Chapter 523: Tie Quan's Assault (2)

A few lucky Japanese Army soldiers who were not yet engulfed by the flames and temporarily not lacking oxygen fled wildly toward the tunnel exit, running while crying and shouting, their faces full of terror, long since stripped of the earlier arrogance and hubris.

But the tunnels crisscrossed and were filled with smoke, and they could not discern any direction at all.

They could only run haphazardly in the pitch‑black passages, some crashing into the tunnel walls, their heads bleeding profusely.

Some slipped and fell into the mud, then were trampled over by soldiers fleeing behind them.

Others inadvertently struck burning obstacles and were instantly devoured by the flames, becoming sacrifices to the white‑phosphorus fire.

An underground ammunition depot of the Japanese Army was hit by a white‑phosphorus bomb, instantly triggering a violent explosion.

"Boom—" a deafening blast, the underground tunnel shook violently, walls collapsed one after another, soil and rubble cascaded down, burying many fleeing Japanese soldiers.

The blast's shockwave drove the fire in the tunnel outward in all directions; what had been a localized blaze instantly spread throughout the entire underground tunnel network, forming a sea of fire that completely destroyed the Japanese Army's underground defensive system.

A Japanese Army squad leader hid behind a relatively sturdy bunker, watching the infernal scene before him, his eyes filled with despair.

His arm was burned by the flames, flesh and blood a mess, and the soldiers beside him fell one by one—some burned to death, some suffocated from lack of oxygen, some buried by collapsing earth—turning the once orderly unit into a shattered mass in an instant.

He drew the pistol at his waist, stared toward the tunnel exit, a faint bitter smile of hopelessness appearing on his face, muttering, "It's over, completely over… Pingmana, we can't hold it…".

After speaking, he pulled the trigger; a gunshot rang out, ending his life.

His corpse fell into the mud, soon engulfed by the spreading white‑phosphorus flames, gradually burning into a charred lump.

Within the underground tunnel, screams, the crackle of fire, explosions, and the roar of collapsing walls intertwined, forming a desperate death symphony.

Those once haughty Japanese soldiers now resembled bereaved dogs, struggling and fleeing in the sea of fire, yet unable to escape their fate of death.

Where the white‑phosphorus fire passed, no life could survive; whether sturdy bunkers or crisscrossing tunnels, everything was reduced to ruins, the air thick with the smell of charred flesh, gunpowder, and the acrid sting of white phosphorus, making one gag.

The Expeditionary Force artillery position did not stop; under Tie Quan's artillery guidance, the artillerymen precisely sent the special bombs in their hands into the Japanese Army positions.

The pitch‑black night was instantly illuminated, even as the heavy rain continued to fall.

On the ground, the Japanese Army's First Defensive Line had long been devoured by the white‑phosphorus fire; the once‑solid reinforced‑concrete bunkers were cracked and collapsed by the extreme heat.

The Sandbags ignited and turned to ash, leaving the position littered with blackened wreckage and burning flames.

Rain fell on the scorching bunkers, producing a "sizzle" sound, raising plumes of white steam that shrouded the entire position in a white mist.

Song Jing Xiu Zhi stood before the command post's observation window, looking through rain and smoke at the scene; his face was as pale as paper, his body trembling continuously, and the saber in his hand "clang" fell to the ground.

Fear was the only expression on his face—what kind of weapon is that?

He never imagined that the Chinese would employ such a terrifying weapon.

The First Defensive Line, which had been thought easy to recapture, was actually destroyed within just a few minutes.

It was completely annihilated by this special bomb; the reserve unit he dispatched was utterly wiped out, with no one surviving to return.

"Ba Ge Ya Lu! Chinese! You actually used such a vile weapon!" Song Jing Xiu Zhi snarled, his eyes full of anger and despair.

Song Jing Xiu Zhi slammed a fierce punch into the observation window; the glass shattered instantly, shards cutting his hand, blood gushing, yet he felt no pain at all.

He knew the First Defensive Line had been completely lost, the underground defensive system destroyed, Pingmana's defenses now riddled with a huge gap, and holding the fortress any longer was impossible.

The staff officer stood nearby, his face equally ashen, his whole body trembling, his voice full of fear: "Regimental Commander, what do we do? The Chinese weapon's power is too great; our soldiers can't withstand it. The underground tunnel has been completely sealed by fire, many companies are trapped inside, unable to break out. If this continues, our entire 113th Regiment will be burned alive here!"

Song Jing Xiu Zhi remained silent, saying nothing, gazing at the fiery battlefield beyond the window, his heart filled with despair and resentment.

He recalled the oath he had once taken, to forge Pingmana into a sky‑ditch the Chinese could not cross, to trap the Expeditionary Force forever on this land; but now, all of that had turned to bubbles.

The white‑phosphorus bomb's blaze not only burned his position and his soldiers, but also incinerated all his hopes.

"Regimental Commander, the losses are huge!"

When the staff officer reported the losses, Song Jing Xiu Zhi's eyes went black, and he nearly fainted.

On the Expeditionary Force's position, Dai Anlan and Tie Quan stood side by side on the heights, looking through a telescope at the sea of fire on Pingmana's position, a hint of solemnity appearing on their faces.

Dai Anlan finally grasped the power of the white‑phosphorus bomb and also came to understand Tie Quan's confidence.

He privately rejoiced, having heeded Tie Quan's advice at the time and ordered the troops to withdraw from the position.

Otherwise, the soldiers now being engulfed by the flames would be those of the 200th Division.

"The power of this white‑phosphorus bomb truly lives up to its reputation," Dai Anlan said slowly, his tone tinged with both admiration and heaviness.

He had seen brutal battlefields and countless soldiers fall, but such a horrific scene was the first he had ever witnessed.

Even the air carried a scent of charred aroma!

It wasn't the burning of objects, but the odor emitted by the corpses.

Tie Quan nodded, his tone firm: "Senior Officer Dai, this is the special weapon our Commander sent me, it may be cruel, but on the battlefield only such a weapon can break a stalemate and reduce our soldiers' casualties."

"Now the Japanese Army's First Defensive Line has been completely destroyed, the underground tunnel sealed by fire, and this is the perfect moment for us to launch a general assault and fully capture Pingmana!"

Dai Anlan took a deep breath, his gaze steadied again; he grabbed the radio and shouted to Liu Shaofeng: "Liu Shaofeng! Immediately relay the order, have the troops ready for the general assault; once the white‑phosphorus flames have eased a bit, launch the charge at once, break through the Japanese defenses in one blow, and fully capture Pingmana! Tell the soldiers that victory is right before our eyes, we must not fail our mission, and pave the way for the Expeditionary Force's southward advance!"

"Yes! Senior Officer! We'll guarantee the mission's completion!" Liu Shaofeng's voice on the other end was full of fighting spirit.

After the earlier fierce fighting and the deterrence of the white‑phosphorus bomb, the soldiers of the 600th Regiment were high‑spirited, already prepared for the charge.

Awaiting only Dai Anlan's command, they would bravely surge forward, completely flattening this once‑impregnable fortress.

Amid the sea of fire, faint cries of Japanese soldiers could still be heard occasionally, but this could no longer change the course of battle.

The white‑phosphorus blaze not only destroyed the Japanese Army's positions but also shattered their morale; Pingmana's defenses had completely collapsed, and the Expeditionary Force's offensive was only just beginning.