Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 220 - 217: Under the Gun, All Creatures are Equal!

Chapter 220: Chapter 217: Under the Gun, All Creatures are Equal!

The night was dark and deep, void of both moon and stars.

Boom! Boom! Boom!...

Resembling the rumbling of thunder, the sounds of war drums and cannon fire echoed back and forth across the sea, two hundred li northeast of Penglai Immortal Mountain.

In the depth of night, an unprecedented sea battle set this expanse of ocean ablaze, turning it into a fiery purgatory.

The sea surface was littered with burning warships, shattered planks, masts, and dying sailors clinging to barrels, wailing endlessly...

Countless had died here, and so much blood had been spilt that even the profound depths of the ocean appeared to take on a bleeding hue.

In this battle, one side was led by King Jing’s, Zhou Jinhuan, who had taken the initiative to strike deep into enemy territory, targeting the Long Water Camp, one of the thirty-six camps of the Great Yan Navy.

The other side was one of the largest pirate organizations on the East Sea surface, the sea pirate self-styled as "King Jinghai," also known as "Mr. Wufeng," Cui Zhi.

This battlefield was Cui Zhi’s stronghold, a pirate haven that was easy to defend but hard to attack—Chaotic Island.

As a pirate base, this place was always guarded by over a hundred ships and thousands of elite pirates, holding a strategic position.

Not far from the island lay the main shipping route of Yu State, Dai State, and the two overseas countries of Tanhuan and Moluo, plied by a constant stream of merchant vessels year-round.

To say that these waters flowed with gold would not be an exaggeration.

Especially since the mountainous country of Tanhuan was rich in various medicinal herbs, and the Volcano Island Country of Moluo was abundant in gold and silver, considered by the "Medicine Immortal Sect" as a vital source of raw materials.

This route was a lifeline for mass alchemy.

Therefore, after scouring numerous locations, Chaotic Island was deemed to be in an excellent position.

The main island was not small; not only did it have fields opened up through the "Peach God Tao" Daoist skills, but it also had ample freshwater resources, sufficient to support the needs of thousands of people.

The perimeter of the island was riddled with hidden reefs, with only one narrow waterway connecting to the exterior harbour, where over a hundred large and small vessels were moored in the lagoon.

If an enemy were to invade, no matter how many people or ships they brought, if they wished to avoid the reefs, they would have no choice but to use that narrow channel to enter and exit.

Even so, Cui Zhi still felt it was not secure enough.

He had even constructed numerous cannon platforms along the channel, placing dozens of heavy cannons privately cast by the "Peach God Tao," firmly controlling this easily defended gateway.

It was with such careful arrangements.

Without any need for the "Peach God Tao" Magicians to take action, Cui Zhi subdued and incorporated various pirate groups eyeing this route, marshalling them under his own banner.

Now, the only opponent left was the Great Yan Navy under Zhou Jinhuan’s command.

However, even with the support of the "Peach God Tao," these pirates, with only a handful of elite "Black Flag Soldiers," lacked the strength to directly confront the Great Yan Navy’s thirty-six camps.

Just as before, when aiming to monopolize the shipping lane, Cui Zhi’s approach was to assassinate Zhou Jinhuan rather than to destroy the Long Water Camp.

Once pirates encountered a formal army, their seemingly tight arrangements would no longer suffice.

In this world of Divine Deceit, where power resides within oneself, there has never been a commoner who claimed kingship!

Without the accumulation of wealth over generations and a background with connections reaching to the heavens, it was impossible to raise a force capable of contesting the elite troops of Great Yan’s thirty-six Daoist Soldier camps.

Indeed, if the Sect decided to go to battle shirtless, it would be effortless.

But in such a sensitive period, how could the "Peach God Tao" be willing to take the lead, only to end up weaving bridal clothes for other rebels?

Therefore, when Zhou Jinhuan launched a fierce attack at the prearranged time of midnight with Wang Yuan, all Cui Zhi could do was to hold his ground and await reinforcements.

"Although I do not understand how that young Zhou scion managed to escape from Penglai Immortal Mountain with his life,

everyone on these seas knows well that the three peak Dao Generals of the Long Water Camp are discordant in face and heart, and even secretly at each other’s throats.

Zhou Jinhuan can only command about eight hundred of his direct lineage men and four or five three-masted cannons ships.

As soon as the Sect’s Protector, the ’Yin God,’ arrives and coordinates with my ’Black Flag Soldiers’ to slay him, the entire Long Water Camp will collapse without a fight!"

Cui Zhi’s calculations were resounding, but how could things ever develop as one wishes?

After obtaining Wang Yuan’s "Human Face Painting,"

Zhou Jinhuan utilized the "soul-stealing" ability of this "Deceit Object" to impersonate a pirate. Over the past three days, he had entered and exited the private haven countless times.

He had already gotten a clear picture of the situation on the island.

The number of personnel, the scale of the ships, the status of the ammunition reserves, the distribution map of the hidden reefs outside the island... all were clear in his mind.

Even in the evening, he found time to lace the pirates’ drinks with Wang Yuan’s stock of... knockout drugs.

A third-realm peak Dao General with the "Spirit Communication Transformation" ability to grow larger or smaller as needed, was like a fish in water when carrying out such special operations.

On the other hand, those professional assassins from the "Killing Temple," always adhering to their creed of fleeing a thousand li should a strike miss, the fox demons,

Had already skedaddled once they sensed Zheng Bangjie’s death, allowing Zhou Jinhuan to easily exploit the opportunity.

At the very beginning of the battle, Zhou Jinhuan gave up the only waterway,

Sending out small Fire Dragon Ships in the dark reef area on the other side of the island. They used the "Undersea Dragon King Cannon," comparable to heavy water bombs, to blast open the underwater reefs.

His plan was to force open a new waterway according to the distribution chart of the reefs obtained from the island and catch them in an urn.

Once the navy fleet entered the lagoon, eight hundred Long Water Soldiers would suffice to annihilate the thousands of pirates.

Having no choice, Cui Zhi could only lead his team out from the concealed island and retreat towards Penglai Mountain, engaging in battle along the way.

Attempting to exploit their advantage of fast ships to slip away from the clutches of the large three-masted cannon ships.

"’Shan Jun,’ aid me—with the command ’sailing wind-stops’—Imperial Decree!"

A streak of light shot towards the sky from Cui Zhi’s thumb ring.

Hu——!

The wind changed direction suddenly; the pirate ships, boosted by the sea breeze, sped away rapidly, while the navy’s side became calm, unable to borrow any wind power anymore.

The jade thumb ring in Cui Zhi’s hand was a magic artifact from "Peach God Tao," akin to a repeatedly usable top-grade jade talisman.

It was engraved with four talismans, namely the "Heaven and Earth Net Talisman," the "Inverted Chaos Talisman," the "Sailing Wind-Stop Talisman," and the "Thousand Mile Cloud-Piercing Arrow."

These were auxiliary divine skills for the profession of pirates, usable without the need for any Divine Power Skills.

Besides the "Heaven and Earth Net Talisman" and the "Inverted Chaos Talisman" that he had previously used on Wang Yuan and his companions,

The "Sailing Wind-Stop Talisman" could control the wind, speeding up one’s own fleet or completely stripping the opposing ships of wind power.

The "Thousand Mile Cloud-Piercing Arrow" was: "A single arrow piercing the clouds, and thousands of troops come to meet," which could summon a Magician from Penglai Immortal Mountain in times of crisis to provide timely support.

The moment Cui Zhi sensed the situation turning grim, he immediately sent out a distress signal, ready to preserve his main force for a counterattack.

Zhou Jinhuan acted as though he was completely unaware of the powerful reinforcements at his back, simply ordering,

"Daoist Soldiers, activate the ’Water and Wind Attire’ to provide power; the entire team moves slowly forward, maintaining maximum firing range.

Heat up the ’Thunder Sails Cannons’; gunners, fire at will, and herd them into the encirclement."

"Understood!"

"Disciples, I pray for the ’Thunder Sails General’ to preside over the altar; target the pirate fleet at five li ahead, and fire!"

As the towering silhouettes of four "Thunder Sails Generals," as tall as the masts, appeared one after another on the decks of every three-masted cannon ship.

Boom! Boom! Boom!...

Faintly blue-tinged fiery lines crisscrossed the dark sea, like axes swung down by Heavenly Gods, each strike capable of sinking a pirate ship.

A cannon’s shot, and a fortune in gold.

Every shot fired by a "Thunder Sails Cannon" cost military funds equivalent to the weight of the cannonball in silver.

But it was all worth it.

The pirate ships’ cannons were far inferior in range and accuracy to the "Thunder Sails Cannons," forced to endure losses and hoping desperately to exit the navy’s firing range as quickly as possible.

For a while, many a pirate screamed as they sank with their furiously burning ships into the depths of the sea.

When the losses of the pirate fleet approached one-quarter,

Wuu wuu wuu...

A chilling wind swept across the flagship, the "Black Flag"; two "Yin Gods" from "Peach God Tao" and seven or eight "True Qi" Magicians finally arrived at the battlefield.

"Wufeng, don’t panic. You just need to confront the main force at the front and break through their formation. Then, we can use ’Yin Gods’ to leave our bodies, and capture that Zhou family brat with ease.

I wonder if the blood from the heart of such a Prince Dragon Seed is especially sweet, heh heh heh... eh?!"

The leading "protector Yin God," using a large clump of multicolored spores as a vessel for spirit Possession, was about to take to the air when his laughter abruptly stopped.

He saw not only the fleet in front but also two other dense masses of white fog, taking advantage of the night to encircle them.

Above their heads, the atmosphere was tumultuous; the round, dark clouds were followed by black, with red in the middle, and then white—a sure sign of concealed troops!

Bang!

A signal cannon suddenly sounded, and the fog dispersed.

To their shock, it revealed two other naval fleets, each not much smaller than Zhou Jinhuan’s contingent, with flagship war banners marked "Jiang" and "Wei."

Everyone on the pirate ships, whether pirate or Yin God, couldn’t help but turn pale simultaneously.

"1800 men of the ’Long Water Camp’ have arrived?! How is this possible? Aren’t you official armies supposed to be incompatible as fire and water?"

Cui Zhi was petrified, saying in disbelief,

"You drugged us, set an ambush, Zhou Jinhuan you despicable man, you have deceived everyone!"

In just a short span of three days, the enemy’s forces had tripled. This was nothing like what had been agreed upon.

However, all they received in response were three echoing shouts:

"Bibo Sea Stepping Formation, deploy!"

Zhou Jinhuan, Jiang Yulong, and Wei Pengyi, these three peak Dao Generals, had essence qi billowing above their heads, surging towards the sky.

It was as if each had raised a blood-colored war banner above their heads, adorned with a black hornless Coiled Dragon and two ferocious Giant Sharks, stirring the winds and waves.

With each Dao General capable of slaying a Yin God by themselves after forming their respective formations, their collective military aura, now unified, brought about an overwhelming pressure roaring like mountain torrents and ocean waves.

Facing those Evil beings who were now suppressed by the military aura, unable to open the Yin Road anymore, Zhou Jinhuan shook his head and muttered,

"Stop talking nonsense, I didn’t! I, Zhou Jinhuan, have always employed my troops with honor and integrity, crushing the enemy directly with the might of the King’s Way.

’A man is known by the company he keeps,’ and this is all because of Wang Xiaoyuan who went down the dark path. After you become ghosts, make sure to seek him out!"

"Crush them for your king!"

In the face of the Life Trading Coin, the unprecedentedly united ’Long Water Camp’ fleet immediately closed in from all sides.

The fierce flames from sixty ’Thunder Sails Cannons’ lit up the entire sea area in an instant.

Beneath the cannon’s mouth, all beings are equal!

Even the protector Yin Gods were no exception.

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