rì zhī hòu ， lín xuān pán xī ér zuò ， shuāng shǒu gè niē le yī dào fǎ jué ， biǎo qíng 7V sù ， ér tā de páng biān ， zé shì yī wèi róng yán jiāo měi de miào líng shào nǚ 。
日之后，林轩盘膝而坐，双手各捏了一道法诀，表情7V肃，而他的旁边，则是一位容颜娇美的妙龄少女。
Several days later, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged. His hands formed two talismans, his expression solemn. Beside him was a beautiful young girl with a delicate face.
zhè cì cuì liàn mó fān ， lín xuān bìng méi yǒu qīn zì dòng shǒu ， ér shì yǐ yuè ér wéi zhǔ ， zì jǐ zài yī páng fǔ zhù ， dāng rán ， lín xuān zhè me zuò ， zì yǒu tā de lǐ yóu 。
这次淬炼魔幡，林轩并没有亲自动手，而是以月儿为主，自己在一旁辅助，当然，林轩这么做，自有他的理由。
This time, the refinement of the Demon Flag was not done by Lin Xuan himself but mainly by Yue'er, while he assisted from the side. Of course, there were reasons for this.
yì zhí yǐ lái ， shòu hún fān dōu shì yóu yuè ér zī yǎng ， qí xīn shén xiāng tōng de chéng dù ， yuǎn zài zì jǐ zhī shàng ， suǒ yǐ yóu yuè ér lái zuò cǐ shì ， bǐ zì jǐ gèng jiā de wěn tuǒ 。
一直以来，兽魂幡都是由月儿滋养，其心神相通的程度，远在自己之上，所以由月儿来做此事，比自己更加的稳妥。
The Beast Soul Flag had always been nurtured by Yue'er, and their heartbeats resonated deeply. Therefore, having Yue'er do it would be more secure than him doing it directly.
“ zhǔn bèi hǎo le ma ？”
“准备好了吗？”
"Are you ready?"
“ shì ， shào yé 。”
“是，少爷。”
"Yes, Young Master."
yuè ér dā yìng yī shēng ， zhāng kāi tán kǒu ， yī dào wū hēi de guāng máng fēi shè ér chū ， xuán fú yú shēn qián sān chǐ zhī chù ， yuē yǒu bā zhǎng dà xiǎo ， zhèng shì shòu hún fān fǎ bǎo 。
月儿答应一声，张开檀口，一道乌黑的光芒飞射而出，悬浮于身前三尺之处，约有巴掌大小，正是兽魂幡法宝。
Yue'er agreed, opening her mouth to release a black light that hovered three feet in front of her, about the size of a palm—this was precisely the Beast Soul Flag.
cǐ wù yī xiàn shì ， zhōu wéi de wēn dù lì kè zhòu jiàng le bù shǎo ， xiǎn de yǒu xiē guǐ qì sēn sēn le qǐ lái 。
此物一现世，周围的温度立刻骤降了不少，显得有些鬼气森森了起来。
The moment this item appeared, the temperature around them dropped significantly, giving off an eerie aura.
dāng rán ， zhǔ pú èr rén bú huì shòu cǐ yǐng xiǎng ， yuè ér shēn chū shǒu lái ， chōng zháo mó fān yì diǎn ， dùn shí ， cóng lǐ miàn chuán lái yī zhèn guǐ kū zhī shēng ， mó fān de biǎo miàn ， fā chū wū hēi de guāng máng 。
当然，主仆二人不会受此影响，月儿伸出手来，冲着魔幡一点，顿时，从里面传来一阵鬼哭之声，魔幡的表面，发出乌黑的光芒。
However, neither master nor servant were affected. Yue'er stretched out her hand and pointed at the Demon Flag. Instantly, a ghostly wail sounded from within, and the surface of the flag emitted black light.
yuè ér qiào liǎn shàng xiàn chū xǐ sè ， yīng chún wēi qǐ ， yī dào bì lǜ sè de chún yīn dān huǒ pēn le chū lái ， bāo guǒ zhù shòu hún fān 。
月儿俏脸上现出喜色，樱唇微启，一道碧绿色的纯阴丹火喷了出来，包裹住兽魂幡。
Yue'er's pretty face showed joy as she opened her lips to release a pure green Yin Fire that enveloped the Beast Soul Flag.
xiān jiāng tā jì liàn yī fān ！
先将牠祭炼一番！
First, we need to refine it!
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， yuè ér suī shì dì yī cì liàn bǎo ， què yě zuò dé yǒu mú yǒu yàng ， rán ér hǎo jǐng bù cháng ， duǎn duǎn de bàn gè shí chén yǐ hòu ， shòu hún fān yī zhèn míng xiǎng ， dà liàng de mó wù guǐ qì cóng lǐ miàn pēn yǒng ér chū ， xiǎng yào pū miè dān huǒ 。
林轩点了点头，月儿虽是第一次炼宝，却也做得有模有样，然而好景不长，短短的半个时辰以后，兽魂幡一阵鸣响，大量的魔雾鬼气从里面喷涌而出，想要扑灭丹火。
Lin Xuan nodded. Although this was Yue'er’s first time refining a treasure, she did it quite well. However, good times didn't last long; after just half an hour, the Beast Soul Flag emitted a loud noise, and a large amount of demonic fog and ghostly energy surged out, attempting to extinguish the Yin Fire.
shào nǚ dì liǎn sè yī xià zi biàn dé cǎn bái 。
少女地脸色一下子变得惨白。
The girl's face turned pale.
“ yuè ér bié pà 。 zhè shì zhèng cháng xiàn xiàng 。 bú yào huāng 。 màn màn wěn zhù 。 wǒ huì bāng nǐ dì 。”
“月儿别怕。这是正常现象。不要慌。慢慢稳住。我会帮妳地。”
"Yue'er, don’t be afraid. This is normal. Don’t panic. Stay calm. I’ll help you."
tīng le shào yé dì chuán yīn 。 yuè ér huāng zhāng dì biǎo qíng jiàn jiàn yǐn qù 。 shuāng shǒu rú chuān huā hú dié bān dì huī wǔ gè bù tíng 。 shù dào fǎ jué mò rù le shòu hún fān lǐ 。
听了少爷地传音。月儿慌张地表情渐渐隐去。双手如穿花蝴蝶般地挥舞个不停。数道法诀没入了兽魂幡里。
Hearing Young Master’s voice in her mind, Yue'er’s anxious expression gradually faded as she waved her hands like a butterfly, inserting several talismans into the Beast Soul Flag.
lín xuān tóng yàng méi yǒu xián zhe 。 tǐ nèi líng lì liú zhuǎn 。 yòng 《 yīn yáng jué 》 zhuǎn huà chū le yǔ yuè ér xiāng sì dì shén tōng lái 。 rán hòu yě pēn chū yī dào yīn huǒ 。
林轩同样没有闲着。体内灵力流转。用《阴阳诀》转化出了与月儿相似地神通来。然后也喷出一道阴火。
Lin Xuan wasn't idle either. His essence energy circulated, using The Yin-Yang Art to transform similar divine arts and then releasing a Yin Flame.
lín xuān dì xiū wèi 。 yǐ jìn jiē níng dān zhōng qī 。 nà dào huǒ yàn yuē yǒu ér bì cū xì 。 yǔ yuè ér dì yīn huǒ hé èr wéi yī 。 lì kè dǎng zhù le mó qì dì fǎn shì 。
林轩地修为。已进阶凝丹中期。那道火焰约有儿臂粗细。与月儿地阴火合二为一。立刻挡住了魔气地反噬。
Lin Xuan's cultivation had advanced to the middle stage of Condensation Core. That flame was about as thick as his arm, merging with Yue'er’s Yin Fire to block the demonic backlash.
dāng rán 。 liǎng rén bù gǎn dà yì 。 lín xuān cóng huái zhōng qǔ chū jǐ kuài zhōng pǐn jīng shí 。 jiāng zhè xiē cán hún liàn huà pǒ wèi bù yì 。 yī biān shī fǎ yī biān bǔ chōng líng lì 。
当然。两人不敢大意。林轩从怀中取出几块中品晶石。将这些残魂炼化颇为不易。一边施法一边补充灵力。
Of course, they didn't dare be careless. Lin Xuan took out several middle-grade crystal stones from his pocket, using them to refine the remnants of souls while replenishing essence energy.
yī huǎng yòu shì shù rì 。
一晃又是数日。
Several days passed in a blur.
zài zhǔ pú èr rén lián shǒu zhī xià ， fǎn shì de mó wù guǐ qì zhōng yú bèi sǎo dàng yī kōng ， lǜ sè de yīn huǒ yǐ jīng jiāng shòu hún fān bāo guǒ 。
在主仆二人联手之下，反噬的魔雾鬼气终于被扫荡一空，绿色的阴火已经将兽魂幡包裹。
With their combined efforts, the demonic fog and ghostly energy finally cleared, with the green Yin Fire enveloping the Beast Soul Flag.
yuán běn hēi sè de mó fān zài lǜ sè yīn huǒ de yìng chèn xià xiǎn de guǐ qì sēn rán 。
原本黑色的魔幡在绿色阴火的映衬下显得鬼气森然。
The originally black Demon Flag now appeared even more ominous under the green Yin Fire.
yuè ér zhuǎn guò tóu ， kàn le yī yǎn lín xuān ， shào nián méi yǒu shuō huà ， zhǐ shì chōng tā lù chū yī sī gǔ lì de xiào róng 。
月儿转过头，看了一眼林轩，少年没有说话，只是冲她露出一丝鼓励的笑容。
Yue'er turned to Lin Xuan. The young man said nothing but gave her an encouraging smile.
yuè ér de qiào liǎn shàng shǎn guò jiān yì zhī sè ， zuǐ chún wēi dòng ， huì sè nán dǒng de zhòu yǔ míng xiǎng yú shí dòng zhōng 。
月儿的俏脸上闪过坚毅之色，嘴唇微动，晦涩难懂的咒语鸣响于石洞中。
…
“ jí 。”
“疾。”
A determined look flashed across Yue'er’s face as she murmured incomprehensible incantations in the stone cave.
yuē yī zhǎn chá yǐ hòu ， yuè ér shēn chū yī gēn bái xī xiān xì de yù zhǐ ， chōng zhe shòu hún fān qīng qīng yì diǎn 。
约一盏茶以后，月儿伸出一根白皙纤细的玉指，冲着兽魂幡轻轻一点。
"Quickly."
yī dào hēi sè de sī xiàn mò rù lǐ miàn ， rán hòu shào nǚ de biǎo qíng biàn dé yuè fā yán sù qǐ lái ， ér shòu hún fān gèng shì hū míng hū àn 。
一道黑色的丝线没入里面，然后少女的表情变得越发严肃起来，而兽魂幡更是忽明忽暗。
About a cup of tea later, Yue'er extended a slender white finger and lightly tapped the Beast Soul Flag.
hěn kuài ， páo xiāo zhī sè dà zuò ， shòu hún fān yī xià zi zhǎng dà dào le shù zhàng fāng yuán ， yī tuán hēi yǐng cóng lǐ miàn fēi shè le chū lái 。
很快，咆哮之色大做，兽魂幡一下子涨大到了数丈方圆，一团黑影从里面飞射了出来。
A black thread entered it. Her expression grew more serious, and the Demon Flag flickered on and off.
shì yī pī fà è guǐ ， shēn gāo liǎng mǐ ， chǒu lòu yǐ jí ， ér tā de sì zhī biǎo miàn ， gēng shēng yǒu wú shù de jiān cì 。
是一披发恶鬼，身高两米，丑陋以极，而牠的四肢表面，更生有无数的尖刺。
Soon, a howling figure emerged from within, about two meters tall, hideously ugly with countless sharp spines covering its limbs.
zhèng shì bèi lín xuān miè diào de nà dǎo méi guǐ wáng ， cǐ shí shì tā cán hún suǒ huà de shēng qián xíng xiàng 。
正是被林轩灭掉的那倒霉鬼王，此时是牠残魂所化的生前形象。
This was precisely the unfortunate demon king Lin Xuan had destroyed, now in his pre-death form.
ér tā de bó zi shàng ， hái chán rào zhe yī xiān xì de hēi sī 。
而牠的脖子上，还缠绕着一纤细的黑丝。
A thin black thread encircled its neck, leading to Yue'er’s hand.
hēi sī de lìng yī tóu ， zé zài yuè ér de shǒu shàng 。
黑丝的另一头，则在月儿的手上。
Though it was a remnant soul, all its soul energy burst forth. Its divine arts were formidable; enraged by the restrictions around its neck, the Demon King struggled desperately.
suī shì cán pò ， rán ér cǐ kè ， suǒ yǒu de hún lì quán dōu jí zhōng bào fā chū lái ， shén tōng què yě fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， duì yú chán rào zài tā bó zi shàng de jìn zhì ， guǐ wáng fèn nù yǐ jí ， pīn mìng zhēng zhá bù yǐ 。
虽是残魄，然而此刻，所有的魂力全都集中爆发出来，神通却也非同小可，对于缠绕在牠脖子上的禁制，鬼王愤怒以极，拼命挣扎不已。
Yue'er's delicate brows furrowed as she remained motionless, her left hand suspended in mid-air while her right hand rapidly formed talismans.
yuè ér de xiù méi jǐn jǐn zhòu zài le yì qǐ ， shēn xíng bù dòng ， zuǒ shǒu yě yī jiù xuán kōng ， dàn yòu shǒu shàng de fǎ jué què biàn huàn dé gèng jiā jí le 。
月儿的秀眉紧紧皱在了一起，身形不动，左手也依旧悬空，但右手上的法诀却变幻得更加急了。
A breath of essence energy escaped from her cherry lips, and the black thread twisted into a thick black chain, binding the Demon King’s remnant soul tightly.
yī kǒu jīng qì cóng tā de yīng táo xiǎo zuǐ zhōng tǔ chū ， ér nà hēi sī yī zhèn niǔ qū ， jìng rán huà wèi le yī tiáo mǔ zhǐ cū xì de hēi sè suǒ liàn ， jiāng guǐ wáng cán pò de quán shēn dōu kǔn le qǐ lái 。
一口精气从她的樱桃小嘴中吐出，而那黑丝一阵扭曲，竟然化为了一条拇指粗细的黑色锁链，将鬼王残魄的全身都捆了起来。
The Demon King wouldn't give up. It released all its soul energy, struggling even more frantically.
guǐ wáng zì rán bú huì fú shū ， hún shēn hún lì dà fàng ， zhēng zhá dé gèng jiā fēng kuáng 。
鬼王自然不会服输，浑身魂力大放，挣扎得更加疯狂。
Lin Xuan sighed, transferring his essence energy to Yue'er as well. With Young Master's support, Yue'er gradually gained the upper hand. The chains tightened until they bound the Demon King like a mummy.
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì ， jiāng zì jǐ de líng lì yě xiàng yuè ér shū le guò qù ， dé dào shào yé de zhī chí ， yuè ér jiàn jiàn zhàn dào le shàng fēng ， suǒ liàn yuè biàn yuè mì ， jìng rán jiāng guǐ wáng kǔn chéng le zòng zi 。
林轩叹了口气，将自己的灵力也像月儿输了过去，得到少爷的支持，月儿渐渐占到了上风，锁链越变越密，竟然将鬼王捆成了粽子。
"Quickly."
“ jí 。
“疾。
With this incantation, the green Yin Fire appeared on the surface of the chains, turning the Demon King into a giant fireball.
”
”
Lin Xuan’s face showed joy as well; the outcome was now in sight.
suí zhe zhè jù zhòu yǔ ， nà lǜ sè de yīn huǒ fú xiàn yú suǒ liàn de biǎo miàn ， jiāng guǐ wáng biàn chéng le yí gè jù dà de huǒ qiú 。
随着这句咒语，那绿色的阴火浮现于锁链的表面，将鬼王变成了一个巨大的火球。
Several talismans were inserted to further bind the Demon King.
zhè yī cì ， lín xuān liǎn shàng yě lù chū le xǐ sè ， shèng bài zài cǐ yī jǔ le 。
这一次，林轩脸上也露出了喜色，胜败在此一举了。
…
shù dào fǎ jué dǎ rù qí zhōng ， jiāng guǐ wáng jìn gù 。
数道法诀打入其中，将鬼王禁锢。
Three days passed.
……
……
Yue'er waved her hand, withdrawing the spell. The Demon King's remnant soul vanished without a trace, leaving only a small dense fog about the size of an egg—this was the purest form of the Demon King’s Yin Qi.
sān tiān shí jiān guò qù le 。
三天时间过去了。
The Beast Soul Flag reabsorbed it.
yuè ér yù shǒu yī fú ， chè qù fǎ shù ， guǐ wáng de cán pò yǐ jīng xiāo shī dé wú yǐng wú zōng ， yuán dì zhǐ shèng xià yī jī dàn dà xiǎo de nóng mì wù qì ， yán sè qī hēi wú bǐ ， cǐ nǎi zuì wèi chún zhèng de guǐ wáng yīn qì 。
月儿玉手一拂，撤去法术，鬼王的残魄已经消失得无影无踪，原地只剩下一鸡蛋大小的浓密雾气，颜色漆黑无比，此乃最为纯正的鬼王阴气。
Then, Yue'er and Lin Xuan released their Yin Fire to continue refining. After half a month, a green light shot out, landing on the peak of the barren mountain. Lin Xuan finally emerged from his seclusion; the scenery outside remained unchanged since he first arrived.
shòu hún fān chóng xīn jiāng tā xī le jìn qù 。
兽魂幡重新将牠吸了进去。
Choosing this place for seclusion was indeed the right choice.
rán hòu zhǔ pú èr rén tǔ chū yīn huǒ ， jì xù cuì liàn 。
然后主仆二人吐出阴火，继续淬炼。
Lin Xuan smiled with relief as he flipped his hand, revealing the Beast Soul Flag in his palm. Compared to before, the Demon Flag now carried a vicious aura of evil spirits due to fully digesting the demon king’s remnant soul.
bàn yuè yǐ hòu ， yī dào qīng hóng fēi shè ér chū ， lái dào huāng shān zhī diān ， lín xuān zhōng yú chū guān ， wài miàn jǐng wù yī jiù ， yǔ zì jǐ chū lái zhè lǐ shí méi yǒu shén me bù tóng 。
半月以后，一道青虹飞射而出，来到荒山之巅，林轩终于出关，外面景物依旧，与自己初来这里时没有什么不同。
This refinement process would be much simpler if it were just about refining the essence soul. However, Yue'er and Lin Xuan had re-refined the Demon Flag after modification; in the future, absorbing the souls of demons wouldn’t require such a grand effort. Like with beast spirits, they could directly use them once ingested.
kàn lái xuǎn zé zhè lǐ bì guān dào zhēn de méi cuò 。
看来选择这里闭关倒真的没错。
Theoretically, given enough nourishment from souls, one day this flag’s power might match that of the Demonic Sovereign's treasures.
lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī xīn wèi de xiào róng ， yòu shǒu yī fān ， shòu hún fān yǐ zài zhǎng xīn zhī zhōng fú xiàn ， yǔ yǐ qián xiāng bǐ ， cǐ shí de mó fān chú le shòu hún de cán bào qì xī ， hái duō chū le yī gǔ è guǐ de lì qì 。
林轩脸上露出一丝欣慰的笑容，右手一翻，兽魂幡已在掌心之中浮现，与以前相比，此时的魔幡除了兽魂的残暴气息，还多出了一股恶鬼的戾气。
Lin Xuan was excited by these thoughts when suddenly his eyebrows raised as if sensing something. He cautiously released his divine sense.
zhè zì rán shì yóu yú jiāng lì guǐ cán pò wán quán xiāo huà le de yuán gù 。
这自然是由于将厉鬼残魄完全消化了的缘故。
"Young Master, what is it?" Yue'er’s voice echoed in his mind.
qí shí rú guǒ jǐn jǐn shì cuì liàn jīng hún bìng méi yǒu zhè me má fán ， zhǔ pú èr rén hái jiāng mó fān chóng xīn jì liàn le yī fān ， jīng guò gǎi liáng ， yǐ hòu xī shōu lì guǐ de hún pò jiù bù yòng zhè yàng dà dòng gān gē ， xiàng yāo shòu de jīng hún yī yàng ， xī rù le jiù kě yǐ zhí jiē shǐ yòng 。
其实如果仅仅是淬炼精魂并没有这么麻烦，主仆二人还将魔幡重新祭炼了一番，经过改良，以后吸收厉鬼的魂魄就不用这样大动干戈，像妖兽的精魂一样，吸入了就可以直接使用。
"Hush."
lǐ lùn shàng ， zhǐ yào yǒu zú gòu de hún pò zī yǎng ， yǒu zhāo yī rì ， cǐ fān de wēi lì yě huì xiàng jí è mó zūn de fǎ bǎo yī yàng 。
理论上，只要有足够的魂魄滋养，有朝一日，此幡的威力也会像极恶魔尊的法宝一样。
Lin Xuan made a shushing gesture and quickly hid behind a large stone. He performed the Sealing Qi Art, completely suppressing all fluctuations of essence energy.
lín xuān yǒu xiē xīng fèn de xiǎng zhe ， tū rán ， méi tóu yī tiāo ， xiàng shì gǎn yìng dào shén me shì de tái qǐ tóu ， xiǎo xīn yì yì de jiāng shén shí fàng chū 。
林轩有些兴奋的想着，突然，眉头一挑，像是感应到什么似的抬起头，小心翼翼的将神识放出。
Not long after, several streaks of light appeared from the southeast direction, moving swiftly until they arrived here.
“ shào yé ， zěn me le ？” nǎo hǎi zhōng chuán lái yuè ér de huà yǔ 。
“少爷，怎么了？”脑海中传来月儿的话语。
Puff puff puff, they landed on nearby peaks as Lin Xuan roughly counted—there were over forty people.
“ xū 。”
“嘘。”
So many cultivators traveling together to this place for what purpose?
lín xuān zuò le gè jìn shēng de shǒu shì ， rán hòu shēn xíng yī shǎn ， yǐ jīng cáng zài le yī kuài dà shí tou de hòu miàn ， liǎn qì mì shù shī zhǎn ， hún shēn de líng lì bō dòng quán bèi jìn gù le qǐ lái 。
林轩做了个噤声的手势，然后身形一闪，已经藏在了一块大石头的后面，敛气秘术施展，浑身的灵力波动全被禁锢了起来。
Lin Xuan felt curious and carefully used his divine arts to project essence energy into his eyes. The cultivation levels of these people became clear.
mò guò duō jiǔ ， shù dào dùn guāng chū xiàn zài le dōng nán de fāng xiàng ， xùn jié yǐ jí ， zhuǎn yǎn jiù dào dá le zhè lǐ 。
没过多久，数道遁光出现在了东南的方向，迅捷以极，转眼就到达了这里。
However, Lin Xuan’s vigilance increased significantly; there were several dozen Condensation Core cultivators among them, with the rest all being above the Foundation Establishment stage. Most had middle-stage or even late-stage cultivation, with only a few at the initial stage.
pū pū pū ， gè zì zài lín jìn de shān tóu jiàng luò ， lín xuān dà lüè yī shù ， jū rán gāo dá sì shí èr rén zhī duō 。
噗噗噗，各自在邻近的山头降落，林轩大略一数，居然高达四十二人之多。
This many cultivators gathered together was formidable in terms of strength. From their attire and appearance, they clearly didn’t come from the same sect. Could there be some significant event about to happen here?
Several days later, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged. His hands formed two talismans, his expression solemn. Beside him was a beautiful young girl with a delicate face.
This time, the refinement of the Demon Flag was not done by Lin Xuan himself but mainly by Yue'er, while he assisted from the side. Of course, there were reasons for this.
The Beast Soul Flag had always been nurtured by Yue'er, and their heartbeats resonated deeply. Therefore, having Yue'er do it would be more secure than him doing it directly.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes, Young Master."
Yue'er agreed, opening her mouth to release a black light that hovered three feet in front of her, about the size of a palm—this was precisely the Beast Soul Flag.
The moment this item appeared, the temperature around them dropped significantly, giving off an eerie aura.
However, neither master nor servant were affected. Yue'er stretched out her hand and pointed at the Demon Flag. Instantly, a ghostly wail sounded from within, and the surface of the flag emitted black light.
Yue'er's pretty face showed joy as she opened her lips to release a pure green Yin Fire that enveloped the Beast Soul Flag.
First, we need to refine it!
Lin Xuan nodded. Although this was Yue'er’s first time refining a treasure, she did it quite well. However, good times didn't last long; after just half an hour, the Beast Soul Flag emitted a loud noise, and a large amount of demonic fog and ghostly energy surged out, attempting to extinguish the Yin Fire.
The girl's face turned pale.
"Yue'er, don’t be afraid. This is normal. Don’t panic. Stay calm. I’ll help you."
Hearing Young Master’s voice in her mind, Yue'er’s anxious expression gradually faded as she waved her hands like a butterfly, inserting several talismans into the Beast Soul Flag.
Lin Xuan wasn't idle either. His essence energy circulated, using The Yin-Yang Art to transform similar divine arts and then releasing a Yin Flame.
Lin Xuan's cultivation had advanced to the middle stage of Condensation Core. That flame was about as thick as his arm, merging with Yue'er’s Yin Fire to block the demonic backlash.
Of course, they didn't dare be careless. Lin Xuan took out several middle-grade crystal stones from his pocket, using them to refine the remnants of souls while replenishing essence energy.
…
Several days passed in a blur.
With their combined efforts, the demonic fog and ghostly energy finally cleared, with the green Yin Fire enveloping the Beast Soul Flag.
The originally black Demon Flag now appeared even more ominous under the green Yin Fire.
Yue'er turned to Lin Xuan. The young man said nothing but gave her an encouraging smile.
…
A determined look flashed across Yue'er’s face as she murmured incomprehensible incantations in the stone cave.
"Quickly."
About a cup of tea later, Yue'er extended a slender white finger and lightly tapped the Beast Soul Flag.
A black thread entered it. Her expression grew more serious, and the Demon Flag flickered on and off.
Soon, a howling figure emerged from within, about two meters tall, hideously ugly with countless sharp spines covering its limbs.
This was precisely the unfortunate demon king Lin Xuan had destroyed, now in his pre-death form.
A thin black thread encircled its neck, leading to Yue'er’s hand.
Though it was a remnant soul, all its soul energy burst forth. Its divine arts were formidable; enraged by the restrictions around its neck, the Demon King struggled desperately.
Yue'er's delicate brows furrowed as she remained motionless, her left hand suspended in mid-air while her right hand rapidly formed talismans.
A breath of essence energy escaped from her cherry lips, and the black thread twisted into a thick black chain, binding the Demon King’s remnant soul tightly.
The Demon King wouldn't give up. It released all its soul energy, struggling even more frantically.
Lin Xuan sighed, transferring his essence energy to Yue'er as well. With Young Master's support, Yue'er gradually gained the upper hand. The chains tightened until they bound the Demon King like a mummy.
"Quickly."
With this incantation, the green Yin Fire appeared on the surface of the chains, turning the Demon King into a giant fireball.
Lin Xuan’s face showed joy as well; the outcome was now in sight.
Several talismans were inserted to further bind the Demon King.
…
Three days passed.
Yue'er waved her hand, withdrawing the spell. The Demon King's remnant soul vanished without a trace, leaving only a small dense fog about the size of an egg—this was the purest form of the Demon King’s Yin Qi.
The Beast Soul Flag reabsorbed it.
Then, Yue'er and Lin Xuan released their Yin Fire to continue refining. After half a month, a green light shot out, landing on the peak of the barren mountain. Lin Xuan finally emerged from his seclusion; the scenery outside remained unchanged since he first arrived.
Choosing this place for seclusion was indeed the right choice.
Lin Xuan smiled with relief as he flipped his hand, revealing the Beast Soul Flag in his palm. Compared to before, the Demon Flag now carried a vicious aura of evil spirits due to fully digesting the demon king’s remnant soul.
This refinement process would be much simpler if it were just about refining the essence soul. However, Yue'er and Lin Xuan had re-refined the Demon Flag after modification; in the future, absorbing the souls of demons wouldn’t require such a grand effort. Like with beast spirits, they could directly use them once ingested.
Theoretically, given enough nourishment from souls, one day this flag’s power might match that of the Demonic Sovereign's treasures.
Lin Xuan was excited by these thoughts when suddenly his eyebrows raised as if sensing something. He cautiously released his divine sense.
"Young Master, what is it?" Yue'er’s voice echoed in his mind.
"Hush."
Lin Xuan made a shushing gesture and quickly hid behind a large stone. He performed the Sealing Qi Art, completely suppressing all fluctuations of essence energy.
Not long after, several streaks of light appeared from the southeast direction, moving swiftly until they arrived here.
Puff puff puff, they landed on nearby peaks as Lin Xuan roughly counted—there were over forty people.
So many cultivators traveling together to this place for what purpose?
Lin Xuan felt curious and carefully used his divine arts to project essence energy into his eyes. The cultivation levels of these people became clear.
However, Lin Xuan’s vigilance increased significantly; there were several dozen Condensation Core cultivators among them, with the rest all being above the Foundation Establishment stage. Most had middle-stage or even late-stage cultivation, with only a few at the initial stage.
This many cultivators gathered together was formidable in terms of strength. From their attire and appearance, they clearly didn’t come from the same sect. Could there be some significant event about to happen here?