A continuous stream of translucent screens flashed relentlessly before Ji Wuye's eye. Each notification pulsed like a heartbeat—quickening, then fading—marking another warrior's spirit claimed by the banner's inexorable pull.
It was yet another sea of greenish light, but far off in the distance, beyond the altar's weathered stone boundaries—faint greenish orbs of light began to rise from the ground like luminous dewdrops ascending at dawn.
The temperature dropped perceptibly as they emerged, bringing with them the faint scent of damp earth and something older, something that belonged to the realm between life and death.
These spectral wisps floated upward with an almost hypnotic grace, undulating gently as if carried by invisible currents.
They were drawn irresistibly toward the Soul-Forged Banner as moths to flame, their movements becoming more urgent, more desperate as they neared the ancient cloth. Each time a wisp entered the banner, its tattered cloth flashed brilliantly.
'As expected, it worked,' Ji Wuye thought as he stood with arms crossed, his crimson pupils fixed intently on the unfolding spectacle.
A smile formed on his lips – not one of joy, but of calculated satisfaction – the corners lifting just enough to create shallow creases beside his mouth as he watched the souls—the ethereal wisps—being drawn into the banner like leaves caught in an autumn wind.
Several breaths passed, marked only by the subtle rise and fall of his chest in the now-still air, which had grown thick and heavy with spent energy.
The greenish lights, once numerous as stars, ceased their uprising from the ground, leaving behind a lingering phosphorescent afterglow that painted the ritual space in ghostly hues.
The Soul-Forged Banner, too, stopped flickering with its former radiance, settling into a steady, subdued glow that pulsed in perfect rhythm with Ji Wuye's heartbeat.
This prompted Ji Wuye, who had been seated cross-legged on the cool stone floor to stir. Then, he placed his hand firmly on the embedded banner, feeling its fabric.
A faint blue light emerged from his Dantians, enveloping his entire body like a living membrane. The energy extended outward in graceful tendrils to encompass the banner, weaving through the ancient cloth like threads of fate being rewoven.
"Come forth, my soldiers," he said, his voice calm—neither too loud nor too soft.
Then the next moment...
RING!!
The blue light of his Qi continued to shimmer around both his body and the banner, creating intricate patterns that danced like frost on a winter morning.
At the same time, the Soul-Forged Banner began trembling in response to his call, vibrating with a frequency that sent ripples through the air itself.
Dust motes swirled in agitated patterns around the artifact, caught in invisible currents of power that made the very atmosphere feel dense and charged.
The blackened pole appeared to shed its dark hue, as if it were growing strands of hair – countless silvery filaments emerging from its surface like mercury threads being pulled from obsidian.
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The frayed fabric, riddled with tiny holes like a star-filled night sky, became suffused with the greenish glow.
The ethereal energy seeped through each perforation, merging seamlessly with the faint blue aura surrounding it, creating an otherworldly dance of colors that twisted and spiraled together like lovers entwined.
The temperature around Ji Wuye fluctuated wildly, alternating between bone-deep chill and feverish warmth as the energies sought equilibrium.
Then, countless greenish wisps began to pour forth from the banner once more, surging into the air like a dam bursting, their luminescence painting the surrounding with spectral light.
SWOOSH!
The sound cut through the area with physical force, and Ji Wuye's robes billowed slightly in the sudden displacement of air.
SWOOSH!
One by one, the wisps positioned themselves in a neat row with military precision, each finding its place as if guided by an invisible choreographer.
Before Ji Wuye now stood an eternal assembly of spectral ghosts, their translucent forms casting a soft, pulsing glow that illuminated the space around them.
Each spirit seemed to shimmer between states of solidity, sometimes appearing almost corporeal before fading to mere suggestion and shadow.
Their eyes—hollow voids that somehow still managed to convey absolute subservience—remained fixed downward in deference.
They remained clad in the unique armor of their home countries – some bearing the distinctive plates of the northern kingdoms with their bear and wolf motifs etched into frost-like patterns, others wearing the lighter, more elaborate armor of the southern territories adorned with dragon scales and phoenix feathers that seemed to retain spectral color even in death.
The ghostly metal still bore the marks of their final battles—dents, gashes, and in many cases, the fatal wounds that had released their spirits to be claimed.
No one spoke. No one dared to raise their heads. The reason for this, of course—
"Good job," Ji Wuye remarked. His crimson eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he observed his newfound army, the corner of his mouth lifting in the barest hint of a smile.
It was he himself—their master. The Soul-Forged Banner had chosen him, and, as its description dictated, only a bearer with a soul of unyielding strength could command the spirits it ensnared.
Should their will waver, the enslaved souls would undoubtedly turn against them. Ji Wuye knew this well, or rather than choosing him... to be precise, what he had done was...
"Never would I have thought the next upgrade of Quick Adaptation would be related to fear," Ji Wuye muttered, shifting his gaze across the ethereal soldiers who showed not the slightest hint of aggression toward him.
They were perfect soldiers—not bound by physical limitations or capable of being harmed by conventional means. Their spectral forms flickered occasionally, like flames in a gentle breeze, yet maintained their distinct shapes with unwavering consistency.
However—
"The numbers are too small," he remarked, his voice edged with disappointment as he scanned the crowd. His lips pressed into a thin line as he counted less than one hundred spirits before him. Though he had expected this outcome, seeing it with his own eyes only deepened his discontent.
"Stand up," Ji Wuye commanded.
As he anticipated, only a handful of ghosts – perhaps a dozen at most – responded to his order and rose to their feet, their spectral forms wavering like candle flames as they straightened.
The rest remained kneeling, frozen in their bowed positions as if carved from translucent stone. This sight brought yet another deep sigh from him, his breath creating a momentary disturbance in the ethereal light surrounding him.
Another flaw.
"What they said was true," Ji Wuye muttered irritably, clicking his tongue against his teeth as he recalled the information and rumors he had gathered in his previous timeline.
The more spirits absorbed by the banner, the more they lost their individuality and intelligence, reduced to mere mindless wraiths.
For a item priced at 5,000 coins, the number of disadvantages felt utterly absurd.
...
Having finished testing the banner, Ji Wuye shifted his gaze between the few ghosts who had stood.
"Release," he said faintly,. The word seemed to ripple through the air like a stone dropped in still water, clearly targeting those who had failed to rise.
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has released the spirit of warrior Garrick Blackwolf.
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has released the spirit of warrior Shirogane no Tetsuya.
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has released the…
…
Another continuous stream of translucent notifications flashed before his crimson pupils.
At the same time, under the eerie, clouded golden rays filtering through the cursed valley's skies – rays that seemed to pierce the perpetual gloom like tarnished spears – the kneeling ghosts vanished instantly, like morning mist dissipating under the sun's first touch.
Then, Ji Wuye reached for the banner embedded in the ground. As he pulled it free, the ghosts who had obeyed his command dissolved into nothingness, their spectral forms disappearing without so much as a whisper, leaving behind only the faintest shimmer in the air where they had stood.
Holding the tattered banner firmly, its fabric still occasionally catching the strange light with an otherworldly gleam, he turned and approached the blackened stone slab.
"Let's see if this works too," he murmured. Without hesitation, he raised the Soul-Forged Banner high above his head, its tattered edges fluttering in a nonexistent breeze, and drove its pole forcefully into the slab.
STAB!
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has begun absorbing the spirit of legendary warrior Lü Bu!
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has begun absorbing the spirit of legendary warrior Miyamoto Musashi!
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[!] The Soul-Forged Banner has begun absorbing the spirit of legendary warrior William Wallace!
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[>>[INFORMATION]<<]
Challenger Ji Wuye,
Congratulations on successfully….
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[!] You have successfully …..
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[!] You have…
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[>>[REWARD]<<]
? ….
? …
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[>>[INFORMATION]<<]
The god of….
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