14: Chapter 14 The Emperor's Banner

"Did Daoist Qingxuan get through the Golden Core tribulation?"

"Didn't you see that the tribulation clouds have all dispersed?"

"The pioneer has already opened the path for us, and next it should be our turn."

"Although we didn't learn anything from observing this tribulation, we at least got to witness what a Genius is."

"A Genius? Many people used to call me a Genius, but now I can only be considered mediocre."

"Compared to Daoist Qingxuan, who isn't mediocre?"

The Disciples of various sects discussed animatedly. Ye Qingxuan didn't pay much attention and went straight back to the back mountain to seclude himself, stabilize his Realm, and conveniently refine a Magic Treasure he had been thinking about for a long time.

Seeing this, Master Yuanxin turned into a social butterfly, bragging to his old friends one by one. The Sect Heads of various factions couldn't stand Master Yuanxin's smug face and successively bid farewell and left.

Ye Qingxuan returned to the back mountain and found a secluded place for seclusion. He sat cross-legged on a futon, circulating his Spiritual Qi to stabilize his Realm, with a faint glow radiating around his body. At the same time, he began to refine that yearning Magic Treasure.

He took out the Materials he had prepared long ago—snake skin, snake bones, and a tiger corpse—and executed the Artifact Refining technique. Runes flickered at his fingertips, merging into the Materials.

After seeing off the Sect Heads, Master Yuanxin was still unfulfilled. Humming a tune, he swaggered around the back mountain, occasionally offering words of encouragement to the passing Disciples. Little did he know that those Disciples were rolling their eyes almost up to the heavens.

Suddenly, he sensed a powerful aura coming from the place where Ye Qingxuan was in seclusion. Master Yuanxin was startled in his heart and hurriedly rushed over. He saw that the place of seclusion was glowing brightly, and a Magic Treasure exuding a mysterious aura had formed.

Ye Qingxuan came out of seclusion, stood in the open space, looked at the palm-sized Magic Treasure in his hand, and a trace of a satisfied smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

Master Yuanxin leaned forward and asked with a curious face, "Disciple, what is this?"

Ye Qingxuan smiled slightly and said, "Master, this is a newly refined Magic Treasure of mine, the human emperor banner."

Master Yuanxin widened his eyes, looking at the banner in his Disciple's hand carved with eerie runes.

The banner was dark blue all over, exuding a faint black light. The runes on it were Soul-stirring, extremely holy yet extremely evil, as if they were going to suck a person's Soul right in.

Master Yuanxin thought to himself, "I remember the human emperor banner doesn't seem to look like this, right? And why is this banner constantly emitting black gas? Why does it look a bit like the ten thousand souls banner?"

Although curious, he didn't say much more; if his Disciple said it was the human emperor banner, then it was.

Seeing Master Yuanxin's expression, Ye Qingxuan laughed inwardly. Actually, this really wasn't any human emperor banner, but rather crafted by combining the refining method of the ten thousand souls banner with his own innovations. As long as there was enough flesh and blood and Soul, the human emperor banner could keep growing.

He walked out of the seclusion area, came to an open space, and waved the human emperor banner.

In an instant, the runes on the banner glowed brightly, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged crazily, and countless black ghostly lights shot out from the banner, forming rows of black chains that spread in all directions.

Master Yuanxin watched from the side with a toothache. Just at this moment, a huge Yao Beast emerged from the human emperor banner, bound by the black chains. This Yao Beast was precisely that Nascent Soul Stage giant tiger with formidable strength. Ye Qingxuan had preserved its Soul to temporarily serve as the main Soul of the human emperor banner.

The corners of Ye Qingxuan's mouth turned up as he controlled the human emperor banner, allowing the giant tiger's power to be gradually devoured, eventually turning into a ball of black qi that was sucked into the banner. Ye Qingxuan nodded with satisfaction; it seemed the power of this human emperor banner far exceeded his expectations.

Why does his Disciple look more and more like an evil cultivator the more he looks at him?

Ye Qingxuan took out the head-sized Void Gazer stone from his Storage Ring and a pile of various Materials collected from the National Destiny Space, handing them to Master:

"Master, please hand this Void Gazer stone to Junior Martial Uncle Yuanxing. As for the Five Elements essence gold, give it to Xiao Jiu; it can complete some of its Origin. Next time in the National Destiny Game, I don't plan to bring it along. Let it follow Third Senior Brother first and properly recuperate at Maoshan. You can handle the rest as you see fit."

"Hmm, things like Void Gazer stone are not abundant in Maoshan either. Such a large piece is enough to refine dozens of spatial Magic Artifacts. As for that cat, the identity of a holy spirit destines it to be extraordinary; the Origin problem can only be solved slowly. However, are you sure it won't be led astray by your Third Senior Brother?" Recalling the personality of his third Disciple, Master Yuanxin's eye twitched.

"I think Third Senior Brother likes it quite a bit," Ye Qingxuan said dismissively.

"Silly Disciple, forget it, forget it. Just take those Spiritual Artifacts with you. With your Golden Core Stage cultivation, you can also unleash a portion of their might. Moreover, once you enter the National Destiny Space, no one can help you." Thinking of something, Master Yuanxin sighed.

"Master, do you know some secrets about the National Destiny Space? Is there any news transmitted from the Upper Realm Ancestral Masters that you haven't told me?" Ye Qingxuan was a bit puzzled; after all, he could only make some bold speculations through novels he had read in his past life.

"As your Master, I can only tell you that the National Destiny Space is a great Opportunity. I cannot say anything more unless you undergo the Immortal Ascension tribulation." Master Yuanxin spoke in a very serious tone.

"This Disciple understands." Ye Qingxuan didn't ask further either.

"Right, Master, there's also this for you." Saying that, Ye Qingxuan took out the Huandan Fa and handed it to Master Yuanxin. After reading it, Master Yuanxin only felt a stampede of ten thousand horses in his heart.

"This secret technique is probably something only you can Cultivate. Anyone else wouldn't be able to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage even if they died. This is your Opportunity; keep it well. It is not suitable for your fellow apprentice brothers. Oh right, what you are currently cultivating is the Shangqing Dadong Scripture. If you have anything you don't understand, you can go ask the Old Ancestor... though you probably won't need to."

Master Yuanxin waved his hand and went back into seclusion; he was too traumatized.

"What's wrong with Master?" Ye Qingxuan was puzzled. Since the National Destiny Game hasn't started yet, he might as well go find Third Senior Brother to pet the cat.

——United States White House

"The physical fitness of the Chinese people has actually increased by a total of 80%! Nowadays, their Physique can be called matchless in the world! What's even more shocking is that this improvement in physical fitness is not limited to a certain aspect, but an all-around, comprehensive enhancement."

"In other words, not only have bodily functions been significantly improved, but intelligence has also been raised by quite a bit simultaneously! Without a doubt, in today's world, China has already become our top mortal enemy."

"Especially that unfathomable 'practitioner' group. It is said that humans can rely on Cultivating Cultivation Techniques to become increasingly powerful. This is an advantage that our United States does not possess!"

That advisor of the United States reported anxiously to Donald Trump and analyzed the current tense and severe international situation.

Hearing this, Donald Trump furrowed his brow tightly, fell into contemplation for a moment, and then asked, "Then, if we deploy tactical mushrooms, is it possible to annihilate those detestable immortal cultivators?"

He stared sharply at the advisor before him, seemingly wanting to obtain a definitive answer from him.

"I'm very sorry, sir, no. According to our latest news, China's Chosen One, that Ye, has broken through again—or rather, he has become even stronger. Unless it's someone equally extraordinary, existing technology cannot kill him." The advisor's words made Donald Trump scratch his head irritably.

"During the last National Destiny reward, Colonel Rodell brought us a 10% enhancement. Do those scientists have any new achievements? Our Chosen Ones need to enhance their strength."

"Sir, no. However, we can let Colonel Rodell bring one more tactical mushroom."

"Then let him bring it. We need more National Destiny rewards. Tell Rodell that if there is an Opportunity in the future, kill that Ye."

"Very well, sir. I will pass the message to Colonel Rodell."

British Castle

"Alice, very good! The reward you obtained this time is already enough for you to successfully promote to the count rank! In this way, the next time you participate in the National Destiny Game, your personal safety will be guaranteed to a great extent."

"Moreover, Lord British Prime Minister especially wants to meet you too~ I just don't know what you yourself think about this matter?"

Facing this warm invitation, Alice shook her head without hesitation, expressing her refusal:

"Uncle Charlie, I'm really sorry, but I really have no interest in attending the appointment. Look, compared to that Ye from China, the current me is simply worlds apart!"

"Therefore, for now, what I can do is simply continue to enhance my own strength. Otherwise, once we are both drawn into the same National Destiny Space, I'm afraid I am very likely to meet with misfortune..."

You must know that Alice, as a member of the vampire clan, didn't have much affection for those so-called high-tech gadgets because they basically couldn't bring her substantial help and enhancement.

Immediately following that, Alice shifted the topic and asked Charlie, "Then may I ask, once I officially promote to a count, will I be qualified to begin drinking the blood of the Holy Grail from legend, Uncle Charlie?"

"Of course you can."

...

China Zijin Mountain

Chief's Office

"Who is it this time?" The old man's tone was somewhat exhausted.

"It's Number Five's little grandson; he choked to death while drinking water." The Second Elder's tone was also powerless.

"There are deities three feet above our heads. No wonder the ancients didn't dare to swear randomly; so that's how it is." The old man sighed, issued a document indicating the cause, and said no more.

Ever since the Heavenly Dao will awakened, the people of the cultivation world told the leaders before returning that the Heavenly Dao was going to begin reckoning with the mortal world. Those who had committed evil deeds in the past escaped legal sanctions through various means; now that the Heavenly Dao has personally stepped in, those people will all pay the price they deserve.

In the past two days, over a hundred thousand people died across China, and their causes of death were also bizarre.

Choking to death while eating, being shaken to death by a sneeze, dying directly from a fall, being poisoned to death by the air from taking a deep breath—at first, they thought they had run into something unclean, but upon investigation, they just felt that dying like this was letting them off too cheaply; the crimes they committed were not enough to be shot a hundred times.

On a global scale, the number of people reckoned by the Heavenly Dao reached tens of millions. It's just a pity that no one cared except China. In the words of the cultivation world, "What do those barbarians understand about Karma and retribution? Let them be."

Three days later, which was also the seventh day after the end of the National Destiny Game:

"Ding, the National Destiny Game is about to start. Please prepare, Chosen Ones of all countries."

"An interval of seven days?" Ye Qingxuan was stunned for a moment, then put down the cat in his hand.

"Xiao Jiu, I'm going to participate in the National Destiny Game. You must be good here and wait for me to bring you delicious food when I come back, did you hear me?"

"Meow, Daoist, rest assured." Xiao Jiu squatted on the ground and waved its paws, looking like it would be obedient.

Ye Qingxuan shook his head and prepared to enter the National Destiny Space.