Chapter 207: Squad Disbandment
The cold winter was approaching, and the piercing north wind had already begun to ravage the land.
Compared to previous years, this winter was not easy for the Alliance.
The Giant Race and their affiliated races, because of the existence of the No-Fly Domain, made it difficult for Blue Star humanity’s technological methods to function.
In addition, the Alliance had powerful enemies restraining it on three other fronts, making it impossible to provide strong support forces at all.
As for the Legendary Saints, it was said that legendary figures from the foreign races had already appeared at the borders, clearly using this method to warn the Legendary Saints of Blue Star humanity.
If the Alliance did not abide by the unspoken rules between both sides, an even more brutal war would erupt.
The legends among the foreign races were clearly intending to let the Giant Race take root within the Alliance’s interior.
Aside from the support of foreign-race legends, the large Dimensional Rift in the Panlong Mountain Range saw even more foreign-race powerhouses appear.
The number of foreign races comparable to Professional Beast Tamers had already exceeded three thousand, while those comparable to Transcendent Beast Tamers had already exceeded thirty people.
The reason these changes in the foreign races’ strength could be detected was because the military had previously launched a special operation.
With General Xu Chunjun as the leader, other Transcendent Beast Tamers were led deep into the Panlong Mountain Range, preparing to destroy the Giant Race’s Totem Pillars, thereby disrupting the No-Fly Domain that shrouded the Panlong Mountain Range.
However, this sneak attack did not succeed. Instead, it revealed the changes within the Giant Race.
Facing the encirclement and slaughter by more than thirty powerhouses of the Giant Race and its affiliated races, it was fortunate that the Alliance provided timely support.
The No-Fly Domain disrupted the magnetic field, and clouds of transcendent power gathered in the sky, rendering missiles and similar methods ineffective.
However, when faced with the most direct artillery shells, the No-Fly Domain had no means of stopping them.
Over the course of several months, the Alliance had mobilized more than a thousand powerful Slaughterer Type-1 Heavy Cannons and deployed them near the Panlong Mountain Range.
The shells used by this type of heavy cannon were primarily based on Energy Crystals, supplemented with new explosives researched by the Alliance Academy of Sciences, with power sufficient to cover an entire football field.
Although it was very difficult to hit transcendent powerhouses, it was still enough to threaten their lives.
After fierce fighting erupted in the Panlong Mountain Range, the Alliance military followed its predetermined plan and launched attacks on the core region of the Panlong Mountain Range using the Slaughterer Type-1 Heavy Cannons.
Even the earth barrier constructed by the Totem Pillars could not withstand the Slaughterer Type-1 Heavy Cannons, whose manufacturing difficulty was extremely high and whose required materials were exceptionally precious.
The Giant Race could only divert half of their powerhouses to reinforce the earth barrier’s strength, which finally allowed Xu Chunjun and the others to escape from the Panlong Mountain Range.
With the support of the Slaughterer Type-1 Heavy Cannons, the Alliance military began to take the initiative to counterattack, starting from the outskirts of the mountain range to construct bunker strongholds. These not only provided support for Alliance Professional Beast Tamers, but also seized territory within the Panlong Mountain Range, cooperating with the cleanup squads to compress the living space of the foreign races.
However, the foreign races did not sit idly by. As the number of foreign races comparable to Professional Beast Tamers increased, the Giant Race also began dispatching elite squads, secretly leaving the Panlong Mountain Range in various ways to launch surprise attacks on the strongholds established around the mountains.
At the very beginning, several unprepared military strongholds were successfully destroyed by the Giant Race.
However, aside from transcendent-level foreign races, almost all of the foreign races that came to launch sneak attacks were annihilated outside the Panlong Mountain Range.
For a time, massive clashes erupted between both sides, with extremely heavy casualties.
The conscripted Professional Beast Tamers, upon seeing this situation, were unwilling to continue staying. Those with sufficient merit immediately left the strongholds.
These people had originally wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to obtain the resources they needed from the Alliance.
However, when it came to life and resources, most Professional Beast Tamers almost always chose the former.
Nevertheless, the Alliance military had already expanded the merit system to other parts of the Alliance. It did not forcibly conscript Professional Beast Tamers from other regions, instead using extremely precious treasures as incentives.
Since ancient times, generous rewards had always produced brave warriors.
Although many Professional Beast Tamers in the north withdrew from the Alliance Conscription after obtaining their merits, Professional Beast Tamers from other regions arrived, so the number of cleanup squads did not decrease.
However, the danger level of the Panlong Mountain Range was now far higher than it had been several months ago, and death had become the norm.
Inside the No. 3 military stronghold, after several months of effort, this place had already taken on the appearance of a bustling small town.
However, aside from soldiers, the only others present were Professional Beast Tamers rarely seen by ordinary people from the outside world.
After merit rewards were opened to the entire Alliance, large numbers of Professional Beast Tamers from other regions poured in. At present, the number of Professional Beast Tamers within the No. 3 stronghold had already reached several hundred.
Inside the stronghold’s bar, Yan Hong and the others gathered together, with slightly sorrowful expressions on their faces.
After several months had passed, they had already obtained enough merit to leave the Alliance Conscription, but Fang had permanently remained in the Panlong Mountain Range.
“This parting—I don’t know if we’ll ever have another chance to gather again. Let this cup of wine serve as a farewell drink.”
Compared to Zhou Ming and the others, Yan Hong, as a soldier, had no opportunity to leave.
The fact that he could become a Beast Tamer and even advance to Shepherd was naturally an opportunity provided by the military.
Having gained benefits, one naturally had to contribute effort in return.
Seeing Zhou Ming and the others about to depart, Yan Hong also raised his wine cup to see them off.
“Ten Thousand Snakes, we’re about to part. You’re really not coming to my room? There’s something fun.”
Fire Fox downed a cup of wine, her eyes hazy as she looked at Zhou Ming opposite her, her twin peaks rising beneath her casual clothes.
If at the beginning she had wanted to prey on the young because of Zhou Ming’s charming appearance, then this time it was because of the strength Zhou Ming had revealed.
When they were only one foreign-race warrior head away from gathering enough for five people to end the Alliance Conscription, Zhou Ming and his group encountered the greatest crisis they had faced since entering the Panlong Mountain Range.
Two giants with strength comparable to high-tier professional level, one official priest of the Giant Race, plus more than a dozen elite warriors from affiliated races, successfully intercepted Zhou Ming and his group in a valley.
As for why the Ironthread Snake in the wilderness did not send Zhou Ming a warning, it was most likely because the accompanying priest used special means to conceal their presence.
After all, Zhou Ming and the foreign races had clashed multiple times, and both sides understood each other’s methods.
Faced with such a situation, Zhou Ming could only reveal his Serpentfolk form.
Aside from not easily using the Fusion of Snake Venom, Zhou Ming had revealed almost all of his strength.
Even so, Fang ultimately fell in the Panlong Mountain Range. Yan Hong also lost two high-tier sub-beasts and several low-tier sub-beasts with decent strength.
In addition, it was only because a military cleanup squad happened to pass by that they were fortunate enough to leave the Panlong Mountain Range alive.
The strength Zhou Ming revealed in his Serpentfolk form was exceptionally powerful, and the charm he displayed was even more mysterious and noble. Even after being struck down several times, Fire Fox still wanted to swallow Zhou Ming whole.
This seemed to have become Fire Fox’s obsession.
“Not interesting. You should look for someone else.”
Compared to matters between men and women, Zhou Ming was more interested in pursuing power.
“I have something to do, so I’ll leave first. I hope we’ll have the chance to meet again in the future.”
Zhou Ming had originally had little interest in gatherings like this, but since they had all experienced life-and-death battles together, he had accompanied them for a drink.
As Zhou Ming left, Yinchuan at the side slowly spoke up.
“Ten Thousand Snakes probably won’t leave the Panlong Mountain Range.”
Hearing this, the others also nodded quietly, as if they had guessed that Zhou Ming’s ambitions extended far beyond what was in front of him.
Moreover, with his incomplete class advancement system, if he wanted to go further, he could only rely on the opportunity before him.