45: The God-killing Spear! The Ghost Pig Rider is born!

"Heaven's Choice, I know, you and I are the same kind of people," the Phoenix Empress said.

"Far from those rabble," the Phoenix Empress added.

Lin Feng's gaze narrowed slightly.

The other party's private message came abruptly and directly.

Between the lines, there was no hint of solicitation, but rather a condescending notification, carrying an unchallengeable arrogance.

He didn't reply immediately, his calm gaze like an unfathomable cold pond.

He knew the other party surely had more to say.

As expected, the second message followed closely.

"Join my Expeditionary Force and crusade against the Little Devil," the Phoenix Empress stated.

Lin Feng's fingers tapped lightly on the virtual keyboard, replying with just five words.

"How are the rewards divided?" Heaven's Choice asked.

He knew very well that such a hastily assembled alliance was fragile and easily shattered.

The only bond that maintained it was profit.

The Phoenix Empress's reply was almost instantaneous, every word exuding an overbearing dominance.

"I'll decide."

"The one who gets the kill receives half of the spoils alone."

"The remaining half will be equally divided among everyone else."

Her calculation was an overt scheme, almost laid bare.

"If the killer is not satisfied,"

"The allied army can attack him together."

Lin Feng looked at this last line of text, a deep hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

What a clever tactic.

She used the interests of the "majority" to tightly bind the hands and feet of the "strongest."

No matter who delivered the final blow to the Little Devil, they would instantly become the target of all.

Either they obediently handed over half of the spoils to avoid trouble.

Or they would face the siege of the entire Demon-Slaying Expeditionary Force alone.

And she, as the initiator of the alliance and the rule-maker, regardless of who ultimately won or lost, would remain firmly in control, reaping the prestige and awe of everyone.

"What a Phoenix Empress," Lin Feng murmured.

A chilling arc formed at the corner of Lin Feng's mouth.

He did not expose any of this.

Instead, he calmly replied with two words.

"Alright."

Closing the private chat, Lin Feng's eyes became dark and profound.

He wanted to see whether this so-called Tumo Yuanzhengjun was truly about demon-slaying or about using others to kill.

And whether he, this "blade," was sharp enough to… cut off the hand that wielded him!

He opened the building list, his will like a mountain, crashing down!

"Upgrade the Headquarters to Level 8!"

"Gold consumed: 40,000!"

He now possessed over ninety thousand gold coins, more than enough.

"Upgrade!"

Rumble—!!!

This tremor was far more violent than any before!

The entire fortress platform let out an overburdened roar, and a golden beam of light, so thick it almost materialized, shot into the sky, actually burning a huge and brilliant hole in the eternal twilight sky above!

"Congratulations! Your Headquarters has been upgraded to Level 8!"

"Wall Durability increased: 7000 -> 8000"

"Defense Tower Slots: 14 -> 16"

"Resource Building Slots: 8 -> 9"

"Maximum Fusion Quantity: 5!"

"Barracks Population Cap: 200!"

"Institute unlocks new blueprints!"

Flames like a storm ignited in Lin Feng's eyes.

Next, it was time to prepare an ultimate gift for the Little Devil!

Before the golden radiance of the Level 8 Headquarters had completely dissipated, Lin Feng's will, like a cold tide, instantly surged into the newly renovated Institute.

A brand new tech tree slowly unfolded before him.

"Institute - Level 8 New Blueprints:":

"Building: X-Bow" - Quality: Purple (Epic). Can switch between ground/air modes, possesses extremely high attack speed and range. Gains continuously increasing attack speed when attacking. Unlock Cost: 8000 Gold.

"Unit: P.E.K.K.A. Superman" - Quality: Purple (Epic). Melee unit, clad in heavy armor, possesses terrifying single-target physical damage, but slow movement and attack speed. Unlock Cost: 5000 heavy oil.

"Spell: Mirror Spell" - Quality: Purple (Epic). Can replicate all friendly troops within a specified area. Unlock Cost: 3000 heavy oil.

Lin Feng's gaze swept rapidly over these powerful new blueprints, like two sharp dissecting knives.

X-Bow, P.E.K.K.A. Superman, Mirror Spell.

These were all powerful trump cards that would make any lord ecstatic.

However, Lin Feng's eyes remained calm, without a ripple.

He knew very well that these seemingly invincible "orthodox" choices, in the face of the Little Devil's abnormal defense system specifically designed to counter frontal assaults, were merely cannon fodder with a different way of dying.

No matter how tough the P.E.K.K.A. Superman was, he couldn't withstand the exponentially increasing damage of the Hell Tower.

What's more, the defender also had a terrifying 200% attribute bonus!

Conventional tactics had reached a dead end.

What he wanted was not a sturdier shield, nor a heavier hammer.

What he wanted was the sharpest, most lethal God-Slaying Spear, one that could ignore all defenses and precisely pierce the enemy's heart!

His will, like an invisible command, accurately landed on the barracks.

"Train: Boar Rider x1."

A huge, muscular wild boar with outward-curving tusks, along with a strong rider wielding a war hammer on its back, appeared on one side of the training ground.

On the other side, a small, cunning-eyed Elite Melee Goblin, radiating an ominous shadow, also quietly appeared.

This was the mutated unit with the Shadow Step trait that he had accidentally synthesized earlier.

One was a war machine born only to destroy buildings.

The other was a silent assassin capable of stealthing in the shadows.

Two completely unrelated units, in Lin Feng's eyes, were about to undergo a rule-breaking, insane, and bloody evolution.

His will, like a king's decree, simultaneously enveloped these two units.

"Fusion!"

"Ding! Cross-unit type detected, cross-category fusion will be enabled! After fusion, base attribute values will decrease by 50%, and there is an extremely high chance of fusion failure, leading to unit annihilation! Continue?"

The system's warning was cold and jarring.

But a crazy arc curved at the corner of Lin Feng's mouth.

What he wanted was this unknown, rule-transcending mutation!

"Confirm!"

Buzz—!

An irresistible, brute force yanked the two units into the air, violently squeezing, tearing, and twisting them into a ball!

The wildness of the Boar Rider and the cunning of the Goblin, two distinctly different power attributes, erupted in a fierce conflict at the moment of fusion!

The wild boar let out an agonizing roar as its solid muscle fibers were frantically corroded and decomposed by the power of shadow!

The Goblin Guard let out a shrill scream as its fragile body was torn apart and reassembled by violent brute force!

The fusion light flickered erratically, as if it could collapse completely at any moment due to the intense energy clash!

However, in the end, the Goblin's cunning and shadow still overwhelmed the Boar's brute courage and strength.

The chaotic light suddenly imploded inward!

All the wildness and screams were swallowed by a deep darkness that seemed to devour light itself.

The light dissipated.

A brand new, chilling figure silently appeared in its place.

It still retained the outline of a Boar Rider, but its size had shrunk, making it appear more agile and deadly.

The boar beneath it was as black as ink, seemingly formed from solidified shadows, with ghostly blue soul flames burning on its four hooves, stepping on the ground without making a sound.

And the rider on its back was completely shrouded in a cloak woven from shadow energy, revealing only a pair of eyes glowing with crimson light.

The heavy war hammer in its hand had disappeared.

In its place were a pair of lighter, and sharper, poisoned daggers.

"Synthesis successful! Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary unit — Ghost Pig Rider!"