Ultragene Warlord

Chapter 131: The Blackwind Fort

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Zhang Lie had only won against the three-star scarab because of a large number of compounding factors: his numerous superior-grade soulshards, limit fragments, and rare techniques being the most important.

However, acquiring even one, let alone all, of these factors would be challenging to an ordinary hunter, and he certainly couldn't reveal any of them hastily, so all he could say was something vaguely inspiring.

“Is that so? You're really courageous— if I were to charge in like that, I'm sure I'd have lost my life.” This particular sentry seemed rather talkative, perhaps because he was interested in meeting Zhang Lie, and the two of them struck up a conversation.

At the same time, deep within the Blackwind Fort, a middle-aged man was staring at a screen with a serious expression on his face, on which the footage of the Kez invasion was being shown.

Although it had already been a few days since the invasion and the citizens of the capital were slowly returning to their old routines, this matter was still of paramount importance for the Chinese military.

Why had the Kez suddenly invaded the capital? Did they have a special strategy planned? Or was it a coincidence, a mistake? The military would have to study this event in great detail to avoid having it happen again.

However, just as he was preparing to analyze the footage again, a soldier rushed into the room.
“Commander-in-Chief, Dragonwolf Zhang Lie's requesting an audience with you!”

“Zhang Lie?”

What a curious coincidence that a hero of the invasion would want to speak with him right this moment.

“Yes, Commander-in-Chief!”

Su Feng frowned.
“Did he explain why?”

“No, Commander! He only mentioned that it was an urgent affair.”

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“Have him wait for me at the training ground.”

“Yes, Commander!”

Since the Kez invasion, Zhang Lie's name had spread far and wide, and even someone like Su Feng was interested in how Zhang Lie would grow in the future.
Zhang Lie had no background to speak of, and he was only in the first realm of the dimensional world, and these factors made his accomplishments even more impressive.

Most importantly, Zhang Lie had shown a soldier's temperament during his fight against the three-star scarab.

“Hand me Zhang Lie's dossier.” Su Feng had an inkling as to the purpose of Zhang Lie's visit.

Not too long afterwards, one of his lieutenants returned with the requested documents.
As Su Feng activated the microchip, a holographic screen appeared with relevant articles and information.

“Hoh, he makes a mess wherever he goes, doesn't he? Enemy of the Qin, Wang, and Li clans, and he's still trying to found a dojo in Ning…” Su Feng murmured to himself, chuckling as he did so.

After waiting outside the fortress for some time, a sentry finally approached Zhang Lie.

“Dragonwolf, please follow me.
According to Commander-in-Chief Su Feng's orders, you'll meet him at the training ground.”

The sentries standing alongside him moved aside, and Zhang Lie made his way into the Blackwind Fort.

“Why do you think the Dragonwolf's here to talk to the Commander-in-Chief?”

“How would I know? But given his nature, I'm sure it must be something important, something that concerns Ning or even all of China!”

“Hah, you've just had a brief conversation with him, and you think you can speak about his nature?”

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“Of course! The Dragonwolf's a hero of Ning, after all.”

The two sentries idly chatted as they continued patrolling the perimeter.

Meanwhile, Zhang Lie glanced around him as the soldier led him deeper into the fort.
The Blackwind Fort was far more secure and tightly patrolled than a regular military outpost.

Even within the fort, he could see scores of soldiers walking around the area, as well as countless miniaturized robots.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that even a fly wouldn't be able to get inside without being spotted.

“Wait here,” the soldier instructed.
After about ten minutes or so, Zhang Lie had arrived at the training ground, a stage so large that a thousand hunters could simultaneously be on it.
The arena's boundaries were inlaid with spears and swords, and it seemed to be sacrosanct to the gathered soldiers.

There was no one around but sentries, so Zhang Lie could only wait by the side of the arena.
As the minutes ticked away, Zhang Lie began to grow impatient; how much longer would he have to wait?

“Are youth so impatient these days?”

Just as he was about to inquire about the situation with a nearby guard, he heard a voice from behind, as well as a piercing stare.
It felt as though a humongous boulder were pressing down on his body.

Was this a show of strength? Well, he could reciprocate.
Zhang Lie circulated his genetic energy around his body, releasing a black mist that darkened the surroundings as he stood up straight once more.

Su Feng's expression grew more serious.
As expected, Zhang Lie was a surprisingly strong hunter.

“Not bad.
With your strength, it's no wonder that you were able to defeat a three-star black-tipped scarab.”

The commander-in-chief of the Blackwind Fort, Su Feng, was dressed in sharp military attire, his features hard and weathered, his eyes as piercing as an eagle's, giving off the impression of a honed blade.

Zhang Lie narrowed his eyes slightly, returning Su Feng's stare with one of his own.
This was their first encounter with each other, and he had to be wary of Su Feng's attitude toward him.

“Don't worry.
As a dragonsoul warrior, you don't have to worry that I'll do anything to you.
Indeed, I have to praise your performance during that fight with the three-star scarab.”

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Su Feng smiled.
He did want to seem stern and imposing in front of Zhang Lie, but Zhang Lie's personality and unwillingness to back down reminded him far too much of his own brashness as a youth.

“Thank you, Commander.”

As Su Feng relaxed, so too did Zhang Lie.

“I heard that you have urgent news for me?”

“Yes, Commander!”

“About what?”

“This is highly sensitive information.
Should I reveal it here?”

“Follow me.” Su Feng beckoned toward Zhang Lie as he strode away from the arena.
The two of them headed toward the center of the fort, which seemed to grow more spacious.

Many military outposts were constructed using stealth-based technology, and though the surroundings looked like ordinary desert, there were quite a few battle-tuned hovercrafts hovering around the area, as well as a few stationed battleships.
From these preparations, it was clear that the soldiers of Ning were always ready for a sudden attack.

For a moment, Zhang Lie felt as though he were back in the Desert of Silence.

Su Feng continued walking forward, his uniform battered by wind and sand.
The sand shone in the sunlight like a golden ocean, and Su Feng narrowed his eyes as he glanced up at the sun.

“It's time,” he murmured. 

The ground began to shudder.
A hole opened up in the sands right before him, and a magnificent structure emerged from the desert.
Sand poured down its exterior in a wave of gold.

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As the sand flowed down the structure, its shape became obvious.
The exterior was colored exactly like the golden sand, but the bottom of the structure, hidden deep within the desert, was a matte black.

The fact that this structure was hidden so expertly was testament to its importance.

Zhang Lie glanced at Su Feng with some shock.
This was the first time they had met, but he was already bringing Zhang Lie to the operations room for the entire fort?

“You're a dragonsoul warrior, so you have the qualifications to enter,” Su Feng explained.

The structure was still rising upward.
With a loud crack, part of the structure detached and fell down via a hinge toward Su Feng: a metal drawbridge.

“Let's go.
This is the most secure region in the Blackwind Fort, and I assure you that whatever information you provide will remain secure here.”

Su Feng motioned for Zhang Lie to walk over the drawbridge with him.
As soon as they entered the structure, it trembled again, then sank back down into the depths of the desert.
Within moments, there seemed to be nothing unusual about that patch of desert at all.

The temperature of the interior was cool, a pleasant contrast to the hot winds of the desert.
An illuminated corridor snaked forward into the unknown.

Su Feng continued walking forward, and Zhang Lie followed quickly behind.
As they passed by a few tunnels, Zhang Lie could see quite a few gun-wielding hunters patrolling around the region.

“These are the top hunters in the Blackwind Fort,” Su Feng explained, seeing that Zhang Lie's attention was fixated upon them.

Zhang Lie nodded.
If he hadn't entered together with Su Feng, these soldiers would likely have attacked him at once.

Even more surprisingly to him, many of the soldiers were peak second-realm hunters, and there were even a few whose genetic energy he couldn't even sense at all—and these were only the reserve troops of Ning!

There was surely more than met the eye to the Blackwind Fort, and they had still yet to reach the command room proper.
It was hard for Zhang Lie to imagine just how strong the soldiers who guarded the command room would be.

However, it didn't seem as though he would get a chance to find out.
Su Feng brought Zhang Lie through a side corridor and into a sealed meeting room.