Chapter 515: Chapter 112: Pauper
The Deputy General was left dumbstruck as he listened.
He wasn’t born of a noble family, and the White Jade Camp had also recently recruited some Cultivators. These individuals were experiencing quite complicated emotions at the moment.
But within the White Jade Camp, the majority were members from the great noble families of the Capital, from generations of military households.
Shuangjing’s speech deeply resonated with them, leading to a remarkably successful consolidation of their morale, which boosted their spirits by at least thirty percent.
The Cultivators of the Barbarian Demon Camp charged to the forefront and immediately triggered the Jade Barrier Sky Formation.
Ripples undulated through the air.
Cultivators from the Barbarian Demon Camp who approached the White Jade Camp were forcibly teleported back one by one.
“Save me, we’re on the same side!”
Many cried out in disbelief as they yelled.
More and more Cultivators were teleported back, only to be slaughtered by the Golden Core pursuers from Thousand Peak Forest.
They quickly realized the harsh reality, and they cursed with hideous and filthy words.
Some within White Jade Camp heard the cursing and frowned deeply, directly operating the bed crossbows and shooting dead a cursing Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
The Cultivators from the Barbarian Demon Camp were thoroughly chilled to the bone as the cursing and swearing quickly dropped off. They turned around, attempting to bypass the White Jade Camp and flee in all directions.
However, any of them who made a wrong move were instantly killed by the pursuing Golden Core Cultivators.
Shuangjing’s face changed drastically, and he transmitted his voice across the entire army: “I did not command to move, who dares to act rashly? The person who just acted will receive thirty military floggings after the battle as a warning to others!”
To abandon one’s comrades without aid was the way of a ruthless commander, but to raise a hand and kill friendly forces was wrong. After returning, one would surely be held accountable.
Although Shuangjing secretly took pleasure in this situation, he immediately spoke up to make a clear separation.
The Cultivator who had operated the bed crossbow to shoot their ally, upon hearing the punishment, still held his head high: “What of thirty military floggings? I did the deed.”
His identity and background were anything but simple; he feared nothing.
“Boss has got the guts!” The people around loudly praised.
Seeing White Jade Camp’s performance, the Golden Core Cultivators of Thousand Peak Forest began to feel at a loss, glancing around.
Especially Diao Ye and Wulan, they knew very well that their High Priest had been covertly accompanying them, waiting for him to decide.
High Priest Tu Ming’s brows were knotted tightly.
The strategy laid out by Mo Yuan Cave Master was deviating further and further from the expected outcome.
First, it was Xu Dali who fought to the death unwilling to retreat, and now Shuangjing was defending steadily and securely.
“If the White Jade Camp, which mostly consists of sons of the noble families, collapses into a rout, the Golden Halberd Army will surely have to come to the rescue.”
“If they do not save them, when Sun Gan returns to the Capital, even with many military achievements, he will not win favor.”
As the High Priest managing the countless matters of the Hundred Poison Tribe, Tu Ming possessed ample political acumen, and this allowed him to see the brilliance in Mo Yuan Cave Master’s strategy.
Though White Jade Camp’s combat strength was definitely inferior to the Golden Halberd Army’s, it was extremely crucial and a key part of the defense.
Once this army fell into disarray, the entire rear army would descend into chaos.
“It seems I must exert my full strength now!” Tu Ming had deliberately held back before, already mentally prepared for sacrifice.
Even if he wasn’t prepared to make sacrifices, the Divine Decree on him would instill the resolve to give his all!
Divine Skills—Ten Thousand Snake Poison Flow.
A Fierce Wind suddenly arose, and layers of dark clouds built up in the sky. Within a few breaths, the clouds darkened the sky!
Droplets of poison began to fall from the dark clouds, lightly at first, then forming a torrential poison rain.
The poison rain enshrouded the entire White Jade Camp.
Inside White Jade Camp, all the soldiers activated the Jade Barrier Sky Formation, creating numerous air ripples.
The ripples were dense and countless, repelling the poison rain back.
But this only lasted for a few moments before Shuangjing actively called a halt.
The cost of repelling the raindrops was too great; White Jade Camp couldn’t sustain it.
Shuangjing took out a Jade Slip.
On the Jade Slip are vertical characters—Gao Sheng’s Legacy!
Shuangjing, with a military treatise in one hand and the General Seal in the other, fiercely infused Mana into both.
Thereupon, he unleashed the full might of the Jade Barrier Sky Formation.
Boom!
With a thunderous noise, a massive barrier of white jade, as huge as a mountain, abruptly took shape, conjuring an illusion that enveloped the entire White Jade Camp.
The poison rain fell on the Jade Barrier, corroding it fiercely with hissing sounds, emitting a wispy poison smoke, but it only damaged the surface, unable to reach deep into the barrier, let alone the soldiers underneath.
Tu Ming’s expression changed dramatically: “A Battle Formation Dharma?”
A Nascent Soul Cultivator breaks the Core to reach Nascent Soul. A Divinity Transformation cultivator grows the Infant into a God, known as Primordial Spirit, and can even separate into a second Primordial Spirit.
Above Divinity Transformation is the realm of Cultivating the Void.
At this stage, the Primordial Spirit grows immensely powerful, forming a Dharma Form. The Dharma Form of a strong practitioner can support the heavens and step on the earth, wielding terrifying might.
Battle Formation Dharma is the result of the sages of Military Art and Formation using their wits to emulate the profound mysteries of the Cultivating the Void realm. By combining national power, formation strength, military strategy, and more, they trigger a qualitative change, coalescing into a substantial form of power.
“Only elite soldiers and capable generals, who have trained hard for years and been through countless battles, can solidify a Battle Formation Dharma. How could White Jade Camp have one?!” Tu Ming couldn’t believe the scene before him, took a deep breath, and deployed another layer of his Divine Skills.
Poisonous raindrops fell, merging into pitch-black poisonous snakes.
The snakes hissed menacingly, of various sizes. The smallest were at the Qi Refining Level, the middling ones carried the aura of Foundation Establishment Mana, and the largest, coiled like elephants, were of Golden Core Level.
Countless poison snakes assembled into an army, bodies trailing streaks of poison water. Some wriggled across the ground to attack, others coiled and corroded around the Dharma Forms on the white jade walls.
White Jade Camp.
A subordinate rushed to report: “Shuangjing, sir, it’s not good. The Mana Pool is depleting rapidly, one is almost drained.”
Shuangjing nodded and immediately ordered the deployment of Poison Extinguishing Grass Daoist Soldiers.
Each Cultivator, upon receiving the order, took out a palm-sized Grass Puppet from their bosom.
With Mana imbued, these Grass Puppets grew upon the wind, expanding to the size of ten-year-old children, hand in hand as they surged past the Jade Barrier.
The Grass Puppets frolicked, with every place they passed, the poison was purified into clean water, and the snakes shrank dramatically, collapsing continuously.
Tu Ming glared fiercely: “These are top-grade Poison Extinguishing Grass woven Daoist Soldiers. At the very least, they are at Foundation Establishment Level, and there are even Grass Puppets woven from Poison Extinguishing Grass at Golden Core and Nascent Soul Levels!”
Tu Ming gnashed his teeth.
The venom was the transformation of his Mana, which had already cost him forty percent of his Mana up to now.
He solemnly took out an Elixir Pill and placed it in his mouth.
After digestion, the medicinal power immediately transformed into Mana, slowly replenishing him.
White Jade Camp.
The Cultivators who had released the Poison Extinguishing Grass Puppets also spent a lot of Mana and appeared exhausted.
Shuangjing ordered again, activating the Virtue Light Illuminating Tower.
The illumination tower activated, emitting beams of Spirit Light. The light was incredibly precise, hitting every single allied Cultivator who had greatly expended their Mana.
These Cultivators felt instantly revitalized in a flash, with Mana replenished to peak condition and postures straightened.
The largest beam of light shone upon Shuangjing. As a Nascent Soul Cultivator, he also breathed a sigh of relief, having his Mana instantly refilled and his spirits soaring.
“Release the Golden Light Sparrow!”
A Nascent Soul Level Demon Beast was let out.
The nation’s art could subdue Demon Beasts, and the beasts could also receive official positions, becoming National Beasts.
Many high officials’ uniforms bore the seal of National Beasts, lurking within. In times of danger, they could be released to fight the enemy.
The Golden Light Sparrow was incredibly fast, like a golden rainbow, slashing through the sky.
A Golden Core Cultivator from Thousand Peak Forest felt a flash of golden light before his eyes, then plunged into endless darkness.
To outsiders, it appeared as if the Golden Core Cultivator’s head was lightly pecked by the Golden Light Sparrow, bursting his head.
The Golden Light Sparrow, with consecutive strikes, caused the death and injury of two more Golden Core Cultivators from Thousand Peak Forest.
The injured one, possessing a Teleportation Talisman, narrowly escaped with his life and frantically fled.
Lone Golden Core Cultivators without a Battle Formation, without National Power in defense, and without natural endowments, had no way to stand before a Nascent Soul Level existence.
The Golden Light Sparrow, with keen perception, next targeted Tu Ming and attacked him.
Tu Ming cultivated poison; although his body also had a foundation, it was not his main focus. How could he compete with a Demon Beast?
He could only maintain his Divine Skills while retreating in flight, using various methods to fend off the Golden Light Sparrow’s attacks.
Inside White Jade Camp, seeing the opportunity for victory, Shuangjing decisively ordered to switch the Battle Formation.
The outer layer of Cultivators continued to rotate, maintaining the Jade Barrier Sky Formation, while the inner layer of elite and personal soldiers formed the Dragon Tooth Formation.
“Take aim at him! Fire the arrows!” Shuangjing shouted.
Thousands of pure white arrows, bearing the might of the Battle Formation, flew out, immediately converging into a white jade dragon.
The dragon roared, utilizing the transportation of the Sky Formation to instantly pounce on Tu Ming, swallowing him whole.
The next moment, Tu Ming burst through the illusion of the white dragon, spewing dark poison blood as he fled in embarrassment.
Shuangjing laughed heartily, proudly saying: “The ‘Gao Sheng’s Legacy’ in my hand is personally penned by Gao Sheng, the Refining Void Great Power. Its market price is incalculable.”
“The expenditure for the Poison Extinguishing Grass Puppets I deployed, just for purchasing the grass alone, cost twenty-six million Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Counting the temple priest’s invocation fee for calling upon Divine Power and the process of making the Daoist Soldiers, the total cost is fifty-two million Low-Grade Spirit Stones!”
“The Virtue Light Illuminating Tower, with each launch, consumes ten times more Spirit Stones than if the Cultivators were to replenish themselves.”
“The feeding cost for the Golden Light Sparrow each day is around two hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.”
“The thousands of arrows just now, each being a Foundation Establishment Level weapon, cost over seven million Low-Grade Spirit Stones with one volley. A Nascent Soul Level Cultivator’s monthly income is only about that much.”
“What do you have to compare with me?”
“Ptui, you country bumpkin!”
As if he heard Shuangjing’s words, Tu Ming, fleeing, spat out another mouthful of black blood.
Three Generals Camp.
Chen Lingfeng and other Golden Core Cultivators frowned as they looked at the strictly arranged Three Generals Camp.
“When do we act?” the Golden Core Cultivators asked with Chen Lingfeng as their leader.
Chen Lingfeng replied: “Hold your horses. Wu Hen has already infiltrated their ranks. We just wait for him to assassinate one of the three generals, then we can launch the attack.”
“If the opportunity isn’t found, Ning Zhuo, the military advisor able to predict ambushes, is also a target for elimination!”
Wu Hen transformed into a dark shadow, using the shadows cast on the ground by the soldiers to conceal himself, hopping and darting through the troops.
Although the Three Generals Camp formed a formation, as a newly established force, its military might was insufficient; it could stop others but not Wu Hen.
For Wu Hen’s cultivation method originated from the Night Rain Dynasty, it was indeed strange and beyond ordinary comprehension.