Chapter 151: The Hundred-Soul Banner

The spiritual pet encountered just now was clearly no ordinary creature.

Originally an ordinary beast, after undergoing various forms of feeding and cultivation by a practitioner of dark arts, it had mutated and transformed into its current state.

Such an unusual beast would have a somewhat shortened lifespan, but its power would increase significantly, perhaps even awakening some bizarre abilities.

Yet Li Mu felt no worry. The little black beast had consumed numerous bone-refining pills, and its strength surpassed that of a normal spiritual pet. Even without his assistance, it could emerge victorious while gaining a bit of valuable combat experience.

The hilltop lay straight ahead, upon which stood a desolate, multi-tiered structure resembling a miniature pagoda.

A cultivator dressed in white stood arrogantly before the pagoda, gazing toward Li Mu.

He was quite tall, with a fair complexion and delicate eyebrows. His exceptionally thin face bore a trace of an evil smile, exuding a bewitching charm.

Staring at Li Mu, he slowly spoke, "After waiting for so long, someone has finally come to Liyu Mountain. Who are you? As for me, I am called Li Shi."

Could he be Lord Li, the master of Liyu Mountain?

As he arrived, Li Mu caught his breath and said, "A nameless nobody."

Before his voice even faded, the Void Escaping Technique was unleashed. Crossing a distance of two hundred paces in the blink of an eye, the two were left merely meters apart—just within the optimal range to deploy the Heart-Bewitching Treasure.

Li Shi's expression froze slightly, and his body moved. In an instant, he had shifted nearly a hundred meters away.

Li Mu was also momentarily stunned, and he put away the Heart-Bewitching Treasure in his hand.

Contrary to his expectations, his attempt to strike first and disrupt Li Shi's spiritual sense had utterly failed.

"How fast! This person's movement art is likely even more formidable than the Void Escaping Technique." Li Mu was rather astonished. This was the first time he had ever witnessed a technique capable of rivaling the Void Escaping Technique.

Li Shi seemed unconcerned by Li Mu's Void Escaping Technique, merely shaking his head slightly. "Are you in such a hurry? There is no need to rush. Let us exchange courtesies first."

"Heh, exchange courtesies about what? What is there to discuss with a practitioner of dark arts?" Li Mu let out a cold snort, his stance resolute.

Li Shi smiled, his aura gloomy and eerie, carrying a hint of seductive charm—a bizarre sensation he had never experienced before, leaving Li Mu somewhat at a loss as to how to respond.

"A practitioner of dark arts? In your eyes, perhaps so. But as I see it, I am merely helping those mired in suffering achieve liberation—not just of the flesh, but granting their souls true untethered freedom as well. Do you not believe me? Within my very body, they can experience unprecedented ecstasy, a profound joy otherwise unattainable. It is the ultimate salvation of destiny. Would you care to try?"

"Get lost." An involuntary surge of anger welled up within his heart, and Li Mu rebuked him directly.

"Are you truly intent on fighting?"

"Obviously."

Li Shi hurriedly shook his head, his lips pouting slightly into a look of regret. "You traveled such a difficult road only to refuse a peaceful talk. Such bluntness is truly a pity. Then I suppose I must make you see the light."

Suddenly, a banner appeared in his hand, which he gently waved.

In an instant, the mountaintop plunged into pitch darkness.

Pitches of dark clouds drifted aimlessly everywhere, frequently brushing past Li Mu's sides.

Li Mu's body swayed slightly; his spiritual sense remained lucid, yet aside from the dark clouds, he could no longer perceive any physical objects. Neither the mountain, the trees, the halls, nor the Li Shi who had been right before his eyes—all had vanished.

As for himself, he felt like a piece of garbage discarded into the void; though his body felt no abnormality, he had completely lost any connection to his surroundings.

That seductive voice echoed softly, as if whispering right beside his ear, "Is there nothing more to say? If not, I shall now deploy the Hundred-Soul Banner."

"There is nothing to say."

Li Mu replied firmly. At the same time, the Sand Dust Formation rapidly expanded, encasing his entire body in protection.

Even trapped within an unknown formation, as long as his spiritual sense remained intact, he had nothing to fear. The moment an attack occurred and true energy rippled, he would be able to sense it, evade, and counterattack.

"Very well. Since you are beyond reason, come and test the power of my Hundred-Soul Banner. Within it reside the souls of a hundred cultivators, and among them, there are at least several of your caliber."

As Li Shi's words fell, the scenery around Li Mu instantly shifted.

The dark clouds dispersed, turning into an indistinct, horrific crimson hue.

Within that crimson light flickered numerous dark green lights, undulating like ghostly lanterns and illuminating countless mutilated corpses. Some hung suspended in mid-air, others lay upon the ground, while some floated aimlessly. Yet they all shared a common trait: none possessed a complete skeleton, and severed limbs were scattered everywhere.

Many bodies were mere halves, their flesh mashed into a muddy paste and scattered across the ground like debris.

Others retained only a tiny fraction of a torso, yet miraculously refused to die. That pitiful fragment of a body—some with only half a head—twisted and rolled continuously, emitting agonizing shrieks too ghastly to behold.

It resembled the most terrifying purgatory in the underworld.

The earth was entirely submerged in vast seas of blood, corpses strewn across the wilderness as torrents of blood surged endlessly.

"Well then, is this what you wished for?" Li Shi's voice echoed from all directions, sinister and chilling, akin to a netherworld grim reaper coming for souls.

Any person of wavering resolve would likely have been frightened out of their wits on the spot; even an ordinary cultivator would find their heart thrown into turmoil, rendering them unable to control their true energy.

Yet Li Mu merely shook his head in silence, his expression as calm as if he could perceive nothing at all.

His spiritual sense was exceptionally clear; all of this was merely an illusion and nothing more.

Though the tragic screams echoed incessantly without pause, his heart remained steadfast and unshaken.

Even so, Li Mu felt a trace of internal shock. The souls of a hundred cultivators refined into the Hundred-Soul Banner possessed immense resentment and formidable spiritual might. It could effortlessly draw him into an illusion, completely bypassing his defenses.

"Your composure is admirable. Then continue to enjoy this."

Accompanied by a slightly trembling chuckle from Li Shi, two columns suddenly erupted from the churning, boiling sea of blood like fountains, sending sprays of gore flying.

Yet the moment the columns soared into the air, they transformed into two blood-red hands that lunged directly at Li Mu.

In a flash, a pale blue light manifested around Li Mu's body, flowing like rippling water.

It was the water-shield technique from the Green Lake Jade. Only this technique could withstand such an attack, whereas the Sand Dust Formation had been pierced through by the bloody water and failed to provide complete defense.

Crack!

The bloody water slammed against the water shield and exploded instantly, scattering crimson droplets everywhere like a bloody rain. Yet the ground where Li Mu stood remained entirely free of a single drop of blood.

The blood magic was no mere illusion; Li Mu's spiritual sense had perceived the ripple of true energy and immediately raised his defenses.

The illusion of the void and the trickery of consciousness were the terrifying aspects of the Hundred-Soul Banner, but Li Mu paid them no heed. In fact, a trace of an imperceptible smile curved the corners of his mouth.

Had he already discerned the flaw in the illusion formation?

"I thought you were capable of more, heh." Li Shi sneered. "If so, this becomes rather boring."

The sea of blood churned violently, as if brought to a boil, and hundreds more columns erupted in an instant. Hundreds of blood-red hands materialized, ready to strike all at once.

Could that thin water shield truly withstand such frantic onslaughts...

"Ah, let it end here." Li Shi's voice chimed softly in Li Mu's ear, carrying a hint of sorrow and a sigh.

"The only thing ending here is you."

Li Mu's body stirred slightly as he soared upward, shooting straight toward the sky. The soul spear in his hand surged with dark energy, radiating boundless killing intent.

"Impossible! How did you find me?"

Li Shi's gloomy voice abruptly turned into a shriek of astonishment, bordering on a roar. "How is this possible? How could you possibly know my exact location? No one can ever escape the illusions created by the Hundred-Soul Banner!"

Crack!

The soul spear struck the Hundred-Soul Banner with pinpoint accuracy.

The banner shattered instantly, and countless streams of dark energy erupted from within, wrapping around Li Shi and binding him tightly on the spot.