Tianmu was struck squarely in the face by a punch from Red Mountain Empress, crashing heavily onto the Min River. The river surface burst open instantly, stirring up surges over two zhang high as many boats scrambled to dodge out of the way.
The boats on the river were often those of the Cao Lao Association. Their skippers were accustomed to working with the water and could whip up wind and waves, making ordinary gales entirely powerless against Cao Lao Association vessels. Yet Tianmu was truly too massive; plunging into the Min River, her commotion was also terrifyingly loud.
Numerous skippers hurriedly urged their respective water-stabilizing talismans, attempting to pacify the churning surges, but their individual craft were still tossed high into the air by the waters as huge waves bore down directly toward both banks.
"Quickly offer water-stabilizing talismans!" someone shouted aloud.
Skippers hastily tossed talisman after talisman into the water, yet saw the surges over two zhang high carrying a mass of boats straight toward the shore. Just as they were about to crash into the streets on either side, the water suddenly calmed, ripples entirely vanishing.
Ten-odd li of the Min River, upstream and down, lay flat and smooth as a mirror.
Tianmu and Red Mountain Empress, one large and one small, fought a pitch-black battle across the river surface. Yet only where they landed did the water violently oscillate; everywhere else remained completely level as a mirror, without a single ripple.
The skill of the Cao Lao Association compelled one to praise them.
Cao Yunshen of the Cao Lao Association also received word, hurriedly stepping out of the main altar to stand by the river and gaze out. He saw two evil gods slaughtering each other in the river; had the skippers of the Cao Lao