Knife splashing

Chapter 776: Settling the Storm

Although he knew something was wrong, Lü San didn't have time to think about it further.

He looked up and his pupils immediately contracted.

On the deck of the Lin family's treasure ship, Sha Lifeng was organizing the Lin family's sailors for defense.

They stood back to back, forming a defensive perimeter.

Some would flash their blades and desperately cut the grappling hooks thrown up, while others would crouch on the edge of the boat and fire downwards.

In an instant, blood splattered everywhere and guns roared.

The others were not idle either, each using their own methods to defend themselves against the enemy.

Kuai Dayou, Fatty Lin, and Kong Shangzhao stood guard at the cabin door. The three of them worked together seamlessly. One would use a knife to defend, while the other would throw a throwing knife. One would fire a gun, while the other would protect the person behind him.

The cabin contained the luggage and valuable belongings of the Twelve Zodiac Animals, which were extremely precious.

All the pirates who approached the ship's cabin were killed.

The one who strikes fear into the hearts of the enemy the most is undoubtedly Long Yan'er.

With a wave of her sleeves, Gu worms swarmed out. Many of the pirates who were close to the Lin family's large ship had the Gu worms burrow into their bodies, causing them to lose their minds and frantically kill their companions.

However, there are also skilled pirates who can use hidden weapons.

Long Yan'er had no choice but to dodge while casting her spell.

As for Wu Ba, he held the Tiger Crouching Cannon and stared intently at the water.

He didn't fire, but simply kept moving the cannon barrel around.

Lu San felt a chill run down his spine and followed the gaze to the surging water.

He could also sense two sinister auras lurking beneath the surface, like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows.

Finally, he spotted the two men on a small boat in the distance.

One of them was dressed in a tattered blue robe, with a withered appearance, a pale and gray face, sunken eyes like a skull, sparse white hair, and a soul-summoning banner in his hand.

The other person was a woman, dressed in a female opera costume, with heavy makeup on her face, looking both smiling and crying.

It was none other than "Huangquan Sanren," the leader of the Yangzhou Ghost Opera Troupe, and "Qingluo Niang."

Ghost Opera Troupe Demons!
Although Lü San did not know their names, he could tell their identities.

The "Yellow Spring Hermit" was holding a soul-summoning banner, making hand seals and chanting incantations, staring intently at the large ship, clearly using some kind of mind-disrupting and mind-controlling secret technique.

The female lead, facing the murky water, had her orchid fingers slightly raised, as if she were performing an opera.

As she chanted, the water around her strangely swirled, and a cold, foul aura emanated from it, causing the water bandits to become even more frenzied.

The two men were well hidden and were concealed behind other ships.

Although Wu Ba vaguely sensed the direction, he could not pinpoint it accurately.

After all, he awakened a physical supernatural power, but his ability to detect things was insufficient, and he couldn't see clearly beyond a certain distance.

Moreover, those skilled in swimming have also crawled under the boats and sabotaged them.

As the waves surged, wood chips kept floating up.

"Wuba, over there!"

Without hesitation, Lü San quickened his pace and shouted.

At the same time, the eagle Lidong flew overhead, its cry echoing above the two members of the ghost opera troupe.

They practiced these coordination techniques extensively in their daily work.

Wu Ba immediately understood, and suddenly pulled the trigger towards the water in the direction of the eagle's cry.

not good!

Seeing that the situation was not good, "Huangquan Sanren" and "Qingluo Niang" exerted force with their feet, and at the same time, they used their escape techniques to transform into two thick fogs, one black and one white, and quickly dispersed.

boom!
With a deafening roar, flames and smoke erupted, and water splashed up to a height of ten feet.

Wu Ba used shotguns, and all the small boats in that area were reduced to fragments.

The thick fog had concealed the cannon earlier, so Wu Ba dared not waste it. Now, the Tiger Crouching Cannon is finally putting its power to good use.

The attacking bandits around them were startled.

Perhaps out of fear of the cannons' power, perhaps because the two sorcerers from the ghost opera troupe were no longer disturbing their spirits, or perhaps because they finally came to their senses as the fog over Yangzhou dissipated, the one-eyed giant at the head of the group shouted:

"Tough luck, the wind's blowing hard, let's get out of here!"

At his command, everyone immediately scattered and fled.

How could Lü San let them go? He made a hand seal and patted the demon gourd.

"Om-!"

A dark cloud suddenly burst forth from the gourd's mouth, and as soon as it appeared, it spread rapidly and hummed.

Buzz!
It was so loud it sent chills down your spine.

These little creatures feed on poisonous insects. Since Long Yan'er joined the team, all the uncontrollable insects that had failed in research have been fed to the demon gourd, and the poisonous bees have become increasingly ferocious.

With a rapid flapping of its wings, it swooped down on the bandits who were trying to jump into the water or climb onto small boats to escape.

A bloodcurdling scream instantly tore through the smoke-filled air.

"Ah—my eyes!"

"Poison! There are poisonous bees!"

The bandits, like ants doused with boiling water, frantically rolled and thrashed about in the narrow planks of the boat or in the murky river water, and even dived underwater.

The sting of a poisonous bee carries venom, piercing the skin and penetrating deep into the flesh.

The excruciating pain and rapidly spreading numbness instantly rendered them unable to fight. Like fish with their throats choked by an invisible hand, they convulsed futilely on the deck, foaming at the mouth, or plunged directly into the water, releasing strings of murky bubbles.

In an instant, the river surface was filled with figures scratching and rolling around, a chaotic and horrific scene.

Long Yan'er's eyes were cold, and her water sleeves moved like serpents in front of her.

A few wisps of pale blue powder, barely visible to the naked eye, drifted into the air with the wind. As if receiving some kind of instruction, the poisonous bees became more precise and frenzied in their attacks, specifically targeting the exposed flesh of the water bandits to bite.

Before long, the entire gang of river pirates was captured.

Some died from the pain and sank into the water, while others begged for mercy, howling and surrendering on their small boats under the watchful eyes of Salifi and the sailors.

However, just as the poisonous bees were rampaging, the two members of the ghost troupe had vanished without a trace.

Lu San shook his head slightly, having no plans to pursue.

The situation is chaotic and unclear; taking risks to pursue them would only lead to danger.

At the same time, hurried footsteps and the clanging of metal could be heard outside the dock.

Xu Zhenshan arrived with his disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall and the troops from the Yangzhou Military Commandery.

Each of them had a grim expression, their swords and spears were drawn, and the muskets in their hands gleamed with a cold light.

"Form ranks! Open fire!"

A hoarse roar from a military officer of the Commandery rang out.

The thick fog had long been dispelled by the river breeze, and visibility had become clear.

The remaining Japanese pirates lost their cover of smoke and were thrown into a panic when they saw the large contingent of government troops approaching.

"Bang bang bang!"

Accompanied by a dense and chaotic burst of gunfire, lead bullets were fired like a storm.

Many Japanese pirates were covered in blood, like ripe berries being broken open, and they fell down in droves.

Those who put up a stubborn resistance were quickly torn apart by the organized volley of fire from the navy.

However, there were still some valiant and skilled in strange and unorthodox techniques among the Japanese pirates.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, several dark figures quickly rushed towards the cargo boxes piled up on the riverbank and the reeds.

Several of them suddenly hurled several shiny black pellets.

"Bang! Bang!" The bullets landed and exploded, not in an explosion, but in a burst of thick, pungent, grayish-white smoke that obscured visibility.

The shadowy figures of ninjas could be vaguely seen flitting by in the smoke.

As the smoke dissipated slightly in the river breeze, the figures vanished, leaving only a few puddles and broken reeds. Clearly, they had used some kind of escape technique to disappear into the distant, vast mountains.

…………

The battle finally ended.

However, the price of victory was staggering.

The people from Yangzhou Prefecture had already reached the high ground at the edge of the dock. Looking at the scene before them, even those who were used to life and death couldn't help but gasp in shock.

The once wide canal now resembles a hellish pagoda.

The burning fire ship was the epicenter of the tragedy.

Several massive and imposing naval warships were completely set ablaze, their hulls resembling giant torches, the raging flames licking the dark night sky and turning the river water a blood red.

Every now and then, the ship's keel would crack and crumble amidst the flames with a piercing sound. "Boom! Crash—!"

The massive mast, laden with sails and flames, crashed into the water, sending up a towering column of water.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of gunpowder and burnt wood. Even more intense was the acrid stench of roasting human flesh and the heavy stench of blood from the rivers.

Thick smoke billowed and rose in a spiral, meeting the low-hanging dark clouds.

Broken planks, floating corpses, and burning sails covered the river surface.

Soldiers who managed to escape struggled and groaned in the shallow water or on the shore, soaked to the bone and still in shock. Some of the severely burned soldiers rolled in the mud in agony.

Looking at the scene before him, Du Ting, the prefect of Yangzhou, roared in a hoarse voice:

"Madmen! What are these madmen trying to do?! A web army... their main force is almost..."

Commander Chen, his eyes vacant, stared at the burning wreckage and muttered, "It's over..."

They knew that things were no longer as simple as just losing their positions.

The entire Yangzhou wharf fell into a brief silence.

As for Lü San and the others, after settling the boats, they hurriedly ran into the city...

…………

Inside Yangzhou city, the thick fog had long since dissipated, and the people, their faces filled with fear, went out to look around.

Lü San led the group anxiously across the long street and arrived at the Jiyu Garden, Wang Maode's residence.

However, the scene before them made their hearts sink.

Right there in the open space on the street, a sinister aura churned like ink.

At the center, Li Yan's figure was no longer the same as usual.

He was surrounded by a humanoid black mist, three meters tall, with blue ghostly flames flickering around him.

"what happened…"

When Lü San saw it, he was somewhat incredulous.

He had witnessed all of Li Yan's methods.

This magical transformation technique cannot be used for too long, otherwise it will backfire.

Even now, the Yin Spirit Transformation remains unchanged!

Right in front of Li Yan, Wen Lingguan's clone had transformed into a furnace of thunderous true fire, relentlessly suppressing and refining the terrifying black energy below that was constantly shrieking and twisting.

Each time lightning struck, the black mist churned violently, emitting the cries of an infant.

The sound was sharp and piercing, so intense it felt like it would tear one's soul apart.

Wang Daoxuan, standing to the side, was also deathly pale, with large beads of sweat rolling down his temples, and his breathing was somewhat unsteady, clearly indicating that he had expended a great deal of energy casting spells and dealing with the Netherworld Stage earlier.

Seeing the crowd rushing towards him, he immediately stepped forward, his voice hoarse, and hurriedly explained:
"Don't come near!"

Having said that, Li Yan's figure was filled with anxiety: "Maintaining the Yin God Transformation to summon the Wen Ling Official is already extremely taxing on the soul, let alone using it to refine such a fierce evil!"

"Wen Lingguan's divine power is domineering. As the communicator, Brother Yan's physical body is the dam. His 'body aperture' is bearing the double impact. If an ordinary person were here, their three souls and seven spirits would probably have been crushed long ago..."

Everyone gasped upon hearing this.

Fatty Lin swallowed hard; his lips were dry.

Shalifei's eyes were even more gloomy, and his fists were clenched so tightly they cracked.

They were anxious, but there was nothing they could do to help.

"what--!"

Just then, a low growl burst from Li Yan's throat, carrying the smell of blood.

His eyes flashed with a sharp light, as if he had regained a sliver of clarity, and his right hand suddenly reached into his robes.

Everyone's attention was drawn to it.

It was an ancient, jet-black token, about the size of a palm, neither made of gold nor wood, with its edges covered in densely packed, tiny divine runes and symbols. It was the token of the "living underworld messenger."

Without hesitation, Li Yan made a hand seal and pointed it at the talisman.

"Buzz!"

The hook trembled, and the Soul-Hooking Rope, which was on the verge of collapse, immediately stabilized.

Wang Daoxuan's eyes lit up with joy, and he murmured, "I almost forgot about this..."

Starting from the capital, Li Yan completed several missions in succession. He used the Gang Orders to refine the Five Directions Luo Feng Banners, and kept three more to summon the Yin Division's troops. The remaining two Divine Gang Orders were completely useless.

The Soul-Hooking Rope is also a Great Luo Divine Power, which can be enhanced by using Divine Qi.

After absorbing all the divine energy, Li Yan's Yin spirit body stabilized once again.

The power binding the infant spirit also suddenly increased, and the strange screams in the thunder and fire became even more shrill.

Of course, even so, it is still very difficult.

Li Yan's Great Luo Dharma Body has developed many more cracks.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely, each second feeling like being fried in a pan of oil.

Wang Daoxuan clenched his fists, chanting scriptures to protect his mind.

finally--

A deafening roar erupted from the ground, seemingly mixed with the fury of a god.

But the ball of lightning that was floating on the long street suddenly compressed towards the center as if collapsing.

“Sizzle——!!!”

The piercing howl abruptly ceased.

The fierce and malevolent aura was completely refined and obliterated.

Thunder and fire surged, transforming into the illusory image of a divine general that vanished.

As the shockwave dissipated, a humanoid spirit, about a foot tall and as condensed as black jade, floated quietly in the air.

It no longer exuded any resentment or malice; instead, it emanated an aura of majesty.

The black mist surrounding Li Yan also quickly dissipated.

His face turned pale, and his legs gave way, causing him to collapse to the ground. "Taoist Master, take him into your ranks as a divine general..."

After saying that, he rolled his eyes and fainted.

The "Hundred Ghosts and Yin Fiends" were refined by thunder and fire, losing their malevolent aura and instead becoming excellent potential Yin generals.

Seeing that Li Yan was alright, the huge weight that had been hanging over everyone's hearts finally lifted.

They rushed forward to help him up, while Wang Daoxuan let out a long sigh of relief, stepped forward, and held one of the "Five Directions Luofeng Flags" in his hand, chanting a secret incantation to subdue it.

He certainly knew the methods for rallying troops.

"By the decree of Fengdu, your souls shall return to my banner! Take them away!"

As the incantation was chanted, the dark shadow was absorbed, and the aura of the Five Directions Luo Feng Banner in his hand instantly became heavy, solemn, and harmonious, with a powerful pressure faintly emanating from the banner.

With the "Divine General" as the core of command, the original five battalions of ghost soldiers became much more powerful.

Their commotion had already attracted quite a few people.

Some people thought they were demons, ghosts, gods, or immortals, and began to burn incense and kowtow in worship.

"Let's go back to the ship first!"

At Wang Daoxuan's command, everyone immediately left and headed towards the dock...

…………

After an unknown amount of time, Li Yan slowly woke up.

He felt weak all over and his vision kept going black.

This is a sign of excessive consumption of the spirit and soul; even with a Great Luo Dharma Body, one still needs to rest and recuperate.

Once Li Yan calmed down and looked around, he immediately frowned.

He was in his room on Lin Jiabao's ship.

More importantly, judging from the sounds coming from outside the window, they are still in Yangzhou.

"Brother Yan, you're awake?"

Just then, Shalifei heard the noise and pushed the door open to come in.

Li Yan frowned and asked, "I've been asleep for several days, how come I'm still in Yangzhou?"

"I slept for three whole days."

After replying with a sentence, Shalifei bent down and shook his head, saying:
"Fatty Lin and the others have already left; we still have to stay in Yangzhou..."

(End of this chapter)