Chapter 228: Shahu Merfolk

This is the Koshi Plain.

The Claw Valley mountains crossed by the sky sail previously serve as the dividing line between it and the Dusk Hills.

The Shahu merfolk on the Hansen River of the Koshi Plain have not been fully eradicated.

It is said that the royal magicians of Etheron deemed the mutated merfolk valuable for study, so they left behind a group.

Normal Shahu merfolk are born allergic to freshwater; prolonged immersion causes fatigue and weakness.

Such sudden mutations are indeed strange.

Of course, though permitted to remain, they were explicitly forbidden from killing or seizing territory.

"They're surrounding two humans."

Kali said from the side.

The sky sail flew low and emitted obvious magical fluctuations, immediately noticed by the merfolk and humans below.

The five humans had some strength, but not much.

They fled while crying out for help.

The Shahu merfolk had long, slender bodies two to three meters in length, their backs covered in hard scales of deep blue and emerald green.

Merfolk.

Those who know, know—they're nothing compared to beautiful creatures like sirens.

They were essentially human-fish hybrids; no need to describe how ugly they were.

Luo De had zero interest in them.

They watched the sky sail warily but did not strike lightly.

Presumably, the Shahu merfolk had lived here long enough to know flying creatures were not to be trifled with.

"There's a girl in there, human. Isn't that your favorite trope—hero rescuing the damsel?"

The elf sneered.

"Pure misunderstanding. I only save my friends."

Luo De spread his hands.

He had no desire to stir up trouble.

Life and death are fate. Good luck to you.

"Master mage on the sky sail! These Shahu merfolk are blocking the road and robbing us! Please help us! We shall repay you!"

One of the two humans, a girl, shouted.

Yet no sooner had she spoken.

The sky sail, which had just slowed, resumed its previous speed.

The girl spat in frustration, her face already twisted with madness.

While running, she pulled a brass-colored alchemical cylinder from her spell satchel and aimed it at the sky sail.

Her male companion, seeing this, froze in shock.

He shouted to stop her: "What are you doing?! We don't even know who's on that sky sail!"

"Who the hell cares who they are! If they won't save me, they're no good!"

"But what good will dragging them down do? They'll just join the merfolk and attack us!"

"Then what else can I do? If I die, they won't live either!"

As her eyes turned yellow and cloudy, black veins bulged across her face, making her look like a raving demon.

Her male companion wailed:

"Your madness is back?! Didn't your sister say you were cured?! I'm cursed beyond belief for teaming up with you crazy sisters!"

"I'm not mad! Fuck you!!"

With a roar,

she raised her hand and slashed forward.

Her male companion, unprepared, widened his eyes in terror.

He watched helplessly as the blade struck his spell shield.

He wasn't badly hurt, but the impact cut his running speed nearly in half.

"Jenna! You fucking—aaah!!"

Before he finished speaking,

a trident sliced through the air, cleanly shattering his crude spell shield, piercing his thigh, and pinning him to the ground.

Shahu merfolk are naturally strong in muscle and excel at throwing.

Yet when Jenna heard her companion's scream, she showed a flicker of satisfaction.

With no obstruction, she immediately fired the alchemical cylinder at the sky sail above.

Sssss—

Dwarven alchemical devices are famed for requiring no magic to activate.

This one was no exception.

White, scalding steam erupted from two circular openings on either side.

Boom!

A black iron ball shot out.

Jenna sneered.

This alchemical device had cost her a fortune from the dwarves.

The launched iron ball contained a highly unstable explosive substance, its power roughly equivalent to a sixth-rank beginner's ability.

She was sixth-rank beginner herself—she could cast a spell of equal power.

But this device possessed one ability she lacked—an embedded 【Spiderweb Spell】.

It was a spell that countered nearly all flight techniques!

"Die with me!"

Yet—

Before the black iron ball struck the sky sail, a flash of sword light cut through the air.

The ball split cleanly in two, exploding midair; the 【Spiderweb Spell】 caught only empty air.

The sky sail suffered not a scratch.

Jenna spat.

She turned to look.

Her male companion, under relentless Shahu merfolk pursuit, had performed remarkably well in drawing their attention.

Even with his thigh pierced by the trident, he fought desperately, greatly reducing the number of merfolk chasing her.

"Two sixth-ranks, six fifth-ranks—tch!"

Jenna suddenly sensed something and looked upward again.

She saw the sky sail sway slightly.

A figure leapt out.

The figure traced a brief parabolic arc before crashing down with a thud, forming a small crater and landing steadily.

He was a tall, handsome man.

Dressed in a worn, simple black cloak, with one golden and one silver longsword hanging at his waist.

He chuckled: "You're looking for death?"

Yet Jenna's eyes lit up.

Only sixth-rank mid-level!

Another pawn!

She laughed loudly, swung her steel sword, and condensed her spiritual energy into a translucent red, kidney-shaped phantom along the blade.

"Sacrifice!! Ngonzi Pain Blade!!"

The next instant, she spat a mouthful of blood; her accumulated spiritual energy surged higher and higher, instantly climbing to sixth-rank peak.

The next moment, she spat out a mouthful of blood, her inner spiritual accumulation rising again and again, surging straight to the peak of sixth tier.

She didn't even glance at the Shahu merfolk behind her—she swung her sword at Luo De with brutal speed and force.

A colossal crimson spiritual blade, like a 【Giant's Slash】.

Facing the strike,

Luo De remained calm, gently placing his palm on the hilt of 【Sacrificial Blade】.

Luo De remained calm, gently placing his palm on the hilt of the 【Sword of Devotion】.

His arm blurred in an instant.

Four sword shadows flashed past.

Pssshhh—

Jenna staggered.

In that single moment, the spiritual blade failed to coalesce and dissolved rapidly midair.

Blood blurred her vision.

She instinctively tried to adjust her footing—but found nothing beneath her feet, as if suspended in midair.

She instinctively tried to adjust her step, but found nothing beneath her feet, as if she were suspended in midair.

Then she fell, landing between her severed arms and legs.

"AAAAAAAAA!!!"

A shriek that shook heaven and earth rang out.

The physical resilience of a Spirit Warrior is truly impressive.

With all four limbs severed, she still had the energy to scream so loudly.

Luo De gripped the 【Shaking Soul Blade】 in his left hand.

"Shut up."

He cast a 【Silence Spell】.

The screams cut off instantly.

The pursuing Sahu fishfolk had now arrived; they glanced at Zhen Na's mangled state, then at Luo De holding the longsword.

They remained utterly on guard.

(End of Chapter)