Chapter 764: Charging Forward
Chapter 764: Charging Forward
In the open area, the military strategists of the Old Imperial House quickly calculated several possible routes for the relic holders to return to their base based on the direction indicated by the radiance of the relic. They promptly formulated a strategy after it was reviewed and approved by the Central Army.
Telegrams were immediately sent to various units, and artillery forces scattered across different locations swiftly mobilized, pulled by a large number of mutated mules. Within a few hours, multiple artillery positions were set up along the main routes, and hot air balloons rose into the sky.
This time, a total of over four hundred light and heavy artillery pieces were mobilized, but due to the vastness of the wilderness, each section didn't actually have that many.
At that time, the various units would identify and locate the target through the observers in the hot air balloons above and the airship sentries. Once within range, they would carry out long-range strikes on the target area.
In some special locations, especially along the mandatory route to Datong's base, there were multiple well-concealed sturdy forts, each equipped with several heavy artillery pieces.
These positions had never been exposed before, and if the carrier of the relic rushed past the heavy blockades and traveled along the predetermined route, they would not hesitate to fire at the target.
Chen Chuan had just burst out of the unknown region and arrived on the plain. In reality, this area was still dotted with forests and rivers of various sizes, and the terrain was uneven, not a completely exposed area without any cover.
If he followed the path and traveled day and night without rest, he would reach his destination in at most two days and one night.
Just then, the sky suddenly darkened, as if something was amiss, and the convergence zone entered the night in an instant. However, protected by the radiance of the relic, he didn't encounter any abnormal situations.
He had already rested his mount during the ritual, so he had no intention of stopping. Instead, he continued to charge forward.
About two hours later, the sound of propellers filled the air, and an airship appeared. The lights from the airship shone down, and although the relic had radiance, the light on the ground was dim, creating a faint glow that revealed the silhouette of a rider and his mount.
The telegraph operator on the airship immediately sent a message to the rear: "We have approached the target. It is currently moving from Sector B, Grid 38 towards Sector C, Grid 56. The current speed is between Second and Third Class of the Rabbit Level."
There was an artillery position nearby, and although the terrain made it impossible to directly target Chen Chuan, they immediately fired a round of artillery at the area based on the coordinates and the radiance of the relic.
Chen Chuan sensed something and looked up to see a burst of fire not far from him, followed by another, and then lights flashed all around, accompanied by a series of explosions.
However, he remained unmoved, protected by his horizontal training strength and his second self. As long as he wasn't directly hit by the artillery, it wouldn't pose a significant threat to him.
In such a vast area, the probability of being directly hit was minuscule, and even if he did encounter it, his psychic abilities would warn him in advance, giving him enough time to dodge.
The situation was more likely to cause problems for the mount, but fortunately, the Dragon Nose Horse was a mutated creature bred for survival on the battlefield. It remained calm amidst the artillery fire and maintained its charging speed.
Even when shrapnel and chunks of grass stems and mud flew onto the horse's body, its tough skin deflected the debris.
Chen Chuan carefully observed the situation. The artillery wasn't intended to kill him directly but to intercept and force him to take a detour. Where the artillery didn't fall, there might be even bigger traps waiting, so although the surroundings seemed dangerous, it was actually safer.
However, he couldn't be too careless. He thought for a moment, leaned forward, and tugged the reins, causing the Dragon Nose Horse to sense his intention and increase its speed.
But with this, the pack horses behind him couldn't keep up.
He decided to abandon those horses, as he now carried all the important items on his person, and with the relic, he didn't need to worry about the night or items like tents. Even small psychic creatures, thunder cannons, and other objects could be left behind.
As for Chao Ming, he kept it at a distance behind him, within the range of the radiance. In the vast convergence zone, no one would pay attention to a slightly unusual bird.
As he charged forward, he suddenly saw a low-lying forest ahead, seemingly a good place to hide from the artillery. However, instead of entering, he pulled on the reins and went around it.
Inside were machine guns positioned at various points, ready to fire at anyone approaching, but with Chen Chuan's detour, they could only watch helplessly as he left.
The machine gun position wasn't at a high vantage point, limiting its firing range. At that moment, even if they fired, they couldn't hit Chen Chuan, so they could only watch him leave.
Even though the attack had ceased here, the onslaught continued elsewhere. Amidst the constant booming of artillery fire from behind, a rustling sound emanated from the forests on both sides, as a massive flock of mutated birds swarmed towards Chen Chuan's location.
Chen Chuan's eyes flashed momentarily. If it weren't for the need to attract the attention of that Fighter and to conserve his energy, he would have sprinted at full speed. But now, he had to persevere, so he looked up at the approaching birds and released his psychic energy outwards!
In that instant, the surrounding birds seemed to freeze for a moment before plummeting from the sky.
Meanwhile, at the rear, the military commanders on the artillery positions were observing the radiant aura through telescopes. Witnessing this scene, they gasped in shock and were further astonished after receiving the observer's report on the data.
Based on the area where the birds fell, the observer estimated that Chen Chuan's psychic power had spread to an astonishing range of over 700 meters. Considering that he was still running at that moment, he would undoubtedly try to conserve energy, so this might not even be his full strength.
The military commanders exchanged glances, seeing the shock in each other's eyes. Typically, powerful Fighters had a psychic shock range of 300 to 400 meters, and those who reached 500 meters could already occupy a place in the world. But 700 meters... that was simply on another level.
No wonder this person had become the final winner in obtaining the relic.
They felt a sense of relief, having heard that the previous elite squad had barely made it back. It seemed that the person before them was responsible, but because they themselves were not exceptional, they had not been chosen for the mission and now had no need to engage in a life-or-death struggle.
At almost the same moment, news from the convergence zone reached the rear base and the Great Shun Defense Department through an inside line.
On the field display of the Defense Department, the communications officer in the command center was excitedly saying, "Specialist Liang, our insider in the Old Imperial House has sent word confirming that Chen Chuan is the one who broke through the encirclement with the relic! He's currently heading towards our base!"
Specialist Liang remained composed upon hearing this news, but his heart was not at ease. He was well aware of the difficulties in obtaining the relic, yet even so, he hadn't expected their side to succeed.
He asked solemnly, "What about the others? What about Captain Xu and his team? Any news?"
The communications officer replied with regret, "We haven't received any news about Captain Xu and his team yet."
Specialist Liang paused for a moment before saying, "Regardless, we can't let the relic fall into the hands of the Old Imperial House."
He immediately instructed the communications officer, "In my name, immediately convene a meeting of the base command-level military directors. Everyone must be present within five minutes."
The communications officer saluted and agreed.
Less than three minutes had passed when the commanders from the front lines appeared on the display.
Specialist Liang spoke gravely, "You should all be aware of the situation by now. I need you to come up with a plan to ensure the receipt of the relic, but I also require that the safety of the escort personnel be guaranteed!"
After a brief pause, one commander responded, "I believe we should let our army advance immediately after dawn, making an offensive posture to cover Chen Chuan's return."
"However, we have the Old Imperial House's army facing us at the front, so we can't bypass them to do this. We can only divide our forces, which may leave the base vulnerable. Specialist, for safety, we need to request additional troops from the Central City garrison."
The other officers agreed, having been in a stalemate with the Old Imperial House for so long. Attempting an ambush was out of the question; it was a matter of outnumbering the enemy. Only with twice the opposing force could they break through.
Just as Specialist Liang was about to respond, a notification sound suddenly echoed through the room, followed by the voice of the female communications officer, "Specialist, there's an envoy from headquarters with urgent business who needs to meet with you immediately."
Specialist Liang was taken aback. At this moment... But after a moment's thought, he seemed to realize something. He temporarily adjourned the meeting, stepped out, and made his way to the reception room.
There, a man of average build, wearing glasses and with an ordinary appearance, stood. Upon seeing Specialist Liang, he saluted, then took out a document from his briefcase and handed it over with both hands, saying solemnly, "Specialist Liang, this is the document headquarters entrusted me to deliver to you. Please take a look."
Specialist Liang accepted the document, and as he glanced through it, his eyes revealed a hint of surprise. After a while, he took a deep breath and nodded to the envoy, "I understand. I have urgent matters to attend to, so please excuse me for a moment."
He called for his assistant to receive the envoy, then returned to the conference room. However, he noticed that his steps were unusually steady and powerful.
Specialist Liang addressed the commanders, "I'll be temporarily reassigning some troops. This matter is of great importance, and I grant you all the permissions the Defense Department allows. Under the premise of ensuring the safety of the escort personnel, you can go all out."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
