The essence blood, purified by the Black Book, was far less refined compared to that condensed by the Blood Core. After passing through the Blood Core, the essence blood would directly transform into burning gold blood or dark primordial force, which could be absorbed by the Dark Golden Blood Qi. The essence blood purified by the Black Book merely had some impurities removed, becoming slightly more concentrated, and could barely be used directly. It seemed as if all the impurities Qian Ye didn’t need or rejected were absorbed by the Black Book.
However, the greatest advantage of the Black Book was its speed. In just half a day, it could refine enough essence blood for Qian Ye to fully restore one shot of the Primordial Gun. With the Black Book in hand, Qian Ye’s sustained combat ability had achieved a qualitative leap. The only downside was that after being refined by the Black Book, the essence blood loss was much greater than when using the Blood Core.
Lín Jiā’ěr needed half a day to stabilize her injuries, so she also gave Qian Ye half a day.
All the demonic warships had withdrawn from this airspace, and the Valhalla floated quietly in the void, like a sleeping behemoth.
Lights flickered continuously on the high-speed warship as it slowly approached. This was both a signal of no hostility towards Qian Ye and a request for the two high-speed cargo ships to move closer as well.
The two cargo ships hesitated for a moment, probably because they realized they couldn’t outrun the high-speed warship, and reluctantly moved closer.
A small shuttle flew out from the high-speed warship, passed through an opening in the Valhalla, and landed inside the ship. As soon as the bearded captain and the first mate stepped off the shuttle, they were instantly awed by the grand space, leaving them speechless for a while.
After regaining his composure, the bearded captain saluted Qian Ye and said, “I am Mǎ Wéndòng. I have been serving under the Seventh Young Master, and I used to work in the Imperial Fleet. The Seventh Young Master told me about your Valhalla, but I never imagined there would be such a mighty warship in the world!”
“The Seventh Young Master mentioning the Valhalla to you shows great trust. As for the cargo, I’m here to receive it, and I also need to select a group of reliable people to install it on my ship,” Qian Ye said, handing over Sòng Zǐníng’s token to Mǎ Wéndòng.
Mǎ Wéndòng carefully examined the token and then discussed it with the first mate before saying, “Lord Qian Ye, encountering the demonic fleet was unexpected. But what will we do when Lín Jiā’ěr returns in half a day?”
Qian Ye smiled and replied, “Giving me half a day is her biggest mistake. On the Valhalla, she can’t defeat me now.”
Mǎ Wéndòng looked up again at the soaring, breathtaking ceiling and sincerely remarked, “This giant ship, if fully manned, would require at least tens of thousands of crew members. That’s equivalent to an entire fleet.”
The first mate nodded and added, “Tens of thousands might not be enough. The ship can at least hold an entire Imperial division, specifically for landing and occupying enemy territory.”
Mǎ Wéndòng continued, “Lord Qian Ye, before your appearance, those two cargo ships showed signs of surrender. I suggest we let them stay on the Valhalla. I will send people to take the ships back. Additionally, I will leave a small team to monitor them. Once we find out who suggested the surrender, the Seventh Young Master will deal with them appropriately.”
Qian Ye nodded and discussed the details of the delivery with Mǎ Wéndòng. Suddenly, the first mate pointed at a large piece of wreckage floating by and exclaimed, “Isn’t that Lín Jiā’ěr’s flagship? Lord Qian Ye, that’s a valuable piece, even if it’s just the materials!”
This reminder sparked Qian Ye’s action. He put the delivery aside and controlled the Valhalla to catch the wreckage. The Earth Chameleon, as if coming to life, opened its massive mouth and swallowed the wreckage whole.
Lín Jiā’ěr’s flagship, considered a giant ship in both the Evernight and the Empire, appeared tiny compared to the Valhalla, like food that could be easily devoured. Half of the flagship entered the belly of the Valhalla, and the Earth Chameleon’s residual instincts kicked in, stabilizing it within the ship.
Apart from Lín Jiā’ěr’s flagship, Qian Ye had destroyed several demonic warships. Without any hesitation, he swallowed them all. Even if the equipment was completely useless, the materials alone would be worth a fortune. The demonic warships were renowned for their high-quality materials and exquisite craftsmanship.
Just as the recovery was completed, an indescribable, awe-inspiring presence, like a cold wave, enveloped the entire Valhalla, chilling everyone present. This familiar and terrifying aura signaled Lín Jiā’ěr’s return.
She appeared alone at the bow of the ship, looking down at Qian Ye standing on the Earth Chameleon’s skull, and said, “I’m back.”
Her words, icy and arrogant, left no room for further discussion. She didn’t intend to give Qian Ye a chance to speak. After announcing her return, she immediately lunged at him like a meteor, at an incredible speed, without even trying to dodge. Clearly, in her eyes, Qian Ye, without the Primordial Gun, was an easy target.
However, she came fast but retreated even faster. A flash of golden light in the void was followed by her enraged shout, “How is it possible you still have another shot?”
“However many you want!” Qian Ye laughed in response.
But perhaps she could no longer hear him; her figure flickered and vanished into the deep void, flying at full speed.
Qian Ye did not pursue, knowing he wouldn’t catch up. Returning to the Valhalla, he immediately told Mǎ Wéndòng, “Signal the cargo ships to come closer and unload the goods.”
“Will she come back?” Mǎ Wéndòng asked, still uneasy.
Even a brave man like him was wary of Lín Jiā’ěr. No matter how fearless one was, survival was always preferable. If Qian Ye hadn’t appeared with the Valhalla, Mǎ Wéndòng’s ship would have been destroyed, and he would have perished. Lín Jiā’ěr could have obliterated his ship without even using the main cannon.
“She won’t. The last blow was enough for her to bear.”
Lín Jiā’ěr had underestimated Qian Ye, thinking he had exhausted his power and couldn’t fire another shot of the Primordial Gun. However, in just half a day, Qian Ye had reformed the gun. Caught off guard, she was struck full force, severely injured, and had no time to leave a parting threat before fleeing.
She clearly couldn’t hold out for long and, if she didn’t escape quickly, might not even make it back to her ship. Though Lín Jiā’ěr’s combat power was superior to the Wolf King’s, the demons were not known for their physical resilience. Thus, her defense was inferior to the Wolf King’s. While the Wolf King could still fight after taking a shot from the Primordial Gun, Lín Jiā’ěr, already injured, was incapacitated. Hence, Qian Ye was confident she wouldn’t return.
Mǎ Wéndòng returned to the high-speed warship and personally sent a stern signal.
The two cargo ships slowly approached the Valhalla and were swallowed into its belly. The Valhalla, now fully demonstrating its size, easily accommodated the remnants of Lín Jiā’ěr’s fleet and the two cargo ships.
The cargo ship doors opened, and the crew members filed out. Most of them were dumbfounded, unable to utter a word, as they stood in the magnificent space of the Valhalla.
Among the crew, a few had ashen faces. Qian Ye knew without asking that they were the ones who had advocated surrender. It was hard to say right or wrong under such dire circumstances. Nevertheless, since Sòng Zǐníng trusted them, they should at least have destroyed the cargo before surrendering.
However, these were Sòng Zǐníng’s people, and Qian Ye didn’t want to interfere with their internal affairs. He said to Mǎ Wéndòng, “Handle it yourself. I’ll rest. Let me know if anything important comes up.”
Mǎ Wéndòng bowed respectfully and said, “Rest assured, young master. I will handle both the people and the goods properly.” Witnessing Qian Ye’s victory over Lín Jiā’ěr, the fierce general’s attitude toward Qian Ye had subtly changed.
Qian Ye returned to the Earth Chameleon’s skull, sat cross-legged, commanded the Valhalla to return to the East Sea, and closed his eyes to meditate.
In a short while, half a day passed. Qian Ye completed his meditation, his energy fully replenished, awaiting the gradual refinement of the Yaopiece. He opened his eyes and saw Mǎ Wéndòng standing dozens of meters away, clearly having something to say but hesitant to disturb him.
Qian Ye stood up and asked, “What is it?”
Mǎ Wéndòng rubbed his hands, visibly excited, and said, “The people have been arranged, and the cargo has been unloaded. But there’s a huge surprise! The front half of Lín Jiā’ěr’s flagship, including the main cannon, is intact! I’ve checked, and it can be used as long as it’s connected to a power source!”
Qian Ye was delighted, “Really? Show me!”
Inside the Valhalla’s belly, the half-ship wreckage stood out, towering over the other remains, including the two cargo ships.
As the flagship was preparing to fire, it was cleaved in two by the teleporting Valhalla, revealing the open cannon door. Inside, the main cannon, black with a faint golden glow, was a sight Qian Ye had never seen before. The design, combining a cannon and a ballista, was entirely new to him. Regardless of its merits, the cold shiver that ran through Qian Ye’s Blood Core when aimed by the main cannon hinted at its immense power.
On the barrel, two demonic runes were etched: Chen Lu.
The name suited the weapon perfectly.
Qian Ye savored the two words, then asked, “Can it be used?”
Asked this, Mǎ Wéndòng felt a bit awkward and said, “Well… it needs a power source. I’ve never seen a main cannon with such power, so it would require a massive amount of energy to use. Your ship is indeed remarkable, but the energy…”
Qian Ye was well aware of his ship’s situation. The Valhalla’s flight and teleportation relied on the instinct of its former self, powered by its heart. Such a massive ship could not be driven by current technology otherwise. Any additional engines or sails were merely auxiliary power sources. Without the Earth Chameleon’s heart, the Valhalla, regardless of how many engines it had, would lack mobility.
For this reason, both Qingyue and Sòng Zǐníng prioritized the modification of the power system after the cannons. Given the limited workforce and the high cost of adding numerous engines and sails, the Valhalla currently had few engines and no fuel reserves.
With the available fuel, not only was it insufficient to power Lín Jiā’ěr’s main cannon, but even a single demonic warship’s main cannon would consume too much.
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