A Resounding Victory in an Encounter Battle

According to the plan, the White Triangle should now turn left quickly to delay the Saint Rank Demon Swordsman's pursuit. However, Su Ming discovered that after Yexiya took off, he was unable to simultaneously intercept the shells.

"Beianqi, keep firing at full speed!" Su Ming ordered.

The White Triangle maintained its speed and course, and the MK71's firing charge remained unchanged. The cannons fired at full speed in rapid succession, Yexiya tried her best to intercept, but one shot still missed.

The high-explosive bomb hit the hull of the transport ship and exploded inside, causing the entire ship to shake violently. With just one shot, the wooden boat was almost completely destroyed, its sails askew, and it was paralyzed by the wind and waves.

The White Triangle then quickly turned left and sped away! Because Ice Beauty was clearly furious, her speed against the wind increased to 50.

Festival!

Even with the steam engine running at full speed, turning and accelerating still took time, and Yexiya caught up with the White Triangle after seven minutes. Even without deliberately using detection magic, the three of them could tell that the Saint Rank magic swordsman was not in good condition and his aura was extremely unstable.

This time, Ice Beauty wasn't wearing a cloak or the long dress she wore last time. Instead, she was wearing a set of dull-looking armor. Her face was sickly pale, and there were even black marks on her forehead, which were covered by her bangs.

His face was no longer as composed as when they first met; it was now filled with anger.

Zijin was already waiting on the bridge, and Beianqi stood with her mecha on the flight deck.

Su Ming shut down the White Triangle's engine, and the ship's speed decreased rapidly. At this point, there was no need to speed up anymore; fighting against the wind would have a much greater impact on their side than on Yexiya. In the engine room, the zombies sprang into action, securing the moving parts of the equipment to prevent damage in the event of a potential impact.

Real-world experience is always the best teacher.

Without giving Yexiya any time to rest, Zijin, wielding the Divine Favor Scepter and imbued with the Light of Judgment, charged forward to meet the attack. Ice Beauty's attack range was too great; it was better to stretch the battle line outwards and let the enemy cut the sea surface than to cut the White Bone Fortress.

The metal bracelet on Beianqi's wrist lit up, and three mechs took off from the deck, following Zijin. The remaining one also stood up and raised its cannon.

Su Ming dragged the huge gun case and walked behind her.

The ranged puppet Pea launched the first attack, firing over a dozen expensive miniature rune cannons that flew in strings towards Yexiya. The latter waved her hand, raising several diamond-shaped shields beside her, and drew a pair of longswords to meet Zijin.

The rune projectiles were deflected and scattered by the diamond-shaped shield, failing to harm the opponent at all, so Beianqi simply stopped firing.

[It's Refraction Shield.] The three established a wind communication connection, Zijin Path, [It can deflect all ranged attacks.]

In the last battle, Yexiya suffered a great loss at range, and the scholar's inexplicable lock-on ability rendered her evasion ineffective. This time, she has indeed adjusted her defensive system.

[She's wearing Saint Remains Scale Armor, which has very strong defense.] Beianqi also reported her observations.

"Little Saintess, why aren't you using your six-pointed star?" Yexiya immediately unleashed a full-force strike. The Zijin was cleaved in two.

She used her strength field to steady herself and stopped a short distance away.

"It costs magic crystals, I can't bear to part with them," Zijin replied. "Why is Ice Beauty wearing armor today instead of a dress to show off?"

The three mechs had already approached, and Yexiya darted into them, expanding her Frost Zero Domain and rapidly filling the battlefield with chilling energy. Zijin followed closely behind, her entire body enveloped in earthy-yellow elemental light, counteracting the domain's encroachment.

The first to arrive was the defensive mech Walnut, whose shield was pierced by the Saint Magic Swordsman Swordsman's slash, allowing the power of frost to penetrate it.

Although Walnut slowed down, it was not frozen. It raised its other shield and blocked Yexiya's second strike.

"We changed the antifreeze during the last maintenance," Beianqi said. "[It worked!]"

Having gathered the necessary information, Yexiya adopted a defensive system that strengthened its defenses and deflected long-range attacks, resulting in a slight decrease in mobility. However, this was compensated for by employing close-range, rapid-fire combat techniques.

Our methods targeting the Frost Zero Domain are equally effective!

[Plan B!] Su Ming made his decision.

On the flight deck, the mechanic focused his mind and piloted the Mantis to begin the attack. In the sky, a cyan mecha wielded twin blades...

He swiftly slashed at Yexiya.

Suddenly, a wave crashed up near Beianqi, and a large fish leaped out of the water, spitting out the person it had been carrying. The newcomer drew a curved blade and slashed at the spirit mechanic girl.

"Naga Clan!" Su Ming was taken aback and quickly erected a bone shield on the deck, intercepting the opponent's attack.

The bone shield shattered under the slash of the scimitar, sending bone fragments flying. The attacker was no pushover!

[I'll stop him, you guys continue!] Su Ming swung his long whip, instantly entangling the opponent and forcibly pulling the Naga warrior away from Beianqi.

The sonar had initially spotted the target, but it's normal to find fish in the sea; Su Ming hadn't expected the fish to suddenly become the enemy!

He knew he had to get an ultrasonic fish repeller! He made a mental note of it; any fish that still dared to approach after that was definitely suspicious!

After realizing they could no longer attack Beianqi, the Naga warriors pounced on Su Ming without hesitation.

This is a half-humanoid creature with blue fur, scales around its eyes, gills around its mouth, ears pressed against the back of its head, and a curved snake tail as its lower body. Its clothes resemble tangled seaweed, covering its vital areas, its upper body is covered in scales, and it has a jade that can be unfolded in its hands.

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Ming drew his double-barreled shotgun and fired in rapid succession. The opponent's twin blades crossed, creating a shield that blocked the first three shots, but the defense was breached. The fourth shot struck him directly in the head, shattering his armor.

"They're really tough!" Su Ming complained somewhat about the enemy's strength.

Several new columns of water rose behind Su Ming, and more Naga warriors leaped up. There was more than one "big fish," Su Ming realized.

On the other side of the battlefield, Yexiya unleashed a powerful attack, shattering the Walnut puppet that was entangled with her mid-air. She had originally intended to cause trouble for Zijin, who had been holding the Divine Favor Scepter and charging up her power since earlier, clearly preparing for her ultimate move.

But the Mantis came closer, and the Saint Magic Swordsman clashed swords against swords, shattering her opponent's weapons as usual. She then left an X-shaped wound on the Mantis puppet, using the force to propel it towards Zijin.

The third mecha Tarantula, which had been following the Mantis, suddenly swerved sideways and rammed into the Mantis, kicking it back. The Mantis, which had been flying backward, used the momentum to turn around and attack Yexiya again. It discarded the broken sword and drew out the remaining two spare swords.

At the same time, the Zijin Staff, having completed its charging, emitted a dazzling light and pounced forward, trapping Yexiya in a pincer attack.

On the White Triangle, Su Ming emptied his shotgun of the remaining eight bullets and killed two more Naga warriors.

He threw his gun on the ground, and a wall of bones rose up, separating the remaining three enemies, while he himself surrounded one of them.

Su Ming rushed towards the opponent, but was suddenly knocked down by a tremendous force from the side. It was a fish that had jumped up with the enemy. Su Ming thought it was just an ordinary big fish like before, but he didn't realize that this one was actually a fish beast!

The fish-beast stretched out its four arms and legs and bit down on Su Ming's shoulder. The shoulder bone shattered, and its teeth were deeply embedded, almost biting off his left arm!

Su Ming endured the excruciating pain, collapsed to the ground, and unleashed Silent Vision!

As the energy flowed, Su Ming saw through the weaknesses of the fish beast and the Naga warrior. He restored the flow of time, and a magical spike emerged from the tip of his right finger, piercing the fish beast's vulnerable gills and into its brain.

The fish-beast went still, its massive jaws loosening. It quickly rolled to the right, dodging the Naga warrior's attack. But the Naga warrior suddenly ran to the side to look at Anzio's gun case, smashing it to pieces with a powerful blow.

It seems that even with enhanced ranged defenses, Yexiya is extremely wary of this ferocious weapon that has inflicted so much damage on her.

They even ordered the Naga warriors to prioritize its destruction.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, Su Ming half-stood up, swung his right hand, Thorn Long Whip flashed out a zigzag line, piercing through the gap in the Naga warrior's chest armor, bypassing the ribs, and going straight for the heart.

The enemy immediately collapsed on the deck.

This tactical combination doesn't consume much Magic Power, but it takes a huge toll on one's mind and concentration, leaving Su Ming somewhat dazed.

The bone wall shattered, and two Naga warriors rushed over, supporting their swaying companion as he tried to get up. Together, they faced Su Ming, who was covered in blood and paralyzed in his left arm.

****

In the sky, Yexiya chose to deal with the Mantis first.

The weapon in Zijin's hand was, after all, a god-level weapon, impossible to cut, and had an annoying locking mechanism. She moved sideways to the outside, then spun around and slashed at the Mantis. She was confident that she could break the Mantis with two consecutive slashes, then pass through it herself, using the Mantis's remains to block Zijin's attack.

The runes added by the scholar to the Mantis's body suddenly lit up. The Magic Power attached to the dull blade abruptly materialized.

The four swords clashed, producing two sharp cracking sounds. Yexiya's expression changed drastically; it was her sword that had broken!

The mecha's weapons only suffered extensive damage, but they didn't break!

Relying on Saint Rank weapons and her own Saint Rank Magic Power, Yexiya has always been the one destroying enemy weapons in battle. How could it be the other way around?

In that critical moment, Yexiya disregarded the consequences and unleashed the full power of her Magic Power. Substantial elemental ripples spread out, and the Ice Beauty's long hair fluttered, revealing the gruesome scar on her cheek left by a cannonball. Her left and right hands were imbued with black and blue light, respectively, as she simultaneously grasped the Mantis's twin blades.

Powerful and solidified Magic Power spread along the blade, and the dark light on the left and the blue light on the right converged on the puppet, creating a strong impact. The puppet's body shattered with a crack.

"Ice and Darkness Dual Erosion!"

"Mental Impact!"

On the deck of the White Triangle, Beianqi, who was controlling the robot, groaned and knelt down. She had forcefully endured Ice Beauty's mental attack and stubbornly refused to disconnect from the control!

The Mantis's body exploded repeatedly as Beianqi forced it to draw its sword. Yexiya felt her hands slip, and both hands lost control. The puppet used its last strength to sweep the twin swords in a cross motion, breaking apart in mid-air.

The blade shattered completely, but the hard, Saint Remains Scale Armor on Yexiya's body were also torn apart with a sharp sizzling sound, leaving deep wounds on both sides of her waist.

Having dealt a heavy blow to her formidable enemy, Beianqi could no longer hold on, spitting out a mouthful of blood and collapsing unconscious on the deck.

"What an outrageous weapon!" Yexiya exclaimed in horror.

Her previous abdominal injury hadn't healed at all, and the blow felt like her body was being torn apart. In excruciating pain, she stopped flying backward and barely regained control of her body.

But Zijin had already approached from behind. Yexiya tried to dodge, but the scholar used his force field to change direction and relentlessly followed. The staff pierced through the gap in Yexiya's left waist armor, and then powerful Magic Power poured out from the staff.

"Radiant Punishment - Judgment!"

A white light enveloped Ice Beauty, and lightning bolts, like beams of light, lashed her back and forth, stirring up large amounts of magical dust and fragments of flesh and blood.

With her other hand, Zijin pulled the Staff of the End from her hair, revealing its original form. According to the plan, Su Ming's cooperation was needed next to fully mobilize the power of the White Bone Fortress for a decisive blow.

But Su Ming was clearly entangled.

Zijin decides to overload her soul, simultaneously activating both her Bone Dragon Form and Ailisha forms, to deliver the final blow independently!

Even if it means falling into a deep sleep for a period of time, she will replace Yexiya! She believes that Su Ming will find a way to take good care of himself.

****

To Zijin's surprise, Yexiya, who was attacked, did not react at all, and then her life force began to dissipate.

This is!?

A Saint Rank being was killed just like that? Zijin couldn't believe it.

But upon reflection, Yexiya was clearly still recovering from her serious injuries, having inflicted such severe damage on the opponent in the last battle. Moreover, the White Triangle's blitzkrieg attack caught her completely off guard.

In this battle, it can only be said that Su Ming and his group had the upper hand.

But then again, aren't Divine Favor weapons supposed to be non-lethal?

Various thoughts raced through Zijin's mind. "Su Ming!" She quickly turned around to observe the battle situation on the White Triangle.

During the previous entanglement, the distance between them and the White Triangle had increased, forcing Zijin to activate her Eagle Eye. The battle on the deck had come to an end; of the two Naga warriors, one was pierced by his companion whom he had helped up, and the other was killed by Su Ming in shock.

This was the first time Su Ming had turned an enemy into a zombie and used it to launch a sneak attack.

Su Ming was badly injured, half of his body covered in blood. But it was not over yet. He stood on the foredeck, pointing to the sky above the sea, doing his best to gather Magic Power.

There are enemies, and they're very strong!

Zijin's eyes instantly lost their luster, and her power dissipated. In her Ailisha form, she fell from the sky, splashing water onto the sea.

Su Ming was facing a High Rank orc mage who arrived late. The other party had taken a very long time to fly over from the cargo ship.

At the maximum range, without hesitation, he unleashed a Meteor Fire Rain, intending to take down Su Ming, Beianqi, and the ranged puppet Pea.

Su Ming's new attack technique was not yet fully mastered, and the significant blood loss left him disoriented, but the familiar Mind Synchronization, "[No need, I'm here!]," instantly put his mind at ease. A wave of Su Ming washed over him...

He fell onto the board.

The deck in front of Su Ming cracked open, and a huge bone dragon rushed out from the bottom of the cabin, spun around, spread its wings, and blocked the Meteor Fire Rain that was falling.

Amidst the splashing flames, the Bone Dragon Soul Fire ignited, the massive skull head opened, and dark energy rays shot out, piercing through the enemy mid-air.

Several figures flew in from behind the High Rank mage. Upon seeing this, they hurriedly stopped and turned to flee.

Zijin wanted to give chase, but Ailisha was still in her original form and submerged in the sea. She landed back on the deck, solidified her bone dragon form, and then quickly switched back.

The fleeing enemy stared at the sinister, bony dragon-like shape of the White Triangle ship, showing no intention of turning back. The cargo ship, hit by the cannon fire, was beyond saving; they could only pray that they could survive this marathon flight and return alive to Water Chestnut Island.

A moment later, Ailisha took flight from the sea. She landed on the deck of the White Triangle and coughed up a large puddle of seawater.

She coughed for a while before stopping, and when she looked around, she saw that her two companions had fainted on the deck, without a sound.

"It's my turn to clean up the mess again!" Zijin complained discontentedly.