Chapter 322 Survival or death hangs in the balance in this battle!

Shangguan Ying said, "Currently, all our energy combined is only enough to activate the signal device, which means that all three underground cities will become dark cities. However, I will go to the front line and fight alongside everyone to defend our last stronghold to the death."

The commander stood at attention and saluted. "Yes, General!"

The order was quickly relayed.

Both underground cities were plunged into darkness, all facilities ceased to function, and all energy was concentrated and transmitted.

When the signal device in the third underground city started to activate, Shangguan Ying calmly put on her combat suit, then opened her phone and took out a treasured old photo of a woman who looked very much like Ning Jinli holding a little girl's hand.

After staring intently for a few seconds, she put away her phone, put on her tactical helmet, and left the office.

Soon, the third underground city was also swallowed by darkness.

Only the signal transmission equipment in one laboratory remained lit.

The scientists on the repair team followed a series of complex switches to recalibrate the instruments and systems accurately.

“Ms. Ning, everything is ready,” the chief scientist said, holding a lever at the control panel. “When I start the instrument, the power will reach its peak in thirty seconds. At that time, the electronic signal we have programmed will be sent out through you. The world that receives the signal will be able to see your face directly. At the same time, you need to concentrate as much as possible, because you are also part of the signal transmitter. You must not be distracted. We only have this one chance.”

Ning Jinli, who had already put on a special protective suit, took a few deep breaths, nodded, and stepped into a circular sealed cylinder.

Then, the sealing cylinder is closed, and the coolant fills it completely.

Ning Jinli relied on several tubes connected to the outside of the sealed cylinder to maintain her breathing. When her whole body was surrounded by coolant and endless darkness, she closed her eyes.

"Connect the instruments!" the chief scientist ordered.

The staff waiting around the sealing cylinder inserted a dozen cables, each thicker than an arm, into the sealing cylinder's slots.

The team of scientists were highly focused, each constantly checking the data in front of their computer screens.

There were no abnormalities in any of the instrument's components or power connections.

The chief scientist looked at the fluorescent device above the sealed cylinder and announced, "Countdown: five, four, three, two, one, start!"

Snap!

He finished counting down and pushed the putter all the way to the bottom with force.

In an instant, the instrument above the sealed cylinder burst out with a blinding white light.

All the team members present, protected by goggles, looked anxiously at the sealed container.

The interconnected electrical networks of the three massive underground cities were under unprecedented high voltage, even emitting muffled electrical sounds like the roar of the earth.

At the same time, all combat personnel, led by Shangguan Ying, reached the ground.

Under the gray sky, in the distance, the surrendered legion surged like a tide on the ground, and in the higher sky, there were countless combat aircraft of the descending legion.

"Gentlemen, it is an honor to fight alongside you," Shangguan Ying said to the last 90,000 soldiers of China through the walkie-talkie in her tactical helmet. "Perhaps none of us will survive, but I hope that we can all live as long as possible, so that we can buy Ning Jinli more time. Moreover, behind us are tens of millions of Chinese people. The survival of China depends on this battle."

Soon, the surrendered army entered the battlefield, numbering over a million and possessing countless weapons and equipment, and this was only the first batch.

The battle has begun.

Thirty seconds later, the signal transmitter, having reached its peak operating power, emitted a very peculiar beam of light.

The several-thousand-meter-thick rock layer above the underground city seemed to disappear in the face of this beam of light, which pierced through the rock layer and shot into the gray sky.

The beam of light lasted for less than half a second before it ended.

Then all the energy was completely exhausted.

On the ground, the battle was fierce and brutal.

Beneath the surface, in three underground cities, the last tens of millions of people of China huddled together with their relatives and friends in the pitch-black darkness, silently praying.

Inside the laboratory, the repair team members turned on the last remaining battery-powered light and activated the mechanical switch on the sealed cylinder.

The sealed hatch is opened.

Whoosh—

The scalding hot coolant poured out.

Ning Jinli's tall figure then collapsed.

Despite the risk of burns, everyone worked together to help her out of the room.

The medical staff who were already waiting nearby quickly removed her protective suit and immediately checked her physical condition.

From the start of this operation, several of Ning Jinli's most important people, as well as the highest-ranking members of the Chinese government, accompanied her outside the laboratory.

When the laboratory door opened, everyone rushed inside with great anxiety.

Leading the way were Ning Shan and Ye Zhi Qiu, with Su Qing Lan and Master Wu beside them.

The four looked extremely worried.

Su Qinglan unconsciously tightened her grip on Wu Sanye's arm, causing Wu Sanye's face to contort in pain.

"How is Xiaoli?" she asked anxiously.

Ning Shan and Ye Zhi Qiu asked in unison, "How is our daughter?!"

"Ms. Ning was exhausted both physically and mentally, and fainted after leaving the cabin," the medical staff quickly explained. "However, she is not in any danger. We gave her an IV drip and let her rest, and she will be fine."

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Master Wu gently patted Su Qinglan's hand and softly comforted her, "Miss Ning is blessed with good fortune, so don't worry."

"Hmm... I hope God will protect her." Su Qinglan's eyes were still full of worry and heartache.

"Uh, could you loosen your grip a little?" Old Master Wu said even more quietly, "It hurts a bit..."

Su Qinglan then realized what was happening, let go of her hand, lowered her eyes, and said, "Do you think we'll die?"

Third Master Wu pulled her into his arms. "I don't know, but if we're going to die, I'll go with you."

When the last battery-powered light in the laboratory ran out of power, the people present were enveloped in endless darkness. They sat on the ground, gathered together, and watched over Ning Jinli. No one spoke again.

Time passed second by second.

On the vast battlefield, the Chinese soldiers did their utmost to withstand wave after wave of attacks from the surrendered army.

Despite being outnumbered, they won victory in a series of defensive battles thanks to their superhuman combat skills, strong tactical and organizational abilities, and weaponry that surpassed all other countries in the world.

High in the sky.

Inside the mothership of the Descent Legion headquarters.

Ning Yao looked at the huge holographic screen in front of her and said with a cold sneer:

"If my legion doesn't intervene, China can single-handedly take on all other countries in the world. These surrendered ones are truly useless."

"Heavenly Venerable, should we make a move?" a high-ranking legion officer asked, bowing his head.

Ning Yao waved her hand, "No rush, don't stop me from watching the show. What could be more interesting than seeing people in this world killing each other? I want to see how long the less than 100,000 soldiers left in China can withstand a surrendered army that outnumbers them by dozens or even hundreds of times."

Three days later, two of Huaxia Kingdom's strongholds fell.

The residents of the underground city gradually moved from the underground passages to the last stronghold.

With the influx of a large number of people, the last stronghold's supplies were running out.

Of the more than 90,000 soldiers in China, more than half have been killed or wounded, leaving only 40,000 still able to fight, and their weapons and ammunition are almost completely exhausted.

After the civilians from the two lost strongholds were evacuated, 40,000 soldiers formed a protective defensive perimeter and fought desperately to hold the last stronghold.

Inside the smoke-filled battlefield.

After three days and three nights without sleep, Shangguan Ying lay half-reclined in a trench bunker to rest.

"General, here's a compressed biscuit and an apple, please eat them!" A commander from a combat group approached, bending over, his rough, dry, cracked, and bloodstained hands carefully holding the two items he was referring to.

Shangguan Ying glanced at the table and asked, "How much food do we have left?"

The commander said, "There's still a lot to go! You haven't slept for three days and three nights, and you haven't eaten a single grain of rice. Eat something!"

“There’s no need to lie to me,” Shangguan Ying shook her head. “My physical condition is far superior to yours. I can handle it. Share the food with the others.”

“General…” the commander’s nose tingled with emotion, “Then… then you should at least take a bite, even just a small bite.”

Shangguan Ying smiled and said, "Okay, I'll eat it."

She took the apple, took a quick bite, and then put it back.

The commander was stunned for a moment, tears welling up in his eyes, because the shriveled apple had only a broken skin.

Shangguan Ying smacked her lips at a piece of apple peel smaller than a fingernail and said, "It's quite sweet. You should try it, and share it with everyone."

"General..."

"Go quickly!"

"Yes, General!"

Soon after, Shangguan Ying's tactical helmet headset began to receive battle reports from various defensive positions.

She continuously adjusted tactics by communicating with several other junior commanders.

She spent the last three days like this, not only frequently participating in battles but also constantly maintaining control of the overall situation, which drained her physical and mental energy.

After arranging the latest round of combat strategies, Shangguan Ying almost fainted.

She bit her tongue hard, using the sharp pain to wake herself up.

Night has fallen, and an even more difficult defensive battle lies ahead.

However, casualties continue to rise, and weapons and ammunition may not last much longer.

"Can...can we...hold on until a miracle happens..." Shangguan Ying murmured to herself, gazing at the vast night sky where not a single star could be seen.

Nearly half a month has passed.

When Ning Yao learned that the last stronghold of China had not yet been captured, she couldn't help but lose some patience.

I'm getting tired of watching that bunch of useless surrendered legions feed their own people every day.

"How many combat personnel does China have left?" she asked while eating delicate pastries.

"Reporting to Your Majesty," the subordinate replied respectfully, "there should be less than 20,000 men left. Moreover, starting two days ago, they have repeatedly engaged in close-quarters combat with melee weapons, so their ammunition is probably exhausted."

"Huh?" Ning Yao laughed in exasperation. "They've already started hand-to-hand combat with cold weapons, and those damn surrendered soldiers still can't beat them?"

The subordinate looked at him with disdain. "Just as you said, they're all a bunch of useless trash."

Ning Yao thought for a moment, "I've thought of something fun. Come on, listen to me."

The subordinate immediately leaned closer, listened carefully to Ning Yao's instructions, and couldn't help but smile. "Yes, I will go and give the instructions right away."

More than half an hour later, the surrendered army began to show obvious signs of collapse.

Even during the retreat, a considerable amount of food and weapons were lost.

The morale of the Chinese combat troops was immediately boosted. In any case, at least they could replenish some resources and catch their breath.

Shangguan Ying knew things couldn't be that simple. From the start of the decisive battle until now, only the surrendered legions had participated in the war, while so many of the descendant army's aircraft in the sky hadn't moved an inch.

However, she couldn't spoil the soldiers' mood at this moment, so she asked everyone to pick up the things left behind by the surrendered soldiers so that everyone could fill their stomachs first.

In the sky, Ning Yao could clearly see, through more advanced monitoring equipment, the Chinese soldiers happily sharing food in the trenches.

"You're almost dead, and you're still so happy?" Ning Yao sneered mockingly.

All the soldiers were very hungry, but they endured it until all the scavenged food was distributed equally among everyone before they were ready to eat.

At that moment, several triangular combat aircraft suddenly broke away from the Descent Legion's air combat squadron and swooped down at lightning speed.

One powerful bomb after another rained down from the sky, sweeping away all the trenches and bunkers.

The bombs leveled everything in their path and set off a raging fire that spread rapidly in all directions.

At the same time, the triangular combat aircraft can also fire a dense rain of laser bullets. These bullets have no physical warheads, but their destructive power and attack speed are dozens of times that of the heavy machine guns in this world.

"No!!!" Shangguan Ying let out a grief-stricken roar.

She knew things wouldn't be simple, and even anticipated that her warriors would be powerless to fight back once the descending legion intervened.

But she never expected the other party to be so wicked.

They launched an attack at this very moment.

The soldiers hadn't even gotten their last bite of food before they were blasted to ashes by artillery fire...

After just one round of bombing, only two or three thousand of the less than 20,000-strong Chinese combat army remained alive. However, all of these survivors were seriously injured and had virtually no chance of survival.

A triangular combat aircraft landed, intending to check the situation on the ground.

boom!

A sudden explosion rang out.

Those were some seriously wounded Chinese soldiers who worked together to transport some ammunition and explosives, and then detonated them by sacrificing themselves.

However, the ammunition and explosives captured from the surrendered legions only left a layer of charcoal on the surface of the Advent Legion's combat aircraft.

Shangguan Ying recalled the wars she had experienced long, long ago.

Countless Chinese sons and daughters sacrificed their lives to fight against the invaders. Back then, it was common to see people carrying explosives to blow up bunkers and enemy tanks.

Such sacrifices played a significant role at many crucial moments.

But now, even if the soldiers did this, due to the huge gap in military technology, they were unable to cause any damage to the enemy's equipment.

despair……

I'm so desperate!