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Chapter 299: A Slip of the Tongue
🕑 Added 2024-09-18 05:30:15 +0000 UTC"White Banner, what exactly is happening here?" Wu Lian, whose green skin was deeper in hue than the other clan members, landed and helped the slender Swift Shadow Clan member break free from the entanglement with the Blood Wars, asking in a stern voice.
At this moment, the Swift Shadow Clan members rushing from all directions no longer concealed themselves. Instead, they were moving rapidly, with soul power swirling around them as they looked for the right moment to strike against the Blood Wars.
It was clear that this new approach was much more effective than their previous attempts to remain hidden. Their casualties had decreased significantly—at least they were no longer being split in half with a single strike from the Blood Wars.
Furthermore, the Blood Wars began to suffer losses. A few of them were slain by the Swift Shadow Clan members, who targeted the unprotected areas like the face or the gaps in their heavy armor.
After White Banner escaped from the skirmish, the surviving ten Blood Wars didn't pursue him but instead descended to join the ongoing ground battle.
Meanwhile, White Banner explained the situation to Wu Lian in detail.
"Interesting. So, he can summon a thousand powerful warriors out of thin air?" Wu Lian rubbed his chin as he observed the battlefield, marveling at the sight. "But it seems that's his limit. Otherwise, with the situation turning against him, he would have summoned more troops by now."
With that, Wu Lian waved his hand toward the figures behind him. "Go down and assist."
At his command, the Formless Clan members who had taken over the bodies of the Greenstone Clan grinned wickedly and charged into the fray below.
With the Formless Clan joining the battle, the tide quickly began to turn. Although the Greenstone Clan bodies were no match for the Blood Wars in direct combat, their physical resilience greatly alleviated the pressure on the Swift Shadow Clan.
"Once his troops are all dead, capture him alive," Wu Lian said from above, looking down at Lin Qian with a calculated gaze.
He noticed that as each Blood War soldier fell, they would vanish as if absorbed by Lin Qian. Wu Lian speculated that Lin Qian must possess an extraordinary soul artifact capable of storing living beings, a rare treasure indeed.
Moreover, given Lin Qian's ability to navigate the illusion array and command such fierce warriors, his value alive far exceeded that of his corpse.
After witnessing more of Lin Qian's troops fall, Yuan Xiang couldn't help but feel anxious. He realized that once Lin Qian's forces were completely decimated, it would be his turn to face the wrath of the enemy.
"But this kid must have something up his sleeve. Why else would he remain so calm in the face of imminent danger?" Yuan Xiang thought, puzzled by Lin Qian's composed demeanor, even as the situation worsened.
Unbeknownst to Yuan Xiang, Lin Qian was in the midst of a conversation with his trusted advisor.
"The research by the Black Blood Royal Clan has indeed proven effective. The enhancement to the Blood Wars' Bloodthirst ability is evident. The time it takes for the effect to manifest after a kill has been reduced to three seconds, compared to the previous thirty," Zhuge Ming analyzed the data Lin Qian had sent back, clearly impressed.
As Lin Qian absorbed the bodies of the fallen Blood Wars and Swift Shadow Clan members into the Huaxia Empire, he inquired, "How is the research on the Swift Shadow Clan? Has it benefited the tech trees of the Night Shadows and Wind Runners?"
"The improvement is marginal, about a ten percent increase in efficiency," Zhuge Ming replied with a shake of his head. "Your Majesty, we no longer need the bodies of the Swift Shadow Clan. However, as for the Formless Clan, if we could study a live specimen, it would greatly enhance our research..."
"No need to say more. Once we secure this small world, we'll establish a branch of the Heavenly Engineering Division here, and you can study the Formless Clan to your heart's content," Lin Qian interrupted, already knowing what Zhuge Ming was going to say.
Living beings from outside the Huaxia Empire couldn't be brought inside, so to study the Formless Clan, they would need to establish facilities in the outside world to capture and contain live specimens for research.
The Blood Wars continued their slaughter. As the direct beneficiaries of the Black Blood Royal Clan's research, their effectiveness could only truly be measured in battle.
Both Yuan Xiang and the Swift Shadow Clan members, White Banner and Wu Lian, assumed that Lin Qian's forces numbered only a thousand.
What they couldn't imagine was that Lin Qian and Zhuge Ming were merely testing the Blood Wars' Bloodthirst ability—they hadn't even begun to truly fight.
"Your Majesty, the test is complete," Zhuge Ming's voice came through once more, prompting Lin Qian to nod slightly. The remaining four hundred Blood Wars suddenly withdrew, regrouping around him.
The enemy forces also ceased their attacks, and soon, the Swift Shadow Clan and Formless Clan members had encircled Lin Qian and his troops completely, forming an impenetrable blockade.
"Human, if you surrender now, we might spare your life. If you give yourself up, we'll report it immediately and ensure you're treated favorably," Wu Lian called down to Lin Qian, his voice dripping with false kindness.
Lin Qian looked up at Wu Lian, a knowing smile spreading across his face. "So, you haven't informed the rest of your forces about what's happening here yet?"
White Banner frowned, glaring at the surrounded Lin Qian. "And what of it? Do you think we need to call for help just to deal with you?"
"In that case, it makes things easier for me," Lin Qian responded cheerfully, his expression brightening at White Banner's confirmation.
Before White Banner and Wu Lian could retort, four humming sounds suddenly echoed from the four corners of the city. They turned to see massive pillars of runic light shooting into the sky, forming a protective barrier around the city. Within moments, the barrier solidified into a transparent, shimmering shield.
The formation had been erected with incredible speed, and in the blink of an eye, it was complete.
"You have no way out now, foreign scum," Lin Qian remarked, observing the shocked expressions of the Swift Shadow and Formless Clan members around him. "Since you mentioned your combined forces number thirty thousand, to make it fair..."
Lin Qian paused, flashing a grin that revealed his white teeth.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the battlefield, and the once-empty space around Lin Qian filled with bodies. Ten thousand Blood Wars had appeared out of nowhere, encircling him in the center.
But what truly sent chills down the spines of White Banner and Wu Lian was the sight above them...
In the skies around them hovered countless heavily armored figures, each holding a battle blade, their cold eyes fixed on their targets.
Like predators eyeing their prey.
"Let's make it thirty thousand against thirty thousand!"
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