Return Journey

Leaving the thoroughly destroyed cultist lair, Mo Yuan didn't rush back to the Mortuary.

He chose a more circuitous ancient road, rumored to be fraught with injustices.

This experience made him deeply understand that cultivation was not just about accumulating power, but also about tempering one's mind and cultivating merit.

The Soul Cleansing Banner in his hand was still a Low-Grade Magic Item. Its growth urgently needed the salvation of spirits and the accumulation of Yin virtue to improve its quality and unlock wondrous uses.

The ancient road under the veil of night was overgrown with weeds, and the shadows of trees danced. The moonlight was cold, casting a more desolate atmosphere on the broken stone path.

Mo Yuan walked with steady steps, his divine sense spreading out like a net, sensing the auras along the way.

Near a ruinous rocky area, ancient and said to be a battlefield, he sensed intense resentment and lingering Yin energy.

He stopped and took out the Soul Cleansing Banner. The pole was made of a hundred-year-old Soul Nourishing Wood, its touch warm and smooth; the banner surface was woven from the essence of Spirit Talismans and the spirituality of Purity Bamboo, as thin as cicada wings yet exceptionally tough. It now emitted a soft, clear glow, like a guiding lamp in this eerie environment.

As a Low-Grade Magic Item, it already possessed the basic abilities to store, nourish, and initially purify souls.

"Life is like a dream, how much joy is there? Clinging to obsessions, why not find release? Enter my precious banner, attain purity, and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation." Mo Yuan's voice was calm, imbued with spiritual energy, and carried far, possessing a calming and guiding power.

As his voice fell, a cold wind swirled around, and the temperature plummeted. Within the rocky area, blurry white phantoms gradually appeared.

These wandering spirits varied in form. Some wore tattered armor, like ancient soldiers; others were in rags, like refugees who had died of cold and starvation; still others had distorted faces, filled with obvious malevolence.

They were drawn by the clear light of the Soul Cleansing Banner and instinctively gathered.

The first to approach was the phantom of an old scholar in the attire of a previous dynasty, muttering, "The imperial examinations were unfair... my talent was unrecognized..."

Mo Yuan gently touched him with his divine sense, perceiving his obsession, and said softly, "Fame and fortune are but dust. A scholar's works endure for ages; only your heart knows gain and loss. Your talent, Heaven and Earth can attest to, why be confined by worldly success?" The clear light of the Soul Cleansing Banner flowed, enveloping the old scholar. The resentment on his soul gradually dissipated, becoming peaceful and transparent, finally turning into a wisp of green smoke and being absorbed into the banner.

Mo Yuan could feel the space within the banner vibrate slightly, stabilizing a bit, and feeding back a faint, cool sensation that nourished his divine sense.

This was the power of Yin virtue. Although it couldn't directly increase cultivation, it could subtly consolidate one's foundation and enhance comprehension.

Next, a water ghost, completely drenched and struggling as if drowning, was drawn by the banner's light. Mo Yuan activated a trace of pure spiritual energy within the banner, soothing the fear and pain of its drowning, helping it recognize its current state, and let go of its obsession.

The salvation process was not always smooth. A soldier ghost, filled with malevolent energy, fiercely resisted the banner's light and roared, attempting to charge at Mo Yuan.

Mo Yuan did not resort to thunderous methods. Instead, he continuously activated the Soul Cleansing Banner while chanting the Mount Mao Soul Calming Incantation. With its pure spiritual energy and the power of the incantation, he gradually wore down its malevolence like a spring breeze nurturing the rain.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the crimson in the soldier ghost's eyes gradually faded, and a moment of clarity returned. It cast a complex glance at Mo Yuan before sadly entering the banner.

That night, Mo Yuan stayed by the ruins of the ancient battlefield, like a patient ferryman, guiding these lost souls. With each successful salvation, the Soul Cleansing Banner's clear light condensed a little, the space within expanded slightly, and the spirituality of the Purity Bamboo became more vibrant.

After saving more than ten souls, a faint golden halo began to appear within the banner's original light-green background. This was a sign of accumulated Yin virtue and improved quality, indicating that it had progressed from a newly formed Low-Grade Magic Item towards a Mid-Grade Magic Item.

A Mid-Grade Magic Item would not only be more powerful but also more efficient in purifying souls, and might even begin to develop simple auxiliary properties.

At dawn, Mo Yuan put away his precious banner and continued on his way. During the day, he reflected on his experiences of saving souls at night, tempering his divine sense, and simultaneously used his own spiritual energy to nurture the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear.

Although this spear was a Low-Grade Magic Item upon completion, its materials were extraordinary (core of ten-thousand-year lightning-struck wood, gold essence, Thunder Dragon Soul Essence), giving it a very thick foundation and immense potential. It required constant communion with his mind and refinement with spiritual energy to be wielded as an extension of his arm, laying the foundation for future advancements.

Thus, he traveled by day and saved souls by night for several consecutive days. Mo Yuan no longer deliberately sought out extremely Yin places but went with the flow. One night, he arrived at a mountain village that had been abandoned for many years.

The village was filled with overwhelming resentment, clearly indicating a tragedy had occurred. Dozens of vengeful spirits resembling villagers wandered among the ruins, their cries mournful.

Among them was a core vengeful spirit, whose aura far surpassed ordinary ones, almost transforming into a fierce ghost.

Mo Yuan's expression grew solemn, and he fully activated the Soul Cleansing Banner. The banner's clear light intensified, forming a light screen that enveloped the group of vengeful spirits. At the same time, he performed the Dipper Steps and formed hand seals, assisting the banner's light in purification.

Saving these souls with deep resentment consumed far more mental energy than before. Especially the core vengeful spirit, whose resentment had almost solidified into substance, resisting fiercely.

Mo Yuan maintained his composure, not hesitating to expend spiritual energy, pushing the power of the Soul Calming Incantation to its limit, and combining it with the purification power of the Soul Cleansing Banner to gradually dissolve its immense resentment.

The entire process lasted half the night. When the last core vengeful spirit regained clarity within the banner's light, tears streaming down its face as it transformed into white light and entered the banner, the resentment of the entire village suddenly dissipated, and the air became much fresher.

The Soul Cleansing Banner vibrated violently, its clear light receding, and the golden halo on its surface became clearly visible, like a golden border.

The space within the banner had more than doubled in size and stability. The Purity Bamboo's spirituality was lively, even automatically absorbing faint stray Yin energy from the surroundings and converting it into pure energy to feed back to the banner's owner. Its quality had firmly reached the Mid-Grade Magic Item level. Its deterrent and purification power over souls had greatly increased, and it had begun to possess a weak ability to influence the real environment (such as dispelling gloom).

Mo Yuan let out a long sigh, sweat beading on his forehead, but his eyes were bright. He could clearly feel that as the Soul Cleansing Banner advanced to the Mid-Grade, the Yin virtue fed back to him had also become much richer. His divine sense became more refined, his perception of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy more acute. His Qi Refining sixth-layer realm was completely consolidated, and he even touched the edge of the seventh layer.

His journey back had yielded far more than expected. Not only had he completely destroyed an important Black Fiend Sect stronghold, broken through in cultivation, and tested the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear, but he had also upgraded the Soul Cleansing Banner to a Mid-Grade Magic Item by saving spirits and accumulated considerable Yin virtue.

Gazing at the silhouette of Ren Family Town already visible in the distance, Mo Yuan felt peaceful and resolute.