Please be my partner.

Page 536

"The mastermind behind these wooden and paper figures is a powerful being deep within Wushan Mountain, one of the true rulers of Wushan!"

Mellen laughed, “Leave? If I really leave, it will be these small mountain villages at the foot of Wushan that suffer. It just so happens that my method of commanding the gods is still lacking practice subjects, and they have come at the perfect time.”

The method of bestowing divine mandate is the absolute core of Mellen's future plans, but it still has many flaws. The fact that he was able to bestow the title upon Hongxiu this time was entirely due to the sheer force of the brick. Mellen forcibly expended even more power to succeed, and there was even a factor that Hongxiu herself was not strong enough.

If each conferment of a deity consumes so much resources, or even more, then Meron probably won't be able to confer many deities in a year or two. Therefore, it is natural to seek ways to improve the situation.

Those wooden and paper figures, as well as the many ghosts of Wushan, naturally became experimental subjects in Mellen's eyes.

Seeing that Mellen said this, Hongxiu gritted her teeth and said, "Young master, I will go with you!"

Mellen did not refuse and led the way toward Wushan.

Before long, Mellen saw several paper figures searching carefully. They naturally noticed the swaggering Mellen immediately and gathered around him while sending messages.

A slight smile played on Mellen's lips as he drew rapidly in the air with his fingers. Almost instantly, three talismans appeared, similar to those used when Hongxiu was bestowed the title, but simpler in design.

Under Mellen's control, the three divine decrees transformed into streams of light and shot into the bodies of the three paper figures.

Instantly, the blazing light engulfed the paper figure.

Chapter 676 Deep in Wushan

After waiting a moment, Murren looked at the three paper figures that had burned to ashes in the radiance and muttered to himself, "Was it still too intense? The transformation process was also uneven... We also need to consider the characteristics of the ghosts themselves... The structure of the deities is also unstable..."

Although the gods and spirits born from the method of commanding the gods are similar in essence, their forms of expression are completely different. Just like diamonds and charcoal, turning charcoal into diamonds requires more than just high temperature and high pressure; it also requires more complex reactions.

Mellen collected the last remaining remnants of the three paper figures and continued on his way.

Before long, three more paper figures appeared in front of Mellen. Mellen threw out three divine command talismans again, but these three divine command talismans were more or less different from the previous three.

"Waaaaah!~"

The paper figures do not have the ability to speak or communicate, but when they are lit by the divine talisman, they still emit a shrill scream that sounds like the wailing of ghosts.

The three paper figures met different fates: one melted quickly like a snowflake under the warm sun, another expanded and burst like a balloon, and the last one struggled for a long time, even radiating a divine aura, but unfortunately, it still turned into nothingness.

Mellen understood that even this third paper figure was far from the finished product he wanted, but at least it was a direction worth exploring.

What surprised Mellen even more was that the remnants of the third paper figure were distinctly different from the others, containing a small amount of turbid crystals, which exuded a divine aura.

Thus, while the wooden and paper figures were searching for Mellen, Mellen was also giving thanks for the gifts from nature, using these wooden and paper figures as the best research material.

Gradually, as more and more wooden and paper figures were lost, they also sensed something was wrong. Although they did not know that Mellen was using them for experiments, they understood that if their numbers decreased, they would not only be unable to do anything to Mellen, but would also be killed by Mellen. The key was that Mellen's movement speed was extremely fast, and every time they locked onto his tracks, he would be quickly shaken off.

So the wooden man and the paper man immediately adjusted their strategy, no longer casting a wide net, but forming a small team of one wooden man and more than ten paper men. Although this reduced the search efficiency, it at least delayed them a little longer when they encountered Mellen.

In addition, although we have been unable to pinpoint Mellen's exact location since he appeared, we still have a general area in mind.

Thus, after losing seven or eight wooden figures and hundreds of paper figures, Mellen was eventually surrounded by a large number of wooden and paper figures.

Looking at the countless wooden and paper figures in the sky, on the ground, and in all directions, Mellen laughed and said, "They really think highly of me, sending so many of their men."

The wooden figures and paper figures did not respond, nor did they rush to attack. One of the wooden figures, which appeared more exquisite than the others, stepped forward and said, "Human? Exorcist?"

Mellen chuckled, "Oh? You can communicate? Who are you?"

The wooden figure said, "Don't you recognize me? I am Yin Kui, the controller of Wushan. And who are you? What power did you use that day?"

"That..." Mellen said casually, "That's the power of the sun. As for me, I'm just a nobody."

"The sun?" Yin Kui seemed a little puzzled. Although there was a sun in the Ghost Carriage World, due to the influence of the rules, the sun did not have a direct killing power on the ghosts themselves. At most, it only made the ghosts lazy.

Yin Kui couldn't comprehend things beyond her comprehension, so she naturally didn't understand the meaning of Melen's words. Fortunately, for Yin Kui, these things could be discussed later. She said, "You're very interesting. I can give you a chance to submit to me."

"Submission?" Mellen found it amusing. He had been talking to the Yin Puppet to see if there would be any unexpected gains, but he didn't expect it to end up being such a tired old story.

Seeing through Mellen's thoughts, Yin Kui's tone turned gloomy: "What a pity. Since you are unwilling to submit, I will have no choice but to make you my puppet. I hope that becoming a puppet will not affect your ability to use that power."

This surprised Mellen somewhat, but what surprised him was not that the Yin Puppet wanted to turn him into a puppet, but that the Yin Puppet actually coveted his power.

Mellen clicked his tongue and said, "Although it's a bit wasteful, it would be quite troublesome for me to bring so many at once. I'll have to reduce the number for now."

As he spoke, Mellen sketched the sun symbol with a single stroke, and the blazing sun that had once appeared in the Rift Valley rose again, its brilliant light shining in all directions.

Yin Kui sneered, "You think I'd be caught off guard by the same move?"

The wooden and paper figures emanated a malevolent aura, and invisible threads connected them together, forming a large array of yin energy.

The dazzling light collided with the malevolent energy, producing a sizzling sound like boiling oil meeting hot water, and the energy surged violently, creating layers of tides.

A few breaths later, the light went out, and the Yin Qi array also dimmed.

Mellen said with some surprise, "They actually blocked it?"

Only then did Mellen vaguely realize that although these were also wooden and paper figures, their materials seemed to be slightly different from those he had encountered in the rift valley.

Clearly, they knew about his Sun Talisman in advance and made special adjustments. Combined with the Yin Qi array, they bound all the wooden and paper figures into one, which is why they were able to withstand his attack.

Although there were some losses, only one-tenth of the paper figures were lost, while all the wooden figures were intact.

The puppet looked down at Mellen and said, "Unless you can use this level of attack five more times in a row, you will have no choice but to become my puppet today."

Mellen nodded slightly and said, "Indeed, if it were an area-of-effect attack like the one just now, I would need five more attacks to break the threshold of your Yin Qi formation. So, how about this one?"

Mellen drew the sun symbol again, but this time the rising 'sun' did not release light and heat indiscriminately. Instead, under Mellen's control, all the energy was concentrated and erupted at one point.

The intense beam of light directly engulfed the Yin Puppet, then relentlessly tore a hole in the Yin Qi array.

While pulling Hongxiu back, Mellen said, "Yin Kui, right? I'll remember you. Don't worry, we'll meet again soon, and I'll give you a surprise then!"

As he spoke, Mellen used his free hand to draw another talisman. As the talisman took shape, a spatial fluctuation flashed, and the two of them disappeared.

Dozens of miles away, amidst a spatial ripple, the figures of Mellen and Hongxiu appeared.

Hongxiu looked around and realized that they had not only not moved away from Wushan, but were actually deeper into Wushan. Recalling what Mellen had said before, Hongxiu understood that her young master did this on purpose because he did not want to bring trouble to those small mountain villages.

As Mellen drew another talisman, his and Hongxiu's figures gradually faded and disappeared, their very presence becoming faint.

For a long time afterward, Mellen continued to experiment with and research the divine edict in Mount Wu, while also quietly accumulating strength.

The Yin Puppet is already quite powerful based on what it has shown so far. Mellen will not underestimate it just because it destroyed one of the puppets by surprise.

Moreover, there may be many more ghostly creatures of the same level as Yin Kui in Wushan. If Mellen wants to sweep through Wushan without being able to unleash his full power, he will need to make more preparations.

Wushan Valley, a statue of a demon.

The ghost asked, "Yin Kui, what's the result of the matter I asked you to investigate before?"

Yin Kui said casually, "That's about it. It's just a little mouse."

"Is that right?"

The ghost looked at the thousand-year-old zombie, who naturally understood what he wanted to ask and said, "According to the feedback from the Yin Meridians, the rapid fading of Yin energy over there has stopped."

Ghost nodded slightly, no longer concerned about the matter, and instead asked, "How are the preparations going?"

The thousand-year-old zombie said, "The accumulation of Yin energy is almost complete."

Yin Kui said, "My side is almost done too. The specially made stone golems have met the basic quantity requirements."

Ghostly said in a deep voice, "The basic quantity is not enough; we need at least 30% more to allow for error!"

Yin Kui's gentle smile remained unchanged, but her tone was extremely displeased as she said, "This thing is too ugly, it has no aesthetic appeal at all! Okay, I know, I'll make more later."

The ghost said, "This concerns Lord Ghost King's plan, and I hope you will treat it with caution!"

"Hmph!" Yin Kui snorted and did not respond further.

The ghost ignored him and continued, "I have gathered a large number of evil spirits on my side. The Netherworld Blood Demon on their bodies is incredibly powerful. Not only is it extremely corrupting, but it can also withstand the suppression of the City God's power for a short time, which is enough to ensure that we achieve our goal after the plan begins."

"As long as we can break through Fengshan City, with the abundant blood offerings within and the ghost soldiers, ghost generals, and judges of the underworld, we also have the possibility of being promoted to Ghost King!"

Faced with the ghostly promises, neither the thousand-year-old zombie nor the Yin puppet remained silent.

They're all ancient ghost stories, why are they playing with foxes?

In comparison, Yin Kui focused almost all his attention on Mellen, because in his view, although the power of the Great Sun used by Mellen had a great restraining effect on all ghosts, the Great Sun was more harmful to ghosts and zombies, whether they were yin spirits or thousand-year-old zombies. On the other hand, although Yin Kui was also restrained, the degree was much less severe because she had a vessel.

Once they acquire Melon, the Yin Puppet will have an unexpected trump card, giving them a greater advantage when facing millennia-old zombies or ghosts in the future.

Even the Ghost King, if caught off guard by the power of the Great Sun, would likely not fare well.

What's giving Yin Kui a headache now is that Mellen is too slippery. Apart from that one time when she managed to surround her but the latter escaped, she hasn't had another chance like that.

Every time the wooden and paper figures discover Mellen's whereabouts, Mellen makes his escape before they can even form an encirclement.

Just as Yin Kui was racking his brains trying to capture Mellen, the ghost who had returned to his lair became increasingly uneasy. As his thoughts fluctuated, several black and red ghostly figures appeared around him.

The ghost said, "Go and see what's going on east of Wushan."

Upon receiving the order, the black and red ghostly figure immediately transformed into a streak of light and vanished.

In a hidden cave on the outskirts of Wushan.

Mellen placed a piece of yellow paper on a flattened boulder. Tiny points of light gathered at his fingertips, and he quickly began to carve on the paper. As his fingers moved, shimmering golden patterns appeared on the paper.

Once the process was completed in one go, a large amount of energy seemed to form a small vortex that enveloped the yellow paper, and it only stopped after a good half-hour.

After carefully putting away the drawn talisman, a satisfied smile appeared on Mellen's face.

After being divinely granted the power to enter the record, the power that Mellen could exert was no longer comparable to what it used to be. Even the complete Six Ding Six Jia Talisman could be drawn relatively easily.

Furthermore, as his understanding deepened during this period, the Six Ding Six Jia Talisman in Mellen's hands was no longer the original version, but a much more powerful and improved version, and the golden-armored soldiers he summoned had also undergone earth-shattering changes.

The original golden-armored soldiers were ten feet tall, clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons, and were very imposing.

Now, after being modified by Melen, the golden-armored soldiers are slightly smaller, only about 2.5 meters tall, but their defense is higher and their strength is greater. At the same time, they have been incorporated into the battle formation system. The more golden-armored soldiers Melen summons at the same time, the stronger they can exert.

Furthermore, after being linked by energy, all the golden-armored soldiers are connected to each other. Once a golden-armored soldier is defeated, its remaining power will attach to the other golden-armored soldiers. The more soldiers die, the stronger the remaining ones become.

Now, Mellen has over a hundred Six Ding Six Jia Talismans, which gives him enough confidence.

More importantly, after this period of analysis, Mellen's authority in the humanitarian torrent has become increasingly profound. This not only allows him to exert more humanitarian power, but also further unlocks his own strength. He is now able to exert one or two tenths of his power in the Ghost Carriage World.

By this time, Mellen was more or less confident in dealing with the powerful ghosts deep within Mount Wu.

Mellen's first target was naturally the Yin Puppet, which would also be a good opportunity to test the new method of divine command he had been working on recently.

As they left the cave, just as Mellen and Hongxiu were about to head deeper into Wushan, several wisps of black and red ghostly mist suddenly drifted in from the distant sky. These black and red ghostly mists seemed extremely fierce; wherever they passed, ghosts would be devoured by them, and even plants would wither and decay due to the loss of vitality.

These black and red ghostly mists seemed to have spotted the human, Mellen, and flew rapidly toward him.

Mellen didn't take it seriously. When the black and red ghostly mist got close, he first released an exorcism talisman to freeze them briefly, and then one of the ghosts gave him a divine command talisman.

"Rage!"

A piercing scream rang out, truly like the wailing of ghosts and gods.

Mellen didn't have high hopes; he just wanted to collect the remaining items after the results came out and then leave.

To his surprise, the black and red ghostly mist gave him a pleasant surprise. The divine command lasted on them for an unexpectedly long time, and faint wisps of divine radiance began to spread within the mist.

Chapter 677 Your takeout has been delivered

After careful observation, Mellen finally discovered the trick: these black and red ghostly mists were not ordinary ghosts; they seemed to have merged with some kind of earthly evil.

That's right, it's the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends that Mellen encountered in the Great Hua World. Back then, the Nine Provinces Alliance had made some preliminary research on the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends and was able to integrate them into the bodies of martial artists who had just taken the first step in the martial arts path, thereby enhancing their strength.

Later, Mellen also saw descriptions of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends in the records of the Wudang Sect. These were treasures that could be born in many worlds.

Depending on the world's rules, intensity, conditions, and other factors, the types and properties of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends can vary greatly. Most of them are only useful for the first step of martial arts, but some Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends that are born in harsh environments and have accumulated over a very long time can provide some assistance even to legendary powerhouses.

As a fragment of the main world, the Ghost Carriage World also carries the core rules of humanity, so it is naturally somewhat different.

After several minutes, the black and red ghostly mists failed to complete their transformation and turned into ashes. However, they left behind two kinds of residues: one was divine crystals, similar to those of other ghostly creatures that failed to transform, and the other was earthly evil energy.

These earthly evil energies, originally associated with blood, seem to have undergone some changes in nature after being transformed by the method of divine command.

While collecting these items, Mellen had already figured out many key issues.

Previously, Mellen had fallen into a misconception. He had always thought about how to transform ghosts into gods in one step. This was certainly not impossible, but the experiments and research required would definitely not be something that could be done in a short period of time.

However, if we change our approach and increase the strength of the ghost itself during the transformation process, we can reduce the risks during the transformation and naturally increase the margin for error and improve the success rate.

This is similar to adding a neutralizing agent to a chemical reaction, which can inhibit the degree of reaction and thus achieve control.

Currently, it seems that this earthly evil energy can have a good effect.

With this in mind, Mellen's desire to rush into the depths of Wushan and wreak havoc faded. Although he still began to advance into the depths of Wushan, he focused his main attention on researching new ideas.

Three days later, after more than ten ghosts had 'practiced in person,' Melen finally completed the Divine Command 2.0.

The new version of the Divine Command Technique requires Earthly Fiend Qi as a casting material, and the success rate of transforming ghosts can reach more than 50%, which has already satisfied Mellen quite a bit.