Chapter 61: Attacking Ning Family, Sea Battle
2013-02-09 Author: Gu Zhenren
Chapter 61: Attacking Ning Family, Sea Battle
Year 753 of the Star Calendar, November.
The Tie Family’s surprise attack on Shu Family Island failed and was jointly attacked by 11 surrounding forces. At the same time, the war between the Shu Family and the Yan Family entered a more intense stalemate, with both sides suffering casualties and victories.
“Damn the Ning Family for interfering and actually financing the Yan Family. If it weren’t for that, we would have already gained the upper hand in the frontline battles!” In the hall, Wu Datou gritted his teeth, filled with indignation. His dislike for the Ning Family deepened.
“The Ning Family’s intervention to help the Yan Family is because they fear we will deal with them next,” Shu Tianhao pondered. “From their perspective, doing so is understandable. However, they don’t know that we never intended to deal with them. Ning Family Island’s strategic position is not good; it’s open in all directions, lacks natural defenses, and is easy to attack but hard to defend. The Ning Family is not in our strategic plans.”
“A bunch of merchants, and you expect them to have the foresight of Yan Que?” Jin Bihan smiled, looking at Yan Que with a hint of teasing.
Previously, Yan Que’s strategic proposal made public was his first display of talent, earning him admiration from everyone.
His position as the head of civil officials was now quite secure.
Yan Que smiled wryly and shook his head slightly. “If that’s the case, then the two largest battlefronts in the Archipelago will be us and the Tie Family. This is a war of speed. If the Tie Family wins first, they will definitely attack us. If we win first, we can take the opportunity to attack surrounding islands, consolidate our advantage, and even contain the Tie Family.”
Yan Que’s vision was indeed far-reaching. Starting from the overall situation, his analysis immediately clarified the entire scenario.
The Shu Family had five Spirit Monsters, and defeating the Yan Family was only a matter of time. Similarly, although the Tie Family’s foundation was shaken by their disastrous defeat, with their strength, defeating the alliance of 11 families was not a major problem.
Whichever side resolved their own battle first would gain the initiative. They could prepare in advance for offense or defense, gaining a certain advantage.
“That little Ning Family friend is being mischievous and needs to be taught a lesson. Father, give me a fleet and five hundred elite soldiers. Let me win a few victories against them, and I believe the Ning Family will behave themselves,” Chu Yun said with a hearty laugh, standing up.
Everyone’s eyes lit up.
Chu Yun, dressed in white, with a face like jade, was majestic and imposing. Since he newly acquired the Spirit Monster Drunken Snow Saber and forced Tie Ao to flee in embarrassment, his entire demeanor had undergone a transformation. He gave the impression of a white tiger roaring in the mountains or an eagle soaring in the sky, full of vigor and the bearing of a great general.
Shu Tianhao, upon hearing this, burst into laughter three times before speaking. “Very well. The front line is slowly advancing, and it’s not yet time for a decisive battle. With my son taking action, why worry about Ning Family Island?”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but recall the past financial difficulties and the need to swallow his pride and rely on the Ning Family for economic development. Now that times had changed so drastically, looking at the Ning Family with a sense of disdain, his chest was filled with heroism.
Immediately, he appointed Chu Yun as the main general and Jin Bihan as the deputy general, leading a main fleet. The flagship was the “Eagle Soar,” accompanied by 5 treasure ships and 10 ordinary warships. The troops numbered 3,000, with 500 Copper Bell Elite Soldiers.
Chu Yun did not conceal his movements. He openly crossed the Wei Family’s waters and headed for the Ning Family.
As the warships left the dock for their expedition, the news reached the Ning Family Island Master before the main general was identified.
The Ning Family Island Master hurriedly summoned the clan elders for deliberation.
“The ‘Eagle Soar,’ that ship was once a famous vessel of the Fang Family. It’s incredibly fast and excels at guerrilla warfare.”
“This is a main fleet of the Shu Family. There are at least 3,000 soldiers; we just don’t know how many Copper Bell Elite Soldiers there are.”
“We don’t know who the main general is? Chu Yun, as a main general, wouldn’t be dispatched lightly. The most likely candidates are the Shu Family’s Three Old Generals: Hong Xi, Qiao Hou, and Wang Yu.”
“It’s very likely Old Red Spear Hong Xi; he’s best at siege warfare. Old Monkey Qiao is currently engaged in battle, but Wang Yu is also a possibility.”
The elders whispered among themselves, their expressions grave. However, after a long discussion, they could not come up with any countermeasures.
The Ning Family was good at commerce but not at warfare. Deep down, they lacked the characteristic of daring to fight.
“Island Master, don’t worry. To prevent revenge from Shu Family Island, we’ve purchased a large number of warships. Let me lead a fleet to engage them,” finally, a minor general from an unrelated family volunteered, proposing a solution.
Since the great defeat on Iron Cage Island, the Ning Family had painfully spent a fortune recruiting many generals.
The Ning Family Master looked towards the speaker, immediately recognizing this minor general as one of the more courageous among the new recruits, skilled in using twin sabers. His mind settled, and he sighed, “That’s all we can do.”
Just then, new intelligence arrived.
“What? The main general this time is Chu Yun?” Upon hearing the news, everyone in the hall panicked.
“How could it be Chu Yun? He should be dealing with the Yan Family, why is he here?” someone exclaimed in horror.
“They really think highly of our Ning Family…” the Ning Family Head forced a bitter smile.
“Little Overlord Chu Yun, he even killed famous generals like Duan Tianya and defeated Tie Ao. He must have been involved,” someone muttered, their forehead breaking out in a cold sweat.
Times had changed. One or two years ago, no one in this hall would have thought much of Chu Yun. They might have even asked, “Who is that?” when his name was mentioned.
But now, Chu Yun’s reputation had soared. Since his debut, he had been invincible in every battle. The title “Little Overlord” echoed throughout the Archipelago; who didn’t know his name?
Many people turned pale with fright, utterly panicked.
Even that minor general who had just volunteered, a dual-saber wielder, turned ashen-faced, regretting his offer immensely.
The Ning Family Head looked at the minor general again and immediately felt he was unreliable. He turned to a general at the head of the ranks and said, “General Wang Zelong, I originally intended for you to guard the Ning Family’s main island. However, it seems I must rely on you to step out and personally repel the enemy.”
“Rest assured, Island Master. I have Sea Shark Elite Soldiers. Though few in number, they can pierce through warships. Without warships, no matter how capable the Little Overlord is, he cannot continue his attack.” A glint flashed in the eyes of General Wang Zelong. After pondering, he finally said, “However, the Little Overlord is fierce, and with the support of the Hua Family coalition, this general requires abundant troops.”
“Naturally. I will give you most of our fleet.” Even if Wang Zelong hadn’t said it, the Ning Island Master would have done so.
Once the decision was made, Wang Zelong led 3 treasure ships and 52 ordinary warships, forming a mixed fleet. A dense mass of ships, they moved to intercept Chu Yun.
The two sides faced each other at sea. Wang Zelong pondered, “If I deploy the Sea Shark Elite Soldiers immediately, they might detect it. It’s better to engage in single combat first, to lull Chu Yun into complacency.”
With that in mind, Wang Zelong shouted, “Who dares to come forward for single combat?”
No one spoke.
These generals were merely hired with money and their loyalty to the Ning Family was not high. At this moment, many regretted it. Chu Yun’s background was too formidable, and no one wanted to risk their lives.
Wang Zelong was in an awkward position. Just as he was about to provoke them, Chu Yun sent Hua Ying to issue the challenge.
“Who will fight?” Hua Ying, riding a Demonic Beast and holding a Hundred Flowers Bow, shouted loudly.
“Your young master is here!” A small general with a copper hammer, not recognizing Hua Ying, charged forward.
“Ah!” Before he could even get close, he was shot dead by Hua Ying, screaming in agony. He fell overboard into the sea.
“Dacheng Archery!” The generals behind Wang Zelong trembled all over. The Ning Family army was not skilled in combat, and witnessing this scene, their morale quietly plummeted.
Chu Yun stood at the bow of the “Eagle Soar,” clearly seeing the enemy’s wavering. He let out a hearty laugh and declared, “We can attack in this battle!”
With a command, the “Eagle Soar” charged forward, heading straight for the enemy.
“Launching a full-scale assault so soon?” Wang Zelong was startled and hurriedly gave orders. The Ning Family fleet fanned out, enveloping Chu Yun from both sides. Simultaneously, Wang Zelong personally went to the flagship, ready for battle.
“Come, I’d like to see how formidable this famed Little Overlord truly is!” Facing the imminent danger, Wang Zelong also displayed the demeanor of a seasoned general. He wielded a Spiral Demon Spear, rode a Deep Sea Electric Shark, and charged forward.
“Such a headlong charge is not very wise,” Hua Ying muttered to himself. If it were him, he would have carefully studied the opponent’s intentions and engaged in a protracted struggle.
After all, compared to the Ning Family’s main force, Chu Yun was outnumbered.
However, what Chu Yun did next showed Hua Ying what true bravery was.
*BOOM*
The Spirit Monster Drunken Snow Saber spectacularly appeared. Chu Yun, riding a Sky Fox, lunged through the air, his saber cleaving down.
*WHOOSH*
A cold wind suddenly arose, and saber energy raged.
“Spirit Monster combat saber?” Wang Zelong’s pupils instantly constricted. His formerly valiant expression turned to shock.
Before the attack even landed, he felt his face stinging from the saber’s wind and his body stiffened. An immense, invisible pressure bore down like a small mountain, making it hard to breathe and giving him a sense of despair, believing that no matter how he dodged, he couldn’t escape.
“What a powerful saber!” Wang Zelong exclaimed in alarm and retreated immediately, not daring to face Chu Yun head-on.
Chu Yun leaped onto the enemy ship, leading the charge. Riding the Sky Fox, the Drunken Snow Saber expanded three times its size, swinging like a plank in all directions.
He charged from the bow to the stern. Wherever he went, wood splinters flew, saber light flashed, blood and broken limbs flew. No one could stop him; he was unstoppable. He charged back and forth, killing gods and buddhas alike, wreaking havoc on the enemy formation, with no one able to suppress him.
His battle power at the Spirit Monster level had already placed him among the top-tier powerhouses in the Archipelago. Unless opponents like Tie Ao or the Yan Family Island Master personally intervened, they could be restrained.
Relying solely on a high-ranking general with Great Demon-level combat power like Wang Zelong was simply unrealistic.
“He finally did it. The Drunken Snow Saber has become a Spirit Monster Saber!” Hua Ying gazed at Chu Yun’s heroic figure as he rampaged through the enemy ranks, momentarily mesmerized.
Although there were many speculations outside about whether Chu Yun had successfully passed the Spirit Demon Tribulation, Hua Ying leaned towards the affirmative.
But seeing it with his own eyes, his heart was still deeply stirred.
On the path of cultivation for a Beast Tamer, Chu Yun had surpassed him, leaving him far behind.
