The group hurried toward Salty Salt Fishing Village. On the way, they ran into the Three Elders, who were heading to the Earth Altar to watch the ceremony.
After talking it over, the Three Elders immediately announced that they wanted to join the rescue force.
"Three centurions, the sky is overcast, and the sea will be rough. This trip is too dangerous. You should wait here for good news from us," Wu Datou urged.
"Bullshit!" "I may be old, but I'm still going strong. I can eat three big bowls in one sitting." "Shut your mouth, you little brat!" The Three Elders' eyes bulged like oxen's as they shouted in unison.
"Chu Yun, you should go back and attend your coming-of-age ceremony. We three old men will make the decision on this matter! We guarantee we'll save the island lord!" Old Red Spear patted his chest as he made his promise. He didn't want Chu Yun to lose his bright future, either.
"Don't say another word. If we win this battle, giving up Heavenly Song Academy to save my father will be worth it. If we lose, I won't spend the rest of my life regretting it and hating myself for cowering just to stay alive!"
In his previous life, Chu Yun had lived mired in regret, suffering beyond endurance. Now that he had been reborn, how could he let hope and opportunity slip through his fingers?
Chu Yun's expression was solemn and resolute.
The Three Elders fell silent at the sight of him. After a long pause, one of them said, "If young Chu wants to save the island lord, we can rally some old soldiers. They're all fellows who refuse to admit they're old."
Chu Yun nodded. He knew how highly regarded the Three Elders were in the military. His tone changed at once, taking on an unmistakable commander's authority as he said gravely, "In that case, rally your former troops while you carry out your assignments. Old Red Spear, I order you to gather five hundred strips of Jade Sea Kelp. You must finish before the third quarter past nine. Assemble at the Salty Salt Fishing Village pier!"
"Old Monkey Qiao, I order you to gather three hundred Copper Bell Fruits. You must finish before the third quarter past nine. Assemble at the Salty Salt pier as well!"
"Old Fish King, I order you to requisition boats and fishing vessels, and gather a hundred jars of strong liquor. Have everything assembled at the Salty Salt Fishing Village pier before the third quarter past nine!"
"Wu Datou, divide all your men into three teams and have them help the Three Elders!"
"Yes!" Wu Datou didn't quite understand the purpose behind Chu Yun's orders, but the force of his presence made him accept them instinctively and set out to carry them out.
The Three Elders exchanged glances, astonished by Chu Yun's bearing. He was as steady as a mountain and as methodical as a seasoned commander, as though he had everything planned. They found themselves wanting to obey without even thinking about it.
"This kid Chu Yun..."
"He really does remind me of the island lord when he was young."
"Let's get to it. Looks like little Chu has a plan..."
The Three Elders exchanged looks. Their soldierly instinct to obey, along with other considerations, kept them from voicing any doubts. They simply set about carrying out their orders.
By now, the wind was picking up, and dark clouds churned across the sky.
Waves surged and roared, white foam churning as the tide rose and fell.
How many gifted souls had the merciless tide washed away? This time, who would it take, and who would it leave behind?
"Old friend, are your bones itching? We're heading to the battlefield again!" At the boathouse by the shore, Old Fish King patted Sea Spider's body, picked up the trident he had treasured and carefully maintained for years, and swung himself onto its back.
Sea Spider's scarred body shuddered. Its eight slender legs strained to hold firm, finally bearing the sudden weight.
Old Fish King panted. The trident felt heavier than he remembered it ever being. His aged body trembled faintly, too.
"Looks like we're not old yet!" Old Fish King laughed three times. "Sea Spider, charge! The battlefield will always belong to us, the Spider Sea Knights!"
The treehouse in the coconut grove.
"Where is it? Where is it? Aha, found it." Old Monkey Qiao rummaged through a dusty corner and pulled out a pair of gauntlets. With a deep sigh, he slipped them on.
He could still vaguely remember the first time he'd worn them, decades ago, when Shu Family Island had called up soldiers. He slid down the tree trunk and landed on the ground.
That was the beginning of his magnificent career fighting at sea.
To be honest, after leaving the army, he had never thought he would put them on again. He never imagined this day would really come!
He took a light breath, calming the blood that had begun to boil in his chest. Old Monkey Qiao glanced at the tree trunk and hesitated, but in the end, he headed for the rope ladder nearby.
"Come on, old friend!" Once he reached the ground, he called out. A Claw Monkey immediately sprang down from the coconut tree.
"Eek, eek, eek!" The monkey chattered excitedly and clambered onto Old Monkey Qiao's shoulder.
"You don't look old at all, do you? Hehehe." Laughing, the man and monkey walked out of the coconut grove.
"Red Spear, oh, Red Spear. I've left you idle for so many years. Have you been lonely?" Old Red Spear's withered hand stroked the straight, vermilion shaft of the spear. He gazed at the long weapon before him, murmuring to himself.
"You haven't grown old, but I have. Sigh, I've wronged you all these years. I know what's in your heart. You've always yearned for the battlefield!"
His words brimmed with affection, and his sigh was heavy with helplessness.
But in the next instant, his tone changed, blazing with battle intent!
"But in this battle, you'll return to the battlefield. Whether I live or die, you'll have a new master!" His words carried a tragic resolve.
"Ha!"
Old Red Spear suddenly shouted like a clap of spring thunder. His whole body shuddered, the veins on his forehead standing out. Summoning every last ounce of strength, he slowly lifted the vermilion spear.
The strength to hold a spear in one hand, which he'd possessed in his youth, was long gone. Even holding it with both hands was a struggle now.
But at last, he raised the spear!
Old Red Spear's expression brightened, but his brow soon furrowed. Sweat streamed down his back. His arms trembled uncontrollably, and the shaking grew more violent by the moment.
Hold on!
His eyes blazed with fury, but his body could no longer keep up. He staggered, his strength failing, and the spear began to tip to one side.
Suddenly, a large hand reached out and held the spear steady.
Old Red Spear froze and looked back. Wu Datou was grinning foolishly at him.
A quarter past nine, the battlefield at sea.
"Shu Clan men, follow me and break through!" Shu Tianhao led the charge, standing on the deck with the Drunken Snow Broadsword in hand. Bathed in blood, he fought his way forward, unstoppable.
Only three ships remained in the Shu Clan fleet. Seeing their commander fight like this, the men's spirits soared, and they followed close behind.
"Now that's tenacity. No wonder they say, 'Rain falls in the east while rainbows shine in the west; the men of Shu Family Island are as stubborn as the women of Ning Family Island.' The people of Shu Family Island really are fierce!" White Prowler exclaimed from aboard the pirate ship.
By now, even Remnant Wolf's expression had changed. He knew just how great an advantage he had: ten times the firepower, three times the troops, and twice the number of ships.
Yet he had still turned this surprise attack into a bitter stalemate.
The fierce courage of Shu Family Island's troops truly lived up to its reputation.
"Even a weakened tiger is still a tiger, not a cat. But this ends now." Remnant Wolf rose to his feet, murderous intent surging from him.
The notorious pirate Remnant Wolf had finally run out of patience and decided to join the fight!
A quarter past nine, Salty Salt Fishing Village pier.
"Lady Shu has impounded the large warships. We've only managed to gather eight Assault Skiffs. We've also rounded up forty-nine veterans," Wu Datou reported gravely.
An Assault Skiff was a light warship. It had six oars on each side and carried war drums and banners. Its main role was to accompany towering warships and carry out sudden strikes.
Their force numbered only 142, including four Lesser Demon-level fighters: Wu Datou, Old Fish King, Old Monkey Qiao, and Chu Yun. The only one with any real strength was Wu Datou's Martial Dao Crab, with fifty-six years of cultivation.
They were woefully short of both men and capable commanders.
Meanwhile, Remnant Wolf's pirates had managed to suppress the main force of Shu Family Island. By a preliminary estimate, they had over a thousand men, around ten warships, nearly a hundred Lesser Demon-level fighters, and two Great Demon-level fighters: Remnant Wolf and White Prowler.
The gap between the two sides was so immense that even thinking about it was enough to make a person despair.
Chu Yun's face was cool as jade, but he issued his orders without hesitation. "All troops, heed my command. Each of you, gather five strips of Jade Sea Kelp and bind them around your limbs and forehead. Pick two Copper Bell Fruits and hang them from your waist. Then take a jar of strong liquor and board an Assault Skiff!"
Half a quarter of an hour later, the assignments were complete. The eight Assault Skiffs were ready to depart.
Standing at the bow, Chu Yun gazed deeply toward the Earth Altar. The third trial was surely still underway. He smiled faintly, without a trace of regret, then raised his head and sighed before reciting, "Twenty-three years of reincarnation, compared with heaven and earth, are no more than a speck of dust. I look upon the world, and even life and death seem like dreams, like illusions. How can one go through life clinging to survival, afraid of death, and wallowing in regret?"
When he finished, he roared, "The entire force, attack!"
A quarter past nine, the battlefield at sea.
Awooooo!
A wolf's howl pierced the sky and rang across the entire battlefield. Smoke billowed upward, shrouding heaven and earth.
The sky had already been dark beneath the heavy clouds. Now it was as if night had fallen. Black smoke blotted out the sea and sky. Suddenly, a gigantic wolf's head formed from the smoke, its blood-red eyes glaring as it roared and charged toward the deck of the Shu Clan ship.
Black smoke instantly swallowed dozens of sailors.
Their shrill screams erupted as the smoke and giant wolf's head soared away, leaving dozens of piles of ash on the deck.
The Beacon Smoke Wolf Beast!
This kind of Demon Beast had no physical body of flesh and blood. Its entire form was nothing but a mass of thick smoke, concealing a tremendous heat that could roast a person or beast into a pile of ash in an instant.
Shu Tianhao was furious. His blade flashed in every direction, reaping countless lives as he roared, "Remnant Wolf, if you've got the guts, come at me!"
"I meant to save you for last and torment you nice and slow. But since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish." Remnant Wolf laughed wildly. Then he beckoned, and the enormous black-smoke wolf's head descended from the sky and drifted lightly to his feet.
"I'll fight Shu Tianhao. White Prowler, you take command and keep a close watch for anyone coming to the rescue! If Shu Tianhao is taken away, I'll deal with you when I get back." The smoke surged beneath Remnant Wolf, lifting him slowly into the air.
White Prowler grinned slyly, a sharp glint flashing in his narrow eyes. "Don't worry. I've already used the Arsenic Prowler to turn into poisonous fog and cover the whole battlefield. Anyone who comes to the rescue will die!"
"Hmph! See that you do. This time, it was your greed that tipped them off and forced me to act early. Don't make another mistake. My patience is limited." With that, Remnant Wolf was carried upward by the smoke.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning suddenly tore across the sky. The wind rose, and raindrops as big as beans came pelting down.
"Hmm?" Remnant Wolf's expression changed. If this rain came down over the battlefield, it would throw everything into chaos. Shu Tianhao might use the chance to escape.
"If the heavens want rain, I'll stop them! Beacon Smoke Wolf Beast, cover the sky for me!"
At his command, the black smoke expanded rapidly, growing a hundred times denser. It spread across the sky like an enormous black wok, covering the entire battlefield and keeping the rain from falling.
"Shu Tianhao, I'm here to take your life!" Remnant Wolf descended on the smoke and landed before Shu Tianhao.
"Hahaha, splendid! Splendid!" Hearing the howling wind, crashing waves, and rolling thunder, White Prowler laughed with delight. "With winds and waves like these, what rescue team could possibly make it here? Looks like I worried for nothing. Shu Tianhao, you're out of luck. Not even the gods or demons can save you this time!"