Chapter 74

As the four disciples, including Gu Yan, joined forces to attack, the Ghost Soul Banner was both offensive and defensive. Each time they attacked the Ghost Soul Banner, the souls trapped within suffered even more, and the power of the Ghost Soul Banner increased accordingly. Although any one of the disciples was stronger than their opponent, the opponent used a sinister magical treasure to ensure they could not be defeated. Additionally, by summoning a tornado, once the disciples were caught in it, they could no longer control their flight and were at a disadvantage.

Gu Yan said, "Guard your mind and soul!"

The trapped disciples endured physical pain, closing their eyes to protect themselves. The Ghost Soul Banner forcibly separated the soul from the body; it took only half a cup of tea for an ordinary person, but it was far from enough to subdue a cultivator.

"I'll take care of it," Lin Fan flew over to join the battle. A black aura wrapped around him, binding him tightly. Gu Yan and the others were shocked, but Lin Fan said, "Ninefold Demon Binding Spell." Anyone who dares to exchange true qi with me will know the consequences. Of course, this spell is essential for group battles but useless in a one-on-one fight.

Once the Ninefold Demon Binding Spell was activated, both Lin Fan and the evil person were immobilized, and the trapped disciples fell to the ground. Gu Yan was about to deliver a fatal blow when he saw the evil person's eyes widen and then collapse onto a pile of bones, the wind and clouds dispersing. Gu Yan cautiously approached to check and found that the person was already dead.

Looking at Lin Fan, who was also puzzled, the Ninefold Demon Binding Spell's nine monsters were not very powerful, even though Lin Fan had reached the Golden Core stage. However, the evil person in the illusion was no match for the nine monsters. The illusionary monsters had no souls, so they were not afraid of the Ghost Soul Banner and directly devoured the evil person, who had no other means to resist.

With the storm and waves calmed, the four disciples thanked them. After hearing Lin Fan's explanation, everyone was still puzzled. Finally, Bai Mu said, "Could it be that this evil person's cultivation is extremely low?"

"Indeed," Lin Fan nodded. "If that's the case, it makes sense."

Bai Mu was quite worried. "If that's true, it's troublesome. A person with such low cultivation can still control the Ghost Soul Banner and fight us for so long."

Gu Yan said, "Let's go and take a look."

The eight of them used the Water Repelling Spell to enter the Dadu River. The riverbank was lined with strange rocks. After searching for a while, they found an altar at the bottom of the river. The altar was a simple stone table with a white flag on the left and a white bone skull on the table. The skull had an inverted 'Wan' mark on its top.

Bai Mu said, "That's right, this is an altar. The Ghost Sect's leader gives disciples a white bone skull with an inverted 'Wan' mark. The disciples must smear the blood of their closest relatives on it, then smear the blood of different people. After more than ten days, the white flag on the right will be refined into a Ghost Soul Banner. The Ghost Sect was destroyed because the leader was killed. Without the leader distributing the white bone skulls, the disciples could not cultivate. The secrets of the white bone skull and how it is refined are unknown. Such a harmful object must be destroyed upon sight." Bai Mu then used a palm thunder to shatter the white bone skull.

As Bai Mu said, the most terrifying thing about the Ghost Sect was that even disciples with very low cultivation could refine the Ghost Soul Banner. With millions of people in the Twelve Continents, there were always those who resented the heavens. These people could practice basic cultivation techniques for a few days to nourish their qi and then control the Ghost Soul Banner. ...

Bai Mu said, "Look at this evil person, emaciated to the bone, due to their low cultivation using the Ghost Soul Banner. The Ghost Soul Banner absorbs the owner's essence and blood. If one uses it without sufficient cultivation, they will eventually die."

Gu Yan said, "Regardless, the reappearance of the Ghost Sect must be reported to the sect leader."

The four disciples said, "We will return to Yunqing Sect to report."

Gu Yan nodded. "The Ghost Soul Banner is both offensive and defensive. Please ask the sect leader to find a way to counter it."

"Yes, farewell." The four did not linger, bowed, and immediately set off for Yunqing Sect.

Gu Yan looked at the Ghost Soul Banner. "I wonder how many souls are trapped within. I think we should take it to Tianyin Temple to have them release the souls." The Buddhist temple had an advantage in this regard.

"Agreed." The other three had no objections.

Since only Lin Fan had the Qiankun Ring, he had to take it. As soon as he picked up the Ghost Soul Banner, he could feel the wailing of the trapped souls. Lin Fan thought, this Ghost Sect is even more sinister than any other evil sect.

...

A mountain need not be high; with a immortal, it becomes spiritual. Tianyin Temple was not on a high mountain but by the road in the city. From the outside, it looked simple and unremarkable. The front gate was crowded with worshippers, many of whom sought the Buddha's protection in times of difficulty. Some wished for success in exams, but they forgot that if the Buddha helped them succeed, the person who was supposed to succeed would be out of luck. Would the Buddha then be considered a villain?

Along the way, the believers looked at the four men in Taoist robes with disdain and even some verbal provocations. Fortunately, the temple monks intervened, asking, "Where are the four laymen from?"

Gu Yan bowed. "We come from Yunqing Mountain and wish to see the abbot." The abbot is named after the one-foot square room where the head monk lives, but the abbot can be the abbot of several temples, while the head monk can only be the head monk of one temple. However, outsiders generally refer to the head monk as the abbot.

"The four laymen, please have some tea while I inform the abbot." The monk was an ordinary person but knew some things about Tianyin Temple. He did not neglect them, had a young monk take them to have tea, and immediately went to inform the abbot.

Soon, the monk returned and led the four inside, passing through the main hall to the true Tianyin Temple. This part of Tianyin Temple was much more refined. Some monks were plowing the fields, and as they passed, the monks stopped their work, clasped their hands, and bowed. They finally reached the main hall, where an old monk sat on a cushion, and a fierce-looking monk with thick eyebrows stood beside him, holding a vajra staff.

"Please have some tea!" The old monk stood up, clasped his hands, and said, "The four laymen have come from afar. Please sit here."

The fierce-looking monk stood beside the old monk. Lin Fan could see that the old monk had no cultivation, while the young monk, though young, was quite powerful. In the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, the pure monks governed, and the martial monks protected the temple. However, this monk was at most the head monk, not the abbot. Gu Yan exchanged a few polite words, explained the situation, and then Lin Fan took out the Ghost Soul Banner.

"Amitabha, well done, well done!" The old monk sighed. "A thousand-year-old evil has yet to be eradicated."

The old monk told them some things that surprised the four. The leader of the Ghost Sect was once the abbot of Tianyin Temple's disciple, with high cultivation but a corrupt heart. The Buddhist temple aimed to guide people to goodness and would not abandon him. The abbot tried to calm his mind with Buddhist teachings. It seemed to have some effect, but before the abbot passed away, he passed the abbot's position to the second disciple, which greatly displeased the Ghost Sect leader. He assassinated the designated abbot and fled with his master's relics.

However, no one knew why this disciple suddenly knew the Ghost Sect's evil techniques and founded the Ghost Sect. When the Ten Thousand Evil Sect attacked the Ghost Sect's headquarters, the leader fled and was eventually captured by the martial monks of Tianyin Temple. They planned to confine him in Tianyin Temple for questioning, but he refused to submit and committed suicide, so they never knew why he knew the Ghost Sect's evil techniques. Since the main culprit was eliminated, and the relationship between Tianyin Temple, the demon sect, and the righteous path was poor at the time, Tianyin Temple did not publicize the matter to avoid conflict. Over time, with the Ghost Sect's disappearance, the matter was no longer mentioned.