Chapter 37: Total Victory

Immediately, a prolonged, echoing gunshot resounded through the air, and instantly, five enormous fireballs bloomed in the sky. All five heavy artillery shells fired by the Dong family’s private army had been detonated mid-air.

Qian Ye was startled and turned to look, only to see an unexpected woman on the firing platform of a watchtower to the side.

Her long hair, tied into a ponytail, flew freely behind her, and the curve of her body, outlined by tight, battle-ready attire, was both stunning and exuded power, delivering an unmatched visual impact. She was tall, with exceptionally long legs, a figure that was curvaceous and unmistakably beautiful, even without looking at her face.

She held an assault rifle in one hand, its origin array not yet fully extinguished.

However, Qian Ye recognized that the prolonged gunshot was actually five shots, meaning this woman had not missed a single shot, and had used a standard assault rifle to detonate all the incoming artillery shells.

Blasting five heavy artillery shells in one breath, she seemed unsatisfied and reached out her other hand, saying, “Give me something more powerful!”

Two young girls, also dressed for battle, worked together to hand her an origin cannon, the barrel so large it could almost fit a watermelon. The woman effortlessly took the cannon, cradled it under her arm, and aimed it directly at Dǒng Qífēng, who was floating in the air, before firing!

The origin cannon roared with earth-shaking force, and the wall beneath the beauty immediately cracked, with the surging origin fluctuations spreading out. Zhāng Zìxíng immediately rose into the air, waving his hand to create an origin barrier, shielding the noble ladies, but some of the aftereffects swept past, causing some warriors to stagger and fall.

A tangerine-orange fireball burst from the cannon, streaking across the sky like a meteor, straight towards Dǒng Qífēng. Facing this half-meter diameter fireball, not only Dǒng Qífēng but also the other two war generals turned pale, and no one dared to block it head-on; they all dodged.

Just as he dodged several meters away, Dǒng Qífēng suddenly remembered something, and his heart cried out in alarm. The fireball continued on, heading straight for the flagship floating behind him.

The fireball easily penetrated the floating ship, and the next moment, the ship erupted in flames. More than ten figures quickly leaped from the ship, falling towards the ground, followed by an earth-shattering explosion. The floating ship transformed into a massive fireball, expanding in the sky, incinerating all the remaining warriors inside.

“Exhilarating!” the ponytailed beauty exclaimed, tossing the origin cannon to a maidservant.

Not just Qian Ye, everyone who saw this spectacle was affected to varying degrees.

The power of that cannon exceeded all imagination, second only to Manjushaka. In terms of sheer force, even Zhao Jiandu’s Blue Sky and Qian Ye’s Twin Flower, enhanced by the Primordial Wing, fell short.

It was at least a level seven, and among the top tier of level sevens. Qian Ye instantly made this judgment about the terrifying origin cannon. Someone capable of wielding a level seven weapon was definitely no small fry, yet Qian Ye had no memory of her.

Scanning the surrounding crowd, from the expressions of the noble ladies, it was clear this suddenly appeared woman was not one of them, and neither Wèi Pòtiān nor Sòng Zǐníng seemed to recognize her.

Suddenly, Qian Ye noticed that when Zhāng Zìxíng saw the woman, his expression changed, not in surprise or fear, but as if he was seeing a huge problem. To be precise, it was like the headache Zhāng Zìxíng experienced when dealing with the noble ladies, magnified tenfold.

But now there was no time to investigate. Since Dǒng Qífēng had already opened fire, Zhāng Zìxíng naturally wouldn’t hesitate and immediately issued the order for a full-scale attack.

Instantly, the city walls echoed with cannon fire, as over fifty heavy cannons from Darkflame and the Third Legion boomed continuously, hammering their ammunition at the besieging forces.

The sudden and fierce attack left Dǒng Qífēng stunned; he couldn’t imagine how the disorganized Heiliu City could unleash such concentrated heavy firepower.

The barrage was too intense, and the three war generals and high-ranking officers only managed to destroy a small part. Most of the projectiles still hit the besieging troops, sending groups of warriors flying.

Next, Dǒng Qífēng witnessed a sight he would never forget. Behind the city, warships began to rise one after another, culminating in a fearsome behemoth several hundred meters long, as if an entire city block had taken to the sky.

There were dozens of warships, with the smallest being a light frigate and the largest a formidable battleship, its imperial flag rising, clearly identifying it as one of the Empire’s active main battle fleets.

Dǒng Qífēng’s mind went blank, almost unable to believe his eyes. An entire imperial flotilla had appeared before him.

Even if the combined might of all the Dong family’s floating ships faced the reorganized imperial flotilla, they stood no chance.

Dǒng Qífēng almost thought he was in the wrong place, that he was not at Heiliu City, but in a heavily fortified county within the Empire.

As the fleet emerged, it rained fire upon the ground forces, causing immediate chaos. The Dong family’s soldiers, now focused on anti-air defenses, hurriedly adjusted their formations, while the smaller gunboats froze in the air. One that tried to bravely fight back was immediately shredded by multiple beams, exploding into a fiery ball in the sky.

Qian Ye suddenly leapt onto the city wall, carrying a two-meter-long, level five sniper rifle, and jumped down outside the city.

Sòng Zǐníng, snatching a bronze spear from a personal guard, leapt out almost simultaneously.

Then Qian Ye ran towards where Dǒng Qífēng and the other two war generals were floating, with Sòng Zǐníng following closely. Their running styles were different: Qian Ye zigzagged unpredictably, using a common anti-sniper technique, while Sòng Zǐníng appeared and disappeared like a phantom.

On the battlefield, the air raids had just ended, leaving the ground littered with smoke and explosive residues. The Dong family’s private army had retreated 300 meters from the city walls and was regrouping, with few noticing them. Occasional origin shockwaves and stray bullets either missed or were deflected by Sòng Zǐníng’s spear.

On the city wall, Wèi Pòtiān’s face darkened as he pushed through the layers of noble ladies to reach the wall, only to find Qian Ye and Sòng Zǐníng already at least a hundred meters away. Frustrated, he wanted to punch something, but didn’t know where to direct his anger.

Zhāng Zìxíng, who had been hovering in the air directing the battle, glanced down and smiled faintly. His duty was to protect the noble ladies, and as long as Prince Wèi stayed in the safe zone, the noble ladies were secure. This division of responsibilities was quite satisfactory.

Previously, the three war generals, including Dǒng Qífēng, had moved close to the battlefield to support the ground troops, so Qian Ye needed only a few minutes to get within a thousand-meter sniping range.

Still in a daze, Dǒng Qífēng felt a sharp pain in his chest, like a needle prick. He looked around in confusion and instinctively gazed towards Heiliu City, just in time to see a flash of light speeding towards him.

Then, he felt a jolt, and a hole opened up in his chest!

The excruciating pain snapped Dǒng Qífēng back to reality. Clutching his chest, he turned and fled without hesitation. In the past, this decisive retreat had saved his life more than once, though it had also abandoned many comrades.

But Qian Ye wouldn’t give him such a chance. Pulling the trigger again, another sniper bullet flew out. At the same moment, Qian Ye’s eyes turned blue, clearly reflecting Dǒng Qífēng’s image.

The eye technique activated, and Dǒng Qífēng’s heart was struck by a sharp pain, forcing him to bend over. In that instant, blood splattered from his lower back, and he plummeted to the ground. This time, Qian Ye had used a black titanium annihilation bullet, ending his life.

Dǒng Qífēng, the eldest son of the Dong family, an empire-appointed successor, and a level ten war general, died unexpectedly in Heiliu City on the Continent of Eternal Night.

With Dǒng Qífēng dead, his private army fell into chaos. The other two war generals, no longer daring to stay, immediately fled the battlefield.

The gates of Heiliu City swung open, and the Darkflame warriors poured out. The Dong family’s private army, having lost all morale, began surrendering en masse. The cargo airships and the remaining two gunboats behind the battlefield dared not move in the face of the imperial flotilla. A few chose to flee into the wilderness, but in the Continent of Eternal Night, their fate would be no better than that of captives.

With a resounding victory and minimal losses, the noble ladies on the city wall were ecstatic, as if they had won the battle themselves.

In fairness, the Dong family’s private army wasn’t so weak that they would be completely overmatched against even an imperial main legion. However, the lightly equipped troops were powerless against the sudden appearance of the imperial flotilla, and with their leader killed, they naturally collapsed.

After the battle, nearly ten thousand captives and countless supplies were counted. Zhāng Zìxíng, of course, wouldn’t bother with the cleanup, claiming Qian Ye was the city lord of Heiliu and dumping all the post-battle work on him.

Managing and processing so many prisoners was no small task, especially with the curious noble ladies causing additional chaos.

Sòng Zǐníng, knowing Qian Ye’s dilemma, smiled calmly and said, “This is a minor issue, leave it to me!” He looked around and, with a smile, approached the nearest noble lady. She recognized him and returned his smile.

Sòng Zǐníng greeted, “Dōngqí, it’s been a while!”

The noble lady was none other than Shǐ Dōngqí, the eldest daughter of the Shùnyì Marquis, whom Sòng Zǐníng had met a few times.

Sòng Zǐníng, with his handsome looks and gentle demeanor, was well-liked in the imperial social circles, especially among young girls who found his knowledge charming.

He was already betrothed to a prominent family, so he was not in the marriage pool for these high-born daughters, but this did not hinder their friendship. Lesser-noble ladies, however, were much more enthusiastic towards him, like a Shǐ branch girl standing behind Shǐ Dōngqí, who was smiling warmly.

Sòng Zǐníng fanned himself and smiled, “Miss Shǐ, the Empire values military merit above all. With this resounding victory, you and the other young ladies deserve the credit. Why not host a celebration banquet? The event should be of a high standard, and unimportant individuals like us need not attend, but esteemed guests like the Bówàng Marquis’s heir are essential.”

Shǐ Dōngqí immediately understood. Such a celebration banquet was a perfect opportunity. After a few drinks, she might have a chance to solidify the marriage with Wèi Pòtiān. She thanked Sòng Zǐníng and quickly left to organize the event.

Sòng Zǐníng watched Shǐ Dōngqí leave, his warm smile hiding a trace of mischief.