Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 58 Ink-stained Green Bamboo, Two Ghosts Knocking on the Door

The ten thousand catties of purple-veined spirit bamboo left behind by Yun Canghai were piled up in the courtyard like a small mountain, emitting an alluring yet dangerous fragrance.

Gu Yan did not rush to start work.

He first took out the jade bottle filled with special medicinal powder, poured out a pill, and crushed it finely in his palm.

The powder is dark red and has a fishy, ​​sweet taste.

"Corpse Fragrance Konjac Powder, supplemented with the essence blood of a second-tier demon beast, and a trace amount of Illusion God Grass."

As a master of paper crafting, Gu Yan was very familiar with these private materials.

This formula not only attracts spirits, but also subtly erodes the user's mind, making them more susceptible to possession by ghosts.

That old bastard Yun Canghai is really vicious.

Gu Yan sneered and turned to walk into the secret room inside the house, which he had converted into a studio.

In the center of the secret room stood a huge stone vat filled with milky white bamboo pulp.

Gu Yan did not directly mix in the medicinal powder as Yun Canghai had instructed. Instead, he took out a handful of dark powder from his storage bag and sprinkled it in.

That's Soul-Locking Ash, a cheap material specifically used to suppress spiritual fluctuations.

Then, he took out several pieces of black talisman paper covered with twisted runes, lit them, and threw them into the vat to turn them into ashes.

"Since you want to summon a soul, I'll add a soul-locking technique for you. Once this paper is burned, what will be summoned won't be evil spirits, but rather ghostly soldiers who obey my commands."

This is the advanced application of paper-making techniques: turning the tables and taking control.

After tampering with the medicine, Gu Yan began to process the powder.

He soaked the medicinal powder in a special herbal juice to remove the Illusionary God Grass component, retaining only the Soul-Attracting properties, but weakening its effects by 70%.

In this way, the talisman paper produced appears to meet all the requirements on the surface, but in reality, it is just a dud that only smokes.

"We've stabilized the main body; now it's up to them over there."

Gu Yan wiped his hands, sat down cross-legged, and his divine sense instantly traversed a hundred miles.

……

Blood River Sect, Soul-Severing Cliff.

This is the Blood River Sect's black market trading point; only those holding elder tokens are allowed to enter.

The Blood Swordsman, exuding a murderous aura, walked alone on the dimly lit plank road.

The shops on both sides were filled with lanterns made of human skin, swaying with a ghastly green light.

He ignored the demonic cultivators selling furnaces and evil artifacts by the roadside and went straight to a pavilion called Ghost Market Pavilion.

This is the Blood River Sect's largest intelligence and contraband trading center.

"I want to buy information."

The Blood Swordsman threw a bag of mid-grade spirit stones, which landed on the counter.

The shopkeeper was a dwarf old man with only one eye.

He picked up the spirit stone bag and weighed it in his hand, a glint of light flashing in his single eye.

"The newly appointed Blood Shadow Elder of the Punishment Hall? A rare guest indeed. May I ask what the Elder wishes to inquire about?"

"Have any members of the Flowing Cloud Sect recently placed large orders for Netherworld Stones or Yin Gathering Pearls here?"

These two items are the core materials for setting up the Ghost Domain Array in conjunction with the Soul-Guiding Incense.

The dwarf shopkeeper's expression changed slightly, then he chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Elder, that's a good question. We business people value confidentiality..."

"Whoosh."

A flash of blood appeared.

The Blood Swordsman's hand, transformed into a sharp blade, was already pressed against the dwarf shopkeeper's throat, piercing a small part of the skin.

"I'll pay more."

The Blood Swordsman's voice was icy cold, "Use your life to add to it."

The dwarf shopkeeper froze, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

This new elder is indeed a madman; he'll start a fight at the slightest provocation.

"No...don't hit me! I'll talk! I'll talk!"

The dwarf shopkeeper shakily pulled out an account book from his robes, quickly flipping to a certain page. "Half a month ago, a masked person did indeed exchange a hundred Yin Gathering Pearls and a top-grade Netherworld Stone for pills from the Flowing Cloud Sect. The transaction took place in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave."

Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave?

That was one of the forbidden areas of the Blood River Sect, and also the place where Li Tianxing's grandfather, the Blood River Sect's patriarch, went into seclusion.

The clues have connected.

The Blood Swordsman sheathed his blade and turned to leave.

But after taking only a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the dwarf shopkeeper who was still wiping away cold sweat.

"You know too much."

"What?" The dwarf shopkeeper was taken aback.

The next moment, several blood-red paper butterflies that had somehow ended up under the counter suddenly exploded.

"boom!"

Flames shot into the sky.

The entire Ghost Market Pavilion was reduced to ruins in the explosion, along with the shopkeeper and the account books, all vanished into thin air.

The Blood Swordsman calmly departed amidst the flames of the explosion, like a tourist returning from a stroll.

If we're going to investigate, we must investigate thoroughly and completely, leaving no loopholes for others to follow the trail.

……

Liuyun Sect, Qingzhu Peak.

Gu Yan slowly opened his eyes, a playful smile curving his lips.

"Yun Canghai, the elder of the Dan Hall of the Liuyun Sect, colluded with the patriarch of the Xuehe Sect."

"One provides the Soul-Guiding Incense, the other provides the Yin-Gathering Pearl. Are these two old bastards planning to sacrifice both sects so they can ascend to immortality on their own?"

Although Gu Yan couldn't figure out their specific plans, he was certain that this was an absolutely terrifying trap.

And now, he is standing on the edge of this pit, holding a shovel to fill it in.

"Since you want to play big, then I'll play along."

Gu Yan stood up and looked at the vat full of bamboo pulp.

He made a hand seal and poured the specially treated bamboo pulp into the mold.

As spiritual energy was infused, pale yellow talismans gradually took shape.

They look ordinary and even a bit rough on the surface, perfectly fitting the persona of a servant's creation.

But hidden deep within that rough texture are countless, barely perceptible black threads.

That was Gu Yan's Soul-Locking Seal.

As long as Yun Canghai dares to use this batch of talismans, no matter what kind of ghost he wants to summon, the final control will fall into Gu Yan's hands.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"Gu Changsheng! Come out quickly! Something terrible has happened!"

He was another handyman disciple who lived on the next mountain, and he and Gu Yan were just nodding acquaintances.

Gu Yan opened the door, looking bewildered: "What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"

"Stop dawdling! Sect summons! We've heard that the Blood River Sect has suddenly launched an attack, carrying out a major offensive against a mine belonging to the Flowing Cloud Sect. The sect has ordered all outer disciples and laborers to go and take on missions to help transport supplies!"

Blood River Sect is attacking?

Gu Yan's heart stirred.

This is probably not a simple attack, but rather an attempt to cover up some larger move or to divert attention.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Gu Yan turned around and went back into the house, stuffing the first batch of specially made talismans he had just made into the deepest part of his storage bag.

"We were just worried about not having a chance to send this batch of goods out, and now this opportunity has come along!"

Turbulent times produce heroes.

Chaos is the best time to fish in troubled waters.

Gu Yan slung his signature tattered bundle over his shoulder, locked the door, and strode down the mountain.

This time, he was no longer a passively drawn-in pawn, but the player lurking in the shadows, ready to overturn the chessboard.