Chapter 209: Is This Your Secret Weapon

Unlike conventional bombs, these shells did not explode immediately; instead, they first released a mist-like fuel cloud, covering the entire area where the armored array was located almost instantly.

The enemy soldiers looked at this strange "fog" in confusion, completely failing to understand what was happening. Some even breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was just some kind of smoke screen.

At this very moment, Li Yunlong was beaming with joy.

"Let the people of Di Guo see what 'Long Country Fire' is all about!"

Accompanied by a faint electronic beep, the wireless detonation signal was transmitted to the battlefield.

The next second, the entire world seemed to be torn apart.

That seemingly harmless fuel cloud was ignited in an instant, forming a massive sea of fire. This was not an ordinary explosion, but a brand-new method of destruction.

The fuel cloud drew oxygen from the air, generating temperatures of nearly 3000 degrees while simultaneously releasing a massive shockwave.

Boom—

A deafening explosion resounded through the valley, and a massive fireball soared into the air, like a scorching Mushroom Cloud, shooting straight into the sky.

Beneath the fireball, an orange-red sea of fire instantly swallowed the entire area where the armored cluster was located.

The dust and debris kicked up by the air blast formed a shockwave that swept across a range of several hundred meters.

Even in the safe observation zone, Li Yunlong and the other officers could feel the scorching heat wave rushing toward them.

"My god..." Zhao Gang was dumbfounded, "This is ten times more terrifying than during the exercises."

Li Yunlong was also stunned.

Although he knew the Cloud Bomb had immense power, witnessing such a destructive scene in person still made him shudder.

That was not an ordinary explosion, but a man-made hell.

The burning cloud did not dissipate quickly with the explosion but continued to burn, turning everything within the covered area into ash.

The tanks' armor deformed and melted under the high heat; exposed ammunition was detonated, leading to chain explosions; the fuel inside the tanks ignited, turning these steel giants into moving torches.

What was even more terrifying was that the flames seemed to have a life of their own, "flowing" along the ground, chasing those soldiers who were trying to escape.

The negative pressure generated by the burning cloud sucked away the surrounding oxygen, causing many soldiers to die of suffocation before they could even be burned to death.

"Aish..." Jin Zhengzhe muttered to himself, his face as pale as paper, "What kind of weapon is this? This is simply... a living hell."

The Taiyang officers beside him were all speechless, and some were even so frightened that they collapsed to the ground.

They had seen the cruelty of various wars, but they had never seen such a terrifying sight.

For a time, everyone at the observation point fell into a shocked silence.

Even the veterans of Long Country were shocked into silence by the power of this destructive weapon.

In the center of the explosion, those once-imposing "Patton" tanks were now nothing but twisted and deformed steel wreckage, some even melted beyond recognition by the high heat.

Seeping from the gaps in the armor were burning fuel and hydraulic fluid, and... those indescribable human remains.

"Prepare the second wave of 'Cloud Bomb'," Li Yunlong regained his composure and ordered calmly, "Target, the enemy infantry cluster."

The Communication Soldier hesitated for a moment, seemingly frightened by the scene before him, but quickly recovered his professional composure and relayed the order.

The second wave of Cloud Bomb was launched shortly after, this time targeting the infantry units following behind the armored cluster.

These soldiers had just witnessed the tragic state of the armored cluster ahead and were in a state of panic and chaos, having not yet managed to organize an effective retreat.

When the second burning cloud descended, the situation was even more terrifying than the first.

Infantry without armored protection were completely exposed to the engulfment of the burning cloud. The high-temperature flames ignited their clothing, hair, skin, and muscles almost instantly.

Those who were lucky enough not to be burned to death also suffered internal organ burns from inhaling superheated air, or had their lungs scorched.

The entire battlefield was shrouded in a hellish scene.

Thick smoke billowed, flames soared into the sky, and the air was filled with the smell of burning metal, rubber, and flesh.

Occasionally, one could still hear the sounds of ammunition exploding and some screams that were no longer recognizable.

"This... this is too terrifying," a young Long Country officer said in a low voice, his tone filled with shock and a trace of fear, "Did we really create this kind of weapon?"

Li Yunlong was also silent.

As a battle-hardened soldier, he had seen all kinds of cruel war scenes, but today's sight still left him deeply shocked.

The power of the Cloud Bomb exceeded his imagination; that force of near-pure destruction made one's blood run cold.

"Is this Li Mingyuan's masterpiece?" he thought to himself, "How on earth did this kid come up with this kind of weapon?"

On the distant battlefield, the surviving enemy forces had completely lost the will to fight.

They scrambled to flee the death zone, some throwing away their weapons, others not even bothering to rescue their wounded comrades.

Those elite troops, usually well-trained and disciplined, were now like frightened birds, wanting only to get as far away from this nightmare place as possible.

"Send out a reconnaissance team," Li Yunlong regained his focus and ordered, "Confirm the results, and stay safe."

"Yes, Chief," the Communication Soldier replied, though his voice was clearly trembling.

Just then, Jin Zhengzhe walked to Li Yunlong's side, his expression complex and hard to read.

He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, he only asked: "Is... is this your secret weapon?"

Li Yunlong nodded: "Cloud Bomb, Li Mingyuan's invention. I can't explain the specific principles either, I only know it uses the oxygen in the air to burn, and the temperature can reach 3000 degrees, enough to melt steel."

"Too terrifying," Jin Zhengzhe shook his head, his eyes filled with shock, "I have never seen such... such a destructive weapon. This is no longer an ordinary weapon of war, but some kind of... some kind of doomsday device."

Li Yunlong did not respond immediately. He understood how Jin Zhengzhe felt.

The lethality of this weapon indeed exceeded the scope of conventional war weapons, making even him, an old soldier, feel a trace of unease.

"War is cruel by nature," he finally said, "Haven't the people of Di Guo used even more terrifying weapons? Those incendiary bombs, Napalm, and... the even more terrifying Mushroom Bomb. At least our Cloud Bomb only targets military objectives and won't continuously pollute the environment."

Jin Zhengzhe remained silent, only continuing to stare at the battlefield in the distance that was still burning.

Half an hour later, the reconnaissance team brought back the preliminary battle results.

"Report, Chief, the enemy armored cluster has been basically wiped out. Of the 40-plus tanks, 38 are confirmed destroyed, and the remaining few are also severely damaged and unable to fight. As for the infantry, casualties are heavy; it's impossible to count accurately, but at least one battalion's worth of troops has been directly annihilated."

Li Yunlong nodded, though his expression was not as excited as usual: "Continue reconnaissance, pay special attention to possible enemy counterattacks. Tell all units to remain highly vigilant."