Soul Scattered, Propping Up a Puppet

The Qi Family had entrenched itself here for over a century. They had even laid down a family-destroying formation like the Nine Yin Gathering Evil Vein Termination Array beneath the Black Refined Iron Ore Vein. Who knew how many people had been sacrificed, their flesh, blood, and souls all devoured.

The moment he stepped into this place, the Soul Devouring Banner within his body, his Lifebound Artifact, began issuing frantic warnings.

Moreover, he had cultivated the Black Fiend Technique to the peak of Azure Profound Fiend Devil Fire. He was exceptionally sensitive to all manner of Vengeful Spirits and Sha Qi. He could sense that deep within this Earth Vein, an enormous formation coiled like a flood dragon, with endless Vengeful Spirits and fierce wraiths wailing within.

Its resentment soared to the heavens, its Karmic Force red as blood.

Thus, Zheng Yi felt not the slightest discomfort at the thought of wiping out such a family. He even felt that he was carrying out justice on Heaven's behalf.

Though from the very beginning, his own intentions had not been entirely pure.

As for those whose interests were tied to the Qi Family's industries, so long as Zheng Yi could gain a firm foothold here, a few years would be enough to change many things.

By then, Zheng Yi himself had no idea how far he would have progressed, but he would certainly be advancing at breakneck speed. Many people and matters would no longer be worth his concern.

Besides, the Qi Family had delivered themselves to his door. The evidence was conclusive, and they had even intended to harm him, an Inner Sect Disciple.

It truly was an excellent excuse!

Merely suppressing these few people would never achieve Zheng Yi's objective.

The Qi Family head had been here for decades already, his influence having spread into every corner. If Zheng Yi did not take this chance to eliminate him now—

Should he be given the chance to rise again in the future, another catastrophe would surely follow.

Zheng Yi would never give these people any so-called chance. If weeds were not pulled up by the roots, the spring wind would make them grow again.

Waving the Soul Devouring Banner, Zheng Yi unleashed surging Sha Qi. Under its cover, the Red-Clothed Female Ghost led numerous Malevolent Ghosts and Yin Soldiers in a howling charge, completely engulfing the Qi Family's direct descendants.

"Spare us..."

"Honored envoy, honored envoy, spare me!"

"I'll cooperate fully! I'll manage this mine properly!"

"We are willing to offer up all the Qi Family's wealth, only please..."

Beneath the shroud of black mist, several miserable voices cried out. Yet Zheng Yi remained unmoved, merely watching in silence.

A moment later, the black mist dispersed. The many Yin Soldiers and Malevolent Ghosts of the Soul Devouring Banner gathered together and were drawn back into it. Zheng Yi once again felt the dense, chilling ghostly qi within, surging like crashing waves. If this Lifebound Artifact was not upgraded and reforged soon, it likely would no longer be able to suppress the Malevolent Ghosts and Yin Soldiers within.

Unstable. Far too unstable.

"It seems raising the Soul Devouring Banner needs to be put on the agenda."

"At this rate, if the Yin Soldiers and Malevolent Ghosts inside grow stronger another one or two times, they'll break through the Soul Devouring Banner's restraints."

Having devoured the souls of several Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivators in succession, the power contained within them gave the Blood-Clothed Female Ghost, the main soul of the Soul Devouring Banner, signs of impending transformation.

If this continued, then after merely one or two more battles like this, the Blood-Clothed Female Ghost might seize the chance to transform again. By then, the lowest-grade Soul Devouring Banner would no longer be able to restrain her movements.

At that point, once this Red-Clothed Female Ghost escaped the Soul Devouring Banner's confinement, the first person she would seek out would be him, the master of the Soul Devouring Banner.

The Sha Qi faded, and the dark clouds scattered. The valley returned to peace.

Yet the vast mining grounds in the valley were now so deathly silent that it was suffocating. Everyone felt as though even their breathing had been suppressed.

Pairs of terrified eyes stared at the young figure holding the Soul Devouring Banner, their faces filled with dread.

No one had expected this seemingly young sect disciple to be so decisive and ruthless from the very start, sending off every one of the Qi Family's people in power.

Even their souls had been devoured outright. They were dead beyond death.

Then, beneath Zheng Yi's feet, he felt a lump of flesh writhing. Looking down, he found that Qi Lin's entire body was shaking uncontrollably, as though stricken by ague.

"Alright! They should all be dead. Get up!"

Zheng Yi yanked Qi Lin to his feet and spoke calmly, as if he had done something utterly insignificant.

"I... I..."

Qi Lin trembled as he stared at the wreckage before him. His tongue quivered so badly that he could not form a complete sentence, while Zheng Yi's voice instead sounded beside his ear.

"They're all dead."

"When it comes down to it, you're also part of the Qi Family's collateral line. You have the right to inherit the Qi Family's properties as well..."

"Next, do you want to become the Qi Family head?!"

That single sentence instantly left the trembling Qi Lin frozen in place. He raised his head in utter disbelief, as though he suspected he had misheard.

"Next, do you want to become the Qi Family head?!"

It had merely been a casual question from Zheng Yi, yet it echoed over and over in Qi Lin's ears like a devil's voice.

For a moment, he stood there blankly, utterly dazed, as though trapped in an illusion and unable to tell which side was reality.

Power and wealth had always been the conditions necessary for a man to stand tall.

As a member of the Qi Family's collateral line, Qi Lin had never been particularly valued. Even his position as the mine supervisor had only come after he spent more than half his fortune and worked tirelessly to curry favor and maneuver his way upward.

In any cultivation family, cultivation resources were limited. Naturally, the main lineage occupied the vast majority, while the collateral branches could only drink a little of the leftover broth.

Qi Lin's future had basically been set in stone. He could not make a breakthrough in his cultivation, so he could only work obediently until death, adding another stick of firewood to the main family's prosperity during his lifetime.

After all, as one of the collateral line, he was destined only to obey orders. He had neither a spirit vein nor cultivation resources.

A mine supervisor like him was already considered one of the more successful members of the collateral line within the family. But if one truly examined it, he was nothing more than a watchdog.

If anything happened to the mine, his head would be the first to roll.

Qi Lin understood this clearly. That was why, after accidentally letting something slip, he knew he was doomed.

Even though he had said those words under Zheng Yi's inducement, to the members of the main family, he was a traitor. No matter what happened afterward, even if the Qi Family weathered this incident safely, he, the chief culprit, would certainly be dealt with—and perhaps die a miserable death.

After all, Qi Lin was nearly forty and only at Qi Refining Stage Three. If someone as insignificant as him vanished from the family, no one would even ask about it.

Yet Qi Lin had managed, as a member of the collateral line, to reach the position of mine supervisor. Naturally, he was an old hand at maneuvering through affairs and dealing smoothly with people.

This was also one reason why Qi Lin had been willing to warn Zheng Yi to flee quickly.

He knew he was bound to die anyway, so he steeled his heart and took a great gamble.

They all shared the same surname and the same ancestor. Why should he be buried with the mine while those noble figures of the main family could wash their hands of the matter and pass through it unharmed?

So if they were going to die, they would die together. Perhaps he could even find life amid death.

And offending the Soul Devouring Sect would certainly bring disastrous consequences upon the Qi Family.

Therefore, Qi Lin did not hesitate to sell out the entire Qi Family Main Lineage.

So long as Zheng Yi could escape this place and return to the sect for reinforcements—

Even if he died, Qi Yuanzong and the other Qi Family leaders would have to be buried alongside him.

Yet the turn of events had come far too suddenly.