Devouring the Stars: Soul Master

Chapter 145 The Banner of Ten Thousand Souls and the Eighteen Hells
"Thousand-Level Seal!"

In the virtual universe cultivation space, an ancient tower floated above Qin Ming's head as he let out a low shout.

laugh!
A stream of dark yellow light flew out from the ancient tower overhead, and at the same time, a strange and powerful force descended and merged into the dark yellow light.

The string of dark yellow light stopped in mid-air, and the nine heavy star-suppressing stones were arranged separately, while the incredibly complex and strange dark yellow patterns on their bodies lit up.

With the aid of the domain, Qin Ming's incredibly powerful mental energy amplification connected the nine Zhenxing Stones with Xuanhuang lines, making it more than ten times more complex than the third level of the Duntian Shuttle.

"Gather!"

Qin Ming gave a soft shout.

The complex, mysterious threads connecting the nine Zhenxing Stones finally formed a mysterious, yellow seal resembling a mountain peak.

"go with!"

The Xuanhuang Seal hurled itself at a human-shaped target in the cultivation hall.

boom!
The Thousand-Pound Seal slammed down, shattering the object into pieces.

"As expected of the Guardian Weapon of the Nine Great Controllers' Divine Weapons, this single strike shattered a cosmic-level target to pieces!"

Looking at the shattered target, Qin Ming's lips curled into a smile.

Even a casual smash would be more powerful than the strongest strike of the Sky-Piercing Shuttle.

"Although I'm not yet proficient, with my mental power, I can do it even if I have to force it."

With a thought, Qin Ming sent out more Star-Suppressing Stones from the ancient tower above his head, which gathered into a large seal resembling nine mountain peaks.

The environment in the training hall suddenly changed, and 100 mechanical puppets called 'Destroyers' materialized.

The eyes of the 100 Destroyers glowed red, and the metal projectiles from the railguns mounted on their arms and bodies blasted out, blocking Qin Ming's dodging routes.

Nine mountain peaks floated around Qin Ming at high speed, protecting him like a shield.

boom! boom! boom!
Qin Ming showed no intention of dodging, letting the metal shells bombard the mountain peaks, which remained unmoved.

Clearly, its defensive capabilities are far superior to those of the Sky-Piercing Shuttle.

The characteristics of the Earth Realm were brought to their fullest potential.

"go with!"

Six of the nine mighty seals flew out and crashed down on the metal puppet like Mount Tai, instantly shattering its indestructible body into pieces.

In a short time, all 100 metal golems were destroyed.

"Having become familiar with the Divine Weapon, my strength is now far greater than before. If I were to challenge the Trial Tower again, I would be able to easily pass the fifth level."

Qin Ming watched this scene with satisfaction.

Then his gaze sharpened, and the nine Thousand Balance Seals converged together, one after another, merging and overlapping.

With this superposition, the thousand seals are combined into one.

A vast array of countless dark yellow silk threads intertwined and coalesced to form a mountain peak over ten meters high.

The mountain peak is towering and has nine protrusions.

A heavy, oppressive aura emanates from it.

This time, Qin Ming looked visibly strained.

The Divine Weapon has nine layers. The first layer is the simplest, and even a Domain Lord who doesn't understand the laws can forcibly assemble it using their mental power.

With Qin Ming's mental amplification, he could do it naturally and easily.

However, the second level, 'Nine Peaks', is different; it is a thousand times more difficult!
This requires a sufficiently strong awareness and understanding of the laws to combine.

"The second layer is still too strenuous. I can only barely complete the combination and it cannot be used in actual combat."

Qin Ming looked at the mountain peak that was trembling slightly in the void.

In just a few days, his control over the Divine Weapon was not yet proficient, and his mastery of its domain and laws was still lacking.

But with more practice, mastering the second level is only a matter of time.

……

After leaving the cultivation space, Qin Ming returned to the manor.

"As for the direction of the controller, I just need to keep practicing the Divine Weapon and improving my understanding of the laws. The soul attack secret technique for the illusionist also needs to be finalized."

Qin Ming's gaze fell on the several metal boxes in the study, and he felt a headache coming on.

Not anything else.

There are too many powerful secret techniques!

The Wilderness Mystic Codex, as a complete set of secret arts, contains over a hundred types of illusion and soul attack techniques, each of which is stronger than the Soul Imprint.

After spending a few days looking through it, Qin Ming suddenly found himself in a dilemma.

He wanted to learn every single one of them.

But obviously, I don't have the energy.

Open the metal box and reveal the various secret methods inside.

"I will choose 'Eternal Reincarnation'. With the strength of my soul, once I master it and unleash it, even a domain lord-level expert might not be able to withstand it."

Qin Ming picked up the "Eternal Reincarnation" manual and opened it, reading it carefully.

This secret technique was created by a powerful being among the Wild Gods.

This powerful member of the Desolate God Clan had once served as a guard in the prison of the Eighteen Star Domains, so he was very skilled at torturing people.

He even used this to create a secret technique.

The Eighteen Star Domain Prisons are prisons specifically used by the human race to detain powerful individuals.

It is further divided into the Upper Nine Prisons and the Lower Nine Prisons.

Among them, the first to ninth star domain prisons of the "Upper Nine Great Prisons" are generally known to immortals.

[The Nine Lower Prisons] From the Tenth Star Domain Prison to the Eighteenth Star Domain Prison, many immortals are unaware that even a King-level immortal might not survive being thrown into the Eighteenth Star Domain Prison.

The Eighteen Star Prisons are also known as the Eighteen Hells in legend.

It gets more and more terrifying as you go on.

Qin Ming didn't know exactly how terrifying the Eighteen Star Prisons were. He only knew that in the original timeline, when Luo Feng went to the Garbage Star to search for treasures, he was harassed by the Nightmare Candle King.

This Nightmare Candle King was once an enemy of True Yan King and was repeatedly ravaged by him. In his madness, he wanted to ask his father, Venerable Fire Erosion, to help him kill True Yan King.

However, his father, Venerable Fire Erosion, threw Nightmare Candle King into the 'Ninth Star Domain Prison'.

In just 1000 years, the Nightmare Candle King became docile.

This is still the Ninth Star Domain Prison!
It's easy to imagine how terrifying the Eighteen Star Prison was.

"These eighteen-star prisons are somewhat suited to me. If I could go in and serve as a warden in the future..."

Qin Ming couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

Those who can be imprisoned are at least immortal-level powerhouses, and they are often those who have committed serious crimes and are all extremely vicious.

It's important to know that humans have a very lenient approach to managing powerful individuals who have reached the rank of King.

As Qin Ming knew, the Du Tuo Starfield was completely controlled by the Blood Demon King.

After abolishing all technology, he slaughtered indiscriminately in tens of thousands of star systems and frequently initiated the Blood Demon Trial.

What is the Blood Demon Trial?
The High-End Blood Demon Trial involves capturing one million stellar-level humans and placing them on a mineral planet, where they are forced to kill each other until only 10 survive.

As for the lower-end option, it involves capturing 100 billion planetary-level humans and placing them on a mineral-rich planet, forcing them to fight each other until only 100 survive.

These surviving warriors will be controlled by souls and trained as slaves.

These are the so-called Blood Demon Warriors.

Even so, the Blood Demon King remained carefree and did not meet the requirements for being imprisoned in the Eighteen Star Prison.

It's easy to imagine what kind of beings could be imprisoned in the Eighteen Star Prison.

If I could stay inside for a while, wouldn't I be able to harvest the souls of immortal powerhouses on a large scale?
They are powerful, fierce, and bloodthirsty, and the best part is that they are unrestrained!

Isn't this the best candidate for the main soul?
"I can't go to the Eighteen Star Prisons for the time being, but I will have a chance to visit the prisons of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom."

Qin Ming thought to himself.

The secret method of "Eternal Reincarnation" is divided into two core aspects: eternal tribulations and reincarnation.

The concept of "eternal tribulations" is easy to understand.

The first level of "Eternal Reincarnation" is called the Nine Hells of Soul Erosion.

The first of these nine prisons is called the Mountain of Knives Prison.

By constructing an illusion, enemies can be placed in a charred mountain, where thousands of rusty blades emerge from the ground.

One must endure the agony of being pierced by a thousand blades.

Each knife is created through a special method using spiritual power.

With each strike, the enemy's soul is severely damaged!
Layer upon layer, the longer one stays in the hell of knives, the more painful it becomes.

The passage of time in the illusion is completely different from that in the outside world.

While one may be tormented for days and nights in the illusion, the outside world is only a fleeting moment. Once one cannot withstand it, one's soul will collapse directly.

What's most terrifying is that this isn't just a simple illusion.

Rather, it can actually harm the soul.

It's not that having a strong will is enough to get through it.

Besides the Mountain of Knives Hell, there are also the Sea of ​​Fire Hell, the Ice Mountain Hell, the Blood Pool Hell, the Maggot Hell, and so on.

The fiery hell scorches the soul, the icy hell is filled with countless needles that pierce the bone, and the blood pool hell corrodes the flesh; each has a different effect.

To cultivate the "Ten Thousand Tribulations Reincarnation," one needs to have a sufficient understanding of all kinds of suffering in order to construct the Eighteen Hells within one's sea of ​​consciousness and drag enemies into them to suffer.

Alternatively, one could conjure up the instruments of torture within to launch a direct attack.

It's similar to the Myriad Souls Sword Seal in "Soul Seal".

Besides all calamities.

There is also reincarnation!

Reincarnation, as the name suggests, is the process of trapping a target in an illusion and causing them to be reincarnated repeatedly.

Compared to the eighteen hells, reincarnation seems much gentler.

But this is killing with a soft knife!
Once trapped in the illusion, each reincarnation is a new life. In the illusion, one may live a life of poverty and suffering, and may even choose to commit suicide.

Perhaps life is perfect and everything is happy, but in the end, one becomes hopelessly trapped in an illusion.

Depending on the cultivator's level, their realm can be divided into four levels.

The first stage is one lifetime of reincarnation.

The second level is the ten-life cycle.

The third level is the cycle of reincarnation through a hundred lifetimes.

And the highest, eternal reincarnation.

The most terrifying combination is the combination of the two.

Each time they are reincarnated, they are thrown into the eighteen hells to endure all kinds of suffering.

The cycle continues, and each time you sink deeper into the abyss!

Even the most powerful and invincible kings who cultivate to the highest level of the Eternal Reincarnation will perish if they fall into it.

"After cultivating the 'Ten Thousand Tribulations Reincarnation', I can also find an opportunity to go to the prison of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom, and even go to the Eighteen Star Prison in the future."

Only with a thorough understanding of various prison punishments can one construct the most realistic illusion.

"And these eighteen hells seem to be quite a good match for the Ten Thousand Souls Banner?"

Qin Ming thought to himself.

The Banner of Ten Thousand Souls also has a soul domain, which contains a vast netherworld space. It seems a waste to simply use it as a place to nurture souls.

Perhaps, a real eighteen hells could be built inside the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

That power is far greater than a simple secret technique.

(End of this chapter)