"Sancai Pavilion?"
Liu Meng tucked the ten Sancai coins into her robes, but instead of satisfaction, another question rose in her heart.
Three hundred li west lay the borders of Sancai Pavilion—but just how vast was the territory of this mysterious Xuanpin Gate?
She transmitted the doubt through the command token.
On the other side, Qin Shuang chuckled softly, as if amused.
"You didn't think Xuanpin Gate was our entire sect, did you?" A hint of mockery laced her voice.
"Xuanpin Gate is merely one of four 'Mountain Gates.' The place I mentioned—Sancai Pavilion—is another. Most of our sect's trade and resource flows pass through it. If there's something you want, you'll likely find it there."
Her voice grew heavier.
"But whether it is Xuanpin Gate or Sancai Pavilion, both belong to one sect—the Great Dao Demonic Sect."
"That is our true sect."
The name struck Liu Meng like a hammer. Just hearing it filled her chest with suffocating weight. This was no minor cult or petty clan. This was a colossal, dreadful power.
Why had she fallen into such a sect?
Had her story begun on Hell difficulty?
But her confusion cleared in an instant. Raising her head, she said coldly through the token:
"Not enough."
Qin Shuang gave a puzzled hum.
"What's not enough?"
"Your sincerity," Liu Meng replied, her eyes razor sharp. "Don't forget—you nearly killed me just now. Ten Sancai coins aren't enough."
Truth be told, she had no idea how much the coins were worth. But her tone was so unyielding, so absolute, that it allowed no argument.
For a moment, silence lingered. Then Qin Shuang's amused laughter returned.
"Hehe… fine. Speak. What else do you want?"
"That secret art from earlier," Liu Meng said without hesitation. "I want to know what it truly is, what it does, and how to use it properly."
"Oh? Interested in that, are you?" Qin Shuang's voice grew light, almost careless. "Very well. It matters little if I tell you."
*"The "True Explanation of Severing Three Corpses and Condensing the Dao" is the companion cultivation method of a certain artifact—*the Soul Banner."
Liu Meng repeated the name. "Soul Banner…"
Memories from her past life surfaced. She had read many novels before. Of course she knew what kind of weapon a Soul Banner was.
Qin Shuang continued, her tone grave:
"The power of a Soul Banner depends entirely on the souls refined into it. Ordinary spirits are flawed—too much filth, too much resentment. They are useless. But one who cultivates this secret art tempers their own soul into a flawless, immaculate soul-body. Such a soul, when bound as the banner's master-soul, elevates its power beyond compare. A perfect soul doesn't just strengthen a banner—it completes it."
"In truth, only with such a soul can one claim to possess a true Soul Banner."
A flawless soul… a complete banner…
Liu Meng's mind turned sharply.
"Give me the complete method. Then the score between us will be settled."
Qin Shuang chuckled.
"Not so fast. There's a flaw you must know."
Her voice grew solemn.
"This art can only be cultivated willingly. The practitioner must be filled with hope, must believe with absolute conviction that success will bring rebirth and ascension. Only then can the soul be refined into its most perfect state. If forced—or if the heart carries despair—the result will be nothing but worthless husks."
"Now, do you still want this art?"
Liu Meng's answer was calm, unwavering:
"Yes."
"Good." Qin Shuang agreed readily. "I will pass the full incantation to you. Inscribe it upon your Soul Banner, then find someone to cultivate it. Once they succeed, the banner will claim them as its master-soul automatically. The artifact itself, however, you must acquire on your own. As for finding a practitioner… that too is your burden."
"Thank you."
A cold laugh.
"No need… Fool! Seeking death!"
Her voice suddenly turned fierce, laced with crashing spirit energy. The sounds of battle crackled in the background.
"Blind idiot! You dare scheme against me? Watch yourself—never fall into another's trap!"
But before Liu Meng could respond, the command token flashed violently—and the connection shattered.
The stone hall fell silent once more.
Liu Meng stood unmoving, clutching the cold token. Yet a chilling pressure gripped her heart. She had not expected Qin Shuang herself to be ambushed so swiftly.
If Qin Shuang could be hunted, what of her?
Her cultivation was but the first layer of Qi Refining, her foundation unstable, her means of survival pitiful. If someone stormed her cave residence now, she would fare no better.
This was the Demonic Sect.
This was a realm of prey and predators.
She clenched her fists.
No. She had to grow stronger. Fast.
She needed pills to stabilize her foundation.
Talismans to defend herself.
Arrays to guard her cave.
And above all… a weapon.
Her thoughts focused into a single image.
A Soul Banner.
The "True Explanation" would soon be hers. The perfect soul required to forge a banner might be impossible for others, demanding trickery and sacrifice.
But for her? It was effortless.
For she had countless avatars.
She could simply summon a new self, let it willingly cultivate the art, let it become the immaculate soul-body… and bind it into her own Soul Banner.
Her lips whispered, almost reverent.
"A Soul Banner… yes. I need one too."
Author’s Note:
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