Yan Yuqin saw the two cease their fight, seemingly joining forces against her, but she remained unflustered—this scenario had long been within her calculations.
She silently recited a mantra, and the black mist surrounding her banner grew even denser. The dark clouds from all directions converged into the heavens, as if imprisoning the entire world in a cage.
Gripping the Dingyin Sha Corpse Calming Banner in her hands, she felt the surging yin energy emanating from it, filling her heart with boundless confidence.
Unlike ordinary mortal combats, this banner was a tool for domination; with a single command, hundreds of Yin Corpses would charge forward. No matter how long one struggled, without the Banner Breaking Technique, death was inevitable sooner or later.
Having grown up in the Yan Clan, her breadth of knowledge was far beyond that of common cultivators. She had chosen to train in this sinister art because the Yin Sha Corpse Mourn Banner, once mastered, was nearly impossible to counter for anyone below the Hua Dan Realm. More importantly, it paved a path to the Heavenly Path, freeing her from the burdens of her family sect once and for all.
Disciples of Xuanmen Families like herself seemed to enjoy glory on the surface, but in truth, they were heavily constrained and bound by family rules. After reaching the Hua Dan Realm, they still had to spend time each year assisting the sect’s lower-level disciples, ensuring the clan’s legacy. Only by becoming a True Master could one finally break free from these shackles.
However, Yan Yuqin understood that her potential wasn’t the best in her clan. The sect could at most support her cultivation to the Hua Dan Realm, but any further progress seemed exceedingly slim. Without some extraordinary heavenly opportunity, achieving immortality would remain a pipe dream.
She refused to accept such a fate! With this banner in her possession, she could inherit an independent path and finally chase the Great Dao. How could she not seize this chance? Even if it meant being exiled from her family sect, she would willingly accept it!
At this moment, the hundreds of Yin Corpses had already descended upon Zhang Yan and the green-clothed youth. These corpses, their faces expressionless and minds vacant, knew only killing. Their forms were deeply entangled with the Yin Sha Qi, their lower bodies merged with the black mist. As they charged forward, mournful howls and eerie wails echoed, as if they were ghostly creatures emerging straight from the dark clouds.
Zhang Yan faced the oncoming storm of corpses unflinchingly. Standing tall, he clenched his fists, took a deep breath that swelled his chest, and let out a thunderous shout!
His roar echoed like the cries of dragons and tigers, shaking heaven and earth. In an instant, a tidal wave of Qi burst forth, as though an unstoppable force surged toward the incoming black mist. The dark clouds shattered like waves crashing on a jagged reef, dispersing into fragments in mere moments. The leading dozens of Yin Corpses exploded into pieces instantly.
The initial wave of corpses had already suffered a devastating blow. Startled, Yan Yuqin quickly waved her banner again, gathering the scattered corpses back together. In no time, they reassembled into a force, surging forward in waves of feral aggression once more.
Zhang Yan exhaled deeply and was about to inhale again when he noticed the strange, impure quality of the mist. Growing cautious, he closed his mouth and nose, sealing his body’s pores with inner breath. An average cultivator would still struggle to block the infiltration of Yin Sha Qi, even with these measures. But his body was as sturdy as gold and iron, rendering the biting Yin Qi powerless to penetrate him.
With another loud bellow, he threw a punch, the force of which roared through the air like a cannon blast. The pressure of his fist erupted outward, dispelling waves of Yin energy. One punch pulverized a multitude of Yin Corpses, leaving a wide-open path in its wake.
The air resonated with booming crashes as the sound of his strikes thundered across the battlefield. Though the Yin Corpses charged endlessly, Zhang Yan remained unmoving and steadfast, like an unyielding pillar rising from the ocean depths.
Meanwhile, the green-clothed youth had also been surrounded by dozens of Yin Corpses. Gazing at the grotesque forms, neither human nor ghost, he sneered coldly. A tremor rippled across the Green Cloud above his head, scattering countless Green Flowers that spread out over several miles. Like scattered blossoms, they rained down to the ground. Upon touching the muddy black yin energy, they burst with flickering green light, and everything within the glow was torn to shreds. The Yin Corpses disintegrated into fine dust.
Seeing the Yin Corpses crumble so easily, a look of disdain crept across his face. Turning his gaze outward, he found his surroundings shrouded in an impenetrable haze of black mist. Even with his extraordinary physical eyesight, he couldn’t discern where the banner-wielder was hiding.
Growing impatient, he shouted, "Li Yuanba, let’s each take a direction. Whoever finds this junior first, strike them down immediately!"
Without waiting for Zhang Yan’s response, he charged toward the path he had previously identified. Though Yin Corpses swarmed around him, they were continuously scattered and swept away by the radiant Green Flowers.