Beast King Banners

The eighth layer of the Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter. Upon cultivating to this realm, one could comprehend the Seven Po Killing Formation. Only by revisiting the mantras and secrets of the technique from the vantage of the Nascent Soul realm was he finally able to truly grasp their profound depths. Qin Sang entered meditation to contemplate the technique, his attention first falling upon his primary combat method—the Seven Po Killing Formation. Having already grasped sword momentum, he possessed a solid foundation. Without expending much effort, he comprehended some of the true intent of the Seven Po Killing Formation and successfully deployed it. However, this killing formation was merely an empty framework, bearing a closer resemblance to the sword formation Qin Sang had previously comprehended on his own. The Seven Po Killing Formation was exceedingly profound; the degree to which the sword souls, Killing Talismans, and seven po integrated with one another directly dictated its might. From the looks of it now, fully unleashing the power of the Seven Po Killing Formation would take time. For now, it could only serve as an ordinary means of confronting enemies; his greatest trump card remained the demonic banners. Setting the Seven Po Killing Formation aside for the moment, Qin Sang began attempting to cultivate the technique. He had long memorized the scripture by heart, but in the past his realm had been insufficient, rendering it obscure and difficult to decipher. Now that he had formed his Nascent Soul, he could finally cross the threshold. After a long time, Qin Sang opened his eyes and fell into deep thought. "Projecting the Killing Talisman onto the sword soul..." A troubled look crossed his face; he had no clear clue how to proceed. After some thought, he summoned the ebony sword and one of its sword souls, linking his mind to the first Killing Talisman. He visualized the Killing Talisman as tangible and real, merging himself into one with it. Channeling the power of the Killing Talisman, he condensed a phantom of the talisman and merged it into the sword soul. *Snap!* The sword soul suddenly shattered. Qin Sang was jolted back to his senses, realizing that the sword soul was not an actual physical entity. Like any other ray of sword light, it was intangible, merely carrying the aura of his divine soul. How could such a ray of sword light bear the power of the Killing Talisman and endure indefinitely without dissipating? To think that the very first step of the technique was actually the most difficult. Qin Sang composed himself. Undeterred, he re-condensed a sword soul, immersing himself in the scriptural texts of the technique while conducting various experiments. Right at that moment, Qin Sang sensed someone touching the restrictions of the cave dwelling. Sweeping with his divine sense, he discovered it was Elder Xun, whom he had met earlier. After considering it, Qin Sang got to his feet and walked out of the cave dwelling. "Fellow Daoist Qin!" Elder Xun was exceptionally polite toward Qin Sang. This was not solely because of Qingjun. Though Qin Sang did not wish to expose his identity as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he had no intention of keeping too low a profile either; the cultivation realm he displayed outwardly was unmistakably the peak of the Core Formation stage. "Fellow Daoist Xun, please come in!" Qin Sang cupped his hands and invited Elder Xun inside, saying amiably, "Last time, when I followed the sect master back to the mountain, it was in such haste that I wasn't able to pay my respects to all of you. Please do not take offense, Fellow Daoist Xun." "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Elder Xun waved his hands repeatedly, making no mention of Qin Sang's origins. "I only learned that Fellow Daoist Qin had returned after hearing it from the disciples. Before the sect master departed, she entrusted the mountain gate's affairs to me. Might I ask if Fellow Daoist Qin requires anything? I can have the disciples make preparations in advance." Qin Sang expressed his thanks. "There is no need to trouble yourself, Fellow Daoist Xun. During my travels earlier, I gained certain insights, so I returned this time wishing to cultivate quietly for a while. I may also browse the ancient texts preserved in the sect..." Come to think of it, Qin Sang still couldn't fathom how Senior Sister Qingjun intended to handle the Yuanshen Sect in the future. Managed across generations, the Yuanshen Sect possessed profound foundations. If Qingyang Temple could absorb the Yuanshen Sect, it could effortlessly establish its structure and assume the grand stature of a top-tier sect. The thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind, only to be suppressed immediately. Establishing Qingyang Temple was nothing to be rushed; when an opportunity arose, he could ask Senior Sister Qingjun what she thought. The two exchanged pleasantries for a time. Elder Xun escorted Qin Sang to the repository where the ancient records were kept. They conversed pleasantly along the way, and Qin Sang also gleaned some news of the front lines from Elder Xun. After seeing Elder Xun off, Qin Sang eagerly pored over the ancient tomes, among which were the Yuanshen Sect's most precious formation texts, reaping a bountiful harvest. Thereafter, he remained at the Yuanshen Sect. Several months later. Qin Sang finally succeeded in projecting the phantom of the first Killing Talisman onto a sword soul. Within the sword soul, the talisman's phantom flickered faintly; though somewhat indistinct, it did not collapse as before. Qin Sang let out a long breath. This had cost him tremendous mental effort, but he had finally succeeded. From here on, there was no need to rush. He only needed to continue condensing sword souls and methodically project all seven Killing Talismans, after which he could attempt to integrate the seven po. Qin Sang retracted the sword soul and turned his attention to other matters. First, he took out the shell of the Nine Lives Mysterious Turtle. The best use for this turtle shell would be refining it into a defensive magic treasure. However, Qin Sang had another purpose for it. Along with it, he also took out the green copper chunk. There was a reason he placed these two treasures together: the profound water energy contained within the turtle shell happened to counter fire. Perhaps, coupled with the green copper chunk, it could help him subdue the Nanming Primordial Fire. Right now, this was merely Qin Sang's preliminary thought, and these two treasures alone were likely not enough. Nevertheless, he certainly could not recklessly refine the turtle shell beforehand. Qin Sang pondered for a moment. His fingers danced as he cast several simple restrictions, all landing upon the surface of the turtle shell. The shell was tough enough that he could simply treat it as a shield for now. Having dealt with the turtle shell, Qin Sang brought out the Star Conch. After testing the Star Conch's power, Qin Sang shook his head. There was a limit to the amount of true essence this treasure could absorb, and it could only be released once in battle; its utility in the Nascent Soul stage was negligible. By the same token, the same was true for the Primordial Concentric Rings and the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman. These treasures, which had rendered illustrious service during his Core Formation stage, had all become obsolete. The Thunder Command Art, on the other hand, grew in power alongside his realm breakthroughs and remained a potent Daoist art. "And these!" Qin Sang brought out several spirit banners. These were the Beast King Banners he had obtained from killing the disciples of Black Snake Mountain of the Witch Clan. At full strength, the Beast King Banner formation consisted of a full eighty-one banners. If they could be assembled and controlled individually by Core Formation disciples, their power would be formidable; they could be bequeathed to Qingyang Temple as a core heritage. Even if Qingyang Temple had no Nascent Soul cultivator in the future, it would not decline too quickly. He did not possess enough Beast King Banners, but Qin Sang had acquired the method to craft them. While the Xiaohan Realm lacked sufficient demon beasts for him to harvest souls and refine banners, the Ancient Immortal Battlefield had an abundance of cloud beasts. During this period, he had browsed the treasures of the Yuanshen Sect and gained some insights into spiritual formations. When he had time, he would attempt to modify the Beast King Banners. ... Qin Sang organized his Qianjun Ring, taking inventory of all the treasures on his person. What remained for last was the demonic banners. There were eighteen demonic banners in total. After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, Qin Sang could command twelve demonic banners in battle without the aid of medicinal pills. He had tested it; twelve banners was his limit, and he could not control more. Back then, Patriarch Kuiyin had made a grand name for himself with only ten banners. Formed into an array, twelve demonic banners possessed the might of a top-grade magic treasure. Qin Sang estimated that, together with his other divine abilities, he would have no reason to fear even a mid-Nascent Soul opponent. At worst, he could escape using his movement techniques. Still, no Nascent Soul old monster was simple; unless strictly necessary, Qin Sang would not actively provoke them. *Cultivation cannot be rushed. It would be better to focus my main efforts on the Fire Seed Golden Lotus. If I can make further progress in it, I might be able to control fifteen demonic banners...* Qin Sang thought to himself.