Chapter 365: Boarding Battle

"How should we deal with those two Blood-Husk Shenkan?"

Sinuoli closed his eyes and turned his brain rapidly; a magic arrow projected by a Medusa landed not far away. As long-range artillery, they could deal high magic damage; even his own Anvil Guard would be in trouble if they took a hit.

"Aim at those evil things, fire!"

Just then, a captain on the Cathayan treasure ship on the right flank could no longer hold back; he pointed his precious sword, and the gunners immediately began to aim.

"Help me!"

"I can't move!"

"Where is the Admiral? Admiral, save me!"

The gunners paid the price for their keen eyesight; before the spellcasters on the treasure ship could save them, they turned into lifeless stone statues amidst the horror of their comrades. This power, which transcended the understanding of mortals, made the other crew members on this ship attempt to abandon their posts.

"If Yin Yin were here, they probably wouldn't collapse so easily."

Sinuoli sighed and muttered; large monsters could generally induce fear and terrify enemy troops. Compared to the Humans of the Old World who were extremely closely linked with the Dwarfs, he had not yet made much of a name for himself among the lower and middle ranks of Zhendan.

The difference between short-lived races and long-lived races was also reflected here; Human commanders lacked the opportunity to confront multiple races within their limited lifespans, and thus much battlefield experience had to be paid for with lives.

"Yang Energy Return!"

Master Sheng hurriedly ran to the bow of the ship to save the situation; he used a Yang-type Jade Protection Formula, manipulating the scorching Wind of Light to create a barrier, which, in addition to blocking damage, would also boost the spirits of all friendly troops protected by it.

"Let them fire at will; there's no need to aim at such large targets!"

After two or three rounds of exchanges, the Black Ark sailed into the range of individual long-range weapons. Crane Gunner, Dwarf Firearm, and the Nuxhou that both sides possessed formed a dense web of fire, and exchanging fire with them were the Dark Elf Nuxhou.

The marksmen on both sides attempted to kill as much of the other's effective strength as possible before close-quarters combat; after several volleys, the *Tower of Blessed Dread* collided with the Cathayan treasure ship.

"Duang!"

"Whoosh!"

The countercurrent and turning had already reduced the speed of the Black Ark to a very low level, but its massive mass still brought great impact. For a moment, even the Dwarfs, with their large mass and low center of gravity, staggered, and the Cathayans' formation was even more disordered.

"What's going on?" Kanowar discovered that the treasure ship had only retreated a few zhang before holding firm, and it hadn't been knocked askew as imagined to yield an escape route.

"Chains! It's chains!" a sharp-eyed female sorceress cried out.

"Slap!" What she received was not a commendation but a lash of a whip; the Admiral's strength was great, tearing the woman's dress directly and revealing flesh and a bloody welt. But what was astonishing was that not only was she not angry, but a morbid flush appeared on her heavily made-up face.

"Charge up and cut them!"

Kanowar roared; he had been campaigning at sea for hundreds of years and easily guessed what measures Sinuoli had taken to stop his fleet.

"Saisalay protects us; those who dare to stand before us will either be slaves or dead!"

The hellish gods worshipped by the Dark Elves were known as Saisalay; they were led by the God of the Bloody Hand, Kaine, and the other gods also had a broad foundation of belief.

A large number of Dark Elves leaped down from the towers of the Black Ark, led by the most agile pirates. They were adept at boarding combat, and before the boarding ladders were even set up, they swung over using grappling hooks.

"Firearms, fire at will! Melee troops, annihilate them as quickly as possible!"

Sinuoli commanded the overall situation from the bridge of the treasure ship, his guards quickly cutting down the Dark Elves rushing toward him. The treasure ship attracted the attention of the greedy pirates, especially when it was combined with the Dwarfs.

The Dragon fleet did not have much cavalry, so their basic tactics were also for the front-line troops to hold the line, the back-row to provide long-range output, and mages to provide extraordinary support. This set was very similar to the common tactics of the Dwarfs, and Sinuoli felt no obscurity in commanding them.

The Black Ark pirates came fast and were sent away just as fast; they lacked protection, and in the face of the Iron Hail Gun, a short-range, large-caliber weapon, their mere sea-dragon leather cloaks were instantly riddled with holes. The guys who were lucky enough to land found it difficult to exert themselves in the face of the scimitars and iron claws held by the heavy-armored Jade Warriors.

"Interesting, is this the effect of Ninghe?"

Looking down from a high vantage point at the tacit cooperation between the near and far combat units, Sinuoli muttered inwardly. He used his knowledge of Yin-Yang, the Five Elements, and Daoist philosophy from his previous life to examine the battlefield before him; it seemed that the Cathayans had formed a harmonious Taiji diagram, constantly grinding down the incoming enemies.

"Tell those Dragon Guards to get ready; a decent opponent is coming!"

After a moment of fighting for the ship's side, the Dark Elf infantry that had finished forming up on the Black Ark pushed over. Behind the Executioners and Dreadspears equipped with shields to block long-range fire, Sinuoli saw some Naggaroth Black Guard holding halberds and other higher-level infantry.

"Watch out for those women! Use long weapons, don't let them get close!"

The Dwarf King shouted; a group of scantily clad Dark Elf females, covered in bloody and evil markings, leaped out impatiently as soon as they crossed the boarding ladder. They frantically brandished the twin daggers in their hands; these sharp things were coated with deadly poison.

These women were known as Witch Elves; they were born to satisfy Kaine's thirst for blood and sacrifice, and could be called the cruelest of this cruel race. Before going to the battlefield, they would drink blood wine laced with poison to slaughter the enemy in a state of frenzy.

"They are very agile! Fortunately, everyone on the ship is a professional soldier."

Although they retreated to open up some distance, many of the stabs from the Jade Warrior spears were dodged. Some Witch Elves rolled a few times to get close, while others were pierced through the body but continued to advance along the spear shaft; they would not stop until their blood ran dry.

"Hahaha, to charge our dynasty's military formation with such ragged people is like a moth to a flame!"

Jiuniang had overloaded her mana to cover the entire defensive line when she just cast the Arrow-Repelling Formula, and she only caught her breath after sitting aside for a while. Seeing her own warriors holding the line against desperate enemies, she was naturally very proud.

"Not right!"

Although the Jade Warriors maintained the line, in order to control the distance and prevent the Witch Elves from getting close, and also to avoid being accidentally injured by their own long-range fire, they had already retreated several zhang from the side of the ship where they were originally pressed. Looking at the empty deck, Sinuoli suddenly shouted.

"Boom!"

The sky suddenly exploded, and a black Chaos Lightning struck down from the air, slamming straight into the Jade Warrior formation compressed into a dense array.

"Sacrifice to Kaine with the blood of the enemy!"

Following closely behind were a group of guys holding exotic greatswords in front of their chests with both hands; they strode toward the scattered military formation.