Chapter 925: 晒咸鱼

“Oh no, those things are attacking the hull!” Min Tianxi’s expression changed drastically. “Young Master He, if you have a backup plan, now’s the time to use it! It’ll be too late otherwise!”

This was a new ship He Lingchuan had purchased. Its timber and craftsmanship were impeccable, but could it withstand enraged Yin Hui? No one was optimistic.

With the sun high in the sky, the Yin Hui dared not attack on deck. Instead, they tried to bore through the hull and drag everyone into the water. The underwater realm was their true battleground.

He Lingchuan slapped the deck vigorously: “Come out quickly, you’re the hope of everyone on this ship!”

Min Tianxi instinctively looked toward the narrow hatch. From the darkness, a pair of thick, hairy chelicerae emerged, prying at the hatch cover. Being closest to the hatch, he leaped two steps back upon seeing this. Whatever monster was inside, he certainly didn't want to block its way.

Immediately after, something black and red, round, and covered in spikes squeezed out! The next moment, it stretched its body and expanded as if being inflated. Only then did Min Tianxi realize it was a gigantic spider, nearly three meters tall! The Yin Hui were fearsome, but this behemoth was no less so.

“This!” He looked at the giant spider, then at the hatchway, which he himself had to duck to get through. How did such a plump creature squeeze out of such a small opening?

This enormous demon had been hidden in the ship’s hold all this time? No wonder the ship was riding so low in the water! He had wondered how the ship could possibly move at this speed with just the weight of twenty people aboard.

He also heard He Lingchuan complain to the giant spider: “Madam, these creatures are boring holes in the ship from below.”

“I heard you,” the giant spider replied in a deep, muffled voice. “Leave it to me. Tell your men to row faster.” With that, it moved past everyone toward the bow. No matter how the ship swayed, it moved as if on solid ground, without losing speed.

Without needing another order from He Lingchuan, everyone grabbed their oars and adjusted the sails, rowing with all their might.

Madam Zhu lay sprawled over the bow, her large abdomen aimed at the underside of the ship’s front, and sprayed out crimson strands of silk, one after another. These silks formed a web that floated on the water. As the ship sailed over the web, it drifted naturally to the ship’s bottom. She wove layer after layer, and only stopped when four or five layers of netting covered the ship’s underside.

Midway, two Yin Hui leaped from the water, attempting to ambush her. Madam Zhu was completely unfazed. Her body was covered in sharp spikes; even if the Yin Hui had fourteen limbs instead of four, they couldn't drag her into the water without getting pricked. It was like trying to bare-hand a durian…ouch, quite a struggle. Furthermore, given Madam Zhu's size and weight, it was difficult for the Yin Hui to dislodge her.

Another unlucky one made a poor jump, landing directly in front of Madam Zhu. She extended a giant chelicera, twisted it, and hauled it onto the ship. Exposure to the sun was like a public execution; the serpent-like body of the Yin Hui writhed in agony on the deck. The crew caught a pungent, burnt smell. In just over ten breaths, the Yin Hui stopped moving, resembling a charred log. The crew pushed it back into the sea.

At this point, the scraping and gnawing sounds from the hull lessened, but the ship's rocking grew more violent, as if several large creatures were thrashing beneath. “Hold on tight! Don't fall into the sea!”

Madam Zhu then slowly and methodically reeled in the net. Her movements were both mechanical and agile, possessing a deadly grace. The struggles within the net grew increasingly violent. Anyone else trying to manage the net might not have been able to hold onto it.

Each time she hauled one up, Madam Zhu would swing it back onto the deck, her movements no different from a fisherman reeling in a catch. Cave spiders loved fish; this was how they hunted in the Demon's Lair Marsh.

These Yin Hui had been lurking beneath the ship or circling it, but were now stuck by the spiderwebs that drifted with the current, unable to escape. The webs were light enough to float with the current, yet their strength was unquestionable.

The Yin Hui, accustomed to rampaging in the waters near Dragonspine Island, had never imagined encountering such an opponent who could yank them forcefully from the water without even a direct confrontation. The rest of the work could be left to the sun.

The Yin Hui tried to escape the deck and return to the sea, but Madam Zhu's nets were not easily broken free from. Before long, they were sun-baked to a crisp. Each time one died from exposure, Madam Zhu pushed it back into the sea, lest its weight sink the ship.

Soon, another Yin Hui was dragged onto the ship. Then came the third, and the fourth… Five in a row were dealt with in the same manner.

During this process, the ship barely slowed down. Min Tianxi, while busy, stole glances at the spider demon.

Just by observing its attack methods, he knew that Fishbone Reef, where He Lingchuan planned to meet with the Pirates of the Two Paths, was especially suitable for the spider demon to exert its power! The reef was surrounded by sea, with a long, narrow topography, and the pirates would all be gathered together, perfect for Madam Zhu to catch them all in one fell swoop.

Yet, He Lingchuan had intentionally left her on the ship, and personally led his men to confront the pirates with blades! This was clearly an attempt to subdue them by force, earning their complete submission.

Min Tianxi swallowed hard.

Periodically, the netting process was repeated several times. Over thirty Yin Hui, large and small, were caught by Madam Zhu's nets and died from sun exposure. Their total weight exceeded that of the ship itself. This achievement surprised everyone, including He Lingchuan, indicating that the Yin Hui leader had been wary of him all along, having sent Yin Hui to lie in wait underwater in case he caused more trouble. However, Madam Zhu's clever tactics precisely countered the Yin Hui's abilities; otherwise, things would have gone badly.

Seeing fewer and fewer Yin Hui pursuing the ship, He Lingchuan ordered the ship to turn back. He had now calculated that the Great Square Flask's range for absorbing malevolent energy was approximately thirty li. By returning to Dragonspine Island, they could drain most of the island's malevolent energy, leaving almost nothing!

Min Tianxi thought for a moment, then suddenly understood: “The malevolent energy leylines erupt every seven days. Huh, it just erupted last night!”

“Yes, it won't erupt again for another six days,” He Lingchuan said with a smile. “Last time, we came at an unfortunate moment. Although we drained the island's malevolent energy, the leylines erupted again that very night, allowing the strong Yin Hui to survive.”

This time, he wanted to see which Yin Hui could survive six days without malevolent energy. It would be like fish out of water for six days; aside from a few unique species, most would likely not survive.

Indeed, on their way back to Dragonspine Island, the ship was attacked less frequently, only twice, by a total of six Yin Hui. Most of Dragonspine Island's Yin Hui resided on the island, their movements hindered by the sunlight; even fewer patrolled the open sea. Now that Madam Zhu had lured and killed forty of them, the entire sea area was clear.

However, after multiple rounds of attacks, the humans were not entirely unscathed. One pirate was killed, Min Tianxi himself was injured, and two Rongshan disciples were wounded.

Yin Hui injuring people was a long-standing issue in Bladeport. Through years of practice, fishermen and pirates had developed a method for treating it. Essentially, it involved two main ingredients: White Flame Grass, a herb with intensely potent Yang energy, and Black Shadowworms, unique to the archipelago.

These insects resembled beetles in shape and size, but their backs had patterns like human eyes, and they possessed wings, allowing them to fly. They specifically grew in places with malevolent energy. He Lingchuan had seen them on Dragonspine Island, and Lingguang had even caught many.

Interestingly, White Flame Grass also grew on Dragonspine Island, rich in malevolent energy, but only in areas where sunlight could reach. It absorbed the essence of the fierce sun. For a most Yang herb to grow in a most Yin place — this was quite logical.

Pounding and mixing these two ingredients and applying them to the wound was the local cure for Yin Hui venom. The gentle Yang energy of the White Flame Grass neutralized the malevolent energy, while the flesh and blood of the Black Shadowworms attracted the venom from the wound, preventing it from spreading throughout the body.

However, both ingredients grew in areas rife with malevolent energy, making it somewhat difficult to gather them on the island. Consequently, they were quite expensive.

After emergency treatment, everyone's injuries showed improvement. The ship also sustained damage. After all, having withstood attacks from dozens of Yin Hui, even the strongest vessel had its limits.

Lu Qiowei discovered three holes in the hull's bottom, with seawater gushing in and bubbling. At this rate of ingress, the ship would sink before they could even return to Fishbone Reef.

Fortunately, they were well-prepared for this voyage, having already brought sandbags and wooden planks. Min Tianxi directed several of his men to go below deck for urgent repairs. Accustomed to life at sea, such minor repairs were child's play for them.

The problem with patching the leaks was the continuous inflow of seawater, which hindered the work. Upon hearing this, Madam Zhu squeezed into the ship's hold, and with a hissing sound, sprayed several spiderwebs toward the holes in the hull. This time, the webs were not red, but sticky, dense white nets with extremely fine meshes. Although they didn't block water completely, the rate at which seawater entered the hold immediately slowed, and the webs also helped the planks to be quickly secured and nailed.

In a few swift moves, the hull was patched up, and the crew then bailed out the seawater. After a busy spell, the ship returned to the coastline of Dragonspine Island.

From start to finish, He Lingchuan's "human black hole" ability had remained active. Wherever he passed, malevolent energy would surge out from its hiding places, rushing towards him without hesitation until it was purified by the sunlight. The same held true for Dragonspine Island. This scene unfolded once more after fifteen days.

However, the leylines would not erupt again tonight. The Yin Hui would have to endure for six days before the next surge of malevolent earth energy.

From deep within the island, the Yin Hui King's loud, high-pitched roar echoed once more. He Lingchuan took out the Celestial Code Golden Scroll, and, as expected, immediately discerned its anger and anxiety. It was asking him why he was trying to exterminate the Yin Hui clan, and what deep-seated hatred he held against them.

All its words boiled down to one phrase: "Are you out of your mind?!" The creature was so enraged it resorted to insults.

Recognizing the monster's agitation, He Lingchuan was momentarily concerned that it might disregard everything and burst from underground to wreak havoc on humans. After all, no one knew if such an ancient demon had any temporary means of resisting sunlight. He also instructed Madam Zhu to be prepared. Fortunately, this situation never occurred. It seemed that although the Yin Hui King was furious, it hadn't completely lost its head.

But how could he establish contact with this creature? Following Min Tianxi's guidance, He Lingchuan used the Golden Scroll to reflect sunlight into a crevice in a large mountain on the island. The mountain had an unusual formation, with an inward curve near its middle and lower parts. Even when the midday sun shone directly on the ground, its rays couldn't reach that spot. The light reflected by the Golden Scroll surprisingly created a dazzling rainbow on the dark mountain wall. After repeating this a few times, the Yin Hui King's roars ceased.