"I think if we pit the Brotherhood's mages against the Evil Centipede, we definitely won't have enough numbers, and given the Evil Centipede's sheer size, the other mages should also be involved in the fight," Hong Tian stated.

The reason they hadn't been allowed to participate in the previous battle against the Woma Patriarch was because the Patriarch's speed was too high, making it impossible for ordinary mages to lock onto him. However, the current situation was entirely different; the more people involved in dealing with a behemoth like the Evil Centipede, the better.

"That's right. If we add another twenty thousand mages, once they land a solid hit on the Evil Centipede, it might not be able to withstand it," Luo Xiao said gravely.

"What do you all think?" Nalan Qiushui looked toward Jian Li.

"It's a good approach," Jian Li replied. "But I think we still need a backup plan." Jian Li continued, "The Evil Centipede's defense is far tougher than the Woma Patriarch's. Even so many mages might not be able to blast it to death. Therefore, we must consider how to react if it manages to close the distance."

"That's true. If the first strike isn't fatal and it gets close, it would be disastrous," said the Elder of the Lei Family.

"And the attack range must be restricted to outside 120 meters. Once it gets within 100 meters, the Evil Centipede's corrosion magic is terrifying," Hong Tian added after some thought.

"................" After going in circles, the problem seemed unsolved. Even with the addition of twenty thousand mages, they weren't certain of killing the Evil Centipede, yet the consequences of a counterattack were unthinkable.

"We can actually adopt a tactic of combining long-range and close-range attacks," Jian Li said tactfully when he saw that the others were truly at a loss.

"Combining long and close range?" The others looked confused.

"Yes," Jian Li confirmed seriously.

"How do we combine them? You're not suggesting putting the Warriors at the front, are you?" Hong Tian asked. "Against the Evil Centipede, getting close is definitely a death sentence."

"It's a death sentence for us humans to get close, but perhaps not for the Taoists' Sacred Word Divine Beast or Skeletons," Jian Li smiled. "Are our Taoists merely decorative?"

"That's true," the Lei Family Elder realized suddenly.

"How could we forget that?" Hong Tian looked equally excited.

"There's also a considerable number of Taoists participating this time. There are over nine hundred at the Crimson Moon level or above, and about five thousand others who are high-level. With this many summoned creatures from the Taoists, forming a special melee squad shouldn't be an issue," Nalan Qiushui observed.

"Using the Taoists' summoned creatures to tie down the Evil Centipede is a good idea," Mo Yin commented, "But maybe they can't hold it."

"As long as they can hold it for just a moment," Jian Li countered. "Summoned creatures are undead beings; even if they are killed, they can be resummoned. Simultaneously, while the summoned creatures engage the Evil Centipede, the Mage Legion can launch long-range magical attacks. If we can kill it in one hit, that's best, but even if we can't, we can wear the Evil Centipede down to death."

"Easier said than done, it's too difficult," Mo Ling argued. "Don't forget the Evil Centipede is also very fast. If we can't kill it, and it suddenly rushes toward us, we won't be able to outrun it."

"Not necessarily," Jian Li asserted. "First, it's certain that given the Evil Centipede's size, even from 150 meters away, the other mages' magic attacks will still hit it, simply because its volume is so large. Therefore, the key issue is how to slow down its speed." Jian Li continued, "The key to this attack on the Evil Centipede lies in the first wave of attacks. We must hit the Evil Centipede directly with Ice Roar. Even if it doesn't kill it, it will slow its speed. At the same time, the Taoists' poison powder must also come into play. As long as the Red and Green Poisons are accurately cast on the Evil Centipede, its defense, attack power, and movement speed will be reduced to the minimum. Of course, all of this must be executed simultaneously, and we only get one chance."

"Ah!" Everyone's eyes lit up. Jian Li's plan seemed almost flawless, but Luo Xiao quickly spotted another loophole: "But if the Evil Centipede can't withstand the attack and burrows underground, what do we do?"

"Yes, in that state, we won't be able to attack it at all," Mo Ling agreed.

"The Evil Centipede's movement underground relies entirely on the tunnels it has dug over the years, which allows it to appear and disappear like a ghost," Jian Li explained. "Therefore, for it to tunnel underground and reach us, it must travel through those tunnels. If we can find the tunnels it previously dug and seal them off, I believe it will be impossible for the Evil Centipede to use them to reach us." Jian Li added, "Furthermore, I believe that even if the Evil Centipede burrows underground, it cannot escape our detection."

Jian Li's words were not without merit. With my current cultivation and in the state of the Eye of Death's Desire, not the slightest tremor within a three-hundred-meter radius could escape my notice, let alone with Jian Li, Nalan Qiushui, and the other Grandmaster-level experts present.

"Even if this doesn't kill it, at the very least, it won't be able to harm us. We can fight and retreat, luring it away from the entrance so others can take the opportunity to enter the passage to the next level."

"........." Nalan Qiushui and the others were dumbfounded. Although Jian Li's plan wasn't completely foolproof, it was undoubtedly highly feasible. In fact, Jian Li's plan was one previously used by the ancestors of Dragon Shadow Villa, though others certainly wouldn't know that.

"Not only that," Nalan Qiushui exclaimed excitedly. "If we gain control of the underground tunnels it dug, we can even set up an ambush!"

"An ambush?" This time it was Jian Li and the others who were greatly surprised.

"Yes, an ambush," Nalan Qiushui confirmed. "Think about it: if we master the underground tunnels dug by the Evil Centipede, we control its route of movement. In such a scenario, what strategy is more effective than an ambush?"

"Ah!" Everyone was galvanized. Indeed, Nalan Qiushui's plan was even more perfect than Jian Li's. Nalan Qiushui said excitedly, "If we can use its tunnels to lure it into a unique dead end, like the Valley of Mount, and simultaneously cut off its retreat route, we can trap it there. We can definitely kill it then."

"My heavens," now it was Jian Li and Lu Tong who were staring in astonishment. Nalan Qiushui's plan was even more audacious, but the chance of success was definitely not small. In the past, Dragon Shadow Villa had considered killing the Evil Centipede, but their strength was insufficient to organize a Mage Legion capable of doing so. Thus, they could only devise ways to lure it away. However, the current situation was entirely different. With the combined strength of the Wind Demon Brotherhood and the elite mages from the three major guilds and six great families present, killing the trapped Evil Centipede would not be difficult.

"Hahaha, truly worthy of being the Old Sovereign Nalan!" Luo Xiao and the others were equally amazed.

"Then the key to this plan is figuring out how to find the Evil Centipede's underground tunnels," Mo Yin stated.

"I don't think that will be a problem," Jian Li said. "After all, the Evil Centipede is so huge, its tunnels should also be large. If we can find just one, it will surely connect to the entire underground network." In fact, Jian Li and the others had long been intimately familiar with the underground tunnels on this level. It was worth noting that Jian Li's predecessors had spent a full three years mapping these tunnels, precisely to figure out how to lure the Evil Centipede away and seize the opportunity to reach the next level. But naturally, this couldn't be revealed to Nalan Qiushui and the others.

"It's settled then," Nalan Qiushui declared. "The rest is meticulously surveying the surroundings and finding the Evil Centipede's tunnels."

With the plan agreed upon, everyone was re-energized. After all, they had previously killed the Woma Patriarch without taking any damage, which instilled great confidence in their endeavor to slay the Evil Centipede this time.

In the following days, the group set up camp in the open space at the fork in the paths and dispatched their best scouts in all directions to search for the Evil Centipede's underground tunnels. On the continent of Marfa, there were many marvelous methods for rangers to discern subterranean conditions; experienced rangers could tell if the ground beneath was hollow or solid simply by tapping on the thick earth.

Although the fourth layer of the Illusory Realm was quite vast, the dispatched personnel seemed to be searching everywhere by sheer luck. Nevertheless, after half a month, someone discovered a massive tunnel hidden beneath the earth.

This discovery brought immense joy to everyone. Of course, only they knew that this tunnel had actually been known to Jian Li and the others long ago. It was simply that the young disciples of the Yun Family had gotten lucky and stumbled upon it.

The Xuanwu Alliance, Azure Dragon Gang, and White Tiger Alliance immediately organized their elite disciples to penetrate the subterranean palace for reconnaissance.

One month later! Inside the main tent!

"Based on our investigation during this period, we have confirmed that the Evil Centipede should be in this area," Nalan Qiushui pointed to a spot in the southeast direction on the magical map, which was indeed the furthest extent of the southeast. Jian Li and the others already knew that a certain altar guarded by the Evil Centipede was located there.

"The underground tunnels have also been mostly scouted," Nalan Qiushui continued, pointing at the map. "Except for the one leading into the fork, which we couldn't confirm, the tunnels branching out from the fork lead to three separate locations. One leads here." Nalan Qiushui pointed to a spot in the northwest direction on the map, which was the direction of the entrance from which they had previously entered the fourth layer of the Illusory Realm.

"Another leads here," Nalan Qiushui indicated a point on the map directly south. "And the third leads to this spot nearby the fork." Nalan Qiushui pointed to a location not far from the fork: "This place has unique terrain, conveniently forming a valley surrounded on all four sides. If we can lure the Evil Centipede here and cut off its return route, we can trap it inside."

"This location is indeed a great spot for an ambush," Hong Tian agreed. "But how do we lure the Evil Centipede here?"

"As long as we locate the Evil Centipede and initiate an attack, I believe we can draw it here," Nalan Qiushui asserted.

"With our Grandmaster cultivation, finding the Evil Centipede's hiding place isn't hard," Jian Li said. "The challenge is how to lure it to this dead end."

"I think we should use the old method against the Woma Patriarch: have the elites of the Vanguard Hall enter the fork and search for the Evil Centipede," Nalan Qiushui proposed. "If the Evil Centipede is discovered, lure it here." Nalan Qiushui pointed to the fork on the map. "This time, the hundred elite disciples of the Brotherhood won't participate in the Vanguard Hall's mission. The Evil Centipede's speed might not match the Woma Patriarch's, but its corrosive magic is terrifying. Therefore, ensuring the fastest possible retreat speed is the Vanguard Hall's only way to survive."

"........." Mo Ling instinctively nodded. What Nalan Qiushui said was absolutely correct. After all, the Evil Centipede wasn't the Woma Patriarch; its astonishing size couldn't be stopped by a few ranged fighting qi attacks. When facing it, there was truly no option left but to fight for their lives while fleeing.

"If the Vanguard Hall's mission goes smoothly, they can lure the Evil Centipede here. The combined Mage and Taoist army will launch the first wave of attacks using the long-range/close-range coordination. If we can kill it, that's best," Nalan Qiushui continued. "If it burrows underground, we retreat directly towards this location." Nalan Qiushui pointed to the point on the tunnel leading to the secluded valley among the three tunnels. "I believe the first wave of coordinated attacks from so many mages and Taoists will be enough to slow the Evil Centipede down. Taking advantage of this, we will have ample time to retreat to the secluded valley and re-establish our formation." Nalan Qiushui added, "If nothing unexpected happens, the Evil Centipede will certainly follow the tunnel directly. Once it enters the valley area, we launch a magical bombardment here to directly collapse and seal the tunnel. This will trap the Evil Centipede inside the valley, unable to advance or retreat. At that point, our mages can bombard it from an elevated position, which should be enough to blast it to death."

"Just like how we used that tunnel to blast the Woma Patriarch to death before?" Mo Ling asked excitedly.

"Precisely. This time, we will also make full use of the terrain," Nalan Qiushui said solemnly. "This secluded valley will be the Evil Centipede's graveyard."

"Good, let's do it," Hong Tian agreed firmly.

"Does anyone else have any objections?" Nalan Qiushui looked toward Jian Li and the others.

"I think we must excavate this spot beforehand," Jian Li pointed to a spot on the black line representing the tunnel leading from the secluded valley to the outside. "This way, we can guarantee that under the magical bombardment, the Evil Centipede's retreat route will be completely sealed off."

"Naturally. We must ensure the Evil Centipede has absolutely no other escape route," Nalan Qiushui insisted. "Otherwise, if it escapes, the trouble will be endless. Not only here, but the tunnels leading in the other two directions must also be thoroughly sealed off to ensure it cannot flee in other directions."

The plan to slay the Evil Centipede was quickly formulated. The next step was all the preliminary work.

Inside the Yun Family Tent!

"What are the chances of success for this operation?" Lu Tong asked.

"I think the chances of success are very high," Gao Jing replied.

"Indeed, utilizing the secluded valley to slay the Evil Centipede is a very ingenious method," Bi Yan added.

"Mm," Jian Li nodded slightly. "But we must still be cautious. If the situation changes, you must leave immediately."

"Don't worry," Yun Ju assured him. "No matter what, we will ensure Lu Tong's safety."

"........." Lu Tong felt somewhat awkward, his old face flushed red, as he had the lowest cultivation among those present.

"Let's calculate the time; have Qing Tian and the others arrived at the Demon Dragon Continent?" Jian Li looked at Feng Yuanming.

"Almost," Feng Yuanming replied.

"I hope everything goes smoothly. They are our final trump card," Lu Tong worried.

"No need to worry," Yun Peng stated seriously. "Although Yun Xi is young, she is meticulous in her planning, and she will certainly complete the plan we laid out. Moreover, Qing Tian is an outstanding talent among the younger generation, possessing exceptional experience and strategy. With the two of them working together, there will definitely be no issues."

"That's true," Jian Li concurred. "There's no need to delay any longer."