C1778 The Wraithbanner

In the grand halls of the Merchant Union, ancient tomes of considerable heft were transformed into deadly weapons. Xuan Ge, dressed as a scholar, had emptied his book basket. Those cultivators whose minds had been clearly eroded by the Voodoo Charm, on the brink of transforming into Voodoo Shades, were now his prey.

He had intended to keep up the slaughter, using ruthless and swift measures to quell the tide of Voodoo Shades. However, upon Yu Yuan's request, Xuan Ge promptly chose to comply, despite harboring some internal doubts. The rate at which the Voodoo Charm converted its victims into Voodoo Shades was alarmingly fast, and in the moment of transformation, they would spawn more Voodoo Charms to afflict nearby cultivators.

Without a solution for the Voodoo Charm, Xuan Ge saw no point in merely imprisoning those affected. They would still undergo the transformation into Voodoo Shades and continue to generate more Voodoo Charms. Hence, he opted for a swift and decisive eradication.

Even though many of those who fell by his hand were members of the Merchant Union, including some younger ones he held in high regard, he resolutely carried out the killings. But since Yu Yuan claimed he could prevent the transformation, Xuan Ge dared not contravene, regardless of the reality.

Thus, under his power, the weighty ancient books disintegrated into fluttering pages that ensnared those infected with the Voodoo Charm. "Cast them towards the Dragon Slaying Stage in Thylethlume!" Yu Yuan commanded.

"Understood!" Xuan Ge acknowledged with a nod, and he transported the book-bound cultivators to the Dragon Slaying Stage safeguarding Thylethlume.

Yu Lili and Su Yan, who had previously arrived at the Dragon Slaying Stage, witnessed cultivators trapped in pages descending from the glowing white firmament above. As these individuals landed on the Dragon Slaying Stage, the Voodoo Charm's influence, which had been compelling the Lunar Spirit to consume the heaven soul and dominant soul, was halted, and their clarity of mind began to return.

"It's actually possible..." Xuan Ge marveled as he observed the halted transformations within the Dragon Slaying Stage, remarking, "Truly worthy of Boulderdawn's rising star!"

With newfound respect for Yu Yuan, Xuan Ge redoubled his efforts, zealously imprisoning more individuals marked by the Voodoo Charm and dispatching them all to the Dragon Slaying Stage.

He was a cultivator in the late period of the Unbound Stage, and those affected by the Voodoo Charm were few. Most were merely at the level of Lunar Spirit or Spirit Walk, making them relatively easy for him to handle.

"The tide of Voodoo Shades in the Serpent Spine Mountains will soon be quelled."

Yu Yuan snorted coldly, his Lunar Spirit gaze fixed on Jiang Xingwen, who remained composed. "Within the internal world of the Dragon Slaying Stage, the Voodoo Charm is suppressed, preventing the transformation into Voodoo Shades."

"The Dragon Slaying Stage?"

Jiang Xingwen sensed something amiss. Watching the pages flutter from the merchant house's branch and the cultivators wrapped within them vanish onto the luminescent stage, she recognized Yu Yuan's corrective measures.

"You're alone, and there's only one Dragon Slaying Stage," she said, regaining her composure with a menacing smile. "But the Voodoo Shade outbreak is happening across the vast regions of the Everlands! Can you save them all? Will you be able to keep up?"

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed.

Elsewhere.

"Voodoo Shades!"

After Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian finished speaking with Qin Luo, he instructed Qin Luo to return the distant burning sun back to its rightful place in the Everlands. He then returned from beyond the stars.

As he crossed the wall, the Ebon Meditation Mat flew back beneath him, and he witnessed the surge of Voodoo Shades.

His obsidian eyes turned sharply toward the Land of Terror. A thought echoed in his mind, "The emergence of numerous Voodoo Shades is due to your meddling with the Lunar Meridian. Shouldn't you consider a solution for the growing number of Voodoo Shades?"

He was holding Soul-Capturing accountable!

Yet, his call for accountability dissipated without a trace in the Land of Terror, with no response from Soul-Capturing.

"Something's not right."

Tan Xiaotian paused, tossing the Ebon Meditation Mat toward the Land of Terror. Streams of black smoke burrowed into the earth, seeking Soul-Capturing.

His pure dark energy transformed into myriad tendrils of shadow, intent on unearthing Soul-Capturing.

However, he could no longer sense the presence of Soul-Capturing.

"The God-King, who ascended in the extraterrestrial realm, utilized the three tributaries of the Lunar Meridian to transfer her Soul Power and strength. In essence, Soul-Capturing has completely withdrawn," Jihui, stationed far away at Skyreach Peak near the newly constructed Origin Gate, remarked offhandedly after observing Tan Xiaotian's actions.

"It appears she first forged the initial form of her godhood in the Everlands before perfecting it in the extraterrestrial world."

"The emergence of numerous Voodoo Shades... it seems to be a favorable development for me."

Jihui's murmurs emanated from the green and black flag, which suddenly billowed and expanded, snapping in the air above Skyreach Peak.

Intricate, ghostly patterns adorned the flag's surface.

The flag, now magnified a millionfold, had its pole end anchored in the Origin Gate, while its billowing fabric loomed over the mountain range, stirring up peculiar greenish-black ripples.

These ripples undulated, instilling a terrifying sensation of being drawn in among the unique soul entities of this world.

Razses, Luo Yue, and Taruer gazed at Skyreach Peak in horror, sensing that their Ghost King spirited bodies could be pulled away by the flag.

"It's not you," Jihui said with a low chuckle.

Those marked by the Voodoo Charm, whose dominant souls had been consumed by the Lunar Spirit, transforming them completely into Voodoo Shades, turned their green eyes towards Skyreach Peak.

The souls of the Voodoo Shades were drawn to the greenish-black flag, as if ensnared by a dark will.

Like walking corpses, the Voodoo Shades, regardless of their location in the Everlands, yearned to draw near Skyreach Peak, to the valley where Jihui resided.

"Senior!" Zu Ann called out, his expression dark as he observed the flag waving high above the valley, feeling the eerie pulsations of the soul. "You've crafted the Origin Gate and now you're enticing these Voodoo Shades here. What exactly are you planning?"

From within the immense green-black flag, a vague wraith emerged leisurely, "If you're unable to handle the shadowmancers, I'll have them come to this valley. Those who have become shadowmancers, I will tempt them to leave their souls behind, allowing them to enter the Origin Realm in their Voodoo Shade form. Heh, the soul form of a Voodoo Shade is a veritable Gluttony feast for both me and the Evil Gods!"

"Since you can't handle them, why not let me have my fill?" Jihui burst into laughter. "Wraithbanner!"

Yu Yuan, from the Serpent Spine Mountains, realized he had become a shadowmancer and had conjured a Voodoo Charm. His hollow green eyes shifted slightly as he gazed toward the Serpent Spine Mountains.

From atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, he spotted the black and green flag standing tall in the Skyreach Peak. The origins of this object came flooding back to his memory, revealing that the flag was known as the Wraithbanner, a creation of the Boulderdawn, and the very first of its kind in the Everlands.

Many flags in the future would possess similar mystical properties and be named Wraithbanners as well. But those were merely copies. They were crafted in imitation of this flag's wonders, yet none could compare to the true power of the original Wraithbanner.

The Wraithbanner, like the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Soulforge Pool, was a Divine Artifact of the Boulderdawn, previously under Jihui's control.

Having acquired the Wraithbanner amidst the turmoil of the Everlands, Jihui had managed to summon the otherworldly beings who had turned into Voodoo Shades. Incredibly, he had actually managed to mobilize them!

Yu Yuan stood on the Dragon Slaying Stage, the radiant white surface beneath his feet reflecting the deep valley where the Wraithbanner was erected, as if it were the Mirror of Fates itself.

"Do you intend to use the Voodoo Shades to nurture an Evil God?" He peered at the indistinct figure within the Wraithbanner and inquired, "Since the Wraithbanner can command the Voodoo Charm, do you have a method to undo it?"

"No, the Wraithbanner can only consume and absorb ghosts; it cannot revert them back to humans," Jihui's wraith replied after a moment's contemplation. "Rather than allowing the Voodoo Shades to slaughter living beings, turning mortals and cultivators under the Lunar Spirit into more ghosts, it's better to let me consume them."

"Oh, and by the way, the Crucible of Evil has a similar effect. Are you trying to compete with me for it?" Jihui suddenly let out a loud, eerie laugh.

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