Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 390 A Gift of Fate or a Trap Digged by Fate
Back in the Yunlu Immortal Sect, the rogue cultivators were all talking at once, trying to rank the heroes of the world.

This was originally a joke, but the circumstances just weren't right.

The Yunlu Immortal Sect initiated a war between good and evil. In the battle above the clouds, the two Venerable Lords had their physical bodies severed, and more than twenty cultivators on the righteous side perished.

In the past, independent cultivators didn't know much about the cultivators from those prestigious sects; they only heard their names and couldn't possibly associate with them. But things are different now. War has broken out. When faced with danger, shouldn't they at least know where to escape to?

Not every independent cultivator can settle down in Hundred Seas Valley, where many powerful figures from major sects guard it.

What about the independent cultivators outside? Shouldn't they inquire in advance about which righteous masters are around them, so that they will have a direction to escape to when they are chased by demons?

This is the time when confidence needs to be boosted the most, so this list has become increasingly important as it has been circulated among those with ulterior motives.

No one paid attention to the several Void Returning Realm sect leaders, since they all knew each other anyway.

However, cultivators at the Nascent Soul and Profound Realm levels attracted special attention because they couldn't see the sect leaders at crucial moments, but they had the opportunity to meet experts at the Nascent Soul and Profound Realm levels.

Therefore, the list of Tongxuan Realm cultivators, which originally only had Chen Ye's name, was quickly completed by everyone through collective wisdom.

Later, Chen Ye was quite interested and asked someone for a copy. He remembered that Yu Xing was ranked sixteenth, which was quite high.

The main reason is that he caused a great disturbance in Zhuguang Port back then, and his two Kui Niu Divine Talismans were really powerful, forcing cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage to use all their strength to deal with them.

Moreover, Yu Xing himself is a genius in the arts of formations and illusions. When he fought Chen Ye at the Dharma Assembly, Chen Ye only managed to defeat him by using tricks.

Yu Xing's sixteenth place was well-deserved, but he died just like that?

The Mirage Sect watched helplessly as he gambled with the demon, and even after his death, he was refined into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

Chen Ye couldn't understand it, but his intuition told him that this matter was inextricably linked to Fei Lian.

However, Youluozi has been clearly avoiding him lately, making it difficult for Chen Ye to find out any news about the Demonic Sect.

After pondering for a long time, Chen Ye said to Mo Ci, "Master, I need to trouble you to go to the Mirage Sect again."

Mo Ci asked, "Go and find out about that demon?"

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "No, go and inquire about the Mirage Sect. There are too many schemes and tricks among the demonic sects to investigate, but the Mirage Sect's response seems unusual to me... Master, I think there has been a change within the Mirage Sect."

Mo Ci was immediately taken aback. If what Chen Ye said was true, then it would be a terrible disaster.

"Don't worry, I will definitely find out the truth about the Mirage Sect."

Mo Ci left behind these words and then vanished in golden light.

Mo Ci absorbed the incense's energy day and night, and his movement technique became faster and faster, to the point that Chen Ye could no longer keep up with his speed.

After Mo Ci left, Chen Ye couldn't help but mutter, "Just who is this demon named Ye Chen? Is he a puppet put forward by You Luo Zi and Fei Lian?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Three hundred li away from the Mirage Sect lies Pingyun Cliff.

The mountains here are incredibly high, but the peaks seem to have been flattened by some ancient powerhouse with a sword aura that reaches the heavens, leaving behind a vast high platform.

Ye Chen was sitting cross-legged in the center of the high platform, carefully refining his Myriad Soul Banner.

The wailing of vengeful spirits within the banner echoed with curses. Ye Chen, however, paid no heed to these cries. He focused intently on circulating his spiritual energy, transforming it into restrictive talismans that he imprinted upon the restless souls.

After the last old ghost was refined again, it was finally the turn of a new soul that had just been taken into the banner, namely Yu Xing, a disciple of the Mirage Sect.

Three days ago, right here on Pingyun Cliff, Yu Xing was defeated by Ye Chen in a fair fight in front of everyone.

As agreed, the Demonic Sect released one thousand captured mortals.

The Mirage Sect could only watch helplessly as Yu Xing's soul was extracted and refined into Ye Chen's Myriad Soul Banner.

Although Yu Xing was known for his outspokenness and had many enemies within the sect, he was still a disciple of the Mirage Sect. Seeing a fellow disciple being publicly tortured by a demon was an unbearable humiliation, and many Mirage Sect disciples felt an urge to tear Ye Chen to pieces on the spot.

However, Deputy Sect Leader Zhou Lang quelled the commotion with the words, "A bet is a bet."

He added that Yu Xing's death ultimately saved a thousand innocent lives, so he died a worthy death.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Mirage Sect found it unbelievable. When did Zhou Lang become so concerned about the lives of mortals?
But now that the sect leader Yin Xiaoshuang is in seclusion and Zhou Lang holds great power, no one dares to say anything.

Anyway, Yu Xing... is dead, and that's that.

Ye Chen himself hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. His Myriad Souls Banner now had another vengeful spirit at the Profound Realm.

But this vengeful spirit doesn't seem to harbor much "resentment."

Ye Chen looked at Yu Xing's soul floating in front of him and found that although Yu Xing's face was contorted with rage from the torture, he did not show any resentment or hatred when he saw Ye Chen.

Ye Chen asked in confusion, "You don't hate me?"

Despite the excruciating pain of his soul being torn apart, Yu Xing still answered defiantly, "It was agreed before the duel that if I lost, I would be captured by your Ten Thousand Souls Banner. Since I am inferior in skill, I must accept defeat. I, Yu Xing, always keep my word! Being captured by your Ten Thousand Souls Banner is my tribulation. If you think that these tortures can make me bow down, then you are underestimating me."

Ye Chen remained silent for a moment, silently cursing in his heart, "Is this guy crazy?!"

He didn't want Yu Xing to bow down; what he wanted was Yu Xing's hatred that made him want to tear him to pieces.

The power of the Myriad Souls Banner lies in its malevolent intent; many vicious spells are drawn upon it. If it did not harbor resentment, wouldn't the banner's power be greatly diminished?
Ye Chen had subjected Yu Xing to a full range of tortures, but the guy actually endured it all without even a whimper. Ye Chen couldn't help but think that he should just eliminate this substandard "material" altogether.

But this is still a soul at the Profound Realm.

Although he had received many benefits from Youluozi and Feilian, he was not yet wealthy enough to discard a divine soul of this level at will.

Ye Chen sighed and put Yu Xing back into the banner. He'd let him endure a few more days inside; he refused to believe that this guy could remain so calm after countless tortures.

After refining the Myriad Souls Banner, Ye Chen took out a brocade pouch from his bosom. Inside, a jade tablet lay quietly.

The material of this jade pendant is unknown; it appears to be jade, but its touch is colder than ten-thousand-year-old black ice. On the pendant, in tiny, fine characters, are clearly written:

"First sever the mirage, then sever the heart of heaven. In the realm of profound understanding, Ye Chen reigns supreme."

The three brocade pouches bestowed upon him by the Venerable Feilian contained a single sentence of judgment.

The Venerable Feilian instructed him that he must open the first one first, and only after completing the "judgment" on it could he open the second one.

At first, Ye Chen didn't believe a word of it.

A Profound Realm cultivator who reveres Ye Chen? If someone said that, they'd be laughed out of the room.

Not only that, Fei Lian actually sent him alone to provoke the Mirage Sect. Ye Chen also felt that this was clearly sending him to his death. The Mirage Sect wasn't like the saints of the Qinghe Sword Sect; how could they possibly talk about morality and rules with a mere mortal like him, a demon?

If the Mirage Sect swarms in, Ye Chen will have no choice but to possess another body and be reborn.

But the benefits bestowed by Lord Feilian were simply too many.

Ye Chen's original Myriad Soul Banner contained only one Nascent Soul Realm master soul, which was already the culmination of his many years of hard work. But Lord Feilian simply waved his hand and gave him ten!
Ten genuine Nascent Soul Realm demonic cultivators had their fates decided by Lord Feilian with a single word. Their physical bodies collapsed on the spot, and their souls were all sent into his Myriad Soul Banner.

Ye Chen's magical artifact was no match for such terrifying soul power and nearly exploded on the spot. Yet, with a single, casual remark from Lord Feilian, his Myriad Soul Banner underwent a complete transformation, its power increasing more than tenfold!
“You can choose not to go, but you will still be taken into this Banner of Ten Thousand Souls. Then, I will choose someone else to go.”

This was the final "warning" left to him by the Flying Lord. Ye Chen knew he had no choice.

Fortunately, the judgment of the Venerable Feilian only gave the final goal and did not specify the specific process.

Ye Chen racked his brains for this, and after much thought, he finally came up with this vicious method that used ordinary people as a wager.

At first, he didn't even dare to show himself, but instead had a vengeful spirit control a puppet to infiltrate the Mirage Sect's mountain gate and deliver a message.

A thousand mortal lives were exchanged for a duel at the Transcendent Realm.

No matter how you look at it, the Mirage Faction would never agree to these conditions, since they offer no benefit whatsoever to them.

If they win, the Mirage Sect will gain nothing but a hollow reputation for "benevolence and righteousness"; but if they lose, they will have to watch helplessly as a disciple at the Profound Realm is publicly subjected to soul-refining by the demon.

This deal was a losing proposition no matter how you looked at it. Ye Chen only wanted to test the waters and never thought it would actually succeed.

But the result was far beyond Ye Chen's expectations; the deputy sect leader, Zhou Lang, actually agreed!
He also "carefully selected" a disciple who had just broken through to the Profound Realm a few years ago to accept the challenge.

Ye Chen even suspected that the Mirage Sect was playing a joke on him.

But Yu Xing actually came to fight. Right there on Pingyun Cliff, Ye Chen waved the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, and eleven genuine Nascent Soul Realm vengeful spirits appeared at the same time. Poor Yu Xing was defeated without even being able to put up a decent resistance.

Ye Chen himself felt that his victory was somewhat unfair. The power of the Myriad Soul Banner was beyond the ability of even a cultivator at the Profound Realm to withstand; even the disciples of the Mirage Sect, who were skilled in illusions, could not hold out for long.

Even after Ye Chen extracted Yu Xing's soul, he remained extremely cautious, fearing that the Mirage Party would attack him.

But even after Yu Xing's soul was sent into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, the Mirage Sect remained completely silent, as if they had simply accepted the situation.

Ye Chen couldn't understand why the Mirage Sect would be so cowardly.
Unable to understand it at all, Ye Chen could only attribute the matter to the divine power of the Flying Lord's words. Perhaps the judgment he had given him could really come true, and he would soon become the number one person in the Profound Realm, sending even the Yellow Spring Sect Master into the Myriad Soul Banner.

Logically, Ye Chen should have stopped while he was ahead and made a quick getaway. After all, this was Mirage Sect territory, and continuing to provoke them would likely lead to dire consequences.

Unfortunately, the judgment given to him by the Venerable Feilian was "to first slay the mirage."

Yu Xing wasn't the only Transcendent Realm cultivator in the Mirage Sect; there were eight others, and half of them were ranked above Yu Xing.

If all eight of them cannot be "slain," then the judgment of Lord Feilian will not be fulfilled.

Would the Mirage Sect be so foolish as to let eight elite disciples at the Profound Realm line up to die for him?
Even a fool would know that such a thing is absolutely impossible.

However, if he fails to complete this task, then Lord Feilian will also refine Ye Chen into the Myriad Soul Banner. That Lord cultivates the divine power of "words become law," and he always keeps his word and never lies.

On one side was the Mirage Sect's thunderous retaliation, and on the other was the death threat from Lord Feilian. Caught in this deadly predicament, Ye Chen was at a loss for what to do.

Just as he was racking his brains for a solution, five sharp beams of light suddenly pierced through the sky.

Ye Chen felt a jolt, and the Myriad Soul Banner unfurled in front of him with a "whoosh".

Several vengeful spirits at the Nascent Soul stage roared out and, under his precise control, instantly formed a sinister ghost array.

The surging Yin energy solidified into a tangible form, transforming into a gigantic beast that resembled both a snake and a dragon, constantly changing its shape, firmly protecting Ye Chen in the center.

The five beams of light arrived in an instant, stopping steadily on Pingyun Cliff and revealing their true forms.

Ye Chen's gaze sharpened as he carefully examined the five people in front of him.

The leader was a burly man with a square face and wide, piercing eyes. He carried a heavy, broad-bladed sword, and even before the sword was drawn, an imposing aura as solid as a mountain emanated from him.

Beside him stood a tall female cultivator. She had a beautiful face, but her brows carried an unyielding murderous aura. A tight-fitting martial arts dress outlined her lithe figure, and a pair of gleaming crescent-shaped blades hung at her waist. Her eyes were like knives, as if she wanted to tear Ye Chen to pieces.

Further on were two young men who looked seven or eight parts alike, presumably brothers. Both had handsome features; one held a jade flute and possessed a gentle and refined demeanor, while the other carried an ancient longbow on his back and had eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

The last person was a short, stout cultivator. He squinted his small eyes and was playing with several black beads that exuded a dangerous aura in his hands, making Ye Chen the most wary of him.

Ye Chen sensed that the cultivation levels of these five people were probably no higher than his, and they were likely cultivators at the Tongxuan Realm.

Judging from their attire, the five people in front of them are all disciples of the Mirage Sect.

Could it be that the Mirage Sect has finally lost its patience and is going to join forces to annihilate him here? But are they underestimating his Myriad Soul Banner by only sending five Transcendent Realm cultivators?
The leader shouted in a stern voice, "Demon! You really are still here!"

Ye Chen, hiding within the formation, sneered, "What? Is the Mirage Sect sore losers that they're resorting to ganging up on the weak?"

Upon hearing this, the burly disciple at the head of the group showed a flash of shame and indignation on his face. He roared, "You wicked devil who spreads heresy! No matter how eloquent you are, you will die today! However, my Mirage Sect is a righteous sect and will not bully the weak with numbers. You wanted to fight us, didn't you? Today I will fight you and make sure your soul is scattered!"

"A bet?" Ye Chen was stunned, a feeling of utter absurdity welling up in his heart.

“Indeed!” The female cultivator wielding the double blades replied coldly, “Junior Brother Yu Xing’s defeat at your hands is due to his lack of skill. But our Mirage Sect can never tolerate our disciples becoming ghosts in the banner of a demon like you! Today, the five of us have come to avenge Junior Brother Yu Xing.”

"All five of us will fight you fairly, with the same stakes. Do you dare to accept the challenge?!"

Ye Chen was completely dumbfounded.

He felt his mind was struggling to keep up with the Mirage Faction's train of thought.

He stared in shock at the five indignant and murderous disciples of the Mirage Sect before him, a single thought swirling in his mind: Could they be imposters, using illusions to deceive him? Could there really be such a good thing in this world?
Ye Chen hadn't even figured out how to lure out and kill those eight Transcendent Realm disciples when they delivered themselves to his doorstep—and five of them at that!

The fact that Lord Feilian's words can become law is terrifying; he can even control people's thoughts.

Ye Chen, still reeling from the shock and doubt, did not respond immediately. The five Mirage Sect disciples assumed he was afraid, and the burly leader shouted again, "Demon, are you afraid?! Being afraid is useless! Even if you don't fight us today, you will still die!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen waved his hand to dispel the ghost array, revealing his true form. Looking at the five reckless opponents before him, he calmly said, "I accept your duel. But I would like to ask one more question: Did the Mirage Sect know that you were coming to your deaths? Did your Vice Sect Leader Zhou Lang agree to this? What if I kill the five of you Zhou Langs and then go back on my word? Wouldn't I have died unjustly?"

Upon hearing Ye Chen's words, the expressions of the five Mirage Sect disciples instantly changed.

Ye Chen was right. They came to take revenge on their own initiative because they were dissatisfied with Zhou Lang's actions.

Ye Chen shook his head inwardly.

Fortunately, I didn't agree on a whim.

If the Mirage Faction disagrees with this wager, can he still leave alive after killing these five people? This is not a gift of fate, but clearly a death trap, a trap that can bury him completely.

but……

Ye Chen sneered. Since these foolish and naive righteous cultivators had come to him of their own accord, how could he, Ye Chen, let them go?

Upon thinking of this, Ye Chen's eyes flashed with murderous intent!
Ye Chen suddenly threw the jet-black Ten Thousand Souls Banner in his hand into the sky.

With a loud clatter, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner swelled in the wind, instantly blotting out the sky. Endless Yin energy surged from the banner like a dark, raging tide, completely enveloping the entire Pingyun Cliff in an instant.

The sky darkened, and day turned into night.

The sounds of ghosts wailing and howling came from all directions, as if billions of vengeful spirits were awakening in this ghostly realm.

A chilling wind howled, rocks rolled, and vegetation withered. In this ghostly realm, countless agonizing and distorted faces kept appearing.

Eleven terrifying Nascent Soul Realm vengeful spirits slowly rose from the banner. Their figures stood tall and imposing, their scarlet eyes like eleven blood moons, coldly looking down at the five tiny figures below.

Ye Chen's voice came from the center of this hellish prison, with a cruel laugh like a cat playing with a mouse: "Let me capture you five alive first, and then go to the Mirage Sect to demand a ransom."

(End of this chapter)