Chapter 537: Ten-Mile Burning Forest

Two-Note Kingdom, frontline camp.

A military council is currently underway.

"Everyone, the current specific situation is just like this." A Jin Dan-level general has just finished speaking.

The rest of the group begins to discuss.

"Ever since our army camp was established, there have been petty thieves constantly sneaking into the surroundings to scavenge for spoils of war. Previously, because our weaponry showed its power, we killed quite a batch of them, but I didn't expect that there are still people who refuse to give up."

"If I were the enemy and discovered that there were Glazed Heart Blood, Ginseng Root Wall Soil, and Dragon-Pattern Talismans here, I would also be tempted and take the risk."

"It is truly shameful. The enemy discovered these three treasures before us, yet we were slow to realize it."

"Those who discovered these three treasures are the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts. Not only do these two hail from the Soul-Devouring Sect, but the combined power of their supernatural abilities is terrifying and quite extraordinary. It is not surprising that they were the first to discover them."

"Hmph! The Soul-Devouring Sect is too bold. Our kingdom is punishing the unjust, yet they actually dare to interfere in our kingdom's affairs; their crimes deserve death!"

The officers and soldiers are all very dissatisfied with the Soul-Devouring Sect.

After cursing and complaining for a while, they stop mentioning it.

Because everyone knows that the Two-Note Kingdom is not a major power, and the Soul-Devouring Sect's base is far from the Two-Note Kingdom. Facing such a super sect, the Two-Note Kingdom ultimately just demands an explanation and lets it go.

"If we can collect the Heart Blood and Wall Soil, perhaps they can serve as clues to divine the location of the Ginseng-Whiskered Dragon King."

"They can also be used as materials for curses."

"One can only say it is better than nothing; currently, our army has no such experts."

The crowd falls slightly silent.

An old general speaks up: "These two treasures are not the key. Even if they are obtained by the enemy, they will not damage the overall situation. What is truly important is the Dragon-Shaped Talisman; it cannot be destroyed. The longer it remains in this battlefield, the more advantageous it is for our army."

"Agreed!"

"I concur."

"Indeed, that is so."

The generals nod one after another.

There are many large and small deities in the Thousand Peaks Forest, so it possesses powerful geographical advantages.

Once the Dragon-Shaped Talisman merges into the earth veins, it will diminish the enemy's geographical advantage.

The generals reach a consensus, all deciding to first arrange for troops and powerhouses to specifically guard this giant Dragon-Shaped Talisman. Then, once the army has spare capacity, various defensive facilities can be laid deep underground.

"Among all the current armies, the Three Generals Camp has recovered the fastest and is in the best state. Let them be responsible for guarding the Dragon-Shaped Talisman; this is the most appropriate choice."

"Correct."

"Agreed!"

The generals reach a consensus once again.

However, the next moment, Zhao Xi, who has been silent, chuckles aloud.

He looks around the room, his eyes filled with mockery and disdain.

"Too late." He speaks lightly, "Before this council even began, I had already issued the marching order to them."

"At this point in time, I presume they have already officially left the camp."

"What?!" The generals are astonished.

The old general from before frowns: "Lord Zhao, guarding the Dragon-Shaped Talisman is a very important matter."

Zhao Xi sneers once again: "Therefore, your army can go do this task."

The old general spreads his hands: "But our army has not yet fully rested and can hardly have combat power, Lord Zhao."

Zhao Xi narrows his eyes, staring at the old general: "So, you want to plead guilty to me. You indeed have a crime; why is it that until now, your army is still resting? Yet an army like the Three Generals Camp is much earlier than you? Are you being too slack?"

The old general's expression changes; he immediately stands up, cups his hands, and explains the situation with a grave face.

No one echoes his words, because the armies to which these generals belong are also in a state of rest.

Army Supervisor Zhao Xi scans the room: "Our army is stationed in the central area of the Thousand Peaks Forest, surrounded by enemies on all sides; taking the initiative is better than defending. The Three Generals Camp has performed excellently and should naturally shoulder the heavy responsibility of the offensive. Whoever has objections can use their own army to replace them."

The room is deathly silent.

Zhao Xi laughs loudly three times, slowly stands up, glances coldly at them, then walks away with his hands behind his back.

Although Du Tiechuan is in seclusion, he has confidants and loyalists who are dissatisfied with Zhao Xi seizing power, so taking action against the Three Generals Camp became a natural occurrence.

But Zhao Xi is also someone deeply immersed in officialdom and made arrangements in advance.

"When it comes down to it, the foundation of this main force is still a new army, which is why I had room to intervene."

"Otherwise, with Du Tiechuan's ability, he could have turned his subordinates into a tight-knit group in just a month or two."

"Three Generals Camp, Ning Zhuo, you must not let me down..."

Zhao Xi worries inwardly.

To a certain extent, he and the Three Generals Camp are already tied together; they prosper together and suffer together.

Battle formation—One-Character Long Snake Formation.

The Three Generals Camp leaves the frontline camp and, following this battle formation, marches rapidly.

Their speed is more than four times faster than before.

The training level of the soldiers has improved, but that is not the main reason.

This time, the Three Generals Camp uses Marching Talismans, Gale Talismans, and so on for support, causing the speed of every soldier to increase significantly.

They left the camp in the morning, marched all the way, and arrived at the Ten-Mile Burning Forest by evening.

The result of the previous military council was this location.

The elixirs stored in the Crooked Root Hundred Grass Cave are too easily damaged, so the returns are difficult to guarantee.

The Cloud Shoulder Dragon-Greeting Terrace has the greatest prospects, but building a field camp would certainly consume a lot of funds. Only Ning Zhuo could provide this part; the three generals Liu, Generals Guan, and Zhang do not have this financial strength.

Even with sufficient funds, one must have sufficient materials and manpower to significantly renovate this Flying Peak.

Renovation also requires a long period of time, while the battlefield changes in an instant.

The final choices left are the Thousand Vine Talisman Sky Corridor and the Ten-Mile Burning Forest.

In terms of value, the Thousand Vine Talisman Sky Corridor is undoubtedly higher, containing far more than ten million talismans. But precisely because of this, the difficulty of attacking it is dozens of times that of the Ten-Mile Burning Forest.

"In my opinion, this battle must consider not only the returns but also safety!"

"After all, we are the first army to leave the camp to conquer a stronghold, and the risks are difficult to estimate."

"Not only for our current predicament but also considering Zhao Xi's side, we need a victory, not a defeat."

Ning Zhuo's words prompt the three generals to ultimately choose the Ten-Mile Burning Forest.

As a newly promoted role, the Three Generals Camp is in the limelight; who knows how many people are secretly envious, jealous, and hateful.

Too many people are hoping for their failure so that they can have a legitimate reason to suppress them. Then, they can further implicate Zhao Xi and squeeze out this newly established Army Supervisor!

Therefore, this first battle is very critical; it must be a victory, it must be a success!

As twilight falls, the Ten-Mile Burning Forest is ablaze with fire.

The thousand-layered mountain ridges turn into red dragon spines, and molten gold-like firelight flows through the craggy ravines.

The mountain peaks and valleys seem like open furnaces, with erupting orange-yellow tongues of fire licking the sky, roasting the clouds into rolled-up caramel-colored silk.

Looking closely, the constantly burning trees are all in a glazed state, like hundreds of millions of crystal pillars sealing in raging fire.

The forest is all scorched earth, with flames lingering, dancing strange dances on the cracked rock walls. Bang.

From time to time, a certain tree in the burning forest burns to its limit, suddenly bursting and disintegrating, emitting a muffled sound.

At this moment, the flames erupt, forming a tongue of fire ten zhang high, shooting straight into the sky, vanishing in an instant.

Waves of heat rush toward them, the firelight reflecting on the faces of all the soldiers in the Three Generals Camp.

The crowd is stunned and speechless.

"This is the Ten-Mile Burning Forest." Liu Er sighs.

Generals Guan Hong strokes his beard: "Magnificent."

Zhang Hei: "A good place!"

Ning Zhuo reminds them: "To avoid long nights and many dreams, we should immediately reorganize the army and prepare to attack."

Liu Er follows the advice and immediately orders the whole army to rest.

The soldiers have a clear division of labor; some are on guard on the perimeter, while others are eating and drinking inside, sitting on the ground to relieve fatigue, wiping weapons, and maintaining their spirits.

!

This scene falls into the eyes of Luo Chen and the others.

Luo Chen is a Jin Dan-level cultivator and the Forest Warden of the Ten-Mile Burning Forest. At this moment, his brows are tightly furrowed: "Although the Three Generals Camp is a newly built army, after a few battles, it has almost none of the immaturity of a newly built army."

One of his Jin Dan deputies, Fairy Yan Liu, sighs: "Who could have imagined that the Two-Note Kingdom would suddenly send an army specifically toward us."

"What should we do?"

"In a hurry, I can only collect some portable treasures and leave."

Luo Chen looks at the other Jin Dan deputy: "The Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar cannot be moved, and the Vermilion Bird Incense Burner is the heart of the great formation, so we can only take the Wood-Core Fire."

"Yan Jin, have you found it?"

The old man Yan Jin shakes his head, his spiritual sense transmitting: "My lord, the seed of the Wood-Core Fire has been wandering in the Ten-Mile Burning Forest. In a short time, unless one's luck is extremely good, one will not bump into it. Otherwise, one must open the great formation and search inch by inch."

Fairy Yan Liu's expression is ugly: "My lord, have you sent a distress letter?"

Luo Chen nods, then shakes his head: "According to the current situation, reinforcements are hard to come by."

Fairy Yan Liu looks at Yan Jin: "If the three of us retreat directly, we will have no way to answer to the Dragon King Temple and other forces!"

"But if we can leave with the legitimate reason of protecting the Wood-Core Fire and preventing the enemy from snatching the fire seed, then we will have a good life."

"Therefore, we must find the Wood-Core Fire!"

Yan Jin nods, gritting his teeth, his face solemn: "I will do my best."

Luo Chen comforts him: "Set your heart at ease."

"The heavy defenses of my Ten-Mile Burning Forest are enough to withstand the enemy army for ten days or half a month."

"The highest cultivation of those Three Generals Camp officers is only Jin Dan."

"Of course, the sooner we find the Wood-Core Fire, the safer it is for us to leave."

At this time, the four of them, Liu, Generals Guan, Zhang, and Ning, also talk about the Wood-Core Fire.

"The Thousand Peaks Forest is all giant wood mountains, with no fire veins. The Ten-Mile Burning Forest is a place for refining weapons built by the Dragon King Temple in conjunction with surrounding forces, costing huge sums of money."

"Because it is led by the Ginseng-Whiskered Dragon King, it uses human fire, which is the Wood-Core Fire. This fire is one of the three samadhis and is very precious."

"If we obtain it, we can combine it with the Stone-Core Fire and Air-Core Fire in the future to condense the Samadhi True Fire!"

"The fire seed is good, but for us, I'm afraid it's too late."

"Not so. According to the structure of the Ten-Mile Burning Forest, the Wood-Core Fire must be left in the raging flames, following the power of human heart changes and the way of incense and deities."

"Therefore, wanting to find a small fire seed in the vast sea of fire is not easy! There is still hope."

The four discuss, their hearts becoming increasingly fiery.

Although Ning Zhuo has obtained the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Essence, there is an essential difference between fire essence and fire seed.

He is just missing a fire seed that can be used for refining weapons and elixirs. This will also be of great convenience for his future refining of mechanical creations.

Seeing that the soldiers have finished resting, the three generals immediately reorganize the army and attack the Ten-Mile Burning Forest head-on.

The defensive formation of the burning forest has long been opened; at this moment, the flames are soaring, and melting gold and forging iron is no longer a problem.

If it were before, the Three Generals Camp could only sigh at the fire. But now, they are different from before, with sufficient financial resources and Zhao Xi as their background, the soldiers have brought enough military equipment.

They take elixirs one after another and stick on Frost Talismans.

The entire army of more than six hundred people (having absorbed many remnants) suddenly becomes covered in frost, turning into a white expanse.

"Advance!" Liu Er organizes a triangular arrow formation and leads the army into the sea of fire.

Endless tongues of fire entangle the soldiers, but can only lick the frost, unable to endanger their lives in a short time.

Squeak, squeak, squeak...

The army marches forward for a mile, and rat swarms rush in from all directions.

Fire-Velvet Rats!

Ning Zhuo is very familiar with this type of demon beast because there are a large number of Fire-Velvet Rats breeding and living in Fire Persimmon Mountain.

The Fire-Velvet Rats in Fire Persimmon Mountain are often very large, able to swim in magma and prey on birds. The Fire-Velvet Rats in the Ten-Mile Burning Forest are smaller, but their numbers are large.

This is the first time Ning Zhuo has seen such a large swarm of rats.

Dense, layered rats, like a surging tide, attack the Three Generals Camp.

All the soldiers have long been ready for battle.

For the sake of caution, Liu Er raises the Profound Yellow Sword in his hand, activating the military strategy of "Guarding the Land and Consolidating the Foundation" contained within the sword, adding protection to the whole army.

Generals Guan Hong is better at dealing with individual powerhouses, while Zhang Hei's military strategy is more suitable for dealing with the current situation.

Military Strategy—Grand Army Pressing the Border!

The military strength of the Three Generals Camp is suddenly consumed by forty percent, turning into black-water soldiers.

The soldiers are silent, raising weapons also condensed from black water, counter-attacking the rat swarm.

Ning Zhuo's eyes move slightly, keenly discovering that this time, the black-water soldiers' weapons are no longer the uniform spears from before, but include axes, halberds, hooks, guns, knives, swords, and other common weapons.

Ning Zhuo thinks to himself: "It seems that Zhang Hei has experienced many battles and has many insights into the Way of the Military."

The black-water soldiers are a vast expanse, colliding directly with the vermilion rat swarm.

The soldiers are like reefs, standing firm.

The losses of the rat swarm are also increasing.

Although the black-water soldiers have casualties, compared to the rat swarm, they are clearly tougher; each black-water soldier kills at least a hundred Fire-Velvet Rats before perishing.

Fairy Yan Liu hides behind the scenes, using the great formation in the burning forest to control the rat swarm.

Seeing signs that the Black Water soldiers were about to push back, she decisively took measures and dispatched additional demon beasts.

Countless Red-Refining Mayflies were seen mixed into the flames, resembling brilliant stars, shining with a black-red hue as they enveloped the Black Water soldiers.

Attacked from both sides by the rat swarm and the Red-Refining Mayfly swarm, the Black Water soldiers immediately showed signs of fatigue, and the rate of attrition increased rapidly.

As the battle line was gradually pushed back, Zhang Hei took a deep breath and once again employed the military tactic, "Grand Army Pressing the Border."

The military strength that had just recovered was once again drastically consumed, transforming into new power and injecting it into the battle line.

The effect was immediate; the battle line was rapidly pushed back!

Seeing this situation, Fairy Liuyan took the initiative to withdraw her troops.

(End of chapter)