Lord of the Desert

Chapter 569 God of War
The atmosphere on stage was very tense.

In recent years, as the front line in the northern border region has continued to move south, Zhenbeiwei has become increasingly conservative in its strategies and tactics, and its morale has long been lost.

"Giants are nothing special in one-on-one combat, but their positional warfare is extraordinary!"

Song Qiwu suppressed his temper.

"Those earthen walls, thorns, and spikes are nothing but the tip of the iceberg. Once our vanguard engages, you will see withered trees burst into flames, the ground freeze, and the stone slaves and wild beasts regenerate their stamina indefinitely..."

His words were common knowledge in Zhenbeiwei, and were clearly meant specifically for the Chisha Army.

Legend has it that the mountain god created giant spirits to help him understand and contemplate the world. Therefore, these inorganic creations are naturally fond of knowledge and specialize their bodily circuits according to the direction of exploration.

Proficient in temperature sensing, electromagnetic sensing, optical observation, power output, and manipulation of various innate spiritual energies...

Each giant spirit possesses unique abilities, allowing them to demonstrate limitless possibilities in positional warfare.

“Captain Hong, I have faced the Giants more than a dozen or twenty times, and each time I have encountered entirely new tactics. If our side makes even the slightest command error, it will be seized upon and magnified, becoming a bleeding wound. If we do not have a significant advantage in combat strength, we can say that we are doomed to defeat them.”

Song Qiwu said earnestly.

Meanwhile, outside Xuandan Fortress, dozens of giant spirits were channeling the spiritual energy of the metal and wood elements to sharpen the weapons and shape the armor of the garrison.

Hong Fan stared at him from afar, his expression unchanged.

Song Qiwu's momentum faltered.

Although both were captains and theoretically of equal rank, the general's secret order had already specified who would lead the battle.

Seeing this, Wang Xiaodan decisively interjected.

"Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to retreat without a fight."

He desperately wanted to teleport in front of Kou Fei and unleash a torrent of abuse, but he knew better than anyone that complaining and anger wouldn't solve anything.

"We can't retreat without putting some pressure on them."

Wang Xiaodan pointed to the Wolf Ridge Warriors gathered high up and looked at Hong Fan.

"I will lead the charge; Captain Hong is our strongest force, so he should conserve his strength first. Once the Giant Spirit is fully mobilized, you can strike at its weak point and inflict as much damage as possible."

His words were resolute. He picked up the gilded dragon staff beside him, showing no fear whatsoever, whether facing Hong Fan or the mountain of knives and sea of ​​fire opposite him.

"Fight if you can, leave if you can't!"

Under immense pressure, people often reveal their true nature.

As Lü Yunshi, Hong Lie, and the others looked at Wang Xiaodan, who was coldly inspecting his armor, they couldn't help but recall his nickname.

Overcome difficulties and defeat enemies.

"So be it."

Song Qiwu snorted coldly.

"At least I can guarantee that not a single life of the pioneers will be wasted."

He activated the power of his destiny star, and the sclera of his eyes shone with a chilling, withered yellow hue.

At that moment, someone let out an inappropriate laugh.

"Gentlemen, the situation is not that tense. If there are only two hundred giants, we have a great advantage."

It was Hong Fan.

Wang Xiaodan's anger flared, and he gripped the heavy stick so tightly that it creaked.

He took two steps forward, about to speak, but was stopped by the shoulder.

“Wang, the general isn’t stupid, and neither am I.”

Hong Fan said calmly.

Please be patient.

The force transmitted through his five fingers was so great that Wang Xiaodan felt as if he were being clamped by refined gold, unable to move. Behind the platform.

The entire Chisha army gazed intently at the enemy forces on the high ground, while being scrutinized by friendly forces from Duanhong and Zongjun cities beside them.

The beacon tower city has been the focus of public opinion in the northern frontier for the past six months. The entire Zuowei region has heard about the sharpness of Liangzhou firearms to varying degrees, but they are inevitably skeptical before seeing them with their own eyes.

The military order was issued at this time.

"The troops shall restrain their warhorses, and the artillery battalion shall bombard them for half an hour."

These are Hong Fan's original words.

Under Gan Deshou's command, twelve heavy cannons approached the designated position 1,300 meters outside Xuandanbao; the heavily armored Fengsui Wuhui Battalion followed the advance and protected the front of the line.

When the first round of corrective fire landed on the enemy's outer perimeter positions, the soldiers on both sides, watching the sudden burst of fire, did not yet realize the gravity of the situation.

The maximum rate of fire of the 33-round cannon is three rounds per minute. In actual combat, this speed cannot be maintained for a long time, and the barrel may overheat after firing twenty or thirty rounds in succession.

At this point, forcibly firing would be extremely dangerous.

First, the high temperature inside the barrel could directly ignite the propellant, causing a barrel explosion or premature muzzle explosion. Second, overheating reduces the strength of the barrel, making it easier for the high pressure during firing to cause the metal to expand and bend, thus reducing accuracy and lifespan.

In the mid-19th century of the previous world, this was an unsolvable problem—at that time, the cooling methods available to mankind were extremely limited, and the only option was to leave the cannon barrel to cool naturally by air for a long time.

But Dahua has martial arts.

Whenever the artillerymen shouted "overheating," the cooling team standing by immediately took their positions.

As the icy energy was released, the red-hot cannon barrel visibly cooled down, and after a few breaths, frost even formed on its surface, emitting wisps of white steam. As for the metal damage caused by the drastic temperature change, the metal-element martial artist was responsible; whether it was surface deformation or internal cracks, the true energy repaired everything it touched.

In this way, an overheated cannon can regain its former glory in just a few breaths.

From 9:00 AM onwards, the artillery battalion indeed bombarded the area for a full half hour as ordered.

After being bombarded by thousands of heavy artillery shells, the entire position of Xuandanbao was dismantled without any resistance, leaving only limbs and debris after the smoke cleared and the ground covered with loose soil.

The remaining dire wolves tucked their tails between their legs, trembling and urinating all over the ground. The few stone slaves who survived the explosion's overpressure also suffered from bleeding from their mouths and noses and deafness, losing all their fighting spirit.

No return to camp remained on high alert throughout the entire bombardment, yet Suspended Fortress failed to mount any successful counterattack until the bombardment ended.

As for the arrogant and fierce generals of Duanhong and Zongjun cities, they were already dumbfounded.

They gazed at the twelve 33mm cannons with awe, feeling that all their understanding of war had shattered like bubbles in that half hour.

Wang Xiaodan is someone who refuses to admit defeat to anyone.

Born into poverty, he possessed an unyielding will and was resolute and hardworking. Starting from the fourth rank of martial arts, he served as a guard in the Martial Arts Academy, where he fought countless life-and-death battles with a heavy staff. It was only at the age of thirty that he obtained the "Mount Tai Manual" and accumulated enough capital to switch to other martial arts.

Looking across the entire northern frontier, he didn't think there was anyone stronger than him in an absolute sense.

Huo Zhan is temporarily stronger than me because he is older;
Kou Yong is temporarily stronger than me because of his family's "Qian Yuan Wu Jie Dian" (a classic text on the concept of the Boundless Realm of the Primordial Chaos).
As for Hong Fan, it was indeed amazing that he fought Yuan Ci to a draw with the peak of the Innate Realm, but he also relied on the help of the Destiny Star, Dragon Blood, and the Spirit of No Thought.

If we eliminate these factors, how much better can he be than me?
Wang Xiaodan had always thought this way.

Even now, looking at the gleaming muskets, mighty cannons, and three-quarters plate armor of the Chisha Army, and even the renowned Hong family business guild in Liangzhou, he was deeply impressed.

He has no choice but to submit, no matter how unwilling he is.

The artillery destroyed the position, but artillery cannot ultimately take over the position.

Therefore, the soldiers of Duanhong and Zongjun cities volunteered to launch an attack.

They thought they couldn't let the Red Sand Army do everything.

Stepping over the desolate ruins, the loose soil beneath my feet is soft; the breeze is warm to the touch, carrying the smell of gunpowder.

Wang Xiaodan recalled once again Hong Fan's smug sigh.

"Artillery is indeed the god of war."

That is indeed the case.

(End of this chapter)