Qian Ye stood upon the skull of a terrestrial dragon, his will entwined with the entire dragon ship. He was completely focused on maneuvering against Brox. Since acquiring the Valhalla, this was the first time someone had managed to engage it in a one-on-one confrontation.
This also allowed Qian Ye to discover the weaknesses of Valhalla. The attacks from the grand duke’s flagship indeed inflicted damage; the remains of the terrestrial dragon were impervious to attacks, but the subsequently installed equipment and the hull did not possess the same resilience as the dragon’s internal organs. Many of these were damaged by the shockwaves.
However, enhancing the fortification through primal force arrays could wait until after the battle. For now, relying on the innate senses of the terrestrial dragon, a different scene unfolded before Qian Ye. He saw massive waves of demonic energy surging within the grand duke’s flagship, being channeled through intricate and mysterious methods to various parts of the ship, forming runes almost as large as the ship itself. These runes then drove the flagship to perform incredible maneuvers.
This method of using demonic energy was ingenious, leaving Qian Ye in awe. It surpassed the usual application of primal force arrays. No wonder, in legends, the research and technology of the demon race were highly praised, though it was difficult to see during the factional battles.
Even as the fierce combat continued, observing the different distributions of demonic energy and their impact on the ship’s maneuvers, Qian Ye felt as if the door to a new world was opening before him.
These runes of power themselves were priceless, and with the tactical maneuvers of the ship as proof, Brox was like a teacher demonstrating to Qian Ye how to wield the power of the Evernight world.
Qian Ye’s accumulated power had reached the brink of that of a grand duke, but the lack of a structured and tangible inheritance left some side effects. His rapidly growing strength was beginning to be somewhat out of control, and his previous combat techniques were revealing their limitations. Qian Ye needed to learn to harness the primal forces of the world, fighting like a true grand duke.
Watching another rune of power form and dissipate under Brox’s guidance, Qian Ye felt a sudden flicker in his mind, recognizing this process from somewhere. After searching his memories, he recalled it from the brief moment when the Book of Blackness created a world. Although it lasted for less than a second.
Did the Book of Blackness have such capabilities?
Inspired, Qian Ye revisited the process of the Book of Blackness creating a world, quickly finding several aspects that could be mimicked.
If not for the ground battle entering its most brutal phase of attrition, Qian Ye would have wanted to watch more. Brox was different from the watered-down dukes Qian Ye had encountered previously, truly living up to the legend that demon race nobles were half a rank stronger than their counterparts in the Evernight. At least in the application of power rules, he was only a hair’s breadth away from the crowned prince and the grand lord of the blood race.
In this level of combat, some elements already hinted at the formation of ultimate attacks. Through the decisive battle of ships, Brox demonstrated to Qian Ye how a true grand duke of the Evernight should fight.
After a while, Qian Ye turned and said, “I’m going to board the ship.”
Howard’s spirits lifted. “Be extremely cautious,” he said, raising his scepter. Two streams of crimson light swept over Qian Ye.
Instantly, Qian Ye was adorned in a set of blood-colored armor, both ancient and splendid, with a pair of blood wings unfurling behind him. With a thought, Qian Ye flapped his blood wings, and his body levitated.
The luminous wings of the Primordial Wing were merely a manifestation of overflowing primal force, whereas the blood wings Howard bestowed upon Qian Ye possessed genuine flight capability. As long as the blood energy Howard imbued did not run out, Qian Ye could fly freely in the air.
Having consecutively armed Qian Ye with blood-colored gear and wings, Howard’s aura slightly waned. “This is all I can do for you now.”
Without delay, Qian Ye leaped from the Valhalla. In a flash, he was charging towards Brox’s flagship.
The Valhalla made a turn, its tail making a feint, forcing the rapidly advancing grand duke’s flagship to abruptly halt, avoiding the blow. This pause gave Qian Ye enough time to appear above the flagship. He didn’t attack immediately but instead gathered his strength, waving his hand to create a barrier of blood energy in the air.
Yuetong appeared instantly, stepping forcefully on the barrier of blood energy, and plunged like a meteor, crashing into the flagship’s hull. Dark golden blood flames erupted. Under her full-powered strike, a gaping hole appeared in the hull, the outer armor pierced entirely, and the massive ship sagged.
After her attack, Yuetong didn’t enter the ship but returned to the Valhalla. Her all-out strike had broken through all shields and armor, severely damaging the grand duke’s flagship. She, too, had expended much of her blood energy and needed to return to the Valhalla to rest.
With a flutter of his blood wings, Qian Ye entered the ship through the passage Yuetong had opened.
In the bridge, Brox recoiled, trembling. The two dukes still at their posts screamed, one being flung from his position, his breath faint, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. The other duke, pale, was clearly in no better state.
Yuetong’s attack, in fact, used the ship’s hull as a medium, clashing directly with Brox and the two dukes.
“How could she penetrate my ship? How?” Brox roared, his fury mixed with shock. Despite Yuetong’s special status, the fact remained that she was at the duke’s rank. Brox found it unimaginable that such power could shatter all defenses of his flagship with a single blow.
“Lord Brox, Qian Ye has boarded,” a duke still at his post reminded.
Brox’s face darkened. “Today’s youngsters are all audacious. My ship isn’t that easy to board. Take over the ship’s controls and disengage from the Valhalla. I’ll see what makes this Qian Ye so special, that the emperor regards him so highly.”
“As you wish.” The duke saluted and took over the ship’s control.
Qian Ye entered the ship, looking around at rows of spacious and luxurious cabins, which seemed to be the officers’ quarters.
This wasn’t a critical area, and Qian Ye had no interest in indiscriminate destruction. Recalling the generation process of demonic runes seen through the terrestrial dragon’s vision, he determined the area where demonic energy was transformed and amplified. He turned and rushed in that direction, raising Dongyue and unleashing an Octagonal Strike, causing a small storm within the ship. Walls, equipment, and everything else were shredded by the sword energy.
With one strike, everything within ten meters was reduced to ruins. Power steam spewed from ruptured pipes, and the intense heat caused fires. Mixed with a large amount of demonic energy, the area quickly became a dead zone inhospitable to ordinary life.
The flammable power steam also splashed onto Qian Ye, all blocked by the blood-colored armor without requiring him to expend blood energy. The defensive power of the blood-colored armor blessed by Howard was even stronger than Qian Ye’s own blood shield. Indeed, the Dark Evangel, capable of facing the Lord of Eternal Night, still retained formidable influence even with his weakened powers.
After one strike, Qian Ye charged forward, delivering another Octagonal Strike. Suddenly, a roar sounded from behind, “Stop!”
Qian Ye, of course, ignored it. After the eight strikes, he swung Dongyue horizontally, adding a Desolate Cut, destroying another ten-meter area. He then turned to face the demon grand duke.
“How did you know where my ship’s power core was?”
In response to Brox’s question, Qian Ye simply struck back, aiming for the power core.
This Desolate Cut cleaved a path a few meters deep, revealing a silvery cabin wall. Even with the Desolate Cut, it only left a deep scratch, failing to break through.
The materials inside this grand duke’s flagship were incredibly sturdy. Even the walls of ordinary cabins were specially reinforced, so Qian Ye’s current strength and skill could only destroy a small area with an Octagonal Strike.
But inside the ship, even a ten-meter-wide destroyed section was painful for Grand Duke Brox.
Seeing the silvery wall’s sturdiness, Qian Ye knew the crucial power core must be behind it. With a loud shout, Dongyue blazed with scarlet gold fire, and he struck again.
“You dare!” Brox roared, his figure flickering as he interposed himself between Qian Ye and the power core, blocking the strike with his sword.
Holding Dongyue with both hands, Qian Ye stepped forward, focusing the full power of the Octagonal Strike, delivering eight consecutive slashes in a split second.
Brox’s face was ashen, his sword flashing like lightning, parrying all eight of Qian Ye’s strikes. But blocking the Octagonal Strike head-on came at a cost, slightly diminishing his demonic energy.
Actually, Qian Ye couldn’t yet merge the eight strikes, and at least five or six of them would not have reached Brox. However, behind Brox lay the power core, and any evasion allowing a sword qi to slip through would cause severe damage, possibly breaching the weak points. So, even with his exquisite combat skills, Brox had no choice but to receive all the attacks.
Now, the initiative of the battle was firmly in Qian Ye’s hands, with the ship’s power core held hostage.
Realizing this, Qian Ye knew exactly what to do. Regardless of Brox’s thoughts or plans, Qian Ye followed his own rhythm, casually pulling out several high-powered primal force grenades from Anduia’s space and tossing them behind him.
These grenades were infused with Qian Ye’s Dawn Breaker, and as soon as they left Anduia’s space, the dawn primal force was so dense it nearly overflowed. The grenades rolled along the ground, occasionally dripping primal force, each drop corroding a small hole in the floor.
Even with the alloy floor treated with demonic energy and extra protection, the primal force easily penetrated it. One could only imagine the damage these grenades would cause if they exploded.
Brox’s gaze followed the rolling grenades, his expression increasingly grim. Initially, he thought they were divine general-level grenades, but quickly realized their power far exceeded that, and the creator had overfilled them with primal force, as if to flaunt his wealth.
However, between Brox and the grenades, there was Qian Ye and Dongyue. No matter how strong Brox was, he couldn’t force Qian Ye to move in one move. Helplessly, he watched the grenades roll to the end, hit the wall, and then—there was an earth-shattering explosion!
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