I am grinding experience in another world

In Chen Mu's small courtyard.

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

"In the past, Yin Spirits had a ten-year safety period, but how come when it's our turn, the entire city is drafted into battle?"

The expression on Chen Mu's face was also grim. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Everyone in Antiquity City was being conscripted for battle, a desperate gamble that likely harbored great danger.

"Has no one escaped?"

"Where could they run to?"

"Out in the Netherworld wilderness, there are Black Winds and demonic creatures. Without the city's protection, death would come even quicker."

"Moreover, those old ghosts say that the northern camp has twelve Soul Summoning Banners that only need to be shaken to make us heed the summons obediently, leaving no chance of escape." Shi Dechun's face was one of utter dejection.

Soul Summoning Banner? They had such a trick?

Chen Mu's face grew even more sullen.

No wonder the two men in black merely notified and left yesterday, without any threatening intimidation.

And it seemed the men's perfunctory attitude almost implicitly encouraged him to try escaping.

A chill suddenly ran through Chen Mu's heart.

If he really tried to escape, the outcome would likely be quite bleak.

…

Underground of the two-story building.

Inside an underground secret chamber of a bedroom.

Chen Mu sat cross-legged on a soft couch with an Exquisite Jade Plate placed on a low table next to him, as faint Spiritual Vitality slowly emerged within the secret chamber.

Around the walls, five pillars carved with intricate patterns stood, the Minor Three Talents Harmony Light Prohibition Method slowly rotating, concealing the secret chamber, and firmly locking the Earth Spirit Vitality at its center.

"I must quickly enhance my strength," Chen Mu thought regretfully.

With a thought, the grey-clothed bald youth suddenly disappeared, replaced by a black-clad, resilient-looking young man about twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

Chen Mu spread his right hand's fingers, and a burst of cyan-white thunder light flickered.

He couldn't help but reveal a smile.

After months of recuperation, his body, eroded by the River of Oblivion Water, had fully recovered. Compared to his weak True Form of Heavenly Demon, the body full of Mana provided much more comfort.

"Although I lost a group of Ghosts, the Five Ghosts Bag is intact, and the belongings inside are safe."

"The Curse Command is damaged, but with a few more recitations of the Spirit Nourishing Curse, it should recover quickly."

"Everything within the Jade Seed is normal; no irreversible changes have occurred."

"What a relief!"

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

"First, I'll practice the Condensing Aperture Technique. Any Mana I can get is good!"

"After that, I'll work on the Kui Water Yin Thunder. If I truly fall into a tight spot, I'll give these Yin Spirits a shocking dose of Thunder Law!"

Crackling!

The underground secret chamber was instantly filled with rampant thunder light.

…

Imperial Goods Pavilion.

"Soul Summoning Banner?"

"Antiquity City indeed possesses such soul-stirring Magic Artifacts."

"Look at that Red Leather Lantern," Le Yang'an said, smiling as he pointed towards the entrance.

"That thing can fend off the Netherworld Black Wind, can intimidate wild demons, but it can also absorb your Vital Energy, tagging you."

"And any Yin Spirit whose Vital Energy gets absorbed can't escape the summons of the Soul Summoning Banner," Le Yang'an stated calmly.

So, was I inadvertently made a part of Antiquity City when Niu Sanmiao picked me up and brought me back?

Chen Mu was at a loss for words.

"Has no one resisted?" He believed that no one would like being controlled by others.

"Why do you think every Yin Spirit in Antiquity City is so eager to complete the training of Divine Ghost Pattern?" Le Yang'an shrugged his shoulders.

Divine Ghost Pattern can also break free from the Soul Summoning Banner's summons?

Chen Mu was helpless, "It seems I have to keep practicing the Flight of Flame Scripture after all."

"A typical Yin Spirit only recites the Dew Harvesting Spell; why insist on taking them to the battlefield?" he said, annoyed.

"Is knowing the Dew Harvesting Spell not enough?" Le Yang'an chuckled lightly.

"Living Spiritual Fields? Movable provisions?" Chen Mu realized.

"And also battlefield cleanup, encampment construction," Le Yang'an obviously had done his homework.

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

"If it were that safe, what would those people outside be doing?" Chen Mu said, skeptical, nodding his chin towards the increasingly bustling street.

Le Yang'an shrugged, "Things on the battlefield can change instantly; no one can guarantee constant safety, and it's always good to be more prepared."

"Besides, even if it's handling the dead bodies, there are always a few that haven't completely perished, right?" Le Yang'an winked at Chen Mu.

Chen Mu couldn't help but bare his teeth in frustration.

"Of course, Brother Chen, if you feel unsafe, I recommend you buy a few paper men for protection," Le Yang'an, who had been calm and amiable, on mentioning the paper men, surprisingly showed a rare look of excitement.

Chen Mu was stunned.

What were these paper men that could make the usually composed shopkeeper Le so emotionally expressive?

Then he saw Le Yang'an couldn't wait to turn around, opening the door to a wooden cabinet as tall as a man behind him with a proud look on his face.

A thick cluster of little paper figurines immediately came into view.

These figurines, the size of a palm, used stiff paper strips as bones and various colored papers as skin, with facial features drawn so lifelike they seemed almost real.

Among them was a young scholar holding books, an old farmer carrying a hoe on his shoulder, and a general on horseback clad in armor and wielding swords, as if all the walks of life were gathered in the cabinet.

And Le Yang'an, a kind-looking middle-aged man in his forties, was currently gazing at the cabinet full of paper figurines with tender affection, as if he were looking at his own children!

Chen Mu couldn't help but stare wide-eyed.

You, a warmhearted middle-aged dude in your forties, actually enjoy collecting paper figurine models?!

Isn't this contrast a bit too stark?!

"Look how complete my collection of paper men is."

"I have observed people from all walks of life for a long time, sculpting them carefully, and finally, I've gathered a complete set." While speaking, a smug look unintentionally crawled onto Le Yang'an's face.

Who would have thought, who would have thought.

That you would be such a person, Boss Le?!

"What's the use of these paper people?" Chen Mu ventured to ask.

"Of course, to fight on our behalf."

"Being a Qi cultivator from the Daoist sect, have you never heard of the Yellow Turban Strongman?"

"These paper men are the Yellow Turban Strongmen of Yin spirits."

With that, he picked up the armor-clad general and tossed it into the air, accompanied by a burst of subtle divine power fluctuations. The paper figure suddenly enlarged in mid-air.

With a loud bang,

A general on horseback, clad in armor, holding a thick-backed long saber, suddenly appeared in front of Chen Mu.

There was no trace of the paper figure to be seen on him; he looked completely like a living person. The white steed also clad in armor snorted and even exhaled a mist of hot breath, lifelike and vivid!

And the general on horseback, with saber lifted high, Chen Mu felt a presence that was almost tangible, one of sheer ferocity?!

"I want this one!"

Chen Mu was immediately overjoyed.

He understood that similar to the Yellow Turban Strongman Talisman, paper figures could serve as vessels for Yin spirit divine power. The divine power of Yin spirits, which could only recite the Dew Harvesting Spell, suddenly gained boundless might.

Whoosh!

The light and shadows in mid-air twisted and contracted, and the armored general turned back into a paper figure and flew back into Le Yang'an's hand.

"Want it, huh." He said with a smile, "The trouble is stepping outside, turning left, and three hundred meters from here, the shop sells paper figures made from solid materials with fair prices; you can go there and buy some."

"And this one..."

"Not for sale!"

"For personal enjoyment only!"

Chen Mu: "..."

Tsk!

...

South of Antiquity City, underground secret chamber beneath Chen Mu's small courtyard.

He sat on a soft couch, looking at the five small paper figures in front of him, no matter how he looked at them, something felt off.

"Boss Le's treasured collection truly has a charm to it."

With Yin spirit divine power activated, five figures around 1.7 meters tall, dressed in gray short clothes, with wooden expressions, emerged in the secret chamber.

Chen Mu switched to his true form, the Five Ghosts Paper Man appeared, and instantly turning into black smoke, they entered through the mouths and noses of the five figures.

Facial expressions on the five figures suddenly became lively, and their movements betrayed a sense of brisk, efficient power.

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

The basis of the Five Ghosts Paper Men were Ghosts, inherently perfect in adapting to the Netherworld. With paper figurines as their vessels, they could appear in the open, righteously.

Ordinary paper figurines with limited capabilities, once possessed by the Five Ghosts Paper Men, became an ace up the sleeve.

"Now, even without exposing my true form and mana, I can deal with most difficulties and ensure my safety."

Pleased, he put away the paper figures and switched back to his True Form of Heavenly Demon.

These past few days, while cultivating his mana, he suddenly had an idea. Now that he had to practice the Divine Ghost Pattern, it was a good time to test it.

Accompanied by a bizarre Curse Command, a bunch of black flames suddenly appeared in his right palm.

An hour later, the flames began to rage and spread up his arm.

Chen Mu, unfazed, extinguished the flames with the River of Oblivion Water, waiting for the damaged body to heal on its own. Immediately after, he quickly switched back to his True Flesh Body.

Then he griped a handful of Jade Dew firmly in his hand.

Absorption of soul returns to the origin!

A stream of warm Vital Energy instantly flowed into his body and quickly disappeared into the secret spot on his forehead under his deliberate control.

When the pillar of Jade Dew in his palm turned to powder, he switched back to his Yin spirit form again.

At this point, the Yin spirit divine power that had been dissipated due to bodily repair was not only replenished but had even slightly increased in volume!

"Success!" Chen Mu couldn't help but clench his fist again.

"Netherworld Jade Dew really is pure flesh and Vital Energy!"

"With the fast foundation-strengthening and elemental-cultivating of the Absorption of Soul Returns to the Origin, I needn't fear the dangers of the Flight of Flame Scripture!"

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

"If I can refine the Divine Ghost Pattern before being dispatched, wouldn't I be able to avoid the Soul Summoning Banner?"

"Haha!"