Chapter 513: Hurry, Let Me Play with It
The Hundred-Arm Arhat Armor bore an ancient bronze coloration. It gave off a sense of majesty and weight, conveying a feeling of solid, unyielding power. Yet at the same time, the transitions at its edges were not abrupt. Instead, they were rounded and smooth, the curves elegant, giving off an impression of compassion and tolerance.
The helmet’s front ridge rose slightly upward, forming a circular halo-like shape, resembling the manifestation of an Arhat. The faceplate was rather smooth, with faintly visible delicate talismans upon it, where Buddhist light flickered. Horn-like extensions were designed on both sides of the helmet, not only adding intimidation but also effectively defending against side attacks.
The helmet’s overall design was simple yet imposing.
On the front of the chest armor was engraved an image of an Arhat, containing a formation that embodied the Arhat’s protection.
The design on the back, however, was the true highlight and differed greatly from tradition. From the rear of the armor extended six mechanical arms, all constructed from ancient bronze.
Running along the arms were strands of golden patterns that formed the internal “muscles,” shining with a dense golden Buddhist radiance.
At the elbows of the arms, and at the points where they connected to the back armor, multiple small formations had been specially arranged to strengthen the arms’ flexibility and power.
The six mechanical arms were arranged in two rows on the left and right, descending from top to bottom. Each arm’s elbow and wrist extended slightly outward, creating different attack angles. At first glance, it resembled an ancient bronze spider.
With the six mechanical arms on the back, together with the two normal arms positioned on the armor itself, there were a total of eight arms.
Below that, there was nothing.
This heavy armor only consisted of the upper half of the body, covering down to the waist. The hips, legs, and feet required the cultivator to supplement with other armor pieces.
Ning Zhuo circled the heavy armor, constantly observing it, touching it, and pouring his spiritual sense into it as he carefully scanned every detail.
He discovered that in the center of each palm there was an empty groove, clearly meant for embedding spirit stones.
The palm lines on the hands appeared ordinary at first glance, but in truth they were a transformed variation of a certain Buddhist spell.
Speaking of which, Ning Zhuo had already cultivated quite a few Buddhist techniques.
One of the Three Sect Supreme Techniques he primarily cultivated was the Mirror Platform Spirit Technique. The Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra he frequently used was itself a Buddhist spell.
When he had been in the Myriad Medicines Sect, he had also learned the Bitter Cold Sutra from Han Zhou, which was likewise a Buddhist technique.
Yet even with Ning Zhuo’s knowledge, he still could not recognize which Buddhist spells the palm lines represented.
So he asked Mu Lan.
Mu Lan shook her head. “I didn’t experience the battle back then. This heavy armor was originally a full-body armor, but my father cut it into two halves.”
“The lower half was destroyed during the battle. The upper half was later repaired, which is why it looks like this now.”
Ning Zhuo nodded. “So that’s how it is! No wonder the waist area looks forcibly repaired, like it abruptly stops.”
“No matter.”
“These Buddhist spells on the palms—if I test them out, I’ll figure out their effects.”
For the rest of the armor, Ning Zhuo’s spiritual sense quickly penetrated through and swept across it.
In the end, all of his attention focused on the back of the heavy armor.
Without question, the back design was the core and highlight of the entire mechanical heavy armor.
The connections of the arms did not use the common rotating base or suspended support structure. Instead, they were formed from a set of intricate internal mechanisms. Buddhist Radiance Ancient Bronze and Thousand-Year Bodhi Wood were used as the primary materials to construct the framework, supplemented with Dharma Treasury Golden Silk and Guanyin Moon Rings.
Each arm was not connected through a single joint. Instead, retractable bearings and levers had been precisely arranged.
There were at least three layers of connection, making the arms extremely sturdy against the back armor.
Ning Zhuo stood before the armor, his face blank with concentration as almost all his spiritual sense was invested within it.
Mu Lan, however, had no patience to remain here. She still had the important task of training soldiers.
So she coughed lightly, interrupting Ning Zhuo’s research.
Ning Zhuo snapped out of it, his face slightly red as he repeatedly apologized.
Mu Lan said, “This mechanical heavy armor is a gift to you. Take it back and study it properly.”
Ning Zhuo immediately hugged the mechanical armor. “Really? Thank you so much, Mu Lan. You’re truly a good person!”
He was so happy that he almost spoke without thinking.
Mu Lan was briefly stunned, then laughed. It was the first time she had seen Ning Zhuo so carried away, revealing such a childish side.
Only at this moment did she see the behavior of his true sixteen-year-old age.
In daily life, Ning Zhuo’s intelligence, composure, and strategies had made Mu Lan mistakenly treat him as someone of the same generation. At times, she had even seen traces of her father’s bearing in him.
Ning Zhuo stored the Hundred-Arm Arhat Armor and excitedly left the Commander’s Tent.
Watching his back, Mu Lan could practically feel his excitement. Charging out like that, he was clearly going to test the Hundred-Arm Arhat Armor.
Ning Zhuo did not want to try it near the military camp.
He entered the Wanli Dragon, then immediately traveled through the void, arriving in a desolate mountain wilderness.
There, he donned the Hundred-Arm Arhat Armor and began testing it.
Ning Zhuo infused mana and gradually activated the mechanical heavy armor.
The armor was originally oversized and did not fit his body. But the next moment, mechanisms inside the armor clicked and turned, automatically shrinking until the armor plates fit perfectly against his body.
The formations inside the armor also activated, making the originally heavy armor feel lighter and lighter. By the end, Ning Zhuo even felt a sense of lightness.
His mind naturally entered a calm and peaceful state, clearly the effect of a certain Buddhist formation.
Ning Zhuo tried moving his arms, turning his head, and twisting his waist.
He immediately discovered that every movement was extremely swift—so swift that it almost felt difficult to stop.
“So the mechanisms here also provide auxiliary propulsion.”
But that was not the main attraction.
What truly filled Ning Zhuo with anticipation were the six mechanical arms on the back.
He poured in his spiritual sense and attempted to control them.
The mechanical arm on the top-left side near his left shoulder immediately began moving.
Clang clang clang—
A series of crisp metallic sounds rang out as the ancient bronze components moved relative to one another. Guided by Ning Zhuo’s spiritual sense, the entire arm began to sway and stretch.
Ning Zhuo tried extending the arm before him and opening its five fingers, forming hand seals repeatedly.
At first, every movement of the arm and fingers was stiff. Sometimes the force was excessive, causing the bronze fingers to blur into afterimages and produce whistling sounds through the air.
Ning Zhuo’s proficiency in mechanical control was profound.
After all, he had trained in these fundamentals since childhood.
Thus, after half the time of a cup of tea, he stood still while the six arms behind him moved freely.
The fingers were also flexible, no longer jerky but smooth like human motions.
However, the arms frequently collided with each other, causing interference.
After a little more time passed, the frequency of these collisions greatly decreased.
Ning Zhuo gradually achieved coordinated operation among the six arms. Of course, the speed could not yet be too fast—faster movements easily caused errors, with the arms “fighting” each other.
Ning Zhuo began walking and used the mechanical armor to perform the most basic close-combat moves.
Bang!
He slammed his shoulder into a mountain rock, instantly shattering a boulder the size of an elephant.
Bang bang bang!
He then punched straight forward with all eight arms.
The fists moved like wind, growing faster and faster, fist shadows flying like a raging storm.
The rocks and trees serving as targets were smashed apart. Dust billowed everywhere as broken stones and branches flew in all directions.
“Oh! Oh! Oh!”
Inside the Puppet Dragon, Sun Lingtong had been watching Ning Zhuo the entire time. Seeing this scene, his eyes lit up with excitement.
Meanwhile, Ning Zhuo himself, immersed in training, was filled with delight.
Suddenly, a sharp light flashed in his eyes as he sensed a key mechanism within the armor.
He infused mana and used his spiritual sense to activate a certain talisman.
In the next moment, all eight of his arms shone with golden Buddhist light. The light covered the arms, dyeing them golden and greatly increasing their defense.
Then the formations on the arms activated as well, making each of Ning Zhuo’s punches faster and faster.
Finally, the talisman on the shoulders consumed a large amount of mana and released streams of silver moonlight.
The moonlight attached itself to every punch, forming silver-moon fist shadows.
The number of fist shadows rapidly multiplied.
Ning Zhuo’s eight arms were like pillars forged of gold, while between them hundreds of silver moon fist shadows filled the air.
Buddhist Spell—Vajra Body Protection.
Martial Formation—Zen Wind Flying Fist Formation.
Buddhist Spell—Moon Radiance Salvation Technique.
The three combined to form the mechanical technique—Golden Moon Zen Wind Fist!
Fist shadows filled the sky! Eight golden arms stood like giant pillars, like dragons and serpents, while layers upon layers of silver moon fist shadows dazzled the eyes.
Under the barrage of fists, grass, trees, rocks, and earth were all ground into powder.
Yet instead of loud smashing sounds, only continuous rushing wind could be heard.
“Zen Wind Fist truly lives up to its name,” Ning Zhuo muttered. When he used the technique, his spiritual sense captured the relevant information, allowing him to learn the name of the mechanical technique.
“Woooahhh!”
Inside the Puppet Dragon, Sun Lingtong jumped up. He could no longer sit still. Seeing such a dazzling attack made him even more excited.
“So cool, so cool! Quick, Little Zhuo, let me play with it—let me try it!”
Hidden behind the faceplate, Ning Zhuo’s lips had already curled high in satisfaction.
Hearing Sun Lingtong’s urging, he forcibly suppressed his grin and replied through spiritual sense, “Boss, this isn’t playing. Time is limited—I need to properly test this mechanical armor.”
“When there’s a chance later, I’ll let you try it.”
Sun Lingtong pouted, crossing his arms unwillingly. “Hmph. Little Zhuo, do you think I don’t know you?”
“You even dare to brush off your boss…”
“But fine, I’ll let you off this time.”
“When this big battle ends, you must let me properly play with this mechanical armor!”
Ning Zhuo quickly replied, “Ahem, Boss, you’ve misunderstood me. Don’t worry—when there’s time, I’ll definitely let you try it!”
After repeated assurances, Ning Zhuo finally calmed Sun Lingtong down.
He continued immersing himself in testing the mechanical armor, discovering many abilities and clever uses.
Only when night fell did Sun Lingtong remind him.
Ning Zhuo smacked his lips. “Time passed way too fast!”
“Ah…”
“The Hundred-Arm Arhat Armor has ruined me!”
“It’s all because it’s too fun—ah, I mean too important. I must adapt to and master it as soon as possible.”
Sun Lingtong jumped up. “You were playing with it after all, weren’t you?! Hurry back to the camp and deliver the Jade Steel Heavy Armor to the Three Generals Camp.”
“I’ll stay in the Puppet Dragon and properly study this Hundred-Arm Arhat Armor for you!”
Ning Zhuo reluctantly removed the armor and entered the Wanli Dragon, handing the armor to Sun Lingtong while reminding him, “Boss, be careful.”
“Don’t go wild inside the Puppet Dragon. This armor is extremely powerful.”
Sun Lingtong was already clinging to the armor with shining eyes. His response was extremely perfunctory.
“I know, I know!”
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo felt uneasy. “Don’t break it.”
Sun Lingtong waved him away without even turning his head. “Go, go—handle your business.”
Grinding his teeth, Ning Zhuo reluctantly looked back, only to see Sun Lingtong already impatiently climbing into the mechanical armor.
“Sigh. Boss is clearly older than me, yet he still loves playing so much. His playful heart is far too heavy!”
With a feeling of frustrated disappointment, Ning Zhuo controlled the Wanli Dragon, passed through a stretch of void, and returned near Woodwheel Town.
He exited the Puppet Dragon and returned to the Three Generals Camp, finding Liu Er and informing him of the good news that heavy armor was now plentiful.
Liu Er was overjoyed and hurriedly asked for details.
Ning Zhuo briefly explained.
When Liu Er learned that Ning Zhuo had already mobilized the Ning Family to manufacture military equipment in advance, he could not help but admire him. The Strategist truly lived up to his title, possessing such foresight.
When he heard that a Nascent Soul–level cultivator had personally delivered the equipment, he secretly sighed again. Ning Zhuo must hold extraordinary status within his clan to be able to dispatch a Nascent Soul cultivator.
“Next, you will use the Iron Skin Flesh Armor Art. Please allow me to observe,” Ning Zhuo said. Although he kept thinking about the Hundred-Arm Arhat Armor, he still had to handle these important matters.
Inside a camp tent, Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei had already gathered several elite soldiers.
Each of them had been given a set of heavy armor.
“Begin,” Liu Er ordered.
The elite soldiers all looked solemn. Each took a dagger and stabbed themselves ruthlessly.
The Iron Skin Flesh Armor Art was a demonic technique. Its first step required the subject to strip off their entire skin.
The cultivators inside the tent all had Foundation Establishment stage cultivation. One by one, they silently cut away their skin and peeled it off.
Soon, more than thirty of them stood with their flesh exposed—even their scalps had been removed. The scene was horrifying.
Next, they donned the heavy armor before them.
The cold, heavy armor pressed against their exposed flesh, causing them to groan in pain.
As the Iron Skin Flesh Armor Art was officially activated, the armor began to seep into their bodies, intertwining tightly with the fresh, bleeding flesh until they fused together.
During the process, the pain intensified greatly. Many cultivators could not endure it and screamed in agony.
Most of the cultivators maintained the spell. A few could not withstand the pain and interrupted the process.
But in the next moment, Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei each stepped in to assist, casting the Iron Skin Flesh Armor Art to help those cultivators continue merging their flesh with the armor.
Eventually, the screams subsided.
Inside the tent filled with the smell of blood and iron, more than thirty armored figures either knelt on one knee or collapsed on the ground. Only one person remained standing.
This attracted the interest of Liu Er, Guan Hong, Zhang Hei, and Ning Zhuo.
Zhang Hei asked for the man’s name.
The man answered firmly, “This humble one is Chen Zhi. I pay my respects to the three generals and the Strategist.”