Chapter 454: I'm Very Interested in Ning Zhuo

Lord Long coughed, stood and cupped his hands towards the Stone Old Monster, saying:"This battle nearly saw my demise; fortunate indeed to have Stone Daoist come to my rescue."This gesture was exceedingly rare.In ordinary times, Lord Long held his head high, bearing himself with arrogance.He was a Grand Cultivator of the Nascent Soul stage, advanced in years. More critically, as the temple steward of the Ginseng Beard Dragon King, his backing was exceptionally strong, positioning him as second only to one in the Thousand Peaks Forest, and above all others.Yet this time, he offered cupped hands to the Stone Old Monster in thanks.Cave Master Moyuan, Red Vine Physician, Ancient Vine King, and others looked towards the stone sphere, their faces showing envy.All knew that upon returning to the Thousand Peaks Forest, the Stone Old Monster would receive the Dragon King's grand commendation!The next moment, the hoarse voice of "Stone Old Monster" rang out:"Little Long, I am your saviour. As the main commander, if you had perished, even if we had completely annihilated two or three armies this time, it would still be a great defeat and a heavy loss!""I was the key figure in turning the tide of this battle, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.""What kind of reward will the Dragon King bestow upon such a meritorious subject as I?"Everyone's expression instantly changed.They had not anticipated the Stone Old Monster to speak so directly, with a tone so impolite, completely assuming the posture of one arrogant due to merit.This was not a wise action.While it was true that you saved Lord Long, one should not behave in such a manner.The latter is not merely a Nascent Soul cultivator; he is also the Dragon King's temple steward. To be so impolite to him is to be impolite to an existence at the Divine Transformation stage!Lord Long's eye twitched slightly. He lowered his hands, a smile appearing on his face, and said slowly and deliberately:"Well said, well said.""Stone Daoist, rest assured. While I cannot decide the reward, I believe Lord Dragon King will absolutely not treat you unfairly.""Stone Old Monster" grunted, and said haughtily:"That's good."As they spoke, more cultivators arrived, gathering in secret.It was Di Lu and Gu Ya.The two had been entangled with the Barbarian Fiend Battalion, holding the upper hand, thus their withdrawal was smooth.Di Lu's face was expressionless:"A pity. That Xu Dali was already at the end of his rope. If we had been given the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, we surely could have captured him!"Gu Ya remained silent.Compared to his eager anticipation before the battle, he now appeared crestfallen.Gu Ya was a Beast Tamer, deeply devoted to his wolf pack. In this battle, his wolf pack suffered heavy losses, causing him immense heartache.It also made him realize a crucial point: for true group combat, armies composed of cultivators possess the greatest fighting strength!Relying on a pack of fiendish beasts to contend with an army would require a scale at least ten times that of the opposing force.As everyone conversed, Chen Lingfeng, Wu Hen, and others also arrived.Their expressions were hurried, their appearances disheveled."We underestimated the Three Generals Battalion. Those three, Liu, Guan, and Zhang, though rogue cultivators, are not ordinary individuals.""What about Ma Feitui?""He was captured alive by the Three Generals.""What?!"Everyone was greatly shocked for a moment.Ma Feitui was a demon cultivator, his original form a celestial horse, with a cultivation reaching the Nascent Soul stage. Even if he couldn't win, he should have been able to retreat.Unexpectedly, he was defeated and captured alive!Everyone's expression was displeased.Each Nascent Soul level combat strength is incredibly valuable. Now that Ma Feitui was lost, the loss to the Thousand Peaks Forest was considerable indeed!A poisonous snake slithered out from the ground, spitting out a jade slip.It was a letter from Tu Ming.Lord Long scanned it with his spiritual sense:"Tu Ming is gravely injured and has already led the Hundred Poisons Tribe to withdraw first. We need not wait for them anymore."Thus, on the side of the Thousand Peaks Forest, one Nascent Soul was severely injured, and one Nascent Soul was lost. The battle results were the near total annihilation of the Barbarian Fiend Battalion and the White Jade Battalion.The Red Flower Battalion suffered heavy losses, the Three Generals Battalion saw significant casualties, while the Golden Halberd Army and the Fire Cloud Battalion were unscathed.Cave Master Moyuan cast a glance and immediately laughed:"Ma Feitui is truly laughable. I said long ago that this demon's reputation exceeded his reality. One could see his weakness from a single point: having dealt with General Mu's Manor for so many years, his achievements were negligible.""Now that he has been captured, and by three unknown rogue cultivators, Liu, Guan, and Zhang, it only further proves my judgment!""He is a northern demon. The Thousand Peaks Forest does not have such a weak Nascent Soul cultivator. His capture is actually a good thing.""At least, we will not be implicated by him and suffer more serious consequences after entrusting him with important tasks!"Undoubtedly, Lu Hongtu was skilled at boosting morale.He had managed the Six Caves Sect for many years, possessing eloquent speech. The outcome of the defeat, spoken from his mouth, instead became a fortune for the Thousand Peaks Forest.Lord Long waved his hand:"Alright, let's return first. Ma Feitui's defeat and capture are things I never anticipated. We will discuss how to handle this later when we return.""Stone Old Monster" said with a strange tone:"The Two Kingdoms are powerful. Merely their rearguard is already so formidable.""Don't forget, if not for me, your fate, Little Long, would have been far more tragic than Ma Feitui's.""He was captured, but at least his life was spared. If I had been a moment later, you would have been burned to ash."Lord Long's eye twitched once again.Di Lu and Gu Ya were shocked.Chen Lingfeng, Wu Hen, and other Golden Core cultivators' eyes widened even further, their breaths held in astonishment for a moment.What was wrong with the Stone Old Monster? How arrogant his demeanor!A strong sense of foreboding suddenly surged in Lord Long's heart. He seemed to see the future, where every time he met the Stone Old Monster, the latter would likely bring up this life-saving experience."Stone Old Monster" completely disregarded the heavy atmosphere and continued:"You all go. I will cover your retreat."Lu Hongtu was surprised:"Stone Daoist, are you not returning with us?""There's no need for that. I've been quiet for too long and wish to wander the outside world," Ning Zhuo responded.Lu Hongtu wore a look of concern:"Currently, we have just ambushed the armies of the Two Kingdoms. What follows will surely be the enemy's wrath and a full-scale search. If Stone Daoist lingers now, the risk is great.""Stone Old Monster" chuckled:"That is my business. There's no need for you to speak further. After this battle, I am very interested in one person within the enemy army and wish to investigate his background.""Lu Hongtu, I hear that your Six Caves Sect has many entanglements with this person."Cave Master Moyuan's expression shifted:"Stone Daoist, are you referring to that Ning—""Precisely, it is he, Ning Zhuo," Ning Zhuo stated.Sun Lingtong, standing by, widened his eyes, looking at him with curiosity.Ning Zhuo chanted in a low voice:"Horse hooves tread on fallen flowers,""Wind rises, shadows sink in sand.""Who can retain the bright moon's light,""And who is buried in mist and haze?""This is the Recognition Poem that Ning Zhuo divined. It is very accurate.""Horse hooves echo Ma Feitui, fallen flowers foretell Ma Feitui's misfortune.""Wind rises, shadows sink in sand, is the manifestation of our forces' offensive.""Bright moon, should refer to the White Jade Battalion's myriad stars surrounding the moon battle formation.""Buried in mist and haze, is Little Long nearly meeting his end, burned to ash by the Lifeless Fire."Everyone's heart collectively skipped a beat.You are still saying this!And it's becoming more and more excessive, the tone completely unreserved.Lord Long's eye twitched again.Does he not care about face?!But the problem was, the Stone Old Monster truly was his saviour!!For a time, Lord Long's ominous feeling about the future grew even stronger."Who can retain the bright moon's light, and who is buried in mist and haze? This line of poetry is marvelous, the more I contemplate it, the more profound it becomes!" Ning Zhuo, inside the mechanical dragon, played the role of the Stone Old Monster, becoming more and more immersed.Sun Lingtong, at his side, cast a glance at him.This was the first time he had seen someone boast about themselves with such genuine emotion!"Not a hint of embarrassment. Little Zhuo's Righteous Dao cultivation is growing again," Sun Lingtong praised in his heart.Outside, the voice of "Stone Old Monster" echoed in everyone's ears:"This latter line of the prophetic poem actually indicates that, regardless of the surface appearance of the battle, being in the upper hand or having the advantage in reality is nothing. The true outcome must be seen at the very end.""Look at Little Long. He penetrated deep into the enemy formation, appearing very formidable, but what was the end result? Was he not nearly finished, saved by me?"Lord Long secretly clenched his teeth. In a short time, Ning Zhuo had mentioned this matter three times.Di Lu, Gu Ya, and others dared not even turn their heads to secretly observe Lord Long's expression.Chen Lingfeng and Wu Hen, being Lord Long's subordinates, wished they could bury themselves in the dirt at this moment.Lu Hongtu said:"But, Stone Daoist, perhaps you do not know that it was precisely after hearing this poem that we deliberately designed the attack, thus coinciding with the first half of the poem."Ning Zhuo laughed heartily:"Superficial!""You underestimate the Path of Divination, Cave Master Moyuan.""You think you are turning their plan against them, but you have overlooked one possibility — that Ning Zhuo had already divined your presence, and therefore divined this Recognition Poem."Hiss——Someone drew a sharp breath.Lu Hongtu's pupils trembled slightly, and he quickly recovered, not being intimidated.He chuckled and shook his head:"This possibility is not high. That Ning Zhuo is merely a small Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could he divine someone like me, a Nascent Soul?""Moreover, this ambush involved not only me but all of you as well.""Could it be that we were all divined by such a small Foundation Establishment cultivator?"Everyone's expression eased slightly.Ning Zhuo:"Does the Path of Divination not allow the weak to divine the strong?"He knew he should not rush, and then changed the subject:"Of course, I also believe that this is merely a possibility.""Therefore, I am very interested in this little fellow.""I am staying outside to properly ponder over him.""He is already my prey. Hehehe, hahahaha!""Stone Old Monster" let out a strange laugh.Everyone remained silent.Chen Lingfeng and the other Golden Core cultivators had already begun to mourn for Ning Zhuo in their hearts.Lu Hongtu smiled:"To receive such attention from Stone Daoist, how fortunate that small Foundation Establishment cultivator is.""After this battle, I also have concerns about this person.""With Stone Daoist personally taking action, then we can all rest assured."Inside the dragon head cabin of the mechanical dragon.Sun Lingtong gave Ning Zhuo a thumbs-up.This move was too clever.After this battle, the prophetic poem would surely greatly increase Ning Zhuo's fame and earn him significant attention.Ning Zhuo using the identity of "Stone Old Monster" served as a protective umbrella, blocking the possible hidden schemes of the Thousand Peaks Forest against Ning Zhuo.This action could be described as brilliant to the extreme!Ning Zhuo:"Let's go."Saying this, with a thought, he was about to activate the Earth Element Technique.Being among numerous Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, playing the role of one of them, the pressure was immense.Ning Zhuo decided to withdraw as quickly as possible, to prevent exposing himself if he lingered for too long."Wait!" Lord Long suddenly said.