Chapter 256 The Situation in the West of the City
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Although only two skills were enhanced after the advancement, the amplification was still exhilarating for Su Han.
A LV3 Parasitic Corpse Willow, after advancement, saw its numbers leap to 10,000. Among its kin, the number of Second Order individuals increased significantly, and their strength could reach Second-order Intermediate level. The distance they could traverse doubled at least, stretching to 80 kilometers.
This distance meant that not only could they be planted within the city districts, but also beyond them—many areas could become the Parasitic Corpse Willow's territory. This was especially important for Su Han's subsequent exploration outside South City, as it would also become the first line of defense on the outskirts of the city.
The walls could not expand indefinitely, but the Parasitic Corpse Willow could—the more, the better, and the farther, the better.
All monsters that wanted to approach South City would have to pass through them first.
Despite the fact that Su Han himself didn't use the Parasitic Corpse Willow frequently, in truth, they were the workhorses of the Tree Domain Camp. Even Vine Giant Rats and Tree-born Worms had to take a back seat to them.
The outskirts of the eastern district, key intersections, the surroundings of the northern district, the suburbs to the north, and most of the southern district...wherever Parasitic Corpse Willows could be planted, they were there.
Scouting monster movements, hunting monsters, sending a continuous stream of monster flesh to the Tree Domain—they had made remarkable contributions.
There had only been 3,000 LV2 Parasitic Corpse Willows, and sometimes even their slots had to be reallocated. But now, no more shuffling was needed. 10,000 heads might not be many, but they would definitely make a significant impact, especially in the current western district of the city.
Turning to the Blood-winged Tiger, the number of LV6 Blood-winged Tigers soared to 3,000. Strong individuals among the kind could reach Second-order Superior, and although the ratio was slightly lower, the base figure of three thousand was there. It was no problem to have four or five undergo metamorphosis.
Besides the increase in numbers and strength, their range of activity doubled to 100 kilometers.
'Even though it might be a bit of a stretch for the nearby city, several counties and towns around it can now fall within their range.'
Su Han looked thoughtful. The changes in both the Parasitic Corpse Willow and Blood-winged Tiger would allow him to make more strategic placements. Even though such dense fog made it difficult to explore outward, that was especially the case for the Sky Cavalry.
In the vast fog with no reference points, it was very easy to lose one's way.
But, the road is made by walking. As long as you are well prepared, there is always a way to go out.
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The breakthrough of the Nine-Snake Mother Tree gave Su Han more confidence. The clean-up operation of three regions continued, but Ye Kailing was summoned by Su Han to lead two squads of Sky Cavalry straight to the camp in South City.
"Sky Cavalry's second and third squads reporting."
After finding Su Han and reporting, Ye Kailing asked, "Is there an emergency mission?"
Su Han nodded and said, "All three regions are clearing monsters to prepare for an assault on the western district. I want you to take the lead and let the Sky Cavalry scout the western district, deploying Parasitic Corpse Willows and Ancient Tree Crystals."
He gestured for Ye Kailing to take a seat. The room had a detailed map of South City hanging on the wall, with various critical locations marked out—large storage warehouses, chemical warehouses, laboratories, and so on.
Compared to the Tree Domain Camp's own map discoveries, the inventory here was more detailed.
The western district was marked as a key area. River confluences isolated it with the Xihui River branch acting as a barrier separating it from other districts.
Several river branches within the western district further divided the land into smaller parcels.
Together with the many residential homes and other buildings, the area could be described as extremely complex.
To march into it in force was bound to be naturally segmented by the terrain, making it difficult to clear.
And now, the ever-watchful Abyssal Insect Race posed an even greater challenge as they lurked and possibly occupied the western district, making the clearance even harder. Experience tales at empire
Ye Kailing's eyes sharpened when she heard Su Han's mission, "Leave this task to me. I'd like to see for myself what this Locust Bat Insect attacking the Sky Cavalry looks like."
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"Caution is paramount."
Su Han admonished, "Although you're close to Third Order, there might be more than just Third Order in the Abyssal Insect Race. If you discover their nest, retreat immediately."
Ye Kailing's expression turned solemn: "I understand."
After leaving Su Han, Ye Kailing immediately went to the assembly location of the two large squads of the Sky Cavalry.
Without further ado, Ye Kailing scanned the crowd: "Everyone, go to the location of the Mother Tree's vines to obtain the Parasitic Vines and the Ancient Tree Crystals, and prepare for battle."
"Yes."
The vines of the Nine-Snake Mother Tree spread over, with Ancient Tree Crystals condensing upon them. At the same time, the Parasitic Vines were summoned forth, snapping themselves off and dropping before the Sky Cavalry.
Every member of the Sky Cavalry, having carried out corresponding tasks before, didn't hesitate to pick up the Parasitic Vines and several Ancient Tree Crystals and strapped them onto the Blood-winged Tigers.
With everyone ready, Ye Kailing summoned her own Bat Wing Beast and mounted it.
By then, the Bat Wing Beast had also reached Second-order Superior. After using a large amount of injection agents from the Nine-Snake Mother Tree line, its appearance had not yet advanced, but it had already undergone significant changes compared to before.
Its bat wings were enormous, and vine-like tendrils sprouted along its spine. Even its bat-like head was faintly taking on the appearance of a python's head.
"Let's set off!"
The Bat Wing Beast soared up, heading towards the west of the city. The Sky Cavalry took to the sky in close pursuit. The low growling of the Blood-winged Tigers and the whooshing sound of their wings cutting through the air intertwined, their figures swiftly disappearing at the edge of the mystical fog.
Every rider of the Sky Cavalry had Ancient Tree Crystals embedded in their saddles. The crystals' light connected them, dispelling the surrounding fog.
Although they flew at great speeds, the fog dispelling couldn't keep up with their flight.
But when the Sky Cavalry formed into squads and flew in unison, the fog in the sky was indeed cleared away a great deal.
However, even so, the Sky Cavalry maintained an altitude of about a hundred meters, periodically dropping Ancient Tree Crystals according to the squad leader's commands to disperse the fog on the ground.
"We have reached the edge of the South City area. Ahead is West City. Maintain flight altitude and be aware of ground conditions."
The command came from Ye Kailing's mouth as she led at the front of the team, her expression serious.
No one knew the situation in West City. This scouting mission was fraught with danger; she had to be extremely careful.
The entire team was swiftly approaching the edge of West City, located at the confluence of the Donghui River and the Xihui River.
The members responsible for dropping the Ancient Tree Crystals released them, the fog being dispersed bit by bit until the crystals landed on the ground.
Looking down, Ye Kailing abruptly froze, her pupils constricting as a collapsed bridge came into view, its pillars still standing, but the bridge itself had fallen into the water.
Glancing to the west side of the Huihe Bridge, collapsed tall buildings lay across the streets. Rings of ruined skyscrapers piled up at the edge, looking like a wall.
"Skitter skitter."
Skittering sounds emerged from the ruins. The shadowy forms of the Zerg's worker insects flickered in and out of view, as if lying in ambush.
Ye Kailing immediately realized that something was amiss. With a solemn expression, she understood the Zerg had prepared more, and this journey was probably not going to be easy.