Chapter 156: Behind Every Rigid Rule Lies an Absurd Reality

Eighty meters… sixty meters… forty meters…

The electromagnetic cannon flared again with an orange glow; Fena had already curled her knees, preparing to leap—but at that moment, a colossal wave suddenly rose before the dozen divine-technique warships.

The terrifying wave, tens of meters high, did not crash down; instead, it unfolded like a water curtain, and upon the surface of that curtain, countless tiny splashes bore densely packed Sea Soul Guards clad in scaled armor.

Unlike those seen earlier on the hunter ship, these Sea Soul Guards displayed more marine creature traits, and wielded weapons encrusted with coral, seaweed, and shells.

The electromagnetic cannon's charge completed; as its orange beam pierced the water curtain, countless Sea Soul Guards ignored the dozens of comrades obliterated by the blast, swinging their seemingly weak weapons and surging forward. Sara, already eager, grinned bloodthirstily and leapt straight off the railing, stepping on the sea surface as she charged alone into the ranks of thousands of Sea Soul Guards.

Dozens of Landseeker vessels weaved through the towering waves; though they appeared helpless, threads of energy had already linked together.

Boom!

Ninety seconds were so brief, yet so long—but at this moment, this instant, a terrifying rainbow light split the night, cleaving the dark sea into crimson.

The tens-of-meters-high wave was vaporized into a terrifying gap; the superheated steam instantly boiled away nearby Sea Soul Guards.

The combined divine technique was shattered by such brutal means, and the priests casting it suffered backlash. The wave crashed down, the sea churning and boiling like a furnace; divine power oozing from the wave seeped into every ripple, making the ocean's sway seem alive.

Crack!

Amid the surging waves, a massive tentacle suddenly lashed out, instantly wrapping around a dozen Landseeker vessels—including the Da Yun Hao, right at the front!

"It's Kraken!" The sailor's scream was drowned by thunder; Xiao Lingdang immediately rotated the cannon and fired a point-blank shot at the tentacle; a blinding beam pierced straight through—but the next instant, the tentacle, which had been severed by three-quarters, regenerated.

Seeing this, Fena, who was battling atop the waves, curled her knees and leapt vertically upward, stepping on the tentacle to reach the ship. Her sharp wolf claws twisted, transforming her entire palm into a blade gleaming with cold light.

The palm strike that could cleave the ocean landed—but the tentacle bounced like a rubber tire, only sinking three inches before halting.

Feng Xue saw this unreliable tactic and, seeing smaller vessels already dragged under, dared not wait any longer—he immediately pulled out a Lüshui Talisman and slapped it onto the Da Yun Hao.

Vast amounts of Yuan Qi boiled from his body, transforming into magical energy that enveloped the Da Yun Hao. As the massive tentacle visibly recoiled from the Lüshui Talisman's barrier, Feng Xue shoved a compressed fish cake into his mouth and activated the Ingestion Technique, channeling even more magical energy.

Snap!

Suddenly, the massive tentacle—unfazed even by electromagnetic cannon fire—snapped in two, and the Da Yun Hao immediately plummeted downward!

After all, whether Kraken or Sea Soul Guards, they were fundamentally constructs formed from seawater infused with the Sea God's divine power; before the Lüshui Talisman, all "water" was repelled…

Wait… why are we still sinking?

"Master! Stop immediately!"

"Ah, shit!" Only when seawater flooded the deck did Feng Xue realize—he released his spiritual force, the Lüshui Talisman terminated, and the ocean's buoyancy returned, propelling the Da Yun Hao back up.

"Phew, no wonder the Lüshui Talisman manual says you must form a flat plane under your feet—turns out wrapping a pointed hull just makes you sink straight through?"

Feng Xue muttered, still shaken, then finally had time to observe the battlefield—twelve divine-technique warships had dwindled to only four still emitting devotional energy, yet the Sea Soul Guards on the sea showed no sign of reduction.

Seeing more Sea Soul Guards leap onto the deck, Feng Xue called out to Fena and reapplied the Lüshui Talisman—but this time, his magical energy enveloped only the upper half of the Da Yun Hao.

"This works!" Fena gradually returned from her bloodlust, watching the Sea Soul Guards slide off like water droplets on waterproof fabric, and she gave a thumbs-up.

Watching Fena now in her solar form, Feng Xue fell silent, and simply ordered Xiao Lingdang to speed up.

At that moment, the recently victorious 【Iron Curtain】 broadcast a voice message over the public channel:

"All ships listen! Concentrate fire on the ships still glowing!"

With his metallic-tinged roar, the heavy-armored warship's secondary cannons swung around, crimson beams slicing through the night toward the remaining four vessels.

Hum!

Blue-black bubbles erupted above the divine-technique warships; the moment the beams struck the divine techniques, countless fish shadows leapt from beneath the sea.

"Watch out—these aren't elemental beings, they're illusion beasts!" A cry echoed over the channel; Feng Xue's face paled. Each swordfish struck like a true blade, piercing Landseeker vessels—older models were instantly riddled with holes.

"Damn, they've got biological weapons too?" Feng Xue, seeing the divine talisman inscriptions on the swordfish, knew even the Da Yun Hao's metal hull wouldn't hold long—he pulled out the altar table, lit incense and candles—

"Xiao Lingdang, cut the voice channel!"

"Yes, Master—you may begin!"

As Xiao Lingdang finished speaking, Feng Xue formed hand seals, channeled magical energy, and shouted loudly, "All who don't want to die, repeat after me: 'Demons and monsters, begone!'"

Without further delay, Feng Xue pulled out a dried salted fish, hopped on one foot, and chanted repeatedly—

"Demons and monsters, begone! Demons and monsters, begone!"

Though it seemed absurd, faced with swarms of ship-piercing swordfish, with no countermeasures and fearing death by fish, the low-tier Landseekers could only begin chanting along.

The words slowly gathered, growing louder, their voices coalescing into devotional energy, drawn in by Feng Xue.

With a hundred or so voices converging, Xiao Lingdang's tablet began to glow.

The frenzied fish swarm slowed. Noticing this, even ships with countermeasures began chanting.

More and more devotional energy gathered; Xiao Lingdang's enhanced 【Guidance】 divine authority began competing with the Sea God's priests for control over the fish. Xiao Lingdang's devotional energy was insufficient, but he was still a deity—and his completely matched divine technique was far more targeted than the Sea God's raw divine power.

"Now!"

Someone shouted over the public channel; a dozen small ships immediately accelerated, charging through the gap blasted open by Iron Curtain. Feng Xue, learning from past mistakes, ordered Xiao Lingdang to follow behind—but even after the Da Yun Hao sailed far away, no pursuit came.

Though they had escaped the jaws of death, Feng Xue felt a creeping unease—until now, the elder 【Abyss】, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke:

"This cooperation went well, but something's off—stay alert!"

As his words faded, names across the channel began logging off one by one. Feng Xue frowned; though he felt no sudden premonition, he still pulled out a tortoise shell and performed a divination for peace of mind…

(End of Chapter)