Ultragenic Warlord

Chapter 919: A Divine Plan

Xing Ying sighed in exasperation. "They aren't weak, and they have a large number of troops at their disposal, but they didn't attack us via a direct confrontation. Instead, once they reclaim a world, they immediately retreat the moment they notice our presence. They keep fleeing when we advance and make use of the indigenous people to mask their tracks. It's very frustrating to deal with!"

Zhang Lie thought for a moment. "In that case, we'll switch tactics too. Split the members of Team Zenith into two groups. We'll make our way deep into the heart of their worlds. Regardless of what obstacles we encounter along the way, we'll just slaughter them all. If we encounter an army led by a king of the realm, we'll retreat immediately. Does that sound like a workable plan?"

"Leave it to us!" the members of Team Zenith cried out.

The draconian sage understood what Zhang Lie was planning. "Ah, I see. You'll skirmish with the enemy in order to draw their forces away?"

Zhang Lie shook his head. "More than that, sage—you're still looking at things too superficially."

Sun Mengmeng, who was standing beside Zhang Lie, jumped in. "Actually, our captain's plan involves a second, deeper layer. The opponent is a coalition that formed just a few months ago, and there are likely disagreements or conflicts among its members that we can capitalize on. The moment their worlds are threatened, they might very well leave the coalition forces in order to defend it."

The draconian sage's eyes gleamed. "Indeed, indeed! They're not an organized force, so you just need to create incentives to scatter the soldiers… What an intricate plan! Once a few soldiers leave the coalition, a chain reaction will follow, and the coalition will quickly collapse."

Yang Ze continued, "There's even a third layer to the plan."

The draconian sage was gobsmacked. "A third layer?"

"Well, more precisely, half a layer. The coalition was founded on the premise that Team Zenith had vanished from the third realm. Our return and direct assault at the heart of our opponents' worlds will herald our return—as well as the threat and power we possess."

The draconian sage had only the highest of praises for Zhang Lie. "In matters of strategy, I truly can't compare..."

"The moment we destroy one of our opponents' worlds, the coalition will collapse, and the plot of the Chiyan king will fail."

Sun Mengmeng grinned. Her lips quirked up. "No, there really is a third layer—or perhaps a fourth layer, let's say."

"What?!" Did Zhang Lie's spur-of-the-moment suggestion really harbor such depths?

Yang Ze thought about what Sun Mengmeng had said for a moment. "Yes, you're right. Our captain's depths are truly as expansive and deep as the ocean—but you're as intelligent for being able to read his plans to such an extent, Sun Mengmeng."

Sun Xiaowu and Zhang Hanxiang looked at each other in confusion. They were having a hard time following the conversation themselves.

Sun Mengmeng explained, "Our captain's main objective isn't simply to make these kings retreat, but to defeat them all."

Yang Ze followed up with a chuckle, "If these kings of the realm end up banding together under the threat and continue to resist, then our captain will be able to take them down in one fell swoop thanks to his overwhelming strength."

Sun Mengmeng cried out excitedly, "This is the true heart of our captain's plan. Regardless of whether our opponents end up banding together or disbanding under the threat of our presence, they'll all be playing into his palms!"

Zhang Lie himself was listening to the conversation with no less amazement than the draconian sage had shown. Two and a half layers, three layers, four layers? He hadn't been thinking as deeply about his innocuous suggestion as Sun Mengmeng and Yang Ze apparently were, but when he saw his sister looking at him with a face full of awe and respect, he smoothly clasped his arms behind his back and smiled as though he had been seen through.

When everyone else saw the smile on Zhang Lie's face, they were stupefied.

Such was the intelligence of the champion of mankind, Zhang Lie! A conundrum that had left the gathered hunters present scratching their heads—Zhang Lie had solved in a manner of seconds, in a cunning four-layer plan.

How intelligent did Zhang Lie have to be to devise such a plan? He was no less intelligent for his strength—brute strength was far less threatening than brute strength combined with overwhelming intelligence.

It was little wonder that Zhang Lie had succeeded in founding the kingdom of Limit—his natural talents lent themselves well to the task.

The members of Team Zenith puffed up with pride. This was their captain, the man they were pledging their careers as hunters to!

Being able to follow in the footsteps of such a genius was the best luck they could have ever hoped to receive. Not only was Zhang Lie immensely strong, he even had a once-in-a-lifetime genius. It would be difficult for him not to make a name for himself.

The draconian sage was wholly impressed by Zhang Lie's talents.

As Zhang Lie noticed all the respectful gazes shooting his way, he couldn't help but blush.

Really, his greatest advantage was boasting an elite force like Team Zenith. The crux of his suggestion was to stymie and harass his foes with absolute, crushing strength—the reason the draconian sage and the warlords hadn't been able to find such a solution was because they didn't possess such strength.

Zhang Lie coughed. "Warlords, continue to defend the contested draconian territory. Can you pinpoint the areas where the coalition forces have been sighted? I'll head there immediately, control their forces, and see if I can do some counterintelligence to make your work easier."

Zhang Lie turned to Zhang Hanxiang. "Hanxiang, you'll join the warlords in defending the draconian world."

Compared to allowing Zhang Hanxiang to wander around the third realm by herself, Zhang Lie was a lot more comfortable with the idea of placing her under supervision by the warlords in the area. That would be a much safer option.

The members of Team Zenith set off immediately. Zhang Lie headed to the most recent location in which coalition forces had been spotted, shattering space and activating his disaster-grade mistmeld clam soulshard to control a number of soldiers.

Of course, he wasn't able to control high-ranking commanders and attendants to the kings of the realm. Those people were all protected by the kings' energy, and Zhang Lie's mistmeld clam soulshard would be useless against them. However, he could easily control their foot soldiers, who weren't protected.

Weak though they might be, they at least possessed the numerical advantage.

Zhang Lie controlled roughly ten thousand soldiers in one fell swoop, representing half a dozen worlds, before returning to the draconian world. He had planted the seeds; now, he just had to wait for them to sprout.

With nothing else pressing, Zhang Lie headed to his new genetic lifeform farm in the third realm.

Right as he walked closer, he sensed a strong aura manifesting in the air. A huge bolt of lightning struck the center of the farm...