Chapter 444: Light Mountains, Heavy Mist Diagram
Seeing one of their Golden Core Cultivators instantly killed, Chen Lingfeng, Wu Hen, and the others immediately scattered, working hard to widen the distance between themselves and the Three Generals Camp.
At this moment, the war formation fully displayed its might.
It fused the strength of all participants—Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, Ning Zhuo, and nearly three hundred cultivators—in a skillful and unified way.
Thus, although Zhang Hei's strike seemed ordinary, it was actually devastating.
If it had been a one-on-one fight, a Golden Core Cultivator wouldn't have stood a chance.
“General Zhang is fierce indeed!” The soldiers cheered loudly, and morale surged sky-high.
In turn, this tightly bound the will of the army, causing the war formation to operate with even more harmony, and the military strength to spike. A positive feedback loop took hold.
The Triangular Arrowhead Formation charged like an ancient savage beast, shaking the earth with each step.
An awkward situation followed—Ning Zhuo’s massive forest conjured earlier now turned into an obstacle for their advance.
Rumble rumble…
Wherever the Three Generals Camp passed, trees fell, rocks shattered, and the momentum was earth-shaking.
Having overcome the vulnerable phase of formation-shifting, the Three Generals Camp unleashed their overwhelming might.
Chen Lingfeng, Wu Hen, and the other Golden Core Cultivators lost their previous arrogance and could only retreat further and further, launching long-range attacks from a distance, not daring to get close.
Red Flower Camp
Whinnnnny—!
A massive pure-white flying horse, as large as a hill, descended from the sky and stomped hard with its hooves.
Red Flower Camp had already formed up; the formation was a perfect circle, blooming like a red flower upon the land.
Among all the camps, Red Flower Camp recruited the fewest soldiers. On one hand, they had limited funds and offered poor compensation, making it hard to attract new recruits. On the other hand, Mu Lan had been deliberately selective.
Most soldiers in Red Flower Camp were veterans, the legacy of the late General Mu.
Mu Lan had inherited them all.
At this moment, the camp’s formation was structured around Mu Lan at the center—her personal guards in the core, elite troops in the middle ring, veterans in the outer ring, and new recruits scattered among them. Everything was in perfect order and coordination.
Their war formation’s avatar had manifested as a colossal red flower, enveloping the entire camp.
This was Red Flower Camp’s most proficient war formation—so much so that the unit was named after it.
The flying horse roared, hooves stomping without pause.
But all of its force was perfectly resisted by the Red Flower avatar.
Except for some initial casualties from the sudden attack, the rest of Red Flower Camp remained unharmed, with their fighting spirit soaring.
Zhang Chongyi stood beside Mu Lan, brows tightly furrowed, a heavy look on his face.
After all, he was just a physician—this was his first time on a battlefield, and he was very inexperienced.
“A Nascent Soul–level spirit beast… and it's already revealed its true form, going all out!”
“And Mu Lan is only at the Golden Core stage.”
Just then, a subordinate rushed over to deliver the latest military intel to Mu Lan.
The Barbarian-Demon Army had been crushed. The White Jade Camp had held its ground. The Golden Halberd Army had been surrounded and vanished without a trace. The Three Generals Camp was under heavy attack by several Golden Core cultivators—peril loomed.
Zhang Chongyi's heart sank.
When he heard the detailed battle report about the Three Generals Camp, he gasped involuntarily.
“Ah—”
“Horse Hooves upon Fallen Blossoms.”
“Winds Rise, Shadows Sink into Sand!”
“It’s come true… Ning Zhuo’s prophetic poem has come true!”
Mu Lan suddenly turned her head and sternly interrupted, “Shut up!”
Zhang Chongyi was startled and fell silent at once.
In that moment, he seemed to see the late General Mu.
Being reprimanded like this by Mu Lan, Zhang Chongyi wasn’t angry or offended—instead, he blamed himself and felt a strange sense of reassurance.
Mu Lan looked up at the sky, at the massive flying horse stomping with full force, and said gravely, “That horse is called Flying Legs, and it holds an old grudge against my father.”
“Years ago, it led its herd and wreaked havoc along our borders. My father was ordered to suppress them and utterly crushed its tribe, nearly wiping them out.”
“It narrowly escaped and has since roamed the land, constantly opposing the Grand General’s Mansion.”
“This time, it must have heard I took up my father’s mantle and joined Thousand Peaks Forest to oppose us!”
“I know all its tricks. With my Grand General’s Official Seal and the Red Blossom Formation, I am more than capable of holding it off.”
She paused and then continued to analyze: “Despite being under attack for this long, only a few have struck. Flying Legs leads them—he’s the only Nascent Soul-level foe. The rest are Golden Core cultivators, all famous within the Thousand Peaks Forest.”
“This suggests small squads of powerful cultivators are conducting ambushes.”
“So the true strategic focus lies with the Golden Halberd Army.”
“To completely shroud and eliminate the Golden Halberd Army… that’s not something ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators can do, and it’s definitely not the work of just one.”
“If the Golden Halberd Army continues to struggle with the enemy, then the key to this ambush battle lies with the White Jade Camp.”
“The White Jade Camp has the best gear, the strongest combat power. More importantly, it contains too many scions of noble families.”
“If they get crushed and hunted down, the Golden Halberd Army will have no choice but to go all out to rescue them!”
Mu Lan's grasp of the overall situation was sharp and thorough.
Seeing her command so masterfully, Zhang Chongyi couldn’t help but calm down.
Golden Halberd Army
Sun Qian stood at the center of the formation, glancing around.
All around: mountain mists drifted, light and ethereal, shrouding the hills in smoky ink. The contours were vague, looming and fading, hovering between illusion and substance—dreamlike.
Amidst the mist, green mountains rose thick and dark, like ink. The terrain was layered and ordered, near and far, high and low, arranged in perfect depth and tone.
Up close, ancient trees twisted powerfully, rocks stood jagged and stern.
From afar, the peaks stretched for thousands of miles, blending with clouds and mist.
Stone ridges faded in and out of view, but each swell of fog gave a sense of airy lightness.
Yet the mist itself, though ethereal, gathered so densely that it carried an inexplicable weight—heavier than mountains.
“Light Mountains, Heavy Mist Diagram!” Sun Qian recognized it.
This formation diagram neared Soul Formation-level—it was the Six Caves Sect’s core treasure! It had been painstakingly refined over centuries by Ink Abyss Cave Lord, Lu Hongtu. Soul Formation-level black ink materials had been used, and even Nascent Soul–grade brushes were consumed—six of them in total.
It was Lu Hongtu’s ultimate trump card!
The battlefield was perilous.
Since he had stepped onto it, Lu Hongtu had no intention of holding back—he directly used his strongest formation technique.
Using the Light Mountains, Heavy Mist Diagram as the blueprint, the Four Cave Lords of the Six Caves Sect took the four corners as anchors. As for the Formation Core, it was hidden deep within the painting, mysterious and never revealed to outsiders.
Once the ambush was launched, aided by the diagram, Lu Hongtu and the others struck with full force.
Even with Nascent Soul–level spells raining down, the Golden Halberd Army held firm.
Their formation was erected at lightning speed. The army's rear carried elite gear—there was no weakness.
The Six Caves Sect cultivators were helpless.
The Blood Shadow Cave Lord, after repeated failed assaults and suffering the backlash of national might, saw his strength wane and muttered dispiritedly, “Such tight war formations can’t be broken by spells alone.”
“In my view, only a brute-force charge by a top powerhouse will do.”
“The Golden Halberd Army is known for its counters and piercing offense. Among all in Thousand Peaks Forest, probably only the current Elephant King could break their formation.”
The Elephant King he referred to was the new king of the Pale Savage Elephant Herd. Mighty, monstrous in strength, and nearly indestructible—he was the ideal shock trooper.
Poison Scorpion Cave Lord hesitated, “Grand Cave Lord, the Golden Halberd Army is still gathering formation power. Are we just going to sit by and let them finish?”
“If they succeed, their counterstrike will be earth-shattering.”
“By then, even our formation diagram might not cover it.”
Lu Hongtu gave a calm smile, relaying with spiritual sense: “Wait.”
Soon, the four Nascent Soul cultivators of the Six Caves Sect received new intel.
The Barbarian-Demon Army had been successfully crushed—good news. General Xu Dali still lived but no longer mattered.
The problem was White Jade Camp—Tu Ming had been defeated! The high priest of the Hundred Venoms Tribe, lost so easily?
But once they read the jade slips detailing the battle, the four were speechless.
Tu Ming’s defeat wasn’t unjust.
White Jade Camp was too rich!
And those elite noble scions—who knew how many trump cards they still held?
For a moment, the three Cave Lords felt deep admiration for Ink Abyss Cave Lord.
Heart Demon Cave Lord even flattered openly: “At first, when you chose to target the Golden Halberd Army—the hardest of bones—I had doubts.”
“Now, those doubts are gone.”
“Grand Cave Lord, your vision is beyond ours—clear and far-reaching.”
Poison Scorpion Cave Lord said, “But White Jade Camp isn’t falling. That makes Three Generals and Red Flower Camps irrelevant. Do we just keep hammering the Golden Halberd Army?”
Ink Abyss Cave Lord slowly shook his head, “We’ve already gone all-out. We’ve bombarded the Golden Halberd Army for ages.”
“But the real ace in this ambush hasn’t made a move yet.”
The three were enlightened: “You mean… Grandfather Long?”
Lu Hongtu smiled with radiant confidence: “Grandfather Long is our battle supervisor—and the true commander of this ambush.”
“This ambush is on the verge of success. The only hold-up is White Jade Camp.”
“I don’t believe he’ll sit still.”
“If he doesn’t act, how will he face the Dragon Ginseng King afterward?”
Just as Ink Abyss Cave Lord had predicted, high above the clouds, Grandfather Long sighed deeply.
He stripped off his robe, revealing a frail, elderly torso.
Then he took a deep breath—clouds beneath his feet scattered as he plummeted straight down.
As he fell, his aura grew stronger. His body bulked up, shedding the image of a skinny, hunched old man with sagging skin—becoming a muscular, vigorous middle-aged warrior.
Even his silver hair and beard turned sleek and black again.
Divine Technique—Three Essences Rejuvenation!
Grandfather Long fixed his gaze on the White Jade Camp below, watching it grow larger and larger.
He slowly extended his left hand—palm facing down at the camp.
In the next instant, the roar of a dragon rang out.
Martial Art—Dragon Howl Palm!
Rooaaar!
A draconic bellow shook the heavens. Air currents swirled around Grandfather Long, forming a faint flying dragon silhouette, wrapping around him as he shot down from the clouds.
“Not good!” General Shuangjing sensed the danger and quickly launched interception attacks.
But neither arrows, nor cannon fire, nor even Golden Light Sparrows could stop Grandfather Long’s descent.
Boom!!
A deafening explosion echoed as he slapped his palm down on the formation avatar.
The jade-wall-like avatar collapsed instantly.
Grandfather Long continued falling, slamming into the heart of the White Jade Camp.
People and horses flew in all directions—the camp plunged into chaos.
Amid the dust, inside a giant crater, Grandfather Long, palm still on the ground, exhaled and slowly stood up from his half-kneel.
With scorn in his eyes, he looked around and sneered, “You little brats are far too lively. Now… meet your end.”