"This is the first time I've encountered a general with such exceptional archery skills," Sun Ce remarked with a frown.
"Thank you, young lord. But you mentioned that Gongjin would have a plan. Did you notify him before we came?" Huang Gai asked, still shaken by the earlier barrage of arrows. If it weren't for Sun Ce's sharp eyes and strong skills, Huang Gai might not have survived.
"I didn't notify him, but it doesn't matter. He'll definitely send someone to assist us," Sun Ce replied nonchalantly as he impaled a water soldier with his spear. "For now, let's regroup on the warship. I underestimated Gan Xingba."
Huang Gai was speechless but followed Sun Ce closely, leaping onto the warship as well. Despite Sun Ce's lack of communication with Zhou Yu, Huang Gai trusted that Zhou Yu would come through.
Taishi Ci's movements were swift and precise, quickly breaking up Sun Ce's fleet of small boats and preparing to board the warship to capture Sun Ce and his generals alive.
"Hmph, you're quite tenacious, but this is the end. Ready the ballistae!" Taishi Ci, dissatisfied with Sun Ce's troops' stubborn resistance, prepared to personally take action.
"Don't worry, my lord! Ling Cao is here!" Just as Taishi Ci was about to board, a booming voice echoed across the river, halting his movements.
"Fire the ballistae!" Taishi Ci didn't hesitate, ordering the ballistae to fire in the direction of the voice, intending to destroy Sun Ce's warship.
Chen Xi suddenly waved his hand, parting the fog on the river to reveal Ling Cao leading over a hundred ships, ranging from small boats to warships. Though their largest vessels were merely warships and smaller crafts like rowboats and yachts, their sheer numbers were intimidating.
Ling Cao's fleet charged forward, and seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Taishi Ci ordered his smaller boats to retreat. As Sun Ce's forces and Ling Cao's navy joined forces, their morale surged, and a vast cloud of water-blue and gold energy spread across the river.
"This situation is getting tricky. Where did Xingba go?" Chen Xi frowned at the sight of the enemy's numerous small boats—there were at least three to four thousand sailors. "Ziyi, can you break through their cloud energy?"
"Breaking through their cloud energy would be difficult. Our forces are evenly matched, and even if I break through, it would be hard to disperse their formation unless they lose control themselves. Otherwise, it's nearly impossible to scatter them," Taishi Ci shook his head. Naval warfare was far more complicated than land battles.
"However, it will be equally difficult for them to take us down. In the end, it might come down to boarding actions, where they won't have the advantage. Our ships have higher decks, and our archers can suppress them. If they try a decapitation strike, I'll be here waiting. Let them come," Taishi Ci added confidently, perhaps to counter his earlier pessimism.
"By formation, do you mean the arrangement of their ships?" Chen Xi asked as he continued to suppress Zhou Yu while pondering the situation. Suddenly, he felt a mental shock, and Zhuge Liang's movements slowed for a moment before returning to normal. At that moment, both Zhou Yu and Pang Tong seemed to grow stronger.
"Shua!" Chen Xi felt his spiritual energy, which he had been using to weaken Sun Ce's forces, get entangled and abruptly thrown into the river. The chaotic energy killed a large number of fish and shrimp, causing them to leap out of the water.
"Is it the arrangement of their ships? What happened, military advisor?" Taishi Ci asked, noticing Chen Xi's sudden pale complexion.
"We've been tricked, but it's nothing serious. Go and call out the man in the cabin; we need his strength in battle," Chen Xi waved it off, feeling as though he was a child playing with a large hammer—he could swing it, but the risk of injury was high.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yu wasn't faring much better. As soon as Chen Xi's face paled, Zhou Yu's turned green. Although he had managed to throw a significant portion of the chaotic spiritual energy into the river, killing fish and shrimp, the remaining energy still disoriented him.
"Are you okay, Gongjin?" Pang Tong asked as he slowly extended his spiritual energy into the river's undercurrents, biding his time. As Taishi Ci had said, the only way to break an enemy's cloud formation was either to scatter their forces or disrupt their ranks. With the river's unpredictable currents, Pang Tong hoped to use the latter to his advantage.
"I'm fine, but I underestimated Chen Zichuan's spiritual energy. His reserves are tied to his talent, and even though I managed to deflect the worst of it, the lingering effects are disorienting. I've already slowed their reaction and thinking speeds, as well as their spiritual energy flow. It's up to you now," Zhou Yu replied, trying to steady his breathing.
"No problem. I'll give Zhuge Kongming a surprise gift!" Pang Tong's twisted grin spread across his face. "I've connected with several undercurrents. When the time is right, I'll unleash them and scatter their fleet. They think big ships will allow them to dominate the Yangtze."
"Do it quickly. I misjudged Chen Zichuan's strength—his counterattack is stronger than I anticipated!" Zhou Yu's expression darkened as a series of splashes echoed through the river. Chen Xi's spiritual energy reserves far exceeded Zhou Yu's estimates, and if this continued, Zhou Yu would be the first to collapse.
"Zhou Gongjin, let's see how long you can hold out!" Chen Xi taunted as he handled the situation and called Guan Hai onto the deck. Meanwhile, he continued to draw on that mysterious source of spiritual energy, determined to drag the battle into Sun Ce's fleet.
"Get down!" Chen Xi suddenly increased the output of his spiritual energy, even making an involuntary downward motion with his right hand. This time, he managed to pin Zhou Yu's energy onto several of Sun Ce's ships. A chorus of screams followed as an entire ship's crew collapsed, and those nearby were left dizzy.
"Indeed, cloud energy can block internal energy but not spiritual power!" Chen Xi laughed triumphantly, his face flushed as he prepared for another strike. But before he could, a red glow swept across the fog, covering the entire Sun Ce fleet. Chen Xi's spiritual energy was now ineffective.
"Phew, that was unexpectedly strong," Zhou Yu sighed with a wry smile. "That spiritual energy shouldn't belong to any living being, but fortunately, I had a backup plan."
"You're not exactly normal either," Pang Tong muttered under his breath.
The red glow that now shielded Sun Ce's fleet was Zhou Yu's unique legion talent. Unlike other top-tier generals who used their strong will to unite their troops, Zhou Yu lacked such overwhelming willpower. Instead, he used his mental energy as a conduit, drawing on his talent in music to awaken a unified desire for victory in his soldiers, creating an even stronger collective will.