Chapter 107
As the alliance’s martial arts masters headed toward the Dongting Fortress, the Dongting Fortress confirmed the news that the people who went out to get rid of the Great Ximen Family’s warriors were wiped out.
“What do you mean by that? We sent four chiefs and a hundred thieves, so how could they be wiped out? Do you think that makes sense?” Sim Cheon asked, sounding baffled.
“Erm, according to reports, Absolute Realm masters are aboard the Great Ximen Family’s ship.”
“Absolute Realm masters?”
“It seems that the Nine Prominent Sects and Seven Great Families’ representatives for the Wuchang meeting are accompanying the Great Ximen Family’s martial artists.”
“Have they figured out our plans?”
“That seems to be the case, yes.” Ga Jin-Ok nodded.
“Their next course of action would be to attack this place, then.”
“That’s certainly the most probable scenario.”
“If so, then this might actually be a good thing.”
“Do you say that with the scale of their forces in mind?” Ga Jin-Ok dumbfoundedly replied to Sim Cheon.
“Naturally. We’re at the Dongting Lake. We certainly aren’t a match for them on land, but we have a good chance of winning in naval warfare.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“We will destroy their ships using the Fire Dragon Burst Ship, which my fortress has developed.”
“The Fire Dragon Burst Ship?”
“Yes. It was specifically created to deal with the martial arts masters of murim. The Fire Dragon Burst Ship has oil-slathered iron stakes embedded in the ship’s prow, allowing it to pierce through enemy ships.”
“I see. It’s designed to be lit on fire and sent to crash into the enemy ship, thereby sinking it, huh?”
“Exactly. Once the Fire Dragon Burst Ship collides with the enemy ship, all that would be left to do is watch our enemies burn.”
“How many Fire Dragon Burst Ships do we have?”
“We have ten in total.”
“Isn’t that too few?”
“It’s certainly better to have more, but what we have right now should be more than enough to sink their ship.”
“They have at least five Absolute Realm masters. Each one of those individuals can destroy a Fire Dragon Burst Ship before it can even crash into their ship.”
“That’s why I plan to draw their attention to the Water Dragon Ships before using the Fire Dragon Burst Ship. We’re bound to suffer damages, but a small sacrifice is necessary for the greater good.”
“It’ll be worth it for as long as we get to drown the martial arts masters of the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families.”
The Changjiang Shark King Ga Jin-Ok did not care much about sacrificing their subordinates, and the Four Dragons of Changjiang were no different. They immediately summoned the forces gathered in the Dongting Fortress.
A total of twenty-five ships left the Dongting Fortress, including fourteen Water Dragon Ships , which had a max capacity of fifty passengers, ten Fire Dragon Burst Ships, and a Dragon King Ship that was carrying the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s masters. Less than an hour after departing, they discovered six ships led by the martial arts masters of the righteous sects’ alliance.
“See that? They only have six ships, and most of their men have no experience in naval warfare. Once they fall into the water, master or not, they would die all the same. My Fire Dragon Burst Ships will sink their vessels. You just have to draw their attention. Can you do that?”
The Dongting Fortress’ river thieves had no idea how many martial arts masters were aboard the six ships because the Changjiang Waterway Alliance executives remained silent about it. Hence, they immediately thought that their forces were superior upon seeing the six enemy vessels.
“Yes, sir!” they confidently shouted.
“Good. Show them the power of the Changjiang Waterway Alliance!”
“Waaaaaaaaaaaa-!”
As the thieves let out battle cries, the fourteen Water Dragon Ships began to sail toward the righteous sects’ ships at lightning speed.
“Be ready to send out the Fire Dragon Burst Ships as soon as the battle begins!”
“Aye!”
Changjiang Dragon King Sim Cheon watched the Water Dragon Ships sail in a crane wing formation. When he issued an order to the Fire Dragon Burst Ships standing by at the back, the people manning the Fire Dragon Burst Ships answered without hesitation and began to make preparations.
Meanwhile, the martial arts masters of the righteous sect alliance looked stunned. Water Dragon Ships twice their numbers were approaching them. They wanted to avoid naval warfare as much as they could and attack the Dongting Fortress directly, which was why they were in such a hurry. However, the Changjiang Waterway Alliance was no pushover.
“For now, let’s avoid getting surrounded,” Zhuge Long said upon seeing the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s Water Dragon Ships spread out and assume a crane wing formation.
The moment the Water Dragon Ships surrounded them, arrows would come raining down on them from every direction. The martial arts masters would be fine, but it would be difficult for the other martial artists to deflect the projectiles.
“Shouldn’t you tell us how to do that?” Elder Jang Moon-Gi of the Dianchang Sect replied, nit-picking at Zhuge Long’s comment.
“They are using the crane wing formation. To stop them from encircling us, we have to stop the Water Dragon Ships on both ends.”
“The two Water Dragon Ships we have can each head to the enemy formation’s flanks and destroy the crane wing formation.” Elder Yuk Man-Jong of the Zongnan Sect immediately understood Zhuge Long’s response.
“That’s right. While the masters on the Water Dragon Ships destroy the enemy vessels at the end of both wings, the Wuchang Sword Sect and Great Ximen Family martial artists will attack the Water Dragon Ships in the middle. Doing so would bring their crane wing formation to a swift collapse.”
“The ships lined up in front of their captain’s ship have an extraordinary design,” Great Monk Gong Seon said, looking at the Fire Dragon Burst Ships.
“This is my first time seeing those as well. Judging from the iron stakes protruding out of the ship’s prow, I think they’re designed to crash onto and sink other ships.”
“Don’t we have to prepare countermeasures against those?”
“They likely won’t be able to deal much damage for as long as our martial arts masters can destroy the iron stakes before they crash into us.”
“The Water Dragon Ships carrying our martial arts masters have to attack the crane wing formation from both ends, though. Can we afford to do that as well?”
“Those ships are likely aiming for the ships we are on. They will be sailing in the direction we are heading anyway, so we don’t have to worry too much.”
Zhuge Long thought that the Fire Dragon Burst Ships would focus on targeting the righteous sect alliance’s masters. From the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s perspective, their best strategy would be to sink the enemy ships without directly confronting the righteous sect alliance’s martial arts masters.
The others, including Mu-Gun, nodded in agreement with Zhuge Long. He shared the same thoughts as the elder.
“Let’s follow Elder Zhuge’s plan.”
The two Water Dragon Ships, which sailed beside each other in front of their fleet, swerved to the sides and quickly moved toward the enemy’s Water Dragon Ships located at both ends of the crane wing formation.
Mu-Gun, Hwang Rei, and the Nine Prominent Sects’ representatives were aboard the ship heading to the left. They quickly covered the distance between them and the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s Water Dragon Ships even though the Changjiang Water Alliance was the one trying to surround the righteous sect alliance by closing their wings around the enemy vessels. The Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s Water Dragon Ships soon noticed where the righteous sect alliance’s Water Dragon Ships were headed, but it was too late for them to change directions now.
“Archers! Loose!”
As the distance between the opposing factions narrowed, the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s Water Dragon Ships simultaneously fired arrows. In response, the righteous sect alliance’s martial arts masters activated qi shields and deflected them all away. With the gap between the two sides now down to fifty feet, they crossed over to the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s Water Dragon Ships .
Seeing their opponents’ meager numbers, the river thieves aboard the Water Dragon Ships fearlessly attacked the few masters that crossed over, resulting in their blood splattering everywhere as they fell. The martial arts masters dove into the middle of the river thieves and massacred them without hesitation. The river thieves realized just how skilled the martial arts masters were at that moment, but it was already too late to escape. They were helplessly annihilated.
Meanwhile, as soon as the battle began, Sim Cheon immediately deployed the Fire Dragon Burst Ships. The ships quickly steered through the current and headed toward the crane formation’s ends, which was where the righteous sect alliance’s masters were located. Targeting the righteous sect alliance’s Water Dragon Ships proved difficult because the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s Water Dragon Ships and the righteous sect alliance’s Water Dragon Ships were locked in combat in close proximity to each other.
Even so, Sim Cheon and Jin-Ok didn’t seem worried at all, having decided to burn and sink both their ships and the enemy ships together. After quickly destroying an enemy Water Dragon Ship, Mu-Gun noticed a Fire Dragon Burst Ship steering its way toward them from a hundred feet away.
He decided to deal with the Fire Dragon Burst Ship first before attacking the other river thieves. However, the enemy did something that surpassed his expectations. The Fire Dragon Burst Ship was set ablaze. Quickly engulfed in flames as if oil had been slathered all over it, the ship sped up and charged ahead with its sharp iron stakes at its forefront. Now that Mu-Gun had thought about it, the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s ships reeked of oil. From the very beginning, the Changjiang Waterway Alliance was already planning to let their own ships burn and sink as well.
‘This is dangerous!’
If those blazing ships collided with the other oil-slathered ships, the fire would spread so quickly that even the righteous sect alliance’s vessels would find it difficult to escape the flames. If things were to go wrong, they could even drown. Coming to that realization, the other martial arts masters became flustered.
“Is there any way to stop those things from reaching us?” Hwang Rei shouted at Mu-Gun.
Instead of answering, Mu-Gun unbuckled the Flying Golden Shield and threw it up into the air. Rotating fiercely, the Flying Golden Shield shot forward. Using the Thunder God's Shadow, Mu-Gun flew forward, caught up with the Flying Golden Shield, and climbed on top of it. It did not seem like much, but it was impossible to do unless one was very proficient with his movement art.
The Nine Prominent Sect’s martial arts masters looked at Mu-Gun’s movement art in awe, but at the same time, they also wondered what he was trying to do. In the midst of it all, the Flying Golden Shield descended and gently landed on the water surface of Dongting Lake. Rather than sinking, the Flying Golden Shield floated. With a closer look, one would notice a golden qi current swirling violently under the Flying Golden Shield, allowing it to levitate.
With the Fire Dragon Burst Ships now less than fifty feet away, Mu-Gun unleashed his internal energy with all his might and swung his sword down at the water in front of him. The attack created a huge wave—no, a tsunami that was more than thirty feet tall. It violently swooped over the fast-approaching Fire Dragon Burst Ships.
Unable to bear the tsunami’s weight, the Fire Dragon Burst Ships broke down and were destroyed, the flames that had engulfed them disappearing without a trace.
That single attack from Mu-Gun shocked the Nine Prominent Sect’s masters beyond belief. Despite being Absolute Realm masters, it was impossible for them to cause a tsunami. Hence, they couldn’t help but wonder if Mu-Gun was actually a Supreme Realm master. However, that wouldn’t make sense. No matter how much of a genius Mu-Gun was, it was ridiculous for him to have already reached the Supreme Realm at his age.
In truth, Mu-Gun had yet to reach the Supreme Realm. He could create a tsunami solely because of the effect of the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art, which was the Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts. The Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art was powerful by itself. However, as Mu-Gun had done moments before, unleashing it through water could make it several times stronger.
If Mu-Gun had mastered the Heavenly Sea Goliath Cultivation, he could have sunk all the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s Water Dragon Ships in a single stroke. Unlike the left wing, which had escaped the threat of the Fire Dragon Burst Ships thanks to Mu-Gun, the other side was in a far worse situation. The Seven Great Families’ Absolute Realm masters tried to block the Fire Dragon Burst Ships’ advance, but they failed to completely destroy them. Hence, the Fire Dragon Burst Ships still managed to crash into their Water Dragon Ship. The fire quickly spread, engulfing the entire deck.
“Everyone, avoid it!”
“Into the water!”
The Seven Great Families’ masters and the Great Ximen Family’s warriors aboard the vessel quickly jumped into Dongting Lake. Those who knew how to swim fled from the flames that had followed the trail of oil to the surface of the water, while those who didn’t know how were eventually caught in the spreading fire as they floundered in the water. Seeing the scene, the Nine Prominent Sects’ martial arts masters sailed toward the people in the water to save them.
Meanwhile, Changjiang Dragon King Sim Cheon and Changjiang Shark King Jin-Ok could not help but be astonished when the Fire Dragon Burst Ships were destroyed by the huge tsunami that Mu-Gun had created.
“That’s insane! Is that really possible?”
“I’ve never heard or seen something like that before!”
“This won’t do. We have to escape now. We can’t handle that man with our current power.”
“I agree. Let’s put this matter on the back burner and think about countermeasures in the future.”
Frightened by Mu-Gun’s martial prowess, the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s martial arts masters immediately turned their ships around and began to sail away. Mu-Gun noticed what they were trying to do, but they were too far for him to give chase. He didn’t have any vessel that he could use to sail after them either since the Water Dragon Ship that he was on had been sent to the other side of the lake to save the Seven Great Families’ martial arts masters.
Mu-Gun abandoned his plan to chase after them and instead focused on dealing with the remaining river thieves, who despaired when they saw the Dragon King Ship sailing away. They also wanted to escape, but the righteous sect alliance’s martial art masters, the Great Ximen Family’s warriors, and Wuchang Sword Sect’s martial artists didn’t let them.
Most of the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s river thieves were ultimately killed, and more than a hundred dropped their weapons and surrendered. The battle ended in the righteous sect alliance’s victory. However, since the core martial arts masters of the Changjiang Waterway Alliance managed to escape, they didn’t really achieve great results.
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