364: Subjective initiative!

"Counting the days, it should be about time."

Calming his surging Qi, Lu Ming calculated with his fingers and realized that five years had already passed during this secluded cultivation.

"Presumably, Li Daoxuan's and Zhuge Mingyi's souls have been completely refined by the human emperor banner and turned into Banner Spirits."

With a thought, a look of anticipation flashed in Lu Ming's eyes.

"It is also time to harvest the final fruits!"

He had long been salivating over the memories of those two, especially Zhuge Mingyi's Karma Heavenly Secret Art.

In the next moment, Lu Ming raised his hand and grasped at the Void Realm.

Buzz!

Ripples appeared in space, and an ancient and mysterious human emperor banner, its surface faintly flowing with spectral light, appeared in his palm.

After another five years of nurturing, added to the consumption of a Divine Soul of Li Daoxuan's Rank, the human emperor banner's Aura had become increasingly profound and unpredictable, and the flavor of the Xuanming Law also seemed more solid.

Grasping the banner pole, Lu Ming's mind sank slightly, his consciousness following the connection with the Magic Treasure into the vast soul banner space within.

Upon entering, Lu Ming's consciousness body was slightly shocked by the sight before him.

He had been busy with his Cultivate over the past five years and hadn't paid much attention.

But compared to five years ago, the space inside the human emperor banner had undergone earth-shaking changes!

Perhaps because he had fully invoked the Xuanming Law during the previous battle with Li Daoxuan, it had greatly stimulated and accelerated the internal self-evolution of the human emperor banner.

The world inside the banner now already had the rudimentary layout of the legendary Netherworld Hell!

Beneath his feet was a wide, turbid, yellow river flowing silently, its surface covered in a misty fog that never dissipated, where countless illusory soul shadows could be seen floating—this was the River of Forgetfulness.

By the riverbank, a long road paved with pale nether-stones wound into the distance with no end in sight, lined with large patches of eerie, blood-like Equinox Flowers—this was the Yellow Springs Road.

In the distance, a high platform stood tall, with what seemed to be the phantom of a giant ancient mirror flickering upon it, reflecting the passing soul shadows—this was the Home-Viewing Pavilion.

On the periphery, ten towering palaces, uniform in style yet each with unique features, were arranged in a mysterious formation.

The palaces were entirely blue-black, with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding a solemn and majestic Aura—these were the Ten Halls of Yama!

At the most central and magnificent part of the space, the outline of a massive ancient city loomed in the gray mist.

The walls were high and the ghostly Qi was thick; the plaque above the city gate was inscribed with ancient seal script—Fengdu Ghost City!

That was the residence of Ji Ruge, the 'Son of Yin,' and the hub for governing the ten thousand ghosts.

The entire space within the banner had an orderly underworld administration, with every ghost performing its duties, already presenting a grim and organized 'Netherworld' atmosphere!

"Not bad. It seems the nurturing of the Xuanming Law has promoted the human emperor banner far beyond expectations."

Lu Ming's consciousness body floated in the sky of this space, looking down, feeling quite gratified.

The more complete the Banner Spirit world, the stronger the human emperor banner's power, and the greater the assistance it fed back to him.

However, he did not forget the main business of this visit.

He did not go to Fengdu Ghost City to find Ji Ruge, but instead directly locked onto the Ten Halls of Yama.

With a thought, his consciousness body descended above the ten halls.

Almost at the same moment, within the ten halls, the gates of three palaces swung open with a boom!

Three figures strode out from the halls and then bowed in unison toward the lofty, majestic phantom of Lu Ming's consciousness manifested in the sky, saluting respectfully.

"Greetings, Lord!"

The voices echoed through this nether space, lingering for a long time.

And these three, besides Mu Han, were Zhuge Mingyi and Li Daoxuan, who had been completely transformed into Banner Spirits!

At this moment, their appearances were also slightly different from when they were alive, fitting more closely with the atmosphere of this newborn 'Netherworld' in some mysterious way.

Mu Han, with a cold face, was dressed in a black Judge's robe and a square cap, holding a phantom scroll of the 'Life and Death Ledger' that emitted a ghostly light; he was King Qinguang, in charge of receiving and judging souls.

Zhuge Mingyi, in a silver-white star-patterned robe and a Seven-Star Crown, held a crystal measuring ruler. Silver runes flowed in his eyes as they opened and closed; he was King Chujiang, responsible for investigating Karma and calculating Karma and sins.

Li Daoxuan, wearing a heavy earthy-yellow Yama Emperor robe with a majestic and steady expression, held the 'Mount Tai Seal' in one hand; he was King Yama, presiding over the great Hells and punishments.

As for the other seven halls, they were temporarily vacant because the current Banner Spirits in the human emperor banner did not have enough cultivation, waiting for future inhabitants.

The original Ling Canghai and Feng Qingyang, also known as Xuanguang and Red Official, had turned into the Black and White Impermanence due to their characteristics, responsible for apprehending souls.

Other valuable but insufficiently capable Banner Spirits were distributed to serve as judges, nether marshals, and ghost messengers according to their traits, maintaining the basic operation of this nascent Netherworld.

As for the Wonderful Brush Scholar... he was a bit special, being Lu Ming's personal external brain, so Ji Ruge wasn't sure how to treat him and could only leave him aside without assigning any duties.

The Wonderful Brush Scholar was happy with this, as he had no interest in being an official.

However, he wasn't idle either; he knew what his value was, so he spent all day alone studying the vast amount of scriptures and classics collected by the dharma body from the outside world, then organizing his findings into records to present to the Lord.

"Not bad."

Looking at the orderly world within the banner below, where a grand atmosphere was gradually forming, Lu Ming's consciousness body nodded slightly, expressing great satisfaction.

He knew it—even tools could have subjective initiative!

Very good!

After a brief glance, Lu Ming's gaze finally fell back onto the Hall of Yama below.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw Zhuge Mingyi and Li Daoxuan below step forward simultaneously, as if they were already prepared.

Each raised a palm, and within their palms, a shimmering crystal emerged.

The object in Zhuge Mingyi's hand was silver-white, with countless tiny light spots and threads flowing inside, as if a miniature starry sky was sealed within, emitting a mysterious dao rhyme.

The one held by Li Daoxuan was a heavy earthy-yellow, with the phantom of mountains and rivers floating inside the crystal, containing the pure dao rhyme of the Thick Earth Law.

"Lord!"

Zhuge Mingyi said respectfully, "These are 'Memory Soul Crystals' condensed from our lifelong cultivation memories, insights into Cultivation Techniques, and everything we have seen and heard."

Li Daoxuan was not to be outdone and nodded in supplement, "They include our process of comprehending our own Laws; perhaps the Lord could observe them."

Lu Ming's gaze fell upon those two shimmering soul crystals, a flash of surprise in his deep eyes, which then turned into approval.

"You certainly know how things work."