461: Chapter 476: Did I get kicked out of the dungeon?

Beneath the gloomy canopy, a dark shadow plummeted from the somber sky.

The shadow fell at an astonishing speed, creating intense friction with the air that instantly ignited a layer of blazing fire, turning it into a fire meteor trailing a long tail of flame.

Wherever it passed, the cloud layers were brutally torn open, and circles of sonic boom shockwaves rippled outward like waves, emitting a dull roar.

"Aaaaaaaaaah—"

As the fireball drew closer to the ground, a series of dry howls and screams thundered forth.

At this moment, Bone Underworld finally reacted.

This... this was actually a damn person!

In truth, with Bone Underworld's cultivation, his eyesight should have been far better than this; he should have seen clearly long ago, or at the very least, scanned with his Divine Sense.

But this was the Jiling Wasteland, and his cultivation was suppressed by more than half.

The reason he could walk here normally before was entirely due to the soul devouring banner on his shoulder.

Combined with his cultivation of the "True Interpretation of Soul Devouring Return to Void," he constantly absorbed the Yin-Underworld Qi stored within the banner to temporarily replace the circulation of Spiritual Qi and mana.

It was just that the way this figure appeared was so bizarre that it caused him to momentarily forget to activate his Dharma Eyes for insight.

BANG!!!

While Bone Underworld was dazed, the fire meteor had already struck the ground, and a dull explosion erupted across the deathly silent wasteland!

Dust was violently kicked up like a curtain, and gravel accompanied by grey-white dust waves splashed in all directions.

A shockwave carrying smoke and dust expanded outward, causing the surrounding stone pillars—riddled with holes from corrosion—to rustle and shake.

Several tottering stone pillars even collapsed with a crash, hitting the ground and stirring up another round of dust.

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, a deep crater about a zhang wide could be seen smashed into the cracked, grey-white earth.

The soil at the edge of the crater was overturned in a radial pattern, and cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, extending several zhang away.

Seeing this scene, Bone Underworld fell silent again.

"Cough, cough..."

At this time, a violent coughing sound came from within the pit, followed by a hand grabbing the edge of the crater, slowly propping up a dusty and disheveled figure.

"Damn it, what a total setup!"

Lu Ming scrambled out of the pit while grumbling curses.

Family, who could possibly understand!

From the moment he jumped down that abyss, he had been in a free fall for a full thirty minutes!

In that endless darkness, there was no direction, no concept of space; up, down, left, and right were all confused, as if he had been thrown into a void of Chaos.

He had tried using escape techniques and Void Realm jumps to leave that place, but all to no avail.

That ghost of a place seemed specifically designed to swallow all Spells; his mana was like a clay ox entering the sea, and he had wasted more than half of it for nothing.

So much so that when he suddenly broke free from that darkness and saw the light of day again, his mind was still a mess of mush, and he hadn't reacted at all.

Thus, he had simply smashed into the ground from the sky like that.

Fortunately, Jiang Wunian's Golden Core Perfection Dharma body was sturdy enough; otherwise, he would have been smashed into a pile of meat paste long ago.

Lu Ming shook his head, regained his senses, and casually brushed the dust off his clothes.

When he looked up again, he finally noticed a person standing in front of him.

"Eh? Buddy, who are you?"

Lu Ming let out a soft exclamation and asked subconsciously.

However, his gaze was quickly drawn to the banner on the other's shoulder, which was emitting a dense Yin-Underworld Qi.

Then, following the banner, he looked at its owner.

Seeing the man's black-robed attire, Lu Ming was suddenly taken aback.

"Hey, aren't you that... what's-his-name?"

He rubbed his somewhat throbbing head and began to recall the scenes he had seen before.

Wasn't this person one of those Inner Domain 'Celestial Dragons' from the group before the Xuanling Secret Realm opened?

He seemed to be from the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect. He had taken a few extra looks at him at the time, but what was this person's name again?

"Gu Ming?"

Lu Ming wasn't sure if that was the name; he had only overheard it from the chatter of the people around him.

By now, Bone Underworld had already recovered his wits.

He narrowed his eyes, sized up the dusty fellow in front of him, and then spoke directly.

"Jiang Wunian... you actually came too."

He was wondering why he hadn't seen this person before the Secret Realm opened and thought he hadn't come; it turned out he had entered quietly.

Well, coming was one thing—it was a Secret Realm, after all, and anyone could enter.

But for this person to appear in this specific place was somewhat inappropriate, and his motives were more or less worth pondering.

"Hmm?"

Hearing the other party call out Jiang Wunian's name, Lu Ming was stunned for a moment before remembering that he was currently occupying Jiang Wunian's body.

Since Jiang Wunian was a Cultivator from the Inner Domain Grotto-Heavens and a direct disciple of the Six Desires Demonic Sect, it wasn't strange for the two to know each other.

Although Lu Ming didn't know the specifics of their relationship, it didn't stop him from simply following the other's lead and continuing the performance.

"What, I can't come?"

Lu Ming put his hands on his hips and tilted his head up, asking with quite a bit of arrogance.

Even though his landing just now was a bit pathetic and, crucially, he had been seen.

But Lu Ming was thick-skinned and didn't care!

Besides, it was Jiang Wunian losing face; what did that have to do with him, Lu Ming?

Seeing Lu Ming like this, Bone Underworld's brow twitched.

He felt that Jiang Wunian's current state was a bit strange, differing from the impression he had from before, but he couldn't say exactly why, so he began to probe with his words.

"You don't know about this place?"

"Know what about what?"

Lu Ming asked back with a look of confusion.

Why did he feel like this guy was talking in riddles?

But he had also just arrived here and hadn't figured out what was going on yet, so he completely failed to understand what Bone Underworld was talking about.

It was only at this point that Lu Ming had the mind to examine the surrounding environment.

But with one look, he was dumbfounded.

"Holy crap!"

What was he seeing!

This stone forest... why did it look so familiar?

Nonsense, how could it not be familiar!

He had hidden here for several months before getting out; how could he not be familiar with it!

But this was a bit ridiculous. Wasn't he in the Secret Realm? How did he end up in the Jiling Wasteland?

Could it be that he hit a bug and dropped out of the dungeon?

Lu Ming was filled with shock and suspicion, and a strange look flashed through his eyes, which did not escape Bone Underworld's notice.

Bone Underworld's heart skipped a beat.

"Don't know," my foot! He's acting quite well; I almost got fooled!

In Bone Underworld's view, this person was clearly faking it just now; his appearance here was definitely no coincidence.

Thinking of this, killing intent began to rise in Bone Underworld's heart. An outsider might have appeared here before, and now Jiang Wunian had suddenly shown up; maybe more people would come out to disrupt things later.

This immediately threw his plans into some disarray.

Bone Underworld had originally thought he could monopolize the Opportunity here, but now that many variables had cropped up out of thin air, he felt very displeased.

He had to kill this person to pull out the weeds by the roots!

Bone Underworld's gaze gradually turned cold.

Only by first getting rid of the Jiang Wunian in front of him and eliminating the hidden danger could he deal with the other one without future worries.

Moreover, he had no qualms about attacking Jiang Wunian; even if the person behind him was the Six Desires Demonic Sect, he was fearless.

He had heard of this person; his Aptitude was decent, and he could be considered a good Nascent Soul seed.

But according to the information he had gathered, this person's cultivation was previously only at the Late Golden Core Stage, not even having stepped into Golden Core Perfection.

Although he was currently emitting the fluctuations of Golden Core Perfection, it looked extremely superficial, clearly having just made the Breakthrough recently with an unstable Foundation.

This level of cultivation was completely insufficient before him.

Having thought through these key points, Bone Underworld no longer hesitated.

He abruptly raised his hand, and the soul devouring banner on his shoulder moved in response!

The banner surface flapped loudly, and countless ink-black streaks of Yin-Underworld Qi surged out from it, twisting and entangling in mid-air like sinister venomous snakes.

The devoured souls surfaced on the banner, letting out silent wails, and the temperature of the entire world suddenly dropped to the freezing point.

"Go!"

Bone Underworld barked softly, and that dense mass of Yin-Underworld Qi transformed into a giant ghost claw, carrying a world-tearing momentum as it lunged straight at Lu Ming!

The ghost claw was a full hundred zhang in size, with fingers like hooks and distinct knuckles, each knuckle wrapped in twisted phantoms of dead souls.

Wherever the ghost claw passed, the ground was plowed with five deep furrows, gravel flew, and a yin wind howled.

The air seemed to be frozen, and an unspeakable chill squeezed in from all sides, piercing straight to the bone marrow.

Lu Ming hadn't even recovered from the shock of falling out of the dungeon and hadn't expected this person to attack without a word.

In his haste, he only had time to pinch out a hand seal, and a layer of protective light shield condensed in front of him.

BANG!

The ghost claw smashed down violently!

The protective light shield was like paper; it was torn to shreds the moment it made contact, dissipating into a sky full of light spots.

Lu Ming was sent flying back by the impact, rolling several times on the ground before barely stabilizing himself.

At this moment, he felt as if his chest had been struck by a ten-thousand-jin hammer; it was stiflingly painful, and a mouthful of blood surged up his throat, spilling from the corner of his mouth.

However, that wasn't the worst part; the Yin-Underworld Qi carried by the ghost claw was like maggots on a bone, frantically pouring into his body from the wound.

A bone-chilling coldness entered his Divine Soul, making Lu Ming feel his consciousness becoming sluggish; moreover, something was tearing at his soul, trying to pull it out of this shell.

"F*ck you! No immortal ethics!"

Lu Ming cursed in his heart.

If it weren't for the fact that only a fraction of his Divine Soul was residing in this body, and that it happened to be countered by the other's soul banner, he wouldn't be in such a pathetic state.

But Bone Underworld wouldn't empathize with him; instead, he perfectly illustrated what it meant to beat a drowning dog.

Seeing Jiang Wunian injured so easily by him, a sneer appeared at the corner of Bone Underworld's mouth.

"Just this? The Six Desires Demonic Sect is truly getting worse with each generation."

But while he thought this, his hands didn't stop, and a second attack followed immediately.

The soul devouring banner waved repeatedly, and streaks of Yin-Underworld Qi surged like tides, each one carrying the resentment of ten thousand dead souls.

The faces of those dead souls flickered in and out of the mist, opening their void-like mouths to let out silent screams.

The screams acted directly on the Divine Soul, causing a splitting headache.

But Bone Underworld's offensive was continuous, giving Lu Ming no chance to breathe. One after another, like waves hitting the shore, each wave was stronger than the last.

Lu Ming gritted his teeth to endure, constantly casting Spells to resist.

But on this Jiling Wasteland, his mana circulation was already sluggish, as if stuck in a mire; every bit of mana he mobilized cost several times the effort.

Combined with the hasty response and having no handy Magic Treasure by his side, he was beaten into a steady retreat for a time.

BOOM!

Once again, a streak of Yin-Underworld Qi broke through his defense and smashed hard against his right ribs; the sound of breaking ribs rang out.

Lu Ming groaned, feeling as if his internal organs were shifting; blood poured from his mouth, nose, and ears simultaneously.

At this point, Jiang Wunian's Puppet Dharma body was already covered in fine cracks, like a porcelain piece about to shatter.

The cracks spread from his chest to his limbs, and from his limbs to his neck, as if it could completely crumble at any moment.

Lu Ming knelt on one knee, gasping for air in large gulps.

By now his vision had begun to blur, his ears were buzzing, and his consciousness was gradually fading.

There was no other way; this wasn't his body after all, and he couldn't control it as easily as his own fingers. Coupled with the gap between him and Bone Underworld, he could only take a one-sided beating for the moment.

But he did not fall.

Lu Ming raised his head and stared fixedly at Bone Underworld.

What kind of deep-seated hatred did this psychopath have with him?

Could it be that Jiang Wunian had previously dragged his Dao Companion into mortal desires for a round of training, to the point that he just had to kill him like this?

But regardless, Lu Ming was not one to sit and wait for death.

Losing a Golden Core Perfection Puppet Incarnation didn't actually have much of an impact on him, but when had he, Lu Ming, ever suffered such a loss?

From the Southern Wilderness Region to the Profound Spirit Domain, among those of the same rank, it had always been him beating others; how could there be a reason for him to be chased and beaten?

And...

Lu Ming stared at the Yin-Underworld Qi emanating from Bone Underworld's body, and his eyes gradually lit up like a hungry wolf choosing its prey.

He had finally encountered the orthodox lineage.

Since he obtained the soul devouring banner, which then happened to transform into the current human emperor banner due to a chance Opportunity, he had never met anyone from the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect.

Now that he had met an orthodox demonic brat, a sense of comparison arose in his heart.

Between the current transformed human emperor banner and the orthodox demonic tool of the Soul Devouring Demonic Sect, which was stronger and which was weaker?

Of course, Lu Ming wasn't such a bored person.

He was a refined egoist who wouldn't get up early without profit.

The reason he targeted Bone Underworld was, firstly, for the competition.

Secondly, naturally, it was to covet the Laws within the other's body.

He had already tasted the sweetness brought by devouring Laws; that feeling was simply addictive.

And for him, the Law power condensed by this person's entire cultivation was the best nourishment.

Also, that soul devouring banner of the other party held a great attraction for him.

The human emperor banner had been at Peak Third Tier for a long time, and was currently stuck at the stage of transforming its spirituality.

Perhaps because the Netherworld Space's specifications were too high, it slowed down the progress of spiritual transformation.

According to Lu Ming's estimation, to completely nurture spirituality, at least another ten years or so would be needed.

While he could wait that long, delays could bring changes.

He hadn't forgotten what exactly he would be facing after leaving the Secret Realm.

So now he didn't want to miss any Opportunity that could enhance his combat power.

And upgrading the human emperor banner was the fastest way!

Of course, there was a prerequisite: he urgently needed an external force to give it a push, to cross that final threshold.

And this soul devouring banner looked very good to him.

Maybe this was the Opportunity for the human emperor banner to transform into a Nascent Soul Spirit Treasure.

BOOM!

Another attack struck, and Lu Ming was blown away once again.

He rolled to stabilize his position, looking utterly wretched; his Dharma robes were shredded, revealing the crack-covered body underneath.

But Lu Ming didn't care about these; the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter, even turning a bit green.

Having thought through the key points, Lu Ming no longer hesitated.

He abruptly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, took a deep breath, and suddenly raised his hand with a loud shout.

"Banner, come!"