Wang Ping centered his mind and condensed his Primordial Spirit to connect with Yu Lian’s consciousness. Then, at Tongyu Taoist’s prompting, he used his Primordial Spirit to quickly scan the bronze bell’s interior and exterior.

In less than ten breaths, Wang Ping’s Primordial Spirit sensed a completely constructed rune array. Its core was a writhing, pitch-black substance, as if a maddened life form was imprisoned within it.

As Wang Ping perceived that writhing substance, a light screen panel popped up:

[Space Imprisonment Technique (Incomplete): A shapeshifted member of the Demon Race, originally a Six-tailed Fierce Bird, has a chance to acquire the Space Imprisonment Technique. This technique uses a Taiyin Array to forcibly imprison one of the Six-tailed Fierce Bird’s tails in order to channel a small portion of its bloodline power.]

[Note 1: Activating this requires a specific Demon Race bloodline. Forcing its activation may result in a backlash from the array, imprisoning the user in space.]

[Note 2: Do not attempt to communicate with the imprisoned bloodline. It has now gone mad.]

It was a very simple instruction manual, not a strategy guide, so it was almost useless to Wang Ping. However, below it was another light screen panel:

[Taiyin Demon Suppression Seal: The orthodox Sealing Technique of the Celestial Gate Taiyin Sect. It uses a cultivator’s own cultivation base to connect with a fixed array ritual, sealing and suppressing an item, and allowing the user to channel a portion of that item’s abilities.]

[Note 1: It is best to first cultivate Nether Qi before using this array.]

[Note 2: The array ritual diagram is as follows...]

Wang Ping frowned after reading it. "The Taiyin Demon Suppression Seal... this is useless to me," he said.

"You’re talking about the Taiyin Demon Suppression Seal? Are you sure? How can you be sure it’s the Taiyin Demon Suppression Seal?" Tongyu Taoist fired off three consecutive questions, looking utterly shocked.

Wang Ping thought for a moment before replying, "Its principles are exactly the same as the Taiyin Demon Suppression Seal described in the foundational texts on arrays!"

Tongyu Taoist had witnessed Wang Ping studying the fundamentals of arrays. Hearing this, his small Primordial Spirit figure revealed a shocked expression, then explained, "The Taiyin Demon Suppression Seal is the orthodox Sealing Array of the Taiyin Sect. It’s a true secret, one not to be passed down lightly. Only major figures at the Lord level or above can master it. If an ordinary cultivator wanted to trade for it, the first condition would be getting the approval of two Lords."

Wang Ping was taken aback. He hadn’t realized it was so precious.

"Its greatest function is sealing the souls and flesh of demonic beasts and converting them into the cultivator’s own abilities. If you ever encounter a Taiyin Sect cultivator who knows the Taiyin Demon Suppression Seal, you must be extremely careful, because you’ll never know how many tricks they have up their sleeve."

Tongyu Taoist continued with a detailed explanation, concluding with a very solemn warning: "Remember, never offer this up for trade lightly. Otherwise, you’ll very likely attract the attention of the Taiyin Sect’s upper echelons."

After hearing Tongyu Taoist’s words and combining them with the information from the light screen panel, Wang Ping immediately understood the marvelous applications of this Demon Seal. However, it required capturing and refining enough members of the Demon Race—and at the very minimum, those who had formed a Fake Pill. ’The karmic debt involved in that would be immense.’

"This Demon Seal can do more than just suppress Demon Race bloodlines. It can also extract some of the more stable Demon Soldiers and enslave them, turning them into magical artifacts with special abilities. These artifacts can be used without any cost, but they require a special container made from a Taiyin Spiritual Object. They also have a limited number of uses. Once they’re depleted, the container must be reforged," Tongyu Taoist added.

"Do you know how to craft the container?"

"I don’t. I only saw a senior use one before."

"..."

"I sense a special energy inside. What is it?" This was what Yu Lian was concerned about.

"A tail from a Six-tailed Fierce Bird is sealed inside," Wang Ping answered softly.

"Xiao Shan Lord really made a grand gesture. A Six-tailed Fierce Bird is a true treasure. If it were tamed or raised as a Spirit Pet, you’d have a Third Realm helper in three hundred years, tops." Tongyu Taoist marveled at Xiao Shan Lord’s generosity, but the thought of his own miserable state made him sigh, and he retreated back into the Purgatory Banner.

Wang Ping was already used to Tongyu Taoist’s occasional bouts of melancholy. He put away the bronze bell and turned his gaze to Young Master Ming, who was bound by vines.

"Why don’t we just destroy him?" Yu Lian suggested.

"If only it were that simple... Don’t worry, you don’t need to be too concerned. Everyone is playing by the rules for now. Besides, we have Daoist Zi Luan holding the line up ahead. If he isn’t afraid, why should I be?"

Wang Ping shifted his gaze to the third storage bag. The method to open it was instinctual to Young Master Ming, and Wang Ping had acquired it as soon as he read the man’s memories.

He opened the storage bag...

It was indeed filled with Blood Pills; the entire storage bag was packed with them. They were a stark blood-red, with crimson threads constantly swirling inside, giving them a bewitching yet grotesque beauty.

A dozen or so of the Blood Pills were fundamentally different from the rest. The crimson threads flowing inside them had a distinct golden sheen, making them look priceless at a glance. Moreover, the Flesh and Blood Spirituality within them was exceptionally potent—so potent that when Wang Ping sensed them with his Primordial Spirit, he felt an irresistible urge to absorb them with his Wood Spirit. Beside him, Yu Lian was actually drooling.

"You can’t eat these!" Wang Ping warned.

"I know, but they smell so good."

With that, Yu Lian zipped out of the tent. Her body expanded as she plunged into a nearby river, off to catch some river shrimp to satisfy her craving. The soldiers and Demon Race members in the camp all knew of her, so there wasn’t much of a panic. It was just that her true form was a bit intimidating.

At the tent’s entrance, Hu Qianqian watched Yu Lian go off to play, her face full of envy. She unconsciously peeked inside the tent before quickly straightening up and resuming her proper post.

Wang Ping gave Yu Lian a few instructions in his Spirit Sea, then turned to Tongyu Taoist. "How can I use these to upgrade the Purgatory Banner?"

Tongyu Taoist emerged and seemed lost in sorrow for a long moment before he spoke. "This banner was originally an heirloom of my sect. In addition to imprisoning a person’s Primordial Spirit, it could also create a pocket dimension for confinement. But last time, to upgrade his Demon Soldiers, that person absorbed all the energy from hundreds of miles around. That energy included most of the Purgatory Banner’s own life-source energy."

He was still lost in his sorrow. After saying this, he sighed again and continued the Purgatory Banner’s story. "According to legend, it was created during the rise of the Human Dao, when our ancestors fought a great war against the Demon Race. They crafted it using the Flesh and Blood Spirituality of the Demon Race..."

"Fellow Daoist, I’m asking how to upgrade it."

"..."

Tongyu Taoist was silent for over ten breaths before finally answering, "The Flesh and Blood Spirituality in the Blood Pills is very potent. I can sense it even from inside the Purgatory Banner... I think I’m turning into its Artifact Spirit."

Wang Ping smiled reassuringly. "You’re overthinking things. A Primordial Spirit can’t merge with a Magical Artifact. I suspect the banner has been influenced by your Primordial Spirit and has developed a preliminary consciousness. A true Artifact Spirit might be born from it soon."

"Then... will it drive me out?"

"You should be able to coexist. If a true Artifact Spirit is born, you could even consider it your child. After all, you’re the one who nurtured it into existence."

The two of them bantered back and forth for a while...

Over the past century, Tongyu Taoist’s moods had become erratic, not nearly as stable as when they first met. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

After calming Tongyu Taoist down, Wang Ping asked again, "So, how do I upgrade it?"

"Upgrading it will cause a huge commotion. Are you sure you want to do it here?"

"..."

Wang Ping suddenly felt the urge to curse.

He took a moment to compose himself, then decisively put away the storage bag and the Purgatory Banner. Getting up, he walked out of the tent and glanced at the sky. It was noon.

Then, he cast a quick divination. After confirming there were no issues, he called out to Hu Qianqian and Yu Lian, then shot up into the air and flew toward the place where he had fought Young Master Ming.

According to Young Master Ming’s memories, there was an Earth Escape Array in that direction that could be used for a quick getaway.