The armored off-road vehicle jolted over the riddled steel plate, charging straight into the headquarters.
The vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft machine gun was exceedingly powerful; wherever there was resistance, it would immediately spew a scorching stream of fire, tearing apart both the resisters and their cover. In no time, the soldiers of the Seventh Division were driven back into their barracks.
A burst of multi-colored force light flashed as several officers from the Seventh Division, braving the hail of bullets, rushed out to take advantage of their higher rank to engage in close combat, aiming to stop the heavy-armed off-road vehicle from advancing further. With a command from Duan Hao, the elite fighters of Dark Flame rushed out, intercepting the officers and engaging in deadly duels.
Suddenly, a deafening boom erupted as one of Dark Flame’s armored off-road vehicles burst into a massive fireball. The powerful explosion hurled the occupants dozens of meters away. This was the result of a sneak attack by a senior officer from the Expeditionary Army with a high-powered force rifle, taking out one of Dark Flame’s armored off-road vehicles with a single shot.
In the distance, Qian Ye’s eyes turned a deep blue. His sniper rifle quickly moved, locking onto a hidden sniper within the divisional headquarters. It was a ninth-rank colonel, rapidly moving through the building, but in Qian Ye’s true vision, his dense force aura was like a lighthouse, making him impossible to hide.
Qian Ye’s sniper rifle kept tracking, no matter how the colonel tried to evade, he remained in the crosshairs. Finally, the colonel chose a new position, just as he was setting up his sniper rifle, a dark red glow caught his eye.
Alarm bells rang in the colonel’s mind, and he instinctively threw himself to the ground, activating his force defense. Almost instantly, a force bullet whizzed by, not only collapsing the wall he used for cover but also shattering his sniper rifle and part of the balcony.
The colonel tumbled back into the room, huddled in a corner, numb and nearly immobile. He had only been grazed by the force explosion, and his defense was almost shattered. If the shot had been just a little lower, it would have torn him apart.
This wasn’t just a force bullet; it was like a cannon!
After a few minutes, the numbness faded, and the colonel realized he was drenched in cold sweat. Suddenly, he recalled that the commander of Dark Flame was a sniper praised even by Wei Bainian.
Outside, the sounds of gunfire and force explosions still raged. A loud order echoed again, this time giving the Seventh Division one last chance to surrender. If they continued to resist, Dark Flame would use heavy firepower.
Several more minutes passed.
Duan Hao slashed his opponent back and shouted, “Full-scale assault! Kill!”
The sound of sniper rifles resumed, and the snipers of Dark Flame began targeting the remaining officers of the Seventh Division. But soon, the snipers of the Seventh Division started to retaliate.
At this moment, the thunderous roar of heavy artillery once again drowned out all other sounds on the battlefield. Several positions occupied by the Seventh Division snipers were hit by continuous bombardment, tearing apart the cover and the bodies behind them.
After the artillery barrage, a brief ceasefire allowed the demands for surrender to be heard again. The resistance of the Expeditionary Army had weakened considerably. After several officers were killed, the rest lost their will to fight and retreated into the headquarters under mutual cover.
The colonel who had narrowly escaped Qian Ye’s rifle lay on the cold floor, struggling internally.
With Wei Bainian gone, he was now the highest-ranking officer in the Seventh Division, so Dong Qifeng’s agent had approached him first, and significant benefits had been agreed upon. The backing of the prestigious Dong family was highly tempting, not just for resources but for the status and security it provided, something many divisional commanders in Eternaria lacked.
Nearly a kilometer away, Qian Ye frowned slightly. After scanning the battleground with his true vision, he could almost confirm the colonel’s identity from his force aura. But the colonel showed no sign of surrender and began to move to a new position.
Qian Ye channeled his force and shouted, “Zhu Wuya! Are you still not going to surrender, seeking death?!”
Zhu Wuya was the name of the colonel, who was also the deputy commander of the Seventh Division and the commander of the First Regiment. He was a veteran from the era of Wu Zhengnan. When Wei Bainian took over, Zhu Wuya’s position was retained because he switched allegiance to the Wei family. Regardless of the period, his personal combat prowess was among the top five in the Seventh Division.
Despite the distance, Qian Ye’s voice clearly reached the Seventh Division headquarters, even overpowering the battlefield’s clamor.
Zhu Wuya, having found a new sniper rifle, was relocating when he heard Qian Ye’s call. Startled, he hesitated briefly before continuing to another side of the corridor.
Though the attack by Dark Flame was sudden and the situation dire, he still clung to hope. The Seventh Division had two other units outside the city, and Dong Qifeng’s people had infiltrated Blackstream City. Perhaps if they held on, reinforcements would come.
Qian Ye waited silently for ten seconds, losing patience with the stubborn officer. He aimed his sniper rifle, adding a heavy projectile and elemental shot. A yellow force bullet with a dark red tail streak shot out, speeding towards its target.
Elemental shots were often more practical than heavy projectiles, as they could be customized for specific damage types. This time, Qian Ye added an alloy-penetrating elemental attribute, greatly enhancing the bullet’s armor-piercing capability.
Zhu Wuya, leaning against the wall beside a window, had already surveyed the area. This would be an excellent sniping spot, with a view of the two highly threatening Dark Flame wheeled heavy cannons. If he could destroy them, Dark Flame would lose its most potent heavy firepower, boosting the Seventh Division’s morale.
However, at that moment, Zhu Wuya felt a strong sense of unease. Without hesitation, he dropped his sniper rifle and leaped to the side.
Just as he left, the wall he was using for cover crumbled. The force bullet flew through the rubble, smashing through four walls before exhausting its power.
Whether stone or metal, everything was as easily penetrated as paper. The cool morning wind whistled through the gaps, leaving the building exposed.
Zhu Wuya, almost suffocating, relied on his enhanced danger perception gained during his eighth-rank ascension and years of battle experience. If not for these, he would have been killed by that shot.
Qian Ye, surprised by his miss, recognized Zhu Wuya as a capable man. Qian Ye re-aimed and began stacking his abilities.
Before Zhu Wuya could catch his breath, the danger sense rose again. This time, he couldn’t bear it. Rushing to the window, he raised his hands and shouted, “I surrender! I surrender!”
Qian Ye had his finger on the trigger, but he didn’t expect Zhu Wuya to suddenly surrender. He quickly shifted his aim, and the force bullet sped off.
The force bullet flew past Zhu Wuya, striking a nearby Expeditionary Army soldier, along with the corridor, sending them flying.
With Zhu Wuya’s surrender, the Seventh Division’s resistance finally collapsed, leaving only sporadic fighting.
Qian Ye descended from the hotel, taking Du Yuanze, who had been waiting quietly, to the Seventh Division, now under Dark Flame’s control.
Duan Hao and Song Hu were leading the cleanup. The Expeditionary Army’s officers and soldiers were disarmed and separated. The officers were gathered in an intact warehouse, with heavy artillery and armored off-road vehicles outside, while the soldiers were assembled on the parade ground, forbidden to stand.
Qian Ye left 500 men to guard the headquarters, deployed two companies to monitor Blackstream City, and led the main force to the other two camps, each with a smaller garrison of one regiment.
By the time Qian Ye arrived at Yunfan City, it was just after 9:10 AM, with the sky gradually brightening.
The soldiers in the camp sensed the turmoil and began to stir. Wu Shiqing and Ah Qi mercilessly picked off any who dared to leave, while the airship suppressed the heavy weapons of Yunfan City, barely managing to control the situation.
When Qian Ye arrived, a round of persuasion failed, and he immediately opened fire. With a single shot, he eliminated the defiant colonel, then used heavy firepower to destroy the defensive points. Leading Duan Hao and others, they stormed the camp, facing a few remaining officers, who were quickly dispatched, forcing the rest to surrender.
Qian Ye left a company to watch over the captives and led the main force to continue to Four Waters Base. By then, Ah Qi and another captain could no longer hold back the Expeditionary Army, who charged out, pushing them back.
In the critical moment, Qian Ye and the main force arrived, with the airship and wheeled heavy cannons firing continuously, inflicting heavy casualties, forcing the Expeditionary Army back into the camp. However, Qian Ye, under the cover of fire, rushed into the camp alone, capturing the entire regiment, forcing them to surrender.
The main battle was over, but the cleanup work was far from done. Dark Flame spent another day fully occupying key locations in the city, especially the power towers, fortifications, and the airship field outside, securing total control of Blackstream City.
Qian Ye then sent messengers to over a dozen small towns within the Blackstream City region, ordering the local garrisons and mayors to surrender immediately.
A day later, Qian Ye received reports from various places. Most towns complied, but a few ignored his orders, and one, Jian Shiling, even killed the Dark Flame messenger.
Without investigating, Qian Ye, in front of Du Yuanze, ordered Duan Hao to lead a special unit, assisted by the newly surrendered Zhu Wuya, with half the heavy firepower, to head for Jian Shiling.
His order was a single word: Kill!
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