Turning his head, Zheng Yi took a stride and disappeared from the inn room.
When he saw the light again, he had returned to that doomsday world.
He was still in that area, not far from the garage's turn.
With a casual wave of the Soul-Catching Banner, black mist surged, revealing forty-nine Fierce Ghosts.
Although last time, with the protection of the Fierce Ghosts in the Soul-Catching Banner, Zheng Yi escaped the underground garage.
The already refined Fierce Ghosts only had their forms scattered, transforming back into Ghost Qi and returning to the Soul-Catching Banner.
These ghost creatures couldn't be killed so easily.
Even if they died, as long as the Spiritual Imprint remained, these Fierce Ghosts would still be reborn within the Soul-Catching Banner, only consuming much Yin Qi inside the banner.
It must be because the Soul-Catching Banner has been refined into a Lifebound Spiritual Artifact, those Fierce Ghosts were covered in black and red armor. Originally relying only on their claws for combat, they now wielded weapons.
The weapons condensed by the Cyan Profound Fiend were covered in dark red mysterious patterns, including swords, spears, sabers, halberds, axes, hooks, forks. The cutting-edge weapons naturally surpassed a pair of ghost claws in power.
Previously, when cultivation was at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer, during fights, Zheng Yi wouldn't readily release all the Fierce Ghosts from the Soul-Catching Banner.
It wasn't that he didn't want to, but such a consumption was tremendous; with his cultivation and Spiritual Power, he couldn't sustain such high-intensity combat for long.
He wasn't unwilling, just unable.
But with the upgrade of the Lifebound Spiritual Artifact, Soul-Catching Banner, and his realm reaching the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, now Zheng Yi could summon all forty-nine Fierce Ghosts in one go, and his Spiritual Power could sustain it.
This time, Zheng Yi shook the Soul-Catching Banner, and under the massive black mist, fierce winds arose.
Without Zheng Yi's control, under the arrangement of the Red-clothed Female Ghost, the forty-nine Fierce Ghosts split into three teams.
One team of fifteen Fierce Ghosts, the other three strongest older ghosts under the Red-clothed Female Ghost's lead, ready to support.
Perhaps due to the Soul-Catching Banner being refined into a Lifebound Spiritual Artifact after a blood sacrifice, Zheng Yi found that the intelligence of the Red-clothed Female Ghost seemed to have been unlocked; watching it arrange the array, he couldn't help but be surprised.
But this was all good; no matter how the Fierce Ghosts in the Soul-Catching Banner evolved, as long as his cultivation was sufficient, he could firmly control them.
After all, the Lifebound Imprints of these Fierce Ghosts were in the Soul-Catching Banner, the power of life and death within his thoughts.
Seeing the Soul-Catching Banner taking form, Zheng Yi nodded in satisfaction.
Then he extended his hand, retrieving all the ghost creatures back into the Soul-Catching Banner.
Fully prepared, ready to strike.
But before that, he had to remain concealed, lest he startled the enemy, scaring away the three Hundred-Year-Old Cyan Ghosts, which would be very frustrating for Zheng Yi.
...
In the dim underground garage, when Zheng Yi stepped into this familiar territory again.
Without him needing to lure them, three sharp, piercing ghostly wails came to his ears.
"Screech!"
"Screech!"
"Screech!"
The piercing sound stabbed straight at the eardrums, shaking the nerves, forming a soul-impacting Soul-Catching Demon Sound.
However, with the Lifebound Spiritual Artifact Soul-Catching Banner refining his Divine Soul, he wasn't afraid of such a level of soul impact.
Plus, having stepped into the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, although just one layer higher, it marked his formal entry from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation.
His strength had undergone earth-shattering changes.
Previously, facing the threat of these three older ghosts, Zheng Yi fled in haste.
But a gentleman will take revenge from morning till night.
So now, having turned the tide, Zheng Yi immediately came for revenge.
The threat of Demonic Sound Ghost Roar had greatly reduced for him.
The underground garage was filled with howling winds, scattered with abandoned cars covered in a thick layer of dust.
Many cars were evidently luxury brands, but now they were equally worthless as scrap metal in the great disaster.
Ordinary people are so fragile; when true disaster strikes, whether rich or poor, they are like ants, with no difference.
Standing in the center of the garage, Zheng Yi stretched out his hand, and the Soul-Catching Banner, already a Lifebound Spiritual Artifact, appeared in his hand.
With a gentle wave, dense fog immediately enshrouded Zheng Yi's figure.
Simultaneously, shadowy ghostly figures emerged, forming a massive encirclement, protecting Zheng Yi at the center.
Then, almost instantaneously, he felt a fierce impact sweeping towards him.
The temperature of the abandoned underground garage plunged from normal indoor temperature to below zero.
In the howling wind, three green-faced, fanged Evil Ghosts appeared again, glaring viciously at Zheng Yi.
But they also looked cautiously at the Soul-Catching Banner in his hand.
"Hello there…"
Looking at the three green-faced, fanged Evil Ghosts, Zheng Yi nodded at them, chuckling lightly.
"Looks like it's really a narrow road for enemies."
"We meet again, you three old ghosts, and I've come to avenge myself…"
Although not sure what Zheng Yi was saying, his demeanor likely didn't suggest anything good.
The three Evil Ghosts floated in mid-air, their expressions ferocious, their jaws wide open with fangs, roaring furiously at Zheng Yi.
"Roar!"
The stronger soul impact made Zheng Yi frown.
But with the protection of the Lifebound Spiritual Artifact Soul-Catching Banner, though he felt his spirit being impacted, it was still within bearable limits.
However, it wasn't in Zheng Yi's nature to take hits passively without retaliating.
He shouted with a smile and a curse.
"It's impolite not to reciprocate, why don't you try this move of mine."
"After all, I am a Demon Cultivator!!"
Just as the three old ghosts roared ferociously, intent on charging at him.
The Soul-Catching Banner in Zheng Yi's hand hovered in his palm, with peculiar bloodlines spreading, forming a massive array.
Amidst the dense black mist, countless ghostly shadows appeared, swiftly launching, encircling and trapping the three Hundred-Year-Old older ghosts at the center under the guidance of the Red-clothed Main Soul.
"Now you have two choices, one-on-one, or getting swarmed?"
"One-on-one, meaning you three old ghosts take on my entire group alone."
"Swarmed means my entire group will gang up on you three…"
"Either choice is fine, we're quite democratic here."
Zheng Yi displayed a confident expression on his face.
Screech!
Screech…
Not understanding what Zheng Yi was saying, the three green-faced old ghosts had been provoked by his taunt, issuing sharp roars, quickly charging towards him.
Zheng Yi retreated slightly, waving the Soul-Catching Banner, and said.
"Little ones, charge for me!"
The sharp ghostly wail echoed, the three old ghosts moved as fast as lightning, their skin iron-green, tearing the Evil Ghosts within the Soul-Catching Banner into two with a single claw.
But with the Red-clothed Female Ghost as the Main Soul orchestrating, Zheng Yi casually waved the Soul-Catching Banner, immediately replenishing with endless Yin Qi, and the ghost soul quickly healed, rushing back into the battle.