Chapter 23: Primordial Qi Myriad Spirit Banner
Chapter 23: Primordial Qi Myriad Spirit Banner
Above the Cloud Sea, Liu Xin took the initiative to soften his stance. "If the two junior apprentices can turn our conflict into peace, I’m willing to gift you a high-grade cultivation manual."
"You’re not saying that seriously, are you?"
Lv Yang scoffed. "Liu Xin, we’re all disciples of the Holy Sect—why bother with pretenses? You’ve already made this a fight to the death."
Liu Xin said nothing, his face darkening.
Because Lv Yang was right. At this point, the ones unwilling to reconcile weren’t Lv Yang and Xiao Shiye—it was Liu Xin and Qingchen Immortal.
The reason was simple: the Holy Sect’s strict rules.
"True, the sect’s rules are meaningless if no one finds out. But once exposed, they become terrifyingly real", Lv Yang sneered. "You’ve certainly done this before—ambushing disciples in secret. No one noticed until now. But if I report this to the Law Enforcement Hall, the truth will come out, and Liu Xin, you’ll be practically dead."
"Junior apprentice, you joke", Liu Xin replied, his face twitching. "We could all sign a magical pact to keep today’s matter private. Then Senior Brother would have nothing to worry about."
"Really?" Lv Yang shot back.
Of course not. Only the dead could be trusted to stay silent.
"Qingchen!"
At Liu Xin’s low cry, Qingchen Immortal—who had remained silent—finally spoke. Her crimson lips parted as she uttered a single syllable:
"Break!"
Her voice hadn’t faded when the Cloud Sea surged again, forming towering peaks that encircled Lv Yang and Xiao Shiye. Another formation.
"Did you really think I feared your Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Ray?" Liu Xin recognized Lv Yang’s technique. He sneered, then produced a fluttering banner from his sleeve. "My Primordial Qi Myriad Spirit Banner lacks a master soul. Today, I’ll use you to consecrate it."
"Die!"
Before Liu Xin finished speaking, Lv Yang had merged with his Sword Core and slashed forward, a wave of bloodthirsty energy forcing Liu Xin to swallow his mockery.
"Return to oblivion!"
Liu Xin formed a seal and shook the banner, releasing two coiling wisps of white energy. They thickened, taking human shapes.
Lv Yang didn’t pause, cleaving his sword downward.
The two figures, infused with true energy by Liu Xin, met the attack head-on. A thunderous boom shattered them into fragments.
Liu Xin, about to join the fray, hastily retreated at the sight.
"Qingchen, act now!"
Qingchen’s expression hardened. She hurled a phoenix-hairpin from her bun. It became a golden beam piercing Lv Yang’s brow.
But before it reached him, another treasure’s glow intercepted it—Xiao Shiye, the Treasure Prince, had intervened.
Not stopping there, Xiao Shiye flung open his sleeves, unleashing over a dozen treasures. Though their qualities varied, all radiated intense power. Yet as soon as they left his hands, they detonated midair!
"Boom!"
The explosions blazed like miniature suns, shattering Qingchen’s formation and nearly tearing it apart from within.
The other three watched, their eyes twitching.
Xiao Shiye differed from Lv Yang. He had no grand techniques—just a simple tactic: hurl treasures, then detonate them.
This reckless strategy darkened Liu Xin’s already grim expression. He swung his banner, summoning dozens of banner spirits. These were the fruits of his secret ambushes.
"Reinforce the formation!"
The spirits obeyed, positioning themselves at the formation’s edges to bolster Qingchen’s power.
Qingchen steadied herself, producing a small flag. With a vigorous shake, the towering peaks around them roared to life, sealing the heavens and earth, shielding her and Liu Xin from Lv Yang’s sword light.
Satisfied, Liu Xin smirked and shook the banner again.
This treasure, obtained alongside the Primordial Dao Treatise during his ancient fortune, was his greatest asset.
The banner required six spirits: one master, two guardians, and three corpse deities.
The Dao birthed one, one birthed two, two birthed three, and three birthed all things. Only with all six positions filled, paired with ten thousand souls, would the treasure reach perfection.
Easier said than done. Liu Xin had spent over a decade refining it without success. Ten thousand souls were manageable—he could slaughter a mortal city for those. But the six critical positions remained empty. He hadn’t even gathered the three corpse deities, let alone the two guardians.
Still, the banner’s power was formidable.
"Kill them!"
Shaking the banner, Liu Xin unleashed ten thousand souls. Unlike the cultivated banner spirits, these were vengeful spirits of mortals, weak but countless.
They surged like a tidal wave, swallowing Lv Yang whole. Worse, as incorporeal ghosts, they were immune to his Blood Transformation Ray.
Yet Lv Yang remained unshaken.
The Blood Ray was his ultimate technique, but not his only one. Since refining his Sword Core, his Divine Thunder Sword Art had become devastating.
His mind stirred, and the Sword Core split into dozens of sword lights. His figure flickered between them, evading the spirits and striking from unexpected angles—a guerrilla war.
This was the sword cultivator’s true strength.
Strike and vanish, reappear to strike again, wearing the enemy down until they faltered—then deliver the final blow.
Soon, the ten thousand vengeful spirits were in tatters, routed.
Meanwhile, Xiao Shiye grew ruthless, hurling high-grade treasures that detonated wildly, shaking the formation’s stability.
As the battle turned against them, Qingchen glanced at Liu Xin.
"Don’t panic. If I’m calm, why rush?" Liu Xin remained composed. Xiao Shiye was trivial, but he doubted Lv Yang’s endless sword assaults could sustain without draining his energy.
This was his strategy: exhaust the enemy with expendable spirits, then strike with his trump card when their energy waned.
Truthfully, he’d rather avoid his final move. That banner spirit was too valuable, its former identity too sensitive. If revealed, he couldn’t leave witnesses. Even a whisper of it could doom him.
"Fine. No risk, no reward."
After a pause, Liu Xin raised the banner, bowing respectfully. "A powerful foe attacks. To resolve this crisis, I humbly request Senior Brother’s aid."
(End of Chapter)
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