Chapter 52: Reversal of Offense and Defense, Fleet in Being
The sea was azure blue under a cloudless sky.
A mighty fleet sliced through the waves in a V-formation, riding the wind!
Among them were the Yunjin, the Flying Serpent, the Sea Crocodile, and even the newly captured Baiye—a total of nine spirit ships carrying several hundred cultivators!
Even Luo Xiyin, the Foundation Establishment ancestor of the Luo Family, was with the fleet, personally overseeing the assault!
The Luo Family had truly gone all out.
They were determined to retake Fuling Island in one fell swoop!
THUMP.
Waves sent spray flying, and the sea breeze rushed to meet his face.
Dressed in black, Su Ye narrowed his eyes, gazing at Fuling Island, now faintly visible in the distance.
’Our odds of winning this battle should be quite high. It’s just a question of how many casualties we’ll suffer...’
He mused to himself.
Generally speaking, in an island assault, the defender’s greatest advantage lies in the Arrays they have set up beforehand.
For example, the Luo Family’s Falling Moon Chaotic Star Array was a second-order grand Array. Paired with a Foundation Establishment cultivator to oversee it...
Even a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would have found it difficult to threaten Luoyue Mountain.
The Shu Family, however, did not have this advantage.
Fuling Island’s Spirit Vein was only first-order, high-grade; by itself, it could hardly support a second-order grand Array.
Unless they used vast quantities of Spirit Stones to supplement the Spiritual Qi and compensate for the low-grade Spirit Vein.
However...
After the Cyan Profound Sanction Order and the capture of the Baiye, the Shu Family’s economy was already on the verge of collapse.
According to the Luo Family’s estimates, the Shu Family’s reserves of Spirit Stones, Spiritual Objects, and other consumables could only support conventional warfare for three months at most.
If they used those reserves to power a second-order grand Array, they’d likely burn through everything in less than half a month!
And a first-order Array was hardly a threat to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, especially one who was also a second-order Talisman Master.
The two cultivation arts of talismans and Arrays had much in common.
Luo Xiyin might not have been skilled enough for Array Formation.
But...
Destruction is always easier than construction!
When it came to breaking Arrays, Luo Xiyin was practically half a second-order Array Master!
The Luo Family’s claim of retaking Fuling Island in three months had a firm basis in reality.
...
BOOM!
From the Luo Family’s nine spirit ships, a torrent of Magic rained down upon Fuling Island’s Island Protection Array.
Under the bombardment, the translucent Spiritual Light Shield trembled ceaselessly, ripples spreading across its surface.
As the magical assault continued...
An hour later, the light of the Island Protection Array dimmed, its form wavering.
VMMMM!
Aboard the Yunjin, several piercing red spiritual lights flared, striking the Island Protection Array like fireworks.
These red spiritual lights weren’t very powerful, but they left several conspicuous red marks on the Array’s shield!
"All ships, attack the red marks. Those are the Array’s weak points."
Luo Xiyin’s gentle, refined voice sounded from the Communication Talisman near Su Ye’s ear.
BOOM!
Following Luo Xiyin’s guidance, the spirit ships turned their cannons one by one and unleashed a torrent of firepower on the Array’s critical points.
Soon, the Array’s weak points buckled under the strain and, with a soft POP, collapsed and shattered.
This triggered a chain reaction!
The Island Protection Array enveloping the entire island shattered spectacularly.
The Spiritual Light Shield disintegrated, dissolving into harmless, pure Spiritual Qi that dissipated back into the world.
This meant the Luo Family cultivators could now begin their landing assault on Fuling Island!
"Kill!"
"The great Array is broken! Pillage!"
Seeing the Island Protection Array fall, the Loose Cultivators in the fleet became wild with excitement, their eyes turning red.
They were even more frenzied than the Luo Family’s own cultivators, screaming as they rushed eagerly toward Fuling Island.
As opportunistic Loose Cultivators, they loved nothing more than an easy victory.
...
At the harbor battery, an extremely young Shu Family cultivator, his features still boyish, operated a heavy crossbow.
He pulled the trigger.
TWANG!
The Crossbow Arrow became a white streak, piercing through a Loose Cultivator on the beach and pinning him to the ground!
The Loose Cultivator’s body instantly stiffened.
THUD.
His body slid down the arrow shaft to the ground as a pool of blood began to spread...
"HUFF... HUFF... HUFF..."
The young cultivator’s eyes were wide as he panted heavily, as if it were his first kill.
"Good job, Rui!"
The middle-aged man beside him seemed to understand his state of mind. He clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a smiling thumbs-up.
"Y-Yeah... Uncle Tian..."
The young cultivator nodded, his face pale and his forehead beaded with sweat as he forced a smile.
He was about to reload the Crossbow Arrow.
However, in the next moment!
BOOM!
The Yunjin fired.
An Explosive Flame Crossbow Arrow, glinting with red light, scored a direct hit on the harbor battery.
A torrent of magical flames instantly erupted!
Billowing black smoke rose into the sky!
"AAAAHHH!"
Several Shu Family cultivators, now like human torches, wailed and screamed as they tumbled from the battery!
...
Once the Island Protection Array was broken...
The Shu Family’s defensive positions were completely exposed!
The Luo Family’s spirit ships could bombard them with impunity!
And under the suppressing fire...
Very quickly, the Shu Family cultivators were routed, leaving a field of corpses as they fled in disarray!
Like a tide, the Loose Cultivators swarmed forward in pursuit, pressing their advantage!
In less than half a day, the Luo Family had successfully occupied the port!
Aboard the Sea Crocodile, Su Ye folded his arms, his eyes glinting as he surveyed the battlefield.
’The first battle is a victory...’
This was within his expectations.
It was no surprise that they had easily taken the port. With fire support from the spirit ships, defeating the Shu Family cultivators after their Array had fallen was a foregone conclusion.
’Still, even if we push deeper into Fuling Island and lose the support of the spirit ships...’
’...we should still have the upper hand against the Shu Family cultivators, who are severely lacking in consumables like Spirit Stones, medicinal pills, and talismans...’
Barring any surprises, the battle for Fuling Island was shaping up to be a rout.
Of course, even so, Su Ye had no intention of participating in the land battle.
’The Loose Cultivators are charging forward so bravely for resources, just to salvage a few nails from the Shu Family’s rotten ship...’
’But I’m not short on Spirit Stones, so why should I bother?’
His huge cut of Spirit Stones from capturing the Baiye made him turn his nose up at such paltry scraps.
’Besides, while the Shu Family may be in decline, they still have nearly ten Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators and a Foundation Establishment ancestor!’
Especially the Shu Family’s Foundation Establishment ancestor!
Su Ye was extremely wary of this.
Even with Luo Xiyin keeping an eye on things.
But Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed Liquid Magical Power, which greatly amplified the strength of their Magic!
In a chaotic battle, a single casual spell could severely injure, or even kill, a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator!
In addition, with their ability to lock on with Divine Sense, the accuracy of their Magic was extremely high. To Su Ye, they were far more dangerous than any ballista!
If he was targeted by the Shu Family’s Foundation Establishment ancestor, who became determined to kill him...
Su Ye knew the probability of his death would be extremely high!
’The potential reward is mediocre, but the risk is high and completely unpredictable. I’m not doing something that stupid...’
Besides...
For Su Ye, compared to the meager gains to be had from plundering on land...
He had a better target!
’In Fuling Island’s other port, Copper Drum Bay, the Shu Family’s fleet is docked—a total of five spirit ships!’
Due to the disparity in numbers and their lack of Crossbow Arrows, the Shu Family had not chosen to sail out and meet them in battle.
Instead, they were huddled in the port, becoming a "fleet in being"!
’If I could annihilate or capture that fleet, how many experience points would it give me?’
Su Ye’s eyes gleamed as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.