: Iron Bone Zheng vs. Skeleton Crocodile Demon

The Mourning Music Ghost Lyre had become a ghost cultivator!

She was clad in plain white mourning robes, ethereal as cold mist, faintly translucent. The hem of her skirt hung silently, floating three inches above the ground as she moved.

Her face still vaguely retained the delicate beauty of her past life, but between her brows was a凝结的哀怨 that seemed impossible to disperse.

Her long hair cascaded like an ink waterfall, with misty strands swirling at the ends.

Her eyes were no longer distinct black and white but were clouded as if covered by a film, with two points of icy blue soul fire deep within her pupils.

Her ten fingers had become even more slender than in life, her nails a grayish-black hue. Floating beside her arm was a scorched-tail ghost-patterned zither.

It was she who had just activated this magical treasure, playing its notes to open the southern city gate.

The opening of this gate was no small matter!

It could be said to have immediately altered the battlefield situation.

Yet, both sides on the battlefield were momentarily stunned, unable to react.

The White Paper Immortal City faction had never expected a former high-ranking member to defect, directly activating an internal seal to open the city gate automatically.

And the Yin soldier army had no knowledge of the Mourning Music Ghost Lyre's existence!

Even the commander Luo Si was kept in the dark. He had no idea she existed.

As it turned out, after learning of the prophetic poem from the Gray Bone Elder, the River of Forgetfulness Prefect had formulated a plan of action.

He first sent someone to assassinate the Mourning Music Ghost Lyre, then had her transformed into a ghost cultivator, keeping her firmly under his control.

The fruits of this operation were now revealed.

Why was the entire Yin soldier army kept in the dark?

On one hand, the River of Forgetfulness Prefect wasn't certain if the controlled Mourning Music Ghost Lyre could actually open the gate. If she failed, he wouldn't lose face.

On another hand, this was an extremely important military operation; the fewer who knew, the safer.

Thirdly, Luo Si had recently been promoted and had strong ties with the Gray Bone Elder. The Yin soldier army deployed in the mortal realm, from top to bottom, was not the Prefect's direct faction, and the level of trust was insufficient.

The Mourning Music Ghost Lyre succeeded!

Luo Si, having risen from the bottom ranks, quickly grasped the situation even without prior knowledge.

He decisively ordered the military formation at the southern gate to launch an assault.

Even when open, the gate was narrow; it would be foolish for the entire formation to charge in, so only a portion was sent for a strong attack.

Without hesitation, Luo Si commanded the Headless Ghost Riders to begin a death-defying charge!

The Headless Ghost Riders immediately surged forward, their iron hooves rumbling, shaking the earth. Leading the charge were several ghost generals, all at the Golden Core cultivation level.

Thud, thud, thud...

A series of dull impacts followed as countless skeleton death soldiers were shattered under the ghost riders' charge, their broken bones and limbs trampled into dust.

These soldiers had previously rushed the city walls, blocking the ghost riders' path.

To save time, not only did the ghost generals continuously employ the "Speed is Key in Warfare" tactic, but they also sacrificed their own skeletal death soldiers!

All because the opportunity was fleeting!

"Oh no!" Many cultivators on the southern wall felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

With the military tactics enhancing them, the enemy cavalry charged collectively, even injuring their own, displaying a terrifying and ruthless combat style.

If the cultivators on the wall had similar tactical enhancements, some might have dared to leap down and block the gate, potentially holding off the cavalry and buying crucial time to close it.

But everyone knew they had no such enhancements.

Without them, jumping down to block the gate with their bodies meant certain death!

Faced with this inevitability, fear and terror took over, leaving the cultivators wide-eyed and helpless as they watched the ghost riders trample everything in their path.

"If only the Scorched Legion were here!" The deputy commander of the city guard defending this section of the wall sighed in despair.

He had felt the impulse to jump down.

But a quick glance around showed he had few subordinates.

Even if he jumped, how many would follow? Even if they did, the city guard's numbers alone would only result in pointless sacrifice.

They couldn't possibly serve as any meaningful barrier!

The toll the ghost tide had taken on White Paper Immortal City was now evident.

The severe reduction in the city guard's numbers had forced the city lord to recruit cultivators from all surrounding villages and towns, while also offering heavy rewards for bravery.

Although the city's defensive strength had been greatly supplemented, the dilution of forces and sharp drop in overall quality made a fight to the death impossible.

Life and death hung by a thread.

Such is war.

The influence of morale and human hearts runs deeper and wider than it appears on the surface.

If it were the former city guard, with a pure lineup of loyal locals from White Paper Immortal City, they might have truly blocked the gate with their bodies.

Rumble...

The ghost riders reached the city gate.

The Mourning Music Ghost Lyre had already entered the city ahead of them.

"White Paper Immortal City is about to fall!" The leading Golden Core ghost generals wore expressions of bloodlust and excitement.

But at that moment, the city gate tower and walls suddenly flashed brilliantly.

Countless wall papers flew out, transforming into talismans that instantly self-ignited.

The various spells within the talismans surged skyward, stirring deadly multicolored lights. A dazzling array of spells, in that moment, gave the Headless Ghost Riders a taste of every conceivable manner of death.

Some were burned, some frozen, some struck by lightning, some buried alive, some corroded to ash, and some even controlled...

The ghost riders' assault was halted!

The cultivators on the wall, snapping out of their stupor, cheered in unison. Morale visibly rose.

Luo Si's pupils contracted as he muttered, "Iron Bone Zheng."

The one who could act at this critical moment to pull White Paper Immortal City back from the brink of defeat was none other than the city guard commander.

Even though this move severely depleted the southern gate's defensive reserves, Iron Bone Zheng did not hesitate in the slightest.

His experience in defending the city was simply too vast.

How many ghost tides had he held back?

Even he had lost count.

"Just this one round has reduced the southern gate's wall defense by at least half!"

Cold sweat beaded on Iron Bone Zheng's forehead.

Even though they had withstood the fearsome charge of the Headless Ghost Riders, the weakened southern gate would inevitably become the enemy's main point of attack.

He had no choice but to do this.

Luo Si threw out several military command tokens, distributing forces and ordering an assault.

The many ghost generals, now reinforced, immediately charged through the southern gate, enduring the talisman explosions.

Seeing this, Iron Bone Zheng's heart raced: "The enemy commander is extraordinary, reacting so swiftly!"

He urgently dispatched strong cultivators to intercept them.

At the same time, Iron Bone Zheng wanted to mobilize more wall papers to block the Golden Core ghost generals.

But by then, Luo Si had issued another order, commanding the Headless Ghost Riders to retreat and the flanking drowned ghost hordes to advance.

These drowned ghosts formed a continuous mass, their water vapor intertwining to create a river on land.

Hiding within this river, they evaded most of the talisman attacks.

The winding river surged toward the city gate.

Forced into a corner, Iron Bone Zheng had to redirect his efforts against the river of the drowned, managing to halt the enemy's advance again but missing the chance to pin down the enemy generals.

Once the stalemate was broken, Luo Si demonstrated his command ability, keeping a capable general like Iron Bone Zheng on the defensive.

Sonic Art – Nine Springs Burial Melody!

Woo, woo, woo...

The scorched-tail ghost-patterned zither floated beside the Mourning Music Ghost Lyre. Her fingers moved in the air without touching the strings, yet eerie music emanated.

The melody, like a funeral dirge, bypassed most defenses, striking directly at the soul.

Cultivators who rushed toward her, under the influence of the music, instantly stiffened and slowed, their faces contorted in agony.

Some dropped their weapons with a clatter, staring blankly at the sky; others fell to their knees, weeping bitterly; some had vacant eyes, like walking corpses; and some even slit their own throats, ending their lives.

Confucian Art – Literary Heart Protection!

The next moment, Wen Ruan Yu descended from above, coming to the rescue.

He activated the Confucian art, words raining down like drops, covering many cultivators and saving their lives.

"Mourning Music Ghost Lyre, what are you doing?!" Wen Ruan Yu roared at her, his expression pained.

Confucian Art – Reform the Heart!

He cast the spell, hitting the Mourning Music Ghost Lyre directly.

Her numb expression flickered briefly before fading away.

Wen Ruan Yu had already sensed something, despair washing over him. In that instant, he detected the presence of national power on her.

Clearly, it was the national power of the River of Forgetfulness Prefecture.

Unless Wen Ruan Yu joined a cultivation nation and borrowed its power, he couldn't directly counter it.

This wasn't a difference in scale of power, but in level!

"The problem is, national power is only effective within its territory. Why can the River of Forgetfulness Prefecture's national power be used here in the mortal realm?!"

Wen Ruan Yu was shocked and perplexed.

He swiftly wrote again, scattering another shower of words in the air!

Confucian Art – Halt Songs and Stop Dances.

The words formed an article in the air, encircling a section of the battlefield and greatly suppressing the sonic art's effects.

The Mourning Music Ghost Lyre continued playing the Nine Springs Burial Melody, her reactions sluggish.

Evidently, being forcibly controlled had severely reduced her combat prowess.

Yet, Wen Ruan Yu's pressure skyrocketed.

Because behind the Mourning Music Ghost Lyre, six Golden Core ghost generals were advancing together. Even more terrifying, they were all enhanced by military power, their combat strength approaching the Nascent Soul level!

"How can we fight this?" Despite his deep affection for White Paper Immortal City, Wen Ruan Yu had no choice but to retreat temporarily to preserve his strength.

But the next moment, another Confucian art arose.

A gentle white light not only enhanced Wen Ruan Yu but also strengthened the previous article's power, suppressing the six ghost generals' momentum.

Scanning behind him with his spiritual sense, Wen Ruan Yu felt relieved. He saw Zhou Wen Yan leading a team of cultivators to reinforce him.

As it turned out, after realizing the southern gate would become the main assault point, Iron Bone Zheng had immediately moved with elite forces at full speed.

Zhou Wen Yan's original position was closest, so he arrived first.

The six Golden Core ghost generals communicated via spiritual sense, merged their forces, and fiercely charged at the two Confucian cultivators, Wen Ruan Yu and Zhou Wen Yan.

Even though both were from super factions and were Golden Core true inheritors, they could hardly withstand such an assault.

Boom!

A deafening crash echoed, but the impact wasn't between the two Confucians and the six generals; it came from the base of the southern city wall.

The river of the drowned exploded violently, a massive column of water bursting forth as a colossal creature emerged from the waves.

It was a giant Spined Crocodile, its four legs standing taller than most of the wall. Its rugged, heavy bone armor was enough to discourage most attackers, and covering the armor were fierce, pale white giant bone spikes, serving both offense and defense!

From within the Spined Crocodile came the roar of the Skeleton Crocodile Demon: "White Paper Immortal City will fall today."

Boom!

The Spined Crocodile moved its massive body like a battering ram, crashing into the now-thinned wall.

The violent impact instantly caused cracks to appear and spread rapidly across the wall.

Cultivators on the wall stumbled and fell, while those who remained standing launched fierce attacks on the giant crocodile.

Their various assaults had little effect on the creature's armor.

The Spined Crocodile was also part of the military formation, enhanced by military power, its strength approaching the Nascent Soul level.

The crocodile backed up a few steps, preparing to charge again.

If it connected this time, the wall might not hold, collapsing entirely.

If the gate was opened, it could be closed again. But if a large section of the wall was destroyed, it would mean White Paper Immortal City was mostly doomed to fall.

"Beast, face my iron fan!"

At the critical moment, Iron Bone Zheng, eyes bloodshot and glaring, charged out furiously.

He stomped hard, his magical combat boots erupting with yellow spiritual light, activating an earth-traveling spell that propelled him across the distance to the southern wall.

With the situation dire, Iron Bone Zheng leaped onto the wall, hurling himself toward the Spined Crocodile as if launched from a catapult.

Mid-air, he raised his iron fan magical treasure overhead, pouring all his spiritual power into it.

Martial Art – Mountain Shatterer!

The city guard commander's seal glowed, augmented by White Paper Immortal City's formation!

Metallic energy surged from the iron fan, merging with other forces to form a terrifying strike.

The air compressed to its limit, groaning under the strain!

This blow was like swinging an iron mountain, carrying the force to shatter earth veins and shake the city, crashing down with immense power.

Thud——!!!!

The iron fan struck the Spined Crocodile's skull with a horrific sound.

A violent shockwave exploded, spreading wildly in all directions.

The nearest cultivators, friend or foe, were sent flying with broken bones and bleeding from their orifices, crashing into battlements or buildings behind, a bloody mess!

The Spined Crocodile roared.

Its cry shook heaven and earth, filled with agony.

Its massive body was driven downward, sinking back into the river of the drowned.

Crack, crack, crack...

The bone spikes all over its body shattered and broke under the impact.

Inside the giant crocodile, the Skeleton Crocodile Demon vomited blood and slumped down, weakened.

Enraged, the Spined Crocodile wanted to retaliate, but the demon quickly controlled it, sinking deeper to recuperate urgently.

This giant crocodile was the Skeleton Crocodile Demon's greatest asset and source of strength; it couldn't be expended in a direct clash with the enemy so early in the battle.

The demon still planned to rely on the crocodile to dominate the battlefield later and reap the spoils.

(End of )