Soul Banner

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Soul Banner (魂幡)
Alias(es)	Demonic Soul Banner; Hundred Soul Banner; Thousand Soul Banner; Human Emperor Banner
Species/Race	Demonic Path magical artifact; later a Heavenly Dao Merit Treasure
Affiliation	Lu Yan; the Soul Banner’s Ghost Gods, Yin Soldiers, and Ghost Generals
Occupation/Role	Soul-refining weapon, Ghost Domain generator, container for souls and the Soul Continent
Status	Active; transformed into the Human Emperor Banner
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Unfinished Demonic Soul Banner	2	Steward Chu refined it with the souls of his assistants. It was nearly complete when Lu Yan seized it during a Version Update. 2
Low-Grade Magic Item	8–12	Lu Yan completed its refinement using Gongyang Xuanming’s soul, his subordinates’ souls, and the three original Vengeful Souls. 8 11 12
Mid-Grade Magic Item	23–24	The banner’s increased capacity allowed Lu Yan to control up to twenty-seven Vengeful Souls, though the Mana and soul burden remained severe. 23 24
High-Grade Magic Tool	25–27	Its Vengeful Souls reached the Second Layer of Qi Refining, and the banner eventually contained 231 Vengeful Souls—the upper limit of its High-Grade stage. 25 27
Top-Grade Magic Tool — Hundred Soul Banner	28	Blood Beard’s soul completed the promotion. The banner gained spirituality through moonlight, with two miniature evil-spirit statues appearing on its sides. 28
Soul-Continent-Containing Banner	114–125	Lu Yan contained the Soul Continent inside it. This raised the banner to a level infinitely close to a Magic Treasure, although the continent had not yet been fully refined. 114 118 125
Magic Treasure — Thousand Soul Banner	190	The banner refined the Golden Core Divine Soul of the Vault Abyss Zombie King and absorbed enough wandering souls to advance. It gained the capacity to hold stronger Ghost Gods and Yin Soldiers. 190
Heavenly Dao Merit Treasure — Human Emperor Banner	203	Ninety-nine Merit Golden Wheels and a final wheel from the Apocalypse Heavenly Dao transformed the banner. Its Ghost Gods and Yin Soldiers gained divine qualities, and the Soul Continent became the foundation of a developing small world. 203 204

Background and History

The original Soul Banner was hidden beneath a dry well beneath the Spirit Talisman Shop. Steward Chu created it by refining the souls of shop assistants whose life force had been consumed by a deliberately altered version of the Evergreen Art. By the time Lu Yan discovered it, the banner was nearly complete and surrounded by bones, bloodstains, and a Soul Sacrifice Array. 2

Soul Banners were notorious Demonic Path artifacts. Their refinement methods were forbidden by the righteous sects because they traditionally required the slaughter and refinement of living beings. The Nine Hells Demonic Sect was destroyed by heavenly punishment after attempting to refine a Ten Thousand Soul Banner. 2

Lu Yan carried the unfinished banner through a Version Update rather than allowing it to disappear with the Xianxia Version. He later completed its refinement in the Urban Version with the souls of Gongyang Xuanming and his subordinates. The three original Vengeful Souls consumed Gongyang Xuanming’s soul as retribution for the deaths of the assistants. 3 11

After entering the Apocalypse Version, the banner was strengthened with the wandering souls of zombies. Lu Yan refined the Giant Zombie’s soul into Warrior, its first Main Soul, and used the banner to harvest additional souls from abandoned buildings and ruined cities. 17 19 20

The banner grew through successive ranks as Lu Yan added Vengeful Souls, Fierce Ghosts, Main Souls, and eventually Ghost Gods. Its development accelerated because zombie wandering souls carried little resentment and no significant karmic burden compared with ordinary human souls. 24 52

During the Cyber Version, the banner incorporated the Soul Continent, a vast soul creation taken from the Soul World. Lu Yan later combined it with Soul Computer technology, transforming the banner’s inhabitants from muddled ghostly entities into increasingly intelligent and organized beings. 88 89 113 114

After accumulating Heavenly Dao Merit and Incense Wish Power, Lu Yan forged the Soul Banner into the Human Emperor Banner. The transformation removed its openly demonic character, granted divinity to its inhabitants, and established the prototype of a mythological Hell within the banner. 203 205

Appearance

In its original form, the Soul Banner was an arm-length black banner marked with gold threads depicting ghosts devouring souls. Its surface gave the impression of a purgatorial scene, and unseen Vengeful Souls released wails that could be perceived at the soul level. 2 4

Distinguishing features include:

• Black banner surface with gold or black-gold patterns.
• Depictions of Vengeful Souls, Ghost Generals, and later the Soul Continent.
• A banner pole that became crystal-like as the artifact advanced. 24
• Two miniature evil-spirit statues after its promotion to the Hundred Soul Banner. 28
• A black-gold appearance after its transformation into the Human Emperor Banner.
• Auspicious purple energy, golden Dao texts, and a visible continent across the banner surface in its Human Emperor form. 203

Abilities and Functions

Soul Refinement and Growth

The Soul Banner can refine souls into Vengeful Souls, Fierce Ghosts, Yin Soldiers, Ghost Generals, and Main Souls. Unlike ordinary magical artifacts, its growth is not limited by fixed materials; it can continue advancing as long as it acquires sufficient souls and stronger Main Souls. 4 114

• Refines wandering souls into additional Vengeful Souls.
• Converts powerful souls into Main Souls.
• Uses large numbers of weaker souls to supplement damaged or incomplete powerful souls.
• Can refine a pure soul creation such as the Soul Continent if the soul has no autonomous resistance. 19 114
• Requires its wielder to suppress the consciousness and resistance of the souls being refined.
• Gains greater capacity and stronger inhabitants with each advancement.

Vengeful Souls and Fierce Ghosts

The banner’s Vengeful Souls are formless, intangible entities that can ignore most physical attacks. Ordinary people generally cannot perceive them, while their wails can weaken or damage souls. 8

• Directly attack and devour souls.
• Are difficult to harm with ordinary firearms or physical weapons.
• Can gather into large formations and overwhelm stronger opponents through numbers.
• Can be empowered by the Warrior Main Soul’s Ghost Armor Art.
• Evolved into Fierce Ghosts when Lu Yan advanced to mid-stage Qi Refining. 40
• Can merge into colossal ghost forms for combat. 42 43
• Form the basis of the banner’s Ghost Domain and later its Yin Underworld.

Main Souls

A Main Soul acts as the banner’s commander and determines much of its combat strength. It can enhance the banner’s subordinate ghosts and allow them to use its Ghost Path abilities. 19

Known Main Souls include:

• Warrior — The first Main Soul, refined from a Giant Zombie. It possesses powerful close-combat ability and the Ghost Armor Art. 19 20
• Giant Spirit — A later Main Soul used as a hidden trump card against powerful cultivators. 43
• Blood Beard — A Main Soul whose Talent Spell later enabled Lu Yan to maintain a long-term connection with his Fierce Ghosts. It also helped separate the Soul Continent from the Soul World. 109 113
• Vault Abyss God — Refined from a Golden Core Zombie King’s Divine Soul. Its ability, Space Control, represented an early development of Original Divine Power. 190

At least three Main Souls and hundreds of Fierce Ghosts could be deployed simultaneously by the Cyber Version. 96

Ghost Domain and Ghost Mist

The banner releases Ghost Mist that conceals its activity, envelops areas, and supports the movement and combat of its internal entities.

• Creates a Ghost Domain capable of covering buildings and battlefields.
• Allows the banner’s ghosts to attack as a coordinated force.
• Supports large-scale soul harvesting and refinement.
• Can be used to conceal information and shield an area from observation.
• At higher levels, spreads through the Soul Continent and forms the basis of its Yin Underworld. 24 96 184 203

Soul Continent

The Soul Banner contains a vast region separated from the Soul World. Although the Soul Continent has no ordinary physical weight, its soul-level pressure is immense.

• Can crush or annihilate souls that attempt to resist it.
• Helped destroy Director Planck’s Newborn Soul when he touched the banner. 117
• Initially increased the banner’s pressure and was difficult for Lu Yan to contain.
• Became easier to control after the banner advanced to Thousand Soul Banner quality. 114 190
• Later evolved toward a small world under the Apocalypse Heavenly Dao’s blessing. 204
• Forms the foundation of the Human Emperor Banner’s developing Hell and Divine Kingdom. 205

Soul Computer Integration

Lu Yan began integrating Cyber Version soul technology into the banner to overcome the limited intelligence of ordinary Fierce Ghosts.

• A Smart Brain Spirit Body was gradually refined into the banner. 88
• Lu Yan envisioned linking the ghosts’ minds so they could coordinate like an Array.
• The project aimed to transform the banner into an intelligent combination of Xianxia cultivation and Cyber technology. 89
• The proposed internal hierarchy consisted of Yin Souls, Yin Soldiers, and Ghost Gods. 136
• The transformation allowed the inhabitants’ simulated consciousness to develop into more genuine consciousness after the Human Emperor Banner was forged. 203

Heavenly Dao Merit and Purification

The Human Emperor Banner retains the Soul Banner’s soul-based nature but has been purified and empowered by Heavenly Dao Merit.

• Replaces the banner’s dark aura with a black-gold, righteous appearance.
• Cleanses the Ghost Gods, Yin Soldiers, and Ghost Generals.
• Grants divinity and completes the previously incomplete souls of the Yin Soldiers.
• Allows the inhabitants to develop toward the Foundation Establishment stage.
• Strengthens the Hell army; its combat power was doubled after the Human Emperor Banner was recognized by the Apocalypse Heavenly Dao. 203 204
• Provides powerful resistance to demonic and soul-based attacks.

Forms and Associated Items

• Divided Soul Banner — A smaller branch banner created to extend the range of a Fierce Ghost during Lu Yan’s infiltration of the Paradise Computing Center. 103
• Soul Computer — The technological framework used to intelligentize the banner’s ghosts and organize their abilities.
• Soul Continent — A massive soul creation contained within the banner and later developed into a small-world foundation.
• Ghost Domain — The external manifestation of the banner’s Ghost Mist and coordinated ghost forces.
• Human Emperor Banner — The banner’s current form as a Heavenly Dao Merit Treasure. 203

Relationships

• Lu Yan — Master and wielder. He seized, refined, upgraded, and eventually transformed the banner into the Human Emperor Banner. 3 11 203
• Steward Chu — Original refiner. He used the souls of his assistants to create the unfinished Demonic Soul Banner. 2
• Gongyang Xuanming — Refinement material whose soul was consumed by the banner’s original Vengeful Souls. 11
• Warrior — First Main Soul and commander of the banner’s early Vengeful Souls. 19
• Giant Spirit, Blood Beard, and Vault Abyss God — Main Souls that expanded the banner’s combat power and strategic abilities. 43 109 190
• Vengeful Souls and Fierce Ghosts — Internal combat forces controlled by the banner and its Main Souls. 8 40
• Yin Soldiers and Ghost Generals — Later inhabitants whose souls were purified and granted divine qualities by the Human Emperor Banner. 203
• Apocalypse Heavenly Dao — Recognized the banner, removed the Supreme Will’s hidden influence, and later granted it control over the Soul Continent. 201 204
• Intelligent God — Former controller of the Soul World from which the Soul Continent was separated. 113 114

Story Role and Major Arcs

Spirit Talisman Shop Arc

The Soul Banner is introduced as the artifact Steward Chu was secretly refining beneath the Spirit Talisman Shop. Lu Yan steals it during a Version Update, preserving it despite lacking the cultivation needed to control it safely. 2 3

Apocalypse Version Arc

Lu Yan completes the banner by refining zombie wandering souls and powerful zombie souls. Warrior becomes its first Main Soul, followed by the gradual accumulation of hundreds of Vengeful Souls and the transformation into the Hundred Soul Banner. 17 28

Soul Continent Arc

The banner becomes central to Lu Yan’s resistance against the Intelligent God. It helps create a Ghost Domain, separates the Soul Continent from the Soul World, and eventually contains the continent despite the immense pressure involved. 96 109 113 114

Thousand Soul Banner Arc

The banner refines a Golden Core Zombie King’s Divine Soul and advances to Magic Treasure quality. The resulting Thousand Soul Banner gains greater control over the Soul Continent and capacity for stronger Ghost Gods and Yin Soldiers. 190

Human Emperor Banner Arc

Lu Yan uses Heavenly Dao Merit and collective wish power to cleanse and transform the artifact. The Human Emperor Banner becomes a righteous Heavenly Dao Merit Treasure and gives the banner’s inhabitants divine status. 203 204

Notable Quotes

“A Demonic Soul Banner!” 2

“A Soul Banner’s greatest strength ultimately lies in its potential for growth.” 4

“If the Soul Banner could only control Vengeful Souls, even if it gathered tens of thousands of them, they would be easily extinguished by powerful Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators.” 19

Trivia

• The Soul Banner’s traditional refinement method is considered an enemy of the righteous path, but Lu Yan’s zombie-derived souls carry vastly less resentment and no comparable karmic burden. 2 52
• A Hundred Soul Banner is reputed to be invincible below the Golden Core stage, although the novel notes that this reputation is somewhat exaggerated. 42
• The banner can grow from a basic Soul Banner to a Hundred Soul Banner, Thousand Soul Banner, and eventually a Ten Thousand Soul Banner in theory. 4
• Lu Yan’s banner became the first known artifact to combine Soul Banner refinement, Soul Computer technology, Soul Continent development, Incense Wish Power, and Heavenly Dao Merit. 88 125 203
• The name Human Emperor Banner represents Lu Yan’s intention to establish the legitimacy of Human Race orthodoxy in the Apocalypse Version. 204