Chapter 532: Fire Crown Divine Fir

The army of mechanical constructs, marching in perfect unison, suddenly halted its steps.In the heart of the formation, Ning Zhuo gazed into the distance: "Is that the Fire-Crowned Divine Fir?"

Undoubtedly, situated at the very center of the Ten-Mile Burning Forest, the Fire-Crowned Divine Fir was its heart.Its thick trunk stood straight as a pillar reaching the heavens, unmoving and grand. The copper-red bark was covered in patterns resembling flowing lava, as if thousands of fire dragons were writhing and swimming beneath the surface.Seven hundred and twenty main branches radiated outwards, piercing the firmament. Each branch further branched into nine layers of bronze-colored secondary branches, with countless fiery leaves forming a piled-up, crimson-gold crown that encompassed an area of thirty mu.And every single leaf of it, shaped like a phoenix tail, silently burned with an unceasing, orange-red flame.

Majestic!Divine!

These were the strongest sensations Ning Zhuo felt observing it from afar.Ning Zhuo did not continue forward but instead ordered the army to make camp, awaiting the arrival of the Three Generals' Battalion.Ever since he captured Yan Jin alive, the fire screen no longer appeared, and the towering flames in the Burning Forest had largely dissipated.Only the burning trees quietly continued to burn with fire.Ning Zhuo’s mind was sharp and he immediately guessed: His confrontation with Yan Jin had greatly reduced the pressure on the Three Generals' Battalion.The Three Generals' Battalion must have immediately pressed forward and destroyed the formation protecting the forest, leading to the current situation.

The big-headed youth touched his mechanical ring.The ring was silent, but Ning Zhuo still decided to wait for the Three Generals' Battalion to attack together.This was because while the mechanical ring could provide warnings in life-or-death crises, it might also result in significant losses if life was not directly threatened.Ning Zhuo's nature was cautious; he would not easily make the mistake of acting rashly.

"Military Advisor!""Military Advisor!!"

Not long after, the Three Generals' Battalion marched rapidly and arrived by Ning Zhuo's side."Is this - Yan Jin?" The Three Generals quickly discovered Yan Jin lying at Ning Zhuo's feet."Indeed," Ning Zhuo nodded and smiled.Zhang Hei scratched his head: "My three brothers and I only managed to slay that Flowing Flame Immortal. How did you, Military Advisor, manage to capture Yan Jin alive? Amazing!"The two sides quickly exchanged information, finding their experiences after separating were much as they had guessed.Liu Er's gaze fell upon Yan Jin, and he said to Ning Zhuo: "Military Advisor, could you perhaps release some of his seals,Allow me to try and persuade him?"Ning Zhuo: "Of course you may."A talisman was torn from Yan Jin's body, and instantly his divine sense could once again spread outwards.Liu Er then employed words of persuasion to induce surrender, but Yan Jin blocked him with a single sentence: "You are merely a General of Captured Personnel, one of the auxiliary generals. How can you make the final decision?"Liu Er's expression stiffened.He then said: "Although I cannot make the final decision, I do possess some ability to mitigate your crimes.""And there is an opportunity for you to atone for your sins right now."This time, it was Yan Jin whose expression paused.Liu Er immediately said: "I know, persuading Luo Chen to surrender is a very unrealistic matter.""However, what if you persuade him to voluntarily withdraw?""The order our army received is to capture this Ten-Mile Burning Forest, not necessarily to engage in a life-and-death struggle with all of you."Yan Jin showed a thoughtful expression.Liu Er continued: "Letting you go is absolutely impossible. After all, capturing a Golden Core cultivator alive is a military merit.""Furthermore, Daoist Friend Yan is a Grand Craftsman of the Ten-Mile Burning Forest, with widespread fame. This military merit, because it is you, will at least double.""If you can persuade Luo Chen to leave, it will be beneficial to everyone.""Firstly, neither side need shed blood. Secondly, you can also reduce your crimes.""The previous large-scale battle has thoroughly proven that the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King is by no means a match for Commander Du. Thousand Peaks Forest will surely belong to the Liang Zhu Nation in the future. Is it not an opportunity in life for Daoist Friend Yan to abandon the darkness and turn towards the light?"Yan Jin glanced at Liu Er, and in his heart, he muttered: "The intelligence didn't say that this half-human, half-demon Golden Core cultivator was so eloquent!"Yan Jin was moved.He transmitted his divine sense: "I can only try."Liu Er immediately smiled, eagerly encouraging: "Even if it's just a try, Daoist Friend Yan's actions can earn goodwill and can be considered for a reduction of punishment as appropriate.""Third Brother, why are you standing there stunned? Hurry and help Daoist Friend Yan up."Zhang Hei responded with a few 'ohs', as if waking from a dream, and lifted Yan Jin up by the back of his neck, helping him to his feet.Yan Jin felt like a small cat or dog and, suffering such humiliation, couldn't help but glare fiercely at Zhang Hei.Zhang Hei immediately glared back.Yan Jin coughed twice and communicated with his divine sense: "Let me get a bit closer, it will be more convenient for transmitting divine sense."Ning Zhuo, however, shook his head: "Getting closer is fine, but transmitting divine sense is not. Who knows what you and Luo Chen will be whispering about?""Let me make a small mechanism."Liu Er nodded in agreement and then led the Three Generals' Battalion, escorting Yan Jin, carefully approaching the Fire-Crowned Divine Fir.As they got closer, the sense of oppression the Fire-Crowned Divine Fir exerted on everyone grew stronger.Ning Zhuo also saw the scene beneath the trunk.The roots of the Fire-Crowned Divine Fir were coiled like dragons, forming a raised platform.On the platform, closest to the trunk, sat a cultivator in meditation.It was Luo Chen!Luo Chen suddenly opened his eyes, and electric light shot out from them.Ning Zhuo, while walking, had been crafting a small mechanism. At this moment, he succeeded and threw the palm-sized mechanism to Yan Jin.Yan Jin poured his divine sense into it, and the mechanism emitted sound, advising Luo Chen to leave.Luo Chen snorted coldly: "The Dragon King Temple has entrusted me with a great responsibility, to guard this place. How can I flee without a fight?""Furthermore, I am at the Nascent Soul stage, while the strongest among you are merely Golden Core cultivators. Yet you speak so boastfully, telling me to retreat voluntarily? Ridiculous!""Let me measure your strength and see if you are just boasting!"Saying this, Luo Chen stood up and looked up at the cloudy sky: "Daoist friends in the sky, do you still wish to remain spectators? Regardless of your schemes, why not come and have a bout as well?"Lin Bufan, hidden in the clouds, felt a stirring in his heart: "I am protected by an illusion spell that obstructs sight. How could I be discovered?""Is this Luo Chen trying to trick me?"Lin Bufan still chose to remain still.Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning were all startled, and they raised their heads to look at the sky, their divine senses sweeping around, but they found nothing.Sun Ling Tong timely reminded Ning Zhuo: "Haha, I found him. I didn't expect Lin Bufan hasn't left yet, he's hiding in that cloud."Knowing that his side had a strong reinforcement, Ning Zhuo was immediately overjoyed, and also felt a bit of doubt: "How did Lin Bufan return? Or has he been lingering nearby all along? This Sect Leader is cautious and profound, perhaps he has other plans?"Regardless, given the relationship between the Ning Family and the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect, Lin Bufan's presence at this time was an extra layer of insurance,Giving Ning Zhuo more confidence in facing the upcoming battle.Ning Zhuo thought for a moment, but did not inform the three generals of this secret.Although the Three Generals, Liu, Guan, and Zhang, were surprised and suspicious, their expressions did not show it.Liu Er's thoughts shifted: "Daoist Friend Luo has a good stratagem, deliberately fabricating the presence of others. Is he trying to prevent us from focusing completely on the fight?"Luo Chen sighed.He especially hoped that Lin Bufan could stand out and engage him in battle.This way, his reputation would sound much better.But to be forced to retreat by just the Three Generals' Battalion, Liu, Guan, and Zhang were only at the Golden Core level after all, and Ning Zhuo was even just at the Foundation Establishment stage.Yan Jin's attempted persuasion seemed ineffective, but in reality, it had already yielded significant results.Luo Chen had already resolved to retreat, but this retreat had to be dignified so that he could return and report.

"If I could capture the Fire Within Wood, I could just retreat directly. There's no need to act now.Alas—.."Luo Chen sighed inwardly, but on his face was a look of determination.He said aloud: "Three Generals' Battalion, behold my move!"The next moment, he flicked his sleeves, formed hand seals, and unleashed four fire dragons, bringing forth boundless heatwaves.The scorching fire dragons spiraled in mid-air, then roared in unison and plunged downwards."Here they come," Liu Er whispered, then immediately raised his Profound Yellow Sword and held it horizontally in front of him.Art of War — Protecting the Land and Consolidating the Foundation.Two-tenths of the military strength was consumed, and a yellow light enveloped the entire army, providing defensive support.Guan Hong held high his Blood Dragon Saber, chopping four times in succession.The military strength was sharply depleted by four-tenths.Saber Skill — Four Tribulation Blood Fiend Slashes!Instantly, blood fiend energy soared to the heavens, condensing into four saber shadows that struck the four fire dragons.Two of them were directly dispersed, while the other two绕开了刀影, though their bodies were significantly reduced in size due to the attack, their speed increased instead of decreasing as they continued to swoop down, then met Zhang Hei's snake-shaped spear.Another two-tenths of the military strength was consumed. With the added power, the black snake spear's might surged, defeating the remaining two fire dragons.The Three Generals attacked consecutively, consuming a total of eight-tenths of their military strength, and defeated the fire dragon spell that Luo Chen had been preparing for a long time.Luo Chen, meanwhile, had already launched his next wave of offense.He flipped his sleeve and released a magical treasure.The magical treasure was like a盘, and within the盘 were many copper coins.The copper coins spun in mid-air, condensing into a formation.Instantly, blue electric light intertwined, transforming into a magnificent deer that charged towards the Three Generals' Battalion.As the deer galloped, every hoofbeat produced a thunderous roar.Still some distance away, the soldiers of the Three Generals' Battalion felt their hairs stand on end, and the air felt like it was filled with countless fine needles, constantly pricking their bodies.Formation Magical Treasure — Thunder Heaven Deer Chasing Plate!The Three Generals remained calm in the face of danger, and one after another, they took action. Finally, Liu Er raised his Profound Yellow Sword and fiercely chopped, dispersing the thunder deer.Luo Chen nodded secretly, acknowledging the fighting strength of the Three Generals' Battalion, and thought to himself: "As expected of the army that could capture Ma Fei Tui alive."The Three Generals, when working together, could indeed contend with Nascent Soul cultivators, but it also depended on the specific circumstances.If it was a Nascent Soul True Monarch who had mastered divine abilities, they would likely be no match. An example was the battle that occurred with Tu Ming before the large-scale battle, when the Three Generals' Battalion was ordered to invade Thousand Peaks Forest.Luo Chen already had the intention to retreat. Seeing the outstanding fighting strength of the Three Generals' Battalion, he was not worried but rather pleased."One more exchange, and then I will withdraw," he thought to himself.Not obtaining the Fire Within Wood, there was nothing he could do.Forced by the situation, it was impossible for Luo Chen to hold this place stubbornly.He turned his back to the Three Generals' Battalion, walked a few steps forward, stood before the Fire-Crowned Divine Fir, and gently patted it with his palm.At the same time, he chanted in a low voice: "Divine Fir, Divine Fir, bestow upon me the Fire Crown, to aid this battle."The Fire-Crowned Divine Fir trembled slightly, and firelight fell from its branches and leaves, landing on Luo Chen's head and condensing into a crown of flames.The flame crown was confined to Luo Chen's hair, quietly burning. Luo Chen's entire body was enveloped in a layer of fiery red halo.His entire aura suddenly soared, reaching its peak state."Fire Crown!" The Three Generals all showed solemn expressions, but were not surprised.It was well-known that the Fire-Crowned Divine Fir could bestow the Fire Crown; it was not a secret.Many cultivators who came to the Ten-Mile Burning Forest to refine artifacts would pray to the Fire-Crowned Divine Fir and seek a Fire Crown to increase the success rate of their artifact refining and ensure they maintained a good state throughout the entire process.This Fire Crown could intensely consume the cultivator's magical power, energy, divine sense, and so on, keeping the cultivator's state at its peak throughout the entire artifact refining process.The drawbacks, besides the burning sensation, were the extremely intense consumption, almost akin to destruction. In a severe manner,Rapidly consuming the power within the cultivator's body, to erupt in a flame-like brilliance.Any cultivator who wore the Fire Crown for a long time needed to recuperate for a long period afterward.Generally speaking, for a cultivator to seek a Fire Crown, they needed to offer sacrifices and perform a series of prayer rituals, only then would there be a certain possibility of receiving the bestowal of the Fire Crown.Luo Chen, as the Forest Chief, naturally had different authority and treatment. He only needed to gently call out a few times to obtain a Fire Crown.As soon as Luo Chen put on the Fire Crown, he felt a strong sense of urgency.He stepped forward and engaged in combat with the Three Generals' Battalion once again.This time, it was difficult for the Three Generals alone to withstand the attack.Ning Zhuo immediately took action as well.Combining the strength of the four, they defended against Luo Chen's offensive.Luo Chen, unable to break through with consecutive attacks, immediately extinguished his fighting spirit: "The Three Generals' Battalion's military might is indeed sharp and formidable.""This grievance, Luo is keeping it in mind.""One day in the future, I will surely return to this place and retake the lost territory."After saying these customary words, Luo Chen voluntarily extinguished the Fire Crown on his head, withdrew his body, and flew into the air.The next moment, a sudden change occurred!"Forest Chief Luo, hold on with your retreat. With me here, repelling this army is no problem." A hoarse voice spread throughout the battlefield."Who is it?!" Luo Chen was shocked.His eyes immediately turned towards the cloudy sky.In the clouds, Lin Bufan was also startled.He scanned the battlefield and only at this moment discovered that there was actually a hidden existence at the Nascent Soul level.Gao Cuo, hiding in the dark, also felt shocked.Sword Elder was also taken aback, and then suddenly realized: "So, this Fire-Crowned Divine Fir has already become a god!"The next moment, the Fire-Crowned Divine Fir shook its body and condensed a flame dharma body, floating in mid-air, blocking Luo Chen's path.The flame dharma body was extraordinary. After analyzing it, Luo Chen exclaimed in surprise: "So, the Fire Within Wood has been taken by you."The Fire-Crowned Divine Spirit nodded: "I was enlightened by the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King and arranged by him to become a god in secret. This Fire Within Wood,Was originally bestowed upon me by the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King.""Luo Chen, you must not retreat in the face of battle. Relying on our combined strength, we can surely annihilate the Three Generals' Battalion!"Luo Chen was stunned: "This—"The Fire-Crowned Divine Spirit sneered: "Behold my Dao Field!"Fire Crown Dao Field!The next moment, the Dao Field instantly spread out. The Burning Forest around the Three Generals' Battalion completely disappeared, leaving only a barren ground burning with flames.Liu, Guan, Zhang, and the others, including all of Ning Zhuo's soldiers, had a flame crown burning above their heads.In an instant, the state of the entire army reached its peak.Luo Chen looked at the Fire Crown burning again above his head: "Fire Crown God, first remove my crown."Unexpectedly, the Fire-Crowned Divine Spirit sneered: "You and I will attack with all our strength. We must eliminate them in the shortest possible time!Only after winning this battle will I remove the Fire Crown from your head. Otherwise, you will just have to wait to be burned to death!"