: Heart-Targeting Swan Arrow

Pills of all kinds were swallowed in haste. Every second counted now, and both Sun and Ning were pushing themselves to the limit to recover as quickly as possible.

Soon, they sprang into action once more.

Following Ning Zhuo's plan, they bypassed the mana pools and headed straight for the armory.

The stone sphere burst through the floor of the armory, instantly triggering alarms and attacks from the defensive formations.

"Hold it steady!" Ning Zhuo channeled earth-element spells through the stone sphere!

Surges of mana were rapidly consumed, transforming into a mighty, earthy yellow glow.

The glow appeared faint, yet its defense was profound, effortlessly withstanding all assaults.

"The armory is under attack!"

"Quick, follow me in to eliminate the intruders!!"

The cultivators guarding outside rushed in at the sound of the commotion.

What they saw was a round stone sphere rolling swiftly through the armory, making sets of armor and spears vanish wherever it passed.

"Someone's stealing the military equipment!"

"Damn it, stop them!"

"Thief, surrender your life!"

The cultivators of the White Jade Camp erupted in fury, launching attacks one after another.

They mobilized military strength, their assaults growing increasingly fierce, causing the earthy yellow glow to waver... but that was all.

Had these soldiers been able to deploy their full military strength, they might have posed a threat to the stone sphere, but under the current circumstances, how could they?

The bulk of their forces were constantly being redirected to assist the main and deputy generals in besieging Lord Long, with occasional support for the outer defenses against long-range spells from other Golden Core cultivators in the Thousand Peaks Forest.

If there had been a Golden Core-level cultivator among these soldiers, bolstered by military strength and battle formations, they might have been able to harm the stone sphere.

But the reality was, the highest cultivation level among them was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Ning Zhuo had chosen his moment perfectly—the White Jade Camp was already stretched thin, unable to maintain full protection.

The stone sphere endured a barrage of attacks, making a full circuit of the armory and collecting nearly all the military equipment.

Then, under the furious gazes of over a dozen soldiers, it plunged into the ground and vanished once more.

Inside the stone sphere, within the Ten-Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon...

A massive pile of armor and spears stood like a small mountain.

Sun Lingtong exerted his full thieving arts to shrink them to a miniature size; otherwise, they would never have fit inside the mechanical dragon!

Jade Armor!

Shocklight Spears!

The armor was primarily milky white, with a soft, jade-like glow shimmering on its surface, combining resilience and hardness for outstanding protective capabilities.

The design was sleek and rounded, with smooth shoulder guards and flowing lines. The breastplate resembled a round mirror, full and curved, embodying simplicity and elegance.

The spears were snow-white, with sharp, gleaming tips and cold, seven-foot-long shafts. The butt ends featured circular, fortress-like structures to prevent slipping and sometimes aid in blocking.

Both the Jade Armor and Shocklight Spears were military artifacts, each imbued with their own battle arts.

The former possessed the "Unyielding Armor" technique, which could envelop the entire body in defense; the latter had the "Sharp Edge" technique, transferring the spear's sharpness to the user's fists and feet.

These two battle arts could also be combined to form the "Armored and Armed" technique!

This technique allowed soldiers to merge offense and defense into one cohesive whole—where attacking was defending, and defending was attacking.

If an enemy struck the armor with a fist, it would be like punching directly at the spear's tip. Similarly, striking the thin, sharp spearhead would feel no different from hitting solid armor.

The "Armored and Armed" technique was a classic battle art; once activated, it balanced offense and defense, leaving no weaknesses.

Thus, even though these weapons were only at the artifact level, not treasure level, their market value remained high.

A set of Jade Armor was priced around forty thousand low-grade spirit stones, while a Shocklight Spear went for about seventy thousand.

There were over four hundred sets of Jade Armor and more than three hundred eighty Shocklight Spears.

The total value approximated forty-two million two hundred sixty thousand low-grade spirit stones!

Since they were only artifact-level, sealing them was much easier for Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong compared to the mana pools.

The only challenge was the sheer quantity.

The duo worked frantically, their hands a blur, and by the time they completed all the temporary seals, they collapsed onto the floor, too exhausted to move.

"I don't want to move a muscle," Ning Zhuo murmured, his face pale and bloodless, eyes bloodshot.

His cultivation was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, much lower than Sun Lingtong's.

Sun Lingtong struggled to sit up, encouraging Ning Zhuo, "Xiao Zhuo, get up. This is a golden opportunity we can't miss. Think back to when we struggled for cultivation resources."

Ning Zhuo's expression shifted instantly, memories of past hardships and the sting of those times lashing at him like a whip, forcing him to his feet.

"Let's keep going! We must continue!!"

White Jade Camp.

Lord Long's palms flew, accompanied by roaring dragon cries, sending Golden Core deputy generals flying one after another.

Shuang Jing fought with restraint.

As he wasn't a body cultivator but specialized in qi sea cultivation, he couldn't face Lord Long head-on.

This was a significant disadvantage in actual combat!

Shuang Jing could only rely on the White Tiger Tearing Heaven Sword Qi to continuously attack Lord Long, while the Golden Core deputies gave their all as human shields, buying time and space for Shuang Jing to maneuver.

The Golden Core deputies were deteriorating, struggling to hold on.

"What's happening? Our military strength has dropped so much!" Shuang Jing sensed trouble and immediately inquired.

His subordinate had been waiting to report but hadn't found the chance until now.

Seeing Shuang Jing unusually pause his assault to ask, the subordinate quickly clasped his fists. "Reporting, sir, a stone monster with Nascent Soul-level combat power has infiltrated our camp. It's stealing military equipment everywhere, and despite our efforts, we've been unable to capture or kill it."

"What?!" Shuang Jing's brow furrowed deeply. "A spherical stone monster? Could it be... the Stone Elder from Thousand Peaks Forest?"

As the main general of an army and a scion of a noble family, he naturally possessed detailed intelligence on enemy forces.

A military's strength came from various sources. Beyond the soldiers themselves, there were external factors like equipment, timing, and terrain.

That was why military equipment was stored externally, in armories.

Storing them in spatial artifacts wouldn't contribute to military strength, and if a key storage point were taken out, the losses would be even greater.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

War was fraught with unpredictability, so dispersing equipment was a sound strategy.

Of course, some equipment was also stored in spatial treasures.

However, the more artifacts or treasures stored, the higher the maintenance cost in terms of mana and resources.

For individual cultivators, an excellent spatial treasure might hold almost all their possessions with room to spare.

But for an army, the sheer volume of items made relying solely on spatial treasures impractical for meeting logistical demands—or at least, highly inefficient.

Hearing that the Stone Elder had also infiltrated, Shuang Jing's heart sank.

Currently, they were already stretched to the limit dealing with Lord Long, on the verge of collapse.

"If the Stone Elder and Lord Long join forces..." The thought made Shuang Jing suck in a cold breath.

The next moment, he watched as a towering Brilliant Light Illumination Tower suddenly vanished.

Then, the successful stone sphere monster quickly burrowed underground.

Shuang Jing's eyes widened in shock!

He scanned the area and realized that of the original seven Brilliant Light Illumination Towers, only four remained.

Without his noticing, three had already been stolen.

Even as a scion of a noble house, Shuang Jing felt a pang of heartache.

Each Brilliant Light Illumination Tower contained top-grade spirit stones and was a treasure-level artifact, valued at three million six hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones.

Losing three in a row meant a loss of ten million eight hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones.

"Damn that Stone Elder!!" Shuang Jing wished he could drag the creature out and pummel it on the spot.

Lord Long, too, wished he could drag the Stone Elder out and give it a beating!!

"Stone Elder, what are you sneaking around for?"

"Join me quickly to crush this White Jade Camp!!"

Lord Long's vast divine sense transmitted the message to Sun and Ning.

The duo paid no heed, their eyes gleaming with avarice, focused solely on plundering the White Jade Camp's treasures.

They broke into another armory and found over five hundred warhorses.

White Feather Light-Dust steeds!

Each white horse had a slender build and an elegant posture.

Their coats were as white as snow, covering their bodies like finely carved jade.

Uniquely, their manes resembled bird feathers—long, soft, and delicate. Silver-white feathers cascaded from their heads and necks like a waterfall, giving an ethereal, almost immortal impression.

Their tails, too, were replaced by long, white plumes that swayed lightly when lowered, shimmering with an icy brilliance.

The White Feather Light-Dust steeds had long limbs, with faint gray spots on their legs resembling tiny dust marks.

The White Jade Camp's equipment was exceptionally luxurious!

All their soldiers had mounts, though they weren't quite cavalry yet, as they hadn't trained in corresponding battle formations.

Having received advance warning of the attack, positioned behind the Barbarian Demon Camp, they had dismounted and stabled their tired horses before forming defensive formations on the spot.

Training their own mounted battle formations was part of Shuang Jing and his officers' plans.

Ning Zhuo smacked his fist into his palm, sighing in regret. "Fine horses, all of them. Pity they're harder to steal than weapons."

Sun Lingtong, however, said, "Xiao Zhuo, no need for regret. I have a method!"

He produced a stick of incense, lit it, and gathered a large cloud of smoke before him.

As each White Feather Light-Dust horse appeared inside the mechanical dragon, Sun Lingtong directed the smoke to envelop it.

Already restrained and unable to move, the horses quickly inhaled the smoke and fell unconscious.

"That's powerful incense, boss. Where did you get it?" Ning Zhuo asked, surprised.

Sun Lingtong replied, "It's not mine; I got it from Yang Chanyu."

Ning Zhuo understood then.

Yang Chanyu also hailed from the Unempty Sect and was more skilled in poison arts than Sun Lingtong.

Once the horses were unconscious, Ning Zhuo stacked them one by one, filling several compartments.

Living beings, unlike inanimate objects, weren't easily shrunk.

Thus, transformation techniques always had a high barrier to entry, requiring cultivators to practice diligently to master them gradually.

The stone sphere rolled around a few times, stealing the entire herd before moving on to the next target.

"Our horses!" the Golden Core deputy generals lamented in grief and fury.

They had paid a hefty price for this herd, pleading and scraping with family support to barely manage the purchase.

And now, they were all gone!

"Stone Elder, I curse you!!"

"To think a Nascent Soul cultivator would stoop so low, with no regard for dignity!"

"A Nascent Soul expert acting like this, with such熟练 thieving skills—you're a disgrace to Nascent Soul cultivators."

Shuang Jing, however, had calmed down. "Let him steal, let him plunder!"

"If he joined forces with Lord Long, we might have collapsed already."

"Right now, losing wealth is heartbreaking, but at least we've neutralized the enemy's second Nascent Soul expert."

"Generals, we must fight to the end—defeat Lord Long first, then drive out the old monster!"

Shuang Jing used his divine sense to boost morale, and it actually worked to some extent.

The Golden Core deputies, following his line of thought, began to feel a sense of relief.

"Retrieve the equipment from the spatial bags to replenish our forces, and lure the Stone Elder into continuing his theft to buy us more time!" Shuang Jing ordered decisively.

Wealth paled in comparison to life and death!

What use was wealth without life?!

Though Shuang Jing knew his decision was wise, feelings of grief and hatred continued to simmer and accumulate.

White Tiger Tearing Heaven Sword Qi!

Bolstered by military strength, the sharp sword qi struck Lord Long's back again, opening a wound.

Blood gushed from the injury!

Though Lord Long had spiritual treasure armor, it only covered his right shoulder, leaving his defense incomplete, with the strongest protection around the shoulder guard.

After a prolonged battle, the White Jade Camp had suffered over a hundred casualties, but Shuang Jing had also discerned Lord Long's capabilities.

Lord Long retreated a step, trying to create distance to tend to his wound.

But he was already within the military formation, surrounded by enemies on all sides.

In the next moment, the Golden Core deputies swarmed him, landing dozens of blows that sent him stumbling.

"Stone Elder, stop plundering treasures!"

"Help me crush them, and I promise you half of the spoils!"

Lord Long's divine sense conveyed a threat: "Have you forgotten? You bear the divine decree!"

In Lord Long's view, the Stone Elder had yet to exert his full power.

But for Sun and Ning, they were already pushing beyond their limits. When exhaustion threatened to overwhelm them, the memory of past poverty spurred them to break through yet again.

As for the stone sphere, it was the same.

The sphere itself couldn't move; merely rolling continuously was already beyond its normal capacity.

Thus, for all three, the terms of the divine decree had long been satisfied, and it no longer held any constraint over them.

After dozens of calls with no response from the Stone Elder, Lord Long grew frantic and shouted outside the formation, "Vine Physician Bi, what's taking so long? Assist me now!"

The Nascent Soul cultivator Vine Physician Bi from the Ancient Vine Tribe, along with her husband, Golden Core cultivator King Cang Teng, had already joined the battle.

But they, along with several other Golden Core cultivators, were trapped within the Red Flower Manifestation by the Red Flower Camp.

If the Red Flower Manifestation could contain Ma Feitui, it could certainly hold these cultivators.

Vine Physician Bi wasn't a demon cultivator and lacked physical strength, unable to break through by force.

However, working with the other Golden Core cultivators, she continuously cast spells, wearing down the manifestation far more effectively than Ma Feitui could.

Battle Art—Reward the Three Armies!

Mu Lan, her face pale, held the General's Token, maintaining this battle art.

Its effect was straightforward: consume spirit stones to boost military strength!

"This can't go on!"

"Our military funds are already tight. With such heavy losses in this battle, we won't be able to pay next month's wages if this continues."

War was like that—once it reached a stalemate, it became a terrifying drain on resources.

A decisive glint flashed in Mu Lan's eyes.

She drew a long bow and nocked an arrow in the blink of an eye.

Treasure-level weapons, or military treasures—Crimson Phoenix Bow, Ardent Heart Arrow!

Evolving a divine ability from superior innate talent—Heart-Targeting Swan Arrow!

Military strength, battle formations, and national power perfectly synergized!

Mu Lan released the string.

The bowstring sang like a phoenix's cry!

The arrow shot forth, shaking the heavens, cracking the sky.

Its light blazed like a pillar of scorching sun, piercing the firmament, radiant as a rainbow, dimming all else!

By the time Lord Long realized what was happening, it was too late.

He looked down at his chest, where the flesh was charred black, a gaping hole where his heart had been incinerated in an instant.

For a moment, silence fell over the battlefield.

Mu Lan slumped, her strength failing, the bow dropping from her hand as she staggered, nearly collapsing before Zhang Zhongyi caught her in time.

"Niece... no, General Mu... such divine might!" Zhang Zhongyi exclaimed, overwhelmed with emotion.

He never expected that Mu Lan, only at the Golden Core stage, had developed her innate talent into a divine ability.

Heart-Targeting Swan Arrow!

An arrow that never misses, fueled by nearly all one's heart's blood, fired with total disregard for self!!

(End of )