Chapter 4: Crimson Lotus Karma Scripture and a Growable Artifact

Lu Yan pulled out the belongings he had carefully kept on his person.

Thirteen Spirit Stones, eight Grade-less Talismans, five First-Grade Low-Rank Talismans, and one Storage Pouch.

He picked up the pouch along with a Spirit Stone and, following the method circulated around Bamboo Grove Market, attempted to activate it.

A faint trace of spiritual energy was drawn into the pouch, and suddenly, the golden-threaded bag in his hand loosened. The drawstring, which had seemed tightly sealed, opened effortlessly.

Without hesitation, Lu Yan poured out the contents all at once.

The moment the pile of items hit the floor, only one thought flashed through Lu Yan’s mind—

I’ve struck gold.

Over a hundred Spirit Stones formed a small mound. There were dozens of neatly drawn First-Grade Low-Rank Talismans, along with five First-Grade Mid-Rank and even one First-Grade High-Rank Talisman.

These alone were worth over three hundred Spirit Stones.

But that wasn’t all. Inside the pouch, Lu Yan also found a palm-sized jade flying sword, two manuals, and a vial of pills.

Just one glance at the jade sword, and Lu Yan could tell it was a genuine flying sword—a real magical artifact. Whether it was Low-Rank or Mid-Rank remained uncertain.

But flying swords were far more valuable than ordinary artifacts. Even a low-grade one would cost at least a hundred Spirit Stones.

As for the pills in the porcelain bottle, there were no labels or inscriptions. Lu Yan had no experience with spiritual pills, so he couldn’t identify them.

Still, those weren’t the main focus.

What truly thrilled Lu Yan were the two manuals inside the Storage Pouch.

Their titles were: Crimson Lotus Karma Scripture and Secrets of Demonic Artifacts.

A quick skim revealed that Secrets of Demonic Artifacts contained refining methods for items such as the Soul Banner, Bone Bells, and Dark Yin Coffins. The book listed array diagrams and materials in detail.

These kinds of demonic artifacts typically required mass sacrifices of living beings for refinement. Even someone without moral scruples would frown at their contents.

Clearly, this book had been given to Chu Hao by a demonic cultivator from the shadows.

As for the other manual, Crimson Lotus Karma Scripture, it was exactly what Lu Yan needed right now—a cultivation technique!

And not just any technique—it was a High-Grade Demonic Cultivation Technique. It absorbed the karma of slaughtered beings and turned it into Crimson Lotus Karma Fire, granting unparalleled offensive power. It far surpassed the overused Everlasting Spring Technique.

The only downside was that the manual only included content for the Qi Refining Stage, with no continuation beyond that.

But Lu Yan didn’t care.

Demonic? Incomplete? None of that mattered. What was important was that this method could help him finally set foot into the world of cultivation.

Even reaching the First Layer of Qi Refining would open up an entirely new realm for him.

Most of the items in the Storage Pouch could only be used after entering the Qi Refining Stage and gaining spiritual power.

Resisting the urge to start cultivating on the spot, Lu Yan stuffed nearly everything back into the pouch—leaving out only a few protective talismans and some Spirit Stones.

“These things are absolutely stolen,” he muttered, his voice firm.

As a worker in the Talisman Shop, Lu Yan had handled everything—from organizing inventory to selling and bookkeeping. He knew Chu Hao’s financial situation inside out.

Though the Talisman Shop occupied a decent storefront in Bamboo Grove Market, its actual revenue was meager. The biggest issue was that Chu Hao was a fraud of a Talisman Master.

His success rate for crafting First-Grade Low-Rank Talismans was barely ten percent. Yet the materials—talisman paper, spirit ink, cinnabar—cost Spirit Stones. Selling ten talismans might net just one Stone in profit.

And then there were shop fees, taxes to the market, living expenses, and cultivation needs. On a good month, Chu Hao might walk away with ten to twenty Spirit Stones at best.

Accumulating the wealth in this Storage Pouch? Buying a flying sword artifact? That was nothing short of a pipe dream.

What’s more, if the flying sword really belonged to Chu Hao, he would’ve kept it on him—not hidden it underground.

Putting the pieces together, Lu Yan reached a bold conclusion: the items in this pouch were likely the spoils of murder.

The cultivators Chu Hao had killed probably had powerful backgrounds, so he didn’t dare expose the loot and had to hide it in the underground chamber.

If he had kept the pouch on his person, it would’ve vanished during the version update—Lu Yan wouldn’t have had this opportunity.

After tidying up the pouch, Lu Yan’s gaze fell to the icy floor.

Not far away lay the Soul Banner, which he had dragged into the Urban Version with him.

Separated from the blood-soaked array and the world of cultivation, the Soul Banner now seemed far less threatening.

Most of the mindless vengeful spirits within it were clearly not accustomed to the new environment. They had fallen into dormancy.

Approaching the Soul Banner, Lu Yan crouched down and examined the demonic artifact closely.

It was entirely black. The banner pole appeared to be carved from some kind of dark jade, exuding a chilling aura.

Threads of black-gold silk outlined images of souls being devoured by wraiths. If one listened closely, faint ghostly wails could be heard—like cries from the underworld.

Lu Yan reached out and touched it. With the spirits inside asleep, he only felt a slight chill—nothing alarming.

“After all, it’s only an unfinished Low-Grade artifact. Even the infamous Soul Banner is no exception. Its true power lies in its growth potential.”

The Soul Banner’s fearsome reputation wasn’t just due to its raw offensive strength—it was its ability to grow stronger over time.

By slaughtering and sacrificing more beings to it, one could nourish hundreds of souls and create a Hundred-Soul Banner, a peak-level demonic artifact that could sweep through Foundation Establishment cultivators.

With thousands of souls and ghost generals, it could become a Thousand-Soul Banner, on par with a Golden Core-grade artifact—capable of turning an entire city into a haunted wasteland.

And with ten thousand spirits, ghost kings, and a sovereign at its core, it would become the mythical Ten-Thousand-Soul Banner.

It was said that the Nine Nether Demonic Sect had once attempted to refine such a thing—only to invoke divine punishment that annihilated them entirely.

Of course, Lu Yan had no delusions about crafting a Thousand-Soul or Ten-Thousand-Soul Banner.

To him, simply possessing a completed Low-Grade Soul Banner was already more than enough.

It could drive vengeful spirits and wraiths. In this Urban Version—where supernatural forces were hidden—such things might prove more effective than any spell.

After a quick survey of the underground factory, Lu Yan found a few clean sets of clothes. He changed out of his ancient-style hemp robe and tore open another Grade-less Talisman.

Spirit Flame Talisman!

A wisp of spiritual fire fell upon Chu Hao’s corpse and rapidly spread. Within seconds, the flames had devoured it completely.

Infused with spiritual energy, these flames burned at temperatures too high for ordinary water to quench—enough to erase every trace of Lu Yan’s presence in this place.

With everything dealt with, Lu Yan turned and left the underground factory.

(End of Chapter)