118: Chapter 118 Lu Yuanze's Secret

In the next instant.

A ball of golden flames shot out from between Xu Changsheng's palms, flying towards Lu Yuanze's soul.

Within a single breath, the latter's soul completely vanished from the world.

"Strange."

Xu Changsheng frowned.

The Soul Burning Secret Technique had only extracted less than ten years of memory from Lu Yuanze's soul.

It began from the moment he woke up in the Withered Wood Secret Realm.

It dawned on him; the Foundation Establishment evil Cultivator mentioned in the intelligence from that day in the Withered Wood Secret Realm was actually Lu Yuanze.

Didn't that mean the person who killed Jiang Wenzhou was also Lu Yuanze?

"The Rebirth from Death Incarnation Foundation Establishment Technique... so Lu Yuanze relied on this secret method to successfully reincarnate."

He muttered to himself.

This technique allowed the caster to reach Foundation Establishment without any foundation establishment pill or foundation establishment spiritual object.

The only requirements were a cultivation level at Qi Refining Perfection and an age under forty.

This was the first time Xu Changsheng had seen such a Heaven-Defying method. Initially, his interest was piqued, until he saw the price.

The risk was terrifyingly high.

It required shattering the Dantian and forcing the spiritual power throughout the body to flow in reverse.

Any slight mistake during the process would lead to severed Meridians and berserk spiritual power.

According to the secret technique's description, the success rate was one in ten thousand; once failed, one would not enter Reincarnation.

"Truly mad. This is hardly different from Qi Deviation or death. The success rate is even lower than a natural breakthrough to Foundation Establishment."

Every time one underwent Rebirth from Death, a byproduct was produced—painted skin.

"No wonder this fellow had so many painted skins; they were all traded for with his life."

Looking at the indescribable mass not far away, he sighed, "In that case, Lu Yuanze's luck was actually quite good, having performed the secret technique twice and still being alive and well."

From Lu Yuanze's fragmented memories of ten years ago, Xu Changsheng saw the name Huang Jinglong.

This person was none other than...

...the real name of Immortal Master Yellow Ox.

Lu Yuanze was a Cultivator from five or six cycles ago, having survived until now through the Rebirth from Death Foundation Establishment method.

The memory fragments were filled with hatred for Huang Jinglong, but what exactly happened back then was now impossible to know.

*Clang.*

The purple spiritual sword that had been struggling with Ink Shadow lost control and fell to the ground.

Seeing that the matter was resolved...

...he looked at the ghostly shadow on the left that was currently suppressing the True Solar Fire, his expression turning cold.

The latter naturally noticed Lu Yuanze being killed instantly and let out a raspy, metallic voice: "That idiot!"

Its blood-red eyes looked around, trying to find an escape route.

Although it dared to boss Lu Yuanze around, it was essentially the artifact spirit of the thousand soul banner—a rootless weed with nowhere to go.

It looked at Xu Changsheng again, only to see the latter staring at it with a grim expression.

Its heart immediately cried out in bitterness; this man before it was unlike Lu Yuanze—he truly had the ability to kill it.

Because...

Xu Changsheng had a smile on his lips as he rubbed his hands together, and another ball of golden flame gathered and took shape.

As if it would let out a clear cry in the next moment.

Seeing this...

...the ghostly shadow's already chilled back turned cold once more.

It had already overdrawn part of its Origin power just to extinguish that ball of heavenly fire; if a few more came, it wouldn't be able to take it.

It just wanted to stay quietly inside the soul banner, devouring souls to strengthen itself. What did it do wrong!

After realizing this...

...a human-like expression immediately appeared on the blurry ghostly face, and it let out the most humble plea for mercy it could manage:

"Spare me! Fellow Daoist Xu, spare my life! I have no grudge against you; I was only forced to work for Lu Yuanze. I didn't target you intentionally!"

His movements paused, and he asked with interest, "Oh? Aren't you a soul? Why would you beg an enemy for mercy?"

"Tell me, what exactly are you?"

Seeing a chance, the ghostly shadow was overjoyed and hurried to reveal its background.

"This old one is the artifact spirit of the thousand soul banner. I was the first soul after the Artifact Refiner smelted himself into it, so I have a certain degree of autonomy."

"What is your name?"

"This old one is the Myriad Soul Lord."

"Myriad Soul Lord? You?"

Xu Changsheng looked at the dozens of fierce ghosts shivering in mid-air, a sneer on his lips.

It hurriedly explained, "No, no, this old one's name was just a goal set by the Artifact Refiner back then. It doesn't count, it doesn't count."

He didn't care. "Can you help me control this banner?"

"Of course!"

Hearing that Xu Changsheng really intended to spare it, it manifested an arm and grabbed the soul banner beside it.

It let out a raspy voice.

In the next moment...

...an irresistible suction for the ghosts came from the depths of the soul banner.

The ghosts formed a torrent and were sucked into the thousand soul banner.

"Boss, we're going back!"

"Thank you, Boss."

A few Foundation Establishment fierce ghosts, having high intelligence, bowed to the Myriad Ghost Lord and followed at the end of the line.

With the ghosts back in place, the Myriad Ghost Lord presented the soul banner.

It took the initiative to acknowledge him as master: "Master, please take a look. Is this suitable?"

However, the scene before it made its hair stand on end.

Without it noticing when...

...a golden ring had appeared in Xu Changsheng's hand, its intense heat causing ripples in the air.

It was terrified: "Master, what... what are you doing?"

Xu Changsheng chuckled, "Making you more obedient!"

In the next instant.

The golden ring flew over slowly.

Instinct made it retreat, its soul body having just flown less than a foot...

...when Xu Changsheng's fierce voice reached its ears: "Don't move, or I'll destroy you!"

It immediately froze in place.

Since the end result would be the Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering anyway, it simply stopped struggling.

The golden ring touched its soul body, producing a strong burning sensation.

However, the expected outcome of being set on fire did not happen.

The golden ring passed through as if it were nothing, entering its soul body.

Xu Changsheng nodded. "Myriad Ghost Lord, you are a smart ghost."

Realizing it had finally survived, the Myriad Ghost King flattered him, "Thank you for the praise, Master. Since this old one has acknowledged a master, there is no reason to go back on it."

"Is that so?"

Xu Changsheng looked at the mass of flesh not far away, whose bones were not yet cold.

He thought to himself, "I'm afraid as soon as I fall, this ghost will defect immediately."

The cooperative relationship between them was not solid, and this ghost was not as easy to control as Chu Linger.

Therefore, he had added a Restriction to the True Flame Heart Fire; if he were to fall, the heart fire would self-destruct.

He put the thousand soul banner into his Storage Pouch and reached out to retrieve the purple spiritual sword.

"A Tier 2 Low Grade Spiritual Artifact, the poison scorpion sword. It's usable."

He put it away.

He began to inspect the other spoils in Lu Yuanze's Storage Pouch.

A gray light flashed.

Spirit Stones were piled on the ground like a small mountain. A rough count showed over fifty thousand, quite a small fortune.

Three red pill bottles. Opening them, each contained five Medicinal Pills, and a crimson scent wafted out.

Blood Spirit Pill, a Tier 2 High Grade Medicinal Pill, suitable for Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators to increase their cultivation.

Compared to the Essence Augmenting Pill, which was also Tier 2 High Grade, its medicinal power was stronger, and it could even serve as a breakthrough pill for Early or Middle Stage Foundation Establishment.

The first disadvantage was its high price—a bottle was worth nearly a hundred thousand Spirit Stones. The second was that it would accumulate blood balefulness in the body; if too much accumulated, it would increase the risk of Qi Deviation.

He happily put them into his Storage Pouch.

He looked at a Purple Lingzhi mushroom next to the pile of Spirit Stones, his brow furrowing slightly.