250: Oh no, there's a competitor!

"Senior, spare my life! Don't kill me!"

"Senior... this humble one... this humble one is willing to serve you, please spare my life!"

Desperate pleas for mercy echoed in the gloomy underground cavern, but the response was spine-chilling wails of ghosts.

Shadowy figures, like dark clouds pressing down, enveloped the entire underground space, writhing and spreading, filling every corner.

Amidst the intertwining and swirling Devilish Qi and ghostly Qi, the dying screams of Cultivators and horrifying chewing sounds continuously emanated.

Finally, all sounds gradually ceased, and everything fell into a deathly silence!

"Thump, thump, thump..."

A figure slowly emerged from the dense ghostly Qi, his five-clawed Golden Dragon robe now completely stained black by the ghostly Qi.

Ah, no!

According to His Lordship, this was 'Xuan-colored'!

Ji Ruge's face was stern and cold, an ancient soul banner silently suspended behind him, its runes surging darkly as if countless resentful souls struggled and roared within.

He formed a hand seal, and the soul devouring banner immediately vibrated, drawing all the scattered ghostly spirits into it.

As the last trace of ghostly Qi disappeared into the banner, silence returned to the scene, all previous vitality gone, leaving only deathly stillness and the lingering Devilish Qi in the air.

"It's gotten better again..."

Ji Ruge looked at the hideous crack on the banner's surface, which had healed a little more after completely devouring all living beings in the cavern, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

A few more Devour of this scale, and the soul devouring banner would return to the third-tier level!

"His Lordship should be very pleased!"

Ever since he received Lu Ming's command, he had begun to capture Demonic Cultivators, Calamity Cultivator, and other wicked individuals throughout the Southern Wilderness Region.

Although it took more than half a year, the harvest was quite abundant!

This hidden underground cave was originally a small-scale Calamity Cultivator' stronghold, which later gradually developed into an underground black market trading area frequently used by Calamity Cultivator.

Naturally, he sniffed out its location, and after this purge, it would be completely transformed into a dead zone.

"However..."

Ji Ruge's gaze narrowed slightly; just now, through the soul banner, he found several leaders of this black market among the devoured souls.

And according to the memories extracted by the Banner Spirit, he actually learned a shocking secret.

These leaders were actually connected to the Qingxuan Sect!

Simply put, they were the Qingxuan Sect's secretly fostered 'black gloves,' specifically handling their illicit dealings.

"Qingxuan Sect!"

Ji Ruge's brows unconsciously furrowed; although he had become Lu Ming's Dao Outside Incarnation, his past memories had not disappeared.

As long as Lu Ming did not directly give orders, he could still retain his own thoughts and judgment, merely unable to harbor any rebellious thoughts against Lu Ming.

And Ji Ruge was naturally very familiar with the Qingxuan Sect!

As an Old Ancestor of the Ji Imperial Family, he knew that the Qingxuan Sect and the Immortal Dynasty had always had friction and constant disputes, with large-scale conflicts in recent years.

It was just that specific matters were handled by the Imperial Lord Ji Qingshan of Heavenly Star Immortal City, and he rarely interfered.

"However, the Qingxuan Sect, as a Righteous Path Sect, engages in such sordid affairs; how is their conduct any different from the Demonic Path! They truly deserve to be executed!"

Clearly, Ji Ruge had selectively forgotten the things he himself had done; if one were to truly calculate, he deserved death more than the Qingxuan Sect.

But his will was now synchronized with Lu Ming's.

Since His Lordship deemed these people to be extremely wicked, then the Qingxuan Sect, which was entangled with them, was likewise so!

However, Ji Ruge also understood that individual martial power could not contend with collective will.

The matter of the Qingxuan Sect should be left for His Lordship to decide; his primary task now was still to collect souls and restore the soul banner's grade.

But at this moment, a thought flashed through his mind.

Since the Qingxuan Sect was currently at war with the Immortal Dynasty, why shouldn't he go to the battlefield?

Not only were there massive amounts of living souls and vital Qi there, but it could also indirectly assist the Ji Imperial Family, killing two birds with one stone.

And he was currently within Qingxuan Sect territory, not far from the battlefield.

Having made up his mind, he no longer delayed; after leaving the cave, he transformed into a phantom and sped towards the nearest battlefield.

However, when he arrived at the battlefield, the sight he beheld far exceeded his expectations.

There were no armies facing each other, no roaring Spells, only a suffocating silence!

As far as the eye could see, there were severed limbs and broken bodies everywhere, shattered armor mixed with flesh and blood scattered all over, staining the earth a dark red.

The towering bloodlust and resentment almost solidified, enveloping the surroundings, as if even the wind carried a viscous bloodiness.

This place had clearly experienced a horrific massacre!

Ji Ruge's expression was grave; he immediately activated the soul devouring banner, attempting to absorb the wandering souls on the battlefield, but found nothing.

A nameless rage suddenly surged in his heart!

He wasn't angry because too many imperial family members had died on the battlefield.

Rather, it was because someone had beaten him to it, stealing the 'credit' that should have been his!

However, he immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

He immediately flew rapidly towards the Immortal Dynasty, but the towns and markets he passed along the way were all the same!

Empty cities, deathly silent, corpses strewn everywhere, the stench of blood lingering, with not a single living creature surviving!

The ominous premonition in his heart grew clearer.

Damn it, there's a competitor stealing business!

This matter must be reported to His Lordship immediately.

He no longer hesitated, took out a communication jade slip, recorded everything he had seen along the way and his own conjectures, and sent the message out!

—

Heavenly Star Immortal City, inside the Scripture Pavilion.

Lu Ming was immersed in comprehending the Golden Core notes.

These notes were left by True Person Tianxing before his seclusion, and their content spanned cultivation insights from the Qi Refining to Golden Core Realms, also including the Immortal Master's many experiences.

It could be said that this was an "Encyclopedia of Cultivation" that condensed the lifelong efforts and knowledge of a Golden Core Cultivator.

If this item were to circulate, it would undoubtedly cause a huge stir in the Southern Wilderness Region.

Even a Qi Refining Cultivator, if fortunate enough to glimpse a thing or two, would benefit immensely.

However, for Lu Ming, these contents were at most broadening his horizons and increasing his knowledge, with very limited actual assistance.

But learning from others' strengths to compensate for one's own weaknesses was also very good!

And it must be said, compared to True Person Tianxing's magnificent path of cultivation, his own experiences seemed a bit mundane.

However, this didn't affect anything; after all, he had the golden book by his side, so there was no need to endure hardship.

In contrast, if True Person Tianxing hadn't strived hard, the Golden Core Realm would have been an illusion.

Just as he was diligently flipping through the notes, a jade slip at his waist suddenly emitted an urgent hum.

Lu Ming's brows furrowed slightly; having his comprehension suddenly interrupted felt very bad.

But he still patiently used his Divine Sense to examine the jade slip.

"Hmm? What is this..."

"Xuan-colored"