Chapter 638: The Painted Skin Rakshasa Storms the Immortal City
The Prefect of Ghostfire unleashed three ghost arts in succession, with scarcely any interval between them—fierce and swift—striking the Earth Fiend Turbid Deity so relentlessly that the latter could not even counterattack and was directly heavily wounded.
Yet such results only made the Prefect of Ghostfire grow more solemn.
He had indeed gravely injured a split soul of the Prefect of the Forgetting River, but from the aura that leaked out, the foundation of the Earth Fiend Turbid Deity did not lie solely in Its body. A portion of It was connected to the grand formation here.
In that case, let alone severely injuring It—even if the Earth Fiend Turbid Deity were completely annihilated, It would still be born again from this grand formation, from the vast quantities of Earth-Lung Turbid Qi.
Sure enough, in the next moment, colossal pillars of turbid qi poured frenziedly into the body of the Earth Fiend Turbid Deity.
The Earth Fiend Turbid Deity suddenly threw back Its head, like parched land receiving long-awaited rain.
First, Its hollow chest rapidly filled, packed with turbid qi. Then the charred outer layer swiftly peeled away, revealing beneath it a newly born body with even stronger defenses. Finally, It roared toward the heavens, the sound shaking the battlefield as It erupted with a grand and terrifying aura.
“As long as the turbid qi does not cease, the Turbid Deity does not die.” The voice of the Prefect of the Forgetting River rose through the surging turbid qi, carrying a trace of leisure, tinged with mockery and provocation. “Yin Jiuzhu, can your flames burn away the filth accumulated beneath the Nine Nether Underworld for ten thousand years?”
Yin Jiuzhu remained silent. Seated cross-legged upon the Charred-Bone Lotus Platform, he continued to strike frequently.
Yet these ghost arts merely restrained the Earth Fiend Turbid Deity; his main attacks targeted the endless Earth-Lung Turbid Qi.
The ghost arts repeatedly achieved results, dispersing the vast majority of the turbid qi pillars.
But the Earth-Lung Turbid Qi was inexhaustible. No matter how much was scattered or destroyed, it was replenished—indeed, in even greater quantities than before!
The assaults of the Earth Fiend Turbid Deity also forced Yin Jiuzhu to constantly maneuver the lotus platform beneath him, spinning and evading without cease.
Since the battle began, this was the first time the Prefect of Ghostfire had fallen into a disadvantage.
“The Earth Fiend Turbid Deity of the Prefect of the Forgetting River is not profoundly cultivated and has yet to master a Divine Dao-Field.”
“But this grand formation is deeply bound to It. To eradicate the Earth Fiend Turbid Deity, the formation must be uprooted—or at least damaged—so that the turbid qi changes from infinite to finite.”
“What exactly is the origin of this grand formation? I must examine it carefully…”
Recognizing the situation, the Prefect of Ghostfire exerted even greater force in activating the Yin Crow Ghost-Eye Candle.
The candle was black and glossy. Its flame resembled the head of a crow; the fire itself was pitch-black, yet where the eyes should be, two points of violet flame burned, like a pair of purple pupils embedded within.
This Extraordinary Flame could pierce through many surfaces, revealing inner mysteries to the Prefect of Ghostfire.
He had already begun activating it earlier. Now, increasing its power, he finally completed this round of observation and discerned the truth.
The truth that appeared before him startled even him.
“This is the Heaven-and-Earth Two-Aspect Formation!”
“The Heaven Aspect is the Heaven Ghost Transformation Tribulation Offering Rite, specifically for refining Heaven Ghost skulls and blood-sacrificing living beings in exchange for the favor of the Underworld’s firmament, greatly increasing fortune.”
“The Earth Aspect is the Earth-Lung Turbid Qi Barrier Screen, specially designed to extract earth qi endlessly and unceasingly, possessing excellent defensive capabilities.”
It was worth noting that the Heaven Ghost Transformation Tribulation Offering Rite was a Confucian art, and the Earth-Lung Turbid Qi Barrier Screen was an earth-attribute magical treasure. Neither was a formation.
The only true formation was the Heaven-and-Earth Two-Aspect Formation. One of its characteristics was precisely that it could use spells, magical treasures, and other non-formation entities as its two aspects, combining them into various Heaven-and-Earth Two-Aspect Formations.
The flame of the Yin Crow Ghost-Eye Candle flickered and shifted. Within the Sea of Consciousness of the Prefect of Ghostfire, it reflected a distant and hazy scene—not the battlefield before him, but a sharp, towering immortal city rising above the surface of the Forgetting River, its towers standing densely.
It was the Forgetting River Immortal City!
Deep within the immortal city, inside the City Lord’s Mansion, stood a screen.
The screen was enormous—a massive boulder over ten zhang thick and nearly a hundred chi long, resembling the fossilized spine of some ancient creature.
Its surface was covered with mud, lava, plant roots, and numerous spiral, twisted cavities.
The colossal stone was rooted deep in the earth, drawing Earth-Lung Qi on a terrifying scale.
The Earth-Lung Turbid Qi Barrier Screen!
The flame of the Yin Crow Ghost-Eye Candle grew slightly stronger, and the surface of the stone screen became illusory and blurred, revealing even more of the truth within.
The Prefect of Ghostfire immediately saw: within the stone screen were seventy-two Earth-Lung nodules.
Each Earth-Lung nodule was about the size of an adult human head. Their shapes were irregular, oval, and they pulsed faintly like living organs.
A wave of speechlessness rose in the Prefect of Ghostfire’s heart.
Good heavens!
The Prefect of the Forgetting River had prepared far too thoroughly.
This Earth-Lung Turbid Qi Barrier Screen was the Earth Aspect, yet it was not on the battlefield. It was hidden far away within the Forgetting River Immortal City.
Under normal circumstances, such an important magical treasure would serve as the core of the Earth Aspect formation and could not be separated from the formation itself.
But the Heaven-and-Earth Two-Aspect Formation was special.
The scope of this grand formation was often extremely vast. It truly lived up to its name of connecting Heaven and Earth.
Moreover, at this moment, the Prefect of the Forgetting River stood near the Heaven Aspect, invoking the power of the Earth Aspect formation—an entirely proper use—and even allowing Heaven and Earth to correspond, using the Earth Aspect to bolster the Heaven Aspect.
The Prefect of Ghostfire calculated inwardly: “Many of the cultivators maintaining the Heaven-and-Earth Two-Aspect Formation have already perished, slowing the operation of the formation.”
“And within the Heaven Aspect formation, there is also the Returning to Ruin Finger, the Life-Bound Buddha Wheel of the Soundless Ghost Monk, and the Prefect Seal of the Forgetting River Underworld. These are also significant obstructions, hampering the formation’s operation.”
“But this only hinders the Heaven Aspect and has little connection with the Earth Aspect.”
“To break the Earth Aspect, one must start from the Forgetting River Immortal City!”
At this realization, the Prefect of Ghostfire immediately understood: whether he could obstruct the Dao path of the Prefect of the Forgetting River and whether he could defeat him did not hinge upon himself.
It hinged upon—
“The Painted Skin Rakshasa!” The Prefect of Ghostfire suddenly understood, confirming that his earlier divination had not been mistaken. The placement of the Painted Skin Rakshasa within the Forgetting River Immortal City was the most crucial move.
He exerted himself fully to activate a spell, attempting to contact the Painted Skin Rakshasa and explain the situation.
At this time, the Painted Skin Rakshasa was circling the outskirts of the Forgetting River Immortal City, using spells to silently observe the city gate.
Above the gate hung a round mirror.
It was an ancient bronze mirror, iron-gray with patina, tinged with blue and red hues. The mirror surface resembled murky mercury, within which gray-black quicksand swirled faintly, emitting a sickly green phosphorescent glow. On the back was a relief carving of a judge without eyes holding a scroll, malignant aura steaming around it.
“This is the Mirror of Karmic Sin.”
“Entering this city will be somewhat troublesome.”
The Painted Skin Rakshasa sighed faintly.
For this Mirror of Karmic Sin, under normal reflection, was worse than an ordinary mirror—a muddled blur. Its true function was to reveal the sins of living beings.
Green flames scorched the mirror; those illuminated would have their outer skin blur and fade, revealing bone and soul forms. Any sin would manifest as dark-red brands, black-blood mist threads, and barbed curses.
The Painted Skin Rakshasa was a genuine demonic cultivator. She had slaughtered countless lives in her lifetime and delighted in flaying skin to create paintings. Naturally, her sins were grave.
Ordinary disguise techniques would not allow her to pass. The mirror would certainly reveal her sinful form.
However, as one of the great enemies of the Prefect of the Forgetting River, her methods were naturally formidable.
After observing for a while, she had already devised three methods that could allow her to secretly infiltrate the immortal city.
“Hm?!” Just as she was about to activate a method to disguise herself, her mind trembled. A wisp of incense smoke and faint candlelight flickered indistinctly, conveying the message of the Prefect of Ghostfire.
The Painted Skin Rakshasa’s expression changed at once.
“So that’s how it is!”
“It seems this old lady’s side has instead become the most crucial point.”
“Hehehe, interesting.”
Time was pressing. She immediately abandoned her earlier plan of proceeding slowly and instead rushed straight toward the city gate.
The mirror surface of the Mirror of Karmic Sin suddenly erupted with brilliant light!
A sickly green beam shone upon the Painted Skin Rakshasa. In the span of a few breaths, her face flashed wildly through countless skin-faces—
Men and women, young and old, expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and delight—varied beyond number.
“A fiend!” roared a defending ghost general, immediately mobilizing his command token to control the massive crossbows atop the city, unleashing terrifying bolts.
“Hehehe…” The Painted Skin Rakshasa let out a coquettish laugh that chilled the bones.
Her figure suddenly exploded, transforming into thousands upon thousands of skins.
These skins were as thin as cicada wings, painted with men, women, elders, children, demons, and monsters. They swiftly filled out into form, lifelike, surging forward and instantly sweeping over the city gate!
Puff, puff, puff…
The rain of arrows from the city walls pierced countless skins in an instant. But the true body of the Painted Skin Rakshasa had already leapt onto the city wall, appearing behind the defending general.
Soul-Flaying Claw!
She extended her right hand, which transformed into a crimson bone claw! The claw tips shimmered with venomous, chilling light as they silently pressed toward the back of the ghost general’s heart.
The ghost general did not perceive it and was immediately ripped through the heart, dying on the spot.
With the general dead, the defenses at this gate plummeted.
The Painted Skin Rakshasa gave a cold laugh. Her body trembled once more, bursting into myriad painted skins. Concealing her true body among them, she surged into the Forgetting River Immortal City.
“Enemy attack!”
“A Nascent Soul Ghost General has fallen.”
“Release the Three Paths Bewildering Miasma at once. Activate the Three Paths Bewildering Heart Formation!”
Alarm bells rang throughout the city.
For the sake of a century-long plan, the Prefect of the Forgetting River had drawn away nearly all elites. The Forgetting River Immortal City was in its emptiest state in history; thus the nerves of its remaining defenders were already tightly strung.
The Painted Skin Rakshasa had not concealed her movements. Though she had successfully broken in, the immortal city reacted immediately.
Three-colored miasma spread from the ground, swiftly engulfing the entire city.
Her true body trudged through the miasma. It reached her ankles, constantly shifting in color.
She held her breath, but mere contact of her body was enough to take effect. Her soul began to drift.
Buzz…
In the next moment, the entire immortal city emitted a low hum. Countless Remnant Thought Stones embedded in walls, eaves, and cracks in the paving stones lit up simultaneously.
The Three Paths Bewildering Heart Formation was fully activated.
The Painted Skin Rakshasa secretly maintained protective methods, but as she walked, she sensed something wrong.
“Where is this?”
“Which direction did I just come from?”
“I… what was I going to do?!”
She jolted awake, her heart turning cold as she realized the formation could rapidly erase her memories, causing her thoughts to sink continuously.
She hurriedly activated various magical treasures, but all were ineffective.
Left with no choice, she could only activate her primary cultivation art. Radiance flowed around her body as painted skins flashed into existence.
The skins continuously peeled away, consuming themselves to offset the terrifying power of the Three Paths Bewildering Heart Formation.
The immortal city’s streets twisted and stretched within the miasma, as though endless. The Painted Skin Rakshasa steeled her will, forcing herself onward, disregarding the severe depletion of her foundation. At last, she emerged from the densest region of miasma, and in her vision appeared the towering City Lord’s Mansion.
Without hesitation, she followed a bridge and rushed straight toward it.
“Honored guest, pray halt. Let this old man ferry you across—how about it?” An elderly man drifted over in a black-canopied boat through the miasma, blocking her path.
He held a paper lantern in his hand, emitting a pallid white light.
Without a word, the Painted Skin Rakshasa charged to kill.
The old man sighed deeply and flicked his sleeve, scattering countless paper slips.
In midair, the slips swelled into human shapes, horse shapes, boat shapes, and more. In almost an instant, they formed a fleet.
The fleet was vast, blocking every direction of her advance.
“A paper effigy craftsman?” The Painted Skin Rakshasa raised a brow and sneered, summoning hundreds and thousands of painted skins as she attacked the fleet.
For a time, battle cries shook the heavens.
The Painted Skin Rakshasa and the boat-ferrying elder fell into a stalemate.
At the Tribulation Offering Altar—
The Earth Fiend Turbid Deity continued entangling with the Prefect of Ghostfire. Though repeatedly heavily wounded and almost entirely suppressed, It relied on inexhaustible Earth-Lung Turbid Qi to tie up much of his attention.
Hidden within a branch of the Forgetting River, the true body of the Prefect of the Forgetting River suddenly stirred.
He had received intelligence that the Forgetting River Immortal City was under attack. The report detailed how the Painted Skin Rakshasa had forcibly stormed the city and was currently battling the paper-boat elder.
“Not good.”
“So the Painted Skin Rakshasa truly lies within my immortal city.”
“She is suppressed by the city formation, but given her battle strength, the paper-boat elder can only hold her temporarily. In the end, he will not be able to stop her.”
The defensive forces of the Forgetting River Immortal City were extremely weak. The Prefect of the Forgetting River had little confidence.
This situation forced him to make a decision. He took out a supreme treasure!
It was a pair of scissors, only three chi long, made entirely of dark, ancient jade that seemed to swallow light. The handles were formed by two nether dragons, their mouths wide open, fangs clasping the base of the blades.
The blades were curved, covered in fine scale patterns like a dragon’s spine.
At the cutting edge, a thin line of extremely condensed dark-blue ghostly light flowed incessantly.
The Nether Flood Dragon Scissors!
Unless absolutely compelled, the Prefect of the Forgetting River would never have taken out this magical treasure.
But now, he could only rely on this supreme treasure to break the stalemate.
“The candles of the Nine Nether will eventually burn out. Go.” He cast out the Nether Flood Dragon Scissors.
The scissors flew above the battlefield, causing the Prefect of Ghostfire’s heart to quake violently!
A flash of ghostly light from the blades—aimed from afar at the Prefect of Ghostfire—and they closed gently.
Click.
With a soft sound, the Soul-Tempting Spirit-Luring Candle was cut cleanly in two. Countless snow-white light points sprayed forth. Then the candle flame drifted and swiftly extinguished, and the sound of lamentation on the battlefield ceased abruptly.
The body of the Prefect of Ghostfire swayed.
Next, the Nether Flood Dragon Scissors aimed at the Heart-Carving Blood-Weeping Candle and snipped lightly once more.
The dark-red candle, like a blood crystal, exploded outright. Its flame was instantly annihilated.
Yin Jiuzhu gave a muffled groan, suffering backlash.
His aura plummeted sharply. In disbelief, he stared at the Nether Flood Dragon Scissors, roaring inwardly, “Is this a national treasure?!”
He fell into grave danger. Without hesitation, he seized the Frozen Abyss Ice Coffin Candle and hurled it forth.
The Frozen Abyss Ice Coffin Candle vanished instantly. When it reappeared, it had transformed into an ice coffin that enveloped the Nether Flood Dragon Scissors, exerting full force to freeze and suppress it!
The movements of the Nether Flood Dragon Scissors slowed considerably. This time, they aimed to snip Yin Jiuzhu himself.
Alarm bells thundered in Yin Jiuzhu’s heart as he sensed a deadly crisis.
The Yellow Springs Road-Guiding Candle!
His expression changed drastically. Gone was his previous composure. He fully ignited another treasure candle, summoning a dim yellow flame.
Under the illumination of the flame, space was carved open, forming a small path.
Without the slightest hesitation, the Prefect of Ghostfire mounted the Charred-Bone Lotus Platform and flew into the path, fleeing in miserable defeat!
The true body of the Prefect of the Forgetting River had also exhausted himself to the utmost. His face was deathly pale. He had nearly lost contact with the Nether Flood Dragon Scissors and could only allow the magical treasure to remain sealed within the ice coffin.
Activating this supreme treasure consumed far too much!
Even as a Soul Formation–level being, the Prefect of the Forgetting River was nearly spent to the point of unconsciousness.
He barely managed to gather the waters of ten thousand rivers to envelop his body. After doing so, he immediately fell into slumber.