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

Chapter 452 Infinite Vengeful Spirits
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Tie Shengrong struggled to his feet amidst the ruins.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face contorted with anger and humiliation.

When Tie Shengrong was slapped away by the Emperor of Fengdu, he was first in disbelief, then came the excruciating pain, and finally the anger brought on by boundless humiliation.

He never imagined that one day he would be beaten so badly by a cultivator at the Tongxuan Realm.

Even if the Emperor of Fengdu is blessed by incense and vows, it's like a child swinging a sledgehammer. How could Chen Ye possibly swing it and unleash the power of the Emperor of Fengdu?
Tie Shengrong couldn't understand it at all. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move such great power at the Tongxuan Realm.

However, that was the truth. The Emperor of Fengdu slapped him so hard that his bones broke and he almost died.

Tie Shengrong stared intently at Chen Ye, who was suspended in mid-air like a god or demon, his eyes filled with insane hatred.

He had somehow acquired a long, black banner in his hand, shrouded in black mist, as if dragging the surrounding area of ​​several dozen feet into a dark place.

The black banner was embroidered with countless tormented and distorted human faces, from which piercing, ghostly wails emanated, sending chills down one's spine.

Without a doubt, this is the Myriad Soul Banner, the most common magical artifact of the Demonic Sect.

Although everyone knows how this thing is made, it is truly shocking that the sect leader of the Fenxiang Sect, a righteous sect, would actually take out a Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

Chen Ye was startled. In this day and age, are the Ten Thousand Soul Banners so common?

Tie Shengrong seemed to have gone mad, frantically pouring all his spiritual power into the Myriad Soul Banner.

"Jiejiejie——"

Accompanied by a piercing, eerie laugh, tens of thousands of vengeful spirits surged out from the banner, converging into a massive black torrent that swirled and intertwined in the air, eventually transforming into a colossal magic array radiating endless resentment, which stood firmly in front of the Fengdu Emperor.

The majestic aura of the Fengdu Emperor, which was enough to suppress everything, was momentarily blocked by this filthy resentment.

Yu Ji Daoist could no longer remain calm. He pointed at Tie Shengrong and demanded sharply, "Sect Leader Tie, how dare you use this heinous demonic magic weapon?!"

The Qinghe Sword Sect has the strictest rules and cannot tolerate such methods of harming the innocent. If it weren't for needing to get to the bottom of things, even Daoist Yuji would have taken action.

Upon hearing this, Tie Shengrong burst into loud laughter, his laughter filled with disdain and sarcasm.

"Am I crazy? Yu Ji, you brat, what right do you have to talk to me like that? Doesn't the Yellow Springs Sect also use the Myriad Soul Banner? Why doesn't your Qinghe Sword Sect criticize Chen Ye? Why can't it be the same when it comes to me?"

Tie Shengrong seemed to have grasped at a straw and loudly defended himself.

Everyone knows that the Yellow Springs Sect uses the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, but the two are completely incomparable.

Master Yuji angrily rebuked, "Tie Shengrong, do you think such sophistry will work? Everyone knows that the Ten Thousand Souls Banner of the Yellow Springs Sect only accepts the souls of the dead. Back then, when the Nirvana Sect sacrificed blood for hundreds of thousands of people in the Northern Frontier, it was the Yellow Springs Sect that pitied the people's tragic deaths and used the Ten Thousand Souls Banner to leave a place for the vengeful souls to rest."

"The underworld of Fengdu City is now filled with wandering souls, each one of whom stayed in Fengdu voluntarily, without any coercion or torture. But this 'Ten Thousand Souls Banner' in your hand is filled with wailing souls, constantly enduring endless torment, their resentment soaring to the heavens! What else do you have to say!"

Chen Ye felt slightly embarrassed. Fengdu and the Underworld weren't without cruel punishments, but the rules for these punishments ran from top to bottom, even involving boiling the living in oil. However, those who couldn't accept these rules could leave, and Chen Ye wouldn't stop them.

Upon hearing Yu Ji Dao Ren's angry rebuke, Tie Sheng Rong showed no shame whatsoever; instead, he became even more self-righteous and began to argue his case.

"Who is inside my Ten Thousand Souls Banner is none of your business, Qinghe Sword Sect!" He pointed at the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, which was churning with black energy, and said loudly, "Half of the souls in this banner are disciples of my Burning Incense Sect who have violated the sect rules. I am enforcing the sect rules by confining their souls in the banner. This is my sect's internal affair, and it is none of your business!"

"The other half consists of the demons and monsters that my Incense Burning Sect has slain over the years! I refine their souls into the banner, so they can never be reincarnated. This is called eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path! Is there anything wrong with that?"

Finally, he pointed the finger at Chen Ye.

"Moreover, this is a duel between me and Sect Leader Chen. My life or death is in the hands of fate and has nothing to do with others! Yu Ji, are you going to represent the Qinghe Sword Sect and join forces with the Huangquan Sect to put pressure on my Fenxiang Sect?!"

"Soliciting nonsense!" Daoist Yuji was so angry at his shameless words that his face darkened, but he couldn't find any evidence to refute them.

He knew perfectly well that Tie Shengrong was lying; the intense resentment in the banner could not possibly have come from just a few dozen or a hundred so-called demons.

But he has no evidence.

Master Yuji was confident that he could easily defeat Tie Shengrong, but due to the rules of the sect, he could not harm anyone in a moment of anger without solid evidence, whether it was a mortal or a fellow Daoist.

This is a rule that Zhang Qi has always adhered to, and it is also the main reason why there are so few disciples in the Qinghe Sword Sect.

If a person who cultivates himself is constrained even when upholding justice, how can he be considered carefree and at ease?

But it is precisely because of these rules that the Qinghe Sword Sect has become a role model in the hearts of people all over the world. No matter how troublesome these rules are, as long as the Qinghe Sword Sect abides by them, the disciples of the Qinghe Sword Sect represent justice and righteousness. This is the greatest reputation.

Therefore, no matter how angry Master Yuji is, he has no evidence to provide.

Seeing Tie Shengrong's silver tongue, Chen Ye said to Daoist Yuji, "In terms of the skill of refining the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, I am probably no less skilled than Master Tie. Daoist, please be patient. My duel with Master Tie will continue. Let's wait until after the duel to make further plans."

Seeing Chen Ye's confidence, Tie Shengrong's smugness grew even stronger.

"Such arrogance! You think borrowing the power of incense is your skill? Then I'll show you what the Ten Thousand Souls Banner is all about!"

After saying that, he activated his magic incantation, and the massive array composed of countless vengeful spirits pressed forward fiercely, a dark mass that seemed to devour the sky.

Chen Ye's expression remained unchanged, but a thought flickered in his mind.

The phantom of the Fengdu Emperor behind him slowly raised his hand.

The next moment, the crimson fire serpent wrapped around the arm of the Fengdu Emperor flew out and roared into the black soul array.

This Crimson Fire Serpent was originally the first layer of hell that Chen Ye had created, but now it has become a magical weapon in the hands of the Fengdu Emperor.

The enormous fire serpent crashed into the vengeful spirits, and the divine fire transformed into a net, dividing and burning these vengeful spirits. It then rampaged through the vengeful spirits, tearing them to shreds with each bite and strangulation.

Just as Tie Shengrong's vengeful spirit was about to be dispersed, the torn fragments of the vengeful spirit did not vanish into thin air as expected.

They writhed and struggled in the air, like severed earthworms. Then, each fragment began to expand rapidly, stretching back to its original size, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a completely new vengeful spirit.

One splits into two, two splits into four, four splits into eight... the more these vengeful spirits were killed, the more numerous they became.

"The 'tiger's accomplice's ghost?"

A hint of surprise appeared on Fei Lian Demon Lord's face. "Could it be that Tie Shengrong is the adopted son of Hu Chang?"

They went through great lengths to find the spy that Hu Chang had planted in the Fenxiang Sect, only to find that the spy had already become the sect leader.

No wonder Tie Shengrong so vehemently opposed Fei Lian's call for a thorough investigation; it turns out he had something to hide too.

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "It's not a changgui (a type of ghost), it's more troublesome than a changgui."

The immortality of the changgui is essentially a rapid recovery and reorganization. Each regeneration consumes its own power, and as long as it continues to be worn down, there will eventually be a time when it will be completely destroyed.

But these vengeful spirits before us are something entirely different. Each time they are torn apart, they multiply and multiply exponentially, which goes beyond the realm of common magical principles.

All things in the world rely on spiritual energy to exist, and the souls of the dead are no exception. These newly separated individuals possess almost the same power as before; where does their spiritual energy come from?

This is completely unreasonable.

In the short time he was pondering, the number of vengeful spirits in the sky had multiplied many times over, forming a dense, impenetrable cage that completely enveloped the hundred-foot-tall phantom of the Fengdu Emperor.

Endless vengeful spirits surged forth like a tide, attempting to corrupt the divine image.

Before Chen Ye could even control it, the Emperor of Fengdu started moving on his own.

The enormous phantom slowly raised its hand, its five fingers spread, and pressed down hard on the endless vengeful spirits below!
"Om-"

A buzzing sound, indescribable in words, resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

Immediately afterwards, five magnificent worlds, both illusory and real, appeared in the sky above the Incense Burning Sect like an inverted dome, enveloping the boundless souls of the dead and Tie Shengrong below.

The Fire Serpent Hell, the Bronze Bell Hell, the Illusionary Hell, the Karmic Mirror Hell, the Heavenly Punishment Hell, the Thousand Forms Hell… These are the six layers of hell that Chen Ye personally cultivated. Originally, there should have been a seventh layer, but unfortunately, Chen Ye didn't yet have the ability to control the Hungry Ghost Hell, so he could only use the first six.

Countless crimson-gold fire serpents, condensed from divine fire, danced wildly in the sea of ​​souls, igniting every vengeful spirit they touched.

The distant and solemn sound of the bell echoed in every inch of space. With each ring, hordes of vengeful spirits clutched their heads and howled in agony, their souls disintegrating.

Countless illusions arise out of thin air, stirring up the deepest fears and obsessions in the hearts of every vengeful spirit, driving them into madness and causing them to fight each other indiscriminately.

Hellish powers are specifically designed to deal with those who have committed grave sins.

Because of greed, anger, and ignorance, one commits all sorts of evil deeds, and will be punished in hell.

Not only was Tie Shengrong's vengeful spirit tormented by hellish tortures, but Tie Shengrong himself was also suffering from the effects of these tortures, causing him immense pain.

However, Tie Shengrong remained completely calm. He waved the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, and the souls of the dead began to split again.

Chen Ye immediately cried out, "Oh no!"

The Hellish Divine Power was originally meant to cause pain without causing harm, and to suppress the proliferation of these dead souls. Unexpectedly, it could also actively split.

Tie Shengrong's actions caused the six levels of hell to be instantly filled with the souls of the dead, as if they were about to burst open at any moment.

Chen Ye quickly activated the Eight-Nine Arcane Technique, transforming into a Dream Eater, and forcefully inhaled the souls of the dead.

If these are also similar to the demons, then the dream-eating tapir is the nemesis. As long as it is swallowed, it should not be able to split and multiply again.

With one gulp, Chen Ye swallowed thousands of souls, but he quickly spat them out.

"No, these aren't changui!"

The dream-eating tapir was unable to digest these wandering souls, which clearly indicated they were not formed from dreams.

No wonder Tie Shengrong had such a confident expression. He had witnessed Chen Ye's ability to transform into a Dream Eater, and now he dared to use it against his enemy, which clearly meant that he knew in advance that his soul would not be restrained by the Dream Eater.

Yu Ji Daoist was even more furious. Tie Shengrong had long possessed such methods, but he didn't know how long he had kept them hidden, and he had never used them against his enemies before.

Even when the army of demons stormed into the Yunlu Immortal Sect, Tie Shengrong stood by and watched, showing no intention of helping.

He probably knew that his methods couldn't be exposed.

If Chen Ye hadn't pushed him to the brink today, he probably wouldn't have been exposed.

"Sect Leader Chen..."

Just as Daoist Yuji was about to speak, advising Chen Ye to admit defeat to avoid further injury.

There is no evidence today, but the truth will be found out in time. At that time, Daoist Yuji will be able to take action against Tie Shengrong.

These dead souls may seem powerful, but Daoist Yuji has his own ways to prevent them from even taking out the Myriad Soul Banner.

Chen Ye insisted, "Don't worry, Daoist, I have other methods, but I just didn't want to use this one."

As soon as he finished speaking, the giant dream-eating beast disappeared, and Chen Ye reappeared.

Seeing this, Tie Shengrong assumed that he had run out of ideas and a smug smile appeared on his face.

"How dare you speak so arrogantly! What other tricks do you have up your sleeve to ask that Demon Lord Feilian for help? If so, how can you have the face to be the leader of the righteous path?!"

However, Chen Ye simply reached out and drew an ordinary peach wood sword from his waist.

At the same time, the towering phantom of the Fengdu Emperor behind him made the exact same move as him, and a giant sword as big as a mountain slowly appeared in the Emperor's hand.

The next moment, the sword light flashed.

That was neither a sharp sword light nor a domineering sword light; that sword light had no killing power whatsoever.

The overlapping sword shadows, like a silent drizzle, fell into the boundless sea of ​​souls.

Chen Ye's swordsmanship is incapable of harming people or engaging in combat.

However, it can cut, modify, and reshape the form of the soul.

Under the endless sword light of Chen Ye and the Emperor of Fengdu, billions of vengeful souls began to twist and deform. They were no longer individual beings, but were forcibly glued, stretched and woven together by an invisible force.

In just a few breaths, the sea of ​​souls that was enough to burst the six levels of hell completely disappeared.

Instead, a gigantic, unimaginably large shadow serpent coiled across the entire sky, composed of countless vengeful spirits.

The snake's head was biting its own tail tightly.

It is splitting, it is growing longer, but it is also frantically devouring itself.

No matter how much it grew, the ouroboros kept swallowing its own tail, growing longer and longer as it ate, until it finally twisted into an indescribable vortex monster.

Seeing this, Tie Shengrong was utterly shocked; he never expected Chen Ye to have such methods.

Just as he was about to activate the secret technique to control these souls again, he discovered that the souls had completely lost contact with the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

The next moment, the Emperor of Fengdu's longsword struck his head.

(End of this chapter)