Chapter 520: Dragon Ginseng King vs. Du Tiechuan
Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain!
This was the tallest and most towering peak within the entire Thousand Peaks Forest.
It rose to a height of ten thousand zhang, standing between heaven and earth, tempered by wind and rain, scoured by the passage of time.
When it began to tilt, the entire world seemed to lose its balance in an instant.
The mountain’s spine was as straight as if carved by a blade. The rock walls were steep, the cliffs jagged, and every stone and crevice of the mountain body held the accumulation of countless years.
Besides the rocks, the mountain also held thousands upon thousands of temples. These temples varied in size—some were merely niches in the cliffside, while the larger ones covered hundreds of acres. Clustered around the mountainside, they formed a massive belt encircling the peak.
However, no matter how magnificent this was, it could not withstand the sudden strike of fate nor the brutality of war.
Boom—!
The mountain’s base was smashed apart directly by Iron Flow Across the Plains. The entire mountain collapsed, billions of tons of force crashing down upon the earth.
The thunderous sound shook the heavens and the earth.
Dust swept up by violent winds rose hundreds of zhang into the air, forming a thick black haze that nearly devoured the entire sky.
The dust spread for thousands of li, covering every direction. The world turned dim yellow, and even the sun’s brilliance was blotted out at that moment.
The collapse of the mountain dragged countless rocks and chunks of earth down with it. Dust filled the air, fragments flew everywhere, and the resulting mudslides surged wildly. Massive quantities of soil, sand, and vegetation rolled downward like a flood, producing endless dull roars within the valleys.
The surrounding mountains and vegetation had once been lush and green. Yet before this world-shattering disaster, everything was wiped out. Entire forests were uprooted and torn apart, falling like straw under the violent shock of the collapsing mountain.
The shattered stones numbered in the millions. They poured down from the sky like a storm of rain, and the impact when they struck the ground filled every witness with dread.
Every falling rock raised a storm of dust, scattering hundreds of smaller fragments in all directions.
Nearby mountains trembled violently. Some peaks, caught in the destruction, collapsed along with it or were smashed cleanly in half.
Boom boom boom!
Another chain of thunderous explosions echoed as the land within a hundred li shook violently.
The mountain’s outline was no longer whole. Piles of rocks buried valleys and forests alike. The air was filled with choking dust and soil.
And within this haze of smoke and rubble, the Heavy-Armored Main Army continued advancing proudly. Their charge never halted for even a moment!
“Crush Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain!” Du Tiechuan ordered coldly.
Although Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain had collapsed, countless Dragon King Temples upon the mountain released divine radiance, shielding the mountain and reinforcing it with layers of protection.
Thus, while surrounding peaks were devastated beyond recognition, Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain itself remained relatively intact. At the very least, the sides that had not slammed directly into the ground were largely undamaged.
Under the command of their supreme commander, countless heavy-armored soldiers surged with morale and charged forward as one.
If they were allowed to sweep across it, Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain would certainly be unable to withstand them.
At this critical moment, Dragon Ginseng King had no choice but to act.
Countless ginseng roots burst through the ground. Ignoring sacrifice, they launched endless waves of attacks.
Though the ginseng roots were powerful, Iron Flow Across the Plains functioned as a single unified whole. In the short term, it showed no sign of collapsing.
Just as Iron Flow Across the Plains was about to sweep over Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain—
At that moment, an incomparably powerful pressure suddenly spread out. Heaven and earth dimmed slightly, the air seemed torn apart by an immense force, and nearly every cultivator felt their heart skip a beat as a vague terror and sense of crisis gripped them.
The ground suddenly bulged upward!
A few breaths later, the raised ground violently exploded as the enormous main body of Dragon Ginseng King burst forth!
The dragon’s head, massive as a mountain, resembled a fortress. Its dragon eyes shone with a golden-orange light, radiating terrifying pressure. Anyone could sense its sky-shaking roar!
Its thick dragon body had neither metallic dragon scales nor the elegant, slender form of ordinary dragons. Instead, it appeared bloated and heavy.
Hundreds upon thousands of dragon whiskers tore through the air, whipping wildly in midair.
A raging wave of pressure surged outward from its body, sweeping across the battlefield.
Dragon Ginseng King’s body rose higher and higher, standing proudly upon the battlefield. Its enormous dragon body exuded overwhelming oppression, as though it could blot out the sky.
Roar—!
It opened its mouth and exhaled a stream of yellow dragon breath.
Great Kun Breath!
A Soul Formation–level dragon breath carrying terrifying Earth-element power struck directly into Iron Flow Across the Plains.
Including Ning Zhuo, countless officers and soldiers groaned at the same time, feeling an incomparably heavy pressure crash upon them.
The black Steel Torrent abruptly halted, sending ripples spreading outward from the point of impact.
The heavy-armored soldiers struck directly by the dragon breath were instantly turned into stone statues, then shattered into the finest grains of earth.
Du Tiechuan and the others had already withdrawn from the front line. Seeing this scene, their pupils shrank.
The combat strength of Iron Flow Across the Plains had long reached the Soul Formation level. With morale soaring, its power had risen even further to the upper tier of that realm.
Even so, Dragon Ginseng King’s full-power strike instantly wiped out thirty percent of their forces!
Du Tiechuan did not move to protect the main army. Instead, he began preparing a military art.
Holding a sharp sword, he swung out a brilliant streak of sword light.
Military Art—Tension Like Drawn Sword and Bow.
Sword Art—Ten Thousand Zhang of Edge.
Sword Art—One Sword Seals the Throat!
This was Du Tiechuan’s full-power strike, a fusion of military art and swordsmanship.
The sword light appeared slow yet was actually swift, striking Dragon Ginseng King’s body almost instantly.
Dragon Ginseng King howled in pain. Although it tilted its head at the crucial moment and avoided a fatal strike, a massive sword wound still opened across its neck.
Du Tiechuan’s sword had nearly severed most of the dragon’s neck!
Yellow dragon blood erupted like a waterfall.
Wherever the dragon blood flowed, it rapidly solidified and formed scabs, quickly sealing the wound.
Though heavily injured, Dragon Ginseng King displayed the terrifying regenerative power of its true body.
After a brief gasp, it unleashed Great Kun Breath once again.
Du Tiechuan still chose not to defend the main army. He unleashed a second sword strike, again attacking with full power.
Boom…
The Heavy-Armored Main Army was struck again. In an instant, another ten percent of their forces vanished. The military art reinforcement was destroyed, and the black phantom of the Steel Torrent shattered apart.
Countless soldiers reverted to their individual forms, falling to the ground amid groans and screams.
Everyone was injured. Some died instantly from severe wounds.
Another horrifying wound appeared on Dragon Ginseng King’s body.
Du Tiechuan had nearly cut it in half!
“Die for me!” Du Tiechuan roared, breaking away from the army and lunging forward.
He raised his sword high and brought it down with a mighty strike.
Dragon Ginseng King’s aura had already fallen to less than half its original level. It suddenly leaned back, countless ginseng roots anchoring themselves onto Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain.
Dao-Field—Earth Dragon Nest!
In an instant, the battlefield within a hundred li was dyed into a world of yellow earth.
The ground churned as giant dragons made of rock and soil burst from the earth, charging toward the tiny figure of Du Tiechuan.
Du Tiechuan attempted to fly, but was soon dragged down to the ground.
Within this Dao-Field, gravity shifted according to Dragon Ginseng King’s will.
Not only was Du Tiechuan’s movement hindered—even raising his hand or opening his mouth felt as if an invisible force dragged heavily upon him.
Du Tiechuan snorted coldly, completely unsurprised.
The intelligence gathered by Liangzhu Kingdom had long detailed Dragon Ginseng King’s power.
It was originally a demon cultivator. Its physical body alone was already terrifying. Now that it had become a native god of Thousand Peaks Forest, receiving incense offerings and possessing a Dao-Field, it was even more formidable.
Du Tiechuan took out the General’s Seal and threw out a command token.
“Enter battle!”
As he issued the order, the military command token burst into blinding light.
In the next moment the light dispersed, and a massive demon beast the size of a hill appeared out of thin air.
A Soul Formation–level National Beast—Two-Headed Badger.
Its body length reached three zhang, with a shoulder height of about two zhang. Two heads, left and right, each bore massive tusks glinting with cold light.
Its neck was thick and layered with muscle. Its limbs were like four pillars, each claw like a steel vise with foot-long nails capable of ripping through armor.
Its tail was thick and two zhang long, ending in a spiked cluster resembling hundreds of spears gathered together.
As soon as the Two-Headed Badger appeared, it attacked immediately. One head breathed fire, the other frost. The attacks struck Dragon Ginseng King’s body—scorching its left side black while freezing its right side in layers of ice.
Boom boom boom…
Du Tiechuan, the Two-Headed Badger, and Dragon Ginseng King clashed in the most violent battle.
No one dared approach the Dao-Field. Even the shockwaves alone made Nascent Soul cultivators retreat in fear.
Du Tiechuan possessed both military power and national power enhancements, while Dragon Ginseng King held the overwhelming advantage of its Dao-Field. From the very beginning, their battle was fought with absolute desperation.
Every move was aimed at the opponent’s vital points. If a single strike could kill the enemy, there would never be a second!
The Two-Headed Badger soon howled in pain and collapsed heavily wounded.
Even with national power reinforcement, its combat strength could not match either Du Tiechuan or Dragon Ginseng King.
Even within the Soul Formation realm, there were clear differences.
Demonic Art—Dragon Whiskers Binding Heaven.
Divine Art—Dragon King Divine Prison.
Demon God Art—Burial Dragon Abyss!
Countless dragon whiskers transformed into endless talismans throughout the Dao-Field. These talismans connected together to form chains that bound Du Tiechuan.
For a moment, he resembled a tiny mosquito trapped within a vast spiderweb.
Du Tiechuan snorted coldly. Covered in blood, he gathered his remaining strength for a final strike.
Sword Art—Heaven-Severing Sword Qi.
Sword Art—Thunder Azure Edge!
Military Art—Heavenly Gang Dao Soldier Formation.
Military Art—Empty City Stratagem.
Sword qi shot into the sky, wrapped in azure lightning. Surrounding him, surging qi formed thirty-six Heavenly Gang Dao Soldiers who rapidly assembled into formation.
Finally, under the Empty City Stratagem, the three forces fused into a single weapon—a military battle sword.
Heavenly Gang Thunder Cleaving the Void!
Boom!
Thunder roared, shattering countless talisman chains.
Dragon whiskers snapped, scattering yellow dragon blood across the sky.
The translucent sword light struck Dragon Ginseng King’s main body, triggering a terrifying explosion from within.
On the spot, a massive hole was blasted through its body, nearly severing the dragon in two.
Countless wounds tore across its body, from which razor-sharp military sword qi erupted.
Dragon Ginseng King howled and transformed into a streak of yellow light, escaping underground!
Du Tiechuan still had more than a dozen talisman chains binding him and could not pursue.
He could only strike again, destroying Dragon Ginseng King’s Dao-Field.
As the Dao-Field collapsed, another roar of pain echoed from deep underground.
The sound quickly faded, showing that the dragon was burrowing deeper and deeper.
“We won!”
“We’ve won!!”
“Retreat, retreat!”
The Liangzhu Kingdom army erupted in cheers. Meanwhile, the Thousand Peaks Forest alliance forces retreated without fighting. Even Nascent Soul cultivators looked grim and unsettled.
Countless worshipful gazes focused on Du Tiechuan.
This Soul Formation–level Grand General, with an iron-like face and resolute expression, floated above the battlefield dragging more than a dozen talisman chains behind him.
He loudly ordered the construction of a military camp on the spot.
More than forty formation masters rose into the air and waved talismans.
Talismans rained down like droplets.
Streams of light intertwined in the sky, quickly forming a massive three-dimensional Formation covering hundreds of acres.
Then over sixty artifact refiners stepped forward, producing pre-forged semi-finished materials from their own supplies.
They threw these materials into the Formation, aligning them with every point of light and line of energy, filling the Formation Nodes and Formation Base Points with various magical treasures, weapons, and military flags.
Soon, the Formation shifted from illusion to reality, transforming into a vast military camp.
Calling it a camp was inaccurate—it resembled a small city.
The city was constructed from Canghai Wood, Divine Eagle Stone, and Qingcheng Iron. Its bronze-like color gave it a solemn and imposing appearance.
Watchtowers lined the edges, and military flags fluttered along the walls.
Inside were numerous barracks, open grounds, and training fields.
At the center stood the Commander’s Main Hall. The red copper pillars surrounding it were carved with the Four Sacred Beasts—Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird—exuding majestic grandeur.
Du Tiechuan descended into the Commander’s Hall and cast out command tokens.
The four city gates opened wide, releasing powerful suction. According to the markings on the command tokens, each unit of the Heavy-Armored Main Army was drawn inside and carefully arranged.
Meanwhile, formation masters continued constructing defenses.
First, they set up the Azure Sea Soldier Tide Formation around the small city.
Next, within the middle ring, they established the Thunder Net Sky-Locking Grand Formation.
Finally, the outermost layer formed the Cangyue Flying Shield Formation, capable of both offense and defense.
The three formations complemented one another, forming a seamless defensive barrier.
Once the formations were activated, logistics cultivators left the city to begin cleaning the battlefield.
Du Tiechuan summoned the commanders to the Commander’s Hall.
He coughed several times and spat blood before saying bluntly,
“I fought Dragon Ginseng King in a life-and-death battle. Both of us suffered heavy injuries. For a short time, we must focus on recuperation and recovery.”
“You must actively sweep through the surrounding mountains. Exterminate Dragon King believers, destroy the temples, and cut off its incense offerings.”
“Only by accumulating advantages bit by bit can we ultimately achieve victory.”
The commanders looked at each other in silence.
Du Tiechuan snorted coldly and immediately announced that from now on, military merits would be rewarded immediately with promotion and wealth.
The commanders were greatly encouraged and responded in unison.