Chapter 124: Myriad Souls Banner Upgrade!
"Intruder! Stop!"
A thunderous voice reverberated through the underground cavern.
The green flames in the skeleton’s eye sockets flickered violently, while an oppressive aura spread.
The green flames within the skeleton’s eye sockets flared violently, while a suffocating pressure spread in every direction.
The surrounding Death Qi churned as though stirred by an invisible force, and a phantom gradually emerged above the skeleton.
Demonic energy filled the dark cavern.
The phantom’s appearance was difficult to discern. All that could be seen was that it was an elderly man draped in long black robes that concealed his entire figure.
The moment his gaze landed on Chen Xuan, he spoke.
"Boy, your luck is not bad to have reached this place."
"However, if you wish to obtain my inheritance, you must first earn my approval."
The man paused briefly. A trace of arrogance surfaced in his eyes as he looked down on Chen Xuan.
"Kneel."
"As long as you kowtow ten times and acknowledge me as your Master, everything I possess shall belong to you."
His tone carried unquestionable authority, as though an emperor were issuing an imperial decree to his ministers.
After speaking, he fell silent. With his hands clasped behind his back, he simply stared at Chen Xuan and waited for him to make a decision.
The faint smile on his lips, however, suggested he already knew the result.
His gaze remained oppressive, and even Nascent Soul cultivators would have felt pressured under his eyes.
However, Chen Xuan remained unmoved.
He offered no response. Instead, he calmly returned the stare.
Silence enveloped the cavern. One living man and one spectral figure stood facing each other without speaking.
Had they not both been male, an outsider might have misunderstood the atmosphere and their intentions for something else.
Several seconds passed. Until Chen Xuan suddenly sighed.
"What a crafty old monster."
He shook his head.
"If I hadn’t encountered something similar before, I might actually have fallen for your tricks."
Given the phantom’s previous demeanor, such words should have provoked immediate fury.
Considering the temperament of most demonic cultivators, it wouldn’t be strange if he decided to attack Chen Xuan.
Yet nothing happened. The phantom remained completely motionless despite seconds slowly passing away.
’As expected.’
The suspicion in Chen Xuan’s heart was finally confirmed.
This phantom possessed no true consciousness. It was merely a remnant image left behind and would activate whenever someone stepped into the cavern.
Chen Xuan had previously encountered such a thing before, which was why he was able to recognize the truth so easily.
It was during the time he had obtained his Master’s inheritance, when Mu Xuanyin had tried to play a similar trick on him.
The realization eased some of the tension in his mind.
At the same time, however, his gaze shifted back toward the skeleton.
He ignored the words that the man had said.
He had already used the Heavenly Insight Eye and confirmed there was no hidden mechanism tied to kneeling or kowtowing.
The phantom’s words were nothing more than a simple lie.
Even so, Chen Xuan knew this place was far from harmless.
’Elder Xia and the Undead King Sect’s ancestor must have discovered this cavern long ago.’
Since neither of them obtained the so-called inheritance, it is highly likely that there is danger accompanying it.’
Whether the danger came from the skeleton itself, the phantom, or something hidden within the cavern, he could not tell.
However, he didn’t panic.
If he had faced such a situation in the past, he would have immediately turned around and left without hesitation.
But now, this was no longer his choice.
Several life-and-death encounters had tempered his will and changed his mentality. Similarly, it had made him more confident about escaping with his life.
As such, his eyes swept across the chamber.
Before long, they settled on the vast sea of condensed Death Qi filling the underground space.
A thoughtful look flashed across his face.
Without moving, he extended his divine sense into his spatial ring.
Moments later, a pitch-black banner appeared in his hand.
Myriad Souls Banner—a peculiar magic weapon infamous throughout the Tianxuan Domain.
Part of that reputation came from its formidable power.
The part, however, stemmed from its most frightening characteristic: this magic treasure could continuously grow.
By absorbing the souls of other creatures and soul-related treasures, this magic treasure could refine them and continuously improve its own grade.
Chen Xuan gently brushed his fingers across the dark fabric.
This treasure had accompanied him for a long time.
Yet due to the lack of materials, it had remained stuck at the Middle-Grade Spirit Weapon level.
"Looks like it’s finally time to change that."
Chen Xuan muttered.
The next instant, he waved the banner. The dark cloth fluttered violently against the wind as the call of ferocious evil spirits erupted from within.
The following moment, a vortex appeared above its surface.
It didn’t act on the Spiritual Energy, but on the Death Qi permeating the cavern.
Instantly, countless amounts of black liquid surged toward the banner.
The treasure trembled as it greedily refined the incoming Death Qi and transformed it into its own strength.
Chen Xuan smiled upon seeing this.
Not only did he not stop, but he poured even more Spiritual Energy into the magic weapon.
A black radiance spread across the banner. Then came a crisp click.
Its aura fluctuated before finally settling.
High-Grade Spirit Weapon.
Yet the transformation was far from complete.
The Death Qi within the cavern had hardly diminished.
Only a tiny fraction had been absorbed while the overwhelming majority still lingered throughout the underground world like a dark ocean.
Seeing this, Chen Xuan’s eyes brightened.
Just a small part of it had allowed the Myriad Souls Banner to turn into a High-Grade Spirit Weapon.
If it absorbed all of it, wouldn’t it become an Ultimate-Grade Spirit Weapon?
Perhaps it could even take a step toward becoming a rare Holy Weapon.
The thought immediately stirred his interest.
He didn’t hesitate.
He ignored the demonic phantom that seemed to be waiting for his response and urged the banner with all his strength.
The vortex expanded rapidly.
As though a colossal Kunpeng had appeared beneath the ground and had opened its mouth, a massive whirlpool of black energy took shape.
It swallowed the Death Qi at an astonishing rate and brought it inside the banner.
