Chapter 614: Three Military Branches

A tide of ghosts attacked again. Countless spectral beings completely surrounded White Paper Immortal City, launching a furious assault on its walls.

Large-headed ghosts stirred up eerie winds, while small-headed ghosts, grinning mischievously, ascended the city walls carried by the wind. The massive Ghost Mother, heavily protected within the ghost tide, lay on the ground, continuously producing large and small-headed ghosts. Lantern ghosts spat out spectral flames, while hanged ghosts scaled the walls. Drowned ghosts, in large groups, channeled ghost arts, summoning the waters of the "River of Oblivion" to wash away layers of the city's pale wallpaper.

Tie Geng looked serious as he commanded the defenses. His extensive defensive experience allowed him to direct with composure. With him at the core, the city guards held the walls, refusing to yield an inch. Many human and ghost cultivators also took charge of sections of the wall, actively assisting in the defense as auxiliary forces to the city guards.

A ghost yaksha suddenly flew onto the wall, killing two ghost cultivators and successfully seizing control of that section. It had to be eliminated quickly; otherwise, with time, more and more spectral beings would gather around it, forming a stronghold, and that part of the wall would fall.

"Get down!" a ghost cultivator desperately charged at the ghost yaksha. However, after two exchanges, the ghost yaksha decapitated the cultivator. Subsequent ghost powerhouses attempted to repel the ghost yaksha, but all returned either injured or dead. "It's a Golden Core level demon; only a Golden Core cultivator can repel it!" "Go report this quickly! We need someone from the higher ranks, otherwise our position will surely fall." "Hurry, hurry!" a ghost cultivator shouted loudly.

In just a short time, five or six spectral beings had already climbed onto the wall, encircling the Golden Core level ghost yaksha. This trend was extremely alarming! The more spectral beings there were, the harder it would be to reclaim that section of the wall.

"No need for reinforcements, I'll handle it." At this critical moment, a ghost girl leaped through the air. It was Qing Chi! "Take this punch!" she shouted, swinging her fist and unleashing a ball of flame into the air. The blue flame initially merely enveloped her fist, but upon release, it rapidly expanded to the size of a washbasin, then further grew to that of a millstone.

The ghost yaksha brandished its spectral weapon, dispersing the blue flame. Qing Chi's pupils constricted slightly. She took a deep breath and then fiercely exhaled a stream of blue fire. The blue flame surged forth, roaring like an inverted cone, engulfing the ghost yaksha. The ghost yaksha resisted for three breaths before collapsing, letting out a piercing shriek as its entire body rapidly melted in the flames, quickly turning to ash! The blue flame then burst forth like a dam breaking, sweeping through the surroundings with even greater force, before eroding down the city wall. All manner of spectral beings in its path were incinerated by the flames!

The cultivators on the wall were stunned for a moment, then erupted in cheers. At a crucial juncture, Qing Chi single-handedly turned the tide, slaying a Golden Core level spectral being with only her Foundation Establishment cultivation, greatly boosting morale. Many city guards, witnessing this scene, began inquiring about the identity of this exceptionally performing young girl. This battle result directly made Qing Chi's name widely known!

Qing Chi's expression subtly changed as she felt the "morale core" within her undergo a qualitative transformation at that moment, becoming fully complete. She had been continuously cultivating this morale core. This battle, with its astonishing achievement, brought her immense morale, vigorously propelling her through the final step to complete the qualitative change! The morale core was like a heart, emitting a vibrant blue light. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that it was composed of hundreds of luminous points, some strong, some weak. The morale core also pulsed, and Qing Chi, listening closely, could hear the clashing of armor, the piercing sounds of blades, spears, and halberds, the shouts, the pounding of war drums, and the sounds of fierce combat.

Limitless joy welled up in Qing Chi's heart, and she almost spread her arms and cheered loudly. However, recalling Ning Zhuo's advice, she forcefully suppressed the impulse.

Qing Chi fought fiercely for a while longer, nearing exhaustion of her spiritual energy and stamina, before finally retreating from the wall. The tide of ghosts continued to assault White Paper Immortal City; each wave was larger than the last!

"Dad, I've formed my morale core!" Qing Chi secretly transmitted the joyful news to Qing Yan first. "Really?" Qing Yan raised an eyebrow, then quickly suppressed his surprise. "Chi'er, you did it! This 'filling up with rotten fish' talent is truly remarkable."

Qing Chi: "Senior Li's talent is indeed crucial, but I was able to form the morale core so quickly thanks to Jiao Ma." "Dad, don't forget, he gave me the 'Art of Bearing Soldiers and Negative Karma'. That military strategy is so valuable, yet he gave it to me for free." Qing Yan looked on. Qing Chi giggled, completely disregarding Qing Yan's expression. "I want to tell Jiao Ma about this right now!"

Qing Yan quickly extended a hand to stop her. "Don't rush, rest up first, then go. Don't forget, the traitor within the city hasn't been identified yet." Qing Chi understood the importance of the situation. After a brief rest, recovering most of her spiritual energy and stamina, she hurried towards the South City Gate.

Ning Zhuo had been cultivating almost entirely within the giant paper figure these past few days. When Qing Chi entered the giant paper figure, she immediately thought, activating her morale core to show off to Ning Zhuo. Ning Zhuo was surprised. "This is the morale core? It's truly profound!" He wanted to examine it, but the next moment, Qing Chi retracted the morale core.

She took a few steps forward, approaching Ning Zhuo. "Little Ma, if you want to study the morale core, I can satisfy you." "But this is still outside, with many eyes and ears. Didn't you warn me to temporarily hide and disguise myself?" "I listened to you, and I haven't revealed anything at all. Right now, only you, me, and my dad know about this." "Why don't you follow me into my cultivation chamber, and we can secretly study this morale core together?" Her gaze was intense as she stared at Ning Zhuo, her ulterior motives clearly revealed.

Ning Zhuo was speechless, yet secretly mused that the girl's straightforwardness was rather endearing. He considered for a moment, then said, "The greatest contributor to your success in forming the morale core this time is Senior Li Xiangshang." "I'll take the liberty of hosting a banquet for you and him, as a celebration of your achievement."

Seeing that she couldn't trick Ning Zhuo into being alone with her, Qing Chi pouted and said unwillingly, "I'll naturally thank Senior Li Xiangshang. But first, I want to thank you personally. If it weren't for your 'Art of Bearing Soldiers and Negative Karma,' I wouldn't have gained the morale core so quickly."

This exchange made Sun Lingtong laugh so hard on the ox's back that he nearly fell off. Connected by the "Human Life String," he constantly received information from Ning Zhuo's side, and at this moment, relishing the drama, he said, "Little Zhuo, just agree to her! See how she'll thank you! Hehehe." Ning Zhuo, transmitting his thoughts with spiritual sense, gravely refused: "I am not Jiao Ma. Why would I deceive an innocent girl? If Qing Chi learned the truth, she would be quite heartbroken. I am not someone who takes advantage of others."

Seeing Ning Zhuo's refusal and unable to persuade him, Qing Chi reluctantly accepted Ning Zhuo's invitation.

Li Xiangshang, despite being the greatest contributor, was the last to learn about the morale core's formation. He wasn't angry at all; in fact, he was delighted. At the dinner table, he continued to advocate for Qing Chi, urging Ning Zhuo to return to her side.

Ning Zhuo refused: "My becoming a male consort is a necessity for my Jiao family. My cultivation to this level is largely due to my clan's nurturing; how could I neglect public duty for private feelings?" Qing Chi did not want to hear such words and immediately retorted, "Little Ma, then why did you give me the 'Art of Bearing Soldiers and Negative Karma'?" Ning Zhuo, with a serious expression, stared at Qing Chi, his gaze unwavering, and stated directly, "I gave it to you not out of personal affection, but for the greater good." "With Senior Li's help, you had the greatest hope of forming the morale core. I was considering the entire White Paper Immortal City!"

Seeing Ning Zhuo's attitude towards her, Qing Chi felt a pang of heartache. She stood up directly and approached Ning Zhuo. "Little Ma, why have you become like a stranger?" "Have you forgotten our past promise?" "We stood by the river, gazing at the rare bright moon, and vowed to be together for life!" "Have you completely forgotten such a solemn vow?!"

Ning Zhuo felt his scalp tingle. With a cold expression, he waved his hand, threatening, "Qing Chi, if you keep pressing me, I will leave immediately, and we will never see each other again." Qing Chi was startled by Ning Zhuo's demeanor. For a moment, she stood rooted to the spot, clenching her fists, unable to sit down, her eyes quickly turning red. In the netherworld, Sun Lingtong, riding on the ox's back, laughed so hard he nearly fell off.

Li Xiangshang quickly intervened, coaxing Qing Chi to sit down and easing the tension. Ning Zhuo then turned to the main topic, asking, "Senior Li, now that Qing Chi's morale core has formed, what should be the next step?"

Li Xiangshang looked at Qing Chi. "With the morale core formed, the next step is to examine military intelligence." "Miss Qing Chi, having mastered the morale core, can now gather more military intelligence by listening to inner voices." "This investigative ability will rapidly improve with practice." "Once the reconnaissance and mastery of military intelligence reach a certain level, Miss Qing Chi will receive an answer from her heart — how to forge her military force."

Ning Zhuo asked with concern, "How long will this step take?" Li Xiangshang replied, "It varies from person to person. Some can complete it in an instant, while others may need a year or so. It mainly depends on the scale and complexity of the army, the general's abilities, and so on." At this point, Li Xiangshang looked at Qing Chi again. "According to my estimation, it won't take long for Miss Qing Chi to grasp the military intelligence." "Firstly, the composition of the Qing family's ghost tribe is very simple, and their numbers are not large, only two to three hundred people." "Secondly, everyone in the Qing family's ghost tribe highly respects Miss Qing Chi, and with their morale aligned, everything will naturally go smoothly."

Li Xiangshang sighed, "This situation is actually quite rare." "Miss Qing Chi, you should thank your father. He voluntarily relinquished his position of authority, giving you this opportunity." "By conventional reasoning, it should have been your father serving as the general." "A parent's heart, true love for their child, I have truly felt it for the first time." "When I gained sentience, my parents were already gone. In fact, for carp, there are no parents in this sense." "Since I began cultivating, it has all been thanks to the patronage of Lord Dragon."

Ning Zhuo's heart rippled. Li Xiangshang's lament about his parents resonated deeply within him. In a way, Ning Zhuo, having lost his father before birth and his mother when he was just over two years old, could deeply empathize with Li Xiangshang's emotions. Ning Zhuo also felt some sympathy for Li Xiangshang. "Compared this way, my situation is actually better than his." "Alas, there will always be people in the world more miserable than me." "My greatest fortune is still having the boss nurture me. Even now, though my mother has passed away, there's still a faint hope of resurrection!"

Unwilling to see Li Xiangshang's spirits dampen, Ning Zhuo immediately encouraged him, "Senior Li, you cultivated diligently on your own. Although you received aid from a powerful being, rising from the weak water layer by layer to the surface could only have been achieved through exhaustive struggle." "Such relentless self-improvement is truly a model for our generation!" "Heaven is dispassionate yet fair; it often takes something away while granting something in return." "If you had both parents, perhaps Senior Li would not have achieved what he has today."

Li Xiangshang looked gratefully at Ning Zhuo. "Jiao family boy, your words are pleasant to hear." "But you've overestimated me a bit." "The main reason I was able to struggle out of the weak water is that the weak water wasn't pure." "Every so often, fresh water would be introduced into the deep pool, diluting the weak water." "And my ability to ascend was by seizing every opportune moment when fresh water was introduced." This was the first time Qing Chi had heard such details, and she immediately asked, "Why was fresh water introduced?"

Li Xiangshang immediately explained, "As the saying goes, water flows downhill. Maintaining pure weak water would require a considerable cost. Without proper means, pure weak water would naturally dilute itself over time until its concentration stabilized, similar to its surroundings." "To maintain weak water at low cost, cultivators actively dilute it by introducing fresh water, making it similar to the surrounding environment and thus stable." "If it were pure weak water, I would have just been a carp; how could I possibly swim against the current and eventually break through the surface?" Li Xiangshang shook his head, finally adding, "There would have been no chance at all."

After the banquet ended, Ning Zhuo proactively told Qing Chi, "Since you have already formed your morale core, you don't need to come to the South City Gate anymore." "You should focus intently on mastering military intelligence and discerning the direction for your military force."

Qing Chi, naturally unwilling, was secretly persuaded by Li Xiangshang. "Miss Qing Chi, Jiao Ma has his own difficulties. If you force the issue, it might not end well." "As I see it, if you can command the only army in White Paper Immortal City, your status will rise, and asking Lord City Master of White Paper Immortal City for a male consort wouldn't be a difficult matter at all, would it?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Chi's heart pounded. "Good idea!" "I will become stronger, I will lead the army, I will get Jiao Ma back!" The ghost girl clenched her fists, her fighting spirit ignited. Her motivation was completely sparked, and she dedicated herself to mastering military intelligence.

Li Xiangshang's estimation was correct; in just a day and a half, she grasped the military intelligence and discerned three potential directions for her military force. The first military force was called the Paper Money Netherworld Soldiers. The second was known as the Yin Talisman Suppressing Guards. The third was named the Ghost Weep Gatekeepers. Qing Chi found herself in a dilemma, unsure of which to choose. Ning Zhuo, who had been following her progress, also wondered to himself after learning of this, "Back then, the Three Generals Camp was also newly established, and there was no choice of military force at all; everything was so convenient!" So, which one should she choose?