With everyone working together sincerely, the formation was finally complete. A few polite sea beasts even remembered to thank Yun Jin for her help.
She looked rather pleased. Even if she couldn't earn any more Emotional Value from them, well-mannered children were always likable.
She looked at the group with encouragement. "Alright, you can start attacking now. Don't hold back just because I helped you. We're enemies, remember? Being soft-hearted would be wrong."
Her kind encouragement made the Blackwater Ape's expression turn sour. He'd fought countless battles and slaughtered plenty of enemies, but he'd never met someone as absurd as Yun Jin. He couldn't even figure out what she was trying to do.
Every move she made looked like she had a death wish.
Thinking about his poor lifebound weapon, the Blackwater Ape's face twisted with rage. Whether she really wanted to die or not didn't matter. Since the formation was ready, he'd personally send her on her way!
"Everyone, attack!"
As he spoke, a battle flag appeared in his hand. He tossed it into the air and poured his spiritual power into it first. Once the flag was activated, the rest of the sea beasts followed suit.
A cascade of colorful lights surged into the flag all at once.
Yun Jin watched, trying not to groan aloud. In just that short time, she'd already spotted over ten flaws in their setup.
Honestly...
The sea beasts' formation techniques were way behind the human world's standards.
Those glaring weaknesses were floating right in front of her, and she had to use every ounce of self-control not to reach out and fix them.
For the sake of comprehending the rhythm of Surging Waves!
For the sake of Surging Waves!
She took a deep breath and forced her twitching fingers to stay still. Another cup of tea's time passed before the formation finally stabilized.
Yun Jin let out a breath of relief.
So did the Blackwater Ape. The formation's power was immense, but the downside was obvious—it took way too long to activate. In real battle, no one ever gave them enough time to set it up like this. But this time...
Thanks to their "mutual cooperation and friendly discussion," they'd finally managed to use it for the first time in a hundred years.
Feeling the immense energy building inside the flag, the Blackwater Ape's eyes gleamed with madness. "Your death date is today!" he roared.
He controlled the flag, and the first beam of energy shot straight toward Yun Jin.
Her eyes lit up with a trace of expectation. She still hadn't grasped the supreme Law of Water. Clearly, it was because the pressure wasn't strong enough. Hopefully, this time, these sea beasts could give her that pressure. Even a little bit would help.
The first attack came roaring at her!
Yun Jin raised her hand, summoning a towering wave.
This time, she didn't use the Yin-Yang Law or any other Primordial Forces.
She only used the laws connected to the Law of Surging Waves to counter it. Only that way could she push herself under constant pressure and break through.
The roaring waves crashed against the incoming attack.
The next moment, both forces vanished into thin air.
A draw!
The Blackwater Ape's eyes widened in shock. That attack carried the combined strength of a hundred thousand sea beasts, yet that woman had neutralized it in one move?!
Yun Jin frowned in mild disappointment. She hadn't even gone all out yet. How was she supposed to feel pressured like this?
She sighed and encouraged them again. "If it didn't work this time, try again. Don't give up! With so many of you working together, you're bound to succeed! There's a saying, 'Where there's a will, there's a way.' And another one—'Unity is strength!' I believe in you all!"
Her rousing words made the sea beasts' hearts pound.
So inspiring, so moving!
"Come on, let's shout together—Victory!" Yun Jin raised her hand enthusiastically.
The sea beasts: "???"
Hold on a second.
The person they were supposed to attack was... her, right?
Why was she encouraging them to hit her harder?
Wasn't that a bit too absurd?
A few simple-minded sea beasts even joined in, shouting after her, "Victory! Victory!"
After yelling a few times, they suddenly noticed the heavy silence around them. It took a moment before realization hit. Wait... something felt very wrong about this.
"Alright, continue attacking!" Yun Jin said brightly, giving the Blackwater Ape a look full of confidence. "I believe in you. You're the best commander there is."
The Blackwater Ape almost felt moved.
Almost.
Moved, his ass!
He just felt completely humiliated.
Furious, he shouted, "Don't get too arrogant! The formation's power increases with every strike. You might've survived the first, but let's see you handle the second!"
At that, Yun Jin's eyes lit up.
Each wave stronger than the last—that was exactly the nature of Surging Waves!
So this formation had a hidden feature after all!
The mystery must lie in that battle flag. She suspected the one who created it had mastered the Law of Tidal Surges or one of its sub-laws.
Perfect.
That made it the ideal tool to hone her comprehension.
Seeing Yun Jin's eyes suddenly gleam with excitement, the Blackwater Ape was left speechless. This woman was insane!
He roared again, sending the second strike crashing toward her.
Yun Jin felt the faint pressure building and smiled in delight. It really was stronger than before. Once again, she raised a colossal wave to meet it.
Both attacks vanished in another instant.
She looked at the Blackwater Ape expectantly. "Got any more?"
"..." The Blackwater Ape screamed in fury, unleashing the third strike.
And then the fourth.
Each attack was stronger than the last, yet Yun Jin blocked them all effortlessly. Despair was starting to creep across his face. Every time he thought he'd reached her limit, she somehow matched the formation's growing power. This woman hadn't even shown her full strength.
There were only four words that could describe her now—
Terrifying beyond belief!
The Blackwater Ape's face darkened. "This'll be the last strike," he said coldly. "I don't believe you can withstand it!"
"What?" Yun Jin froze as if struck by lightning, her expression crumbling.
The Blackwater Ape's expression eased a little. Looks like those four rounds had finally taught her some fear. She must be at her limit now. This final strike would definitely finish her!
The next second, though, he heard Yun Jin's furious roar.
"Five attacks? You've got a hundred thousand sea beasts and can only manage five attacks? You've really let me down! Tell me, have you been slacking off all this time? Have you even reflected on yourselves? It's been years, so why haven't you made any progress at all?!"
Her voice was filled with righteous indignation as she tore into them.
A hundred thousand sea beasts just stared at her, completely dumbfounded.
"???"