The figure that had flashed through the black fog was clearly True Person Ming Gu.
Had he entered the Return Ruins too?
But with his cultivation, how could he have stepped safely into this death zone?
In Lu Lin's mind, like lightning striking flint, flashed True Person Xuankong's dying cry of shock, along with the words of the Cauldron Holder from Yu God Palace—
True Person Ming Gu had smelted something into his body—a remnant corpse from the Return Ruins!
In that case, True Person Ming Gu's core aura was equivalent to a living being born "inside" the Return Ruins.
With that, it all made sense.
Whoosh, whoosh—
The surrounding black fog churned violently again, condensing once more into thick tentacles of death qi. Like a riot of snakes, they coiled toward Lu Lin.
At the same time, countless shadowy figures appeared within the black fog.
They were all Death Charms and Corpse Households, numbering an astonishing several hundred.
Though most were at the Foundation Establishment level, mixed among them were quite a few terrifying existences emitting Golden Core fluctuations—
In the blink of an eye, Lu Lin was surrounded so tightly that not even water could seep through.
"Heh heh heh—never thought you'd actually be able to barge into the Return Ruins, boy. Good! Your flesh and blood contain boundless life essence. Perfect nourishment for me, to help me completely smelt the Saint Corpse!"
From the depths of the black fog came True Person Ming Gu's cold, hoarse, savage laugh.
His voice drifted erratically, now left, now right, impossible to pin down where his true body was.
"It's Ming Gu! All of this is his doing—he can actually control this place's death qi, the Death Charms, even the zombies!"
Lu Lin's gaze turned grave, his heart sinking without end.