Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 141 The Paper World of Monsters: Self-Destruction

In the direction of the southern city, the crimson pillar of fire that shot into the sky dyed the clouds dark red.

The enormous roar caused the ground in the center of the county town to tremble.

The Blood River Sect's demonic cultivators' brazen attack on the city became a heavy hammer hanging over the heads of the cultivators entering the city.

This plunged the already tense Demon Suppression Division hall into hysterical madness.

Inside the hall, the huge white sheet of paper that had been unfolded after Gu Yan crushed the wooden box became the only color in this space.

Its pale light not only blocked vision, but also seemed like an invisible millstone, slowly and steadily grinding away at the senses of everyone present.

"Transformation into a Divine Being...this is the true essence of the Transformation into a Divine Being!"

The Yin Serpent Venerable let out a hoarse roar, and in his emerald green vertical pupils, greed had overwhelmed reason.

In his eyes, the blood-red runes moving across the white paper became one after another avenues to the realm of immortality.

The same applies to Aoki Masato.

The azure light around him surged wildly, and his originally dignified beard danced wildly in the turbulent air.

He could clearly sense that the black shadow condensing in the center of the white paper resonated with the Azure Dragon Force he had cultivated for a hundred years, creating a kind of primal resonance.

"This treasure... is rightfully mine!"

Master Qingmu leaped into the air, his right hand transforming into a ten-zhang-long azure dragon claw, accompanied by a sonic boom that ripped through the air, and directly grabbed at the center of the white paper.

However, in Gu Yan's view of the paper industry, the world presents a completely different picture.

He stood quietly behind the desk, countless thin white paper threads, as fine as hair, extending from the soles of his boots, deeply rooted in the earth's veins of Changning County.

With the added blessing of the Xuanwu Formation, his aura became even more profound.

Gu Yan slipped his right hand into his sleeve and gently grasped the jade box, which was already covered in cracks.

"Those who deceive Heaven and Earth, rise up!"

He parted his thin lips slightly and uttered four strangely pronounced syllables.

With this command, his divine sense instantly ascended to a profound and mysterious realm.

He used the power of the severed finger of the Nascent Soul cultivator to forcibly cut out an independent closed loop from this real world.

Within this closed loop, Gu Yan can interfere with all physical rules, light refraction, and spiritual energy fluctuations.

In Qingmu Zhenren's perception, his dragon claw had clearly seized the treasure.

But just as he was about to succeed, Venerable Yin Serpent suddenly appeared on his side.

The ghastly green, serpentine longsword, carrying a deadly poison powerful enough to corrode even the most potent elixir, viciously stabbed towards his vital point in the waist and abdomen.

"You treacherous snake, you're asking for death!"

Master Qingmu was furious. He twisted his dragon claw and forcibly withdrew 50% of his power, then slammed his palm into the empty space beside him.

But to the onlookers on the periphery, Aoki Masato's actions appeared extremely absurd and terrifying.

They saw Master Qingmu's hand, which had been reaching for the white paper, suddenly make a strange arc and, without warning, slap the top of the head of one of his own sect's stewards.

The mid-Foundation Establishment stage deacon was caught off guard and didn't even have time to let out a scream before his head was smashed into his chest like a watermelon.

In an instant, the unfortunate deacon was reduced to a bloody mist and exploded.

Meanwhile, in his illusion, Venerable Yin Serpent saw that True Man Qingmu not only ambushed him, but also unleashed a huge bronze bell magic weapon, which was smashing down on him.

"What a hypocritical and sanctimonious Azure Dragon Sect!"

The Yin Serpent Venerable let out a shrill laugh, and his serpentine longsword split into thousands of tiny emerald green snakes, each containing bone-melting and soul-destroying venom, frantically covering an area of ​​ten feet in front of him.

In reality, these venomous sword energies were frantically tearing at the beams and pillars of the main hall, as well as Master Qingmu's protective aura.

Gu Yan remained calm as he lightly tapped his finger on the virtual chessboard.

A wisp of dark, malevolent energy traveled along the veins of the white paper, precisely capturing the opening created by Aoki Zhenren's drastic change of moves.

The black finger shadow suddenly appeared in the center of the white paper, pointing towards the void.

In Qingmu Zhenren's view, this was the Yin Snake Venerable unleashing his final, desperate poison.

But to outsiders, the white paper that was originally floating suddenly burst forth with a black light of annihilation that surpassed the limits of the Golden Core stage.

"Everyone, retreat immediately! The formation is out of control!"

Gu Yan let out a stern warning.

He suddenly flicked his sleeve, and a gentle breeze swept up several frightened rogue cultivators on the table, shoving them violently toward the exit of the hall.

This action was extremely skillful, demonstrating his protection of his subordinates and guests in a critical moment, while also cleverly using the movement of the crowd to obscure the view of certain key arrangements.

One of the rogue cultivators who had been pushed aside turned around and called out gratefully, "Senior Brother Gu, be careful!"

Gu Yan didn't have time to reply.

He was currently under immense pressure from the severed finger of the Nascent Soul stage.

The backlash from that power of rules caused his body to tremble constantly, resulting in fine golden divine patterns and black demonic patterns appearing on his skin.

"Die."

Gu Yan twisted his wrist.

The floor tiles in the hall suddenly shattered, and the two dragon-transforming woods that were originally buried in the ground, under the control of the power of the paper realm, became like evil dragons that came to life, directly wrapping around the legs of the Yin Serpent Venerable.

In the mind of Venerable Yin Serpent, this was a trap set by True Man Qingmu.

He frantically swung his sword at the ground.

In the illusion, those pieces of wood transformed into Aoki Jin's legs.

In reality, every sword strike he made was frantically slashing at the protective magic treasures surrounding him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dull sounds of flesh colliding and magical artifacts shattering echoed densely in the mist.

Aoki Jinshin's five senses were blocked by the Ice Silkworm's cold energy, and he frantically attacked the air like a madman.

Each powerful punch actually landed precisely on Venerable Yin Serpent's chest through the paper-based pathway set up by Gu Yan.

And each of Yin She Venerable's poisonous swords, thanks to Gu Yan's intervention, pierced Qingmu Zhenren's vital points.

The two Golden Core cultivators, like two blindfolded gladiators, were trapped in the octagon directed by Gu Yan, each using the most brutal methods to devour the other's life force.

Blood had stained the entire sheet of white paper.

With the final burst of the Divine Transformation Fiend Qi, the blank sheet of paper finally could not withstand the pull of the rules and shattered in mid-air.

The shattered paper scraps transformed into countless white wind blades, sweeping across the entire hall.

"Disperse!"

Gu Yan gave a low shout, leaned forward, and made an ancient hand seal with his left hand.

All illusions receded like the tide at that moment, and the real world revealed its true face under the cruel moonlight.

Tiles and rubble from the lobby are still falling.

Aoki Masato stood frozen in the center of the hall, looking down at his abdomen.

There was a huge, ever-evolving cavity there.

The Yin Serpent Venerable's venom had seeped into his heart, and even his golden core had turned as black as ink, covered with spiderweb-like cracks.

For a fleeting moment, clarity returned to his cloudy eyes.

So he turned his stiff neck with difficulty, first glancing at the equally tragically dead Yin Snake Venerable, and then turning his gaze to Gu Yan, who looked covered in dust at the edge of the ruins.

"You...are not...a Foundation Establishment cultivator..."

Aoki Masato's voice was hoarse, and every word was accompanied by black bruises.

He saw in Gu Yan an indifference that made his soul tremble.

That wasn't the gaze of a Foundation Establishment junior, but the gaze of a god looking down upon all living beings, looking at the worthless grass.

Gu Yan looked at him, a golden light flashing in the depths of his eyes, and a smile that only Qingmu Zhenren could see appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He didn't speak, but simply put his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.

This pose became the last image that Aoki Masato saw in his life.

"Bang."

This outer sect elder of the Azure Dragon Sect, the most arrogant Golden Core cultivator in Changning County these past few days, suddenly had a sesame-sized hole explode in the center of his forehead.

His life force was completely cut off, and his whole body fell straight backward like a dead tree, crashing into the pile of rubble and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Three zhang away, the Yin Serpent Venerable had already become a pool of foul-smelling black water.

His spine was snapped by Qingmu Zhenren's dragon claws, and the poison in his body, now unrestrained, was frantically devouring his remaining limbs.

"Senior brother! Senior!"

Gu Yan let out a mournful and emotional cry.

He stumbled into the ruins, his hands covered in dust as he grabbed at Aoki Masato's clothes, his face filled with grief and helplessness.

"Why! For that broken map, you've actually turned on each other like this! This is a rare opportunity for immortality that my Changning County has finally found!"

He knelt beside Aoki Jin's corpse, his hands trembling violently, and a few murky tears squeezed from his eyes.

He portrayed the helplessness caused by the self-destruction of a precious treasure with remarkable depth.

At this moment, Song Hong and Xiao Chen, who had been thrown away by the blast wave, also arrived with the captain.

The disciples from the accompanying sects all turned pale.

They witnessed firsthand how the two Golden Core Ancestors fought each other wildly in the center of the hall, saw how Venerable Yin Serpent's poisonous sword pierced True Man Qingmu's throat, and understood how True Man Qingmu's dragon claws crushed Venerable Yin Serpent's chest.

This treasure hunt, which took place in full view of everyone, was devoid of any back-and-forth intrigue or elaborate ambushes; it was simply a lose-lose situation caused by naked greed.

"Senior Brother Gu, please accept my condolences."

An inner disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect stepped forward, his voice trembling.

Looking at the tragic scene on the ground, he felt a strange sense of sympathy for Gu Yan.

In his opinion, this junior brother Gu was really unlucky. A perfectly good treasure appraisal meeting was ruined into a graveyard by two greedy old monsters.

Gu Yan raised his head and wiped the soot off his face.

His hair was disheveled, and his Taoist robe was torn in several places. Although he looked disheveled, he had a kind of resilience that seemed to have crawled out of a pile of dead bodies.

"Please excuse my poor appearance, senior brother."

Gu Yan stood up, swaying slightly, but Song Hong caught him in time.

He turned to look at the rogue cultivators and other sect disciples who were still trembling, his voice becoming serious and hoarse.

"Gentlemen, you are all witnesses to what happened today. Senior Qingmu and Venerable Yinshe colluded in secret, intending to seize the public property of Changning County. However, a dispute over the division of the spoils led to a fire, resulting in the deaths of both of them and the complete destruction of the incomplete Nascent Soul Transformation Diagram by its activated spiritual power. Our Changning County Demon Suppression Division is the biggest victim of this incident!"

His tone was firm and authoritative, carrying an air of unquestionable official business.

"Sister Song, go and properly collect the remains of these two elders. Although they were ruthless and unjust, Changning County cannot be disrespectful. Another day, I will personally write letters to the Discipline Hall of the Flowing Cloud Sect, the Sect Leader of the Azure Dragon Sect, and the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. I want to ask them, is this the kind of behavior elders of prestigious sects possess?"

This was a brilliant move – the villain accusing the victim first.

Those sect disciples were originally worried that Gu Yan would take the opportunity to cause trouble, or even kill them to silence them.

Upon hearing that Gu Yan not only wanted to return the corpse but also to give a proper explanation, they all felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They dared not utter a single word of objection and nodded in agreement.

"Lord Gu is wise! We will depart now, and we would never dare to utter a single falsehood about what happened today!"

The Poison Child of Ten Thousand Poisons Valley didn't even bother to clean up the remaining pool of black water left by his ancestor. He ran out of the city as fast as he could, afraid that Gu Yan would regret it.

In less than half an hour, the previously chaotic Changning County quieted down.

The ruins of the main hall.

The watchman's clapper sounded faintly in the distance.

Standing amidst the ruins, Gu Yan looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, and the grief on his face instantly faded.

He opened his right hand, and the fragment of the Nascent Soul Transformation Diagram, which had originally been "burned," was lying quietly in his storage ring.

Although it was just a piece of scrap paper he had casually drawn, after being imbued with the aura of the severed finger of the Nascent Soul stage, even a Nascent Soul stage expert would only think that the divine object was concealing its true nature.

"Junior brother, you've won big this round."

Song Hong walked over, looking at the usually cheerful young man with a complicated expression.

She had sensed something was amiss from the side, but instinctively chose to remain silent.

"Did we win?"

Gu Yan smiled, took out a new folding fan from his sleeve, and opened it elegantly.

"Sister Song, there's never a sure thing in this world. These two lives are just interest."

He turned and looked towards the south of the city.

The pillars of fire there have been extinguished.

The clone Blood Swordsman relayed feedback through soul connection: the several ancient, flawed artifacts buried underground in the South City have all been acquired, and incidentally, the chaos has also allowed him to thoroughly clean up those unruly rogue cultivators in Changning County.

Today, the cultivators of Changning County, from the surface to the depths, from officialdom to the underworld, have become an impenetrable wall.

"Senior Brother Xiao, you've worked hard."

Gu Yan nodded to Xiao Chen, who emerged from the shadows.

Xiao Chen held the Broken Karma Sword in his arms, and his usually indifferent eyes twitched slightly when they looked at Gu Yan's fingers.

He could sense that something terrifying, capable of rewriting the world, was hidden in those sleeves.

"The city's defenses are in place. After those people escaped the city, they should treat this place as a forbidden zone and dare not return for a while."

Xiao Chen's words were concise and clear.

That would be best.

Gu Yan took a deep breath.

The moonlight shone on his face, which had been cleansed of dust and regained its elegance.

He walked to a pillar that hadn't yet burned through and reached out to brush away the frost.

"The cultivation world is too vast, and everyone wants to climb higher, forgetting that the ground beneath their feet is the most stable. After this battle, I will make the name Changning County a useless burden in the eyes of those big shots, tasteless to eat, yet causing them to bleed from their mouths."

He raised his head and looked up at the distant sky.

The seal on the severed finger of the Nascent Soul cultivator had become fragile, and within his Qi Sea, the Tower of Heaven was frantically stabilizing at an unprecedented speed.

The origin of the Xuanwu Stone Tablet combined with his divine and demonic foundation, allowing him not only to firmly establish himself at the peak of Foundation Establishment, but also to glimpse a trace of the true meaning of the Golden Core.

It wasn't the most common golden core in the cultivation world, but a unique golden core belonging to Gu Yan, the ruler of this paper world.

"Issue the results immediately to reassure the people."

Gu Yan turned and walked towards the side hall, his back view desolate yet imposing.

"It is said that the Demon Suppression Division has utterly destroyed the Demon Gate. Although the main hall was damaged, the people are unharmed. This is a blessing from Heaven. To celebrate, Changning County's tax revenue will be reduced by another 30%!"

His voice echoed in the night wind.

Those ordinary people who had been awake all night due to fear, upon hearing this news, gradually transformed their trembling prayers into an incredibly pure power of faith, flowing towards the county government like countless streams converging into the sea…