Chapter 612

Meng Yaoyin's voice originated from the Qianmo Lamp, yet it reached deep into Ning Zhuo's sea of consciousness.

"Successor of the Qianmo Lamp, since you possess the foundation of a million human souls and are the person in power in White Paper Xiancheng, you must be the variable of heaven calculated by the Old Man of Gray Bones!"

"You need to destroy the conspiracy of the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord and return peace to the entire Yin Tide Black Swamp Wetland."

Accompanied by these words, a vast amount of information was transmitted to Ning Zhuo.

Heavenly Ghost Incarnation Offering Tribulation Rite...

Heavenly Ghost Skull...

Acquired Aptitude...

Choosing White Paper Xiancheng as a blood sacrifice to worship the Yin Sky...

A moment later, Ning Zhuo fully digested this astonishing news, his eyes flashing with sharp light: "So that's how it is!"

At this moment, he learned the entire grand plan of the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord.

And within this information, Meng Yaoyin also provided a method for victory.

She clearly stated that she had once personally descended into the Underworld and received a personal welcome from the Old Man of Gray Bones. Under his guidance, she leveraged the means left behind by the Profound Plain Scholar, enabling her to use mechanism arts to control half of the paper soldier army.

But as for how to destroy the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord's grand plan, Meng Yaoyin did not give clear instructions, instead expressing confidence in her successor: since it was a variable triggered by the heavenly numbers of the Yang world, there must be a way to win!

"So that's it."

"The origin of the Heaven-Bestowed Talisman in Boss's hands is like this."

"Old Man of Gray Bones..."

Ning Zhuo heard the name of this cultivator again; the previous time was from the mouth of Luo Si.

Hearing it now, it felt completely different from before.

"Mother made these preparations a long time ago, waiting for the evolution of heavenly numbers. Now that the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord's grand plan is about to succeed, although I arrived here by chance, I am afraid I am this very variable!"

"I should do my utmost, following Mother's will, to see this matter through properly."

The matter was of great importance, so Ning Zhuo immediately contacted Sun Lingtong via the Human Life Hanging Thread.

Sun Lingtong was still in the Yin army's grand array at this time, looking out at White Paper Xiancheng resisting the ghost tide, and was greatly surprised to learn of this.

"How amazing, Little Zhuo, your mother's means are truly extraordinary. To think she could steal half of the paper soldier army; we've hit the jackpot!"

Ning Zhuo replied: "According to the information Mother left behind, someone still needs to go there personally to activate the array within, only then can that half of the army be controlled."

"But as for how to use this power to destroy the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord's grand plan, Mother did not say."

Sun Lingtong didn't mind: "Little Zhuo, your mother didn't have the ability to divine either; being able to do this much is already quite remarkable. As for what to do next, your mother has actually already reminded you, hasn't she?"

Ning Zhuo naturally knew what Sun Lingtong wanted to say and nodded: "That's right. Back then, since it was the Old Man of Gray Bones who guided my mother, even leveraging the secret army of White Paper Xiancheng was the arrangement of the Old Man of Gray Bones."

"Then, we should first go find this cultivator and seek his guidance."

Sun Lingtong: "The Old Man of Gray Bones might already be waiting for us. His arranging for Luo Si to fish by the Wangchuan River is very likely to make contact with us."

"If that's the case, then isn't it possible that General Luo Si is an arrangement by the Old Man of Gray Bones, and is our helper?"

Ning Zhuo pondered: "That is possible, but everything must wait until we visit the Old Man of Gray Bones and obtain more information."

"Boss, it seems the day of your promotion to Jin Dan will have to be postponed again."

Sun Lingtong was silent for a while and gave a bitter laugh: "No choice! Since the truth is like this, then I must also actively cultivate the soul, doing my utmost to raise my soul foundation to a million human souls, only then will I have the qualifications to destroy the Heavenly Ghost Incarnation Offering Tribulation Rite."

Ning Zhuo already had a million human souls, and Sun Lingtong also had to cultivate to that level as much as possible, serving as a second insurance.

Sun Lingtong: "Also, should this secret be told to the White Paper City Lord?"

Sun Lingtong felt hesitant about this.

Ning Zhuo frowned and thought for a moment: "Mother's message did not mention the White Paper City Lord; clearly, she had some concerns."

"Regardless of what the concerns are, in her view, resolving this crisis has little to do with the White Paper City Lord."

"Hmph!"

"For the sake of this Xiancheng, my mother did not hesitate to exhaust her Yang lifespan, racked her brains, and risked entering the Underworld, arranging so much to wait for her successor... My mother was truly too kind and generous, thinking of the people of the world, and throwing herself into the fray."

"Compared to my mother, what has the White Paper City Lord lost?"

"When she saw me, she pinned the title of savior on me! It's obvious she wants to use me, just like she used my mother back then."

"But she doesn't know clearly that although I am my mother's son, there are still differences between my temperament and my mother's."

"I am willing to act as a savior, and I am also willing to do some good deeds, but the premise is that I must obtain something."

"My awareness is not as high as my mother's!"

Sun Lingtong felt relieved upon hearing Ning Zhuo's response and praised him highly: "Little Zhuo, that's the way. We shouldn't be the kind of pushovers who blindly sacrifice themselves for others; that's too boring!"

"Your mother's perspective was too high, that's another matter."

Ning Zhuo nodded: "That's right."

To this day, the three talisman papers that the White Paper City Lord forced upon Ning Zhuo were still hidden within Ning Zhuo's three dantian.

Ning Zhuo had already mobilized the power of his Spirit, Qi, and Essence dantian to surround these three talisman papers heavily and compress them with great force.

He was just waiting for the right opportunity to let Sun Lingtong use his stealing arts to attempt to retrieve them.

Taking them now was too early.

The White Paper City Lord would definitely not be at ease and would re-apply even stronger means.

The ghost tide lasted for three days and three nights before it dissipated.

"We held off another wave." Tie Guzheng was also guarding the wall, fighting vigorously for three consecutive days without sleep or rest.

He felt no joy of victory, only casting a grave gaze outside the city.

There, an orderly Yin army was slowly retreating.

This army did not participate in the attack but actively gathered the remaining ghosts. Therefore, from the time they joined the battle to their departure, their scale had actually expanded by twenty percent.

"Damn it! Being unable to destroy this vanguard army is truly unbearable." Tie Guzheng smashed his fist against the battlement, gnashing his teeth.

In stark contrast to him was Qing Chi.

"This time, my military merit is definitely enough, right?" Qing Chi cheered excitedly.

Qing Yan's expression was ugly, but he did not disregard the facts, nodding in acknowledgment: "Indeed, Chi'er, without needing a detailed count, your military merit is indeed up to standard."

"But right now, the Zhuangyang Courtyard is under a state of total martial law. If you rashly go to visit that brat Jiao Ma, not only will you be blocked, but you will also bring a lot of trouble to Jiao Ma."

"After all, he is already a male consort of the City Lord."

Qing Chi immediately raised her eyebrows and glared angrily at Qing Yan: "Father, are you trying to go back on your word?"

Qing Yan waved his hands hurriedly: "No, no. Sigh, I mean, if you want to see Jiao Ma, you must use the right method. For example, I can write a letter to secretly invite him out so you two can meet. That's better than in the Zhuangyang Courtyard, right?"

Only then did Qing Chi extinguish her anger and nod repeatedly: "Father, you are right, you can't do anything in the Zhuangyang Courtyard, and you have to be careful with your words. It's more convenient outside!"

Qing Yan nodded, then his expression changed, and he stretched out his palm: "Wait a moment!"

"You can't do anything—what do you want to do?!"

"It's more convenient outside—convenient for what?!"

Qing Chi snorted coldly: "Old Father, I have grown up, don't worry about me, I have my own plans."

Qing Yan was so angry that the corners of his eyes twitched: "You must not act recklessly; Jiao Ma's preserved primordial yang is extremely helpful to his cultivation technique!"

Qing Chi: "Hmph, I was worried about this before and didn't make things official, but now there is still a chance..."

Qing Yan was so angry he wanted to stomp his feet: "No, no, no, you cannot do this! You are a girl, being too proactive, Jiao Ma will not cherish you. Chi'er, you must have patience..."

"Have patience?!" Qing Chi waved her arm, becoming very agitated, "Let me watch helplessly as Jiao Ma and that old woman, the White Paper City Lord, engage in dual cultivation? This is absolutely impossible!"

Hearing Qing Chi call the White Paper City Lord an old woman, Qing Yan was angry, furious, and afraid, staring fixedly and lowering his voice: "Shut up! You really have no filter!!"

But Qing Chi was not afraid of her father and still wanted to speak.

Qing Yan hurriedly waved his hands: "Stop talking, stop talking, you blockhead, I won't interfere with your actions, go ahead and cause trouble. Don't worry about your father, and don't worry about this family of ours!"

Once Qing Yan said this, it instead softened Qing Chi's attitude: "Father..."

"I was wrong, don't be angry."

"I am just too anxious to rescue Little Ma."

"Sigh!!!" Qing Yan covered his face and sighed, not wanting to speak for a while.

Ning Zhuo had long since returned to the Zhuangyang Courtyard to continue his bitter cultivation.

Sun Lingtong, after the army retreated, said a word to the main general, indicating that he wanted to return to the Underworld.

He carried Luo Si's military order and could come and go freely; the main general even told him the path back.

Sun Lingtong sank into the main channel of the Mingjiao River, diving deep all the way, piercing through the gap between the Yang world and the Underworld, and arrived in the Underworld once again.

Although he didn't know the way, Ning Zhuo could contact him at any time, and the latter possessed the Qianmo Lamp.

Sun Lingtong then followed Ning Zhuo's guidance to travel.

The target was directed at the seventh paper soldier army.

This army was not yet complete and was in the creation stage.

It was precisely because of this that the Old Man of Gray Bones and Meng Yaoyin were able to intervene and pry away control of this army.

While traveling, Sun Lingtong took out a talisman.

This talisman was made of black jade, three inches and seven fen long, with dark golden radiance flowing over it.

On the front center of the talisman was a complete Yama Four Directions seal, and the edges of the talisman body were surrounded by the Eighteen Hells Map.

On the back of the talisman was the cinnabar text of the "Thirteen Chapters of the Yin Law."

It was precisely the Heaven-Bestowed Talisman.

"I didn't expect this jade talisman wouldn't be delivered to Ning Zhuo, and I would end up using it," Sun Lingtong sighed.

He continued his journey while quietly activating this jade talisman.

In an instant, a surge of soul power was infused into Sun Lingtong's soul.

This soul power was quite vast, and more importantly, very pure. Sun Lingtong changed his expression immediately, feeling his soul like a balloon, being rapidly puffed up.

Unlike Ning Zhuo's cultivation using the four treasures, Sun Lingtong's soul foundation soared directly, stable and swift, and without any hidden dangers of an unstable foundation.

Sun Lingtong's physical foundation was much stronger than Ning Zhuo's and could better carry the surging soul.

When Sun Lingtong arrived before the seventh paper soldier army, his soul foundation had already reached over two hundred thousand human souls!

Of course, he had a foundation before; he was older than Ning Zhuo, so it was natural for his soul foundation to be thicker than Ning Zhuo's.

"Little Zhuo, you should use this talisman; this is the most convenient method of cultivation," Sun Lingtong sighed sincerely.

"Once this village is passed, there won't be this shop. The opportunity to fleece a Prefecture Lord of the Underworld is rare."

Ning Zhuo laughed: "This way of putting it sounds familiar. Earlier, wasn't I the one who persuaded you like this?"

Sun Lingtong: "It has almost no drawbacks! If I have to name one, it's that auditory hallucinations will appear in the ears, hearing someone chanting a sacrificial text, which is very noisy."

Ning Zhuo's heart stirred: "What is the content of the sacrificial text?"

Sun Lingtong: "I have already memorized most of it."

"Respectfully, the Supreme Yin governs the extreme, the Nine Nether casts light. Yama holds the law, the soul captures the ten directions of the Underworld; the Yellow Springs gush snow, the soul crosses the vastness of ten thousand kalpas. Now, with the rite of the Heavenly Ghost Incarnation, I devoutly offer it before the seat of the Profound Vault Nether Lord..."

"Respectfully offering... the Yama Four Directions Treasure Seal on the Profound Altar, listing the Eighteen Hells True Map as a curtain. Black snow covers the seven layers of the earth, bearing the Yang soul to nourish the Yin evil; cinnabar writes the nine turns of the sky, knocking on the Nether Law to connect the Underworld vastness."

"Begging the Profound Vault to open the shortcut of the Netherworld, pardoning the deep-seated illnesses of the sinful souls; descending the Heaven-Bestowed Jade Talisman, solidifying the origin of the Spirit Platform. Wishing..."

"... The words are fearful, respectfully offered!"

Ning Zhuo was delighted upon hearing Sun Lingtong's retelling: "This should be the grand sacrificial text of the Heavenly Ghost Incarnation Offering Tribulation Rite. Boss, listen carefully and remember the whole thing; we might be able to find some way to break the situation from it."

Sun Lingtong shook his head: "Neither of us are Confucian cultivators; seeing flaws in it is extremely difficult, this is unreliable!"

Ning Zhuo: "As long as the timing is right, we can show this sacrificial text to Wen Ruanyu..."

"Let's not mention this for now; let's first take control of this half of the army and then set off for the Water Burial Valley. These paper soldier puppets are enough to prove our identity and gain the trust of the Old Man of Gray Bones."

"If we encounter trouble, there is still this army that can be utilized to fight for us!"

Sun Lingtong nodded: "Little Zhuo, I will just listen to your command from now on."

Ning Zhuo then followed the information left by his mother and guided Sun Lingtong to successfully find the array disk hidden deep underground.

Sun Lingtong activated his magic power and infused it into the array disk, but there was no movement.

After investigating, Sun Lingtong learned the answer: "This is a Myriad Phenomena Array Disk, it needs to be filled with Myriad Phenomena magic power to be enabled. What should we do?"

Ning Zhuo pondered: "It seems Mother wanted even more to let this opportunity fall to the Increase Sect."

"This is easy to handle."

"Earlier, I chatted with Wen Ruanyu and learned that one of the introductory spells of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the Turning Law Formula, can generate Myriad Phenomena magic power."

"I will write a letter now to ask Wen Ruanyu about the relevant spell!"

While Ning Zhuo was busy with the Underworld army, Qing Chi arrived at the gate of the Zhuangyang Courtyard.

"Please inform Jiao Ma, just say Qing Chi is looking for him, and ask him to come out to see me!" Qing Chi's eyes shone with expectation.

"Little girl, has your beloved become the City Lord's male consort?" Suddenly, a voice came from behind Qing Chi.