Chapter 502: Enemy Attack
Two days later.
Ning Zhuo hid inside the Puppet Dragon.
At this moment, the surface of the Puppet Dragon had already undergone a drastic transformation. Its entire body was covered with thick new armor plating, layer upon layer, resembling layers of dried blood scabs.
Using Python Pattern Blood Cedar and Dragon Scale Stone as the primary materials, Ning Zhuo had spared no expense, reenacting his earlier efforts to repair the Puppet Dragon completely.
In truth, Ning Zhuo had spent only a day and a half repairing the Wanli Dragon.
After that, he devoted himself entirely to the task of forging Mechanical Puppets.
The Xuan-Yuan Nine Crafts Platform, the Xuan Palace Gear Platform, and the Giant Spirit Shaping Platform were each arranged in three separate cabins.
A Great Spirit had been summoned and now sat cross-legged on the tiled floor. Surrounding the shaping work platform, it bent forward with its head lowered, shaping materials.
It picked up a piece of Python Pattern Blood Cedar and extended its large hand, stripping from the tree root all the way to the crown. With immense strength combined with the mysterious function of the shaping platform, the Great Spirit produced a straight and smooth tree trunk with a single pull.
The Great Spirit also handled metals.
First, it gathered large amounts of metal and placed them in its palm.
Then its arm muscles bulged as both hands exerted force, ruthlessly compressing the metal into a sphere. The two palms continuously applied pressure from every direction, compressing the metal ball smaller and smaller.
During this process, large amounts of impurities melted into liquid metal and flowed out, becoming waste and discarded to the side.
After compressing for a while, the Great Spirit would break the metal ball apart again, crush it, and then compress it back into a sphere.
After several rounds like this, it produced a bright and pure alloy sphere.
It half-closed its hand, forming a circle between the thumb and forefinger. Then the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger pressed forcefully.
The metal sphere was squeezed until a small lump protruded. The Great Spirit pinched the lump out using the thumb and forefinger of its other hand.
It placed the small metal lump on the surface of the Giant Spirit Shaping Platform and rolled it in its palm until it became perfectly round.
By repeating this process, large numbers of small metal spheres were produced.
After undergoing such rough processing, large amounts of material were sent to the Xuan Palace Gear Platform.
This palace-shaped mechanical platform slowly rotated. Inside it, countless precision gears and mechanisms also rotated in close coordination.
Puppet Art—Gear Scheduling Technique!
Ning Zhuo activated this puppet art, controlling everything with his spiritual sense as he processed all the materials.
As Ning Zhuo pushed the platform to operate at full power, the gears and mechanisms inside emitted a faint rumbling sound, as if some mysterious force were awakening.
Various materials rapidly assembled together, while numerous talismans were embedded within them. With large numbers of gears integrated into the structure, the rudimentary forms of Mechanical Puppets gradually gained preliminary mobility.
Ning Zhuo exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened the Xuan Palace Gear Platform. One Mechanical Puppet after another flew out in succession—forty-eight in total for this batch.
These forty-eight Mechanical Puppet prototypes were finally sent into the third cabin of the Puppet Dragon.
The Xuan-Yuan Nine Crafts Platform handled the final stage.
Each Mechanical Puppet lay upon the smooth and simple platform surface.
Beneath the platform, countless talismans constantly shifted between appearing and disappearing. They combined and intertwined into various talisman formations, forming different manufacturing techniques.
Heavenly Fire Smelting and Casting!
Large numbers of flaws both inside and outside the Mechanical Puppets were burned and refined by countless sparks of heavenly fire. Some flames were as large as fire tongues, while others were mere sparks or tiny points of fire.
Each spark of heavenly fire was perfectly measured.
Layered Forging!
Invisible forging forces surged like waves of water, crashing repeatedly against the Mechanical Puppets.
The Mechanical Puppets floated three feet above the platform below.
Forging force struck them from all directions. As a result, layers of forging patterns appeared across their surfaces, forming intricate and beautiful textures.
Fine Carving and Detailed Polishing!
The rough surfaces of the Mechanical Puppets became smooth like flowing water. Impurities left behind during the Heavenly Fire Smelting and Casting process were precisely removed.
The gears, grooves, and other structural components inside the puppets were carved smoother and more tightly fitted together.
In this way, the three mechanical platforms worked together in perfect coordination.
Large numbers of Mechanical Puppets were produced, saving Ning Zhuo an enormous amount of time and effort.
In the previous battle, Ning Zhuo had expended more than two hundred Mechanical Puppets. Now he had replenished them—and even added more than thirty beyond the previous number.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Suddenly, warning bells rang out from the camp.
“Enemy attack!”
“Enemies are attacking!!”
Ning Zhuo’s heart tightened. He immediately left the Wanli Dragon and returned to the outside world.
The alarm echoed throughout the entire military camp.
Ning Zhuo activated spells to reinforce himself, then immediately urged several magical instruments to protect his body as he ran out of the Military Advisor Tent.
The three generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang were already in position, directing soldiers to fill the defensive lines.
This battle was different from before. It was a defensive battle for the camp.
“Where are the enemies?” Ning Zhuo climbed up a watchtower, came to Liu Er’s side, and cast a spell to observe from afar.
Soon he saw it.
At the foot of Dicebone Giant Tree Mountain, a vast mass of purple-black poison fog slowly rose.
The inside of the poison fog was unfathomably deep, and no one could tell what was hidden within.
The Three Generals Camp was currently stationed halfway up the mountain. Although there was some distance from the poison fog, at this rate it would only be a matter of time before the fog encroached upon them.
Liu Er frowned deeply, his face full of worry.
“Military Advisor, you’ve come!”
“You know our situation clearly.”
“If the enemy army attacks head-on, even if we lose, we could still make them pay a price.”
“But now the enemy has only released poison fog, and several of our battle formations are unsuitable for dealing with this situation.”
He sighed.
“The enemy came prepared. They deliberately used a method that counters our army.”
Ning Zhuo withdrew his gaze and spiritual sense.
“More importantly, we don’t know whether troops are hidden within the poison fog.”
“Fortunately, we have the camp to rely on and possess some geographical advantage.”
“In my view, we should attempt to defend first. If the situation turns unfavorable, we can then execute a withdrawal.”
Liu Er nodded.
“That’s the only option.”
At the moment, the enemy’s strength remained unclear, and the Three Generals Camp was in a passive position.
Building the camp had not been easy, and it contained many defensive capabilities. This was one of the advantages of the Three Generals Camp.
Under these circumstances, defending in place was the best strategy.
If the enemy had ambushed the surrounding area and they abandoned the camp rashly, it would be equivalent to discarding their own advantage and charging directly into the enemy’s trap. The Three Generals Camp would certainly suffer heavy losses.
“All troops, hold your positions!” Liu Er loudly issued the order.
Immediately afterward, he transmitted with his spiritual sense.
“Who is willing to leave the formation and probe the poison fog for our army?”
Zhang Hei immediately responded loudly.
Guan Hong also declared that he could move out.
Liu Er fell silent in thought.
Ning Zhuo smiled slightly and immediately said, “General, I have mechanical soldiers that do not fear sacrifice. Allow me to send a small Mechanical Puppet squad into the fog first.”
“If that fails, Generals Guan and Zhang can then take action. It will not be too late.”
Liu Er nodded immediately, expressing approval and expectation for Ning Zhuo’s plan.
Ning Zhuo took action at once, tossing a squad of Mechanical Puppets from his storage belt.
The Mechanical Puppet squad rushed out of the Three Generals Camp, charging straight toward the mountain foot before plunging into the poison fog.
Inside the poison fog there was no large enemy army—only a single Golden Core cultivator.
It was none other than the Corrosive Poison General Diao Ye.
Diao Ye’s entire body had dark-red skin and a face like a malicious ghost. When he saw the Mechanical Puppets charge into the poison fog, he immediately activated his spell.
The poison fog wrapped around the Mechanical Puppets and seeped through every crevice, infiltrating both inside and outside while corroding them violently.
Very quickly, the Mechanical Puppets resembled candles burning fiercely. As they advanced, they became shorter and slower until they finally halted halfway and could no longer move.
Sensing this, Ning Zhuo reported to Liu Er.
“We encountered no large enemy force. However, the corrosion of this poison fog is severe. If it drifts into the camp, our army will likely suffer heavy casualties.”
Liu Er nodded.
“We must use some means to block the poison fog.”
Ning Zhuo continued with a suggestion.
“There may be a great battle ahead. We must conserve our military strength.”
“I can either set up a ritual altar to cast spells or arrange a static formation specifically to defend against the poison fog.”
Currently, the Three Generals Camp was holding a defensive stance and remained fixed in the camp. This greatly expanded the range of formations they could use—not only mobile formations but also static formations.
Strictly speaking, the variety and content of static formations far exceeded that of mobile formations.
Liu Er considered briefly.
“The Military Advisor’s mana must also be conserved. Setting up a static formation is the best choice.”
Thus, Ning Zhuo began directing several cultivators to hurriedly arrange a static formation around the camp.
Thud! Thud!
A series of flying spears suddenly shot out, striking several Three Generals Camp cultivators who had left the camp to deploy the formation, killing them on the spot.
“Hahaha!”
A wild male voice rang out.
“You people are too naive! Setting up formations right under my nose? All of you should die!”
Ning Zhuo’s pupils shrank as he immediately recognized the voice.
“It’s the Savage Poison Barbarian Wu Lan.”
The soldiers of the Three Generals Camp stirred uneasily.
They could not detect Wu Lan, yet their own people were being killed one by one. This was a severe blow to morale.
Liu Er immediately spoke to boost morale while dispatching more soldiers to continue setting up the static formation.
“Wu Lan, come out!” Guan Hong, under Liu Er’s orders, charged out of the camp alone.
Holding the Blood Dragon Blade in one hand, he roamed about as if unaware of the enemy. Suddenly his wrist flipped and he unleashed a Single Blade Charge.
A dragon’s roar rang out.
Blood splashed into the air.
Wu Lan snorted coldly and narrowly avoided the strike. At the critical moment, he raised his poison-spiked spear and barely managed to block the heavy and sharp blade.
Guan Hong kicked forward, sending Wu Lan flying.
When the soldiers of the Three Generals Camp saw Wu Lan’s miserable state, they immediately erupted into cheers, and their morale rose significantly.
“Hurry, deploy the formation according to my instructions,” Ning Zhuo urged as he seized the moment to command soldiers placing the static formation across multiple locations.
Wu Lan was being chased by Guan Hong, while Diao Ye seized the opportunity to unleash poison techniques.
Clusters of poison fog rolled upward from the mountain foot like massive spheres.
Liu Er and Zhang Hei took action in succession, detonating many of the poison fog spheres midway.
“Prepare the bed crossbows—fire!” Ning Zhuo simultaneously directed several cultivators to operate the bed crossbows within the Three Generals Camp, launching massive bolts.
The bolts also exploded many poison fog spheres.
Just as the static formation was about to be completed, a foul wind suddenly rose. Vast black clouds appeared out of nowhere, rapidly covering the sky above the mountain peak.
Poisonous water began falling from the black clouds, forming a steady toxic rain.
The rain soaked the mountainside, corroding it into pools of poisonous water. From these pools slithered countless black venomous snakes.
At first, these snakes were only at the Qi Refining Stage.
But soon snakes at the Foundation Establishment level appeared, as large as galloping horses.
Within several of the largest poison pools, Golden Core-level auras were beginning to gather.
The expressions of Liu Er, Guan Hong, Zhang Hei, and Ning Zhuo immediately turned grave.
They all recognized it.
Divine Ability—Ten Thousand Serpents Poison Flow!
This was the trump card of Tu Ming, the Poison Belly High Priest of the Hundred Venoms Tribe.
Once this divine ability appeared, it meant the enemy side had at least one Nascent Soul–level True Lord.
The static formation was only a step away from completion.
But the poisonous rain poured down while venomous snakes attacked from all sides, creating tremendous resistance.
As Ning Zhuo hesitated, Liu Er decisively ordered the formation work to cease.
“This is clearly Tu Ming’s scheme. He wants to lure us into committing more troops by tempting us with the chance to complete the formation.”
Ning Zhuo immediately followed the order and withdrew the soldiers, sighing.
“If only my Mechanical Puppets could deploy formations under my command.”
He spoke urgently.
“Tu Ming once fought the White Jade Camp and is extremely skilled in poison techniques. Our army does not possess the foundation of the White Jade Camp, and our military equipment cannot hold against this.”
“General, I propose we launch an attack immediately and withdraw while fighting. At the very least, we cannot allow the poison fog to cover us!”
Liu Er nodded repeatedly. On this point, he and Ning Zhuo were in complete agreement.
Though the camp was advantageous, it had little defense against poison techniques.
Clearly, the enemy commander behind this attack was intelligent. They had deliberately sent Tu Ming, Diao Ye, and Wu Lan specifically to counter the Three Generals Camp.
There was no doubt that the Three Generals Camp was currently at a severe disadvantage.
Liu Er began mobilizing the army and forming battle formations.
Under these circumstances, Ning Zhuo’s Swift Wind Light Step Formation would have been ideal. Unfortunately, Ning Zhuo rarely participated in military training, and the Three Generals Camp had hardly practiced it.
Liu Er therefore chose the Triangular Arrowhead Formation.
He temporarily left Guan Hong and Zhang Hei behind to hold off Wu Lan and Diao Ye. Liu Er himself occupied the formation core while Ning Zhuo took one of the formation nodes.
The Triangular Arrowhead Formation formed successfully. Outside the camp, the trenches had already been filled with poison liquid, and the chevaux-de-frise and other defenses had been completely corroded away.
With a loud shout from Liu Er, Guan Hong and Zhang Hei each delivered a fierce strike to their opponents before quickly retreating into the battle formation.
Ning Zhuo immediately withdrew to the central area of the formation, allowing Guan Hong and Zhang Hei to take over the two formation nodes.
Unlike Ning Zhuo, who was inexperienced, once Guan and Zhang entered the formation the entire army felt their military strength surge, and the battle formation operated several times more smoothly.
When the Three Generals Camp charged out of the camp, Wu Lan and Diao Ye no longer dared to approach.
At present, the army’s power was concentrated upon Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei, making the individual combat strength of these three extremely formidable.
Previously, Wu Lan had dared to engage Guan Hong in close combat.
Now, the moment he sensed any sign that one of the three generals might charge out, he immediately retreated far away.
This was no joke.
A slight moment of carelessness could cost him his life.
The previous ambush battle had made both Liangzhu Kingdom and Thousand Peaks Forest clearly aware of each other’s methods.
The experts of Thousand Peaks Forest now possessed a deep understanding of the power of military formations and fought with extreme caution.
The Three Generals Camp advanced to the mountain foot.
Liu Er raised the Primal Yellow Sword high and activated Military Art—Rally the Army’s Heart, granting protective reinforcement to the entire army.
Meanwhile, Ning Zhuo cast spells to summon strong winds, resisting the approach of the poison fog.