Myriad Ghost Banner

Myriad Ghost Ancestor wiped away the divine sense imprint Lei Dong had left on the ordinary Soul Nurturing Pagoda, then hurriedly cast an appraisal spell on the only Yin Soul remaining inside. Golden light blazed across nearly half the Yin Soul's body. The tension vanished from his face in an instant, replaced by wild delight. He checked again and again before laughing aloud. "As expected, it's Upper Grade—a Upper Grade Spirit Ghost."

When he looked at Lei Dong again, the more he looked, the more he liked the boy. He liked him even more than Ding Wanyan, who had always been especially pleasing to him. Ding Wanyan merely had outstanding talent, while Lei Dong had brought him an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost outright. Still, he was an Ancestor, after all. Once the uncontrollable glee of the moment had passed, he worried that he would lose face acting so excited in front of a junior. His expression gradually settled, and he said amiably to Lei Dong, "Not bad. It really is an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost. Take it and perform a proper Blood Sacrifice. It will become your greatest aid in the future."

How could Lei Dong not know that the Ancestor was putting on airs to save face? If he really failed to read the room and took it back, there was no telling whether he'd live to see the sun rise the next day. Steadying himself, he knelt again, his face solemn. "I report to the Ancestor: this disciple is dull-witted and has little future to speak of. In my youth, I acted rashly and brought disaster upon myself. It was only thanks to the Ancestor's protection that I survived to this day. Though my aptitude is poor, the Ancestor still took me in as a Personal Disciple, holding lectures every month and teaching me with painstaking care, like a teacher and a father. I may not be good with words, but I have remembered every kindness in my heart. I resolved long ago to serve the Ancestor wholeheartedly, in the hope of repaying even a fraction of his great benevolence. I happened upon this little Spirit Ghost, and if it can help the Ancestor advance to the Nascent Soul Realm even a little, then I will be more than content." His words were sincere and heartfelt, straight from the depths of his heart. The Ghost Slave listening nearby nodded to himself, and the Ancestor, too, wore an expression of deep satisfaction.

What filial devotion! This was true filial devotion. The Ancestor felt a little moved. In the past seventy-odd years, he had taken in quite a few Personal Disciples, yet not one had ever given him an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost. Even when someone happened to obtain one, they would surely perform the Blood Sacrifice in secret, keeping it hidden from him. But Lei Dong, despite cultivating the Ghost Taming Art himself, couldn't bear to refine this Upper Grade Spirit Ghost. Instead, he had insisted on giving it to him. And when Lei Dong said he regarded him as both teacher and father, the Ancestor couldn't help but feel a little affection for him. After all, Lei Dong could have refined the Spirit Ghost without saying a word. Who could have known he possessed an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost?

Back when the Ancestor himself had obtained a Top Grade Spirit Ghost at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage, he hadn't announced it until he reached the Golden Core Stage. No one had known in the meantime, had they?

That proved Lei Dong truly was loyal and grateful to him. No one else would give away something like an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost. Myriad Ghost Ancestor knew that he certainly wouldn't have done so himself. Thinking this, he felt even more affection for Lei Dong. "Lei Dong, you offered the Ancestor an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost. Doesn't it pain you to part with it?"

Lei Dong smiled awkwardly. "Ancestor, of course it pains me. But I know my aptitude is limited. If I can reach Foundation Establishment in this life, I'll be completely satisfied. Refining an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost would truly be a waste for me. The Ancestor, however, is blessed with extraordinary talent and has a great chance of entering the Nascent Soul Realm in his lifetime. I struggled with the decision for quite some time before finally choosing to do this."

Hearing this, Myriad Ghost Ancestor felt relieved. Now that makes sense. Even so, Lei Dong's filial devotion was truly commendable. If properly nurtured, such an Upper Grade Spirit Ghost would eventually become far more powerful than Lei Dong himself. After a moment's thought, he spoke as if reluctantly accepting. "If I keep refusing, I'll be slighting your good intentions. Very well. The Ancestor will ensure you reach Foundation Establishment. Once you succeed, return home and establish a clan. With me backing you, I can ensure your household enjoys a lifetime of glory. Of course, if you want to pursue the Golden Core Path, that isn't impossible, but it will be exceedingly difficult with your aptitude. I'll make you one more promise: if I ever achieve an Indestructible Nascent Soul, I'll find an opportunity to lead you onto the Golden Core Path. If I can't, I'll still ensure your descendants live in peace."

To Lei Dong, Myriad Ghost Ancestor's promise was extremely valuable. The guarantee that he would reach Foundation Establishment was already a tremendous surprise. In the seventy years since the Ancestor had begun taking Personal Disciples, only five had ultimately reached Foundation Establishment. Clearly, advancing to Foundation Establishment was no easy matter.

Of course, if he hadn't possessed a Heaven-Defying Exotic Treasure, even having a chance at Foundation Establishment in this life would have been the greatest stroke of luck. The best outcome would be what the Ancestor had described: after Foundation Establishment, he could return to his hometown, establish a Cultivation Family, raise descendants, and spread his branches far and wide, living a life of glory. It was an ambitious dream, but at least a realistic one. As for the Golden Core and all that, even with the Ancestor's help, he doubted the old man could do much. Anyone who attained the Golden Core Stage had talent as extraordinary as Ding Wanyan's. Even for Ding Wanyan, the Ancestor only hoped she might reach the Golden Core Stage one day; he wouldn't dare guarantee it. A chance of five or six in ten was already enough to make people take notice.

But things were different for Lei Dong now. He had the exotic treasure, the Soul Devouring Pagoda. Although it couldn't directly raise his cultivation realm, it could greatly increase his combat strength. As long as he was strong enough, he would have the advantage when competing for resources of every kind. The Golden Core Path was still far too distant and arduous, but he would pursue it all the same, conquering it one step at a time and never turning back.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Ancestor. This disciple is truly overwhelmed." Lei Dong felt the Ancestor's promise was already generous. A stingier Ancestor might have tossed him a few small favors and sent him on his way. Who cared whether an ordinary talent, a mere ant at the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage, was satisfied?

"Rise. Ghost Slave, take Lei Dong to choose two Upper Grade Magic Items, and give him ten thousand spirit stones." Perhaps the Ancestor felt his promise wasn't enough, so he added this. But with the Upper Grade Spirit Ghost in hand, he was likely itching to refine and carefully nurture it. Given his formidable power, perhaps a single Blood Sacrifice would be enough to raise the Spirit Ghost to Ghost Guard rank.

After receiving his orders, the Ghost Slave led Lei Dong to the treasury in Myriad Ghost Cave and told him he had an hour to choose at his leisure.

Lei Dong was quite pleased with the two Upper Grade Magic Items and the ten thousand spirit stones. Inside the treasury, he saw rows upon rows of shelves holding all sorts of Magic Tools—at least several hundred. Most were Middle Grade or rare Lower Grade items, which he naturally ignored.

Even so, the Ancestor had at least dozens of Upper Grade Magic Items in stock. These items were worth anywhere from one or two thousand spirit stones to more than ten thousand. The treasury alone showed just how wealthy the Ancestor was. With plenty of time, Lei Dong carefully examined the dozens of Upper Grade Magic Items one by one. None was ordinary; some shimmered with Black Qi, while others rippled with spiritual light. He liked this one, but couldn't bear to pass up that one, and for a while he couldn't decide.

In the end, with his time nearly up, Lei Dong thought it over for a while and made his choice. The first item he picked was an Upper Grade Myriad Ghost Banner. The Myriad Ghost Banner had long been one of the Magic Items he intended to obtain. It was an extremely unusual Magic Item: a newly refined banner often had not the slightest power.

To increase a Myriad Ghost Banner's power, one had to keep using it to capture Wild Ghost Soldiers or the Living Souls of cultivators. The more Ghost Souls it collected, the greater its power became. According to legend, the most powerful Myriad Ghost Banner could unleash ten thousand ghosts at once, turning the sky and earth pale. Of course, the Ghost Souls inside varied greatly in quality. Their consciousness had been wiped away, leaving them all dull-witted and with only a trace of their instinct to feast on flesh and blood.

Even so, once a Myriad Ghost Banner had taken shape and gained the advantage of numbers, its power was exceptional. Lei Dong cultivated the Ghost Taming Art; since he had chosen the path of summoning, he could never overlook a powerful Myriad Ghost Banner. In particular, when he captured Yin Souls, most Wild Ghost Soldiers ended up as food for his Ghost Soldiers—a real waste. Refining a Myriad Ghost Banner was the perfect solution.