Blox’s flagship fired a penetrating explosive crossbow, striking the skull of the Valhalla directly. A deafening explosion ensued, scattering white bone fragments in all directions and leaving a shallow crater several meters in diameter on the skull.
The power of the Grand Princess Cannon shook the entire Valhalla, causing the warship to veer off course.
Although the thickness of the dragon skull could withstand dozens more shots without being penetrated, Qian Ye, who was shaken by the impact, had a grave expression on his face.
“Check for damage!” Qian Ye’s voice instantly echoed throughout the ship.
“Main cannon is operational!”
“Seven auxiliary cannons on the port side are damaged, with twenty personnel casualties.”
“Three auxiliary cannons on the starboard side are malfunctioning, with fifteen personnel casualties.”
The reports of damage quickly reached Qian Ye, confirming his concerns. The Archduke-class flagship of the Demon race was not an opponent to be taken lightly. Even if the dragon’s body could withstand most of the attacks, the shockwaves from the explosions would damage the ship’s internal equipment and injure the crew.
Meanwhile, Blox’s flagship glided past the Valhalla, executing a nimble turn and returning. The massive crossbow bolt lodged in its bow did not affect its maneuverability or combat effectiveness.
Howard stood beside Qian Ye and suddenly said, “I remember now, that’s the Wall of Sighs! We are facing Archduke Blox!”
“Who is he?”
“Blox is one of the strongest fleet commanders among the Demon race. Under his command, aerial battles rarely end in defeat. His most famous ability is the Wall of Sighs, which has an incredible defensive capability. It is said to be a nearly Monarch-level primordial ability of the Demon race, and the Yelusen family’s warriors are generally known for their defense. With such a divine skill, Blox is even harder to deal with.”
Qian Ye suddenly recalled a Demon Viscount they had encountered in Blackflow City, who used the “Obsidian Shield” and also belonged to the Yelusen family, giving him and Song Zining a tough time. He frowned and asked, “How many times can he use the Wall of Sighs?”
“Records show, at most, three times.”
Qian Ye’s brows slightly relaxed. Such a terrifying defensive ability naturally required significant energy. Although it was only three times, it was enough to determine the outcome in most battles. Very few Archduke flagships could withstand three main cannon strikes without being defeated.
Unfortunately, this time Blox’s opponent was the Valhalla. If Qian Ye disregarded the losses, he could calmly withstand seven or eight main cannon strikes.
The Valhalla accelerated, climbing higher in the air, and leaped over Blox’s flagship, followed by a powerful swipe of its dragon tail, aiming to strike Blox’s ship.
The dragon tail sweep was the Valhalla’s deadliest move. Though Sinkland was powerful, it was still a notch below the Valhalla.
However, Blox’s flagship remained stationary at the bow, while its stern suddenly swung, causing the entire ship to evade the dragon tail attack.
This was another unbelievable maneuver, completely beyond Qian Ye’s expectations. He did not anticipate such agility from a massive 300-meter-long warship, which usually only small, fast ships could perform.
But Qian Ye remained calm, commanding the Valhalla to turn and firing Sinkland once more. This attack was again blocked by the Wall of Sighs, and Dominick’s counterattack struck the Valhalla’s skull, even causing Qian Ye to feel dizzy.
The two giant ships soon became entangled in a fierce battle. The Valhalla’s head and tail were both deadly zones, with the dragon head’s impact and tail sweep being unstoppable. Blox’s Archduke flagship, however, showcased unparalleled maneuverability, as agile as a fly, constantly circling the Valhalla and narrowly evading attacks.
After a long and intense battle, Qian Ye’s Valhalla had not managed to land a single effective hit on Blox. Although Sinkland’s strikes hit the target, the Wall of Sighs weakened them, failing to inflict critical damage.
Only then did Qian Ye realize why Blox dared to engage with just one Archduke flagship. Besides his ship’s legendary maneuverability, the Archduke must have thoroughly studied the Valhalla.
The most evident sign was that every time the Valhalla prepared for an attack, Blox would maneuver in advance, avoiding the most lethal tail sweeps and impacts.
Though Qian Ye was in an unbeatable position, the Demon race had more than just warships; they had transport ships.
While the Valhalla was occupied in the sky, the Demon transport ships landed one after another, unloading large numbers of soldiers and equipment, and then taking off again, returning along their original route.
Tens of thousands of Demon troops and Council direct forces landed on the continent of Dawn, gathered, and charged toward the hastily built Vampire positions, igniting the ground battle.
The aerial and ground battles were equally intense.
In the sky above the valley, where the Valhalla and Blox’s flagship were engaged, no other warships dared to enter the combat zone. They lacked the power and resilience of an Archduke flagship, and a single tail swipe from the Valhalla could cut them in half.
To protect the Vampires below, the Valhalla could not leave the defensive area, or else Blox’s highly maneuverable and heavily armed flagship could cause irreparable casualties to the Vampires with a single salvo.
Thus, the aerial battle entered a stalemate.
On the bridge, Blox continuously injected demonic energy into the control console. On either side of the command cabin, including Lin Jiaer, there were four Dukes, all injecting demonic energy into the consoles before them.
It was the formidable power of these top-tier experts that enabled the massive warship to perform such incredible maneuvers, creating a minor miracle in holding off the Valhalla alone.
Among the four Dukes, Lin Jiaer was the first to give out. She had recently advanced and had used special means, resulting in her current strength being slightly weaker than that of an ordinary Duke.
As she left the console, her body suddenly flew forward, involuntarily falling into Blox’s hands.
The Archduke gripped her neck, lifting her like a chicken, and roared, “Is this the Sinkland you claimed no one could improve? The difference between its actual power and the data you provided is too great!”
Lin Jiaer, already depleted of demonic energy, was unable to breathe, let alone speak.
Blox did not expect an answer; he just needed an outlet for his anger. He threw Lin Kier to the ground and coldly said, “Don’t think you can do as you please just because you rely on that old man. I could kill you at any time if it weren’t for your usefulness. Get out!”
Lin Jiaer silently got up and left the command cabin, her eyes filled with a flickering light, unknown to anyone.
On the Valhalla, Qian Ye continuously drove the dragon warship to pursue Blox’s flagship. Such persistent attacks would eventually lead to a mistake.
The ground battle grew fiercer, with the Demon vanguard suffering heavy losses from the intense resistance. They had just landed and were still adapting to the natural environment of the continent, making their return fire chaotic and ineffective against the Vampire firepower.
However, this elite unit quickly recovered from the initial blow and rushed to find cover on either side of the mountain. The central force built mobile shelters outside the range to serve as a forward base.
The Vampires were well-prepared, with the Valhalla bringing the direct descendants of the ancient clans, each well-trained and disciplined. Their shooting accuracy was generally higher than that of mixed units, and the first wave of gunfire caused significant casualties to the Demons.
The pursuing Demons and Council forces were also elite, finding cover and responding effectively. However, the open area between the flanks had no cover, and without the usual expendable forces, the Council troops could not charge through the hail of bullets, resorting to exchanging fire with the Vampires.
The battle quickly entered the phase Qian Ye anticipated, with the Vampires and Demons engaging in a long-range exchange. The Demons had more experienced snipers, but the Vampires held the terrain and fortifications, each side having its strengths, and casualties increased in waves.
The casualty exchange ratio was better than Qian Ye expected, thanks to the excellent combat skills of the ancient clan descendants. However, the Council forces could replace their losses with reinforcements, while each Vampire loss was permanent.
The ground battle entered a phase of attrition, testing the will and fighting spirit of both sides. The Vampires, with no place to retreat, were unlikely to lose, while the morale of the allied Council forces would inevitably falter as casualties mounted.
On the Archduke’s flagship, Blox’s face darkened, like a storm brewing. He increased the frequency of his demonic energy input, but the effect did not improve.
Another Duke among the four ran out of demonic energy and left his position. Without the Wall of Sighs, even Sinkland’s attacks would cause irreversible damage, and they dared not let the Valhalla’s dragon tail strike their ship. A single tail swipe could snap an unprotected Archduke flagship in half.
The actual power of Sinkland did not fundamentally alter the battle, but Blox, despite his research on the Valhalla, found that his previous high estimation was still an underestimate.
Blox’s pressure was immense. Initially, he had some confidence in victory, with the four Dukes as a backup for the defensive system, but now it seemed insufficient.
His blame on Lin Jiaer was just a misplaced anger.
Inside the Valhalla, Nighteye, no longer lazy, helped stabilize the internal environment and monitored the battle below. Dark Gospel looked grave, his face twitching with each death of a key Vampire descendant.
After a moment, he sighed bitterly, “Some of the children down there are descendants of my old enemies. But now, every time one dies, my blood core aches.”
Nighteye said, “We are born from the source of the Blood River and are part of it. Every missing mark is a loss to the Blood River.”
Howard shook his head, “It’s clear that the Demon Emperor wants to erase these clans’ marks from the Blood River, but I don’t understand the purpose. If he wants to destroy the entire Vampire race, he should target Pas or Monroe.”
In the current understanding of the Vampires, the Queen of the Night was the foundation of the race, with the twelve ancient clans as the core, and Pas and Monroe, the first and second-ranked, as the leaders. These two clans and their branches were the most numerous.
However, Howard and others discovered during the rescue that the hardest-hit ancient clans were not Pas or Monroe but the lower-ranked ones. Claiming the Demon race feared the Queen of the Night’s wrath was unfounded.
Yet, Howard knew that no one could answer this question, and the only way to find out was to ask the Demon Emperor. He glanced at the Archduke’s flagship still battling the Valhalla, anxiety hard to conceal.
Blox’s flagship, like the most agile panther, left the behemoth Valhalla temporarily helpless. The ultimate victory was predictable, but the time of victory was uncertain.
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