Chapter 608: Yang Tian Variable

Meng Yaoyin’s voice, originating from the Lamp of Paths, reached directly into Ning Zhuo’s spiritual sea.

“Oh, successor of the Lamp of Paths, with a foundation of millions of souls and as the current master of White Paper Immortal City, you must be the variable of heaven foretold by Old Man Graybones!”

“You must thwart the schemes of Lord Oblivion and restore peace to the entire Murky Black Marsh Wetland.”

Along with these words, a vast amount of information was conveyed to Ning Zhuo:Heavenly Ghost Incarnation Offering...Heavenly Ghost Skull...Acquired Talent...Selecting White Paper Immortal City for blood sacrifice, offering it to the Gloomy Heavens...

A moment later, Ning Zhuo had fully processed this astonishing revelation, his eyes gleaming. “So, that’s how it is!”

At that moment, he learned of Lord Oblivion’s entire grand plan.

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

She explicitly stated that she had personally descended to the Underworld, where she was welcomed by Old Man Graybones himself. Under his guidance, she had leveraged the mechanisms left by Scholar Xuansu, allowing her to control half of the paper puppet army through ingenious devices.

However, Meng Yaoyin did not specify how to disrupt Lord Oblivion’s grand plan. Instead, she expressed confidence in the successor: since it was a variable triggered by the heavenly destiny of the mortal realm, there must be a way to achieve victory!

“I see.”

“So this is the origin of the Heaven-Bestowed Talisman in Boss’s hand.”

“Old Man Graybones...”

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

This time, it felt completely different.

“My mother made these preparations a long time ago, awaiting the evolution of destiny. Now that Lord Oblivion’s grand plan is about to succeed, although I arrived here by chance, I am likely that very variable!”

“I should do my utmost to fulfill my mother’s wishes and bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.”

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

Sun Lingtong was still within the Yin Army’s grand formation, observing White Paper Immortal City resisting the ghost tide. Upon hearing this, he was greatly surprised.

“Amazing, Xiao Zhuo! Your mother’s methods are truly extraordinary. To think she could seize half of the paper puppet army—we’re rich!”

Ning Zhuo replied, “According to the information my mother left, someone needs to go there in person to activate the formation; only then can we control that half of the army.”

“However, my mother didn’t say how to use this power to disrupt Lord Oblivion’s grand plan.”

Sun Lingtong dismissed it. “Xiao Zhuo, your mother doesn’t have divination abilities either. Achieving this much is already remarkable. As for what to do next, your mother has already given you a hint, hasn’t she?”

Ning Zhuo, of course, knew what Sun Lingtong meant. He nodded, “That’s right. Back then, since it was Old Man Graybones who guided my mother, and even the activation of White Paper Immortal City’s hidden army was arranged by him...”

“Then, we should first seek out this cultivator and ask for his guidance.”

Sun Lingtong said, “Old Man Graybones might already be waiting for us. His arrangement for Luo Si to fish by the River Styx was likely to make contact with us.”

“If that’s the case, then General Luo Si could potentially be Old Man Graybones’s arrangement, an ally for us?”

Ning Zhuo mused, “That’s possible, but we’ll have to wait until we visit Old Man Graybones and get more information.”

“Boss, it seems your Golden Core ascension will have to be postponed again.”

Sun Lingtong was silent for a moment, then gave a wry smile. “No choice! Since this is the truth, I must also actively cultivate my soul and do my best to raise my soul foundation to a million souls. Only then will I be qualified to disrupt the Heavenly Ghost Incarnation Offering.”

Ning Zhuo already had a million souls, and Sun Lingtong also wanted to cultivate to that level as much as possible, as a secondary safeguard.

Sun Lingtong asked, “Also, should we tell the White Paper City Lord about this secret?”

Sun Lingtong felt hesitant about this.

Ning Zhuo frowned, pondering. “My mother’s message didn’t mention the White Paper City Lord. Clearly, she had some concerns.”

“Whatever those concerns were, in her view, resolving this crisis didn’t have much to do with the White Paper City Lord.”

“Hmph!”

“My mother, for the sake of this Immortal City, spared no expense of her life force, exhausted her mind and body, and risked entering the Underworld to arrange so much for future generations... My mother was truly too kind and generous, sacrificing herself for the sake of the world.”

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

“When she saw me, she immediately labeled me a ‘savior’! She clearly wants to use me, just like she used my mother.”

“But she doesn’t realize that while I am my mother’s son, my temperament is different from hers.”

“I’m willing to act as a savior and do good deeds, but on the condition that I gain something in return.”

“My awareness isn’t as high as my mother’s!”

Hearing Ning Zhuo’s response, Sun Lingtong immediately felt relieved and praised him greatly. “Xiao Zhuo, that’s right! We shouldn’t be the kind of overly good person who always sacrifices themselves for others; that’s just boring!”

“Your mother’s vision is on a much higher level; that’s a different matter entirely.”

Ning Zhuo nodded. “Exactly.”

To this day, the three talismans forcibly given to Ning Zhuo by the White Paper City Lord remained hidden within his three dantian points.

Ning Zhuo had separately mobilized the dantian powers of spirit, qi, and essence to heavily encircle and compress these three talismans.

He was just waiting for the right moment to have Sun Lingtong use his thieving art to attempt to remove them.

Retrieving them now would be too soon.

The White Paper City Lord would certainly not rest easy and would re-apply stronger measures.

The ghost tide lasted for three days and three nights before finally dissipating.

“We’ve endured another wave.” Tie Gengzheng was also guarding the city wall, fighting tirelessly for three consecutive days without sleep.

He felt no joy of victory, only a solemn gaze directed outside the city.

There, a disciplined Yin Army was slowly retreating.

This army had not participated in the attack but had actively gathered the remaining ghosts. As a result, their size had expanded by twenty percent from when they joined the battle to when they left.

“Damn it! It’s frustrating not being able to destroy this vanguard army,” Tie Gengzheng gritted his teeth, punching the parapet.

In stark contrast to him was Qing Chi.

“This time, my military merits are definitely enough, right?” Qing Chi cheered excitedly.

Qing Yan’s expression was grim, but he didn’t disregard the facts. He nodded and admitted, “Indeed, Chi’er, without even calculating, your military merits have certainly met the standard.”

“But now, the Potency Institute is under full lockdown. If you rashly visit that boy Jiao Ma, you’ll not only be blocked but also cause him a lot of trouble.”

“After all, he is now the City Lord’s male consort.”

Qing Chi’s eyebrows immediately shot up, and she glared angrily at Qing Yan. “Father, are you trying to go back on your word?”

Qing Yan quickly waved his hands. “No, no. Sigh, what I mean is, if you want to see Jiao Ma, you need to do it the right way. For example, I could write a letter, secretly arrange for him to come out, and let you meet. That’s better than meeting inside the Potency Institute, isn’t it?”

Only then did Qing Chi’s anger subside, and she nodded repeatedly. “Father, you’re right. We can’t do anything in the Potency Institute, and we have to be careful even when talking. It’s much more convenient outside!”

Qing Yan nodded, then his expression suddenly changed, and he held out a hand. “Wait a minute!”

“Can’t do anything? What do you want to do?!”

“More convenient outside? Convenient for what?!”

Qing Chi snorted coldly. “Old man, I’m grown up now. Don’t interfere; I have my own plans.”

Qing Yan’s eyes twitched with anger. “Don’t you dare do anything reckless! Jiao Ma’s primal yang is extremely beneficial for his cultivation technique!”

Qing Chi retorted, “Hmph, I used to be mindful of that and didn’t act decisively. But now there’s still a chance...”

Qing Yan was so angry he wanted to stomp his foot. “No, no, no, you can’t do that! You’re a girl; if you’re too proactive, Jiao Ma won’t cherish you. Chi’er, you need to be patient...”

“Patient?!” Qing Chi waved her arm, growing agitated. “Am I supposed to just stand by and watch Jiao Ma cultivate with that old woman, the White Paper City Lord? Absolutely not!”

Hearing Qing Chi call the White Paper City Lord an ‘old woman,’ Qing Yan was furious, enraged, and scared. He glared intently, lowering his voice, “Shut up! You’re utterly unrestrained with your words!!”

Yet Qing Chi was not afraid of her father and still tried to speak.

Qing Yan quickly waved his hands. “Don’t say another word, don’t say another word! You foolish girl, I won’t interfere with your actions. Go on and cause trouble then. Don’t worry about your father, and don’t worry about our family!”

Qing Yan’s words, ironically, softened Qing Chi’s attitude. “Father...”

“I was wrong, please don’t be angry.”

“I’m just too anxious to rescue Xiao Ma.”

“Sigh!!!” Qing Yan covered his face and let out a long sigh, momentarily unwilling to speak.

Ning Zhuo had already returned to the Potency Institute to continue his arduous cultivation.

After the army retreated, Sun Lingtong informed the general that he intended to return to the Underworld.

Carrying Luo Si’s military order, he had free passage. The general also told him the way back.

Sun Lingtong sank into the main channel of the Underworld Dragon River, diving deep and passing through the rift between the mortal realm and the Underworld, arriving 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 Lamp of Paths.

Sun Lingtong then followed Ning Zhuo’s guidance and hurried on his way.

His destination was directly the Seventh Paper Puppet Army.

This army was still incomplete, in its creation phase.

It was precisely because of this that Old Man Graybones and Meng Yaoyin were able to intervene and seize control of this army.

As Sun Lingtong hurried on, he took out a talisman.

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

The front of the talisman had a complete Yama’s Four-Directional Seal in the center, and its edges were encircled by images of the Eighteen Hells.

The back of the talisman featured vermilion characters from "The Thirteen Chapters of Yin Laws."

It was precisely the Heaven-Bestowed Talisman.

“I didn’t expect this jade talisman wouldn’t end up in Ning Zhuo’s hands; I’m using it instead,” Sun Lingtong sighed.

He continued on his journey, quietly activating the jade talisman.

Instantly, a surge of soul power infused into Sun Lingtong’s soul.

This soul power was vast, and more importantly, incredibly pure. Sun Lingtong’s expression changed immediately, feeling his soul rapidly expand like a balloon.

Unlike Ning Zhuo’s cultivation method using the Four Treasures, Sun Lingtong’s soul foundation directly soared, swiftly and steadily, without any risk of instability.

Sun Lingtong’s physical foundation was far stronger than Ning Zhuo’s, better able to accommodate the surging soul.

By the time Sun Lingtong arrived before the Seventh Paper Puppet Army, his soul foundation had already reached over 200,000 souls!

Of course, he had a prior foundation. He was older than Ning Zhuo, so it was natural for his soul foundation to be deeper.

“Xiao Zhuo, you should use this talisman; it’s the most convenient cultivation method,” Sun Lingtong sincerely lamented.

“This opportunity is fleeting. It’s rare to be able to ‘shear the wool’ off a Lord of the Underworld.”

Ning Zhuo chuckled. “Your words sound familiar. Wasn’t I just saying the same thing to you earlier?”

Sun Lingtong replied, “It has almost no drawbacks! If I had to name one, it’s that you get auditory hallucinations, hearing someone chanting a sacrificial text, which is very noisy.”

Ning Zhuo’s heart stirred. “What does the sacrificial text say?”

Sun Lingtong said, “I’ve memorized most of it.”

“Oh, Empress of the Grand Yin, her rule extends; Nine Netherworld’s light descends. Yama upholds the laws, souls are seized across the ten directions of the Underworld; Yellow Springs surge with snow, souls traverse myriad eons of vastness. Now, with the Rite of Heavenly Ghost Incarnation, devoutly offered before the seat of the Mysterious Sovereign of Shadows...”

“Respectfully offered... Yama’s Four-Directional Treasure Seal suspended upon the mystical altar, true images of the Eighteen Hells arranged as curtains. Black snow covers the earth seven-fold, bearing Yang souls to nourish Yin malevolence; cinnabar inscribes the heavens in nine revolutions, knocking upon the laws of gloom to access the shadowy expanse.”

“Beseeching the Mysterious Sovereign to open a shortcut to the netherworld, to pardon the chronic ailments of karmic souls; to bestow a heaven-granted jade talisman, to solidify the origin of the spiritual platform. May...”

“...With humble words, we humbly offer this sacrifice and pray it is accepted!”

Ning Zhuo’s face lit up as he listened to Sun Lingtong’s recitation. “This should be the main sacrificial text for the Grand Rite of Heavenly Ghost Incarnation Offering. Boss, listen carefully and try to remember the whole thing. We might find a way to break the situation from it.”

Sun Lingtong shook his head. “Neither of us is a Confucian cultivator. It would be incredibly difficult to find flaws in this; it’s not reliable!”

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

“Let’s not talk about that for now. First, let’s get control of this half of the army, and then head to Water Burial Valley. These paper puppets should be enough to prove our identity and earn Old Man Graybones’s trust.”

“If we encounter trouble, we’ll also have this army to utilize and fight for us!”

Sun Lingtong nodded. “Xiao Zhuo, I’ll just follow your lead from now on.”

Ning Zhuo then, following the information left by his mother, guided Sun Lingtong to successfully locate the formation disk hidden deep underground.

Sun Lingtong activated his magical power and poured it into the formation disk, but there was no reaction.

After inspecting it, Sun Lingtong learned the answer. “This is a Myriad Manifestations Formation Disk; it requires Myriad Manifestations magical power to activate. What should we do?”

Ning Zhuo mused, “It seems Mother preferred this opportunity to benefit the sect’s growth.”

“That’s easy to handle.”

“Before, when I was chatting with Wen Ruanyu, I learned that one of the Myriad Manifestations Sect’s introductory spells, the Shifting Art, can generate Myriad Manifestations magical power.”

“I’ll write to Wen Ruanyu right now and ask her about that spell!”

While Ning Zhuo was focused on the Underworld army, Qing Chi arrived at the entrance of the Potency Institute.

“Please inform Jiao Ma that Qing Chi is looking for him and ask him to come out and see me!” Qing Chi’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

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