Chapter 656: Chapter 194: Golden Scaled Constrictor Snake_2
Each scale spun rapidly, slicing through the ironwood as if it were tofu.
As the Golden Scale Jaw Snake coiled tighter and tighter, the thick ironwood stake was easily cut into two, offering no resistance.
“Very good, very nice.”
Ning Zhuo’s eyes lit up, “Next, we’ll need actual combat to gain experience, then we can start crafting the head of the staff.”
“Once the follow-up work on the staff head is complete, this Golden Scale Jaw Snake will be considered fully finished.”
Ning Zhuo did not stop walking.
Next, he had to design two other Mechanical Artifacts.
Because relying solely on the Golden Scale Jaw Snake would clearly not be enough to match the Ginseng Whisker Dragon, making it difficult to achieve results in battle.
Ning Zhuo worked through the night, and by the next morning, a new set of three Mechanical Artifacts were laid out in front of him.
In addition to the Golden Scale Jaw Snake, there was a set of seven Rolling Electric Ball Cages and a Rooted Ground Hammer.
When Liu Er and Guan Hong found Ning Zhuo, he showcased his creations to them and provided a brief introduction.
Guan Hong did not understand Mechanical Techniques, but he knew Ning Zhuo was not a simple person and expressed his anticipation.
Liu Er sincerely admired, “Before meeting the strategist, I couldn’t have imagined such a genius youth in the world.”
“Strategist, your main focus is on Mechanical Techniques, with Five Elements Magic only as a supplement.”
“Sigh, once this secret is revealed, many will be in awe.”
Liu Er looked at Ning Zhuo earnestly, “Strategist, your future is limitless; in time, you may very well make it onto the Young Master List!”
Ning Zhuo waved his hand modestly, “Liu Er, you give me too much credit. The Young Master List encompasses the entire Cultivation World; how could someone like me be selected?”
Guan Hong said, “From what I’ve seen in my life, you, strategist, are the most hopeful to make it onto the Young Master List.”
Deep underground, there was a Dragon King Temple.
The entrance of the temple was a stone door. The door was rife with signs of time, heavy and ancient.
Pushing open the stone door revealed the temple hall.
Over twenty giant pillars supported the dome. Each pillar, made of millennia-old wood, was inlaid with golden dragon scale patterns, with the dragon heads raised high and tails coiling, lifelike.
The light inside the temple was dim, with faint yellow light emanating from the stone walls.
The air was filled with a damp scent, mixed with water vapor and mysterious herbal fragrance.
In the center of the hall was the main altar, about three zhang high, surrounded by thick dragon energy.
On the altar stood a special statue of the Dragon King.
It had no claws or scales, its dragon head raised, whiskers flowing, portraying the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King.
At the moment, the statue of the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King had dim eyes and weak breath, showing its true body in a terrible state.
Below the altar was a large incense table, burning three large incense sticks. Each stick was as thick as a basin and a zhang high, with smoke spiraling around the Dragon King statue, slowly being absorbed.
Besides the large incense sticks, there were many tributes.
As one of the temple priests, Lord Long was organizing the rituals along with four other temple priests.
As the ritual continued, the tributes were quickly consumed, transformed into streams of nutrition and power, feeding into the hidden true body of the Ginseng Whisker Dragon.
During a pause in the rituals, the temple priests sat on the ground tiles, seizing every second to recover.
The sound of heavy breathing gradually ceased, and the previously pale faces regained a hint of color.
Conducting rituals was not simple or easy.
Even Lord Long felt exhaustion, tougher than his previous battles in ambushes.
At that moment, a Flying Message arrived, bringing the latest military news.
The temple priests quickly used Divine Sense to read it, and one old temple priest looked at Lord Long, “Alon, you should return to oversee the battle.”
“Without you, everyone at the front-line camp would flee.”
“We old ones can handle things here.”
Lord Long looked troubled, gazing at the Dragon King statue with deep concern, “Those outsiders are expendable; my heart is devoted to the God.”
The old temple priest responded swiftly, “Precisely, which is why you must return to oversee the situation. You need to lead the Alliance Army to block and annihilate Liangzhu Country’s forces, as many as possible!”
“Only this way can we buy our lord time to recover and heal!”
Lord Long gritted his teeth, hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded, “Understood, I will go and oversee the situation.”
He bowed and kowtowed, reluctantly leaving the Dragon King Temple step by step.
Using Earth Escape, his speed increased significantly.
“Lu Hongtu is a tricky one, constantly winning hearts, and allowing those who venture out to leave unchecked, resulting in our high-level cultivators being killed by weapons while collecting loot.”
“The Heaven and Earth Twins are also malicious, persuading our high-level cultivators to test enemy fire for them.”
“But the key point is Old Monster in Stone!”
“He hasn’t shown up at all. Patience, indeed…”
Like Lu Hongtu, Lord Long knew that the Old Monster in Stone was the most crucial factor. As long as he did not appear, neither the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King nor Du Tiechuan would risk everything in battle.
Lord Long secretly returned to the camp but did not appear immediately in the council tent. Instead, he sought out Young Master Shengxu first.
“We accept your previous offer,” Lord Long said solemnly.
Unexpectedly, Young Master Shengxu shook his head, “That was then, this is now, Lord Long.”
“My asking price has now doubled.”
“Hmm?!” Lord Long’s eyes widened, fury rising, “You’re taking advantage of the situation.”
Young Master Shengxu smiled slightly, “I am on the Young Master List, and your Divinity Transformation Cultivators from Liangzhu Country are severely injured. My intervention now could change the outcome of this war. So, I’m worth this price!”
Lord Long shook his head, “It makes sense, but even if I wanted to pay, I don’t have the means. You demand cash. The Thousand Peak Forest Alliance is just an alliance; even if we empty the Dragon King Temple’s treasury, we can’t pay you. We need money for many things.”
Young Master Shengxu anticipated this, “Don’t worry, I accept treasures in lieu of cash.”
Lord Long’s eyes gleamed, “What do you want?”
Young Master Shengxu straightened his back slightly, “The Miracle Dragon Spring.”
Lord Long nearly lashed out in anger, “Absolutely not!”
Liangzhu Country’s front-line camp.
A carriage descended from the sky and landed quietly before its spell was lifted, gradually becoming visible.
The generals had been waiting and quickly saluted as the supervisor Zhao Xi stepped off the carriage.
Holding the staff signifying his authority, Zhao Xi surveyed the area with a high, proud demeanor.
“I’ve reported the battle, and the monarch is very concerned. How is Commander Du now?”
A general immediately reported that Du Tiechuan had gone into seclusion, delegating military duties to others.
Zhao Xi’s heart filled with joy, “Well, it is the duty of loyal subjects to shoulder responsibilities. Let me take on this burden.”
The generals exchanged glances, constrained by their ranks, and had to comply.
Zhao Xi immediately headed to the commander’s residence, inquiring about the camp’s situation along the way.
The generals reported: The entire army had removed their iron armor, actively resting and recovering. In three or four days, the troops would be ready to move out again.
In the meantime, Golden Core Level and Nascent Soul Level generals were scouting the battlefield, cleaning up.
They also reported that many opportunists from the Thousand Peak Forest tried to loot but were punished by the army, causing many deaths or injuries, yielding significant results.
Zhao Xi was intrigued and demanded more information on the loot.
The generals produced a Jade Slip, “Sir, this contains a complete record of the spoils collected.”
Zhao Xi scanned it with his Divine Sense, noticing a merit ranking.
At the top was Liu Er.
He frowned, “A mere half-breed at the top? What are the others doing?”
A general explained, “Supervisor, Liu Er just reached the top last night. By noon, he may fall from the list.”
Other generals agreed it was an anomaly, with Liu Er previously ranking somewhere around fifth.
Zhao Xi nodded slowly but internally fretted, “Liu Er is an outsider, without power or status, yet at the top. This means he really amassed a lot.”
“These spoils represent merit.”
“I came here with great effort; if I gain no merit, how will I justify this risk?”