Ning Zhuo seized the opportunity, swiftly retreating to distance himself from the ghost general.
"A ghost general at the Foundation Establishment Peak, that ghost head broadsword is extraordinary!" Ning Zhuo looked grim.
He glanced at the silver shield artifact embedded in his left arm, noticing a crack just from a single strike.
The ghost general vanished from his original spot.
Ning Zhuo felt a chill in his heart. He desperately activated the Iron Han Armor but couldn't detect any trace of the enemy.
At the critical moment, Sun Lingtong warned: "Jump backward!"
Without hesitation, Ning Zhuo leapt backwards with all his might.
The next instant, a ghostly figure appeared, solidifying rapidly. The ghost general wielding a battle axe struck at empty air.
The second ghost general!
Ning Zhuo's heart sank.
"Jump again, to the southeast!" Sun Lingtong called out once more.
His eyes shone brightly.
Ning Zhuo dodged once more, finding himself up against a ghost general holding a spear.
All three ghost generals were at the Foundation Establishment Peak, their attacks coming from nowhere in quick succession, leaving Ning Zhuo no choice but to flee in a disheveled manner, unable to counterattack.
Sun Lingtong clung to the Youthful Guest's shoulder, pushing his talents to the limit. If not for his ability to barely perceive the nearby ghost generals, Ning Zhuo's situation would have been far worse.
"Little Zhuo, Qi Bai fights similarly to you. You control mechanism artifacts, while he commands ghost generals." Sun Lingtong urgently transmitted.
"Don't get tangled up with these ghost generals. If escape isn't possible, then strike directly at their leader!"
Sun Lingtong, being a disciple of the Bukong Sect, was decisive in combat. Given the current circumstances, he too stopped urging Ning Zhuo to retreat. Joining forces against the enemy was the best strategy.
Ning Zhuo patted his storage waist belt, unleashing hundreds of mechanism artifacts. Although all of them were mass-produced items, their sheer number far exceeded normal standards.
Even Qi Bai, a Golden Core cultivator, looked grim.
"A Foundation Establishment youth can control so many mechanism beasts?!"
He did not know that Ning Zhuo actually had only mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivation. The apparent ability to control these mechanism artifacts was due to the staff heads embedded in them, though the key lay in the Buddha Heart Demon Seal!
These mechanisms had been implanted with heart seals, greatly reducing the burden on Ning Zhuo and making them extremely sensitive.
The mechanism artifacts surged toward Qi Bai in waves.
Qi Bai raised both hands, summoning a strong gust of sinister wind that blew away thirty percent of the mechanisms.
He shouted, producing a parasol-shaped magical treasure. The parasol flew high, spreading open and casting a vast shadow.
Under the shadow, the mechanism artifacts felt as if they were trapped in a swamp. They stopped moving and became extremely slow.
This move neutralized another fifty percent of the mechanisms.
Only twenty percent remained, charging towards him.
Qi Bai had to retreat.
This retreat immediately made Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong aware of something.
Both Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo exclaimed: "Gloomy Ghost Realm!"
This spell, when cast, could create a special battlefield, significantly boosting the combat power of ghosts and making them incredibly elusive.
Ning Zhuo frowned: "Ordinary people cast this spell amidst a billowing ghostly aura, changing the color of the skies. Qi Bai's use of it, however, is extremely subtle, almost imperceptible."
Sun Lingtong replied: "He has the innate talent 'Insight into the Netherworld,' making him naturally attuned to ghostly techniques and the Dao, granting him extraordinary comprehension."
"Reaching such levels with this kind of spell is quite normal."
Spell—Ghost Flame Scorches the World!
Qi Bai, while retreating, cast another spell.
Ghastly green ghost fire burned soundlessly, extinguishing the remaining twenty percent of the mechanism artifacts swiftly and severing their connection to Ning Zhuo.
Too strong!
Qi Bai's strength was undoubtedly elite amongst Golden Core cultivators.
Facing even the weakest of Golden Core cultivators was already extremely difficult for Ning Zhuo and his companions, let alone confronting Qi Bai directly.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong soon found themselves in a hard-fought battle.
Qi Bai's Gloomy Ghost Realm was unleashed once more, silently and without any visible signs.
Empowered by the realm, the three ghost generals at the Foundation Establishment Peak became silent and elusive again, forcing Ning Zhuo to rely solely on Sun Lingtong's warnings.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong tried to leave the battlefield.
But at every critical moment, Qi Bai would personally intervene, casting spells to block Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong.
Ning Zhuo, to sustain his position, continuously used mechanism artifacts.
His painstaking accumulation of mechanisms over more than ten years was rapidly depleting, and in return, he was merely able to prolong his survival on the battlefield.
Magma Fairy Palace.
A Magma Demon Ape had just made its entrance, breaking through the third defensive line of the palace.
Golden Core level combat power!
The demon ape led the charge, destroying every mechanism puppet in its path. Under the terrifying strength of the demon ape, the mechanisms crumbled as if made of paper, regardless of their materials.
Boom!
The palace trembled as the demon ape broke through the wall, rushing into a side hall.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit roared angrily, quickly sending mechanism puppets into the side hall.
"There is hope!" The Ning Family Ancestor also received the message, directing him to aid in battle.
The Ning Family Ancestor hesitated for a moment but initially chose to refuse. He remained at the frontline, fending off the wave of Red Flame Demon Beasts.
The demon ape rampaged through the side hall, causing Meng Kui and Zhu Xuanji to frown deeply, both thinking: The Magma Fairy Palace is this weak?
In the next moment, a unique mechanism puppet descended gracefully.
It emitted the aura of a Golden Core, wielding the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art. With a wave of its feather fan, five energies erupted, casting various spells on the demon ape, causing it to howl in pain.
Meng Kui watched with amazement, closely observing.
"Taoist Master!" Zhu Xuanji whispered inwardly, revealing the name of the Golden Core level mechanism.
According to the royal intelligence, the Magma Fairy Palace housed three major mechanism war generals: the Demon General, the Taoist Master, and the Buddhist Physician.
With the Taoist Master now present, the demon ape's assault was immediately curbed.
The Taoist Master mechanism puppet, taking advantage of its geographical advantage, quickly drove the demon ape out of the side hall, forcing it into a retreat.
"Opportunity!" Seizing this delicate situation, the Ning Family Ancestor abandoned the front line and rushed toward the side hall.
He had just received permission from the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, so even if he went into the hall to extinguish the flames, he would still be contributing to the battle and would not be considered a deserter by the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.
While the contribution from extinguishing the fire was minimal, the Ning Family Ancestor was more interested in exploring the side hall.
Meng Kui observed this scene unfold, sighing softly as he tossed a peach pit into the air.
The peach pit vanished and then fell from the sky, shooting straight toward the Ning Family Ancestor's head.
A bright green spring thunder flashed, breaking through layers of clouds.
The Ning Family Ancestor defended with all his might, but the spring thunder tore through his multiple defenses.
The peach pit smashed through several layers of protection, striking the Ning Family Ancestor's head directly.
He let out a cry as his head was dented by the blow.
The power of the thunder coursed through him, leaving him nearly paralyzed.
He hastily cast a spell to freeze his internal organs, temporarily preserving his life.
Without looking back, he fled the Immortal Palace!
The Youthful Guest's Whip!
Ning Zhuo's long whip lashed out, dispersing the approaching ghosts. However, he was surrounded, with countless ghosts closing in on him.
Qi Bai's methods were endless, and his ghostly minions seemed limitless.
Throughout the battle, Qi Bai only retreated once of his own accord.
For the rest of the time, he firmly held the upper hand.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong were in a perilous position, with their lives hanging by a thread.
In a desperate move, Ning Zhuo had no choice but to reveal one of his trump cards early.
Boom, boom, boom!
Multiple explosions occurred inside and outside the battlefield.
Qi Bai sneered: "What are you blowing up? I'm right here."
Ning Zhuo replied: "I'm blowing up the Immortal City formation."
Qi Bai's expression changed drastically.
The next moment, a colossal array pattern was revealed, crisscrossing and covering the entire battlefield.
The Immortal Array's power was vast and irresistible, targeting everyone and everything on the battlefield.
Ning Zhuo's remaining mechanism artifacts were few, and he didn't mind losing them. Qi Bai's ghostly army, however, was decimated in an instant!
Even Qi Bai himself was bound in mid-air, being ground down by the array.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong didn't seize the chance to attack.
They, too, were ensnared by the array, but being residents of the city, they were merely immobilized.
Qi Bai was furious!
His ghostly army, accumulated over many years, was now completely wiped out, causing him immense pain.
More heartbreaking for him were his three ghost generals, each meticulously cultivated to possess Foundation Establishment Peak combat power.
Gone!
The power of the Immortal City formation was frightening, capable of protecting the entire city when fully activated.
This being one of the strongest nodes, the three ghost generals with Foundation Establishment power had no chance to resist and were crushed, leaving only their soul essences.
"Break for me!" Qi Bai roared, his face twisted in rage.
He had to resist with all his strength, or he would be ground to dust by the array.
Spell—Nether Fire Fierce Hell!
Spell—Ghost Shadow Senluo!
Spell—Netherworld Ghost Cry!
The ghost fire turned from ghastly green to a sickly yellow-green, burning fiercely with six-foot-high flames.
Ghost shadows rose like giants, arms reaching to the sky, attempting to break the array's binds.
The shrieks of the ghost cries were piercing, burrowing into people's minds, shaking the entire battlefield.
Qi Bai cast three spells in quick succession, using his Insight into the Netherworld talent to amplify their power several folds!
For a moment, the array patterns wavered, rapidly dissolving.
The restraints on Ning Zhuo loosened swiftly, allowing him to gradually regain his freedom.
"So strong!" Sun Lingtong exclaimed, his face shocked.
This was the Immortal City array.
Yet Qi Bai, with his strength alone, could shake it!
This was Qi Bai's appearance when attacking with full force. The previous battles had never forced him to truly go all out.
The gap in combat power was too vast.
Ning Zhuo wasn't shaken at all; he had anticipated this disparity in power.
He looked up at the Huoshi Mountain summit, his eyes filled with expectation, and murmured softly: "Come on, come on, hurry up!"
Atop the mountain, the sky was clear.
Meng Kui slightly turned his head, frowning, and watched Qi Bai's battlefield from afar.
In all corners of the Immortal City, countless battles erupted simultaneously. Many conflicts arose from minor misunderstandings or small frictions.
Observe from the sidelines!
"Fate is boiling."
"This grand maneuver has reached its climactic peak, and the end isn't far off."
Meng Kui felt a moment of realization.
His pupils reflected Qi Bai's arrogant posture, crystal clear: "To think you would dare to challenge the Immortal City array. Even though you are a true disciple of the Soul Devouring Sect, you shouldn't be this brazen."
"Go."
Meng Kui once again tossed out a peach pit.
The peach pit descended from the sky, accompanied by a spring thunder.
The thunder exploded, striking Qi Bai, turning his eyes upwards and splitting his head open!
"Ah!" He let out a tragic cry, his spell interrupted, suffering a backlash.
The fiercer the spell, the stronger the backlash when interrupted!
In an instant, Qi Bai was gravely injured!
"Now is the moment!" Ning Zhuo's painstakingly laid plans finally bore fruit.
He had set the explosives to disrupt the Immortal City formation.
Triggering the Immortal Array was more to provoke Meng Kui into action.
"Whenever I wanted to intervene, either to scout Elder Sun's situation or to rescue him, I would get a warning from the Buddha Heart Demon Seal."
"This is highly unusual!"
"The most likely reason is that Meng Kui cast his Mountain Gaze divine skill."
Ning Zhuo's intelligence network was far inferior to Zhu Xuanji's, but he was still aware of Meng Kui's most formidable techniques.
"When Meng Kui uses Mountain Gaze, during its duration, he can only use those Outsider Peaches."
"These are Nascent Soul level offensive techniques. Qi Bai might be formidable, but he is merely a Golden Core!"
Meng Kui set the stage, and Ning Zhuo laid the trap.
"Meng Kui, you sit high on the mountain top."
"But when a powerful foe threatens to destroy the Immortal City array, will you act or not?"
"To defeat Qi Bai, I bet you'll at least throw a peach pit!"
To save Elder Sun, Ning Zhuo engaged personally despite the uncertain fortune.
But he never considered himself just a pawn.
Even a Nascent Soul might not be impossible to leverage!