Chapter 511: Chapter 499: Asserting Battle Readiness

Tree Canopy Building.

Li Linhua’s graceful figure stood at the treetop, overlooking the base ahead. The people around were busy, too many had died; for the survivors, this was undoubtedly a saddening situation. Moreover, the surrounding circumstances were not optimistic. Although the bugs, under her appeasement, wouldn’t harm anyone, the group of monsters to the north were poised to strike.

She must do something.

Xing Yong was right, those fleets were an opportunity, but she had never planned to face all this with shady methods.

Unlike Xing Yong, whose heart was consumed by darkness, Li Linhua remained calm. Through the shared vision of Hawk eye, she saw those outsiders.

Their exquisite weapons, orderly actions, and the monsters they had captured—a headache-inducing Earth Dragon had become their dinner. The ships docked behind them all indicated that they were not a simple force.

Living in such an environment, Li Linhua knew the hardships of life. Yet, they possessed the power to travel afar, which was undoubtedly far stronger than her side, by many times.

Xing Yong had already been shrouded by darkness, rendering his perspective short-sighted. He naively believed that by relying on a sneak attack, he could seize everything from the other party. Little did he know, this was a path to doom.

Backing off, even if Xing Yong eventually seized the ships, so what? Without a route or skilled sailors, some people drift wistfully on the sea, and the final chance of survival is exceedingly slim.

Li Linhua had her own plan.

Try to communicate with the other party to see if some survivors could be taken away first. Of course, she never expected them to agree unconditionally, just like in times of peace, everything requires a price to get a return.

Certainly, as long as the stakes are high enough, there is no deal that can’t be reached.

Over eight thousand people, many of whom are highly capable professionals, undoubtedly serves as bargaining chips. Even Li Linhua herself is among them.

Since the apocalypse, Li Linhua hadn’t ventured outside. Although she wasn’t clear about what’s happening out there, she could appease the bugs, turning them into docile ’pets,’ which was considered a mighty ability.

Xing Yong wasn’t wrong; the city that had nurtured her for decades was now on the brink of death. Li Linhua never intended to hold out here, so she would choose to resolve matters in her own way, not with such reckless and brainless force that would provoke the other party.

How could she break this stalemate?

The northern monsters were like a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment. Before that, she must take precautions.

Tap, tap, tap.

Just as Li Linhua pondered how to communicate with the other party, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded, followed by a breathless voice: "It’s bad! You must go to the forest and take a look, the bugs... the bugs have gone mad!"

"They seemed to be stimulated by something and rushed towards the sea!"

Crack!

A vine on the trunk was snapped by Li Linhua.

As an Insect Speaker, Li Linhua couldn’t control bugs, but she used appeasement to smooth out their hostility. It took her a year of arrangements to stabilize the bugs, making them a barrier for the base. Now, with the bugs rioting, her efforts were no doubt wasted!

Xing Yong had just suggested plundering, and then the bugs rioted; everything was too coincidental, there must be some connection between the two!

"Damn it!"

Li Linhua’s face turned icy; she appeared somewhat pallid. Even though angered by Xing Yong’s foolishness, she also realized she must prepare fast.

This wasn’t even the most troublesome part. With the bugs gone and the barrier vanished, it foretold that the northern monsters might attack at any moment!

An entire year!

Could it be...

Will this base really end up like Quanzhou, utterly destroyed?

Li Linhua nearly stumbled; as a woman, she appeared particularly weak now.

...............

Chen Feng stood aside, looking towards the forest.

Upon learning they were surrounded by bugs, he ordered all Warriors to enter a combat-ready state.

A few minutes ago, people were still immersed in food, but now, they had become real Warriors, each picked up their weapons, guarding against bug attacks.

"Hah!"

"Hah!"

A few Earth Element Elemental Masters came over, placed their hands on the ground, and shouted angrily. In an instant, a half-meter-high bunker rose in front of everyone.

The Warriors picked up their guns, aimed forward, and the professionals also stood in a row, unleashing their internal energy.

Beast Transformer.

Elemental Master.

Beast Tamer.

They are the elite of the team, some of whom had been serving alongside Chen Feng from the very beginning. Accompanied by countless battles, they have long ceased to be those fledgling novices and have become masters capable of standing strong on their own.

At the rear, the Demon and Martial Cannon aboard the ship was also aimed forward. Its range is about one mile, indicating that, should any large creature appear, the Demon and Martial Cannon would instantly provide defensive action.

A member of the Dark Department stood to the side. He was the scout who saw the Earth Dragon during the day and had fear across his face. Due to his poor performance, he was relieved of all duties by Lu Wei upon return and became a frontline warrior.

For someone like him, who long stayed in a safe city and never saw a real battlefield, now is undoubtedly tense, especially with the fallen trees in the distance making his heart pound violently.

The buzzing sound of insects seemed to be right at his ear, unsettling him and even causing his breathing to become somewhat chaotic.

He looked around, initially thinking everyone was like him, but the surrounding warriors and professionals taught him a valuable lesson as none of them showed any signs of panic like he did.

Instead, everyone stared ahead like statues. As seasoned warriors, they knew remaining calm on the battlefield increased the chances of survival.

Having experienced insect swarms, seas of corpses, and demonic riots, they have become true elites, and this nearly influenced the mindset of the small soldier from the Dark Department. Perhaps due to the composure of his companions, he didn’t lose control as before but gradually gathered strength and displayed his best state.

The battlefield requires a period of adaptation.

Even powerful professionals need a transition. This is why Chen Feng, when assembling the fleet, brought along a third of the new recruits.

This is an expedition, but also a training exercise.

Those fledgling novices would slowly grow with each battle and become a cornerstone of Order, ensuring that there won’t be a day of overthrow for this force.

Chen Feng snapped his fingers.

The Undead Mage emerged from a crack. Chen Feng did not sense the terrifying might of the Golden Tier ahead, indicating that it was nothing but a disorderly crowd.

At most, just a group of Silver Tier ants.

In mass battles, the role of the Undead Mage is undoubtedly greater. With his advance to Golden Tier, Chen Feng wanted to see how far the opponent had grown.

As a Summoner, Chen Feng needed to familiarize himself with the capabilities of the Summoned Beast. Even with evolution, even Inferior Demons possess remarkable wisdom, not to mention the mysterious figure of the Undead Mage. Despite having their own thoughts, Chen Feng must still dominate the consciousness. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The Undead Mage’s eye sockets no longer contained the eerie blue Soul Fire but had turned into clouded pupils. After becoming a Lich, its appearance looked more like a reclusive old man.

Standing quietly in place, the Undead Mage had a remarkably upright posture. Even without any signs of life, there was still a sense of meticulous attitude.

The Undead Mage was a decent person in life as well.

Raised the Bone Staff.

With the advancement of the Undead Mage, the Bone Staff had changed in appearance. The surrounding was no longer purely white, and the tip held a massive Ruby.

But amidst this, Chen Feng smelled a pungent scent of blood, undoubtedly, this radiant gem had unknown amounts of blood and life poured into it!

What is never lacking in the apocalypse?

Besides monsters and the dead.

The land before them churned, followed by shattered bones climbing out of the ground. These bones were incomplete since, during their life, they were highly likely already food, their flesh consumed by insects and monsters.

This resulted in these skeletons having imperfect bones, with no combat ability even in their new form.

Yet the Undead Mage appeared unaffected, and as the Bone Staff emitted a red glow, a surprising sight emerged. The shattered bones gradually clustered together, and some bones assembled to become a sturdier-looking Skeleton Warrior.

Several or dozens of bone fragments assembled together, and the Skeleton Warrior’s might gradually increased. Soon, fifty composite Skeleton Warriors appeared before everyone.

"Strange... strange... where did these skeletons emerge from, and their power... it’s too terrifying?"

A new recruit widened his eyes, puzzled beyond words.

This scene left even those who had previously collaborated with the Undead Mage astonished, as the skeletons before them possessed considerable combat strength, naturally equipped with frightening power, strong and formidable one by one!

However, upon realizing they were allies, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they could be more at ease with these skeletons serving as cover.

Delight.

After a period of dormant waiting, the Undead Mage did not disappoint. The mere assembly of fragmented bones already held a power no weaker than Bronze Tier. What if he assembled stronger skeletons?

The scene before him, undoubtedly, left Chen Feng satisfied.