450: Counterfeit Wanhun Town Boundary Banner

First were the carcasses of three mountain-like giant Yao Beasts crashing to the ground!

Each one emitted a vast, violent, and primordial aura of ferocity!

Residual scales, feathers, and sharp claws shimmered with a metallic luster, while their skin and muscles contained explosive fire-elemental essence!

Peak Eighth-Grade Yao Beasts—Red Flame Cloud-Treading Python, Molten Lava Lizard, and Li Fire Blood Owl King!

These were the spoils of war Yao Delong had "swept up" while heading deep into the Demon Skeleton Mountain Range to seize the Earth Core Blazing Flame Fire.

Their monster cores were like three violently pulsing flame cores, carefully sealed in specially made jade boxes.

Each one contained pure fire essence sufficient to make even a Nascent Soul Cultivator's eyes burn with greed!

Following closely were heaps of refined ore and raw stones—

The dark, lava-colored 'Earth Core Fire Essence Copper' and the Flowing Flame Crystal Sand that shimmered with starlight...

The incredibly tough 'Molten Core Profound Bone' which also contained violent fire-evil... these were top-tier Artifact Refining Materials that could only be nurtured in the volcanic caves of the Demon Skeleton Mountain Range! Their value was immeasurable!

Finally, the spiritual light shone even brighter! Chests of Spirit Stones were poured out!

Low-Grade Spirit Stones were piled up like small hills, shrouded in a hazy Spiritual Qi.

Even more dazzling was the staggering number of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

They were as brilliant and eye-catching as gems, reflecting a kaleidoscope of light throughout the entire cave chamber!

Yao Delong felt a surge of heroic spirit rise from his heart. The fatigue accumulated from his journey...

...and the tension of facing powerful enemies all transformed into a solid sense of satisfaction at this moment.

"Tsk tsk, now this is a real harvest..."

Even little Qiong Shuang, poking her head out of his sleeve, had her dragon eyes glowing. Her little claws were restlessly trying to scratch at the mountain-like pile of Flowing Flame Crystal Sand.

"Big brother! Give me some to grind my teeth on! This stuff is hard; it's satisfying to chew!"

"Go away, these are all proper Artifact Refining treasures!"

Yao Delong irritably stuffed her back into the depths of his sleeve pocket.

By a rough calculation, just the carcasses and inner cores of these three Peak Eighth-Grade Yao Beasts were worth over a hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!

Those refined ores were even more priceless!

Adding the dozen or so Earth-Grade Weapons of varying grades but decent quality "inherited" from Hun Ya's Storage Ring...

...several low-grade heavenly artifacts, and the mountain of Low and Medium Grade Spirit Stones... the total revenue from this trip to the Demon Skeleton Mountain Range had actually approached a hundred and fifty thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!

He had instantly rejoined the ranks of the "ultra-rich"! The corners of Yao Delong's mouth couldn't help but curl upward: "This trip was worth it!"

After finishing organizing his gains, his expression turned solemn as he gravely picked up an item.

It was a miniature banner about a foot long.

The banner's surface was woven from some strange Materials of yin Souls, appearing entirely in a filthy, viscous, and dense ink-black color.

Its surface seemed to be covered with a layer of dark red blood plasma that never solidified and constantly crawled and flowed!

Looking closely, there were countless distorted, agonizingly wailing human faces and beast silhouettes appearing and disappearing within the ink-blood...

...emitting silent cries from Hell!

Countless hair-thin, abyss-black demonic pattern chain runes were wrapped layer upon layer around the main body of the banner.

Like twisted living snakes, they emitted an eerie, evil yin power that could cause one's Soul to sink into eternal perdition!

The soul devouring banner! It was the demonic treasure Hun Ya relied on to act lawlessly, and the primary culprit that forced the Soul Transformation Elder, Ling Xuzi, to self-detonate!

It was a terrifying demonic weapon of slaughter, yet it also possessed horrific power and frightening potential!

Just as his fingertips touched the core flagpole of the banner, a bone-chillingly cold, venomous, and filthy intent suddenly pierced through!

It carried a dense aura of death, hatred, and the malevolent desire to devour all living things!

Buzz!

Deep within Yao Delong's Sea of Consciousness between his brows, the slowly rotating thousand mechanism origin core suddenly shuddered!

A vast, domineering, pure yang golden light that seemed capable of incinerating the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths erupted from the depths of the core!

Like a brilliant sun descending into the Avici Hell!

Sizzle!

A silent, shrill scream echoed from within that filthy intent!

The cold imprint that had stubbornly occupied the depths of the soul devouring banner's core...

...carrying a faint but extremely pure aura imprint belonging to Hun Jiu, under this absolutely suppressing power of extreme yang...

...was like snow thrown into a furnace, instantly incinerated and reduced to nothingness!

Hun Jiu's controlling imprint on his life-bound demonic banner was completely erased!

The moment the imprint was removed, a massive flood of information followed the contact between the Soul banner and Yao Delong...

...pouring back into his Sea of Consciousness and being rapidly analyzed:

[soul devouring banner]: An imitation of the "Myriad Souls World-Suppressing Banner" managed by the Master of the Core Legacy Hall of the Heavenly Demon Sect!

Grade: supreme grade heavenly artifact! It contains a fragmented "Myriad Souls Evil-Gathering Law Restriction"!

Its core power lies in collecting powerful Souls and nurturing the power of myriad Souls' blood-evil!

Ordinary living Souls already imprisoned in the banner: 9,998!

Elite Soul Generals: 97 have been condensed (requires living Souls of the Nascent Soul Stage or above as primary Materials).

To reach the Perfection of myriad Souls and trigger the ultimate transformation form of "A Hundred Generals Assemble, Blood-Evil Burns the Soul"—

—it still lacks a crucial 'Main Soul Commander' that must contain a massive Soul Origin and the power of obsession and resentment!

Once the final Main Soul Commander is gathered and the number of myriad Souls reaches Perfection...

...with 9,999 Soul Soldiers + 100 Soul Generals + 1 Soul Commander...

...the soul devouring banner will draw upon the dark Evil Qi between heaven and earth, communicate with the Netherworld Laws, and complete a true qualitative change of its Origin!

It will be promoted to a Low Grade Dao Artifact! At that time, blood-evil will manifest, and it can self-generate a "Minor Nine Serenities Domain"!

Its power will be capable of trapping and killing Void Refining Stage Cultivators!

"Hiss..."

Even though Yao Delong's mind was as tough as iron, he couldn't help but gasp at this moment!

"That was close! So close!" The waves in his Sea of Consciousness were hard to calm.

"So it was just one step away! A Main Soul Commander?

That would require at least the Soul Origin of a Peak Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator!

No wonder those two Devil Heads were frantically hunting Myriad Sword Valley elite Disciples and treasure-seeking Loose Cultivators in the Demon Skeleton Mountain Range!

They were desperately collecting 'nourishment,' trying to use quantity to force a Breakthrough past that final threshold of qualitative change!

If it weren't for Hun Ya's arrogance, being sent out alone by Hun Jiu to hunt down Ling Xuzi's group...

...only to end up falling into my hands... if they had been given a little more time and actually allowed this soul devouring banner to advance into a Low Grade Dao Artifact..."

A cold light flashed intensely in Yao Delong's eyes, and his knuckles turned slightly white as he gripped the small banner.

A Dao Artifact!

In the current Eastern Region cultivation world, that was something capable of serving as a Sect-protecting treasure!

It contained fragments of the Laws of Heaven and Earth and possessed the power to shake an entire territory!

He lowered his head, staring at the small ink-blood banner in his palm that emitted a dense, ominous aura.

"A supreme grade heavenly artifact... it only needs one Peak Soul Transformation level Main Soul Commander to..."

Yao Delong's gaze became extremely complex. This was a double-edged demonic sword in every sense!

Its power was peerless, enough to give him a trump card that could threaten or even heavily injure a Void Refining powerhouse once he reached the Soul Transformation Stage!

But similarly, the Foundation of this banner was the extreme resentment and evil of myriad wailing Souls!

Every time it was used, one would have to face the pollution of boundless resentment aimed straight at the depths of their Divine Soul!

In this Eastern Region, where Righteous Path forces held sway and were quick to kill demons and devils, this thing was an absolute hot potato!

Once exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable! Likely, not even his Sect could protect him!

"For now, it can only be used as a last resort trump card..." A look of decisiveness flashed in Yao Delong's eyes.

"Before breaking through to Soul Transformation, I will never use it! I must be extremely cautious..."

He temporarily sealed the soul devouring banner inside a special jade box engraved with pure yang runes and hid it in the deepest part of his storage ring.