Chapter 515: War Preparations
“Ning Zhuo?” Lu Hongtu’s heart stirred slightly, the name sounding somewhat familiar.
Soon after, he recalled the intelligence related to Ning Zhuo.
The first time Ning Zhuo entered his field of vision had been during the earliest ambush battle. Even before that ambush, the Thousand Peaks Forest side had already learned of the prophetic words Ning Zhuo had spoken before the battle.
Because of this, Lu Hongtu had made certain arrangements.
After the ambush battle ended with both sides gaining and losing ground, the Stone Dwelling Old Monster openly stated that he was quite interested in Ning Zhuo.
Thus, Lu Hongtu and the others did not move against this foreign cultivator who was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet capable of producing rather accurate prophecies.
However, although the Stone Dwelling Old Monster had been active—repeatedly ambushing and looting Liangzhu Kingdom transport convoys in the deep rear near Canglin Immortal City—he had never taken action against Ning Zhuo.
The most recent piece of military intelligence Lu Hongtu had received said that Ning Zhuo and Mu Lan had become husband and wife.
At first, Lu Hongtu had believed this to be false intelligence.
But later, after obtaining more details and learning many of the inside circumstances, he realized that the information was true.
At the time, he had sighed with emotion. “This Ning Zhuo truly has a measure of fortune!”
Lu Hongtu knew that Ning Zhuo was his enemy.
He also knew the truth behind the conflict between the Ning Family and the Six Caves Sect.
Although it had been his side that was in the wrong, the world valued strength and weakness more than right and wrong.
After pondering for a moment, Lu Hongtu immediately said to the two ghost cultivators before him, “Ning Zhuo, you say? He is also my enemy.”
“Oh?” The white-robed ghost cultivator Heaven Frost voiced his surprise.
Lu Hongtu then explained the matter in detail, immediately bringing himself closer to the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts.
The black-robed ghost cultivator Earth Ash said warily, “On Ning Zhuo rests the life debt of a disciple of our Soul-Devouring Sect. We intend to capture him alive and bring him back.”
Lu Hongtu replied, “I have no intention of competing with the two of you.”
“He is merely a small Foundation Establishment cultivator. If he were of the Golden Core level, I would have long since taken action and eliminated him.”
“To attract the two of you to personally capture him alive—this Ning Zhuo can be considered fortunate across three lifetimes.”
“However… this person is actually also the prey of the Stone Dwelling Old Monster.”
“If you wish to capture him alive and take him away, it would be best to obtain the Stone Dwelling Old Monster’s consent.”
Heaven Frost immediately shook his head.
“That is unnecessary. The Stone Dwelling Old Monster is merely interested in him, while we have the hatred of slain fellow disciples.”
“In this matter, the Stone Dwelling Old Monster should yield to us!”
Earth Ash shrugged with an indifferent tone.
“I think you people place too much importance on the Stone Dwelling Old Monster. Although he possesses Earth-Travel Technique and can freely traverse the battlefield, he has never shown anything remarkable in direct combat.”
“A demon cultivator like that is of little use. Perhaps in the next battle, the enemy army will already have prepared methods to restrain his Earth-Travel Technique.”
Hearing this, Lu Hongtu could not help feeling slightly surprised.
Subconsciously, he turned his gaze toward Grandfather Long.
Grandfather Long smiled at him.
Lu Hongtu immediately understood—regarding the intelligence that the Stone Dwelling Old Monster was a Soul Formation–level being, Grandfather Long had deliberately concealed this information from the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts.
In fact, this intelligence was known only to the upper ranks of the Thousand Peaks Forest Alliance.
If the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts knew that the Stone Dwelling Old Monster was at the Soul Formation level, they would certainly not hold such an attitude.
After a brief moment of thought, Lu Hongtu understood Grandfather Long’s intention.
“It seems the Dragon King Temple wishes to provoke conflict between the Stone Dwelling Old Monster and the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts.”
The Stone Dwelling Old Monster was a newly advanced Soul Formation–level being, while the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts were merely two Nascent Soul cultivators—yet both were True Lords.
Moreover, the divine abilities each of them had cultivated could combine with one another, producing an extremely powerful strike.
Because of this, the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts were widely renowned—even Lu Hongtu on the Thousand Peaks Forest side had heard much about them.
“Even if the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts are not the Stone Dwelling Old Monster’s match, one must not forget that behind them stands the Soul-Devouring Sect.”
“This time, the Dragon King Temple spent a great price to hire the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts to participate in the war. It was not only to deal with Du Tiechuan’s Iron Flow Across the Plains Military Art, but also secretly to scheme against the Stone Dwelling Old Monster.”
In the eyes of Grandfather Long and Lu Hongtu, the Stone Dwelling Old Monster had always been a native Soul Formation demon of Thousand Peaks Forest—a natural cave-dwelling demon. He had previously probed the earth veins of Thousand Peaks Forest, making his intentions abundantly clear.
Thus, the Stone Dwelling Old Monster posed a tremendous threat to the status of the Dragon Ginseng King.
However, with the Liangzhu Kingdom army currently outside, the Dragon Ginseng King was probably quite troubled. Though he wished to deal with the Stone Dwelling Old Monster, he could not spare the effort and could only resort to such methods.
After understanding the intention of the Dragon King Temple side, Lu Hongtu immediately chose to cooperate with Grandfather Long.
After continuing their conversation for a while, Grandfather Long summoned servants to lead the two ghost cultivators away and entertain them properly.
Lu Hongtu and Grandfather Long remained alone in the room.
Lu Hongtu then offered his counsel.
“Grandfather Long, at present Du Tiechuan’s intentions are extremely clear—he intends to finish everything in a single decisive battle!”
“Therefore, whether our side can withstand his Iron Flow Across the Plains Military Art is absolutely crucial.”
“If we succeed, our morale will surge, the army’s heart will unite, and we will gain an enormous advantage.”
Grandfather Long sighed.
“Du Tiechuan truly deserves his reputation as the Grand General of Liangzhu Kingdom. If he advanced gradually and fought battle after battle, our side, holding the advantage of terrain, would be able to bleed his army continuously.”
“But now that he has made this move, we have no choice but to respond. Hiring the Heaven-and-Earth Twin Ghosts this time has cost us an extremely high price.”
Seeing that Grandfather Long understood the importance of the upcoming grand decisive battle, Lu Hongtu continued.
“Grandfather Long, in my opinion, we might as well invite Young Lord Shengxu to take action again.”
“If Du Tiechuan were to be injured once more, the balance of victory in this decisive battle would undoubtedly tilt further toward us.”
Grandfather Long sighed again and shook his head slightly.
“I already attempted that method.”
“But Young Lord Shengxu is far too greedy. This time his asking price is fifty times the last! It is outright extortion.”
“Fifty times?” Even Lu Hongtu was startled, drawing in a light breath of cold air.
He then pondered.
“Could such a quotation be part of his negotiation strategy?”
Grandfather Long sighed.
“Perhaps. Since Grand Cave Lord Lu is willing, why not have you personally make the trip and attempt to persuade Young Lord Shengxu to act again?”
“I will give you the bottom price.”
“Twenty times!”
“If it exceeds that price, our side simply cannot pay.”
Lu Hongtu accepted the order and withdrew.
He wasted not a single moment, immediately departing in secret and traveling to a mountain courtyard where he paid a visit to Young Lord Shengxu.
Although both of them were Nascent Soul cultivators, Young Lord Shengxu’s strength far surpassed Lu Hongtu’s.
Lu Hongtu adopted a humble posture.
“Young Lord, I have come this time to request a favor.”
“The enemy army is powerful. If action is not taken soon, our army may fall into a difficult situation. Therefore, I wish to once again invite you to act and secretly assassinate the enemy commander. If you could show some leniency regarding the reward, the Thousand Peaks Forest will certainly repay you with all our strength.”
Young Lord Shengxu’s face was deathly pale, devoid of all color. His entire body lay on a reclining chair, his eyes barely opening into a narrow slit as he looked at Lu Hongtu.
His voice was extremely weak, like fine rain drifting in the wind.
“Cave Lord Lu… last time, I already succeeded in severely injuring Du Tiechuan. It was simply that your side failed to lead your troops forward afterward.”
“This time, if I attempt another assassination, the difficulty will increase by more than a hundredfold. Asking fifty times the price is already a fifty percent discount.”
Lu Hongtu replied that producing fifty times the payment was indeed extremely difficult. Military expenses were enormous every day.
If other resources could be used to offset the payment, would that be acceptable?
Or perhaps installment payments could be arranged—repaying the debt over time would also be a more practical solution.
Young Lord Shengxu sighed faintly.
“Offsetting with other resources is too troublesome. I usually only accept spirit stones—it is convenient.”
“As for installment payments, I will never accept them.”
“If your side loses this battle, who would I collect the debt from?”
“If you want me to act, it must be paid in a single sum—and it must be paid in advance.”
After saying this, Young Lord Shengxu seemed like a sheet of paper collapsing upon itself, his body going limp in the reclining chair as even his breathing weakened further.
Lu Hongtu felt astonished.
If he had not witnessed it personally, it would have been difficult for him to imagine that such a frail patient—someone who struggled even to finish a short speech—could possess combat power capable of threatening a Soul Formation–level being.
Helpless, Lu Hongtu could only take his leave.
His persuasive ability was extremely strong, yet before Young Lord Shengxu he had no opportunity to use it.
As the alliance’s military strategist, his time was extremely tight.
After returning to Dragon King Giant Pillar Mountain, he immediately held secret meetings with several key figures.
An elderly man wearing a robe woven with green pine patterns and possessing a beard as green as pine needles was the Pine Mountain God.
A handsome young man wearing a white jade crown was the White Stone Mountain God.
There was also the Iron Deer Mountain God, who had a pair of antlers on his head, and the Purple Radiance Mountain God, whose body constantly emitted purple light.
“To counter the Iron Flow Across the Plains Military Art this time, the four of you will be the main force. Any losses will be repaid by the alliance at double the value,” Lu Hongtu said.
The Pine Mountain God stroked his beard in silence.
The White Stone Mountain God remained silent.
The Iron Deer Mountain God spoke directly, “If the reward is only this, I will not do it.”
The Purple Radiance Mountain God snorted coldly, revealing obvious disdain for Lu Hongtu’s compensation.
Lu Hongtu was not offended. Smiling patiently, he said,
“If the four of you have any requirements, please put them forward first. Let us discuss them properly.”
While the Thousand Peaks Forest Alliance was actively preparing for war, the military review in Woodwheel Town had also reached its final round.
On the tall parade platform, battle flags fluttered and snapped in the wind.
Only Du Tiechuan stood proudly upon the platform, continuously maintaining this enormous magical treasure.
Within his downward gaze, army after army marched slowly forward, their military presence magnificent.
Every army that had endured until now was fully equipped with heavy armor—without exception.
The soldiers wearing heavy armor marched in perfect unison, the ground trembling slightly with each synchronized step.
Under the sunlight, the heavy armor reflected a cold metallic gleam. The clashing of armor plates mixed with the rhythm of marching steps, producing an unending thunder that stirred the heart.
Thick armor, blades, swords, spears, halberds, shields, and even heavily armored mounts together formed torrents of steel.
Within this, however, each army still possessed its own distinctions.
The Red Flower Camp marched beneath fluttering red flower banners. Their soldiers stood upright and disciplined, half wearing Jade Steel Heavy Armor and half wearing ordinary heavy armor. Their army’s heart was united around Mu Lan at the very front.
The soldiers of White Jade Camp were equipped most extravagantly. Each set of heavy armor was white as snow, its surface smooth as a mirror. The soldiers all carried long spears whose tips glittered with cold light. At a glance, the entire White Jade Camp resembled a slowly moving white city wall.
The heavy armor of the Fire Cloud Army had been equipped by themselves. Each suit of red copper heavy armor possessed an open and flamboyant design, most suitable for casting spells.
The Three Generals Camp also had half Jade Steel Heavy Armor and half ordinary heavy armor. Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei rode horses at the very front, while slightly behind them, Ning Zhuo also rode a Foundation Establishment–level demon horse.
Unlike his previous miserable state, Ning Zhuo now appeared calm and composed.
Ever since completing the refinement of the Fire-Element Heart Temple, he had almost exerted his full effort, hiding within the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel while actively strengthening the foundation of his physical body.
During the successive military reviews that followed, he gradually surpassed the increasing difficulty. From barely adapting, he had become completely at ease, his progress astonishingly rapid.
Sitting atop his horse, Ning Zhuo even allowed his thoughts to wander slightly.
“The grand decisive battle is approaching. Exactly how much combat power do I currently have available?”
First was Ning Zhuo’s own cultivation.
He mainly cultivated the Three Sect Supreme Techniques, cultivating Vital Essence, Qi, and Spirit together. His cultivation was at the early Foundation Establishment stage and had already passed Field Opening without Obstruction, entering the stage of Treasure Nourishment and Growth.
His physical foundation had surged greatly recently. Its strength could completely withstand ordinary weapons and even resist a small portion of magical instruments.
His soul foundation had not improved much since leaving Huoshi Immortal City and remained at the normal standard of two hundred times.
Regarding innate talents, the Early Wisdom talent had not yet undergone further development, while the other innate talent was still shrouded in fog.
Ning Zhuo’s fortune, after its previous mysterious surge, had returned to a normal level.
“But my Five Elements realm is at least at the grandmaster level. I could establish a sect and even create spells during battle.”
“I possess the divine abilities Life Hanging by a Thread and Stone-Forged Earth Treasure.”
After experiencing several events, Ning Zhuo used the divine ability Life Hanging by a Thread far more cautiously. Once activated, his combat power would inevitably surge greatly.
As for the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure Divine Ability, its effect was to convert all things in the world into stone materials, then temper them with the passage of time so that the stone gradually transformed into precious treasure materials. Because the results appeared extremely slowly, it possessed little real combat value.
At present, Ning Zhuo mainly used it in coordination with the Fetal-Breath Spirit Vessel for cultivating his physical body and as an auxiliary method when disguising himself as the Stone Dwelling Old Monster.
Judging solely from what Ning Zhuo himself possessed, his cultivation progress was astonishing. At sixteen years old he had already reached the stage of Treasure Nourishment and Growth, leaving countless peers far behind.
His physical weakness had been greatly compensated for, while his soul had achieved modest accomplishments.
His innate talents remained undeveloped but were sufficient for now.
The changes in his fortune left Ning Zhuo rather puzzled—the big-headed youth was completely an outsider regarding such matters.
Although both of his divine abilities were not primarily combat techniques, their supportive functions were extremely powerful.
Especially the Life Hanging by a Thread Divine Ability. It was extremely useful even in daily interactions. Precisely because it was so miraculous, Ning Zhuo had to conceal it carefully to avoid becoming a target of vigilance and hostility.
As for the Stone-Forged Earth Treasure Divine Ability, although obtained easily and not yet widely applied, it was an excellent tool for management and operations with a bright future ahead.
His realm was his greatest advantage. This gave Ning Zhuo an extremely rich array of spell techniques. Combined with the top-tier Five Elements Qi Regulation Art, his long-range spellcasting ability was extremely formidable.
Compared to his long-range combat, however, his close combat ability was rather lacking.
Previously, while in the Myriad Medicines Sect, Ning Zhuo had made some effort to compensate for this weakness in close combat techniques. Combined with the recent surge in his physical foundation, this shortcoming had been further reduced.
But compared with his long-range capabilities, the gap was still truly enormous.