As Song Zining retreated, injured, Qian Ye made a split-second decision and leaped off the fortress wall, landing amidst the dark warriors like a wave. The power of the Great Sea Vortex erupted, and within moments, the dark warriors within dozens of meters screamed in agony. Lower-tier fighters were crushed to the ground, while cannon fodder were overwhelmed, their bodies deforming under the intense pressure, resulting in immediate death. The higher-tier warriors struggled for a few more moments but could not withstand the force.
Only those with noble titles could resist the power of the Great Sea Vortex, but even they could only barely hold on. This made the three relatively composed viscounts stand out.
Qian Ye stepped forward, his sword Dongyue slashing three times in different directions. Each time it fell, a viscount would crumple, no matter how they dodged or resisted, they could not escape Qian Ye’s sword.
After three strikes, Qian Ye seemed noticeably weaker but did not linger. He jumped back onto the fortress wall.
Qian Ye had used his self-created sword technique, “Eight Directions,” which was too powerful. He could only manage three slashes so far, far from mastering the complete Eight Directions. Having used all his strength, he returned to the fortress feeling a sense of emptiness, his original force nearly depleted.
But Qian Ye’s three slashes had slain three viscounts, completely intimidating the dark army below. Seeing him return to the fortress, none dared to pursue.
Standing atop the wall, Qian Ye gazed coldly at the black mass of enemies. The countless dark warriors, cowed by his presence, dared not approach the wall, creating a strange empty space below.
At that moment, an icy, grand voice echoed, “Useless bunch! You have one hour to capture the fortress, or you will all be executed.”
The voice was cold and mechanical, devoid of emotion, and naturally declared the punishment of execution for the tens of thousands of soldiers, as if it had issued such orders countless times before.
However, the fortress was defended by Zhao Family elites, many of whom were officers drawn from the Wolf Smoke Legion. They had fought countless battles against the dark races and were not intimidated. The anti-aircraft turrets intensified their fire, and two previously silent rapid-fire cannons suddenly roared in response.
Dark race warships attacking the fortress were hit, and two frigates caught fire almost simultaneously, plummeting to the ground.
The voice emitted a heavy hum, clearly furious. A beam of rainbow light shot from the central command ship, spanning thousands of meters, heading straight for the fortress.
A clear voice then resounded, “Attacking juniors is nothing. Come, I, Zhang Xuandao, await you here!”
Before the words faded, a figure darted from the Imperial fleet, soaring into the sky. From the Evernight fleet’s flagship, a green shadow followed, plunging into the clouds. The dark clouds in the sky began to churn violently, indicating that two god-level commanders had engaged in battle beyond the heavens.
With the main generals already engaged, the Evernight elites below dared not slack off. They immediately spurred their forces to attack with all their might. Another group circled around the fortress, continuing to chase the Zhang Family.
Just as Qian Ye had a moment to catch his breath, the dark warriors surged again, this time with reckless abandon. The attack began with a torrent of origin bullets, cannonballs, and crossbow bolts, mowing down the warriors around Qian Ye in an instant.
Qian Ye quickly raised a heavy shield. As soon as he lifted it, he heard a pitter-patter like rain on leaves, the bullets coming so densely that even his strong arms trembled under the force.
Qian Ye kicked open a crate of grenades, his hand becoming a blur as he pulled the pins, then paused for a moment before hurling dozens of grenades into the air. They exploded mid-flight, spraying shrapnel that cut down the dark warriors in swathes.
“Grenades!” Qian Ye roared. Two veteran Zhao Family soldiers each grabbed two crates of grenades, placing them within reach. They hurried back for more, but halfway, they were hit by stray bullets, tumbling off the wall in silence.
The battle was ferocious, and as warriors fell one by one, Qian Ye threw grenades almost continuously, creating fiery nets that cleared small areas in the black tide.
Initially, the nobles and higher-tier warriors tried to intercept Qian Ye’s grenades, but with too many exploding at once, they soon gave up.
In the heat of battle, Qian Ye reached for more grenades, but found only empty crates. Glancing around, he saw no other warriors on this stretch of the wall, just himself, shield in hand.
No longer holding his ground, Qian Ye rolled behind the wall. As he withdrew, a dozen high-tier dark warriors rushed to the wall, ready to storm the fortress. But before they could act, they felt a chill in their vital spots, and their life force swiftly drained away.
Some turned weakly, seeing Qian Ye among them, his sword moving deceptively slowly, piercing their vitals. In a blink, the dark warriors who had stormed the wall were all dead or dying.
Qian Ye swept his sword, knocking the dark corpses off the wall, then looked around.
Dozens of dark warships still hovered, mostly nimble assault ships. The larger warships battled the Imperial fleet. Despite losing two turrets, the fortress’s anti-aircraft fire remained fierce, with hidden rapid-fire cannons and ballistae opening up, weaving a fiery net that lashed at the Evernight warships.
The fortress was now surrounded, with multiple sections breached. Dark warriors poured in, but the experienced Zhao Family defenders had turned the fortress into a labyrinth. Dark warriors found themselves attacked from all sides, from every door, window, roof, and corner.
Even with their physical advantages, higher-tier warriors couldn’t withstand the concentrated fire, and casualties soared.
Qian Ye and Song Zining’s section of the wall was one of the few remaining unbreached. Soldiers nearby fought and fell back, converging on the two.
Song Zining, now wielding a silver spear, moved like a dragon, the tip of the spear emitting a faint, flickering light. The spear was incredibly sharp, slicing through even higher-tier warriors with ease, tearing them apart with a single touch.
Nobles fared slightly better but could not withstand Song Zining’s full-force thrusts.
Leaves fluttered around Song Zining, most of them illusory, but occasionally, a leaf turned into a blade, harvesting the lives of dark warriors. The area around him became a slaughterhouse, with dark warriors pouring in, only to be cut down.
Song Zining, his smile gone, fought with a serene expression, his spear and domain working in perfect harmony.
Though Song Zining seemed more efficient, he had already used up all his killer moves. His domain was in its most basic form to conserve energy and prevent further attacks from dark elite warriors.
Qian Ye appeared somewhat disheveled, but until now, he had relied mainly on grenades and explosive weapons, using his original force only to kill the three viscounts. He used his powerful body to slay, keeping his strength intact.
Seeing the massive dark army, Song Zining ordered his men to retreat into the fortress, personally covering the rear. His spear left a trail of blood as he methodically fell back. The slope leading down to the wall was filled with dark warrior corpses when he passed.
In the midst of the fierce battle, Song Zining felt the pressure ease, the dark warriors falling before him. Turning, he saw Qian Ye atop a high point, a multi-barreled machine gun spewing fire, clearing a path.
Song Zining quickly retreated into a side alley, leading his men to a nearby turret. The turrets and power towers were heavily fortified, crucial points in the fortress. Knowing their importance, Song Zining went to support them after retreating from the wall.
As the wall fell, defensive pressure increased, and Qian Ye fought like a madman, turning the entire fortress into his battlefield. Appearing and disappearing, he used anything as a weapon. When the dark army besieged and entered the fortress, Qian Ye no longer held back, using the Great Sea Vortex and life force stealing to clear large areas. The Void Flash and Eight Directions were nightmares for any Evernight elite. Even a first-class viscount, if caught off guard, would be cut down by Qian Ye’s sword.
Dark casualties skyrocketed. If there were real-time statistics, the numbers would horrify any commander.
After several dark elite warriors were killed, the survivors became cautious, no longer launching reckless attacks. They constantly watched their surroundings, some even turning abruptly, fearing Qian Ye might appear behind them.
With the elites hesitant, the dark army’s offensive slowed.
From atop a turret, Song Zining could see the entire fortress. Qian Ye, now in a frenzy, fought wildly, no longer communicating with Song Zining. Even with his keen eyes, Song Zining could not track Qian Ye’s movements.
Though he couldn’t see Qian Ye, the mysterious appearances of corpses across the fortress made Song Zining shiver.
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