By the shores of White Bird Lake.

"Had I known earlier, I wouldn't have been greedy for this bit of Divine Power." Chen Mu looked at the distant sky with black clouds, full of regret.

In just a short while, the black fireworks exploded more and more in the sky, one layer covering another, already trending towards obscuring the day.

In his Truthful Listening Divine Power perception, those Black Wind Demons each possessed formidable power; the weakest rivaled an Enlightened Monster, and the vast black clouds were equivalent to a large group of Third Level Qi Refiners!

White Bird City had a population of hundreds of thousands to a million, but most were ordinary Yin Spirits. Those who had learned secret techniques and awakened Divine Skills barely amounted to less than one-tenth.

The City Defense Camp consisted of forty thousand soldiers, already the city's elite, and seventy percent of them used the common Great Power Divine Ability.

"Fighting won't work."

"I'm not afraid, but I'm afraid countless White Bird City residents will die or be injured."

These were all excellent leeks, sources of Divine Power; losing one would mean losing a portion of his Divine Power.

"I can only take people and run." Chen Mu sighed.

He calmed down, and countless faintly visible energy appeared in his perception.

They densely filled various parts of White Bird City, and the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed began to exert itself.

"With this energy connection, I can forcibly utilize the Mountain-Carrying Scripture, to gather all Yin Spirits and take them along to escape."

"Xu Gui, that fat guy with a brain full of colorful fertilizers, finally did something good."

"If it weren't for him forcing everyone to recite scriptures collectively every day, I wouldn't be able to plant the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed on the whole city so quickly." Chen Mu felt slightly relieved.

Just as he thought of Xu Gui, a burst of ghostly cries and wolf howls sounded beside him.

His Truthful Listening Divine Power swept across, and Chen Mu discovered a round figure outside Ring Mountain by White Bird Lake.

None other than Xu Gui.

Compared to a month ago, Xu Gui's body had expanded by at least two folds. Round head, round belly — he looked like a ball with limbs and a head.

At this moment, Xu Gui seemed like a bouncing ball or a large flea, leaping hundreds of meters with each jump, rolling and crawling towards White Bird Lake.

Behind him was a huge black smoke ball slowly pursuing him.

The black smoke ball sometimes became a ball, sometimes turned into a seven-eight meter long cat with black and gold striped wings on its back.

Every time Xu Gui leaped, it would extend its paw to swipe him down, knocking Xu Gui to the ground.

Then it would stay put, waiting for Xu Gui to jump up again and swiftly close in, repeating the trick. As if playing with a toy ball, enjoying it endlessly.

"Is this the Black Wind Demon?"

"It's not how I imagined it."

"Why does it look... a bit naughty?"

Chen Mu's expression turned odd.

While pondering, Xu Gui and the Black Wind large cat crossed over Ring Mountain, nearing White Bird Lake.

"Oh crap…"

"Old Chen! Old Chen! Help me please..."

Seeing Chen Mu from afar, Xu Gui was so excited he nearly cried.

The Great Power Divine Ability was at full throttle, nearly creating sparks under his feet as he swiftly leaped behind Chen Mu.

Chen Mu glanced back at Xu Gui's pale face, his clothes almost cooked into noodles, and his mouth twitched.

"Regret it?" he jeeringly remarked.

"Always fooling around at Fan Building."

"Had you spent more effort understanding Yin Wind Escape, you wouldn't be in such a sorry state."

"Turn around quickly, that Black Wind Demon! That ghostly thing is coming!" Xu Gui wasn't listening to Chen Mu, trembling like a leaf while pointing at the Black Wind Demon behind him.

Chen Mu rolled his eyes and turned to the nearby two-winged black cat with interest.

Having been at Mist Ridge for over a year, he had heard many tales of Black Wind Demons. Seeing one up close, this was truly the first time.

"Apart from transforming into Exotic Beasts, its appearance really resembles Ghosts."

"Sinister and eerie, its aura is similar too. Could it be a variant of some Ghost?" Chen Mu examined, intrigued.

Yin Spirits were special variants of Ghosts, and perhaps Black Wind Demons were too.

But...

What is this big cat looking at?

Chen Mu noticed.

The previously carefree big cat had halted its steps after crossing Ring Mountain not long ago.

Then... it began arching its back, flaring its fur, baring its teeth, and hissing.

While hissing, it stealthily retreated.

The crimson eyes were fixed on Chen Mu... not far from Chen Mu were the Five Ghosts Paper Dolls.

"Afraid of the Five Ghosts Paper Dolls? Or... afraid of the Five Ghosts Paper Dolls' Yama Emperor's Command?!"

Chen Mu's heart fluttered, his eyes brightened.

"Sinister like Ghosts, capable of transforming into black smoke gatherings and flying, when seeing the Five Ghosts Paper Dolls, it's like a mouse seeing a cat."

"This Black Wind Demon, really is a Ghost variant then?"

No wonder for the past year, Black Wind Demons have been avoiding him.

Turns out they fear the Yama Emperor's Command that can command Ghosts!

Chen Mu suddenly understood.

The Yama Emperor's Command is a Divine Skill evolved from the Five Ghosts Moving Mountain Secret Art, which is rooted in the Five Ghosts Paper Dolls and can forcibly command Ghosts.

Ghosts fear the Five Ghosts Paper Dolls, which is sensible!

"Go, catch that little cat back." Chad Mu motioned his chin towards the Five Ghosts Paper Dolls, who were sitting in rows on the fishing rod.

The long-enduring Five Ghosts Paper Dolls swooshed to the side of the winged big cat, engulfing it in eerie, sinister laughter, trapping it completely.

Watching the fierce-eyed, circling cat hissing yet never daring to flee, Chen Mu nearly burst out laughing.

Indeed, it's afraid of the Yama Emperor's Command.

Chen Mu looked at the big cat, then at the Black Wind Demons gathering like clouds in the sky.

"It seems, there's no need to rush moving people now."

…

Forty miles outside White Bird City, on an unnamed hill.

A Water Mirror floated before Qin Yisheng.

Its reflections transformed, displaying a bird's-eye view of White Bird City.

Currently, countless Black Wind Demons were continuously invading White Bird City. Especially in the surrounding areas, clusters of black smoke connected, nearly covering the entire sky.

"First time wielding Divine Weapon, lacking Divine Power. Being able to open a barrier is already the limit, trying to manipulate Divine Weapon to expel the black wind..."

"Ha!" Qin Yisheng sneered.

The plan was working; the New City Lord of White Bird City would soon become utterly isolated.

Even holding a Divine Weapon, he's just a larger Commander.

The commanders who have died by my hand are not just one or two.

Qin Yisheng turned his head to look at the armored soldiers behind him: "Send a message to the rear army, prepare to receive the refugees from White Bird City."

"Use any means necessary, even if it's breaking their legs and dragging them, make sure not a single one is left behind and bring them all back to Three Paths City."

The addition of this city's scripture reciters will significantly increase the divine power; maybe the old ancestor can endure a few more days.

Qin Yisheng's expression was heavy.

And that ambitious Wuxiang City, Wei Wubing.

"Once I obtain the White Bird Divine Soldier, stabilize Three Paths City, huh..."

Just as he was contemplating the next phase of his plan, the water mirror in front suddenly rippled.

Qin Yisheng instinctively lowered his head and saw a menacing Black Dragon, hundreds of meters long, suddenly rising from the center of White Bird City.

Its body was surrounded by black and silver clouds, its massive scarlet eyes resembling black lightning, swirling rapidly around White Bird City.

Wherever it passed, black clouds accompanied it, and in no time, all the Black Wind Demons gathered at the center of White Bird City, akin to a dense, impenetrable curtain.

The Black Dragon swam within the black clouds, appearing and disappearing, increasingly majestic and mysterious.

Just watching through the water mirror, Qin Yisheng couldn't help but shiver in spirit.

Dragon Taming Divine Power?

Cloud Riding?

Impossible!

Qin Yisheng's scalp tightened.

Those black clouds are not real clouds; they are groups upon groups of Black Wind Demons that can only be killed or expelled, yet no one can manipulate them!

Before he could figure out how this came to be, the giant dragon suddenly protruded its head from the black clouds and roared towards the sky.

The water mirror instantly shook violently, and shattered in the blink of an eye.

In the last image, he only saw countless black clouds transform into a giant funnel, swirling and contracting, rapidly falling into White Bird City.

Qin Yisheng's entire body shuddered, his pupils constricting.

This divine power...

"General? We..."

"Retreat first!"

"Until we understand who this person is, don't act recklessly!"

...

By White Bird Lake

Chen Mu stood under a tree, the Five Ghosts Bag floating before him, a funnel composed of countless black smoke above his head.

Accompanied by a spine-chilling cacophony of ghostly cries and wolf howls, countless Black Wind Demons were continuously spinning and falling into the Five Ghosts Bag.

In no time, all the Black Wind Demons were driven into the Five Ghosts Bag by the Candle Dragon Dharma Form, and the pitch-black sky restored to brightness.

The Candle Dragon Dharma Form coiled its body, quietly floating mid-air, its scarlet eyes coldly surveying the entirety of White Bird City.

The city of White Bird that had been filled with frantic cries instantly plunged into silence.

Not until the Candle Dragon Dharma Form slowly faded into the void did White Bird City seem to come back to life, gradually emitting some noise.

Chen Mu stowed the Five Ghosts Bag, nodding in satisfaction.

The Yama Emperor's Command is the divine ability after the perfection of the Five Ghosts Mountain-moving Technique, rooted in the Five Ghosts Paper Man.

The Candle Dragon Dharma Form is realized through a united secret technique, using Five Ghosts Possession Technique as bone, Mountain-Carrying Scripture as flesh, Five Dragons Scripture as skin, also based on Five Ghosts Paper Man.

This makes the Candle Dragon Dharma Form inherently come with Yama Emperor's Command, and it's the amplified version through Ten Thousand Ghosts Carrying Mountains.

With a little exertion, he easily manipulated the entire city's Black Wind Demons.

What a great divine power!

"But where did all these Black Wind Demons come from?"

Chen Mu squinted his eyes.

Earlier, he thought it was due to the extraction of Divine Soldier Barrier's divine power, leaving the defense vulnerable, allowing Black Wind Demons to exploit the gap.

Now he knows the Black Wind Demons fear the Yama Emperor's Command.

These ghostly things would avoid him, yet why are they proactively moving towards White Bird City?

"Someone is behind this, creating chaos!"

Instantly, Chen Mu thought of the lurking power that was perceived and crushed by the Divine Soldier Barrier earlier.

"Vice City Lord Xu, still dazed?" He glanced sideways at the gaping Xu Gui behind him,

"With the city in panic, aren't you going to appease them?"

"Also, have the City Defense Camp investigate, what's really going on with this Black Wind assault on the city."

This matter needs clarification.

Being secretly targeted isn't good.

...

The next day, at dawn.

Chen Mu, as usual, began extracting divine power for cultivation.

Right from the start, he realized something was amiss.

The amount of divine power was more than double that of usual!

"Is it because of yesterday's scare from the Black Wind Demons, causing people to feel panicked, with heightened emotions leading to a surge in divine power?" Chen Mu comprehended.

So...

Was the Black Wind Demons' invasion during Old Lu Gong's era really due to him intercepting too much divine power, resulting in weakened barrier defenses?

Chen Mu was astonished.

Was Old Lu Gong intentionally letting Black Wind Demons into the city?

Just to stimulate White Bird City's populace, causing greater emotional output?

"It's possible!" Chen Mu increasingly felt it was so.

He surmised the targeted individuals might even be carefully selected?

"The old generation's strategies are indeed ruthless."

Chen Mu clicked his tongue in wonder.

"Why not, use a little myself?"

"The Five Ghosts Bag has so many Black Wind Demons lying there and it's a pity not to use the Yama Emperor's Command."

"Besides, I'm not releasing the Black Wind Demons to harm people, just to scare them a bit."

"Thus, I can gain divine power, and White Bird City residents can experience a taste of bitter hardships...no, I mean, a colorful new life."

"Win-win!"

"This is definitely win-win!"

"Hehe..."