Chapter 442

The great array surrounding the Pillar Tree was withdrawn.

Mo Yuan and the other three Nascent Soul cultivators waved their hands, collecting the array flags, array disks, and so on back into their storage bags.

The three cultivators turned into rainbows and flew into the sky, heading toward their sect's base.

On the way back, Cave Master Mo Xin communicated via spiritual sense, expressing his confusion: "Great Cave Master, the three of us came together, and we have strength in numbers. Why was it necessary to take out a heavy treasure like the Western Pure Land and give it to the Old Monster in the Stone?"

"We could have completely forced him to sign the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King's divine decree!"

A cold light flashed in Lu Hongtu's eyes.

"Did you not feel it?"

"On the Old Monster in the Stone, there was already a trace of Soul Transformation-level aura!"

Cave Master Mo Xin and Cave Master Xue Ying were both stunned.

Cave Master Mo Xin said with uncertainty: "Could it be that the Old Monster in the Stone has already advanced to the Soul Transformation stage?"

Lu Hongtu shook his head slightly.

"This cultivator was born a ten-thousand-year earth spirit, and his own accumulation is extremely profound. However, he once swallowed a fragment of the Treasure-Dividing Rock."

"Although he gained the divine ability of the Stone Casting Earth Treasure, this fortuitous encounter was not without its drawbacks—it greatly dragged down his cultivation speed."

This was a very common situation.

Cultivators, in the course of their cultivation, must face this difficult choice.

That is, to increase cultivation power, or to master divine abilities and techniques?

If cultivation is increased, one's own foundation will be strengthened, and there will be growth in all aspects.

But if one only has cultivation without divine abilities and techniques to rely on, the cultivator's combat power is very worrying.

Having deep spiritual power but no combat ability makes it very difficult to survive when encountering disasters.

But if one focuses on divine abilities and techniques, spending a lot of time and energy on them, it will also drag down the progress of one's own cultivation.

Once cultivation progress is too slow, by the time the lifespan limit is reached, if the cultivator has not broken through to the next stage... that is equivalent to seeking one's own death.

Therefore, choosing cultivation or choosing divine abilities and techniques has never been a single-choice question.

As a normal cultivator, one must take care of both.

But which is lighter and which is heavier, and what to choose as the focus of cultivation at what time, varies from person to person.

After the Old Monster in the Stone swallowed the fragment of the Treasure-Dividing Rock, he made rapid progress in divine abilities and techniques, undergoing a qualitative change!

But this miraculous divine ability also dragged down the progress of his cultivation.

Lu Hongtu knew quite a bit about this.

He shook his head.

"If the Old Monster in the Stone had advanced to the Soul Transformation stage, his attitude toward us would not be like this."

"It can only be said that he is on the verge of Soul Transformation, facing the critical stage of breakthrough."

"Under these circumstances, my sending out the Western Pure Land is just right."

Cave Master Mo Xin and Cave Master Xue Ying immediately understood.

Facing the Old Monster in the Stone who was about to undergo Soul Transformation, Cave Master Mo Yuan needed to show goodwill.

If the Old Monster in the Stone were to advance to Soul Transformation in the future, and Cave Master Mo Yuan had previously had friction with him, he would inevitably face pressure and not fare well.

It was better to send out the Western Pure Land now.

The Old Monster in the Stone's true form was a ten-thousand-year earth spirit, and a treasure of earth-travel merit like the Western Pure Land was extremely helpful to him and could bring about a qualitative change.

This would greatly increase the possibility of him advancing to the Soul Transformation stage.

The grudge between Lu Hongtu and the Old Monster in the Stone was not a deep hatred. If this treasure was sent out and the Old Monster in the Stone succeeded in his advancement in the future, they would inevitably bury the hatchet, and he would even owe Great Cave Master Mo Yuan a favor.

Even if the Old Monster in the Stone failed his advancement, the Western Pure Land would still have a great effect on him.

Great Cave Master Mo Yuan's favor would still exist.

And it would also sound very good if it spread.

Great Cave Master Mo Yuan had not forced other Nascent Soul cultivators to join the Thousand Peaks Forest's grand alliance.

Instead, he had taken the initiative to give out a heavy treasure like the Western Pure Land, achieving cooperation through inducement. In this way, Cave Master Mo Yuan was sacrificing himself for others, actively giving up his own interests for the future of the entire Thousand Peaks Forest; this was a move of high moral character!

It is worth mentioning that the Six-Cave Sect was not a purely demonic force, but was both righteous and evil.

Lu Hongtu had a deep insight into the overall situation; he knew that to deal with the native forces of the Thousand Peaks Forest, one must have a tough and overbearing side, so he absorbed Nascent Soul cultivators like Mo Xin and Xue Ying.

At the same time, he also understood that if they were only tough, overbearing, and vicious, it would be equivalent to cutting themselves off from the outside world, and such a Six-Cave Sect would have no future.

Therefore, he also absorbed the other two cave masters, actively establishing good relationships with the outside world.

The demonic and overbearing nature of the Six-Cave Sect was mostly used internally, which helped them gain a firm foothold in the Thousand Peaks Forest. Their righteous conduct allowed them to generate more connections with the outside world, helping them exchange for countless cultivation resources.

Possessing channels to communicate with the outside world allowed the Six-Cave Sect to use the resources of the Thousand Peaks Forest to conduct extensive contact, trade, and friendship with outside forces. On the other hand, they sold outside resources to large and small forces within the Thousand Peaks Forest, making a fortune and gradually achieving a transcendent status.

This was all the result of Lu Hongtu's management!

At this moment, this Cave Master Mo Yuan was calculating the future.

"If the Old Monster in the Stone can really break through to Soul Transformation, then he and the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King will inevitably have a battle!"

As the only Soul Transformation-level existence in the Thousand Peaks Ridge, the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King had been entrenched here, operating for countless years, with deep roots and numerous believers.

One mountain cannot hold two tigers.

If the Old Monster in the Stone wanted to continue practicing in the Thousand Peaks Ridge, he would inevitably involve the earth veins of the Thousand Peaks Forest, which would seriously touch upon the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King's base.

"At that time, when two tigers fight, one will surely be injured!"

Cave Master Mo Yuan thought of this, his eyes filled with brilliance, and his heart was moved.

"Does an opportunity for me exist within this?"

"However, all of this will have to wait until the conquering army of the two-kingdom kingdom has retreated..."

At the bottom of the cave.

After the stone ball had been silent for a long time, it finally began to loosen.

Crack, crack.

Cracks appeared on the surface of the stone ball.

The cracks spread rapidly, finally breaking open, and Sun and Ning crawled out from within.

After confirming that the three Nascent Soul cultivators had all left, they still waited patiently for a period of time before crawling out.

"So exciting, it was truly too exciting!" Sun Lingtong's stone clothing had already been broken by Ning Zhuo.

He had reapplied a layer of medicinal mud and was currently free to move.

Even a demonic cultivator like Sun Lingtong, who loved to pursue excitement, was limp all over at this moment and could not muster a shred of strength.

The situation just now was too dangerous; a moment of carelessness, a single mistake in response, would have allowed the three Nascent Soul cultivators to see through them.

The consequences for Sun and Ning at that time were unimaginable!

A strong feeling of lingering fear enveloped Sun Lingtong's body and mind, making him not want to move for a while.

Ning Zhuo's gaze was focused on the ground nearby, where there was a handful of Western Pure Land.

The interaction with the three Nascent Soul cultivators had some things within his expectations and some that were beyond his expectations.

Ning Zhuo had not expected Lu Hongtu to take out the Western Pure Land, nor had he expected that they would be forced to sign the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King's divine decree.

"From this, it can be seen that Lu Hongtu came prepared!"

"According to the intelligence collected, this person has an excellent grasp of the overall situation and was actually able to pay out of his own pocket to unite with other Nascent Soul cultivators."

"Furthermore, under the immense pressure of the two-kingdom kingdom's conquering army, the Thousand Peaks Forest is changing its old state of being filled with independent strongholds, and a large number of figures and forces here are rapidly integrating."

Ning Zhuo immediately confirmed the change in the situation in the Thousand Peaks Forest from this matter.

In such a time of crisis, having a powerful leader is truly critical.

Because of the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King, the Thousand Peaks Forest avoided the situation of being a scattered mess.

The Ginseng-Beard Dragon King was the local deity. Based on the characteristics of a deity, and as the greatest beneficiary, He Himself was inevitably the most determined defender in the Thousand Peaks Forest.

At the same time, He was also at the Soul Transformation level, the strongest combat power.

Therefore, various cultivators and forces who did not want to become homeless dogs were gathering around this backbone and were actively uniting.

Lu Hongtu bringing the divine decree made it easier for Sun and Ning to muddle through.

But this benefit was also a disadvantage.

Currently, both Sun and Ning had signed the divine decree and were under the control of others.

Just now, Sun and Ning had used the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat and the Stone Casting Earth Treasure divine ability to merge themselves with the stone ball, being seen by heaven and earth as a complete fetus.

Sun Lingtong's acting, Ning Zhuo's control, and the stone ball's own disguise were all indispensable.

The three parties merged into one, and with the help of the profoundness of the "Heaven-Born Earth-Nurtured Fetal Breath Great Art," they had fooled the three Nascent Soul-level cultivators, Mo Yuan and the others.

Mo Yuan forced the Old Monster in the Stone to sign the divine decree, and Sun and Ning had no choice but to comply.

Their spiritual senses were mixed together, and through the disguise of the Stone Casting Earth Treasure divine ability, they came into contact with the divine decree together, knowing the clear decree within. Finally, they used their spiritual senses to sign this divine decree.

Therefore, the divine decree constrained Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong, and the stone ball simultaneously.

"What should we do next?" Ning Zhuo felt worried about this.

Sun Lingtong asked directly: "Little Zhuo, do you feel we can break this divine decree?"

Ning Zhuo's expression was heavy; he shook his head slowly and said in a low voice: "This is a Soul Transformation-level method. Although it is not impossible to break, the price to be paid is truly too huge."

"If we seek help from the two-kingdom military, we will inevitably expose our itinerary, leak our trump cards, and the secret that the Old Monster in the Stone is already dead."

"According to the secret operation Lu Hongtu revealed earlier, the Thousand Peaks Forest must have planted many eyes and ears within the two-kingdom army."

"Therefore, they were able to learn the major military intelligence that the new army in Canglin Immortal City was about to set off."

"If we seek help from the two-kingdom military, there is no one we can trust."

"It is very likely that our intelligence will be leaked. If the Thousand Peaks Forest side learns of this matter, and we have already signed the divine decree, then a single thought from the Ginseng-Beard Dragon King would be enough to leave us without a place to be buried."

Sun Lingtong fell into silence.

What Ning Zhuo said made a lot of sense.

Sun Lingtong sighed: "Yes, we have suffered so much, paid such a huge price, and finally obtained a staggering amount of wealth."

"Even if the two-kingdom military doesn't leak this secret, if we want to break the constraints of a Soul Transformation-level divine decree, I'm afraid the wealth we just obtained will be consumed entirely."

"If we run into some unscrupulous people who raise prices on the spot, we might even have to pay a higher price."

"If the two-kingdom commander Du Tiechuan knows we possess the Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon, I'm afraid he will force us to continuously head deep into the Thousand Peaks Forest to spy on military intelligence!"

"Then, what about returning to the South Bean Kingdom?"

Sun Lingtong had just said this when he shook his head himself.

There was simply not enough time.

According to the time requirement on the divine decree, the new army in Canglin Immortal City was to set off in four days.

At that time, Sun and Ning must participate in the attack on the two-kingdom army with all their might, complying with the divine decree, and not violating it, to have a chance of surviving.

"Sigh, what else can we do? Let's just take it one step at a time." Ning Zhuo shook his head.

"Don't mine the rest of the Old Monster in the Stone's body. This is part of the divine decree's constraint; it can be seen as our two bodies."

"If we two take action in the future and it doesn't match the full state when the divine decree was signed, and we are deemed not to have gone all out, that would be terrible."

Sun and Ning consulted briefly, and having no other way, they could only continue with their previous actions.

After Ning Zhuo realized the complete divine ability of the Stone Casting Earth Treasure, he cooperated with Sun Lingtong to dig out the entire stone ball.

The two did not mine it, but stuffed it directly into the Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon.

Finally, they rode the Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon, traveled through the void again, and returned to the vicinity of Canglin Immortal City.

The Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon had become even more dilapidated.

It had already been fifty percent damaged before, and after a round trip, the outer shell was severely damaged, and many dragon scales were lost.

There were also many places where petrification had occurred.

Ning Zhuo used the dilapidated Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon as a belt, wrapped it around his waist, walked slowly all the way, and returned to the Three Generals Camp again.

"The military advisor is back!" When the soldiers saw Ning Zhuo, they took the initiative to salute and greet him.

Ning Zhuo had previously shocked the entire field on the platform with his Tree World Descent spell, and thus gained the respect of the entire army.

Ning Zhuo observed the training of the three generals, Liu, Guan, and Zhang.

Seeing that they had not noticed at all that he had misappropriated public funds, he shook his head secretly.

These three generals were truly bold.

He returned to his tent and calculated the account book.

Midway, he stopped his pen and sighed.

Not long ago, his life was hanging by a thread, but now he was in his tent, and outside the tent were the occasional shouts of the three generals and the cries of the cultivators; a sense of security welled up.

Ning Zhuo had a feeling of being in another world, an unreal feeling.

"The military intelligence of the two-kingdom kingdom has been leaked, and the Thousand Peaks Forest side is about to ambush the new army."

"I am the military advisor of the Three Generals Camp; when the time comes, I will inevitably march with them and thus become a target for an ambush by a group of Nascent Soul and Jin Dan cultivators."

"What's even more deadly is that I also signed a divine decree with Boss Sun, and I must deal with the two-kingdom kingdom, and it has to be the kind where I go all out!"

"What should I do about this?"

This really made Ning Zhuo feel troubled.

At this moment, the tent curtain was lifted, and Liu Er walked in.

Seeing Ning Zhuo looking worried, Liu Er immediately showed a kind smile: "Military advisor, it is truly difficult for you to manage the account book."

Ning Zhuo quickly stood up and saluted.

Liu Er waved his hand, kindly indicating that they were all their own people and did not need such empty rituals.

Liu Er did not put on airs, and his way of dealing with people was like a spring breeze, which indeed made Ning Zhuo feel relieved.

Ning Zhuo sighed: "The military accounts can be calculated clearly, but the prospects are worrying, my lord."

"Currently, our military funds can only last for three months."

In reality, Ning Zhuo had misappropriated a large amount of spirit stones, and it was no longer enough to support them for three months.

He had not yet had time to balance the accounts.

Ning Zhuo added: "And in the process of calculating the accounts, my heart was touched, and I had many bad premonitions."

"I feel the prospects are dim, which is why I sighed deeply and felt low."

Liu Er heard this and immediately became interested: "For the military advisor to have such a feeling, could it be that you have the ability to divine?"

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly: "To say I am a diviner, I dare not claim such a title."

"But I have indeed practiced one or two methods of divination, and I am most proficient in array-based calculation."

"My lord, please allow me to use some military funds to set up an array to calculate the prospects of our Three Generals Camp!"

Liu Er quickly asked about the cost.

Ning Zhuo gave a number.

Liu Er fell into hesitation. Military funds were already scarce, and if this were to be spent on divination, they wouldn't even be able to last for three months.

"These military funds do not belong to me alone; I must consult with my second and third brothers," Liu Er replied after thinking for a while.

Ning Zhuo reached out: "Please discuss it as soon as possible, my lord; there is no time to lose."

Liu Er nodded and sighed: "I will go ask them now; military advisor, please wait a moment."

Liu Er left the tent to find Zhang Hei and Guan Hong, who were still training the troops.

Seeing him act this way, Ning Zhuo knew that he no longer needed to repay the accounts in the Three Generals Camp.