318: Lingxu Gray Mist

Every power controls a certain number of Spirit Ruins.

Spirit Ruins are almost the key to whether a power in Lingxu Domain can be strong and prosperous. Therefore, if one wants to establish a power and maintain it for a long time,

they must seize Spirit Ruins.

If you don't seize Spirit Ruins, those who have them will fatten you up before slaughtering you.

The Baoxu Merchant Guild, on the other hand, controls quite a few Spirit Ruins. It isn't because of its formidable power that it isn't plundered, but because its background is quite formidable.

Those Deity Transformation Realm magnates, to facilitate their accumulation of wealth, jointly concocted a merchant guild, then invested in it, allowing ordinary Cultivators to operate it.

After all, these Deity Transformation Realm magnates hold many Spirit Ruins, but some of the Spirit Ruins are of low Rank and useless to them; it's better to 'lease' them out.

If one only considers this, the Baoxu Merchant Guild could indeed be considered the number one power in Lingxu Domain.

However, within the merchant guild, due to the different sectors invested in by the Deity Transformation Realm magnates, there is no small amount of internal strife.

Furthermore, the merchant guild only conducts business, and everyone agreed not to affect the powers of Lingxu Domain.

What can restrain them is, naturally, the "Spirit Ruins Cultivator Alliance" established by another group of Deity Transformation Realm magnates.

This Alliance is quite transparent in normal times, but if Lingxu Domain is invaded by external forces or if someone internally wishes to 'dominate the Martial Forest',

this Alliance will 'activate,' gathering all Cultivators to jointly suppress them.

This is written in their "Alliance Oath."

"Indeed, every domain has its own way of operating."

Jiang Ning smiled after listening to the introduction from the maid piloting the spirit boat.

Vermilion Bird, however, did not think highly of this model.

For a domain to develop and become strong, it must raise the battle power ceiling of its combatants.

Taking Xuanhuang Domain, where Jiang Ning resides, as an example, if the strongest person there could reach Mahayana... even Integration Realm, it would not be utterly unknown throughout the entire continent.

Only with high Peak battle power can one go out and plunder resources, thereby feeding back into the domain.

When the domain's strength increases this way, the whole can then merge, and in turn, feed back to the Peak battle power.

For a place like Lingxu Domain, although there are Deity Transformation Realm Cultivators, it is very difficult to produce a Integration Realm Cultivator.

After all... the Spirit Ruins are too limited and scattered.

Coupled with the restrictions of a "Cultivator Alliance," the Peak battle power cannot directly plunder.

"If resources aren't concentrated, how can one Breakthrough their Realm?"

Vermilion Bird murmured to herself.

"Seniors, we have arrived."

At this moment, the maid controlling the spirit boat said respectfully.

Jiang Ning and Vermilion Bird looked down from the spirit boat.

Looking down from above,

the center of this Spirit Ruins was dilapidated and covered with a layer of gray mist. Through Divine Sense penetration, one could see broken weapons, gray withered bones, and even creatures formed from the lingering thoughts of the deceased wandering within.

The edges of the Spirit Ruins, however, were lined with high walls covered in spell formations, confining the Spirit Ruins to this area and blocking the gray mist.

"Don't tell me, it really looks like a hot spring."

Jiang Ning smiled at the sight.

Isn't a hot spring surrounded on all sides, with water in the middle, steaming hot?

Vermilion Bird also nodded.

The spirit boat descended under the maid's control.

Only when it reached the critical point did the maid say, "Any further down and the spirit boat will be enveloped by the Spirit Ruins. My strength is insufficient, so the rest of the journey can only be undertaken by you two Seniors yourselves."

Jiang Ning and Vermilion Bird took out the "jade tokens" given by the Baoxu Merchant Guild and directly flew through the air.

As they passed through the black mist, the jade token flickered.

Vermilion Bird said, "There are also spell formations in the air to prevent the black mist from overflowing from the Spirit Ruins. This jade token is like a pass."

The further down they went, the denser the gray mist became.

Jiang Ning said, "This gray mist is also Spiritual Qi, but it contains Evil Qi and resentment condensed from long periods of war. To absorb the Spiritual Qi within this gray mist,

I'm afraid it will be very difficult."

Vermilion Bird hummed, "That's why practicing in the Spirit Ruins doesn't easily lead to conflict. With the gray mist present, the Spiritual Qi consumed is not easy to replenish."

"Not necessarily. For a rich woman like Vermilion Bird, she can just replenish it directly with Spirit Stones."

Jiang Ning muttered in his heart.

After muttering, Jiang Ning tried to absorb some of the mist.

After the mist entered his body, the Spiritual Qi was refined by his Cultivation Technique and entered his Qi Sea.

"So it's here!"

Jiang Ning had originally thought that these mists would first attack his Sea of Consciousness, but there had been no movement until now. Jiang Ning performed an introspection.

He found that the mist did not invade the Sea of Consciousness, but after entering the Qi Sea with the Spiritual Qi, it enveloped the small Nascent Soul figure.

Jiang Ning didn't absorb much this time.

This wisp of gray mist floated around the small Nascent Soul figure without causing it any immediate effects.

However, if the small Nascent Soul figure were completely enveloped by the mist, under the influence of resentment and Evil Qi, it would certainly cause Qi Deviation, turning the person into nourishment for the gray mist.

Just as he was thinking,

screams and exclamations came from the ground.

"Damn it, this guy absorbed the gray mist from the Spirit Ruins and has already suffered Qi Deviation!"

"Has he gone mad?! Didn't the merchant guild warn against absorbing the gray mist?!"

"This guy, he's stupid and wants to harm us too!"

"Run!"

Jiang Ning saw

a Golden Core Perfection Cultivator, enveloped in gray mist, whose eyes were blood red and whose attacks lacked any pattern, clearly having lost his sanity.

But even so, with the blessing of resentment and Evil Qi, and his reckless attacks on others, those people dared not waste Spiritual Qi. For a time, the Golden Core Perfection Cultivator, relatively speaking, surprisingly had the deterrent power of a "Nascent Soul Stage - Early Phase."

Even the Nascent Soul Stage - Early Phase powerhouses here did not want to confront him.

He was insane; if you fought an insane person, even if you won, you would feel unlucky.

Some Golden Core Cultivators with insufficient cultivation were caught up and directly blasted to death.

Their bodies were torn apart, leaving only their golden Golden Core to shuttle through the gray mist.

But without the protection of a physical body, the Golden Core was quickly enveloped by the gray mist, losing its spirituality, and eventually dissolving, merging with the gray mist.

Jiang Ning mused, "With such an existence, the Cultivators who come here to draw nourishment are actually also nourishment for the Spirit Ruins. Energy is conserved."

"He's coming for you."

Vermilion Bird crossed her arms, quietly watching the corrupted Cultivator rush towards Jiang Ning.

The Golden Core Cultivators who had escaped, though terrified, still dared not breathe deeply, fearing harm from the gray mist.

Seeing Jiang Ning and Vermilion Bird motionless,

these people frowned.

"Are these two new to the Spirit Ruins? Why are they so scared they can't move?"

"It's over, these two are finished..."

But the next second,

they witnessed a shocking scene.

Jiang Ning took a step forward.

His right index finger pointed at the corrupted Cultivator.

He said faintly,

"Die!"

A sharp and heavy Spiritual Qi burst from his fingertip, like a flying bullet, striking the Cultivator's glabella.

The rushing Cultivator paused, blood flowed from his glabella, and then he directly fell down.