The alarm at the mine roared to life, and the guards shouted as various firearms opened fire. Gunpowder bullets and force energy rounds rained down like a deluge.
A faint, purplish-black glow enveloped Zhao Yuying, rapidly forming a straight, arched shield that encompassed the motorcycle’s head. She had no intention of slowing down or changing direction, instead charging headlong into the hail of gunfire. As she approached the mine’s gate, she yanked the handlebars, and the motorcycle soared into the sky, leaving countless stunned spider demons and blood races in her wake, flying over the gate and landing directly in the mining area.
Behind the gate lay a vast square. One side was piled with black stones like small mountains, and at the foot of the distant mountain, there were several entrances to the mines, each with steel tracks laid out. In the Nightless world, where most operations were manual, such a level of mechanization was a grand gesture.
The mine was brightly lit, even though most dark race warriors had night vision, the slaves working in the mines did not. The lights were prepared for them. However, such dazzling lights were excessively luxurious, indicating the earl’s importance to this mine.
In the center of the square, hundreds of craftsmen were busy setting up a massive force energy array, with a diameter of over a hundred meters. Next to the array, piles of boxes stacked like small mountains held components for the force energy array.
Artisans capable of constructing such an array could not possibly be slaves; they must be skilled technicians. Such specialized individuals were highly valued in any faction. For Stuka to recruit half of these resources would be a heavy blow. The number present was far beyond what a local earl of the Nightless continent could afford.
Qian Ye realized why Zhao Yuying was so eager to raid the mine. Regardless of the array’s purpose, it was clear from the spider demon earl’s indifference to the invasion that it was of paramount importance.
But before he could decide on his next move, a group standing near the array was startled by their commotion. The first to turn around was an old man.
Recognizing the face, Qian Ye’s heart leaped, and he heard Zhao Yuying’s startled exclamation: “Stuka!” Clearly, seeing this old man here was a great surprise to her.
The old man was the owner of the territory, Earl Stuka. Qian Ye had seen portraits of Stuka and his vassals in the intelligence he gathered. But why was Stuka not in his castle, suddenly appearing here?
If Stuka was here, his elite guard must be nearby.
Qian Ye calmed down, knowing that the enemy’s stronghold was their target. This strategy was always correct. With the old man present, the raid had turned into a full-scale assault, and it was bound to be a tough battle.
In an instant, Qian Ye’s hand rested on the Twin Blossoms at his waist, and he mentally accessed Anduia’s mysterious space, searching for suitable weaponry.
After her initial shock, Zhao Yuying gritted her teeth, leaped off the motorcycle, and lifted Qian Ye along with her. As she jumped, she flipped a switch, and the motorcycle’s roar reached new heights. Four large exhaust pipes spewed long flames, and the bike charged like a maddened bull towards Stuka.
Before Stuka could react, a spider demon viscount beside him shouted and generated a web, which enveloped the motorcycle. However, Zhao Yuying’s modified motorcycle was far more powerful than the viscount anticipated. The bike shuddered in mid-air, its tires spinning wildly, and it only sank slightly before breaking through the web and continuing towards Stuka.
Stuka snorted and personally intervened, summoning three deep emerald green webs that tightly ensnared the metal beast. This time, the motorcycle was immobilized, forcibly pulled to the ground, and crashed into the edge of the force energy array with a thunderous crash.
Stuka sneered, raising his hand as more deep emerald green lights flickered. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he turned towards where the motorcycle had fallen.
After the motorcycle crashed, its engine did not stop. The body continued to tremble, and the temperature rapidly rose. The force energy array etched on the outer wall of the power source, instead of dimming, became increasingly bright, eventually spewing flames.
Stuka tried to warn everyone, but it was too late. He waved his hand, sending another web, but the motorcycle exploded, with a force rivaling a bundle of vampire grenades.
Within a fifty-meter radius, everyone except Stuka and two viscounts was knocked away by the force energy wave. Even the craftsmen on the array were affected, with several being hit by flying metal shards and falling to the ground.
Enraged, Stuka turned to pursue the audacious human pests when he saw two force energy grenades arcing through the night sky towards the half-constructed force energy array.
Stuka, alarmed, took to the air, intercepting one grenade with a web and blocking the other with his own body.
With a deafening boom, two fireballs appeared in the air, and shrapnel rained down. After the flames subsided, Stuka’s figure reappeared, his arms shielding his head, but the force energy around him flickered.
Lowering his arms, the earl examined himself. His master-tailored suit now had two tears. In the rush, two pieces of shrapnel had managed to penetrate his defense and cut through the fabric.
Raising his head, Stuka’s face was as cold as ice, and dark force energy swirled around him like a gathering storm. In just one encounter, he had been outmaneuvered.
Even the most powerful force energy grenade couldn’t breach a dark lord’s defenses with a single hit. But Stuka hadn’t expected the human using such low-class weapons to be a warlord who had secretly imbued the grenade with substantial dawn force energy, turning it into a throwing weapon. The unique force attribute caught him off guard and broke through his defenses.
More explosions followed.
Qian Ye followed closely behind Zhao Yuying, witnessing her fiery combat style. She moved like the wind, running around the mine, tossing a grenade wherever she went, and then rushing to the next spot without looking back.
As Qian Ye followed, he realized Zhao Yuying didn’t need his cover. He turned and headed in another direction. He also had two grenades, one of which he casually tossed into a passing house, and the other he threw high, aiming for the center of the force energy array.
A spider demon viscount roared and threw a web, capturing the force energy grenade in mid-air. It exploded in a brilliant flash, and the force energy shockwave almost reached the array.
Stuka’s face darkened, and he issued several rapid commands before chasing after Zhao Yuying. His guard, resting in a row of houses at the edge of the mine, rushed over, and upon seeing the earl’s signal, they swiftly surrounded Qian Ye. The spider demon viscount by Stuka stayed by the array, fearing further damage.
The force energy array, still incomplete, could not withstand the grenades, and even the shockwaves might affect the delicate instruments.
From Stuka’s direct intervention, Qian Ye and Zhao Yuying realized the array was their greatest weakness. They continued to toss grenades at the central array whenever they could, effectively pinning the viscount in place.
The mine was in chaos, with explosions echoing continuously.
Stuka’s guard had difficulty capturing Qian Ye. His speed far exceeded that of these elite warriors, and he often relied on his formidable physique to confront them head-on. Without using the Dongyue, he relied on the Twin Blossoms and close combat, and no one could match him.
Even when the guards sacrificed a baron and two knights to slow Qian Ye, it was only a brief delay. Qian Ye quickly escaped with a minor wound. The ordinary soldiers, miners, and craftsmen suffered heavy casualties.
None of the dark warriors had ever encountered such extensive use of grenades. Zhao Yuying’s large backpack seemed to contain nothing but force energy grenades. Each one, under her special technique, caused immense damage.
Qian Ye, while not using force energy grenades, still caused significant destruction. The gunpowder grenades were efficient against the mass of grunts. With Anduia’s mysterious space, he could throw as many grenades as Zhao Yuying, if not more, without needing to find specific angles or timing.
Stuka relentlessly pursued Zhao Yuying, but she was both fast and cunning, using the mine’s complex terrain to her advantage, causing chaos, and avoiding direct confrontation. Stuka chased her for a long time, almost intercepting her several times, but always fell short.
Several times, Stuka’s webs were pierced by Zhao Yuying, and he stopped wasting force energy.
Suddenly, Stuka noticed his path intersected with Qian Ye’s. He hesitated but threw a web to block Qian Ye, deciding to help his guards deal with this annoying pest.
However, a blood-red flame ignited around Qian Ye, and golden light flickered as he charged forward. A human-shaped hole remained in the emerald web, and Qian Ye had already fled, tossing two more force energy grenades towards the central array.
Stuka was stunned, his face darkening. He let out a furious roar, and his body expanded, his suit exploding into fragments.
The spider demon earl transformed into his full combat form, a massive spider with two vivid emerald stripes on its abdomen. Now, Stuka stood five to six meters tall, his colossal form imposing, suffocating in its presence.
Stuka extended his hand, and a guard immediately tossed him a bundle of spears. The earl snarled and hurled the spear, which flew like lightning towards Zhao Yuying.
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