Luo Si Slays the Enemy

"Luo Si's gone mad, he's insane!"

"Attack together!"

"Kill this traitor!"

Powerful beings like Xie Sichao and the Bone Crocodile Demon roared in fury as they surrounded and attacked Luo Si.

Although Luo Si had received guidance from the Grey Bone Elder and steadily advanced within the Forgotten River Netherworld, he was ultimately an outsider. His time there was too short, and he hadn't gained their trust. His appointment as commander of the army attacking White Paper Immortal City was merely the other senior elders pushing this hot potato onto him to avoid taking responsibility themselves.

At his core, he remained an outsider.

He lacked the time, the opportunities, and the connections to truly integrate into the Forgotten River Netherworld's system. Even Luo Si himself, due to the Grey Bone Elder's earlier guidance (which told him he would meet his destined master), subconsciously maintained a distance from the Forgotten River Netherworld.

However, Luo Si was at the Nascent Soul level. His personal combat prowess was naturally recognized by the top brass, such as the Forgotten River Mansion Lord, which was why he could be appointed army commander.

He easily blocked the group's assault, then broke away. His body like a beam of light, he swiftly charged towards Cold Mist Ascendant.

"Leave this to me!"

"You two, go ahead first."

Ning Zhuo and Qing Yan exchanged a glance, then turned and left the combat area, quickly regrouping smoothly with the Green Scorch Army.

Seeing the ferocious assault of the Green Scorch Army, Xie Sichao, the Bone Crocodile Demon, and others immediately gave up chasing Luo Si and rushed to take command of their own troops.

However, the composition of Luo Si's forces wasn't just cultivators.

There were also vast numbers of ghosts!

Amidst the mournful wails, Big-Head Ghosts, Small-Head Ghosts, Ghost Mothers, Drowned Ghosts, Hanged Ghosts, Flayed Ghosts, and others became sources of chaos, mercilessly turning on their allies!

The vast majority of these ghosts lacked intelligence, strictly following the highest command.

The Green Scorch Army was too few in number. Attacking Luo Si's forces was like a mouse attacking an elephant; the latter's sheer size made completely crushing it unrealistic. But under Luo Si's command, this elephant began a brutal internal struggle, collapsing from within.

Xie Sichao and the others struggled to maintain order, with little effect.

"The battle situation has drastically worsened. Relying on ourselves for salvation is no longer possible."

"We can only wait for the rescue from the Imperial Guard!"

Yet, just as they hoped for external help, the Imperial Guard found themselves in a similar predicament.

The reason lay with the Hundred Ghosts Old Mother.

This seasoned old cultivator had profound底蕴 (foundation) and was skilled at enslaving ghosts. She had meticulously selected and nurtured over a hundred powerful ghosts, each with outstanding combat prowess, hence her title, Hundred Ghosts Old Mother.

With her death, the hundreds of powerful ghosts she kept lost their restraints, gaining complete freedom, and immediately began acting on their own.

Some fled, some stood still looking around, and some, filled with hatred and resentment, viciously attacked the Imperial Guard.

Thus, quite awkwardly, the Imperial Guard and Luo Si's forces almost simultaneously fell into internal chaos for the same reason.

Before Luo Si turned his blade, he had already anticipated this outcome. Therefore, his key target was the Hundred Ghosts Old Mother, using her ghost pets to set the stage for the battle!

The entire Green Scorch Army rode Black Blood Paper Horses.

Pale green ghost fires burned intensely within the paper horses' bodies. Immense power transmitted through the hard paper skeletons to the horses' entire forms. Their hooves thundered as they charged.

The silence of the paper horses made them seem even more fearless; the oppressive feeling of their soundless charge was more suffocating than any battle cry!

*Thud! Thud! Thud!...*

A series of dull impacts followed as countless cultivators from Luo Si's forces fell along the Green Scorch Army's charge path.

"Loose arrows! Throw spears!" Relying on the heavy casualties paid by the front lines to buy time, junior officers shouted, desperately trying to command.

Jiao Ma's father waved the Bone Blade War Banner, consuming military strength to activate a defensive battle tactic.

The Bone Blade War Banner immediately emitted a pale green light membrane, swiftly covering the entire Green Scorch Army.

Arrows and spears raining down on the Green Scorch Army seemed to hit an invisible swamp, being slowed and deflected. In the end, less than ten percent of the projectiles hit their marks, sparse and weak.

Leading the charge was always Qing Chi.

The ghost girl raced ahead, her entire body burning with raging cyan flames.

The cyan flames even enveloped her mount. As she charged, she burned cultivators who screamed in agony.

Qing Chi punched and kicked, unleashing fist and palm seals condensed from cyan flame.

Bolstered by the army's strength, and with Luo Si's forces in an unprecedented state of weakness, they couldn't withstand Qing Chi's ferocity. Several Golden Core level cultivators fell to her military might.

Close behind Qing Chi were the Green Scorch elites wielding Crescent Moon Great Blades.

They clung low to their horses' backs, seeming to merge with the paper skeletons. The moment they crashed into the enemy ranks, these cavalrymen fiercely swung their blades!

*"Hum—Clang—!"*

A strange metallic tremor tore through the air, not like metal clashing, but more like an ice river cracking!

Blade light flashed out like a rolling bolt of silk. Cerulean moonlight erupted from the ice-crack patterns, transforming into intensely condensed, cold blade rays with serrated spatial ripples at their edges!

Where the blade rays passed, space seemed to freeze and tear under the extreme sharpness of the moonlight!

Heavy armor, defensive spells, or weapons blocking their path—all were sliced through, frozen, and shattered by the blade rays!

Then the blade rays cut through the cultivators' bodies. Whether flesh and blood or ghostly forms, all instantly solidified in the extreme cold, then turned into icy blue powder, dying on the spot.

Following the Crescent Moon Blade wielders were soldiers holding Void-Rending Long Spears.

The spear tips weren't forged from metal, but made from countless layers of talisman paper, tightly rolled, compressed, and bonded together with不可思议 (unfathomable) density.

The Void-Rending Long Spears stabbed into enemies.

*"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft—!"*

A dense series of piercing, dull thuds connected into one continuous sound.

The fluffy middle section of the spear tip suddenly exploded. Countless fragments of extremely compressed talisman paper shot forward, the talismans activating, tearing space, and then carrying countless void fragments to form a terrifying storm.

Numerous enemies were riddled like sieves by the spray of void fragments.

When the Void-Rending Long Spears were retracted, only the lower half of the tip remained. But it didn't matter; tiny fragments of talisman paper quickly transferred from the spear shaft, gathering at the very front to form a new tip.

With the Crescent Moon Blades leading the way, cleaving a path,

the Void-Rending Long Spears, with each thrust, instantly annihilated any stubbornly resisting strong individuals.

"Block them, hold them back!" An officer glared, eyes bloodshot, shouting hoarsely as he tried to manage the battle.

But the Green Scorch Army was like a giant serpent weaving through the massive enemy force, their military edge exceedingly sharp.

Anyone who stood in their way fell on the spot.

The Green Scorch Army wasn't without cost; several were lost, and over a hundred suffered injuries ranging from light to severe.

Seeing this, Qing Chi took a deep breath and suddenly consumed forty percent of the army's strength to empower herself, casting a spell!

Spell — Withering and Flourishing Fire Ring.

The intense cyan flames burning all over her body suddenly expanded outward from Qing Chi, forming a huge cyan-green fire ring.

The green fire swept over the Green Scorch Army soldiers, bringing a scalding vitality.

Their wounds quickly stopped bleeding; new flesh and pale cyan skin grew at a visible rate!

Even the Black Blood Paper Horses saw the pale green ghost fires in their chests flare intensely. Their talisman paper skin became fuller, their withered skeletons emitting faint hums, exuding more vigorous Yin energy vitality.

When the green fire covered the enemy troops, however, the scene was entirely different.

Enemy soldiers screamed miserably as they burned, their flesh withering and charring in the flames, followed by their bones being exposed and burned into twisted, dried-black charcoal.

Most enemy troops saw their bodies rapidly shrink, ultimately becoming piles of ashen bones and charred grease shrouded by broken armor.

The Green Scorch Army was almost fully restored, their morale soaring.

Qing Chi panted heavily a few times, her eyes gleaming with sharp light, her fighting spirit soaring like a dragon.

Cold Mist Ascendant was locked in combat with Luo Si.

The former was surrounded by surging cold air, countless icicles forming and violently shooting forth, his attacks fierce like a storm.

The latter held a fishing rod, flicking the fishing line to create spatial ripples that blocked the icicles, maintaining a stable footing.

Cold Mist Ascendant sneered, attempting to apply pressure with words: "Luo Si, how foolish you are!"

"Even if you temporarily tie me down, what then?"

"Don't forget, your record book is still in the secret vault of Forgotten River Immortal City! The moment you turned your blade, orders were surely sent back!"

"Perhaps at any moment, you could be cursed to death."

"Turn back now, abandon the darkness for the light, and you might still be spared!"

Luo Si's eyes were calm and unruffled, without fear, without wavering, only a focus akin to martyrdom.

It was as if he was facing an abyss again, like when he was trapped in a desperate situation at Severed Dragon Gorge.

"Cold Mist Ascendant, there's no need for you to remind me. I am well aware of that."

"But I believe in the Grey Bone Elder!"

"Just as I led the army here, I received his spiritual sense message."

"My destined master is already before me. I do not believe I will be easily cursed to death."

Cold Mist Ascendant sneered again: "Placing your life in the hands of an outsider? What folly!"

Luo Si: "In the past, if not for the Grey Bone Elder's help, I would never have regained reason and clarity, and would have long since become a mere ghost."

"If he could save me, why would he harm me?"

"In the years since, if not for his guidance and arrangements along the way, how could I have risen so smoothly?"

Cold Mist Ascendant shouted in exasperation: "He is using you!"

"Even if he uses me, harms me, at most, I'll just repay him with this life." Luo Si smiled洒脱 (free and easy).

"Stubborn fool! Die!" Cold Mist Ascendant was utterly enraged. He stopped wasting words and pointed a finger at Luo Si.

Ice Method — Frozen Execution Line!

A dark blue ray of light shot out, more condensed and thicker than the one used against Ning Zhuo and Qing Yan before!

The ice ray, like the Judge of the Underworld's pen, carried lethal killing intent, swift as lightning, stabbing towards the spot between Luo Si's eyebrows, his upper dantian.

Luo Si evaded with astonishing speed.

But Cold Mist Ascendant only needed to move his finger to guide the ice ray's path, and it was even faster!

Where the ice ray passed, it left clearly visible frost-white frozen trails in the air that lingered.

Knowing he couldn't dodge, Luo Si's wrist holding the fishing rod jerked violently. The Triple-Life World-Hooking Barb at the end of the line suddenly vanished!

*Ding!*

A sound of extreme clarity, like ice crystals shattering in a crystal cup.

The Triple-Life World-Hooking Barb appeared inside Cold Mist Ascendant's body.

Luo Si sharply raised the rod.

Cold Mist Ascendant sneered: "My Cold Mist Dharma Body long ago eliminated conventional weaknesses. A futile effor... urk."

The next moment, his sneer froze, rapidly replaced by a look of shock.

The Triple-Life World-Hooking Barb tore away a large chunk of his法力 (magic power), vitality, spirit, and more, leaving his body and vanishing through the air.

In that instant, Cold Mist Ascendant defended with all his might.

But the attack from the hook and line was incredibly peculiar; his usual defensive methods proved utterly useless!

Luo Si was hit by the Frozen Execution Line, his entire left arm frozen solid like an icicle.

Cold Mist Ascendant's misty body visibly thinned, his aura dropping by thirty percent.

The two had exchanged a blow, evenly matched, each scoring a result!

They continued to battle, fighting from mid-air to the ground, then grappling all the way back up into the sky.

The more Cold Mist Ascendant fought, the more alarmed he became.

He had originally thought that without the support of army strength, Luo Si, as a Military Cultivator, might be noteworthy, but certainly no match for him.

After dozens of exchanges, he completely overturned his previous assumption, unable to conceal his shock: "Without army strength加持 (empowerment), he's this powerful. If he had army strength加持, how many rounds could I last under his hand?"

"No!"

"I must kill him, exert my full effort!"

Ice Method — Eternal Ice Prison!

He pressed forward with both hands, his磅礴 (vast) Nascent Soul level法力 (magic power) mixed with army strength erupting explosively.

Cold Mist Ascendant's body swelled violently, transforming into a cold current that lunged at Luo Si, sacrificing his form.

Wherever it passed, space was instantly frozen.

Luo Si retreated explosively, but the cold current split apart, flanking him from behind, enveloping and swallowing him.

Finally, the cold current turned into ice, massive as a mountain, sealing Luo Si deep within its heart.

The iceberg trembled slightly, transmitting Cold Mist Ascendant's sneer: "Luo Si, dying under my strongest trump card is glory enough for you."

But the next moment, around Luo Si's frozen form, a nearly imperceptible fishing line continuously exerted force.

It weaved through the ice layers like a spirit snake, actually ignoring the frozen space.

Forgotten River Ferry Line!

The fishing line pierced through the ice, one end emerging from the iceberg.

Luo Si's figure suddenly vanished from his original spot, reappearing at the very tip of the fishing line.

Before Cold Mist Ascendant could change tactics, Luo Si grabbed the fishing line tightly and yanked it outward fiercely.

Fishing Technique — Hook the World, Fish a Life!

Cold Mist Ascendant screamed in heart-wrenching pain. The entire iceberg suddenly disintegrated into countless ice blocks and fragments.

The endless ice shards then reverted into terrifying cold air.

The cold air gathered, trying to reform a human shape, but it roiled incessantly, unable to solidify.

After a few breaths, it dissipated completely with a sizzling sound, like morning mist under sunlight.

Cold Mist Ascendant, fallen!

Luo Si's face was deathly pale, his injuries severe, his aura plummeting.

Slowly landing on the ground, he could only lay out his fishing line, coiling it around himself, urgently resting and healing.

The Green Scorch Army had already routed Luo Si's forces.

Ning Zhuo, Qing Chi, Qing Yan, and the others were all exhausted, their法力 (magic power) and physical strength nearly depleted.

The condition of their other comrades was even worse.

It couldn't be helped; they numbered only in the hundreds, while their opponents were truly too numerous. Even with the Green Scorch Army's strength, it was a battle of a snake trying to swallow an elephant. They had been fighting at full force the entire time, fearing the enemy would catch their breath and reorganize.

Even if only a part managed to reorganize, it would become a tough nut to crack, causing significant losses to the Green Scorch Army.

Fortunately, the entire army fought with their lives, united as one. Ning Zhuo repeatedly launched solo attacks, and Qing Chi displayed astonishing battlefield intuition, ruthlessly stifling every attempt to organize.

*Huff... Huff... Huff...*

Ning Zhuo gasped for breath heavily; Qing Chi was drenched in sweat.

They had achieved astounding results, but their endurance had reached its limit.

If they continued fighting, never mind the enemy, their own side would collapse first.

"Damn it!" Ning Zhuo looked back, his expression hardening.

Luo Si's side was dealt with, completely broken. But the Imperial Guard sector had no second Green Scorch Army to suppress it, and remnants were already forming into organized units.

(End of )