Watching Du Tian leaving with his people, Xia Luo finally exhaled the breath that had been caught in his throat. He was truly worried that Du Tian might have fought to the death just now. Although he could have defeated the opponent, it would have surely resulted in some casualties.
But before he could catch his breath, an even greater crisis had already cast a shadow over his heart.
Although Du Tian had left, he would undoubtedly return with reinforcements soon, and it wouldn’t just be a hundred men next time, but very likely hundreds, or even thousands.
"What should we do, Xia Luo?"
Zhou Qiang looked at Xia Luo.
Xia Luo sighed and said:
"I have no other plan; we’ll just have to resist as best we can. If all else fails, I will exchange my life for yours. The people from the city area want to conquer us for your manpower; they won’t kill all of you."
"Hurry to Kongming Academy and contact Yang Xiao. Let’s think of a solution together? The city area’s people have clearly come prepared, and both we and Kongming Academy have become their targets."
"Alright, I’ll go to Kongming Academy myself and ensure they are prepared. When necessary, we can all come together through the Transmission Array to resist the city area’s people."
As Zhou Qiang spoke, he took two people with him and headed towards the Transmission Array to Kongming Academy.
Someone came to ask Xia Luo:
"Boss, what should we do with these Snow Wolf Armors and equipment?"
A light suddenly flashed in Xia Luo’s mind as he said:
"One hundred pieces of Snow Wolf Armor, the Genetic Store’s buying price is 800 Crystal Coins each. Good, sell them all to the Genetic Store; that way we’ll acquire 80,000 Crystal Coins, allowing five or six people to upgrade to the Primordial Gene Primary Stage, providing a temporary boost to our combat power.
And those one hundred weapons, most priced above 100 Crystal Coins, can be sold for around ten thousand Gold Coins as well. Right, pick up their submachine guns and see if they can be used."
Xia Luo suddenly saw hope for resistance.
He selected ten people with higher Genetic Evolution Levels to go to the Genetic Store to sell the equipment while also upgrading their Genetic Evolution Levels. He also arranged for a dozen people to try out the submachine guns on the ground.
However, the result of testing the submachine guns was disappointing for Xia Luo. Since none of them were experts with guns, it took them all day just to figure out how to disengage the safety and pull the trigger to shoot.
Their aim was clearly very poor, and with the limited number of bullets for each submachine gun, many felt that it was less efficient than their Soul Skills, which were more familiar and powerful.
Xia Luo’s final conclusion was that such professional firearms could only be effective in the hands of someone who had received specialized training.
Nonetheless, he ended up having a small group of ten who had lower Genetic Evolution Levels take the submachine guns; each person fired two shots to get a simple feel for using them, forming an impromptu squad.
It’s got to be better than a fire stick, right?
The Snow Wolf Armor and some weapons were sold for nearly 90,000 Crystal Coins at the Genetic Store. The man at the store chuckled and said:
"You didn’t buy a single piece of Snow Wolf Armor from me, and yet you end up selling me a hundred pieces. How strange."
Still, even with that, the owner of the Genetic Store made a large profit, as he immediately resold them to other Genetic Stores for 900 Crystal Coins apiece.
All the Genetic Stores were interconnected through a mysterious and fantastical system, exchanging goods and selling them to humans.
Under Xia Luo, seven more people entered the Primordial Gene Primary Stage, and Xianan University’s overall Genetic Evolution Level rose from 6 to 7.
Xia Luo gathered everyone again, focusing on discussing the strategies for when the enemy sends people again and how various types of troops should coordinate with each other.
Zhou Qiang rushed to Kongming Academy and found Xiao Zhe and Zhao Gang.
"He went to the main peak of Biyun Mountain and hasn’t returned."
"The people from the city suddenly came to our school today, demanding that we submit to their rule. Xia Luo did not agree."
"Did it come to blows?"
Xiao Zhe and Zhao Gang were alarmed.
Zhou Qiang briefly summarized the recent events.
"You guys need to get ready; their target is definitely not just Xianan. Kongming City is also part of their agenda."
Xiao Zhe and Zhao Gang grew anxious; without Yang Xiao, they were uncertain how to handle such a critical situation.
"Xiao Zhe, quickly dispatch the Flying Bird Team to the Biyun Mountain summit to find Yang Xiao and have him hurry back."
Xiao Zhe was stunned and said:
"Yang Xiao said before he left that the temperature at the summit of Biyun Mountain is even colder than here. Those who haven’t reached the Primordial Gene Primary Stage can probably only make it to mid-mountain. If they force their way to the top, they might freeze."
"That’s easy to handle. Someone from our school has reached the Primordial Gene Primary Stage and possesses a Bird Beast Soul. I will send her to the summit to inform Yang Xiao. You guys need to make preparations here."
Xiao Zhe nodded, and Zhou Qiang hurried off.
"What should we do, Xiao Zhe?"
"First, give everyone a heads-up, have them stay on alert, weapons ready at all times, prepared for combat. Also, send someone to strengthen patrols at the academy’s outer entrances, and have a few people take turns watching near the Transmission Array, so we’re the first to know if Xia Luo sends anyone over."
Kongming Academy had around twelve hundred people, of whom about four hundred were logistics troops with little combat capability. The actual combatants numbered around eight hundred.
How to deploy these eight hundred combatants was a decision neither Xiao Zhe nor Zhou Qiang could make on their own.
After discussing with Xiao Zhe, Zhou Qiang decided to send Qin Yu and Deng Xiao to the mid-mountain of Biyun Mountain to await Yang Xiao.
Upon receiving the orders, Qin Yu and Deng Xiao took off immediately.
Xia Luo sent a girl named Li Mei to Biyun Mountain summit to find Yang Xiao.
Li Mei reached the mid-mountain and felt the piercing cold; flying further up towards the cloud-piercing summit intensified the chill. If she hadn’t already broken through to the Primordial Gene Primary Stage, she would not have been able to endure.
Li Mei flew to the summit and landed on the mountaintop platform, scanning around without spotting Yang Xiao and the others.
At that moment, Yang Xiao and company were inside a mountain cave.
Huang Wen, Chen Fei, and Chen Lu had spent the previous night with two Giant Eagles, lying in the warmth of their wings.
Yang Xiao and Long Yongjun had a rough night, waking over and over from the cold.
The two tried to get closer to the Giant Eagles, but the birds seemed not to take kindly to them, warning them with a couple of calls. The men had to walk away sulkily and rest on a spot on the ground where they laid out some dry grass.
Long Yongjun grumbled that the Giant Eagles bore grudges, remembering that Yang Xiao had once injured a young Giant Eagle, hence the rejection.
Yang Xiao laughed and said:
"Chen Fei was also there at the time; why doesn’t the Giant Eagle hold a grudge against Chen Fei? I guess it’s because they’re all girls, right?"
After chatting idly for a bit, both drifted into a groggy sleep.