17: Chapter 17 Demonic Cultivator

Although the black banner only looked the size of a millstone, the moment it was brought out, Li Changqing felt a dense Yin Qi, filled with disaster, resentment, and hatred, which made one's hair stand on end.

"Demonic Artifact."

The instant he saw the black banner, Li Changqing immediately realized that the opposing Cultivator was a follower of the Demonic Path, and the item released this time was a powerful Demonic Artifact.

Demonic Artifacts are Magical Artifacts refined by Demonic Path Cultivators, and the Demonic Path is simply another path of cultivation with a different philosophy.

The three Black-Robed Cultivator brothers were authentic Demonic Path Cultivators who frequently killed people to seize treasures, using the Souls of the living to refine Demonic Artifacts without any scruples.

The Black-Robed Cultivator performed hand seals and chanted incantations, causing the Hundred-Soul Banner to shake violently as its surface suddenly expanded. Accompanied by piercing shrieks, streams of black shadows surged out from the banner, transforming into dozens of fierce ghosts.

These fierce ghosts had eyes as red as blood and fingers curved like iron hooks, their bodies shrouded in heavy resentment and baleful energy. They were all created by the Black-Robed Cultivator, who had slaughtered innocent Cultivators and forcibly refined their Souls.

Once the ghosts took form, the Black-Robed Cultivator pointed forward with his fingertip and shouted sharply, "Go!" Instantly, the Yin Qi intensified, and shrill cries echoed across the fields. Dozens of fierce ghosts bared their fangs and brandished their claws, wrapped in billowing black smoke as they lunged fiercely at Li Changqing.

Although each fierce ghost did not appear to have high cultivation—generally below the Qi Refining 7th Layer, with only two above that level—their sheer numbers made the scene look terrifying.

Because most of the Cultivators had died innocently, these Souls were filled with baleful energy, and each one was fearless of death.

Cold winds howled, accompanied by eerie wails. The vengeful ghosts, transformed from wronged Souls, had blood-red eyes and opened their bloody maws, shrieking as they pounced toward Li Changqing.

Facing this terrifying offensive, which was enough to cause an ordinary Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator to lose their composure, Li Changqing's expression remained as calm as water. He knew well that ordinary Spells and physical attacks could hardly restrain these massed ghosts.

He had already reached his hand into the Storage Pouch at his waist. At the same time, Li Changqing utilized the terrain to cleverly evade the fierce ghosts' attacks, taking out two Medium Grade fire-elemental Talismans, which he activated in succession and threw into the air.

"Quick..."

The activation process of the Fireball Talisman was simple yet full of power. Li Changqing instantly triggered the Talisman with his Divine Sense; as the Talisman paper turned to ash, a blazing fireball burst forth from it.

Initially, the fireball was the size of a human head, and its color rapidly shifted from dark red to bright orange. Its core temperature was extremely high, causing the surrounding air to distort. The fireball trailed flames as it flew through the air, emitting a low whistle and explosive sounds as it shot straight into the densest cluster of fierce ghosts.

"Boom!"

With an explosive sound, the flames burst open, and a wave of heat spread in a ring. The five fierce ghosts that bore the brunt of the attack could not even let out a scream before they dissolved like snow in the intensely yang and fierce flames, their Souls completely dissipating.

The remaining fierce ghosts were also knocked back by the explosion. The yang fire clinging to their bodies continued to burn their Yin Qi ghost bodies, emitting a series of "hissing" sounds and painful wails.

Upon seeing this, the Black-Robed Cultivator's face darkened. He had not expected Li Changqing to possess such powerful fire-elemental Talismans, which happened to restrain his Yin ghost spirits.

He hurriedly changed his hand seals, and the Hundred-Soul Banner shone with intense black light. The remaining ghost spirits no longer attacked in a concentrated manner but instead gathered and circled under the guidance of the banner's power. As their Yin Qi intertwined, they subtly dispersed and formed a Formation, attempting to win by sheer numbers, exhaust Li Changqing's Talismans, and find an opening to get close.

Despite the Black-Robed Cultivator's actions, Li Changqing was not in the slightest panic, maintaining a very steady combat rhythm. He still had over a dozen Fireball Talismans in his Storage Pouch, but he did not throw them all out at once, choosing instead to calmly observe the movements of the ghost swarm.

Whenever the fierce ghosts attempted to surround or charge him, he would activate a Fireball Talisman at the right moment. Each fireball would either strike the core of the ghost swarm and explode violently, or he would cleverly predict the ghosts' trajectory, activating a Fireball Talisman to intercept and incinerate them on their path.

Blazing flames blossomed time and again within the eerie ghost swarm like flowers of death, continuously turning one fierce ghost after another into green smoke.

As time passed, just as the ghost swarm's Formation became chaotic and the Black-Robed Cultivator prepared to recall them, Li Changqing held five Fireball Talismans and activated them simultaneously using his spiritual power and Sea of Consciousness.

He let out a low shout, and instead of attacking with the five newly formed fireballs, he used his Divine Sense to precisely control them, causing them to move closer to each other and rotate while in flight. The moment they crashed into the center of the ghosts, the five fireballs exploded simultaneously in an overlapping blast!

"Boom...!!!"

A deafening sound, far more shocking than any before, erupted. Dazzling firelight instantly swallowed the space within a radius of over ten zhang, and the temperature at the core was so high that it distorted the air.

The firestorm created by the violent explosion swept in all directions. In this destructive wave of overlapping flames, the remaining dozen or so fierce ghosts were like withered leaves swept away by a gale; the ghosts were completely burned, torn apart, and purified, leaving not even a trace of their Souls behind.

At the very moment of the violent explosion, the light of the Hundred-Soul Banner in the Black-Robed Cultivator's hand dimmed, and its surface was damaged; clearly, it had suffered heavy damage because the ghost swarm had been completely wiped out.

His mind shook violently, and the force of the backlash surged up, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. He hurriedly summoned a zombie-shaped Puppet from his Storage Pouch to protect himself.

However, how could Li Changqing let this fleeting Opportunity pass? Xiao Hei, which had already been secretly lying in ambush behind the Black-Robed Cultivator, received the order and immediately activated its Bloodline Divine Abilities, Speed and Deadly Poison, in succession.

"Swish..."

Like a streak of light, like a black star.

Upon hearing the sound, the Black-Robed Cultivator's expression changed drastically. He desperately injected spiritual power into his body, but it was to no avail. Before Xiao Hei's three sharp poisonous tails, his body was like a winter melon, rip...

Three bloody holes appeared on the Black-Robed Cultivator's back, all the Devilish Qi in his body dispersed, and the light in his eyes quickly faded. With disbelief and unwillingness, his body slowly slumped down.

The Hundred-Soul Banner, which had once stored a hundred Souls and committed countless evils, also fell to the ground with a clatter. It no longer emitted any eerie light, leaving only a Puppet standing foolishly in place.

Looking at the fallen corpses, Li Changqing had his Spirit Beast confirm there was no aura left before searching the bodies thoroughly. He then quickly cleaned up the battlefield, collecting the enemies' Storage Pouches, Spirit Beast bags, Puppets, as well as their Magical Artifacts and flying boats.

A fireball landed on the corpses, and they quickly turned to ashes.

After feeding Xiao Hei a satiating Medicinal Pill, the Flying Purple Nether Scorpion affectionately rubbed against his hand before returning to the Spirit Beast bag.

The valley returned to silence, with only the scent of scorched earth from the flames and the gradually dissipating residual heat remaining. Li Changqing glanced at the southern horizon, took a Medicinal Pill to restore his spiritual power, and continued his journey north. The path of cultivation has always been one where Opportunity and murderous intent coexist.

The next evening, Li Changqing returned to Xuanling Island. After entering the pavilion, Li Changqing did not immediately inventory the treasures he had gained from this trip; instead, he activated the warning Formation and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

This battle with the three Demonic Path Cultivators, although seemingly simple, had required Li Changqing to give his all without the slightest carelessness. Coupled with the high level of vigilance maintained throughout the journey, he was physically and mentally exhausted. Getting a good sleep first to restore his energy was the best course of action.