The instant his merit soul body reached minor mastery, a heavenly phenomenon arose, winds and clouds churning violently. Yet the Gold-Black Law flowing around Qin He held it firmly in check, sealing it off completely. It vanished as swiftly as it had come.
He lifted his fingertips slightly, and a wisp of golden soul qi drifted out of the merit soul body in his sea of consciousness and settled in his palm. The soul qi was solid as silk and warm to the touch, yet concealed an unshakable pressure of law—proof that the power of merit had been refined to its utmost limit. Even a Saint Realm cultivator's soul might not possess such purity.
When it came to cultivating merit, few even within the Divine Court could rival Qin He's foundations.
After a pause, Qin He stirred his will, and a black banner about an inch long flew out of his sleeve.
It was the Black Demon Banner.
At that moment, the Black Demon Banner was black as ink. The blood-red character for "demon" on its cloth had dimmed slightly, and a few wisps of spiteful soul qi that had yet to be fully refined lingered along its edges. Now and then, it trembled softly, giving off faint ghostly sobs and whispers.
Ever since he had subdued the souls of Long Qingyun and Wan Yuangu, the banner had proven useful, but it had always lacked a measure of overwhelming might at its core.
"Time to give you an upgrade."
Qin He murmured to himself and extended his other hand. A fragment the size of a fingernail appeared in his palm. Dark gray in color, its surface was covered in fine, toothlike patterns, and it faintly exuded a chill that threatened to devour everything. It was the Devouring Spirit Banner fragment