Above Destiny

Chapter 697: Shoot if there's a frame, use any cheat if there's one.
Suddenly, the cannons roared!
Amidst the distant roar, shells whistled down like a torrential rain.

When Renut's fleet was bombarded, no one even had time to react to which side the enemy was coming from...

After Minkler arrived at the designated location, the Seven Cities Joint Defense entered a state of complete silence, isolating itself from the outside world. At the same time, it shut down all its equipment, appearing to drift on the sea like a wave, minimizing the possibility of being detected by the enemy.

Even the ship's radar on the other side is one of our own; it's so comfortable to crouch down in this bush.

At the very moment they received Ji Jue's signal, the massive fleet instantly sprang back into action from its deathly silence, as if awakening from a long slumber, moving with the speed and agility of a rabbit.

The equipment that used to malfunction and explode seemed to have regained its youth overnight. The systems that used to conflict and interfere with each other worked together seamlessly, operating at an astonishing speed. In fact, with just a gentle push, the entire chain would unfold smoothly downwards, so smoothly that it brought tears to the eyes of the sailors who were used to the efficiency of the past.

Even more outrageous is the effective shelling of over 50,000 yards and over 50 kilometers... This alone is so fantastical that it completely disregards all conventional naval warfare theories and artillery manuals on the endless sea.

While the ordinary sailors were still feeling that this time the cannon fire was incredibly accurate, everyone from the rangefinders to the target acquisition team and the radar department was already starting to feel dizzy. Everyone stood up in shock, speechless and hesitant, and suddenly they really wanted to turn around and go to the door to open it and see if Li Pu had gone home.

No, your main gun, which is more than three generations behind the Federation and the Empire, and your cobbled-together multinational system, would normally miss the target even at a distance of five kilometers when the sea is calm. But right now, the sea is turbulent and the wind is picking up, so it hit the bullseye from fifty kilometers away...

The bald old man, holding a teacup, suddenly tells you, "Grandpa was really strong when he was young."

Is it very strong? Indeed, it is very strong.

Isn't this a bit too much?

Not only were Renu and the others stunned, but Minkler was also stunned, his expression blank, not yet reacting. He could only follow Ji Jue's instructions and try his best to keep a straight face and not say a word, acting like a master.

What else can I say?

I'll open the box first, even if there's no frame!

Thunderous roars and booming cannons emptied the warehouse's ammunition reserves, and then shells that had suddenly appeared in the warehouse were continuously delivered.

The entire joint defense fleet was hampered by bottlenecks, resource constraints, logistical and budget constraints. They had long been accustomed to a life of poverty and hardship, and had never fought such a well-funded battle before.
Auto-aiming, headshot lock, unlimited ammo, and instant kill upon peeking out.

How could we lose? Tell me, with such a powerful output, how could we lose!
Things are getting better.

Throughout the entire fleet, from the commanders to the sailors, everyone couldn't help but smile... Once the head of the Minkler family took over, wouldn't everyone's lives be better?

Then, it was Renut's turn to be in trouble.

Because, when the Seven Cities Joint Defense opened fire, some idiot on one of the ships, who was used to smuggling, habitually pulled out his radio and started broadcasting.

"Vessels ahead, please stop. We are the Seven Cities Joint Defense Team. Please stop immediately for inspection..."

For a moment, the stuttering shouts, thick with local dialect, echoed through Renut's Venom fleet, leaving every panicked face stunned.

That sounds familiar... Haven't I just heard it somewhere before?
No? Where did you say you're from?

A seven-city joint defense?!

At this point, everyone lost their composure, erupting in impotent rage: "Who do you think you are? Who do I think I am? A piece of junk cobbled together from scrap materials from all seven cities, a dog-like thing, dares to lay a hand on us?!"
This is outrageous! The son-in-law has betrayed his master!

"Regardless of whether it's a joint defense by seven cities, they won't dare to come close!"

Renut glanced at the projections of the wrecked ships on the water mirror, and finally, his gaze fell on the Prosperity, which had gone completely mad after devouring an entire frigate, and he sensed the greatest threat at that moment.

"Let's deal with this bastard first!"

Enveloped in blood-red flames, he drew his sword and roared, "Raise the curtain and release the Priestess!"

boom--

At Renut's command, a cracking sound rang out. Inside the Ivory's cabin, an iron box wrapped in layers of seals shattered with a deafening roar. Immediately afterward, thick mist spread rapidly like a waterfall, sweeping in all directions. Through the gaps left in the hull, it fell onto the sea like a pale blanket, extending wildly at an astonishing speed...

In an instant, the white fog covered hundreds of kilometers, rapidly expanding and blurring everything, like a pale curtain shrouding the world, making everything hazy.

Within the rising mist, eerie silhouettes appeared and disappeared, the soul-devouring illusion rising and falling with the mist. The ethereal, cold mist now exhibited a viscous, eerie texture, like a liquid.

The shells that landed in the mist were entangled by the wisps of soft, pliable mist, quickly losing kinetic energy and speed, veering off course, and even tumbling over.

Even alchemical creations have lost too much power, with their accuracy and lethality plummeting rapidly.

"Then press it down!"

Without hesitation, Minkler issued the order: "Notify the fleet to advance at full speed and maintain suppressive fire!" During the brief delay, the others on the bridge were stunned for a moment, but then immediately relayed the order without hesitation, no longer showing the usual infighting or hesitation between ordinary factions.

On the contrary, the sailors on the lower ranks, who had been extremely optimistic, were now panicked.

"Sacrifice to the Aunt!"

As they moved forward, the observers on deck looked down at the wisps of blackness emerging from the seawater, and saw countless dense strands of hair extending outwards like seaweed, and they all panicked.

A curtain and a ritual maiden?!

No, this isn't bandit suppression!

On the other side are Luo Cheng's private army... the Venom Fleet!!!
There's no way around it, these two things are just too famous. They're practically the signature items of the Venom Fleet. In Thousand Islands, a place where horror stories are treated like fairy tales for children, they're practically household names in Seven Cities!

The veil that devours souls and the priestess who drags all the living to hell—there are simply too many terrifying stories related to this. The initial fervor and joy quickly vanished, replaced by panic and bewilderment.

Why did they suddenly turn against Sukarno's family?
Us? Fight the Venom fleet?

The situation suddenly reversed, not only in terms of morale between the enemy and ourselves, but also in the attitudes of the higher-ups and the lower-ups before the departure.

While the initially jubilant lower-ranking soldiers were thrown into panic, the officers and captains, who had previously looked resentful and unwilling, were now caught up in a frenzied, all-or-nothing fervor.

Since things have come to this point, there's no turning back. We might as well take a gamble and bet that Minkler can win!

Otherwise, no one in the entire joint defense fleet would survive!
Orders from superiors and the core of various factions led the mid-level officers to carry out military orders. They drew their guns and pressed them against the soldiers' foreheads, or made promises of rewards, using every means possible, including coercion and bribery.

Choose: fame and fortune or obscurity?

You used to make grand pronouncements after downing two beers, now that you have the chance, do you dare to take the plunge?
Do you want to gain merit by following the leader and live a life of luxury with fancy cars, beautiful women, mansions, and yachts, or do you want to spend your whole life lying on a half-meter-wide deck in a closed cabin, smelling the sweat and excrement of others, and continuing to be a cannon fodder and a nobody?
The faint flames of blood spread silently.

On every key post on every ship, on the bodies of Minkler's trusted confidants, a blood-red light, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, flowed and surged from their wristwatches.

For money, for fame, for status, for the future, or for the desires in one's heart, for survival... when living beings walk between danger and temptation, the fighting spirit in their instincts is thus silently ignited.

So-called, a large group!

Even though every spark and every flame is so small, at this moment, as the atmosphere of fervor and greed spreads and the determination to fight and kill is firm, instantly, the blazing flames of blood ignite from the soul of every person.

Burn away fear, fight to the point of madness!
Fear and wavering vanished, and under the transmission of this determination, morale was miraculously revived!
Full speed ahead!
"The generative sacrifice of the microbial community is really useful."

Ji Jue stroked the Pan Ying sword on his knee. On the vermilion spine of the sword, the brand of the fungi shone brightly. Even without any fungi as offerings, the priest had already generously bestowed his blessings. Moreover, he did not accept any offerings and allowed Ji Jue to overdraft as if he were using a credit card.

The large groups don't care about such nonsense. To the priests, daring to fight makes them heroes, and winning makes them good daughters, who receive generous gifts and rewards.

Moreover, the bacteria itself was Pan Ying's angel round investor and has been co-investing ever since, so their goodwill towards them has long been maximized!
Although this wide-area blessing is weak, the more individuals there are, the more terrifying the boost it brings.

The burnt offerings began long before the war started. Using modified sundial wristwatches as a medium, each person wearing the watch was like a member of the microbial community. Their fighting spirit and determination to win were like kindling thrown into the fire, continuously boosting morale and inspiring courage.

Even a small fry like the Seven Cities Joint Defense, which has been decadent and listless for so long, dares to provoke a pirate fleet like Venom Fleet once it gets going!
At this moment, Ji Jue was more interested in what the other party had released...

Curtains and the ritual for the aunt?
No wonder his teacher always told him that staying in Yacheng wouldn't amount to anything, and that he should go out and explore. He's only just arrived in Qiandao, and he's already seen so much.

"The smell of a tyrant."

Using the mercury mist to sense the changes in the outside world, Ji Jue gradually realized: "This is a corrupted and disordered entity created through the spiritual contract of the tower?"

Both are manifestations and embodiments of distorted rules.

The curtain obscures the view, weaving illusions through mist, while the priestess is simply a living entity composed of countless hairs, entangled in everything... To be fair, neither is particularly troublesome, but they are too targeted.

This kind of weapon, which allows for large-scale intervention in the outside world, is a war machine specifically designed for naval warfare, aiming to restrict the enemy to the greatest extent possible.

The curtain interferes with long-range weapons and firepower, while the priestess is used to block movement and create distance. The longer the delay lasts, the greater the consumption. Finally, after the opponent runs out of ammunition and supplies, the final blow is delivered through boarding action.

To ensure their own safety to the greatest extent possible, and even... the integrity of the spoils.

That's really well thought out!

As for how insane it would take to make these two things, and how many souls and lives would be needed as sacrifices and fuel, that's another matter entirely.

(End of this chapter)