More precisely, the pills consumed by the members of the Xuanyuan family were potent Soldier's Rations Pills, meticulously concocted by Ling Tian.
Many were aware that Soldier's Rations Pills were a staple for Japanese ninjas. These were made from carrots, wheat flour, glutinous rice flour, honey, and sake, simmered over low heat until dried, then rolled into small pellets and sun-dried. Consuming three pellets a day provided essential vitamins and calories.
Convenient to carry and use, they were indispensable for covert operations, long journeys, and even defensive actions. Da Feng Xiao Shuo Wang.
Ling Tian's version of the Soldier's Rations Pills also included powdered ginseng, huang jing, and over a dozen other precious medicinal herbs.
This greatly amplified the pills' efficacy compared to ordinary ones, boosting their ability to refresh the mind and rapidly restore internal energy.
The previous evening, Xuanyuan Luanfeng, having infiltrated and returned, brought back two large bags of these specially made Soldier's Rations Pills. To avoid detection by the merfolk, they couldn't carry too many, with each person receiving only two pellets.
Each of them consumed one pellet. This was no small thing; after a single pellet, their severely depleted bodies experienced significant recovery, with the nutrition equivalent to several hearty meals.
The remaining pellet was saved by each person to be taken during their escape.
Their agreement with Ling Tian was for the moment the cannons fired!
Xuanyuan Changfeng issued the order, and all members of the student families consumed their Soldier's Rations Pills.
Then, they waited. After a barrage of artillery fire, the construction site was reduced to rubble. The merfolk, under the command of Nu Lin Jing Tao, also roared and charged towards the sea.
There were originally seven or eight merfolk guarding the Xuanyuan family members, but now only two remained.
These two merfolk were captivated by the impact zone of the shelling. These simple-minded creatures could not comprehend the power of such an attack.
Suddenly, three signal flares released by Ling Tian soared into the sky, their location a mere seven to eight hundred meters away from them!
Xuanyuan Changfeng shouted, "Action!"
The members of the Xuanyuan family swiftly used the keys and round tokens in their hands to help their companions unlock the neck rings around their necks. They then quickly handed the keys to each other, allowing them to unlock one another.
The moment the neck rings were removed, they joyfully felt their internal energy and abilities return.
Furthermore, amplified by the effects of the Soldier's Rations Pills, their stamina and internal energy were recovering at an astonishing rate.
Seeing their internal energy restored, Xuanyuan Changfeng and Xuanyuan Luanfeng suddenly sprang up, their movements like ghosts as they lunged towards the two merfolk still gazing out at the sea.
Xuanyuan Luanfeng was closer to one of the merfolk. She quickly reached the creature and, before it could react, plunged the Emei刺 in her hand directly into its neck, piercing its back brain.
The merfolk's body collapsed on the spot. Xuanyuan Luanfeng snatched the steel trident from the merfolk and threw it to a companion.
Simultaneously, another merfolk, hearing the commotion, turned around just as the Emei刺, infused with Xuanyuan Changfeng's internal energy, struck its chest.
The turtle shell-like breastplate on the merfolk's chest could not withstand the full force attack from the most outstanding young disciple of the Xuanyuan family. It was pierced through the chest. Xuanyuan Changfeng followed up with a knee strike, kicking the merfolk's body to the ground.
Xuanyuan Changfeng tossed the Emei刺 to a companion beside him and casually picked up the steel trident the merfolk had dropped!
"Quick, head in that direction! There are weapons over there!"
This was the operational plan Xuanyuan Luanfeng had devised with Ling Tian and the others before her return. This plan had been communicated to every member of the student families throughout the day.
They had agreed to consume the Soldier's Rations Pills when the artillery bombardment began.
Upon seeing the signal flares, they were to immediately begin removing the restraints from their necks.
Ling Tian had also informed them that he would place some weapons at the location where the signal flares were fired.
How these weapons were brought up was not for Xuanyuan Luanfeng and the others to worry about. They could not have imagined that Ling Tian possessed the ultimate cheat of proximity space.
The Emei刺 in the hands of Xuanyuan Luanfeng and Xuanyuan Changfeng were actually Ah Li's. Now that Ah Li had hammers, she no longer cared for them.
They had secretly brought the Emei刺 to the island and buried them in the sand during the day.
The members of the Xuanyuan family moved in unison, charging rapidly towards the direction of the bushes. Xuanyuan Changfeng and another disciple of the Xuanyuan family, wielding weapons, led the charge.
Their internal energy had already recovered by nearly half, and they had learned the merfolk's weaknesses from Xuanyuan Luanfeng. A few scattered merfolk armed with weapons attempted to intercept them but were all slain by Xuanyuan Changfeng and his companions.
By this time, most of the merfolk had already dived into the sea, preparing to fight Ling Tian and his group. The number of merfolk guarding the captives on the shore was less than 50.
Even these meager numbers of merfolk had been nearly halved by Ling Tian and Ah Li.
Ling Tian wielded the Crimson Flame Treasure Sword, while Ah Li held two specially crafted heavy hammers. They eliminated one merfolk almost instantly. Those merfolk were no match for these two killing gods.
The remaining captives watched in stunned silence, their hearts filled with immense shock. These powerful and ferocious merfolk were being slaughtered by these two humans!
Indeed, the disparity in strength between these merfolk and the might of Ah Li and Ling Tian could only be described as a massacre!
A few minutes later, the Xuanyuan family members arrived at the location where Ling Tian had placed the weapons. Upon seeing the pile of weapons, they were overjoyed.
Each person grabbed a weapon, preparing to fight the merfolk to the death. They had endured too much humiliation during this period, being treated like beasts. Now, they were ready to unleash all that pent-up shame as the driving force for revenge.
The weapons prepared by Ling Tian were more than sufficient, with plenty for everyone to take two.
Xuanyuan Changfeng called over a dozen family disciples who were proficient in foreign languages. He instructed them to take all the keys and tokens, along with some spare weapons, to find the other captives and help them remove the restraints from their necks.
At this juncture, every additional person meant more strength. It was likely that the other foreign ability users, those captives, felt the same indignation.
Given the opportunity, they too would fight the merfolk!
Just as they had predicted, when these captives learned they had a chance to regain their freedom, they went wild. They cooperatively lined up, waiting to be unlocked.
Those ordinary people who lacked combat capabilities immediately ran towards the bushes.