Suddenly, a slippery, ma.s.sive water snake's tail emerged from beneath the water's surface and lashed out at the struggling nightcaw bird attempting to escape.
The nightcaw bird, perhaps disoriented from the previous lightning strike, remained submerged in the water for an extended period.
The river waters roiled like a boiling cauldron. The level-10 divine beast that had previously shown itself on the riverbank reappeared with a hint of vengeful delight, charging fiercely towards their s.h.i.+p.
Slap!
Slap!
"Crack." The water snake's tail, tinged with a faint electrical current, struck the s.h.i.+p's railing with a resounding impact, piercing it. Startled, the students who had been standing by the railing quickly retreated.
Instinctively, everyone activated their defensive spiritual tools to s.h.i.+eld themselves from the ferocious winds and relentless rain, along with intermittent flashes of lightning.
It was an unexpected turn of events.
On their very first night on the Spring River, they found themselves entangled in such a treacherous situation.
Blame it on the little stoic's ominous words. It seemed that her words had an uncanny way of attracting misfortune.
Given the current predicament, frustration and helplessness filled the air.
If they allowed the water snake to continue its rampage, they would eventually be forced to abandon the s.h.i.+p and plunge into the water.
If they chose to confront the water snake, they would have to navigate the tumultuous waves while contending with the menacing lightning overhead. It was nearly impossible to focus on the battle under such circ.u.mstances.
Qiao Mu took aim at the water snake's tail and fired two tael arrows. The crow-gold arrows sc.r.a.ped against the water snake's scales, creating sparks that further infuriated the creature.
The water snake hissed and, in the blink of an eye, fixed its intense gaze on Qiao Mu. Rearing its long tail high, it swung it towards the people on the deck.
"You're playing with death!" Qiao Mu squinted her eyes and made a sudden leap into the river.
Crown Prince Mo, who was ever-vigilant of his wife's actions, jumped in alarm at her impulsive move. He quickly extended his hand to pull her back.
Mu Xingchen was equally startled, reaching out to restrain Qiao Mu. "Younger Sister, what are you thinking?"
"Of course, I intend to take it down and extract its teeth to forge weapons for Lian."
The onlookers couldn't help but feel a mix of exasperation and disbelief. Qiao Mu made it sound as if she were about to take on a low-level spiritual beast rather than confront a level-10 divine creature.
Aren't her confidence levels a bit too high?
Hadn't they noticed that even someone as skilled as Holy Son Miyan was still contemplating how to engage?
And now she wanted to leap into the river just like that? How audacious could she be?
"Wait." Mo Lian anxiously seized her small hand, preventing her from leaping into the water. "The Holy Son is present, and it's the Holy Son's responsibility to protect us before entering the secret realm."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Mu felt a sudden urge to break free and retort, almost wanting to spit in Mo Lian's face. What kind of responsibility was he talking about? Who would protect the individuals in their Divine Hall?
At that moment, as the young couple's gaze settled on Holy Son Miyan, he could sense their frustration and resentment.
"Suddenly, a storm has erupted. Let's take refuge in the cabin for now."
A loud bang resounded as if the s.h.i.+p's hull had been struck by a ma.s.sive object, causing the entire vessel to shudder.
The s.h.i.+pbuilders wore grim expressions, as if they had lost everything. They shouted at Holy Son Miyan, "Your Excellency, this is terrible, it's a disaster!"
The Holy Son's face turned red with anger as he thought, "You are the one who's a disaster! Your entire lineage is a disaster!"