Chapter 278: Sea Clan War
In the time that followed, the four of them had a great time on the deck of the ship.
Occasionally, they even drew the attention of the adventurers.
Li Meng's incredible luck left the adventurers astonished.
Winning nine out of ten rounds, his luck was simply unbelievable.
"Hey, something seems to be happening below!"
Just as Li Meng and the three others were engrossed in their game,
a loud shout suddenly erupted from someone on the deck.
This drew the attention of the passengers on the deck.
They all leaned over the ship's railing to look at the sea below.
"Let's go take a look too!"
Li Meng put down the cards in his hand.
The three others with Ame nodded quickly.
The four of them stood up and went to the railing, looking at the sea below.
"It seems to be a war between the Sea Clans!"
"It's too far; if only we could get closer!"
"We better not get involved in this. If the airship gets caught up in the Sea Clan war, we'd be done for."
At this moment, the sea beneath the passenger airship was in turmoil.
Dark shadows darted quickly through the water.
The blue sea was intermittently dyed red by blood spilling from the battles beneath the waves.
From the sky, the battlefield had turned red.
Massive columns of water shot into the sky from time to time.
"Who would've thought the Sea Clans would fight among themselves!"
"The Sea Clans have thousands of tribes, big and small. How could they possibly coexist peacefully while sharing the ocean?"
"We're really lucky!"
"Lucky? I wouldn't call this lucky at all!"
The passengers leaning over the railing whispered among themselves.
Some were visibly excited and curious.
Others, however, showed signs of concern.
Although the passenger airship was thousands of meters above the sea,
the battlefield was right below. If the war spread upwards, it would spell disaster.
"Aba said the Sea Clans are united! Aba lied!"
Looking at the blood-stained sea below, Ame pouted slightly.
She still remembered her Aba saying that the Sea Clans were extremely united,
making it impossible for land-based races to venture deep into the ocean.
A long time ago, there was even an amphibious race that tried to dominate the ocean.
They were completely annihilated by the united forces of the Sea Clans.
"They're united only against outsiders. Internally, it's still survival of the fittest—big fish eat small fish. The survival conditions in the ocean are harsher than on land. The weak have no right to exist. They're either annexed or become prey for sea beasts."
With Xiao Bai acting as a walking encyclopedia, Li Meng knew many things.
Li Meng's words made Ame and the other three display different expressions.
For the first time, they felt the cruelty of war.
Life was being lost like ants.
The blood flowing out dyed a large part of the sea red.
The fierce underwater battles were evident.
At this moment, on the aft deck,
an elderly man with graying hair was leaning against the railing, looking at the sea below.
He turned gravely towards the woman steering the ship.
The woman was dressed in a waist-revealing leather skirt and a short top.
Her bright golden hair was coiled on her head,
indicating she was married.
Beside her stood a sturdy middle-aged man.
"Helen, gain altitude and proceed at full speed. We must leave this airspace!"
The father's slightly tense voice made Helen's heart tighten.
She had never seen her father so anxious.
Helen glanced at her husband.
Payne stepped forward and shouted loudly.
"Men, full sails! Full speed ahead!"
The crew on the deck turned pale.
They hurriedly rushed towards the masts.
Some agile sailors climbed up the masts.
Others loosened the ropes connecting the mast to the deck.
"What's going on? We haven't seen enough yet!"
The shaking of the ship drew the passengers' attention.
They could feel the airship climbing higher.
"Watch out! It's magic!"
Suddenly, something unusual occurred on the sea.
A massive waterspout shot up from the surface of the water, soaring into the sky.
The passengers on the deck witnessed the scene.
For a moment, the adventurers by the railing turned pale.
"Don't panic! Mages, channel magic into the crystal, quickly!"
The elder on the steering deck shouted loudly.
In the center of the deck was a high platform,
on which rested a crystal the size of two fists.
The mages on the deck hurriedly left the railing.
They surrounded the crystal, raised their staffs, and channeled their magic.
A blue torrent of magical energy enveloped the crystal.
The next moment, the crystal began to glow.
A massive blue magical barrier enveloped the passenger airship.
"A magic barrier? What an incredible thing!"
Looking at the magical barrier surrounding the airship, Li Meng was intrigued.
His airship also needed something like this.
With it, the airship could both attack and defend,
greatly enhancing its survival capabilities.
At this moment, the waterspout rising from the sea crashed into the magic barrier.
A thunderous "boom" resounded.
The airship shook violently.
The area of the magic barrier struck by the waterspout rippled intensely.
Li Meng noticed that the magical crystal on the deck was rapidly losing energy.
The initial magic value of over one hundred thousand dropped by half in an instant.
The waterspout shattered against the magical barrier,
breaking into a rain of water droplets that fell back into the sea.
"It's coming again!"
The sea began to stir once more.
Another massive waterspout rose into the sky.
The adventurers by the railing shouted in alarm.
Helen, Payne, and the elder on the steering deck all turned pale.
"Not good! The crystal won't hold!"
A senior mage on the deck looked at the crystal with a panicked expression.
Cracks resembling spiderwebs appeared on its surface.
"Could it be a Water Emperor-level Archmage?"
The elder wore a bitter expression.
Just one attack had brought the crystal to the verge of breaking.
Such power could only belong to a Water Emperor-level Archmage.
"Father, what should I do?"
Helen, gripping the wheel, looked anxiously at her father.
She didn't know how to steer the airship away from the next attack.
"I'll go!"
Payne's face darkened.
He drew the sword at his waist.
As a Sword King, he was confident he could block this attack.
Payne glanced at his wife with reluctance.
Without hesitation, he rushed to the railing.
"Payne, no—!"
Helen's face turned pale as she desperately tried to stop her husband.
"What are you doing?"
Suddenly, a cry of alarm erupted from the deck below.
With a loud "crack," the crystal shattered.
The magical barrier around the airship dissipated instantly.
The mages on the deck looked at Li Meng with fury.
Yes, it was Li Meng who had smashed the crystal with a single punch.
Amid the angry glares of the adventurers,
Li Meng's figure flickered and leapt off the deck,
diving straight into the sea below.
The onlookers on the deck froze in shock.
They quickly rushed to the railing.