"One, two, three! Lift off!"
Enormous boulders rumbled and tumbled down, crashing against each other, setting off a chain reaction. Seven or eight massive stones, starting from the very peak of the island, gained momentum. They rolled downhill, sweeping away the stones in their path.
"Set sail!"
"Set sail!"
"Set sail!"
Commands echoed, voices cried out, with everyone summoning their utmost strength. As the colossal stones descended, they pushed the ship onto the track carved by the stones' passage. A unified shout, nearly seven hundred people shouting in unison. Those at the sides leaped into the vessel, row by row.
The first to board were the physically strongest. They rolled in and, after a moment of stunned silence, immediately extended their hands to help the following passengers into the cabin. Those who came later said nothing upon entry, immediately binding themselves with ropes. As the ship accelerated down the slope, the outside shouts grew more urgent.
"Keep up, hurry!"
The few soldiers outside began assisting the weaker and slower individuals. Impatient Li Ji even squatted down, embracing legs and hoisting young people who couldn't ascend. The youngsters were lifted in like sacks, cries heard from within, yet no complaints. The soldiers allotted the first spots on the ship to them.
Wave after wave of people were lifted onto the small boats. These vessels were remarkably sturdy, thanks to the seabirds. With no usable timber on the island, all materials were sourced from the birds' nests. Vines and dry branches, ingeniously employed by the engineers, culminated in these life-saving boats.
"Hurry, come aboard!"
"Give me your hand!"
"Grab the rope!"
As the boat slid downward, the jolting became more intense. Those on top couldn't stand steady, while those below struggled to ascend. Running alongside the ship, the individuals knew each other so well due to their long-term collaboration and coexistence. They were connected like kin, unwilling to abandon anyone.
"Xiao Guang, think of something, slow the boat down, just a bit, it's too fast!"
Elder Su anxiously urged, hundreds were still left behind. At this speed, they would end up like passengers missing a train, gradually left far behind.
Xiao Guang, in the meantime, was desperately suppressing the beetles. He moved among the swarm of beetles, fearing their flight. Due to the unsteady ground, he stumbled multiple times. Now, covered in bumps, he appeared far from handsome but radiated a masculine aura.
Hearing Elder Su's shout, Xiao Guang glanced at Su Pei, who was tightly gripping the rope for stability. Su Pei was equally concerned about those left outside. The anxious shouts from both inside and outside the ship were hammering against Su Pei's heart like a stone mallet.
From Su Pei's expression alone, Xiao Guang understood what to do. He shouted, "Follow me, take off ahead of time!"
Su Pei immediately jumped up, swiftly following Xiao Guang's lead. The two stumbled their way onto Doudou, a small boat.
Without Xiao Guang's restraint, the beetles were eager to take flight. Xiao Guang activated Doudou, grabbing a handful of powdered medicine from his pocket, and exclaimed, tossing it into the air.
In the blink of an eye, the beetles soared into the sky. Xiao Guang rode atop Doudou, using a long stick to prod a bag riddled with holes. It emitted a peculiar fragrance. The beetles followed closely behind. With ropes guiding the ship, under Xiao Guang's command, they alternated between ascending and descending precisely, slowing down. In the future chronicles of the kingdom, this momentous scene would be remembered as a legendary event. The king and queen astride golden beetles, wielding radiant weapons, led the masses like gods, charging towards the monstrous crabs in their otherworldly forms. They secured their escape, laying the foundation of the nation.
Amidst this magical spectacle, astonishment abounded, yet people did not pause their actions.
"Grab the rope!"
"Get aboard quickly!"
"Hurry!"
When the last person leaped onto the ship, cheers erupted.
Elder Su looked to see Xiao Guang already airborne and immediately leaned over the bow to assess the situation ahead.
The massive stones rumbled and rolled upward. The crabs sensed the ground tremors and pressure, uneasily swaying in place.
As the boulders drew nearer, the crabs, not entirely foolish, began retreating to the sides like a receding tide.
Su Pei observed this scene and exchanged a glance with Li Ji, who nodded in agreement. After long-term cooperation, their minds were in sync. Defiantly, Su Pei shouted towards the airborne Xiao Guang, "Accelerate!"
Li Ji surveyed the surroundings, then shouted, "Hoist the sail!"
A resonating "buzz" echoed. Xiao Guang promptly adjusted the angle, and the beetles, all pulling in the same direction, caused the ship's speed to surge several times. Su Pei and Li Ji found themselves seated on the ground. Following this, a triangular sail emerged, adjusted to catch the wind's momentum. Immediately, the speed doubled again. Su Pei and Li Ji were forced to lie down.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" The rapidly moving ship emitted a whistling sound from the sails. The individuals who had risen were now at the ship's edge, peering outside. This life-or-death struggle concerned everyone's fate. If their arrival on this shore with a drifting tree was deemed luck, then now, surrounded by crabs and blocked by the giant fish, they were fighting for their lives. Other than this one ship, humans had no advantage. If they failed, perhaps the two on the beetles would be the sole survivors. The man on the beetle—just who was he? What drove him to undertake such enormous risks?
The wind howled by their ears, while the crabs, close at hand, watched their departure. On the slope cleared by the boulders, amidst the dense crab island, a narrow passage of life emerged, sealing itself swiftly as the ship passed through.
Xiao Guang, sweating profusely, urged the beetles onward. The gaps left by the massive stones weren't linear; some shifted due to obstacles, while others were crabs frozen in fear in the middle of the path. Xiao Guang was fully absorbed; this was his most challenging task yet, but failure was not an option.
"Snap, snap, snap!" Countless bewildered crabs were struck and sent flying by the boulders. Crabs hung off the front and rear of the ship, some rocked a few times before being thrown off, while others clung on, dragged along. The unluckiest were trapped beneath the ship, scraped along the ground.
Those bound by ropes were all occupied. They used spears, stones, and shouted as they struck and stabbed at the crabs attempting to climb aboard. Each person was fueled by unyielding determination. For survival, they had given their all over the past year. In this critical moment, no one would surrender.
"Attention, everyone, pay attention!"
Perched above, Su Pei took on the role of lookout. She shouted down to the crowd, "Get ready to hit the water! Hold on—"
"Bang, bang!"
"Thud!"
As Su Pei's words resounded, the sound of massive stones hitting the water ahead followed, accompanied by smaller debris and the splashes of knocked-off crabs. Thuds echoed repeatedly, indicating that quite a few had plunged into the water.
Finally, they were closing in. Elder Su had spotted the water's surface below. The underwater depths still revealed fish swimming.
Those small fish couldn't pose a threat to the ship, but as for the larger fish in the distance, Elder Su gazed at the vast expanse of water ahead.
"Thud!"
The sturdy little boat rammed into several crabs at the shore, propelling them airborne.
Beetles, the ship, and claw-waving crabs all hung suspended in the air, creating a mesmerizing tableau. Then came the patter of splashes as they hit the water. Crabs sinking beneath the surface, the ship still floating above, beetles wobbling in midair—all while people grew dizzy and disoriented.
After plunging into the water, the ship continued to advance. Xiao Guang remained fully focused, urging the beetle swarm to pull the small boat onward.
Su Pei shouted loudly to those on the vessel, pouring down prepared stimulants, trying to rouse those below.
The dazed Li Ji was the first to regain his senses. He shouted, "Everyone, get up!"
"We're against the wind now. Follow my command: Adjust the left sail—"
"Sailbreaker, set sail!"