Chapter 26 Storming the Ship

Upon hearing Elder Long's command, the servants who were operating the vessel successively drew their respective weapons.

Wang Liang noticed that most of these weapons were crafted from ordinary iron, yet they were inscribed with various runes. The presence of these runes infused the mundane iron with a trace of extraordinary power.

Although such weapons could not yield a decisive effect against powerful fiends, they proved exceptionally useful against ordinary lesser demons.

At the very least, the existence of these weapons gave ordinary soldiers a fighting chance against otherworldly beasts.

Wang Liang understood that this must be a specialty of this world. He merely spared them a couple of extra glances without making any requests.

He simply committed the matter to memory, intending to have the steward Xiaoqing try arranging a similar set for their own lesser demons back home.

Just as Wang Liang was observing the weapons of the servants, the whirlpool beneath the water grew increasingly vast.

At the same time, a massive volume of bloody water surged up from the vortex.

Witnessing this scene, Elder Long's expression also turned somewhat grim. "Not good! General Ju has been pinned down by the enemy. Everyone, stand by the sides of the ship, take up the heavy crossbows, and strip off your armor. You lack the strength of General Ju; if you don't want to die, do not enter the water wearing armor."

Under Elder Long's direction, the servants swiftly drew their crossbow mechanisms and stood along the gunwales. Elder Long leaned over the ship's side, staring intently into the depths below as if searching for something.

"Right there, Left Three, fire!"

The coordination between the servants and Elder Long was remarkably precise. As soon as Elder Long called out a direction, the servants aimed their crossbows and discharged them accordingly.

Naturally, these crossbows also possessed the enchanted effects of ordinary iron combined with runes.

Upon entering the water, their speed noticeably slowed down a fraction. However, Elder Long had accurately calculated the lead, and the servants immediately saw their crossbow bolts strike the body of a gigantic fish.

The creature did not look like something that belonged in a river. It was over five meters in length, with its head alone occupying more than half of its body. Its pair of eyes were as large as human heads, and a glowing tentacle protruded from the center of its brow.

Suspended from that tentacle were four uniformly sized skulls.

Struck by the bolts, the bizarre fish burst forth from beneath the surface, opened its massive maw, and took a ferocious bite out of the side of the boat.

The vessel had been constructed from timber gathered locally. When they built it, their sole purpose was to cross the river, without much foresight.

Ravaged by the strange fish, a section of the gunwale was bitten clean away on the spot.

At that moment, Master Bei stepped forward, placing himself right in front of Brother Jiang. With a downward cleave of his woodcutter's blade, he struck the tentacle atop the strange fish's head.

Stung by the pain, the monster sought to retreat. Seeing this development, Wang Liang could hardly stand by as a mere spectator. He reversed his grip, transforming the umbrella handle back into its original form as the Life-Slaying Saber, and delivered a shockwave-infused strike directly onto the creature's crown.

Upon impact, Wang Liang felt a numbness ripple through both his hands—the beast's skull had actually withstood his blow.

This revelation startled Wang Liang, but he quickly followed up with another slash.

Only after this second strike did Wang Liang realize that the fault did not lie in his own strength; rather, this creature simply possessed an unusually stubborn head.

Soaking in the water day after day, the monster was coated entirely in mucus, which caused the blade to automatically deflect to the side upon impact. Combined with a skull significantly harder than that of other creatures, Wang Liang's attack had barely exerted thirty percent of its actual might.

Observing the situation, Master Bei, who was fighting alongside him, advised, "Change weapons. Use a blunt instrument."

Wang Liang glanced down at his Life-Slaying Saber and remarked speechlessly, "I don't know how."

"Then find a way to stall it."

As he spoke, Master Bei put away his woodcutter's blade, retrieved a black gourd, and smashed it toward the strange fish.

The blow struck squarely on the monster's eye, instantly shattering its right orb.

The creature staggered back several paces, twisted its body, and prepared to leap back into the water.

At this juncture, Elder Long called out once more, "Bolt Number Three, position Right Seven, fire!"

Under Elder Long's command, a volley of crossbow bolts embedded themselves into the beast.

The so-called Bolt Number Three referred to a blood-letting projectile featuring a hollowed-out tip. The moment the bolts pierced the fish's hide, fountains of blood erupted from its body.

Enraged, the strange fish let out a roar, whipped its tail, and rolled onto the vessel's deck, miraculously transforming into a humanoid shape.

This figure stood over thirteen feet tall, boasting a blue face, protruding fangs, crimson whiskers, and fiery red hair. Its two round eyes shone like lanterns, and four skulls dangled from its neck.

It wore a suit of fish-scale armor and wielded a dark, pitch-black club resembling a rolling pin.

Standing at the prow, it swung the club directly toward Wang Liang. Judging merely by the whistling wind whipped up by the weapon, Wang Liang knew this was no ordinary blow.

He spun the Life-Slaying Saber, releasing a multitude of floating qi bubbles, while simultaneously activating the defensive capabilities of the Heavenly-Swallowing Demonic Tiger Armor. By combining these two defensive forces, he sought to withstand the incoming strike.

To his surprise, while he managed to block the front of the blow, the sheer kinetic energy of the club could not be entirely neutralized. With a loud crack, the wooden deck shattered beneath Wang Liang's feet, creating a gaping hole.

Simultaneously, Wang Liang felt a numbness spread through his arms and a sudden warmth in his lower legs. Glancing down, he discovered he had smashed through the deck and been driven straight into the river below.

Wang Liang reacted swiftly. With a single thought, a bronze warhorse materialized beneath him.

Though his hands remained numb, he gripped the Life-Slaying Saber and charged the creature on the deck atop his bronze steed.

Up on the vessel, Elder Long had already retreated backward with Brother Jiang, continuing to direct the servants' fire as he fell back.

Under the barrage of arrows, the strange entity had no opportunity to press the attack. Instead, Master Bei seized the opening, slashing a deep gash into the humanoid fiend's thigh.

Though Master Bei's weapon appeared to be nothing more than a woodcutter's knife, it was actually forged for hunting. Countless small animals had met their end by that blade over the years. One could say that Master Bei's place at the top of the food chain owed a tremendous debt to this very knife.

With that single stroke, a long wound was carved into the monster's thigh.

The fiend let out a wild howl and brought its black club down onto Master Bei's blade.

Master Bei's grip loosened, and his knife was sent flying.

Just as the monster raised its club to strike Master Bei's head, a large battle-axe swung up from beneath the water, landing squarely on the creature's back.

This intervention effectively saved Master Bei, who immediately rolled backward, exiting the fiend's attack range.

At this moment, Elder Long issued another command: "Bolt Number Six, position Left Five, triple burst!"

Bolt Number Six was a specialized projectile imbued with elemental attributes—the most expensive variety the servants possessed. Normally, they merely carried them without ever intending to use them, but circumstances were different now. Amidst the flurry of bolts, Wang Liang caught sight of lightning flashing past his eyes.

A sudden realization dawned upon Wang Liang. He reconfigured the Life-Slaying Saber back into the shape of an umbrella framework, channeling the inner arts of the Innate Universe Skill. Infusing the technique with the power of his thunderous shockwave, a bolt of lightning erupted from his umbrella, hurtling directly toward the fiend, which was now locked in fierce combat with General Ju.