: The Blank Paper Divine Contract

In the battle at the altar battlefield, Luo Si lost many magical treasures, leaving him with only half a length of the River of Forgetfulness fishing line. It was with this half-length fishing line that he managed to hook the Life Buddha Wheel of the Silent Ghost Monk.

Qing Chi, at the brink of life and death, miraculously used his own blood to ignite green flames and refined the Nether Dragon Shears.

As for Ning Zhuo, while cleaning up the battlefield afterward, he picked up the River of Forgetfulness Prefect Seal.

This treasure seal was also a national artifact. It had previously suppressed the phantom of the Silent Buddha, but after the seal was broken, it was instead suppressed by the Silent Buddha's phantom.

After the Silent Buddha phantom fell for the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's scheme, recklessly ascended the platform, and was destroyed by divine retribution, the River of Forgetfulness Prefect Seal was left behind on the battlefield.

By that time, the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's main body had already teleported away and returned to the River of Forgetfulness Immortal City.

He utilized the Heaven-Earth Connection Dual-phase Array, transitioning from the heavenly array to the earthly array smoothly and effortlessly. Reversing from the earthly array to the heavenly array was possible, but the difficulty skyrocketed; not only was there a delay, but the consumption was immense.

Only the endless, vast, and mighty turbid energy from the earth's core, not a cultivator's body, could sustain the losses during such a teleportation process.

Therefore, the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's inaction was truly a case of being beyond his reach.

In fact, his main body had already fallen unconscious due to the painful loss of the Nether Dragon Shears.

As for his分身, the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God, to deceive the Silent Buddha phantom and reassure it, actively dispersed itself, requiring a step-by-step re-condensation of the split spirit in the future.

Ning Zhuo obtained this national artifact but found himself unable to refine it; he lacked the green flames needed. Qing Chi, meanwhile, was thoroughly unconscious.

It wasn't until they returned to the mortal realm that this dormant national artifact suddenly reacted, vibrating fiercely once.

But only once.

Then, it fell back into a dormant state, just as before. Ning Zhuo even faintly felt that this dormancy was more profound than before.

He wasn't puzzled by this situation.

Ning Zhuo had read many books and naturally knew a common fact: national artifacts, official artifacts, and military artifacts lose their function when taken out of their specific ranges.

For example, an official seal taken away from the corresponding official and held by someone else becomes unusable.

Military artifacts removed from their affiliated armies see their power greatly diminished, or even become impossible to activate.

The River of Forgetfulness Prefect Seal is a national artifact, equivalent to a monarch's jade seal. Naturally, it couldn't be used outside the River of Forgetfulness Netherworld.

These artifacts are deeply bound to the state, officials, and armies, utilizing state power, official power, and military force.

National Power Bricks are different. They are consumables, essentially artificial spirit stones that store not natural spiritual power but the national power of a specific country.

With permission from that country's higher-ups, cultivators can draw upon this national power for various uses.

Storing National Power Bricks is challenging; the longer the time and the farther from the country, the faster and more the national power dissipates.

This was one reason Ning Zhuo had quickly used up his National Power Bricks earlier.

A major reason the River of Forgetfulness Prefect Seal fell dormant was that it left the jurisdiction of the River of Forgetfulness Netherworld, moving from the netherworld to the mortal realm, and could no longer draw upon the omnipresent national power within the River of Forgetfulness Netherworld.

Ning Zhuo led the entire Qing Jiao Army out from the Nether Dragon River.

Upon reaching the mortal realm, they immediately felt a relief of pressure. During their march in the netherworld, everyone felt an intangible pressure, as if a giant eye hidden deep in the sky was maliciously watching them.

Now, this strange pressure suddenly vanished. Moreover, despite the overcast sky, the entire Qing Jiao Army felt a wave of warmth.

"This is the favor of the Yang Heaven." Ning Zhuo and the others understood clearly.

The Buddha Physician, Meng Yaoxin, had mentioned this in her jade slip message. She stated clearly: by thwarting the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's century-long plan, the Qing Jiao Army incurred the disdain of the Netherworld Heaven while gaining the favor of the Mortal Realm Heaven!

This favor would last for a period. During this time, all cultivators in the Qing Jiao Army would find things going smoothly, even receiving heavenly aid!

If heavenly aid was truly triggered, the greater its intensity, the shorter the duration of the heaven's favor for the cultivator.

Of course, the share of heavenly favor each person received varied. Ning Zhuo, Qing Chi, Luo Si, and Sun Lingtong were undoubtedly among those who received the most.

Ning Zhuo led the Qing Jiao Army away from the Nether Dragon River for a distance, then set up camp on the spot.

He deployed the Ceremonial Military Camp, providing the Qing Jiao Army with a safe place to rest.

The journey through the netherworld was filled with danger and peril. Thanks to the Buddha Physician Meng Yaoxin's advance warnings and the timely actions of Ning Zhuo, Luo Si, and others, many in the Qing Jiao Army were injured, but very few died.

The achievements of this newly formed army in their strike into the netherworld were dazzlingly brilliant to the point of blinding. Their death toll was also very low, with most surviving. It was nothing short of a miracle!

The entire army rested within the camp, actively treated their wounds, and morale steadily rose.

"When I obtained this military camp before, I thought defending in White Paper Immortal City wouldn't be very useful. Looking back, this camp has played the biggest role," Ning Zhuo sighed with emotion.

Sun Lingtong, having taken a different route, didn't feel it as deeply.

Luo Si felt somewhat strange about it, after all, he was previously the commander of the River of Forgetfulness Army that controlled large forces and used ghost tides to assault White Paper Immortal City.

"To avoid trouble, Luo Si, you should hide for now," Ning Zhuo instructed.

Luo Si didn't refuse and chose to comply.

Ning Zhuo then assembled the entire army, instructing them to strictly keep the true details of their achievements secret. They were only to say that after entering the netherworld, they fought for a while, scattered everywhere, and finally managed to escape back to the mortal realm via the Nether Dragon River.

Regarding this matter, the River of Forgetfulness Prefect certainly wouldn't publicize it. The Silent Ghost Monk's main body never returned, and his Life Buddha Wheel ended up in Luo Si's hands.

As for the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's forbidden army, they were completely wiped out in the Black Cloud battlefield.

So, as long as the Qing Jiao Army kept their mouths shut, the cultivators of White Paper Immortal City could only speculate without confirming anything.

According to the Buddha Physician Meng Yaoxin's message, the Qing Jiao Army needed to strictly keep this secret for the time being.

Given Ning Zhuo's nature, he would have made this decision anyway.

After resting for half a day, the Qing Jiao Army broke camp and quickly moved away from the Nether Dragon River, approaching White Paper Immortal City.

When they were about ten li from White Paper Immortal City, under Ning Zhuo's orders, they set up camp again.

This location was quite微妙, not far from where the River of Forgetfulness Ghost Army had previously camped!

During the Qing Jiao Army's march, scouts had detected them and sent this important intelligence to White Paper Immortal City.

So, shortly after they settled in and entered the Ceremonial Military Camp, a visitor arrived.

They saw this person descend from the sky, landing gently, his robes fluttering gracefully, with an ethereal demeanor.

His eyes were warm and bright, clear with an understanding of worldly affairs. His facial features were soft yet handsome, with a gentle smile.

He exuded an inner calm and gentle temperament, like a finely carved piece of beautiful jade, its brilliance contained within, warm to the touch, making one forget worldly cares upon seeing him and feel an instinctive closeness.

It was none other than Wen Ruan Yu, the true disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect.

Ning Zhuo mounted the Black Blood Paper Horse and greeted him at the camp entrance.

Wen Ruan Yu said clearly, "Nephew Ning Zhuo, you've had a hard journey. Leading the Qing Jiao Army deep behind enemy lines and returning safely is truly a blessing for our White Paper Immortal City. I, Wen, can finally set my mind slightly at ease!"

In White Paper Immortal City, he had long been aware of Ning Zhuo's true appearance and identity.

Now, seeing Ning Zhuo reveal his true face, he was inwardly surprised but showed nothing, acting naturally.

Ning Zhuo dismounted, bowed in thanks, and welcomed Wen Ruan Yu into the camp.

Except for the wounded and disabled soldiers, the entire Qing Jiao Army was assembled, awaiting Ning Zhuo's orders, presenting a united, battle-ready, and fierce posture to Wen Ruan Yu.

Seeing this, Wen Ruan Yu's smile widened slightly.

Although he didn't know how Ning Zhuo resolved the misunderstanding with the Qing Jiao Army and managed to control the entire force,

What mattered was that Ning Zhuo still had such a significant influence over the Qing Jiao Army!

"Senior Wen, look at these; they are our spoils of war." Ning Zhuo presented a large number of ghost creature corpses to him.

After scanning them, Wen Ruan Yu couldn't help but be moved: "I didn't expect such achievements from your expedition, Nephew, leading the Qing Jiao Army. I, Wen, on behalf of the thousands of citizens in the city, thank all the soldiers for their bloody battles, and also congratulate you, Nephew, on establishing this unparalleled feat!"

At the end, Wen Ruan Yu raised his voice, his words echoing throughout the camp.

On one hand, he represented White Paper Immortal City, affirming Ning Zhuo's status and confirming his leadership over the Qing Jiao Army. On the other hand, he was also reassuring the entire Qing Jiao Army and boosting their morale.

The Qing Jiao Army, however, remained silent.

Many wore arrogant expressions, while others seemed indifferent.

The spoils they had collected were far more than what was shown; what was presented was truly just a微不足道 part.

This was a legendary campaign! If the truth were told, it would surely shock the world.

Ning Zhuo had ordered them to keep it secret, and they willingly obeyed.

Ning Zhuo had won over the entire army with tangible, formidable achievements. In this legendary battle, Ning Zhuo repeatedly protected the army and ultimately defeated a Deity Transformation level expert. Such earth-shattering results even provoked the disdain of the Netherworld Heaven!

What a heaven-shaking, earth-startling performance this was.

In fact, even divine beings were defeated and perished.

In the Water Burial Valley, the Qing Jiao Army helped Ning Zhuo clean up the battlefield; many personally participated in cutting up the divine being's corpse!

With such legendary experiences and achievements, the Qing Jiao Army had undergone a transformation from the bone marrow outward—not in strength, but in spirit. They carried a will and pride akin to, "We've been through all this; what future difficulties or dangers could possibly scare us?"

Wen Ruan Yu couldn't help but take notice, thinking: These people just went to the netherworld and back, but they seem completely different!

He spoke a few more formal words, then transmitted a thought to Ning Zhuo: "Nephew, let's speak privately. There are... some recent developments in the city that you should know about."

Ning Zhuo then welcomed Wen Ruan Yu into the commander's tent. Before Wen Ruan Yu could explain, Ning Zhuo proactively spoke first: "Does the White Paper City Lord have different thoughts about my Qing Jiao Army?"

Wen Ruan Yu gave a wry smile: "You've guessed correctly, Nephew."

"She appointed me to receive you this time to arrange a grand triumphant return ceremony."

"At that time, you, Qing Chi, Qing Yan, and many other key members are to enter through the south gate, welcomed by all the city's citizens."

"But I advise you to claim injury or illness and not appear; that would be safest. The Qing Jiao Army can continue camping here until the White Paper City Lord makes a real commitment."

Ning Zhuo nodded: "That's exactly what I was thinking."

According to the jade slip message, White Paper Immortal City was unaware that the River of Forgetfulness Prefect had completely failed and would still believe the ghost tides and besieging army existed. This situation could be utilized.

On the other hand, Ning Zhuo was already aware of the current White Paper City Lord's strong personality.

Previously, with the external pressure of the enemy siege and ghost tides, the White Paper City Lord had no choice but to support the Qing Jiao Army, leveraging Ning Zhuo and all external forces to first maintain her position and second, ensure White Paper Immortal City's safety.

Now, with the ghost tides receded and the enemy army withdrawn, White Paper Immortal City had a long period of stable rest. In the White Paper City Lord's eyes, the Qing Jiao Army and figures like Ning Zhuo had become an eyesore!

In the past, White Paper Immortal City had attempted many times to form a cultivator army but never succeeded.

This time, the establishment of the Qing Jiao Army was a result of timing, location, and human factors all coming together.

If the White Paper City Lord wanted to try again to build an army under her control, neither the North Wind Kingdom nor the Flying Cloud Kingdom would allow it.

The Qing Jiao Army, capable of leveraging Nascent Soul level combat power, had become the greatest force capable of rivaling the White Paper City Lord. In the Yin Tide Black Marshlands, it was no longer a one-sided dominance!

To maintain her rule, the White Paper City Lord had to find a way to properly handle the Qing Jiao Army.

Previously, while the Qing Jiao Army was in the netherworld, the White Paper City Lord was busy with post-war preparations. Now that the Qing Jiao Army had returned, it became a major issue that the White Paper City Lord had to resolve quickly!

How to resolve it, and the outcome of this resolution, would likely determine the political landscape of the Yin Tide Black Marshlands for the next century.

Wen Ruan Yu, upon learning that Ning Zhuo was Meng Yaoxin's son, clearly sided with Ning Zhuo.

He was very worried that Ning Zhuo might be careless and came specifically to warn him.

But Ning Zhuo thought: "Doesn't the White Paper City Lord know about Wen Ruan Yu's attitude towards me? Sending Wen Ruan Yu to receive me already indicates a clear intention to continue cooperation."

"Just as Mother predicted."

Thinking this, Ning Zhuo thanked Wen Ruan Yu and asked him to wait a moment.

Right in front of Wen Ruan Yu, Ning Zhuo directly wrote a flying letter, first showed it to Wen Ruan Yu for review, then asked him to deliver it back.

After reading the letter, Wen Ruan Yu finally set aside his worries, glanced admiringly at Ning Zhuo, and hurried back to White Paper Immortal City with the letter.

That afternoon, the White Paper City Lord's paper avatar came to the camp.

Accompanying her were Yang San Yan and Zhou Wen Yan.

"This is the Divine Contract. The contents are as described in Fellow Daoist Ning's letter. Please review it," Zhou Wen Yan presented a contract.

"I am honored to witness the two of you forming this alliance," Zhou Wen Yan said.

Ning Zhuo unfolded the contract and examined it carefully, finding the contents almost identical to his flying letter.

The Qing Jiao Army would maintain its organization, not under the jurisdiction of White Paper Immortal City.

The military equipment previously borrowed by the Qing Jiao Army would be offset against part of their military merits, converting from rental to ownership.

White Paper Immortal City would provide daily supplies to the Qing Jiao Army in exchange for the Qing Jiao Army's unconditional assistance in defense when White Paper Immortal City faced powerful attacks.

The Qing Jiao Army's military merits would be offset by White Paper Immortal City providing a large quantity of ghost corpse remains from the battlefield...

Ning Zhuo touched his mechanical ring, checked it to confirm there were no issues, and then handed it to Sun Lingtong for inspection.

After examining it, Sun Lingtong nodded slightly to Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo and the White Paper City Lord's avatar then formally signed this Divine Contract, thereby setting the century-long structure of the Yin Tide Black Marshlands!

(End of )