Chapter 603: The River of Oblivion

Bang.

Sun Sun Lingtong slammed headfirst into the paper general, but it felt like a mortal body colliding with a stone wall. He was left dizzy and disoriented, his soul trembling.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Sun Sun Lingtong grimaced in pain. It took a good while for his soul to settle, and his face returned to its original, lifelike appearance.

"What's going on?" Sun Sun Lingtong immediately felt a sense of foreboding.

He carefully extended an arm, which looked like a lotus root, and pressed it against the paper general's chest. It felt like pressing against solid rock.

Because they were connected by the Life-Thread, Unlike Ning Zhuo saw everything clearly. "Boss, take it easy. This isn't some kind of trap; I suspect your soul cultivation is insufficient. You aren't a soul cultivator. Sigh, if I had known, I should have fed you some underworld food."

Sun Sun Lingtong had guessed this truth as well and couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I didn't want to eat it! The last time I cultivated my physical body, my foundation increased significantly. If I had eaten underworld food this time and my soul grew even more, how would I ever cross the stage of transforming the virtual into the real?"

As it turned out, Sun Sun Lingtong had already reached the final stage of Foundation Establishment; he only needed to cross it to reach the Jin Dan realm.

However, this stage was tied to a cultivator's foundation.

For a Jin Dan to transform from virtual to real, it had to be perfect—ten tenths.

If a cultivator's physical body, soul, and other foundations grew repeatedly, they would never reach that ten-tenths perfection, making it impossible to form a solid core.

Sun Sun Lingtong's cultivation had already reached this stage, but previously, in order to help Unlike Ning Zhuo, he had researched convenient ways to use the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat. Combined with the immense pressure from the outside, his physical cultivation had grown significantly.

This undoubtedly set back his progress in transforming his virtual core into a real one by quite a bit.

The Thousand Peaks Forest punitive expedition in the Two-Note Kingdom had made Sun Sun Lingtong crave an increase in his cultivation even more urgently.

Therefore, even though he had a perfect opportunity to cultivate his soul here in White Paper City, he held back, wanting to wait until he had officially promoted to a Jin Dan cultivator.

After promoting to Jin Dan, it would be the same to improve his physical and soul foundations then.

This was because Sun Sun Lingtong's main cultivation technique was the Child's Art, which specialized in the Divine Sea; he had already comprehended it thoroughly, and it was very complete.

A cultivator's main technique was their true foundation. If this practice was insufficient—for example, if one promoted to a solid core at only ninety percent—the quality of the core would drop, and the foundation would be unstable.

For Sun Sun Lingtong, it didn't matter if he cultivated his body sooner or later; there was no risk of affecting his foundation.

His plan was beautiful, but who could have expected this situation to arise?

Now, because his soul foundation was insufficient, Sun Sun Lingtong could only watch the Nascent Soul paper general before him, unable to enter.

He was so angry that his entire soul body "fattened" by a fraction.

"So infuriating!" After failing several times, Sun Sun Lingtong could only turn his gaze toward other paper figures in frustration.

He smeared his small hand onto the paper deity on the chariot—these deity paper figures were all Jin Dan-level combatants—but it felt like pressing against leather armor; he had no way to enter.

Sun Sun Lingtong was even angrier and could only turn his gaze toward other targets.

He scanned the area, his gaze passing over the spear-and-shield soldiers and the crossbow paper figures, finally settling on the ox cavalry.

He climbed onto an ox and touched the cavalry paper figure with both hands. This time, it felt like pressing against a layer of window paper; with a slight exertion, it was as if he "pierced through," and his entire soul body rushed inside.

The paper cavalryman immediately "came to life," and his entire form changed.

Within a few breaths, he was no longer a paper figure built of white paper and wooden frames, but a living underworld soldier.

The underworld soldier was burly and thick-limbed, but his eyes darted around, possessing a sharp, cunning intelligence that contrasted greatly with his size.

Sun Sun Lingtong felt as if he were wearing a layer of oversized cotton clothing; it was very uncomfortable.

He discovered with disappointment that he could only control the cavalryman; the mount beneath him remained a paper construction.

He jumped down from the ox's back—the height of the landing was much shorter than before, as his figure had become quite tall.

Sun Sun Lingtong shook his shoulders. The previous disappointment and anger had come and gone quickly, replaced by curiosity and an eagerness to try.

"Woo-hoo! Underworld, here I come." Under Unlike Ning Zhuo's close watch, Sun Sun Lingtong prepared to set off.

"Boss, wait a moment. I'll use the Crossroads Lamp to teleport you out. This place is very hidden; if you just run out, you'll leave traces." Unlike Ning Zhuo suddenly had a thought and reminded him in time.

Sun Sun Lingtong had no objections.

Unlike Ning Zhuo activated the palace lantern, and the next moment, he moved Sun Sun Lingtong ten miles away.

The underworld was a desolate place.

Sun Sun Lingtong felt as if he were trekking through the Gobi Desert.

The unchanging scenery made Sun Sun Lingtong's interest wane significantly.

"What's that sound?" His ears twitched slightly, and he heard the sound of water.

He immediately decided to approach the direction of the water; it was better than wandering aimlessly.

Halfway there, black snow suddenly fell from the sky.

Sun Sun Lingtong tried to catch it with his hand and discovered it was all burnt-out paper ash.

The paper ash seeped into his paper-figure body, actually adding a trace of strength to him.

(Strength.)

Startled by this black snow, a large number of underworld creatures crawled out from who knows where.

There were underworld dogs, ghost heads, and ghost monsters with human bodies and ox heads...

"It's here again, it's here again!"

"The Lord of the River of Oblivion has done a great deed, holding such a grand sacrifice; we have a harvest every day."

"Mine, this is mine."

The black snow didn't fall for long, and soon, these underworld creatures fell into a struggle.

A pack of Green Corpse Wolves surrounded many ghosts. The leader of the pack was larger than an elephant and at the Jin Dan level: "Hand over the black snow, or become our meal."

The leader of the Green Corpse Wolves bared its teeth, issuing a warning and robbing them directly.

This immediately ignited the other ghosts on the scene, and they began to clash with the wolf pack.

Sun Sun Lingtong was also caught in the middle and had to join the battle.

The scene was chaotic.

Three Qi Refining-stage Green Corpse Wolves surrounded him in a triangular formation. On their path, they left behind dots of pale green phosphorus fire.

Sun Sun Lingtong grinned, revealing a smile as he watched the Green Corpse Wolves charge toward him.

At the moment of the clash, he finally let go of his spells and stopped suppressing his aura.

The three Green Corpse Wolves had no emotions; seeing their prey surge from the Qi Refining stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, they didn't panic and continued their fierce attack.

Sun Sun Lingtong clenched his fists, first dodging the pounce of the front wolf, then swinging both arms, exploding the heads of two wolves with one punch each.

Afterward, he stepped forward violently, extending a large foot to stomp directly onto the waist and back of the third wolf.

The Green Corpse Wolf whimpered and was stomped into two pieces by Sun Sun Lingtong.

Sun Sun Lingtong's eyes shone as he looked at his fists. After just one round of fighting, he understood that this paper figure was of top-tier quality, possessing Foundation Establishment peak combat power!

Seeing Sun Sun Lingtong kill three Qi Refining-level Green Corpse Wolves so cleanly, a Foundation Establishment-level leader in the pack immediately charged at him.

The Foundation Establishment-level leader was the size of a calf. It howled, unleashed a ghost technique, and its speed surged, leaving a black shadow behind it.

It pounced fiercely onto Sun Sun Lingtong.

"Well done!" Sun Sun Lingtong had the ability to dodge, but his interest was piqued; he didn't dodge or evade, instead bracing his arms and blocking the leader's pounce head-on.

Sun Sun Lingtong delivered a headbutt, knocking the leader's head back.

The leader roared in anger, opening its maw to devour Sun Sun Lingtong's head.

Click!

It bit into empty air.

Sun Sun Lingtong had anticipated this, lowering his head and shrinking his entire body, then stomping his feet. His spine rose like a dragon, and he delivered a fierce uppercut, knocking the leader flying.

On the chaotic battlefield, the Foundation Establishment-level leader flew high into the air before crashing heavily to the ground.

This scene caused many to slow their movements, and the Wolf King's gaze was also drawn over.

Soon, it fixed its gaze on Sun Sun Lingtong.

The Wolf King let out three low howls, and three leader-level Green Corpse Wolves beside it rushed out together, killing toward Sun Sun Lingtong.

Sun Sun Lingtong felt his fists go numb, knowing he had tested the limits of the paper body.

Seeing the three Foundation Establishment-level wolves and the Wolf King watching him gloomily, he decisively turned around and ran!

(Watching him.)

He had outstanding strength, but the Green Corpse Wolves were much faster than him; as soon as he reached the edge, he was surrounded.

Theft Art—Void Piercing.

Sun Sun Lingtong used his signature move, but the effect was poor, only teleporting him a hundred paces away.

The three leaders were stunned for a moment before continuing their pursuit.

Sun Sun Lingtong felt dizzy, shook his head, and continued to flee.

By the time the leaders caught up, he had already left the chaotic battlefield.

After a few more clashes, Sun Sun Lingtong seized an opening, used his Theft Art again, broke through the encirclement, and continued to run.

He fought and retreated. Finally, seeing the leaders had chased him far enough, the Wolf King raised its head and howled.

Hearing the howl, the three leaders turned around simultaneously, abandoning the pursuit without hesitation to reunite with the main force.

There were quite a few others who escaped like Sun Sun Lingtong.

But more remained on the field, still trapped in the chaotic battle. Under the well-trained siege of the wolf pack, they were undoubtedly in grave danger.

Cultivation, hunting, survival, the dramas of the present and future—Sun Sun Lingtong had been given a solid performance of it all, caught completely off guard.

After escaping with his life, Sun Sun Lingtong stopped somewhere, panting in exhaustion for a long time.

After this battle, he confirmed his true combat power: he was not a traditional soul cultivator, and his soul foundation was limited. Although he could use the Theft Art and other techniques, they didn't quite match this body. Therefore, his combat power remained at the Foundation Establishment stage, and if he truly had to face three Foundation Establishment-level leaders at once, he would be in danger of destruction.

The near-death experience stimulated Sun Sun Lingtong, leaving his whole body tingling, and a sense of thrill surged from his heart, making him indulge in it slightly.

"This is cultivation, this is life!" Sun Sun Lingtong savored the aftertaste of the adventure and continued on his way.

Black snow fell from time to time, each time for a short duration, but it often triggered fighting and killing among the ghosts.

Sun Sun Lingtong saw this many times and felt conflicted: "They generally sing the praises of the Lord of the River of Oblivion, but isn't their own death caused by the Lord of the River of Oblivion?"

"This ruler of the underworld truly has methods; he incites so much killing, yet his reputation only grows higher."

The sound of water grew louder.

Finally, a long river appeared in Sun Sun Lingtong's field of vision.

It flowed from the northwest toward the southeast, vast and endless.

The river surface was over a hundred miles wide, with no end in sight horizontally, while vertically, there was a distortion of space—grand and eerie.

The river water was a dark cyan, like molten bronze, and although it flowed, it gave a sense of heaviness.

The riverbanks were long stretches of black stone dams, each brick covered in numerous tadpole-like runes.

Sun Sun Lingtong was a newcomer, but upon seeing this long river, he immediately understood: "The River of Oblivion!?"

He guessed correctly.

This was the greatest river in the underworld—the River of Oblivion!

It was too famous and frequently recorded in many books in the mortal world, so Sun Sun Lingtong had learned of it.

Sun Sun Lingtong arrived at the embankment, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Someone is here."

He discovered a burly ghost cultivator squatting on the stone dam, fishing.

The ghost cultivator was extremely sturdy; even while squatting, he was taller than Sun Sun Lingtong was at the moment. One could imagine that if he stood up, he would be a ghost giant!

The ghost cultivator's fishing rod was very special—a magic treasure made from a spine, a mourning staff. The fishing line was spliced together from many umbilical cords of infants.

A bite.

Suddenly, the fishing line was pulled violently.

The ghost cultivator laughed, suddenly opening his sleepy eyes and pulling the rod with all his might.

Whoosh.

The river surface exploded slightly, splashing a wave, and then a large bowl was fished up.

"Nascent Soul level!" Sun Sun Lingtong's pupils constricted as he identified the aura leaked by the ghost cultivator when he moved.

If it were Unlike Ning Zhuo, he would have been cautious and stayed away, but Sun Sun Lingtong couldn't move his feet, staring at the bowl in wonder.

"What is this bowl?"

"Xiao Zhuo, I've never seen anyone fish up a magic treasure before!"

"If I could learn this fishing method and fish by the river every day, wouldn't I be able to get rich?"

While he was privately communicating with Unlike Ning Zhuo, the fishing ghost cultivator slowly turned his head and looked at Sun Sun Lingtong: "You want it? Hehe, meeting is fate; I'll just give it to you."

As he spoke, he handed the bowl to Sun Sun Lingtong.

Even though they were hundreds of paces apart, the next moment, Sun Sun Lingtong was teleported in front of the ghost cultivator.

Sun Sun Lingtong was shocked, panicked for a moment, but his hands didn't slow down, taking the bowl directly.

It really was a magic treasure!

"This is a Cleansing Cup, used to hold Meng Po soup. There are plenty of them in this river. But as a magic treasure, it has high value for you, so I'll just give it to you." The ghost giant was quite generous, showing goodwill.

Sun Sun Lingtong remained on high alert, cupping his hands in thanks.

The ghost giant said seemingly casually: "Fishing up a Cleansing Cup doesn't count for much; the truly rare thing is to fish up the Bone-Obsessed Silver Carp in the river."

Sun Sun Lingtong was curious and couldn't help but blurt out: "Senior, what is a Bone-Obsessed Silver Carp?"

The ghost giant snorted: "You must know that although the River of Oblivion is vast, very few creatures can live in it."

"The Bone-Obsessed Silver Carp is one of them. It is born from the most obsessive, unforgettable obsessions, unwillingness, hatred, and expectations—intense memories and feelings—that countless ghosts leave behind in the river when they approach it."

"Look in my creel; I have one right here!"