With just one salvo, more than half of the twenty-odd ships were destroyed. Many survivors fell into the sea along with the sinking ships, and many more were directly hit by cannonballs and blown into bloody flowers.

Many survivors reacted quickly, each using their own methods: some used mobility skills to escape to other intact ships, while others deployed defensive skills to try and withstand the bombardment. However, their efforts were futile against the dense barrage of cannon fire. In a collapsing nest, no egg remains unbroken. Even Brother Long's ship could only be saved from being blown to smithereens by the protective shields of his mages taking turns.

"Sprint, sprint, charge!"

Brother Long realized that there was no way out except to charge ashore, so he immediately ordered his men to sprint towards the shore at full speed. He had thought that Zhang Shi might be able to pull out some advanced weapons for defense, but he never expected that the enemy could set up an entire artillery formation. If he had known this, he would not have been foolish enough to rush over and die, even if he had twice the number of troops.

Cai Qing had specifically requested the mission to encircle the island from the flank before the attack, thus avoiding the shelling. Now, looking at the horrific scene on the north shore with lingering fear, he gained a new understanding of Zhang Shi's methods.

Just as Brother Long and his group were desperately rushing towards the north shore of the island, trying to find a glimmer of hope amidst the gunfire, unusual ripples suddenly appeared on the sea. The heavy smell of blood carried by the sea breeze not only made the survivors' hearts tighten but also alarmed unknown creatures in the deep sea.

A gigantic octopus-like sea monster emerged from the distance, its jet-black body covered in vibrant patterns, its tentacles like eight giant whips churning in the seawater. Drawn by the gunfire and bloodshed on the north shore, it slowly approached the battlefield. Its arrival undoubtedly added insult to injury for Dragon Brother's fleet, which was already in dire straits.

"Look! What's that!"

A member of the Dragon Tiger Alliance pointed at the sea in terror, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

Following the direction of the finger, Brother Long saw a colossal creature rapidly approaching. Its tentacles had already begun to entangle some severely damaged and powerless boats, mercilessly dragging the survivors on board into the sea before swallowing them whole.

The appearance of the sea monsters made the already chaotic battlefield even more out of control. The survivors not only had to face the artillery attacks from Zhang Shi, but also had to avoid the terrifying threat of the sea monsters.

"Quick! Change direction and get away from that monster!" Brother Long shouted the order, but by then it was too late to back down. Many ships were so badly damaged that they couldn't move quickly and could only watch helplessly as they became the next target of the sea monster.

Zhang Shi witnessed this sudden turn of events on the island and couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. Although he hadn't expected sea monsters to intervene, this situation was undoubtedly more advantageous to him.

"Brother Long, it seems the heavens are against you. You're doomed today."

Seeing the sea monster following him, Brother Long was both anxious and furious. The pressure from both sides made his decision swayed by emotion, and he ordered his men to launch a fierce attack on the approaching sea monster. Immediately, all sorts of arrows and spells rained down on the sea monster's massive head. The sea monster, in pain, stretched out its tentacles to defend itself. Brother Long's actions not only failed to resolve the immediate crisis but also enraged the monster. The sea monster accelerated, charging straight towards Brother Long's ship.

Meanwhile, the island's artillery continued firing. As the distance closed, a barrage of shells rained down on the sea monster's massive body, the explosions mingling with the churning seawater to create a breathtaking scene. The sea monster, weakened by the shells, slowed but became even more ferocious in its agony. Its attacks grew increasingly indiscriminate, indiscriminately targeting surrounding ships and survivors. The Eighteen Alliance was utterly defeated; most perished at sea. Only Brother Long and his group managed to break ashore, gaining a brief respite. With the enemy now very close, and not wanting to damage the structures he had painstakingly built, Zhang Shi ordered his men to cease fire and personally led his team to surround them.

Aside from those who had scattered to surround the island, only Brother Long's ship managed to weather the shelling and reach the shore. This ship was mostly filled with elite members of the Dragon-Tiger Brotherhood, numbering over a hundred, all skilled survivors. Even so, they had expended a significant amount of magic power dealing with the shelling, and now, exhausted and focused solely on escaping as quickly as possible.

Brother Long had the same idea. He quickly found the teleportation device and tried to open the portal completely, but found that the teleportation device did not respond at all. He then remembered that this island seemed to have a spatial restriction, and all teleportation was prohibited.

Brother Long looked dejected and turned to look at his remaining subordinates.

"There's something wrong with this island. Forget about escaping. We need to fight our way out, take out Zhang Shi, and control this island. Maybe then we'll have a glimmer of hope."

Upon hearing these words, the expressions on everyone's faces were quite interesting. Some looked mournful, some were angry, and some had their small eyes darting around as if they were thinking hard.

At the same time, Zhang Shi's army was approaching, and hundreds of well-equipped soldiers surrounded the group. Behind them was the boundless sea, and a giant sea beast was watching them menacingly. It was clear that Brother Long and his group had no way out.

Zhao Feng stepped forward, his face filled with murderous intent. He glared fiercely at the leaders and pointed at Brother Long, Chen Beipan, and Xie Dong one by one.

"Apart from those three, everyone else who lays down their weapons and surrenders can be spared from death."

As soon as Zhao Feng finished speaking, several others who had grasped the situation began to stir. One of the survivors considered for a moment, then suddenly dropped his weapon and shouted.

"I'm willing to surrender, please don't kill me. The mastermind behind this operation is Brother Long."

Brother Long's eyes turned cold. He turned around and instantly transformed into the form of a giant snake, spraying a mouthful of venom onto the man's face. The venom's powerful corrosiveness landed on the flesh, emitting puffs of white smoke. The surrendered survivor let out a shrill scream, but after struggling for a moment, he fell silent.

"Anyone who dares to even think of surrendering will suffer this fate!"

Brother Long's voice came from the giant snake's mouth, making it even more sinister and terrifying. Although everyone was dissatisfied, no one dared to stand up and talk about surrendering.

Seeing this, Zhao Feng smirked and then waved his hand lightly to the troops behind him. Instantly, various muskets and arrows opened fire, immediately suppressing the enemy with overwhelming firepower.

"Let me give you a taste of your own medicine first."

The Dragon-Tiger Brothers Alliance could only expend their remaining magic power to release protective shields, trying to hold out for as long as possible. Brother Long and Xie Dong also moved, their bodies like two bolts of lightning rushing towards Zhao Feng at the forefront. To capture the enemy, first capture their leader; they had fought this golden-armored warrior before and knew his strength. They clearly saw Zhao Feng as the key to breaking the deadlock.