Chapter 539: Red Ru Beast
The battle between the Half-Saint-level warship and the Half-Saint corpse raged on continuously, lasting roughly two hours.
Under the attacks of the Half-Saint-level warship, the Half-Saint corpse suffered severe damage.
Its corpse body was battered and broken by the Fire Dragon Formation and the Earth Martial Saint Light Cannon, riddled with cracks, on the verge of shattering into pieces at any moment.
"Croak!"
The Half-Saint corpse let out a strange cry. Suddenly, it dove into the water, reaching the bottom of the Half-Saint-level warship.
The Half-Saint light within the corpse rapidly absorbed the world's spiritual energy, draining the spiritual energy within a hundred-mile radius and converting it into a surge of saintly power. It actually began to slowly lift the Half-Saint-level warship.
The Ruins Realm warriors on the ship felt their bodies rising, floating toward the sky, getting closer and closer to the clouds.
A female Ruins Realm warrior, her face pale and legs trembling, said in terror, "What... what's happening..."
The Half-Saint-level warship could indeed fly using formations, but everyone knew that this particular warship had already consumed a large amount of spirit crystals. Where would there be any leftover spiritual energy to power the flight formation?
It had to be an external force lifting the ship.
"Chi!"
Zhang Ruochen immediately summoned the Abyssal Ancient Sword, gripping the hilt with one hand and stabbing it into the iron armor plating, sinking the tip half a foot deep.
He steadied himself by holding onto the sword hilt.
At the bottom of the warship, the Half-Saint corpse used its arms to exert force, hurling the Half-Saint-level warship away.
The Half-Saint-level warship tumbled rapidly through the air, crashing with a thunderous roar into a rocky island. It rolled over once more before plunging into the sea.
"Gurgle!"
The Half-Saint-level warship sank deeper and deeper as seawater surged in, pressing against the light barrier formed by the ship-protecting formation.
In the third-level cabin, a formation master with a wrinkled face immediately sent a message to Situ Fenglan, saying, "Lord Situ, the first ship-protecting formation has been shattered by the Half-Saint corpse. The second ship-protecting formation has also suffered severe damage. What should we do now?"
Situ Fengli's face was cold and stern, but he remained composed despite the crisis. He said, "That Half-Saint corpse has also been gravely wounded. Pour all the remaining spirit crystals into the Earth Martial Saint Light Cannon and fight it to the finish."
The Earth Martial Saint Light Cannon was an offensive war artifact forged by the Divine Works Ministry. By feeding light-attributed spirit crystals into it, it could unleash attacks comparable to the Half-Saint level.
Of course, such a forbidden artifact could only be used on the Ruins Realm battlefield, specifically to deal with powerful indigenous beings of the Ruins Realm.
"Croak!"
The Half-Saint corpse, wrapped in a cloud of blood energy, charged into the water.
Its face was ferocious, and its bony hands struck out, attacking the Half-Saint-level warship once more, aiming to break through the second ship-protecting formation.
At that moment, the Earth Martial Saint Light Cannon had already gathered enough power, firing a bright pillar of light toward the Half-Saint corpse.
"Boom!"
The two powerful forces collided head-on.
The Half-Saint corpse was pierced through by the pillar of light, its body shattering instantly. With a "bang," chunks of rotting flesh and bones flew out, turning into dust.
At the same time, the warship's second ship-protecting formation was also shattered by the Half-Saint corpse's final strike.
Although the formation had absorbed most of the force before breaking, even a mere residual wave of a Half-Saint-level attack was terrifying, far beyond what ordinary Ruins Realm warriors could withstand.
"Pfft!"
"Pfft!"
...
A large number of Heavenly Extreme Realm Ruins Realm warriors couldn't withstand the destructive attack. Their bodies shattered, blood gushing out like a fountain, mixing with the seawater flooding into the ship.
In moments, the entire sea area turned red, emitting a thick, bloody stench.
With just one strike, more than half of the Ruins Realm warriors had died, their bodies sinking to the seabed. It was a scene of utter tragedy.
Of course, many survived, swimming to the surface.
Their hearts still pounded wildly, faces pale, backs chilled, gasping for breath, feeling as if they had narrowly escaped death.
The Half-Saint corpse's strike had also shattered the Half-Saint-level warship.
The iron hull sank to the seabed, while fragments of the wooden structure floated up, drifting on the surface.
Zhang Ruochen burst out of the water, landing on a large piece of ship debris over thirty meters long. He stood upright, looking quite composed.
His body remained clean and dry, not a drop of water clinging to him.
Soon after, Huang Yanchen, Ao Xinyan, and Orange Moon Star Envoy emerged from the water, landing behind Zhang Ruochen.
Ao Xinyan's face was pale as she said, "Seeing a Half-Saint-level attack makes me realize how insignificant my current cultivation is."
Orange Moon Star Envoy sneered coldly, "Without becoming a saint, you're nothing but an ant."
Huang Yanchen, still shaken, said, "Thankfully, the Half-Saint-level warship's final strike killed the Half-Saint corpse. Otherwise, all of us might have died here."
Ao Xinyan frowned and said, "I wonder what dangers lie ahead. Without the protection of the Half-Saint-level warship, we definitely can't reach the Blood Spring Trench. I think we should return to Divine Turtle Island."
It wasn't just Ao Xinyan who felt this way. After surviving the ordeal, a large portion of the remaining Ruins Realm warriors were terrified by the dangers of this sea area. They no longer dared to go forward and only wanted to return to Divine Turtle Island.
The Black Tortoise inheritance, though rare and hard to come by, wasn't worth more than their lives.
Zhang Ruochen's ears twitched as he gazed across the misty sea, saying solemnly, "Turning back might not be easy either. I think I hear something swimming toward us."
"Something's definitely off. The sea temperature seems to be rising."
Huang Yanchen stared at the water surface, beginning to channel her true qi, releasing her protective celestial armor, and staying cautiously on guard.
The seawater grew hotter and hotter, with wisps of white steam rising.
"Gurgle!"
In the next moment, the sea water completely boiled, bubbling up.
A red shadow swiftly swam through the water. Suddenly, with a splash, a strange fish over ten meters long burst out of the surface, revealing two rows of sharp teeth, and lunged at a Ruins Realm warrior standing on a piece of ship debris.
The strange fish had bright red scales, a massive head, and teeth as sharp as swords.
On its back grew a pair of long wings, each feather like a ball of flame, emitting heat capable of melting steel.
It was part fish, part bird, part beast.
Because of its flaming wings, it boiled the seawater as it swam.
Seeing the massive mouth of the red strange fish, the five Ruins Realm warriors on the debris immediately drew their True Martial Treasures. Some used war swords, others heavy blades, attacking continuously.
But the strange fish's defense was astonishing. Even an eighth-rank True Martial Treasure couldn't pierce its scales when striking its body.
One of its flaming wings swept past a Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position warrior, scattering sparks that landed on him.
"Chi chi!"
That warrior's body immediately caught fire, and he let out a miserable scream.
In moments, his body turned into a pile of black ash, and even his sixth-rank True Martial Treasure-grade armor melted into molten iron.
Except for the eighth-rank True Martial Treasure-grade war sword, a Heavenly Extreme Realm warrior had died, leaving not even a bone behind.
"This... is this a monster?"
"Everyone run! If its flames touch you, even True Martial Treasures will melt..."
...
The other four warriors tried to flee, but the strange fish was incredibly fast, flying low and catching up to them in an instant.
Even from thirty meters away, their armor was glowing red from the heat, becoming scorching hot.
They were doomed.
Just as the four warriors thought they were done for, a sword light flew over their heads.
"Pfft!"
The sword light arced through the void, releasing sharp sword qi, and struck the strange fish's neck, tearing open a foot-long gash.
The strange fish let out a pained cry, its huge eyes turning toward Zhang Ruochen, who was controlling the flying sword.
A mere human dared to wound it?
Enraged, the strange fish ignored the four warriors, flapped its flaming wings, and flew toward Zhang Ruochen.
"The Abyssal Ancient Sword couldn't sever its neck in one strike. Its defense surpasses that of the Red Cloud Python Dragon."
Zhang Ruochen stood upright on the ship debris, one hand behind his back, the other forming a sword seal. From a distance, he manipulated the Abyssal Ancient Sword, driving it down into the strange fish's wound.
No matter how strong the strange fish's defense, it couldn't withstand the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
"Splash!"
The Abyssal Ancient Sword pierced into the strange fish's body, severing the main artery in its neck. Then, it flew back, dripping with blood, and hovered above Zhang Ruochen's head.
The strange fish fell onto the water, letting out "croaking" sounds, struggling for a moment before its wings' flames went out, and it died completely.
The four warriors looked at the floating corpse of the strange fish, then at Zhang Ruochen standing nearby. Only after confirming the fish was dead did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Young Master Zhang."
The four warriors quickly bowed to Zhang Ruochen in gratitude.
They were deeply moved. All of them were at the Heavenly Extreme Realm, yet Zhang Ruochen was far stronger. With just two effortless sword strikes, he had killed the strange fish. The top spot on the Heavenly Ranking was truly well-deserved.
Zhang Ruochen merely nodded slightly. Then, he harnessed the wind on the sea surface, floating lightly into the air, and landed beside the strange fish's corpse, his feet settling on the water.
Ripples spread outward from where he stood.
Zhang Ruochen examined the strange fish's corpse carefully, muttering to himself, "So it's indeed a Red Ru Beast."