246: You old fool, you've finally met your match!

However, things are unpredictable. Lu Ming's appearance disrupted all plans.

"It seems highly likely that this Shen Yuan has fled back to the Immortal Dynasty Imperial City to complain to his Senior Brother."

Lu Ming gave a cold laugh.

Whether it is or isn't, one can know by waiting patiently.

As long as someone is on the golden book, one can lock onto their location.

"But that Senior Brother of his..." Lu Ming frowned in thought.

A Late Golden Core Stage, even if severely injured, is not someone he can handle right now.

Not to mention that Shen Yuan and his companions are Cultivators from a major Sect; their means are numerous and difficult to deal with.

Just dealing with Shen Yuan alone exhausted his efforts, yet in the end, he still let his soul escape!

Therefore, he must proceed slowly and digest the gains from this battle first.

This battle also allowed Lu Ming to see many of his own shortcomings.

Battles at the Golden Core Stage are far from as simple as they were during Foundation Establishment; the Realm cannot be the sole standard of measurement.

Instead, it depends on cultivation practice, Divine Ability, and Spells.

He was at a disadvantage because of this; using Foundation Establishment Spells to fight others, how could he possibly win?

If not for his methods being devious and sinister, coupled with the opponent's lack of understanding of him, he wouldn't have been able to win by surprise!

Otherwise, this battle would have been even harder!

"Hoo~"

Lu Ming exhaled a breath of turbid air deeply.

Although he hadn't consumed any of his mana, he still felt somewhat tired.

But now is not the time to rest; the aftermath work must be done well.

He turned his head to look around, and the corner of Lu Ming's mouth immediately twitched.

It would be an exaggeration to say the mountains and rivers were overturned, but the entire plain looked as if it had been lifted and plowed over several times.

Everywhere were crisscrossing sword marks, shattered craters, and lingering bloody Devilish Qi.

If not for that 'isolated island' in the distance still standing there, this place would look like a dead land where all things have withered and there is no life.

It was fortunate that the battle took place high in the sky, and also fortunate that no shockwaves fell onto that 'isolated island'.

Otherwise, just relying on that extremely dilapidated and tottering Third-Rank Grand Array, I fear Heavenly Star Immortal City would have become a piece of history in the Cultivation World.

"Huh!"

Lu Ming cast his gaze down into the Immortal City and saw a Daoist with a pale, bloodless face and disheveled hair quietly staring back at him.

When did True Person Tianxing return to the Inner City? He hadn't even noticed.

He signaled Ji Ruge to clean up the battlefield, while he himself flew to the outside of the Formation.

"Fellow Daoist, do you not welcome me?" Lu Ming smiled faintly, his gaze calm as he met the person inside the city.

True Person Tianxing's eyes flickered, but in the end, he sighed and waved his hand to dismantle the Formation.

"Revered Master! You cannot open it!"

Behind him, Kang Hongci and the others exclaimed repeatedly, their voices trembling slightly from fear.

"It cannot be stopped." True Person Tianxing's presence was very weak, and he explained to everyone in a hoarse voice.

"If the other party truly had evil intentions, the Formation could not stop them. Since they didn't act immediately, it means they still have the intention to converse. If we keep the doors closed, we might instead offend this person."

After saying this, without waiting for the others to speak, he sacrificed the Formation Flag and opened the Formation.

"Quite sensible."

Lu Ming chuckled and nodded with satisfaction.

Regardless of what purpose he had in saving people, at least True Person Tianxing is still alive now, so he must acknowledge this life-saving favor.

If True Person Tianxing was not sensible...

Actually, Lu Ming wouldn't have done anything.

From Qi Refining to Golden Core, he had basically spent his time in Heavenly Star Immortal City; it had provided him with shelter, so he wasn't willing to make things too ugly.

But it is best this way; everyone is happy.

So he did not hesitate anymore, floated down from the sky, arrived in the city, and landed in front of True Person Tianxing.

"Many thanks to Fellow Daoist for saving my life!"

True Person Tianxing bowed first, and the many Cultivators in the Inner City behind him followed suit in unison.

"Many thanks to Senior for saving us from danger!"

"No need for formalities!" Lu Ming smiled gently. He gently raised his hand, and vast mana swept out, helping everyone up.

Then he looked at True Person Tianxing: "Fellow Daoist, how is your injury?"

"The old injury has not healed, and new ones have been added; I fear it will be very difficult to recover this time."

True Person Tianxing waved his hand to dismiss the crowd, then sighed and did not hide the truth, telling him the actual situation.

Lu Ming frowned slightly. True Person Tianxing had likely damaged his dao foundation this time; wanting to break through again would be even harder.

However, this wasn't a big deal; True Person Tianxing had already reached his talent limit.

Not to mention catching a glimpse of the Nascent Soul Dao, even breaking through to the Late Golden Core Stage was very difficult, so if his dao foundation was injured, it was injured.

It's just that because of this, his Lifespan will likely be greatly reduced.

A Golden Core has a Lifespan of eight hundred years, and according to what he knows, True Person Tianxing has already lived for several hundred years.

With this injury, I fear...

However, Lu Ming couldn't say whether this was good or bad. At least he had lived for several hundred years and had his glory days in this life, so it could be considered enough.

Just as he was thinking this, True Person Tianxing suddenly asked.

"Fellow Daoist, is this our first time meeting?"

"Hmm?"

Lu Ming raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he meant.

True Person Tianxing saw that he didn't understand, so he spat out a few more words.

"Zhao Zilong."

Hearing this name, Lu Ming was immediately surprised.

How did he figure this out? Could True Person Tianxing perform Karma divination?

Seeing his expression, True Person Tianxing knew he had guessed correctly.

However, in order not to let others misunderstand that he was prying into privacy, he pointed behind him and said.

"The way of the Puppet, the Legacy of Corpse Refining; Cultivators who possess both of these are not often seen."

He skipped over the topic of the person in front of him being a Demonic Path Cultivator directly.

As long as he didn't point it out, everyone would be good Fellow Daoists. Otherwise, True Person Tianxing was also afraid that the other party would become angry out of shame and raze the Immortal City to the ground.

Lu Ming looked in the direction he pointed and saw Ji Ruge, who had finished cleaning the battlefield, standing blankly behind him.

"Oh, so that's it!"

It seems that when he was jumping around using the alias Zhao Zilong before, his background had already been seen through.

It's just that True Person Tianxing didn't investigate it at the time.

But did True Person Tianxing misunderstand something? This guy wasn't refined by him; he refined himself!

But he didn't say this out loud; mainly because it was too fantastic, and no one would believe it if he said it.

What made him curious was why True Person Tianxing had this attitude towards Ji Ruge; Ji Ruge was one of the main culprits for him ending up in his current state.

Thinking of it, he asked: "Fellow Daoist, did you never suspect that Ji Ruge was sent by me to target the Immortal City?"

True Person Tianxing shook his head and laughed upon hearing this: "If he had been sent by Fellow Daoist, then this Daoist would not be standing here chatting with Fellow Daoist."

Then he turned to look at the blank-faced Ji Ruge and suddenly revealed a sneer.

"Old thing, you have this day too!"

His own injuries, as well as the destruction of the Heavenly Star Immortal City that he had built with half a lifetime of effort, were all thanks to this person!

And his fifth Disciple, Li Guanqi! He was also refined into a Puppet by Ji Ruge; he had not forgotten this matter!

So, seeing this old rival end up in such a state now, he didn't feel any sorrow for a fellow sufferer, but rather an unspeakable sense of gratification surged into his heart.

He turned around and bowed to Lu Ming again: "Many thanks to Fellow Daoist for avenging me. In the future, if there is any place you need me, please feel free to command!"