As they passed by the spider demon warship, Qian Ye gazed at its burning hull, but until the very end, he saw no one emerge from it. Clearly, in the recent bombardment, all the crew had perished inside.
A sense of powerlessness washed over Qian Ye once again, making him uneasy. If this were on a land battlefield, a spider demon viscount with over a hundred elite warriors would be a formidable force, and it would take some time to cut them all down. But in a fleet battle in the void, they were extinguished in moments, without even leaving an impression of their appearance.
Qian Ye pulled himself from his thoughts and turned to observe in other directions.
Zhao Yuying’s ship handling was decisive, accelerating at a relentless pace. Not far away, three entire Evernight warships appeared, flanking them. If Zhao Yuying had not accelerated early, they would have been surrounded.
Zhao Yuying made a wide turn, heading obliquely toward an area with more Imperial warships, but the three Evernight warships pursued relentlessly. Meanwhile, Qian Ye rotated the turret, aiming at the enemy while observing their movements.
Among the three pursuing ships, two were vampire warships, and one was a spider demon ship. The trajectory of the spider demon warship was the most erratic, yet in Qian Ye’s True Sight, it left a dense trail of origin power, gradually forming a clearer pattern.
An idea struck Qian Ye, and he forcefully pressed the pedal. With a loud boom, a three-meter-long crossbow bolt screeched through the void. However, this heavy crossbow’s impact point was in empty space, closer to the spider demon warship, but still nothing there.
Even Zhao Yuying was taken aback, muttering to herself, “Misfire?”
Yet, the spider demon warship suddenly veered, placing itself right in the path of the heavy crossbow!
The powerful metal crossbow easily penetrated the front armor of the spider demon warship, drilling deep into its center before stopping. Then, the origin power patterns on the bolt flashed, followed by a deafening explosion.
The spider demon warship, only a frigate, was hit directly by Qian Ye’s shot, slowing down instantly. In such a chaotic and intense battlefield, it became like a wounded beast, soon to be targeted by others.
This single shot also startled the two pursuing vampire destroyers, who simultaneously slowed down, seeking alternative targets.
The Imperial destroyer did not linger, continuing to fly away, quickly distancing itself.
The intense aerial fleet battle lasted for an entire day before finally concluding. When Zhao Yuying guided the destroyer to land, it was scarred, but thanks to the superior Imperial armor, it suffered no serious damage.
Zhao Yuying and Qian Ye walked off the destroyer side by side. She placed a hand on Qian Ye’s shoulder, smiling, “Xiao Wu, it seems we should build you a special warship, with a high-power cannon on it.”
Hearing this, the Imperial and Zhao clan sailors following behind felt a mix of shame and admiration. The Imperial officer responsible for ground support and record-keeping rushed over, exchanged hushed words with the original captain, and then, their faces changed, constantly glancing at Qian Ye.
In this fierce battle, the destroyer had destroyed or severely damaged two Evernight destroyers and three frigates, achieving a glorious record.
The losses were minimal, and with some repairs, it could be ready for combat again.
Throughout the battle, aside from Zhao Yuying’s command, Qian Ye’s artillery skills had reached near-perfection. Though he only manned one turret, his hits accounted for three-quarters of the total, and nearly all the fatal shots came from his hands. In the final engagement, Qian Ye even set a record of hitting the same spot with three consecutive heavy crossbows.
At dawn the next day, as the sky just began to brighten, Third Fleet’s Deputy Commander Yang Li arrived at the command tower. The battle had ended, and the landing field was filled with various warships and transport ships. Soldiers were disembarking, and repair and fuel supply vehicles created a chaotic scene.
Seeing this, Yang Li let out a heavy snort, causing the temperature in the tower to drop. An officer who had long served under Yang Li said, “General, most of those are transport ships from various families, disregarding our commands, landing wherever they please.”
Yang Li’s face darkened, and he growled, “These bloodsuckers clinging to the Empire!”
He left his words unfinished, but his confidants knew his meaning. Yang Li, born into a humble background, rose to high rank in the military, always viewing the aristocratic families as parasites, not pillars, of the state.
At that moment, Yang Li recalled something and asked, “What about the 36th destroyer requisitioned by the Zhao family yesterday? What is its status now?”
The officer flipped through his book, saying, “It returned safely after the battle with minor damage. It can be back in service after simple repairs. Here are the 36th destroyer’s achievements…”
Yang Li noticed the officer’s hesitation, glaring at him and barked, “Show me, what are you hiding?”
The officer handed over the book. After a few glances, Yang Li’s expression changed, full of intrigue. He flipped through it several times before looking at the officer again.
The officer hurriedly explained, “We’ve verified the records with the ship’s crew, and the achievements are accurate.”
Yang Lu snorted, throwing the book on the table, “Lucky for them, leave it at that.”
“And General Lu?”
Yang Li pondered, “Send this report to General Lu, he doesn’t like secrets.”
An officer departed, and when he stepped out, another asked, “General, won’t this make it hard to find their faults?”
“Using the requisition order leaves no room for fault. But if they think they can act recklessly after earning military merit, they are mistaken. This is a battlefield with millions of soldiers; a few reckless individuals can easily meet their end,” Yang Li said calmly.
Not far from the landing field was a floating ship base. Though temporarily constructed, it was grand and well-equipped, resembling a small city. This was the temporary base of the Imperial Third Fleet, the headquarters during the entire campaign.
In the central command building, a short, stocky general with needle-like short hair sat at a table, having a simple breakfast. Compared to his illustrious rank, the meal was quite modest, not much better than that of lower-ranking officers.
He ate at a steady pace, listening to his adjutant read the battle reports. Soon, he heard about the 36th destroyer’s achievements, pausing briefly.
The adjutant wisely stopped, afraid of interrupting the general’s thoughts.
After a moment, the general shoved a piece of potato into his mouth, slowly saying, “Impressive, but it makes me dislike them even more. Continue.”
The adjutant breathed a sigh of relief, turning the page and continuing. Also from a humble background, working under the Third Fleet’s Commander Lu Boyuan, though he had a promising future, he was always treading on thin ice.
Qian Ye and Zhao Yuying had left the landing field, heading to the nearby Imperial camp to report. With Zhao Yuying’s status, she easily secured a batch of military vehicles, taking herself, Qian Ye, and the accompanying Zhao clan soldiers to the Imperial camp.
On the way, Zhao Yuying asked again, “Qian Ye, you really won’t join us?”
Qian Ye shook his head, “Free hunting suits me better.”
Zhao Yuying frowned, “But this isn’t a bloody fight or a beast slumber, this is real war, with no restrictions. Do you understand? On this scale, you might encounter marquises or even dukes. Even I would run from them, let alone you. Following the main force may seem less opportune, but it’s much safer.”
This was Zhao Yuying’s countless attempt to persuade him. Qian Ye could only say, “I don’t need safety, I need military merit.”
“Why? What do you need so much military merit for?”
Mentioning military merit, Qian Ye felt a faint unease, as if something was about to happen. His face became unnatural, and Zhao Yuying, noticing, continued to question.
“I need military merit, the more the better. I feel it will be useful in the future.”
Zhao Yuying glared at Qian Ye, “Military merit is for status and wealth. What else can it be used for? Whatever you need, our Zhao clan has it. Even if granting a title is difficult, it can be managed. Besides, you’re not new to the battlefield, you should know dead men get no merits.”
Facing Zhao Yuying’s barrage of words, Qian Ye surrendered, “Fine, fine, I’ll come to you if there’s danger, okay?”
Zhao Yuying reluctantly accepted, adding, “Xiao Wu, even Xiao Si is sticking with the main force this time. He’s still stronger than you.”
Qian Ye nodded in agreement. Amid Zhao Yuying’s continuous talk, the vehicle entered the Imperial camp.
Qian Ye and Zhao Yuying parted ways, and the military had other arrangements for those choosing free hunting.
Led by a major, Qian Ye arrived at a large tent filled with supplies, where several officers were busy at a makeshift worktable.
A lieutenant colonel picked up a book, glanced at Qian Ye, and asked, “General Qian Ye?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
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