Chapter 455: Decisive Battle

The Salvation Army used mortars to bombard the area for three minutes; only when Kong Sanqiang saw the Demon Beasts running down the hillside and out of the mortars' range did he stop the bombardment.

Smoke filled the air above the canyon, and severed limbs, intestines, and brains were visible everywhere, along with many wounded Demon Race members wailing in pools of blood.

According to Meng Yifan's tactical plan, it should have been artillery bombardment followed by an infantry charge, but since the enemy was now above the canyon, Kong Sanqiang and the other Vampire Scouts took the place of the infantry, flying up into the canyon to clear the battlefield.

They put a bullet into the vital parts of any Demon Race members still alive, then began collecting Demon Cores, flesh and blood, tendons and bones, animal hides, and all other useful supplies.

Vampires use blood as energy; they must absorb large amounts of energy-rich blood every day.

Meng Yifan specifically had many leather bags manufactured, similar to travel backpacks, which could hold 50 liters of fresh blood and were equipped with a water bag straw that could be pulled out 100 centimeters.

During battle, the vampires could hold the straw directly in their mouths and take a sip whenever they needed energy, allowing them to travel long distances and fight continuously.

This time, entering the Ten Thousand Mountains to fight, the vampires had a heavy mission; they acted as scouts and vanguards, constantly busy, and their energy consumption was extremely high, so the wounded Demon Race members on the battlefield were also prioritized to supply blood to the vampires.

After the vampires finished replenishing, Meng Yifan ordered the camp to be set up, allowing the soldiers to have a full meal to replenish their strength and recuperate.

Although they had won this battle, the number of Demon Race in the Ten Thousand Mountains was vast; those eliminated just now could barely be considered the vanguard of the Demon Race army, sent out by the Old Dragon King to test the strength of the Luolong County Army.

Now that the PP87 82mm mortars and PF98 120mm rocket launchers had already been used, and the experts in Meng Yifan's army had been discovered, the Demon Race would certainly be prepared for the next battle and would not let the Luolong County Army win so easily.

On the other side, the leader of the Giant Stone Bear Race ran back to the lair to report the battle situation to the Old Dragon King.

"AK47 Assault Rifles, firearms that can fire continuously—I already knew about these. And that kind of rocket launcher that can be carried and fired by a single soldier, although its power has become greater this time, it is nothing remarkable; at most, it can threaten a Fourth Grade Monster. What I did not expect is that Meng Yifan's army now has mortars that can fire shells around corners," said the Old Dragon King.

Although Meng Yifan's army could be considered an elite force, its overall strength was on the weaker side, with most still being only Second Grade Martial Artists; compared to the Demon Race elites, they were simply not on the same level.

Yet, what was surprising was that the equipment of Meng Yifan's troops was too sharp, and new equipment kept appearing, which made the Old Dragon King somewhat astonished.

The terrifying thing about these weapons and equipment was that even an ordinary person who had never cultivated could exert destructive power comparable to a Third Grade expert while holding them.

"For the next battle, there is no need to test them again, nor is there any need to set ambushes. Those flying vampires have noses that are too sensitive and can smell the scent of blood; ambushes are useless. Next time, we must concentrate our forces and, with the momentum of a thunderbolt, wipe out Meng Yifan's entire army in one fell swoop. Not only that, but we must also eliminate Meng Yifan himself," said the Old Dragon King.

"Great Leader, isn't there an agreement that Sixth Grade experts are not allowed to participate in the war?" asked a leader of the Single-Horned Tiger Race.

"There was once a decree passed down by a Ninth Grade Great Being that Sixth Grade experts were not allowed to fight each other, but hundreds of years have passed since then. Sixth Grade experts have taken action in the interim, and I have never seen a Ninth Grade Great Being come out to stop them; this rule has long existed in name only."

"As for the current agreement between Sixth Grade experts, it only states that Sixth Grade experts cannot attack weaklings below the Sixth Grade; it does not say that Sixth Grade experts cannot attack each other. I am already prepared; there are many fellow Daoists who do not want to see the Central Plains human race rise. This time, we will unite to wipe out Meng Yifan."

The Old Dragon King gave a cold, sinister smile. As long as he could wipe out Meng Yifan this time and seize the manufacturing methods for those special weapons, with the Demon Race's numbers far exceeding the humans, plus these sharp weapons and equipment, the Demon Race's numbers would instantly skyrocket. In the entire Great Martial Heavenly Dynasty World, who would dare to contend with the Demon Race? All humans would be reduced to food for the Demon Race.

"Everyone go down and prepare. We will no longer engage in small skirmishes with Meng Yifan. The next time will be the decisive battle; we will wipe them out directly."

At the Old Dragon King's command, the entire Demon Race army began to mobilize, drawing a large number of experts from all sides.

There were five Fifth-Grade Experts in Meng Yifan's army, so the Old Dragon King directly mobilized forty Demon Race Fifth-Grade experts; eight against one, they could easily wipe out those five Fifth-Grade Experts of Meng Yifan.

As for the firearms in the hands of Meng Yifan's army, although they were very powerful, they could not contend with the demon arts of Fourth Grade Monsters.

The Old Dragon King mobilized three hundred Fourth Grade Demon Race members to form a Monster Defense Array to withstand the bombardment of Meng Yifan's army's firearms; as long as they opened a gap, the rest would be easy to fight.

By the side of the canyon where the battle had taken place, Zhang Shagen and the other soldiers were building a fire to roast meat; the fatty and lean Monster Beast Meat was sizzling with oil, smelling very appetizing.

Sprinkled with salt, chili, and cumin, the taste was simply superb.

All the soldiers were gorging themselves; there was no wine, so they had to use meat broth instead. Everyone ate meat in large mouthfuls and drank broth in large gulps, chatting and laughing as if they were on an outing in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

In fact, these soldiers all knew that the coming battle would certainly be cruel, and no one could guarantee they would survive the next fight.

Regardless, they would eat and drink their fill now, so that even if they died, they would be well-fed ghosts.

Moreover, even if they died, it was nothing; before the expedition, everyone had already prepared themselves to face death.

Their families were all settled, and if they died, they could still transition to become ghost soldiers; looking at it this way, death was nothing to be afraid of.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they rested on the spot for half an hour, and Meng Yifan ordered: "Set off, target the Jiguan Mountain Spirit Stone Mine."

Kong Sanqiang's Vampire Scouts were still clearing the path ahead; their noses were sensitive and could discover the location of the Demon Race in advance, so they did not fear the Demon Race setting ambushes in dangerous places.

"Everyone keep your spirits up, do not be careless. We are the eyes of the army; if we lead the army into a Demon Race ambush because of our negligence, our crimes would be unforgivable even after a hundred deaths," Kong Sanqiang warned.

"Don't worry, Boss. The brothers have all just drunk a bellyful of demon blood and are in high spirits, with endless strength throughout our bodies," laughed a vampire named 'Wang Ermao'.

Wang Ermao was only eighteen years old; in the last great battle against the Demon Race, he was seriously injured and on the verge of death. It was Kong Sanqiang who turned him into a vampire, allowing him to survive, and he now possessed Third Grade strength.