Chapter 633: Iron Bone Zheng vs White Bone Crocodile Demon

Mournful Minstrel Youling had become a ghost cultivator!

She wore a plain white mourning gown, its texture like cold mist, subtly translucent. Her skirt billowed silently, floating three inches above the ground. Her face was faintly recognizable as the beautiful visage she had in life, her brows knit with an unyielding sorrow. Her long hair cascaded like an ink waterfall, with tendrils of mist swirling at the ends. Her eyes were no longer clear black and white, but cloudy and veiled, with two points of cold, spectral blue soul fire deep within her pupils. Her ten fingers had become even more slender than in life, their nails a black-grey color. Beside her arm, a burnt-tail demon-etched guqin floated. Just now, it was she who had activated this magical artifact, releasing its guqin music to open the South City Gate.

The opening of the city gate was no small matter! It immediately altered the battlefield situation. However, both sides on the battlefield froze at that moment, failing to react. White Paper Immortal City’s side had never expected a former high-ranking official to defect, directly activating an internal spell formation to open the gate automatically. The ghost army, on the other hand, had no knowledge of Mournful Minstrel Youling’s existence! Even their commander, Luo Si, was kept in the dark. He had no idea Mournful Minstrel Youling existed.

It turned out that upon learning of the prophecy – "behead the minstrel, and the city gate will open" – from Old Man Greybone, the Lord of Oblivion formulated a plan of action. He first sent people to assassinate Mournful Minstrel Youling, then forced her to become a ghost cultivator, and subsequently brought her firmly under his control. The fruits of this action were now evident.

Why was the entire ghost army kept in the dark? For one, the Lord of Oblivion was unsure if Mournful Minstrel Youling, under his control, could truly open the city gate. If she failed, he wouldn’t lose face. Secondly, this was an extremely critical military operation, and naturally, the fewer people who knew, the more secure it would be. Thirdly, Luo Si had only recently been promoted and had strong ties with Old Man Greybone. This ghost army deployed to the mortal realm, from top to bottom, was not a direct lineage of the Lord of Oblivion, and their trust level was insufficient.

Mournful Minstrel Youling succeeded! Luo Si, a talent who had risen from the ranks, reacted immediately upon witnessing the scene, even without knowing the full plan. He decisively ordered the military formation near the South City Gate to launch an assault. Even though the city gate was open, it was narrow. It would be foolish for the entire army formation to rush in, so only a portion could be dispatched for a strong assault. Without any hesitation, Luo Si immediately ordered the Headless Ghost Cavalry to launch a desperate charge!

The Headless Ghost Cavalry immediately set off, their iron hooves thundering and shaking the earth. Several ghost generals at the forefront all possessed Golden Core cultivation. With a series of dull thuds, countless skeletal dead soldiers were shattered by the ghost cavalry's charge, their broken bones and severed limbs immediately trampled into dust. These soldiers had previously bravely charged the city walls and also blocked the path of the ghost cavalry. To save time, not only did the ghost generals repeatedly employ swift military tactics, but their own skeletal dead soldiers were also directly abandoned! This was because the opportunity for battle was fleeting!

"This is bad!" Many cultivators on the South City Wall felt as if they had fallen into an icy abyss upon seeing this scene. Empowered by military tactics, the enemy cavalry charged en masse, even injuring their own, demonstrating a terrifying and brutal style of combat. If these cultivators on the wall had also been empowered by military tactics, perhaps some might have had the courage to jump down, block the city gate, and perhaps hold off the cavalry for a while, buying crucial time for the gate to close. But everyone knew they wouldn’t receive any such empowerment. Without it, jumping down to block the city gate with their bodies would simply be suicide! Knowing they would surely die, fear and cowardice prevailed, making these cultivators' eyes almost burst as they watched the ghost cavalry trample everything and charge towards them.

"If only the Azure Cinder Army were here!" sighed the deputy commander of the City Guard, who was defending this section of the wall, wringing his hands in regret. He did indeed feel an impulse to jump down. But he glanced around; he didn't have many subordinates. Even if he jumped, how many would follow? Even if they did, with only the City Guard's numbers, it would merely be a futile sacrifice. It wouldn't serve any blocking purpose at all!

The attrition caused by the ghost tide on White Paper Immortal City was now showing its effects. It was precisely because of the heavy casualties among the City Guard that the Lord of White Paper City had to summon cultivators from all surrounding villages and towns, while also heavily rewarding brave individuals. Although White Paper Immortal City's defensive strength had been greatly replenished, its forces were diluted as a result, and their overall quality rapidly declined, making a fight to the death impossible. Life and death hung in a single thought. Such is war. The scope and degree to which morale and public sentiment influence things are far deeper and broader than they appear. If it had been the former City Guard, with pure ranks composed of loyal and good citizens from White Paper Immortal City, they might genuinely have been able to block the city gate with their bodies.

Rumble… The ghost cavalry charged to the city gate. Mournful Minstrel Youling had already entered the city ahead of them. "White Paper Immortal City is about to fall!" Several Golden Core ghost generals at the forefront showed bloodthirsty, excited expressions. But at that moment, the city gate tower and walls of the Immortal City suddenly flashed with dazzling light. Countless pieces of wallpaper flew out, transforming into talismans that instantly burst into flames. Various spells contained within the talismans soared skyward, unleashing deadly multi-colored light. A dazzling array of magic enveloped the Headless Ghost Cavalry, making them truly experience various forms of death at that moment. Some were burned to death, some frozen, some struck by lightning, some buried alive, some corroded to ash, and some even controlled… The ghost cavalry’s assault was halted! The cultivators on the wall reacted, all cheering loudly. Morale visibly recovered instantly.

Luo Si's pupils constricted slightly, and he muttered, "Ironbone Zheng." The one who could act at this crucial moment and pull White Paper Immortal City back from the abyss of defeat was precisely the City Guard Commander. Even though this action severely depleted the defensive foundation of the South City Gate, Ironbone Zheng showed not a hint of hesitation. His experience in defending cities was truly immense. How many times had he defended against ghost tides? Even he himself couldn't remember. "Just this round, the wall at the South City Gate has been thinned by at least fifty percent!" Cold sweat beaded on Ironbone Zheng's forehead. Even having defended against the terrifying charge of the Headless Ghost Cavalry, the South City Gate, with its greatly reduced defenses, would inevitably become the enemy's primary direction of attack. He had no other choice; he had to do this.

Luo Si successively threw out multiple military command tokens, distributing military might and simultaneously issuing orders for an assault. Numerous ghost generals, empowered by military might, immediately braved the exploding talismans and rushed through the South City Gate. Ironbone Zheng was alarmed by this sight: "The enemy general is extraordinary, reacting so swiftly!" He also urgently mobilized powerful cultivators to intercept them. At the same time, Ironbone Zheng also wanted to mobilize more wallpaper talismans to intercept the Golden Core ghost generals. But at this moment, Luo Si issued another military order, commanding the Headless Ghost Cavalry to retreat and the drowned ghost swarms on the flanks to continue the assault. These drowned ghosts formed a continuous mass, their watery mist intertwining to create an on-land river. The drowned ghosts concealed themselves within the river, evading most of the talisman attacks. The river snaked and surged towards the city gate. Ironbone Zheng was forced to shift his focus to the river of drowned ghosts. Although he again thwarted the enemy's advance, he lost a prime opportunity to contain the enemy generals. Once the stalemate was broken and the situation opened up, Luo Si demonstrated his commander’s prowess, directly putting a skilled general like Ironbone Zheng at a disadvantage.

Sound Art – Nine Springs Burial Song! Woooo… The burnt-tail demon-etched guqin floated beside Mournful Minstrel Youling. Her ten fingers moved in the air, not touching the strings, yet eerie guqin music still emanated. The guqin music, like a dirge, bypassed most protective measures and directly assailed the soul. The cultivators who rushed towards her instantly became stiff and sluggish under the guqin music, their expressions twisted in pain. Some dropped their weapons with a clang and stared blankly at the sky; others' knees buckled, and they collapsed to the ground, weeping bitterly. Some had vacant eyes, like walking corpses, while others even slit their own throats, ending their lives.

Confucian Art – Scholarly Heart Protection! The next moment, Wen Ruanyu flew down from the air, arriving to provide support. He activated his Confucian Art, and characters rained down, covering many cultivators and saving their lives. "Mournful Minstrel Youling, what are you doing?!" Wen Ruanyu roared, his expression pained as he looked at Mournful Minstrel Youling.

Confucian Art – Heart Cleansing and Transformation! He unleashed the spell, striking Mournful Minstrel Youling directly. Mournful Minstrel Youling's numb expression changed, but only for a fleeting moment, before vanishing without a trace. Wen Ruanyu, however, had already discerned some crucial details, and he fell into despair. This was because, in that brief instant, he detected the presence of national power on Mournful Minstrel Youling. Clearly, it was the national power of the Underworld of Oblivion. Unless Wen Ruanyu joined a cultivation nation and could leverage its national power, he wouldn't be able to directly break this head-on. This wasn't a difference in power magnitude, but a difference in fundamental level! "The problem is, national power is only effective within its own territory. Why can the national power of the Underworld of Oblivion be used in my mortal realm?!" Wen Ruanyu's heart was filled with unshakeable shock and doubt. He wrote furiously, scattering another flurry of characters into the air!

Confucian Art – Halt Song, Break Dance. The characters formed a text in the air, encompassing a section of the battlefield and greatly suppressing the sound art's effectiveness. Mournful Minstrel Youling, meanwhile, continued to play the Nine Springs Burial Song, her reactions not very agile. Clearly, her combat power had been significantly reduced after being forcibly controlled. Wen Ruanyu's pressure, however, rapidly increased. This was because, behind Mournful Minstrel Youling, a full six Golden Core ghost generals arrived together. Even more terrifying, they were all empowered by military might, their combat strength approaching the Nascent Soul stage! "How can one fight this?" Even with his deep affection for White Paper Immortal City, Wen Ruanyu could only temporarily avoid their sharp edge to preserve himself for future use.

But the next moment, Confucian Art flared up again. A warm white light not only empowered Wen Ruanyu but also intensified the power of his previous text, suppressing the edge of the six ghost generals. Wen Ruanyu's divine sense swept behind him, and his heart lightened. He saw Zhou Wenyang arriving with a team of cultivators as reinforcements. It turned out that after Ironbone Zheng realized the South City Gate would become the primary attack point, he immediately mobilized his elite forces and transferred them at full speed. Zhou Wenyang's original position was closest, so he was the first to arrive. The six Golden Core ghost generals communicated via divine sense, immediately converged their forces, their offensive might surging again, and brazenly charged towards the two Confucian cultivators, Wen Ruanyu and Zhou Wenyang. Even though both were Golden Core true disciples from superpower sects, they found it difficult to resist such a powerful assault.

With a loud boom, a terrifying collision occurred, not between the two Confucian scholars and six generals, but at the base of the South City Gate wall. The river of drowned ghosts suddenly exploded, massive columns of waves burst open, and a colossal creature emerged from the water. This was a giant Bone-Piercing Alligator. With its four feet on the ground, it exceeded more than half the height of the city wall. Its rugged, thick bone armor could discourage most attackers, and its bone armor was also covered with ferocious, pale, massive bone spikes, making it formidable in both offense and defense! From within the Bone-Piercing Alligator, the Bone Alligator Demon's roar resounded: "White Paper Immortal City, you will surely fall today." The Bone-Piercing Alligator moved its massive body, like a giant battering ram, and slammed into the city wall, which was now half as thick. The violent impact immediately caused cracks to appear on the city wall, then spread widely. The cultivators on the city wall stumbled about. Those who remained standing launched fierce attacks at the Bone-Piercing Alligator. Various attacks struck the alligator’s armor, with very little effect. The Bone-Piercing Alligator was also part of the military formation, enjoying the empowerment of military might, its strength approaching the Nascent Soul stage. The Bone-Piercing Alligator retreated a few steps, preparing to charge again. If it were to hit solidly again, the city wall would likely be unable to withstand it, and a large section would collapse. If the city gate was opened, it could still be closed. But if a large section of the city wall was destroyed, it would be tantamount to most of White Paper Immortal City falling into the abyss of defeat and ruin.

"Beast, behold my Iron Fan!" At this critical moment, Ironbone Zheng’s eyes widened furiously, bloodshot, and he charged out violently. With a powerful stomp, his magical battle boots flared with yellow spiritual light, activating an earth-element spatial shrinking spell that instantly propelled him across a distance to the South City Wall. The situation was critical, so Ironbone Zheng directly leaped onto the wall, his entire body like something hurled by a trebuchet, charging ferociously towards the Bone-Piercing Alligator. In mid-air, he raised his Iron Fan artifact above his head, frantically channeling all his magic power into it.

Martial Art – Mountain Collapse! The City Guard Commander's seal glowed, empowering him with White Paper Immortal City's magical formations! The Geng Metal energy on the Iron Fan surged, merging with various other powers to form a terrifying strike. The air was compressed to an extreme, emitting a groaning cry of unbearable strain! This strike, like an iron peak being swung, carried immense power capable of shattering earth veins and shaking cities, plummeting down with unparalleled ferocity.

BOOM—!!!! The Iron Fan smashed onto the Bone-Piercing Alligator's skull, emitting a terrifying boom. A violent wave of energy exploded, spreading wildly in all directions. The nearest cultivators, regardless of whether they were friend or foe, were shattered, their bones broken and tendons snapped, bleeding from all seven orifices, sent flying like rag dolls, and then slammed violently into the battlements or rear buildings, becoming a bloody mess! The Bone-Piercing Alligator let out a roar. The roar shook heaven and earth, filled with excruciating pain. Its massive body was violently forced downwards, most of it sinking back into the river of drowned ghosts. Crack, crack, crack… Countless bone spikes all over its body were also shattered and broken by the impact and shockwaves. The Bone Alligator Demon inside the giant alligator coughed up a large mouthful of blood with a gasp and immediately slumped down. The Bone-Piercing Alligator's ferocity was aroused, and it wanted to retaliate, but the Bone Alligator Demon quickly controlled it, forcing it to sink down and undergo emergency recuperation. This giant alligator was the Bone Alligator Demon's greatest trump card and source of strength. It couldn't be fully deployed and expended against the enemy so early in the battle. The Bone Alligator Demon still intended to rely on the giant alligator to dominate the battlefield later and claim spoils of war.