30: Chapter 30: The Soul-Capturing Banner

"I have fallen?"

Hearing Wang Zhan's words, Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan took a deep breath, and murderous intent surged in his heart.

His gaze swept over the surroundings.

On the way here, Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan had also been extremely cautious, guarding against the other person who hadn't shown his face for over a year, Lin Shen.

He had waited for over a year.

On one hand, it was to make thorough preparations to hunt down Wang Zhan; on the other hand, it was naturally to guard against Lin Shen, who also possessed extreme cunning when they executed the mission back then.

After a full year and more.

Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan believed that he had long since lulled Lin Shen into a false sense of security, and when setting out this time, he was equally careful, ensuring absolutely no one was tailing him from behind.

Confirming that there was no one else around, Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan laughed heartily: "This place is desolate, and with the night being dark and the wind high, it is truly not a bad place to be buried."

Wang Zhan also looked at Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan, a trace of murderous intent flashing through his eyes: "Indeed, Senior Brother Lin, this is indeed your final resting place..."

As their voices fell.

In an instant, they both struck at almost the exact same time.

Boom! ! !

A terrifying explosion rang out.

Waves of aftershocks swept in all directions, sending sand and stones flying across the ground and causing countless trees to collapse.

"Junior Brother Wang, attacking without a greeting, it seems you brat aren't a good person either!"

Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan sneered malevolently, terrifying Spiritual Qi erupting from his body as a banner exuding pitch-black blood-evil aura instantly appeared in his hand.

This was the soul-absorbing banner.

It was an evil item of the Demonic Path.

A year ago, while out executing a mission, he had stumbled upon the ruins of an Immortal Cave and obtained treasures left behind by a fallen Cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

And this soul-absorbing banner was the most precious among them, with a grade reaching a High Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Even after the baptism of years, the evil ghosts nurtured inside the soul-absorbing banner still possessed extraordinary strength, with the strongest among them having cultivation comparable to the half-step Foundation Establishment Realm.

Coupled with the fact that over the past year he had stealthily hunted down some Qi Refining Cultivators, the number of evil ghosts on the soul-absorbing banner had reached over a hundred.

Besides that, through the method of raising and cultivating Gu, the two most powerful evil ghosts inside the soul-absorbing banner had both reached the half-step Foundation Establishment Realm.

With a soul-absorbing banner of such terrifying power, coupled with his own strength, this was Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan's greatest source of confidence in daring to track and hunt down Wang Zhan this time.

He simply didn't believe that, relying on such a treasure, plus two half-step Foundation Establishment Realm evil ghosts, along with numerous Late Stage Qi Refining evil ghosts, he wouldn't be able to do anything to a mere 8th Layer of Qi Refining Wang Zhan.

Even if he had a section of Sword Bone, so what?

Even if he managed to fortuitously block one half-step Foundation Establishment level evil ghost, could he block two?

The terrifying Spiritual Qi within his body erupted and swept outward, Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan waved the soul-absorbing banner in his hand, executing incantations with his hands.

In an instant!

Yin winds howled around them, and one evil ghost after another surged out from the soul-absorbing banner.

They roared and howled with venomous resentment.

Under the execution of Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan's incantations, they targeted Wang Zhan, who was not far ahead.

Those two half-step Foundation Establishment level evil ghosts moved the fastest, their expressions ferocious as they viciously lunged forward, determined to devour and tear apart the human before them.

"Demonic Path item?"

Feeling this evil aura.

Wang Zhan couldn't help but furrow his brow, a terrifying Sword Qi erupting from his body.

"To each other, compared to me, Senior Brother Lin looks even less like a good person. Such a Demonic Path item, if the Sect were to discover it, Senior Brother, you would surely die a burial-less death!"

With a cold sneer on the corner of his mouth, Wang Zhan waved the longsword in his hand, quickly slashing out that terrifying Sword Qi.

The Sword Qi shuttled outward, terrifying heatwaves sweeping in all directions as roaring flames erupted, charging toward those evil ghosts like a fiery dragon.

Boom boom boom! ! !

Countless evil ghosts collided with these streams of Sword Qi, and terrifying explosions erupted continuously.

Amidst these terrifying explosions, the dilapidated temple had already turned into ruins, and raging fires even burned around the surroundings.

The low-cultivation-level evil ghosts that Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan had painstakingly nurtured had long since turned to ashes amidst this terrifying Sword Qi and the explosions.

As for those two half-step Foundation Establishment level evil ghosts, they were ultimately not true Cultivators; they merely possessed the strength of the half-step Foundation Establishment level and could not fully and truly unleash it.

Facing such terrifying attacks from Wang Zhan, they could only rely on their instincts to frantically bite and collide, unable to devour and tear Wang Zhan apart in the first instance.

"Sword Qi? ! !"

Looking at this scene.

Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan couldn't help but be greatly shocked.

He never expected that Wang Zhan had actually cultivated a swordsmanship technique to the Perfection Realm and even comprehended Sword Qi.

Apart from panic, the greed in his heart grew even more intense.

Relying on Wang Zhan's Aptitude, it was completely impossible for him to have such terrifying Comprehension Ability.

To be able to make him Cultivate a swordsmanship technique to the Perfection Realm and also comprehend Sword Qi, it must be the merit of that section of Sword Bone.

"Go to hell, it's mine! Mine! Your Sword Bone is mine! ! !"

Under extreme greed, Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan shouted frantically, desperately driving the soul-absorbing banner in his hand while his left hand stealthily groped toward the Storage Pouch at his waist.

An attack far exceeding the level of the Qi Refining Peak Realm was suddenly unleashed.

That was a talisman!

This attack already possessed a trace of the power of the Foundation Establishment Realm level.

It pierced through the night, shuttling away to fiercely attack Wang Zhan who was wholeheartedly dealing with those two half-step Foundation Establishment level strength evil ghosts.

Feeling this terrifying attack, Wang Zhan hurriedly dodged, his figure rapidly retreating.

Puchi!

Scalding fresh blood spurted out.

Under this terrifying attack, even though Wang Zhan reacted in time, facing such a horrifying strike, he was still blasted flying, slamming heavily into the ruins.

Boom! ! !

A violent roaring sound echoed.

Countless dust particles rose, and a thick stench of blood spread out.

"Hahaha, Junior Brother Wang, oh Junior Brother Wang, compared to me, you brat are still a bit too green. Did you think my true fatal move was those two half-step Foundation Establishment evil ghosts?"

Having succeeded in one strike, Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan couldn't help but burst into manic laughter.

This was the release of his painstaking preparations over the past year, as well as excited cheers for soon obtaining that section of precious Sword Bone.

However, amidst his manic laughter and excited cheers, he did not notice that a terrifying Sword Intent suddenly flashed and rose amidst the dust-filled sky.

"Swoosh! ! !"

This terrifying Sword Intent pierced through the night, exuding an aura of destruction.

By the time Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan reacted, this Sword Intent was already pressing right before his eyes.

He had nowhere to hide and nowhere to evade, and could only frantically twist his body, desperately driving the pre-prepared defensive talismans.

But the speed of this Sword Intent was simply too fast, and the attack it contained was far too destructive.

Even with all his defensive methods fully activated, under this destructive Sword Intent, Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan's numerous defensive measures shattered one after another.

Puchi!

A mouthful of fresh blood abruptly sprayed out.

Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan's face turned pale, and his body plummeted backward.

Right at this moment.

From the spot where Wang Zhan had previously fallen, a burst of majestic Spiritual Qi erupted, and Wang Zhan's body soared into the air.

At this moment, Wang Zhan's face was pale, with an additional fierce wound on his body, but his fighting spirit grew even higher.

Wang Zhan soared into the air, the longsword in his hand shooting forth like a flying arrow, swiftly attacking Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan.

Heavily injured, Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan widened his eyes in terror; at this moment, the Spiritual Qi within his body was in chaos, and his injuries were extremely severe, making it completely impossible to dodge.

He could only watch helplessly as this sword pierced through his chest.

In an instant, blood gushed like a spring.

Scalding fresh blood continuously spewed out.

The vitality in Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan's eyes instantly dimmed by several more shades.

"Senior Brother Lin, you have lost!"

Wang Zhan bounded over to Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan's side, grabbing him by the head.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Sword Qi surged within his palm, and under the frantic shredding of Sword Qi, Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan's head directly burst and shattered apart.

"It's finally over..."

Having dealt with Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan, Wang Zhan let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, now that this formidable enemy who posed a hidden danger has finally been resolved, as long as Lin Shen doesn't make any moves, from now on in Chiyun Valley, I can finally be completely at ease."

A relaxed smile appeared at the corners of his mouth as he bent down, preparing to pick up Senior Brother Lin Zhiyuan's Storage Pouch.

However, right at this moment.

A bolt of lightning flashed across the night sky, and a terrifying thunder and lightning aura spread out.

A Flying Sword radiating terrifying lightning pierced through the night, carrying endless murderous intent as it shuttled forward!