The Great War of Beliefs The Battle Begins

After Su Muwan generously provided a wave of experience, Qin Luo finally felt at ease.

Now... it was time for the final preparations before the great battle.

The Nether Ghost Domain, the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave.

A chilling wind howled, and black mist swirled in the air.

The entire ghost domain seemed shrouded in a thick aura of death, the air heavy with the stench of decay and blood.

Qin Luo stood before a massive bone altar.

The Ten Thousand Demon Banner hovered at his side, its pitch-black surface slowly unfurling as countless vengeful spirits wailed from within.

"......"

The corners of his lips curled slightly as his gaze swept across the surroundings.

The Nether Ghost Domain was once one of the sacred realms of the Eastern Celestial Realm.

Its sinister energy was overwhelming. The last time Qin Luo came here, he had retrieved the remains of an ancient ghost god.

Originally, he had planned to fuse them into a Shadow Construct, but at the time, Xiaobai was undergoing an upgrade.

Now that the upgrade was complete...

This place had become the perfect "training ground."

Xiaobai, open the panel.

With a thought, a translucent screen appeared before his eyes.

[Shadow Construct Synthesis System Activated]

[Available Materials for Synthesis:]

1. Ten Thousand Demon Banner’s Yin Energy (Purity: 99%)

2. Ghost Domain’s Yin Energy (Purity: 95%)

3. Ancient Ghost God’s Remains (Quality: SS-grade)

[Synthesis Direction: Shadow Creature (Customizable Form)]

[Success Rate: 85%]

[Begin Synthesis?]

Qin Luo narrowed his eyes and lightly tapped the screen.

"Begin."

—BOOM!!

In an instant, the Ten Thousand Demon Banner trembled violently.

Countless vengeful spirits surged out from the banner, transforming into a raging torrent of dark yin energy that poured into the center of the altar!

At the same time, the yin energy of the entire ghost domain seemed to be drawn in.

Like a tidal wave, it converged above Qin Luo, forming a massive black vortex!

"ROAR—!"

Amid the churning yin energy, the ancient ghost god’s remains slowly levitated from the altar.

Crimson patterns emerged on the pitch-black bones, as if resisting the erosion of this power.

Qin Luo snorted coldly. With a flip of his palm, chains of shadow energy coiled around the remains, forcefully suppressing their resistance!

"A mere remnant of a bygone era dares to defy me?"

He flicked his finger, and a drop of his essence blood flew out, landing precisely on the remains’ forehead.

—HUM!!

"NO!! I REFUSE TO SUBMIT!! I REFUSE!!"

The remains trembled violently as a shrill scream echoed out.

The crimson patterns shattered inch by inch, eventually turning pure black—completely assimilated by the shadows!

"Condense!"

Qin Luo shouted, pressing his palms together. The Ten Thousand Demon Banner, the ghost domain’s yin energy, and the ancient remains fused instantly!

—RUMBLE!!

The entire altar shook violently as countless cracks split the ground.

Dark shadow energy erupted like molten lava, coalescing into a writhing mass of black substance in midair!

The mass expanded and contracted rhythmically, as if nurturing some terrifying existence.

Qin Luo watched intently, his smile deepening.

"Let’s see... how far you can grow."

—CRACK!

Suddenly, a fissure split open on the surface of the black mass, and a pitch-black claw shot out!

Then a second, a third...

—BANG!!

The black substance exploded completely as a colossal figure slowly rose.

[Shadow Creature—Shadow Ghost God!]

It stood nearly a hundred feet tall, its body pitch-black with exposed bones, covered in crimson shadow patterns.

A pair of massive bone wings stretched from its back, its head resembling a demonic ghost with eyes burning in eerie blue flames.

It had three pairs of arms in total!

But the most chilling aspect was its aura!

[Peak Sovereign Realm!]

"ROAR—!"

The Shadow Ghost God roared to the heavens, its voice shaking the entire ghost domain!

Qin Luo nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad. Even stronger than expected."

He raised his hand, and the Shadow Ghost God immediately dropped to one knee, bowing its head in submission, awaiting orders.

[Shadow Ghost God]

[Level: Peak Sovereign Realm (Can Evolve)]

[Abilities:

1. Yin Energy Devour

Effect: Can infinitely grow by consuming yin energy, souls, death energy, and other negative energies.

Trait:

Every cultivator devoured has their flesh and blood converted into yin energy to nourish itself.

Accumulated yin energy can temporarily boost combat power and, upon reaching a threshold, break through realm barriers.

2. Ten Thousand Ghost Domain

Effect: Expands a yin energy domain with a radius of one kilometer.

Traits:

Immunity: Immune to physical attacks and resistant to spiritual energy.

Ghostly Wail: Illusory vengeful spirits manifest within the domain, disrupting mental focus. Those with weak wills may descend into madness.

3. Netherbone Blades

Effect: Arms can transform into massive bone blades wreathed in corrosive yin energy.

Trait:

Soul Devour: Directly attacks the enemy’s soul, leaving wounds that cannot heal.

4. Ghostly Resurrection

Effect: Corpses of those slain by the Shadow Ghost God are resurrected as "Ghost Servants" to fight for it.

Trait:

Servants retain their original combat strength but lack free will, completely controlled by the Shadow Ghost God.

5. Nether Shadow Step

Effect: Can instantly teleport anywhere within the domain or merge into shadows for stealth.

Trait:

Ignores physical barriers and can pass through formations and barriers.

Qin Luo smirked.

"With this, we’ll have a better chance in the Great Thousand War."

With a wave of his hand, the Shadow Ghost transformed into a streak of black light and merged into the Ten Thousand Demon Banner.

—Whoosh!

A ferocious ghostly emblem now adorned the banner’s surface.

He had his own plans, so he chose not to integrate the Shadow Ghost into the Shadow Court.

"Next…"

Qin Luo’s gaze swept toward the depths of the Nether Ghost Domain. The lingering yin energy hadn’t been fully exhausted, and the place was still littered with skeletal remains.

"Since I’m here, I might as well try synthesizing another one."

Half an hour later.

Qin Luo stood in the heart of the ghost domain, where residual yin energy seeped from the ground like black mist.

He raised his hand, and under the fusion of shadow energy, the yin energy and shattered bones twisted and warped, eventually forming a skeletal dragon.

The dragon’s fleshless skull bore ghostly green flames in its eye sockets, and thick yin energy oozed between its vertebrae like putrid blood.

He shook his head.

Perhaps due to the materials, this Shadow Bone Dragon was far weaker than the Shadow Ghost.

Still, it had reached the Sovereign Realm!

Using the yin energy of an entire sacred domain to create a shadow creature—honestly, only Qin Luo, with his system, could pull it off.

With another wave, the Shadow Bone Dragon was absorbed into the Ten Thousand Demon Banner.

Weaker than a ghost but stronger than cannon fodder, it would make a decent flying backdrop.

Then again, Qin Luo blinked.

If it came to mounts…

He already had Little Gold.

No matter—he could always switch between them.

Surveying the now-worthless ghost domain, he muttered, "Time to go back."

—Whoosh!

In a flash, he vanished.

Over the next few days, the entire Netherfrost Divine Domain was immersed in a frenzy of cultivation.

The opportunities previously distributed had now been fully absorbed.

Ouyang Xuan, Li Mingyuan, and others had all broken through to the Half-Step Sovereign Realm, their combat power soaring.

As expected, Huo Feng advanced from Half-Step Sovereign to full Sovereign Realm.

The biggest surprise, however, was Shangguan Chuxue.

She had also reached the Half-Step Sovereign Realm, gaining mastery over the Plant Law—making her even better at gardening.

Even lunatics like Xiao Tian saw significant improvements thanks to the opportunities’ feedback.

Qin Luo marveled. Truly, the old-gen heroes never disappoint.

The divine domain’s overall combat strength had nearly doubled.

Meanwhile, Su Muwan, the domain lord, spent these days in leisure.

By day, she dragged Qin Luo around the domain, sampling every spirit-food snack in sight.

By night, she curled up in her palace gaming, watching anime, and only occasionally bothering to cultivate.

"Luo Luo, these spirit-fruit candied hawthorns are amazing!"

"Luo Luo, ten more skewers of spirit-beast barbecue!"

"Luo Luo, another pot of spirit tea!"

Qin Luo sighed. "Young Mistress, if you keep eating like this, you’ll turn into a chubby little fish."

"Hmph! This young lady is naturally flawless—no amount of eating will make me fat!"

Su Muwan smugly tilted her chin up and popped another candied fruit into her mouth.

Qin Luo chuckled but didn’t stop her.

After all, with her cultivation, even if she ballooned, she could instantly refine the excess fat with spiritual energy.

Finally, the seventh day arrived without incident.

Night fell beneath the Tree of Destiny.

Su Muwan lounged lazily in Qin Luo’s arms, gazing up at the starry sky.

She’d already learned the tea leaves came from here, so she made a habit of plucking them nightly—much to Xiaobai’s horror.

Luckily, nothing disastrous happened.

"Luo Luo, do you think we can win this Great Thousand War?"

"Yes."

"So confident?"

"Because you’re here."

Su Muwan smirked and poked his cheek. "Oh? Since when did a mere Qin Luo become so smooth-tongued?"

Just as Qin Luo was about to reply—

Boom—!!!

The sky suddenly twisted!

The radiant galaxy was torn apart by a golden light spanning heaven and earth, as an overwhelming divine pressure descended.

A voice, vast enough to echo across all realms, resounded:

[Mortals, heed this decree!]

[This war is not of slaughter, nor of strength.]

[Only faith shall measure the rise and fall of all worlds.]

[Those rich in worship shall inherit the Mandate of Heaven.]

[Those bereft of doctrine shall return to the void.]

[In a hundred days, the one with the highest faith shall be granted the Eternal Dao Fruit! The most devout sacred domain shall be blessed by Heaven’s favor!]

[Henceforth—]

[Let the war begin!]

With that final word, the entire Great Thousand World trembled.

Golden gates materialized above every sacred domain—the entrances to the Great Thousand Battlefield.

Qin Luo narrowed his eyes, a faint smile curling his lips. "At last…"

The War of Faith had officially begun!