Chapter 226: Chapter 223: Celestial Thunder Banner, the Grand Assembly Approaches

RUMBLE...

Celestial Thunder rumbled as blinding bolts of lightning rolled across the sky. The oppressive black clouds were like an army bearing down, suffused with a grim, murderous aura.

Thunderbolts, like roaring Thunder Dragons, weaved through the dark clouds.

A terrifying heavenly might descended, blanketing the land. All the Demon Beasts in the Death Mountain Range watched, trembling in fear.

"The Array Power is truly incredible. To think he could draw such a massive Thunder Tribulation with just an Array."

The White Ape and the Cyan-Haired One-Horned Lion watched in utter shock from the safety of their cave.

This was all Ning Jiang’s doing.

According to Ning Jiang, this Grand Array was called "Thunderous Force."

Just setting up this Array had taken Ning Jiang a full month, and he had used numerous treasures from the Yanyue Sect—nearly emptying its entire treasury.

Now that the Grand Array was complete and had summoned the Thunder Tribulation, the power it displayed was so immense that the two Demon Beasts suspected even an Earth Martial Realm expert would perish before it.

"I wonder if he’ll succeed."

The two Demon Beasts glanced at each other, uncertain of the outcome. All they could do now was watch and hope.

"Here it comes!" the White Ape suddenly cried out in alarm.

His voice was drowned out by an earth-shattering peal of thunder. An absurdly thick bolt of lightning descended, and even from a great distance, the two Demon Beasts felt a primal terror.

The massive Thunderbolt crashed down, suffused with a destructive aura.

Ning Jiang’s robes fluttered in the wind. With a flick of his palm, a crimson rainbow shot out.

The Blood Soul Banner!

This was the treasure the Blood Demon King had once refined. It had been damaged in a great battle, but even in its weakened state, the Blood Soul Banner had displayed terrifying power, forcing Ning Jiang to use the Immortal Slaying Technique at the time.

Now, the Blood Soul Banner’s power was completely depleted.

However, it was, after all, the weapon of a Celestial Martial Realm King!

Even without any energy, its components were still made of top-tier Divine Materials.

Ning Jiang had spent a whole month setting up the "Thunderous Force" Grand Array precisely for the purpose of re-refining the Blood Soul Banner.

In truth, the simplest way to restore this weapon was to kill people, absorbing their blood and souls to recover its power.

But how could Ning Jiang ever resort to such a method?

In his eyes, refining a banner by killing was a crude and inferior method of Artifact Refining. The Blood Demon King clearly knew nothing about the true art.

Using the power of a Thunder Tribulation for Artifact Refining—now that was a truly masterful technique.

BANG.

The terrifying bolt of lightning struck the Blood Soul Banner, which trembled violently, almost cracking apart.

However, the Blood Soul Banner was covered in dense, overlapping runes.

Each rune was incomparably complex, resembling ancient script, like tadpole-like characters containing the profound principles of the Heaven and Earth Dao.

These runes were known as Thunder Talismans.

Ning Jiang had obtained them in his past life from a Thunder Venerable, an expert so powerful that he had ranked among the top ten of his era.

When it came to the study and application of thunder, he was peerless in that era, the undisputed number one.

And the Thunder Talismans he developed could absorb Thunder Power.

CRACKLE... POP...

At this moment, lightning danced across the Blood Soul Banner. The Thunder Talismans lit up, frantically absorbing the power of the thunderbolts.

RUMBLE...

After the first bolt was absorbed, a second one quickly descended.

The Thunder Talismans flashed, growing even more brilliant as they enveloped the entire Blood Soul Banner.

As the thunderbolts fell one after another, the Thunder Talismans absorbed more and more Thunder Power. The entire Blood Soul Banner erupted in a blinding divine radiance that seemed to reach from the earth to the heavens.

"Who in the world are you?"

The Blood Demon King, sealed into the size of a human head, watched with heart-pounding terror. Even with all his experience, he had never seen such an Artifact Refining technique.

How could a mere Spirit Realm cultivator like Ning Jiang possess such an ability?

"If you are willing to join my Demon Race, with your abilities, you would surely be given great importance. Power, beauties—whatever you desire will be yours for the taking," the Blood Demon King said in a tempting voice, trying to win Ning Jiang over.

"One hundred thousand years ago, I did indeed see some people who were tempted by your Demon Race and switched to your side. But do you think you can sway my stance?" Ning Jiang said coolly.

"What? One hundred thousand years ago? What is your identity?" the Blood Demon King cried out, staring at Ning Jiang in disbelief.

"A dead man doesn’t need to know so much. Weren’t you wondering why I kept you alive? I’ll tell you now: I’m going to refine you into the Artifact Spirit of the Blood Soul Banner!"

As soon as the words fell, Ning Jiang grabbed the Blood Demon King and, with a toss of his hand, threw him into the heart of the thunder.

"No! You bastard, let me go!" the Blood Demon King screamed.

The next moment, blazing thunderbolts engulfed him. His body disintegrated and shattered within the lightning, before being absorbed into the Blood Soul Banner.

"This is the fate you deserve."

Ning Jiang’s voice was calm. To refine the Blood Soul Banner, the Blood Demon King had slaughtered countless living beings and imprisoned their souls.

What he was doing now was giving the Blood Demon King a taste of his own medicine.

This was karmic retribution.

The refinement of the Blood Soul Banner continued for a long time.

After three full days and nights, the roiling black clouds in the sky finally began to dissipate.

’It’s over.’

A hint of excitement appeared in Ning Jiang’s eyes as he looked at the long banner standing tall in the void.

Compared to before, the Blood Soul Banner had changed drastically. Its original blood-red color had become a sky blue.

If the original Blood Soul Banner exuded a sinister, ominous, and evil aura, the current banner was incomparably sacred, suffused with a heart-palpitating, majestic heavenly might.

As the cloth fluttered gently, astonishing electrical currents flashed across its surface.

"The name ’Blood Soul Banner’ is no longer suitable. Since you were refined by thunder, I’ll call you the Celestial Thunder Banner."

Ning Jiang gave it a new name and grasped the Celestial Thunder Banner. ’Let’s test its power.’

Holding the Celestial Thunder Banner, he gave it a light swing.

CRACKLE.

A bolt of lightning appeared, striking a hundred-zhang-tall mountain below.

In an instant, the entire mountain was pulverized, completely erased from the face of the earth.

HISS...

The White Ape and the Cyan-Haired One-Horned Lion gasped, their scalps tingling with fear at the sight.

’That was just the power of a casual strike. How terrifying would it be if its full might were unleashed?’

"Thunder Spirit War General, come forth," Ning Jiang called out lightly.

From within the Celestial Thunder Banner, a figure wrapped in lightning emerged.

This was the Celestial Thunder Banner’s Artifact Spirit, refined from the Blood Demon King.

"Master."

The Thunder Spirit War General knelt on one knee before Ning Jiang, his attitude respectful.

The Spiritual Wisdom that had belonged to the Blood Demon King had been erased by the thunder. He was now merely the Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Thunder Banner, completely loyal to his master, Ning Jiang.

’Now, with the power of the Celestial Thunder Banner, I can finally take my Nine Tribulations Celestial Thunder Body to the next level.’

By using the Celestial Thunder Banner, Ning Jiang could control the intensity of the Thunder Power. He could use it to temper his body, unlike the Thunder Tribulation summoned by the Array, which was so powerful that a single touch would have instantly turned him to dust.

"I’m going into seclusion for a few days." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

After informing the two Demon Beasts, Ning Jiang began his seclusion.

He tossed the Celestial Thunder Banner, which hovered above his head. Streams of lightning descended from it, entering his body.

RUMBLE...

Thunder rolled within his body as his blood surged, growing stronger and stronger.

While Ning Jiang was focused on his secluded cultivation, the world outside was abuzz.

The upcoming Qing Province Assembly had sent the entire Qing Province into an uproar.