Chapter 806: Chapter 269: Ten Thousand Souls_2
“Wen Ruanyu truly lives up to being the Golden Core True Transmission of the Myriad Images Sect!”
“He is a Confucian Cultivator, and should possess mastery over the four arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Previously, he demonstrated his self-portrait, and the substitute was at the Golden Core Level. The setup and control of this Jade Bell True Array reflect his profound attainments in the Array Dao and Music Art.”
Ning Zhuo secretly praised in his heart, gaining a deeper understanding of Wen Ruanyu’s combat prowess.
If Wen Ruanyu were to fight alone, he would be at a disadvantage against three Golden Core-level opponents like the previous Talkative Ghost General.
However, once prepared, such as by setting up and controlling a Formation, he could display even greater combat strength.
From the beginning of the battle until now, Ning Zhuo had hardly made a move, relying entirely on Wen Ruanyu to fight.
Using the Formation, he fought one against six, firmly taking the initiative.
At this rate, Wen Ruanyu might even capture six Golden Core Ghost Generals alive in one go!
The Red-haired Ghost General, surrounded by bronze Simurghs, suddenly roared to the sky, burning himself to launch his strongest attack ever.
Boom!
The explosion and scorching flames directly toppled a bronze pillar.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Peanut Ghost General performed a ghost technique—Ghostly Life Soul Flower!
“Not good.” Wen Ruanyu’s expression slightly changed, and he put all his effort into managing the Formation, strictly preventing its collapse.
But by doing so, he was almost unable to stop the Peanut Ghost General’s ghost technique.
The sound of the Jade Bell continuously resisted most of the ghost technique’s power.
Even so, Ning Zhuo still suffered minor injuries.
His physical body remained intact, but numerous flower buds grew upon his soul. These buds immediately bloomed, greatly absorbing Ning Zhuo’s soul power, causing him dizziness and a constant decline in condition.
Ning Zhuo hastily picked up his soul weapon axe and swung it towards his soul. In his desperation, he did not hesitate to cut away intact parts of his soul, determined to quickly remove all the soul flowers!
Driven by sheer determination, Ning Zhuo endured the excruciating pain of cutting his soul and promptly rid himself of the soul flowers.
“This ghost technique bypasses normal defensive measures and targets the soul directly.”
“My soul cultivation is indeed too low.”
Ning Zhuo firmly remembered this lesson.
Meanwhile, he focused more attentively on the Silent Ghost General.
“This ghost technique was suddenly executed without a preparatory stage and was silently enhanced by innate talent, which made me fail to notice it.”
“This innate talent is indeed good, very practical!”
The counterattack of the Ghostly Life Soul Flower was the last hope of the six Ghost Generals.
Both Wen Ruanyu and Ning Zhuo managed to withstand this “desperate counterattack.”
Soon after, five Golden Core Ghost Generals were captured alive by Wen Ruanyu, while the Red-haired Ghost General died on the battlefield.
“After interrogation, could you gift me this Silent Ghost General?” Ning Zhuo proposed a condition.
Wen Ruanyu immediately explained that he was not the one who could make such decisions. These Ghost Generals would be personally interrogated by the City Lord’s incarnate, striving to extract more valuable military intelligence.
Having said this, Wen Ruanyu reassured Ning Zhuo, stating that not only had he discovered the Qianmo Lamp, but he had also provided crucial intelligence, ensuring that this military achievement would definitely earn him more rewards. However, due to the state of war, Wen Ruanyu asked Ning Zhuo to return and await further news, while he immediately escorted the captives to the City Lord’s Mansion.
Ning Zhuo contemplated for a moment and slightly shook his head.
“I’ll stay here, taking over from Senior Wen to control the Jade Bell True Array.”
“Though the chances might be slim, if the enemy has a second wave of attackers, the paper giant statue in the southern city would be destroyed.”
Wen Ruanyu pondered for a moment and generously lent all treasures used to stabilize the array to Ning Zhuo, also taking out a jade slip for Ning Zhuo to inspect.
One of the contents of the jade slip was the Jade Bell True Array method.
Of course, Wen Ruanyu still placed his Golden Core-level portrait next to Ning Zhuo as surveillance.
With Wen Ruanyu gone with the captives, Ning Zhuo sat cross-legged in mid-air, maintaining the Formation, experimenting with methods, while pondering the current situation.
“This is the second attack by Wangchuan’s underworld here.”
“The last time there were three Golden Cores, this time it’s directly doubled to six!”
“Will they continue attacking here in the future? And what will be the size of their contingent?”
“Is this place very important?”
“Or is it because there’s something set up by Mother here, making Wangchuan’s Underworld deeply fearful, eager to eliminate it?”
“Mother set up the Qianmo Lamp here, though the paper army isn’t her work, it has created many passages to the Underworld. What is her purpose in doing so?”
Ning Zhuo did not feel anxious despite his lack of understanding.
He knew he lacked more critical intelligence and had a vague premonition that he should gain this critical information!
Sun Lingtong secretly contacted him along the Life Hanging Thread.
Ning Zhuo thus learned the real situation of the battle.
“After all, White Paper Immortal City is an Immortal City, temporarily secure on the surface.”
“The key issue remains internal threats. Until now, ghost creatures are still frequently emerging from the city’s waterways, attacking everywhere.”
“Alas, who is the traitor hiding among the high ranks?”
Ning Zhuo was appointed by the City Lord to investigate the city’s internal traitor, but he was aware of his lack of investigative skills. His discovery of the Qianmo Lamp was merely due to other plans and a series of coincidences.
Ning Zhuo quickly familiarized himself with the Jade Bell True Array, ensuring he could control the Formation to withstand the Golden Core Ghost Generals’ attacks, before taking out several treasures to begin soul cultivation.
From the recent battle where he suffered from the Ghostly Life Soul Flower technique, he became more dedicated to cultivating his soul foundation.
Ning Zhuo took a large gulp of Cold Bone Moon Dew Wine, warmth spreading from his stomach along his spine, blooming into countless icy minty strands from his nape.
Cold and warmth circulated within his cranial cavity, as if his soul was soaking in a pine forest bathed in morning mist, each soul light adorned with translucent frost dew.
The soul parts previously cut away during the removal of the soul flowers rapidly restored during this process.
Ning Zhuo, racing against time, drank wine while lighting the Nine Springs Anxi Perfume.
The fragrance permeated his lungs, filling his whole being with an ancient sense of peace.
The various chaotic emotions in Ning Zhuo’s mind, and countless scattered thoughts in his Divine Sea, were obliterated by the fragrance, allowing Ning Zhuo to enter an extremely calm state of mind.
Shortly after, Ning Zhuo’s soul was entirely healed, with faint improvement.
He took out a three-legged, two-eared bronze cauldron—the Hungry Ghost Retribution Cauldron, and cast in some ghost creatures.
These ghost creatures came from the Heavenly Ghost’s Storage Bag.
After casting them in, Ning Zhuo infused mana into the cauldron.
The cauldron began to glow, and the Diagram of Hundred Ghosts Devouring Each Other etched on its surface became clearly visible in the light.
The ghostly entities were trapped by the cauldron, unable to escape, and were soon starved to death, transformed into a mass of soul essence.
Ning Zhuo took out the soul essence, immediately applying several pieces, quickly increasing from a thousand soul to one thousand six hundred souls.
Ning Zhuo persevered, using more pieces of soul essence, quickly reaching sixteen hundred soul strength.
However, with such rapid advancement, Ning Zhuo’s soul became cloudy, his features considerably blurred, and his entire Soul Body became bloated.
Ning Zhuo endured the extreme pain of soul cutting, determined to swiftly remove all the soul flowers.
By going through two rounds of this process, Ning Zhuo’s soul power finally broke through to ten thousand folds of soul strength!