136: You think you can just leave like that?

Ye Jing looked at the Evil-Suppressing Cauldron trembling incessantly before her; the unbelievable shock hadn't even faded from her eyes before ruthlessness swept in like a tide.

"So what if you're at the Golden Core? Today, I will definitely grind your bones to ash!" she shrieked, raising her hand to bark orders at the Disciples behind her: "What are you all dazed for! Attack and kill him!"

Upon hearing this, the twenty-odd Netherworld Holy Land Disciples all trembled.

They exchanged looks and finally mobilized their spiritual power to strike; if the Saintess died here, their only fate upon returning to the Sect would be death.

In an instant, over ten brilliant yet eerie spells intertwined in the air, sweeping toward Ye Hao like a massive net that blotted out the sky.

Ye Jing didn't even glance at the battle; she slammed her hand against her chest, letting out a suppressed muffled groan as a strand of crimson essence blood seeped from her fingertips and dripped onto the Evil-Suppressing Cauldron.

"Buzz—!"

The cauldron's body vibrated violently, and the previously dim ghostly shadows instantly became ferocious. A thick black mist erupted from the cauldron's mouth, enveloping Ye Jing within it.

Simultaneously, a faint yet holy white light flickered at the center of Ye Jing's brow. A crystal-clear phantom of an immortal bone, appearing as if carved from mutton-fat jade, slowly emerged. A faint spiritual light circulated over the immortal bone, emitting an indescribable pressure that formed a sharp contrast with the sinister evil of the black mist.

"With natal essence blood as the lead and the immortal bone as the medium, Evil-Suppressing Cauldron, help me slay the enemy!"

Ye Jing's hand seals changed again, and the sky suddenly darkened. A bolt of azure lightning, as thick as an arm, tore through the clouds and pointed directly at Ye Hao with an unstoppable aura!

"Azure Nether Lightning Summoning Art!"

This strike was a combination of natal essence blood, the power of the immortal bone, and the might of the Evil-Suppressing Cauldron; it was already the strongest killing move Ye Jing could unleash at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer!

But Ye Hao's expression remained calm. Looking at the whistling azure lightning and the sky full of spells, he slowly raised his right hand. Golden light condensed in his palm without any complex hand seals; he simply pushed forward casually.

No matter how flashy your techniques are, the chasm between Realms is ultimately a natural moat you cannot cross.

"Boom!" The golden light erupted instantly, transforming into a massive wall of light that blocked the way in front of Ye Hao.

The azure lightning slammed violently into the light wall, producing a deafening roar. The ghostly shadows from the Evil-Suppressing Cauldron couldn't even shake the patterns on the light wall and were instantly swallowed by the golden light, dissipating into nothingness.

"Splat! Splat!"

Wherever the golden light passed, blood splattered. The twenty-odd Disciples didn't even have time to scream before their bodies were instantly pierced by the golden light, turning into mists of blood that dissipated in the air.

In just a single moment, all twenty-odd Netherworld Holy Land Disciples had perished.

It was also precisely at this moment that Ye Jing pinched a golden-material Talisman between her fingers, its patterns circulating.

Watching the battle from a distance, Xiao Lingxian narrowed her eyes and immediately shouted a warning: "Senior Brother, it's an instant shadow thousand zhang talisman; she wants to escape!"

She also had one of these Talismans; previously, in the Spirit Void Secret Realm, she had also thought about using it to escape with Li Pingan.

Before her voice had even faded, Ye Jing had already crushed the Talisman.

"Boom—!" Golden light erupted instantly, enveloping Ye Jing. Her figure turned into a stream of light, instantly piercing through the black mist and hurtling toward the distance.

In the blink of an eye, she had already flown over a thousand zhang away!

It turned out that everything she did previously was for this sliver of hope for survival.

Whether it was letting her fellow Disciples act as cannon fodder, sacrificing essence blood to drive her Magic Treasure, unleashing the might of her immortal bone, or desperately performing the Azure Nether Lightning Summoning Art, it was all to seize this momentary opportunity.

Ye Hao's brows rose slightly, and he instantly transformed into a stream of light to give chase... Amidst a range of rolling hills!

A thick scent of blood hung in every inch of the air like an invisible spider web.

The dignified Saintess of the Medicine Pavilion, Ji Yao, was actually being stepped on the chest by someone at this moment. Her white skirt was soaked through with blood, her magnificent hairpin was lopsided and falling out, and her black hair was spread messily on the ground; she was in an extremely wretched state.

Not far away, the corpses of over twenty Medicine Pavilion Disciples lay scattered in all directions.

The way each person had died was extremely tragic; some were charred to charcoal by lightning, and others had their hearts pierced by spiritual power. Blood stained the yellow earth beneath them, and even the wind carried a heavy scent of blood.

"Cough..." To the side, the dying Saint Xiao Chen stared fixedly at the man dressed in fine clothes. "I will give all the spirit fate crystals to you; just give her a way to live."

Long Lie heard this and suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly. His laughter was coarse and ear-piercing, filled with unconcealed contempt; he was currently very much enjoying the feeling of trampling a Holy Land Prodigy under his feet.

"What a joke. If I kill both of you, the spirit fate crystals will all be mine anyway. Do you really think a few words of nonsense can make me show mercy?"

He applied a bit of force with his foot, and Ji Yao let out a shrill cry of pain. Blood gushed from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes gradually began to lose focus.

Xiao Chen coughed, his aura becoming increasingly withered. "She is the only daughter of the Medicine Pavilion's Second Elder. If you kill her, the Medicine Pavilion will not let you off."

But Long Lie didn't care at all. Three bolts of azure lightning intertwined in his hand, crackling and emitting a terrifying pressure.

"Once this Grand Competition ends, I will have already gone to the Profound Realm to cultivate. What can your Medicine Pavilion do to me?"

As his words fell, three bolts of azure lightning blasted directly toward the woman beneath his feet.

The azure lightning instantly struck Ji Yao. Her body convulsed violently, her skin was instantly scorched charred black, and the smell of blood and burning permeated the air. She, who still had some breath left, instantly lost all signs of life.

Another flash of lightning passed; the Prodigies from the Medicine Pavilion participating in this Heavenly Selection Grand Ceremony had been annihilated by this one person.

Long Lie waved his hand casually, and eighty crystal-clear spirit fate crystals floated before his eyes.

"Now I should be able to easily pass this second stage."

Just then!

A stream of light instantly arrived at this location.

It was none other than Ye Jing, who had used the instant shadow thousand zhang talisman to escape. Her face was deathly pale and her aura was withered as she glanced around, finally landing her gaze on Long Lie not far away.

Long Lie was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "I didn't expect someone to actually deliver themselves to my door."

He raised his hand and swept all eighty spirit fate crystals into his spatial ring.

Another figure arrived rapidly. Ye Jing turned to look back, biting her lower lip hard. "Damn it, did he catch up so quickly?"

Ye Hao looked at the wreckage scattered everywhere, glanced at the man in fine clothes, and then fixed his gaze on that bitch Ye Jing.

Ye Jing felt a chill throughout her body under that gaze. Forcing herself to remain calm, she shouted: "Ye Hao, don't go too far! I am the Saintess of the Netherworld Holy Land. If you dare to harm me, the Holy Land will definitely..."

Ye Hao didn't say a word. His figure suddenly vanished from the spot, leaving only a faint afterimage. Ye Jing's pupils constricted; just as she was about to activate her immortal bone to resist, she felt a coldness in her chest. A longsword condensed from golden light had already pierced through her chest.

"Ugh..." Ye Jing's voice was stuck in her throat. She looked down at the golden sword in her chest as blood continuously dripped along the blade.

"The grudge of having my bone dug out... today... is finally avenged."

Ye Hao let out a soft breath. His expression was much calmer than expected, and a long-suppressed sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.

He reached out a hand and lightly brushed over Ye Jing's corpse. Over thirty spirit fate crystals flew out from her storage ring and floated above his palm.

A crystal-clear immortal bone, appearing as if carved from mutton-fat jade, was also retrieved by Ye Hao and placed into his storage ring.

"This Fellow Daoist, do you want to leave just like that?" a coarse voice suddenly rang out.