CHAPTER 364: CHAPTER 322 AIR COMBAT_1

When Yan Xing led the Griffon Troop and Elf Pegasus Knights into the "airspace" of the Heize Werewolf Tribe, dozens of Bipedal Flying Dragons carrying Werewolf Beast Tamers burst out from the dense forest within the swamp.

Bipedal Flying Dragons were eleventh-order magical beasts of the Swamp Tribe. They possessed remarkable flying capabilities, and their teeth and tail spines carried potent venom. They were extremely ferocious by nature, and Beast Tamers who weren’t strong enough could even be killed by them. Bipedal Flying Dragons could also advance to the twelfth order to become Bipedal Wyvern Kings, representing the pinnacle of the Swamp Tribe’s conventional military strength.

As this group of Bipedal Flying Dragons took to the sky, they rapidly ascended, accompanied by swarms of densely packed Poison Flies. They seemed determined to devour the "invading" enemy air power in one fell swoop. Their shrieks echoed across the sky.

The Griffon Troop Yan Xing commanded maintained its flying altitude and formation as it moved forward.

He knew that despite the enemy’s seemingly impressive aerial force, the Poison Flies simply could not reach the altitude at which his forces were flying.If the Heize Werewolves truly desired an aerial battle, they would have to abandon the Poison Flies and allow the Bipedal Flying Dragons to ascend.However, with only fifty-six Bipedal Flying Dragons to take on a mixed flying force of three hundred Griffons and Pegasus Knights, the outcome was anything but certain.The Heize Werewolves were unlikely to dare such a risk.

Sure enough, the Bipedal Flying Dragons of the Heize Werewolves reached an altitude of about 500 meters and then stopped ascending. This was the upper altitude limit for the Poison Flies. Without the cover of the Poison Flies, the Werewolf Beast Tamers riding the Bipedal Flying Dragons dared not openly provoke such a large number of Griffons and Pegasus Knights.

Besides, the Heize Werewolves had long been aware of the Eternal Domain’s plan to attack them. Their strategy was not to strike first but to rely on the geographical advantages of the Heize region to wear down the "enemy forces." They were buying time, waiting for the situation in the Thunderous Swamp to change.Therefore, the Werewolf Beast Tamers, with their Bipedal Flying Dragons and Poison Flies, only needed to guard the lower airspace.Should the "enemy forces’" Griffons and Pegasus dare to lower their altitude, the Bipedal Flying Dragons, Poison Flies, and hidden anti-aircraft magic on the ground would ensure they met their doom.If the "enemy forces’" Griffons and Pegasus were reluctant to descend, they would simply be monitored from below.

Eventually, once they tired from flying, they would naturally retreat.

The Werewolf Beast Tamers showed great patience, trailing just below the Griffon Troop and occasionally making provocative rushes upward.

At this moment, Chui Chui informed Yan Xing, "The transport aircraft have arrived and are entering the landing pattern, requesting cover..."

Of course, the Beak Eagle Transport Planes could not be allowed to land while these Bipedal Flying Dragons and Poison Flies were causing trouble at low altitude.

Yan Xing issued the command to engage. Following a pre-formulated attack plan, Chui Chui dispatched combat tasks to the various air units.

Next, the lower, middle, and upper echelons of the Griffon Troop divided into three waves and dived, sounding their clarion call to charge. The flight formations of each group were further subdivided to maximize their attack angles. The Griffons plummeted like meteors, their flight trajectories blooming like chrysanthemum petals towards the enemy below.

In the Eternal Domain Air Force, the ratio of Battle Griffins to escorting Griffons had reached 1:1. This meant each Griffon Knight led two Griffons into battle. The Griffon Knights rode Battle Griffins to take the offensive, while their accompanying Griffons primarily focused on defense and assisted in the attack.

During the dive, the altitude readings on the Griffon Knights’ helmet displays decreased rapidly. Attack and retreat routes were marked with green and yellow lines, and attack targets were highlighted with red frames. Additionally, potential enemy spellcasting was predicted, and friendly Mages had prepared spell data (including type, effect, cast time, and range). Chui Chui also provided real-time tactical guidance to each Griffon Knight based on evolving battlefield data. The drone swarm circling high above integrated every combat unit of the Eternal Domain Air Force into the informationized warfare system.

The first wave of Griffons descended to 800 meters, entering the effective engagement zone for aerial magic combat. Specialized spellcasting heroes among both the Griffon Troop and the Bipedal Flying Dragon troop released their magic almost simultaneously. Magic rays crisscrossed. Magic Shields unfurled in the air, and any offensive magic striking them burst into spectacular fireworks.

In this magical exchange, the advantages of the Eternal Domain’s information system were fully realized. The Werewolf Beast Tamers cast their spells rather statically: first erecting a magic shield in front of themselves, then hurling offensive spells at the diving Griffons. In contrast, the magic deployed by the Eternal Domain’s Griffon Troop was dynamic.

The first wave of Griffons focused solely on offense during their dive. They cast no spells, maintaining continuous speed to reach their attack positions on time. Defense magic was entrusted to their comrades in the second wave. Chui Chui calculated the spell trajectory lead based on the position, speed, and angle of the first-wave Griffons, then relayed the casting coordinates to the heroes in the second echelon. Thus, the Griffon Knights of the first wave focused only on maneuvering, trusting that defense magic would arrive in time to deploy a magic shield for each of them. Furthermore, their arcing flight paths greatly reduced their chances of being hit by enemy magic.

Spells collided and burst in mid-air: lightning danced, fireballs exploded, frost and ice condensed, and stones and sand sliced through the wind. The myriad colors painted the sky with vibrant splendor. Poison Flies, Bipedal Flying Dragons, and Griffons hit by magical attacks plunged from the sky. The aerial combat had become white-hot from the initial contact.

The Griffons of the Eternal Domain braved the magical attacks of the Heize Werewolf Beast Tamers, resolutely moving toward their respective attack positions. Since they had committed to battle, they could not allow this group of Bipedal Flying Dragons to escape easily. Even if they could not annihilate them, it was crucial to inflict heavy damage. This would deter the Heize Werewolves from daring to pit Bipedal Flying Dragons against Griffons again.

With layered, three-dimensional protection, the first wave of Griffons reached their attack positions with minimal casualties. They completed their encirclement from all sides, positioning themselves diagonally above the Bipedal Flying Dragon flock, less than two hundred meters away. The Griffons continued to dive, tightening the encirclement and aiming to cut off the Bipedal Flying Dragons’ escape route to the ground.

Meanwhile, all Griffon Knights readied the weapons Yan Xing had procured for the air force. Yan Xing had acquired a batch of AK12 assault rifles through the Renlun Investment Bank from friendly units. One portion was delivered to the Eternal Domain Air Force as transitional aerial combat weapons; another was allocated to the Eternal Domain Army for combat groups to use for suppressive fire.

The issue was that while the weapons were cheap, the ammunition was expensive.Various factors restricted the Eternal Domain from mass-producing high-precision ammunition, which became the biggest obstacle to upgrading its forces’ armaments.Fortunately, manufacturing a small amount themselves, supplemented by some purchases, was enough to contend with the enemies currently facing the Eternal Domain.

A 50-round drum magazine gave the aerial-combat-configured AK12s terrifying firepower. When the first wave of Griffons closed to within 100 meters of the Bipedal Flying Dragon flock, dozens of assault rifles opened fire simultaneously. Muzzle flashes erupted as a dense torrent of bullets formed a metallic deluge in the sky. Tracers drew long fiery lines, like scythes reaping through the dense swarms of Bipedal Flying Dragons and Poison Flies.

The ferocious, multi-angled firepower riddled the Magic Shields erected by the Heize Werewolf Beast Tamers with holes. Poison Flies, shredded by gunfire, rained down into the jungle below. Bullets sparked against the Bipedal Flying Dragons’ sturdy scales. However, the scales did not cover their entire bodies and could not completely deflect the bullets. With projectiles hailing from all directions, the dragons’ wings were riddled with holes, and their abdomens spurted blood. Bipedal Flying Dragons suffering fatal injuries let out pained howls.

The Werewolf Beast Tamers had never witnessed such concentrated ranged firepower. A single magic shield could not protect them; even adding another left them vulnerable. A web of fire crisscrossed the sky. Anything caught in this fiery net plummeted, its fate unknown. The Werewolf Beast Tamers controlling the Bipedal Flying Dragons and Poison Flies were thrown into disarray by the sudden onslaught.

Fortunately, this intense barrage stopped quickly. Unfortunately, a similar attack then rained down from above. The Werewolf Beast Tamers realized they were trapped. The relentless assault, stripping them of any ability to retaliate, seemed endless.

The surviving Werewolf Beast Tamers immediately pulled their Bipedal Flying Dragon mounts downward, attempting to flee into the dense forest below. Only then did they discover that a group of Griffons had, at some point, sealed off their escape route. These Griffons unleashed beams of light like deadly scythes, and the fleeing Bipedal Flying Dragons exposed their undersides directly to the attack.

At that moment, Yan Xing, mounted on Flying Shadow, observed the battle below with a detached gaze. He did not participate in this assault. Since this was a training exercise, he naturally allowed his soldiers to practice their tactics thoroughly.

The Griffon Knights of the first wave performed remarkably well. After emptying their drum magazines, they perfectly positioned themselves below and to the side of the dazed Bipedal Flying Dragon flock. The Griffon Knights of the second wave timed their fire to fill the gap, maintaining relentless pressure and giving the enemy no chance to recover or react. The three-wave staggered attack, calculated and coordinated by Chui Chui, poured ammunition onto the Bipedal Flying Dragons trapped in the center from all angles, leaving no blind spots. Meanwhile, Mages conjured offensive Magic Shields, forming barrier walls in the sky to prevent the Bipedal Flying Dragons from escaping the encirclement.

A slaughter was underway in the sky.

The intensity of the battle deterred the Elf Pegasus Knight squadron from approaching too closely. They had never witnessed such a style of aerial warfare.

Before the engagement, the Eternal Domain’s Griffons had unexpectedly spread out into a wide formation. This dispersion did not cause chaos in the Eternal Domain’s Griffon Troop’s coordination. Instead, whether vertically or horizontally, all units acted in unison, maintaining perfect distances. The entire operation was as coordinated as the limbs of a single body, their teamwork flawless. Then there was the coordination between Griffon Knights at different positions and altitudes. The first-wave Griffon Knights could trust their comrades implicitly, maneuvering decisively without needing to cast any magic themselves. The magical support from the second wave was incredibly precise and timely.

The entire process was like a work of art. Such execution and coordination were beyond what any other aerial combat unit in this world could possibly achieve.

How did the Eternal Domain Air Force manage this?

However, when the Elves saw the Eternal Domain’s Griffon Knights wielding these weapons for slaughter, they felt as if they themselves had been struck.