Su Xi knew what Huan Jie was planning, but she wasn't worried at all.
This was because she wasn't using ordinary talismans, but rather talismans she had drawn herself using Heavenly Talismans.
The greatest advantage of Heavenly Talismans was that they didn't require much spiritual energy to activate each time, allowing for effortless and unrestrained use.
Therefore, even if she activated a hundred talismans drawn using the Heavenly Talisman cultivation method, the actual consumption of spiritual energy wouldn't be too severe. Huan Jie's clever plan was bound to fail.
Huan Jie had expected to see Su Xi falter due to lack of spiritual energy. However, he discovered that Su Xi seemed to grow more energetic as the fight progressed. The talismans on her person seemed limitless, being unleashed one after another.
As a cultivator at the Golden Core stage, Huan Jie's vision had naturally broadened along with his spiritual energy.
He knew very well that if he continued to stall against Su Xi, he would truly risk losing his life under the onslaught of her ceaseless talismans.
After all, Su Xi's talismans were not to be underestimated.
Therefore, for his own safety, he decided against further delay and opted for a swift conclusion.
With his mind made up, Huan Jie took out a small porcelain bottle from his person. He pried open the stopper and, without looking, poured the entire contents into his mouth.
These were the Bloodthirsty Pills he usually refined, which could stimulate his bloodline and temporarily boost his cultivation upon consumption.
Now, by consuming so many pills at once, his cultivation had been forcefully elevated by a whole level, reaching the middle stage of the Golden Core realm.
Although consuming such a large quantity of Bloodthirsty Pills would undoubtedly have repercussions later, Huan Jie was solely focused on killing Su Xi at this moment and couldn't afford to worry about anything else.
As long as he achieved his objective, he wouldn't care about anything else.
After consuming the Bloodthirsty Pills, the power of Huan Jie's bloodline surged rapidly, unleashing an uncontrollable and formidable pressure that involuntarily pushed Su Xi back a step.
Feeling the boundless power surging within him, Huan Jie no longer hesitated and punched towards Su Xi's head.
When the power gap between the two sides was this vast, any other tactic seemed flashy and unnecessary.
Sheer strength could overcome all else.
He intended to use his bare fists to beat Su Xi to death and vent his frustrations.
"Boom." His fist landed heavily on the ground, instantly creating a massive crater and scattering dirt everywhere.
The onlookers gasped in astonishment at Huan Jie's power.
This high platform was reinforced with formations and was supposedly unbreakable. Yet, Huan Jie's single punch had gouged out such a large pit, clearly demonstrating immense strength.
If Su Xi's flesh and blood had taken that blow, she would have been reduced to a bloody mess, utterly unrecognizable.
Su Xi looked at the large pit before her, her eyelids twitching involuntarily.
With such immense power, the consequences of it landing on her were unimaginable.
Huan Jie was not disheartened that his attack had missed.
He raised his fist and swung at Su Xi again. This time, his speed was significantly faster.
The fighting stage was already sealed by a barrier. Until a victor was decided, the barrier would not open, and no one could escape.
On such a large stage, Su Xi had nowhere to run.
Seeing Huan Jie's attacks becoming faster and faster, Su Xi had already guessed his intentions and would not let him succeed.
Therefore, as Huan Jie struck at her again, she retaliated fiercely.
The talisman flew from her hand, instantly trapping Huan Jie.
Although Huan Jie's strength remained formidable, her talisman was not simple, and he couldn't break free in a short time.
While Huan Jie was ensnared, Su Xi unleashed her ultimate technique.
"Soul Ferry!"
Su Xi shouted, and a brush appeared out of thin air in her hand.
Grasping the brush in the air, a powerful black light erupted from her body, swallowing all the light in the sky. The surroundings rapidly dimmed.
The spectators around the viewing platform, blinded by the intense black light, hastily closed their eyes, their expressions momentarily dazed.
Su Xi ignored their reactions and began to draw in the sky with the brush in her hand.
This was a technique recorded in the Heavenly Talismans, capable of easily extracting a person's soul. In its later stages, it could even extract the soul and spirit. Once a person lost their soul, they would become a walking corpse, utterly devoid of combat ability.
As Su Xi moved, a wailing sound echoed through the sky. Golden threads erupted from Huan Jie's body and converged at the tip of Su Xi's brush.
Huan Jie, who had been struggling, suddenly froze as if electrocuted, his eyes wide with terror as he had no idea what was happening to his body.
With the appearance of golden light, a miniature version of Huan Jie began to be forcibly peeled from his body. Despite his continuous struggles, he could not prevent even a sliver of himself from being extracted.
Humans possess three souls and seven corporeal spirits that control their actions. Losing one's soul renders a person immobile. Ordinary people easily lose their souls, while cultivators with higher levels of attainment possess more stable souls.
Yet, Su Xi was now effortlessly extracting Huan Jie's soul.
As the onlookers regained their sight, they saw Su Xi drawing out Huan Jie's soul. Instantly, they held their breath, afraid that a careless sound might anger Su Xi and result in their own souls being extracted.
Their cultivation was not as formidable as Huan Jie's, and they were undoubtedly more vulnerable to Su Xi.
The thought of their previous provocations against Su Xi sent a chill down their spines. They immediately began strategizing how to mend their relationship with her.
Otherwise, Su Xi wouldn't even need to kill them; she could simply remove parts of their souls and ruin their cultivation prospects.
Huan Jie watched his soul being slowly stripped away, his heart filled with anxiety but utterly powerless.
His eyes were bloodshot with worry.
Although his cultivation far surpassed Su Xi's, Su Xi seemed to possess a heavenly oppression that prevented him from mustering any resistance.
Su Xi channeled all her spiritual energy, sealing Huan Jie's three souls and seven corporeal spirits within the talisman.
Deprived of his souls and spirits, Huan Jie collapsed heavily onto the ground, motionless.
Even with his three souls and seven corporeal spirits sealed within the talisman, Huan Jie refused to yield, struggling continuously to break free from the talisman's restraint.
Su Xi quickly inscribed several more incantations into the talisman, finally halting Huan Jie's struggles within.
Before she could even catch her breath, she suddenly noticed an elder in golden robes outside the stage, charging forward with a furious expression.
"Release him," the golden-robed elder commanded imperiously, looking down at Su Xi.
He had initially expected this competition to be a mere formality, but an unexpected turn of events had occurred. As Huan Jie was the most promising disciple of the Falling Yi Sect in recent years to advance to the Nascent Soul stage, he could not stand by and do nothing.
Su Xi responded to the elder's command with a cold sneer.
Asking her to release Huan Jie was tantamount to asking her to die. Though her strength might not be great, she was not foolish enough to commit such a suicidal act.
Seeing Su Xi's lack of response, the golden-robed elder let out a cold snort.
Instantly, Su Xi felt as if a great bell was ringing in her ears. Her head swam, and she could barely stand. The talisman containing Huan Jie slipped from her grasp and flew away.