The shells, with a warhead mass of 6 grams, a muzzle velocity of 1 kilometer per second, and total kinetic energy of 3 kilojoules, fired furiously at one-quarter of their maximum rate of fire—500 rounds per minute.
At that rate, a single Mercury-class Battleship could fire a thousand bullets per minute.
There were still 480 warships at this moment, meaning 480,000 bullets per minute.
The autocannons were roaring as well. Their heavier, faster shells crossed distances of more than a hundred thousand kilometers, one after another, aimed at the mothership and those combat spacecraft.
More than a thousand Interstellar Missiles trailed long Exhaust Plumes as they accelerated to speeds of up to 20 kilometers per second and flew furiously toward the enemy mothership and warships.
Not only that, they flexibly altered their flight paths in transit, keeping the enemy firmly locked in their sights.
Such a ferocious assault was unbearable for the enemy, even if the weapons were only from the gunpowder age.
Thus, when the Mercury-class Battleship fleet closed to a certain distance and the attack grew even fiercer—after all, the closer they were, the greater the accuracy, the shorter the shells' flight time, and the harder they were to intercept—the hostile warships finally could not endure it any longer. Another twenty or so flew out, attempting to wipe out the Mercury-class Battleships.
Li Qingsong did not hesitate. He decisively pushed the engines to maximum power and shut down the spacecraft attitude control systems. He even made use of the recoil from the bullets and shells. Whether they could hit their targets or not no longer mattered; while firing shells wildly in every direction, he retreated with all his strength.
Under these circumstances, the reverse acceleration of the 480 Mercury-class Battleships reached unprecedented levels.
Although more than thirty warships