Chapter 122: The Spirit Eagle’s Surprise Attack! (Please Vote for Monthly Tickets)

"What? Are you unconvinced? I, the City Lord, say these waters are mine, so they are mine. If you disagree, come and fight! I want to see what you have to contend with me. After this battle, I will also make you pay me thirty thousand spirit stones as compensation for the trouble of mobilizing my forces," City Lord Min laughed wildly.

"Bah! Thirty thousand spirit stones? Do you think spirit stones are mere gravel? You have a big mouth—aren't you afraid of biting your tongue? You should be the ones paying us tens of thousands! Don't just talk, if you have the guts, come over and prove it. I want to see what kind of ability you Min Village people have to be so arrogant," Wang Hu retorted furiously.

Some of the sailors on the pirate ship also began pointing and cursing at the Min clan’s vessel. Having once been pirates themselves, their insults were incredibly fluent. Ye Mo did not stop them, allowing Wang Hu and the others to vent their anger.

"Fine! I will show you! Pursue them! Blast that Ye clan vessel to the bottom of the sea! You bastards, once I sink your ship, I will block your island's harbor and seal you completely on that spirit island. Let's see if you can keep talking tough then!" Unable to win the war of words, City Lord Min was so enraged that the veins on his forehead pulsed as he spat out the threat.

Although the Immortal City Alliance treaty prohibited attacking allied cities and spirit islands, he could still blockade their port with his vessel and sink any ship that dared to emerge. This would effectively trap the village on the island, stripping them of any ability to expand—a fate not much different from the destruction of the village itself.

"Understood!" The captain of the Min vessel obeyed, immediately shouting to his sailors, "Shift east! Port side at full power, starboard side at half power! Chase them down and sink that Ye clan boat!"

The helmsman and sailors acted immediately; the ship shuddered as it executed a sharp, drifting turn.

The two ships were a thousand feet apart, beyond the effective range of their bronze cannons. The Ye clan ship was turning sideways, attempting to widen the distance, and because of the maneuver, its speed was not high. The Min clan ship, however, was accelerating in pursuit.

The gap closed rapidly, narrowing to two or three hundred feet. At this range, they were beyond the reach of Qi Refining stage cultivators, leaving only the bronze cannons to inflict damage.

"They can't escape! Prepare the cannons, ignite!" City Lord Min shouted excitedly.

*Boom!*

A bronze cannon on the prow of the Min clan vessel fired a glowing red iron ball. The dark iron projectile whistled through the air, slamming into the hull of the Ye clan ship. With a deafening crash, wood splinters flew everywhere, leaving a crater in the side of the ship.

"Watch out for the iron balls! Don't get hit, or it’s certain death!" The crew on the pirate ship were startled but not panicked. The bronze cannons had a slow rate of fire; with the agility of cultivators, they could easily dodge the projectiles. The ship itself, however, was too cumbersome to avoid them. Such shelling was intended to sink the vessel, not kill the cultivators on board.

"Aim! Fire!" Chang Fei shouted urgently.

The sailor manning the prow cannon on the pirate ship immediately ignited the fuse, returning fire with an iron ball of their own. The shot was accurate. *Boom!* It struck the opposing deck directly, sending a spray of splinters into the air and drawing shouts of alarm from the cultivators and warriors on the enemy ship. Once fired, the sailors immediately cleared the barrel and began cooling the bronze tube.

"Haha! Well done! Send them to hell!" Wang Hu roared in excitement.

"City Lord, the situation is grim," Chang Fei said to Ye Mo, his expression darkening. "The Min ship is larger and can withstand more hits. Even if it's one-for-one, our ship will sink first. Besides, we only have four or five charges of gunpowder left; we can't sink them. Should we deploy the three spirit eagles to carry the gunpowder and fire oil for a finishing blow from the air?"

"No, the time isn't right. They have dozens of Qi Refining cultivators on board; there are surely those proficient in water-element spells who can easily extinguish the flames," Ye Mo said, standing by the railing and watching the enemy ship with absolute calm. "Shake them off. Can you take us to Redfire Mine Island?"

"That I can do. Our ship is lighter and faster," Chang Fei replied confidently.

While the Min vessel had stronger defenses, it was also heavier and less agile. The pirate ship was nimbler and, once at full speed, could gradually pull away.

Every few minutes, the ships exchanged fire. The Ye clan ship had sustained several damaged areas; one hole even allowed seawater to flood the hold, forcing several cultivators to rush inside and patch it with spirit wood planks. The Ye clan ship appeared battered, desperately accelerating and maneuvering to avoid the bombardment while occasionally firing back. The massive Min ship, meanwhile, suffered only minor damage that did not affect its performance.

"City Lord Ye, to think you dare oppose me with such strength—you're dreaming! Surrender, pay me ten thousand spirit stones, and I will let you go. If you refuse, I will sink your ship and enslave everyone on board to mine at Redfire Island. I happen to be short on hands!" City Lord Min laughed from his deck. He would not have offered terms if he weren't worried about the damage his own ship was taking; there were no shipyards in the Aolai Sea region to repair such heavy vessels.

"Surrender? Keep dreaming!"
"The battle isn't over yet; we'll see who has the last laugh!"
"Even if the ship sinks, we'll fight you on the island!"
The cultivators of Ye Village shouted back.

"Oh, really?" City Lord Min’s tone was filled with contempt. "With just twenty of you, you dare fight me? Since you are so stubborn, I will grant your wish and make you all mining slaves."

As the ships continued their chase, the Ye clan pirate ship reached the coast of Redfire Mine Island. Ye Mo, Lin Zhi, and the others jumped into the shallows and waded onto the shore. Only Chang Fei, a dozen sailors, and A-Shui, one of the five Earth Slaves, remained on board. Chang Fei immediately ordered the ship to pull away from the coast, lightening the load further to increase their speed.

"Why did they abandon ship? What are they planning?" City Lord Min was momentarily puzzled as he watched them head for the island.

"City Lord, they must be afraid of the ship sinking, so they're moving the battle to the island. Since all their cultivators are now ashore, we should strike now and crush them," a young Min clan cultivator suggested.

"Indeed," added the captain of the Min vessel. "Their ship is much lighter now and we can't catch it. I suggest you take the men to hunt down the Ye clan leader, while I take the ship to capture theirs."

"Very well. We go ashore for a final reckoning. I’ll teach this Ye fellow a lesson he’ll never forget," City Lord Min decided, casting aside his doubts.

"Move! We land! Grab them! The ship will continue the pursuit!"

The Min clan cultivators were thrilled. The naval battle had been tedious, consisting only of cannon fire, and they had earned no personal glory. Fighting on land offered them a chance for merit and rich rewards.

"Hurry! Don't let them escape!"
"Haha, it's only a small island, where can they hide?"

The large ship docked at Redfire Island, and City Lord Min led his twenty cultivators and warriors ashore, sprinting in the direction of Ye Mo’s group. The ship's captain remained behind with his crew to chase the pirate vessel.

What the Min clan failed to notice was a small fire crow circling high above, keeping a close eye on their every move. Through the "Spirit-Seeing Eye," Ye Mo watched their every action. Still composed, he led his group over ten miles of rugged mountain path, crossing nearly the entire island.

"Those fellows are fast! Put on a burst of speed—don't let them escape!" City Lord Min panted, trailing five or six miles behind.

*Whoosh!*

A fire crow descended from the sky, landing on the mast of the pirate ship and letting out a sharp, shrill cry. Seeing the crow, Chang Fei immediately shouted, "A-Shui! The City Lord has sent the signal! Move!"

"Understood." A-Shui nodded. She was on the deck feeding three spirit eagles, which had grown to over five feet in length. Though not yet Tier 1, they were strong enough to carry heavy loads. Sailors brought over a heavy barrel of fire oil and oil-soaked cloth. A-Shui’s delicate face was set with cool determination. Ye Mo had told her that the fate of the village rested on this single, lethal strike.

"Da Jin, go!" She vaulted onto the back of the largest eagle and patted its head.

The three eagles took flight. Da Jin carried A-Shui, while the other two clutched the heavy barrel of fire oil between them, soaring toward the Min clan ship, which was still in hot pursuit four or five miles away.