Super Gene Optimization Fluid

Tired, exhausted, aggrieved, and dragging his wounded body, Dongfang He led all his surviving comrades and made their way out of the darkness.

They had carried survival handbooks as well, so their destination was the same as Xia Fan's; to head to Holy Spring City in search of this rumored ally.

"According to this simple map, we shouldn't be too far from the Holy Spring City, right?"

"It's all thanks to big brother Dongfang. Without him, there would have been no way any of us could have made it out of this darkness."

"The breadth of a man is made known in critical moments. Did any of you notice that even Jia Yuntian is also listening to big brother Dongfang now?"

This was the chatter between their comrades, and Dongfang He could not help but bemoan his fate deep down when he heard those words.

Ever since he was a child, Dongfang He had looked forward to becoming a real leader, just like all the heroes recorded in history books, leading armies and his comrades to make a name for themselves.

But now that Dongfang He had begun to lead everyone, it was only then that he realized just how difficult it was to be a leader.

In Demon Subduing City, Dongfang He always had a retinue with him whenever he headed out. The vassal warriors in his clan would help him take care of everything, but out here in the buffer zone, he could only depend on himself!

How the soldiers would be allocated, who would be on duty and who would get to rest, how to treat the wounded, which path to take in order to avoid encountering enemies as much as possible, and deciding whether to fight or flee when they inevitably run into enemies!

Every order would affect the lives and fate of his comrades. This was simply far too heavy a responsibility, and a young man like Dongfang He raked his brains countless times over these decisions, really wishing he could just break down and cry.

But he could not do so. He was the leader of these people now. Any other member could complain, but Dongfang He could not. They could bemoan their fate, but Dongfang He was the only one who could not. Even if the pain and anguish tormented him to the point of insanity, he still had to stand tall and motivate everyone, to act like he had everything under control in front of the others.

In the distance, Jia Yuntian had completed his task scouting ahead and finally returned with a whoosh of motion.

In just a few days' time, the originally skinny man had lost yet another layer of skin. Among the men, no one had a tougher time than Dongfang He and him.

After all, real scouts could not afford to be heavily injured, and a leading warrior like Jia Yuntian had been forced to bear the important responsibility of a scout.

While most of the men rested, Jia Yuntian was out scouting.

While the majority of the team forged ahead, Jia Yuntian was still scouting.

Whenever they encountered enemies and needed to immediately locate an exit, they still needed to depend on the skinny man.

Fortunately, Jia Yuntian had a sturdy skeleton. Dongfang He and him were the two critical pillars of this team, had survived up until now, and they were also the reason the team had survived until now.

"Brother Yuntian!"

"You must be exhausted! Quick, have a drink of water."

Jia Yuntian returned from his scouting, and everyone quickly surrounded him, handing him blankets and water canteens. There was even someone who helped massage his sore muscles.

This sort of respect was something Dongfang He and Jia Yuntian had received in exchange for their lives.

Though everyone present were friends that had played together since young, it was only now that they dared call themselves friends beyond death; this had been an arduous journey for all of them, and everyone had staked their lives on and supported each other to get to this point.

"Brother Yuntian, how's the situation up ahead?"

Only after Jia Yuntian caught his breath did Dongfang He ask him about what he had seen. Though they were rivals in love, they were currently in the middle of a battlefield, and only had mutual sympathy for one another.

Jia Yuntian grimaced, "I located Holy Spring City, but…"

"But what?"

"Holy Spring City is currently being besieged by a huge army, a mix of tribes found in the buffer zone, as well as the White Bone Regiment under the command of a Demon King. The situation looks to be going from bad to worse. They probably can't hold out for much longer.

"For some reason, Travelling Buddha is there, but I couldn't find Xia Fan and Nikai anywhere. The main people defending the city right now are Travelling Buddha and a Water Elemental. As for the warriors of the Shimmer race, there's a limit to the impact they are making!" Jia Yuntian summarizes what he had seen.

"A Water Elemental? An Elemental sapient lifeform only heard of in rumors?" Dongfang He was stunned.

"That's right. His entire body is made up of water, but it is alive. I was watching from afar and it was amazing. He's able to control all the water, but the level of manipulation he demonstrated is far more formidable than someone with the Water special ability. It must be an innate talent that Elementals possess," Jia Yuntian confirmed.

"Xia Fan and Nikai aren't around? Did they leave the city, or perhaps…" Dongfang He's voice trailed off, as sadness filled his heart.

Jia Yuntian took his head, "I'm not sure. All of us are well aware that Xia Fan and Travelling Buddha are inseparable partners, but I didn't see Xia Fan anywhere around Travelling Buddha."

Everyone was silent, wondering if tragedy had struck Nikai and Xia Fan.

Dong Fang He gritted his teeth, "Brother Yuntian, do you wish to rest for a bit?"

"No need," Jia Yuntian shook his head. "I can still hold it together."

"Good. Then let us make our way to Holy Spring City immediately!"

....

From a high vantage point, when everyone saw Holy Spring City's battle situation, everyone could not help but suck in a breath of cold air.

It was too tragic.

Utterly tragic!

The only city in the buffer zone where the kind citizens resided was in ruins. Smog filled the air everywhere as corpses floated in the moat. Layer after layer of blood stained the city streets red.

Beyond the moat, the tribal warriors had launched a powerful assault. They jumped into the moat, biting down with their swords in their mouth and began swimming. They were quickly closing in on the city, even as they let out a guttural battlecry from their throats.

These tribal warriors were like savages living in the forests, wearing animal skins and even smearing their faces with blood from both their fellows and animals. Some even wore huge earrings and nose rings that made them look more ferocious.

The city's protective dome had collapsed, and large chunks of rock were falling down, creating huge craters upon impact. A constant stream of the undead warriors of the White Bone Regiment were dropping down from above as well.

Those were creatures that knew nothing about pain and death. As they dropped into the city in this fashion, the impact of the landing shattered their legs, but they would just grab their White Bone Swords and crawl ahead.

Then there were some unlucky warriors who landed on the roof of buildings, the sharp protrusions stabbing through their bodies. Because they could not die, all they could do was wail while stuck on top of the buildings.

...

The Shimmers guarding the city, Travelling Buddha, and Icy Rain, were already at the point of exhaustion.

The area they could defend shrank over time, and they had already been reduced to the vicinity of the central plaza by their enemies.

Further back was the entrance of the Holy Spring, where all the elderly and young of the Shimmers were hiding.

Even the young able-bodied women had joined in the battle, carrying weapons in their hands, forming groups in tens, fighting hard but clumsily against their enemies.

All of a sudden, a cry filled the air. The first Demonic Quasi-dragon had appeared on the battlefield. It was the signal for an all-out assault. The frightening creatures that had nearly caused Nikai and Xia Fan to die had already arrived on the battlefield.

Their numbers climbed. The black demonic Quasi-dragons flapped their wings and bared their fangs and claws menacingly. Their eyes were glowing a bloody red in the darkness.

This was the final moment. The city was on the verge of complete destruction. Even if Travelling Buddha and Icy Rain were to join hands, there was no way for them to continue protecting the poor Shimmers!

---

Dongfang He got up and unsheathed a coldly gleaming claymore. He was covered in scars, his combat suit completely drenched in blood. He looked like someone who had just climbed out from a deathpit.

"Brother Dongfang, are we going to join the battle?" someone exclaimed.

Even a fool could tell that the handful of warriors on their side was not about to turn the tide against such a powerful army. Even if they were to join the fight, they would just end up dying together with the city.

Dongfang He chuckled mirthlessly. "Is that even a damned question?!

"When has the Demon Slayer Legion ever had to consider if they would join a fight when they encounter demons?"

A second and third person stood up, drawing their weapons as well. They were all as exhausted as Dongfang He, and they were all enduring the many wounds they had received.

Dongfang He raised his bloody sword up in the air like a real general, and then gave the command to launch an all-out assault.

"I know everyone's very tired and injured. I know our injuries hurt a great deal!

"But please do not forget that we are the Demon Slayer Legion, the descendants of Demon Slayers!

"As long as we still breathe, then we shall never share the same sky as those b*st*rds!"

Even more people rose, and soon, everyone was on their feet!

A small team made up of just over a dozen young warriors would hardly be significant in a battlefield of such a grand scale.

"Demon Slayer Legion, charge!

"Demon Slayer Legion, charge!

"Demon Slayer Legion, CHARGE!"

Dongfang He yelled out loudly thrice, and his comrades responded to his call each time.

The small team charged down from their vantage point. All of them were still bleeding from their wounds, and every one of their eyes were bloodshot.

The heavily-injured Christopher was bringing up the rear, dragging his half-crippled body, relying solely on the one good leg that could still move. He was hobbling along with all his strength, trying his best to keep up with his comrades, even as they plunged into this battle of certain suicide.