Chapter 436: Lu Hongtu Designs Based on Poetry

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Amidst the mists, the faint sound of horns drifted.Heavy hoofbeats gradually approached, seeping through the thick fog, carrying into the mountains and forests.The great army advanced slowly within the dense mist, their iron armor gleaming cold light, yet obscured and indistinct by the haze.The cultivators' steps were steady and orderly, the sounds of blood and iron scraping against earth echoing in this misty expanse. The warhorses lowered their heads and moved forward, their nostrils expelling white mist, appearing as phantoms across the dense fog.Five armies responded to each other, marching through the lofty mountains and rugged peaks, like a slow and heavy serpent, winding its way through the mist.The dense fog only gradually dispersed in the afternoon.The marching speed of the entire army thus increased.As the sun began to set in the west, at Sun Gan's command, the entire army slowly halted, occupying their respective territories and beginning to set up camp.By tomorrow, at dawn, the great army would set out once more.After two days of such marching, the gaps between the various armies gradually widened.In the commander's tent, Sun Gan gazed at the map, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.He pointed a finger at the marker indicating the Three Generals' Camp, asking those within the tent, "What's wrong with the Three Generals' Camp? Why is their marching speed so slow? They've actually fallen a full ten li behind the Crimson Flower Camp!"The deputy general reported, "Reporting to the lord, the Three Generals' Camp is strictly employing the Single-Line Long Serpent Formation during their march, making it difficult for the entire army to speed up. The cultivators often have to stop and rest for half an hour after marching, to replenish their spiritual power and physical strength."Sun Gan's eyes widened, "What in the world are these Liu Er and his gang doing? Acting like this even before reaching the front lines? Delaying the itinerary, are they afraid of going to the front?"Another deputy general sneered, "They claim that they are using marching as training.""The key is, their method of marching is also in accordance with military law, so it's difficult for us to hold them accountable for this.""In my opinion, this group of people is as timid as mice, which could be seen from the moment they set off and shirked the responsibility of being the vanguard.""The so-called Three Generals Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei are all just third-rate Golden Cores, unheard of.""The reason they've come to participate in the war is likely to take advantage and benefit, how could they be like us, serving the country and the people!"However, Sun Gan looked at the deputy general, greatly displeased, "I entrusted the matter of marching to you, did you not order the Three Generals' Camp to speed up midway?"The deputy general gave a bitter smile, "Lord, I dispatched messengers to urge them many times, but the Three Generals' Camp still did as they pleased.""When urged too much, they even gave us a prophecy poem, claiming it was obtained through divination by their army's ritual master, telling us to be careful and prepared!""Oh? A prophecy poem?" Sun Gan's expression flickered slightly, then his brow twitched, and he asked in detail, "How was the poem written?"The deputy general replied, "Horse hooves tread fallen flowers, wind arises and shadows sink in sand. Who can retain the bright moon, and who will bury the rosy clouds?"Sun Gan's brows furrowed slightly, carefully pondering, "This poem is ominous. Who wrote it?"Deputy General: "It was a young Foundation Establishment cultivator named Ning Zhuo, a native of the Southern Bean Kingdom."Sun Gan's brows immediately relaxed, "Just Foundation Establishment, a mere youth, and a cultivator from another country, hehe. How ridiculous that the Three Generals believe in the divination of such a person!""Deliver my military order!""Liu Er of the Three Generals' Camp, who foolishly believed in the prophecy and delayed military operations, shall be given sixty strokes of the rod, to be carried out when the great army arrives at Wooden Wheel Town."The messenger immediately received the military order and, carrying the oral message, ran out.Sun Gan lowered his head and continued to study the military map.He frowned again, "The position of the Crimson Flower Camp is also a bit off, what's going on?"The deputy general said, "Lord, it is said that General Mu Lan also believed this prophecy poem, and therefore has been organizing a flowing battle formation during the march to guard against the unexpected.""So that's it..." Sun Gan murmured, his heart secretly startled.Although the flowing formation also provides a boost during marching, it is extremely difficult to maintain for a long time.Compared to the Three Generals' Camp, one can see the difference.But the Crimson Flower Camp has actually persisted for so long, and using a battle formation to march and travel, their overall progress can surprisingly keep up with the main force."The Crimson Flower Camp is so well-trained, they can almost compare with my Golden Halberd Army!""Although this Grand General's Mansion has fallen into decline, the military's foundation is still there. The remaining old soldiers and mainstays are not to be underestimated."Sun Gan was an experienced veteran, and immediately realized this, but verbally he still said, "Mu Lan actually believed the prophecy poem made by a mere child?""Heh heh, after all, she's a daughter of a family, with long hair and short vision! The Grand General's Mansion has no successor!"The deputy general quickly laughed and agreed.Sun Gan's mind stirred, "Mu Lan is covered by the prestige of the Grand General. This seems like a good opportunity to make her lose face.""Old General Mu's military prestige is very high. We must first operate like this, weakening it step by step until it reaches a very low level.""This way, our desire to obtain the position of Grand General will be legitimate and natural."Sun Gan was the commander of the Imperial Guards, holding a high and powerful position, but how could the position of Grand General be as desirable as the commander of the Imperial Guards!There were only a mere three Grand Generals in the entire Two Rivulets Kingdom.As Old General Mu has been bedridden for many years, his Grand General's Mansion has become a tempting piece of meat in the eyes of others.This time, according to common sense, it shouldn't have been the Mu family who sent troops. But under the tacit understanding of many people, Old General Mu was forcefully nominated to go on the expedition.Mu Lan, substituting for her father in the army, is in a grim situation, all because she is not only facing the enemy army, but also the covetousness of her own people!Thinking of this, Sun Gan immediately ordered, "Going and stopping like this, when will we reach Wooden Wheel Town and rendezvous with the commander?""Too slow!""Deliver the order, from tomorrow onwards, we march rapidly!"Thousand Peaks Forest.Desolate Wood Peak.This massive pillar-like mountain is steep and lonely, desolate and solitary. The entire mountain is covered in withered trees, their branches twisted like strange skeletons, densely stretching out.The withered wood forest stands tall, its roots deep and leaves withered, as if under a curse, making one feel exceptionally suppressed when walking through it.Besides the withered wood, there are also wild grasses and night vines. They tightly wrap around rocks and trees, swaying in the wind.The daytime here is often scorching hot, while the night is exceptionally cold.Apart from withered grass and desolate wood, there are no other signs of life.Cave Master Mo Yuan, accompanied by three Nascent Soul cave masters, concealed themselves and set foot on the peak of Desolate Wood Peak.Someone was already waiting here.And quite a few people.These cultivators are generally tall, with exposed and tight clothing, possessing a strong primitive aesthetic.With a single glance, one can recognize that these people are barbarian cultivators."The humans are here." The first to sense the approach of Cave Master Mo Yuan and the others was a barbarian blind man.This barbarian had a black cloth covering his eyes, a resolute face, sharp bone structure, a bare upper body with blood totems on his skin. Below was a pair of animal skin pants, with the cuffs tightened with leather belts for ease of movement.He carried two enormous curved swords on his back, the blades curved in an exaggerated manner, like moon strings. Although sheathed, there were still wisps of cold moonlight flowing out.Pale Moon Tribe, Di Lu!Beside Di Lu stood a Nascent Soul level cultivator of the same tribe.He had blue hair, a tall and thin build, well-defined muscles with clear striations. His skin was as pale as dead ice, and he had wolf claw markings on his forehead and cheeks symbolizing his tribe.He carried a large wolf tooth club on his back, and there was a circle of bloodshot around the edges of his eyes.Pale Moon Tribe, Gu Ya!Gu Ya's nostrils twitched, and he sniffed, then parted his mouth, revealing uneven and deathly white teeth, "Hmm, I smell a bloody scent, not fresh, with a foul odor. There must be a Blood Shadow brat from the Six Caves Sect."Gu Ya also possessed Nascent Soul level cultivation.Blood Shadow immediately let out a cold snort, he had fought against Gu Ya before, and more than once.He immediately revealed his form, a killing intent emanating from him, "Old wolf, if you don't break through to the Soul Transformation stage soon, your lifespan will be running out, right? Aren't you afraid that I will visit your family after you die?""Back then, the enmity of you chasing me, I will definitely repay it."As a result, Gu Ya said indifferently, "Go ahead and kill them, if they are to die by your hand, then that is their fate."Blood Shadow showed a vicious expression, "I forgot to tell you, I will not only kill them, but also extract their souls and burn them under sunlight until they are annihilated."Gu Ya immediately showed anger, "How dare you! Blood Shadow brat, before my lifespan is exhausted, I will definitely visit your cave and take you down with me."The Pale Moon Tribe worships the Pale Moon Ancient God. Dying under sunlight is considered blasphemy, and after death, the soul will no longer ascend to the Pale Moon and will not be accepted by the Pale Moon Ancient God.Blood Shadow's threat touched Gu Ya's inverse scale, enraging him."Heh heh heh, fight! What kind of men are you, just arguing? Fight! Hurry and fight!" An old barbarian woman, fearing nothing but chaos, instigated from the side, her voice as sharp as a crow.She wore a cloak woven from green vines, with dense animal bones and bird feathers hanging on it. Ancient talismans would occasionally flash on the animal bones and bird feathers.Her skin was like tree bark, with deep wrinkles, looking very weathered.Her eyes flickered with streaks of green light, feeling eerie.And her hands were as withered as dead wood, with fingers that grew out, resembling curved vines.Ancient Vine Tribe, Nascent Soul cultivator, Jade Vine Physician!Standing beside her was her husband, the Golden Core level Ancient Vine King.The Ancient Vine King wore ancient vine battle armor, his face was rugged and appeared middle-aged, his white beard and long hair were messy and unkempt, and his brows were full of wildness.He carried a large black bow on his back. The bow was naturally curved, without a string.The Ancient Vine King stood behind the Jade Vine Physician, saying nothing.Cave Master Mo Yuan and the others revealed themselves, gesturing with their eyes and nodding slightly.Responding to him were three cultivators from the Hundred Poisons Tribe.The leader was the Nascent Soul level Poison Abdomen Great Sacrificer Tu Ming.On his left and right stood two Golden Core cultivators, respectively, the Corrosive Poison General Diao Ye, and the Highly Toxic Barbarian Wu Lan.Gu Ya and Blood Shadow were at odds and continued to argue, their voices getting louder and their tempers flaring.Seeing that the two sides were about to fight, neither Di Lu of the Pale Moon Tribe nor Cave Master Mo Yuan Lu Hongtu showed any signs of stopping them.Not at all.In the region of the Thousand Peaks Forest, taking the initiative to soften one's attitude is often regarded as weakness.One must show a tough stance to earn respect from others!But the battle between Gu Ya and Blood Shadow ultimately did not break out.The one who stopped them was an old man.He was hunched over, his face emaciated, his appearance ordinary, his skin mottled, and his eyes dim and lifeless, as if he were about to die.He constantly held an ancient walking stick, with ginseng beard and dragon patterns carved on the head, and a faint deep aura emanating from the shaft.Seeing the old man appear, the human cultivators led by Mo Yuan, as well as the barbarian cultivators, all proactively saluted and respectfully called out, "Grandpa Long."This "Grandpa Long" was also a Nascent Soul cultivator, with a special identity, being the temple priest of the main Dragon King Temple, representing a Soul Transformation level existence - the Ginseng Beard Dragon King!"Heh heh heh." Grandpa Long showed a benevolent smile, "Two young ones, don't bicker, isn't it better to save your strength to kill the enemy?""Yes, Grandpa Long." Although Gu Ya was old, in terms of age, he couldn't even compare to a fraction of Grandpa Long's age.Cave Master Blood Shadow appeared even more obedient, "I'll listen to you, Grandpa Long!"Grandpa Long smiled, his gaze sweeping around, then lingered on Cave Master Mo Yuan Lu Hongtu for a moment, praising, "The Great Cave Master personally went out and invited several Nascent Soul cultivators to assist, the merit is immense. After this battle, there will be rewards."Lu Hongtu immediately smiled, "My Six Caves Sect resides in the Thousand Peaks Forest, so naturally we must go all out to defend our homeland and resist the enemy. Dragon King God is just in reward and punishment, we are bound to win this battle!"Grandpa Long smiled and nodded, "That is natural.""Little Feng, Ah Guai, come out and tell everyone the information you have gathered."The next moment, two Golden Core level cultivators descended from the sky, landing behind Grandpa Long.One was a demon cultivator, with a human body and an eagle head, named Chen Lingfeng. He was originally a member of the demon beast tribe in Wind Pillar Peak, born with innate talent, recognized by the Ginseng Beard Dragon King, and cultivated to become a demon cultivator.One was a human cultivator, named Wu Hen.He was tall and thin, with a withered and pale face, like a walking corpse.His long hair was black as ink, fluffy and messy, and the ends of his hair swayed lightly in the air along with the shadows.His eyes were deeply sunken, and the areas around his eye sockets were covered with black blood streaks, particularly gloomy.He wore a black robe, the hem of which dragged on the ground, and its surface was dilapidated, as if it had undergone countless trials of life and death.And on the edge where the hem of the robe touched the ground, the black shadows strangely twisted, making one feel quite uncomfortable.Grandpa Long said, "Tell everyone about the military situation you've investigated."Wu Hen remained silent, while the demon cultivator Chen Lingfeng spoke, "I've been hiding in the high sky for the past few days, overlooking the mountains, always observing the march of the Two Rivulets Kingdom's rear army.""On the mountain terrain, they are divided into five armies, coordinating with each other.""Leading is the Barbarian Demon Camp, followed by the White Jade Camp, in the middle is the Golden Halberd Army, then the Crimson Flower Camp, and finally the Three Generals' Camp..."Chen Lingfeng then described the movements of the entire army in detail.After listening to the introduction, the faces of the cultivators relaxed slightly."Although Sun Gan is the commander of the Imperial Guards and does not often participate in battles, being in the rear, he feels safe and actually marches rapidly. Heh heh heh." Cave Master Poison Scorpion chuckled, killing intent spreading.Gu Ya stuck out his crimson tongue and licked his teeth, a bloodthirsty expression on his face, "The enemy general is foolish, this is our opportunity for battle."Cave Master Mo Yuan Lu Hongtu clasped his hands behind his back and pondered, "Although this is the case, there are also differences between the five armies. In my opinion, we should focus our full force on ambushing the Golden Halberd Army and cut off this great army from the middle.""The vanguard Barbarian Demon Camp is the key to breaking the situation. Although this army is numerous, they are all demon cultivators and barbarians. Even if they train battle formations hard, their composition is mixed, and the commander is quite difficult. Coupled with Xu Dali not being a wise general, once chaos erupts, it will be difficult for him to organize resistance with his abilities.""Once the Barbarian Demon Camp is defeated, we don't need to kill all of them, just drive them away.""Use them to impact the White Jade Camp. The commander of the White Jade Camp, Shuang Jing, is a noble's son with few achievements, and is likely to have insufficient reaction and mishandle the situation. Once the formation of the White Jade Camp is also disrupted, we can continue to charge and kill, letting our army directly attack the Golden Halberd Army!""Although the Golden Halberd Army is strong, their numbers are small, and to stand firm, they will inevitably have to kill their own soldiers. This will shake the morale of the army, and their morale will inevitably plummet, likely revealing flaws.""Once we seize this flaw, we are bound to achieve victory in one battle, and it is highly possible to annihilate them all."Lu Hongtu smiled, his tone chilling, "As for the Crimson Flower Camp and the Three Generals' Camp, they are not important.""According to the intelligence, these two armies are heavily guarded and march in battle formations. Even if we ambush them, it will be difficult to achieve results and easy to be tied down.""Once an ambush is launched, for every moment it is delayed, our advantage decreases by one percent.""The most crucial point is that these two armies are weak in strength, and their generals are only Golden Core cultivators. Even if we completely annihilate them, the results will be far less than killing the Golden Halberd Army!"The cultivators were silent.After a long while, Grandpa Long smiled, "As expected of the Great Cave Master of the Six Caves Sect, this plan is good."Pale Moon Tribe's Di Lu suddenly said, "Isn't there also a Fire Cloud Camp?"Chen Lingfeng said, "This army has not set out. It seems that Cang Lin Immortal City is the great rear of the Two Rivulets Kingdom this time, and also needs troops to guard it."Cave Master Devil Heart pondered, "It's a bit strange.""Commander Sun Gan ordered a rapid march, so why are the latter two armies marching in battle formations, so heavily guarded?"This time, Wu Hen spoke, "There is a prophecy poem..."His voice was very strange, very unpleasant to the ear, like sharp fingernails scratching on glass.Under his introduction, the cultivators immediately understood Ning Zhuo's poem.Horse hooves tread fallen flowers, wind arises and shadows sink in sand. Who can retain the bright moon, and who will bury the rosy clouds?"This poem actually seemed to predict our ambush?!" Everyone was startled."Is the Two Rivulets Kingdom so rich in talent?""Who is this person? We must kill him to feel at ease!"Wu Hen then said, "This person is named Ning Zhuo, but he is not from the Two Rivulets Kingdom, he is from the Ning family in the Southern Bean Kingdom.""Is there a Ning family in the Southern Bean Kingdom?""Haven't heard of them...""Only heard of the Meng family and the Su family."Wu Hen continued, "The Ning family is from the North Wind Kingdom. In the past, they migrated all the way, passed through the Two Rivulets Kingdom, and finally merged into the Southern Bean Kingdom, and are currently living on Fire Persimmon Mountain.""The reason Ning Zhuo joined the army is that the Ning family once had a grievance with the Six Caves Sect. This time, coinciding with the outbreak of war, he wanted to take the opportunity to seek revenge."Everyone looked at the Six Caves Sect."The Ning family?" Cave Master Mo Yuan sighed inwardly, he remembered, and glanced at Cave Master Devil Heart beside him.Cave Master Devil Heart coughed.Cave Master Mo Yuan managed the Six Caves Sect, actively befriending forces outside the mountains. The Ning family once had Nascent Soul level cultivators and had trade relations with the Six Caves Sect, with a deep friendship.When the Ning family migrated as a whole, Cave Master Mo Yuan intended to help, but Cave Master Devil Heart and others had sinister intentions and, when Lu Hongtu was not paying attention, plotted and schemed.After all, one could not openly defy the Great Cave Master's orders.As a result, the Ning family also had some luck. They lost most of their wealth but escaped in the nick of time."This is an old grudge." Cave Master Mo Yuan smiled slightly, calm and composed, "A child of the Ning family, merely Foundation Establishment, dares to seek revenge, commendable courage. Good, this poem is good, I have another plan!"Grandpa Long: "Hmm? Great Cave Master, please speak."Cave Master Mo Yuan then said, "Battle formations are difficult to break, the key is the morale of the army. Once morale drops and the army's will is shaken, the power of the battle formation will definitely drop significantly.""If this prophecy poem is used well, it could be comparable to Nascent Soul level combat power, or even more crucial!""Presumably the enemy army is already familiar with this prophecy poem. At least judging from their marching posture, the Three Generals' Camp and the Crimson Flower Camp are definitely aware.""Since that is the case, we can take the opportunity to set a trap, attacking according to this poem, bringing them immense casualties and spiritual deterrence!""The Crimson Flower Camp has Old General Mu's old guard, so let's not mention them. The Three Generals' Camp was established not long ago, they are a motley crew, and the weakest of the five armies!""At that time, we will coordinate with this poem and attack in turns, which will definitely cause unrest in the Three Generals' Camp, and perhaps we can take them down easily in one fell swoop."The crowd was silent again.After a moment, Grandpa Long clapped his hands and chuckled softly, "Good, a plan to attack the heart, using their plan against them. The Great Cave Master's consideration is exquisite, we will act according to this!"All the cultivators had no objections and fled into the high sky, secretly leaving the Thousand Peaks Forest together.Midway, they successively encountered several cultivators, mainly Golden Core, who had all signed divine decrees and were jointly participating in this ambush.With Grandpa Long leading the way, they secretly moved forward, while arranging and coordinating for the cultivators.Cave Master Mo Yuan and others would surround and attack the Golden Halberd Army, the barbarian cultivators would attack the Barbarian Demon Camp, and several Golden Core cultivators would hold back the Crimson Flower Camp and the Three Generals' Camp.