"Boom!"
Just as the "rebel army" sounded the gong and withdrew.
Chen Sanshi was still locked in combat with the warriors of the Ling family.
And as the exchange dragged on, the Ling family martial cultivators discovered in shock that Chen Sanshi was not anxious at all. Even though he clearly knew he could not resolve the battle in a short time, he showed no impatience whatsoever. On the contrary, his movements grew increasingly relaxed and unrestrained—he was not even fighting at full strength.
This was…
He was using the seven of them to train!
Using the Guishui Demon-Slaying Formation to cultivate!
Martial cultivators were different from spell cultivators.
For spell cultivators, the best path was quiet meditation and focused stillness.
But for martial cultivators, it was the exact opposite. As long as there was sufficient spiritual energy, real combat could stimulate the meridians more effectively, accelerate the circulation of the heavenly cycle, and hasten the awakening of the inner shrine.
"Bastard!"
Ling Ling felt an unbearable humiliation. She took out an enormous quantity of spirit stones once more, forcefully enhancing the power of the Guishui Demon-Slaying Formation, finally regaining the upper hand.
However—
By this time, the rebel army had already completed its withdrawal after sounding the retreat.
Chen Sanshi showed no desire to continue fighting. While continuously defending against attacks, he retreated atop a leaf-shaped flying artifact. No one could keep him pinned down, and he soon vanished into the dense fog.
"Don't let him escape!"
Senior Sister Ling Ling raised her sword, intending to pursue.
But a bearded middle-aged man among them raised his hand, signaling the clan members not to chase further.
Several young martial cultivators exchanged glances, all feeling lingering fear. With identical realms, the seven of them forming a formation still could not kill him. If not for the terrain advantage—being able to draw endlessly upon the Luoxiao River beneath their feet—they feared that not only would they fail to suppress him, but would instead be picked off one by one and slaughtered.
"Delaying him is enough,"
the middle-aged man said. "Ling Ling, I know you want to avenge Ling Yun, but this cannot be rushed. All we need to do is hold Chen Sanshi back. Once the rest of his forces collapse, we can join with those who are freed up, form a grand formation, and easily execute him."
"Fourth Uncle, I understand."
Ling Ling sheathed her sword.
The seven of them represented all the True Force Realm martial cultivators across three generations of the Ling family.
Their reason for coming to the Eastern Divine Continent to take part in this conflict was to secure a new foothold for the clan.
After the battle.
The court began tallying losses.
"Grand Commander, both sides have sustained casualties,"
a lieutenant general reported. "This surprise attack gained the rebels no advantage."
"Good!"
Prince Qi said excitedly. "We anticipated Chen Sanshi's fire attack, and now even his surprise assault can do nothing to us! All that remains is to wait for this heavy fog to disperse, then advance our forces and swallow them in one bite!"
"The fog…"
Zhou Rong stepped onto the deck with a wine cup in hand, gazing at the vast white expanse, and said quietly, "I fear prolonged delay breeds trouble."
Advancing on water.
The greatest taboo was losing one's sense of direction.
Especially given the rebels' position—if they retreated further back, there were countless tributaries and lakes. Without clearly discerning enemy movements, charging in blindly could easily result in an ambush.
By common sense, it would be best to wait until the fog cleared before advancing.
Yet Zhou Rong issued the order anyway.
"Pass it down. We advance tomorrow."
"Not waiting for the fog to disperse?"
Prince Qi asked. "Lord Zhou, this is…"
"To use motion to counter stillness,"
Nie Yuan took over. "Forcing them to reveal whatever methods they have."
"Damn it!"
At the new dynasty's naval encampment.
Wang Zhi cursed nonstop as men applied medicine and bandaged the sword wound on his back, where the bone was nearly severed.
"Lackey! That bastard Nie has gotten used to being a lackey for a three-master traitor!"
"The bones are injured—he didn't hold back at all,"
Cheng Wei clicked his tongue. "Looks like Third Brother still resents us for driving them out of Northern Liang."
"General Wang, what about the ship?"
Qi Cheng walked over and asked. "The Grand Commander ordered that after this raid, you must bring back a medium or large enemy warship."
"Don't even mention it! Third Brother was chasing me down trying to kill me—where would I find time to seize a ship?!"
Wang Zhi lifted his blade and said, "Tonight. Tonight I'll take another squad and try again."
"The ship is here!"
As he spoke,
Wei Xuan's voice rang out. He piloted a warship flying the Great Sheng banner as it slowly entered the naval encampment.
The enemy's large ships were protected by the Water-Repelling Grand Formation.
This ship was one he had stormed before the formation was activated, at the cost of tremendous effort.
Wei Xuan asked, "Lord Qi, take a look—will this ship do?"
"As long as it has the Water-Repelling Grand Formation, it's perfect!"
Qi Cheng pointed into the distance. "Much thanks to Hero Wei for personally delivering it to the Grand Commander!"
"Alright!"
Wei Xuan immediately called for the soldiers to row, steering the ship toward the lakeside dock Qi Cheng indicated.
The Luoxiao River was the lifeline of the Central Plains, nurturing hundreds of millions of people and serving as the origin of all things. Its tributaries were countless, connecting to innumerable rivers and lakes.
Small pools formed depressions; larger ones formed ponds.
Small and deep were called pools; large and deep were called abysses.
Wide and shallow were marshes; wide and deep were lakes.
Lakes connected to lakes became bays; bays connected to bays became wetlands.
Near the Chibi, after retreating several dozen li, all such terrains and waters were present.
After the fighting ended, Chen Sanshi flew into Donghan Lake, where warships had already been stationed in advance to guard the entrance.
Not long after, Wei Xuan steered the captured five-tooth warship into the lake.
"Leave the ship here,"
Xu Wencai commanded while standing on a small boat, pointing as he directed the maneuver.
"Good!"
Wei Xuan immediately led the soldiers on the ship to board small boats and depart.
Before long, in the vast Donghan Lake, only the White Robe and Wolong remained.
"That Young Lord Zhou truly did prepare defenses against fire attacks,"
Xu Wencai said as he recalled what they had seen today, clicking his tongue in amazement. "This Water-Repelling Grand Formation doesn't just resist flames—it's essentially a water-element shield suspended outside the enemy warships. Truly troublesome!"
Once the Water-Repelling Grand Formation was activated, let alone a Martial Saint—even those at the True Force Realm like Sima Yao would find it extremely difficult to break through. It could practically be described as an impregnable fortress moving across the water.
If the two armies were to clash head-on and their warships collided, the consequences would be unimaginable!
It was completely…
Flawless.
Chen Sanshi did not speak. Instead, he flew into the captured warship.
The ship had not yet been cleaned. Bloodstains covered the deck, and the corpses of court soldiers lay scattered everywhere. In every corner of the warship, military banners and formation flags were planted.
A second-tier formation.
As a formation master himself, Chen Sanshi naturally recognized its value.
Although formations could vary in special circumstances, they could still be broadly compared.
The power of a first-tier formation was equivalent to that of a Qi Refining cultivator.
The power of a second-tier formation was equivalent to Foundation Establishment strength!
A Water-Repelling Grand Formation capable of contending with Foundation Establishment cultivators!
A second-tier formation master!
That Shan Liangcheng was only a Qi Refining cultivator, yet he could set up a second-tier formation. This alone was enough to prove that he was a genius on the path of formations.
Of course.
Second-tier formations also consumed enormous amounts of spiritual energy.
At the helm, Chen Sanshi found the formation disk. Nearby were not only large reserves of lower-grade spirit stones, but even dark-cyan middle-grade spirit stones. A single middle-grade spirit stone was worth one thousand lower-grade spirit stones!
Even so, spiritual energy was being consumed at a rapid rate. If the Water-Repelling Grand Formation were maintained continuously, it would not take long before these spirit stones were completely drained dry.
Just as in mortal wars, where once fighting began, ten thousand taels of gold were consumed daily.
When immortals went to war, spirit stones were likewise expended in countless quantities each day.
In this ancestral vein struggle, Shengyun Sect had clearly spared no expense.
At the formation core, Chen Sanshi embedded a spirit stone, then gently rotated the formation disk. Spiritual light flared from the helm as ancient runes lit up one after another on the disk, while the formation flags placed at various positions began shifting in orderly fashion.
The Water-Repelling Grand Formation!
"Crash—"
Driven by the formation.
The waters of Donghan Lake began to churn, then formed an arcing circular wall of water that enveloped the five-tooth warship within.
Flame Manipulation Art!
Chen Sanshi first condensed flames formed from mana above his palm, gathering them into a fireball. With a wave of his hand, he transformed it into a rain of fire that scattered across the deck, attempting to ignite the warship.
As expected.
After the flames burned for just two breaths, serpents formed of lake water condensed upon the water wall of the Water-Repelling Grand Formation. They struck with unerring precision at every ignition point. Containing the power of heaven and earth mana, they smoothly extinguished the flames, thick smoke rising across the deck.
This Water-Repelling Grand Formation was not merely designed to block external attacks—it was effective both inside and out.
One had to know that the flames from the Flame Manipulation Art were not ordinary fire, but mana fire. Yet even so, they were easily extinguished, clearly demonstrating the extraordinary might of a second-tier formation.
With a light leap, Chen Sanshi passed through the Water-Repelling Grand Formation and returned to Wolong's small boat. In his hands suddenly appeared a golden great bow, which he drew toward the five-tooth warship until it was bent like a full moon.
"Boom!"
The bowstring snapped back.
The silver projectile burst forth carrying surging True Force. Flames ignited in midair, and as it spread its wings, it transformed into a fire-bathed Vermilion Bird that screeched as it slammed into the water wall.
"Rumble—!"
Under the terrifying impact, the five-tooth warship rocked violently, yet the Water-Repelling Grand Formation remained intact. After several breaths of stalemate, the Vermilion Bird dimmed and extinguished. The silver projectile lost its spirituality, fell from the air, and sank into the lake.
"Boom!"
After that—
Another fire dragon soared into the sky. As it neared the formation, it abruptly transformed, its temperature spiking sharply as the flames turned crimson, roaring as it tore at the Water-Repelling Grand Formation.
Immortal treasure strange flame!
This time.
The five-tooth warship shook even more violently, as if struck by a tsunami. The crimson fire dragon finally tore open a hole in the water wall. Just as it was about to break into the warship, the formation disk aboard began spinning at high speed, drawing spiritual energy from the spirit stones at an unbelievable rate. It mobilized lake water to thicken the water wall, continuously repairing the damaged Water-Repelling Grand Formation.
The water wall infused with spiritual energy grew thicker and thicker, from a few inches to more than one zhang, while the crimson flames burned within the lake itself.
Fire within water!
Even so, the strange flame did not immediately extinguish—it continued evaporating the water wall.
"Sizzle—sizzle—"
The sound of water and fire clashing echoed endlessly, like flesh searing on iron. Dense mist billowed out, quickly enveloping an area of several hundred zhang, turning this region into something resembling a fairyland.
However…
The Water-Repelling Grand Formation could ultimately draw upon the entire lake, endlessly repairing the water wall. By the time even the silver projectile at the core of the fire dragon had been burned to ash, the strange flame finally extinguished as well.
After personally testing it, Chen Sanshi arrived at a precise judgment of this second-tier formation.
The water of the Water-Repelling Grand Formation could not extinguish strange flames.
The reason the strange flame could not break through the water wall was because strange flames required fuel.
Whether firewood, lamp oil, or flesh—so long as strange flames had something to burn, they could unleash terrifying power. The prerequisite was the presence of "material."
Water was clearly not combustible material.
The strange flame had not been extinguished by "water." Rather, the lamp oil on the silver projectile had been exhausted. With no more fuel to burn, the flame naturally could not continue.
To ignite a large warship from the outside.
One must first satisfy a condition.
It required brute force to shatter the "water wall."
But this was a second-tier grand formation!
If Chen Sanshi went all out, he might be able to tear open a gap and shoot arrows carrying strange flames inside. However, once the battle truly began, he would be entangled by the Ling family's martial cultivators and would have no chance to act personally.
So there was only one option left…
Ignite it from the inside.
He put away his bow and arrows, took out the core formation flag removed from the ship, passed back through the Water-Repelling Grand Formation, and returned to the deck, igniting the strange flame from within.
"Buzz!"
At once, the Water-Repelling Grand Formation condensed massive lake-water serpents that lunged toward the flames. But this time, they could no longer extinguish them. Using the ship itself as fuel, the crimson strange flame spread rapidly. In just a few breaths, it engulfed the entire massive warship.
The formation flags, formation disk, and even the spirit stones burned and were damaged. The Water-Repelling Grand Formation collapsed with a thunderous crash. After a few more breaths, a warship more than thirty feet tall did not even have time to sink before it was reduced to ashes. When the strange flame touched the lake water, it once again stirred up sky-filling smoke.
As long as the ship could be ignited from the inside, there was no problem at all.
"This fire of yours, my lord…"
Xu Wencai stared in astonishment. "No wonder you kept saying fire would be used to break the enemy. So now the problem is how to deliver the fire inside and make it spread quickly. If one ship burns, it can drag an entire swath down with it."
"Exactly. We only get one chance," Chen Sanshi said. "If we fail to burn their warships clean in one strike, Zhou Rong will definitely be on guard. Trying the same trick again will be far more difficult."
"If only we could bind their warships together," Xu Wencai muttered. "But the court navy is the elite fleet left behind by the Prince of Zhen'nan. Water combat is what they're best at—there's no reason for them to do that. On the contrary, our Northern Liang troops have never fought naval battles before. Many of them keep shouting about using iron chains to link ships together just to stabilize sailing."
"If there's no reason, then we'll create one," Chen Sanshi said. "Tomorrow, the court will likely take the initiative to probe us. By then, prepare 500 sea-hawk ships in advance. Select elite soldiers to board them and follow me deep into the enemy formation!"
"I'll remember," Xu Wencai replied, accepting the order.
Chen Sanshi felt the Profound Pearl in his chest. The profound qi within it surged day by day.
If popular support could be quantified,
then what it contained was more than half the realm.
True, each formation deployment consumed some profound qi, but as the Northern Liang army passed through more and more territory, the recovery rate of profound qi only grew faster. There was no longer a need to hoard it like before, saving everything for the decisive battle.
"By the way, my lord,"
Xu Wencai added, "if you design things so they link their ships with iron chains, how will we ignite them from the inside? One or two internal agents won't be enough. It has to bloom everywhere at once to catch them completely off guard."
Even with iron chains linking the ships, if only one or two caught fire, high-realm martial artists and cultivators would still have enough time to separate them.
So the enemy fleet needed enough internal agents.
"I already have arrangements," Chen Sanshi said. "Just go and do as instructed."
The next day.
As expected, the court navy's vanguard advanced in vast numbers through the sky-filling fog toward the rebel water camp.
One by one, the "Flying Cloud" and "Sea-Covering" warships looked like moving fortresses upon the water. Inside them were Water-Repelling Grand Formations. If the new dynasty's fleet collided head-on with them, it would be no different from smashing eggs against stone!
"All units, slow down!"
Veteran generals like Yan Hongyuan piloted small boats, weaving among the tower ships to stabilize the naval formation as it advanced steadily.
The heavy fog persisted.
Visibility ahead was severely limited. A single misstep could throw the formation into chaos. With tributaries everywhere nearby, a mistake could scatter the army, instantly erasing their advantage.
Waging war—especially with more than ten thousand troops—was an extremely complex matter. Even just commanding movement was difficult, let alone fighting.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
About an hour into navigating the fog, war drums sounded from the enemy's direction.
"Stay alert!"
"Form up!"
Yan Hongyuan drew his sword and shouted.
He had expected the rebels, with nowhere left to retreat, to commit all their large warships in a desperate fight. Instead, from within the fog ahead emerged ship after ship of small boats. For every several dozen small boats, only a single large ship followed to hold the line.
Within the fog,
a man clad in black armor, holding a fire spear, advanced into the formation. Sword qi trailed behind him, thick-earth shields circled around him, and as he stepped on a flying artifact, he shouted loudly:
"Form ranks!"
With that single command,
countless small boats exploited their agility, slipping like schools of fish through the gaps between the enemy's large warships. They then scattered in all directions. It looked like each was fighting independently, but in reality, each occupied a precise position.
Threads of profound qi rose from the Profound Pearl, empowering allied soldiers and warships.
In an instant, the ships came alive!
Under the blessing of profound qi,
the small boats no longer needed human hands to row. As if endowed with life, they transformed into dragonfish clad in dragon armor, darting across the river's surface at inconceivable speeds.
As they weaved back and forth, an enormous formation took shape upon the river. The ripples on the water formed runes and totems of the formation, faintly carrying blood-soaked killing intent. Viewed from above, it looked less like a formation and more like a massive sacrificial altar—and the enemy's Flying Cloud tower ships were…
Offerings upon that altar!
Beneath the river's surface, a colossal shadow began to swim in and out of view.
It was as if some ancient creature was gradually awakening beneath this grand sacrifice. With its movement, the once-majestic river surface began to churn violently!
"Rumble—!"
Wave after wave of towering swells rose higher and higher—about 3 meters, 6 meters, 16 meters… over 33 meters!
They blotted out the sky, resembling nothing less than a catastrophic oceanic tsunami!
Under such colossal waves, even the massive tower ships were affected. They rocked violently, their side roll approaching 90 degrees, to the point that the soldiers on deck no longer felt as though they were standing on solid ground. Instead, it felt like running along walls and eaves, with the world spinning and heaven and earth overturning!
As for the court's small boats, there was no need to elaborate. They hovered constantly on the brink of capsizing and sinking. Many soldiers lost their footing and fell into the river. Even though they all hailed from the battle-hardened Jiangnan Navy, once trapped in the raging waters, it was like being mired in a swamp. No matter how good their swimming skills were, they were useless. They could only feel their bodies sinking, suffocating, as the icy river water burrowed into them like venomous insects, until their vision went completely black.
All soldiers who sank into the river vanished without a sound, like clay oxen swallowed by the sea, leaving behind only patches of crimson blood drifting on the surface.
"There's a monster!"
"A monster is eating people!"
The Jiangnan Navy soldiers had never witnessed anything like this. Every one of them was terrified out of their wits, clutching desperately at anything on the warships that could anchor their bodies, praying only that they would not fall into the man-eating river.
By contrast, the rebel sea-hawk boats remained completely unscathed amid the monstrous waves. They looked as though they had merged with the violent Luoxiao River itself, utterly unaffected.
Even the Northern Liang troops—who had almost no naval combat experience—felt a strange sense of being "like fish in water." Their weapons even carried a degree of water-element power as reinforcement.
The grand formation—Dragon King Sacrifice!
The court had formation masters to rely on, and Northern Liang naturally had the Heavenly Book to rely on as well!
"Activate the formation!"
"Activate the formation!"
The court navy's commanders shouted loudly.
Within the massive "Flying Cloud" and "Sea-Covering" tower ships, spiritual light flashed continuously. One Water-Repelling Grand Formation after another, each with second-tier might, rose up, finally stabilizing the large ships.
However, as the sea-hawk boats weaved through, whirlpools began to form beneath the hulls of these giant tower ships, one after another. It was as if, beneath the river's surface, ancient ferocious beasts had opened bloody maws, ready to swallow the warships whole.
Thanks to the defense of the Water-Repelling Grand Formations, the tower ships did not sink, but they could only spin in place, unable to advance even an inch—let alone push forward.
Unable to deal with the giant warships protected by Water-Repelling Grand Formations, the Northern Liang troops instead turned their attacks toward the medium and small enemy vessels. Once separated from the protection of the large ships, these smaller vessels lost any real advantage.
Meanwhile, the Northern Liang sea-hawk boats—shaped like seabirds slicing through wind and waves—had iron plates mounted along both sides of their hulls, granting formidable defense. Their prows were fitted with sharp iron spikes, and with the blessing of the Dragon King Sacrifice formation, they were like gigantic waterborne ballistae.
"Boom!"
The sea-hawk boat ridden by Wang Zhi smashed head-on into an enemy armored assault ship without dodging at all, snapping it cleanly in half. His own vessel, however, suffered no damage whatsoever.
The enemy assault ship began sinking rapidly. The court soldiers aboard had only two choices: either leap onto Northern Liang warships for close-quarters combat, or drown in the surging river.
Five hundred small boats.
At this very moment, they inflicted devastating damage upon the court navy, causing massive casualties among the Jiangnan soldiers.
And their "Flying Cloud" tower ships could only watch helplessly!
The Water-Repelling Grand Formation was a one-way defense. Those inside could exit, but once out—aside from commanders holding the core formation flags—they could not reenter.
As a result, the large ships were almost completely unable to exert their strength. They could only fire arrows toward the river's surface, but with the waves so violent, accuracy was nearly impossible. Some arrows even struck friendly forces by mistake.
On a Flying Cloud giant ship,
Zhou Rong stood behind the Water-Repelling Grand Formation, gazing at the horrific scene before him, and said, "General Nie, you were right again. Chen Sanshi can deploy a Heavenly Book formation using nothing but small boats and unleash such combat power."
"Yes,"
Nie Yuan said, bracing himself with his sword, barely able to stand steady. "He must possess some extraordinary treasure. It seems our army will be unable to advance any further today."
"That White Robe is truly troublesome…"
Zhou Rong issued the order: "Pass it down. All soldiers aboard the large ships are to take small boats out of the Water-Repelling Grand Formation to support the fight. Maintain formation discipline at all times. Fight while withdrawing. We'll sound the gong and retreat for today."
The order was quickly carried out.
After a large number of cultivators and martial generals left the tower ships to support the chaotic melee, the situation gradually stabilized. Under the protection of the Water-Repelling Grand Formations, the large ships slowly withdrew.
The second clash between the two armies.
The court lost over 200 warships, with more than 10,000 soldiers dead. Blood dyed the river red, while shattered planks and debris from destroyed ships floated everywhere.
The rebels returned with a minor victory.
"This is outrageous!"
Prince Qi slammed the battle report to the ground and stomped on it repeatedly. "I command 400,000 troops with countless giant warships! Yet today, they were completely useless! Instead, those rebel sea-hawk boats slipped around like loaches, causing us grievous losses and halting our advance entirely!"
"Indeed,"
Yan Hongyuan said. "If they continue using this battle formation every time, not only will we be unable to break the enemy, we may even fall into severe passivity!"
"Gentlemen,"
Amid the tense atmosphere, Nie Yuan stood and said, "I do have a plan."
"Oh?"
Prince Qi hurriedly said, "General Nie, what is your method to break the enemy? Please, speak quickly."
"When armies face off, to gain advantage, one must use one's own strengths to strike the enemy's weaknesses. Clearly, the other side understands this very well."
Nie Yuan paced back and forth as he spoke:
"Whether it was their fog-assisted surprise attack in the first clash,
"Or today, when they deliberately avoided committing their large ships and instead stirred chaos with small boats—it's all the same.
"Chen Sanshi exploits the agility of his small boats to attack the clumsiness of our large ships. Coupled with the waves generated by the formation, our army finds it extremely difficult to maintain formation.
"So…
"To resolve this—
"Why doesn't our army link the ships together with iron chains?"
"Iron chains linking the ships?"
Prince Qi asked. "General Nie, please explain in detail."
"What is meant by iron-chain linking…"
Nie Yuan shook his head as he explained animatedly:
"It's simple. First, we arrange the formation of our large and small warships, then use black-iron chains to link them together one by one, fixing them firmly in place!
"In this way, we can greatly reduce the gaps between the frontline giant warships. Then we activate the Water-Repelling Grand Formations together, linking formation to formation from front to back. Our navy will effectively be pushing forward behind a massive wall of water, leaving the enemy with no way to easily break into our ranks!
"Even if one or two slip through by chance, they won't be able to disrupt our formation.
"When that happens, our army will advance irresistibly, and the enemy will surely be routed!"
After hearing this, Prince Qi pondered briefly, then exclaimed repeatedly, "A brilliant plan—truly brilliant!"
Yan Hongyuan asked, "Lord Zhou, what do you think?"
"Hm."
Zhou Rong mused, then said, "General Nie's plan is indeed good, but…"
"Young Lord Zhou is still worried about fire attacks?"
Prince Qi seemed to see through his concern. "We have the Water-Repelling Grand Formation. Even if fire starts from inside, it can be extinguished quickly. What is there to fear?!"
"Your Highness has a point. Very well."
Zhou Rong made his decision. "We can use iron-chain linking, but for now, only link a small number of the vanguard warships. The remaining ships and small boats will maintain their current deployment. We'll fight again tomorrow, then decide the next steps based on the situation."
"Caution is a virtue."
Nie Yuan praised, "With Young Lord Zhou's arrangement, we may not inflict heavy losses on the enemy, but securing the best forward anchorage and the land camp should pose no problem."
"Then I'll trouble General Nie to see to the arrangements."
Zhou Rong tossed the commander's token into Nie Yuan's hands, then assigned tasks to the other generals one by one.
After everything was arranged, he dismissed the dancers and musicians, then took a wine cup and went alone to the deck, drinking by himself.
"Young Master, beware of assassins."
An elderly Zhou family servant stepped to his side, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
"It's fine."
Zhou Rong gazed at the river surface shrouded in night and said, "Uncle Duan, tell me—if you were the enemy commander, how would you break my navy?"
"Nothing but fire attacks,"
the old servant replied. "Our ships are huge; fire is what we fear most."
"Yes… fire attacks."
Zhou Rong narrowed his eyes. "So how exactly does Chen Sanshi intend to use this fire?"
"In my humble opinion, Young Master may be worrying too much,"
the servant said. "They already tried fire attacks before, and it failed. Under the Water-Repelling Grand Formation, even the cultivators' spellfire can be extinguished in time."
"Perhaps."
Zhou Rong gripped his wine cup, sinking into thought.
No matter what kind of fire it was, burning ships from the outside was impossible now.
Then…
How would that Chen fellow make fire start from the inside?
Planting people aboard their ships?
The next day.
The court navy prepared meals at the third night watch and launched the attack at the fourth.
Rebel scouts detected the movement early and fired whistling arrows into the sky.
The Northern Liang army responded swiftly.
Once again, they used a small number of large ships to anchor the formation, while countless small boats surged toward the enemy ranks like schools of fish, preparing to repeat their old tactics.
However—
When they were still about 330 meters from the enemy vanguard, they suddenly saw black-iron chains rise between the leading court warships!
Dense black-iron chains crisscrossed the gaps between ships like an iron cage. Immediately afterward, the water walls of the Water-Repelling Grand Formation rose in succession, like solid bronze and iron ramparts surging forward with overwhelming force.
The Northern Liang charge did not stop.
But this time,
Only a portion of the sea-hawk boats managed to slip through the gaps between the tower ships. The vast majority were intercepted and blocked.
With insufficient numbers, they could no longer form the Dragon King Sacrifice formation from within. Instead, they set up formations around the outer perimeter of the court navy, once again raising fierce waves—but the effect was far weaker.
These tower ships already had second-tier Water-Repelling Grand Formations for protection. Coupled with iron-chain linking, although they were still affected, the impact was minimized, allowing them to continue advancing.
However, the small boats without Water-Repelling Grand Formations still couldn't withstand it and were unable to bring out their full combat power.
The fourth clash ended after lasting 2 hours.
This time, both sides lost just over 100 warships each, with roughly 8,000 casualties apiece. It was effectively a draw.
"Young Lord Zhou," Prince Qi suggested, "today, linking only part of the Flying Cloud ships with iron chains already produced excellent results. If we link all large and small warships together, we'll surely be unstoppable!"
"Exactly!"
"In today's engagement, the enemy was still using fire attacks, but under the Water-Repelling Grand Formation, they had no effect at all!"
"Chen Sanshi is full of tricks—delay invites disaster!"
"We should directly launch a strong attack tomorrow, seize the forward ferry docks, and secure a favorable position!"
"Yes! Opportunities pass in an instant—we absolutely cannot delay!"
"All forces!"
Zhou Rong finally made up his mind. "Link all large and small vessels with iron chains!"
"Clank! Clank!"
In just a few days,
Whether Flying Cloud tower ships or armored assault ships, all were arranged into formation and linked together with heavy black-iron chains. As the fog finally dispersed, the entire army advanced once more.
This time,
The enemy's "overturning rivers and seas" technique proved utterly ineffective. Over 100 massive warships were linked head to tail, bolstered by Water-Repelling Grand Formations, standing firm amid wind and waves like towering mountains!
Even the rear small boats experienced far less turbulence. With the formation maintained, they could easily deal with the few enemy small boats that managed to break in.
"Crack!"
"Boom!"
A rebel Flying Cloud tower ship failed to turn in time and slammed into the Water-Repelling Grand Formation, as if crashing into a mountain. Half its bow shattered instantly. The front section reared high into the air, while the rear plunged rapidly into the river. Countless soldiers leapt into the water to escape, with heavy casualties.
Before the two armies' formations—
Chen Sanshi no longer continued using the Ling family as sparring partners. After trading a single blow with them, he stepped onto his flying artifact and withdrew, returning to the central command warship to stabilize the chaotic situation and prevent a collapse.
"Commander Chen."
Sima Yao leapt onto the deck, gripping his bloodstained long saber. "They've linked their ships with iron chains. They're advancing in an almost crushing formation. Their high-realm cultivators are no fewer than ours. Our army is about to give way."
Not everyone could fight without exhaustion.
Even True Force martial artists were no exception.
Once the soldiers around them were all dead, and they were surrounded by troops led by cultivators of the same realm, it would not take long before they were exhausted and killed.
"We really can't keep fighting like this."
Cui Zichen also returned on his flying sword.
"Abandon the Chibi docks. Withdraw to the 'Ten-Thousand Currents' region."
After giving the order, Chen Sanshi personally returned to the melee to cover the brothers' retreat.
The Ten-Thousand Currents region was the area where the many tributaries of the Luoxiao River converged. Retreating any further would essentially mean abandoning control of the entire river's surface, which was tantamount to conceding this battle.
The fifth clash.
Ended with a minor defeat for the "rebel army."
The New Dynasty navy withdrew to the Ten-Thousand Currents region.
Meanwhile, the court's Jiangnan navy occupied the most advantageous positions in the Chibi river area. Despite their losses, they could continue to take the initiative and held a massive advantage. With just one more push forward, they could crush the 200,000 rebels.
In the New Dynasty's central command, the atmosphere was grim.
"What are we supposed to do now?"
Many martial generals from Youlan Capital wore deeply worried expressions. "The enemy has iron-chain linking. They're like steel behemoths running across the water. We're simply no match for them!"
"Yes—if this continues, we'll have to declare defeat!"
"Commander Chen, I have an extraordinary stratagem!"
Suddenly,
Sima Yao spoke up.
Chen Sanshi said, "Speak."
"Right now, the old dynasty's navy holds the advantage of timing, terrain, and manpower. Continuing head-on clashes is simply unwise. Since the waterways are blocked, why not shift our focus back to land?"
Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Sima Yao paused, then ordered his two sons to bring a map. Pointing at it, he explained:
"The Jiangnan navy is indeed formidable.
"But all of their attention is currently focused on the river. The land must be extremely thinly defended!
"Commander Chen, Prince Yan, and all generals and Immortal Masters, please look here.
"Fuyu Prefecture!
"This place is the court navy's most important granary!
"All of their provisions and supplies are transferred through the Fuyu Prefecture canal docks. Right now, its garrison is weak. Just give me 30,000 troops. I'll disembark from the Xiushui River tributary, then launch a light-cavalry raid. In no more than 30 days, I can take Fuyu Prefecture!
"And then…
"I can make a 1,000-li forced march through Ziwu Valley behind Fuyu Prefecture and head straight for the capital, Chang'an! There's a chance we could directly capture the Prince of Qin and the entire civil and military court hiding in the imperial palace!
"If luck is on our side, we could even disrupt the former emperor's seclusion!
"When cultivators are establishing their foundation, any disturbance can easily lead to failure—or even death and the dissipation of their Dao!"
"Sima-brother's plan is indeed ingenious."
Cui Zichen, Master of Seeking Immortals Tower, said thoughtfully. "If it truly succeeds, not only would you claim the foremost merit against the court, you would also render immeasurable service to Guiyuan Sect."
Foremost merit. Extraordinary merit!
"It is indeed a brilliant stratagem."
Qian Qiren of Guiyuan Sect, which stood behind the orthodox imperial court, said, "Cultivators are at their weakest when in seclusion. I also believe it's feasible."
However.
Just as everyone voiced their agreement, Chen Sanshi spoke up to reject it:
"No."
Sima Yao froze. "Commander Chen, perhaps you could explain why not?"
"Don't forget that the capital still has Shan Liangcheng and the other Immortal Masters. Even if you successfully enter Ziwu Valley, you may not be able to approach the capital at all."
Chen Sanshi said calmly. "Right now, our army is in dire need of manpower. Where would we find 30,000 troops to allocate to you?"
"Heh."
Sima Yao gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Is Commander Chen truly short on men, or is there something else you're worried about?"
"I am the supreme commander of the three armies. This is not for you to question."
Chen Sanshi rose to his feet. "Tomorrow, we will continue discussing how to counter iron-chain linking. This matter needs no further discussion."
With that,
He flicked his sleeve and left.
"This…" Qian Qiren and the others exchanged looks. "Why did the commander refuse?"
"Yes, I thought the plan was quite good as well."
"But if he doesn't agree, it can't be implemented!"
Sima Yao snorted coldly and said aloud, "Commander Chen is simply afraid that I'll earn merit and steal his limelight!"
"Lord Sima, don't speak nonsense."
Zhao Kang spoke up to warn him. "When has my lord ever acted out of selfishness? If he won't let you go, there must be a reason!"
"That may not be the case."
A general from an aristocratic court faction said with a mocking tone, "Who doesn't know that Commander Chen holds all the power now? If someone were to seize the capital and earn such world-shaking merit, wouldn't that threaten his position?"
"Bullshit!"
"You're the one spouting bullshit!"
The two sides erupted into argument, making the entire fleet aware.
That night.
Sima Yao disobeyed military orders and secretly mobilized more than 20,000 troops from his own command, preparing to break away from the main force to carry out his "Ziwu Valley surprise attack" plan. However, not long after leaving the docks, they were intercepted by the Northern Liang army.
Zhao Kang shouted sternly:
"Sima Yao!"
"You have disregarded military orders and mobilized troops without authorization!"
"You deserve execution!"