: River Forget Mansion Lord vs. Silent Ghost Monk

Author: Gu Zhenren

2025-06-25

Tie Guzheng was sent flying backward.

He landed on the city wall, his hands split and bleeding, staining his fan's handle. A tearing pain shot through his arms, and the energy and blood within him still boiled, hard to calm.

But Tie Guzheng had no mind to soothe his turmoil. He sharply turned his head to watch the battle behind the city gate.

He had repelled the Bone Crocodile, resolving one crisis for White Paper Immortal City.

Yet the earlier crisis remained—the Mourning Music Silent Maiden who had breached the city, along with the six Golden Core ghost generals empowered by military might.

Even if Tie Guzheng wished ten thousand times to rush to aid them, turning and dashing into the city would take time.

"Whoever you are, hold on!"

"We must buy crucial time for reinforcements!!"

"I'm coming now!"

Tie Guzheng's eyes nearly burst with fury as he shouted inwardly.

Wen Ruan Yu and Zhou Wen Yan fought side by side, also communicating via divine sense, reaching a consensus: "Block them with all our might, buy time! Reinforcements will surely come!"

Wen Ruan Yu unfurled a scroll. It was a self-portrait.

His portrait doppelganger stepped out of the scroll, expression grave, taking the front line.

Zhou Wen Yan took out a book with "Spring and Autumn" printed in large characters on the cover. The book radiated yellow and green light, spreading around to create a favorable battlefield environment.

The six Golden Core ghost generals, riding skeletal death horses, surrounded Wen and Zhou with an icy, life-extinguishing pressure.

The Venom Ghost General didn't hesitate, directly taking the Hundred Ghost Poison Pouch from his waist and throwing it out.

The pouch was just a catalyst.

Ghost Art—Venom Ghost Domain!

Swoosh.

Thick, ink-green poison splashed everywhere, emitting a foul stench, then quickly evaporated into a mist of Yin energy.

The Yin energy was laced with potent poison, corroding the air with a sizzling sound.

Zhou Wen Yan's Spring and Autumn radiance was immediately suppressed.

Wen Ruan Yu, holding a brush, performed a Confucian art, writing a large character for "Propriety" that hovered mid-air in the battlefield.

The "Propriety" character shone with golden light, neutralizing the poison, but soon dimmed rapidly. Its edges turned into wisps of black smoke, the character quickly dissolving until it vanished completely.

Wen Ruan Yu shuddered; his spell broken, the backlash injured him, churning his energy sea, needing stabilization.

But the next moment, a sharp, mournful wail pierced through.

The wail was extremely shrill, capable of tearing souls.

Even though Wen and Zhou had already activated protective measures, they still felt soul-deep pain.

Their divine sense swept the battlefield, revealing the Wailing Ghost General madly shaking a bone flute. As he moved violently, wind poured through the flute's holes, producing a natural-sounding sonic attack.

"Suppress!" Zhou Wen Yan uttered a thunderous whisper, spitting out his voice turned into a character—a large "Suppress" character.

The "Suppress" character also hovered above the battlefield, resisting the sonic attack. It shook violently, lasting only three breaths before showing signs of collapse.

Though Wen Ruan Yu and Zhou Wen Yan were strong, Golden Core true disciples of their respective sects, facing these six ghost generals was a severe challenge!

All because these six ghost generals were empowered by military might, their combat strength approaching Nascent Soul level.

The Crimson Ghost General's eyes flashed with venomous light. Her ten fingers extended like butterflies, shooting red threads from her fingertips that entangled the floating Spring and Autumn book.

She abruptly clenched her fingers inward; the red threads tightened like steel wires.

The Spring and Autumn book couldn't bear the strain, twisted out of shape with the sound of paper contorting, its yellow-green glow dimming.

Simultaneously, Zhou Wen Yan's "Suppress" character disintegrated.

This caused Wen and Zhou's defenses to plummet, leaving a huge opening.

"Die!" The Long-Axe Ghost General, already poised, seized the opportunity his comrades created. His burly frame burst with astonishing power, leaping from his ghost steed into the air.

He raised his mountain-splitting long axe, performing a ghost art, his body engulfed in幽蓝 ghost flames, and swung down at Zhou Wen Yan.

After all, Wen Ruan Yu had his self-portrait doppelganger, making it hard for the Long-Axe Ghost General to distinguish the real one.

Zhou Wen Yan bore the brunt!

Looking up, he saw the long axe descending toward his head, the air screeching as if it could shatter mountains and rivers, annihilating everything.

The Long-Axe Ghost General's charged strike was swift, fierce, and precise.

Zhou Wen Yan's pupils contracted sharply, all his hairs standing on end, feeling a thick shadow of death.

In that split second, he only had time to throw out another book.

But before he could fully activate its power, the book was split in two mid-air by the long axe.

The axe, carrying幽蓝 ghost flames, surged in momentum, about to strike between Zhou Wen Yan's brows.

At the critical moment, Wen Ruan Yu bit his tongue tip, spurting vital essence blood, wildly channeling Golden Core magic power into his brush treasure.

He threw the brush directly.

Confucian Art—Discarding the Brush to Take Up Arms!

The brush lit up with crimson-gold radiance, making all six ghost generals narrow their eyes.

Boom!

The brush and long axe collided, erupting in a violent explosion.

Crimson-gold light and幽蓝 ghost flames vied against each other, mixing and spreading outward.

Zhou Wen Yan, Wen Ruan Yu, and several ghost generals were thrown back, each severely injured.

The Shadow Ghost General performed a ghost art, turning into a shadow skimming the ground, pursuing Wen and Zhou.

Wen Ruan Yu's life-bound treasure was destroyed; he fell unconscious on the spot.

Zhou Wen Yan, barely conscious, sensed the lethal danger and shouted sharply: "Spring and Autumn as Sacrifice! The Way of Letters Martyrs for Righteousness!"

The next moment, the Spring and Autumn book floating on the battlefield spontaneously ignited, burning with pure, blazing white holy flames.

The holy flames then expanded into a blinding white pillar of light, enveloping Wen and Zhou.

The Shadow Ghost General grunted, unable to withstand such light and flames, and retreated defeated.

The light pillar was powerful but short-lived, quickly dissipating completely.

The six ghost generals closed in, while Wen and Zhou were both exhausted, their consciousness blurred.

From the distant city wall, Tie Guzheng saw this, his eyes nearly bursting with fury.

He quickly mobilized the commander seal in his embrace, trying to deploy the immortal city's formation to protect Wen and Zhou.

But at that moment, the neglected Mourning Music Silent Maiden had already taken out a white candle.

Return to Silence Winding Path Candle!

It was a square candle, resembling a miniature coffin, about nine inches long, the lid fitting tightly with the body. All four sides were carved with a hundred ghosts carrying a coffin—countless twisted, wailing ghostly figures shouldering the coffin, stumbling toward nothingness.

The wick was made of yellowish-brown shroud cloth, intertwined with strands of a woman's black hair, spirally wound.

This was a Nascent Soul-level treasure, and it could only be used once!

"The lost heavy treasure was indeed taken by the enemy!" Tie Guzheng, noticing the Mourning Music Silent Maiden's action, was greatly shocked. He knew she possessed this trump card but didn't expect it to be used now against White Paper Immortal City.

This forced Tie Guzheng to abandon Wen and Zhou, focusing all efforts on deploying White Paper Immortal City's defensive power to suppress the Mourning Music Silent Maiden.

The Mourning Music Silent Maiden felt the mountain-like pressure, every movement slowing.

Her expression remained numb, unchanging, as she mustered magic power and barely blew.

The next moment, the Return to Silence Winding Path Candle was lit.

Pale, frost-like flames flickered, generating countless fine幽蓝 talismans within the flame core.

A scent of incense mixed with decay quickly spread.

The幽蓝 talismans drifted ethereally in the fragrance, dispersing into the surrounding space, forming a sky full of white frost.

Within the frost, a black, winding path condensed. On both sides, countless ghostly figures layered, as if carrying a coffin.

"Damn it!" Seeing this, Tie Guzheng was so angry his eyes nearly burst.

Against anyone else, Tie Guzheng could suppress them entirely. But the Mourning Music Silent Maiden was different; she also knew the secrets of White Paper Immortal City's formation.

Yet Tie Guzheng's suppression wasn't ineffective; originally, there would have been seven winding paths, now suppressed to only one.

But even one path could greatly impact the battle situation!

Luo Si's eyes flashed with sharp light, immediately directing, using military might to extend the winding path directly into their own military formation.

A Death Bone Colossus strode forward, stepping into the path.

The next moment, it took a step and arrived inside White Paper Immortal City!

If the city gate were closed, such teleportation would be impossible. But now the gate was wide open, unable to close immediately, and with the Mourning Music Silent Maiden using the Return to Silence Winding Path Candle, teleportation became possible.

The Death Bone Colossus, huge and a siege weapon, had now bypassed the biggest obstacle—the city wall—entering the city.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The colossus roared, smashing around, quickly causing massive damage to many buildings and numerous casualties.

Countless citizens ran in panic.

At this moment, the Golden Core true disciples—Yang San Yan from All Phenomena Sect and Gu Mu Daoist from Soul Devourer Sect—finally arrived.

Both only glanced at the Death Bone Colossus before immediately giving up on engaging it.

"Rescue people first!" They communicated via divine sense, reaching agreement instantly.

They acted successively, rescuing Wen Ruan Yu and Zhou Wen Yan at the critical moment.

The six ghost generals' combined attack wasn't without gain—Wen Ruan Yu's self-portrait doppelganger was hacked to pieces by them.

Wen Ruan Yu's true body suffered backlash, blood trickling from his nose and mouth, sinking into deeper unconsciousness.

Yang San Yan directly opened the eye slit on his forehead, fixing his gaze on the Mourning Music Silent Maiden.

Superior Talent—Overlook Everything!

The Mourning Music Silent Maiden remained numb, standing motionless like a zombie.

But at the critical moment, the burning Return to Silence Winding Path Candle in her hand was stimulated, flaring brightly, several times brighter than before, burning at an accelerated rate.

White frost spread, the black winding path formed again, blocking Yang San Yan's gaze.

More accurately, it teleported Yang San Yan's gaze elsewhere.

Two of the six ghost generals split off to confront Yang San Yan and Gu Mu Daoist.

The remaining four slightly bypassed, all charging toward the rear.

Cultivators blocking their way were torn to shreds, becoming sacrifices for this blood ritual.

The four ghost generals' attack intent became clear—their paths converged ahead—at the Paper Giant Statue!

Netherworld.

The blood light on the Tributary Sacrificial Altar brightened by another third.

River Forget Mansion Lord couldn't help but show joy, staring at the Silent Ghost Monk: "Silent One, do you see? The blood sacrifice proceeds smoothly, I am bound to win! All your efforts are in vain!"

The Silent Ghost Monk, clad in yellow robes, had a face like dried orange peel, lifeless, lips sealed in a gray line as if never opened for millennia. Only his eyes, turbid, wooden, hollow, reflected nothing, like two wells leading to absolute nothingness.

He raised his right hand, a withered finger with grayish nail, pointing distantly at River Forget Mansion Lord.

Silently.

Yet, centered on the ghost monk's fingertip, the space within a hundred zhang radius abruptly collapsed inward!

At the first move, the Silent Ghost Monk used his trump card.

He primarily cultivated the "Nirvana Sutra," and this move was one of its terrifying killer techniques—Return to Void Finger!

The collapsed space was left in utter darkness, everything erased.

The darkness rapidly spread, targeting not only River Forget Mansion Lord but also the sacrificial altar.

River Forget Mansion Lord's robes fluttered wildly without wind. He raised his arms high, shouting: "River Forget's Flow, Ten Thousand Souls Rush!"

Boundless magic power surged out, converging into the River Forget water he drew forth.

Illusions of countless souls screamed miserably in the river, finally merging into a thick, oily, grayish-white torrent teeming with countless suffering soul shadows.

The torrent surged upward, against the sky!

The torrent's peak fiercely collided with the Return to Void black sphere.

Sss... Sss...

No earth-shattering explosion, only the corrosive sound of two extreme forces annihilating each other, grating on the nerves.

The dark yellow torrent was continuously turned into nothingness by the Return to Void force, but the River Forget water flowed endlessly, the soul power inexhaustible.

Though the Return to Void black sphere stubbornly rotated and devoured, its expansion was firmly resisted by the mighty Yellow Spring power, the two locked in a breath-holding stalemate mid-air!

The Silent Ghost Monk's hollow eyeballs turned ever so slightly.

This tiny movement was detected by River Forget Mansion Lord, who inwardly exclaimed, "Not good!"

This place wasn't on the River Forget; his ability to draw River Forget water from thin air was due to the grand formation here.

And operating this formation weren't just him, but also the five Nascent Soul subordinates and thirty thousand imperial guards outside the swirling Yin wind.

The Silent Ghost Monk, powerful and considered a great enemy by River Forget Mansion Lord, immediately grasped the key with one move.

He retracted his finger, letting the Return to Void black sphere be consumed by River Forget Mansion Lord's Ten Thousand Souls Rush.

He pressed his palms together, then very slowly parted them slightly.

Under the Heart Seal, he executed another move—Nirvana Zen Sound!

The Zen sound was silent, formless, untraceable, unblockable, like ripples spreading on water, silently penetrating the Yin wind, dispersing outward.

River Forget Mansion Lord hesitated in that instant.

He could save his subordinates, but doing so would inevitably put him at a disadvantage.

If he didn't save them, his subordinates would surely suffer heavy losses, but it would give him a chance to strike at the Silent Ghost Monk.

This opportunity was rare.

In battles between masters, often a slim initiative is contested.

Gaining that initiative usually leads to an advantage, quickly expanding it into momentum.

Not just in master duels; at the fiercest point of war, that crucial battle opportunity must be seized!

The Mourning Music Silent Maiden opening the city gate was one such opportunity.

Tie Guzheng pushing back the Bone Crocodile with all his might was seizing that chance.

Now, the four ghost generals charging at the Paper Giant Statue was another battle opportunity.

"Not good! The Paper Giant Statue isn't activated yet, Wen Ruan Yu is unconscious, it's at its weakest."

"If the enemy takes advantage, we'll lose a major Nascent Soul-level combat force!" Tie Guzheng was extremely anxious but too far to help.

The ghost generals laughed heartily, closing in.

Among them, the Long-Axe Ghost General leaped out again, body ablaze with幽蓝 ghost flames, aiming to chop the giant statue's leg.

Thump!

The Paper Giant Statue suddenly kicked, sending the Long-Axe Ghost General flying.

"Uh?!" The remaining three ghost generals were shocked.

Inside the Paper Giant Statue, Ning Zhuo, who had arrived just in time, eyes burning with fighting spirit, snorted coldly: "Don't even think about touching my mother's things!"

(End of )