Chapter 5: The Broke Ghost Who Can't Afford a Simulated Soul
No matter how the outward appearance changes, the core cannot be changed. The people of the Demonic Path nowadays are quite creative; a demonic Formation actually produced auspicious dragon and phoenix signs.
Zhang Yunlu, who was beside him, had a slightly pale face.
She didn't want to believe it in her heart, but she also felt that the person in front of her wasn't lying to her.
The Soul Seizing Formation is one of the most notorious great Formations of the Demonic Path; even those who know nothing about the ancient cultivation world have heard of it.
This is a great Formation listed in textbooks. The power the Soul Seizing Formation can unleash is linked to the cultivation Realm of the Formation setter.
After the great Formation is activated, if there is no special protection, Cultivators within the Formation who are two Realms lower than the Formation setter will have their souls directly drawn away, and the Formation setter themselves can also gain extremely exaggerated enhancements.
Now, the Returning Void Realm grand Cultivator, Xiao Ning Zhenren, has arrived in Xuanjian City.
The person behind the scenes still dares to set up the Formation, which means the person setting the Formation is at least in the Returning Void Realm!
Cultivators below the Celestial Transformation Stage will have their souls forcibly drawn away the moment the Formation is fully activated.
Let alone a small Cultivator like her in the Qi Training Stage.
"But you don't need to worry. Just wait patiently. That Xiao Ning Zhenren should have also discovered that something is wrong."
Zhang Yunlu looked at the sky, her eyes filled with worry.
Whether it was true or false, what could she, only in the Qi Training Realm, do?
And the people around who were also looking at the sky all thought that the dragon and phoenix phantoms were 'special effects' that came with the appearance of a Returning Void Realm grand Cultivator.
Many people took out their phones to take pictures, and some even stepped on Flying Swords to fly into the air to find a suitable angle, but they were quickly driven down by the Golden Core Stage security guards.
Among them were a few hooligans with dyed yellow hair who looked slovenly. The Flying Swords they controlled were of ordinary material and craftsmanship, but they would emit sounds like thunder and were accompanied by various dazzling light effects.
"What's going on with those people's Flying Swords?"
Zhang Yunlu felt a little flustered, but upon hearing the question, she still subconsciously replied, "Those are Flying Sword coatings, 【Sword Qi Thunder Sound Simulation Plates】. They're not very useful."
Xu Xing immediately understood in his heart. He got it; it was the Cultivator version of 'ghost fire'.
"It is said that some Flying Sword coating masters can even imprint the Sword Intent of top Sword Cultivators. With Flying Swords coated by them, even if the user is a complete novice who has never cultivated the Sword Dao, they can still unleash true Sword Qi Thunder Sound or even reach a more powerful Realm."
However, that price is not something ordinary people can afford.
"Speaking of which, aren't you a Sword Sect Cultivator? How come you haven't heard of these?"
"I often go into seclusion. I haven't paid much attention to the outside world these past few years."
Zhang Yunlu didn't doubt him, only taking him as that kind of ascetic Cultivator who paid no attention to outside affairs.
Dong~ Dong~ Dong~
With three continuous, long, and ancient bell tolls, Zhang Yunlu's pupils constricted. She saw the dragon and phoenix phantoms in the sky approaching each other, radiating brilliant clear light. A small silver-white banner appeared from within.
Within Xuanjian City, regardless of cultivation level, everyone was attracted by it.
The small banner glowed all over with circulating light. Wherever the clear light shone, countless majestic divine beings materialized, sitting atop the clouds, overlooking the entire city.
Every Cultivator who met the gaze of a 'divine being' only felt that the divine light in the 'divine being's' eyes was the principle of the Great Dao, and from the depths of their soul, they felt great freedom and liberation.
Because they were unprepared, in just an instant, seventy percent of the Cultivators within Xuanjian City became engrossed, their souls on the verge of leaving their bodies.
Zhang Yunlu lowered her head, only feeling waves of Sanskrit chanting in her ears, but she still used her own will to desperately suppress the urge to look up.
Xu Xing stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded. Even with his help, she could persist for this long.
This little girl, with whom he felt a connection, had a decent temperament.
Then he raised his head and looked to the side, which was the location of the municipal building.
Could that Returning Void Realm Xiao Ning Zhenren not have noticed yet? Are the Immortal Sect Disciples of this generation all this bad?
...
Inside the Mayor's office, Xiao Ning Zhenren stood by the window with a solemn expression. He had felt that something was wrong as early as when the anomaly appeared in the sky.
After that small banner appeared, he was even more certain.
Ten Thousand Souls Banner!
Someone actually dares to refine this kind of inhumane Magical Artifact now.
The Celestial Transformation Stage Mayor, and a Supreme Dao Sect Disciple who had come with him, stood quietly behind him without saying a word.
Suddenly, a Supreme Dao Sect Cultivator in the Celestial Transformation Stage took a step forward.
"Shishu, I have already reported the situation in Xuanjian City to the Sect, but a Demonic Path mighty figure has sealed off the vicinity, and reinforcements will take another three minutes to arrive."
Hmm?
Since it's sealed off, how did you notify the Sect?
Xiao Ning Zhenren turned his head and saw that the nephew who had just spoken suddenly fell to the ground, turning into a thumb-sized bean.
Scatter Beans, Turn into Soldiers!
Damn it!
As expected, it wasn't the main body!
Because the Demonic Path mighty figure sealed off the void, it also severed his control over his avatar.
Poof! Poof!
With several more consecutive sounds, among the remaining Cultivators, some turned into paper figures, some turned into Puppets, and some even directly dissipated.
In the end, only three Celestial Transformation Stage Cultivators remained. Not a single Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator was missing, after all, their avatar techniques couldn't deceive the Returning Void Realm Xiao Ning Zhenren.
The Mayor, who was beside him, had a bewildered look, not knowing what these Supreme Dao Sect Cultivators were up to.
Xiao Ning Zhenren's eye twitched.
It's over, this time I've lost face big time.
Since things had come to this, he could only first deal with the current matter.
"The city protection great Formation has been reversed into a Soul Seizing Formation. I will go and hold back the artifact refiner and wait for Sect reinforcements."
Having said that, without giving the Mayor a chance to ask, he transformed into a streak of light and rushed out, heading straight for the Ten Thousand Souls Banner in the sky.
Taking a wisp of pure white Innate primordial qi as the Foundation, he gathered boundless magical power to form a sky-covering large hand, reaching out to grab the small silver-white banner in the sky.
Great Divine Ability - Innate Primordial Qi Great Capture!
The residents within Xuanjian City were all in Sect strongholds or schools, so he could act completely without restraint!
Under the large hand of primordial qi, the banner surface swayed, like a small boat about to capsize in turbulent waves.
"I have been waiting for a long time, Xiao Ning Zhenren."
A voice as clear as jade came, and he saw the group of 'gods' sitting atop the clouds simultaneously push out a palm. A rolling long river of clear light collided with that large hand.
Boom!
A visible shockwave spread out. Below where the two collided, the towering buildings were directly torn apart, like meteorites falling to the ground. The ground directly caved inward, a pit dozens of meters deep being pressed out.
As the two exchanged blows, the Cultivators who had been attracted by the Ten Thousand Souls Banner also suddenly woke up.
The impact struck, and many people were knocked to the ground. Except for a small number of people, the others didn't know what had happened.
The Sanskrit chanting in her ears disappeared, Zhang Yunlu felt a release in her heart and directly collapsed from exhaustion.
Forcing herself to look up, the clouds and mist in the sky had already dissipated due to that previous impact.
The 'gods' with majestic expressions sat high in the sky. The Ten Thousand Souls Banner danced lightly. A sunny and amiable young man materialized from void, reaching out to grasp the banner pole.
"Greetings, Xiao Ning Zhenren," the young man chuckled lightly.
"Evil Heretic! Do you dare report your name!"
Xiao Ning Zhenren looked at him with cold eyes, secretly activating a great Divine Ability.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. The Supreme Dao Sect's divine abilities are profound and wondrous. I certainly don't want to be hunted to death by the Zhenren's seniors."
"You want to kill me?" Xiao Ning Zhenren's eyelid twitched.
"No, I just want to borrow the Zhenren's soul for a while."
The two confronted each other from afar. The young man was waiting for the Soul Seizing Formation's power to reach its peak.
And Xiao Ning Zhenren was contemplating whether to hold on until reinforcements arrived, or... directly use the Tai Xu Demon Breaking Sword Qi in his Sea of Consciousness to hack this guy to death!
To be honest, he was reluctant.
"Soul? I thought you were some formidable demon. Turns out you're just a broke ghost who can't afford a simulated soul!"
The young man's expression stiffened, and he couldn't smile anymore.