Zrrr... As the bullets approached the two large birds, they flapped their wings nonchalantly. The powerful gust not only slowed down the bullets but also sent most of them back towards the soldiers on the wall.

"Cover!"

"Ah..."

Some soldiers were blown off the wall by the wind, while others quickly switched to different weapons, clearly aware that ordinary machine guns would be ineffective against these mutated birds.

"The black one is a Golden Crowned Black Eagle, and the white one somewhat resembles a Red-billed White Hawk."

"They're speeding up. Their target is..." Zhou You's eyes flashed, realizing that the mutated birds weren't targeting the humans but the electrical poles on the wall.

Shao Qi whispered in his ear, "They're trying to stop the lightning. Smart, but lacking common sense. Once these thunderclouds form, even we can't stop them. We can only try to avoid them. Destroying the lightning rods won't easily stop the lightning now."

Seeing the two mutated birds drawing closer, Zhou You asked Shao Qi, "Should we intervene?"

"Wait a bit longer. Just two advanced mutated birds. Jiangnan Base can handle it themselves. It's also an opportunity to gauge the prowess of the warriors in this base."

At that moment, Zhao Jinghao from the side drew two steel whips made of bamboo segments from his back. Stepping onto the wall, he leaped high, slashing both whips directly towards the wings of the Black Eagle.

A flame-like glow emanated from the whips. Zhou You's eyes lit up, "It's inner energy!"

Shao Qi nodded, "It seems Zhao Jinghao is a disciple of the Xuanmen sect."

"Xuanmen?" Zhou You hadn't heard of such a sect in Jiangnan Base before.

"Xuanmen isn't from Jiangnan Base. Like the Wan Jian Sect and Dao Alliance, its headquarters is in Shuguang City. They have branches everywhere, and many disciples, upon meeting certain criteria, are sent to various military zones for experience. Xuanmen's internal energy technique is the most comprehensive among the sects, but it's also the most mysterious. Accepting disciples is said to depend on luck."

As Zhao Jinghao made his move, another soldier leaped from the wall on the other side, wielding a massive sledgehammer, aiming straight for the White Hawk's head.

Faced with the human assault, both mutated birds reacted instantly. With their agile bodies, they dodged effortlessly, gliding a dozen meters away. The two men, having missed their targets, shot out grappling ropes and backflipped onto the wall.

When the birds realigned and approached again, others took turns attacking them. Even though hitting them proved difficult, they successfully kept the birds at bay.

A bolt of lightning struck less than ten meters from the city gate, startling both sides. At this proximity, not only would the mutated birds be endangered, but their side might also get hit.

"What happened? I remember there being lightning rods within this range." Zhao Jinghao looked down, cursing, "Damn! When did all the lightning rods fall?"

Zhou You looked down to see all the lightning rods toppled, revealing the wires beneath, some of which were sparking.

"Those who can't fly are at a disadvantage against those who can," Zhou You remarked with a frown.

Shao Qi sneered, "We could've deployed our aircraft. But with Ren Zhiyuan invoking such immense lightning, no flying apparatus would dare ascend."

Zhou You now understood why Shao Qi had been so irate earlier. Ren Zhiyuan intended to fend off the bird assault without casualties, but inadvertently hampered their own side.

After a full half-hour, the two mutated birds struggled to approach the wall. Furious, they constantly screeched. However, the humans couldn't harm them either, resulting in a deadlock.

"The thunderclouds are dispersing!" Someone exclaimed, eliciting mixed reactions of relief and concern.

"Quick! Prepare the aircraft!" Ren Zhiyuan shot Shao Qi a profound glance. Throughout this, Marshal Shao hadn't intervened, and Ren didn't want to lose face in front of him.

"Generals, engage! These two birds are not only fast but also heavily armored. With aircraft assisting from the side, engage and take them down!" Behind Ren Zhiyuan stood two high-ranking officers, judged by their epaulets to be Major Generals. In the regional military, such ranks were rare, with their combat prowess expected to be at least of a General's caliber.

The two stepped forward. A middle-aged general with facial scars lazily commented, "Just two mutated birds causing such chaos among these youngsters. Clearly, they lack regular training."

"General Yan emphasized that every second's delay could result in casualties. Overpopulation is our nation's greatest challenge. These individuals represent humanity's elite, capable of producing an even better next generation. Their safety is paramount," said Ren Zhiyuan. Ren, a benevolent figure in the military district, always provided the best benefits to his troops. This was one of the reasons why the Jiangnan Military District retained its personnel.

"Though the Jiangnan Military District is supposed to have 100,000 members, it only has over 97,000 in reality. From what I've gathered, they've counted everyone who has attained the warrior certification. With that count, there won't be over 100,000 individuals above the warrior rank at the entire Jiangnan base. Many have questioned Ren Zhiyuan's approach, suggesting that such a method will produce ineffectual soldiers incapable of forming an elite force," Shao Qi clearly agreed with this view.

After observing for a while, Zhou You noticed that the soldiers from the Jiangnan Military District lacked courage and battlefield experience. Some couldn't even bear to witness the unfolding crisis.

And those so-called elite martial artists? They had no discipline at all. Some even began live-streaming on their phones, excitedly shouting, seemingly oblivious to the fact that a battlefield was just beyond the walls.

Shao Qi followed his gaze and momentarily after, a bullet precisely hit the smartphone of one of the live-streamers. The man, startled, fell to the ground.

"Who did that? Who's responsible?"

Miao Miu holstered her pistol, snorting coldly, "Such a disgrace to us warriors! Does he even deserve the treatment given to soldiers?"

Today, Miao Miu wore her military uniform. With her curvaceous figure and slender legs, the outfit looked particularly appealing on her. Many men couldn't help but glance her way, but knowing her aggressive nature, none dared to approach.