The demon warships, utilizing their speed far surpassing that of the Einherjar, persistently evaded the formidable head armed with the main cannons and attacked relentlessly from the blind spots at the sides and rear.
The Einherjar was equipped with crossbows on its back and flanks. According to the design, once all the main cannons were fully installed, this colossal ship would transform into a truly formidable firepower platform, devoid of any blind spots. Any attack from any angle would face a minimum of five, up to dozens, of warship main cannons.
However, only a few crossbows were actually installed at the moment. Under the concentrated assault of the demon warships, they were swiftly obliterated. The Einherjar, like a mighty beast stripped of its claws, despite its massive size, was destined to become prey for the wolf pack.
At this moment, Qian Ye stood atop the skull of the ground insect, his consciousness merging with the Einherjar. This behemoth seemed to come alive, becoming an extension of Qian Ye’s body. As the reserve of void origin power in the heart of the Einherjar increased, and Qian Ye’s own blood energy grew, the connection between him and the Einherjar became clearer and stronger, making the massive vessel more agile.
In Qian Ye’s mind, the Einherjar, besides its existing ability to leap through the void, had gained another ability: intimidation.
This was one of the inherent abilities of the ground insect, a natural deterrent of the void beasts at the pinnacle of the world. Qian Ye was not entirely clear about the effect of the intimidation, but he had deeply experienced the indomitable terror of the void beasts when facing the residual will of Chaos and the overshadowing iron curtain of the celestial spirits during the blood battle. They were simply not on the same level of existence.
However, this new ability of the Einherjar was merely the re-emergence of the ground insect’s skeletal remains, exerting a suppressive aura on other life forms. Compared to the original intimidation, its power was perhaps less than one percent.
Qian Ye had no time to ponder the usefulness of the intimidation; he focused entirely on countering the demon warships. It was more accurate to say that this struggling giant was enduring the onslaught, as the relentless barrage of the demon warships blanketed the entire Einherjar. The two crossbows mounted on the side were already destroyed, along with the lives of several gunners. Two engines mounted on the outer hull were also hit, rendering them useless and further slowing the Einherjar. If Qian Ye had not ordered the retraction of the power sails at the beginning of the battle, even they might have been lost.
Nevertheless, Qian Ye remained calm. Though the Einherjar was engulfed in flames, the actual damage was negligible. The main cannons of the demon warships were powerful, but not enough to destroy the ground insect’s bones, nor the newly grown organic tissues.
Many of the attached equipment were damaged, but the core systems and personnel were concentrated around the heart of the ground insect, protected by the chest cavity, thus remaining unscathed.
After multiple rounds of concentrated attacks, the demon warships realized that most of their assaults were futile. Often, several massive bolts had to hit the same spot to breach a small patch of the ground insect’s tissue. From a distance in the void, those damages, no larger than tabletops, required excellent eyesight to be seen. Compared to the ground insect’s over-a-thousand-meter-long body, these injuries were akin to mosquito bites.
The demon warships, indeed elite, quickly adjusted their tactics, focusing on the sections fitted with artificial ship shells, and even attempting to penetrate the interior through the gaps in the bones. However, the Einherjar’s flight pattern was erratic, resembling the natural gliding motion of the ground insect, making it extremely difficult to fire arrows into the interior through the constantly moving rib gaps.
In the flagship, Lin Jiar’s gaze was icy, and she huffed heavily, clearly displeased. The marquis beside her noticed and said, “My lady, it seems only the main cannon of your flagship has the power to breach the defense of that strange floating ship.”
Lin Jiar coldly replied, “These wastes, not seeing the futility, keep attacking. The bolts for the main cannon are very expensive.”
The marquis hurriedly added, “This warship is unprecedented, seemingly made from the remains of a void beast. If we capture it, the value of the materials alone could build you a whole new fleet.”
Lin Jiar nodded, her crisp voice resounding throughout the ship, “All hands, prepare to engage!”
The three-hundred-meter-long flagship slowly started, its dozens of ribbons undulating, propelling it toward the struggling beast in the void.
The bow of the flagship gradually opened, revealing a massive cannon barrel. Several dozen demon gunners had already loaded a terrifying bolt, a meter in diameter and over ten meters long, and completed the firing preparations. The gigantic winch began to turn, pulling the cannon barrel up, aiming it at the Einherjar.
This was Lin Jiar’s ultimate weapon. The main cannon’s power was so great that it nearly exceeded the flagship’s capacity. A single shot could severely damage even a duke-class ship. Below an imperial battleship, a single hit would cause severe damage, and a destroyer could be sunk outright.
In terms of firepower, Lin Jiar’s flagship surpassed even a duke-class, rivaling a grand duke. In terms of overall combat capability, it was a duke-class flagship.
A ship like this consumed an enormous amount of resources. A typical archduke would need to accumulate for a century or more to build an initial flagship, and the subsequent upgrades were endless, often requiring a lifetime to complete. Even if a strong practitioner advanced to archduke, their wealth would not suffice to build a duke-class flagship, let alone afford a dragon bone.
If Lin Jiar did not come from the prestigious Meisfield family, with support from the clan, it would be impossible to construct such a ship. Just the cost of the main cannon alone was equivalent to a basic duke-class flagship.
Even with the family’s support, Lin Jiar took decades to upgrade her flagship to this level.
As the main cannon’s charging neared completion, a fanatical expression spread across Lin Jiar’s face. Each roar of the main cannon was a pleasure for her, and its near-omnipotent power deeply intoxicated her.
The Einherjar, too large and slow, was the perfect target. Lin Jiar, not eager to destroy the enemy, boldly ordered the flagship to approach, aiming to maximize the main cannon’s power.
At this distance, Lin Jiar saw Qian Ye standing atop the ground insect’s head. She felt slightly surprised, while her subordinates were openly shocked, murmuring, “Such a massive ship, driven by one person? How is that possible?”
Lin Jiar hesitated, knowing that controlling such a ship alone was unheard of. Without a doubt, Qian Ye harbored a significant secret, and capturing him might reveal the secrets of this strange beast-ship hybrid.
However, capturing Qian Ye was not easy. Though the Einherjar seemed helpless, Lin Jiar knew the damage inflicted by the demon warships was minimal. Moreover, the Einherjar was mysterious and might possess special abilities.
Lin Jiar, ruthless, made her decision, and sternly commanded, “Aim at the bow, fire!”
The order sent a ripple through the command cabin, with many feeling regret. In their view, Qian Ye had no choice but to surrender, and the main cannon’s blast might destroy half the ground insect’s skull. Such void beast remains were immensely valuable.
Yet Lin Jiar’s unease intensified, and she shouted, “Fire!”
No one dared to disobey. The gunner stepped on the switch, and the main cannon’s origin force arrays lit up. The massive bolt, glowing blue, fired with a roar, heading straight for the ground insect’s head.
In the instant the main cannon roared, Lin Jiar’s unease reached its peak.
The potent bolt pierced the void, shooting toward the distant expanse. But the Einherjar, which should have been the target, vanished just as the bolt struck.
“Evade!!” Lin Jiar shouted as the Einherjar disappeared.
Her subordinates, however, were still clueless, and her flagship was unable to react instantly.
The Einherjar appeared beneath the flagship, diving like a dragon plunging into the sea, its massive body passing underneath. In that moment, the ground insect seemed to come alive, regaining its spirit.
But for the demons, it was a lethal counterattack. The dozens of spines on the ground insect’s back, previously used as sail masts, now brutally pierced the belly of Lin Jiar’s flagship, slicing it open like sharp blades.
In that instant, the Einherjar demonstrated the dominance of the void beast. The collision ended with the ground insect’s bones victorious.
In a blink, the Einherjar passed under Lin Jiar’s flagship, slicing the belly with its spines, creating a gaping wound that extended beyond the midline, almost severing the ship in half.
Under Qian Ye’s control, the Einherjar arched its body like a true ground insect, then its tail lashed out!
With a boom, the tail struck the flagship, causing large sections of the hull to collapse. The true fatal blow, however, was that the severed belly meant the dragon bone was broken. The upper half of the ship could no longer withstand such force. The flagship tumbled away, accompanied by the despairing sound of the hull breaking.
“No!!!” Lin Jiar’s scream echoed through the void, filled with pain and despair.
But her painstakingly built flagship, defying fate, was torn in two amid the thunderous roar in the void.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage