A dozen minutes later.
Forty sixth-generation fighter jets, fully loaded with ammunition, arrived in the airspace above the Qinling Mountains.
They dropped 500-kilogram aerial bombs directly from high altitude onto the battlefield.
The explosions unleashed nearly all-destructive flames and shockwaves.
As the mountains trembled, the burning smoke soared into the sky, making the already dim sky even darker.
In the small farmhouse.
Su Wu, through the surveillance system set up on the ground floor, saw the smoke rising from the direction of the Qinling Mountains dozens of kilometers away.
Simultaneously, the detection equipment paired with the surveillance system transmitted data indicating that anyone standing on the surface of the farmhouse at that moment could easily feel the tremors coming from the Qinling Mountains.
The combined force of the sixth-generation fighter jets and the high-yield Metallic Hydrogen Explosives brought forth a power comparable to a natural disaster, shaking the earth.
The cost of using such power was not heavy, nor was the process complicated.
All it took was a single command from Su Wu, and it could be unleashed anywhere on Earth within sight.
After the sixth-generation fighter jets completed their bombing runs, hundreds of Azure Sky-Class Transport Drones followed up with a cleanup operation.
Each drone carried two 300-kilogram aerial bombs, bombing from the frontlines where sporadic Amethyst Crystal Entities were still active, all the way to their lair deep within the Magma Canyon.
When these drones had dropped all their bombs, the entire battlefield fell into complete silence.
Not a single living Amethyst Crystal Entity could be seen.
However, this time, the Amethyst Crystal Entities' determination to break through the blockade seemed more resolute than ever.
Just half an hour after the dispatched forces were completely annihilated, a new batch of evolved Amethyst Crystal Entities surged out of the Magma Canyon, initiating a new battle.
After a day and a night, the intensity of the battle between Su Wu and the Amethyst Crystal Entities in the Qinling Mountains had unknowingly escalated to a terrifying level.
What was originally the final, decisive aerial bombing had, with increasingly frequent sorties, become a routine combat tactic.
Whenever parts of the ground defense line were under excessive pressure, the Artificial Intelligence would dispatch fighter jets for aerial support, and the scale of these sorties grew larger each time.
Twenty hours after the battle began, the number of sixth-generation fighter jets, which had temporarily suspended transport missions to focus solely on the Qinling Mountain battlefield, reached a total of 100.
In the parallel world before Su Wu's rebirth, this number of sixth-generation fighter jets would have been enough to overwhelm most countries in the world.
The number of Azure Sky-Class Transport Drones increased relatively slowly, but by this point, there were over a thousand of them, serving as auxiliary tools for the airstrikes.
However, since they were not specialized combat units, they could no longer guarantee absolute safety on the increasingly intense Qinling Mountain battlefield.
With each sortie, a few to over a dozen drones would be shot down by the anti-air evolved Amethyst Crystal Entities hidden in the corners of the battlefield, using their dark green acid projectiles.
On the ground, the defense line directly facing the Amethyst Crystal Entities suffered even heavier losses.
In just one day, the number of ordinary Spider Robots, which were the first generation and had only undergone certain weapon modifications, lost no fewer than 50,000 units.
Moreover, most of these losses occurred in the final few hours.
On the second day of the battle.
With the mass casualties of the first-generation Spider Robots.
Su Wu urgently deployed 150,000 new Spider Robots as replacements.
And simultaneously doubled the number of Heavy Main Battle Spider Robots participating in the battle.
Only then did the already precarious defense line at Qinling Mountain.
Barely stabilize once more.
But stability did not mean the intensity of the war had diminished.
The entire Qinling Mountain, centered around the Magma Canyon.
And the surrounding area of over ten kilometers.
Had, during this period, completely turned into a slaughterhouse.
Every moment, hundreds, if not thousands, of evolved Amethyst Crystal Entities, comparable to soldiers equipped with Exoskeleton Armor or the military's main battle tanks.
Fell to the ravages of Electromagnetic Cannons (Railguns), Rocket Propelled Grenade clusters, and aerial bombardments.
As for Su Wu, the defender, his situation was far from ideal.
Originally, there were over ten thousand permanent and semi-permanent automatic turrets built with Rapid-setting Cement.
Almost half of them had been destroyed.
The defensive units involved.
From micro reconnaissance drones and Courier-class combat drones, up to Heavy Main Battle Spider Robots, and even Pioneer-class Land Destroyers.
None could guarantee absolute safety.
Almost every unit had suffered either minor or severe damage.
Under such an astonishing casualty rate.
The battlefield at Qinling Mountain expanded increasingly.
To the point where later.
Su Wu had no choice but to, under the hail of fire, urgently construct a batch of new firepower turrets directly on the defense line.
To compensate for the occasional lack of firepower due to the rapid loss of a large number of robot troops.
"This can't go on any longer."
"It's time to move up the date of the decisive battle."
Feeling the pressure, Su Wu sighed silently.
Turning his gaze to the holographic map.
A massive migration convoy, consisting of hundreds of merchant trains, was gradually approaching Jianghe City.
Within that convoy.
Carried the last batch of people from Zhenhai City and official shelters along the Kuanjiang River basin.
Once they returned to the farmhouse.
The entire Kuanjiang River basin, as well as the surrounding seas of Zhenhai City.
Would no longer have a single living human being.
As for resources.
Under the plunder of nearly a thousand Ice Lake-class transport ships that had been produced.
The administrative territory of Jianghe City, and even the area of neighboring Tumen City.
Including the ruins of buildings both above and below ground.
Had basically been emptied.
Except for a few scattered mines still being exploited.
There was no longer any value.
Creating the conditions for a decisive battlefield.
"They have four hours before they reach the farmhouse."
"Then."
"The decisive battle will be set for sixteen hours from now."
Su Wu silently made his decision.
On the map.
The leading merchant train of the convoy would reach the farmhouse in four hours at the earliest.
But a massive convoy carrying millions of people.
Would not instantly enter the farmhouse for rest once the leading merchant train arrived at the destination.
It would take at least six to seven hours in total.
To completely finish this process.
Then, according to Su Wu's plan.
They would need to undergo maintenance, reinforcement, and be loaded with weapons, ammunition, combat robot troops, as well as some construction tools and materials.
Once again, I left the small farmhouse.
In the broader area outside, defensive fortifications were being constructed.
After completing all these tedious tasks.
The 16 hours were already quite tight, with little room to spare.
Tumen City.
At the end of the massive migration convoy.
In one of the last merchant convoy trains.
Guo Lei looked out through the thick, specialized glass window.
Beyond the almost unchanging icy plains in the distance, closer to his train.
He could still see the deep ruts left by heavy vehicles on the ground.
These were the marks left by the multiple merchant convoy trains that had passed ahead.
According to the information released online.
They were the last group of humans still surviving in the area east of Jianghe City, along the Kuang River basin.
If nothing unexpected happened.
Once they moved into Jianghe City.
This place would no longer be visited by humans.
For the next hundred or thousand years.
As long as the environment did not improve.
It would remain as desolate as it is now.
"I heard that the vehicles transporting supplies now."
"Have all been replaced by those hovering transport ships."
"These tire tracks before us."
"Might soon become a thing of the past, completely buried in the snow and wind."
Thinking about how, behind him.
Within a straight-line distance of nearly a thousand kilometers, there were no longer any people.
Guo Lei suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of loneliness.
This area, once one of the most prosperous regions in East Asia.
Now, even the last traces of human existence were about to be erased.
After feeling sad for a while.
Guo Lei's expression suddenly changed slightly.
He faintly seemed to hear something.
He picked up his phone, aimed the camera out the window.
After zooming in and searching for a while.
He barely made out a dark column of smoke rising in the distance.
It looked like something was burning.
"What is that?"
After enduring prolonged periods of extreme heat and cold.
The naturally existing forests and other flammable materials on the surface had long since burned out.
At this time.
The appearance of burning smoke was unlikely to be a good sign.
After worrying for a while.
Guo Lei finally remembered that the direction seemed to be the Qinling Mountain battlefield mentioned online.
It was said that the Amethyst Crystal Entities of East Asia.
Originally emerged from there.
"So it's that place."
"I didn't expect the commotion to be so big."
"But it should be nothing serious."
Considering that the Qinling Mountain battlefield had very little discussion online.
Even those living in Jianghe City, the closest to it.
Were not very concerned about what happened there.
Presumably, the actual problem shouldn't be too severe.
No need for outsiders to overly worry.
Thinking this, Guo Lei couldn't help but feel a bit relieved.
Feeling that he had been overly sensitive.
Meanwhile.
In this migration convoy.
In another merchant convoy train.
Several young girls sitting inside did not notice the anomaly at Qinling Mountain.
Even though their position allowed them to see the smoke from the battlefield more clearly than Guo Lei, who was at the rear.
But for them.
The events at Qinling Mountain were too distant.
Perhaps they would never have any intersection with it in their lifetime.
In comparison, the small farmhouse they were about to move into was more worthy of attention and discussion.
"I wonder what the conditions there are like?"
"It's said we'll be living in dormitories, and even bathing and fetching hot water will require queuing outside."
"At least the environment is decent."
"The space on each floor there is quite large, and the layout is inspired by surface cities."
"They've planted a lot of greenery."
"It's even prettier than the ordinary viewing rooms in Zhenhai City."
"And, and..."
"At regular intervals, there are free small parks and sports fields."
"You can freely play tennis there."
The girls chattered away.
Their expressions showed a slight instinctive unease about the unfamiliar world, as well as a longing and anticipation for a better life.
As the conversation continued.
Someone glanced at a short-haired girl who had been sitting on the edge, seemingly lost in thought.
Trying to draw her into the discussion.
"Xiao Ya, tell us what you think."
"Aren't you also looking forward to the sea of flowers in the park there?"
The short-haired girl snapped out of her reverie.
After a moment's thought, she picked up her phone.
And showed a saved news article.
"Take a look at this."
"It seems Jianghe City is negotiating with Shuitian City in Fuhai Province."
"They plan to buy whale sharks from them to rebuild a large aquarium."
"It should be quite interesting."
The purchase of whale sharks from Shuitian City was indeed a real event.
And, just like the young girls on the merchant train.
In the farmyards.
In the eyes of tens of millions of residents who hadn't faced a life-threatening crisis in a long time.
Whether it was an earthquake, battles with the Amethyst Crystal Entity, or even the fall of Zhenhai City, none of it seemed to concern them.
Instead, the aquarium, which was expected to be no smaller than the large underground park on the 8th level.
Was a major event closely related to their lives.
Therefore, one of the important steps in building the aquarium.
Purchasing the few remaining whale sharks in the world from Shuitian City.
Became a hot topic they eagerly pursued and discussed online.
At the same time.
Thousands of kilometers away.
In Shuitian City, Fuhai Province.
Residents who once took pride in their supercity.
Received quite a blow that day.
Their pride, possibly the only remaining aquarium in the world after the apocalypse.
Was successfully bought out by a group of outsiders.
And right now, in full view of everyone.
They were preparing to load the marine creatures from the aquarium.
One by one into their transport vehicles.
"This is the transport site."
"According to the information I've gathered."
"The buyers are from Jianghe City, the same Jianghe City that has provided the entire East Continent with internet after the apocalypse and accommodated over 30 million citizens from Zhenhai City."
"They will drive vehicles named Ice Lake-class transport ships to load all the marine creatures from the aquarium, including four whale sharks."
A young man working in the foreign affairs office, taking advantage of his job's proximity to the handover site.
Started a live broadcast online.
Attracting hundreds of thousands of simultaneous viewers from Shuitian City.
In the footage.
A massive, pitch-black spacecraft, hovering half a meter above the ground.
Carrying a bit of snow and wind, slowly entered a temporary enclosed factory building set up at the shelter's entrance.
No additional words were needed to describe it.
The moment the spacecraft appeared on screen.
Its sleek, technologically aesthetic lines and almost sci-fi-like hovering flight spoke for themselves.
——Even if it was just half a meter off the ground, it was still flight.
It brought an indescribable sense of awe to those who saw it for the first time.
It was as if they were witnessing the future shining into the present.
After the entire spacecraft entered the hangar,
the hangar doors slowly closed under remote electric control.
Then, the heating system began to operate.
This temporarily constructed enclosed space on the surface
saw its temperature rise from over minus 60 degrees Celsius to around minus 10 degrees Celsius.
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