This formation naturally alerted both sides engaged in the bloody battle, but having reached this point, the accumulated hatred made it impossible for anyone to stop.
The giant-winged skylarks descended slowly, and countless men dismounted from their backs. These individuals were not only bizarrely dressed but also possessed unusual appearances.
Multiple eyes, multiple arms, double pupils, animal fur, animal teeth, animal ears…
Although they generally appeared human, they bore distinct peculiarities.
"Are these... Injectors?"
"How could these dregs from society's fringes gather so many?"
"Damn it, Injectors are powerful, and there are so many of them!"
"We are not Injectors!" a familiar voice responded.
Everyone turned to look. On the eaves, Yun Shang Zhenjun stood with his hands behind his back. The wings on his back were as white as snow, resembling a swan's.
"Yun Shang, why are you standing with them?"
"Is this Water Cloud Heaven's hidden strength?"
Impossible!
The thousands of giant-winged skylarks filling the sky, the mere cost of these mounts alone was beyond Water Cloud Heaven's means, let alone such a large fighting force.
Yun Shang Zhenjun ascended into the air, approaching a man with wings on his back.
"Yun Shang, you've worked hard all these years."
"Makka Pakka, let's skip the pleasantries. The observing chefs have started to flee, I've ordered the exits sealed, and the participating chefs are hiding in the shelters. The shelter locations… and how to enter them…"
Makka Pakka was the man with black wings. The two men bore a resemblance, but their relationship was unclear.
Upon receiving the intelligence, Makka Pakka immediately ordered his troops to launch indiscriminate attacks, targeting both the Northlands and the Black List!
Faced with the sudden onslaught, both the Black List and the Northlands were utterly bewildered!
The core forces of Water Cloud Heaven had turned traitor, attacking the surrounding chefs indiscriminately. Caught off guard, they were frequently victimized!
Fortunately, Water Cloud Heaven's objective was capture, thus the chefs and their assistants were spared, but the guards were not so fortunate…
Yun Shang Zhenjun led his team into the shelter, and a scorching gust of air met them!
"Blazing Feather Gale!"
Yun Shang Zhenjun shouted, and his wings spewed a torrent of high-pressure airflow, tearing the incoming flames to shreds!
The host at this moment stood before them, enveloped in fierce flames!
"Yun Shang Zhenjun! As one of the pillars of the Northlands, why have you betrayed us!"
Old Man Jun also spoke: "You've awakened your Gourmet Cells years ago, why have you become an Injector?"
"Hahahaha…"
Yun Shang Zhenjun burst into laughter. "Betrayal? I was always a citizen of the Cloud Country, how can it be called betrayal? Besides, I am not an Injector!"
"The Cloud Country?"
"If you're not an Injector, then what are you!"
There are three ways to awaken Gourmet Cells.
The first is to find ingredients that highly match one's physique and consume them to awaken the cells.
This method has no side effects and is quite fast, but it is extremely difficult to find suitable ingredients, and it's impossible to quantify which ingredients will match.
The second method is to consume large amounts of delicious food, accumulating it over time. Zhang Wei used this method to awaken.
This method is extremely costly, requiring significant financial support. Most cell awakeners use this method.
The last method is injection!
Gourmet Cells are extracted from ingredients, diluted, and then injected into the human body.
This method is easy and not expensive; it costs lives.
With this crude method, most injected individuals die from rejection, exploding their bodies.
Even if they survive, their appearance will change to some extent based on the source of the Gourmet Cells. Due to their appearance, these Injectors are ostracized and reviled.
The advantage is that raw Gourmet Cells are very powerful, and their extraordinary abilities far surpass those of the same level.
The bizarre forms of these individuals must mean they are Injectors!
Yun Shang Zhenjun laughed presumptuously, "We are not those low-class Injectors. We are the favored ones of the Gourmet Nobles, the True Clan passed down from ancient times!"
"Gourmet Nobles!"
"Blue Nitros?"
"Impossible, how could such legendary creatures have contact with mortals!"
Some ancient texts recorded the existence of Nitros.
They were terrifying creatures, with even newborn juveniles possessing strength of level seventy or higher.
Human powerhouses once captured communicating Nitros and learned from them that above these ordinary red Nitros were even more powerful blue Nitros.
These formidable red Nitros were merely slaves.
And the blue Nitros were revered as Gourmet Nobles!
To this day, legends of the Gourmet Nobles are still told in human storybooks.
Yun Shang Zhenjun lost interest in further conversation and, with a wave of his hand, the cloud country soldiers surged forward like wolves attacking sheep.
"True Lord, there are so many people here, aren't you afraid of mistaking them for chefs?"
"Take them all away! Even if they aren't chefs, they are powerful families from the Northlands. With them, we can extort military funds in the future."
The people of Water Cloud Heaven were intimately familiar with the area. With these guides, the cloud country army achieved a bountiful harvest. Countless prisoners were bound and loaded onto the giant-winged skylarks, which then took to the air.
…
Inside the buildings, Zhang Wei moved rapidly through various encampments, but Mo Du was nowhere to be seen.
Even the assistants of Wine and Beauty had disappeared.
"Where could they have hidden…"
"Mo Du is a member of the Black List, could he have been captured?"
"I hope he's not in mortal danger."
Zhang Wei was quite anxious. An organization like the Black List clearly wasn't benevolent. Once they caught a traitor, they wouldn't concern themselves with righteousness, benevolence, propriety, or wisdom.
Not in the shadows, a dark figure moved silently, trailing Zhang Wei from a distance…
Zhang Wei ran faster and faster, darting around a corner.
The dark figure followed suit…
"Is this… a dead end?"
The dark figure turned so sharply that it nearly collided with the wall!
At this moment, Zhang Wei's voice rang out from behind the dark figure.
"You've been following me for half the day, do you know me?"
The dark figure turned around, and Zhang Wei was slightly stunned by its appearance.
Its tall, thin body had four arms, its lips were thin and purple, and its bared mouth was filled with sharp teeth!
"Esteemed Chef Zhang Wei, you have become the King of Northland Chefs. Who wouldn't know you?"
"Who are you?"
"My humble name is Guqi Guli, and I serve as the vanguard of the Cloud Country's advance forces."
"The Cloud Country…"
Zhang Wei said unhappily, "Did Yun Shang Zhenjun send you?"