Chapter 493: The Mechanical Army Attacks

Woodwheel Town.Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning, the four, received the military order and were all shocked.Du Tiechuan, a peak Nascent Soul realm cultivator, and the commander of the two 注 nations' invasion of Thousand Peaks Forest, was actually ambushed and severely wounded.The key was that Young Master Shengxu, merely of the Nascent Soul realm, was able to pierce Du Tiechuan in reverse. If this fact were to be revealed, many would likely believe it to be false information.The further one progresses on the path of cultivation, the more difficult it becomes to fight across realms. What seems like only a one-level difference can in reality be a world apart.Ning Zhuo of the Foundation Establishment realm fighting a Core Formation cultivator, and Young Master Shengxu of the Nascent Soul realm fighting a peak Nascent Soul cultivator - the latter's difficulty is immeasurably higher than the former's, and immeasurably rarer.Zhang Hei puzzled, "A dignified commander, a peak Nascent Soul level, what kind of meal is he? How could he be so careless?Liu Erwei sighed, "Although Young Master Shengxu is very 'empty' (虛), he is listed on the Young Masters' Ranking, and is renowned throughout the world for assassination. It is not surprising that he was able to accomplish this."Young Masters' Ranking!This is a considerably famous list, compiling the young male cultivator talents recognized by the entire world. This list almost encompasses the entire cultivation world, covering virtually all cultivation nations.Shengxu is listed among them, the title of Young Master carries immense weight!Guan Hong nodded in agreement, "Yes, it's not the first time Young Master Shengxu has fought against a peak Nascent Soul level cultivator in reverse.""Although Du Tiechuan is of the peak Nascent Soul realm, it also depends on whether it is his main body or a divine soul clone."Once a cultivator reaches the peak Nascent Soul stage, the Nascent Soul grows into a Divine Soul. As the cultivation of the Divine Soul continues to accumulate, a portion can be separated to serve as a second, or even a third Divine Soul.Guan Hong guessed that the injured Du Tiechuan, currently holding the central army in town, might be his main body, or perhaps a Divine Soul clone. This night, warning bells chimed incessantly, and the entire army remained sleepless.Full alert was maintained until dawn, when countless scattered scouts returned with reports of no signs of large enemy forces.Only then did the soldiers relax.The military order for a full alert was naturally correct. It was to guard against Young Master Shengxu's assassination, followed by a surprise attack from the Thousand Peaks Forest army.However, based on the current reality, the Thousand Peaks Forest army seems to lack the capability to stealthily approach Woodwheel Town without a sound.Or perhaps, they merely hired Young Master Shengxu to attempt an assassination, without holding too much expectation from the beginning?Regardless, Young Master Shengxu, the Young Masters' Ranking, and other related terms became the most discussed topics throughout the army today.In the afternoon, another piece of bad news arrived.The vanguard army of the two 注 nations, positioned closest to the Thousand Peaks Forest, was near the towering giant trees.Last night, during Young Master Shengxu's assassination attempt, the Thousand Peaks Forest side suddenly mobilized powerful cultivators, set up altars and performed sacrifices, creating a large amount of poisonous miasma that completely surrounded the vanguard army.Currently, the black poisonous miasma separates the inside from the outside, completely encircling the vanguard army's camp."The vanguard army has become isolated, perhaps they are currently under siege!""We must quickly send out troops to rescue the vanguard army.""But the commander is severely wounded, at this time, it's even more important to hold our ground and actively recuperate."The soldiers debated heatedly, their opinions mainly divided into two factions, arguing endlessly, causing the morale of the army to waver.At noon, Du Tiechuan issued a military order: The Three Generals' Camp, the Savage Beast Camp, the Red Flower Camp, and the Golden Halberd Army – these four armies were to launch attacks on Thousand Peaks Forest from four different routes!The rest of the army remained stationed in Woodwheel Town, holding their ground.After receiving the military order, Liu Er discussed it with Zhang Hei, Guan Hong, and Ning Zhuo.Zhang Hei felt excited about the impending battle.Guan Hong's fighting spirit surged, but a hidden worry clouded his face: "According to common sense, there should be a major battle between the two sides first, before dividing the troops for multi-pronged attacks."Ning Zhuo pointedly remarked, "Du Tiechuan is avoiding going into battle while injured. Both the two 注 nations and Thousand Peaks Forest have peak Nascent Soul level existences.""On the Thousand Peaks Forest side is the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King.""On our side, it's Commander Du Tiechuan.""If the peak Nascent Soul level cultivators engage in a confrontation and are easily defeated, the entire army's momentum will collapse and fall apart.""Therefore, Commander Du's actions must be cautious.""The key now is that the vanguard army is shrouded in poisonous miasma, making it difficult to ascertain the real situation.""Thousand Peaks Forest's sudden action, creating such a situation, could be to surround and eliminate the vanguard army, but it is more likely to use this as a setup, laying an ambush to lure the entire two 注 nations' army to attack."Analyzing this far, Ning Zhuo stroked his chin, "Looking at it this way, Young Master Shengxu's assassination of the commander and the encirclement of the vanguard army are coordinated strategies.""This is likely just a small part of the overall strategy, with more hidden dangers inside and outside the poisonous miasma surrounding the vanguard army.""Du Tiechuan does not want to rashly mobilize the large army, as this could easily fall into the enemy's trap.""But he also wants to probe the enemy's strength.""He must have already dispatched capable scouts to investigate the real situation within the poisonous miasma.""At the same time, he ordered our four armies to attack, still aiming to probe the Thousand Peaks Forest's military deployment in this manner."Liu, Guan, and Zhang were silent.They all agreed with Ning Zhuo's analysis.The Three Generals' Camp was recently established. Even with continuous training day and night, their overall combat strength was at the bottom tier.Du Tiechuan dispatching the Three Generals' Camp, to put it more fundamentally, was using them as cannon fodder.Regarding this, Liu, Guan, and Zhang had long been aware. As rogue cultivators who pledged allegiance and formed their own army, it was very normal for them to be used in such a situation.Zhang Hei's confusion was: "Why were the Red Flower Camp and the Golden Halberd Army also assigned to this operation?"The predicament of the Savage Beast Camp was similar to that of the Three Generals' Camp, which everyone could understand.Ning Zhuo mused, "Although the Red Flower Camp originated from General Mu's Mansion, and the previous difficulties have been resolved, the powers within the nation still haven't let them go.""The Golden Halberd Army was purely implicated by Sun Gan."Sun Gan, as the commander of the Imperial Guards, previously tried to meddle with General Mu's Mansion, attempting to pluck the fruit before others.Leading the Imperial Guards himself, yet wishing to jump to another position, also caused the King's displeasure.Therefore, this time he was marginalized and became a chess piece to probe the enemy's military deployment.Ning Zhuo thought for a moment and added, "Among our four armies, there will naturally be distinctions.""According to my guess, among the four marching routes, our situation will not be good; there will definitely be a few tough nuts to crack."Ning Zhuo's conjecture was later confirmed.The marching routes of the four armies did indeed have distinctions of advantage and disadvantage. Sun Gan's Golden Halberd Army faced the most difficulty, followed by the Three Generals' Camp in second place, the Red Flower Camp in third, and the Savage Beast Camp ironically having the best route.From this, Ning Zhuo inferred the changes in the two 注 nations' court: "Traitors are the most detestable. Sun Gan's disloyalty has angered the King.""Our Three Generals' Camp distinguished ourselves in the previous ambush battle, attracting much attention. Many in the court want to suppress us.""The Red Flower Camp being third reveals that many people still haven't given up on General Mu's Mansion.""The Savage Beast Camp, which is usually considered cannon fodder, ironically received the best treatment. The two 注 nations' King's vision is merely thus."The three generals said nothing, but all wore expressions of agreement.The military order was issued at noon that day.The four armies ate a hasty lunch and then struck camp, beginning their march.Mu Lan specifically summoned Ning Zhuo to meet, handing him a military token: "In times of crisis, crush this token, and I can use military power to guide you and bring you to me."Mu Lan was becoming more and more concerned about Ning Zhuo.She remained emotionally detached, still the iron-blooded general.The key was that Ning Zhuo's interests were deeply intertwined with hers; Ning Zhuo's life and death were related to the situation of General Mu's Mansion.Ning Zhuo took the token and expressed his gratitude.Before Ning Zhuo left, Mu Lan still said, "Perhaps, you can march with me?"This suggestion was immediately rejected by Ning Zhuo, who stated that he was the military advisor of the Three Generals' Camp and had always gotten along well with the three generals. If he were to join another army before the battle had even begun, such behavior would definitely cause trouble for the Three Generals' Camp."Lord Liu, Guan, and Zhang have treated me very well. How could I, Ning Zhuo, be a villain who forgets righteousness for personal gain?" Ning Zhuo sternly refused.Mu Lan had expected this response and could only nod, telling Ning Zhuo to be careful.Ning Zhuo returned to the Three Generals' Camp, and Liu Er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.Of course, Liu Er was worried that Ning Zhuo would join the Red Flower Camp instead of staying with the Three Generals' Camp.Now it seemed his worry was unnecessary.Zhang Hei and Guan Hong did not have such concerns; they had full confidence in Ning Zhuo choosing the Three Generals' Camp.The Three Generals' Camp formed a single-line long snake formation, rushing towards Thousand Peaks Forest.They marched normally along the way, without any intentional delays.By the evening of the third day, they arrived at the foot of a towering giant tree mountain.After setting up camp, the night was peaceful and uneventful.The next morning, they struck camp and began their ascent of the first towering giant tree mountain.They did not encounter any enemies.The soldiers discovered many traces of savage tribes and monstrous beasts, but these intelligent beings had all moved away.Although this towering giant tree mountain had other living beings, it had been abandoned.The Three Generals' Camp advanced unimpeded, encountering no resistance."General, we have found a large amount of food!" A scout returned to report, his expression excited.Liu Er and Ning Zhuo personally went to inspect and discovered a large cluster of spirit mushrooms.Ning Zhuo advised, "The savage tribes are skilled in poison. Their deliberate leaving of these spirit foods is likely a trap. In my opinion, don't touch them at all."Liu Er had originally planned to gather some to serve as reserve provisions, but upon hearing this, he immediately nodded, "The Military Advisor is right."He immediately ordered the entire army not to take a single bit and to continue forward.The second towering giant tree mountain and the third towering giant tree mountain were all abandoned. The Three Generals' Camp did not encounter any enemies.Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning remained composed, but their hearts grew heavier.Encountering some resistance would have been most beneficial to them. Firstly, it would serve as troop training, secondly, it would boost morale, and thirdly, even if they suffered setbacks, they would have a reason to encamp on the spot.On the contrary, now that the enemy had actively retreated, concentrating their nearby forces into a single group, it posed a greater threat to the Three Generals' Camp!Finally, upon reaching the fourth giant tree mountain, they saw two military camps.One camp was stationed at the foot of the mountain, and the other was halfway up the mountain, forming a mutually supporting position.The Three Generals' Camp was only one unit; it was impossible to divide their forces into two."Damn it, the enemy has more troops. Our Triangular Arrow formation requires the joint efforts of our three Core Formation cultivators. We can't split our forces at all."As Zhang Hei was facing this difficulty, Liu Er chuckled lightly.Guan Hong stroked his beard and remained silent.Zhang Hei's face immediately lit up with joy: "Since Big Brother is smiling, he must have come up with a good idea. Quick, tell me, tell me."Liu Er looked at Ning Zhuo: "It's not that I have a way, but the Military Advisor does."Ning Zhuo immediately understood Liu Er's intention and said, "General Zhang, focused on training troops, may not have noticed. I have also recently assembled an army, entirely composed of automaton puppets.""Because there wasn't enough space to train them within the Three Generals' Camp, I usually went to the Red Flower Camp to use their open ground for training."Zhang Hei was pleasantly surprised: "Is that so? With the Military Advisor's abilities, this automaton army's combat strength must be very strong!"Ning Zhuo smiled wryly: "General Zhang is too kind! The automaton army is also only recently established and lacks sufficient training. But as I lead an army, I can perhaps buy some time for the three lords."Liu Er then said, "In that case, I will trouble the Military Advisor to deal with the enemy camp on the mountainside. My two sworn brothers and I will attack together and strive to eliminate the enemy camp at the foot of the mountain as quickly as possible."Ning Zhuo thought for a moment and then agreed.Zhang Hei was somewhat hesitant: "I see the enemy camp on the mountainside is vast in scale, three times larger than the enemy camp at the foot of the mountain, with numerous banners, clearly much stronger than the enemy camp at the foot of the mountain.""The Military Advisor is only a Foundation Establishment cultivator after all. Can he control an automaton army alone and take down the enemy army?"Ning Zhuo smiled: "Thank you for your concern, General Zhang. My automaton army has no such thing as morale. Even if they are defeated and collapse, as long as they buy you some time to wipe out the enemy camp, then I will consider my operation successful.""Even if the losses are severe, don't forget, according to the contract, three-tenths of the spoils of war belong to me. I can purchase automaton puppets in large quantities and rebuild the army."Zhang Hei let out an "oh," looking enlightened and also emotional, "Automaton puppets are not living beings; assembling them is certainly convenient."With the strategy decided, Ning Zhuo separated and brought out almost all of his automaton puppets.Under the astonished gazes of the many soldiers, an automaton army quickly took shape.Ning Zhuo stood amidst the automaton army, radiating his spiritual sense.Through the projection and reception of the Divine Soul Mirror, his spiritual sense quickly took control of sixty percent of the automaton puppets. The remaining portion was secretly controlled by Sun Lingtong.The two joined forces and activated the battle formation.Light Body Swift Wind Array!The effect of the previous training was immediately evident, reducing the weight of the automaton puppets and allowing light wind to wrap around their limbs, making them faster and more agile.Ning Zhuo bowed to Liu Er, then concealed his figure and disappeared.The automaton army marched lightly, killing their way up the mountain.The Three Generals' Camp, on the other hand, activated the Triangular Arrow formation and charged towards the enemy camp at the foot of the mountain.Ning Zhuo's march was smooth, which he couldn't help but find strange: although the enemy camp had long-range attacks, the arrows were sparse, causing little pressure."Could it be that the enemy camp at the foot of the mountain is the main force?"Just as Ning Zhuo was guessing, a large number of soldiers rushed out from the enemy camp at the foot of the mountain.Savage tribes, demon cultivators, and demonic cultivators surged out in a chaotic mass,勉强 forming a battle formation, but their numbers were vast, like a mountain torrent pouring out."Hahahaha, shocked, aren't you! You fell into our trap!" The leading Core Formation savage tribal leader held a giant axe in each hand, laughing triumphantly.It turned out that these savage tribes, considering their insufficient training and relying only on their numerical advantage, decided to split their forces.They set up two camps, one strong and one weak, one real and one fake. They also used means to conceal the truth of the real and fake.The Three Generals' Camp was weak in reconnaissance and suffered from being outnumbered by the enemy, thus falling into the trap.Caught off guard, the Three Generals' Camp was suppressed by the enemy's massive force, their charge suddenly halted."Not good. I must support them quickly." Ning Zhuo immediately deployed the automaton army, wanting to descend the mountain.But at this moment, a group of soldiers charged out from the enemy camp halfway up the mountain. The leading Core Formation savage tribal leader held a long spear and yelled loudly, "Want to support them? Dream on!"This enemy force was extremely fierce, charging into the automaton puppet army.The two sides engaged in a fierce battle."We must finish this quickly." Ning Zhuo sighed, revealing his figure and casting Five Elements spells.Flames descended with a roar, followed by continuous explosions.The savage tribes were stunned by the explosions.This was because Ning Zhuo disregarded everything and destroyed many automaton puppets.The Core Formation enemy general of the savage tribe was so angry his eyes turned red. It was one thing for the automaton puppets to die, but the key was that their sacrifices were of their own tribesmen, beings of flesh and blood."Despicable villain, die for me!"The Core Formation enemy general killed his way to Ning Zhuo.Ning Zhuo sneered, pointed a finger, and a Metal Element spell, like light and a spear, forced the Core Formation enemy general to retreat in disarray.The enemy general's face showed horror.This was because Ning Zhuo had received the blessing of military power, and his combat strength had actually risen to the Core Formation level!Military Tactics - Brave Warriors Return Technique!The automaton puppets were already integrated into the army. The more of them died in vain, the stronger the blessing Ning Zhuo received.He waved his sleeve, and another large swathe of Five Elements spells rained down.The automaton puppets died, and even more savage tribesmen died.Ning Zhuo became even stronger!The Core Formation savage tribal leader realized this and no longer had any will to fight: "Retreat! Quickly retreat!!"Please: m.badaoge.info