: Rest and Recovery

February 12, 2025, Author: Gu Zhenren

: Rest and Recovery

Woodwheel Town.

The Red Flower Battalion set up camp.

Inside the commander's tent, Mu Lan slowly woke up and saw Ning Zhuo and Zhang Zhongyi standing by her bedside.

She tried to sit up, but Ning Zhuo pressed her shoulder down: "General Mu Lan, even though you're awake, you still need to rest and recover. The Red Flower Battalion has returned safely. Your deputy has already reported to Marshal Du, and we are now camped outside Woodwheel Town. Everything is fine."

Mu Lan's expression relaxed.

Zhang Zhongyi added from the side: "General Mu Lan, you forced yourself to use the second arrow, pushing your body beyond its limits."

"Fortunately, Young Master Ning Zhuo was here to help again, providing many Golden Core and Nascent Soul level treasures to use as medicine."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have woken up so quickly."

Mu Lan then looked at Ning Zhuo: "Young... Master Ning, thank you."

Ning Zhuo smiled: "No need for formalities, General Mu Lan. My mechanical army is under your command, after all."

"To be honest, the reason I crushed the protective talisman you gave me was to see if there were any military merits to be gained here."

"Your two arrows were truly stunning, taking out two Nascent Soul level combatants—one dead, one fled. I am in awe!"

The combat power of the Pale Moon Ancient God was also at the Nascent Soul level.

If it were at the Divine Transformation level, it would have been able to rival the Whisker Dragon King long ago. The status of the Pale Moon tribe would be much higher than it is now.

Mu Lan said: "If the opponent were someone like Lord Long, even if I gave my all, I could only manage one shot."

"But against the Pale Moon Ancient God and Di Lu, I deliberately held back on the first shot, which is why I was able to fire a second one."

Ning Zhuo praised: "Truly a divine-level technique. Even a domain couldn't suppress the power of your divine arrows. Nascent Soul cultivators can escape incredibly fast, but Di Lu didn't even get the chance."

Mu Lan replied with a hint of pride: "This technique of mine has been cultivated since childhood. Based on my talent, my father spent a fortune and used his connections to invite several masters to teach me martial arts and military strategy."

"Now, it's finally yielding some results."

In fact, after this battle, Mu Lan felt somewhat relieved.

In the previous ambush, she led the Red Flower Battalion with little to show for it, putting immense pressure on the Mu General's Manor. So much so that after returning to Canglin Immortal City, she immediately faced schemes and obstruction from various factions within the country.

This battle, although perilous, had a good outcome. Taking out two Nascent Soul level enemies—one dead, one fleeing—was enough to restore the General's Manor's reputation. Leading the Red Flower Battalion on this expedition, Mu Lan would now be taken more seriously, greatly easing the pressure from the court.

Zhang Zhongyi added: "Speaking of which, last time in Canglin Immortal City, it was thanks to Young Master Ning Zhuo that we resolved our predicament and had the chance to continue leading troops and achieving merits."

"This time, venturing into the Thousand Peaks Forest, we were also saved by Young Master Ning Zhuo's timely rescue. Otherwise, if the Red Flower Battle Formation had failed to form, we would have suffered heavy casualties and likely been defeated."

Zhang Zhongyi sighed with emotion.

Ning Zhuo quickly waved his hand: "Not at all, not at all. Even without me, with General Mu Lan's abilities, victory would still have been possible."

Mu Lan shook her head slightly: "The chances weren't high. This victory and the results we achieved owe much to you, Young Master Ning Zhuo. Rest assured, I will report your merits without omitting anything."

Ning Zhuo immediately smiled: "General, please rest and recover first. My mechanical army has suffered heavy losses and needs to be repaired and replenished promptly. I must take my leave now."

Zhang Zhongyi was taken aback and glared at Ning Zhuo's retreating back.

Mu Lan nodded: "Replenishing troops is very important. Young Master Ning Zhuo indeed needs to race against time. I won't see you out."

Zhang Zhongyi glared again, this time at Mu Lan.

Both Mu Lan and Ning Zhuo found Zhang Zhongyi's behavior baffling.

Zhang Zhongyi sighed deeply, shaking his head repeatedly.

Ning Zhuo left the Red Flower Battalion and returned to the Three Generals Camp, paying his respects to Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang.

The four of them exchanged stories of their experiences.

After their victory, the Three Generals Camp, under Shen Qinghe's escort, immediately marched away from the Dice Bone Giant Wood Mountain and returned all the way.

Ning Zhuo's combat experiences and achievements made the three generals envious.

Zhang Hei rarely lamented: "If I had known, I should have gone with the Military Advisor. What a pity, truly a pity. I've only captured a Nascent Soul level demon cultivator alive with my two sworn brothers, but I've never actually killed one."

Ning Zhuo spread his hands and smiled wryly: "General Zhang, I was just on the receiving end. The one who actually did the fighting was General Mu Lan."

Guan Hong stroked his beard and sighed: "The Red Heart Swan Arrow is truly formidable!"

Liu Er looked at Ning Zhuo: "Listening to your account, it's clear: if not for the Military Advisor's timely reinforcement, the Red Flower Battalion would have been in dire straits. The Military Advisor took great risks this time and is the biggest contributor to this victory, deserving of the merits. If the rewards come and the Military Advisor doesn't get the lion's share, I won't accept it."

Liu Er spoke these words earnestly and sincerely, straight from the heart.

His dislike for Ning Zhuo was no longer as intense as before.

Zhang Hei wondered: "Didn't Lady Shen Qinghe say that each route had a Nascent Soul level expert secretly providing support? Why did the Red Flower Battalion never receive any strong reinforcements?"

Ning Zhuo shook his head with a bitter smile.

Liu Er and Guan Hong exchanged glances and fell into silence.

Zhang Hei asked again: "Speaking of which, why hasn't the Golden Halberd Army returned yet?"

Liu Er guessed: "The Golden Halberd Army is very powerful. They might have advanced too deeply, so their retreat route is much longer than ours."

Just as the four were discussing this, a soldier rushed in to report, bringing them shocking news.

"What? The Golden Halberd Army has been completely wiped out!"

Upon hearing this, Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning looked at each other in astonishment.

Guan Hong was the first to react, frowning deeply and saying gravely: "In terms of overall combat strength, our Three Generals Camp is no match for the Golden Halberd Army."

Zhang Hei nodded: "Even if my two sworn brothers and I went all out and managed to hold off Sun Gan, the Golden Halberd Army would still completely crush the Three Generals Camp."

Liu Er sighed: "Out of the four armies that set out, who would have thought the strongest one, the Golden Halberd Army, would be the one wiped out."

The Golden Halberd Army was one of the elite imperial armies of the Two Notes Kingdom.

They had the best equipment and were the most well-trained.

The Three Generals Camp had only mastered three battle formations, while the Golden Halberd Army knew no fewer than ten.

Commander Sun Gan was also a top-tier expert among Nascent Soul cultivators.

The Golden Halberd Army was truly a first-class army within the Two Notes Kingdom.

By this standard, they were considered a trump card in the kingdom's military.

Common sense would dictate they shouldn't be used as cannon fodder for military orders.

Yet reality showed they not only attacked the Thousand Peaks Forest but also became the only army among the four to be utterly defeated with no survivors.

Even the Nascent Soul level expert secretly dispatched by Du Tiechuan had fallen!

Liu, Guan, Zhang, and Ning studied the military report together.

Zhang Hei: "The Golden Halberd Army only faced two Nascent Soul level opponents. One was Gu Ya, the other was the current Elephant King."

"We all know Gu Ya's strength. It seems the current Elephant King was the key to wiping out the Golden Halberd Army."

Guan Hong: "This demon cultivator is of the Pale White Wild Elephant lineage, usually not暴躁 or impulsive, rarely taking action. Who would have thought that this time, his move would be earth-shattering, wiping out a first-class army of the Two Notes Kingdom!"

Liu Er: "Judging by the results, in this probing attack by Marshal Du, we killed one Nascent Soul level enemy and severely injured several others, but we lost Sun Gan and the Golden Halberd Army. Overall, it's a minor defeat."

Ning Zhuo remained silent.

He recalled the intelligence on the current Elephant King and sighed inwardly: "If I had a physique like his, I could definitely withstand more uses of the 'Warrior's Return' technique and not be as strained as I was when dealing with Di Lu."

The Warrior's Return technique had great potential.

This military strategy had impressive origins; Ning Zhuo comprehended it from the "Gao Sheng's Legacy," aided by the Soldier's Shared Helmet at the time.

Both "Gao Sheng's Legacy" and the Soldier's Shared Helmet were treasures of the Military School.

It was his physical foundation that limited the full potential of this technique.

Recalling the previous battle, even though Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yehu sacrificed themselves one after another, he didn't dare to incorporate them into the Warrior's Return technique, afraid that his body couldn't handle it and would burst.

"Is there any way to rapidly boost my physical foundation in a short time?"

Ning Zhuo felt somewhat troubled.

After returning to Canglin Immortal City, he had purchased a lot of war supplies, including many talismans and elixirs that could temporarily enhance his physical foundation.

But compared to the demands of the Warrior's Return technique, these were just a drop in the bucket.

Ning Zhuo had calculated—in terms of effect, these elixirs, spirit foods, and talismans were far inferior to the unorthodox use of the Fetal Breath Spiritual Barge.

"Of course, this is also because the elixirs and talismans in Canglin Immortal City aren't particularly high-end; they are mainly supplies for warfare."

"If Marshal Du rewards merits this time, perhaps I can request some high-end elixirs or talismans?"

Ning Zhuo was currently at the Foundation Building stage's [Treasure Medicine Nurturing] phase.

This phase focuses on the fusion of the three treasures—essence, energy, and spirit—no longer requiring the quantitative accumulation of the previous [Unhindered Field Opening] phase.

Therefore, National Power Bricks weren't as suitable.

"National Power Bricks are definitely the more the better. It's just that..."

Ning Zhuo wanted an increase in his physical foundation more.

Ideally, he wanted to reach the standard as soon as possible to leverage the Warrior's Return technique and exert combat power at the Nascent Soul level!

"War is perilous."

"Even a force as strong as the Golden Halberd Army was completely wiped out."

"From these few battles, it's clear: in battles of this level, one needs to be at least at the Nascent Soul level to be relatively secure and reliable."

"Of course, luck is also indispensable."

"My fortune seems..."

Previously, when fighting the Dice Bone Demon God, Ning Zhuo kept rolling sixes.

But in the recent battle at Moonhook Mountain, he only rolled a five.

"My fortune isn't as strong as it used to be."

"In fact, back at the Azure Sky Giant Wood Mountain, Sun Laoda and I almost died."

"Although we gained tremendous benefits in the end, it also proved that fortune is indeed on a decline."

"Sigh, what exactly is going on?"

Ning Zhuo remained completely in the dark about these strange changes in fortune and luck; it was all a muddled account.

After bidding farewell to the three generals, Ning Zhuo returned to his own tent and immediately entered the Mechanical Roaming Dragon, starting to manufacture mechanical puppets.

His mechanical army had suffered heavy losses, reduced to less than twenty percent, and urgently needed replenishment.

Moreover, from Ning Zhuo's current perspective, the mechanical army was far more important than Meng Yehu or Yuan Dasheng.

Losing one or two Golden Core level mechanical combatants wasn't that critical.

But if Ning Zhuo had no mechanical army, he couldn't enhance his own combat power. Surviving on the battlefield relying solely on a few Golden Core level external protectors was certainly not as timely or reliable as relying on himself.

Therefore, Ning Zhuo prioritized manufacturing mechanical puppets over repairing Meng Yehu and Yuan Dasheng first.

The Xuanyuan Nine Crafts Platform and the other two mechanical platforms whirred into action, manufacturing mechanical puppets at dozens of times the efficiency of Ning Zhuo working alone.

Ning Zhuo himself couldn't be idle either; he had to constantly control and monitor the production process.

Sun Lingtong was learning在一旁.

"Xiao Zhuo, teach me."

"I'll try to learn as soon as possible and take over manufacturing the mechanical puppets for you."

"That way, you'll have time to cultivate using the Fetal Breath Spiritual Barge."

Although Sun Lingtong's mechanical craftsmanship was considerable, it still fell short of Ning Zhuo's.

He sought instruction diligently, and Ning Zhuo taught him everything without holding back.

Sun Lingtong was intelligent and quick to understand; with focused effort, he improved rapidly.

While the two were working and learning, a messenger arrived with a summons.

"Marshal Du is summoning me?" Ning Zhuo left the Ten-Thousand-Mile Roaming Dragon, feeling somewhat surprised.

Liu Er expressed concern: "It couldn't be because we trapped and killed that Iron Eagle supervisor, so Du Tiechuan is coming to settle accounts, could it?"

Guan Hong was righteous: "In this matter, all three of us are involved. If there is to be punishment, we will surely share the blame."

Zhang Hei exclaimed: "What blame? That Iron Eagle acted on a whim; there was no military order. Besides, it wasn't us who killed him."

Ning Zhuo touched his mechanical ring, his expression calm: "I suspect if Marshal Du wanted to settle accounts, he would summon all four of us. Since he's summoning me alone, it must be for something else."

"No problem."

"I'll go pay my respects to him and find out."

Ning Zhuo then left the Three Generals Camp with the messenger.

The three generals saw him off.

Zhang Hei: "Say what you will, the Military Advisor is young, but he's got guts."

Guan Hong stroked his beard: "Truly a fine young man."

By now, Liu Er's annoyance with Ning Zhuo had lessened considerably. He watched Ning Zhuo's departing back in silence.

Ning Zhuo entered Woodwheel Town and was led all the way to meet the Divine Transformation level existence once again.

"Military Advisor Jiujiu of the Three Generals Camp, paying respects to Marshal Du." Ning Zhuo performed a military salute.

Du Tiechuan kept his gaze on the documents on his desk, not even looking up: "You subdued the Dice Bone Demon God. That's very good."

"There is some military intelligence that requires questioning Him."

"Have a seat for now. Someone will come shortly to calculate your fortune."

Before long, a young cultivator walked in leisurely: "Song Ji, paying respects to Marshal Du."

Song Ji exuded a Nascent Soul aura, his face like autumn water, dressed in a green robe, possessing a rather dashing demeanor.

Du Tiechuan finally looked up, nodded slightly at the young cultivator: "Troubling Venerable Song to first perform a calculation for Ning Zhuo."

Song Ji accepted the order, came before Ning Zhuo, and began calculating with his fingers.

"Your fortune is strong, but it is like water without a source, and you have already used up most of it, with little remaining."

"Subduing the Dice Bone Demon God was likely the act that consumed the most of your fortune."

(End of )