A Mortal's Start in the Spirit Beast Mountain

Chapter 375 Awakening Supernatural Powers

"The world changes like the sea turning into mulberry fields..." Luo Ming carefully comprehended the information about this divine power that appeared in his mind, his eyes filled with surprise and delight.

This supernatural power doesn't seem to be a direct attack, and its power seems "ordinary," but Luo Ming knows it's extraordinary.

It does not act on individuals, but rather influences and manipulates the power of "earth veins" and "water elements" within a certain area on a small scale! It can cause mountains and rivers to shift, valleys to change, and oceans to turn into mulberry fields, and mulberry fields to return to the ocean!

Although Luo Ming and Xuan Gui's current cultivation levels limit the scope and intensity of their influence, this represents a high level of control over the elemental forces of "water" and "earth"!

Just now, Luo Ming and the Xuan Turtle, who had just broken through and was still immersed in the excitement of bloodline awakening, were of one mind and joined forces to try to activate the "Chang Hai Sang Tian" divine power. Their target was this "Spirit-Giving Land" where they were and the Qinghu Island ley line above.

The result was that the earth's veins on the entire Qinghu Island were slightly shaken and adjusted, and the island's foundation underwent slow and continuous growth and expansion under the combined effect of supernatural power and rich water and soil spiritual energy!

The island rose dozens of meters high, nearly doubling in size! This is not a simple accumulation of earth and rocks, but a natural extension and stabilization of the earth's vein structure, a true manifestation of the power of "creation"!

"Excellent! What a wonderful 'vast changes'!" Luo Ming clapped his hands in praise, his eyes gleaming.

"With this supernatural power to manipulate and influence the earth's veins and water elements, in future battles, as long as the battlefield isn't a strange space or grand formation that's completely isolated from the earth's connection, I can almost be said to be... invincible!"

He knew the value of this supernatural power. Ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, even those known for their destructive power such as sword cultivators or lightning cultivators, could probably expend some magical power to split and destroy a ten-mile-long island.

However, if one wants to "glue" the split island back together, or allow it to "grow" and expand naturally like this, only those Nascent Soul cultivators who specialize in earth-attribute techniques and possess a very rare number of high-level earth-attribute divine abilities can achieve this slowly through the power of certain massive and complex formations.

"This supernatural power has no other drawbacks except for consuming too much mana." Luo Ming clicked his tongue in amazement as he felt that almost half of his mana had been used up.

After glancing at the Xuan Turtle, which was consolidating its realm, Luo Ming instructed it to continue cultivating there. Then, with a thought, a flash of yellow light appeared around him, and he seemed to instantly merge into the thick rock layers and earth around him!

"Whoosh—!"

In the next instant, his figure vanished from the Xuanwu shell. The thousands of feet of rock underground seemed no longer an obstacle to him. He used the Earth Escape Technique, his figure moving like a fish in water, traversing the thick mud and rocks with astonishing speed, no less than when flying through the air using escape light!

Before long, it had passed through the thick layers of earth and appeared silently on the surface of Qinghu Island.

"This earth escape speed... is more than twice as fast as before. It seems that completely refining the Xuanwu True Blood and mastering the Canghai Sangtian Divine Power has brought my affinity and control over earth-attribute spiritual energy to a whole new level."

Luo Ming felt a strong connection between himself and the ground beneath his feet, and he was quite satisfied.

He looked up and saw that Qinghu Market had changed dramatically. It was nearly twice the size of when he left five years ago, with more densely packed and taller buildings, well-planned streets, a spiritual atmosphere, and a constant flow of people, making it far more prosperous than before.

"It seems Lu Xuan has managed this place quite well." Luo Ming nodded slightly. He moved with the speed of a ghost, appearing beside Lu Xuan in the next moment.

Lu Xuan suddenly felt someone beside him. Startled, he turned around and, upon seeing that it was Luo Ming, was first taken aback, then overjoyed, as if he had found his pillar of support. He quickly bowed and greeted him, his voice filled with excitement and relief: "Senior! You...you're finally back!"

Luo Ming waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for formalities, and asked directly, "The tremor just now was caused by me testing my supernatural powers, so there is no need to panic."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan suddenly understood, and at the same time was deeply shocked by Luo Ming's "supernatural power." He quickly replied, "Reporting to Senior, although the tremor was intense, it did not last long. Most of the cultivators on the island were only frightened, and no one was injured. However... the island seems... it seems to have grown much larger and taller. This matter will probably attract more attention."

Luo Ming briefly explained the materials the other party needed to collect, then disappeared mysteriously without lingering any longer.

This time, he wasn't returning underground, but truly venturing out to "borrow" the method for refining the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.

This banner is a treasure with great potential in his hands. It contains a Ghost King who is about to advance, and has the Silver Moon Primordial Spirit as its artifact spirit. If he can obtain the complete refining and control method inherited from the Spirit Control Sect and completely control this banner, not only will the Silver Moon be able to play a greater role, but it will also ensure that the Ghost King can better control this treasure after he advances smoothly in the future.

In the past, Luo Ming relied more on his powerful divine sense to control it, rather than the restrictions within the treasure.

With a specialized refining method, Yin Yue was able to rely on his primordial spirit to control the advanced Ghost King to protect him, allowing him to focus all his energy on breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage!

During his flight, Luo Ming pondered his next plan while controlling the escape light.

"The Yuling Sect is one of the six major sects of the demonic path. There are at least several Nascent Soul cultivators in charge of the sect, and it is heavily guarded. It is not easy to 'borrow' the secret method of refining the 'Ten Thousand Soul Banner' without anyone noticing."

Luo Ming's eyes were calm: "Forced entry is impossible. Even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would be severely injured if trapped inside a sect, if not killed. It would be best to find a way to infiltrate the sect..."

"I'll first go to the market on the edge of the Spirit Control Sect's territory to gather the latest news, and then act accordingly," Luo Ming decided. With his current body refinement cultivation comparable to the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, his mana restored to the peak of the late Core Formation stage, as well as his powerful divine sense and many trump cards, he should be able to protect himself as long as he doesn't get surrounded by several Nascent Soul cultivators.

A streak of azure light pierced the sky, hurtling towards the heart of the demonic path, towards the direction of the Spirit Control Sect.

A day later, a streak of azure light pierced the sky and hovered above a familiar yet unfamiliar mountain range.

Below lies Spirit Beast Mountain, one of the seven sects of the Yue Kingdom, the sect where Luo Ming first entered this realm.

However, the scene that comes into view now is completely different from the celestial realm I remembered from more than a hundred years ago, where mythical beasts galloped, vegetation flourished, and spirits were full of life.

This place is now a branch stronghold of the Ghost Spirit Sect.

Luo Ming hovered in mid-air, his powerful divine sense, comparable to that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, silently sweeping over and surveying the mountains below like an invisible tide.

Wherever his divine sense passed, every blade of grass, every tree, every stone, every cave, and even the slightest ripples several feet underground were clearly reflected in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Soon, he found the remote valley where he had raised spirit insects when he first transmigrated, just as he remembered.

However, the valley had been completely transformed. The once clear stream had become murky and black, emitting a faint, putrid odor.

More importantly, deep underground in the valley, there seemed to be some kind of formation that gathered yin energy and evil energy. Wisps of gray-black, cold aura seeped out from the earth veins and rock crevices, slowly gathering, making the temperature of the entire valley several degrees lower than the surrounding area, and the air was filled with an uncomfortable and eerie feeling.

"This once beautiful and spiritual place has been transformed into such a sinister and eerie ghost realm..." Luo Ming raised an eyebrow, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. After all, this place was one of the starting points for his journey into the world of cultivation, carrying some of his memories. Seeing it so desecrated by the Ghost Spirit Sect naturally displeased him.

He continued to use his divine sense to explore the entire site of the old Spirit Beast Mountain. Soon, he had a general understanding of the area.

The number of Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators stationed here is not large. The highest-ranking among them are only two, both at the late Core Formation stage.

The rest were all Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining stage disciples, totaling no more than a hundred people, scattered around several important array points, warehouses, and the valley where Yin energy gathered.

When Luo Ming's divine sense "clearly saw" the appearances and auras of the two Core Formation cultivators, a playful smile appeared on his face.

"Heh, what a coincidence," Luo Ming muttered to himself. The two Core Formation cultivators, one tall and one short, one thin and one fat, both exuded a chilling aura and shared the same cultivation method. They were none other than the two old men, Tong Gui and Er Lao, who had chased Lu Xuan on the outskirts of Qinghu Market a few years ago!

"Lu Xuan once complained to me that he was almost ambushed and killed by these two when he was trying to auction off that piece of 'Geng Essence'. I never expected that they would be sent to guard this place..." A cold glint flashed in Luo Ming's eyes.

However, his main purpose for this trip was not to seek revenge. His gaze fell once again on the valley where the yin energy gathered, and the faintly visible array patterns beneath the valley.

"This place has been managed by the Ghost Spirit Sect for many years, and a Yin-gathering array has been set up to forcibly transform the original spiritual energy of the spiritual veins into pure Yin energy... It is a rare and ready-made place for raising ghosts and refining souls."

"This ready-made yin land, along with the yin energy gathered within, is perfect for use to lend a helping hand to my ghost." Luo Ming's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Consider this my return as a former disciple of Spirit Beast Mountain to collect some 'land rent.' The Ghost Spirit Sect has occupied this place for over a hundred years; they should be able to afford this 'rent.'"

He slowly descended, concealing his aura, and flew unhurriedly towards the valley filled with yin energy.

Deep within the ruins of Spirit Beast Mountain lies a cave dwelling shrouded in layers of ghostly restrictions, where the yin energy is most concentrated.

The two old ghosts sat facing each other on two dark futons. Beneath the futons was a miniature magic array, inscribed with complex ghostly runes, slowly rotating and continuously drawing wisps of gray-black yin energy from the ground.

The cave was dimly lit, and the "ghost phosphorus" embedded in the walls emitted a ghastly green light, making the two people's faces appear greenish-blue, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Old Ghost Tong slowly opened his eyes, which were as lifeless as those of a dead fish. His gaze fell on the person opposite him, and he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Old Ghost, it's almost time to hand over the 'Mysterious Yin Fiend Qi' to the main altar again. This year, Elder Wang sent a special message saying that due to the conflict with Haoran Pavilion, the required amount is 30% more than in previous years."

Given the current output rate of this Yin Gathering Array, coupled with our daily cultivation needs... I'm afraid we'll have to use those two gourds of 'essential Yin energy' that you and I secretly intercepted and accumulated two years ago to fill the gap."

Upon hearing this, the old ghost opposite him immediately frowned, his fat face covered with horizontal lines, and a trace of pain and resentment flashed in his triangular eyes. He sneered, "Hmph! Those people at the main altar only know how to ask for things! My brother and I were sent to this godforsaken place to guard it. We work hard to maintain the formation and collect yin energy, but we can't make much money all year round."

"I finally managed to secretly adjust a side vein of the Yin Gathering Array a few years ago under the guise of maintaining the array, absorbing more of the residual spiritual energy from the underground veins, and accumulating two gourds of pure Yin energy. I was saving them for breaking through bottlenecks or exchanging for urgently needed items. Now, it's all going to be used up to make up the difference! Haven't all these years been a complete waste?"

Old Man Tong sighed, his sallow face full of helplessness: "The situation is beyond our control. Elder Wang personally spoke up, and the quantity is so far short. If we don't make up for it, how will we explain ourselves? I'm afraid we won't even be able to keep our posts and will be punished."

Iron Demon's eyes flashed with a fierce light. After a moment of silence, he suddenly lowered his voice, his triangular eyes darting around, revealing a cunning and ruthless glint. He leaned closer to Tong Old Ghost and whispered:

"Old Tong, do you think... we could 'save' a little on the monthly cultivation expenses for those lower-level disciples?"

He intends to withhold the cultivation resources of the stationed disciples to make up for the deficit in handing over to the authorities.

Upon hearing this, Old Ghost Tong's eyelids twitched slightly, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes. Withholding money from disciples was a major taboo in the sect, and the consequences would be severe if discovered.

But when he saw the unwilling look in Tie Laomo's eyes, and thought about his "secret stash" that was about to be lost, greed and wishful thinking arose in his heart.

Just as the two were whispering and plotting how to squeeze out some "benefits" to make up for their losses—

"Whoosh!"

A faint sound of a transmission talisman cutting through the air entered through a gap in the restrictions outside the cave and floated leisurely to Old Ghost Tong's side.

Old Ghost Tong frowned, somewhat displeased at being interrupted. He assumed it was some ignorant Foundation Establishment disciple below, bothering him again over some trivial matter.

"Hmm? Is there something unusual inside the Yin Gathering Array?"

When Old Tong saw the contents, his expression changed drastically. How could something be wrong at such a crucial moment?