Chapter 498 Attacking the Red Malabar Ridge 7
On the warship of an eighth-level alchemist.
The eighth-level alchemist, who had almost been killed while throwing the bottle, awkwardly touched his nose and thanked the Nirvana cultivator who had saved him.
Not far away, Sang Yunchu withdrew his hand—it turned out that it was he who had smashed the bottle again earlier.
The embarrassed alchemist said to Sang Yunchu, "Thank you, thank you."
Sang Yunchu waved his hand and said softly with a smile, "If I am wrong, Brother Li will definitely help me."
The embarrassed alchemist Li Shaoxiong touched his nose again.
That's true, but his alchemy skills are far inferior to Sang Yunchu's, so there's probably no way he can save him.
But he immediately replied, "Of course, of course."
The other alchemists also witnessed this scene and couldn't help but laugh.
The atmosphere lightened somewhat now that the medicine they had created was very effective at destroying the Crimson Swamp.
Of course, even though things were a little easier, they still wouldn't underestimate the crimson swamp. So they kept throwing bottles as fast as they could.
In an instant, the danger posed by those blood-red swamps was greatly reduced.
However, medicines are limited and not easy to refine. Fortunately, there are many level eight alchemists. Those who can reach this level must have good comprehension. Moreover, those who can go to the battlefield to solve problems in unpredictable and ever-changing environments must have been selected.
Even a seemingly flawed alchemist like Li Shaoxiong is actually a very skilled one.
Therefore, a group of alchemists who were a bit slower in the cabin also gradually refined the medicine.
It doesn't matter if the quality is inconsistent; we can reduce the amount as much as possible, and we can always try to increase the quantity.
·
However, although the alchemists responded promptly and the time spent refining the medicine was not too long, the blood-red mist cloud underwent a new change.
They seem to appear in an endless stream.
At first, there was only a large expanse of crimson mist, but gradually many of the mists condensed into several crimson mist clusters comparable to Nirvana, turning into crimson swamps. And now, even more crimson mists have condensed.
Countless crimson mists fell to the ground, and in the blink of an eye, seven or eight crimson swamps appeared.
Each crimson swamp continued to expand, swallowing up a considerable number of righteous cultivators...
Fortunately, it was blocked again.
Several barrages of artillery fire suddenly rushed towards the blood-red swamp!
Several loud explosions were heard!
The crimson swamp was reduced to mist by the artillery fire, then vanished into the terrifying and intense energy.
The explosions weren't over yet.
For every crimson swamp that appeared, there was a precise artillery barrage.
So much so that these newly appeared blood-red swamps disappeared without even needing any medicine!
Many cultivators noticed this and couldn't help but look in the direction of the artillery fire.
That was indeed a magnificent ancient city.
It hovers on the outer edge of the battlefield, neither too close nor too far, casting a huge shadow.
Looking at it from a distance now, the first thing that catches the eye is the ancient and tall city wall... and the countless menacing cannon muzzles facing outwards!
·
Clearly, it was Zhong Cai and Wu Shao who were responsible for bombarding the Crimson Swamp.
They hadn't fired their cannons before, partly because the range and impact of artillery fire were too great and they were worried about accidentally injuring righteous cultivators, but also because it was unnecessary—so many cultivators on the battlefield needed battle merits, and each artillery strike would consume a lot of energy.
Therefore, it is best to use it only on the blade.
Now it's the blade.
The danger of the Crimson Swamp is already very clear. When it descends, righteous cultivators know they are no match for it and will not approach—the Crimson Swamp will extend its crimson tentacles to grab people when it devours them, which makes righteous cultivators flee even faster.
Of course, at least the righteous path in the vicinity has been cleared out. We don't know if the evil path is hiding nearby and will take the opportunity to attack the righteous path as well, but what does it matter? It's good if they are talented; the more they die, the better.
The Crimson Swamp's strength reached level eight, making it a near-top-tier high-level force in the entire war.
Therefore, it would be worthwhile to bombard it with artillery fire.
·
Therefore, Wu Shaogan was in charge of the operation, while Zhong Cai mainly observed.
The crimson swamp has considerable inertia after landing, so even alchemists with insufficient combat strength and obviously not fast enough can easily throw bottles into it, let alone fire cannons.
Although Wu Shaogan is not at the eighth level, his speed has long since reached that level.
Now that he's in control, it's all about precision strikes.
In just a moment, all the suddenly appearing blood-red swamps were destroyed.
That was completely unexpected.
Even those level eight alchemists thought that they might have to be careful to get through this period and wait until more medicines were refined before they could solve all the existing blood swamps... Who knew that, without warning, the ancient city opened fire!
The problem is solved.
The alchemists turned their heads to look at the other level-eight alchemists who were still refining medicine in the room, and then silently exchanged glances with each other.
Those fellow cultivators who spent a long time refining their techniques seem to have wasted their time.
It's not like it was all for nothing; who knows, it might come in other uses someday?
But obviously, it's not needed right now.
·
And that's exactly what happened.
All the bloodshed and the dense crimson mist that had preceded it did not end just because it had condensed into a few crimson swamps.
More crimson swamps appeared one after another.
It's as if they were just adapting before, and now that they've adapted, they're releasing them in large quantities.
Perhaps, the battle should have been a situation where the Crimson Swamp and the alchemists restrained each other, with the martial arts cultivators protecting the alchemists... Perhaps this battle should have lasted a long time, and the Crimson Swamp would have devoured a large amount of flesh and blood.
But things are different now.
With continuous artillery fire, many of the crimson swamps vanished into thin air before they could even greet the cultivators!
That's how efficient it is.
·
Many people in Nirvana are very happy to see this change.
Although most of them are temple masters of the Temple of War, which is equivalent to battle maniacs, they will fight to their hearts' content on the battlefield, but they will not forget their duties for the sake of this exhilaration.
Therefore, the cultivators who were fighting to the death with the blood-red mist slowly shifted the mist, luring it to the ground and turning it into a swamp.
These blood-red mists seemed to be very powerful but not very bright – perhaps they really had been transformed into swamps before, as they quickly fell into traps and actually turned into swamps again.
It was also bombarded by artillery fire.
The Temple Masters of the War God Temple ran very fast, and even after they had run quite a distance, they still managed to wave to the Zhong and Wu couple on the ancient city wall, expressing their appreciation.
Zhong Cai smiled and waved to the Palace Master.
The temple master seemed to smile briefly before disappearing into the distance.
Subsequently, the Zhong and Wu couple continued to closely monitor the appearance of the blood-red swamp.
If it appears, fire immediately.
Because the two of them made a great commotion by firing their cannons, the other righteous cultivators also noticed it and moved further away from the blood-red swamp to make it easier for Zhong and Wu to move around.
It's as if they've learned their lesson; the Crimson Swamp appears less frequently now.
But the crimson mist permeating the air undeniably proves that it could condense into more misty clouds at any moment, or transform into even more crimson swamps, devouring the world—
While artillery fire aimed at the fog would cause significant damage, it would certainly not cripple it.
This thing seems to be moving around as if it's alive—no, when those blood-red mists fought with the Nirvana cultivators, they also had a significant impact on them; it is indeed a heretical Nirvana cultivator capable of taking human form.
They really are alive.
But why is it that the mist condenses into a cloud of gas, containing a heretical Nirvana with a bluish-gray complexion?
Are these Nirvanas puppets created by the poisonous toads, or...?
Zhong Cai asked Wu Shaogan a few questions in a low voice.
Wu Shaogan manipulated the artillery, thought carefully for a moment, and said, "There's hardly any life in their eyes, they might really be puppets." He paused, then added, "If they're even more depraved, it's possible that this blood mist is a kind of formation? And these puppets are all components of the formation, refined tools."
Zhong Cai gasped.
He himself had guessed it, but it was still a bit creepy for his husband to say it out loud.
Zhong Cai took a deep breath and moved closer to Wu Shaogan—then changed direction and leaned against the city wall.
It wasn't that he didn't want to kiss and hug Lao Wu anymore, but Lao Wu was still in control of the artillery, and he was worried that getting too close would cause Lao Wu to make a mistake.
Wu Shaogan didn't like him leaning on him like that, so he grabbed him and pulled him into his arms.
"...Ah Cai, are you worried that my aim isn't good enough?"
"This firing isn't done manually; it's controlled by your soul."
Zhong Cai chuckled, snuggled into Wu Shaogan's arms, and rubbed her face hard against his chest.
Wu Shaogan smoothed Zhong Cai's hair.
During this time, his spirit lingered outside the ancient city, taking the place of his eyes to survey all directions.
Just as he was giving Zhong Caishun her hair, a blood-red swamp suddenly appeared from the corner and was easily wiped out by a barrage of fire from Wu Shaogan with extreme precision.
The artillery fire had a very limited range, and the biggest damage was that it added several huge craters to the Red Malignant Mountains.
·
A level 9 warship, bow deck.
Lou Chuan smiled with satisfaction at the sight.
"Good lad! Those cannon muzzles are really useful."
Xiao Zinuo stood beside him and said with a gentle smile, "I heard that Cai'er was the fastest at studying the previous antidote formula, and she succeeded on the first try without any modifications."
Lou Chuan withdrew his gaze, looked at Xiao Zinuo, and asked with a smile, "Have you looked at it? Does it need any revisions?"
Xiao Zinuo said frankly, "I've also seen it, and it is indeed very ingenious. If it were me, under such a rushed environment, it would be difficult to figure it out so quickly, let alone with several versions." He recalled the prescription he had seen before, "I didn't think there was anything that could be modified."
As Lou Chuan's gaze swept across the battlefield, he saw the Yin-Yang Millstone and the Nine-Headed Dragon, which occupied both sides.
This also originated from Wu Shaogan; it remains condensed and never disperses, providing great assistance to righteous cultivators.
Lou Chuan also smiled and sighed, "We made a really good decision back then, sparing no effort to recruit them. It was absolutely the right decision."
Xiao Zinuo also agreed: "Their future achievements will be very high."
Lou Chuan pondered for a moment and said, "There is a disciple named Wu Dongxiao, who is their husband's nephew. He has also received very careful training from them and can be said to be a practitioner of both alchemy and martial arts."
Xiao Zinuo also remembered it and nodded, saying, "He is indeed a talent. However, I have investigated him before and found that this kid is more interested in martial arts. He has already cultivated to a very profound level without being urged."
"As for alchemy, he is very proficient in all the pills he has learned, but he basically only chooses to learn the most commonly used ones. When his realm limits his alchemy level, he will expand his learning to learn more. The main thing he learns is to deal with the desperate situations that may exist during his training."
"For this kid, martial arts come first, and alchemy is just an auxiliary skill. In fact, many alchemists also practice martial arts as a secondary skill, such as Cai'er, who is actually very strong in combat. It's just that Wu Dongxiao's talent in alchemy is also extraordinary, so even though he practices alchemy as a secondary skill, his alchemy skills are still very outstanding."
Lou Chuan had heard some of these things before, and now he couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"He's a promising talent."
"His future prospects are definitely very bright."
"No...it's not just that. With his two uncles constantly giving him pointers, this kid's future should be limitless."
Xiao Zinuo nodded: "These uncles and nephews not only brought themselves, but also many powerful people. But in my opinion, the three of them are the most likely to reach the highest level. Xuan Bing, Sang Danhuang and Palace Master Jiang are not as capable as them. Whether they can go further and reach higher and higher will probably depend on the opportunity of those three uncles and nephews."
Lou Chuan also agreed with this.
The two of them had devoted a lot of effort to the sect. Compared to the sect leader and the head hall master, they wanted both forces to develop to an extremely formidable level.
If this matter can actually come to fruition in the future, in Xiao Loufu’s view, the contributions of Zhong Wu and his two nephews will be immense.
The couple looked at each other and smiled.
They had a premonition that they might actually witness such a grand spectacle in their lifetime.
·
Deep in the Red Malignant Mountains.
The ancestor of poisonous toads remained hidden in the thick fog, making it impossible for anyone to see its true form.
Every now and then, heretical cultivators would gather around him, kneel down in front of him, and tell him about the various things they had seen outside.
Following such reports, some were directly thrown into the blood pool by the ancestor, while others were fortunate enough to receive some benefits.
As someone who follows the unorthodox path, one's fate is often dictated by the capricious nature of their superiors.
This time, it just so happened to be unlucky.
Several evil cultivators who had transformed into spirits knelt on the ground and recounted the current situation of their defeat in the blood-red swamp outside.
The Poison Toad Ancestor let out a hoarse laugh, which was extremely eerie.
He instantly unleashed a terrifying burst of energy, devouring all three Spirit Transformation cultivators present!
The three spirits were very unlucky; their entire flesh and blood turned into food for the Poison Toad Ancestor.
Fortunately, the poisonous toad still remembered that they were his subordinates.
Although his physical body was gone, his primordial spirit had not yet been refined into the Myriad Soul Banner; it was simply discarded along with the accompanying treasure.
Then, several more evil cultivators entered, adopting the same posture, awaiting instructions.
The Poison Toad Ancestor immediately let out several cold laughs.
"Haha! Well done!"
"What a fine Wu Shaogan! What a fine Zhong Cai!"
"What the hell is that ancient city?! Wutian is really useless!"
When he got to the point of being furious, the Poison Toad Ancestor even made another move, devouring the bodies of these subordinates once more!
Then, the third batch arrived.
Anyway, it was only after several batches of people came to report that the Poison Toad Ancestor finally calmed down and we could talk things over properly.
The old ancestor of poisonous toads still had a deep, hoarse voice.
"Go, activate the great formation."
"First, devour a few more righteous cultivators, then lure Ha Jiu to attack the ancient city."
The evil cultivators responded immediately and set off to take action.
·
Deep in the mountains, on the other side of the thick fog, there is also a huge pool of blood.
Several companion treasures were floating up and down in the pool.
It originated from those evil cultivators who had their bodies devoured by the Poison Toad Ancestor.
The blood pool contains extremely abundant energy, which constantly nourishes the associated treasure.
Before long, these companion treasures were stained with a layer of bloody light, and then, thin strands of red thread enveloped them...
And these red threads seem to be constantly weaving something.
As more and more energy was extracted from the blood pool, the number of red threads also increased, covering the treasures densely and soon enveloping them all.
It's like being wrapped in several huge cocoons.
The cocoon was still floating in the blood pool, constantly absorbing large amounts of blood.
The blood caused the cocoon woven from red thread to emit a faint bloody glow, which gradually became more and more intense.
As more and more blood seeps into the cocoon, the shape of the cocoon also changes.
The cocoon was entirely dependent on the accompanying treasure, so if the accompanying treasure was extremely large, the cocoon would also be very large, just like Yan Xiaoshan.
At this moment, these enormous cocoons are constantly shrinking.
Conversely, if the cocoon itself was very small, it would have grown rapidly in the present day.
If someone waits here, they will find that these cocoons eventually grow to the size of human figures, and their appearance is just like that of a living person... It looks terrifying.
After absorbing energy for a while, these blood-red cocoons opened up.
What appeared were "cultivators" with bluish faces, whose condition was unclear, whether they were poisoned or not, and who seemed to have no brains at all.
What's terrifying is that their auras have become much stronger.
They were just Spirit Transformation cultivators before, but now they have reached the Nirvana level.
These cultivators, whose faces had turned blue, quickly shrank back and began to dart about as if adapting to the situation.
Finally, these cultivators suddenly exploded, turning into a blood-red mist.
Along with the dense forests in other places, it also turned into mist, gradually spreading out with the current... heading straight for the battlefield ahead.
·
On the ancient city.
Zhong Cai had rested for quite some time, but the cultivators still needed pills, so after adjusting his mindset, he took out many pill furnaces again and stayed not far from Wu Shaogan, quickly refining pills.
Wu Shaogan then operated the artillery alone.
Because several new blood-red swamps had appeared, he continued to keep an eye on them and keep firing.
Both of them have a good attitude, so even though they are busy with their own things, they still chat occasionally.
While adding the medicinal herbs, Zhong Cai said listlessly, "This is really interesting. This poisonous toad has already reached this point, but it still hasn't shown itself."
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly: "Perhaps, he still wants to absorb more righteous cultivators as resources."
Zhong Cai murmured, "That's true..." He then increased the heat of each alchemy furnace to ensure the medicinal herbs could melt properly. "Speaking of which, why is this Poison Toad Ancestor called 'Poison Toad'? Is it because he likes poisonous toads? Or is it because he enjoys using poison that others gave him this nickname? Otherwise, is this his original name? That would be too rare!"
When Wu Shaogan saw his son A Cai's outburst, he couldn't help but find it amusing. After holding back for a moment, he quickly said, "It's not what A Cai thinks. The reason he's called that is because of his innate treasure."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Cai's eyes lit up, and she suddenly understood.
"So, his companion treasure is a poisonous toad?"
Wu Shaogan nodded and smiled, "Most books don't cover these things. Even when looking through information about so many heretical sects, we only skim through it and get a general understanding, without knowing the inside story."
Zhong Cai turned her head: "The inside story?"
Wu Shaogan said, "It is said that the Poison Toad Ancestor was not talented in his early years, but later he improved his talent by going astray through some evil method. Moreover, as his talent improved, his companion treasure became a poison toad, which seems to be related to that evil method."
Zhong Cai suddenly realized: "Like us, we all need to upgrade our qualifications. But we're on the right path, unlike those mud-covered people like the Poison Toad, and we wouldn't do so many heinous things."
Wu Shaogan echoed, secretly pondering as well.
That's true, but A-Cai doesn't take the crooked path because he's kind-hearted, while I don't take that path because that stuff is disgusting.
Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan and raised her eyebrows: "What's Old Wu thinking?"
I have a feeling that this guy is insecure?
Wu Shaogan also raised his eyebrows, looking quite pleased.
Every time his mood changed, even if it was only the slightest bit, A-Cai could immediately detect it.
She truly lives up to her reputation as Ah Cai.
Zhong Cai sensed that his husband, Lao Wu, was in a better mood. Just as he was about to ask a few more questions, he saw Lao Wu smiling at him.
That smile was so beautiful that Zhong Cai felt a little dizzy for a moment.
Ah, he's forgotten what he wanted to ask.
That makes sense; when his husband makes that face, he's definitely thinking about him.
Just think about him.
Although Wu Shaogan didn't go to Zhong Cai's side because he was keeping an eye on the artillery fire, he really wanted to kiss him.
so……
Wu Shaogan pressed his finger to his lips and gently nodded towards Zhong Cai.
This was a very subtle flying kiss.
It was Zhong Cai who taught him before.
Zhong Cai received it and immediately gave him a bright smile.
The couple were in a good mood.
However……
The next moment, their expressions changed.
Just moments ago, they both sensed something poking and prodding their ancient city...
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