The guardian immortal master stared in shock at the ferocious ghostly entity.

He actually forgot to defend.

The first thought that surfaced in his mind was the same:

This isn’t something that can be blocked just because you want to.

Tu Shanjun didn’t spare the guardian immortal master a single glance, charging straight at Zhang Wanlong.

Zhang Wanlong froze as well.

During the chaos of the Hundred Ghosts' Night Parade just now, he seemed to have seen someone.

His only son, Zhang Gui.

“So that’s how it is,” Zhang Wanlong muttered in a daze.

“My son...”

“Ah!”

Before he could finish speaking, a massive ghostly hand pierced straight through his skull.

Tu Shanjun ripped out Zhang Wanlong’s living soul.

Zhang Wanlong’s headless body lost all support and collapsed to the ground.

Not a single wave was made.

Zhang Wanlong had misjudged the Soul Banner, and he had also misjudged Li Qingfeng.

And so, he lost his life.

To survive multiple assassination attempts, Zhang Wanlong had some skills of his own.

He had even managed a last-ditch effort, using the Demonic Foundation-Merging technique to gain power.

Unfortunately, this power was far too feeble in Tu Shanjun’s eyes.

If it hadn’t been for the repeated interference of the immortal master, all of this could have ended that very night.

The world is full of uncertainty, and fate is even more unpredictable.

The governor was dead.

The immortal master stood in silence. For some reason, he felt as if a heavy burden had suddenly fallen to the ground in his heart.

He let out a long breath.

The two cultivators from Liang City stood stunned, their faces full of disbelief and astonishment.

Li Qingfeng leaned on the Soul Banner, swaying as he forced himself to stand upright.

The Hundred Ghosts' Parade had drained half his spiritual power in an instant.

But being able to take his revenge was enough.

As the hundred ghosts returned to the Soul Banner,

Li Qingfeng's great vengeance was fulfilled.

“Hahaha!”

Li Qingfeng laughed.

He laughed wildly.

His laughter was hoarse.

Tears streamed down his cheeks.

“Father, Mother!”

“Wubao!”

“The spirits of the 103 members of the Li family can finally rest in peace.”

“I, Li Qingfeng, have avenged you.”

He cried out with abandon.

He no longer cared if his identity was exposed.

There was nothing in the mortal world worth his concern anymore.

Tu Shanjun stood beside Li Qingfeng, placing a hand on his shoulder and surveying the surroundings.

Wen Lichun's eyes were bloodshot, his gaze locked on the Soul Banner in Li Qingfeng's hands.

The stocky cultivator was the same.

This Soul Banner was no ordinary magical artifact.

Even with his cultivation at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, he could feel the overwhelming threat it posed.

It was definitely not a common item.

“Could it be a mid-grade?”

“Or even a superior-grade magical tool?!”

Wen Lichun subconsciously tightened his grip on the longsword in his hand.

His sword was merely a refined iron weapon without even a grading.

Compared to the soul banner, it was practically a crude child’s toy.

He never imagined he'd see a suspected superior-grade magical tool here.

And conveniently, they were still on official duty. Killing to seize the treasure would be considered righteous and justified.

The two exchanged a glance.

Wen Lichun could also see the shock on Zhu Dun’s face, along with the greed that he could barely conceal.

Even the immortal master had never seen the Soul Banner fully unleashed before, and was shocked by its destructive power.

In that moment, he had truly felt death draw near.

If he had stepped in to block Zhang Wanlong, he’d surely have died on the spot.

“A demonic path artifact... this powerful?”

Even he, a fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator, couldn’t help but feel a burning desire.

If he had this treasure, it’d be a trump card capable of overpowering peers.

But... thinking of matters within the sect, the immortal master began to hesitate.

After all, they were from the righteous path, using ordinary demonic magical tools might be acceptable.

But the method of refining this Revered Soul Banner was far too cruel, requiring the constant supply of living souls and the replenishment of baleful energy.

Once or twice might be manageable, but if it were done too many times and the sect discovered it, things would become troublesome.

He could survive the investigation, perhaps just be punished slightly.

But the Soul Banner in his hand would most likely be confiscated and destroyed.

If the punishment was harsher, he might even lose his cultivation and be expelled from the sect.

“The esteemed cultivator from Five Spirits Sect, we two are merely loose cultivators serving as simple providers in Liang City.”

“The demonic cultivator has slain the governor, please assist us in capturing him with full force,” Wen Lichun turned to the young Immortal Master, attempting to persuade him.

The immortal master gave no response, remaining where he stood.

Seeing the young man from Five Spirits Sect neither agree nor refuse, just standing there in a daze, Wen Lichun refrained from pressing further. Instead, he turned to look at his companion.

The stocky cultivator had already sealed off the entrance, fearing that Li Qingfeng might try to escape.

Li Qingfeng rose to his feet, gripping the Soul Banner tightly and retreating toward the door.

His gaze was fierce as he stared down the cultivator guarding the door and shouted coldly, “Move aside.”

“Demon! You think you can leave unharmed after killing the governor?”

Wen Lichun chuckled as he looked at Li Qingfeng and added, “You’re not getting out of here today, unless you drop that artifact.”

The two of them were determined to seize it.

Earlier, when the ghost struck down Zhang Wanlong, they had already clashed with Li Qingfeng.

Now that he was seriously injured, did he really think he could stage a comeback in this state?

To think he wanted them to just step aside- Dream on!

Li Qingfeng sneered.

If he gave up the Soul Banner, then he truly wouldn’t get out alive.

Once he lost this artifact, he’d be like a toothless tiger ready to be butchered. How could he be so foolish?

“Destroy the banner and cripple your cultivation, I’ll let you leave,” the young Immortal Master suddenly said.

Wen Lichun and the stocky cultivator both froze.

They didn’t expect the Five Spirits Sect disciple to suggest destroying the Soul Banner and even sparing the man’s life.

Whether he lived or died wasn’t important to them, any corpse would do as long as they had someone to report.

But the Soul Banner must not be destroyed!

This artifact was at least mid-grade, maybe even superior-grade.

If it turned out to be some ancient treasure, destroying it would be a colossal waste.

Their greed wouldn’t allow them to destroy such a treasure.

In their eyes, this high disciple of Five Spirits Sect was probably just trying to stake a claim, using lofty ideals to claim the artifact for himself.

Once he brought the Soul Banner back to his sect, how would they ever get it back?

Whether he destroyed it or not would be his word alone.

Li Qingfeng bared his teeth, his gaze fierce as he stared at the remaining cultivators.

Word by word, he enunciated clearly: “As long as I live, the banner stays!”

The banner was his life.

Want the Soul Banner?

Then you want Li Qingfeng’s life.

He gave it a sharp shake.

Black mist swirled, and Tu Shanjun who had been waiting all along scooped Li Qingfeng under his arm and charged straight toward the main hall door guarded by the stocky cultivator.

“You think you can look down on me?!”

The stocky cultivator roared.

As he activated his spiritual power, a turtle-shell artifact manifested around his body.

“Reveal!”

It formed a hexagonal shell-like armor encasing his body.

Tu Shanjun, shielding Li Qingfeng, let out a beastly roar like a rampaging mountain demon ape and slammed straight into him.

Boom!

The stocky cultivator was knocked back several meters, a groove a foot deep forming beneath his feet.

But he still managed to block Tu Shanjun’s path.

“Demon! You’re not getting away!”

Wen Lichun took out a palm-sized bronze bell.

Clang!

Its soundwaves struck directly at the soul.

Tu Shanjun felt his ghostly body falter from the impact.

He actually froze for a moment.

A flying sword streaked through the air, piercing straight through his shoulder blade.

It passed cleanly through, circling back in the air.

The owner of the ebony flying sword wore a firm expression.

He could not let Li Qingfeng escape. If he became a great demon in the future, it would be a disaster.

Black blood oozed from the wound.

Cradled at Tu Shanjun’s side, Li Qingfeng’s face was taut with worry.

He quickly pressed both hands over Tu Shanjun’s wound.

“No... don’t die.”

“I beg you.”

Li Qingfeng’s voice broke into sobs, shaking his head violently, “I won’t make it.”

“Brother Ghost, you go.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“Take the Soul Banner. My remaining power is enough for you to escape.”

The Soul Banner, once a full zhang tall, had shrunk to a single foot in length, which Li Qingfeng held out.

Seeing Tu Shanjun injured so badly, Li Qingfeng’s tears fell like rain.

He had nothing left, only Brother Ghost remained.

Now that revenge was fulfilled, he could give his life.

“I know you can understand me.”

“Go, go as far away as you can!”

Tu Shanjun started to laugh.

“You called me brother. How can I abandon you?”

“Don’t cry.”

“I’ll get you out of here!”

His voice boomed like a muffled bell.

Like a furious ghost’s roar.

Hoarse.

But Li Qingfeng heard it loud and clear.

He froze.

Even the tears on his face seemed to pause midstream.

“Alright!”

(Chapter End)