A Mortal's Start in the Spirit Beast Mountain

Chapter 259 The Power of the Demon Banner

"You possess both the Fat-Yang Bird, which is specifically designed to subdue Yin spirits, and this Thousand Demon Banner with its insatiable appetite… If you could seize the opportunity to capture one or two Ghost Kings and refine them into the banner, hehe, its power would surely increase dramatically! At that time, even when facing a true Nascent Soul stage monster, you wouldn't lack the confidence to contend with or even injure the enemy!"

"Ghost King?" Upon hearing this, Luo Ming's eyes suddenly lit up, as if two flames had been ignited.

He had only intended to use the spirits of this place to nourish the Thousand Demon Banner and enhance its power. If he could capture a Ghost King... that would be an unexpected bonus! "I wonder how many Ghost Kings there are here... If I could subdue them all..." He licked his dry lips, a burning desire rising in his heart.

Without further hesitation, Luo Ming took a deep breath, and his magical power surged forth, pouring into the Thousand Demon Banner in his hand!

"rise!"

With a low shout, the small black banner grew rapidly in the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into a colossal banner tens of feet tall, fluttering wildly and standing erect amidst the gray mist! On the banner's surface, billowing black energy rose like smoke billowing into the sky, and countless twisted, tormented faces appeared and howled within it. The numerous demonic souls already refined within the banner, sensing the surging, pure Yin energy outside, were all excited to the point of near madness!

"Roar—!" "Awoo—!" "Hiss—!"

Roars and howls of various demonic beasts erupted from the churning black mist, filled with greed and savagery. Especially the dozen or so powerful demonic souls that had possessed Core Formation stage cultivation in life and had been painstakingly refined into the banner by Luo Ming as his main souls—their eyes were bloodshot, thrashing about within the banner's space, emitting deafening roars. If Luo Ming hadn't firmly suppressed them with his divine sense, they would likely have already broken free of the banner and pounced on the surrounding "delicious" Yin spirits!

"Hahaha! Don't rush, don't rush!" Seeing this, Luo Ming couldn't help but burst into laughter, a surge of heroic spirit rising in his chest. "Today, I'll let you eat to your heart's content!"

His hands moved with lightning speed, forming hand seals like butterflies flitting among flowers, sending beams of spiritual light into the Thousand Demon Banner above his head. The giant banner trembled violently, and the mysterious dark patterns on its surface suddenly glowed with a deep, eerie light. The banner itself began to slowly rotate above his head, spinning faster and faster!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!

As the giant banner spun, an even more powerful and purer black demonic energy surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, rapidly spreading in all directions from Luo Ming's center! Wherever the black energy passed, the gray mist dissolved and dissipated as if encountering its nemesis, replaced by a deep, chilling demonic realm filled with the howls of endless demonic souls!

In just a few breaths, the entire area within a radius of a hundred feet was enveloped by this billowing black mist!

The vengeful spirits that had been wandering in the gray mist, trying to attack Luo Ming, were immediately swept into the demonic black energy of the Thousand Demon Banner, and let out mournful and desperate screams.

Luo Ming is currently on the outskirts of the Ghostly Land. These vengeful spirits are not only weak in cultivation but also few in number, so they are no match for the incredibly hungry demonic souls within his demon banner.

The moment these ghostly spirits appeared from the gray mist, they were torn apart and devoured by the demonic spirits that eagerly pounced out from the black mist! In an instant, ghostly wails and howls filled the area within a hundred feet, and the black mist churned, turning it into a feast for demonic spirits hunting ghostly spirits!

Luo Ming stood in mid-air, at the center of the black mist, his robes fluttering in the wind. Looking at the almost "harvesting" scene around him, a satisfied yet cold smile appeared on his face.

Just then, the ancient Five Spirits Bracelet on Luo Ming's wrist felt slightly warm, and a clear and urgent mental fluctuation came through it—it was the Fat Sun Bird.

This little guy's sensitivity to the aura of Yin spirits far exceeds that of ordinary people. At this moment, sensing the vast and pure Yin spirit resentment power outside, it was already restless in the spirit bracelet space, flapping its wings and urging silently.

Luo Ming sensed this and couldn't help but smile, reassuring her with his divine sense, "Don't worry, how could such a grand feast forget you, little one?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a crimson light flashed beside him, and a blazing radiance, like a small sun, emerged, quickly condensing into the magnificent form of the Fat Sun Bird.

As soon as it appeared, its crimson-gold eyes greedily swept over the churning gray mist and the shadowy ghosts within, excitedly emitting a series of clear and melodious chirps. At the same time, a thought with a hint of resentment entered Luo Ming's mind—why didn't you release it earlier when such a "delicious" thing was right in front of you?

Luo Ming smiled and shook his head, instructing, "Although there are many spirits here, there are also unknown dangers lurking within. Do not be greedy for merit and act rashly, and do not stray far from the range of my divine sense. Go, find your own food, and be careful."

Upon hearing this, the Fat Sun Bird let out a joyful cry in response. Immediately, it flapped its wings, and crimson-gold flames erupted from its body, completely enveloping it.

The next moment, the fire suddenly blazed brightly, transforming into a thin, crimson line of fire. With a speed too fast for the naked eye to detect, it appeared dozens of feet away in a flash, and then disappeared into the thick gray fog a hundred feet away, leaving only a trail of gradually dissipating flames and the lingering scorching yang energy in the air, instantly cleansing away the gray fog and ghosts that passed by.

"His Fire Release technique has become increasingly proficient; the speed of his bursts..."

This is likely comparable to the short-distance teleportation of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

Luo Ming gazed in the direction where the Fat Sun Bird had disappeared, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. This was precisely the source of his confidence in letting it act alone. As long as it didn't stray beyond the maximum range of his divine sense, he could quickly sense any changes through the mental connection between him and his spirit pet, and provide timely assistance.

No longer distracted, Luo Ming suppressed his smile, his expression turning solemn and focused. He took a deep breath and poured his immense magical power into the towering Thousand Demon Banner above his head without reservation.

Luo Ming felt that he was very much like Vaishravana, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Standing with his banner held high, he controlled everything within a hundred feet.

"Waaaaah—!"

Driven to its fullest extent by Luo Ming's magic, the Thousand Demon Banner let out a low, mournful roar, like an ancient beast awakened from its slumber. The already deep and mysterious dark patterns on the banner surface now seemed to come alive, twisting and writhing wildly, emitting a chilling black light. The banner's spinning speed suddenly increased, stirring up astonishing air currents and transforming into a massive black vortex!

boom--!

Centered on him, the pitch-black demonic energy spewed out by the Thousand Demon Banner instantly increased several times in scale and concentration! It no longer spread slowly, but roared like a black tsunami, sweeping and devouring the surroundings! Wherever it passed, the gray mist melted and dissipated rapidly, like morning dew meeting the blazing sun, revealing the densely packed ghosts and spirits that had been shrouded in it.

These vengeful spirits, some weak and merely faint phantoms, others solidified into tangible forms, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, were like lambs to the slaughter before the Thousand Demon Banner, a supreme demonic treasure specifically designed to suppress and devour souls.

"Roar!" "Awooo!"

Within the Thousand Demon Banner, the countless demon souls, already parched and thirsty, received their master's full support and roared thunderously as they surged forth from the churning black mist! They took on various forms, some resembling lions and tigers, others pythons and dragons, and still others strangely shaped and indescribable demon spirits, all with bloodshot eyes, radiating an aura of savage greed, as they frantically pounced on the Yin souls imprisoned and weakened by the black mist of the demonic realm.

Biting, devouring, merging... a brutal yet efficient hunting feast unfolded within the thousand-foot-wide area shrouded in black mist. With each Yin soul devoured, the demonic soul that lunged out became more solid, and its aura subtly grew stronger.

In particular, the dozen or so Core Formation stage main souls were extremely ferocious. They could often swallow dozens or even hundreds of low-level Yin souls with a single open mouth. Their black aura churned around them, and their soul bodies became increasingly condensed and powerful at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Luo Ming stood in the center of the black vortex, his expression cold and stern. He spread his divine sense to the fullest extent, precisely controlling the devouring range and power of the Thousand Demon Banner, while sensing the state of each demon soul within the banner.

All the vengeful spirits and ghosts near Luo Ming were devoured in a short time. This shows the importance of having a handy magic weapon. With the Thousand Demon Banner, his efficiency in dealing with demon souls was unmatched even by those Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

"It seems we have to take a different approach." He cast his gaze toward several directions where the gray fog was deeper and the yin energy and resentment were clearly more concentrated, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

With a thought, Luo Ming slowly shifted the direction of the Thousand Demon Banner above his head, spewing out endless black energy, like a giant black ship sailing in a sea of ​​gray fog, and headed headlong towards the areas where the ghosts were most concentrated and the ghost energy was most eerie!

Just as Luo Ming was fully activating the Thousand Demon Banner, which was grinding through the gray mist like a giant millstone and frantically devouring the vengeful spirits and ghosts to strengthen his magical artifact—

About a thousand feet ahead, at the edge of the thick gray fog, a figure in black robes suddenly stopped.

It was Yuan Yao, who had deliberately kept her distance from Luo Ming earlier. She hadn't gone far; at this moment, taking advantage of the gray fog and the Soul-Crying Beast's natural sensitivity to yin energy, she was hiding in a relatively thin mist, looking back in the direction where Luo Ming was.

Even at such a distance, and with layers of gray fog obstructing the view, the billowing demonic energy soaring into the sky, the terrifying howls of countless demonic souls, and the despairing cries of the dissipating swathes of the vengeful spirits—all clearly indicated the astonishing scene unfolding behind them.

Through the occasional gaps in the mist parted by demonic energy, she could vaguely see the towering black banner standing in the gray mist, like a demon god's banner, and the blurry yet upright figure beneath it, just like a bottomless vortex, swallowing the surrounding Yin spirits.

"That's... the legendary Banner of Ten Thousand Souls? No, it seems even more sinister... it has such power!" Yuan Yao's pretty face under her hood couldn't hide her shock, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

She could sense that the demonic aura emanating from the black banner was pure and domineering, far surpassing that of ordinary demonic artifacts. "This person actually possesses such a ferocious demonic treasure? Could he... truly be a ruthless killer, a demon who refines souls and steals spirits?"

Having roamed the Chaotic Star Sea for many years, Yuan Yao was no longer a naive female cultivator. She knew that the process of refining such evil magic weapons, which used souls to nourish banners and banners to control souls, was often extremely bloody and cruel. Not only did it require rare and precious spatial attribute main materials, but it also required the sacrifice of a large number of living souls during the refining process in order to achieve initial success.

Click to begin your wondrous journey in "Mortal's Start: Spirit Beast Mountain".