Chapter 58: Machine Upgrade!!!

After saying these words, Chu Xiao let out a long breath. Damn it, he’d held it in for so long! Finally, he could say it out loud! What a relief!

At this moment, Mukos’s expression was as foul as could be. Had the world turned upside down in Jiuzhou, that they dared speak to him like this? He gave a cold snort, turned, and left, his voice drifting back from afar. “Don’t think that without Jiuzhou, America can’t survive!”

Euris, witnessing all of this, was at a loss for words. Jiuzhou was not to be offended, so he could only sit in silence. Of course, Chu Xiao did not make things difficult for him. Instead, he explained to Euris about the machines the Lord of the Underworld might deploy in the next war—such as the giant mobile mechanical tower cannons and the thirty-meter-long mechanical fire-breathing birds. These were extremely dangerous entities.

8:00 a.m.

Chu Xiao and Ji Kai Cheng were on patrol together when they suddenly spotted several black dots flying toward Mingzhu. The objects were enormous! Chu Xiao and Ji Kai Cheng quickly grabbed their binoculars. What they saw were birds—each one tens of thousands of times larger than ordinary birds!

These were the second-generation mechanical fire-breathing birds of the Lord of the Underworld, each stretching a full thirty meters long!

Chu Xiao was shocked! According to intelligence, these machines shouldn’t appear until a month later—how could they already be here? A sudden sense of foreboding swept over him. But there was no time to dwell on it now—they had to deal with the crisis at hand!

Chu Xiao picked up a loudspeaker and shouted, “Pass the word—thirty-meter-long fire-breathing birds have appeared! Everyone, be alert! Thirty-meter-long fire-breathing birds have appeared!”

“Attention, everyone! Stay sharp!” Ji Kai Cheng called out from the other side, also holding a loudspeaker. With their communication equipment down, this actually lessened the strain on their hackers. With fewer devices, there were fewer vulnerabilities.

Ten minutes later, the fire-breathing birds were only a thousand meters from Mingzhu’s fortress.

“All personnel, follow my command! If the fire-breathing birds attack with fire, we’ll use our water cannons to extinguish it! If they attack, use the laser cannons! The laser rifles can only slow them down! Remember—aim the laser cannons precisely!”

Everyone was nervous at first—the birds were truly massive. But when they heard Chu Xiao’s orders, their fear vanished. With all these weapons, what was there to fear from a mere mechanical bird?

That’s right! No reason to fear this oversized bird!

Everyone was united, determined to defeat the mechanical fire-bird.

Through the eyes of his mechanical bird, the Lord of the Underworld gazed at Mingzhu’s fortress and sneered. “A pathetic little fortress—do they really think it can keep them safe?”

“Watch as my mechanical bird tears it down!” Louis chimed in beside him, “Exactly! Jiuzhou really thinks a worthless fortress can stop you, my lord.”

The Lord of the Underworld shot Louis a cold glare and said nothing.

The fire-breathing bird drew closer and closer. When it was only a hundred meters from the fortress, it suddenly halted. “Why did it stop?” people wondered aloud.

Just then, Chu Xiao shouted, “Prepare the water cannons and laser cannons! Don’t let your guard down!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Attack with the laser cannons before it strikes!” Chu Xiao knew it was a risky move, but sometimes striking first was the best option.

Everyone hurried to aim the laser cannons at the fire-breathing bird. But an unexpected thing happened—no matter how they fired, the bird dodged every shot! Despite its massive size, it moved with astonishing agility. And it hadn’t even attacked yet—when it did, the consequences would be dire!

No, they had to come up with a plan fast! The soldiers began to panic.

“Why can’t we hit it?”

“We’re missing—what do we do?”

“Don’t panic! Listen to my orders!” Chu Xiao’s voice boomed out. His words were a stabilizing force, the result of a long-earned authority. The crowd quieted, awaiting his command.

“All units, prepare to fire both laser and water cannons! Block the fire-bird’s escape! Attack from both front and back!” Chu Xiao shouted through the loudspeaker.

Everyone loaded the cannons. At that moment, the fire-breathing bird made its move, gathering energy to unleash its flames.

The instant fire erupted from its beak, Chu Xiao roared, “Fire!”

At his command, every water and laser cannon blazed at the bird. The water cannons doused some of the flames, but others still struck the fortress. Fortunately, the fortress was built of the highest-grade titanium alloy, with the best fire resistance of them all.

The fire-breathing bird, seeing a barrage of projectiles flying its way, dodged desperately. It avoided one, only to find another right beside it. The barrage was so dense, there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to escape!

Now, in Jiuzhou’s eyes, the fire-bird was no longer a terror, but a mere weakling! After several volleys, Chu Xiao saw a swarm of even more black dots approaching in the distance. His heart sank.

“Damn, these were just scouts—the real army is behind them!”

Ji Kai Cheng was startled, but quickly steadied himself with a soldier’s discipline. “Everyone, conserve your ammunition! The main force of fire-breathing birds is coming! Save your ammo!”

With that, Ji Kai Cheng turned to Chu Xiao. “Hold the line here! I’m going to get more ammunition. This place is yours!”

Chu Xiao nodded firmly. “Don’t worry!”

Ji Kai Cheng had no doubts—Chu Xiao was far more formidable than he’d imagined. In many ways, Chu Xiao was even calmer and bolder than him. If Chu Xiao ever joined the military, Ji Kai Cheng believed he’d make a fine soldier.

Chu Renfang arrived at the front as well. Though he’d been assigned to Xishan Province, he couldn’t bear to stay in the rear enjoying comfort while others fought at the front. More importantly, he wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with his son.

“Dad! What are you doing here?” Chu Xiao looked at him in surprise.

Chu Renfang shook his head. “I’m here to fight alongside you!”

No sooner had he spoken than he set up a laser cannon. “Dad’s still got it!” Chu Xiao laughed, setting up his own cannon.

The army of fire-breathing birds arrived!

“All hands, follow my command! Fire! Fire! Fire!” Chu Xiao’s voice thundered, shaking heaven and earth.

“Let’s crush this fire-bird army!” Chu Renfang’s deep voice rang out with power.

Everyone shouted as one: “Victory to Jiuzhou!”

“Victory to Jiuzhou!”

Perhaps, from the very beginning, the outcome of this war was already decided.