Chapter 530: Ning Zuo I Want to Test My Limits

The automaton puppets stood silently, arranged in perfect lines.They were mostly crafted from wood, with simple metal armor covering their chests, legs, and feet.Most held long spears, though some were armed with swords and shields."Six hundred automaton puppets! The Strategist controls significantly more than before." Zhang Hei swept his divine sense, discovering the increased number of soldier puppets. He immediately transmitted a congratulatory thought, his tone filled with praise.The soldiers of the Three Generals' Camp also gazed at these automaton puppets, their expressions filled with awe.Guan Hong stroked his beard and also communicated through divine sense: "With the Strategist's wealth, these automaton puppets could have been crafted with much greater refinement. It seems the Strategist intends to employ military tactics such as the Valiant Soldier Revival Art."Ning Zhuo: "General Guan's discerning eye is unerring."Of course, Ning Zhuo could have crafted automaton puppets primarily from metal.However, firstly, the production time would be longer and the cost higher. Secondly, they would be less easily damaged in real combat, hindering the effectiveness of the Valiant Soldier Revival Art. Thirdly, wood is a local specialty sourced from Thousand Peaks Forest and Azurewood Immortal City, making it relatively inexpensive, while metal is more costly.Before departing, Liu Er approached Ning Zhuo, grasped his hands, and earnestly cautioned: "For the Strategist to sortie alone is due to our inadequacy!""Remember that your own life is of utmost importance.""If you encounter Luo Chen, the Strategist may retreat immediately, drawing the enemy before our army before engaging in battle!"Ning Zhuo hummed in agreement and also instructed Liu Er: "General need not blame himself. Without the General, how could this humble one,rely solely on himself to reach this day?""It is precisely because the three Generals have paved the way that this humble one now has a place to utilize his skills.""Now is the time for me to strike. If we can shatter the Great Bell in one fell swoop, we can break the current stalemate and lead to the final victory.""Even if it means taking a risk, it is worth a try!"Ning Zhuo bid farewell to Liu Er, mounted a Foundation Establishment-grade horse, and led the automaton army away from the Three Generals' Camp, galloping towards the source of the bell sound.Fiery flames soon obscured the figures of Ning Zhuo and the automaton army."Strategist—it is because we Golden Core cultivators are incompetent that when the time comes, Foundation Establishment cultivators must step forward." Liu Er sighed emotionally. At present, they could only rely on Ning Zhuo's subsequent performance.Zhang Hei wrung his hands: "To blame it is on the poor quality of these soldiers. If I could obtain two hundred elite soldiers, I could lead the army alone and directly assault the heart of the enemy!"Guan Hong stroked his beard: "Although the Strategist is only at the Foundation Establishment cultivation level, in terms of pure combat strength, he far surpasses any one of us three. This sortie is the most suitable choice, aligning perfectly with military strategy."The three generals gritted their teeth, for the moment only able to hold their ground and await Ning Zhuo's return.However, those observing Ning Zhuo were not limited to the Three Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, and the two sides led by Luo Chen and others.Another cultivator, stealthily observing from the side, was closely monitoring the progress of this offensive and defensive battle.This individual was named Gao Cuo. He had encountered a fortuitous opportunity in his early years and had once served at Azure Void Mountain. The evil god's marrow he had secretly discovered had, through a series of coincidences, fallen into Sun Lingtong's possession."Good, although the main force of the Three Generals' Camp is incompetent, Ning Zhuo can sortie.""If he seizes the opportunity to shatter the Great Bell, he can change the course of the battle, tilting the scales of victory towards the Three Generals' Camp.""If his performance is even better, allowing him to locate the Vermillion Bird Incense Burner and destroy this grand formation,that would be even more excellent."Gao Cuo estimated the situation, his brows furrowed. "I fear Luo Chen will take the initiative to attack and intercept Ning Zhuo mid-journey, causing his mission to fail halfway."An ancient voice echoed in his mind: "There is also a way."Gao Cuo: "Senior Sword, what is the method?"Senior Sword continued: "We infiltrated here for the Wood-dwelling Fire. This fire is one of the Three Flavors. Even if you cannot gather all three in the future, this single flavor is sufficient for you to cultivate until the Nascent Soul stage.""Luo Chen will undoubtedly be searching for this item as well!""The current situation is clear. Ten Li Burning Forest is close to the main battlefield and will surely be swept by the armies of the two nations.""Even if the Three Generals' Camp's attack fails this time, subsequent punitive armies will be endless.""Ten Li Burning Forest cannot be held. Luo Chen, with his duty, is looking for a dignified retreat. Divine Fire Crown Fir and others, he cannot take with him. Only the Wood-dwelling Fire is his best excuse.""Look, since the Three Generals' Camp began its offensive, he has not made a move. He must be fully searching for the Wood-dwelling Fire."A flash of inspiration ignited in Gao Cuo's mind: "I understand. Senior Sword, you intend for me to forge a Wood-dwelling Fire,to deceive Luo Chen, giving him a glimpse of the hope of obtaining it, and indirectly pinning him in place?"Senior Sword smiled with satisfaction: "A teachable student. The Art of Separated Forms and Shadowed Reflections you cultivate is perfect for forging such things.Hmm?"Senior Sword suddenly stopped."What is it?" Gao Cuo immediately inquired.Senior Sword said: "Another outsider has descended upon this place, with a cultivation level at least at the Nascent Soul stage."Gao Cuo: "Long nights breed many dreams! If this battle continues, it will surely attract more cultivators. If the Three Generals' Camp cannot win with a single strike, and the war is prolonged, there will be more and more interference for us."Above Ten Li Burning Forest.Lin Bufan concealed himself within the clouds, looking down at the forest engulfed in raging flames."I possess the Art of Obscuring Vision with a Single Leaf. I doubt even that Luo Chen can discover me.""Hmm, has the main force of the Three Generals' Camp pushed this far?""Strange, where is Ning Zhuo?"In the center of Ten Li Burning Forest, the Divine Fire Crown Fir.Beneath the fir tree sat a cultivator, precisely Luo Chen.Luo Chen sat with his eyes closed, resting. His eyelids fluttered slightly, revealing a sliver and a sharp glint."In the clouds, a strange Nascent Soul cultivator has arrived—""Hmph, it is to be expected.""As the war drags on, more and more people will come, drawn by the scent.""The more people observe the battle, the more difficult it will be for me to retreat voluntarily.""Never mind. Let's first eliminate this detached automaton army! At least I can earn a battle merit.""The most important thing is still the Wood-dwelling Fire.""Without it, how can I retreat with dignity? Hmm?!"The next moment, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, his face filled with pleasant surprise: "Discovered it! Heaven is truly assisting me!!"How to hide a leaf is very simple: hide it on a branch in the forest.How to hide a fire seed is very simple: integrate it into the vast sea of flames.Since the end of the first major battle, when the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King suffered a minor defeat and fled, and the main force of the two nations directly stationed themselves in place,Luo Chen had already begun, with the aid of the Divine Fire Crown Fir, to continuously infuse his divine sense and search for the Wood-dwelling Fire.However, the boundless sea of fire was too vast. Luo Chen's divine sense could not cover the entire burning forest; he could only search continuously.He had exerted considerable effort, but he had not even found a trace of the Wood-dwelling Fire.Now, suddenly sensing the aura of the Wood-dwelling Fire, he was exceedingly agitated and immediately cast aside the matter of destroying Ning Zhuo's army.Even if he were to attack, it would only be a small battle merit, negligible.Only by obtaining the Wood-dwelling Fire and bringing it back to the alliance could he retreat with dignity, achieving merit without fault. This was the larger picture!The relative importance was clearly weighed in Luo Chen's heart long ago.Ning Zhuo was naturally unaware of the events unfolding behind him, such that he marched his army the entire way, maintaining constant vigilance, yet encountered no obstruction from Luo Chen.He discussed the situation with Sun Lingtong.Both felt the situation was strange and required even greater caution.As a result, when they arrived before the Great Bell, they were still somewhat in disbelief.Yan Jin's face was ashen.He had a bitterness in his heart but could not voice it.After all, Luo Chen's search for the missing fire was a major matter concerning their smooth retreat.In this situation, for Yan Jin and Immortal Liu Yan to cooperate and resist the automaton army was also the decision most in line with their interests.Immortal Liu Yan exerted her strength, forming a curtain of fire through the grand formation, enveloping Ning Zhuo's army.Heavenly Craft Forging Sound Score!Yan Jin swung his palms, slamming them heavily onto the artifact-grade Great Bell.Dong—!The bell sound resonated, quickly covering the entire automaton army. Cracks appeared in the bodies of the automaton puppets, from the inside out.And the simple armor on their bodies, being worse than the wooden bodies, directly shattered and cracked.First Strike · Earthquake Tone!Ning Zhuo's eyes brightened: "Indeed, it is the Heavenly Craft Forging Sound Score."Yan Jin formed a fist with his left hand and swung his palm with his right, striking the Great Bell.The bell sounds reverberated, forming a series of rapid musical notes.The shattered pieces of armor on the automaton puppets were further decomposed by the bell sounds, refined into countless tiny particles.The same was true for the wooden bodies, which shrank one after another. Some automaton puppets directly collapsed to the ground.Second Ring · Gold Extraction Sound!Ning Zhuo praised loudly: "I once read about this cultivation technique in ancient texts and have always wanted to witness it. I never expected to personally experience the magic of this technique in such a manner."Yan Jin snorted coldly and transmitted a thought through divine sense: "A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to comment on me, Yan!"He changed his fist and palm movements. This time, his left hand was a palm, and his right hand was a fist.Third Tremor · Shaping Rhyme!This time, the bell sound was sometimes deep and sometimes high-pitched, changing tones extremely rapidly.Innumerable automaton puppets, under Yan Jin's will and divine sense, were refined into various shapes on the spot. Some were compressed into spheres, some were refined into wooden poles, and some directly disintegrated—Yan Jin transmitted a thought through divine sense: "Young fellow, your army has already suffered more than half casualties."Ning Zhuo clapped his hands, his voice resounding across the battlefield: "Excellent, Daoist Yan's artifact refining attainment is more than ten times mine combined."Yan Jin's eyelids twitched slightly. He immediately transmitted a thought through divine sense, retorting: "Youngster, even if twenty of you came together, you would only be courting death!"The bell sound began again.This time, Yan Jin stretched out both hands. Both palms struck the bronze bell, emitting a long bell chime.Lingering Sound · Quenching Chant!Crack, crack, crack—Bang, bang, bang—Having endured the previous three bell sounds, a large number of automaton puppets had become grotesque. At this moment, they finally could no longer bear it and completely disintegrated, turning into countless fragments and pieces.Before Ning Zhuo set out, there were a full six hundred automaton puppets.At this moment, the number of puppets standing beside him was less than a hundred, a truly desolate sight.Ning Zhuo saluted Yan Jin with one hand, a smile on his face and his eyes filled with eagerness: "Senior Yan's cultivation and technique are impressive. This junior's automaton puppets are nothing remarkable. Next, this junior will personally seek guidance!"Yan Jin was startled and transmitted a thought through divine sense: "Wait, you—"Before he could finish speaking, he saw Ning Zhuo let out a soft shout, rise from the ground, and leap into the air.He clapped his hands together, releasing a torrent of water.The water flow was vast, like a flood peak after the gates were opened, directly smashing through the curtain of fire, and then surging forward, sweeping towards the Great Bell and Yan Jin.Yan Jin quickly stomped his right foot, activating the defensive formation on the bell stand.The formation activated, forming a spherical light shield that covered Yan Jin and the Great Bell.In the sky, a flame in the shape of a Vermillion Bird suddenly appeared, plunging into the water, triggering a thunderous explosion.Sixty percent of the water flow was instantly evaporated, turning into a sky full of steam.Then, within a few breaths, the steam quickly dissipated due to the high temperature of the surroundings.This was Immortal Liu Yan providing assistance!The enemy Ning Zhuo faced was never just Yan Jin alone; it also included Immortal Liu Yan, who controlled the grand formation."Again!"Ning Zhuo laughed heartily, completely undeterred, his fighting spirit soaring even higher.He took a deep breath, his hands forming various hand seals. After a few breaths, he suddenly lifted his palms.The ground rapidly swelled, turning into earth mounds.The earth mounds condensed, forming two earth-element giants, one on the left and one on the right, wading through the greatly lowered water level, attacking the Great Bell.Yan Jin waved his fists and palms, activating the bell sound, fiercely attacking the two giants.The giants moved slowly, but their strides were large. They endured the bell sound, charging towards the light shield, swinging their fists, and continuously smashing it.Boom, boom, boom.Each strike was immensely powerful, causing heavy cracks to appear on the light shield.Yan Jin exerted all his strength, the Great Bell swaying left and right, releasing surging sound waves, meeting attack with attack.The two giants were refined by the bell sound; their arms fell off, their fists turned into soft mud, and their entire bodies suddenly shrunk by half,having been cut in half at the waist.In the sky, the Vermillion Bird-shaped flame formed again,扑attacking Ning Zhuo.Ning Zhuo focused his mind on two tasks simultaneously. With his left hand, he formed hand seals. With his right hand, he directly reached towards the Vermillion Bird flame in the air.Accompanying his movements, a torrent of water was generated out of thin air.The torrent spiraled upwards, taking shape in the air, becoming a flood dragon.The flood dragon opened its mouth wide, precisely biting onto the Vermillion Bird flame.With an explosion, the water dragon and fire bird perished together.On the other side, Ning Zhuo's left-hand hand seals were completed.Ning Zhuo pointed his fingers like a sword, shooting a golden light from his index and middle fingers.The golden light was resplendent and swift as a shooting star. As soon as Yan Jin saw it, it had already struck the light shield.The light shield only lasted for half a breath before being pierced through.The golden light's momentum remained strong, striking the Great Bell and shooting a small hole through it.Yan Jin's expression completely changed. He transmitted a thought through divine sense, questioning Ning Zhuo: "How is this power possible? This doesn't match the intelligence! Were you hiding your strength all along?!"Ning Zhuo laughed heartily, feeling a great sense of accomplishment, and stood with his hands on his hips, mimicking Sun Lingtong: "You guessed right!""Senior Yan, do you think I came alone just to take a risk?""Naturally, I have confidence!""To tell you the truth, even if Luo Chen came, I have the means to deal with him."He fully indulged in his bravado.Yan Jin had obtained intelligence on Ning Zhuo, but the combat strength the latter displayed at this moment indeed far exceeded what the intelligence stated.This was not because Ning Zhuo had previously restrained his strength, but rather because he himself had made truly rapid progress during this period.All along, his Valiant Soldier Revival Art had been limited by the foundation of his physical body, making it difficult to apply fully.But through the unorthodox use of the Fetal Breath Spirit, Ning Zhuo's physical foundation surged, making him incomparable to before.The destruction of over five hundred automaton puppets not only raised his combat strength to the Golden Core level but also surpassed his previous peak by a considerable margin, reaching the first-rate level among Golden Core cultivators!Yan Jin's mind also became unstable, fluctuating with the Great Bell."Calm down!""I still have Lord Luo Chen and Immortal Liu Yan assisting me; I am not fighting alone."The next moment, Immortal Liu Yan transmitted information through the grand formation: "Great Craftsman Yan Jin, you must hold on. That Three Generals' Camp has moved out again and is marching in my direction."The three generals waited for a moment before sensing that the bell sounds had decreased and the fire curtain had slowed. Liu Er made a decisive decision and led the army forward.The obstacles along the way were reduced by more than half compared to before.Immortal Liu Yan was preoccupied.Yan Jin quickly inquired of Luo Chen: "Lord, have you made any progress in your search for the Wood-dwelling Fire?"Luo Chen's face was filled with gloom: "That Wood-dwelling Fire is exceedingly slippery, seemingly possessing sentience. I have not yet obtained it. You hold on first!"Yan Jin was speechless.Ning Zhuo's eyes were bright, reflecting the firelight and the Great Bell.His fighting spirit was high: "Boss, I feel I still have strength left and have not reached the limit of my physical body. I want to test the extreme."Sun Lingtong chuckled: "Little Zhuo, you go ahead and play. I will keep an eye on the surroundings for you. If Luo Chen comes, I will remind you."Ning Zhuo then released three hundred automaton puppets.Ning Zhuo then controlled the puppets to form the Light Body Swift Wind Formation.The automaton army moved like the wind. Ning Zhuo flew above the army, again forming hand seals. With his left hand, he summoned the previous sword-finger golden light. With his right palm facing higher into the sky, he condensed a massive meteorite."Senior Yan, take this!" The young man's might surged again, his excited and passionate voice resounding across the battlefield.Yan Jin: "...—"