Arriving at the Mortuary

As dusk settled over Ren Family Town, it remained as peaceful as ever. However, Mo Yuan keenly sensed a subtle, almost imperceptible tension in the air. Without alerting anyone, he quietly returned to the Mortuary.

Inside, Uncle Nine was meticulously cleaning his Peach Wood Sword by the lamplight, his brow furrowed. Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng listlessly sorted talismans nearby, the atmosphere heavy.

"Master, I'm back," Mo Yuan announced calmly as he pushed open the courtyard gate.

All three looked up simultaneously. Seeing Mo Yuan safely returned, surprise flashed in their eyes.

"Junior Disciple Brother! You're finally back!" Qiu Sheng was the first to jump up. "You've been gone for over a month, Master has been talking about you every day!"

Wen Cai also came over, scrutinizing Mo Yuan from head to toe. He clicked his tongue, "Junior Disciple Brother, your... aura seems different again, deeper."

Uncle Nine put down the Peach Wood Sword. His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over Mo Yuan, a flicker of imperceptible astonishment in his eyes.

He could feel that Mo Yuan's cultivation was not only stable at the sixth level of Qi Refining, with a harmonious and contained aura, but he also exuded an indescribable presence where majesty and serenity coexisted. This was an aura only possessed by those who had experienced great trials and possessed merit.

"It's good that you're back," Uncle Nine suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his tone as steady as ever. "It seems this trip was quite fruitful."

Mo Yuan nodded. Instead of immediately detailing the dangers at the Black Fiend Sect's main altar, he first presented the Soul Cleansing Banner, its surface shimmering with a soft glow. "Master, please look at this banner."

Uncle Nine took the Soul Cleansing Banner. His fingertips brushed over the faint golden edge on its surface, sensing the gentle yet powerful purifying energy contained within, as well as that subtle trace of merit. His expression finally shifted. "A Mid-Grade Magic Item? And... it actually contains such pure power of salvation and the energy of Yin virtue. Where did you obtain it?" Magic items were easy to come by, but a special magic item like this, focused on purifying spirits and accumulating merit, and of such high quality, was truly rare.

Mo Yuan then recounted his journey, omitting the details about the system's sign-in function. He primarily described how he tracked the Black Fiend Sect's clues, discovered their main altar, battled the evil cultivators and the Corpse King Protector, and finally destroyed the altar, rescuing the dragon soul (he concealed the details of the Dragon King's gift, merely stating it was an ancient spiritual entity).

He also mentioned purifying spirits along the way, accumulating Yin virtue, which in turn caused the Soul Cleansing Banner's quality to improve.

Uncle Nine listened, his expression shifting from grave to relieved. When he heard that Mo Yuan had faced the peak Qi Refining Red Robe Elder and the Corpse King Protector, who was comparable to Foundation Establishment, alone, even knowing his disciple was standing safely before him, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Finally, he let out a long sigh and patted Mo Yuan's shoulder. "Good! Good! You are truly worthy of being my Lin Jiu's disciple! Calm in the face of danger, brave and resourceful, and what's more, you possess compassion, purifying spirits and accumulating Yin virtue. This is a great act of kindness!"

He pondered for a moment and continued, "The Black Fiend Sect, having suffered such a heavy blow, will surely not let this go. The Holy Maiden who escaped is cunning and treacherous; we must be doubly wary. The scrolls you brought back are extremely important. I need to study them carefully with a few fellow Daoist friends to discuss countermeasures. As for this Soul Cleansing Banner..." Uncle Nine's eyes revealed approval. "You were able to elevate it to Mid-Grade, and it is connected to your own merit. This is your destiny. You should use this banner well in the future, accumulating Yin virtue, which will greatly benefit your cultivation. Remember, the power of merit is profound and mysterious, a crucial cornerstone for achieving the Great Dao, especially in this Age of Dharma Decline, it is even rarer."

"This disciple remembers Master's teachings," Mo Yuan replied respectfully.

In the following days, Mo Yuan's life returned to its previous rhythm, but its content became even more fulfilling. He diligently practiced the Basic Qi Refining Manual and the Divine Dragon Body Refining Art daily, consolidating his sixth-level Qi Refining cultivation while also attempting to break through to the seventh level. With a trace of the Dragon King's primordial dragon energy as a gift, he felt his cultivation progressed twice as fast, with spiritual energy absorption and refinement far exceeding that of his peers.

The Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear became the focus of his practice. Every morning, he would practice the Dragon Snake Eight Styles in the courtyard, perfectly integrating the spear's basic techniques of thrusting, parrying, sweeping, and smashing with his movement and footwork. More importantly, he continuously nurtured and refined the spear with his spiritual power and divine sense, attempting to communicate with the Thunder Dragon Soul Essence within on a deeper level. Under his meticulous care, the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear's spirituality grew daily, its lightning patterns becoming increasingly distinct. He wielded it with greater ease, and although it was still a Low-Grade Magic Item, its power was already rivaling some ordinary Mid-Grade offensive magic items.

The use of the Soul Cleansing Banner also did not cease. Although there were no major wars or chaos around Ren Family Town, there were always some lonely spirits and ghosts lingering due to accidents, illnesses, or obsessions. Mo Yuan often went out at night, holding the Soul Cleansing Banner, patrolling the area, and purifying any he encountered. This process not only continuously accumulated Yin virtue and strengthened the Soul Cleansing Banner but also deepened his understanding of the Way of Souls and the cycle of life and death, making his state of mind more transparent and harmonious.

One night, Mo Yuan was under an old locust tree outside the town, purifying a female ghost who had hanged herself a century ago out of obsessive love and had been lingering ever since. As the female ghost finally let go of her obsession and turned into white light, entering the banner, the Soul Cleansing Banner suddenly emitted a brilliant clear light. The golden edge on its surface suddenly brightened several times, and faint, mysterious, tiny runes appeared! The space within the banner expanded again, and the spirituality of the Purity Bamboo almost became tangible, its autonomous purification and transformation efficiency greatly increasing. Mo Yuan sensed this and knew that the Soul Cleansing Banner had been promoted from a Mid-Grade Magic Item to a High-Grade Magic Item! High-Grade Magic Items not only possessed stronger power and spiritual abilities but also began to nurture the rudimentary form of a unique "magic domain." Once the Soul Cleansing Banner's "Purity Magic Domain" was unfurled, its suppressive power against Yin evil spirits would be terrifying, even affecting reality, dispelling filth and bringing peace within a certain range.

The moment the Soul Cleansing Banner was promoted, a surge of Yin virtue energy, several times purer and more potent than before, flowed back into Mo Yuan's limbs, bones, and soul sea. He felt an unprecedented clarity in his mind, his spiritual power surged unstoppably, and the bottleneck of the sixth level of Qi Refining shattered under the impact of this vast righteous energy! Seventh level of Qi Refining, achieved! The advancement in cultivation was a natural progression, without any forced effort. Moreover, because the breakthrough was aided by Yin virtue, his foundation was extremely solid, and his spiritual power became even purer and more condensed. Mo Yuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with divine light, his aura significantly deeper than before. He looked at the Soul Cleansing Banner in his hand, its surface shimmering with clear light and runes, feeling immense satisfaction. All of this was the result of his diligent cultivation and accumulation of merit, step by step.

Upon returning to the Mortuary, Uncle Nine felt the obvious change in Mo Yuan and was even more astonished. In such a short time, he had broken through bottlenecks and a magic item had been promoted; such speed was unheard of. However, he also saw that Mo Yuan's aura was steady and his foundation was solid, not a result of forced growth. He could only sigh again at his disciple's extraordinary destiny and disposition, which was beyond that of ordinary people.

"Mo Yuan," Uncle Nine called Mo Yuan into the quiet room, handing him a letter with a serious expression. "This is news from a good friend of mine in the Provincial City. The Black Fiend Sect has been very active around the Provincial City recently, seemingly with greater ambitions. Moreover, they seem to be secretly inquiring about a young cultivator who possesses dragon energy and uses lightning techniques... It seems they have set their sights on you."

Mo Yuan took the letter and quickly scanned it, his eyes calm and unwavering. What was coming would come. "Master, this disciple understands," he folded the letter. "We will meet force with force and flood with a dam. This disciple will continue to improve his strength and be ready to respond at any time."

Uncle Nine looked at his calm and confident disciple before him, feeling both pride and a hint of worry. He knew that Mo Yuan's stage was no longer limited to this small Ren Family Town. The storms of the future would only be more turbulent. But he also believed that with Mo Yuan's disposition and abilities, he would surely carve out his own world in this Age of Dharma Decline.

"Go, make your preparations. Perhaps soon, we will have to actively confront the Black Fiend Sect," Uncle Nine said gravely.

Mo Yuan bowed and exited the quiet room. Under the moonlight, he clenched the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear in his hand, feeling the surging power within him and the warm connection from the upgraded Soul Cleansing Banner in his sea of consciousness.