Scraping the Land Bare

After the ghost cultivators withdrew, Xiang Yuan remained seated in the principal seat.

"This ghostly place is truly boring. I wonder why the Sect Master sent me here!"

He muttered to himself.

In truth, it wasn't that he didn't know why the Sect Master had sent him here. It was simply that the Sect Master couldn't stand the endless nagging of those old ghosts within the sect, so he had no choice but to agree to preserve the establishment of Yellow Springs Hall.

And Xiang Yuan was the unlucky ghost who, merely because he was young, had been exiled here.

However, his bad luck had only just begun. No, it should have been about to end.

Just as Xiang Yuan was grumbling inwardly about the Wuchang Island Master's arrangements, the gloomy main hall suddenly began to shake violently.

Boom, boom, boom~~

As if an earthquake had struck, the entire main hall and the entire palace swayed violently.

"What's going on?"

Xiang Yuan's expression darkened, and his gloomy eyes turned toward the front.

"Is someone attacking Yellow Springs Hall's protective formation?"

His gaze pierced through layer upon layer of obstruction, allowing him to see what was happening outside Yellow Springs Hall.

The Yellow Springs Land was enormous. It not only included this vast Abyssal Ground, but also a large region outside it. However, Yellow Springs Hall's protective formation could only provide protection for Yellow Springs Hall itself.

At this moment, outside Yellow Springs Hall, a fiery-red Flying Boat hung suspended in midair. Above it loomed a gloomy mass of Yin Sha Qi. The entire space looked exceptionally dim, yet within that darkness, many cold, eerie lights were embedded in the sky vault.

In truth, that was not the Sky Vault, but the ground.

The Abyssal Ground lay deep within the earth, with more than three hundred zhang of earth above it. The entire Abyssal Ground was a gigantic underground cavern.

Those cold, eerie lights came from Nether Nether Cold Stones, a type of Second-Order Spiritual Material. They constantly emitted a cold, eerie glow, like stars embedded in the cavern's ceiling. Because of these Nether Nether Cold Stones, the Abyssal Ground had gained a little light, but the light was extremely dim and could not illuminate the entire Abyssal Ground.

Before Xiang Yuan could react, another boom rang out, followed closely by a violent tremor.

"A Golden Core cultivator?"

Xiang Yuan's expression changed. His body transformed into a wisp of blue smoke and drifted out. He did not know who had come, but since the other party dared to attack Yellow Springs Hall, they were an enemy of the Wuchang Ghost Sect.

However, before he could fly out of the formation, the formation shattered first.

Booms rang out one after another, and the entire Abyssal Ground fell into turmoil, as if even the earth above it were collapsing.

For a time, Yellow Springs Hall, inside and out, plunged into chaos. Countless ghost cultivators fled in all directions, scrambling for shelter.

"Hahaha, you little ghosts! Do you think fleeing here will keep you safe? If you know what's good for you, hurry into this Daoist's Myriad Ghost Banner. If you dare keep running around, don't blame this Daoist for being ruthless!"

Xuan Zhen entered the formation and laughed arrogantly as he wantonly captured the fleeing ghost cultivators.

With that domineering appearance, he was the very picture of a villain Big Shot.

In the eyes of the ghost cultivators, he was indeed a villain.

They had been cultivating peacefully at home, and he had suddenly come charging in, not only wanting to tear down their houses, but also wanting to capture them as Servants. If that wasn't a villain, then what was?

This scene happened to fall into Xiang Yuan's eyes. Xuan Zhen's arrogant, utterly reckless manner nearly made Xiang Yuan furious.

I've only just taken office, and you come knocking on my door. Do you really think nothing of me?

"Impudent! Where did you get that bull-nosed Daoist? How dare you Act Wildly on this king's territory!" Xiang Yuan shouted coldly.

Xuan Zhen froze, then turned his gaze toward Xiang Yuan.

"Oh? There's actually a Ghost King!"

Although he had brought Yunxiao and Kou Ta along to bolster his forces, Xuan Zhen had still believed that the Wuchang Ghost Sect would not arrange for a Golden Core cultivator to guard Yellow Springs Hall. He had not expected there to be a Ghost King here either.

Moreover, before entering the formation, he had been unable to investigate the situation inside, so he had not known that a Ghost King was present.

When Xiang Yuan appeared, Xuan Zhen immediately grew vigilant. Golden light flickered in his eyes as he repeatedly scanned the surroundings.

After confirming that Xiang Yuan was the only Ghost King here, he immediately let out a sigh of relief.

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Yunxiao, Fellow Daoist Kou, your prey has arrived!" Xuan Zhen laughed.

Yunxiao strode through the air, a faint smile on his face. "I didn't expect an unexpected harvest. A Ghost King—I believe Fellow Daoist Yang will be interested in him!"

"Hehe, this is fortune bestowed upon us!" Kou Ta also followed close behind.

Xiang Yuan's expression suddenly turned extremely ugly. There were three Golden Core cultivators. Although all three were in the Golden Core Early Stage, he was only in the Ghost King Early Stage himself.

If there had been only one, he would still have been confident he could deal with them. Even if he couldn't defeat the opponent, he could at least drive them away.

But with three Golden Core cultivators arriving at once, it was no longer something he could handle.

The battle was on the verge of erupting. Neither side wasted time with pointless words, and Yunxiao's Sword Qi had already shot forth.

His surging Sword Intent spread like a tide, while his fierce Sword Qi pierced straight toward Xiang Yuan like a rainbow piercing the sun.

The Yunxiao of today was no longer the False Core cultivator who had once been inferior to others in every way. Decades of cultivation had made up for the shortcomings of a False Core cultivator. Not only had he comprehended his own Sword Dao Divine Ability, but he also possessed a Natal Spirit Sword.

Although his strength still ranked near the bottom among the many Golden Core cultivators, he could now stand shoulder to shoulder with a true Golden Core cultivator.

Moreover, Sword Cultivators had always been forceful, and their attack power had always been razor-sharp.

His attack forced Xiang Yuan to retreat into the Great Void. Yet the moment Xiang Yuan entered the Great Void, he saw fist shadows smashing toward him from the front.

"Divine Ability of Ten Thousand Arts, Hundred Arms Connecting to God!"

Kou Ta hovered within the Great Void. Dozens of arms extended from behind him, and each arm carried Spiritual Light of a different color. Some were scarlet as fire, some deep blue as the sea, some pure white as snow, some were wrapped in earthy yellow light and seemed Powerful and Heavy, while others radiated dazzling golden light with edges that revealed their sharpness.

Hundred Arms Connecting to God was the Divine Path Intent Kou Ta had comprehended. The "hundred arms" part needed no explanation—it simply meant having many arms. Kou Ta was an Artifact Cultivator. His Life-Bound Magic Treasure had once been Six Arms, but now that his Life-Bound Magic Treasure had advanced into a Natal Spiritual Artifact, the number of his arms had increased considerably as well.

Of course, "hundred arms" was merely a figurative number. At this moment, Kou Ta had only thirty-eight arms. In the future, the number of his arms might exceed a hundred.

Having greater numbers did not necessarily mean greater strength. The key to Hundred Arms Connecting to God lay in "connecting to god." Each arm could wield a different attribute's Divine Path Intent. As long as Kou Ta comprehended enough Divine Path Intents, his strength could rise without limit.

Of course, comprehending multiple Divine Abilities was no easy task. Even if he did not have enough Divine Path Intents to use, Kou Ta could make up the numbers with spells of different attributes.

Attributes countered and complemented one another. There would always be an attribute that restrained the enemy.

Moreover, mixing spells of different attributes could produce unexpected effects.

At this moment, dozens of enormous arms struck together. Caught off guard, Xiang Yuan could not dodge and could only endure the assault head-on.

Ghost Qi billowed around his body, forming a series of round shields that blocked the fists one after another. The sound of collisions rang out without pause.

Kou Ta's attacks were not particularly forceful, but they were continuous and unending, one punch following another. Xiang Yuan could only keep dealing with them, and for a time, Kou Ta beat him until he had no power to fight back.

However, while he focused on dealing with Kou Ta's attacks, he overlooked Yunxiao's presence.

Just as he was doing everything he could to block Kou Ta's fists, a sharp sword edge suddenly appeared behind him. Before he could react, the sword edge had already pierced through his body.

"Ah~~"

Xiang Yuan let out a miserable howl, and the Ghost Qi around his body shook violently.

This strike was not enough to take his life, but it made him understand that if he stayed here, he would inevitably lose it.

Without sparing a thought for anything else, Xiang Yuan turned and fled.

But since he wanted to run, how could Yunxiao and Kou Ta let him get away?

The three of them immediately entered a state of pursuit. Xiang Yuan fled at great speed, but Yunxiao was not slow either. He stayed close behind, dragging out the pursuit and preventing Xiang Yuan from completely shaking them off.

This was how battles between Golden Core cultivators went. Once a chase began, the battle would not end in a short time.

However, Xiang Yuan's fate had already been decided. As long as he received no reinforcements, sooner or later he would become a Soul Under the Blade of Yunxiao and Kou Ta.

Meanwhile, inside and outside Yellow Springs Hall, Xuan Zhen had already begun capturing ghost cultivators with a group of Divine Generals. He had brought a thousand Divine Generals, and together with the three hundred and sixty-one Divine Generals on his Divine General Chessboard, a total of one thousand three hundred and sixty-one Divine Generals attacked at once, greatly increasing the speed of his captures.

The Divine Generals formed a massive encirclement, trapping most of the ghost cultivators in Yellow Springs Hall inside it. Xuan Zhen then tossed them into the Myriad Ghost Banner one after another.

"Hahaha, you little ghosts! Why aren't you quickly entering this Daoist's banner?"

Xuan Zhen drove the ghost cultivators along with an excited look on his face, occasionally yanking a few Ghost Generals out of the crowd.

The Ghost Generals, meanwhile, were terrified. They wanted to run but couldn't. They begged for mercy, but Xuan Zhen ignored them. They fought with all their might, yet they were no match for Xuan Zhen.

They were like a flock of lambs awaiting slaughter.

The entire battle lasted only an hour before ending. More than fifty thousand Yin Soul Ghost Cultivators had entered Xuan Zhen's Myriad Ghost Banner, including nearly three thousand Ghost Generals.

That wasn't all. Xuan Zhen also found a great deal of Spiritual Material inside and outside Yellow Springs Hall. Although most of it was First- and Second-Order Spiritual Material, there were also several Third-Order Spiritual Materials.

Moreover, this Yellow Springs Hall, as well as its protective formation, had all been built from Spiritual Material. With the intention of leaving no stone unturned, Xuan Zhen even dismantled Yellow Springs Hall and its protective formation.

"That one—yes, that wall. It's built from Netherworld Stone. Tear it all down for me!"

"Up there! Go up there and Dig Out all those Nether Nether Cold Stones for me!"

"Go see whose Cave Abode that is and search it for anything valuable!"

"This chair is pretty good. Carry it onto the Flying Boat for this Daoist!"

Xuan Zhen was like a bandit. He wanted to carry away everything he saw, without the slightest bearing of a Golden Core cultivator.

Before long, the entire Yellow Springs Hall vanished without a trace. Not even broken walls remained, and the entire Abyssal Ground had been reduced to utter ruin.

Yet Xuan Zhen still looked unsatisfied. "What a pity that we can't occupy this place. Otherwise, we could open a mine here!"

He hovered in midair, his golden eyes sweeping across the entire Abyssal Ground.

The reason this place could become a settlement for ghost cultivators was that it contained an extremely high-grade Yin Vein. Moreover, this Yin Vein held a great deal of Yin-attributed ore, such as Nether Nether Cold Stone and Netherworld Stone.

Such an enormous Mineral Vein of such high grade would be a fine enterprise for any force.

Unfortunately, White Jade Capital could not occupy this place. After all, it was still the territory of the Wuchang Ghost Sect.

To prevent the Wuchang Ghost Sect from coming to reinforce the place, Xuan Zhen could only clean out the entire Abyssal Ground before retreating.

They had just driven the Vermilion Bird Cloud Boat out of the Abyssal Ground when Yunxiao and Kou Ta returned.

"How did it go? Did that fellow get away?"

When Xuan Zhen saw the two of them, he hurriedly asked.

Kou Ta laughed heartily. "How could we have let him escape? He's in here!"

As he spoke, a black pearl appeared in his hand. Countless Talisman Patterns faintly surfaced across its surface, and within those patterns, a mass of ever-changing black mist could be seen.

This was the God Sealing Pearl, specially used to seal Divine Souls and ghost cultivators. However, this God Sealing Pearl was only a Magic Treasure, so under normal circumstances, it could not seal a Ghost King. But a severely wounded Ghost King was another matter entirely.

"Good!"

Xuan Zhen's old face blossomed like a chrysanthemum.

This time, they had achieved a complete victory and gained an enormous harvest. Not only had they captured a large number of Yin Soul Ghost Generals, but they had also taken a Ghost King and seized a great deal of Spiritual Material.

With these Yin Soul Ghost Generals, Yang Zhengshan's Divine General Army would have the necessary foundation. From this point onward, they no longer needed to capture ghost cultivators. They only needed to slowly nurture the Ghost Generals and carry out Divine General Transformation.

Although they could not gather an army of a hundred thousand Divine Generals in a short time, assembling five or six thousand would still be easy.

The group returned to the Spirit Source Land, and Xuan Zhen immediately devoted himself to the great undertaking of creating Divine Generals. He first sealed the ordinary Yin Souls inside the Divine Soul Hall, then led a group of disciples from the Wuzhen Dao Palace in transforming the Ghost Generals into Divine Generals.

As the number of disciples in the Wuzhen Dao Palace grew, the efficiency of Divine General Transformation and Divine General Nourishment also increased.

The Golden Light Divine Curse was a compulsory cultivation method of the Wuzhen Dao Palace. Although it did not require every disciple to take the Golden Light Divine Curse as their Main Cultivation Method, it did require all of them to cultivate it.

The Golden Light Divine Curse was not merely useful for nurturing Divine Generals. In truth, it was a universal Auxiliary Cultivation Method. No matter what it was used for, it could provide reinforcement and enhancement.

By now, the Wuzhen Dao Palace had more than a thousand disciples. Although they were all Qi Refining Stage Cultivators, and a large portion of them had only just set foot on the Dao Path of Immortal Cultivators, they could still help Xuan Zhen considerably.

It was precisely with their assistance that Xuan Zhen's efficiency in Divine General Transformation had increased so much.

While Xuan Zhen was busy transforming Divine Generals, within the Wuchang Earth Grotto-Heaven of the Wuchang Ghost Sect, in a gigantic palace shaped like a skull, a handsome cultivator in a black robe stood on a High Platform, looking down at two subordinates standing below.

The person on the High Platform was none other than Chang Buzai, Sect Master of the Wuchang Ghost Sect. He wore a Bronze Ghost Mask Crown set with a Seven-Orifice Soul Lantern, and draped over his body was the "Hundred Souls Heart Refining Robe," woven from skin and bone, its hem embroidered with Yin Fiend Talisman Patterns. Every movement and word he made carried the pressure of one in a position of power.

Standing below the platform was Hun Ji, the master of the Soul Hooking Hall, a female cultivator whose face was as pale as a ghost. Her features were exquisitely delicate, each one seemingly perfect. Yet her complexion was far too pale, making her look not beautiful, but unnerving.

The other was a Ghost King named Zhong Mingshou, the vice Island Master of Ghost Island. In reality, he was the one at the helm of Ghost Island. Chang Buzai, the Island Master of Ghost Island, rarely interfered in its affairs and had practically handed all authority over Ghost Island to Zhong Mingshou.