Chapter 643

At this moment, the solid ground was violently shaking. The White Paper Immortal City's defensive array was fully activated, drawing in the waters of the Nether蛟 River from outside. Millions of tons of Nether蛟 River water, mixed with boundless yin energy and the waters of the Ink River from within White Paper Immortal City, formed a constantly swirling "mountain" of black water! This black water mountain lifted the entire White Paper Immortal City, like a giant whale raising its head. In a dozen or so breaths, the immortal city, originally on flat ground, transformed into a mountain city. Black Water Mountain White Paper City!

The sky and earth changed color, and dark clouds billowed. The South City Gate, which had previously been opened, had already slammed shut, creating a situation where the enemy was trapped.

Inside Luo Si's tent, there was an uproar. Xie Sichao's expression changed dramatically, and he frantically whispered, "There's actually such a change!" Many ghost generals felt a chill run through their bodies. They even suspected that the South City Gate being easily opened by Sang Le You Ling earlier was a trap. White Paper Immortal City was luring them in. Now, the numerous Golden Core-level ghost generals and the three Dead Bone Giants were the fish that had been lured in! Once the city gate closed, only the Path of Solitude remained.

"Should we order them to retreat, or send more troops?" Everyone looked at Luo Si. At this moment, they suddenly realized that the cautious Luo Si had been right before; the vanguard general’s proactive attack was a reckless move. Under everyone's expectant gazes, Luo Si remained motionless, showing no reaction. He was simply observing.

Inside the Paper Figure Colossus, Ning Zhuo's eyes glowed with brilliant light. A feeling of surprise and delight surged in his heart as he realized it had been a trap all along. "This is very much in line with the current City Lord's style of doing things. She used everyone, including me, as pawns!" For her grand strategy, any pawn could be sacrificed.

"Mother, if we get rid of Sang Le You Ling now, with no Path to retreat through, we can directly swallow this crucial enemy force!" Ning Zhuo exclaimed excitedly.

However, the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, still kept her eyes closed, only transmitting a message with her divine sense: "Xiao Zhuo, calm down. Now is not the opportune moment for us to act. Don't worry, the City Lord will definitely make a move! It's inevitable that Lord Wangchuan would set White Paper Immortal City as the target for his blood sacrifice. There's a karmic pull between him and the current City Lord; they are bound to clash intensely."

After a slight pause, the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, continued, "We... need to wait... patiently. Waiting for our... opportunity. Only if we... disrupt Lord Wangchuan's century-long scheme can this... catastrophe truly end, and the people of the entire city genuinely attain a peaceful... life."

Ning Zhuo was instantly startled: "Mother?!" He noticed that the divine sense transmissions from the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, were becoming intermittent. This scene was quite familiar to him from his memories. Before, the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, had experienced similar symptoms that rapidly worsened, leading her to lose consciousness and become unable to communicate. Now, this process was much more rapid than before. How much time had passed for the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, to already show signs of collapsing?

White Paper Immortal City. City Lord's Mansion.

The City Lord's true body was also quietly waiting for Luo Si's next military order. There was no order to retreat, nor to send reinforcements. The City Lord's true body had a gloomy expression, and a cold sneer formed in her heart: "This enemy general is somewhat interesting." Since the vanguard general and others stubbornly rushed into the South City Gate, there was no point in retreating now. Compassion has no place in military command! Luo Si's inaction was itself a command, allowing them to continue acting as bait to provoke White Paper Immortal City into further action. Luo Si needed to see the true strength of White Paper Immortal City.

"Then let me show you," the City Lord's true body said, seeing that she couldn't lure out more of the enemy's fighting power. She immediately threw out a ruler. The ruler transformed into a rainbow of light, pierced through the void, and appeared above the South City Gate battlefield within a few breaths. The ruler hovered in mid-air, attracting many gazes.

This ruler was three feet six inches and five fen long, its entire body smooth and moist, and a deep bluish-green. The ruler's body was straight and rigid, its sides covered with dense fine lines, like ice-cracked porcelain, seemingly chaotic yet containing a certain beauty. Its surface emitted a faint, almost imperceptible layer of grayish-white Primeval Qi, like a thin veil covering jadeite. As the wisps of qi moved, they produced an extremely subtle rustling sound.

The Primeval Dispersing Ruler!

The next moment, Primeval Qi surged forth, mingling with the ruler's jade light, and shot towards Sang Le You Ling. Ghost General Yan Wei stepped forward, blocking Sang Le You Ling. He had a strong sense of unease, so he immediately activated his strongest defense ever. But as the Primeval Jade Light shone upon him, it instantly disintegrated him, separating him into a wisp of yin energy, a Golden Core, three ethereal souls, and six corporeal souls. The magic treasures, weapons, and other armaments he wore were scattered on the ground.

Primeval Qi is the beginning of matter, yet formless; disintegration is the end of kalpas, returning to the Great Void! Just as the poem on the back of the jade ruler stated: "Azure jade measures kalpas, primeval dust returns to dust." Ghost General Yan Wei had no power to resist; he simply disintegrated and died on the spot.

This scene horrified everyone, causing them to instinctively retreat and try to distance themselves from this terrifying treasure ruler! Only the vanguard general let out a low roar, advancing instead of retreating: "Protect Sang Le You Ling!!" The generals of the Yin Soldier Army quickly reacted, realizing that with the South City Gate closed, only by using the Path could they swiftly withdraw. So, they gritted their teeth, swarmed forward, and protected Sang Le You Ling. They shouted loudly, "Quick, adjust the Path's direction so we can get out!"

It turned out that the Path of Solitude was a one-way passage, only allowing movement in a single direction: either from outside the city to inside, or from inside the city to outside. Sang Le You Ling, however, wore a blank expression, showing no reaction at all.

As they spoke, the Primeval Dispersing Ruler emitted profound light once more, illuminating the surroundings. The ghost generals were horrified; even with their full defenses, all ghost generals within the range of the profound light were disintegrated and dissolved, their numerous magic treasures and weapons breaking apart into their individual components. Sang Le You Ling was also affected, leaving behind only scattered and separated ethereal and corporeal souls, and a Golden Core. The Candle of the Path of Solitude, which had burned down to a small stub, was also broken down into a pile of wax, wick, and flame.

This astonishing scene silenced the entire battlefield! The several ghost generals outside the profound light's range were still shaken, knowing they had narrowly escaped with their lives. Without the wax and wick to support it, the flame rapidly diminished, and along with it, the Path of Solitude rapidly shrunk, clearly on the verge of vanishing completely.

Inside the Paper Figure Colossus, the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, opened her eyes, let out a soft sigh, and said to Ning Zhuo, "The time has come, Xiao Zhuo." Ning Zhuo hesitated for a moment, then suddenly activated the Cremation Prajna Spirit-Dispelling Scripture. Familiar flames ignited again, this time spreading rapidly from the inside out within the Paper Figure Colossus.

Meanwhile, the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, gently waved her hand, causing ripples in space. The next moment, she summoned the magic treasure, the Qiánmò Lantern. This Qiánmò Lantern was octagonal-prism-shaped, four feet two inches tall, and one foot eight inches in diameter. Its top narrowed into a dome, and its base was square and flat. Its material appeared to be brass and sandalwood. The Qiánmò Lantern could significantly regulate the local earth energy, creating fertile land and enabling networks of communication.

Meng Yaoyin had secretly placed it inside the Paper Figure Colossus during her lifetime, using its marvelous power to secretly connect to several locations in the underworld. In each of these hidden locations, there was an army of paper figures! The Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin's Golden Core radiated light, gushing out massive amounts of spiritual power, all of which was poured into the Qiánmò Lantern, causing it to unleash its full power. It also activated related magic arrays, linking the Yin and Yang realms. The flames brought forth by the Cremation Prajna Spirit-Dispelling Scripture were already blazing fiercely.

The Paper Figure Colossus's sudden and strange self-combustion greatly surprised both friendly and enemy forces. And under the cover of the flames, the Qiánmò Lantern's light directly influenced this battlefield, causing the Path of Solitude to suddenly expand dramatically! The Path, originally a small trail, suddenly transformed into a swirling black hole. Within the black hole was a wide, clear path directly connecting to the underworld, no longer just outside the city in the mortal realm.

Amidst everyone's bewildered gazes, the Paper Figure Colossus, ablaze from head to toe, strode directly into the black hole, its form disappearing into the underworld, swiftly vanishing. Before leaving, it conveniently swept away several Golden Cores and a pile of disassembled magic treasures and weapons.

"Xiao Ma!" Qing Chi shouted, and without a second thought, led the charge, following into the underworld. The Qing Jiao Army followed closely behind.

"Everything's going smoothly," Sun Lingtong said, seeing that the Qing Jiao Army had all charged into the passage. Only then did he lead his Ox Cavalry, becoming the third wave to enter. On the side of the Yin Soldier Army, the remaining ghost generals reacted one after another and also rushed into the passage.

Luo Si's brows furrowed deeply. This direct passage to the underworld made him smell a conspiracy. He decisively issued an order. Receiving the new military order, large numbers of headless ghost riders within White Paper Immortal City immediately turned around and charged into the passage, becoming the fifth wave to enter.

Inside the City Lord's Mansion, the City Lord's true body took in this entire scene. Her brows were tightly furrowed. After some thought, she remotely controlled the Primeval Dispersing Ruler to strike at the black hole passage once more. The Primeval Dispersing Ruler's power was overbearing. Just a moment before it struck to disintegrate, the Bone Tomb Daoist let out a strange cry, and his figure, swift as lightning, frantically squeezed into the passage. There was truly no other way! The situation had changed too rapidly.

The City Lord's true body, upon making a move, achieved immense gains. She was extraordinary herself, and as the City Lord, she possessed the blessings and amplification of the entire immortal city. White Paper Immortal City was unlike Fire Persimmon Immortal City. The former was created by Scholar Xuansu with mysterious intentions, almost custom-built for the City Lord. The latter was built through the cooperation of the Nan Dou Royal Family and several prominent local families, where the City Lord was strictly constrained and found it difficult to personally utilize the city's defensive array to enhance their own power.

This was also the first public appearance of the Primeval Dispersing Ruler! Its miraculous and profound utility was terrifying. With the City Lord's true body officially joining the battle, this defensive war for White Paper Immortal City entered a new phase. The Black Water Mountain supporting White Paper Immortal City made it easy to defend and difficult to attack. On the Yin Soldier Army's side, they suffered heavy losses: many Golden Core-level ghost generals, the three Dead Bone Giants, a large number of headless ghost riders, and the insider, Bone Tomb Daoist. Although White Paper Immortal City successfully implemented its "trapping the enemy" strategy, it also lost important combat forces such as the Paper Figure Colossus, Ning Zhuo (Jiao Ma), and the Qing Jiao Army. Both sides sustained losses, but overall, the Yin Soldier Army suffered more casualties.

The Underworld. The Tribute Kalpa Altar.

A ghostly wind swept through, making Lord Wangchuan's sleeves flutter. Although he had fully recuperated, his recovery speed was unsatisfactory. Due to the combat losses from his battles with Lady Mournful Bone and Ghost Monk Wu Yin, Lord Wangchuan's combat strength was now only at sixty percent. However, a powerful enemy had arrived!

Within the dark, silent yin clouds, streaks of candlelight began to burn. Under the illumination of the candlelight, a lotus platform made of charred bones slowly drifted over. A cultivator was seated cross-legged on the lotus platform. He had a body of charred black bones, draped in a tattered cloak. The cloak fluttered and flapped in the wind. He had no flesh, skin, eyeballs, ears, or other organs; he was merely a skeleton. But his eye sockets were not empty; instead, they burned with candlelight. His left arm was wrapped in bronze chains, while his right arm was covered in a layer of yellow cloth. Candle oil continuously dripped from the greasy yellow cloth. And with every breath he took, sparks of fire would spray from his mouth and nose. Encircling his body, within the lotus seed holes of the lotus platform, were nine unlit candles of various strange forms, each possessing a miraculous appearance.

Lord Wangchuan took a deep breath, revealing an unprecedentedly cautious expression. He sighed deeply: "You've come after all." The powerful enemy who had arrived this time was no ordinary one; it was, arguably, the strongest and most feared existence in Lord Wangchuan's heart—Lord Ghostflame, Yin Jiuzhu!

The Ghostflame Underworld and the Wangchuan Underworld were closely adjacent, and their relationship had always been tense since ancient times, making it difficult to improve. Regardless of who was stronger or weaker, both harbored schemes against each other, both wanting to annex the other. Lord Wangchuan's massive operation this time was bound to provoke a strong reaction from Lord Ghostflame. In the Underworld, if anyone least wanted to see Lord Wangchuan succeed, it was certainly Lord Ghostflame!

Lord Wangchuan said, "You've traveled far from the Ghostflame Underworld this time, deep into the heart of my Wangchuan Underworld, abandoning your territorial advantage to proactively invade. You've truly lost your mind." Lord Wangchuan shook his head, feigning regret for the other party.

Lord Ghostflame sneered, "Stop pretending. Lady Mournful Bone and Monk Wu Yin were all connected by me. Besides them, there's also the Painted Skin Rakshasa. Hehehe, you can guess where she is now?"

Lord Wangchuan immediately felt a sense of unease. He quickly suppressed this distracting thought: "She should be here, fully trying to obstruct my path to enlightenment. If she truly isn't here, then that would be a great pity. After your failure, you will deeply regret not having focused all your strength against me."

Lord Ghostflame sneered, "Lord Wangchuan, do you think I haven't sought divination? The Jade-Faced Rakshasa has already infiltrated your Wangchuan Immortal City; she will wreak havoc within the city. This is because I've had someone calculate that destroying Wangchuan Immortal City will greatly benefit in obstructing your path to enlightenment!"

Before his words even faded, Lord Ghostflame formally made his move. A candle directly in front of him lit up on its own. This candle was ghastly white like withered bone, its surface covered with tiny holes, as if countless wailing mouths. Its wick was a tangled, translucent, grayish-white wisp of smoke. Once lit, the candle flame flickered eerily, revealing countless struggling soul shadows, emitting heart-wrenching, mournful whispers.

The Soul-Hooking and Spirit-Drawing Candle! The candle flame erupted with terrifying suction, forcefully pulling in the souls and spirits of the surrounding underworld cultivators. Lord Wangchuan also felt his soul body destabilize and quickly cast a spell to calm himself. Lord Ghostflame tested with one move, got his result, and then threw his head back and laughed loudly: "Lord Wangchuan, you truly have grown weaker."

Hidden Realm.

"Where is this?!" "How can there be so many paper figures?" The Qing Jiao Army was filled with doubt and surprise.

"Xiao Ma!" Qing Chi called out, rushing towards the Paper Figure Colossus. The Paper Figure Colossus collapsed with a roar, and the spiritual light generated from its burning completely converged into the body of the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin.