The battle was more intense than anyone could have imagined from the very beginning, even Qian Ye himself had not anticipated it would reach such a level. Everywhere he looked, dark races were in sight, and the only sounds that filled his ears were the war cries of Evernight. Dongyue did not need to use any fancy sword techniques; simply raising and slashing down would always yield results, but the space for Qian Ye to use Void Blink was becoming increasingly scarce. This, however, was not a major issue, as with the blood energy Qian Ye had left, he could only use Void Blink a few more times.
Attacks came from all directions, including from above. The turrets inside the fortress were being destroyed one after another, finally giving the remaining assault ships some room to attack the ground. However, at this point, the fortress was swarming with dark warriors, and they could not find their targets, so they continued to focus on the turrets.
The continuous use of Void Blink was gradually depleting the blood energy within Qian Ye’s body. Although the Bloodsaber and Life Plunder brought in a large amount of refined blood, there was no time to refine it, and he could only rely on the blood core to slowly digest and replenish, which was akin to a drop in the bucket.
Feeling the weakness in his body, Qian Ye changed his fighting style once again. He plunged directly into the enemy ranks, planting Dongyue on the ground, and fought in close combat using shoulder tackles, elbow strikes, and knee blows. His body moved like a reed in the wind, swaying violently with each collision. Each impact allowed Qian Ye to use the force to attack another foe. Only when he encountered a strong opponent with a noble title did he pull out Dongyue and strike with an irresistible force.
After an unknown duration of slaughter, waves of enemies around Qian Ye were replaced one after another, yet he refused to fall. A werewolf viscount saw an opportunity and mixed among the low-level warriors, attempting a sneak attack. However, Qian Ye suddenly erupted with his domain, suppressing them with the force of a sea vortex. Instantly, all the low-level warriors around him fell, and then Dongyue swept through, cutting the lone-standing werewolf viscount in half.
This strike finally shattered the morale of the dark races. A distant horn sounded, and the invaders retreated like a receding tide. The aerial assault ships also returned, most of them burning and likely to be shot down if the battle continued.
This was the first time since the start of the war that the dark army had paused its offensive.
Qian Ye turned his head and saw Song Zining waving at him from atop a turret. With a few leaps, he climbed onto the turret. Even such a small action now required him to conserve as much energy as possible.
On the turret platform, there were two intact rapid-fire cannons and a massive crossbow, with dozens of soldiers guarding it layer by layer, making the defense extremely solid.
Song Zining leaned against the crossbow, opening his armor to reveal a mangled wound on his thigh. A fragment from an exploded assault ship had pierced his leg, nearly going through.
Seeing Qian Ye appear, Song Zining managed a weak smile and said, “Qian Ye, come help me. Remember to be gentle, very gentle… ah!!”
Before he could finish, Qian Ye grabbed the fragment and yanked it out. Using vibrational force, he shattered the flesh and blood stuck to the surface, successfully removing the fragment without causing further damage. Nevertheless, it made Song Zining turn pale from the pain.
Someone had already brought stimulants and healing medicines. Qian Ye treated and bandaged Song Zining’s wound, and finally, injected him with two more stimulants. There were no medics left; the last doctor had just been killed, and the injured had to help each other.
Apart from the leg wound, Song Zining had over a dozen other injuries, and his undershirt was stained red with blood. These wounds looked horrific, but every veteran knew how to handle them. Qian Ye turned Song Zining over and cut open his battle robe, revealing a mutilated back.
“Bear with it.” Before Qian Ye finished speaking, he pulled out two more fragments from Song Zining’s back.
Caught off guard, Song Zining let out a cry of pain. Though he was quite resilient, not as delicate as most nobles, Qian Ye’s swift action left him unprepared, hence the outcry.
Qian Ye paused, then pulled out another fragment. This time, Song Zining remained silent, exhaling only after the fragment was removed, saying, “It feels like we’re back at the Netherworld, but I was the one taking care of you then. Speaking of which, you were really weak back then!”
Qian Ye snorted and grabbed another fragment, saying, “Your drinking capacity seemed pretty weak too. Who was it who got drunk and was found out by the instructor, and then tied naked to the training ground?”
This was one of the few black marks on Song Zining’s record, and it seemed to leave a significant psychological shadow. Song Zining immediately lost his composure and shouted, “Forget about this, right now!”
“Difficult,” Qian Ye replied succinctly.
Angered and embarrassed, Song Zining roared, “Qian Ye, I’m warning you, I, the seventh young master, am not to be trifled with… ah!!”
In another cry of pain, Qian Ye abruptly pulled out the largest fragment from Song Zining’s back.
“How long have we been fighting?” Qian Ye asked casually, having gone berserk earlier and lost track of time.
Song Zining thought for a moment and said, “About three and a half hours.”
“Three and a half hours for the first wave?” Qian Ye sighed, far exceeding his expectations, indicating the ferocity of the dark race’s offensive. If not for the high casualties among the viscount-level fighters, the dark army’s assault might have continued until the fortress was destroyed.
Qian Ye looked back at the fortress below, seeing a wasteland. The city walls were nearly destroyed, and it was impossible to repair them temporarily. Most of the fortress was now rubble, with stones and an astonishing number of corpses mixed together. Several Zhao Clan soldiers were searching for severely wounded comrades. No one was cleaning up the battlefield; the surviving soldiers were resting, preparing for the next wave of attacks.
With a single glance, Qian Ye had a rough idea, lowering his voice to ask, “More than half our forces are lost, right?”
Song Zining nodded, also speaking softly, “To be precise, sixty percent.”
“At this rate, we won’t survive the next attack. What should we do next?” Qian Ye asked.
Even Song Zining, gravely injured, indicated the dire situation. Qian Ye alone could not defend the entire fortress.
Song Zining remained calm, saying, “We need to change our plan. I’ve already sent for reinforcements, and they will arrive soon.”
Qian Ye nodded, his movements accelerating as he quickly pulled out the remaining fragments. Despite his resilience, Song Zining couldn’t help but shout, “Qian Ye! Remember this…”
His scream was drowned out by the shrill whistling and loud explosions. Several assault ships, led by two escort ships, sped in, heralding the start of a new assault. On the ground, the reorganized dark army advanced, once again engulfing the fortress in a dark tide.
Qian Ye patted Song Zining, signaling that the wounds were treated, and then leapt from the turret, crashing into the dark warriors like a meteor, instantly knocking them down.
The slaughter resumed.
This time, the dark race’s attack was even more frenzied and brutal. The viscount-level strongholds operated in groups, driving Qian Ye away before systematically dismantling the turrets. The new tactic was effective, and in no time, two turrets were destroyed, leaving the situation precarious.
However, just as this offensive began, an unusual whistling sound filled the air. Several Imperial high-speed floating warships suddenly appeared on the battlefield. Their firepower was overwhelmingly powerful, and a single volley of fire destroyed half of the Evernight assault ships, leaving the rest to flee in panic.
These warships then rained destruction on the ground, clearing a path littered with bodies. Moving swiftly, they flew over the fortress, with one ship descending and hovering above. Another high-speed transport ship opened its belly, continuously launching small floating boats.
These boats looked extremely rudimentary, barely able to stay afloat, flying erratically. Some even shook as they plummeted to the ground. As soon as the boats hit the ground, dark race soldiers immediately surrounded them, intent on capturing them. But as soon as they surrounded the boats, they exploded with earth-shattering force!
In an instant, blood and limbs flew everywhere, and several fireballs rose into the sky, eventually turning into thick black smoke. When the explosions subsided, several empty patches appeared on the battlefield, with thousands of dark warriors reduced to ashes.
Seeing this, the dark warriors who had planned to seize the remaining boats recoiled in horror, staying far away. The assault ships dared not approach, only firing from a distance.
The warship hovering above the fortress lowered several ropes. The Zhao Clan soldiers on the turrets quickly boarded, without any confusion. In moments, the soldiers from several turrets had boarded, even managing to hoist a few expensive crossbows onto the ship.
Song Zining was the last to board, standing at the edge of the hatch and shouting, “Qian Ye, hurry up!”
Qian Ye climbed up the turret, then leaped several meters, grabbing a rope and, with a slight effort, landed on the ship. The warship immediately turned and flew away, the hatch closing slowly.
Several ships quickly withdrew, leaving one to hold the rear. Moments later, the heavily armed warship, engulfed in flames, dove towards the Evernight army, resulting in a devastating explosion.
Though Qian Ye knew the warship carried only a minimal crew, at least several dozen people, they had known this was a suicide mission but still charged forward without hesitation.
Silence filled the warship, with Qian Ye and Song Zining also remaining quiet, watching the fading light of the fire.
The retreat was efficient, snatching the surviving defenders from the jaws of the dark army. Though the common soldiers suffered heavy casualties, with almost seventy percent dead or wounded, the officers and generals were relatively intact. Most importantly, the two key figures, Qian Ye and Song Zining, had returned safely. In the eyes of the higher-ups, this was considered a “near-total preservation of combat power,” a victory in defense.
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