Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 118 Never to Meet Again
The moon was bright and the stars were few; the once bustling fighting arena was now deserted.

The exciting battle has come to an end, leaving some happy and others sad.

Chen Ye, a rogue cultivator, won a fair and square victory against a disciple of the Mirage Sect on the arena.

What, you say setting up a formation in advance isn't honorable enough?

Qin Ze's Purple Cloud Smoke Canopy was a gift from a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, isn't that even more outrageous?

Several days passed, and such arguments did not subside. Whenever the cultivators gathered together, they would always mention this dramatic battle and the name Chen Ye.

However, no one bothered to come to this remote arena anymore, and instead chose to go to various markets and neighborhoods to drink and argue all night long.

It's been many years since Baihaigu has witnessed such a momentous event worthy of a few drinks.

Most people only care about it as something to talk about over tea, while only the parties involved are truly affected by winning or losing.

As the victor, Chen Ye should have been surrounded by a crowd of admirers, but he quietly ran back to the arena alone.

While repairing the damaged formation, he listened to Mo Ci's roar: "A duel in the arena should be a fight to the death. If you had encountered an experienced demon, you would have been dead long ago."

"That's not how you use the Ten Thousand Souls Banner. If you just rush in all at once, and that person has a spell to suppress the spirits, they can destroy half of your Ten Thousand Souls Banner with one throw. Haven't you ever fought a war or heard a storyteller?"

"We had the advantage of distance, so we could have stayed in the sky and kept wearing him down. Who told you to expose your position? The Mirage Sect's illusion was broken. Do you know if he's really malfunctioning or if he deliberately created a flaw? If he's just bluffing, wouldn't it have been better to just rush over without thinking?"

Chen Ye did not refute, but listened calmly.

Mo Ci's words made sense. Looking back now, I realized I shouldn't have revealed my location, as that was my biggest advantage.

No matter what unexpected events occur with your opponent, you shouldn't make reckless moves when you have the advantage; following the plan is the safest course of action.

In this magical duel, Chen Ye indeed had many flaws and truly realized that he didn't have much talent for magical combat.

They have almost no ability to seize opportunities, and their performance on the spot is not very good either; they rely entirely on advance calculations.

I can only blame myself for believing too much in the divination results, thinking that standing in an auspicious position meant I was free from all taboos.

Mo Ci, tired of scolding, then earnestly said, "Only disciples of high-ranking sects with their soul lamps hanging in their sects have the right to be reckless. Before others make a move, they have to consider whether they can withstand retaliation. Remember, you are a rogue cultivator with no one to back you up. When you encounter an enemy, no one will care about your identity. They can kill you without hesitation."

Chen Ye was a man who would admit his mistakes and correct them, so he quickly said, "Master, I understand, I will definitely pay attention next time."

Mo Ci was about to say something more, but Chen Ye suddenly looked up and gazed into the distance.

Someone walked towards the arena from the darkness, and when they got closer, it was Qin Ze.

Chen Ye was somewhat embarrassed. He was not one to flaunt his power, and although he had won a match, his methods were not exactly honorable.

As a disciple of the Mirage Sect, Qin Ze would likely be under even greater pressure after losing. His coming here in the middle of the night is probably not just a simple revisit to an old haunt.

Chen Ye wanted to avoid the topic, but Qin Ze was under immense pressure, and who knew what he was thinking?

Don't associate with people on the verge of collapse, especially if you're the one causing their breakdown. If they suddenly become desperate and disregard all the rules of the Mirage Sect, wanting to fight Chen Ye to the death, Chen Ye might not actually win.

As the saying goes, a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. Chen Ye stood up to leave, but Qin Ze suddenly shouted, "Fellow Daoist, please wait."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye ran even faster. Others might not know how terrifying those words were, but he certainly did.

But Qin Ze appeared in front of Chen Ye like a ghost, instantly blocking his way.

Resentment and unwillingness appeared on Qin Ze's face, but just as Chen Ye gripped the Myriad Soul Banner, preparing to fight to the death, Qin Ze finally sighed, cupped his hands to Chen Ye and said, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, fellow Daoist."

Chen Ye breathed a slight sigh of relief and comforted Qin Ze, "It's alright. My victory wasn't exactly honorable, and it's only natural that Fellow Daoist Qin feels resentment. Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Fellow Daoist Qin will be able to win back in the next match."

Qin Ze shook his head and said, "There will be no next round. I will return to my sect for seclusion and never leave again in this lifetime."

Chen Ye was surprised that Qin Ze would be punished so severely and asked in confusion, "It's just a loss in a magic duel, surely the Mirage Sect's rules aren't this strict?"

Although losing to a rogue cultivator is somewhat embarrassing, a punishment like a lifetime ban is still too much.

“This is not a punishment from my sect, nor is it merely a loss in a magical duel. I was bewitched by my own magical artifact, which is the greatest taboo for a disciple of the Mirage Sect. If I do not eliminate this inner demon, I will sooner or later be controlled by the Mirage Pearl and fall into demonic possession.”

Those who are skilled in illusion must not be deceived by falsehoods.

During the magical battle, Qin Ze was controlled by the Mirage Pearl. This mistake was even greater than the defeat in the battle. If he could not overcome his inner demons, he would have to be confined to prevent him from causing harm to the world.

Chen Ye comforted him, saying, "I see that you are not very old, and you have enough lifespan to overcome this inner demon."

Qin Ze smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words. Fellow Daoist Chen, do you have any wine with you?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye took out a jar of strong liquor and handed it to Qin Ze. Ever since he and Mo Suixin had searched the valley for liquor, Chen Ye had kept two jars of liquor in his storage bag. Although he didn't like it, he knew it might come in handy someday. He just hadn't expected that the liquor would be used on Qin Ze.

Qin Ze took it, tore open the seal, and poured the wine into his mouth, seemingly without any concern that Chen Ye would tamper with the wine.

Chen Ye remained silent, took out another jar of wine, and drank a couple of sips with him.

During the day, the two were still at odds, but unexpectedly, they were able to drink under the moon that very night.

They simply didn't see eye to eye, and aside from drinking together, they barely exchanged a few words.

After finishing the wine in one jar, Qin Ze casually tossed the jar aside before saying to Chen Ye, "Originally, I came here to destroy this arena to vent my resentment. I didn't expect to find you here, Fellow Daoist Chen."

"I really did consider fighting you to the death just now, even if it meant violating the sect rules. But in the end, I was simply outmatched. If I were to take my anger out on you because of this, I would truly be unworthy of the name of the Mirage Sect."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye sighed and said, "The righteous path is ultimately the righteous path. No matter how others slander it, the Mirage Sect is still a righteous sect that has persisted for thousands of years. If it weren't for True Person Ziyan's compassion during that accident a few months ago, Hundred Seas Valley would probably have been a river of blood."

"Humans experience joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Fellow Daoist Qin, there's no need to dwell on this momentary anger. After all, what we cultivators pursue is carefree longevity, and after becoming immortals, we have endless years. Compared to longevity, temporary gains and losses are but a fleeting moment."

Regardless of how outsiders ridicule them, the Mirage Sect is ultimately a righteous sect, and has not done anything immoral or immoral over the years. It's just that they have been at peace for too long, and their disciples have become somewhat lax. It's not a serious crime.

Qin Ze was just unlucky; he was chosen by Chen Ye and became the first disciple from a prestigious sect to lose.

Qin Ze smiled wryly and said, "I used to say the same thing to others, but it was always after I won a sparring match, and I used it to comfort them. I never thought I would hear the same thing myself one day."

Qin Ze let out a long breath, as if to expel all the frustration in his chest. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he took out the mirage pearl from his pocket.

Before Chen Ye could react, Qin Ze squeezed hard.

The pure white mirage pearl was instantly covered in cracks, as if a shrill scream was coming from within. But Qin Ze did not hesitate for a moment and continued to exert force until the mirage pearl was completely crushed into powder.

Then Qin Ze casually tossed the powder onto the arena.

Destroying this magical artifact connected to his bloodline left Qin Ze pale-faced, but he seemed to have been relieved of a heavy burden, and his expression became much more relaxed.

Qin Ze turned to Chen Ye and said, "Thank you for the wine, fellow Daoist. Today we part ways and will never meet again. I can never repay this jar of wine. I wish you success in your cultivation and that you will soon become an immortal."

After saying this last sentence, Qin Ze turned and left, disappearing from sight in no time.

Only after Qin Ze had completely disappeared from sight did Chen Ye finally ask Mo Ci, "Master, do you think he can overcome his inner demons?"

Mo Ci pondered for a moment before replying, "There aren't that many enlightened people in the world. One in ten thousand seeks immortality. Most of them will eventually fall into despair and be forgotten after a few years. When their name is heard again, they will likely be nothing but a pile of bones."

Chen Ye knew that Mo Ci was right; there weren't many people in the world who would become even more courageous and diligent after suffering setbacks. If immortality were that easy, the five major sects wouldn't have so few cultivators who had reached the Dao Integration stage.

"Take this as a warning, take this as a warning!"

Chen Ye had no connection with this disciple of the Mirage Sect, but he feared that one day he would be the one to turn away.

After muttering a few words to himself, Chen Ye prepared to continue repairing his formation, but just as he made a move, he heard a faint cry for help.

"Help!"

The two short words reached Chen Ye's ears; though very faint, they were by no means an illusion.

Chen Ye was startled and quickly activated his spiritual eyes to search around. He immediately found the source of the cries for help.

On the pile of mirage powder that Qin Ze had crushed, there was a blurry, indistinct shadow; it was this thing calling out to Chen Ye for help.

Chen Ye asked, full of doubt, "Master, what is that?"

The Myriad Souls Banner trembled, and Mo Ci exclaimed in surprise, "This is... the spirit of a magic weapon? It's truly a rare item! Quickly, put this thing away; it will be of great use."

Before Chen Ye could make a move, Mo Ci had already manipulated the Myriad Soul Banner to leap towards the blurry phantom.

With a tremor, several illusory chains flew out, capturing the spirit of this magical artifact into the Myriad Souls Banner.

As Chen Ye leaned closer to take a look, Mo Ci laughed loudly, "You're lucky, kid. Ordinary artifact spirits perish the moment the magic weapon is destroyed, but this artifact spirit is extraordinary; it can actually survive for a while. Quickly, use your nourishing nectar to heal it; this is a rare treasure."

Chen Ye chanted a spell, shook the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, and spiritual energy gathered into drops of sweet dew, which seeped into the banner.

A groan was heard, and a blurry white figure appeared on the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

The white figure bowed to Chen Ye and said gratefully, "Thank you for saving my life, benefactor."

(End of this chapter)