Returning to the City of the Wrongfully Dead, Jian Huaishuang knelt on one knee before the Bone Altar, his voice slightly hurried.
"My Lord, your subordinate has urgent matters to report."
Chen Zhou was still sorting through the magical artifacts seized from the Blackwater Guard, hoping to find some clues. After all, waiting idly for Xing Yue to wake up wasn't a long-term solution.
Hearing the voice, Chen Zhou stepped out of the Ghost Domain and sat upon the altar, gesturing for Jian Huaishuang to speak.
Jian Huaishuang did not rise. In the most concise language possible, he reported everything he had seen in Kushi County, his pursuit of the knocking ghost, and the eventual discovery of Kushi Ghost City.
Even though he already viewed it in the same light as White Jade City in his heart, he did not add any personal emotions or conjectures, simply stating the facts objectively.
Bronze-colored corpses, extracted wraiths, mechanical knocking ghosts, a dead city guarded by corpse guards, and hundreds of baleful ghosts roaming outside.
After hearing the report, Chen Zhou fell into a brief silence.
Copper poison.
Chen Zhou immediately connected this to the key information Xing Yue had blurted out when his mind had faltered.
A miserable death, the body stiff as a board, the skin a bronzed hue—like a copper statue in a temple.
This description was identical to the state of the deceased Jian Huaishuang had seen.
Why would copper poison from Thousand Isles County appear in Kushi County, tens of thousands of miles away?
Chen Zhou didn't even know if these two places were in the same province.
Xing Yue had said their clues pointed to Dead Man’s Forest.
But Chen Zhou knew very well that Dead Man’s Forest was his territory, and copper poison had never appeared there.
It seemed this city held many secrets.
"My Lord, Kushi City is heavily defended. Your subordinate was unable to ascertain the full strength within. Should I return and find a way to infiltrate?" Jian Huaishuang requested instructions.
"No need."
Chen Zhou stood up from the altar. "Now that we've found the rat's nest, there's no need to catch them one by one."
"We'll just flip the whole thing over."
Chen Zhou had previously estimated that any power capable of controlling a third-stage knocking ghost as a reaper must be at least around the fifth-stage Essence Devouring stage.
If this were before his promotion, Chen Zhou might have chosen to act cautiously and proceed slowly.
But now, things were different.
After promoting to an Abnormal Grade evil spirit, his power had exploded exponentially.
Currently, he could face a sixth-stage cultivator head-on.
The Bone Ghost Servants under his command, if strengthened by the Bone Forge, could reach at least the fourth-stage early-phase Core Shattering stage.
Unfortunately, strengthening servants required Evil God Points, and Chen Zhou didn't have enough to squander just yet.
However, for a mere county town, Jian Huaishuang would be enough.
A fifth-stage cultivator, perhaps with an unknown City-Protecting Array—he didn't take them seriously.
Chen Zhou looked at Jian Huaishuang and said, "Your current strength is still a bit strained against a fifth-stage opponent."
With a thought, he opened the faith panel.
【Evil God Points: 2,541】
"Consume 1,500 Evil God Points."
The exchange list for the Flesh-and-Blood Pasture refreshed instantly.
"Catalyze 4th-stage flesh."
In the center of the pasture, clumps of writhing flesh tissues emitted infinite resentment and stench, rapidly taking shape under the acceleration of Evil God Points.
【You obtained 4th-stage flesh x15】
Next, Chen Zhou exchanged for 4th-stage Flesh-Reconstitution Pills and Blood-Inducing Pills, intending to max out Jian Huaishuang’s cultivation directly.
Ordinary cultivation was too slow and could lead to unstable foundations. Nothing was faster or more stable than a god directly bestowing medicine.
The power of the drugs surged wildly through Jian Huaishuang's meridians, reshaping his dantian. The cultivation bottleneck that had stalled him for so long was instantly shattered like wet paper.
Late-phase fourth-stage... peak fourth-stage...
Finally, the aura on Jian Huaishuang’s body exploded, and he officially stepped over the threshold into the fifth-stage Essence Devouring stage.
With such strength, even at a commandery capital, he would be treated with respect and courtesy.
Jian Huaishuang knelt on one knee again, his head bowed low.
"Thank you, Lord, for bestowing this power."
This was the second time Jian Huaishuang had felt a divine gift.
The first time saved him from the brink of destruction at White Jade City, and the second time directly elevated his cultivation.
Feeling the powerful energy within his body, there was no joy in Jian Huaishuang’s eyes, only a deeper sense of deathly stillness and loyalty.
"Go," Chen Zhou’s voice rang out again. "This is a One-time Realm-Breaking Spike. It is enough to pierce through the city's baleful array."
A black spike fell into Jian Huaishuang’s hand.
Evil God Points -500.
Money really does disappear quickly.
"Your subordinate obeys."
Jian Huaishuang took the spike. Like a peerless, ominous sword about to be unsheathed, he stood up and turned to leave.
...
Outside Kushi City, the night remained heavy.
Jian Huaishuang’s figure reappeared in the withered forest.
This time, he no longer hid his presence.
The powerful strength of the fifth-stage Essence Devouring stage filled his body. At this level, a cultivator could project their Divine Sense, altering his very perception of the world.
He could clearly see a massive barrier, formed from a mix of resentment and array power, looming over Kushi Ghost City like an inverted black bowl.
Outside the walls, the wandering baleful ghosts were the first to notice the intruder.
They were also being controlled, lacking the natural instinct for self-preservation. They only knew how to attack living things like zombies.
The nearest dozen or so baleful ghosts let out roars, turning into streaks of black wind as they scrambled to pounce.
Jian Huaishuang’s eyes were cold. He didn't even look at them, simply tossing the One-time Realm-Breaking Spike toward the city gates.
The spike traced a path through the air, evil energy condensing into a single point that instantly pierced through space, appearing directly on Kushi City’s protection array.
"Vrrrrm—!"
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a piercing hum.
Centering on the spike, spiderweb-like cracks spread across the barrier.
In just a single breath, the protection array shattered into pieces like glass struck by a sledgehammer, vanishing without a trace.
The moment the array broke, a sharp roar of shock and fury echoed from within the city.
By then, the dozen baleful ghosts had already reached Jian Huaishuang.
The giant sword on his back remained sheathed, but the pale paper armor on his body suddenly came to life.
Rustle—
Hundreds of sheets of white paper detached themselves from the armor, transforming into a sky-obscuring storm of paper snow that enveloped the attacking ghosts.
Each seemingly soft sheet of paper had edges shimmering with a razor-sharp, cold light.
As the paper snow passed, the fierce baleful ghosts didn't even have time to scream. Some were assimilated into thin, flat paper figures, taking on a purely two-dimensional appearance.
Others were sliced into fragments, dissipating completely.
A single move had cleared the field.
Jian Huaishuang set off, walking toward the city gates at a steady pace.
"Creeeak—"
Atop the gate tower, the few corpse guards finally reacted.
Before his sword arrived, the paper reached them first.
Dozens more sheets of white paper detached from Jian Huaishuang's body like a flock of white swallows, arriving with a speed the naked eye could barely track. They pasted themselves precisely onto the joints and crowns of every corpse guard.
The deathly energy unique to evil spirits flashed on the paper. The corpse guards, who had been aggressive just a moment ago, instantly froze in place like puppets with their power cut, unable to move.
Jian Huaishuang climbed the gate tower. Remembering Chen Zhou’s specific instructions, he rewarded each one with a bone spike.
These were materials his Lord needed; they must not be wasted.
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