511: Chapter 521 Let's meet up with old friends!

Thus, after picking and choosing here and there, Lu Ming collected five more Laws.

Green Wood, Sharp Gold, Stomach Earth, Sieve Water, and Leaving Fire.

Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—the Five Elements were now fully assembled.

He had long made his calculations when making this choice.

Although he possessed the Yin-Yang Law, it was derived from the Five Elements by Yun Chenzi, not cultivated by Lu Ming himself, so his comprehension of the Five Elements was actually quite limited.

While the Laws he had collected just now were not particularly strong, they all belonged to the Dao of the Five Elements. Their advantage lay in their solid Foundation, which was perfect for laying down his own groundwork.

However, this meant that including the previous Yin and Yang, Tiangang, Xun Wind, Thunder, Primordial Desire, and Void, he had accumulated a total of eleven Laws in his hands.

Before the Five Elements Laws were completely fused into one, the theoretical carrying capacity of his current Realm was nine.

But now, he had exceeded that number by two.

To this, Lu Ming was not panicked.

The carrying limit for Laws was fixed, but people were flexible. How could a living person be stymied by a minor detail!

Once he made a Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage or even Late Stage, this limit would continue to rise.

Even if he couldn't raise it for now, there were still Fellow Daoists to help him solve his problems and share the risk.

If one wasn't enough, he would just drag in a few more.

In any case, one does not worry when debts pile high, just as one does not itch when covered in lice.

However, the Outer Domain was simply too small after all. He was picking and choosing here, but it was always the same few people.

The truly good stuff still had to be found in the Inner Domain.

That place was "brimming with talent," with veteran Golden Cores who had Cultivated for hundreds of years, and direct Disciples carefully nurtured by the major great clans. Their Laws were the true tonics.

"It seems that once I leave the Secret Realm, I should take a trip to the Inner Domain. That is my true hunting ground."

Lu Ming estimated that the Secret Realm was also about to close.

Based on past experience, the Secret Realm would open for at most a month, and he had been inside for almost a month now.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been in such a frantic rush to make a Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul.

"However, I would like to see what secrets this Secret Realm actually holds."

Lu Ming wasn't doing this out of boredom. Aside from his genuine curiosity about the Secret Realm, his main goal was to find a way to fish out his Clone.

More precisely, it was the human emperor banner in its hands. This Peak Third Tier Magic Treasure had accompanied Lu Ming for a long time, and he used it quite handily.

Now, it was on the verge of making a Breakthrough to a fourth-tier Spirit Treasure.

Lu Ming also happened to lack a handy weapon, so he wanted to fish it out and help it promote to a fourth-tier Spirit Treasure.

This would also add to his combat power.

Moreover, if nothing else, the human emperor banner also contained a significant amount of Law Origin.

If needed, the human emperor banner could even serve as his Law reservoir!

Thinking of this, Lu Ming no longer hesitated. He immediately sent out his Divine Sense, surging toward the deepest depths of the core secret land.

Before his Breakthrough, his Divine Sense had been restricted everywhere in the Secret Realm, as if pressed down by something, making it impossible to pry into certain areas.

But now it was different. A Nascent Soul True Monarch's Divine Sense was clear and unobstructed, passing through all barriers smoothly, instantly touching the core of the Secret Realm.

In an instant, the Secret Realm was fully revealed in Lu Ming's eyes.

He also saw the truest side of the Secret Realm—

It was not as peaceful and serene as it appeared on the surface.

Layers of Seals woven with supreme magic power by ancient mighty figures were intricately linked, suppressing this place for an unknown number of tens of thousands of years.

But now, those Seals had become mottled, those Dao patterns had blurred, and those once-invincible Restrictions were now reduced to a mere thin shell.

He tried to probe his Divine Sense into the deepest part of the Seal, but the moment his Divine Sense touched the Seal, Lu Ming felt a pang of regret.

But it was too late!

What met his eyes was a field of crimson.

Thick, filthy, and deep were the primary tones here, like the precipitation of all the negative emotions in the world.

It was the primordial sea of blood condensed from all the resentment, unwillingness, tyranny, and madness that had been suppressed for tens of millions of years.

The moment Lu Ming's Divine Sense touched that crimson expanse, he felt as if an invisible giant hand had gripped his throat.

That pure, unadorned filthy Qi itself began to corrode his perception, dissolve his Divine Sense, and twist his will.

"Heavenly Dao!!!"

Countless images began to flash before Lu Ming's eyes, and he seemed to faintly hear a tyrannical roar that caused the resentment of this place to boil madly.

"Ah!!"

In just an instant, Lu Ming let out a miserable shriek, and this strand of his Divine Sense showed countless burn marks.

There were even wisps of red threads weaving through it, like countless insects gnawing away.

There was even a tendency for that power to trace back to the source through this strand of Divine Sense.

A spine-chilling sensation, an instinctive shudder rising from the depths of his Soul, washed over him.

This was the survival instinct of a low-level life form when facing an existence far beyond its own scope of understanding.

Without even having time to transfer it using the golden book, Lu Ming did not hesitate and immediately detonated this strand of Divine Sense.

He then violently withdrew from that crimson expanse.

"Whew... Whew... Whew..."

Lu Ming gasped heavily, his back already drenched in sweat, and even his fingers were trembling slightly.

"What on earth is hidden inside here?!"

Recalling what he had just seen and heard, Lu Ming was certain that some kind of existence transcending the cognition of living beings must be hidden within this crimson expanse.

It was indescribable, unspeakable, and even unimaginable.

It was right there, in the deepest depths of the crimson, like a giant beast sleeping in the abyss.

Before it, he was like an ant!

But he was already a Nascent Soul. To make him so disheveled, Lu Ming could think of no one else besides that Dao Venerable of Spirit Transformation of the Asura Clan.

"Sigh, curiosity really killed the cat!"

Lu Ming could feel that he hadn't been targeted just now; he was merely caught in the collateral wave.

It was like a sleeping giant beast turning over, causing the entire crimson sea to tremble.

But even so, Lu Ming had almost suffered a major setback in an unexpected place.

If those bizarre threads had used his Divine Sense as an anchor to land on him, that would have been a massive trouble.

"What is this? A lesson to keep me humble and patient?!"

Lu Ming couldn't help but give a bitter laugh. The slightly inflated ego he had after just ascending to the Nascent Soul instantly quieted down.

He was still too weak!

This was different from directly facing the Heavenly Dao.

Although the Heavenly Dao was also at the Soul Transformation level, it had no sentience and acted entirely according to rules.

As long as you didn't cross its bottom line, it wouldn't bother you.

But the one under the Seal was different; he was alive!

Furthermore, he possessed consciousness, thoughts, and emotions.

He was merely trapped and couldn't get out, not dead.

Just a trace of the residual aura leaking out made Lu Ming, this newly ascended Nascent Soul True Monarch, feel what was meant by a "dimensional crushing."

That was Soul Transformation, a dimension of life far transcending the Nascent Soul.

Nascent Soul Cultivators were still borrowing the Laws of heaven and earth, whereas a Dao Venerable of Spirit Transformation was himself the Law.

Fortunately, his reaction was fast enough, and he didn't get completely sucked in.

This was certainly because the Dao Venerable of Spirit Transformation was still asleep, but the Seal had also played its part.

At least in the short term, that Dao Venerable of Spirit Transformation would not be able to break free.

Wait...

Short term?

"Holy crap!"

Lu Ming couldn't hold it back and swore out loud.

He suddenly recalled a detail: deep within that sealed land, it was already covered in cracks.

Those once-interlinked Dao patterns were now mostly broken.

In some places, there were even bulging swellings from which dark red mist seeped, emitting a flickering crimson light, as if something being gestated was about to break through the ground.

"How did it turn out like this!"

Lu Ming's eyelids twitched wildly as he suddenly remembered a detail.

Previously, when the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's descent body made a Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul, the Secret Realm had been impacted once, and he had even used a Word-Law Jade Talisman to tear open a gap in the barrier, which hadn't closed even now.

And when he made his Breakthrough, it was impacted yet again, and this time was even harsher, directly shaking the Foundation of the Secret Realm.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord had racked his brains trying to shake the Secret Realm and open the Seal passage, but failed.

He had done nothing but cross a tribulation, and yet the Secret Realm was already on the verge of collapsing.

It was truly a case of "deliberately planting flowers that do not bloom, while unintentionally planting willows that grow into shade."

Lu Ming's mouth couldn't help but twitch.

This was troublesome now. Although the Dao Venerable of Spirit Transformation showed no signs of breaking free for the time being, the shaking of the Secret Realm's Foundation would definitely greatly shorten the time it took for him to break the Seal.

If things continued to be tossed around like this, how many more years could the Seal hold? He...

...frantically racked his brain for a solution, but soon let out a sigh.

If the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up, and if the tall ones came out, there was still the sky pressing down on them.

If those True Monarchs and even the Heavenly Dao weren't in a hurry, why the hell should he be?

However, Lu Ming also extinguished his thought of retrieving the human emperor banner right now.

Right now, he didn't want to face that indescribable great horror at all.

If he kept tossing things around, he might actually get noticed.

If he really woke it up, he wouldn't even have a place to cry!

For a single Magic Treasure, it wasn't worth taking such a risk.

"For now, let's just leave it stored inside!"

In any case, making a Breakthrough to a fourth-tier Spirit Treasure was not something that could be achieved overnight.

Before that, its utility to him wouldn't be very significant.

"Fortunately, the Secret Realm is about to end. I can finally leave this place of trouble."

The Secret Realm had a duration of thirty days, and it had been about that long since he entered.

Counting the time, the Secret Realm was already nearing its closing time.

Lu Ming withdrew his Divine Sense and cast his gaze toward a certain direction, seemingly able to pierce through the Void Realm and directly view the scene outside the Secret Realm.

Within his Divine Sense, a towering figure stood with hands behind his back, blocking the entrance of the Secret Realm as if waiting for something.

As expected, those fellows ultimately couldn't sit still.

His Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul shattered the long-standing peace and stability, so those high-and-mighty Nascent Soul True Monarchs definitely couldn't sit still.

Coming here this time was either to win him over or to test him; in any case, they had no good intentions.

But Lu Ming was not afraid either.

Although he had just entered the Nascent Soul, his combat strength was extraordinary. If it really came to a life-and-death struggle, he could tear a piece of flesh even off a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator.

As for those Great True Lords of the Late Stage or Perfection, Lu Ming did not believe they would take action.

Did they really think the Heavenly Dao was just for show?

However, just in case he suffered a setback in an unexpected place, he still decided to know himself and his enemy.

Lu Ming pinched his fingers in the Zi-Wu gesture, his spirit wandering the Great Void, and in an instant, he captured a faint, seemingly non-existent trace from the vast sea of heavenly secrets.

The divination revealed that someone was coming with hostile intent, yet it was not an inescapable dragnet, nor was there any disaster of blood and gore looming over his head.

Merely because between the Xun position and the Kan palace, there lay a faintly concealed dark Qi.

This represented that the newcomer's Karma was entangled with his own, like fine threads.

However, although there were ripples in the divination, they would not lead to an overthrow.

Though encountering a dangerous pass, it would be a false alarm.

This was neither extremely ominous nor extremely auspicious; it was just an ordinary divination, indicating a false alarm.

After making a Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul, Lu Ming's mastery over the heavenly secrets and Karma was simply incomparable to before.

Although his Cultivation Technique was still at the third-tier level, with the blessing of the Nascent Soul status, his calculation power had vastly increased.

It was like an old computer whose exterior still looked as it did decades ago, but the hardware inside had been completely replaced with the latest configuration.

In the past, he couldn't calculate a Nascent Soul True Monarch at all and could only vaguely sense some "existences," but now he could already find one or two real traces from the complicated sea of heavenly secrets.

Lu Ming lowered his fingers. He already had a plan in mind, having deduced the person's identity.

It was none other than Taishu Yichen!

The Sect Master of the Qingwei Dao Sect, and moreover, the old friend who had borne an entire Heavenly Tribulation for him.

The corners of Lu Ming's mouth curved up slightly, yet there was no warmth in his eyes.

This person's arrival was unexpected, yet also within reason.

"However, to be so arrogant despite being injured to this extent—you truly don't put me in your eyes!"

Just how terrifying that Heavenly Tribulation was, although Lu Ming had not personally experienced it, the impact it caused was clear for all to see.

Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch could not possibly emerge completely unscathed.

Therefore, the current Taishu Yichen must be in a state of severe injury.

Yet he still swaggered over to block the door like this, which more or less showed some contempt for Lu Ming.

"Hmph, I just happen to lack an opportunity to establish my authority. I'll use you to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys!"

After making a Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul, Lu Ming knew that he could no longer hide himself.

Unless he stopped Cultivating in the future, as long as he began to comprehend the Laws, he would inevitably be noticed.

Rather than hiding, it was better to make a name for himself, which would also prevent some trouble in the future.

"However, not hiding doesn't mean not being cautious. I can't just swagger out like this."

What a joke, what he was currently comprehending was the Hunyuan Law!

Although he was not clear on how others viewed this Law.

But for such a Heaven-Defying thing, even an ordinary person would know it was not simple. If someone guessed the secret behind it and grew interested in him, his future troubles would only multiply.

Therefore, for a more peaceful life in the future, Lu Ming still decided to disguise himself slightly.

But which Law would be better to use to deal with this?

Lu Ming knew very well what Great Dao Taishu Yichen primarily cultivated, but it was bound to be not weak.

If he went all out, he would certainly not fear the other party, but establishing his authority without exposing his true strength was a bit tricky.

This was indeed a bit difficult.

Thus, Lu Ming began to use the Hunyuan Law to mimic various Laws.

Finally, he paused for a moment on the Thunder Dao Law.

The Thunder Dao was fierce and overbearing; in terms of destructive power, few Laws could rival it.

Using it to deal with Taishu Yichen seemed... like a good choice.

But in the end, Lu Ming shook his head.

Although this Law was "voluntarily" sponsored by Yin Leici, no one would believe it if he said so.

And the signature was too obvious!

Lu Ming believed that although it seemed only Taishu Yichen was coming on this matter, those other old fellows would definitely be watching in secret.

And the True Monarch Chiyan Yinglei of the Zixiao Grotto-Heaven would definitely be among them.

If he used the Thunder Dao Law in a grand manner, some clues would definitely be spotted, and they might even suspect him.

Lu Ming was not afraid of others knowing he had killed Yin Leici.

But if possible, there was no need to completely fall out.

Therefore, he finally added a Xun Wind Law. A Wind-Thunder Law could be used for both offense and defense, which should be quite good!

"Since that's the case, let's go meet this old friend whom I've known in spirit for so long!"

Just as he finished speaking, the entire Secret Realm began to vibrate.

Clearly, the time had come!