Chapter 538: Ning Zhuo vs. Heavenly Frost
“Bai Shuang, look at the state you’re in—so miserable!”
“You’re truly making me lose face.”
The Earth Ghost laughed as he openly mocked and ridiculed the Heavenly Ghost.
Boom boom boom…
The offensive launched by the three generals—Liu, Guan, and Zhang—became increasingly urgent and ferocious.
Heavenly Frost retreated again and again.
Layers of magical treasures and spells protected his body, yet the three generals’ attacks, strengthened by military power, repeatedly shook those defenses. Eventually the pressure exceeded the limit, leaving a wound three feet long on Heavenly Frost’s right arm.
A large number of frost fragments continuously scattered from the wound.
The fragments drifted through the air, sparkling brilliantly as they fell.
Perhaps stimulated by the pain, Heavenly Frost finally suppressed the interference of countless Buddhist thoughts within his Sea of Consciousness for a brief moment and reluctantly activated a magical treasure.
Magical Treasure—Ghost Lantern!
Among ghost cultivators, this treasure was extremely widespread and highly classic.
Depending on the nature of the ghost cultivator and the types of ghosts captured, the Ghost Lantern would manifest different powers and effects.
The Ghost Lantern Heavenly Frost used imprisoned frost-type demons and spirits.
Holding the lantern in one hand, he spun it rapidly. Inside the lantern, icy ghost spirits continuously transformed, forming images of frozen prisons upon the white paper surface of the lantern.
The radiance emitted by the lantern shone upon the three generals. Instantly, cages of icy light formed around them.
These cages carried powerful restraining and disruptive force. Even when the generals’ attacks shattered the ice prisons, their power was often greatly reduced.
Thus Heavenly Frost stabilized his footing.
“Heh heh heh.” The Earth Ghost let out a cold laugh as he emerged from underground and stood upon the surface.
From afar he aimed at the Iron-Wall Formation of the Three Generals Camp and repeatedly waved his sleeves, sending out waves of ghastly green ghostfire.
Spell—Ghost Flames Scorch the World!
The ghostfire burned silently yet surged like raging green tides, sweeping toward the Iron-Wall Formation of the Three Generals Camp.
The three generals sensed the danger and immediately reduced their use of military power in their attacks, returning most of it to the soldiers to strengthen their protection.
When the ghostfire struck the formation, it resembled ocean waves crashing against reefs, instantly splitting to both sides.
But the following waves of ghostfire surged forward and engulfed the entire formation.
“Hold the line! Buy time for the three generals!” Chen Zhi shouted loudly, rallying morale.
This grassroots talent—who had stood out during the selection of the Iron Skin Flesh Armor Art—had gained the appreciation of the three generals. After receiving limited cultivation and support, he immediately displayed his modest brilliance.
Although the ghostfire was fierce and dangerous, the Iron-Wall Formation held firm like an impregnable fortress.
Just as the three generals breathed a sigh of relief, the Earth Ghost opened his mouth and spat out a brown bone sphere.
The sphere expanded and stretched in midair. After several breaths, it transformed into a gigantic hollow gate frame.
Within the frame, a rapidly spinning vortex appeared. Its spiral center was pitch black, rotating hundreds of times before suddenly expanding—
Ghost Gate!
Beyond the gate frame appeared the dim crimson scenery of the Underworld.
“You have many people, but I have even more ghosts! Hahaha!” The Earth Ghost laughed loudly three times and waved his hand.
From the Underworld connected through the Ghost Gate, countless evil ghosts surged out.
Each ghost was wreathed in flames, exuding violent killing energy. Some flames were crimson, others deep purple-red.
Within the tongues and shadows of the fire, twisted human faces occasionally appeared, wailing in agony.
A humanoid skeleton of molten lava supported each mass of flame, making the entire blaze resemble a vague human figure.
Inside the skeleton’s chest cavity floated a fist-sized karmic fire core—the true center.
“Fire Fiend Ghosts, burn them to death! Kill them all!”
The Fire Fiend Ghosts poured endlessly out of the Ghost Gate and rushed toward the ordinary soldiers of the Three Generals Camp.
“Hold the line!” Chen Zhi felt unprecedented pressure. His face turned ashen as he clenched his teeth and endured.
The soldiers had already formed the Iron-Wall Formation, yet under the assault of the Fire Fiend Ghost horde their casualties steadily increased.
The Earth Ghost’s tactic was extremely ruthless—“Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao”—and it immediately worked, causing the expressions of Liu, Guan, and Zhang to change.
Even though they knew it was the enemy’s strategy, the three generals still had no choice but to fall into the trap and return to defend.
The three generals were only at the Golden Core level. Only by relying on the battle formation formed by numerous soldiers and the military power it generated could they fight against a Nascent Soul–level enemy.
Therefore the soldiers of the Three Generals Camp could not be lost.
“Trying to leave?!” Heavenly Frost shouted sharply.
After being suppressed by three mere Golden Core cultivators for so long, he had finally regained his senses and caught his breath. The humiliation burned fiercely within him.
The three generals wanted to retreat and rescue the crisis, but how could Heavenly Frost allow them to leave calmly after gaining advantage?
Immediately he counterattacked, forcibly resisting the Buddhist thoughts in his Sea of Consciousness and temporarily restraining the three generals once again.
“Not good!” Seeing this situation, Ning Zhuo immediately decided to rejoin the battle.
The situation in his mind was even worse than Heavenly Frost’s—Buddhist thoughts had almost completely filled it.
But that did not prevent him from saving the Three Generals Camp.
“My Buddha above, Heaven cherishes life!”
“These ordinary people are also living beings worthy of salvation.”
Ning Zhuo immediately summoned the Somersault Cloud, a magical instrument-level flying cloud, and sat cross-legged upon it as it flew above the Three Generals Camp.
Looking down upon the battlefield, he unleashed Five Elements spells in succession.
For a moment, torrents surged, rocks flew, trees grew wildly, and golden light slashed through the air.
Many Fire Fiend Ghosts were injured or destroyed by Ning Zhuo.
His intervention immediately relieved the pressure on the Three Generals Camp.
He then dispatched a Mechanical Army, sending it charging into the Fire Fiend Ghost horde from the flank.
Mechanical Puppets were destroyed in large numbers amid the collision of ghostfire and killing energy.
Military Art—Warrior Returns Art!
Ning Zhuo had continuously maintained this military art. As Mechanical Puppets were destroyed, his strength steadily increased.
Thanks to the use of the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel, his bodily foundation had advanced dramatically, allowing him to continue benefiting from this military art.
Ning Zhuo did not remain on the defensive. Commanding the Mechanical Army to push upstream through the ghost horde, they fought their way all the way to the Ghost Gate.
Once the Ghost Gate opened, it could not be moved.
For the Earth Ghost, it was an extremely important treasure, and he did not wish it to be damaged. He immediately ceased its use, inhaled sharply, and sucked the Ghost Gate back.
The bone gate shrank rapidly in midair, condensing into a bone sphere again. It fell into the Earth Ghost’s mouth and was swallowed.
Ning Zhuo’s spirit lifted, and he continued urging the Mechanical Army toward the Earth Ghost.
After fighting their way here, only a few Mechanical Puppets remained.
Yet the Earth Ghost did not counterattack Ning Zhuo despite their weakness. Instead he directly used an Earth Escape technique and burrowed underground.
Ning Zhuo’s gaze flickered.
He clearly knew that large numbers of Earth-Molten Ghosts were active underground.
“Before launching their attack, the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts had already prepared the battlefield. That is something worth learning.”
“Deep underground, there may also be another Ghost Gate.”
“Additionally, the combat styles of Earth Ghost and Heavenly Frost are completely different.”
One’s true nature was often most exposed during fierce battle.
Because life and death hung in the balance, cultivators had to make multiple critical decisions in a very short time. The more decisions made, the more one’s nature was revealed.
There was a saying that confirmed this: the one who understood you best was often not your friend, but your mortal enemy.
Many times, after a life-and-death battle, enemies came to understand each other extremely deeply.
Although Ning Zhuo had only just met Heavenly Frost and the Earth Ghost, this brief clash had already deepened his understanding of them.
“Heavenly Frost prefers direct confrontation. Even while burdened by Buddhist thoughts, he never fled far and insisted on fighting back.”
“Earth Ghost focuses on long-range attacks. Once someone approaches him, he immediately escapes and disappears, then uses spells or summoned ghosts to wear the enemy down.”
Ning Zhuo felt troubled.
“Even with my deep mastery of the Five Elements, it’s difficult to restrain the Earth Ghost’s escape.”
“If I had a suitable magical treasure, perhaps this problem could be solved!”
Ning Zhuo discovered another weakness of his.
After thinking for a moment, he took out many more Mechanical Puppets and integrated them into the remaining troops, replenishing their numbers.
He then controlled this Mechanical Army of over two hundred and led them back beside the Three Generals Camp, forming an external guerrilla force to temporarily assist and guard the formation.
Ning Zhuo himself stepped on the Somersault Cloud and rose into the sky to attack Heavenly Frost.
Another barrage of Five Elements spells blasted forward.
Heavenly Frost wanted to dodge, but even more Buddhist thoughts filled his Sea of Consciousness.
“I am so vicious and harmful to the world—why should I still live?”
“Perhaps I should die here and set an example for the peace of the world.”
Thus Heavenly Frost not only failed to dodge—he simply hovered in the air, spread his arms, and calmly accepted the attack.
Ning Zhuo’s spells smashed directly into Heavenly Frost’s face.
This scene stunned everyone.
From underground, the Earth Ghost roared, “Heavenly Frost, what are you doing?! You still haven’t dispelled those Buddhist thoughts?!”
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ning Zhuo sent a spiritual message to the three generals:
“Quick! Return to the camp and take command!”
In just this brief moment, Fire Fiend Ghosts and Earth-Molten Ghosts attacked simultaneously from above and below. The Mechanical Army Ning Zhuo had just replenished was already on the verge of annihilation.
This demonstrated the intensity of the battle.
With Heavenly Frost restrained by Ning Zhuo, the three generals decisively descended and returned to the Three Generals Camp.
With their command restored, the Iron-Wall Formation’s power greatly increased, immediately resolving the crisis.
No matter how many Earth-Molten Ghosts or Fire Fiend Ghosts attacked, the three generals maintained the formation and patched every weakness, holding the defensive line like an unbreakable fortress.
However, when Zhu Xuanji saw this scene, he frowned.
In his view, Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning Zhuo had made a serious mistake.
“They should have concentrated their strength to deal with one of the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts.”
“The Earth Ghost excels at escape, while the Heavenly Ghost has this personality. Heavenly Ghost is the more suitable target.”
“Only by seriously injuring or driving away one of them could they gain a chance to survive.”
“But they chose to split their forces.”
“Although it alleviates the immediate danger, it is like drinking poison to quench thirst—it harms the overall battle situation.”
“Ning Zhuo has intelligence, but in a critical moment he still lacked a deeper level of consideration.”
As Zhu Xuanji spoke, he gently shook his head.
Beside him, Immortal Red Sleeve said softly:
“Ning Zhuo is only sixteen years old. Being able to fight Heavenly Frost and the Earth Ghost to such a degree is already extraordinary.”
“He is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. How many such talents exist in the entire Southern Dou Country?”
“A junior with such astonishing talent deserves encouragement and praise. Lord Zhu seems to have placed too many expectations on him.”
Lin Bufan, standing nearby, showed a thoughtful expression.
“Ning Zhuo is protecting the Three Generals Camp.”
“He has invested a great deal into it. Perhaps he still wants to minimize his own losses.”
“Truly a newborn calf unafraid of tigers—his courage is admirable. Facing the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts, he still considers such matters.”
Lin Bufan was a veteran Nascent Soul cultivator and understood the reputation and strength of the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts far better than Ning Zhuo.
They came from the Soul-Devouring Sect and were Nascent Soul–level experts who fought as a perfectly coordinated pair. Their past battle records were brilliant, earning them fame across many nations.
Lin Bufan believed that even ten of himself combined would not be their match.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Zhu Xuanji.
He was puzzled. Zhu Xuanji had already arrived here, yet he continued watching without intervening.
“What exactly is the arrangement Detective Zhu mentioned?”
“His identity is too sensitive to personally step onto the battlefield.”
“Even if he did… could he truly handle the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts?”
Lin Bufan shook his head internally.
On the battlefield, Liu, Guan, and Zhang maintained the battle formation, resisting the Earth Ghost’s continuous attacks without showing any intention to advance.
Meanwhile Ning Zhuo and Heavenly Frost clashed fiercely.
“The Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts are both demonic cultivators, their crimes monstrous. I must eradicate evil with all my strength for the sake of the world’s people!”
Ning Zhuo had already adapted to the Buddhist thoughts in his mind. As long as he maintained such thoughts, the Buddhist thoughts became even stronger than his Mirror Thoughts.
Standing upon the Somersault Cloud, empowered by military power and military arts, Ning Zhuo continuously unleashed Five Elements spells, creating dazzling and brilliant bursts of color.
Heavenly Frost struggled under his identity as a demonic cultivator and the countless sins he had committed. While attempting to dispel the Buddhist thoughts, he barely fought back.
Ghost Lantern!
Ning Zhuo also suffered greatly from the icy prison light.
Ice Crystal Ghost Spirits!
Heavenly Frost released numerous ghost spirits that wrapped around Ning Zhuo. These ghosts resembled flowing mist of crystalline ice. Any contact would freeze the target solid, forming ice spikes inside the body that pierced through the internal organs.
Then clusters of ice crystals would fill the entire interior of the body.
“Unfortunately, my Mechanical Puppets cannot fly!” Ning Zhuo once again discovered his weakness.
“Meng Yahu cannot either.”
“Hmm? Yuan Dasheng seems able to!”
With a thought, Ning Zhuo immediately released Heavy Armor Blood Ape—Dasheng.
He had long equipped Dasheng with a Black Iron Cloud, a flying cloud of even higher grade than Ning Zhuo’s Somersault Cloud—it was a magical treasure.
“Lord, your general has arrived!” Heavy Armor Blood Ape—Dasheng stood guard beside Ning Zhuo upon the Black Iron Cloud.
His fists and kicks were formidable, smashing several Ice Crystal Ghost Spirits.
Yet Ning Zhuo did not feel his pressure lessen.
Because Heavenly Frost had acted again.
He threw out another magical treasure—a pipa-shaped instrument made entirely of ice crystal.
It played itself, emitting waves of mournful ghostly wails.
The sound penetrated Ning Zhuo’s body, immediately chilling his soul and causing him to shiver uncontrollably.
He swallowed pills and activated Five Elements spells to protect himself. Though effective, the continuous sound forced him to devote much of his attention to resisting it.