Chapter 324: Unbearably Fragile

Ji Yuan now somewhat believed what Zhang Fu had said earlier. Given the current situation, it was indeed possible to scare away some minor evil spirits, and even those with some cultivation might be startled into leaving, as the formation certainly looked like it was guided by a master.

"Evil spirits, retreat quickly! Roar with me! Evil spirits, retreat quickly!"

The shaman at the front roared, and the villagers behind him joined in with a collective shout.

Initially, their voices were disorganized, but they soon became increasingly uniform. The sounds, as if amplified by the long torch formation, were extraordinarily loud, echoing as the line of torches, stretching over three hundred zhang, advanced.

What was originally pitch black all around was now illuminated by the torches. These were coastal fishermen, accustomed to watching their footing by the sea to avoid falling in. Under the shaman's guidance, their shouts grew louder with each incoming wave.

Although the torchlight appeared to extend only so far, in Ji Yuan's eyes, the combined human 'fire energy' formed a swirling formation that progressively influenced more of the surrounding area, seeming to suppress the very aura of the ocean. A potent, oppressive aura grew increasingly fierce.

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

On the distant sea surface, bursts of bubbles surged, barely noticeable amidst the waves. However, the seafloor was already churning with currents, stirring up a cloudy mess.

"Splash, splash!"

The waves ahead grew larger, but the shaman leading the group showed no fear. Instead, he raised his torch and ran directly towards the shore nearby, the long line of villagers following close behind.

"A thousand households' fires roll forth, humans, gods, ghosts, and demons do not trespass upon each other! Treading on heaven and earth, we send forth the fire dragon, righteous yang energy sweeps in! If any aquatic spirit dwells on this shore, retreat quickly!"

The shaman roared with all his might, his voice reverberating through the entire procession.

He had long since investigated the entire coastline and understood the details of the past year and more. Fishermen had not been abducted by monsters, nor had they encountered any strange creatures while at sea; at most, they had simply found no fish.

This certainly didn't seem like the work of a powerful evil spirit. It was more likely some sea creature that had gained sentience and was now roaming nearby, scaring away fish schools. For a minor, inexperienced demon, a torch formation like this, aided by human 'fire energy' and the great civilian fire array, would be terrifying enough to scare it to death!

The base of this coast was entirely rocky, but the water below was extremely deep. Ordinary shallow areas could not sustain spiritual or demonic creatures; it could only be here.

"Retreat quickly!"

"Retreat quickly!"

All the villagers roared in unison. To the naked eye, it appeared as waves rolling and crashing against the shore, but in Ji Yuan's mystical vision, the human 'fire dragon' was actually sweeping into the sea, more ferocious than the waves themselves.

As they held their torches in formation, their courage soared to an unprecedented level. Crucially, everyone believed the shaman possessed great power. For a moment, righteous yang energy surged, like a giant wave crashing towards the sea, threatening to roll downwards and sweep across the coastline.

At this moment.

"Splash, splash, splash!"

A massive wave suddenly surged from the sea with an intensity far exceeding what the night's wind could generate, rolling towards the people in the front section. By the time the villagers saw it in the torchlight, the huge wave was already upon them.

"No! Get out of the way!"

The shaman at the front cried out, rushing to the very edge of the giant wave. The whisk in his hand spun furiously as he channeled his magical power to resist, but the moment the tip of his magical light touched the wave, he felt a tremendous impact and was overcome with pain.

The wave struck too suddenly; bewildered, the crowd had no time to dodge.

"Boom!"

The enormous wave crashed against the front of the torch formation, yet it seemed to strike an invisible sphere. Countless splashes erupted, surging upwards and downwards. Many villagers stared blankly overhead, as if witnessing a celestial river flowing.

"Splash, splash, splash!"

A large amount of spray landed on the beach behind them. Many villagers were still transitioning from bewilderment to fright, but seeing this spectacle, their hearts suddenly filled with excitement.

"Retreat quickly!" "Retreat quickly!"

After realizing what had happened, many villagers continued to shout, their fervent excitement almost making them hoarse.

The shaman in the procession, holding his whisk, clutched his rapidly beating chest, his eyes darting suspiciously back and forth across the formation.

That wave just now was absolutely beyond his ability to block; even the torch formation would have been directly broken.

Moreover, the huge wave carried a strong, fishy smell when it hit, indicating that something powerful had created this wall of water. The shaman had only instinctively tried to block it, but he regretted it the moment the wave collided with his whisk's magical light.

The cheering, roaring fishermen had no comprehension of the danger involved, but the shaman, as the one directly experiencing it, was utterly terrified.

'Just who is this master assisting me?'

"Shaman, aren't we moving forward?"

The villagers' roars gradually subsided. The head of one village, seeing the shaman staring around dazedly and not moving again, couldn't help but shout a question.

The shaman came to his senses and flicked his whisk.

"No need to move, just stand here. Everyone, gather closer, stomp your feet towards the sea and shout loudly, keep your steps in unison!"

The shaman no longer tried to identify his mysterious helper. Since they were clearly assisting, now was the time to press on with renewed vigor.

Over a thousand people gathered closer. As some torches began to burn out, they immediately lit spares, and more and more people stomped their feet along with the shaman.

"Thump, thump, thump, thump!"

A thousand people stomping in unison, even if each step was faint, created a powerful sound. This, combined with the recent sight of the giant wave being deflected, greatly boosted everyone's morale.

Ji Yuan immediately thought of the "Knife Song" from before, and other common methods used in armies to boost morale.

"Roar!"

A roar echoed from beneath the sea, reaching them through the water. Bursts of bubbles rose to the surface directly in front, accompanied by a strong, foul, fishy odor. A section of seawater lifted upwards, water flowing off its top, as a colossal, dark ridge gradually emerged.

"Splash, splash, splash!"

Amidst the continuous sound of water, the stomping ceased. The villagers fell silent, some instinctively stepping back, and even the shaman did the same.

"A demon, a monster? Shaman, a monster has appeared!" "Shaman! Shaman, there really is a monster!"

"Is that a giant whale?" "It looks like it!"

"Sh-shaman, what do we do? How do we get rid of the demon?"

"Where's the shaman?"

"Shaman!" "Shaman, come to the front quickly!"

In their panic, some fishermen shoved the shaman, who had already retreated to the back, to the very front.

What rose from the sea was a colossal whale, significantly larger than any the fishermen had ever encountered. To those nearby, it appeared like a small hill.

"Gulp."

The shaman swallowed, standing at the very front with extreme nervousness. Facing this giant whale that seemed capable of crushing him with a flick, his heart pounded with fear.

"You, what sea domain do you come from, demon? This coastline nearby is where thousands of fishermen live and make their livelihood. By scaring away the fish schools here, you are making it impossible for them to survive. Do you know what great evil karma this is?"

Seeing no reaction from the sea creature, the shaman forced himself to muster courage and loudly reprimanded it. However, his tone remained somewhat subdued, and his peripheral vision kept darting around.

There should be a master nearby tonight. He hoped that master would see things through, help to the very end, and hadn't left yet.

One of the giant whale's eyes turned, fixing on the shaman. That gaze made the shaman's heart tremble, and all his muscles tensed.

"Begone!"

"Boom!"

A massive sound wave suddenly exploded. Endless spray erupted around the giant whale, sending water soaring into the sky, then "splash, splash, splash" falling back down like heavy rain, drenching many of the torches held by the villagers.

Instantly, everyone retreated in disarray, covered in spray, and the shaman directly collapsed to the ground.

The giant whale looked disdainfully at the shaman on the ground by the shore, its gaze sweeping over the cowering fishermen. At this moment, the once-powerful torch formation was completely broken, and even the human 'fire energy' appeared scattered.

"What, master, is here? May, I, see you?"

The entire procession remained silent. Everyone looked left and right, exchanging bewildered glances, eventually turning to the shaman who was just getting up. However, he quickly retreated to the back, daring not to get too close to the coast.

"Might you, reveal yourself?"

The giant whale's voice boomed again, still very loud, and its massive form edged even closer to the shore, causing the villagers to continuously retreat in fear. However, Ji Yuan did not reveal himself.

Although this demon exuded a powerful aura, it held no killing intent.

"I am General Giant Whale! Since the master will not show himself, these fishermen have offended me, and I shall kill them all! Roar!"

The giant whale let out a beast-like roar, and its colossal tail lifted high into the air.

At this very moment, Ji Yuan had already gripped the Azure Vine Sword. He drew out three inches of its blade and flicked the sword with his finger.

"Ding!"

An invisible sword qi, unleashed from the immortal sword, struck the giant whale precisely as its tail was raised.

"Whine!"

"Boom!"

The whale's tail fell without generating many large waves, and the entire giant whale rolled outwards, appearing to be in extreme pain.

"Splash, splash!"

Water splashed as the giant whale directly pushed through the sea, carrying a large amount of spray with it. It swam rapidly while submerging, heading towards the open ocean.

'Heh, General Giant Whale.'

Ji Yuan watched the whale disappear into the distance. After a slight smile, his form faded within the procession, and he then stepped onto the waves, giving chase.

Meanwhile, the surrounding fishermen and the shaman remained in a state of daze and shock.