Chapter 507: Recuperation
Woodwheel Town.
The Red Flower Camp set up camp and established fortifications.
Inside the commander’s tent, Mu Lan slowly woke up and saw Ning Zhuo and Zhang Chongyi standing beside her bed.
As she tried to sit up, Ning Zhuo pressed a hand on her shoulder. “General Mu Lan, although you have awakened, rest should still be your priority. The Red Flower Camp has already returned safely. Your deputy general has reported to Commander Du, and we are now encamped outside Woodwheel Town. Everything is going well.”
Mu Lan’s expression relaxed.
At the side, Zhang Chongyi added, “General Mu Lan, you forced out the second arrow and exceeded the limits of your body.”
“Fortunately, Young Master Ning Zhuo helped again this time and even took out quite a number of Golden Core–level and Nascent Soul–level precious materials to serve as medicinal ingredients.”
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have awakened so quickly.”
Mu Lan then looked at Ning Zhuo. “Ning… Young Master, thank you.”
Ning Zhuo smiled. “General Mu Lan, there’s no need for courtesy. After all, my mechanical army is under your command roster.”
“Besides, the reason I crushed the protective talisman you gave me was actually because I wanted to see whether there were any battle merits to be gained on your side.”
“Those two arrows of yours were truly astonishing to the world. One Nascent Soul–level combatant died and the other fled. I was utterly amazed!”
The combat power of the Cangyue Ancient God was also at the Nascent Soul level.
If it had been at the Soul Formation level, it would already have been able to stand on equal footing with the Dragon Ginseng King. The status of the Cangyue Tribe would be far higher than it currently was.
Mu Lan said, “If the opponent had been someone like Grandfather Long, even if I exhausted all my strength, I would only have been able to fire one arrow.”
“But against the Cangyue Ancient God and Di Slaughter, I deliberately held back power in the first arrow. That was why it became possible to fire a second.”
Ning Zhuo praised, “As expected of a Divine Ability–level method. Even a domain could not restrain the power of the divine arrow. A Nascent Soul fleeing is incredibly fast, yet Di Slaughter had no chance at all.”
Mu Lan carried a trace of pride in her voice. “This method of mine was cultivated from childhood. My father recognized my aptitude and spent enormous sums and connections to invite several renowned masters to teach me martial arts and military strategy.”
“Up to now, I’ve finally achieved some results.”
In truth, after this battle, Mu Lan also felt somewhat relieved.
In the previous ambush battle, she had led the Red Flower Camp but achieved meager results, causing immense pressure for Grand General Mu’s Mansion. After returning to Canglin Immortal City, they immediately suffered schemes and harassment from various domestic factions.
This battle had been dangerous, but the outcome was good. One Nascent Soul–level enemy had died and another had fled. Such results were enough to restore the reputation of the Grand General’s Mansion. It also meant that Mu Lan, who had led the Red Flower Camp on the campaign, would receive greater recognition, greatly easing the pressure from the court.
Zhang Chongyi said, “Speaking of which, during the last incident in Canglin Immortal City, it was thanks to Young Master Ning Zhuo that we resolved our predicament and gained the opportunity to continue leading troops and achieve military merits.”
“And this time, during the risky expedition into Thousand Peaks Forest, it was also thanks to Young Master Ning Zhuo’s timely rescue. Otherwise, if the Red Flower Formation had failed to form, we would have suffered heavy casualties and might very well have been defeated.”
Zhang Chongyi sighed.
Ning Zhuo quickly waved his hands. “Not at all, not at all. Even without me, with General Mu Lan’s capabilities, victory would still have been possible.”
Mu Lan shook her head slightly. “The chances would not have been high. This victory and such results were achieved largely due to your contributions, Young Master Ning Zhuo. Rest assured, I will report your merits in full without any omission.”
Ning Zhuo immediately smiled. “General, please focus on recuperating first. My mechanical army has suffered heavy losses and urgently needs to be produced and replenished. I will take my leave.”
Zhang Chongyi was stunned and glared at Ning Zhuo’s back.
Mu Lan nodded. “Replenishing troops is extremely important. Young Master Ning Zhuo indeed needs to race against time. I won’t see you off.”
Zhang Chongyi glared again—this time at Mu Lan.
Both Mu Lan and Ning Zhuo found Zhang Chongyi’s behavior rather baffling.
Zhang Chongyi let out a deep sigh and kept shaking his head.
Ning Zhuo left the Red Flower Camp and returned to the Three Generals Camp, where he paid a visit to Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei.
The four of them talked and recounted their experiences.
After achieving victory, the Three Generals Camp had immediately marched under Shen Qinghe’s escort and withdrawn from Dice-Bone Giant Tree Mountain, returning all the way back.
Ning Zhuo’s battle experiences and achievements made the three generals extremely envious.
Zhang Hei rarely sighed in regret. “If I had known earlier, I should have gone with the strategist. What a pity, truly such a pity. My two sworn brothers and I have only captured Nascent Soul–level demon cultivators alive before—we’ve never actually killed one.”
Ning Zhuo spread his hands with a bitter smile. “General Zhang, I was only taking beatings the whole time. The one who truly acted was General Mu Lan.”
Guan Hong stroked his beard and sighed. “The Crimson-Heart Swan Arrow is truly formidable!”
Liu Er looked at Ning Zhuo. “After hearing everything, I now understand: if the strategist hadn’t rushed to provide aid in time, the Red Flower Camp would have been in grave danger. The strategist risked himself greatly in this battle and is the greatest contributor to our victory. If the rewards are distributed later and the strategist does not receive the largest share, I will not accept it.”
When Liu Er said this, he was earnest and sincere.
His dislike toward Ning Zhuo was no longer as strong as before.
Zhang Hei scratched his head in confusion. “Didn’t Lord Shen Qinghe say that each route had a Nascent Soul–level expert secretly escorting them? Why did the Red Flower Camp never receive any reinforcements from beginning to end?”
Ning Zhuo smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Liu Er and Guan Hong exchanged glances and fell silent.
Zhang Hei asked again, “By the way, why hasn’t the Golden Halberd Army returned yet?”
Liu Er guessed, “The Golden Halberd Army is extremely powerful. Perhaps they charged too deeply into enemy territory, so their retreat route is much longer than ours.”
Just as the four were discussing this, a soldier rushed in with urgent news, delivering a shocking message.
“What? The Golden Halberd Army has been completely wiped out!”
When Liu Er, Guan Hong, Zhang Hei, and Ning Zhuo heard this, they stared at one another in shock.
Guan Hong reacted first, his brows tightly furrowed. “In terms of overall combat strength, our Three Generals Camp is no match for the Golden Halberd Army.”
Zhang Hei nodded. “Even if my two sworn brothers and I fought together and performed beyond our limits to hold off Sun Gan, the Golden Halberd Army could still completely crush the Three Generals Camp.”
Liu Er sighed. “Four armies were sent out, yet in the end the strongest—the Golden Halberd Army—was destroyed.”
The Golden Halberd Army was one of the imperial guard armies of Liangzhu Kingdom.
Their equipment was the most refined, and their training was the most rigorous.
The Three Generals Camp only mastered three battle formations, whereas the Golden Halberd Army possessed no fewer than ten.
Their commander Sun Gan was also a powerful Nascent Soul–level expert.
The Golden Halberd Army was undoubtedly a first-rate army within Liangzhu Kingdom.
According to that status, they were considered one of the kingdom’s trump cards.
Logically speaking, they should never have been assigned to something akin to a cannon-fodder mission.
Yet the reality was that they had not only attacked Thousand Peaks Forest but had also become the only one among the four armies to suffer a total defeat.
Even the Nascent Soul–level expert secretly dispatched by Du Tiechuan had fallen.
The four of them studied the military report together.
Zhang Hei said, “The Golden Halberd Army only faced two Nascent Soul opponents. One was Lone Fang, and the other was the current Elephant King.”
“We all know Lone Fang’s strength. That means the key to the Golden Halberd Army’s destruction must have been the current Elephant King.”
Guan Hong said, “This demon cultivator originates from the Pale Savage Elephant clan. He is usually calm and rarely acts. Yet when he finally moved, it was truly earth-shattering—he destroyed a first-rate army of Liangzhu Kingdom!”
Liu Er said, “Judging from the results, Commander Du’s probing attack killed one Nascent Soul enemy and severely injured several others. But we lost Sun Gan and the Golden Halberd Army. Overall, it counts as a small defeat.”
Ning Zhuo remained silent.
He recalled the intelligence on the current Elephant King and sighed inwardly.
“If I had a body like his, I could definitely withstand far more uses of the Warrior Returns Art. I wouldn’t have been so strained when dealing with Di Slaughter.”
The Warrior Returns Art had great potential.
This military technique had an impressive origin—it was something Ning Zhuo comprehended from Gao Sheng’s Testament.
During that moment of insight, he had also relied on Soldiers Sharing One Helm.
Both Gao Sheng’s Testament and Soldiers Sharing One Helm were priceless treasures of the military path.
It was Ning Zhuo’s physical foundation that limited the performance of this technique.
Recalling the previous battle, when Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yahu sacrificed themselves one after another, he hadn’t dared to include them in the Warrior Returns Art for fear that his body would be unable to endure the strain and would explode.
“What method could rapidly increase my physical foundation in a short time?”
Ning Zhuo felt troubled.
After returning to Canglin Immortal City, he had purchased many war supplies, including talismans and pills capable of temporarily strengthening the body.
But compared to the requirements of the Warrior Returns Art, these were merely a drop in the bucket.
Ning Zhuo had calculated it before—if one compared the effects, these pills, spirit foods, and talismans were far inferior to the evil-path usage of the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel.
“Of course, that’s also because the pills and talismans available in Canglin Immortal City aren’t particularly high-end. They’re mainly war supplies.”
“If Commander Du distributes rewards this time, perhaps I can request some high-level pills or talismans?”
Ning Zhuo was currently at the Treasure Nourishment and Growth stage of the Foundation Establishment stage.
This stage emphasized the fusion of essence, qi, and spirit rather than the accumulation of quantity required in the earlier Field Opening without Obstruction stage.
Therefore, National Strength Bricks were not particularly suitable.
“National Strength Bricks are definitely the more the better. However…”
What Ning Zhuo truly wanted was an increase in physical foundation.
Ideally, he wanted to reach the standard as soon as possible so he could use the Warrior Returns Art as leverage and unleash Nascent Soul–level combat power.
“War is fierce and dangerous.”
“Even an army as powerful as the Golden Halberd Army was wiped out.”
“From several battles, it’s clear that on this level of battlefield, one must at least be at the Nascent Soul level to be relatively safe and reliable.”
“Of course, luck is also essential.”
“My fortune seems…”
During the battle with the Dice-Bone Demon God, Ning Zhuo had rolled six every time.
But in the recent Moon-Hook Mountain battle, he had only rolled a five.
“My fortune is no longer as strong as before.”
“In fact, back at Sky-Blue Giant Tree Mountain, Sun Lingtong and I almost died.”
“Although we eventually gained tremendous benefits, it also proved that my fortune is indeed declining.”
“Sigh… what exactly is going on?”
Ning Zhuo remained completely confused about the strange changes in his fortune.
After bidding farewell to the three generals, Ning Zhuo returned to his own tent and immediately entered the Puppet Dragon to begin manufacturing mechanical puppets.
Less than twenty percent of his mechanical army remained. The losses had been extremely heavy, and replenishment was urgently needed.
Moreover, given Ning Zhuo’s current situation, the importance of his mechanical army far exceeded that of Meng Yahu and Yuan Dasheng.
Losing one or two Golden Core–level mechanical combat units wasn’t particularly critical.
But if Ning Zhuo lacked a mechanical army, he would have no way to increase his own combat power. On a battlefield, relying solely on several Golden Core external protectors was far less reliable than one’s own strength.
Therefore, Ning Zhuo chose to prioritize manufacturing mechanical puppets rather than repairing Meng Yahu and Yuan Dasheng first.
The Xuanyuan Nine Work Platform and two other mechanical work platforms operated tirelessly, producing mechanical puppets dozens of times faster than Ning Zhuo could alone.
Ning Zhuo himself was not idle either. He had to constantly monitor and control the production process.
Sun Lingtong studied at his side.
“Little Zhuo, teach me.”
“I’ll try to learn quickly and replace you in producing mechanical puppets.”
“That way you’ll have time to cultivate using the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel.”
Although Sun Lingtong had considerable skill in mechanical arts, he was still inferior to Ning Zhuo.
He asked earnestly for guidance, and Ning Zhuo held nothing back, teaching everything.
Sun Lingtong was highly intelligent. With only a little instruction, he grasped things immediately. With serious focus, he progressed extremely quickly.
While the two worked and studied simultaneously, a messenger arrived.
“Commander Du summons me?” Ning Zhuo left the Puppet Dragon, feeling somewhat surprised.
Liu Er expressed concern. “Could it be because we tricked that Iron Eagle overseer to death, and now Du Tiechuan wants to settle accounts?”
Guan Hong said loyally, “The three of us were all involved. If accountability is truly demanded, we will accept punishment together.”
Zhang Hei shouted, “What punishment? That Iron Eagle acted on his own initiative and had no military order. Besides, we weren’t the ones who killed him!”
Ning Zhuo stroked the Mechanical Ring and remained calm. “If Commander Du wanted to settle accounts, he would summon the four of us together. Since he summoned only me, it should be for something else.”
“No matter.”
“I’ll know once I go to see him.”
Ning Zhuo followed the messenger and left the Three Generals Camp.
The three generals escorted him out.
Zhang Hei said, “No matter what, the strategist may be young, but he’s got real courage.”
Guan Hong stroked his beard. “Indeed, a fine man.”
Liu Er’s dislike for Ning Zhuo had decreased greatly. Watching Ning Zhuo’s departing back, he remained silent.
Ning Zhuo entered Woodwheel Town and was led along the way until he met a Soul Formation–level existence again.
“Military Strategist and Sacrificial Wine of the Three Generals Camp, Ning Zhuo, greets Commander Du.” Ning Zhuo performed a military salute.
Du Tiechuan kept his gaze on the documents before him and didn’t even raise his head.
“You subdued the Dice-Bone Demon God. That is very good.”
“There is some military intelligence we need to ask it about.”
“Sit for now. Someone will come shortly to calculate your fortune.”
Not long afterward, a young cultivator walked in slowly.
“Song Ji greets Commander Du.”
Song Ji carried the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator. His face was calm like autumn water, and he wore a green robe, giving him an elegant and refined bearing.
Only then did Du Tiechuan raise his head and nod slightly.
“Please trouble Offering Song to calculate Ning Zhuo’s fortune first.”
Song Ji accepted the order and came before Ning Zhuo, forming hand seals as he performed divination.
“Your fortune is strong, yet it is rootless water. Moreover, most of it has already been consumed, leaving little remaining.”
“Subduing the Dice-Bone Demon God was likely the greatest expenditure of your fortune.”