When things tottered toward ruin, they generally showed some final improvement, like the last flare of life before death. So it was with the scene amid the rain over Divine Wrath Reef: most of the defenders believed there was still hope. Especially after the grand slaughter in the boiling sea over the first three days, it did not seem impossible that the entire tide of battle might turn.
Yet to the few with clear eyes, such opinions scarcely deserved mention. The commanders of the Four Rivers and Mysterious Spirit forces had long since seen the larger picture. Taking careful stock of their own strength and observing where hearts stood on the opposing side, they already knew who would win this battle on the doorstep of the South Sea Dragon Palace. Nor were they alone. Even deep within the South Sea Dragon Domain, discerning souls who quietly surveyed the situation knew that the Water Marquis's many acts of perversity would soon bring retribution.
But devising strategies in command tents and settling conflicts over cups and chopsticks were the duties of those in high office. For most officers and soldiers caught in the struggle, a single command sent them plunging into thunderous battle. They needed only to fight for the little patch of ground before them, treating the battle as weighty and their lives as light, spilling their blood for their commanders' grand designs. In this siege before the month's end, the precious intelligence bought with the lives of countless freshwater spirits and grassland demon soldiers during the first three days finally proved useful on the fourth. Having gathered their strength for so long, the Four Rivers and Mysterious Spirit forces at last bared their shining blades, striking like thunder at the weak points in the South Sea Dragon Army's defenses amid