The Myriad Soul Banner

The stench of blood here was so thick that even Vice Cult Master Shi felt apprehension beating like a drum in his chest, worried that more than one ancient Body Integration cultivator might be lurking here. If his luck were any worse and he ran into someone at Tribulation Transcendence, he would truly be done for. He felt a surge of relief that he had dragged Lu Yang along. Even if misfortune struck him, would the Heavenly Court Cult really sit by and allow their Young Cult Master to perish in a place like this? "I know very little about demonic blood sacrifices, so I must trouble Cult Master Shi regarding this village's circumstances," Lu Yang said earnestly. It was the honest truth. Vice Cult Master Shi did not refuse. He walked over to the door of a thatched cottage on the outer edge of the village and shoved it open. It was completely empty. Bowls and chopsticks lay on the table, as if the homeowner had been about to eat when an unexpected mishap struck, causing them to vanish into thin air without leaving behind the slightest sign of a struggle. Vice Cult Master Shi pushed open several more doors in succession and found largely the same scene. The traces of daily life remained, clear proof that people had lived here, but for reasons unknown, everyone had disappeared. It was as though someone had stopped time, carried off the people one by one, and then let time resume its flow. A chill ran down Tao Yaoye's spine at the sight. It looked just like the ghost stories she used to read at night tucked under her quilt as a child. She cautiously tugged at the corner of Lu Yang's sleeve, immediately feeling much more at ease. "Can Cult Master Shi tell what happened here?" Vice Cult Master Shi analyzed, "As far as I know, there are two ways to achieve this: spatial imprisonment, or stopping time. "If it was spatial imprisonment, that wouldn't be as bad. A Body Integration cultivator adept in spatial spells could pull it off. But if it was time stoppage, things are dire. Anyone capable of freezing time would, at a conservative estimate, be at Tribulation Transcendence! "In my memory, no one has ever been able to stop time—even Tribulation Transcendence can only do it theoretically!" Lu Yang nodded. "Immortal Suiyue could do it." "Immortal Suiyue?" Vice Cult Master Shi was surprised; he had never heard of this immortal. Lu Yang nodded. "Immortal Suiyue wielded the Suiyue Dao fruit. In his comprehension of time, he was foremost in ancient times, unmatched by anyone." "Such a thing exists?!" Vice Cult Master Shi blurted out in shock. The Dao of time was profoundly obscure and difficult to comprehend, making even scratching its surface an arduous feat. He had never imagined an ancient immortal held time as their Dao fruit. If such a Dao fruit unleashed its power, how terrifying would it be! Tao Yaoye was equally stirred. How was it that Senior Brother Lu spoke of immortals so casually? Judging by Vice Cult Master Shi's dramatic reaction, this was something even a vice cult master of the Nine Nether Cult had never known. Where had Senior Brother Lu learned of this? Had the gap between her and Senior Brother Lu already grown this vast? Vice Cult Master Shi's stunned expression gradually faded. He blinked, turned his head, and asked Lu Yang, "Right, I just spaced out for a moment. What did you say?" "Nothing," Lu Yang replied. He had assumed a Body Integration cultivator might be immune to the immortal's trait of being forgotten, but it turned out that even a late Body Integration powerhouse like Vice Cult Master Shi could not withstand it. "The probability that our culprit is a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator who commands the Dao of time is low. I'm more inclined to believe it's a Body Integration cultivator capable of spatial imprisonment." From the moment he stepped into the village, Lu Yang's brow had remained tightly furrowed. So many people dead, and dying in such a bizarre manner—just how monstrous was the killer? Murdering right under the imperial court's nose without anyone noticing. If Huai'an Village was like this, what about other villages? How many people had the culprit actually slain? Vice Cult Master Shi crouched down and grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground. As he gently rubbed the dark brown soil between his fingers, it revealed a dark red hue. Noticing the confusion on Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye's faces, he proactively explained, "Too many people died here, so the soil became tainted with the bloody stench of the dead! But because of this, I'm certain of one thing!" "What?" "The bloody aura here soared to the heavens, so the scent of blood shouldn't be this faint. Someone must have transferred the bloody aura elsewhere!" "I recall that bloody aura can be used to refine a Myriad Soul Banner, one of the demonic path's great instruments?" Lu Yang said, recalling knowledge related to demonic cultivation. "Correct. Refining Soul-Summoning Banners, Soul-Guiding Banners, and Myriad Soul Banners all requires bloody aura and grievances." Vice Cult Master Shi wore a confident expression. He rubbed the soil into fine powder, tossed it into the air, and rapidly formed a hand seal with one hand, striking out a black sigil. The soil powder gathered around the black sigil and drifted through the air like silk, floating off into the distance. "Come, follow it! If they had refined the bloody aura right here, tracking them would be a hassle. But since they moved the bloody aura away before refining it, I can track down the true refining location using the residual bloody aura!" Vice Cult Master Shi grabbed Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye and took flight, covering several hundred li in a single breath before landing in a mountain range. "The aura ends right over there!" Vice Cult Master Shi pointed at a spot nearby. The three exchanged glances, nodded, held their breath, and walked forward. Suddenly, Vice Cult Master Shi and Lu Yang came to a halt simultaneously. Lu Yang reached out and caught Tao Yaoye, who was about to keep walking forward. Tao Yaoye looked ahead. Lush green trees stood tall, birds sang, and flowers bloomed; she saw nothing distinct from any other place. Vice Cult Master Shi looked at Lu Yang in astonishment, not expecting him to react as fast as he had. "You noticed it too? One more step forward, and you hit a barrier!" Lu Yang nodded. "In ancient times, this was called the Ghost-Wall Formation. Anyone who steps into it loses their sense of direction, becomes utterly disoriented, and ultimately dies trapped inside!" "It's still called the Ghost-Wall Formation today." "Setting up a Ghost-Wall Formation here to keep people out means there's bound to be a secret!" "More than that. Hidden within the Ghost-Wall Formation are multiple formations that cut off all external probing, while also preventing those inside from perceiving the outside!" "Someone is likely cultivating inside the formation and doesn't want to be disturbed by the outside world!" "I smell a faint trace of blood leaking from the formation!" "Judging by the setup of the formation, it wasn't done by Tribulation Transcendence." "As long as it's not Tribulation Transcendence, we're in good shape." The two traded lines back and forth analyzing the formation, thereby deducing what was happening inside: a Body Integration cultivator had laid down a formation in the mountains to refine bloody aura undisturbed, cultivating inside while connected to the massacre of Huai'an Village. Tao Yaoye followed silently behind them, struggling a bit to keep up with Lu Yang's pace. Why could Senior Brother Lu converse so seamlessly with a Body Integration cultivator even on matters like this? When doing sect missions outside, Tao Yaoye had met brilliant Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators. Those people spoke eloquently in front of her as if they knew everything under the sun, but in front of a Soul Formation cultivator, they would stammer and act timid. If they encountered a Void Refining or Body Integration cultivator, they could hardly string a sentence together. Compared to Senior Brother Lu, they were worlds apart. Vice Cult Master Shi chuckled. What he loved most was disrupting someone else's cultivation—ideally causing the ancient Body Integration cultivator inside to suffer qi deviation! He pulled an octagonal sledgehammer from his storage ring and tossed it upward. As if inflated with air, the sledgehammer swelled to the size of a small mountain, every facet and edge glinting with a chilly gleam. The octagonal sledgehammer plunged downward like a falling meteorite, crushing down with imposing might. Crack—! The colossal octagonal sledgehammer seemed to strike something, letting out a sharp cracking sound. Vice Cult Master Shi rubbed his hands together and pressed down hard once more. Infused with fresh power, the octagonal sledgehammer smashed through the invisible barrier. Crack—crack—shatter! The barrier shattered, and a sickening stench of blood rushed over them. Tao Yaoye's beautiful eyes widened as she stared incredulously at the scene before her. Where was there any lush scenery of singing birds or fragrant flowers? Trees were withered, rivers of blood flowed, and the ground was dyed crimson. Ghostly shadows flickered amidst a howling yin wind. In the very center sat a withered old man cross-legged, with a ragged blood-red banner planted beside him. "Who are you?!" The old man snapped his eyes open, automatically ignoring Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye to glare fiercely at Vice Cult Master Shi, grinding his teeth. The formation he had arranged should not have been discovered. The only flaw was the leaking bloody aura, something only a seasoned veteran demon could detect. A veteran old demon had no grievances or grudges with him, so why smash his formation?! "I'm your grandfather!" Vice Cult Master Shi roared with laughter. Beckoning the octagonal sledgehammer back, he raised it and smashed it straight down. The withered old man grabbed the ragged banner and dodged, muttering incantations under his breath as he evaded. Vice Cult Master Shi couldn't have cared less. Brandishing a bone scythe in his other hand, he hammered and slashed at the withered old man. He could tell that breaking the formation had caused the old man severe backlash, leaving him in terrible shape. Beat the drowning dog! "That's all you've got? You're truly a disgrace to ancient cultivators!" "And what's this Myriad Soul Banner you're refining? That's child's play I grew bored of years ago!" "Die for your granddaddy!" Vice Cult Master Shi displayed overwhelming might, driving the withered old man back step after step, unable to mount a single decent counterattack. Boom! The octagonal sledgehammer and the bone scythe slammed down simultaneously, smashing the withered old man deep into the mountain. "Good, good, good! The younger generation is formidable indeed!" Enraged to the point of laughter, the old man emerged from the cratered hollow in the mountain, the ragged banner in his hand glowing with light. Vice Cult Master Shi clicked his tongue. "Careless of me." "Careless how?" Tao Yaoye asked. Vice Cult Master Shi pointed at the withered old man and spat. "I was having so much fun beating him that I didn't notice the old bastard was refining the Myriad Soul Banner the entire time he was taking hits. Now the banner is fully refined. It won't be easy to handle." The withered old man's face was dark enough to drip water. His words seeped through the cracks of his teeth, grating with an intensely uncomfortable sensation. "This seat happened to acquire a vast quantity of bloody aura, perfect for refining the Myriad Soul Banner! Today, I'll teach you juniors of later generations my true might! "Myriad Soul Banner, arise!" The yin wind shrieked, bone-chillingly cold. Surrounding gale converged toward the withered old man, and countless phantom souls manifested behind him—massive in stature and numbering far beyond tens of thousands. As the old man cackled wildly, the Myriad Soul Banner completed its refinement, the outlines of the ghost souls becoming increasingly distinct. Lu Yang recognized the silhouettes of these spirits: pigs, cattle, sheep... "Huh?" All four people present froze in bewilderment.