590: Fifth husband...

Since that is the case, let us begin.

This could also be considered paving a grand path to heaven in advance for when he returned to reality and his cultivation truly reached Nascent Soul Perfection.

It was like doing a practice run with real exam questions before entering the actual exam hall.

When that day truly arrived, he would at least not be completely clueless and at a loss.

Lu Ming's figure slowly came to a halt in front of the Gate of Soul Transformation.

He turned his head and took one last look at the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

Standing at the forefront this time would likely expose quite a few things.

But Lu Ming also knew in his heart that this was unavoidable.

So rather than overthinking it, it was better to just go with the flow.

Whatever trouble arose could simply be dealt with in the future!

Thus, Lu Ming hesitated no longer. He turned around to face the Gate of Soul Transformation, which exuded a profound Dao charm, and slowly raised his hand.

At his fingertips, a wisp of dusky-yellow light of Reincarnation surged out, swirling and condensing in his palm before finally turning into an intricate and ancient Grand Dao seal script.

Although it had not yet fully formed, it already exuded a heart-palpitating aura.

It was as if all the Profound Truths of Life and Death circulating between heaven and earth were condensed within this single tiny Dao character.

This was precisely the manifestation of the Law of Reincarnation's Dao charm!

It was not that he did not want to use the Hunyuan Law, but because this was a trial of Reincarnation to begin with, so he naturally had to use the Law of Reincarnation to knock upon that gate.

As for his control over the Law of Reincarnation?

Lest it be forgotten, the Law of Reincarnation within the human emperor banner had been nurtured step-by-step by his very own hands!

Uh, although a large part of it was the result of the Banner Spirit's self-evolution.

But then again, without him as the banner master, the human emperor banner would not have even been able to take that first step.

Therefore, his contribution was absolutely indispensable!

And as the banner master, he naturally possessed the qualification to fully inherit all the Laws within the human emperor banner.

Not to mention, during his time residing within the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, he had closely observed the other party's process of comprehending the Law of Reincarnation.

Thus, his understanding of the Law of Reincarnation was no longer what it used to be.

Although overall it might not match the tens of thousands of years of accumulation of the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, it was at least sufficient for this moment and this place.

This scene was naturally witnessed clearly by the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord below.

When that dusky-yellow light of Reincarnation surged from Lu Ming's palm, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's pupils contracted sharply, and his expression instantly turned extremely unsightly.

He never expected that the other party had also comprehended the Law of Reincarnation.

Moreover, looking at his methods, they actually bore some resemblance to his own.

Without even thinking, it was obvious that this was the result of spying on his comprehensions and integrating them.

This caused the killing intent in his heart to flare up like a fire doused in oil.

Regardless of anything else, anyone would feel displeased if their secrets were spied upon, dissected, and ultimately turned into nourishment for someone else.

It was only natural to wish to eliminate him as quickly as possible.

What was even more troublesome was that since the other party had also comprehended the Law of Reincarnation, it meant he also possessed the qualification to compete for the Dao of Reincarnation.

And the Dao of Soul Transformation emphasized the "fruit position"; only one person could reach the summit of the same Grand Dao.

So this was no longer a question of stealing techniques, but a true enemy of the Grand Dao.

Between the two of them, only one was destined to survive in the future.

Of course, although monstrous killing intent surged in the heart of the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, he did not panic.

After all, this was merely a trial.

Although he had been tricked and suffered a quiet loss, resulting in falling a step behind the other party,

the true outcome would be decided in reality.

Besides, having lived for so many years and dominated the Xuanxiao Realm for tens of thousands of years, how could he not have his own trump cards and schemes?

Who was stronger and who was weaker would ultimately have to be decided in a true battle.

However, the displeasure in his heart still made him subconsciously want to strike and interrupt the other party's process of breaking through to Soul Transformation.

Yet, his movements quickly froze.

Because he suddenly realized one thing: the path of Soul Transformation could not be obstructed!

This was not because his power was insufficient, nor because he feared anything, but because the Dao of Soul Transformation itself possessed an extremely special "transcendence" nature.

Once the path of Soul Transformation was opened, it would only recognize the one who triggered it.

If an outsider forcibly intervened, not only would they fail to interrupt it, but they would also be backlashed by the rising power of the status, and might even drag their own Karma into it, which was not worth the loss.

It was like a river already surging forward; you could dam it at its source, but you could not make it flow backward once it had already rushed out of the canyon.

Although the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord was unwilling, he could only watch helplessly as Lu Ming's figure rose higher and higher in front of the Gate of Soul Transformation, his aura growing stronger and stronger.

So he could only pray secretly in his heart that the other party would also fail to condense their Dao fruit just like him, falling at the final hurdle.

However, the outcome did not go as he wished.

Lu Ming had already prepared for this day for a very long time.

As he drew closer and closer to the threshold of Soul Transformation, his understanding of the Dao of Soul Transformation also became clearer.

He gradually understood where this path actually led.

Between Soul Transformation and Nascent Soul, there existed an essential chasm.

During the Nascent Soul stage, a Cultivator's cultivation was essentially "borrowing".

Borrowing the power of heaven and earth for one's own use, and borrowing the might of the Laws to supplement one's own body.

Although Nascent Soul Cultivators were powerful and claimed to naturally transcend heaven and earth,

that was merely putting a fine face on things; from beginning to end, they were "borrowing the Dao to travel".

After all, their Foundation was attached to the external framework of the Laws of heaven and earth, like vines growing by clinging to a great tree. Although they could flourish, they were ultimately not the tree itself.

But Soul Transformation was different.

The Dao of Soul Transformation no longer sought outward, but condensed inward, transcending inward.

Cultivators no longer borrowed the power of heaven and earth, but took themselves as the basis and the Dao fruit as the carrier, taking a certain Grand Dao Law as their own.

From then on, "I am the Dao, and the Dao is me."

In other words, Soul Transformation was to occupy a "fruit position".

Taking the Law of Reincarnation as an example, it meant bringing the entire Dao of Reincarnation under one's own control, so that from then on, all Reincarnation and circulation in the world would be under their charge.

And the Dao fruit was the vessel that carried this Grand Dao, the most fundamental status and Foundation of a Soul Transformation Cultivator.

At the same time, the sublimation of the Nascent Soul into the Primordial Spirit was another key to the path of Soul Transformation.

Although the Nascent Soul was already capable of crossing the Void Realm and wandering the great void, it was ultimately a "spiritual fetus" body, still carrying certain Innate limitations.

The Primordial Spirit, on the other hand, was an essential transformation of a higher level.

It was no longer restricted by the Physical Body and space, possessing the authority to traverse dimensions.

The so-called "Ascension" was, in a sense, the dimensional elevation of the Primordial Spirit.

Therefore, Nascent Soul Cultivators "used" the Laws, while Soul Transformation Cultivators "wielded" the Laws.

This single word of difference made for a world of difference.

The former was borrowing fire for warmth, while the latter was ruling as supreme by wielding the fire.

And what Lu Ming had to do now, standing before this gate, was to use the Reincarnation Dao fruit as a guide to sublimate himself from an existence that "borrowed the Law" to an existence that "wielded the Law".

Using the Dao fruit to elevate his status, using his status to carry the Grand Dao, and using the Grand Dao to nurture the Primordial Spirit, finally completing that ultimate leap.

Lu Ming closed his eyes, settled his mind, and poured all of his comprehensions into the slowly forming Dao fruit.

The light of Reincarnation around him grew brighter and purer, like a newborn star gestating and about to release its first ray of light.

However, just as he had everything ready and was only one final step away from thoroughly condensing the Dao fruit, he suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes were filled with astonishment, all because he had encountered an extremely thorny problem.

The living beings of this world had already been completely slaughtered by the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, and their billions of souls were all sealed within that Soul-Devouring Demon Banner, unable to transcend or enter Reincarnation.

In other words, the cycle of Reincarnation of the entire world had long been broken, like a dried-up riverbed drained of its water source, with empty channels but no water to flow.

Although Lu Ming had condensed the perfect prototype of the Reincarnation Dao fruit at this moment, he found that he only had the framework in his hands, with no fuel to trigger Reincarnation.

Subconsciously, his gaze slowly turned toward the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, his eyes carrying an undisguised disgust and loathing.

Truly a useless waste who is more than a match for spoiling things, but utterly incapable of accomplishing anything.

And the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord, who was watching everything closely, also keenly caught that gaze.

He was startled at first, but then he figured out the situation, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled into an extremely smug arc.

That smile was filled with the pleasure of gloating.

Though his own failure was painful, his opponent's failure brought him immense physical and mental pleasure.

At that moment, he even felt a trace of vengeful satisfaction.

So what if you stole my methods and snatched my fortune?

Having reached the final step, are you not equally left with nowhere to go?

This is retribution!

However, before he could gloat for long, he saw Lu Ming suddenly reach out and make a sudden clawing motion toward him!

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord was startled at first, instinctively thinking that Lu Ming was going to attack him.

Thus, the spiritual energy throughout his body instantly tensed as he assumed a defensive posture.

Yet, the next moment, he realized something was wrong.

Because Lu Ming's target was not him at all, but the Soul-Devouring Demon Banner fluttering like a cloud behind him!

Seeming to realize something, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's expression changed, but he quickly sneered again.

"Wishful thinking! This banner is my lifebound Spirit Treasure, connected to my Divine Soul and sharing my Bloodline. How could you..."

However, halfway through his words, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

Because that Soul-Devouring Demon Banner was actually trembling slightly, completely out of his control.

The amplitude of the trembling was not large, yet it was as if it were being drawn by some invisible force, slowly drifting toward Lu Ming's direction.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's expression changed dramatically. He frantically surged his Divine Soul power, attempting to drag the banner back under his control.

However, what caught him off guard was that Lu Ming seemed to be incomparably familiar with the structure of this banner.

That sense of familiarity even surpassed him, the one who refined it.

When he tried to pull it with his Divine Soul imprint, Lu Ming used a strand of magic power that also originated from Reincarnation but was even more harmonious to precisely sever his control.

Under the suppression of cultivation, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's control was dismantled layer by layer.

That Soul-Devouring Demon Banner finally broke free from his control, flying toward Lu Ming like a joyful little beast!

In the next moment, something happened that almost made the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord spit out a mouthful of old blood.

After that Soul-Devouring Demon Banner landed in Lu Ming's palm, it did not resist in the slightest. Instead, it was as if it had met its long-lost master.

The surface of the banner drooped slightly, and its edges curled gently, like a docile Spirit Beast intimately nuzzling the back of his hand.

Its posture carried an almost well-behaved submissiveness, and even vaguely revealed a hint of grievance and flattery, as if complaining about why he had arrived so late.

Seeing this scene, the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's eyes nearly split from rage. An unspeakable fury rushed straight to his crown, and he clenched his hands so hard his knuckles turned white.

At that moment, he even developed an extremely absurd illusion.

It was as if he were an incompetent husband, watching helplessly as the 'wife' he had painstakingly married threw herself into another's embrace, even revealing a docile appearance she had never shown to him.

Lu Ming, however, did not know at all, nor did he care about the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's current state of mind.

Previously, he only had a superficial understanding of the Soul-Devouring Demon Banner. However, during this period of residing within the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's Sea of Consciousness, he had personally witnessed the entire process of the other party refining this banner from scratch.

The drawing of every spiritual rune, the layering of every Restriction, and every injection of magic power—he was like a bystander standing behind the scenes, taking in all those details.

Coupled with his own experience of having nurtured the human emperor banner, he had a natural control over this type of Magic Treasure with souls as their core.

However, these alone were not enough to snatch it from the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's hands.

The ultimate reason actually lay in Lu Ming's current state.

All things have spirits, and this was even more so for Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures, which naturally possessed the instinct to seek fortune, avoid disaster, and pursue transcendence.

One was a Nascent Soul loser who failed to break through, while the other was an 'Ascendant' with an infinitely bright future; it was clear at a glance who was better to follow.

Thus, abandoning the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord and choosing Lu Ming was only natural.

To this, Lu Ming was naturally not polite either. He grasped the shaft of the Soul-Devouring Demon Banner, his thumb gently caressing the spiritual runes on the edge of the banner's surface.

Then, his magic power seeped deep into the banner through his fingertips, flowing along the pathways of magic power that he had long memorized by heart.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Banner trembled gently, emitting a clear and long hum, as if it highly enjoyed this familiar and warm touch.

"Release them."

However, Lu Ming was clearly someone who did not appreciate romantic sentiment.

After briefly comforting it, he began to order it around.

Ordering the Soul-Devouring Demon Banner to release those dead souls that the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord had refined into Banner Spirits.

To this, the Soul-Devouring Demon Banner shook slightly, seemingly somewhat reluctant.

After all, those souls were the nutrients it had devoured and accumulated, the Foundation of its growth. Now, having to spit them all out was as painful as cutting off its own flesh.

But it immediately felt that deeper, more harmonious Law of Reincarnation in Lu Ming's palm.

Like being wrapped by a pair of warm hands in winter, that satisfaction and security made it instinctively drop all resistance.

The surface of the banner trembled slightly and then slowly unfurled, like a lazy beauty taking a long stretch.

Then, massive amounts of illusory souls surged out from deep within the banner like a river bursting its dam.

At first, it was just a trickle, but it quickly became faster and more turbulent.

Billions of dead souls swept out, turning into a vast river of souls that poured out from the Soul-Devouring Demon Banner and then merged into the Reincarnation Dao fruit in Lu Ming's palm.

That Dao fruit was like parched land welcoming its first sweet rain, greedily absorbing the aura of those souls.

The wheel of Reincarnation slowly turned, and the Law of Life and Death's circulation was activated and ignited once more.

That long-silent aura of Reincarnation between heaven and earth began to flow once more at this moment, like a riverbed that had been dried up for decades being refilled with fresh water.

Lu Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the increasingly abundant vitality and vigor within the Dao fruit, and a satisfied curve finally appeared on the corner of his mouth!