After a night of deliberation, the group finally devised a plan: the espers and the army would stall for time until insecticides could be transported from other regions, which would lead to ultimate victory. If things went smoothly, it would only take three days to secure enough insecticide. If not, the battle might last for over a week.
"Dawn is breaking soon. Thank you all for your hard work in deliberating all night. This old man has prepared breakfast for everyone. Please don't refuse; eat to your heart's content!" Han Youchan said urgently.
Following this, numerous delicious dishes were served in the conference room. Southern cuisine was already abundant, and to entertain the reinforcements in Pudong, all sorts of delicacies were presented, hoping to satisfy the appetites of these important figures.
"It's getting late. Although we haven't slept all night, the situation is urgent, and there's no time to rest. Let's quickly finish eating and prepare for battle," Li Xiankang suggested.
"The espers are the main combatants this time. Since you all have no objections, we have no other thoughts," the others chimed in agreement.
Shen Feng shrugged helplessly and whispered to Mu Ying, "During the battle, don't foolishly use your full strength. You need to conserve some energy. Remember this, or you might encounter danger on the battlefield."
"Do you need to tell me this? I've fought countless times. Once the battle begins, I will definitely conserve my energy," Mu Ying replied calmly.
Seeing Mu Ying's response, Shen Feng couldn't help but shake his head, "I was clearly showing concern for you, and yet you don't appreciate it!"
After breakfast, the group had to face numerous insects in the sky, water, and on land. These insects were all carnivorous. While small and insignificant individually, they posed a threat to humans when swarming after mutation. If humans ignored the threat of these insects, Pudong would face great danger.
Shen Feng took a deep breath and then soared into the sky. Since becoming a seventh-tier esper, he understood that his battlefield was always in the sky. He couldn't fly before and relied on external help. But now, he could fly freely in the sky, making it much easier to deal with the aerial insects.
Upon reaching the sky, Shen Feng immediately unleashed his abilities, first forming a protective shield around himself. As soon as he appeared in the air, countless insects swarmed towards him. Fortunately, the shield protected him from being bitten, and these mosquitoes and midges instantly surrounded Shen Feng within the shield.
"Hurricane Eye!" Shen Feng then unleashed the move he had learned earliest. Instantly, a massive vortex formed around him. These small insects were caught within the vortex and then violently torn apart.
Although insects could fly in the rain, it was mainly because the wind in the air was not strong enough. Now, with the fierce winds summoned by Shen Feng, the midges in the air were in danger. Once swept into the vortex, their wings would be torn off, and they would be flung far away, falling to the ground and unable to fly again.
After Shen Feng unleashed his abilities in the sky, a fierce wind swept through Pudong city. The wind, carrying the torrential rain, danced wildly in the sky, continuously reducing visibility. Many people walking on the streets couldn't open their eyes, and couldn't even speak.
The strong winds blew away the rain falling from the sky, turning it into mist. This mist, upon contact with the face, immediately formed streams of water that flowed downwards. To open one's eyes in such conditions, one would need to wear goggles.
"This guy really likes to show off. He has to make every battle so grand!" Li Xiankang sighed and shook his head upon seeing this.
"But you have to admit, as long as Shen Feng is in the air, there's no need to worry about aerial attacks. He is the number one under heaven for a reason," Wang Ao Ye also explained seriously.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk so much now. Let's get ready for battle quickly. We don't need to worry about these small flying insects in the sky, but there are still many insects in and on the water that need to be dealt with!" Ke Yiming interrupted their conversation. It was not the time for idle talk, but for battle.
Following this, a group of people began to fight. Streets and alleys were filled with people who had voluntarily joined the battle. Their fighting method was simple: they held a net bag in their hands and caught any insects they saw nearby, then crushed them with their feet.
The soldiers' fighting methods were similar. They held weapons like branches, mainly because it was raining, making it difficult to use flamethrowers and risking friendly fire. Thus, the soldiers' methods were also very simple.
At critical moments, espers were needed to step forward and fight. The combat capabilities of espers were far beyond those of ordinary soldiers. Especially since ordinary soldiers couldn't use modern firearms, their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. Numerous espers were assigned to different blocks and patrolled back and forth.
Mu Ying's abilities proved to be most useful at this time. Her ability was to control ice, and the streets were filled with water, reaching knee-deep in many places, and even submerging people in deeper areas. In such an environment, her will could be fully utilized.
Mu Ying took a deep breath and then unleashed her abilities. In an instant, the low-lying areas of the entire street were frozen solid.
This way, any insects in the water would be frozen to death by the biting cold. Even the water striders floating on the surface were immobilized because the ice beneath their feet prevented them from moving with the current.
Mu Ying's method was simple: she froze all areas with standing water. The three types of insects rampant in Pudong were all related to seawater. Therefore, by freezing the areas with standing water, they couldn't move.
However, this was not without its drawbacks. As it continued to rain heavily, the previously frozen areas, being low-lying, accumulated water again. Water striders from other areas flowed into this region.
"This is endless! These insects are like an inexhaustible supply; kill one batch, and another appears!" Mu Ying frowned upon seeing this situation.
Wang Ao Ye's and Li Xiankang's fighting styles were quite similar, as both of their abilities were material-based. One controlled sand, and the other controlled carbon elements. As long as they had enough material to manipulate, they could unleash powerful destructive force.
"Later, I will unleash my ability to kill a large number of insects, but if any stragglers appear, you will have to deal with them!" Wang Ao Ye said to his subordinates.
Everyone nodded in agreement and said, "Boss, we will definitely kill these stragglers. You can rest assured!"
Wang Ao Ye then began to unleash his abilities. Sand from afar gathered, forming knives, which then shot out, killing all the insects on the water. Even the insects underwater couldn't escape the sand's attack.
The past Wang Ao Ye could control the seabed sand to rise, causing blue whales to be stranded, demonstrating the vast range of his abilities. Although he was still a sixth-tier esper, he was only one evolution crystal away from becoming a seventh-tier esper. If given the chance, his strength could advance at any time.
After Wang Ao Ye made his move, sand from the surrounding areas gathered, forming blades that sliced through the insects in and on the water with immense destructive power, far more efficient than everyone carefully swatting at insects.
However, this destructive effect was limited, as many stragglers appeared. There were gaps between the knives, and many insects were not killed by the blades. Seeing their companions dead, they began to bite at their companions' corpses without hesitation.
"These insects are truly disgusting; they even eat their own kind," Yi Xingzhong said with disgust.
"Many insects have the habit of eating their own kind. Perhaps in the eyes of these low-intelligence insects, their companions are equivalent to food. Once they are dead, they can be eaten without any moral qualms. We shouldn't impose human moral standards on these insects. Let's act quickly!" Wang Ao Ye said calmly.
Following this, everyone worked together to kill the surviving insects one by one. Water striders were quite fast. Although they seemed to move with difficulty on the water, their speed was very high, and they could dart away in the blink of an eye. If not careful, one would watch these insects escape.
Water spiders were similar. They could lurk underwater for a long time because they carried air bubbles on their bodies, eliminating the risk of suffocation underwater.
When water spiders sensed danger, they quickly fled underwater. The speed at which everyone eliminated insects was not very fast.
Perhaps due to the sudden onslaught of heavy rain, the surrounding sea areas of Pudong had risen. The rising seawater formed a tsunami. Although not very large in scale, it caused seawater to backflow, turning the low-lying areas of the city into vast expanses of water. Insects entered the city along with the seawater. To kill these insects, the first step was to cut off their entry routes.
Li Xiankang's battle was also not going smoothly. While he could easily kill a large number of insects, more insects would soon emerge from the water after he cleared a batch. These insects not only attacked humans but also ate the corpses of their companions, providing food for the newly arrived insects to survive.
"We must find a way to cut off the insects' entry routes, otherwise, we will never finish killing them!" Everyone had realized this and summarized their combat strategy.