Chapter 304: Qiong Hai, Prepare For Battle (2)

Just moments ago, a subtle ripple in the spiritual qi had caught Wu Yuan's keen senses, a mere 200 li away. Yet, scanning the skies from his perch on the flying boat, there was nothing to be seen in that direction.

Nevertheless, Wu Yuan remained steadfast in his assessment. The faint tremor in the spiritual qi persisted, refusing to dissipate.

Hm?

Wu Yuan’s Soul Force suddenly detected an extremely faint thread of aura wrapped around the hull of the flying boat. He had no idea how long it had been there.

Had it not been for Wu Yuan's vigilance, prompted by the peculiar fluctuations detected 200 li away, he might have overlooked it altogether, failing to notice the anomaly lurking just under his nose.

A tracking talisman?

Wu Yuan had an inkling.

Unlike the Middle Land, qi refiners in the macrocosm didn't fight via straightforward methods alone. They employed tactics like arrays, talismans, puppets, and many more. There were countless ways to track someone.

Am I being targeted? Is it a robbery? Did I accidentally pass through the territory of raiders who enjoy looting qi refiners?

Wu Yuan quickly hazarded a number of guesses.

"Master, what's the matter?" Sensing that the flying boat had stopped, Qiong Sea King lifted his head, asking in a low voice.

"There's a bit of trouble," Wu Yuan said quietly. "It's fine, let's change direction."

With a thread of essentia combined with Soul Force, Wu Yuan dispelled the tracking arcane art around the hull. At the same time, he altered the purple flying boat’s direction, steering clear of the source of spiritual qi fluctuations.

Wu Yuan's decision was not born out of fear, but rather a desire to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Let's stay clear of needless battles.

Wu Yuan mused inwardly to himself. Those who dared to rob others were typically confident in their abilities.

But just two seconds after changing course, a hint of anger flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes.

From the combination of his Soul Force and comprehension of heaven and earth’s profundities, he could vaguely sense a powerful surge of spiritual qi heading towards him from a distance.

It heralded the arrival of a black flying battleship hurtling towards Wu Yuan’s purple flying boat, no longer concealing its presence.

26 li per second? A sixth-grade flying battleship?

Wu Yuan's eyes were frigid.

These raiders sure are persistent. I can’t shake them off.

A Golden Core cultivator (ninth-degree immortal root) had a normal flying speed of twenty li per second. The approaching battleship was speeding towards them at 120 li per breath, the threshold speed for the Golden Core phase.

"Qiong Sea," Wu Yuan addressed Qiong Sea King.

"Master," Qiong Sea King responded.

"Prepare for battle," Wu Yuan commanded coldly.

...

Inside the swiftly moving black flying boat, four figures stood. Their leader was the burly, black-haired man.

"Big Brother, my tracking arcane art has been dispelled," the silver-robed youth said, surprise evident in his voice.

"It seems this sheep isn't as easy a prey as we thought," murmured a bald headed, black-robed youth.

"Perhaps the boat’s movements were too obvious, allowing them to detect us coming. Or they possess some sort of special artifact," suggested a woman in purple robes, her voice calm and collected. She looked around 30 years old, with a striking appearance.

The group nodded in agreement.

"Fourth Sister, catch up to it and release the puppets,” the black-haired muscular man commanded. “Go test his strength, and work with Third Brother to activate the Ethercrystal Heavenly Thunder Array when the time is right."

"Got it," the woman replied.

"Rest assured, Big Brother. You can leave the array to me," the silver-robed youth said eagerly. "The power of this battleship’s Heavenly Thunder Array rivals that of an attack by a fourth-stage Golden Core cultivator."

"Second Brother, once the puppets have probed his strength, you will protect me and end the battle," the burly man instructed, his voice steady.

The bald youth acknowledged with a nod.

They had fought similar battles together countless times, each playing a crucial role in their coordinated efforts.

Out of the four of them, two were in charge of melee fighting, while the silver-robed youth was an array cultivator who specialized in arrays. The purple-robed woman, whose lifebound artifact was a cauldron, was a true equipment craftswoman who excelled in creating flying boat artifacts and manipulating puppets for battle, scouting, and so on.

Only by working together could the four of them bring out their greatest strength, and by communicating via Soul Force, they were able to react quickly.

Though the black flying boat was 200 li from the purple flying boat, it swiftly closed the gap.

In just eight seconds, the black flying boat reached Wu Yuan.

"Release the puppets!" the burly man ordered without hesitation.

With a mental command from the purple-robed woman, the underside of the black flying boat opened, and four enormous puppets resembling jiaolong were unleashed. Together, they flew forward, heading straight for the purple flying boat beneath them.

The silver-robed eccentric youth sat cross-legged on a huge light sphere, adorned with layers of cryptic patterns on its surface.

Gravity Array!

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Waves of invisible power began radiating from the black flying boat, enveloping a radius of ten li, causing the purple flying boat to slow drastically.

“Roar~” The four jiaolong puppets, each over 60 meters in length, closed in on their target with a speed not at all inferior to ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivators, their roars echoing through the air. They were at least sixth-grade puppets!

The purple flying boat, around 100 meters in length, seemed defenseless as the massive puppets closed in from all directions, ready to strike.

"Scam!" A bellow resounded through the air as an azure jiaolong burst forth from the flying boat, its whiskers swaying as it rapidly grew in size. At the ends of its two forelimbs were a pair of draconic claws that shimmered with a chilling light.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Its claws sliced through the air, striking at a jiaolong puppet swooping in for an attack.

The massive puppet staggered, nearly falling to the ground. Faint cracks appeared on its metallic skull.

"An azure jiaolong spirit beast?”

“At least the ninth-stage Communion phase?”

“It’s using an ether art!" The four individuals within the black flying boat were stunned by this display.

Although these jiaolong puppets were merely ordinary sixth-grade puppets, with a combat power comparable to the sixth-stage Qi Sea phase, their bodies were still very durable.

Yet, one was cracked with just one hit?

The lady in purple robes looked particularly grim. She was controlling the puppets with her Soul Force, thus any damage they took also led to a backlash on her soul.

"Attack!" she commanded, directing the four puppets to surround Qiong Sea King, however, she didn't dare to engage in another head-on clash.

Clang!

The door of the flying boat swung open, and the burly man and bald youth emerged. Battle armor covered their body in an instant, and they left the flying boat in a flash.

"Die!" Qiong Sea King rampaged through the air, his claws whirling and tail lashing, forcing the jiaolong puppets to retreat again and again.

Ether arts are seriously useful!

Qiong Sea King's fighting spirit blazed. This was the first time he was able to thoroughly enjoy the thrill of battle since cultivating an ether art.

Ether art: Mountain Mover. It was an ether art that enhanced the body, empowering the user to unleash inconceivable power from the limbs!

“Star swords.” A figure in black armor dashed out of the flying boat, surrounded by eighteen flying swords orbiting his body. The swords then shot towards Qiong Sea King in a flowing stream of deadly light.

Next to the figure in black armor, a giant in red armor appeared, with numerous sturdy vines extending from his body. The vines spread out, blanketing the entire sky in an attempt to bind Qiong Sea King.

A Golden Core cultivator? A ninth-stage Communion body refiner? That vine must be his lifebound spirit plant.

Qiong Sea King realized, his expression shifting.

Immediately, he called out. "Master, save me!"