He immediately realized that Yan Yuqin must have tampered with him secretly during their conversation earlier. His heart burned with rage, but he could only grit his teeth and abandon his mount, intending to flee by flight.
Yan Yuqin let out a soft giggle and said, "Wulang, why such haste to leave? Could it be you are unwilling to lend a helping hand to me, your little sister?"
With a flick of her wrist, a fiery red cloud surged forward, swift and overpowering. Shi Yifan could tell this attack had been prepared long before, leaving him no space to evade. Helpless, he could only release his Xuan Guang to intercept it.
A resounding boom echoed as he successfully dispersed the flaming cloud. However, his body momentarily stalled, losing the opportunity for an escape.
Meanwhile, Yan Yuqin raised her Yin Sha Corpse Mourn Banner. With a single shake, more than ten streaks of black mist shot out, each carrying a Yin Corpse with expressionless faces.
Shi Yifan’s heart tightened at the sight. Yan Yuqin’s cultivation level was similar to his own; should the two engage in combat, it would be difficult to determine a victor in a short time. Add those ten or more Yin Corpses to the fray—how could he possibly hold them all at bay?
Knowing escape was paramount, he quickly pulled out a palm-sized Treasure Mirror from his sleeve. A single sweep of the mirror unleashed a ray of white light, as brilliant as sunlight melting snow, parting clouds to reveal the moon. The radiance penetrated the chest of the nearest Yin Corpse.
This mirror, known as the "Energy Transformation Mirror," possessed immense power. Anything struck by its Mirror Light would have its flesh and bones pierced, skin destroyed, and blood vaporized.
With repeated blasts, the advancing Yin Corpses, now more than ten in number, were torn to shreds by the light, reduced to unrecognizable fragments.
Yet, Yan Yuqin’s face bore only a mocking smile. With a mere flick of her Banner, waves of Yin Sha Qi descended, filling the wounds of the Yin Corpses and reforming their bodies once more.
These Yin Corpses were no longer ordinary human bodies. Their cultivation and essence had transformed entirely into Yin Sha Qi, existing between form and formlessness. In raw power, they were far inferior to their living selves, but under the control of the Yin Sha Corpse Mourn Banner, legions of fearless, deathless Yin Corpses descending upon an opponent could overwhelm even the most experienced cultivator. What ordinary techniques could restrain such an onslaught?
After fighting for a while, Shi Yifan found himself struggling. Surrounded by the relentless Yin Corpses, encased in cold mist, and battered by cruel winds, his panic and anger surged. He shouted, "Yan Yuqin, you dare kill me? Are you not afraid of my Shi Clan’s revenge? Do you not fear bringing disaster upon your Yan Clan?"
Yan Yuqin sneered derisively, her disdain palpable. "This lady’s Yin Sha Corpse Mourn Banner is just three main corpses away from achieving its first stage of completion. Once I claim a token talisman in the Ancestor Hall, I will gain access to our sect’s Ancient Techniques and have a true chance to attain the Dao. With such celestial fortune in my grasp, why should I care for such trivialities?" This content belongs to novelꜰire.net
Hearing this, Shi Yifan fell into utter despair and began cursing at the top of his lungs, unleashing the vilest of insults. Yan Yuqin, however, watched him with amused interest, entirely unfazed.
Amid the relentless attacks from over ten tireless Yin Corpses, biting cold Yin energy seeped into Shi Yifan’s marrow. Soon, his limbs grew stiff as though encased in ten-thousand-year-old ice. After struggling bitterly for an hour, he could hold on no longer. The Yin Corpses let out feral roars, rushing forward as a pack. The thick, ink-like Yin Sha Qi engulfed him, draining his essence blood in an instant.
With a shake of her banner, Yan Yuqin captured a wisp of Shi Yifan’s Primordial Spirit onto the Banner. She carried out a series of intricate spell maneuvers and gave the Banner another flick. A fragment of his soul descended into the swirling black mist, coalescing it into a solid form once more. Shi Yifan now stood again, but his face was blank, his visage ghostly pale.
Yan Yuqin issued a Dharma Decree in her mind, and Shi Yifan obediently stepped forward to present the "Energy Transformation Mirror" to her.
Holding the mirror, Yan Yuqin chuckled gleefully, thoroughly invigorated. Over the years, she had feigned eccentricity and used it as an excuse to kill numerous cultivators—all for the sake of refining this Banner.
Yet even now, the completion of the Banner required more. Not only did it need the spirits of 365 Xuan Guang Practitioners bound to it, but it also required three corpses that surpassed the others in rank. Her venture into Qingcun Mountain was never primarily for the One Qi Ganoderma. Her true intention was to indulge in unrestrained slaughter of cultivators, inching this Banner closer to perfection.
She glanced at the two combatants in the distance, deep in thought. A spark of light flashed in her phoenix eyes. With a swift motion, she flung out a set of Array Flags and commanded the dozen Yin Corpses, "Take these Array Flags to the Array Corners."
The Yin Corpses obeyed the decree, taking the Flags and scattering in all directions.
Yan Yuqin then reached into the sachet tucked into her chest and retrieved an incense burner. A flick of her finger ignited it with a flash of fire. In no time, thick clouds of smoky fog poured forth, spreading into a boundless haze.
The incense within this burner, known as the "Enchanting Five Luo Smoke," was created alongside the Yin Sha Corpse Mourn Banner. Any unwitting cultivator who inhaled even a single puff of this smoke would find themselves groggy, their minds clouded and actions paralyzed.
Before long, Yan Yuqin sensed through her Heart and Spirit that the Yin Corpses had completed the Great Array. Feeling confident and assured, she struck her Cloud Couch and ascended into the air. With another shake of her Yin Sha Corpse Mourn Banner, hundreds of black mists descended. Out of the Banner emerged hundreds of Yin Corpses, emitting harrowing wails and rushing viciously toward Zhang Yan and the green-clothed youth.
The green-clothed youth and Zhang Yan, locked in fierce combat, suddenly noticed the churning storm clouds to the south. A massive wave of black mist was surging toward them. Instinctively, they ceased their fight simultaneously.
Standing in midair with his hands behind his back, the green-clothed youth cast a glance and, enraged to the point of laughter, said, "Which foolish junior dares to provoke me?"
Zhang Yan raised his hand, summoning two golden hammers that spiraled around him. Studying the mournful cries and overwhelming black clouds, he shouted, "A pack of foul demons and ghosts dares to flaunt their tricks? Let us make quick work of them, and then resume our fight!"
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)