In a blink, they traversed dozens of kilometers. The battle in the sky had already concluded; the Bai clan fleet was nearly decimated, leaving behind a desolate earth, riddled with scorched craters and burning remnants of warships. On the Evernight side, the Blood race’s warships sustained minimal damage, but more than forty transport ships, over one-third of their number, were destroyed, meaning that more than ten thousand soldiers had been reduced to ashes before even setting foot on the ground.
Ahead lay an unfinished Bai clan fortress. Several fiery streams continued to gush from the turrets, resembling blazing whips, lashing fiercely at the sky.
The large Evernight warships had retreated beyond the reach of these fire whips, hovering at a thousand-meter altitude, while several agile smaller gunboats darted through the lower skies, evading the fortress’s anti-aircraft fire and seizing opportunities to unload shells into the bastion.
Suddenly, a small Blood race warship made a mistake in its maneuvers and was struck by a fire whip, causing it to shudder violently and tumble through the air multiple times. The fire whip, seizing the moment, relentlessly pursued the stricken vessel, striking it several more times, until it finally exploded midair in a brilliant blaze.
A tempestuous wave of origin power stirred a fierce wind in the sky, almost carrying the scent of gunpowder. The other Blood race warships scattered like startled birds, fleeing to higher altitudes, avoiding the range of the fortress’s defenses.
At this moment, the colossal Blood race battleship slowly sailed above the fortress. Its hull opened, revealing a dark, gaping maw of a cannon. This main gun was astonishingly massive; such a formidable battleship bore only a single siege cannon.
Runes on the battleship’s hull began to illuminate, channeling waves of energy toward the cannon. A luminous orb, several meters in diameter, finally erupted from the muzzle and descended towards the encampment below.
Qian Ye stared at the glowing mass, finding it hard to believe that this was an origin power shell fired from a warship. Typically, the main origin cannons of warships fired shells around one meter in diameter. Increasing the caliber exponentially heightened the power consumption until the ship could no longer bear the strain.
The descent of the origin shell was eerily slow, so languid that it seemed almost surreal, as if one could reach out and intercept it. But even without true vision, Qian Ye could clearly see the space around the shell warping, hinting at its terrifying power.
From within the Bai clan fortress, a rough, thunderous voice boomed: “Concentrate your fire on that shell! Forget everything else!”
The turrets immediately redirected their fire, lashing the dreaded origin shell with relentless fiery whips. The intensity of the flames indicated that the gunners were wholly unconcerned about overloading their weapons. Given the devastating impact, the fortress could not afford to let it hit.
The origin shell weakened rapidly, shrinking until, at less than a meter in diameter, it finally detonated with a thunderous boom. Though it still hovered dozens of meters above the ground, the shockwave tore apart tents, and the heat ignited whatever remained, including ammunition, in midair.
The preemptive explosion inflicted some damage, but it was manageable. However, before the Bai clan warriors could catch their breath, a deafening explosion resounded from the fortress’s edge. A turret spewed a column of fire, launching several gunners into the sky, transforming them into burning torches. The turret, unable to withstand the strain, self-destructed.
The aerial Blood race warships began preparing for another attack. After several minutes of energy accumulation, another sluggish shell descended. This time, not only did the defense turrets fire furiously, but many strong warriors also joined in, casting various origin power projectiles and beams, weakening the nightmarish shell.
When the shell was finally detonated, there were no additional casualties, yet no one felt relief. Qian Ye realized that the fortress’s turrets were teetering on the brink of collapse, and the strong warriors must have exhausted significant amounts of origin power. The next defensive effort would be even more grueling.
Suddenly, a gasp rippled through the fortress. The suspended Blood race battleship, high in the sky, was accumulating energy for another bombardment!
Qian Ye’s heart sank, finally understanding why such a massive Blood race battleship carried only one origin cannon—capable of such continuous devastation.
Finally, the battleship shuddered and unleashed another shot towards the fortress. With this, the massive cannon’s barrel twisted and deformed, signaling its destruction and inability to fire again. Qian Ye, and many others within the Bai clan fortress, saw this, and morale surged. The defense turrets disregarded everything, desperately pounding the descending shell.
When the third shell was intercepted, the defense turrets began exploding and catching fire, with only two barely functional. The stronghold’s mighty warriors had also depleted more than half of their origin power.
The Blood race battleship remained, hovering above the battlefield, surveying the land.
Clear bugle calls suddenly echoed across the wilderness, quickly drowned out by the thunderous roars.
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!” The lookout on the wall shrieked, pointing frantically.
As the fortress strained to counter the barrage, the surviving transport ships landed outside, releasing tens of thousands of dark warriors. The true elite fighters assembled in the rear, while expendable cannon fodder was driven forward, surging across the gravel like a tide.
Tens of thousands of cannon fodder, the first wave, surged towards the Bai clan fortress. After three rounds of bombardment, the fortress’s defenses were severely compromised, losing most of its turrets and now relying primarily on the walls. It would be hard to resist the leaping dark race warriors.
Qian Ye climbed a steep hill, observing the battlefield. This wave of cannon fodder was different from what he had seen before; it included low-ranking warriors—werewolves, bloodsuckers, and spider demons.
After a while, Qian Ye’s already somber expression hardened further. From the formation and tactics, it was clear that these low-ranking dark warriors were not hidden elites but genuine cannon fodder. Experienced veterans understood the implications.
The Bai clan warriors on the walls fired with all their might, cutting swaths through the flood of fodder with gunfire and origin power blasts. But the sheer numbers of the dark race fodder meant little changed despite hundreds falling.
The gray tide, as if intent on engulfing the horizon, slammed into the fortress, sending hundreds airborne. Among the fodder, gigantic servant spiders charged the walls, their potential and ferocity heightened by dark sorcery, making them fearless and immensely powerful.
The Bai clan knew the destructive power of these servant spiders. High-ranking officers prioritized targeting them. In the initial onslaught, half the spiders were lost, crushing more fodder under their colossal, lifeless bodies.
Yet, the remaining servant spiders, seemingly oblivious, continued to batter the walls. Each collision dented and warped the armor plating, eventually tearing off chunks of steel.
Without the protective armor, the walls proved vulnerable. The servant spiders, with their heightened strength, swiftly breached the frame-constructed walls. In no time, multiple gaps appeared, and countless fodder poured in.
But as they advanced, expecting to engage the human warriors in close combat, they found themselves confronted by yet another wall. The ground trembled, accompanied by the deafening roar of steam engines and the clatter of steel tracks, as massive gates dropped, sealing the inner gates.
Thousands of Bai clan warriors emerged, guns aimed at the advancing dark warriors, while the outer wall defenders shifted to create a pincer attack.
On the fortress’s watchtower, White Dragon Armor pointed his sword forward and commanded, “Machinery, open fire!”
Countless black holes split open in the ground between the two walls, belching roaring flames, turning the narrow passage into a hell of fire. The Bai clan warriors, both on the inner and outer walls, fired relentlessly, cutting down the flaming dark warriors.
Outside the fortress, the dark race’s regular troops had regrouped, splitting into several units, rushing towards the fortress. Despite heavy losses, the cannon fodder, still numbering significantly, reorganized under the command of dark nobles for a new assault.
Amid the chaos, the walls were filled with smoke and blood. The Bai clan, vastly outnumbered, suffered heavy casualties.
The battle intensified, with the fortress becoming a mosaic of small battlefields. Dark warrior squads frequently broke through, only to be surrounded and annihilated by the Bai clan.
The aerial Blood race warships, unwilling to stay idle, descended to bombard the fortress. Bai clan’s strong warriors retaliated with large-caliber origin rifles and special armor-piercing bullets, posing a threat to the warships. Occasionally, they launched origin hand cannons, capable of penetrating smaller airships, forcing the Blood race warships to keep their distance.
Soon, the fighting spilled into the fortress. A deluge of dark warriors flooded the corridors and chambers, engaging in vicious close-quarter combat with the Bai clan.
Inside, the Bai clan had only a few thousand warriors, heavily outnumbered. Moreover, the presence of a powerful unknown force aboard the towering Blood race battleship ensured the Bai clan held no advantage in terms of strength.
Despite the dire situation, White Dragon Armor on the watchtower maintained his composure, strategically deploying the remaining mobile forces to plug the breaches in the defenses.
The Bai clan showed absolute faith in White Dragon Armor, following his orders without question. Time ticked on, and though each front wavered, the lines miraculously held.
Every advance by the dark race came at a high cost, with casualty numbers soaring. Yet, the order to press the attack continued, as the stoic Evernight nobles drove wave after wave of warriors into the fray.
The Bai clan fortress had become a gruesome meat grinder, pulverizing both sides’ soldiers.
White Dragon Armor’s eyes betrayed a flicker of worry, but his face remained calm, methodically marshaling his troops.
Neither side had fully committed their strongest warriors, so the final showdown had not yet begun. The brutal expenditure of cannon fodder and regular troops couldn’t decide the ultimate outcome.
High above, aboard the looming Blood race battleship, an ancient Blood elder sat on a throne, gazing at the projected battlefield. His gaunt, ashen features, reminiscent of a freshly risen zombie, watched intently.
His once lifeless, milky eyes suddenly focused, fixating on a specific point on the battlefield. He raised his bony hand, tracing patterns in the air, magnifying the image of that particular area.
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