Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

Shanhaiguan, the First Pass Under Heaven.

The ancient city wall stretches across the towering mountains like a giant dragon, separating the two worlds inside and outside the pass.

Since ancient times, this place has been a strategic location fought over by military strategists and the last line of defense for the Central Plains dynasties against the northern nomadic tribes.

At this moment, the vast twilight enveloped this majestic pass.

On the city wall, General Yoshijiro Umezu, commander of the First Area Army of the Kwantung Army, was wrapped in a thick military overcoat, his hands gripping his binoculars tightly as he gazed toward the interior of China.

The cold wind howled, whipping up the snow on the ground and stinging his face.

But compared to the pain, the chill in his heart was far greater, even more biting than the harsh winter in Liaodong.

After Okamura Neiji's entire army was wiped out in North China and he himself was publicly "exhibited," the entire Kwantung Army was in an uproar, filled with panic and unease.

That panic wasn't fear of a known enemy, but an instinctive dread of something indescribable.

"Will He Yuanchao... really attack?"

Yoshijiro Umezu muttered to himself.

These words seemed to be directed at himself, and also at the group of solemn-looking staff officers around him.

No one dared to answer.

The entire city tower was deathly silent, with only the howling wind, as if countless dead souls were foretelling the impending doom.

After a long silence, the chief of staff beside him finally broke it.

"Commander, according to the last intelligence report desperately sent back by the Special Higher Police... that unit called 'Dragon Fang' has completed its final strategic assembly in Beiping. They have taken over all the factory equipment in Beiping and Tianjin, and..."

The chief of staff's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and his voice was kept extremely low, as if afraid of disturbing the gods in the heavens.

"It's said they're also developing a new weapon... even more terrifying than the bomb that leveled the Imperial Palace. And our reconnaissance planes have spotted convoys of those incredibly fast, horse-drawn steel tanks... frequently appearing on the highways south of Shanhaiguan in recent days..."

"Iron tanks?"

Yoshijiro Umezu snorted coldly and turned around abruptly.

He tried to use arrogance to mask his inner fear, which was the last vestige of dignity for the Kwantung Army as the "flower of the Imperial Army".

"Baka! Don't boost others' morale while diminishing your own!"

"Our Kwantung Army is the Empire's most elite force! Although we suffered a defeat at Nomonhan, that was against the Soviets!"

"We possess the most powerful First and Second Armored Divisions! We are supported by the massive industrial base of 'Manchukuo'!"

Yoshijiro Umezu waved his arms as if he were giving a speech of despair.

"Do you think our Type 97 tanks and our heavy howitzers can compare to those second-rate troops in the North China Area Army who only know how to maintain order?!"

"That idiot Okamura Neiji was careless and underestimated the enemy, which gave the Chinese an opportunity! But I am not Okamura!"

As he said this, a mad and ruthless glint appeared in his eyes.

"Even if He Yuanchao were a god descended from heaven, once he's here beyond the Great Wall, he'd have to kneel before me!"

"Pass on my orders!"

"The First and Second Tank Divisions are to be advanced entirely to the Jinzhou line! The Third and Fourth Independent Heavy Artillery Brigades are to construct permanent concrete fortifications, relying on the existing defenses of Shanhaiguan!"

"I'm going to set up an impenetrable fortress right here, outside Shanhaiguan! Even if it means filling it with corpses, I'll block this pass completely!"

"Let's see how he flies over here!"

The order was issued swiftly.

Tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers began frantically digging trenches and reinforcing bunkers in the bitter cold.

They attempted to use sandbags, logs, and concrete to thwart that unknown fate.

However, his order had not been relayed for long.

A strange buzzing sound suddenly came from the distant sky.

At first, the sound was very faint, like distant rumbling thunder.

But soon, the sound became clearer.

It wasn't a muffled thunderclap.

It was a deep, continuous roar that vibrated the eardrums.

That's the resonance produced by the simultaneous roar of countless high-horsepower engines!

It's like a hundred million killer bees flapping their wings at the same time, making the entire atmosphere tremble.

"What is that?"

The Japanese sentries on the city wall pointed to the sky in terror, their pupils dilating to their maximum size.

Everyone looked up.

Beneath the hazy southern clouds, countless black dots were rapidly forming neat formations and hurtling toward Shanhaiguan at an astonishing speed!

Getting closer!

It's getting bigger and bigger!

That wasn't a bee swarm at all!

When those black dots broke through the clouds and revealed their true form, all the Japanese soldiers on the city wall were stunned.

Their worldview collapsed at that moment.

That was an aerial fleet... utterly incomprehensible, utterly futuristic... in the eyes of people of this era!

Flying at the forefront were dozens of strangely shaped, propellerless, streamlined aircraft with eerie blue flames shooting from their tails... "Dragon Sparrow" jet fighters!

They tore through the air, emitting sharp whistles, and leaving white trails in the sky.

If the Japanese Zero fighter planes, which they were so proud of, dared to take off, they would be like stationary targets in front of these monsters whose speed had already broken the sound barrier.

And behind them.

That is true despair.

Several…huge, floating mountain-like…giant airships!

Do not!

That was definitely not an ordinary airship!

Ordinary airships are fragile, gas-filled balloons.

The monsters before them were covered in thick armor plates that reflected a cold metallic luster in the setting sun.

That's the heavily modified heavy bomber airship—the Kirov-class—a reward from He Yuanchao's system!

Although these were obsolete technologies in real history, they were given nuclear power engines and electromagnetic shields thanks to the system's advanced technology!

This is not an airship, it is an aerial aircraft carrier suspended in the sky!

Its belly is painted with a chilling blood-red "dragon tooth" symbol, and its ferocious dragon head seems to be ready to devour people.

Its body is densely covered with automatic anti-aircraft turrets and missile launchers, like a hedgehog with its fur standing on end.

But what's most suffocating is what's below it.

There hung there heavy, special-purpose high-explosive bombs, each as heavy as a boulder and painted with yellow and black warning stripes!

A huge shadow fell, blocking out the sunlight and shrouding the entire Shanhaiguan area in a deathly gloom.

"Air...air raid!!!"

The piercing alarm instantly resounded throughout the entire checkpoint!

The sound was filled with terror, distorted, like the final scream of someone being choked.

"Quickly! Anti-aircraft guns! Anti-aircraft fire! Shoot it down!"

Yoshijiro Umezu roared madly, shoving aside the guards and drawing his sword, pointing it at the sky.

Even if it's futile, he will resist.

He didn't believe that the empire's gates could be opened so easily!

The Kwantung Army's proud air defense network opened fire!

"Bang bang bang bang—!"

Countless anti-aircraft guns spewed flames, and dense shells exploded in the air, forming black smoke barriers in an attempt to stop the giant beasts.

However, this scene looked so ridiculous.

Those so-called "dense firepower" were like a slow-motion replay to the "Dragon Sparrow" fighter jet, which was protected by an energy shield at an altitude of 10,000 meters.

The fighter jet simply pulled up slightly and easily avoided the clumsy barrage of bullets.

As for those "flying fortress" airships, which were slow but tough, they completely ignored the small-caliber shells that could only explode at an altitude of a few thousand meters.

The shells exploded on their thick armor like raindrops hitting a tin roof, leaving only a few black spots and posing no real threat whatsoever.

It doesn't even qualify as a tickle.

They were like a group of high and mighty gods.

They coldly and without a trace of emotion looked down at the mortals on the ground who were running, screaming, and firing like ants.

That was a kind of contempt born from an absolute disparity in strength.

then……

The gods... have cast down punishment!

"Coordinates confirmed."

"Target: The first to third lines of defense of the Japanese army at Shanhaiguan."

Inside the high-altitude command center, He Yuanchao was sitting in a comfortable leather chair, holding a glass of red wine.

He looked at the majestic ancient pass below through the high-definition screen with an indifferent expression.

"Precision guidance is not required."

"The first round: a saturation carpet bombing!"

"I'm going to use bombs to... completely plow through this several-kilometer-long defensive line!"

"Yes! Deploy!"

The instruction has been issued.

"BOOM—!!!"

With a heavy thud as the machinery was turned on, the airship's massive bomb bay burst open!

Countless heavy aerial bombs, each weighing a ton, rained down like dumplings being dropped into a pot, accompanied by the whistling of death!

Black rain of death!

A few seconds later.

The earth began to tremble! The mountains began to wail!

The moment the first bomb landed, a huge orange-red fireball shot into the air, reaching a height of hundreds of meters!

Then came the second, the third, the hundredth, the thousandth...

The entire Japanese positions surrounding Shanhaiguan were instantly engulfed in a boundless sea of ​​fire!

The shockwave swept across the surroundings visibly, shattering everything in its path.

That's not a war at all!

That's "terrain modification" in a physical sense!

The sturdy reinforced concrete bunker, under the direct hit of a heavy bomb, was uprooted like a paper toy, flying dozens of meters into the air before disintegrating in mid-air.

The deep trenches collapsed and were leveled by the violent explosions, burying the Japanese soldiers inside alive.

As for the elite Kwantung Army soldiers who thought they were safe hiding in their fortifications, the scene was even more appalling.

In the midst of a violent explosion and shockwave, the human body is like a fragile rag doll.

They didn't even have a chance to scream. Their internal organs were shattered, their bones were crushed into powder, and they were turned into a bloody pulp!

The fire was burning, the steel was melting, and the air was screaming.

Just one bombing raid!

The Kwantung Army's meticulously constructed "impregnable fortress," built over several months, crumbled completely before this devastating firepower!

All that remained was a charred ruin, billowing with thick smoke.

"What...what kind of monster is this...what kind of monster is this?!"

Yoshijiro Umezu slumped to the floor of the command post. Although it was some distance from the epicenter of the explosion, the ceiling was still shaking so badly that dust kept falling from it.

He climbed to the observation post and stared blankly at the hellish scene outside.

He had thought the Eighth Route Army would be strong, but he never dreamed... it would be this strong!

This is hardly a contest between armies.

This is clearly aliens slaughtering primitive people!

This is a classic example of dimensional reduction attack!

But that's not all!

The air raid had just ended, and before the Japanese troops could recover from the ringing in their ears and dizziness, an even more terrifying tremor came from the ground!

This tremor was more profound and steady than the previous bombing.

"Rumble rumble rumble..."

At the horizon, the billowing smoke was broken by a torrent of steel.

A Great Wall of Steel has appeared!

Hundreds of massive tanks—more futuristic and ferocious in appearance, three times the size of Japanese tanks—broke through the smoke and fog, appearing in the desperate vision of all the surviving Japanese soldiers!

They are painted in a deep military green and have extremely wide tracks, enough to crush any obstacle.

What is most striking is that on their enormous turrets, two thick cannons are mounted side by side!

"Apocalypse" Tank!

The king of land warfare in the Red Alert tech tree!

They possessed reactive armor so thick it inspired despair, and each roar of their engines sounded like the breath of a behemoth.

In the middle of this group of steel behemoths, a huge red flag is waving in the wind, like a raging fire!

That is—Dragon Fang's First Mechanized Combined Arms Army!

Li Yunlong crawled out of the turret of the first command-type "Apocalypse" tank.

He wore goggles and still held that iconic megaphone, ignoring the choking smoke; his voice was clearly audible even amidst the roar of gunfire.

"You damn Japanese devils of the Kwantung Army! Stop hiding, you bastards!"

"Your grandpa Li Yunlong is here!"

"Listen up, you old devil, what's your name, that listless guy (Yoshijiro Umezu)!"

"Aren't you supposed to be the top elite force? Weren't you going to set up an ambush for me?"

"Come on! Stick your head out and let me see!"

"I'll rip your pockets apart right now... inside and out!"

Li Yunlong slammed his fist on the tank hatch and roared into the communicator:

"Tank Regiment! First Battalion, Second Battalion, Third Battalion!"

"Everyone, floor the gas pedal!"

"That damn tank division, stop trying to save your ammunition!"

"Leave not a single one alive! Blow their shit out!"

"Kill them all!!!"

The steel torrent, like a red-hot knife, sliced ​​into the frozen butter of the Kwantung Army without any hindrance!

This was a completely unequal contest.

The remaining Type 97 medium tanks of the Japanese army attempted to retaliate, their 47mm shells hitting the frontal armor of the Apocalypse tank.

"Ding!"

It only sparked a few flecks, leaving a faint white mark.

Even the paint didn't peel off much.

"That's it?!"

The gunner inside the Apocalypse Tank sneered and pressed the fire button.

"Boom! Boom!"

Double-barreled attack!

The 120mm depleted uranium armor-piercing projectile flew out with devastating kinetic energy!

The Japanese Type 97 tank opposite was instantly destroyed in mid-air!

The turret flew into the air, its chassis was blown to pieces, and flames from the explosion shot skyward.

One shot, one kill!

Absolute crushing victory!

The Japanese army's proud armored forces were like a bunch of pitiful plastic toy cars in front of the two terrifying main guns of the "Apocalypse" tank!

Even more frightening is that some Apocalypse Tanks don't even bother to fire their cannons.

They went full throttle, relying on their terrifying weight and power, and rammed directly into the Japanese army's tiny tanks!

"Snap—!"

A sickening metallic creaking sound rang out.

The Japanese tanks were crushed flat and turned into scrap metal!

This was a massacre with no suspense whatsoever!

It is the war machine of the new era, ruthlessly purging the remnants of the old era!

In just three hours!

Just three hours!

The Shanhaiguan defense line, known as the "Number One Pass Under Heaven" and regarded as an absolute defensive perimeter by the Kwantung Army, collapsed completely!

Tens of thousands of elite Kwantung Army soldiers were reduced to piles of burning scrap metal and unrecognizable rotten flesh that afternoon.

As the sun sets, the afterglow is like blood.

He Yuanchao rode in an armored command vehicle, slowly passing the weathered city gate that is now covered with red flags.

The smoke of gunpowder had not yet dissipated, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

He looked at the large characters on the city wall that still bore bullet holes and had withstood hundreds of years of wind and rain—"The First Pass Under Heaven".

He stopped the car and gazed silently at the plaque.

This place once bore witness to humiliation.

It was through this passage that the Japanese army entered the pass and trampled upon China.

Today, history has been rewritten.

He waved his hand lightly and said to the guard beside him:

"Tell the people behind."

"Repaint these words."

"Shovel all that old, grime away and replace it with pure gold paint!"

"Make it bright! Make sure everyone can see it!"

"Because from now on, this is a matter of...we're in charge!"

……

**North of the Greater Khingan Mountains, the headquarters of the Soviet Far Eastern Front.**

The blizzard was howling outside the window, and the fire in the stove inside was burning brightly, but the atmosphere had plummeted to freezing point.

Marshal Zhukov looked at the observation report sent back from the front observation post in his hand, which could almost be called a "science fiction thriller".

The pipe he usually smoked had long since gone out, but he didn't even notice; his fingers were slightly white from the excessive force.

"In three hours... the entire Shanhaiguan defense line was breached..."

"Airborne battleships... twin-barreled heavy tanks... armor capable of ignoring conventional artillery... carpet bombing..."

He stood up abruptly and paced back and forth in the tobacco-smelling room, his military boots making a dull thud on the wooden floor, his face terribly grim.

He had experienced countless battles, but this time, he felt a palpitation he had never felt before.

"How is this possible? Where did the Chinese get this equipment? Could it be from the Americans?"

"No! Definitely not American!"

The political commissar beside him was pale and his voice trembled. "Our KGB agents sent back top-secret information from Washington. Those huge flying machines... even the Americans were terrified when they saw them! Roosevelt is holding an emergency meeting to discuss whether we've encountered an alien civilization!"

Zhukov stopped and stared intently at the huge battle map on the wall, his gaze fixed on the red circle to the south.

That was originally part of their planned sphere of influence, a piece of fat meat that this polar bear had long coveted.

They want a piece of the pie in this chaotic East, and they want to acquire an ice-free port.

but now……

It seems a... much fiercer and larger than them... an Eastern dragon has arrived!

"What exactly is that He Yuanchao trying to do? Where is his bottom line?"

Just then, a communications soldier rushed in looking flustered, without even knocking, and almost tripped over the carpet.

"Marshal! We just received a telegram in plain text! The radio signal is extremely strong, directly covering our frequency band!"

"It was...it was sent to us!"

"Sent to us?"

Zhukov was taken aback, his eyebrows furrowing. "Who sent it?"

The communications soldier swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he picked up the telegram and read aloud:

"Sender: He Yuanchao, Supreme Commander of the Huaxia Longya Special Zone"

The content is as follows:

"That's my prey."

"That's my land."

"I'm going to my house to clean up the old garbage."

"No matter who it is, whether they are so-called friends or self-important guests."

"Please make way."

"Otherwise... we will not be responsible for any accidental injuries!"

"even……"

The communications soldier paused, not daring to continue reading.

"Read it!" Zhukov growled.

"Even... I wouldn't mind... taking down a few more... uninvited... woolly bears while I'm at it!"

"Snapped!"

Zhukov slammed his hand hard on the hard oak table!

The map tube on the table was shaken and rolled around.

"Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!"

"You bastard! Is he threatening the great Soviet Red Army?!"

His face turned a deep purplish-red; his dignity as a renowned general made it impossible for him to tolerate such blatant provocation.

"Pass on my orders! The 17th Army and the 6th Armored Army! Immediately assemble at the border!"

"The entire army is on high alert!"

"I want to teach this arrogant young man a lesson: war isn't decided by a few clever and ingenious weapons!"

"Faced with an overwhelming tide of steel production, he was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

Zhukov, panting heavily, stared southward with a burning rage in his eyes.

But he himself probably didn't even realize it.

Deep within his anger lurked a trace of something he himself was unwilling to acknowledge…

Deeply fearful.