Chapter 366: The Zealots
Both Xiao Honglian and Wei Dinghai had seized control of their respective shelters through sheer power, making them the strongest combatants in their factions.
Their combined strength posed an enormous threat to the Followers of the Snow God.
Yet, despite this formidable opposition, the cult had one overwhelming advantage: sheer numbers.
Whether among ordinary followers or Superhumans, they outnumbered any base by a wide margin.
Realizing that a decisive battle was unavoidable, a ruthless glint flashed in Zheng Yixian’s eyes as he shouted, “In the name of the Snow God, deliver them divine punishment!”
The priests ceased their hesitation, unleashing their abilities in a ferocious clash with the Superhumans of the coalition forces.
Ragged and emaciated, their eyes burned with a fanatical light, utterly devoid of fear.
“Eliminate all enemies of the Snow God! Kill them all!”
Armed with nothing but kitchen knives and iron rods, dozens of cultists charged headlong into the coalition’s ranks.
The soldiers sneered as they raised their rifles.
The cultists were shredded by gunfire.
“Are these people insane? They think their bodies can stop bullets?” a soldier mocked.
But just as the laughter spread, a sudden rush of wind came from above.
Looking up, the soldiers barely had time to react as a shadow plummeted down—a crazed cultist, his body strapped with explosives, had leapt from a high building.
The explosion tore through the ranks, taking the cultist and six soldiers with it.
The grisly scene left the remaining troops visibly shaken.
A squad leader barked, “These cultists are lunatics! They’ll stop at nothing to kill us. Stay alert!”
The coalition had deployed only a few hundred soldiers, leaving some to guard their bases.
But from the surrounding ruins, thousands of cultists poured forth, their sheer numbers causing even the most battle-hardened soldiers to draw a sharp breath.
Xiao Honglian scowled. “Damn cult! How many idiots have they brainwashed into dying for them?”
Her disdain for the cultists was palpable. She saw them as fools, sacrificing their lives for a worthless cause.
Her gaze shifted to the cult’s Superhumans, finally settling on Zheng Yixian.
“Take out the leader, and the rest will crumble.”
She exchanged a glance with Wei Dinghai, who nodded with a smirk.
Xiao Honglian took a deep swig from her flask, activating her ability, Infernal Furnace.
Fiery red patterns spread across her face and hands, resembling molten lava flowing under her skin. The heat around her intensified, causing steam to rise from the snow.
With her power fully unleashed, she bolted toward Zheng Yixian like a blazing comet.
Zheng Yixian’s eyes narrowed, sensing imminent danger.
Suddenly, icy hands shot up from beneath the snow, locking onto his legs.
Wei Dinghai’s face emerged, a sinister smile on his lips as freezing energy began creeping up Zheng Yixian’s body.
From the front, Xiao Honglian launched a fiery punch, her flame-covered fist aimed directly at Zheng Yixian’s head.
The explosion sent a shockwave through the battlefield, scattering snow and bodies alike.
When the dust settled, Zheng Yixian stood behind Wu Huan and Han Chang, panting heavily. His right arm was charred, blood clotted, and poison from the flames coursed through his veins.
Without immediate treatment, his condition would worsen in the harsh post-apocalyptic environment.
Xiao Honglian and Wei Dinghai looked on with frustration.
Despite their combined attack, they had failed to take Zheng Yixian down. His subordinates had intervened at the critical moment, pulling him to safety.
A Battle of Attrition
The ordinary soldiers and cultists fought with equal ferocity.
The cultists, with no fear of death, charged armed with mere cooking utensils. Their fiery determination sent chills down their enemies' spines.
It wasn’t just a disregard for death; they seemed to seek it out.
Even the most seasoned soldiers began to tremble.
Wave after wave of cultists fell, only to be replaced by more, chanting their doctrine as they marched to their deaths.
The coalition soldiers grew weary, their nerves fraying under the relentless assault.
They were killing cultists by the hundreds, but the cultists’ suicidal tactics had already cost them over thirty soldiers in just thirty minutes.
Worse still, more cultists kept emerging from the ruins.
Xiao Honglian and Wei Dinghai exchanged uneasy glances.
The sheer fanaticism of the cult was beyond anything they had expected.
Normally, a few gunshots would scatter any opposing force, leaving survivors to surrender or flee. But these cultists were different.
They fought like madmen, unyielding and undeterred.
The coalition still had the upper hand, but the mounting casualties were becoming unsustainable.
With other factions lurking in Tianhai City and the powerful Qingfu Base dominating the northwest, they couldn’t afford such losses.
Xiao Honglian finally made a decision.
Taking a deep breath, she glared at Zheng Yixian.
“My cousin and his team are dead. The Followers of the Snow God are the prime suspects. Now, I want an explanation!”