Chapter 134 - Hu Yong, Hu Chi

The entire village now served as Han Wu’s subjects. Those who stubbornly refused to worship him were converted into material to empower his forces. Also, the very first mutated Tigerman he created had become Han Wu’s right hand man.

In recognition of its unwavering bravery and loyalty, Han Wu bestowed upon it the name Hu Yong. After numerous applications of Gene Recombination, it had been elevated to a Lord life form. It now possessed eight eyes, eight powerful arms, and a towering height of five meters—a direct and successful outcome of Han Wu’s genetic experiments.

The transformations weren’t limited to Hu Yong. A significant number of Tigermen, all yearning for greater power, had undergone Han Wu’s Gene Recombination on multiple occasions.

Some Tigermen now possessed multiple arms, while others exhibited several legs fused into a single limb. There was even one individual whose body contained numerous redundant organs. Despite these diverse forms, their overall strength had seen a significant boost, all thanks to Han Wu’s Gene Recombination.

With their power expanding, their belief in Han Wu solidified. When the Tigerman General’s army finally appeared at their doorstep, Hu Yong was the first to step forward and eagerly requested to engage in combat.

“Esteemed God,” Hu Yong stated, “please give me the order to kill them! I will personally wrest the head of that general and present it to you as a victorious gift!”

Han Wu profoundly admired Hu Yong’s courage. The Tigerman, who had once been deaf, had learned to speak within a single realm month, simultaneously growing stronger and mastering numerous close combat skills in the process. Han Wu had no qualms calling it a genius. Nevertheless, Hu Yong displayed a slight naivety in its assumption that others inherently shared its own preferences.

Han Wu recoiled internally, thinking,

I am basically a god; what use would I have for the Tigerman General’s severed head?

I’m certainly not so perverted as to use a general’s head as a night soil bucket or anything like that! Instead, I’d rather you compel the Tigerman General to surrender, or better yet, bring it to me so I can utilize it as material to boost the power of our forces.

“Hu Yong, you don’t need to present me with his head,” Han Wu stated. “My command is for you to assemble your brothers, descend, and destroy the army. Take them alive; only those who stubbornly refuse to surrender until their final breath should be killed.”

“I understand, my glorious God.”

A thousand of Han Wu’s enhanced Tigermen, under Hu Yong’s leadership, emerged from the village. Just as the general was about to issue the attack order for its army, the village gates burst open, and a horde of mutated Tigermen surged forth. Reacting quickly, the Tigerman General barked orders for its troops to engage and to ensure the gates remained open for their imminent invasion.

However, the Tigerman General had gravely underestimated the formidable strength of Hu Yong and the other mutated Tigermen. Many of these transformed warriors were capable of simultaneously engaging ten regular Tigermen, and Hu Yong itself could face down a hundred alone. It surged through the opposing army with incredible speed, reaching the general in an instant.

The general reeled in shock. While it stood as a three-meter-tall giant among its fellow Tigermen, Hu Yong dwarfed it, towering at an imposing five meters. Though both were Lord life forms and possessed the identical skills bestowed upon the Tigermen tribe by Hu Hai, the sheer difference in their heights suggested an imminent loss for the general.

The seasoned general, despite the shocking sight, steadied its breathing and suppressed its fear, bracing itself for the inevitable fight. “Though I’ve annihilated countless traitorous legions, I’ve never seen such an abhorrent being as yourself,” it snarled. “I will personally sever your head and turn it into my celebration wine cup!”

Hu Yong completely disregarded the general’s threats, however, focusing intently on capturing him as swiftly as possible instead. Meanwhile, Han Wu remained at the top of the village, closely observing the events unfolding below.

Han Wu had a clear view of his Tigermen overpowering the enemy army. This was hardly surprising, as the opposing force consisted of mere Elite Tigermen while his mutated units were, at the very least, Unique life forms. Given this disparity in power, it was entirely normal for the enemy army to be suppressed.

However, the opposing Tigermen army held a considerable numerical advantage. If the confrontation persisted, Hu Yong would likely find himself in grave danger. Han Wu reflected that he wouldn’t be in such a predicament if his formidable skills hadn’t been sealed; in the past, he could have eliminated such a force with a single, decisive sword stroke.

However, the situation was no longer the same. With his powers sealed, he could only rely on Gene Recombination. Every action required careful calculation, and he had to conserve his strength as much as possible.

Han Wu issued a fresh order. “Archers, ready your bows to fire upon the approaching army, and someone have Hu Chi report to me at once.”

A scrawny Tigerman, dressed in worn, drab garments, soon materialized before Han Wu. Its frame was so thin it seemed almost emaciated, and at just 1.7 meters tall, it was easily one of the smallest and slimmest Tigermen in the village. Nevertheless, to dismiss its capabilities based on its appearance would be a serious misjudgment.

Hu Chi was the second Tigerman Lord that Han Wu had successfully mutated from the village populace. Han Wu bestowed upon it the name Hu Chi due to its intense dedication to martial arts. He instructed, “Hu Chi, I order you to go forth, aid your brethren, and secure victory for us in this war!”

Hu Chi paused for a moment before quietly responding, “As you command.”

Emerging slowly from the village, Hu Chi appeared before the army. A Tigerman soldier, misjudging Hu Chi’s capabilities based on its lean frame, delivered a punch. In response, Hu Chi swiftly countered with a punch of its own.

The sheer strength and masterful martial arts proficiency of a Tigerman Lord effortlessly tore the Tigerman soldier’s body apart, scattering its pieces in different directions. Witnessing this horrifying display, the surrounding Tigerman soldiers immediately retreated rapidly, wary of Hu Chi’s casual yet devastating punches.

Hu Chi, however, wasn’t one to show mercy. It relentlessly hunted down the retreating soldiers, pounding each one into the earth with its fists. Hu Chi was also remarkably diligent and thorough, aiding everyone as per Han Wu’s instructions. It would only deem its task complete once it could no longer detect any enemies in its vicinity.

Hu Chi intensified its pace, eager to conclude its task and return to its cultivation in the village. Not a single soldier could withstand or block its attacks as it moved with the swiftness of the wind. Despite their desperate pleas, Hu Chi remained unconcerned. It continued its relentless killing, determined not to cease until every last enemy had been eliminated and its command fully accomplished.

Not a single Tigerman soldier proved capable of stopping Hu Chi’s rampage. Ultimately, the Tigerman General was compelled to abandon its ongoing fight with Hu Yong and instead turn its attention to Hu Chi. All the while, it secretly fumed, inwardly scolding its own ineffective soldiers.

Hu Yong alone presented a formidable challenge, and now with Hu Chi entering the fray, the general found itself overwhelmed. How could it possibly contend with two such powerful foes simultaneously? Inevitably, its neck was soon snapped due to the coordinated assault from Hu Yong and Hu Chi.

Witnessing their general’s demise, the soldiers’ morale utterly collapsed. Han Wu’s mutated Tigermen swiftly captured the entire force and brought them before him. He attempted to proselytize them, but his efforts were in vain; not a single one of the captured Tigermen was willing to worship him.

Han Wu let out a sigh of resignation and, with a decisive move, killed one of the soldiers who was defiantly shouting at him. Surprisingly, the very instant he committed this act, he felt a subtle but significant change—a portion of the captured Tigermen began to convert, and faint streams of Faith Points drifted from their bodies, entering his own!

Overjoyed by the effectiveness of this brutal method, Han Wu proceeded to execute one of the Tigermen army’s team leaders. As a result of this act, he acquired an even greater number of new believers.

It dawned on Han Wu that the Tigermen soldiers understood only one language: raw power. Being diplomatic with them was pointless. He realized he needed to show them, through blood and death, that defiance against him would inevitably lead to their demise.