After trembling fifty-one times, the great tomb's hall finally fell still.
Wang Quan released his paper Palace Maidens to clear away the remaining evil, then left the first level.
A moment's calculation told him it was time to gather purple qi in the Real World.
"Then I'll head back first!"
"I just wonder whether those cultivators who descended in their physical bodies can completely destroy this great tomb."
As he pondered, his Yin Spirit returned.
Not long after Wang Quan returned, space distorted at the entrance to the Tenth Layer.
Over a hundred Yin Spirit experts appeared, missing arms and legs, battered and torn, utterly miserable.
The seven or eight cultivators who had descended in their physical bodies were also in a wretched state, their flesh burst open and limbs missing.
The other Yin Spirit cultivators were immediately disappointed at the sight.
"It's over. Another failure!"
"So many experts went in this time, and they couldn't even kill a single Grand General?"
"That cultivator using the People-Crossing Scripture didn't seem to be much use either!"
Many cultivators whispered among themselves.
At that moment, the physically present cultivator who had first contacted Wang Quan burst out laughing. "A bunch of fools!"
"It's not that the cultivator using the People-Crossing Scripture was useless. He was far too useful!"
"Without him, we could never have encountered the Grand General's second form!"
"Now that the Grand General's second form has appeared, if we can kill it once, this Great Tomb might disappear permanently."
"Then the buildings in the Real World can be perfectly reflected here."
"We're not far from victory!"
The other Yin Spirits were stunned. They had not known the Grand General had a second form, much less that killing it might put an end to the Great Tomb.
But looking at everyone's miserable condition, they remained doubtful.
The Yin Spirit experts and the cultivators who had descended in their physical bodies, on the other hand, were overjoyed.
Though everyone had suffered severe injuries, their gains this time were truly enormous. They had finally seen hope.
At that moment, a physically present cultivator released a furnace.
The furnace spun, pouring out billowing Medicinal Aura that entered everyone's bodies, rapidly repairing their Yin Spirits and shattered flesh.
One physically present cultivator coughed. "Everyone, where is the fellow Daoist who mastered the People-Crossing Scripture?"
A Yin Spirit cultivator spoke up. "He seems to have left!"
The physically present cultivator took a deep breath. "Everyone, this fellow Daoist who mastered the People-Crossing Scripture is crucial to whether we can fully establish our foothold in the Drowning Dao Lower Court."
"The Lower Court has been working to clear this great tomb for at least a thousand years."
"The power of the entire Great Tomb has already reached a critical threshold!"
"Now, the People-Crossing Scripture has forced the general on the tomb's final level into its second form. We finally have hope of clearing the great tomb completely."
"So I have a tentative suggestion... I hope each of you will bring a pill that replenishes a hundred measures of mana tomorrow and give it to that fellow Daoist free of charge!"
At these words, someone nodded. "No problem!"
"I can certainly spare a pill worth a hundred measures of mana!"
Though the other Yin Spirits winced at the cost of the pills, the thought of razing the great tomb completely made them suppress their reluctance and nod in agreement.
Just then, a female cultivator suddenly spoke. "Could the money all of us would spend on pills buy a set of external elixir artifacts that replenish mana?"
"That would be a one-time investment we could use for the long term."
"Even if we raze the great tomb, there are other buildings after it!"
"If he has external elixir artifacts to replenish his mana, we'll save even more pills in the long run."
Everyone did some calculations. "That's a good suggestion!"
"A one-time investment with permanent returns!"
The Real World:
Wang Quan's Yin Spirit returned to his Inner Landscape.
A second later, the information on the First-Rank Dao Seal changed.
[Yin Virtue +51]
At the same time, he could clearly feel his Yin Spirit becoming more substantial.
This time, he felt that his Yin Spirit had gained more substance than it would from fifty-one days of gathering purple qi.
Could it be that the more evil I permanently kill with the People-Crossing Scripture, the greater the benefits my Yin Spirit receives?
He examined his Yin Spirit and found it easier to control.
At that moment, he valued the First-Rank Dao Seal even more highly.
Without the First-Rank Dao Seal, he could never have deciphered the [People-Crossing Scripture], and thus could not have gained Yin Virtue or rapidly refined his Yin Spirit.
I still need to read more Daoist Scriptures.
Before long, Wang Quan gathered purple qi, then went to the foot of the mountain again to cast his warning spells and watch over the spirits as they worked.
Nothing happened that morning!
Nothing happened at noon!
Wang Quan spent most of his time studying Daoist Scriptures, steadily advancing his understanding.
At dusk, Qian Xiuyue sent a message. "A dozen or so immortal cultivators are coming your way."
"Their bearing is unusual. I suspect they've come with ill intent!"
"Do you want me to call for help?"
Wang Quan's heart stirred. "I'll give it a try first and see whether I can handle them!"
"All right!"
Qian Xiuyue ended the communication, but continued keeping a discreet eye on Wang Quan.
After all, Wang Quan was a newcomer who had only just begun cultivating mana.
Although the arrivals were New-Method Cultivators, she still worried that Wang Quan would be no match for them.
At that moment, Wang Quan put away his Daoist Scriptures and slapped his case. A dozen or so Paper People transformed into Palace Maidens, each holding two sabers, and hurtled forward.
At the same time, he released a paper eagle into the air to scout the enemy.
Soon, several dozen li away, the paper eagle spotted a dozen or so immortal cultivators rushing toward him.
Every one of these immortal cultivators wore a mask. Rather than taking the mountain path, they were weaving through the mountain forest.
They really have come with ill intent!
Wang Quan's heart beat faster.
This would be his first spell duel against other people, and he would face a dozen or so immortal cultivators at once. The prospect excited him.
After cultivating for so long, it's finally time to test my abilities!
Should I gather thunder and fire to bombard them? Use a spell that sends sand flying and stones hurtling to attack the whole group?
In an instant, dozens of killing spells surfaced in his mind.
In the end, however, he chose none of them, opting instead for the [Plain Moon Paper-Cutting Art] and illusion spells.
Let me see whether my primary art, the [Plain Moon Paper-Cutting Art], can withstand the test of a deadly fight!
If it can, I'll keep expanding it and studying it further.
If it can't... I'll choose other spells to complement it in the future.
As he pondered, he asked the spirits for a basin they used for drinking water.
He filled the basin with clear water, lit sandalwood incense, paid ritual homage to the basin, chanted scripture, and cast his spell.
Bili, bili!
Jili, gulu!
The chanting ended.
A second later, an image appeared in the basin.
A dozen or so masked immortal cultivators were racing toward him.
Wang Quan slapped his case, and a sheet of paper flew out.
Whoosh!
He exhaled a mouthful of [Bright Moon Mana], and the paper transformed into a bright moon suspended above the basin.
A second later, he slapped his case again, and a tiny paper person flew out.
Holding a small knife, the paper person moved along the basin's rim. Suddenly, the paper moon cast down a ray of moonlight that sank into the head of the rearmost immortal cultivator reflected in the water.
That immortal cultivator slowed at once.
At that moment, the paper person jumped into the basin, landed on that immortal cultivator's neck, and moved along it.
A second later, a thin line of blood appeared across the immortal cultivator's neck.
Before you continue