"What's wrong?" Red Chicken always moves the fastest—darting forward in a few strides, he reached Summer Hou Aotian. The young noble, who had always considered himself the protagonist, now had a pale face, his gaze fixed and wide with fear, as though still reeling from the shock. This prompted both curiosity and seriousness among the others. To scare someone so dramatically—someone with such a self-obsessed, 'teenage hero' attitude—meant that whatever was down in the sea must be truly terrifying. Free Eagle, Yunmeng, and Xia Shu's Love subtly tightened their muscles. Facing the serious looks of his companions, Summer Hou Aotian took a deep breath and said: "The ships have sunk—there are countless ships scattered across the seabed, and at the very center, there's one enormous vessel, about four to five times the size of ours. These smaller ships encircle it, forming an unusual formation. Although the robot spotlights' range is limited, I haven't been able to fully grasp the pattern, but I'm certain there is indeed a large, intricate array beneath the sea. This formation is strange—I've never seen anything like it—and deciphering it will be extremely challenging." "Nonsense—those are ancient cultivators' array techniques. They have a lineage, so their array skills must surely surpass those of the spiritual realm wanderers. It's like the difference between ordinary and advanced mathematics... Zhang Yuanqing asked, "And then what?" Just like that, it couldn't have frightened Xiahou Aotian so badly. Xiahou Aotian spoke softly, "I sent my underwater robot to investigate the central ship within the array. As the robot approached, I suddenly saw a white-clad woman drifting out of the ship's cabin—briefly, then gone. I immediately adjusted the camera angle to follow that white figure, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't find her. Instead, I began to notice...” His voice faltered, and his face grew pale. "I began to notice that the entire seabed was covered in the bodies of the fallen—thousands of them, standing on the sea floor, on the ship's deck, their heads raised toward me, their eyes lifeless, white and still..." The others mentally visualized the scene, feeling a chill spread through them. Meanwhile, Yin Ji, the Night-Wanderer, and Zhang Yuanqing remained calm and composed. They've gotten used to it. Xiu Hou Ao Tian continued, "They seem to have turned into water spirits or ghostly corpses, yet they're not attacking the robots. Just as I was about to take control of the robots and send them into that large ship to investigate, the camera feed switched, and there she was—a woman—already swimming toward me, without me even realizing it. Then the connection dropped. Man, I was absolutely terrified!" On hearing this, Yin Ji spoke with a tone of serious concern, "We can't go into the water—the seabed is filled with water spirits. If anyone falls in, it's a matter of life and death. We must cross this sea area quickly." Hong Ji Ge and Xiu Shu Zhi Lian looked visibly uneasy. Neither of them had the ability to fly, nor were they night spirits. Their only lifeline was this very ship beneath their feet. Xiu Hou Ao Tian glanced at the two of them, then lifted his chin, saying, "I have several jet packs. If you two ask me, as the protagonist, I'll certainly be generous and lend you a hand." Well, the jetpack's power is limited and it can't reach the Cliff Mountain Island—unfortunately, I won't be able to assist you further." So what's the point of all this nonsense you're saying...? Red Chicken Brother twitched at the corner of his mouth. Zhang Yuanqing thought carefully. Currently, it's clear that if they fall into the sea, they're likely to be in a dire situation. Therefore, their next task would be to protect this warship and successfully land on Cliff Mountain Island. Alternatively, they might have to actively enter the water and engage in a fierce battle against the army of underwater water spirits. If they make the wrong choice, they could be wiped out entirely. The S-tier quest has very low tolerance for errors—this underscores the critical importance of a well-planned strategy. He shared his thoughts. Yin Ji softly said, "You don't need to think about all this. For transcendental realm quests, puzzle-solving is more important than combat. But once you reach the Sage realm, combat becomes the main theme. Many crises can only be resolved through sheer strength—only the strong survive, while the weak perish. It's extremely harsh." "This was said to Zhang Yuanqing, the only one among them who had just entered the Saint's Realm quest. "Thank you for letting me know!" Zhang Yuanqing accepted Yin Ji's kindness. "Right now, this ship is our only reliance. The water spirits beneath the sea feel strangely mysterious—let's cross the sea as soon as possible. I hope nothing goes wrong." Xiahou Aotian turned toward the ship's stern, his steps brisk. Suddenly, he paused and said, "Let me cast a divination spell to see if we can reach Yishan Island smoothly." This was far more accurate than the star-gazing techniques of the Star Officials. The present Saint-level attendees immediately looked forward with eager anticipation. Xiahou Aotian enjoyed this sense of being the center of attention, and with a self-satisfied expression, he retrieved from his inventory a palm-sized, ancient turtle shell. Holding both ends of the shell, he pressed his palms firmly against the front and back, then shook it vigorously. As he shook it, the patterns on the shell glowed brightly, radiating a brilliant luminescence. There are so many props! Even Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but be struck by this sight. He thought to himself—how could a scholar's profession evolve into a lineage of spiritual realms? It simply doesn't make sense. Wouldn't the major organizations have wanted to plunder the scholar lineages? Yet, upon reflection, it made sense that the spiritual realm lineages were backed by the Five Elements Alliance and the Taimei Sect—once they became vassals of the imperial court, regularly sending tribute, all the troubles would naturally vanish. At that moment, Xiahou Aotian paused. The glow along the turtle shell patterns faded. Under the eager anticipation of everyone present, he carefully withdrew three bronze coins. Upon seeing them, Xiahou Aotian's face turned pale. "How is it?" Red Chicken Brother, noticing his expression, quickly asked. "A most ominous sign," Xiahou Aotian said, lifting his head and gazing at his companions, speaking each word with deliberate clarity, "I divined whether everyone could land safely." A wave of coldness surged up the spines of the saints, sending a shiver through their heads. Thus, the likelihood of a collective crisis is high. As the Night-Wanderer deity with a Yin-Yang robe shielding me, my risk is somewhat lower—but Red Chicken Brother and Xia Shu Zhi Lian, who are not particularly adept at swimming, may well… Zhang Yuanqing quietly activates his star-eyed vision, gazing at the two. She also sensed the quiet bond between Hongji and Xia Shu—this was a subtle hint for me not to speak at random, for disorder among the troops at such a critical moment would be disastrous. Zhang Yuanqing instantly grasped Yin Ji's meaning and said, "Set sail now—don't waste time. The longer we remain at sea, the more dangerous we become." Yin Ji gave a slight nod; Yuan Shi Tian Zun was indeed a wise man, understanding her intent merely from his gaze. At that moment, the group heard a distant roar, followed by a moment later by a vivid, sickly green flow of flame sweeping across the night sky, casting the sea in a shade of ashen green. "Boom!" The flame struck directly at the ship, sending up a violent surge of wind that tore the ship's deck into fragments, scattering countless splintered beams. The entire war vessel suddenly leaned sharply to one side, showing clear signs of capsizing. The saints on the deck were caught off guard, tumbling over one another, falling in the direction of the ship's tilt. Only Yunmeng, leveraging the wood spirit's exceptional balance and agility, instantly stabilized her stance, standing firmly on the deck as if her feet were rooted, her head tilted toward the direction of the oncoming flames. Her pupils rapidly constricted into slits, her irises turning amber—bestowing upon her the night vision granted by the beast-form eyes. At dozens of meters away on the sea surface, a series of massive warships had appeared without any prior notice, linked end to end, forming a tight defensive line precisely blocking the path of the sages' vessels. Dense shadows stood motionless upon the decks of each warship, silently observing the procession. Boom… boom… boom… Fire cannons mounted along the warships' hulls unleashed dim, sickly green flames, launching a second wave of assault toward the sages' fleet. Streams of green flames, like meteor showers, streaked across the night sky, roaring toward the approaching vessels. Wearing a silver ring and with a beautifully graceful face, Yunmeng felt her heart race, shrieking, "It's coming again... It's a ghost ship! The ghost ship has attacked us!" If these cannonballs hit home, their ships would be instantly sunk, and everyone would plunge into the sea. No—worse still, if struck by cannonballs glowing with green flame, even the saints themselves would face life-threatening dangers. "Damn it!" Red Chicken brother sprinted to the ship's side and raised his hands in a supporting gesture. A sudden "whoosh!" and clusters of crimson fireballs instantly coalesced, blazing upward and hovering in midair. With a powerful thrust, he sent the fireballs soaring upward, facing the pale green fire orbs, forming an uneven defensive barrier. Thunder! Thunder! Thunder! The sky was ablaze, with vibrant orange flames intertwining with the somber green ghost flames, like a splendid display of fireworks. Yet several cannonballs still pierced through the protective net and struck the carriages and ships. At the crucial moment, the free eagle charged to the ship's side, cursing "fack!" and spreading his arms wide, then lifted them with a powerful motion. A thunderous roar echoed across the water, and a wall of water several tens of meters high rose up, swallowing the cannonballs whole. "Splash—splash—" Ton after ton of seawater cascaded down, white foam surging and sending the ships, boats, and even carriages heaving and swaying. The saints on deck finally found their breath. "It's appeared—the connected-raft defense from the Battle of Yalu Mountain. Zhang Hongfan used this very tactic back then, and it led to a decisive defeat of the Southern Song navy," said Xiahou Aotian. "Now isn't the time to show off your historical knowledge," snapped Red Chicken Brother, furious. "The cannon fire is too dense—I can't hold up against this volume alone. Another few rounds, and we're done." He was pacing anxiously. Opposite them stood an entire fleet, yet they had only one ship, and that one had no cannons—passively taking the blows. With the ghost cannons' power, just a few cannonballs would be enough to sink their small vessel Summer's Love frowned, her brows tightly creased: "Our ship is small, swift and maneuverable—can we avoid them?" "They're not just one ship; they're a fleet. We can't dodge them all. It's like ten people firing at you—no matter how agile your positioning, you can't evade every bullet, and we have no means of counterattack." Zhang Yuanqing gazed steadily into the distance. He sensed a strong negative energy emanating from the warships—the shadows on the decks weren't human. Even Yin Ji raised an eyebrow, now visibly concerned. As he spoke, distant cannon fire roared, and dozens of vivid green flames erupted, marking another wave of concentrated assault. "Damn it, they're back again…" Red Chicken repeated his earlier tactic, creating clusters of fire balls, each half a meter in diameter, pushing their ship forward to meet the converging ghost cannons. Summer's Love drew a large-caliber handgun and fired a few scattered shots, offering only modest resistance. At this point, the lack of ranged attack skills became glaringly evident for the Night Stroller... Zhang Yuanqing summoned his Yin-Yang robe, shook it out and draped it over his shoulders, then raised one palm toward the sky, launching a series of fire balls the size of human heads. He coordinated these attacks with Red Chicken's defensive barrage. Observing Xia Shu Zhi Liang's maneuvers, he couldn't help thinking: "If only Guan Ya had her rifle—given Xia Shu Zhi Liang's keen observation, a single shot could obliterate one of the shells. Well, but at the cost of that worn-out rifle, Xia Shu Zhi Liang would likely be the first to go. Yin Ji summoned her spiritual attendants, guiding them to form a gust of阴 wind that would sweep toward the shells, attempting to alter the trajectory of the artillery. However, as soon as the attendants made contact with the vivid green flames, they instantly screamed and turned to ash. Within just a few seconds, she lost seven or eight of them. "Boom!" A shell finally broke through the defensive screen and struck the deck with tremendous force, sending out a powerful gust of wind that snapped trees and sent debris flying, knocking Zhang Bro Red Chicken was directly launched off the ship's side and plunged into the sea. Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing, disregarding his own pain, gathered a ball of fire and hurled it out. The fireball exploded with a thunderous roar, and the flowing flames solidified into Bro Red Chicken, now dressed in a short shirt, shorts, and slippers. "Thank you so much! I was afraid I'd lose my bedding..." Bro Red Chicken expressed his heartfelt gratitude. Just as he finished speaking, the entire ship shook violently, losing the protective shield provided by Red Chicken, and a shell struck the right side of the hull. Immediately afterward, everyone felt the vessel begin to tilt slowly. "There's a hole in the hull—we're going to capsize!" Free Eagle rushed to the ship's side, peering down and shouting in Chinese with urgency. "You're not even fluent in Chinese! You're a banana man!" Red Chicken loudly protested. Wasn't this the time to be making jokes? These teammates felt completely overwhelmed. Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank. If things didn't improve, he'd have to jump into the sea himself. At that moment, the young girl from Qinghe clan, Yun Meng, rushed to the ship's side and scattered a patch of dark seeds. In the next instant, the seeds adhered to the ship and rapidly grew into vines. The vines, like tendrils, intertwined and wound around each other, sealing the gaps left by the cannon fire tightly and impermeably. The ship's tilt was immediately alleviated. "Ah... relief!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Yuanqing immediately said: "With only thirty seconds between each cannon barrage, we simply don't have time to maneuver around the fleet. In a few more rounds, our ship will be destroyed and we will all perish. Everyone—draw upon your reserves now. This is no time for holding back." Red Chicken Brother quickly added: "I can only withstand three more waves of attack before my spiritual energy runs out." The group exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for what to do. "This is truly an S-tier quest..." the slightly plump Free Eagle thought, feeling a sense of helplessness. They had just set sail and immediately faced such a formidable crisis. I can make it over there... Yunmeng whispered softly to herself, but she could only bring one teammate at most. If she brought a teammate, her agility would significantly decrease, and should she encounter a barrage of artillery fire mid-air, the consequences would be disastrous. Xiaohou Aotian gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and said, "Give me two minutes." Without waiting for anyone's reaction, he swiftly reached out and grabbed at the void. Instantly, a steady series of heavy "thuds" echoed through the air, as a pile of dark components crashed onto the deck. There were long, thick gun barrels, two meters in length and ten centimeters in diameter, tall bases half a person's height, energy packs engraved with incantations, sighting mirrors, hinges, and more. "Are you really assembling the cannon on the spot?" Red Chicken Brother was stunned. But Xiaohou Aotian paid no attention to him, lifting the heavy base to the ship's side, locating the fixed long pins, and then hammering them firmly with a rhythmic "thump-thump-thump." The position for the cannon is quite dangerous... Zhang Yuanqing had a sudden thought, reached into his bag, and tossed over the "Lucky Necklace," saying, "Wear this, and it will make you lucky." Xiahou Aotian caught it, glanced somewhat surprised at Yuanshǐ Tianzun, then remained silent, continuing his work. Meanwhile, the cannon fire roared again, and a dense stream of vivid green flames surged forth, like a magnificent meteor shower, turning the sky and earth into a sea of somber green. Zhang Yuanqing, clad in his Yin-Yang robe, and Red Chicken Brother created clusters of fire balls to intercept the relentless barrage. Yin Ji used a water spirit's artifact to assist Free Eagle in riding waves and water walls, swallowing one after another of the cannon shells. Then, another shell struck the bow of the ship, sending people sprawling, but Xiahou Aotian fortunately avoided the shockwave and continued methodically assembling the cannon. Finally, after enduring four thrilling rounds of cannon fire, the weary sages heard Xiahou Aotian shout, "All set!" "The big cannon is finally assembled—time to strike back!" Along the ship's side, a sleek, high-tech cannon had been fully assembled, standing on a one-meter base with a two-meter-long barrel extending out from the hull. Its 100mm caliber offered a sense of secure power. At the end of the barrel was a directional handle, and the cannon's body housed an energy pack engraved with ancient incantations, connected to the body by thick cables the width of two fingers. "I'm looking forward to my secret weapon making an impact, you supporting players," said Xue Hou Ao Tian, perhaps influenced by the lucky pendant. As he adjusted the handle, fine-tuned the barrel's orientation, and pressed the trigger with a decisive step, the incantations on the energy pack instantly glowed bright, channeling a powerful surge of energy into the cannon. Boom! A golden sphere, resembling a miniature sun, shot out of the barrel, slicing through the dark, deep sea and entering the formation of warships. Thunderous boom! A golden glow rose from the sea, brightening the sky. Under the blinding light, the crowd watched as two massive warships were engulfed by the radiance, exploding with tremendous force and sending out massive waves that scattered the fleet along the entire line of the city. "Whoa...!" Red Chicken Brother was stunned, exclaiming, "With such powerful weapons, why didn't you bring them out earlier?" How strong... others' faces were now expressionless. Xia Hou Ao Tian laughed wildly, "The protagonist always makes their grand entrance last—may the cursed undead now feel the full force of my fury!" Xia Shu Zhi Lian glanced at the energy pack, asking, "Is this one quite expensive?" "Absolutely!" Xia Hou Ao Tian laughed, "This is an energy pack forged by the Sovereign itself, costing eight million. It can fire ten times, each time at eight hundred thousand..." As he spoke, he began to cry. Now it makes sense why he hesitated earlier... everyone instantly understood. Boom! Boom! Boom! Xiaohou Aotian stomped the trigger with a fierce expression, launching one after another miniature suns that turned the distant horizon into a sea of light. The waves surged forward, making ships and vehicles sway like flat-bottomed boats. Eight hundred million for a single projectile? Then two would cost nearly as much as an intercontinental missile—rather low on value for performance, wasn’t it? Yet intercontinental missiles couldn’t be brought into the spiritual realm. And they lacked automatic tracking and targeting functions—basically, they couldn’t hit anyone. Zhang Yuanqing assessed the weapon’s threat to himself. The power was impressive, but in terms of practicality and value-for-money, it wasn’t quite there. Yet here, it was a game-changer. Just too expensive for the average person to afford. "Now it’s eight and a half million," Red Chicken kindly reminded. "No, I don’t need you to remind me," Xiaohou Aotian gritted his teeth. When the final two "suns" were launched and the power pack dimmed completely, the distant sea churned with turbulent waves, and no trace of the fleet remained.