Chapter 608: Opportunity to Build an Army
Underworld.
Outside Water Burial Valley.
Sun Lingtong’s cavalry squad had been heavily surrounded; the situation was extremely dangerous.
The leader possessed cultivation at the Golden Core level, and the Yin Soldiers under his command were all elites, at least at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Sun Lingtong could also sense that nearby, many ambush forces were hidden. At least a dozen Golden Core auras were deliberately leaking out to intimidate him.
The Ox Cavalry subconsciously gathered around Sun Lingtong, waiting only for his command to sacrifice their lives to cover the rear and protect him while breaking through.
But a breakout held absolutely no chance of survival.
Although Sun Lingtong had only entered the Underworld with his soul, it was still part of his life. The ghost generals of the Underworld were skilled in Ghost Techniques, and their methods dealing with souls were vast as mountains and seas, endlessly varied.
Therefore, once Sun Lingtong’s soul was captured, the consequences would be dire.
“Boss!” Ning Zhuo grew anxious in the Yang world.
But Sun Lingtong had quick wits. Even at this life-and-death moment, he did not forget to comfort Ning Zhuo. “Relax, little brother. Watch me.”
After sending that message secretly, he piled a flattering smile onto his face. “Esteemed officer, we’re not outsiders.”
“Look at this. It’s proof enough.”
Sun Lingtong took out a token and showed it to the other party.
When the Golden Core ghost general saw the token, he was stunned. “What is your relationship with General Luo Si?”
The token had indeed been given by Luo Si to allow Sun Lingtong to enlist and enter the Yang world.
Sun Lingtong deliberately spoke in a mysterious tone. “Naturally, our relationship is extremely close. Otherwise, Lord Luo wouldn’t have bestowed this token upon me, right?”
The Golden Core ghost general fell silent.
Luo Si was the commanding general, enjoying immense influence. He was not someone to offend lightly.
There were cultivation kingdoms even in the Underworld, and they valued order even more than the Yang world. Ghosts who violated it often suffered cruel punishments in the Eighteen Hells.
The Golden Core ghost general took the token first, inspected it carefully, confirmed it was genuine, then tossed it back to Sun Lingtong. “Go, go. This time I won’t arrest you.”
“Don’t come near Water Burial Valley again!”
“You’re lucky this time. If you come again next time, you’ll be captured immediately—no matter what connections you have.”
Sun Lingtong clenched his teeth and cautiously transmitted a divine sense message. “But I have a mission on me. Could you perhaps make things convenient? Any price can be negotiated.”
“You’ve got guts! You dare bribe this general?!” The Golden Core ghost general glared, scolding through divine sense. “My lord personally issued a strict order. If I accepted your bribe, it would cost me my life!”
Seeing that bribery was impossible, Sun Lingtong hurriedly apologized and withdrew while he still could.
He led the Ox Cavalry away, but did not truly retreat. Instead, he circled slowly around Water Burial Valley, racking his brains for a way to break the situation.
“We must meet the Grey-Bone Elder. Otherwise, how can anything be accomplished?”
“Damn it! That Forget River Lord truly deserves to be the ruler of this place—his actions are incredibly meticulous.”
“What should we do, Little Zhuo?”
Sun Lingtong exhausted his thoughts but found no solution, so he sought Ning Zhuo’s help.
Ning Zhuo also frowned deeply, helpless for the moment. “Sneaking in is too risky. Since the Forget River Lord has sent personal troops, he must have also arranged many formations.”
“Boss, if it really doesn’t work, just come back.”
“To be honest, the crisis of White Paper Immortal City wasn’t caused by us. At worst, if things go wrong, we’ll just help some of the city’s residents evacuate.”
When Sun Lingtong had just been put in a difficult position, Ning Zhuo had been frightened.
This was nothing like Fire Persimmon Immortal City. Back at Fire Persimmon Mountain, Ning Zhuo could still fish Sun Lingtong out of prison.
But in the Underworld, he couldn’t rescue him.
So compared to his mother’s arrangements—or her final wish—he cared far more about Sun Lingtong’s safety.
As Sun Lingtong sighed in frustration, black snow began to fall from the sky.
Upon closer inspection, every snowflake was actually paper ash.
The Heaven-Granted Talisman pressed against Sun Lingtong’s chest was stimulated, emitting a warm current that continuously seeped into his soul, steadily raising his foundation.
Sun Lingtong was initially somewhat wary.
Because whenever black snow descended, ghosts would swarm out to fight over it.
Yet after waiting a long time, he saw not a single ghost appear.
“Strange… no, not strange!” Sun Lingtong suddenly reacted and abruptly turned his head toward Water Burial Valley.
“They must have cleared out all the ghosts nearby!”
In that instant, a chill rose from the depths of his heart.
If the other party was acting with such meticulous ruthlessness, then letting Sun Lingtong go earlier truly meant he had picked up his life by sheer luck.
“This place really isn’t safe to stay in. Boss, come back,” Ning Zhuo reminded him immediately after reaching the same realization.
Sun Lingtong sighed and was just about to leave when he suddenly yanked the reins sharply, stopping the ox’s hooves.
“Wait!” His eyes burst with brilliance, almost impossible to look at directly.
“Hm?” Ning Zhuo was also startled.
Both of them discovered that on the rocks ahead of Sun Lingtong, some black snow had gathered in midair, condensing into a rough human-shaped pile of ash.
Inside the hollow eye sockets of the ash figure, two ghost flames suddenly ignited. It turned to look at Sun Lingtong.
“So you are the variable in the heavenly fate of the Yang world this time?”
“Hm… only your soul has entered the Underworld.”
With just one glance, the ash figure had already seen through Sun Lingtong’s foundation.
Sun Lingtong’s face was full of vigilance. “Who exactly are you?”
The ash figure chuckled. “You must already have guessed. That’s right—I am the Grey-Bone Elder you seek.”
Sun Lingtong remained wary. “How can I prove that?”
The ash figure raised a finger and spoke three words that instantly convinced both Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo.
“Meng Yaoyin.”
He directly stated the name of Ning Zhuo’s mother.
Sun Lingtong’s expression relaxed slightly. “If that’s the case, please enlighten us.”
The Grey-Bone Elder’s ash avatar was straightforward and transmitted through divine sense.
“The Forget River Lord has been planning for nearly a hundred years. Destroying his grand scheme will not be easy.”
“Fortunately, we have also prepared for many years. This is not a hasty operation.”
“When the Heaven Ghost Transformation Calamity-Offering Ritual concludes, the Heaven Ghost Skull will be completely refined. We must destroy this sacrificial ritual before it finishes.”
“To break into the ritual altar at the final moment, three conditions must be met. I will explain them in detail.”
“First, a soul foundation of at least a Million-Person Soul.”
“Second, sufficient killing aura to suppress the ritual.”
“Third, enough destiny to withstand heavenly punishment!”
Sun Lingtong widened his eyes. Hearing these details directly from the Grey-Bone Elder differed somewhat from the information Meng Yaoyin had left behind.
He immediately raised a question. “Wait!”
“If we break into the final altar, wouldn’t we have to face the Forget River Lord directly?”
“And what do you mean by enduring heavenly punishment? We’re stopping a conspiracy—doing a good deed. Why would we suffer heavenly punishment?”
Ning Zhuo interjected, “Boss, ask him first why he’s helping us deal with the Forget River Lord.”
Sun Lingtong secretly nodded and added, “Also, Senior Grey-Bone, I don’t understand why you want to oppose a Lord of a Prefecture. Do you have a grudge against him?”
The ash avatar laughed loudly and shook his head.
“No grudge, no hatred.”
“But I have a far stronger reason to do so.”
“That reason is this: I am a cultivator of divination. The path I follow is the Dao of Divination, revering the alignment with Heaven and Earth while studying the mysteries of fortune.”
“The Heaven Ghost has long perished, yet now it is being forcibly reborn through reverse refinement. Even if only partially, it still defies Heaven. That is the first reason.”
“The Forget River Lord already possesses powerful talent. Yet as a ruler of this region, he still finds it insufficient, greedily wanting to go further, violating the limits of the King’s Mandate. That is the second.”
“To refine the Heaven Ghost Skull, the Forget River Lord is holding the Heaven Ghost Transformation Calamity-Offering Ritual. He intends to bribe the Heaven of the Underworld while sacrificing something belonging to the Heaven of the Yang world—planning to blood-sacrifice the entire White Paper Immortal City. Such conduct is truly demonic and gravely violates the harmony of Heaven. That is the third.”
“He previously used favors to coerce me, personally entered the valley, and forced me to conceal the heavenly secrets of White Paper Immortal City. Now he has even placed me under disguised house arrest within Water Burial Valley. That is the fourth.”
“These four points alone are enough for me to act with full strength against him.”
“In the end, the Forget River Lord and I simply walk different paths.”
“I follow Heaven and obey fate. He seeks to defy Heaven and alter fate.”
“This is a divergence of Dao paths—and also a struggle of the Dao!”
“Dao struggle…” Sun Lingtong murmured.
Elsewhere, Ning Zhuo silently chewed over those words, experiencing for the first time the cultivation landscape of high-level cultivators.
The Grey-Bone Elder observed their reactions and, seeing that he had gained initial trust, continued.
“I will answer your previous two questions.”
“You may indeed face the Forget River Lord directly.”
“At the final moment of the ritual, the Lord will certainly guard the altar—though it is not absolute.”
“At that time, we can split into two forces. One force will attack the Forget River Prefecture Office and strike his lair, forcing him to return for defense. The second force will lead an army directly against the altar.”
“Whether or not he is lured away, his combat strength will be weakened to the extreme because he must maintain the ritual.”
Hearing this, Sun Lingtong frowned and asked the key question.
“To what level will the Forget River Lord be weakened? The answer is critical.”
The Grey-Bone Elder replied, “I can confirm he will definitely not remain at his peak Soul Formation level—but at least he will still be at the Nascent Soul level.”
“Nascent Soul level… with just us?” Sun Lingtong felt troubled.
“The Forget River Lord is under far greater pressure than you imagine,” the Grey-Bone Elder explained.
“His actions this time are enormous. The neighboring Lords of other Prefectures will not simply watch him ascend.”
“So he has made many precautions.”
“One of them is this: anyone who wishes to enter the altar must undergo the ritual’s inspection.”
“Those who do not meet the requirements of soul foundation, killing aura, and destiny cannot even step onto the altar.”
“But rest assured. Since you are the savior created by the change in heavenly fate of the Yang world, you are naturally the Forget River Lord’s calamity star. Meeting these three requirements will be quite easy.”
“Look at the Heaven-Granted Talisman in your chest. It can rapidly increase your foundation until you reach the Million-Person Soul.”
“As for killing aura, it is even simpler—use military killing aura. If you don’t have it now, you can obtain it in White Paper Immortal City.”
“As for destiny… hm?”
At this point, the Grey-Bone Elder’s ash avatar pinched his fingers in calculation and suddenly changed expression.
He stared at Sun Lingtong.
“Your destiny… you are not the savior!”
Sun Lingtong shrugged. “Of course not. I’m just here under orders. I’ll report everything truthfully—rest assured about that.”
The Grey-Bone Elder instead stared at the Heaven-Granted Talisman. “But this talisman was something I planned for a long time to give to the savior.”
Sun Lingtong said, “Let me be honest, Senior. Our savior already has a Million-Person Soul.”
“As for military killing aura, he previously participated in a major national war. He might already meet that requirement too.”
The Grey-Bone Elder first nodded. “As the saying goes, human calculation cannot surpass Heaven’s calculation. My plan produced an error—but as long as the key points remain unaffected, it doesn’t matter.”
Then he shook his head.
“No, the killing aura requirement has more subtleties.”
“You must charge into the altar at the end. Without the corresponding killing aura, you will not be acknowledged.”
“So it is best to gather the killing aura within White Paper Immortal City.”
“The Forget River Lord wants to blood-sacrifice White Paper Immortal City to satisfy his selfish desire. In doing so, he has effectively handed a weakness to the Heaven of the Yang world.”
“One drink, one peck—such is the profundity of fortune.”
“If you gather military killing aura, it will also enhance the power of military strategy.”
“At that time, lead an army into the Underworld, protect the savior as he charges onto the altar, and shatter the Forget River Lord’s century-long scheme.”
Sun Lingtong waved his hand. “You’re talking about an army again. Senior Grey-Bone, where would we get an army? Even if we used a Paper Figure Army, without official military posts or organization, they couldn’t bear military arts.”
The Grey-Bone Elder seemed entirely confident.
“Creating an army is indeed extremely difficult. But don’t worry—the heavenly fate of the Yang world will inevitably deliver the opportunity to you.”
Sun Lingtong asked, “Then could you divine it a little?”
The Grey-Bone Elder waved his hand repeatedly. “Impossible, impossible. My fortune has already dropped severely. Earlier, when the Forget River Lord forced me to repay favors, it was also meant to consume my fortune and prevent me from assisting others.”
“Don’t worry. When the time arrives, the army will naturally appear.”
With those words, the ash avatar dispersed on the spot.
Sun Lingtong stared blankly. “Hey—don’t go yet, Senior!”
But calling out yielded no response.
Sun Lingtong sighed in frustration to Ning Zhuo. “Why does it feel like talking to the Grey-Bone Elder didn’t change much?”
Ning Zhuo shook his head. “No, we gained something significant. At least we now know how to act.”
Sun Lingtong hesitated. “But what if he was lying to us?”
Ning Zhuo smiled. “At least my ring didn’t react.”
Sun Lingtong chuckled. “Fine. If this is something you want to do, Little Zhuo, then we’ll do it!”
The two reached an agreement.
White Paper Immortal City.
Li Xiangshang’s heart sank. “The Sun Family actually has this attitude? They don’t want to influence Sun Tiesheng at all—instead they’re secretly supporting him?”
“What should we do now?”
President Zheng looked awkward. “Sun Tiesheng’s determination in his Dao path is so firm. The Sun Family’s reaction is understandable.”
Li Xiangshang now faced a dilemma.
Sun Tiesheng was almost the only suitable candidate. If he refused, how could Li Xiangshang complete the mission entrusted to him by the Dragon Lord?
He asked President Zheng, who pondered and said, “The Sun Family’s stance likely stems from believing that currently there are no other competing candidates besides Sun Tiesheng.”
“If Shen Bing and Chen Sui were still here, they would definitely rush to force Sun Tiesheng to accept the demon seed.”
“Why not pretend to choose someone else? Create a bluff to stimulate their sense of urgency.”
Li Xiangshang pondered. “That’s a good idea. But who should I choose?”
President Zheng shook his head, indicating that Li Xiangshang must decide himself.
With that question in mind, Li Xiangshang walked out of the Strength-Nourishing Institute—and immediately ran into Qing Chi.
In that instant, the answer flashed in Li Xiangshang’s mind.
“Good. I’ll choose Jiao Ma!”
He walked up to Qing Chi. “Miss Qing, you’ve repeatedly failed to meet Jiao Ma. I can help you. As long as your strength is powerful enough to influence the overall situation, White Paper Immortal City will stand on your side.”
Qing Chi replied, “My strength is already strong enough. In the short term, it will be difficult to improve my cultivation.”
Li Xiangshang smiled. “Cultivation is hard to improve—but combat strength is different. I happen to have a kind of talent that can help you create a temporary army.”