This time, he applied a bit more force based on his earlier experiences, thinking it would at least leave Yu Ci dazed for a moment. However, Yu Ci’s reaction was far beyond his expectations—hit squarely by the spell targeting his soul, Yu Ci didn’t seem affected at all. Instead, with a deep grunt, he raised his hand, unleashing a thunderous roar.
Even the dense mist couldn’t conceal the lightning surging between Yu Ci’s fingers. Pale purple lightning branched out like a giant tree sweeping across the sky with a deafening rumble.
“Young one, you’ve even mastered the secret arts of divine lightning?”
Seeing this lightning, Tu Du was stunned. No matter what kind of lightning it was, it carried immense, pure energy that naturally countered spirits and other yin entities, including the Yin Spirit he had formed with his soul and intent. This technique was far more vicious than the earlier “Sinister Yin Demon Binding Curse.”
Not daring to underestimate it, Tu Du redirected his curse to form a protective barrier, blocking the lightning outside. Sparks crackled and hissed at the edges of the barrier but failed to penetrate it, dissipating after a few moments.
By then, Yu Ci had already plunged deeper into the mist, disappearing from sight.
Tu Du wasn’t in a hurry. Although the boy was slippery, he still hadn’t escaped the range of his Yin Spirit’s detection. With time to reflect, Tu Du thought, ‘It’s definitely the Five Thunder Talisman, though not as refined as that talisman from before… But this kid’s endless supply of talismans, all aimed at my Yin Spirit, shows he came prepared. How annoying!’
There was also something else that troubled him. When he tried to assault Yu Ci’s soul with curse earlier, it had been like throwing a stone into the ocean—completely ineffective. It was as if there was an invisible barrier around Yu Ci’s body, dissolving his curse. But it wasn’t a typical exorcism talisman. Scanning Yu Ci with his spiritual senses, he spotted an object in his mouth.
It was a horn-like object, seemingly a natural artifact rather than something man-made. Tu Du couldn’t identify its origin, but if it could maintain its effect, it would render half of his best techniques useless.
This only made Tu Du more certain of his judgment.
It was clear that this boy had a determined will, courage, and wit beyond the ordinary. If pushed into a corner, he might even use a desperate move to take them both down, erasing the secrets of the Dragon Fish in the process. Therefore, brute force wasn’t an option.
But now that Yu Ci had entered the Sky Rift Valley, his earlier hopes were shattered. Tu Du could see the blow this had dealt to him—Yu Ci’s expression betrayed self-doubt. If the boy realized that even in his most favorable environment, the threat clung to him like a shadow, his mental defenses would inevitably start to crack, creating an opportunity to strike.
That was Tu Du’s strategy.
Of course, to ensure his own safety, he decided to reinforce his Yin Spirit with another layer of protection.
The swirling mist crashed silently against the cliff walls, yet its momentum was imposing. Though Yu Ci was hidden from view, his intense blood aura was unmistakable to Tu Du’s Yin Spirit—like a bonfire blazing on an open plain, impossible to miss.
A dark, snake-like stream of yin energy pierced through the mist, not to cause immediate harm but to apply constant pressure, forcing Yu Ci toward an early collapse.
Suddenly, the temperature in the air rose sharply. Searing winds whistled through the valley, making the air sizzle. The gusts blew down from the edges of the Sky Rift Valley, creating a violent countercurrent that pushed back the southern-flowing mist.
Even though Yu Ci was several miles deep within the valley, he felt the abrupt shift in the environment. He turned his head and looked through the rushing heatwaves, spotting a shadow swaying in the wind above the mist.
It was a long banner.
The banner descended straight down!
As it drifted, the long banner glided smoothly through the churning clouds, emitting a brilliant light. Golden rays shimmered like the rising sun, piercing through the mist. Wherever the light passed, the air churned and boiled. Even if it descended several miles deeper, its radiance would still be visible.
Looking up from below, Yu Ci could clearly make out the banner’s appearance.
The banner cloth, dark and weathered, was attached to a pole about ten feet long. It bore a large sun emblem embroidered with golden rays spreading outward. Around the emblem were countless smaller, radiating lines, resembling sunlight scattering across the sky. These were secondary talisman patterns of the banner.
The long banner soared through the air as if it had a life of its own. In truth, there was indeed a life housed within it—Tu Du’s Yin Spirit.
This was the “Sun Soul Banner”.
Yu Ci wasn’t surprised; he had anticipated this moment. Narrowing his eyes to block the banner’s dazzling light, he calmly reflected on the information he had gathered in recent days.
He had first heard of the Sun Soul Banner during a conversation between Ming Lan and Monk Zheng Yan. However, it was only after Zheng Yan’s detailed explanation that Yu Ci truly understood it. He learned that the banner was a magical artifact Tu Du had refined for several centuries. According to the “Heavenly Celestials and Earthly Fiends” classification, the artifact had been refined over forty layers, making it the most powerful among the treasures of Cliff City.
But the most crucial feature of the banner wasn’t the number of layers or its destructive power—it was its unique purpose.
“To store the spirit!”
At over 350 years old, Tu Du had already reached the lifespan limit for a Core Refinement cultivator. Despite using various methods to extend his life, his physical body was in irreversible decline, beyond the help of any miraculous elixir.
Normally, even with high cultivation, the soul would slowly wither along with the body, causing a decline in the Yin Spirit as well. But Tu Du had made a decisive move early on—he sought a way out. His solution was the Sun Soul Banner.
The Sun Soul Banner was no ordinary artifact. According to legend, it was acquired by Jin Huan in exchange for a great favor from an influential sect. The banner contained the fire of extreme Yang energy, perfectly complementing Jin Huan’s “Great Radiant Sun Technique.” Together, their combined power would double. But when Tu Du’s life was in jeopardy, Jin Huan had entrusted the banner to him, preserving his “right-hand man.”
Tu Du didn’t use the Sun Soul Banner for offensive power but to store and protect his Yin Spirit. The extreme Yang energy within the banner shielded his spirit from techniques that targeted souls and, more importantly, allowed him to evade catastrophic celestial tribulations, such as lightning tribulations.
At the moment when Tu Du’s physical body was on the verge of collapse, the Sun Soul Banner was his “shell,” the greatest support for him to traverse the vast distance and arrive at Sky Rift Valley.
Of course, although the Sun Soul Banner is a treasure, it is not without weaknesses.
After all, it is a weapon for attack and killing, powerful in offense but lacking in defense. As long as the outer extreme sun fire can be broken, a mundane sword capable of slicing through metal can also inflict damage on it.
Tu Du used it as a refuge for his Yin Spirit out of necessity, which is why in the following days, he only regarded it as a shelter and rarely used the banner to confront enemies, managing to endure until today.
But now, Yu Ci had prepared Sinister Yin Demon Binding Curse and Thunder Talisman, all aimed at his Yin Spirit state, targeting him precisely. Moreover, he also had that mysterious sharp horn could block the curse attacking the soul. Lastly, since he had entered the Sky Rift Valley, he still could have other defenses.
After considering the situation, Tu Du activated the long banner, the golden sun patterns on it shining brightly, releasing high-temperature waves that distorted the night sky, its might unparalleled. However, the most formidable part was the curse hidden beneath the high temperature, using Yin techniques to drive Yang fire—this was Tu Du’s specialty, with boundless changes contained within.
At that moment, both sides were racing on the sheer cliffs. The difference was that Tu Du was controlling the Sun Soul Banner to descend, while Yu Ci could no longer use ordinary leaps; that would only get him quickly pursued. So, he did something reckless—he ran down the nearly vertical cliff.
There was no need to mention the descent speed of the Sun Soul Banner; Yu Ci, relying on gravity, increased his speed to an incredible degree, managing to maintain the initial hundred-zhang distance without any reduction, even showing a trend of widening.
Seeing this, Tu Du was not anxious at all.
“This kid has reached his limit!”
Tu Du didn’t use his full power; he merely shadowed Yu Ci’s figure beneath the hundred-zhang cloud mist, like a beast hunting its prey, driving the younger generation into a corner.
With a similar descent speed, the rapidly accumulated momentum, not to mention whether the body could withstand it, what method would the young man use to cushion himself when it was time to stop? Nothing else was needed; as long as there was a slightly protruding rock ahead, a moment of distraction would mean that kid would be smashed to pieces!
Therefore, Tu Du’s so-called limit referred not only to Yu Ci’s physical body but also to his mental endurance. It was evident that, due to Tu Du’s relentless pursuit, Yu Ci’s mind was likely already in disarray!
Tu Du was gleeful at this.
With the curses failing and having suffered two talismans specifically designed to target Yin Spirits, his thoughts had shifted: there was no need to bring the young man unscathed, as long as he had a breath in him, it could count as an explanation to Daoist Yu.
As both of them rapidly descended, the scene had already startled the ferocious birds and beasts in the valley. Along the way, birds were startled into flight, and ferocious beasts roared; countless bloodthirsty creatures were salivating at the sight of the rapidly falling figure. However, in this section down from the valley top, the strength of the creatures was still relatively weak, causing little trouble. But below ten miles, the number of creatures wanting to extend their claws increased dramatically.
With two muffled explosions, two clouds of blood mist erupted ahead, and Yu Ci’s figure barely slowed down, continuing to charge into the boundless mist below. The raging wind he stirred up sent a shower of bl0od rain straight to the pursuing Tu Du.
The extreme sun fire evaporated the bl0od rain in an instant, but the stench of bl0od still spread. The blo0od eagle, known for its precise attacks in the valley, rushed over, only to be turned into charred remains in the flaming whirlwind in the blink of an eye.
“Oh, still have the strength to use a sword!”
Tu Du looked down, surprised at Yu Ci’s swordsmanship, having sensed his proficiency with the Yin Spirit. That swordsmanship was truly exquisite!
Things are Not Looking Good:
Yes, things are not looking good. As you know, translation requires a lot of time and energy. I translate, edit and proofread the chapters on my own. I will be honest here, I started translating as a hobby, then it evolved to a hope of earning a living by doing something I enjoy.
However, I suffered a chain of misfortunes during and after the pandemic, and earnings from FSM and RTV helped me a lot. It became a significant part of my life. As long as my monthly income bordered around $200, I could make the time to translate in the middle of other works. Then RTV ended, and the earning decreased. Now, it has decreased to around $90-$100. And with PETTV nearing completion, that would decrease even more. A*dsence gets me about $ 0.50 per day, and you can’t get the payment until it reaches $100, so I can’t depend on that either.
It wouldn’t be an issue in normal circumstances, but it matters a lot to me since I am still dealing with a lot of financial troubles. I am currently looking for a job, and will have to invest my time and energy in it once I get it.
Long story short, if you enjoy reading this novel, support the translation if you can, either by becoming a Patron in Patreon, or sponsoring chapters at BuymeaCoffee. You can also take some time to watch a*ds to increase the revenue on A*dsence. Grains of sand together can form a desert.
FSM supporters has been supporting me from the start no matter what, so I would continue to translate FSM as long as I am alive. But for the other projects, I now desperately need your support so that I can spend the time and energy to serve them to you all. That’s all. Thank you.