Clash

A 380-kilogram shell, with a muzzle velocity of 800 meters per second and a firing rate of about two rounds per minute. When it flew through the air in a parabolic trajectory, the terrifying sound it made just by scraping against the air was like a steel knife violently grinding against a skull through a steel helmet!

This was the terror of the naval guns of this era, the crystallization of industry in this era, and the pinnacle of firepower delivery in this era.

Let alone martial artists.

Even a locomotive, if hit directly, would be smashed to smithereens. There would be no intact parts to be found in the crater.

Shells like these.

Were currently being hurled fiercely by two ironclad ships at each other over this sea area, with a distance of 20,000 meters between them. Even the air seemed to be torn and shredded like cloth, emitting a chilling, torturous ripping sound along with the wind.

If one were to watch from afar.

One could see heavy cannons tracing arcs through the air, generating shockwaves, and then plunging into the water, creating plumes of water. At first glance, it seemed a bit like child's play. The naval guns of these two armies were firing at each other, but they weren't hitting anyone; the shells were all falling into the water. The distance was currently extreme. Before the shells landed, the ironclad ships had already maneuvered away.

In this situation.

To hit with artillery.

It relied partly on luck and partly on quantity.

This was the relaxed perspective of an observer. If one were in the middle of the barrage, it would be far from relaxed; it would be utterly terrifying!

Boom!!

A column of water erupted violently twenty meters away from the ship. Even though it didn't hit the vessel directly, the resulting shockwave and rocking motion still left people feeling chest tightness, dizziness, and dread.

Geng Liangchen's face was extremely grim.

He was no longer standing at the bow of the ship but had temporarily retreated to the command center.

This was not the time for showing off.

As Spirit Cultivation Practitioners, their role was limited before they could engage in close combat, but it was not nonexistent. It was because of this role that their ironclad ships dared to charge through the enemy's artillery barrage despite being completely outmatched in performance.

The reaction speed of martial artists far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Needles piercing mosquitoes, ten strikes in an instant, all done with ease. They could even sense the trigger being pulled and predict the trajectory of the shells.

The trajectories of naval guns, which were difficult for ordinary people to calculate, and the supersonic shockwaves that were imperceptible, could all be seen by martial artists. They could even react and predict them in their minds.

'Go to Jixia Academy and cram some arithmetic.'

'It might not be useful.'

'But, perhaps in a life-or-death situation, you'll end up using it.'

This was what Lan Yi had arranged for Geng Liangchen and Huo Yuanjia before they departed. The Immortal Master's orders were naturally obeyed. The two brought a group of Qi Cultivation Practitioners to cram a session in the arithmetic class at Jixia Academy. Martial artists learned very quickly, especially in arithmetic, where they had a natural advantage. They didn't need to learn much or master it; learning about parabolic trajectories was enough before they set off.

Unfortunately, Lan Yi's prediction came true.

This bit of arithmetic knowledge proved useful at this moment.

The speed of the ironclad ships, the distance between them, the time it took for a shell to travel from the muzzle to its impact, its trajectory, and the disturbance of the shockwaves – all these things were rushing into Huo Yuanjia's mind amidst the crisis of being turned into meat paste at any moment!

They chattered away, telling Huo Yuanjia whether the shells they detected had a chance of landing on his head.

The same was true for the martial artists on other ships.

Some of them made accurate predictions, while others had astonishing calculation abilities. They always seemed divinely assisted, granting their ironclad ships a battlefield status that increased their evasion by 40%.

Even though it was only 40%.

Given the abysmal hit rate of this era, 40% was enough to turn every ironclad ship into a Yukikaze among ships.

Boom!!!

Although the Star Han warships were fewer in number, they roared and retaliated. Regardless of whether they hit or not, retaliation was a must. Otherwise, the enemy would be able to calculate their artillery units without any pressure, and their shells would become more and more accurate. Only when both sides were taking fire would the skill levels of both sides be considered equal.

"Fifteen thousand meters."

A military officer beside Huo Yuanjia reminded him.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the command center became solemn, and many soldiers' eyes showed a look of death.

They had started exchanging fire at 20,000 meters, and at 15,000 meters, it entered the danger zone. As they closed in to this distance, the hit rate of the naval guns would rapidly increase. If they continued to advance further, as the parabolic trajectory of the shells gradually shifted towards a straight line, even the calculations of the martial artists would not be enough to maneuver the entire ship to evade.

It would take for the Spirit Cultivation Practitioners to be deployed.

They still needed to advance at least another 10,000 meters.

Ten thousand meters would take them approximately sixteen minutes.

The good news was that the foreigners were not playing defensively but were fiercely pushing forward with equal ferocity. The time for the martial artists to be deployed should be around eight minutes.

"Eight minutes?"

"The Immortal Master has ordered me and the Martial Heavenly General to assassinate this fleet!"

"I don't care what you do, you must get me there. If you don't, you'll be court-martialed!"

Geng Liangchen was filled with killing intent. The pressure of a Spirit Cultivation Practitioner intimidated everyone into obedience. He had decided to risk everything, not only because of Lan Yi's order but also to vent the pent-up frustration of Star Han being suppressed by foreign naval guns for so many years! He wanted to tell the foreigners that their ships were no longer as effective as they used to be!

A suffocating eight minutes.

The booming cannon fire did not cease for eight minutes.

Several times.

The fiery pillars kicked up by the perilous shelling exploded almost right alongside the ship's hull.

Under the violent impact, casualties were unavoidable.

But fortunately, the Martial Artists were still playing their part. The agility and coordination of the Qi Cultivation Practitioners, far surpassing ordinary people, made them top-notch even for damage control and rescue.

Five kilometers!

"We've reached the position! Here I go!" Geng Liangchen's eyes flashed with sharp light. The next moment, he shot out of a damaged porthole like a black tiger released from its cage, roaring!

He landed in the water with a thump.

Geng Liangchen didn't sink. Instead, after splashing up the waves, the Innate Qi within him burned fiercely. Pushed to its limit, it unleashed superhuman speed!

In an instant, two streams of water, closely following each other, shot forward like lightning towards the warships firing their cannons.

Huo Yuanjia and Geng Liangchen charged at full speed.

For Spirit Cultivation Practitioners who could tread on water, a straight five-kilometer distance at sea was merely a matter of minutes. In just a few breaths, their charging momentum caught the attention of observers on the Punishment Fleet.

The foreigners knew Martial Artists were ferocious.

They also knew they would likely attempt to board.

But they hadn't expected this method of boarding. They could only deploy their pre-prepared volleys, preparing to intercept these two Martial Artists treading on the waves.

In a safer area further behind.

The foreign commander narrowed his eyes.

"Will the guns be effective?"

"Even if they can't kill the Martial Artists, they should be able to repel them. We're using buckshot," the foreign officer mused thoughtfully.

But soon, the news arrived, and both couldn't help but look grave and shocked.

Two Martial Artists had, in less than ten minutes, disabled all eight ironclad ships. Communication was still maintained, however.