Chapter 515: Battle Preparations

"Ning Zhe?" A flicker of thought crossed Lu Hongtu's mind, the name sounding somewhat familiar.Swiftly, he recalled the intelligence regarding Ning Zhe.The first time Ning Zhe had entered his purview was during the initial ambush. Before the ambush, the Thousand Peaks Forest faction had learned of Ning Zhe's pre-battle prognostications.Lu Hongtu had devised a plan accordingly.Following the ambush, which saw gains and losses on both sides, the Old Monster in the Stone openly expressed his interest in Ning Zhe.Thus, Lu Hongtu and the others had not laid hands upon this mere Foundation Establishment cultivator from a foreign land, who could make relatively accurate prophecies.However, although the Old Monster in the Stone was active, frequently ambushing and plundering the supply lines of the Two Imperial States in the rear near Azure Forest Immortal City, he had consistently refrained from acting against Ning Zhe.A recent military dispatch Lu Hongtu had received reported that Ning Zhe and Mu Lan had become husband and wife.Initially, Lu Hongtu had dismissed this as false intelligence.But later, after acquiring more details and learning of various inside stories, he realized this intelligence was true.He had sighed at the time, "This Ning Zhe certainly has some luck!"Lu Hongtu knew that Ning Zhe was his enemy.He was also aware of the truth behind the conflict between the Ning Family and the Six Caves Sect.Though their side was in the wrong, this world placed more emphasis on strength than on right and wrong.Lu Hongtu pondered for a moment, then immediately spoke to the two ghost cultivators before him, "Ning Zhe, you say? He is also my enemy.""Oh?" The white-robed ghost cultivator, Tian Shuang, voiced his confusion.Lu Hongtu then elaborated, instantly bridging the distance between himself and the Heaven and Earth Dual Ghosts.The black-robed ghost cultivator, Di Hui, said guardedly, "Ning Zhe carries the lives of disciples from my Soul Devouring Sect. We must capture this person alive and bring him back."Lu Hongtu replied, "I have no intention of competing with the two of you.""He is merely a minor cultivator of the Foundation Establishment stage. Were he of the Golden Core level, I would have long since acted to eradicate him.""To necessitate the two of you personally capturing him alive, this Ning Zhe can be considered thrice blessed.""However - this person is in fact also the prey of the Old Monster in the Stone.""If you wish to capture him alive and take him away, it would be best to seek the consent of the Old Monster in the Stone."Tian Shuang immediately shook his head, "Not so. The Old Monster in the Stone is merely interested in him, while we have a vendetta for the killing of our fellow disciples.""In this matter, the Old Monster in the Stone should defer to us!"Di Hui even shrugged his shoulders, speaking with an indifferent tone, "I feel you place too much importance on the Old Monster in the Stone. Although he possesses Earth Travel術 and can freely traverse the battlefield, he has never displayed astonishing performance in direct combat.""Such a demon cultivator is not of much use. Perhaps in the next battle, the enemy army will have already prepared means to counteract his Earth Travel術."Hearing this, Lu Hongtu couldn't help but be slightly surprised.He subconsciously turned his gaze towards Old Man Long.Old Man Long smiled at him.Lu Hongtu immediately understood – the news that the Old Monster in the Stone was of the Integration level was intentionally concealed by Old Man Long from the Heaven and Earth Dual Ghosts.In fact, this military intelligence was known only to the upper echelons of the Thousand Peaks Forest Alliance.If the Heaven and Earth Dual Ghosts knew the Old Monster in the Stone was of the Integration level, they would not have adopted such an attitude.Lu Hongtu pondered slightly, then quickly understood Old Man Long's intentions."It seems the Dragon King Temple intends to sow discord between the Old Monster in the Stone and the Heaven and Earth Dual Ghosts."The Old Monster in the Stone was a newly promoted Integration level cultivator, while the Heaven and Earth Dual Ghosts, although merely two Nascent Soul cultivators, were both True Monarchs.Moreover, the divine abilities they had cultivated could merge with each other, forming an extremely powerful strike.It was precisely because of this that the Heaven and Earth Dual Ghosts were widely renowned, and even Lu Hongtu on the Thousand Peaks Forest side had heard much about them."Even if the Heaven and Earth Dual Ghosts are not a match for the Old Monster in the Stone, do not forget, behind them is the Soul Devouring Sect.""This time, the Dragon King Temple has hired the Heaven and Earth Dual Ghosts at a high price to participate in the war, not only to deal with Du Tiechuan's Iron Stream Flat Plains military strategy, but also with a hidden scheme to target the Old Monster in the Stone."In the eyes of Old Man Long and Lu Hongtu: the Old Monster in the Stone was always a native Integration level cultivator of the Thousand Peaks Forest, naturally a territorial demon, and had previously probed the earth veins of the Thousand Peaks Forest, his intentions clearly revealed.Therefore, the Old Monster in the Stone posed a significant threat to the position of the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King.However, with the armies of the Two Imperial States currently outside, the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King was likely quite vexed, wishing to deal with the Old Monster in the Stone but unable to free up his hands, thus resorting to such tactics.After comprehending the intentions of the Dragon King Temple faction, Lu Hongtu immediately chose to cooperate with Old Man Long.After conversing for a while longer, Old Man Long summoned a servant to lead the two ghost cultivators out and treat them well.Lu Hongtu and Old Man Long were alone in the room.Lu Hongtu respectfully reported, "Old Man Long, at present, Du Tiechuan's intentions are quite clear – to achieve a decisive victory in a single battle!""Therefore, whether our side can withstand his Iron Stream Flat Plains military strategy is of paramount importance!""Once our side succeeds, our morale will undoubtedly soar, our military will be united, and we will hold a significant advantage."Old Man Long sighed, "Du Tiechuan is indeed a worthy Great General of the Two Imperial States. If he were to advance slowly, engaging in continuous battles, our side, holding the advantage of terrain, would be able to continuously bleed his army.""Now that he has pulled this stunt, our side has no choice but to respond. This time, hiring the Heaven and Earth Dual Ghosts has come at an extremely high price."Seeing that Old Man Long also understood the crucial nature of this grand battle, Lu Hongtu continued, "Old Man Long, in my humble opinion,""Perhaps we could ask the Young Master with Kidney Deficiency to act again.""If Du Tiechuan is injured once more, the scales of victory in this grand battle will undoubtedly tilt further towards us."Old Man Long sighed, shaking his head slightly, "I have already attempted this method.""But the Young Master with Kidney Deficiency is too greedy. This time, his asking price is fifty times that of the last time! It is a complete extortion.""Fifty times?" Lu Hongtu was also startled, quietly drawing a sharp breath.He then mused, "Could such a price be his negotiation strategy?"Old Man Long sighed, "Perhaps. Since Great Cave Lord Lu has the intention, why not make a diplomatic mission yourself and try to persuade the Young Master with Kidney Deficiency to act again.""I will give you a bottom price.""Twenty times!""If it exceeds this price, our side will find it extremely difficult to pay."Lu Hongtu accepted the order and withdrew.Racing against time, he immediately and quietly fled afar, and in a mountain courtyard, paid a visit to the Young Master with Kidney Deficiency.Although both were of the Nascent Soul level, the strength of the Young Master with Kidney Deficiency far surpassed that of Lu Hongtu.Lu Hongtu adopted a humble posture, "Young Master, I have come this time with a request.""The enemy army is powerful. If we do not act soon, I fear our army will fall into difficulty. Therefore, I wish to once again request the Young Master to act and secretly injure the enemy commander. If the Young Master can be slightly lenient with the remuneration, our Thousand Peaks Forest will certainly spare no effort to repay the Young Master."The Young Master with Kidney Deficiency's complexion was pale, lacking any color of health. He lay completely limp on a lounge chair, his eyes barely open a slit,looking at Lu Hongtu.His voice was extremely weak, like fine rain in the wind, "Cave Lord Lu — regarding the previous matter, I have already successfully severely injured Du Tiechuan. It was your side that did not follow up with troops.""This time, if we are to assassinate again, the difficulty will increase by more than a hundred times. My price of fifty times is already discounted."Lu Hongtu then expressed that fifty times was indeed too difficult to afford, as military expenses were enormous every day.He asked if it would be feasible to use other resources for offset.He also suggested that payment in installments, to repay the debt, would also be a more feasible method of handling the matter.The Young Master with Kidney Deficiency sighed faintly, his voice light and airy, "Offsetting with other resources is too troublesome. I usually only accept spirit stones, it is more convenient this way.""As for payment in installments, I will absolutely not accept.""If your side is defeated in this battle, who would I demand payment from?""For me to act, there is only one lump sum payment, and it must be credited in advance."After saying this, the Young Master with Kidney Deficiency resembled a layer of Xuan paper, collapsing limp onto the lounge chair, even his breathing weakening significantly.Lu Hongtu's heart was filled with surprise.Had he not witnessed it firsthand, he would have found it difficult to imagine that such a person, who was usually incredibly weak and found it difficult to speak even a sentence, possessed the battle power to threaten an Integration level cultivator.Lu Hongtu, feeling helpless, had no choice but to take his leave.He possessed strong persuasive abilities, but before the Young Master with Kidney Deficiency, there was no room for him to exercise them.As the strategist of the alliance, his time was extremely limited.After returning to Dragon King Giant Pillar Mountain, he immediately secretly met with a group of key figures.An elder wearing a robe woven with turquoise patterns, with a beard as verdant as pine needles, was the Green Pine Mountain God.A young and handsome man, wearing a white jade crown, was the White Stone Mountain God.There was also the Iron Deer Mountain God, who had a pair of deer antlers, and the Purple Glittering Mountain God, who constantly emitted purple light."In dealing with the Iron Stream Flat Plains military strategy this time, all of you are the main force. All losses will be compensated by the alliance at double the amount," Lu Hongtu said.The Green Pine Mountain God stroked his beard and remained silent.The White Stone Mountain God was silent.The Iron Deer Mountain God was direct, "If these are the only benefits, I will not participate."The Purple Glittering Mountain God snorted coldly, showing utter disdain for Lu Hongtu's offer of compensation.Lu Hongtu remained unperturbed, a smile on his face, and patiently said, "What requirements do the four of you have? You can put them forward first, and we can discuss them properly."While the Thousand Peaks Forest Alliance was actively preparing for battle, the military parade in Mulberry Wheel Town also reached its final instance.On the tall reviewing stand, banners fluttered, flapping loudly in the wind.Only Du Tiechuan stood proudly on the reviewing stand, constantly maintaining this enormous magical artifact.From his vantage point, he overlooked formations of troops slowly advancing, their military might flourishing!Every army that had survived until now was equipped with heavy armor, without exception.The soldiers wearing heavy armor marched in unison, the ground slightly trembling with each step they took.The heavy armor reflected a cold metallic sheen under the sunlight. The sound of interlocking plates colliding, mixed with the sound of every footfall, was continuous and awe-inspiring.Sturdy armor, weapons such as swords, sabers, spears, and halberds, as well as shields, and even heavily armored mounts, collectively formed these torrents of steel.Among these, each army also had its differences.The Red Flower Battalion's red flower banners fluttered, the soldiers stood tall, half in jade steel heavy armor and half in ordinary heavy armor, their morale focused on Mu Lan at the very front.The soldiers of the White Jade Battalion were magnificently equipped, each suit of heavy armor as white as snow, the surface of the armor smooth as a mirror.The soldiers were all armed with long spears, their tips standing like a forest, glinting with cold light. At first glance, the entire White Jade Battalion resembled a glimmering white city wall moving slowly.The heavy armor of the Fire Cloud Battalion was also self-equipped, each suit of red copper heavy armor having an open and flamboyant design, most conducive to the casting of spells.The heavy armor of the Three Generals Battalion was also half jade steel and half ordinary heavy armor, with the three generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang riding horses at the forefront. A little behind them, Ning Zhe also rode a Foundation Establishment level demonic horse.Unlike his usual wolf-fox appearance, this time his expression was calm, feeling composed.Ever since refining the Fire Element Heart Temple, he had put in almost all his effort, concealing himself within the Spirit of Embryonic Breathing, actively advancing his physical foundation.In the subsequent few military parades, he gradually surpassed the incrementally increasing difficulty, transitioning from gradual adaptation to effortless mastery, his progress extremely rapid.Sitting on horseback, Ning Zhe was even somewhat absent-minded at the moment."The grand battle is imminent. How much usable combat power do I actually possess?"First, there was Ning Zhe's own cultivation.He primarily cultivated the Supreme Methods of the Three Sects, cultivating Essence, Qi, and Spirit simultaneously. His cultivation was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, having already surpassed unobstructed openness and entered the stage of cultivating precious medicines.His physical foundation had greatly increased recently. Its specific strength could completely resist ordinary weapons and a small portion of magic artifacts.His soul foundation had not significantly improved since leaving Fire Persimmon Immortal City, still at the normal standard of two hundred times.In terms of talent, his early wisdom had not been further developed, and his other talent was still shrouded in mist.Ning Zhe's luck, after its previous inexplicable surge, had also returned to normal levels."But my Five Elements realm is at least Grandmaster level, allowing me to establish a sect and create techniques on the fly.""My divine abilities are Human Life Hanging Thread and Stone Cast Earth Treasure."Having experienced some events, Ning Zhe was more cautious in using the Human Life Hanging Thread divine ability. Once used, his combat power would inevitably increase significantly.As for the Stone Cast Earth Treasure divine ability, its specific power and effect were to transform everything in the world into stone, and then refine it with time, causing the stone to gradually transform into precious treasures. Because its effect was very slow, it had little practical combat value.Currently, Ning Zhe primarily used it in conjunction with the Spirit of Embryonic Breathing for cultivating his physical body, and as an auxiliary means to disguise himself as the Old Monster in the Stone.Judging solely from what Ning Zhe himself possessed, his cultivation progress was astonishing. At sixteen years old, he had reached the stage of cultivating precious medicines, leaving his peers far behind.His physical shortcomings had been compensated for considerably, and he had made some achievements in his soul.His talent was yet to be fully developed, but it was currently sufficient.The changes in his luck were inexplicable to Ning Zhe. The big-headed youth was completely an outsider in this regard.Although his two major divine abilities were not primarily offensive, their auxiliary functions were extremely strong.Especially the Human Life Hanging Thread divine ability, it had subtle uses in daily interactions. It was precisely because it was too subtle that Ning Zhe needed to conceal it, to prevent himself from becoming a target of everyone's vigilance and targeting after being discovered.And the Stone Cast Earth Treasure divine ability, although easily obtained, had limited applications at present, but when used for management, it was definitely an excellent weapon, with a bright future.His realm was the most outstanding aspect. This made Ning Zhe's spellcasting methods extremely diverse. Coupled with his top-tier Five Elements Qi Rhythm Technique, Ning Zhe's long-range casting ability was quite considerable.Compared to his long-range ability, his close combat ability was rather unremarkable.Previously, Ning Zhe had compensated for the shortcomings in his close combat skills in the Myriad Medicine Sect. Coupled with the recent rapid progress in his physical foundation, he had further compensated for this shortcoming.However, compared to his long-range ability, the difference was indeed more than just a little.

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