Chapter 639: Chapter 186: War Preparations_2
“Fifty times?” Lu Hongtu was also shocked, inhaling a sharp breath of cold air.
He then pondered, “Could such a quotation be his negotiation strategy?”
Lord Long sighed, “Perhaps. Since Master Lu is interested, why don’t you go as an envoy to try and persuade Young Master Shengxu to take action again?”
“I’ll give you a lower offer.”
“Twenty times!”
“If it exceeds this price, our side can hardly afford to pay.”
Lu Hongtu accepted the order and withdrew.
Time was of the essence, and he immediately slipped away to a secluded courtyard in the mountains and met with Young Master Shengxu.
Although both were of Nascent Soul Level, Young Master Shengxu’s strength far surpassed Lu Hongtu’s.
Lu Hongtu displayed a humble demeanor: “Young Master, I have come this time to ask for a favor.”
“The enemy forces are formidable. If we don’t act soon, I fear our army will be trapped in a predicament. Therefore, I wish to request the Young Master to strike again, covertly attacking the enemy’s commander. If the Young Master could be more lenient with the remuneration, the Thousand Peak Forest Alliance will expend all efforts to repay you.”
Young Master Shengxu’s complexion was deathly pale, void of any human color, as he lay on a recliner, barely opening his eyelids a crack to look at Lu Hongtu.
His voice was incredibly weak, like fine rain in the wind: “Master Lu… Regarding the previous matter, I have already severely injured Du Tiechuan. It was your failure to keep up with the troops.”
“This time, if I am to make another assassination attempt, the price would surge by more than a hundredfold. I demanded fifty times, which is already half of that.”
Lu Hongtu then expressed that fifty times was indeed too difficult to manage given the army’s daily enormous expenditure.
Would it be feasible to offset the payment with other materials?
Or perhaps, paying in installments as a way to repay the debt could be a more practical solution.
Young Master Shengxu let out a faint sigh: “Offsetting with other materials is too bothersome. I usually only accept Spirit Stones for convenience.”
“Paying in installments is something I absolutely will not accept.”
“If your side loses this battle, to whom shall I go to collect my debt?”
“To make me take action, it must be a lump sum payment, and it has to be transferred in advance.”
After Young Master Shengxu finished speaking, his body seemed to become a sheet of Xuan paper, collapsing onto the recliner, his breathing growing much weaker.
Lu Hongtu’s heart was struck with amazement.
Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to imagine that someone who was usually so frail, struggling even to speak, could threaten a Divinity Transformation Level combatant.
Lu Hongtu had no choice but to take his leave.
His persuasive abilities were strong, but in front of Young Master Shengxu, he found no room to maneuver.
As the alliance’s military advisor, his time was extremely limited.
After returning to Dragon King Massive Pillar Mountain, he immediately held a secret meeting with a group of key figures.
An elderly man dressed in a pine-patterned long robe with a beard as crisp as pine needles was the Pine Tree Mountain God.
A handsome young man wearing a white jade crown was the White Stone Mountain God.
There was also the Iron Deer Mountain God with a pair of antlers, and the Purple Glowing Mountain God who constantly radiated a purple light.
“In dealing with the Iron Flow Plain Soldiers strategy, all of you are key forces. Any losses will be compensated by the alliance at double the rate,” Lu Hongtu said.
The Pine Tree Mountain God stroked his beard in silence.
The White Stone Mountain God remained quiet.
The Iron Deer Mountain God was very straightforward: “If these are the only benefits, I’m out.”
The Purple Glowing Mountain God snorted coldly, showing disdain for Lu Hongtu’s offer of repayment.
Lu Hongtu, unfazed, smiled patiently and said, “What demands do you four have? Please put them forward, and let’s discuss them properly.”
While the Thousand Peak Forest Alliance was actively preparing for war, the final military parade in Mulu Town was underway.
On the tall parade platform, banners waved, flapping loudly in the wind.
Only Du Tiechuan stood proudly on the Parade Platform, constantly sustaining this enormous Magic Artifact.
In his overlooking view, platoons of troops marched slowly forward, in full military grandeur!
Those able to hold up to this moment, each platoon was equipped with Heavy Armor without exception.
Clad in Heavy Armor, the soldiers moved in unison, and the ground trembled slightly with each step they took.
The Heavy Armor reflected a chilled metallic luster under the sun. The clanging of armor plates interlocking and colliding, mingled with the sound of footsteps, was relentless and stirring to the heart.
Sturdy armor, weapons like swords, spears, halberds, and even shields, as well as heavily-geared mounts, together constructed these mighty torrents of steel.
Within this display, each platoon also possessed its distinctions.
The Red Flower Banners of the Red Flower Camp fluttered, the soldiers stood upright, with evenly split Yu Gang Armor and standard Heavy Armor, their morale converging on Mu Lan at the forefront.
The soldiers of the White Jade Camp were equipped quite splendidly, with each piece of Heavy Armor white as snow, and the surfaces of the armors glossy as mirrors. All soldiers held long spears, their tips forming arrays that flashed with a cold brilliance. At first glance, the entire White Jade Camp looked like a moving white fortress.
The Heavy Armor of the Fire Cloud Camp was also self-equipped, with each set of Red Copper Heavy Armor open in design and flamboyant, most suitable for casting Spells.
The Heavy Armor of the Three Generals Camp was also split evenly between Yu Gang and standard, with the Three Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang leading on horseback, while Ning Zhuo rode on a Foundation Establishment Level demon horse slightly behind.
Contrary to previous disheveled states, this time his expression was calm, radiating ease.
Since forming the Fire-attribute Heart Temple, he had been almost entirely devoted, secluding himself within the Fetal Breathing Spirit Boat and fervently pushing forward the foundation of his physical body.
In the subsequent reviews, he gradually surpassed each escalating challenge, adapted progressively, and became increasingly at ease, with his progress exceptionally swift.
Ning Zhuo, seated on horseback, was even able to let his mind wander at this moment.
“The grand battle is imminent, exactly how much combat power do I have at my disposal?”
Firstly, there is Ning Zhuo’s own Cultivation Level.
He primarily cultivates the Three Superior Sect Techniques, fostering spirit, Qi, and essence together, his Cultivation Level is at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, having passed Unobstructed Field Opening and entered the Treasure Medicine Generation phase.
His physical foundation had surged recently, robust enough to fully withstand ordinary soldiers and partially defend against some Magic Artifacts.
Since leaving the Fire Persimmon Immortal City, there hasn’t been substantial improvement in his soul foundation, which is still at the normal standard of two hundred times.
As for Innate talents, the early wisdom had no further development, and the other one was still shrouded in mist.
Ning Zhuo’s Qi Fortune, after a previous inexplicable surge, had returned to normal levels.
“But my Five Elements Realm, at the very least, is at Grandmaster Level, capable of establishing a sect and creating Spells on the fly.”
“The Divine Skills include Life Hanging Thread and Stone Cast Earth Treasure.”
After certain events, Ning Zhuo used the Life Hanging Divine Power more cautiously, the former being able to greatly boost combat power significantly upon usage.
As for the Stone Cast Earth Treasure Divine Power, its specific power is to convert all things in the world into stone material, which is then refined over time, transforming the stone gradually into precious Treasure Material. Due to its very slow effectiveness, it holds little value in actual combat.
Currently, Ning Zhuo mainly uses it in conjunction with the Fetal Breathing Spirit Boat for physical Cultivation and as an auxiliary means to disguise himself as the Old Monster in Stone.
Just from Ning Zhuo’s own grasp of things, his Cultivation progress is astonishing. Reaching the stage of Treasure Medicine Generation at sixteen, he has left his peers far behind.
The shortcomings of his physical body have been significantly mitigated, and there have been minor achievements in terms of the soul.
The Innate talent awaits development but is sufficient for current use.
The change in Qi Fortune has left Ning Zhuo puzzled, with the big-headed youth completely out of the loop.
The two major Divine Skills, though neither primary combat skills, have strong auxiliary uses.
Especially the Life Hanging Divine Power, which has wonderful uses in day-to-day interactions. It is so delicate that Ning Zhuo conceals it to prevent being targeted with caution and opposition once it is discovered.
And the Stone Cast Earth Treasure Divine Power, though easily obtained and little used at present, is excellent for development purposes, with a bright future ahead.
His realm is most outstanding. This gives Ning Zhuo an extremely rich array of Spells. Coupled with the top-tier Five Elements Qi Regulation Art, Ning Zhuo’s spell-casting and long-range combat capabilities are quite considerable.
Compared to long-range, his close combat abilities are rather lackluster.
Previously, Ning Zhuo compensated for his shortcomings in close combat skills at the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect. Coupled with the recent explosive progress in his bodily foundation, he further mitigated this weakness.
But compared to his long-range abilities, there is more than just a slight difference.