That night, the silver wolf—exhausted from its ordeal—was finally carefully secured in a specially crafted iron cage by Marse. The shrewd merchant even went so far as to offer his prized smoked meat to appease the precious magical beast—after all, it was a treasure worth a thousand gold coins. After being tormented all night by Renyu and Yun Chenhe, those two "mad scientists," the silver wolf had completely lost its temper, not even daring to entertain thoughts of revenge. It was pitiful, really. Once the undisputed king of the jungle, surrounded by harems and legions of followers, it had stumbled upon a formidable foe during a hunt. Not only had it been beaten senseless, but it had also been dragged out for fourteen grueling "magic experiments."

  After a night's rest, the group resumed their march at dawn the next day, soon reaching the banks of a great river deep within the jungle. The roar of its turbulent waters could be heard from several kilometers away. This was a river of astonishing width, over three hundred meters across, its muddy waters carrying silt as they flowed slowly.

  Renyu shook the mud from his boots, frowning as he observed the amphibious beasts basking on the riverbank. These creatures bore no resemblance to Earth's crocodiles—more accurately, they resembled scaled-down versions of Spinosaurus. Rough skin, powerful hind legs, sharp forelimbs, and that signature sail-like crest—they were exact replicas of ancient spinosaurs. It seemed that in this plane, amphibious predators had evolved into dinosaur forms rather than crocodiles.

  Yun Chenhe, however, remained intently focused on the river's surface. After a moment, he lowered his voice to Renyu: "Numerous spiny lizards lurk in the water. One particularly massive specimen is hiding behind that boulder over there..." He pointed toward a riverbank three hundred meters away. "Conservatively estimated, it's twice the size of an average individual, weighing at least one and a half tons."

  As if to confirm his words, a spinosaur on the shore suddenly rose like a puppy on its slender hind legs, slowly crawling toward the water as its sail-like crest gradually emerged. Renyu sucked in a sharp breath—while these behemoths might be clumsy in dense jungle, on open riverbanks, human-sized targets were practically a gift to them. He was confident he could take down one alone, but if cornered by a pack... After all, these colossal creatures could snap an ordinary person in half with a single bite, and Renyu was still unfamiliar with their physiology.

  "Can't handle it?" Yun Chenhe noticed Renyu's hesitation.

  "Going toe-to-toe with creatures this size is sheer folly," Renyu shook his head. "Our current gear is no match for them."

  Just as Yun Chenhe was about to offer reassurance, Renyu's eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait—if it weren't this soft mudflat, but a solid riverbank, there might be a way..."

  Masse overheard their exchange and hurried forward respectfully. "Sir, there is indeed such a cliff twenty kilometers upstream. The riverbank is nearly vertical, rising five or six meters above the water. However, the current is extremely swift—even small boats struggle to anchor. There are also crocodiles in the water. Crossing by boat would be very difficult."

  Renyu and Yun Chenhe soon reached the designated location. The terrain matched Ma Sai's description perfectly—a massive granite platform, shaped by centuries of river erosion, stretching over three hundred meters. The solid rock extended outward from the riverbank, forming a natural terrace five or six meters above the water. The turbulent currents could only crash against the base of the rocks.

  This ideal work platform showed not a single spinosaur shadow—for them, this height was too steep to climb for sunbathing, and a fall would be far too perilous.

  For ordinary people, this spot was also impassable, but for Renyu's engineering corps, it was the perfect construction site.

  Ma Se watched the two officers gesturing and tossing around obscure terms like "torque" and "stress." Though he couldn't understand a word, he was certain he'd led them to the right place. Yun Chenhe turned to Renyu: "How much steel will this project require?"

  Renyu quickly calculated in his head and replied, "Three hundred tons should suffice. I'll cover the expense."

  "What about the timeline?" Yun Chenhe pressed, studying the formula Renyu had written down.

  "Five days maximum," Renyu answered with unwavering confidence.

  That night, Ma Sai led his caravan away silently. The heavy footsteps of the ground beasts faded into the forest. A young assistant couldn't resist glancing back, asking nervously, "Boss, that army... they won't catch up again, will they?"

  Ma Sai smacked him on the back of the head. "I said they won't! Keep moving. We'll reach Bingluo Dock in five days. If you want to drink, eat meat, and find girls, perk up!" The thought of the city taverns' grilled meat, fine wine, and dancing girls instantly lifted the caravan's gloomy mood.

  Only Ma Sai kept glancing back, haunted by the same question: How on earth were they going to cross this river teeming with spiny dragons?

  Under Renyu's command and with the coordination of hundreds of elite engineers, this team operated with efficiency rivaling a mobile base vehicle.

  As well as shafts flashed one after another, vast quantities of steel and other materials were lowered onto the rocky platform. The acquisition of this premium steel owed to Xiao Feng's faction privileges—as members of the same faction, Renyu and Yun Chenhe could exchange for captain-grade carbon steel. This reminded them of the days when they followed Zhao Weiguo, when they could obtain even higher-grade alloy steel.

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  Fabricating steel components on this rugged rock platform proceeded with surprising ease. First, a softening force field treated the rock surface. Then, conscripts carved molds onto the stone with astonishing precision. These genius craftsmen, infused with mental guidance, executed each movement with machine-like accuracy. Steel pipes, large gears, rivets, and other components took shape under the forging presses, then underwent fine machining to perfectly meet design specifications.

  Meanwhile, another team of engineers erected the steel framework foundation on the platform. The softening force field rendered the hard rock as malleable as clay, allowing steel columns to be precisely inserted into predetermined positions. Soon, the skeletal frames of cranes rose from the ground. Amidst these cranes, a massive steel hull gradually took shape.

  Human hands alone are limited, but harnessing nature's power enables miracles. Steam generated from burning wood drives a rudimentary steam engine. Through a complex pulley system, it slowly hoists the forty-ton hull. Spinosaurus creatures in the river watch in astonishment as this black colossus moves through the air, eventually settling steadily on the water's surface, buoyed by its own weight.

  Renyu was the first to ascend via a basket onto this steel colossus tethered to the shore. Soon after, critical components like the steam engine, bearings, and paddlewheel were hoisted into position one by one. Spiny dragons in the water swam restlessly, attempting to ram the hull. But the three-centimeter-thick, forged marine steel plating taught them a lesson—even charging at full speed on land, these creatures couldn't leave a mark on the steel, let alone underwater. The two-meter-high gunwales left them utterly frustrated.

  Occasional shrill scrapes echoed from the hull, likely from spinosaurs attempting to gnaw at it. Accustomed to wooden vessels, they clearly found steel unfamiliar and soon abandoned their futile efforts.

  When Yun Chenhe boarded the vessel, the bed crossbow at the bow was already primed. As the winch turned, a meter-long barbed steel spear shot through the air into the water. A lurking spinosaur instantly writhed in agony—the spear had pierced its spine with pinpoint accuracy. The steel cable attached to the spear snapped taut with a sharp crackling sound under the winch's tension, firmly securing the colossal creature.

  Yun Chenhe's precision shot was no accident. He had targeted the dominant spinosaur lurking forty meters away—a colossus weighing 1.5 tons. This cunning predator had been hiding behind its subordinates, waiting for an opportunity, unaware that its vital signs stood out to Yun Chenhe like a torch in the night.

  The moment the steel spear pierced the air, the beast's fate was sealed. The razor-sharp tip tore through its thick hide with ease, plunging deep into its entrails. Under the winch's immense pull, it even dragged out several shards of shattered bone. The ship lurched violently, sending massive waves crashing over the deck. Renyu started to rush forward to investigate, but Yun Chenhe's command, "Duck!" halted him instantly.

  "Thud!" A high-pressure water jet slammed against the ship's steel hull, accompanied by the sharp crackling of shattering ice crystals. As the spray dispersed, a half-broken icicle landed at Renyu's feet. Yun Chenhe picked up an intact ice crystal—roughly the length of a pen—glinting coldly in the sunlight. "This stuff's mixed in the water jet," he said, weighing the crystal in his hand. "Ice magic? Interesting."

  The Spinosaurus overlord had struggled from dawn until afternoon, finally succumbing to blood loss. It attempted to feign death to escape, unaware that Yun Chenhe had prepared a backup. A specially crafted blood-channeled steel spear—Renyu's on-site masterpiece—sliced through the air, striking precisely at the soft belly of the beast deliberately exposed above the water.

  "Aaargh—" A piercing wail echoed across the river surface. The sound was both shrill and metal scraping and filled with the anguish of impending death, sending chills down the spine. Yet the two officers aboard the boat didn't even flinch—on the battlefield, they'd heard too many comrades' screams to retain any compassion. When the persistent wail began interfering with Renyu's work, Yun Chenhe delivered the final spear thrust with a blank expression.

  The river finally settled, only the floating carcass of the spiny dragon bearing witness to the fierce battle. Renyu wiped the engine oil from his hands and looked toward the receiving platform being constructed on the opposite bank: "It'll be finished in two days." Yun Chenhe nodded, his gaze sweeping over the spiny dragons quietly retreating across the river—these ferocious beasts had finally learned to keep their distance.

  By the fourth dawn, the steam engines and transmission systems were fully installed aboard the steel colossus. This ferry, born for war, had discarded all amenities—no crew quarters, no galley. Only cold machinery and weaponry remained. As the first wave of soldiers was transported to the gravel-strewn riverbank opposite, they immediately scattered vast quantities of specially designed iron spikes. These fist-sized metal spiked balls were meticulously engineered: while difficult for humans in military boots to step on, they proved deadly traps for the Spinosaurus with their large, webbed feet.

  As the one-ton Spinosaurus stomped down with its long hind legs, its feet—each as large as two keyboards side by side—crushed the ground. The barbed spikes of the iron thorns easily pierced through flesh and bone. The fragile membranes between the webbed toes were torn open, creating wounds over ten centimeters long. The gruesome sight was unbearable to behold. Some Spinosaurus charging at full speed had entire feet nearly impaled. In their tens of thousands of years of evolution, these ancient predators had never encountered such a treacherous foe scattering iron thorns along the riverbank.

  Approximately thirty-six reckless Spinosaurus fell victim in succession. They writhed in agony, mistakenly believing some creature had seized their feet. Their massive bodies only crushed more iron thorns, sending mud and blood flying everywhere, staining the soldiers' uniforms crimson. Renyu stood at the bow, watching the writhing, howling herd on the riverbank. A victorious smile touched his lips. "Beasts are still beasts."

  Yun Chenhe's assessment carried a more philosophical edge: "Only when dealing with animals do I truly appreciate the pleasure of facing an opponent who is intellectually challenged."

  As the last squad of soldiers reached the southern bank, Renyu turned to gaze back at the surging Blue River. Floating spiny dragon carcasses drifted with the current, as if narrating this cross-species battle of wits. Yun Chenhe patted his shoulder: "Time to move on. The Five-Colored Valley awaits us."

  On the 13th day of the 14th month, Year 32 of the Elemental Calendar (this plane's calendar spans 16 months of 25 days each), the Yun-Ren alliance completed an epic river crossing at Spiny Crocodile Bay on the upper reaches of the Blue River. The final obstacle of their thousand-mile journey was utterly shattered, and the entire force reached the southern bank of the Blue River intact. The steel ferry, having fulfilled its purpose, gradually rusted away. Years later, when locals discovered it, it had become nothing more than a heap of scrap metal. Yet the crane bases, deeply embedded in the granite, bore the most compelling physical evidence of this legend. Their load-bearing test data and construction specifications were meticulously documented, serving as the most compelling testament to this legendary feat.