[Soul Refining Banner]
Walking along the devastated streets, Qi Yun calmly waved the large black banner in his hand.
The wind whistled through the air.
The banner, which looked extremely heavy, seemed as weightless as a feather in his hands.
Each time the banner fluttered, it stirred up a chilling whirlwind that precisely swept up the corpses of several recently deceased Yellow Springs Netherworld from the Underworld.
This [Soul Refining Banner] is an unorthodox Law Technique that combines artifact cultivation with magic.
The mysteries are all contained within this magical Law Artifact in my hand.
Collecting corpses, absorbing remnant souls, and refining vengeful spirits are merely its basic functions.
The newly crafted soul banner in Qi Yun's hand has an extremely large internal space.
Although not as convenient as a storage bracelet for storing and retrieving external objects, it can generate its own Yin energy to nourish the souls and resentment collected within the banner.
When facing an enemy, one only needs to infuse True Essence, and the banner will drop down strands of black energy that appear to be tangible, like countless sinister tentacles, which can whip and entangle at will.
Once struck by this black energy, the malevolent and poisonous energy it contains will immediately invade the bone marrow and internal organs.
It not only harms the physical body, but also erodes and pollutes the opponent's True Essence, damaging their cultivation.
It was truly insidious and ruthless.
According to the Law Technique Jade Slip slip, if this technique can be cultivated to its ultimate level, ninety-nine powerful Main Soul and resentful spirits will be nurtured within the banner.
When unleashed in battle, it unleashes the howling of a hundred ghosts, blotting out the sky and the sun.
The resulting dark domain can greatly weaken enemies, and its power is quite formidable.
Qi Yun naturally didn't expect it to unleash such power in a short time.
I simply use it as a disguise and auxiliary tool, because it's convenient for me.
He waved the large banner, and black energy swirled towards the corpses of the two Yellow Springs Netherworld disciples lying together.
The corpse was successfully swept into the banner, and with two "thuds," two dusty Storage Bag fell from the soon-to-disappear body and landed on the ground.
A barely perceptible glint flashed in Qi Yun's cloudy eyes. He bent down naturally, picked up the two Storage Bag with practiced ease, and stuffed them into his pocket.
The whole process was smooth and effortless, clearly indicating that it had been done many times before.
He separated a wisp of his Divine Sense and probed into one of the Storage Bag.
The bag contained mostly Yin-attribute materials, low-level pills, and a small amount of Spirit Stone, nothing particularly unusual.
But when his Divine Sense swept over another Storage Bag, a familiar tremor, originating from the Law Technique Panel, slowly emerged.
"Hmm?" Qi Yun's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately focused his attention on it.
In the corner of the Storage Bag, mixed among a pile of odds and ends, lay a coffin nail about seven inches long, dark blood-red in color, its surface engraved with twisted runes.
The nail exuded an extremely subtle, yet penetrating, aura that seemed to point directly to the underworld.
"I searched high and low without finding it, but it came to me effortlessly—now, I've almost gathered all the spiritual materials needed for the [Soul Refining Banner]." Qi Yun's numb facade barely concealed the smile that was creeping onto his lips.
Suppressing his joy, he calmly gripped the blood-red coffin nail.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Law Technique Panel shone brightly!
The blood-red coffin nail in his hand dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The Dao essence contained within was forcibly extracted by the Spirit Transformation of the Law Technique Panel.
Like all rivers flowing into the sea, they all merged into the [Soul Refining Banner], and the refining was completed after a few breaths.
[Automatic Law Technique updates complete. This is a minor version update; Law Technique effects have been adjusted as follows.]
[Soul Refining Banner 2.0: Increases the speed of refining vengeful spirits]
Raising an eyebrow, Qi Yun looked at the updated information appearing on the Law Technique Panel, then his gaze fell on the Soul Refining Banner in his hand, examining its contents.
It was a dark and gloomy space, devoid of sun, moon, and stars, only filled with an endless, thick, and eerie black aura.
This black mist is the Yin energy that the Soul Refining Banner itself generates.
At this moment, it is like an invisible millstone, slowly eroding and wearing down the corpses that have just been swept into it.
The remnant soul let out a silent wail in the black mist, forcibly stripped and torn apart, then mixed with the Yin energy, transforming into a more concentrated and sinister state.
According to the Law Technique described in the "Soul Refining Banner"
To refine the collected corpses and souls into "vengeful spirits" with a certain degree of attack power, it would take at least a hundred days of painstaking work.
It takes shape only after being nourished and tempered day and night by the yin energy.
At this moment, the Soul Refining Banner was refining vengeful spirits much faster.
At this rate, the first "vengeful spirit" with actual combat capabilities will probably take shape in ten days at most.
This efficiency far surpasses that of ordinary Soul Refining Banner.
Qi Yun withdrew his Divine Sense and pondered in his mind.
In this way, the Soul Refining Banner can not only serve as a disguise, but may soon be put to real use, becoming another card he can play against his enemies.
According to his original plan, he intended to continue using the guise of "Zhang Mazi" while following the Holy Sect Sect's main force to attack the Yellow Springs Netherworld's stronghold, thus taking advantage of the chaos.
Following the guidance of the "Detailed Explanation" manual, he also sought out and absorbed the Qi of Earth Sha the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends along the way, steadily improving his cultivation.
But plans never keep up with changes.
Three days ago, a sudden piece of news, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly exploded among the disciples of the Holy Sect and also reached Qi Yun's ears.
[Ten Foundation Establishment True Person from the Holy Sect have joined forces to launch a surprise attack on a Remnant Realm called "Yin Ruins," controlled by the Yellow Springs Netherworld!]
The initial surprise attack was quite successful, catching the Yellow Springs Netherworld completely off guard.
This resulted in the loss of three hundred outer disciples, dozens of inner disciple, and eight Foundation Establishment True Person in that Yellow Springs Netherworld Remnant Realm.
Then, these ten Holy Sect True Person joined forces to set up a great formation, completely sealing off the passage to the "Yin Ruins".
They adopted a posture as if they intended to trap and kill the Yellow Springs Netherworld cultivators inside.
Currently, the main forces of the two major sects are continuously converging on [Teapot Valley], where the entrance to "Yin Ruins" is located, resulting in a tense standoff.
According to the latest intelligence, the Yellow Springs Netherworld has already gathered nearly a thousand cultivators around the Teapot Valley, forming a formidable force. Meanwhile, the Holy Sect...
Apart from the ten Foundation Establishment True Person sealed the entrance with unclear intentions, very few disciples have rushed to the Teapot Valley to provide support so far.
Or rather—there is none.
Qi Yun looked at the latest message from the Jade Slip slip in his hand, and almost couldn't maintain the feigned numbness on his face, nearly bursting out laughing.
He forcefully suppressed the twitching at the corner of his mouth:
"The spirit of our Holy Sect is truly upheld from top to bottom!"
This is clearly another hook cast by the high-ranking officials of the Holy Sect Sect's Inner Mansion; it's unclear who they intend to catch.
This is clearly a thankless task with no reward whatsoever. On the contrary, it could easily lead to being dragged into a larger vortex or even becoming a discarded pawn.
The Holy Sect disciples' reactions were almost unbelievably synchronized!
If you can avoid it, then avoid it; if you can evade it, then evade it.
If it's unavoidable, they'll just go through the motions without putting in any real effort, and would never willingly step forward to be cannon fodder.
Forget about camaraderie; when faced with real interests and risks, everything else has to take a backseat.
"This is getting interesting—" Qi Yun stroked his chin, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
The confrontation between the Teapot Valley seems dangerous, but perhaps the murky the waters, the greater the opportunity?
He glanced at the Soul Refining Banner in his hand, then sensed the "Secret Manual: Detailed Explanation of the Northwest Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Positions" in his storage bracelet and the golden ring related to the inheritance of ancient sword cultivators.
Perhaps, this sudden storm wasn't entirely a bad thing for him.
Teapot Valley, as its name suggests, is formed by steep mountains on both sides converging, resembling a giant teapot with only a narrow entrance in the middle.
Today, this once desolate valley is filled with a suffocating and chilling atmosphere.
Outside the valley entrance, a dark mass of cultivators from the Yellow Springs Netherworld shrouded in darkness.
Nearly a thousand figures huddled together, their dense Yin energy gathering into clouds that blotted out the sky, and the wails of countless ghosts could be faintly heard.
Countless magical Law Artifact and soul banners, shimmering with eerie green and pale white light, stood tall, as if a sinister ghost realm had descended upon the mortal world.
The soaring resentment and murderous intent almost dyed the sky in front of Teapot Valley black.
In stark contrast to this imposing presence was the unusually "thin" defensive line at the entrance to Teapot Valley.
There were only ten people.
Ten figures dressed in the attire of the Wuji Sacred Sect stood there seemingly casually, yet they resembled ten insurmountable, majestic divine mountains, firmly guarding the passage behind them leading to the "Yin Ruins" Remnant Realm.
Their auras were distinct and unfathomable, with faint glimmers of light emanating from their bodies. Just by standing there, the natural pressure they exuded prevented the thousand Yellow Springs Netherworld outside the valley from making any rash moves, resulting in a strange stalemate.
These ten Holy Sect True Person, even just by looking at their outlines, one can tell they are extraordinary.
There was a man with a towering figure, like an iron tower, holding a sheathless giant sword. The sword was dark red, as if it had been soaked in countless bloodstains. Just by standing there quietly, he exuded a sharpness that could cleave the sky.
A figure shrouded in a wide black robe, his face blurred, with only two crimson eyes flickering in the shadows, the ground beneath his feet silently turning into a corrosive swamp.
Some people had an air of otherworldly grace, holding a whisk and wearing a gentle smile, but with the opening and closing of their eyes, an invisible mental shock rippled out, causing some of the less resolute disciples of the Yellow Springs Netherworld to turn pale and their Divine Soul to tremble.
They didn't communicate much with each other.
Even their positions seemed somewhat distant.
However, their vital energies are subtly connected, forming an invisible yet solid barrier.
In the stalemate, a white-faced, beardless, and slightly effeminate-looking Holy Sect True Person casually glanced at the open area behind him and the faintly visible, hesitant escape lights of a few Holy Sect disciples further away.
His lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he transmitted his thoughts to the fellow disciple beside him who was holding a giant sword:
"Senior Brother Li, it seems our little rascals are determined to watch the old folks have their fun this time."
The burly True Person addressed as Senior Brother Li let out a barely audible hum, his arm holding the sword remaining perfectly still. His divine sense returned, carrying a hint of roughness and helplessness:
"Hmph, they're all smarter than ghosts!"
Why expect them to fight to the death when there's no benefit to be gained?
"Fine, let them be. Even without Butcher Zhang, are we going to have to eat hairy pigs?"
Upon hearing this, another True Person, holding a whisk and exuding an air of otherworldly grace, smiled slightly and intervened with his divine sense:
"Hehe, Junior Brother Li, you are mistaken."
This demonstrates that my Holy Sect disciples can discern right from wrong and know how to assess the situation.
This is truly a blessing for the sect and a testament to its traditional virtues.
Upon hearing this, the other True Person understood without saying a word and remained silent.
For a moment, the atmosphere was strangely harmonious and—a bit ridiculous.
Yes, traditional virtues.
Ten True Person faced a thousand enemy soldiers, with no one behind them.
They exchanged a knowing glance.
His eyes held a mixture of annoyance, a hint of amusement, but mostly a nonchalant acceptance of "that's just how it is."
Since we can't count on the younger ones, then we ten old bones will have to carry the burden of this Teapot Valley and the entrance to the "Yin Ruins" for now.