: Navigating the Battlefield

"Nine Heavens Fire Dragon Technique..." Gu Ya watched as his wolf pack was decimated by the fire dragons, a flicker of surprise crossing his mind. "Is Ning Zhuo's strength even greater than the intelligence suggested?"

Controlling three fire dragons encircling oneself, creating a sea of flames that incinerates all life around while remaining unharmed, required immense and precise control. After all, this was an offensive spell; a slight mishap could backfire and harm the caster. Yet, judging by Ning Zhuo's counterattack, his control was meticulous and effortless, achieving defense through offense.

Defense through offense! Those who regularly practiced spells knew how difficult this was to accomplish.

"The intelligence said Ning Zhuo is only sixteen or seventeen. At that age, while primarily cultivating mechanist arts, how does he find the time to diligently practice spells?" It was this miscalculation that led Gu Ya to willingly "sacrifice" a wave of his wolf troops.

As he hesitated whether to send another group of mountain wolves against Ning Zhuo, the pressure on the front lines intensified sharply. He immediately pushed thoughts of dealing with Ning Zhuo aside and focused entirely on commanding his main force.

Roar!

The three fire dragons soared freely—one clearing the path ahead, the other two flanking Ning Zhuo. The dragons blazed brilliantly, their flames raging fiercely, yet they always maintained a safe distance from Ning Zhuo himself.

Five Viscera Temple Divine Art — Fire Heart Temple! Much of Ning Zhuo's spiritual sense had taken residence within the Heart Temple, where the idol resembled his own form. By utilizing the heart to control fire, all fire-based spells he cast were elevated to a level of exquisite control.

Thanks to the three fire dragons carving out space on the battlefield, Ning Zhuo could successively deploy mechanized puppets and reorganize his forces. While controlling the dragons, he also commanded his mechanized army, navigating through the chaotic battlefield. If he had held a static position, he might have gained a local advantage, but traversing the battlefield meant encountering various powerful enemies.

The fire dragons persisted for a short while in the mid-section of the battlefield before their power gradually waned, eventually being completely exhausted.

Art of War — Bluffing! Mu Lan once again drew her bow, aiming at the Blood Shadow Cave Master.

Blood Shadow Cave Master: ?!

Startled, he慌乱 retreated, riding a streak of blood light as he穿梭 across the sky above the battlefield.

North Ming Freezing Light! Parting Life and Death Fire! Dozens of icy beams and deadly lines of fire shot towards the Blood Shadow Cave Master.

Although the front-line fortress walls of the Two Pillars Kingdom had a large breach, most of the heavy weaponry remained intact, still possessing significant offensive capability. While the Blood Shadow Cave Master could withstand the attacks, he had no desire to waste his Nascent Soul power resisting the artillery. The intensity of the battle was becoming increasingly taxing, forcing him to conserve energy wherever possible. Thus, he毫不犹豫 descended to the ground.

The artillery ceased targeting him, primarily because the ground was crowded with his own forces. Reckless bombardment risked friendly fire, which could easily shake morale and reduce combat effectiveness. The Blood Shadow Cave Master, however, had no such concerns.

Upon landing, he was immediately assaulted from all sides. With a cold snort, he flung out hundreds of blood pearls around him.

Bang, bang, bang... The pearls exploded consecutively, killing or severely injuring the surrounding cultivators. The area around the Blood Shadow Cave Master was instantly cleared.

He spread his arms, threw back his head, and took a deep breath. The next moment, vast amounts of blood energy were drawn from the corpses and wounds of the fallen cultivators, coalescing into his body. The blood aura around him thickened once more.

Enemies and allies alike, realizing what happened, cursed loudly and concentrated their attacks on him. The Blood Shadow Cave Master snorted coldly, pointed a finger, and a streak of blood light shot forth, piercing through the several barbarian cultivators charging at the forefront. He then took to the air again, returning to the fray within the fortress walls.

The blood light he unleashed pierced through the battlefield diagonally, finally striking the rear of Ning Zhuo's mechanized army. In an instant, all mechanized puppets in its path were destroyed, their remains contaminated by blood poison that also affected nearby puppets.

Ning Zhuo acted decisively, abandoning all puppets tainted by the blood poison.

"Blood Shadow Cave Master!" Sun Lingtong exclaimed softly within the dragon-head cabin, a look of hatred flashing in his eyes. He hadn't forgotten the attack he suffered from the Blood Shadow Cave Master during his previous reconnaissance of the Six Caves Sect's main gate.

Ning Zhuo's expression turned grave as he realized once more, "The white-hot intensity of the battlefield and the ever-present threat of death push every cultivator to their limits. Gu Ya is like this, and so is the Blood Shadow Cave Master! Thankfully, I'm in the mid-section of the battlefield, not the core zone."

Recently, Ning Zhuo had been cultivating intensively using the Fetal Breath Spiritual Junk, causing his physical foundation to surge dramatically. This allowed him to sustain more enhancements from the 'Warrior's Return' technique. However, based on previous battles, his combat effectiveness ceiling remained at the Golden Core level. The core battle area was clearly a meat grinder for Nascent Soul cultivators; Ning Zhuo saw no need to venture there and invite trouble.

Leading his mechanized puppets, Ning Zhuo continued his approach towards Lin You.

Mo Yechen rode his tamed myna, flying over the battlefield. As the battle raged on, his opponent was no longer Li Jiuqu, but had become the demon cultivator Bai Ling. Bai Ling's true form was a white crane, a natural flier with impeccable aerial skills. The two clashed while simultaneously defending against countless attacks from the ground.

The ground battle gathered the most soldiers, while the sky belonged only to the strong. This was because the intensity of spellcasting on the ground was lower to avoid collateral damage. In the sky, however, spells could be concentrated easily. One challenge of ascending to high altitudes was becoming a convenient target for enemy ranged spells. Only the strongest cultivators could withstand such concentrated fire. Conversely, those who dominated the skies could exert significant pressure on ground forces. Thus, from the onset of the melee, both sides fiercely contested control of the aerial battlefield.

Divine Ability — Crane Cry Across the Marshes! Bai Ling suddenly halted mid-air, craning her neck to let out a long cry. A powerful soundwave erupted, rapidly expanding in all directions. Mo Yechen retreated hastily, while other soldiers were sent stumbling; many cultivators perished instantly. In the latter part of the soundwave, countless cultivators suffered from Qi deviation.

Retreat! Ning Zhuo quickly withdrew, abandoning most of his mechanized puppets. The divine ability wreaked havoc in his sea of consciousness, leaving him pale. Raging Plains Healing Flame! He formed hand seals, igniting a flame within his sea of consciousness. The harmful thoughts generated by Bai Ling's divine ability were incinerated by the flames, while Ning Zhuo's own thoughts remained intact.

Ning Zhuo exhaled a turbid breath, steadying himself once more. Before the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts battle, dealing with the residual effects of Bai Ling's divine ability would have been troublesome, as the 'My Buddha, Heart Demon Seal' only activated at critical moments. Now, however, Ning Zhuo could handle such nuisances with his own methods.

Reaching into his storage bag, Ning Zhuo swung his arm, replenishing his mechanized army. His spiritual sense probed the bottom of the bag, realizing half of his reserves were already depleted—an unprecedented level of loss. Expanding his sense to his surroundings, he noted with frustration that his active charge had, ironically, increased the distance to Lin You. The constant pressure and sudden attacks during the charge had forced him and his army to constantly divert their path, resulting in a meandering route that drifted further from his objective rather than closing the gap.

Undeterred, Ning Zhuo took a deep breath, his resolve firm, and launched another charge.

Three-Layered Li Fire Shield! Earthen Armor, Stone Slab! Fire and earth defensive spells enveloped him as the 'Warrior's Return' technique continuously boosted his combat power. He could clearly feel the pressure on him rapidly easing.

Wood Element — Root and Vine Entanglement! Vines erupted from the ground, instantly strangling over a dozen barbarian cultivators. Earth Element — Earth Python! A giant, yellow-brown serpent composed of earth and stone, thick as an ancient tree trunk, swept across the battlefield, swatting away several boar demons and clearing a path for Ning Zhuo. Fire Element — Nine Heavens Fire Dragon Technique! Three fire dragons reappeared, roaring as they ignited a fiery domain, dissolving the encirclement around Ning Zhuo and turning danger into safety.

"I'm still getting stronger!" Ning Zhuo felt a surge of excitement. The power of his current Nine Heavens Fire Dragon Technique was noticeably greater than before. With the dragons leading the way, cultivators too slow to evade screamed as they were consumed by the flames.

Ning Zhuo's performance as he traversed the battlefield grew increasingly impressive, finally drawing significant attention. Three Golden Core enemy cultivators blocked his path, combining their spells to create a vast expanse of sword light that illuminated the world. Mechanized puppets were sliced into countless fragments within the light; Ning Zhuo's army was halved in an instant.

Ning Zhuo snorted coldly, stamped his foot, and clapped his hands together before his chest. Wood Element — Tree Realm Descent! Towering ancient trees erupted from the ground, forming a vast forest. The area around Ning Zhuo was utterly transformed within breaths. The ancient trees acted as natural barriers against the sharp sword light, though they were eventually chopped into countless wooden chunks. The sword light, having expended much of its energy, significantly weakened.

Seizing the respite, Ning Zhuo replenished his mechanized puppets and led his army forward! A barrage of Five Elements spells rained down upon the three Golden Core enemies. The three hurriedly defended with protective spells, struggling to withstand the assault and looking disheveled. As they prepared to counterattack, Ning Zhuo opened his mouth and spat.

Metal Element Spell — Mystical Gold Slash! A golden lightning bolt, sharp and unstoppable, pierced through one of the Golden Core cultivators before he could even cry out, killing him instantly. The remaining two were stunned. Ning Zhuo repeated the technique, spitting out two more golden lightning bolts that shot them down as well.

Huff, huff, huff! Ning Zhuo breathed heavily, his mana depleted to a critical level. He hastily swallowed a pill, restoring his mana reserves. Spells like Mystical Gold Slash, which he had focused on after mastering the Metal Lung Temple, were immensely powerful but equally costly. Of course, when casting this spell, he also channeled spiritual focus into the Metal Lung Temple,叠加 the offensive power and allowing him to kill three Golden Core enemies consecutively.

Witnessing his formidable display, some enemy cultivators began actively avoiding him. Having successfully established his might, Ning Zhuo felt the resistance ahead diminish significantly. He pressed forward unimpeded, rapidly closing the distance to Lin You.

"Stop right there!" A demon cultivator with an eagle's head and a human body shrieked sharply, intercepting Ning Zhuo. It was Chen Lingfeng! Hailing from Wind Pillar Peak, his talent was so exceptional that he caught the attention of the Whiskered Dragon King and was nurtured accordingly, becoming one of Long Ye's right-hand men.

Wind Element — Hundred Blades Storm! The next moment, Chen Lingfeng thrust his palms forward, unleashing a torrent of mana that transformed into over a hundred wind blades swirling towards Ning Zhuo. Ning Zhuo activated defensive spells to protect himself, but his mechanized army was decimated, with less than ten percent surviving. Chen Lingfeng's combat prowess was extraordinary, at the peak of the Golden Core level; this single strike nearly annihilated his entire force.

Art of War — Warrior's Return Technique. Ning Zhuo's combat power rose once again.

Mechanism — Heavy Blood Ape: Yuan Dasheng. Mechanism — Shadowblade: Meng Yehu. Ning Zhuo's expression was solemn. Knowing Chen Lingfeng's formidable strength, he understood that while he could hold his own in a one-on-one fight, breaking through his blockade required strong reinforcements. And he had them! Thus, he directly deployed his two powerful generals.

One was nearly two zhang tall, armored heavily with Red Sun Copper, Ten Thousand Strikes Mystical Iron, and Diamond Stone, focused on defense—Yuan Dasheng. The other was entirely dark, adorned with silvery-white light strips, standing eight chi tall with a tiger's head and a human body, exuding a sinister and domineering aura—Meng Yehu.

Wind blades袭来 again. Yuan Dasheng stepped forward, shielding Ning Zhuo like a solid wall. He raised his arms before his face, crouching slightly. "Lord, your servant will ensure your safety."

"Mm." Ning Zhuo nodded slightly, then glanced towards Meng Yehu on the other side and softly commanded, "Go."

Meng Yehu: "Yes, Father God." He acknowledged respectfully, activated a talisman to vanish from sight, and stealthily advanced towards Chen Lingfeng.

Chen Lingfeng's face was stern, his eyes narrowed, ears perked, and spiritual sense active as he immediately cast a spell. Wind Element — Listen to the Wind, Gauge the Position! From the myriad chaotic sounds, he accurately pinpointed Meng Yehu's footsteps. Several wind blades shot forth, forcing Meng Yehu to defend and reveal himself.

Although Meng Yehu's sneak attack failed and his assault was hindered, Ning Zhuo was not束手. With two Golden Core-level mechanisms securing his position, he replenished his mechanized puppets while casting spells for ranged attacks. While his current combat power hadn't reached the peak of Golden Core, it was sufficient to threaten Chen Lingfeng, who had to summon gusts to retreat, unwilling to硬抗 the spell bombardment.

After several exchanges, the battle zone they created forced other cultivators from both sides to keep their distance. After a few rounds of offense and defense, both Ning Zhuo and Chen Lingfeng were panting heavily.

"Truly one of the top Golden Core experts among the Thousand Peaks Allied Forces!" Ning Zhuo sighed in admiration.

Chen Lingfeng, however, was somewhat shocked. "A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator can fight me to a standstill... Is this the pinnacle of human talent? I, too, am a genius among demons!" His competitive spirit was ignited. Since childhood, his talent had been recognized by the Whiskered Dragon King, a source of his pride.

Innate Talent — Frenzied Wind Bone! A chaotic wind erupted from his bones, billowing out through all 42,877 pores on his body, ruffling his fur and slightly dilating his pupils.

(End of )