266: Grand military parade

After the infantry formations, with their uniform and rhythmic steps, and the futuristic, sci-fi-like mecha formations passed the rostrum in succession, the War Bear formation that followed brought a completely different, primal sense of shock.

Twenty War Bears marched with heavy, orderly steps that belied their massive frames. Each one was as sturdy as a small mountain, clad in custom-made composite armor with thick alloy plates covering crucial joints, chests, and abdomens.

As they moved, they lowered their front torsos slightly. Every time their thick limbs hit the ground, a dull echo rang out from the granite pavement, and low, thunderous whimpers occasionally rolled from their throats. When those pairs of lava-red bear eyes swept over the spectators, they didn't bring mechanical coldness, but rather a pure sense of power and oppression from an ancient, savage apex predator, making many front-row spectators subconsciously hold their breath.

Leading the pack were the exceptionally massive Xiong Da and Xiong Er. Their terrifying bodies stood over eight meters tall when upright, like moving mountains of muscle, covered in fur with a special luster that looked like steel needles under the sun. When they passed the viewing area with heavy yet relatively coordinated steps, the waves of gasps reached a new peak! This was no longer marveling at a weapon, but awe at the combination of natural might and war technology. They were living behemoths of war, an incredible symbol of the fusion of violent power and iron-blooded discipline.

Before the savage afterglow of the War Bear formation had even dissipated, a torrent representing the true steel power of a modern army roared forth.

Leading the way were ten 'Apocalypse' tanks, looking like mobile steel fortresses. Their incredibly wide tracks, thick composite armor, and most notably, their ferocious twin-mounted 155mm giant cannon turrets—resembling twin-headed monstrous snakes—all spoke of the absolute dominance of the 'King of Land Warfare.' The roar of their engines as they drove was low and powerful, as if the heart of the earth was drumming.

The formation that followed immediately triggered low gasps and heated discussions among the knowledgeable soldiers and technicians on the viewing stands. Those were ten 'prism tanks' with sleek designs and bodies covered in peculiar, crystalline armor. Their turrets were not traditional cannons, but massive, complex laser matrix platforms composed of multi-faceted prisms and energy-focusing devices, shimmering with rainbow-like light under the sun and filled with a mysterious high-tech aura.

Jiang Feifei's clear and proud commentary rang out at the right moment, spreading through the loudspeakers to the entire field: 'Now being presented to everyone is our army's latest equipment, the "prism tank"! They have abandoned traditional chemical energy weapons and are equipped with high-energy laser emission systems. The focused laser beams they fire possess extremely high energy density and penetration, capable of instantly melting through the frontal armor of heavy tanks, making them a sharp tool against high-defense targets. In combat evaluations, the firepower of a single prism tank is sufficient to effectively deal with a powerful Tier 2 Peak variant zombie!' Her explanation turned the public's gasps into enlightened praise and made the gazes of the representatives from various military regions even more solemn and burning.

Next was the more familiar backbone of steel: a mixed formation consisting of twenty agile 'Grizzly' medium tanks and twenty stout, heavy 'rhino' heavy tanks, the main force for frontal assaults in Red Alert. Meanwhile, ten uniquely shaped 'tesla tanks,' wrapped in unstable flickering blue electric arcs and emitting faint 'crackle' sounds, brought another kind of eerie deterrence. Wherever they passed, the electrical charges in the air seemed to become active.

Marching alongside the steel behemoths was an armored vehicle formation composed of various models of 'ifvs' (carrying different branches of troops), 'armored personnel carriers,' 'v3 rocket launchers,' 'Minelaying and Minesweeping Vehicles,' and more. Countless steel tracks and rubber tires crushed the solid granite road surface together, emitting a uniform yet incredibly heavy roar.

Thick diesel exhaust and the faint heat of steel friction permeated the square; this was the 'scent' unique to a mechanical legion.

As all the combat vehicles passed directly in front of the rostrum, their turrets turned in unison toward the viewing stands, their muzzles tilting slightly upward. The vehicle Commanders standing at the open hatches simultaneously raised their arms solemnly, giving the most standard military salute to their Commander and all the people—solemn and shocking.

When the last steel formation on the ground drove toward the distant assembly area amidst billowing dust and its deafening roar gradually faded, many people were still immersed in the afterglow of the steel torrent. However, someone was the first to point to the sky, letting out a silence-shattering gasp:

'Look! There's something in the sky! Planes! It's planes!'

In an instant, hundreds of thousands of gazes lifted in unison from the ground, casting toward the azure firmament.

First, soaring over the square in a heart-stopping ultra-low altitude pass like silver lightning, were twelve 'Invader' light fighters. They were arranged in three tight arrowhead formations, their silver-gray streamlined fuselages almost brushing the rooftops of the tall buildings around the square as they whistled by. The sun reflected blinding light off their wings and fuselages. The air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground rocket pods hanging under their wings were clearly visible.

They brought not just a visual impact, but an auditory bombardment—the sharp sonic booms and the air-tearing whistles produced by ultra-low altitude high-speed flight sounded like the shrieks of a death god. After a moment of daze, the crowd below erupted into mountain-shaking waves of excited shouts and cheers!

Just as the 'Invader' fleet passed, in a higher airspace, eight 'Black Eagle' heavy fighters—larger in size, with harder and more rugged lines like aerial sledgehammers—flew by in a steady and power-filled formation. Their massive payload capacity and ground-attack power were enough to make one feel reassured just by their appearance.

However, what truly pushed the aerial parade to its absolute climax and let science fiction shine into reality were the final three 'apollo' aerospace fighters that made their grand entrance!

They didn't simply fly past; instead, in a manner bordering on showing off, they first performed a jaw-dropping vertical climb in the distant sky. Upon reaching the peak, they paused as if stalling, only to immediately dive down in a vertical posture, pulling three clear and beautiful white vortex trails in the blue sky, as if the sky were being written upon by a giant brush.

After completing this incredible maneuver, they leveled out and flew over the square at a relatively slow, steady speed. At this moment, the square fell into a brief silence. Countless people tilted their heads back, mouths agape, but forgot to shout. Their hearts were filled only with deep shock and bewilderment at this technology that completely surpassed the era and seemed to come from the future. This had already exceeded their cognitive boundaries of a 'powerful air force.'

As the unique blue tail flame of the last 'apollo' streaked toward the horizon like a meteor and gradually disappeared into the clouds, many thought the aerial portion of the parade had ended. However, Jiang Feifei's voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of mystery and excitement:

'Please keep watching! Next is the final surprise our Red Alert Legion has dedicated to the people of the entire country!'

As soon as she finished speaking, a low and deep hum of a unique engine, sounding as if it came from beyond the nine heavens, grew louder and louder from far to near. This sound wasn't as sharp as a jet engine, nor as noisy as a propeller; it was a grander, steadier vibration with a certain rhythm.

Then, on the horizon to the northwest of the square, an incredibly massive shadow slowly emerged and gradually became clear.

Was that a... blimp? No, that was an aerial carrier!!!

It was oval-shaped, with a visually estimated length of over four hundred meters, looking like an aircraft carrier sailing through the sky! It had complex hatches and structures on its belly, and obvious thruster groups emitting a faint blue light on its sides. It didn't fly in quickly; instead, with a steady, sovereign posture, it slowly glided into the airspace directly above the square and then actually... hovered! The shadow cast by its massive body was enough to cover nearly half the square!

'My goodness! Is... is that a spaceship?!'

'Am I dreaming? Did our Legion really find an alien base?!'

'This... how is this possible?! What kind of technology is this?!'

The square was instantly ignited! Gasps, shouts, and discussions more intense and unbelievable than any before merged into a true tsunami of sound. Many people jumped up in excitement, pointing at the sky and speaking incoherently.

Even the widely experienced and rock-steady General Qin Guoqiang slowly and involuntarily stood up from his seat at this moment. He looked up at the aerial fortress that blotted out the sun, his face filled with unprecedented shock and astonishment, his mouth slightly open, unable to speak for a long time. Yang Tian and Ye Qingwen beside him were similarly dazed on the spot.

The representatives from other major military regions and forces were even more out of sorts, standing up one after another. Some even knocked over the water cups by their hands without realizing it.

Heng Junlong narrowed his eyes, the muscles on his face twitching slightly; Qin Ziyu covered her small mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with the impossible; Nangong Yu gazed up at the giant ship, flames dancing in her eyes—it was extreme shock and yearning; Xiang Wentian had long forgotten his previous grudges, his mouth wide open as he looked up at this creation that overturned his cognition, the pride of the Overlord's descendant seeming so minuscule at this moment. Chen Shutong, Yang Zhen, Zhang Huating, Ma Yuankong... every representative, no matter where they came from, now had only one expression—dumbfounded horror!

Jiang Feifei's voice, carrying uncontrollable pride, clearly suppressed the clamor of the scene through the microphone:

'Fellow compatriots, distinguished guests! What is currently hovering over Hongdu is the latest super strategic technological crystallization of my Red Alert Legion, a stellar-class long-range armed aerial carrier—the "Kirov" Airship! The lead ship, the "Longxing," completed its final assembly and testing at the Lujiang Aerospace City a few days ago!'

She paused briefly to let this shocking term echo in everyone's minds, then continued the introduction, each sentence like a heavy hammer blow:

'It is no ordinary aircraft. The "Kirov" Airship utilizes our Legion's exclusive large-scale nuclear fusion energy and anti-gravity technology, particle propulsion technology, solar energy technology, and more, allowing it not only to cruise infinitely within the atmosphere but also giving it the potential for interstellar travel within the solar system! Its massive hangar can carry multiple types of fighters, including the "apollo" aerospace fighter; it is itself a mobile aerial strategic base and airport!'

'And the super weapon system it carries—' Jiang Feifei's voice suddenly became powerful, 'is a terrifying existence capable of easily wiping a small mountain completely off the map! This is the symbol of us guarding our home and heading toward the stars!'

As her explanation finished, several sets of massive signal lights on the belly of the hovering 'Kirov' Airship began to flash rhythmically, as if greeting the people below. At this moment, the entirety of Hongdu, no, the entirety of Xijiang Province, and even everyone who saw this scene through the broadcast, fell into a sort of pilgrimage-like shock and fervor.

(Brothers, the review got stuck. Xiao Feng set off a 32-million-ton firework in Dong-Jing to celebrate the commissioning ceremony, but it didn't get posted.)

The technological strength of the Red Alert Legion was pushed onto a divine pedestal unreachable by mortals at this moment. The significance of the military parade had surpassed a simple display of force; it became a shocking declaration of the start of a new era and a new eon.