Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?-Chapter 908 - 904: Black Robe

"Can’t catch up?"

Duoduo transformed into human form and landed on a giant rock beside him, her little brows tightly furrowed.

Shen Siyuan shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic battle formations below: "The opponent seems to be adept in the Concealing Technique, and extremely familiar with the terrain of this Netherworld. Forcing a pursuit might lead us into a trap."

He turned his head to look at Qi Gai not far away, who was commanding the Wu Character Camp to consolidate their formation. Although the golden light of the protective shield wasn’t as bright as before, it remained stable.

Qi Gai also noticed Shen Siyuan’s gaze and quickly walked over, his expression somewhat complex: "Mr. Shen, that sword of yours was truly earth-shattering. However... the man in the black robe remains a hidden threat."

He paused and added, "It seems he knew we would awaken from petrification. As soon as we emerged from the valley, he appeared, harassing my Wu Character Camp multiple times without a desire for direct confrontation, acting very cunningly."

"What is his goal?" Shen Siyuan asked.

Qi Gai’s eyes darkened: "Unclear. But judging from his attack routes, he seems to be searching for something—or a specific location."

He pointed towards the depths of the valley, "Before we were petrified, there was a Netherworld ruin in that direction."

Shen Siyuan’s mind was stirred: "A ruin? Take me there."

The group walked along the valley path, witnessing numerous traces of battle along the way—broken weapons and rocks cleaved by immense force.

After about a quarter of an hour, they reached a cluster of dilapidated buildings, with blurred inscriptions etched on the walls and partially collapsed roofs exposing cobweb-like cracks inside.

"This is the place."

Qi Gai pointed to the remaining structures.

"These buildings have existed long before I took command of the Wu Character Camp."

At the center of the ruins was a stone platform, and Shen Siyuan approached it, crouching down to examine it closely.

The surface of the platform was smooth, with engravings of the sun, moon, and stars along its edges.

It bore some resemblance to the patterns on the stone gate in the Qiongzhou Netherworld, seemingly corresponding to certain stars in the sky.

He reached out to touch the stone platform, feeling a chill seep into his fingertips, and simultaneously an ancient aura flowed into his mind—a weighty sense of time resonated faintly with his Netherworld authority within.

"This stone platform... is not simple." Shen Siyuan stood up, his eyes scanning the surrounding walls.

"Is there any change from what you remember?" Shen Siyuan turned to question Qi Gai.

Upon hearing this, Qi Gai pondered slightly and then shook his head.

"From my memory, it has always been like this, seemingly unchanged."

Finding no immediate clues, Shen Siyuan didn’t dwell on the matter.

He directly took out the State Governor Seal, and as soon as the divine seal appeared, the Netherworld aura in the valley abruptly halted.

In the Netherworld, the State Governor Divine Seal represents the highest authority granted by the Netherworld, deserving utmost respect.

Qi Gai’s pupils shrank abruptly, and he knelt on one knee, his voice trembling: "Greetings, Lord, ready to serve at your command, willing to die a thousand times."

The soldiers of the Wu Character Camp followed suit, putting down their weapons and kneeling in unison, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

"Good... good..."

Shen Siyuan was also very excited, as having these people temporarily solved his urgent predicament.

He concentrated his thoughts, formed a gesture with his fingers, and the Ten Thousand Soul Banner appeared out of thin air. After being repaired by Merit, the purple banner shone with golden light, without a hint of evil, looking majestic and awe-inspiring, making one doubt it as a demonic treasure.

"This Netherworld has been occupied by Mud Worms. Come with me to the Qiongzhou Netherworld and lend me a hand."

"Yes."

After confirming Shen Siyuan’s identity, his requests were all agreed upon.

Thus Shen Siyuan focused his mind and the banner waved, covering the entire valley with an invisible force, drawing these ghost soldiers in with strong suction.

Upon seeing this, Qi Gai immediately ordered: "Wu Character Camp, hear my command! Everyone gather your breath and follow me into the Lord’s Magic Artifact!"

The soldiers responded in unison, collecting their energy and ceasing resistance.

The suction of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner suddenly intensified, drawing everyone inside.

The patterns on the banner surface became more vivid, as if gaining vitality.

"Let’s go."

Shen Siyuan put away the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and signaled to Duoduo beside him.

Duoduo understood and immediately twirled the handle of her umbrella, and the two vanished on the spot.

The valley returned to silence.

After several dozen breaths, a black mist appeared from an unknown source, swirling around the ruins and slowly converging, eventually transforming into the previous man in the black robe.

"Cough cough..."

He coughed softly, his body trembling, appearing more ethereal than before. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"You really didn’t leave."

Just then, a Glazed Sword Qi appeared out of nowhere, this time accompanied by Divine Fire on the Divine Sword.

The black mist met the Divine Fire and instantly reacted like ants set aflame, emitting mournful squeals as blue smoke rose, much of the mist disintegrating into ashes.

The black-robed man, seeing this, attempted to explode his body to flee through the mist.

But this time, the Divine Fire clung like bone, burning vigorously upon contact with the mist, spreading like ignited gas.

In the blink of an eye, the black mist was entirely consumed, leaving only a small pile of black ashes that scattered with the wind.

Within a moment, the sky cleared and the Earth brightened, with no trace of the black-robed man remaining.

"Is he dead?" Duoduo hovered above Shen Siyuan’s head with her umbrella, inquiring.

"Not sure," Shen Siyuan replied.

As the black mist was too elusive, he couldn’t confirm if any had escaped.

Nonetheless, even if some escaped, they were gravely wounded.

He had not anticipated the Divine Fire to be so effective.

He attached the Divine Fire to the sword because it stemmed from his emotional connection to life, generating a resonance within his soul that catalyzed a transformation, birthing this power.

This power embodied his will, wisdom, and spiritual strength.

The semblance of life within the black haze seemed akin to his own.

Hence, Shen Siyuan wielded the Divine Fire to cut through with his will and wisdom, unexpectedly yielding extraordinary results.

Shen Siyuan glanced around and said, "Let’s go."

Then he vanished once more.

This time, after a long period, all remained silent.

After settling the Wu Character Camp, when Shen Siyuan returned to the Four Bright Family, it was already evening. The setting sun painted the courtyard in hues of orange-red.

Tang Tang was playing in the courtyard, clutching a bunch of small flowers and teasing several butterflies flying in the air.

Seeing her return, she promptly tossed away the flowers in her hand and ran toward him.

"Hah~"

"Run slower."

Shen Siyuan reached out to pick her up, glancing at her forehead, finding some bruises remaining, but the swelling had subsided.

"Oh~"

Tang Tang squirmed in his arms, seemingly searching for something.

Shen Siyuan pointed to the garden on the second floor.

Tang Tang looked up to see Dou Dou leaning over the balcony, grinning down at her.

She immediately struggled out of Shen Siyuan’s arms and ran into the house.

Shen Siyuan followed her at a leisurely pace, walking into the house.

"You’re back," Ruan Hongzhuang greeted as she approached.