Zhuge Liang thought for a moment before retracting his spiritual power that was clashing with Pang Tong's. Compared to Chen Xi, who could incapacitate enemy soldiers with his sheer spiritual force, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and Zhou Yu's spiritual power clearly lacked that particular effect. Zhuge Liang hesitated whether or not to activate his own spiritual talent. As the battle with Pang Tong dragged on, Zhuge Liang became increasingly uneasy—Pang Tong was not someone easy to deal with.
Activate! Zhuge Liang made up his mind. If I lose to Pang Tong like this, I won't be able to stand it! I'm stronger than him! Plus, I'm only fourteen—what's a little lifespan when there's so much to gain?
As Chen Xi and Zhuge Liang worked together to change the weather, Zhuge Liang's resolve strengthened. The sudden gust of a fierce western wind swept across the river, and Gan Yi had already ordered the horn to be sounded. The command to abandon the ships and jump into the water had been relayed to the front lines, and in an instant, flames erupted where the first line of ships engaged Sun Ce's forces.
"Send orders to General Cheng, General Han, and General Huang: abandon the attacking ships and retreat the remaining ships gradually," Lü Fan commanded as soon as he noticed the sudden red line of fire on the river and felt the strong west wind. Despite his quick decision, many ships, already too close to Gan Ning's fleet, were set ablaze.
On the other side, hidden in the mist, Gan Ning finally moved as the western wind picked up. Earlier, while navigating, he had spotted Ling Cao's large fleet, which made him realize that Sun Ce likely had a plan similar to his own. But then, Gan Ning thought of an even better strategy.
"Everyone, be ready! Stabilize the ships at full speed and crush the enemy vessels!" Gan Ning ordered his crew and sent word to the captains of the six large ships.
"It's almost time!" Chen Xi observed the distance that had formed between their large ships and Sun Ce's fleet. Both sides were now rescuing their own sailors. Once the burning ships were extinguished, a larger battle would commence. However, by that time, Gan Ning should have already completed his mission.
Chen Xi didn't notice that Zhuge Liang's face had paled slightly, but his eyes were gleaming with determination.
"This feels incredible," Zhuge Liang calmly remarked as he watched the line of fire. "It feels like everything is within my grasp."
"Zichuan, leave the next step to me!" Zhuge Liang looked up, a gentle smile on his face, as he spoke to Chen Xi. "Though I know little about naval warfare, defeating them now shouldn't be difficult. If it's a matter of courage, we won't lose to them. Moreover, I recall Boyan once telling me that our ships are somewhat fire-resistant. Isn't that right, Boyan?"
Zhuge Liang didn't turn around, but Lu Xun, hiding nearby, felt as though Zhuge Liang was staring right at him, sending chills down his spine. Silently stepping forward, Lu Xun nodded. "Yes, but only to a certain extent. If exposed to fire for too long, they will still ignite."
"Then we'll crush them. The line of fire isn't wide—at most, two hundred paces. Our ships, at full sail, with the wind at our backs, will cross it in just a few breaths. And our large ships don't need to be too close together. At that point, it won't be about formations but speed. Once we break through, their formation will be shattered," Zhuge Liang suggested with a gentle smile.
"A breakthrough, huh?" Chen Xi wasn't entirely sure it could be done. After a moment of thought, he decided to trust Zhuge Liang's judgment. "Gan Yi, can we do what Kongming suggested?"
"Ramming ships is our specialty!" Gan Yi laughed heartily.
"Prepare all ships! Full sail! Helmsmen, ready! Ballistae, ready! Archers, ready! Fire oil, ready!"
"Everyone, prepare for the cold," Zhuge Liang ordered, turning to Gan Yi. Though Gan Yi didn't fully understand the command, he glanced at Chen Xi, who nodded in agreement, so he relayed the order to the fleet without question.
"Zichuan, join me in controlling the river's currents. That's also within our control. Pang Shiyuan's plan was likely to manipulate the currents during our advance to break our formation. There are plenty of reefs here," Zhuge Liang said calmly, gazing at the line of fire through the mist.
Zhuge Liang had never felt so at ease. With each move he made, predicting the future based on past events, every plan seemed laughable in the face of his rising intellect.
"The river currents?" Chen Xi was initially confused, then suddenly alarmed. Indeed, if the water beneath their speeding ships were suddenly pulled away, the ships would instinctively veer toward the gap. If they hit a reef at that speed, the ships would be done for.
"So ruthless!" Chen Xi's expression darkened. "Alright, I'll stabilize the currents to prevent any sudden shifts!"
"Yes, by now, General Gan should have seized the opportunity to take down Zhou Yu and his men. That west wind wasn't just for the fire ships," Zhuge Liang said with a smile, as if he were Gan Ning himself.
"If everything goes as planned, then yes. Let's make our move!" Chen Xi unleashed a massive wave of spiritual energy. Unlike Pang Tong, who cautiously manipulated the river currents bit by bit, Chen Xi used his terrifying spiritual power to directly interfere with the flow of the water.
"Advance! I can't hold out much longer," Zhuge Liang said quietly, watching the distant line of fire and feeling the ship's increasing speed. He couldn't help but glance at Chen Xi beside him. At this moment, Zhuge Liang possessed the spiritual talents of nearly everyone on Liu Bei's side—everyone except the person standing next to him.
On the other side, Pang Tong was already sensing that things were going awry. Although his intellect had suddenly surged, reaching near one hundred, this only made him more aware of what was happening on the enemy's side.
"Damn it! Gongjin, our vanguard is in trouble! My plan to manipulate the currents won't work. I tested it earlier, and it's already been countered by Chen Zichuan," Pang Tong said, his face pale.
"Don't worry. With Zi Heng in command, the most they can do is break through. They won't cause much damage to our main forces. The Jiangxia navy is almost here," Zhou Yu said with a smile. "The purpose of this battle was to clear out internal threats and test Liu Bei's navy. We've accomplished that. Now let's see how they break through."
Pang Tong glared at Zhou Yu gloomily, saying nothing more. He wasn't yet able to see things as clearly as Zhou Yu did.