: The River of Forgetfulness

Thump.

Sun Lingtong headbutted the paper general, only to feel like he'd smashed headfirst into a solid wall. The impact left him dizzy, his vision swimming, and even his soul felt shaken.

"Oww, that hurts!"

Grimacing in pain, it took Sun Lingtong a good while for his soul to settle and his expression to return to normal.

"What's going on?" A sense of foreboding washed over him.

Cautiously, he stretched out his lotus-root-like arm, pressing it against the paper general's chest. It felt like pressing against solid rock.

Ning Zhuo, connected by the life-thread, witnessed this clearly. "Boss, take it easy. This isn't some trap; it's probably that your soul cultivation isn't sufficient. You're not a soul cultivator. Sigh, if I'd known, I should have fed you some Underworld cuisine."

Sun Lingtong had already guessed the truth and couldn't help but roll his eyes dramatically. "It's not that I didn't want to eat it! Last time, during physical cultivation, my physical foundation increased greatly. If I ate Underworld cuisine now and my soul grew stronger again, how am I supposed to cross the stage of turning the virtual into the real?"

It turned out Sun Lingtong had reached the final stage of the Foundation Establishment period. Once he crossed it, he would achieve the Golden Core.

However, this stage was related to a cultivator's foundational reserves.

For the Golden Core to transform from virtual to real, it required a full, complete ten out of ten foundation.

If a cultivator's physical body, soul, and other foundational aspects kept increasing repeatedly, it would become impossible to reach that complete ten, and naturally, the virtual core couldn't solidify into a real one.

Sun Lingtong's cultivation had already reached this stage. But previously, for Ning Zhuo's sake, he had personally comprehended a convenient method for using the Fetal Breath Spiritual Junk, coupled with significant external pressure, which caused his physical cultivation to increase substantially.

This undoubtedly set back his progress in solidifying the virtual core by a considerable margin.

The campaign in the Thousand Peaks Forest of the Two Domains Country made Sun Lingtong crave higher cultivation power more urgently.

Therefore, this time in the White Paper City, even though there was a good opportunity for soul cultivation, he refrained. He held back, wanting to wait until he officially advanced to the Golden Core stage.

After advancing to Golden Core, he could then enhance his physical and soul foundations; it would be the same.

The reason was that Sun Lingtong's primary cultivation technique was the Child Skill, which specialized in the Divine Sea. He had already comprehended it thoroughly, achieving a state of perfect completion.

The primary cultivation technique was a cultivator's true foundation. If this aspect was insufficient—for example, advancing to a solid core with only ninety percent completion—the core's quality would drop, and the foundation would be unstable.

For Sun Lingtong, cultivating his physical body early or late was possible; it wouldn't affect his foundation.

His plan was sound, but who could have predicted such a situation would arise?

Now, precisely because his soul foundation was insufficient, Sun Lingtong could only stare helplessly at the Paper General with the power of an Nascent Soul stage cultivator, unable to enter.

He was so angry his entire soul body seemed to swell up a bit.

"So infuriating!" After several attempts ended in failure, Sun Lingtong could only swallow his anger and turn his attention to other paper figures.

He placed his small hands on the paper deity figures on the chariot. These deity paper figures possessed combat power at the Golden Core level. However, it felt like pressing on leather armor, and he still couldn't enter.

Sun Lingtong grew even angrier and had to look for other targets.

He scanned the area, his gaze passing over the spear-and-shield soldiers and the crossbow paper figures, finally settling on the ox cavalry.

He climbed onto an ox's back and touched the cavalry paper figure with both hands. This time, it felt like pressing against a layer of paper window. With a slight exertion, he seemed to "poke through," and his entire soul body rushed inside.

The paper cavalryman immediately "came to life," its entire form transforming.

Within a few breaths, it was no longer a paper figure constructed from white paper and wooden frames but had become a living underworld soldier.

The underworld soldier was burly and robust, but his eyes darted around shrewdly, displaying a cleverness that contrasted sharply with his physique.

Sun Lingtong felt like he was wearing an oversized padded jacket; it was very awkward.

He disappointedly discovered that he could only control the cavalryman; the mount beneath him remained a paper construct.

He jumped down from the ox's back. The landing height was much shorter than before, given his now much larger stature.

Sun Lingtong shrugged his shoulders. His previous disappointment and anger had come quickly and left just as fast, now replaced by curiosity and eagerness.

"Woo hoo! Underworld, here I come!" Under Ning Zhuo's close watch, Sun Lingtong prepared to set off.

"Boss, wait a moment. Let me use the Field Lamp to teleport you out. This place is very hidden. If you just run out, you'll leave traces." Ning Zhuo suddenly had a thought and reminded him promptly.

Sun Lingtong had no objection.

Ning Zhuo activated the palace lantern, and the next moment, Sun Lingtong was transported over ten miles away.

The underworld was desolate.

Sun Lingtong felt like he was trekking through a desert.

The monotonous scenery quickly dampened his enthusiasm.

"What's that sound?" His ears twitched; he heard the sound of water.

He immediately decided to head towards the sound of water; it was better than wandering aimlessly.

Along the way, black snow suddenly began falling from the sky.

Sun Lingtong tried to catch some with his hand and found it was all burnt paper ash.

The paper ash seeped into his paper body, actually adding a trace of strength.

Disturbed by the black snow, a large number of underworld creatures emerged from seemingly nowhere.

There were underworld hounds, ghost heads, and monsters with human bodies and ox heads...

"Here it comes again, here it comes again!"

"Lord of the River of Forgetfulness has done a great deed! Holding such a grand ceremony, we reap benefits every day."

"Mine, this is mine!"

The black snow didn't last long. Soon, these underworld creatures fell into conflict.

A pack of Cyan Corpse Wolves surrounded many ghosts. The pack leader was larger than an elephant, at the Golden Core level: "Hand over the black snow, all of you, or become our meal."

The Cyan Corpse Wolf leader bared its teeth, issuing a warning and outright robbing them.

This immediately ignited the other ghosts on the scene. They纷纷动手, clashing with the wolf pack.

Sun Lingtong was caught in the middle and had to join the fight.

The scene was chaotic.

Three Cyan Corpse Wolves at the Qi Refining stage fanned out to surround him. As they ran, they left behind connected dots of eerie green will-o'-the-wisps.

Sun Lingtong grinned, watching the Cyan Corpse Wolves charge towards him.

As they clashed, he released his spell, no longer concealing his aura.

The three Cyan Corpse Wolves, lacking much emotion, weren't flustered even when their prey's aura surged from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment. They still pressed the attack.

Sun Lingtong clenched his fists, first dodging the frontal wolf's pounce, then striking out left and right, punching and exploding the heads of the two wolves on the sides.

Then, he stepped forward heavily, stomping his large foot directly onto the back of the third wolf.

The Cyan Corpse Wolf whimpered and was directly trampled into two halves by Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong's eyes shone as he looked at his fists. After just one exchange, he understood that this paper body was definitely top-quality, possessing combat power at the peak of Foundation Establishment!

Seeing Sun Lingtong cleanly kill three Qi Refining level Cyan Corpse Wolves, a Foundation Establishment level subordinate from the wolf pack immediately charged at Sun Lingtong.

The Foundation Establishment level Cyan Corpse Wolf subordinate was the size of a calf. It howled, activated a ghost technique, its speed skyrocketing, leaving a black shadow behind it.

It ferociously pounced onto Sun Lingtong.

"Come on!" Sun Lingtong had the ability to dodge, but feeling excited, he stood his ground, raised his arms, and blocked the subordinate's pounce.

Sun Lingtong delivered a headbutt, smashing the Cyan Corpse Wolf subordinate's head back.

The Cyan Corpse Wolf subordinate roared in anger, opening its large mouth to devour Sun Lingtong's head.

Crunch!

It bit empty air.

Sun Lingtong had anticipated this. He directly lowered his body and head, his entire form suddenly contracting. Then he stomped his foot, his spine rising like a dragon ascending to the sky, and delivered a fierce uppercut, sending the Cyan Corpse Wolf subordinate flying away.

In the chaotic battlefield, a Foundation Establishment level Cyan Corpse Wolf subordinate flew high into the air, then crashed heavily to the ground.

This scene caused many to pause their actions. The Wolf King's gaze was also drawn.

Soon, its eyes fixed on Sun Lingtong.

The Wolf King let out three low growls. Three subordinate-level Cyan Corpse Wolves beside it charged out simultaneously, killing towards Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong already felt his fists tingling and numb, knowing he had roughly tested the limits of the paper body.

Seeing three Foundation Establishment level Cyan Corpse Wolves and the Wolf King staring intently at him, he decisively turned and ran!

His strength was outstanding, but the Cyan Corpse Wolves were much faster. Just as he reached the edge, he was surrounded.

Thievery Art — Piercing Void.

Sun Lingtong used his signature move, but the effect was poor, only teleporting himself a hundred paces away.

The three Cyan Corpse Wolf subordinates were momentarily stunned, then continued their pursuit.

Sun Lingtong felt dizzy. Shaking his head, he continued fleeing.

By the time the Cyan Corpse Wolf subordinates caught up, he had already left the chaotic battlefield.

After a few exchanges, Sun Lingtong seized an opening, used the Thievery Art again to break out of the encirclement, and continued his escape.

Fighting while retreating, eventually, the Wolf King, seeing its subordinates pursuing too far, lifted its head and let out a long howl.

Hearing the Wolf King's howl, the three Cyan Corpse Wolf subordinates immediately turned around without hesitation, abandoned the pursuit of Sun Lingtong, and returned to the main group.

There were quite a few others who managed to escape like Sun Lingtong.

But more remained on the battlefield, still embroiled in the melee. Under the wolf pack's trained coordinated attacks, their fate was likely sealed.

The dramas of cultivation, hunting, survival, the present and the future, were starkly played out before Sun Lingtong, catching him completely off guard.

After escaping with his life, Sun Lingtong stopped somewhere, panting狼狈ly for a long time.

After this battle, he also confirmed his true combat strength: he wasn't a正统魂修 after all; his soul foundation was limited. Although he could use the Thievery Art and others, it didn't match well with this body. Therefore, his combat power remained at the Foundation Establishment stage. If he truly had to fight one against three Foundation Establishment level Cyan Corpse Wolf subordinates, he would face the danger of annihilation.

The near-death experience left Sun Lingtong's whole body tingling and numb, yet a thrilling sensation emerged from within, making him slightly沉迷.

"This is cultivation! This is life!" Savoring the aftertaste of adventure, Sun Lingtong set off again.

The black snow fell intermittently, each time lasting only a short while, but often triggering fights and killings among the ghosts.

After witnessing this many times, Sun Lingtong's mood became somewhat complex: "They universally praise the Lord of the River of Forgetfulness, but aren't their deaths caused by him?"

"This monarch of the underworld certainly has methods. Inciting so much slaughter, yet his reputation only grows higher and higher."

The sound of water grew louder.

Finally, a long river appeared in Sun Lingtong's view.

It flowed from the northwest towards the southeast, vast and mighty, flowing incessantly.

The river surface was over a hundred miles wide. Looking horizontally, one couldn't see the opposite shore; vertically, spatial distortions appeared. It was both grand and eerie.

The river water was a bluish-black color, like molten bronze. Although flowing, it gave a sense of heaviness.

The riverbanks were long stretches of black stone embankments, each brick inscribed with numerous tadpole-like符文.

Though a newcomer, upon witnessing this great river, Sun Lingtong immediately understood: "The River of Forgetfulness?!"

He guessed correctly.

This was indeed the primary great river of the underworld — the River of Forgetfulness!

It was so famous, frequently recorded in many texts of the mortal world, that Sun Lingtong had learned of it.

Sun Lingtong approached the embankment, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Someone."

He discovered a burly ghost cultivator squatting on the stone embankment, fishing.

The ghost cultivator was extremely robust; even squatting, he was taller than Sun Lingtong's current form. One could imagine that when standing upright, he would be a veritable ghost giant!

The ghost cultivator's fishing rod was peculiar, made from a spine refined into a magical tool resembling a mourning staff. The fishing line was spliced together from numerous infant umbilical cords.

A bite.

Suddenly, the fishing line was pulled taut.

The ghost cultivator laughed heartily, suddenly opening his sleepy eyes and pulling the rod with all his might.

Splash.

The river surface erupted slightly, a wave splashed up, and then a large bowl was hooked up.

"Nascent Soul level!" Sun Lingtong's pupils contracted, recognizing the aura leaked when the ghost cultivator acted.

If it were Ning Zhuo, he would have cautiously retreated long ago. But Sun Lingtong found himself unable to move his feet for a moment, staring curiously at the large bowl.

"What is that bowl?"

"Xiao Zhuo, I've never seen someone fish out a magical tool before!"

"If I could learn this fishing method and fish by the river every day, wouldn't I get rich?"

While privately communicating with Ning Zhuo, the fishing ghost cultivator slowly turned his head and looked at Sun Lingtong: "You want it? Hehe, meeting is fate. I'll give it to you."

Saying so, he handed the bowl to Sun Lingtong.

Even though they were hundreds of steps apart, the next moment, Sun Lingtong found himself teleported right in front of the ghost cultivator.

Sun Lingtong's heart shook with shock. Temporarily alarmed, his hands moved swiftly, directly taking the bowl.

It really was a magical tool!

"This is a Dust-Washing Cup, used for holding Granny Meng's Soup. The river is full of them. But a magical tool-grade one is quite valuable for someone like you, so I'll just give it to you." The ghost giant was quite generous, showing goodwill.

Sun Lingtong remained fully alert, cupping his hands in thanks.

The ghost giant said as if casually: "Fishing up a Dust-Washing Cup isn't the main point. The truly rare catch is the Bone-Clinging Silver Carp in the river."

Sun Lingtong, curious, couldn't help but blurt out: "Senior, what is the Bone-Clinging Silver Carp?"

The ghost giant snorted: "You should know that although the River of Forgetfulness is vast, very few creatures can live within it."

"The Bone-Clinging Silver Carp is one of them. It is formed from the most obsessive, unforgettable obsessions, resentments, hatreds, expectations, and other intense memories and emotions lost in the river by countless ghosts who approach it."

"Look in my fish basket; there's one right there!"

(End of )