"boom!"

Suddenly, everything around them turned black and white.

A tiny whirlpool appeared out of thin air in the river, which was several feet long, like a dark and mysterious gate, connecting to another world.

The "Tongyou" (通幽) is activated, allowing communication with the underworld; the gates of hell open, and wandering souls gather.

"Next, we will use our bodies as an altar to subdue ghosts and exorcise spirits."

Bai Cang formed a hand seal, and a faint radiance appeared, standing out brilliantly against the black and white background.

It was like a spotlight in the dark night, attracting wandering souls from all around to flock to it like moths to a flame.

"Boom!"

In an instant, countless fragments of ghostly spirits surged forth like a rolling river.

Countless eerie green flames flickered in and out of sight amidst the howling wind.

"Unfortunately, they were all unformed ghosts, not even worthy of being called monsters."

Bai Cang's spirits lifted, though he felt some dissatisfaction, but not a trace of fear.

Humans are three parts afraid of ghosts, but ghosts are seven parts afraid of humans.

Even ordinary people with vigorous blood and energy cannot do anything about ghosts of this level.

Moreover, Bai Cang possesses the talent of "ghost-capturing," enabling him to summon and command ghosts and spirits from the underworld.

Let alone a lowly ghost, even an old ghost, a fierce ghost, or even a ghost general or ghost king, must behave obediently and obey his orders.

"Something is better than nothing. The most important thing about fishing is to have patience."

Bai Cang thought to himself, and immediately stood up with a flick of his sleeve.

In an instant, the radiant light surrounding his body wove together into a Nine Netherworld Crown Robe, condensing the Nine Springs Command, and extending outwards like a silver dragon coiling, attaching itself to the Ghostly White Bone Banner and transforming it into a weapon-forging banner.

At the same time, Bai Cang began to chant incantations and make hand gestures.

One after another, invisible steel blades suddenly appeared beneath his feet.

With the blade pointing upwards, it resembles a mountain of knives, its sharpness fully revealed.

Bai Cang, barefoot, treads on invisible steel blades as he ascends, as if climbing a mountain of knives.

This is the Knife Mountain Method, also known as the Knife Mountain Hell, a method for refining and exorcising rampant soldiers.

There are many methods for refining and transforming barbarians, such as the Meishan Water Method and the Sun and Moon Refining Method, and the types of barbarians refined are also different.

In addition to the Heavenly Soldiers, Taoist Soldiers, and Rampant Soldiers, there are also five routes of rampant soldiers and three altars of soldiers, including the upper, middle, and lower altars. The five routes of rampant soldiers are further divided into many types.

For example, the Five Manifestations Spirit Officials are made from spirits and monsters, and the Five Paths Army is made from the souls of those who died in battle or died unjustly, and who are filled with ferocity and malevolence. There is also the Wandering Army, which is made from the yin spirits of cultivators (Note 1).

Such examples are numerous.

However, the rampant soldiers forged using the "Mountain of Knives" method are definitely the most ferocious among all rampant soldiers. Only those with great magical power and cultivation can control them, otherwise there is a risk of backlash.

However, Bai Cang had no scruples: what he wanted was ferocity and ruthlessness.

"Receive the Dharma and become soldiers of the Dao, come to my altar; those who obey me will prosper, those who oppose me will perish; assist the Dao and help me suppress the prison, I hereby order you to receive the ordination, and proceed immediately."

Bai Cang chanted maxims, the banners waved, commands were carried out, and the eerie green flames trembled in unison.

In just a moment, countless eerie green flames merged and converged, outlining dozens of ghostly figures clad in armor.

Each one exuded a deep yin aura, with lifelike figures, ferocious expressions, and chilling swords and spears.

"Rampant soldiers and fierce officers, their might and power are ever-present. Wielding spears and swords, they are indiscriminate in killing. Wrathful and vicious, they are rampant and savage. They behead and drip blood, they devour ghosts and swallow their essence. With bulging eyes and glaring glares, they break through stockades and burn camps. Their presence is everywhere, a rugged landscape. The decree of the Righteous One is issued, and retribution is clear."

Bai Cang, holding the Nine Springs Command, suddenly pointed downwards, "Hear my summons, come swiftly! So be it!"

In an instant, dozens of mad soldiers hurled themselves at the Ghostly White Bone Banner amidst the howling wind.

But in the next instant, Bai Cang pointed his hand again, and the Xuan Yin Ghost-Sealing Restriction Technique flowed, the vortex like a millstone, turning all the dozens of rampaging soldiers into dust.

A chilling, dark aura emanated from it.

Like tentacles, baring their teeth and brandishing their claws, they resembled swords and spears wielded together, whistling through the air.

This is the Mysterious Yin Ghostly Fiend, which is both the "nest" where the main soul on the banner resides and an important means for the Yin Soul Banner to fight enemies.

Although it cannot compare to the true evil energy of heaven and earth, it has the advantage of being "artificially cultivated".

However, other people who refine the Yin Soul Banner need to go to great lengths to extract the Yin energy from special places, mix it with Yin spirits, resentful spirits and other things, and finally refine it.

Inside Heshan Road, the Xuan Yin Ghost Fiend is also a rather precious "spiritual object".

However, for Bai Cang, once the "Tongyou" is opened, he can refine "Huigui" and obtain as much Xuanyin Guisha as he wants.

This is the difference between a skilled player and an ordinary person!

Those true disciples of the Xuanmen sect can gain advantages through bloodline and sect, and Bai Cang also has his own advantages.

And there's more than one!

These external advantages were the key to him carving out a path to heaven from the side sects, becoming comparable to, on par with, and even surpassing the true disciples of the Xuanmen!

"Unfortunately, while Xuan Yin Ghostly Spirits are easy to obtain, the main soul on the banner is hard to find."

Bai Cang was delighted, yet also somewhat regretful. "The first elegant seat on my Yin Soul Banner, even if it's not for a ghost general, should at least be occupied by a vengeful ghost that's been around for a hundred years, right?"

A ghost that has been around for ten years, a fierce ghost for a hundred years, or a ghost with five hundred years of cultivation can be called a "ghost general," while a ghost with a thousand years of cultivation can be called a "ghost king."

If someone has cultivated their powers for ten thousand years, then they are not an "ordinary ghost," but a "ghost immortal."

While he may not be able to rival the Primordial Spirit Dao Lord, he can at least hold his own against the Yin God Venerable.

Although it's highly unlikely that he could defeat the Golden Core True Monarch, the Ghost Immortal undoubtedly still had the upper hand in the contest.

Only top-grade Golden Elixir or Dao Lord Seed can make them retreat.

As far as Bai Cang knew, the only Ten Thousand Soul Banner of Heshan Sect was in the hands of the Ma family patriarch who had mastered the "Seven Killing Primordial Spirit Technique." It was already a high-grade magic weapon and one of the sect's most treasured artifacts.

Bai Cang's goal is to "seduce" and "capture" a hundred-year-old vengeful ghost to make it the first main soul on the Yin Soul Banner.

After all, as a cheater, he has to have some ambitions!

He dared not even think about the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, but the "Hundred Souls Banner" was already his bottom line.

The terms "ten souls," "hundred souls," and "thousand souls" do not simply refer to the number of spirits on the banner, but rather to the spiritual cultivation of the main spirit on the banner.

A hundred-year-old vengeful ghost is already considered a "ghost cultivator," ranking at the very bottom of the "Vengeful General King Immortal, Ghost Cultivator Fourth Grade."

Of course, this is not an easy task.

Even someone like Bai Cang, who is a top-tier character and can ignore the restrictions of the "Yin Hun Banner," still encounters with a hundred-year-old vengeful ghost are rare and hard to come by.

For a normal cultivator of the Heshan Dao, there are two main difficulties in refining the "Yin Soul Banner".

The first factor is the level of restriction, and the second is the quality of the main soul on the banner.

The primary function of the Xuan Yin Ghost-Subduing and Restraining Technique is to subdue and control the main soul, preventing it from turning against its owner and harming itself before harming others.

Normally speaking, to subdue and control a hundred-year-old vengeful ghost, at least twenty-four restrictions are needed, and thirty-six restrictions are the best way to be safe.

By analogy, to subdue and control a ghost general with 500 years of cultivation, one would need at least 48 restrictions, and ideally, 64 or more restrictions.

As for the Thousand-Year Ghost King, without the perfect completion of the seventy-two Earthly Fiend Restrictions, it's a ticking time bomb; it might injure people first, or devour its master first.

After all, once the Thousand Soul Banner is forged, the Thousand-Year Ghost King, as the main soul, will command at least a thousand Yin Souls, including many hundred-year-old fierce ghosts and five-hundred-year-old ghost generals.

The more numerous and powerful the spirits under the command of the Thousand-Year Ghost King, the greater the power of the Thousand-Soul Banner, and the greater the probability and danger of backlash.

This is an unsolvable dilemma; the only solution is to raise the level of the Mysterious Yin Ghost-Slaying Technique as much as possible.

However, for Bai Cang, the first limitation can be ignored.

With a foundation of the Profound Yin Ghost-Slaying Restriction Technique, no matter how fierce the ghost or the ghost general, they are all mere mortals before the "Ghost-Slaying" talent.

Do you understand the value of exorcising ghosts and spirits?

[Note 1: The Five Witches Army is indeed a common tactic used by mages, but it has been modified here.]

Thank you to "Lu Yu who loves winter melon and beef soup"! Requesting a free gift!