Chapter 301 - 279: Camp No. 12

Chapter 301: Chapter 279: Camp No. 12

「One month later.」

Outside Jingmen City, at Outpost Twelve.

Array Prohibitions lay shattered, stained with blood. Amidst the ruins, disciples of the Righteous Alliance and the Loose Cultivators they hired moved about, cleaning up the wreckage.

A pure white Flying Boat broke through the clouds in the sky, soaring toward the devastated area.

"Outpost Twelve was attacked by the Longevity Sect. The Alliance’s orders are for us to rebuild the camp."

"We must ensure the camp is operational again within seven days."

Aboard the Flying Boat, a man in a white robe was methodically giving out orders. Finally, he looked over at Chu Mu, who was leaning alone against the side of the vessel, his expression turning deferential. "Fellow Daoist Chu, I’ll have to trouble you to take charge of the Artifact Refining."

Chu Mu seemed to startle, as if just now pulled from his contemplation of the sea of clouds outside the Flying Boat. He nodded, but remained silent as usual.

"Ning’Er, you will continue to follow Fellow Daoist Chu. If Fellow Daoist Chu has any instructions, see to them immediately."

The man then glanced at the female cultivator in white beside him, giving her this instruction before continuing to delegate tasks.

Chu Mu still didn’t move. He leaned against the side of the Flying Boat, facing the transparent light barrier created by an Array Prohibition.

Through the transparent barrier, he could see an endless sea of clouds, with the faint shapes of sprawling mountain ranges visible below.

However, although it was the beginning of spring when all life should be stirring, this stretch of mountains was as barren as a wasteland.

If one looked closely, one could clearly see flashes of light erupting from time to time across the wasteland.

Evidently, people were engaged in Battle.

’It’s been over a month since I signed that deeper employment contract with the Righteous Alliance and joined the Artifact Hall.’

’A month isn’t a very long time at all.’

’But it was enough time for me to go from an outsider to a participant, gaining a clear, firsthand understanding of the current situation.’

’This understanding is obviously far clearer than the judgments I used to make from the rear, based only on hearsay.’

’The form the war is taking is simple.’

’King against king, general against general.’

’The Golden Core Realm experts, it’s said, haven’t made a move in a long time.’

’Amidst the standoff between the two sides, this wasteland, stretching for hundreds of miles, has become the main stage for those in the Qi Cultivation Realm and Foundation Establishment Realm.’

’The Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation Cultivators from both sides fight and kill each other on this wasteland, day after day.’

’One side attacks while the other defends, and vice versa. They fight in organized units, in small groups of two or three, or as lone individuals.’

’There seems to be no point to this slaughter, yet it continues day in and day out.’

’For the past month, since I joined the Artifact Hall, my job has been to provide logistical support for this seemingly meaningless carnage.’

’This includes things like refining Magical and Spiritual Artifacts for the Contribution Treasure Vault, maintaining and repairing various tools—such as the surveillance and recording devices in the camps—and other defensive equipment, like Spiritual Energy Powder, Spiritual Crossbows, and Magic Altars.’

’The body of knowledge for Artifact Refining Skill is vast, and its applications are naturally wide-ranging.’

’Under these circumstances, life in the Artifact Hall is actually quite colorful.’

’For me, it’s even a kind of enjoyment.’

’After all, the Spiritual Materials are provided by the Righteous Alliance. It’s like using public resources to encounter all sorts of Artifact Creations, broadening my own knowledge and deepening my experience in Artifact Refining.’

’Moreover, perhaps due to my high level of skill, my status as a mere hired Loose Cultivator has become somewhat transcendent after demonstrating my Artifact Refining Skill a few times in front of the other Artifact Refiners in the Artifact Hall.’

’Thanks to this elevated status, my life in the Artifact Hall is clearly extremely comfortable.’

After gazing out for a while, he retracted his gaze. He glanced at the numerous "Artifact Refiners" inside the Flying Boat—many of whom he doubted were even qualified to be called that—before turning his focus to the vessel itself.

The Flying Boat wasn’t large, only about forty feet long and less than ten feet wide. Its overall structure was that of an extremely ordinary boat.

There was a deck at the front, a cabin in the middle, and a tall mast rising from the stern. Instead of a sail, the mast flew a large banner of the Righteous Alliance.

The Flying Boat was a Tier Two Spiritual Artifact. Although it was a Support-type Spiritual Artifact, for traversing the front lines, it was equipped with several Tier Two Upper Grade Spiritual Energy Cannons.

From what he understood, they were called Celestial Thunder Cannons. They were refined using Thunder Attribute Spiritual Materials, and their Spiritual Power wasn’t supplied by Spirit Stones but by drawing upon and storing the power of Celestial Thunder.

Therefore, these Celestial Thunder Cannons were massive and were typically used as fixed turrets.

On the walls of Jingmen City, there were only Tier Three Spiritual Energy Cannons. Their types and forms were varied, but the principles behind them were all more or less the same.

They all used Spiritual Power as their method of attack, requiring no Magical Power supply, only a Divine Sense to lock on and operate. According to the classifications of Artifact Refining Skill, they could barely be considered part of the Puppet Creation system. They were all unreasonable Artifact Creations.

After all, the danger of such Artifact Creations depended not on the operator, but on the artifact itself.

Even the lowest-tier Cultivator operating such a Spiritual Energy Cannon could, with a direct hit from this Tier Two Celestial Thunder Cannon, potentially kill a cultivator in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Their deterrent power was nothing short of terrifying.

However, in most cases, it was merely a deterrent.

After all, no Cultivator would be foolish enough to try and tank a blast from one of these artifacts.

They couldn’t withstand it, but dodging was not a problem.

Unless they were focused-fired on in an instant, trapped, or had an extremely large body...

"Senior."

As Chu Mu was lost in thought, a clear voice suddenly sounded by his ear.

"Senior, this is the layout of the Array Prohibition Objects for Outpost Twelve. Please take a look."

The woman respectfully handed him a Jade Scroll.

Chu Mu nodded, took the Jade Scroll, and extended his Divine Sense into it. Information immediately flooded his mind.

Having been in the Artifact Hall for over a month, he naturally had some understanding of these so-called outposts.

The outposts were, in fact, a crude external defense system built around Jingmen City, composed of a series of peripheral camps.

These camps were the so-called outposts.

Their main functions were to serve as a warning system and provide a place for the Righteous Alliance’s Cultivators fighting on the front lines to rest.

These camps were also one of the main points of contention and fighting between the two sides.

In the past month, he had heard no small number of reports about this or that camp being breached and its Cultivators slaughtered to the last man.

Given the current stalemate on the Jingmen front, whenever a camp was breached, the Longevity Sect would usually just burn, kill, and loot everything before retreating.

The Righteous Alliance’s attacks on the Longevity Sect were much the same.

This war between the two sides at Jingmen was like children playing house. The "adults" from both sides watched from on high as the people below fought back and forth, making no move themselves.

With the upper echelons remaining inactive, it clearly meant that this seemingly pointless slaughter would continue indefinitely.

"Senior, if you have any instructions, please don’t hesitate to tell me."

The female cultivator named Xie Ning waited until Chu Mu put down the Jade Scroll before eagerly adding this.

Chu Mu glanced at the graceful and beautiful female cultivator before him. Just as he was about to speak, he turned to look outside the Flying Boat. The rapidly flying vessel had already slowed down and was descending. On the ground, the ruined camp was now clearly visible.

Putting the Jade Scroll away, Chu Mu simply nodded and waited for the Flying Boat to land, saying nothing more.

Soon, the Flying Boat landed amidst the ruins. Dozens of cultivators wearing the black and white robes of the Righteous Alliance came forward to greet them.

Chu Mu swept his gaze over them. Of the dozens of cultivators, six were at the Foundation Establishment Realm, while the rest were all in the Qi Cultivation Realm.

Among the six Foundation Establishment cultivators, several were familiar faces.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, you came too."

As soon as Chu Mu disembarked from the Flying Boat, one of the Foundation Establishment cultivators’ eyes lit up, and he hurried over to greet him.

"Fellow Daoist Xu."

Chu Mu replied with a polite smile. This was one of the Foundation Establishment cultivators who had previously accompanied him to destroy a Longevity Sect outpost.

If Chu Mu remembered correctly, when they cashed in their spoils, this man had chosen a Tier Two Early Stage Cyan Wolf Puppet. To do so, he had even compensated Chu Mu with several Tier Two Middle Grade Spiritual Materials.

"Come, Fellow Daoist Chu, let me introduce you."

After some pleasantries, Xu Chao began to introduce the other Foundation Establishment cultivators nearby.

There were three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Xie Family and two Loose Cultivators. Bolstered by his status as an Artifact Refining Master, the conversation flowed very pleasantly.

After a long while, the group finally dispersed.

The camp was already a field of ruins, and rebuilding it completely would obviously require a great deal of effort.

By dusk, the devastated area was already a scene of bustling activity.

Body Refining Cultivators carried massive boulders with nimble steps as they cleared the debris, while others, clad in Puppet Armor, rampaged through the camp like bulldozers, their movements accompanied by constant rumbles.

Some Cultivators cast one Magic spell after another to clear away dust and rubble, condensing them into new walls and fortifications. Spirit Plant Masters circulated their Magical Power, and with each seed they planted, a Spirit Wood Pillar would sprout, or a wooden door and window would form directly, a marvelous sight to behold.

The accompanying Artifact Refiners and Array Masters were even busier. They were refining Array Plates, laying down the surveillance and recording systems, and even incribing Array Prohibition Patterns onto the original, destroyed walls to refine them into artifact prototypes. They set up various Arrays to reconstruct the defensive system...

At a glance, under the effects of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Immortal, the ruined land was changing before their very eyes.

In comparison, Chu Mu’s task was far more complex and tedious.

Anything related to Artifact Refining ultimately had to be finished or inspected by him.

’On this trip to the camp, a total of thirty-eight Artifact Refiners have come, including myself. However, aside from me and one other Tier Two Lower Grade Refiner at the Foundation Establishment Realm, the rest are all at the Qi Cultivation Realm. They’re basically half-baked Artifact Refiners who only understand a single aspect of Artifact Refining Skill.’

’Even that Foundation Establishment Realm Tier Two Refiner is only "Tier Two" by rote imitation. His actual skill is at most Tier One Upper Grade.’

’And in the Jingmen Artifact Hall, a refiner like that is considered one of the best.’

’As for the female cultivator named Xie Ning who’s following me around, despite her low Artifact Refining Cultivation, I know she’s a famed "Artifact Refining prodigy" in the Jingmen Artifact Hall.’

’Barely in her twenties, she’s already a Tier One Lower Grade Refiner. Plus, her Spirit Root Talent is also extremely good.’

’With an Earth Spirit Root, she truly deserves the title of prodigy.’

’I’ve made a point to observe her a couple of times. The woman’s ability to learn and absorb Artifact Refining Skill is indeed far beyond that of an ordinary person.’

’With such cultivation and talent, her future achievements will surely be considerable.’

’Since Xie Cangfeng arranged for her to serve me hand and foot, I don’t mind forming a good connection...’

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