512: Chapter 522 As You Wish!!

Lu Ming stood in the Void Realm with his hands behind his back, quietly sensing the repulsive force surging from the depths of the ground.

It was clear that the time for the Secret Realm to remain open was nearing its end and it was about to close.

The Cultivators who also sensed this scene immediately erupted into a clamor.

"The Secret Realm is closing! We can finally get out!" someone shouted excitedly.

In truth, they had wanted to leave for a long time; staying here was truly too terrifying.

Although that Nascent Soul True Monarch had only killed a few people and had not displayed any tendency toward bloodthirst,

the state of those few people's deaths was truly too tragic, and the methods were so cruel that one dared not look directly at them; he was simply like a Demonic Path True Monarch.

Moreover, he looked like someone who was not easy to talk to.

Although having the chance to apprentice under a Nascent Soul True Monarch was a once-in-a-millennium Opportunity, staying alive was more important than anything else.

Therefore, this group of people still wanted to stay as far away from this place of trouble as possible!

Lu Ming ignored the clamor behind him; while secretly digesting the Law he had seized, he observed the changes in the Secret Realm.

As time passed, the repulsive force grew stronger, surging from all directions and squeezing the Cultivators within the Secret Realm, as if it wanted to push them out from the inside.

Lu Ming did not resist this; although with his current strength, he could fully force open the Void Realm and break out.

But if he did that, he feared not many Cultivators inside would survive.

Moreover, this would also cause immense damage to the Seal, and it might even directly release the Asura Clan's Dao Venerable of Spirit Transformation.

This was also the reason why that fellow outside only blindly blocked the entrance instead of breaking in directly.

Because this group of True Monarchs only wanted to distract the Heavenly Dao, not release a Dao Venerable to press down upon their heads.

...

Outside the Secret Realm, the sunlight was blinding.

Suddenly, ripples began to appear in the air, which then spread outward.

Immediately, a figure abruptly fell out of it.

This was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator; he did a few somersaults in the air before barely stabilizing his figure.

Looking around, confirming that he had left that ghostly place, he let out a long breath of stale air.

"I'm out... I'm finally out..."

As he muttered to himself, other figures continued to fall out from the ripples behind him.

Their cultivation levels varied, but after coming out, they all had tears in their eyes.

They had finally survived; the Secret Realm was simply too terrifying!

Especially those Golden Core True Persons, who felt a sense of surviving a disaster.

They had originally thought that with their cultivation level, they wouldn't say they could walk sideways, but they would rarely have opponents and would be at the top of the food chain.

As a result, a Nascent Soul True Monarch had appeared out of nowhere!

And he had suppressed and killed several Great True Persons of Golden Core Perfection without a word; how was anyone supposed to live like this!

So when they came out, they prepared to immediately turn into escaping light and disappear from the spot.

Of course, there were quite a few others who had the same idea.

But while some were in a hurry to leave, others were unhurried.

Their eyes flickered one by one, scanning back and forth through the crowd.

On this trip to the Secret Realm, many people missed out on the most important Opportunities, but their gains were definitely substantial.

Various high-grade Spiritual Plants, Medicinal Pills, and mineral materials were all good things that might not be purchasable in the outside world even for a high price.

And such large gains were naturally targeted by some individuals with ulterior motives.

While in the Secret Realm, their actions were somewhat restricted.

But after coming out, it was like fish entering the sea; those Cultivators they had marked were "fat sheep" in their eyes.

As long as they robbed this group of people, their trip to the Secret Realm would be incredibly profitable.

And at this moment, that group of Cultivators who were hurrying away in the crowd were completely unaware that they had been targeted.

For a time, the myriad states of life were nothing more than this.

But before the crowd could make a move, a shadow suddenly cast down from the firmament.

Everyone looked up and saw a figure with hands behind his back, slowly descending from the sky.

That figure had his back to the sunlight, and his Face could not be seen, only outlining a majestic silhouette.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering slightly in the wind.

There was no aura leaking from his body, but that shadow falling upon the crowd was like an invisible giant mountain, pressing down on everyone's hearts.

"This... this is a Nascent Soul True Monarch, how did another one come!"

Almost in this instant, all the Cultivators who had just been clamoring shut their mouths at the same time.

Some even had weak legs and could barely stand steadily.

Most of these Cultivators were from the outer domains.

Ever since they embarked on the path of immortality, they had heard legends of True Monarchs all along the way.

But in their entire lives, they had almost never seen the true Face of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Yet in this short period of time, it was as if they had poked a Nascent Soul nest; they actually witnessed the appearance of two Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

How could they not be terrified?

Taishu Yichen's gaze swept across the Cultivators below, but it did not linger, just as if he were scanning a group of ants.

Finally, his gaze landed on a figure that had just materialized.

...

Perhaps because the Nascent Soul's volume was too large, the Secret Realm found it a bit difficult to "expel" him, which led to Lu Ming being the last to come out.

And this feeling was also somewhat strange; Lu Ming only felt his vision blur, and when he appeared again, the world before his eyes had changed.

However, the moment he appeared, he sensed a gaze landing on him.

Lu Ming looked in that direction and also saw Taishu Yichen's extremely oppressive figure.

This was Lu Ming's first time facing a Nascent Soul True Monarch directly.

Hmm, a living one; not a descent body like the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, nor a fleeting phantom in a Nascent Soul object, but a genuine Nascent Soul True Monarch in person!

And Taishu Yichen's image fit Lu Ming's stereotype of this Realm perfectly.

White hair like snow, an ancient Face, wearing moon-white Daoist robes, holding a whisk, with the demeanor of an immortal.

Only... the human-skin thangka draped behind him was truly too eye-catching.

A dark yellow scroll, bone jade glowing with black light, its surface seeping with eerie oily sheen, like a burial object dug out from an Ancient Tomb.

One side was the demeanor of an immortal, the other was evil and gloomy; the combination was incongruous.

Could it be that all True Monarchs like this mix-and-match style?

Or was it that his own aesthetic sense was the problem, which made him seem a bit out of place?

This untimely thought flashed through Lu Ming's mind.

But before he could let his imagination run wild, Taishu Yichen had already taken the initiative to speak, while simultaneously bowing in greeting.

"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist for attaining the Nascent Soul, but I don't know how to address you, and which Daoist Legacy are you a successor of?"

If possible, Taishu Yichen really did not want to fight.

Although the human-skin thangka could shield the Heavenly Dao and he could ignore the loss of his True Monarch Origin, he also did not want to provoke a Cultivator of the same rank for no reason.

Moreover, the moment this person appeared, a trace of warning signs faintly emerged in his heart.

This person was likely not that simple; he feared that if they really fought, it would cause some threat to him.

Although this sounded incredible, after all, the other party was just a newly broken-through Nascent Soul True Monarch.

But he believed his intuition, so he chose to be polite before resorting to force, to probe the other party's intelligence.

"Fellow Daoist is joking; Lu is all alone, and there is no Sect or Daoist Legacy behind me."

Facing Taishu Yichen's inquiry, Lu Ming did not hide anything.

The Profound Spirit Domain was very large, so large that ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators could hardly traverse it entirely in their lifetime.

But it was also very small; for a Nascent Soul True Monarch who could traverse the Void Realm, it was no more than a short distance.

Rather than fabricating a non-existent background, it was better to be frank.

Anyway, at his current Realm, past experiences were actually no longer that important, and it wouldn't matter even if others knew.

However, Lu Ming felt that these people could not possibly find out his background.

Nothing else, mainly because he was too good at hiding.

He had been hiding since he stepped onto the path of immortality; aliases and identities were endless. Not to mention others wanting to investigate, even he himself couldn't sort out how many identities he had.

But facing Lu Ming's frankness, Taishu Yichen smiled and shook his head?

"Fellow Daoist is really not frank enough."

A Loose Cultivator? What a joke.

He had to admit that some people were favored by Luck and could achieve some success even as a Loose Cultivator.

But a Nascent Soul True Monarch was truly different; talent, aptitude, resources, and background were all indispensable.

If one was missing, wanting to achieve the Nascent Soul True Monarch Realm would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

This person looked extraordinary, and faintly brought him a sense of threat, and this was just a guy who had just entered the Nascent Soul Realm. If he had no background, how could it be like this?

And regarding his distrust, Lu Ming did not explain.

He finally managed to tell the truth, but was actually suspected; it was simply unreasonable!

So he didn't pull anything else and asked directly.

"I wonder what brings Fellow Daoist here this time? I have just achieved the Nascent Soul Breakthrough and still need time to consolidate my cultivation. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

After speaking, Lu Ming turned around and prepared to tear open the Void Realm to leave this place.

He did not lie to Taishu Yichen; having absorbed so many Laws, even if it was the Hunyuan Law, he needed time to digest, consolidate, and integrate them. He really had no heart to bicker with Taishu Yichen.

"Fellow Daoist, wait a moment."

Taishu Yichen spoke to stop him, his figure flashed, and he blocked Lu Ming's path.

Lu Ming frowned, and his voice turned cold: "What is Your Excellency's meaning?"

Taishu Yichen waved his hand, his expression amiable as he said.

"Fellow Daoist, do not misunderstand. It is rare for this poor Daoist to meet a fellow traveler, and I just want to get to know you and make a friend."

"If you have free time in the future, you can come to Qingwei Heaven for a chat."

Taishu Yichen smiled and extended an invitation.

"Ah, certainly, certainly, next time for sure!"

However, Lu Ming only exchanged two polite sentences, his tone somewhat perfunctory.

What a joke, go to Qingwei Heaven!

If one were to ask among the several Grotto-Heavens, who had the most Karma with him, it would probably be this Qingwei Heaven.

Not only did he kill Yun Chenzi, the Nascent Soul seedling they favored, but even the one before him had been messed with by him.

Looking at Taishu Yichen's withered appearance now, Lu Ming knew that the Heavenly Tribulation was not so easy to overcome; this person must have paid a considerable price.

Therefore, facing the person involved directly, Lu Ming still felt a bit guilty, let alone going to their lair as a guest; wouldn't that be walking right into a trap?

However, this scene in Taishu Yichen's eyes was indeed a bit arrogant and disrespectful, making his expression stiffen slightly.

At this time, he remembered what the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord had said before; although he knew the other party had no good intentions, one sentence of his was correct.

This person had just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and was currently in a weak position; he still did not understand the importance of Grotto-Heavens to the Nascent Soul.

But once he realized it, he would inevitably develop other thoughts.

Either create a Grotto-Heaven himself, or choose to affiliate!

But creating a Grotto-Heaven was not that simple; it not only required vast resources, but also required extremely deep Foundations to support it.

Moreover, there was a limit to the number of spots; the number of Inner Domain Grotto-Heavens was already saturated, and it could not accommodate the appearance of an eighth Grotto-Heaven!

Therefore, the other party could only choose to affiliate with a Grotto-Heaven, which meant living under someone else's roof and choosing a power to rely on.

This was also the purpose of Taishu Yichen inviting the other party to go to Qingwei Heaven at the first Opportunity.

He thought about whether he could win this person over and let him join Qingwei Heaven.

This would not only avoid conflict, but also allow Qingwei Heaven to quickly escape its current awkward situation, and perhaps even elevate the Grotto-Heaven to a higher level because of the addition of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

However, the other party not only refused, but Taishu Yichen also realized his current situation and suddenly sobered up.

He was still too wishful!

If it were in the past, inviting the other party to join the Grotto-Heaven, even if the other party had thoughts, he would have the strength to suppress the other party.

But now he did not have this ability.

Moreover, Qingwei Heaven had suffered heavy losses and was at its weakest moment.

If the other party had other intentions, he feared his invitation would not only fail to bring hope for revival to Qingwei Heaven, but might instead invite a wolf into the house, causing immeasurable consequences.

Moreover, the eerie changes on his own body perfectly coincided with the time of this person's Undergoing Tribulation; if one said there was no connection, he would not believe it.

So this was the open conspiracy of the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, seizing Taishu Yichen's current situation and thoughts, forcing him to fight this newly promoted Nascent Soul!

Taishu Yichen realized this point, but was powerless to change it, and could only grit his teeth and extend an invitation!

"It is rare to meet a fellow traveler, and this poor Daoist is also feeling a bit itchy. Fellow Daoist, can you spar with me?"

Hearing this somewhat inexplicable invitation, Lu Ming looked at him with a playful gaze, his expression half-smiling.

"Oh? Listening to Fellow Daoist's meaning, is this wanting to fight?"

"Sigh, don't put it so harshly; it is just debating the Dao, stopping at the point of contact, stopping at the point of contact."

Taishu Yichen's smile did not change, but his tone was very stiff.

Lu Ming stared at Taishu Yichen for a moment, and he suddenly laughed.

What debating the Dao; it was clearly a probe. He just didn't know if this was Taishu Yichen's own intention, or the intention of those few Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

But no matter whose intention it was, this fight was likely unavoidable.

However, Lu Ming was not too worried about this.

If it were before, Lu Ming might have been very wary of Taishu Yichen.

After all, he was a long-famous Nascent Soul Middle Stage True Monarch. And he had broken through for many years, with deep Foundations and solid roots.

If he rashly confronted him, he would definitely suffer a big loss.

But times had changed.

Under Lu Ming's deliberate targeting, after being messed up by the Heavenly Tribulation, Taishu Yichen's strength had dropped by more than a notch, and it was already far from what it used to be.

Especially after meeting Face to Face, Lu Ming was even more convinced of this point.

He thought to himself that this time, even if he was not a match, he could still retreat unscathed.

Moreover, he might not necessarily lose. If possible, this time he must establish his own prestige.

Otherwise, there would definitely be a lot of trouble in the future.

So, amidst Taishu Yichen's complex gaze, Lu Ming smiled calmly, "Then... as you wish!"