Given the current state of the Azure Ember Army, confronting them would be like an egg hitting a rock.
"Now is not the time to be frugal."
"Qing Chi, never mind the military supplies! Use that move!"
Ning Zhuo called out a reminder.
"Alright," Qing Chi immediately responded.
Military Strategy: One Coin Summons Ghosts!
The military unit glowed brightly within Qing Chi's divine sea.
A vast amount of pre-prepared military supplies rapidly drained away—ten, thirty, fifty, even eighty percent—as if a floodgate had opened!
Relying on his keen intuition, Qing Chi immediately expended eighty percent of the military supplies stored within the troop type, unleashing world-shaking power.
Under the influence of the military strategy, a great number of ghost creatures, just like Luo Si, rebelled on the spot and became Qing Chi's demonic subordinates.
Qing Chi bled from his seven orifices, struggling to maintain control, and issued military orders.
These ghost creatures converged, forming a massive tidal wave that engulfed the remaining Imperial Army.
The great battle concluded there.
"I can't believe we actually won!"
"Did we really kill them?"
The entire Azure Ember Army gradually came to their senses, amazed and disbelieving of their own victory.
During the intense battle, they had all been under immense psychological pressure, as the enemy's strength was overwhelming and their numbers far surpassed their own.
To their surprise, ever since Luo Si's rebellion, the battle had unfolded in an unimaginable way, leading to such a world-shattering outcome!
"No wonder Elder Graybone looked out for me, telling me to focus on collecting these ghost creatures and bringing them back when I commanded the mortal realm army." Luo Si rested for a moment, stabilized his injuries, and slowly flew to the front of the Azure Ember Army.
Facing Ning Zhuo, he clasped his hands and said, "This subordinate, Luo Si, greets you, Young Master."
Instantly, countless astonished and curious gazes fell upon Luo Si and Ning Zhuo.
Jiao Ma (Ning Zhuo) was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet he had compelled a Nascent Soul-level cultivator to willingly defect. Crucially, this cultivator was a major general of the enemy army who had rebelled mid-battle.
Although Luo Si had once inflicted severe pain and casualties upon White Paper Immortal City, the Azure Ember Army personnel had to admit that if he hadn't defected during the battle, they would have had no chance of survival in such a perilous situation.
From this perspective, Luo Si was their savior.
There were, however, comrades from the Azure Ember Army who had died in the defensive battle for White Paper Immortal City.
For a moment, the emotions of the Azure Ember Army soldiers were quite complex.
Jiao Ma's father's lips trembled slightly with excitement as he watched.
He had long suspected his son Jiao Ma's true identity.
No one knew a son better than his father, and after living together day and night, how could he not understand his son's capabilities?
But life, as they say, has one true wisdom: ignorance is bliss!
Why bother being serious about it?
Whether it was truly Jiao Ma or not, this current situation with Jiao Ma was most advantageous for the entire Jiao family!
For the sake of the entire Jiao family's interests, Jiao Ma's father had already committed all the able-bodied members of their clan to the White Paper Immortal City's faction. He had only sent away the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled, who left the gloomy, damp, dark swamp.
For the family's sake, everyone, including himself, was expendable.
Why couldn't his son, Jiao Ma, be sacrificed?
He was naturally within the scope of sacrifice!
Sacrificing only Jiao Ma had yielded such immense benefits. Although Jiao Ma's father secretly grieved, he was also simultaneously filled with joy.
He was not just a father, but also the head of a clan!
With such a "Jiao Ma," the Jiao family had truly struck gold!
Now, personally witnessing a Nascent Soul-level general like Luo Si defecting mid-battle and proactively bowing down...
Jiao Ma's birth father was practically swooning with happiness!
He couldn't comprehend it, feeling as if everything was dreamlike and unbelievable.
"So what if I can't understand it?"
"This is the truth!"
He secretly pinched his thigh, grimacing in pain, and silently cried out in his heart, "If things could get even more unbelievable, it wouldn't be impossible for the Prefecture Lord to bow to him as master!"
The Azure Ember Army was primarily composed of two families.
Jiao Ma's birth father's attitude represented the Jiao family's contingent.
However, the cultivators of the ghostly Qing family harbored more complex emotions.
At that moment, Qing Chi exclaimed, breaking the tense silence, "Oh my god, Xiao Ma, you're incredible!"
"You truly are Jiao Ma!"
Jiao Ma's birth father shifted his gaze to Qing Chi and sighed inwardly, "Sigh—this silly girl is as naive as ever."
"But perhaps, that is also a kind of happiness."
Qing Yan opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing.
Ning Zhuo, however, turned his gaze to the recruited ghost creatures.
Among the ghost creatures were not only Luo Si's contingent but also several Ghost Kings meticulously cultivated by the Hundred Ghosts Matriarch.
Ning Zhuo looked at the sky and sighed, "Prefecture Lord Wangchuan defied heaven's will, even daring to sacrifice White Paper Immortal City with blood. I am favored by the destiny of the mortal realm's heavens, the variable in this catastrophe, and Prefecture Lord Wangchuan's tribulation."
He lowered his head and looked at Luo Si, saying, "Luo Si, I must thank you for coming to help me and forsaking the darkness for the light!"
Luo Si acknowledged the thanks, straightened his posture, and with a calm gaze, said, "Though I died in the mortal realm and became a ghost creature, I have always yearned for the light."
"I also owe much to Elder Graybone, who began meticulously planning and strategizing a century ago."
"If he hadn't guided me, I wouldn't have met you, my Lord."
Ning Zhuo nodded and sighed again, "Indeed. Once I thwart Prefecture Lord Wangchuan's cunning plot, I will certainly pay my respects to this venerable elder!"
With Luo Si's allegiance, the battle here was decided!
The Azure Ember Army achieved a great victory.
The true victor, of course, was neither Qing Chi nor the Jiao family, but Ning Zhuo.
Having unexpectedly gained the allegiance of a Nascent Soul-level general, Ning Zhuo himself was immensely surprised and delighted.
But he knew deep down that he would soon face the strongest enemy of his life, so he could only suppress his joy and plan his next moves.
He intently gazed behind where the Imperial Army formation had once stood guard, at a towering, deep, dark cloud wall.
"Luo Si, how do we get in?" he asked.
Luo Si frowned in thought. "Young Master, I was previously given orders to assist in defense, and my army had only just arrived."
"My appointment as commander for this expedition against White Paper Immortal City was also by chance; I was used as a scapegoat to bear responsibility and haven't truly gained trust."
The implication was that he didn't know either.
Ning Zhuo nodded, his heart stirred.
He subtly noticed a small detail: although Luo Si had voluntarily surrendered, he didn't address Ning Zhuo as 'Lord' but rather as 'Young Master'.
Unlike Yuan Dasheng, this proved that Luo Si still had reservations and maintained a cautious, wait-and-see attitude.
"It seems there's still a ways to go to truly make Luo Si fully commit."
"True."
"I am only at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet he is a formidable Nascent Soul cultivator, whose command of armies and individual combat prowess are both extraordinary!"
Both the defensive battle of White Paper Immortal City and Luo Si's recent slaying of Master Hanyan in battle had demonstrated the terrifying comprehensive strength of this Ghost General Siyuan.
To make such a powerful individual submit was not so easy.
This distance might be quite long.
Ning Zhuo didn't dwell on this point; the most pressing matter was still to truly disrupt Prefecture Lord Wangchuan's century-long scheme!
Luo Si then said, "There are two matters I still need to report to you, Young Master."
"Firstly, I was ordered to conquer White Paper Immortal City, but it was actually a military order for a blood sacrifice. Whether it was losses from White Paper Immortal City's side or casualties from our own army, they were all part of the blood sacrifice."
"The reason I led the army to retreat was because I had already met the criteria for the blood sacrifice."
"Secondly, my service record is stored in the Prefecture Lord's mansion in Wangchuan Immortal City. Master Hanyan's recent threats were not empty."
"Therefore, I ask Young Master to make full use of me while I still exist!"
Ning Zhuo's heart stirred again as he grasped the nuances of interacting with Luo Si.
"This fellow, true to his title, thinks a lot but only expresses a fraction of his thoughts."
"To communicate with such a person, one must discern what remains unsaid and the true intentions hidden within his words!"
Ning Zhuo understood this perfectly.
He had endured for over a decade in Fire Persimmon Immortal City, constantly studying human nature.
His imagined enemies were the City Lord's Mansion and several Nascent Soul-level entities. Furthermore, the Ning family's living environment was rather oppressive, even harsh. These circumstances and experiences had given him a profound understanding of human nature far beyond his age.
Without hesitation, he immediately chuckled, fully revealing his disdain for Prefecture Lord Wangchuan.
"Although the blood sacrifice has been completed, the fact that the Imperial Army actively defended and your contingent was dispatched to assist in defense proves that Prefecture Lord Wangchuan is still some distance away from achieving true mastery."
"I came, bearing the destiny of the mortal realm, and I am Prefecture Lord Wangchuan's greatest tribulation in defying fate!"
"This endeavor will surely succeed, and I will have ample time!"
Ning Zhuo's gaze was like lightning, and his laughter was filled with unshakeable confidence.
He looked at Luo Si again, his gaze seeming to penetrate to the ghost general's deepest heart. "I'll tell you one more thing."
"I have already split off another part of my military force, with its vanguard directly targeting Wangchuan Immortal City!"
"The one you met earlier is my capable subordinate, leading that contingent."
"The strength of that army is far greater than ours here; it's the ambush force left by Scholar Taisu. Moreover, it has a main general whose strength is absolutely formidable; someone like Master Hanyan would very likely not last a single round against her."
Luo Si nodded faintly, said no more, but his heart was stirred.
Ning Zhuo's immense confidence was infectious.
More crucially, Ning Zhuo's response made him feel extremely comfortable!
On one hand, Ning Zhuo's response and planning alleviated a large part of his survival pressure. On the other hand, he found interacting with Ning Zhuo to be very pleasant and effortless!
Ning Zhuo understood his unexpressed thoughts and responded with precision.
Luo Si felt that interacting with Ning Zhuo was like basking in a spring breeze!
"Is this just an accidental exceptional performance?"
"He is, after all, so young!"
When he led his army to the cloud battlefield, he received a spiritual message from Elder Graybone.
Elder Graybone had directly told him: he would meet his wise lord here; he should not hesitate but surrender immediately. This was the greatest opportunity and turning point of Luo Si's life!
Luo Si's heart churned, his expression unchanged, as he fully surveyed the battlefield.
With that observation, he was profoundly drawn to Ning Zhuo.
At that time, Ning Zhuo and Qing Yan, though an unlikely pair, had already performed astonishingly against Master Hanyan.
He was only at the Foundation Establishment level, after all, yet he possessed such profound mastery of Five Element spells and could utilize military forces so skillfully.
His robust physical body, profound soul foundation, and the aura of cultivating all three Dantians simultaneously, especially at his young age, made him truly one in ten thousand and exceptional!
Even Master Hanyan secretly praised Ning Zhuo's excellence and conceived a killing intent.
Luo Si, on the other hand, grew increasingly excited the more he watched.
How many years had he waited!
This was something Elder Graybone had told him long ago, and he had complete trust in Elder Graybone.
"Oh, my wise lord, my wise lord, I've finally met you!"
Underneath, Luo Si's heart surged with emotions, but he still held back, his expression indifferent, as he made his move steadily.
With a single move, he unleashed an earth-shattering power that overturned the entire battle!
Although such a surrender didn't match his expectations, he also didn't want to leave a negative impression of a traitor on his destined wise lord right from their first meeting.
But there was no other way!
If he didn't act, his wise lord would be killed by that Hanyan.
To try and salvage his negative image, Luo Si even proclaimed an inspiring declaration during the battle. He had racked his brains for that declaration!
Of course, his outward appearance showed nothing; he remained calm and indifferent, profound as an abyss.
Qing Chi's gaze lingered on Ning Zhuo, filled with adoration and a newfound reverence. "Xiao Ma,
"Whatever you say to do, I'll listen to you, we'll all listen to you!"
Ning Zhuo glanced at Qing Chi, grunted in acknowledgment, then looked at the distant black cloud wall, his gaze growing sharper.
The confidence he displayed was one thing, but the tension in his heart was another.
In terms of outward composure, the young man, having endured for over a decade, was also well-honed, able to contend with Luo Si.
"I can only take a risk and conduct a test first!" Just as Ning Zhuo thought this, an anomaly occurred.
A rumbling sound filled the air as the towering black cloud wall began to change. Streams of murky earth qi surged forth from within it.
The vast and boundless murky qi pushed aside the cloud wall, expanding outwards to form an even larger and deeper barrier!
The sacrificial altar.
A tributary of the Wangchuan River encircled it, and within, the main body of Prefecture Lord Wangchuan slumbered.
Meanwhile, his divine avatar, the Fiendish Murky God, simultaneously intensified his assault on the ice coffin and channeled the murky qi, forming a murky qi heavenly curtain that greatly strengthened the defenses.
The moment Luo Si defected during the battle, the Fiendish Murky God immediately sent a message back.
According to the timeline, Luo Si should have long ago been directly cursed to death during his confrontation with Master Hanyan.
But now, he was still very much alive.
Evidently, there was a problem at the main base, Wangchuan Immortal City!
Ning Zhuo's confident remarks to Luo Si were naturally heard by the Fiendish Murky God, and it would be false to say he wasn't wary.
What he truly feared was not Ning Zhuo, but the destiny of the mortal realm!
Although Ning Zhuo only possessed Foundation Establishment cultivation, his combat power could reach the Nascent Soul level, which was already quite rare.
And the fact that General Luo Si turned his allegiance in battle further proved that Ning Zhuo was Prefecture Lord Wangchuan's greatest tribulation!
The cloud wall was formed by a great array, but this array could be destroyed by enemies from the outside.
Once destroyed, it would inevitably affect the sacrificial altar. The backlash from the array's destruction would become an advantage for the enemy.
To avoid this situation, the Fiendish Murky God decisively pushed aside the cloud wall, opting for the most conservative tactic by fully deploying his strongest methods to create the most robust protection!
This was a sticky, thick, rolling, boiling murky qi heavenly curtain!
"With this heavenly curtain, I can buy more time."
"When facing a Son of Destiny like this, the most crucial aspect is the contest of destiny!"
"I must extract the Nether Dragon Scissors from the ice coffin and deliver them to my main body."
The Fiendish Murky God knew the key.
Unfortunately, this ice coffin was formed from the Cold Abyss Ice Coffin Candle. And this Cold Abyss Ice Coffin Candle was the current Ghost Fire Prefecture Lord's prized creation,
one of his trump cards. Only eight other fire candles could compare to it.
The Fiendish Murky God's methods were singular, and wearing down the ice coffin would require a great deal of effort and time.
There was no other way; the Fiendish Murky God had to do this.
The two great national artifacts that suppressed destiny were the Nether Dragon Scissors, which were close at hand and the optimal solution. The Wangchuan Prefecture Lord's Seal, however, was suppressing the Lifespan Buddha Wheel of the Silent Ghost Monk. It was already hidden within the great array, and if retrieved, the Lifespan Buddha Wheel would cause trouble again!
Once the Lifespan Buddha Wheel was released, would it provoke the Silent Ghost Monk to return?
This was a very real possibility!
Ning Zhuo led everyone and stood before the murky qi heavenly curtain.
Everyone took turns employing various methods, but their efforts were superficial, like scraping the surface, yielding results that inspired frustration and despair.
More and more gazes, filled with anticipation, focused on Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo couldn't find a way to break the deadlock, appearing calm on the surface but inwardly anxious.
Luo Si cleared his throat and paused his actions.
His injuries persisted and his condition was not good. Feeling a tremor within his storage belt, he took out a luminous goose.
This luminous goose was formed from the Taisu Dispersion Ruler, which Luo Si had powerfully sealed.
But the Taisu Dispersion Ruler was a relic of Scholar Xuansu, its power subtle yet immense. Luo Si's seal was only temporary, not permanent, and it now needed to be taken out and reinforced.
At this instant, Ning Zhuo's gaze was firmly drawn to the luminous goose!
[41 minutes ago] Chapter 420: Bloodbath at Lintai
[2 hours ago] Chapter 1159: Tiger's March
[3 hours ago] Chapter 1701: Crossing the Heavenly Realm
[3 hours ago] Chapter 2911: So Many Half-Saints
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