Fortunately, he had seized the opportunities for practical combat learning earlier. If he had sought speed and saved time when his own strength was weak and encountered a bronze shield, he probably would have lost by now.
"What am I capable of?"
"If we’re talking about Five Elements Magic, I have some confidence. But in martial arts and close combat, I’m really not skilled."
"In fact, my achievements in Five Elements Magic are really just standing on the shoulders of those who came before me, not my own true skills."
"Only by continuously learning and trying my hardest can I possibly recover some disadvantages."
"Even if I can’t stop Ban Ji this time, I’ve learned a lot and my strength has improved significantly, so it won’t be a wasted trip!"
From this perspective, Ning Zhuo could already see the many results of his previous practical combat learning from the encounter with the bronze shield.
"At the same time, the experience I gained from the Soul Searching Technique also showed its limitations."
Weapons like shields are rarely used by cultivators!
These demon cultivators whom Ning Zhuo searched didn’t even use them properly, let alone study them.
Lacking this foundation made it difficult for Ning Zhuo to handle the shield, leading to a halt in his previously rapid progress.
This also explains why he just practiced a bit before stopping and continuing his journey.
This inevitably reminded Ning Zhuo of a certain cultivator, inspiring genuine admiration.
This cultivator was the Lord of Wangchuan!
"Wangchuan, this long river, has existed since it formed in the Netherworld. Its countless years of accumulation have infused the river water with endless memories."
"If the Lord of Wangchuan mastered selflessness and immersed himself in Wangchuan, he could easily grasp it. What a terrifying transformation this would be!"
"It’s a pity I destroyed it, or rather, fortunately I destroyed it."
"A tall tree catches the wind. Lord of Wangchuan, you’re simply too outstanding; even Heaven won’t tolerate you."
Others envied and resented Ning Zhuo for his excellence, while Ning Zhuo envied even more outstanding beings.
What he didn’t know was that the Lord of Wangchuan was also "thinking" about him.
Wangchuan Royal Mansion.
The Lord of Wangchuan sat on the throne, maintaining the National Skill. Clouds drifted in his eyes as if gazing down upon the entire Underworld from the Nine Heavens.
All over the border of Wangchuan Underworld, thousands of beacon towers were burning. The flickering ghost flames emitted the wails of resentful souls, resembling piercing green pillars of light that punctured the dense darkness of the sky.
Five armies from the Ghost Fire Underworld advanced like five bone-eroding daggers, tearing through defenses and stabbing deep into Wangchuan’s heartland.
The eastern route is the poisonous flow of decayed bones.
Strictly speaking, they weren’t the direct forces of the Ghost Fire Underworld but rather a rebellious force formed by unifying splintered factions within Wangchuan Underworld.
Led by the Yin Viper, titled the Poisonous General of Drowned Souls, their main force consisted of 100,000 drowned ghosts with webbed feet covered in water plants, skilled in water battles. Supporting them were 30,000 poisonous ghost leeches with wingspans of ten feet, capable of spraying toxic mists.
They set out from the Poisonous Marsh, crossed the Broken Ice Lake, with their target being the downstream hub of Wangchuan – Mingze Immortal City.
The western route is the frenzy of skeletal remains.
Led by Zhao Haishan, a great general of the Ghost Fire Underworld. Main forces include 150,000 bone soldiers and thousands of bone-crushing war chariots.
This army broke through the defenses of the Burial Hill and advanced swiftly along the Bloody Ancient Road, aiming for Lifeng Immortal City.
The southern route has Yan Yan as the commander, a Ghost Cultivator as renowned as Zhao Haishan and one of the great generals of the Ghost Fire Underworld.
His army comprises 80,000 burned ghosts, nearly 10,000 melted soul ghost riders, and several hundred red roar cannon cars.
They had lain dormant for days in the Boiling Water Rift Valley of the Ghost Fire Underworld, suddenly launching a rapid assault and conquering three Immortal Cities, proving themselves to be the most formidable enemy force to date.
The northern route is the guest army from the Ghost Fire Underworld, hosting the Female Marquis from the Frost Silence Underworld.
The Female Marquis Gongsun Hansha leads 50,000 frozen dead ghosts, 40,000 snow resentment ghost soldiers, and has 500 ice bone tombstones.
They took a roundabout route without attacking nearby villages or Immortal Cities, their current intentions unknown.
The central route is the army of Wanli Yantu.
130,000 terracotta warriors, 3,000 ghost giant spirits, 1,000 soul-splitting assault vehicles, and 500 soul curse cultivators.
They launched a frontal assault, spending several days to capture Ghost Gate Immortal City, a critical military location on Wangchuan Underworld’s border, and have remained stationary ever since, conserving strength and replenishing numbers.
In the Lord of Wangchuan’s vision, there were not only these five armies but also the national skills overlaid on them by the enemy country.
Under the influence of the enemy country’s national skills, the five armies served as a bridge shaking the morale of both the people and the military all over the Wangchuan Underworld!
The Lord of Wangchuan slowly closed his eyes, forming complex and ancient hand seals. Chanting, each syllable stirred the grim roar of the Cultivation Kingdom in the void: "Beware! External invaders are fierce, tearing apart my territory! Souls mourn, blood and fire join suffering! Now I wield the royal seal, exercising power by Heaven’s decree! The national policy is clear—unite against the enemy!"
In an instant, national power surged violently, pouring into the seal before him.
The seal exploded with unprecedented fierce light.
The light pierced through the roof of the Palace of Darkness, transforming into a ghostly blue pillar that shot straight to the top of the Nine Netherworld!
Within the territory of Wangchuan Underworld, the shaking morale of the army and populace was quickly stabilized.
The light dispersed, the seal covered in cracks, then shattered into ashes.
The Lord of Wangchuan squinted his eyes, gritting his teeth in secret.
His royal seal was missing, forcing him to use a fake seal to reluctantly wield the national skill, standing in distant opposition to the Ghost Fire Lord.
But a fake seal is ultimately a fake seal, used once, it disintegrates completely, consuming enormous stockpiled resources.
"I must recover the Main Seal!"
"Otherwise, how can I withstand the repeated national skills of the Ghost Fire Lord?"
"Ning Zhuo!"
"You ruined my path and took my royal seal, deserving ten thousand deaths, even that won’t quench my hate!"
Not only was the Lord of Wangchuan thinking of Ning Zhuo, but someone else was also preoccupied with Ning Zhuo.
Ban Ji looked at the bronze knife in front of him, eyes widening first, then grinning with a hearty laugh: "I’ve found it, I’ve finally found a bronze knife! Hahaha, ahahaha..."
His long pursuit and anticipation culminated in this moment of realization.
Enthused, Ban Ji raised his wolf fang club high, charged with bulging muscles, and aimed it directly at the bronze knife, swinging down hard.
The bronze knife floated quietly in mid-air until the wolf fang club was about to hit, when it suddenly swayed.
It didn’t harshly hit back or evade but instead lightly spun like a willow leaf blown by the wind.
Its blade, at an exceptionally subtle angle, precisely and swiftly "tapped" on the side of the club’s head at the moment of impact.
Ban Ji’s full-force thunderous strike was effortlessly diverted by this casual tap. The massive wolf fang club brushed past the bronze knife and struck hard against the flagstone ground.
Subsequently, the bronze knife thrust towards Ban Ji.
Ban Ji manipulated flying knives, chain hammers, and double section sticks for defense, yet all three layers failed to stop the bronze knife. It casually zigzagged and pierced the open space under Ban Ji’s ribs.
Roaring in pain, Ban Ji staggered back, his rib area now slashed with a deep wound rapidly staining his clothing with blood.
Hurriedly, Ban Ji grabbed the handles of three flying knives and forcefully threw them.
The bronze knife lazily maneuvered around, effortlessly dodging all the flying knives. Such a casual move showed no trace of a blade technique, yet managed to evade all the flying knives.
"This is ’No Move Beats a Move’!" Ban Ji frowned, recalling the intelligence reports.
Licking his dry lips, an ominous feeling welled up within him.
"No matter what! I must obtain this bronze knife!" Ban Ji’s eyes glimmered with greed as he lunged again aggressively.
Pffft!
Clang, clang, clang...
"Urgh!"
"Uugh!"
"Hiss..."
Soon, Ban Ji’s grunts, cries of pain, and sharp gasps continuously echoed.
He stared intently at the bronze knife before him, feeling perplexed.
"I knew the intelligence, knew the realm of the fifth bronze artifact."
"But this bronze knife obviously exceeds the norm, its power is too overwhelming!"
"Who brought it back? Surely, they’re not someone obscure!"