: The Deification Gambit

Thousand Peaks Forest.

Forward Camp of the Allied Forces.

"Halt!" Chen Lingfeng grabbed two cultivators trying to slip away stealthily, demanding sternly, "Are you two also planning to sneak off and scavenge for spoils?"

The two caught froze momentarily in panic, then their expressions hardened coldly.

One of them denied outright, "Of course not! We're going to scout the battlefield and look for opportunities to strike other forces from Liangzhu Kingdom."

The other added, "Chen Lingfeng, you have no proof, don't slander us!"

Chen Lingfeng sneered and was about to speak when a cultivator's figure appeared like ink seeping through paper, quickly solidifying into the form of an elegant Nascent Soul cultivator.

Seeing this Nascent Soul cultivator, the two blocked by Chen Lingfeng couldn't hide their tension.

"Army Advisor Lu," one of them saluted.

The other gritted his teeth and said, "Great Cave Master Lu, we were just about to take the initiative to attack, but Chen Lingfeng stopped us. Have you come to prevent us from fighting too?"

Chen Lingfeng, seeing them shifting blame, grew furious: "Bastards..."

But Lu Hongtu raised a hand to stop him, then smiled at the two leaving the camp. "You may proceed with your actions."

Chen Lingfeng stared wide-eyed. "Army Advisor Lu, how can this be allowed? This is already the seventh group leaving. If you don't stop them, there'll be no one left to maintain order in the camp."

Lu Hongtu smiled faintly and slowly shook his head. "I am merely appointed as Army Advisor by Lord Long's favor, offering suggestions without imposing commands on others."

"Everyone here is part of Thousand Peaks Forest, either distant friends or close neighbors. Since Lord Long hasn't issued orders to restrain everyone, why make things difficult for them now?"

Hearing this, the two cultivators sighed in relief, praised Lu Hongtu profusely, and reaffirmed their intention to join the battle.

Lu Hongtu had no interest in their lies and waved them off.

The two immediately left the camp.

Chen Lingfeng watched their departing figures, his hawk-like eyes icy cold. "I bet those two are definitely heading to the battlefield to scavenge for spoils."

Lu Hongtu smiled without a word.

Chen Lingfeng fumed, "If Lord Long returns to find most of the experts in our camp gone, how do we explain it?"

Lu Hongtu laughed heartily. "Stay calm, stay calm."

Chen Lingfeng shook his head repeatedly, unwilling to say more to Lu Hongtu, and turned to leave.

Lu Hongtu's gaze was deep as he slowly strolled out of the camp and ascended a nearby hill.

The distant mountains lay quietly, their ridges winding and layered in green bathed in soft sunlight.

A mountain breeze rustled the leaves, and occasional mountain sparrows flitted through the woods, breaking the brief silence.

He took a deep breath; the mountain air was fresh but carried a faint, inexplicable tension.

In Lu Hongtu's mind, the great battle from six days ago resurfaced.

The fierce fight between the Whisker Dragon King and Du Tiechuan was deeply etched in his memory.

Lu Hongtu's eyes were thoughtful. "The Whisker Dragon King suffered a minor defeat. While it won't shatter the alliance, it has scattered morale, and some are already seeking their own paths."

Many cultivators risked sneaking onto the battlefield to scavenge spoils, a clear sign of everyone looking out for themselves.

"When things go smoothly, it's fine. But once the wind turns against us, the alliance's disunity and selfish desires become apparent."

Just then, a figure quietly appeared.

The unfamiliar cultivator bowed to Lu Hongtu and secretly reported the intelligence he had gathered.

After listening, Lu Hongtu frowned slightly. "Still no news of the Old Monster in the Stone?"

The reporting cultivator looked ashamed, explaining that dozens of their people had been searching tirelessly, but the Old Monster in the Stone seemed to have vanished into thin air, impossible to locate.

Lu Hongtu nodded slightly and dismissed him. "Continue the search."

Left alone again, he stood on the hill.

A cool mountain breeze brushed against his tense face.

His gaze fixed on a patch of clouds above the distant mountains, lost in thought.

"The Old Monster in the Stone's elusive movements are the toughest challenge."

"He's at the Deification level! The biggest variable in this great battle."

"Will he appear on the battlefield next?"

"Given his recent behavior, many Deification-level treasures are scattered on the battlefield. That must be a huge temptation for the Old Monster in the Stone."

Lu Hongtu returned to the main camp and saw the Heaven and Earth Ghosts spreading word everywhere.

"We sneaked onto the battlefield and picked up several Dragon Whiskers."

"Look, this Dragon Blood is extremely rare; every drop is excellent material for crafting healing pills!"

The white-clothed ghost cultivator Tianshuang and the black-clothed ghost cultivator Dihui boasted about their gains before the assembled experts.

Seeing this, Lu Hongtu immediately stepped into the command tent.

He smiled slightly. "Fellow Daoists from the Soul Devouring Sect, if you've come to announce something, state your purpose plainly. Perhaps we can cooperate."

Other cultivators smiled or nodded in greeting upon seeing Lu Hongtu.

During the alliance's formation, Lu Hongtu had recruited far and wide. In battles, his strategies had yielded results. Just moments ago, he hadn't heeded Chen Lingfeng's advice and let the two scavenging cultivators go, earning everyone's goodwill.

The Heaven and Earth Ghosts also nodded slightly at Lu Hongtu; their impression of him was favorable.

The two ghost cultivators exchanged a look. Dihui, being more impatient, said, "Since Fellow Daoist Lu is straightforward, we won't beat around the bush either."

Dihui detailed the situation, causing an uproar.

"Did I hear correctly? Really, Glazed Heart Blood?!"

"This is a type of heart blood from earth-aligned demonic cultivators. Left behind by the Whisker Dragon King, it must be at the Deification level."

"Not just that, there's also Dragon Root Wall Soil. This soil is incredibly fertile, full of vitality, perfect as a base for spiritual plants."

"But what is that huge dragon-shaped talisman the white-clothed ghost mentioned?"

A well-informed elder explained, "It should be the Dragon Vein Script."

"The enemy used the Iron Tide Plains strategy this time, consuming immense resources. Du Tiechuan didn't hesitate to mobilize Liangzhu Kingdom's dragon vein to energize the parade ground."

"Thus, the Iron Tide Plains naturally carries the dragon vein's mighty power."

"Du Tiechuan and his heavy armor main force pushed forward, crushing their way in, meaning the dragon vein advanced simultaneously."

"Especially where he clashed with the Dragon King, the dragon vein's power continuously spilled out, eroding the surroundings and leaving behind the Dragon Vein Script."

"Of course, only parts of the script remain on the battlefield, just individual dragon-shaped runes."

"Along the path of the main force's charge, there must also be hidden dragon-shaped runes."

"We must find these runes and separate them from Thousand Peaks Forest's earth veins!"

Although Thousand Peaks Forest is part of Liangzhu Kingdom, the kingdom has always had little control over it because the mountains and rivers here are occupied by various local deities, not integrated into the national dragon vein.

If dragon vein runes combine into the Dragon Vein Script and mark or seep into Thousand Peaks Forest's landscape, it will weaken the local deities' authority and power, eventually absorbing the entire forest into itself.

The cultivators looked grave. After hearing the explanation, they all expressed their desire to contribute to Thousand Peaks Forest by searching for the dragon vein runes.

Their enthusiasm was fully ignited, especially since dragon vein runes are rare treasures with high value and unique uses.

Soon, a large group of cultivators left the tent and rushed out of the camp.

Chen Lingfeng's face turned pale with anger.

Lu Hongtu watched the departing backs of the Heaven and Earth Ghosts, his gaze profound.

Chen Lingfeng transmitted his thoughts via divine sense: "Lu Hongtu, now it's great; less than ten people remain. If Lord Long returns, you answer to him!"

Lu Hongtu smiled and gently clapped his hands. "Everyone, let's discuss attacking Liangzhu Kingdom's follow-up forces."

"Currently, Liangzhu Kingdom's main heavy armor forces are busy removing their ironhide armor and resting."

"Liangzhu Kingdom's follow-up forces are those who didn't meet the selection criteria. We need to全力消灭这股力量!"

"If we let them regroup, it would be our failure."

Lu Hongtu's proposal was fully endorsed by the remaining cultivators.

These individuals were almost all barbarian cultivators.

Compared to the demons and heretics who hid in Thousand Peaks Forest for refuge, and the free-spirited demonic cultivators, the native majority of Thousand Peaks Forest are barbarian cultivators.

The deities worshipped by the barbarians are also the stubborn defenders occupying the mountains and waters of Thousand Peaks Forest.

This group is the most loyal and reliable core force.

"However, even if we wipe out the follow-up forces, it's only a side skirmish."

"The true key to this great battle remains the Deification-level conflict."

"Old Monster in the Stone, it's up to you now!"

Lu Hongtu had a clear and profound understanding of the situation.

***

At the edge of the great battle's battlefield.

The Mechanical Roaming Dragon shrank small, hiding in a dense tree canopy.

Sun Lingtong excitedly took out the Old Monster in the Stone's corpse. "Next, it's time for us to act."

But in the next moment, Ning Zhuo felt a sharp pain in his finger.

The Mechanical Ring!

"Huh?!" Ning Zhuo was instantly startled.

The Mechanical Ring contracted with unprecedented force, almost feeling like it would crush his finger bone.

"Wait!" Ning Zhuo immediately called out to stop Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong looked at him puzzled, then saw Ning Zhuo raising his hand.

The Mechanical Ring was tightly constricting, deforming Ning Zhuo's finger.

Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo shared a life-and-death bond, so he naturally knew the ring's secrets. His pupils contracted as he guessed, "The Mechanical Ring is warning us? Telling us that continuing this action will lead to severe misfortune?"

Ning Zhuo looked at the ring. "I think we should play it safe and not appear as the Old Monster in the Stone again."

As if sensing Ning Zhuo's change of heart, the Mechanical Ring immediately returned to normal.

Sun Lingtong's face turned serious, no longer joking.

His mind quick, he grasped the key point. "Oh, I see."

"What happened on Bikong Mountain before has probably been leaked."

"That Void Evil God Bone is a more hidden existence, stored there for years without anyone knowing the secret. Thus, the Old Monster in the Stone will be estimated as a Deification-level being."

Ning Zhuo nodded and continued, "Originally, the campaign against Thousand Peaks Forest was just a Deification-level contest between the Whisker Dragon King and Du Tiechuan."

"Although there's the Deification-level National Beast Twin-Headed Badger, previous battles showed it's not the key factor."

"So, the Old Monster in the Stone, a Deification-level demonic cultivator staying out of it, has become a concern for both sides!"

Sun Lingtong sighed. "The Old Monster in the Stone and the Whisker Dragon King have similar origins, and the former's experience devouring Treasure Rock fragments is widely known."

"If we impersonate him and go to the battlefield, we might be targeted by both Du Tiechuan and the Whisker Dragon King."

At this point in their exchange, both Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong broke out in a cold sweat.

"Looking at it this way, although Du Tiechuan and the Whisker Dragon King fought fiercely, drawing blood with every move, they still held back."

"After all, they've been guarding against the Old Monster in the Stone all along."

"Was the Whisker Dragon King's retreat partly an act?"

"And Du Tiechuan, after the battle, built a large camp and announced he was resting in seclusion, only occasionally issuing orders. Is he also lying in wait?"

At this, Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

A while later, Ning Zhuo obediently returned to Liu Er and Zhang Hei, harvesting Dragon Whiskers with them.

Three days passed like this.

***

"Dragon Blood, such a large pool of Dragon Blood." Luo Xiwei, having tunneled in via earth escape technique under a pile of rubble, looked quite excited.

He was a demonic cultivator, holding a five-section staff, skilled in earth-element spells.

Long before the Heaven and Earth Ghosts spread word about treasures on the battlefield, he had already been sneaking onto the battlefield to scavenge for gains.

Yellowish Dragon Blood had seeped deep underground, soaking a stone, causing it to emit a soft glow, and its hard surface became pliable, even somewhat elastic.

Luo Xiwei canceled his earth escape technique and reached out to take it.

Suddenly, a beam of icy light shot through the layers of rubble, striking him with lightning speed!

Luo Xiwei had no time to react before being frozen in place.

His eyes wide, a terrified expression凝固 on his face, completely encased in thick ice.

North Dark Freezing Light!

At the camp's edge, the cold light from a watchtower slowly faded. It had just shot a white beam, freezing the Golden Core cultivator Luo Xiwei to death.

Instantly, cultivators inside and outside the camp were shaken, casting probing glances.

Next, a thread of flame circled mid-air, nimble and agile, drilling into the rubble.

Soon, the agonized scream of a cultivator being burned to death echoed.

Parting Life and Death Fire!

This was a fierce attack launched from another watchtower.

After realizing what happened, the cultivators erupted in an uproar.

The frightened cultivators of Thousand Peaks Forest fled frantically using various methods.

White beams shot out one after another!

Meanwhile, threads of flame circled in the air, seeking out enemies to pursue.

Many Thousand Peaks Forest cultivators paid with their lives for their greed.

***

That night.

Upon receiving the military report, Du Tiechuan looked displeased.

These results meant nothing to him.

"The real key is still the Old Monster in the Stone."

"Since he's not showing up, we'll have to forget it."

Du Tiechuan coughed twice, each cough bringing up yellowish blood.

He waved his sleeve, fully closing the chamber door.

Having delayed this long without luring out the Old Monster in the Stone, Du Tiechuan chose to give up and truly began healing his wounds.

(End of )