Chapter 629: Lord of the Forgotten River vs Sorrow Bone Empress
Earth Element——Sandfall.
Earth Element Spleen Temple!
Ning Zhuo split his mind into two. On one side, he focused on the battlefield; on the other, he immersed himself in his own internal organ temple.
With the Earth Element divine statue manipulating the spell, it greatly reduced the time he needed to practice. Once unleashed, it was executed with exquisite precision and incomparable mastery, as though it were instinct.
Ning Zhuo gazed upward. In an instant, countless torrents of yellow sand surged forth from thin air.
The sand waterfall crashed straight down, vast and majestic, spreading across the broad face of the city wall and directly submerging large numbers of withered-bone dead soldiers.
At the base of the wall, the yellow sand formed swirling quicksand vortices, devouring two skeletal human bridges in succession before abruptly halting, dispelled by the enemy Ghost General’s ghost technique.
At least three Ghost Generals cast together. Their ghost techniques rose in succession, transforming into a massive ghostly hand that tore through the air toward Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo neither dodged nor retreated. He stood in place and suddenly extended his right hand, pressing two fingers together like a sword.
Metal Element——Geng Metal Tempest.
Metal Element Lung Temple augmentation!
From the tip of his sword fingers burst forth a great surge of Geng Metal qi. The metal qi was peerlessly sharp. Upon colliding with the ghost hand, it immediately halted its forward momentum.
The three Golden Core–level Ghost Generals shouted in unison, pouring in greater magical power.
The ghost hand was constantly worn down by the metal qi, yet also continuously nourished by their magic, maintaining its enormous form as it still clawed toward Ning Zhuo—only its speed plummeted.
Ning Zhuo let out a cold laugh. Within the Lung Temple, the divine statue became incomparably vivid, manipulating the spell into a subtle transformation.
In the next moment, the Geng Metal qi turned into a whirlwind, spinning rapidly and encircling the ghost hand.
The ghost hand was completely trapped, unable to move. After several breaths, it was shredded by the Geng Metal whirlwind.
The three Golden Core–level Ghost Generals each gave a muffled grunt. Sharing the backlash of their shattered spell, they suffered only minor injuries.
Even so, three Golden Core–level cultivators joining forces yet failing to overcome a single Foundation Establishment cultivator was already a tremendous humiliation!
Ning Zhuo pressed the advantage. Redirecting the Geng Metal whirlwind downward, he caught a skeletal human bridge that was about to connect to the top of the wall within its center.
Chi chi chi chi…
A dense series of scalp-numbing slicing sounds rang out. The hard bones were like rotten wood before the blade storm, instantly shaved down, dismantled, and ground into a skyful of white bone powder!
When the storm swept past, that bone bridge along with the several hundred skeletal dead soldiers upon it were completely erased, leaving only a mess of bone fragments on the ground.
Seeing Ning Zhuo’s overwhelming momentum, the Flying Spear Ghost General immediately seized a spear at the level of a magical artifact, aimed at Ning Zhuo, and hurled it directly.
Ning Zhuo’s mechanism ring suddenly tightened, but even without its warning, he had already noticed the strike.
Water Element——Whirlpool Shield Reversal!
Water Element Kidney Temple augmentation.
Azure streams of water manifested from nothingness and in an instant encircled Ning Zhuo, forming a massive water shield.
When the flying spear struck the shield, it immediately triggered a violent vortex.
The water vortex absorbed the spear along its momentum, continuously altering its direction. The spear circled once within the shield before shooting out diagonally in another direction.
Boom!
The spear struck the base of another skeletal human bridge, displaying immense power and directly blasting it apart.
The Flying Spear Ghost General glared in furious disbelief. He had not expected Ning Zhuo to turn his own stratagem against him, using his attack to destroy the Yin soldiers’ bridge tower. Fortunately, these skeletal dead soldiers possessed little intellect—otherwise, morale would have plummeted.
Having successfully counterattacked, Ning Zhuo maintained the water shield and immediately activated another method.
Wood Element——Root Vine Entanglement.
Wood Element Liver Temple!
Ning Zhuo divided his focus further. While maintaining the other spells, he now required auxiliary movements to cast this one.
His left hand formed hand seals. In just two breaths, he completed all the motions. Then he flipped his palm downward and pressed toward the ground beneath the wall.
The earth trembled violently. Countless thick, dark-green vines burst through the hardened soil like living giant pythons, surging forth wildly! Ignoring the skeletal soldiers’ hacking strikes, they instantly wrapped around leg bones, torsos, and arms, then crushed them viciously.
Wherever the vines passed, the skeletal army formation collapsed in swathes. The scattered bones had not even fully fallen before their exposed soul flames were extinguished in passing.
With this, nearly all the skeletal dead soldiers near the wall were annihilated.
Not even a single skeletal human bridge remained.
This section of the wall was turned from peril to safety by Ning Zhuo alone. The youth’s astonishing performance drew countless gazes.
In the next instant, the astonishment in those gazes turned to shock.
Fire Element——Nine Heavens Fire Dragon Art!
Fire Element Heart Temple augmentation!
Ning Zhuo shifted again to Fire Element, unleashing the group assault technique he excelled at.
Three fire dragons raised their heads and roared, flying out from the city wall with awe-inspiring might. Charging nearly a thousand paces outward, they incinerated vast numbers of skeletal dead soldiers before they could approach this section of wall.
Five or six Golden Core–level Ghost Generals acted in succession. Some used ghost techniques against the fire dragons; others employed military arts to bolster the skeletal dead soldiers.
Ning Zhuo’s control over the fire dragons was exquisitely precise, avoiding many ghost techniques while maximizing slaughter.
After much effort, the Ghost Generals finally exterminated the three fire dragons. Each wore an ugly expression, panting and in considerable disarray.
Within the barracks inside the wall, Qing Chi turned her head toward Ning Zhuo’s direction.
She and the Qing Jiao Army served as reserves. It was not yet their time to enter battle; they could only await orders.
What she saw were fire dragons soaring through the sky, heard continuous dragon roars, and the thunderous explosion when the dragons ultimately self-detonated. “Which expert is striking down the enemy?”
She felt the fire dragons’ imposing aura and her morale rose.
Clearly, such an offensive was not the style of the Yin soldiers’ army—it must be their own cultivators taking action.
Ning Zhuo unleashed another full cycle of Five Elements spells, clearing a vast empty stretch before his section of wall.
The cultivators beside him slightly opened their mouths. There was simply no opportunity left for them to act.
He was about to begin a third cycle when the sound of drums echoed.
This was Iron Bone Zheng’s order to rotate troops!
Ning Zhuo was decisive and turned to leave.
After the war in Two Notes Nation, his war literacy had greatly improved.
Just as he stepped down from the wall, the ink river within White Paper Immortal City suddenly churned, erupting into over a hundred columns of waves. At least six streams rose into the air, transforming into six ink river water pythons.
Rumble…
The gigantic water pythons wreaked havoc everywhere. Countless buildings were crushed and toppled in an instant.
Ning Zhuo’s pupils shrank sharply. “Is this Zheng Shoumo’s hidden move? Or are there other traitors secretly stirring trouble?”
He did not take action. Instead, following prior training, he entered the barracks for urgent rest and reorganization.
The unrest within the city had long been anticipated by White Paper Immortal City’s upper echelons.
After all, Zheng Shoumo had not been captured alive. He had escaped, severing the next line of clues.
In truth, if he were the only traitor, that would have been strange. The dignified Lord of the Forgotten River would not conduct matters so simply.
Underworld.
Upon the ritual altar, Lord of the Forgotten River suddenly felt a surge of relief.
The pressure of chanting the Sacrificial Text lessened sharply, and the altar accordingly blossomed with blood light.
Realization dawned in his heart. “A large batch of blood sacrifices has come in! It seems the assault on White Paper Immortal City in the Yang World has begun to yield results.”
At that moment, a melody of sorrow suddenly sounded.
At first it was a faint lingering chant. Then it wound around the surroundings. Within several breaths, it became the main tone upon the altar, even slowing the sweeping yin winds.
The five Nascent Soul cultivators guarding beyond the yin winds roared in fury. Tens of thousands of imperial guards moved in unison, activating the grand formation.
But the formation spun idly, unable to harm the culprit in the slightest.
Lord of the Forgotten River sighed faintly. “This is Empty Sorrow. It is not something you can stop. Brother Bone, the one you wish to kill is me. Why trouble others? Come and fight me.”
As he spoke, he proactively manipulated the grand formation, opening a gap in the mass of yin wind.
The sorrowful melody condensed into a beam, slipped through the opening, and arrived before him, transforming into a bone cultivator.
It was Sorrow Bone Empress.
Her body was enveloped in gray-white sorrow mist. Her skeletal form was like white jade carved to slender, ethereal perfection. The lustrous bone gleamed warmly, like glazed jade or marrow crystal. Twelve pairs of ribs bloomed like budding bone lotuses, guarding the deep-blue soul flame within her chest. Her spine extended into a long bone tail, seven jade spikes lightly tapping the void.
Her entire body was covered in a layer of Thousand Sorrows and Ten Thousand Sighs Bone Armor—countless hair-thin sighing bone threads woven in exquisite hollowed patterns into a garment, thin as cicada wings, clinging tightly to her form and outlining a breathtaking silhouette.
Her skull was delicate and refined. From cheekbones to jaw were branded deep-blue tear-mark bone patterns. Within her eye sockets burned icy-blue soul flames, filled with profound sorrow.
She gazed at Lord of the Forgotten River. “A Chuan, I turned into a female cultivator for you, only to share life and death together. Even now, will you not change your heart?”
Lord of the Forgotten River sighed deeply in helplessness. “Brother Bone, we were sworn brothers. How did it come to this?”
Sorrow Bone Empress replied, “You knew my feelings long ago. Drawing close to me was merely to use my bravery and talent. When the time came for you to fulfill your promise, you used sworn brotherhood to brush me aside.”
“I am not your brother. I should be your wife!”
Lord of the Forgotten River looked up at the sky. “There is only one wife in my heart.”
Sorrow Bone Empress gave a cold laugh. “Of course I know. That is why I schemed before, deceiving your wife out of White Tail Marsh, letting her truly see your sincerity—your true character.”
“It was you!” Lord of the Forgotten River’s expression changed drastically. Furious, he pointed at her.
Sorrow Bone Empress threw her head back and laughed. “Hehehe, hahaha. If I cannot have the one I love, neither shall you! A Chuan, I will make you taste my profound sorrow.”
With an enraged gesture, Lord of the Forgotten River instantly condensed a water spear that pierced through the void and shot straight toward her.
The spear was murky, heavy with water qi, carrying vast yin winds.
Sorrow Bone Empress did not dodge. She merely raised her slender right hand.
Clang—!
The water spear collided with her palm, producing the chime of metal and jade.
Space folded before her bone palm. Countless white bone phantoms, as fine as threads, interwove into a dense net, continuously annihilating and regenerating, neutralizing the soul-corroding force, immense weight, and decay dao resonance contained within the spear.
The water spear dissipated as its force was exhausted. Yet the phantom bone threads remained layered and overlapping, emitting waves of sorrowful sound.
The Lord Prefect’s abyssal eyes narrowed slightly. Inwardly, he murmured, “Thousand Sorrows and Ten Thousand Sighs Bone Armor.”
Having once been close to her, he naturally knew much of her background.
He shifted hand seals and softly uttered a seal-word: “Heartless Ferry.”
As the icy words fell, profound nether water gushed forth, merging with yin-aspected magic and transforming into a vast black tide that spread silently.
Sorrow Bone Empress had no way to retreat and was surrounded.
Under the black tide’s influence, her various emotions rapidly vanished. Others mattered little—but sorrow was crucial, forming a key component of her battle strength.
“A Chuan, you truly understand me.” She smiled bitterly.
Lord of the Forgotten River remained expressionless, silently summoning more black tide to encircle her.
When the tides neared her body, they were completely blocked by the Thousand Sorrows and Ten Thousand Sighs Bone Armor, yielding no immediate effect.
Yet he did not cease. He knew that using this spell to exhaust her bone armor was no disadvantage.
Heartbreaking Dirge Flute!
Sorrow Bone Empress naturally understood the situation. She drew out a bone flute and placed it before her bone lips.
Wuwuwu…
The flute’s sound rose—harsh and unmelodic, like an orphaned fledgling crying for its mother, a resentful widow weeping blood, a nation mourning its fall!
Spell——Dirge Reversal!
In an instant, her sorrow surged. Her battle strength skyrocketed, even surpassing her state before the fight began.
Under the flute’s melody, the black tide reversed, seized by her and crashing back toward Lord of the Forgotten River.
His expression shifted slightly. His long robes billowed as his magic power drained rapidly, attempting to reclaim control of the reversed tide.
As he acted, Sorrow Bone Empress’s little finger suddenly detached and shot toward him.
Ghost Technique——Sorrow Bone Pierces the Heart!
The finger bone moved so swiftly it seemed to ignore space itself, imprinting directly upon his chest.
Puchi!
With a soft sound, the bone finger pierced through his robe, flesh, and soul, shooting out from his back.
Lord of the Forgotten River froze on the spot. His life aura collapsed like a snow mountain.
“A Chuan!” Having struck successfully, Sorrow Bone Empress’s expression changed drastically, fearing she had truly killed him by mistake. Panic filled her.
Suddenly, he pressed his palm forward and shouted coldly.
In an instant, countless sharp needles shot forth.
Ten Thousand Ghost Soul-Devouring Needles!
Each needle carried piercing chill and soul-eroding malice like a swarm of bees, directly enveloping Sorrow Bone Empress in a fierce assault.
Horror filled her face as she discovered that her proudest defense—the Thousand Sorrows and Ten Thousand Sighs Bone Armor—was severely restrained by these hair-thin needles. Even its regenerative ability was nearly suppressed to nothing.
Ten Thousand Bones Wailing Escape!
Sensing danger, she retreated explosively, breaking through the altar’s swirling winds and fleeing in disarray.
Before leaving, she left harsh words behind: “A Chuan, you are ruthless. To use my concern for you to create such an opening born of my panic.”
“Heh.”
“The wound you inflicted upon me—I will keep it, brewing sorrow carefully.”
“When next we meet, I will make you truly understand!”
Lord of the Forgotten River stood at the altar’s edge, coughing violently, blood spilling with each breath.
Yet his posture remained upright.
He wiped the blood from his lips and cast his cold, imposing gaze elsewhere.
There, a mute monk in yellow robes was stepping through the air.
It was Soundless Ghost Monk!
Sorrow Bone Empress had just retreated, and Soundless Ghost Monk appeared… clearly, they had reached some private agreement to join forces.
“Perhaps there are others hidden behind them.” Lord of the Forgotten River felt immense pressure.
But at that moment, the altar’s radiance suddenly brightened considerably.
“Oh?”
“It seems there has been a breakthrough on the Yang World battlefield!”
Yang World.
White Paper Immortal City.
Amid a thunderous roar, the southern city gate was directly pushed open, left wide exposed!
The one who pushed the gate open was none other than Funeral Music Phantom Performer.