you¡¯d invest in a movie with a strong female lead for me,¡± At the entrance of the hotel, Jillian gave him a fiery kiss, quite pleased with the catch she had made. ... This playboy was rich and generous, a rare breed of sugar daddy. ¡°No big deal, I¡¯ve invested in a ton of films in the past. Spiel, Carme and those other world-famous directors, I know them all, I can definitely make you famous,¡± Danilo spoke with great confidence, yet he hadn¡¯t guaranteed anything. He was just toying with her; spending tens of millions of dollars on a big production for one woman was foolish. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to treat money like it grew on trees! With the rate he went through girlfriends every half month, he¡¯d bankrupt the family fortune at this pace. ¡°Humph, Danilo, trying to weasel out of it, are you?¡± Jillian was no small-time actress. Hearing this, she rolled her eyes at Danilo, pushed him and stumbled, then stormed off, angrily clutching her purse. ¡°I like a woman with spirit,¡± Danilo licked his lips, took his keys, and hopped into his Ferrari, driving towards the brooding Jillian on the side of the road. Vroom vroom! His phone vibrated. Danilo pulled it out and saw it was a call from his father. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m busy with something important here. Let¡¯s talk later,¡± While talking on the phone and driving the Ferrari, Danilo made faces at the sulking Jillian on the roadside. ¡°Are you messing around with those actresses again? Get your ass back here now, or I¡¯ll break your legs,¡± Pedro¡¯s voice was furious over the phone. He was dealing with a feud with the Jieke Group, and his good-for-nothing son wouldn¡¯t listen to a word. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re being too cautious. What can Jieke Group do to me while I¡¯m out chasing girls? I have to go; hanging up now,¡± Pedro hung up the phone. Danilo honked twice and smiled at Jillian: ¡°Jillian, I was just joking with you. It¡¯s just one movie right? Investing that little money is nothing for me. Come on, get in the car, I¡¯ll take you to some fun places.¡± ¡°Are you going to keep your word?¡± Jillian had just turned around, about to say something, when suddenly she saw a dump truck at the traffic light ahead disregarding the red signal and plowing straight through. Fear flooded Danilo¡¯s eyes as he tried to steer out of the way, but it was too late. The dump truck floored the accelerator, smashing the Ferrari into a store on the roadside, shattering glass and debris everywhere. But that was not all. The dump truck slowly reversed, then floored the accelerator again and rammed into the Ferrari for a second time, turning it into a crumpled and twisted sheet of metal. Click! The door of the dump truck opened, and a man in a mask got out. He was carrying a can of gasoline, which he poured over the truck and the mangled car. Glancing at Danilo, who showed no signs of life, he tossed a lighter, and as flames roared into being, he quickly disappeared into the streets. Jillian, having witnessed the entire scene, stood with her mouth agape, utterly horrified, and could only let out a piercing scream. ....... Asder Medical Research and Development Center. The head of the R&D Center, Luke Avelson, was inspecting the departments. As a genius with an extremely high IQ from the Averson Family, he managed the core medical laboratories of Asder Pharmaceutical. The center invested billions of dollars annually in new drug development, employing over five thousand researchers to work here, accumulating wealth for Asder Pharmaceutical. ¡°Fernando, any progress with the Tianyuan Myopia Pills?¡± Walking into a laboratory, Luke inquired about the research progress. ¡°It¡¯s the same old story; we can¡¯t analyze that Universal Medicine Quality, making it impossible for us to replicate it. Honestly, Luke, this research project is pointless,¡± Fernando shrugged his shoulders. He was also a member of the Averson Family, and like all large families, it had its share of mediocre and talented individuals. Raised with elite education from a young age, the number of talented ones was naturally higher. ¡°Medicines are often found by accident, keep researching. Maybe God will smile upon us, and we will uncover the secret of the Universal Medicine Quality,¡± Luke shook his head, indicating he would continue to invest funds. ¡°Relying on luck might be less likely than hoping Jieke Group goes insane and openly shares their patents,¡± Fernando complained, having no hope for such an outcome. Through the research on Tianyuan Myopia Pills, Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, and Strengthening Pills, he had realized that the products of Jieke Group had chemical structures and properties that were greatly different from any he¡¯d known before. The unique Universal Medicine Quality in particular was completely enigmatic, no matter how much they researched. He only knew that it was this substance that affected all aspects of the human body, giving such miraculous effects to Jieke Group¡¯s pharmaceuticals. ¡°Instead of waiting for Jieke Group to volunteer their secrets, we can dismantle and dissect them. On one hand, we¡¯ll engage in warfare, and on the other, we¡¯ll use commercial sanctions. Once Jieke Group can¡¯t bear it anymore, we¡¯ll devour the inheritance of this fallen giant. Although we¡¯ll have to share it with other pharmaceutical companies, it¡¯ll be enough for a feast,¡± Chapter 382: 269: Slaughter_2 Chapter 382: Chapter 269: Slaughter_2 ¡°` ¡°I¡¯m not optimistic about this, if Jieke Group were so easy to deal with, they would have been swallowed up a long time ago, how could they have lasted until now.¡± Fernando put down the reagent in his hand, not quite believing what Luke had said. ¡°These were the exact words of family head Pedro.¡± Luke shrugged his shoulders and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s how he convinced the family members, and then persuaded other pharmaceutical giants.¡± The two were casually chatting here when a man dressed in a white lab coat and wearing a face mask pushed a small trolley and placed it at the entrance of the lab. ... The man left the trolley where it was and quickly walked away, not stopping anywhere along the way. After walking a certain distance, the man took out a remote control from his hand. Click! Boom! The violent explosion shot up to the sky, as the trolley was loaded with highly explosive TNT, instantly leveling the lab to the ground. Luke and Fernando didn¡¯t understand what happened and were blown to pieces, without even a single intact body part to be found. Many people in the lab were killed or injured in the explosion, and cries of pain rose everywhere. These researchers working for Asder Pharmaceutical also became victims of this attack. After the bombing, the man in the white lab coat calmly walked in the shadows of the building. His body began to reflect a camouflaging light, much like a chameleon or a cuttlefish, merging into the shadows; the security personnel running patrol and setting up the cordon just a few meters away from him, completely overlooked him. Of course, this man was a Steel Camp Genetic Soldier sent by the Jieke Group. He had been injected with a gene from the Dark Hidden Lizard; when he was in the shadows, it was difficult for the naked eye of an ordinary person to detect his camouflaged presence, unless infrared sensing equipment was used. ... Asder Pharmaceutical Headquarters Building. Asder Pharmaceutical, with more than thirty thousand employees, was buzzing with activity on a regular day, with over two thousand people working in the headquarters building. Similarly, many members of the Averson Family were working here, managing this transnational pharmaceutical giant. Not far from the Asder Pharmaceutical Headquarters Building, several cars were parked, their occupants all men with fierce auras and extremely dangerous eyes. Situang held a watch in his hand, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. As a Steel Camp Soldier of Jieke Group, Situang started as a second-class Super Soldier, but due to his outstanding performance and suitable physical condition, he recently underwent gene potion modification to become a Genetic Warrior with three types of abilities, taking on the position of a platoon leader in the Steel Camp. Although it was only a platoon leader position, which might not sound high in military rank, the status of a Steel Camp platoon leader was quite intimidating, even more so than that of a brigade commander. ¡°At 11 o¡¯clock, the operation begins.¡± When the time reached 11 o¡¯clock, Situang relayed the order, and everyone simultaneously checked their watches, put on the Evil Ghost Masks, and stepped out of the cars. The group split into two, with Situang leading five Genetic Warriors into a nearby gun shop. In the Beautiful Country, gun shops are as common as milk tea shops are in Hua Country. Because the first amendment to the constitution of the Beautiful Country states: ¡°The people have the right to bear and carry arms which shall not be infringed.¡± The widespread incidences of shootings in the Beautiful Country are no stranger to these gun shops. Despite knowing that they are selling instruments of death that could be used in schools, concerts, and other places, the lure of huge profits means gun shops have sprung up like mushrooms after the rain, scattered throughout the streets and alleys of the Beautiful Country. Situang¡¯s target was clear, heading straight for the gun shop. The front door of the shop was wide open towards the street, and it was decorated quite elegantly. Upon entering, the shop¡¯s walls were basically decorated with wood panels, with guns of various sizes hanging on the walls¡ªpistols, submachine guns, sniper rifles, machine guns¡ªall on display and dazzling to behold. The presence of Situang and his group, with such distinct appearances, immediately made the employees inside the gun shop realize something was amiss. Some employees wanted to hit the alarm button; others reached for their guns. But Situang had already taken the first move. From the revolver at his waist, he fired six rapid shots; two bullets destroyed the surveillance cameras inside the shop, and four blew the heads off the employees. One of the gene abilities Situang possessed was inherited from the thorny fly, giving him extraordinary reflexes, ten times faster than that of a normal human. While Situang was on his killing spree, the other five Genetic Warriors appeared to ignore the carnage completely, carrying large bags and stuffing various types of guns into their backpacks. However, bullets were stored separately from the guns, to be provided only after purchase, but clearly, this did not trouble Situang. After destroying the surveillance cameras, he showed his true form, revealing a steel whip with a bony spike at its tip emerging from his tail, which he thrust into the bulletproof door of the gun shop, piercing a hole wide enough to fit a hand through. There were employees on guard inside the security door, who had already realized something was wrong and were on alert with their guns at the ready. ¡°` When they saw the blast door opened in such an outrageous manner, several employees¡¯ eyes widened as they pulled their triggers, and the bullets poured out in rapid succession. Thud! Thud! Thud! Situang¡¯s muscles around his body violently expanded, resembling the inflated neck of a cobra, his skin stretching half a meter wide. The bullets that hit him were either deflected or lodged only half an inch deep, as though hitting high-strength rubber, utterly failing to penetrate his body. Whoosh! In the next instant, Situang¡¯s tail-bone whip lashed out, cutting a gun shop employee in half at the waist. Another employee had his brain skewered by the spike at the end of the whip, and the last one, the gun shop owner, attempted to flee in terror but was dragged back by the neck in front of Situang. Dangling the man, Situang stepped toward a heavy alloy door. Such a large gun shop had a high-level security door, which Situang alone could not open. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t need to force his way through. His fingers rapidly entered a sequence of numbers on the keypad, intelligence he had obtained earlier from a Genetic Warrior. As the code was entered, the gun shop owner, hanging and choking for breath, had his pupils dilate and his finger forcibly pressed by Situang onto the fingerprint sensor. ¡°Ding, passcode accepted, fingerprint unlocked, pupil scan successful.¡± The alloy door slowly opened, revealing a room filled with various firearms and, most predominantly, ammunition of all calibers. Click! Situang crushed the neck of the now-useless gun shop owner and began leading his Genetic Warriors in collecting ammunition, filling bags upon bags. The last line of six men exited the gun shop, swaggering across the street to the Asder Pharmaceutical Headquarters Building. Here, several other Genetic Warriors had already taken care of the security guards, securing their positions in advance. ¡°Three stay on the first floor, the rest follow me as we make our way up.¡± Situang tossed the bags to the Genetic Warriors in the area, and they quickly armed themselves with the weapons and ammunition they received. Leading the group, Situang started making his way up the stairs toward the upper levels of Asder Pharmaceutical. Security had already alerted the building to a terrorist attack, and the place was in total chaos. And seeing Situang and his group wearing masks and laden with ammunition only escalated the panic. Bang! Situang pulled the trigger at the ceiling and coldly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, get down and face me.¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! Those who did not comply were promptly shot in the head and killed. The survivors huddled together, obediently following orders. Seeing this, Situang pulled out a few photographs, beginning to scan and check the crowd one by one. The other Genetic Warriors did the same, each holding a photograph in search of their target for the mission. ¡°Anders Averson.¡± Situang spotted a target and bellowed the name. ¡°I¡¯m not him, that¡¯s not my name.¡± The man tried to pretend otherwise, but Situang had no interest in explanations. The bullet entered his eye socket and exited through the back of his head. Thus, they continued their ascent, immediately eliminating any target they encountered. Soon, the entire Asder Headquarters Building was shrouded in bloodshed. Not one of the forty-some members of the Averson Family working there escaped; all were systematically exterminated. After completing the deed, Situang led his people away. Below, a few Genetic Warriors utilized precise marksmanship to deal with the arriving backup police, routing them completely and causing no obstruction to their departure. They effortlessly changed clothes and retreated along the pre-planned route, making their escape from the scene. Chapter 383: 270: Annihilation (Two updates, 8000 words) Chapter 383: Chapter 270: Annihilation (Two updates, 8000 words) This day, the Beautiful Country was like a battleground with fires ablaze, as if a series of vicious attacks had occurred one after another, clustering on the same day. In fact, it was not just the Beautiful Country, but even far away in Europe, Japan, Africa, Australia, and other places, there were also numerous attacks happening. Any discerning person would realize that there was a common thread to these attacks: among the casualties, there were always members of the Averson Family. With a summary of the investigations into the attacks, the truth quickly came to the surface. Jieke Group, in retaliation for the medical embargo imposed by the Averson Family, had launched a bloody purge against all members of the Averson Family. This news simply couldn¡¯t be concealed, except from the general public who were kept in the dark, while it began to spread like wildfire within the upper-class social circles. ... ... At a Drake Family gathering, Claudio Drake spat out his coffee in shock upon hearing the news, exclaiming, ¡°Are you joking? Two hundred people dead, and the Averson Family is nearly annihilated?¡± The person next to him nodded, panic-stricken, ¡°Patriarch, we also participated in the medical blockade against Jieke Group. What if after they finish with the Averson Family, they come after us? Their Super Soldiers are too powerful, if we were to face them...¡± Claudio¡¯s hand trembled, his face twisted with conflict. He was the patriarch of the Drake Family, the largest pharmaceutical oligarchy behind the scenes in the Beautiful Country, holding the world¡¯s largest pharmaceutical company, Huirui Pharmaceutical, and their power extended beyond the pharmaceutical industry into the military, technology, and shipbuilding sectors. Additionally, they were a key member of the Califor Consortium. Their family controlled wealth that actually exceeded a trillion US Dollars, an existence in the Beautiful Country that could summon the wind and call the rain. Yet, such a powerful man like Claudio was overwhelmed upon hearing the news, his face clouded by a momentary loss of composure. Because Jieke Group¡¯s method of operation was simply too brutal, aiming for utter physical eradication. Although in the past, many enterprises in the Beautiful Country enjoyed such tactics, like sending people on ¡°clay flights,¡± such plays had become rare after entering the 21st century, and most resorted to normal corporate warfare. Their strategies included hostile takeovers, buying out opponent¡¯s stocks, corporate espionage, and price wars. The uglier tactics involved framing or finding a legal fault with opponents, then bribing judges, arresting founders, and forcing the competitors to close or sell cheaply to them. But these methods were nothing compared to the brutal simplicity of a muck truck sending your opponents to heaven. This kind of physical elimination was not as common, but it wasn¡¯t unheard of either. But something like what Jieke Group did, aiming for the extinction of a family, was something Claudio hadn¡¯t seen before, an entirely novel and ruthless approach. More than two hundred members of the Alverson Family, and by doing this, Jieke Group was aiming to eradicate them completely! That was the source of Claudio¡¯s terror. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s just give up on the blockade against Jieke Group, we should lift it quickly. I don¡¯t want to be driving nicely and get killed by a muck truck.¡± Gathering with the family, the other members of the Drake household also heard about the tragic fate of the Averson Family. Little Claudio, who was very much afraid, used to be as thick as thieves with Danilo, as both enjoyed chasing women. Little Claudio had just seen the video of the car crash; on that burned-out car, he couldn¡¯t find a single piece of Danilo intact. First crushed into mush, then burned to a crisp by the fire, the very thought of that image made his blood run cold. ¡°Husband, we¡¯ve made enough money. There¡¯s no need to offend that madman from Jieke Group. Otherwise, no matter how much money we make, our bodies can¡¯t withstand a bullet. Once you¡¯re dead, it¡¯s all over.¡± Claudio¡¯s wife was also breathing rapidly, tugging at her husband¡¯s arm and urging him. Facing the assassination by Jieke Group¡¯s Super Soldiers, who wouldn¡¯t be frightened! The rest of the family also began to speak up, each member of the Drake Family was terrified by Jieke Group¡¯s brutal methods, and all they wanted was to quickly ease the relations with Jieke Group. ¡°I will first discuss this with the other pharmaceutical companies, and besides, what are you all afraid of? The Averson Family still has survivors, at least the patriarch Pedro is alive, and can have children at any time to replenish their numbers, showing that Jieke Group is not as terrifying as we think.¡± While Claudio spoke tough, the profits represented by Jieke Group were just too lucrative. With a 300% profit on the line, capitalism dares to trample all laws. But what Jieke Group represents is much more than a mere 300% profit. Moreover, the Averson Family still had survivors, which was not enough to completely dishearten Claudio. ... Inside a cemetery in the suburbs of New City. The drizzling cold rain fell, landing on the solemn and sorrowful faces of the men and women in line. Pedro gazed at the row of gravestones before him, belonging to his son, wife, uncle, nephews, and others. Out of the more than two hundred members of the Averson Family, now only about twenty remained after Jieke Group¡¯s assassinations. When Pedro first heard the news, his hair turned white overnight, his heart filled with deep regret and an endless hatred for Jieke Group. ¡°Jieke Group, I won¡¯t rest until I¡¯ve destroyed you.¡± Pedro clenched his fists tightly. He was now a lone survivor; his three sons, two daughters, including those born to his mistress, and two secret children his wife didn¡¯t know about, had died in the attacks that day. Now inside him, there was only a limitless and deep-seated vengeance against Jieke Group. Chapter 384: 270: Annihilation (Two updates, 8000 words)_2 Chapter 384: Chapter 270: Annihilation (Two updates, 8000 words)_2 Whimper! One by one, the surviving members of the Averson Family step forward to offer flowers, their sobs merging into a chorus. Pedro¡¯s expression was somber as he surveyed the seemingly desolate cemetery, which in reality was fraught with danger. In various hidden spots, there were joint enforcement action squads from the FBI and CIA, along with several top-tier special forces teams from the military. Warplanes circled high above at ten thousand feet, with an armored troop and helicopter troop waiting at a distance, and satellites providing real-time monitoring of the area. It appeared as though Pedro was there with the surviving family members to remember the deceased, but in reality, it was a meticulously laid ambush. ... Following the brutal retaliation from the Jieke Group, the government of Beautiful Country began mobilizing forces for protection. But there is an adage saying one can¡¯t be on guard against thieves every day, only catch them. Thus, to lure the snake out of its hole, a trap was set at this location by multiple departments, aiming to draw in those Super Soldiers. Given the modus operandi of those Super Soldiers toward the Aversons, they would not miss such an opportunity. Once the Super Soldiers showed up, they would fall into an inescapable encirclement. ¡°Come out, come out! Isn¡¯t your Jieke Group eager to annihilate my Averson Family? Here¡¯s your chance, don¡¯t waste it!¡± Pedro mutters incessantly. Ever since the death of his family and the near total annihilation of his kin, his spirit had been greatly shaken. He no longer possessed the bullish attitude from before when he was sanctioning the Jieke Group. Now, filled only with hatred for the Jieke Group and eager for vengeance for the Averson Family, that¡¯s why he was willingly being bait. Unfortunately, from day to night, there was no movement at all; the Jieke Group seemed to have sensed the ambush and did not willingly jump into the trap. The Deputy Director of the FBI, Yasmin, stood beside Pedro, helplessly shaking his head and picking up the walkie-talkie, asked, ¡°How is it, Sid, any situation over there?¡± ¡°Boss, all is normal, no suspicious people sighted.¡± The voice came through the walkie-talkie. In addition to soldiers, the defensive positions were equipped with various high-tech surveillance devices to ensure that not even a fly could sneak in to carry out an assassination. ¡°Tell the brothers to get ready to pack up; the Jieke Group is too cunning, let¡¯s head back first.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have people...¡± The voice in the walkie-talkie suddenly cut off, alarming Dasmin instantly. He turned on the walkie-talkie to full-frequency communication, yelling, ¡°Everyone, be alert, the Super Soldiers might be here, prepare to engage the enemy.¡± It was eerily silent over the walkie-talkie, as if no signal had been received at all. ¡°Electronic jamming interference or something.¡± Dasmin thought to himself, then heard intense gunfire and combat noises from outside. The noise initially was intense but soon quieted down, becoming eerily silent. ¡°What a joke, we have so many elite special forces...¡± Cold sweat rolled off Dasmin¡¯s forehead as he realized he had neglected one possibility all along¡ªhe had assumed that the Jieke Group could only enter through assassination and had never considered that the Jieke Group might opt for a direct assault. ¡°They are here; Director Dasmin, order your men to act, let none escape.¡± Pedro became excited and frenetic, seeing the hope of avenging his great enemy. Even if he couldn¡¯t shake the foundations of the Jieke Group, killing some Super Soldiers to vent his anger seemed good. Other members of the Averson Family also looked on, nervously surveying their surroundings. Despite multiple layers of protection, the shadow of the Jieke Group¡¯s assassins hung over them, keeping them from any ease. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Dasmin shouted into the walkie-talkie a few times, but still no response at all. Thump! Thump! At that moment, Dasmin heard the sound of bodies hitting the ground. Dressed in Delta forces hiding in the small woods, those soldiers hidden on the trees started falling one after another, with paper figures emerging behind them, stabbing through their hearts and saturating the grass beneath with their blood. Rustle! The grass parted to make a path, and a red-dressed woman walked slowly forward. Nearby, precise high-tech instruments started smoking and burning up, and the overhead satellites were blocked by a cloud. This was the portable Array Map at work, rendering even all-weather synthetic aperture radar satellites ineffective and only showing unclear images. Accompanied by the appearance of a woman in red, a bizarre, cold, and deathly aura permeated the entire scene, causing the skin of every living person present to crawl. As the woman in red drew closer, it was only then that Dasmin and Pedro could see clearly that the woman was wearing a red wedding dress and a phoenix crown studded with pearls on her head. Her bright eyes exuded a lifeless hue, sending chills down their spines. Bang! Dasmin fired a bullet, which went right through the woman¡¯s body. It was then he truly realized that what he had encountered was not a human, but a ghost, which explained why the soldiers set in ambush had died so quickly. ¡°Run, run fast!¡± Damsin roared as he turned to run ahead of the others. But before he could complete the action, his body disintegrated like broken building blocks. His head, arms, legs, and various organs broke apart and scattered on the ground. ¡°A ghost ... a ghost!¡± The family members of the Aversons were petrified with fear, but whether they thought of running or begging for mercy, the next moment their bodies disintegrated into pieces. Only Pedro remained alive, staring blankly at the female ghost in front of him. Fear struck him dumb, his soul nearly fleeing his body. After several seconds, Pedro came back to his senses, his feet unconsciously retreating. ¡°We are good people, we have no grudges against you, why do you kill?¡± Pedro¡¯s voice was hoarse, his eyes full of fear and confusion. He had lived so long and belonged to the upper echelon of society that he had no idea that such supernatural phenomena as fierce ghosts existed in the world. Unfortunately, he had encountered one. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you would give me a chance to kill you?¡± Han Ruyan looked at him, her voice emotionless, ¡°As for having no grudges, you offended my husband, and naturally, that means deep hatred with me.¡± ¡°Your husband, could it be... Su Jie?¡± Pedro¡¯s pupils dilated, a terrifying guess surfacing in his mind. ¡°Yes, correct. I found all your family members. My husband said that to destroy the weeds, you must take out the roots, so I came to remove you, the last of these roots.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s expression remained calm, speaking of annihilation as casually as if she was talking about exterminating ants. Upon hearing this, Pedro¡¯s body swayed even more violently. Knowing that the people before him were killed by this woman, he somehow mustered the courage to pick up the pistol that Dasmin had dropped and tried to kill Han Ruyan. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, demon, die, die, die.¡± Bullet after bullet was fired, Han Ruyan caught them seemingly effortlessly in her hand, and the next second she opened her palm, letting the bullets drop to the ground. ¡°Weapons like these will not kill me; you might try missiles or powerful aerial bombs.¡± Han Ruyan kindly reminded him, her taunting at full force. ¡°Being able to control supernatural powers, is this the greatest secret of your Jieke Group? Why, why possess such powers and yet deal such a cruel hand to us?¡± Pedro looked at Han Ruyan with grinding teeth. If he had known that the Jieke Group was so powerful, the Averson Family would never have dared to provoke them! ¡°My husband said, to kill a chicken to warn the monkeys. Your Averson Family jumped the highest; you are the chicken.¡± Han Ruyan raised her hand lightly and said, ¡°You ask too many questions. I¡¯ll send you down early to reunite with your family members.¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve really won? Killing our Averson Family will only make my country more determined to eradicate you. Then the missiles and bombs you mentioned will become the weapons that bury you without a trace, and the Jieke Group will be completely destroyed, it will be...¡± Pedro¡¯s rant abruptly ceased as his body disintegrated into bits of flesh, falling to the grass. ¡°The complaints of the weak are always so feeble and powerless.¡± Han Ruyan didn¡¯t even glance at the corpse. She turned and walked away slowly, leaving only the drifting Papermen to tidy up the traces. When the satellite view cleared, there was no longer a living person at the cemetery. Chapter 385: 271: Deterrence (Part One) Chapter 385: Chapter 271: Deterrence (Part One) On the very day the last of the Averson Family was wiped out, the news swept through the upper echelons of Beautiful Country like a storm. Especially for those multinational pharmaceutical giants closely related to the incident, which convened secret meetings immediately. The shadowy controllers of these pharmaceutical companies discussed through video conference what steps to take next in response to this event. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, what do you all think?¡± The strongest of the pharmaceutical companies, controlled by the Drake Family of Huirui Pharmaceutical, broke the silence as its patriarch, Claudio Drake, took the lead. ¡°How did the Jieke Group manage it? To take care of Pedro and the rest under such tight security.¡± ... A Caucasian male spoke up; he was the chairman of Qiangsheng Pharmaceutical, Walker Yue. ¡°Aside from those Super Soldiers, the Jieke Group clearly has some undisclosed technology, such as their Advanced Electronic Shielding Ability. They demonstrated it in Jiwei City, blocking the function of drones, and this time the shielding was even more formidable, preventing any message from getting out, and even satellites were jammed by electronic means, according to the CIA¡¯s findings.¡± An elderly Caucasian woman from Bayer Pharmaceuticals spoke up. Her name was Margaretta Aliyichuk, the hidden controller of Bayer. Officially, these pharmaceutical companies had highly dispersed shareholdings, but in reality, many of these shares in the century-old pharmaceutical companies were secretly held by the controlling families. Then, through alliances and cross-shareholdings, they bound and exchanged interests with other conglomerates and families. ¡°The question now is, will the Jieke Group turn their sights on us after dealing with Asder Pharmaceutical?¡± ¡°Does that even need analysis? With the Jieke Group¡¯s modus operandi, they will surely do so.¡± ¡°Well then, are we, so many pharmaceutical companies united, supposed to be frightened and scatter at the mere sight of the opponent?¡± ¡°Do you want to keep fighting with the Jieke Group? We sell medicines, not arms, and when it comes to corporate warfare, the other side is out for blood. Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± ¡°Hmph, if we can get our hands on the Universal Medicine Quality the Jieke Group possesses, a little risk is worth taking.¡± More and more medical conglomerates began joining the discussion during the video conference. Faced with the blunt high-end corporate warfare from the Jieke Group, directly attacking competitors on a physical level, the room split into two factions. One faction wanted to mend relations with the Jieke Group, no longer continuing the feud. The other faction wanted to continue the resistance, willing to risk it all for the vast benefits that the Jieke Group had to offer. Claudio, observing the chaotic scene, rubbed his forehead and smacked the table in slight frustration, saying, ¡°Quiet down, everyone. What¡¯s the use of all this squabbling? Let¡¯s vote by a show of hands¡ªa left hand for those who want to keep fighting the Jieke Group, and right hand for those against.¡± The clamorous crowd gradually quieted down, facing a decision that could potentially affect the fate of their entire clan, everyone became more circumspect. After a silence of several seconds, Margaretta from Bayer Pharmaceuticals slowly raised her left hand. Her face, despite the various treatments, still showed signs of sagging and aging, wore an expression of greed and fervor uncommon to ordinary people. ¡°We from Bayer Pharmaceuticals cannot give up just because of some risks. The technologies that Jieke Group holds, including Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid, Tianyuan Myopia Pills, Strengthening Pill human body transformation technology, heart parasite planting technology, Advanced Electronic Shielding Ability, Virtual AI Glasses, Underground Tunnel Excavation Machines... The interests they represent are only a fraction of what we pharmaceutical companies want. And what about those military-industrial complexes, technology elites, and large financial conglomerates? Which one of them wouldn¡¯t want a piece of Jieke Group? If we pull out now, by the time our Country deals with Jieke Group, we¡¯ll only get the scraps.¡± Hearing Margaretta¡¯s words, many nodded, beginning to waver. Claudio looked seriously at Margaretta and said, ¡°Margaretta, you want to find a way to extend your lifespan from the Jieke Group, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ve heard that you are very keen on Jieke Group¡¯s Strengthening Pill and heart parasite planting technology, having invested billions of US Dollars in research.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you reach my age; the passing of time and the loss of life makes one truly fear.¡± Margaretta did not deny it; she was already in her eighties. No matter how well she took care of herself or how many drugs she took to maintain her health, her bodily functions continued to deteriorate inexorably. Doctors had made it clear that she might only have three years left to live, and current scientific advancements and the pace of progress made it nearly impossible to avert death due to age-related decline in bodily functions. It was like a machine that had outlasted its intended lifespan; the natural aging of various components was inevitable, and repair was difficult without a complete overhaul. Margaretta wanted to live longer, and now she saw hope in the Jieke Group. If she could only unlock the secrets of the Strengthening Pill and the heart parasite planting technology, perhaps she could enhance her body as a whole and gain a longer life. The people at the meeting had varying thoughts; some empathized, while others were dismissive. But the former outnumbered the latter since most of those in high positions were not young. The more power and wealth one had, the more they feared the arrival of death. Because no matter how much wealth and power they amassed, death leaves them with nothing. Chapter 386: 271: Deterrence (First Update)_2 Chapter 386: Chapter 271: Deterrence (First Update)_2 ¡°I can¡¯t understand, I¡¯m afraid if I continue, I don¡¯t know if I can secure a longer life, but Jieke Group¡¯s assassination is very real,¡± Claudio curled his lips, he wasn¡¯t old, just over forty, in the prime of his life. Although he had previously taken a tough stance against Jieke Group, seeing the fate of the Averson Family now, he was no longer willing to risk the lives of his entire clan for a chance at wealth. ¡°Those willing to join me in standing against Jieke Group, please raise your hands. We, Bayer, have certain connections in the military, we can protect everyone to the fullest extent. If worst comes to worst, we can stay in nuclear fallout shelters for a while until it¡¯s safe to come out,¡± Margaretta started to rally allies, relying on Bayer Pharmaceuticals alone was too weak; she needed to share the risk. It¡¯s the same principle as in investment companies, everyone working together, combining forces to grow a new company stronger and eventually take it public to reap the financial benefits. ... Just one person investing is basically not enough to take a company public. Only by uniting could they confront Jieke Company, and by bringing down Jieke Company, they could feed on the nutrients from the fall of this giant tree, Jieke Group. Many people¡¯s eyes grew brighter at the scene, but just as everyone was about to make their choices, suddenly, out of the nine participants in the video conference, eight simultaneously widened their eyes. Because in the video conference, behind Margaretta, came a group of figures wearing Evil Ghost Masks. Margaretta didn¡¯t notice the strange looks in everyone¡¯s eyes and continued to seduce the others. ¡°The military has already decided to launch a military operation against Jieke Group soon, they¡¯ve armed the Chan Country Government Army and Japanese Soldiers, choosing sides now is very important, it will determine how much benefit we can reap in the future,¡± Margaretta spoke, and no one responded for a long time. Seeing the weird looks in people¡¯s eyes in the video, frequently glancing behind her, she even called for bodyguards. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Margaretta was puzzled, her eloquence was supposed to be quite good. ¡°Margaretta, look behind you.¡± Claudio, after having dozens of bodyguards protect him, kindly reminded Margaretta. Upon hearing this, Margaretta instinctively looked behind her. But that glance almost frightened her to death on the spot. Behind her, her family members, assistant secretaries, and bodyguards were all lying in pools of blood, and a group of figures in long coats, wearing Evil Ghost Masks, with fierce, bloodthirsty eyes, were silently watching her speech. ¡°You, you are...¡± Margaretta, extremely intelligent, had already guessed the truth, but the fear in her heart made her reluctant to believe it. ¡°Jieke Group, Steel Camp First Company Second Platoon Soldiers, ordered to take your life.¡± A Genetic Warrior raised a Gatling gun, its six barrels slowly beginning to preheat and rotate. ¡°No, no, no, why me, why choose me out of so many people?¡± Margaretta¡¯s eyes, filled with fear, almost spilled out of the screen; in that moment, she lost her earlier eloquence, leaving only fear of death and regret. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve done, would you? Three million US dollars for each Super Soldier corpse, you found a lucrative business for the military of the Beautiful Country, collecting many of our Super Soldier bodies from the battlefield for research, why do you think we want to kill you?¡± A sneer, not waiting for Margaretta to argue any further, countless bullets spat from the Gatling gun¡¯s barrels. The terrifying rate of thousands of rounds per minute shredded her upper body into pieces, splattering the room everywhere. After killing her, these well-trained Steel Camp Soldiers turned and left, only the man who had carried the Gatling looked down at the still playing computer screen and sneered, ¡°Take care of yourselves. Next time, it might be you we visit.¡± After saying this, he dropped the Gatling, turned, and disappeared from the screen. And upon hearing that threat full of murderous intent, the video conference fell dead silent, everyone was shocked by the cruel methods of Jieke Group. Sometimes, hearing about something and seeing it firsthand are completely different in terms of impact, especially when it comes to killing. It was unclear how much time had passed before Claudio¡¯s face finally regained a trace of color. He swallowed and said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, those who want to continue opposing the Jieke Group, raise your left hand; those who want to stop and mend relations, raise your right hand.¡± Swish! Almost simultaneously, numerous right hands were raised without any hesitation. Having witnessed Margaretta¡¯s terrible fate, these people truly understood the terror of the Jieke Group. The group never entertained the idea of stopping after eliminating the Averson Family. If they did not compromise, what awaited them were days without peace, assassinations carried out by non-human entities from the Steel Camp. With a death rate of over 90%, who would dare continue the opposition? Essentially, they were just a group selling medicines, occasionally engaging in unregulated new drug experiments, unlike those military-industrial complexes that actively create wars for the sake of selling more weapons. ¡°In that case, I propose we issue a joint statement,¡± one of them said. Claudio¡¯s face expressed immense relief; he could finally escape the assassinations from Jieke Group. ¡°Agreed!¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± Amidst the chorus of agreement, the video conference drew to a close. With Margaretta¡¯s death, the remaining multinational pharmaceutical companies all assumed the role of laying low. ...... ¡°Asder Pharmaceutical has undergone a massive internal shift in power.¡± ¡°Asder Pharmaceutical is caught in a bankruptcy crisis; Huirui Pharmaceutical and Qiangsheng Pharmaceutical announce their intent to acquire, causing their stock prices to soar yesterday due to this development.¡± ¡°As Asder Pharmaceutical, advocators of a medical embargo, undergo such drastic changes, is it related to the Jieke Group? Our reporter invites a renowned financial expert to decode the bankruptcy turmoil of Asder Pharmaceutical.¡± ¡°Qiangsheng Pharmaceutical, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Mersha Group, Huirui Pharmaceutical among other global pharmaceutical conglomerates declare, on humanitarian grounds, the lifting of the medical embargo against Jieke Group.¡± ¡°Huirui Pharmaceutical issues a statement, to help civilians in East Qin State and Jibang Region injured due to war, they will donate medicine worth two hundred million US dollars and send medical teams to treat local illnesses for free.¡± ¡°Mersha Group donates one hundred million US dollars to the disaster-affected people of Jibang to help them rebuild their homes sooner.¡± A couple of days later, news pieces started appearing online. After being targeted by the Jieke Group, these pharmaceutical conglomerates all started behaving more honestly; not only did they immediately announce the lifting of the embargo, they also declared various forms of public assistance under Jieke Group¡¯s domains. Although they dared not directly sponsor Jieke Group, fearing questions from the government of Beautiful Country, their stance was clearly displayed. That is, cease all armed conflicts and let¡¯s all be good friends. This gesture of goodwill was obvious to any discerning observer. While the common folks didn¡¯t understand such a turnaround, they could only sigh how these pharmaceutical giants¡¯ words were as unreliable as farts, changing overnight without knowing what incredibly tense encounters must have happened behind the scenes. And those countries who were secretly watching this conflict would certainly not mock these pharmaceutical giants, for who would not fear Jieke Group¡¯s straightforward yet high-end corporate warfare? What people ridiculed was that Beautiful Country couldn¡¯t even protect its own enterprises, allowing others to rampage through and kill people within its borders, leaving its face thoroughly slapped. In the United Nations Security Council, the representative from Beautiful Country often encountered sarcasm from other countries¡¯ representatives and would leave the meetings with a darkened face. Furthermore, Jieke Group added fuel to the fire when Liu Yingying, the Group¡¯s President, made a statement: ¡°Seeing that all major pharmaceutical companies understand their mistakes and are willing to change, Jieke Group is prepared to forgive and forget. However, I must seriously warn Beautiful Country, health security must not be violated. If any more acts of medical imperialism occur, Jieke Group will handle them in our own way.¡± Beautiful Country couldn¡¯t hold back then, implying that while medical hegemony was hegemony, their straightforward corporate war was completely legitimate, right? ¡°Damn it, the last time someone dared to slap them this hard was when that uncle wrapped in a white turban with a goatee orchestrated the attack, leading to the prolonged anti-terrorism war in the Empire Graveyard.¡± This time, faced with Jieke Group¡¯s mocking defiance, Beautiful Country could not possibly remain indifferent. Chapter 387: 272: Biological Armor (Part One) Chapter 387: Chapter 272: Biological Armor (Part One) East Qin State, at an inland river dock, an inland river ferry arrived, its bow pushing through the water. A red-clothed woman stood at the bow, sensing a disquieting atmosphere under the water, as fish and shrimp swiftly fled away. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the shore.¡± The captain yelled out, and the ferry slowly docked at the pier. Thunk, thunk, thunk. No sooner had the gangplank been laid down than a group of men, exuding ferocity, walked out of the cabin. ... They were none other than Steel Camp, just returned from a mission in the Beautiful Country. ¡°Miss Han, after you.¡± Miao Lun stepped forward and spoke with utmost respect. Initially, faced with the trap set by Pedro and his men and determined to complete the mission, he was prepared to charge through at the risk of casualties; however, after receiving a call from General Su, he abandoned that idea. Instead, it was the woman before him who single-handedly dealt with Pedro and his gang, emerging unscathed. As you can imagine, Miao Lun was astounded when he received this news. In Miao Lun¡¯s opinion, Han Ruyan must be an even more powerful Genetic Warrior, possibly possessing over a dozen different abilities, to exude such a terrifying aura. Such thoughts were normal; after all, on Blue Star, the only known non-human entities were the Super Soldiers and Genetic Warriors, both of which were developed under the Jieke Group. That Han Ruyan was a stronger Genetic Warrior was the limit of Miao Lun¡¯s imagination; no matter what, he couldn¡¯t stretch his thoughts to the possibility of her being a Fierce Ghost. Han Ruyan didn¡¯t speak, but walked with graceful steps onto the dock and then locked eyes with a tall, upright man. ¡°Welcome back victorious.¡± Su Jie personally came to greet them, with a military band playing rousing music behind him. ¡°General Su, Steel Camp¡¯s first and second platoons have successfully completed their mission, annihilating all 226 members of the Averson Family.¡± Leading the Steel Camp with quick strides, Miao Lun snapped to attention and saluted crisply. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Come back to the barracks with me first, I have some new equipment for you to try out, to see if it¡¯s suitable.¡± Su Jie patted the shoulders of the Steel Camp Genetic Warriors one by one and took photos with them for remembrance. The Genetic Warriors were thrilled; Su Jie was their idol, and their own lives had been completely transformed by him. Coupled with Jieke Group¡¯s propaganda, they all believed they were fighting to save their poor and backward country, with the lofty ideals and convictions of liberating millions of impoverished citizens. Thus, for these most loyal Genetic Warriors of Steel Camp, Su Jie¡¯s status was almost like that of a deity. After taking photos with the Genetic Warriors, Su Jie drove Han Ruyan away, asking with a smile, ¡°How was your experience in the Beautiful Country?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like I did much; I didn¡¯t see the most powerful technological weapons that you spoke of.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s expression was cold and indifferent, which really reflected her thoughts; she wanted to see the limits of humanity. ¡°Don¡¯t ever underestimate technology and intelligence before you are truly invincible. You can¡¯t withstand a nuclear bomb,¡± Su Jie shook his head. His identity as a Cultivator, if exposed to the humans of the Blue Star World, would inevitably be targeted by the entire world. Not to mention the Secret Realm, even the Taoist Platform Realm couldn¡¯t withstand a nuclear bomb, and with strategic missiles that travel at tens of times the speed of sound, Su Jie certainly didn¡¯t want to fall into an unexpected disaster. Blue Star currently has more than ten thousand nuclear bombs, and for a major Country, making nuclear bombs is not very difficult, with the capability to produce them rapidly at any time. Nuclear war, using nuclear bombs to bombard Cultivators, or even employing nuclear saturation bombing, would be an incredibly terrifying affair. And in a full-scale war, who knows what kinds of weapons specifically designed to target them would be developed. In just a few short years during World War II, humanity¡¯s military weapons evolved rapidly, with new weapons being developed to adapt to the battlefield, showing the terrifying potential of humans. ¡°I will listen to you.¡± Han Ruyan did not argue, signifying that she would heed her husband in all things. ¡°We¡¯ll be free to roam once we¡¯re stronger.¡± Su Jie took Han Ruyan¡¯s hand; her strength, relative to the Tianyuan World, was greatly weakened in the non-Spiritual Energy environment of Blue Star. She could easily defeat regular military forces, but various high-energy thermal weapons could still harm her, let alone stand equal before a nuclear bomb. As they chatted casually, the convoy made its way to the East Qin Steel Camp training site, a special training base located inside a hollowed-out mountain. ¡°Bring out the new equipment.¡± Su Jie shouted, and the logistics soldiers quickly sprang into action, bringing out the equipment one by one from the logistics vehicles. The first thing that caught the eye was a series of black garments, resembling windproof and warm jackets. ¡°Put on these clothes and show your full might to see how they work,¡± Su Jie pointed to Miao Lun, and soon, the newly-dressed Miao Lun stood before him. As Miao Lun growled lowly, his body began to swell, his height increasing to over two meters, with his leg muscles becoming the most developed, and elongated spiky horns sprouting from his head. Before, Miao Lun¡¯s clothes would have ripped apart, leaving ragged strips hanging on his body. But now, as he revealed the full-strength form of a Genetic Warrior, the clothes seemed to stretch like elastic stockings, expanding and contracting in sync without feeling constrictive, still fitting properly on his body. Su Jie brought a torch, lit it, and held it against the fabric of the clothes. The flames scorched against the material, yet it showed no signs of melting from the heat. Miao Lun looked on in surprise, aware that modern firefighter protective gear could withstand several hundred degrees of high temperature without damage. But the human body couldn¡¯t cope, the external heat transferred to the body through convection, radiation, and conduction would cause harm. Even if the fire suit remained intact, the person inside could still be cooked to death. Chapter 388: 272: Biological Armor (Part Two) Chapter 388: Chapter 272: Biological Armor (Part Two) However, the physique of the genetic warriors, regarding their tolerance to extreme environments, was much higher than that of ordinary people. When the flames blazed, it took a while before Miao Lun felt his skin getting hot and instinctively began to pull his hand back. But this was enough to astonish Miao Lun; this thin clothing offered fire resistance comparable to the professional fireproof and heat-insulating suits worn by firefighters. Yet, the firefighters¡¯ gear was heavy and bulky, whereas this piece of clothing was incredibly light and thin, beyond compare. Su Jie had someone bring a thermal imaging detector, and as the device scanned, despite the large heat source of the human body, the device couldn¡¯t detect any temperature difference between the body and the surrounding environment. ¡°This type of clothing is called Tianyuan Protective Clothing, available in three grades. The one you¡¯re wearing is the highest quality, capable of being fireproof and waterproof, absorbing sweat, preserving warmth, and immune to thermal imaging reconnaissance,¡± ... Su Jie began to introduce the clothing, which was actually inspired by the Magic Robes worn by Righteous Disciples during the Sect Wars. Because the Gu Masters of Ghost Ridge Palace had a significant advantage in insect control reconnaissance, the Righteous Sects specially refined these Magic Robes that could suppress the cultivator¡¯s aura, camouflage it as flora to avoid detection by insects¡¯ olfactory and thermal senses and biological radars, and even actively release special pheromones to blur the insects¡¯ senses, causing them to misjudge. Having killed many Righteous Disciples in the Sect Wars, these robes were common loot for Su Jie. He handed them over to the Refining Hall, where they were disassembled, reprocessed, and redesigned according to Su Jie¡¯s specifications. This new style of Tianyuan Protective Clothing did not need that many features, and since genetic warriors lacked Spiritual Power, they could not utilize it well. More importantly, they were cheaper; Su Jie did not have the vast wealth of the Righteous Sects to supply every soldier. Aside from the highest grade of Tianyuan Protective Clothing, which was manufactured by the Refining Hall, there was a second-grade protective clothing for Super Soldiers and a third-grade used by ordinary soldiers, all of which were produced in Jieke Group¡¯s factories using materials provided by Su Jie. Naturally, the quality decreased progressively, and the lowest grade only had the basic function of evading thermal imaging detection. ¡°General Su, are these issued to us?¡± Miao Lun and the surrounding genetic warriors all lit up, these Tianyuan Protective Suits matched their desires. ¡°Everyone gets one,¡± Su Jie smiled and nodded, then began to introduce other new equipment. ¡°This is called an Eye Worm. You can think of it as a personal drone that accompanies you, but it is a biological type.¡± Su Jie picked up a small fleshy worm about the size of a palm which resembled a common beetle, with six pairs of thin, wing-like appendages and four large compound eyes. ¡°Stretch out your hand,¡± Su Jie gestured for Miao Lun to extend his palm. Miao Lun did as instructed, and Su Jie placed the Eye Worm on Miao Lun¡¯s palm. A needle-like tube, similar to that of a mosquito, pierced into the crevices of Miao Lun¡¯s skin. Through the semi-transparent tube, it was possible to see blood being drawn. Miao Lun watched curiously, making no move to stop it. As the Eye Worm absorbed enough blood, its entire body glowed blood-red, appearing like a vivid, translucent, red amber. Buzz, buzz! The Eye Worm took off from Miao Lun¡¯s palm, and simultaneously, a strange sensation rose within Miao Lun. ¡°Try directing it,¡± Su Jie patted Miao Lun¡¯s shoulder, pointing to the Eye Worm that continued to climb higher. Miao Lun blinked, and the next moment, following that curious connection, he suddenly felt his view changing. His perspective was elevating, transforming into a bird¡¯s-eye view of the ground, as if he was flying in the sky. This was the Eye Worm¡¯s viewpoint; his vision was partially merged with the Eye Worm¡¯s, enabling him to conduct reconnaissance through the ultra-wide-angle view of its compound eyes. Moreover, the Eye Worm could move according to his will, whether it was low-altitude flight, high-altitude hovering, or adjusting the observational angle both zooming in and out. ¡°It actually overlaps with the perspective of the insect.¡± Miao Lun¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock, he had never seen such exaggerated biotechnology. Humans can control the movement of a mouse on a screen using brainwaves, which is already considered extremely advanced technology. However, the technology owned by Jieke Group allowed for remote insect control through thoughts and sensory links with the insects. This unimaginable biotechnology had surpassed Miao Lun¡¯s understanding; he had no idea how it was achieved through scientific technology. ¡°These eye worms can be controlled by you within a flying radius of three kilometers, and can fly up to one thousand meters high. Using their unique insect compound eyes, they can observe distant enemy movements, compensating for the deficiencies in your reconnaissance abilities when you operate alone,¡± Su Jie slowly explained. After his advancement to the Secret Realm, he had the ability to use spirit stones to modify poisonous insects, like the thousand-hand centipede, whose giant mandibles were a result of such modifications. Similarly, the insects of the Blue Star could be modified. Su Jie chose a type of compound-eyed insect from Southeast Asia and, after numerous biological modification attempts and multiple failures, he finally cultivated the eye worm, a mature surveillance insect species excelling in clarity of reconnaissance, flight speed, altitude, and range of vision. Moreover, these eye worms were not picky eaters and easy to sustain; they required only some spirit stone fragments and host blood to maintain productivity. Fed once, they could stay active for half a month, with an extremely long standby time. ¡°All of you, genetic warriors and super soldiers, will be equipped with this type of eye worm as part of your auxiliary reconnaissance equipment,¡± Su Jie said, exciting the genetic warriors present. Such a biological surveillance device, synchronizing with a person¡¯s thoughts, brought unimaginable convenience. Drone surveillance still required human control, then information transmission via radio waves, and verbal relay from others, which definitely did not provide as high a level of awareness as seeing with one¡¯s own eyes. Moreover, the clarity and range of the eye worms¡¯ surveillance were beyond what many small drones could achieve. ¡°Finally, let¡¯s look at this piece of equipment, which I have named the Z-Type 1 Auxiliary Biological Armor, bulletproof, shock-resistant, and gas-proof,¡± Su Jie then picked up a suit of armor constructed of biological and metallic elements. This armor, reaching 3 meters in height, had a surface of cold, thick matte metal, inside which one could see writhing fascia and a metallic skeleton. This armor was also Su Jie¡¯s latest masterpiece, inspired by the combat puppets of the Puppet Hall. Using his strong ability to modify insects, and also consulting Tang Peiqing and Taoist Qiu, with assistance in design and planning from the Puppet Hall, he used several insects together in the modification and merging process, combined with metal armor, to ultimately set this design. This set of auxiliary biological armor had a defense capability that was a level above the previous alloy heavy armor and also possessed a powerful ammunition carrying capacity. In the past, although the soldiers of the Steel Camp were powerful, the ammunition and weapons they carried individually were limited. For instance, Miao Lun, who carried a 14.5 mm caliber anti-aircraft machine gun, could only carry a small amount of ammunition, leaving no room for more. This often led to dire situations on the battlefield where Steel Camp soldiers would quickly run out of ammunition and have to fight using the enemy¡¯s weapons. Not to mention suitability, many times it was difficult to find a weapon that fit perfectly, and many Steel Camp soldiers were killed during this process. As a result, Steel Camp soldiers would instinctively conserve ammunition upon entering the battlefield, undoubtedly limiting the killing power of super soldiers. But this biological armor would solve that problem. Miao Lun stepped forward excitedly, and after binding with the biological armor through his blood, the back of the armor split open to reveal its internal structure. The inside of the armor was creepy, with writhing flesh and fascia. Miao Lun stepped forward, placed his hands and feet in the designated positions, and the entire armor slowly closed around him; the facial area of the armor consisted of high-impact bulletproof glass and thin film, allowing a clear view of the surroundings. In an instant, a figure three meters tall, clad in metallic armor, resembling a single soldier mecha from a sci-fi movie, spectacularly emerged at the scene. Chapter 389: 273: Prelude to War (Two updates, 8000 words!) Chapter 389: Chapter 273: Prelude to War (Two updates, 8000 words!) Click. Miao Lun tried to take a step, the Biological Armor fully synchronized with his will, feeling like an extension of his own limbs, without any discomfort. Miao Lun tried to increase the range and intensity of his movements; the flesh inside the armor seemed to grow onto his skin, with every muscle movement in his body being instantly relayed to the Biological Armor. Unlike being made of large alloy metal plates, the armor was instead constructed from small, scale-like metal pieces, which had a lower strength than a solid alloy. However, the flesh behind acted like a buffer spring, capable of absorbing force, making the overall defense stronger than the previous Alloy Battle Armor. This also made movement more convenient without any hindrance caused by joint friction. ... Boom. Miao Lun threw a punch, and amidst the explosive sound, the Biological Armor fully transmitted his force, not only without any power loss but also enhancing some of Miao Lun¡¯s strength. The fist heavily smashed into a concrete wall, immediately creating a large hole. This power, if applied to a person, would generally blast the body apart, leaving no need for any resuscitation. ¡°Bring up the weapons.¡± At Su Jie¡¯s command, logistics soldiers heaved over various weapons and ammunition. On the right arm, a 14.5-millimeter anti-aircraft machine gun was lifted, with various weapon slots beneath the Biological Armor, allowing easy gripping of the anti-aircraft gun. On the left arm, there was an RPG-29 rocket launcher with a 105-millimeter caliber. On his back and shoulders, two Single Soldier Anti-Tank Missiles were erected, capable of targeting not only tanks but also helicopters. Moreover, there were rows of ammunition belts, rocket shells, individual rations, hand grenades, etc., all mounted on various parts of the Mecha, with concave areas swallowing them in. Accessing them was very convenient, too; the internal flesh tendon membranes could move to automatically deliver bullets and rocket shells into his hands. This set of Biological Armor could carry up to half a ton of extra load. Just the 200 grams per round of 14.5-millimeter machine gun bullets, this Biological Armor carried 2000 of them, amounting to four hundred kilograms, along with fifteen rockets, plus the tens of kilograms heavy anti-aircraft gun and Single Soldier Anti-Tank Missiles, made Miao Lun look visibly bulkier. But the beauty of Biological Armor lies here, it can expand like a human belly, unlike metal which can only contain a fixed volume. Though this was somewhat inconvenient for Miao Lun, such a large carrying capacity of ammunition consenting him willingly, as the boost in combat capability due to long endurance was indeed too significant. At that moment, Miao Lun stood on the spot, with two Single Soldier Anti-Tank Missile launchers sticking out on his shoulders, his right arm holding a 14.5-millimeter anti-aircraft machine gun, and his left arm suspending a 105-millimeter rocket launcher, looking like a humanoid artillery battery. Just standing there, his fierce and massive appearance was enough to send shivers down anyone¡¯s spine. It was hard to imagine the psychological impact on the enemies if such a figure appeared on the battlefield. Miao Lun was also very pleased, this set of Biological Armor perfectly met the needs for protection, firepower, and endurance, making him absolutely love it. ¡°General Su, is this equipment really for us?¡± Miao Lun¡¯s voice trembled slightly, owning the world¡¯s first Biological Mecha, indeed, in Miao Lun¡¯s view, this was a genuine Mecha. ¡°Every warrior of the Steel Camp will be equipped with a set.¡± It pained Su Jie somewhat, as such a set of Biological Armor cost quite a few Spirit Stones and needed regular investment in Spirit Stones for maintenance and repair, otherwise the internal flesh would decay and age. But to arm his elite troops, Su Jie had to make the painful expenditure. ¡°Long live General Su.¡± Upon hearing this, cheers from the Genetic Warriors erupted on the spot, and their anxious hearts finally settled. This set of Biological Armor was indeed a massive boost in combat capabilities, who wouldn¡¯t want one! ¡°You all quickly learn to use this Biological Armor, as soon there will be a major battle waiting for you guys.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, General Su, we¡¯ll become proficient with the Biological Armor soon, not letting down your expectations. Any foreign enemy who dares invade will be crushed to a pulp.¡± Miao Lun, excitedly leading his subordinates to salute, was deeply moved. Joining Jieke Group was indeed the right choice, such a globally leading biotechnology, the enemies would definitely be taken by surprise. ¡°Very impactful.¡± Su Jie nodded, took another look around, and then turned to leave, heading back to the Jieke Group Headquarters Building in Mande City. Just as he returned to his office, Liu Yingying rushed up to him. ¡°Su Jie, our Intelligence Department recently discovered that the Eight Nation Group¡¯s top officials are holding talks frequently. Additionally, Chan Country has recently stopped transporting materials in large quantities and instead started increasing soldiers¡¯ wages and compensating for previous unpaid salaries.¡± Liu Yingying spoke hurriedly. Jieke Group had a specialized external Intelligence Department, which, apart from bought informants, also trained spies. And even had people bought inside the Eight Nation Group, where monetary means were absolutely effective, and throwing enough money made everything possible. ¡°The war is about to start.¡± Su Jie, sitting in his executive chair, stated very assuredly, having also received prior hints, now further confirmed. ¡°That¡¯s also the analysis of the Intelligence Department.¡± Liu Yingying nodded, then pulled out a document. ¡°This is our current situation of resource reserves and the deployment of forces everywhere. We have also completed 75% of the material reserves here. The rest can only be produced during the war.¡± Chapter 390: 273: Prelude to War (Two updates, 8000 words!)_2 Chapter 390: Chapter 273: Prelude to War (Two updates, 8000 words!)_2 Su Jie took the document and read it carefully. After finishing, he said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. We can¡¯t compete with the Eight Nation Group in terms of firepower and logistics. We must engage in guerrilla warfare in this battle¡ªit¡¯s our advantage.¡± Su Jie picked up a pen and jabbed it on the map, landing on a range of mountains. ¡°The core of this confrontation lies at the Ruo Kai Mountains, the gateway to Ji State and the dividing line between us and the Chan Country Government. ¡°Once they occupy this area, they can pierce into the plains of Ji State. Ha, I would actually be disappointed if they didn¡¯t come. We need to spill some blood of the Eight Nation Group here and drain the living force of both the Chan Country Government Army and the Japanese Soldiers.¡± A cold light flashed in Su Jie¡¯s eyes as Liu Yingying followed his gaze. Chan Country spans about 678,500 square kilometers, with its terrain high in the north and low in the south. ... The north is mountainous, the east is plateau. Between the west and south lie the Ruo Kai Mountains, separating Jieke Group¡¯s territory on the west and the alluvial plains in the south, which is the essence of Chan Country and the core of the Chan Country Government¡¯s control. This Ruo Kai mountain range separates Jieke Group and Chan Country Government and is also the real focus of this war for both sides. ¡°This war will probably be very brutal.¡± Liu Yingying took a deep breath, having this premonition. Su Jie touched Liu Yingying¡¯s cheek with a smile, ¡°Heh, the ones that will be entering the fray this time are just the dogs raised by the Beautiful Country. No matter how ferocious the guard dogs are, once they enter our forest territory, they¡¯re merely snacks when they encounter jackals, tigers, and leopards. If we don¡¯t break a leg of this vicious dog, I won¡¯t let them return.¡± ¡°Yes, we will certainly win.¡± Influenced by Su Jie¡¯s confidence, Liu Yingying nodded firmly. ...... Just as Su Jie had anticipated, it didn¡¯t take a week. On January 23rd, the President of the Beautiful Country made a public television speech, ¡°In view of the rampant illegal forces in the Chan Country region, with immediate effect, we will dispatch two amphibious landing group combat formations, deployed in the southeastern sea area, to maintain the navigational lanes and safety of the region.¡± This move by the Beautiful Country wasn¡¯t anything new, as the fleet of the Blue Star Dominator was often on the move. However, when paired with some actions of the Eight Nation Group, this behavior became quite suggestive. The Prime Minister of Japan spoke at a press conference the following day, saying, ¡°Together with our ally, the Chan Country Government, we are working to contain the extreme radical organization Jieke Group in the northwest of Chan Country, and in order to prevent the people of Chan Country from suffering under Jieke Group, we are fully prepared to go to war if necessary.¡± In addition, the other six countries of the Eight Nation Group announced one after another that to strengthen military cooperation within the group, they would each send a task force to conduct a joint military exercise near the border of Chan Country within Siam. Shortly after these announcements were made, early warning planes, electronic reconnaissance planes, electronic signal planes, and battlefield surveillance aircraft started taking off in large numbers daily around the Japanese base within Chan Country, performing high-intensity reconnaissance and surveillance over East Qin State and Ji State areas. Also, over a hundred fighter jets were deployed to the prime area of Southern Chan Country, patrolling the edge of the war zone with live ammunition every day. At the same time, in terms of public opinion, the Eight Nation Group also began to exert their influence. The European and American media, which hold the words of the mainstream world, repeatedly accused Jieke Group, slinging mud at them. ¡°Listing ten heinous crimes of Jieke Group: human biochemical experiments, oppression of freedom, wartime atrocities, economic dictatorship...¡± ¡°The people of East Qin State and Ji State are suffocating under the occupation of Jieke Group, this region is becoming Blue Star¡¯s largest concentration camp.¡± ¡°A Demon Cave that acts in the name of a company but actually commits devilish acts. The children of East Qin State cry, the girls of Ji State weep¡ªthis place needs to be redeemed with freedom and democracy.¡± ¡°The oppression and blockade by Jieke Group in their territories have led to an extremely severe humanitarian crisis. It is necessary to disband Jieke Group.¡± These news stories were disseminated through newspapers, radio, television, the internet, spreading all kinds of information, relying on a strong network to smear Jieke Group. Even in the absence of evidence, they deliberately staged photos and produced ambiguous videos of Jieke Group persecuting the population. The Western mainstream media unreservedly splashed dirt on Jieke Group, while keeping silent about the atrocities of the Chan Country troops. Western online platforms censored and blocked voices against the Eight Nation Group. However, with the rise of internet as a media platform, the truth still spread through various channels. Truth can¡¯t be contained, and people around the world still maintained neutrality. With such a series of dangerous statements and military movements from the Eight Nation Group, countries and military experts also sensed a strong whiff of gunpowder. It seemed like Chan Country might be on the brink of war once again. Faced with the suddenly tense situation, Jieke Group also responded. Many ordinary people in East Qin State and Ji State received educational materials such as air defense warning instructions. Air defense constructions were opened one after another, and related air defense drills took place every week. Near the Jieke Group¡¯s border with the Chan Country Government, the nearby cities started to enter a secondary emergency state, while the cities on the front line entered a primary emergency state. Ordinary citizens near these cities began to distribute some emergency supplies and conducted a certain degree of evacuation. Meanwhile, in the Jibang Region, all the factories were converted to a wartime system, no longer producing ordinary civilian goods, but entirely military products. To protect this important industrial base, Jieke Security deployed several sets of air defense missile systems purchased from Mao Bear. To cope with the future logistical pressures, the railway, highway, and air transportation systems were all under control, and the reserves of materials such as steel, cement, and grain increased gathering speed. At this time, the stand-off between Jieke Group and the Eight Nation Group made it clear to the entire world that a war was inevitably going to break out here. The previous ceasefire was due to a high-tech war, which brought great logistical pressure due to enormous consumption. During the ceasefire, both sides were replenishing logistics, and now that they were replenished, the war was naturally going to sweep through again. ... In the Northern Territory of Chan Country, Neibi City, Xinhui Park. CIA senior commissioner Lloyd Alv entered the park escorted by a team of warlord soldiers. ¡°Don¡¯t hit me, please don¡¯t hit me anymore.¡± ¡°Help, I really don¡¯t know anything, it really has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°I was just a little bit away from completing my performance, please spare me this once.¡± Cries and screams were heard, and as Lloyd looked over, he saw many men and women locked in water cells. Some warlord soldiers were holding iron sticks with sharp tips, continuously striking the water. On the ground, some warlord soldiers, brandishing machetes, forcibly stretched out others¡¯ fingers and swung down. There were also warlord soldiers with electric batons, shocking people to the point of screaming terribly, and soiling themselves. ¡°Tsk tsk, such a barbaric style,¡± Lloyd murmured with a light chuckle. The Northern Territory of Chan Country was always a paradise for various warlords due to its underdeveloped industry and location amidst continuous high mountains and virgin forests. The place was filled with the stench of sin and death, gambling, fraud, extortion, blackmail... All the darkness you can imagine existed here, almost on a daily basis. Men and women were bought and sold like livestock, and any laws were mere empty talk here. Passing through the chaos of the park, Lloyd was led to a conference room in a tall building, where people were already waiting. Six men sat there, some dressed in local Chan Country ethnic attire, some in suits and leather shoes, and some in military uniforms adorned with a string of medals. ¡°Hehe, all six families have arrived; it seems I¡¯m the late one!¡± Lloyd said with a smile. These six men were the largest of the six warlord factions in the Northern Territory of Chan Country, deeply rooted and ruling like families for many years. They were the Wa Xin Defense Army, the Kegan Alliance Army, the Beichan Independent Army, the Delun State Army, the Myanmar Border Guard, and the Shan State Liberation Front. The sizes of the military forces of these six warlords varied, with the Kegan Alliance Army having an army of 100,000 soldiers, and the other warlord militias numbering above 50,000. Of course, if you remove the fluff, that number should be about half, because these warlords often included military dependents, patrol militias, and even police in their count, making the actual number very questionable. ¡°Lloyd, if you want us to help you fight against Jieke Group, you must agree to our conditions. No matter how strong your Beautiful Country is, it won¡¯t work here,¡± said Wu Anglay, the leader of the Kegan Alliance Army, with a very arrogant tone, seizing the desperation of the Beautiful Country now in urgent need of strength. Chapter 391: 274: War Breaks Out (Part One) Chapter 391: Chapter 274: War Breaks Out (Part One) Lloyd looked at the group of warlords, dragged a chair over with a plop, sat down, and with his legs crossed, said: ¡°The terms, huh! We can agree to them, but you¡¯ll have to commit more than half of your troops, and don¡¯t try to fob me off with those policemen and militiamen, I want those soldiers who can fight.¡± Upon hearing this, a flicker of joy passed across Wu Anglay¡¯s face. They had demanded from the Beautiful Country an aid of a total one hundred billion dollars, also requesting a share in the division of the territories ruled by Jieke Group in East Qin State and Ji State and demanded the Chan Country Government to no longer attack them... With such a list of conditions, the warlords themselves thought the CIA would not agree, but they hadn¡¯t expected things to be done so easily. The only issue was the number of troops they needed to deploy, which gave Wu Anglay and the other warlords headaches. ... After all, the combat effectiveness of the Jieke Group was well known, they had initially thought of deploying just enough force to crudely hold off some of Jieke Group¡¯s troops. ¡°Gentlemen, this is your only chance, miss this one and next time, don¡¯t even think about gaining territory or money. Once the Jieke Group is free to act, do you think you will continue to live peacefully? You all know what kind of methods the Jieke Group employs, they crack down on all kinds of illegal activities under their rule. If you fall into the hands of Jieke Group, tsk tsk, then your fate is hard to say. I suggest you consider the fate of a few warlords in East Qin State back then, the way they died might give you the answer.¡± Lloyd knocked on the table, the paltry one hundred billion dollars in benefits, compared to the benefits on the Jieke Group, was like comparing the light of a firefly to that of the bright moon. As for territorial control, the Beautiful Country has never cared much for that little land. There¡¯s no oil there, the mountains are high, and forests are dense; they wouldn¡¯t bother having troops stationed there. It¡¯s only these warlords used to living in poverty who would be so petty as to not dare to ask for more when making their demands. Of course, one hundred billion dollars is not a small amount but later on, they can just renege on the deal! As if these warlords could bite them back. ¡°You¡¯re threatening us!¡± Wu Anglay, with a dark expression, said coldly, ¡°Believe it or not, with one command from me, you won¡¯t be able to walk out of this park.¡± ¡°Behind me stands the world¡¯s leading superpower, with eleven aircraft carrier battle groups, and military bases spread across the globe.¡± Lloyd smiled slightly, and though he didn¡¯t raise his voice in anger or curse, this dismissive attitude only made him appear more arrogant and complacent. Wu Anglay remained silent; he was no Jieke Group, daring to confront the foremost power, Blue Star. ¡°If you want us to deploy troops as you request, we have two more conditions.¡± Wu Anglay whispered with a few other warlords for a while before he spoke again, ¡°The first condition is that we need you to guarantee our ability to immigrate to the Beautiful Country in the future, ensuring the safety of our lives and property.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s no problem, the Beautiful Country has always welcomed talents from all over the world to settle.¡± Lloyd agreed without a second thought, knowing the others were looking for a way out. ¡°The second condition is we need the United States to help us establish our own nation, and we want independence in the Northern Territory of Chan Country.¡± Wu Anglay proposed a bold and crazy plan, while the other warlords¡¯ eyes shone brightly, evidently having pre-arranged this move for today. Lloyd frowned slightly and, puzzled, asked, ¡°Establish a nation? What do you want with that?¡± ¡°Only as a nation can we protect our business.¡± Wu Anglay didn¡¯t make it too clear, but Lloyd understood upon hearing this; they wanted to grow and strengthen the business in their region! A regional warlord compared to a nation are very different things in the international community. ¡°I can guarantee you that the Beautiful Country will support you at that time!¡± Lloyd internally mocked the warlords¡¯ wild fantasies; a bunch of worthless creatures dreaming of establishing a nation. But outwardly, Lloyd did not refuse, simply giving an ambiguous response. Support for their nation could just be in words, after all! It doesn¡¯t matter if it does not cost him any money or effort; these are not You Tai people. In any case, I¡¯ve given my verbal support, whether your nation-building succeeds is your own affair. ¡°I need the Beautiful Country and its allies to vote in favor of our nation-building at the United Nations Security Council.¡± Wu Anglay raised his voice, picking up on Lloyd¡¯s noncommittal attitude. ¡°Can do, but that will have to wait until you have destroyed the Jieke Group; we promise to cast our vote for you.¡± Lloyd actually had no authority to decide this matter, but that didn¡¯t stop him from making empty promises for the time being. Wu Anglay also knew the Beautiful Country was unreliable, but he had approached the situation with a mentality of ¡®no harm trying¡¯ ¨C if it worked out, great; if not, he had nothing to lose. ¡°Then, here¡¯s to a pleasant cooperation.¡± Wu Anglay and Lloyd shook hands, reaching an agreement. ¡°When do you need our troops to start out?¡± ¡°Wait until we draw their attention and lure out most of Jieke Group¡¯s soldiers to Ji State, then you can depart from the Northern Territory, hit Jieke Group from behind, invade East Qin State from north to south, and strike directly at the heart of Jieke Group¡¯s headquarters.¡± Lloyd took out a satellite phone, pointed to his ear, and said: ¡°I will stay in contact with you on my end, ready your soldiers at any moment.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can do it? The Jieke Group is not easy to deal with.¡± Wu Anglay muttered, recalling the last attempt by the so-called Eight Nation Group, which had embarrassingly lost the rich Ji State. Lloyd, showing great confidence, said: ¡°This time it¡¯s different from the past, you will see our strength.¡± .... Japan. A secret, special session of Congress was convened without publicity. Hundreds of senators and members of the House of Representatives attended, each solemnly dressed in formal attire, looking towards the stage where the Prime Minister of Japan, Tsunoshima Shouichi, stood. Chapter 392: 274: War Breaks Out (First Update)_2 Chapter 392: Chapter 274: War Breaks Out (First Update)_2 ¡°The day before yesterday, our Eight Nation Group made the latest decision to initiate a new round of military strikes against the Jieke Group. Our Japanese forces, together with the Chan Country Government, will attack and eliminate the Jieke Group, this cancerous tumor.¡± Tsunoshima Shouichi¡¯s voice was calm as he spoke about this conclusion that everyone had already guessed. ¡°Prime Minister, are we ready? The Jieke Group is not easy to deal with. If we suffer losses in Chan Country, the opposition voices within our own nation will be great.¡± A parliamentarian stood up to raise the question. ¡°Prime Minister, we haven¡¯t seen the benefits promised by the Beautiful Country yet. If we continue to intervene eagerly, I¡¯m afraid it might not be very good.¡± ¡°The Chan Ancient Government Army is no match; we Japanese have merely twenty thousand soldiers, while it is said that the Jieke Group has expanded its troop numbers to several hundred thousand, and there are even Super Soldiers among them. The risks of this battle are enormous.¡± ... The voices of opposition were many. Japan had been at peace for a long time and had not fought a war since World War II. The last time they acted, they were taught a harsh lesson by the Jieke Group. The several thousand soldiers dispatched were either killed or wounded, and those who returned to Japan often suffered from psychological trauma. ¡°The Beautiful Country has already confirmed the timing, and within three years, we will sign a historic agreement to conduct the largest ever upgrade and unbundling of the ¡®Security Treaty¡¯. Once the Jieke Group is dealt with, our Self-defense Team will become the Self-defense Army, and at that time we will rebuild our national defense, opening a new chapter for Japan to become a normal nation.¡± Upon hearing those words, the room fell silent for a moment before those who had previously opposed suddenly changed their tune, their eyes glowing with feverish excitement. Japan has always strived to become a normal nation. As the world¡¯s fourth-largest economy, they have long borne the shame of being branded a defeated nation with only a Self-defense Team. This is an enduring pain in the hearts of all Japanese people. Now seeing hope, they were like dogs seeing a bone. Even if their leash was held by their master, they were still willing to lunge fiercely, eager to tackle problems for their master in order to receive the reward of a bone. Especially since this bone was meaty, involving a share in the spoils after the downfall of the Jieke Group, it was even more tantalizing. Tsunoshima Shouichi watched the scene unfold with satisfaction, aware of Japan¡¯s interests. Standing with the Beautiful Country was to protect Japan¡¯s own interests, and only in this way could they restore the mighty Japan and become a country that the world admires. ¡°Now, those in favor of dispatching troops, raise your hands.¡± As Tsunoshima Shouichi¡¯s words ended, arms were raised one after another. ¡°423 in favor, 12 against, I hereby declare that effective immediately, we will deploy troops to eradicate the dangerous radical organization, the Jieke Group.¡± After the decision was announced, all the parliamentarians stood up and applauded fervently, the sound of clapping thunderous in the room. .... January 27th. When the time came to this day. At the Xin¡¯an Airport in Chan Country where the Japanese Aviation Mixed Group was stationed, thousands of group members faced loudspeakers that were hung all around, as a voice relayed over them. It was the voice of the Emperor of Japan, broadcasting through the Jewel Voice Broadcast, his words traversing a thousand miles to reach the site. On the airstrip, soldiers from the Aviation Mixed Group stood attentively, their expressions full of excitement as they listened to the Emperor¡¯s voice through the broadcast. Although the Emperor no longer held actual power and was more a figurehead, all significant decisions made by the Prime Minister. Yet in the eyes of the Japanese people, as a symbol of spirit, the Emperor still garnered their love and respect. ¡°... Our Japan has a history of thousands of years of brilliance, possesses ancient and splendid culture, and virtues handed down from antiquity. This war is under the watchful eye of Amaterasu. It is a righteous sword raised against evil, drawn to protect the weak, swung for the sake of countless oppressed people. You have every reason to be proud, for you are upholding the beliefs of our Samurai Spirit, following benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and sincerity, bravely moving forward, forward, forward, to break the cruel exploitation of the Jieke Group.¡± ¡°Do not fear the enemy¡¯s knives, guns, and bullets; even if your souls are embraced by Amaterasu, millions of people can pay tribute to you, the empire¡¯s brave warriors, at Jing Country Shrine.¡± After an impassioned speech, the Emperor finally proclaimed loudly: ¡°I declare that, effective immediately, a large-scale air raid operation code-named ¡®Typhoon Plan¡¯ is launched, with all necessary means to be used to destroy the rule of Jieke Group; may you all return in triumph.¡± ¡°Long live the Emperor.¡± ¡°Long live the Emperor.¡± ¡°Long live the Emperor.¡± In the thunderous chants, pilots raced towards their fighter jets. Not just at this airport, but across all major airports under the Chan Country Government¡¯s rule, warplanes took off one after another to begin a large-scale air raid on Jieke Group¡¯s ruled regions. Meanwhile, at sea, several warships sent by Japan were launching sea-based cruise missiles, targeting and blasting vital facilities and bases with precision strikes. In just half a month, Japan and the Chan Country Government had dispatched thousands of sorties, dropped thirty thousand tons of bombs, and, in conjunction with cruise missiles, caused devastating damage to a vast number of power stations, electronic communication facilities, rail bridges, military bases, and supply warehouses within Jieke Group¡¯s territory. At this point, East Qin State and Ji State under Jieke Group¡¯s rule were like a small boat buffeted by wind and rain. Many areas were bombed into ruins; the entire Jieke Group ruled region was practically engulfed in smoke and fire. Through the real-time surveillance of multiple military satellites, one could see that there was no longer much gathering of large-scale soldiers in those military facilities and bases of Jieke Group. Many supply warehouses were engulfed in flames that burned tirelessly through the night, seeming to have lost any resistance. Faced with such a situation, Japan immediately stood out to announce this gratifying outcome. In Yang City, the Chan Country Capital, Yoshimura Yuichi, the commander-in-chief of Japan, jubilantly told countless global media reporters: ¡°After a week of large-scale attacks, we have achieved a perfect start in our struggle against the extreme radical organization, Jieke Group. We have already destroyed most of their bases and eliminated a large number of the enemy¡¯s living forces and strategic reserves. We are confident that within the next week we will send ground forces through the Ruo Kai Mountains, stepping into Ji State and East Qin State, completely destroying Jieke Group¡¯s rule in this region, and rescuing these states from the claws of Jieke Group.¡± The reporters¡¯ camera flashes blinked incessantly, and shutters were pressed frantically, many journalists finding it hard to believe the military progress of the Eight Nation Group could be so smooth. ¡°Is this information true?¡± A reporter immediately raised a hand to inquire, seeking to uncover the truth. In the last war, Jieke Group had emerged notably successful, swiftly destroying air superiority, subsequently annihilating tens of thousands of Chan Country¡¯s troops and Japanese troops within Ji State. Could it be that this time the tables have turned, with Jieke Group unable to sustain such losses from being struck by preemptive attacks? ¡°These are photographs taken by our satellites and high-altitude reconnaissance planes; each media will receive a copy later. Our success is undeniable. Everyone has overestimated Jieke Group. Their strength today does not come from being highly formidable but from despicable surprise attacks. In a real high-tech war, their fragility is immediately exposed, reduced to a laughable jumping clown.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi spoke contemptuously, indicating Jieke Group could easily be struck down. Reporters viewing the photographs presented by Yoshimura Yuichi, saw various destroyed military bases, and the large screen behind was projecting videos of the destruction, with even scenes of bodies flying chaotically, looking incredibly real. Now the journalists truly believed what Yoshimura Yuichi had declared. Finally, facing all the journalists, Yoshimura Yuichi held up three fingers, ¡°I urge Jieke Group to lay down their weapons within three days; surrender now to obtain a dignified outcome, accepting the trial of the international court. Otherwise, after three days, when the Heavenly Soldiers of Japan arrive, what awaits Jieke Group will only be utter annihilation.¡± Chapter 393: 275: Japanese Soldiers Hell (Two more updates, 9000 words, asking for monthly tickets!) Chapter 393: Chapter 275: Japanese Soldiers¡¯ Hell (Two more updates, 9000 words, asking for monthly tickets!) The press conference ended with harsh words from Yoshimura Yuichi, and once the news was released, it immediately caused an uproar. Especially since the Jieke Group unusually did not respond, which further confirmed the news and sparked widespread discussion online. ¡®The Jieke Group has wilted just like that, what happened to the strongest special soldiers on the surface of the earth?¡¯ ¡®This must be fake news. Japan loves to boast about their military achievements. If they were that powerful, why were they defeated so badly last time?¡¯ ¡®Ha, you were all scared by the Jieke Group¡¯s prestige. They were always just a regional force. This time, facing a military strike from the Eight Nation Group, both Chan Country and Japan got strong support from Beautiful Country, putting their heads on the line.¡¯ ¡®Even super soldiers can¡¯t withstand missiles and bombings! Don¡¯t mythologize them; any flesh and blood body ultimately can¡¯t withstand bombs.¡¯ ... ¡®Remember when Beautiful Country used those precise surgical strikes against Yila Country? In less than two months, it eliminated what boasted as the third strongest military power in the world, possessing six thousand tanks, four thousand artillery pieces, seven thousand armored vehicles, eight hundred fighter jets, and a million-strong army. It¡¯s the age of technology in modern society. Don¡¯t believe anymore that flesh and blood or mental willpower can withstand missiles and cannons.¡¯ ¡®The last war saw the Jieke Group victorious mainly because their sneak attacks destroyed Chan Country Army and Japan¡¯s air superiority. This time, they¡¯re not so lucky. Truly, those who control the skies rule the world.¡¯ Online, there was widespread pessimism about the predicament of the Jieke Group, with Chan Country Government and Japan possessing air superiority and various long-range firepower, essentially steamrolling the Jieke Group. ... Ji State, Jiwei City. This city with a population of over a million has recently faced numerous disasters. Not long ago, it was repeatedly contested by the Jieke Group and the Chan Country Government, suffering severe wartime trauma. During the half a month since the war began, the city has experienced several rounds of aerial bombardment. Many civilian facilities in the city were destroyed, and nearby military bases were subjected to the most brutal attacks. Simply because Jiwei City is the provincial capital of Ji State, too close to the border with the Chan Country Government, and not far from the Ruo Kai Mountains. To prevent Jiwei City from becoming a logistics base for the Jieke Group, it was naturally targeted repeatedly. From appearances, Jiwei City was a scene of extreme desolation, with collapsed buildings everywhere and abandoned cars strewn along the roadsides. The city was almost devoid of people; everyone had gone to air raid shelters to escape the bombings. The military base of the Jieke Group nearby was almost razed to the ground, with not a single building left intact. From appearances, Jiwei City had lost its qualifications as a war supply base. However, things sometimes are not as simple as they appear on the surface. Right beneath Jiwei City, there was an entirely different world underground. ¡°Train B23 is about to arrive. Get the materials ready.¡± In the brightly-lit depths underground, there was a base sprawling tens of meters wide and ten meters high, with no visible end, featuring four railway tracks in the middle, concrete asphalt roads on both sides, and various internal buildings located there. Soldiers dressed in green military uniforms were busy loading and unloading goods, and heavy trucks continuously flowed on those concrete roads. No one could imagine that deep underground in Jiwei City, behind thick granite, there lay such a massive, unknown underground base. The base covered an enormous area, equipped with independent energy and communication systems. Not only could it resist floods and earthquakes, but it was also divided into a command center, power station, hospital, ammunition depot, food warehouse, kitchen, and even a small factory capable of manufacturing and repairing some weapons and equipment. On the walls, large letters read ¡°Underground Base No. 5,¡± indicating that there were at least four other bases like this. With a long whistle, a train clattered loudly and slowly stopped at the platform. Thousands of soldiers disembarked from the train, each carrying a backpack, slung rifles, and various light and heavy weapons. They gathered here as reserves, to rest and recuperate, ready to be deployed in support of the front lines at a moment¡¯s notice. Once off the train, the logistics of the underground base provided them with hot food and showers with water drawn from an underground river, ensuring no shortage of water. Thousands of soldiers in this vast underground base were not cramped at all. As the soldiers dispersed, they were quickly accommodated. Then logistics personnel operated forklifts to load crates of military ammo onto the train. Once everything was ready, the train slowly started moving again, heading towards the next station. ¡°Form up, form up.¡± Suddenly, the underground base¡¯s commander seemed to receive some news and hurriedly ordered the soldiers to form up at the platform. On the concrete road, a convoy drove in. When the convoy stopped, those who got out were all elite soldiers with fierce demeanors and chilling gazes. A man and a woman got out of the vehicle, and the nearby soldiers immediately stood at attention and saluted. ¡°General Su, good day.¡± The visitors inspecting were none other than Su Jie and Liu Yingying. Su Jie waved his hand and smiled, ¡°Good day to you all, you¡¯ve been working hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble to serve General Su.¡± Chapter 396: 276: Offense and Defense Chapter 396: Chapter 276: Offense and Defense The entire Twin Peaks had become a chaotic jumble, with bullets and bombshells flying everywhere. Artillery units from Japan, located in the distance, had trouble hitting their targets. The machine guns and cannons from Jieke Group were deeply buried within concave trenches, and their howitzers had difficulty hitting those hiding in the recesses due to the high angle of fire. They could only bombard the upper layers of the mountain at random, unable to effectively kill Jieke Group soldiers hidden deep in the trenches. At the waist of the Twin Peaks, which had been bombarded for the past week, the exposed bare rock wall was filled with a dense array of hidden fire points. Jieke Security Soldiers opened the shooting windows, lifted the camouflaged rocks and scorched earth on the outside, and extended their deadly machine guns out of the windows to inflict heavy casualties on the ascending Japanese Soldiers. ... Farthert away, armored vehicles and tanks tried to come up, but the mountain paths were not easily traversable by these steel beasts, which could only withstand Jieke Group¡¯s heavy bombardment on one hand and support the mountain with various machine guns and cannons on the other. Unfortunately, these cumbersome behemoths did not escape the punishment from Jieke Group. Various anti-tank missiles flew down from the mountain, and the steel behemoths struggling to move on the mountain paths were like prey pierced by hunter¡¯s spears, with many being destroyed on the path, further blocking the passage of vehicles behind them. Only infantry could execute flexible operations on the Twin Peaks, but all infantry were pinned down on the mountain, unable to raise their heads to counterattack. For a time, under machine-gun fire and attacks from a variety of light and heavy weapons, the scene was littered with corpses. Countless Japanese Soldiers and Chan Country Government Army troops could only hide in shell holes, under slopes, and behind rocks, shivering with fear. Even so, they still faced covert assassinations by Jieke Group Super Soldiers and precise bombardment by heavy artillery, unable to organize an effective counterattack. Coming out into open sight only led to a quicker death. ¡°What¡¯s going on, why didn¡¯t we realize that all Jieke Group soldiers were hiding underground?¡± Commander Saito Fumihiko, who directed this joint force to attack Twin Peaks, was furious as he watched his soldiers being slaughtered en masse, his heart bleeding. ¡°Preliminary intelligence didn¡¯t detect it; the enemy built a complicated network of tunnels inside the Twin Peaks. How did they manage to complete such a project in such a short period, and our massive bombardment failed to reveal it.¡± The military staff by his side held binoculars, his face extremely grave. They had underestimated Jieke Group¡¯s stubborn resistance, having originally thought Jieke Group would abandon Twin Peaks. Before ascending Twin Peaks, they had used drones, satellites, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, and even infrared thermal imagers, all which indicated that there was no life left on Twin Peaks and that the entire mountain was bombed into burnt land. This military staff couldn¡¯t figure it out; in reality, Thousand-Handed Centipede had worked diligently on Twin Peaks, digging out various tunnels and making targeted camouflage on the outside. At the same time, the soldiers were wearing Tianyuan Protective Clothing; when infrared thermal imagers detected the Tianyuan Protective Clothing, it would be isolated by the clothing, ensuring that not a bit of human body heat would leak out. ¡°Call for air support; change ammunition at the rear airfields, bring in drilling bombs and Thermo-baric Bombs.¡± Saito Fumihiko issued orders, watching the infantry trapped on Twin Peaks with nowhere to go, seeking air support to break through the stalemate. The speed of the fighter jets was fast, and with jets already on standby in the sky, after the infantry burst out their coordinates, guided bombs were used for precise bombing. Amidst the whistling of the jets, from the belly and the wings, little black dots fell down, landing on Twin Peaks. In an instant, soil and rocks flew chaotically on Twin Peaks; guided bombs blew deep craters, but were unable to pose a real threat to the deep tunnels. After the explosion¡¯s tremors and ringing in the ears had faded, gunfire pierced through the gunsmoke to rise again. However, when the aircraft carrying Thermo-baric Bombs and heavy drilling bombs arrived over Twin Peaks from the rear airfield, the situation finally changed. A Thermo-baric Bomb dropped from the sky into the tunnels, and upon explosion, burst like a magnificent firework, instantly releasing a massive amount of heat, forming a high-temperature, high-pressure fireball, with a center temperature exceeding two thousand degrees. Jieke Security Soldiers inside the tunnels were directly torn apart by the impact of the Thermo-baric Bomb, and the expanding fireball continued to rush deep into Twin Peaks through the tunnels. ¡°Close the fire valves.¡± The Commander yelled, as a Super Soldier rushed forward, pulled down the protective cap of a valve, and the fire valve closed swiftly. Whoosh! The fireball accompanied by the overpressure hit the fire valve, causing it to shake violently. Fortunately, it was robust enough, and the soldiers inside finally breathed a sigh of relief, watching with lingering fear the destruction caused by the Thermo-baric Bomb. The Thermo-baric Bomb¡¯s lethality was 100% higher in enclosed spaces like rooms, underground caverns, and rock caves than in open spaces, especially against soft targets. Many soldiers in the tunnels, even if they escaped the flames and shockwave, would suffer burns to their respiratory tracts, resulting in combat casualties. Besides Thermo-baric Bombs, heavy drilling bombs were also falling. The drilling bombs were like huge nails, penetrating straight through thick layers of earth. After a delay of several seconds, one could see the nearby ground suddenly shake, and from the exposed shooting windows and ventilation channels, thick clouds of dust were ejected. At the location where the drilling bombs fell, hundreds of tons of mud and rocks were lifted, forming a towering column of mud tens of meters high, a sight to behold. Chapter 397: 276: Offense and Defense_2 Chapter 397: Chapter 276: Offense and Defense_2 Drilling bombs were able to penetrate several tens of meters of soil and reinforced concrete, and their explosive power when coupled underground was far more destructive than a simple surface explosion. Many Jieke soldiers were shaken to death alive underground by the explosions, which were massive human killers, and even Super Soldiers had no chance of survival when faced with them. To counter the Jieke Group, the Eight Nation Group prepared a large number of thermo-baric bombs and drilling bombs. Facing the solid defenses of Twin Peaks, they threw them down without regard for friendly fire errors at times. ¡°Reduce the number of outward-facing shooting windows, activate closed-loop independent defenses for each tunnel, and adopt guerrilla tactics when firing. Do not stay in one tunnel all the time.¡± Atop Twin Peaks, Li Yuqi calmly issued orders, changing the tactical approach. At this time, under the pressure of thermo-baric bombs and drilling bombs, many helicopters, including transport and rescue helicopters, arrived and descended to rescue the Japanese soldiers trapped in Twin Peaks without a way to retreat. ... Although helicopters were occasionally destroyed by anti-tank missiles, many soldiers from Chan Country and Japan were rescued because of this. After Li Yuqi¡¯s orders were implemented, on Twin Peaks, the firepower of the Jieke Group began to wane. Many hidden fire points no longer had heavy machine guns continuously sweeping, which greatly alleviated the pressure on the Japanese and Chan Country government army. Facing the continuous bombing of thermo-baric bombs and drilling bombs outside, alloy fireproof, shockproof, and explosion-proof doors began to fall in the complex tunnels of Twin Peaks, making each tunnel independently sealed. This way, even if a tunnel was hit by a thermo-baric bomb or drilling bomb, the flames and shockwaves would not travel through the tunnel, killing soldiers in connected tunnels. On Twin Peaks, most of the heavy machine guns and artillery were pulled back, leaving only a portion for mobile combat. The machine gunners in the tunnels absolutely did not fire for more than half a minute, and would move immediately after emptying a magazine. The artillery would immediately retreat after firing a round. Though the firepower of the Jieke Group had considerably weakened, the casualty rate had significantly dropped, and many dropped thermo-baric bombs and drilling bombs only managed to explode in empty tunnels. The battle then reached a deadlock, with the Jieke Group voluntarily retracting their claws and stubbornly defending their position at Twin Peaks with solid defenses. While the Chan Country government army and Japanese soldiers relied on various heavy weapons for suppression, they had no other solutions. The infantry was still taking casualties. They lacked tunnel protection and flexible movement, ultimately forcing them to slowly retreat to the foot of the mountain. This process lasted several hours until the sky darkened, and only then did they reluctantly leave behind a mountain full of corpses and disheartenedly withdraw from the outskirts of Twin Peaks. Afterward, through count, on this day on Twin Peaks, the number of dead, injured, and missing from Chan Country and Japanese soldiers reached a staggering nine thousand, a tremendously heavy loss. Out of a retaliatory mindset, in the following days, the Chan Country government army and Japanese soldiers, undeterred, continued to bombard Twin Peaks with a massive amount of ammunition, but Jieke Security just holed up inside Twin Peaks. Even heavy drilling bombs could not reach hundreds of meters inside the mountain, making it absolutely safe for Jieke Security soldiers to stay there. Seeing that the bombing was ineffective, Japanese soldiers began to launch fire attacks on Twin Peaks using artillery and air forces. Napalm bombs were thrown onto Twin Peaks, the fires burning throughout the night, in an attempt to suffocate and kill the Jieke Security soldiers inside. However, Jieke Group had long anticipated this. Inside, they had independent energy supplies and oxygen generators, as well as equipment for radiation and gas protection. Water and food were also stored enough for half a year¡¯s use, and the ammunition depot was located in the deepest part of Twin Peaks, storing enough ammunition to last until all of Jieke soldiers¡¯ weapons were worn out. After both bombing and fire attacks proved ineffective, Japan tried to send elite special forces to sneak into Twin Peaks¡¯ tunnels, hoping to open a passage and then send infantry to take over. ... Within the deep tunnels. An elite combat unit from Japan, also known as the ¡®Self-Defense Dragon¡¯, under the cover of fighter jets and helicopters, sneaked into an abandoned tunnel deep in the night. They planned to occupy several tunnels, just like ancient soldiers who first scaled the city walls, establishing a foothold for the troops behind them. By then, infantry and armored vehicles alike could continuously infiltrate the interiors through the tunnels. Rather than being continuously swept by heavy machine-gun fire and bombarded by artillery shells during the ascent of Twin Peaks like before. ¡°Don¡¯t make any noise, be quiet, and try to use knives and silenced pistols if you encounter anyone.¡± The commander of this special forces unit, Captain Xiaolin Yanping, didn¡¯t speak but conveyed his commands through military hand signals. This special operations company also remained silent. As Japan¡¯s first special forces unit established twenty years ago, they had been trained by Beautiful Country¡¯s Delta Force and endured devilish training, making their tactical level quite impressive. At that moment inside the tunnel, hundreds of special forces were orderly, covering and alerting each other, alternating passage through the underground tunnels without any verbal communication, using only battlefield¡¯s silent military hand signals for tactical communication, transmitting messages to one another like a single entity, making the entire infiltration process exceedingly smooth. ¡°Why is there no one here?¡± After advancing several hundred meters, Xiaolin Yanping sketched a map on simple paper, including the path they took and the various branches they encountered along the way. Logically speaking, the quality of Jieke Group¡¯s soldiers should not allow for such relaxed vigilance. It was unusual that there were no guards or sentries for hundreds of meters. Furthermore, many of the alloy doors along the way were left open, not shut, making their progress remarkably smooth. As Xiaolin Yanping was thinking this, suddenly, several noises came from the back of the formation. The Japanese special forces soldier equipped with a low-light night vision goggle looked back and couldn¡¯t help crying out, ¡°Why is the alloy door behind us closed?¡± Xiaolin Yanping¡¯s expression changed dramatically. Not caring it might alert the enemy, he shouted, ¡°No good, we¡¯ve entered a trap; the enemy intentionally let us in.¡± He had wondered why it had been so smooth. His tracks must have been exposed to Jieke Security¡¯s eyes long ago; the enemy intended to let them deep into the underground tunnels to trap them like rats. As if to confirm his suspicion, the next second, heavy footsteps were coming from the front. Several alloy-armored First-class Super Soldiers, carrying various heavy weapons, charged towards them quickly. ¡°Steel Camp soldiers.¡± At the sweep of the low-light night vision, upon clearly seeing the enemy¡¯s appearance, all Japanese soldiers¡¯ legs started to tremble. They couldn¡¯t understand why Jieke Group¡¯s elite of the elite, the Steel Camp¡¯s First-Class Super Soldiers, were here. In the past, such valuable assets were only used by Jieke Group for decisive battles and were not deployed on regular front lines. These Japanese soldiers did not know that First-class Super Soldiers had already been deployed to regular units as elite assault forces. The members of Steel Camp had all been replaced by even more ferocious Genetic Warriors. Before these Japanese special forces could grasp this rationale, the First-class Super Soldiers, with their superior reaction, fired first. Whizz! The sizzling continuous hum of rotation sounded as a First-class Super Soldier with a six-barrel Gatling gun showered bullets like a curtain of rain, instantly turning seven or eight of the Japanese special forces into sieves. The remaining Japanese special forces, terrified, quickly hid in the winding side tunnels to evade the direct fire. ¡°You bastards, let¡¯s heat things up.¡± Amid sneering laughter, another First-class Super Soldier wielding two specially modified flamethrowers unleashed roaring fire dragons. The thousand-degree heat scorched the air, incessantly surging and spreading through the narrow tunnels. Many Japanese special forces, hidden in the bends thinking they had temporarily escaped disaster, were caught off guard and engulfed by the surging flames, igniting into living torches and rolling on the ground in agony. Chapter 398: 277: High Gun at Level, Military Court (Two updates of 8000 characters!) Chapter 398: Chapter 277: High Gun at Level, Military Court (Two updates of 8000 characters!) ¡°Retreat, quick retreat.¡± Xiaolin Yanping looked at his comrade being engulfed in flames and the gradually approaching heavy footsteps, with no intention whatsoever to engage with the First-class Super Soldiers. Although they were Special Soldiers, this time, for concealment and infiltration, they hadn¡¯t brought any heavy firepower weapons. Facing the Heavy Armor of a First-class Super Soldier, they were hardly a match. In fact, they hadn¡¯t anticipated encountering First-class Super Soldiers here; the operational plan had not prepared for this at all. Equally terrified, the Japanese Special Soldiers nodded repeatedly. The initial encounter had already cost them more than a dozen brothers. Steel Camp truly was extremely brutal. A group of Japanese Special Soldiers began to flee, but the inside of Twin Peaks was complex like an ant nest, making their paths intricate and confusing. ... As they ran, they lost track of where they were, caught in a maze-like tunnel system. ¡°Where exactly should we head?¡± Faced with three branching tunnels, the group of Japanese Special Soldiers was at a loss. They had only planned to establish a foothold on the periphery, not venture deep into Twin Peaks. However, reality often didn¡¯t align with their intentions. At this moment, there was no GPS to help navigate them. ¡°First row, third squad; second row, first squad; third row, third squad, each of you go and scout ahead.¡± Xiaolin Yanping took a deep breath, with no choice but to send people to scout ahead. The named Japanese Special Soldiers had stiff expressions, but the culture of hierarchy was very strict in Japan, respecting seniority in both schools and the military, so they dared not object or refuse Xiaolin Yanping¡¯s orders. ¡°May Amaterasu protect us.¡± The soldiers from the first row, third squad entered the left tunnel, navigating through the winding passageways until they suddenly saw a figure standing ahead. The figure was clad in Alloy Armor, holding a samurai sword, smiling at them with his teeth bared, ¡°This weapon, is a trophy I took from killing a Japanese high-ranking officer during the Jibang Battlefield. I heard you Japanese hold Samurai Spirit duels in high regard, today I will join you for some entertainment.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he charged at them with sword in hand. His steps were astonishingly fast, sweeping through like a fierce wind. ¡°Shoot him.¡± ¡°Damn it, dare you to insult our Samurai Spirit, you won¡¯t be spared.¡± ¡°Go to hell, bastard.¡± The Japanese Special Soldiers frantically pulled their triggers, and the bullets clattered against the Alloy Battle Armor, bouncing off. Some soldiers tried to reach for a Rocket Launcher, but the distance was too close, and the Super Soldier didn¡¯t give them a chance. A cold gleam flashed, and a head rolled down, and a rocket fell to the ground, only to be kicked aside. Shush, shush, shush! It was as if he were playing a game of grass-cutting, the samurai sword wielded wildly by the Super Soldier, relying on his fierce strength and speed. A single stroke could dismember, decapitate, sever legs, sever arms, sever at the waist. Where the samurai sword fell, there it would sever. It wasn¡¯t that the samurai sword was super sharp; a samurai sword would hardly cut through bone. It was all done by the sheer brute force of the Super Soldier. The scene was enveloped by wailing, although compared to the lethality of firearms, the effectiveness of cold weapons was much lower. But the scene of a cold weapon challenging a fully armed Special Forces squad, the sight of every strike drawing blood, every punch hitting hard, was still enough to make one¡¯s blood boil, with an elegance and violence that firearms could hardly match. After killing seven, the samurai sword finally couldn¡¯t withstand consecutive strikes and snapped in two. ¡°Pah, a worthless sword, just like your country¡ªnice to look at but useless.¡± The Super Soldier threw aside the broken sword, speaking arrogantly as he grabbed the head of a Japanese Special Soldier and smashed it heavily against a concrete wall, cracking the skull. Thud! Turning around, an elbow strike caved in the chest of another Japanese Special Soldier, displacing and shattering the organs inside his chest cavity. Holding the heavily bleeding Japanese Special Soldier, he swung his foot directly at the last soldier, the collision of two bodies turning into a gruesome, bloodied mess, bones broken, the upper body folded in half, breathing out more than breathing in. For a First-class Super Soldier, whether wielding a cold weapon or not made little difference; his punches and kicks, if they hit, were beyond human endurance. ... The second squad¡¯s first squad entered the right tunnel, and this group of Japanese Special Soldiers quickly noticed a First-class Super Soldier sitting cross-legged, seemingly waiting for them for a long time. ¡°Finally here, been waiting for a while.¡± He stood up, stretching his body, spinning a revolver in his hand lightly laughing, ¡°Does anyone want to have a cowboy duel with me? See who can draw faster.¡± ¡°Run!¡± Instead, these Special Soldiers didn¡¯t want to participate in the Super Soldier¡¯s game, and began to frantically run away. ¡°What a disappointment! If you like running away so much, let¡¯s see who among you can escape from my hands.¡± Bang! The next instant, smoke rose from the muzzle of the revolver, and the bullet penetrated the head of a Japanese Special Soldier. The eyes of the Japanese Special Soldiers filled with immense fear as they ran even faster. The Super Soldier followed them calmly, each shot blasting an enemy¡¯s head. In just ten seconds, ten more corpses lay on the ground. ¡°Still can¡¯t run, huh!¡± Shaking his head, he left this remark behind and continued searching for new prey. ..... The third squad¡¯s third squad of Special Soldiers gripped their guns tightly, feeling their way into the middle tunnel. After moving forward for a while, the winding tunnel suddenly straightened. Chapter 399: 277: High Gun at Level, Military Court (Two updates of 8000 characters!)_2 Chapter 399: Chapter 277: High Gun at Level, Military Court (Two updates of 8000 characters!)_2 ¡°Could it be the exit?¡± A Japanese Special Soldier thought so, believing this straight path would lead to the outside of Twin Peaks. Just as they felt a glimmer of joy, suddenly in the silent darkness, they heard the sound of a turntable rotating. The distance was a bit far, and the power of the night vision devices they carried was insufficient, so they had to risk turning on the flashlight to illuminate and check the source of the sound. But this one look froze the twelve Japanese Special Soldiers in horror. At the end of the straight path, there stood a 25mm caliber high altitude artillery. ... The operative of this artillery was a First-class Super Soldier; he sat behind it, smiling excitedly, continually pushing the horizontal turntable, adjusting the artillery¡¯s elevation angle, and leveling the raised barrel. ¡°Heh heh, they say firing a high gun horizontally is court-martial material, but I haven¡¯t yet tried what it¡¯s like to fire at people with high altitude artillery.¡± This Super Soldier, laughing joyfully, lowered the quadruple high altitude artillery, the dark muzzle aimed at the Japanese Special Soldiers. Meanwhile, his right foot was on the foot pedal trigger. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of the high altitude artillery firing was distinct, like dull thunder tearing through the night sky. This three-meter-long, 1.5-ton artillery, firing at a rate of 700 rounds per minute with each shell traveling at an initial speed exceeding 1000 meters per second and roughly the size of a beer bottle, swept out of the barrel directly. In a flash, the entire tunnel was engulfed by the deafening sound of gunfire, with the length of fire spewed by the barrel close to two meters, lighting up a large area. On the other side, the twelve Japanese Special Soldiers were blasted into fragmented flesh and limbs, with no part left intact. Using artillery meant for armored vehicles and helicopters on people was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito¡ªexcessively powerful, making the scene overwhelmingly bloody and a difficult mess to clean up. ¡°This power, exhilarating.¡± The Super Soldier pushed the artillery forward, wanting to continue shooting at other Japanese Special Soldiers, but was stopped by other Super Soldiers who appeared. ¡°Let us have some fun now.¡± ¡°Exactly, with just a hundred or so people, there¡¯s hardly enough to go around.¡± These First-class Super Soldiers joked because they had been stationed at Twin Peaks and not ordered into battle due to always being on guard there, resting and recuperating. When they got bored, hearing about Japanese Special Soldiers infiltrating, they, like sharks smelling blood, voluntarily requested to Commander Li Yuqi to handle these Japanese Special Soldiers and turned them into toys to amuse themselves during dull moments. In the eyes of these First-class Super Soldiers, the Japanese Special Soldiers daring to infiltrate without heavy weapons were really no different from playthings; they shattered upon contact. Consequently, those Japanese Special Soldiers had a gruesome fate. They completely became lambs to the slaughter within the complex network of tunnels, hunted by these predatory First-class Super Soldiers in diverse and horrific ways. As the number of Japanese Special Soldiers kept reducing, all the surviving Japanese Special Soldiers who ran into a slightly larger space saw seven or eight First-class Super Soldiers converging from every direction. Each Japanese Special Soldier¡¯s pupils dilated in horror. Through their escape, they had realized that these Super Soldiers were merely toying with them. ¡°I surrender. We request to be treated according to international conventions as prisoners of war.¡± Xiaolin Yanping was very decisive, knowing that his group had fallen today, but he still hoped to save his own life. ¡°Sorry, surrender is not allowed for Japan here.¡± The Super Soldiers glanced at each other and simultaneously raised their weapons. Amid screams, they carried out the final cleansing. After one night, all the Special Soldiers who had infiltrated Twin Peaks were left there forever. With this military exploit, the Super Soldier upheld his reputation as the strongest special combat soldier of Blue Star. After the failure of this covert operation, a full ten days had passed. A full 150,000 soldiers of the Chan Country Government Army and Japanese Soldiers were trapped in front of the tiny Twin Peaks, unable to make any progress. The Jieke Security¡¯s Sixth Mountain Division, stationed at Twin Peaks, became famous in a single battle. It stood immovable like an iron tower. Here at Twin Peaks, they achieved a one-man pass, unbreachable by thousands. ... ¡°Twin Peaks, how could you rely solely on one¡¯s own strength to trap a 150,000-strong army here?¡± ¡°Japan exaggerates, while the tenacity of the Jieke Group soldiers is truly breathtaking.¡± ¡°Having control of the skies yet performing so poorly, does Japan really understand how to conduct warfare?¡± A flurry of news heatedly emerged, and the great battle at Twin Peaks attracted worldwide attention. Particularly since not long ago, the Japanese Commander Yoshimura Yuichi had declared that most of Jieke Group¡¯s military power had been eliminated, and the Eight Nation Group would completely abolish Jieke Group and liberate East Qin State and Ji State within a month. Yet a small Twin Peaks halted the Chan Country Government Army and 150,000 troops from Japan for a full ten days and nights, leaving them disgraced. Following the news release, derision ensued, and Western media governments couldn¡¯t impose a ban. ¡®Is this what Japan calls a prospect of victory? A 150,000-strong army unable to capture a mountain held by 10,000, how can they brazenly claim to destroy the Jieke Group¡¯s rule within a month? Who gave them the courage to say such things?¡¯ ¡®Boasting is a tradition in Japan. In the past they did it, and they do it now; clearly overestimating their combat capabilities and underestimating the strength of Jieke Group.¡¯ ¡®Jieke Group really knows how to dig! I reckon this Twin Peaks was built to the standards of a nuclear bunker; besieged for so many days and yet as steady as Mount Tai.¡¯ ¡®Jieke Group has nothing left but to act like a turtle shrinking its head. Even if they hold Twin Peaks, what then? The hinterlands of East Qin State and Ji State have been bombed into ruins with no resistance left.¡¯ As long as the Chan Country Government Army and Japanese Soldiers bypass Twin Peaks, they can march directly towards Ji State, to eliminate the evil force of Jieke Group.¡¯ Faced with the daunting situation at Twin Peaks, the real big shots of the Eight Nation Group were very dissatisfied. The Commander of the Twin Peaks campaign, Saito Fumihiko, was dismissed overnight, and the total Commander of Japanese forces in Chan Country, Yoshimura Yuichi, was similarly held accountable. Had it not been for his family¡¯s influence in Japan, he would have ended up just like Saito Fumihiko. ... ¡°Hey... hey! I understand now, just give me another half a month, and I will cross the Ruo Kai Mountains and invade the heartland of Jieke Group.¡± In Yang City, at the Japanese headquarters, Yoshimura Yuichi, drenched in sweat, hung up the phone and sat looking distressed in his chair. Just then, he had been scolded vehemently over the phone by the Prime Minister of Japan, who ordered him to immediately come up with a solution for the situation in Chan Country. If he couldn¡¯t penetrate into East Qin State and Ji State under Jieke Group¡¯s control soon, he would have to resign and face military court back home. ¡°Order down, execute Plan Three, and initiate Operation Oasis.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi took a few minutes to calm himself, as if making a grave decision, he said to his staff nearby. ¡°General, though we¡¯ve simulated the actions for Operation Oasis and made many thorough preparations, this move still remains exceedingly risky.¡± A staff member voiced opposition. The so-called Operation Oasis was to let the troops cross the Ruo Kai Mountains, not proceeding along the Sin Fan Avenue. Since ancient times, large armies have avoided complex primeval forest environments. The reason of ¡®enter not the woods¡¯ is a proverb in many countries, all the more so since their Japanese Soldiers are not suited to tropical rainforest environments. ¡°Now this is our only option. Who knows when we¡¯ll be able to crack open Twin Peaks, this iron turtle? We don¡¯t have that much time.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi looked coldly at the staff member. He of course knew the operation was dangerous, but not quickly getting forces into Jieke Group-controlled territory would essentially end his career. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go do it.¡± Seeing Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s dangerous expression, a group of staff had no choice but to grit their teeth and proceed with implementing Operation Oasis. Chapter 400: 278: Action Chapter 400: Chapter 278: Action February 2nd, the Chan Country Government Army and Japan¡¯s joint forces began to change their offensive route. Part of the troops remained to continue the siege around Twin Peaks, while more than one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers began to bypass Twin Peaks. Twin Peaks was guarded by Jieke Group, whose artillery could easily cover a radius of several tens of kilometers. Forced by circumstances, the joint forces of Japan and Chan Country had to make a wide detour to avoid artillery bombardment and threats to their logistics from Twin Peaks. Moving a large army through the primitive forest was an extremely complex and dangerous task. Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s operation ¡°Oasis¡± planned to advance along the Sidan River, which flows from the Ruo Kai Mountains. ... After circumventing Twin Peaks, the troops would make a wide loop and return to Sin Fan Avenue behind Twin Peaks. Otherwise, the armored units could not pass through the forest, and in Ji State¡¯s vast plains environment, operating without armored units would be a tremendous disadvantage. The Sidan River, flowing from west to south, originates within Ji State, cuts through the Ruo Kai Mountains, and spans over six hundred kilometers with a watershed area of 59,000 square kilometers. Due to its many twists and turns, the large drop of water level, and rapid flow including various waterfalls, the river is unnavigable. Before the actual departure of the large army, satellites, reconnaissance planes, and helicopters had already surveyed a detailed route. And by taking advantage of airlifting via helicopters, they had established up to dozens of supply depots and outposts along the Sidan River. This not only provided logistics support to the troops en route but also enabled early reconnaissance of nearby areas to prevent ambushes from the dense forest. Once everything was ready, the army brought along a group of local hunters with extensive experience to act as guides and began to advance along the Sidan River. The massive army of tens of thousands did not move en masse but set off in batches, led by the engineers. One by one, specialized heavy engineering vehicles began to build bridges and roads, knocking down one towering tree after another. Or they simply blasted away obstructions with explosives; at this time, nobody concerned themselves with environmental protection issues. Although many vehicles were incapacitated by the harsh environment of the virgin forest, thanks to air superiority, the allied forces had Beautiful Country¡¯s support, which urgently supplied a large number of Chinook helicopters from global military bases. This twin-rotor helicopter had an impressive lift capacity, with records of airlifting six 105mm M120 howitzers in one go. These Chinook transport helicopters flew back and forth over the Ruo Kai Mountains every day, lifting immobilized engineering vehicles and then airlifting more from the rear to the forest. This domineering logistics support capability was enough to astound most countries in the world. To expedite progress, the Chan Country Government coerced a large number of laborers from the local area to assist the engineers. With this method, the advancement was naturally not fast, only progressing about ten or more kilometers each day, but it was steady. Otherwise, if the entire army really had to pass through the Ruo Kai Mountains, with all the high mountains, large rivers, and dense jungles, the non-combat casualties would have been unpredictable. This was not a small-scale guerrilla force that could run amok in the forest, but an army of tens of thousands. Especially considering the combat advantage of Super Soldiers in the forest, the staff of the allied forces was not idle; they made great efforts to prevent such a situation from happening. Meanwhile, the Chan Country Government mobilized another fifty thousand soldiers from the rear. It could be said that to deal with the Jieke Group, the Chan Country Government Army had gathered more than half of its forces. These fifty thousand soldiers, serving as reserves, surrounded Twin Peaks completely. Now Twin Peaks was like a nail that needed to be securely monitored; if the Jieke Group soldiers inside were to break out and occupy the painstakingly cleared forest path, Their entry into the forest with tens of thousands of troops would result in their route being cut off, a terrifying outcome to consider. Therefore, fifty thousand troops surrounded Twin Peaks, hoping to avoid any accidents. As time went by, the flames of war within Chan Country seemed to subside, with only engineers clearing the paths every day, and even the fighter jets unable to find any worthy targets for bombing, aimlessly flying over the Ruo Kai Mountains to protect the passage of the troops below. This road construction effort continued for nearly half a month. With the hard work of a large number of engineers and laborers, the road cleared through the virgin forest finally connected with Sin Fan Avenue behind Twin Peaks, avoiding the artillery range of Twin Peaks. This also meant that armored units could pass through here to enter Sin Fan Avenue and enter Ji State territory, while infantry could also use it to advance quickly. ... ¡°We¡¯ve successfully bypassed Twin Peaks.¡± In Yang City, the capital of Chan Country, inside the Japan command center, Upon receiving this news, Yoshimura Yuichi finally breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that nothing had gone awry. ¡°We are very lucky; almost immediately after we succeeded in clearing the path, the Ruo Kai Mountains began to have several days of heavy rain. If we were any slower, we couldn¡¯t have managed the construction in the downpour,¡± said an aide-de-camp with a smile, evidently relieved. ¡°Did the Jieke Group make any response?¡± Yoshimura Yuichi inquired, as several staff officers shook their heads. ¡°No, there¡¯s been no large-scale military movement from the Jieke Group, just some scattered soldiers,¡± they responded. Heh, it seems they can¡¯t muster much force anymore. Twin Peaks is their last stand. Once the large army reaches Ji State, what remains will be like sweeping up fallen leaves,¡± Yoshimura Yuichi mused, nodding with satisfaction before giving his order, ¡°Send the command down. Order the Ninth Mechanized Brigade, the Fifth Armored Brigade, and the Eighth Infantry Division to pass through the Ruo Kai Mountains ahead of the rest and establish a stable foothold and base of operations in Ji State territory. The rest of the army will follow and march with me into Ji State to completely annihilate Jieke Group¡¯s rule.¡± Chapter 401: 278: Action_2 Chapter 401: Chapter 278: Action_2 ¡°Hi!¡± Several staff members started to move to arrange their tasks. Yoshimura Yuichi took out a phone from his pocket and called the Beautiful Country¡¯s CIA, ¡°This is Yoshimura Yuichi, please be ready to execute the Sandwich Cookie Plan.¡± ¡°My people are urging those warlords to mobilize. As long as there are no hitches on your side, don¡¯t exaggerate the achievements at Twin Peaks again.¡± On the other line was Judith, the Deputy Director of the CIA, who was now fully in charge of the affairs related to Jieke Group. Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s face darkened, but he could not retort since he had indeed lost face at Twin Peaks, having boasted too soon. ... ¡°Twin Peaks is different; we have now successfully circumvented this nail. Jieke Group cannot stop our advance, and their doom is imminent.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi was very confident, with hundreds of thousands of troops able to cross the Ruo Kai Mountains ¡ª this natural barrier ¡ª how could the almost destroyed military force of Jieke Group withstand his massive army. Even Super Soldiers couldn¡¯t manage it; heavy weapons could blast them into nothingness. Moreover, the Sandwich Cookie Plan he had just mentioned meant that when he attacked Ji State, the allied forces of the warlords from the northern border of Chan Country would also march south, attacking the core of Jieke Group in East Qin State. This would put Jieke Group in a pincer movement, giving them no chance to struggle or resist. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Jieke Group, be careful of their backup plans.¡± Judith, hearing Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s arrogant tone, warned him with unmistakable displeasure. He had dealt with Jieke Group a lot and was very aware of their cunning and ruthlessness. Who knows how many CIA members had died at their hands; any underestimation of their force would cost dearly. ¡°As for the Super Soldiers, I will be cautious. Our fighter jets, missiles, and tanks are all waiting for their do-or-die charge. Then, I will film it and let you appreciate their dying struggles,¡± Yoshimura Yuichi said confidently, indicating that he could handle it. ¡°General Yoshimura, please don¡¯t start celebrating with champagne before achieving final victory,¡± Judith¡¯s voice on the phone was already laced with dissatisfaction, almost as if she was about to scold Yoshimura Yuichi outright. ¡°I was merely stating facts. Director Judith, you are worrying too much. Wait for my good news,¡± Yoshimura Yuichi did not want to listen to Judith, mainly because he also did not dare to lash out at her. ¡°Once Jieke Group is annihilated, I really must see this Su Jie, to find out if he really has three heads and six arms that frightened the Deputy Director of the CIA of Beautiful Country into a coward.¡± Snorting in derision, Yoshimura Yuichi found Judith¡¯s timidity amusing. Meanwhile, far across the ocean, Judith put down the phone with a look of helplessness. Although he was the Deputy Director of the CIA of Beautiful Country in charge of intelligence, he wasn¡¯t actually responsible for waging wars; moreover, he knew the Eight Nation Group no longer wanted to delay and was eager to resolve the Jieke Group issue. Many influential people had been frightened by Jieke Group¡¯s tactical ploys, fearing that their opponents might desperately lash out. Getting rid of Jieke Group sooner would let them rest easy and enjoy the benefits after swallowing Jieke Group. ...... In the end, the Eight Nation Group also agreed to Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s action plan. The Ninth Mechanized Brigade, the Fifth Armored Brigade, and the Eighth Infantry Division set out first, paving their way along the Sidan River into Sin Fan Avenue. They traveled hundreds of kilometers, with a smooth arrival of thirty thousand soldiers inside Ji State¡¯s territory. This process was almost unobstructed, further convincing Yoshimura Yuichi that Jieke Group¡¯s military force was significantly depleted. Otherwise, how could the Ninth Mechanized Brigade, the Fifth Armored Brigade, and the Eighth Infantry Division have entered Ji State so smoothly? Given the presence of numerous armored units and the advantage of having air superiority in the plains of Ji State, the advantage was indeed immense. If he were Jieke Group¡¯s commander, he would certainly have instructed his soldiers to act as guerrillas, entering the forest to disrupt this unit¡¯s advance. Because the complex environment of the Ruo Kai Mountains was suitable to limit this armor-centric troop, facing them on the plains would only be asking for trouble. It was precisely Jieke Group¡¯s inactive response that allowed Yoshimura Yuichi to truly relax. He immediately sent the following army of one hundred thousand soldiers along the Sidan River, magnificently marching into the Ruo Kai Mountains, heading toward the territory of Ji State. ... Ji State! Beneath Jiwei City, Base Number Five underground. A train pulled into the station, and with a long whistle, the doors opened, and a batch of distinct soldiers disembarked. This group of soldiers was small, only over a hundred strong. But accompanying these soldiers were logistics personnel numbering over five hundred. Underground base soldiers who were training and patrolling curiously looked on, only to see this batch of soldiers donned in light blue coats that looked similar to their Tianyuan Protective Clothing in style, yet the material seemed quite different. On these soldiers¡¯ shoulders, there perched chubby worms with six pairs of wings clinging to their bodies, seemingly in a deep slumber. What¡¯s more crucial was, these people carried an air of iciness, their gazes fierce. A mere look from them was enough to send a chill through many soldiers, making it feel as if they were encountering a natural predator. ¡°It¡¯s the Steel Camp, there¡¯s someone I¡¯ve seen before; he is from the Steel Camp.¡± Some soldier said this, and immediately, the atmosphere became very lively. In the military, strength was respected. Just as ordinary people idolized celebrities, in Jieke Group, Steel Camp was the star every Jieke Security Soldiers idolized. Since its formation, this unit had always been Jieke Group¡¯s most mysterious and strongest core force, having carried out countless important missions, and with a completion rate of 100%, it was the world¡¯s strongest single soldier unit that countless soldiers adored and aspired to, far surpassing any other country¡¯s special forces. ¡°Looks like they have become fiercer than before.¡± ¡°These are soldiers from the Steel Camp? It¡¯s my first time seeing them with my own eyes.¡± ¡°If only I could join, I wonder what the requirements are to get into Steel Camp.¡± More and more soldiers gathered, not much different from fans at a celebrity event. ¡°Everyone, suit up.¡± Miao Lun was accustomed to such scenes, as he used to be surrounded by people when visiting brother units for guidance. Under Miao Lun¡¯s order, logistics soldiers operated cranes to lift large iron boxes from the cargo section of the train, rapidly unfolding them on all sides. Click! Click! Click! Inside the opened boxes were suites of Biological Armor, as batches of Nutritional Spirit Liquid were pumped in, causing the flesh inside to writh and merge together, while the exterior alloy metal received a forest camouflage paint, forming Steel Mechas standing three meters tall. One by one, Steel Camp soldiers stepped forward, fitting their bodies into the Biological Armors, whose rear parts grew close again, making them appear seamlessly integrated. The logistics soldiers brought various weapons¡ªrocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, flamethrowers, Gatlins, anti-material sniper rifles, high-caliber anti-aircraft machines, along with a large amount of ammunition¡ªfitting them into the Biological Armors, making them appear bulkier yet with the various weapons mounted, they looked even more imposing and intimidating. The nearby soldiers¡¯ mouths gradually formed an O shape, feeling their hearts wildly beating, the excitement and instinctive fear in their hearts made them feel as if they were mere plants facing a storm, ready to be torn apart at any moment. ¡°Get on the trucks.¡± Without lingering, Miao Lun led his subordinates to board the trucks that had been waiting there. Base Number Five was closest to the front lines at the Ruo Kai Mountains, and they were to travel through an underground tunnel, eventually making their direct landing on the Ruo Kai Mountains. The heavy trucks carrying Steel Camp disappeared, but this was not the end. Over the next few days, Base Number Five became especially busy, with trains loaded with soldiers and supplies arriving here, and tens of thousands of soldiers heading to the front lines from this place. The war machine of Jieke Group had finally started to operate in earnest. Chapter 402: 279: Mountain Collapse (Two updates of 8000 characters!) Chapter 402: Chapter 279: Mountain Collapse (Two updates of 8000 characters!) Ruo Kai Mountains. The incessant drizzle resolutely fell, making the freshly constructed dirt road along the Sidan River as soft as a cake from several days of rainfall. Pop! Kudou Yuuki exerted all his strength to pull his left foot out of the thick mud. But he applied too much force, lost his balance, pitched forward, and fell face-first into the mud, covering himself with it. ¡°Haha! Kudou, you idiot.¡± ... ¡°If only I had my phone, I¡¯d have captured this ridiculous look of yours.¡± ¡°You must be really hungry, Kudou, wanting to even eat the mud.¡± His comrades couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the sight. ¡°Ptui ptui ptui, this cursed road, cursed forest, cursed country.¡± Kudou Yuuki spat out the mud from his mouth with a crestfallen look and helplessly watched the team slowly trudging through the mud. They were the last unit to march out, belonging to the 7th Division of the Japan Self Defense Force, numbering eight thousand. They embarked during an unfortunate torrential downpour. A few days earlier, the first wave of troops, numbering over a hundred thousand, had reportedly reached less than sixty miles from Ji State. But their own rear unit was still stuck on the muddy roads of the Sidan River, wrestling knee and ankle-deep in mud. As for the accompanying supply vehicles, they had long succumbed to the thick mud, the tires merely spinning in the muck, unable to move forward or even secure themselves. Now all they could do was tote their rucksacks, wear raincoats, carry a few days¡¯ worth of food and tents, and trudge on painstakingly by foot. ¡°Once we pass Scorpion Cloud Mountain, there is a supply station not too far ahead where we can rest and have some hot food.¡± The voice of the platoon leader came through the radio, sparking excitement though their pace remained slow. Two hours later, they finally reached Scorpion Cloud Mountain. The peaks of Scorpion Cloud Mountain were high, with a gorge at its base that could be traversed, looking from above like a scorpion¡¯s tail, hence the name. The eight thousand troops made a long line through the gorge. ¡°Soon, we¡¯ll have hot meals, hot dishes; I can¡¯t stand those cold rations anymore.¡± Kudou Yuuki complained as he massaged his aching legs, now faintly seeing the supply station at the gorge¡¯s exit. This was built via helicopter transport, capable of providing hot meals. Due to the stranded supply vehicles, it had been two days since he last had a hot meal. Imagining delicious sushi, miso soup, tonkotsu ramen, beef dishes, and more, saliva unconsciously dribbled from his mouth. ¡°Wind!¡± Perhaps from missing the food too much, he seemed to hallucinate, hearing a chilling voice. ¡°Where is that sound coming from?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s speaking? I don¡¯t see a loudspeaker nearby!¡± ¡°Weird, my communication device seems to be out of service.¡± The long line of troops moving through the gorge turned their heads around in surprise. Kudou Yuuki then realized that it wasn¡¯t a hallucination; someone actually was speaking, and the voice could be heard by thousands in the troop. ¡°Is this loud voice due to the echo from the gorge?¡± Kudou Yuuki was mulling over it, not sure if it was his own delusion, he felt the winds growing stronger. ¡°Rain!¡± The voice spoke again, this time Kudou Yuuki could hear clearly, it seemed to come from the high parts of Scorpion Cloud Mountain. He grabbed the binoculars hanging around his neck and looked towards Scorpion Cloud Mountain. He faintly observed a prominent rock platform on the mountain peak, where a sacrificial table was set up, and a man stood there, but the rain impaired his visibility, making it difficult to see clearly. The rain intensified, big drops driven sideways by the fierce wind, stinging the face. It seemed like a celestial river linked the heavens, the rain merging into sheets, completely obscuring the man Kudou Yuuki had spotted through his binoculars just moments before. ¡°Mountain!¡± The voice continued, a strange pressure and panic unsettling Kudou Yuuki. It was like the despair felt by a small animal facing a natural disaster, knowing it was impossible to fight back. Gurgle! Kudou Yuuki heard a loud noise; the ground beneath his feet trembled slightly, mud splashing in ripples, a foul smell entered his nostrils, the water level in the ditches drastically reduced, and loose stones and debris fell from both sides of the gorge. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be, it couldn¡¯t be...¡± Kudou Yuuki¡¯s face turned pale. Japan, being an island country situated on a seismic belt, was prone to frequent natural disasters, and at that moment, he felt a premonition of impending disaster. Not just Kudou Yuuki, many among the thousands in the Japan Self Defense Force were feeling the same panic and unrest. Above Scorpion Cloud Mountain, Su Jie coldly watched the confused Japanese troops below, a cold smile hooking at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Your country has always been plagued by natural disasters; such a customary hometown death suits you well. I am indeed too merciful.¡± At that moment, Su Jie had an Array Plate in front of him, his Primordial Spirit merging with the foundation of Scorpion Cloud Mountain. His Primordial Spirit, having grown multiple times, was now over a meter tall. Especially since the bond of the Dual Soul Contract with Ghost Bride Han Ruyan gave Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit the power to summon a hint of Heavenly Might. At this moment, Su Jie intended to unleash the pent-up Heavenly Might of Scorpion Cloud Mountain through his Primordial Spirit and Array Map. ¡°Collapse!¡± Seeing the opportunity was ripe, Su Jie cast a spell, triggered the Formation, and stirred the inherent Heavenly Might of Scorpion Cloud Mountain itself. Chapter 403: 279: Mountain Collapse (Two updates of 8000 words!)_2 Chapter 403: Chapter 279: Mountain Collapse (Two updates of 8000 words!)_2 The next moment, the numerous soft soil and rocks beneath Su Jie¡¯s feet began to slowly slide away. In the canyon, Kudou Yuuki¡¯s eyes widened. Because he saw the slope of Scorpion Cloud Mountain, where trees and vegetation were moving rapidly, and the sound of thunderous rumbling reached his ears. The entire Scorpion Cloud Mountain, as if shedding its outer layer, countless rocks mixed with trees, cascaded down like great rivers from the heights. A catastrophic landslide, unprecedented in history, was rushing towards the canyon. ¡°Landslide, it¡¯s a landslide.¡± ... Screams and cries of despair were incessant; all Japanese soldiers, both officers and enlisted men, had lost their composure. Facing the rolling torrent of the landslide, all their weapons were laughably toy-like in its presence. Unstoppable, unresistable, their only option was to flee, to escape the reach of the landslide. Kudou Yuuki at the front of the group, stretched his legs and ran frantically with a fierce expression, trying to break out of this valley of death. Nearby, many soldiers like Kudou Yuuki discarded all semblance of decency and respect. Forget about camaraderie; many were clawing and even shooting at those blocking the way ahead, desperate only to leave the canyon doomed to be submerged. ¡°I can live, I must live.¡± Kudou Yuuki, seeing the exit was near, excitement of surviving the ordeal flashed across his face. But his smile hadn¡¯t lasted a second when his head struck something as solid as steel, causing his head to burst open and bleed. Many Japanese soldiers experienced the same thing; inexplicably, a translucent barrier had appeared in what seemed like empty air, stopping them as if they had hit an iron wall. ¡°What is this? Why can¡¯t we get out?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve hit a ghost.¡± ¡°Fire at it, break it, quickly!¡± A large number of soldiers began shooting and firing rocket launchers, and after a barrage of rocket fire, the barrier held for half a minute before shattering. But time was no longer on their side, as the landslide rolling down from Scorpion Cloud Mountain would not give them another chance. The moment these Japanese soldiers broke through the barrier, the cascading landslide roared into the canyon and spread in all directions. Trapped within the narrow canyon, countless Japanese soldiers could only watch in despair as the natural disaster struck, their bodies crushed and buried by the relentless rocks and soil. ¡°No... please no.¡± Kudou Yuuki sat paralyzed on the ground, watching the tsunami of soil and rocks roaring towards him, his body trembling uncontrollably. But nature would not heed human pleas, mercilessly swallowing his body, burying him under millions of tons of earth and stone. Under the interference of the Secret Realm by Su Jie, the landslide of Scorpion Cloud Mountain intensified, not only completely flooding the canyon. The overflowing landslide rolled down both sides, engulfing both the supply station and the Japanese soldiers outside who hadn¡¯t yet entered the canyon, leaving no chance to escape. All around Scorpion Cloud Mountain was covered with rolling earth and stone, as though a child had poured cement into an anthill, completely submerging and solidifying it. Facing Mother Nature¡¯s Heavenly Might, the Seventh Division of Japan was no different from ants. Eight thousand Japanese soldiers became sacrificial offerings to this landslide disaster. Quietly observing all this, Su Jie shook his head with emotion, ¡°Nature is heartless, people have feelings. Well, I can¡¯t bear to see you become wandering ghosts, better to settle down in my Ten Thousand Soul Banner.¡± At his feet, a Ten Thousand Soul Banner fluttered in the wind, absorbing a myriad of human souls. Even in death, their souls manipulated by Su Jie¡ªif these Japanese soldiers knew this beneath the earth, they would certainly wish to tear him limb from limb. Of course, with their souls enslaved, they naturally could not be aware even in death, since they had been refined into Yin Souls for the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. ¡°The true might of Heavenly Might, is terrifying to such an extent.¡± Su Jie admired his own handiwork, knowing that only those in the Taoist Platform Realm could begin to harness the power of Heavenly Might, and even then, not extensively. Su Jie¡¯s current Primordial Spirit could only manage some small-scale rainmaking, creating minor earthquakes, or stirring up a low-intensity tornado storm with a very limited area of effect. The massive mudslide that occurred on Scorpion Cloud Mountain this time was because the Ruo Kai Mountains had been experiencing days of heavy rain, making the soil and rocks of Scorpion Cloud Mountain soft and vulnerable, and a major mudslide was imminent anyway. Su Jie merely used the Array Map and his Primordial Spirit to go with the flow, controlling the timing of the mudslide¡¯s occurrence and maximizing its destructive power, using nature¡¯s force to wipe out eight thousand men of Japan¡¯s Seventh Division. When the mudslide slowed down as it reached the plains, gradually losing its kinetic energy and stopping, Su Jie put away the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and several Array Maps, satisfied, ¡°Although it cost quite a few Spirit Stones, the result is good. Who says that to block the retreat of an army of over a hundred thousand, one must act at Twin Peaks? Nature will help me do just that.¡± The terrain near Scorpion Cloud Mountain was completely transformed. The painstakingly constructed roads by the engineers were destroyed, and an overwhelming mass of earth and rocks collapsed, completely blocking the strategic passageway and sealing off the retreat of the Chan Country and Japanese armies, numbering over a hundred thousand, into the Ruo Kai Mountains. ¡°Next, it¡¯s time to trap and eliminate them properly.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes were sharp as ice, he left a soft laugh behind and turned to leave the area. .... ¡°What did you say, the entire Seventh Division has been annihilated?¡± In the Japanese command center, Yoshimura Yuichi stared blankly at the frontline report, his head buzzing. The staff officer beside him wore a complex expression, with indescribable sorrow and grief, and said solemnly, ¡°The news has been confirmed. Our Seventh Division encountered a massive mudslide on Scorpion Cloud Mountain. This is a photo taken by the satellites. Search and rescue helicopters and aid teams have already rushed there, but no survivors have been found yet.¡± ¡°Damn it, how could we be so unlucky to encounter a natural disaster like this.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi could hardly contain his rage, feeling as if bad luck had been following him ever since he came to Chan Country, hardly encountering a single good thing. ¡°The news has already begun to spread to the outside world. The Prime Minister might demand accountability.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with me? I can¡¯t predict such natural disasters,¡± replied Yoshimura Yuichi, but he knew very well that regardless of the reasons, he, as the overall commander, couldn¡¯t escape responsibility. ¡°General, there¡¯s another issue. The landslide on Scorpion Cloud Mountain was very severe, causing the road we constructed by the Sidan River to be temporarily cut off. Should we consider having the troops in the Ruo Kai Mountains hold their position or retreat first, waiting to reopen the transportation before advancing?¡± suggested the staff officer. The logistical needs of an army of over a hundred thousand are immense; without restoring the supply lines, the large army could be in grave danger. Hearing the staff officer¡¯s suggestion, Yoshimura Yuichi refused without a second thought. ¡°No, this is a race against time. Our troops are about to reach Ji State, and the supplies carried by the army are sufficient for ten to fifteen days of warfare. Furthermore, the Jieke Group hardly has any resistance left. As long as we can urgently repair the roads within half a month, everything will not be an issue,¡± said Yoshimura Yuichi firmly. What a joke; he was already on shaky ground due to the setbacks at Twin Peaks, and his position was at risk. The losses caused by the mudslide at Scorpion Cloud Mountain might be something he considered unrelated to himself, but that might not be the internal consensus within his own Country. For him not to be relieved of his post, he needed to quickly achieve results to wash away the stains on his reputation, to show his strength to the homeland. In such a situation, only the advancement of the ground forces into Ji State and seizing territory could accomplish this. On the other hand, if the army stayed idle, his dismissal would be all but guaranteed. The Prime Minister may not understand military strategy, but would certainly know how to deal with an inefficient officer who shied away from battle and showed fear. ¡°Issue my order. The troops will continue to advance, passing through the Ruo Kai Mountains as quickly as possible, while I mobilize all available forces, contact the Chan Country Government, and urgently clear the congestion on Scorpion Cloud Mountain to restore traffic. Speed is essential in warfare. We must take advantage of the Jieke Group¡¯s heavy losses and their incapability to mobilize troops on a large scale to annihilate them outright,¡± commanded Yoshimura Yuichi, believing that in the face of risk, there¡¯s a chance for great rewards. In his view, the Jieke Group no longer had much combat power, and he wouldn¡¯t scare himself over an accidental natural disaster, thus giving the Jieke Group a chance to catch their breath. Chapter 404 03-25 - 280: Steel Camp Strikes (First Update) Chapter 404: Chapter 280: Steel Camp Strikes (First Update) Sin Fan Avenue, an army was marching. Tanks and armored vehicles rumbled over the broken road, flanked by a large number of soldiers on foot, followed by many heavy trucks loaded with logistic supplies. Sin Fan Avenue was just a simple paved dirt road that became increasingly battered under the crush of these steel behemoths, especially with the relentless downpour. Even though most of their armor primarily used tracks, passing through the muddy road was exceedingly difficult, with astonishingly high breakdown rates, and a non-negligible number got stuck. This troop belonged to a mixed force of Chan Country and Japan, with a total strength of over fifteen thousand, including an armored regiment, a mechanized brigade, an artillery regiment, and two infantry regiments. They were the closest to Ji State among the hundreds of thousands of troops marching through the Ruo Kai Mountains. ... At this moment, there was only eighty kilometers left to Ji State. Aboard a command vehicle, Isaka Yuusuke sat with a map spread out in front of him. The map showed the marching routes for Ji State and the Ruo Kai Mountains, along with the topography of the area. ¡°Tell the troops to speed up, strive to get out of the Ruo Kai Mountains by tomorrow afternoon and reach the territory of Ji State,¡± he said. Isaka Yuusuke looked out at the pouring rain, and the message from the rear command post about Scorpion Cloud Mountain¡¯s collapse causing traffic disruption filled him with a sense of unease. Modern warfare¡¯s consumption of ammunition was enormous; not to mention those steel beasts in his own force, the daily fuel consumption alone reached astronomical figures, necessitating comprehensive logistical support. Pushing open the door of the command vehicle, Isaka Yuusuke stepped out. Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï He watched as yet another tank got stuck in a mud pit, while logistics personnel and engineers were struggling to lay down broken stones and timbers below it, trying to provide the treads some traction on the slippery mud. Two hundred meters away, a heavy truck lay overturned, its load of canned food strewn all over the ground. Further ahead, engineers were reinforcing and repairing a bridge because the heavy rain had caused the river to swell and the currents to become too treacherous to cross without reinforcement. Situations like these occurred now and then. Although the initial part of the march went smoothly, the latter half had become a torture as the incessant rain caused the entire expedition to struggle, sometimes with the armored units making less progress in a day than the infantry could. The tropical rainforest of Chan Country in the Ruo Kai Mountains, combined with torrential rain and nonexistent infrastructure, was any armored unit¡¯s nightmare. A mere few dozen kilometers, which a normal armored unit could cross in a matter of two to three hours. However, within the Ruo Kai Mountains, this became a test of both the physical strength and mental will of the soldiers, requiring a whole day to get through. Add to that the humid and sweltering air in the forest after the downpour, and not only were the local Chan Country Soldiers worn to exhaustion, but so were the Japanese Soldiers who were experiencing this ordeal for the first time, leaving the entire troop bereft of spirit. ¡°The meteorology department says the thunderstorms will continue for the next week,¡± a staff officer reported to Isaka Yuusuke, holding an umbrella for him. ¡°This damned weather, luckily we only have the last eighty kilometers left. We¡¯re about to escape this mire of Hell, but it¡¯s tough on the brother units behind us,¡± Isaka Yuusuke shook his head. When war broke out, you couldn¡¯t choose the weather. You couldn¡¯t simply opt out of fighting because of bad weather, and the rear command post hadn¡¯t given them the order to stop and rest where they were. ¡°Tell the brothers to put in extra effort. Once we¡¯re through the Ruo Kai Mountains, we¡¯ll finally be able to relax,¡± he said. ¡°Aye!¡± ..... While this mixed force of Japan and Chan Country endured a difficult march along Sin Fan Avenue, they were unaware that a formidable opponent had already set their sights on them. Within the lush, primeval jungle on both sides of Sin Fan Avenue, Steel Camp Genetic Soldiers wearing Biological Armor were scattered and laying in ambush. The rain pattered against the Biological Armor without quenching their ardent, warlike hearts. A desire for combat surged within them. Miao Lun picked up the walkie-talkie and said indifferently, ¡°Artillery Unit, confirm the enemy¡¯s position again and decide for yourselves when to open fire.¡± ¡°Szz... Captain, I... no... problem.¡± ¡°Captain... the enemy have... entered our ambush... position, ready to open fire whenever.¡± A few seconds later, some distorted and noisy sounds came through the walkie-talkie. The dense vegetation of the jungle greatly reduced the range of sensors and communication equipment. On top of that, due to the storm, the thick, wet foliage severely weakened the radio signals. In the rainforest, at certain locations, Miao Lun¡¯s ¡°Artillery Unit¡± was not the traditional kind of artillery. They were all Steel Camp Soldiers, each carrying a specially made 120mm caliber heavy mortar on their back in addition to conventional weapons. Typically, such a heavy mortar, weighing about two hundred kilograms, would require several strong soldiers to carry it and generally took a team of four or five to operate. For long-distance movement, they would be mounted on wheels, with jeeps or armored personnel carriers usually towing them for mobility. But these Genetic Soldiers¡¯ mortars were different, perfectly mounted on the back of the soldiers, as if integrated with their Biological Armor. Wu Wo was the commander of this artillery unit, in charge of more than twenty gunners. The entire Steel Camp numbered over a hundred and twenty personnel. Typically, three soldiers formed a combat squad, three squads and a squad leader made up a platoon, three platoons made up a company, and the Steel Camp consisted of four such companies. Genetic Soldiers, depending on which insect genes they had fused with, varied in how they used their weapons. Chapter 405 03-25 - 280: Steel Camp Strikes (First Update)_2 Chapter 405: Chapter 280: Steel Camp Strikes (First Update)_2 It seemed like the artillery unit commanded by Wu Wo from Steel Camp was the best at firing guns. Other Genetic Warriors were not incapable of shooting, it was mainly that they did not have the same accuracy. Besides firing guns, they were equally adept at wielding various weapons in medium to close combat, almost every Genetic Warrior was versatile. Over twenty artillerymen had already released their Eye Worms, utilizing a flight radius of three and a half kilometers and an altitude of one thousand meters, they could observe targets within fifteen kilometers. One by one, the Eye Worms flew into the sky, the palm-sized creatures hardly noticeable as they shared visual data directly with the Genetic Warriors¡¯ minds, calculating various distances, altitudes, and numbers. It was like a personal information terminal, with no potential for the loss or distortion of intelligence during transmission. ... ¡°One and a half minutes of covering fire.¡± Seeing the opportunity, with the enemy all within the ambush zone, Wu Wo decisively gave the order. The scattered artillerymen of Steel Camp received the firing information from their radios and began crouching down. Click! Wu Wo himself also squatted down, slightly lowering his head, a 120mm mortar barrel protruding from his neck while ammunition boxes were piled in front of him. Usually, deploying a traditional heavy mortar required building a launch position, setting up the mortar, and manual targeting, which took about half an hour. But Wu Wo had skipped all these steps, his body serving as both the mounting and the base. Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? He grabbed a mortar round with one hand, and directly shoved it into the barrel behind him. The 18-kilogram shell slid down the barrel under gravity, colliding with the firing pin, triggering the primer. The air was blasted upward from the barrel, the recoil transferring to his body. Wu Wo quaked from the force; under such conditions, a normal person¡¯s internal organs and bones would have shattered, but protected by Biological Armor and his modified physique, he endured the impact and vibrations. In milliseconds, the high-velocity rounds with a maximum range of eight kilometers swiftly exited the barrel, curving as they fell toward the enemy on Sin Fan Avenue. Boom! The shell exploded off the side of the road, sending a horrific shock wave and shrapnel flying, shredding bodies within several meters and leaving behind a huge crater. The nearby soldiers from Japan and Chan Country collapsed in masses, many of those further away were pierced through by shrapnel, clutching their wounds and screaming in agony. Even those who were lucky enough not to get injured felt their blood churn and organs ache from the massive explosion. This 120mm heavy mortar packed enormous power, deadly within a radius of 25 meters, and likely to cause injuries within 50 meters; even standing over a hundred meters away was no guarantee of safety. ¡°Who is firing the guns?¡± Isaka Yuusuke, startled by the explosion, stayed clear-headed and issued combat commands through his command vehicle. ¡°We¡¯re facing an ambush, infantry must immediately find cover, anti-artillery radar to track enemy movements, deploy reconnaissance drones, contact land and air forces, report to headquarters.¡± But Isaka Yuusuke had underestimated the intensity of the attack; his orders had just been relayed when a torrent of shells continually hammered down, causing chaos in the advancing troops. ¡°Feels great! I¡¯m gonna blast these motherfuckers hard.¡± Wu Wo¡¯s face was lit with excitement, his hands alternating swiftly. The moment his left hand loaded a mortar round into the barrel and fired it off, while smoke still lingered at the muzzle, his right hand had already smoothly loaded another shell into the barrel, with no unnecessary or spare motions in between. One could only see Wu Wo¡¯s hands moving so fast they seemed to blur, firing the 120mm mortar at an incredible rate. In just one minute, no less than thirty shells had been fired, creating a continuous series of blasts without pause. For comparison, a 120mm vehicle-mounted mortar with an advanced fire control and automatic ammunition loading system only had a firing rate of about ten rounds per minute. As for traditional heavy mortars operated manually, their sustained firing rate was even slower, generally only six or seven rounds per minute. The reason being that humans tire, have limited physical strength, and their actions aren¡¯t as fast, precise, or consistent as a machine¡¯s. However, in front of the Genetic Warriors of Steel Camp, they managed to fire at a terrifying rate far surpassing that of vehicle-mounted heavy mortars. Thirty rounds per minute, a rate typical of 60mm light mortars, was exhibited instead on 120mm heavy mortars, skillfully manipulated by the Genetic Warriors. Leveraging their extraordinary strength, speed, and reflexes, Wu Wo¡¯s movements were not only fast but also stable. Each recoil had already caused him to leave two deep indentations in the ground, and with each shell fired, his body shook. Yet, he could perfectly adapt, subtly adjusting his body after each bombardment to ensure the mortar¡¯s aim remained steady. He also continuously monitored the effects of the bombardments through the airborne Eye Worms. When the enemy began to retreat and seek cover, he would readjust the mortar¡¯s aim effortlessly with slight movements of his body, completing the realignment in less than a second. For other traditional mortars, soldiers needed to calculate the firing elements themselves, using a triangular mount turntable and elevation mechanism to adjust the mortar tube¡¯s angle¡ª a complicated and time-consuming process that could delay combat opportunities. But Wu Wo could do it effortlessly with a single bodily adjustment. Like Wu Wo, over twenty Genetic Warriors serving as artillerymen each had an average firing rate exceeding thirty rounds per minute. The group of over twenty, their mortar barrels roaring incessantly like furious beasts, fired six to seven hundred shells down on Sin Fan Avenue in one minute. This terrifying volume of fire, especially from large 120mm caliber shells, caused extremely horrifying casualties. Under the covering fire, Sin Fan Avenue was now filled with cries of agony. Boom! A shell landed in a densely crowded area, blasting a two-meter deep crater and scattering the body parts of over a dozen soldiers who perished instantly, leaving no survivors. Various limbs and organs mixed with the flying scorched earth, coloring the ground a dark red. An armored vehicle driving in was hit by the mortar, which had a relatively low muzzle velocity and subsonic shell speed, resulting in poor armor-penetration capability. But this was a direct hit with a heavy 120mm shell. The shell struck directly from above, rendering the armored vehicle totally wrecked, and none of the crew inside survived; they all died instantly. A tank was also hit on the roof. Although the shell did not penetrate the armor, it destroyed the external equipment of the tank, causing onboard systems to fail, and all the crew inside were stunned. Several mortar shells followed, one of which fortuitously hit the engine compartment at the back of the turret, causing the engine to catch fire. The crew inside, stunned from the impact, couldn¡¯t respond and perished confusedly in the burning tank. Rumble! An ammunition transport vehicle got stuck in a mud pit, becoming a target for the artillery. When hit by a mortar shell, accompanied by a massive fireball, soldiers in the vicinity were caught in the explosion and died in the subsequent massive ammunition detonation. In just one and a half minutes of sustained bombardment, thousands of shells fell, turning Sin Fan Avenue into a meat grinder. Countless soldiers trembled in the explosive roars, their bodies torn apart while the ground was stained red with blood and organ fragments. Suffering severe casualties due to the focus on densely packed infantrymen, at least several thousand lay dead in pools of blood. Although the mortar shells they had brought were considerably depleted, the results were undoubtedly very satisfying. After one and a half minutes of intense covering fire, Wu Wo immediately ordered, ¡°Everyone conduct mobile artillery strikes, don¡¯t get blown up.¡± Having said that, Wu Wo picked up the ammunition box at his feet and swiftly changed positions. The enemy¡¯s counterattack was imminent, as observed through the Eye Worms. Scarcely ten seconds after he left, a self-propelled howitzer fired in retaliation. A fifty-kilogram shell fell near his former position; had he been there, he would have been blasted along with his Biological Armor. Wu Wo had run several hundred meters away, so this shell no longer posed a threat to him. Ordinary mortars, even vehicle-mounted ones, simply couldn¡¯t shift positions like this. In a forest environment, speeds weren¡¯t feasible, only Genetic Warriors could carry hundreds of kilograms of mortars and ammunition and still move swiftly. Chapter 406 03-25 - 281: Sky Hunting (Two updates of 8000 words!) Chapter 406: Chapter 281: Sky Hunting (Two updates of 8000 words!) The action paused as Wu Wo locked onto the coordinates of the self-propelled howitzer using the Eye Worm. After confirming it was within range, he crouched down, opened the ammunition box, and stuffed shells into the barrel. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three shells fired off rapidly, and Wu Wo picked up the ammunition box and ran again. Because the enemy¡¯s counter-artillery radar had locked onto his firing position again, other artillery shells came hurling towards him. Not just from self-propelled howitzers, but also rocket artillery and even missiles were flying in; there was no choice but to run. Three mortar shells fell, and that self-propelled howitzer was also on the move. ... This self-propelled howitzer was lucky; the mortars did not hit it, but because it was moving erratically, its front wheel got stuck in a mud pit, and it ground to a halt. ¡°Trying to outgun me?¡± Seeing this, Wu Wo couldn¡¯t help but laugh and decisively crouched down again to fire. This time the three rapid shots were successful; one mortar shell hit the target, directly destroying the self-propelled howitzer. This thing wasn¡¯t a tank; it couldn¡¯t defend against the 120mm mortar bombardment. The twenty-plus artillerymen continued to wield their influence, pushing their mobility advantage to the limit. Stop and shoot, shoot and run, and the dense forest environment allowed them to move like elusive assassins, completely confounding the Japanese and Chan Country soldiers. Source: , updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.?¦Ï The twenty-plus artillerymen lacked the previous fierce rapid fire, yet Japan was utterly unable to cope. Because their counterattacks simply could not hit the agile Steel Camp artillerymen, instead, their armor and artillery appeared clumsy in the forest, sinking deep into the mud and struggling to move. Armored vehicles and tanks were unable to push through the primeval forest but buzzed around aimlessly like headless flies, unsure of what to do. Rocket artillery, self-propelled howitzers, towed artillery, close-range missile launchers, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, armored vehicles, and tanks were all targeted by Steel Camp¡¯s artillerymen. At this moment, these armored and firepower units could only crowd together on Sin Fan Avenue as the Steel Camp artillerymen deliberately left the dirt road pitted and uneven, making it even harder for these heavy steel beasts to maneuver. Unit after unit, weighing tens of tons, could only passively receive hits, unable to lock onto the hit-and-run Steel Camp artillerymen. Once they had fired all the shells they carried, Steel Camp artillerymen quickly located ammunition depots nearby that they had previously stocked, resupplying and continuing their bombardment. Others might conduct guerrilla warfare with rifles, but here at Steel Camp, guerrilla warfare was carried out with 120mm heavy mortars, and the effect was remarkably significant. The slow-reacting armor units and artillery were left dazed and confused by the mortar blasts. They couldn¡¯t understand how the enemy¡¯s artillerymen could move so fast in the dense forest and why they couldn¡¯t destroy them. However, high-altitude satellites couldn¡¯t clearly see the ground in the forest; they were blocked by the lush branches and leaves of the towering trees. Low-flying drones had just taken off, attempting to guide their artillery fire when they were disrupted by signal jammers. Moreover, the severe signal attenuation inherent to forests was not conducive for drones, which fell one by one shortly after taking off. This also led to the Chan Country and Japanese soldiers still not having discovered the true appearance of their adversaries. It can be said that with just over twenty cannons, the Steel Camp¡¯s artillerymen had nearly caused the collapse of the combined Japanese and Chan Country army of tens of thousands. A large number of infantry were killed or wounded, and their firepower units were destroyed one after another, with the battle almost entirely one-sided. However, modern warfare is three-dimensional, encompassing not only the ground but also the participation of air combat aircraft, especially the side controlling the skies. Steel Camp¡¯s artillerymen were bombing vigorously, having nearly wiped out the armored and firepower units of this army of over ten thousand, inflicting casualties on three to four thousand soldiers. But at that moment, fighter jets and helicopters soared overhead. These were planes on their routine armed patrol; upon receiving the news, they quickly came to support. Although a downpour was unleashing its fury, modern military aircraft could generally operate all-weather, whether at night or during a thunderstorm, without affecting their operational readiness. Wu Wo didn¡¯t continue his brash actions; the jets roared overhead at high speeds, and even a sweep of their machine guns could penetrate the Biological Armor, causing them to temper their boldness. ¡°Our fighters, our jets have arrived.¡± ¡°Salvation at last, bring down the enemy artillery to avenge our fallen comrades.¡± ¡°Counterattack, warriors of Japan, follow me and seek out the enemy¡¯s artillery!¡± On Sin Fan Avenue, the morale of the previously near-collapsing Japanese troops skyrocketed instantly, and they howled with fervor. Miao Lun, watching the combat aircraft above Sky Dome, picked up the radio and said, ¡°Prepare the air defense missiles, drive them away.¡± On several hilltops, disguised vehicle-mounted radars powered up, and the radars began to sweep and lock onto the combat aircraft. Accompanying the radar vehicles, air defense missile vehicles erected themselves, and six to seven-meter-long air defense missiles ignited at the tail and soared into the sky. The infrared imaging tracking system activated, locking onto the heat of the aircraft¡¯s exhaust, rapidly closing the distance to the planes. These air defense missiles, purchased from Mao Bear Country, had not been used for urban defense because they were hard to sustain against the deep pockets of the Eight Nation Group. They were reserved for use in decisive battles like this one. For example, deployed here were two air defense missile battalions, not to mention the guidance radar vehicles and low-altitude search radar vehicles, but also as many as twenty-four air defense missile launch vehicles. ¡°Missile incoming!¡± Chapter 407 03-25 - 281: Sky Hunting (Two updates of 8000 words!)_2 Chapter 407: Chapter 281: Sky Hunting (Two updates of 8000 words!)_2 The fighter pilots who came to support turned pale. Used to dominating the skies over the Jieke Group, and almost forgetting the threat of air defense missiles, they were now rudely reminded by the Jieke Group. Flares were continuously ejected, as jets began evasive maneuvers in a desperate attempt to dodge air defense missiles. Some were successful, either by deceiving the missiles with flares or by skillfully maneuvering away from them. But there were just as many failures; once locked on by the Jieke Group¡¯s air defense missiles, they would accelerate and reach speeds several times that of sound, far exceeding that of the fighter jets, and head straight for them. They didn¡¯t need to make physical contact; as they came within a certain range, sensing the fighter, the radio-proximity fuze would trigger, causing the missile to detonate in mid-air, sending shockwaves and shrapnel flying with the blast designed to take out fighter jets. ... A jet, just within a few dozen meters¡¯ radius, would be within its lethal range. Modern fighter jets were precision machines, packed with delicate instruments; even minor damage could render them uncontrollable, or even cause them to lose balance and crash. Some fighters had half a wing blown off by an air defense missile, tumbling through the air like birds with broken wings. Other pilots were pierced by shrapnel from the missiles, dying in their cockpits ¨C their uncontrolled planes crashing into the earth, bursting into immense fireballs. While attacking the fighter jets, the missile launchers and radar vehicles were similarly under attack; some launchers were destroyed. Fortunately, the number of air defense missile units far exceeded the number of fighters, constantly threatening the jets in the sky dome. After losing five or six jets, the remaining few had no choice but to flee the battle zone. Buzzing! Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? In addition to the fighters, there were also helicopters from the aviation units coming to provide support. While the fighters were engaged in battle, Miao Lun, using his Eye Worms, locked onto an armed helicopter and moved swiftly through the forest on foot. He lay in ambush ahead of the incoming helicopter and raised a 14.5 mm anti-aircraft machine gun. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! As the armed helicopter approached, Miao Lun decisively pulled the trigger, his gun hitting the chopper repeatedly. Though armed helicopters were armored, Miao Lun¡¯s incredible reflexes and strength as a Genetic Warrior made for a steady aim. Armor-piercing incendiary bullets with pointed tips, boat tails, and steel cores, filled with incendiary material, bit into the helicopter, bashing its tail rotor ¨C the helicopter¡¯s most vulnerable part to shreds. ¡°BW-78 is unstable, we need to make an emergency landing,¡± the two pilots in the armed helicopter, sweating profusely, cried out to alert their comrades. With the tail rotor¡¯s destruction, the helicopter¡¯s sideways thrust vanished, unbalancing the craft, causing the body to vibrate intensely and the nose to veer automatically, inducing a rolling motion. If this were an open plain, the helicopter might have had a slim chance of a successful emergency landing. But in the dense jungle, the helicopter struck a tree during its descent, twisting and breaking up into pieces ¨C wrecking it into scrap metal, leaving no chance for the pilots to survive. Miao Lun wasn¡¯t the only one hunting helicopters; another Genetic Warrior climbed a sturdy tree and, as a helicopter flew nearby, he shouldered a 105 mm caliber rocket launcher and fired ¨C hitting the helicopter¡¯s belly and sending it plummeting to the ground in a trail of black smoke. Still another Genetic Warrior launched a Single Soldier Anti-Tank Missile from his shoulder, blasting a hovering armed helicopter out of the sky. The Genetic Warriors were in their element in the forest; the helicopters¡¯ sighting equipment struggled to lock onto them through the dense tree canopies, and their thermal imaging sensors were blocked by the Tianyuan Protective Clothing. On the other hand, their bulky targets and loud noise made them sitting ducks, not to mention the Genetic Warriors had Eye Worms for reconnaissance support. After more than a dozen helicopters crashed, like the fighter jets before them, they beat a hasty retreat, dampening the spirits of the Japan Soldiers that had just begun to rise, driving them deeper into despair. With the departure of air support, the Steel Camp artillery resumed its assault; the dull roar of the cannons filled the air as the earth was blasted apart and bodies were torn to shreds. ¡°Retreat, everyone into the forest. The armored units will attempt a breakout and carve us a path of escape,¡± Isaka Yuusuke, seeing the situation, could only order all troops to retreat into the forest rather than remain on Sin Fan Avenue to be bombarded. ¡°The prey has entered the forest,¡± Miao Lun, spotting this through the Eye Worms, let a bloodthirsty smile cross his lips after a long absence. ¡°Artillery units keep bombarding, coordinate with the fourth platoon to handle the armored units; the rest, follow me to hunt the prey, finish off these fellows before the enemy¡¯s next air support arrives,¡± Miao Lun said. Shadows flickered in the forest as Steel Camp Soldiers began to move from all directions toward the Japan Soldiers who sought shelter from the shelling. Miao Lun stepped forth, his biological armor¡¯s broad, duck-like webbed feet providing powerful traction. Inheriting the strength of the Long Spear Demon Beetle and the speed of the Wind Feather Jumping Worm, Miao Lun leaped over ten meters at a time through the mud, barely hindered. Locking onto the position of an infantry battalion through Eye Worms, Miao Lun approached rapidly, the anti-aircraft gun in his right hand ready. The dense foliage and bushes concealed him well, and Miao Lun trod lightly. Until he was within fifty meters, nobody noticed his approach. Chapter 408 03-25 - 281: Sky Hunting (Two updates of 8000 words!)_3 Chapter 408: Chapter 281: Sky Hunting (Two updates of 8000 words!)_3 ¡°What is that?¡± A Japanese Soldier looked on in terror as he came face to face with a three-meter-tall metallic mecha, its surface painted with camouflage. Bang! The next moment, the Japanese Soldier¡¯s body was cut in half by machine-gun fire. ¡°Scum of Japan, long time no see,¡± Miao Lun said, his eyes brimming with murderous intent as he stared at the startled infantry camp. There was not a trace of fear on his face as he charged in. Bang Bang Bang! ... The 14.5 millimeter bullets that could penetrate armored vehicles ripped through human bodies, dismembering limbs, blowing up heads, breaking arms and legs, and shattering chests. This time, Miao Lun unleashed himself, letting the bullets fly almost non-stop. The two thousand rounds of machine-gun ammunition carried by his biological armor meant he no longer had to conserve ammo like before, limiting his firepower. With a muzzle energy of 30,000 Joules and weighing 200 grams, the 14.5 millimeter machine-gun bullets, combined with Miao Lun¡¯s increasingly powerful physique, especially the sensory enhancement from the Purple Light Bat, made almost every shot hit its target. He had just made his appearance when dozens of Japanese Soldiers, caught off guard, were instantly killed by Miao Lun. ¡°What the hell is this thing?¡± ¡°Damn it, shoot, shoot, shoot!¡± Source: , updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã¦Ï By the time the Japanese Soldiers reacted, countless bullets were sprayed at him. Even though Miao Lun could run at speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour, he couldn¡¯t dodge the barrage of bullets. Not that Miao Lun was planning to dodge, for the rifle bullets that hit his biological armor were simply deflected. ¡°Are you trying to tickle me?¡± Miao Lun kept returning fire with his anti-aircraft machine gun, and it didn¡¯t take long for the Japanese Soldiers to realize what kind of opponent they were facing. They had heard of the notorious reputation of the Steel Camp and had undergone special training and preparations for this. ¡°Shit, the bullets can¡¯t penetrate ¨C it¡¯s those freaks from Steel Camp. Bring out the heavy weapons!¡± In the roar of a Japanese officer, a Barrett Anti-Material Sniper Rifle was set up, while a 12.7 millimeter Browning heavy machine gun with a bullet chain aimed at Miao Lun. Rocket launchers, recoilless rifles, anti-tank rifles, and anti-tank missiles were among the weaponry capable of penetrating armor, all were taken up by the infantry to deal with Miao Lun. Bang! An armor-piercing incendiary bullet fired from a Barrett Sniper Rifle hit Miao Lun in the chest, and the bullet, capable of penetrating over twenty millimeters of steel plate, failed to completely penetrate the biological armor. After piercing the outer layer of alloy metal scale armor, the bullet was firmly trapped inside by the layer of flesh of the biological armor. This layer of flesh had properties like high-strength special rubber. When the bullet hit, it was like hitting the solid bulletproof wheels of an armored wheel vehicle, unable to penetrate through. Bang Bang Bang! The 12.7 millimeter caliber Browning heavy machine gun fired, its dense rain of bullets striking the biological armor, which also withstood the onslaught. It wasn¡¯t until an armor-piercing bullet from a 14.5 millimeter anti-tank rifle pierced the biological armor that it was truly penetrated, but even then, it was blocked by the exoskeleton secreted by Miao Lun¡¯s body. The Long Spear Demon Beetle genes he inherited were not inferior to the biological armor in terms of defense; the 14.5 millimeter bullets still couldn¡¯t penetrate through two layers of protection. ¡°How is this possible, why can¡¯t we penetrate his armor, why is his battle armor so defensively strong?¡± Witnessing all this, the Japanese Soldiers were dumbfounded. The special training they had undergone based on intelligence suggested that the alloy battle armor worn by the Steel Camp couldn¡¯t possibly withstand 12.7 millimeter bullets. These Japanese Soldiers didn¡¯t know that the Steel Camp had long since undergone an upgrade. The alloy battle armor that could defend against regular rifle bullets had been retired and replaced with biological armor that could withstand the barrage of 12.7 millimeter machine guns. Such powerful equipment greatly enhanced the survivability of the Steel Camp on the battlefield, and it was also the confidence that allowed them to dare to take on a modernized army of more than ten thousand with only a hundred men. Chapter 409 03-25 - 282: The Entire Army is Wiped Out (First Update) Chapter 409: Chapter 282: The Entire Army is Wiped Out (First Update) ¡°With a rocket launcher and anti-tank missiles, no way we can¡¯t break through him.¡± A Japanese officer refused to believe in defeat and called for his soldiers to prepare more heavy firepower. However, Miao Lun was no wooden doll; how could he possibly stand still and let himself be targeted? ¡°Go to hell, monster.¡± Just as a Japanese soldier shouldered a rocket launcher and aimed at Miao Lun, before he could pull the trigger, a bullet from Miao Lun hit him first, blowing his head apart. Hundreds of meters away, another Japanese soldier fired an anti-tank missile, a type specifically designed for tanks and helicopters, with a warhead typically using a shaped charge for maximum armor penetration of about 1400 millimeters. ... It could easily penetrate tank armor, which was not something Miao Lun¡¯s defense and Biological Armor could withstand. But the anti-tank missile was slow to fly, and after its launch, the shooter had to continuously aim at the target with a laser to make the missile track its target, unlike an air defense missile which requires less guidance once fired. Just as the anti-tank missile operator was controlling the missile toward Miao Lun by observing the bright red light at its tail. Miao Lun¡¯s bullet had already smashed the shooter and his laser, and the incoming anti-tank missile, losing its guided aim, crashed into the ground, killing two of its own soldiers. More armor-piercing weapons took aim. This battalion-level unit had more than three hundred people; after conventional firearms proved ineffective against Miao Lun, they relied on rocket launchers, recoilless rifles, and anti-tank missiles to threaten him. Miao Lun was no fool; seeing the response of the Japanese soldiers, he changed his pace and quickly disappeared into the dense forest. The Japanese soldiers holding various armor-piercing weapons looked around bewilderedly, no longer seeing Miao Lun. Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í¨À?.§ã¦Ï ¡°Try sending out drones, contact the reconnaissance satellites.¡± Some soldiers dispatched quadcopter drones, but the area was still within the range of signal interference, so the reconnaissance attempt failed. As for the reconnaissance satellites, they were incapable of penetrating the primal forest to locate a human who wanted to hide his tracks. The greatest value of the jungle in war is to provide unmatched concealment. And modern technology emphasizes first detection, then first strike. Right now, in the vast Ruo Kai Mountains, these Japanese soldiers, armed though they were, became as blind as bats before Miao Lun. At that moment, using both hands and feet, Miao Lun climbed a large tree that required several people to wrap their arms around, where a 14.5 mm anti-aircraft machine gun was mounted. He was three hundred meters away from the Japanese infantry battalion¡ªa distance that would still be within the range of small arms on a plain. But in the forest, it was impossible to see people. Looking around, all one could see were dim tree branches and foliage, intertwining vines like layers of nets, through which even sunlight struggled to penetrate. The Eye Worm released by Miao Lun, with its six pairs of wings as thin as cicada wings, gently fluttered, surveying the situation for several kilometers around and monitoring those still on Sin Fan Avenue. The remaining rocket artillery and mortar, if called by the infantry for a strike, could threaten Miao Lun. But to call a strike, first they had to know Miao Lun¡¯s location. Miao Lun lay down, his heavy anti-aircraft gun aimed forward. Although he couldn¡¯t see anyone, his genes fused with those of the Purple Light Bat allowed him to pinpoint the enemy¡¯s position without using his eyes. Gurgle-gurgle! Inaudible ultrasonic waves emanated from his throat, spreading like ripples. Every object the ultrasonics collided with sent feedback to Miao Lun¡¯s mind, acting like a biological detection radar, replacing the need for eyes. Bang, bang, bang! As he pulled the trigger, a burst of shots sent several 14.5x114mm machine gun rounds flying from the barrel. The anti-air gun, capable of hitting aircraft two kilometers in the sky, demonstrated powerful penetration force, turning its lethal capability in forest warfare. Those trees and bushes blocking the view were pierced together by the bullets. Five Japanese soldiers were carefully advancing when unexpectedly a burst of machine gun fire swept in. Limbs flew, three were instantly killed, one had a massive hole in his waist with intestines spilling out, and another¡¯s legs were severed, holding onto his amputated limbs as he cried out in agony. Miao Lun was completely unmoved, like a cold, merciless killing machine. He slightly adjusted his gun barrel and fired a short burst again. A platoon hadn¡¯t even understood what happened when more than half of them had already fallen in pools of blood. After firing, Miao Lun packed up his gun, jumped to a neighboring large tree, and searched for a better shooting angle, continuously sending 14.5 mm bullets flying, reaping the lives of those Japanese soldiers bit by bit. ¡°Where is the enemy? Where exactly is that Steel Camp soldier?¡± ¡°The bullets are coming from this side, return fire quickly.¡± ¡°No use, can¡¯t see anyone!¡± The Japanese soldiers were driven mad by this form of attack where the enemy was invisible. Many soldiers, regardless of whether they could see or not, blindly fired toward the direction from which the bullets came. Most of the bullets were absorbed by the dense layers of the tropical rainforest, while Miao Lun¡¯s expression remained unchanged, his anti-aircraft gun continuously firing. Those carrying rocket launchers tried to get closer to find Miao Lun, but were killed en route, their rocket launchers falling into the muddy ground. As for anti-tank missiles, when you can¡¯t even see the person, guiding one became even more impossible. Under Miao Lun¡¯s slaughter, the number of soldiers in this Japanese infantry battalion visibly decreased. Especially those armed with various armor-piercing weapons, were almost completely wiped out by Miao Lun. Chapter 410 - 282: The Entire Army is Annihilated (First Update)_2 Chapter 410: Chapter 282: The Entire Army is Annihilated (First Update)_2 Once the enemy posed no threat anymore, Miao Lun finally stopped holding back and charged directly into the crowd, wielding a high-caliber machine gun and slaughtering anyone he encountered. The Japanese soldiers completely collapsed, unable to regroup, and scattered in flight. However, their actions did not save their lives. No matter where the enemy hid, they could hardly escape the detection of biological radar. And Miao Lun¡¯s speed in the forest was something these Japanese soldiers simply couldn¡¯t match. Together with the long-range of the anti-aircraft machine gun, the fight didn¡¯t last long before Miao Lun had nearly wiped out the entire infantry battalion. Scenes similar to this one were not just happening here, but also in synchronization elsewhere. The moment Japan¡¯s troops entered the forest, they became the prey on the chopping board of the Steel Camp. As Miao Lun launched his attack, other Steel Camp soldiers also mobilized in small squads, groups of three attacking the troops of Japan and Chan Country. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Gatling machine guns spit out flames; a Genetic Warrior, each hand holding an M134 Gatling gun, connected to a huge ammunition box on his back through ammo belts, and the 7.62 casings clattered to the ground, deep enough to submerge a person¡¯s lower leg. This model of Gatling gun, with a maximum firing rate of 6000 rounds per minute, had a recoil that didn¡¯t even make his body shake, inheriting the Split Seat Worm genes, he was physically robust and terrifyingly powerful. Across from him, Japanese soldiers were torn apart, the remainder forced to hide behind towering trees or lay trembling in terror in the pits of slopes. Occasionally, someone would try to peek out with a rocket launcher, anti-tank rifle, or anti-tank missile in retaliation, but as soon as they showed their heads, they would burst open. Because just behind the dual-gun Gatling soldier stood a Genetic Warrior with sharp, eagle-like eyes, wearing a multi-barreled sniper-type biological armor, equipped with six semi-automatic sniper rifles that could be simultaneously controlled in different directions through this set of sniper biological armor. This Genetic Warrior inherited the Honey-eyed Worm genes, his eyes now becoming insect-like compound eyes, with a wide field of view that nearly covered the entire area. With his ultra-high dynamic visual response, before the enemy¡¯s hand could pull the trigger, their heads were already blasted open. Even if the enemy used cover or smoke grenades to attack, they were unsuccessful. In front of the two, there was another Genetic Warrior, carrying a modified flame thrower. The biological armor he wore was specially modified, called the Arson Type Biological Armor. Inside, unlike other biological armors that were loaded with ammunition, it was modified to be a fuel repository, storing up to a thousand liters of special fuel, like a heavy-duty Flame Tank capable of spewing flames up to two hundred meters, far surpassing the range of ordinary handheld flame guns by dozens of meters, more fitting to be called a Flamethrower. Ordinary Flamethrower Soldiers couldn¡¯t handle the temperature of such a powerful flamethrower, as they would get scorched, but this Genetic Warrior inherited the Fire Slime Worm genes, feeling no discomfort at high temperatures. Under the control of this Genetic Warrior, the thick Flamethrower continuously spewed out a string of fire snakes, flames roaring and tumbling, engulfing Japanese soldiers who had no place to hide in a blaze of over a thousand degrees Celsius, crying out as they fled from their cover, only to be turned into sieves by the Gatling. The three Genetic Warriors cooperated with each other, their inherited insect gene traits complementing each other well, and the protection and heavy ammunition load provided by the biological armor allowed this squad to run rampant, with three people pressuring hundreds, and swiftly annihilating them. The so-called defense and counterattack of the Japanese soldiers appeared as fragile as castles on the beach in front of these three Genetic Warriors, collapsing at the slightest touch. The only thing the Japanese soldiers could rely on was artillery and air forces, but the artillery units were now struggling to preserve themselves. On Sin Fan Avenue, the armored and fire support units had already been crushed, with tanks and armored vehicles emitting black smoke everywhere, rocket artillery and self-propelled howitzers blown into scrap metal. The thick-skinned tanks were also countered by the Genetic Warriors using anti-tank missiles or making a rapid assault to sneak up and attack the weaker rear armor of the tanks with rocket launchers, killing the crew inside. As for the air force, they had just been repelled; those air defense missiles weren¡¯t just for show. Now only the ground forces could rely on themselves, but how could they withstand the assault of Genetic Warriors wearing biological armor? Hundreds of Genetic Warriors formed dozens of teams, these groups of three, in the primal forests of the Ruo Kai Mountains, contending against tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers, causing a river of blood and a field of corpses. Rather than call it a war, it was more like a massacre. In just half an hour, the battle had already reached its end. ¡°` The remaining soldiers gathered around Isaka Yuusuke, looking fearfully at the Steel Camp Soldiers closing in. ¡°Long live the Emperor.¡± ¡°Banzai.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go down fighting, kill them!¡± Some fanatical Japanese Soldiers, armed with explosives, guns, and rocket launchers, launched a suicidal assault on the Genetic Warriors. But this suicidal act caused no trouble for the Genetic Warriors and was easily wiped out. Isaka Yuusuke didn¡¯t commit seppuku; instead, he pulled out a pistol and stuck the barrel into his mouth. ¡°With monsters like these, my loss is not unjust!¡± Isaka Yuusuke laughed tragically. He hadn¡¯t expected the Jieke Group to gain strength so quickly, that Steel Camp had evolved to this extent, leading to the annihilation of his vanguard here. He no longer had the face to return to his hometown and elders, nor did he wish to become a prisoner. Bang! The trigger of the pistol was pulled, and with the suicide of Isaka Yuusuke, the battle officially came to an end. With only minor casualties, the battle ended in a complete victory for Jieke Group. Ten minutes after the battle ended, a new batch of air support finally arrived, and the fighter jets were even equipped with special anti-radiation bombs to destroy ground air defense missile systems. But they were too late. When they arrived again, there were no friendly troops left at the scene. As for the Steel Camp Soldiers, of course, they couldn¡¯t be seen and hit by their guided bombs. The squadron of warplanes could only circle in the sky for a while. After the reconnaissance plane took photos of the scene, they left with deep reluctance. In the forest thick with the smell of blood, Miao Lun watched the warplanes in the sky leave and slowly lowered his head. ¡°Three brothers dead, six wounded.¡± Miao Lun looked at the bodies, raised his hand to salute, and the Genetic Warriors behind him did the same. There are always accidents on the battlefield; even the powerful Genetic Warriors couldn¡¯t be everywhere, and casualties were inevitable. Fortunately, it was in the forest where they had the advantage of terrain. If it had been on the plains, Steel Camp wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand a steel torrent of tens of thousands of men. ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve wiped out about fifteen thousand of the enemy, including a large number of armored units and long-range fire support. The exact tally will be provided later by the soldiers cleaning the battlefield.¡± ¡°Send a report to headquarters, the second phase of Operation Green Cage is complete,¡± Miao Lun nodded, issuing new orders to the others. ¡°Destroy the roads and bridges on Sin Fan Avenue, and use those blasted armored vehicles and tanks to block the road.¡± Under Miao Lun¡¯s command, the Steel Camp Soldiers began working together, stacking the blasted military vehicles on Sin Fan Avenue to blockade the road, preventing the rear vehicles from passing. At the same time, they destroyed many bridges along the way, leaving the Japanese Soldiers and Chan Country Soldiers in the Ruo Kai Mountains with no way out. Looking out at the vast mountains, Miao Lun¡¯s eyes gradually grew excited, murmuring to himself, ¡°This time, I can finally enjoy a good fight.¡± What they had eliminated was only a vanguard in the Ruo Kai Mountains; tens of thousands of troops from Japan and Chan Country were still marching through the Ruo Kai Mountains. Now, this force was cut off from the rear by mudslides in the Scorpion Cloud Mountain, and blocked up ahead as well, leaving the mighty army of tens of thousands unwittingly trapped within the Ruo Kai Mountains. While Steel Camp was still busy, this attack had already begun to alarm the entire Eight Nation Group. Because it was clear to any perceptive person that the tens of thousands of their own troops in the Ruo Kai Mountains were now surrounded with the danger of being completely wiped out. ¡°` Chapter 411 - 283: Backstab (Two updates of 8000 words!) Chapter 411: Chapter 283: Backstab (Two updates of 8000 words!) ¡°Trapped in an encirclement, an army of 150,000 is besieged in the Ruo Kai Mountains. The Eight Nation Group is in peril.¡± ¡°Sin Fan Avenue, a road of death, where ten thousand allied troops fell, and Jieke Group¡¯s Steel Camp deployed a mysterious force.¡± ¡°Single Soldier Mecha? Just how strong is Jieke Group¡¯s technological capability?¡± ¡°A new military innovation, from Biochemical Soldiers to Single Soldier Mecha, where is humanity¡¯s future headed?¡± ¡°Join us for an in-depth analysis of the civil war situation in Chan Country, who will emerge victorious between the Eight Nation Group and Jieke Group, the two major organizations.¡± After the Steel Camp made its appearance, related news suddenly became rampant. As various countries were watching the war, the deployment of the Steel Camp was naturally detected by satellites. While the forest is not easy to survey, during the combat on Sin Fan Avenue, the Genetic Warriors would then appear within satellite view. But what really ignited this piece of news was actually a video uploaded by a surviving soldier from the battle. In this video, one could see a Genetic Warrior coated in forest camouflage paint, three meters tall, covered in all kinds of heavy firepower, holding a flame thrower in his left hand and carrying a heavy machine gun in his right, rampaging and slaughtering amidst the crowd. Countless bullets falling on the Biological Armor would be instantly deflected, its movements were astoundingly fast, like an agile cheetah, as bullets continuously pierced through soldiers¡¯ bodies, blood and limbs flying in all directions. When encountering enemies hiding behind cover, the left-handed flame thrower would scorch them out like roasting mice, before being mowed down by the heavy machine gun. The video clip lasted only a short while, as the person filming, in a bid to escape, dared not linger. Once the video was uploaded to the internet, it immediately caused an uproar across the web. Because the video clearly captured that some heavy machine guns and sniper rifles¡¯ bullets couldn¡¯t penetrate the three-meter-tall Metallic Mecha. It¡¯s known that a 12.7mm Barrett equipped with armor-piercing incendiary bullets can penetrate armored vehicles. The shock this scene captured can only be imagined. ¡®Could this video be fake? Does Jieke Group really have such terrifying combat-ready Mecha? How did they develop it?¡¯ ¡®That Mecha is just too cool, I wonder if Jieke Group would sell it? I personally would offer a hundred million to purchase one.¡¯ ¡®A hundred Steel Camp Soldiers eliminate an army of over ten thousand, which included many armored units, is the era of Single Soldier Mecha really upon us? When will our country¡¯s soldiers be fully equipped with it? If a million-strong army each had a suit, imagine that scene...¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m laughing so hard. Japan previously said Jieke Group had no power to resist, yet they turned around and did this, wiping out fifteen thousand soldiers in one battle.¡¯ ¡®An army of more than a hundred thousand trapped in the Ruo Kai Mountains is clearly a tactic of Jieke Group. Perhaps all their previous preparations were for today.¡¯ ¡®Today¡¯s battle reveals the true strength of Jieke Group. I wondered how such a powerful Jieke Group could perform so poorly in this conflict. They were aiming to consume their enemy in one fell swoop, targeting the elite troops of Chan Country and Japan.¡¯ Besides the numerous discussions among netizens, various countries have also convened military-industrial conferences to discuss the development and application of Single Soldier Mecha. Soon, countries around the world began to introduce related Mecha development plans and preparations. Because of the outstanding performance of the Steel Camp during this battle, a hundred soldiers equipped with Biological Armor were able to combat and eliminate a modern army of over ten thousand. The impact on the world was as immense as when the Beautiful Country engaged in information warfare in the Middle East. For all nations around the globe, it was an unprecedented military innovation and a shocking way to wage war. Especially for the major powers, they are fervently pursuing it. Fearing that if they don¡¯t keep up with this military innovation, they might be eliminated from contention in the future. Lagging behind means getting beaten, a truth that never changes. Even the Beautiful Country, a staunch adversary, began contacting various domestic military-industrial complexes, issuing emergency directives for the development of Single Soldier Mecha, while trying every means to acquire a set from Jieke Group. You could say the deployment of the Steel Camp stirred the geopolitical situation of the world. But what these countries don¡¯t know is that the combat power of the Steel Camp comes not only from the Biological Armor, but also from the High-level Heaven Element Protective Suit, the Eye Worm, and the formidable physical capabilities of the Genetic Warriors themselves. Even if they manage to develop a Mecha with the same defensive capabilities as the Biological Armor, they would not be able to reach the combat effectiveness of the Steel Camp. ... ¡°Impossible, absolutely impossible, a hundred people beating fifteen thousand? Are you telling me a myth?¡± At the Japan command center, upon learning the front-line situation, Commander Yoshimura Yuichi totally lost his composure and refused to believe the fact for a long time. ¡°General, this is the intelligence we¡¯ve gathered from various sources. There shouldn¡¯t be much error.¡± ¡°The one hundred and fifty thousand troops are now trapped in the Ruo Kai Mountains. Jieke Group must be planning to strike at them. We must prepare in advance.¡± ¡°We need more support, or our troops in the Ruo Kai Mountains will be in grave danger.¡± The staff officers offered advice, with one hundred and fifty thousand troops trapped in the Ruo Kai Mountains, simply day-to-day eating, drinking, and relieving themselves represents a huge consumption. With the supply lines cut off, saying their situation is as precarious as eggs piled atop each other wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration. ¡°Bam!¡± Yoshimura Yuichi suddenly stood up, teeth clenched, ¡°Inform the troops to turn around on the spot and head back. We can¡¯t continue advancing. Have someone clear the mudslide at Scorpion Cloud Mountain as soon as possible. In addition, I will contact the Eight Nation Group and, in the meantime, Northern Chan Country warlords will assist in drawing Jieke Group¡¯s attention.¡± Chapter 412 - 283: Backstab (Two updates of 8000 words!)_2 Chapter 412: Chapter 283: Backstab (Two updates of 8000 words!)_2 With the help of warlords from the northern border of Chan Country, the Jieke Group certainly couldn¡¯t devote all their efforts to the battle in the Ruo Kai Mountains, but would also be sandwiched by us, and it was uncertain who would end up surrounded by whom.¡± When they heard this, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. With those warlords¡¯ involvement from Chan Country¡¯s northern border, this backup plan would definitely distract the Jieke Group significantly, allowing the rescue of the 150,000-strong army trapped in the Ruo Kai Mountains. Although the capabilities of those warlords were questionable, they didn¡¯t need to defeat the Jieke Group. They only needed to buy time to safely withdraw their own troops from the Ruo Kai Mountains, which would be a great accomplishment. When the meeting was over, this order was quickly transmitted, concerning the life and death of 150,000 troops, it did not allow any delay. ... In Chan Country¡¯s northern territory, Wu Anglay received the notification to deploy troops. As he watched a video on his computer of a battle involving Steel Camp Genetic Soldiers, he already regretted having agreed too quickly to the CIA, which now put him in a difficult position. The Jieke Group was not powerless in this war; if the six warlords in the northern territory attacked now, they would likely become the primary target of the Jieke Group, drawing fire for Japan and the Chan Country Government. Wu Anglay understood this very clearly. ¡°This war, we cannot fight it! Let¡¯s just wait and see, let the Eight Nation Group and the Jieke Group fight it out. We can¡¯t enter the fray now.¡± Wu Anglay muttered to himself, their warlords were just fair-weather friends, and he did not wish to die for others. Just as Wu Anglay made up his mind and was about to convey his thoughts to his subordinates, his cellphone suddenly started vibrating. The phone¡¯s screen lit up; photos had been sent to his phone, all of them of his family members. His son, daughter, wife, mother, photos of all of them were there. Following this, a call came through, and it was the number that CIA agent Lloyd had left him. ¡°Lloyd, what the hell does the CIA want?¡± As soon as the phone connected, Wu Anglay roared, if Lloyd were standing in front of him right now, he would have surely ordered his execution. ¡°Mr. Wu, this is our sincerity. If you carry out the troop deployment as instructed, we will ensure your family¡¯s safety. But if you think about reneging, don¡¯t say it¡¯s your family, do you think our missiles aren¡¯t accurate enough? Believe it or not, I could give an order right now, and a cruise missile would launch from a destroyer at sea, heading right for your residence.¡± On the other end of the phone, Lloyd¡¯s tone was ominously direct with his threats. Wu Anglay¡¯s face turned ashen, he said, ¡°When did I ever say I¡¯d renege? Release my family immediately, or I...¡± ¡°Haha, Mr. Wu, what do you think our CIA intelligence is for? Whatever you discussed with those warlords last night, don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know. Oh, I forgot to mention, we¡¯ve also asked the families of the other warlords to visit, you don¡¯t need to worry about them.¡± Hearing Lloyd¡¯s words, Wu Anglay was initially stunned, then he glanced at his phone, that globally renowned brand with the apple logo, partially bitten. ¡°You implanted a backdoor in my phone, are spying on me?¡± Wu Anglay knew where the problem lay, he had always been under CIA surveillance. ¡°This is a necessary measure, Mr. Wu. Now tell me your decision. Do you choose to cooperate with the dominating power of Blue Star, or reject our friendship and become our enemy? You¡¯re a smart man, don¡¯t make a decision you¡¯ll regret for the rest of your life.¡± Lloyd chuckled, leaving the choice to Wu Anglay, confident that Wu Anglay would make the right decision. After a silence of several seconds, Wu Anglay gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Fine, I agree to your terms, I will attack the Jieke Group.¡± Having said that, Wu Anglay added, ¡°Also, I now request to immediately go to the Chan Country Capital, Yang City. You must ensure my safety and bring my family along. Staying here, I fear the Jieke Group might act against us.¡± Initially, Wu Anglay wanted to sit back and watch the two sides clash, but the CIA forced his hand. He also feared the Jieke Group might target him in a decapitation strike; the Averson Family¡¯s recent example showed that the Jieke Group¡¯s methods were no less drastic than the CIA¡¯s. Thus, he wanted to relocate to the Chan Country Capital, controlling the military operations remotely through his trusted subordinates. ¡°Alright, now go order your troops to attack, let us see your sincerity. Your family¡¯s safety will be under our protection,¡± Lloyd said. Lloyd¡¯s tone relaxed, as he welcomed the initiative of the hostages wanting to come to him. ..... At the request of the CIA, six Northern warlords came together to issue a public statement. ¡°The Jieke Group must immediately cease fire and allow peace to return to Chan Country. Chan Country belongs to all its people, not as a private property of the Jieke Group. All the people of Chan Country, please stand together to resist the tyranny of the Jieke Group, otherwise this war will sweep across the entire territory of Chan Country.¡± This statement was released, and many were surprised by it. After all, wasn¡¯t it you warlords who caused the civil war within Chan Country up to now? Now talking about peace is as ridiculous as a lion turning vegetarian, causing anyone who heard it to laugh. However, the six Northern warlords obviously didn¡¯t care about public opinion; on the day they released their statement, they chose the same day to boldly dispatch their troops and invade East Qin State, which was under the control of the Jieke Group. Once again, the conflict escalated from the disputes with the Chan Country Government and Japan, now including several unscrupulously evil warlords. At this moment, from the map, the territories controlled by the warring factions covered most of Chan Country. It could be said that almost the entire Chan Country was engulfed in the flames of war. ..... East Qin State! Su Jie watched Wu Anglay¡¯s speech on TV, shook his head, and chuckled, ¡°Just a puppet manipulated by the CIA, and yet he has the audacity to talk about peace, utterly oblivious to his doom.¡± Liu Yingying was sitting in Su Jie¡¯s arms, whispering, ¡°Su Jie, we have completed the arrangements according to the plan. Six mountain infantry divisions and one mechanized infantry division will be responsible for occupying the Northern Territory.¡± The Jieke Group¡¯s regular soldiers numbered 240,000, and the force mobilized this time exceeded 80,000, showing significant respect for these six warlords. ¡°These six warlords are of no concern; the troops in the Ruo Kai Mountains are our primary targets.¡± Su Jie was well aware of the military discipline of the warlord soldiers. Their capacity to fight back and forth with the Chan Country Government wasn¡¯t because these warlord soldiers were particularly strong, but because both sides were ineffectually pecking at each other. The Chan Country Government Army had the advantage of better equipment, while these warlords had the geographical advantage. Taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain to wage guerrilla warfare against the Chan Country Government, naturally, the latter could hardly cope with them. But in front of the Jieke Group, attempting guerrilla warfare with Super Soldiers seemed utterly foolish. ¡°Su Jie, I¡¯ve also received news that the Vice-President of the Beautiful Country visited Siam yesterday and met with the King of Siam,¡± There are reports that the Beautiful Country is trying to incite Siam to send troops to enter Chan Country and join the battle against us. How despicable is the Beautiful Country, stirring up wars everywhere to confront us.¡± Liu Yingying brought up another piece of news. As the situation in the Ruo Kai Mountains deteriorated, the Beautiful Country was becoming restless. Fearing the Chan Country Government wouldn¡¯t hold up, the Beautiful Country planned to call on Siam, also a member of the Eight Nation Group, to formally send troops into Chan Country to combat the Jieke Group. ¡°The reason is simple; the Beautiful Country constantly interferes and foments wars because war is profitable, destruction and death are profitable. They value profits more than human lives.¡± Su Jie¡¯s expression remained calm, the stakes represented by the Jieke Group had even the dominant power of Blue Star salivating. Just as they would wage wars for oil interests, they could also initiate wars against the Jieke Group. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that Siam will send troops, as our territories don¡¯t border each other currently, and military negotiations are not so easily settled. By the time they agree on a plan, our local war might well be over,¡± said Su Jie as he analyzed the situation. Siam was economically strong in Southeast Asia, and its economy was still growing. Although a Western-aligned country and a member of the Eight Nation Group, they would definitely not easily agree to join a war with an uncertain outcome. This is different from merely supplying materials and ammunition, as war means people will die.¡± After reassuring Liu Yingying, advising her not to worry too much, and watching the news end on TV, Su Jie sneered, ¡°If they want to encircle Wei to save Zhao through the Northern Territory warlords, then I will unapologetically feast on them, since I have quite an appetite.¡± Chapter 413 - 413 284 The Village ?Chapter 413: Chapter 284: The Village Chapter 413: Chapter 284: The Village East Qin State. With the deployment of Jieke Group forces, a massive military contingent of eighty thousand entered the northern forests, engaging in battle with six warlord factions. Bang! In the forest, Jiasa Mountain calmly pulled the trigger of his rifle. A bullet pierced the forehead of a warlord soldier hidden in the bushes, planning an ambush. Bang! Bang! He fired again, and two warlord soldiers ambushing from a tree fell headlong. The next moment, Jiasa Mountain rolled swiftly; several bullets hit the spot where he had just stood. Jiasa Mountain returned fire, his bullets sweeping accurately across, accompanied by screams, and a hand grenade flew past, eventually bringing everything back to silence amidst the smoke. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Jiasa Mountain replaced his magazine and picked up his radio to report, ¡°Cleared thirteen warlord soldiers, please report on the remaining enemy movements.¡± After a few seconds, a voice came through the radio. ¡°Jiasa Mountain, eight kilometers ahead to your right, there is another battle erupting; support there,¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jiasa Mountain collected a few magazines from the ground, swallowed a Strengthening Pill, then quickly ran toward the position mentioned over the radio. As a second-class Super Soldier, he had been sweeping missions in the Northern Border Mountains for three days. It first started when six warlord factions from the Northern Territory infiltrated the mountains of East Qin State, but after the decision by Jieke Group to dispatch forces, within just two days, not only were the invaders driven out of East Qin State, but the troops also pushed into areas like Ke Qin, Guogan, and Wa Bang in the Northern Territory, turning the tide of the battle. Swiftly rushing to the target area, as he neared, Jiasa Mountain heard intense gunfire. There, a First-class Super Soldier clad in Alloy Battle Armor, wielding a Gatling gun, was striding forward. The warlord soldiers in his path were being shattered, their limbs detached, their viscera scattered. Behind this First-class Super Soldier were several second-class and third-class Super Soldiers providing support, along with a platoon of infantry. The over one hundred warlord soldiers facing them had completely collapsed. Their attempt at guerrilla warfare was a joke in front of the Super Soldiers¡¯ heightened senses and sharpshooting. Not to mention the presence of a First-class Super Soldier, a level of combat power that had once been the trump card of Steel Camp. ¡°Run, we can¡¯t fight, we simply can¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a First-class Super Soldier, how can such a being be here?¡± ¡°My leg¡¯s broken, hurry and drag me with you, don¡¯t leave me behind! Don¡¯t kill me, please don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯m willing to surrender.¡± The warlord soldiers scattered in terror, accustomed to guerrilla fighting in the forests, carrying few Heavy Weapons and relying mainly on lighter arms. Who would have expected to encounter a First-class Super Soldier? Their Alloy Battle Armor was virtually impervious to ordinary rifles. The few rocket launchers and heavy machine guns they carried were quickly neutralized by the Super Soldiers, leaving them with no means to penetrate the enemy defenses. The already frail combat will of the warlord soldiers crumbled after a dozen casualties; the remaining soldiers either surrendered on the spot or turned and ran. Seeing this, Jiasa Mountain joined in the pursuit of the fleeing soldiers. Half an hour later, in the forest, Jiasa Mountain returned carrying his rifle, with several captives bound hands in towa?€¡±sixty-some had been captured. The combat will of these warlord soldiers was poor; with casualties reaching just ten percent, they either surrendered or broke ranks. After all, they were an army bred from various illegal and criminal activities, suited only to low-intensity guerrilla wars. Facing Super Soldiers, their casualty rate soared; they simply couldn¡¯t handle a tough fight. Similar situations occurred sporadically throughout the Northern Territory: eighty thousand soldiers from the Jieke Group, along with Super Soldiers, engaged in guerrilla warfare around the forests. The warlord soldiers, once confident in their guerrilla warfare, were harshly disciplined. One after another, their positions and territories were overtaken and garrisons removed, incorporated under the rule of Jieke Group. Jieke Group¡¯s advance was incredibly smooth, fighting in the vast mountains, in the rapid inland rivers, near numerous villages. Just the eighty thousand Jieke Security personnel, not to mention the Super Soldiers, alone in terms of personal skill and equipment, far surpassed the numerous warlord soldiers. Those warlord soldiers, despite all their talk, were raised primarily through various illegal means of extortion, mainly through the profits from Opium. This earned money firstly satisfied the personal lives and material pleasures of the warlords. The army was a secondary concern; being equipped with a rifle and a military uniform was considered sufficient for a soldier. After all, the Chan Country Government Army they were up against was of similar standard, just with more Heavy Weapons, which were also unnecessary in guerrilla warfare in the forests. Meanwhile, Jieke Group¡¯s soldiers were trained by highly paid, retired military instructors. ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? With Jieke Group¡¯s annual revenue of hundreds of billions of US Dollars, it was nothing to outfit an infantry troop. An example would be one of Jieke Group¡¯s mechanized infantry squads, where every soldier was equipped with a bulletproof vest and tactical helmet. Each also had an individual communication system. A squad of ten soldiers possessed an Infantry Fighting Vehicle, eight assault rifles, one light machine gun, and one precision marksman rifle. Additionally, two soldiers carried gun-mounted grenade launchers, and there were up to three multipurpose single-use rocket launchers and one cloud bomb rocket launcher, which were disposable and thrown away after use. The team was also equipped with corresponding drones. Chapter 414 - 414 284 The Village_2 ?Chapter 414: Chapter 284: The Village_2 Chapter 414: Chapter 284: The Village_2 Mountain Infantry Heavy Weapons would be accordingly reduced, but the proportion of Super Soldiers within the ranks would greatly increase. As for the heavy combined brigades, the Jieke Group currently only has two, entirely equipped with heavy weapons, main battle tanks, armored vehicles, field air defense missile vehicles, rocket artillery, anti-tank missile launchers, self-propelled howitzers, self-propelled mortars, and self-propelled high altitude artillery. Just these armored and fire support units alone number in the hundreds. Including all sorts of logistic transport and support vehicles, a single heavy combined brigade like this would cost several billion US Dollars. Those hard-strapped warlords, let alone not being able to cough up that much money, wouldn¡¯t bear to allocate those funds even if they had them. The financially robust Jieke Group certainly wouldn¡¯t shortchange its own soldiers, and this money wasn¡¯t spent in vain. It shows in combat with the warlords: with equivalent forces, not accounting for the existence of Super Soldiers, Jieke Group¡¯s soldiers can also thoroughly thrash the warlord¡¯s troops. In a short period of time, Jieke Security continued to expand and seize territory, forcing those six warlord families to flee helter-skelter. .... Xikou Town! This was a village under the jurisdiction of the Kegan Alliance Army. The village wasn¡¯t large, nestled in the densely forested environment of the Northern Territory; it had been cultivated into layers of terraced fields, a hidden paradise amid the woods. But this paradise grew not the usual food crops or economic plants, but swaying poppy flowers. Emerging from the dense forest, Chief Jia came with two infantry squads to this place; they were tracking down a group of warlord soldiers who had fled in defeat, likely hiding in this village. Several young cowherds spotted Chief Jia and immediately sprinted back to the village to alert the adults. ¡°Trouble, trouble, bad people are coming!¡± Hearing the children shouting, Chief Jia touched his face and asked the soldiers beside him, ¡°Do I look very fierce?¡± The soldier glanced at Chief Jia covered in blood, his hair matted in clumps, some wounds bandaged, exuding an aura of death. If he, a soldier, were to encounter Chief Jia abruptly, he¡¯d shudder, let alone the children. He chuckled awkwardly and said, ¡°Brother Jia, those kids are talking nonsense.¡± Chief Jia smiled, aware of his own image. Outside, they called them Super Soldiers ¡°walking demons.¡± Many enemies, upon hearing the name Super Soldier, let alone seeing them, would go weak in the knees. ¡°This place is Opium Village.¡± Turning to glance at the poppy flowers growing in the fields, Chief Jia, a native of Chan Country, was all too familiar with them. A substantial part of the infamous Golden Triangle lay within the territory of Chan Country, and its citizens could recognize the flower at a glance. In Chan Country, especially in areas of the Northern Territory riddled with warlords, opium was a significant industry for many. The warlords had the local farmers plant it due to the political instability and the fact that the mountainous terrain was not as suitable for agricultural crops as the plains were. To add to that, the warlords deliberately suppressed prices, making it unprofitable for farmers to grow food crops. If they wanted to earn money, they had to choose to cultivate opium. The warlords would provide seeds, chemical fertilizers, and irrigation systems and offer loans. Once the crops were harvested, the warlords would take charge of the purchasing, with no risk of unsold goods, and the prices were often twice the revenue from growing food crops. The prohibition of opium in Chan Country was never completely effective, and many times it could actually be traced back to economic issues. It wasn¡¯t something that could be resolved just by destroying warlords. If one warlord was killed, and in the absence of a stable economy and alternative income sources, the farmers would still choose to cultivate opium because they had no other choice. As Chief Jia was observing, many villagers of all ages ran out, some wielding old hunting rifles, looking warily at Chief Jia and his fully-armed soldiers. ¡°What brings you gentlemen here? I am Sangka, the village chief of Xikou Village.¡± A man with dark skin, a lean build, and hands full of calluses approached. ??¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï ¡°Greetings, fellow villager. My name is Jiasa Mountain, assigned to the Security Department of the Jieke Group, the 14th Mountain Brigade¡¯s reconnaissance unit. We¡¯re here chasing a group of warlord soldiers.¡± Chief Jia glanced at the villagers holding old-fashioned hunting guns and then stepped forward to shake hands with the village chief named Sangka. ¡°Chief Jia, what you¡¯re talking about, these warlord soldiers... Our village has always been inhabited by our own people; we¡¯ve never had any warlord soldiers come here.¡± Sangka shook his head, outright rejecting Chief Jia¡¯s claim without a second thought. For Sangka, those warlord soldiers were precisely the troops of the Kegan Alliance Army, who ruled the area. If he betrayed them, who would buy the opium he grew in the future? ¡°We¡¯ll search on our own.¡± One impatient soldier spoke up, ready to take matters into his own hands and search for themselves. ¡°No, our village does not welcome outsiders.¡± Sangka stood in front, and the villagers immediately became agitated, brandishing hoes, scythes, and old-fashioned hunting rifles, shouting that no one was allowed in. ¡°Stop, put down your guns.¡± Watching as the situation might escalate, Jiasa Mountain waved his hand, indicating to the Jieke Security soldiers not to aim their guns at the villagers. ¡°Village Chief Sang, you know what Jieke Group does, right?¡± Standing in front of Sangka, Jiasa Mountain thought of the training he had received in the army, and a friendly smile appeared on his face, though the bloodstains on him hardly made it seem friendly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Jieke Group, we do watch TV and listen to the radio.¡± Sangka nodded, indicating that he was aware of Jieke Group. ¡°Then it will be easier, may I ask, how much does your village earn per capita from cultivating opium?¡± Jiasa Mountain, following the scripted persuasion tactics, initiated the inquiry. ¡°Our annual income from opium amounts to about 1.5 million Zen Coins.¡± Chan Country itself, among Southeast Asian countries, is one of the extremely poor and backward nations, and the Northern Territory, with its mountainous and forested environment, is the poorest part of Chan Country. The figure of 1.5 million Zen Coins might sound substantial, but when converted, it¡¯s only worth about 1,000 US Dollars, which is roughly six to seven thousand Hua Yuan a year. This income is only possible with opium cultivation; were they to farm food crops, the figure would halve. One can imagine the poverty of these farmers, who, though cultivating opium themselves, earn but the most minimal and negligible profits in the entire opium sales chain. ¡°Village Chief Sang, my family also used to farm in our village, and the income was about the same. But do you know how much our per capita income has increased since Jieke Group came?¡± ¡°How much?¡± Sangka¡¯s curiosity was piqued by Jiasa Mountain¡¯s words, and the surrounding villagers felt the same. ¡°This much.¡± Miao Lun stretched out all five fingers on his right hand. ¡°Five million Zen Coins? That much?¡± Sangka¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock. ¡°Not five million Zen Coins, around five thousand US Dollars.¡± Jiasa Mountain corrected Sangka¡¯s misunderstanding and revealed the staggering figure to the entire Xikou Village. ¡°Five thousand US Dollars, my goodness, how could one even spend all that money!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so much money at once in my entire life; they must be bluffing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Jieke Group is super rich; they sell a lot of medicines and make money off foreigners.¡± The villagers were discussing fervently, only half convinced by Jiasa Mountain¡¯s claims. ¡°Our Jieke Group¡¯s insect farming business is incredibly developed, just like your opium cultivation, where people only need to take care of the insects, and Jieke Group will handle the rest by purchasing them. How about it, fellow villagers, why not join us in insect farming? It¡¯s far more profitable than growing opium.¡± Jiasa Mountain cajoled them persistently, if warlords bound these farmers with economic interests, then Jieke Group would crush them with even more substantial economic benefits. When it comes to money, those warlords can¡¯t hold a candle to Jieke Group. Not just these minor warlords, but even the entire economy of Chan Country, with an annual GDP of just over 500 billion US Dollars, is not as high as the net profit of Jieke Group in one year. Frankly speaking, Jieke Group could financially sustain Chan Country without any issue. Village Chief Sangka¡¯s lips quivered slightly, and after a long pause, he spoke, ¡°Is that true? Is insect farming really that profitable?¡± As he spoke, his heart was already racing with excitement. Chapter 415 - 415 285 The Peoples Heart (Two updates of 8000 words) ?Chapter 415: Chapter 285: The People¡¯s Heart (Two updates of 8000 words) Chapter 415: Chapter 285: The People¡¯s Heart (Two updates of 8000 words) ¡°Village Chief Sang, whether what I¡¯m saying is true or false, just ask around a bit and you will know. You can take people to visit the areas under the control of the Jieke Group; then you¡¯ll naturally understand if the Jieke Group is as I¡¯ve described.¡± Seeing Sangka¡¯s eager eyes, Jiasa Mountain knew that his speech had not been in vain. He still remembered a lesson from back then, which was taught by General Su, and one sentence had resonated with him deeply ever since. ¡°We don¡¯t engage in any formalism; we solve whatever the farmers need most, solving the poverty issues of tens of millions of people, and only then will the entire Northern Territory, the entire Chan Country accept us.¡± Jiasa Mountain always remembered this sentence, and he followed it too. To break the long-standing foundation of warlord rule here, and the deeply ingrained concept of growing opium, the problems had to be solved from the root. And the so-called root problem was actually about making money, eating enough, and living a stable life, which was something the Jieke Group was completely capable of achieving. ¡°We need to see it, we must go see it.¡± Sangka nodded repeatedly. He had been to the town before, where he heard from others that the wages in the areas under the rule of the Jieke Group were several times theirs. But under the warlord¡¯s control, the Jieke Group was a strictly forbidden topic of discussion. Plus, with Xikou Village located in the mountains and having no internet or such, his understanding of the Jieke Group was limited to what he learned from watching TV or listening to the radio in town, which was quite limited. Now that he heard Jiasa Mountain¡¯s explanation, he realized that the areas under the Jieke Group were indeed lucrative places. ¡°Folks, you all can switch to breeding Poison Insects. Given that the yield of farming in your mountainous environment is very low, but if you switch to insect breeding, your environment is naturally suited for it.¡± The villagers looked at one another. Someone couldn¡¯t help but ask loudly, ¡°Officer, is it really that profitable? We will definitely join you! ¡± Seeing one speak up, the other villagers also became enthusiastic. ¡°I want to visit the places under the Jieke Group, but I can¡¯t afford the travel expenses. Can I still go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at breeding insects! I used to catch lots of insects and breed them when I was young; I bred them really well, nobody in this village did it better than me.¡± ¡°Cut the crap, Wu Laosan, every time you and I competed with insects, you always ended up beaten badly by me. When it comes to breeding insects, I, Xia Ping, am the number one in Xikou Village.¡± The atmosphere among the villagers grew even more heated as they discussed fervently. Seeing this scene, Jiasa Mountain smiled. ¡°Folks, can you tell me now where the warlord soldiers are?¡± With Jiasa Mountain¡¯s remark, the environment became silent again. In the end, it was Sangka who made the decision. ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡± Sangka knew that by taking this gamble, if he was right, Xikou Village would soar. As for failure, in recent days, the village had already seen more than one group of fleeing soldiers nearby. Those warlords were already on the verge of being annihilated and naturally couldn¡¯t come back for revenge. Sangka saw this clearly. Under Sangka¡¯s lead, several rebels hiding in the village eventually surrendered dejectedly, hands held high, and were captured by Jiasa Mountain. Xikou Village was just a small representation of the larger battlefield, with many villages and towns economically bound by warlords like Xikou Village. In the past, even if the government army could defeat the warlord soldiers, it was helpless against those who disaggregated and hid among the civilians. Warlord soldiers had the support of local people, which is a base of masses that outsiders found hard to shake. This was also why warlords could not be exterminated and could always resurge from the ashes. But when the Jieke Group intervened, they used the simplest tactica?€¡±spreading moneya?€¡±to easily dissolve the warlord¡¯s local base of mass support. Not only in the countryside but also in the cities, the Jieke Group¡¯s actions were more aggressive. Python Mountain City, a city under the Zen State Liberation Front. By this time, the city had been completely conquered by the Jieke Group. Large numbers of Jieke Group soldiers entered the city, and immediately cleaned out the casinos, brothels, scam parks, and all kinds of criminal powers. ¡°Thank you, thank you so much; you saved my life, you really saved my life.¡± ¡°You must not let those devils go, I beg you, my family was killed by them, you must not let these inhumane fiends go.¡± ¡°Jieke Group, oh, thank heavens, you finally came over. I thought I wouldn¡¯t live to see this day.¡± In a public square, survivors rescued from the scam parks wept and laughed, overwhelmed to the point of tears. Many of them were covered in scars, with beatings and bruises being the most common, but also burns from cigarette butts, chopped off fingers, deep knife scars on faces, and some missing ears or noses. They were all rescued by Jieke Group soldiers. Despite many of them being in such a tragic state, they were actually considered lucky. The truly tragic ones had already been tortured to death, with their internal body parts removed and sold for high prices. There were many Jieke soldiers maintaining order on site, as most of the civilians of Python Mountain City had gathered, wanting to see what the Jieke Group that had newly taken over Python Mountain City intended to do. ¡°Bring up the criminals.¡± In the square, an officer shouted, and men and women were escorted onto a constructed platform. Chapter 416 - 416 285 The Peoples Heart (Two updates of 8000 words)_2 ?Chapter 416: Chapter 285: The People¡¯s Heart (Two updates of 8000 words)_2 Chapter 416: Chapter 285: The People¡¯s Heart (Two updates of 8000 words)_2 Placards thrust high behind their necks bore their crimes. Intentional homicide, forced women, gambling, illegal detention, opium trafficking, human trafficking, organ trafficking... As the accused were led onto the stage, many civilians from Python Mountain City recognized that these were notable figures from their community. Once influential tycoons and bigwigs had now become prisoners. ¡°Prisoner brought forth, Huang Junyun, aged forty-eight, previously owner of Jingyan Technology Park, engaged in various scams, kidnappings, extortions, causing disability, and deaths. Wu Jinggu, aged fifty-two, engaged in illegal human organ trade, and estimated to have murdered and buried victims, his actions deplorable. Wu Pin, aged sixty-one...¡± One by one, the crimes were announced, and many of the men captured wet their pants, their past arrogance gone, with many crying out in earth-shattering screams. Of course, some, knowing they were doomed, ceaselessly cursed the Jieke Group in helpless rage. ¡°I have money, I still have lots of money in foreign banks, let me go, I¡¯ll give you all that money if you release me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, it was the warlords themselves who wanted to fight the Jieke Group, I was always against it, I¡¯m one of you!¡± ¡°Damn you, Jieke Group, may you rot in hell.¡± ¡°How dare you capture me, let me tell you, my father is...¡± The expressions of those led to the high platform ranged from ferocious, to tearful, to remorseful, displaying all the vicissitudes of life. Beneath the platform, survivors from various dark forces, seeing those who had once oppressed them, had bloodshot eyes as they hurled trash and miscellaneous objects, striking many and drawing blood. Had the Jieke Group¡¯s soldiers not intervened, these people might have stormed the platform and torn the scoundrels to pieces. Even the ordinary citizens of Python Mountain City joined in the barrage. After all, these so-called dignitaries had never done anything good. Involved in various nefarious activities, they had caused countless bloody crimes locally, protected by warlords, and naturally, the people of Python Mountain City had suffered greatly. Fearful of the warlords¡¯ tyranny in the past, now with the Jieke Group advocating for them, they wished for nothing more than swift retribution. The local people resented the warlords, except those involved in illegal activities, who harbored no good feelings toward the warlords. Since warlords aren¡¯t the government, they don¡¯t address public welfare, let alone allocate funds for roads, schools, hospitals, power stations, or water supply, making their territories some of the poorest. By contrast, although the Chan Country Government is corrupt, it still allocates a small amount annually to education and health, certainly better than the miserly warlords. With such poor infrastructure, it was hard for citizens to earn money. Coupled with unchecked illegal practices that contributed to lawlessness, it naturally made city residents incapable of empathizing with the warlords. The animated crowd was held back by soldiers of the Jieke Group, particularly by several First-class Super Soldiers clad in Alloy Battle Armor, whose chilling aura deterred anyone from approaching, leaving the public no choice but to lodge complaints from below. ¡°That bastard was the one who broke my Achilles tendon, I wish I could kill him right now.¡± ¡°My wife, my wife was taken away by him...¡± ¡°Just because I didn¡¯t meet my targets, he cut off both my ears, he must be killed.¡± ¡°Kill them.¡± ¡°Kill them.¡± ¡°Kill them.¡± The shouting grew louder and more uniform, filled with murderous intent. ¡°Ten criminals, their crimes warrant death, sentenced to execution by shooting, to be carried out immediately.¡± After the judge read out all the crimes, he indeed did not disappoint, pronouncing the sentence on the spot, eliciting cheers from the crowd below. Bang, bang, bang! The soldiers of the Jieke Group picked up their rifles and pulled the trigger at the people kneeling on the ground. No matter how glorious these individuals were at this moment, in front of the Jieke Group¡¯s peanut-sized bullets, they could only become cold corpses. Batch after batch of criminals were brought onto the high platform for execution. In times of chaos, harsh measures were used; the Jieke Group had no sympathy for this scum and resolutely sent their souls to the afterlife with a bullet. As the dark forces from these cities were eradicated and coupled with Jieke¡¯s promise of upcoming major infrastructure projects, the local support for the Jieke Group soared, eliminating any worries about falling into a civil war of security. Having dismantled the warlords¡¯ ruling foundation locally, the Jieke Group was unstoppable, their eighty thousand soldiers sweeping through the territory and delivering crushing blows to six warlord families. In just three days of combat, the seemingly numerous troops of these six warlord families retreated again and again without putting up much resistance, surrendering their territories without a fight as casualties remained under twenty thousand. Their will to fight and combat skills truly shocked spectators around the world. However, the most eye-catching aspect of this battle was the appearance of the First-class Super Soldier. People were surprised to find that the ace soldiers, originally from Steel Camp, were now assigned to regular units, which was a major reason why the warlord forces collapsed so quickly. A First-class Super Soldier could achieve startling casualty ratios even against armies from major countries. Saying they were fighting below their dimension against thewarlord forces is not an exaggeration by any means. The six warlord families closest to the Zen State Liberation Front were entirely occupied by the Jieke Group, demonstrating sheer ease throughout the operations. However, for the Eight Nation Group, this news was far from wonderful. Especially for the Japan troops involved in the airstrike operations, Yoshimura Yuichi could not understand where so many soldiers of the Jieke Group had come from, and how they were so well-supplied with weapons and ammunition. ¡°Damn it, where did the Jieke Group get so many soldiers from? Could it be that they were just hastily recruited to fill numbers? But that doesn¡¯t seem right!¡± Yoshimura Yuichi looked at the telegraph of the battle in the Northern Territory, his face full of confusion and perplexity. Their previous airstrikes had clearly destroyed most of the Jieke Group¡¯s military bases and supplies within their territory. The opposing soldiers should have been disorganized by now; how could they possibly emerge from the ground as suddenly as they did, pulling together seventy to eighty thousand troops that threw the six warlord families into disarray. Actually, Yoshimura Yuichi wasn¡¯t wrong; those soldiers of the Jieke Group did indeed seem to have emerged from the ground. ¡°Speaking of which, these warlord soldiers are really too trashy, aren¡¯t they? It¡¯s only been three days, and they¡¯ve already collapsed.¡± Reconsidering the combat strength of the warlord soldiers, Yoshimura Yuichi became even more speechless. Knowing that the warlord soldiers were weak was one thing, but he hadn¡¯t expected them to be this incompetent. While the Chan Country Government Army had been fighting back and forth with these warlords, if not for the military training support provided by the Eight Nation Group to the Chan Country Army, he feared their comrades would also be of such poor quality. ¡°Where has our army in the Ruo Kai Mountains reached?¡± Yoshimura Yuichi asked his staff officer, now that they couldn¡¯t count on the warlord side, tying up Jieke Group¡¯s eighty thousand troops was considered a success. What Yoshimura Yuichi truly cared about now was the one hundred and fifty thousand troops in the Ruo Kai Mountains. They were the most capable troops within the borders of Chan Country. If they were entirely destroyed, Chan Country would be in danger, and he, as the commander-in-chief, would have to face military court. The staff officer spread out the map and said, ¡°Our troops have withdrawn smoothly, and the one hundred and fifty thousand troops have combined and retreated to this area of Yangling Mountain, three days¡¯ march from exiting the Ruo Kai Mountains. Since the continuous heavy rain has made marching difficult, we have already ordered the entire army to be on alert for attacks from the Jieke Group. The opposing forces have tried everything to block our troops within the Ruo Kai Mountains, clearly aiming to annihilate our forces.¡± ¡°When can Scorpion Cloud Mountain be fully cleared?¡± ¡°We are coordinating various engineering machines and manpower to dig tirelessly around-the-clock. We have issued a military order to completely open it up within five days.¡± ¡°Notify the combat aircraft to patrol with ammunition loaded, all-day reconnaissance and early warning aircraft to scout the Ruo Kai Mountains without missing any trace.¡± With the continuous attacks from the Jieke Group, Yoshimura Yuichi realized the formidable nature of the Jieke Group and under no circumstances did he want to be caught off guard by them. Chapter 417 - 417 286 The Final Battle ?Chapter 417: Chapter 286: The Final Battle Chapter 417: Chapter 286: The Final Battle Ruo Kai Mountains, Honggui Bridge. A massive army was advancing here. This army, numbering a staggering 150,000 men, was a mixed force of Japan and Chan Country, stretching for dozens of kilometers, rolling along like a long dragon. To prevent ambushes by the Jieke Group, the Japanese and Chan Country troops in the Ruo Kai Mountains had now integrated their troops together, effectively fortifying themselves against being divided and conquered by the Jieke Group. But both Japan and Chan Country had underestimated the appetite of the Jieke Group. Even if they gathered all their troops, they would still become prey in the eyes of the Jieke Group. At a mountaintop, Su Jie quietly watched the vast army passing over the Honggui Bridge, such a huge march could not be hidden. ¡°General Su, the brother units are all in position,¡± said Miao Lun, the commander of the Steel Camp, standing beside him. Now gathered here were not only the entire Steel Camp Genetic Warriors but also a large number of Super Soldiers drawn from various units, totaling more than a thousand people. Additionally, there were two of the Jieke Group¡¯s most elite mountain warfare brigades, totaling 9,000 men, lying in wait scattered throughout the surrounding forests. Relying on night marches and the natural concealment of the forest, they had avoided detection by satellites and reconnaissance aircraft and had come nearby. ¡°Are you afraid now? The enemy you are facing is a hundred times your number,¡± Su Jie slowly turned around and asked Miao Lun. ¡°General Su, we are the Steel Camp. The ones who should be afraid are the Japanese soldiers,¡± Miao Lun said flatly, showing no sign of pre-battle tension. Behind Miao Lun, the Steel Camp Genetic Soldiers were just as composed, their eyes only showing excitement. These warriors, most loyal to the Jieke Group, couldn¡¯t wait to strike, to clear the obstacles for the Jieke Group. ¡°Good, let¡¯s show those Japanese soldiers whose territory this is,¡± Su Jie said, patting Miao Lun on the waist where he wore his Biological Armor. ¡°Now, as the highest-ranking officer of the Jieke Group, I order you to become the nightmare of the Japanese soldiers,¡± Su Jie commanded. ¡°Yes, General Su, rest assured, all soldiers of the Steel Camp, guarantee the completion of the mission,¡± Miao Lun responded, saluting along with the soldiers of the Steel Camp, then conveyed the combat command. ¡°All units, have the artillery fire first, cut off their retreat,¡± Miao Lun knew the key to this battle, and at this moment, he was incredibly solemn. Boom! Boom! Boom! The deafening sound of artillery filled the air as the Genetic Warriors¡¯ artillery unit used 120mm mortars. The heavy shells fell on the Honggui Bridge, blowing the bridge apart, and vehicles, including tanks and armored cars, as well as crying soldiers, fell into the murky river waters. The abrupt artillery barrage threw the massive army of 150,000 into confusion. The seasoned Genetic Warrior artillerymen covered the area with rapid fire in just one minute and then promptly packed up and evacuated to avoid counter-artillery radar locking and retaliation from self-propelled guns. While on the move, the Genetic Warriors continued firing at the vastly outnumbered Ying Chan Forces. However, the Ying Chan Forces retaliated swiftly, and the roar of warplanes was heard overhead as they searched for and bombed the Genetic Warrior artillery positions. Thankfully, the dense forest provided excellent cover and concealment. Despite some casualties from the bombardment, the artillery fire never ceased. ¡°Blow up the dam of the Hugu Reservoir,¡± Su Jie ordered a new combat directive. Upstream on the Sidan River, due to continuous heavy rains, a huge reservoir had accumulated too much water. This reservoir was built by the early colonial troops when the precious timber of the Ruo Kai Mountains in Chan Country was abundant. Colonizers had the local people construct the Hugu Reservoir. The purpose was to manage and store water in this section of the Sidan River, to make the river flow more gently, which would benefit their timber transport using river navigation in this relatively gentle section. Upon receiving the message, the Jieke Group¡¯s engineers who had been waiting there swiftly pressed the detonator, setting off the massive amount of explosives planted beneath the dam. Boom! The explosives blew open the dam, and the water stored in the reservoir, like a wild horse breaking free, mixed with a large amount of sediment to form a surging flood that rushed downstream along the Sidan River. Soon, the Ying Chan troops engaged in combat several kilometers away heard strange noises, with a thunderous rumble coming from upstream. With no time for much reaction, soldiers on both sides of the Sidan River opened their mouths agape, realizing the source of the noise. They saw what seemed like a rampaging yellow dragon sweeping towards them, as floodwaters carrying broken branches and rocks rushed down from upstream, pouring into the already tumultuous river. The thunderous sound that smacked the riverbanks also maximally shook the hearts of the soldiers witnessing it all, turning their faces deathly pale. ¡°A flood, the flood is coming!¡± ¡°The upstream dam has burst!¡± ¡°Run, what are you waiting for!¡± After a brief moment of shock, the soldiers scrambled to escape like madmen. But human legs could never outrun a flood. The roaring waters, like a ferocious beast, pounced on the panic-stricken soldiers, engulfing them and sweeping them downstream. At least several thousand soldiers were washed away, and this was just the beginning. Because the region was flanked by vast mountains on both sides, and the terrain in the middle was low-lying along Sin Fan Avenue, the massive flood followed the laws of nature and continuously poured onto the low-lying road. Chapter 418 - 418 286 The Final Battle_2 ?Chapter 418: Chapter 286: The Final Battle_2 Chapter 418: Chapter 286: The Final Battle_2 The raging flood turned the road into a marshland, where numerous trucks and armored vehicles were entrapped with nowhere to go, leaving these steel beasts to be abandoned by their soldiers. The infantry were even worse off. Japanese and Chan Country Soldiers were shouting at each other as the water reached their chests in panic, fleeing towards the slopes and forests on either side. Japanese soldiers who managed to escape to higher ground in the forest had barely caught their breath before they were ambushed by Steel Camp soldiers and Super Soldiers, who had been waiting there for a long time and launched a deadly assault on these enemy troops. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! Miao Lun, the commander of the Steel Camp, led from the front with a 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine gun, charging first into the mixed forces of Japanese and Chan soldiers. One by one, Japanese soldiers¡¯ bodies were torn apart by bullets, their screams and moans were incessant. Behind the Steel Camp Genetic Warriors were the First-class Super Soldiers, with the second-class and Third-class Super Soldiers at the rear providing cover. Although the Jieke Group¡¯s soldiers were vastly outnumbered by the enemy¡¯s forces, which numbered in the hundreds of thousands, their impact and lethality were unmatched, especially after the enemy lost many armored units and fire support vehicles, making these Genetic Warriors and Super Soldiers even more rampant. ¡°You shorties of Sakura Valley, eat my bullets.¡± Miao Lun deeply despised these Japanese soldiers who provoked Jieke Group, continuously firing bullets that cut individual Japanese soldiers in half at the waist. ¡°It¡¯s the Steel Camp guys, bring up the heavy weapons.¡± Japanese soldiers recognized the latest iconic model of Biological Armor from the Steel Camp at a glance. When the close combat ensued, various rocket launchers and single anti-tank missiles were fired. Miao Lun kept dodging; the biological radar inherited from the Purple Light Bat allowed him to move like fish in water on the battlefield. As he dodged, his returning fire was sharp, leaving the Japanese soldiers in front of him in a river of blood. More Steel Camp soldiers grouped in teams of three, coordinating with each other to strike. The entire Steel Camp was like a series of sharp arrows, piercing into the midst of the Japanese and Chan Country soldiers. Following closely were the First-class Super Soldiers, while the second-class and Third-class Super Soldiers provided cover. Additionally, the two Mountain Brigades on the periphery, consisting of over nine thousand men, pressed in from all directions, helping to relieve the pressure on the Steel Camp and Super Soldiers. Not only on the ground, but the sky was also erupting in intense combat at this time. Su Jie used the Storage Bag to secretly deploy an air defense missile base here; the radar turned on, and air defense missiles were continuously fired, locking onto and chasing the Japanese warplanes that came to support from the sky dome. Additionally, Jieke Group had purchased dozens of fighter jets from Mao Bear, and the pilots trained by Mao Bear Country also flew to the airspace over the Ruo Kai Mountains to engage in intense aerial combat with the aircraft of the Japanese and Chan Country Governments. Various air-to-air missiles and decoys flew chaotically, with aircraft being hit from time to time and exploding in the air, not even giving the pilots a chance to parachute. It could be said that for this battle, Jieke Group had deployed many of their trump cards, striving to contain Japan¡¯s air superiority and keep them distracted, buying time for their ground troops to secure victory. Boom! In a deafening roar, a heavy aerial bomb landed fifty meters away from Miao Lun. Although Miao Lun tried his best to dodge, he couldn¡¯t completely escape the explosion radius. This wasn¡¯t a deliberate bombing on him by an aircraft; rather, the intense air combat overhead had pilots jettisoning bombs from their laden bays to reduce weight and improve maneuverability, and coincidentally, one landed near Miao Lun. The blast and shockwave from the explosion flung Miao Lun, his Biological Armor tattered and no longer usable. ¡°Is that Steel Camp guy dead?¡± ¡°Haha, with the aerial bomb so close, he must have been blown up by it.¡± ¡°On board! I want to chop off his head and keep it as a trophy.¡± Seeing this, the nearby Japanese soldiers, originally terrified by Miao Lun, suddenly became spirited, with some of them running up to decapitate Miao Lun. Click! But just then, the presumed dead Miao Lun on the ground suddenly moved. The tattered Biological Armor was torn open, and a figure, no, more accurately a devilish presence, rose to its feet. Miao Lun¡¯s body secreted layers of a peculiar gelatinous substance which, upon solidifying, turned into an insect-like chitin exoskeleton. His leg muscles stretched like steel cables wrapped around, filled with unparalleled explosive power. On his forehead, two black long spear-like horns slanted fiercely into the sky. At this moment, Miao Lun had fully unleashed his Genetic Warrior¡¯s true form, barely resembling a human, and more like a hellish devil from the abyss, with an exoskeleton covering his body, horns towering above, reaching a height of approximately 2.23 meters, and weighing hundreds of kilograms, his eyes bloodthirsty and cruel. The Japanese Soldier who stepped forward wanting to decapitate him, upon seeing Miao Lun¡¯s form, was so terrified that he couldn¡¯t move at all. ¡°Thinking of decapitating me, with just you?¡± Miao Lun looked on coldly, his hand moving faster than his voice. His left hand flashed, grabbing the Japanese Soldier¡¯s neck and as he exerted force with his palm, a horrifying scene unfolded. The flesh and bones of the Japanese Soldier¡¯s neck squished like mud through the gaps between Miao Lun¡¯s large fingers, a living human head being gruesomely plucked off. Seeing this scene, every Japanese Soldier was stunned, wide-eyed and speechless. Not only did Miao Lun appear completely unhuman, but his abilities were nothing like a human¡¯s either! ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Miao Lun cracked his neck, making a crisp sound, and the next moment, he burst out at an ultra-high speed, running at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour. In the past, because of the weight of the Biological Armor and carrying a lot of ammunition, his speed was actually restricted. Now, free from the constraints of the Biological Armor, he could run at full speed. A speed of 180 kilometers per hour, almost covering fifty meters in just one second. Many Japanese Soldiers couldn¡¯t even react in time as Miao Lun appeared right in front of them. Snap! Miao Lun threw a punch, instantly bursting the head of a Japanese Soldier. His right leg kicked out, sending another Japanese Soldier flying over twenty meters, the body tumbling in the air, landing almost completely fractured and with crushed organs, as if struck by a high-speed car. Actually, this was almost accurate, as Miao Lun¡¯s strength allowed him to lift two tons with both arms, and with his speed, simple punches and kicks were as devastating as a car crash. After killing several people in succession, the bullets from the Japanese Soldiers finally hit Miao Lun. However, every bullet was deflected by the outer chitin armor, which could resist the barrage of a heavy machine gun. Strength, speed, defensea?€¡±Miao Lun lacked nothing, and with his biological radar¡¯s senses, even in a place teeming with warriors like the Steel Camp, Miao Lun¡¯s combat power was NO.1. ¡°Monster, this is a monster.¡± Seeing that bullets couldn¡¯t kill Miao Lun, the nearby Japanese Soldiers grew even more terrified. To them, the Biological Armor could be understood as a Single Soldier Mecha, but Miao Lun¡¯s appearance and the display of such terrifying combat power greatly shocked and frightened them, far exceeding the impact of the Biological Armor. ¡°Monster, huh? I like that name.¡± Miao Lun grinned ferociously, charged to a heavy machine gun emplacement, crushing the crew inside, and taking the heavy machine gun himself with the ammo chain draped over him, running at a speed over 150 kilometers per hour, while firing at every Japanese Soldier who appeared in his sight. This mode of slaughter was much faster than just using fists and melee weapons; none of the soldiers could hide or outrun Miao Lun¡¯s high speed. And heavier weapons were even less likely to hit the high-speed agile Miao Lun, ordinary firearm bullets were simply ignored by him, and the battle turned into a one-sided massacre. In less than five minutes, the soldiers from Sakura Valley were completely routed by Miao Lun, all crying and running away, fleeing from this human-shaped demon. This slaughter and terrifying appearance had such an impact that the Japanese Soldiers simply couldn¡¯t withstand it, throwing caution to the wind to escape from Miao Lun¡¯s sight. Chapter 419 - 419 287 Captive (First Update) ?Chapter 419: Chapter 287: Captive (First Update) Chapter 419: Chapter 287: Captive (First Update) The intensity of the battle was so fierce that many of the biological armors of the Steel Camp were damaged, revealing their full forms. Slash! A Genetic Warrior, with his hands shaped like the blades of a mantis and legs moving as fast as the wind, streaked past, slicing Japanese Soldiers and Chan Country Soldiers in half at the waist with ease, as if cutting through vegetables. ¡°Invaders, let¡¯s see whether my blades are faster, or your bullets are,¡± he taunted. The Genetic Warrior laughed manically as his hand blades, sharp as lasers, cut cleanly through both flesh and firearm as he swept by, leaving smooth, even cuts. Many Japanese Soldiers were sliced in half at the torso, and it wasn¡¯t until a few seconds later that a line of blood burst forth. The top and bottom halves of their bodies separated, and screams shook the earth and sky. Thump thump thump! Japanese Soldiers incessantly fired their bullets, rocket launchers, and grenade launchers, with machine guns spraying ceaselessly. Though this Genetic Warrior wore a high-quality Tianyuan Protective Suit, it was not enough to defend against machine gun bullets. Not every Genetic Warrior had inherited the kind of tough exoskeleton like Miao Lun¡¯s. Fortunately, he was not fighting alone. Precise bullets shot from afar, burrowing into the foreheads of machine gunners, their brains spurting out as their bodies swayed and then collapsed onto their weapons. ¡°Mr. Xiaolin.¡± The assistant gunner, in a flash of rage upon seeing his comrade, pushed the lifeless body aside and took hold of the rear grip of the machine gun. However, just three seconds after the muzzle began to fire, another bullet entered his skull, following in his comrade¡¯s footsteps. In the distance, a Genetic Warrior¡¯s body became as flexible as a mollusk, his ten fingers elongating like the nimble tentacles of an octopus, each holding different firearms including rifles, sniper rifles, and machine guns, capable of shooting in a full 360-degree range without a blind spot. ¡°Tsk tsk, too many people, can¡¯t kill them all,¡± he said, but the speed of his killing did not slow down as he truly managed to fire wherever he pointed. Unlike ordinary humans, his eyes, like those of a chameleon, afforded him 360-degree vision, and he could also watch multiple different objects at the same time. With the aerial Eye Worms providing surveillance from above, it was difficult for enemies to reveal themselves without getting instantly shot down by him. Many Japanese Soldiers, armed with rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, anti-material sniper rifles, and machine guns, barely aimed their weapons and hadn¡¯t yet pulled their triggers when a bullet pierced through their sockets. In this Genetic Warrior¡¯s combat zone, it was incredibly safe, effectively protecting the advance and combat operations of his comrades. Boom! Bang! A few mortar shells came crashing down, forcing the Genetic Warrior to retreat slightly. After the Eye Worms located the enemy mortar positions, which were beyond his shooting range, he indeed called for assistance. ¡°Giant Bear, take out the enemy at 11 o¡¯clock, coordinates...¡± Several kilometers away, a Genetic Warrior crouched on the ground, his skin sprouting black bristles, his mouth filled with sharp canine teeth, and limbs equipped with sharp claws, his size larger than the largest carnivore on land, the polar bear, and he easily tore through human flesh, biting off heads and flipping armored vehicles. Upon hearing his comrade¡¯s request for support, he detached the 120 mm mortar from his back and swiftly commenced rapid firing. As a dozen or so shells fell, the Japanese mortar positions were instantly silenced, with gunners cut down by shrapnel and the shockwave, cries of agony filling the air. In the vast rear of the Japanese Soldiers, a Genetic Warrior, blending into the shade of the trees, was constantly camouflaging himself according to the surrounding environment. On the tense battlefield, many enemy soldiers passed by him, yet none could detect his presence. Minutes later, he finally found his target: a gathering place of high-ranking officers. Click! The Genetic Warrior charged swiftly, his firearms spraying bullets, and the unsuspecting guards and officers were successively shot down. Without the command of the high-ranking officers, the Japanese and Chan Country armies became increasingly disorganized. Hundreds of Genetic Warriors fought fiercely, displaying a vast array of abilities depending on the genes they fused, each revealing strange and diverse powers. At first glance, one might think they had entered a playground of monstrous creatures, with non-human horrors slaughtering humans everywhere. And the Japanese and Chan Country Soldiers, whether psychologically or physically, were enduring the non-human brutality and terror of the Genetic Warriors, as their morale plummeted ever lower. ¡°My dear, it¡¯s your turn,¡± Su Jie said, observing the events on the battlefield and suddenly speaking to the air. Behind Su Jie, a swath of red quietly dissipated. To reduce Genetic Warrior and Super Soldier casualties and conclude the battle quickly, Su Jie chose to utilize Fierce Ghosts, whose extraordinary methods were not easily detectable by satellites above. Han Ruyan stood on the branch of a tree, her red wedding dress fluttering gently in the breeze. The cruel slaughter of the battlefield generated a considerable amount of Fear Energy. This energy, like the vortex of a funnel, continually streamed into Han Ruyan. The battlefield environment pleased Han Ruyan, who showed a faint, albeit cold, smile on her beautiful face. Raising her right hand, Han Ruyan slowly exhaled two words: ¡°Go ahead.¡± The Heavenly Ghost Map unfolded, and a horde of ghostly creatures with strong hiding abilities howled as they burst forth. Chapter 420 - 420 287 Captive (Second Update) ?Chapter 420: Chapter 287: Captive (Second Update) Chapter 420: Chapter 287: Captive (Second Update) ... Nakajima Shokichi drove a tracked armored vehicle, and was lucky enough to cross the wetlands of Sin Fan Avenue and climb up the mountain. Although the mountainous and forested terrain caused the armored vehicle to become immobilized, its weapon systems were still functioning properly. As the vehicle commander, Nakajima Shokichi continued to direct, having his crew operate the 30mm machine gun to strafe the soldiers of Jieke Group, providing fire support for their own troops. ¡°Kill, kill them fiercely, wipe out all these Jieke Group bastards.¡± Nakajima Shokichi¡¯s eyes were bloodshot; his best friend had died at the hands of a Genetic Warrior, and now he hated the entire Jieke Group to the bone. Nakajima Shokichi kept shouting, constantly checking the outside through his periscope. Suddenly, the tracked armored vehicle stopped firing; the 30mm machine gun no longer discharged deadly bullets. ¡°Tanabe, Takagami, what are you doing? Fire, fire now!¡± Nakajima Shokichi began cursing as he turned to look at the vehicle¡¯s driver and gunner. But to his amazement, the two men were sitting still, doing nothing. Just as Nakajima Shokichi felt something strange and approached to check, both men suddenly turned their heads in unison. Yet now, their eyes were vacant of life, and their skin as pale as paper. ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing, hurry up and...¡± Nakajima Shokichi was in mid-curse when he suddenly felt a chill because the angle at which the two men had turned their necks was so extreme, well over 180 degrees, which would have snapped a normal person¡¯s neck. Nakajima Shokichi shuddered, finally realizing that something was very wrong. Before Nakajima Shokichi could react further, his two comrades suddenly lunged forward, grabbing his shoulders. ¡°Have you gone mad? Do you even want to serve in the military anymore?¡± Nakajima Shokichi yelled, but what responded to him was their weird smiles, which didn¡¯t look like those of living people, but more like a dead person smiling. Click! Nakajima Shokichi found that his limbs were starting to act on their own, and through the glass of the observation mirror, he saw a woman in the reflection staring at him. ¡°It¡¯s haunted.¡± The thought flashed through his mind as his body curled up, slowly catching fire, flickering with blue ghost flames. In the midst of the flames, Han Ruyan¡¯s graceful figure stepped out from the fire, appearing inside the armored vehicle, while a woman also floated out of the observation mirrora?€¡±Mirror Girl, the one who had just killed someone. ¡°So these are the weapons of humans in this Pocket World, indeed peculiar.¡± Han Ruyan curled her fingers, and the Yin Qi turned into invisible ropes, taking direct control of the armored vehicle¡¯s weaponry. Once again, tongues of flame burst from the armored vehicle, but this time the target wasn¡¯t the Jieke Group soldiers, but the Japanese and Chan Country soldiers instead. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The 30mm machine gun fired continually, causing the bodies of the Japanese Soldiers to explode, taken completely by surprise, they had no thought to evade their own vehicle¡¯s assault. In an instant, the surroundings turned into a death zone with body parts shattered by the 30mm rounds flying everywhere. ¡°Damn it, we¡¯re on the same side, you¡¯re hitting the wrong people!¡± ¡°Damn, have they been turned traitor or bought off? Don¡¯t let him keep killing, bring the rocket launcher here.¡± ¡°You are committing treason, kill these traitors.¡± By the time the Japanese Soldiers realized what was happening, over a hundred had been killed. Someone brought a rocket launcher, and a rocket blasted into the armored vehicle, detonating the ammunition inside. Flames erupted from all sides, and the armored vehicle was finally silenced. However, such incidents were not isolated. At a rear artillery position, submerged under a flood, several self-propelled howitzers were firing continuously. The fifty-kilogram 155mm artillery shells they launched could blast scores of meters in every direction, causing people and horses to tumble. But just as the Japanese artillery position was covering fire, several ghostly shadows drifted in. The cannons began to cease fire one after another because their operators had been deprived of their lives by various strange methods. Even with armor, including tanks, nothing could withstand the strange infiltrating killing of the fierce ghosts ranked third and fourth grade. As the ghostly figures moved in, undetectable by ordinary people, the artillerymen and armored vehicles on the battlefield were dying mysteriously and fell silent. The last remaining heavy firepower of Japan and Chan Country was suddenly thrown into an unsustainable situation, No eyewitnesses were left by the actions of the ghosts, and the chaotic battlefield became a hunting ground for the fierce ghosts, who freely toyed with the enemy soldiers. To ordinary people, any attack from a fierce ghost was extremely lethal without even trying too hard. Occasionally, someone would discover the existence of fierce ghosts, but even then, Han Ruyan¡¯s ability to block electronic signals meant no messages could be sent out, and the eyewitnesses would ultimately be killed to silence them. Fierce ghosts killed quickly, a fact that was still held back by the restrictions of their power on Blue Star. After all, there was no Spiritual Energy on Blue Star, so here, the ghosts were like fish out of water, and using too much power meant having to recharge with Spirit Stones. For the sake of victory, the expenditure of corresponding Spirit Stones was inevitable to eradicate a large amount of heavy firepower. With the ghosts and Genetic Warriors striking, the battle was practically devoid of any suspense. One soldier after another sought to flee, but with Sin Fan Avenue transformed into a marshland, and the mountains above patrolled by Super Soldiers, Genetic Warriors, as well as nearly ten thousand elite mountain infantry, escape through the forest was impossible. ¡°I surrender, I surrender.¡± ¡°I am from Chan Country too, Chans don¡¯t fight Chans.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill us, the Japanese government made us come to Chan Country, we are victims too.¡± In the end, as morale plummeted to rock bottom, Japanese Soldiers and Chan Country Soldiers began to surrender en masse, raising their hands in the French military salute. Like a tumbling mountain, surrender spread like a virus, one after another becoming infected. The soldiers all had the same thought, why should they fight to the death when others could surrender and live, needlessly throwing away their lives. Because of this, many surrendered, and their actions of surrender were witnessed by other soldiers, shaking more soldiers¡¯ resolve, and the contagion spread, causing the entire situation to collapse. The fighting became sporadic, with the Genetic Warriors cleaning up the remnants of the hardliners. The rest of the Japanese Soldiers and Chan Country Soldiers dropped their weapons, knelt with their hands on their heads, faces filled with despair and anxiety, awaiting the judgment of the Jieke Group. The great army of one hundred and fifty thousand suffered tens of thousands of casualties, some even drowned by the floodwaters. It could be said, had they chosen to fight to the end, to the last man, the outcome of the battle would still be uncertain. After all, the reality was that the Jieke Group was outnumbered, and the stamina of Genetic Warriors and Super Soldiers was not limitless; they too could be killed. But on the battlefield, there are no ifs. Clearly, the Japanese Soldiers and Chan Country Soldiers did not possess the steel will to fight to the death, ultimately leading to their complete annihilation. ¡°General Su, we have won this battle.¡± Miao Lun, covered in blood, walked back to Su Jie with an excited and thrilled smile. With just ten thousand men, relying mainly on hundreds of Genetic Warriors and thousands of Super Soldiers, they had managed to crush and eradicate this army of tens of thousands. This victory, if told, would likely be taken for a myth. Touching the Ten Thousand Soul Banner in his embrace, Su Jie contentedly said, ¡°The way those Japanese Soldiers look at you now clearly shows you have not disappointed my expectations.¡± As they spoke, a stream of captives walked by with their hands tied behind their backs, heads hung low, being escorted. As they passed by, the fear in their eyes when they looked at Miao Lun and other Genetic Warriors was palpable; many shook uncontrollably in their legs, retreating backward and avoiding the Genetic Warriors¡¯ gaze. Obviously, an indelible psychological shadow of the Genetic Warriors had been left in their minds. ¡°Go take a good rest for a while, you¡¯ll probably become the center of public attention soon,¡± Su Jie said, patting Miao Lun¡¯s shoulder, already foreseeing tomorrow when news of the battle at the Ruo Kai Mountains broke, it would surely make the front page of international news. Chapter 421 - 421 288 United Nations Security Council (First Update) ?Chapter 421: Chapter 288: United Nations Security Council (First Update) Chapter 421: Chapter 288: United Nations Security Council (First Update) ¡°` ¡°Shocking, the Ying Chan Alliance Army of 150,000 was annihilated in the Ruo Kai Mountains, with 40,000 dead or injured, and 110,000 surrendered.¡± ¡°A whole new type of Transformed Person, Jieke Group disregards human morality, conducting biochemical modifications on the human body.¡± ¡°Is this a symbol of human evolution or the root of self-destruction? Jieke Group¡¯s research on biochemical human body transformation, is it a blessing or a curse?¡± ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ve made errors in the human technology tree; the potential of the human body exceeds imagination.¡± ¡°The arrogant Japanese army paid the price for its rashness, plunging headfirst into the trap set by the Jieke Group in the Ruo Kai Mountains, leading to such a tragic outcome.¡± The following day, news media around the world almost unanimously placed the results of the battle at Ruo Kai Mountains, as well as information about the Genetic Warriors, on the front pages of their reports. The battle at Ruo Kai Mountains, due to the terrifying combat power of the Genetic Warriors, reset the world¡¯s perception of human potential. Governments and the public alike, upon seeing the Genetic Warriors, the battlefield footage recorded and uploaded by those affected, and the images captured by reconnaissance drones and satellites, were flabbergasted and sparked widespread discussion. ¡°The Jieke Group¡¯s official website just announced that the soldiers that appeared in Ruo Kai Mountains are officially known as Genetic Warriors.¡± ¡°Just hearing it suggests it¡¯s related to human genetic modification; Jieke Group¡¯s level in biochemistry and medicine is simply terrifying.¡± ¡°Damn it, Jieke Group actually used such evil technology to transform humans and attack our troops, they must be severely punished.¡± ¡°Our Country has already fallen behind in the development of new biochemical troops, as the Dominator of Blue Star, we must also have our own biochemical genetic troops.¡± ¡°What are the requirements for this kind of genetic modification? Can I get one? I¡¯m willing to pay a high price.¡± ¡°Movies come to life, so genetic modification really does exist. Jieke Group is incredible! They are twenty years ahead of the world in biochemical modification technology.¡± ¡°Flesh is weak, machines ascend? Perhaps we¡¯ve taken the wrong path in evolution.¡± ¡°An entire army of 150,000 was devoured, tsk tsk, that¡¯s like 150,000 pigs; even if Jieke Group snatched for a whole day, they couldn¡¯t catch them all!¡± ¡°Japan previously vowed to destroy Jieke Group¡¯s military force, and now their own invading army has been completely wiped out. I wonder how their faces feel.¡± ¡°Evil Jieke Group, evil gene technology, such a company, I support the Eight Nation Group in eradicating them completely.¡± ¡°Talk about eradicating them, now they are the ones getting hit and running away.¡± Netizens debated fiercely, expressing astonishment at Jieke Group¡¯s Genetic Warriors, saying ¡°my friends and I are all shocked.¡± Just from the battlefield videos automatically recorded by the head-mounted sports cameras of the affected Japanese Soldiers and Chan Country Soldiers, those Genetic Warriors were just too OP (overpowered). Equipped with powerful Biological Armor, wearing bulletproof vests that could defend against ordinary rifle bullets, and possessing such perverted combat abilities, their abilities were rich and varied. They had insect exoskeletons that heavy machine guns couldn¡¯t penetrate, biological cloaking technology that was difficult to detect with the naked eye, compound eyes like insects, allowing them to easily snipe any enemy within range... It can be said that the appearance of Genetic Warriors, like the mutants with superpowers in the movies, has given the world an unimaginable shock. For outsiders, it¡¯s mostly just onlookers in awe, but for the Japanese Government and the Chan Country Government, the battle at Ruo Kai Mountains has put them in a situation facing collapse. Several Japanese military units, apart from those killed, had 10,000 taken prisoner, becoming captives of the Jieke Group. Since World War II, Japan had never experienced such devastating military losses. Not to mention anything else, just the anti-war protests within the country were enough to give the authorities a headache. They thought they had a guaranteed victory, but never imagined they would be in this situation, with their deployed troops not only failing to penetrate East Qin State and Ji State, but being completely annihilated themselves. The Japanese troops in Chan Country now numbered only a few thousand, no longer capable of mounting any effective resistance against Jieke Group. As for the Chan Country Government, their situation was even more miserable. The Chan Country Government¡¯s army of more than 300,000, excluding the air force and navy, only amounted to over 200,000 troops. But now, after the war in Ji State, they had already lost 60,000 to 70,000 to death, injury, and capture, and the battle at Ruo Kai Mountains cost them another more than 100,000. The current strength of the Chan Country Government Army was less than 100,000, with several tens of thousands surrounding Twin Peaks. With the remaining soldiers tasked with defending the vast southern heartland of Chan Country, one could say that Chan Country Government Army had been stripped of its assets by Jieke Group. In such circumstances, the Chan Country Government, acting crazed, began a large-scale conscription nationwide, forcibly drafting many young people of appropriate age. At the same time, the Chan Country Government began frantically seeking allies among other warlords within the country, and on the other hand, started to lodge complaints with the United Nations Security Council against Jieke Group, requesting international support. ... February 25th. Manhattan¡¯s East Side, New York City, Beautiful Country. The United Nations Security Council¡¯s headquarters building complex, including the Secretariat, Conference, Assembly Halls, and the Hamashelder Library, are located here. Today, the United Nations Security Council was particularly lively, with a special meeting being held, attended by all 193 member states of the resolution conference. ¡°This special conference is convened regarding the civil war in Chan Country; we need to hear everyone¡¯s thoughts and opinions.¡± ¡°` Chapter 422 - 422 288 United Nations Security Council (First Update)_2 ?Chapter 422: Chapter 288: United Nations Security Council (First Update)_2 Chapter 422: Chapter 288: United Nations Security Council (First Update)_2 ¡°` After the chairperson announced the agenda for the assembly, the representative from the Chan Country Government immediately raised his hand and stood up. Holding a document and several photos, he spoke tearfully, ¡°Representatives from all countries, the war caused by the invasion of the Jieke Group has brought terrible humanitarian disasters to the territory of Chan Country, destruction, and collective trauma, and it also poses a threat to international peace and security and seriously affects public order. ¡°I hope the United Nations Security Council takes action to resolve the war in Chan Country, employing international armed forces to achieve lasting peace.¡± Upon hearing this, the representatives from various countries began whispering to each other. For many countries, Chan Country was just a small country, which had always been inconspicuous on the international stage. If it weren¡¯t for this civil war drawing attention and the acts of the Jieke Group in opposing the Eight Nation Group, along with the various high-tech innovations that made the headlines, many people from other countries wouldn¡¯t even know that such a country existed. Therefore, faced with the proposal from Chan Country, most countries didn¡¯t take it seriously. Many people were clear that in this war the Chan Country Government was just a bit player; it was Beautiful Country, the Blue Star Dominator, that had initiated this war. Thus, everyone covertly turned their gaze towards the representative from Beautiful Country, and he didn¡¯t disappoint them, leaning forward and offering support, ¡°I agree with the proposal of the Chan Country Government. The Jieke Group has committed all sorts of evil acts, plunging Chan Country into war; we must immediately punish them.¡± ¡°I disagree,¡± Brother Mao Xiong immediately stood up, saying coldly, ¡°The civil war in Chan Country is their own affair; we should respect the wishes of the local people. If the Chan Country Government cannot lead a population of fifty million, then perhaps it¡¯s time for a better leadership team. The United Nations Security Council has no reason to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.¡± The Jieke Group was a major arms purchaser from Mao Bear Country, buying more military hardware from Mao Bear annually than any other country, firmly at the top of the list. Moreover, the military hardware purchased by the Jieke Group was used to deal with the Eight Nation Group led by Beautiful Country, which was something Mao Bear Country was only too happy to see. As long as it was against Beautiful Country, Mao Bear Country would certainly support the opposition. ¡°Not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries is one of the founding principles of the United Nations; let Chan Country resolve their own internal issues,¡± the representative from Hua Country also spoke out. ¡°Ridiculous, the Jieke Group openly wages war, causing large numbers of civilians to be displaced, suffering untold misery. As members of the international community, how can we stand by and do nothing?¡± The representative from France raised their flag in support of Beautiful Country. ¡°The actions of the Jieke Group seriously violate the basic norms of the international community. What if, in the future, domestic rebels in our countries take this as an example? What then?¡± The representative from the British Empire also followed suit, siding with Beautiful Country. The consecutive statements from the Five Permanent Countries led to a standoff at the scene. The remaining country representatives looked at each other, with Western-aligned nations naturally taking the side of Beautiful Country, and the others displaying a largely indifferent attitude. Only the representative from Japan stood up, his voice full of tears, saying, ¡°Japanese soldiers kindly maintained political stability in Chan Country, but the Jieke Group ignored our goodwill and ruthlessly killed our soldiers, imprisoning a large number of our innocent military personnel. I hereby appeal for unity, we can no longer tolerate the Jieke Group continuing to grow stronger, as it will lead to the world falling into chaos and darkness. Japan supports the dispatch of peacekeeping forces.¡± Hearing this, many people in the room rolled their eyes. You, Japan, have the audacity to say this, sending troops into Chan Country and acting as Beautiful Country¡¯s pawn. After failing to flatter them, you even had a few teeth knocked out by the Jieke Group, and now you have the gall to ask everyone to take your side, how utopian. ¡°Heh, if you want to deploy international armed forces, my Mao Bear Country will not participate,¡± the representative from Mao Bear Country said, rejecting the idea outright without a second thought. Dispatching peacekeeping troops was contingent upon one necessary condition: the unanimous agreement of the Five Permanent Countries. If even one of the Five Permanent Countries disagrees, it simply can¡¯t be done. ¡°Mao Bear Country, do you no longer bear the responsibility of a major international power? Peacekeeping is everyone¡¯s business; if you¡¯re going to talk like that, you might as well give up your seat as a permanent member.¡± ¡°` The representative from the British Empire slammed the table, his face full of indignation. Because the Beautiful Country had promised many benefits, the British Empire would naturally stand with the Beautiful Country. The peacekeeping forces are the international armed forces of the United Nations Security Council, and their mission is to supervise ceasefires, truces, and withdrawals, observe and report on the situations in conflict zones, separate the conflicting parties, assist in restoring or maintaining order in conflict zones, transport and protect humanitarian aid, and oversee elections or referendums. If peacekeeping forces could be sent to Chan Country, it would provide a legitimate and legal way for the Eight Nation Group to force the Chan Country Government and the Jieke Group to sign a ceasefire agreement. Of course, whether others recognize this is another matter, but it certainly allows one to take the moral high ground. ¡°You have responsibility, you could send your domestic Lobster Soldiers over! Just don¡¯t end up with dead shrimps when the time comes. What¡¯s more, sending peacekeeping forces neither sooner nor later, just at this time, do you think everyone doesn¡¯t understand it¡¯s for what reason? If you want to clean up the mess for the Eight Nation Group, do it yourself.¡± The Russian representative¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery and ridicule. It was clear to any discerning person that, with the end of the battle in the Ruo Kai Mountains, the Jieke Group had absolutely taken the upper hand in the Chan Country Civil War and might soon completely swallow up Chan Country¡¯s territory. Deploying peacekeeping troops at this time for a ceasefirea?€¡±and such obvious partialitya?€¡±it¡¯s just too blatant. You don¡¯t send peacekeeping forces when bombing territories under the control of the Jieke Group, but now that the Chan Country Government is at a disadvantage, you eagerly come to the United Nations Security Council to call for a meeting, attempting to take sides and make the Jieke Group back off. Such acts of brown-nosing the Beautiful Country, Russia wouldn¡¯t stoop to doing. ¡°You group of Slavic brutes, if our domestic soldiers were to attack a local warlord, we could easily wipe them out, but this is contrary to the international society¡¯s principle of peace; this does not mean we are afraid of the Jieke Group.¡± The British Empire¡¯s representative yelled fiercely, sounding somewhat defensive. The British Empire today is no longer the world¡¯s supreme overlord of the last century, colonizing the globe, with fleets sailing without fear. The military strength of today¡¯s British Empire has declined greatly, with only one hundred and ten thousand in the army, fifty thousand in the navy, forty thousand in the air force, plus overseas forces and reservists, all in all around four to five hundred thousand troops. With such a small military force, planning a distant expedition to Chan Country to fight the Jieke Group would be insane unless they wanted to get beaten to a pulp by Super Soldiers and Genetic Warriors. The British Empire wasn¡¯t stupid; there was no need to take bullets for the Beautiful Country. The representative from the Beautiful Country¡¯s face darkened, knowing that with Russia, the archenemy, it was difficult to achieve anything, and said with a cold snort, ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next topic. To maintain its reign of terror in Chan Country, the Jieke Group has illegally carried out human genetic modification experiments, which pose a high risk of contaminating the human gene pool. I call for sanctions against the Jieke Group, prohibiting them from carrying out related illegal bio-genetic experiments. The Jieke Group must immediately stop such modifications and hand over all related data for review and archiving by the United Nations Security Council. Please raise your hands now for a vote, those in favor, raise your hands; majority rules.¡± One after another, arms were raised. On the topic of genetic modification, everyone unmistakably aligned with the Beautiful Country. Because the Jieke Group was too advanced in the bio-genetic field, everyone coveted their technology and also feared them continuing their research, developing even more terrifying soldiers. After all, the Jieke Group¡¯s Mud Truck Trade War was infamous among those present; with Genetic Warriors so formidable, the thought of further advancements frightened everyone. Although many countries, including Russia and Hua Country, expressed opposition, what the Beautiful Country needed was only a pretext for public opinion; they didn¡¯t care about the rest, because they themselves knew that even if the resolution passed, it would be useless against the Jieke Group. Looking at Lin Li¡¯s raised arm, the representative from the Beautiful Country showed satisfaction, saying, ¡°Good, it seems that most people agree with me. We need to join forces to stop the Jieke Group from further developing bio-genetic technology and hand over the related technology for archiving to the United Nations Security Council within three days.¡± ¡°This guy, playing the same old unilateral declaration game again.¡± The Russian representative curled his lip, aware that the Beautiful Country was just seeking a reason. The changing situation in Chan Country made the Beautiful Country uneasy, looking for excuses to get involved in the civil war in Chan Country. Chapter 423 - 423 289 Unification of the World (Second Update) ?Chapter 423: Chapter 289: Unification of the World (Second Update) Chapter 423: Chapter 289: Unification of the World (Second Update) East Qin State! Su Jie rode in a black sedan, heading towards the Jieke Group Headquarters Building, where a press conference was being held. ¡°The Northern Territory has been essentially swept clean, many warlord soldiers have surrendered, and local civilians have joined the insect farming industry, breaking the economic bonds of those warlords. ?¦Ï??0.§ã0 However, the core leaders of the warlords had fled in advance. According to intelligence, they have run off to Yang City, the capital of Chan Country, and are under CIA protection.¡± Liu Yingying, holding documents, was reporting the latest situation of the Jieke Group to Su Jie. ¡°No matter, we will settle the accounts with them soon.¡± Su Jie knew where those people were, and it didn¡¯t matter if they were in Chan Country or had fled to a Western country, Su Jie would send Genetic Warriors to eliminate them. From the moment they picked a fight with the Jieke Group, their fate was actually sealed. ¡°How are the preparations in the Ruo Kai Mountains coming along?¡± ¡°The military is already deployed, ready to move south and liberate the local civilians at any time.¡± Liu Yingying, having been with Su Jie for a long time, now also used the word ¡°liberate¡± in her speech, which sounded very upright, though Su Jie was a Demon Cultivator. Su Jie pinched Liu Yingying¡¯s cheek and smiled, ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard these days. Once this war is over, I¡¯ll take some time to be with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Career comes first.¡± Liu Yingying shook her head and leaned on Su Jie¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡°I¡¯m very satisfied with my life now. In the past, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to dream of having such incredible experiences.¡± From a small-time real estate salesperson to becoming the number two in a regional warlord¡¯s commanda?€¡±she had never dared to dream of this before. ¡°This is nothing. You will experience much more in the future.¡± Su Jie stroked Liu Yingying¡¯s smooth hair as they chatted casually, arriving at the Jieke Group¡¯s headquarters building. The place was already under strict security to prevent missile attacks from the Eight Nation Group, so the press conference was not held above ground but deep underground in a bunker-level conference room. Many journalists attending the press conference complained privately, but some also admired Jieke Group¡¯s foresight, because the Beautiful Country really could do such a thing. ¡°Mr. Su, regarding the United Nations¡¯ latest resolution forbidding the Jieke Group from researching and developing biochemical genetics technology, and requiring the handover of related technologies for a lockdown, will you comply with the United Nations¡¯ resolution?¡± At the press conference, the first journalist who stood up to ask a question brought up the recently concluded United Nations Security Council resolution. Su Jie smiled slightly and said, ¡°The United Nations Security Council resolution? We are not a member state of the United Nations Security Council. Agreements signed by others have nothing to do with us. The Beautiful Country likes to do this kind of thing. Why don¡¯t they first publicize their own domestic technologies like jet fighter engines, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and chip technologies? These technologies are equally dangerous. Shouldn¡¯t we prohibit the Beautiful Country from developing them?¡± Su Jie made his point very clear, suggesting that anyone wanting to freeload his technology should just go to bed early. Unrelenting, the journalist continued, ¡°Mr. Su, with your large-scale production of human biochemical genetic experiments, what if there is an accidental incident? Many experts say that genetic modification can affect the natural lifespan of humans. It can also lead to aggressiveness and irritability among the Reformers, and it¡¯s impossible to know when they will lose control and kill indiscriminately.¡± ¡°Our Jieke Group¡¯s biotech is safe enough. As for the experts you speak of, if they understand so much, let them produce a similar Genetic Warrior for me to see. Otherwise, I can only assume they are talking nonsense.¡± Su Jie waved his hand, signaling the next journalist to ask a question and deliberately picking a reporter from Asahi News of Japan. ¡°The Prime Minister of Japan, Tsunoshima Shouichi, has issued an order demanding that Jieke Group immediately release our soldiers, otherwise Japan will send more troops to destroy Jieke Group¡¯s rule.¡± Asahi News¡¯ reporter¡¯s words were filled with indignation. Japan had not only been defeated but also had thousands of soldiers taken prisoner by Jieke Group. This incident had caused an uproar back in Japan, with people now protesting in the streets. ¡°Release? Although we don¡¯t have potatoes to dig in Siberia like Chan Country does, those mines also need a lot of labor.¡± ¡°Those prisoners from Japan must atone for their own actions of invading Chan Country. Or perhaps your Eight Nation Group would be willing to pay ten million US dollars per person; then I might consider negotiating their release.¡± ¡°Of course, I would love for you to continue sending troops, because our mines are seriously lacking in labor, and we are worried about not having enough prisoners.¡± Su Jie sneered repeatedly. In his rule, there were some rare mines located in high mountains and dense forests, which were extremely dangerous. Because machinery had difficulty accessing these areas, manpower was needed for mining, making these Japanese prisoners a perfect fit. Many people, given the high-intensity labor and the constant risk of collapse, found it hard to survive more than three to five years. If they were lucky enough to survive, they could be used for experiments. Like the transformation into Genetic Warriors, after all, some test subjects are needed to try drugs and ensure safety. The souls of the deceased prisoners could be extracted to cultivate the Yin Soul, strengthening his Ten Thousand Soul Banner. For Su Jie, who came from a lineage of Demon Cultivators, having mercy on his enemies was absolutely impossible. And Su Jie¡¯s response left the Asahi News journalist trembling all over. This was simply outrageous and displayed complete disregard for Japan, daring to openly say he would force the prisoners to labor in the mines. Chapter 424 - 424 289 Unification of the World (Second Update)_2 ?Chapter 424: Chapter 289: Unification of the World (Second Update)_2 Chapter 424: Chapter 289: Unification of the World (Second Update)_2 What¡¯s this about ten million US dollars per person? The price alone makes it clear they have no intention of releasing anyone! ¡°How is the Jieke Group¡¯s behavior any different from that of kidnappers who extort for ransom?¡± ¡°The difference lies in the fact that we are the victors. Why should we spare those who have invaded us? The Jieke Group has always believed in an eye for an eye, blood for blood.¡± Su Jie looked at the reporter from Asahi News, his voice laced with murderous intent, causing their face to pale. Su Jie didn¡¯t bother with another response, glancing at the reporters present, he fixed his gaze on a journalist from the official media of the Chan Country Government. ¡°You¡¯re from the official media of Chan Country, do you have any questions?¡± Su Jie asked directly, wanting to hear what they would say. ¡°The United Nations Security Council has already expressed its stance, seeking to mediate a ceasefire between the Jieke Group and Chan Country Government. At the same time, the Chan Country Government has also made promises, willing to hand over Magway State which borders Ji State to Jieke Group¡¯s management, along with two billion US dollars to aid in the reconstruction of East Qin State, as long as the Jieke Group agrees to a ceasefire.¡± With these words, the reporter conveyed the Chan Country Government¡¯s desire for a ceasefire, even willing to cede territory and make reparations to the Jieke Group. After the battle in the Ruo Kai Mountains, the Jieke Group secured absolute superiority, while the Chan Country Government is now at an absolute disadvantage. The disparity in combat power between both sides has left the Chan Country Government wanting to beg for mercy. ¡°A ceasefire?¡± A smile curled at the corner of Su Jie¡¯s mouth, his eyes cold and indifferent, sneering at the Chan Country Government¡¯s wishful thinking. Do you wait for the car to hit the tree before you turn, or for the snot to reach your mouth before you wipe it away? Seeing that Su Jie hadn¡¯t immediately refused, the official media reporter from Chan Country thought there was hope, his eyes lighting up. But the next moment, Su Jie¡¯s words sent chills down his spine. ¡°There¡¯s a saying in the East, it¡¯s better to pursue and crush a retreating foe than to rest on your laurels and emulate the overconfident kings of old. Let me tell the Chan Country Government right now, this battle won¡¯t end until one side falls.¡± Su Jie was not one to show the mercy of a woman; he wouldn¡¯t allow the tiger to return to the mountain, giving the Chan Country Government a chance to struggle. He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to end the battle early, taking advantage of the Jieke Group¡¯s current dominance and the Chan Country Government¡¯s shortage of troops and officers, to annihilate the Chan Country Government in one fell swoop. Should he wait for the enemy to recuperate, retrain their army, and then, in cooperation with the Eight Nation Group, make a comeback to attack him again? Su Jie would not be so foolish. He would decisively seize the victory and eliminate the foothold the Eight Nation Group has in interfering with his affairs. And replace the Chan Country Government, officially taking over all the powers of Chan Country. Hearing Su Jie¡¯s adamant tone, the official media reporter from Chan Country swayed, his lips quivering, ¡°You tyrant! Ending the war is the will of the entire Chan Country and the prevailing view of the international community. This war has caused too many casualties. Ending the war one day earlier will allow Chan Country¡¯s citizens to return to peaceful lives sooner. Do you intend to disregard life and wreak havoc, causing people to lose their families and lives in the war, leaving wives separated from their children, before you would be willing to stop? What Chan Country needs now is peace, and that is also the voice of many citizens.¡± The reporters below nodded in agreement upon hearing these words. In the objective impression of the international community, forces that relish war tend to have a poor image, like the Beautiful Country. Su Jie slowly stood up, surveyed the audience, and said deliberately, ¡°Of course, I intend to continue the war. Two hundred and forty thousand soldiers of the Jieke Group have given their blood and lives in succession. You¡¯ve only seen the war itself. You see us, the Jieke Group, unwilling to let go and cast me as a murderous tyrant, right? Incorrect. Our war has lasted only one year, while the civil war in Chan Country has raged for a full 77 years. Seventy-seven years! Never a day¡¯s pause, from the founding of the nation, plagued by warlords, political chaos, opium flooding the streets, and rampant illegal and criminal activities. Go and ask any local person in Chan Country if they like their country being this way. Can the Chan Country Government make things better in Chan Country, prevent deaths due to war? No! Can those warlords, with their opium cultivation, make the country stronger? No! Can those criminal forces, with their kidnappings, frauds, and extortions, provide a good life for the citizens? No. Only I, only the Jieke Group, am the sole savior of Chan Country. The Chan Country Government can¡¯t do it; let me, Su Jie, do it.¡± Warlords couldn¡¯t achieve it, so I, Su Jie, will do it. ¡°Only with true unification can there be true peace in the world,¡± he said with calm determination, expressing his own thoughts. The journalists below listened to Su Jie¡¯s authoritative war declaration, and for a moment seemed to be intimidated into silence, the whole room falling quiet. They saw Su Jie as a man glowing with brilliance, towering immensely. Compared to those hypocritical politicians, such a declaration from Su Jie undoubtedly matched people¡¯s perception of him more closely. ¡°That is my answer, are you satisfied?¡± Su Jie looked at the official media journalist from Chan Country, not about to stop because he feared the casualties war might cause. The pain caused by this war is only temporary, it¡¯s better to have short-term pain than long-term pain. To acquiesce to the Chan Country Government¡¯s request for a ceasefire would only lead to greater casualties in the future. The official media journalist from Chan Country opened and closed his mouth a few times, no sound coming out, seemingly drained of spirit. ¡°Su Jie!¡± Liu Yingying, sitting beside Su Jie, felt her heart pounding as she gazed at his profile, her eyes somewhat infatuated. The look of someone in love can¡¯t be hidden. The man she adored was indeed extraordinary. There were also Jieke Group officials at the press conference, answering other questions about the event. They were all locals born and raised in Chan Country and understood what Su Jie was talking about. Since the day of its founding, Chan Country had always been mired in civil war, never seeing true peace, and was still in a state of warlord fragmentation. ¡°Unify the entire country, peace for all, huh? Can I really live to see that day?¡± An elderly official with white hair had tears streaming down his face, muttering to himself, overwhelmed with emotion. Only someone who truly loved their country could utter such words. ¡°Such a man, truly thrilling...¡± A beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and impressive figure of a female journalist from Beautiful Country blushed as she looked at Su Jie, her eyes sparkling. If Su Jie was willing, with just a beckon of his finger, it seemed the female journalist would willingly present herself washed and ready on his bed. Of course, her gaze was quickly noticed by Liu Yingying on the stage, who glared at her and cursed silently, ¡°slut.¡± ¡°A mighty man has descended from heaven, Chan Country has produced a strongman! This could be a choice of history.¡± A journalist from Russia commented feelingly that in times of national crisis, mighty men often appeared to lead their nations towards revival. Like Napoleon of France, Kemal, the founding father of the Osman Empire, and including the heroic figures from Hua Country¡¯s modern history who strived for their nation. Such powerful men are capable of reversing the tides and saving the nation from dire straits. ¡°He reminds me of someone.¡± Next to the journalist from Russia was a journalist from France. ¡°Who?¡± The Russian journalist asked curiously. ¡°Little Mustache, also a foreigner, also skilled in oratory and swaying public opinion, also fond of solving problems through war.¡± The Russian journalist paused, exchanging glances with the French journalist, both shuddering. Both countries deeply despised the Demon Lord of Mayhem, who shook the world during World War II. The former had cast the laughable tale of an army of 3 million surrendering in 42 days, while the latter also faced the Demon Lord¡¯s armies in what became the most brutal and bloody war in the history of the European Continent. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, you two, you¡¯ve got me thinking that guy up there is about to start Season 3, but that¡¯s impossible.¡± To one side, a journalist from the British Empire shook his head, discarding the absurd idea from his mind. Considering the strength of the Jieke Group, even if it possesses some biotech secrets, even if they took over the entire territory of Chan Country, it¡¯s just a small country of a few hundred thousand square kilometers; they can¡¯t stir up much trouble.¡± Su Jie, paying no attention to the commotion in the press area, answered a few more questions before handing over the rest of the duties to Liu Yingying and the other officials, as he went to plan the forthcoming battle for unification. Chapter 427 - 427 291 Swallow the Whole Country ?Chapter 427: Chapter 291: Swallow the Whole Country Chapter 427: Chapter 291: Swallow the Whole Country The Jieke Group launched a lightning strike from the Ruo Kai Mountains and within just three days, they had completely occupied the entirety of Magway State. In this process, almost all cities fell to the Jieke Group¡¯s troops without a fight. The cities were essentially left with only some police and militia, who, unless they wanted to pit their rudimentary weapons against the Jieke Group¡¯s machine guns, heavy artillery, and Genetic Warriors, had no choice but to surrender. These militia and police officers certainly had no intention of sacrificing their lives for the Chan Country Government. For every city they conquered, the Jieke Group didn¡¯t need to divert much manpower to maintain control since the local population was more than willing to be governed by them. In fact, many citizens of these cities couldn¡¯t wait and, before the Jieke Group even arrived, they stormed the local government institutions and police stations, raised the flag of the Jieke Group, and declared their allegiance to their rule. This trend of surrendering without a fight continued to spread rapidly after the capture of Magway State. Adjacent states such as Shijie State, Ilowa, Meng State, and Neile State one after another saw their flag on the city walls changed to that of the Jieke Group as their troops advanced. The Chan Country Government certainly wanted to defend, but their soldiers were depleted, with only about twenty to thirty thousand veteran soldiers left, and the rest were freshly conscripted. Moreover, the army was demoralized and their will disintegrated, hardly sufficient to defend the capital, Yang City, let alone to be deployed to other states to confront the Jieke Group. The Jieke Group, with an insatiable appetite, incessantly gnawed away at the Chan Country Government¡¯s vital territories, and now controlled more than half of the entire Chan Country, encompassing a population of over thirty million. If it weren¡¯t for the need to be wary of air strikes, the Jieke Group would choose to march through fields at night, enabling them to capture even more territory at a faster rate. However, the superiority of the Chan Country Government in terms of air dominance was also being eroded by the Jieke Group, as the Chan Country Government Army and Japanese Soldiers found their military airfields dwindling as more territory fell to the Jieke Group. They wanted to use the airfields in Siam as a base, but the Siam Government, fearing reprisals from the Jieke Group, rejected this proposal. In the Jieke Group¡¯s voracious expansion, many territories weren¡¯t under the control of the Chan Country Government but belonged to various warlords. But for the Jieke Group, whether facing the Chan Country Government Army or warlord soldiers, those who did not surrender were equally targeted for destruction. Faced with the formidable advance of the Jieke Group, how could these warlords withstand the wolf-like ferocity of the Jieke Group¡¯s large conventional forces, the assortment of armored vehicles and aircraft, all far superior to the light infantry of the warlords? Furthermore, with the presence of Super Soldiers and Genetic Warriors, any notion of guerilla warfare in the forests was simply wishful thinking. Many warlord soldiers fled in panic, surrendering in droves. It could be said that at this time, the Jieke Group, with its unstoppable momentum, was set to become the new ruler of Chan Country. By then, anyone with clear eyesight could see that the Chan Country Government was on the brink of collapse. At this point, some became anxious, with the Beautiful Country leading the Eight Nation Group. As the Jieke Group approached the Chan Country Capital, they publicly issued a statement. ¡°The Jieke Group disregards United Nations Security Council resolutions, is unwilling to sequester gene technology and turn it over, and recklessly expands the scale of the war, causing desolation within Chan Country. If the Jieke Group does not cease its actions, as a member of the Eight Nation Group, we will not hesitate to intervene militarily.¡± This message didn¡¯t stir any reaction in the world, as it wasn¡¯t the first time the Beautiful Country had threatened the Jieke Group. However, for the Chan Country Government, this statement from the Beautiful Country was like grasping at a lifeline. They began to relocate all available forces to the Chan Country Capital, Yang City, preparing to hold out there, waiting for military assistance from the Beautiful Country. But even for the Beautiful Country, transporting their forces would take time. .... Yang City. This capital of Chan Country, with a population of over seven million, was recently experiencing unrest and agitation. The relentless advance of the Jieke Group was like a landslide and tsunami, moving ever closer, and even the most economically prosperous city in the country felt the looming threat of war. Up to two hundred thousand troops had assembled there, building barricades and trenches in the streets, transforming many buildings into fortifications for war. The Chan Country Government planned to make a final stand here, waiting for the rescue from the Beautiful Country. In addition to the Chan Country Government Army, the last three thousand Japanese Soldiers were also stationed here, who, although wanting to return home, were not permitted by their own country. After all, their masters were about to enter the fray, so retreating now made no sense. In the underground ring road within Yang City, Miao Lun, wearing Biological Armor, turned to look at the rear, where Genetic Warriors and Super Soldiers lined up in preparation. ¡°According to the previously designated targets, secure the broadcast and television building, police stations, telecommunications bureau, headquarters, power plant...¡± Miao Lun made the final reminder, and after checking through the Eye Worm that there were no enemies outside, he decisively pressed the detonator in his hand. Specially designed explosives for upward detonation blasted a huge passage to the surface, and Miao Lun, leading the charge, leapt up first. And upon hearing the explosion, the Chan Country Soldiers rushing over could just catch a glimpse of Miao Lun before they were met with his 14.5mm caliber bullets tearing through their bodies. Chapter 428 - 428 291 Swallowing the whole country_2 ?Chapter 428: Chapter 291: Swallowing the whole country_2 Chapter 428: Chapter 291: Swallowing the whole country_2 The bullets they fired were easily deflected by the biological armor. Behind Miao Lun, more and more Genetic Warriors and Super Soldiers leaped out and began to kill in all directions. Miao Lun personally led a group of men charging towards the location of the broadcasting and television building. Not far into their run, Miao Lun encountered a group of Chan Country Soldiers, but just as Miao Lun was about to open fire, the soldiers knelt down en masse. ¡°It¡¯s the Genetic Warriors from Jieke Group; you¡¯ve finally come to save us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, I was forced into the army by the Chan Country Government; I am innocent!¡± ¡°We are willing to surrender to Jieke Group, please don¡¯t kill us.¡± ¡°I can show you the way; I know where the Japanese troops are.¡± The Chan Country Soldiers were crying, their faces showing a look of seeing their savior. Miao Lun glanced at the group of Chan Country Soldiers and indeed saw no traces of military training; they were clearly civilians hastily conscripted by the desperate Chan Country Government, so he ignored them. The squad continued to push forward. Normally, like any city siege, it would be tremendously arduous and complex. The battle at Jiwei City was a bloody affair, turning rivers red. However, this time, as Steel Camp stormed in, there wasn¡¯t much resistance faced. Not to mention the newly conscripted soldiers, even when faced with twenty to thirty thousand veteran soldiers of the Chan Country Government, the majority chose to surrender, and very few were willing to fight to the death. Soon, Miao Lun arrived at the broadcasting and television building and stormed in. ¡°President of Chan, Yan Ming, will never forgive Jieke Group, and will do everything possible in conjunction with the international community to eradicate the cancer that is Jieke Group. During this national crisis, I also ask all citizens to trust us; as the President, I will defend our country to the last, as it is my duty and responsibility. The 200,000-strong army in Yang City will also fight Jieke Group to the last soldier, and victory will surely belong to the Chan Country Government.¡± In the studio, the female host was reading the script, completely unaware of Miao Lun and his soldiers entering; her colleagues beside her were almost scared out of their wits. ¡°Click.¡± Miao Lun stepped forward, grabbed the microphone, interrupting the host¡¯s speech, and gave her a cold look, ¡°Is that what you think?¡± ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m recording?¡± The female host frowned, about to scold the person who interrupted her work, but upon seeing Miao Lun¡¯s figure, her face turned pale and she looked like she was about to cry. ¡°Noa?€| it¡¯s not like that, the higher-ups told me to read this, I... I support Jieke Group.¡± Miao Lun pushed her aside, and with the broadcasting and television building under control, Yang City was essentially secured for Jieke Group. ... A few minutes ago, in the Congress Building in Yang City, the current President of Chan was surprisingly cheerful, shaking the hand of a Caucasian man vigorously. ¡°Colonel Mike, you¡¯ve finally arrived; Jieke Group has been too rampant, you must help us drive them back, I can agree to any conditions afterwards.¡± ¡°Rest assured, what we have sent over now is just a regiment-level force; soon, brigade and division-level forces will be deployed, and Jieke Group won¡¯t be able to act arrogantly for long.¡± Mike spoke gravely; he was the colonel of the 3rd Parachute Regiment from Beautiful Country, tasked with supporting Chan Country in this war, with more forces gathering from military bases around the world. ¡°Colonel Mike, Jieke Group has already occupied Ranpan City, only three hundred kilometers away from us.¡± Yoshimura Yuichi chimed in from the side. He had suffered a significant defeat; the reason he still held his position was because no one was willing to take over his job, which was now a hot potato that everyone desperately avoided. ¡°Three hundred kilometers; give us a few more days, and more than ten thousand soldiers will arrive here. Beautiful Country won¡¯t stand by and do nothing.¡± Mike looked at the map, affirming that Beautiful Country would not abandon them. Beautiful Country possessed the strongest strategic transport capabilities in the world. Under such emergency circumstances, when quick sea transport wasn¡¯t an option, strategic aircraft could do the job. For instance, the C17 Universal Dominator strategic transport aircraft could transport MI main battle tanks and carry hundreds of infantry at once, with an operational radius of about five thousand kilometers. The Beautiful Country owned hundreds of military transport planes, and they could also mobilize civilian aviation to help; accomplishing this was not difficult for them. ¡°Once the troops arrive, we will help you stabilize the frontline, and then slowly whittle down the Jieke Group,¡± Mike continued, explaining that the primary goal of the Beautiful Country sending troops this time was to help stabilize the frontline for the Chan Country Government, ensuring that it was not eliminated, and to continue to exert sanctions and military pressure on Jieke Group through the Chan Country Government. ¡°With your promise, I feel much more at ease, so please, Colonel Mikea?€¡±Boom!¡± While the few were discussing, a sudden, intense explosion erupted. ¡°Where did that explosion come from?¡± Mike¡¯s heart skipped a beat, sensing a bad premonition. The President of Chan also picked up his phone and began inquiring about the situation. ¡°It¡¯s bad, Mr. President, the Jieke Group has attacked,¡± A few minutes later, the conference room door was pushed open; the person entering was a general from Chan Country, his forehead sweaty and his face visibly tense. ¡°What, how could it be so quick? Aren¡¯t their main forces still in Ranpan City?¡± The President of Chan¡¯s face turned ghastly pale; Yoshimura Yuichi and Mike¡¯s expressions also grew solemn. ¡°It¡¯s the tunnels, they used them to enter the inner city; it¡¯s the Genetic Warriors,¡± ¡°Damn it, are all of you imbeciles? Move the troops quickly and drive them out,¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already mobilized the troops, but... there are too many Genetic Warriors, and many Super Soldiers,¡± The general faltered, aware of the current state of the Chan Country Army. Apart from a scarce few twenty to thirty thousand old soldiers, all the rest were freshly conscripted troops only meant to fill ranks, not even fully equipped with rifles; how could they stand a chance against the ferocious Genetic Warriors? Click! Suddenly, the television set in the room changed its display, showing a live broadcast from the studio. Next to the stiff-faced female host, a man emerged from his Biological Armor, stepping up to the microphone. ¡°I am Miao Lun from the Jieke Group of Genetic Warriors. I now declare that Yang City is officially under the control of the Jieke Group. ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï All Chan Country Soldiers should now lay down their arms and surrender. The Jieke Group will not pursue past offenses. If resistance continues, what awaits you is complete eradication. Please, citizens of Yang City, remain calm and stay indoors; do not leave your homes. Wait for our further announcements; you will soon be ushered into a new life,¡± The cold words, along with the towering three-meter-tall Biological Armor standing nearby, strongly oppressed everyone who heard it. This news was not only broadcast on television, but also relayed through radio and loudspeakers on the streets of Yang City. ¡°The news station has been seized by the Genetic Warriors; it¡¯s over, everything is over,¡± The President of Chan looked completely despondent, knowing his troops¡¯ low morale, and now the enemy had taken over the news headquarters, using this method to announce it to the entire city. He fully understood that his troops wouldn¡¯t have much courage left to continue resisting. ¡°General Mike, I need to leave here; I can¡¯t fall into Jieke Group¡¯s hands. Quick, while the airport is still in our possession, let¡¯s escape,¡± In the next moment, the President of Chan grabbed Mike¡¯s arm, his eyes filled with a desire to survive. Ordinary soldiers could surrender, but he, having coordinated with the Eight Nation Group to strike against Jieke Group, would certainly be brought out for retribution by the Jieke Group if caught. ¡°It¡¯s come too fast; let¡¯s retreat,¡± Mike sighed; he was not considering using his paratrooper regiment to confront Steel Camp, unless the government forces of Chan in Yang City could combine forces with them. But relying solely on the paratrooper regiment and Japan¡¯s three thousand troops, they could never successfully stand against Steel Camp. ¡°We must flee,¡± Yoshimura Yuichi was equally tense, as Jieke Group¡¯s treatment of the Japanese was extremely harsh; if he fell into the clutches of the Jieke Group, his fate was unimaginable. A group of them exited the Congress Building and rushed to the airport under the escort of guards. Meanwhile, Yang City had entered a state of chaos due to the sudden advance of the Jieke Group. Chapter 429 - 429 292 Escape (First Update) ?Chapter 429: Chapter 292: Escape (First Update) Chapter 429: Chapter 292: Escape (First Update) As the news broadcast spread, the entire Yang City in Chan Country saw its government army easily shredded like tofu by the Jieke Group, completely collapsing with a large number of soldiers obediently laying down their weapons and surrendering to the Jieke Group. However, Yang City was too large, with a population of over seven million. Controlling it was extremely difficult with just Super Soldiers and Genetic Warriors, so they could only temporarily incorporate those recently surrendered Chan Country Government Army soldiers to maintain order. During this period when the Jieke Group was too preoccupied to pay attention elsewhere, large crowds began to block the entrance to Yang City Airport. In Yang City, the capital of Chan Country, besides ordinary citizens, there were many privileged classes and wealthy officials and businessmen living there. In Chan Country, a country with a chaotic political situation, those who had risen to power usually had original sin on their hands, mostly engaging in various illegal and criminal activities, or they were family members of warlords and children of criminals. Additionally, there were numerous individuals who had previously served the Eight Nation Group, acting as high-level informants, guides, translators, and collectors of information about the Jieke Group. When they received the news that the Jieke Group¡¯s Genetic Warriors had invaded Yang City, they all feared being dragged out by the Jieke Group for execution and ran to Yang City Airport hoping to escape. Apart from this group naturally fearful of the Jieke Group, there were those who identified with the values of the Beautiful Country and wanted to board a plane from the Beautiful Country to that land of freedom. With the massive crowd trying to escape, Yang City Airport was packed to the brim. Previously, they had not left, believing that the Chan Country Government might still manage to hold on until troops from the Beautiful Country could come to their support and continue to confront the Jieke Group. If they ran first, there would be no place for them in Chan Country upon their return. Thinking it wasn¡¯t the final moment yet, they planned to wait and see. But the sudden attack by the Genetic Warriors caught them completely off guard; now that they were just beginning to pack their belongings to flee, it was already too late. By the time they arrived, Yang City Airport had already been put under martial law by the Beautiful Country. The paratrooper regiments that had just arrived had just finished storing military supplies and equipment when they received a message from their regiment commander; they hadn¡¯t even had a chance to rest before they had to hurriedly board the planes to return. ¡°Let us in, hurry, open the gate.¡± ¡°Please, I worked for your Eight Nation Group before, don¡¯t leave me behind.¡± ¡°I love the sweet air of freedom in the Beautiful Country, take me with you, I¡¯ll do anything.¡± ¡°I am the head of the Chan Country Transportation Department, I have investments and funds worth millions of US Dollars in your Beautiful Country, you must take me with you.¡± ¡°I am Wu Anglay, I had my troops fight a desperate battle with the Jieke Group, now you can¡¯t abandon me, my family and I are all here, you CIA promised you would get us out.¡± The crowd, numbering in the tens of thousands, was jammed at the airport entrance, their faces frantic as they pushed and shoved each other like zombies. ¡°Back off, back off, you can¡¯t come in.¡± The soldiers from the Beautiful Country did not indulge them, directly striking with the butts of their rifles, shooting rubber bullets continuously at the people clinging to the fence gate in front, throwing tear gas, and using water cannons to disperse the crowd gathered there. Wu Anglay, with his wife and childrena?€¡±around a dozen peoplea?€¡±, this big warlord of the Northern Territory, was hit in the head with a rifle butt until it was bleeding and his teeth were broken, his face bruised. ¡°How dare you, how dare you treat me like this, I have shed blood for the Beautiful Country, I have done great deeds for the CIA, I want to see your CIA high commissioner Lloyd, I want to see your highest commander here.¡± Wu Anglay looked maniacally at the Beautiful Country soldiers setting up roadblocks, thinking back to the times when he, as a great warlord of the Northern Territory, had been so gloriously limitless. When influenced by the CIA to start a war with the Jieke Group, he had gambled all his troops and territory, losing everything. But the promise from the CIA to take him and his family out of Chan Country and insure a life of riches and honors in the latter half of his life was nowhere to be seen. ¡°What CIA Lloyd, we don¡¯t recognize that, whoever promised you, find them.¡± The Beautiful Country soldier kicked him to the ground with a spit landing on him. It wasn¡¯t just Wu Anglay; the six warlords of the Northern Territory had all been abandoned by the CIA, having no remaining value to be used, they weren¡¯t worth taking back. The crowd was too packed, many people trying to escape simply formed human chains to climb up the airport fence. ¡°Fire, drive them away.¡± The Beautiful Country officer on scene shouted, bullets were fired, this time they were not mere rubber bullets, but real bullets capable of killing. Blood spattered here and there, the crowd in front was mowed down. Death finally caused the crowd to be overtaken by fear, screaming as they backed away, causing a large-scale stampede accident. Many who fell were trampled on by boots in a succession, and when the crowd dispersed, only a mess of bloodied bodies remained. Through such bloody violence, the Beautiful Country maintained order at Yang City Airport. In the midst of the chaos at the airport, squads of Japanese Soldiers hurriedly ran over. They were the last three thousand soldiers stationed in Yang City, originally planning to hold their position here, but the sudden attack by the Jieke Group caught them completely off guard, now they could only choose to rush to Yang City Airport to escape. ¡°We are from the 12th Infantry Regiment under the 2nd Division of Japan, we now plan to board a plane to leave Chan Country.¡± The commander of this Japanese Infantry Regiment, Kondo Taro, shouted loudly, violently pushing away the crowd blocking the way, making a move to break into the airport. ¡°You can¡¯t come in, you wait for the next batch of planes to retreat.¡± Chapter 430 - 430 292 Escape (First Update)_2 ?Chapter 430: Chapter 292: Escape (First Update)_2 Chapter 430: Chapter 292: Escape (First Update)_2 However, the Beautiful Country soldiers guarding the airport gate had no intention of allowing passage. Now, all the military and civilian aircraft within Yang City Airport had been requisitioned by them, and even their own paratrooper troops had barely managed to secure transportation. There was no extra capacity for these Japanese soldiers. ¡°What are you saying, at this critical time, waiting for the next batch of flights when Jieke Group¡¯s Genetic Warriors are about to attack us, where do we have time? This isn¡¯t about waiting for the next batch of planes, it¡¯s clearly sending us to our deaths.¡± Kondo Taro was furious. Some of the military aircraft in the airport belonged to Japan, and while it was one thing for the Beautiful Country to use their own aircraft, it was entirely another to deny them access to their own planes. ¡°This is an order from our superiors, we are just carrying it out.¡± The Beautiful Country officer guarding the gate looked down on the Japanese soldiers with contempt. They were nothing but dogs raised by themselves. In a critical moment, it was natural to sacrifice the pawns to save the king. There was no reason for the dogs to run ahead of their master. ¡°Our superiors ordered us to evacuate. Brothers, let¡¯s charge in together.¡± Kondo Taro¡¯s face turned ashen, and with a sweeping gesture of his hand, the Japanese Soldiers behind him raised their weapons, aiming at the Beautiful Country soldiers. ¡°Let us into the airport immediately.¡± ¡°Open the gate quickly, or don¡¯t blame us for shooting.¡± ¡°Damn Europe and America devils, I knew they were up to no good. If it comes down to it, we¡¯ll fight them.¡± The Japanese Soldiers were angrily shouting, thinking of themselves as expendables, and everyone felt anger boiling inside them. ¡°Fuck, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°You little dwarfs, keep in line, or my bullets will firmly lodge in your asses.¡± ¡°Have you Japanese forgotten your place? Do you want to end up in a military court?¡± The Beautiful Country soldiers also aimed their guns at the Japanese Soldiers. It was such a reversal of the natural order, the dogs they had raised now wanted to turn on their owners. In the distance, as he was preparing to board, Colonel Mike of the Beautiful Country received news and his face turned red with anger. ¡°General Yoshimura, how are you managing your troops?¡± Even though Yoshimura Yuichi held a much higher rank than Mike, Mike didn¡¯t care about that when he scolded him. All because he was an officer from the Beautiful Country, and Japan was nothing more than their dog. After understanding the situation, Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s face was a mix of suffocation and embarrassment, and with an awkward smile, he said, ¡°Colonel Mike, now that things have come to this, let my troops in, so we can face the crisis together.¡± ¡°Hmph, I can let your soldiers in, but they have to leave all their weapons behind.¡± Mike snorted coldly, knowing that if he firmly blocked the Japanese Soldiers from entering, it might provoke an internal conflict. After all, in the face of death, the Japanese Soldiers might not respect ranking, and this vicious dog was capable of biting. It was better to let them in first; without weapons, it was still up to them what happened next. Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s face changed slightly. He had realized that Mike intended to abandon these thousands of Japanese troops. ¡°General Yoshimura, the overall situation must be the priority!¡± Next to him, the President of Chan spoke earnestly. Naturally, he stood with the Beautiful Countrya?€¡±who could question the might of their bigger fists. ¡°Even if you report this to your Prime Minister, it¡¯s useless. According to the security agreement, you can only cooperate with us.¡± Mike looked at Yoshimura Yuichi coldly, prepared to confront him if Yoshimura didn¡¯t agree. Yoshimura Yuichi¡¯s eyes struggled for several seconds before he finally gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Fine, I will inform them.¡± ... Soon, following the orders of Yoshimura Yuichi, the Japanese Soldiers besieging Yang City Airport burst into cheers. ¡°General Yoshimura has fought for an opportunity for us to leave. Everyone, put down your weapons and enter the airport. General Yoshimura said that carrying weapons adds too much weight; if we go unarmed, more people can fit on the planes.¡± Kondo Taro excitedly announced the news, and then led a group of jubilant soldiers to lay down their weapons and orderly enter the airport, where they were arranged to wait at a specified area. As time trickled by, half an hour later, the waiting Japanese Soldiers were becoming impatient. ¡°Why has it been so long and we¡¯re still not boarding?¡± Pacing back and forth, Kondo Taro was secretly anxious when suddenly he faintly heard some rowdy shouting in the distance. ¡°It¡¯s the Genetic Warriors, Jieke Group¡¯s devils are killing their way here.¡± Kondo Taro slid open the window and raised his binoculars for a look. Outside Yang City Airport, he saw several figures dressed in Biological Armor pushing through the crowd, with every step they took feeling as if they were stomping on Kondo Taro¡¯s heart, making his breathing rapid and cold sweat continuously break out on his forehead. ¡°The Genetic Warriors are here, everyone hurry to the airport runway.¡± With a shout from Kondo Taro, the Japanese Soldiers around him were scared stiff. With weapons, they were no match for the Jieke Group, let alone now when they were unarmed. Facing the Genetic Warriors, those cruel and bloodthirsty demons, without any weapon was like having no possibility of resistance. Throngs of Japanese Soldiers rushed towards the runway, only to arrive and be dumbfounded. Because military transport planes and commercial aircraft were filled with soldiers from the Beautiful Country, which at that moment were taking off one after another on the runway. And for the ones not yet fully loaded, soldiers from the Beautiful Country kept boarding; there was no intention of calling for the Japanese Soldiers at all. Kondo Taro¡¯s pupils dilated, and he trembled with rage when he realized what was happening, ¡°Those bastards, they lied to us, they never intended to take us with them. General Yoshimura also deceived us, they want to leave us here to die. Everyone, quick, get on the planes, take the chance while there¡¯s still one, hurry.¡± As his words echoed, Kondo Taro began running, followed by a massive wave of Japanese Soldiers. Not only Japanese Soldiers, but with the retreat of the Beautiful Country, Yang City Airport was left completely unguarded, and the crowds from Chan Country burst through the gates and ran inside. ¡°Let me on.¡± Inside the airplane cargo door, which hadn¡¯t completely risen, a large group of Japanese Soldiers desperately tried to climb the boarding stairs, to the point where even the cargo doors could not be closed. Bang bang bang! Inside the cargo hold, the soldiers from the Beautiful Country fired directly, shooting the Japanese Soldiers trying to board the planes. Blood stained the cargo hold red, and many of the Japanese Soldiers couldn¡¯t believe they were dying by the guns of their own allies to their very last breath. Click. The cargo door shut, and the airplane began to slowly taxi. However, the runway was already overwhelmed by Japanese Soldiers. Beautiful Country soldiers in Apache Armed Helicopters cleared the way at low altitude, their mighty downdraft pushing the crowd back and even using the machine guns to strafe directly. Then one by one, the planes began accelerating on the runway. As the planes were about to take off, the Japanese Soldiers went into a total frenzy. A huge number of Japanese soldiers chased after the planes, desperately trying to board the plane that symbolized freedom, piling up even on the landing gear. However, as the planes ascended to hundreds, even thousands of meters high and their speed increased, people began falling from the landing gear like flying objects from the sky. The Japanese Soldiers, along with a series of shrill screams, plummeted from hundreds of meters in the air and smashed onto the ground, becoming piles of gore, crushed to pieces by their ¡®Beautiful Country daddies.¡¯ At this moment, the wealthy businessmen from Chan Country, warlords and leaders of criminal organizations, along with those yearning for the freedom of the Beautiful Country, also ran over, crowding the airport runway. But the accelerating planes wouldn¡¯t stop or swerve; the wheels crushed the people beneath them like fragile shells, without the slightest hesitation. Collapsing, screaming, crying, pleading, the air of despair spread across the airport, resembling hell on earth. It could be said that the runway from which the planes took off was like a road paved with flesh and blood, everywhere strewn with blood, minced flesh, and severed limbs and organs. And it was only at this time that the Genetic Warriors from Jieke Group arrived late, starting to take control of the situation and capture prisoners. ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï Several Single Soldier Missiles were launched, and several planes were shot down. One transport plane, in particular, received extra attentiona?€¡±it was the exact plane General Yoshimura Yuichi of Japan was aboard. Under the barrage of Single Soldier Missiles, the cumbersome strategic transport plane was like a clumsy goose, completely unable to evade effectively, and eventually crashed to the ground in a trail of black smoke. Onboard, General Yoshimura Yuichi and a group of high-ranking Japanese military officers, along with the President of Chan and his family, all went to their deaths together. All their scheming came to nothing in the end, as they couldn¡¯t escape their mortal fate. The other planes had no thoughts of revenge, instead escaping even faster, gaining enough height and distance to slip out of range of the Single Soldier Missiles and fleeing in great haste. With the flight of the Beautiful Country¡¯s troops, Yang City finally fell completely into the hands of Jieke Group. It also signified the end of the Chan Country Government, as Jieke Group would officially take over the supreme power of the country. Chapter 431 - 431 293 Beautiful Country Resolution (First Update) ?Chapter 431: Chapter 293: Beautiful Country Resolution (First Update) Chapter 431: Chapter 293: Beautiful Country Resolution (First Update) The next day, videos from Yang City Airport were leaked online. When they saw Japanese Soldiers abandoned by the Beautiful Country, falling freely from the sky, Japanese netizens were outraged. ¡®Damn white barbarians, how dare they treat the soldiers of the Great Sakura Empire this way? This is a provocation to the dignity of our nation.¡¯ ¡®We must protest, break free of the various restrictive agreements imposed by the Beautiful Country on us, expel the Beautiful Country¡¯s troops stationed in our territory. We should no longer be controlled by Beautiful Country. They never even regarded us as human.¡¯ ¡®Haha, let those bastards from the Self-defense Team die. Serves them right for being the dogs of the Beautiful Country. They had it coming; I don¡¯t feel sorry for them at all.¡¯ ¡®You, above, are you still a citizen of Japan?¡¯ ¡®What does it have to do with me? They¡¯re dead, so be it; I¡¯m not the one licking the Beautiful Country¡¯s boots.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re obviously just a destitute hermit with no sense of national honor.¡¯ Japanese netizens were filled with righteous indignation online. Many Japanese had deluded themselves into believing that they had an equal relationship with the Beautiful Country and that Japan was an indispensable partner to the Beautiful Country. But the incident at Yang City Airport undoubtedly tore off this veil of shame. Many Japanese saw how the Beautiful Country¡¯s soldiers treated their Self-defense Team members. This was like trampling on the face of Japan, completely disregarding Japan as an ally. Overnight, online condemnation towards the Beautiful Country increased significantly. The hatred for the Jieke Group was transferred to the Beautiful Country. They launched petitions on the official government website of Japan, demanding that the Japanese government stand up and ask the Beautiful Country for an explanation. But the Japanese government remained completely indifferent to this and not to mention issuing any statement blaming the Beautiful Country, they did not even dare to mention the Beautiful Country¡¯s name, hoping to downplay the incident quietly. The families of the soldiers who died or were captured at Yang City Airport were unwilling to let this go. They gathered in front of Tokyo Congress Building, holding banners and protesting vigorously. Even military families went to the military bases of the Beautiful Country to demonstrate and protest. Out of desperation and seeing that the situation was uncontrollable, the Prime Minister of Japan had no choice but to come forward and bow in apology. ¡°Regarding the Yang City Airport incident, there was limited airplane capacity at the time, and we had already negotiated with the Beautiful Country, who would withdraw in one batch first, with our forces to follow in the second batch. However, due to the incitement of the on-site Commander, the situation escalated into this regrettable incident. The action taken by the Beautiful Country at that time was also out of helplessness, because if everyone crowded on the plane, it would not have been able to take off.¡± This statement was unconvincing, but the Japanese government made no further response. After all, I¡¯ve already bowed; what more do you want. To appease its top lapdog, the Beautiful Country also issued a statement, claiming it would call on all members of the Eight Nation Group to donate, offering special compensation to the families of Japanese soldiers who died or were injured in Chan Country, to compensate those who bravely fought in Chan Country. Although it was clear to any discerning person that this was merely a pacifying measure by the Beautiful Country. But many Japanese still believed in the goodwill of the Beautiful Country. Essentially, both the citizens and governmental authorities of Japan harbored a reverence for strength. Since they could not resist the leash of the Beautiful Country, they pretended to be blind and deaf, deluding themselves that the Beautiful Country was their benevolent master. Considering that Japan, both militarily and economically, was already deeply intertwined with the Beautiful Country, it was virtually impossible to decouple. Even after being subjected to such resentment during World War II, even experiencing two atomic bombings, Japan was still ingratiating itself with the Beautiful Country. It¡¯s evident how twisted this reverence for strength was throughout Japan, from top to bottom. ... As Yang City, the most dazzling gem of Chan Country, fell into the hands of the Jieke Group, the conflict also approached its end. All remaining provinces in Chan Country, upon receiving the decree, announced their allegiance to the Jieke Group even before the army arrived. In less than a week, the entire Chan Country was festooned with the flags of the Jieke Group. This nation, blessed with rich natural resources, a population of fifty-five million, a territorial area of 676,578 square kilometers, a coastline of 2,655 kilometers, and spanning approximately 2,090 kilometers from north to south and 925 kilometers at its widest from east to west, was completely occupied by the Jieke Group. This power shift in Chan Country also caused several tremors across the international community. Although it was known from the battle in the Ruo Kai Mountains that the Jieke Group held an absolute advantage, the rapid conquest of the entire territory of Chan Country was beyond everyone¡¯s expectations. Especially since the Beautiful Country had just announced its intentions and had been driven out of Yang City by the Jieke Group, leaving no room for face-saving for the Beautiful Country. Although Chan Country might not have been well-known internationally, it was still a nation with a population exceeding fifty million. Now, it being occupied by the Jieke Group, under the circumstances of battling the Eight Nation Group, felt quite different to observers. After the Jieke Group formally announced the complete occupation of Chan Country, the international community also featured it straight at the forefront of headlines, with extensive coverage on the news. ?0¦Í?0.?¦Ï ...a?€| ¡°Chan Country welcomes a new tyrant, a cold-blooded, cruel warmonger, who will surely bring Chan Country into the abyss.¡± ¡°From a commoner to controlling a country, recounting the rise of the Jieke Group.¡± ¡°The discord between the Beautiful Country and Japan, the aerial man incident at Yang City Airport, where will the relations between the two countries go from here?¡± Chapter 432 - 432 293 Beautiful Country Resolution (First Update) ?Chapter 432: Chapter 293: Beautiful Country Resolution (First Update) Chapter 432: Chapter 293: Beautiful Country Resolution (First Update) ¡°Jieke Group took over Chan Country, a so-called business corporation, has stolen the sovereignty of a nation.¡± Beautiful Country, New York, Black Palace. An informal meeting was being held here. The 48th President of the Beautiful Country, Lawrence Fernando, sat behind his desk, scanning various newspapers with a displeased expression. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done, is this your way of hitting back at Jieke Group? The more you try to suppress it, the more it grows, and now it has entirely occupied Chan Country.¡± Standing opposite Lawrence, were two men, Judith, the Deputy Director of the CIA, and Admiral Panda Dzerzhinsky, Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command. ¡°Mr. President, the CIA did not handle it well; Jieke Group¡¯s power developed too fast, with endless black technologies emerging, and we did not anticipate the enemy would be so tough.¡± Judith sincerely bowed his head, and as the Deputy Director of CIA, specifically in charge of all intelligence on the Jieke Group, he had failed to extract valuable intelligence from them. Whether it was various technologies like biochemical gene technology, pharmaceutical technology, electronic shielding, 3D glasses technology, and so on. Or the military distribution and defensive layouts of the Jieke Group; during the civil war in Chan Country, the CIA¡¯s role amounted to merely contacting a few warlords in the Northern Territory, slightly disrupting a part of Jieke Group¡¯s forces, which was barely better than nothing. ¡°Mr. President, the Commander from Japan was too incompetent, committing the classic error of underestimating the enemy, and fell right into Jieke Group¡¯s traps without knowing it. The use of Genetic Warriors, well beyond the scope of conventional warfare, led to our defeat in this war,¡± said Admiral Panda. He commanded the Indo-Pacific Command, overseeing regions including Russia, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, India, Australia, and Hawaii in the vicinity of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, truly a high-ranking general. The war that had broken out in Chan Country was also within his jurisdiction. Instead of participating directly, Beautiful Country had driven Japan to cooperate with the Chan Country Government in the fight, while Beautiful Country itself provided logistical resources and intelligence support. They had originally hoped this would lead to the destruction of Jieke Group, but contrary to their wishes, the war they had initiated ended in a disastorous defeat, losing Chan Country, a critical base against Jieke Group. ¡°Japan, hmph, after the initial air raids, they confidently spoke of imminent victory, but it was all empty talk. How did Jieke Group manage to evade the initial airstrikes?¡± President Lawrence also had major grievances against Japan; he had already offered Japan significant benefits intending to loosen the metaphorical leash around its neck to let this fierce dog bite more effectively. After giving Japan a chance and they proved futile! The loss of over twenty thousand expeditionary forces was simply embarrassing. By then, Lawrence had already forgotten the embarrassing defeat at Mengjia Bay where Beautiful Country¡¯s forces saw thousands of casualties and lost many transport ships. However, Lawrence had his excuses; that failure was left by his predecessor and had nothing to do with him, the newly inaugurated. ¡°We have already discovered that under Jieke Group¡¯s rule, in East Qin State and Ji State, enormous underground transit lines and bases were excavated and built. They deliberately established fake targets and empty warehouses and bases during the outbreak of the war specifically to make us lower our guard,¡± Lawrence said. Admiral Panda cleared his throat and continued, ¡°Jieke Group came prepared, facing unprepared foes, and with Genetic Warriors being extremely formidable, especially in jungle warfare, more flexible and terrifying than conventional armored units.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we develop Genetic Warriors and Super Soldiers like these? We, the United States, besides our aircraft carrier fleets, must also possess this kind of ultimate individual combat strength,¡± said Lawrence as he knocked on the table, envious of such military power, which would be incredibly useful in special operations, as evident from Jieke Group¡¯s effective soldier deployment. ¡°Now our major medical institutions have come together to try to crack the secrets of the Super Soldiers and Genetic Warriors, but progress is limited; we still need time,¡± said Judith, though he felt relying on medical groups and those military industries to replicate Jieke Group¡¯s technology was highly unlikely to succeed. Since Jieke Group was on a completely different track with their biotech military technology, which was entirely different from the main research direction of the rest of the world, it was not easy to replicate or learn from them. ¡°Now that Chan Country is fully occupied by Jieke Group, if we were to improve relations with them, could we learn or purchase relevant technology from them?¡± Lawrence posed this question, a realization fitting for a politician. There is nothing that cannot be discussed between countries, regardless of how fierce the fighting was in the past, it still does not hinder the possibility of future cooperation between two countries; there are far too many such examples. There¡¯s a saying that goes well, between countries, there are no eternal friends or enemies, only eternal interests. ¡°It¡¯s difficult, not to mention our past relations with Jieke Group, that biotechnology and medicine are almost all core technologies of Jieke Group, it¡¯s highly unlikely they would disseminate it.¡± Judith shook her head, as long as Jieke Group isn¡¯t foolish, they are certain not to disperse their technology. That is the foundation on which Jieke Group stands; once outsiders learn it, Jieke Group¡¯s advantage would vanish instantly. ¡°President, we can only persist in taking the confrontational route, though we will have to slightly delay the military confrontation; we need to impose sanctions on Jieke Group in other areas,¡± Panda cleared his throat twice and suggested, ¡°Jieke Group used to be just a local armed force with a very limited population under its control.¡± But now that they occupy the whole of Chan Country, this is both their advantage and their disadvantage. With a population burden of over fifty million, Chan Country is merely a traditional agricultural country, if Jieke Group only makes the lives of the people there difficult, internal explosions and a color revolution that could overthrow Jieke Group¡¯s rule aren¡¯t out of question, especially since the leaders of Jieke Group are foreigners and their ruling foundation is inherently weak.¡± ¡°This is indeed an opportunity,¡± Lawrence¡¯s eyes lit up; in the current era of globalization, Europe and America dominate the majority of the world economy. If it were possible to exclude Chan Country from the world economic system and prevent their participation in the international division of labor, then their human resource advantage of over fifty million people would become fifty million mouths desperately in need, which could drag down Jieke Group. Like North Korea and Pakistan, with long-term semi-closed economic systems, they manage to survive playing by their own rules, and their planned economy and unique political systems maintain a small wealth gap, but to say that the people there live well is a matter of opinion. After all, with paltry wages and state-rationed goods, having money does not guarantee access to commodities, let alone when there¡¯s no money. ¡°Jieke Group indeed has a large scale, but maintaining the status quo in Chan Country is easy; trying to develop it further is insufficient.¡± Judith calculated in her mind, Jieke Group¡¯s annual revenues are around one hundred billion US dollars. It sounds like a lot, but managing a country is very expensive, amounting to just under two thousand dollars per capita. Even though Chan Country has some output of its own, it isn¡¯t enough to develop a poor, backward agricultural country into a high-level nation. And the reason Jieke Group has such widespread support in Chan Country, with many people welcoming them with gongs and drums, is mainly because Jieke Group truly improved the local standard of living and economic income. But if Jieke Group is incapable of governing Chan Country, the local people¡¯s enthusiasm for supporting Jieke Group will definitely diminish. And Beautiful Country is very skilled at instigating color revolutions, when it comes to dealing with Jieke Group, it would be much easier. ¡°Let¡¯s set up a joint office from different departments to handle this matter,¡± Lawrence had already made up his mind; since it was difficult to deal with Jieke Group militarily, they would have to approach it from other angles. When it comes to sanctioning a country, they in Beautiful Country are indeed very experienced. Chapter 433 - 433 294 Reform (Two updates of eight thousand words each) ?Chapter 433: Chapter 294: Reform (Two updates of eight thousand words each) Chapter 433: Chapter 294: Reform (Two updates of eight thousand words each) A week later. In Yang City, the capital of Chan Country, the chaos from a week ago had dissipated, and everything looked as it had in the past, but many changes had quietly taken place. Early in the morning, Wu Baoxian rode his tricycle, the rear basket filled with breakfast pastries he planned to sell, to Lion Water Street, located near several schools, where business was always good. As soon as he opened his stall, Wu Baoxian¡¯s business began to pick up. ¡°Hey, Old Li, you went back to your hometown to escape the turmoil, didn¡¯t you? When did you get back?¡± Seeing an old customer appear, Wu Baoxian asked in surprise. The man opposite him was also an old man, who had fled to the countryside back when the conflict between the Chan Country Government and Jieke Group was fierce, taking his entire family for fear of being caught in the crossfire. ¡°Hi, I got back the day before yesterday, I had no choice but to return.¡± Old Li, with a blissful smile, said, ¡°My house was bought by the Jieke Group, they said they want to build a big hospital there to treat the people, and offered more than the market price for it. Haven¡¯t you heard about it in the city?¡± Wu Baoxian shook his head, saying, ¡°I really didn¡¯t pay attention, though I often saw those wearing Jieke Group uniforms drawing on the streets, talking about modernizing city planning or something. So that¡¯s what they were up to!¡± ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s it. Not just in the city, in the countryside too, every household is being encouraged to get rich by raising insects. My daughter and her family are thinking of trying it out.¡± ¡°Is that reliable?¡± ¡°The staff from Jieke Group assured us that they guarantee to buy back the insects, and after doing the math, it turns out to be much more profitable than farming. Such a large corporation wouldn¡¯t likely cheat me of this small amount of money.¡± ¡°What about your land in the countryside, are you using it all to raise insects?¡± ¡°No need for so much land, the remaining I¡¯ve given to an agricultural subsidiary of Jieke Group; they said they want to develop large-scale mechanized farming.¡± Old Li grew more and more excited as he spoke, while Wu Baoxian listened with a hint of envy, saying, ¡°Jieke Group really is good to you. Too bad I, an old man, have neither house nor land, only able to make a small business.¡± As they were chatting, Wu Baoxian suddenly shivered when he saw several market regulators in blue uniforms approaching. His face darkened, and he inwardly cursed his bad luck. But then he saw the market regulators start to approach every vendor. ¡°Time to pay up.¡± ¡°Pay the sanitation fee, what are you waiting for?¡± ¡°Twenty thousand Zen Coins per spot.¡± The market regulators called out as Wu Baoxian reluctantly took out the money; twenty thousand Zen Coins amounted to several days of his income, but without paying these market regulators, he couldn¡¯t even dream of doing his business. Soon, the regulators reached him, and Wu Baoxian dutifully handed over the money. ¡°Good, may your business prosper!¡± The regulators smiled broadly, but it was at this moment that a whistle sounded outside. A group of Jieke Soldiers, armed with rifles and dressed in Jieke military uniforms, ran over and immediately detained the market regulators. The market regulators turned pale when they saw the Jieke Soldiers. ¡°Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! We¡¯re on the same side.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s on your side? We received a complaint from the public that it was you extorting and fleecing here. We¡¯ve only just taken over Yang City, and haven¡¯t dealt with these pests yet. You still dare to be so happy! Go and reform at the mines then.¡± The Jieke Soldiers sneered, returning the money they had just collected to the vendors. Because the entire territory of Chan Country was occupied, Jieke Group¡¯s management experienced some chaos. The old bureaucratic elements couldn¡¯t be entirely cleaned out immediately, and new talents were still being recruited and trained, necessitating Jieke Soldiers to also help maintain order. Wu Baoxian witnessed the whole scene, staring at the money that had returned to his hands, his mouth agape for a long while. ¡°I know now why everyone supports Jieke Group so strongly.¡± After a long while, Wu Baoxian sighed, finally feeling the change brought by the arrival of Jieke Group. Before Jieke Group¡¯s arrival, just like those market regulators, there was no fair play. People with a bit of power would exploit all means to scrape off public wealth, seizing others¡¯ riches, and even the poor would be bled dry. ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï Wu Baoxian had even grown accustomed to that life, but Jieke Group¡¯s recent actions showed him that there was still fairness and justice in the world. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Jieke Group is ten thousand times better than the former Chan Country.¡± Old Li wore a happy face; he truly felt the country was improving. Wu Baoxian nodded repeatedly, ¡°I hope Jieke Group can stay here forever, so that everyone can have better days.¡± ... By evening, Wu Baoxian finished his busy day and hurried back home. His so-called home was merely a small, old, and rundown courtyard rented from someone else. As soon as he entered, Wu Baoxian saw his grandson cooking with firewood, his young face blackened by soot; at just nine years old, he already cooked quite proficiently. Wu Baoxian had been widowed early, his son had a leg disability and could no longer work in the fields, and his daughter-in-law left home with their five children and never returned. It was Wu Baoxian who supported the entire family on his modest income. After entering the courtyard, Wu Baoxian sniffed and immediately smelled meat cooking. Chapter 434 - 434 294 Innovation (Two updates of 8000 words each)_2 ?Chapter 434: Chapter 294: Innovation (Two updates of 8000 words each)_2 Chapter 434: Chapter 294: Innovation (Two updates of 8000 words each)_2 Seeing chicken in the pot his grandson was cooking, and even a fish beside it, left him astonished. One must know, his family was so poor that their daily meals were basically just porridge with some pickles. Sometimes when the business wasn¡¯t good, there was no porridge at all; they could only eat sweet potatoes and other coarse grains, especially his grandchildren, who were at the age when they could eat a lot, often went hungry. Now, it wasn¡¯t a holiday or a special occasion, so why was today so luxurious? ¡°Grandpa, we have guests at home, you should come in and see.¡± His grandson, seeing him, revealed a happy smile and quickly ran over to pull him into the house. Wu Baoxian entered the house and saw several bags of rice, flour, oil, and various necessities piled up in the corner. Two young men and women, wearing Jieke Group uniforms, were talking to his bedridden son. His grandchildren, each holding a lollipop, were gathered around those two strangers, sweetly calling them uncle and auntie. ¡°Dad, come quick, these are Jieke Group employees.¡± His son, upon seeing him, immediately waved him over, evidently having a pleasant chat with the two Jieke Group employees beforehand. ¡°You must be Uncle Wu, I¡¯m Xu Run and this is my colleague Zhang Lanong.¡± The two Jieke employees also turned around, extending their hands towards him. ¡°Hello, hello, I know of Jieke Group, you¡¯ve come to my house because...¡± Wu Baoxian asked, feeling very flustered and cautious. ¡°It¡¯s like this, due to your family¡¯s difficult living conditions, which reached the assistance standards of Jieke Group, we¡¯ve come specifically to represent Jieke Group and offer you some material support.¡± Xu Run chuckled, explaining their purpose. Wu Baoxian was stunned; in all his years, this was the first time he¡¯d heard of officials giving out food for free. ¡°Really...really?¡± Wu Baoxian hardly dared to believe what he was hearing; this Jieke Group was actually going to provide him with food. ¡°We at Jieke Group wouldn¡¯t lie to people; we are currently promoting this initiative throughout Chan Country.¡± Xu Run said proudly, describing the initiative to him. ¡°General Su said Jieke Group isn¡¯t here to cause trouble, but to ensure everyone has enough to eat and keep warm; that¡¯s our unchanging original intention at Jieke Group.¡± Wu Baoxian felt like he was listening to a legend; when dealing with the Chan Country Government, they never stopped piling on various exorbitant taxes, always finding ways to empty the few coins in their pockets. At this point, Zhang Lanong joined in, ¡°Uncle Wu, I see your grandchildren are all of school age but not attending school; that won¡¯t do. We at Jieke Group have a rule that education is compulsory.¡± Wu Baoxian waved his hands in embarrassment: ¡°Going to school, no, no, no, I don¡¯t have that kind of money for school fees; they can¡¯t afford to study.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay anything. School expenses are covered; that¡¯s a rule at Jieke Group.¡± Zhang Lanong explained with a smile, mentioning how Jieke Group had special education funds. Unlike the Chan Country Government, which penny-pinched at every turn, Jieke Group was affluent to an entirely different degree, adopting compulsory education in one fell swoop. ¡°Also, one more thing, we just checked your son¡¯s legs, and it seems his leg muscles haven¡¯t atrophied much; there¡¯s a possibility of recovery if treated at a major hospital. We can help you apply for special medical aid for those in extreme poverty to get him hospital treatment, also at no cost to you.¡± Upon hearing this, Wu Baoxian¡¯s pupils dilated, overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down his face as he suddenly knelt on the ground. ¡°Thank you, thank you. You folks at Jieke Group are truly good people!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, not necessary at all.¡± Xu Run and Zhang Lanong hurriedly helped him to his feet. Wu Baoxian, holding his excited son and calling over his grandchildren, said, ¡°Jieke Group, I will definitely support you from now on. When my grandchildren grow up, I¡¯ll also have them work for Jieke Group. Little Bao and you kids, when you grow up, will you work for Jieke Group, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, auntie just said that the place she works at has lots of candy.¡± ¡°I want to be a soldier for the Jieke Group too, super awesome, and I can specifically fight the bad guys.¡± ¡°Grandpa, what is Jieke Group, is it tasty?¡± The youngest granddaughter¡¯s teasing brought laughter to the room, filling it with joyful noises and chuckles. Scenes like this occurred throughout Chan Country. After gaining complete control over Chan Country, Jieke Group started to implement their various initiatives with great force, altering almost everything from top to bottom that had been wrong with Chan Country in the past, rejuvenating the entire nation. In doing so, Jieke Group naturally touched the bottom line of a large number of vested interests, primarily the landlords and the gentry. Although Jieke Group hadn¡¯t confiscated their lands, everyone went to raise insects instead, and no one helped them with the farming, leaving the land to lay idle. Through this method, Jieke Group easily reclaimed most of the state-owned land and embarked on large-scale intensive farming. These people did think about stirring up some trouble, but Jieke Group responded with a lightning action, carrying out a purge for half a month, arresting a batch and executing another, eliminating all voices of opposition. As long as the people who raised issues were dealt with, then all other issues naturally ceased to be problems. Jieke Group¡¯s actions were simple and crude, but incredibly effective. Any landlords and gentry who caused trouble were usually greeted by a knock on the door from Jieke soldiers and had their property confiscated and were thrown into prison. Then there were a few of the biggest local landlords in Chan Country who relied on their private armies, but Jieke Group soldiers didn¡¯t come for them, because what came were Genetic Warriors. A team of three Genetic Warriors was enough to decimate the thousand-man private forces of these landlords, and then they were arrested and taken back for trial. Jieke Group, which had managed to repel the Eight Nation Group, found dealing with the small-time gentry¡¯s private soldiers to be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, sweeping away all resistance with ease as if it were autumn leaves. ... Yang City Golden Pagoda. This is the most famous landmark of Chan Country, with the pagoda being built in the year 585 BCE, standing at 112 meters tall with a base covering 115 square meters. The body of the pagoda was adorned with over a thousand sheets of pure gold leaf, and the amount of gold employed weighed more than seven tons. Around the tower hung over 15,000 gold and silver bells; when the wind blew, the ringing was crisp and pleasant to the ear, carrying in all directions. Su Jie was currently accompanying Liu Yingying on a tour here. Now that the conflicts in Chan Country had ceased, he also took the time to bring Yingying around. ¡°Su Jie, I¡¯ve arranged everything for the celebration in three days. Some countries will send representatives to attend.¡± Liu Yingying curled her arm through Su Jie¡¯s as they snuggled together at the top viewing area of the pagoda. Although she had been traveling recently, she was worried about the lack of proper management below and frequently inquired personally. After all, from that day onward, Jieke Group was set to officially enter the global stage, dealing with hundreds of nations and regions worldwide. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree not to talk about work!¡± Su Jie pinched Liu Yingying¡¯s cheek, urging her not to overwork herself. ¡°Ah, I just can¡¯t help worrying, you see. Such an important event, it concerns Jieke Group¡¯s reputation and foundation, and all the media from around the world will be there. If we mess up, it will be in front of the entire world. Liu Yingying covered her rear, responding irritably to Su Jie: ¡°And you still find time to relax. Have you memorized your speech for that day?¡± ¡°Does your man need to memorize that? I¡¯ll just improvise as I go along.¡± Su Jie held Liu Yingying in his lap and smiled, asking, ¡°By the way, have the invitations been sent out to the Eight Nation Group? How did they respond?¡± ¡°They said they would come, just like you guessed. I thought they wouldn¡¯t come actually.¡± ¡°Heh, after the standard procedure, they¡¯re probably trying to probe our reality.¡± Su Jie narrowed his eyes, the brightness at that moment was sure to let the whole world witness the new power of Jieke Group. Chapter 435 - 435 295 Military Parade (First Update) ?Chapter 435: Chapter 295: Military Parade (First Update) Chapter 435: Chapter 295: Military Parade (First Update) March 27. In Chan Country¡¯s Yang City, a military parade is being held on Central Street. Crowds from all directions flocked to the parade site, constantly standing on tiptoes to catch a glimpse. On a viewing stand, representatives from various countries arrived with their delegations, taking their seats one after another. Not only countries that often dealt with Jieke Group were present, but members of the G7 were also in attendance. Of course, to be precise, it should now be called the G7, as the Chan Country Government had already been overthrown, and Chan Country had a new master. The representative from the Beautiful Country was Judith, who attended in person, accompanied by Japan¡¯s representative Changdao Yimao and Siam¡¯s Bhansong Chalermpong. ¡°You Beautiful Country people actually came here too. I doubt the locals will welcome you, aren¡¯t you afraid of being attacked?¡± The representative from Mao Bear Country, Alexey, mocked the group as he approached them. ¡°We¡¯ve been invited. If even the safety of the guests cannot be ensured, such a country had better not embarrass themselves on the international stage.¡± Judith responded indifferently, returning the mockery without any reservation. ¡°Ha, haven¡¯t you been embarrassed enough? Who said they wanted to intervene militarily in the Chan Country¡¯s situation? How come you fled from Yang City Airport with your tails between your legs?¡± Alexey smirked, directly exposing Beautiful Country¡¯s embarrassing scar. However, Judith managed to keep his composure, but Changdao Yimao, the representative from Japan beside him, couldn¡¯t hold back. The incident at Yang City Airport was an eternal pain in the heart of Japan. ¡°I heard that Mao Bear Country is going to provide an interest-free loan to Jieke Group to support local military enterprises. In my opinion, it¡¯s not certain that Jieke Group will be able to maintain stable rule. Isn¡¯t Mao Bear Country afraid of losing everything by making such a big bet here?¡± Changdao Yimao looked at Alexey¡¯s entourage behind him. Mao Bear Country hadn¡¯t just sent Alexey, but an entire team comprising business representatives and military expertsa?€¡±dozens of them. The scale of their presence signaled that Mao Bear Country intended to sign a multitude of cooperation agreements with the Jieke Group. ¡°We naturally have our considerations. Jieke Group has managed to occupy Chan Country, and at the moment, I see no risks.¡± Alexey chuckled. As long as Jieke Group could draw even a little of the Beautiful Country¡¯s attention in Southeast Asia, it was worth supporting them. Although the current Mao Bear Country wasn¡¯t as financially powerful as the former red empire, they were still open to signing mutually beneficial agreements, such as those involving various energy and mineral resourcesa?€¡±Mao Bear Country was a major exporter of energy on a global scale. Jieke Group now occupied Chan Country, and the nation was ripe for revival and development. Transforming it into a modern country would undoubtedly generate immense wealth, and the potential for external cooperation was vast, enough to make the mouths of capitalists water. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t just Mao Bear Country, but Hua Country, India, South Korea, even Japan, and capitalists within the Beautiful Country that could not resist coming here to seek engagement. Capital always chases profit; it¡¯s intrinsic. ¡°Fighting and killing is outdated. We¡¯re in an era of peace now, and in business, courteous cooperation is the key to wealth.¡± A voice joined the conversationa?€¡±it was Hua Country¡¯s representative Tang Chaoen, who also brought a large team, clearly prepared to pursue extensive cooperation with the Jieke Group. Hua Country had arrived even earlier than Mao Bear Country, having already toured around Chan Country and finalized a series of cooperative matters with Jieke Group¡¯s upper management. ¡°Coming from you, that¡¯s not very persuasive.¡± Judith¡¯s face twitcheda?€¡±if it weren¡¯t for your fleet being launched like dumplings recently, I might actually believe your nonsense. While the few conversed, noon approached, and suddenly a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd. A motorcade slowly made its way forward, with Su Jie seated in one of the convertibles. ¡°Mr. Su, it¡¯s Mr. Su!¡± ¡°Ahh, I finally get to see General Su in person! General Su, I love you!¡± ¡°This is the controller of Jieke Group? So young.¡± The people on both sides of the street crane their necks to see. If not for the police and soldiers maintaining order, the convoy would probably have been completely blocked, creating a fervent scene. With Jieke Group¡¯s occupation of Chan Country and the repulse of the Eight Nation Group, Su Jie had become a household name in Chan Country. ¡°He really is young.¡± Judith pursed his lips; this was his first time seeing Su Jie, the nemesis of the Beautiful Country, in person. With a handsome face and bright eyes, he seemed harmless but was not the type of person who looked as if he would enjoy killing. Yet it was precisely this man who had become the Beautiful Country¡¯s major problem, repeatedly causing them to return home defeated. ¡°A young hero indeed! The internet wasn¡¯t wronga?€¡±others are ennobled and made prime ministers at twenty-five, becoming masters of a nation. Truly a legendary life.¡± Tang Chaoen sighed. In Hua Country, Su Jie¡¯s popularity was explosive among average netizens. As a native of Hua Country, he had founded his own company which went on to occupy a country with tens of millions of people and even match the Eight Nation Group move for move. Such a legendary story perfectly fulfilled the netizens¡¯ desire for sensational news, making Su Jie¡¯s face known to virtually everyone on various social media platforms. ¡°A great adversary to the empire, there will come a day...¡± A flash of anger passed through Changdao Yimao¡¯s eyes. This man had brought too much suffering to Japan, with thousands of Japanese soldiers still imprisoned in Chan Country¡¯s mines. Chapter 436 - 436 295 Military Parade (First Update) ?Chapter 436: Chapter 295: Military Parade (First Update) Chapter 436: Chapter 295: Military Parade (First Update) ¡°This man is too dangerous.¡± Bhansong Chalermpong looked at Su Jie, feeling inexplicably apprehensive. As a neighboring country bordering Chan Country and also a member of the Eight Nation Group, the fate of the Chan Country Government served as a warning to him. Siam shared too many borders with Chan Country and, being enemies within the Eight Nation Group, plus having the war-mad Su Jie, put immense pressure on Siam. Su Jie ascended the podium, accompanied by Liu Yingying and a host of important figures from the Jieke Group, greeting the guests present. When it was Judith¡¯s turn, Su Jie smiled while shaking hands with her. ¡°I¡¯ve heard, Director Zhu, that you have an office specifically aimed at the Jieke Group. I would love to visit sometime and learn from your advanced experience.¡± Judith, bold and discerning, responded with her head held high, ¡°Mr. Su, we are always ready to welcome you, and I will personally roll out the red carpet to greet you at the airport.¡± ¡°There will definitely be an opportunity in the future.¡± Su Jie smiled, brushing past Judith. After a good deal of cordial exchange, the parade ceremony was almost ready to begin. Liu Yingying briefly introduced the history of the Jieke Group¡¯s development and then announced, ¡°Now, please allow Mr. Su, the chairman of the Jieke Group, to deliver his speech.¡± Su Jie stepped up to the microphone at the podium. Looking out, there was a dense sea of people gathered here, tens of thousands of citizens, along side a large number of domestic and foreign journalists. The words of Su Jie were broadcast on television across thousands of households in Chan Country, and through news and the internet, were seen by countless people across the world. ¡°I am Su Jie. I am here to tell every citizen of Chan Country that, after a series of difficult and arduous wars, we have successfully seized a victory that belongs to justice, and this country will also embrace a rebirth. I hereby pledge that the reborn Chan Country will dedicate itself to eradicating poverty, solving hunger and disease, establishing a sound system, moving towards prosperity and strength, and ensuring external enemies never dare to bully us again. Now, let everyone witness the confidence of the Jieke Group, our military capabilities are sufficient to protect our land. Now, I declare the parade celebration open.¡± As soon as Su Jie finished speaking, a series of salutes sounded at the venue, followed by the military band playing the military anthem. Accompanied by the sound of neat footsteps, rows of Jieke Security Soldiers marched forward, chests thrust out, and as they approached the podium, they raised their hands in salutation and shouted in unison, ¡°Long live the Jieke Group, long live Commander Su.¡± Many foreign guests nearby were taken aback, as they could see the military might on display was quite formidable. However, the true major powers were not concerned by this as even with armored forces rolling past and warplanes roaring overhead, these could not shake them, for in terms of conventional weapons and military power, the Jieke Group was not yet considered significant. The reason why in Chan Country, the common soldiers of the Jieke Group could easily defeat the Chan Country Government Army and various local warlords was simply because they were too weak. The real ace of the Jieke Group was never the conventional soldiers, but those miraculously bioengineered soldiers. ¡°Next, marching forward is the Jieke Security¡¯s special force unit, Steel Camp, a distinguished unit that has experienced numerous battles, both large and small. They are a reliable and dependable people¡¯s force, a hero unit.¡± In the live commentary at the venue, all the guests on the podium perked up and watched intently at the approaching unit. A hundred Steel Camp Genetic Warriors appeared on the parade street, all clad in various types of Biological Armor. The three-meter-tall armor shined brilliantly under the sunlight. Covered in various weaponsa?€¡±machine guns, rocket launchers, Single Soldier Missiles, Flame throwers, heavy mortars, and morea?€¡±the Steel Camp Genetic Warriors resembled mobile fire platforms. Especially the look in the eyes of those Genetic Warriors, each one cold and ruthless as if people were nothing but grass, inspiring fear just by the sight. ¡°Steel Camp!¡± ¡°Steel Camp!¡± ¡°Steel Camp!¡± The shouts of the crowd on both sides of the street resonated through the sky, loudly chanting the name of Steel Camp. Simply because the combat achievements of Steel Camp were too glorious, often a hundred men annihilating tens of thousands, these exaggerated and unreasonable records naturally made this unit famous worldwide, recognized as the strongest individual force. Media from all over the world kept pressing their camera shutters, not wanting to miss this rare appearance of so many from Steel Camp together. ¡°Steel Camp, truly as legendary.¡± Judith, holding binoculars, felt the pressure from this unit as she furrowed her brow deeply. Not to mention Japan, as Changdao Yimao watched this unit, his eyes nearly turned red. The other countries, seeing Steel Camp, displayed envious and jealous expressions, wishing their countries also had such premier bioengineered troops! Just when everyone thought the appearance of Steel Camp would be the grand finale and the parade was about to end, a strange noise came again. Clank Clank! The sound of mechanical twisting gradually became clear, and a massive shadow overshadowed the entire venue, leaving everyone¡¯s mouths agape. A thirty-meter tall Mecha with six arms appeared in sight. On its cold metal body, numerous darkish gun ports and missile silos covered it, the smallest weapon being a 30 millimeter machine gun, six arms equipped with 203 millimeter caliber barrels, and its back equipped with rocket and missile launchers. Chapter 437 - 437 295 Military Parade (First Update) ?Chapter 437: Chapter 295: Military Parade (First Update) Chapter 437: Chapter 295: Military Parade (First Update) As it moved, its speed showed none of the stiffness and clumsiness typical of heavy machinery, but rather it was quick and agile, as if equipped with an excellent shock absorption system, without damaging the ground at all, catching up to Steel Camp in just a few steps. The formerly intimidating Steel Camp, wearing three-meter-tall Biological Armor as Genetic Warriors, seemed like grandfathers in front of this gigantic Mecha, which stood like a grandfather to a grandchild. Due to its humanoid outline, this Mecha gave an especially strong sensory impact, even greater than the shock of seeing a destroyer ship. ¡°This is self-developed by Jieke Group, the Tiger Main Battle Mecha, standing 38.9 meters tall and weighing 1635 tons, equipped with multiple weapon systems for both ground and air combat, possessing all-weather combat capabilities, and represents the latest research and development result of Jieke Security against Biological Armor.¡± When the voiceover reached this gigantic Mecha, after a brief silence, thunderous exclamations of astonishment swept through the crowd, leaving the audience stunned. It wasn¡¯t just the spectators on the streets who were stunned; on the viewing platform, the foreign guests couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock, watching with bulging eyes as the giant Mecha passed by, overshadowed by its enormous form. Especially the military experts, whose eyes nearly popped out of their heads. Originally here to scrutinize Steel Camp, who expected Jieke Group to give them such a massive fright? How could they create something straight out of a movie? Judith¡¯s face was extremely grave as she looked at her own military expert and said, ¡°What do you think, can this thing be combat-capable? Such a large frame is just a target on modern battlefields, right?¡± The military expert shook his head and smiled bitterly, ¡°Sir, based on the defensive effects of Steel Camp¡¯s Biological Armor, this size of Mecha likely has an incredibly astonishing defense, probably even regular rockets and tank armor-piercing bullets can¡¯t penetrate it, only a missile could take it down. It¡¯s just uncertain what its anti-aircraft and evasion capabilities are; Jieke Group has too much secret technology. Nobody dares to be sure now.¡± Changdao Yimao, standing by the side, had his eyes gleaming as he watched the giant Mecha. Japanese particularly adored such things, but regretfully, it was a product from their arch-enemy, Japan, and they could only watch enviously. ¡°Mr. Su, do you sell these Tiger Main Battle Mechas?¡± Even countries friendly with Jieke Group, like Russia, couldn¡¯t resist coming up to inquire. ¡°Our military plans to equip five hundred units of this type of Mecha, and until we complete our own armament tasks, we are not considering sales.¡± Su Jie spoke calmly, a faint smile hanging at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Five hundred units, Mr. Su, are you trying to provoke an arms race?¡± Upon hearing this, the Siam representative Bhansong Chalermpong was nearly scared to wet himself. With Jieke Group undertaking such armament, as a neighboring country, Siam was exceptionally on edge. Jieke Group was already belligerent without this type of Mecha, but if they were actually to equip five hundred units of the Tiger Main Battle Mechas, Siam might be flattened in no time! ¡°What are you saying? We at Jieke Group have always loved peace; arming ourselves with this type of Tiger Main Battle Mecha is merely for the protection of our own land.¡± Su Jie responded with a smile, but no one believed him, especially the members of the Eight Nation Group, who watched the massive Mecha as it slowly departed, feeling vulnerable in its wake. Meanwhile, at the scene, the news reporters were utterly frenzied, continuously snapping photos of the Tiger Main Battle Mecha, wanting to capture every bit of its majestic form. This Super Mecha was definitively the first of its kind ever developed by mankind and was sure to be a sensational piece of news worldwide. Su Jie was very satisfied with the reaction at the scene; in fact, the Tiger Main Battle Mecha present was just for show, actually controlled internally by a shrunk-down Thousand-Handed Centipede, which moved the Mecha by forcibly gathering together Corpse Hands. Currently, there was absolutely no possibility of large-scale production. Su Jie needed to demonstrate the power of Jieke Group through military deception, just as Mao Bear Country and Beautiful Country did during the Cold War. And seeing the reaction at the scene, everyone clearly believed that Jieke Group had indeed developed the first heavy Mecha in human history. Chapter 438 - 438 296 Mutual Hurt (Two updates of 8000 words each!) ?Chapter 438: Chapter 296: Mutual Hurt (Two updates of 8000 words each!) Chapter 438: Chapter 296: Mutual Hurt (Two updates of 8000 words each!) ¡°The Mechanical Era: Discussing the pros and cons of Jieke Group¡¯s new equipment, the Tiger Main Battle Mecha.¡± ¡°The Tiger Main Battle Mecha¡¯s practical combat ability is worrisome. The famous military expert Everton said, ¡®This mecha does not have practical combat value, and there is no need for concern.''¡± ¡°Human-shaped Mechas are a mistake in the course of human military development. Military progress can¡¯t be made through underhanded methods.¡± The next day, as expected, Jieke Group¡¯s military parade celebration shot to the top of the world¡¯s news trends. The appearance of the Tiger Main Battle Mecha, in particular, was like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves around the world. Despite numerous military experts stepping forward and vehemently pointing out the Tiger Main Battle Mecha¡¯s flaws, calling it all style and no substance... ...the general public didn¡¯t care about that because the Tiger Main Battle Mecha looked cool. The sight of equipment from movie fantasies appearing in reality, with its thick myriad of gun barrels, rugged lines, and overwhelming power, struck a chord with many. ¡°Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, this mecha is perfect! It¡¯s almost forty meters tall with so many weapon systems. If it were on the battlefield, I can¡¯t even imagine the power.¡± ¡°I would gladly pay one million dollars to pilot that mecha for just five minutes. Ahh, that would be so awesome.¡± ¡°Suddenly my Gundam toy doesn¡¯t seem so appealing anymore. I want a big toy like that too.¡± ¡°The cost of it must be one billion dollars! That¡¯s too rich for my blood, looks like only a superpower can afford such a collectible.¡± ¡°When is the Beautiful Country going to unveil its Main Battle Mecha? Looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Dream on, we can¡¯t even replicate their three-meter tall Biological Armor, let alone this thirty-meter behemoth. Are you planning to replicate it with your head?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a good-looking, useless piece of metal. We in the Beautiful Country have aircraft carrier fleets; we don¡¯t give a damn about such monstrosities.¡± ¡°To the person above, how do you view the Beautiful Country Congress¡¯s recent approval of ¡®an initiative to actively join with major military enterprises to expedite the development of Single Soldier Mechas and Main Battle Mechas, with a special allocation of sixty billion dollars of Mecha-specific funds¡¯ as an act of nonchalance?¡± It wasn¡¯t just online. Countries around the world had started to mobilize swiftly in response to the appearance of the Tiger Main Battle Mecha. ¡°To promote the military development of new Mechas, we will offer related Mecha courses in many universities and intensify the development of intelligent robots and intelligent piloted ships.¡± This was Hua Country¡¯s latest news announcement, where many universities even considered drawing eSports champions into military focus, hoping these individuals could pilot Mechas in combat. ¡°To explore the field of Mechas further, establish research systems for Mecha combat, and develop our own Mechas.¡± This was Russia¡¯s announcement, also intent on stepping into the realm of Mechas. ¡°Mecha culture was developed by us, the Great Sakura Empire, and we must have our own Mechas. The Imperial Science and Technology Union plans to create a Mecha product within three years that will capture the world¡¯s attention. Preliminary designs for the Mecha are underway, tentatively named ¡®Super Destroyer,¡¯ representing the hopes of the Japan Empire soaring into the skies to obliterate all our enemies.¡± The news from Japan was excitable and cringeworthy, with loud and thunderous slogansa?€¡±whether they actually had the capability, only heaven knew. After all, their reputation for craftsmanship had long been stigmatized internationally, with various frauds no longer surprising anyone. ¡°The Jieke Group is wantonly hyping up an arms race, arming the Mechanical Army, and establishing biochemical supremacy. This is a provocation against global security. In response, just the other day, we decided to purchase a batch of the Beautiful Country¡¯s F35 stealth fighters.¡± This was news from Siam, trembling at the Tiger Main Battle Mecha from Jieke Group. Knowing they couldn¡¯t develop their own Mechas, they quickly sought to cozy up to their ¡®Beautiful Country daddy,¡¯ using borrowed power to warn Jieke Groupa?€¡±they were not to be trifled with. However, whether such a tactic could frighten Jieke Group remained a question. After all, Jieke Group had already taken on the Beautiful Country. If they dared mess with your Beautiful Country daddy, why would they fear you, Siam? It could be said that with the unveiling of the Tiger Main Battle Mecha at Jieke Group¡¯s military parade, the entire world was rocked by a tremendous shock. This was because Genetic Warriors previously wearing Biological Armor had demonstrated formidable prowess, singlehandedly taking on hundreds. While the Tiger Main Battle Mecha faced skepticism, nobody dared assert with certainty that it couldn¡¯t be used in real battles. Especially now, with Jieke Group¡¯s military continually emerging victorious, it was easy for people to make blind assertions. Assuming that Jieke Group, as the inventors of Mechas, certainly understood their advantages, no one wanted to fall behind the times and aimed to join the Mecha club. As modern warfare evolved, nuclear forces were virtually impossible to utilize, and armored troops were too clumsy, becoming easy targets for fighter jets and drones. Since Jieke Group had previously demonstrated the superiority of Mechas through Steel Camp, the sudden advent of the Tiger Main Battle Mecha, a formidable new type of armor combined with human capabilities, naturally became the focal point of global military competition. For military superpowers, having a powerful Mecha force to defend national security, preserve territorial integrity, and maintain a balance of power among major countries was crucial; everyone wanted to be part of this military transformation. However, these countries did not realize that the Tiger Main Battle Mecha was a counterfeit product; they had been led down the garden path. But that didn¡¯t mean they were wrong in their research direction. Jieke Group¡¯s current Tiger Main Battle Mecha might be fake, but this did not mean that Jieke Group couldn¡¯t develop similar Mechas in the futurea?€¡±just perhaps not as large and not necessarily humanoid. Chapter 439 - 439 296 Mutual Hurt (Two updates of 8000 words each)_2 ?Chapter 439: Chapter 296: Mutual Hurt (Two updates of 8000 words each)_2 Chapter 439: Chapter 296: Mutual Hurt (Two updates of 8000 words each)_2 While the world was fervently embarking on the research and development of Mechas, Jieke Group had also officially entered the international stage with this novel approach and was immediately greeted by international major players. Some countries friendly to Jieke Group openly recognized Jieke Group¡¯s rule over Chan Country as legitimate internationally. Neutral countries did not take a stand, while those harboring grievances against Jieke Group naturally chose to kick them while they were down. Three days after the Jieke Group parade ended, ASEAN directly chose to make a move, announcing the expulsion of Chan Country from the ASEAN organization, effectively excluding Chan Country from the group and ceasing to include them in activities. The so-called ASEAN is a regional international organization in Southeast Asia, primarily aimed at strengthening economic, trade, and commercial cooperation. Before this, ASEAN consisted of ten countries: Chan Country, Siam, Temasek, Luzon, Jawa, Rou Fu, An Nan, Zhenla, Lancang, and Borneo. The organization now indicating that they would not include Chan Country clearly targeted a specific entity. On the same day, the Prime Minister of Japan, Tsunoshima Shouichi, made a statement, ¡°Under Jieke Group¡¯s rule, Chan Country has completely become an extreme Axis nation. We will sever diplomatic ties with Chan Country and prohibit commercial and economic interactions.¡± The spokesperson for the Beautiful Country was even more blunt, saying flatly, ¡°Considering the current changes in the situation, President Lawrence signed an executive order on April 2, deciding to freeze 9.5 billion US Dollars in deposits at the Chan Country Central Bank. He also allocated 9 billion US Dollars to compensate for our country¡¯s material losses during the civil war in Chan Country, while the remaining 500 million US Dollars are transferred to the New York Federal Reserve Bank, to be used for humanitarian aid within Chan Country, but not through Jieke Group.¡± This news immediately caused an uproar among the reporters below. A reporter, unable to restrain himself, stood up and asked, ¡°What right does the Beautiful Country have to freeze another country¡¯s assets?¡± With a smirk, the spokesperson said, ¡°Our freezing of foreign assets is ¡®justified by law,¡¯ the 1977 laws grant the President ¡®special economic powers,¡¯ which allow the transfer of foreign frozen assets to our Federal Reserve Bank for other uses.¡± A reporter from Bear Country stood up and scoffed, ¡°To my knowledge, the reserves of Chan Country Central Bank in the Beautiful Country belong to all the citizens of Chan Country. Such a unilateral agreement by President Lawrence of the Beautiful Country is contrary to international norms and laws. In this world, no country has the right to decide to confiscate another country¡¯s funds; the Beautiful Country should return the money to Jieke Group.¡± ¡°We, the Beautiful Country, do not recognize Jieke Group as the legitimate government of Chan Country. The money belongs to the original government of Chan Country, which is a member of the Eight Nation Group. As the leading member of the Eight Nation Group, my Beautiful Country has the right to dispose of these funds.¡± With an attitude of a dead pig not fearing boiling water, the spokesperson from the Beautiful Country clearly intended to embezzle the funds and brazenly stated. ¡°If you wish to reclaim this money, then Jieke Group must acknowledge the contract debts signed by the former government of Chan Country with our country. We provided successive large-scale loans and material resources to the government of Chan Country, among which military exportation alone amounted to 79 billion, all provided on credit.¡± ¡°Jieke Group must take on this debt and publicly apologize for the civil war in Chan Country; otherwise, we, the Beautiful Country, will never recognize the legitimacy of Jieke Group in Chan Country.¡± ... When this news crossed seas to arrive in Chan Country, other countries in Europe and America also followed suit, freezing the assets of Chan Country banks located in their territories. ¡°This is outrageous; it¡¯s outright robbery, talking about 79 billion US Dollars of military hardware. You sell arms on credit to the government of Chan Country to fight us, and now you want us to repay this military debt. The world indeed has such shameless people.¡± In the office of Jieke Group, Liu Yingying exploded with rage upon receiving the news, feeling deep anger at the shameless actions of the Beautiful Country. ¡°79 billion US Dollars, the military of the Beautiful Country sure dares to claim! It seems they are leveraging our Jieke Group to clear their debts, knowing that a dead government of Chan Country won¡¯t speak.¡± Su Jie, with a mocking smile, patted Liu Yingying on the back and said, ¡°The Beautiful Country has always been like this; they now face both military and moral failure. It¡¯s clear they do not want to see us prosper economically. If you lose your cool over this, you would be playing right into their hands.¡± ¡°But what they¡¯re doing is too much; that is clearly our money, much of it deposits from the citizens of Chan Country, and now it¡¯s being blatantly seized by them.¡± Liu Yingying was extremely reluctant, finding the Beautiful Country¡¯s move utterly revolting. ¡°If others can celebrate the first of the month, we can make a big spectacle on the fifteenth!¡± Su Jie tapped Liu Yingying¡¯s head, chuckling, ¡°I remember, domestically we have many oil and gas field companies invested in by Europe and America, it¡¯s time we nationalized them.¡± Chan Country is rich in oil and gas resources, with proven oil reserves of 3.1 billion barrels and natural gas reserves of 25400 billion cubic meters, ranking among the top ten natural gas reserves in the world. According to statistics, the sector with the most foreign investment in Chan Country is the oil and natural gas industry, with a total of 184 projects, a total investment of 28.41 billion US dollars, accounting for more than 71% of total foreign investment, because at the time, Chan Country had no oil and gas extraction technology and had to rely on these foreign capitals. Upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, Liu Yingying¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. ¡°I understand what to do now.¡± Clamping her teeth, Liu Yingying rushed out energetically, determined to show Europe, America, and ASEAN a thing or two. ... The next day. Jieke Group released an announcement, directly challenging the Beautiful Country. ¡°To maintain national basic livelihood and energy security, Chan Country, starting from today, will nationalize the assets of the following companies and take control: General Electric Company, Caterpillar Company, Chevron Oil Company, ExxonMobil, Royal Shell Oil Company, Total Gas Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation... All assets of the above companies within the territory of Chan Country are nationalized effective immediately.¡± At the moment the news was released, Jieke Group had already moved into action, soldiers occupied these companies to take control and seal them off to prevent intentional damage. These were now the assets of Jieke Group and naturally had to be well protected. Following the announcement by Jieke Group appearing in international circles, it shocked the world. A huge crowd treated it as a spectacle and discussions were incredibly heated. The companies that were named were dumbfounded, ¡°Damn, where¡¯s my money.¡± It was clearly the military-industrial complex of the Beautiful Country lending funds for arms to the Chan Country Government, and if Chan Country was wiped out and couldn¡¯t pay back, they would seize Chan Country Central Bank¡¯s money to cover some of their losses. Now, the battle had unexpectedly spread to them. Both the Beautiful Country and Jieke Group¡¯s audacious moves stunned the entire world. It looked as if both entities were harming each other, stabbing each other and letting the blood flow, all in the business battlefield; this level of shamelessness was unprecedented. It was like two villains brawling shirtless, using all tactics like throwing lime, kicking the groin, gouging out eyes; completely devoid of any principles or morality. After Jieke Group announced the seizure of the oil companies¡¯ assets, now it was Beautiful Country¡¯s turn to panic, as its Commerce and Energy Departments urgently issued a statement together. ¡°Our businessmen¡¯s assets in Chan Country are legal, primarily aimed at helping Chan Country develop oil and gas resources, promote Chan Country¡¯s international trade, and ensure the stability of its energy supply. Jieke Group has no right to seize them; this is a violation of international norms.¡± The oil companies that had their assets seized in Chan Country were frantic; these companies held significant power and wanted to retrieve their assets, even mobilizing the Energy and Commerce Departments of the Beautiful Country. ¡°According to our country¡¯s special Economic Law Section 283, we have the right to seize all foreign assets for emergency use.¡± Jieke Group responded succinctly. If you asked when this legal regulation was enacted, sorry, it just passed in Congress yesterday. As for those foreign oil company lobbyists pleading for mercy, they were completely ignored, not taking them seriously at all. These foreign oil companies were deeply frustrated, grinding their teeth in anger. Even as frustrated as they were, they couldn¡¯t do anything to Jieke Group; had it been other powers or even countries, they might dare to make some moves. But this was Jieke Group; no one wanted to test their notorious commercial warfare tactics, fearing they might send out Genetic Warriors to physically eliminate the competition. In the end, the foreign oil and natural gas companies could only swallow their miseries, tearfully stripped of their wealth, and fled Chan Country in disarray, their assets all becoming the spoils of war for Jieke Group. Chapter 440 - 440 297 Military Intimidation (First Update) ?Chapter 440: Chapter 297: Military Intimidation (First Update) Chapter 440: Chapter 297: Military Intimidation (First Update) The Jieke Group and the Beautiful Country hurt each other, and seeing how shameless the Jieke Group was, the Beautiful Country made another move. Chan Country did have a navy, with 15,000 personnel, mainly operating in the coastal waters of Mengjia Bay and the Andaman Sea. The entire Chan Country Navy had 2 Jianghu 2 Type Frigates, 3 Anulvuo-class Light Frigates, 1 Yong Jiyu-class Frigate, 2 Jiang Xitu Class Frigates, 1 amphibious dock landing ship, 1 Kilo-class submarine and 1 035B conventional submarine, as well as around twenty smaller patrol boats, missile boats, river gunboats, and other equipment, each weighing several hundred tons. The most powerful of these naval ships had a displacement of just over 2000 tons. This was entirely insignificant in the world of naval powers; the whole Chan Country Navy was very unremarkable. When the Jieke Group fully occupied Chan Country, this naval force naturally surrendered to them as well. On their own, they could not possibly confront the Jieke Group, and their vessels couldn¡¯t travel on land. However, at this moment, the Beautiful Country intervened. Previously due to the Beautiful Country uniting the members of the Eight Nation Group to conduct distant-water escort operations near Mengjia Bay, they had fought pirates and maintained the safety of the shipping lanes. In reality, this was aimed at blockading the maritime trade routes of the Jieke Group. At that time, Chan Country also participated in the distant-water escort operation, including two indigenously built Jiang Xitu Frigates, each with a displacement of 2500 tons. These frigates were equipped with a 30mm close-in weapon system, Huoqiang-type air defense missiles, a 76mm rapid-firing gun, two quad C802 anti-ship missile launchers, a triple 324mm torpedo launcher, a five-barrel anti-submarine rocket launcher, 14.5mm multi-barrel machine guns, and they could carry an anti-submarine helicopter. It could be said that although the Jiang Xitu Frigates had no reputation in the world and were considered nondescript, small ships, they were nonetheless the most powerful warships of Chan Country. While the Chan Country Navy was surrendering to the Jieke Group, these two Jiang Xitu Frigates, initially sailing with the Eight Nation Group¡¯s distant-water escort fleet, were supposed to return to Chan Country¡¯s military ports and accept arrangements from the Jieke Group. However, before these two Jiang Xitu Frigates could leave the distant-water escort fleet, they were surrounded by the fleet of the Eight Nation Group. All of the naval soldiers on board the two frigates were detained, and the ships were seized. ¡°Recently, the two Jiang Xitu Frigates opened fire accidentally during escort operations, causing damage to our fleet. Until the truth is confirmed, these ships will be temporarily detained by the Eight Nation Group and sent to Siam for investigation, and will only be returned after the investigation is clear.¡± This was the statement from the spokesperson for the Eight Nation Group headquarters. Anyone with clear eyesight could tell that the Beautiful Country was playing tricks again. ¡°Our side will complete the investigation of the incident as soon as possible, and we will not wrongly accuse any good person.¡± This was the response from Siam, following the lead of the Beautiful Country and deploying a large naval force to complete the handover of the escort of the Jiang Xitu Frigates on the high seas. The move was primarily to deter any interference from the Chan Country Navy, just in case. In terms of naval power, the Siam Navy had a total force of 66,000 personnel, including 20,000 Marine Corps members, 8,000 Air and Coast Defense Command Soldiers, and 1,150 Navy Aviation troops. In terms of warships, the Siam Navy had 1 light aircraft carrier with a full-load displacement of 11.5 thousand tons, 1 Siriraj-class Integrated Supply Ship with a full-load displacement of 20 thousand tons, 1 071E Type dock landing ship of 20 thousand tons class, 2 Resilient-class Tank Landing Ships of 8,500 tons full-load displacement, 2 3000-ton class F25T Narai Song Suban Frigates, 4 2000-ton class 053H2 improved Chao Phraya Frigates. The overall strength of the Siam Navy was much stronger than that of the Chan Country Navy. With such a large deployment of the navy, they naturally did not fear any trouble from the Chan Country Navy. When the news of the detention of the Jiang Xitu Frigates reached Chan Country, it caused a huge uproar. Although the Chan Country Government had already been overthrown, these two Jiang Xitu Frigates, as the strongest warships built independently by Chan Country, held a very important place in the hearts of Chan Country¡¯s citizens. When they were launched, many people felt a deep pride. Now hearing that the two Jiang Xitu Frigates had been detained by the Beautiful Country, countless Chan Country citizens were filled with righteous indignation and spontaneously took to the streets to protest against the actions of the Eight Nation Group. The Jieke Group responded immediately, but not regarding the Jiang Xitu Frigates. Facing numerous media cameras, Liu Yingying did not verbally protest against the Eight Nation Group¡¯s detention of the Jiang Xitu Frigates, because the Beautiful Country¡¯s thick skin would no longer care about such mere verbal criticisms. ¡°To cope with the recent tension in the international situation, our side will carry out a new round of military expansion, planning to expand the army to five hundred thousand, and at the same time, build a larger navy and air force, independently researching and producing our naval ships and air force fighters.¡± Liu Yingying spoke of a seemingly unrelated matter, but immediately after, the whole Jieke Group began a furious military expansion while one military unit after another began to mobilize. On April 3, Jieke Group¡¯s 1st Heavy Combined Brigade was deployed to the border with Siam at Sangmo City. On April 5, Jieke Group¡¯s 6th Mechanized Infantry Division, 23rd Mountain Infantry Division, and 2nd Aviation Battalion successively entered the border between Chan Country and Siam. On April 9, Jieke Group¡¯s 3rd Artillery Brigade, and 3rd, 9th, 11th, 17th, and 37th Mountain Divisions, once again stationed themselves in Songgu Mountain Forest. Troops from the Jieke Group commenced their mobilization and carried out large-scale exercises ostentatiously at the border. At the same time, there were astonished discoveries that the Steel Camp, which had just established outstanding military achievements and received grand decorations, did not return to the barracks but headed straight for the border with Siam. Chapter 441 - 441 297 Military Intimidation (First Update) ?Chapter 441: Chapter 297: Military Intimidation (First Update) Chapter 441: Chapter 297: Military Intimidation (First Update) The actions of the Jieke Group shocked the world, and Siam was especially thrown into utter chaos. The Jieke Group, having just annihilated the Chan Country Government, was at the peak of its military might. Such a fearsome force, combined with the presence of the Steel Camp, put immense psychological pressure on Siam with their massive army stationed at the border. Although the Siam Navy was powerful and the Air Force held an advantage, their Army was severely lacking, with only 200,000 personnel and outdated equipment. Moreover, like Chan Country, Siam also has numerous mountains and forests within its territory. In such environments, the effectiveness of the Air Force would be greatly limited, whereas it became an ideal battleground for guerrilla warfare by ground forces. Not to mention, Jieke Group also had Super Soldiers and the Steel Camp as their trump cards. Once the Jieke Group invaded Siam, its mere 200,000 Army, long at peace and with old equipment, would stand no chance against this formidable and arrogant enemy. Instantly, all of Siam was gripped by fear and panic, hastily mobilizing local troops to reinforce the border and continually drafting retired soldiers into the reserves. They also appealed for international aid and accused Jieke Group of military provocation at the United Nations Security Council. The international community was stunned by Jieke Group¡¯s audacity. This was even bolder than Russia! Someone confiscates two of your frigates, and you deploy your entire military to obliterate them. ¡°Jieke Group¡¯s insatiable greed, after occupying Chan Country, is now eyeing our Siam. Such a disregard for others, ignoring international peace, must we let them continue their tyrannical actions?¡± This was the plea of the Siamese representative at the United Nations Security Council, who appeared very aggrieved. The Chan Country representative also attended this meeting and coldly responded to Siam¡¯s accusations: ¡°Siam illegally seized our Jiang Xitu Frigate, provoking us first. We will retrieve our warship in our own way.¡± ¡°The Beautiful Country seized your frigates; we¡¯re merely keeping them temporarily.¡± The Siamese representative was furious, although he had guessed the cause, the reaction of Jieke Group was unexpected; ready to start a war over two frigates. ¡°The frigates are now in your hands, naturally we come to you. Besides, Siam, as a member of the Eight Nation Group, detained the Jiang Xitu Frigate under the name of the Eight Nation Group, so it is unquestionably right to approach you.¡± The Chan Country representative replied coldly; dealing with the Beautiful Country might be tricky, but hitting Siam would be a walk in the park. ¡°Are you crazy, Jieke Group? Looking to start a war, do you think you can conquer everything by force?¡± The Beautiful Country representative slammed the table, his face livid. Siam was under their protection, and to just watch Jieke Group attack Siam would be negligent on their part as a leader; what would other allies think? ¡°Let¡¯s settle this with actions.¡± The Chan Country representative turned and left abruptly, leaving the Siamese representative pale with fright. Because the Beautiful Country didn¡¯t care, but Siam right now definitely couldn¡¯t combat Jieke Group! The Beautiful Country could simply walk away, as they did at the Yang City Airport in Chan Country. But Siam, sharing such a large border with Chan Country, had no escape. As the situation escalated, Jieke Group again mobilized 30,000 troops to the Siamese border, and even sightings of Super Soldiers crossing the border to scout were confirmed by Siam. The Siamese Army was petrified; the battle had not even begun, and rumors of the fierce Steel Camp had already led to desertions among the Siamese soldiers. The Siam King urgently summoned his ministers, and after three days of meetings, ignoring the requests from the Beautiful Country, he bowed to the Jieke Group. ¡°After a thorough investigation, it has been found that the firing of the Jiang Xitu Frigate was a misunderstanding. We will immediately return the two frigates to Chan Country and offer a compensation of 1 billion US Dollars for the investigative period delay.¡± The Siamese Government issued a statement essentially admitting defeat, not only sending back every single warship and navy soldier, but also offering 1 billion US dollars as an apology. This price was more than twice the cost of building the two Jiang Xitu frigates, clearly showing the Siamese Government¡¯s fear of an attack by the Jieke Group. Being able to buy peace for 1 billion dollars was worth it for the Siamese Government, whose GDP stood at a robust seven hundred billion US dollars, making 1 billion dollars a trivial amount for Siam. Upon seeing the effectiveness of military intimidation, the Jieke Group also opportunistically decided to count their blessings and withdraw. The Jieke Group had just occupied Chan Country and was in need of cultivating their internal strength and properly assimilating Chan Country, so it was not the time to start a war unilaterally. This conflict dissipated into nothingness, but Beautiful Country grew even more wary of the Jieke Group. Watching the Jieke Group beat up its own subordinates at the slightest disagreement, Beautiful Country, while urging Siam to strengthen its armaments, also issued more stringent sanctions against the Jieke Group, restricting the import of chips, energy, minerals, and civilian and military supplies into Chan Country. However, on Blue Star, there are many countries that do not give face to Beautiful Country. No sooner had Beautiful Country launched sanctions than the Jieke Group rapidly finalized a comprehensive procurement cooperation agreement with Hua Country. As the current world factory of Blue Star, Hua Country¡¯s production capacity is vast, resembling a natural mega supermarket, where most goods are available at high quality and low prices. Not just with Hua Country, the Jieke Group also signed numerous commercial agreements with Mao Bear Country, including in mining and energy sectors. Other countries also had various scattered cooperation agreements, including foreign capital investments into Chan Country. With substantial funds, Jieke Group¡¯s complete takeover of Chan Country ushered in significant development there. New infrastructure, skyscrapers, roads, schools, hospitals, steel plants, fertilizer factories, and power plants were being built everywhere. The entire Chan Country resembled a massive construction site, brimming with vitality and bringing huge business opportunities. Even though the Jieke Group had recently seized assets from oil companies, capital still arrived to invest and build factories because the substantial profits were enough to take calculated risks. The so-called blockade by Beautiful Country naturally turned into a joke; they were utterly unable to halt the development of Chan Country. Due to geographical reasons, as long as the Jieke Group had sufficient funds, Beautiful Country could not effectively block them. On the seas, they couldn¡¯t stop the transport ships from Mao Bear Country, and even less so on land, where trade between Chan Country and Hua Country was beyond the reach of Beautiful Country, unlike the backyard situation with Pakistan. As a result, Beautiful Country could only try to intensify its global efforts to disrupt the economic chains of the Jieke Group, by banning the smuggling of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and Tianyuan Myopia Pills. But these two products had already deeply resonated with the public, making them impossible to suppress as the sheer profit drove people to frenzy, and they were impossible to catch completely. Meanwhile, the Jieke Group retaliated accordingly. The Tijuana Group in Mexico, while smuggling Jieke Group products in large scale, spared no effort in attacking the inspectors from Beautiful Country. Using infantry warfare and anti-tank missiles among other heavy weapons, and sometimes even deploying Super Soldiers, both second-class and third-class Super Soldiers. These Super Soldiers were naturally trained internally by the Jieke Group in Tijuana. Since only the Jieke Group had the Strengthening Pill, there was no fear of these Tijuana-based Super Soldiers going out of control. These second-class and third-class Super Soldiers, without the Strengthening Pill, couldn¡¯t maintain physical and sensory capabilities beyond normal human limits. Under the fierce attacks of heavy weapons and Super Soldiers, the border inspectors of Beautiful Country were driven to desperation, forcing them to continuously upgrade their weaponry. Where they once used rifles, they now had armored vehicles, armed helicopters, rocket launchers, and heavy machine guns, making them look like a mechanized troop, showing the extent to which they had been pushed. While Jieke Group and Beautiful Country tactically maneuvered against each other, although there were no large-scale military conflicts, this economic struggle was equally perilous and brutal. Chapter 442 - 442 298 Mid Grade Six Refinement Poisonous Insect (Two updates of 8000 words each!) ?Chapter 442: Chapter 298: Mid Grade Six Refinement Poisonous Insect (Two updates of 8000 words each!) Chapter 442: Chapter 298: Mid Grade Six Refinement Poisonous Insect (Two updates of 8000 words each!) Underground Poisonous Insect Base. While the Jieke Group was still contending with the Beautiful Country on the surface, Su Jie ignored the external chaos and prepared for the enhancement of his own strength. In the constantly expanding central area of the underground base, a huge Insect Cocoon was swelling and throbbing like a heart, with powerful life force fermenting within. At this moment, the thousand-hand centipede was evolving, transforming from a Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect towards the Six Refinements. This transformation process had already lasted a whole week. Su Jie, looking up at the Insect Cocoon larger than a ten-story building, could already sense the joy and excitement of the thousand-hand centipede, almost ready to break through the cocoon. Time quietly passed by, and several more hours went by; the vivacity of the Insect Cocoon had reached its peak. Roar! A low roar like distant thunder came from within the cocoon, and the tough outer layer of the cocoon started to crack relentlessly, as a huge, ferocious insect head drilled out of it. At that time, the thousand-hand centipede had grown more than one hundred and twenty meters long, comparable to the length of a destroyer ship. However, its size wasn¡¯t the only major gain for the centipede; this time, it had also mastered a new ability. The thousand-hand centipede opened its mouth, and its back flesh bulged as six pairs of wings emerged. With just one pair of these wings flapping slightly, a dazzling black divine light flashed around, the rocks in front corroded with a sizzling noise, leaving honeycomb-like, densely packed deep holes. The remaining five pairs of wings flapped in succession, and fire engulfed the surroundings, poison miasma spread, lightning flashed and thunder roared, storms howled, and the ground shook and mountains swayed. With the flapping of the six pairs of wings, the speed of the thousand-hand centipede doubled, and its massive length exhibited no sluggishness or awkwardness a?€¡° instead, it felt as swift and fierce as a thunderbolt. Suddenly, the thousand-hand centipede flapped all six pairs of wings together, and a whirlwind of six colors roared forth. Inside the whirlwind seemed to be a point of gravity, madly sucking in and devouring everything around it, pulling it into the vortex and tearing it to shreds. Su Jie tried to control the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword to fly into it but discovered that even the Top Grade Magical Artifact couldn¡¯t break free once inside. The body of the sword was crushed by layers of twisted force fields, making a crunching sound, as if it was about to break under the pressure. If the thousand-hand centipede hadn¡¯t actively controlled the storm to dissipate its power, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword would have indeed been damaged. If even a Top Grade Magical Artifact couldn¡¯t withstand this six-colored storm and a Flying Sword at top speed couldn¡¯t break free, one could imagine the fate of a person caught within it. Six Demon Wings! This was the new ability acquired by the thousand-hand centipede. It could flap its wings to gain great speed and also unleash a destructive devil wind. Melting metal and disintegrating stone were just trivial matters; it could create various extraordinary phenomena to attack its enemies. Sizzle! After showcasing its new ability, the thousand-hand centipede excitedly approached, swaying its head in front of Su Jie, overflowing with jubilation. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, Xiao Qian.¡± Su Jie knocked on the hard skull of the thousand-hand centipede, expressing such a sentiment. There was a time when the thousand-hand centipede was only as long as a chopstick. Now, several years later, it had become a monstrous insect as large as a small hill, bearing no resemblance to its previous form. The thousand-hand centipede enjoyed Su Jie¡¯s praise, responding with joyful cries, and then it shrunk its body, lying down on Su Jie¡¯s chest. Su Jie took out the White Bone Tree, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, and a large number of Spirit Stones, running the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture. The energy and strange Spiritual Power reciprocating from within the thousand-hand centipede streamed into Su Jie¡¯s body continuously, bit by bit improving and enhancing Su Jie¡¯s physique. Gradually, a layer of light appeared around Su Jie, like a protective aura or a fatal breeze, causing the surrounding earth to crack, resembling the weathered, wrinkled skin of an old person. Su Jie¡¯s body gradually emitted a strong threatening aura, eliciting an intangible sense of oppression in others. The White Bone Tree rustled, drawing the Spirit Stones into itself autonomously, transforming them into a mist of Spiritual Energy, which was then absorbed better through the pores of Su Jie¡¯s body. The delicate leaves of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus swayed, with the sounds of the Tao Heavenly Sound trembling on them, resounding deeply into Su Jie¡¯s heart, increasing his comprehension and elevating his understanding of cultivation. After many hours, a funnel-shaped cloud of Spiritual Energy gradually appeared above Su Jie¡¯s head, with an immense amount of Spiritual Power entering his body. In Su Jie¡¯s body, at the location of the five organsa?€¡±the heart, liver, lungs, spleen, and kidneysa?€¡±all shone with myriad glimmers of light. This radiance resembled the stars¡¯ brilliance in the night sky, dazzling and brilliant, not only illuminating Su Jie¡¯s insides but also breaking through the flesh¡¯s constraints, brightening the entire underground space, as if entering a world of vibrant colors. There was the brilliant red light of the heart, the vibrant green of the liver, the bright gold of the lungs, the heavy yellow of the spleen, and the kidney¡¯s blue halo, akin to the ocean¡¯s vast expanse. Slowly, the myriad glimmers of light inside Su Jie began to contract until only the light from the lungs remained as resplendent as before. The Five Elements of heaven and earth form a unity, and the human body¡¯s five organs are in harmony with the Five Elements as one. The Secret Realm requires one to tap into the power of the five organs, to awaken the internal gods of the five organs. Su Jie was making his breakthrough to the second level of the Secret Realm, opening the second of his internal gods. This process wasn¡¯t instantaneous; instead, it took a long time. One hour! Five hours! One day passed! Two days passed! Three days passed! By the third day, Su Jie remained seated in the underground base, but his aura had reached its zenith. The funnel-shaped cloud of Spiritual Energy above his head had turned into radiant gold, and in this light, Su Jie seemed like a golden figure. Chapter 443 - 443 298 Mid Grade Six Refinement Poisonous Insect (Two updates of 8000 words each!)_2 ?Chapter 443: Chapter 298: Mid Grade Six Refinement Poisonous Insect (Two updates of 8000 words each!)_2 Chapter 443: Chapter 298: Mid Grade Six Refinement Poisonous Insect (Two updates of 8000 words each!)_2 On the surrounding ground, the earth automatically separated numerous metallic substances, forming a small metal mountain; all these metals were naturally condensed from heavy metals within the earth, many originating from the deep soil. This was a natural phenomenon triggered by Su Jie refining the divine aspect within his lungs, summoning the deity to display its power. Gold Lung Skill, Su Jie had gradually mastered this secret of the organ. When the Spiritual Energy could rise no further, it was almost as if, when the moment was ripe, a deity within Su Jie¡¯s lungs suddenly opened its Divine Eye, its radiance piercing thorough to the ninth heaven. Whiz! Su Jie simultaneously opened his own eyes, and beams of golden light shot from his sockets. This was not the Purple Light Ray, but a form of Su Jie¡¯s own Spiritual Energy, highly compressed and condensed. The golden light constantly pierced through rock layers, carving out a shaft seven or eight meters deep, with stone chips and lime continuously emerging from the hole. ¡°Secret Storage Second Level Realm, Lung Gold God!¡± Su Jie stood up, activating the divine aspect within his lungs, successfully advancing to the second level of the Secret Realm. This time, Su Jie chose to activate the divine aspect in his lungs; the so-called divine aspect is what gives ordinary Spiritual Power attacks additional attribute damage, like the heart divine aspect Su Jie had previously activated. The heart belongs to fire, hence all Su Jie¡¯s Spiritual Power attacks would carry burning damage. And the lungs belong to metal, the activation of this divine aspect would endow Su Jie¡¯s Spiritual Power with even stronger armor-piercing capabilities. Su Jie increased his offensive abilities by activating the divine aspect in his lungs. Because Su Jie was protected by the Thousand-Handed Centipede and the Bride Ghost, security was already well assured, and increasing the attack would maximize the gains. Zzizzi! Zzizzi! The Thousand-Handed Centipede, excitedly circulating around Su Jie, made chirping sounds, feeling thrilled on behalf of its master¡¯s advancement. ¡°Second level of the Secret Realm, took me several months, really not easy.¡± Su Jie commented emotionally, which, if overheard by other elders, might make them spit blood in shock. In just a few months, he had accomplished the promotion from the first to the second level of the Secret Realm. Such a speed of advancement, not to mention in Ghost Ridge Palace, but even seen across the entire cultivation sects of Qingzhou, would be stunning. The elders of those sects, each of whom would spend ten or eight years to consider a breakthrough, hence elders were increasingly valued with age. Only a genius could continuously make bold progress in the Secret Realm, like Su Jie who possessed the Purple Cloud Thunder Body, a so-called Immortal Seed, and with the help of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, was able to advance one level in just a few months. ¡°Devil Wind!¡± Feeling the vigorous surge of Spiritual Power within, Su Jie raised his arm and struck out with his palm. He utilized the power inherited from the Thousand-Handed Centipede, throwing out a storm with his palm, simultaneously incorporating the burning damage of the heart divine aspect and the piercing damage of the lung divine aspect. This stormy tornado was twenty meters high; along its path, the ground was scorched into molten hot lava, and tough rocks shattered upon contact. Su Jie manipulated the storm to roll towards a tank used as a target; in the next moment, the tens-of-tons tank was crushed and flattened into a thin pancake, torn apart and melted into high-temperature molten iron, the power was truly astounding. ¡°Now, dealing with a sect war, my confidence is much greater.¡± Su Jie stroked his chin, nodding satisfactorily. The main reason Su Jie was rushing to break through was because the day when the Ghost Ridge Palace and the Heavenly Soul Sect would join forces to break the besiegement by the Righteous Sects at the Mountain Gate was approaching. As a rising young elder of Ghost Ridge Palace, and a highly anticipated Immortal Seed, Su Jie was definitely going to be drawn into the battle. And in a sect war, let alone ordinary disciples and inner disciples falling, even the lives of elders were unavoidably at risk. From the beginning of the war with the Righteous Sect, Ghost Ridge Palace had already lost a significant number of Secret Realm Elders, proving that the Secret Realm was not absolutely safe. Although Su Jie had many trump cards, in the dangerous environment of a sect war, one could easily capsize in the gutter if negligent; Su Jie definitely hoped to be stronger and better prepared. ¡°I still need one more item, it¡¯s time to return to the Tianyuan World.¡± Su Jie grabbed the thousand-hand centipede and placed it into his sleeve before rising and leaving the Underground Poisonous Insects Base. ...... Mande City, Nightmare Park! As the civil war in Chan Country ended, Nightmare Park gradually regained some popularity, especially after Jieke Group increased the rewards for successfully clearing the haunted house, attracting a number of tourists and locals. Su Jie arrived at Nightmare Park¡¯s unsolvable-level wedding ghost house without alerting anyone else. However, when Su Jie arrived, there was already a group of challengers (victims) playing there. ¡°I heard this is an unsolvable-level ghost house, the most terrifying place in Nightmare Park. Today is a special open day, and I will take Bear, the number one survival expert, along with a boxer, a magician, and a sprint champion to form a team to see the true nature of this place. Maybe it¡¯s not as scary as the rumors suggest, perhaps it¡¯s all just a faA?¡ìade.¡± David Petrov held up his phone and took a handsome selfie, speaking excitedly. He had over a hundred million followers on YouTube and normally enjoyed reviewing horror games like ¡°Silent Hill,¡± ¡°Death Island,¡± and ¡°Escape.¡± When Nightmare Park first opened, his fans constantly urged him to experience what was claimed to be the most realistically terrifying haunted house offline. He was busy at the time and later, the civil war in Chan Country kept him away until recently. For this reason, he specially assembled a luxurious team to show his fans how a horror game expert could successfully clear the game, and to really make a splash, he chose the highest difficultya?€¡±the unsolvable-level wedding ghost house. Before the challenge began, David was still full of confidence. But once the challenge truly started, he deeply regretted it. ¡°Ahhh, fuck, fuck, fuck, don¡¯t fucking come over, I give up, I give up!¡± David¡¯s face streamed with tears as he was chased by several papermen with rouged cheeks and pale skin, causing him to run frantically. The expert team he had assembled was now almost entirely wiped out, either fainted from fright or so excessively shocked that they ended up in half a coma with their hearts stopping. Many were carried out of the ghost house, and David, terrified to the point of weak knees, regretted his previous confidence as much as he now feared for his life, all his life¡¯s fears combined did not compare to this single day. He hadn¡¯t even seen the real owner of the wedding ghost house yet, but his pants were already damp, and he was on the verge of collapse. ¡°My dear, you really went too far, I hope it doesn¡¯t leave any mental scars.¡± Su Jie sat on the windowsill, legs crossed, watching the comical scene of the papermen chasing the people, a wry smile on his face. ¡°A little fun is good, no one¡¯s dying.¡± A cold voice came from the side, Ghost Bride Han Ruyan, the master of the wedding ghost house, appeared next to Su Jie. Since ascending to Sixth Grade, Han Ruyan¡¯s demeanor had become somewhat softer, no longer as indifferent as before, viewing everything and everyone without any emotional fluctuation. On regular days, Han Ruyan would go to film movies, although her role in the current film had already ended, and it was now in post-production. Bored, she either watched various horror movies to pass the time or opened her wedding ghost house to let in a batch of unlucky souls for some amusement to lighten her mood. One could say, Han Ruyan¡¯s happiness was built on the suffering of others. She was happy, but the visitors were scared out of their wits. ¡°You¡¯re right, my dear, as long as it doesn¡¯t kill them, just torment them as much as possible.¡± Su Jie nodded in agreement, wrapping his arm around Han Ruyan¡¯s slim waist, and said, ¡°By the way, my dear, have you completed the upgrade of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner?¡± Su Jie¡¯s final preparation was the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, which, after the civil war in Chan Country, had absorbed a large number of human souls. Combined with the livestock souls provided from within Hua Country¡¯s borders, Su Jie had amassed enough materials to elevate the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to a level of one hundred thousand. The Ghost Bride, being a Ghost King transformed from the Heavenly Spinning Jade Light Body, had an innate ability to modify ghost artifacts. Initially, whether it was the Heavenly Ghost Map, the Mirror Girl, or the Lantern Ghost, all were modified by the Ghost Bride, and became even more powerful, hence Su Jie had entrusted the task of upgrading the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to Han Ruyan. ¡°I just need a drop of your essence blood.¡± Upon hearing this, Han Ruyan took Su Jie¡¯s hand, waved over the flower sedan chair transformed from the Heavenly Ghost Map, and led Su Jie inside. Inside the sedan, at a plum blossom table, Su Jie saw his Ten Thousand Soul Banner, which had now completely changed in appearance from before. Chapter 444 - 444 299 Changes in Puppet Hall (First Update) ?Chapter 444: Chapter 299: Changes in Puppet Hall (First Update) Chapter 444: Chapter 299: Changes in Puppet Hall (First Update) But Han Ruyan raised her hand to summon, and the sound of cleaving air could be heard. A white bone staff was thrust into the ground before Su Jie and Han Ruyan, and from it hung a banner four to five zhang high. From a distance, it seemed like a thousand tendrils of black qi and ten thousand streaks of cold smoke enveloped it, while up close, intricate and eerie sigils flowed across the white bones. Su Jie bit his fingertip, and a drop of essence blood fell upon the surface of the banner. In the blink of an eye, the banner¡¯s surface came alive, with ferocious ghostly faces protruding from it as the wails of myriad souls and devilish music emanated from the void. Su Jie felt a mysterious connection with the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. Without even learning how, he instinctively understood how to use the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. ¡°Ghost Mountain!¡± Su Jie uttered in a low shout, the Soul Banner fluttered and roared, the banner¡¯s surface dispersing a sky-obscuring black light. Within the banner¡¯s fabric, the image of an immense mountain, shadowy and indistinct, appeared. The mountain was strewn with white bones, demon dens and ghostly caves dotted between its peaks, exuding a ghostly chill as if leading to the depths of hell. Numerous yin souls hid within these ghostly caverns, their twin cold and cunning eyes gleaming like moonlit, glittering surfaces of a lake. Their number was easily in the tens of thousands, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine. Atop this mountain stood a towering Ghost Tower. It comprised of an archway, a Mountain Gate, and a hall, symmetrically aligned along a central axis. The archway was a three-tiered structure made of wood and stone, the Mountain Gate had a multilayered, hipped roof, the bell and drum towers on either side featured a pyramidal, pavilion-style roof, and the hall was a brick-and-wood construction with a traditional gable roof. The Ghost Tower bore the title Netherworld Hall, and within it stood towering demon statues, each a sacrificial Ghost General of several zhang in height, wielding various weapons in their formidable presence. Su Jie had seen other Ten Thousand Soul Banners, but none featured such Ghost Towers and Ghost Generals, evidently the result of Han Ruyan¡¯s modifications. ¡°With soul one commands the banner, with heart one drives the spirits; when the banner forms, the ghosts emerge.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s palm caressed the banner¡¯s surface, and those ferocious and bizarre yin souls promptly retreated deep into the ghostly caverns of the banner. ¡°Such a Ten Thousand Soul Banner is perfect for sacrificing those Righteous sect Elders to strengthen it,¡± said Han Ruyan. Su Jie opened his right hand, and the Ten Thousand Soul Banner began to shrink, eventually landing in Su Jie¡¯s palm as a small banner of just twenty centimeters. In terms of might, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner was much more powerful than your usual top grade Magical Artifacts. Because to forge such a Soul Banner, a sacrifice of one million lives was necessary. In the Tianyuan World, it was now an era dominated by the Righteous sects, with the Demon Path no longer as prosperous as before. Slaughtering so many lives was exceedingly difficult. ¡°It¡¯s time to return to the Tianyuan World,¡± Su Jie said to himself. Having stored the Ten Thousand Soul Banner securely, Su Jie connected with the Ancient Mirror in his sea of consciousness and opened the portal to the Tianyuan World. The next moment, Su Jie found himself in the Tianyuan World, inside his private cultivation room at the Ghost Ridge Palace. Stepping out of the cultivation room, the seeing house servants busy around the estate bowed deeply in respect upon seeing Su Jie. ¡°Congratulations on our master¡¯s emergence from seclusion.¡± Looking at the familiar housekeeper beside him, Su Jie asked, ¡°Has anything important happened in the Sect during my time in seclusion?¡± ¡°To report to you, master, no significant events have occurred recently within the sect. It¡¯s just that the Righteous Sects have intensified their blockade. Now the sect hardly receives any resources, and the Black Market is completely shut down,¡± replied the housekeeper, as it was widely known within the Ghost Ridge Palace. He was unaware of the truly secret matters. Su Jie nodded his head and left the estate. He summoned the thousand-hand centipede, and rode it towards the Puppet Hall. Besides being an Elder, Su Jie was also the Hall Master of the Puppet Hall. His public and high-profile appearance was also a declaration to everyone in the Ghost Ridge Palace that his period of seclusion had ended. The thousand-hand centipede was incredibly fast. Although the Puppet Hall was remote, it only took a few minutes for Su Jie to reach its location. When Su Jie arrived, the whole Puppet Hall was bustling with activity, having undergone a complete transformation compared to when he first arrived. The old gatehouse and eaves of the Puppet Hall had been refurbished, and the worn-out grounds had also been renovated. Apart from the dozens of disciples originally belonging to the Puppet Hall, there were now hundreds of additional disciples present, a number far exceeding the Hall¡¯s own disciples. A quick glance by Su Jie revealed that these were junior disciples with Yunling Realm First and Second Level Cultivation. They were assigned clear tasks, forming teams working on the production of Rocket Artillery. Some groups of a dozen or so were responsible for crafting the artillery barrels. They refined the barrels, used Spiritual Energy and tools to polish them, applied a special coating, and then tempered them with Spiritual Energy to enhance the barrels¡¯ durability and safety. Hundreds were involved in manufacturing and loading the shells, with each newly minted shell moving along an assembly line. Passing through the hands of various junior disciples, the shells were fitted with fuses using Spiritual Energy, Spirit Stone firing mechanisms, auxiliary controllers, and various kinds of venom were poured into the shells. The venom was then sealed with Spiritual Energy, leaving enough space for the activation pattern. Other disciples constructed the skeletal frames and wheels for the Rocket Artillery. Using their bare hands instead of tools, they bent steel into the required shapes and assembled them together. Their hands were as accurate as rulers, leaving virtually no margin for error. ¡°C Group Mechanical Team, deal with this batch of burnt bone glue, speed up production, don¡¯t slow down the rest,¡± Su Jie instructed. Su Jie saw a familiar face, Zhu Zhangqi, the leading disciple of the Puppet Hall. Zhu was busy inspecting and directing the other disciples in their work. Upon seeing Su Jie, Zhu¡¯s expression first froze, and then he showed an immense look of surprise. Chapter 445 - 445 299 Changes in Puppet Hall (First Update)_2 ?Chapter 445: Chapter 299: Changes in Puppet Hall (First Update)_2 Chapter 445: Chapter 299: Changes in Puppet Hall (First Update)_2 ¡°Master, Master, you¡¯ve come out of seclusion!¡± Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s shout instantly startled the entire Puppet Hall. ¡°It¡¯s Master Su, Master Su is back.¡± ¡°Master Su, come and see our achievements. We¡¯ve made a lot of rocket launchers and matching ammunition.¡± ¡°Master Su, we¡¯ve developed a new Combat Puppet. You must stay and take a look; you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± The dozens of disciples of the Puppet Hall swarmed up, calling out ¡°Master¡± with affection and enthusiasm. Their passion for Su Jie was genuine; originally, when their Master Peng had sacrificed himself in the war of the sects, the Puppet Hall was on the brink of bankruptcy. If it weren¡¯t for Su Jie¡¯s appearance to save the Puppet Hall, it probably would have disbanded by now. Because researching puppets was too expensive, and without an Elder to secure funding for them, their own modest finances were nowhere near enough for Puppet research. The other hundreds of junior disciples, upon seeing Su Jie, mostly looked at him with intense curiosity. They were not direct disciples of the Puppet Hall but part-timers from elsewhere, and they had long heard of or had seen Su Jie, the most famous Immortal Seed and the youngest Elder of the Secret Realm within the Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Zhangqi, first tell me about the progress of the rocket launcher production.¡± Su Jie looked around and inquired about this most important matter. Initially, Sect Master Zhang Junwei had placed an order for five hundred rocket launchers, along with the matching ammunition, a military order worth millions of Spirit Stones. Su Jie earned half of that, but he also had to complete the delivery of the rocket launchers. Otherwise, even if he were an Immortal Seed, letting down the sect would not end well for him. ¡°Master, we didn¡¯t dare slack off for a moment after receiving the task. Following your teachings on assembly line production and recruiting over five hundred disciples for simple repetitive tasks, our own disciples of the Puppet Hall focused on precision work, which indeed greatly improved our manufacturing efficiency. Working overtime like this, we have now completed 450 sets of rocket artillery, and there are as many as a hundred thousand rounds of matching ammunition,¡± said Zhu Zhangqi, his face full of emotion, grateful for Su Jie¡¯s foresight. If it wasn¡¯t for Su Jie teaching them to recruit other disciples to assist, and the efficient integration of assembly line labor for single repetitive tasks, relying solely on the Puppet Hall¡¯s disciples to work in isolation, they would never have been able to complete such a large quantity of rocket launchers and ammunition. Su Jie, thoughtful, walked up to a disciple and showed a kind smile: ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Ah! Su... Elder Su, my name is Duan Xingxin!¡± The disciple questioned by Su Jie was cultivator only at the First Level of the Yunling Realm and had never expected to interact so suddenly with someone as important as Su Jie; his face showed both nervousness and excitement. Su Jie nodded and continued: ¡°How much Spirit Stone are you paid for working here at the Puppet Hall? You haven¡¯t been mistreated, have you?¡± ¡°No, no, absolutely not. The Puppet Hall pays me 10 Spirit Stones a month, and the more parts I make, the more additional Spirit Stones I can get. All in all, I get about 20 Spirit Stones per month,¡± Duan Xingxin said, his speech getting faster, his eyes revealing his excitement. For a junior disciple like him, at only the First Level of the Yunling Realm, survival in Ghost Ridge Palace was extremely difficult. Not qualified to be cannon fodder in the sect¡¯s wars, finding a job that paid in Spirit Stones was tough. Most could only venture into Insect Valley to become Insect Catchers, just like Su Jie had done before. But that was not without a certain level of risk, nor was the income plentiful, at best yielding about 10 Spirit Stones a month. After paying the monthly fee to the Elder, there wasn¡¯t much left, and after maintaining one¡¯s own poisonous insect, they were barely making ends meet each month. Moreover, you couldn¡¯t just go to Insect Valley whenever you wanted; many territories there were dominated by other powerful Demon Cultivator disciples. Some junior disciples who entered would face eviction, water squeezing, and even outright robbery, which was quite normal. Sometimes they not only failed to earn money but ended up losing money instead. But these junior disciples, by taking part-time work at the Puppet Hall to help make rocket artillery, not only worked safely but also earned a pretty decent income. It¡¯s much better than risking their lives in Insect Valley every day, just for the sake of earning more Spirit Stones, often having to work overtime voluntarily. These junior disciples may have low Cultivation, but after all, they are not ordinary people, so there¡¯s no need to worry about sudden death. It can be said that the work in Puppet Hall has provided many lower-level disciples with a new channel for earning money, without any technical threshold. Like the Artifact Refining Hall and Alchemy Pavilion, without skills and talent, those places wouldn¡¯t even consider you. Therefore, once Puppet Hall¡¯s recruitment was announced, numerous junior disciples were desperate to join and work here, making the jobs highly sought after. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve done quite well, not skimming any Spirit Stones from these junior disciples!¡± Upon hearing Duan Xingxin¡¯s words, Su Jie was sure that Zhu Zhangqi had not disobeyed in secret. Su Jie needed these junior disciples to work diligently. If their Spirit Stones were docked, it would dampen their enthusiasm, which in turn would slow down the production of Rocket Artillery, and Su Jie would be penalized by the Sect. He took this matter very seriously. ¡°Hall Master, how dare we. The monthly fee you¡¯ve given us is already quite generous. We¡¯re too busy being grateful to even think of embezzling these junior disciples¡¯ money. We¡¯ve been through the same struggles, so we know their hardships.¡± Zhu Zhangqi profusely denied any wrongdoing, explaining that according to Su Jie¡¯s regulations, whenever they successfully produced a piece of Rocket Artillery, they would be rewarded with Spirit Stones based on the type of work and the intensity of their labor. Therefore, their income in Spirit Stones was much higher than that of the junior disciples. In the past, these Puppet Hall disciples couldn¡¯t even imagine making money from their puppet research, much less actually profiting. This was a first-time experience for them, and they were all grateful to Su Jie. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about doing it now, and even less so in the future. If anyone dares to reach out, the punishment won¡¯t be as simple as cutting off a hand.¡± Su Jie remained noncommittal. He understood human nature; sometimes, simply winning people over didn¡¯t work, and relying on sentiment would eventually decay over time. Only by combining favor with intimidation would he stay on the Righteous path. The nearby Puppet Hall disciples shivered at the thought, and a few with ulterior motives immediately extinguished the idea from their minds. While the idea of skimming from the junior disciples¡¯ Spirit Stones was indeed tempting, they were well aware that if caught by Su Jie, an Elder of the Secret Realm, they would face punishment without anyone to defend them. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Show me the new puppets you¡¯ve developed.¡± Su Jie signaled the other disciples to continue working, then followed Zhu Zhangqi to the backyard of Puppet Hall. After passing through several protective Arrays, Su Jie saw the fruits of several months¡¯ research by the Puppet Hall disciples. What caught Su Jie¡¯s eyes was a four-meter-tall combat Puppet with blue-black patterns, a slender shape, and a beautiful, elegant body made from various precious spiritual materials. ¡°Hall Master, look. This is the Fifth Grade Combat Puppet, Angry Grey Thunder, that we¡¯ve created by pooling our collective efforts,¡± Zhu Zhangqi, full of pride, pointed at the combat Puppet, eager to demonstrate it to Su Jie. With Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s control, the four-meter-tall combat Puppet began to float above the ground. Flying was ordinarily an ability of the Secret Realm, but this Fifth Grade Combat Puppet also possessed it, at least proving that the puppets they researched truly had some merit. Boom! Several miniature Arrays on the surface of Angry Grey Thunder lit up, lending the Puppet formidable power. In a flash of electricity, Angry Grey Thunder, like an electromagnetic cannon, shot across the ground, knocking several hard steel plates into the air. The plates that came into contact with the astonishing thunder on the Puppet¡¯s surface melted into molten steel due to high temperatures. The next moment, Angry Grey Thunder soared into the sky, a thousand meters high, transforming into a giant sphere of lightning, with numerous thick Thunder Strikes continuously pounding the ground, creating large, deep craters. After a simple demonstration, Zhu Zhangqi controlled Angry Grey Thunder to fly back to the ground, landing in front of Su Jie, and looked at him with anticipation. ¡°Hall Master, what do you think of our Angry Grey Thunder? Can it compete with those in the Secret Realm?¡± Clearly, Zhu Zhangqi and his fellow disciples were very ambitious, actually aiming to develop a Combat Puppet capable of contending with those from the Secret Realm. Su Jie didn¡¯t immediately respond to the question but asked a more critical one instead. ¡°How much did this thing cost to make?¡± Chapter 446: 300: Meat Tumor (Two updates of 8000 words each!) Chapter 446: Chapter 300: Meat Tumor (Two updates of 8000 words each!) This combat puppet had an anti-spiritual sense formation installed, and Su Jie¡¯s divine sense couldn¡¯t see through all the materials used in this combat puppet. But just from the part that Su Jie could discern, the value of the spiritual materials used already surpassed twenty thousand spirit stones. Moreover, it used top grade spirit stones as the energy source, with one top grade spirit stone valued at over a thousand low grade spirit stones. The energy source of this Angry Grey Thunder, in total, had twelve top grade spirit stones equipped. It was logical that the combat puppet could fly so fast, if you equipped a pig with twelve top grade spirit stones, it wouldn¡¯t fly any slower than a fighter jet. Because he could not see through it, Su Jie was even more distressed. God knows how many precious spiritual materials these prodigal sons had used, and they even inscribed anti-spiritual sense formations, all of which cost money! ¡°Hehe!¡± Zhu Zhangqi scratched his head and laughed sheepishly, a bit embarrassed. ¡°Speak.¡± Su Jie picked up Zhu Zhangqi with one hand and shook him, feeling a bad premonition in his heart. ¡°We spent... a total of 58,000 spirit stones.¡± Zhu Zhangqi eventually revealed the price, which completely darkened Su Jie¡¯s face. ¡°58,000 spirit stones, I gave you fifty thousand for research funding, and you spent it all at once? And overspent?¡± Su Jie¡¯s face twitched painfully. Initially, to encourage these Puppet Hall disciples to delve into puppet technology, as Blue Star¡¯s equipment research would need their help in the future, Su Jie approved fifty thousand spirit stones thinking it would last them one or two years. After all, fifty thousand spirit stones was already the price for a basic and cheap top grade magical artifact, and it was also a considerable fortune for a weaker Secret Realm Elder. This wealth showed how much Su Jie valued the Puppet Hall. And oh boy, in just three months, they had spent all of it. Now, Su Jie truly understood the feelings of the former Puppet Hall Master, Peng Tan¡¯an. One doesn¡¯t know the cost of necessities until becoming the head of a household, no wonder Peng Tan¡¯an, a Secret Realm Elder, had to shamelessly seek funding and borrow money for research, playing with puppets was too damn expensive. ¡°Hall Master, we really tried to save as much as we could, it¡¯s just that we have never been so rich before, everyone took the research seriously, and where the budget wasn¡¯t enough, we all pitched in.¡± Zhu Zhangqi shrank his neck, clearly aware that they had spent too much. When they were researching the puppets, they thought about using more high-quality spiritual materials. If you use the Wind and Fire Yin Yang Stone as the power core, the skeleton material can¡¯t be too poor; a poor-quality skeleton can¡¯t endure the impact and vibration from the kinetic energy output. The skeleton was all made from Pure Yang Gold Steel, so the outer armor had to be durable; it shouldn¡¯t break easily, revealing the skeleton beneath it. The outer armor was made from a blend of Bikong Ruyi Iron and various spiritual materials, creating such sturdy protection, but they couldn¡¯t always engage in close combat with the enemy. To prevent damage from an enemy kiting them around, long-range attacks were necessary; thus, the Lightning Branch was used. In order to catch up to flying enemies, multiple floating arrays were installed. To ensure sufficient killing power and speed, the driving force of the spirit stones, top grade spirit stones were added. With such accumulations layer by layer, the initially designed combat puppet by Zhu Zhangqi and his team was priced at ten thousand spirit stones. But as the design progressed, everyone always thought about making it a bit more perfect, eventually resulting in a staggering price of fifty-eight thousand spirit stones. After hearing Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s thoughts, the corner of Su Jie¡¯s mouth twitched. Even if you gave them fifty thousand spirit stones, or even a hundred thousand, or a million, these guys could clean you out completely. It seems that no matter the world, researchers are a group who are best at spending investors¡¯ money. As this thought crossed Su Jie¡¯s mind, he still put down Zhu Zhangqi. ¡°Spending money like this won¡¯t do, I need to find someone to manage you guys.¡± Having someone in mind, Su Jie planned to ask Chen Yun to come to the Puppet Hall, so these people wouldn¡¯t recklessly waste his money. Even if Su Jie had deep pockets, spending like this still hurt him! ¡°Hall Master, we haven¡¯t spent the money in vain, look at this Angry Grey Thunder, can it stand a chance against the Secret Realm? If it can compete with the Secret Realm, we will produce a few more, demonstrate our prowess in the Sect battles, and the Sect Master will also regard our Puppet Hall highly.¡± Zhu Zhangqi, trying to justify himself, hoped that Su Jie would approve so that they could mass-produce the Angry Grey Thunder. Upon hearing Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s idea of mass-producing the fifty-eight thousand-cost Angry Grey Thunder, Su Jie thought he must be running a bank! ¡°To see if it works or not, just try it out.¡± Su Jie waved his right hand sleeve, and the thousand-hand centipede emerged. Seeing the Hall Master¡¯s Lifebound Poisonous Insect, Zhu Zhangqi, having heard of the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s fame, once killed a talented individual from the Righteous Sect named Du Shaochang. ¡°Okay, Hall Master, no offense.¡± Zhu Zhangqi was confident about the Angry Grey Thunder; he had heard that the thousand-hand centipede was a Mid Grade Five Refinement poisonous insect, and his Fifth Grade Puppet, if it couldn¡¯t overcome, should at least be able to compete. ¡°Xiao Qian!¡± Su Jie called out faintly. Understanding Su Jie¡¯s intention, the thousand-hand centipede roared low and rushed towards the Angry Grey Thunder. In the process of lunging forward, the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s body continuously changed, turning into a 120-meter colossal behemoth, like a small mountain. ¡°Angry Grey Thunder, go! Uh!¡± Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s originally quite confident face froze when he saw the true form of the thousand-hand centipede. As a disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace, although he specialized in puppet technology, growing up in such an environment meant he could definitely recognize the grade of a poisonous insect; he still had that much discernment. Chapter 447: 300: Meat Tumor (Two updates of 8000 words each!)_2 Chapter 447: Chapter 300: Meat Tumor (Two updates of 8000 words each!)_2 But as push came to shove, he could only grit his teeth and drive Angry Grey Thunder to battle it out. Bang! The thousand-hand centipede crashed down, shaking the ground violently, and Angry Grey Thunder was directly blown away by the shockwave. Zzzt! A second later, Angry Grey Thunder stabilized its body, with sparks of electricity flickering on its surface, and a series of thunderbolts slammed down on the thousand-hand centipede. The thousand-hand centipede raised its upper body, like a building of over a dozen floors casting large shadows, and the thunderbolts did not hurt it at all. They merely caused the chitin exoskeleton on its body surface to darken slightly. Su Jie¡¯s divine skill was the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, and the thousand-hand centipede had also inherited a bit of resistance to the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. What¡¯s more, the thunderous power of Angry Grey Thunder was much less than Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. Zhu Zhangqi didn¡¯t know this and, seeing the unharmed thousand-hand centipede, was instantly dumbfounded. He was confident that Angry Grey Thunder, which he believed could contend with the Secret Realm, couldn¡¯t even break through Su Jie¡¯s poisonous insect¡¯s defense. The thousand-hand centipede continued to advance, and Angry Grey Thunder swiftly evaded, looking for an opportunity to find the centipede¡¯s weak point. In front of the thousand-hand centipede, the four-meter-tall Angry Grey Thunder looked just like a tiny fly. In Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s mind, such a huge body of the thousand-hand centipede was undoubtedly very clumsy ¨C that was Angry Grey Thunder¡¯s opportunity. If it found a weak point unprotected by the insect shell, it could surely hurt the centipede. Blue Fury circled around the thousand-hand centipede, flying in loops, searching for the so-called weak points. The thousand-hand centipede on the other hand bowed its head, curiously inspecting this small plaything. Its hundreds of pale corpse hands beneath its belly stretched out continuously, like an intricate web of interlacing arms reaching out from all directions towards Angry Grey Thunder. With agile maneuvers, Angry Grey Thunder dodged nimbly, leaving behind trails of sound barriers. ¡°I must find the weak point.¡± Forehead slick with sweat, Zhu Zhangqi wanted to find an opportunity, but the thousand-hand centipede didn¡¯t give him that chance. Having had its fun, the thousand-hand centipede flipped over, its skull-like face cracking open to shoot Purple Light Rays, trapping Angry Grey Thunder. Despite its agility and speed, it couldn¡¯t evade such a number of Purple Light Rays. The high-temperature rays melted through the exoskeleton of Angry Grey Thunder, slowing it down a notch. Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly controlled Angry Grey Thunder to ascend, flying above the clouds to try to use them as cover to dodge the Purple Light Rays. But the thousand-hand centipede merely let out a low hiss and six pairs of wings grew from its back. With a light flap of its wings, the centipede soared at a speed several times faster than Angry Grey Thunder, opening its gaping maw from beneath and trapping Angry Grey Thunder with its jaw-like pincers. The enormous biting force crushed it instantly, causing the body of the Fifth Grade Combat Puppet to fracture at the waist. It seemed it would only be a few seconds before the centipede could completely shatter Angry Grey Thunder. ¡°Xiao Qian, that¡¯s enough, don¡¯t ruin it for me,¡± Su Jie reminded. After all, it was made with fifty-eight thousand spirit stones, and it would be too wasteful to just crush it like this. Hearing Su Jie¡¯s command, the thousand-hand centipede descended from the sky and landed in front of Su Jie. It spat out Angry Grey Thunder onto the ground, wagging its tail and shaking its head for praise from Su Jie. Zhu Zhangqi was crestfallen, staring blankly at Angry Grey Thunder on the ground as if he couldn¡¯t believe his hard work was effortlessly crushed by the thousand-hand centipede as if it were a toy. ¡°Don¡¯t be so disheartened. Keep in mind, you were facing a Mid Grade Six Refinement poisonous insect. However, this Angry Grey Thunder of yours does indeed have flaws; its abilities are too simplistic. You don¡¯t understand the Secret Realm well enough. Relying on Angry Grey Thunder, you cannot contend with the Secret Realm. You need to continue learning and strive harder,¡± Su Jie said earnestly, patting Zhu Zhangqi on the shoulder. He didn¡¯t overly criticize Zhu Zhangqi. If the disciples of the Puppet Hall in the Yunling Realm could easily create combat puppets with resources that could contend with the Secret Realm, then the Secret Realm Elders would be far too undervalued. Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s spirits lifted a bit. He picked up Angry Grey Thunder from the ground and nodded vigorously, saying, ¡°Hall Master, I understand. I will continue to improve Angry Grey Thunder and strive to earn your approval one day.¡± ¡°Besides Angry Grey Thunder, has there been any progress with the other puppets I assigned you to research?¡± ¡°Hall Master, the puppets we are researching are not particularly difficult, except for the A-Type Puppet¡ªit¡¯s too large. We have never created a puppet of that size before. Such a puppet has virtually no mobility, and it is very hard for us to make improvements in our design.¡± Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s face showed a hint of difficulty upon hearing the words. He often received odd research tasks from the Hall Master, such as designing combat puppets that one could pilot from within. ¡°Just meet my design specifications, and as for movement, since it¡¯s going to be on water, it doesn¡¯t need to be very fast,¡± Su Jie waved his hand. Su Jie had assigned several tasks to the Puppet Hall, most of which were in preparation for Blue Star. The military research and production capabilities of Chan Country were too shoddy for Su Jie to count on. On the contrary, in the Tianyuan World, Su Jie could rely on the Puppet Hall to devise puppets capable of dimensional strikes. Of course, the puppets Su Jie developed were not like the Angry Grey Thunder; he didn¡¯t have that much money to spend. His approach was to piece together something using modern technology from Blue Star. This was not only cost-effective but would also better adapt to the battlefield environment of Blue Star. Take the drive system, for example; Su Jie intended to keep using oil as the fuel, as using spirit stones alone would burn through his money, a thought he couldn¡¯t bear. ¡°Alright, Hall Master, I understand, but we are currently rushing to produce rocket artillery, and many of the research projects have only finished the corresponding designs, with no time for production,¡± Zhu Zhangqi replied. ¡°Let¡¯s roll them out after the Sect War is over,¡± Su Jie ordered the next task for Zhu Zhangqi and then left the Puppet Hall, turning his steps towards the Refining Hall. ¡°What brings you here, kid? You¡¯ve just come out of seclusion and instead of seeking out your Master Taoist Qiu, you come to me,¡± Tang Peiqing said while having tea and reading a book. Upon seeing Su Jie coming, he took out a chessboard and motioned for Su Jie to join him for a game of chess. ¡°Elder Tang, I wanted to check on the batch of meat tumors we¡¯re cultivating; we can play chess when I get back and have a good fight,¡± Su Jie said, picking up newly boiled water and gulping it down in great satisfaction, belching contentedly. ¡°You lad, you don¡¯t even have time to accompany an old man like me for tea,¡± Tang Peiqing shook his head, got up from his chair, and led Su Jie to a cave. Various poisonous insects and venomous plants were bred all over this place. As Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s master of poison-making, Tang Peiqing wouldn¡¯t bring anyone here if they weren¡¯t close to him. In a spacious stalactite cave, Tang Peiqing stopped and pointed ahead, ¡°Look, there are the meat tumors you wanted. They¡¯ve been cultivated large enough, haven¡¯t they?¡± Su Jie glanced at the meat tumor, a heap tens of meters in diameter, writhing ahead. These tumors were specifically concocted. Some poisonous insects and creatures had rapid growth and replication properties, similar to the octopuses, geckos, and earthworms of Blue Star, where severed body parts could regrow. The meat tumor was created by extracting these qualities from such poisonous insects, using the ¡°Insect Transformation Manual¡± to transplant and combine their regenerative abilities, then injecting spirit stones as the energy source for continuous replication, adding various spiritual materials and liquids to imbue the growing tumors with certain characteristics. For instance, the Biological Armor worn by Genetic Warriors sourced its flesh from meat tumors similar to these, albeit different models. ¡°Big enough, I¡¯ll give it a try,¡± Su Jie said. A group of Spiritual Energy materialized in the palm of Su Jie¡¯s hand, infused with the scorching force of his inner heart divinity, and then he hurled it out. Boom! The Spiritual Energy Group exploded violently upon hitting the meat tumor, but the fire and shockwaves were enveloped and extinguished by the layers of flesh, only tearing apart a small part of the tumor. The remainder was still plentiful. Seeing the effects of the simulated explosive test, Su Jie was thoroughly pleased. ¡°Thank you for your help, Elder Tang,¡± Su Jie bowed his hands in gratitude to Tang Peiqing. Such meat tumors with special properties would significantly enhance the protection against modern weapons for the new Blue Star puppets being researched by the Puppet Hall. ¡°Hurry up and take it away yourself. That thing consumes quite a few spirit stones every day to maintain; I won¡¯t charge you for the cultivation costs upfront,¡± said Tang Peiqing, stroking his goatee. He showed care for Su Jie, a Sect¡¯s Immortal Seed, casually waiving a possibly hefty fee. If it were anyone else seeking assistance from Tang Peiqing to concoct such meat tumors, he probably wouldn¡¯t agree, let alone offer it for free. Chapter 448: 301: Before Battle (First Update) Chapter 448: Chapter 301: Before Battle (First Update) After leaving Tang Peiqing, Su Jie brought the meat tumor back to his own residence and personally constructed an underground base for its placement and cultivation. Two days passed, and just as Su Jie had finished dealing with the meat tumor, he received a summons from Sect Master Zhang Junwei because the Sect Meeting had once again commenced. When Su Jie arrived at the Sect¡¯s great hall, he saw even more Elders than at the last Sect Meeting. ¡°Having secluded yourself for months, how goes your cultivation progress?¡± Taoist Qiu waved at Su Jie, looking toward his proud Disciple. ¡°I¡¯ve made some minor progress,¡± replied Su Jie modestly as he walked over and took a seat next to Taoist Qiu. Zhang Junwei sat in the front, his gaze piercing and commanding an aura of unprovoked authority. Once everyone had assembled, he waved his hand. Rolling spiritual energy gathered and morphed into miniature mountains, dense forests, and rivers, looking incredibly lifelike. The fine control of spiritual energy was a level above the Secret Realm. Impressive. Su Jie inwardly admired the display and shifted his gaze to the sand table map Zhang Junwei had created. Su Jie recognized that the map depicted the scenery outside the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, including the encampments of various Righteous Sects, which had been marked out. ¡°Su Jie, how many rocket artillery do we have in stock? Don¡¯t delay on this matter,¡± Zhang Junwei suddenly switched the topic to Su Jie. The purchase of five hundred rocket artillery units had been personally ordered by him, costing over a million spirit stones. ¡°At present, we have completed 450 units, and the remaining 50 units of rocket artillery will be finished in the next half a fortnight. Sect Master, you can be completely assured,¡± ¡°Hm, that should be enough time,¡± ¡°Sect Master, have we set a time for the operation?¡± Su Jie listened to Zhang Junwei¡¯s tone, which seemed to indicate that they had already determined the specific time to attack in cooperation with Heavenly Soul Sect. ¡°The time is set for a fortnight from now.¡± Zhang Junwei didn¡¯t keep it a secret. Although the ordinary Disciples were still unaware, the Elders were the first to be mobilized. ¡°Ten days¡¯ time,¡± mused Su Jie upon hearing the timeframe, a flicker in his eyes. All the Elders, despite having expected it, grew solemn at the knowledge of the timeline. In this battle, who knew how many old friends would be seen no more. ¡°Our enemies are these five factions: Guan Chao Pavilion, Golden Sword Sect, Purple Mist Sect, Dragon and Tiger Sect, Miao Yin Temple,¡± declared Zhang Junwei, tracing over the map, dividing each sect¡¯s camp with different colors. Judging by numbers alone, Guan Chao Pavilion dispatched the most Disciples, which was understandable since they were the largest Righteous Sect in Qingzhou with profound heritage. The second was Purple Mist Sect, which was closer to Ghost Ridge Palace. The first time Su Jie had left the Sect on a mission, he had encountered Disciples from Purple Mist Sect. This proximity was the prime reason why Purple Mist Sect had dispatched so many Disciples. The other three sects, Dragon and Tiger Sect, Golden Sword Sect, and Miao Yin Temple, had sent a magnitude fewer Disciples. Combined, the five sects had a Yunling Realm Disciple count more than four times that of Ghost Ridge Palace and three times as many Secret Realm Elders. On paper, Ghost Ridge Palace stood no chance. ¡°Sect Master, shall we mobilize Insect Valley? Isn¡¯t that too far away?¡± An Elder stood up to ask, because normally, the countless poisonous insects of Insect Valley could not venture far from the vast mountains; Ghost Ridge Palace, with its own means, was unable to draw the insect swarms out to fight if the distance was too great. ¡°Insect Valley will be mobilized. When the time comes, we will coordinate with Heavenly Soul Sect in a pincer attack against these hypocritical Righteous pretenders, securing victory in one fell swoop.¡± Zhang Junwei didn¡¯t elaborate further, but from his expression, it was evident he was confident about achieving this. Insect Valley was Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s biggest trump card. Its appearance on the battlefield would have a decisive impact on the outcome. This was the primary reason Ghost Ridge Palace dared to counterattack. ¡°These five sects are spread across three defensive lines. Now I will issue military orders for the war,¡± pronounced Zhang Junwei as his gaze swept over the audience, with Elders standing solemnly one by one. ¡°Jiang Jiqing, lead two hundred Disciples to assault Miao Yin Temple¡¯s encampments at A3, A5, and B2.¡± Zhang Junwei called an Elder¡¯s name, who was from the Alchemy Pavilion. He wasn¡¯t particularly proficient in combat, but when the life and death of the Sect were at stake, he too was assigned a mission. ¡°I accept the Sect Master¡¯s command,¡± Jiang Jiqing stepped forward and received the token from Zhang Junwei¡¯s hand, his face showing neither joy nor sorrow. This was unavoidable; from the Elders to the ordinary junior Disciples, everyone was expected to contribute to this Sect war. ¡°Tang Peiqing, you are to command the Northern Army, taking fifteen hundred Disciples as well as Elders Weng Xihui, Wu Eryi, Qin Qirang, Pu Wenzheng, and Xiao Fengyuan, to break through the Northern encirclement laid by Guan Chao Pavilion,¡± Zhang Junwei called another name, that of Elder Tang Peiqing from Ghost Ridge Palace, whose strength and status was second only to Zhang Junwei within the Sect. Naturally, he received the most daunting of tasks. ¡°I will heed the Sect Master¡¯s command,¡± Tang Peiqing took the token. Tasks were assigned to one Elder after another, and soon it was Su Jie¡¯s turn. ¡°Su Jie, you will lead three hundred Disciples, venturing out from Mountain Xi to attack the Purple Mist Sect and Golden Sword Sect encampments at B5, B6, D3, D8, and D12,¡± Zhang Junwei called out Su Jie¡¯s name, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Because from the sand table map, the mission entrusted to Su Jie seemed to be a few degrees harder than those of most Elders. While most Elders were tasked with assaulting two to three encampments, Su Jie was assigned five. ¡°I will obey the Sect Master¡¯s command,¡± Without further comment, Su Jie stepped forward to take the token from Zhang Junwei¡¯s hand. Chapter 449: 301: Before the Battle (First Update)_2 Chapter 449: Chapter 301: Before the Battle (First Update)_2 ¡°Your task is arduous, if you cannot accomplish it, just stay by my side.¡± Zhang Junwei hoped that Su Jie, the Immortal Seed, would be able to take on more responsibilities, but he also feared causing his own premature demise. Hence, the assignment he arranged was somewhat more difficult than usual for the Elders, but not exceedingly so. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Sect Master, but it¡¯s just five camps, those Righteous Sects are not so frightening,¡± Su Jie shook his head. He too needed to make a name for himself within Ghost Ridge Palace so that he could have significant leverage, whether in conducting affairs within the palace or in the growth and expansion of the Puppet Hall. ¡°Be extra careful and retreat immediately if there¡¯s danger. Send out a distress signal.¡± While Su Jie was walking back, Taoist Qiu reminded him on the side. Taoist Qiu and a group of Elders were not assigned assault missions but followed Zhang Junwei as a reserve force, ready to provide assistance wherever danger arose. Su Jie nodded and said with a smile, ¡°I understand, Master, don¡¯t worry. I haven¡¯t lived long enough yet and won¡¯t die young like that.¡± After all the appointments had been given, Zhang Junwei looked at the dozens of Elders and said solemnly, ¡°Gentlemen, you are the pillars of our Sect, and this battle will determine whether Ghost Ridge Palace can continue its legacy. I hope you all will fight bravely, unite against the Righteous faction, and break the siege on our Sect.¡± ¡°Kill all those Righteous scum.¡± A fierce look crossed Taoist Qiu¡¯s face. ¡°Protect our Holy Sect.¡± The many Elders bowed in respect, and for a moment, the grand hall seemed to be filled with the shadows of demons, exuding an ominous aura that felt like being in hell. ....... After the sect conference ended, the entire Ghost Ridge Palace entered the final frenzy before the great battle. The Black Market of Ghost Ridge Palace was closed off, and its meager inventory was conscripted to create materials for the war effort. Every department within the Sect, especially the Alchemy Pavilion¡¯s production of elixirs, was focused on making all varieties of healing and combat-enhancing elixirs. The Refining Hall prioritized offensive and defensive Magical Artifacts, while all support-cultivation ones were put on hold. Places like the Puppet Hall labored day and night to produce Rocket Artillery, with each rocket being mounted on carts, ready for the final transportation preparations. Regarding the disciples, each one was conscripted, and large quantities of elixirs, Magic Artifacts, and talismans were freely distributed by the Sect to all disciples. The inner disciples received even more attention; Ghost Ridge Palace had never been so generous in the past. If the disciples were treated this way, then of course the Secret Realm Elders were no exception. Each Elder could independently choose a certain amount of precious elixirs, talismans, and Magical Artifacts. Su Jie didn¡¯t choose elixirs or artifacts but instead exchanged everything for the most common Spirit Stones. In Su Jie¡¯s mansion, the Thousand-Handed Centipede returned to its original form, sprawling on the ground at a length of 120 meters. Its mountainous body made any ordinary person standing before it acutely aware of their insignificance. In front of Su Jie were neatly piled Spirit Stones, amounting to five hundred thousand. These Spirit Stones included Su Jie¡¯s personal savings, earnings from selling Rocket Artillery to the Sect, and rewards converted from the Sect¡¯s distribution. Su Jie took them all out in one go, ready to use them on the Thousand-Handed Centipede. ¡°Xiao Qian, I¡¯ve invested all five hundred thousand Spirit Stones in you; you better strengthen well for me!¡± Su Jie patted the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, with the brutal Sect war looming, he would not save Spirit Stones but sought to enhance every bit of his strength. These Spirit Stones would ultimately increase Su Jie¡¯s chances of survival on the battlefield. Sizzle, sizzle. The Thousand-Handed Centipede roared excitedly, opening its gaping mouth and swallowing the Spirit Stones greedily. As each Spirit Stone fell into the bottomless belly of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie also climbed onto its head, crossed his legs, and sat down, beginning to channel his Qi with the centipede. Using the strength-enhancing ability for poisonous insects he obtained after reaching the Secret Realm, he started to remodel his Lifebound Poisonous Insect. Previously, Su Jie had already enhanced the jaws of the Thousand-Handed Centipede once, vastly increasing its biting force to the point where it could crush Top Grade Magical Artifacts. The thousand-hand centipede is now a Mid Grade Six Refinement poisonous insect, and enhancing it has become more difficult than before. However, with the use of a full 500,000 Spirit Stones, the body of the thousand-hand centipede gradually began to change under the massive influence of the Spirit Stones. Plus, since the thousand-hand centipede is Su Jie¡¯s Lifebound poisonous insect, it cooperates with Su Jie tacitly in the transformation, actively utilizing the tremendous energy from digesting the Spirit Stones to purify its body jointly with Su Jie. This process took an entire week, and when the enhancement was complete, the thousand-hand centipede had again become different from before. The insect armor of the thousand-hand centipede had turned into a beautiful sky blue, resembling the azure sky dome, with patterns like scattered stars on it, reflecting the sunlight. Additionally, the limbs and feet of the thousand-hand centipede, those pale corpse hands, had become even thicker and stronger, as if cast from steel. Awakening from its enhancement slumber, the thousand-hand centipede immediately sensed the changes in its body. It raised its pale corpse hands and then twisted its head to look at the insect shell behind it, trying to activate the transformations from the recent enhancements. In the next moment, its sky-blue insect shell emitted a faint light; Su Jie tore several talismans, and various magic attacks such as Thunder Strike, fire, Corrosive Poison, Sword Qi, and Ice Frost descended upon it. As these magic attacks neared the glowing insect shell of the thousand-hand centipede, they seemed to encounter some resistance, slowing down more than tenfold before finally landing on the centipede, disappearing without causing a stir, as if sinking into the ocean. This was the Anti-magic Insect Shell that Su Jie had specially tailored for the thousand-hand centipede, inspired by a type of poisonous insect with extremely high resistance to magic. Considering that the thousand-hand centipede was about to enter the battlefield, in a sect skirmish that involved thousands, even tens of thousands, its huge body was sure to become a target for many enemies. Even though the physical defenses and regenerative capabilities of the thousand-hand centipede were impressive, it would still be overwhelmed by saturated strikes. However, with the advent of this Anti-Magic Insect Shell, the thousand-hand centipede could now highly resist magic attacks, especially against the spells from Yunling Realm disciples and those low-grade talismans and magical artifacts, significantly reducing the damage it received. With this, the thousand-hand centipede could run rampant on the battlefield without fear of the enemy¡¯s attrition warfare or the ¡®death by a thousand cuts¡¯ tactic. When the insect shell transformed, the dense pale corpse hands beneath the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s belly began to detach continuously from the body. These corpse hands could fly, circling around the centipede like a ring of meteors orbiting their mother star. Upon spotting an enemy, these pale corpse hands would actively charge at them and multiply during the assault, enveloping and twisting the enemy. And beneath the thousand-hand centipede, new pale corpse hands would quickly regenerate, effectively allowing the centipede to inflict widespread damage by using them like expendable ammunition until it could no longer sustain the loss. After trying out its new abilities, the thousand-hand centipede was visibly elated by its own changes, vehemently hissing at Su Jie to express its feelings. ¡°This time, we¡¯re relying on you,¡± Su Jie said. No sooner had Su Jie spoken than a voice floated over from behind him. ¡°Little bug has grown quite a bit, hasn¡¯t it!¡± remarked Han Ruyan as she walked over, evaluating the greatly transformed thousand-hand centipede. Sizzling sounds. The thousand-hand centipede rose up on its hind legs, staring down Han Ruyan with a ferocious demeanor, as these two had never gotten along. ¡°You two would do better to save your energy for the battlefield,¡± Su Jie said exasperatedly, not really understanding how an insect and a ghost had come to be at odds. ¡°Speaking of the battlefield, I hope the fear there won¡¯t disappoint me,¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s eyes brightened slightly at the mention; she enjoyed the atmosphere of the battlefield, as had been the case on Blue Star, and even more so in Tianyuan World. The thousand-hand centipede let out a roar as if promising Su Jie that its battlefield performance would definitely surpass Han Ruyan¡¯s. ¡°Don¡¯t get careless, one misstep could lead to death,¡± Su Jie warned as he patted the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s head and then stroked Han Ruyan¡¯s hair. In this impending sect war, the number of combatants from the Secret Realm could reach around a hundred. In such a battlefield, anything could happen. Chapter 450: 302: Launching an Attack (Second Update) Chapter 450: Chapter 302: Launching an Attack (Second Update) Two days later. In front of the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, the noise was deafening with the chorus of poisonous insects, and the crowd was a dense mass. There were more than ten thousand people gathered here, endless as far as the eye could see. The number of disciples at Ghost Ridge Palace gathered here definitely exceeded ten thousand. Among them were junior disciples at the Second and Third Level of Yunling Realm as well as inner disciples above the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm. Along with their poisonous insects, since most Outer Disciples didn¡¯t have storage bags and Insect Control Bags, their weapons and poisonous insects had to be carried openly, creating an atmosphere of grim solemnity that frightened those who saw it. ¡°Disciples following Elder Chen to attack, come over here to assemble immediately.¡± ¡°I am with Elder Xu. Older Brother, where is Elder Xu? Please help me find him.¡± ¡°Stop the chaos everyone, organize the lines properly. What does this disarray look like?¡± Amid the noisy chaos, one after another, elders appeared at the mountain gate, gathering their subordinates. Due to a lack of effective command, the demon cultivators, accustomed to having no restrictions and not being soldiers, caused some organizational confusion at the scene. Once gathered, the elders would lead their teams to set out. Elders could naturally fly, but to accommodate those disciples, many elders had to choose to travel by land to the battlefield. However, the elders had their tricks; most contracted a batch of journey-specific poisonous insects for travel. Though these insects might not be strong in battle, they were extremely fast, such as the Dark Wall Lizard, Coiling Mountain Snake, Wind Spider, etc., each capable of carrying several people without a problem, allowing the elders to carry those slower disciples and move quickly. The inclusion of these journey-specific insects intensified the chaos of teams constantly shuttling back and forth. Ghost Ridge Palace had mostly mobilized in small squad formats in the past and had never rehearsed such large troop movements, so everyone lacked experience. When Su Jie arrived, this was the scene he encountered. Su Jie also saw Ning Xinyue not far away, following Tang Peiqing, helping to organize the disciples into formation, and she even gave Su Jie a playful wink when she saw him. ¡°Disciples with Elder Su, hurry over here.¡± Next to Su Jie, Chen Yun began shouting loudly. By now, Chen Yun¡¯s cultivation had surprisingly broken through from the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm and advanced to the Sixth Level. This was partly due to Su Jie¡¯s help and her own efforts. The former was the larger contributor, effort was not uncommon, but not everyone had the opportunity and patronage of influential people. Hearing the shout, the 300 disciples belonging to Su Jie looked up from within the crowd, following the sound and struggling to push through, moving toward Su Jie¡¯s location. Seeing this, Su Jie waved his left hand and the Thousand-Handed Centipede slithered out from his sleeve. Its body instantly began to inflate and enlarge, floating hundreds of meters in the air, casting vast shadows below, eliciting cries of shock. ¡°We¡¯re pressed for time, all my disciples raise your right hands.¡± As Su Jie¡¯s Divine Sense swept over, the disciples quickly raised their right hands. The pale corpse hands under the belly of the Thousand-Handed Centipede detached and grabbed the disciples to place them on its spacious back. Three hundred disciples, merely one round trip was all it took to get everyone, saving a lot of trouble. The disciples sitting on the back of the Thousand-Handed Centipede were initially somewhat panicked, as they had not experienced flying before. But fortunately, due to the vast size of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, its flight was almost entirely free of any shaking or trembling, and sitting there was much more spacious than an airplane, comfortably accommodating three hundred people with plenty of room to spare. Su Jie flew onto the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede and sat down, stating calmly, ¡°We¡¯re flying to our destination, make sure to hold on tight.¡± ¡°Yes, Elder Su, we¡¯ll be careful.¡± The disciples sitting behind him responded with reverence, gazing at the Thousand-Handed Centipede beneath them and at the figure of Su Jie with profound respect in their eyes. Many among them had entered Ghost Ridge Palace the same year as Su Jie or even earlier than him. Now, years later, while they still lingered as disciples, Su Jie had long since become an esteemed Secret Realm Elder, significantly widening the gap between them, experiencing a vastly different life. ¡°Xiao Qian, let¡¯s go.¡± Su Jie tapped on the insect shell of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, and like a train shooting into the sky, the figure of the Thousand-Handed Centipede soared straight into the high heavens, gradually vanishing into the cloud layer. The multitude of disciples by the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace watched with envy; flying like this saved so much more trouble than a long land journey. Unfortunately, not every elder possessed a Lifebound poisonous insect as convenient as the Thousand-Handed Centipede. And on the back of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, as it accelerated, many disciples were blown about unsteadily, their faces rippling like waves. Disciples with higher cultivation could block it with Spiritual Energy, but those with lower cultivation couldn¡¯t afford to waste Spiritual Energy for long. Eventually, a pair of wings rose from the back of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. The large wings were not used to flap for acceleration but were erected to block the strong winds. After all, under the supersonic flight of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, such head-on gales were extremely exaggerated; without protection, ordinary disciples at the Yunling Realm might become airborne and crash to their deaths. Su Jie didn¡¯t expend much energy on his disciples, sitting with his eyes closed, regulating his own energy state. The speed of the Thousand-Handed Centipede was very fast; before long, it had already reached the area covered by the Mountain Protection Array. From here on, the territory outside was where the Righteous sects had surrounded Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Heaven signifies, revealing fortunes and calamities, Demon Map open.¡± Su Jie manipulated a spell only known to the Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace, the air rippled in a circle, and the Mountain Protection Array opened a gap leading to the outside world. Chapter 451: 302: Strike (Second Update)_2 Chapter 451: Chapter 302: Strike (Second Update)_2 Without hesitation, the Thousand-Handed Centipede flew out through the gap, leaving the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace. This also meant that Su Jie and his group were about to enter the perilous realm of the Righteous Sects. Here, they could encounter patrolling teams or even Elders of the Righteous Path at any moment. The Thousand-Handed Centipede flew high above the clouds as Su Jie spread out the map to confirm their location once again. ¡°Five camps, respectively stationed by the Purple Mist Sect and the Golden Sword Sect,¡± Touching his chin, Su Jie mulled over the scant intelligence provided by his Sect, which included the locations of the camps but nothing on the number of disciples, the presence of Elders, any formations, and so on. It was only due to the investigative advantages of the Insect Control Technique that Ghost Ridge Palace, being the suppressed side, could uncover the locations of so many Righteous Sect camps. For more detailed intelligence, one would have to infiltrate the camps themselves since insects couldn¡¯t fly into camps protected by formations. ¡°Camp B5, guarded by the Purple Mist Sect, old rivals, you¡¯ll be the first one I cut down,¡± Su Jie put away the map, having set a clear target in his mind. However, Su Jie did not set out immediately but instead had the Thousand-Handed Centipede land for a brief rest, waiting for the agreed-upon time to strike. If Su Jie were to act ahead of time, he could alarm the camps, leading them to send out alerts and making the Righteous Sects wary, thus wasting the element of surprise. ... As night fell, the time approached the deep of night. Su Jie had already appeared in the sky above the location marked as Camp B5. The Thousand-Handed Centipede flew at an altitude of ten thousand meters, and Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit had long since leaped out from his physical shell, in a semi-freewheeling manner, traveling ahead of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. At this moment, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit could clearly sense layers of unique auras, spirit waves, and divine sense-type detection Array pulsations flickering past. The Tianyuan World also had its equivalent of radar, which were various scouting Arrays, relying on the omnipresent Spiritual Energy of the Tianyuan World to create a diverse range of scouting methods. Normally, a target as large as the Thousand-Handed Centipede would definitely not be able to evade the coverage and recognition of detection Arrays. But the presence of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit allowed him to clearly differentiate those scouting fluctuations and absorb them all, causing those scouting Arrays to face a void, with their probing fluctuations unable to detect a target or receive any feedback. This was also an application of the Primordial Spirit, which explained why in the Secret Realm, only those who had cultivated a Primordial Spirit were considered strong; the applications of the Primordial Spirit are just too vast. Aside from battle, it can be useful in farming, mining, rearing spiritual beasts, searching for treasure, exploring secret realms, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, talisman painting, Formation, divination, and so on, practically everywhere, large or small, the Primordial Spirit has a role to play. ¡°Bring the thunder.¡± Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit, high above, began to summon the Divine Skill Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder. His Primordial Spirit already possessed a part of Heavenly Might, as violent winds carrying a torrential downpour roared through the sky, with booming thunder rumbling across the heavens. The Thousand-Handed Centipede also concurrently spread its six pairs of wings, flapping them to generate a piercing Devil Wind, forming a six-colored tornado storm. ¡°Everyone, hold on tight,¡± Chen Yun¡¯s face changed slightly as she promptly called for the disciples to hold on tight. The next moment, the entire layer of clouds lit up brightly, as lightning bolts like silver dragons descended from the heavens, tearing apart the sky curtain of rain and suddenly crashing down to earth. Boom, boom, boom! Several layers of Arrays rose from Camp B5, but they were instantly penetrated by the attack Su Jie had long been preparing. Purple Mist Sect disciples were awoken from their sleep, only for their bodies to be enveloped by lightning, electricity coursing through them from head to toe, carbonizing flesh and bone, turning into charred corpses. After the lightning opened a gap, the Thousand-Handed Centipede also maneuvered the six-colored tornado storm through the breach, completely tearing apart the remaining protective Arrays, with the ground layers being peeled away. Tents, trees, bodies were all swept into it, minced into debris. The entire camp was a mess, littered with dead bodies and human remains. The surviving Purple Mist Sect disciples looked up at the sky, still dazed from the assault, to see a massive dark shadow descending. Boom. The colossal body of the Thousand-Handed Centipede smashed to the ground, crushing several Purple Mist Sect disciples who couldn¡¯t evade in time. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit returned to his body, coldly looking down at the heavily damaged camp below. About two hundred disciples from the Purple Mist Sect were there, including three inner disciples, but under Su Jie¡¯s suppression from the Secret Realm, the majority of disciples were already dead or injured, and the remaining ones were left with only fear and trembling. ¡°It¡¯s Corpse Hand Man Slaughter.¡± Disciples of the Purple Mist Sect recognized Su Jie¡¯s identity, and in an instant, chaos intensified. Su Jie¡¯s reputation was quite renowned among the Righteous Sects; he was still under a bounty of one hundred thousand spirit stones. ¡°Kill them all.¡± Su Jie¡¯s pupils turned purple, and two dazzling Purple Light Rays emitted from his eyes. A disciple of the Purple Mist Sect who was about to send out a distress signal stiffened, his upper body melted by the high temperature into a lava-like state, dripping onto the ground. ¡°Kill them!¡± On the back of the thousand-hand centipede, three hundred Ghost Ridge Palace disciples¡¯ morale soared as they pursued the Righteous Disciples like ferocious wolves and tigers. The remaining Purple Mist Sect disciples numbered only sixty or seventy. In the past, the Righteous Sects liked to besiege Demon Cultivators with superior numbers, but now it was their turn to be overwhelmed by the Ghost Ridge Palace disciples. Those from the Purple Mist Sect were left with nothing but a grim death or a desperate escape. Yet before Su Jie, who was using the power of the Secret Realm, escaping proved extremely difficult. The last surviving inner disciple of the Purple Mist Sect was slapped into the ground by Su Jie¡¯s Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint, becoming a mixture of flesh and mud within a deep crater, not even leaving an intact corpse. Han Ruyan appeared silently next to Su Jie, the lingering fear in the air making her particularly enjoy the environment. ¡°Too few have died.¡± Han Ruyan felt somewhat regretful. As cultivators trained their bodies, their Divine Souls were also strengthened, and thus they produced much more fear than ordinary people. For example, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner inside Su Jie had absorbed the souls of those deceased Purple Mist Sect disciples. It took ten ordinary people to form a single Yin Soul. But as for these common disciples of the Purple Mist Sect, almost one disciple could condense several Yin Souls, and some could even condense a hundred. ¡°Clean up the battlefield quickly.¡± Chen Yun commanded her followers, spurring them to be swift in their movements. Without Chen Yun¡¯s extensive direction, one might doubt the morals of Demon Cultivators, but one could never doubt their professionalism in plundering wealth; in this regard, they were experts. The Storage Bags, Magic Artifacts, talismans, elixirs from the bodies of Purple Mist Sect disciples were plundered, their vestment robes stripped off, and even intact corpses were taken for use in Insect Control. Besides, there were the gains from the camp itself. The Arrays set up inside the camp were found one by one, and the spiritual materials and spirit stones used for the Arrays were pried away. Including the valuable spiritual materials inside the camp, everything was dismantled, leaving not a single valuable item remaining. Su Jie did not stop any of this. Ghost Ridge Palace encouraged the fighting spirit of the disciples by allowing them to handle their spoils of war. And the spoils from the Purple Mist Sect disciples killed by Su Jie were untouched by anyone else¡¯s greedy thoughts, eventually and honestly handed over to Su Jie, including a large portion of the wealth of the camp itself, which found its way into Su Jie¡¯s own pocket. The disciples of the Purple Mist Sect were quite wealthy, so many Ghost Ridge Palace disciples who grabbed the spoils of war were brimming with profits. The others who had not managed to claim any were filled with envy, their craving for war inflamed. Such was the strategy of Ghost Ridge Palace. Su Jie intentionally spared some Purple Mist Sect disciples, allowing those who followed him to share in the spoils and thus spurring their desire for war. When the camp was completely looted, the Ghost Ridge Palace disciples spontaneously lit torches, setting the entire camp ablaze. Killing people, setting fires, destroying corpses, almost as if it was an innate impulse for Demon Cultivators. ¡°Everyone, get on.¡± On the back of the thousand-hand centipede, the Demon Cultivators who had just engaged in killing and arson quickly boarded, as the colossal body of the centipede once again soared into the sky, leaving behind a fiercely burning camp. Meanwhile, under the cover of night, Su Jie continued leading his disciples to raid another Righteous Sect camp. With the mobility of the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie had a unique advantage in this area. And this night, many Ghost Ridge Palace Elders did exactly what Su Jie had done, with the entire Ghost Ridge Palace emerging to launch the most fierce counterattack against the Righteous Sects. Chapter 452 - 303: Dual Secret Stash (First Update) Chapter 452: Chapter 303: Dual Secret Stash (First Update) Utilizing the flying convenience of the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie managed to attack three camps¡ªB6, Ding 3, and Ding 8¡ªovernight. The number of people in these camps varied, with the fewer having about a hundred and the more populated ones having around two hundred. However, in front of Su Jie, whether it was a hundred or two hundred Yunling Realm disciples made no difference at all. Su Jie¡¯s method of dealing with them was also very straightforward and brutal: he would bombard them from above with the thousand-hand centipede, turning the camps into a scene of chaos, then have the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples finish off the aftermath. By these means, Su Jie¡¯s attacks were incredibly smooth. By dawn, the outline of the sun had begun to appear on the horizon, and Su Jie had reached the sky above his final target¡ªthe Ding Shier Camp. ¡°Why is this camp so large?¡± From the sky dome above, Su Jie noticed that the scale of this Ding Shier Camp was quite abnormal, several times larger than the previous ones. Just as Su Jie was pondering whether to proceed with the attack, a furious shout unexpectedly came from below. ¡°Who is this demon cultivator daring to come knocking on his own death¡¯s door? Seeking death.¡± Following the roar, two figures rapidly rose from the ground into the sky. Su Jie squinted his eyes, aware that he had encountered two Secret Realm Elders, not just one. The two who flew up were middle-aged men; one was short, wearing a wide Daoist robe, with a commanding presence in his eyes. The other was tall and upright, carrying a blue longsword on his back, his long hair billowing in the wind, sword qi crackling and breaking off with every movement of his hair. ¡°Secret Realm Elders, and two of them.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doomed, how can there be two Secret Realm Elders here at the same time.¡± The Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples sitting on the back of the thousand-hand centipede wore expressions of terror, as if calamity had befallen them. Even though Su Jie was also at the Secret Realm level, a two-against-one scenario put him at a huge disadvantage in the eyes of these Yunling Realm disciples. ¡°Corpse Hand Man Slaughter Su Jie, it turns out to be you, you¡¯ve actually advanced to the Secret Realm.¡± The short Secret Realm Elder was named Zhang Xin and was an Elder of the Purple Mist Sect. Upon seeing Su Jie¡¯s face, he immediately recognized Su Jie¡¯s identity. ¡°Ha, we¡¯re in luck today, it¡¯s this little demon whelp. This will be a good way to explain ourselves to Supreme Elder Zhuang Liangru.¡± The Elder carrying the blue longsword laughed heartily; his name was Bian Yannan, an Elder of the Guan Chao Pavilion. Guan Chao Pavilion and Su Jie also had a long-standing feud. Du Shaochang, the Jade Sun True Body that Su Jie had killed, was the favored disciple of Supreme Elder Zhuang Liangru from the Guan Chao Pavilion. For this reason, that Taoist Platform Realm Supreme Elder had even issued a bounty of a hundred thousand Spirit Stones for Su Jie. As far as Bian Yannan was concerned, if he could take down Su Jie, the rewards of Spirit Stones were merely a bonus. The real value would be in making a connection with Zhuang Liangru, a Supreme Elder at the Taoist Platform Realm. ¡°To actually meet two Elders head-on.¡± Su Jie¡¯s lips curled slightly as he looked at the disturbed camp below, from which hundreds of Righteous Disciples had emerged. However, they were incapable of flight and could not participate in the battle between Secret Realm level cultivators. ¡°Su Jie, today will be your end. You have killed so many disciples of our sect; your head will be taken to pay tribute to them.¡± With every word Bian Yannan spoke, the blue Flying Sword behind him unsheathed an inch further. ¡°Sky Sea Gang Sword, go!¡± Once the Flying Sword was fully unsheathed, Bian Yannan flicked his fingers, and the sword burst forth in a dazzling azure light, with the sound of surging waves spreading through the void. The sword¡¯s pressure compressed the air, stirring up Spiritual Power and the wind, swiftly approaching its target. To his surprise, this was a Top Grade Magical Artifact level Flying Sword. Newly promoted Elders usually could not afford Top Grade Magical Artifacts, which meant Bian Yannan was certainly not among the ordinary ranks. ¡°Darling, please turn around!¡± Su Jie patted his Sword Nourishing Gourd at his waist, and a beam of white light burrowed out from the gourd¡¯s mouth. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword pierced through the clouds and the void, confronting the Sky Sea Gang Sword head-on. As they collided and twisted together, the sound of resonating swords echoed in all directions, filling the sky with interweaving paths of blue and white. The Yunling Realm disciples could not discern the movements of the Flying Swords, only hearing the booming sounds as shockwaves whipped up hurricanes, and the tearing Sword Qi left their cheeks stinging. ¡°Hmm, Top Grade Magical Artifact.¡± Bian Yannan was momentarily taken aback by the appearance of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, and his eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°What a surprise to also gain an unexpected prize, to be able to obtain another Top Grade Magical Artifact as a trophy.¡± Bian Yannan¡¯s smile widened, for a Flying Sword was the foremost offensive Magic Artifact. A Top Grade Magical Artifact level Flying Sword would cost at least a hundred thousand Spirit Stones. Adding Su Jie¡¯s bounty to the value, Bian Yannan felt like he was about to strike it rich in one go. Zhang Xin was itching to join in; he also wanted a piece of the action, as he didn¡¯t even have a single Top Grade Magical Artifact himself, being a mere First Level Secret Realm cultivator with comparatively less foundation. ¡°Elder Zhang, just watch from the side and swoop in to clean up when necessary. This demon whelp has a deep feud with my Guan Chao Pavilion, so it¡¯s my duty to deal with him.¡± However, Bian Yannan seemed to anticipate his intentions and immediately voiced his rejection to Zhang Xin¡¯s offer to assist. Zhang Xin¡¯s face darkened; Bian Yannan¡¯s rejection was clearly an attempt to monopolize the situation, aiming to claim the largest spoils of victory over Su Jie rightfully after the battle. ¡°Watch out, Elder Bian, don¡¯t underestimate him. This person has made quite a name for himself.¡± Zhang Xin suppressed his anger, for the Guan Chao Pavilion was after all the foremost sect in Qingzhou, and Bian Yannan¡¯s cultivation was much higher than his. He dared not express his dissatisfaction openly and subtly hinted, trying to get involved in the battle. ¡°Elder Zhang, if I can¡¯t handle a mere newly promoted demon cultivator, then I¡¯ve lived all these years in vain.¡± Chapter 453 - 303: Dual Secret Stash (First Update)_2 Chapter 453: Chapter 303: Dual Secret Stash (First Update)_2 Elder Bian Yannan gave a confident smile, his gaze towards Su Jie entirely that of a predator eyeing its prey. In Elder Bian¡¯s view, his cultivation level at the Secret Realm Second Level had surely secured his victory over Su Jie, who must have just been promoted, not even reaching the First Level of the Secret Realm, having only the realm¡¯s name without a single refined Primordial Spirit in his body. As long as he moved quickly, he could easily subdue Su Jie and then present him to Zhuang Liangru to claim a reward, without the slightest intention of sharing the spoils with Zhang Xin. ¡°You guys are going a bit too far!¡± While Su Jie was distractedly controlling the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, he heard the conversation between Bian Yannan and Zhang Xin. It seemed that since he entered the Secret Realm, he hadn¡¯t revealed his strength, and the death of Zou Minzun remained unknown; no one was aware of his actual combat capabilities. However, this was just perfect for him, as there was no longer worry that the two would flee first which would have been somewhat troubling to pursue. ¡°Hm, Demon Cultivator, simply accept your fate and surrender to ¡®Canglang Technique¡¯!¡± Elder Bian chanted the spell, activating the ¡°Canglang Technique¡± scripture of Guan Chao Pavilion, which was imbued into the Sky Sea Gang Sword. This Sky Sea Gang Sword was specially refined to work in tandem with the Canglang Technique, enhancing the Flying Sword¡¯s power to the next level. The clouds in the sky seemed to transform into a vast azure ocean with layers of mist shimmering with a sparkling light as the Sky Sea Gang Sword disappeared into the mist. The next moment, myriad Flying Swords shot forth from the sea of clouds, forming a blue dragon of sword light with teeth and claws bared, roaring through the void and tearing through the clouds, aiming straight for Su Jie. ¡°Xiao Qian!¡± With a stern face, Su Jie shouted out loud. In terms of sword fighting, Su Jie was indeed a bit inferior. Ghost Ridge Palace did not focus on Flying Swords, and the Mid-grade Sword Nourishing Gourd provided only limited support to the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Unless Su Jie was willing to use his Primordial Spirit, imbue the spirit into the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword to control it with his mind, he would be able to suppress the opponent. But with Zhang Xin also present, Su Jie dared not let his Primordial Spirit leave his body, leaving his immobile physical shell on the spot. Even with the protection of the Ghost Bride and the thousand-hand centipede, if the opponent had some ace up their sleeve, Su Jie wouldn¡¯t be able to respond, and his physical body would become a sitting duck. So Su Jie made the more cautious choice and saw no need to vie with the opponent over sword fighting prowess. He was a Gu Master who played with insects; insects were his main field of expertise. Upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s call, the thousand-hand centipede flapped its six pairs of wings and, amid the gasps of numerous Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, performed a somersault, shedding the many disciples from its back and heading straight for the sword light dragon. ¡°Save me!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to fall to my death!¡± The Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples felt their souls about to leave their bodies, seeing the ground rushing up to meet them and thinking they were about to be smashed to death, becoming innocent victims of the Secret Realm confrontation. However, at this moment, from Su Jie¡¯s Insect Control Bag at his waist, over a million low-grade human-faced moths flew out. The human-faced moths clung tightly together, forming a thick insect blanket and wrapping up the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, cushioning their fall to the ground. These grounded Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples had hardly caught their breath when they came face-to-face with Righteous Disciples from Ding 12¡¯s camp. After an awkward few seconds, almost as if by instinct, both sides armed themselves and charged into battle against each other. Similarly, Su Jie¡¯s over a million human-faced moths formed a rolling insect cloud, choosing to charge head-on, ferociously biting and devouring every Righteous Disciple. Human-faced moths, considered among the most common and inferior of poisonous insects, underwent a transformation into something far more ominous when their numbers swelled. Especially since the ordinary disciples largely lacked means to combat hordes, the human-faced moths completely disregarded all opposition. Even if some were killed, with their terrifying numbers, the resistance of the Righteous Disciples hardly made a splash, and in the blink of an eye, they were overwhelmed by the swarm. As they were enveloped by the swarm, the Righteous Disciples screamed in agony, but their cries lasted only for a few short seconds, after which there was silence, for their bodies had been gnawed to the bone by the human-faced moths. Many Righteous Disciples could only struggle to support themselves using Protection Magic Shields, yet they were still damaged by the corrosive acid from the human-faced moths, not to mention the presence of a significant number of low-grade and mid-grade human-faced moths among them. These low-grade and mid-grade human-faced moths, meticulously cultivated by Su Jie, were like generals within the swarm, specifically targeting those hard nuts to crack. Facing those inner disciples from the Righteous sects, these low and middle-grade poisonous insects would swarm up in large numbers, cooperating with the massive human-faced moths to tear the enemy to shreds. The disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace, who were somewhat uneasy at first, found that they had become mere bystanders, as the entire ground battlefield was completely dominated by the human-faced moths. Wherever the Insect Cloud passed, the ground was left barren, hardly giving them any opportunity to take a shot. ¡°Damn it, how dare you bully the weak as a Secret Realm holder and slaughter the disciples,¡± Seeing this scene, Zhang Xin became furious, witnessing his own side¡¯s disciples being killed in great numbers, no longer able to sit still and deciding to strike back hard at the disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace. With his cultivation of the Secret Realm, killing ordinary disciples was as easy as slaughtering chickens. ¡°Elder Zhang, come to my aid, this rascal is very tricky,¡± However, just as Zhang Xin was preparing to strike back, he suddenly heard Bian Yannan¡¯s anxious call for help. Zhang Xin¡¯s face froze in shock, only to see that the Sword Light Green Dragon he had formed using the Sky Sea Gang Sword was now at an absolute disadvantage. The Sword Light Green Dragon, in its clash with the thousand-hand centipede, found that the centipede¡¯s body was incredibly hard; even the colliding dragon could only inflict a few dozen centimeters of wounds. Such wounds would be fatal on a normal person, but on a centipede that was 120 meters long, it was hardly more than a scratch on the surface, and the healing speed of the creature was even faster than the rate of injury. After being injured, the mid-grade Six Refinement poisonous insect became thoroughly enraged. Its pale corpse hands broke off one after another, firmly grasping the sword light of the Sword Light Green Dragon. Although the corpse hands were continually torn apart, they multiplied even faster. In just a few breaths, the Sword Light Green Dragon was completely engulfed by corpse hands, which kept collapsing inward, utterly extinguishing the sword light and exposing the true form of the Sky Sea Gang Sword. Bian Yannan was just about to retrieve the Flying Sword when the thousand-hand centipede opened its gaping maw, its two sets of razor-sharp fangs clamping down securely on the Sky Sea Gang Sword, leaving Bian Yannan unable to control it and free it from the centipede¡¯s gaping maw. Instead, the top-grade Flying Sword emanated snapping crackling sounds, with fine cracks appearing on the sword body, seemingly about to be crushed by the thousand-hand centipede. Bian Yannan, now panicking with a paler face, continuously threw out several magic artifacts and talismans. The grade of these artifacts and talismans wasn¡¯t high enough, and the thousand-hand centipede didn¡¯t even bother to give them a second glance, outright ignoring them as they posed no significant harm. In this situation, Bian Yannan had no choice but to cast his magic while calling for Zhang Xin¡¯s help, with his previous claims of being able to suppress Su Jie now a laughable matter. ¡°Elder Bian, didn¡¯t you say you could handle it yourself? Why do you need to ask me for help?¡± Zhang Xin initially spoke with a mocking tone, but upon actually assessing the situation, he was incredulous. Bian Yannan had the cultivation of the second level of the Secret Realm, and even if Su Jie had ascended to the Secret Realm, it hadn¡¯t been for long, so how could he possibly fight against Bian Yannan? Yet such an event was truly unfolding in front of him, and Zhang Xin had to believe it, a sense of unease inexplicably growing inside him. Because his own strength was only at the first level of the Secret Realm, weaker than Bian Yannan¡¯s, if he couldn¡¯t suppress this little devil... ¡°What an arrogant devil, take my Thunder Skill bombardment!¡± With that thought in mind, Zhang Xin did not dare to be negligent, nor did he have any thoughts left to mock Bian Yannan. He activated the fundamental mental method of the Purple Mist Sect, the Wanxiang Heavenly Power True Method, borrowing Heavenly Might for his own use. Dark clouds shrouded the sky dome, pressing down with thunder brewing inside, tearing into a long river of lightning, mightily striking towards Su Jie. Su Jie looked up at the river of lightning and sneered coldly, ¡°Child¡¯s play.¡± Boom! Around Su Jie, thousands of thunderbolts burst forth, forming a blossoming thunder lotus of extreme beauty filled with the aura of destruction, effortlessly annihilating the encroaching river of lightning and flowing in reverse to strike Zhang Xin directly. Zhang Xin wanted to dodge, but it was too late; his body¡¯s flow of blood and spiritual power had not yet settled, simply put, he hadn¡¯t recovered from the cooldown state of his previous powerful spell, and both his speed and reaction were more than a beat slower. Chapter 454 - 304: Complete Victory (Second Update) Chapter 454: Chapter 304: Complete Victory (Second Update) Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder moved at such a speed that before Zhang Xin had even run ten meters, it continuously bombarded him. The Protective Talismans flickered a few times before dissipating like bubbles. Those protective talismans simply couldn¡¯t defend against the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, and his skin carbonized under the electric current. With any movement, the semi-cooked flesh underneath and even distinctly white bones in some areas were exposed. ¡°Secret Realm... Second Level.¡± Zhang Xin¡¯s mouth gaped open as he vomited fresh blood, his fingers trembling as he pointed at Su Jie. It was indeed Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder that also had the added effects of heart-burning god and armor-breaking god within the lungs. Having two additional damages clearly indicated the realm of the Secret Realm Second Level. Hit by the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, Zhang Xin was suffering from triple damages. With over half of his body¡¯s flesh necrotized, after uttering a sentence, he fell from the sky like a bird with broken wings, crashing onto a mountain on the ground. ¡°This is bad.¡± Bian Yannan shouted loudly as he noticed the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword swiftly slashing toward them. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword was aimed at Zhang Xin¡¯s neck. Given Zhang Xin¡¯s current condition, he had no strength to dodge or defend, and a single stroke could decapitate him. Bian Yannan couldn¡¯t just watch his associate be killed; he braced with his hands forward, and the water transmuted into waves, engulfing Zhang Xin like a smooth surface of a lake. The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword hit the surface of the water wave, and although it appeared to have sliced through Zhang Xin¡¯s neck, Su Jie frowned. Because the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword didn¡¯t have the tactile sensation of cutting through a solid object, and Zhang Xin was safe and sound, his head still firmly on his neck. ¡°It¡¯s useless, this is one of my sect¡¯s unique skills, ¡®Mirror Flower Water Moon¡¯, you can¡¯t hurt us. Now if you leave, we can pretend nothing happened.¡± Bian Yannan was also within the lake; he had already felt the terror of Su Jie. Seeing Su Jie handling the situation with ease, fear dominated Bian Yannan¡¯s heart; he no longer had the confidence he previously had in cornering Su Jie and only wanted to flee from him now. ¡°Refraction, huh!¡± The White Bone Sky Slaying Sword flew through the air and slashed several times, Su Jie caught on. It was like trying to stab a fish through the surface of the water; though you might aim for the fish, the refraction of light in water would lead you to miss. ¡°Some tricks, but not much.¡± Su Jie raised his eyebrows; Guan Chao Pavilion really was Qingzhou¡¯s top sect, but stopping him from killing was far from enough. Without resorting to several of his trump cards, Su Jie¡¯s chest suddenly caved in, with his front nearly sticking to his back as the air was squeezed and expelled. Su Jie opened his mouth and took a fierce inhale; a whirlwind swept up like a funnel tornado in front of him, centering on his mouth, resembling a gigantic demon swallowing everything, a six-colored tornado devouring all in its path. The terrifying suction spread, uprooting trees, mud, and rocks hundreds of meters ahead from the ground, pulverizing them once they entered the tornado, then extinguished into ashes by the spirit light. This was precisely the application of the Six Demon Wings. The protective water light lake was also sucked toward the tornado, along with Zhang Xin and Bian Yannan, being dragged in synchronously. This wasn¡¯t like trying to spear a fish with a Flying Sword; if the fish hid under the water and couldn¡¯t be speared, Su Jie intended to drain the entire lake dry. ¡°What a joke, such a massive amount of Spiritual Power.¡± Bian Yannan¡¯s face turned livid, his eyes reflecting a hint of terror as he desperately tried to maintain the lake, but it was no use, their Spiritual Powers were not of the same magnitude. Due to the Purple Cloud Thunder Body, Su Jie¡¯s Spiritual Power far exceeded that of Cultivators of the same level, using this tyrannical devouring method to overpower Bian Yannan with sheer force. No matter how exquisite your Magic, my strength alone can break it. Su Jie¡¯s methods were simple and crude, yet effectively practical. Bian Yannan exhausted all his strength, and even the severely injured Zhang Xin, in a life-and-death crisis, bit his tongue, forcibly stirring his spirit, trying to block Su Jie¡¯s devouring with Spiritual Power. The two sides were like a tug of war, one wanting to devour, the other wanting to repel, comparing who had more Spiritual Power, relying on absolute brute strength. But clearly, Su Jie was much stronger, and the combined forces of Bian Yannan and Zhang Xin were no match for him. The two knew they were bound to lose. With a pained expression, Zhang Xin clenched his teeth and took out a talisman from his Storage Bag, shockingly a Top Grade Talisman. ¡°Reverse Talisman, break it.¡± Zhang Xin tore the Top Grade Reverse Talisman; this was Zhang Xin¡¯s final trump card, a special talisman obtained during a fortuitous coincidence. Upon using the talisman, it could reverse the effects of an enemy¡¯s attack, suitable only in certain special combat situations. Now was the time to use it; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have a chance later. As the Reverse Talisman was torn, it seemed as if some rules had been inverted. Su Jie¡¯s six-colored storm, transformed from suction into repulsion, under its influence, Zhang Xin and Bian Yannan were blown away rapidly, escaping far from Su Jie. ¡°Take this chance, run quickly.¡± Turning his back to Su Jie, Zhang Xin gritted his teeth; his scorched skin flaked off, his face twisted in pain, but he dared not stop to heal. He swallowed a few elixirs, trying to take this chance to escape from the Devil, Su Jie. ¡°Trying to escape.¡± Seeing this, Su Jie exhaled a breath, and a cloud of black mist spread out, perfectly aligning with the furious winds of the tornado, swiftly spreading to their vicinity. ¡°Good, we escape...¡± Bian Yannan didn¡¯t finish speaking when suddenly, a sensation of impending death overwhelmed his body, and he instinctively dodged quickly. However, the severely injured Zhang Xin couldn¡¯t do the same, and a cloud of black mist quickly covered a large area. Chapter 455: 304: Total Victory (Second Update)_2 Chapter 455: Chapter 304: Total Victory (Second Update)_2 This mass of black mist carried an extreme death curse. After sweeping across the land, anything it touched rapidly aged, decayed, dissipated, and crumbled. Trees turned into rotten wood, the earth turned into ashy white dead land, with all vegetation withering away, devoid of any life force or vitality, much like land after nuclear radiation. Zhang Xin, covered by the black mist, couldn¡¯t even scream; his flesh and blood aged and decayed rapidly, like snow melting in the early spring sun. His face also became old and haggard, his teeth, nails, and hair all fell out, his entire being withered and aged as his life force continued to dissipate, and his body emitted a rotten smell, no longer possessing the imposing aura of the Secret Realm. This was indeed the curse capable of aging and withering all things, the Death Decline Curse Cloud. Su Jie, seizing the opportunity, used a Reverse Talisman, accelerating the spread of the Death Decline Curse Cloud. Even though Zhang Xin was of the Secret Realm Cultivation, once entwined by the Death Decline Curse Cloud, the curse spread through his body in the blink of an eye, affecting even his Divine Soul, dulling its shine. Bian Yannan was stunned; he watched as Zhang Xin fell immediately upon entering the scene, his lips trembling, not sure if he intended to scold his incompetent teammates. Glancing at his Top Grade Flying Sword still being gnawed on by the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Bian Yannan gritted his teeth and turned to flee at an increased speed. He even abandoned his own Top Grade Flying Sword, Zhang Xin, and the hundreds of Righteous Disciples below, wanting to give up everything else for the sake of his own life. ¡°Tsk tsk, so this is your comradeship!¡± Su Jie clicked his tongue twice; despair appeared in Zhang Xin¡¯s eyes, as if he wanted to say something, but in just a few seconds, the curse had already spread throughout his body. His life essence completely extinguished, he fell into Su Jie¡¯s hands. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, I¡¯ll send him to accompany you. Going to the Netherworld alone is always a bit lonely. I am kind-hearted, can¡¯t stand to watch such tragedies among humans.¡± Su Jie grasped Zhang Xin¡¯s Divine Soul with his left hand while wiping his forehead with his right, as the Primordial Spirit inside his sea of consciousness burst forth with a myriad of golden radiance. ¡°Heavenly Eye! Heavenly Dao! Heavenly Might!¡± In the center of Su Jie¡¯s forehead, a bloodline split open, as if a vertical pupil had opened. This was the true power of the Primordial Spirit, linking with the Heavenly Dao through the Primordial Spirit. On the level of the Tao River, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was merely like a microscopic organism, but even so, for ordinary souls, it represented a fundamentally different level of life, a dimensional crushing force. When Su Jie had first achieved his Primordial Spirit, he was still just in the Yunling Realm, yet he used the power of Heavenly Dao to counterattack Secret Realm Elders. Especially now, as Su Jie had advanced to Secret Realm level and his Primordial Spirit had undergone several stages of growth, doubling in power. The opened vertical pupil connected with the Heavenly Dao, opening a crack in the Tao River, allowing the power of this parallel stream, separate from the real world, to seep into reality. Swish! A faint light drifted from the vertical pupil, causing the surrounding Spiritual Energy to surge violently, forming a storm around Su Jie as the center. In this moment, wielding the power of the Tao River, Su Jie became the sole sovereign of this part of the world. Although Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit could only withstand the pressure of the Tao for about ten seconds, it was enough to annihilate his enemies. ¡°Purple Light Ray!¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes emitted a purple radiance, and two beams of Purple Light Ray shot forth from his pupils. The surrounding Spiritual Energy, like iron filings attracted to a magnet, automatically aligned and fused into the Purple Light Ray. The Purple Light Rays emerging from Su Jie¡¯s eyes initially were as thin as chopsticks, but in the blink of an eye, they expanded exponentially to ten meters in diameter, engulfing Bian Yannan¡¯s entire body. ¡°Primordial Spirit, you are an Immortal Seed...¡± Bian Yannan¡¯s pupils contracted drastically; in the Secret Realm, those with a Primordial Spirit were powerhouses. Su Jie, just earlier still in the Yunling Realm, advancing to the Secret Realm realm not long ago¡ªsuch a terrifying Primordial Spirit could not possibly have developed in such a short time. There was only one possibility: Su Jie had developed his Primordial Spirit while in the Yunling Realm, a standard for an Immortal Seed. If he had known earlier that Su Jie was an Immortal Seed with a Primordial Spirit, he would have fled far away the first time he saw him. But now, it was too late for regrets. Under the cover of the Purple Light Ray, he couldn¡¯t even make a sound before his body explosively disintegrated, leaving behind only a nebulous light group escaping, which was Bian Yannan¡¯s soul. Su Jie stretched out his right hand and captured Bian Yannan¡¯s soul in his grasp. At that moment, Su Jie was holding the Divine Souls of Zhang Xin and Bian Yannan in each hand, and the tragic fate of the two Secret Realm Elders, seen by the disciples of the Righteous and Demon Paths clashing below, brought an immense shock. The morale of the Righteous Disciples collapsed one by one. The only motivation driving the army, already decimated by the human-faced moth, was relying on the two Elders to defeat Su Jie, come to their rescue, and turn the tide of the battle. But who would have thought, their highly esteemed Elders would be killed first. Two against one, yet counter-killed, and by an elder who had just been promoted. The Righteous Disciples began to doubt whether their own Elders were even capable of fighting¡ªhow could they be so inept? These disciples obviously couldn¡¯t perceive the secrets of the Primordial Spirit. Conversely, the morale of the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples soared, every one of them watching Su Jie fervently; bolstered by Su Jie¡¯s valorous achievements, it seemed they empathized, ruthlessly pursuing and slaughtering the demoralized Righteous Disciples. Su Jie paid no heed to the battle below, pulling the Ten Thousand Soul Banner from his chest pocket, absorbing souls generated by the battle and inserting the Divine Souls of Zhang Xin and Bian Yannan into it. Zhang Xin¡¯s Divine Soul, affected by the Death Decline Curse Cloud, had its consciousness dissipated. However, Bian Yannan¡¯s Divine Soul still retained a flicker of consciousness, and seeing the Ten Thousand Soul Banner in Su Jie¡¯s hands, he screamed a miserable curse. ¡°Even in death, you manipulate our souls. I will not forgive you even as a ghost.¡± Su Jie smiled faintly and straightforwardly dropped both souls into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. ¡°You want to be a ghost? That¡¯s easy, I¡¯m making it happen right now. Yin Souls are ghosts too. Or do you think you¡¯re too good for Yin Souls?¡± As Su Jie spoke, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner rustled as it absorbed the powerful souls. On the banner, within the Netherworld Hall on Ghost Mountain Palace, seven or eight more Ghost Generals appeared, fiercer than the original ones. This increased the number of Ghost Generals inside the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to an astonishing twenty. Su Jie could feel the banner¡¯s enhancements and was very pleased; he put it away and turned his gaze to the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Sizzle! The Thousand-Handed Centipede clenched the Sky Sea Gang Sword in its mouth, which had accumulated dense cracks during the previous clash. If the fight had lasted any longer, the sword would have been bitten into pieces. ¡°The damage is too severe; it can only be melted down for materials.¡± Su Jie, seeing the state of the Top Grade Flying Sword, shook his head in regret. One hundred thousand Spirit Stones just like that¡ªit would be a lie to say it didn¡¯t hurt. But Su Jie¡¯s pain lasted only shortly, for he still held the Storage Bags of Zhang Xin and Bian Yannan. Upon opening and checking each Storage Bag, he found abundant resources; even without the destroyed Sky Sea Gang Sword, the combined value of Magic Artifacts, spiritual materials, talismans, elixirs, and more in Bian Yannan¡¯s bag amounted to about two hundred thousand Spirit Stones. Zhang Xin¡¯s assets were half that, a wealth of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones. Together, they provided Su Jie with a profit of three hundred thousand Spirit Stones¡ªa true gold coin explosion. ¡°These Righteous noses are just richer than those on the Demon Path!¡± Su Jie exclaimed; now was the time of the Righteous Sects, with the good Spiritual Mountain Blessed Lands and Secret Realm Spiritual Veins mostly under their control. Naturally, they were considerably more affluent than those on the Demon Path. Such enormous wealth was enough to ease the pain of losing the Sky Sea Gang Sword, not to mention he could scavenge the camp. Su Jie landed on the ground and made his way into Ding Shier Camp. The battle on the ground had also ended, with the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples claiming a sweeping victory, energetically clearing the battlefield; seeing Su Jie approach, they looked at him with reverence and admiration. The glorious feat of beating two in combat tremendously elevated Su Jie¡¯s status in these disciples¡¯ eyes, reaching an almost blind idolization. Chapter 456: 305: Wei Ji Chapter 456: Chapter 305: Wei Ji ¡°Hmm, these are...¡± As he passed by a tent, Su Jie caught the pungent scent of corpse decay. Lifting the tent flap and stepping inside, Su Jie witnessed a bizarre scene. Within the tent, there were hundreds of bodies piled up, mostly strong, young males. Judging by their clothing and the calluses on their hands, they appeared to be common civilians and not cultivators or people from the martial arts community. Each corpse was positioned strangely¡ªthey knelt on both knees, their heads drooping low, with no visible wounds anywhere on their bodies. ¡°This is the aura of the Great Tao.¡± As Su Jie squatted down to examine the bodies, he unexpectedly sensed a trace of the Great Tao¡¯s aura. His expression immediately turned to one of surprise. One should know that the Great Tao can only be contacted initially by a Primordial Spirit. Those who have just achieved a Primordial Spirit could, at most, withstand it for a few seconds in front of the Great Tao; to look for even one more second could cause them to explode. Ordinary Divine Souls without a Primordial Spirit achievement don¡¯t even have the means to sense the Great Tao, let alone establish any connection to it. The commoners who died here had no chance whatsoever to come into contact with the Great Tao. ¡°Strange, truly strange.¡± Very puzzled, Su Jie communicated using his Divine Sense. Soon, two Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples walked over, pushing a few captives ahead of them. These Righteous Disciples had their limbs broken and were dragged in front of Su Jie like dead dogs. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with these corpses? Tell me everything.¡± ¡°Pah, you devil! Just kill me if you dare¡ªI¡¯ll die before I tell you anything,¡± On hearing Su Jie¡¯s question, a Righteous Disciple spat out a mouthful of blood in anger, the blood dispersing midway by the vibration of Su Jie¡¯s Spiritual Power. The Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples glared, ready to slap the life out of the Righteous Disciple who dared to insult their Elder. ¡°Death is a release. In our Demon Sect, there are plenty of punishments that make life worse than death.¡± Su Jie waved his hand at the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples and said indifferently, ¡°Take them down and let them enjoy it.¡± ¡°Yes, Elder Su, rest assured, even the most enduring man will speak under our hands.¡± The faces of several Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples twisted into sinister smiles as they dragged the pale-faced Righteous Disciples out of the tent. In no time at all, inhuman screams erupted from outside the tent, accompanied by the sound of poisonous insects chewing and crawling, enough to send shivers down one¡¯s spine. Half an hour later, the Righteous Disciples were dragged back in. Now they were covered in injuries, and their eyes still held a deep fear. ¡°Now, are you willing to answer my question? My patience is limited.¡± As Su Jie spoke again, the Righteous Disciples shook uncontrollably, hastening to tell Su Jie everything they knew. After listening, Su Jie¡¯s face grew more solemn. ¡°Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, quite a grand move.¡± It turned out that Guan Chao Pavilion, unable to overcome Ghost Ridge Palace after a long siege, had decided to bring out their Great Taoist Formation. Such a formation was terrifying in power, as it could connect to the aura of the Great Tao and use the Heavenly Might of the Great Tao to affect the real world. However, this approach came with a hidden danger, as the Great Tao isn¡¯t so easily manipulated, like leaking the secrets of heaven, which must bring disasters. The Great Taoist Formation would cause the caster to be affected by karma, something even those in the Taoist Platform Realm could not bear. For this reason, Guan Chao Pavilion gathered a large number of civilians and used a special Magic Skill to transfer the karma they had to bear onto the civilians, letting them take the brunt of it instead. This was also the reason why Su Jie had felt the aura of the Great Tao on these cadavers. ¡°Who are the real devils after all! These Righteous Sects are resorting to such dishonorable tactics as sacrificing civilians.¡± Su Jie muttered to himself, wondering about the status of the Hundred Rivers Covering Array that Guan Chao Pavilion had prepared. This Array could gather the water from many rivers, and once it was set up, it could unleash a sky-obscuring tsunami, completely submerging and destroying Ghost Ridge Palace. Luckily, Ghost Ridge Palace had launched a pre-emptive strike, otherwise when that Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array¡¯s assault came, Su Jie would be left with no choice but to flee back to Blue Star. Without Ghost Ridge Palace as his support, Su Jie would have to live a life of hiding and evasion¡ªas a Demon Cultivator, he was an outcast, condemned by all. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s not my concern. I¡¯d better find the main force first and inform the Sect Master so he can decide,¡± Su Jie decided with a deep breath, stepping out of the tent. Gathering the many plundered Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, he mounted the thousand-hand centipede and flew towards the predetermined rendezvous point. Below the thousand-hand centipede burned the raging fires of Ding 12 Camp, the fifth camp Su Jie had destroyed that night, having removed all targets in a single evening. ... On the night of Su Jie¡¯s operation, the entire Ghost Ridge Palace, under the leadership of Elders, set out to launch surprise attacks on the Righteous sects¡¯ camps everywhere. Caught off guard, the Righteous sect suffered considerable losses. But many Elders did not have as smooth an operation as Su Jie, with varying degrees of casualties and in some cases total annihilation. Camp Jiajiu was alight with activity. The cries of battle erupted as Righteous Sect Disciples and Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples engaged in vicious combat. Magic Artifacts clashed, Magic Skills flew wildly, poisonous insects shrieked, and the scene was littered with blood and severed limbs and bodies. ¡°Prepare to die.¡± Yu Wenjing, holding a trident, with vast waves rolling behind him and riding on a surge of white frothy waves, was locked in an intense battle with an Elder of Ghost Ridge Palace who was at the Third Level of the Secret Realm. Yu Wenjing, one of the Divine Sons of Guan Chao Pavilion, possessed an Obsidian Scale Body, ranked fourteenth among Divine Bodies, a position even higher than Du Shaochang. If Su Jie were here, he would certainly recognize that Yu Wenjing, who had bid farewell in East Victory City still at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm, had now advanced to the Secret Realm, achieving the First Level of cultivation. ¡°The one seeking death is you.¡± The Ghost Ridge Palace Elder scoffed coldly, placing his hands together as the flesh of his abdomen split open, revealing needle-pointed poisonous insects that whirred as they emerged, clustering together like drills and piercing through the layers of waves, heading straight for Yu Wenjing. Chapter 457: 305: Wei Ji_2 Chapter 457: Chapter 305: Wei Ji_2 Yu Wenjing¡¯s skin shimmered with a black gold sheen, and the vague outline of a Qilin Dragon Pattern could be faintly discerned on his body. He clenched his teeth tightly, managing to withstand the piercing strikes, but still, his flesh was ripped apart, and blood flowed profusely. Yu Wenjing had risen to the Secret Realm not long ago. Although his Divine Body was ranked fourteenth¡ªthe Obsidian Scale Body¡ªit still fell two levels short of the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s Elder. The Elder¡¯s wave of attacks carried the damage of three properties, and while Yu Wenjing was able to hold his own, he was slightly outmatched. This alone was sufficient proof of his strength. ¡°Brother Yu Wen, be careful.¡± ¡°Brother Yu Wen, I¡¯m here to lend you a hand.¡± On the battlefield, Mo Shiyao and Xiao Guanglian shouted out; they had gone patrolling together and had stumbled upon the surprise attack by Ghost Ridge Palace. Like these talented disciples, they favored gathering together on normal days to exchange ideas and knowledge, and to engage in discussions about everything under the sun. However, unlike Yu Wenjing, both Xiao Guanglian and Mo Shiyao had not yet broken through to the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm. Advancing to the Secret Realm is no easy feat, and even for geniuses, it often requires a substantial amount of grinding and effort. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere,¡± Yu Wenjing instantly rejected their offer, knowing that the Elder from Ghost Ridge Palace present had reached the Third Level of Secret Realm cultivation, even achieving success with the refinement of Primordial Spirit, far beyond the abilities of ordinary Secret Realm cultivators. If Xiao Guanglian and Mo Shiyao were to step in, there was a high chance they would be struck down instantly. Did they really think that bridging a significant realm gap in battle was that simple? To achieve that, one had to either be an Immortal Seed or possess a body constitution ranked within the top ten among Divine Bodies; only then, it might be possible. ¡°Yu Wen, you seem to be regressing the more you struggle.¡± Just as the battlefield reached a fever pitch, a cold voice suddenly descended from the sky. Accompanied by surging Spiritual Energy like a violent storm, a Flying Sword swept across the battlefield, decapitating the heads of the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples one by one. Thud! Thud. The bodies of the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples swayed and toppled, their heads stacked together upon falling, building a grisly monument as the stench of blood assailed the senses. ¡°Who goes there?¡± The Elder from Ghost Ridge Palace looked up in alarm and anger, following the direction of the voice. ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± The voice came from behind him; the Elder wanted to react, but it was already too late. A chain of golden dragon locks entwined his limbs, rendering his Spiritual Power completely unresponsive, plunging him into a semi-dormant state. ¡°Is this the might of a Ghost Ridge Palace Demon Cultivator? Utterly disappointing.¡± A disdainful laugh sounded as a man dressed in a blue-patterned long robe, with his hair neatly tied up, eyes like bright stars, and a handsome face withdrew his hand from the chest of the Ghost Ridge Palace Elder, clutching a still-beating heart. As the heart was removed, the Elder¡¯s body, which had already been wounded in the skirmish with Yu Wenjing, showed an immediate dimming of the light in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s you, Wei Ji. When did you return?¡± Seeing the young man, Yu Wenjing¡¯s expression turned rather unpleasant. ¡°Wei Ji, is he the Immortal Seed from Guan Chao Pavilion?¡± Xiao Guanglian, hearing the name, wore a face full of disbelief. ¡°The foremost among the young generation of Qingzhou.¡± Mo Shiyao¡¯s bright eyes sparkled with shock upon hearing the name that resonated like thunder. In Qingzhou, there are numerous Divine Sons and Divine Bodies, but when it comes to who is the first among the young generation, there is a universally recognized strongest¡ªWei Ji, a prodigiously talented individual of twenty. This very person, dumped by his fiancee at fifteen, joined Guan Chao Pavilion, and without any special physical constitution, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. At only sixteen, he broke through to the Secret Realm. Even before advancing to the Secret Realm, he had condensed his Primordial Spirit and boasted a commendable record of publicly defeating Secret Realm cultivators while still in the Yunling Realm. After advancing to the Secret Realm, his progress was unstoppable, having once single-handedly overturned three Secret Realm cultivators. ¡°He was so powerful because, it is said, his luck was astonishing. Walking down the road, he could step on thousand-year-old spiritual medicine, stumble upon divine weapons at street stalls, and when buying elixir, alchemists with not much longer to live would take him on as a disciple, imparting a lifetime of knowledge. When he went down the mountain to carry out missions, he would encounter one adventure after another.¡± ¡°He treated an unconscious old man, who turned out to be the father of the Qingzhou Governor, with a granddaughter of heavenly beauty who secretly granted him her favor.¡± ¡°When on escort missions, he could move the hearts of noble daughters, who admired his talents.¡± ¡°He was even involved in solving many major cases, exorcising demons and defending the way, earning praise from everyone, becoming everyone else¡¯s child.¡± ¡°Later, Wei Ji ventured alone to the Capital, and it had been two years since anyone had heard from him; unexpectedly, he chose this moment to suddenly return to Qingzhou.¡± ¡°The Sect encountered some trouble, so I came back to help. What¡¯s with that surprised look? Are you afraid that I will come back to Guan Chao Pavilion and overshadow you?¡± Wei Ji laughed heartily while Yu Wenjing¡¯s face darkened, having his sore spot prodded by the other party. ¡°There may be seven or eight Divine Sons and Daughters in Guan Chao Pavilion, but all of them have been outshone by Wei Ji, an ordinary disciple with mediocre qualifications, which has aroused a lot of envy and resentment.¡± ¡°Back in Guan Chao Pavilion, Yu Wenjing didn¡¯t miss any opportunity to go against him and press him down, but each time the latter would turn misfortune into a blessing.¡± ¡°Even through a series of unfortunate events, instead of tricking others, he¡¯d end up falling into the gutter himself.¡± ¡°Why return now of all times, so suddenly wanting to make an impression in front of the Sect? Is that it?¡± Yu Wenjing¡¯s eyes were alert, wondering if Wei Ji, not wanting to be outshone by the imminent downfall of Ghost Ridge Palace and the eradication of Qingzhou¡¯s largest Demon Cultivation Sect, desired to take part just for the sake of gaining some experience.¡± Yu Wenjing certainly thought about competing for the position of Sect Master of Guan Chao Pavilion in the future and always saw Wei Ji as his biggest competitor.¡± However, Wei Ji just smiled lightly and said, ¡°Yu Wen, oh Yu Wen, what do you take me for? The world out there is vast, and the power of Guan Chao Pavilion is nothing compared to true strength.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only gone to the Capital for two years. Even if you¡¯ve made a name for yourself there, within the Da Li Dynasty, our Guan Chao Pavilion is also very renowned.¡± Yu Wenjing clenched his teeth, pained by Wei Ji¡¯s look that suggested Yu Wen could not comprehend higher aspirations, and he felt an inexplicable surge of anger.¡± ¡°No, you haven¡¯t understood what I meant.¡± Wei Ji shook his head but, seeing Yu Wenjing¡¯s expression, did not continue to explain and instead turned his head to look at the scene in the center of the action. ¡°I came to catch up with an old friend, and just happened to run into these Demon Cultivators attacking. Wasn¡¯t Ghost Ridge Palace supposed to be surrounded by the Five Sects? Such a vicious attack on the camp doesn¡¯t look like they were pressured into it!¡± Pointing at the heads of Ghost Ridge Palace disciples on the ground, Wei Ji expressed his confusion. ¡°Who knows what kind of madness Ghost Ridge Palace was in, maybe it¡¯s just a last-ditch struggle, not willing to sit still while they still have the ability to fight back,¡± Xiao Guanglian said, sneering. He knew Wei Ji as well. ¡°Makes sense, Little Xiaozi. Speaking of which, how come you¡¯re still at the Yunling Realm? I remember when I was at the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, you were at the Ten Levels, and when I broke through to the Secret Realm, you were still at the Ten Levels. Now I¡¯m at the Secret Realm Third Level, and you¡¯re still at the Ten Levels? Still relying on treasures granted by your grandfather to fight, huh! Even struggling to kill these riffraff Demon Cultivators, you really aren¡¯t ambitious.¡± Wei Ji looked at Xiao Guanglian with a teasing smile, and his words nearly made Xiao Guanglian spit blood in anger. ¡°If you can¡¯t speak, then don¡¯t speak.¡± Xiao Guanglian clenched his fists, wishing he could land a punch on Wei Ji, if only he could beat him. Damn it, he thinks everyone is a freak like him, breaking through one level of cultivation a month at Yunling Realm and climbing one step a year after reaching the Secret Realm, advancing as easily as eating and drinking. ¡°Brother Wei, it¡¯s been a long time,¡± Mo Shiyao greeted with a bow, recognizing Wei Ji. The higher one goes, the smaller the circle becomes. There are only so many prominent young figures in Qingzhou, and the well-known folks are familiar to each other. Wei Ji nodded and said with a smile, ¡°Junior Sister Mo becomes even more charming! If it weren¡¯t for the many beauties I have, I would hardly be able to resist pursuing you, the number one beauty of Qingzhou.¡± ¡°Brother Wei is joking, I dare not claim to be Qingzhou¡¯s number one beauty.¡± Mo Shiyao flatly denied, but her eyes curved happily, clearly pleased by the praise from Wei Ji, recognized as the top of Qingzhou¡¯s younger generation. Many other Righteous Disciples also crowded around, thanking Wei Ji profusely, with many young female disciples looking up to him with shining eyes, full of admiration. ¡°Let¡¯s leave reminiscing for another time, we have to clean up the battlefield, and I need to go to the Sect¡¯s camp to report to Elder Zhuang.¡± Yu Wenjing interrupted the conversation, not eager to let Wei Ji steal the limelight, and quickly led his group away to return to the main base camp. Chapter 458 - 458 306 Capturing Su Jie ?Chapter 458: Chapter 306: Capturing Su Jie Chapter 458: Chapter 306: Capturing Su Jie In just one night, multiple Righteous camps were destroyed and a large number of Righteous Disciples as well as Elders were killed or injured. Such an attack, naturally, also incited rage among the lead sect of the Five Righteous Sects, the Guan Chao Pavilion. Changyuan River, a continuous stretch of camps and buildings located here, with men and women cultivators seen walking around, some standing tall and others graceful. Lights from the flight of the Hidden Realm Elders could also be seen from time to time. This was indeed the main camp of Guan Chao Pavilion, which was among the five Righteous Sects surrounding Ghost Ridge Palace. Since Guan Chao Pavilion excelled in Water Manipulation, they had stationed their camp beside this hundred-zhang-wide Changyuan River. However, today¡¯s Changyuan camp had an exceptionally solemn and heavy atmosphere; all disciples hurried their steps, their faces clouded with gloom. The news of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s murderous assault had spread to every Righteous Disciple nearby through various channels, and Changyuan camp was no exception. ¡°A bunch of good-for-nothings, letting Ghost Ridge Palace stage an attack, is our defense really so full of holes?¡± Inside a large hall, seated at the head was Zhuang Liangru, his face displaying uncontrollable anger. Seated to the left and right of Zhuang Liangru were key figures of Guan Chao Pavilion, all of at least Hidden Realm status. Facing the reprimands from Zhuang Liangru, the Supreme Elder, no one dared to retort but could only hang their heads in shame. ¡°Elder Zhuang, please calm your anger. Ghost Ridge Palace came prepared this time. Our outer defenses were mostly manned by disciples, and with the Hidden Realm Elders leading the enemy¡¯s attack, it was indeed difficult for ordinary disciples to compete.¡± Footsteps sounded, and a woman with remaining charms walked in on lotus steps. The visitor was Master Si Xin Ying from Miao Yin Temple. Her disciples also suffered many casualties, and since her location was close to the Guan Chao Pavilion camp, she was the first to rush over. ¡°Master Si, you¡¯ve come at the right time. Regarding this night raid by Ghost Ridge Palace, what are your thoughts?¡± Zhuang Liangru, who was furious at the other sect elders, shifted his gaze to Si Xinying. ¡°Considering the strength of Ghost Ridge Palace, their sudden large-scale strike must be part of some sinister scheme. We must not be careless.¡± Si Xinying sat down, pulling out a jade casket from her Storage Bag, sealing inside a head a?€¡° shockingly, that of a Ghost Ridge Palace Elder. ¡°This is one of the Demon Cultivators from Ghost Ridge Palace who attacked our camp last night, a Hidden Realm Elder. I managed to kill him. It¡¯s unfortunate that defeating him was easy, but capturing him alive proved too difficult, or else we might have been able to extract information about Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s plans. Just questioning those ordinary disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace won¡¯t reveal much.¡± Si Xinying shook her head; her failing to extract information was normal. The alliance with Soul Sect was only known by the Elders who participated in the sect¡¯s grand meeting; ordinary disciples only knew they were to battle the Righteous sects but didn¡¯t understand the details. The present Elders all felt regret. Although they weren¡¯t afraid of Ghost Ridge Palace, the deviousness of Demon Cultivators always unsettled them, especially knowing the enemy had plots in place. ¡°Master Si, Elder Zhuang, I actually have an interesting piece of news.¡± Just as everyone was at a loss, a voice came from outside the tent. The attendees all looked puzzled as they saw the tent flap being lifted and several young men and women entering. The newcomers were Wei Ji, Xiao Guanglian, Mo Shiyao, and Yu Wenjing, who had hurried back from their travels. ¡°Wei Ji!¡± Upon seeing Wei Ji, the Elders of Guan Chao Pavilion were shocked, not expecting to see their sect¡¯s Immortal Seed here. ¡°You lad, when did you return from the Capital? You didn¡¯t even visit the sect once, and we heard nothing from you.¡± Upon seeing Wei Ji¡¯s face, a smile immediately appeared on Zhuang Liangru¡¯s face. Just as teachers favor good students, Wei Ji, the Immortal Seed of Guan Chao Pavilion, was extremely adored and considered the future Sect Master who would bring glory to the sect. Not to mention Wei Ji¡¯s cultivation achievements; achieving Primordial Spirit in Yunling Realm at such a young age and advancing to Hidden Realm. ?¦Ï???.§ã? Such a prodigy, capable of sustaining the sect¡¯s glory for hundreds or even thousands of years, was treasured by all Elders of Guan Chao Pavilion. ¡°Having stayed in the Capital for long, I thought of visiting the sect, and besides, dealing with a Demon Sect like Ghost Ridge Palace is such an engaging matter a?€¡± how could I miss it?¡± Wei Ji stretched lazily, his face wearing a nonchalant smile. ¡°Wei Ji, what¡¯s this news you mentioned earlier about?¡± Si Xinying looked at Wei Ji with a hint of envy. If her own sect could produce an Immortal Seed, even if it cost her a hundred years of her lifespan, she would be willing. Unfortunately! Glancing at Mo Shiyao standing behind Wei Ji, her own Direct Disciple was still hovering in the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm, far from achieving the breakthrough to Hidden Realm, let alone becoming an Immortal Seed. Although outstanding compared to other disciples, she was nowhere near Wei Ji¡¯s level. Wei Ji chuckled and said, ¡°It was purely a coincidence. On my way back, I happened to encounter a group of uninvited guests in Nanyang City, a batch of Demon Cultivators from Heavenly Soul Sect, and just so, I killed one of their elders and uncovered a secret.¡± ¡°Heavenly Soul Sect!¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions changed slightly. Heavenly Soul Sect was a Demon Sect from Jingzhou, later forced to flee to Qingzhou with their sick and elderly after their mountain gate was destroyed. Many Righteous Sects were aware of Heavenly Soul Sect¡¯s existence, but during this time, Ghost Ridge Palace had been the focus, leaving no time to deal with Heavenly Soul Sect. ¡°Yes, Heavenly Soul Sect has reached an agreement with Ghost Ridge Palace to co-operatively sandwich and attack our Righteous Sects from the front and back.¡± Chapter 459 - 459 306 Capturing Su Jie_2 ?Chapter 459: Chapter 306: Capturing Su Jie_2 Chapter 459: Chapter 306: Capturing Su Jie_2 Wei Ji spoke in a calm tone, but his words struck like a thunderbolt in everyone¡¯s hearts, leaving them all with shocked expressions. ¡°What, Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect actually want to form an alliance? Good, good, good, I wondered why Ghost Ridge Palace would dare to take the initiative to strike, so they had found reinforcements.¡± ¡°These remnant soldiers and defeated generals of the Heavenly Soul Sect, instead of hiding well in the gutters, dare to come out and get involved in our Qingzhou affairsa?€¡±it¡¯s simply courting death.¡± Elder Zhuang¡¯s face darkened. If it hadn¡¯t been for the information provided by Wei Ji, their Righteous Sects might indeed have been caught off guard, attacked from both front and back, and perhaps would have been directly defeated. ¡°The alliance of the two Demon Sects means they are desperate. Luckily, we discovered their plan in advance.¡± Si Xinying took a sharp intake of breath, somewhat frightened. ¡°Wei Ji, you¡¯ve done very well this time. You will be credited with the leading merit, and you will be well rewarded when you return to the sect.¡± Elder Zhuang regained his composure, and now his gaze towards Wei Ji was filled with admiration. ¡°As expected of Qingzhou¡¯s top youth, this piece of intelligence is too important. Wei Ji, you can come to my sect to choose a Cultivation Technique later. And if you ever want to visit Miao Yin Temple for pleasure, you may come at any time without restrictions.¡± Si Xinying also made a promise, startling everyone present, especially the two young disciples, Xiao Guanglian and Yu Wenjing, whose gazes were now filled with envy and jealousy. Miao Yin Temple was a sect of female cultivators, with all its members being women, each one charming and beautiful. To outsiders, it was practically a paradise for men, a place many men longed for. Unfortunately, since the founding of Miao Yin Temple, they have been very resistant to men stepping foot inside the sect. In hundreds of years, the number of men who managed to visit Miao Yin Temple could be counted on one hand. ¡°That guy, always manages to come out on top,¡± grumbled Yu Wenjing through clenched teeth, not willing to accept it. Such important news would certainly have been kept extremely secret by the two sects, yet Wei Ji had managed to learn of it. For a moment, Yu Wenjing couldn¡¯t help but think of the rumors about Wei Ji¡¯s miraculous lucka?€¡±such good fortune seemed to follow him, as if the Goddess of Luck were spoon-feeding him. ¡°This luck is simply unmatched,¡± Xiao Guanglian said with undisguised envy, thinking the same as Yu Wenjinga?€¡±why couldn¡¯t such good things happen to him instead? Then he would be the one in the spotlight. ¡°If you really had come across it, you would have been buried in the ground by now. Didn¡¯t you hear what Wei Ji said? He obtained the news from the mouth of an Elder from the Heavenly Soul Sect! Could you have beaten an Elder from the Heavenly Soul Sect or what?¡± Mo Shiyao cast a sidelong glance at Xiao Guanglian, her words making him flush with embarrassment. ¡°Junior Sister Mo, why are you speaking up for him, Wei Ji? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re interested in him,¡± retorted Xiao Guanglian defensively, with a hint of irritation. Now it was Mo Shiyao¡¯s turn to blush deeply, biting her silver teeth as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! I...I certainly don¡¯t have that kind of thought.¡± As she spoke, she stole a glance toward Wei Ji, her bashful demeanor clearly indicating more than a little interest. Wei Ji seemed not to have heard the two¡¯s conversation, instead speaking leisurely towards the high seat of Elder Zhuang. ¡°Elder Zhuang, since these two Demon Sects want to join forces to ambush us, why don¡¯t we turn the tables on them? With a stratagem, we can kill two birds with one stone, and eradicate both of these scourges from Qingzhou at the same time.¡± Wei Ji proposed an exceptionally bold idea, contrary to his usual demeanor. Thinking it over, the people present realized it really made sense. In terms of sheer strength, the Righteous Sects were far stronger than the Demon Cultivators. Now that these Demon Cultivators had left their lairs, it was an opportune time to turn the tables and consume them, to prevent them from retreating back and leading to a protracted war that would waste resources unnecessarily. A few ideas ran through Elder Zhuang¡¯s mind, and a smile spread across his face: ¡°That¡¯s right, this truly is a golden opportunity. If we can eradicate both Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect, Qingzhou will be free from demonic troubles, and it will be peace on earth for humankind.¡± Si Xinying agreed, ¡°It should be so. This sect war has lasted far too long. With this chance, we can eliminate them in one fell swoop and avenge the many cultivators who have died.¡± While they were discussing excitedly, suddenly there was more commotion from outside the door. A disciple came running in, his voice low, ¡°Elder Zhuang, Elder Zhang Xin and Elder Bian Yannan have been sacrificed, fallen on the battlefield.¡± ¡°How could this be, I remember the two of them acting together, sacrificing at the same time, who was it that moved against them, has it been found out?¡± Zhuang Liangru took a deep breath, although the death of an Elder from the night before was not the first, hearing about the deaths of two Elders at the same time still brought a twinge of pain to his heart. ¡°The murderer is Su Jie.¡± This disciple said the name and presented his investigation results to Zhuang Liangru. Last night, Su Jie¡¯s actions had wiped out five campsites, killing many Righteous Disciples and two Secret Realm Elders. Even though Su Jie left no survivors and even went on to kill and set fires to destroy bodies and eliminate evidence. But so many actions were bound to leave some traces. And as for a notorious Demon Cultivator like Su Jie, his capabilities, methods, poisonous insects, and so on, were all recorded in files. n?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï Such as the damage caused by the Thousand-Handed Centipede, the death zones left by the Human-Faced Moth Cloud. The Righteous Sect was not ineffective either; by comparing the evidence at the destroyed campsites, they eventually ruled out the other murderers and locked onto Su Jie¡¯s identity. This was also because at that time Su Jie, in his rush to destroy five campsites in one night, had too little time to cover his tracks, inevitably leaving some unaddressed evidence behind. ¡°This scoundrel again, it¡¯s infuriating we didn¡¯t resolve him sooner. Now he has actually risen to the Secret Realm, causing such heavy losses to our Cultivators.¡± As Zhuang Liangru heard this name and saw the writing in the investigation report, which particularly mentioned how Su Jie had advanced to the Secret Realm, his face twitched with anger surging. His disciple Du Shaochang died at the hands of Su Jie, and he had specially offered a reward of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, wishing to kill this scourge. But instead of dying, the person was very much alive and his Cultivation was increasing steadily, now having broken through to the Secret Realm. Yu Wenjing, Mo Shiyao, and Xiao Guanglian all showed unusual expressions upon hearing the name Su Jie. Among them, Mo Shiyao¡¯s face was the most unsightly because her beloved had been killed in front of her, witnessed by her own eyes, at the hands of Su Jie. ¡°What¡¯s the background of this Su Jie, is he that strong?¡± Wei Ji was somewhat puzzled by everyone¡¯s reaction, carefully recalling that he had no impression of this Demon Cultivator. ¡°Wei Ji, you have been in the Capital for two years, it¡¯s normal not to know. This Su Jie has been the newly risen brutal devil of the Ghost Ridge Palace these last two years, once...¡± Si Xinying properly informed Wei Ji about Su Jie¡¯s fearsome record, arousing a frown from Wei Ji. ¡°Even Junior Brother Du died at his hands, sounds like he really is something special.¡± Wei Ji stepped forward, his face solemn and determined, his eyes filled with a murderous intent, ¡°Elder Zhuang, this devil named Su Jie has so cruelly slaughtered our Guan Chao Pavilion brothers. As the Guan Chao Pavilion¡¯s leading disciple, I will personally take him down, give Junior Brother Du an explanation, as well as those innocent souls who died at his hands, so that they may rest in peace in the netherworld.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him, Brother Wei, the opponent is not an ordinary Demon Cultivator, even before advancing to the Secret Realm, he was regarded as the number one person among the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples. Now that he has advanced to the Secret Realm, his strength is even more unfathomable.¡± Mo Shiyao reminded him from the side, although she wished she could tear Su Jie limb from limb, she was very aware of his terror. ¡°Such prey is more interesting, ordinary Demon Cultivators no longer pique my interest.¡± Wei Ji smiled nonchalantly, his confidence affecting everyone present. ¡°Good, Wei Ji, take him down for me, let the world see how the Immortal Seed of our Guan Chao Pavilion destroys the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s rising star, their highly anticipated super genius.¡± Zhuang Liangru stood up, with an Immortal Seed from his own Sect taking action, it would be an invincible match, Su Jie would be useless even if he had extraordinary ability. Wei Ji gave a fist salute, boldly and confidently saying, ¡°I must live up to this responsibility, Elder Zhuang, just watch my performance. I will definitely capture Su Jie alive and hand him over to the Sect for punishment.¡± Chapter 460 - 460 307 Volunteering for Duty ?Chapter 460: Chapter 307: Volunteering for Duty Chapter 460: Chapter 307: Volunteering for Duty Xigu Mountain. Upon arriving on the back of a thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie saw from a distance a group of people setting up camp. These were the troops led by Sect Master Zhang Junwei, which included three thousand disciples and ten Elders, among them was Su Jie¡¯s Master, Taoist Qiu. Thump! The thousand-hand centipede landed on the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. ¡°It¡¯s Elder Su.¡± The nearby Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples recognized the centipede and knew that Su Jie had returned. The disciples dismounted from the back of the centipede, each carrying bags big and small; without Storage Bags, they had to shoulder their booty back. When the stationed disciples of the Ghost Ridge Palace saw the spoils of war in the bags, bloodstained Magic Artifacts, talismans, and spiritual materials, their eyes turned green with envy. ¡°Hiss, so many spoils, they¡¯ve made a fortune.¡± ¡°Almost no one is missing, and the harvest is so huge, if only I had been chosen to join Elder Su¡¯s team.¡± ¡°Exactly! With Elder Su leading, safety is high, but alas, we weren¡¯t lucky enough to be picked.¡± Seeing the gains from the mission, each disciple thought they could also rise high with Elder Su leading them; the spoils seemed as easy as picking up for free. And those disciples who followed Su Jie were grinning from ear to ear, looking down at the others with an air of superiority, their expressions like that of victorious roosters. ¡°How did it go, Su Jie? You¡¯re the first to come back.¡± Hearing the commotion, Sect Master Zhang Junwei approached with a group of Elders. Taoist Qiu followed closely behind Zhang Junwei, surveying Su Jie for any injuries and letting out a slight sigh of relief upon not finding any. ¡°Reporting to the Sect Master, the surprise attack was successful. We eradicated five camps of the Righteous Sect, killed over eight hundred Righteous Disciples, including twelve inner disciples above the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm and two from the Secret Realm.¡± Standing before Zhang Junwei, Su Jie recounted the battle achievements clearly and precisely. After hearing this, all the Elders on the scene were momentarily stunned. ¡°You said you killed two from the Secret Realm?¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s voice carried a trace of surprise. He knew Su Jie was an Immortal Seed, but the fact that he could kill two Elders with Secret Realm cultivation level was somewhat beyond his expectations; defeating someone was easy, but killing was much harder. ¡°One from Guan Chao Pavilion, Bian Yannan, and another from Purple Mist Sect, Zhang Xin, though Bian Yannan¡¯s corpse was shattered by me.¡± Su Jie took out the body of Zhang Xin from his Storage Bag. The corpse was so aged it nearly looked mummified, but the countenance of Zhang Xin in life could still be faintly discerned. Seeing the corpse of Zhang Xin and hearing the names of Bian Yannan and Zhang Xin, Zhang Junwei and the Elders immediately recognized the truth of the battle achievements. The war between the two Sects had gone on for so long, they were quite familiar with the important figures in the Righteous sect from their many encounters. While Bian Yannan and Zhang Xin might not have been high-ranking within the Secret Realm, they were active participants, and Ghost Ridge Palace had intelligence records on both of them. ¡°Very good, very good! Su Jie, you truly did not disappoint everyone. This battle is proof enough that our Sect¡¯s Immortal Seeds have grown up.¡± Zhang Junwei had a pleased expression on his face and looked at Su Jie with clear admiration. Su Jie¡¯s battle achievements during his first engagement after advancing to the Secret Realm did not let down Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s cultivation, showcasing the near invincibility that Immortal Seeds possess within their realm. ¡°Remember not to become arrogant and complacent; those were just two from the First and Second Levels of the Secret Realm, and at this level, they are far from masters. Don¡¯t slack in your cultivation because you killed two from the Secret Realm; always remember there are people beyond you and heavens above the heavens.¡± Taoist Qiu coughed twice, admonishing Su Jie with a serious tone. The nearby Ghost Ridge Palace Elders rolled their eyes and looked at Taoist Qiu speechlessly. They knew that some among them were merely at the First or Second Level of the Secret Realm; Taoist Qiu¡¯s words inadvertently insulted them. Such a statement made it seem as if the First and Second Levels of the Secret Realm were worthless. No matter the level, to be promoted to the Secret Realm from being a disciple is a selection of one in a thousand, or even one in ten thousand. For example, a Sect like Ghost Ridge Palace typically only has a few dozen in the Secret Realm. Su Jie¡¯s achievement of killing two Righteous Sect Elders within the Secret Realm less than half a year after advancing was extraordinarily impressive. If even this doesn¡¯t warrant pride, then the ordinary Elders of the Secret Realm would seem particularly useless. ¡°I understand, Master. Those were just two Elders from the First and Second Levels of the Secret Realm; I will not be careless or underestimate my opponents. Fortunately, I did not encounter an enemy with a Primordial Spirit at the Fourth or Fifth Level of the Secret Realm, otherwise, I would have had a tough fight.¡± Su Jie spoke humbly, but to other Elders, it sounded incredibly arrogant. Having only recently advanced to the Secret Realm, he was already eyeing opponents among the powerful wielders of a Primordial Spirit at the Fourth and Fifth Levels of the Secret Realm. This was anything but humble, it was outright arrogance. ?¦Ï???.§ã¦Ï What these Elders didn¡¯t know was that in killing Zhang Xin and Bian Yannan, Su Jie didn¡¯t even suffer a scratch, effortlessly subduing and killing them, and he hadn¡¯t even used many of his trump cards yet. ¡°Sect Master, there¡¯s something else I need to report. When attacking Ding Shier Camp, I discovered...¡± Su Jie shared the details about discovering the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array at Ding Shier Camp. ¡°A Great Taoist Formation, huh? Guan Chao Pavilion sure is lavish; no wonder they¡¯re the foremost Sect in Qingzhou.¡± After hearing this, Zhang Junwei¡¯s expression turned grave. A Great Taoist Formation, fundamentally, uses the Great Tao to attack enemies. Chapter 461 - 461 307 Volunteering for Duty_2 ?Chapter 461: Chapter 307: Volunteering for Duty_2 Chapter 461: Chapter 307: Volunteering for Duty_2 It was as if Su Jie had activated his Primordial Spirit Heavenly Eye, creating a few centimeters wide crack between the Tao River and the present world, allowing the aura of the Tao to flow into the world, taking control of the spiritual energy of a region. But a Great Taoist Formation was even more exaggerated. They were not just creating a crack but were digging a breach in the Tao River to let the Tao crash into the present world. Once successfully cast, its power could rival that of a major natural disaster. ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï The Mountain Protection Array of Ghost Ridge Palace would definitely not hold, and who knew how many disciples within Ghost Ridge Palace would die or be injured a?€¡° it would be normal if only one in ten survived. ¡°These Righteous sect scum, always spouting benevolence and righteousness, preaching about exorcising demons and defending the Tao, but in the end, they still rely on capturing human slaves as sacrifices for their arrays,¡± Taoist Qiu sneered twice. He never hid his malevolence, unlike those Righteous Sects who behaved one way on the surface and another behind closed doors, which he disdained. ¡°Sect Master, we must guard against the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. We cannot allow Guan Chao Pavilion to succeed in its deployment.¡± An Elder voiced his concern. Even if they repelled the siege, if the Taoist Formation destroyed the mountain gates of Ghost Ridge Palace, ruining centuries of foundation in an instant, it would be a loss Ghost Ridge Palace could not afford. ¡°A Taoist Formation of this level requires extremely high demands to deploy. They are unlikely to manage it in a short time, but to be on the safe side, we still cannot let them succeed,¡± Zhang Junwei nodded slightly. The Great Taoist Formation was definitely bad news for Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°Indeed, we cannot leave such a hidden danger as the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, a Taoist Formation of this caliber.¡± Su Jie spoke up in agreement, fearing that if Guan Chao Pavilion really succeeded, he would be left homeless. ¡°Who is willing to deal with the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array? There¡¯s no need to completely destroy it, just delay its completion until after our decisive battle with the Righteous Sect, when all is settled down.¡± Zhang Junwei looked towards the Elders present, and the atmosphere became slightly tense. A Taoist Formation like the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array was surely a heavily guarded vital point for Guan Chao Pavilion, and undertaking this mission was extremely risky, likely to result in no return. ¡°Su Jie, since you were the one who discovered the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, are you willing to undertake this mission?¡± Su Jie wasn¡¯t keen on standing out, but now his name was directly called by Zhang Junwei. ¡°Sect Master, Su Jie has just been through a tough battle; his physical and spiritual power haven¡¯t yet recovered. It¡¯s too dangerous for him to take on this mission,¡± Taoist Qiu hurriedly interjected, not wanting his prized disciple to come to harm. ¡°Taoist Qiu, I¡¯m not sending your disciple to his death. Su Jie is Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s Immortal Seed, and I¡¯m not so unkind.¡± Zhang Junwei shook his head and explained, ¡°Now, you are the only one in our Sect who has come into contact with the aura of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. You also possess a Primordial Spirit, enabling you to quickly locate the precise position of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. Furthermore, you don¡¯t need to destroy the Array. The Righteous Sects have captured many commonfolk to act as sacrifices, right? You just need to kill all of their sacrifices, then they¡¯ll naturally have difficulty in successfully deploying the Great Taoist Formation. That alone will be sufficient. Killing a bunch of commoners shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you.¡± Zhang Junwei laid out his thoughts. A Tao Level Array is not something that can be constructed using just spiritual materials and spirit stones. Since it touches upon the Tao Domain, it is inseparably linked to time-space, causality, life and death, and reincarnation. To successfully deploy such an Array is like solving a world-class mathematical problem, requiring the calculations of hundreds of Array Masters, and ultimately, at the right moment, successfully deploying the Taoist Formation. Even so, such Taoist Formations are very dangerous because the Tao is not something you can utilize whenever you want. An ordinary Primordial Spirit can barely look directly at the Tao River for a few seconds, as insignificant as a microbe within it, let alone use the Tao as a weapon to destroy enemies. It¡¯s like a three-year-old child trying to lift a rock heavier than they can bear, easily inviting backlash from the Heavenly Dao, assuming causality, and causing their own downfall. Guan Chao Pavilion captured the commonfolk to bear the causality, hoping to lessen their own backlash. If those acting as sacrifices were slain, unless Guan Chao Pavilion was willing to fill the gap with the lives of their tens of thousands of disciples, they would not be able to initiate the Great Taoist Formation. ¡°I am honored that the Sect Master has such high regard for me; I accept this mission.¡± With everything said, Su Jie bowed, signifying his willingness to take on the task. However, in Su Jie¡¯s view, this mission wasn¡¯t about how many civilians he could kill. He had some tricks up his sleeve, which might allow him to destroy the Great Taoist Formation more conveniently. Seeing Su Jie accept the task, Taoist Qiu¡¯s eyes twitched slightly, realizing that there was no longer any possibility of backing out. ¡°Choose a few Elders to coordinate with you; it will be safer that way.¡± Zhang Junwei pointed to the several Elders beside him. The designated Elders mostly had difficulty written on their faces, clearly not willing to get involved in this exceedingly dangerous mission. ¡°Sect Master, I¡¯ll go.¡± Taoist Qiu volunteered. Su Jie was his disciple; he couldn¡¯t just watch Su Jie jump into the fire pit. ¡°Sect Master, I don¡¯t need these people. The more we are, the easier our actions will be exposed. Instead of them, how about giving me a thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones, I¡¯ll use them to enhance myself, making me more confident in completing the task.¡± Su Jie didn¡¯t choose anyone but instead asked for Spirit Stones. A Top Grade Spirit Stone was worth a thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones, so a thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones meant a wealth of a million Spirit Stones. Hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, Zhang Junwei was slightly taken aback. Even at this juncture, Su Jie was still preoccupied with Spirit Stones. However, compared to the expected gains from destroying the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, these thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones really weren¡¯t much at all. Therefore, after seconds of contemplation, Zhang Junwei decided to motivate Su Jie and promptly took out more than a thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones, handing them to Su Jie himself. ¡°Here are a thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones. Do a good job, and when you come back, I will reward you accordingly.¡± Zhang Junwei patted Su Jie on the shoulder; those above had their ways of incentivizing. ¡°Sabotage is my forte. With me around, their Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array will definitely not succeed.¡± Su Jie was brimming with confidence, assuring Zhang Junwei. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave everything in your hands. I¡¯ll be waiting for the good news.¡± Zhang Junwei, being in the Taoist Platform Realm, still believed in Su Jie¡¯s strength. Having killed two from the Secret Realm, Su Jie was strong enough. He thought that even if Su Jie couldn¡¯t manage it, with the mobility of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, unless pursued by five or six from the Secret Realm, Su Jie could escape even if he couldn¡¯t win. After giving a few more instructions to Su Jie, Zhang Junwei left with the group of Elders. ¡°You, you, you could have clearly refused just now. Why did you agree so quickly?¡± Taoist Qiu hadn¡¯t left; instead, he glared at Su Jie with a look of disappointment and frustration. Being very protective, he naturally did not want Su Jie to go on an adventure. ¡°Teacher, what the Sect Master said makes sense. I am the most suitable for this task,¡± Su Jie delightedly counted the thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones, his face unable to suppress a smile. It was rare to extort such a large sum from Ghost Ridge Palace. If not for the importance of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, Su Jie couldn¡¯t possibly have obtained such immense wealth from a single request. In Su Jie¡¯s sleeve, the Thousand-Handed Centipede also quietly crawled out. Seeing those Spirit Energy-rich Top Grade Spirit Stones, its eyes lit up, eagerly wanting to devour them. ¡°Still coveting money now, if you die young because of these thousand stones, what use will all your wealth be?¡± Seeing both man and creature so greedy, Taoist Qiu¡¯s mouth twitcheda?€¡±Su Jie clearly hadn¡¯t taken any of his words to heart! ¡°Money is absolutely necessary, of course, but life is also very important. I definitely can¡¯t bear to die before spending all the money I earn.¡± Su Jie chuckled, caressing the cold Insect Shell of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, considering which parts of the centipede to enhance with these hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones. As for how to destroy the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, Su Jie already had some ideas, but he would still need to assess the situation on-site. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯ve been learning from. Everyone seems to value money over their lives.¡± Taoist Qiu sighed helplessly, hoping that nothing untoward would happen on this journey. He had only this one Immortal Seed disciple in his lifetime. If he were to experience the grief of the elder burying the younger, he didn¡¯t know if he could bear it. Chapter 462 - 462 308 Tracking ?Chapter 462: Chapter 308: Tracking Chapter 462: Chapter 308: Tracking After bidding farewell to Taoist Qiu, Su Jie did not delay any further and once again prepared to set off on his journey. ¡°Junior Brother Su, please wait.¡± However, a voice suddenly called out to Su Jie, its crisp tone laced with a hint of seductiveness. Su Jie turned his head to see a charming woman approaching with graceful, lotus-like steps. She was dressed in a bright red silk gown, the neckline plunging low to reveal her full, snowy-white breasts, her face as delicate as a lotus, eyebrows like willows, and peach blossom-like eyes that were particularly captivating. Her black hair was piled into a tall, elegant bun. ¡°Senior Yu, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Su Jie narrowed his eyes; the person approaching was Yu Wenxian. Observing her aura, she had reached the pinnacle of the Yunling Realm, just one step away from breaking through to the Secret Realm. However, cultivators halted by this step were as common as carps crossing a river throughout history. ¡°Can¡¯t I find Junior Brother Su for a chat if there¡¯s nothing important? Now that Junior Brother has become an Elder, I just wanted to ask for some guidance on cultivation!¡± Her tone was half-teasing. If it had been any clueless junior disciple, they might have been beguiled by the beauty that was Yu Wenxian. ¡°Senior Yu, if you wish to ask for guidance, let¡¯s wait until we return to the Mountain Gate. I have a mission at hand and can¡¯t stay to chat for long.¡± Su Jie showed no hint of being moved and calmly declined Yu Wenxian¡¯s approach. ¡°Junior Brother Su, are you looking down on your sister?¡± Yu Wenxian clutched Su Jie¡¯s arm with a teary expression that would evoke pity in anyone. ¡°I truly have urgent matters to attend to, Senior Yu. If you¡¯re really in a hurry, you might consider asking the Master instead.¡± With a flick of his arm, Su Jie shook her off and said, ¡°Time is short, I need to be on my way.¡± After leaving these words behind, Su Jie turned and rose into the sky on the back of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Watching Su Jie¡¯s figure disappear into the horizon, Yu Wenxian¡¯s lips curled into a captivating smile. ¡°Ha! His location is confirmed, now it¡¯s up to the Elders.¡± In the palm of Yu Wenxian¡¯s hand, a faint fluorescence flashed for a moment. The instant her palm touched Su Jie¡¯s body, she had applied a special Tracking Powder from the Desire Sect, which even the Secret Realm Elders would find difficult to detect. Yu Wenxian had waited a long time for this opportunity. She didn¡¯t have the chance to take action within Ghost Ridge Palace unless she wanted to be caught and subject to extreme punishment. But this outing was Yu Wenxian¡¯s only chance. Once the sect war ended and Su Jie returned to Ghost Ridge Palace, she would no longer have an opportunity. ¡°An Immortal Seed is enough to satisfy the sect. The Sect Master will also let me return to the Desire Sect.¡± Murmuring to herself, Yu Wenxian¡¯s emotions surged as she envisioned a beautiful future, her smile growing hotter. ........ On the horizon! Su Jie sat cross-legged on the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, his left hand clutching his right shoulder. With a ripping sound, he tore off his entire right arm, blood gushing from the break in a spray. But within three seconds the bleeding stopped, followed by rapid growth of flesh, and in less than half a minute, a new arm had regrown. The arm that Su Jie had torn off struggled as if alive, with green veins throbbing under the skin, appearing incredibly eerie. ¡°Tsk, interesting. Is this some kind of pheromone, attempting to track my location? Senior Yu, what exactly are you plotting?¡± Su Jie cradled his chin with his remaining hand, examining the severed arm. On the arm, there were undetectable traces of a certain pheromone, something neither the common folk nor those in the Secret Realm could easily notice. But Su Jie was not among those who could be easily fooled. His Divine Soul was much stronger than that of the typical Secret Realm Elder, having undergone several enhancements, his Divine Sense was astonishing. Furthermore, of all places, Yu Wenxian chose to leave her trace on Su Jie¡¯s arm, unaware that his Lifebound Poisonous Insect was the Thousand-Handed Centipede, and Su Jie was particularly sensitive to changes in his arms. The trace Yu Wenxian left on his hand, which she thought could deceive anyone, was in reality unable to escape Su Jie¡¯s keen sight. ¡°Do you need me to handle it? ?¦Ï???.§ã? It¡¯s a matter of minutes,¡± Han Ruyan appeared beside Su Jie, her face void of emotion as she spoke of the murderous option. For now, there¡¯s no rush. Whoever dares target an Elder from the Secret Realm, the enemy that this Tracking Powder lures must also be from the Secret Realm. It¡¯s perfect for using them to my advantage.¡± Su Jie shook his head. Yu Wenxian was only at the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm in terms of cultivation. Now that he knew she harboured ill intentions towards him, she no longer posed a threat. As he spoke, the flesh on Su Jie¡¯s forehead split open to unveil the Heavenly Eye, connecting with the Tao River. Having once sensed the aura of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, Su Jie now intended to use the Heavenly Eye to lock onto similar auras. This was not difficult since the Tao Formation needed to constantly connect with the Heavenly Dao, like digging a small channel next to a large river, a Tao aura constantly flowing out into reality. Transformed by the Array, this Tao aura had a unique signature that spread far and wide, allowing Su Jie to easily pinpoint its approximate direction. ¡°Southwest.¡± Su Jie narrowed his eyes, tucked the severed arm into his chest, and then rode the Thousand-Handed Centipede off at breakneck speed. This time he didn¡¯t need to bring anyone, and the Thousand-Handed Centipede shrank to just a few meters in size. It slowed down and weaved through the clouds. Su Jie also used his Primordial Spirit to shield against detection Arrays, making it very difficult for Righteous Sects to spot him. Unless someone was specifically monitoring a wide area of the sky, it was almost impossible for them to intercept Su Jie without knowing his intended path. During his flight, Su Jie saw countless patrol teams from the Righteous Sects, and occasionally sensed auras bearing the pressure of Secret Realm cultivation. Clearly, the attack by Ghost Ridge Palace the previous day had thoroughly enraged these Righteous Sects a?€¡° they were now actively hunting and on high alert. Chapter 463 - 463 308 Tracking_2 ?Chapter 463: Chapter 308: Tracking_2 Chapter 463: Chapter 308: Tracking_2 If Su Jie were exposed, Secret Realm Elders would come in droves to gang up on him within minutes. Su Jie further slowed his pace. Originally, the Thousand-Handed Centipede could fly faster than the speed of sound, but that would create too much noise. In the end, he only flew slowly, almost gliding. This also caused Su Jie to spend more time. Throughout the night, after passing through layers of Righteous Sect¡¯s defense zones, Su Jie finally saw the Array Eye of the Hundred Rivers Covering Array. It was a gigantic lake that covered thousands of square kilometers, stretching over a hundred kilometers from north to south and averaging a dozen kilometers from east to west, with the widest point reaching more than fifty kilometers. From above, the lake shimmered like a flawless emerald. With a gentle breeze, the surface sparkled with silver light, fish leaped out, and the reflection of a star-filled sky in the water made it seem like a dreamlike illusion. In the middle of this lake stood a towering spire over five hundred meters tall, like a stabilizer standing on the lake surface. The tower was constructed from countless precious spiritual materials; its value was astronomical. Above the tower were hundreds of levels, each occupied by an Array Master. These Array Masters were key to the success of the Great Taoist Formation, precisely the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array that Su Jie had been seeking. ¡°Rao Yang Lake! So the great array is placed here.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes gleamed. Rao Yang Lake was the largest lake in Qingzhou. Su Jie was well-versed in geography and couldn¡¯t possibly fail to recognize this massive lake, which was actually over a thousand kilometers beyond Ghost Ridge Palace. But for a Taoist Level Array, distance was no obstacle at all. Su Jie squinted his eyes. Around this Great Taoist Formation, there were no disciples, but Su Jie¡¯s intuition told him there was a formidable defensive force beneath the water surface. ¡°I hope the tracking powder is really effective.¡± Su Jie did not act rashly; instead, he hoped even more that the tracking powder would work to bring assistance. ...... An Yue City. An Yue City was a large city located at the junction of Qing Province, Jingzhou, and Qingzhou, with canals passing through it and at a strategic traffic route, making it extremely commercial. However, the most famous aspect of An Yue City was not its trade, but its flower boats. As the lights just came on and night had just fallen, on the canals, one flower boat after another lit red candles, raised their curtains, played enticing music, and attracted wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials, not only from An Yue City but many who came for its reputation. On these flower boats, numerous young women dressed to attract entertained the guests, their moans occasionally heard throughout the boat. Among these many flower boats, the most famous was one named Purple Garden. The women here were exquisite in music, chess, literature, painting, and dancing, surpassingly beautiful, and utterly different from the coarse and vulgar women on other boats. They were more reserved and elegant, not displaying such indecent acts openly. Because of this unique approach, Purple Garden¡¯s flower boat attracted officials and nobility from various regions. Even members of the imperial family visited, with some spending a fortune just for a smile from these beauties. Especially within the Purple Garden, there were the Four Great Courtesans, each a paragon of both beauty and talent, famous across the Three Continents, with even the Capital buzzing with their renown. At that moment, three courtesans were performing inside the brothel. A woman in green held a guzheng, her delicate and slender figure as fair as goosebumps, her hands moving over the strings, showing her pale, jade-like skin against the green tides, playing enchanting melodies. A woman in purple stood gracefully on the stage, lips red as cherry, eyebrows painted like ink, her soft pink lips slightly parted as she sang a lilting tune that was incredibly sweet and clear, leaving listeners indescribably comforted. Another woman, slender with long hair draped over her shoulders, secured by a pink ribbon, wearing white, danced and leaped with a misty grace, truly appearing not of this world. Beneath her veil was a face not older than seventeen or eighteen, her skin whiter than snow, incomparably beautiful. Beneath these courtesans, the observing dignitaries were flushed with excited, abnormal fanaticism in their eyes, continuously tossing silver notes, jade pendants, and gold ornaments onto the stage, all for a returning smile from the beauties. Amidst the bustle, several men brandishing long swords and clad in green robes with cap crowns stormed in, their eyebrows sharp as blades. ¡°Bold enchantress, daring to deceive with your bewitching technique, today we of the Thousand Sword Sect have come to eradicate this evil. ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï All unrelated, leave quickly.¡± With a resounding shout from the men, the entire place was shaken. The Thousand Sword Sect is a righteous sect from Qing Province, known for its disciples¡¯ proficiency in wielding Flying Swords. The officials and nobles who were enjoying the performances were initially startled, their eyes clearing momentarily. But in the next instant, pink petals drifted in from nowhere, and the faces of these officials and nobles twisted manically as they charged at the disciples who clearly belonged to the righteous sect. ¡°Who are these fellows? Do you know who I am, daring to disturb my pleasure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a chief of a thousand households from An Yue City, are you blind? Guards, seize them and throw them into the dungeon!¡± ¡°Just now, Miss Mudan smiled at me, and you dare to come here and spoil my fun; I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t stay in An Yue City.¡± Blinded by anger, the group of officials and nobles hurled shoes, fruits, and wine bottles. The disciples from the Thousand Sword Sect were skilled enough to avoid being hit, but such behavior infuriated them. Their Flying Swords spun up smoothly, whirling and swooping around the room, their breaking the air with a whoosh as the heads of the most foul-mouthed officials soared into the air, severed by the Flying Swords. Sprays of fresh blood splattered around, and the officials and wealthy young masters, drenched in blood, woke up as if from a dream, their faces pale, emitting terrified shrieks. They staggered back chaotically and swarmed to flee outside the brothel. Meanwhile, on stage, the Three Great Courtesans seemed completely unaware, continuously playing music and dancing, disregarding the disciples of the Thousand Sword Sect. ¡°Enchantress, meet your death.¡± The Flying Swords turned sharply, shooting through the air toward the stage in an attempt to decapitate the three women. ¡°Young master, don¡¯t be so vicious; I¡¯m scared.¡± The courtesan playing the guzheng smiled radiantly, strumming the strings, sending out vibrating sound waves. The Flying Swords were knocked back, and the men spat fresh blood, their faces in disbelief. ¡°Just you few junior disciples, didn¡¯t your master teach you? When walking in the Jianghu, mind your own business and don¡¯t meddle unnecessarily.¡± The courtesan who was singing also stopped, looking at the disciples from the Thousand Sword Sect with a dangerous smile. Her clove-small tongue flicked out like a snake¡¯s, stretching several meters long, wrapping around and dragging a disciple from the Thousand Sword Sect toward her. This disciple struggled futilely, only able to watch helplessly as he was pulled closer and closer. Eventually, the disciple was brought before the singing courtesan, who looked at him tenderly with peach blossom eyes, then pressed her red lips to his, her tongue invading his mouth. What seemed like a sultry scene was actually brutal, as her tongue not only entered his mouth but also went down his throat, stirring his internal organs. Visibly, the disciple¡¯s skin shriveled, turning into dry husks as if all moisture was being sucked out, his bodily essence rapidly absorbed, ending up as a desiccated corpse not weighing more than ten pounds. Until death, the disciple¡¯s eyes bulged out, still filled with extreme terror. The remaining disciples of the Thousand Sword Sect, upon witnessing this, turned pale; their prior righteousness consumed by shock and hysteria. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble; these enchantresses are too powerful. There¡¯s been a mistake; we must retreat and alert the elders.¡± Even the fools among the disciples knew they were facing a power far beyond their own, turning to flee, but by then, it was already too late. ¡°Really, Sister Ye, you¡¯ve scared them. We should¡¯ve teased these young heroes more gently; it¡¯s not nice to play so rough and kill them outright!¡± The dancing courtesan giggled coyly, moving her body and appearing instantly in front of the fleeing disciples, blocking their way. Chapter 464 - 464 309 Squeeze Dry ?Chapter 464: Chapter 309: Squeeze Dry Chapter 464: Chapter 309: Squeeze Dry Seeing the white-clothed courtesan standing before them, several disciples from the Thousand Sword Sect had a look of despair in their eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s fight her, everyone, let¡¯s break out together.¡± The disciples formed seals with each other and created an array. Around the flying swords, rings of flying sword phantoms appeared, showcasing the ultimate skill of Thousand Sword Sect, Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Root. Due to their insufficient strength, they could only resort to forming arrays to perform the skill, assembling thousands of flying sword phantoms that streaked through the air densely and rapidly shot towards the white-clothed courtesan. ¡°Giggle, now this is getting interesting, entertain me more.¡± The corners of the white-clothed courtesan¡¯s mouth curved into a playful smile, and the skin on her tailbone split open, releasing nine furry, crimson tails. As the flying sword phantoms pierced toward her, these nine crimson tails flicked and snapped, causing sonic booms. The air compressed severely and created air-slicing effects, dispersing hundreds of flying sword phantoms with a single whip. In less than three seconds, all the flying swords turned into nothingness, and the disciples from the Thousand Sword Sect had eyes filled with deep despair and fear. ¡°Secret Realm, are you from the Secret Realm?¡± Trembling, a disciple from the Thousand Sword Sect continuously stepped back, recognizing the gap in their strengths, which were completely on different levels. ¡°You guessed right, and as a reward, come, embrace me.¡± The white-clothed courtesan laughed so hard her branches quivered. Her expression grew more enchanting and affectionate, her eyes luring souls like a fox, as she gestured to the opposite side and began to enact her Bewitching Technique. Behind her, the thick fox tails swayed slightly, emitting invisible, ambiguous pheromones. The faces of the disciples from the Thousand Sword Sect turned foolish, their eyes staring straight at the white-clothed courtesan as they walked over with stiff steps. The nine fluffy fox tails swayed gently, and the delirious disciples embraced them as if they were holding unparalleled beauties, uttering vulgar words continuously. ¡°Beauty, beautiful girl, your brother is coming to pamper you well.¡± ¡°Ladies, a moment in spring is worth a thousand gold, let¡¯s not waste any time here.¡± ¡°So refreshing, so amazing! I am ascending to heaven.¡± The disciples¡¯ eyes were maddened with lust, as though they had fallen into an illusion crafted by the white-clothed courtesan and could not extricate themselves, performing various indecent actions. During this process, the hairs of the fox tails penetrated the skin pores of these disciples, absorbing the essence around their bodies, while they showed no sign of struggling or resistance, visibly growing more haggard. ¡°Stop playing, there¡¯s work to do.¡± Just then, a soft voice came from the second floor. At the railing on the second floor, a stunningly beautiful woman in a red palace dress walked out. She appeared to be in her early thirties, voluptuous and willowy, dignified yet exuding an indescribable charm. Her black hair cascaded down, tied only with a pink ribbon, her skin exuding a faint rosy hue. Her tall and curvaceous figure, highlighted by a tight palace dress, displayed her exquisite and delicate body to its fullest, swaying slightly from side to side with her steps, incredibly beautiful and sparking endless fantasies. ¡°Sister Mu, is it urgent?¡± The white-clothed courtesan still seemed reluctant, having captured these tasty prey she wanted to torment them for a few more days. ¡°What do you think?¡± Mu Yue stared back with her phoenix eyes, sending a chill through the white-clothed courtesan¡¯s heart, who decisively twirled her tails and sucked the disciples from the Thousand Sword Sect dry, cutting off their lifelines. ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã0 Suddenly, a dozen enchantingly charming young women appeared on the boat and adeptly cleaned up the battlefield, erasing all traces. The three courtesans walked up to the beautifully dressed Mu Yue, sitting at a table. They were all Elders from the Desire Sect; the green-dressed courtesan was Shao Mengzhu from Secret Realm Second Level, the purple-dressed courtesan was Liang Jianlan from Secret Realm Third Level, and the white-dressed courtesan was also Ye Xueyuan from Secret Realm Third Level. The glamorous woman in the red palace dress was Mu Yue from Secret Realm Fifth Level, a senior Elder of the Desire Sect, vastly more powerful than the other three. The Desire Sect is a Demon Sect whose members are all female cultivators who primarily focus on Bewitching Techniques, engaging in Yang Absorption and Yin Supplementation and drawing essence as a method of cultivation. Unlike typical Demon Sects, their disciples and elders, due to practicing Yang Absorption and Yin Supplementation cultivation techniques, have to frequently engage in indecent acts. Ordinary disciples may enter the secular world to absorb wealth and gather resources, like inner disciples and elders, who have their special cauldrons. They would disguise themselves as wandering heroines, female cultivators cultivating in the world or destitute young ladies to hook up with talented male cultivators from great sects. After nurturing relationships by various means and using physical union, they would stealthily plant slave seeds on the males at an appropriate time and place, thoroughly deceiving and subduing them. Due to slave seeds from body integrations, they could not exert their true power and would be kidnapped by the female cultivators of the Desire Sect, brought back to their sect to become cauldrons for extracting essence. The more talented and higher the cultivation of the cauldron, the greater the benefits it provides to the cultivators of the Desire Sect. They were like parasites living on other animals, absorbing the host¡¯s nutrients to strengthen themselves. These cauldrons typically only had a few years of life left, becoming playthings of the Desire Sect. After being exhausted of all essence, they usually died in a very tragic manner. ¡°Phoenix Soul Powder has taken effect; I¡¯ve received the qi signal. Yu Wenxian did the job well.¡± Mu Yue took out a small incense bag, and a fragrant scent wafted out. ¡°Yay, so she finally did it after so long! It¡¯s been months. If such a disciple were under me, she would definitely be unqualified.¡± Ye Xueyuan stretched in a lazy manner, revealing half of her snowy-white waist. Chapter 465 - 465 309 Drain_2 ?Chapter 465: Chapter 309: Drain_2 Chapter 465: Chapter 309: Drain_2 ¡°` ¡°After all, the opponent was an Elder, and her success is already commendable.¡± Liang Jianlan kept a cold face, her tongue flicking out like a snake¡¯s. ¡°Don¡¯t be careless, this time we are up against an Immortal Seed, and one careless move could mean death by his hand.¡± Shao Mengzhu tapped the strings of her instrument, her cultivation being the lowest made her even more cautious. ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Even if he is an Immortal Seed, how long has he been in the Secret Realm? With Sister Mu making a move, we¡¯re sure to catch him easily.¡± Ye Xueyuan¡¯s laughter was pleasant, as she flattered Mu Yue. ¡°Su Jie himself is not a concern, but we must proceed with caution and strike swiftly. The sect wars that recently erupted in Qingzhou are troublesome, and if we make too much noise, those Righteous Sects won¡¯t hesitate to strike us down along with the rest.¡± Mu Yue¡¯s face remained calm as she outlined the difficulties of the operation. As she spoke, she glanced at the three of them, licked her flaming red lips, and said, ¡°But it¡¯s all worth it. As long as we capture one Immortal Seed and he becomes the common cauldron of our Desire Sect, the entire sect will benefit from it.¡± Shao Mengzhu, Liang Jianlan, and Ye Xueyuan all showed greedy expressions, their eyes filled with a voracious hunger. ¡°When the time comes, can I have the first taste? I¡¯ve heard that Su Jie is only in his twenties; I love such tender young flesh the most.¡± Ye Xueyuan¡¯s eyes shone, her fox tail excitedly knotting behind her. ¡°What dreams are you having? The Sect Master will be first, and only after she¡¯s had enough will it be our turn.¡± Liang Jianlan rolled her eyes, knowing well that disobedient disciples could be crippled by the Sect Master. ¡°An Immortal Seed, I have never tasted what an Immortal Seed is like. I wouldn¡¯t mind waiting, even if it were the hundredth round. When the time comes, I must thoroughly extract his essence.¡± Shao Mengzhu blushed, covering her heated cheeks, looking like a shy girl on the outside, but her words were explosively sensational. ¡°Let¡¯s set out now.¡± Seeing the high morale of the group, Mu Yue nodded in satisfaction, stood up, and stepped onto the deck of the flower boat. ¡°Elder Mu.¡± The female disciples of the Desire Sect present bowed in salutation upon seeing her. ¡°I¡¯ll be away for some time, you continue to solicit business and don¡¯t neglect it.¡± ¡°Yes, Elder Mu, we understand.¡± Mu Yue looked up at the night sky dotted with stars and rose into the air with a light step. Behind her, the three Shao Mengzhu, Ye Xueyuan, and Liang Jianlan followed suit, transforming into lights that crossed the night sky, flying towards a certain direction. ...... Rao Yang Lake. Fifty li away, a bonfire rose. Su Jie rotated the spit, strung with a rabbit, wild chicken, and plump fish. The drippings of fat, once seasoned, released a delectable aroma that made mouths water. ¡°Hmm, delicious. Wife, would you care for a piece?¡± With his left hand operating the spit, Su Jie tore off a chicken leg with his right and enjoyed the savory bite. Across from him, Han Ruyan¡¯s eyes, cold and silent as death, watched Su Jie indulge, not saying a word, just staring at him icily. ¡°Uh, I forgot you can¡¯t taste food. What a pity. Hopefully, once you advance to a Ninth Grade Fierce Ghost, you¡¯ll be able to recover all human senses and emotions.¡± Su Jie chuckled awkwardly under Han Ruyan¡¯s intense gaze, as her idea of a feast was fear, not this worldly cuisine. n?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï ¡°How long will we stay here?¡± Han Ruyan spoke slowly, having already spent three idle days with Su Jie here. ¡°Wait another two days. If help doesn¡¯t arrive, we¡¯ll have to try to destroy the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array ourselves.¡± Su Jie shook his head. Over these three days, he wasn¡¯t idle. First, Su Jie confirmed that besides the Array Masters, there were five Hidden Realm Elders guarding the middle of Rao Yang Lake. All these Hidden Realm Elders were from the Guan Chao Pavilion. Due to their cultivation techniques, they stayed underwater all day, their bodily aura subdued and undetectable. Su Jie was able to discover these Guan Chao Pavilion Hidden Realm Elders thanks to multiple careful reconnaissances, using his Insect Control Technique and Han Ruyan¡¯s help to uncover these individuals. ¡°` And within these five Secret Realm Elders of Guan Chao Pavilion, Su Jie felt an immense threat. The aura of one of them was on par with that of Taoist Qiu, so he did not act rashly. Furthermore, Su Jie had also returned to Blue Star for a trip and brought back a batch of special munitions, all of which were bombs with a very large yield, war trophies seized during the civil strife in Chan Country. If he really couldn¡¯t wait any longer, Su Jie would use these bombs, relying on the thousand-hand centipede to forcibly break through a gap and drop the bombs to detonate them directly. Whether he could succeed or not, Su Jie would immediately burrow underground and then return to Blue Star through the Ancient Mirror to avoid pursuit, and sneak back after the situation had settled down. To ensure that things went more smoothly, Su Jie had also taken advantage of the opportunity from last time to use the over a thousand top-grade Spirit Stones he had got from Sect Master Zhang Junwei to specifically strengthen the thousand-hand centipede again. This round of strengthening focused on the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s flesh and bones. At this time, the thousand-hand centipede, except for its internal organs and eyes, had practically been strengthened by Su Jie all over its bodya?€¡±mouth, scales, Corpse Hands, flesh, and bones. ¡°Two days¡¯ time.¡± Han Ruyan slowly closed her eyes. For a Fierce Ghost, such a duration passed in the blink of an eye. ¡°Just the last two days left, won¡¯t wait any longer...¡± As Su Jie was speaking with Han Ruyan, he suddenly twitched his eyebrows, his eyes revealing a hint of joy. ¡°Someone really is chasing after us.¡± Su Jie swiftly stood up, sensing the commotion in the sky. Su Jie had long scattered a large number of spying insects around Rao Yang Lake, using the Insect Control Technique to monitor any activity. These insects were all mosquitoes and flies, tiny and not easily detected, but that wasn¡¯t secure enough. The insects latched onto birds, and these wild birds, flying haphazardly in the sky, served as unwitting scouts. Through the vision provided by the Insect Control Technique, four Hidden Realm Elders could be seen moving stealthily through the clouds. From their figures, they seemed to be female cultivators, covered with black veils that could obstruct the probing of scouting arrays. Upon noticing the lead person, Su Jie inexplicably felt a palpitation through his Insect Control Technique. ¡°Primordial Spirit.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he decisively remotely controlled the mosquito to burrow into a bird¡¯s beak, turning into mush to be digested and absorbed by the wild bird. The next moment, a wave of Divine Sense swept past, skimming over the bird¡¯s body, but failed to detect the mosquito that had already been consumed. ¡°They¡¯ve really come! Hehe, I¡¯ve been waiting for you guys for a long time.¡± A smile spread across Su Jie¡¯s face as he pulled out his severed arm from his bosom. Though several days had passed, the flesh on his severed arm remained very fresh, as if it had been freshly cut off. The physical body in the Hidden Realm allowed flesh to remain unspoiled for a month. ¡°Go.¡± Su Jie tossed his severed arm, throwing it straight in the direction of Rao Yang Lake. Midway, the severed arm landed on the ground, its five fingers spread open, as if endowed with its own life, it began to crawl swiftly like a spider, and then hurried to the edge of Rao Yang Lake, plunged into the water, and swam towards the deep. ...... Among the clouds, the leading female cultivator of the four Hidden Realm halted slightly. ¡°Sister Mu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The three female cultivators behind her spoke up; they were the members of Desire Sect who had discreetly come to this place. They had not passed through the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace on their journey, but took a detour specifically to avoid flying over the defensive lines of the Righteous Sect, spending some extra time to reach this location. ¡°It might just be my imagination.¡± Mu Yue pursed her lips, sensing nothing out of the ordinary, and retracted her extended Divine Sense. Once again, she took out the incense bag from the Storage Bag, sniffed it at her nostrils, and simultaneously performed a spell with her hands. After a few minutes, Mu Yue regained her composure and looked toward the southwest, taking a deep breath. She could already see the clear blue surface of Rao Yang Lake in the distance, her eyes showing a trace of delight. ¡°I¡¯ve sensed Su Jie¡¯s aura. It seems he¡¯s also noticed us and is trying to flee under Rao Yang Lake.¡± Mu Yue opened her eyes, her whole being radiant with life, her smile unstoppable. Ye Xueyuan, excitedly trembling, laughed gleefully, ¡°Haha, too late to run now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move, to capture and bring him back to the Sect.¡± Mu Yue gestured broadly without hesitation and pursued in the direction of the sensation. Chapter 466 - 466 310 Illusion Realm ?Chapter 466: Chapter 310: Illusion Realm Chapter 466: Chapter 310: Illusion Realm In the heart of Rao Yang Lake, Mu Yue and her three comrades dove like hungry eagles, their heads down as they plunged toward the water¡¯s surface at breakneck speeds. The brilliance of their spiritual energy broke the sound barrier, causing the air to shudder and ripple dramatically. Even before touching the water, the surface of the lake dipped several meters, forming a funnel shape. Oh! However, it was at this moment that Mu Yue¡¯s eyebrows knitted together; she had spotted the tall tower of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array in the center of the lake. Previously, they had been too far away for her divine sense to detect it, and with just the naked eye, the tower¡¯s clues were undetectable. Mu Yue had noticed it before but didn¡¯t pay much attention because she was worried about Su Jie escaping. Now that she had entered Rao Yang Lake, a sudden sense of dread filled her heart, its source originating from the tower. Turning her head for a better look, Mu Yue¡¯s pupils contracted as she discovered that the tower was not only filled with an enormous amount of spiritual material, with each level inscribed with arrays but also that it was occupied by numerous array masters. ¡°This scale of the array... stop right now, let¡¯s withdraw,¡± she said urgently. Mu Yue¡¯s face paled as she realized the gravity of the situation. This array was none other than the famous Great Taoist Formation, whose power could completely obliterate a sect; it was a true sect-destroying and temple-toppling formation. Once deployed, its might would be terrifyingly boundless. And such a formation, to ensure its successful execution, would undoubtedly be guarded by formidable forces. No sooner had Mu Yue raised the alarm than Ye Xueyuan, driven by a desire for recognition, threw a punch. Tons of lake water were blasted away, and Su Jie¡¯s severed arm was smashed to pieces, mixing with fish and shrimp turned into mush and blending into the lake. ¡°Hmm, where did they go?¡± Ye Xueyuan was taken aback, doubting that a casual punch from her could obliterate someone of the Secret Realm. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Before Ye Xueyuan could make sense of the situation, seven figures burst from beneath the surface, radiating a dazzling and robust aura as they stared intently at her group. ¡°Intruders detected, array masters seek refuge,¡± one announced. ¡°Send a signal to notify the sect, we need reinforcements. The Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array must not be compromised.¡± ¡°Encircle them, don¡¯t let them escape. Four devilish women dared to cause trouble here; they¡¯re seeking their own deaths.¡± The seven Secret Realm Elders of Guan Chao Pavilion encircled Mu Yue and her group, regarding them with hostility as if they were looking at the dead. The leader among them, a middle-aged man with a heavy sword on his back and a fierce glint in his eyes, stood atop a whirlpool of water. He was a Secret Realm Fifth Level cultivator. The rest were also at the Third and Fourth Level of the Secret Realm, each skilled in their rank and specially tasked with protecting the safety of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. The intrusion of Mu Yue and her comrades had instantly alerted these protectors, and seeing the four so-called devilish women at Rao Yang Lake naturally incited hostility from the seven Guan Chao Pavilion Elders. ¡°This is bad, we¡¯ve been tricked, that Su Jie deliberately lured us here...¡± Mu Yue¡¯s face was extremely grim as she realized they had fallen into a trap. ¡°Where did so many from the Secret Realm come from? That aura... it seems to be those water-loving sages from Guan Chao Pavilion,¡± one commented. ¡°What do we do now? We¡¯re surrounded.¡± ¡°Sister Mu, we must break through.¡± Shao Mengzhu, Ye Xueyuan, and Liang Jianlan were trembling with tension. The numerical disadvantage was too great; they certainly didn¡¯t have the ability to fight one against two. ¡°Honored guests, we didn¡¯t mean to intrude...we didn¡¯t intend to come herea?€|¡± Mu Yue tried to pull herself together, giving a graceful smile in an attempt to use her beauty to persuade the others. ¡°How dare you attempt to seduce and bewitch us,¡± the leader with the heavy sword snorted disapprovingly. He was no young disciple from the Yunling Realm; with a fierce look in his eyes, he drew his heavy sword and slashed through the air. Whoosh! The pressure from the wind swept the lake water aside, exposing the mud on the lakebed, and a domineering sword qi cut fiercely through the air. Mu Yue dodged just in time, but Shao Mengzhu beside her reacted a moment too late. She was immediately blown away by the residual sword qi, her left arm and thigh pulverized into mincemeata?€¡±absolutely horrific. ¡°Slay these demonesses,¡± the heavy sword wielder commanded coldly, as six other Guan Chao Pavilion Secret Realm Elders charged at them. Talismans, magic artifacts, magica?€¡±splashes of spiritual power and treasures glittered all across the sky. Seven against four, with one grievously wounded, such odds left little chance for Mu Yue and her companions to overcome. The heavy sword wielder, in particular, was ferocious. ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï He wielded his heavy sword, not manipulating a flying sword like the others but rather flinging sword qi. Under the power of his sword qi, Rao Yang Lake surged with thousands of waves, and towering water spouts rose into the sky. With the sword qi¡¯s passage, countless massive waves would also press down, as if they faced the vast ocean itself. Aside from Mu Yue, Ye Xueyuan and the other two were hard-pressed to defend themselves. The Guan Chao Pavilion specialized in water-based cultivation techniques, and given the battleground was Rao Yang Lakea?€¡±thousands of square kilometers of ita?€¡±turned into the optimal stage for the pavilion¡¯s advantage. Already stronger than the Desire Sect, this put Mu Yue and her group at a disadvantage, forcing them into a desperate scramble for survival as they struggled to even keep their heads up. Facing this desperate situation, Mu Yue had no time to think about conventional fighting. Regular combat wasn¡¯t possibly going to lead to victory; she wasn¡¯t thinking about winning but about how to escapea?€¡±otherwise, this place would be her burial ground. ¡°Use the Illusion Desire Technique,¡± Mu Yue sent through divine sense, relaying her words directly into the minds of Ye Xueyuan and the other two. She tore at the fabric of her palace dress, revealing large expanses of her snowy white, beautiful body. Rings of pink patterns emerged on her fair skin, and just one glance could make a person feel dizzy with vertigo. This was the Desire Sect¡¯s defining Taoist skill, an incredibly powerful illusion technique that was said to be so refined at its peak that even all the gods and Buddhas in the sky could fall into its thrall. Chapter 467 - 467 310 Illusion Realm_2 ?Chapter 467: Chapter 310: Illusion Realm_2 Chapter 467: Chapter 310: Illusion Realm_2 Almost simultaneously, Liang Jianlan and her two companions performed the same action. An invisible Charming Illusion Technique spread out, resembling a layer of pink ambiguous veils that overwhelmingly enveloped the area. All seven Elders of the Guan Chao Pavilion raised their Spiritual Power in an attempt to shield themselves, but they were still affected by the Illusion Technique. Meanwhile, Mu Yue and her group were sweating profusely. Deploying this Illusion Desire Technique was a massive drain on them, so much so that Shao Mengzhu, who was already severely injured, ran out of strength during the casting, suffered a backlash from the magic, and turned into a stone statue in an instant, dying an unnatural death. This magic technique also had fatal side-effects. On the bank of Rao Yang Lake, Su Jie, who was originally watching the battle, smacked his lips and remarked, ¡°There are actually seven Secret Realm experts, two more than I had scouted. Lucky I didn¡¯t act rashly.¡± He had planned to watch the fight first and sneak over when the battle in the lake reached its climax. However, the group of female demon cultivators went all out from the start, not only firmly controlling the Elders of Guan Chao Pavilion but also affecting Su Jie. It proved that even being a spectator carried its risks. Su Jie¡¯s mind was hazy, as if he had entered a state of semi-sleep, falling into an Illusion Realm. ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã0 ... In Linping City, within the campus of Finance University. The 45th Athletic Meeting had just ended. Dragging his weary body, Su Jie sat down on the green football field with a thud. His ears were buzzing, sweat was dripping down his forehead, and his mouth felt as dry as if it were on fire. On the stage, the school leaders were droning on, talking about the significance and successful conclusion of the athletic meeting. Su Jie didn¡¯t listen clearly, the ringing in his ears came in waves with his breath. All he did was unscrew his thermos bottle and guzzled down most of it voraciously, feeling his body, which had been close to collapsing from exhaustion, finally regain some vitality. ¡°Stupid leaders, just finish already, who wants to listen to your prattling!¡± With his vitality returning, Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but curse and lay flat on the lawn, not wanting to move at all. It was a rule of the athletic meeting that each class had to have a certain number of participants in each event, and the unfortunate Su Jie, after a heart-stopping draw, had been assigned the most miserable 3000m run. Su Jie, who normally lacked exercise, felt completely like he had been fished out of water after the run, and it almost cost him half his life. Hoo hoo! Gradually catching his breath, the scorching sun above emitted copious amounts of light and heat, baking his already exhausted body and making Su Jie irresistibly close his eyes to block the piercing light. The ringing in his ears gradually faded, the fatigue from the intense exercise made him drowsy, and he strangely felt the grass beneath him become exceptionally soft, enveloping his body as if making him comfortably divide. ¡°Brother Su, you look so tired, do you want me to give you a massage?¡± Suddenly a fragrant breeze caressed him, and a charming voice sounded. Su Jie was startled, almost thinking he was hallucinating from the run. A pair of delicate hands rested on Su Jie¡¯s shoulders, gently pressing them, and to his surprise, it was a beautiful Blue Star actress named something Bingbing. ¡°What the hell is going on here.¡± Su Jie¡¯s brain found it hard to accept what was happening, feeling a sense of unreality. ¡°Brother Su, when are you going to answer my confession, if you don¡¯t, I¡¯m going to stop bothering with you.¡± Accompanied by a spoiled and cute voice, a girl in a white skirt looking very pure and lovely ran over. This was Su Jie¡¯s childhood friend and neighbor, but she had moved away after middle school, and they had never seen each other since. How could she now appear before him? ¡°Su Jie, I... I like you.¡± A voice that was somehow familiar entered his ears. Su Jie turned his head and saw a graceful girl standing before him, the breeze blowing her skirt and hair, with a smile as beautiful as a blooming flower and a gaze filled with love that was nearly overflowing. This was the campus belle of Finance University¡¯s finance department, Liu Yingying. ¡°Su Jie, I¡¯ve been missing you.¡± ¡°Su Jie, let¡¯s go on a date tomorrow.¡± ¡°Su Jie, if we get married, I¡¯ll have lots of cute children for you.¡± ¡°Why are there so many competitors, Brother Su, you scoundrel, hmph, I don¡¯t care, I want to be your main wife, they are no match for me.¡± ¡°Ah Jie, I don¡¯t mind if you have multiple girlfriends, as long as you like me, that¡¯s good enough,¡± More and more girls appeared before Su Jie, each with a distinct personality and looksa?€¡±cute, charming, or sexy. Each girl was someone Su Jie had once been moved by in his heart. But without exception, these girls were all looking at Su Jie with tender, affectionate eyes, as if they wouldn¡¯t marry anyone but him. Such a scene, surrounded by a bevy of beauties, was the epitome of a winner of life, making one linger and forget to return, too happy to think of home. ¡°It¡¯s just like a dream, no wait, isn¡¯t this exactly what I¡¯m doinga?€¡±in a dream?¡± Su Jie chuckled, glanced at the bunch of delicate arms and legs draped over his body, and shook his head helplessly. ¡°Brother Su, what are you talking about again? What dream? I really do like you!¡± A girl looked at Su Jie coquettishly and pressed her red lips against his. The next moment, Su Jie grinned, revealing a spine-chilling set of white teeth. Bang! Su Jie struck down with a palm, crushing the girl¡¯s head into her chest cavity. The surrounding girls instantly quieted down, staring at Su Jie with their mouths agape. ¡°This illusion¡¯s logic processing is quite impressive, capable of even suppressing my memories. Ordinary people would really be immersed in this gentle trap,¡± Su Jie stood up, looked around, and finally turned to Liu Yingying with a light smile. ¡°Yingying, were you just confessing to me?¡± ¡°Yes, I... I like you. Please, be with me... be together with me. I will take care of you and love you forever and ever,¡± Liu Yingying spoke haltingly, seemingly startled by Su Jie. ¡°The Yingying I know isn¡¯t so fussy and fretful!¡± After hearing her words, Su Jie showed a look of regret and slowly lifted his right foot to stomp down heavily. The athletic field suddenly shook violently. The earth turned upside down as if a dragon were flipping over. ¡°Help, help!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an earthquake, run, run!¡± ¡°Damn, what¡¯s happening.¡± One by one, the students on the athletic field shouted in terror, trying to escape, but the field seemed to have turned into a swamp with many students continuously sinking. The ruckus and screams of fear echoed all around. Not just people, but the buildings tooa?€¡±the teaching buildings, cafeteria, library, etc., all kept sinking into the ground. Whoosh! A gust of wind blew over the previously bustling athletic field, now desolate and eerily silent. Su Jie stood alone on the grass, watching pieces of the clear blue sky appearing as holes, the whole world seemed like a faded oil painting. The world returned to reality. With a blur before his eyes, Su Jie still stood on the lakeshore. Everything he had experienced was just a dream woven by an illusion. ¡°What did you see in the illusion? You had a terrible smile just now,¡± Next to him, Han Ruyan tilted her head and stared at Su Jie. Lacking in rich human emotions, she wasn¡¯t affected by the illusion. ¡°Cough cough, nothing much. This illusion is somewhat interesting, but you know me, with a will as strong as steel, completely unaffected by it,¡± Su Jie cleared his throat. This illusion, utilizing Su Jie¡¯s own memories and thoughts, caused all the girls he had once been moved by to appear in the illusion, completely submissive and obedient to him. Fortunately, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was strong, and the distance helped weaken the power of the illusion, allowing him to break out of it so swiftly. These female demon cultivators who were pursuing him had an unknown origin, and their methods were indeed strange. Even the Elders of the Guan Chao Pavilion had fallen victim to it on a large scale. Turning his head to look in the distance, the expressions on the faces of the seven elders of the Guan Chao Pavilion were uncertain. It was easy to trap people in the illusion, but any act of attack would make those trapped in the illusion realize something was wrong and break free. Among the seven, the man carrying the heavy sword became more lucid, and he was about to break free, forcing Mu Yue and the others to respond with all their might. Both sides were at a standoff in Rao Yang Lake. ¡°The opportunity has come.¡± Su Jie took a deep breath, took Han Ruyan with him, and decisively struck out, circumventing the range of the illusion and heading towards the tower where the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array was located. Chapter 468 - 468 311 Breaking the Formation ?Chapter 468: Chapter 311: Breaking the Formation Chapter 468: Chapter 311: Breaking the Formation The Tower! Su Jie, along with Han Ruyan, entered like a streak of green smoke, swiftly intruding. This tower, half-buried in Rao Yang Lake and half-revealed above the water surface, was studded with windows densely packed together. Su Jie and Han Ruyan entered the tower through one of these windows. ¡°An intruder has entered.¡± As soon as Su Jie entered, he immediately alarmed the Array Masters within the tower. Hundreds of Array Masters were maintaining the operation of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array inside the tower, and on the level Su Jie entered, there were three Array Masters. They only had the cultivation of the Yunling Realm, which was vastly inferior to Su Jie¡¯s strength. Like Alchemists and Artifact Refiners, the strength of Array Masters doesn¡¯t represent their technical level, and their expertise is not in combat. For these Righteous Sects, they have ample resources specifically used to cultivate Array Masters, Alchemists, and Artifact Refiners. These cultivators who specialize in one craft progress faster and can provide the sect with various magic artifacts, formations, and elixirs, so they are not responsible for fighting. Places like Ghost Ridge Palace don¡¯t have the abundant wealth of Guan Chao Pavilion; many of their Array Masters, Alchemists, and Artifact Refiners also serve as Elders within the sect. ¡°Corpse Hand Man Slaughter.¡± Upon seeing Su Jie¡¯s face, the three Array Masters immediately panicked. Even these non-combatants had heard of Su Jie¡¯s notorious reputation. Su Jie, with apparent indifference, surveyed his surroundings; the floor was inscribed with array patterns dense and arcane like a sea of stars intricately connected to the spiritual material of the tower itself. Sections of spiritual power nodes flickered with brilliance, pulsing like tides. A vast aura leaked vaguely from the void, revealing a fraction of its presence. That aura was all too familiar to Su Jiea?€¡±it was the aura of the Tao River. Su Jie fixed his gaze for a few moments, and that aura caused faint cracks to appear in his Primordial Spirit, as if it sought to tear apart his soul. The aura of the Tao was too terrifying; the causality it imposed could not be withstood by mere Array Masters. But the reason they could bear it was also discovered by Su Jie. At the feet of the three Array Masters, each stood a Soul Oil Lamp. Within the Soul Oil Lamps were clusters of human souls. Each lamp contained ten thousand souls, bearing the causality from the Tao, and occasionally souls were annihilated by the imposed causality, utterly destroyed in both form and spirit, losing even the chance to enter the Netherworld. These human souls were certainly civilians captured by Guan Chao Pavilion, and from the pavilion¡¯s arrangement, there must be at least a hundred Soul Oil Lamps in this tower. It also meant that at least a million civilians had suffered the imposition of causality from the Tao. And this was an underestimation from Su Jie; who knew how long Guan Chao Pavilion had been preparing the Great Taoist Formation. ¡°Do you want to live or die? Tell me the location of the core of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array¡¯s Array Eye.¡± Su Jie finally shifted his gaze back to the three Array Masters, wearing an innocuous smile on his face. The Array Eye is akin to an engine in a car, or like a human braina?€¡±once destroyed, the entire Array collapses into disarray. If you simply destroy the external Array, with the richness of Guan Chao Pavilion, fixing it would be no issue. ¡°Dream on, you demon. You won¡¯t get a single piece of information from me!¡± One of the Array Masters stood his ground, glaring angrily at Su Jie. ¡°Tsk tsk, uncooperative, huh!¡± Su Jie chuckled, and at his side, Han Ruyan watched coldly as the Array Master¡¯s voice abruptly stopped. His limbs began to be segmented, as if countless invisible tiny blades were torturing him, revealing intricately detailed muscles before exposing chilling white bones. Thin shreds of flesh fell to the ground, leaving a skeletal frame without a shred of remaining flesh, picked clean to the bone. Under such torture, the Array Master¡¯s body shook violently, twisted in agony, biting through his own tongue, yet unable to make a sound for fear of alerting other enemies. The remaining two Array Masters, having never witnessed such a horrific scene, stood with hair on end, faces utterly pale and devoid of color, staring petrified at the grisly torment of their comrade. ¡°My patience is limited. Who will answer my question?¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes moved to the next Array Master, causing a shiver to run through him, and his lips to tremble. ¡°I... I...¡± ¡°Looks like another tough nut.¡± Su Jie snapped his fingers, and in an instant, a multitude of blades descended, adding another victim to the torturous spectacle. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn. What about you? Will you speak?¡± Su Jie turned to the last Array Master, his face wearing a serene smile. ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± Seeing Su Jie¡¯s brutality, the final Array Master was completely terror-stricken. ¡°The Array Eye is on the thirty-sixth floor, where Elder Li Yujun presides. We...¡± The Array Master spilled everything he knew. After hearing everything, Su Jie grabbed the Array Master by the neck and headed towards the stairs with Han Ruyan. Behind them lay two Array Masters, stripped to their skeletal frames, meeting their end in less than peace. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°Not good, there¡¯s an enemy...¡± ¡°Call for help, quickly call for help!¡± They continued upward along the staircase, passing Guan Chao Pavilion disciples on patrol. Such encounters were unlucky for these disciples; barely preparing to shout for help, Han Ruyan¡¯s eyes found them, and red Wedding Dresses enveloped them, strangling the life from their bodies. ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0 Against Han Ruyan, ordinary Yunling Realm disciples did not stand a chance. This tower was specially prepared for the Sea Covering Array, and aside from the Array itself, the true defense was in the hands of seven Hidden Realm Elders outside. Chapter 469 - 469 311 Breaking the Formation_2 ?Chapter 469: Chapter 311: Breaking the Formation_2 Chapter 469: Chapter 311: Breaking the Formation_2 Unfortunately, these seven Elders of the Guan Chao Pavilion are now in a stalemate with Mu Yue and her group, inadvertently giving Su Jie an undue advantage. In less than a minute, Su Jie had arrived at the thirty-sixth floor of the tall tower. Entering this place, Su Jie indeed felt a different change. Before his eyes, countless densely packed Array Patterns and Spiritual Objects covered the ground, walls, and ceiling. In the most central area, there stood a vibrant, tender bamboo about three feet tall. This was the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo, famed for growing a foot every millennium. This divine Spirit Plant had the ability to organize Spirit Veins, suppress mountains and rivers, and nourish blessed lands. In the past, Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo was always used to stabilize the environment of spiritual energy within a Sect and enhance the Sect¡¯s foundation. It was a truly invaluable Spirit Plant worth its weight in gold. The gold referred to here was ten thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones. Moreover, it was priceless and its value was far greater. Currently, the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo was being used as the Array Eye of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, forming the core of the Array. Visible to the naked eye, under the influence of the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo, chaotic Spiritual Power, displaced by the impacts of the Tao River, was directed to flow orderly. Around the Array Eye, various complex runes and spirit patterns were meticulously organized by the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo, which made the Array Patterns used to control the operation and enhance the power of the Array incredibly stable. At the four corners of the Great Taoist Formation, there were additionally four Array Bases set up, small blue flags used to stabilize the foundation of the Array. The Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo, subject to the barrage of Tao River¡¯s aura, seemed on the brink of collapse. But as the poem says, after enduring thousands of trials and tribulations, it remains steadfast. The Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo always managed to root itself firmly and, through the intricate web of Array Patterns surrounding it, dispelled the terrifying power of the Tao River. It was like diverting the raging floodwaters, dispersing the might of the devouring Tao River aura that could obliterate everything it touched, spreading the power throughout the entire Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. Finally, the whole Array within the high tower attracted the stars and moonlight from the Sky Dome. The starlight scattered on the Array like shining pearls, the luminescence of the Array harmonizing with the celestial bodies in the night sky. It seemed as though the force of the Tao River was dispersed through the starlight into the vacuum beyond this realm, ensuring the smooth operation of the Array. What caught Su Jie¡¯s attentiveness was the presence of an Array Master sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, at the center of which there was a tiny rift torn in space, dimly revealing the chaotic, primordial currents inside. Within the crack, the connection between time and space seemed blurred and twisted, and everythinga?€¡±that is, all matter, energy, time, and spacea?€¡±was in a chaotic primitive state with no world, no life, no rules; only the breath of chaos pervading the endless void. This is the Tao River. In the past, only Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit could touch it, but this was his first time actually seeing it with his naked eyes. However, after only one glance, Su Jie¡¯s eyes bulged, and strands of blood suffused them. ?¦Ï???.§ã? Bang! The next millisecond, Su Jie¡¯s eyeballs burst open, and even his entire fleshly body was on the verge of disintegrating into inorganic matter under an invisible force of causality. Not just Su Jie, Han Ruyan¡¯s body flickered uncertainly, like a lightbulb flickering due to an unstable current, as if it might go out at any moment. As for the Array Master that Su Jie was holding, he had already self-destructed, turning into a puddle of flesh. This is the Taoa?€¡±Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit could touch the Tao River for a dozen seconds, yet merely looking at it with his eyes for a moment caused them to burst, and his body to grind towards obliteration. No wonder the Array Master had remained with closed eyes from beginning to end. Gazing directly at the Tao was not within his reach; truly, a mere glance would lead to an explosion. ¡°Don¡¯t look at the Tao,¡± With palpitations, Su Jie warned Han Ruyan as fresh flesh eruptively grew in his bloodied eye sockets, forming new eyeballs. ¡°What are Xu Mu and the others even doing that they let the forces of the Demon Path break in?¡± At the place of the Array Eye, the Array Master was disturbed. While Su Jie observed his surroundings with his Divine Sense, he chuckled, ¡°Hello there! You must be Li Yujun, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re the Secret Realm Array Master of Guan Chao Pavilion. I¡¯m just here for a visit; I hope I¡¯m not disturbing you.¡± Li Yujun was both shocked and angry, cursing the Hidden Realm Elders guarding outside for allowing an enemy to infiltrate this far. ¡°Devil, no matter what you intend to do, leave at once, or the only path left for you will be destruction,¡± Li Yujun bellowed, his eyes still closed, but he could sense Su Jie¡¯s location. ¡°You should worry about surviving first,¡± Without hesitation, Su Jie¡¯s Storage Bag flashed, and bombs began to stack up. Han Ruyan grabbed Su Jie, speeding with him toward the lower floors to escape. In Su Jie¡¯s hand, a detonator appeared, which he promptly pressed. Boom! With a thunderous explosion, fire billowed from the tower windows, turning the whole tower into a fiery dragon spouting flames everywhere, as many Array Patterns and spiritual materials were destroyed by the blaze. Even Su Jie was affected by the blast, feeling his blood churn despite having escaped some distance awaya?€¡±the explosion¡¯s might was a bit too strong. Normally, such power would suffice to destroy the fragile Array Eye. The establishment of a Great Taoist Formation required extreme precision and meticulousness, as even the slightest error could result in the Array¡¯s failure. But no hint of joy appeared on Su Jie¡¯s face because he could still feel the existence of the Tao River, which meant his plan had not been successful. ¡°The tower still stands.¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s cool voice came through; the tower, built of spiritual materials, had only suffered superficial damage to some Array Patterns and materials from the blast and had not collapsed. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look.¡± Chapter 470 - 470 311 Breaking the Formation_3 ?Chapter 470: Chapter 311: Breaking the Formation_3 Chapter 470: Chapter 311: Breaking the Formation_3 Su Jie frowned deeply, following Han Ruyan once again to the thirty-sixth floor of the high tower. The massive explosives they had just detonated shone infinite blue light on the small flags atop the four Array Bases, forming a sky-blue Protection Magic Shield that protected the Array Eye from external disturbances and attacks. The Array Eye itself was completely unscathed, and even Li Yujun within wasn¡¯t harmed in the slightest. Sensing Su Jie¡¯s presence once more, Li Yujun sneered, ¡°Thinking you could use that strange apparatus to destroy my Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array is truly naive.¡± ¡°My lady!¡± Su Jie released the thousand-hand centipede from his sleeve and called for Han Ruyan. Understanding Su Jie¡¯s intention, Han Ruyan nodded. Her dead-still eyes fixed on the Magic Shield, a lantern appeared in her left hand, and a Dragon Phoenix Mirror in her right, as she harnessed a bizarre power to attack the Magic Shield. The thousand-hand centipede let out a shriek, as its six pairs of wings stirred up a fierce wind, slamming hard against the Shield. Su Jie summoned the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, which rumbled like a Thunder Dragon descending upon the world. ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Their combined attacks made the entire blue Magic Shield tremble continuously, wavering unevenly with ripples, but from beginning to end, there was no real sign of fracture. ¡°What background does this man have to be so fierce with his moves?¡± Li Yujun was startled; the Standard of the Shield had been extremely high upon its construction, and now this man alone, aided by a bug and a Fierce Ghost beside him, had the Shield teetering, their mode of attack far too terrifying. ¡°It¡¯s useless; just with you, you¡¯ll never break this Magic Shield. Give up on that thought.¡± Feeling that the Magic Shield was undamaged, Li Yujun¡¯s confidence surged once again. Crack! But no sooner had Li Yujun spoken, a cracking sound reached his ears. On the azure Protection Magic Shield, a tiny, nearly invisible crack had appeared. It was Su Jie who had taken out the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, an Innate Spiritual Object designed for protection, using it like a brick to smash against the Shield. Such an attack should not have been able to damage the Shield, but the very foundation of the Shield drew from the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo contained within the Array Eye; the Qi of the bamboo was attracted by the innate power of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus. In terms of grade, the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus was far superior to the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo. It was like ordinary animals confronting their natural predator; the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo, no longer just an ordinary plant, actually bent slightly toward the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus upon its appearance, as if in worship. This tremor in the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo¡¯s foundation caused the Magic Shield to loosen and crack. The thousand-hand centipede was right at the location of the crack, and at the first opportunity, it sent the Purple Light Ray through it, making contact with the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo. Hit by the Purple Light Ray, the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo swayed slightly; as a Spirit Plant, it wasn¡¯t so easily destroyed. But the Array Eye of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array was incredibly intricate; any error could lead to a compromise in its equilibrium. Once the balance of the Tao River was disrupted, it was like a dike bursting from an ant holea?€¡±the aura of the Tao River instantly engulfed everything around it. Li Yujun, being closest, was directly torn apart, his physical body obliterated within the astral Tao River. ¡°It¡¯s done, the Array is broken.¡± Su Jie laughed heartily as he stepped back, ready to admire his handiwork and witness the Tao River destroying the Array Eye. Of course, he dared not look directly with his eyes. Humming! But at that moment, as if sensing the presence of the Tao River, the Ancient Realm within Su Jie¡¯s sea of consciousness started spinning and, much to his astonishment, flew out from his sea of consciousness. Astounded, Su Jie watched as the Ancient Realm completely disregarded the onslaught of the Tao River, and under his dumbfounded perception, it plunged into the spatial rift, entering the chaotic space of the Tao River. Chapter 471 - 471 312 Tao River (First Update) ?Chapter 471: Chapter 312: Tao River (First Update) Chapter 471: Chapter 312: Tao River (First Update) The Ancient Mirror was floating and sinking in the chaotic void of the crack in the void, like a flat boat drifting with the ripples of water. The violently raging Tao River had only leaked a sliver of its power, which could obliterate the Secret Realm; Su Jie was unable to look directly with the naked eye. However, although the Ancient Mirror seemed to be swayed back and forth by the impacts while in the chaos of the Tao River, there was not a single trace of damage. The thousand-hand centipede hid in Su Jie¡¯s robe, showing only its head. It felt an instinctive fear of the Tao River. All living beings would fear the heavenly might of the Tao River, just as ordinary people fear the world-ending natural disasters, representing power that transcends life itself. Han Ruyan, the Ghost Bride, also continuously retreated in the face of the rampant spread of the Tao River, as the power of an individual was truly minuscule compared to it. Only the Ancient Mirror remained completely unaffected by the Tao River and during its floating, the mirror shone with a faint mysterious yellow light. As this light shone, the chaos in the Tao River immediately calmed from its violent tumult, no longer possessing the ferocity of world-destroying cruelty; the disrupted Array Eye miraculously stabilized. Witnessing this scene, both the thousand-hand centipede and Han Ruyan, a bug and a ghost, were shocked. That was the Tao River! Yet it could be soothed by the Ancient Mirror. Su Jie was not in the mood to be shocked because his Primordial Spirit was being guided by the Ancient Mirror. Imperceptibly, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was drawn into the Tao River in the void crack. Su Jie had a flash of realization; he had a precedent. When he advanced to the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm back at Blue Star, his Primordial Spirit had entered the Heavenly Dao of Blue Star, roamed within it, absorbed a large amount of unknown material, and his Primordial Spirit was greatly nourished. But that was the Heavenly Dao of Blue Star, much weaker in many aspects than that of the Tianyuan World here, if he were not careful, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit might not be able to come out. ¡°To touch the Tao directly without harm, is it truly an Innate Treasure?¡± Su Jie took a deep breath. The origin of the Ancient Mirror was mysterious, but the opportunity was extremely rare. Missing this chance, who knew when the Ancient Mirror would offer such an opportunity to Su Jie again. ¡°Wait for me here, I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± Without further hesitation, Su Jie followed the mysterious attraction, his Primordial Spirit left his physical body, and his chibi Primordial Spirit entered the Tao River on the Tianyuan World side of the void crack. Boom! The moment he entered, Su Jie nearly lost all perceptions. A pitch-black blanketed the world, Su Jie¡¯s cognition became incredibly disarrayed, time and space were inverting, and his intelligence and Primordial Spirit were on the verge of annihilation in less than a few seconds. In the past, when Su Jie had opened the Tao River with his Primordial Spirit, it was only to receive a wisp of the Heavenly Dao¡¯s essence. This direct contact with the Tao River was completely incomparable. Death loomed in his heart, and then, at this moment, the Ancient Mirror whizzed up above Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit. The light emanating from its surface, like a protective light shield, stabilized Su Jie¡¯s rapidly disintegrating Primordial Spirit once again. Su Jie¡¯s chaotic thoughts gradually returned, and perceptions slowly emerged within his Primordial Spirit. Swipe! Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit opened its Divine Eyes, observing the Tao River of Tianyuan World, which is also the Heavenly Dao of Tianyuan World. Amidst the pervasive chaotic currents, tiny rays of light flickered occasionally, like the breath of the cosmos or as though the eyes of the creator were peering through. These colorful lights streaked through the chaotic Tao River, continuously changing into a myriad of colors, making the chaos less monotonously silent. Su Jie struggled to open his eyes wide, focused on this rare opportunity to increase his knowledge. If not for the Ancient Mirror, not to mention him in the Secret Realm, even someone in the Taoist Platform Realm would not have this kind of experience. Among the chaos, Su Jie sensed everything here; material, space, time, cause and effect... all established rules of reality were disordered and chaotic here. Su Jie broke off a finger from his own Primordial Spirit and cautiously threw it outside the coverage of the Ancient Mirror¡¯s mysterious yellow light. The finger was composed of Divine Soul Power and should have dissipated as Soul Power once separated from Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit. But within the Heavenly Dao, the finger underwent an amazing transformation. ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï The finger flashed, mystically appearing thousands of meters away, constantly shifting positions at each moment. At the same time, time on the finger was disordered, sometimes rapidly disintegrating, sometimes reversing back to its original state. Infinite bizarre spiritual material attached to the finger, sometimes expanding to the thickness of a meter, sometimes collapsing to the thickness of a toothpick, sometimes turning into a sinewy, scale-covered demonic hand, and sometimes becoming stone, jade, or iron joints; it changed endlessly, no longer confined to the physical constructs of reality. Even cause and effect, all things and life that came into contact with this finger, appeared like movie clips incessantly in the chaos, being captured as though countless lines of cause and effect were being plucked. Fortunately, the area was limited to the Tao River; if it were the lines of cause and effect in the real world being manipulated this way, it¡¯s hard to imagine how many people¡¯s lives would have their trajectories altered. The entire process lasted only a short dozen seconds, the finger of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit that he threw out was eventually annihilated by the Tao River, turning into nothingness. No material could exist here for long, ordered material no longer existed here, it was the unordered chaos that was eternal. Su Jie¡¯s finger from the real world was naturally an ordered product, so it too was turned into the chaos of nothingness. ¡°This is simply too terrifying.¡± Su Jie inhaled sharply as his Primordial Spirit roamed across the Tao River of Blue Star. However, compared to the Tao of Tianyuan World, the Heavenly Dao of Blue Star was like the difference between a firefly and the bright moon, utterly incomparable in its terror. If it hadn¡¯t been for the protection of the Ancient Mirror, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit would have ventured here directly and likely would have turned into a wisp of chaotic void in mere seconds. ¡°Thank goodness for the Ancient Mirror.¡± Su Jie sighed in relief inside as he saw a multicolored beam of light pass in front of him. Pop! Under the protection of the Ancient Mirror, Su Jie controlled his Primordial Spirit to make contact with it. Since Su Jie recognized this, in the Tao River on Blue Star, his Primordial Spirit had absorbed many such colorful spots, greatly enhancing his Primordial Spirit. In the Tao River of the Tianyuan World, these light points are closely arranged, forming multicolored lines, bringing even greater gains. The moment they touched, the multicolored light instantly merged into the Primordial Spirit. Su Jie¡¯s recently severed finger visibly restored itself, a sensation thousands of times more exhilarating than taking opium spreading through every inch of his Primordial Spirit, causing his Primordial Spirit to shudder in delight and grow a few millimeters taller. ¡°Just as I expected, this thing indeed enhances the Primordial Spirit,¡± he thought. Su Jie¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he decisively controlled his Primordial Spirit to chase after those multicolored beams of light. These were not easy to catch because everything within the chaotic airflows was disordered; sometimes the multicolored light would appear before you, and the next moment, it might have moved thousands of meters away. Fortunately, there was plenty of such multicolored light, which was like the sand in the Tao River, possessing a special Spiritual Quality and Divinity, undiminished by the Tao River into chaos. Seeing how difficult it was to capture the multicolored light, Su Jie changed his method, continuously stretching and extending his Primordial Spirit. Initially a chibi-style Primordial Spirit, Su Jie controlled it, constantly stretching and thinning it, much like those flattened cartoon characters from animations, artificially enlarging his own area. When Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit expanded and stretched to the limit, spreading out to a few hundred square meters and extending thousands of thin Soul Power tentacles, he mimicked sea anemones hunting in the ocean. When the multicolored light came close, Su Jie¡¯s tentacles would sway over. The spiky protrusions on the tentacles delicately hooked the multicolored light, integrating it into his Primordial Spirit. By turning his Primordial Spirit into a net, relying on the exceptional malleability of his Primordial Spirit, Su Jie was not slow in absorbing and consuming those multicolored lights. Through constant consumption, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit continued to grow stronger, its size increasingly vast, and the number and area of controlled tentacles also increased, naturally catching more and more multicolored light, forming a positive feedback cycle. Five minutes passed. Half an hour passed. An hour passed. Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit had grown to cover thousands of square meters, with tens of thousands of tentacles, and it emanated a terrifying and majestic aura. From afar, he appeared like a demonic ruler placed in the chaotic void, incredibly eerie and bizarre. In just one short hour, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit began to feel overstuffed, on the verge of tearing apart. Just as a person eating too much in a short time can burst their stomach, the same principle applied to the Primordial Spirit. Sensing the change in Su Jie, the halo of mysterious yellow light radiating from the Ancient Mirror above his head gradually dimmed, and the mirror drifted towards a crack in the void. ¡°Ah, even though I still want to eat, it seems I can¡¯t swallow anymore.¡±¡± Su Jie felt extremely regretful inside; he didn¡¯t know when he would next encounter such fortuity. But since he could no longer take it, Su Jie dared not stay there without the protection of the Ancient Mirror; his Primordial Spirit would be annihilated into chaos within minutes. Regretful as he was, Su Jie was quick to follow the Ancient Mirror out of the Tao River. However, having reached the crack in the void, Su Jie¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Previously occupied with consuming, he now noticed at the crack, there were strands of multicolored light, hundreds of them. These multicolored lights, just like the ones Su Jie had devoured, were woven together resembling a bizarre Array Map, intricate as a constellation. When the chaotic airflows reached here, it was like entering a tube, gradually combed from a disordered state into a partially controllable one. ¡°So this is the secret of the Great Taoist Formation.¡± With understanding dawning in his mind, the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, this Great Taoist Formation, connected the Tao River through the Array, harnessing the multicolored light, a spiritual material that wouldn¡¯t be destroyed, weaving it into an Array Map, thereby controlling the chaotic airflows of the Tao River and using them as a lethal weapon. Because the Ancient Mirror stabilized the exit of the void crack, it prevented the aura of the Tao River from leaking out, and the Array Eye of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array was not completely destroyed. Upon seeing this, Su Jie instinctively wanted to destroy it. Yet at the crucial moment, a bold idea suddenly emerged in Su Jie¡¯s mind. Chapter 472 - 472 313 Laying Mines (Second Update) ?Chapter 472: Chapter 313: Laying Mines (Second Update) Chapter 472: Chapter 313: Laying Mines (Second Update) ¡°If we only destroy it, given the wealth and power of Guan Chao Pavilion, they might be able to rebuild it, and then...¡± Su Jie stroked his chin, attempting to extend a tentacle toward the pattern woven from the colorful light streams, trying to leave a part of his Primordial Spirit imprinted upon it. Originally, Su Jie didn¡¯t hold much hope because within the chaotic Tao River, the Primordial Spirit couldn¡¯t possibly be preserveda?€¡±the severed finger just now was the evidence. But, to Su Jie¡¯s astonishment, the severed tentacle of his Primordial Spirit was now tightly wrapped around the colorful light streams, not dissolving in the chaotic currents. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, the Array sorted the Taoist currents, but it also inadvertently solved my hidden danger, allowing my Primordial Spirit to be preserved. Truly, heaven is helping me.¡± Seeing this, Su Jie immediately understood and a cold smile appeared on his face. Tentacle after tentacle wrapped around the pattern woven from the colorful light streams, like prey entangled by a python. These remnants of the Primordial Spirit still carried a part of Su Jie¡¯s will, allowing him to activate them within the range he could sense. It was like a dormant virus program, waiting to resurrect when the time camea?€¡±the timing could last for a month. In the past, Su Jie would not have been able to do this; once the Primordial Spirit left the host, it would collapse before long. However, after absorbing a large quantity of the colorful light, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit had greatly improved; this was a new ability he had mastered. After planting a timed bomb here, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit followed the Ancient Mirror through the virtual cracks of the Tao River, returning to the real world. As the Ancient Mirror left, the spatial rift also sealed itself automatically, and the chaotic and disordered Tao River disappeared along with it. Whoosh! The Ancient Mirror dived into the sea of consciousness of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit, which immediately returned to the physical body, entering the brain. The next moment, Su Jie slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Husband!¡± Han Ruyan looked at Su Jie with concern; she only showed a hint of human emotion when facing him. Su Jie¡¯s sudden dive into the Tao River had alarmed her. Especially since Su Jie took a long time to emerge, if not for the contract still active from the Nine Nether Ghost Cultivation Technique that bound her to him, she would have thought Su Jie was annihilated within the Tao River. ¡°ZzZz, ZzZzZz! The thousand-hand centipede crawled up onto Su Jie¡¯s chest, rubbing its head against his neck continually, making a buzzing sound, expressing its worry. ¡°I¡¯m fine. In fact, I¡¯m in a very good state now, better than ever before.¡± Su Jie stroked the head of the thousand-hand centipede, wrapping his arms around Han Ruyan¡¯s waist. At this moment, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit, having absorbed a vast array of colorful lights, was about to undergo a brand-new transformation. ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0 Su Jie was very clear in his heart about the enormous gains he had made in the Tao River. The realm of the Primordial Spirit was no longer his peak. Su Jie saw the opportunity for a God Unification breakthrough, a domain of the Divine Soul that only those in the Taoist Platform Realm could control. If it was not an inappropriate time here, Su Jie would have closed off for a breakthrough, completing the evolution of his Primordial Spirit on the spot. ¡°However, once they¡¯re dealt with, it will be about time.¡± Su Jie¡¯s Divine Sense spread like a tide, the myriad environments around him completely unobstructed, his supremely powerful Primordial Spirit allowing him to see all changes in the outside world. An hour passed inside the Tao River, and outside the battle between the seven Secret Realm Elders of the Guan Chao Pavilion and Mu Yue¡¯s group had already been decided. The illusions deployed by Mu Yue¡¯s group had long been shattered, with Shao Mengzhu, Ye Xueyuan, and Liang Jianlan from their party of four executed, leaving only the severely injured Mu Yue as the sole survivor, desperately attempting to escape. On the side of Guan Chao Pavilion, only one person had died, now chasing Mu Yue at full strength, intending to annihilate her in one fell swoop. Seven against four, with Guan Chao Pavilion being the largest Sect in Qingzhou, not lacking in Cultivation Techniques, Magic Artifacts, or talismans, Mu Yue¡¯s group had some initial success, but were eventually crushed. Seeing this, Su Jie¡¯s mouth curved into a smile; he walked to the position of the Array Eye, looking at the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo for a few moments. ¡°Xiao Qian, can you pull it out?¡± The thousand-hand centipede crawled up Su Jie¡¯s arm to the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo, biting into it and using all its strength to try and pull it out. ¡°Push harder, Xiao Qian.¡± Su Jie also stepped forward to help. A single Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo was worth more than ten thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones. If he could take it, Su Jie could walk horizontally in the Ghost Ridge Palace. However, Su Jie underestimated such a divine object; no matter how hard the thousand-hand centipede struggled, the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo did not budge at all. Indeed, having withstood the impact of the Taoist currents before, its stability could be imagined. Hiss hiss! All six pairs of wings on the back of the thousand-hand centipede vibrated, it exerted itself with all its might, slightly shaking the entire tall tower, yet the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo did not show the slightest intention to move. Su Jie¡¯s Divine Sense perceived, following the roots of the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo, that the bamboo¡¯s roots not only spread throughout the entire tower but also had covered a large area of Rao Yang Lake, the roots growing to a depth of more than a thousand meters underground. This stability was beyond the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s ability to shake. Su Jie¡¯s enhanced Divine Sense, could even see each root bifurcation, its surface covered in dense, mysterious runes and Array Patterns radiating dazzling divine light. ¡°Forget it, seems I am fated yet bereft of this bamboo.¡± Su Jie carried the thousand-hand centipede back, the creature still not willing to give in, constantly shooting Purple Light Rays at the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo without causing any damage. After taking the thousand-hand centipede back into his sleeve, Su Jie waved his hand at Han Ruyan, ¡°It¡¯s time for us to retreat, my love. We¡¯ll lift the blockade here after we get some distance.¡± ¡°What a pity, we can¡¯t destroy it here.¡± Han Ruyan tilted her head, pointing at the Array Eye of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. As the void crack had already closed, they couldn¡¯t use the Tao River to destroy the Array Eye, leaving them unable to deal with the core Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo of the array. ¡°Stop thinking about it. If we destroy it now, it¡¯ll immediately draw those seven Secret Realm Elders of Guan Chao Pavilion back to besiege us.¡± Shaking his head, Su Jie added that they were only twenty kilometers away from the battlefield, and aside from the fact that it was impossible to destroy it, even if they could, the ruckus caused by breaking the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array would be too great. Twenty kilometers was too short a distance for those Secret Realm Elders; Su Jie wasn¡¯t confident he could shake them off. If he could get his hands on the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo, Su Jie would be willing to seek fortune amidst danger. Otherwise, there was no need to take the risk. More importantly, Su Jie had already laid mines within the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array; if Guan Chao Pavilion didn¡¯t use it, that would be fine, but if they did, there would be quite a spectacle to witness. After saying that, Su Jie began to extract himself from this troubling place, flying out of the tower window and soaring into the high sky. Soon after Su Jie had left, Han Ruyan extinguished her own eerie powers. The tower housing the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array saw its white Papermen swiftly self-combust, turning into bits of ash scattering in the air. As Su Jie entered the Tao River, Han Ruyan was not idle. She caused massacres throughout the tower while also obstructing the spread of information, to prevent those seven Secret Realm Elders from noticing. As the Papermen one by one self-ignited, those Array Masters and disciples from Guan Chao Pavilion who survived in the tower were overjoyed, immediately relaying the news to the Secret Realm Elders outside. The six Secret Realm Elders of Guan Chao Pavilion who were pursuing Mu Yue received the news, each of them shocked and dismayed. ¡°Disaster, this is the enemy¡¯s ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain; we¡¯ve been tricked, hurry back.¡± The Elder from the Secret Realm Fifth Level who carried a heavy sword, named Qi Liangwei, had just defeated that demonic woman in combat. His heart brimming with pride, he led the team to hunt down the last of the demon cultivator remnants. Caught off guard with the news from behind, Qi Liangzhi could no longer smile; his face turned pale as he led his team in a hurried retreat. Mu Yue had no idea what had happened, but the fact that her pursuers had left her to survive on her own left her with no time to waste. Seeing a glimmer of hope for survival, she flew even further away without pausing for breath. Meanwhile, Qi Liangzhi, who had rushed back to the tower, was unable to contain his fury upon seeing the devastation there. The place was littered with corpses and blood everywhere. More than half of the Array Masters had been injured or killed, and many of the Array Patterns had been damaged. ¡°It¡¯s over, the Array Eye couldn¡¯t possibly have been...¡± Despair filled Qi Liangzhi¡¯s heart. While the outer defenses could be repaired and rebuilt, if the Array Eye was destroyed, the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array would truly be ruined. The Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array was an immensely costly endeavor for Guan Chao Pavilion, consuming untold resources. If it were destroyed like this, even as a Secret Realm Elder assigned to guard it, he¡¯d face serious punishment. Rushing to the thirty-sixth floor, the place was in shambles, with the traces of the Tao¡¯s energy impact clearly visible to the naked eye. However, much to Qi Liangzhi¡¯s relief, the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo at the core of the Array Eye was still in its proper place. ¡°Thank the heavens, the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo is unharmed.¡± ¡°Those demon cultivators are ruthless, sacrificing the lives of three Secret Realm Elders just to destroy our Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array.¡± ¡°Luckily, our Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo¡¯s defense is high. It seems that Elder Li Yujun has been poisoned as well. If I find out who did this, I¡¯ll flay them and pull out their tendons.¡± The Secret Realm Elders present, like Qi Liangzhi, showed a look of evident relief on their faces. Qi Liangzhi approached cautiously, beginning to check the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo and the Array Eye below. Being well-versed in formations and possessing strong combat capabilities, he¡¯d been assigned this protective duty. ¡°These are bite marks from some fierce insect; what kind of bug could leave bite marks on the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo?¡± Qi Liangzhi soon noticed faint bite marks in a row on the Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo. The Ten Thousand Spirit Bamboo was extremely durable; even top grade magical artifacts would not leave a scratch on it. Yet now, a row of teeth marks had been left behind. Although these teeth marks were not a major concern, they indicated that the enemies who had attacked the tower this time were not to be underestimated. ¡°The enemy is the Corpse Head Man Slaughter from Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± However, it didn¡¯t take long for the other surviving Array Masters and disciples to continually recount their encounters with the enemy and to analyze the battle traces at the scene, ultimately confirming the identity of Su Jie as the attacker. ¡°Su Jie, again this devil. Report the events here to the sect truthfully and at once. We need to strengthen our defenses to prevent that devil from harboring any lingering hopes and striking back at us.¡± A stony-faced Qi Liangzhi held a scale in his left hand, which the thousand-hand centipede had shed when buffeted by the Tao. His right hand was playing with the ash on the ground, where traces of that cold, eerie power still lingered. According to intelligence, Su Jie had a terrifying female ghost by his side. In Ghost Ridge Palace, the only person who played with ghosts was Su Jie, making the identity of the attacker easy to deduce. While Qi Liangzhi was on high alert, fearing Su Jie may still wish to destroy the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, little did he know that Su Jie had already shifted his target elsewhere. Chapter 473 - 473 314 Revenge ?Chapter 473: Chapter 314: Revenge Chapter 473: Chapter 314: Revenge An Yue City. As the lanterns were just being lit, aboard the Purple Garden Flower Boat. Two maidservants were carefully holding medicinal herbs, bustling about in front of a jade bed. On the bed, a woman was lying prone, receiving wound cleaning treatment from the maids. Thump! One of the young women didn¡¯t grasp her strength properly, and it was slightly excessive. The next moment, a scarlet light flashed, and the maid¡¯s beautiful head rolled to the ground. Her eyes were wide open, seemingly in disbelief that she had brought about her own untimely demise. ¡°Elder, spare my life.¡± The other maidservant knelt down with a thud, fear filling her eyes. ¡°Useless, if you can¡¯t even do a small task properly, what use are you to keep around.¡± Mu Yue grunted, irritation in her heart as red light shone in her eyes. Seeing the murderous intent in Mu Yue¡¯s eyes, the other maidservant turned pale with fright. Just as she turned around, her head similarly fell off. After killing them, the irritability in Mu Yue¡¯s eyes eased somewhat. Her irritation stemmed from her wounds; at the moment, Mu Yue¡¯s bare back was exposed, her skin as delicate and white as milk. However, on her smooth, snowy back, there were terrifying scars that marred her beauty. These scars were from sword slashes; her flesh was cut and peeled back, revealing the squirming of her internal organs. For Mu Yue of the Secret Realm, she wasn¡¯t lacking in Healing Pills, but inside these wounds, her whole body¡¯s meridians kept pulsating and collapsing, as if being struck by waves, causing blood vessels to rupture and meridians to break at times, and once she exerted herself, she would spew large mouthfuls of blood and turn pale. This was a Cultivation Technique from the Guan Chao Pavilion called ¡°Thousand Layers Water Scripture,¡± which could use Spiritual Energy to stir up myriad giant waves, but also invade the body and destroy the blood vessels and meridians. Mu Yue, who had just escaped back to this place this afternoon, now had her cultivation almost half ruined, with only one-tenth of her strength remaining. It would take at least a year and a half for her to recover from her injuries. For someone at the top of the Secret Realm like Mu Yue, this was absolutely a heavy blow. But being able to escape from the encirclement of seven from the Secret Realm was already fortunate for Mu Yue, especially considering that the three others who had accompanied her had already succumbed to their fates. ¡°Su Jie, I will not rest until I kill you...¡± With intense murderous intent in her eyes, Mu Yue thought of Su Jie, the main culprit who had caused her to end up in such a state. Although those from the Guan Chao Pavilion had attacked her, Mu Yue was well aware that seeking revenge against the Guan Chao Pavilion was just asking for suffering; only Su Jie was within her grasp. Rolling over to get up from the bed, Mu Yue clenched her teeth against the pain and started to clean the wounds on her back by herself, following the injuries. And Mu Yue didn¡¯t know that the very Su Jie she was so fixated on had already sought her out. ... ¡°Mr. Su, please come inside quickly.¡± At the entrance of the Purple Garden Flower Boat, Su Jie, wearing a brocade robe and gently swinging a folding fan, took on the appearance of a young gentleman as he stepped onto An Yue City¡¯s most famous flower boat. Seeing Su Jie, a madam who was greeting guests at the entrance immediately approached him with a welcoming smile. ¡°There seems to be quite a crowd here.¡± Walking jauntily into the spacious interior, Su Jie entered a large hall within the boat. It was adorned with long silken banners and colored sails, and the furniture, carved from redwood and embellished with gold leaf and pearls, exuded opulence and splendor. ?¦Ï???.?¦Ï Within the hall, women with graceful figures and charming faces were reciting poetry, grinding ink, playing music, and engaging in conversation with the guests. The cabin also displayed various flower vases and incense burners, emitting a faint fragrance and enticing aroma that refreshed the spirit and subtly stimulated, enticing the innermost desires of men. ¡°What kind of interesting activities do you have here?¡± He casually tossed a few silver ingots, delighting the madam as her eyes lit up at the sight of the lavish patron. ¡°Seeing as Mr. Su is unfamiliar here, this must be your first visit to our Purple Garden Flower Boat. We have singing and dancing performances, and you can also engage in drinking and poetry with the literati here. You could fence to liven up the mood, and we have clean officials for company. Bai Lian, come accompany this gentleman.¡± The madam brought over a pretty woman dressed in a white skirt, with a slender figure and an innocent-looking face. ¡°How should I address you, sir? My name is Bai Lian, and I¡¯m at your service.¡± Bai Lian bowed slightly, her face showing just the right amount of smile, like her namesake, as if a white lotus were blooming. As she spoke, Bai Lian approached him proactively, though still maintaining a reserved air, not making any overly intimate gestures. ¡°My surname is Su. I¡¯ve heard that An Yue City has Four Great Courtesans, all on your Purple Garden Flower Boat. Have them come out and let me have a look.¡± Su Jie scanned the surroundings, speaking very arrogantly. ¡°Mr. Su, the courtesans don¡¯t just come out to greet guests like this. You need to first gain their approval to have the chance to pour out your heart.¡± The madam shook her head repeatedly, tactfully refusing Su Jie¡¯s request. ¡°Mr. Su, did Bai Lian do something to displease you?¡± Bai Lian showed an apt trace of sorrow on her face, her delicate frame swaying like a willow, invoking pity. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re not my target.¡± Su Jie pinched Bai Lian¡¯s cheek and took out a gold bar from his bosom, slapping it onto the table. The dazzling gold bar shone brightly under the light. Bai Lian¡¯s eyes sparkled with heat, noting Su Jie¡¯s generosity and wealth. Though she was a Cultivator, she was only an Outer Disciple of the Desire Sect. Gold was also a spiritual material, and if she could attract Su Jie¡¯s heart and make him fall head over heels for her, wouldn¡¯t that mean a considerable fortune in the future? ¡°Mr. Su, that¡¯s not how things are done here; the courtesans aren¡¯t swayed by money alone. You need to show sincerity. If you¡¯re genuinely interested, I can tell you about the courtesans personally. While I can¡¯t guarantee that you¡¯ll get to meet them, I can assure you that you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Chapter 474 - 474 314 Retribution_2 ?Chapter 474: Chapter 314: Retribution_2 Chapter 474: Chapter 314: Retribution_2 Bai Lian naturally linked arms with Su Jie, her bewitching technique on full display, her body exuding a hazy and enchanting charm, drawing the gaze of nearby guests. ¡°What rules, is it just because the money isn¡¯t enough? Are ten gold bars sufficient? If not, then a hundred.¡± Su Jie placed the gold bars onto the table one by one, displaying an attitude as if money meant nothing to him. Upon seeing these gold bars, innumerable eyes within the flower boat turned their gaze. Although many high-ranking officials and nobles here would throw their money around, they all used silver notes and had their servants handle the payment, someone like Su Jie, who personally flaunted his wealth to make a point, was a first. ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°Who is this guy with such boldness?¡± ¡°Never seen him before, probably from some other state, he looks very unfamiliar.¡± ¡°He does seem a bit familiar to me, I think I¡¯ve seen his face somewhere.¡± A group of guests whispered among themselves, not daring to slander due to the unclear origins of Su Jie. If it had been an ordinary person causing a ruckus here, they would have been chased out with sticks long ago. A glint flashed in Bai Lian¡¯s eyes, as she looked in a certain direction where her Charming Illusion Technique was subtly cast. The madam had a troubled look on her face and was about to speak when a voice came from nearby, ¡°Where is this bumpkin rich tycoon from? This is not the place for you to act wildly. And let go of Miss Bai Lian immediately, being with you is such a waste.¡± A young master with a floating step and a pale face, clearly drained by alcohol and lust, approached, his body reeking of alcohol, seemingly unable to stand Su Jie¡¯s behavior any longer and wanting to step in. Meanwhile, Bai Lian, by Su Jie¡¯s side, suppressed the strange light in her eyes; this young master was one of her forbidden delights. She had planted a seed of enchantment in him during their moments of passion, and now, he was easily lured by a gentle persuasive technique. ¡°Mr. Su, Young Master Lin, let¡¯s talk this out nicely, peace brings wealth to all,¡± Bai Lian clasped Su Jie¡¯s arm, tiptoeing to whisper in his ear: ¡°Mr. Su, that is the second son of Lin¡¯s Trading House in An Yue City; let¡¯s not get into a fight with him. I will mediate for you and ensure you won¡¯t have any problems.¡± Continuously casting her bewitching technique, Bai Lian was confident that leveraging her good deed would soon ensnare Su Jie, making him fall hopelessly in love with her. What puzzled Bai Lian was that Su Jie hadn¡¯t looked her directly in the eye from beginning to end, making her feel that today¡¯s bewitching technique was somewhat ineffective. A faint smile appeared on Su Jie¡¯s face as he looked over. ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯m talking about you. The oiran here sell their arts, not their bodies. You think you can see her just because you have some stinky money. Believe it or not, I...¡± The fury on Young Master Lin¡¯s face was visible, and he was about to spout profanities when suddenly, he noticed Su Jie¡¯s eyes turning deep purple. Whoosh! The Purple Light Ray burst forth, illuminating the flower boat¡¯s hall as bright as daylight; the air temperature skyrocketed, accompanied by the smell of scorching air, and Young Master Lin¡¯s entire upper body was melted. The Purple Light Ray¡¯s momentum didn¡¯t stop and even pierced through the cabin, with a silhouette seen fleeing from inside the boat. As Su Jie maintained the Purple Light Ray, and followed the movement of his eyes, the beam traced the trajectory of the figure, covering it. The Purple Light Ray plunged into the canal water, evaporating it into mist after mist, reaching the river bottom and creating a hole a zhang in diameter on the water¡¯s surface. The nearby water boiled under the high temperature, and fish and shrimp turned belly-up on the surface, while faintly, a woman¡¯s scream could be heard. The madam was stunned, Bai Lian was dumbfounded, and all the surrounding guests were shocked. Just a moment ago, there was a squabble, and suddenly someone was left with only half their body, and that magic... The dignitaries and nobles swallowed hard, for they were not entirely unfamiliar with cultivators. Many of them had loose cultivators as Guest Elders in their homes, but those were generally of low cultivation, without many powerful magics at their disposal. The power of the magic that Su Jie had just used exceeded their imaginations. Bai Lian, who was close to Su Jie, tensed up even more; she could feel the depth of the spiritual power within him, like a vast ocean, unfathomable, that he had unleashed with his attack. ¡°Since the oiran won¡¯t see me, I¡¯ll just have to invite her out myself. By the way, I¡¯m quite curious, which sect do all of you come from?¡± Su Jie stroked his chin, gazing at the river surface with a playful look in his eyes. ¡°They are enemies.¡± The young women of Purple Garden Flower Boat present at the scene were like facing a formidable enemy, surrounding Su Jie with caution as they could tell he had come looking for trouble. Above the river surface, a woman in a wretched state leaped out of the water, treading on it, her eyes glued on Su Jie. This person was none other than Mu Yue, a senior Elder from the Desire Sect. Her left arm had vanished from sight at this moment, dissolved by the Purple Light Ray moments ago. Already severely injured, her strength had plummeted to the lowest point in her history, and Su Jie¡¯s sudden attack nearly killed her on the spot, had it not been for her quick reaction. ¡°Su... Su Jie.¡± Once Mu Yue got a clear view of Su Jie¡¯s face, she immediately understood everythinga?€¡±it was definitely Su Jie seeking revenge. ¡°Sister, I hope you are well. Although this is our first formal meeting, I have long admired you. You must be Yu Wenxian¡¯s elder, right? You have gone through so much trouble to find me, and now I have come to you. Isn¡¯t that a surprising and unexpected delight?¡± Su Jie revealed a smile full of white teeth, but this smile appeared particularly chilling and terrifying in Mu Yue¡¯s eyes. ¡°What, he¡¯s Su Jie? I remember now, he¡¯s a demon cultivator, a wanted criminal.¡± Some on the flower boat recognized Su Jie¡¯s identity, and fear instantly spread to everyone there. ¡°Mr. Su, please let me leave. I...¡± Bai Lian exerted her full strength to use the Bewitching Technique, a pink mist enveloping Su Jie as she realized who she had provoked, having heard of his reputation. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to leave! Weren¡¯t you so eager to get close to me just now?¡± Su Jie suddenly embraced Bai Lian, exerting a sudden and monstrous strength in his arms. The force, more terrifying than a hydraulic press, made Bai Lian scream as her ribcage shattered and her flesh and organs were crushed into pulp, dying in Su Jie¡¯s arms. Bang! Su Jie let go, and Bai Lian¡¯s body slumped lifelessly at his feet, as countless onlookers watched the scene in horror. ¡°Now, let the main show begin.¡± Su Jie snapped his fingers, Mu Yue¡¯s face turned pale, and her body took off into the sky at high speed. Boom! A gaping maw burst forth beneath Mu Yue, engulfing her. The Thousand-Handed Centipede leaped out of the water, growing in size with each meter it ascended until it became a massive 120-meter behemoth that cast a shadow over the flower boat like an eclipse. Its colossal size was not only visible here but could be seen by much of An Yue City. ¡°Secret Realm.¡± The female disciples of the Desire Sect on the Purple Garden Flower Boat saw the disparity between the two and watched as the Elder, Mu Yue, fled high into the sky in a truly wretched escape. They certainly did not dare to confront Su Jie and turned to flee across the water. Behind Su Jie, the figure of Han Ruyan appeared, silently watching the fleeing female disciples of the Desire Sect. ¡°My dear, leave those women to you. Keep one alive for interrogation.¡± Su Jie stepped forward, and the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword turned into a beam of light, rapidly chasing after Mu Yue. Mu Yue wanted to escape, but each time she tried to summon her Spiritual Power, her blood would surge like violent tides, rupturing her veins and causing her to spew blood incessantly. ¡°Tsk tsk, looks like I arrived just in time. I take great pleasure in bullying the weak and infirm.¡± Su Jie pursued her relentlessly, spotting the ailment in Mu Yue¡¯s body and not hurrying to catch up; he kept tailing her, allowing her wounds to worsen and her to bleed out more extensively. ¡°You despicable scoundrel, if only my body were sound...¡± Mu Yue saw through Su Jie¡¯s plan, her eyes filled with jealousy and rage. She stopped abruptly, and a red light flashed by. In front of Su Jie, the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword blocked the red lighta?€¡±it was a Red Refining Flying Sword, a Top Grade Magical Artifact. ¡°If you¡¯re not running, then you¡¯ll die by my hands.¡± A sly smile curled on the corner of Su Jie¡¯s mouth, as the huge shadow of the Thousand-Handed Centipede blocked Mu Yue¡¯s retreat, trapping her completely. Chapter 475 - 475 315 Execution in Ambush ?Chapter 475: Chapter 315: Execution in Ambush Chapter 475: Chapter 315: Execution in Ambush ¡°When did you realize we were tracking you? Setting up a trap to kill someone by borrowing someone else¡¯s hand, your young age belies such a malicious mind.¡± Mu Yue, knowing she couldn¡¯t escape, glared at Su Jie through gritted teeth. If it wasn¡¯t for Rao Yang Lake being struck by Guan Chao Pavilion, how could she have been so embarrassingly hunted down by Su Jie? ¡°Thanks for the compliment, ¡®malicious¡¯ is a term of endearment for us Demon Cultivators! As for when I discovered you, when did you start thinking the Tracking Powder deployed by Yu Wenxian could elude my perception?¡± Su Jie caressed the icy blade of the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, and although he was smiling, his eyes overflowed with nothing but a cold killing intent. Mu Yue¡¯s complexion turned ugly, not expecting her plan to go awry at the very beginning. ¡°I¡¯m quite curious, why were you looking for me? Speak, and I¡¯ll leave your corpse intact.¡± ¡°Promise to let me leave, and I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want a dignified death, then there¡¯s nothing more to say.¡± Su Jie¡¯s gaze turned indifferent, and he coldly uttered two words: ¡°Thunder, come.¡± Boom boom boom! Heavenly Thunder roared like dragons, the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder striking towards Mu Yue. ¡°Break!¡± Mu Yue tried to use the Sword Qi from her Red Refining Flying Sword to counteract the Heavenly Thunder. However, the power of the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder greatly exceeded her expectations. Just as she managed to block a few thunders, her injuries impacted her Spiritual Power¡¯s continuity, and her Flying Sword was blasted away. She found herself caught in the bombardment of the Heavenly Thunder, her skin cracking from the electricity, her bodily fluids evaporated. ¡°Joyful Zen Sitting Statue!¡± Fear flashed in Mu Yue¡¯s eyes as she sat down cross-legged on the ground, palms together in a meditation pose. At that moment, a circle of golden light emanated from behind Mu Yue¡¯s head, as if she truly possessed the aspect of a Buddha. Thunder exploded on the surface of her body but failed to harm her flesh. However, this situation did not last a few seconds before Su Jie intensified his attack. The Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder faintly shimmered with a hint of gold, its power raised yet another notch. Mu Yue¡¯s screams rang out immediately because the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder shattered her defense. Su Jie¡¯s gains in the Tao River were huge; his Primordial Spirit had reached the Perfect Realm of the current stage. Since the power of Divine Skills was linked to the strength of the Primordial Spirit, the power of the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder also surged. If Mu Yue had not been injured, Su Jie certainly wouldn¡¯t have broken through her defenses so easily. But who told her to lack follow-through? Now, with just the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, Su Jie brutally tortured Mu Yue, leaving her with no power to fight back. ¡°Young Master, do I look beautiful to you?¡± Under the onslaught of the Heavenly Thunder Divine Skill, Mu Yue cast the Illusion Desire Technique, the strongest Illusion Technique of the Desire Sect. It was this technique that had immobilized seven cultivators from Guan Chao Pavilion previously. If she could trap Su Jie, she might have had the chance to escape. Pink veils spread and permeated the area, but Mu Yue did not know that Su Jie had already changed beyond recognition. ¡°Merely allure of flesh and bone trying to disturb my devil heart, all is illusion, all is but fleeting beauty.¡± Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit thundered chaotically, his immensely powerful Primordial Spirit utterly immune to the control of Illusion Technique. In the past, despite being a great distance away, Su Jie was pulled into memories of his college days by this Illusion Technique and was controlled for several minutes. But now, facing Mu Yue almost directly, such an Illusion Technique was instantly broken by Su Jie. The strength of his Primordial Spirit brought mental fortitude. The rampaging Thunder not only broke through the Illusion Technique but also struck Mu Yue like countless Thunder Spears, bombarding her from the sky and smashing her into the ground. Clink clatter! When Mu Yue lost her balance, her Red Refining Flying Sword swayed and was knocked away by the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword towards the thousand-hand centipede, which gripped it firmly, turning it into one of Su Jie¡¯s spoils of war. Looking at Mu Yue now, her whole body was charred, internal organs exposed to the air, limbs blasted off by the Thunder. Su Jie lived up to his word; he said he wouldn¡¯t leave her whole, and he didn¡¯t leave her whole. Once a beauty hard to forget, Mu Yue now resembled a charred piece of wood, a sight of ghastly despair. Mu Yue¡¯s mouth opened, all her teeth fallen out. Her torn vocal cords tried to emit a seductive sound, struggling in her last moments, unsure if to beg for mercy or to fight to the death. But no matter what Mu Yue intended to do, it was too late. As soon as Mu Yue opened her mouth, a white light streaked across the skya?€¡±it was the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword, bisecting her body. Thud! Expression frozen on her face, Mu Yue¡¯s head rolled from her neck. And just at that instant, a blue light suddenly flashed, heading straight for Su Jie¡¯s brain. That was Mu Yue¡¯s Divine Soul, which had already taken the form of a Primordial Spirit. Now this Primordial Spirit turned into a sword intent on piercing Su Jie¡¯s brain. ¡°Little devil, even in death, I¡¯ll drag you down with me.¡± An indignant voice transmitted from the Primordial Spirit Sword, whose sword-shaped illusion cut through every barrier. Su Jie watched calmly as the sword approached, confident that his Primordial Spirit could defend against this attack. In terms of Primordial Spirit, Su Jie was far stronger than Mu Yue; her longing for a joint demise was but wishful thinking. However, the combat between Divine Souls was exceedingly dangerous, and Su Jie opted for a safer measure. ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï A splendid golden membrane protected Su Jie all around; when the Primordial Spirit Sword landed on it, it was like sinking into a marsh, causing only a slight depression in the membrane, utterly unable to penetrate it. From Su Jie¡¯s chest, a golden Lotus suspended mid-air, three green leaves casting holy light, rendering Mu Yue¡¯s final struggle laughable. ¡°Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, our sect¡¯s sacred treasure is really on you. Wait, why are there only three leaves?¡± Chapter 476 - 476 315 Subdued and Punished_2 Chapter 476: Chapter 315: Subdued and Punished_2 On the Primordial Spirit Sword, Mu Yue¡¯s voice had changed. After seeing the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, her mind wavered in distraction, and she fell into complete despair. As the holy object of the Desire Sect, Mu Yue knew all too well how formidable the defense of the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus was. Although the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus in Su Jie¡¯s hand now only had three petals, it had not matured to the full nine petals. But under Su Jie¡¯s control, given Mu Yue¡¯s current state, there was no hope of breaking through it at all. ¡°Oh, your sect¡¯s holy object?¡± A contemplative look flashed in Su Jie¡¯s eyes, but his actions were swift. As he willed it, while the Primordial Spirit Sword was slightly entangled by the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus, hundreds of thunders enveloped Mu Yue¡¯s Primordial Spirit Sword. Only the wails could be heard, as the divine skill of the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, rooted in the Divine Soul, naturally could damage the sharp sword constructed by Mu Yue¡¯s Primordial Spirit¡ªand the damage was extremely severe. In an instant, the Primordial Spirit Sword shattered in the middle, equivalent to tearing the Primordial Spirit in two, a fate a hundred times more painful than being cut at the waist. ¡°Was it you who planted the initial Nine-leaf Holy Lotus within the bounds of Ghost Ridge Palace? Did you want to utilise the Qingliu Earth Spirit River within Ghost Ridge Palace to allow the Nine-grade Sacred Lotus to truly mature, so you arranged for Yu Wenxian to infiltrate and spy on Ghost Ridge Palace?¡± Su Jie made his conjecture, as more heavenly thunders continued to cover it. ¡°My sect will not let you go.¡± Mu Yue¡¯s torn Primordial Spirit could no longer maintain the sword form, her resentful eyes seething with towering hatred. ¡°Haha, you definitely won¡¯t have the chance to see that day,¡± said Su Jie with a wave of his hand. Although Mu Yue did not respond, her lack of denial was, to some extent, confirmation of the accuracy of Su Jie¡¯s conjecture. As Su Jie waved his hand, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner unfurled, and Mu Yue¡¯s fragmented Primordial Spirit couldn¡¯t resist being sucked into it, adding another dozen or so majestic and formidable Ghost Generals inside the Soul Banner. With this, Mu Yue, a powerful cultivator from the Secret Realm Fifth Level, fell at the hands of Su Jie. The entire battle was exceptionally easy, and Su Jie did not have a single scratch on him after the fight. The main reason was that Su Jie had strengthened his Primordial Spirit in the Tao River, while Mu Yue¡¯s injuries had weakened her. The disparity in strength meant that the battle was a complete rout. After collecting Mu Yue¡¯s Storage Bag, Su Jie cleaned up the battlefield. After finishing all this, Su Jie once again rode the thousand-hand centipede and returned to the canal on the north side of An Yue City. As he flew over An Yue City, Su Jie could sense the covert and probing gazes of cultivators below. These cultivators included Loose Cultivators, cultivators from noble families, and even those from the government¡¯s Heavenly Patrol Department of the Da Li Dynasty, which was responsible for enforcing laws against demon beasts, Demon Cultivators, and ghosts. They all dared only to watch from a distance and did not dare to approach and intervene during the previous fight between Su Jie and Mu Yue. Su Jie even sensed the presence of a Secret Realm aura among them, most probably one of the ancient family patriarchs or someone from the Heavenly Patrol Department. However, this Secret Realm entity chose not to reveal itself, clearly not wishing to make an enemy of Su Jie. Although everyone is responsible for fighting against Demon Cultivators, the reality is that without sufficient benefits, the risk is too high. Only those new disciples who have just started might be naive enough to fight to the death against Demon Cultivators without due consideration. After suffering setbacks, most tend to become more calculating, understanding the principle of advancing or retreating according to the situation, seeking benefits and avoiding harm. Su Jie did not go out of his way to kill and silence them; the commotion from the recent confrontation had almost the whole city of An Yue alerted. Unless Su Jie committed a massacre, it would be near impossible to prevent the leak of information. Upon landing back on the flower boat, Su Jie saw several bodies lying to one side; in the river, bodies surfaced and submerged, carried downstream by the currents¡ªvictims of collateral damage from those who had been on the boat before the battle, now dead. On the flower boat, more female demon cultivators had been captured by Han Ruyan, their heads covered with red bridal veils, each of them rigid and motionless. ¡°Did you kill them?¡± Han Ruyan stood at the prow, quietly watching Su Jie¡¯s return. ¡°Killed. The Primordial Spirit has greatly bolstered the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.¡± Su Jie reported the results of the battle and then turned his attention to the captives Han Ruyan had brought back. What followed was naturally an interrogation. Despite being female devil heads and demon cultivators, they couldn¡¯t endure the excruciating pain of the Ten Thousand Insects Devouring Body much longer than the disciples of the Righteous sects could. This pain, worse than death, made them only wish for a quick end, revealing everything they knew to Su Jie. After the interrogation, there were no survivors aboard the flower boat. Su Jie had already learned the information he wanted, and one could imagine the fate of these captives. Although they were beautiful women, Su Jie did not hesitate at all when he took action. ¡°Desire Sect, practicing Yang Absorption and Yin Supplementation, capturing talented cultivators as cauldrons for cultivation, an all-female cultivator¡¯s Demon Sect, I think I understand why they came after me.¡± From the interrogation, Su Jie learned the origins of these female demon cultivators. Connecting this with Yu Wenxian¡¯s situation and the information about the Desire Sect, Su Jie had guessed why Yu Wenxian and the Desire Sect sought him out. Clearly, it was the reputation of Su Jie¡¯s Immortal Seed that had made the Desire Sect covet his body, wishing to abduct Su Jie to use as a cauldron for cultivation. ¡°Truly a group of female devils, so utterly cruel,¡± Su Jie lamented while standing amidst a pile of corpses. ¡°However, to think of making me into a cauldron, living off women might be pleasant, but being used by them until drained dry, that¡¯s something I¡¯ll pass on.¡± Stretching lazily, Su Jie muttered to himself. In Su Jie¡¯s mind, such matters didn¡¯t cause a ripple; as long as he was strong enough, it was yet to be seen who would capture whom. Without staying any longer, Su Jie erased the traces of battle and then took off into the sky with his spoils of war. As he passed over An Yue City again, riding atop the thousand-hand centipede, he left behind a legend among the terrified and trembling viewers. ... The night was like ink, fathomlessly deep, with the sky cloaked by thick clouds. Only occasionally did moonlight slip through the gaps, casting a silver gloss over the earth. In the distance, the mountains undulated like ancient behemoths, quietly slumbering in the depths of the night. But upon closer inspection, one of the peaks was not a mountain at all, but a horrifying Poisonous Centipede with hundreds of pale human hands and over a hundred meters long. Su Jie, who had just left An Yue City, was sitting on the head of the thousand-hand centipede, with a red Top Grade Magical Artifact Flying Sword named Red Refining Flame Light Sword on his knee. This Flying Sword was on par with the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword. Once Su Jie finished refining it and erased the prohibitions left by Mu Yue, he thought it and the Red Refining Flame Light Sword flew out swiftly. Wherever the sword passed, trees and boulders were successively pierced, and the trees it penetrated caught fire, turning into charcoal ash that scattered all around. When the sword passed through the rocks, the solid stone turned into dripping magma, spreading everywhere, and a forest fire seemed imminent. Woosh woosh! The thousand-hand centipede beneath him fluttered its six pairs of wings, whipping up a fierce wind and water flow that extinguished the fire, leaving behind land smoldering with wisps of blue smoke. ¡°What a great sword!¡± Su Jie couldn¡¯t help smiling. Mu Yue really was kind; this spoils of war pleased Su Jie immensely. And that wasn¡¯t all the Gold Coins Mu Yue had yielded. Along with the Red Refining Flame Light Sword, the various Spirit Stones and Materials Su Jie retrieved from Mu Yue¡¯s Storage Bag were collectively worth a million Spirit Stones. As a seasoned cultivator from the Secret Realm Fifth Level, Mu Yue¡¯s wealth was clearly a notch above that of a typical cultivator from the Secret Realm and had given Su Jie the most Gold Coins. ¡°Hurry up and dig a hole, Xiao Qian, I¡¯ll give you a boost,¡± commanded Su Jie as he patted the head of the thousand-hand centipede. Understanding Su Jie¡¯s intentions, the excited centipede gave a screeching cry and took flight, quickly finding a suitable site and rapidly excavating a massive subterranean cavern¡ªa hiding place large enough to shelter itself. Once they were concealed underground, Su Jie was generous. He took out the Spirit Stones he just obtained from Mu Yue and fed them to the thousand-hand centipede, strengthening the creature¡¯s last eyes and internal organs. After this round of enhancements, every part of the thousand-hand centipede had been strengthened. To talk of it, Su Jie had spent over three million Spirit Stones to enhance the thousand-hand centipede, but the increase in combat power brought about was so significant that even a Top Grade Seven Refinements poisonous insect might not be a match for it. Chapter 477 - 477 316 God Unification Chapter 477: Chapter 316: God Unification Su Jie was controlling the strengthening of the thousand-hand centipede with ease, having had multiple experiences, he was now well-versed in this process, and he planned to do another thing. ¡°Wife, help me protect the law.¡± Su Jie said to Han Ruyan. Han Ruyan didn¡¯t speak but simply waved her hand to create a number of papermen, while also releasing the Mirror Girl and the Lantern Ghost. After Su Jie had set up the formation to ensure protection, he took a deep breath, and his Primordial Spirit leapt out from the top of his head in an instant. Looking at it now, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was as big as Su Jie¡¯s physical body, without any difference. Initially, the Divine Soul was only a ball of light; at this stage, a Cultivator strengthens the Divine Soul by making the ball of light grow limbs and facial features. Upon completing this step, one could achieve the Primordial Spirit, which at that stage looked like a baby, only a few dozen centimeters tall and very cartoonish. The process of strengthening the Primordial Spirit involved transforming from the baby form, gradually maturing until it was indistinguishable from a real person, perfectly unifying the Primordial Spirit with the physical body. This state of the Divine Soul was then known as God Unification, signifying the unity of spirit and flesh, with the Primordial Spirit corresponding to the physical body. Typically, only upon breaking through to the Taoist Platform Realm, one could complete the God Unification¡ªa very mysterious domain, accessible only at the Taoist Platform Realm. However, after devouring a great deal in the Tao River, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit had already grown to be indistinguishable from his physical body. That also meant that Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit was complete and ready to make the breakthrough into the God Unification Domain. Above the Primordial Spirit, countless points and lines of light appeared internally. Upon closer inspection, these points and lines of light corresponded to the acupoints and channels of Su Jie¡¯s physical body. The next moment, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit dove back into his body. A massive amount of Soul Power began to scan Su Jie¡¯s body, recording every change of his physical body one-to-one into the Primordial Spirit, achieving perfect coordination and unity. In the process, after the Primordial Spirit returned to its cavity bringing along immense Soul Power and flushing through the limbs and bones, corresponding one-to-one with the physical body. Su Jie¡¯s body began to change as well; stars began to shine through from his flesh and blood. The jade-like Divine Marrow and pale golden Spirit Blood within Su Jie, every cell in his body jubilant, absorbing the feedback from the Primordial Spirit. In just a few dozen breaths¡¯ time, the kidney area inside Su Jie¡¯s body, like a fusion point successfully ignited, radiated endless brightness, overshadowing the starlight of the acupoints, and with the sound of surging tides, Su Jie began to attempt to cultivate his kidney area into an inner god. The Kidney is Water, and when Su Jie began to refine his kidney area, his kidneys emitted a vast ocean-like blue halo, lighting up the entire underground space, making it exceptionally clear. The Primordial Spirit and physical body interact with each other, with a strong body being able to strengthen the Primordial Spirit. Similarly, the growth of the Primordial Spirit can also nourish and enhance the physical body. An hour later, a gigantic pond had formed under Su Jie¡¯s feet, condensed from the water in the environment, a natural phenomenon that occurred when the Kidney Body God was being formed. Su Jie was sitting cross-legged above this pond when gradually, waves began to stir on the surface. Even though there was no wind in the underground space, the pond, like the ocean, began to churn, sending wave after wave crashing against the surrounding soil. Boom! A fountain jetted from the pond, and Su Jie soared into the sky along with it. The fountain flowed and surged under Su Jie¡¯s feet, propelling him into midair. With a light clench of his fist, the air exploded, and the water droplets scattered in all directions, each one like a bullet, leaving the surroundings riddled with holes. And the water kept flowing, as if it would never be exhausted. The Kidney is Water, and when the Kidney Body God was unleashed, the endurance of the Spiritual Power could be increased. Considering the upcoming Sect war, Su Jie chose to refine the Kidney Body God to give himself more combat endurance. At this point, Su Jie had successively refined his heart, lungs, and kidneys, enhancing burning damage, armor-piercing damage, and endurance respectively, preparing himself for the Sect War. ¡°Secret Storage Three Level Realm, Kidney Water God!¡± A smile appeared on Su Jie¡¯s face, his cultivation realm, with the activation of the Kidney Body God, had also reached the Third Level of Secret Realm. Without the feedback from the Primordial Spirit, it would have been impossible for Su Jie to advance to another cultivation realm in such a short period of time. When Su Jie¡¯s physical body made a breakthrough, the Primordial Spirit also finally completed the collection of all the microscopic details of the body, leaping out above his head again, sitting in the void, with a red cloak fluttering behind the Primordial Spirit, lending Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit a majestic and awe-inspiring presence, as Su Jie prepared for the final breakthrough. Having gained so much from the Tao River, Su Jie¡¯s breakthrough was exceedingly smooth, coming naturally like a river flowing into a channel. Su Jie could vividly feel the changes in his Primordial Spirit. As more and more acupoints and channels densely emerged on the Primordial Spirit, countless microscopic structures formed, rapidly solidifying the texture of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit. If one had looked at Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit in the past, there would be a sense of illusion, akin to viewing a person through 3D virtual reality technology; even if their appearance was exactly the same, one could tell at first glance what was real and what was not. But now, as acupoints and channels were filled in, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit became more and more realistic. Even breathing, pores, body temperature, and heartbeat reproduced one by one, which is indicative of the God Unification Realm. Now, if an ordinary person were to look at Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell it apart from a real person at all. ¡°God Unification Domain, achieved.¡± A glint of joy flashed in Su Jie¡¯s eyes, feeling refreshed, as the Primordial Spirit of the God Unification Realm wasn¡¯t just solid in appearance, its power had also greatly increased. Chapter 478 - 478 316 God Unification_2 Chapter 478: Chapter 316: God Unification_2 If one were to say that his Primordial Spirit hitting someone was like a wooden stick in the past, now that its quality had solidified, the wooden stick had essentially upgraded into a solid steel rod, the enhancement of which one could easily imagine. Su Jie slowly raised his arm, and clouds, fierce winds, torrential rains, and thunder automatically converged in the palm of his hand. In the small square space of Su Jie¡¯s palm, a scene of violent storms vividly formed. Almost at the moment Su Jie achieved the Unification Realm, the nearby thousand-hand centipedes, sensing the Heavenly Might, began excitedly chirping and circling around Su Jie. Meanwhile, the Lantern Ghost and Mirror Girl summoned by Han Ruyan, both fifth-grade fierce ghosts, instinctively felt fear under the Heavenly Might, trembling fiercely. As beings of malevolent nature, the fifth-grade fierce ghosts weren¡¯t afraid of ordinary lightning, but the Heavenly Might thunder from Su Jie¡¯s God Unification Realm truly instilled deep fear in them. They felt that any random strike of that thunder could completely obliterate them, both body and spirit. Only Han Ruyan could withstand it, but a trace of astonishment flickered in her eyes, marveling at the strength of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit. Boom! Su Jie withdrew his hand, and the storms in his palm dissipated into nothingness, but in the outside world, the originally clear sky instantly darkened, covered with clouds, fierce winds howled, and lightning bolts like silver snakes twisted through the clouds, tearing the heavens and pounding the earth into deep pits. Within a thousand meters centered on Su Jie, the weather transformed instantly from clear to stormy. Such was the power of the Heavenly Might of God Unification. If outsiders knew of this, their jaws would surely drop in astonishment. Because God Unification was a level only achievable in the Taoist Platform Realm, and Su Jie completed it in the Secret Realm. Even for an Immortal Seed, this was extremely astonishing. The difficulty of enhancing the Primordial Spirit was much greater than that of the physical body. ¡°Thunder-like Heavenly Might! It indeed has something to do with Divine Skills.¡± Su Jie murmured to himself. Although his Primordial Spirit had transformed into the God Unification Domain, the most fitting Heavenly Might he could activate was thunder, maximizing the power. Su Jie then looked over his Primordial Spirit, which at this moment appeared no different from an ordinary person, except at the shoulders and top of the head of the Primordial Spirit, where three small flames floated in the void. These represented the soul fire of the three souls of humans: the Heavenly Soul, Earth Soul, and Human Soul, also known as soul fire. These flames were only the size of peas and seemed like they could be extinguished by a mere gust of wind. But in reality, these three souls were extremely terrifying. The Mirror Girl glanced over once more and her body spontaneously combusted, covered entirely by soul fire, emitting painful screams. If it weren¡¯t for Su Jie withdrawing the soul fire, the Mirror Girl would have been burnt to complete ash. Advancement in the God Unification Domain involved strengthening these three fires of the soul until they covered the whole body, integrated into every part of the Primordial Spirit. At that point, it would be the realm of Yang God. The Yang God, supremely strong and yang, immune to all evil, like a huge sun dominating the sky, absorbing the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, living for thousands of years. He could cause the sun and the moon to lose their way, the constellations to misalign. Below, he could cause solar anomalies and floods, all things failing to thrive. The greatest characteristic of the Divine Soul in the Yang God Domain isn¡¯t the so-called longevity and power, but that the Divine Soul can exist independently of the physical body for a long time. The term Yang God means the Divine Soul can live freely under the harsh sunlight. At this level, destroying his physical body isn¡¯t a surefire solution. If the counterpart¡¯s Divine Soul survives, and if it finds a compatible body, it can even achieve reincarnation through possession and start cultivation anew. Su Jie was still far from that level, and he was merely fantasizing about it. However, just as Su Jie intended to return his Primordial Spirit to his physical body, there was a disturbance in the Ancient Mirror within Su Jie¡¯s sea of consciousness. The Ancient Mirror emitted a profound yellow haze, its surface reflecting Su Jie¡¯s visage. ¡°Oh!¡± Su Jie¡¯s mind stirred, and he saw changes in the content of the mirror, showing an aura of the Great Tao that Su Jie was familiar with, and it was the Heavenly Dao from the Tianyuan World. ¡°Tao River? What is this showing me?¡± Just as this question rose in Su Jie¡¯s mind, a huge shadow suddenly appeared in the Ancient Mirror. ¡°Damn.¡± Su Jie¡¯s mouth unconsciously fell open as he saw the monster appearing on the mirror¡¯s surface, looking like a giant with countless massive hands stacked in a spiral, each palm with a single eye as deep as a black hole, shimmering with the light of intelligence, possessing the consciousness of a living creature. Seeming to sense Su Jie¡¯s gaze, the monster in the mirror suddenly blinked, and thousands of massive hands reached out, extending towards Su Jie. A terrifying aura that made Su Jie shiver swept over him, as if those countless hands were really about to come through. The surface of the Ancient Mirror flickered for a moment, the image in the mirror blurred, and the monster¡¯s form disappeared, replaced by a chaotic Tao River. Cold sweat streamed down Su Jie¡¯s face, although his Primordial Spirit did not sweat; however, the pressure from the monster just now made him feel like he was as weak as a baby before it. What surprised Su Jie even more was that this was not the end; the monster¡¯s figure appeared again on the Ancient Mirror, this time a different monster. Under Su Jie¡¯s wide-eyed gaze, one after another bizarre and massive creature entered his view from the mirror surface. There were those with flaming red hair and fiery eyes, six legs and four wings, faceless and corpulent bodies, wherever they passed, space turned into raging flames. There were those with the body of a bird and the face of a human, covered in golden scales, commanding a chariot pulled by Nine Dragons, their movements accompanied by thunder and lightning. There were those with the heads of pythons and bodies of humans, having eight arms and three eyes like the moon, and thousands of legs under their bellies, their cries causing all things to crumble to ruins. One after another, these terrifying and grotesque creatures flashed across the Ancient Mirror, every one of them making Su Jie feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy, his scalp tingling. ¡°Could it be that there really lives such a group of monsters in the Tao River, and they are being reflected by the Ancient Mirror?¡± Su Jie was shocked, suddenly recalling his own experience of traveling through the Tao River, shivering involuntarily. If he had encountered such monsters in the Tao River at that time, he probably would have been devoured in a single bite as if he were just a snack. Minutes later, all images in the Ancient Mirror disappeared, and Su Jie¡¯s own face surfaced on the mirror then faded away. In the end, the mirror¡¯s surface turned back into a color of chaos. Su Jie inexplicably felt that he had formed a deeper connection with the Ancient Mirror. Whoosh! A part of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit automatically detached and entered into the mirror¡¯s surface. In the center of the Ancient Mirror, a vortex appeared, constantly rotating, expanding, and contracting, as if a mysterious entity were being born, sketching a vague outline in the void. The part of the Primordial Spirit that Su Jie had split off began to expand and change dramatically, as if it were about to form a completely new creature. Su Jie knew that the Ancient Mirror must have thrown his Primordial Spirit into the Tao River, where all the rules were chaotic: time, space, matter, and energy within it could transform wildly, easily turning a stone into a towering mountain or a towering mountain into untraceable microscopic molecules. If Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit were thrown in, what it might turn into under the chaotic rules of the Tao River was unclear, but theoretically, the Primordial Spirit could only exist there for a few seconds, any longer and it would be obliterated. No, that¡¯s not right! As Su Jie¡¯s connection with that part of the Primordial Spirit deepened, a stream of air appeared in his Divine Sense, a stream of chaotic air, which he felt he could shape into any form he needed. Su Jie instinctively tried to mold it in his own image. However, as soon as he shaped it, the form was instantly crushed by the Tao, completely unable to hold its shape. When the image in the mirror shattered, a deafening roar broke the silence of the chaos, and Su Jie felt his head splitting with pain; even Su Jie in the God Unification Realm couldn¡¯t withstand it, feeling as if his brain had split into eight parts. The Ancient Mirror also fell silent with Su Jie¡¯s failure, leaving only one final message, like the ultimate truth of the Tao, directly branded into Su Jie¡¯s consciousness. It was as if primitive humans touched fire and knew it was hot, touched stone and knew it was hard, and knew danger when they encountered fierce beasts. A word appeared in Su Jie¡¯s heart after the silence of the Ancient Mirror, its name was, Dharma Form! Chapter 479 - 479 317 Dharma Form Chapter 479: Chapter 317: Dharma Form The information from the Ancient Mirror was chaotic and disorderly; as Su Jie meticulously sorted through it, he gained some enlightenment. The so-called Dharma Form can be simply seen as the weapon of the Primordial Spirit. However, this weapon is not the usual knives, spears, clubs, or staves but the self-forging of the Primordial Spirit into a Tao form. For example, the monster images that Su Jie saw in the Ancient Mirror were the Chaotic Creatures from the Tao River, which actually assisted Su Jie in comprehending the Dharma Form. Because the human Primordial Spirit is too fragile, only by presenting the non-human form of Tao creatures can one achieve the Dharma Form for combat, its outward form resembling a monster. The Dharma Form requires repeated imprinting of the essence of Tao to take shape. To condense a Dharma Form, one needs to split the Primordial Spirit, part of which is immersed into the Tao River. The Primordial Spirit undergoes the baptism of the Tao River because it is intangible and insubstantial, making it the most compatible medium for the Tao. Ordinary Primordial Spirit Cultivators, when contacting the Tao, also rely on the Primordial Spirit to do so. Through repeated baptisms and tempering by the Tao River, the Primordial Spirit will gradually adapt to the essence of the Tao River and mix part of this essence into the Primordial Spirit, blending it in a certain proportion, and finally condensing the Dharma Form into shape. Because of the chaotic rules of the Tao River, the Dharma Form can become extremely powerful and terrifying. The quality and energy in the Tao River are almost boundless, as long as your Primordial Spirit can withstand the power of the Tao River. In theory, only a Divine Soul at the level of a Yang God should attempt to condense a Dharma Form. Su Jie, being only in the God Unification Domain, could achieve this solely with the help of the Ancient Mirror. ¡°So this is the Dharma Form.¡± Clutching his throbbing head, Su Jie, having received this information, couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock, his heart filled with excitement that almost overflowed from his chest. After a brief rest, Su Jie swallowed some elixirs to repair his Divine Soul. An hour passed, and after some of the pain in his Primordial Spirit had dissipated, Su Jie eagerly began his attempts again. Su Jie actively tore a part of his Primordial Spirit and placed it upon the surface of the Ancient Mirror. The silent mirror surface lit up again with a mysterious yellow halo, displaying the unpredictable chaotic landscape within. This is the convenience brought by the Ancient Mirror; without it, relying on his own Primordial Spirit to directly face the Tao, Su Jie could only endure for about ten seconds, once a day at most, until he was exhausted. But with the aid of the Ancient Mirror, Su Jie could try again in a very short time because the Ancient Mirror bore the pressure of the Tao for him. Watching the tumultuous waves of unknown life forms emerge again in the chaos. Su Jie took a deep breath, plunged his consciousness into it, and tried to shape his own Dharma Form. This time, Su Jie no longer relied on his human form, but tried the monster-like form. Su Jie had understood that the terrifying images of Chaotic Creatures shown by the Ancient Mirror were hinting for him to imitate their forms for his Dharma Form. Since these terrifying Chaotic Creatures could survive in the Tao River, it proved that their forms suited the chaotic rules of the Tao River. Imitating them to condense his own Primordial Spirit was definitely an excellent benchmark. However, Su Jie still underestimated the difficulty of forming the Dharma Form, as the chaotic rules in the Tao River suddenly changed while he was halfway through. Su Jie was unable to control it, and the half-formed Dharma Form dissipated like foam. Su Jie could only once again recover from the pain caused by the depletion of his Primordial Spirit, then try again. This time, as Su Jie was shaping it, he suddenly lost the sensation of the half-formed Dharma Form of his split Primordial Spirit, not knowing where it had been transported by space, far beyond Su Jie¡¯s sensing distance. Attempting again, just as Su Jie, not without difficulty, managed to create the Dharma Form, time in the Tao River became disordered. The Dharma Form that Su Jie had shaped suddenly underwent a time reversal, returning to its initial, unformed state. This feeling was like working on a computer all day, only for the computer to crash, and all of one¡¯s day¡¯s work was lost, making Su Jie almost explode in rage. Grinding his teeth to calm himself, Su Jie did not become discouraged, failing again and again, trying over and over. There were too many uncertainties in the chaos; due to the chaotic rules of the Tao River, time, space, and matter-energy were all disordered, causing Su Jie to often fail due to various unexpected factors. Su Jie could only summarize experiences from continuous failures, adjusting based on these failures. A day passed. Two days passed. Until the seventh day, Su Jie finally felt that his Dharma Form had successfully formed once. In the chaos akin to the beginning of heaven and earth, with chaos covering the sky and everything out of order, only a cluster of flesh was continuously contracting and expanding, like a newly formed embryo, only the size was slightly larger than a bit. Through the gap brought about by the disturbance of the chaotic air currents, from the embryo expanding and developing, a huge creature slowly took shape. Its form was colossal, like towering mountains, with wings on its back, no apparent hands or feet, and a face with only a vortex, lacking the usual human features. Inside the vortex, a single red and black eye could faintly be seen, seemingly reflecting human souls, making anyone who looked at it tremble. Its body was even more peculiar, composed of different materials. Some parts were made of flames, some of solidified water, and some were flesh, looking both terrifying and beautiful. Every slight movement of its body emitted intense energy fluctuations, shaking the ground, turning air into a vacuum, resembling a walking natural disaster. Chapter 480 - 480 317 Dharma Form_2 Chapter 480: Chapter 317: Dharma Form_2 Roar! A roar like that of an ancient god, the Dharma Form emerged halfway from the Ancient Mirror. With only half of its body revealed, the atmosphere in the entire underground space solidified. The thousand-hand centipede instinctively stood upright, emitting threatening, sizzling sounds toward the Dharma Form. However, after several cries, on this Dharma Form, which had only protruded half of its body and was already larger than its own body, the thousand-hand centipede sensed its master¡¯s presence. This left the thousand-hand centipede very puzzled for it differed greatly from its master¡¯s usual appearance. Han Ruyan felt it even more distinctly because the Dharma Form was a construct mixed with Primordial Spirit and Tao River, the overwhelming might of the Divine Soul realm threatened Han Ruyan, who involuntarily dispersed her own eerie power to clash with the Dharma Form¡¯s aura, yet she was no match for the Dharma Form and retreated several steps in the intangible confrontation. Seemingly because of her actions, the Dharma Form moved its body, its single eye turning toward Han Ruyan. In that moment, Han Ruyan¡¯s lifeless body stiffened momentarily. This was not just the power of the Primordial Spirit but also the mixed aura of the Tao River; combined, they formed the Dharma Form. Like the Mirror Girl and Lantern Ghost, these two fifth-grade fierce ghosts, facing Su Jie¡¯s Dharma Form, directly lay down on the ground, their bodies trembling involuntarily. Being soul bodies themselves, they were more sensitive to the Dharma Form than ordinary creatures, the terrifying pressure of a higher entity rendering them almost incapable of fighting back. Su Jie¡¯s Dharma Form withdrew its gaze, the vortex on its face expanded, instantly manipulating the surrounding natural forces and Spiritual Energy. Just like when Su Jie usually launched a special move, borrowing the aura of the Tao River to control the nearby spiritual energy of heaven and earth. On the Dharma Form, a normal attack became a powerful move, as the Dharma Form itself mixed with the aura of the Tao River, enabling it to automatically manipulate the nearby Spiritual Energy. Thunderous booms! Giant fissures cracked open beneath, and as the Dharma Form¡¯s vortex widened, emitting a glow, massive rocks and underground rivers were pulled into the vortex, becoming part of the Dharma Form¡¯s body, making it even more terrifyingly huge. On the surface of the Dharma Form¡¯s body, as the Dharma Form manifested, its surface began displaying dazzling patterns and designs. These patterns were very complex, hard to discern the logic and meaning behind them, This was the Dharma Form carrying the aura of the Tao River, these patterns could indeed be seen as a manifestation of the truth of the Heavenly Dao, albeit disordered and incomplete. As these patterns appeared, the structure of the Dharma Form¡¯s body became even more intricately complex, its skin intermittently showing mesmerizing prismatic lights and obscure dark tones, as if it were the edge where night merged into day. Its body was constantly changing minutely, without a completely fixed form, like the chaotic energy field of the Tao River, without predetermined rules and order. ¡°Wait a minute, this pressure.¡± Su Jie¡¯s face, which had just turned joyful due to the appearance of the Dharma Form, gradually became solemn. The Dharma Form hadn¡¯t fully emerged yet, but Su Jie already felt a heavy burden. Controlling the Dharma Form at the God Unification Level was still too strenuous for Su Jie. At this moment, the Dharma Form was still in its initial phase, this could be seen from Su Jie¡¯s simple form of the condensed Dharma Form, which was merely a meatball with a pair of wings attached. The simpler the Dharma Form, the lower the control requirements needed. Whereas those complex Dharma Forms, like modern weapons, the more precisely beautiful the weapon, generally represented a stronger combat capability. Like Su Jie¡¯s round and limbless Dharma Form, it was clear at a glance that Su Jie¡¯s control was insufficient, a result of a not powerful enough Primordial Spirit. However, even such a basic Dharma Form proved very challenging for Su Jie to control. In just one minute, Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit could no longer hold up, the gigantic mountain-like Dharma Form burst apart, disappearing into the air. Only by advancing the Divine Soul to the Yang God realm, perhaps the Dharma Form could be utilized for normal combat. But Su Jie estimated, at the level of Yang God, controlling the Dharma Form in battle would top out at half an hour at most. Exhale! As the Primordial Spirit returned to his physical body, Su Jie was as if fished out of the water, panting heavily. Sizzle! The thousand-hand centipede ran over, rubbing against Su Jie¡¯s body, its eyes curiously staring at the spot where the Dharma Form had vanished. ¡°What was that?¡± Han Ruyan voiced her question, as she had initially thought the Dharma Form was also some kind of ghost. But upon closer feeling, Han Ruyan realized that the Dharma Form seemed to be a higher form than a fierce ghost, mixed with the aura of the Tao River and the dimension of the Heavenly Dao, which, of course, was infinitely high. ¡°The Dharma Form, a product of the mix between the Primordial Spirit and the aura of the Tao River, you can consider it as a weaponization of the Primordial Spirit. It is composed of...¡± Su Jie, seated, slowly stood up, although his Divine Soul was still very weak, the joy in his eyes was completely uncontainable. Despite the various flaws of the Dharma Form at present, without a doubt, its arrival would become a strong ace for Su Jie, significantly enhancing his combat capabilities and foundation. ¡°The Dharma Form, the Tao River...¡± Han Ruyan listened attentively, gradually memorizing it, and at the end, a thought emerged in her mind: Could a fierce ghost achieve a Dharma Form? It must be said, seeing Su Jie¡¯s Dharma Form made Han Ruyan a bit envious. ¡°We¡¯ve been delayed for ten days; we don¡¯t know what the situation outside is like. We should also leave now, ready to face the Sect war.¡± As Su Jie spoke, he also checked on the strengthening condition of the thousand-hand centipede. The enhancement effect of millions of Spirit Stones was very good; the current thousand-hand centipede was literally flawless. Chapter 481 - 317: Dharma Form_3 Chapter 481: Chapter 317: Dharma Form_3 Sssss... The thousand-hand centipede danced its pale corpse hands, its inherently cruel nature of poisonous insects leaving it not the slightest bit fearful of the approaching war, only excitement and a fierce desire for slaughter. ¡°I¡¯m very much looking forward to it,¡± she said. Han Ruyan floated into the air, her bare hand trembled, opening a hole to the ground. Sunlight shone upon her body, like upon a layer of opaque, dense darkness, emitting only a cold and solemn chill. ... ¡°Still no news of Su Jie?¡± he asked. At the encampment of Ghost Ridge Palace, Zhang Junwei stood atop a mountaintop, the piercing cold wind blowing by. With hands clasped behind his back, he gazed into the distance, exuding a gloomy demeanor as he slowly spoke. Behind him stood the Elder of Ghost Ridge Palace with the deepest tenure, Tang Peiqing. As well as Su Jie¡¯s master, Taoist Qiu. ¡°No, the information we¡¯ve gathered confirms that Su Jie did indeed attack the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, but now the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array has been repaired by Guan Chao Pavilion. There has been no trace of Su Jie since,¡± Tang Peiqing said with a heavy tone. Although he was reluctant to accept this reality, the information suggested that it was likely Su Jie had failed in his attack on the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array and was killed by Guan Chao Pavilion. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let him undertake this mission,¡± Zhang Junwei said, his feelings complex, filled with regret. As the Sect Master, he was responsible for issuing the task, and now with complications having arisen, the disappearance of the sect¡¯s most talented Immortal Seed was a cause for heartache and regret. While the Demon Path values survival of the fittest and brutal competition, such standards are for ordinary disciples. An Immortal Seed was treasured in any faction. ¡°My disciple isn¡¯t so easily vanquished. If Guan Chao Pavilion had killed him, with their hatred for Su Jie, they would have proclaimed it far and wide by now, rather than remaining silent as they are,¡± Taoist Qiu said with unequivocal certainty, believing Su Jie was still safe. Tang Peiqing sighed. To go missing on a sect mission often meant there was no body left to be found. In Tang Peiqing¡¯s view, no matter how confident Taoist Qiu was in Su Jie, he should have understood that someone could indeed fall at a place like the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. It was only the heavy reliance and unwillingness to give up hope on the Immortal Seed Su Jie that caused Taoist Qiu to refuse to accept the possibility internally. With this thought in mind, Tang Peiqing consciously changed the subject. ¡°Sect Master, the current situation is tense. Our forces and the Five Righteous Sects are entangled in combat. Since we are weaker, our main strategy is to evade and lead them into our predetermined battlefield in the Gao Li Mountain area,¡± he continued. ¡°Note that there¡¯s a formidable figure emerging from the Righteous Alliance Army, Wei Ji, an Immortal Seed nurtured by Guan Chao Pavilion. He is powerful, with many treasures and methods. Four of our sect elders have already died at his hands. Just the day before yesterday, we set an ambush specifically targeting him, deploying five elders, yet he managed to escape and even killed one of our elders in the process. He is extremely difficult to deal with. This person is now being used by the Righteous Sects as a tool for propaganda, undermining our morale, which has significantly decreased because of him.¡± ¡°The Righteous Sects have been quite arrogant lately, but thankfully, it is their arrogance that keeps them from suspecting our baiting tactics, drawing them closer to our intended battlefield. When the time comes, a pincer attack with Heavenly Soul Sect will make those pompous Righteous Sects feel the plight of a decimated household,¡± Tang Peiqing said, his expression souring. The fact that their own Immortal Seed¡¯s life or death was unknown while the Immortal Seed of Guan Chao Pavilion was striking fear into their enemies was like adding salt to the wound. Moreover, it was this very Immortal Seed that had caused the fall of so many of their elders, making Tang Peiqing wish he could flay him alive. ¡°Immortal Seed Wei Ji, I have heard of his reputation. He¡¯s a leading figure among Qingzhou¡¯s younger generation. If Su Jie were here...¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s first thought was Su Jie. Chapter 482 - 318: Immortal Seed VS Immortal Seed Chapter 482: Chapter 318: Immortal Seed VS Immortal Seed Gao Li Mountain. This active volcano stood 2,300 meters tall, its terrain covered with rough volcanic ash, devoid of any vegetation nearby, and billowing smoke at its mouth like a kettle of boiling water. Similar active volcanoes numbered in the hundreds within this region. Due to its nature as an active volcano, the geological plate movements here were extremely active, with volcanic eruptions occurring from time to time. This also resulted in a barren landscape with thick layers of volcanic ash and strange landforms created by lava flows over the years. In such an environment, let alone humans, even few animals could survive here. Yet recently, this desolate, uninhabited region had gradually become bustling due to the confrontation between the forces of Right and Evil. Batches of disciples from both sides converged here and, using the volcanoes as boundaries, began the battle for control, vying for the volcanoes themselves. Both the Five Righteous Sects and Ghost Ridge Palace had Fire Attribute offensive formations; taking control over them and establishing formations would significantly enhance their power¡ªa geographical advantage. The two factions engaged in a fierce battle for control, and due to the numerical superiority of the Righteous Sect, they seized more volcanoes. The reason a decisive battle had not yet erupted was that both sides wanted to capture more active volcanoes to increase their advantage and minimize casualties. ... Boom! At the base of Gao Li Mountain, a figure slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up dust and creating cracks in the earth. Nearby trees were uprooted by the shockwave and blown dozens of meters away. This person was an Elder from the Secret Realm of Ghost Ridge Palace. He had met his end upon impact, decapitated and fallen. On the ground, two groups of fighters chased and fled, speeding across the desolate volcanic terrain. The retreating group belonged to Ghost Ridge Palace. The pursuing group, of course, was from the Righteous Sect. Among the retreating Ghost Ridge Palace forces, Ning Xinyue turned to look back at the leading figure chasing after them. There stood a man: tall and slender, dressed in a white-embroidered robe, his long black hair lightly tied with a ribbon, eyes like shining stars, and his handsome face bearing a composed expression. With a flick of his fingers like the thrust of a sword, he generated several meters long tendrils of Sword Qi that howled as they weaved through the air, relentlessly slicing through the slower Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, turning them into dismembered corpses¡ªeven an Elder from Ghost Ridge Palace met his demise at his hands. ¡°This Immortal Seed is ruthless.¡± Ning Xinyue knew his identity, the recent standout in the Sect war, Wei Ji from Guan Chao Pavilion. She had been somewhat skeptical about the rumors surrounding Wei Ji, but today, as she routinely patrolled with her team, they encountered Wei Ji¡¯s ambush. She witnessed firsthand the truth of the rumors. A group of two hundred, led by two Elders from the Secret Realm, had run into Wei Ji and barely stood a chance. Now one had already been slain. ¡°A bunch of defeated dogs, run! In the future, when you see me, just grovel and whimper like today, fleeing with your tails between your legs. If I¡¯m in a good mood, I might just spare your lives.¡± Wei Ji stood suspended in the void, not pursuing relentlessly, as venturing too deep could lead to a mobbing by Ghost Ridge Palace. ¡°How dare you, take my move!¡± Amidst an angry shout, reinforcements arrived for Ghost Ridge Palace upon receiving a signal. The first to appear was a dark-skinned, robust man¡ªa familiar face to Ning Xinyue and a newly promoted Elder of the Secret Realm within Ghost Ridge Palace, Xiao Fengyuan. Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s left hand was entwined with a Top Grade Three Refinement Poisonous Insect, the Multi-legged Centipede, while his right hand held a black long spear, a Mid Grade Magical Artifact. Separated by a thousand meters, Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s spear erupted with a bloody glow, transforming into a crimson aura, lunging straight at Wei Ji¡¯s heart. The Multi-legged Centipede in his left hand swelled in size, drifting down towards Wei Ji. Before even getting close, numerous flesh spines extended from beneath the Centipede like a dense forest of needles, swarming like a tide. ¡°Little sorcerer, let me show you what the grand Way is all about.¡± Wei Ji¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he caught the bloody spear with his bare left hand. His right hand reached out, palm enlarging like five massive iron columns, pressing the Centipede from the sky dome to the ground, leaving a near 100-meter-wide handprint. The Centipede¡¯s body broke in several places. Spurt! Xiao Fengyuan spat out a mouthful of blood¡ªhis Top Grade Three Refinements poisonous insect had been crushed by a single slap. ¡°Heh, your name is Xiao Fengyuan, right? The new talent of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s Secret Realm. Is this the strength of the young generation in Ghost Ridge Palace? Laughable, just laughable. Send Su Jie to see me, you¡¯re not qualified yet.¡± Wei Ji held the bloodied spear with his pale hand, which contained a terrifying force. He snapped the Mid Grade Magical Artifact into two pieces. ¡°Here, take it back.¡± With a throwing gesture, Wei Ji¡¯s right hand surged with the aura of dragon patterns. In the next instant, he hurled the broken half of the spear back. Like a projectile from a railgun, the air was displaced, creating a vacuum channel. In a flash of lightning, Xiao Fengyuan tried to dodge, but the difference in speed between them was incomparable. The spear struck right in front of him like lightning. With a spray of blood, Xiao Fengyuan¡¯s left shoulder was torn off at the root, bleeding profusely. This was because Xiao Fengyuan dodged quickly; otherwise, he would have been impaled entirely. Chapter 483 - 318: Immortal Seed VS Immortal Seed_2 Chapter 483: Chapter 318: Immortal Seed VS Immortal Seed_2 Ning Xinyue saw Xiao Fengyuan wanted to fight again, she stood up and held him back. This fight was meaningless, the difference in strength was too substantial; joining it was merely courting death. ¡°Ha, since you know you are not a match, call out your Su Jie. I¡¯ve heard he is the leader of your generation. I really want to see if his reputation is deserved.¡± Wei Ji had heard of Su Jie, the Immortal Seed, but Wei Ji didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of backing down; he would prove that there were differences even among the Immortal Seeds. ¡°Of course, if your people are afraid of dying, you can keep avoiding battle. After all, isn¡¯t your Demon Path always sneaking around, daring only to plot and assassinate in secret, and never face us head-on!¡± Seeing the two Hidden Realm Elders rushing to support from Ghost Ridge Palace in the distance, Wei Ji continued to speak harshly, appearing utterly unconcerned and dominant. At this time, reinforcements had also arrived behind Wei Ji, led by Yu Wenjing, Xiao Guanglian, and Mo Shiyao with a group of disciples. ¡°What good people are you Righteous ones? You drove and killed so many citizens as sacrifices. Just under those active volcanoes, there are many civilian bones buried in the arrays.¡± Xiao Fengyuan held his severed arm, feeling somewhat self-blaming for his lack of strength, only capable of watching Wei Ji¡¯s arrogance helplessly. ¡°For the great cause of demon extermination, these sacrifices are worth it. As long as we can resolve forever the menace that is Ghost Ridge Palace from Qingzhou, we could enjoy a peaceful era for thousands of years. Sacrifising the individual for the collective, the descendants of these people will feel proud of them.¡± Wei Ji spoke calmly; he was not one of those naive fools blinded by a zeal for righteousness. To win the war, the sacrifices of some civilians were understandable. ¡°Fair-faced, black-hearted.¡± Ning Xinyue pursed her lips, passing judgment on Wei Ji. Unfortunately, Su Jie had gone missing for over ten days. Although they kept it secret, rumors still circulated within Ghost Ridge Palace, saying Su Jie had met his demise. However, Ning Xinyue didn¡¯t believe it; how could such a bastard like Su Jie die so easily? She always believed that Su Jie was still alive. ¡°If Su Jie were here, he definitely would not let him be so arrogant.¡± The more she thought, the angrier Ning Xinyue became, murmuring to herself¡ªa murmur Wei Ji overheard. ¡°I really hope to see your so-called Su Jie, too bad, too bad, he wouldn¡¯t dare to face me.¡± Wei Ji, as an Immortal Seed of Guan Chao Pavilion, knew that Su Jie had failed his attack on the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array and must currently be hiding inside Ghost Ridge Palace, simply not daring to face him. Staring at Ning Xinyue, Wei Ji clenched his fist, his intent to kill palpable as he said, ¡°No matter, if he doesn¡¯t come out, I will force him out, slaughtering until the blood flows like a river. I refuse to believe that we won¡¯t capture him when the Sect is destroyed, then offer his head in memory of the Righteous warriors dead because of him. We Righteous Sect will certainly win this war.¡± ¡°Brother Wei is mighty.¡± ¡°Victory! Victory! Victory!¡± ¡°Kill Su Jie! Kill Su Jie! Kill Su Jie!¡± A group of Righteous Disciples flushed with excitement, shouting in unison, their voices thunderously shaking the earth. Behind Wei Ji, Mo Shiyao¡¯s gaze was dreamy, her heart fiercely pounding at Wei Ji¡¯s impressive words. ¡°This guy...¡± Yu Wenjing felt begrudging, ever since Wei Ji returned to Guan Chao Pavilion, he had stolen all the limelight and attention, and now was even more assertive, issuing fierce declarations in front of the Demon Cultivators of Ghost Ridge Palace. Obviously, after today, Wei Ji¡¯s reputation in Qingzhou would be greatly enhanced. At Ghost Ridge Palace, many disciples turned pale and their morale dropped under Wei Ji¡¯s imposing aura, despite several Elders¡¯ presence to bolster their courage, their steps involuntarily retreating, their will to fight diminished. After all, ordinary disciples don¡¯t think too deeply, irrespective of whether Su Jie was truly dead or simply avoiding battle. As the recognized leader of the young generation of Ghost Ridge Palace, not appearing in response to the challenge issued by Wei Ji, the young standard-bearer of the Righteous Sect, made it seem like he was afraid of the opponent. ¡°Seems like many people are calling my name, are you looking for me?¡± Just when the morale on the side of the Righteous was high, a voice suddenly rang out. The voice was not loud, but it spread across the entire field, a technique of using Divine Sense to transmit voice, something only someone of Hidden Realm cultivation could achieve so effortlessly. Ordinary disciples couldn¡¯t locate where the voice was coming from, but those inner disciples and Hidden Realm Elders instinctively looked towards the dense clouds in the south. From within the white clouds, a huge shadow descended. The cold, sturdy Insect Shell, sharp oceanic teeth, hundreds of pale corpse hands hanging inverted like weeping willows, six pairs of wings stirring up gusts of wind. Atop this terrifying poisonous insect, a figure stood firm. Dressed in a Black Robe, his features handsome and his eyes bright, the young man stood there, looking towards them from afar. That voice had come from him. ¡°Su Jie!!!¡± ¡°Elder Su has returned.¡± ¡°Huh, that face, it actually appeared, no more hiding?¡± ¡°It¡¯s him, today we must kill him here, we can¡¯t let this devil escape again.¡± ¡°This devil is too cruel, everyone stay back, be careful not to get killed by him incidentally.¡± Chapter 484: 318: Immortal Seed VS Immortal Seed_3 Chapter 484: Chapter 318: Immortal Seed VS Immortal Seed_3 The colossal body of the thousand-hand centipede drew near, its fierce and terrifying appearance causing the pupils of all who saw this Mid Grade Six Refinement poisonous insect for the first time to involuntarily constrict. Mmost people found it difficult to evade the innate fear of massive creatures. However, Wei Ji happened to be an exception. His face broke into a smile like a warm spring breeze as he saw Su Jie appear, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Su Jie. Although today is the first time we meet, it will also be our last because...I¡¯ve got your head in the bag.¡± With every step he took in the air, a jade-colored staircase formed beneath his feet, as if ascending to his throne rather than heading into battle. ¡°I like your confidence. Your head, then I won¡¯t be polite in taking it.¡± The mirth in Su Jie¡¯s eyes faded; he hated it when others tried to show off in front of him. The countless onlookers around tightened their gaze on Su Jie and Wei Ji. Everyone tacitly stepped back to make room for the showdown between the two Immortal Seeds. ¡°Xiao Qian, bite him to death.¡± Su Jie patted the head of the thousand-hand centipede, and the 120-meter-long beast started to move. The bone-white cheeks split open, releasing beams of Purple Light Ray along with the six-colored storm that accompanied the flapping of six pairs of wings, raging violently forward. In an instant, the sky and earth lost their color, the storm ravaged, and the purple light illuminated the firmament. Wei Ji, without dodging or evading, crossed his arms in front of him, choosing to withstand the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s attack under the shocked eyes of countless onlookers. Purple Light Rays penetrated to within a millimeter of Wei Ji¡¯s body surface, his body triggering a layer of Spiritual Power field with Dragon Patterns emerging. It seemed Wei Ji¡¯s body was engulfed in Purple Light Rays, but the Purple Light Ray and the overlapping six-colored storm didn¡¯t completely destroy that seemingly fragile Spiritual Power field, only sending Wei Ji continuously retreating. Even under the dual assault, Wei Ji¡¯s demeanor remained calm and composed, his gaze tranquil and gentle, despite bearing the attack from a Sixth Grade Poisonous Insect¡¯s killing blow. Su Jie¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, the first time he had seen someone put on such an act. The thousand-hand centipede felt underestimated and with the momentum of a collapsing mountain, its massive jaws opened and engulfed Wei Ji, plunging into the volcano of Gao Li Mountain. It splashed a vast amount of magma, submerging into the boiling bubbles of the afternoon. Meanwhile, Su Jie hovered in the air, his eyes coldly fixed on the tumultuous volcano below. The skirmish between Su Jie and Wei Ji happened too suddenly. In just ten seconds, they saw one man and one insect vanish into the volcanic lava. Seeing such a turn of events, the morale of Ghost Ridge Palace soared. In contrast, the Righteous Sect looked deeply worried. ¡°Wei Ji can win, right?¡± Xiao Guanglian swallowed hard. With only the Ten Levels of Yunling Realm cultivation, he was somewhat lost as to who could win this battle. ¡°A sure win, trust in Wei Ji.¡± Mo Shiyao immediately spoke out, her voice full of confidence, her source of certainty unknown. ¡°Wei Ji, I have to admit, he has never lost since his debut.¡± Yu Wenjing nodded. Although he didn¡¯t get along with Wei Ji, he was quite clear about Wei Ji¡¯s strength. Boom! As if to validate their words, the volcano erupted, with countless streams of magma erupting into the air in the form of Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers. Following this, the thousand-hand centipede was launched out of the volcano. At the head of the thousand-hand centipede, Wei Ji supported himself against a pair of the centipede¡¯s huge fangs and surprisingly pushed back the thousand-hand centipede during their struggle. The contrast in the scene was stark, resembling an ant overturning an elephant through sheer force, stirring excitement among the onlookers. ¡°Get off me.¡± Wei Ji¡¯s white robe fluttered in the wind, his hairband shattered, and his long hair wildly danced. He emanated the aura of a king dominating the world, his robust qi and Spiritual Power billowing into the sky like beacon fires, resembling a god descending, stunning the multitude of spectators. Chapter 485: 319: True Dragon Body Chapter 485: Chapter 319: True Dragon Body The thousand-hand centipede¡¯s massive body alone weighed thousands to tens of thousands of tons, not to mention its own immense strength. Yet, such a poisonous insect was forced open by Wei Ji, astonishingly bursting eyeballs all around. Sizzle! The thousand-hand centipede hissed and, opening its mouth, sprayed a Death Decline Curse Cloud towards Wei Ji, who was just an arm¡¯s length away. They were very close, and Wei Ji was hit straight on, the terrifying aging curse spreading throughout his body. ¡°Minor trick.¡± Wei Ji¡¯s expression darkened, and as the curse approached, layers of dragon patterns emerged on his body. These dragon patterns were of a blue jade color, and the powerful curse power could not penetrate but only flowed over the surface. Often, just after one layer was eradicated, new dragon patterns would emerge instantly. Seizing the opportunity, the thousand-hand centipede closed in, numerous pale corpse hands entwined, tightly wrapping Wei Ji into a ball. Like the constricting embrace of a python, the centipede¡¯s wrap was even more formidable, with countless corpse hands exerting pressure and pounding. Su Jie¡¯s face showed no joy, as he stared at the shifting Corpse Hand Ball in the void, sensing an extraordinary aura from it, like the rising sun, or like a vast torrential flood. Above the vault of heaven, clouds tumbled, and a massive blue dragon apparition spiraled in the air. Its body undulated like ocean waves, and its whiskers were like swords, seemingly able to slice through the wind and clouds with every movement; its eyes shone like two brilliant stars, exuding boundless divine power. Su Jie lifted his head, gazing at the blue dragon apparition that had materialized, its invisible dragon might spreading for tens of kilometers, as if declaring that this was the domain of a True Dragon. ¡°Who is this guy, could he have inherited the dragon lineage?¡± Su Jie muttered to himself, the snake body, deer antlers, and eagle claws¡ªthis image matched the appearance of a True Dragon in his mind. In the Tianyuan World, dragons are extremely powerful and terrifying top-tier spiritual beasts, rare in number. Every True Dragon¡¯s strength far exceeds the Taoist Platform Realm, but few have ever seen a True Dragon. ¡°Just a mere insect, no more than a heretic evil path.¡± The Corpse Hand Ball exploded, and the thousand-hand centipede¡¯s body was shaken loose. We saw Wei Ji reappear, his appearance having completely changed, his body now covered in thick blue jade dragon scales, as if wearing a suit of close-fitting scale armor, his eyes transformed into dragon-like vertical pupils. Seeing Wei Ji in this form, Su Jie immediately thought of a rumor. Legend has it that after someone bathes in dragon blood, most people gain enhanced physiques, but only a very few can inherit the True Dragon lineage, becoming a walking humanoid True Dragon. It wasn¡¯t just Su Jie who was shocked; everyone around, whether from the Righteous sect or Demon Cultivators, thought of this rumor. ¡°This is, the True Dragon Body.¡± Yu Wenjing gasped in astonishment, recognizing the source of Wei Ji¡¯s transformation, as the Guan Chao Pavilion, the number one sect in Qingzhou, had recorded many secret archives and physiques. ¡°I heard Brother Wei mention that he had teamed up with others to go to the East Pole Lake, where a True Dragon that lived for thousands of years resided.¡± Mo Shiyao spoke slowly, clearly indicating that Wei Ji had had a unique encounter in the East Pole Lake, acquiring the True Dragon physique. ¡°Now the battle really begins.¡± Moving his wrist, Wei Ji¡¯s body moved like light, instantly reaching in front of the thousand-hand centipede, throwing a punch that collided with the centipede¡¯s sturdy head. Bang! The upper body of the thousand-hand centipede reeled backward, its thick tail sweeping over, smashing into Wei Ji. Wei Ji stepped back a few paces, somewhat surprised. ¡°In the face of my dragon might, it still can be so fierce.¡± Roar! The thousand-hand centipede spat out poisonous clouds, the Purple Light Ray blooming, the storm howling, responding to Wei Ji¡¯s words with actual action. Ordinary spiritual beasts would tremble in the presence of dragon might, but the special nature of a poisonous insect shows no fear of enemies. The thousand-hand centipede, cultivated step by step by Su Jie to this day, was extremely fierce, not just Wei Ji, even if a True Dragon were present, the thousand-hand centipede would dare to bite it. Wei Ji frowned upon seeing the fiercely unrestrained thousand-hand centipede, then once again stepped forward, choosing to engage in a brutal melee with the thousand-hand centipede. His arms possessed tremendous divine power, his body as indestructible as a real dragon, each punch and kick he threw burst forth with the glitter of a thousand lights, like stars falling to the earth. Roar! The thousand-hand centipede, like a primeval beast, had its ferocity provoked by Wei Ji¡¯s fighting style, also engaging in close-quarters combat with Wei Ji. Their battle shook the nearby ground and mountains, ripping apart the clouds above and cracking the ground below with deep fissures. From sky to ground, and from the ground into the volcanic crater of Gao Li Mountain, causing the volcano to erupt prematurely, with hot magma covering the entirety of Gao Li Mountain. ¡°Is this... a battle of the Secret Realm?¡± Xiao Guanglian swallowed, watching the battle between the man and the insect, even the nearby landscape had changed. If he were to go up, he doubted he could last ten seconds. ¡°No, a typical Secret Realm doesn¡¯t reach this level.¡± Yu Wenjing shook his head bitterly, seeing the battle ahead, even his own confidence was shaken. He himself was of the Secret Realm, but in front of Su Jie and Wei Ji, these two freaks, he felt his past title of genius had become a joke. Not to mention anything else, just facing Su Jie¡¯s Mid Grade Six Refinement poisonous insect, he was completely no match. ¡°Trust in Brother Wei.¡± Mo Shiyao put her hands together under her chin, praying inwardly for Wei Ji. At the battlefield, the confrontation between Wei Ji and the thousand-hand centipede reached a fever pitch. The thousand-hand centipede, strengthened by Su Jie throughout its body, had nearly no vulnerabilities. Facing such a fierce beast, Wei Ji was still able to suppress the thousand-hand centipede on his own. Chapter 486: 319: True Dragon Body_2 Chapter 486: Chapter 319: True Dragon Body_2 Fortunately, the enormous size of the thousand-hand centipede allowed for a high error margin. Even when injured and bleeding, the thousand-hand centipede could quickly recover its combat strength by splitting and using its self-healing power. Wei Ji had extensive combat experience. He had injured the thousand-hand centipede multiple times, but for the centipede, injuries that didn¡¯t kill it were not considered injuries at all. Truly, when it came to endurance, the massive body of the thousand-hand centipede was not just for show. On the other hand, Wei Ji, who had entered this dragon transformation state, obviously had a time limit since he was not a true dragon but only inherited part of the bloodline. ¡°What a ferocious beast,¡± Seeing this, two forked dragon horns grew from Wei Ji¡¯s forehead and his aura surged once again. Visibly, his strength and speed also increased dramatically. In another confrontation with the thousand-hand centipede, just one punch, landing on the colossal insect body, created a shockwave like a heavy bomb had fallen, breaking the insect shell and flesh and sending an air wave hundreds of meters out. ¡°Is this the second phase of the BOSS?¡± Su Jie witnessed this scene, feeling a sense of de?ja? vu. Just as Wei Ji was about to continue, suddenly, a bolt of lightning fell, striking exactly on Wei Ji. The Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder summoned by Su Jie caused Wei Ji¡¯s body to stiffen immediately. The thousand-hand centipede roared at Wei Ji from across the way and took advantage of the moment Wei Ji stiffened, opening its wide mouth, ready to swallow Wei Ji whole. Cool as a cucumber, Wei Ji, whose recent wounds inside the centipede had not yet healed, spat out a breath of Sword Qi. The Sword Qi, frosty like frost, burst open the wound, slowing down the centipede¡¯s speed. Seizing the opportunity, Wei Ji escaped from the jaws of death and chuckled, ¡°Divine Skills, interesting, truly interesting. It seems you, this so-called Immortal Seed, do have some skills.¡± While speaking, a glint flashed in Wei Ji¡¯s eyes, and after dodging the attack of the thousand-hand centipede, he suddenly approached Su Jie. Wei Ji, who originally wanted to elegantly finish off the thousand-hand centipede, chose to attack Su Jie, the controller, after seeing that the centipede was tough to take down. With his understanding of Gu Masters, he knew that their physical combat strength was weak. If he could take down Su Jie, then the thousand-hand centipede would be nothing to worry about. Seeing Wei Ji approaching him like a descending deity, Su Jie¡¯s face showed no panic, only shouting two words: ¡°My lady.¡± As Wei Ji¡¯s fist was about to reach him, a red wedding dress materialized in front of Su Jie. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing to my husband?¡± Han Ruyan¡¯s deathly gaze locked onto Wei Ji, a strange power infiltrating as yellow paper money began to float in the sky and Wei Ji¡¯s clothing, without knowing when, changed from a white robe to a white funeral dress. His punching motion became stiff, and Wei Ji was inexplicably startled: ¡°A sixth-grade fierce ghost, and not an ordinary one at that.¡± ¡°Paper money funeral.¡± Han Ruyan didn¡¯t waste words; her jade hand waved gently. She was adorned in a festive wedding dress, while Wei Ji was dressed in a sorrowful funeral garb, the two contrasting sharply, alerting Wei Ji internally. Great Qiankun Palm. Wei Ji chose to strike first, launching a palm towards Han Ruyan. His palm continually transformed, covering thousands of square feet, the very move that had killed the multi-legged centipede earlier. Han Ruyan¡¯s body, like a phantom, silently passed through the giant palm. The next moment, Wei Ji¡¯s limbs began to twist violently, as if he was unable to control them. Paper money fell from the sky more densely, each piece branded with a simple sketch of Wei Ji, as if the paper money was specifically burned for him. As the paper money fell, a blood moon appeared in the sky, notwithstanding the broad daylight. The blood moon hung in the sky dome, unexpectedly appearing and only over three thousand meters above the ground. Han Ruyan¡¯s figure appeared on the Blood Moon, the huge Blood Moon reflecting in the depths of Wei Ji¡¯s pupils, dragging his spirit and will into it. Wei Ji¡¯s face was covered with dense paper money, which quickly enveloped his entire face, hands, and body. The paper money burned as if it would ignite his flesh; a grave mound appeared on the ground with Wei Ji¡¯s tombstone on it, ready to bury him. ¡°This eerie power, you female ghost...¡± Wei Ji¡¯s exposed eyes suddenly became intense, his muscles tensed, and he stepped forward, compressing his Spiritual Power to create a terrifying sonic boom. He was like an angry lion, his eyes bloodshot and red, a ghostly soul body appeared to resist the eerie power, it was Wei Ji¡¯s Primordial Spirit. His Primordial Spirit, only a head shorter than his real body, nearly reached the Great Success Stage, the level of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit before entering the Tao River. As soon as Wei Ji¡¯s Primordial Spirit was forced out, the paper money on his body instantly turned to ash, losing its effect on him. ¡°You picked the wrong target, a little eerie power like this is futile in front of my Primordial Spirit.¡± Wei Ji¡¯s eyes burned like fire, and he threw a punch again, countless dragon scales scattering in front of him. He used his own dragon scales to trigger the exorcising and subduing power of the True Dragon. At the same time, in the palm of Wei Ji¡¯s Primordial Spirit, a mass of red flame appeared, latching onto the dragon scales, instantly igniting them into a hundred-meter high flame flower, which he hurled towards the Blood Moon. Han Ruyan¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, her body sinking below the Blood Moon, thousands of tiny Blood Moons scattering like blood-colored cherry blossoms blown by a gentle breeze, violently colliding with the flame flower. The Blood Moon evaporated under the flames, the malevolent and eerie power turning to green smoke and air, dissipated by the fierce fire. ¡°It¡¯s not just you who has Divine Skills, my Burning Sky Purifying Fire Divine Skill will turn you into ashes today.¡± Wei Ji spoke confidently; the golden flames were indeed a divine skill nurtured by his Primordial Spirit, capable of harming both body and soul. Faced with Wei Ji¡¯s arrogant words, Han Ruyan held a lantern in her left hand and a Dragon Phoenix Mirror in her right. The character for happiness on the lantern was upside down, a line of blood slit across Wei Ji¡¯s neck, ripping it open with his trachea faintly visible. The Dragon Phoenix Mirror began to devour the Burning Sky Purifying Fire, swallowing it completely. The Lantern Ghost and Mirror Girl, these two fifth-grade fierce ghosts, were utterly insignificant in front of Wei Ji, but under Han Ruyan¡¯s direct control, they could unleash exceptional power. Even Wei Ji¡¯s True Dragon Body could not withstand it; he bled for the first time. Cerulean dragon-like blood gushed out, each drop hitting the ground and carving pits two meters deep. Crack. The sky gathered dark clouds, lightning illuminating the Sky Dome, accompanied by the roaring thunder; streaks of Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder relentlessly bombarded Wei Ji. Wei Ji attempted to counter with Burning Sky Purifying Fire, but the gap between their souls was reflected in the power of their Divine Skills, as Su Jie¡¯s Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder penetrated and extinguished the Burning Sky Purifying Fire, hitting four or five out of ten strikes, causing Wei Ji¡¯s skin to split and more dragon-like blood to flow. Roar! Meanwhile, the Thousand-Handed Centipede cooperated with Su Jie, tightly entwining Wei Ji, numerous pale corpse hands crawling over him, restricting his movements. ¡°Darling, please turn around.¡± Su Jie slapped his Sword Nourishing Gourd on his waist, a white and a red beam of light burst out of the gourd, piercing the clouds and swooping down like a pair of intersecting flying dragons; the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword and the Red Training Sword, these two Top Grade Magical Artifacts worked together, aiming to decapitate Wei Ji. Following closely behind, the Mirror Girl secretly emerged from a Jade Pendant hanging on Wei Ji¡¯s waist to his back, her hand half phantom-like, executing a plain Black Tiger Heart-Pulling move aiming for Wei Ji¡¯s heart. This barrage of attacks almost sealed Wei Ji¡¯s fate. However, Wei Ji, an Immortal Seed, no mere fame-seeker, hailed as the number one among the youths of Qingzhou, astonishingly managed to muster a smile at death¡¯s doorstep. As the multiple strikes approached, Wei Ji¡¯s body surface sprouted a Purple Jade Wind Umbrella, deflecting the Flying Swords, pushing away the Thousand-Handed Centipede, and blasting the Mirror Girl away. ¡°You really thought you could kill me?¡± Wei Ji spoke calmly, his dragon scales and dragon horns continuously shedding, spiritual light washing over him, his once stained white clothing now spotless and immaculate, clean and simple, his three thousand jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall, his obsidian-like eyes were like a dark abyss, deep and unfathomable, his features exuding an invisible killing aura. Chapter 487: 320: The Early Detonated Decisive Battle (First Update) Chapter 487: Chapter 320: The Early Detonated Decisive Battle (First Update) ¡°Whether you can kill me or not, it¡¯s not for you to say.¡± Su Jie spoke, his gaze shifting past Wei Ji to what loomed behind him. Above the sky dome, three massive Flying Magical Boats appeared, casting long shadows. On the boats stood a multitude of Righteous Cultivators, mostly Array Masters, who would operate the Attack Formations on the boats. Flanking the boats were dozens of spiritual beasts, such as the White Jade Spirit Butterfly, the Dream Nether Deer, the Eight-winged Ice Phoenix, the Red Cloud Sky Bird, and others, serving as the boats¡¯ guards. These spiritual beasts were mostly raised by Elders and possessed formidable fighting strength. The three boats all belonged to Guan Chao Pavilion, and only the rich and powerful Guan Chao Pavilion could afford to maintain them. At the forefront of each boat stood men and women with hands behind their backs, exuding a profound presence. All of them were Secret Realm Elders, numbering over a hundred in total¡ªthis represented the entire core strength dispatched by the Five Sects. In addition to the enemies in the sky, on the ground, at the end of the horizon, a dense mass of Righteous Cultivators appeared. Guan Chao Pavilion, Golden Sword Sect, Purple Mist Sect, Dragon and Tiger Sect, Miao Yin Temple¡ªdisciples from these five Righteous Sects formed five great formations. Inner disciples mostly operated independently, while disciples below the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm mostly moved in groups, relying on numbers to ensure their combat strength. A staggering horde of fifty to sixty thousand enemies approached in an overwhelming tide, and as far as the eye could see, there were heads everywhere. Especially in view were the cultivators with cultivation radiating from their bodies. That momentum was almost enough to topple mountains and raze seas, giving people goosebumps. And behind Su Jie, an equally massive army was also converging. Roars! Hisses! Neighs! With various roars, huge Flying Poisonous Insects emerged from the clouds. Elders from Ghost Ridge Palace either stood atop the gigantic insects in small groups or flew in through the swarming Insect Cloud. On the ground, thirty thousand Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples crossed mountains and valleys, controlling a vast number of poisonous insects, forming a dense sea of insects that swarmed in like waves. Because of the clash between Su Jie and Wei Ji, when word reached the rear, both sides sent reinforcements. Once both sides realized that the other was sending additional forces, they continued to dispatch more troops in an attempt to overpower the other. As a result, the battle that had been brewing finally ignited prematurely. Su Jie looked back and saw familiar high-ranking individuals such as Zhang Junwei, Taoist Qiu, and Tang Peiqing in his line of sight. Among the swarming Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, Su Jie also recognized the pupils of the Puppet Hall. They followed Zhu Zhangqi, bringing a batch of Combat Puppets, who took Rocket Artillery out of their Storage Bags and hurried to the Volcano Plain. The distance between the two sides continued to shrink, and the breaths of the cultivators became more rapid, their expressions growing increasingly solemn. Finally, the two forces stopped ten kilometers apart, the murderous aura of battle permeating the entire battlefield. The sounds from the swarm of insects and spiritual beasts caused hearts to flutter, while gazes of tension, panic, anger, hatred, and excitement appeared on the disciples. Some feared war, while others reveled in it. ¡°Ghost Ridge Palace of the Demon Sect, are you prepared for your downfall today?¡± The majestic voice came from one of the Magic Boats, as Elder Zhuang Liangru of Guan Chao Pavilion looked down sternly. The immense Spiritual Power fluctuations spread far and wide, turning the white clouds blue¡ªas though a vast blue ocean floated in the sky. The sea-like Spiritual Power transformed into Heavenly Might, the vibrating air suppressing the void, as if at any moment, the upside-down ocean in the sky would come crashing down, obliterating all directions. ¡°Our Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s lineage has continued for a thousand years. You dare to speak of ¡®obliteration¡¯ with just a few sects? Today, I shall ensure you come with a return ticket for none.¡± Zhang Junwei stood atop a Flying Poisonous Insect, his eyes shining brightly. His piercing gaze fixed on Zhuang Liangru, and the nearby clouds transformed into Cloud Mist poisonous insects, spreading like a legion of insects, adding a layer of terror to the sight. The clash of might between two Taoist Platform Realm cultivators created various phantasms of Heavenly Might, and this display of individual strength instilled both fear and longing in many disciples witnessing it for the first time. ¡°How arrogant.¡± A trace of mockery flashed in Zhuang Liangru¡¯s eyes. He was already aware of Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s trump card¡ªtheir alliance with Heavenly Soul Sect to launch a pincer attack. Compared to the Five Righteous Sects, which each sent only a fraction of their forces, Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect had both committed fully, resulting in a very close comparison of strength. Had they been caught off guard by a surprise attack, they could indeed have been thrown into disarray and danger. However, Zhuang Liangru had been forewarned by Wei Ji, so naturally, he was prepared. Ghost Ridge Palace was doomed to fail today. Thinking this, Zhuang Liangru raised his right hand, about to issue the command to begin the war, when Wei Ji suddenly spoke. ¡°Elder Zhuang, I have yet to settle the score with this devil. May I ask for your permission to deal with him first?¡± Wei Ji¡¯s voice projected as he looked at Zhuang Liangru with earnest and self-assured eyes. All eyes turned to Wei Ji, who made such a request at this time. Everyone could sense the confidence in his bones. ¡°Go on, take down the head of that Demon Cultivator as a war trophy.¡± Zhuang Liangru gazed at Wei Ji for a few seconds, well aware of his own prodigy¡¯s strength. He did not believe Su Jie was a match for Wei Ji, even if the latter was also an Immortal Seed. If Wei Ji could defeat Su Jie, it would undoubtedly be a good omen for the war, greatly demoralizing and suppressing Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s morale, ensuring a decisive victory in the war without any suspense. ¡°Su Jie, do you dare to fight?¡± Wei Ji turned around, his voice booming like a bell, and his Spiritual Power erupted like a torrential river. In his left hand, he clutched the Purple Jade Wind Umbrella, the handle inlaid with Purple Jade, and the canopy woven from millennia-old true silk, emblazoned with patterns of the void. Chapter 488: 320: The Early Detonated Decisive Battle (Second Update) Chapter 488: Chapter 320: The Early Detonated Decisive Battle (Second Update) Wei Ji¡¯s Purple Jade Fan was indeed a low grade Magical Treasure, which is a level higher than a Magic Artifact. Every low grade Magical Treasure has a starting price of over one million Spirit Stones, completely overshadowing all Magic Artifacts, like comparing a flintlock to an assault rifle, its might is overwhelming. The Purple Jade Wind Umbrella in Wei Ji¡¯s hands came from a Cultivator at the Taoist Platform Realm from the Guan Chao Pavilion known as ¡®Yu Qingzi¡¯, who meticulously crafted it by hand, imbuing it with his many years of mysterious Taoist Skill and enlightenment. After Yu Qingzi passed away, this low grade Magical Treasure was placed in the Book Collection Pavilion, waiting for an inheritor who could align with Yu Qingzi¡¯s path. Hundreds of years passed until Wei Ji appeared and inherited this low grade Magical Treasure. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of!¡± A flash of coldness crossed Su Jie¡¯s eyes; Wei Ji¡¯s move was exactly what he wanted. ¡°Su Jie, there¡¯s no need to compete impulsively,¡± Zhang Junwei looked at Su Jie. He felt extremely relieved at Su Jie¡¯s return, so he did not insist on Su Jie taking unnecessary risks. After all, Wei Ji¡¯s reputation had grown through his killing spree during this period; every disciple of the Ghost Ridge Palace knew of him, and the number of Elders who had died by his hand was already more than a handful. ¡°Are you confident? Can you win?¡± Taoist Qiu had even stronger confidence in Su Jie, who wasn¡¯t necessarily bound to lose. If he were to back down at such a crucial moment, even if they won the war later, Su Jie¡¯s prestige would be greatly affected. ¡°Master, Sect Master, to me, victory is without a doubt. Watch as I take this Liao person¡¯s head and enhance our Sect¡¯s prestige,¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice was as loud as thunder. With those words, he turned around and revealed a chilling white smile to Wei Ji: ¡°Wei Ji, come and meet your death quickly.¡± Su Jie and Wei Ji stood opposite each other in the void, with pairs of eyes from all around watching the scene. Both Su Jie and Wei Ji were the faces of their respective factions; the loss of either one would have a tremendous impact on the morale of their fighting forces. Wei Ji burst into hearty laughter, holding the Purple Jade Wind Umbrella and pointing it at Su Jie: ¡°Hahaha, you think you can kill me? As long as you can hit me once...¡± Bang! Before he could finish, Wei Ji was sent flying backward. He flew like a broken kite, crashing into Gao Li Mountain and creating a huge crater seventy to eighty meters in diameter. The mountain itself started to crack, and large chunks of rocks tumbled down. The sudden turn of events shocked everyone, especially the forces of the Righteous Sect. Having just seen Wei Ji provocatively challenging Su Jie, they couldn¡¯t believe he was pounded into the ground in the blink of an eye, a stark contrast that was almost too much to process. In the sky, a fist wrapped in countless pale corpse hands appeared; it was this very fist that had just struck Wei Ji down to the ground. As the Corpse Hands fist opened up, Su Jie¡¯s figure was revealed. Wei Ji¡¯s Purple Jade Wind Umbrella was a defensive weapon, yet during the recent attack, because Wei Ji was showing off and didn¡¯t open it, he was directly hit by Su Jie¡¯s attack. Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint! Su Jie pressed his palm down, the Five Elements cycling through changes, his handprint looking like a great sun bearing down, with attributes of scorching, armor piercing, and endless regeneration, directly suppressing Wei Ji lying in the crater. Gao Li Mountain seemed to tremble at this, with large masses of earth and stone turning to powder under the handprint, then scorched by high heat into flowing magma, artificially creating a magma lake with towering red light illuminating the surroundings. Disciples nearby, even if they were seven or eight kilometers away, still felt the heat wave hit their faces, cheeks flushed red, involuntarily retreating again and again. ¡°So boring. Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± A calm voice emerged from the magma lake. The boiling, surging magma parted, revealing Wei Ji¡¯s true form. His black hair danced as he gently slapped his hands together, conjuring a vast flame from where he stood. The scorching flame took the shape of a True Dragon, illuminating half the Sky Dome. The magma lake created by Su Jie, and even the magma inside Gao Li Mountain, all cooled down as the Fiery Flame True Dragon absorbed all the Flame Spiritual Power, using it to nourish and grow. It was the display of Wei Ji¡¯s ¡®Burning Sky Purifying Fire¡¯ Divine Skill. On the other side, the Purple Jade Wind Umbrella spun and Wei Ji proactively opened it this time, raising a purple protective light screen, allowing him to concentrate on casting with his Primordial Spirit. ¡°When it comes to playing with fire, you¡¯re levels below me,¡± Wei Ji began to form spell signs with both hands, his ten fingers flickering with afterimages. The Fiery Flame True Dragon opened its mouth towards Su Jie. Su Jie was immediately surrounded by air that ignited into burning clumps of golden flames. ¡°Playing with Primordial Spirit, you¡¯re weaker than me, fool.¡± With a single press of his hand, Su Jie summoned a thunderous roar and lightning in the sky dome, as countless bolts of lightning converged into a giant Thunder Lion that roared earth-shatteringly, pouncing and biting the Fiery Flame True Dragon, mounting it and tearing at it ferociously. The Fiery Flame True Dragon retaliated with its eagle claws and mouth, plasma and magma dripped and spilled everywhere, the ground was either ignited or blasted into deep craters, resembling an apocalyptic scene. The battle between the two divine skills¡¯ external forms was a contest of soul strength. In this regard, Wei Ji clearly was no match for Su Jie. The Thunder Lion overpowered the Fiery Flame True Dragon, and even with the geographical advantage of the magma from Gao Li Mountain, Wei Ji couldn¡¯t outfight Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit. Fiery Sun Dominator Sword! An eye-piercing golden light soared as Wei Ji turned his body into a sword and lunged at Su Jie with enormous force. The corpse hands that blocked Su Jie shattered one after another, unable to withstand Wei Ji¡¯s deadly strike with his own body as a sword. From the Insect Control Bag, a massive swarm of human-faced moths flew out, covering the land and completely concealing Su Jie¡¯s body. ¡°Thinking of escaping?¡± With a piercing gaze, Wei Ji locked onto Su Jie¡¯s position while the Thousand-Handed Centipede and Han Ruyan were not close to him, and in an instant, he appeared atop a small hill. There was Su Jie¡¯s true body, and just as Wei Ji was about to rejoice, Su Jie suddenly revealed a terrifying smile, his body disintegrating and turning into countless flying insects that scattered away. This was merely a fake body containing a part of Su Jie¡¯s flesh and Primordial Spirit. Su Jie had fed his flesh to the human-faced moths and attached his Primordial Spirit to every insect, and with a stronger Primordial Soul, he was able to block Wei Ji¡¯s exact sensing of his Primordial Spirit, ultimately deceiving Wei Ji. Zi! Zi! At the same time, the ground beneath Wei Ji¡¯s feet stirred, and two beams of light, one white and one red, burst forth, startling Wei Ji. ¡°When did this happen...¡± Wei Ji¡¯s heartbeat skipped half a beat, these two White Bone Sky Slaying Sword and Red Training Flying Sword that emerged from the ground had actually evaded his divine sense detection. The two top-grade magic artifact level flying swords slashed at Wei Ji¡¯s neck at supersonic speed, but the sudden attack was still blocked by the Purple Jade Wind Umbrella, a low-grade magic treasure. A purple halo burst forth in an instant. Facing the slashing flying swords, the Purple Jade Wind Umbrella shimmered like a gem, with streaks of immortal mist dispersing, much like an Immortal Treasure with an imposing aura of immortality. Under its effect, the flying swords were deflected away by the Purple Jade Wind Umbrella. The razor-sharp Sword Qi couldn¡¯t damage the surface of the umbrella, much less Wei Ji whom it protected. ¡°As expected, quite a nuisance.¡± Seeing his attempt fail, Su Jie had already anticipated as much. The protection of a low-grade magical treasure was indeed not to be underestimated, no wonder Wei Ji was so confident. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me with that level of attack, oh, you¡¯re only making futile efforts, the protection of a low-grade magical treasure far exceeds your imagination.¡± Wei Ji regained his calm composure, standing with a smile, his deep gaze turned towards Han Ruyan who hadn¡¯t made a move, beckoning her with a gesture, as if everything was under his control, and any evil would dissipate before him. Han Ruyan¡¯s lifeless eyes showed a flicker of emotion as she spoke coldly, ¡°Husband, get the banner.¡± At her words, Su Jie raised an eyebrow and pulled out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner from his chest, ¡°Futile efforts? Then try this, my treasure might just do the trick.¡± The Ten Thousand Soul Banner revealed densely packed runes, each seemingly containing infinite Soul Power. The banner appeared to be made of black cloth, but upon closer inspection, it almost seemed to have a luminous glow flowing within, like a dark and deep abyss. ¡°Today, I want to see whether your umbrella is tougher, or my Soul Banner is stronger.¡± Su Jie waved the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and in the next moment, the banner suddenly expanded dramatically, reaching several meters high and tens of meters wide as if it could shield the entire sky. When the Ten Thousand Soul Banner was brandished, the desperate wails and painful moans of myriad souls echoed in every direction. Above the banner, faces of people, each distinct, appeared. Their only common trait was their resentful and wrathful eyes, as if they were the embodiment of all the negative emotions in the world, chilling to the bone. Chapter 492 - 322: The Might of the Rocket Chapter 492: Chapter 322: The Might of the Rocket When the war began, the first to engage were the Secret Realm Elders high above in the sky. Elder after Elder either flew on their own spiritual power or rode on Flying Poisonous Insects and Flying Spiritual Beasts, their Combat Spiritual Waves ripping through the clouds. Countless Magic Artifacts crisscrossed and collided in the sky, with the aftermath spreading far and wide, staining the sky in mottled colors. From time to time, a figure would plummet from the sky. Even in the Secret Realm, it was easy to meet instant death in such a widespread group assault. The inner disciples followed closely in engagement. These inner disciples acted alone, each locking into duel-like combat with one another. Their battles, while not as exaggerated as those of the Secret Realm, were more gruesome, with a very high death rate. The Outer Disciples, on the other hand, mostly formed into battle formations, clustering together like communal animals huddling for warmth, in order to maintain their combat effectiveness. Otherwise, a single charge from an inner disciple would certainly lead to heavy casualties. With their numbers increased, the inner disciples also had to be cautious; if they were not careful and went too deep into the array, they would be surrounded and gradually whittled down to death. Meanwhile, as the war erupted, the disciples of the Puppetry Hall also sprang into action from behind the battlefield. They removed the covers from the rocket artillery launch vehicles and, with the help of a large number of disciples with Yunling First and Second Level Cultivation, lifted and loaded the rockets into the launch tubes. The Rocket Teams made fine adjustments, aiming their muzzles at where the Outer Disciples of the Righteous Sects were forming their battle formations. At this moment, Su Jie had already fallen back to this position, swallowing elixirs to recover his spiritual power while commanding the rocket artillery¡¯s launch operations. ¡°Is this the new Puppet invention you¡¯ve come up with in Puppet Hall? It doesn¡¯t look very impressive.¡± A voice came from the side as Ning Xinyue, the slacker, came over to Su Jie¡¯s location, curiously staring at the bustling launch site. These rocket artillery pieces looked somewhat ordinary and unremarkable compared to the humanoid Combat Puppets that seemed more intimidating. ¡°Puppets are not about looks, they just need to be practical. Just watch.¡± Su Jie knocked Ning Xinyue¡¯s head and looked at the others, ¡°Are we ready?¡± ¡°Hall Master, please give your command.¡± Zhu Zhangqi responded loudly, his gaze fixed on the launch site, his eyes filled with both tension and excitement. He was well aware that these seemingly simple War Puppets would be terrifying in their lethality once they launched a full assault. ¡°The first launch battalion is ready for adjustment, ready to fire at any time.¡± ¡°The second launch battalion is ready for adjustment, ready to fire at any time.¡± ¡°The third launch battalion...¡± Several responses came through, with five hundred rocket artillery divided into five launching grounds, each aiming at the forces of the Golden Sword Sect, Guan Chao Pavilion, Dragon and Tiger Sect, Purple Mist Sect, and Miao Yin Temple. They were all cultivators, so the loading speed was much faster than that of ordinary soldiers. A 220-millimeter caliber rocket weighing around three hundred kilograms could be carried by two low-level cultivators without the need for any machinery assistance. ¡°Prepare.¡± Su Jie raised his right hand, and the disciples of the Puppet Hall placed their hands on the firing ropes. ¡°Fire.¡± Following Su Jie¡¯s command, the Puppet Hall disciples decisively pulled the firing ropes. In a sharp buzzing sound, the cold steel vehicles shook, with thirty-two cold launch rails arranged in a 4*8 array. One rocket after another lit up with a scorching tail flame of spiritual power, propelling the heavy projectile. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! One rocket after another soared into the sky through the thick smoke, and in less than half a minute, a rocket artillery could finish firing all thirty-two rockets. This time, a full five hundred rocket artillery fired simultaneously, sending a whopping 16,000 rockets into the sky, like a rain of fire, their trailing sparks covering the field of vision. The many Righteous Disciples engaged in battle looked up, some puzzled by the sight, and others, although they had never seen rockets before, could tell that anything crashing down on their heads was very dangerous. Many disciples tried to dodge, but there were far too many rockets, and it was not easy to escape their coverage area. In short flight, the folding fins on the rockets maintained stability, ensuring that most of the rockets landed at the designated bombing sites. An disciple from Guan Chao Pavilion saw a rocket land about a dozen meters away. It was his first time seeing such a Magic Artifact, rolling and cylindrical in shape. ¡°What¡¯s this...¡± Before the disciple could finish speaking, he suddenly saw the cylinder burst open, splashing black liquid all around. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! When the liquid touched his body, the disciple let out an inhuman scream. His flesh was dissolved by the corrosive acid, revealing stark bones and internal organs. In an instant, he collapsed to the ground, smoking, with only half of his mutilated body remaining. Similar scenes unfolded simultaneously across the battlefield. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Rockets landed and burst open, spraying acid in all directions. A single rocket could cover an area the size of a soccer field, its devastating effect of destruction unmatched. The ground was corroded into a pockmarked landscape, resembling the surface of the moon. As for the disciples, without any protection, one by one the Righteous Disciples howled in agony as their flesh dissolved under the acid, rendering them battle-incapable in a short time even if they weren¡¯t killed outright. And this was merely one form of attack; the rockets were loaded with more than just the acid of human-faced moths. Boom! A cluster of rockets fell onto the territory of the Purple Mist Sect, and out from the shattered casings emerged Poisonous Insects that resembled fireflies, their tails flashing green lights. They seemed beautiful from afar, but upon nearing a cultivator, they¡¯d self-destruct, scattering a shower of green phosphorous flames. These phosphorous flames were like white phosphorous incendiaries, burning on contact with flesh and using the victim¡¯s body as fuel, gnawing through the flesh like a scorching worm until they burned a hole right through. Bang! In the area of Miao Yin Temple, many female disciples fell to the ground with faces twisted in pain. The rocket that had landed carried a multitude of spider-like Poison Insects. Upon impact, they quickly leapt onto people. One bite was enough to cease the flow of qi in lower Cultivation disciples in just moments. Then, these spider Poison Insects would lay their eggs on the still-warm corpses to cultivate their nests. Minutes later, more tiny spider larvae emerged, ravenously gnawing at the corpses for nourishment. After devouring the bodies down to their bones, they would attack more Righteous Cultivators, starting a new cycle of egg-laying and hatching. ... Dozens of different rockets were a contribution from various Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace, enhancing the power of the rockets and ensuring a varied attack to avoid being countered by the enemy. The lower-leveled disciples faced the rocket¡¯s rich and powerful onslaught. If they were within the blast radius, they were bound to be killed or wounded. Only those Inner Disciples above the Sixth Level of Yunling were able to effectively dodge and resist. The Rocket Team was relatively slow, making it easy to dodge and destroy in advance, or they could simply activate a shield of Spiritual Power to fend off the attacks; they had plenty of methods at their disposal. But the Outer Disciples, for the most part, lacked such means to deal with the attacks. A total of 16,000 rockets brought almost apocalyptic destruction. Countless Righteous Disciples became the first victims under the rockets¡¯ debut, with mangled corpses strewn everywhere due to the blanket bombing; it was a horrific sight to behold. With their vast killing range and number, the rockets¡¯ carpet bombing caused staggering casualties; these were the ¡®Supermen¡¯ in the eyes of Blue Star, yet they were slaughtered en masse, leaving dead bodies everywhere. It wasn¡¯t just the ordinary Outer Disciples who were terrified, even the Inner Disciples panicked, and even the Secret Realm Elders, who were battling high above, began to cast concerned glances. ¡°This... these Puppets are too horrific, as if they were born for war,¡± Ning Xinyue gaped in shock, her mouth forming a cute ¡®O¡¯ shape. The rocket artillery, which seemed quite ordinary just moments ago in her eyes, had instantly transformed into a weapon of slaughter. Even the disciples from Ghost Ridge Palace, where the rockets were highly classified and many had never seen them before, were stunned by their power. Questions arose on when the Puppet Hall had become so formidable, and following this, morale surged once again. ¡°That¡¯s why I say! It¡¯s not always the most expensive Puppets that are the best, the cheap ones can be very practical too,¡± Su Jie chuckled softly, turning his head to order, ¡°Hurry and prepare for the second round of loading and firing.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s face flushed with excitement as he turned to command the operation. Like Zhu Zhangqi, many disciples of the Puppet Hall, seeing their own handiwork killing so many enemies in one go, felt a surge of pride and excitement that banished all traces of fatigue. They were driven to promptly reload the rocket artillery. Minutes later, the second round was loaded and decisively fired in another round of blanket bombing. The sky once again showered down a meteoric downpour of fire, prompting Su Jie to mutter, ¡°It¡¯s literally like throwing money away, war really does burn through funds!¡± Each rocket cost five Spirit Stones; Su Jie sold them to Ghost Ridge Palace for ten, meaning a single barrage cost a total of one hundred sixty thousand Spirit Stones. But the resulting carnage was indeed substantial. Despite the Righteous Disciples preparing for the second volley by destroying some of the rockets with Flying Swords and talismans, the sheer number of rockets and the vast coverage of their destruction overwhelmed them. No matter how the Righteous Disciples intercepted and scrambled to evade, the rockets still caused massive casualties. And with most of the sixty thousand-strong army of the Righteous Sects being Outer Disciples, if the rocket artillery continued to fire round after round, perhaps after a dozen or so barrages, the ranks of the Outer Disciples of the entire Righteous Alliance Army would likely collapse. While the loss of Outer Disciples might not decide the outcome of the war, they were all Sect members, and being slaughtered like chickens and sheep en masse, amounting to a potential break in the Sects¡¯ lineage, which many could not bear. Just as the rocket artillery was preparing for a third barrage, trouble arrived. A massive Magic Boat cloud-hopping across the sky moved through the void, its spirit pressure causing the air to sing. Onboard were many Elders from various Sects, all united with the sole purpose of destroying the rocket artillery launch site. The huge shadow cast by the Magic Boat was cause for concern for everyone except Su Jie. The Puppet Hall disciples began to panic. The next second, layers of array patterns glowed on the Magic Boat, and streams of fiery beams rained down, targeting the rows of rocket artillery. Body Worm Focusing Method! A dense shield of Human-faced Moth Insect Cloud formed, standing against the fiery beams plummeting from the Magic Boat. Every moment saw vast numbers of moths vaporized, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before Su Jie¡¯s supply of moths was exhausted. But the Magic Boat could afford this loss, with plenty of Top Grade Spirit Stones to sustain it. Yet the time Su Jie fought for was enough. A Thousand-Handed Centipede took flight from the ground and collided head-on with the massive Magic Boat. Chapter 493: 323: Fighting Chapter 493: Chapter 323: Fighting The Magic Boat was hundreds of meters long, resembling a temple that spanned across the sky dome. Its divine light illuminated in all directions, making even the thousand-hand centipede appear a size smaller in its presence. Boom! Amid the roaring boom, dozens of layers of defense formations rose from the Magic Boat, interlocking with each other to form a dazzling array of lights. The thousand-hand centipede crashed into this layer of defensive light screen, merely causing the Magic Boat to tremble slightly, unaffected overall. Crissss! The thousand-hand centipede lowered its head and roared continuously at the Magic Boat. Numerous purple light rays burst forth, entering the defense screen, and instantly disappeared without a trace, failing to penetrate the defenses. Seeing this, Su Jie waved the Ten Thousand Soul Banner in his hand. The Blood River reappeared, but the Magic Boat immediately descended a kilometer, erupting with endless array radiance. Massive spiritual power transformed into sky-reaching pillars of fire, falling into the surging Blood River, causing it to boil and suppress Su Jie¡¯s Ten Thousand Soul Banner. Suddenly, Su Jie stomped his foot, and the space where he had been standing rippled slightly. A translucent Flying Sword whizzed past, silently splitting several nearby boulders in half. Above the Magic Boat, an Elder from the Golden Sword Pavilion scoffed, and the translucent Flying Sword bent back, landing back into his palm. It was a Flying Sword only slightly longer than a palm, thin as a cicada¡¯s wing. It resembled more of a dagger than a Flying Sword. Almost as Su Jie retreated, a terrifying spirit pressure descended from above. The Magic Boat shone brightly, its high-condensed spirit pressure akin to adding layer upon layer of gravity to Su Jie, severely hindering his movements. This was the suppression of the spirit power of the Magic Boat, which manipulated and compressed the nearby spiritual power through the intricate and multiple formations on the Magic Boat, making the spirit power especially dense, turning air into water, naturally making it difficult to move about. Beyond offense, the Magic Boat could also assist in high-level combat and influence the battle situation. Almost as Su Jie was being suppressed, a sharp aura came from behind him. ¡°The righteous also resort to sneak attacks, using the majority to bully the few.¡± Pale corpse hands sprouted from Su Jie¡¯s back, facing a black long knife that suddenly attacked. The wielder was a Secret Realm Elder from the Purple Mist Sect, who shouted, ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk about martial code with you demon cultivators, Wanxiang Heavenly Power True Method.¡± The blade ignited into fierce flames, slicing through many corpse hands, but even more hands enveloped it, multiple corpse hands coming together, eventually clamping down on the blade. ¡°Miao Method¡ªThousand Blade Slash!¡± A crisp voice came from above, a middle-aged beautiful woman with the Heavenly Constitution in her mouth, an Elder from the Miao Yin Temple. The air was sliced open, and streaks of blue air blades continuously struck down. Han Ruyan waved her hand broadly, and her red wedding dress billowed out, spread layer upon layer like a sky-enveloping sea of blood, obliterating thousands of blue air blades. Heavy footsteps followed, revealing a Dragon and Tiger Sect Elder, swollen to over three meters in height, half-naked, his body shining like gold as if forged from gold, charging at Su Jie, coordinating a pincer attack with the Purple Mist Sect Elder. ¡°Darling, please turn around.¡± Su Jie remained composed, and two rays of light, one white and one red, shot out, inflicting bone-deep wounds on this Dragon and Tiger Sect Elder, yet unable to truly kill him. The Dragon and Tiger Sect specialized in body refining; their physical resilience and strength were their foundation. Even top grade magical artifacts couldn¡¯t kill him in one strike. ¡°Devil, die!¡± Accompanied by the surge of tides, a Guan Chao Pavilion Elder clasped his hands emptily. Underground water veins were extracted, transforming into a hundred-meter-long blue sword light that penetrated with terrifying sword Qi, causing mountains and stones to shatter and the ground to split into vast ravines covering Su Jie, exploding into countless clouds of dust. And when the dust settled, a towering, thirty-meter-tall ball of corpse hands stood in the deep pit. ¡°Five Secret Realm Elders, is this how you want to eliminate me?¡± The pale corpse hands writhed, forming Su Jie¡¯s face on a grand scale of tens of meters, emitting a thunderous rumble. Guan Chao Pavilion, Golden Sword Pavilion, Purple Mist Sect, Miao Yin Temple, and Dragon and Tiger Sect five Sects, five Secret Realm Elders surrounded Su Jie completely. Each of their strengths was above the Secret Realm Third Level, among them the Elder from Guan Chao Pavilion, even possessing Secret Realm Fifth Level cultivation, comparable to Taoist Qiu. ¡°Devil, you have no future to speak of; today, you must be slain here.¡± The voice of the Guan Chao Pavilion Elder was like a tsunami, carrying overwhelming spirit power, causing ripples to spread along the sphere of corpse hands. He looked at Su Jie with undisguised murderous intent; setting aside Su Jie¡¯s killing of Wei Ji, such an Immortal Seed continuing to grow was something the entire Qingzhou¡¯s Righteous Sect did not want to see. At such a young age, to have this level of combat power¡ªwho knows where Su Jie¡¯s growth could peak in the future. And with the rise of the Demon Path, their Righteous Path could end up in dire straits! ¡°To kill me, you¡¯re not qualified yet.¡± Su Jie¡¯s voice resonated, countless pale corpse hands tightly gripped and interlocked, forming a skeleton. The human-faced moth filled the gaps, resembling muscles, while the Primordial Spirit constructed nerves. Eventually, the densely packed ball of corpse hands grew limbs and slowly stood up, forming a giant tens of meters tall, composed of innumerable corpse hands and Poison Insects. The Corpse Hand Giant clenched his fist and smashed it down. Fist winds encompassed insect clouds, instantaneously altering the colors of the skies. The Guan Chao Pavilion Elder also raised his fist. The river beneath his feet condensed into a long spear, colliding with the Corpse Hand Giant. The shockwave swept over, causing the Corpse Hand Giant to retreat numerous steps, while the Guan Chao Pavilion Elder, as if struck by a high-speed train, was forced back a hundred meters, leaving long ravines under his feet, his expression becoming exceedingly grave. ¡°Everyone attack together; this devil is tough to handle. Have the Magic Boat exert full force to suppress him.¡± The Elder of Guan Chao Pavilion shouted long and loud, standing on the river waves beneath his feet that turned into a Water Dragon, tightly coiling around Su Jie. Above them, the Magic Boat was releasing spirit pressure, controlling the flow of Su Jie¡¯s Spiritual Power. The four Secret Realm Elders glanced at each other and charged together towards Su Jie. Su Jie controlled the Corpse Hand Giant, with his Divine Soul of the God Unification Realm resisting the spiritual pressure from the Magic Boat while simultaneously erupting with primitive wild beast power. He broke free from the Water Dragon binding his body, and a fierce smile filled his face, as he menacingly strode towards the five Secret Realm Elders. ¡°Damn it, even covered by the Magic Boat¡¯s spirit pressure he still has such formidable strength.¡± All five Secret Realm Elders were slightly pale, having witnessed Su Jie¡¯s recent fight with Wei Ji. They had thought that Wei Ji had forced Su Jie to reveal all his cards, but they had not expected Su Jie to still maintain such strong combat power up to now. Luckily, they had all acted together. If it had been one-on-one, even the Elder from Guan Chao Pavilion with his Fifth Level Cultivation wouldn¡¯t have been sure of victory. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see how you do; come entertain me.¡± Su Jie bent his legs, and the massive Corpse Hand Giant leapt hundreds of meters, crashing down like a small mountain. The five desperately dodged as the ground shook violently, creating two deep pits where Su Jie had landed, then he twisted at the waist, settled himself, and swung a fist toward the Elder of the Dragon and Tiger Sect who was closest to him. Meanwhile, Han Ruyan temporarily held off the other four Secret Realm Elders, using bizarre powers to buy time. ¡°Get lost.¡± The Elder of the Dragon and Tiger Sect glared with furious eyes, his Spiritual Power gathering into his arms, which instantly grew bulkier, bursting with veins and muscles like rocks, struggling against Su Jie¡¯s Corpse Hand Giant. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! They exchanged punches over a hundred times in an instant, each collision spreading shockwaves hundreds of meters, resembling missile explosions. Nearby, both disciples of the Righteous and Demon Paths retreated in unison. Even the disciples of Su Jie¡¯s Puppet Hall scattered, hastily packing their rocket artillery into Storage Bags and fleeing to avoid being killed by the aftershocks. After three seconds of exchanging hundreds of punches, the Elder of the Dragon and Tiger Sect saw that his four companions had shaken off Han Ruyan and were coming over to support him, just as he was feeling a moment of relief. Suddenly, numerous pale Corpse Hands writhed at the waist of the giant controlled by Su Jie, unexpectedly sprouting four more massive arms, making a total of six arms that swung, creating layers of afterimages. The scene was utterly exaggerated. The Dragon and Tiger Sect Elder could never have anticipated this move. Like playing whack-a-mole, he was smashed into the ground by Su Jie, followed by even more fists pounding down, just like a pile driving machine, making the earth shake continuously. When the other four Elders arrived, they all stopped in their tracks. Because one of the giant hands of the Corpse Hand Giant was holding the Dragon and Tiger Sect Elder, whose body was now broken at every twist and turn, bleeding from every orifice, resembling a lump of mud held in the grasp of Su Jie. ¡°Hehehe! You were confident in your defense? It seems it was nothing much after all!¡± Su Jie¡¯s laughter was maniacal as he clenched his fingers. Under the glaring eyes of the other four Righteous Elders, the Dragon and Tiger Sect Elder was crushed and ground up, with chunks of flesh oozing out between the fingers of the Corpse Hand Giant, and blood dripping down the palm. ¡°First one.¡± A cold smile played on Su Jie¡¯s face, causing the four Elders to tremble slightly, an involuntary trace of fear rising within them before being overwhelmed by even more fury. ¡°Devil, how dare you still act violently at this time.¡± The female Elder from Miao Yin Temple glared, her beautiful eyes wide as she shouted, ¡°Miao Method¡ªDivine Fire Tripod.¡± A massive, ethereal cauldron materialized upside down over Su Jie¡¯s head, containing terrifying Heavenly Fire burning inside, distorting the air around it, intending to refine Su Jie completely. ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll be the next one I kill.¡± Su Jie stared at her, his eyes filled with deadly aura, making it seem as though killing an Elder was as easy as slaughtering dogs or chickens. ¡°Brag all you want, die for me.¡± The Elder from the Golden Sword Sect controlled a Flying Sword, burrowing into the Corpse Hand Giant¡¯s body, seeking out where Su Jie¡¯s true body was. The Elder of Guan Chao Pavilion slapped out with waves that formed huge palms, and the Elder from the Purple Mist Sect held a long knife, approaching close, as if to split Su Jie in two. While their coordination might not be perfect, as Secret Realm Elders with rich combat experience, they intended to quell Su Jie with even stronger attacks. The Corpse Hand Giant did not dodge or evade, allowing the attacks to hit, with many pale Corpse Hands breaking and crumbling, almost half of its body vanishing. Curiously, a segment of the shattered pale Corpse Hand fell in front of the Miao Yin Temple Elder, who noticed nothing. The next second, a light orb emerged on that segment of the pale Corpse Hand, rapidly condensing into the form of Su Jie; it was indeed Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit inhabiting it. Zap! The arm of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit stabbed into the head of the Miao Yin Temple Elder, his hand appearing phantom-like. Though her head showed no sign of injury, her entire graceful body began to tremble violently. Immediately after, a semi-transparent ethereal Divine Soul was pulled out of her head by Su Jie, and it was indeed the Primordial Spirit of the Miao Yin Temple Elder. Chapter 494: 324: Each Others Reinforcements Chapter 494: Chapter 324: Each Other¡¯s Reinforcements Su Jie¡¯s Divine Soul was at the God Unification Level, unlike the Elder of Miao Yin Temple, whose Divine Soul was just an eye and ear shy of achieving the Primordial Spirit, leaving a gap between them akin to the difference between an adult and a child. So much so that when Su Jie reached out, he literally pulled the Divine Soul away from the flesh. ¡°Thought you could escape after I said I¡¯d kill you?¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile was cold, and with a grasp of his hand, the Elder¡¯s Divine Soul began to crack inch by inch. ¡°How could your Primordial Spirit be so strong, no... don¡¯t.¡± The Elder of Miao Yin Temple¡¯s Divine Soul lost all its color as he begged Su Jie for mercy, but Su Jie ignored him completely, throwing his Divine Soul into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to nourish it. On the other side, the remaining three Elders looked on with darkened, fearful expressions, realizing they had been played by Su Jie. The Corpse Hand Giant was but a trap; Su Jie¡¯s true body was no longer there, having left only his Primordial Spirit to ambush them. ¡°Where has the devil hidden his body?¡± The Elder of Guan Chao Pavilion scoured the surroundings with the Divine Sense of his Primordial Spirit but found nothing, as if it had vanished into thin air. It wasn¡¯t until the Divine Sense covered the thousand-hand centipede that they finally located the target. ¡°Looking for me?¡± From the head of the thousand-hand centipede, Su Jie¡¯s body rose cross-legged out from the flesh, then the Primordial Spirit returned to the aperture, and his piercing eyes opened, his face carrying a mocking sneer. The Elders from Golden Sword Sect and Purple Mist Sect turned pale, with thoughts of retreat rising in their hearts. This devil was not only powerful but also cunning, and continuing the fight might spell total annihilation for them. ¡°Heh, thinking of running away?¡± A glint of ferocity flashed in Su Jie¡¯s eyes, and a cruel smile appeared on his lips as he flew towards the three Elders. Now, the roles of attacker and defender had been reversed. ... A hundred kilometers away, in a temporary cave formed by underground magma. The Sect Master of Heavenly Soul Sect, Lu Jingshi, slowly deactivated the covert Array of the cave, splitting open a thick layer of earth to reveal an exit leading to the surface. ¡°It¡¯s our turn to strike, kill all those Righteous Sect scum.¡± Lu Jingshi¡¯s eyes flickered with brutality as his body shot forth like a roc. ¡°Kill, kill, kill!¡± ¡°My Soul Summoning Banner is already starving.¡± ¡°Haha, the fear on the battlefield is most intense; my Scarecrow Ghost will surely seize this chance to advance to Fourth Grade.¡± Behind him, over ten thousand Heavenly Soul Sect Disciples surged out mightily, resembling a chimney spewing black smoke in the distance¡ªspectacular from afar. Each of the Heavenly Soul Sect Disciples carried a Soul Summoning Banner, manipulating Yin Souls to slay the enemy. Or they would command Fierce Ghosts, summoning numerous formidable and eerie Ghosts that joined the battle with overwhelming momentum. The higher-ups in the Secret Realm of Heavenly Soul Sect, over one-third of the Elders held Array Plates inscribed with countless odd patterns. Once these Array Plates were activated, boundless black mist descended, darkening the clear sky with a ghostly atmosphere. This was one of the trump cards of the Heavenly Soul Sect¡ªthe Heavenly Soul Formation. This Formation could summon souls and ghosts, usually set up in wildlands to attract wild wandering ghosts and fierce spirits. It required regular feedings of living people to the ghosts within, to cultivate fear and elevate their grades. Deployed in battle, it became the Ten Thousand Ghost Array. Counts of half-wild Fierce Ghosts began to appear on the battlefield as soon as these Heavenly Soul Formations were spread out. Some were diminutive in stature, with desiccated skin covered in corpse spots, hunched over resembling childlike figures of Fierce Ghosts. Yet one must not judge Fierce Ghosts by ordinary standards, for their seemingly frail and small bodies would sprout numerous corpse spots once any Cultivator approached within a hundred meters. Their bodies would keep contracting and twisting until they turned into a tiny doll-toy. ¡°So much blood, so much fresh human blood.¡± Some Fierce Ghosts were drenched in blood, skinless with naked red muscles exposed, would eerily appear behind any Righteous Cultivator and take a sucking breath. The blood of a once-healthy Cultivator would be drawn from every pore, leaving behind a desiccated corpse in a blink. The absorbed blood would cover the Fierce Ghost, forming a layer of blood skin with twisted, writhing blood vessels, the sound of flowing blood audible within hundreds of meters. Other Ghost creatures were Human Soul Trees, tens of meters tall, where Cultivators impaled by branches were dragged into the trunk and consumed. The faces of devoured Cultivators gradually became imprinted densely on the bark, chilling to the onlooker. Numerous Fierce Ghosts swarmed, ranging from the weakest First-grade fierce ghost to the appearance of Seventh and Eighth Grade Fierce Ghosts. In a short time, the unprepared Righteous Disciples didn¡¯t stand a chance against the sudden attack from behind by the Heavenly Soul Sect, leaving a landscape littered with corpses. Countless souls drifted into Soul Banners with their pre-death terror also absorbed by the Fierce Ghosts, nourishing their growth. The Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, who were originally fighting the Righteous Sect, surged with morale upon seeing this reinforcement from the Heavenly Soul Sect, as if victory was within reach. Conversely, for the Righteous Sects, it was a scenario of grave dismay, except for a few high-level insiders. Lu Jingshi, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Soul Sect, didn¡¯t join in the other battles but instead swiftly ascended to the skies tens of thousands of meters above. There, Zhang Junwei and Zhuang Liangru, two Taoist Platform Realm powerhouses, stood off against each other. According to the agreement, Lu Jingshi was there to help deal with Zhuang Liangru. With a two-on-one advantage, the opponent had no chance of victory; managing to escape in a woeful state would be an achievement in itself. Chapter 495: 324: Each Others Reinforcements_2 Chapter 495: Chapter 324: Each Other¡¯s Reinforcements_2 ¡°Zhuang Liangru, you didn¡¯t expect this, that we would unite together,¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s eyes shone brightly as he looked across at his greatest trump card, which had already secured his victory. ¡°Zhuang Liangru, your righteous sect is too aggressive, only by uniting can we survive,¡± Lu Jingshi blocked Zhuang Liangru¡¯s retreat, a light laugh escaping from his lips as he spoke. ¡°Just a bunch of devils banding together, I¡¯ve long anticipated this move of yours,¡± Zhuang Liangru¡¯s lips curled up in a smile, seemingly not surprised at all. ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhang Junwei and Lu Jingshi were both taken aback by Zhuang Liangru¡¯s expression, which gave rise to an ominous premonition. ¡°Monks of Lingfa Temple, it¡¯s time for you to take action,¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s voice boomed, spreading throughout the entire battlefield and radiating far and wide. ¡°What, those baldies from Lingfa Temple,¡± Lu Jingshi¡¯s face twisted in fury upon hearing this, his eyes filled with disbelief and panic. The clouds at the edge of the sky dispersed, and dozens of kilometers away, a mountain peak trembled. Countless boulders and clumps of earth rolled down, revealing dark cave openings. Accompanied by the dignified chanting of Buddhist scriptures, a golden light burst forth from within. As the golden light spread, one by one, monks dressed in robes, their heads shaven and shiny, appeared and hastened to the battlefield. They were clearly headed straight for the Heavenly Soul Sect. ¡°Raising ghosts and refining souls offends the harmony of heaven, Amitabha! Today, I shall send you on your way to the Western Paradise,¡± A monk struck his wooden fish, his face usually kind and benevolent but now showing a grave determination, possessing the cultivation level of the Secret Realm. He ventured alone into the midst of a Heavenly Soul Formation. The black mist that he encountered, when touched by the Treasure Light emitted from his body, reacted like snow upon a red-hot iron, hissing white smoke and being steadily dispersed. ¡°Chomp chomp chomp...¡± A Fierce Ghost with a body round and plump like a ball and dragging a spiked mace approached the monk. Just as it was ready to strike, the moment it entered the range of the Buddhist Treasure Light, the previously ferocious expression on the ghost¡¯s face gradually turned serene, its eyes cleared, and its body stiffened, unable to move. Nearby, a dozen or so Fierce Ghosts all reacted in the same way. No matter the abilities of these ghosts, as they neared his surroundings, their movements became sluggish, and the strange powers within them were blocked by the Buddha¡¯s Blessing, unable to affect him. ¡°Harbor good intentions, and move on to rebirth,¡± The monk struck the wooden fish, and with the chanting of sutras, a vision of a Buddha with a majestic aura appeared. The nearby Fierce Ghosts began to tremble uncontrollably, as the resentment, Yin Qi, and malevolence within them emerged as streams of black smoke from their orifices. Thud! Thud! Thud! One by one, the Fierce Ghosts fell to the ground, motionless. The monk quickly cast out strips of Buddhist scripture, sealing each of the ghosts. Crack! Suddenly, the monk¡¯s shoulder shattered, and a Seventh-grade Fierce Ghost, expressionless, was holding an arm in its mouth, the monk¡¯s arm, chewing it methodically. Behind this Seventh-grade Fierce Ghost, an Elder from the Heavenly Soul Sect with Fifth Level Cultivation of the Secret Realm looked on with a venomous gaze. Clearly, more powerful Fierce Ghosts were not entirely impeded by the Buddhist Treasure Light. The two exchanged a look and without any further words, commenced battle immediately. More monks appeared on the battlefield, wielding wooden fish, prayer beads, Pure Bottles, and golden bowls as Magic Artifacts to join the fight against the Heavenly Soul Sect. ¡°This is the world of the living, and Dead Souls should head towards the joy of rebirth and cease to disturb the affairs of the living world, Amitabha,¡± Monks with incense burners in hand, the censer ash inside, having been nurtured by the scent of incense over many years, once scattered, caused the myriad Yin Souls to struggle in agony, their bodies disappearing into the air amidst the illusion. ¡°Seeing that you are fated to cross paths with me, become a flute-playing novice before Buddha,¡± said another. Monks with prayer beads wrapped around their hands, eyes closed in meditation, silently recited Buddhist scriptures. On the forehead of a fierce ghost, the swastika symbol appeared, converted by the monk. Suddenly, it changed direction, astonishingly turning to attack the disciples of the Heavenly Soul Sect instead. The cultivation techniques practiced by these monks seemed to be particularly effective against the Heavenly Soul Sect. Many fierce ghosts were suppressed and sealed by them, their Yin Souls liberated and dispersed. Only the comparatively strong fierce ghosts, or those that formed the Ten Thousand Soul Banner formation, could effectively combat them. An unexpected reversal on the battlefield left countless people dumbfounded. The Righteous Sects, initially caught in a pincer attack, suddenly gained the aid of a large group of monks from Lingfa Temple, tipping the scales of battle in their favor once again. Above the sky dome, a monk with a head of white hair and eyebrows so long they drooped down the sides of his face, wearing a radiant Buddhist robe with golden thread and embroidery, holding a Demon-Subduing Pestle in one hand and a Fu Long Golden Bowl in the other, appeared before Zhang Junwei, Zhuang Liangru, and Lu Jingshi with an extraordinary demeanor. Seeing this person, Lu Jingshi¡¯s face showed an incredibly vivid expression of shock and anger, ¡°Guo Yan¡¯an, we have fled to Qingzhou, yet your haunting pursuit from Lingfa Temple never ceases. Are you determined to eradicate us completely?¡± The man before him, Lu Jingshi knew all too well. He was the head of the Precepts Hall of Lingfa Temple, named Guo Yan¡¯an, a monk whose cultivation had reached the Taoist Platform Realm. Both his cultivation and his understanding of Buddhist teachings were terrifyingly formidable. Lingfa Temple was the strongest sect in Jingzhou. They might have appeared devout and detached from worldly affairs, yet the reality was completely otherwise. The downfall of the Heavenly Soul Sect, the destruction of their Mountain Gate, and their panic-stricken flight were the direct result of Lingfa Temple¡¯s collusion with several sects. It was for this reason that Lu Jingshi reacted so strongly to the appearance of Lingfa Temple. ¡°Amitabha. This time, I am here at the invitation of Master Zhuang to subdue devils and expel demons. You have fled Jingzhou without reflecting on past lessons or attempting reform. Instead, you have continued to wreak havoc upon the world, slaughtering the common folk, even colluding with Qingzhou¡¯s largest Demon Sect, Ghost Ridge Palace,¡± Guo Yan¡¯an said with his hands clasped together, his face showing neither joy nor sorrow, his calm expression belied the ruthless words he spoke. He was intent on annihilating the Heavenly Soul Sect and destroying their lineage completely. Since receiving the message from Guan Chao Pavilion, Lingfa Temple had immediately decided to divert resources and head to Qingzhou. Lingfa Temple and the Heavenly Soul Sect were archenemies, one raised ghosts and the other helped ghosts to transcend; the two sects were like fire and water, incompatible with one another. In the past, when the Demon Path was powerful, Lingfa Temple had frequently been raided by the Heavenly Soul Sect, their demon cultivators particularly fond of using their monks for nurturing ghosts and refining corpses. Later, when the Righteous path gained strength, and fortunes reversed, Lingfa Temple would, whenever possible, make trouble for the Heavenly Soul Sect, sending their disciples to meet Buddha. Until the decisive battle that set the order, in alliance with other Jingzhou sects, they eradicated this scourge. Yet some still escaped through the net. Now that they had located the Heavenly Soul Sect, the entire Lingfa Temple brimmed with excitement, eager to purge the sect utterly and prevent them from making a comeback. Should they revive, they might seek revenge on Lingfa Temple. Others might not understand, but their sworn enemy was all too aware of the Heavenly Soul Sect¡¯s growth rate. Given the right conditions and fierce ghosts, they could quickly make a resurgence. It¡¯s known that, apart from everything else, the speed of cultivation growth and the development of the new generation among demon cultivators is impressive. ¡°Threaten us? Our Heavenly Soul Sect is not something you can simply extinguish,¡± Lu Jingshi roared in anger, his body emanating a menacing black aura. However, upon reaching Guo Yan¡¯an, it all dissipated like a gentle breeze against the face, this suppression causing Lu Jingshi¡¯s expression to darken even further. ¡°One Lingfa Temple is not enough, but add to that our Guan Chao Pavilion and all five sects should be more than sufficient,¡± Zhuang Liangru said cheerfully, with a smile bright as spring sunshine on his face. Everything was going according to his plan. To counter the Heavenly Soul Sect, a demon sect, he had sought the help of Lingfa Temple, who were their exact nemesis. ¡°When did you discover our alliance?¡± asked Zhang Junwei in confusion and frustration. There had to have been a leak on their side; otherwise, how could their enemy have arranged for reinforcements? ¡°Of course it was...¡± Zhuang Liangru was about to say the names ¡°Wei Ji,¡± but abruptly remembered that Wei Ji had fallen at the hands of Su Jie. His sentence came to an abrupt halt. ¡°No need for words from the dead. Today, we will send you, the Heavenly Soul Sect, and Ghost Ridge Palace to your demise together,¡± Zhuang Liangru scoffed, moving forward alongside Guo Yan¡¯an. Boom! Boom! Boom! The clouds in the sky roiled and tore apart as four beings of the Taoist Platform Realm clashed, fighting to the death ten thousand meters above the ground. Chapter 496 - 325: Recruitment Chapter 496: Chapter 325: Recruitment Crrack! Su Jie¡¯s palm pierced through the chest, grasping a blood-red, beating heart, while his face maintained an indifferent expression. The one whose heart was gouged out was an elder of the Purple Mist Sect with Secret Realm Fourth Level Cultivation. The five elders who had surrounded Su Jie had successively fallen, four to Su Jie¡¯s hand. ¡°Only one left.¡± His gaze shifted to the Guan Chao Pavilion elder in front of him, a powerful figure at the Secret Realm Fifth Level, now covered with wounds both large and small, visibly at a disadvantage in the fight against Su Jie. Su Jie was also heavily injured, his body marked with wounds of varying sizes. Even with his self-healing ability, it required consuming spiritual power. Su Jie¡¯s spiritual power had been vastly depleted in successive battles and couldn¡¯t replenish fast enough, thus some wounds couldn¡¯t heal. Overall, though, Su Jie was faring far better than his adversary, who was now frantically attempting to flee. The Guan Chao Pavilion elder, overwhelmed by fear after Su Jie had slain four men, had completely lost any will to confront Su Jie, chilled to the bone and knowing only to run, until Han Ruyan blocked his path. A red wedding dress billowed out as Han Ruyan twisted her neck without expression. As she moved, the Guan Chao Pavilion elder¡¯s neck also twisted with a crackling noise, contorting 360 degrees. ¡°Damn it!¡± The Guan Chao Pavilion elder screamed. He felt the urge to resist; had he been at his peak, he naturally would not have feared Han Ruyan. But now, his spiritual power was nearly depleted, and with severe injuries, he simply couldn¡¯t counteract Han Ruyan¡¯s eerie power anymore. Just as Han Ruyan was about to strangle him, a solemn and dignified voice resonated through the void. ¡°Amitabha, Mr. Su, as you drive out spirits and murder, this monk cannot stand aside.¡± Along with the voice came a blinding golden Buddhist light. The Guan Chao Pavilion elder who was about to be killed narrowly escaped death. Encased in the golden light, the eerie power Han Ruyan had inflicted was dispelled, allowing him to finally control his own body. A middle-aged monk in robes, sporting a shaven head speckled with scars and holding a golden ruler, walked slowly towards them, surrounded by a halo of Buddhist light and the automatic chanting of scriptures, appearing like a Buddha walking the earth, exuding a sacred aura. ¡°Bald donkey, are you courting death?¡± Su Jie glared coldly, riding the Thousand-Handed Centipede to confront the adversary. ¡°This monk¡¯s Dharma name is Huiji. Lay down your butcher knife, Mr. Su. You are young, and it¡¯s not too late to turn from evil to good. You cannot win this war.¡± Monk Huiji joined his hands, each word emanating from his mouth accompanied by Buddhist tones, resembling a compassionate Bodhisattva, inexplicably evoking goodwill in others. Of course, Su Jie was not among them. ¡°You speak as though you have certainly won the battle.¡± Su Jie called Han Ruyan closer to him. This Monk Huiji also possessed Secret Realm Fifth Level Cultivation, and from what he saw of the combat style, it strongly countered beings like Han Ruyan, the ghost. Although Su Jie had great confidence in Han Ruyan, caution was paramount. Monk Huiji gave a slight smile, saying, ¡°Amitabha, Mr. Su, why not look at the current battlefield? There is only defeat ahead for you.¡± Su Jie squinted his eyes. With the entrance of the Lingfa Temple monks into the battlefield, their restraint and strikes against the Heavenly Soul Sect were severely decisive, forcing the Heavenly Soul Sect¡¯s reinforcements to retreat continuously. On the Ghost Ridge Palace side, they also had to face the combined forces of the Five Righteous Sects. Especially after the rocket artillery positions had been disrupted and bombing halted, they were increasingly being pressed hard by the enemy, the frontline barely holding. These were just the ordinary disciples. At the high-end level, the Hidden Realm Elders, leveraging their numerical advantage, were also pressing down on the elders from Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect, suffering much higher casualty rates than the Righteous Path. Individuals like Su Jie, capable of fighting multiple opponents, were few indeed. In the highest tiers of confrontation, four individuals at the Taoist Platform Realm were unable to determine a victor in the short term. No wonder Monk Huiji was so confident, believing that the Demon Path was destined for defeat. ¡°Mr. Su, as an Immortal Seed who has fallen into the Demon Path, if you can turn back, it isn¡¯t too late. My Lingfa Temple is willing to accept you, allow you to convert from evil to good, lest your talents go to waste.¡± Monk Huiji, with a compassionate smile, was actually trying to recruit Su Jie. ¡°You want to recruit me?¡± Su Jie immediately discerned Monk Huiji¡¯s intention. An incredibly talented Immortal Seed, even Lingfa Temple was willing to accept this devil. ¡°I¡¯ve heard your Buddhist sects are quite adept at brainwashing, planning to modify my will to serve as your ox or horse?¡± Su Jie¡¯s thoughts whirled instantly. The idea of surrender lingered in his mind for less than three seconds before dismissing it. Because Su Jie distrusted the monk, he was well aware of the many shameful deeds he had committed that had disgraced the Righteous Path. The other side would surely have investigated those deeds and still sought to recruit him, taking the risk of offending Guan Chao Pavilion and the other Righteous Sects. Considering such significant risks, Su Jie did not believe in unconditional love in this world. Surely the monk had ulterior motives. Su Jie would not easily be swayed by his words. ¡°Mr. Su has too many prejudices against our Buddhist sect!¡± A flicker of anger crossed Monk Huiji¡¯s eyes, his smile fading gradually, unable to bear Su Jie¡¯s denigration of his sacred order. ¡°What, did I hit a nerve, and now you¡¯re mad?¡± Su Jie, now less hurried, told Han Ruyan and the Thousand-Handed Centipede, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, go protect the rocket artillery positions, get the Puppet Hall operating again, support the battlefield. Even if we lose the war, we need to decimate their younger generation, let them understand the consequences of offending our Ghost Ridge Palace.¡± Chapter 497 - 325: Recruitment_2 Chapter 497: Chapter 325: Recruitment_2 ¡°Obstinate and unenlightened.¡± Huiji¡¯s face changed immediately, for they had just witnessed the power of the rocket artillery firing in unison. Such war puppets may not be much for experts, but they are exceptionally deadly against the defenceless; those Outer Disciples, if bombarded indiscriminately, countless would perish. ¡°Heh, since you dare to meddle in sect warfare, then you must be prepared to face death.¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯ve been deeply corrupted by the ideology of the Demon Path, beyond salvation. Fine, today I will personally eliminate you, to prevent future calamities upon the common folk.¡± With a slap of his golden ruler, Huiji Monk released a burst of golden brilliance, which exploded with a pneumatic force¡ªindeed, it was a Low Grade Magical Treasure. Pale arms writhed out from Su Jie¡¯s body, swiftly ensconcing him within their secure embrace. The golden light clashed with the Corpse Hands, annihilating one another, while Su Jie¡¯s indifferent voice echoed through. ¡°Bald donkey, do you really think you can defeat me? Even if my Spiritual Power is greatly depleted now, I¡¯m still beyond your reach.¡± The sky turned ominously overcast, as howling winds ushered in a downpour, with lightning flickering amidst the clouds. Su Jie extensively summoned the power of his Primordial Spirit; the Primordial Spirit didn¡¯t require the involvement of his internal Spiritual Power, ensuring that Su Jie still possessed ample combat strength. ¡°Is this Heavenly Might?¡± Huiji Monk sensed the thickness of the dark clouds above and a trace of shock flickered through his eyes: ¡°A God Unification Level Primordial Spirit, reaching such heights with his current Third Level Cultivation of the Secret Realm, this man is truly exceptional even among the numerous Immortal Seeds, no wonder the Head ordered me to recruit him.¡± Before Huiji had time to think further, the consolidating clouds shrouded the surrounding miles. Crack! Boom! A flash of white light and a thunderbolt, thick as a barrel, descended, winding its way down to strike the golden radiance surrounding Huiji Monk. His golden light barely rippled, like a lake into which a pebble had been tossed¡ªa single thunderbolt was not enough to harm him. ¡°Let¡¯s see how many you can withstand.¡± With a grand wave of his hand, Su Jie unleashed not one, but thousands upon thousands of thunderbolts. Following a brief accumulation, countless thunderbolts fell from the clouds, bombarding Huiji Monk incessantly, turning him into a lightning rod amidst the storm. The layer of golden light radiating from Huiji Monk began to undulate violently¡ªthe Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder was naturally formidable, and with the supplemental authority of the God Unification Domain, its might was even more tyrannical. ¡°It¡¯s a blunder, I¡¯ve underestimated him.¡± Huiji sought to escape, but his speed was nowhere near the rapid descent of the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder, and the dense clouds above trailed his movement. From afar, the thunderbolts nearly formed a continuous line, resembling a brilliant pillar of light between heaven and earth. ¡°Who is undergoing Heavenly Tribulation?¡± Some junior disciples, unclear about the battle, only saw a figure illuminated by the lightning and thought of the legends of transmutation. ¡°It¡¯s Master Huiji; he¡¯s in trouble. That devil from Ghost Ridge Palace is ferocious.¡± Some monks from Lingfa Temple also noticed something was amiss, recognizing that their Master Huiji was being struck by lightning. ¡°Buddha¡¯s light shines upon all!¡± Taking a deep breath, a halo emerged atop Huiji¡¯s head, followed by a burst of golden light, turning him into a miniature sun, with infinite Buddhist Treasure Light spreading out. It even briefly delayed the Heavenly Might consolidated by Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit by two seconds. Seizing the opportunity, Huiji hurriedly escaped the range of the Heavy Clouds of Heavenly Might. At this moment, Huiji appeared somewhat disheveled; his skin was scorched, his monk robe tattered, looking as though he had just emerged from a coal mine. Had he not been bald, his hair would resemble that of a porcupine. ¡°Indeed, a devil remains a devil. Since reason fails to prevail, I will use my fists to teach you what is known as the true essence of Buddhism.¡± Huiji shook his body, and the charred cracking layer of grime on his skin flaked off inch by inch, spontaneously forming a new golden monk robe as his piercing gaze sought out Su Jie again. However, when he laid eyes on Su Jie once more, his pupils involuntarily narrowed. For Su Jie was clutching the neck of the Guan Chao Pavilion Elder, whose head dangled loosely, evidently having had his neck broken by Su Jie. In the brief moment that Huiji was trapped, Su Jie caught up to the still-near Guan Chao Pavilion Elder and successfully killed him. The Elder of Guan Chao Pavilion¡¯s Primordial Spirit drilled out from his skull, but as soon as it appeared, it was absorbed by Su Jie¡¯s Ten Thousand Soul Banner, further strengthening the banner. By now, the Divine Souls that Su Jie¡¯s Ten Thousand Soul Banner had absorbed in this war already amounted to six from the Secret Realm, including the Divine Soul of Immortal Seed Wei Ji. Many souls from other battlefields were also sucked in by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, with many Disciples¡¯ souls being drawn towards the center where Su Jie was. Before the Heavenly Soul Sect had appeared, no one competed with Su Jie for these souls, and the usual Soul Summoning Banners didn¡¯t have the strength or range to absorb souls like Su Jie¡¯s Ten Thousand Soul Banner. Looking again at Su Jie¡¯s Ten Thousand Soul Banner, it had become much stronger than before, with the consumed Yin Souls being replenished by absorbing more souls, and the number of Ghost Generals bred inside surging to over a hundred. ¡°This little devil is so brutal and vicious, we cannot let you go unchecked,¡± Huiji¡¯s face turned dark, feeling his intelligence insulted, he now wished he could send Su Jie to meet the Buddha with a slap. ¡°In such a rush? Why don¡¯t you watch a bit longer?¡± Su Jie sneered disdainfully and put the corpse of the Guan Chao Pavilion Elder into his Storage Bag. Almost as soon as Su Jie¡¯s words fell, a series of thunderous roars suddenly came from the distance. On the battlefield, countless trails of fire rose from the ground, sounding like a howling gale, a massive meteoric firestorm covering the sky and reddening half the heavens: that was the barrage of Rocket Artillery. The reorganized Puppet Hall once more brought out rocket launchers from their Storage Bags, setting up launch sites to strike at the Righteous sect. 16,000 rocket shells fell, and even though a portion was intercepted early, nearly 10,000 rockets successfully bombarded the target area. The target area was the very position of Lingfa Temple. A single rocket could cause destruction over an area the size of a soccer field, and the acid, fiery poison, poisonous insects, and other loaded ammunitions resulted in widespread casualties. Countless disciples of Lingfa Temple lay on the ground wailing and rolling in pain, with even more turned into cold corpses under the carpet bombing of the rockets, many without even a complete body left. These Lingfa Temple disciples, to their death, were full of unwillingness, sent by the rockets to meet their Buddha and ascend to the paradise of the Western Heaven. Seeing this scene, a barrage of rockets causing the death of thousands of his young monks, Huiji¡¯s eyes immediately reddened, and he charged towards Su Jie without regard for his own safety, yelling, ¡°Devil, I¡¯ll send you to Hell.¡± ¡°Hit Lingfa Temple with two more rounds, then target this one coming to assist,¡± Su Jie said with a cold laugh, continuously taunting the opposition as the Purple Cloud Heavenly Thunder bombarded wave after wave, contending fiercely. And under Su Jie¡¯s command, Puppet Hall quickly reloaded the Rocket Artillery, with each rocket weighing 300 kilograms being launched into the sky, hitting the areas of Lingfa Temple and several other Righteous Sects. These rockets specifically targeted Outer Disciples, pushing the effectiveness of their bullying feature to the limit. Each wave of over 10,000 rockets caused the deaths of thousands of disciples, and the numbers of those wounded and losing combat capability were even greater. Such fearsome casualties enraged all of the Righteous sects. Whether it was Lingfa Temple or several other Sects like Guan Chao Pavilion, they dispatched inner disciples and Secret Realm Elders, intending to destroy the rocket launcher positions. The Thousand-Handed Centipede and Han Ruyan protected the rocket launcher positions; later, Su Jie even threw over his Ten Thousand Soul Banner and raised the Blood River Formation for full protection. But as more and more Righteous Elders arrived to attack, one centipede, one ghost, and one banner couldn¡¯t hold out. Fortunately, Ghost Ridge Palace saw the situation and decisively called in reinforcements to protect the rocket launcher site. ¡°Keep it safe; we can¡¯t let anything happen to it,¡± Taoist Qiu shouted loudly, his left hand transforming into a huge sky-reaching python that flung an Elder of the Dragon and Tiger Sect away. ¡°As long as the rocket launcher site is operational, killing enemy low-level cultivators en masse, we might force the enemy to retreat,¡± Tang Peiqing also arrived at the rocket launcher site, the battle situation was very disadvantageous for the Ghost Ridge Palace, and now he was not thinking about victory but merely hoping to repel the opposition. With more and more Elders contesting the area, the rocket launchers, which could only bully the weak, ironically became the focal point of the battlefield. Meanwhile, four powerful cultivators of the Taoist Platform Realm, soaring tens of thousands of meters high, Zhuang Liangru sensed the changing tides of battle. If too many disciples were lost, he wouldn¡¯t be able to justify it when he returned. Zhuang Liangru gritted his teeth and took out a Jade Token from his chest, activating his last resort, ¡°Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, activate!¡± The sky trembled slightly, and an immense crack appeared high above, as an aura of terror permeated the air. Chapter 498: The 326th: Turning the Tide of Battle Chapter 498: The 326th: Turning the Tide of Battle The torn sky dome meandered and twisted, black fissures spreading to the horizon, violent tremors resonating throughout every corner of the battlefield. Combatants on both Righteous and Evil sides couldn¡¯t help but look up, just to hear the thunderous sound of the sky tearing apart, as a colossal crack appeared in the sky, with countless bolts of lightning dancing wildly within it. From within the crack, a heart-palpitating aura drifted out. Through the rift, one could faintly make out streams and strands of primordial chaos, twinkling with variegated radiant light. This was the real Tao River, it was just not truly open, otherwise, dare to gaze directly at the Tao River, who knew how many cultivators¡¯ eyeballs and heads would explode. Layer upon layer of blue runes appeared densely around the fissure, eventually constructing an Array Map vast like a star-studded sky, covering the sky dome. ¡°Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, to die beneath a Tao Formation is your honor.¡± Zhuang Liangru, looking at the activated Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, a trace of pain flickered in his eyes. If it weren¡¯t for preserving the survival rate of Righteous Disciples and unwillingness to bear heavy casualties, he would not have wanted to activate the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. Because the cost of activating such a Tao Formation was excessively high. Even Guan Chao Pavilion, as Qingzhou¡¯s number one Sect, felt immense heartache. Especially since the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array had been damaged before, and repairing it had already cost Guan Chao Pavilion a large portion of their foundation. But the turn of events forced Zhuang Liangru to play this final card unless he wanted a pyrrhic victory, by which even if they won, there was no telling how many disciples and elders would perish. ¡°To think you could rebuild the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array in such a short time after it was damaged.¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s face was ashen, watching the slowly forming Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array above the Sky Dome, feeling the unique aura of a Tao Level Array, he was completely stiff. ¡°Hehe, how would the Demon Path, which is like a frog in a well, understand the foundation of our Guan Chao Pavilion; just because you can¡¯t construct a Tao Formation doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t.¡± Although Zhuang Liangru¡¯s heart ached, because the activation of a Taoist Skill Array was valued in billions, he maintained a carefree demeanor in front of Zhang Junwei, as if money was like dung to him. One could say that even if Ghost Ridge Palace were annihilated, the gains would not be enough to offset the consumption of the Tao Formation, and this Sect war would be a huge loss. But now, Guan Chao Pavilion was also stuck in a dilemma; to uphold their reputation as Qingzhou¡¯s number one Sect, they had no choice but to increase their investment. ¡°Amitabha, good deeds bring good returns, and evil deeds bring evil consequences. Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect have harmed the common people and brought disorder to the world; they deserve this calamity.¡± Guan Yan¡¯an from Lingfa Temple clasped his hands together, already beginning to pray the Sutra of Salvation, ready to deliver those Demon Path Dead Souls filled with malevolent energy. ¡°To possess such a hidden card.¡± With a trace of despair in his eyes, Lu Jingshi, Sect Leader of Heavenly Soul Sect, knew the battle was decisively set once the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, a Tao Level Array, was successfully activated. ¡°Now to send the little devils down below on their way.¡± Zhuang Liangru, seeing that the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array was fully formed, waved his hand grandly. Boom! In an instant, heaven and earth overturned, and from the fissure, the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array unleashed its Attack Technique. ... Meanwhile, as Su Jie was entangled with Huiji Monk in battle, he sensed the changes occurring above the sky dome, especially the aura of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. Su Jie was no stranger to it, and a smile instantly crept onto his face. ¡°Haha, hahaha, hahahaha! Finally, I¡¯ve been waiting for you, finally, you¡¯ve come!¡± Su Jie, with one hand on his forehead, laughed maniacally toward the heavens, causing the Huiji Monk opposite him to be utterly confused, clueless about what was getting into Su Jie. ¡°Have you been driven mad by the desperate Taoist Formation? If only you knew what today would bring, why did you do it in the past? But fortunately, the heavens are merciful; saving one life supersedes creating a seven-level pagoda. Now I give you another chance, surrender and be captured, and maybe you¡¯ll have a chance to live.¡± However, it quickly dawned on Huiji Monk, that it was likely Su Jie had seen their inevitable defeat and was now going mad under the immense pressure. Su Jie¡¯s smile remained undiminished, staring at Huiji Monk with eyes filled with three parts scorn and seven parts mockery. ¡°How ridiculous! You still want me to surrender at this point? Haha, it¡¯s you who are unable to save yourselves!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It seems you truly have gone mad. Do you not know what kind of power a Tao Formation represents?¡± Huiji Monk laughed with rage; he pointed to the cracking Array in the Sky Dome, where waves of blue halo¡¯s Taoist aura were already seeping out, and said coldly, ¡°Since you are so obstinately misguided, then along with your Ghost Ridge Palace, sink in the boundless waves as well. It will give me a good opportunity to witness Guan Chao Pavilion¡¯s divine might.¡± In the heavens, the drifting blue runes gradually dissipated, and from the vast crack above, the sound of surging waves echoed. In the sight of tens of thousands of Righteous and Evil cultivators, the rift cracked with a sound as if it had completely shattered. Streams of tumultuous blue tides descended from the sky, resembling waterfalls falling from the Ninth Heaven, or like an inverted blue sky. Countless wide torrents, hundreds of meters across, meandered across the sky dome, like a cerulean tsunami covering hundreds of square kilometers overhead, billions of tons of sea water flowing in it. And every cultivator who saw this contracted their pupils, their bodies violently shook, instinctively feeling an inner terror in the face of such a natural disaster. But the most terrified were Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect of the Demon Path, because everyone understood for whom the Sky Dome Sea was intended. Chapter 499: 326: Turning the Tide of Battle_2 Chapter 499: Chapter 326: Turning the Tide of Battle_2 ¡°Wipe out all these Demon Cultivators, neither Ghost Ridge Palace nor Heavenly Soul Sect should be spared.¡± ¡°Kill, kill, kill, let the formation obliterate any devil in revenge for our fallen brothers and sisters,¡± ¡°Today will mark the doom of your Demon Path, and Qingzhou will be completely under our Righteous sect¡¯s control,¡± ¡°Haha, our Guan Chao Pavilion is invincible! This formation is set up by our sect; surely we will get the most spoils of war afterward,¡± After a brief silence, the disciples of the Righteous side went crazy, screaming in excitement, seeing the hope of victory in the war, annihilating Ghost Ridge Palace. From the sky, hundreds of blue torrents formed by the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array slowly descended, speeding up, their vast scope and quantity sufficient to cover any region of the battlefield. And these blue torrents were actually chaotic airflows transformed within the Tao River. In it, time, space, and energy are devoid of orderly rules. The Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array needed only a slight leverage of the Tao River¡¯s power to create such an awe-inspiring Great Taoist Formation. Su Jie¡¯s hands moved through the spell motions, his Primordial Spirit bursting forth dazzling divine light, making contact with the Grand Tao. ¡°Amitabha, it¡¯s useless, an individual¡¯s power is trivial in front of the Great Taoist Formation, how much of the Tao¡¯s power can you really borrow?¡± Seeing this, Huiji Monk thought Su Jie was acting out of desperation, attempting to communicate with the Heavenly Dao for one last stand, and swiftly moved back while he spoke. He didn¡¯t need to contend with Su Jie, for in Huiji¡¯s view, the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array would teach Su Jie a lesson. ¡°Well said, then let¡¯s have you experience the horror of the Great Taoist Formation yourself.¡± Su Jie smirked, and under the bewildered gaze of Huiji, successfully connected his Primordial Spirit to the Tao River. On the Array Map operating within the Tao River, tentacles strangely surrounded and enveloped the enormous diagram, as if preys strangled and constricted by a python. These tentacles were actually the traps that Su Jie had planted beneath the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. Before leaving Rao Yang Lake, Su Jie didn¡¯t destroy the array, all for today¡¯s opportunity. These tentacles, also the product of Su Jie¡¯s Primordial Spirit after detachment, still retained a part of Su Jie¡¯s will. They were like a dormant virus program, now fully activated by Su Jie¡¯s command. ¡°Enjoy it.¡± Su Jie¡¯s smile was cruel and manic as the virus began to spread throughout the entire Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, the huge Primordial Spirit tentacles affixing to the Array Plate, twisting it into the shape Su Jie desired. Boom! Streams of the Sky Dome River roared down towards the ground, the cheers from the disciples of the Righteous Sects grew even louder. On the side of Ghost Ridge Palace and Heavenly Soul Sect, despair prevailed, and disciples had already started fleeing in all directions. To the disciples, this wasn¡¯t something humans could resist, it was a heavenly force from the might of the Heavenly Dao, before which even those from Secret Realm and Taoist Platform Realm seemed insignificant. The first stream of the Tao River surged forth, an inner disciple from Guan Chao Pavilion watched, suddenly feeling something off, as if, perhaps, it seemed like the Sky Dome River was heading towards himself. ¡°Something¡¯s not right, not right, why is it coming for me?¡± The disciple from Guan Chao Pavilion gulped, instinctively turning and shuffling his feet. But what frightened him more was that as he moved, the Sky Dome River changed accordingly, chasing down and engulfing him. ¡°No... no no...¡± The disciple from Guan Chao Pavilion shouted, but before he could finish his sentence, he was swept into the Sky Dome River, without a microsecond¡¯s struggle, instantly shattered by the force of the water. As this stream of the Sky Dome River fell, hundreds of other nearby Righteous Disciples and a Secret Realm Elder, who couldn¡¯t dodge in time, suffered the same fate. They were unaware, not believing that the Sky Dome River could harm them, and thus were unhesitatingly swallowed into the stream. One after another, the disciples¡¯ bodies were torn apart, a female cultivator from the Miao Yin Temple, also a Secret Realm Elder, tried struggling, but the Sky Dome River carried the essence of the Heavenly Dao. A single drop of its water weighed a thousand pounds, striking down at such a high speed. Within just three seconds, the struggling Secret Realm Elder was dragged into a vortex by the roaring Sky Dome River, her body sliced and twisted into tiny shreds, disintegrated into ten thousand pieces, dead beyond dead. The Magic Artifacts and talismans he carried were utterly useless in the Sky Dome River, instantly shattering into dust. This was the might of the Great Taoist Formation, killing Yunling Realm disciples as effortlessly as stepping on ants, and exterminating someone from the Secret Realm was no more difficult than slaughtering a chicken. On the battlefield, the excited expressions of the Righteous Cultivators froze, their eyes wide and mouths agape as they watched the Sky Dome River, which was supposed to be on their side, attack them, feeling as if their brains were burning up. Why would the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, which could only be controlled by Zhuang Liangru, turn against them? Could it be that Zhuang Liangru was a traitor? ¡°What¡¯s happening, what¡¯s happening, why is the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array attacking us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mistake, I¡¯m one of you, I am a disciple of the Guan Chao Pavilion!¡± ¡°Ah, ah, run, run! Don¡¯t get swept into the river, you¡¯ll lose your life!¡± Amidst their utter bewilderment, the Righteous Disciples faced a doomsday-like assault from the formation. Lines of blue Sky Dome Rivers poured down, each tens of meters wide and stretching for dozens to hundreds of kilometers, like world-devouring giant pythons, swallowing any enemy that got caught in their path. It wasn¡¯t just the Yunling Realm disciples who sprinted for their lives, even the Secret Realm Elders were frantically fleeing to save themselves. In front of such a Taoist Level Array, death for a Secret Realm Elder was but a moment¡¯s work, getting caught meant there was no chance of survival. Let alone the physical body, even Magical Treasures and Primordial Souls would be utterly obliterated, leaving not even a remnant, a true annihilation of both form and spirit. On the contrary, on the side of the Demon Path, each Demon Cultivator was dumbfounded. They had thought they were facing an imminent disaster, but instead, it turned out to be the Righteous facing calamity. Seeing countless Righteous Disciples and Elders being devoured, their mouths hung open for a long time, feeling as if the world had suddenly turned unfamiliar, even wondering if this was a hallucination before dying. ¡°Am I seeing things?¡± Taoist Qiu was at a loss for words; even his usually cold and sinister eyes were bulging like copper bells, a sign of his inner shock. ¡°I think I know who it is, Taoist Qiu, you really raised an extraordinary disciple! Our Ghost Ridge Palace is saved, saved indeed!¡± Elsewhere, Tang Peiqing could not help but burst into loud laughter, vigorously patting Taoist Qiu on the shoulder, his laughter bringing tears, his emotions indescribable. Taoist Qiu was also slightly taken aback, while also turning to look in Su Jie¡¯s direction, seemingly coming to the same realization. ¡°It¡¯s Su Jie, my disciple did a great job, I knew it... I knew the mission wasn¡¯t a failure, but that he was playing a long game.¡± Taoist Qiu also started to tremble with excitement, his smile full of pride and arrogance, watching the turning tide of battle, his calm heart couldn¡¯t help but surge with emotion. Tens of thousands of meters above the Sky Dome, similarly witnessing this scene, were four experts from the Taoist Platform Realm. Their expressions were extraordinarily vivid; especially Zhuang Liangru, who stood utterly still, staring blankly at the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array wreaking havoc on the Righteous formation below, feeling his brain stimulated to the point of exploding. ¡°How can this be, my Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, no, who tampered with my Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, who is setting this trap?¡± His muttered self-talk turned into a thunderous roar, his emotions resembling a roller coaster ride; as excited as he had been earlier, now he was equally furious. ¡°Hahaha, fool, did you think we from Ghost Ridge Palace would just watch the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array being formed? Everything is within my expectations.¡± Zhang Junwei over here, his smile almost splitting to his ears, immediately realized that the reasons for such changes in the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array must undoubtedly be because of Su Jie. Because only Su Jie had undertaken the mission to sabotage the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, a mission that he had personally assigned. He had thought that Su Jie had failed, but unexpectedly, Su Jie had subtly laid such a massive trap for the Righteous, far beyond his imagination. Although he did not know how Su Jie had managed it, he was certain it had everything to do with Su Jie. Chapter 500: 327: Grand Victory Chapter 500: Chapter 327: Grand Victory Zhuang Liangru¡¯s face twitched, and the anger and urgency in his heart made him tremble all over, but fortunately, he still retained his rationality. He held the Array Order in his hand, wanting to immediately stop the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. This Great Taoist Formation, which was originally intended to be a decisive victory, had now become a super weapon destroying the righteous sects¡¯ frontline, and Zhuang Liangru only wanted to stop it immediately. However, to Zhuang Liangru¡¯s despair, he could no longer fully control the formation, only being able to barely manipulate a part of the Sky Dome River close to him. If the authority were divided, he only possessed thirty percent of the rights to the Great Taoist Formation, and it wasn¡¯t something he could stop just because he wanted it to. ¡°Damn it, there are too many reserved Spirit Stones, I don¡¯t know if the people behind the formation have noticed anything wrong.¡± Zhuang Liangru, sweating profusely with anxiety, could now only hope that the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array would stop operating on its own. A Great Taoist Formation like the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array required a massive amount of Spirit Stones and various resources to operate. To ensure the operation of the formation, Guan Chao Pavilion had prepared a lot of Spirit Stones to be placed inside the Array. It was like a car filled with gasoline; even if Guan Chao Pavilion realized there was a problem and stopped feeding the car with more Spirit Stones, the formation wouldn¡¯t stop until all the fuel inside was burnt. ¡°Hahaha, Sect Master Zhang, I am impressed, you had anticipated this step and set a trap within a trap for them.¡± Lu Jingshi revealed an expression of great joy after a brief shock. When he had first seen Lingfa Temple and the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array appear, he had thought that this sect warfare was doomed to fail. But Ghost Ridge Palace had given him a huge surprise; the activation of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array had caused the righteous path to lift a stone only to drop it on their own feet. ¡°After this battle, the situation where Qingzhou¡¯s righteous sect dominates alone will no longer exist.¡± Zhang Junwei smiled as he watched over a dozen Sky Dome Rivers roaring towards Guo Yan¡¯an and Zhuang Liangru. Both Zhuang Liangru and Guo Yan¡¯an¡¯s complexions changed drastically, and they quickly began to dodge. Even they couldn¡¯t withstand such a Great Taoist Formation; once involved, they would face a fate where nine out of ten would not survive. ¡°Chaos.¡± Zhuang Liangru gave a soft shout, using the part of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array he could control, he barely altered the Sky Dome River¡¯s direction near him, avoiding the dangerous Taoist Formation. But their movements were all being watched by Zhang Junwei and Lu Jingshi on the opposite side. The two Devil Masters of the Taoist Platform Realm didn¡¯t need to say much about their utterly callous ability to kick someone when they were down, cooperating tacitly with the Tao Formation to attack the two. Zhuang Liangru had to exhaust his spirit to control the attacks from the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array while also facing Zhang Junwei¡¯s siege, quickly falling into a disadvantage and becoming perilously close to danger. ¡°Sect Master Lu!¡± Zhang Junwei suddenly spoke out, engaging Zhuang Liangru even more fiercely, pulling the battlefield apart. Lu Jingshi, as a Taoist Platform Realm expert, had experienced hundreds of big and small battles in his life, and his combat experience and instincts were exceptionally rich. Seeing Zhang Junwei¡¯s actions, he didn¡¯t need any divine sense transmission to immediately understand Zhang Junwei¡¯s intention. Thus, Lu Jingshi desperately tied up his arch-enemy Guo Yan¡¯an, and what was originally one battlefield with four Taoist Platform Realm figures became two, separated by twenty to thirty kilometers. This gap made it so Zhuang Liangru could no longer take care of Guo Yan¡¯an. The part of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array he controlled couldn¡¯t manipulate the Sky Dome River near Guo Yan¡¯an from such a far distance. Without Zhuang Liangru¡¯s interference, the dozen or so Sky Dome Rivers finally had free reign, roaring and entwining, blocking the sky and obscuring the sun, like giant blue pythons devouring the sky, squeezing Guo Yan¡¯an tightly. ¡°Amitabha!¡± The face of Guo Yan¡¯an, head of the Precepts Hall of Lingfa Temple, lost its look of compassion, replaced by an iron blue hue, his eyes almost bursting with fire out of urgency. His body flickered between solid and ethereal, with Heavenly Might transforming into Buddha¡¯s light, dodging under the sweeping Sky Dome Rivers. His Demon-Subduing Pestle, when it smashed down, could make the sky tremble, slightly altering the direction of Sky Dome Rivers. Lu Jingshi¡¯s eyes were cold, staring fixedly at the dodging Guo Yan¡¯an. Suddenly, under the covering of several Sky Dome Rivers, Lu Jingshi¡¯s eyes sharpened. Whoosh! A gust of a ghastly breeze blew by, and a Fierce Ghost full of evil energy appeared. Its visage was ferocious, its skin pale as paper with four eyes, each of different size and color, but all seeming able to peer into the deepest fears of the human heart. Furthermore, instead of normal hands, it had two black tentacles dripping with a black liquid, each drop exuding a pungent stench of decay. This was an Eighth Grade Fierce Ghost by the name Earth Evil Ghost. Turning into a black smoke, the Earth Evil Ghost arrived behind Guo Yan¡¯an, uncertainly and fleetingly; its tentacles landed on Guo Yan¡¯an¡¯s temples, ready to penetrate his brain. ¡°Universal Salvation Kasaya!¡± Guo Yan¡¯an uttered a curse under his breath, with his kasaya manifesting layers of golden light in the form of Arhats, making the Earth Evil Ghost retreat slightly. ¡°Die for me.¡± Lu Jingshi sneered, as the Earth Evil Ghost tore open its chest, revealing a pitch-black void that seemed bottomless, but from within echoed muffled and mad howls, like voices from the depths of Hell, chilling to the core. The Earth Evil Ghost was naturally conceived from the Earth¡¯s evil energy roots, which were rumored to be the transit point between Hell and the human world, notorious for their dense ghostly and demonic energies. An Eighth Grade Earth Evil Ghost was said to be able to borrow the power of Hell, connecting its body to some unknown, terrifying abyss. Inside the torn chest of the Earth Evil Ghost, pairs of horrifying and bizarre eyes emerged from the darkness, like shadowy demons laughing maliciously, a powerful suction emanating, intending to pull Guo Yan¡¯an into the darkness of the chest. Chapter 501: 327: Great Victory_2 Chapter 501: Chapter 327: Great Victory_2 This was the Eighth-grade Earth Evil Ghost¡¯s most powerful killing move, and if it was a Ninth-grade Earth Evil Ghost, it could release the Hell Ghost from within its chest, which would be the real terror. ¡°A mere ghost dares to disturb the golden body of this poor monk, Daluo Spell!¡± Guo Yan¡¯an shouted in anger. As he resisted the suction, a series of Buddhist glows lit up on his back, each forming into phantom images. They were Arhats, some sitting, some standing, now all glaring furiously at the Earth Evil Ghost, this action directly blasting the ghost far away. The Cultivation Techniques of Lingfa Temple were particularly effective against ghosts, even Eighth Grade Fierce Ghosts could do nothing against them. However, upon seeing this, Lu Jingshi¡¯s face revealed a deep smile, because his goal had been achieved. Just as Guo Yan¡¯an was distracted dealing with the Earth Evil Ghost, a Sky Dome River had already surged toward him, crashing against him like it was slamming into a reef, and within only a few seconds, Guo Yan¡¯an was swept into the river. The river water, tainted with aura of the Tao, formed a vortex centered around Guo Yan¡¯an. Guo Yan¡¯an¡¯s flesh was like it was thrown into a blender, layers of flesh and bones being ground to pieces. The Primordial Spirit of the God Unification Domain struggled to escape, but the river water firmly dragged it down, and it, too, dissipated in the river, leaving behind only one final cry of rage and despair. ¡°Zhuang Liangru, you have made me suffer greatly.¡± This was the last sound Guo Yan¡¯an left in this world before both his physical body and Divine Soul were obliterated in the Sky Dome River; a Taoist Platform Realm cultivator had fallen, all within less than a minute. Anything related to the Tao, whether it be elixirs, Formations, Magic Artifacts or Cultivation Techniques, is utterly terrifying. A cultivator of the Taoist Platform Realm might be able to terrify a province, but under an attack of the Tao level, they¡¯re nothing more than slightly stronger little bugs. The death of a cultivator at the Taoist Platform Realm made a big commotion, many Elders and Inner Disciples witnessing such a scene were on the verge of a morale collapse. Zhuang Liangru, who saw the same scene, had no time for grief. Seeing Zhang Junwei approaching again and the nearby Sky Dome River stirring, he had to suppress his frustration and shouted across the battlefield. ¡°All Righteous Disciples, heed my command, retreat, everyone retreat from the battlefield.¡± As soon as the words were out, Zhuang Liangru was the first to flee. He wasn¡¯t sure he could handle Zhang Junwei while facing an attack from the Sky Dome River. The Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array he released had now become the deadliest threat. Seeing Zhuang Liangru fleeing, Zhang Junwei held a crystal clear Jade Worm in his hand. This tiny insect was only the size of an infant¡¯s fist, its skin semi-transparent, revealing concentric rings, layer upon layer of skin, amounting to thousands of layers. This was the Top Grade Nine Refinement Gu Worm Year Ring Worm; like a tree, the Year Ring Worm would grow a new ring every year, increasing its size slightly. Its most significant feature was its exceedingly long lifespan. The older the Year Ring Worm, the more formidable its combat power. The one in Zhang Junwei¡¯s hand was the Lifebound poisonous insect of several previous Sect Masters. It had outlived several Sect Masters, and whenever a Sect Master retired or died, they would dissolve the contract with this Worm and hand it over to the next Sect Master. Its lifespan could be traced back a thousand years, witnessing the rise and fall of Ghost Ridge Palace, equivalent to living from the Song Dynasty to modern society, a proper ancient ancestor. It was the true Sect Treasure of Ghost Ridge Palace, not to be used lightly. Because it was extremely lethargic, once used, it would fall into a slumber lasting a few years to several decades. ¡°Die.¡± Zhang Junwei took a deep breath and aimed the Year Ring Worm at the fleeing Zhuang Liangru. He had not used the Year Ring Worm in the previous battle, waiting for a chance for a one-hit kill. The palm-sized Year Ring Worm that felt like a warm jade slightly expanded, not showing any other action. In the distance, the fleeing Zhuang Liangru¡¯s body stiffened, his eyes widened, and a look of terror appeared on his face. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! A series of automatically triggered Protective Talismans and Magical Treasures lit up for a second and then instantly burst, his body beginning to undergo horrific changes. The traces of the tree rings emerged on his scalp, and in the next moment, Zhuang Liangru¡¯s skin began to shed layer by layer like the bark of an aged tree. With each layer that shed off, the newly exposed skin beneath wasn¡¯t bloody and tender flesh, but an even more delicate and fair layer of skin. ¡°Annual Ring Worm!¡± Zhuang Liangru¡¯s voice was full of terror. He had certainly heard of the infamous Annual Ring Worm from Ghost Ridge Palace. This creature had lived so long and had been used by the former Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace against enemies. It could be said that every time the Annual Ring Worm was deployed, even those in the Taoist Platform Realm would face death or serious injury. Rip! Rip! Zhuang Liangru¡¯s body was completely beyond his control. His skin was mismatched with his body, layer after layer falling off, making him look smaller and younger, and his strength was diminishing rapidly and regressing. Seeing that he was powerless to reverse the situation, and his spiritual power couldn¡¯t stop this transformation, Zhuang Liangru gritted his teeth and took out a golden talisman. This was specially prepared for battle, distributed by the Sect Master of Guan Chao Pavilion to counter the Annual Ring Worm ¡ª an exceedingly costly Spirit Treasure Talisman, the result of many years of research as a measure against the Annual Ring Worm. Bang! With a flash of golden light from the talisman, all of a sudden, Zhuang Liangru¡¯s lower body was blown to bits, leaving only the upper half of his body intact. As the golden light on the talisman faded to a grayish white, a gust of wind blew by, turning the entire talisman into dust. And that bizarre skin-shedding of his body also vanished at the same time. Although he was in a dire state, at least his life was saved. The half-bodied Zhuang Liangru quickly plunged into a Flying Magical Boat, then controlling the magical boat, he fled headlong in the direction away from the battlefield without looking back. ¡°Damn it.¡± Zhang Junwei¡¯s face darkened. Just as he was about to control the Annual Ring Worm again, he saw the two sesame-sized eyes of the worm in the palm of his hand turn upwards in a dead faint, and then the worm burrowed into a jade box, where a nest made of Ice Silkworm Silk was spread out. It tucked itself into the bedding, covered up with the blanket, and fell into a deep sleep, ignoring everyone else. Even though he had a contract with the Annual Ring Worm, dealing with a worm that had served several generation of sect masters proved quite difficult for Zhang Junwei. Simply relying on the contract to restrain it was tough too. The Annual Ring Worm seemed to have developed resistance to contracts after being repeatedly unbound and contracted, which made it very difficult to forcibly control the worm using Insect Control techniques. ¡°You¡¯re lucky.¡± Zhang Junwei carefully put the Annual Ring Worm away, not pursuing the chase any further. Watching the large Flying Magical Boat disappear into the distance, he turned his attention to troubling other Righteous Cultivators. As of now, with Zhuang Liangru¡¯s escape and the fall of Guo Yan¡¯an, the Righteous sect¡¯s ranks had completely collapsed. Countless Righteous Disciples and Elders were shredded into nothing by the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. Upon hearing the order to retreat, they couldn¡¯t care less about anything else and ran away without looking back. And behind them, the completely frenzied Demon Cultivators naturally wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to kick a man when he was down, continuing to pursue and kill the fleeing victims relentlessly. A large number of Righteous Disciples were slaughtered, and the bodies littered the hillsides, a scene too tragic to bear. ¡°Time to hit the road.¡± Upon seeing this scene, Su Jie gently flicked his finger. A roaring Sky Dome River swallowed the desperately fleeing Huiji Monk. This prominent monk, who had been in conflict with Su Jie, had been deliberately left alive by Su Jie until now, just so he could witness the collapse of his own Righteous sect. Now, with the total defeat of the Righteous sect, Su Jie naturally had no reason to let him leave alive. Just like countless other enemies, he became one more aggrieved soul under the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array. Compared to the chase by the Demon Disciples, the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array controlled by Su Jie was the real powerhouse. Under his command, over a hundred Sky Dome Rivers, like huge serpents, crushed and devoured those Righteous Cultivators into powder. The chase continued for a full fifteen minutes, but the Array that Su Jie controlled became slower and slower because the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array could no longer be controlled by Su Jie. To be precise, the Array could no longer control itself. The supply of spirit stone resources left for the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array had been depleted, and without an energy source, the formation naturally dissipated. Taking advantage of the final moment, Su Jie eradicated a batch of Righteous Cultivators. When the entire Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array disappeared, Su Jie looked out over the entire battlefield and could no longer see a single Righteous Cultivator. What remained were only broken bodies, and on the volcanic group battlefield, Ghost Ridge Palace had achieved an unprecedented victory. Chapter 502: 328: Renowned Chapter 502: Chapter 328: Renowned ¡°It¡¯s over, huh!¡± Su Jie put away the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, after having absorbed a massive number of dead souls from the battlefield, the banner now a shade of black tinged with red. It was a pity that the cultivators killed by the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array on the battlefield had been completely annihilated, body and soul. Otherwise, if the Ten Thousand Soul Banner had absorbed their divine souls, Su Jie¡¯s banner would have ascended to the rank of the Million Soul Banner long ago. ¡°Now there are probably four to five hundred thousand Yin Souls, and I don¡¯t know when it will be able to upgrade to the level of a Million Soul Banner,¡± Su Jie muttered to himself, once the number of Yin Souls inside the Ten Thousand Soul Banner broke through a million, its power would rise to another level. Turning his head, Su Jie looked towards Han Ruyan, vaguely sensing the strong, swelling power of an eerie force within her. On the battlefield, she had harvested a great deal of fear, and had it not been for the later intervention of the Heavenly Soul Sect, sweeping in, Han Ruyan might very well have ascended then and there to a Seventh-grade Fierce Ghost. Because of her Ghost King Physique, her advancement was more difficult than that of ordinary fierce ghosts. Correspondingly, once she advanced, her combat power would far exceed that of other ghosts of the same rank. This decisive battle had brought Su Jie tremendous gains, not to mention the spoils from slaying six Secret Realm Elders. Among them was Wei Ji, the Immortal Seed, whose Low Grade Magical Treasure and Storage Bag both fell into Su Jie¡¯s hands. Not to mention other spiritual materials and resources, the starting price for just one Low Grade Magical Treasure was as high as a million Spirit Stones. After a quick tally, Su Jie figured out that the Spirit Stone value of his various resources from this battle amounted to a staggering eight million, of which Wei Ji alone had contributed over six million. ¡°Truly worthy of being an Immortal Seed, even in death, you¡¯ve burst out so many gold coins for me.¡± Su Jie smiled, looking at Wei Ji¡¯s corpse in the Storage Bag. Just his body, if taken to be sold, would fetch at least several hundred thousand Spirit Stones on its own; many would certainly desire the body of an Immortal Seed. While Su Jie was gleefully tallying up his gains, the entire volcanic battlefield also came to a complete rest. The Demon Path troops chasing after their targets began to retreat one by one, and the high-ranking members of the sects also returned. What they had gained in this battle was already plenty; to continue the pursuit without the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, they risked a counterattack from the Righteous sect, which would make any further losses unjustifiable¡ªeven if the adversaries likely lacked the will to fight back by then. Among the returning groups, Su Jie also spotted something enormous. It was a gigantic Flying Magical Boat, hundreds of meters long, with seven or eight massive breaches torn into its hull. The spiritual material constructed body had dimmed of any spiritual power and had completely lost the ability to fly, now bound by massive ropes and dragged along by dozens of huge poisonous insects, transporting it back. This kind of Flying Magical Boat, which the thousand-hand centipede had struggled to damage, had ultimately not withstood the onslaught of the Demon Path Elders during the retreat and was forcefully brought down, smoking. Below the boat, a group of disciples from the Puppet Hall had all come here, their eyes eagerly fixed on the colossal object. And standing on the foredeck of the boat, a group of Ghost Ridge Palace Elders stood triumphantly, trampling the Magical Boat, a symbol of Guan Chao Pavilion¡¯s once-formidable strength, beneath their feet. ¡°Master, Elder Tang.¡± Su Jie jumped over, landing on the deck of the boat. All the high-ranking members of Ghost Ridge Palace were there, and they were all acquaintances of Su Jie. ¡°Not bad, you have exceeded me, out of all my disciples, you have proven to be the most outstanding,¡± Taoist Qiu said when he saw Su Jie, his eyes filled with exceptional satisfaction and a hint of sentimentality. Although the Demon Path tended to grow quickly in the early stages, someone with Su Jie¡¯s rate of growth was frightening, even among the Immortal Seeds. Hearing Taoist Qiu¡¯s words, the rest of the Elders eyes¡¯ gleamed uncontrollably with envy. To have an Immortal Seed disciple who had truly grown into his potential, such a disciple was an immense source of pride for any master. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your fine teaching, Master. Whatever my prowess, it¡¯s prowess I¡¯ve learned from you. By the way, where is Senior Yu?¡± Following the flow of the conversation, Su Jie suddenly asked about something, noticing that Yu Wenxian was not seen on the battlefield. ¡°She¡¯s gone missing. The disciples who accompanied her on the communication-breaking mission have all lost contact; it is possible they were killed by a Righteous Sect,¡± Taoist Qiu shook his head solemnly. This Sect War had cost him more than half of his disciples, a testament to the brutality of warfare, and he had come to view death with equanimity. ¡°Is that so!¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes flickered subtly, wondering whether Yu Wenxian had truly died or had sensed something amiss and fled early. In the midst of his ponderings, Zhang Junwei, Sect Master of Ghost Ridge Palace, and Lu Jingshi, Sect Master of Heavenly Soul Sect, descended from the sky. ¡°Haha, Su Jie, was the upheaval with the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array your doing?¡± Zhang Junwei asked as he saw Su Jie, his tone inquiring but his expression already certain. ¡°It was my doing. I discovered the base of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array at Rao Yang Lake. I chose not to destroy it but instead buried a trap within it, never expecting that Guan Chao Pavilion would truly fall for it,¡± Su Jie unabashedly admitted, as now was not the time to feign ignorance and weakness. Besides, with Su Jie¡¯s current strength, there was no need to fear anyone. The surrounding Ghost Ridge Palace Elders, upon hearing this, also looked at Su Jie with admiration and awe. Su Jie¡¯s formidable personal strength, having defeated and killed Wei Ji¡ªthe top Immortal Seed of Qingzhou¡¯s younger generation¡ªand recording a grand victory in a solo fight against five Secret Realm Elders, had commanded respect. Added to Su Jie¡¯s recent domination of the Hundred Rivers Covering Sea Array, killing mercilessly, even these proud and unyielding Elders of the Demon Path were won over. ¡°Good, good, good!¡± Zhang Junwei repeated the word ¡®good¡¯ three times, his face unable to hide his smile. Chapter 503: 328: Renowned_2 Chapter 503: Chapter 328: Renowned_2 ¡°Brother Zhang, your sect is truly brimming with talent!¡± Lu Jingshi, the Sect Master of Heavenly Soul Sect, spoke with envy. They wanted an Immortal Seed like Su Jie in the Heavenly Soul Sect too! ¡°Brother Lu is too kind. I believe that once the Heavenly Soul Sect regains its strength, you will surely find many outstanding disciples soon,¡± Zhang Junwei seemed humble, but his smile never left his face. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to cultivate an Immortal Seed. I hope our two sects can collaborate more in the future. I will encourage my disciples to use your sect¡¯s Immortal Seed as a benchmark and learn from your experience in nurturing disciples.¡± Lu Jingshi nodded his head; his gaze swept past Han Ruyan, who was following Su Jie, but he didn¡¯t ask a single question, making his attitude clear. ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Zhang Junwei nodded with a smile and promised Su Jie, ¡°You are the one who contributed the most to this war. Whatever you want, I will grant it when we return.¡± Su Jie¡¯s eyes lit up as he pointed at the Flying Magical Boat beneath his feet, ¡°Sect Master, can I have this big fellow right now? Our Puppet Hall wants to study it.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhang Junwei, without a second thought, declared generously, ¡°Then it¡¯s yours to take, Puppet Hall. But the boat is severely damaged; whether your Puppet Hall can repair it depends on your own skills. Additionally, we will discuss your reward upon our return and then grant it to you.¡± ¡°Our Refining Hall will also lend a hand.¡± Tang Peiqing spoke up from the side, showing his goodwill toward Su Jie. After today¡¯s battle, Su Jie¡¯s name would certainly resound throughout Ghost Ridge Palace and Qingzhou, becoming a pivotal figure within the sect. Not to mention Tang Peiqing was already on good terms with Su Jie, even a stranger would do their utmost to befriend him. ¡°Thank you, Sect Master and Elder Tang.¡± Su Jie bowed his hands in thanks and began to scrutinize the huge Magical Boat while gesturing for the Puppet Hall disciples to come over. ¡°Long live the Hall Master.¡± Upon hearing that the giant Flying Magical Boat would belong to Puppet Hall, the disciples were so excited that they were beside themselves with joy. If it weren¡¯t for the presence of the high-rank officials from the sect, they would surely be jumping up and down. Su Jie looked at the Magical Boat, which was constructed from giant wood and adorned with numerous mysterious Array Talisman Long Banners. The boat¡¯s roof and sides were made of Jade Glaze Tiles and Qingming Gold Copper, sparkling brilliantly under the sunlight. The towering cabin at the bow featured divine beast totems carved on both sides, and the boat¡¯s internal structure was the epitome of spiritual material essence. The creators used clever craftsmanship and skilled Artifact Refining techniques to build this vessel that traverses the sky, serving as both a means of transportation and a war machine. However, this once elegant Magical Boat, which was shrouded in clouds and glimmering with celestial light, ready to sail through the sea of clouds, had been severely damaged. The huge breach Su Jie had seen on the outside was just the beginning; the interior had been thoroughly wrecked by various magic, with broken spiritual materials and shattered Array Pattern Wood everywhere, along with marks of burning, lightning strikes, insect damage, and flooding. As he continued his inspection, Su Jie arrived at the core interior of the Flying Magical Boat, a massive array that was the Array Eye connecting the entire vessel. It was a ten-meter-tall jade pillar that could be encircled by a person¡¯s arms. Inside the jade, a golden Fire Phoenix was sealed with its wings spread, as if it could burst through the clouds at any moment. It was engulfed in flames and emitted terrifying heat. But now, this jade pillar was riddled with large cracks, letting the high temperature escape. Even from tens of meters away, Su Jie could feel a wave of Spiritual Energy heat rushing towards him. Beside it, there was a huge crystal ball that could project the reflection of the entire vicinity of the Magical Boat and the surrounding sky. ¡°This must be the Fire Phoenix Feather, what a lavish touch, truly impressive!¡± Tang Peiqing, who followed Su Jie inside, immediately had his eyes light up upon seeing the Fire Phoenix in the center. ¡°A Fire Phoenix, on par with the True Dragon!¡± Su Jie leaned in for a closer look, only to discover that the illusory Fire Phoenix within the jade pillar was in fact just a feather as long as an arm. This feather shimmered with a deep crimson hue, its plume dancing like flames, as if forged from an intense fire, exuding an immortal and formidable aura of flames. As he drew nearer, the wave of heat grew even more astonishing; the heat radiating from the feather seemed to distort the very air itself. Visions of an Illusion Realm appeared before Su Jie, as if a real Fire Phoenix with spread wings soared high, its fiery blaze igniting the entire Sky Dome, shining like a glittering star of flame, causing his eyes to ache. The Fire Phoenix, a type of Phoenix, is a spiritual beast on par with the True Dragon, known as the king of all birds, supremely divine and sacred, symbolizing life, spirit, and immortality. It was clear that the feather before him was an authentic Fire Phoenix feather. Only such a supreme spiritual beast could lend a single feather to form the core of a several-hundred-meter-long Flying Magical Boat. Su Jie marveled at the everlasting Fire Phoenix feather, emitting infinite light and heat, almost like controlled nuclear fusion. ¡°What a pity, the Magic Boat is too badly damaged, who knows how much wealth and Spirit Stones it would take to repair it, this Fire Phoenix feather can¡¯t be used for now,¡± lamented Su Jie. Su Jie sighed, looking helplessly at Tang Peiqing by his side. With his hands spread wide, Tang Peiqing said, ¡°It¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t hold back, but the Array Masters on those Magic Boats chose to destroy them, not wanting us to obtain an intact Flying Magical Boat.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Jie said nothing more, for to him, even a heavily damaged Magic Boat was of extraordinary significance. The technology it contained could not only enhance the foundation of the Puppet Hall, but if Su Jie learned it, he could also apply it on Blue Star, not forgetting that he was a Puppet Master himself. While he was immersed in research, the entirety of the volcanic battlefields was cleared by the Demon Cultivators, and the surviving Demon Cultivators triumphantly returned home with their spoils of war, elated and high-spirited. As for the news of this battle, with the defeat of the Righteous Alliance Army, it began to spread like wildfire. ...... Several days later! All of Qingzhou, from the famous families to the high-ranking officials, from the Cultivation Families to the Immortal Sects, was profoundly shaken. Guan Chao Pavilion, Miao Yin Temple, Purple Mist Sect, Dragon and Tiger Sect, and Golden Sword Sect¡ªfive Sects joined forces, along with Lingfa Temple providing external support, a total of eighty thousand Cultivators, powerful enough to crush Ghost Ridge Palace. Yet, they faced a catastrophic defeat in the Sect warfare aimed at eradicating Ghost Ridge Palace. Out of eighty thousand Cultivators, fewer than five thousand survived, with eighty-three Secret Realm Elders perishing and one of the two Taoist Platform Realm cultivators falling while the other was seriously injured. Such news could be described as nothing short of a ten-magnitude earthquake for Qingzhou; all individuals knowledgeable about cultivation were shocked beyond measure. For many years, it had always been the Righteous sects dominating the Demon Path, and to find a historical precedent for the rise of the Demon Path and the decline of the Righteous sects in Qingzhou, one would have to go back countless years. Soon, as more details of the battlefield emerged, a name spread throughout Qingzhou, becoming known to countless Loose Cultivators and viewed with animosity by numerous Righteous sects. Su Jie, notorious for decapitating Wei Ji in the Sect war and for the remarkable feat of slaying five Secret Realm powerhouses. Many Cultivators who heard this news simply couldn¡¯t believe it. Who was Wei Ji, if not the foremost among Qingzhou¡¯s younger generation, unbeatable among his peers, and standing at the pinnacle of the Secret Realm, looking down on all others at a young age. To think that such an Immortal Seed had reportedly fallen to an obscure Demon Cultivator named Su Jie in direct combat was implausible. Compared to Wei Ji¡¯s illustrious reputation, Su Jie indeed lacked notoriety. Although he had achieved some feats before, most of his reputation was built in the Yunling Realm. After advancing to the Secret Realm, Su Jie did not acquire much fame for noteworthy accomplishments; he remained relatively unknown. However, regardless of Su Jie¡¯s previous obscurity or the Righteous sects¡¯ animosity towards him, by slaying Wei Ji, the Immortal Seed, Su Jie¡¯s name truly reverberated across Qingzhou, securing his place as the preeminent figure among Qingzhou¡¯s younger generation, his title growing ever more formidable. Even ordinary civilians, in order to discipline unruly children, only had to invoke the name of Su Jie to immediately scare them into behaving and scurrying back into their mothers¡¯ arms, effectively using it to quiet crying infants. Su Jie¡¯s reputation spread not only across Qingzhou, but as the Sect wars came to their conclusion, neighboring states also began to hear of the name of ¡°Corpse Hand Man Slaughter.¡± Chapter 504: 329: Six Months Later Chapter 504: Chapter 329: Six Months Later After the sect war, along with the outcome, the demonic name of Su Jie¡¯s bloodthirsty nature also spread widely. Inside the Ghost Ridge Palace¡¯s mountain gate, although they had won this sect war, Ghost Ridge Palace itself also suffered great losses. Many disciples and elders fell during the war, with the number reduced by half compared to before the conflict began. With the nature of the righteous sects, it was impossible to expect any war reparations. Although the opposition had also suffered loss in troops, their deep-rooted foundation meant that if Ghost Ridge Palace overstepped, the enemy might forcibly gather forces and strike back. The sparse number of disciples led the leaders of Ghost Ridge Palace to immediately decide to open the mountain gate wide and recruit new disciples on a large scale, loosening the conditions significantly. Ghost Ridge Palace, having just achieved a spectacular victory, was now in its most highly esteemed and sought-after state. Although joining a demon sect didn¡¯t sound good, it still promised a path to longevity. There were too many unfulfilled loose cultivators in this world, most of whom had tried to join righteous sects but were often turned away due to poor talents. Righteous sects would choose disciples, sometimes not only testing talent but also examining the disciples¡¯ temperament, emphasizing virtues such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith. However, at Ghost Ridge Palace they refused no one; it didn¡¯t matter if your talent was poor, as long as you were human and could refine spiritual energy, you could become an outer disciple, a glorious expendable resource. As for temperament, demon cultivators didn¡¯t care about such things¡ªif you were a cruel and despicable spirit, it didn¡¯t matter here. Therefore, when Ghost Ridge Palace opened its gates for recruitment, the scene at the mountain gate was packed like a bustling market. There were not only self-motivated loose cultivators but also numerous black market merchants, and common folk recruited from various places. After a simple test confirmed their talents, their families were given some money; then they were brought here and sold to Ghost Ridge Palace for a profit. ¡°There are indeed a lot of people! Hey, Su Jie, are you also recruiting disciples?¡± Ning Xinyue fanned her small hand, looking at the tightly packed queue of newcomers lining up in front of her, chaotic like a busy market. On one side, behind a table where elders sat, Su Jie fiddled with two magical treasures in his hand¡ªa defensive Purple Jade Umbrella, capable of autonomously protecting its user and an offensive Wind and Thunder Fan, which upon waving brought forth simultaneous winds and thunders. Both of these low-grade magical treasures were obtained from Wei Ji. Spiritual light surged from Su Jie¡¯s palm, seeping into the magical treasures, gradually erasing the prohibitions left by Wei Ji and reshaping them into his own style, a process which could take up to ten days to half a month, as refining low-grade magical treasures was no simple task. ¡°I¡¯m not recruiting disciples; I¡¯m hiring workers. Puppet Hall needs some labor.¡± Su Jie looked up and tucked away the two magical treasures, stepping out from behind the table, and called out to the crowd, ¡°Is there any newcomer willing to join Puppet Hall? The treatment is excellent, starting with a salary of ten spirit stones per month.¡± Puppet Hall now had a Flying Magical Boat to study, and in order to meet Su Jie¡¯s demands, they needed a substantial amount of manpower, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t suffice¡ªthey had to be cultivators bearing spiritual power. These new recruits just joining the sect became Su Jie¡¯s preferred targets. They were cheap and available in large quantities¡ªperfectly suited for the assembly line work in Puppet Hall. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s Corpse Hand Man Slaughter Su Jie; I¡¯ve seen his wanted portrait.¡± ¡°I want to join, Master Su, I want to become your disciple.¡± ¡°Who is he? You guys are so excited.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know him? The strongest among the young generation in Qingzhou, the legendary devil who kills without blinking. If you can learn even half a move from him, you¡¯d worry neither for food and drink nor for your life.¡± ¡°Puppet Hall is said to be extremely important within Ghost Ridge Palace, and with a strong person like Corpse Hand Man Slaughter managing it, joining would surely bring benefits.¡± After Su Jie came forward, the scene immediately became noisy. Many newcomers, having heard of the name Corpse Hand Man Slaughter Su Jie, hurriedly came in large numbers, lining up to join under the auspices of Puppet Hall. Some were drawn by Su Jie¡¯s reputation, others were enticed by the treatment offered to newcomers by Puppet Hall, hoping to gamble for wealth and honor here. The former was Su Jie, who had just become famous in Qingzhou, and the latter was also made famous within Ghost Ridge Palace by the rocket artillery in one battle¡ªthese were points highly desirable to newcomers. Not to mention the treatment laid out by Su Jie, which was quite good for newcomers. ¡°Who again spread my name, ¡®Corpse Hand Man Slaughter¡¯? It sounds like a bloodthirsty person, do I look like that kind of person?¡± Su Jie¡¯s eye twitched slightly. He had achieved the Secret Realm, yet the reputation he made in Yunling Realm still clung to him¡ªit seemed this title was inescapable. Ning Xinyue giggled beside him and said, ¡°You don¡¯t just look like it, it perfectly suits you!¡± ¡°Tch!¡± Su Jie knocked on Ning Xinyue¡¯s head, looking at the long queue before him, he decisively continued with the recruitment. Su Jie wasn¡¯t fussy about the talent of these newcomers. As long as they joined the assembly line in Puppet Hall, even the worst talent was sufficient. Thus, the entire recruitment went extremely smoothly, and by the end of the day, Su Jie had recruited thousands of new people for Puppet Hall. ........ Time flies like an arrow! Six months later. Ghost Ridge Palace, Puppet Hall. Su Jie, wearing the elder¡¯s magic robe, leisurely walked through. The first thing that caught the eye in Puppet Hall was the hundreds of meters long Flying Magical Boat. On the huge gargantuan magical boat, disciples of Puppet Hall hopped up and down. Some disciples handled spirit gold and materials, welding at the gaps. Others dismantled broken materials for repairs and polishing, or replaced them with new materials. Chapter 505: 329: Six Months Later_2 Chapter 505: Chapter 329: Six Months Later_2 Disciples were busy drawing new arrays, constantly conducting experiments. Since the arrays in the Flying Magical Boat had mostly been destroyed, they needed to be researched and tested again to suit the overall characteristics of the Flying Magical Boat. On the entire magical boat, there were hundreds of busy disciples, all skilled artisans from the Puppet Hall. Ordinary disciples could not participate at all in taking on the arduous task of repairing the Flying Magical Boat. In six months, about twenty percent of the damage to the Flying Magical Boat had been repaired. The cost for this was 2 million spirit stones from the Puppet Hall¡¯s own coffers and 1 million spirit stones sponsored by the sect, a total of 3 million spirit stones had been spent. It was like a gold-devouring beast, continuously consuming financial resources. It was no wonder that among the many sects in Qingzhou, only the large and wealthy Guan Chao Pavilion could afford to operate a Flying Magical Boat. ¡°Hall Master!¡± ¡°Hall Master!¡± ¡°Hall Master!¡± As soon as Su Jie entered the Puppet Hall, shouts rang out. The disciples respectfully greeted Su Jie; most of them were of lower cultivation in the First and Second Levels of Yunling Realm and had found good jobs here in the Puppet Hall. They all felt grateful to Su Jie. Su Jie nodded slightly and continued walking past the Flying Magical Boat. In addition to the repairs of the Flying Magical Boat, the area of the entire Puppet Hall had once again expanded several times. The place was like a busy factory, with more than fifteen hundred disciples bustling about. They were performing completely manual labor, but the speed was in no way inferior to that of modern mechanized and intelligent factories. With the involvement of spiritual power, a magical energy, and the Superman-like physical quality of each individual, they were able to complete tasks that seemed quite impossible to ordinary people. For example, the giant puppet arm that Su Jie was now looking at. Its construction completely exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. Pieces of iron ore were thrown into a pit, and a disciple at the Fifth Level of Yunling Realm, who practiced the Molten Fiery Light Art, stood at the edge of the pit. He exhaled gently, spewing a flame that expanded and covered a ten-meter diameter pit. The pieces of iron ore were heated until they were scorching hot and then gradually melted, turning into a crude mixture of iron liquid and slag. Normally, turning iron ore into steel would require several processes: crushing, screening, and beneficiation to separate minerals from impurities. Then, the iron ore would be sintered to reduce it to metallic iron, refined into pig iron, and only then would it be subjected to other procedures and materials to make steel and various alloys. But in the Puppet Hall, all these complicated procedures were unnecessary. There were no sophisticated converters or refining furnaces or any other heavy machinery, as everything was accomplished purely by manpower. The molten iron liquid in the pit churned unpredictably. After some materials were added, it mixed into the required metal material. Several Puppet Hall disciples created wind in their palms, separated the iron liquid, and rapidly cooled and solidified it into simple steel rough castings. Then, there were disciples specifically practicing the Sky-splitting Palm to split and polish the steel, shaping it into the required form. The entire process required the cooperation of hundreds of people, who had to pass tasks down layer by layer until it culminated in the creation of a puppet arm. This was a Cultivator¡¯s assembly line. Su Jie walked through the production area to the newly built martial practice field behind it, which covered several thousand acres and was dotted with targets of various sizes. ¡°No, the budget has already been exceeded. There aren¡¯t that many spirit stones for you.¡± ¡°Sister Yun, please, our Canghuo Puppet really needs a modification. You can¡¯t just stop us from making improvements. It¡¯s a Fifth Grade Puppet that can match those in the Secret Realm. We¡¯re only a little bit away from success.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve said this. Every time, your ¡®success¡¯ has been just a little bit away.¡± ¡°Uh... Sister Yun, you have to believe us. This really is the last time. Please put aside your prejudice and seriously consider it with your reason.¡± Just as he had entered, Su Jie heard the heated argument. A man and a woman were facing each other: Zhu Zhangqi, who was hopping mad, and Chen Yun, cold as frost. Chen Yun pursed her lips and looked up at the sky as if she was seriously thinking. After a few seconds, she turned to Zhu Zhangqi, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve just put aside my prejudice and thought it over carefully, and it¡¯s still a no. The Sect Master entrusted the Puppet Hall¡¯s budget to me, not for you to mess around. You need to come up with a practical and reasonable budget.¡± Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s expression stiffened until he saw Su Jie. ¡°Hall Master, look, Sister Yun is being too stingy. We can¡¯t even afford to modify our puppets, which are fundamental to our Puppet Hall. This funding isn¡¯t for personal enjoyment; it¡¯s entirely for puppet research!¡± Upon seeing Su Jie, Zhu Zhangqi looked as if he had seen his savior, and a look of hope appeared on his previously stifled face as he hurried towards Su Jie in big strides. ¡°Is it about the funds again?¡± Su Jie crossed his arms, seeing through Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s intentions. Puppet Hall was indeed valuable, but it was equally a drain on resources. ¡°Hall Master! This time, the funds really cannot be approved. The success rate of their modifications is too low and doesn¡¯t meet the requirements for funding allocation.¡± Chen Yun also approached, as Su Jie had invited her to manage the fund disbursements in Puppet Hall. ¡°You handle it.¡± Su Jie nodded. Before Chen Yun¡¯s arrival, Puppet Hall¡¯s disciples each let their imaginations run wild, recklessly stacking those fine spiritual materials onto the puppets, causing the budget to grossly overrun. After Chen Yun took over, the funding was effectively controlled over the past six months. Controlling the funds was akin to controlling the lifeline of those Puppet Hall disciples, preventing them from being reckless and stacking whatever good materials they desired on the puppets as if spirit stones were blown in by the wind. Seeing Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s frustrated expression, as he seemed to want to say something more, Su Jie promptly cut him off, ¡°Alright, I have seen all the merits of Puppet Hall, but since the funds are limited, you also need to economize. Let me first see the results of your research. What¡¯s the completion level of the Spider Armor Puppet prototype?¡± The Spider Armor Puppet Su Jie mentioned was a research task he had assigned to Puppet Hall. Today, Su Jie had come to Puppet Hall because the Spider Armor Puppet prototype had successfully come off the production line, and Su Jie was here to inspect it. ¡°Hall Master, please see, this is the result of our research.¡± Zhu Zhangqi set aside his other thoughts and led Su Jie to a warehouse. When the iron door was pushed open, the spacious warehouse was filled with numerous types of puppets. Most of them were various combat puppets developed by the disciples of Puppet Hall, almost as tall as a person, with the tallest not exceeding five meters. Then there were rows of rocket artillery, a miraculous weapon during sect wars, for which, later, the sect ordered five hundred more, leading to a thousand units now at Ghost Ridge Palace. If not for the power of the rocket artillery making it a secret weapon of Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie¡¯s original proposal to export them for profit would have been rejected by the sect, but with these rocket artillery, Su Jie could have made a fortune long ago. Inside the warehouse, apart from various human-like puppets and rocket artillery, the most eye-catching was a peculiarly shaped puppet. Unlike those human-like puppets crafted by the disciples of Puppet Hall, this puppet stood twelve meters tall with eight significantly noticeable long legs. Its overall design resembled a giant spider, dark in color, with its body covered in steel metal engraved with complex patterns. The eight robust legs, each equipped with sharp claws, and the head was a hemispherical metal structure fitted with pairs of bio-compound eyes. Because it was a prototype, the Spider Armor Puppet appeared round and somewhat bulky, lacking sharp edges, and seemed clumsy without the actual armor and weapons attached. Su Jie stood in front of this massive puppet, stroking his chin as he looked around the special puppet built with the participation of the entire Puppet Hall. Su Jie named it the Spider Armor Puppet, intended not for Tianyuan World, but for Blue Star. The exterior of this puppet appeared to be cast as a single piece of metal, but the interior was completely different. Su Jie climbed onto the back of the Spider Armor Puppet and opened a hatch there. What met his eyes were clusters of squirming flesh, with the veins clearly visible. This was a meat tumor specially cultivated by Su Jie, adjusting the poisonous insects and using the ¡°Insect Transformation Manual¡± to foster and graft it to meet his requirements. Although it looked a bit disgusting, this meat tumor was indeed a valuable asset. For instance, the meat tumors inside this Spider Armor Puppet were cultivated by Su Jie specially to possess anti-shock, fireproof, and gas protection effects. Su Jie spent a considerable amount of spirit stones on their cultivation. The most outstanding feature of this type of meat tumor was its powerful regenerative ability, specifically adjusted by Su Jie after numerous trials to perfect it. ¡°Has this Spider Armor Puppet undergone any trials?¡± Su Jie turned to look at Zhu Zhangqi, pinning high hopes on this Spider Armor Puppet. Chapter 506: 330: Spider Armor Puppet Chapter 506: Chapter 330: Spider Armor Puppet ¡°Hall Master, we can start the demonstration now,¡± Zhu Zhangqi raised his hand, ran to Su Jie¡¯s side and shouted loudly. ¡°Go and show me.¡± Su Jie nodded and watched as Zhu Zhangqi deftly crawled into the top of the Spider Armor Puppet, slid through the hatch, and lay among a mass of writhing meat tumors. The specially cultivated meat tumors, resembling sponges, enveloped Zhu Zhangqi in an instant. Click-clack, click-clack! The twelve-meter-tall Spider Armor Puppet slowly came to life, as its eight long legs reached forward. The internal meat tumors replaced the usual power output, allowing it to move with none of the rigidity and stiffness of mechanical beings, like a truly living spider coming to life. Exiting the warehouse door, the long legs of the Spider Armor Puppet bent slightly, and the massive body leaped high like a cannonball, crashing into the middle of the combat arena and precisely striking several targets with its metallic long legs. The targets, solidly built from sturdy iron, were penetrated by the spider¡¯s sudden descent from the sky. The sharp hooks on the ends of the metal legs pierced straight through, and the heat from the high-speed impact caused a dazzling spark as metal collided with metal, sending steel fragments jetting out in all directions, the impact noise echoing over several hundred meters. Boom, boom, boom! Following were a series of loud booms as the head of the Spider Armor Puppet emitted massive sound waves, spewing out clumps of white spider silk. These clumps of white spider silk were initially the size of volleyballs, similar to rubber balls, but upon contact with air, the spider silk expanded rapidly, forming a massive sticky web capable of covering thousands of square meters with high adhesive and tensile strength. Birds originally flying overhead were trapped, flapping continuously as their wings were stuck and they fell to the ground. This was an inherent ability of the Spider Armor Puppet, created by the internal meat tumors. During the cultivation of the meat tumors, a large amount of genetic material from the Steel Bone Spider was collected, and its capabilities were preserved as much as possible, allowing the meat tumors to secrete and eject the substance through powerful muscular contractions. This disposable spider silk would retain its stickiness for about an hour, and a single clump could effortlessly suspend tens of tons of steel. Within the territory of the Steel Bone Spider, birds are rare, as its spider silk is the nightmare of many avian species. After demonstrating its attacking capabilities, the Spider Armor Puppet turned its body once more and began to run at high speed, creating a significant amount of noise as its huge body moved. However, in the next moment, the Spider Armor Puppet underwent a transformation. Its eight long legs started to retract, section by section, like fishing rods, while the upper metal parts were continuously folded by the meat tumors. In an instant, the Spider Armor Puppet shrank to just 4.5 meters tall, with its entire body compacted. At this height, the Spider Armor Puppet moved even more flexibly, with much reduced noise upon landing. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! With a light leap, the Spider Armor Puppet entered a forest. Its eight limbs easily pierced into the tree trunks, propelling it through the trees with ease. Despite its previously large size, much of its body used hollow bones, like those of birds, which made it much lighter than it appeared. As the Spider Armor Puppet moved through the trees, its specially designed limbs provided it with ample kinetic energy and the ability to cling. Not only could it move rapidly through the forest, but it could also leap dozens of meters across rivers with ease, and when faced with cliffs, its sharp limb tips could pierce into the rock as easily as a knife cuts through tofu, firmly anchoring itself and climbing swiftly, just like a real spider. In the end, Zhu Zhangqi, operating the Spider Armor Puppet, crashed through several large trees and finally, with a loud bang, collided at high speed with a mountain. When the dust settled, one could see that the Spider Armor Puppet was damaged in several places, metal twisted, and even two of its long legs were broken. But these damages did not affect the control of the Spider Armor Puppet. The integrity of the core allowed the Spider Armor Puppet to demonstrate remarkable extreme performance. Even with only three legs left, it could still maintain mobility. More importantly, wherever the Spider Armor Puppet was damaged, a continuous supply of blood and mycelium oozed out, autonomously hardening to repair the damaged parts. Even the broken legs saw new meat tumors writhing, gradually solidifying into tough hollow shells and growing new limb-like extensions, replacing the metallic legs. Though there was an impact on speed and defensive capabilities, it was still better than having no legs at all. After the entire demonstration, half an hour had passed. The Spider Armor Puppet returned to Su Jie, and with the opening of the hatch on top, Zhu Zhangqi walked out. ¡°Boss, the diesel inside is almost used up. I didn¡¯t store much in it. If you need more demonstrations, I¡¯ll fill it up,¡± Zhu Zhangqi looked eager to continue. To him, the Spider Armor Puppet designed according to Su Jie¡¯s plans, although odd for requiring a Cultivator to pilot and with its seemingly inadequate combat abilities compared to humanoid Combat Puppets, was still thrilling to operate. The special sensory blood vessels in the meat tumors made Zhu Zhangqi feel as if he had truly transformed into a real spider puppet, an addictively novel experience. In fact, the current Spider Armor Puppet was only a basic unit. It had reserved spaces for armor installation and weapon loading systems, which would employ Blue Star¡¯s weaponry. Once equipped, the war machine would have a much richer arsenal at its disposal. Chapter 507: 330: Spider Armor Puppet_2 Chapter 507: Chapter 330: Spider Armor Puppet_2 ¡°This power source is the diesel and Spiritual Liquid hybrid I mentioned?¡± Su Jie patted the Spider Armor Puppet and inquired about the crucial aspect. When Su Jie first brought in a batch of diesel oil, using it as the main energy source was also one of the design indicators for the Spider Armor Puppets. ¡°Correct, we have specifically set up a power output system for the Spider Armor Puppets. The diesel engine blueprints you gave us were very ingeniously designed, Hall Master. We have made some minor modifications to them to match the current state of the Spider Armor Puppets better. Meanwhile, the Spiritual Liquid serves as an auxiliary power source for backup to mainly ensure the rapid recovery inside the Spider Armor Puppets. Honestly, if we drove them entirely with Spirit Stones, the power of these Spider Armor Puppets would be even greater. Hall Master, won¡¯t you consider it?¡± Zhu Zhangqi gave a brief explanation; the main power of the Spider Armor Puppet primarily relied on diesel, with Spiritual Liquid as a secondary source. This was also per Su Jie¡¯s requirement. When Zhu Zhangqi first got his hands on the product of diesel, he was quite excited, but when comparing it to puppets powered by Spirit Stone energies, the power was far too lacking, and the energy transmission pathways were particularly simple, absolutely no match for the combat power of puppets driven by Spirit Stones. After researching for a while, the disciples of Puppet Hall lost interest. Now, only some beginners would use the diesel provided by Su Jie to practice because they couldn¡¯t afford to play with puppets driven by Spirit Stones. ¡°There¡¯s no need; the diesel is very useful.¡± Su Jie immediately dismissed the suggestion without a second thought. The Spider Armor Puppets prepared by Su Jie were meant for large-scale deployment. If they were all driven by Spirit Stones as the energy source, the power would increase, but so would the speed of burning through funds exponentially. In comparison to military equipment that was going to be massively retrofitted, Su Jie had to consider the factor of cost-effectiveness. Chan Country itself produced oil, and having seized a large number of European and American oil companies and refineries, the cost of oil was particularly low for Su Jie, making it more suitable as the power source for the Spider Armor Puppets. For the sake of cost-effectiveness, Su Jie didn¡¯t even implement any formation on the Spider Armor Puppets, as formations consume too many Spirit Stones. These puppets were intended to be expendable, balancing both cost and performance, and sometimes quantity was more suitable than quality, as the Tiger Tanks feared the T34 tank swarm. ¡°Then, Hall Master, does this Spider Armor Puppet meet your requirements?¡± Zhu Zhangqi handed over a piece of paper, on which were listed various performance metrics and standards for the Spider Armor Puppet. All of the design requirements initially set by Su Jie were checked off, including the cost of production, which had not exceeded Su Jie¡¯s expectations. This was particularly rare for the normally extravagant and generous Puppet Hall. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s start with manufacturing a hundred units of Spider Armor Puppets according to these specifications.¡± Su Jie nodded in satisfaction and casually threw out a number. ¡°How... how many, a hundred units?¡± Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s expression stiffened. They usually produced no more than a dozen units of a puppet model, but Su Jie¡¯s order of hundreds startled him. This was not rocket artillery but genuine real-deal puppets. Although many aspects seemed severely neutered in Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s view, requiring Cultivators to pilot them personally, they were nevertheless qualified puppets. Producing so many at once seemed excessive. ¡°Is it difficult?¡± Zhu Zhangqi shook his head and said, ¡°Not a problem, Hall Master. We now have twelve hundred disciples in Puppet Hall, and if we¡¯re short-handed, we can recruit additional disciples temporarily. We should be able to complete the production task in about a month.¡± ¡°This is just the first batch, and there will be more production tasks in the future.¡± Su Jie patted Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s shoulder earnestly and said, ¡°Work hard on production, the performance evaluations will be calculated as normal.¡± ¡°Yes, Hall Master, I will urge everyone to work hard.¡± Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s face bloomed like a chrysanthemum. As long as there were rewards, no one would complain anymore. A hundred Spider Armor Puppets, even if it¡¯s a bit exhausting, at least they were getting paid. It was far better than adventuring in Insect Valley to capture bugs, where there was a risk to life, and nowhere near the favorable conditions provided by the Puppet Hall. Su Jie removed his gaze from the Spider Armor Puppet and asked, ¡°Aside from the Spider Armor Puppets, what¡¯s the production progress on the prototype ship Lanhai No.1?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just laid the foundation, Hall Master, come with me.¡± Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s face showed a trace of excitement as he led Su Jie to a lake nearby. This lake, located near the Mountain Gate of Ghost Ridge Palace, was bustling with over five hundred disciples from the Puppet Hall, all busily working. Next to the lake, a massive dock had been excavated. The dock, stretching an astonishing six hundred meters, cradled within it the steel skeleton of a titanic beast over four hundred meters long. It was evident that this was a giant warship under construction. This warship was the very one Su Jie had planned, specifically designed for sea battles on Blue Star. In the past six months, under Su Jie¡¯s guidance, the Puppet Hall disciples had held continuous seminars and had finally completed the design a month ago. They then began the construction of the warship at the fastest speed possible. Once built according to the planned design, it would be an enormous vessel with a displacement of 150,000 tons. In the past, Ghost Ridge Palace had never built such a product until Su Jie issued the research directive. The yet to be completed warship was currently named Lanhai No.1. Its shell and skeleton were primarily made of a metal mixed with Deep Sea Luminous Stone. When the sun shone upon it, the ship emanated a shimmering blue light, resembling a vast expanse of azure ocean. As the Guan Chao Pavilion¡¯s war spoils captured by Su Jie were abundant, this type of Deep Sea Luminous Stone, being a widely used spiritual material within the pavilion, offered commendable defensive properties, adaptability to water pressure, and remarkable resistance to fire. High temperatures from destruction would not easily damage it, though it was quite challenging to process. Su Jie had also purchased a considerable amount of Deep Sea Luminous Stone from the Sect. The production cost of this warship was an astoundingly high figure according to the budget¡ªeven Su Jie winced at the expense, considering just the hull, not including the various weapons and power sources to come. But Su Jie still invested a massive amount of resources, sick of the maritime blockade led by the Beautiful Country at the forefront of the Eight Nation Group. Jieke Group must have its own warships; not those small escort vessels of a mere thousand tons, but one that could exert strategic deterrence across the vast oceans. Lanhai No.1, as envisioned by Su Jie, would shoulder this responsibility. Many of its design specifications appeared unimaginable in the eyes of Blue Star humans. The shoddy shipyards of Chan Country would find the task impossible to complete. Only in the Tianyuan World, with the intervention of the miraculous energy known as Spiritual Power, and by utilizing spiritual materials, setting up Spirit Arrays, and combining the efforts of the Puppet Hall, was there hope for its completion. Actually, even for the Puppet Hall to complete it was extremely difficult, as they had never built anything so grand. The construction process was destined to face many challenges. Many of the key technologies involved were replicated from the Flying Magical Boat, otherwise the Puppet Hall would be utterly clueless. ¡°I wonder how shocking it will be on the day it¡¯s finished, it¡¯s a pity it can¡¯t fly.¡± Zhu Zhangqi sighed, but his eyes held not regret, but boundless ambition. ¡°Fumbling along, let¡¯s first apply and digest some of the Flying Magical Boat¡¯s technology on this warship. Once we¡¯ve mastered it, we¡¯ll certainly be able to build our very own Flying Magical Boat.¡± Su Jie patted Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s shoulder. This was how Su Jie motivated the members of the Puppet Hall and also how he managed to appease the high ranks of the Sect. ¡°If we could build a Flying Magical Boat, hehe.¡± Zhu Zhangqi¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement, as if he could already see the prestige the Puppet Hall would gain within the Sect once they built their own Flying Magical Boat, earning a thumbs-up from everyone! Su Jie smiled without speaking. He had issued dozens of research tasks to the Puppet Hall, with Lanhai No.1 and the Spider Armor Puppet being just two of the projects. Others were still in the design phase, some not yet taking form, all requiring more time to develop. With the Beautiful Country stirring up trouble with the Eight Nation Group on Blue Star, Su Jie planned to go back and take a look. The research conducted by the Puppet Hall would become Chan Country¡¯s support and foundation. Chapter 508 - 508 331 Observations in Chan Country ?Chapter 508: Chapter 331: Observations in Chan Country Chapter 508: Chapter 331: Observations in Chan Country Blue Star Zen Country, East Qin State! Today was a festive day for Chan Country, as the first underground railway train service in the country, known as the Ruo Kai Railway, officially began its trial operation. The Ruo Kai Railway started from the Chan Country Capital, Yang City, passing through multiple cities and crossing the largest mountain range in Chan Country¡ªthe Ruo Kai Mountains¡ªbefore arriving at Mande City. It was a part of the entire underground arterial network of Chan Country and also the first segment that was initiated; constructed in cooperation by Jieke Group and several heavyweight construction bureaus from Hua Country. The construction mania¡¯s nature took root and blossomed on the land of Chan Country, propelling the progress at a breakneck pace. For this trial operation, many high-level executives from Jieke Group and elites from all walks of life were invited to ride. The significance of the Ruo Kai Railway was monumental¡ªas it not only represented a further increase in Jieke Group¡¯s control over the entire Chan Country. Both in terms of the enhancement of commercial transport capacity and the dispatch of military forces, it had a significant amplifying effect. Especially for the latter, since much of the territory within Chan Country was covered with dense forests and mountains, ground troop movement was exceedingly difficult. Train transportation, however, could pass through countless valleys and mountains, allowing troops and heavy weapons to be quickly transported. Yang City was home to millions of people and was the economic center of Chan Country, while Mande City served as the political and military center where Jieke Group was based. The connection of this underground railway had an extraordinary significance. Around the whole of Chan Country, there were several other similar underground transport arteries simultaneously under construction. Once all were completed, Jieke Group would be able to extend its reach to every aspect of Chan Country, and any disturbance could be met with rapid deployment of the army. The trial-run train, numbered K2032, also bore the evident traces of Hua Country¡¯s manufacturing. In the business-class carriages, a group of dignitaries, who were on the first trial operation, sat chatting leisurely while observing the scenery passing by outside the train. Like Mr. Smith and Mr. Shawang. The former was the chairman of a commercial company in Yang City, with business operations ranging from real estate and garment factories to motorbike manufacturing¡ªa well-known tycoon. The latter was Mr. Smith¡¯s secretary, having just been successfully recruited by him. In an unnoticed corner, Shawang observed the scenery speeding by outside the train. Since they were underground, aside from the dim lights, most of it was indistinct. However, Shawang noticed numerous apparent military installations in this underground train tunnel. In some places, there were guard posts constructed, some seemed to be machine gun emplacements not yet fully dismantled, and the dug-out military blast doors on both sides, leading who-knows-where, let alone what arms and ammunition might be stored inside. ¡°Smith, how much do you know about these underground military passages and bases?¡± Shawang moved away from the crowd to sit alone with Smith. Even though he was a secretary, he spoke to his boss Smith with a tone of superior giving orders to a subordinate. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Upon hearing this, Smith shook his head, providing no answer. ¡°Hmm?¡± Frowning, Shawang said, ¡°You¡¯ve worked in Chan Country for so long and you don¡¯t have any reliable information?¡± There was a hint of reproach in Shawang¡¯s eyes. Being businessmen was only their cover identity. In reality, outside of his commercial activities, Smith also worked for the CIA, collecting open-source intelligence. Shawang was the same. Officially a secretary, in actuality, he was the new CIA chief sent in secret to Chan Country to monitor Jieke Group for the CIA. Facing his superior Shawang¡¯s questioning, Smith could only give a wry smile. ¡°Boss Shawang, Jieke Group¡¯s counter-intelligence and anti-espionage capabilities are formidable. Don¡¯t treat them like any ordinary foe. Many of our intelligence operatives have disappeared without a trace, persecuted by Jieke Group.¡± While speaking, Smith gestured towards the outside of the carriage and said with a grave voice, ¡°Underground tunnels like this, no one knows how many there are throughout Chan Country. Jieke Group has mastered advanced underground excavation technology. During the civil war in Chan Country, they used these underground military bases to conceal and deploy troops, leading us to misjudge their strategy, recklessly advancing into the Ruo Kai Mountains and suffering a staggering defeat.¡± ¡°Satellite reconnaissance from above couldn¡¯t detect it, and now Jieke Group has opened some of these underground passages for civilian use. As for the underground military bases and tunnels they haven¡¯t disclosed, we have no idea how many there are.¡± ¡°These underground military bases are top-secret within Jieke Group, and the data we currently have is very scant.¡± ¡°In the whole of Chan Country, Jieke Group has a tight lock on intelligence due to the substantial loyalty of the Chan Country people for the generous treatment they receive from Jieke Group, plus the half-million-dollar reward for reporting espionage. Many of our informants on the outside have been caught, making intelligence work here far more difficult than in the Middle East or Africa.¡± Shawang¡¯s brow creased slightly. He had just arrived to take over the intelligence work of the CIA in Chan Country, and although he had some understanding before taking office, he was still somewhat surprised to hear this from the long-entrenched CIA operative, Smith. After some thought, Shawang whimsically asked, ¡°About Jieke Group¡¯s underground excavation machines, do you guys have any leads? Our Beautiful Country must possess this technology.¡± Spreading his hands, Smith replied helplessly, ¡°No. Logically speaking, such underground excavators should be very noisy when operating, yet even with some underground detection equipment, we haven¡¯t found any trace of them, including the information from Jieke Group¡¯s middle-level staff we bribed.¡± Chapter 509 - 509 331 Sightseeing in Chan Country_2 ?Chapter 509: Chapter 331: Sightseeing in Chan Country_2 Chapter 509: Chapter 331: Sightseeing in Chan Country_2 Shawang pondered, and as he thought, the train began to climb, with a light appearing ahead. After a long climb, everyone felt the brightness in front of them as the train emerged from the underground and appeared on the outskirts of a city. That was Mande City, the core stronghold of Jieke Group. Of course, to a CIA agent like Shawang, this was a den of evil that disrupted international order and needed to be eradicated. As for this international order, it was, of course, the international order maintained under the aegis of the Beautiful Country. And the emergence of the Jieke Group was challenging this order. Whether it was Jieke Group¡¯s muddy truck trade wars or its multiple military defeats of the armed forces supported by the Beautiful Country. Together with the massive interests represented by the Jieke Group itself, all sorts of biotechnologies and medical technologies were intolerable to the Beautiful Country. As the dominator of Blue Star, for a small organization to control such a large piece of the pie without willing to share and pay tribute to the dominator, delighting in its own monopoly, disregarding the Beautiful Country entirely, do you not understand what capitalism and the big stick of freedom and democracy are? My Beautiful Country is indeed the dominator of Blue Star, a financial vacuum in US dollars, a military hegemon imposing its will across Blue Star, with influence penetrating every aspect of Blue Star! Yet, the Jieke Group really was a stubborn child, always butting heads with the Beautiful Country. And the stubborn one was surprisingly strong in combat; the Beautiful Country hadn¡¯t managed to subdue them but instead had been humiliated by them in the international community. ¡°An evil organization, breeding an evil nation, will be sanctioned and destroyed one day.¡± Shawang looked at this city, which had appeared numerous times in intelligence reports, feeling not only overwhelming pressure but also full motivation. Because the task was formidable, once he succeeded, owning a vast amount of crucial intelligence on Jieke Group, heralding the downfall of Jieke Group, he might even ascend to the director¡¯s seat in the future. The train kept moving, and Shawang¡¯s gaze swept across, seeing construction sites everywhere. Skyscrapers rising from the ground, paved asphalt roads, bridges spanning rivers, and vast insect farms... Countless workers were busy at these sites, seen from afar on the train as if thousands of ants were building their nest, bit by bit transforming this barren land into a modern metropolis. ¡°All these are Hua Country¡¯s construction companies?¡± Shawang saw the various signs like China Construction Second Bureau, China Construction Third Bureau, and others at these sites, which inexplicably ignited a fire in his heart. You should know, the Jieke Group is the most wanted target for elimination by the Beautiful Country because they consistently irritate the Beautiful Country, like an indestructible cockroach always provoking and skipping around before our eyes, which truly disturbs and frustrates the Beautiful Country. And Hua Country, separated by a Pacific Ocean, currently the real world¡¯s factory, is also one of the enemies of the Beautiful Country. With its strong industrial power and population, ancient cultural heritage, and the status of the world¡¯s second-largest economy, it too challenges the global hegemony of the Beautiful Country, threatening the international order led by the Beautiful Country. Now, these two countries cooperating so closely, the two most detested enemies banding together, naturally made Shawang feel uneasy and annoyed. ¡°BOSS, since over half a year ago, our Beautiful Country, along with Europe and America, initiated sanctions against Jieke Group, Jieke Group quickly strengthened its cooperation with Mao Bear and Hua Country. Especially with Hua Country, the two countries are just too close. Whenever we impose sanctions, they immediately respond. They are the world¡¯s factory; most of the goods banned in the sanctions against Jieke Group can find substitutes in Hua Country.¡± Smith shook his head, having a deep understanding of Jieke Group; the sanctions imposed by the Beautiful Country on Jieke Group didn¡¯t exactly have no impact, but they were essentially ineffective. Even though the sanction document was extensive, containing 6318 items, including Jieke Group¡¯s cat on the sanction list, Jieke Group was still able to develop methodically, becoming a huge thorn in the side of the Beautiful Country. Shawang remained silent; the Beautiful Country could control the heavens, the earth, and the air, but it could not control Jieke Group or reach Hua Country. ¡°Absolutely colluding in disgrace.¡± Shawang clenched his fists, cursing the despicable Jieke Group and the despicable people of Hua Country. At that moment, Shawang conveniently ignored the fact that the Beautiful Country had formed the Eight Nation Group to impose sanctions and suppress Jieke Group. Smith stayed silent, rolling his eyes stealthily and continuously cursing in his heart. Our country is already coercing and sanctioning Jieke Group to this extent, it would indeed be odd if these two don¡¯t come together. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, this saying works everywhere. The train kept moving until it eventually entered the station in Mande City. As the train whistle blew longer, it gradually slowed down and finally came to a stop. The carriage door opened, and Shawang, along with Smith, gathered their thoughts and followed the other passengers out. At the very front of the crowd, Shawang even saw one of Chan Country¡¯s high-ranking officials, an excessively young woman, named Liu Yingying. As they flowed out of the carriage, Shawang suddenly stopped short. Because the train station was practically under semi-martial law, with many tight security checks appearing inside. ¡°This is...¡± Following the excited gazes of the dignitaries, the figure of a young man came into view. He looked to be in his twenties, sporting a gentle smile that bestowed a personable charm, seemingly without any airs about him. But Shawang couldn¡¯t forget this man; although it was his first time seeing him in person, he had viewed that face back and forth countless times through photographs. For this person was none other than the founder of Jieke Group, the real controller behind it, and also the top terrorist listed on Beautiful Country¡¯s sanctions list, far surpassing the infamous Uncle Laden. ¡°Su Jie, he¡¯s also making an appearance here.¡± Shawang took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a piercingly sharp and dangerous gaze fixing on him. The glare filled with killing intent made his scalp numb; even though he was a well-trained agent, such an intense stare felt terrifying, as if he could be torn apart at any moment. Subtly turning his head, Shawang saw two towering figures alongside Su Jie. Dressed in over three meters tall biological armor, their bodies entirely encased in metal, resembling walking alloy cans, yet their sharp external weapons¡ªhigh-powered machine guns, rocket launchers, single-soldier anti-tank missiles, and more¡ªtransformed them into walking artillery platforms. With just a glance, Shawang recognized these two iron cans¡¯ identities. Steel Camp Genetic Soldiers, who had become famous during the civil war in Chan Country with a terrifying record of leading super soldiers and the Mountain Brigade¡ªfewer than ten thousand strong¡ªto decimate an army of modern soldiers over a hundred thousand strong. They were the foremost special single-soldier force in the world. Shawang, pretending to be unconcerned, averted his gaze, not daring to continue staring at them for long. The opposing genetic soldier withdrew his gaze, standing like a protector god, safeguarding leader Su Jie within their midst. ¡°Those eyes are simply too terrifying, almost inhumane.¡± Visibly shaken, Shawang, seeing the genetic soldiers firsthand, felt an overwhelming pressure, his elite agent skills leaving him sweating profusely, far worse than what images and written materials had suggested. Shawang had no doubts that if he made any assassination moves, he might be reduced to a sieve by the opposing Steel Camp Genetic Soldier before even drawing his weapon. Their gaze was like a human facing off against predators like lions or even more daunting beasts. For the first time, Shawang felt a twinge of concern about the territory he was about to manage. I am up against such inhumane beings! If they were to discover me, surviving wouldn¡¯t be the concern anymore, rather whether I could even leave a complete corpse. It¡¯s said that many soldiers who¡¯ve fought against the Steel Camp were often not found intact. Their biological armor¡¯s heavy weapons were massively overpowered against the human flesh and blood. Chapter 510 - 510 332 The Jieke Group with the Villain ?Chapter 510: Chapter 332: The Jieke Group with the Villain Chapter 510: Chapter 332: The Jieke Group with the Villain Shawang felt ashamed of the slight panic that had arisen in his heart, considering himself a top CIA agent who had seen all sorts of grand scenes, yet he was startled by one of Su Jie¡¯s bodyguards. With that thought, Shawang looked up again and saw the lively scene ahead. ¡°Mr. Su, Mr. Su.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, please sign an autograph for me.¡± ¡°Mr. Su, ah, I love you!¡± When Su Jie appeared at the train station, the passengers who were preparing for the first train suddenly showed excited and joyful expressions, swarming around him as if zombies had been let loose. Especially the girls, whose eyes lit up at the sight of Su Jie. Su Jie was still unmarried, and a fairy tale encounter with a prince was simply the best fantasy in many girls¡¯ hearts. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t push, be careful not to hurt yourselves.¡± Su Jie patted the guard¡¯s shoulder, moved past the human wall the guards had formed, and stepped forward to shake hands and take photos with some of the people, appearing very approachable. This behavior attracted even more people, drawing a larger crowd. As a sudden hero of Chan Country, Su Jie single-handedly ended decades of warlord chaos in Chan Country, and, with strong military power and personal prestige, he recreated a new Chan Country. With better living conditions, Su Jie¡¯s image among the people of Chan Country was towering and majestic, truly Chan Country¡¯s number one idol, the pinnacle of all influencers. ¡°This guy is really popular,¡± Shawang thought to himself, understanding why. In a sense, Su Jie was considered a founding leader, and it was well known that the prestige of founding leaders is immensely high. After parting with the crowd, Su Jie exchanged pleasantries with the dignitaries who had arrived by train for a few minutes, then walked toward Shawang¡¯s direction. To be precise, he approached Smith, who was standing next to him. ¡°You must be Mr. Smith, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re doing big business in Yang City. Our Chan Country Government encourages orderly commercial practices. If Mr. Smith encounters any difficulties, he can also come to us for solutions.¡± Su Jie extended his right hand, and Smith quickly clasped it with both hands, his face displaying obsequious respect. ¡°Mr. Su, in front of you, what I do is just small business, hardly worth mentioning. Personally, I think Chan Country¡¯s business environment is very good. Recently, the Central Bank even provided us with a batch of loans; among all the countries I¡¯ve visited, the treatment for businessmen is the best here.¡± Maintaining the persona of a businessman, Smith¡¯s face was brimming with enthusiasm, completely concealing his inner thoughts. To ordinary people, it would hardly be known that this well-known tycoon from Yang City was actually working as a covert agent for the CIA. After all, conventional wisdom suggests that with ample wealth, why would anyone engage in the dangerous work of a spy? This doesn¡¯t make sense. It was this kind of cognitive inertia that naturally added a layer of concealment to Smith¡¯s identity. Inside, Smith was far from calm, as the two Steel Camp Genetic Soldiers vigilantly watched him, placing great psychological pressure on him. Su Jie, for his part, had directly or indirectly killed countless CIA agents. From the smuggling wars in Mexico to the civil war in Chan Country, one could say Su Jie¡¯s hands were drenched with the blood and tears of the CIA, truly a figure like a butcher. On his face, Su Jie wore a gentle smile, appearing very approachable, hardly the ruthless killer Smith had imagined. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear. Recently, leading with the Beautiful Country, the Western society has sanctioned our import of machinery and production equipment. Your company produces motorcycles, so you could come to the commercial department here in Chan Country. We have business cooperation at the level with Hua Country, and we can provide you with connections for motorcycle production lines and related technology in Hua Country.¡± Upon hearing Su Jie¡¯s words, Smith¡¯s lips twitched slightly. Having one arch-enemy introduce another arch-enemy¡¯s business felt utterly bizarre. But to avoid blowing his cover, Smith could only nod repeatedly, ¡°That would be more than great, I¡¯ve been worrying about this lately. Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Su.¡± ¡°Thank what? Just run your business well, grow it larger; more tax revenue for the Chan Country Government is the best thanks to me.¡± Su Jie smiled and nodded, then continued past Smith. Phew~ After Su Jie left, the crowd also dispersed, and both Smith and Shawang breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously. ¡°I handled that correctly just now, right? Don¡¯t let him suspect anything.¡± Smith felt somewhat uneasy, too aware of Su Jie¡¯s power and influence in Chan Country; if exposed, he would certainly have nowhere to bury himself. Shawang, with a hint of irony in his eyes, shook his head. ¡°He obviously didn¡¯t notice anything, relax. Your disguise was very good, he won¡¯t find our true identities.¡± Meanwhile, shortly after leaving the station and getting into an armored car, Liu Yingying curiously said, ¡°Su Jie, shouldn¡¯t we keep tighter control over those two CIA agents?¡± Leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed, Su Jie opened his eyes and spoke lightly, ¡°No need to alert them prematurely. Keeping Smith can provide us with more intelligence. An exposed spy is much more useful alive than dead.¡± ¡°Hmph, these CIA pests are relentless against our Jieke Group, always trying to probe our secrets.¡± Liu Yingying, clutching Su Jie¡¯s arm, spoke in annoyance. Chapter 511 - 511 332 The Jieke Group with the Villain_2 ?Chapter 511: Chapter 332: The Jieke Group with the Villain_2 Chapter 511: Chapter 332: The Jieke Group with the Villain_2 ¡°It¡¯s inevitable, the interests we represent are so significant, and with the nature of the Beautiful Country, how could they not want a piece of the action, or even to eliminate us and take the cake for themselves.¡± As Su Jie stroked Liu Yingying¡¯s smooth black hair, he said with a deep gaze, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Beautiful Country has been quite restless lately?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the same as ever, imposing economic sanctions on us on one hand, while signing a military aid agreement with Siam on the other, arming the Siamese army to a large extent. At the same time, with the Beautiful Country itself entering the fray, each member of the Eight Nation Group has dispatched uneven forces into Siam, under the pretext of containing the military expansion of extremist organizations, but it¡¯s clear they are guarding against us.¡± Liu Yingying snorted, used to the Beautiful Country¡¯s maneuvers, bringing a bunch of lackeys to trouble the Jieke Group. Previously it was the Beautiful Country threatening the Jieke Group, but this time it seemed more like a warning to the Jieke Group not to beat up their little brother Siam. ¡°What specifically?¡± ¡°Everything from fighter jets and armored units to rifles and helmets, a lot of weapons were provided as aid, and they¡¯re also heavily fortifying the border, digging out many permanent military fortresses and trenches.¡± Liu Yingying took out a document listing the publicly disclosed aid weapons from the Beautiful Country. From the F-35 stealth fighter, V-22 Osprey transport plane, M1A2 main battle tank, M1283 armored personnel carrier, Hamas rocket artillery, Apache armed helicopter, and so on, to heavy equipment. To rifles, bulletproof vests, drones, landmines, rocket launchers, military tents, military rations, and construction materials for military use, and so on. Including countless large and small projects, there were at least two hundred military items covering all aspects. ¡°Siam must have been scared by us, willing to spend a huge cost to borrow money from the Beautiful Country to purchase a large amount of military hardware, and also frantically expanding its own army, using wealth to wield military power. In just half a year¡¯s time, they increased their army from three hundred thousand to six hundred thousand, doubling in number, and allowed the Eight Nation Group to station troops on their land. Their king says our Jieke Group is a terrorist organization, and has called for the entire country to confront our threat. However, most of the other countries¡¯ stationed troops are just going through the motions. The least have only a few hundred people, and the most only a few thousand. The Beautiful Country and Japan have more stationed troops, the former has three thousand people staying in Siam, while the latter has a force of five thousand in Siam.¡± As Liu Yingying spoke, she took out a tablet and opened a saved video. It showed news of the Siam King and the prime minister¡¯s speech, targeting the Jieke Group. ¡°This is their news TV speech from three days ago, portraying our Jieke Group as if we¡¯re the bad guys.¡± Liu Yingying pursed her lips, placing the tablet in front of Su Jie. ¡°The Jieke Group, an evil and extreme organization disguising itself as a nation, at its core is violence, expansion, dictatorship, and a terror force against humanity, constantly threatening global stability and security. As a Southeast Asian nation that loves peace, Siam urges all members of the United Nations Security Council to stay vigilant against the Jieke Group, to contain and strike against this new type of extremist organization. As king, I personally call upon all the people of Siam to awaken and resist the military expansion and intimidation of the Jieke Group, and to reinforce the alert status of our national army garrisons and bases...¡± After watching the speech, Su Jie was somewhat speechless. ¡°Six hundred thousand troops, have they gone mad in Siam? Why muster so many soldiers to deal with our threat, and when have we ever threatened them?¡± Upon hearing this, Liu Yingying gave Su Jie a sidelong glance and said, ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten about the Jiang Xitu Frigate incident. That time we deployed troops on the Siam border caused a huge commotion within the higher echelons of Siam. Although in the end Siam returned our frigate and compensated us with a billion US dollars, the domestic media in Siam later massively publicized this incident, claiming our Jieke Group militarily extorted Siam and they would never allow such a thing to happen again. At the time, many cities within Siam saw public demonstrations, which even led to the prime minister stepping down and being replaced, and then the new government labeled our Jieke Group as the primary enemy.¡± Su Jie thought back carefully, and it indeed seemed like such an incident had occurred. ¡°Most likely, the Beautiful Country had a hand in it again. They need a neighboring country hostile to us.¡± Su Jie scratched his head, but didn¡¯t think he had done anything wrong. After pondering, he came to a conclusion. Siam¡¯s authorities would surely want to cover up such an embarrassing incident as much as possible. The result was a domestic uproar, with possible involvement from the Beautiful Country behind the scenes, wishing to increase domestic hostility towards the Jieke Group in Siam. Including the change of leadership, the Beautiful Country would love to see a leadership that is even more hostile towards the Jieke Group. Although Su Jie had no evidence of Beautiful Country¡¯s interference, based on his understanding of their integrity, they definitely were prime suspects. In the realm of stirring up trouble, as the prodigal sons of the Great British Empire, the Beautiful Country had inherited this fine tradition and had continued to carry it forward splendidly. ¡°Anyway, now Siam is always accusing us of threatening them militarily, claiming we¡¯re going to deploy five hundred Tiger Main Battle Mechas and launch a lightning war against them. That¡¯s why they¡¯re strenuously developing their military, treating us like bandits, as if we might barge into their home to rob them at any moment,¡± Liu Yingying complained a couple of times, and Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, amused by her remarks. ¡°No, really, do they believe that? There is no such thing as a Tiger Main Battle Mecha.¡± Su Jie grinned, the so-called Tiger Main Battle Mecha was nothing but the Thousand-Handed Centipede in disguise during a military parade. Catching shadows and chasing the wind, Siam took something that didn¡¯t even have a shadow and treated it as real. But then again, the published data of the hypothetical Tiger Main Battle Mecha was rather terrifying: 38.9 meters in height, weighing 1635 tons, fitted with a multi-weapon system for both ground and aerial combat, capable of all-weather operations. At first glance, one would think that the Jieke Group had developed some sort of super-advanced black technology. With the precedent of Super Soldiers, Genetic Warriors, Biological Armors, it¡¯s not surprising that they believed it might be true. ¡°Ah! Isn¡¯t that the large Mecha we¡¯re currently researching and planning to equip?¡± Liu Yingying blinked, looking bewildered. ¡°We don¡¯t have that thing.¡± Su Jie turned his head and just caught Liu Yingying¡¯s dazed gaze. ¡°Really, we don¡¯t?¡± Liu Yingying was shocked; she really thought Su Jie had developed the Tiger Main Battle Mecha, but now he was telling her they hadn¡¯t. Within the Jieke Group, Su Jie focused on the military aspect, which she wasn¡¯t very familiar with. Plus, Su Jie often pulled off mysterious black tech, and even as a high-level executive of the Jieke Group, she¡¯d been fooled. Or rather, because the Thousand-Handed Centipede¡¯s performance during the parade was so convincing, both Chan Country and many others around the world believed in the existence of the Tiger Main Battle Mecha. After that parade, how many headlines did the Tiger Main Battle Mecha make, with military experts on TV debates tearing apart the theories of Mecha uselessness and Mecha dominance, causing a Mecha craze worldwide, with numerous countries investing heavily into Mecha research eagerly. Chan Country people traveling abroad would look down on others when this matter was mentioned. The world¡¯s first military large-scale Mecha ¨C have you seen it, are you scared? Even the Beautiful Country, number one in global military, didn¡¯t have Mechas, but we in Chan Country were the first to equip them, leading the world, a true case of asymmetric warfare! ¡°Really, we don¡¯t.¡± Su Jie couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry; he pinched Liu Yingying¡¯s cheek. If even their own were fooled, it proved that his military deception had been quite successful. Liu Yingying was speechless, so it was a hoax! ¡°Anyway, it seems that we might have gone a bit too far before, we¡¯ve kind of scared Siam.¡± Su Jie stroked his chin, thinking back on the civil war period within Chan Country, how the Jieke Group had displayed its combat power, crushing all the warlords and Chan Country Government Army, and even the Japan Self Defense Force. In the end, even the airborne corps of the Beautiful Country at Yang City Airport lacked the courage to engage with the Jieke Group and fled in a sorry state. All signs indicated the Jieke Group was indeed full of martial virtue. And Siam, despite its great wealth, boasting a GDP of over five hundred billion US Dollars annually, had a pitifully weak military capability. Yet it bordered Chan Country, with only one-tenth of its GDP. It was like a well-jeweled lady living next door to a vicious villain who couldn¡¯t even afford a full meal; no wonder Siam was afraid! Anyway, that¡¯s how Siam saw it; from the multiple acts of war by the Jieke Group, it was clear they were viewed as warmongers. The upper echelons of Siam were scared to death, and of course they had to desperately increase their military strength! Chapter 512 - 512 333 Tianyuan Slimming Pills ?Chapter 512: Chapter 333: Tianyuan Slimming Pills Chapter 512: Chapter 333: Tianyuan Slimming Pills The car proceeded and arrived at the largest hospital in Mande City. This hospital, newly built by Jieke Group, spanned an area of 150,000 square meters. The convoy arrived here, Su Jie and Liu Yingying stepped out of the limousine, and under the protection of a group of security guards, entered the hospital. ¡°Mr. Su.¡± The hospital¡¯s dean, Pu Ding, hurried over. He was not only the dean of the hospital but also an employee of Jieke Group. ¡°How is the trial going? No problems with the clinical tests, I hope?¡± Su Jie asked succinctly, inquiring about the other party. ¡°Everything is just as you said, Mr. Su. The effectiveness is miraculous. I¡¯ll take you to see it now,¡± Pu Ding answered, his face displaying his excitement. A group of people reached the third floor, where Pu Ding took the lead in pushing open a ward door and went in. Inside the ward were a dozen men and women, wearing patient attire, who looked no different from ordinary people. These people were of various ethnic backgrounds: from Europe and America, Asia, and Latin America. ¡°Dean Pu, you¡¯ve arrived!¡± ¡°Dean Pu, I have lost another ten kilograms.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never felt so light before, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve come back to life.¡± The patients in the ward greeted Pu Ding with smiles, thanking him for his help. ¡°These people seem quite normal. Do they have some kind of internal disease?¡± Outside the ward, Liu Yingying asked curiously, still unclear about what was happening, as she had been brought here by Su Jie. ¡°They suffer from an extremely severe obesity condition. Over a month ago, each of them weighed over six or seven hundred pounds,¡± Su Jie said with a smile, describing the condition of these people. ¡°What, that¡¯s impossible.¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s mouth dropped open, and she looked back at the people in the ward subconsciously. Even the heaviest of them weighed only around 150 to 160 pounds, with the lightest around 100 pounds. It seemed impossible that people could lose weight that fast. ¡°Mr. Su is correct, Miss Liu, you can look at their photos from a month ago,¡± Pu Ding came out of the room, bringing the patients with him, and handed a stack of photos to Liu Yingying. As she flipped through the photos, Liu Yingying saw images of very overweight men and women, each with their detailed data recorded below. Many weighed several hundred pounds, so heavy that their necks were nearly invisible under layers of fat. Liu Yingying looked up unbelievingly, and when she looked at the patients again, they seemed completely different in size and temperament due to the drastic weight loss. But she could still discern a similarity in their facial structures to those in the photos, indicating that the people in the photos were indeed the same ones before their successful weight loss. Beneath these photos was written the origin of these people, all of them among the most famous cases of obesity in their respective countries, including a person who held the Guinness World Record for highest body weight, weighing over a thousand pounds. ¡°Mr. Su, you were right, I really can lose weight, I truly have.¡± ¡°Tianyuan Slimming Pills are truly miraculous, just like divine medicine bestowed by God. I was a bit skeptical before I came, but I¡¯ve been proven narrow-minded.¡± ¡°I still feel like I¡¯m dreaming. The feeling of being so light after losing weight is just amazing.¡± The patients, upon seeing Su Jie, had expressions overflowing with gratitude. They all knew that it was Su Jie who was the true benefactor behind their rapid weight loss. One of the patients, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman in her thirties, spoke while wiping away tears. ¡°Mr. Su, thank you, I¡¯m so grateful to you. You¡¯ve allowed me to re-experience what standing up feels like.¡± Her name was Rosali Bradford. She had once been awarded the title of the heaviest person in the world in the Guinness World Records. By the age of 13, she weighed 170 kilograms, and at her heaviest, she topped 500 kilograms, over a thousand pounds, which caused her leg muscles to be unable to support her body weight. She had been bedridden for eight years and had even publicly sought help through television for a miracle cure for her obesity, attracting a lot of attention. Unfortunately, her physical condition was so unusual that the obesity left many hospitals and experts unable to help; many treatments had been unsuccessful. Rosali herself had started to feel hopeless. She was one of the first patients to come to Mande City Hospital for treatment. Over three months ago, she received news that Jieke Group had approached her with an offer to treat her obesity for free. At first, she thought it was a scam, but after verifications by her parents, they confirmed that the others were indeed employees of Jieke Group. Once the message was confirmed, Rosali accepted the offer without a second thought. She had heard of Jieke Group¡¯s renowned name, even from her bed. Their products, like Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and Tianyuan Myopia Pills, were famous around the world for their efficacy. And her condition was deteriorating by the day; her extreme weight led to numerous ailments, and Jieke Group, a globally famed company, was offering to treat her free of charge. There was no way they could be trying to deceive her. So she crossed the ocean to the Jieke Company¡¯s hospital in Mande City. When she first entered the ward, her size was too large to pass through the door. They had to dismantle a wall for her to enter smoothly. In the three-plus months that followed, she had been actively cooperating with the treatment. The treatment here was simple: just swallow a few pills each day and then drink water, a lot of it until she couldn¡¯t take any more. Chapter 513 - 513 333 Tianyuan Slimming Pills_2 ?Chapter 513: Chapter 333: Tianyuan Slimming Pills_2 Chapter 513: Chapter 333: Tianyuan Slimming Pills_2 This weight loss method confused Rosali at first, but by the second day, her weight had begun to decrease. As she continued taking more pills, her weight loss became more and more noticeable. In just over three months, within 100 days, she had lost weight to her current state, able to stand on her feet again, capable of running and jumping. Now, she was just a girl weighing a hundred pounds with a perfectly proportioned figure, golden short hair, not particularly beautiful but quite delicate in appearance, showing no signs of having been a patient with obesity, weighing over a thousand pounds just fifty days ago. Furthermore, throughout this weight loss process, she didn¡¯t suffer at all, it was just about taking medicine and drinking water that reduced her weight. After losing weight, her skin was firm and taut, without any of the usual problems related to skin laxity that severe overweight patients or liposuction surgeries tend to cause. Like Rosali, most of the patients here had similar experiences. The obesity issues that had plagued them were all resolved at Mande City Hospital. ¡°Don¡¯t take it lightly, remember to control your diet in the future. Tianyuan Slimming Pills can¡¯t guarantee the weight won¡¯t rebound. The pills can only treat your fat, not the diseases caused by obesity, so don¡¯t rely on them to act carelessly,¡± Su Jie cautioned as he ruffled Rosali¡¯s head, and he also advised the others. The Tianyuan Slimming Pills Su Jie mentioned were naturally the result of research commissioned by Su Jie and carried out by his Alchemy Pavilion disciples. At the beginning, Su Jie set three research directions: myopia, weight loss, and whitening. The slimming elixir was breached more than three months ago, and Su Jie immediately brought it to Blue Star for further validation. The results did not disappoint him. The slimming medicine produced by Tianyuan World not only had especially strong effectiveness in weight loss but also had no side effects. ¡°Yes, yes, we will definitely take good care of our bodies,¡± promised Rosali, nodding repeatedly. Now to these patients, Su Jie was like a god, and the Tianyuan Slimming Pills were like a divine medicine bestowed by God. Otherwise, how could they have such miraculous effects? After parting with the patients, Su Jie, Pu Ding, and Liu Yingying sat in a conference room together. ¡°Have all the tasks I assigned been completed?¡± Su Jie asked. ¡°We¡¯ve filmed all the patients¡¯ records, and they¡¯re willing to cooperate with us for promotion. Our Tianyuan Slimming Pills will surely be a success,¡± Pu Ding spoke up. These patients were the heaviest from various countries, including the heaviest person recorded in the Guinness World Records, which was simply the best promotional material. With successful treatment examples of severely obese patients like Rosali, the Tianyuan Slimming Pills were destined to become an instant success upon entering the market. Su Jie nodded, satisfied, and turned his gaze to Liu Yingying nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll follow up on this end as well, leveraging the group¡¯s power to push Tianyuan Slimming Pills into the market and promote it with all our might,¡± Liu Yingying¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement, for the market potential for the Tianyuan Slimming Pills was truly vast. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, one in eight people in the world suffers from obesity, adding up to more than a billion overweight individuals worldwide¡ªa colossal market that could rival Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and Tianyuan Myopia Pills, or even surpass them in terms of medical benefits. After all, hair loss only affects one¡¯s looks, and myopia can be compensated with glasses. But excessive obesity impacts every aspect of life. If there were a truly effective slimming medication with no side effects, people would undoubtedly snatch it up¡ªafter all, who doesn¡¯t want to have a normal figure? ¡°The Slimming Pills are too potent; dilute them and then separate them into smaller portions for distribution.¡± Su Jie, stroking his chin, said to Liu Yingying, ¡°After we start production, each Slimming Pill will reduce one jin of fat and the cost is about 3 US dollars. What do you think would be an appropriate price?¡± Liu Yingying and Pu Ding both became tangled in thought, and after some deliberation, it was Pu Ding who spoke first, ¡°The global number of obesity patients is staggering. If we want to make it affordable for the masses, the price can¡¯t be too high, otherwise most people won¡¯t be able to afford it. I think selling each Tianyuan Slimming Pill for 50 US dollars would be reasonable. The usual weight loss goal for people is in the tens of jin, so a one-time purchase would cost only a few thousand dollars, which should be affordable enough.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s too cheap.¡± Liu Yingying immediately spoke up, looking quite money-hungry, and said to Su Jie, ¡°We now control the entire Chan Country, and there¡¯s infrastructure development and huge growth everywhere in the nation. This is the time when we need funds. Relying solely on Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and Tianyuan Myopia Pills is getting tight. We must depend on Tianyuan Slimming Pills to earn enough money to develop Jieke Group better. Therefore, I think selling a Slimming Pill for 500 US dollars would be more appropriate.¡± ¡°That price is too high, if ordinary people decide to lose twenty jin, they would need to spend 10,000 dollars, which many can¡¯t afford, nor are necessarily willing to spend.¡± Pu Ding felt it was inappropriate; the price set by Liu Yingying was a bit too much. ¡°Our Tianyuan Slimming Pills can be bought individually; if one doesn¡¯t have enough money, they buy fewer pills, if one has more, they buy more. If they find it expensive, people can just lose weight on their own! Expecting something cheap without putting in effort, there¡¯s no such thing in the world, and we at Jieke Group aren¡¯t running a charity.¡± Liu Yingying argued back. Jieke Group was in need of a capital injection, and maintaining a country required a lot of money. She was in charge of Jieke Group¡¯s finances and naturally wanted to earn a more substantial amount of money. Finally, Su Jie tapped his fingers on the table and said, ¡°Let¡¯s meet halfway, and set the price of each Tianyuan Slimming Pill at 300 US dollars.¡± At the price of 300 US dollars, based on the wages in Europe and America, if they didn¡¯t spend their salary on other things, they could easily buy ten Tianyuan Slimming Pills a month, which in Su Jie¡¯s view was already a bargain. The average person¡¯s weight loss needs are mostly in the tens of jin, so their consumption was definitely affordable. In considering this, Su Jie took into account that most ordinary people in Europe and America don¡¯t have much savings, but never mind, if they don¡¯t have savings they can take out loans, as he was not going to sell too cheaply, even though his own production cost was very low. ¡°That price...¡± Pu Ding hesitated, thinking that with the global population of obese individuals being over a billion, the number of consumers at this price might significantly decrease. ¡°Think of it this way, if people find the price expensive, they can choose to exercise and lose weight themselves, which would be the cheapest way. We are earning from those who lack sufficient determination but still want to maintain a good figure. The truly poor should opt for exercising to lose weight, rather than expecting us to be overly charitable and lower our prices to benefit all of humanity.¡± Su Jie made his decision, which won Liu Yingying¡¯s approval. ¡°Exactly, I even think the price is a bit low. There are more wealthy people in the world than you might expect, and to have a weight loss drug that doesn¡¯t require hard work, has no side effects, and shows instant results, there¡¯s no second provider but Jieke Group. We deserve to make this money.¡± The more Liu Yingying thought about it, the more excited she became ¨C she had no doubt that both men and women who desired a good figure would be tempted by the extraordinary effects of Tianyuan Slimming Pills. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided, Yingying, go back and prepare the promotional materials. We will start stocking up next week, then go ahead with the global market launch.¡± Su Jie concluded decisively, setting the sale price of Tianyuan Slimming Pills at 300 US dollars apiece. At this price, they didn¡¯t need to sell too much; just selling a hundred million pills each month would result in an income of thirty billion US dollars, and annual revenues would exceed three hundred billion dollars, net profit margins high enough to surpass or even crush Apple, the world¡¯s highest market value company. Considering the number of obese individuals worldwide, even if many are deterred by the price, reaching this goal isn¡¯t impossible. The Tianyuan Slimming Pills boasted a production value far exceeding that of the hair growth liquid and the myopia pills. Su Jie had high hopes for it, hoping it would become Jieke Group¡¯s new money printer, bringing in a continuous stream of immense wealth. Chapter 514 - 514 334 Booming Sales ?Chapter 514: Chapter 334: Booming Sales Chapter 514: Chapter 334: Booming Sales As the meeting concluded, the entire Jieke Group mobilized its resources to promote Tianyuan Slimming Pills. Online, across various media platforms and the internet, Jieke Group spent a hefty amount to advertise their new product using overweight and obese patients as case studies for a comprehensive product promotion. Offline, they leveraged the channels previously used for the promotion of Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and Tianyuan Myopia Pills to expand their publicity efforts. With a dual approach, Tianyuan Slimming Pills became a sensation even before they went on sale. Jieke Group already had a reputation to its name, and with the Hair Growth Liquid and Near-sighted pills¡¯ super therapeutic effects, their products were seen as a guarantee of efficacy by people all over the world. When the date reached September 5, 2025, Tianyuan Slimming Pills began to go on sale around the globe. ... Hua Country, Huadu! On the bustling commercial streets, Jieke Group had spent a fortune to set up a direct-sales flagship store that covered more than a thousand square meters. Early that day, a long line had already formed outside the flagship store. While the morning mist had yet to clear, the queue of people had already reached over a hundred meters in length. ¡°Quick, quick, quick! Get the camera ready.¡± Huadu TV Station reporter Song Yingyi, holding a microphone and with the Jieke Group flagship store as her backdrop, smiled at the camera and said, ¡°Hello, everyone. I am currently standing in front of the Jieke Group¡¯s flagship store in Huadu. It is now 8:03 in the morning, and as you can see, a large number of people have already lined up here. The queue has reached two hundred meters and is still growing. Let¡¯s go and interview some of the customers on the spot.¡± Following a brief introduction, Song Yingyi found a heavy-set uncle. The man, weighing around two hundred kilograms, was dressed in shorts and slippers, wearing an outfit that appeared to cost no more than two hundred yuan. ¡°Hello, sir. I am a reporter with Huadu TV Station. I would like to interview you about whether you think the therapeutic effect of Tianyuan Slimming Pills is as miraculous as Jieke Group advertises?¡± Handing over the microphone, Song Yingyi batted her eyes, relying on her outstanding appearance, and asked in a gentle tone. The interviewed uncle scratched his head and said, ¡°Jieke Group¡¯s products shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ve used their Tianyuan Hair Growth Liquid and Myopia Pills before, and the effects are indisputable; they even cured my balding. But I didn¡¯t expect Jieke Group to launch a slimming pill. It feels like it¡¯s tailor-made for me. I believe Jieke Group wouldn¡¯t make false claims.¡± ¡°The selling price announced by Jieke Group is 1999 Hua Yuan per Tianyuan Slimming Pill. Wouldn¡¯t it be more cost-effective to simply exercise and lose weight on your own?¡± ¡°Exercise on my own? No, no, no, I can¡¯t take that kind of suffering. Running and controlling my diet is something I cannot stand.¡± The uncle immediately made a bitter face, shaking his head and waving his hands as if being asked to exercise was akin to taking his life. ¡°Then, may I ask, how many Tianyuan Slimming Pills do you plan to buy?¡± ¡°I plan to buy a hundred pills. I¡¯ll use sixty for weight loss and keep the rest for emergencies.¡± ¡°One hundred pills? That¡¯s two hundred thousand Hua Yuan. Do you think the selling price of 1999 Hua Yuan for Jieke Group¡¯s Slimming Pills is too high? It¡¯s unaffordable for many who want to lose weight.¡± ¡°Is it high? It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s about a month¡¯s income for me, so I think it¡¯s quite worth it. Besides, I think Jieke Group is very good. Their fight against Japan¡¯s Self-defense Team, I usually enjoy watching anti-Japanese dramas the most. Now that there¡¯s a real-life version of fighting the ¡®ghosts¡¯, I definitely want to support them. Buying more Slimming Pills is like contributing to Jieke Group¡¯s military fund. I hope Jieke Group can continue their good work and beat those Japanese ¡®ghosts¡¯ hard.¡± ¡°Um!¡± Finding the topic a bit sensitive, Song Yingyi gulped and quickly said, ¡°May I ask, uncle, what do you do for a living? Isn¡¯t it a financial burden to buy so many pills at once?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a job, but I collect rent from ten houses.¡± Hearing this response, Song Yingyi was at a loss for words. It turned out that this unimpressive-looking plump uncle was actually a wealthy landlord! Sorry to have disturbed you. Feeling the impact of a ten-thousand-ton blow, Song Yingyi¡¯s mouth twitched. She could afford only a few Tianyuan Slimming Pills with a month¡¯s salary, while he could buy them without batting an eye. Pulling herself together, Song Yingyi approached another young man. The guy was in his twenties and what intrigued Song Yingyi was that he appeared to be in good shape, with no signs of being overweight. ¡°Hello, sir. I am a reporter with Huadu TV Station. I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions. You look in good shape, and you probably exercise regularly. Why are you also queuing up to buy Slimming Pills?¡± ¡°Uh, well, I¡¯m a scalper. I buy them to sell to other people.¡± The scalper¡¯s answer was particularly straightforward, stunning Song Yingyi. ¡°You¡¯re stockpiling Tianyuan Slimming Pills for scalping? Can that work with hunger marketing too?¡± Song Yingyi was surprised. She had heard of scalping for phones but never for slimming drugs. ¡°You find that strange? This is a product from Jieke Group. Based on past experience, Jieke Group¡¯s initial stock is limited. Before they can increase production capacity, they will not be able to meet the huge market demand, and that¡¯s our chance to mark up the price. It might even sell for three thousand a piece. That¡¯s why I specially took out a loan from the bank to make a big score. At worst, with Jieke Group¡¯s quality and reputation, I can sell them at the buying price without losing money.¡± The scalper proudly stated that his money-making scheme was very promising. Chapter 515 - 515 334 Booming Sales_2 ?Chapter 515: Chapter 334: Booming Sales_2 Chapter 515: Chapter 334: Booming Sales_2 Song Yingyi had nothing to say and felt a bit outdated seeing the other¡¯s proud demeanor. During the repeated interviews, time reached nine in the morning when the Jieke Group flagship store officially opened. Rustle! As soon as the door opened, the crowd instantly rushed into the store, shouting at the staff. ¡°Give me fifty slimming pills.¡± ¡°I want two hundred slimming pills, hurry up.¡± ¡°Hey, no cutting in front, I want thirty slimming pills.¡± The swarming crowd continually scanned QR codes, and the Tianyuan Slimming Pills were handed over one by one. ¡°Limited edition health slimming pills, give me a hundred.¡± Suddenly, a voice rang out amid the noise, and the scene immediately fell silent. Countless gazes turned to see an ordinary, overweight uncle in flip-flops and shorts speaking. It should be noted that Jieke Group¡¯s Tianyuan Slimming Pills, besides the regular version priced at 1999 Hua Yuan, also included a health commemorative version at 9999 yuan per pill, and the exorbitantly priced longevity health limited edition at 49999 yuan per pill. They say this slimming pill, packaged in gold foil and incorporating various precious herbs, not only reduces weight but also effectively nourishes the body and regulates the body¡¯s meridians, among other benefits. ¡°Sir, sorry, we don¡¯t have that many limited health slimming pills here, only fifty. We will promptly notify other stores to transfer goods.¡± The store staff was also stunned and, after reacting, apologized earnestly. They hadn¡¯t expected that someone would buy a hundred pills of the expensive limited health slimming pills without blinking, a deal worth five million¡ªit was like selling jelly beans. ¡°Then I¡¯ll come back in the afternoon to pick up the goods, I will pay by card now, just have them ready for me then.¡± The fat uncle was indifferent, paying by card directly, exceedingly carefree. ¡°Sir, when you mentioned buying a hundred pills, you meant the limited health version of the slimming pills!¡± On the other side, Song Yingyi who squeezed in for an interview saw this scene and realized this wealthy man was the same fat uncle she had interviewed earlier. ¡°Yes exactly, getting older, figured I should treat myself better, focus on health, you know. The price isn¡¯t high; it¡¯s just one month¡¯s rent.¡± The fat uncle smiled, appearing very open-hearted. ¡°What, has collecting rent become so profitable nowadays? Can ten units earn that much?¡± Song Yingyi gasped, feeling as though her worldview had been rewritten. ¡°Not 10 units, but 10 buildings!!!¡± The fat uncle blinked, correcting her. ¡°...¡± Song Yingyi was silent. Now, is collecting rent counted by the building? Everyone in the flagship store also remained silent for a while, dumbstruck by this ostentatious display. Thinking of their own unresolved mortgages and car loans, day-to-day necessities, and silently shed some helpless tears. ...... In Hua Country, Russia, and various countries in the Middle East, Jieke Group sold Tianyuan Slimming Pills through all legal procedures. In this, sales of the commemorative and limited editions of Tianyuan Slimming Pills saw unexpectedly high sales figures. This slimming pill, packaged by Liu Yingying herself without affecting the drug¡¯s efficacy, had additional herbs added. You would say that these slimming pills sold at 11,000 each or even at 50,000 each are different from the ordinary slimming pills, but aside from the exceptionally exquisite and precious packaging, you can¡¯t say they lack any additional medicinal effects either, which means there is no difference at all¡ªthey simply offer psychological comfort. Yet, these high-priced slimming pills, which even the Jieke Group sees as no different, have been snapped up by the wealthy. In Hua Country, every tycoon consumes the limited edition slimming pills to showcase their social status. Those less wealthy individuals also grit their teeth and purchase a commemorative slimming pill for 9,999 Yuan. In various circles of social elites, the latest trend is no longer flaunting luxury watches or cars, but a box of gold-plated, limited edition Tianyuan Slimming Pills. For this reason, many fake socialites spare no effort to pool money together to buy the limited edition slimming pills, take turns to pose with them in photos, all to show off in their social circles, capturing the pills¡¯ boxes accidentally during early tea and meals, presenting their refined and elegant lifestyle. In Russia, every oligarch sells the limited edition slimming pills by weight, for their own use and for their families. In the oil-producing countries of the Middle East, Tianyuan Slimming Pills are also incredibly popular. Those generous spenders who wrap cloth around their heads and casually spend on sports cars, planes, and yachts buy them by the hundreds, always choosing the most expensive limited editions. As for Europe and America, the Jieke Group is not so law-abiding there, embarking on the oldest trade of mankind by smuggling slimming pills into these countries. Since you dare to sanction me, I¡¯ll smuggle them in without paying your taxes. If you want to earn from my taxes, think again. Europe and America, led by the Beautiful Country, are absolutely frantic as they watch a huge amount of tax revenue slip through their fingers, extremely distressed by this situation. You must know that in just one week, Tianyuan Slimming Pills had cumulatively sold over 80 million pills. Many people with the desire to purchase quickly place their orders, leading to a drop in sales afterwards, but selling two billion pills in the first month was not a problem, with monthly sales expected to remain above a hundred million thereafter. Such incredible wealth, and all from those commemorative and limited edition slimming pills, meant Jieke Group¡¯s revenue skyrocketed to 27.5 billion US dollars in just one week. This amount of money, especially since the countries of Europe and America couldn¡¯t earn a penny from it, turned them green with envy. They could only use various methods to combat the smuggling operations of Jieke Group, having a battle of wits and courage with the Tijuana Smuggling Group, supported by Su Jie. On the border between the Beautiful Country and Mexico, a modern day tunnel warfare unfolded, playing out a constant game of cat and mouse, with both sides inflicting losses on each other, though generally, the Tijuana Smuggling Group ended up winning more. Empowered by Jieke Group¡¯s provision of Strengthening Pills and Heavy Weapons, the Tijuana Smuggling Group acted arrogantly, employing trained second-class and third-class Super Soldiers to fight the Beautiful Country¡¯s customs enforcement teams, even deploying rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, and infantry fighting vehicles. The Beautiful Country¡¯s customs enforcement teams were forced to constantly upgrade their military equipment to fight back, now utilizing tanks, armored vehicles, and armed helicopters. Wherever smuggling conflicts erupted, armed helicopters would take off to provide support, almost resembling a mechanized unit, showing how much pressure the Tijuana Smuggling Group had put on them. If the Beautiful Country wanted to conduct raids against smuggling, the Tijuana Smuggling Group had already placed all raw materials and production lines inside Mexico¡¯s slums, using the impoverished locals as workers. Whether it was the customs enforcement team from the Beautiful Country or the local police from Mexico, entering this area would only plunge them into the vast ocean of a people¡¯s war. The impoverished people of the slums, with nothing left to lose, would truly dare to fight for their interest with kitchen knives if you challenged them. In Europe, the operations of the Tijuana Smuggling Group are even more diverse. The fragmented nations there provide natural cover for smuggling activities. The Tijuana Smuggling Group, besides conducting the smuggling themselves, also engages actively in cooperation with local underworld organizations, where one supplies the goods and the other handles the sales, forming a perfect chain of profit. It can be said that globally, Tianyuan Slimming Pills had become an overnight sensation following their launch. Because of the explosive sales, Jieke Group¡¯s production capacity had to operate 24 hours non-stop, and still many places experienced stock shortages. After customers purchased and consumed these slimming pills, their effectiveness became apparent the very next day. Many people who took them on the same day noticed when they drank a lot of water and went to the bathroom, the discharged water contained oily spots. The miraculous effectiveness from the Tianyuan World, in the eyes of humans on Blue Star, was extremely astonishing; fat was massively consumed by the slimming pills and expelled with fluids, reducing body weight as a result. Each person could take up to three pills a day, potentially losing three pounds daily, and if they continued taking them, the weight loss effect was rapid. In the face of such terrifying effectiveness, Tianyuan Slimming Pills completely solidified their product credibility. Countless firsthand accounts and visible weight loss effects among acquaintances convinced those who were still watching, making them decisively join the buying frenzy. And for those obese individuals who hadn¡¯t bought them yet, it wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to; they simply didn¡¯t have enough money. But the existence of Tianyuan Slimming Pills gave them something to aspire to, as many people made plans that once they had the money, they would definitely put Tianyuan Slimming Pills on their to-buy list. Chapter 516 - 516 335 Mecha of the Beautiful Country ?Chapter 516: Chapter 335: Mecha of the Beautiful Country Chapter 516: Chapter 335: Mecha of the Beautiful Country ¡®The miraculous Tianyuan Slimming Pills allowed me to lose nearly one hundred pounds in a month.¡¯ ¡®My wife, who originally weighed two hundred pounds, has slimmed down so nicely it¡¯s unbelievable.¡¯ ¡®Years of beer belly finally resolved; long live Jieke Group, long live Tianyuan Slimming Pills.¡¯ ¡®I earnestly advise every person from the Beautiful Country, do not buy Tianyuan Slimming Pills. This helps the Jieke Group undermine world peace and order. We must consciously unite and not be bought over by Jieke Group¡¯s minor products.¡¯ ¡®Get lost, target Jieke Group yourself if you want, I only care about my own health, which is the most important thing.¡¯ ¡®Jieke Group is a trash company. A single Tianyuan Slimming Pill sells for five hundred dollars in our Beautiful Country, much more expensive than in Hua Country and Russia. We must boycott Jieke Group for this price discrimination.¡¯ ¡®Jieke Group conducts legal business in our Hua Country. Why are the prices so high in Europe and America that you can¡¯t afford them? Better start looking at your own problems and reflect.¡¯ Following the market release of Tianyuan Slimming Pills, the internet overflowed with positive reviews, any criticism drowned out by the majority¡¯s vehement responses. With the popularity of Tianyuan Slimming Pills, large sums of money were amassed from around the world. Europe and America were helpless, yet filled with envy, jealousy, and hate. Jieke Group, thanks to Tianyuan Slimming Pills, once again became a sensational and highly sought-after name globally. In the Beautiful Country, due to smuggling, the local price of Tianyuan Slimming Pills became even more expensive. Many middle-class consumers found this painful, and public dissatisfaction rose again, blaming the Beautiful Country¡¯s government for restricting Jieke Group¡¯s products, forcing them to purchase at high prices from the Black Market, which inadvertently increased their burden. Consequently, many people in the Beautiful Country spontaneously organized and protested in the streets. They demanded the Beautiful Country government lift the sanctions on Jieke Group so they could buy Jieke Group¡¯s affordable products. Following the participation of a large number of African Americans, traditional arts began, and soon the protests turned into vandalism, looting, and arson, leading to spree of freeloading in many cities across the Beautiful Country. The government of the Beautiful Country was left frazzled and could only make official statements. ¡°The sanctions against Jieke Group will not be lifted. We, the Beautiful Country, are a land of freedom and democracy, and will never yield to extremist organizations like Jieke Group. For this reason, we announce the planned deployment of an infantry battalion to Siam, increasing border patrol officers to combat Jieke Group¡¯s illegal smuggling.¡± At the same time, in order to bolster citizens¡¯ confidence, the government of the Beautiful Country again declared that breakthroughs had been achieved in the field of Mecha, which would soon end the dominance of Jieke Group¡¯s Mecha, breaking their monopoly. The expulsion of Jieke Group was imminent. Whether this news was true or not, it certainly shifted attention effectively. Many people in the Beautiful Country began to eagerly watch for their first domestically produced Mecha, wondering when it would be launched and used in real combat. ...... Beautiful Country, San Francisco Bay Area, California, Silicon Valley! This renowned technology and internet hub is home to Boston Dynamics. This company, established in 1982 and renowned for its robotics, is best known for its robotic dog named Spot, capable of walking, running, climbing stairs, and handling slopes. After several ownership changes, Google Company reacquired it from Korea¡¯s Hyundai Motors six months ago. Seizing this opportunity, Google initiated a brand new research project within Boston Dynamics: humanoid Powerful Mecha, aimed to rival Jieke Group¡¯s Biological Armor and the Tiger Main Battle Mecha. Judith, along with a high-ranking military official, visited this technology company. He had recently been promoted to the position of CIA Director, controlling the Beautiful Country¡¯s external intelligence and secret agents, holding significant power. Boston Dynamics also had the financial aid and technological support of the Beautiful Country¡¯s military and government, with frequent collaborations with government departments. To confront the superiority of Jieke Group¡¯s Mecha, the Beautiful Country had allocated nearly eighty billion dollars to local military industrial complexes for Mecha research. As Boston Dynamics was sufficiently professional, having previously developed humanoid robots, they were seen as directly relevant for this research. Thus, one fifth of the funding went to Boston Dynamics. Six months had passed, and Judith planned to inspect their research and development results, to see if the billions of dollars allocated were being utilized properly. ¡°Director Judith, General MacKen...¡± A man hurried over, his name was Kegelo Clayton, 52 years old, the head of Boston Dynamics, with a prestigious background, which earned him this favorable position. ¡°Kegelo, how¡¯s the progress on your Mecha research? Show us what you have.¡± Judith stared at him; this surprise inspection had only been announced the day before, and he had come with high-ranking military officials, expecting no deception from the other party. Kegelo broke into a sweat, flashing a forced smile: ¡°Well... Director Judith, we...¡± Judith¡¯s expression turned increasingly threatening as he spoke: ¡°You told us earlier that you had made progress, and then drew an additional twelve billion dollars in funding. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t produced any results?¡± Chapter 517 - 517 335 Mecha of the Beautiful Country_2 ?Chapter 517: Chapter 335: Mecha of the Beautiful Country_2 Chapter 517: Chapter 335: Mecha of the Beautiful Country_2 Feeling Judith¡¯s gaze, Kegelo could only grit his teeth and say to the researchers beside him, ¡°Bring out our Daring Mecha and Diamond Mecha.¡± Soon, two mechas were brought out. One of the mechas was approximately two and a half meters tall, painted silver, and had an overall design somewhat similar to the oversized Iron battle suits seen in movies. If it weren¡¯t for the large bulge on its back, it would have looked quite impressive. The other mecha was sixteen meters tall with an exceptionally bulky body. Its legs consisted of wheels almost as tall as a person, and its body was covered in metal frameworks and a mess of exposed, chaotic wiring. ¡°Director Judith, this is our research. The former is the Daring Mecha, built with a new type of aluminum alloy composite material. Its weight is only one-third that of traditional steel, meeting the demands for lightness while still providing decent defense capabilities,¡± said Kegelo. As Kegelo spoke, a tester approached the Daring Mecha. The mecha¡¯s back could open to allow entry. The tester first stuffed their feet in and then bent down to crawl inside the mecha. Whirr! As the mecha¡¯s sensors adhered to the tester¡¯s skin, the machine suddenly came to life. It began to move in front of Judith with somewhat stiff movements. But these movements made Judith frown, and the military representative, General MacKen, couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s slower than my grandma taking a walk, and it¡¯s so ugly. My soldiers are going to be laughed at by the enemy if they go into battle wearing this turtle battle armor.¡± As the Daring Mecha walked, the giant whirring noise it emitted could be heard. The raised bump on its back, resembling a turtle shell, made it extremely difficult for the mecha to turn, squat, or jump, making it look like a patient with polio¡ªtruly a pitiful sight. ¡°General MacKen, we are limited by our energy sources and could only use batteries. To ensure the mecha¡¯s endurance, we had to use a large battery pack,¡± Kegelo explained embarrassingly, even though they had used lightweight aluminum alloy, the two and a half meter mecha was still overweight. In order to power the mecha, they had to maximize the battery count, causing the mecha to carry a turtle shell full of battery packs. Furthermore, due to limitations in transmission and joint technologies, the entire mecha¡¯s movements were very rigid. During the test, the Daring Mecha picked up a weapon to undergo further testing. It lifted an M2 heavy machine gun, aimed at the target, and pulled the trigger. Flames spewed forth, and shells scattered as the immense recoil caused the mecha¡¯s arm to lift and the barrel to rise. The arm malfunctioned due to severe vibrations, and the mecha¡¯s arm and right shoulder joint froze. ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t stop it,¡± the tester inside the mecha exclaimed as their face turned pale, stumbling around while the gun began to sway unpredictably. A burst of bullets flew overhead, close to General MacKen and Judith, who immediately hit the ground, their faces turning white with fear. ¡°Idiot, quickly activate the emergency power cutoff,¡± Kegelo cursed, jumping up and urgently reminding the operator. A dozen seconds later, with the power cut off, the Daring Mecha finally came to a halt. Meanwhile, General MacKen got up from the ground, his face flushed with rage as he yelled at Kegelo, ¡°Shit, what kind of crap mecha is this? I nearly lost my life just now. I will never allow such junk to be included in our military procurement, never!¡± Judith¡¯s expression was ugly as she said, ¡°So this is what Boston Dynamics has developed for the single soldier mecha? I see no merits to it at all. The movements are sluggish and rigid, the failure rate is high. It¡¯s more likely to destroy itself than be taken down by the enemy. Is this the result of billions of dollars of research?¡± Compared to the biological armor enhancements of Jieke Group for their soldiers, the Daring Mecha in Judith¡¯s view was an insult to the biological armor. The biological armor enhanced the combat capabilities of the driver, while this Daring Mecha reduced them. It was so stiff and slow in movement that even the speed of an average person was faster, with a failure rate so high it was almost unbearable to watch. ¡°Director Judith, we¡¯ve done our best, but mecha research is exceptionally difficult. We¡¯ve just started and there¡¯s still a long way to go to reach the level of Jieke Group,¡± Kegelo said, fearful of losing the support of the Beautiful Country¡¯s government. A company like Boston Dynamics, lacking commercial value, found it very difficult to identify a real point of profit. Judith, without a word, just pointed to the other large Diamond Mecha. This mecha had been brought in on a heavy flatbed truck and said, ¡°Stop making excuses and continue with the test. I want to see what else you¡¯ve managed to come up with.¡± ¡°This... this Diamond Mecha, we¡¯ve just finished developing it and it hasn¡¯t undergone any testing yet,¡± said Kegelo. ¡°Then today will be its first test,¡± Judith said, cutting off Kegelo¡¯s stalling outright. ¡°Someone, go pilot the Diamond Battle Armor,¡± she ordered. Kegelo, gritting his teeth, could only muster up the courage, hoping that nothing would go wrong with this Diamond Mecha. ¡°Hold on, Judith, let¡¯s move back a bit. Let¡¯s not lose our lives here,¡± General MacKen said bluntly, showing his distrust for Boston Dynamics and already taking the lead in moving away quickly. Kegelo stood rooted to the spot in embarrassment. Chapter 518 - 518 335 Mecha of the Beautiful Country_3 ?Chapter 518: Chapter 335: Mecha of the Beautiful Country_3 Chapter 518: Chapter 335: Mecha of the Beautiful Country_3 ¡°Don¡¯t mention him,¡± the nearby researchers all bowed their heads, obviously feeling too ashamed. ¡°Begin the test as soon as possible.¡± Judith shook her head, thinking about the recent test of the Daring Mecha, and with a heavy heart, she followed General MacKen along to a safe location before signaling to the other party to start the test. Soon, a tester climbed up the soft ladder behind the Diamond, one step at a time, reaching the top of the Diamond Mecha¡¯s head, which housed a cockpit with various gears and buttons. ¡°Our Diamond Mecha stands 16.35 meters tall, rivaling the Tiger Main Battle Mecha showcased during Jieke Company¡¯s military parade, possessing...¡± As Kegelo was giving Judith an introduction, the just-activated Diamond Mecha suddenly flipped over. A literal flip, as the Diamond Mecha attempted to take a step with its hydraulic legs, the massive weight rendered it unable to maintain balance. Nowadays, humanity faces several challenges in using humanoid robots, one of which is walking. Even human-sized robots struggle to be adjusted to walk like a normal person, let alone such a Mecha, standing over a dozen meters tall and weighing hundreds of tons. Then, as soon as one foot of the Diamond Mecha touched the ground, sparks flew from its joints. Next, its body tilted and it crashed heavily from the flatbed trailer onto the ground. Various parts scattered in all directions, black diesel and oil flowing everywhere. The Mecha¡¯s head on its neck rolled around like an iron ball, detaching and tumbling away, with the pilot inside covered in blood. Then, black smoke began billowing from various parts of the Mecha, flames appeared, and a large fire engulfed the Mecha as the work crew scrambled for extinguishers and hoses to douse the flames. ¡°I knew it, thank goodness I was far away,¡± General Mike said, relieved. If he hadn¡¯t moved away earlier, he might have been hit by flying debris. Judith remained silent, just staring at Kegelo, making him sweat profusely. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, truly sorry, Director Judith. There are just too many challenges with heavy Mechas¡ªenergy, transmission, intelligent control... We will definitely strive to improve, please believe in us...¡± Kegelo rushed over to explain to Judith, who was struggling to express his difficulties. Although the Diamond Mecha performed poorly just now, that truly was the best that Boston Dynamics could do with a heavy Mecha, even if it was just a prototype that could barely move. Judith left with a dark expression, thoroughly disappointed in Boston Dynamics. The result she saw was far from what she¡¯d envisioned for the Mecha, and it lacked any real combat capability. The only consolation for Judith was that large Mechas were so difficult to operate, clearly indicating major design flaws. If their side couldn¡¯t develop it, it was likely that Jieke Group was half-baked in this area as well. In a real battlefield, the Mecha would just be a target; there was no need to worry about their Tiger Main Battle Mecha dominating in every direction. The Beautiful Country originally planned a series of actions, taking into account the threat of the Tiger Main Battle Mecha. Now, in Judith¡¯s eyes, even if Jieke Group was somewhat ahead of the Beautiful Country in Mecha technology, they certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to use large Mechas in actual combat. Otherwise, why had there been no news of the Tiger Main Battle Mecha since the parade? It suggested this large Mecha must also have substantial flaws, allowing them to execute their plans boldly and with confidence. Chapter 519 - 519 336 CIA Takes Action ?Chapter 519: Chapter 336: CIA Takes Action Chapter 519: Chapter 336: CIA Takes Action Siam Capital, Manchester! Shawang and Smith had arrived, under the guise of inspecting commercial interests. Although tensions were high between Chan Country and Siam, businessmen eager to turn a profit were still collaborating with each other. Chan Country was currently undergoing extensive construction, and the Jieke Group was spending big, making the economy within Siam, as a neighboring country, very prosperous as well. Some of the civilian contracts issued by the Jieke Group had been taken up by Siam merchants, second only to those in Hua Country, so economic exchanges between the two countries were still relatively frequent. However, Smith and his companions had come to Siamese Manchester not to engage in real economic activities to make money. ¡°The recent peace in Manchester is a bit too much for my liking,¡± Shawang said, sitting in a sedan, puffing smoke while looking at the bustling street scene of Manchester with a hint of playfulness on his face. Manchester is both the capital and largest city of Siam, also known as the Angel City, located on the east bank of the Mei River, south to Siam Bay. In Asia, it is one of the major cities with a population of 13 million, accounting for 44% of Siam¡¯s total economy. Manchester Port handles 90% of Siam¡¯s foreign trade, and each year, 200-300 various international conferences are held here. In the ranking of global cities, Manchester stands at 36th worldwide. ¡°Pity this city, if everything goes as planned, it might soon turn into a battlefield, no longer living up to the name of Angel City,¡± Shawang said, flicking his cigarette butt out of the window and shifting his gaze. The idea of turning a peaceful region into a war-torn area may sound inhumane, but that¡¯s what they¡¯re there for¡ªthe CIA are the ones doing the dirty work. ¡°Have you already decided to make a move?¡± Smith asked, holding a tablet, somewhat surprised at his new boss Shawang¡¯s words. A closer look at the tablet in his hand would reveal a defensive layout map, showing the Manchester Royal Palace and its immediate surroundings. The Manchester Royal Palace has always been the residence of the Siam Royal Family, located beside the Mei River, central and housing a vast complex of ancient architecture. Covering an area of 218,400 square meters, originally built in 1782, it has been developed continuously over generations, into a magnificently sized complex, with incredibly exquisite artistry in paintings, sculptures and decorations, reflecting the nation¡¯s cultural attributes. The situation in Siam is different from most countries; the Royal Family still holds significant power, controlling the various factions within the country and the military. The constitution and laws of Siam clearly define the King¡¯s position of power, with the highest authority over the country¡¯s administration, military, and social management all consolidated under the King. Such a presence like the Siam Royal Family is rarely seen in today¡¯s advanced and technologically developed age. The Manchester Royal Palace serves as the royal residence, but after the Old King was assassinated in the palace in 1946, the royal family moved to the newly built Da Palace, located east of the Royal Palace. Besides being used for coronation ceremonies, court celebrations, and other events, the Royal Palace is open to the public on regular days, becoming a well-known sightseeing location in Siam. ¡°I received a message from headquarters this morning. Director Judith has officially launched the Heron and Clam Plan. Don¡¯t even talk about you, even I am a bit surprised,¡± Shawang said calmly, surprised by the news from the Beautiful Country. He had expected things to quiet down recently, not anticipating that new operations would be deployed so quickly at home. ¡°It¡¯s probably because Tianyuan Slimming Pills are selling too well. It¡¯s said that just with this product, Jieke Group can make a monthly revenue of thirty to forty billion US dollars. The income for a year is almost a third of our military expenditures; who wouldn¡¯t be envious?¡± Smith insightfully pinpointed the essence of the situation. The world hustles and bustles for profit, as the saying goes. Beautiful Country is a capitalist-dominated nation, and even the President has to comply with the wishes of capital to some extent. The vast interests represented by the Jieke Group naturally make the capital of the Beautiful Country reveal its greedy claws. Shawang cleared his throat and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not speculate about the domestic situation. We¡¯ll just follow orders. The Water Lantern Festival is just around the corner, and that will be our time to move. Is everything prepared here? We¡¯ve cultivated our precious chess piece for many years; it¡¯s time for him to take charge.¡± ¡°Enough time, let¡¯s first arrange for a group of agents to practice, and we¡¯ll need support from Special Command. We also aim to secure backup from Delta Force and the Seal Assault Team, setting the date for November 13th.¡± Smith put away his tablet and stated his requirements. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll handle the communication, and the manpower will definitely be arranged,¡± Shawang said, nodding with a smile at the corner of his mouth. ... Eight days later! On November 13th, this day marks the well-known traditional Water Lantern Festival in Siam. The Water Lantern Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth night of the twelfth month of the Siam Calendar. Siamese residents float their handmade water lanterns in the river, entrusting their wishes and blessings. On this day, Siam King Raha Jigonglong also arrives at the Royal Palace to celebrate with the people. In attendance for the ceremony are also his children and the citizens who come to revel in the celebration. According to tradition, the festivities begin in the evening, with joyously dressed residents singing and dancing in the palace, to welcome the festival. ¡°Offering to the heavens, hoping Jieke Group will topple soon.¡± Chapter 520 - 520 336 CIA Takes Action_2 ?Chapter 520: Chapter 336: CIA Takes Action_2 Chapter 520: Chapter 336: CIA Takes Action_2 Siam King Raha wrote down his wish on a floating lantern, utterly simple and unadorned. ¡°Grandfather, is the Jieke Group really that dangerous?¡± At his side, his grandson blinked, only in his early teens and not yet understanding much. ¡°One can¡¯t allow others to snore beside their couch; you¡¯ll understand in the future.¡± King Raha rubbed his grandson¡¯s head while the other members of the Royal Family could relate. Although the Jieke Group had not been established for long, its barbaric and warlike approach allowed it to grow through constant warfare. The neighboring Chan Country was once just a poor country embroiled in warlord conflicts, allowing Siam to develop peacefully. But now, with Jieke Group ruling Chan Country and unifying its territory, Siam suddenly faced a massive surge in military pressure. It could be said Siam had regrets about signing the agreement to join the Eight-Nation Group too early, getting pulled into the coalition¡¯s war cart for a bit of benefit promised by the Beautiful Country, only to become a target of the Jieke Group. Back then, Siam never imagined the Jieke Group could survive amid the strikes from the Eight-Nation Group led by the Beautiful Country. Far from being destroyed, they fought the battles stronger than before and eventually unified the nation. When the Jieke Group took over Chan Country and began positioning troops along the border, Siam realized it was too late for regrets. They had already boarded the Beautiful Country¡¯s war chariot; leaving the Eight-Nation Group to ease relations with Jieke Group would only completely offend the Beautiful Country, something they couldn¡¯t afford. Siam was already highly bound to the Beautiful Country, and its upper echelons pursued pro-Beautiful Country policies, as was traditional. After the Second World War, Siam became the first ally of the Beautiful Country in Southeast Asia. The Beautiful Country even used Siam as a bridgehead for its return to Asia, providing extensive military support. They sold Siam a lot of Beautiful Country-standard weaponry at comparatively preferential prices. Including the prevalent culture of ladyboys in Siam, which were also a cultural import from the Beautiful Country. During the Vietnam War last century, there were over forty thousand Beautiful Country soldiers in Siam, who used it as a logistical base for their offensives into An Nan. And these soldiers had their secret physical needs, which could easily be catered to by the enticing establishments around the military bases. Due to the financial hardships within Siam at the time, men, let alone women, in dire need of money would dress as women to earn the soldiers¡¯ cash. Savvy businessmen gradually spotted this opportunity, and along with the Siam elite¡¯s efforts to please the Beautiful Country Soldiers from top to bottom, the culture of ladyboys evolved. Thus, it was clearly evident how dominant the Beautiful Country once was in Siam; calling them a puppet dangled by the Beautiful Country was not an excess. Today, the presence of the Beautiful Country in Siam seems significantly diminished on the surface. Especially after the Vietnam War, the Beautiful Country¡¯s influence in Southeast Asia was severely damaged, leading to other countries in the area becoming estranged. But behind the scenes, the Beautiful Country has always been supporting its own forces in Siam. This is something Siam is aware of; everyone tacitly understands and dares not to openly confront, as they still depend economically on the Beautiful Country. All these factors have resulted in Siam being caught between two pressures: fearing bullying from the virile Jieke Group on one hand, and fearing the Beautiful Country would make even more excessive demands, using them as a bastion against Jieke Group on the other. Though Siam is currently expanding its military and has purchased various advanced weapons from the Beautiful Country, frankly, Siam has no desire to fight with the Jieke Group. There was nothing to gain; why should they fight to the death for the Beautiful Country? In warfare, they would be the ones hurt. Not to mention, the position of the Siam Royal Family was not very solid to begin with. Modern technology has enlightened people, and even in Siam, the calls for limiting the King¡¯s power are rising. If they were to go to war with Jieke Group and it went poorly, the King would certainly have to take responsibility afterward. Any damage to the King¡¯s prestige could only lead to a decline in power, which is exactly what the Siam Royal Family doesn¡¯t want to see happen. ¡°Father, I believe the Jieke Group won¡¯t be able to show off its might for long. As the saying goes, ¡®those who are fond of war will inevitably perish.¡¯ Jieke Group is so arrogant now, and it has offended every country in the surrounding region. We just need to wait for the right time when Jieke Group will fall,¡± Seeing the worry of their father, the King, about the Jieke Group, several sons of King Raha came forward to comfort him, with words from Fourth Prince Pupeng Adude particularly touching. ¡°Fond of war will inevitably perish, that¡¯s correct. Jieke Group is just being arrogant for now. Su Jie, a man from Hua Country ruling over Chan Country as a foreigner in a strange land, will sooner or later be overthrown,¡± King Raha nodded, Jieke Group¡¯s recent success having become his constant worry; the better they did, the more uneasy he felt. ¡°So, Father, you needn¡¯t worry. Under your wise leadership and with our six hundred thousand troops, a mere Jieke Group is nothing to fret over. My wish this year is for your health and for the Jieke Group to collapse soon, to stabilize our Royal Family¡¯s reign.¡± The Fourth Prince, Pupeng, spoke these words and then walked to the edge of the pool, personally releasing his lantern with its wish onto the water. ¡°You¡¯re thoughtful.¡± King Raha nodded appreciatively, tapping his own leg: ¡°I¡¯m getting old; it¡¯s tough to stand for long periods, everyone, please go ahead and participate in the festivities.¡±