Ultragenic Warlord

Chapter 462: A Preemptive Strike

The Yeluo chieftain continued, "We've increased the rate at which the poison affects the sura. Our original concoction caused cellular apoptosis over a rather prolonged period of time, but our new one is much more efficient."

"How does it work?"

Zhang Lie was very curious about this new discovery. In his past life, the Yeluo clan had been eradicated so quickly that they hadn't been able to contribute more against the sura; the fact that they were able to make this discovery after Zhang Lie had transplanted them to Renhuang and facilitated their potion-crafting wasn't much of a surprise.

"The new potion's significantly cheaper, and it'll affect even the strongest sura. At the very least, it'll cause temporary paralysis and stiffen their limbs for a few moments. This will be a trump card against the sura, I assure you!"

Zhang Lie nodded. "With your new breakthrough, I'm much more confident that we'll be able to deal with this sura invasion effectively and efficiently."

Fang Yi suggested, "What if Yang Ze goes to fight off Niutou instead of me? He's water-attuned, so he's likely more advantaged in a fight at a river."

Zhang Lie shook his head. "Fending off Suiyue will be a prolonged battle, but your style is to overwhelm your enemies with swiftness and speed. Yang Ze would be more suitable for Suiyue; furthermore, your [Heaven's Judgment] will be necessary to kill Niutou."

Except for the wood spirits, everyone else prepared to head off in six different directions.

Sun Xiaowu would set off with about a thousand hunters, and Yang Ze and Hong Xi with another thousand hunters. Fang Yi would head to the river by the northern border with five hundred water-attuned hunters, and Li Feng would do the same with about a dozen light-attuned hunters. Unfortunately, there were hardly any more light-attuned hunters to be found in the city. Given Moyan's specialty technique, the only hunters that could withstand his attacks had to be light-attuned; no one else would survive them unscathed.

Zhou Ying's forces were composed of a group of rock giants and a few hunters, no more than a hundred in all, most of whom were humans. Fenghe's monsters couldn't be overwhelmed with numbers, and even the Yeluo poison might not be effective against them.

Zhang Lie reminded her, "We don't have a good idea as to just what monstrosities Fenghe has made, nor how many of them there are. You need to be prepared for the possibility that the Yeluo poison will be useless."

Zhou Ying nodded. "I'm prepared."

With the shaman of the wood spirits around, the strength of their combined transformation was on par with that of a sura king, and Zhang Lie wasn't very worried.

Sun Mengmeng's troops largely consisted of rock spirits with a few crag eagles, as well as a few expert sharpshooters. Humans were largely disadvantaged in a fight against zombies—if they were killed, they would turn into zombies themselves, and no one wanted to put down someone who was once their comrade in arms.

The troops gathered by the gates of Renhuang, and Zhang Lie again leapt to the top of the city walls.

"Everyone, I have an important announcement to make to you."

The troops looked up at Zhang Lie in surprise. What news?

"As you know, and as has been confirmed, seven sura kings are planning on attacking Renhuang."

The troops began to murmur to each other.

The sura were the hegemons of the second realm, and seven sura kings and their forces were heading straight for Renhuang! One alone was sufficient to wipe out a large clan; seven might easily sweep through a large swathe of land.

This wasn't news—it was a portent of impending doom!

From Shouta's appearance at the city walls yesterday, they had sensed that something big was about to happen—but until now, they hadn't wanted to believe that what awaited them was a disaster.

"Governor, are we going to run away?"

"Run?" Zhang Lie countered. "Why? This is good news."

"How could it be good news? Seven sura kingdoms are attacking us together!"

Zhang Lie shouted back, "It's exactly because there are seven! If we can defeat them all, we'll leave an indelible mark in history—the whole realm will know our name!"

"But we're fighting against sura kings, and seven of them!" The troops began to panic.

"Oh? As if we haven't already killed a sura king or two!" Zhang Lie snorted. "One came by yesterday, and he did wreak some damage on our city walls, but isn't he hanging on the wall now? Renhuang will never back down. If the seven kings think that they can take down this city—well, they're wrong, and they'll pay the ultimate price for that mistake! Or do you want to run away and watch Renhuang fall?"

Zhang Lie's eyes were so resolute that he calmed down the panicking forces just with his aura alone.

"The sura might have their seven kings, but I have my Team Zenith, as well as the clan leaders of no fewer than three alien races!"

The members of Team Zenith and the three clan leaders strode forward proudly, quashing the troops' fear.

Zhang Lie continued confidently, "With them around, with me around, Renhuang shall not fall!"

They had all seen how strong Zhang Lie himself was—he had raided two sura kingdoms successfully and claimed their capitals for himself. He had always done as he promised, and since he promised that Renhuang wouldn't fall, they believed him.

With Zhang Lie around, they would survive.

Zhang Lie raised his arms into the air and shouted, "We've faced down sura kings before—they won't be a threat, not even if we have to take down seven at once!"

"Renhuang will not fall! Renhuang is invincible!"

Sun Mengmeng shouted, raising her arms as well.

"Renhuang will not fall! Renhuang is invincible!"

The other members of Team Zenith and the three clan leaders echoed the chant,

which quickly spread through the crowd. "Renhuang will not fall! Renhuang is invincible!"

More and more of the troops raised their arms gaily into the air. "Renhuang will not fall! Renhuang is invincible!"

In the end, everyone was shouting the same thing in unison, and the troops' morale, which had dipped precipitously as they learned about the upcoming invasion, rose sharply again.

Zhang Lie clenched a fist and made an abortive motion with his other arm, and the chant stopped instantly.

"The sura kings want to take the fight to us, but they won't succeed—because we'll take the initiative and strike first! Members of Team Zenith, here are your orders!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The members of Team Zenith stepped forward.

"Sun Xiaowu, you'll set out with your troops toward the west!"

"Yang Ze and Hong Xi, northwest!"

"Fang Yi, north!"

"Li Feng, northeast!"

"Zhou Ying and the shaman of the wood spirits, east!"

"Sun Mengmeng and the leader of the rock spirits, southeast!"

"Yessir!"

The six groups of forces set off from the city proper.

Zhang Lie continued standing on the city walls as he observed the forces setting off in six different directions. Given what he had seen of their strength, he was certain that none of them would lose.

Some of the hunters who had come to Renhuang to provide aid, who had once been imprisoned by the sura, were unqualified for combat for some reason or another, and they were assigned to help out with logistics and administrative issues instead.

When they witnessed Zhang Lie's speech, they couldn't help but feel invigorated, that they likewise had to do their part. They recorded the speech and uploaded it to the hunters' forums.