Chapter 564: Chapter 150: Husband of Mu Lan
Ning Zhuo did not hide anything from the three generals, and shared the marvelous uses of the Military Art with them.
This elicited endless sighs of admiration from the trio, Liu, Guan, and Zhang: “Ning Zhuo truly comes from a distinguished clan, his foundation is extraordinary!”
Ning Zhuo gave a wry smile: “It’s just that I’m not well-practiced in this Military Art and rarely train. In actual combat, it might be difficult to successfully deploy it.”
Liu Er nodded: “We must be cautious! If the execution of the Military Art fails, it could backlash, affecting both officers and soldiers.”
By the time Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning Sun formally mobilized the troops, the soldiers had dramatically transformed.
They had grown taller, each at least seven feet tall, with the heads of snakes and bodies of humans, their skin replaced by black scales, moving silently, their wrists and ankles surrounded by light breezes.
On their spinal column at the back, there was a distinct orange-red blood line running from the top of their heads straight down to the tailbone.
Liu, Guan, and Zhang also tried to continue training the soldiers but found it ineffective, so they immediately stopped and commenced their operation.
Ma Liangcai was strong, and they needed to hurry and plan a rendezvous with others.
One-Line Long Snake Formation.
The formation stretched long, doubling their endurance, and providing a certain defensive enhancement, making this Dynamic Formation perfect for marching.
After half a day’s march, they arrived in front of a valley.
Suddenly, Liu Er frowned and raised his hand to halt the troops: “I feel a sense of unease, a premonition of danger. There might be an ambush ahead!”
Zhang Hei said, “But we have already sent out Reconnaissance Cavalry and explored deep into the valley early on, with no dangers detected.”
Hearing this, Ning Zhuo took it very seriously.
He couldn’t place his Divine Power Life Thread above Liu Er’s head, which made him always hold Liu Er in high regard.
Ning Zhuo was now within the Divine Sense into Painting, with the Mechanical Ring on his physical finger, which couldn’t be brought into the picture. It could only give a warning if his physical body encountered danger; what happened within the painting was beyond the ring’s care.
Ning Zhuo immediately said: “Then let’s bypass this valley.”
“Agreed,” Liu Er instantly ordered, directing the troops to change their route.
Seeing Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning trying to move, suddenly a battle flag was raised on the mountain, revealing an army.
The soldiers in that army were each enveloped in black fog, with vague limbs and indiscernible faces.
Ma Liangcai stood at the peak of the mountain, looking down at Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning, his voice slow yet enveloping the surroundings: “Since you’ve come, why don’t you all stay?”
“Not good, it’s Ma Liangcai!”
“Retreat quickly.”
Liu Er’s expression changed, and he immediately ordered the entire army to retreat.
Given that the enemy was stronger, this was indeed a wise move.
The soldiers, not being living beings, retreated in an orderly and quiet manner.
To Ning Zhuo’s surprise, Ma Liangcai quietly watched as the Three Generals Camp left, without leading his troops in pursuit.
He was leisurely and unhurried, standing proud at the top of the mountain with hands behind his back, simply ordering his troops to form up.
The soldiers on the mountain started moving, forming several distinct streams of people, weaving through each other.
A few breaths later, the Battle Formation was completed, and streams of Mana rose like black smoke from the top of each soldier’s head.
The smoky streams gathered in midair, condensing into a dark mass.
Initially just smoke, as it gathered more, it liquefied into a large blob of ink.
The exterior of the ink gradually solidified into a dark ink pool basin.
Ink Pond Formation!
Ma Liangcai took out a Magic Treasure-level brush, slightly lifting it, the tip aiming at the retreating Three Generals Camp.
With a casual flick, a line-shaped black stroke appeared in midair.
The next moment, the water level of the ink pond in the sky abruptly decreased by one-tenth.
“Be careful!” Liu Er shouted out a warning.
A dark tidal wave suddenly surged around the Three Generals Camp, carrying a rich ink scent, and tumultuously approached.
Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning acted simultaneously, combining their military forces to crush the wave.
But Ma Liangcai continuously swung his brush, creating wave after wave of surging ink assaults, forming a continuous offensive.
Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning’s cultivation levels were weaker than Ma Liangcai’s, and they struggled to defend.
They fought while retreating, trying to continue widening the distance.
Ma Liangcai laughed loudly: “Naive!”
He held the brush vertically, stretched his arm to the furthest forward, and exerted force with his fingers, painting in the air.
As he performed, the water level in the ink pond suddenly dropped by three-tenths.
Suddenly, a vast moat appeared on the retreat path of the Three Generals Camp, with ink smoke swirling within it, making it nearly impossible for ordinary soldiers to cross.
“This is bad!” Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning Sun all felt a sinking feeling.
Their military force was too weak, no match for Ma Liangcai.
“I’ll take command of the Battle Formation!” Ning Zhuo shouted.
The three generals, having built a tacit understanding with him, immediately vacated the main position in the formation.
Thief Light Wind Formation!
Surrounded by light winds, the speed of the Three Generals Camp greatly increased.
Ning Zhuo directed the troops forward, not daring to try crossing the ink smoke moat, but instead moved to the left, trying to bypass the obstacle.
Despite Ma Liangcai’s repeated interventions, Ning Zhuo maneuvered the Battle Formation, allowing the Three Generals Camp to dodge the sharp end of the battle and gradually widen the distance.
“Interesting, what kind of Battle Formation is this?” Ma Liangcai, seeing the Thief Light Wind Formation for the first time, was quite curious and immediately inquired.
Zhang Hei responded loudly with his booming voice: “This is the Thief Light Wind Formation. You don’t even know this formation, Ma Liangcai is just so-so.”
“Thief Light Wind Formation?” Ma Liangcai nodded seriously, “I’ve noted it.”
With this formation’s boost, the marching speed of the Three Generals Camp surged.
As Ma Liangcai’s attacks had a range limit, seeing the Three Generals Camp was about to escape this range, he decisively led his troops down the mountain, pursuing the Three Generals Camp.
The two forces, one in pursuit and one fleeing.
Before long, the flags of Red Flower Camp fluttered in the wind, coming into everyone’s view.
Mu Lan rode a tall horse, with soldiers beside her each wearing helmets adorned with bright red flowers.
She was also on the march.
Seeing the Three Generals Camp being chased by Ma Liangcai, Mu Lan scanned briefly, then waved her hand, and Red Flower Camp joined the fray.