Super Gene Optimization Fluid

"Say that again!?"

"Now isn't the time for jokes!"

Ending the call with the forward investigation team, Calvinson grimly walked over to Xia Fan and whispered into his ear, "Stop for now. There's a new development."

Xia Fan was startled and starting to worry, and then he spoke in a fretful tone, "Nikai, um, could you wait a moment? I need to go for a piss. If I keep holding it in, I'm going to wet my pants."

Pft!

On the other end, Nikai laughed. "And you say you aren't a pervert? A gentleman should call it the bathroom or something. You're really crude."

"It's all the same thing. Wait for me! I'll be back soon."

"Mm, hurry and go."

Taking off his earphones, Xia Fan immediately became cool and collected. He didn't really need to pee, his fretful appearance only an act so that Nikai wouldn't worry.

"There's news from the front that the energy pulses are intensifying. Something might be awakening," Calvinson said urgently.

Xia Fan was startled. "Awakening? What could it be?"

"It's hard to say. The demons are in the middle of a full-on revival. Last time, it was the Second Son of the Flame Soul, so there might be some other monster in the Demon Palace. You've probably learned about Eggs of Reincarnation, right? Demon Kings and all other high-ranked lifeforms will bury their Eggs in different places. If they die, they can choose any Egg to be reborn in, and they can control when they are reborn.

"The Demon Kings have been impossible to annihilate over the years precisely because of this ability. They die again and again, and they are reborn again and again. Even their mounts can do this," Calvinson explained.

Xia Fan considered that news. "The Demon Palace is a well-defended fortress, and any external damage will cause it to explode. Thus, no matter what is awakening, we can't attack. And if we don't attack, Nikai will remain stuck in the Demon Palace.

"This is truly a dilemma. What has the investigation team decided?"

Calvinson stared deeply at Xia Fan. "Who cares about the investigation team? Everything you did just now left a very deep impression on me, so I want to know… what do you think?"

Everyone held their breaths. Calvinson was one of the thirteen City Lords, but on this key question, he was asking Xia Fan's opinion. It appeared that the city lord had a very high opinion of Xia Fan, at least on this matter!

Xia Fan didn't leave everyone disappointed. Without the slightest hesitation, he said, "Stop the rescue operation and have Nikai hide in a safer place, and then have a small team enter the Demon Palace.

"Based on our current situation, we need to change our strategy. We give up on rescuing Nikai and opt to clear out the Demon Palace."

Xia Fan had barely spoken when Dongfang He rushed up and tried to grab Xia Fan's collar. Alas, Xia Fan was too fast and easily dodged the grab.

"Give up on rescuing Nikai? Do you know what you're doing!? I'll kill you!" Dongfang He roared furiously, his eyes spitting flame.

"Shut up!" Xia Fan retorted ruthlessly, the sharpness of his voice leaving everyone stunned. "What am I doing? I should be asking you that question!

"Stopping the operation might not be the best choice, but it's the least worst option in the circumstances!

"Once Nikai leaves the Demon Palace, she still has a long way to go and has to avoid many traps. What if Nikai ran into that Awakening thing in this process!? Do you think that Nikai, with her shortage of energy and broken leg, has any hope of winning?

"What we should be doing isn't seeing who can shout louder, but solving this problem!

"No matter what it is that's awakening, we need to go in there and kill it! And then, if you want to go and bring Nikai out, nobody will stop you!"

"Heh!..." Only Traveling Buddha was chuckling. Everyone else was struck dumb, not expecting the smiling kid to be this vicious when he was angry. His spittle had drenched Dongfang He's face.

'This is the real Xia Fan, the elite investigator of the Special Investigation Bureau, the Little Wolf of the Skywing Clan, the ruthless guy who fought his way from Ashen Moon to the Great Chiliocosm. When he's being all nice, did you guys really end up taking him for a soft persimmon?', Traveling Buddha thought to himself as he happily watched Xia Fan rebuke Dongfang He.

"I agree. Rather than arguing, we should set off now. With the Thunder Dragon, we can swiftly reach the Northern Sea," Jia Yuntian said from a corner. The guy had an emotionless face all the time, but at least he saw things clearly and wasn't so annoying.

...

The Northern Sea…

The Thunder Dragon landed on a giant ship just before daybreak. That ship was the primary base of the investigation team. Currently, all investigations had been halted, and everyone on the ship was waiting nervously.

The Thunder Dragon wasn't a real dragon, but a type of Demi-Dragon, something like a mixture of hawk and Megadragon. Its body lacked the draconic scales that were as tough as alloy, and its intelligence was even more lacking. In any case, after interacting with Pearl so much, Xia Fan wasn't at all respectful around mere Demi-Dragons.

As the most powerful flying beasts of Subduing Demon City, the Thunder Dragons could only be used by the City Lords. Moreover, they normally didn't appear in public, with even their living area being a strictly guarded mountain outside of the city, rather than in the Beast Garden.

In this emergency, Calvinson had commandeered a Thunder Dragon and traveled through the night to get here. With him were Dongfang He and Jia Yuntian. Of course, the decoder of the Demonic Voice, Xia Fan, and his partner Traveling Buddha were also here.

"We've arrived!" someone shouted at the ship.

There was a small room on the back of the Thunder Dragon. Xia Fan was there so that he could maintain contact with Nikai. The two had already developed an envious connection. Nikai only trusted him, and she would get very annoyed if someone else tried to talk to her, constantly asking, "Where's Xia Fan? Where did he go? Why isn't he saying anything?"

Dongfang He and Jia Yuntian could only shake their heads awkwardly. If only they had been able to decipher the Demonic Voice too! Then Nikai would be constantly asking about where they were!...

But they still had a chance. If they rode a white horse and descended from the heavens to rescue Nikai from the Demon Palace, Nikai might hug them in excitement, perhaps even give them a kiss!...

Xia Fan pushed open the door with a bang and emerged from the room.

"How is Nikai?"

"She's doing very well. I've had her hide, but we had best move quickly."

There were many people on the deck, everyone anxious and excited to act.

Not all warriors who had participated in the operation were starry-eyed fools who adored Nikai. Before Xia Fan came to the Lower Realm, the Lower Realm had been in one of its rare peaceful eras. Peace was a blessing to the common people. People could chat, go shopping, and if they got together in a group of four, they could even play mahjong.

But peace was an era that warriors hated the most, because if warriors wanted to make a name for themselves, they needed to do it through combat achievements, and how could there be combat achievements without battle? Thus, many warriors were excited to hear that the war of humans and demons was about to restart. A person's reputation was like a tree's shadow. Since they had come down to this world, they had to leave something behind!

"I wonder who will be chosen?"

"It's hard to say. Experts of all fields have been gathered, and the City Lords will have a hard time making up their minds. I think that Dongfang He and Jia Yuntian will definitely be part of the team. After all, those two are Nikai's suitors, and they have the support of their clans."

"What's the point in thinking about such things? There's no need to worry about the members, as there are simply too many people. What I'm worried about is the name of the commander. After all, a good commander needs to be decisive and swift, but they also need to be bold and meticulous, someone with great experience!"

"Great experience? Subduing Demon City isn't a war zone, so all the good battlefield commanders are in the level below."

Xia Fan and Traveling Buddha stood together, listening to the people around them randomly speculating. Suddenly, a golden-haired youth emerged from the hold. He was City Lord Cotillard's assistant, so when everyone saw him, they hurriedly asked him who was going to join the operation.

The golden-haired youth seemed very excited, whispering, "An experienced veteran is being sent out! The City Lords have jointly decided to bring General Dresden out of retirement!

"Unfortunately..."

"Unfortunately what? Finish your sentence!"

"Haaa…" the golden-haired youth sighed. "All of you know that General Dresden is an old-fashioned soldier with an inflexible personality. He insists on bringing a pure-blooded squadron. All warriors of this squadron have to be members of Demon Slayer Clans, and outsiders aren't qualified."