During the battle on the Altar Battlefield, Luo Si lost many magic treasures, leaving him with almost only half of the Wangchuan Yinduxian. It was with this half of the fishing line that he managed to retrieve the natal Buddha wheel of Wu’yin Guiseng.

As for Qing Chi, at a critical moment between life and death, he miraculously used his own blood to ignite a Qing Flame, melting away the Mingjiao Jian.

Ning Zhuo, on the other hand, picked up the Wangchuan Fujun Yin during the subsequent cleanup of the battlefield.

This treasured seal was also a national artifact. Previously, it had suppressed the phantom of Jimie Fozuo, and after its seal was broken, it was in turn suppressed by the phantom of Jimie Fozuo.

When the phantom of Jimie Fozuo suffered Wangchuan Fujun’s treachery, rashly ascended the stage, and subsequently perished under heavenly wrath, the Wangchuan Fujun Yin was also left behind on the battlefield.

At that time, the true body of Wangchuan Fujun had already teleported away, returning to Wangchuan Xiancheng.

He used the Jietian Lian Di Erxiang Array, moving from the heavenly array to the earthly array, a natural and seamless process. It was also possible to go from the earthly array to the heavenly array, but this process was significantly more difficult, not only involving delays but also immense consumption.

Only the continuous, vast, and turbid Qi from the earth’s core, not a cultivator’s body, could sustain the losses during such a teleportation.

Therefore, Wangchuan Fujun’s inaction was truly a case of being beyond reach.

In fact, his true body had already fallen into a coma at that time due to the painful loss of the Mingjiao Jian.

As for his clone, Disha Zhuohui Shen, it deliberately disbanded to deceive the phantom of Jimie Fozuo and reassure him, intending to re-condense a divine clone step by step in the future.

Ning Zhuo obtained this national artifact and wanted to refine it, but he was willing but powerless. He had no Qing Flame to use, and Qing Chi was in a completely comatose state.

It wasn’t until they returned to the Yang Realm that this dormant national artifact suddenly reacted, shaking violently once.

But it was only once.

Immediately after, it fell back into a dormant state, just as before. In fact, Ning Zhuo vaguely felt that this dormancy was even more complete than before.

He was not surprised by this situation. Ning Zhuo had read many books and naturally knew a common sense: national artifacts, official artifacts, and military artifacts would lose their function once they left a specific range.

For example, an official seal could not be used if it left the corresponding official and fell into someone else’s hands.

Military artifacts would have their power greatly reduced, or even become unusable, if they left their所属 military unit.

The Wangchuan Fujun Yin was a national artifact, equivalent to a monarch’s imperial seal. Outside of Wangchuan Difu, it naturally could not be used.

These artifacts were deeply bound to the country, officials, and military, and drew upon national power, official power, and military power.

National power bricks were different from them. They were consumables, essentially artificial spirit stones, but they stored the national power of a certain country rather than natural spiritual energy.

As long as they obtained permission from the high-ranking officials of that country, cultivators could draw upon national power for various purposes.

Storing national power bricks was difficult; the longer the time and the further away from the country, the faster and more national power they would lose.

This was one of the reasons why Ning Zhuo had quickly used up his national power brick before.

A major reason why the Wangchuan Fujun Yin fell into dormancy was that it had left the jurisdiction of Wangchuan Difu, moving from the Yin Realm to the Yang Realm, and could no longer draw upon the ubiquitous national power within Wangchuan Difu.

Ning Zhuo led the entire Qingjiao Army out of the Mingjiao River.

Upon arriving in the Yang Realm, they immediately felt a release of pressure. During their march and trek in the Yin Realm, everyone’s hearts were filled with an invisible pressure, feeling as if a giant eye, hidden deep in the sky, was looking down on them with malice.

Now, this strange pressure suddenly disappeared. Not only that, even though the sky was overcast, the entire Qingjiao Army felt a warmth.

“This is the favor of the Yangtian,” Ning Zhuo and the others knew clearly.

Foyi Meng Yaoyin’s message in the jade slip also touched upon this. She made it very clear: the entire Qingjiao Army had disrupted Wangchuan Fujun’s century-long plan, incurring the resentment of the Yin Realm’s heaven while also gaining the favor of the Yang Realm’s heaven!

This favor would last for a period. During this time, all cultivators in the Qingjiao Army would find things going smoothly, even receiving heavenly assistance!

If heavenly assistance was indeed triggered, the stronger its force, the shorter the time cultivators would receive the heaven’s favor.

Of course, the share of heavenly favor each person received was different. Ning Zhuo, Qing Chi, Luo Si, and Sun Lingtong were undoubtedly among those who received the most.

Ning Zhuo led the Qingjiao Army a distance from the Mingjiao River, then set up camp on the spot.

He brought out the Jidian Junying, providing the Qingjiao Army a safe place to rest.

The journey through the Yin Realm was fraught with crises and dangers. Thanks to Foyi Meng Yaoyin’s prior warning, Ning Zhuo, Luo Si, and others acted promptly, and while many cultivators in the Qingjiao Army were injured, very few died.

The battle record of this newly established army in their foray into the Yin Realm was dazzlingly brilliant, to the point of being blinding. The number of fatalities among them was also very low, with most surviving. This was nothing short of a miracle!

The entire army rested in the camp, actively receiving treatment, and their morale steadily rose.

“When I acquired this military camp, I thought it wouldn’t be very useful for holding out in Baizhi Xiancheng. I never expected that, looking back, this military camp played the biggest role,” Ning Zhuo sighed. Sun Lingtong, who took a different route, did not feel this deeply.

Luo Si felt a bit strange, as he was previously the commander who manipulated the grand army and used the ghost tide to attack Baizhi Xiancheng’s Wangchuan Army.

“To avoid trouble, Luo Si, you should hide for now,” Ning Zhuo instructed.

Luo Si did not refuse and chose to comply.

Ning Zhuo then gathered the entire army and told them to strictly adhere to the real battle achievements, saying only that after entering the Yin Realm, they fought for a while, fled everywhere, and finally managed to escape back to the Yang Realm with the help of the Mingjiao River.

Regarding this matter, Wangchuan Fujun’s side would certainly not publicize it. Wu’yin Guiseng’s true body never returned, and his natal Buddha wheel even fell into Luo Si’s hands.

As for Wangchuan Fujun’s imperial guards, they had already been annihilated in the Heiyun Battlefield.

Therefore, as long as the Qingjiao Army kept silent, the cultivators of Baizhi Xiancheng could only speculate, unable to confirm anything.

According to Foyi Meng Yaoyin’s message, the Qingjiao Army needed to temporarily keep this secret strictly confidential.

Given Ning Zhuo’s character, he would have made such a decision himself.

The Qingjiao Army rested for half a day, then broke camp and quickly moved away from the Mingjiao River, approaching Baizhi Xiancheng.

When they were ten li from Baizhi Xiancheng, they set up camp again under Ning Zhuo’s command.

This location was quite subtle, not far from where the Wangchuan Gui Jun had originally been stationed!

During the Qingjiao Army’s march, some cultivators had already detected them and sent this important intelligence to Baizhi Xiancheng.

So, as soon as they had set up camp and entered the Jidian Junying, a cultivator came to visit.

This person descended from the sky, slowly landing, his robes fluttering in the wind, with an ethereal demeanor.

His eyes were gentle, his gaze clear, with a sagacity that saw through worldly affairs. His facial contours were soft yet heroic, and his smile was genial.

He exuded a gentle and peaceful temperament from within, like a meticulously carved jade, its luster restrained, warm to the touch, making people forget the mundane and feel a sense of closeness.

It was none other than Wanxiang Zong’s true disciple, Wen Ruan Yu.

Ning Zhuo rode his Heixue Zhimachi, standing at the camp entrance to greet him.

Wen Ruan Yu said in a clear voice, “Nephew Ning Zhuo, you’ve worked hard on your journey. You led the Qingjiao Army deep behind enemy lines and returned safely in triumph. This is truly a blessing for our Baizhi Xiancheng, and a great weight has finally been lifted from my heart!”

In Baizhi Xiancheng, he already knew Ning Zhuo’s true appearance and identity.

At this moment, seeing Ning Zhuo’s original appearance, he felt a slight surprise in his heart but showed no sign on his face, as if it were natural.

Ning Zhuo dismounted, cupped his hands in thanks, and welcomed Wen Ruan Yu into the military camp.

Aside from the injured and disabled cultivators, the entire Qingjiao Army assembled, awaiting Ning Zhuo’s orders, displaying their unified and valiant posture, ready for a tough battle, to Wen Ruan Yu.

Seeing this, Wen Ruan Yu’s smile grew even wider.

Although he did not know how Ning Zhuo had resolved the misunderstandings with the Qingjiao Army and managed to command the entire force.

These details were not important; what mattered was that Ning Zhuo still had such a tremendous influence on the Qingjiao Army!

“Senior Wen, look at these; these are our spoils,” Ning Zhuo presented him with a large number of ghost creature remains.

After a glance, Wen Ruan Yu was moved: “I never imagined that on this journey, Nephew, you would lead the Qingjiao Army to such achievements. I am here, representing the thousands of city residents, to thank all the soldiers for fighting bravely, and to congratulate Nephew on establishing such an unparalleled feat!”

Towards the end, Wen Ruan Yu raised his voice high, his words spreading throughout the entire military camp.

On one hand, he represented Baizhi Xiancheng, affirming Ning Zhuo’s identity and confirming his leadership of the Qingjiao Army. On the other hand, he was also reassuring the entire Qingjiao Army and boosting their morale.

However, the Qingjiao Army remained silent.

Many looked defiant, some were indifferent.

The spoils they collected were far more than what was presented; what was shown was truly a negligible fraction.

This was a legendary battle! If the full story were told, it would likely shock the world.

Ning Zhuo ordered them to keep it a secret, and they willingly obeyed.

Ning Zhuo had won over the entire army with his formidable and undeniable battle achievements. In this legendary conflict, Ning Zhuo protected the entire army multiple times, and ultimately defeated a Nascent Soul-level powerhouse. Such astonishing results even incurred the resentment of the Yin Realm’s heaven!

What a world-shattering, ghost-and-god-moving performance!

In fact, even ghosts and gods were defeated and destroyed.

In Shuizang Gu, the Qingjiao Army had helped Ning Zhuo clear the battlefield, with many of them personally participating in dismembering the ghost god’s body!

With such legendary experiences and achievements, the Qingjiao Army had fundamentally transformed, not in terms of strength, but on a spiritual level.

There was a strong sense of “I’ve been through all this, what other difficulties and dangers could possibly scare me in the future?”—such willpower and pride.

Wen Ruan Yu also couldn’t help but glance sideways, thinking: These people have only experienced the Yin Realm once, but they seem completely different!

He spoke a few more pleasantries, then transmitted a message to Ning Zhuo with his divine sense: “Nephew, step aside for a moment. There are some recent developments in the city that you need to be aware of.”

Ning Zhuo welcomed Wen Ruan Yu into the commander’s tent. Before Wen Ruan Yu could introduce anything, Ning Zhuo proactively spoke first: “Does Baizhi Chengzhu have different ideas about my Qingjiao Army?”

Wen Ruan Yu gave a wry smile: “Nephew’s prediction is correct.”

“She appointed me to meet you this time precisely to arrange a grand triumphal ceremony.”

“At that time, you, Qing Chi, Qing Yan, and many other key figures will enter through the South City Gate together, enjoying the welcome of all the city residents.”

“But I advise you to claim injury and illness to avoid participating; that would be the safest. The Qingjiao Army can continue to be stationed here until Baizhi Chengzhu makes a real commitment.”

Ning Zhuo nodded: “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

According to the jade slip’s message, Baizhi Xiancheng did not know that Wangchuan Fujun had been completely defeated and would still believe that the ghost tide and the attacking army remained.

This situation could be exploited.

On the other hand, Ning Zhuo had long understood the strong personality of the current Baizhi Chengzhu.

Previously, the powerful external pressure of the enemy attacking the city and the ghost tide siege forced Baizhi Chengzhu to fund the Qingjiao Army, using Ning Zhuo and all other external forces to first maintain her own position, and then to ensure the safety of Baizhi Xiancheng.

Now, with the ghost tide retreated and the enemy army withdrawn, Baizhi Xiancheng had a long period of stable rest. In Baizhi Chengzhu’s eyes, the Qingjiao Army, Ning Zhuo, and others became an eyesore!

Baizhi Xiancheng had tried many times in the past to establish a cultivation army, but without success.

This time, the formation of the Qingjiao Army was a result of the right time, place, and people, with various factors coming together.

If Baizhi Chengzhu wanted to do it again and build her own army, Beifeng Guo and Feiyun Guo would not allow it.

The Qingjiao Army, capable of leveraging Nascent Soul-level combat power, became the largest force that could contend with Baizhi Chengzhu. In the Yinchao Heishi Zhaodi, it would no longer be a single dominant power!

To maintain her rule, Baizhi Chengzhu had to find a way to properly handle the Qingjiao Army.

Previously, the Qingjiao Army was in the Yin Realm, and Baizhi Chengzhu was also busy with post-war preparations. Now, the Qingjiao Army had returned, and it became a major issue that Baizhi Chengzhu had to resolve as quickly as possible!

How it would be resolved, and the outcome of this resolution, would likely determine the political landscape of the Yinchao Heishi Zhaodi for the next hundred years.

Wen Ruan Yu, upon learning that Ning Zhuo was Meng Yaoyin’s son, was clearly on Ning Zhuo’s side.

He was very worried that Ning Zhuo would be careless and specially came to remind him. But Ning Zhuo thought: “Does Baizhi Chengzhu not know Wen Ruan Yu’s attitude towards me? Her sending Wen Ruan Yu to greet me already clearly indicates a desire for continued cooperation.”

“Just as mother predicted.”

Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo thanked Wen Ruan Yu and asked him to wait a moment.

In front of Wen Ruan Yu, Ning Zhuo directly wrote a flying letter, first handed it to Wen Ruan Yu for review, and then asked him to take it back.

Wen Ruan Yu read the flying letter, then put aside his worries, looked at Ning Zhuo with admiration, and rushed back to Baizhi Xiancheng with the letter.

That afternoon, Baizhi Chengzhu’s paper figure clone came to the military camp.

Accompanying her were Yang Sanyan and Zhou Wenzhen.

“This is the Divine Contract. The content is as stated in Daoist Ning’s letter. Please review it,” Zhou Wenzhen took out a contract.

“I am honored, Zhou, to witness the alliance formed by you two this time.”

Ning Zhuo unfolded the contract and carefully examined it, finding that the content was almost identical to his flying letter.

The Qingjiao Army would maintain its organization, not be under the jurisdiction of Baizhi Xiancheng.

The military artifacts previously borrowed by the Qingjiao Army would offset a portion of their military achievements, changing from a rental to an ownership relationship.

Baizhi Xiancheng would provide daily supplies to the Qingjiao Army in exchange for the Qingjiao Army’s unconditional assistance when Baizhi Xiancheng came under powerful attack.

The Qingjiao Army’s military achievements would be offset by a large number of ghost corpse remains from the battlefield provided by Baizhi Xiancheng.

Ning Zhuo stroked his mechanism ring, checked it again, confirmed there were no issues, and then handed it to Sun Lingtong for inspection.

After a thorough examination, the latter nodded slightly to Ning Zhuo.

Only then did Ning Zhuo and Baizhi Chengzhu’s clone officially sign the Divine Contract, thereby settling the century-long political landscape of the Yinchao Heishi Zhaodi!