Zhang Qingcang adjusted his expression and clasped his fists, saying, "Your Majesty, the spies we planted within the Esoteric Buddhism have sent back news of a large-scale mobilization. According to the intelligence from our spies, the entire Esoteric Buddhism is enraged because Su Jie killed the Holy Monk A Yiti Jialuo. The Esoteric Buddhism is deploying troops and is highly likely to launch a war against the Ghost Ridge Palace." Zhang Qingcang then mentioned another matter, also related to the Ghost Ridge Palace. It couldn’t be helped; the Ghost Ridge Palace had indeed drawn too much attention recently. "This is wonderful news!" Many of the civil and military officials present were visibly relieved upon hearing this. Just moments ago, they were worried about how to deal with the demonic faction of Ghost Ridge Palace, and now the Esoteric Buddhism was stepping in—relieving them of their urgent worries. "Your Majesty, if the Esoteric Buddhism truly acts against the Ghost Ridge Palace, we can simply sit back and watch the tiger fight the wolf, allowing Esoteric Buddhism to eliminate the demonic threat of Ghost Ridge Palace, thus bringing the southern lands back under imperial control." Xu Qing, having shed his previous fear, exclaimed with excitement. If the Ghost Ridge Palace is eradicated, the Ministry of Industry could then easily take over the spiritual material production sites managed by the Ghost Ridge Palace, adding another source of revenue, naturally exciting him. "Indeed, it’s just as well that the demon Su Jie killed A Yiti Jialuo, making Esoteric Buddhism seek revenge is ideal, saving us manpower and resources." "We can offer some assistance to Esoteric Buddhism to help them better deal with the Ghost Ridge Palace." "It would be best if the Esoteric Buddhism and Ghost Ridge Palace end in mutual destruction; then we could simply reap the benefits, solving both the longstanding issues of the Ghost Ridge Palace and the Esoteric Buddhism." More and more civil and military officials stood up, offering their enthusiastic opinions. However, there were dissenting voices, such as Minister of Revenue Zuo Min, who loudly retorted, "What nonsense are you all spouting? The matter of the Ghost Ridge Palace is purely an internal affair of our Da Li Dynasty and should be handled internally. Inviting an outsider like the Esoteric Buddhism to help is absurd. Are we simply going to sit idly by and allow the monk soldiers of the Esoteric Buddhism to enter our territory without question, thereby undermining the dignity of our Da Li Dynasty and the authority of the royal family? What will the people of the world think of us? Moreover, have any of you considered that it’s easy to invite a god but hard to send one away? If at the time, the Esoteric Buddhism achieves a great victory and refuses to leave after occupying the southern part of our Da Li Dynasty, how shall we handle that? Is this truly driving away a wolf only to invite a tiger, or even inviting the wolf into the house? Let’s not chase away a hooligan only to bring in a robber. And, judging by how the Esoteric Buddhism manages its people, the representatives present here shouldn’t be oblivious. If the south falls under the control of the Esoteric Buddhism, the land will be filled with mind-tranced citizens, making our predicament even more challenging than letting the Ghost Ridge Palace continue its hold." Zuo Min’s words awoke many, highlighting that while Su Jie belongs to the Demon Path, the Esoteric Buddhism isn’t necessarily benevolent either. Wei Cheng frowned slightly, throwing this conundrum back to Zhang Qingcang. "Zhang Aiqing, what do you think?" "Everything depends on Your Majesty’s instructions." Zhang Qingcang spread his hands, indicating that the Heavenly Patrol Department would act according to the royal family’s command, having somewhat erased his earlier slight against the emperor, lest the emperor be troubled with sleepless nights. "Then... first, let’s contact the Esoteric Buddhism and establish an agreement with them that they may eliminate the mastermind Su Jie, but monk soldiers are not allowed to cross the border." Wei Cheng thought for a moment and gave this solution. The Esoteric Buddhism has three Purple Mansion Realm Divine Monks who, if they travel swiftly, could directly confront and eliminate Su Jie, this demon. Seeing as they won’t be bringing monk soldiers, it indicates Esoteric Buddhism doesn’t intend to occupy Qingzhou, saving face for the Da Li Dynasty. The track of strong experts in the Purple Mansion Realm is hard to follow; it’s not that the Da Li Dynasty is ignoring them, but rather can’t intervene. Without Su Jie, the Purple Mansion Demon as its backbone, the forces within the Ghost Ridge Palace, held together by Su Jie’s might alone, will certainly disintegrate, thereby dividing the Three States, leading to complete imperial control during that time. Zhang Qingcang nodded, while secretly plotting something else in his mind. At the original site of the Ghost Ridge Palace’s Mountain Gate, within the Insect Valley. Su Jie, being hotly debated in the Fude Hall, was unaware that he was being used as a bargaining chip by the Da Li Dynasty, with his head intended as an offer in negotiations with the Esoteric Buddhism. At this moment, Su Jie’s expression was stern as he gazed intently at a mountain peak ahead. No, upon closer inspection, it became clear that it was actually an enormous insect cocoon resembling a mountain. The insect cocoon was a bluish-purple, with its surface covered in countless blood vessels like dragons and serpents, expanding and contracting as if it were a beating heart. Each of its tremors could trigger a major earthquake. The surrounding earth had already cracked, unable to bear the cocoon’s immense pressure. Su Jie fixed his gaze on the insect cocoon, which was the thousand-hand centipede undergoing its breakthrough, advancing to a top-grade nine refinement gu insect. After capturing the Fire Cloud Palace, Su Jie had plundered many valuable resources from it to feed the thousand-hand centipede. There were billions of spirit stones alone, not to mention various rare spiritual materials. Over the years, the thousand-hand centipede had also been nourished by countless poisonous insects on Blue Star. Having accumulated much, the thousand-hand centipede had reached the ultimate limit of its advancement, thus transforming into a gigantic insect cocoon, evolving towards the top-grade nine refinement gu insect. Suddenly, an annual ring worm emerged slowly from Su Jie’s sleeve, making a few childlike cries to remind him. "Hmm, indeed, it still lacks a little something," Su Jie felt a twinge in his heart. The thousand-hand centipede, being his lifebound poisonous insect, allowed Su Jie to sense that the centipede’s current state was somewhat off. Within the enormous insect cocoon, the atmosphere began to grow chaotic, and the genes went berserk. "As expected, the absorption of too many ordinary poisonous insects led to issues with bloodline purification." Su Jie murmured to himself. Before the Thousand-Handed Centipede advanced, Su Jie had a vague feeling that although the Thousand-Handed Centipede met the advancement criteria for a top-grade Nine Refinement Gu Insect, its foundation was somewhat lacking. It’s not about quantity; Blue Star has a vast supply of cultivated poisonous insects for feeding. It’s about quality. Normally, top-grade Nine Refinement Gu Insects grow and evolve step by step from countless battles and devouring of powerful poisonous insects. A case like the Thousand-Handed Centipede, reaching top-grade Nine Refinement by consuming low-grade poisonous insects, might be the first in eternity. The absence of certain powerful poisonous insect genes in its body hindered the evolution of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, making it less perfect. Even if it could successfully evolve, it might later restrict the potential of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. "Luckily, I prepared in advance." Su Jie understood the crux of the problem and immediately unleashed the Blood Sea Devouring Sky Demon Skill. An endless blood sea emerged from the Sky Dome, continuously spreading to the four corners of Insect Valley. Within Insect Valley, countless poisonous insects fluttered their wings in alarm, emitting terrified cries beneath the blood sea. Some had already begun to flee in all directions. But what the Blood Sea Devouring Sky Demon Skill exhibited by Su Jie at the Purple Mansion Realm, was not something poisonous insects could escape from easily. The blood sea surged, blood waves steamed, transforming into mountainous giant wave peaks that rapidly closed in on those poisonous insects, capturing and imprisoning them with a terrifying might that annihilated everything. A high-grade Six Refinement Rock Evil Sand Worm desperately burrowed underground, with a menacing mouthpart more formidable than any tunnel boring machine. Yet, in the next second, the blood sea seeped below, turning the earth into a bloody mire, the blood diving deep transforming into ropes directly wrapping around the ten-meter-long Rock Evil Sand Worm. As the blood with intense corrosive power kept the Rock Evil Sand Worm struggling, its surface erupted in a murky yellow glow. Under the yellow glow, the neighboring dense soil transformed entirely into rock and quicksand. Even Secret Realm Elders, if shone by this yellow light, would transform into a statue; a terrifying special ability. However, Su Jie’s Blood Sea Devouring Sky Demon Skill was incomparably powerful, the boundless blood sea producing more blood strands binding the worm. No matter how many tricks the Rock Evil Sand Worm tried, it couldn’t escape, eventually being drawn out from the depths of the earth by countless blood strands. In mid-air, Su Jie stood atop the blood waves, hooking a blood strand with his right hand, with the Rock Evil Sand Worm bound at the end of it. Su Jie’s mouth curved into a smirk, his arm swinging, flinging the obese high-grade Six Refinement poisonous insect into the giant cocoon where the Thousand-Handed Centipede was advancing. At present, as the Thousand-Handed Centipede was evolving, it craved the high-quality poisonous insect genes, accepting them without reservation. The giant cocoon split open, countless pale corpse hands emerged, firmly grasping the Rock Evil Sand Worm, dragging it into the cocoon. There were horrifying screeching sounds from the Rock Evil Sand Worm and the noise of blood spraying and muscles tearing, the cocoon twitched a few times, then fell silent, rendering the scene terrifyingly creepy. Su Jie examined carefully and delightedly discovered the cocoon’s silhouette had enlarged again. Seeing this result, Su Jie smiled. That was the reason he purposely chose the advancement location within the Insect Valley. When it came to abundant powerful poisonous insects, it was, of course, here in Insect Valley. After confirming the method’s effectiveness, Su Jie returned to his long-lost profession, becoming an Insect Catcher. Unlike before, when Su Jie caught non-graded human-faced moths, now he was catching at least middle-grade start poisonous insects. Eight Demon Crab, Iron Thorns Centipede, Mysterious Nether Scorpion Snake, Black Winged Fire Spider, Ghostly Poison Bat, Nightmare Silkworm, Ghost-faced Scissor Ant... One powerful poisonous insect after another was engulfed by Su Jie’s blood sea, thrown as sustenance for the Thousand-Handed Centipede. These powerful poisonous insects that could dominate a region in Insect Valley had no room to resist against Su Jie. With Su Jie feeding more and more poisonous insects, the giant cocoon of the Thousand-Handed Centipede became even larger, absorbing the diverse genes of these powerful poisonous insects, continuously enhancing its foundation and making substantial progress. The reinforcement of genes would make the growth path smoother for the Thousand-Handed Centipede after advancing to Ninth Grade. Thus, the cocoon expanding through the absorption of numerous powerful poisonous insect genes exuded increasingly fierce and unruly aura unique to poisonous insects with each passing day. In the blink of an eye, a week had passed. As early as three days ago, the cocoon of the Thousand-Handed Centipede had stopped consuming. Fınd the newest release on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⚫𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⚫𝔫𝔢𝔱 Luckily, it left behind seeds of some powerful poisonous insects in Insect Valley; otherwise, Su Jie would have devastated the entire valley. Suddenly, Su Jie, who was seated cross-legged beside the cocoon, had his eyes light up. Just as he finished speaking, a crack climbed the insect cocoon that had been pulsating for a full week. In a mere moment, more and more large cracks climbed across the insect cocoon. A thundering roar echoed, causing the ground to quake and the mountains to shake. Accompanied by an earth-shattering howl, the insect cocoon exploded, revealing a terrifying insect figure swooping into the air, facing Su Jie.