Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 121 The Demon of War Awakens, Shifting the Blame Eastward

Heavy breathing filled the air.

The so-called demon soldier finally poked its head out and squeezed its massive body out of the shadows.

Looking up, it was a full three zhang tall, like a moving small mountain.

His entire body was covered in dark red muscle fibers, with countless broken weapons embedded in them. There wasn't a single patch of intact skin on his body.

Broken sword blades, rusted spearheads, shattered shields—these metal fragments, like scales, were deeply embedded in its flesh, growing together with its bones.

Its right hand, a huge forging hammer dripping with molten iron, replaced its palm on its wrist.

"roar!!!"

Where the demon's face should have been, there was only a vertical crack, inside which burned dark golden flames.

It let out a roar, and a visible heat shockwave swept out.

Forced to retreat step by step by the heatwave, Li Qingge's longsword groaned under the intense heat, and the frost on its blade began to evaporate.

Despite her extensive combat experience, she still felt a profound sense of insignificance in the face of such a pure killing machine, a feeling that came from the depths of her soul.

The aura emanating from this demon soldier, along with its violent physical power, has definitely reached the level of a nascent soul!

"run!"

Without any hesitation, Gu Yan turned around and pulled Li Qingge behind a stone pillar.

next moment.

The instant they left the spot.

"boom!"

The Demon Soldier's enormous iron hammer came crashing down.

The hard obsidian ground shattered instantly, and the fragments of stone shot out like cannonballs.

Where they had just stood, a large pit several feet deep had appeared, with molten lava flowing along its edges.

Gu Yan hid behind a stone pillar, brushed the dust off his head, and felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

If that hammer blow had landed squarely, let alone his small Foundation Establishment stage body, even if Elder Wang, who was in the Golden Core stage, had come, he would have been smashed into a meat pie.

"It's guarding its traditions, and we can't get past that."

Li Qingge's face was pale, and her hand holding the sword trembled incessantly: "That jade box is in the hands of the skeleton, less than ten feet away from the Demon Soldier. Anyone who gets close will be smashed to pieces by it."

Gu Yan narrowed his eyes, and his vision of the paper world quietly opened.

In his eyes, the demon soldier was not a living being, but a chaotic mass of malevolent energy.

Inside its massive body, there was an extremely thin red thread connecting the jade box in the skeleton's hand.

"I see."

Gu Yan suddenly realized.

This demon soldier is the watchdog of the jade box, or rather, the jade box is the key to controlling this monster.

"Boy, that jade box contains the Hundred Weapons Manual, the culmination of this old ghost's life's work, and also the key to controlling the array of this underground palace."

In his mind, the female corpse's spirit suddenly spoke, her tone tinged with schadenfreude: "This weapon demon was a failed attempt to turn living people into weapons back then. It feels no pain and is immortal. You two little kids wouldn't even be enough to fill its teeth."

Gu Yan sneered inwardly: "Enough nonsense. Tell me its weakness if you don't want to die."

"weakness?"

The female corpse scoffed, saying disdainfully, "Its weakness is that jade box. As long as you get the jade box, you can control it with an incantation. There's no other way."

Did you get the jade box?

Gu Yan glanced at the soldier demons who stood like iron towers in front of the stone platform and couldn't help but roll his eyes.

What's the difference between this and saying "you can win as long as you kill it"?

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the passage behind them.

"That kid's up ahead! Chase after him!"

Elder Wang's furious voice rang out.

Immediately afterwards, several disheveled figures rushed into the square.

It was Elder Wang and the four remaining disciples of the Green Bamboo Sect.

Their journey was incredibly miserable. They were chased and killed by those spirit soldiers, their valuable robes were reduced to rags, and Elder Wang's only remaining hand was injured and bleeding profusely.

"You little bastard! Where do you think you're going?"

As soon as Elder Wang entered the square, his gaze locked onto Gu Yan, who was hiding behind a stone pillar, and his eyes revealed murderous intent.

But the next second, his expression froze.

He saw the terrifying demon soldier standing in the center of the square, and the jade box on the stone platform emitting a soft light.

Greed and fear, two completely different emotions, intertwined on his face, making for a particularly fascinating sight.

"A peak third-tier... no, a puppet on the verge of fourth tier?"

Elder Wang gasped, his breathing becoming rapid as his gaze fell upon the jade box.

The thing that a monster of this caliber would guard must be an absolutely extraordinary treasure!

"A good opportunity."

Gu Yan's eyes darted around, and a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his previously tense face.

He suddenly jumped out from behind the stone pillar, waved vigorously at Elder Wang, and shouted loudly:

"Senior Wang! You've finally arrived! Thank goodness! We're saved!"

This shout not only stunned Elder Wang, but also stunned Li Qingge who was standing next to him.

Has Gu Changsheng gone mad?

Gu Yan pointed excitedly at the demon soldier and said rapidly, "Senior! This monster is too powerful! The princess is seriously injured, and we can't defeat it at all! This jade box must contain the inheritance of a Nascent Soul cultivator. We don't want it! We only beg you, Senior, to suppress this fiend and spare our lives!"

As he spoke, he made a gesture as if he was going to push Li Qingge out as a shield, while he himself prepared to slip away.

The demon soldier has no mind, but is extremely sensitive to sound and spiritual energy fluctuations.

Gu Yan's shout immediately attracted its attention.

On its cracked face, a dark golden flame flickered, and it slowly turned around to face the Green Bamboo Sect members who had just broken in, a group that was numerous and whose spiritual energy fluctuations were the strongest.

"roar!"

The Demon Soldier let out a low growl and took heavy steps toward Elder Wang.

"You bastard!"

Elder Wang was so angry that his beard stood on end.

That's a brilliant move to shift the blame!

But this open scheme was one he couldn't refuse.

Firstly, the demonic soldier had already locked onto them; secondly, the temptation of the jade box was too great, and if they ran away now, all their previous efforts would be in vain.

"Form ranks! Hold out if you don't want to die!"

Elder Wang roared, summoning a blue tortoise-shell shield in his hand. At the same time, he made a hand seal, and withered vines sprouted from the ground, attempting to entangle the demon's legs.

"That's a Tier 3 high-grade Green Wood Shield, it should be able to withstand it for a bit."

Gu Yan retreated behind the stone pillar, observing the battle while whispering to Li Qingge, "Princess, when they start fighting, I'll go steal that box. You'll cover my retreat."

Looking into Gu Yan's cunning eyes, Li Qingge felt her initial tension dissipate somewhat.

This trick, though shameless, is indeed effective.

In the center of the square, the battle erupted instantly.

Elder Wang was, after all, a veteran Golden Core cultivator. Although he had lost an arm, he was still incredibly powerful.

Although the vines couldn't trap the demon soldier, they did slow down its movements to some extent.

"Boom! Boom!"

The Demon Soldier's iron hammer pounded wildly against the Green Wood Shield, each impact causing Elder Wang's face to turn paler.

"You lot, go and retrieve the treasure!"

Elder Wang struggled to stay upright while shouting at the disciples behind him.

The four disciples were also desperate criminals. Seeing that their master had drawn away the hatred, they immediately dispersed and circled around the stone platform from both sides.

"Want to pick peaches? Did you ask me first?"

Gu Yan's lips curled into a cold smile.

He flicked his fingers lightly inside his sleeve.

Several paper figures, as thin as cicada wings, slid silently across the ground.

The disciples were about to touch the stone platform when the fastest one reached out to grab the jade box.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch it.

"Ouch!"

The disciple suddenly tripped, as if he had been hooked by something unseen.

This seemingly ordinary trip actually contains a deadly trap.

Because he lost his balance, he fell directly onto the skeleton on the stone platform.

"Click."

The skeleton was smashed to pieces.

The jade box was also sent flying by the impact, arcing through the air before unfortunately landing right at the feet of the Demon Soldier!

"idiot!!!"

Elder Wang was so angry when he saw this that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

What a spendthrift!

The demon sensed that its guardian had left its place and instantly flew into a rage.

It ignored the green wooden shield in front of it and turned around to stomp on the fallen disciple.

"Pfft!"

It was like stepping on a tomato and smashing it.

The Foundation Establishment disciple didn't even have time to scream before he turned into a pile of minced meat.

The jade box lay quietly at the feet of the demon soldier, radiating light.

The current situation has become extremely awkward.

Whoever wants the jade box must first get past the demon soldier.

Although Elder Wang was envious, he dared not step forward rashly due to the power of the Demon Soldier.

The situation reached a stalemate.

"Now!"

A glint of light flashed in Gu Yan's eyes. Exclusive! An exclusive interview with a monkey from Flower Fruit Mountain and behind-the-scenes footage of the creation of "Immortality: Grinding Experience from a Paper Craftsman," available only to those who wish to gain experience.

He once again used the spiritual power within his body, unleashing the power to deceive heaven and earth.

"Change!"

Gu Yan patted the matching talisman onto his body.

A golden light flashed.

Gu Yan's physical form remained unchanged, but the aura emanating from him was vastly different.

It became exactly the same as the aura emanating from that jade box!

This is the frequency he analyzed within the context of the paper industry.

"I am the box, and the box is me."

Gu Yan brainwashed himself, and then shot off like an arrow.

He was extremely fast and his route was incredibly unpredictable, deliberately positioning himself in blind spots of the demon's vision.

"That kid's trying to steal the treasure!"

Elder Wang was shocked and unleashed a bolt of divine lightning from his hand.

"Princess!" Gu Yan shouted.

Li Qingge was prepared. She swung her longsword, and a sharp, icy sword aura arrived first, intercepting the divine lightning in mid-air.

"Bang!"

The air currents surged.

Using the shockwave as cover, Gu Yan slid in and landed right between Bingmo's legs.

This action is extremely ungraceful, but it is the most effective.

He reached out and grabbed the jade box from the ground, then rolled on the ground and crawled out between the demon's legs.

The Demon Soldier was stunned for a moment.

Chaos has emerged within its simple core logic.

It sensed the presence of the two jade boxes.

One is at its feet, and the other is running away.

"roar?"

The demon soldier lowered his head, looking at the empty ground, then at the figure running away with the box in his arms.

"roar!!!"

The Demon Soldier turned around, and his enormous iron hammer, carrying a world-destroying aura, smashed towards Gu Yan's back.

It used all its strength in that hammer blow.

The air was compressed into a solid cannonball.

Gu Yan felt a chill run down his spine as the shadow of death loomed over his mind.

He had no time to dodge.

"You old hag! Help!"

Gu Yan screamed inwardly while simultaneously shielding the jade box behind him.

"You good-for-nothing!"

In her mind, the female corpse cursed, but in the end, she still chose to make her move.

The black energy within Gu Yan's body erupted instantly, condensing into a giant ghost hand behind him, which forcefully blocked the hammer blow.

"clang!"

The demonic hand dissipated.

With the force of the impact, Gu Yan was sent flying dozens of feet away like a baseball being hit, crashing directly into a stone wall at the end of the square.

"puff!"

Gu Yanren coughed up blood mid-air, his internal organs displaced.

But this also freed him from the demon's attack range.

"Is that the exit?"

In his daze, Gu Yan saw a groove on the stone wall, the shape of which was exactly the same as the jade box in his hand.

"Put the jade box inside!"

Li Qingge's voice came through.

She fought and retreated, having already shaken off the disciples' entanglement, and rushed to Gu Yan's side.

Despite the excruciating pain, Gu Yan slammed the jade box hard into the groove.

"Click click click..."

The sound of the mechanism turning rang out.

The stone wall, which was originally perfectly sealed, suddenly split open to both sides, revealing a pitch-black passage.

A cold wind blew out from inside, carrying with it a chilling stillness.

That's the entrance to the third floor.

"fast forward!"

Gu Yan grabbed Li Qingge, and the two stumbled and rushed into the passage.

"Want to leave? Leave your things behind!"

Elder Wang was unwilling to accept that the cooked duck had flown away.

Despite being grazed by the demon soldiers, he managed to break out of the battle and rush towards the entrance of the passage.

"Screw you!"

Gu Yan turned around, a smug smile on his face.

He then threw out an enhanced stink bomb.

"Bang!"

Yellow-green smoke exploded at the entrance of the passage.

Caught off guard, Elder Wang plunged headfirst into the smoke, his eyes watering and his movements momentarily halted.

In that brief instant.

"Boom!"

The stone gate closed again.

This completely shut out Elder Wang's furious, distorted face and the terrifying roar of the Soldier Demon.

……

The passageway was pitch black.

Gu Yan leaned against the stone door, his body sliding down the door panel, panting heavily.

His hands and face were covered in blood, and his official robes had turned into beggar's clothes.

But he still held the jade box tightly in his arms.

"We won...cough cough...I'm numb from winning..."

Gu Yan coughed while grinning foolishly.

Li Qingge lit the luminous pearl, and its light illuminated the narrow space.

She looked at the disheveled man in front of her, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

From the moment they entered the underground palace, it seemed that every desperate situation was resolved by this seemingly unreliable man.

Moreover, the sordidness of their methods and the darkness of their intentions are simply astonishing.

Are you alright?

Li Qingge crouched down, wanting to check his injuries.

"He won't die."

Gu Yan waved his hand, fearing that the jade box might have some kind of anti-theft restriction, and handed it to Li Qingge: "Here, the inheritance you wanted. Don't say I'm keeping it for myself, we risked our lives for this."

Li Qingge took the jade box, her hands trembling slightly.

She gently stroked the patterns on the jade box, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened it.

however.

The moment the jade box was opened, both of their expressions froze.

There were no secret martial arts manuals or peerless magical treasures inside the jade box.

There was only one severed finger.

A section of it was completely black, like a charred severed finger.

Beneath the severed finger lay a yellowed piece of paper.

Gu Yan leaned closer to take a look and saw a line of wild cursive script written on the note:

"To master this divine skill, one must first..."

Gu Yan's heart skipped a beat.

No way?

This script is wrong!

He quickly looked down.

"One must first abandon one's cultivation and reshape one's demonic body. Only by entering my demonic path can one attain eternal life."

"Hold!"

Gu Yan couldn't help but curse out loud.

"This is utter nonsense about the Nascent Soul Transformation inheritance! This is clearly a damned trap set by demonic cultivators!"

Li Qingge's face also turned extremely ugly.

She went through so much trouble, even risking her life, and this is what she got in return?!

"wrong."

Gu Yan suddenly thought of something.

He picked up the severed finger and examined it closely.

A new perspective on the paper industry has been opened.

Beneath that pitch-black surface, he saw an extremely pure golden light.

That's not demonic energy.

That is……

"This is the sword bone."

Li Qingge also noticed it and interjected.

Gu Yan's voice trembled slightly as he added, "This is a pure Yang sword bone that the Nascent Soul stage expert forcibly cut off from his own body before he succumbed to demonic possession. It contains his life's sword intent!"

Li Qingge suddenly looked up: "That's right!"

"That old man is fishing."

Gu Yan's lips curled into a playful smile: "This note is for those with wicked intentions. If someone were to truly cripple their cultivation to cultivate demonic arts, the sword intent within this severed finger would instantly erupt, blasting them to pieces. But if we do the opposite..."

He looked into the depths of the passage.

There, the faint sound of flowing water could be heard.

"The real test has probably only just begun."

Gu Yan put away the severed finger and stood up, leaning against the wall for support.

"Princess, let's go. Let's see what kind of monsters and demons are buried in this third level."

He patted Li Qingge on the shoulder and walked forward first.

Li Qingge watched his retreating figure and gripped the sword in her hand tightly.

In this Sunset Valley filled with lies and traps, perhaps only the man before you, who talks a lot of nonsense, is the only truth.

And inside Gu Yan's body.

The female corpse's spirit trembled as it looked at the severed finger.

"That aura...it's him...that heartless man..."

"He really did have a backup plan..."

Gu Yan listened to the rambling thoughts in his mind and a smile appeared on his lips.

It seems this trip to the underground palace is getting more and more interesting.

However, Elder Wang outside is probably in for some trouble.

Without the jade box to appease him, and now that the demon soldier is imprisoned, he'll probably fly into a rage.

"Good luck, you old man."

Gu Yan silently made the sign of the cross on his chest.

In the darkness, the two figures gradually disappeared into the distance.

Only the tightly closed stone door and the faint screams coming from outside remained, echoing in this deathly silent underground world.