Ning Song quickly set aside his attention to Princess Nineteen, focusing instead on bickering with Qian Ye. The princess seemed to have realized her earlier blunder and began to listen intently, though judging by the growing confusion in her eyes and the countless times her long eyelashes fluttered, it was clear she wasn’t absorbing much.
Finally, Ning Song lunged at Qian Ye, wrapping his arms around his neck and calling out, “Enough bickering! Let’s go down together! The Valhalla is meant to guard the aerial passage. We’re here to land, hold our ground, and meet up with the army; we’re not running away.”
Qian Ye thought for a moment and agreed. The Valhalla was indeed a deterrent to prevent the void from being sealed. Although they had a few escort ships, they were not a complete fleet. While they could serve as a surprise force, engaging in a full-scale aerial battle would be challenging. Intercepting the Eternal Night’s retreating fleet or confronting their subsequent air reinforcements was already the task of the Guard Fleet.
Their main battlefield would be on the ground, taking out the Dark Race’s military strongholds and breaking their defenses. They would then join forces with Jun Du Zhao in the central route, pushing outward to gain more control over the floating land. Since the battle had not yet begun, it was too early to split up.
Since Qian Ye nodded, Ning Song smiled and said, “The princess has traveled far and must be tired. Why don’t you rest and freshen up first?”
Princess Nineteen didn’t put on any pretenses, standing up gracefully and obediently agreeing. Ning Song summoned a maid and led the princess away to settle her in.
As soon as the door to the operations room closed, the lazy smile vanished from Ning Song’s lips.
Qian Ye glanced at him and asked, “Is there something wrong with her?”
Ning Song rubbed his forehead irritably and replied, “There wouldn’t be if there wasn’t.”
Qian Ye laughed, “While discussing the offensive plans, you insisted on arguing with me about the personnel for the final phase. Wasn’t that just for show? It’s a pity she didn’t seem to understand at all and even looked sleepy.”
Ning Song was stunned, then let out an exasperated cry, “You barbarian actually saw through my strategy!”
Qian Ye nodded seriously, “I even played along.”
Ning Song was speechless, and after a while, he managed to say, “Qian Ye, you’ve become cunning.”
“Hasn’t she reached the rank of a war general yet?” Qian Ye continued to look at the newly annotated operational map. “On a large battlefield, a noblewoman of a warrior class who doesn’t understand military affairs and isn’t accompanied by attendants… does this mean Empress Li trusts our combat strength or doubts it?”
Ning Song, reminded by Qian Ye’s words, thought about Princess Nineteen’s disguise and frowned, “She’s only seventeen, so it’s impossible for her to reach the rank of a war general. But you reminded me of the imperial secret to create human weapons.” Seeing Qian Ye’s puzzled expression, he explained, “It’s the same principle as activating bloodline seeds with secret drugs to mass-produce warriors on the Eternal Night continent.”
Qian Ye recalled and said, “It must come at a great cost, right?”
Ning Song nodded, “They can hardly advance further, lose their fertility, and live as long as ordinary people.”
However, in the face of survival, these things did not matter.
Neither of them cared whether the imperial princess would become a human weapon; they only discussed how to handle the situation.
Ning Song, having heard of such secret methods, said, “She’s too young. If she used the secret method to grow, she’d be at most level ten or eleven, and the chance of failure would be high.”
“Let her stay on the Valhalla,” Qian Ye decided. “With Carol there, she’ll be kept under watch.”
A low-level war general wouldn’t be able to do much on the Valhalla, but on the ground, it would be different. Considering that the dark race’s vanguard in the outer void was entirely composed of grand dukes, it was clear that the ground war would be no easy feat. Leaving someone with an unknown identity nearby was absolutely taboo.
Ning Song also nodded in agreement, and the matter was settled.
The Valhalla was too important, and either Carol or Qian Ye had to remain on board. From both a tactical and safety perspective, this arrangement was the best.
The Valhalla itself was a formidable warship, and with Carol stationed there, there was no need to worry about security. Although Qian Ye wasn’t on the ship and couldn’t use the powerful strikes based on his earth dragon talent, it could still function as a regular warship. At least, no Eternal Night warships would dare to come looking for trouble.
Qian Ye and Ning Song were accustomed to working together, and they were familiar with the troops and the floating land. Replacing Carol wouldn’t necessarily increase their overall combat strength.
With the strategy now set, Ning Song returned to the battlecruiser, while Princess Nineteen remained on the Valhalla. Shortly after, the fleet slowly set sail, heading deep into the void.
After a full day of travel, the fleet arrived at the designated location and stayed quietly for three days. When the designated attack time arrived, the Valhalla led the fleet towards the designated landing point in the void.
Only when the battlecruisers appeared above the small city did the dark race react. Over a dozen floating warships rushed to intercept them.
The small city was guarded by old warships, the largest of which were escort ships. The truly new and advanced warships served in mobile fleets, and none would be assigned to rear defense. These dozen or so warships were like a pack of hunting dogs, rushing towards true beasts.
Halfway through their charge, four were destroyed by the battlecruisers’ concentrated gunfire, unable to withstand a single hit from the main cannons. The remaining ships, with great courage, continued to charge, but upon entering the void, they discovered the true behemoth waiting in the outer space.
In one broadside, the Valhalla destroyed two Eternal Night skiffs, and in another, two more. The remaining skiffs, losing their will to fight, scattered and fled. The escort ships surrounding the Valhalla, like a pack of wolves smelling blood, immediately launched, pursuing the fleeing Eternal Night ships with superior speed.
By the end of the brief aerial battle, only two of the small city’s defending ships managed to escape. They dared not slow down or turn back, fleeing deep into the void.
After defeating the defending fleet, the Valhalla remained suspended in the void, while the battlecruiser led the escort ships to patrol the battlefield, vigilant for the possible appearance of the Eternal Night fleet.
Until the massive landing fleet entered the battlefield, Qian Ye did not see the Eternal Night mobile fleet. It seemed that in other regions, the Guard Fleet had completed its mission, firmly suppressing the Eternal Night mobile fleet, preventing them from coming to rescue this critical area.
With the dark race having relinquished control of the airspace, Qian Ye naturally had no intention of letting them off. With a command, numerous modified gunships rushed into the floating land, entering the low-altitude region of the small city.
These gunships were modified from neutral ground warships, appearing somewhat crude but sturdy and durable. The modifications included heavy armor hanging from the hulls, further enhancing their defensive capabilities.
Dozens of gunships formed a dark cloud, descending overhead. Below, chaos reigned, with people running in the streets.
In moments, sporadic gunfire lit up the sky, with quick-witted individuals firing original force guns. A few original force cannons were mixed in, indicating the presence of powerful dark race warriors. The firepower intensified, with several giant crossbows trailing light tails, slamming into the gunships.
Sparks erupted from the gunships’ hulls, and those hit by the crossbows shook violently. One ship’s tail caught fire, tilting as it crashed into the city, causing a massive explosion that engulfed half a block in flames.
The gunships retaliated, with their bottom-mounted cannons firing repeatedly, raining bullets onto the city below. Many gunships were equipped with rapid-fire cannons, ancient powder weapons that proved highly effective against urban targets. While the powerful cannon shells couldn’t kill the stronger warriors, they silenced fixed firing points and peeled away the outer layers of the fortifications, eventually destroying the crossbow cannons atop the towers.
The small city trembled, with bursts of fire blooming within, and silhouettes flying with each explosion. Temporary structures were reduced to rubble, and casualties rapidly increased. Compared to humans, the dark race’s defensive fortifications were always relatively weak.
The gunships, hovering at low altitude, unleashed a relentless barrage, as if ammunition was inexhaustible. Compared to original force guns, these old-fashioned powder weapons were indeed cheap.
The modified gunships, while enduring attacks from the ground, fiercely retaliated. The heavy armor proved effective, as ordinary original force guns struggled to penetrate even with repeated hits. Only the crossbows mounted on the towers posed a real threat. Hitting a moving target, however, was extremely difficult, and without homing arrows, achieving a high hit rate was nearly impossible.
The gunships, aiming at the threatening towers, found it much easier to hit their targets. Nearly all the gunships concentrated their fire on the single tower posing a threat.
Once all the ground towers were destroyed, the small city lost all its anti-air capabilities, leaving the gunships to wreak havoc unopposed.
At that moment, more airborne ships appeared in the sky, clearly transport ships for the landing forces. Their bulky, cumbersome design slowed them down but also allowed for a significant number of troops and equipment to be transported.
The gunships gradually dispersed, moving to the city’s edges, establishing a fire net to cover the landing of the transport ships.
Before the transport ships had fully stabilized, their doors opened, and countless soldiers, clad in various battle uniforms, poured out, shouting and roaring as they charged towards the small city.
On top of the few high-rise buildings in the city center, now reduced to ruins, a few dark race warriors appeared at the windows of one building. Among them was a demon, his face pale, barely containing his powerful aura.
A wolfman baron beside him said, “My lord, we can’t hold out anymore. Let’s retreat!”
The demon marquis, gazing at the surging ranks of Dark Flame mercenaries outside the city, breathed heavily, with thunderous sounds echoing in his nose. He was clearly struggling to contain his anger and wanted to rush out.
The wolfman baron grabbed him and shook his head, “My lord, the enemy definitely has strong warriors. By their attire, they seem to be mercenaries from the Neutral Grounds. That means this is Qian Ye and Ning Song’s force.”
These names, like ice water, instantly cooled the demon marquis. No matter how arrogant he was, he knew he was no match for Qian Ye and Ning Song, especially Qian Ye. The rumors from the Great Vortex had long indicated that Qian Ye was capable of killing a marquis.
The wolfman baron continued, “This isn’t our fault. The outer mobile fleet should have prevented such a large-scale assault. If there’s a defeat, the mobile fleet should bear the majority of the blame!”
These words finally had an effect. The demon marquis’s cheeks twitched, and he finally said, “Retreat!”
Even amidst the roar of cannon fire, the call of the horn could be heard. Numerous dark race warriors leaped from their cover, preparing to retreat. However, they soon faced a problem: where to retreat?
Transport ships were landing on all sides of the small city, with only the direction towards the edge of the land mass appearing weaker. Yet, anyone with a basic understanding of military tactics knew that the edge of the land mass was a dead end. Even if the Imperial Army didn’t follow, the harsh environment alone would be deadly to most ordinary soldiers.
The high-ranking warriors also realized this, all turning to the demon marquis. The order to retreat had come from him, and he should choose the direction.
Gritting his teeth, the demon marquis hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “Retreat to Zeal Town!”
Zeal Town was Qian Ye’s original target, home to one of the three largest landing fields on the floating land and several military and supply warehouses. It was one of the most important transit points between the Eternal Night continents and the floating land.
Retreating there would mean safety, but it was obvious that Ning Song and Qian Ye would not let them have it so easily.
The transport ships in the direction of Zeal Town were clearly more numerous, but the attacks from that direction were not as intense. Clearly, Ning Song and Qian Ye had anticipated this, and their strategic intentions were clear. After landing, the soldiers did not immediately join the battle but instead fortified their positions, preparing for a protracted engagement to cut off the connection between the small city and Zeal Town.
Attacking while simultaneously fortifying for the next defense was a brilliant battlefield maneuver. For the Eternal Night warriors, however, it was bad news.
Under these circumstances, breaking through to Zeal Town would likely come at a heavy cost.
The other Eternal Night warriors looked at the demon marquis, not immediately acting. They were well aware of the risks of breaking through to Zeal Town and the possibility of encountering Qian Ye.
The lives of the foot soldiers were of little concern to these warriors, but their own survival was a different matter. No one was willing to face Qian Ye, the terrifying opponent who could decide life or death with a single strike.
The demon marquis said in a low voice, “No matter which direction we go, we might encounter Qian Ye. Consider his legendary spatial abilities. Let’s not think too much; focus on breaking through with all your might. Once we reach Zeal Town, we’ll be safe.”
Before he finished speaking, a voice suddenly echoed behind him, “You don’t need to go anywhere.”
The sound still lingered when the vision of the Eternal Night warriors was filled with crisscrossing lines of blood.
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