Old Zhao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhao Guangzheng (赵广正)
Alias(es)	Old Zhao; Elder Zhao; Human Emperor Banner; Myriad Souls Banner
Species/Race	Ghost cultivator; artifact spirit
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Human Emperor Hall; Li Qingyuan's faction
Occupation/Role	Artifact spirit and Main Soul of the Myriad Souls Banner; Supreme Second Elder of the Human Emperor Hall
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 285 285

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Integrated Body Peak Stage (prime)	295, 334	In life, Zhao Guangzheng was an ancient demonic cultivator who had reached the Integrated Body Peak Stage; his physical body was later destroyed, leaving only a damaged Primordial Spirit. 295 334
Damaged Primordial Spirit	285, 294	Captured and enslaved by Li Qingyuan while reduced to a damaged remnant. He had been preparing to reconstruct his body and establish a new immortal-path foundation. 285 294
Main Soul of the Soul-Refining Restriction Banner	417	Declined Young King Yuan's body and instead chose to become the banner's Main Soul and artifact spirit, allowing his recovery to depend on the banner's growth. 417
Yin God artifact spirit	458	Ghost-path cultivation and the Soul Refining Banner formed an Yin God body; together, he could contend with Peak Nascent Soul cultivators and kill or defeat Late Nascent Soul cultivators. 458
Quasi-Fifth-Rank Ghost General / Pseudo-God combat power	523	Unleashed Slaughter Artistic Conception and Ghost Annihilation Blades against Five Yuan King, suppressing the latter's artistic conceptions. 523
Extreme Dao Soul Transformation combat power	613, 632	His Slaughter Artistic Conception neared a Law domain; he could hold off Long Xiao and Bing Ling'er briefly, then initially wielded a Slaughter Domain capable of suppressing Extreme Dao Heavenly Chosen. 613 632
Early Void Refining Stage	643	Refined the divine souls of more than twenty thousand fallen cultivators and returned to the Void Refining realm. 643
Peak Early Void Refining Stage	646	Used the banner, restrictions, and Slaughter Domain to seal and overpower two Black Water Crocodile Dragon Demon Emperors. 646
Early Void Refining Stage Completion	657	Banner and artifact spirit became one; the Soul Refining Banner was renamed the Human Emperor Banner. 657
Mid Void Refining Stage	706	Advanced alongside Li Qingyuan, Ji Kun, and the Flame Dragon Flood Dragon after a century of seclusion. 706
Mid Void Refining Stage Perfection	767	His advancement lagged behind the Green Wood Heavenly Sun Sword's growth, prompting Li Qingyuan to seek more souls for him. 767
Late Void Refining Stage	776	Consumed five hundred Void Refining divine souls and broke through naturally. 776
Peak Void Refining Stage	776	Devoured two thousand additional divine souls, reached Peak Void Refining, and began challenging the Three Tribulations of Body Integration. 776
Integrated Body / Seventh-Tier Ghost Venerable	822, 823	Crossed the Seven-Colored Heavenly Tribulation; his soul merged with the Myriad Souls Banner, creating a seventh-tier Body Integration magic treasure. 822 823
Perfected Early Integrated Body Stage	831	Absorbed more than one hundred thousand Void Refining divine souls during the continental war. 831
Mid Integrated Body Stage	862	Successfully crossed tribulation and declared his return toward his former peak. 862
Late Integrated Body Stage	947	Reached Late Integrated Body after Li Qingyuan bestowed Origin Stones. 947
Integrated Body Peak Stage	958	Devoured the divine souls of the Quasi-Dao Venerables Blood Dragon Son and Scarlet Beard. 958

Background

Zhao Guangzheng was once an ancient demonic cultivator at the Integrated Body Peak Stage, with enough seniority and power to be regarded as a regional monster who had lived for ten thousand years. After losing his physical body and much of his Primordial Spirit's origin, he survived only as a damaged remnant. Before Li Qingyuan took control of him, he had intended to reconstruct his body with Breathing Soil, seize the Longevity Seed, and establish a dual immortal-path foundation. 294 295

Li Qingyuan captured Zhao Guangzheng and made him a slave, gaining access to his knowledge of high-level cultivation, restrictions, and demonic methods. Although Zhao concealed his resentment and calculated for his own future, he adapted to his new circumstances rather than openly resisting. 285 294

When Li Qingyuan captured Young King Yuan, Zhao was offered an exceptionally suitable body for possession. He instead chose the Soul-Refining Restriction Banner as his path forward, becoming its Main Soul and artifact spirit. This bound his future directly to the banner's evolution and made the cultivation of souls, restrictions, and ghost-path methods central to his recovery. 417

Appearance

Zhao Guangzheng's form changes with his cultivation and the banner's state. As a weakened Primordial Spirit, he appeared as a phantom with a long beard; as the banner's artifact spirit, he emerges carrying the banner in hand. After reaching Body Integration, he could manifest as a ten-thousand-zhang ghostly giant. 406 523 823

• Long-bearded elderly appearance in his Primordial Spirit form. 406
• Often manifests in an artifact-spirit body while wielding the Soul Refining Banner. 458 657
• Emits towering demonic qi, ghostly qi, and soul light when fighting. 643 776
• Revealed a ten-thousand-zhang giant form as a seventh-tier Ghost Venerable. 823

Personality

Zhao is deeply calculating, patient, and pragmatic. Even while secretly resenting Li Qingyuan for taking control of his fate, he concealed those emotions and chose to endure until he could secure a new path forward. 294

He takes immense pride in his expertise with restrictions and treats the Dao of restrictions as his defining skill. He is also openly gluttonous for divine souls and Nascent Souls, often reveling in the growth they bring to himself and the banner. 406 776 841

Despite his demonic nature, Zhao is responsive to Li Qingyuan's commands and increasingly acts as a trusted subordinate. He chose the banner because he believed in Li Qingyuan's future, later accepting formal office within the Human Emperor Hall. 417 689

Abilities & Skills

Restriction Mastery

Zhao's greatest specialty is the Dao of restrictions. His restriction methods were the foundation of his former strength and remain essential to the banner's combat power.

• Can reveal and dismantle hidden killing restrictions without triggering their attacks. 406
• Taught Li Qingyuan how to identify trigger restrictions and break formations. 406
• Can modify restriction runes on formation flags to create an escape route through a grand formation. 733
• Uses banner-based sealing restrictions to block enemy movement and prevent escape. 646 657

Soul Refining and Soul Capture

As the banner's Main Soul, Zhao captures, devours, and refines divine souls, Nascent Souls, and Primordial Spirits to strengthen both himself and the banner.

• Extracts and refines enemy divine souls directly into the banner. 608 643
• Can inscribe an enemy's name on the banner to disrupt their soul, Primordial Spirit, and magic power. 632 688
• Uses refined souls to create and command Soul Slaves. 646 668
• Devoured thousands of Void Refining cultivators and multiple Integrated Body cultivators to advance his cultivation. 776 831 841

Slaughter Domain and Slaughter Law

Zhao's Slaughter Artistic Conception evolved into a domain-based combat method that suppresses enemies while strengthening allies.

• Devours or suppresses opposing artistic conceptions, including Five Yuan King's Five Elements and Blade Artistic Conceptions. 523
• Creates a Slaughter Domain that weakens enemy magic power and raises allied momentum. 632 646 688
• Forms the Soul Banner Killing Realm to trap opponents within the banner's restrictive power. 657 688
• Can use the domain to fight several Early Void Refining opponents at once. 646

Ghost Annihilation Blade

Zhao condenses soul power into destructive black blades through the Soul Refining Banner.

• Once summoned thousands of Ghost Annihilation Blades through Nascent Soul and Core Formation souls. 523
• At Void Refining, condensed a single blade powerful enough to blast back two Void Refining Demon Emperors. 646

Artifact-Spirit Transformation

Zhao's divine soul, ghost cultivation, and banner have become increasingly inseparable.

• Became the banner's Main Soul rather than possessing a new body. 417
• Formed an Yin God artifact-spirit body through compatibility between ghost-path cultivation and the banner. 458
• Merged his soul with the Myriad Souls Banner upon reaching Body Integration, creating a seventh-tier magic treasure. 823
• Can transform into the demonic sword used by Li Qingyuan to complete the Earth Marsh Sword Array's supreme sword form. 818

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Soul-Refining Restriction Banner — Zhao's original signature magic treasure and the foundation of his restriction methods. 406 417
• Soul Refining Banner / Human Emperor Banner — The evolved banner fused with Zhao's soul and artifact-spirit body; it captures souls, forms killing realms, and commands Soul Slaves. 657
• Myriad Souls Banner — Zhao's seventh-tier Body Integration magic treasure after its merger with his soul. 823
• Void Refining Soul Slaves — Includes the souls of two Black Water Crocodile Dragon Demon Emperors and other captured Void Refining opponents. 646 668
• Long Xiao's Divine Soul — Refined into the banner's Main Soul; Zhao later shared its memories with Li Qingyuan. 634 643

Relationships

• Li Qingyuan — Master and benefactor. Li captured Zhao, offered him Young King Yuan's body, respected his choice to become the banner's Main Soul, and later appointed him Supreme Second Elder of the Human Emperor Hall. 285 417 689
• Ji Kun — Frequent battlefield partner. The two coordinate in hunting enemies and harvesting souls; Zhao eventually addresses Ji Kun as “Brother Kun.” 646 787
• Long Xiao — Enemy whose Divine Soul Zhao refined into the banner's Main Soul, gaining access to his memories and strengthening the banner. 634 643
• Human King — Allied with Zhao and Li Qingyuan against Five Yuan King; the Human King praised Zhao as a remarkable artifact spirit. 523
• Five Yuan King — Zhao's Slaughter Artistic Conception suppressed the king's core artistic conceptions during the battle for Five Yuan Mountain. 523

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Recovery under Li Qingyuan — Begins as a damaged Primordial Spirit and captive servant, then becomes the Main Soul of the Soul-Refining Restriction Banner. 285 417
• Five Yuan King's rebellion — Goes all out against Five Yuan King, suppressing his artistic conceptions and helping Li Qingyuan secure Five Yuan Mountain. 523
• Foreign-domain campaigns — Refines massive quantities of souls in the Divine Fire Region and surrounding heavenly domains, reclaiming Void Refining cultivation. 608 643
• Void Refining battles — Seals Demon Emperors, deploys Void Refining Soul Slaves, and helps Li Qingyuan defeat Dao Lords and other high-level enemies. 646 668 688
• Immortal Ancient Relic war — Advances through Void Refining and Body Integration while serving as a decisive commander and soul harvester for Li Qingyuan's forces. 776 818 823
• Human Emperor Hall — Receives the title of Supreme Second Elder and teaches the Dao of Void Refining under Li Qingyuan's authority. 689
• Late Integrated Body advancement — Reaches Integrated Body Peak after devouring the souls of Blood Dragon Son and Scarlet Beard. 947 958

Notable Quotes

“I, Zhao Guangzheng, enter the Integrated Body realm today and return as a Spirit Venerable!” 822

“Fellow Daoists, hurry and enter my Soul Banner.” 841