Chapter 562: Decapitating the Devil's Heart

“The Mechanical Wagon finally falls into my hands!” Ning Zhuo’s heart surged with emotion.

Before, having trespassed on the Six Caves Sect’s encampment, Ning Zhuo dared not advance rashly again using the Mechanical Azure Dragon.

Direct engagement became the preferred method.

Ultimately, he caught Lin You off guard, who greatly underestimated Ning Zhuo’s animosity.

Ning Zhuo was skilled at forbearance.

He had begun practicing forbearance since the age of two, cultivating it for over a decade, achieving extraordinary success at the Lava Immortal Palace.

This time, in Liangzhuguo, he again practiced forbearance, and again achieved his objective!

“My son!” Deep in the midst of fierce battle in the front lines of the Liangzhuguo grand camp, the Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s expression suddenly changed drastically.

He clutched his chest, feeling that a certain warning method planted on Lin You had been triggered.

This demonic cultivator and Cave Lord of the Six Caves Sect immediately realized that his most prized junior had suffered a grave blow!

“You all continue fighting!” The Demonic Heart Cave Lord, leaving these words for the nearby Poison Scorpion Cave Lord and Blood Shadow Cave Lord, immediately withdrew from the core battlefield.

“What?!” The Poison Scorpion and Blood Shadow Cave Lords were instantly dumbfounded.

Demonic cultivators are inherently selfish; the Demonic Heart Cave Lord paid them no mind. Enraged to the extreme, following his senses, he immediately discovered the culprit.

“How dare you harm my son! All of you shall perish!” The Demonic Heart Cave Lord soared into the sky, charging towards Ning Zhuo and his group.

Flying high in the air, he was immediately struck by a large number of military armaments.

Magic Art — Coiled Muscle Demonic Scales!

He had continuously maintained this demonic art; his entire body was covered in a layer of sinewy armor, thick and tough.

This protective art allowed the Demonic Heart Cave Lord to endure numerous attacks, quickly crossing the battlefield to arrive directly above his enemy’s head.

Magic Art — Nine Abyss Devouring Heart!

It was as if someone was beating a drum in their chest; with a sudden thud, it instantly caused the hearts of many soldiers in the Three Generals Camp, Red Flower Camp, and others to race, skipping a beat.

Another drum-like vibration, and their heartbeats accelerated again.

The third drum-like heartbeat caused many soldiers to feel palpitations.

Thump, thump, thump…

With another continuous three heartbeats, many soldiers clutched their chests, immediately half-kneeling or collapsing.

The battle formations of the Three Generals Camp and Red Flower Camp were immediately severely tested, with nearly half of the soldiers losing their ability to move.

Their heartbeats accelerated yet again.

“Uh…” Some people’s eyes rolled back, blood flowed from their orifices, and they immediately died from heart explosion.

This was the culmination of the Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s full power, as the second Cave Lord of the Six Caves Sect, displaying terrifying offensive might.

Just as the Three Generals Camp and Red Flower Camp were about to suffer heavy casualties, Zhang Zhongyi quickly took action, scattering a large quantity of medicinal pills, which instantly transformed into medicinal qi, protecting everyone’s heart脈.

Even so, after the seventh heartbeat, over fifty people still lost their lives.

One must remember, these were cultivators’ armies bolstered by military law.

“Such an attack, truly malicious and strange!” Liu Er coughed up blood from the corner of his mouth.

“We cannot let him continue attacking!” Mu Lan’s brows furrowed tightly as she drew her bow and nocked an arrow.

Military Tactic — Bluster!

The Demonic Heart Cave Lord, however, ignored it completely and continued his assault.

The eighth drum-like heartbeat claimed over sixty more lives on the spot.

Mu Lan’s bluster was met with silence, causing her brow to furrow even deeper. She was clearly not foolish enough to believe that the Demonic Heart Cave Lord had lost his mind, so the answer was obvious — the opponent had seen through her facade.

Liu, Guan, and Zhang attacked in succession, but with the Three Generals Camp in disarray and its military strength greatly reduced, their attacks appeared weak and ineffective. Even those that struck the Demonic Heart Cave Lord were easily endured by him.

This was the drawback of military strategists. While it gathers the strength of the masses, as long as the army is targeted, its foundation can be shaken.

Of course, this was not something ordinary people could accomplish.

The Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s demonic techniques directly affected others’ hearts, largely circumventing conventional military defenses, thus achieving miraculous results.

“How dare you lay hands on my son, who gave you the audacity!”

“All of you shall perish!!!”

A golden light, like a thunderbolt, struck the Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s chest, causing his violent and enraged momentum to pause for a moment.

In the next instant, a torrent of Five Elements magic arts, like a downpour, covered his body, forcibly knocking him down to the ground.

The Demonic Heart Cave Lord was disheveled, and the Coiled Muscle Demonic Scales art he had maintained also showed vulnerabilities, causing him injuries.

Most importantly, he was forcibly interrupted from the Nine Abyss Devouring Heart magic by the external blows, and the resulting backlash caused him to immediately spit out a small mouthful of blood.

“Impossible! Why were you not suppressed?” The Demonic Heart Cave Lord was filled with shock and uncertainty, staring intently at the culprit who had attacked him and caused his injuries — Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo stood tall and upright, his body as straight as a spear.

The previous spitting blood, frowning, and pain were all feigned.

He was not injured in the slightest!

“Husband.” Mu Lan’s eyes sparkled with brilliance.

“Military Advisor, you are truly amazing!” Zhang Hei was overjoyed, struggling to give a thumbs-up.

Just as the Golden Swallowing River restrained Ning Zhuo’s Stout Warrior Restoration technique, Ning Zhuo’s Fire Element Heart Temple also restrained the Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s ultimate move!

The heart of the white-robed youth had long been transformed; although it was also affected, the degree of impact was far, far less than under normal circumstances.

“Having beaten the young one, here comes the elder.” Ning Zhuo shouted sternly, “Excellent! You father and son have committed countless wicked deeds and accumulated deep sin. This moment is precisely when I shall eliminate demons and protect the Dao, for the benefit of all sentient beings!”

The Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s eyes twitched with rage: “Impudent brat, I shall grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes.”

Boom, boom, boom…

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle.

The Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s demonic energy was overwhelming, his physical foundation robust, his attacks ferocious, and his strange attacks targeting the heart were impossible to guard against.

Ning Zhuo maintained a stable posture, relying on the defenses of the Hundred-Armed Arhat Armor and the Fire Element Heart Temple, using various Five Elements magic arts to make the Demonic Heart Cave Lord lose his advantage.

The Demonic Heart Cave Lord grew increasingly shocked and uncertain; after truly engaging in combat, he found the situation unbelievable: “What is happening? Is this brat not in the Foundation Establishment stage? How can he fight me back and forth?”

Even with prior intelligence indicating that Ning Zhuo could utilize military tactics to display Golden Core level combat power.

But he was a genuine Nascent Soul expert.

Even if his combat power was not as good as Lu Hongtu’s, and far from the likes of Lord Long and Xiang Yue, he was still at least in the upper-middle tier of Nascent Soul cultivators.

Now, he couldn’t even defeat Ning Zhuo!

Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth and endured with all his might.

Before, he had merely caught the Demonic Heart Cave Lord off guard. In a true confrontation, the youth immediately felt immense pressure!

“Fortunately, the Demonic Heart Cave Lord consumed too much in the core battle zone. His combat power has significantly declined, otherwise, he would be impossible to resist!” Ning Zhuo felt fortunate in his heart.

The two sides exchanged several blows, and Ning Zhuo fell into a disadvantage.

Without the assistance of others, in a one-on-one fight, the Demonic Heart Cave Lord would thus gain an advantage, then turn that advantage into victory, and ultimately claim Ning Zhuo’s life.

But the reality was that the Demonic Heart Cave Lord was alone, while Ning Zhuo had the assistance of Liu, Guan, Zhang, Mu, and Sun by his side.

Surrounding Ning Zhuo, a siege against the Demonic Heart Cave Lord thus began!

“Demonic Heart, where have you gone, why haven’t you returned!”

“Demonic Heart, quickly return, we cannot hold on any longer.”

The Blood Shadow Cave Lord and Poison Scorpion Cave Lord frantically sent messages to the Demonic Heart Cave Lord, but they were like stones sinking into the sea, receiving no response.

Without the Demonic Heart Cave Lord, the Thousand Peaks Forest side in the core battle zone developed many new weaknesses.

Shen Qinghe seized the opportunity and suddenly attacked.

《Green Spirit Purification Scripture》!

Tu Ming watched with grief and helplessness as his poison techniques, under Shen Qinghe’s attack, melted away like snow under the scorching sun, utterly powerless to resist! “Damn it, how can something like the 《Green Spirit Purification Scripture》 exist in this world!”

Tu Ming fled in disarray.

The light of Green Spirit Purification shone upon him, causing purple toxic mist to rise from his entire body; the poisonous substances painstakingly accumulated in the past quickly dissipated, causing Tu Ming to cry out in pain as he fled.

Such screams undoubtedly attracted much attention, further demoralizing the Thousand Peaks Forest forces.

But in the next moment, Shen Qinghe stumbled, nearly falling headfirst from the air.

“Hehehe, little girl, I’ll deal with you first!” Li Jiuzhu successfully ambushed Shen Qinghe, “My Gu worms are not afraid of your purification light.”

As soon as his words fell, his expression suddenly changed drastically, and he turned his head to look behind him.

A shadow quietly approached, erupting fiercely, and slammed heavily into Li Jiuzhu’s back.

To Li Jiuzhu’s horror, his numerous defensive methods crumbled, unable to stop it.

With a cry of an owl, the shadow that severely injured Li Jiuzhu was extraordinarily agile; it suddenly retreated, avoiding Li Jiuzhu’s terrifying counterattack, and flapped its wings to fly into the air.

It was none other than Mo Yechen’s demonic pet, the mynah bird.

Li Jiuzhu had just ambushed Shen Qinghe and was in turn ambushed by Mo Yechen.

He stared intently at the distant Mo Yechen, who was still riding a “giant mynah bird.” Clearly, the true body had just severely injured Li Jiuzhu, and the mynah bird Mo Yechen was riding was merely an illusion.

“Immortal Shen, be careful.” Mo Yechen’s deceptive tactic was successful, and he took the opportunity to rescue Shen Qinghe.

Shen Qinghe’s beautiful eyes rested on Mo Yechen, causing ripples to appear in the latter’s usually calm state of mind, a rare occurrence.

“Thank you. This kindness shall be repaid after the battle.” Shen Qinghe greeted Mo Yechen and immediately controlled her escape light, flying out of the core battle zone.

She was not avoiding battle, but rather chasing after Tu Ming.

Tu Ming looked back and saw Shen Qinghe, his heart and body trembling with anger: “That crazy woman is targeting me again!”

Mo Yechen gazed at Shen Qinghe’s receding figure. A surge of impulse arose in his heart, wanting to help her, but the wavering was only momentary. He then turned his gaze back to Li Jiuzhu.

“Daoist Li, let us continue our battle,” Mo Yechen challenged loudly.

Li Jiuzhu was filled with anger and hatred. While treating his injuries, he attacked Mo Yechen.

But unlike before, this time, they fought back and forth, in a state of equilibrium.

In a certain part of the vast battlefield.

“Eat this, eat all of it!” Jia Wan held up a hot pot, pouring all sorts of cooked spiritual food from it forward.

The Golden Swallowing River, who had transformed into its original form, a three-legged golden toad, immediately smelled a rich aroma and saw all sorts of spiritual food. Its gluttonous desire surged, and without hesitation, it swept up all the spiritual food.

In the next moment, the three-legged golden toad’s movements suddenly froze, its entire body swelling up, and a large amount of spiritual energy and magical power sprayed out from its hundreds of thousands of pores.

The Golden Swallowing River subconsciously closed its large mouth, but its entire body continued to leak profusely!

It was extremely shocked and wanted to transform into a human form, but its magical power was in disarray, preventing it from casting spells.

“My Intestinal Penetrating Sky Broth is not something ordinary people can digest!” The Spiritual Chef Ding Pi revealed a smile.

With one move, he defeated the Golden Swallowing River and achieved a great feat!

The Golden Swallowing River, using its three legs with force, fled in disarray while still leaking profusely.

“Chen Lingfeng, you idiot!” Gu Ya cursed, feeling quite helpless.

In his frenzy, Chen Lingfeng had completely lost his mind, severely damaging Gu Ya’s wolf pack.

After several battles, Gu Ya’s wolf pack was also running out at this point. The demonic beasts that he had painstakingly accumulated and raised for most of his life were almost completely wiped out!

Without demonic beasts by his side, Gu Ya immediately lost his sense of security, and his combat power also declined significantly. He could only wield his wolf-tooth club and fight with difficulty.

“It’s time to retreat!” The Azure Vine King put away his stringless bow and led his tribesmen to actively retreat.

More and more cultivators and groups from the Thousand Peaks Forest began to withdraw. Those who were originally on the edge of the battlefield were even showing signs of leaving the battlefield entirely!

The battlefield situation seemed to be clearing up.

In the core area of the vast battlefield, more than half of the walls of the Liangzhuguo grand camp had collapsed in the chaotic battle, and most of the heavy military armaments were destroyed.

The battle between Qiye and Song Ji also entered its final stages.

Qiye was a phantom fox demon; the images he created were indistinguishable from reality and possessed attacking capabilities.

Song Ji was a state enshrined, skilled in divination and calculating fate. Although his combat power was not outstanding among Nascent Soul cultivators, his calculation methods could easily discern Qiye’s true body. Song Ji was also skilled at utilizing the power of others, forcing Qiye to retreat step by step, eventually withdrawing from the core battlefield.

As more and more people withdrew, the morale of the Thousand Peaks Forest side continued to decline, and the rate of decline was becoming increasingly rapid!

Magic Art — Blood Vortex Swift Current!

There were no eyeballs in the Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s eye sockets, only a vortex of blood energy.

The blood energy vortex spun faster and faster, gradually expanding and spilling out of his eye sockets.

It was both offensive and defensive, capable of swallowing incoming attacks and strangling enemies.

One of Zhang Hei’s arms was twisted away by the blood vortex!

Buddhist Dharma — Vajra Body Protection.

Martial Arts Array — Zen Wind Flying Fist Array.

Buddhist Dharma — Moonlight Universal Salvation Art.

Three arts combined!

Mechanical Art — Golden Moon Zen Wind Fist!

Ning Zhuo once again unleashed a sky full of fist shadows, accompanied by the humming sound of wind, forcefully breaking through the blood vortex.

“Opportunity!” Mu Lan drew her bow and nocked an arrow once more.

This time, she was no longer just blustering!

Crimson Phoenix Bow, Fiery Heart Arrow.

Divine Ability — Crimson Heart Arrow!

The arrow almost pierced through space, moving at an incredibly fast speed. The distance between them was also short, and perhaps the previous repeated blustering had gradually paralyzed the Demonic Heart Cave Lord.

The arrow almost instantly shot into the Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s body, directly piercing his heart.

The Demonic Heart Cave Lord suffered a severe injury but did not die!

If this were Lord Long or Xiang Yue, such a vital point as the heart being destroyed would signal their death.

But the Demonic Heart Cave Lord did not.

“I still have a backup heart!” Just as the Demonic Heart Cave Lord was feeling smug, Ning Zhuo suddenly opened his mouth and spat.

Metal Element — Profound Gold Slash!

Metal Element Lung Temple!!

All magical power poured into a single strike!!!

The Profound Gold Slash, in a flash of lightning, drilled into the Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s wound, invading his body, and twisting apart all his internal organs.

“This overbearing, direct Metal Element magic art can actually turn corners?!” The Demonic Heart Cave Lord was utterly shocked.

He stared intently at Ning Zhuo, filled with extreme grief — this brat had been hiding his strength all along! If he had revealed this move earlier, how could the Demonic Heart Cave Lord not have been prepared!

“You shall die too!!” At the moment of death, even having lost all his hearts, the Demonic Heart Cave Lord still retained some ability to act.

His dying counterattack landed on Ning Zhuo.

Liu, Guan, and Zhang, and Mu all’s expressions changed drastically. The Demonic Heart Cave Lord’s dying strike was extremely terrifying; if it landed on them, there would be no chance of survival.

“Military Advisor!”

“Husband!!”

Ning Zhuo did not have time to utter a sound; his body instantly dissolved in the blood light and explosion, turning completely to ash.

But in the next moment, Ning Zhuo reappeared not far away.

He was still shaken, his face filled with lingering fear.

The Demonic Heart Cave Lord turned his head, staring intently at him, his last trace of life force dissipating with the wind.

Substitute Talisman!

Void Escape Talisman!

And at the critical moment, the Mechanical Ring that had warned him in advance.

Under their combined effect, Ning Zhuo had dodged this killing blow.

Ning Zhuo had slain the Demonic Heart Cave Lord in battle!