"It seems the Foundation Establishment True Person behind the scenes has finally given up."
Lü Yang looked up at the sky. Only because he possessed the Innate Primordial Chaos Divine Talisman—and carried the experience of several lifetimes—could he vaguely perceive the shifts in his own fate.
This feeling of clarity, of boundless freedom, was something he hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Good. Good."
Finding that the Foundation Establishment cultivator was no longer scheming against him, Lü Yang felt an immense weight lift from his shoulders. What pleased him even more was that his other project was progressing splendidly.
He took out the Innate Primordial Chaos Myriad Spirits Banner and summoned his Innate Primordial Chaos Avatar.
The Myriad Spirits Banner was unique. Although it contained a mustard-seed space, only things related to the Innate Daoist Book—like the avatar itself—could enter.
As the avatar stepped inside, Lü Yang's vision blurred.
The next moment, a vast, boundless scroll slowly unfurled before him. It was like a comic strip—each panel depicting a banner spirit.
Every painting was distinct. Some showed landscapes and villages. Others depicted isolated islands, imperial palaces, celestial realms. In each, a banner spirit radiated boundless light as they moved about—eating, drinking, playing, meditating. They seemed almost alive.
Though he had witnessed this many times, Lü Yang never ceased to marvel.
These paintings are likely transformations of the banner spirits' memories from their past lives. Allowing them to live within the paintings preserves their consciousness. What a powerful magical artifact.
With a single thought, Lü Yang shifted the scene within the paintings.
All the banner spirits were gathered in one place. The original landscapes and villages transformed into a massive factory—assembly lines stretching into the distance.
At first, the banner spirits looked dazed.
But Liu Xin—the strongest among them—quickly regained his senses. He approached Lü Yang and bowed respectfully.
"Your subordinate greets Master."
"How is the work progressing?"
"Reporting to Master: one hundred and thirty-two Golden Light Talismans, one hundred and fifty-three Five Thunder Talismans, and two hundred and ten Sword Qi Talismans have been produced. Please review them, Master."
With that, Liu Xin presented a thick stack of talismans.
Lü Yang scanned them with his spiritual sense and nodded in satisfaction. He stored the talismans away—but then his expression hardened.
"Well done, but..."
He let the silence stretch.
"...Who gave you permission to let them rest?"
Ever since he had exchanged talisman techniques with Fairy Feixia, he had entrusted the production of these three low-grade talismans to the banner spirits within the Myriad Spirits Banner. They were supposed to be working day and night, year-round, drawing talismans for him without cease.
But when he came to inspect, he found them resting.
This was outrageous. This was blatant deception.
If banner spirits dared to rest today, who knew what they might dare tomorrow? This unhealthy trend had to be nipped in the bud.
Lü Yang narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice.
"Senior Brother Liu, I am pleased that you organized the banner spirits to produce so many talismans. But I am not pleased that you allowed them to rest."
"Reporting to Master, this subordinate had no choice."
Liu Xin hurried to explain. "The art of talisman drawing requires a living person—using magic power as a brush and spiritual wisdom as ink. But banner spirits are beings who seem alive yet are, in truth, dead."
"Though they possess magic power, their spiritual wisdom diminishes with every use."
"If they draw talismans for long periods without sleeping and resting, one day they will exhaust their spiritual wisdom entirely. Eventually, they will simply... dissipate."
"And?"
Lü Yang's response struck Liu Xin like a physical blow.
"The Myriad Spirits Banner has no shortage of banner spirits. If they grow tired and dissipate—so be it. I'll simply acquire new ones. It might even be more efficient."
"Oh, and dissipated banner spirits can be used to feed the others."
"If banner spirits can endure hardship, they can endure more hardship."
"You banner spirits were born to work for me. A banner spirit that cannot work has no value. Let them dissipate on their own."
Lü Yang's tone was calm, almost casual.
But Liu Xin was terrified.
Monster... a monster.
Watching Lü Yang wield the Myriad Spirits Banner, Liu Xin felt like he was witnessing a great benefactor—one who had only ever summoned banner spirits in battle before. Now, he saw the truth.
Lü Yang keenly sensed his emotions. He smiled gently.
"Senior Brother Liu, I trust you understand how fierce the competition among banner spirits is right now. To be honest, if it weren't for our shared sect bond, I wouldn't have entrusted this matter entirely to you. You should be grateful."
"Think about it: using this banner spirit or that one—what difference does it make? Why should I choose you?"
"It's only because we're from the same sect. I owe my current success to you. Don't worry—as long as you work hard, I won't treat you unfairly."
Liu Xin: "..."
While Lü Yang inspected the work within the Myriad Spirits Banner, in another secret room of the Blood-Clad Tower, Yun Miaoqing found herself caught in an internal storm.
"How could this be?"
Her expression wavered between joy and shock. Around her neck, the token symbolizing her identity as a disciple of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion was radiating light.
A communication aura.
By circulating her magic power to connect with it, she could speak with whoever was on the other end. She had never imagined her token possessed such a function.
Why had no one contacted her before?
The next second, a familiar voice sounded in her ear.
"Miaoqing? Very good. You're alive. It seems you still have a chance of survival."
"You're... my sister!?"
Yun Miaoqing's beautiful eyes went wide with astonishment.
Her earlier offer to Lü Yang had stemmed from two factors: her confidence in his character, and her strong belief in her family's background. She had thought that if Lü Yang reformed, she could secure his acceptance into the Sword Pavilion.
Her family—the Yun clan—had once produced a Sword Pavilion leader, a Golden Core True Monarch. Though their fortunes had declined, they remained a powerful clan within the Sword Pavilion.
But she was not valued by her family. Her elder sister, Yun Miaozhen—she was the one they treasured.
A true disciple of the Sword Pavilion. She cultivated the Taiyi Golden Flower Elixir Scripture, focused solely on rigorous training, and refused to use elixirs to accelerate her growth. She was one of the very few true disciples to achieve great divine power at the late Qi Refining stage.
Calling her a "prodigy" was entirely fitting.
Yun Miaoqing and Yun Miaozhen—their names differed by a single character. They were sisters. But their talent and ability were worlds apart.
"Where are you now?"
A clear, cold voice emanated from the token, shimmering with spiritual light. "Your innate lifespan was insufficient, which is why you fell into the calamity of the Demonic Sect. Now that it is complete, you should be free from this tribulation."
She could return to the Sword Pavilion?
Yun Miaoqing was briefly stunned—then overjoyed. She quickly spoke.
"I'm in the Blood-Clad Pavilion, inside the Skull Mountain Market. Sister, will you come to retrieve me?"
"Blood-Clad Pavilion?"
Yun Miaozhen paused for a moment. Then her voice turned cold.
"You were drained of your life force by the Blood-Clad Pavilion Master? Fine. I will kill him for you. That will be your merit fulfilled."
Hearing this, Yun Miaoqing froze. She hurried to explain.
"Sister, you misunderstand. Although Brother Lü is from the Demonic Sect, he is not an evil person. On the contrary, he is devoted to the righteous path and possesses exceptional talent. I believe that instead of killing him, it would be better to persuade him to repent and reform. That would serve the righteous path far more."
Before she could finish, a sharp rebuke cut her off.
"Absurd!"
Outside Skull Mountain Market, a tall, slender woman in a white robe and crane-feather cloak stood with her back straight. Her beautiful eyes flashed with sword light as she crushed the jade talisman in her hand.
Beside her, a middle-aged man frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Miaoqing is beyond saving."
Yun Miaozhen shook her head and sighed. "She pleaded for the demon. I fear she is already trapped in a calamity from which she cannot extricate herself. No hope of escape."
"Then what does Junior Sister intend to do?"
"...Go to the Demonic Sect Market."
As soon as she finished speaking, an inexplicable fury surged within Yun Miaozhen's heart.
Yun Miaoqing was her younger sister. Her appearance was seven-tenths similar to her own.
And now—she was being used as a pleasure vessel by a demon.
Was that scene not a mirror of what she herself might endure?
At the thought, Yun Miaozhen felt an unbearable discomfort wash over her. She subconsciously pressed her legs together.
Then, a murderous light flashed across her delicate face.
"That demon has bewitched my younger sister. I cannot rest easy until I have personally killed him."