Chapter 514: Fire-Element Heart Temple
“Chen Zhi…” Including Ning Zhuo, everyone remembered this name.
Clearly, this was someone who had emerged through multiple rounds of battle, elimination, and selection.
Liu Er immediately led Chen Zhi aside for a detailed discussion.
Guan Hong, Zhang Hei, and Ning Zhuo remained to watch over the other soldiers.
Guan Hong stroked his beard and transmitted his concerns through spiritual sense: “These thirty-odd men are the very best of the Three Generals Camp. We carefully selected them from the elite, gathering the finest seedlings.”
“Whether in cultivation, combat power, or sheer willpower, they are all outstanding.”
“Even so, cultivating the Iron Skin Flesh Armor Art has proven extremely difficult for them.”
“If we hadn’t supported them, at least ten would have failed midway, suffering backlash—some severely injured, even dead.”
Zhang Hei also rarely looked so grave. “If that’s the case, the others will find it even harder to succeed.”
“Damn it! We clearly have enough heavy armor, yet so few people can actually cultivate the technique!”
“Hm? Military Advisor, you’re still in the mood to smile?”
Guan Hong’s heart stirred, and he transmitted with spiritual sense: “It seems the Military Advisor has already thought of a solution?”
Ning Zhuo denied it. “For now, I haven’t thought of any method.”
Zhang Hei glared. “Ah! Military Advisor, don’t laugh foolishly for no reason!”
Ning Zhuo then changed his tone. “Although I have no solution, that doesn’t mean others don’t.”
Zhang Hei grew anxious. “Who else? Military Advisor, at a time like this, stop keeping us in suspense!”
Ning Zhuo pointed toward the direction of Woodwheel Town. “I believe Marshal Du Tiechuan must have a method.”
“I don’t understand the Iron Skin Flesh Armor Art very well, but I’ve already gained some insight into Marshal Du’s character and temperament.”
Sure enough.
That very night, new information arrived from the Quartermaster Department.
The Quartermaster Department released multiple kinds of medicinal pills, talismans, and even formation disks. These were excellent auxiliary tools that could greatly assist soldiers in cultivating the Iron Skin Flesh Armor Art, improving both efficiency and success rate.
Zhang Hei immediately sighed. “Military Advisor, your calculations are divine!”
Ning Zhuo shook his head. “Marshal Du’s methods are simply thorough—layer upon layer without end.”
After experiencing this incident, Ning Zhuo had broadened his horizons.
Although he had never personally seen Du Tiechuan fight or deploy military arts, this series of measures alone allowed Ning Zhuo to glimpse the latter’s style as a strategist cultivator.
While the entire army was competing to cultivate the Iron Skin Flesh Armor Art, Ning Zhuo quietly left the camp. He went to a deserted valley and began cultivating the Five Viscera Temple Divine Spirit Art.
“Boss, I’m starting now.” Ning Zhuo sat cross-legged, his face solemn.
Among all the techniques within this divine art, the most dangerous was the one he was about to perform—the Fire-Element Heart Temple.
Sun Lingtong immediately transmitted his voice: “Relax. I’m watching.”
Hearing Sun Lingtong’s voice greatly eased Ning Zhuo’s mind. He knew the most reliable person in the world was right beside him.
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and drew out a dagger, carving toward his chest.
The dagger pierced one inch in before abruptly stopping.
Ning Zhuo only felt a slight sting. A few threads of blood seeped from the wound, then it stopped bleeding on its own.
“Oh, I almost forgot.”
“I used the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel to strengthen my physical body. My defensive power is no longer what it used to be.”
Too many things had happened recently.
Ning Zhuo had to produce large numbers of mechanical puppets, repair Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yahu, manage the Three Generals Camp and the Red Flower Camp, and help them purchase heavy armor.
He had only spent a few days cultivating with the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel.
More importantly, this cultivation method truly lived up to Sun Lingtong’s genius idea. It pushed the limits of the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel itself, utilizing conditions that were almost impossible to replicate, granting extremely high cultivation efficiency.
Ning Zhuo’s physical foundation had risen rapidly—to the point that he had not yet fully adapted to it.
Moreover, the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Essence had suddenly fallen into his hands, and he had not given much thought to the related cultivation matters.
As a result, a small oversight occurred here.
“Boss, my dagger isn’t sharp enough. Lend me yours,” Ning Zhuo asked.
Sun Lingtong replied, “Sure.”
“No, no—wait, that won’t do!”
“I coated my daggers and blades with poison to prepare for the coming battle.”
“The poison mostly comes from that fellow Yang Chanyu.”
Cold sweat almost appeared on Ning Zhuo’s forehead.
Yang Chanyu’s poison was extremely formidable. Ning Zhuo had no intention of risking it.
Left with no choice, he temporarily halted cultivation. Using the Wanli Dragon, he returned near Woodwheel Town.
He found Mu Lan at the training field and directly told her he needed help.
Mu Lan was training soldiers. Upon hearing his request, she immediately ordered the troops to rest in place and hurried over.
Her action instantly sparked widespread discussion among the soldiers.
“Look over there! That’s the general’s husband.”
“Clad in white like snow—truly a handsome man.”
“Hmph, just a pretty boy. How could he be worthy of our general?”
“I don’t think so. The fact that he dared to marry our general already proves his courage.”
“Hiss… that’s true.”
“Don’t underestimate Young Master Ning Zhuo. In the battle at Moon-Hook Mountain, if he hadn’t arrived with timely reinforcements, the outcome would have been uncertain.”
The soldiers watched the spectacle, discussing excitedly.
Several Golden Core female deputy generals of the Red Flower Camp also joined the gossip.
“So far, only Young Master Ning Zhuo can immediately halt training and summon the general aside, right?”
“Is it something urgent?”
“Look— the general just handed her personal golden blade to Young Master Ning Zhuo.”
“That blade is incredibly sharp and always kept close to her. Seems the rumors were wrong. People said the general and Ning Zhuo only had a political alliance, but it looks like feelings have long existed between them.”
The personal golden blade served a special purpose.
If a female cultivator ever faced humiliation in desperate circumstances, she could either fight to the death or end her own life with it.
It was essentially Mu Lan’s final trump card, always kept close to her body, carrying immense significance.
After only a few words, Mu Lan turned back to resume training.
Holding the golden blade, Ning Zhuo left Woodwheel Town and returned to another deserted valley to continue his cultivation.
Mu Lan’s blade carried no poison. Ning Zhuo quickly dug a hole into his chest, severed the meridians near his heart, and pulled the heart out of his body.
At the same time, he activated the Demonic Blood Tendon Technique, forming a mass of blood tendons in the empty cavity to temporarily replace the heart’s function.
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath. His chest felt cold and hollow, leaving him extremely uneasy.
He lightly tossed the heart into the air.
Using spiritual sense to manipulate objects, the heart floated in midair without falling.
Ning Zhuo began activating the Five Viscera Temple Divine Spirit Art.
The technique produced a mass of blood-red radiance that enveloped the heart, slowly refining it.
Within the dense blood glow, crimson light gradually emerged.
Among the five viscera and six bowels, the heart belonged to the Fire Element, and the Fire Element radiated red brilliance.
Meanwhile, Sun Lingtong activated the Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra, igniting a massive blaze.
Ning Zhuo threw the medicinal bottle directly into the flames and broke its seal.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Essence burst out of the bottle—only to be immediately subjected to a brutal cremation.
It was utterly confused.
It was itself a fire spirit, yet it could not merge with this flame. Instead, it was being burned and melted.
In its desperation to survive, it hurriedly tried to return to the bottle.
But in the next moment, Ning Zhuo detonated the bottle, forcing the miserable Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Essence back into the sea of fire.
The Fire Essence charged left and right, but Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo blocked every path.
Soon, it was burned beyond recognition—like a candle already half consumed.
Realizing it was about to perish, the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Essence fell into hysteria and desperately tried to break through.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong remained cold-faced, intercepting it again and again.
Finally, the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Essence was completely refined into a mass of crimson spirituality.
Ning Zhuo’s heart fell into the flames and fused with the spirituality of the Fire Essence.
Ning Zhuo continuously activated the Five Viscera Temple Divine Spirit Art, gradually refining the fused spirituality into a sphere of light.
Inside the sphere, everything was fiery red. A faint temple could vaguely be seen.
“It’s done!” Ning Zhuo revealed a trace of joy.
Using spiritual sense, he retrieved the Fire-Element Heart Temple and placed it back into his chest.
The blood tendons temporarily acting as a heart automatically retreated, leaving the position open.
The Heart Temple returned to its original place and transformed back into a heart, automatically reconnecting with the surrounding heart meridians.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The heart began beating again, pumping blood through Ning Zhuo’s body and restoring circulation.
Sun Lingtong stopped maintaining the Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra and immediately cast healing spells to treat Ning Zhuo’s injuries.
Under Sun Lingtong’s full effort, the wound in Ning Zhuo’s chest quickly healed.
Ning Zhuo poured his spiritual sense into his heart.
In a trance, he arrived inside a temple. He sat upon the divine throne, becoming the Fire God statue worshipped within.
Outside the temple, vast rivers of blood surged like long torrents, washing against the temple’s base.
Ning Zhuo tried activating the power of the Fire God Temple, gradually increasing its intensity.
The temple emitted blazing light and heat, overflowing with vitality. It heated the river of blood, boiling it rapidly until it began to vaporize.
As a result, massive blood energy surged upward like a reverse waterfall, shooting into the sky from the base of the Fire God Temple.
Ning Zhuo’s body immediately surged with blood energy. His entire body flushed red like a lobster, his breathing grew heavy, sweat poured down his body, and his life force surged upward endlessly.
He felt his stamina and strength greatly increase—even his thoughts ran more than twice as fast.
The heart governs blood circulation. By intensifying the blood flow, the cultivator’s entire body can be enhanced from within, greatly boosting vitality and power.
However, once Ning Zhuo stopped the Fire God Temple’s power, overwhelming fatigue immediately engulfed him.
“That state can’t last long,” he realized. “It pushes my body’s foundation beyond its limits.”
Soon after, intense hunger struck him.
He was ravenously hungry.
Ning Zhuo quickly took out Spirit Food and stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing large bites.
The food was rapidly digested.
Ning Zhuo’s mind stirred, and he directed his spiritual sense into the Earth-Element Spleen Temple.
There, he became the statue of the Earth God, presiding over the absorption and digestion of incoming substances.
The impurities within the Spirit Food were also accepted into the temple, accumulating like the earth storing all things.
Over time, this accumulation would eventually undergo a qualitative transformation, turning waste into treasure.
“The Fire Temple increases consumption, while the Earth Temple aids absorption.”
“Each handles one side. They can cooperate.”
“In the future, once the Water Temple, Metal Temple, and Wood Temple are completed, the Five Elements will combine into a complete and mysterious cycle.”
Ning Zhuo’s thoughts drifted, and he could not help but imagine the bright future.
Thousand Peaks Forest.
Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain.
The council hall was filled with people, the atmosphere heavy.
Ever since Du Tiechuan constructed the Dragon Shadow Nine Pillars Parade Platform, some cultivators had suggested launching an army to strike Woodwheel Town directly.
But Lu Hongtu had firmly rejected the proposal.
When Du Tiechuan’s tactical objective later became clear, criticism toward Lu Hongtu rapidly increased.
Now another cultivator raised the same suggestion.
“This is our last chance! Everyone knows the power of the Iron Flow Across the Plains military art!”
“Fortunately, Du Tiechuan’s forces are newly recruited troops. Their training is insufficient—they still need time to prepare.”
“This is a massive flaw left by the enemy, a heaven-sent opportunity!”
“But what are we doing? Are we really just going to sit here and let the enemy calmly organize themselves and eventually deploy their military art successfully?!”
His words immediately gained widespread support.
The hall filled with voices of agreement.
Almost all eyes turned toward Lu Hongtu.
Lu Hongtu’s expression remained cold. “Hmph. I’ll say the same thing again. You are underestimating Du Tiechuan.”
“Look at his previous campaigns. His arrangements are meticulous and gradual, leaving neither side room to act freely. Both sides end up forced to follow his design.”
“If we launch our army and abandon the favorable terrain of Thousand Peaks Forest, we would be discarding our strengths and charging straight into the enemy’s ambush. Utterly foolish.”
Lu Hongtu still had supporters. Though fewer in number, they spoke up after his words.
Soon the hall filled with shouting and insults.
Lu Hongtu sighed inwardly.
He knew this meeting would end like the others—dissolving into argument with no result.
“This is the flaw of alliances. Only a handful of people can truly decide the course of this war.”
Leaving behind a phantom clone, Lu Hongtu quietly departed to meet Grandfather Long.
Grandfather Long was receiving guests. Upon learning of Lu Hongtu’s arrival, he immediately sent a servant to guide him into a secret chamber.
Inside, Lu Hongtu saw Grandfather Long entertaining two ghost cultivators.
One wore white robes, with crimson eyes and mist swirling around him.
The other looked like a lump of black charcoal. With every breath, faint crimson flames leaked from cracks across his body.
Seeing Lu Hongtu arrive, Grandfather Long smiled and introduced him.
“Gentlemen, this is our Chief Military Advisor, Lu Hongtu, Sect Master of the Six Caves Sect. He has worked hard presiding over the council these days.”
“Hongtu, these two come from the Soul-Devouring Sect. They are called Heaven Frost and Earth Ash.”
Lu Hongtu’s heart trembled.
He performed a one-handed Daoist salute. “So you are the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts. I have long heard of your reputation.”
The white-robed ghost cultivator Heaven Frost nodded slightly.
“The two of us came this time with two missions from our sect.”
“First, to assist your forces.”
“Second, to capture someone alive.”
“A brat named Ning Zhuo.”