Chapter 564: Ning Zhuo joins the battle

The battle for the front-line camp of the two states had now reached a white-hot stage.

The Thousand Peaks Forest Allied Forces and the two states' grand army were like two giants clashing; it had reached a perilous moment of hand-to-hand combat and blood-stained bayonets.

This was a chaotic battlefield.

In some places, the armies were interlocked like dog's teeth, while in others, one side held a clear advantage.

The defensive line constructed by the two states' grand army around the city walls had already collapsed by nearly half.

Although most of the city walls remained, the defensive line on the other side had crumbled under the impact of Long Ye and Lu Lu Lu Hongtu. A large number of cultivators and troops from the Thousand Peaks Forest Allied Forces poured through the gaps in the line into this military camp, which had been painstakingly built at great expense.

The sounds of killing shook the heavens and the earth, and the repeated explosions rattled the firmament.

Countless spells intertwined, forming blinding, brilliant colorful radiance—gorgeous yet deadly.

A massive amount of weaponry and magic treasures collided, and in the most intense contests, the victor was decided in an instant.

And often, the difference between victory and defeat was the difference between life and death!

Regardless of whether it was the two states or the Thousand Peaks Forest Allied Forces, the number of casualties

was increasing rapidly.

Both sides had entered a stalemate, resulting in an extremely tragic war of attrition; at every moment, a large number of soldiers fell, losing their lives.

If a master of military strategy or a commander of great talent were to see this scene, they would surely sneer.

Both sides were fighting fiercely, but without any military discipline.

Long Ye held the status of a Dragon King Temple priest and possessed great personal combat power, but he was not proficient in the art of war.

The two states' commander, Du Du Tiechuan, was indeed formidable, but he was currently healing his wounds and had not appeared.

It was precisely because of his absence that the two states and the Thousand Peaks Forest Allied Forces had not displayed any military advantage in their full-scale confrontation; it was a match of equals.

In a mountain hollow far from the battlefield, the calm space suddenly rippled.

A young man in white appeared out of thin air, wearing a wide-sleeved robe as white as clouds. His features were handsome, his eyes black and white, and at this moment, they were filled with fighting spirit.

It was Ning Zhuo.

He emerged from the Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon, reached out, and a small, worm-like mechanical dragon rapidly enlarged into the shape of a small snake. It wrapped around Ning Zhuo's waist, head and tail locking together to serve as a belt.

"Participating in this war of the two states, I have finally found

the opportunity to make a move on the mechanical carriage."

Ning Zhuo was not calm; he was secretly excited.

He and Sun Sun Lingtong had previously taken risks to probe the Six Caves Sect's headquarters, only to be discovered and narrowly escape.

Since then, he had not dared to risk his life. After all, someone as cunning as Lu Lu Lu Hongtu would surely have implemented targeted defenses.

To repeat the same mistake would undoubtedly be foolish.

"Right now is my best opportunity."

"There is no need to risk danger at the Six Caves Sect's lair, and the Six Caves Sect has almost entirely mobilized; even the Demon Heart Cave Master is in the midst of fierce fighting, his energy tied up."

Ning Zhuo joined the army precisely to find an opportunity to strike at the front line, at the first possible moment.

He had paid with patience and time, and finally, he had waited for this moment.

There was no other way.

His cultivation and strength were relatively weak; only by leveraging the situation could he have a chance to scheme for the magic treasure-grade mechanical carriage from the hands of the behemoth that was the Six Caves Sect.

"The threat of the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts will only grow greater with time."

"Perhaps this is my first and last chance to strike."

"Once I strike and fail, exposing my true intentions regarding the mechanical

carriage, it will be difficult in the future."

"A strategist like Lu Lu Lu Hongtu will surely use the mechanical carriage to set a trap for me!"

Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo's fighting spirit became even more resolute, burning like fire in his heart.

He took out mechanical puppets one by one from his storage bag.

Soon, over four hundred mechanical puppets stood neatly beside him, forming a mechanical army.

Ning Zhuo then took out a magic treasure-grade mechanical armor.

This armor was bronze-colored, majestic and heavy, giving a sense of solid power. Yet its lines were rounded and its curves elegant, giving a sense of compassion and tolerance.

The helmet's forehead was slightly raised, featuring a circular halo like a Luohan's dharma image. The sides were designed with helmet horns, resembling bull horns.

A Luohan statue was carved on the front of the breastplate, containing a Luohan protection array.

Six mechanical arms extended from behind the mecha, all constructed of bronze. Along the arms, golden patterns formed the internal musculature, flashing with rich golden Buddha light.

It was the Hundred-Armed Luohan Armor!

This was a gift from General Mu Lan to Ning Zhuo; when he first received it, it was only a half-body heavy armor.

But now, the Hundred-Armed Luohan Armor was a full-body suit; its missing lower half had been supplemented by Ning Zhuo.

"Although I relied on three mechanical pedestals to temporarily supplement the lower half, it is clear that the lower half was just hastily put together."

"Not only is it completely inconsistent with the upper half, serving only as a facade, but its protection is not even thirty percent of the upper half's."

Ning Zhuo's main work was camouflage.

He tried his best to make the lower half of the armor look similar to the upper half, at least in terms of styling and aura, so there would be no differences.

"Boss, look at me." Ning Zhuo's expression was somewhat excited.

"Huh?" Sun Sun Lingtong, located in the dragon-head cabin, looked confused.

Ning Zhuo raised his arms high and shouted at the Hundred-Armed Luohan Armor: "Hundred-Armed Luohan, armor cover my body!"

The next moment, the Hundred-Armed Luohan Armor flew to Ning Zhuo's front, separating into upper and lower parts.

The upper part flew to the top of Ning Zhuo's head and slowly descended, covering him inside the armor. The lower part clicked and split, forming front and back halves of the mechanical armor.

The two separated parts of the mechanical armor flew, one to Ning Zhuo's front and the other to his back, wrapping around his lower body before combining and locking tightly, everything fitting perfectly.

"Wow, wow, wow!" Sun Sun Lingtong opened his mouth wide, his eyes

sparkling with starlight, shouting excitedly.

"So cool, so cool!!" Sun Sun Lingtong yelled, his attention completely captured, no longer feeling the tension before the battle.

He jumped up in the dragon-head cabin: "You brat, hiding this from me. I want one too, I want a set too!"

He wished he could replace Ning Zhuo right now, have a set of mechanical armor, and be able to stand in front of it, shout once, and have it automatically cover his body.

"Hahahaha!" Ning Zhuo mimicked Sun Sun Lingtong's posture, hands on his hips, and laughed toward the sky for a while.

"Boss, this is the benefit of cultivating mechanical arts." Ning Zhuo had successfully shown off and was very happy.

Sun Sun Lingtong laughed and scolded: "You brat, after this battle, hurry up and get me a set, otherwise I won't let you off!"

He then sighed sincerely: "Mechanical arts, I don't think it should be the least of the hundred arts of cultivation. Just based on this, it should be the first of the hundred arts."

"Don't worry, Boss. With me here, I will specifically design a set of mechanical armor for you that will definitely satisfy you." Ning Zhuo patted his chest.

Sun Sun Lingtong: "Hmph, if I'm not satisfied, I'll never let you off."

"Xiao Zhuo, fight well."

"In this battle, show off your might."

"According to your talent and aptitude, cultivate well, and in the future, carry forward the mechanical arts, change the world's perception, and making mechanical arts the first of the hundred arts may not be impossible."

"If you can do that, you will leave your name in history. Future generations, as long as they think of mechanical arts, will surely think of you and give a thumbs up in their hearts!"

Ning Zhuo waved his hands quickly, very modestly: "Boss, you think too highly of me. I still have a lot to learn and many shortcomings."

Sun Sun Lingtong: "Uh..."

Ning Zhuo put on the mechanical armor, placed himself within the mechanical army, and immediately set off for the battlefield.

The appearance of this fresh force did not attract widespread attention.

In the chaotic battlefield, cultivators and armies were interlocked, each fighting their own battles.

Battle Array—Light Body Gale Array!

The mechanical puppets formed a battle array, their speed suddenly increasing, becoming very agile.

To this day, Ning Zhuo had experienced battles large and small, and driving this battle array had become second nature.

However, during the march, mechanical puppets fell from time to time.

"What is that?" Ning Zhuo was surprised.

The response was the rustling of Gu insects.

These were the Gu insects released by Li Li Jiuqu, which had already dispersed throughout the battlefield.

Ning Zhuo charged toward the battlefield and was the first to encounter them.

A cloud of poisonous mist drifted over, and signs of corrosion appeared on the mechanical puppets. Some that were severely corroded fell directly to the ground, losing their connection with Ning Zhuo.

A river of blood was cleaved apart, and a portion of it, like a blood-red stream, pierced through Ning Zhuo's group of mechanical puppets, causing over twenty casualties.

There were also the sounds of drums that came suddenly from time to time, shattering a dozen puppets at the very front.

Before the battle had even begun, on the way to the battlefield, there were constant incidents, causing the mechanical army commanded by Ning Zhuo to suffer continuous losses.

The two, Sun and Ning, no longer had the ease of their previous joking, both wearing solemn expressions.

Since they had joined the war, they had never seen such a situation!

Watching the battle before was fine, but now that they were actively participating, both felt the overwhelming pressure.

Even Sun Sun Lingtong had never experienced this, let alone Ning Zhuo, who had guarded Fire Persimmon Immortal City for over a decade.

The Second Great Battle!

This was a war led by Soul Transformation levels, with Nascent Souls as generals and commanders, where Golden Cores were only mid-level combatants!

The war had entered the most tragic stage of attrition, and it depended on which side would be the first to collapse.

It was obvious that even the winner would be a pyrrhic victory, paying a heavy toll in casualties.

"This is just a punitive expedition within a single state."

"The two states' grand army is just a new army formed not long ago, and the Thousand Peaks Forest side is even more lacking in military training." Sun Sun Lingtong sighed sincerely.

Ning Zhuo nodded: "Yes. If it were a war between cultivation nations, what kind of grand spectacle would that be?"

While communicating through spiritual sense, the mechanical army led by Ning Zhuo finally reached the battlefield and made contact with the first group of enemies.

This was a group of barbarian cultivators huddled together, helping each other.

Ning Zhuo charged over, immediately putting this group of barbarian cultivators in a predicament of being attacked from both sides.

Ning Zhuo waved his hand, and fire, earth, and metal spells formed three waves of offensive, beating the barbarian cultivators so they couldn't lift their heads.

It didn't cause too many casualties.

"Break out quickly!"

"The situation is very unfavorable for us."

"We cannot be attacked from both sides; let's kill a bloody path out first."

The barbarian cultivators felt the crisis of defeat and annihilation, bursting forth with powerful fighting spirit and offensive power.

Ning Zhuo's mechanical army couldn't stop them, and a large number of mechanical puppets died on the path of the barbarian cultivators' desperate breakout.

Ning Zhuo glanced at them, ignored them, and continued to lead his army deeper into the battlefield.

For every mechanical puppet lost, he replenished it.

Ning Zhuo was now rich as could be; with no shortage of wealth, the mechanical pedestals solved his production capacity problem, allowing him to stockpile a large number of mechanical puppets!

Military Strategy—Brave Warrior Return Technique!

Ning Zhuo still hadn't fully grasped this military strategy. It was a combination of "Soldiers and Armor as One" and "Gao Sheng's Last Testament," exquisite and far exceeding ordinary military strategies.

Although he hadn't fully grasped it, it didn't prevent Ning Zhuo from enjoying the benefits of this military strategy.

The more mechanical puppets he lost, the more his strength increased.

By the time Ning Zhuo reached the battlefield and approached the middle section, his combat power had already climbed to the Golden Core level!

And the number of cultivators who had died by his hands was no less than two hundred.

Sun Sun Lingtong also participated in the control of the mechanical puppets.

To this day, the two, Sun and Ning, had been baptized by many battles, and their control of the mechanical puppets had become more skillful and decisive, their combat abilities honed to the best.

Continue to charge.

From the periphery to the middle of the battlefield, Ning Zhuo clearly felt the resistance to his charge increase sharply.

The speed of the mechanical army slowed down significantly.

The periphery of the battlefield was relatively loose, with large gaps between various battle groups, enough for the mechanical army to shuttle through.

But in the middle of the battlefield, the battle groups were much tighter, and the space for both sides to fight was narrow. Ning Zhuo led the mechanical army, not only having to break through the obstacles directly in front but also facing attacks from all directions from time to time.

"In the core area of the battlefield, I'm afraid our army will find it difficult to move!" Ning Zhuo thought to himself.

Fortunately, he didn't need to go deep into the core of the battlefield, which was the two states' military camp. Because Lin You himself was located in the middle of the battlefield.

Ning Zhuo led the mechanical army and charged straight at Lin You.

The barbarian cultivator Gu Ya was organizing a wolf pack army to attack the city walls, and under his spiritual sense, he caught a glimpse of Ning Zhuo's mechanical army.

Awooo!

Gu Ya's heart stirred; he didn't want to let the mechanical army perform any more, so he made a small move.

The next moment, a small group separated from the wolf pack and pounced on Ning Zhuo's mechanical army.

The wolf pack attacked from the side, coming and going like the wind, with extreme speed.

Sun Sun Lingtong warned in advance, and Ning Zhuo's heart shook: "This is Gu Ya's true strength!"

Under immense pressure, Gu Ya fought with all his might, and the wolf pack's

powerful might had not been displayed before.

The mechanical army stood its ground, forming a ball.

The wolf pack rushed over like a tide, and Ning Zhuo's mechanical army was like a bunker made of sand; although the formation was set up squarely, it was all a facade, collapsing at the first impact.

Although Ning Zhuo had expected this, he couldn't help but sigh: "Time is running out; I haven't even learned the Iron Barrel Battle Array."

He replenished as many mechanical puppets as he lost.

But the surrounding wolf pack was like a tide, and under the squeeze, there was simply no space for Ning Zhuo to arrange his troops.

Looking down from high altitude, the position Ning Zhuo occupied was getting smaller and smaller.

It looked like it was about to be completely wiped out...

Roar!

Three fire dragons rose, circling in a ring, and wherever they went, bones were burned to ash and flesh to dust.

The flames raged, instantly transforming this small battlefield area.

Ning Zhuo, wearing the mechanical armor, stood in the sea of fire, his body immovable, appearing exceptionally conspicuous.

And beside him, the three fire dragons swam freely in the sea of fire, roaring continuously.

Spell—Nine Heavens Fire Dragon Technique!

This spell was one of the most classic spells in the fire element,

famous throughout the entire cultivation world.

The number of fire dragons increased according to the cultivator's cultivation level. Ning Zhuo only had Foundation Establishment cultivation, and according to common sense, he could only condense two fire dragons.

But he now had the leverage of mechanical arts, military strategy, and many other factors, reaching Golden Core-level combat power, and thus he had leaped levels to condense three fire dragons!

Under the burning of the sea of fire and the fire dragons, the wolf pack was wiped out.

Ning Zhuo continued to charge.

Under the blessing of the Brave Warrior Return Technique, his strength was still climbing!