A sea of fire surged from the earth, the entire land like a scorching red iron block, with flames and lava churning continuously, the ground shaking violently as if about to flip over.

The Huangquan River stretched across the land, its murky waters filled with floating bones and wailing souls, while the ferryman in a straw raincoat paddled, ferrying passengers who were all sinister and fierce ghosts laden with Yin Qi.

Moreover, eighteen bone mountains stood erect within the sea of fire, with eighteen ancient and eerie great halls faintly visible within the mountain peaks.

Legend says that in ancient times, a great power gathered millions of Yin souls to forge the formidable eighteen-layer hell; during battles, each layer of hell became a devastating formation with the power to slay immortal gods.

The current Ten Thousand Soul Banner already shows some signs of this trend, with the eighteen layers of hell incubating within.

When the Netherworld Divine Evil Formation takes shape, the underground sea of fire churns, and the torrential fire sea envelops the Huangquan River; as the river and fire interweave, the Sky Eagle Sword, a low-grade spiritual treasure, struggles to withstand the formation's power of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, causing cracks to appear on the sword's body.

The gold-winged roc transformed by the sharp-edged Sky Eagle Sword wailed, its wings broken, and its sword body's spiritual charm and divine light tainted, rapidly declining in speed.

In the sky dome, a torrential rain of thousands of blade edges transformed into a chilling sword mountain, enveloping Li Yuze in a thousand cuts.

When these blade edges descended upon him, they sliced through the air, as firelight intertwined with blade edges, forming layers upon layers of a peerlessly sharp sword mountain, with blade edges like stars in the night sky, occasionally merging into a colossal beast over a hundred feet long, glistening all over, terrifyingly freezing, persistently breaking through Li Yuze's defensive gaps.

Su Jie wielded the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and though he couldn't unleash its full power like Han Ruyan, it was enough to deal with Li Yuze; the fire sea expanded, the sword mountain descended from the sky, oppressing Li Yuze until he could not lift his head.

This is the terror of the million-level soul banner; Su Jie had refined it step by step from the simplest Soul Summoning Banner that could be crafted with a few low-grade spirit stones to the current million soul banner. At this moment, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner had become an unrivaled Demon Artifact, and the mere low-grade spiritual treasure, upon entering the soul banner formation, was left with only the path of self-contamination and destruction.

The fire sea boiled, and the sword mountain roared.

Within the formation, a solitary figure struggled to fly up and down, navigating between the fire sea and the sword mountain like a spectral ghost, casting out dazzling and fierce sword light to strive against the flames and blade edges.

Yet, facing such a ghostly great formation, his physical body and swordsmanship appeared to be like a rootless source, merely struggling in vain.

"Su Jie, do you really intend to pursue this to the bitter end?"

Li Yuze shouted hoarsely, his voice sorrowful. Holding the Sky Eagle Sword, he fought desperately, but could not conceal his decline, and the sword was trembling slightly in his hand, with the sword mountain cutting deep wounds into his flesh that exposed the bones.

"Working for Guan Chao Pavilion, you should have been prepared for this long ago. I didn't intend to trouble you, but if you had fled a thousand miles, never appearing in front of me, it would have been fine. Yet you came to provoke me uninvited; you think your life is too long, I don't mind sending you on your way."

Su Jie sneered coldly. Li Yuze had come to challenge him on his own grand ceremony, giving him the perfect opportunity to announce his power with a demonstration, and the head of a Daoist Platform Realm powerhouse would make sure no one dared to underestimate him due to his youth.

"I am an Imperial Tributor of the Heavenly Patrol Department, worshipped by all. If you spare me, I am willing to speak well of you to the Heavenly Patrol Department, turning hostility into friendship, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Li Yuze lowered his stance, begging in a soft voice, no longer the overbearing presence as before.

"Ha ha, the so-called Heavenly Patrol Department, if you have the guts, come to Qingzhou to eliminate the demons."

Su Jie flatly refused, for if he let Li Yuze go today, the world would think he feared the Heavenly Patrol Department, and his reputation would undoubtedly suffer. Face is the most important thing in the Demon Path, how could he lead the tens of thousands of Ghost Ridge Palace disciples in the future?

Han Ruyan took a golden hairpin from her black hair coiled atop her head; in an instant, a strong aura of death enveloped Li Yuze.

The golden hairpin was thrown by Han Ruyan into the Netherworld Divine Evil Formation, absorbing the myriad sword mountains and transforming into a Heavenly Cutting Divine Weapon; with one airborne slash, wailing sounds of ghosts and gods echoed beneath the blade, boundless blood colors spread from the void, as if the sky dome was slashed open with blood.

"You..."

Li Yuze's pupils contracted, harboring thoughts of defense in his mind, but a blood line appeared on his neck.

A slim, solitary figure stood magnificently in the sky, yet his massive head rolled off from his neck, carrying a desperate despair of dying with eyes wide open; his primordial spirit barely left his body before being absorbed by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, dying and dissipating on the spot.

Buzz buzz!

The Sky Eagle Sword vibrated, circling Li Yuze's headless corpse like a homeless puppy. So-called spiritual treasures already possessed simple artifact spirits, and it mourned for its master's passing.

After circling dozens of times, the Sky Eagle Sword suddenly changed direction, charging towards Han Ruyan.

The fierce sword is truly the foremost among all magic artifacts of slaughter, with its inherent solemn killing intent. Even though its master has perished in battle, it still desires to kill Han Ruyan, this enemy.

"Still quite proud, aren't you! Husband, this flying sword needs proper discipline."

The power of the Sky Eagle Sword diminished without anyone to wield it. Han Ruyan merely tapped it lightly with her jade-like finger, and a stream of Netherworld River water surged upwards, encasing it and drawing it into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.

Su Jie looked at the mountain gate of Ghost Ridge Palace below. The battle had not lasted long, but the shock it had caused among all members of Ghost Ridge Palace was immense.

The deaths of Meng Hui of the Daoist Platform Realm Fourth Level and Li Yuze of the Daoist Platform Realm Seventh Level through an upright and outright confrontation showed the terrifying prowess of Su Jie, this giant of the Demon Path.

The Daoist Platform Realm Seventh Level is a prominent figure standing at the pinnacle of a prefecture. Yet, even so, he was effortlessly killed by Su Jie, which was indeed horrifying.

At this moment, many people realized that with the current strength of Qingzhou's Guan Chao Pavilion, coupled with the strength of Ghost Ridge Palace, it would likely surpass that of Guan Chao Pavilion.

Relying on Su Jie alone, seeing him kill Li Yuze with ease, he might just dominate an entire sect like Guan Chao Pavilion by himself.

"I am truly sorry, everyone, for disrupting your enjoyment. Please resume your music and dance."

Su Jie smiled and clasped his hands in salute, and the guests below laughed awkwardly, repeatedly replying that they did not dare.

"However, I still have one matter to announce, and since everyone is here, it won't hurt to listen."

Standing atop the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, Su Jie lifted the annual ring worm with his right hand and declared in a powerful voice, "Today is the sacred ceremony for the succession of the sect master position of my Ghost Ridge Palace. Guan Chao Pavilion, ignoring hierarchy, has audaciously colluded with the Heavenly Patrol Department to disrupt our sect's sacred ceremony.

Moreover, Guan Chao Pavilion oppresses the people and monopolizes blessed lands and spirit soil under the guise of acting for the heavens, while conducting themselves like beasts. Heaven and earth cannot tolerate, and men and gods voice their indignation.

With the sun and moon above and ghosts and gods below, today I hereby plead for the ancestors to witness my heart and listen to my words.

This enmity must be avenged, hence the call for mobilization.

In ten days, my Ghost Ridge Palace will send troops to Guan Chao Pavilion, to eradicate this Demon Cave for the people of Qingzhou, destroy the mountain, cut down the temple, and proclaim to the world, restoring a clear and bright Qingzhou."

The annual ring worm blinked its tiny sesame-like eyes, rolling them as if human-like, thinking why drag it into this! It just wanted to sleep in late.

Aside from the annual ring worm, the entire venue was in shock, leaving countless people dumbfounded.

Ghost Ridge Palace disciples were all gaping. Their sect was going to deploy troops to attack Guan Chao Pavilion, to attack this leader of Qingzhou's righteous sects?

Many disciples who had experienced sect wars were mentally unsettled, as if the sect war spearheaded by Guan Chao Pavilion against Ghost Ridge Palace was just yesterday.

The high ranks of Ghost Ridge Palace were also at a loss, as Su Jie had never communicated this with them before, and this was the first time they were hearing about it.

As for the guests, it goes without saying; even in Chongzhou where the Demon Path thrives, there has never been a case where a demon sect actively attacked the leader of a prefecture's righteous sect, let alone a sect war that involves destroying mountains and temples. This hasn't happened for countless years in the Da Li Dynasty; it's as if they intend to pierce the heavens!

No matter the uproar below, Su Jie would not change his decision.

With his significantly enhanced strength, Su Jie would naturally not allow Guan Chao Pavilion, this obstruction, to remain. Since they were able to collude with the Heavenly Patrol Department's Meng Hui this time, there's no telling what disgusting methods they might employ next time.

Previously, he couldn't act against Guan Chao Pavilion because it was too powerful and Su Jie's strength was insufficient.

Fortunes have changed, and Guan Chao Pavilion has become impoverished, whereas, with Su Jie's support, Ghost Ridge Palace's strength crushes Guan Chao Pavilion, and Su Jie is determined to eradicate this thorn of Guan Chao Pavilion.

His return to Blue Star three years ago was for this moment, and Su Jie vividly remembers when Guan Chao Pavilion once hunted him down. Indeed, Su Jie is someone who must repay a grudge, never delaying vengeance.

Only by annihilating Guan Chao Pavilion can Ghost Ridge Palace truly dominate Qingzhou; otherwise, with the eyesore of Guan Chao Pavilion, nothing can be done comfortably.

This throne of the leader of Qingzhou's sects that Guan Chao Pavilion sits upon, can it not be held by me, Su Jie?

He wants to see, in the presence of his Yang Shen Dharma Image, which grasshopper dares to stir, and who can block him.

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