Ghostly wails and howls filled the battlefield.

A tide of ghosts surged continuously, crashing against the White Paper Immortal City!

Silent Ghost General and the other six Golden Core cultivators had already secretly left. Sun Ling Tong, mixed in with the large army, arrived under the White Paper Immortal City just in time to witness this grand battlefield scene.

He saw thousands of large-headed ghosts blowing rolling yin winds, and dense swarms of small-headed ghosts continuously rushing towards the top of the city wall.

On the city wall, the city guard army, armed with talisman paper weapons, maintained the front line. Amidst flashing swords and knives, not a single small-headed ghost could climb the wall.

Suddenly, several hundred lantern ghosts, grouped together, attacked the city gate.

They spat out large amounts of ghost fire, attempting to burn the city gate, but the city gate bloomed with a heavy yin light. Within the glow, black water gushed out, not only extinguishing the ghost fire but also engulfing and slaughtering the lantern ghosts.

Less than twenty of the remaining lantern ghosts fled in panic.

However, the ghost tide was still massive. Large numbers of small-headed and large-headed ghosts were constantly produced.

And the contributors to this effort were precisely the Ghost Mothers.

These Ghost Mothers were all enormous, lying on their backs in the open ground outside the city. Moment by moment, they swallowed and spat out massive amounts of yin energy, continuously producing large numbers of new ghosts.

On the city wall, the city guard army commander, Tie Gu Zheng, stared intently at these Ghost Mothers. He knew that to repel this wave of ghost tide, these Ghost Mothers had to be eradicated.

He wanted to lead a team down outside the city to kill these Ghost Mothers, but then his gaze fell upon the yin soldier army in the distance.

In the previous ghost tide, the Huang Quan Ming Jie had not dispatched an army, but this time they had sent an elite branch!

Undoubtedly, this presented Tie Gu Zheng with a greater defensive challenge.

Sun Ling Tong, amidst the large army, observed for a moment and then secretly clicked his tongue: “The White Paper Immortal City’s defense is so strong!”

The ghost tide was enormous, continuous and unending, like surging giant waves. Yet, the White Paper Immortal City remained as steady as Mount Tai, firm and unmoving. Tie Gu Zheng’s defensive experience was incredibly rich!

Under his command, the city guard army was busy but not chaotic, guarding all sides securely. Even if there were occasional emergency situations, Tie Gu Zheng quickly issued correct commands, and with practical execution, the front line crisis was easily resolved.

“As expected of an Immortal City.”

“Under these circumstances, even if our yin army were ten times larger, we probably couldn’t breach this city.”

“But the Huang Quan Lord wouldn’t send troops casually; he must have a follow-up plan.”

Just as Sun Ling Tong thought of this, movement erupted within the White Paper Immortal City!

Large numbers of water ghosts emerged from the city’s river paths and killed in all directions. At first, the city people fell into a panic, losing several hundred lives. After they reacted, they actively resisted.

However, water ghosts were essentially yin soldiers, benefiting from military strategy and battle formations. Even if they were temporarily held back, they still always killed until human heads rolled.

Hearing this sound, the yin soldier army’s flags began to shake.

The yin soldiers quickly attacked, rushing towards the White Paper Immortal City.

Under the leadership of a Hanged Ghost General, a unit of yin soldiers composed of hanged ghosts rushed to the foot of the city wall, throwing out noose ropes in an attempt to climb.

The city guard army immediately dispatched a portion of its forces, holding knives and axes, to chop them down.

The Hanged Ghost General climbed while swinging his long tongue, attacking the city guard army. He was powerful and fought bravely. Several city guard army cultivators were struck by his long tongue; some retreated with heavy injuries, while others were directly swept down the city wall, immediately torn to shreds by countless ghosts.

Tie Gu Zheng watched this Hanged Ghost General, who was about to be the first to ascend the city wall. He let out a cold哼 and activated the seal in his chest.

Immediately, on this section of the wall, countless layers surfaced on the wall bricks. Large numbers of talisman papers flew into the air, transforming into countless Dao techniques.

There were numerous types of Dao techniques; some greatly increased the city guard army’s defense, while others killed large numbers of hanged ghosts. That Hanged Ghost General tried to fight back but was still smashed down by the Dao techniques.

Seeing this, the yin soldier main general immediately issued a military order.

The military flag shook several times, and then a Lantern Ghost General, with his subordinate lantern ghosts, swarmed towards another section of the city wall.

They didn’t climb the wall top but directly crashed headfirst into the wall’s base.

Boom boom boom…

A series of explosions occurred, causing the city wall to tremble continuously.

Afterward, flames blazed and burned, surrounding the city wall, refusing to be extinguished. Tongues of red flames licked layer upon layer of the wall paper.

Tie Gu Zheng’s expression finally changed.

The Huang Quan Ming Jie’s army had come prepared. This method of attacking the city with flames unexpectedly subtly countered the White Paper Immortal City’s building method!

But the next moment, Tie Gu Zheng let out a cold哼 and again activated his methods.

Large amounts of black water reappeared, rushing into the flames.

Water and fire intersected, emitting sizzling sounds and intensely consuming each other. The black water was continuous and unending, quickly extinguishing the red flames.

Just as the flames were about to die out, they suddenly transformed into a giant flame ghost, emitting one last wail before completely dissipating in the final instant.

“Heishui Mountain White Paper City…” Sun Ling Tong murmured, gaining a deeper understanding of this famous name.

Having failed two consecutive city attacks, the main general’s face was full of gravity.

After frowning and thinking for a while, he made a difficult decision, ordering the entire army to slow down its offensive, and then cast a hopeful gaze towards the direction of the south city gate.

He expected a greater internal chaos within the city to indirectly help him open up the situation.

Silent Ghost General and the other six didn’t know they were carrying this layer of expectation. Their main thought right now was – how to escape this damn Yu Qing Ming Zhen Array alive!

They were covered in scars, while Wen Ruan Yu and Ning Zhuo, in contrast, were both light and airy, not even breaking a sweat.

The main reason was that they had planned against the unexpected, and the array they had set up perfectly restrained this group.

Wen Ruan Yu controlled the array, and Ning Zhuo stood by his side, glancing at the former from time to time.

“Wen Ruan Yu is indeed a Golden Core true transmission of Wan Xiang Sect!”

“He is a Confucian cultivator and should be skilled in the four arts of Qin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting. The self-portrait he displayed before, a substitute, was at the Golden Core level. And arranging and controlling this Yu Qing Ming Zhen Array embodies his deep attainments in array Dao and music art.”

Ning Zhuo secretly praised him, gaining a deeper understanding of Wen Ruan Yu’s combat strength.

If Wen Ruan Yu fought alone, he could contend with the previous Hua She Ghost General and the other three Golden Core cultivators, but he would be at a disadvantage.

Once he was well-prepared, for example, by setting up and controlling an array, he could display even more powerful fighting strength.

From the start of the battle until now, Ning Zhuo had barely made a move, relying on Wen Ruan Yu alone to fight.

He relied on the array, fighting one against six, yet still firmly holding the initiative.

Following this trend, Wen Ruan Yu might even be able to capture all six Golden Core Ghost Generals alive!

The Red Hair Ghost General, besieged by the Bronze Luan Birds, suddenly roared, burning himself out and unleashing his strongest strike.

With an explosion and scorching flames, he directly shattered a bronze pillar.

Seizing this good opportunity, the Hua Zi Ghost General displayed a ghost technique – You Ming Soul Flower!

“Not good.” Wen Ruan Yu’s expression slightly changed. He wanted to fully hold the array, strictly preventing its collapse.

But doing so meant he could almost only watch as the Hua Zi Ghost General’s ghost technique was performed.

The sound of the Yu Qing continued endlessly, blocking more than half of the ghost technique’s power.

Even so, Ning Zhuo still suffered minor injuries.

His physical body was completely undamaged, but many flower buds grew on his soul. These flower buds immediately bloomed, greatly absorbing Ning Zhuo’s soul power, making him dizzy and blurred, and his condition continuously declining.

Ning Zhuo hurriedly picked up the soul martial axe head and swung it at his own soul. In his urgency, he didn’t hesitate to cut off complete parts of his soul, wanting to chop off all the soul flowers at the fastest speed!

Relying on a surge of ruthlessness, Ning Zhuo endured the intense pain of having his soul cut and timely dealt with all the soul flowers.

“This ghost technique bypasses normal defense methods and specifically attacks the soul.”

“My soul cultivation is still a bit too low.”

Ning Zhuo firmly remembered this lesson.

At the same time, he paid more attention to the Silent Ghost General.

“This ghost technique was suddenly displayed; it wasn’t without prior accumulation, but it was silently added and controlled by talent, so I didn’t detect it.”

“This talent is really not bad, very practical!”

The counterattack of You Ming Soul Flower was considered the last hope of the six Ghost Generals.

Regardless of whether it was Wen Ruan Yu or Ning Zhuo, they both blocked this wave of ‘desperate counterattack’.

Not long after, five Golden Core Ghost Generals were captured alive by Wen Ruan Yu, and the Red Hair Ghost General died on the battlefield.

“After the interrogation, will this Silent Ghost General possibly be given to me?” Ning Zhuo proposed a condition.

Wen Ruan Yu immediately explained that he was not the person who could make this decision. These Ghost Generals would all be personally interrogated by the City Lord’s clone, who would strive to torture out more valuable military intelligence.

After saying this, Wen Ruan Yu again consoled Ning Zhuo, stating that he had not only discovered the Qian Mo Lamp this time but also provided key intelligence, contributing to his battle merits, and would surely be rewarded more. However, because it was wartime, Wen Ruan Yu again asked Ning Zhuo to go back and wait for subsequent news, while he himself immediately escorted the captives away to the City Lord’s mansion.

Ning Zhuo thought for a bit and slightly shook his head.

“I’ll stay here and take over from Senior Wen, controlling the Yu Qing Ming Zhen Array.”

“Although it’s unlikely, in case the enemy army has a second wave of attack teams, that paper man giant statue south of the city will be destroyed.”

Wen Ruan Yu thought for a bit and then generously lent all the treasures that suppressed the array to Ning Zhuo, and also took out a jade slip for Ning Zhuo to view.

One of the contents in the jade slip was precisely the method of the Yu Qing Ming Zhen Array.

Of course, Wen Ruan Yu still placed his Golden Core level portrait by Ning Zhuo’s side for monitoring.

Leaving aside Wen Ruan Yu leaving with the captives, Ning Zhuo then sat cross-legged, controlling the array, trying to perform methods, while also thinking about the current situation.

“This is the second time the Huang Quan Ming Jie has attacked here.”

“Last time there were three Golden Core cultivators, this time it directly doubled to six!”

“Next, will they still attack here? And how large will the lineup be?”

“Is this place very important?”

“Or is it that because Mother’s arrangements are hidden here, the Huang Quan Ming Jie deeply fears it and intends to eliminate it quickly?”

“Mother arranged the Qian Mo Lamp here. Although the paper man army wasn’t her doing, it did create many passages to the Underworld. What was her purpose in doing this?”

Ning Zhuo couldn’t figure it out but wasn’t anxious.

He knew he lacked more key intelligence and vaguely had a premonition, feeling that he should be able to obtain this key intelligence!

Sun Ling Tong at this time secretly contacted him by a thread.

Ning Zhuo then learned the real battle situation.

“The White Paper Immortal City is indeed an Immortal City; there’s no worry for the front for now.”

“The key is still the internal trouble. Up to now, ghost things are still frequently surging out from the river paths inside the city, attacking in all directions.”

“Alas, who exactly is the internal traitor hidden among the high-level officials?”

Ning Zhuo was appointed by the City Lord to investigate the internal traitor in the city, but Ning Zhuo knew his limitations and that he had no ability to investigate cases. Discovering the Qian Mo Lamp this time was just a result of having other plans, combined with some coincidences.

After quickly familiarizing himself with the Yu Qing Ming Zhen Array and ensuring he could control the array to resist the attack of a Golden Core Ghost General, Ning Zhuo took out several treasures and began cultivating his soul.

In the battle just now, he was hit by the You Ming Soul Flower technique, which made him more determined to increase his soul foundation cultivation.

Ning Zhuo drank a large gulp of Cold Bone Moon Dew Wine. A warmth like a hot spring started from his intestines and stomach, climbed along his spine, and exploded at the back of his neck into thousands of icy mint fragrances.

Cold and hot flowed in his cranial cavity, and his soul seemed to be soaked in a pine forest filled with morning mist. Every strand of soul light was strung with translucent frost dew.

The soul that had been cut before because of the soul flowers quickly recovered during this process.

Ning Zhuo raced against time, and while still drinking wine, he lit the Nine Springs Rest Incense.

The incense aroma penetrated his lungs and viscera, filling his whole body and mind with a sense of ancient tranquility.

All the messy emotions at the bottom of Ning Zhuo’s heart, and the countless complicated thoughts in his divine sea, turned into nothing with the incense aroma. Ning Zhuo thus fell into a state of extreme peacefulness.

Not long after, Ning Zhuo’s soul completely recovered and even faintly improved.

He then took out a three-foot-two-eared bronze cauldron – the Hungry Ghost Devouring Cauldron – and threw some ghosts into it.

These ghosts came from Kong Gui’s storage bag.

After throwing them in, Ning Zhuo infused magic power into the cauldron.

The cauldron body began to glow. The vague picture of a hundred ghosts devouring on the cauldron body now revealed clearer patterns in the light.

The ghosts were confined by the large cauldron and unable to escape. Under the cauldron’s power, they entangled and fought each other, desperately killing, until only one remained.

And this one also quickly starved to death, turning into a mass of soul essence.

Ning Zhuo took out the soul essence and used it on himself, immediately causing his soul power to surge by a large section.

He had already broken through to the Qian Ren Soul before, and now it immediately rose to one thousand six hundred Ren Soul.

Ning Zhuo pressed on, using more chunks of soul essence, and quickly pushed his soul cultivation up to over five thousand Ren Soul.

Because the progress was too fast, Ning Zhuo’s soul was no longer so clear, its appearance especially blurry, and the entire soul body became bloated.

Ning Zhuo temporarily stopped and took out the 《Underworld Punishment Book》.

He flipped open this iron-skinned, iron-paged book to the first page, and saw the yin-engraved picture of the oil pot punishment on the page.

Ning Zhuo infused magic power, and the punishment book emitted a profound light, covering Ning Zhuo’s soul.

Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but grunt, feeling bone-penetrating pain! His soul felt as though it had fallen into an oil pot and was being miserably fried.

Oil pot, knife mountain, sword tree, sea of fire, ice mountain, iron bed, digging heart, pulling tongue, cow pit, millstone, saw splitting, stone pressing, iron tree, intestine twisting, blood pool… The 《Underworld Punishment Book》 recorded too many punishments.

Ning Zhuo only tried the third page before he couldn’t bear it anymore.

His soul was severely damaged, not only was it a bloated fatty, but it also bore many injuries, almost covered in scars.

Ning Zhuo endured the dizziness and again used Cold Bone Moon Dew Wine and Nine Springs Rest Incense to treat his soul body.

Very quickly, he recovered.

After recovering, his soul body was not only free of bloating, its appearance was profound and clear, and it lingered with some soul light, adding several points of resistance to burning, chopping, cutting, and other attacks.

After undergoing these two rounds, Ning Zhuo’s soul power formally broke through to ten thousand Ren Soul!