Chapter 611: Opportunity to Build an Army

The Underworld.

Outside Water Burial Valley, Sun Lingtong's cavalry squad was heavily surrounded, and the situation was critical. The leader was a Golden Core cultivator, and the ghost soldiers under him were all elites, at least at the Foundation Establishment level. Sun Lingtong could also sense numerous hidden ambushes nearby. At least a dozen Golden Core auras were deliberately leaking out, intimidating him.

The ox cavalry instinctively gathered around Sun Lingtong, ready to sacrifice their lives to cover his retreat and protect him if he gave the order to break out. However, breaking out offered no chance of survival.

Although Sun Lingtong was only in the Underworld in spirit form, it was still a part of his very being. The ghost generals in the Underworld were skilled in ghost arts, possessing countless techniques that could overwhelm spirits. Therefore, if Sun Lingtong's spirit were captured, his fate would be dire.

"Boss!" Ning Zhuo secretly worried from the mortal realm.

Sun Lingtong, however, showed quick wit. At this critical moment, he didn't forget to comfort Ning Zhuo: "Don't worry, little brother, watch me."

After this whispered exchange, he put on a fawning smile. "General, we're not strangers here," he said, "See this? It proves it."

Sun Lingtong took out a token and showed it to the general.

The Golden Core ghost general was startled when he saw the token. "What is your connection to General Luo Si?" he asked.

This token was given by Luo Si to facilitate Sun Lingtong's enlistment and entry into the mortal realm. Sun Lingtong deliberately said in a mysterious tone, "Naturally, our connection is extremely close. Otherwise, Lord Luo wouldn't have possibly bestowed this token upon me, would he?"

The Golden Core ghost general fell silent. Luo Si was a major general, immensely powerful and not to be offended. The Underworld also had cultivation nations, which valued order even more than the mortal realm, and transgressing ghosts often suffered cruel tortures in the eighteen layers of hell.

The Golden Core ghost general first took the token, examined it carefully, and after confirming its authenticity, tossed it back to Sun Lingtong. "Go, go, go! We won't arrest you this time," he commanded. "Stay away from Water Burial Valley! You're lucky this time. If you come again, we'll arrest you directly, no matter your connections."

Sun Lingtong gritted his teeth and probed with a spiritual message: "But I have a mission. Would it be possible to facilitate it? Any price is negotiable."

"How dare you! You attempt to bribe this general?!" The Golden Core ghost general immediately glared, scolding him via spiritual message. "My lord has personally issued a strict order! If you try to bribe me, you're trying to cost me my life!"

Seeing no possibility of bribery, Sun Lingtong quickly apologized, seized the opportunity to retreat, and turned to leave. He led the ox cavalry to a safe distance, but instead of truly withdrawing, he slowly circled Water Burial Valley, racking his brains for a solution.

"We have to meet Old Man Graybone, or how can we succeed?" "Damn it! The Prefect of Oblivion truly is the master of this place; his actions are so meticulous." "What should we do, little Zhuo?"

Sun Lingtong racked his brain but couldn't think of a way, so he sought Ning Zhuo's help.

Ning Zhuo also frowned, feeling helpless for the moment. "It's not advisable to risk sneaking in. Since the Prefect of Oblivion has dispatched personal guards, he must have set up many formations," he said. "Boss, if it really comes down to it, just come back. To be honest, the crisis in Parchment Immortal City wasn't caused by us. At worst, if things go wrong, we can just help some citizens evacuate."

Ning Zhuo had been startled when Sun Lingtong was in trouble moments ago. This wasn't like being in Fiery Persimmon Immortal City, where Ning Zhuo could retrieve Sun Lingtong from prison on Mount Fiery Persimmon. But in the Underworld, he couldn't save him. Therefore, more than his mother's arrangements or dying wish, he did not want anything to happen to Sun Lingtong.

As Sun Lingtong sighed, black snow began to fall from the sky. Looking closely, each snowflake was composed of paper ash. The Heaven-Bestowed Talisman pressed against Sun Lingtong's chest was activated, emitting a warm current that continuously permeated his spirit, steadily increasing his cultivation foundation.

Sun Lingtong was initially wary. This was because every black snowfall typically brought forth a surge of ghosts, all vying for something. However, he waited a long time and saw no ghosts appear.

"Strange? No, not strange!" Sun Lingtong realized, abruptly turning his head to look in the direction of Water Burial Valley. "These people must have cleared out all the ghosts nearby!"

In an instant, a chill ran down Sun Lingtong's spine. Given the enemy's meticulous and ruthless methods, being let go just now was truly a stroke of luck, a life spared.

"This place is truly not suitable for lingering, Boss. Come back," Ning Zhuo, having also considered this, immediately warned him.

Sun Lingtong sighed, about to leave, when he suddenly yanked the reins, halting the ox's hooves. "Wait!" His eyes gleamed with such intensity that they were momentarily difficult to look at.

"Huh?" Ning Zhuo was also surprised.

Both Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo noticed that on the rocks before Sun Lingtong, some black snow had fallen and was floating in mid-air, condensing into a crude humanoid ash figure. In the humanoid ash's hollow eye sockets, two ghostly flames suddenly lit up. It turned its head to look at Sun Lingtong. "Are you the variable of the mortal realm's destiny this time?" it asked. "Hmm—only your spirit has entered the Underworld, then."

With just a glance, the ash figure saw through Sun Lingtong's true nature. Sun Lingtong's face was full of vigilance. "Who are you?" he asked.

The humanoid ash chuckled. "You probably have a guess. That's right, I am Old Man Graybone, whom you seek."

Sun Lingtong remained wary. "How can I be sure?"

The glowing ash figure raised a finger and uttered just three words, instantly convincing both Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo. "Meng Yaoyin," it said, directly revealing Ning Zhuo's mother's name.

Sun Lingtong's expression relaxed slightly. "If that's the case, please enlighten us!"

Old Man Graybone's ash avatar was equally straightforward, immediately transmitting a spiritual message: "The Prefect of Oblivion has been planning for nearly a century, and disrupting his grand scheme will not be easy. Fortunately, we have also been preparing for many years, so this isn't a rushed endeavor. The completion of the Heavenly Ghost Transformation and Offering Ceremony will signify the complete refinement of the Heavenly Ghost's skull. We must disrupt this grand heaven-offering ceremony before its culmination. To break into the Heavenly Ghost Transformation and Offering Ceremony's altar at the last moment, three conditions must be met. Let me explain them in detail."

"First, a spiritual foundation equivalent to at least a million human souls. Second, sufficient malevolent energy for suppression. Third, enough destiny to withstand heavenly punishment!"

Sun Lingtong's eyes widened. The information Old Man Graybone spoke contradicted what Meng Yaoyin had left behind. He decisively interjected, "Wait a moment! Breaking into the final altar means ultimately facing the Prefect of Oblivion, doesn't it? Also, what's this about enduring heavenly punishment? Aren't we doing a good deed by disrupting this wicked plot? Why would we still face heavenly punishment?"

Ning Zhuo interjected, "Boss, first ask him why he's helping us against the Prefect of Oblivion."

Sun Lingtong secretly nodded, then immediately added, "And Senior Graybone, I'm also unclear why you want to deal with a Prefect. Do you have a grudge against him?"

The ash avatar chuckled, shook its head, and continued its spiritual message: "No grudges, no hatred. But I have more compelling reasons to do this! The reason is, I am a diviner. I follow the Way of Divination, upholding the principle of conforming to heaven and earth, and researching the secrets of destiny.

"The Heavenly Ghost has long since perished, yet now it is to be reverse-refined and reborn; even if only partially, this defies the heavens. That's the first point. The Prefect of Oblivion himself possesses great natural talent. As a ruler of this region, he is still not satisfied, his greed boundless, wishing to advance further, which exceeds the limit of a lord's mandate. That's the second point.

"To refine the Heavenly Ghost's skull, the Prefect of Oblivion is holding the Heavenly Ghost Transformation and Offering Ceremony, intending to bribe the heavens of the Underworld by sacrificing entities from the mortal realm's heavens, and seeking to blood-sacrifice the entire Parchment Immortal City. Such actions are truly demonic and gravely violate heavenly harmony. That's the third point.

"Before, he blackmailed me with past favors, then personally entered the valley and forcibly ordered me to obscure Parchment Immortal City's heavenly secrets. Now, he's effectively put me under house arrest in Water Burial Valley. That's the fourth point.

"These four points are enough for me to go all out against him. Ultimately, the Prefect of Oblivion and I are not on the same path. I seek to conform to heaven's will and destiny, while he seeks to defy and change destiny. This is a divergence in our Daos, and more importantly, a Dao dispute!"

Sun Lingtong murmured, "Dao dispute—" Elsewhere, Ning Zhuo savored these two words, experiencing for the first time a profound understanding of the cultivation landscape for high-level cultivators.

Old Man Graybone observed their reactions, and seeing that he had initially gained Sun Lingtong's trust, he continued, "Now, to answer your previous two questions. You indeed might directly confront the Prefect of Oblivion! During the final phase of the heaven-offering ceremony, the Prefect will undoubtedly be stationed at the altar, though this is not absolute.

"At that time, we can divide our forces into two paths. One will head to the Prefect of Oblivion's mansion, attack his stronghold, and draw him back to reinforce it. The second path will lead an army directly to the altar. Regardless of whether the Prefect is lured away, his combat power will be weakened to its extreme as he must maintain the heaven-offering ceremony!"

Hearing this answer, Sun Lingtong frowned deeply and immediately pressed for the most crucial detail: "To what extent will the Prefect of Oblivion be weakened? This answer is vital!"

Old Man Graybone: "I can confirm that he will absolutely not be at his full Soul Transformation level, but he will be at least at the Nascent Soul level."

"Nascent Soul level? Just us?" Sun Lingtong felt extremely troubled.

Old Man Graybone: "The Prefect of Oblivion's pressure is far greater than you imagine. His current actions are huge, and the surrounding Prefects won't simply watch him ascend. Therefore, he has made many preparations.

"One of these preparations is that to break into the altar, one must withstand the examination of the heaven-offering ceremony. Those who do not meet the three requirements of spiritual foundation, malevolent energy, and destiny cannot even ascend the altar. But rest assured, since you are the savior who emerged from the variable of the mortal realm's destiny, you are naturally the Prefect of Oblivion's bane, and meeting these three points will be quite easy.

"Look, can't the Heaven-Bestowed Talisman in your embrace rapidly increase your foundation to that of a million human souls? As for malevolent energy, that's even simpler: military malevolence will suffice. You don't have it now, but you can acquire it in Parchment Immortal City. As for destiny... hmm?"

At this point, Old Man Graybone's ash avatar performed a quick divination and his expression involuntarily changed. He stared at Sun Lingtong. "Your destiny... you are not the savior this time!"

Sun Lingtong shrugged. "Of course not. I'm just here on assignment. I'll report back truthfully, so please don't worry about that, Senior."

Old Man Graybone, however, gazed at Sun Lingtong's Heaven-Bestowed Talisman. "This talisman, I planned for a long time, and it was set up for the savior."

Sun Lingtong: "Nonsense. I'll tell you the truth, Senior: our true savior already possesses a spiritual foundation of a million souls. And if you're talking about military malevolence, he's even participated in a major national war before. He might have already fulfilled that requirement too."

Old Man Graybone first nodded. "As the saying goes, man proposes, heaven disposes. My plans went awry, but as long as it's not a critical error, it's fine." Then, he shook his head again. "No, there's more to the malevolent energy aspect.

"For you to finally break into the altar, you must possess the corresponding malevolent energy; otherwise, you won't be recognized. Therefore, it's best to gather malevolence in Parchment Immortal City. The Prefect of Oblivion intends to blood-sacrifice Parchment Immortal City to satisfy his own desires, which is equivalent to actively handing his weakness to the heavens of the mortal realm. Every cause has its effect; this is the profound mystery of destiny! When you condense military malevolence, it will further enhance the power of your military strategies. At that time, you can lead an army, charge into the Underworld, protect the savior as they rush to the altar, and utterly dismantle the Prefect's century-long scheme."

Sun Lingtong waved his hand. "There you go talking about armies again. Senior Graybone, where would we get an army? Even an army of paper figures wouldn't have military ranks or organization, so they couldn't endure military strategies."

Old Man Graybone, however, seemed entirely confident. "Creating an army is indeed quite difficult. But rest assured, the destiny of the mortal realm will inevitably deliver the opportunity directly to you."

Sun Lingtong: "Can you divine a bit more, Senior?"

Old Man Graybone continuously waved his hand. "No, no. My destiny has already severely declined. Before, when the Prefect of Oblivion demanded I repay his past favors, it was already consuming my destiny to prevent me from being used by others. Rest assured, when the time comes, an army will naturally appear."

After saying this, the ash avatar dissipated on the spot. Sun Lingtong stared blankly. "Hey, don't leave, Senior!" His calls went unanswered.

Sun Lingtong disheartenedly said to Ning Zhuo, "Doesn't it feel like talking to Old Man Graybone made little difference?"

Ning Zhuo: "No, we still gained a lot. At least we know how to proceed."

Sun Lingtong was worried. "But aren't you afraid he might be deceiving us?"

Ning Zhuo smiled. "At least my ring didn't react."

Sun Lingtong also chuckled. "Fine, this is what you want to do, little Zhuo, so let's do it!" The two reached an agreement.

Parchment Immortal City.

Li Xiangshang's heart sank. "The Sun family actually has this attitude? They don't want to influence Sun Tiesheng; instead, they're secretly supporting him?" "What are we to do?"

Dean Zheng wore an awkward expression. "Given Sun Tiesheng's resolute pursuit of his Dao, the Sun family's reaction is understandable."

Li Xiangshang faced a dilemma. Sun Tiesheng was almost the only suitable candidate. If he refused, how could Li Xiangshang complete the task assigned by the Dragon Lord?

Li Xiangshang questioned Dean Zheng, who mused, "The Sun family's attitude simply stems from their belief that, at present, there are no other competing candidates besides Sun Tiesheng. If Shen Bing or Chen Sui were still around, they would certainly rush to force Sun Tiesheng to accept the demon seed. Why not pretend to choose someone else, bluffing to ignite their sense of urgency?"

Li Xiangshang pondered, "That's a good idea. So, who should I choose?" Dean Zheng shook his head, indicating that Li Xiangshang needed to make that decision himself.

Carrying this question, Li Xiangshang walked out of the Vitality Cultivation Institute and immediately ran into Qing Chi. In an instant, the answer flashed in Li Xiangshang's mind: "Good, I'll choose Jiao Ma!"

He approached Qing Chi. "Miss Qing, you've repeatedly failed to meet Jiao Ma. I can help you. As long as you are strong enough to influence the overall situation, Parchment Immortal City will side with you."

Qing Chi: "My strength is already considerable. It's difficult to improve my cultivation in a short time."

Li Xiangshang smiled. "Improving cultivation might be difficult, but combat power is different. I happen to possess a unique talent that can help you create a temporary army."