Chapter 614: Dao Path!

In the next moment, the paper figures' movements became more pronounced.

Then, in the following moment, a yin wind arose in the surroundings, swirling around the many paper figures, causing their bodies to sway.

The wind dissipated.

The paper figures all came to a standstill.

Sun Lingtong fell directly to his knees on the ground; the paper figure he had been inhabiting was restored to its original state, and his soul was dim and extremely weak. He nearly fainted on the spot.

After recovering for a good while, he finally regained his composure and said with lingering fear, "It won't work, Little Zhuo."

"To control this army of paper figures, the required foundation in mechanisms is too vast."

"In this regard, I am no match for you; it must be you!"

Sun Lingtong had attempted it, but he couldn't even manage the first step of activating this paper figure army.

Unlike Ning Zhuo, who was constantly monitoring Sun Lingtong's side through the Human Life Hanging Thread, pondered for a moment and said, "Boss, you are separated from your body and soul; this is not your complete state, so it is normal that you cannot do it."

"Of course, the place my mother set up here indeed has very high standards."

"I fear that even if I were to come personally, I might not be able to activate all of them."

"So, why don't you see if you can mobilize just a portion of them?"

Sun Lingtong caught his breath and tried again. This time, he started from a small amount, taking it step by step, and expanded rapidly.

Unlike Ning Zhuo's suggestion was indeed feasible.

When Sun Lingtong first began, he quickly controlled three spear-and-shield soldiers.

Once these paper soldiers were activated, they became just like the paper figure shell Sun Lingtong had previously inhabited, immediately turning into ghost entities—lifelike and vivid. Neither Sun nor Ning could discern any flaws.

Unlike Ning Zhuo suggested at the right moment, "Boss, prioritize the cavalry."

Sun Lingtong followed the advice readily.

There was only one type of cavalry in the paper figure army, so the two of them had no other choice.

A moment later, Sun Lingtong himself rode a ghost ox, followed by twelve ox-cavalrymen, and they all charged out of their hiding place together.

The ghost ox was massive, its black fur as thick as ink, resembling the dark, deep night sky of the underworld. Its horns were as sharp as blades, its eyes flickered with a cold, ghostly light, and every step its hooves took emitted a low, rumbling sound.

Sun Lingtong gripped the reins of the ghost ox tightly. As the ghost ox ran, his body involuntarily synchronized with its rhythm. He could clearly feel the immense power of the mount beneath him, and his heart grew increasingly steady.

The ghost ox's charging speed was much faster than him traveling on foot.

The yin wind brushed against his face, carrying the damp, cold, and decaying scent unique to the underworld.

The land of the underworld was vast and boundless; amidst the desolation, one could occasionally see remnants of souls and shadows drifting uncertainly.

The ground was hard and slippery, but the ghost ox's hooves didn't need to avoid anything, crushing the protruding rocks one by one as it continued to move forward steadily.

Every time a hoof landed, it brought a tremor, as if the entire earth were responding to this powerful force.

Sun Lingtong's mount was part of the same set as his paper figure body, so controlling it was seamless and perfectly coordinated.

The ghost ox could almost instantly perceive his intentions, whether it was to turn, accelerate, or even jump.

"However, my connection with the other cavalrymen is not very strong."

Sun Lingtong looked behind him; these twelve ox-cavalrymen were already the limit he could bring out based on his exploration.

Unlike Ning Zhuo reminded him at the right moment, "Boss, why not practice your control while on the move? See to what extent you can manage, so you won't be caught off guard during battle."

Sun Lingtong had the same thought. After trying it out, he found that the situation was much better than he had anticipated.

Primarily, these ghost entities transformed from paper figures all possessed full spiritual intelligence and were very obedient to Sun Lingtong's commands.

"If it were you, Little Zhuo, you could probably mobilize more than ten times the troops I can!"

"No, the underworld is dangerous; it's better not to let Little Zhuo take the risk."

Thinking of this, Sun Lingtong shifted his focus to the Heaven-Bestowed Talisman in his bosom. While traveling, he mobilized this talisman to continue increasing the foundation of his soul.

Cultivating on the back of an ox was a first in Sun Lingtong's life.

But the difficulty was not high.

On one hand, an ox's back was much steadier than a horse's; on the other hand, Sun Lingtong wasn't cultivating his childhood arts, but rather mobilizing the talisman to nourish his own soul, making the cultivation difficulty much lower.

Unlike Ning Zhuo suggested again, "Boss, why not let a few ox-cavalrymen scatter out to act as scouts?"

Sun Lingtong followed the advice readily once more.

After this small cavalry squad had been running for a moment, scouts returned to the main unit, bringing the latest intelligence.

Hearing that there was a small pack of Green Corpse Wolves hunting nearby, Sun Lingtong's eyes lit up.

Unlike Ning Zhuo suggested directly that Sun Lingtong lead the army to engage in battle to test their combat strength.

This was exactly what Sun Lingtong wanted to do!

He immediately gave the order, changed direction, and rushed toward the wolves' hunting ground.

The Wolf King stood on a hillside, overlooking the battlefield while occasionally howling to issue commands and adjust the positions of the wolf pack.

A herd of skeletal white deer was struggling desperately; their leader, the Deer King, was already severely injured.

The Wolf King seized the opportunity and leaped out suddenly!

Its sharp claws tore through the air like blades, and its fangs flickered with the light of the netherworld.

The Deer King, at the end of its strength, was ambushed by the Wolf King and bitten directly in the neck.

It fought back with its life, and its crown-like antlers pierced into the Wolf King's abdomen, with the tips of the antlers even protruding slightly from the Wolf King's back.

"Good opportunity!" Sun Lingtong rushed to the edge of the battlefield, saw this scene, and immediately ordered, "Charge!"

He was the first to charge out, and the cavalry behind him whipped their mounts and followed closely.

The Wolf King's pupils contracted sharply; for a moment, it struggled with all its might, wanting to break free from the antlers as quickly as possible, while simultaneously letting out a howl of shock and anger to command the wolf pack to intercept the cavalry.

The wolf pack had no choice but to abandon the deer herd they were about to catch and rush toward the ox-cavalry.

The ghost oxen let out low roars, their four hooves thundering like lightning, forming a cone formation with Sun Lingtong as the spearhead, increasing their speed even further.

At the moment of impact, the ghost oxen lowered their heads, pointing their horns forward, while the cavalry leveled their long spears.

Bang, bang, bang...

One Green Corpse Wolf after another was smashed into fragments, splattering in all directions.

The wolf pack's formation was torn apart in an instant; the ox-cavalry was simply unstoppable!

In the blink of an eye, the wolf pack was almost completely wiped out, leaving only the severely injured Wolf King.

The Wolf King let out a mournful cry, broke free, but instead of seeking revenge, it turned and fled.

"Hahaha, chase!" Sun Lingtong shouted.

The ox-cavalry pursued relentlessly.

But although the Wolf King was severely injured, its speed was still guaranteed. As it fled, it used ghost arts, tucking its tail, and its speed left Sun Lingtong feeling astonished.

"Sigh, what a pity to lose a Wolf King!" In the end, Sun Lingtong could only sigh with regret, unable to catch up.

Sun Lingtong's first battle had a significant harvest.

Both Sun and Ning were quite satisfied with the combat strength of the ox-cavalry, but they also discovered a drawback: the ox-cavalry belonged to heavy cavalry, with strong charging ability and heavy impact, but once the distance of the charge became long, the charging speed dropped sharply, and their combat strength would also decline significantly.

Having tested the combat strength of the ox-cavalry, Sun Lingtong continued on his way.

He had only one destination: the Water Burial Valley!

Meng Yaoyin had only made the arrangements and had not provided Unlike Ning Zhuo with a specific method. However, she had mentioned a key figure: the Gray Bone Elder.

Since the other party was capable of divination, combined with the previous contact between Luo Si and Sun Lingtong, both Sun and Ning wanted to visit him first to seek a solution.

White Paper Xiancheng.

Virility Pavilion.

Sun Tiesheng was led by a paper figure puppet into a small courtyard.

"This junior pays respects to Lord Li!" Sun Tiesheng bowed respectfully to Li Xiangshang.

Then, he greeted the cultivator sitting on the other side: "Dean Zhao."

Dean Zhao, who managed the Virility Pavilion, smiled at Sun Tiesheng, then pointed at him and introduced him to Li Xiangshang: "Lord Li, this Sun Tiesheng can be considered the most outstanding talent our Virility Pavilion has to offer at the moment."

"Your eye for talent is truly excellent; you picked him out at once!"

Li Xiangshang nodded, most of his face hidden under a bamboo hat, making it impossible for others to see his specific expression.

After hearing this, Sun Tiesheng couldn't help but feel his heart beat slightly faster: "Could it be that my opportunity has arrived?!"

Li Xiangshang first silently sized up Sun Tiesheng.

He had come to the Virility Pavilion, requested the files of all members, and made a careful selection from them.

In the end, he chose Sun Tiesheng.

Li Xiangshang took a treasure out of his storage bag and displayed it for the other two present to see.

Sun Tiesheng immediately cast his gaze upon it, his heart burning with heat.

He saw that the treasure was only the size of a palm, resembling a bird's nest. Each golden thread shimmered with a five-colored halo, and deep within the nest was a bright red object, looking like a tiny heart, yet also like a seed.

The entire golden-threaded bird's nest exuded a demonic aura.

Li Xiangshang introduced it: "As you two can see, this is a Golden Nest Demon Seed, possessing the bloodline of a Jin Yan."

"As long as you, Sun Tiesheng, follow the secret method to incorporate the demon seed into your body, not only will your yang energy surge, but you will also possess the Jin Yan demon blood!"

"In this way, the possibility of obtaining the Jin Yan Fork will be at least seventy percent."

Dean Zheng was overjoyed and clapped his hands, laughing: "Good, Sun Tiesheng, your luck is truly excellent to receive such support. Why don't you accept it quickly?"

Sun Tiesheng, however, had a drastic change in expression, his face cold and indifferent; his heart was no longer burning, but turned completely cold.

He slowly shook his head, his expression grave: "Forgive me, but I cannot accept."

Li Xiangshang let out an "um," not having expected such a reaction from Sun Tiesheng, and couldn't help but feel surprised.

Dean Zheng let out an "ah" and was about to open his mouth to persuade him, but Sun Tiesheng blocked his words in advance, directly cupped his hands and bowed: "If this is the only way, then this junior cannot accept. I shall take my leave now."

After speaking, he looked up at Li Xiangshang, who wore a look of confusion.

Sun Tiesheng cupped his hands again, turned around, and left.

He left the room without looking back, leaving Li Xiangshang and Dean Zheng behind.

"This..." Li Xiangshang asked Dean Zheng, "Does this Sun Tiesheng have some unspeakable hidden difficulty?"

Dean Zheng smiled awkwardly.

Li Xiangshang: "Sun Tiesheng is considered the most suitable candidate; why did he refuse?"

Dean Zheng gave a bitter smile: "I fear it is precisely because of the demon seed."

Li Xiangshang let out an "ah": "Why doesn't he want it?"

Dean Zheng said: "Lord Li is a cultivator of asceticism, single-mindedly pursuing the Dao, and is unaware of the internal reasons. Sun Tiesheng is a pure human; if he were to absorb an external demon seed and become half-human, half-demon, it would inevitably diminish his future prospects."

Li Xiangshang understood then: "Humans are the spirits of all things! As a pure demon, I have spent almost my entire life in ascetic cultivation, and only now have I been appointed by my master to be dispatched and act actively. I indeed did not realize this point."

"If Sun Tiesheng is unwilling, do I have to pick someone else?"

"I have already looked at your list, and his cultivation base is the closest to the Golden Core Stage."

Dean Zheng chuckled and waved his hand: "Sun Tiesheng's attitude is just a personal matter, not the key. Lord Li, why don't we start with the Sun family?"

Li Xiangshang blinked: "What do you mean by that?"

Dean Zheng had not expected that such an obvious strategy would still require him to explain it further.

However, out of respect for Li Xiangshang's status, he had to explain patiently: "The Sun family is a cultivation clan in the Xiancheng. The entire clan hopes that Sun Tiesheng can obtain the Jin Yan Fork to consolidate their position in the city."

"Sun Tiesheng was precisely selected and supported by the Sun family; he originally came from a very low background, just the illegitimate son of a blacksmith."

"We will find the Sun family, clarify the pros and cons, and let them persuade their own son."

Li Xiangshang slapped his thigh: "Wonderful! This method won't offend anyone and is very convenient. My master let me come to do things; indeed, there is learning in all worldly affairs. I have learned something; thank you, Brother Zheng."

Dean Zheng, who was only at the Foundation Establishment cultivation base, hurriedly cupped his hands: "I dare not, I dare not."

The two discussed and settled the matter, then immediately set up a banquet and invited the Sun family patriarch to attend.

Seeing the invitation from Dean Zheng and even the Golden Core-level Li Xiangshang, the Sun family patriarch happily attended the banquet.

Learning the reason during the banquet, he immediately used the influence of the alcohol, patted his chest, and guaranteed to the two that he would definitely order Sun Tiesheng to accept the matter!

"He is merely an illegitimate son; being able to reach today is all due to our family's cultivation, setting aside past grievances!"

"If he refuses, in the future, he will not be listed in the genealogy, and after death, he will have no spirit tablet in the ancestral hall!!"

The Sun family patriarch boasted like this at the banquet.

Returning to the clan, he immediately summoned Sun Tiesheng's father.

Sun Tiesheng's father immediately called Sun Tiesheng back to the family ancestral grounds to confess his guilt.

However, in front of the patriarch and his father, Sun Tiesheng changed from his usual taciturn self; his face was stern, and he refused on the spot.

His attitude was very firm: "This is impossible!"

"Adopting a demon seed is seeking quick success and instant benefits. It may be true that it benefits the family and benefits the overall situation of the White Paper Xiancheng! But it is uniquely disadvantageous to me."

"Lowering my future potential—I would rather not have this opportunity!"

It was the first time the Sun family patriarch and Sun's father had been refused like this, and both were somewhat annoyed and ashamed.

Sun's father scolded him.

As a result, Sun Tiesheng stood straight, his hands behind his back, and sneered proudly: "This is a struggle of the Dao path; I will never compromise!"

Seeing his son standing with such awe-inspiring power, Sun's father could no longer scold him and was somewhat stunned.

The Sun family patriarch seemed to be seeing Sun Tiesheng for the first time and found it difficult to step down, so he had to wave his hand and let Sun Tiesheng withdraw first.

Leaving him and Sun's father behind, they fell into silence.

After a long while, he finally took the initiative to speak: "I didn't expect my Sun family to have a Qilin child!"

His face was flushed, and he took the initiative to cup his hands and apologize to Sun's father: "I thought wrongly about this matter; it was handled improperly. I hope you will forgive me."

Sun's father hurriedly waved his hand: "To tell you the truth, it is also the first time I have seen the true nature of this brat."

The Sun family patriarch praised: "His true nature is excellent!"

"Thinking of our Sun family in this generation, he is the only one who can have such ambition."

"The person who will carry the burden for the Sun family in the future is none other than him."

Sun's father hurriedly acted humble, saying the patriarch valued his son too highly.

The Sun family patriarch plotted: "According to the current trend, Chen Sui and Shen Bing are both dead, and Tiesheng has no opponents in the Virility Pavilion."

"Even if that Li Xiangshang wants to give it to someone else, who can the Golden Nest Demon Seed be given to?"

"There is no one else."

"This gives us room for maneuvering and negotiation."

"To be honest, I also do not want the person who will carry the burden for our Sun family in the future to be half-human, half-demon!"

Underworld.

Water Burial Valley.

Sun Lingtong and a team of ox-cavalry arrived nearby, only to be suddenly surrounded by ambushers.

"Capture these suspicious people!" the leader of the ambushers ordered loudly.

Sun Lingtong was shocked; these people had set their ambush too deeply, and he hadn't discovered them at all. By the time he did, it was already too late.

In his desperation, Sun Lingtong shouted and questioned: "Who are you people? How dare you ambush me!?"

The leader of the ambushers sneered: "Asking us? If I say it, it will scare you to death! We are the personal guards of the Lord of the River of Oblivion. My master has already issued a strict order: no one is allowed to approach the Water Burial Valley!"

"Anyone who dares to contact the Gray Bone Elder will be captured without exception!!"

River of Oblivion Xiancheng.

The Lord of the River of Oblivion sat cross-legged, gazing at the Heavenly Ghost skull before him, his eyes deep and dark.

A century of planning, and today, it is about to bear fruit.

He must nip all unfavorable changes in the bud.

Sending troops to surround the Water Burial Valley and isolate the Gray Bone Elder was part of the preparation.

After all, the Gray Bone Elder was well-versed in the inside story.

Even if this act offended this divination cultivator, the Lord of the River of Oblivion would not hesitate.

"This is my Dao path." ===== CHAPTER 615 =====