Chapter 160: Positional Warfare

Wei Cheng suddenly transforming into a towering flame giant startled Bai Han, Liu Sui, Tang Yuanshan, and the others. It was only after he waved his hand to signal that everything was fine that they relaxed, though they couldn't help feeling curious: what realm had he actually reached now?

At this moment, Wei Cheng walked a certain distance away by himself and circulated his blazing flame energy at full capacity. For a moment, he felt as though he possessed endless power.

This was completely different from his previous transformations into the flame giant. Gone were the numerous restrictions; he could now manipulate the flame energy entirely at will. Even without fire jade, he could easily layer dozens of flaming armor plates outside his body while still maintaining quite a flexible range of movement.

In addition to this, fireballs, fire spears, fire walls, seas of fire, high-pressure flame jets, and even turning invisible within a sea of fire or using fire-escape techniques could all be executed with natural ease.

Including the immediate task of refining the small wine cup once again, he could effortlessly mobilize a vast amount of flame energy, concentrating it together to form high temperatures several times greater than usual.

Consequently, the small wine cup lasted only a few seconds before being forcibly melted down. Yet, the molten material did not scatter or flow away, remaining perfectly contained as a single liquid sphere.

It was precisely at this moment that Wei Cheng automatically unfolded the Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagram, using it as a foundation to cradle and support the liquid sphere.

The next second, he swiftly struck out a full eighteen flame runic seals, branding them deep within the liquid sphere.

At the same time, even more pure flame energy was continuously poured in until those eighteen flame runic seals were completely saturated.

Only then did he withdraw his flame giant form, immediately proceeding to project the Golden Bell Visualization Diagram within the Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagram. The two overlapped, transforming into the ultimate form: the Immovable Golden Bell.

"Receive!"

Wei Cheng let out a loud shout right at that moment. The liquid sphere formed by the small wine cup immediately began to spin at high speed, branding the ultimate Immovable Golden Bell deep into its core.

Following closely, Wei Cheng stepped forward and poured a massive, immeasurable amount of Mountain-Moving internal energy into it.

This was the final step.

The flame runic seals formed the underlying logic, serving as the operational platform based on the flame ring.

The ultimate-form Immovable Golden Bell acted as the heavy-duty software developed and expanded upon this platform.

The Mountain-Moving internal energy served as the injected capital or data traffic, so to speak.

This was also the current template of magical artifacts he was capable of refining. In essence, it was still quite low-level, but higher-level concepts were beyond his current comprehension and impossible for him to forge.

Examples of higher-level artifacts included shield-wall defensive magical artifacts, Liu Sui's short-sword offensive magical artifact, the Wind-Letter Ring, and so on.

When Wei Cheng poured a full sixty years' worth of Mountain-Moving internal energy into the liquid sphere in one breath, it gradually transformed into a genuine Immovable Golden Bell, completely shedding the appearance of the original ugly small wine cup.

The next second, countless rays of golden light burst forth. A massive golden bell with a diameter of fifty meters roared as it hovered high up in the middle of the air. Upon its surface, nine groups of mountain ranges—manifested from the Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagram—could be clearly seen, alongside overlapping layers of ancient flame seal scripts spreading out like fish-scale patterns.

The level of exquisite craftsmanship and terrifying deterrence was simply incomparable to the small wine cup.

The sheer pressure emanating from it alone could easily generate a force equivalent to tens of millions of catties.

At this moment, Wei Cheng beckoned with a wave of his hand, and the colossal Immovable Golden Bell shrank into a wisp of golden light that returned to his palm, transforming into an exquisite artifact standing ten centimeters tall with a diameter of five centimeters.

This time, it was no longer a small wine cup, but a true Immovable Golden Bell.

In terms of quality and power, it had already reached the standard of the Immovable Golden Bell sold by that burly man in the Artifact Pavilion.

Of course, because of its immense power, the consumption was equally massive. With Wei Cheng's current internal energy quality—roughly 3.5 times superior—and a total internal energy pool of ninety years, he estimated he could only drive it for about ten seconds, maintaining complete command within a radius of a hundred meters.

Even so, this made it far more powerful than Liu Sui's short sword.

Stowing the Immovable Golden Bell into his cosmos pouch, Wei Cheng raised his eyes to survey the surroundings. The ruins before his eyes continuously overlapped with certain memory fragments in his mind. There was no mistake.

This was the mountain gate of the Purple Haze Immortal Sect. In the past, there had been thirty-six guardian stone figures here. Could it be that only three guardian stone figures remained today?

Wei Cheng simply refused to believe it.

"Old Bai, Liu Sui, Old Tang, when you patrol, avoid going in that direction, but at the same time, keep a close watch on that area. There should be more corrupted stone statues over there."

"Additionally, Old Bai, Old Tang, bring your flame rings over. I'll custom-craft an Immovable Golden Bell artifact for each of you."

Upon hearing these words, Bai Han and Tang Yuanshan were both astonished and overjoyed, feeling deeply thrilled.

Yet, for Wei Cheng, this was truly no big deal. Right now, he felt like a small workshop in Huaqiangbei. With the flame ring as the operational platform, a massive stockpile of demonic bird crystals in his possession, and his ability to transform into a flame giant, all the elements were completely in place. As long as ultra-high quality wasn't strictly demanded, batch-refining small wine cups was effortless.

There was genuinely no difficulty to it.

In the future, he even planned to sell them at discounted prices within Cangwu City.

If the Artifact Pavilion sold theirs for thirty golden dragon coins, he would sell his for three golden dragon coins, seizing their market and leaving them with nowhere to run.

He could even forge Immovable Golden Bells without incorporating demonic bird crystals, allowing cultivators with seventy or eighty years of Mountain-Moving energy to use them within certain limits, selling those for fifty silver dragon coins just to infuriate them!

Next, Wei Cheng actually went ahead and did just that. He forged an Immovable Golden Bell for each of the five individuals: Bai Han, Tang Yuanshan, Tang Xiaojun, Mei Renli, and Yu Liang. The interior of each bell incorporated only three demonic bird crystals, meaning their power was only one-third of Wei Cheng's own Immovable Golden Bell.

Because this was already the absolute limit of what they could drive.

A day later, Yu Liang successfully ignited his spiritual fire and condensed his spiritual seed.

As of this moment, beneath Wei Cheng, the core lineup of five high-tier Mountain-Moving experts was finally complete.

As for the miserable Chen Cheng, he still had yet to make any progress. Of course, the same went for Xu Shan; she had merely taken some time to cultivate the Azure Wood Mental Technique to the seventy-year mark and was just beginning to practice the second stage of the Azure Wood Mental Technique.

Aside from them, the seven junior Mountain-Moving practitioners upon whom Wei Cheng had placed high expectations—Qin Yang, Duan Jianghai, Yang Xiushan, Song Wei, Xue Xindong, Fan Yunlei, and Hu Chunlai—had finally completed their first quality fine-tuning. They had also mastered the second stage of the Mountain-Moving Mental Technique, allowing them to officially step out and serve as members of the second echelon.

Behind them, another five junior Mountain-Moving practitioners were still working hard. It was estimated that once their three days of bitter cultivation concluded, they would reach the exact same standard.

When that time came, there would be a full twelve junior Mountain-Moving practitioners—twelve living, breathing human power banks.

In the future, everything was flourishing with vitality and growth.

However, peace was always a luxury. Wei Cheng's team had rested in this location for only two days when they were inevitably tracked down by as many as four corrupted stone statues.

Furthermore, the moment these four corrupted stone statues appeared, they decisively unleashed all twenty-eight emotionally polluted skulls, instantly summoning twenty-weaves of wind demons.

The rustling sound rang out densely, resembling countless hordes of insects crawling across the ground.

In addition to this, the four corrupted stone statues maintained a distance of roughly two thousand meters from Wei Cheng and his group, resolutely avoiding any close-quarters combat mode.

The difficulty had escalated once again.

"Brother Wei, should we call a halt to everyone's cultivation, break out of this encirclement, and refuse to give them a chance at a positional battle?"

Bai Han suggested loudly. Twenty-eight waves of wind-blade torrents almost completely covered and sealed off every direction. Pushing forward in such dense formation was truly terrifying.

"There's no need. Since they want to fight a positional battle with us, we'll grant their wish. This wind-blade torrent is terrifying, but it's also an exceptional whetstone."

"Liu Sui, you will act as the reserve force. You don't need to make a move yet!"

"Release your Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagrams. The six of us will be more than enough!"

Wei Cheng shouted sternly. The next second, he took the lead by releasing his Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagram, expanding it to cover a radius of over two thousand meters. It truly resembled towering, majestic mountain ranges standing unyielding and firm.

Following right behind him, Bai Han, Tang Yuanshan, Tang Xiaojun, Yu Liang, and Mei Renli each took up their positions and released their Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagrams. With the most resolute will, the most unyielding faith, and the strongest spiritual power, they faced the onslaught of the wind-blade torrent head-on.

This was, by far, the strongest group attack that had appeared in the trial stages, aside from the demon legions—none surpassed it.

The psychological pressure it inflicted upon every single individual was immense.

Merely choosing to face this wind-blade torrent head-on required tremendous courage.

Its deterrent power was even slightly greater than that of the Demonic Shadow Curse.

Yet, precisely because of this, Wei Cheng called it a whetstone.

This was an extremely precious treasure capable of elevating the quality of Mountain-Moving internal energy!

"Rustle, rustle, rustle!"

In the span of just a few seconds, the wind-blade torrent driven by the twenty-eight batches of wind demons arrived close at hand. But greeting them were rows upon rows, patches upon patches of Immovable Golden Bells.

Supported by the towering mountain ranges, these bells transformed into genuine, hard, lofty mountains, blocking those twenty-weaves of wind-blade torrents.

One side attacked, the other defended; they were locked in a stalemate, evenly matched, appearing as though they would enter a prolonged phase of deadlock.

Yet, at this very moment, the Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagram released by Wei Cheng suddenly expanded violently once again, expanding in a single breath to cover a radius of over five thousand meters. Not only did it envelop everyone present, but it also completely covered the Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagrams of Bai Han and the others.

"Whoosh, swish, crash!"

At this instant, the sounds of surging river water and waves crashing against rocks echoed in the ears of Bai Han, Tang Yuanshan, Tang Xiaojun, Yu Liang, and Mei Renli. Before their eyes, a grand river truly manifested across the void.

In an instant, they understood Wei Cheng's intention. Without needing any deliberate effort, the rivers, streams, and brooks within their own visualization diagrams—regardless of their form or direction—resonated with this great river, linking together as one.

Following that, the towering mountain ranges within their visualization diagrams merged with the majestic mountains in Wei Cheng's diagram, forming a true, complete picture of rivers and mountains spanning thousands of miles.

Even this resonance transmitted through the Immovable Golden Bells, instantly guiding and sparking the Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagrams of the twelve junior Mountain-Moving practitioners—including Qin Yang, Duan Jianghai, Yang Xiushan, and Song Wei. These diagrams were then gathered and integrated, becoming a part of that grand landscape painting. Even if it was only a small fraction, it constituted a monumental fortuitous encounter for them.

"Boom!"

At this moment, with Wei Cheng leading the charge, the five major Mountain-Moving experts serving as the backbone, and the twelve junior practitioners acting as the appendage, an even more complete, broader-reaching Mountain-Moving Visualization Diagram with a brand-new appearance emerged.

"Supreme goodness is like water; water benefits all things without contending. Yet it is because it does not contend that the world cannot contend with it!"

Rolling thunderous chants swept past. Wei Cheng suddenly executed the Dao of Non-Contention at this moment, and following that, everyone passively followed suit, executing the exact same Dao of Non-Contention.

Even among the twelve junior practitioners, many had yet to truly comprehend the Dao of Non-Contention, yet at this instant, they grasped it instantly and understood its profound profoundness.

All the manifestations of the Dao of Non-Contention converged into a single, genuine, vast, mighty, and magnificent great river, rushing forth from illusion into reality.

In an instant, a vast ocean formed within a radius of several thousand meters. The river water churned, and towering waves struck the sky. The accumulated power surged forward in one breath, effortlessly neutralizing all twenty-eight wind-blade torrents. No matter how sharp or dense those wind blades were, they were thoroughly dissolved and swept away by the surging river and rolling torrents in this single moment, ceasing to exist entirely.

Meanwhile, the countless eerie wind demons hidden within the wind-blade torrents were swept up just like fish in the sea, caught in a giant net with no ability to struggle or escape.

Almost simultaneously, Liu Sui let out a thunderous roar as his ultimate technique, "Flying Dragon in the Sky," unfolded. Thousands of layers of purple haze covered the area, and countless palm shadows materialized into the claws of a divine dragon, slamming down from above.

In that single second, nearly eighty percent of the wind demons were slaughtered on the spot!