: Earth Fiend Crumbling Rocks

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2025-08-04

The centerpiece and ultimate goal of the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's century-long plan—the sacrificial altar for the Heaven Ghost Transformation Tribulation Ceremony—now lay before Ning Zhuo's eyes.

Ning Zhuo had already met the three conditions required to ascend this altar.

However, the tributary of the River of Forgetfulness encircling the altar became the final obstacle.

"Just one more step. If I can break through this last barrier, I will succeed!" Ning Zhuo thought to himself.

After his initial surprise at seeing a tributary of the River of Forgetfulness here, Ning Zhuo quickly accepted it. After all, the River of Forgetfulness Underworld took the River of Forgetfulness as its namesake, so it wasn't strange for them to have various methods utilizing its waters. One must remember that the capital city of the River of Forgetfulness Underworld was situated upon the River of Forgetfulness itself.

"But how should I cross this river?"

"Mother and the boss took another route, heading straight for the River of Forgetfulness Immortal City. They must face the true River of Forgetfulness, not this tributary before me."

"Mother probably has a way to cross, but why didn't she tell me?"

"Furthermore, where is the main body of the River of Forgetfulness Prefect?"

This was Ning Zhuo's first time setting foot in this core battlefield. He knew nothing about the previous clashes between the River of Forgetfulness Prefect and the other powerful experts.

"This Earth Element avatar should belong to the River of Forgetfulness Prefect."

"His main body hasn't appeared yet. He might be severely injured, or perhaps he is inside the altar, restrained by the final critical step."

At this moment, the blood light on the altar was gradually fading.

Ning Zhuo wondered to himself: Does the complete dissipation of the blood light signify the full completion of the sacrificial ceremony?

"Back to the key question—how do I break through this tributary of the River of Forgetfulness?"

Ning Zhuo immediately recalled the prophetic poem.

"Ghost tides surge, white paper in peril; A lone swan carries a candle, piercing the heavenly veil. The guest star should shine north of the Literary Pivot; When all phenomena' lamps brighten, the tribulation destroys itself."

"This poem offers no clues to help me cross the River of Forgetfulness."

"What should I do?"

Ning Zhuo fell into confusion, letting his thoughts wander.

"I am blessed by the fortune of the mortal realm, the savior of White Paper Immortal City, the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's human tribulation! There must be a way to pass. It can't be a dead end!"

"Perhaps the means to cross the river is already in my possession?"

Having just retrieved the Extinct Meandering Path Candle from his storage belt to solve the turbid qi barrier problem, Ning Zhuo began scanning his belongings with his spiritual sense once more.

Soon, his spiritual sense settled on the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat.

"Can this boat carry me across?" Ning Zhuo instinctively touched his mechanism ring, but it remained deathly still.

Ning Zhuo's thoughts shifted: "What if I try to swim across the tributary without using any artifacts?"

As this thought arose, the mechanism ring remained just as quiet.

A trace of worry flashed deep in Ning Zhuo's eyes, and he stopped touching the ring.

His gaze, like his thoughts, became unfocused. Various ideas rose and fell in his mind.

His eyes swept over the ice coffin suspended in mid-air, and a thought occurred to him: "This ice coffin somewhat resembles the Extinct Meandering Path Candle."

"It seals a scissor magical treasure. Before arriving, that Earth Element avatar was attacking the ice coffin."

"Clearly, the ice coffin was likely left behind by a powerful expert. During the confrontation, it managed to seal away one of the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's trump cards!"

"This scissor treasure must be important to the River of Forgetfulness Prefect. Otherwise, his opponent wouldn't have dealt with it so cautiously, and the Earth Element avatar wouldn't be constantly trying to wear down the ice coffin to retrieve it."

Ning Zhuo didn't know that this ice coffin was also formed from a candle, albeit one with a greater origin: it was formed from the Ghost Fire Prefect's Abyssal Ice Coffin Candle.

The young man's gaze fixed on the ice coffin, and his body suddenly trembled slightly.

"The candle body of the Extinct Meandering Path Candle is coffin-shaped, and so is this one."

"Could this similar appearance be a hint arranged by fate, specifically for me?"

Ning Zhuo narrowed his eyes, extended his spiritual sense for a closer look, and naturally progressed to the next thought: "This ice coffin radiates cold air; it's of the Yin attribute, specifically the Ice attribute. Can it freeze the tributary of the River of Forgetfulness?"

"Testing this is actually quite simple."

Ning Zhuo reached into his storage belt.

The next moment, he flung his hand outward, releasing a large number of mechanical golden swallows.

The swallows flew swiftly towards the ice coffin high above.

Just as Ning Zhuo was considering how to pull the ice coffin closer to the tributary, the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God immediately acted.

Whoosh!

Turbid qi, like a giant python or whip, lashed out fiercely, annihilating almost the entire swarm of golden swallows. Only two or three reached the vicinity of the ice coffin.

Seeing this, Ning Zhuo was elated.

The Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God's actions, to some extent, validated his recent speculation.

Of course, it could also be a deliberate ploy by the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God, or simply its excessive concern for the scissor treasure.

Regardless, Ning Zhuo had at least discovered a potential breakthrough point.

He immediately took out more mechanical constructs, controlling them to disperse like a sky full of stars, sparsely charging towards the ice coffin again.

The Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God's attention was once again diverted.

In that short time, the bronze war chariot had become riddled with wounds.

Despite Luo Si's best efforts to protect it, the pressure from the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God was too great, often leaving him no time to attend to the chariot.

There were over a dozen large cracks, a frightening sight.

"Hold on a little longer, old friend!" Luo Si had deep affection for this chariot. Knowing it was doomed in this battle, he felt sorrow but also surged with unwavering determination.

Once the chariot was destroyed, relying on himself alone would make it even harder to restrain the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God.

His only hope was for Ning Zhuo to find a breakthrough.

"Hmm?" Standing on the bronze chariot, Luo Si saw the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God attack again, but this time not against him, but to eliminate the mechanical golden swallows.

"That ice coffin is the key!" Luo Si's heart shook, instantly realizing this.

His gaze immediately turned to Ning Zhuo, sighing inwardly, "As expected of my destined lord, to discover the key to breaking the situation so quickly!"

Seizing this opportunity, Luo Si quickly cast healing spells on himself.

He had been single-handedly holding off the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God with almost no time to rest. Now that he had a moment, he had to seize every second!

"Damn brat!" the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God roared, extremely angry.

Ning Zhuo was positioned behind Luo Si, only continuously launching mechanical golden swallows.

The cost of these mechanical swallows was almost negligible to the River of Forgetfulness Prefect. Ning Zhuo's Foundation Establishment cultivation was like an ant at his feet.

But it was precisely this ant, using cheap mechanical swallows, that was now effectively tying down his Earth Fiend Turbid Filth avatar!

No wonder the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God was so infuriated.

Luo Si felt greatly relieved!

Not only did he heal himself properly, but he also had time to stabilize the condition of the bronze chariot.

Otherwise, given its previous state, the chariot's situation was highly precarious. It wouldn't have been surprising if it collapsed completely at any moment.

Earth Element – Earth Fiend Crumbling Rocks.

The Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God stretched out its arms, palms facing the sky.

Its magical power surged out wildly, releasing waves of fluctuations.

The magical power fluctuations rapidly spread, scattering towards the massive turbid qi barrier enveloping the entire altar battlefield.

The Earth's Lungs turbid qi seemed to boil, churning violently and quickly coalescing into huge rocks.

The rocks flew like rain, carrying earth fiend energy, shooting fiercely towards the altar battlefield!

The flying rocks rolled with fiendish energy, imposing and fearsome. They varied in size, the largest like elephants, the smallest at least as big as Luo Si's bronze war chariot.

A large number of flying rocks smashed into the swarm of mechanical swallows, causing heavy casualties.

Luo Si maneuvered the bronze chariot, dodging frantically amidst the rock storm, looking utterly disheveled.

"If I get hit solidly by one of those, I'm probably dead!" Cold sweat broke out on Ning Zhuo's forehead. In his urgency, he threw out a mechanism token.

Mechanism – Pale Iron Han Armor!

The token transformed into a suit of mechanical battle armor.

Golden Swallows Cut the Clouds, Han Armor Covers the Body!

The Pale Iron Han Armor disassembled. The Five Elements Golden Core disc flew out and attached to Ning Zhuo's chest. The spinal column piece adhered to his back.

Twelve Split-Spirit Mirrors simultaneously shot out silver light. Guided by the light, the arm guards and leg guards fitted on precisely.

The belt, like a green snake, wrapped around twice, emitting spiritual light that formed a membrane covering Ning Zhuo's entire body.

Click, clack, clack.

The helmet, chest armor, arm guards, leg guards, and the joints connecting to the mechanical golden wings on the back all locked together, contracting slightly to fit Ning Zhuo's form perfectly.

Aided by the mechanical armor, Ning Zhuo shot forward like lightning, dodging a Crumbling Rock, officially beginning a battle of maneuver.

Seeing this, Luo Si decisively ordered: "Qing-Jiao Army, retreat beyond the turbid qi barrier!"

Qing Zhi gritted her teeth, hesitating. She saw Ning Zhuo charging into the flying rocks and was extremely worried, wanting to fight alongside her beloved!

But Qing Yan pressed down on Qing Zhi's shoulder, dragging her away: "You're not good at flying. You'd just be a burden. Retreat quickly."

"No!" Qing Zhi refused. "If I die, I want to die with Xiao Ma!"

Qing Yan exclaimed: "Silly girl, we will definitely win! Fate is on our side!"

"Luo Si's military order is absolutely correct!"

"We must preserve the army to provide military strength to the two of them. That's what we should do. The role we play is also crucial!"

Qing Zhi knew her father was right and allowed herself to be dragged away.

Just before completely exiting the meandering path, she struggled free: "I'll stay inside the passage, watch Xiao Ma fight, and join the battle if necessary!"

Qing Yan hesitated for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth: "Stubborn girl, remember this—you are the commander of our army! Staying alive to control the Qing-Jiao Army and provide military strength is more helpful to them!"

"Father, take this!" Qing Zhi took something from her bosom and threw it to Qing Yan.

Qing Yan caught it; it was the Military Sacrificial Ceremony Barracks.

Qing Yan and Jiao Ma's birth father then led the Qing-Jiao Army back to their previous position on the black cloud battlefield to set up camp.

Qing Yan deployed the Ceremonial Barracks, allowing the Qing-Jiao Army to garrison and rest within.

Protected by the barracks, the soldiers of the Qing-Jiao Army felt much better.

Jiao Ma's birth father led a group away from the barracks, scattering to actively scour the battlefield.

They hadn't had time before, but now they needed to gather as many spoils as possible to fill the military reserves.

Currently, the Qing-Jiao Army's supplies were running critically low.

With ample supplies, they could do much more. Whether it was deploying military tactics like [Money Connects Ghosts], [Buying Life], or using them as sacrificial offerings on the altar to attract ghost gods for aid, all were possible.

Ning Zhuo also noticed the Qing-Jiao Army's retreat.

He breathed a sigh of relief and cast an appreciative glance towards Luo Si.

Luo Si's situation was more dangerous than his. Alone with his chariot, he was constantly the focus of the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God's attention, yet he still commanded the battle with a clear understanding of the overall situation.

"But this way, I can't see the status of the Qing-Jiao Army anymore."

"If there's a chance later, I'll first plant Life Threads on Qing Zhi and the others!"

The military reserves weren't on Ning Zhuo's person, causing him to lose direct control over the Qing-Jiao Army.

"Next, I need to draw on the army's strength!" Ning Zhuo sent a mental message to Luo Si.

Luo Si's reply was concise: "Received."

As Qing Yan had said, the military strength of the Qing-Jiao Army was crucial assistance. Without the leverage of military strength, Ning Zhuo couldn't wield power at the Nascent Soul level.

And only with such power could he meet the minimum standard to participate in this extremely dangerous battle.

Luo Si also needed the army's strength.

Without the Qing-Jiao Army's power boost, he would likely be severely injured by now.

The sky was pitch black, countless yellowish-brown crumbling rocks flying wildly everywhere.

Ning Zhuo, clad in the Pale Iron Han Armor, streaked through the air like a golden light, constantly refracting and advancing.

From the moment he started, he had released the safety restrictions of the Pale Iron Han Armor, pushing it to its极限 speed.

The flames喷射ed by the Separated Fire Tongue Array were狂暴无比. Every emergency turn made the Han Armor groan.

A giant rock, the size of an elephant, came呼啸ing from the side.

Ning Zhuo mobilized his spiritual sense, throwing out over a dozen mechanical golden swallows to crash directly into it.

Bang, bang, bang...

A series of explosions; the mechanical swallows and the giant rock perished together.

Countless rock fragments flew in all directions, some still hitting Ning Zhuo.

The Pale Iron Han Armor was like being struck repeatedly by hammers. Fine cracks appeared on the Earth Shield array patterns.

Ning Zhuo exerted his full effort just to barely maintain control of his flight direction. The Han Armor's speed was too fast; the lateral impact force easily caused deviation.

And in this storm of flying rocks, losing control and crashing head-on into a giant rock would almost certainly lead to the same fate as the殉爆ing mechanical swallows.

"Faster, even faster!" Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth.

The Pale Iron Han Armor疯狂ly weaved through the gaps between the giant rocks, constantly walking the line between life and death.

The air resistance was terrifyingly strong!

Even though the Golden Wings had the White Tiger Breaks Army Array active, cutting through the air, Ning Zhuo still felt at times as if the entire armor had suddenly plunged into a viscous swamp.

"Wait, it's these giant rocks causing trouble!"

Ning Zhuo quickly realized that some rocks exerted repulsive force, while others attracted objects. The intense earth fiend energy radiating from the rocks also negatively affected the mechanical armor.

The dark iron chest plate turned red-hot, emitting a burnt smell.

Under the influence of the earth fiend energy, the Earth Shield array gradually failed. The temperature inside the armor rapidly rose like an oven, causing Ning Zhuo to sweat profusely, drenching his clothes.

The Two Poles Converging Currents Array also began to malfunction. The cushioning air membrane it formed became thin as paper. With every emergency turn, Ning Zhuo felt intense, dull pain where his body contacted the armor.

(End of )