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Chapter 206: The Ghosts in the Battlefield, Liu Tianning's Teachings
🕑 Added 2024-11-04 13:34:19 +0000 UTCIn the dim night, Wang Debiao yawned in the shack next to the melon field. He was the Shennong responsible for guarding the fields tonight, but being only of ninth rank, he wasn't responsible for defending against enemies.
The one tasked with defending against enemy attacks was the eighth-rank priest, Lin Yuan, resting in the neighboring shack.
The weather in the Southern Wilderness was unpredictable, and Wang Debiao’s duty was to monitor the night growth progress of the "Wuyuan Melons," ensuring that these delicate seedlings weren’t destroyed.
“Whoosh~” The oil lamp on the table flickered slightly, but Wang Debiao didn’t notice anything unusual.
Meanwhile, in the other shack, Lin Yuan, the eighth-rank priest, suddenly opened his eyes, looking suspiciously outside.
He stepped out of the shack, activated his Hawk Eye technique, and scanned the Wuyuan Melon field, but saw nothing.
What he didn’t know was that there was already a team of ghostly soldiers on the field's ridges.
Morik and Qiyuanzi’s spells were advanced, far beyond Lin Yuan's detection range.
Lin Yuan only saw a straw puppet standing in the melon field, as still as a dead object.
"I wonder what use Lord Zhao's straw puppet has. It looks eerie," Lin Yuan muttered, thinking that his uneasiness came from the straw puppet.
Just as he turned to head back inside—
"Swish~"
The still Soul-Binding Straw Puppet suddenly extended its right hand, a vortex swirling in its palm as it stabbed forward.
"Woo~" Though there was only air in front of it, a mournful wail echoed.
Others couldn’t hear this sound, and Wang Debiao was unaware, but Lin Yuan could hear it clearly.
Because it was the wail of a ghost!
"What?!"
Lin Yuan's heart raced, and he instinctively slid his hand across his palm, then wiped it across his closed eyes.
"Qiankun Sweep Across the Six Realms, Yin-Yang True Eye, Open!"
It was the Priest's True Eye Technique!
By consuming his blood essence, Lin Yuan temporarily enhanced his vision to see ghosts.
However, this method couldn’t last long—once the blood dried, the effect would fade.
After activating the True Eye, Lin Yuan finally saw where the abnormality was coming from.
"What? Hidden Ghosts?!"
Lin Yuan saw a squad of peculiar ghosts, about ten of them. Their forms were incredibly ethereal. Just as there were specialized Sword Cultivators among warriors, there were also ghosts skilled in stealth, which Lin Yuan called Hidden Ghosts.
Their concealment abilities were nearly on par with Nian, the legendary spirit of death.
However, what shocked Lin Yuan even more was that this squad of Hidden Ghosts was now in a panic, scattering in all directions.
One of the Hidden Ghosts had been pierced through the chest by the straw puppet in the Wuyuan field. Its form rapidly shrank, and within three breaths, it wailed and disappeared.
"No, not disappeared—it's been absorbed!" Lin Yuan felt a chill run down his spine. He had never heard of any straw puppet that could absorb ghosts.
And how had the straw puppet detected the Hidden Ghosts, which were notoriously difficult to spot?
Could all of this be within Lord Zhao’s calculations?
"Kill!"
After a brief moment of shock, Lin Yuan quickly performed his duty as a priest. He grabbed his Soul Lamp and unsheathed his Soul-Cutting Scimitar, chasing after the fleeing Hidden Ghosts.
“What’s going on?!” Wang Debiao, now wide awake, heard Lin Yuan’s shout. He stepped outside just in time to see Lin Yuan seemingly chasing after thin air.
“Damn it!” Wang Debiao immediately understood. He rushed back inside the shack and locked the door, sticking a talisman on it for good measure.
Lord Zhao had instructed them that, should any ghosts attack, Shennong like him, who lacked effective means to deal with ghosts, should just hide in the talisman-protected shelters and not come out.
Wang Debiao huddled inside, trembling.
"It’s over! The Holy Spirit Court's ghosts have reached Tonghuo City!"
"Am I going to die?"
“Ah, I haven’t even married or had kids yet! Thirty years old, still a virgin. If I die like this, it's so unfair!” Wang Debiao's heart was filled with anxiety. He had followed the army through several battles, but they had all been smooth victories.
This was the first time he had encountered danger.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
There was an urgent knock at the door. Wang Debiao retreated to the Everlasting Lamp, cold sweat beading on his forehead as a chill wind circled him.
His Yin Wind Technique was only at the mid-level third transformation, likely not strong enough to kill any ghosts.
But it was the only technique he had that could affect ghosts.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The door shook violently under the pounding, and Wang Debiao was terrified.
It felt like the evil spirits could break in at any moment.
But after a minute, the knocking stopped, and the surroundings fell silent again.
Summoning his courage, Wang Debiao approached the door, intending to peer through the crack.
Just as he leaned closer, he was met with a pair of eerie green eyes, their pupils swirling like vortexes.
The eyes were surrounded by grass!
“Mom!” The bizarre scene scared Wang Debiao so much that he fell back, landing on his rear.
"This Wang Debiao is so useless. How could he be so scared?"
Floating high in the sky, Zhao Xing commanded the Soul-Binding Straw Puppets.
Ever since taking the Life-Soul Pill, his control over the straw puppets had greatly improved, and the number of puppets he could manage had also significantly increased.
Now, there were a thousand Soul-Binding Straw Puppets active in the northern planting area.
Most were spread across the four corners of the fields, with a few scattered in various other plots.
Knowing that they were up against the Holy Spirit Court, Zhao Xing had naturally prepared in advance.
And the best techniques for dealing with ghosts were the Yin Wind of Destruction and Soul-Binding Straw Puppets.
The straw puppets had a unique trait when facing an army of ghosts—they grew stronger the more they fought!
They could bind one or more ghosts within their bodies and even absorb part of the ghosts' strength.
For instance, a puppet that bound a Ghostly Soldier would gain immense strength. A puppet that captured a Hidden Ghost would move with enhanced agility.
Every part of the Soul-Binding Straw Puppets—hands, elbows, knees, head, shoulders—was imbued with Yin-attribute vortexes. When they came into contact with a ghost, they could absorb its spirit and bind it within.
Zhao Xing’s Soul-Binding Straw Puppets had reached the mid-level ninth transformation, capable of binding up to nine ghosts within each puppet.
Although there were only a thousand straw puppets, they were more than enough to deal with the two thousand Hidden Ghosts, who were naturally countered by the puppets!
Coupled with the Yin Wind of Destruction, it was like shutting the door and trapping the dog.
Thirty li north, on a hill, there was an altar.
This group of ghosts was under Qiyuanzi's control.
Suddenly, he felt a shock—several talismans on the altar ignited spontaneously, and the paper dolls placed around it collapsed.
“Something’s wrong!”
Qiyuanzi immediately sensed danger.
"Guardian, what’s happening?" Morik, also sensing something amiss, asked. However, as he wasn’t the one casting the spells, he didn’t know the exact situation.
Morik held a Ghosthead Banner. His plan had been to gauge the enemy's strength through Qiyuanzi. If the situation was favorable, he intended to escalate the sneak attack into a full-blown offensive.
Inside the Ghosthead Banner, Morik had five thousand ghost soldiers and eight hundred ghost generals ready to deploy.
"We’ve been discovered!" Qiyuanzi exclaimed in shock. "There’s an expert in Tonghuo City! My hidden ghosts have been captured!"
Qiyuanzi, who had been possessing a Ding Ghost, could see the situation firsthand.
He saw squads of straw puppets closing in from all directions, charging at his ghostly soldiers.
Wherever they went, the eighth-rank Ghostly Soldiers had no chance to resist. Only the seventh-rank Ding, Bing, Jia, Yi, and Wu Ghosts could offer some resistance.
"Is that... straw puppet magic? Soul-Binding Straw Puppets?" Qiyuanzi was astonished. "Someone has cultivated straw puppet magic to this level?"
"Boom!" Qiyuanzi commanded the Ding Ghost to attack a nearby straw puppet. Upon impact, the puppet was knocked back three meters, but the Ding Ghost lost part of its soul power, while the puppet remained steadfast.
"This puppet also incorporates the Great Shield Puppet. It’s not purely a Soul-Binding Puppet."
Qiyuanzi was well-versed in such arts and quickly recognized the straw puppets' extraordinary nature.
“Retreat!”
Realizing the plan had failed, Qiyuanzi immediately ordered a retreat.
"You crushed so many of my seedlings, and now you want to run?"
Zhao Xing, watching from above through the Heavenly Eye, had already spotted the five powerful ghost generals.
With a swift motion, he pointed a finger.
"Woo~"
The Yin Wind of Destruction swept through the Ding Ghost.
"Sizzle sizzle~"
The Ding Ghost began to emit smoke, wailing in agony.
"Hmm~"
Qiyuanzi's heart shook as he lost control over the ghost.
“Morik, we have to withdraw,” Qiyuanzi said, casting a glance towards Tonghuo City. "There’s an expert over there."
"An expert?" Morik was shocked. If Qiyuanzi, a sixth-rank, was calling someone an expert, this was no small matter.
"Alright, let’s go." Morik stored away the Ghosthead Banner, preparing to flee with Qiyuanzi.
"Wait!" Qiyuanzi suddenly halted him. "I suspect this expert will pursue us. Let me set up a formation to cover our tracks."
Fifteen minutes later, a flying boat landed in the northern planting area. Han Bing, along with a team of priests, had hurried over.
Without Qiyuanzi’s control, the remaining ghosts were quickly surrounded and exterminated.
"Han Bing, stay here and assess the damage."
"Yes."
Han Bing, familiar with the Soul-Binding Straw Puppets, knew the power of Zhao Xing's puppetry and quickly organized the cleanup.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xing flew off in pursuit of Qiyuanzi.
Another quarter of an hour later...
"Swish~"
Zhao Xing appeared on a hilltop, using his Heavenly Eye to scan the area.
"Grr~"
Suddenly, a skeleton head shot up from the ground, hurtling toward Zhao Xing.
"Such a petty trick! How dare you flaunt it before me?"
With a wave of his hand, the Yin Wind of Destruction instantly shattered the skull.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosions echoed across the hill as numerous bones detonated, releasing thick corpse poison that sought to corrode Zhao Xing.
If it were an ordinary priest, they might not have been able to defend against the trap of the Corpse Explosion Poison Array.
But Zhao Xing was a Shennong. He commanded the wind and the rain, recognizing the array immediately. With a simple gust, Qiyuanzi’s setup was rendered useless.
"This must be the work of the Xuantian Sect. The Holy Spirit Court’s Soul Masters wouldn’t know this technique." Zhao Xing's eyes gleamed as he began calculating Qiyuanzi's location with the Five-Finger Destiny Technique. However, the opposition seemed formidable. After three seconds of calculation, Zhao Xing failed to pinpoint the exact location.
"Forget it, I'll let you off this time," Zhao Xing thought, realizing he hadn’t brought his Turtle Shell or his Ancient Purple-Gold Coins.
Had he possessed those items to assist his Five-Finger Destiny Technique, he could have easily tracked Qiyuanzi’s escape route and even uncovered his origins.
With a swish, Zhao Xing flew back toward Tonghuo City.
"My formation didn’t work," Qiyuanzi muttered to Morik as they fled back towards Luoya City. "The expert on their side saw through it in an instant. Interesting. And this expert is a Military Shennong?"
"A Military Shennong? How could a Shennong of Da Zhou know such techniques?" Morik was puzzled.
"This one is different," Qiyuanzi explained. "He knows the Soul-Binding Straw Puppet technique and possesses an incredibly powerful tracking skill. His knowledge is also quite extraordinary."
"We miscalculated this time."
The two thousand ghost soldiers, originally intended to disrupt Tonghuo City’s supply lines, had instead cost them dearly.
"I must meet this person again someday!"
Back in Tonghuo City.
"What are the losses?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Three dead, sixteen severely injured," Han Bing reported. "We lost about six thousand seedlings and over three thousand mature plants, with a production loss of over thirty thousand jin. But the damage isn't severe and can be recovered."
Zhao Xing nodded. The losses weren’t too bad, considering the early discovery, and the replanting wouldn't significantly impact their war merits.
The real blow was the loss of lives, which would undoubtedly lead to some deductions in merits.
However, repelling the attack earned him war merits in return. Overall, he still came out ahead.
"Send the bodies of the fallen brothers back. Make sure the compensation is handled properly."
"Yes, I'll take care of it." Han Bing bowed and left.
After wrapping up the aftermath, Zhao Xing headed to the temple to report the incident to Liu Tianning through the Earth Mirror.
"Buzz~"
A projection appeared before Zhao Xing.
"Lord Liu, at the third quarter of the hour of the Rat, the enemy sent ghostly soldiers to attack our planting area. To repel the assault, I deployed one thousand Soul-Binding Straw Puppets at Tonghuo City, located five hundred forty li from the frontline of the Fiery Demon Tribe at Jishun Pass. This is my official report."
Every time the Soul-Binding Straw Puppets were used, a report had to be submitted. Zhao Xing's report went to Liu Tianning.
"A thousand Soul-Binding Straw Puppets? What were the enemy and allied casualties?" Liu Tianning asked.
"Three dead, sixteen wounded, negligible damage to the plants, and twelve Soul-Binding Straw Puppets were destroyed."
"The enemy deployed two thousand ghostly soldiers, with the weakest being eighth-rank Hidden Ghosts, capable of concealing their presence. The strongest were seventh-rank, consisting of Ding, Bing, Jia, Yi, and Wu Ghost Generals."
"All were annihilated."
Zhao Xing reported truthfully.
Liu Tianning’s eyes flickered.
He could infer a lot from this battle report.
The Five Ghost Transportation Technique, led by five seventh-rank ghost generals, commanding two thousand eighth-rank Hidden Ghosts, had been utterly crushed. That was no small feat.
More importantly, Zhao Xing had controlled a thousand Soul-Binding Straw Puppets!
"At what level have you mastered the Soul-Binding Straw Puppet technique?" Liu Tianning inquired.
"Mid-level, ninth transformation," Zhao Xing replied.
"How many priests assisted in the battle?" Liu Tianning asked again.
"Fewer than fifty, all of them eighth-rank priests," Zhao Xing replied. Only the priests on patrol had been involved.
Thanks to Zhao Xing’s early detection and the superb performance of the Soul-Binding Straw Puppets under his control, the battle was already over by the time the rapid-response team arrived.
Liu Tianning was astonished. If Zhao Xing wasn’t exaggerating, this accomplishment was truly impressive.
Controlling ghosts was far simpler than controlling straw puppets.
Qiyuanzi commanded five ghost generals, each with the ability to think independently. The ghost generals also took on the role of command, unlike straw puppets, which required far more direct control.
Liu Tianning had long recognized Zhao Xing's exceptional talent in the Straw Puppet techniques, but he hadn’t realized it was to this extent.
Their conversation could have ended there, but Liu Tianning didn’t disconnect the communication, so Zhao Xing waited.
"How many techniques can you now combine?" Liu Tianning asked. He was referring to the perfect fusion of techniques, not just combining one or two transformations.
"Three techniques perfectly combined. I can combine four, but only up to the seventh transformation," Zhao Xing explained. He simply hadn’t had enough time to train further.
"Would you like to learn the Self Straw Puppet technique?" Liu Tianning asked. "If you're interested, I can send a puppet clone to teach you."
What?
Zhao Xing was stunned. Liu Tianning wanted to come to the war zone himself to teach him?
"Of course, I would be honored. But is this allowed?" Zhao Xing hesitated.
Liu Tianning was a fifth-rank powerhouse with overwhelming combat prowess. If he entered the battlefield, it would break the rules and could potentially be detected by the Southern Wilderness, triggering a reaction.
High-level combatants above the sixth rank were prohibited from entering the battlefield during training exercises.
"It’s no problem. My Self Straw Puppet only has sixth-rank combat power, and I won’t be directly fighting," Liu Tianning explained.
"I’m a member of the Military Realm’s Inspectorate. It’s perfectly reasonable for me to be with your Shenwei Army."
Zhao Xing wasn’t sure if Liu Tianning’s final statement was a subtle jab at his previous battle, where Qian Shougang had been killed, but he could only nod and agree. "Yes, thank you, Lord Liu."
"Buzz~"
Liu Tianning cut the communication.
Zhao Xing stared at the Earth Mirror, unsure of what to think.
Liu Tianning seemed to hold him in high regard, almost as if he were grooming him to inherit his teachings.
This was completely different from Zhao Xing’s original plan of keeping his distance from Liu Tianning.
Becoming anyone’s disciple was bad enough, but becoming Liu Tianning’s disciple?
This old master had cut down countless enemies during the reign of the Martial Emperor. His enemies were all still out there, waiting for revenge!
If Zhao Xing inherited his legacy, he would surely face an endless stream of assassins.
If they couldn’t kill Liu Tianning, they’d target his disciple!
Zhao Xing had originally planned to learn the Self Straw Puppet technique, but he hadn’t expected such fanfare.
Now that Liu Tianning was coming to the war zone specifically for him, everyone would know about their connection. Whether he admitted it or not, he’d be considered Liu Tianning’s disciple.
"Forget it. I'll take it one step at a time," Zhao Xing muttered to himself, shaking his head. He couldn’t refuse Liu Tianning's offer now.
Liu Tianning arrived quickly, reaching Tonghuo City on the third day.
However, Zhao Xing wasn’t in the city at the time.
It was Han Bing who greeted him.
"Lord Liu," Han Bing bowed respectfully. He had once attended Liu Tianning’s elective class on straw puppet techniques and made it to the final stage.
Liu Tianning frowned at the greeting. "Don’t call me teacher. In the army, address me by my title."
Han Bing, though usually stoic, nearly broke character under Liu Tianning’s reprimand. "Yes, Lord Liu."
"Where is Zhao Xing?" Liu Tianning asked without bothering about Han Bing's reaction.
"Lord Zhao is escorting supplies to the front lines. He left two days ago and should be returning soon," Han Bing explained.
"Should be?" Liu Tianning's tone cooled. "You’re the deputy commander. How can you not know when your superior is returning?"
Han Bing was at a loss for words, and Che Shi Hai stood quietly, not daring to make a sound. He had also attended the Myriad Techniques Palace.
The stronger they became, the more they realized just how terrifying Liu Tianning’s power was.
The fact that Liu Tianning had sent a Self Straw Puppet with sixth-rank combat power, capable of acting just like a real person, was enough to make them tremble.
Even the usually boisterous Wang Ji pretended he hadn’t heard or seen anything.
The atmosphere grew tense, and at that moment, a voice called out from outside the hall: “Han Bing, has Old Liu arrived yet? I’ve calculated the time, and he should be here soon. Let’s go out and welcome him...”
“Cough! Cough! Cough!” Che Shi Hai and Han Bing started coughing uncontrollably.
"Uh..." Zhao Xing entered the hall, only to freeze in place when he saw Liu Tianning.
What the hell! The big boss had already arrived! Zhao Xing felt like a thousand horses were stampeding through his mind.
Although he had the Heavenly Eye technique, it wasn’t always active.
If Liu Tianning’s Self Straw Puppet didn’t want to be detected, it would be nearly impossible for others to sense its presence.
How could he have known Liu Tianning had already arrived?
At this moment, Wang Ji’s quick thinking saved the day. "Lord Zhao, Liu from the Zong Yuan Army came by yesterday and picked up the repaired warship. You must have mixed up the dates."
"Oh, haha, silly me. My memory must be playing tricks on me."
Seeing that Liu Tianning wasn’t angry, Zhao Xing hurried over to pay his respects. "Student Zhao Xing greets Teacher Liu."
"Mm, sit," Liu Tianning gestured for Zhao Xing to sit down.
Han Bing and Che Shi Hai were utterly bewildered.
What happened to all that talk about using titles in the army?!
So, we’re not allowed to call you teacher, but he is?
Are we leaving now?
"Che Shi Hai, Han Bing, you may go," Liu Tianning dismissed them.
The hall fell silent, leaving only Zhao Xing and Liu Tianning.
"I calculated that you should be in the city by now," Liu Tianning said. "What delayed you?"
Naturally, Liu Tianning knew what task Zhao Xing had been assigned and what he had done. With his authority, a quick check in the Earth Mirror would tell him everything.
"Teacher, the three routes from Tonghuo City to the Jishun Pass frontline had two areas where someone had set up Illusionary Spirit Arrays," Zhao Xing explained.
"Whenever our supply teams passed through those areas, they kept going in circles, always returning to the starting point."
"I noticed the anomaly in the supply transport and went to investigate. The trip there and back caused the delay."
To be fair, the Holy Spirit Court was indeed tricky. Their methods were far more bizarre than the other three great courts.
Without anyone noticing, they had set up an illusionary spirit array along the supply line, preventing the transport teams from proceeding.
Such arrays were commonly known as Ghost Walls.
But the practitioner who cast this array was clearly an expert, having created a high-level version of the Ghost Wall that worked on those flying, walking, or tunneling underground. It was extremely troublesome to deal with.
Zhao Xing had taken a long detour to finally deliver the overdue supplies.
"Do you have a solution for this?" Liu Tianning asked.
"This time, I only delivered the supplies to the frontlines to make up for the previous days’ shortfall. I didn’t dare venture into the Illusionary Spirit Array," Zhao Xing replied.
Breaking a high-level Illusionary Spirit Array wasn’t something easily done.
Zhao Xing had only observed from a distance, sending a few straw puppets in to explore, but he hadn’t yet found a solution. Hence, he returned to meet Liu Tianning first.
Liu Tianning pondered for a moment. "Breaking a high-level Illusionary Spirit Array isn't that difficult."
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