A Dead Broke Ghost Who Can't Afford a Forged Divine Soul

No matter how the external appearance changes, the core remains the same. The demonic cultivators of this era are truly creative; they actually managed to manifest auspicious signs of dragons and phoenixes from a demonic array.

Zhang Yunlu, standing to the side, turned somewhat pale.

In her heart, she was unwilling to believe it, yet she felt that the person before her was not lying.

The Soul-Absorbing Array is one of the most notorious arrays in the demonic path; even those with little knowledge of the ancient cultivation world have heard of it.

It is an array included in textbooks, and the power the Soul-Absorbing Array can exert is tied to the cultivation realm of the one who sets it.

Once the array is activated, if there is no special protection, cultivators within the array who are two realms lower than the setter will have their souls directly extracted, and the setter themselves will receive an incredibly exaggerated boost.

Now that the Void Return Realm grand cultivator True Person Xiaoning has arrived in Mystic Sword City.

For the person behind the scenes to still dare to set up the array, it means that the person setting it is at least in the Void Return Realm!

Cultivators below the Spirit Transmutation realm would have their souls forcibly extracted the moment the array fully activated.

Not to mention a minor Qi Refining cultivator like her.

"However, there is no need to worry. Just wait patiently; that True Person Xiaoning should have noticed something is wrong by now."

Zhang Yunlu looked at the sky, her eyes filled with worry.

Whether it was true or false, what could she, a mere Qi Refining realm cultivator, possibly do?

As for those around them who were also looking at the sky, they all assumed that the dragon and phoenix phantoms were "special effects" that came with the arrival of a Void Return Realm grand cultivator.

Many people took out their phones to take pictures, and some even stepped on flying swords to fly into the air to find a good angle, but they were quickly chased down by Golden Core stage security guards.

Among them were a few punks with dyed yellow hair who looked like hoodlums; the flying swords they rode were of very average material and craftsmanship, yet they emitted sounds like thunder, accompanied by various dazzling light effects.

"What is up with those people's flying swords?"

Zhang Yunlu felt a bit flustered, but upon hearing the question, she subconsciously replied: "Those are flying sword skins, [Sword Qi Thunder Sound Simulator]; they are useless."

Xu Xing understood immediately; he realized it was the cultivator version of "ghost fire" car modifications.

"It is said that some flying sword skin masters can even imprint the sword intent of top-tier sword cultivators. With swords modified by them, even a novice who has never practiced the sword path can unleash true Sword Qi Thunder Sound or even more powerful realms."

However, the price for that is not something an average person can afford.

"By the way, aren't you a Sword Sect cultivator? How come you haven't heard of these?"

"I often go into seclusion, and I haven't paid much attention to the outside world in recent years."

Zhang Yunlu did not suspect him, simply assuming he was one of those ascetic cultivators who turned a deaf ear to the affairs of the world.

Dang~ Dang~ Dang~

With three consecutive long, archaic bell tolls, Zhang Yunlu's pupils constricted. She saw the dragon and phoenix phantoms in the sky draw close to one another, shimmering with clear light, as a small, silver-white banner emerged from within.

Within Mystic Sword City, regardless of their cultivation level, everyone was drawn to it.

The small banner flowed with fluorescent light, and wherever the clear light shone, countless majestic deities manifested, sitting atop the clouds and looking down upon the entire city.

Every cultivator who met the gaze of a "deity" felt that the divine light in the "deity's" eyes contained the principles of the Great Dao, feeling a sense of great detachment and great freedom from the depths of their souls.

Because they were caught off guard, in just an instant, seventy percent of the cultivators in Mystic Sword City became lost in it, their souls on the verge of leaving their bodies.

Zhang Yunlu lowered her head, feeling the constant sound of Sanskrit chants in her ears, but she used her own willpower to suppress the urge to look up.

Xu Xing stared at her for a few seconds and nodded. Even with his help, the fact that she could persist for so long meant something.

This young girl, with whom he shared quite a bit of fate, possessed a decent temperament.

He then looked toward the side, at the location of the municipal building.

Could it be that the Void Return Realm True Person Xiaoning still hasn't noticed? Have the Immortal Sect disciples of this generation become this incompetent?

Inside the mayor's office, True Person Xiaoning stood by the window with a solemn expression. He had felt something was wrong as soon as the anomaly appeared in the sky.

After that small banner appeared, he was even more certain.

Ten Thousand Soul Banner!

To think that there are still people who dare to refine such an inhumane magical artifact.

The Spirit Transmutation stage mayor and the Supreme Dao Sect disciples who had come with him stood silently behind him, not saying a word.

Suddenly, a Spirit Transmutation stage Supreme Dao Sect cultivator stepped forward.

"Uncle-Master, I have already reported the situation in Mystic Sword City to the sect, but a demonic powerhouse has sealed the vicinity. It will take three minutes for reinforcements to arrive."

Hm?

Since the area is sealed, how did you notify the sect?

True Person Xiaoning turned his head, only to see the junior disciple who had just spoken suddenly collapse and transform into a bean the size of a thumb.

Bean-to-Soldier Transformation!

Damn it!

As expected, it wasn't the real body!

Because the demonic powerhouse had sealed the void, it had also severed his control over his avatar.

Pfft! Pfft!

A series of sounds followed in quick succession. Among the remaining cultivators, some transformed into paper dolls, others into puppets, and some simply dissipated into nothingness.

In the end, only three Spirit Transmutation experts remained, though not a single Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was missing; after all, their avatar techniques could not deceive a Void Return Realm expert like True Person Xiaoning.

The mayor standing to the side looked utterly bewildered, having no idea what these Supreme Dao Sect cultivators were up to.

The corner of True Person Xiaoning's eye twitched.

It's over. I've lost all face this time.

Since things had reached this point, he could only focus on resolving the immediate crisis.

"The city's defensive array has been inverted into a Soul-Deterring Array. I will go and stall the one refining the artifact while we wait for reinforcements from the sect."

Without giving the mayor a chance to ask questions, he transformed into a streak of light and surged outward, heading straight for the Ten Thousand Soul Banner in the sky.

Using a wisp of pure white Primordial Qi as a foundation, he gathered boundless mana to form a massive hand that blotted out the sky, reaching toward the small, silver-white banner.

Great Divine Ability—Great Primordial Qi Capture!

Since the residents of Mystic Sword City were currently all gathered at the sect's station or in schools, he could strike without any reservations!

Under the Primordial Qi hand, the banner's surface swayed, looking like a small boat about to capsize in a raging storm.

"I have been waiting for a long time, True Person Xiaoning."

A voice as clear as jade drifted down, and the group of 'gods' sitting atop the clouds pushed out their palms in unison, sending a surging river of clear light to collide with the massive hand.

BOOM!

A visible shockwave rippled outward. Directly beneath the point of impact, towering buildings were shredded; like a falling star striking the earth, the ground caved inward, crushed into a crater dozens of meters deep.

With the two of them clashing, the cultivators who had been entranced by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner suddenly snapped to their senses.

As the shockwave hit, many were knocked to the ground. Aside from a small few, the rest had no idea what had just happened.

The Sanskrit chanting in her ears vanished, and Zhang Yunlu felt a wave of relief, collapsing from sheer exhaustion.

Straining to lift her head, she looked up; the clouds in the sky had been dispersed by the force of the previous strike.

The majestic-looking 'gods' sat high in the sky, and as the Ten Thousand Soul Banner fluttered gently, a sunny, easygoing youth materialized from the void, reaching out to grab the banner's pole.

"Greetings, True Person Xiaoning," the youth chuckled.

"Evil heretic! Do you dare reveal your name!"

True Person Xiaoning watched him with cold eyes, secretly channeling a great divine ability.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. The Supreme Dao Sect's divine abilities are profound and strange; I have no desire to be hunted to death by the True Person's masters."

"You intend to kill me?" True Person Xiaoning's eyelids twitched.

"No, I merely wish to borrow the True Person's soul."

The two stood in a standoff from afar, the youth waiting for the power of the Soul-Deterring Array to reach its peak.

Meanwhile, True Person Xiaoning was weighing his options: hold out until reinforcements arrived, or... use the Great Void Evil-Breaking Sword Qi hidden within his sea of consciousness to hack this fellow to death!

Truth be told, he was reluctant to use it.

"A soul? I thought you were some formidable demon, but it turns out you're just a broke wretch who can't even afford to buy a synthetic soul!"

The youth's expression stiffened, and his smile vanished.