"What kind of giant waves are these!"
Li Shunchen saw the waves surge, rising over ten meters. The scene was truly sky-obscuring, leaving no chance for evasion or escape!
The surrounding Feng Bo, Wu Shen, and Shui Shen Jiao Long, driven away once by the tidal storm, were unwilling to give up and returned to provide aid. However, the dragon pearl on the distant Japanese warship shone with brilliant radiance. As a blue-green halo expanded, an even greater tidal storm churned up from the sea!
"Turn, turn!"
Seeing that their many divine generals were unable to stop these waves, Li Shunchen's expression changed drastically. He realized that the treasure held by the enemy might not be ordinary, and he cursed incessantly! The divine weapons and immortal treasures of Japan were truly endless!
The fire ships in front had already been swept away by the giant waves. The flames and oil were utterly insignificant against such a colossal surge. Tokugawa Ieyasu, seeing his reinforcements arrive to save him, was naturally overjoyed. This felt like surviving a disaster. However, he did not wish to push things too far, as it would be troublesome if the responsibility for this incident were to be investigated later.
He immediately ordered all warships not to engage, but to retreat from this area at full speed. At the same time, he signaled Todo Takatora with a flag, indicating that this place was not suitable for lingering and that Ming reinforcements might arrive, urging him to leave quickly.
However... Todo Takatora, seeing this scene from afar, was somewhat unwilling to leave.
"Ieyasu wants to retreat, but how can he retreat so easily? If the Ming army dares to chase us, they must pay a bloody price! This fleet carries Ming and Joseon generals. Drowning them and feeding them to the fish and shrimp will leave them with no strength to pursue us!"
"The entire army will move towards the source of the waves! Send a signal to Ieyasu!"
Todo Takatora produced another treasure pearl. Unlike the blue-green Chao Ying Zhu, this one was blue-yellow, named Chao Gan Zhu. Its effect was naturally to counteract the winds and waves stirred up by the Chao Ying Zhu. He used the power of the Sea God to drive both dragon pearls, one to attack the Ming army and the other to protect his own fleet. Thus, warships connected to Japan's destiny could ride the wind and waves to leave, while those not connected were considered enemies and would be completely submerged by the sea's fury!
The Jiao Long and Shui Shen were overwhelmed by the waves. Several powerful currents churned within the water, reaching up to the sky, causing the very clouds and winds to change color. The Feng Shen and Wu Shen were also driven away, unable to obstruct any further!
On the Ming fleet, the Si Zhi Gong Cao and the Shi Er Zhi Fu Shen each held banners, and instantly, storms howled forward, clashing with those powerful sea currents!
But the divine power of the gods gradually weakened, while the divine power of the sea currents grew. Todo Takatora laughed heartily from afar:
"A bunch of third-rate divine generals dare to contend with divine artifacts!"
"Things that have entered the immortal realm, how can mere mortal gods like you deal with them!"
Todo Takatora felt victory was within his grasp, while Tokugawa Ieyasu's face grew grim. He knew the only thing to do was to flee. Yet, Todo was ignoring his flag signals and sending a "reply" to join the battle!
"Join the battle for what! The priority is to preserve our strength. Delay breeds change. Retreat as quickly as possible. Have you all forgotten the existence of that Ming immortal!"
Tokugawa Ieyasu used Ji Xiang's reputation to suppress the restless samurai. The fighting spirit that had just risen in their hearts immediately ceased. Especially Mori Terumoto and Kuroda Nagamasa, who immediately echoed: "Precisely! Delay breeds change! This place is not suitable for lingering!"
"How could Todo..."
"Ah! It seems Todo doesn't know about the Ming immortal!"
Todo Takatora had left for the last remaining port in the east long ago, while Ieyasu and his forces were retreating from Ulsan Castle towards Saju Castle in the south. Thus, the two sides were separated. Ieyasu's message to Todo had only been to come and provide support, not to inform him about the Ming immortal causing havoc in Japan and then returning to Joseon unharmed.
"This is bad! Todo refuses to retreat, and the reason is my fault!"
Reminded by the two, Ieyasu finally recalled that he had asked Todo to flee quickly. Of course, many things were to be discussed after they rendezvoused. Who knew that Li Shunchen, released from prison, would charge out from the sea like a mad dog upon smelling their retreat? Now, Todo Takatora, engrossed in the might of the divine artifact, was unaware that this might bring disaster!
Of course, Ieyasu was more concerned that if he caused great losses to the Ming army here, his role as a spy would be jeopardized.
This would not do!
If he could no longer be a spy, wouldn't all his previous preparations become a joke? Not only would he lose territory, but he would also gain nothing.
"Signal Todo to retreat immediately! If he doesn't leave, we'll leave on our own!"
The fleet's flag bearers immediately waved their flags, but Todo Takatora's fleet had already ridden the wind and waves into the tsunami. Water vapor and huge waves filled the entire sea, making it impossible to see Ieyasu's flag signals. Seeing this, Ieyasu decisively ordered to abandon his ally.
He had no choice but to abandon him!
He couldn't charge in himself!
Ieyasu said to Mori and Kuroda:
"Let's go! Even if Todo attracts an immortal, with the two artifacts controlling the sea, he should be able to escape. Moreover, he holds the divine position of the Sea God. If necessary, he can dive into the seabed, and even if the immortal unleashes many swords, he cannot split this vast ocean in two."
As Ieyasu gave these orders, Mori Terumoto immediately understood and declared to the assembled warships that Todo Takatora was going to cover their retreat, and they must leave immediately without delay!
Thus, the fleet began to sail away from this area. Ieyasu's disappearance caused the generals on Todo Takatora's fleet to notice. They immediately reminded Todo Takatora, stating that he had charged too far and that with the waves raging on all sides, they were in the center of the sea and could no longer see Ieyasu and the others outside.
"Lost contact with Ieyasu and the others? That's not important. With the protection of the Chao Gan Zhu, they won't be drowned by the waves. On the contrary, we must pursue now and destroy all the Ming ships. Only then will this battle end with dignity!"
Todo Takatora's excitement grew as he manipulated the divine artifacts to create continuous strong winds and waves. The Ming fleet opposite them could no longer withstand it. He was overjoyed and shouted through the waves and storms, making sure the Ming ships could hear him clearly!
"To oppose my divine nation of Japan, today I shall let all of you be buried in the bellies of fish! Hahaha! Such a great defeat can be written in your history books to promote our nation's divine might and be passed down for eternity!"
His mockery was undisguised, and even intensified after a brief pause:
"It's a pity we didn't take your heads in the front-line battles and display them on the city gates!"
"Li Shunchen! Our battle ends here! Your foolish king's inability to resist our attacks is incompetence. Seeking reinforcements from the Ming is foolishness. Now, the Ming and your Joseon armies have been killed and drowned in the sea, which is useless!"
"A nation of incompetence, foolishness, and uselessness, a people of incompetence, foolishness, and uselessness. Joseon is like this, and so is the Ming! What if you win small battles? What if you break Yuan Mountain? What if you attack Ulsan, even if all your armies defect!"
"Aren't you still losing so miserably, and aren't you powerless, watching us unleash our divine might here, while you are helpless?"
"Seven years of war, seven years without victory. We haven't conquered your country, and the Ming that your country relies on is not very strong either. For seven years, they haven't conquered our country either! Let this war pause here for now. Wait a few more years, and we will return. By then, we hope your people will welcome us with open arms and offer their necks for slaughter!"
"This seven-year war has only killed over a million of your people. Not many, only over a million. Next time we come, we should kill tens of millions, tens of millions, until no one in your country dares to stand up, until your country dares not resist our country again!"
"The souls of these deceased people have all been collected by us. Day and night, they will not rest even in death. One day, they will be refined into ghosts and gods by us, as slaves to be driven, without wisdom or spirit, but with gnashing hatred towards you, your countrymen, and will charge forward ferociously!"
Todo Takatora's ridicule made him feel that his morale had completely overwhelmed the Ming army. He could even see Li Shunchen's pale face occasionally revealed as the waves overturned, and the gloomy expressions of several Ming generals who had descended. He felt that the failure in this great battle was no longer worth considering.
His country could come to this land again and again!
And Joseon would sooner or later be completely wiped out, with vast territories seized by his country. With the significant progress in the arts of ghost and god, the number of demons would only increase. At that time, those demons alone would be enough to fill the mountains and rivers of Joseon.
"Let the sea rage!"
The Chao Ying Zhu erupted with a true dragon's roar, its sound sweeping across the entire sea. Countless water spouts rose, and dark clouds gathered in the sky. The entire celestial and maritime climate was changed!
Todo Takatora's appearance also completely transformed into the divine appearance of the Sea God Adumitsumishira, unleashing his full divine power, preparing to achieve victory in one decisive battle!
A giant tsunami tens of meters high surged up, stretching to the ends of the earth. This scene also shocked the Ming fleet. The gods were terrified, knowing they were no match at all!
The gods quickly gathered near the fleet, then created small waves, pushing the ships to retreat rapidly in the opposite direction!
"Trying to run? Too late!"
Todo Takatora saw that the Ming fleet had completed its turn and was retreating, but the speed of this giant tsunami was far greater than the speed at which the ships were propelled by the wind and water gods!
"The power of divine artifacts is beyond your imagination! Stop here, no need to flee further towards the land!"
The Chao Ying Zhu's divine light erupted!
On the Ming fleet, Li Shunchen and other Ming naval generals looked at this scene with despair. This was indeed a situation beyond strategic expectations. Using the artifact that controlled water to suppress their own numerous wind, water, and cloud gods had led them into such a desperate situation!
"The fault is mine. I shall atone for this battle with my death."
Li Shunchen felt he could not escape responsibility, but he also didn't believe he could survive this tsunami. The surrounding wind and water gods, Si Zhi Gong Cao, and other divine generals, realizing they could not protect themselves, immediately grabbed some important generals and prepared to escape with them from the warships.
This action was naturally met with opposition. The old general Deng Zilong, with bristling beard and angry eyes, roared: "How can I live alone while all the soldiers die! If such great losses are incurred, I will not escape death when I return! What is the point of saving my life now!"
The navy had tens of thousands of men. If they were all drowned by the tsunami, even if he survived, his head would eventually be lost. It would be better to die in battle and earn a posthumous reputation. The wind and water gods hurriedly persuaded him, stating that preserving vital forces was important, and a general was harder to find than a thousand soldiers!
"Old General, we will protect you, and you will not be completely wiped out by the tsunami. There is still a glimmer of hope. However, to protect these tens of thousands of soldiers is truly beyond our power!"
"This tsunami is no ordinary wave; it is truly emitted by a Japanese divine artifact. Its divine power is immense, not mere water magic. We all wish to live, so please, Old General, quickly leave with us!"
The wind and water gods performed their magic and dragged Deng Zilong away. Unexpectedly, the old man also had his temper. A divine light flashed on his body, repelling the gods. He said to them: "You all flee for your lives, but I must die here. Otherwise, there will be no explanation!"
As a Ming general, he naturally possessed a bestowed divine position when he went on campaign. However, the symbolic meaning far outweighed the combat significance. Most generals' divine positions were not sufficiently integrated with their own selves, and the combat power they exerted was far inferior to those seasoned divine generals appointed in local regions. They only manipulated parts of the battle based on their extremely high status and the special nature of their divine positions.
But no matter what kind of god they were, at this moment, facing the great tsunami stirred up by the divine artifact, only the top sea gods could deal with it. All others would die, with no hope of survival.
Thus, all the wind and water divine generals scattered like birds and beasts. The great waves had already shrouded heaven and earth in shadow!
Just as tens of thousands were about to be buried in the bellies of fish!
Suddenly, the heavens and earth turned yellow. The waves were also quickly dyed bright yellow and then disappeared.
The abnormal celestial phenomena in the heavens and earth also vanished, within an instant.
The sea became calm, as if nothing had happened.
Deng Zilong, Li Shunchen, and others widened their eyes, looking at the sea area before them with astonishment, bewilderment, confusion, and doubt.
"Todo Takatora's fleet is also gone!"
Someone discovered that Todo Takatora's fleet had vanished without a trace, as if it had never appeared nearby. Ieyasu's large fleet had already retreated beyond sight. However, Ieyasu's fleet had a large number of ships and was slow, so if they pursued now, they could still catch up.
But, given what had just happened, Deng Zilong, Li Shunchen, and the others naturally did not dare to venture out rashly.
However, where did Todo Takatora's fleet, that divine artifact, and that colossal tsunami go?
...
The heavens and earth were a vast expanse of yellow. White clouds floated, and red blood mist swirled on the sea surface.
The giant tsunami crashed into the yellow sea and then fell silent.
Todo Takatora looked at the world before him with a blank expression.
"Where are the Ming army? Where is Li Shunchen? Where is the tsunami?"
He held the Chao Ying Zhu in his hand but could not command this yellow seawater. The world was vast and hazy, and in the distance, he couldn't even see the shadow of the shore, boundless and endless.
"You were talking quite happily just now..."
Only a Taoist priest in black stood amidst the sea and blood mist.
Todo Takatora's gaze shifted to that spot.
But a thunderous voice reached his ears, almost shattering his soul!
"The sea of suffering is boundless."
"There is no shore to return to!"