Chapter 681: Extreme Yin Blood Banner, First Blood

Based on past experience, once they entered this reanimated state, ordinary attacks were useless. To completely incapacitate them, one had to either destroy their Physical Bodies or decapitate them.

The enemies they had faced before were mere mortals. Though numerous, they were no cause for concern and were easily handled given their Cultivation.

But the two before them now were different. In life, they had both been cultivators at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. No one knew if their current strength was greater or weaker than before. Their original three-on-one situation had only given them a slight advantage; now, it was three-on-three. Winning this fight would be difficult.

Song Qingyun’s expression turned grave as well. “You two hold them off,” he said in a low voice. “Leave Silkworm Soul to me.”

“Can you handle him alone?” Song Qinghong asked, her voice laced with worry.

“It’s the best plan we have. Don’t worry, I’m confident I can handle it.”

“Alright. Qingyuan, let’s go!”

With a sharp cry, Song Qinghong and Song Qingyuan charged forward together, intercepting Corpse One and Corpse Two, while Song Qingyun faced Silkwurrm Soul alone.

“HEH HEH HEH… Now it’s just you. Let’s see what you’ve got to fight me with.” Silkworm Soul let out a savage laugh. The White Banner in his hand twirled, turning a ghastly blood-red as an overwhelmingly thick, metallic scent of blood filled the air.

In response to Silkworm Soul’s provocation, Song Qingyun wasted no words and chose to seize the initiative.

“Water Dragon Roar!”

A somewhat ethereal phantom of a Unihorned Flood Dragon materialized behind him. It opened its massive jaws and let out a piercing draconic roar.

ROAR—

Overlapping soundwaves, like a raging torrent, surged toward Silkworm Soul. In their path, every raindrop in the air burst apart.

HISS!

Silkworm Soul felt as if his head were trapped inside a great bell. It rang uncontrollably, and dark red blood began to trickle from his ears.

WHOOSH!

Seizing the opportunity, Song Qingyun surged forward. The Sword Qi emanating from his blade was like a rainbow as he thrust straight for Silkworm Soul’s heart.

“Ghost Slaves, save me…!”

Silkworm Soul let out a piercing shriek of laughter. The wails of Fierce Ghosts erupted around him as, one by one, grotesque Evil Ghosts crawled out of the Blood Banner. They charged at Song Qingyun, their own shrill cackles echoing their master’s.

They were intangible, formless. Song Qingyun’s Long Sword passed through their bodies without any resistance, causing them no harm whatsoever. Instead, the blade was corroded by a powerful cold aura. Ice crystals visibly spread from the Tip of the Sword up the length of the blade.

Song Qingyun shivered involuntarily. He circulated his Spiritual Power, attempting to shatter the Ice Crystals, but he didn’t possess a Fire-Attribute Spirit Root. He was ultimately ill-equipped to deal with Ice Crystals formed from such an Extreme Cold Power.

Left with no other choice, he abandoned the Magical Sword and, with a flick of his wrist, produced a Long Spear. This was the Broken Water Spear, a weapon Song Changsheng had seized in his youth. It was originally Tier Two Low Grade, but after years of refinement by Song Changsheng, it had been elevated to Tier Two Middle Grade. It contained a sliver of a Spiritual Attribute, making it perfect for dealing with Silkworm Soul.

‘For this trial, I had wanted to rely on my own strength,’ Song Qingyun thought. ‘But with Silkworm Soul in the open and the mysterious person who set up the Barrier in the village still hiding in the shadows, I must end this quickly while conserving as much of my strength as possible for the next battle.’

Though Silkworm Soul had come into cultivation late in life, he still had a discerning eye. He could tell at a glance that the Long Spear in Song Qingyun’s hand was no Mortal Grade item.

This stoked the flames of his anger. He despised these “favored children of heaven” from Major Sects and great clans, who relied on the protection of their ancestors and looked down on self-taught cultivators like him.

“Hmph! A fine Magical Artifact like that is wasted in your hands! It’s better off in my care!”

With a furious roar, Silkworm Soul commanded the horde of Fierce Ghosts to pounce on Song Qingyun.

“Sever Water!”

The words boomed like spring thunder. All of Song Qingyun’s Spiritual Power surged down the spear’s shaft and gathered at its tip. He thrust out violently, and a majestic wave of Water Spiritual Power erupted, piercing through all the pouncing Evil Ghosts and transforming into a long dragon that charged straight for Silkworm Soul.

His reasoning was simple.

To catch the thieves, first catch the king!

Since he couldn’t deal with the intangible Evil Ghosts, he would attack Silkworm Soul directly. As long as he took care of the master, the Evil Ghosts would naturally be defeated.

“Golden Shield Talisman!”

The bright yellow talisman paper in his fingers ignited, and a golden shield materialized in front of Song Qingyun, blocking all the grotesque, life-stealing Evil Ghosts.

Elsewhere, seeing Song Qingyun produce yet another high-quality Talisman, Silkworm Soul was practically seeing red. He wanted to shatter the shield, but the spear’s imposing aura was already upon him, forcing him to focus all his attention on defense.

The Blood Banner in his hands unfurled, wrapping tightly around him as its surface pulsed with waves of a bloody light.

BOOM—

The spear’s aura screamed through the air and slammed into the Blood Banner. In that instant, a brilliant light erupted!

PFFT!

A grotesque flower of blood bloomed on Silkworm Soul’s chest.

“This… How is this possible…?”

Staring at the spear wound on his chest and the gaping hole in his Blood Banner, Silkworm Soul’s eyes were filled with disbelief. He couldn’t accept that the Magical Artifact he had painstakingly crafted could be so easily broken.

In truth, it wasn’t hard to understand. As someone who had come to cultivation late, he had never systematically studied the Artifact Refining Technique, knowing only the crude basics. Although his Demon Artifact had absorbed a great deal of living souls and fresh blood, and had even absorbed the Extreme Cold aura of this place, his refining technique was so rough that it had only barely reached Tier Two Low Grade.

An item of such poor quality stood no chance against the Broken Water Spear.

After all, in Song Changsheng’s hands, this spear had tasted the blood of more than one Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

With the Blood Banner damaged, the Evil Ghosts that had poured from it were also affected. They dissolved into clouds of mist with mournful wails.

“Die!”

Song Qingyun’s eyes blazed with fury. He held the Broken Water Spear and closed the distance in a few quick leaps, thrusting straight for Silkworm Soul.

They exchanged blows, but in less than ten exchanges, Silkworm Soul was run through by Song Qingyun’s Long Spear. A jolt of Spiritual Power from the spear instantly pulverized his internal organs.

“I… don’t… accept this,” Silkworm Soul rasped, his voice filled with resentment as he stared at the Long Spear piercing his chest.

Song Qingyun coldly pulled out the Long Spear and kicked the body against the Barrier.

“It’s true I defeated you thanks to the protection of my father. But even if we were at the same Cultivation Realm, you would still be no match for me.”

“My father once said that this world has never been fair. Your Cultivation Realm is higher than mine, and your combat experience is greater. How is that not a form of injustice to me?”

“But whether you accept it or not, the result is the same.”

With that said, Song Qingyun swung his spear and cut off Silkworm Soul’s head, then went to help Song Qinghong and Song Qingyuan finish off Corpse One and Corpse Two.

With Song Qingyun’s power, dealing with Corpse One and Corpse Two was a simple task, and he quickly slew them.

“Are you two hurt?”

Song Qingyun asked with concern.

“I’m fine, but Qingyuan is slightly injured,” Song Qinghong said, shaking her head as she caught her breath.

“He’s hurt?”

Hearing this, Song Qingyun walked over to Song Qingyuan to take a look.

Song Qingyuan let him check the injury, but his own eyes were fixated on the Long Spear in Song Qingyun’s hand.

‘A Magical Artifact of this quality is exceedingly rare, even within the Song Clan,’ he thought. ‘Normally, only high-ranking Stewards or Elders are allowed to possess one.’

‘This is the first time any of us have left the mountain for tempering, so it’s not like he could have had some fortuitous encounter.’

‘That leaves only one explanation: it was a gift from one of the clan’s seniors.’

At this thought, Song Qingyuan couldn’t help but feel a surge of resentment.

Just then, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently, accompanied by a deep, rumbling sound.

“What’s going on?” A flicker of panic crossed Song Qinghong’s face.

“Could it be an Earth Dragon rolling over?”

“No, that’s not it. Something is about to burst out from below! Move!”

Song Qingyun cried out suddenly, pulling Song Qingyuan and Song Qinghong into a hasty retreat.

The instant they retreated, a massive fissure split open the ground where they had just been standing, and a streak of light shot toward the heavens from within the chasm…