The Eastern Wasteland mountain range.
Qingyang Village.
This was a quiet and peaceful small mountain village.
The village was not large, nestled at the foot of the mountains. It had only one hundred households and a population of no more than five hundred.
Such a small mountain village was unremarkable.
But today, this small mountain village was about to face a catastrophe.
Night fell.
Five black-robed figures descended from the sky.
They wore black Daoist robes, wielded black flying swords, and were enveloped in evil black energy.
These individuals practically had the words "villain" etched onto their foreheads.
Their appearance immediately caused panic among the villagers of Qingyang Village.
The villagers scattered.
Chickens flew and dogs jumped.
A scene of utter disarray.
The old village chief, leaning on his staff, tottered forward.
"This old one greets the esteemed immortals!"
Disregarding his advanced age and infirmity, the old village chief prostrated himself before the five black-robed figures.
The five black-robed figures remained unmoved.
The leader of the group, an extremely ugly man with a face full of pockmarks, stepped forward.
With a sneer, the pockmarked man spoke chillingly.
"Old fossil, how far along is the matter I tasked you with earlier?"
"Ah, this..."
The old village chief was struck as if by lightning.
He trembled, sweat pouring down his face.
"Reporting to the esteemed immortal, you demand too much! To refine the Hundred Ghost Banner, you require forty-nine virgin boys and forty-nine virgin girls... Our humble Qingyang Village simply cannot find so many children..."
The pockmarked man sneered.
"Old fossil, I knew you wouldn't be honest. Hmph! Not enough people, is it? We'll find them ourselves. Second Brother!"
At the pockmarked man's command, a black-robed man with an upturned nose immediately stood behind him.
The upturned-nosed man chuckled, a glint of cunning and slyness flashing in his small eyes.
He reached out and grabbed the air, bringing it to his nose and sniffing it carefully.
His upturned nose glowed with a strange black light.
The upturned-nosed man chuckled again.
"Fresh scent of children, hiding in the cellar over there!"
Saying this, he pointed towards an inconspicuous cellar entrance ahead.
The old village chief's face turned ashen with shock.
He hurriedly cried out.
"Esteemed immortal, there's been a misunderstanding, no one's there, absolutely no one!"
The pockmarked leader's eyes blazed with ferocity. He said menacingly.
"Old fossil, daring to deceive us, we'll deal with you later!"
After issuing his threat, the pockmarked man turned and ordered a bald black-robed man.
"Fourth Brother, do it!"
The bald man grunted, "Understood, Big Brother!"
Then, he abruptly slammed his forehead.
*Clang!*
A sound like metal striking metal echoed.
The bald man's forehead emitted a sharp, dark glow, like an peerless divine weapon.
He leaped forward and, with his head down, smashed his glowing bald head onto the ground.
*Rumble!*
The earth shook!
Several massive chasms cracked open in the ground.
The chasms spread, crisscrossing.
The cellar hidden underground was instantly exposed for all to see.
Inside the cellar, about a hundred children, boys and girls, were huddled together in terror, trembling uncontrollably.
Seeing this, the five black-robed figures burst into laughter.
"Good, we found you. Just in time to refine the Hundred Ghost Banner today!"
As he spoke, the pockmarked leader drew forth a banner as black as ink, exuding ghostly energy.
The old village chief was aghast.
"No, no!"
Despite his old age, he struggled to get up, attempting to stop the black-robed figures.
"Old fossil, get lost!"
At this moment, a black-robed man with large ears stepped forward and slapped the old village chief across the face with all his might.
*Slap!*
The blow was incredibly heavy!
The old village chief was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, unconscious.
This "cruel scene" terrified all the children.
*Waaaah...*
The children cried out in fear!
Seeing this, the black-robed figures showed no pity. Instead, they were gleeful and extremely excited.
"Excellent, excellent! Cry your hearts out, the louder the better! Fear and hatred can increase the power of vengeful spirits! This way, the Hundred Ghost Banner's power will be even greater, perhaps even surpassing the limit of a first-grade magic treasure and advancing to a second-grade magic treasure!"
The black-robed figures laughed and talked, utterly disregarding human lives.
The pockmarked leader flicked his hand, unfurled the black soul banner, and began chanting incantations.
The black soul banner seemed to come alive, emitting boundless black light, filled with overwhelming malevolence and ferocity!
*Roar, roar, roar!*
On the surface of the black banner, ferocious and savage tiger souls and wolf souls roared and shrieked madly!
A chilling wind swept through, eerie and ghastly!
The pitiable children were almost scared to death. They cried out desperately, hoping someone would save them.
"Help us!"
"Who will save us!"
"Daddy, Mommy..."
...
The children's desperate cries, far from evoking any sympathy from the black-robed figures, instead ignited their ferocity, making them even more excited and cruel.
Inhuman!
"You scoundrels, I'll fight you to the death!"
Suddenly, a villager leaped out.
He was clearly trembling with fear, but his eyes were filled with resolute determination.
He had nothing to lose!
Holding a hoe, the villager charged towards the black-robed figures, shouting wildly.
"I won't let you harm my children, I'll fight you to the death!"
Seeing this, the pockmarked leader sneered, his expression like a cat playing with a mouse.
Foolish mortal!
You think you can deal with us?
Wishful thinking!
Since the long night is so boring, let me play a little game with you!
Boundless cruelty flashed in the pockmarked man's eyes.
He cast a spell.
*Boom!*
The "Hundred Ghost Banner" shuddered violently.
Dark, sinister energy surged towards the heavens.
*Roar, roar, roar!*
Accompanied by ferocious roars, a fierce tiger spirit leaped from the black banner.
It let out a terrifying growl and lunged at the villager.
In a single encounter, the villager was pinned down by the tiger spirit.
*Roar!*
The tiger spirit's claws swiped, sending the hoe from the villager's hand flying somewhere unknown.
*Roar, roar, roar!*
The tiger spirit bit down on the villager's leg and began to shake him violently.
The pitiable villager was utterly powerless, tossed about by the tiger spirit, emitting agonizing screams.
*Ahhhhh...*
These screams sounded like the most beautiful music to the black-robed figures. They closed their eyes, their faces filled with drunken pleasure, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
The pockmarked leader sneered and asked with brutal dominance.
"Who else?"