81: Chapter 81 One-Handed Capture

The ghosts were dense and countless, blotting out the sky and sun, emitting shrill hisses as if they wanted to tear Shen Qingyuan into pieces!

"Careful!"

Saint Lingyuan exclaimed, instinctively wanting to step in and help.

But her life-bound Saint weapon had already been destroyed, and her spiritual power was mostly exhausted, leaving her completely unable to block those ghosts.

Saint Xutian's expression changed drastically; he instinctively took half a step back, formed a seal with his hands, and a golden light shield condensed before him.

Saint Yiyan held his burning heaven spear horizontally, crimson flames burning around his body, incinerating the approaching ghosts to ashes.

Although the three of them were each defending themselves, their gazes all fell upon Shen Qingyuan simultaneously.

This young man had been able to break the Ten Thousand Soul Devouring Heaven Array with a single finger; his strength must surely far exceed their imagination.

But could he withstand a full-force strike from the main body of the ten thousand soul banner?

However—

Shen Qingyuan didn't even lift an eyelid.

He merely raised his hand and waved his sleeve.

"Whoosh—"

The breeze stirred up by his sleeve appeared unremarkable, yet it carried an indescribable, profound power.

The moment those overwhelming ghosts touched this breeze, they were like residual snow under a scorching sun, instantly dissolving and evaporating!

"Sss, sss, sss—"

Countless ghosts emitted shrill screams, turning into wisps of black smoke that dissipated into the air.

In no more than the time of a single breath, the sky full of ghosts had been completely wiped clean, without even a trace left behind.

The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner's pupils constricted sharply. "Ho... how is this possible?!"

His voice was trembling.

Saint Xutian, Saint Yiyan, and Saint Lingyuan were also full of astonishment, looking at each other, and all saw deep shock in the eyes of the others.

With merely a light wave of his sleeve, he blew away the sky full of devilish shadows?

What kind of strength is this?

Great Saint Realm?

Or Saint King Realm?

When did such a terrifying existence appear in the Southern Region?

Saint Yiyan swallowed, his voice trembling slightly. "Saint Xutian, have you heard of this Senior?"

Saint Xutian shook his head, his aged face full of shock. "I have never heard of him. But to be able to break the Ten Thousand Soul Devouring Heaven Array with a casual action, and destroy the sky full of devilish shadows with a wave of his sleeve... this Senior's strength is at least at the Peak of the Great Saint Realm, perhaps even the Saint King Realm!"

Saint Lingyuan did not speak, but a complex light flashed in her cold, clear eyes.

Saint King Realm.

In the entire Southern Region, an existence of this level had not appeared for thousands of years.

The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner hovered in mid-air, blood-red eyes staring fixedly at Shen Qingyuan, filled with apprehension.

"I will remember the grudge of today! There will be plenty of time in the future, and I will definitely repay it tenfold!"

Before the words had even faded—

The ten thousand soul banner suddenly erupted with blinding black light!

That black light was as intense as ink, so piercing that one could not open their eyes.

Immediately after, the ten thousand soul banner rolled up violently, wrapping the Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner's illusory figure inside, turning into a streak of pitch-black light, and fleeing madly toward the exit of the Secret Realm!

The speed was several times faster than a Saint flying at full power!

In the blink of an eye, it had disappeared at the edge of vision, leaving only a pitch-black trail slowly dissipating in the air.

The three Saints were all stunned.

A dignified saint king weapon, just ran away like that?

"Want to run?"

Shen Qingyuan raised an eyebrow.

He unhurriedly raised his right hand, splayed his five fingers, and toward the direction the ten thousand soul banner was fleeing, lightly clenched his fist.

The action was casual, yet with this understated clench—

On the horizon, a huge golden handprint appeared out of thin air!

That handprint was a full hundred zhang in size, glowing with brilliant golden light, and radiating a terrifying pressure as vast as the sea.

The moment the handprint appeared, the Spiritual Qi of the entire world seemed to solidify.

Saint Xutian's pupils constricted, his entire person frozen in place, unable to move.

Saint Yiyan also widened his eyes, staring fixedly at that golden handprint, his eyes filled with horror.

Saint Lingyuan's cold, clear face was full of shock, her composure completely lost.

Old Turtle collapsed directly to the ground, his turbid old eyes filled with shock and reverence.

"Thi... what kind of Divine Ability is this?!"

His voice was shaking, and his whole body was trembling violently.

He had lived for over three thousand years and had seen countless experts, yet he had never seen such a terrifying method!

The aura emitted by that golden handprint was a hundred times, a thousand times stronger than any Saint he had ever seen!

It was even more terrifying than those Great Saints and Saint Kings he had heard of!

The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner also sensed the handprint at the first moment.

He turned his head violently, his blood-red eyes filled with terror and despair.

This aura was actually even more terrifying than his master, the Heavenly Fiend Demon Venerable!

And that was an existence at the Peak of the Saint King Realm!

"No—!!!"

He let out a shrill scream, desperately urging the ten thousand soul banner, wanting to accelerate his escape.

However—

The speed of that golden handprint was far faster than him.

The handprint descended from the sky, its five fingers like heavenly pillars, blotting out the sky and sun, completely sealing off the space for dozens of miles around.

The direction the ten thousand soul banner was fleeing was exactly covered by that handprint.

"Boom—!!!"

A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering loud noise!

The golden handprint's five fingers closed, tightly gripping the ten thousand soul banner along with the Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner in its palm!

The ten thousand soul banner struggled madly, pitch-black Devilish Qi surging, countless hideous faces rushing out from the banner, emitting shrill hisses, wanting to break through the constraints of the handprint.

However—

That golden handprint did not move in the slightest.

Even, as the five fingers tightened, the struggles of the ten thousand soul banner grew weaker and weaker, and those ghosts also exploded and dissipated one after another.

"Break! Break for me!"

The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner roared hoarsely, his voice filled with terror and unwillingness.

He desperately urged the power of the ten thousand soul banner, wanting to break free, only to find that his spiritual power was like a clay ox entering the sea, unable to exert even a shred of strength.

That golden handprint was like an ancient sacred mountain, pressing down on him so tightly that he couldn't even move.

Shen Qingyuan stood where he was, his right hand gripping the air, his five fingers slowly tightening.

Following his movement, the golden handprint on the horizon also tightened synchronously.

"Crack, crack, crack—"

The flagpole of the ten thousand soul banner emitted a tooth-aching sound, and fine cracks began to appear on its surface.

That was the main body of the saint king weapon, beginning to be unable to withstand the squeezing of the handprint, about to shatter!

"No—!!!"

The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner let out a shrill scream, his blood-red eyes filled with despair.

"You cannot destroy me! I am the Heavenly Fiend Demon Venerable's life-bound Saint weapon! I contain his Dao rhyme and Laws! If you destroy me, those things will also dissipate! You will get nothing!"

Hearing this, Shen Qingyuan's hand movement paused slightly.

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on that golden handprint, a playful arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Who said I wanted to destroy you?"

He released his hand.

The golden handprint on the horizon also loosened accordingly.

The ten thousand soul banner fell from the handprint, smashing heavily onto the ground, emitting a dull thud.

The cracks on the flagpole were clearly visible, and those hideous faces on the banner had also dimmed significantly, clearly having suffered heavy damage.

The Spirit of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner floated out from the flag, his illusory figure so thin it was almost transparent, his blood-red eyes filled with terror and lingering fear.