Chapter 607: The Path of the Dao! |
In the next moment, the movements of the paper figure grew a little larger.
In the moment after that, a gust of Yin Wind arose around them, sweeping through many paper figures and causing their bodies to sway.
Then the wind dispersed.
All the paper figures became motionless again.
Sun Lingtong directly dropped to his knees on the ground. The paper figure he had possessed reverted to its original state, while his soul appeared dim and weak. He was so exhausted that he nearly fainted on the spot.
Only after resting for quite a while did he recover somewhat. With lingering fear in his voice, he said, “This won’t work, Little Zhuo.”
“To control this paper figure army requires far too much foundation in mechanisms.”
“In this area, I’m far inferior to you. You’ll have to do it!”
Sun Lingtong had tried once, but he could not even complete the first step required to activate the paper figure army.
“Of course, the place my mother arranged here truly has very high standards.”
“I’m afraid that even if I came personally, I might not be able to activate everything.”
“So why not see whether you can mobilize only a portion of it?”
Sun Lingtong recovered his breath and tried again. This time he started from the smallest point, proceeding step by step while steadily expanding.
Ning Zhuo’s suggestion indeed worked.
At the beginning, Sun Lingtong quickly managed to control three spear-and-shield soldiers.
After being activated, these soldier paper figures immediately transformed into ghostly beings, just like the paper figure body Sun Lingtong had previously possessed. They became vivid and lifelike. Neither Sun Lingtong nor Ning Zhuo could see any flaw in them.
Ning Zhuo promptly suggested, “Boss, prioritize the cavalry.”
Sun Lingtong readily accepted.
There was only one type of cavalry within the paper figure army, so the two of them had no choice in the matter.
A moment later, Sun Lingtong rode a Ghost Ox himself. Behind him followed twelve ox cavalry soldiers as they galloped out from their hidden location.
The Ghost Ox was enormous. Its black fur was as dark as ink, like the deep night sky of the Underworld. Its horns were sharp as blades, and its eyes flickered with a cold ghostly glow. Every step of its hooves produced a low rumbling sound.
Sun Lingtong gripped the reins tightly. As the Ghost Ox ran, his body naturally synchronized with its rhythm. He could clearly feel the immense strength of the mount beneath him, and his heart gradually became more steady.
The speed of the Ghost Ox’s charge was far faster than if he traveled on foot.
The Yin Wind brushed against his face, carrying the damp, decaying chill unique to the Underworld.
The land of the Underworld stretched endlessly. Amid the desolation, drifting remnants of souls and shadows occasionally appeared.
The ground was hard yet slippery, but the Ghost Ox’s hooves did not need to avoid anything. They simply crushed the protruding rocks beneath them and continued forward steadily.
Every time the hooves struck the ground, a tremor followed, as though the earth itself responded to this powerful force.
Sun Lingtong’s mount was paired with his paper figure body as a complete set. Thus controlling it felt perfectly seamless.
The Ghost Ox could almost instantly sense his intentions—whether to turn, accelerate, or even leap.
“However, my connection with the other cavalry isn’t very strong.”
Sun Lingtong glanced behind him. These twelve ox cavalry soldiers were already the limit he had discovered he could bring out.
Ning Zhuo reminded him at the right moment, “Boss, why not practice controlling them while traveling? See what level you can reach, so you won’t be helpless during battle.”
Sun Lingtong had the same idea. After trying it, he found the situation far better than he had expected.
The main reason was that these paper figures transformed into ghosts possessed strong spirituality and were extremely obedient to his commands.
“If you were here, Little Zhuo, the number of troops you could mobilize would probably be more than ten times mine!”
“No… the Underworld is dangerous. It’s better not to let Little Zhuo take risks.”
Thinking of this, Sun Lingtong shifted part of his attention to the Heaven-Granted Talisman in his arms. While traveling, he activated the talisman to continue strengthening the foundation of his soul.
Cultivating on the back of an ox was something Sun Lingtong had never done before in his life.
But the difficulty was not high.
On one hand, an ox’s back was far steadier than a horse’s. On the other hand, Sun Lingtong was not cultivating his Boy Technique. Instead, he was simply activating the talisman to nourish his soul. The difficulty of this cultivation was far lower.
Ning Zhuo suggested again, “Boss, why not send several ox cavalry out as scouts?”
Sun Lingtong once again accepted the suggestion.
After the cavalry squad galloped for a while, a scout returned and brought back the latest intelligence.
Upon hearing that a small pack of Azure Corpse Wolves nearby was hunting, Sun Lingtong’s eyes immediately lit up.
Ning Zhuo directly suggested that Sun Lingtong lead the troops into battle to test their combat strength.
This was exactly what Sun Lingtong wanted to do!
He immediately gave the order, changed direction, and headed toward the wolves’ hunting ground.
The Wolf King stood atop a hillside, overlooking the battlefield. From time to time it howled, issuing commands and adjusting the wolves’ positions.
The Skeleton White Deer herd struggled desperately. Their leader, the Deer King, was already severely wounded.
Seizing the moment, the Wolf King suddenly leaped forward!
Its sharp claws sliced through the air like blades, while its fangs shimmered with ghostly light.
The Deer King was already at the end of its strength and was caught by the ambush. Its neck was bitten directly.
Yet it counterattacked desperately. Its crown-like antlers stabbed into the Wolf King’s abdomen, even piercing through until the tips emerged slightly from the wolf’s back.
“What a chance!” Sun Lingtong reached the edge of the battlefield just in time to see this scene and immediately shouted, “Charge!”
He rushed forward first, while the cavalry behind him urged their mounts onward and followed closely.
The Wolf King’s pupils shrank violently. It struggled with all its strength to free itself from the antlers while letting out a furious howl, commanding the wolves to intercept the cavalry.
The wolf pack had no choice but to abandon the nearly captured deer herd and charge toward the ox cavalry.
The Ghost Oxen let out deep roars. Their hooves thundered like drums as the formation formed a cone with Sun Lingtong as the spearhead, accelerating even further.
Just before collision, the Ghost Oxen lowered their heads, pointing their horns forward, while the riders leveled their spears.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Azure Corpse Wolves were smashed into pieces upon impact, their corpses scattering everywhere.
The wolves’ formation was instantly torn apart. The ox cavalry crushed them with overwhelming force!
In the blink of an eye, the wolf pack was almost entirely wiped out, leaving only the severely injured Wolf King.
The Wolf King cried out in grief. After freeing itself, it did not attempt revenge but turned and fled.
“Hahaha, chase!” Sun Lingtong shouted.
The ox cavalry pursued relentlessly.
But although the Wolf King was heavily injured, its speed remained impressive. As it fled, it used ghostly techniques, tail tucked, moving so quickly that even Sun Lingtong was astonished.
“Sigh, what a pity for such a Wolf King!” In the end, Sun Lingtong could only sigh regretfully when he failed to catch it.
Sun Lingtong’s first battle yielded considerable results.
Both he and Ning Zhuo were very satisfied with the ox cavalry’s combat strength, but they also discovered a flaw: the ox cavalry belonged to heavy cavalry. Their charging power was tremendous, but once the distance of pursuit grew long, their charging speed dropped sharply, and their combat strength declined greatly.
After testing the cavalry’s strength, Sun Lingtong continued his journey.
He had only one destination: Water Burial Valley!
Meng Yaoyin had only made arrangements and had not provided Ning Zhuo with a specific method. However, she mentioned a key figure—Grey-Bone Elder.
Since this person was skilled in divination, and considering Luo Si and Sun Lingtong’s previous contact with him, the two planned to visit him first to seek a solution.
White Paper Immortal City.
Strong Yang Courtyard.
Sun Tiesheng was led by a Paper Puppet into a small courtyard.
“This junior greets Lord Li!” Sun Tiesheng respectfully saluted Li Xiangshang.
Then he greeted the cultivator seated beside him: “President Zhao.”
President Zhao, who managed the Strong Yang Courtyard, smiled and pointed at Sun Tiesheng as he introduced him to Li Xiangshang.
“Lord Li, this Sun Tiesheng is currently the most outstanding talent our Strong Yang Courtyard can present.”
“Your eyesight is excellent. You picked him at once!”
Li Xiangshang nodded. Most of his face was hidden beneath a bamboo hat, making it impossible to see his exact expression.
Upon hearing this, Sun Tiesheng’s heart began to beat faster.
“Could it be… my opportunity has arrived?!”
Li Xiangshang silently examined Sun Tiesheng first.
After arriving at the Strong Yang Courtyard, he had requested the records of all members and carefully selected among them.
In the end, he chose Sun Tiesheng.
Li Xiangshang took out a treasure from his Storage Bag and displayed it for the other two to see.
Sun Tiesheng immediately looked at it, his heart burning with excitement.
The treasure was only palm-sized and resembled a bird’s nest. Every strand of golden thread shimmered with five-colored radiance. Deep inside the nest lay a bright red object resembling either a tiny heart or a seed.
The entire golden nest emitted a strong demonic aura.
Li Xiangshang introduced it: “As you can see, this is a Golden Nest Demon Seed, possessing the bloodline of the Golden Swallow.”
“As long as you follow the secret method and absorb the demon seed into your body, your Yang Energy will surge dramatically. You will also obtain Golden Swallow demon blood!”
“With that, the probability of obtaining the Golden Swallow Fork will be at least seventy percent.”
President Zhao clapped his hands with delight and laughed loudly.
“Excellent! Sun Tiesheng, your luck is truly good to receive such support. Why not accept it immediately?”
However, Sun Tiesheng’s expression changed drastically. The heat in his heart vanished, replaced by an icy cold.
He slowly shook his head, his expression solemn.
“I cannot accept it.”
Li Xiangshang gave a soft sound of surprise. He had not expected such a reaction from Sun Tiesheng.
President Zhao exclaimed and was about to persuade him, but Sun Tiesheng cut him off.
“If this is the only method, then I cannot accept it. This junior will take his leave.”
After saying this, he looked at Li Xiangshang once more. Li Xiangshang appeared puzzled.
Sun Tiesheng cupped his fists again and turned away.
He left the room without looking back, leaving Li Xiangshang and President Zhao behind.
“Um…” Li Xiangshang asked, “Does Sun Tiesheng have some hidden difficulty?”
President Zhao smiled awkwardly.
“He is the most suitable candidate. Why did he refuse?”
President Zhao sighed bitterly.
“I’m afraid it is precisely because of the demon seed.”
Li Xiangshang exclaimed in confusion. “Why would he not want it?”
President Zhao explained, “Lord Li is a bitter cultivator devoted entirely to the Dao, so you may not understand the inner reason. Sun Tiesheng is a pure human. If he absorbs an external demon seed and becomes half-human, half-demon, it will inevitably reduce his future potential.”
Li Xiangshang finally understood.
“Humans are the spirit of all living things. As a pure demon myself, I have spent nearly my entire life cultivating. Only now have I been assigned by my lord to take action in worldly affairs. I truly had not realized this point.”
“If Sun Tiesheng refuses, must I select someone else?”
“I’ve reviewed your list. His cultivation is already the closest to the Golden Core stage.”
President Zhao chuckled.
“Sun Tiesheng’s attitude is only personal and not the key issue. Lord Li, why not start with the Sun Family?”
Li Xiangshang blinked. “What do you mean?”
President Zhao had not expected such an obvious scheme to require explanation. But due to Li Xiangshang’s status, he patiently explained.
“The Sun Family is a cultivation clan within the immortal city. The entire clan hopes Sun Tiesheng will obtain the Golden Swallow Fork to strengthen their position in the city.”
“Sun Tiesheng was selected and supported by the Sun Family. Originally he was of very low birth, merely the illegitimate son of a blacksmith.”
“We can approach the Sun Family and explain the pros and cons. Let them persuade their own son.”
Li Xiangshang slapped his thigh.
“Wonderful! This way we won’t offend anyone, and it saves effort. My lord truly has wisdom in sending me to do this. I’ve learned something today—many thanks, Brother Zhao.”
President Zhao, who was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, hurriedly returned the salute.
Soon the two arranged a banquet and invited the Sun Family Patriarch.
The patriarch happily attended after hearing that both President Zhao and the Golden Core cultivator Li Xiangshang were inviting him.
After learning the matter during the banquet, he slapped his chest and guaranteed that he would force Sun Tiesheng to accept!
“He’s merely an illegitimate son. Everything he has today comes from our clan nurturing him despite his background!”
“If he refuses, he will be removed from the clan genealogy and after death will have no memorial tablet in the ancestral hall!”
The patriarch shouted these words during the banquet.
After returning to the clan, he immediately summoned Sun Tiesheng’s father.
The father called Sun Tiesheng back to the clan grounds to admit his guilt.
However, in front of the patriarch and his father, Sun Tiesheng completely abandoned his usual silent demeanor. His expression turned stern as iron, and he refused outright.
His attitude was extremely firm.
“That is impossible!”
“Using a demon seed is seeking quick success and instant benefits. It benefits the clan, and it benefits the overall situation of White Paper Immortal City—this is true. But it does not benefit me!”
“It reduces my future potential. I would rather give up this opportunity!”
The patriarch and Sun Tiesheng’s father had never been refused so directly before and were both somewhat angry with embarrassment.
His father scolded him.
But Sun Tiesheng stood upright with his hands behind his back and laughed coldly.
“This is a conflict over the Path of the Dao. I will never compromise!”
Seeing his son standing with such imposing dignity, the father could no longer continue scolding and stared in shock.
The patriarch also seemed to be seeing Sun Tiesheng for the first time. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he waved his hand and dismissed Sun Tiesheng first.
After Sun Tiesheng left, he and the father remained silent.
After a long time, the patriarch finally spoke.
“I never expected our Sun Family to produce a Qilin child!”
His face flushed red as he cupped his hands toward the father in apology.
“This matter was my mistake. I handled it poorly. Please forgive me.”
The father hurriedly waved his hand.
“To be honest, this is also the first time I’ve seen this brat’s true nature.”
The patriarch praised him.
“Excellent character!”
“In this generation of our Sun Family, he alone possesses such resolve.”
“The future pillar of the Sun Family can only be him.”
The father humbly said the patriarch overestimated his son.
The patriarch then began planning.
“According to the current situation, Chen Sui and Shen Bing are both dead. In the Strong Yang Courtyard, Tiesheng has no rivals.”
“Even if Li Xiangshang wishes to give the Golden Nest Demon Seed to someone else, who could he give it to?”
“There is no one else.”
“Thus we still have room for planning and negotiation.”
“To be honest, I also do not want the future pillar of the Sun Family to be half-human, half-demon!”
Underworld.
Water Burial Valley.
As Sun Lingtong and the ox cavalry squad arrived nearby, they were suddenly surrounded by ambushers.
“Capture these suspicious people!” the ambush leader shouted.
Sun Lingtong was shocked. These people had hidden themselves too deeply—he had not discovered them at all. By the time he realized it, it was already too late.
In urgency, Sun Lingtong shouted angrily, “Who are you people to dare ambush me?!”
The leader sneered.
“You’re asking who we are? Saying it might scare you to death! We are the personal troops of the Forget River Lord. Our lord has issued strict orders—no one is allowed to approach Water Burial Valley!”
“Anyone who dares contact Grey-Bone Elder will be arrested immediately!”
Forget River Immortal City.
The Forget River Lord sat cross-legged, staring at the Heaven Ghost Skull before him with deep eyes.
A century of planning would bear fruit today.
Any unfavorable change must be strangled in its cradle.
Sending troops to surround Water Burial Valley and isolate Grey-Bone Elder was part of the preparation.
After all, Grey-Bone Elder knew the inside story.
Even if this offended the divination cultivator, the Forget River Lord would not hesitate.
“This concerns my Path of the Dao.”
