Chapter 443: Strategist, Mighty and Valiant!
“This is the logic of the Bizarre Dao. Manipulating shadow threads to bind the entire army, then launching an attack on me—who was it?” At this moment, Ning Zhuo’s eyes gleamed brightly, both surprised and delighted.
Without Sun Lingtong at his side, Ning Zhuo’s own reconnaissance abilities were quite lacking, unable to detect the anomalies around him.
He was still unaware that Wu Hen had long since snuck into the carriage and had already seen him.
It was only because of Ning Zhuo’s cautious nature—when the Puppet Dragon was not by his side, he had proactively released the Heavy Armor Blood Ape, Dasheng and the Buddhist Doctor, Meng Yaoyin to guard him—that he narrowly avoided being assassinated in the dark.
Of course, relying on just these two Golden Core–level puppet constructs wouldn’t have been enough to completely deter Wu Hen’s assassination intent.
What truly worked was the Serpent Scythe.
If Wu Hen had been shortsighted and failed to recognize the scythe’s lethality, he might still have made a move on Ning Zhuo.
Had that happened, Ning Zhuo’s safety would have been difficult to guarantee.
He still didn’t know how close he had come to being ambushed by Wu Hen.
This—was the battlefield.
Peril looms in war!
Once one steps onto the battlefield, the risks multiply. Even Nascent Soul cultivators might be beaten bloody and forced to flee—how much more dangerous was it for a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like Ning Zhuo?
However, Ning Zhuo had long since steeled his resolve. He was willing to shoulder such risks, all to gain control of the Mechanical Carriage Compartment.
“Ever since Zhang Chongyi treated Boss Sun, I’ve understood—if I want to heal my mother’s Dao Wound, I must attain mastery in two disciplines.”
“One is medicine. The other is the Bizarre Dao.”
“Who attacked me? It should be Wu Hen from the Dragon King Temple, right?”
Having temporarily aligned himself with Liangzhu Kingdom, and serving as the Strategist and Sacrificial Wine of the Three Generals Camp, Ning Zhuo held enough authority to access plenty of intelligence.
Thus, he knew many renowned Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators in the Thousand Peaks Forest.
Chen Lingfeng and Wu Hen were both top figures among Golden Core cultivators, and naturally imprinted in Ning Zhuo’s mind.
“What secret art does Wu Hen cultivate?”
“On normal days, I wouldn’t have the chance. But now that both armies are facing off, and he’s on the battlefield too, the odds of seizing his cultivation method have increased drastically!”
Yes, manuals for cultivating in the Bizarre Dao could be found in the Complete Book Tower.
But if Ning Zhuo wanted to purchase them, it would cost either Spirit Stones or Tower Credits.
Here on the battlefield, if he could seize them—he’d be paying with a different kind of price.
“Moreover, if I could capture Wu Hen alive, I could even extract his cultivation insights. That would be like not only getting the manual but also gaining a teacher.”
Ordinary cultivators wouldn’t have such means, but Ning Zhuo had mastered Life Hanging by a Thread and the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, making it possible to force Wu Hen to talk.
Back in Huoshi Immortal City, hadn’t he done just that to Han Ming? Using the monk’s staff and the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, he forced her to use the Nine-Turn Soul-Devouring Art, helping him cultivate for quite some time.
Ning Zhuo had already begun practicing the Three Sect Supreme Techniques, and switching over to a Bizarre Dao technique was out of the question.
Moreover, it would be nearly impossible to find a Bizarre Dao method that matched the caliber of the Three Sect Supreme Techniques.
Even if he sought a master with his current skills, it would be hard to find a truly good teacher—so he could only rely on himself.
“Find Wu Hen. Kill him! Better yet, capture him alive and torture—I mean, persuade him, guide him to goodness, help him abandon the wicked path.”
Thinking this, Ning Zhuo let out a loud laugh: “Very well. Which cultivator just struck at me?”
“Quite the technique—talented indeed.”
“What a pity, such talent wasted serving the Thousand Peaks Forest. Like casting pearls before swine.”
“Comrades! If the chance arises, spare his life. Let me persuade him to renounce evil and return to the righteous path!”
Ning Zhuo activated a technique, spreading his words across the entire battlefield. Friend and foe alike heard him loud and clear.
The din of the battlefield lessened noticeably.
What? What was that?
What did Ning Zhuo just say?
Wu Hen immediately felt countless inexplicable gazes from his allies land upon him.
His deathly pale face flushed red with fury: “Ning Zhuo, that little brat! A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator—how dare he humiliate me like this?! I will make him pay!”
He gritted his teeth, nearly shouting, making his intentions very clear.
Zhang Hei glared at Ning Zhuo. He hadn’t misheard—Ning Zhuo had indeed declared that aloud.
But the issue was obvious—the attacker was clearly a Golden Core cultivator, and you, Ning Zhuo, are just at Foundation Establishment!
Guan Hong instinctively stroked his beard, finding Ning Zhuo’s words totally to his liking.
“As a Foundation Establishment, to speak to a Golden Core like that, as if defeating him were as easy as flipping a hand… Such commanding tone, such certainty—so invigorating! Truly invigorating!”
“I’ve learned something today!”
Guan Hong, a man eager for progress, had studied the Spring and Autumn Military Strategies thoroughly and was quite adept at drawing lessons from real combat.
Liu Er silently sighed: “No wonder he’s the strategist. No wonder he’s from a great clan. That confidence is something else!”
He didn’t see Ning Zhuo’s words as arrogant boasting.
Though Ning Zhuo’s cultivation was only early Foundation Establishment, his performance clearly demonstrated Golden Core–level combat power—better than Liu Er’s own!
There was simply no refuting it.
Wu Hen, both angry and alarmed, suffered a backlash.
His Bizarre Dao techniques were usually unstoppable. This situation was quite rare.
Having taken serious injuries, Wu Hen lost control over many of his shadow threads.
Inside the Three Generals Camp, many soldiers broke free of the bindings, pulling their legs and arms from the soil.
Though the earth had re-solidified, it wasn’t rock. The cultivators had their own methods—especially with the battle formation boosting them—they quickly freed themselves.
In an instant, more than half of the Three Generals Camp had recovered.
Wu Hen tried to maintain the remaining threads while channeling energy to heal himself.
The Bizarre Dao had great advantages against conventional foes, due to its strange and unorthodox nature being hard to counter.
But that same uniqueness was also a weakness—most pills, artifacts, and talismans on the market weren’t compatible with the Bizarre Dao.
And Wu Hen’s cultivation methods lacked any pill recipes.
So, after battles, he couldn’t rely on pills for healing or cultivation enhancement.
The Bizarre Dao was fundamentally different from other paths. Even the Ghost Dao could borrow ideas from other systems, but the Bizarre Dao was entirely alien, baffling many.
Wu Hen’s injury gave the entire Three Generals Camp a desperately needed breath of relief.
Ning Zhuo, with a single move, resolved two forms of suppression. His battlefield merit was astonishing.
The whole army was energized. Some even shouted—
“Strategist Mighty and Valiant!”
Ning Zhuo lifted his large head proudly, instantly adapting to the key to fighting within a battle formation.
In short: stand out, and dominate.
The more dazzling and overpowering his presence, the more confidence it gave his comrades, boosting morale and military will—and in turn, enhancing the formation’s power!
He lightly leapt onto the carriage, clapped his hands forcefully under everyone’s gaze, and shouted:
“Gentlemen! Watch me slay the enemy!”
Wood Element—Tree Realm Descent.
Saplings burst from the ground, growing into towering trees in mere breaths!
Countless vines surged like serpents through the woods, spreading in all directions.
This was mountainous terrain.
The environment already favored tree growth, and Wood Element spiritual energy was abundant.
Moreover, with boosts from the formation and national defense, Ning Zhuo had gone all-out, startling even himself at the power of this Tree Realm Descent.
In an instant, trees towered, branches spread thick, shielding against the howling wind. Vines attacked, trading defense for offense, expanding his control of the battlefield.
In the sky, Chen Lingfeng circled. Seeing his winds blocked by the forest, he snorted coldly.
Wind Element—Hundred Blade Storm.
His mana surged, transforming into over a hundred wind blades spiraling downward.
These translucent jade-green blades were as large as carriages, terrifyingly sharp.
Upon striking the forest, they spiraled and tore through massive trees.
Rumble...
Huge trees toppled in waves, raising thick clouds of dust.
By the time the blades emerged, only half remained—still enough to sweep toward the Three Generals Camp.
“Daoist Chen, let me assist you!” A nearby Golden Core cultivator joined in.
He transformed into his original form—a Red-Crested Feathered Crane.
The crane demon was larger than an elephant, with a wingspan over four zhang.
The crane shrieked mournfully, releasing a jarring and grief-stricken cry.
Demonic Art—Crane’s Lament Across the Sky!
The soundwaves pierced the battlefield, entering the ears of the soldiers of the Three Generals Camp and stirring deep sorrow.
Many soldiers burst into tears, dropped their weapons, knelt down, and wept.
“I might as well be dead!”
“Wuwuwu, what’s the point of living?”
“I’m an old man with nothing to show for it. My life has no value.”
Morale collapsed. The army’s will faltered once more.
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and cast two spells.
Fire Element—Rage Crowned with Flames.
Earth Element—Unyielding as Stone!
Flames erupted from his crown, forming a blazing coronet that blanketed the sky.
The fiery clouds fanned the troops’ fury, burning away their sorrow and anguish.
Simultaneously, walls of rock and soil rose around the formation, sturdy and resolute, blocking all the incoming wind blades.
Ning Zhuo faced two Golden Core cultivators alone—and held his ground!
“Huh?” Chen Lingfeng and the others were once again taken aback.
Despite being only early Foundation Establishment, Ning Zhuo, boosted by formation and national power, had raised the might of his spells to the level of crossing a major realm, contending with two Golden Core cultivators!
“Strategist Mighty and Valiant!” the entire army cheered.
Ning Zhuo laughed aloud—but his face had paled.
After multiple spell casts, his mana was nearly depleted! In secret, he desperately circulated the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art to refine his mana.
His cultivation was holding him back.
He was only at early Foundation Establishment, and hadn’t even reached the Field Opening Without Obstruction stage.
“Three generals, I’ve exhausted my mana. I cannot continue,” Ning Zhuo said via spiritual sense.
Liu Er immediately replied: “Strategist, please rest. You’ve done more than enough. Now it’s time for us Golden Core cultivators to step up!”
Guan Hong and Zhang Hei echoed in agreement.
“All forces! Follow me—charge!” Liu Er raised his Primal Yellow Sword, switching the formation from defense to offense.
Nearly three hundred cultivators formed into a Triangular Arrowhead Formation, picking up speed as they charged toward the nearest Golden Core cultivator.
That cultivator hastily retreated.
But Zhang Hei dashed forward, swift as a black whirlwind.
“Where do you think you’re going?! Take this spear!”
The Golden Core cultivator, realizing he couldn’t dodge, quickly raised all defenses.
But they crumbled like paper—the Black Serpent Spear pierced through, taking his life on the spot.
Zhang Hei, also a Golden Core cultivator, had his strength amplified by formation and national power—his attack was fierce beyond compare.
Yet after killing that one enemy, he didn’t chase further. Instead, he returned immediately to the triangle’s tip, rejoining the formation.
As a formation node, he couldn’t leave the formation for long.