My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 434 Paper Man
In Chen Mu's courtyard.

Shi Dechun shook his head and sighed, "What bad luck!"

"In the past, evil spirits had a ten-year safety period, so why has it become a city-wide battle here?"

Chen Mu's expression was also not good.

The entire population of Jigu City was conscripted to fight, a desperate gamble that likely carried great danger.

"Didn't anyone run away?"

Where can they run to?

"The dark wilderness is teeming with black winds and monsters. Without the protection of a city, death will come even faster."

"Moreover, those old ghosts all say that there are twelve soul-summoning banners in the North Camp. As long as they are waved, we have to obediently follow the summons and there is no way to escape." Shi Dechun said with a mournful face.

A soul-summoning banner? Is that even a thing?
Chen Mu's expression grew increasingly grim.

No wonder the two men in black left after only giving a brief notice yesterday, without any harsh words or threats.

Moreover, their perfunctory attitude seemed to subtly encourage him to run away.

Chen Mu felt a chill run down his spine.

If they really try to escape, the consequences will likely be dire.

……

The basement of the two-story building.

A bedroom in a large, underground, secret room.

Chen Mu sat cross-legged on a soft couch, with a delicate jade plate on a low table beside him, and faint spiritual energy slowly emanating from the secret room.

Five pillars carved with intricate patterns stand on the surrounding walls. The Lesser Three Talents and the Light Law Restriction slowly operate, concealing the secret chamber while also firmly locking the earth's spiritual energy in the center of the chamber.

"I need to strengthen my forces as soon as possible," Chen Mu thought with a sense of melancholy.

With a thought, the gray-clad, bald boy suddenly disappeared, replaced by a young man in black, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

Chen Mu spread his five fingers on his right hand, and a burst of bluish-white lightning appeared.

He couldn't help but smile.

After months of quiet recuperation, his body, which had been corroded by the River of Oblivion, had fully recovered. Compared to his weak true form as a celestial demon, Chen Mu felt more at ease with his flesh and blood body, which was full of magical power.

"Although a group of ghostly creatures were lost, the Five Ghost Bag was intact, and the belongings inside were preserved."

"Although there was some damage due to unforeseen circumstances, reciting more spirit-nurturing incantations will allow you to recover quickly."

"Everything is normal inside the jade, and there has been no irreversible change."

"What a blessing!"

After a quick check, Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

"Practice the Qi Condensation Technique first; every bit of mana you gain is a bonus!"

"After that, I'll practice the Kui Water Yin Thunder. If we really get into trouble, I'll give these Yin spirits a shock with some thunder magic!"

Crack!

The underground chamber was instantly filled with violent lightning.

……

Yupinxuan.

"Soul-calling flag?"

"Jigu City does indeed possess this soul-capturing magical artifact."

"Look at those red lanterns," Le Yang'an said with a smile, pointing to the doorway.

"That thing can withstand the dark winds of the underworld and intimidate wild monsters, but it can also absorb your energy and label you."

“And any spirit whose energy has been absorbed by it cannot escape the summoning banner,” Le Yang said calmly.

Therefore, when Niu Sanmiao picked her up and brought her back to Jigu City, she had already passively become a member of Jigu City.
Chen Mu was speechless.

"Isn't anyone going to resist?" He believed that no one liked being controlled by others.

"Why do you think all the spirits of Jigu City are so eager to complete the cultivation of supernatural ghost patterns?" Le Yang'an shrugged.

Can the supernatural ghost pattern escape the summoning banner?

Chen Mu was immediately helpless: "It seems I still have to keep practicing my 'Flying Flame Scripture'."

"Ordinary spirits can only chant the Dew-Gathering Incantation, why do we have to take them to the battlefield?" He was somewhat annoyed.

"Isn't knowing the Dew Gathering Spell enough?" Le Yang'an chuckled.

"A living spiritual field? A mobile food supply?" Chen Mu realized.

"There's also battlefield cleanup and camp construction." Le Yang'an had clearly done his research beforehand.

"Of course, in most cases, the auxiliary soldiers are relatively safe, so you don't need to worry too much."

"If it's really that safe, what are all those people outside doing?" Chen Mu asked, skeptical, pointing with his chin at the increasingly bustling crowds on the street outside.

Le Yang'an shrugged: "The battlefield is ever-changing, and no one can guarantee their safety all the time. It's always good to be prepared."

"Besides, even when dealing with corpses, you'll always encounter a few that aren't quite dead yet," Le Yang'an winked at Chen Mu.

Chen Mu couldn't help but grin.

"Of course, if Brother Chen feels unsafe, I recommend you buy a few paper figures for protection." The usually calm and gentle Le Yang'an showed a rare gleam of excitement when talking about paper figures.

Chen Mu couldn't help but be surprised.

What is a paper figure? How could it make the usually composed Boss Le so emotionally expressive? Then he saw Le Yang'an turn around impatiently and proudly open a wooden cabinet door as tall as a person behind him.

A dense array of tiny paper figures came into view.

These paper figures, about the size of a palm, are made with tough strips of paper as the skeleton and various colored papers as the skin. Their eyebrows and eyes are drawn so vividly that they look just like real people.

Among them are young scholars holding books, old farmers carrying hoes, and generals riding horses, wearing armor, and holding swords, as if all aspects of life in the world have gathered in the cabinet.

Meanwhile, Le Yang'an, a fair-skinned middle-aged man in his forties, was looking at the cabinet full of paper figures with a kind expression, as if he were looking at his own children!
Chen Mu couldn't help but widen his eyes.

You're a warm-hearted, middle-aged man in your forties, and you actually like to hoard paper figurines?!

Isn't this contrast a bit too much?!
"Look at this paper figure of mine, is it complete?"

“I’ve observed people from all walks of life for a long time and carefully crafted them, and finally I’ve assembled a complete group.” As he spoke, a smug look inadvertently crept onto Le Yang’an’s face.

Did not expect ah did not expect.

You're actually like this, Boss Le?!
"What's the use of this paper figure?" Chen Mu asked tentatively.

"Of course, they'll represent us in the battle."

"You're a Taoist Qi practitioner, haven't you ever heard of the Yellow Turban Warriors?"

"This paper figure is the Yellow Turban Warrior, a spirit of evil."

As he spoke, he picked up the armored general and tossed it into the air. Accompanied by a faint fluctuation of divine power, the paper figure suddenly grew larger in mid-air.

There was a bang.

A general on horseback, clad in armor and wielding a thick-backed longsword, suddenly appeared before Chen Mu.

There was no trace of paper doll on the other side; it looked completely like a living person. The white-maned steed, also clad in armor, could even exhale steam with a snort—it was incredibly lifelike!

The general on horseback, long sword raised high, gave Chen Mu a palpable sense of menacing power!

"I want this!"

Chen Mu was overjoyed.

He understood that the paper figure, similar to the Yellow Turban Warrior talisman, could serve as a vessel for the power of Yin spirits. The Yin spirit's power, which was originally limited to reciting the Dew-Gathering Incantation, suddenly gained boundless might.

Whoosh!
The light and shadow spun and contracted in mid-air, and the armored general turned into a paper figure again and flew back into Le Yang'an's hands.

"I want some." He smiled broadly. "Please turn left after you go out. The paper figurines at the shop 300 meters away are made of high-quality materials and are reasonably priced. You can buy some there."

"Then you..."

"Not for sale!"

For personal enjoyment only!

Chen Mu: “…”

Tsk!
……

In the underground secret room of Chen Mu's small courtyard, south of Jigu City.

He sat on the soft couch, looking at the five little paper figures in front of him, and something just didn't feel right.

"Mr. Le's collection still has the most charm."

Driven by the power of the Yin spirits, five people, each about 1.7 meters tall, dressed in gray short-sleeved clothes, with blank expressions, appeared in the secret room.

Chen Mu switched to his true form, and the Five Ghost Paper Dolls appeared, which then turned into black smoke and entered between the mouths and noses of the five people.

The expressions on the five people's faces immediately became lively, and their every move clearly showed a crisp and decisive sense of power.

"It really works!" Chen Mu couldn't help but clench his fist.

The Five Ghosts Paper Dolls are essentially ghosts and monsters, perfectly suited to the underworld. With paper dolls as their vessel, they can appear openly and legitimately.

Ordinary paper effigies with limited abilities suddenly become trump cards when possessed by the Five Ghosts Paper Effigies.

"Now, even without revealing my true form and magical power, I can handle most difficulties and ensure my safety."

Satisfied, Chen Mu put away the paper doll and switched back to his true form as a celestial demon.

While cultivating his magical power these past few days, a thought suddenly popped into his head: now that he had to practice the supernatural ghost patterns, it would be a good opportunity to test them out.

Accompanied by a strange incantation, a handful of black flames suddenly appeared in his right palm.

Half an hour later, the flames began to surge and spread along the arm.

Chen Mu calmly extinguished the flames with the water of the River of Oblivion. After his mutilated body recovered on its own, he immediately switched back to his true flesh and blood form.

Then he grabbed a handful of jade dew and held it in his hand.

Soul-capturing and Returning to Origin!

A surge of warm essence rushed into his body, and under his deliberate control, it quickly disappeared into the secret acupoint between his eyebrows.

Once the jade pillar in his palm turned to powder, he switched back to his spirit form.

At this moment, the Yin Spirit power that had dissipated due to repairing the missing limbs was fully replenished, and its total amount was even slightly more than before!
"It's done!" Chen Mu couldn't help but clench his fist.

"The Yinming Jade Dew is indeed made of flesh and blood essence!"

"With the ability to quickly consolidate one's foundation and cultivate one's vital energy, one will not fear the dangers of the Flying Flame Scripture!"

"As long as I have enough Jade Dew and the River of Oblivion, I can cultivate continuously!"

"If we could cultivate supernatural ghost patterns before setting out on the campaign, wouldn't we be able to evade the Soul-Summoning Banner?"

"Ha ha!"

(End of this chapter)