Chapter 4788 — Taking Command
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Indeed. Word has it that in its designer's hands the Starfall Formation was invincible—even the strongest of that age had to give it a wide berth. That is how it earned its name as the deadliest killing formation of all. Had it not been so, it would never have been installed aboard a warship to serve as the final trump card of the ultimate weapon," Gui Dongxi said.
While the two of them conversed, Oda Ba had already tasted defeat once more. He still had not abandoned the notion of wiping out all three Mountain-Opening sea beasts in a single sweep, but alas, the result was the same as before—he had not so much as singed a hair.
That outcome sent everyone's morale plunging to rock bottom. They knew full well those three were nothing but cannon fodder puppets, yet after throwing everything they had at them, they found they could not even kill the enemy's cannon fodder. How were they supposed to keep fighting?
Oda Ba's face was ashen with defeat; it was plain he had taken the blow hard. And if even the captain was like this, the others needed no telling.
A feeling called despair spread from the command room into every hold and cabin. Worse still, the men had begun to blame one another. If they had activated the Ten-Thousand-Mile Formation and fled back then, they would have had at least a thirty percent chance of surviving. Now? Not even ten.
"How about I give it a try?" Wei Zhao suddenly stepped forward.
Everyone started. Oda Ba frowned at him and gave a cold snort. "Do you even know what this is? An outsider wants to try his hand at the Starfall Formation?"
"I am indeed an outsider. But after watching what you just did, I don't think I could do any worse," Wei Zhao said mildly.
"What did you say?!" Oda Ba was already in a foul mood, and now he flew into a rage on the spot, instantly undoing the small measure of goodwill he had begun to feel toward Wei Zhao. The boy had some ability, but he was far too arrogant with his mouth!
"I said, we're all doomed anyway, so why not let me have a try? There might just be a sliver of a chance," Wei Zhao said, meeting Oda Ba's eyes without flinching.
"That..." Oda Ba hesitated. At heart he did not believe Wei Zhao could operate the Starfall Formation. But then he thought of how Wei Zhao had spotted the sea beast horde in advance, and how he had seen through to a hidden hand behind the scenes at a single glance. Oda Ba could not help but feel a flicker of hope. What if the boy really could pull it off?
Everyone was watching Oda Ba. Complaints were useless now that things had come to this; they would treat a dead horse as a live one. They had no other choice.
Without waiting for Oda Ba's word, Wei Zhao walked straight toward the star chart. Oda Ba instinctively stepped aside, and by the time he came to his senses, Wei Zhao's hands were already inside the chart.
"Captain, what say you?" The transmission array filled with the first mate's and the other crewmen's questions, rising and falling in chorus.
Oda Ba gave Wei Zhao a long, searching look, then finally gritted his teeth and said, "Do as he says!"
The words had hardly left his mouth when a pillar of starlight came crashing down onto the sea ahead. Oda Ba and the rest, who had only just resolved to trust Wei Zhao, were struck dumb. What was the meaning of this?
All three Mountain-Opening sea beasts were still miles away. The area bathed in the light pillar was utterly empty—there was nothing there at all, not even a single Profound Ascension sea beast. What on earth was this thing playing at?
Before anyone could ask, Wei Zhao sent down three more pillars in quick succession. Still nothing whatsoever within their reach. This time Oda Ba could stand it no longer. "If you can't do it, step aside and stop getting in the way!" he roared.
"If you don't understand, keep your mouth shut. If you want to live, watch closely," Wei Zhao said without stirring an inch, and the aura around him abruptly changed.