Chapter 93. Mutated Beast Tide, No Retreat, Fight to the Death! (1)

"We're going to Chang'an?"

The Golden-Winged Peng seemed to have anticipated the order. Without objection, it lowered its head and nodded in a surprisingly human-like gesture. For an ordinary person, the journey from the valley to Chang'an would take many days.

However, the Golden-Winged Peng's extreme speed meant that the journey would only be brief. This was the reason Lu Yuan had even bothered to subdue a mount. He needed a convenient transport during peaceful times and the ability to quickly reach his target destination during a crisis.

A beast tide led by powerful beast kings was formidable. Even if Chang'an somehow managed to repel the beast tide, they would have to pay a massive price in exchange.

Now that he had the power to intervene, he wouldn't stand by and let that happen. Moreover, the Aurora Academy had shown him goodwill more than once, and he had to repay that debt of gratitude.

Without another word, he leaped onto the Golden-Winged Great Peng's back. Then, the Golden-Winged Great Peng beat its wings once, soaring toward the horizon in a golden streak of light. Its destination? The supercity Chang'an.

***

Atop the towering steel walls of Chang'an, countless figures from the military stood guard. The pitch-black barrels of their weapons were aimed at the wilderness outside the city.

The streets were lined with tanks, armored vehicles, missile vehicles with SAM launchers, and more. The awe-inspiring sight composed of modern weaponry seemed to assuage the anxious hearts of the civilians inside.

The support of government officials meant Chang'an could mobilize all sorts of modern weaponry to defend against the beast tide. Indeed, the number of equipment they had at their disposal was enough to wage a war.

In this new era, the number of Awakened had grown, but true powerhouses were rare. As such, humanity's greatest advantage against mutated beasts was modern technology.

Of course, apart from that, tens of thousands of Awakened had gathered both within the city and outside.

Everyone understood what was at stake—if the city were allowed to fall, it would be a disaster for all. They wouldn't be spared, and more importantly, if they were to retreat now, where would they retreat next time?

This wasn't a war between men, but a war between species.

For now, fighting was the only way forward.

At Chang'an's forward command post, all of the city's high-level officials and top-tier experts had gathered. They hadn't stayed in the rear but had chosen to stand at the forefront. Among them were the Awakened Realm white-robed elders, Dean Zheng, Commander Xu, the Northern Emperor, and Zhu Qingyu.

Experts from various civilian groups had gathered alongside them as well.

"Reporting to the Commander!" a soldier announced, stepping forward. "We've detected intense life signatures with powerful energy fluctuations fifty kilometers out."

The soldier projected the data onto a makeshift screen. In an instant, the screen was inundated with red dots. The larger the dot, the stronger the life signature. Of course, the instruments weren't perfect and couldn't monitor every single mutated beast out there.

"Is there any visual feed?" Commander Xu asked.

"Sir, yes," the soldier replied, operating the equipment. "But the powerful energy emanating from them is causing significant distortion."

The screen flickered to a grainy image. The smaller mutated beasts were little more than shifting shadows, but the largest, most powerful beasts could be roughly distinguished.

"The one in the lead is the White King, and it's the ruler of Qinling."

"There are others, and they seem to be... Unfettered Realm beast kings."

"Correct. The feed shows eight of them in total, and they're all heading for Chang'an."

Everyone stared at the screen with eyes transfixed on the largest threats. The weaker beasts could be ignored for now; they had enough firepower to eliminate them.

The key to the upcoming battle was the beast kings. Their power was too great for ordinary modern weaponry to handle, making them the greatest threats in this beast tide.

An Unfettered Realm mutated beast's destructive power was terrifying, especially when one considered the fact that their physique was vastly superior to that of a human. After all, they were mutated beasts.

Everyone had hoped they would only have to face one or two of such beast kings.

Unfortunately, eight had appeared.

A grim silence fell over the command post.

Dean Zheng, Commander Xu, and the others stared at the screen with solemn faces. Several experts from the civilian groups swallowed hard as the same question popped up in everyone's mind.

How are we going to stop those beast kings?

Even a powerhouse like the Northern Emperor could feel a mountain of pressure on his shoulders. Although he had reached the Awakened Realm, the gap between him and an Unfettered Realm mutated beast was still incomparably massive.

"Everyone," Commander Xu said, stepping forward, his gaze burning with resolve. "I know this is going to be a difficult fight, but we must face them. We cannot retreat, even if it means death."

He was a soldier, and a soldier's mission in Huaxia had always been the same—to ensure the safety of the nation's citizens. That duty hadn't changed, not in the old era, and not now.

Commander Xu saw the fear in their eyes. As the leader, he knew he had to speak, but he also knew he couldn't force people to their deaths.

"However," he said, his voice steady, "if anyone wants to leave, I will not hold it against you, and I won't stop you as well."

A beast tide led by eight mutated beast kings was a threat on an unprecedented scale. No one knew the outcome, but one thing was certain—many would die.

Perhaps even the leaders gathered in this room would not survive to see another day. Commander Xu wouldn't criticize anyone choosing to leave in the face of such a threat.

"Surely you jest, Commander. If Chang'an falls, none of us can escape unscathed."

"Indeed," someone added. "We must fight. And we're already here, so why would we leave?"

"So what if there are eight beast kings? Even if we end up dying, we'll make them pay. Countless people are behind us as well."

One after another, everyone voiced their resolve. Fear was a certainty, but staying afraid wouldn't resolve anything. Chang'an was one of only five supercities, the last bastions for the people of Huaxia.

If Chang'an fell, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Moreover, the entire nation was watching.

This was the first true war between humans and mutated beasts. A victory here would mean more than just survival. It would be a symbol of hope. Moreover, they would have the experience to face the next beast tide.

"Thank you, everyone," Commander Xu said, taking a deep breath. The eyes of the nation were upon them, so retreat was not an option at all. A solemn silence fell as he began issuing orders, making the final preparations for the battle to come.