: Cloud Veil Shroud

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2025-07-08

: Cloud Veil Shroud

"What?!" The Crimson Ghost General, who had arrived moments later, could hardly believe her eyes.

Among the six ghost generals who had stormed the immortal city, the Battle-Axe Ghost General was one of the strongest. Yet, he had fallen in a single move, unable to even block the attack!

Terrifying!

Just moments ago, the Crimson Ghost General had been brimming with killing intent and lofty ambitions, much like the Battle-Axe Ghost General before his demise.

Now, she was filled with dread, her soul trembling with fear. She turned and fled without hesitation.

The next moment, she truly turned around—only to meet her end.

The Crimson Ghost General had fallen.

"Mother!" Ning Zhuo cried out urgently.

He reached out and grasped the hand freed by the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, his face etched with worry.

He understood all too well that the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, was not in good condition. This state of "awakening" was taking a heavy toll on her spiritual essence.

Ning Zhuo would rather endure a bitter fight himself than see his mother's spiritual essence harmed.

As if sensing his concern, the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, smiled reassuringly and said, "This giant paper effigy was originally crafted by me, and I had set up arrangements here that were triggered, 'awakening' me."

"But this state cannot last. I still need to 'slumber' to immerse myself in the cultivation of the Strange Path."

Ning Zhuo asked curiously, "Mother, are you cultivating the Strange Path?"

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, nodded. "Yes. Only by mastering this path can I heal my Dao injuries. The spiritual essence within me is far greater than I remember."

"I suspect it's the 'Cremation Prajna Spirit Liberation Sutra,' isn't it? Did you learn it from the Lava Immortal Palace?"

Ning Zhuo nodded. "Mother, you guessed it right! Although I haven't fully taken control of the Lava Immortal Palace yet, I already have a plan. I haven't let you down!"

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, smiled gently. "Good child, it's all thanks to you."

"As your mother, I have never given up trying either."

Ning Zhuo's eyes reddened, choked with emotion, nearly on the verge of tears. "Mother, I'm doing well. For you, I can do anything!"

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, nodded again. "Using the scythe earlier was my attempt at practicing the Strange Path."

"This path is indeed extremely difficult to cultivate, but I've made some progress."

"Child, I do need you to gather spiritual essence for me. During my lifetime, my main area of activity was the Feiyun Kingdom."

"The Myriad Phenomena Sect was my sect. If you can join it, that would be an excellent thing."

Ning Zhuo suddenly thought of something critical, frowned, and revealed a murderous intent. "Mother, I encountered the Chaos Fate Sect! Did they harm you? I will avenge you!"

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, replied, "There are indeed enemies of mine within the Chaos Fate Sect. I was schemed against and killed by one of them."

"But I cannot tell you this person's name yet. The time is not right. You are still too weak, only at the Foundation Establishment stage."

"If you learn of it prematurely, it will alert that person, which would be very unwise!"

"In fact, you should avoid anything related to the Chaos Fate Sect as much as possible. Do not get involved."

Ning Zhuo asked, "Mother, when will I be strong enough to avenge you? When can I actively engage with matters related to the Chaos Fate Sect?"

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, first frowned, then calculated with her fingers, finally revealing an enigmatic smile. "That time will come much sooner than you think."

"When it does, it will temper you once again, allowing you to achieve a great breakthrough in your mental fortitude."

Ning Zhuo widened his eyes in surprise. "Mother, you actually know the Way of Fate? How come I never knew? Can you teach me?"

He looked up, his clear black-and-white eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.

Seeing his eager expression, the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, chuckled. "Do you know that not everyone can master the Way of Fate?"

"Xiao Zhuo, your fate is very special. You are quite忌讳 to the Way of Fate."

Ning Zhuo asked without hesitation, "What忌讳? Am I忌讳 to Fate?"

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, gently patted his large head again. "To be precise, it is Fate that忌讳 you. The Fate of Heaven and Earth has its own arrangements and will not allow you to接触 or learn about Fate. Otherwise, it will bring about terrifying consequences."

Ning Zhuo stared in disbelief. "What?!"

He then thought to himself, "But I really want to learn it. Why can't I? Hmph, at worst, I'll follow the example of the Forgotten River Mansion Lord and defy Heaven and Fate occasionally. Learning it would be a gain!"

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, laughed heartily. "Such ambition! You truly are my child. You're right—always following Heaven's will and Fate, even if life goes smoothly, can become dull and boring."

"Go ahead and try. I believe that, with persistence, there will come a time when you achieve your wish."

Ning Zhuo nodded repeatedly. "Mhmm!"

He had so much to say to his mother, but when the moment came, his thoughts were a tangled mess, and he didn't know where to start. His heart was completely filled with joy and surprise, to the point where he even forgot they were in the midst of a battlefield!

However, the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, had been closely monitoring the outside situation and spoke up proactively. "Xiao Zhuo, now is not the time for us to chat."

"This event is related to the Forgotten River Mansion Lord's century-long scheme. If he succeeds, countless lives will be lost, and the entire Yin Tide Black Marsh will fall."

"Let me take the main formation position. I will first eliminate the two troublesome Bone Colossi outside."

Ning Zhuo immediately yielded his position. "Alright, Mother. I'll protect you!"

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, sighed emotionally. "You've truly grown up. Your mother can rely on you now. However, while protecting me, try to prepare the Cremation Prajna Spirit Liberation Sutra. When the time comes, you must burn this giant paper effigy."

Ning Zhuo exclaimed, "Huh?"

But the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, offered no further explanation. Instead, she closed her eyes solemnly and focused entirely on controlling the giant paper effigy.

From within the giant paper effigy, numerous paper puppets emerged.

Under the control of the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, these puppets began working in unison to repair the formation inside.

Ning Zhuo sensed this with his divine consciousness and was immediately astounded.

This was incredibly difficult!

Even if Ning Zhuo gave it his all, he couldn't comprehend the formation, let alone repair it.

Of course, the giant paper effigy had been set up by Meng Yaoyin during her lifetime, so she was naturally familiar with these formations. But she was actually controlling over a hundred paper puppets simultaneously to repair the formation!

The difficulty of such an operation, the mental energy consumed, and the depth of formation mastery required were immense!

"Even if I understood the secrets of these formations, I could only control two paper puppets at most to repair them!"

"Mother's skill in controlling mechanisms is this advanced? It's almost terrifying."

Ning Zhuo was in awe.

At the same time, new worries arose in his heart—the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, performing such astonishing feats of control must be taking a heavy toll on her spiritual essence!

"Mother, is all this worth it?" He truly didn't want his mother to suffer like this.

The formations within the giant paper effigy were quickly repaired.

On one hand, this was due to the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin's astounding mastery of mechanisms and formations. On the other hand, it was also because the Battle-Axe and Crimson Ghost Generals had been focused on breaking through and capturing the leader, neglecting to destroy the formations.

The formations roared to life, activating simultaneously.

On the battlefield, the giant paper effigy struggled to its feet, straightened its chest, and stood up once more!

A faint white light emanated from its entire body, and the earlier holes were swiftly repaired until its form was flawless.

This scene immediately drew the attention of the Yin Soldier army!

In Luo Si's tent.

"Not good!" Xie Sichao's expression changed drastically. "The names of the Battle-Axe and Crimson Generals have been struck from the military registry."

The two generals had fallen in battle.

Luo Si immediately ordered, "Deploy the Bone Colossi to deal with the giant paper effigy. Have the Vanguard General and others focus their efforts on it as well!"

The remaining two Bone Colossi had been destroying the surroundings, waiting for the Battle-Axe and Crimson Generals to dismantle the giant paper effigy from within.

No one expected them to fall so quickly, catching the Yin Soldier army off guard.

After all, from their perspective, even if the giant paper effigy had strong internal defenses and the Battle-Axe and Crimson Generals were at a disadvantage, they could always provide support later.

The sudden awakening of the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, and her explosive combat power, which instantly killed the two generals, had put the Yin Soldier army at a disadvantage at this critical moment.

Luo Si's orders were flawless and timely.

The two Bone Colossi stomped forward, shaking the ground as they charged at the giant paper effigy from both sides.

At the same time, the Vanguard General and other Nascent Soul-level enemies also rushed to attack.

"Not good!" Ironbone Zheng glared furiously but had no one to deploy.

The city lord's paper doppelganger was pushing back the four ghost generals. After a glance at the giant paper effigy behind, it turned around and unleashed its full power, aiming to seize the opportunity to kill the Mourning Music Ghost!

Qing Zhi, leading the Scorched Army, was locked in a fierce battle with the Headless Ghost Riders. Seeing the giant paper effigy in danger, he was filled with panic and rage, rushing to its aid without regard for his own safety. But it was too late—distant water couldn't quench a nearby fire.

The giant paper effigy was in peril once again, and Ning Zhuo held his breath.

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, transmitted her thoughts to him: "Xiao Zhuo, watch closely now. This move is called the Cloud Veil Shroud."

The next moment, the white light radiating from the giant paper effigy intensified, shooting into the sky and altering the celestial phenomena.

Clouds materialized out of thin air, swirling and converging around the giant paper effigy.

They quickly transformed into a layer of cloud-like clothing.

This white cloud garment was neither gauze nor mist, transparent like ice silk but swirling with needle-like sharpness.

As the giant paper effigy moved, the cloud garment flowed with it, possessing the softness of drifting clouds and the sharpness of needle tips!

At that moment, the giant paper effigy's aura surged, and its combat power skyrocketed!

The Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, secretly instructed Ning Zhuo: "This is the Cloud Veil Shroud. Plain clouds as the fabric, malice as the hidden needles; gentle as a heavenly river's cascade, furious as a shroud of凶煞 covering the sky!"

"To cultivate this method, you must understand two key points."

"First, the Nine Transformations of the Cloud Sea: Gather, Scatter, Surge, Fall, Flow, Condense, Split, Ignite, and Annihilate. Infuse the intent of clouds into your meridians, making the shroud as lively as clouds breathing in heaven and earth. When struck, it dissipates force like cotton; when counterattacking, it crashes like a river destroying the enemy's spirit."

"The second key point is channeling malice. Draw upon any form of malice and temper it into the cloud threads. Each strand of malice can condense into a hidden needle, incredibly sharp, like a porcupine, combining offense and defense."

"Xiao Zhuo, when you enter the Myriad Phenomena Sect in the future, you can choose to study the 'Cloud ' and 'Garment Condensation Art,' then apply malice."

"The 'Cloud ' states: Ride the righteousness of the nine heavens' flowing clouds, for clouds have no constant form, transforming into three thousand appearances..."

"The 'Garment Condensation Art' contains a poem: Use the soul as a shuttle to draw the heavenly wind, pluck thunder malice as the warp and weft; with a single thought, clouds cover the golden palace, with a thousand calamities, malice固守 the spirit platform. Thus, the Cloud Veil Shroud is本质上 not a spell but a divine technique! It merely uses malice to make its outward appearance resemble a spell."

"Most important is the Cloud Veil General Outline, left by the Myriad Phenomena Sect's ancient sage, Cloud Malice Daoist. He said: The cloud veil is not a veil but a manifestation of Heaven's mercy; the malice shroud is not a shroud but the transformed逆鳞 of the universe! This single sentence reveals the core secret of the Cloud Veil Shroud!"

Ning Zhuo instinctively pricked up his ears, listening carefully and memorizing every word without missing a single one.

While teaching, the Bone Colossi had already closed in.

Under the control of the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, the giant paper effigy first moved to engage the one on the left.

It did not dodge at all, meeting attack with attack!

When the Bone Colossus's giant fist struck the Cloud Veil Shroud, layers of flowing clouds expanded and contracted, guiding, deflecting, and dissolving the enemy's immense force. In the end, only one-tenth of the force reached the giant paper effigy's body, and even that was distributed across its entire form.

Meanwhile, the Cloud Veil Shroud on the giant paper effigy's fists concentrated a large number of malice needles.

Two punches struck the Bone Colossus, shattering it effortlessly and piercing through with unstoppable force. The needles easily penetrated the giant bones, and the subsequent force directly crushed the skeleton.

Both punches pierced through the Bone Colossus's body, causing it to stagger and fall, severely wounded.

A gust of wind blew from behind.

The giant paper effigy turned to evade, then seized the moment to counterattack.

Sweeping its arm, the malice needles instantly shifted to its forearm, slicing like a horizontal blade and cutting the Bone Colossus in half at the waist!

The Vanguard General and the other Nascent Soul cultivators were stunned by this sight!

The change in the giant paper effigy's combat power before and after was simply too drastic!

What was going on?

The giant paper effigy stepped back, crushing the head of the previously fallen Bone Colossus into dust.

The Cloud Veil Shroud billowed and rolled, pure white flowing clouds encircling its body in an endless stream.

For a moment, it drew the attention of both allies and enemies.

"Excellent!" Ironbone Zheng rejoiced.

Yang Sanyan also breathed a sigh of relief.

"As expected of Xiao Zhuo!"

"My Jiao Ma is the best!"

Sun Lingtong and Qing Zhi were overjoyed, their worries completely gone.

The paper doppelganger's eyes flashed with sharp light, pressing the four Golden Core ghost generals until they were drenched in sweat, barely holding on and facing constant peril.

The paper doppelganger seized an opening, repelled one of the generals, and finally broke through, aiming to deliver a fatal blow to the stationary Mourning Music Ghost.

But a Nascent Soul-level ghost general intervened, blocking the paper doppelganger at the critical moment.

The paper doppelganger was furious!

She knew that had been a perfect opportunity, and missing it would make it difficult to find another.

Sure enough, the Vanguard General and the others also reacted, immediately dispatching some forces to support the Mourning Music Ghost.

Ning Zhuo's gaze also turned in that direction. "Mother, we should quickly eliminate that ghost cultivator holding the candle and cut off the enemy's teleportation method!"

Ning Zhuo wanted to provide support, but the Buddha-Healer, Meng Yaoyin, said, "I need to conserve my strength, Xiao Zhuo."

"We've already intimidated the enemy."

"If I act recklessly, my清醒 time will shorten drastically."

"Don't worry about this. The city lord's true form will surely take action!"

"You can start preparing the spell to burn this giant paper effigy."

"Ah, so soon?" Ning Zhuo was taken aback.

The next moment, the entire city shook, massive waves surged, the Ink River raged, and the Yin Tide swelled violently!

The southern city gate suddenly closed, and the White Paper Immortal City began to rise!

(End of )