Chapter 728: A World-Shaking Plot

Chapter 728: A World-Shaking Plot

After the arrival of five Annihilator Ships, the six Captains did not engage in much conversation. They merely nodded to one another in the newly established communications group.

The challenge they faced was a Ninth-Rank Serpent Demon with the combat power of a Ninth-Rank Limit. Even though they were among the most powerful Annihilator Ship captains from several major empires, the pressure they felt was immense, leaving no room for idle chatter.

They quickly discussed and established their respective combat roles.

After a brief introduction of their respective ships, the Captain of the Shenxia Empire said:

"Let's do it this way. The Skygale of Tianxu, the Xian Qin Xiaolong, and my Eighth-Rank Star Emperor Crocodile with its frenzy ability will handle close combat and keep the Ninth-Rank Serpent Demon occupied. The Goddess of Light, the Eternal Crimson Dragon, and I will focus on firepower, while the Zhou Tian Beidou will handle outer control."

"Agreed!"

"Sounds good!"

The six Captains were all in quick agreement, finding the plan reasonable.

The six Annihilator Ships then split into three groups.

The Skygale of Tianxu and the Xian Qin Xiaolong led the charge, along with the Star Emperor Crocodile, which had already reached a near-Ninth-Rank combat power in its frenzied state. They all charged straight toward the Ninth-Rank Serpent Demon.

The Goddess of Light, the Eternal Crimson Dragon, and the Zhou Tian Beidou hovered just below the shield fissure of the Demon God Floating Continent, their bows converging to form various colored energy spheres, preparing to charge their ship cannons.

The Zhou Tian Beidou patrolled the outer perimeter, constantly restraining the Ninth-Rank Serpent Demon.

The Zhou Tian Beidou was equipped with a mythic component called the Zhou Tian Beidou Star Chain. This component could release numerous star chains infused with the Law of Starlight, which could easily traverse the void, catching enemies off guard.

As soon as the Skygale of Tianxu and the Xian Qin Xiaolong engaged the Ninth-Rank Serpent Demon, several star chains silently emerged from the void, wrapping around two of the Demon's eight arms.

Although only two of the arms were restrained, it significantly limited the Demon's movements.

Seizing this opportunity, the Skygale of Tianxu, the Xian Qin Xiaolong, and the frenzied Star Emperor Crocodile launched their attacks. Their icy high-tier ramming horns and the Crocodile's fangs pierced deep into the Demon's flesh.

The three Annihilator Ships in the rear did not miss this chance either. Three terrifying attacks pierced through the void, striking the Ninth-Rank Serpent Demon with precision.

Hisss!

The Ninth-Rank Serpent Demon's vertical pupils turned even bloodier, and it let out continuous roars, clearly indicating that the damage from the Annihilator Ships was far from trivial.

Seeing this, Song Chi and the other five Captains were not surprised.

Their roles were not assigned arbitrarily but were strictly based on the configurations of their respective Annihilator Ships.

For instance, the two Annihilator Ships responsible for close combat, the Skygale of Tianxu and the Xian Qin Xiaolong, were both equipped with at least one chromatic-grade hull armor or energy shield. The Xian Qin Xiaolong even had both in the lower chromatic quality.

The three Annihilator Ships responsible for long-range support were all equipped with chromatic-grade star cannons.

Swish!

Sensing the difficulty in dealing with the six Annihilator Ships, the Ninth-Rank Serpent Demon's snake-like eyes suddenly shot out a gray ray.

"Be careful, it's a Petrification Ray!" Song Chi warned in the communications group, but it was too late.

The Petrification Ray moved at an extremely fast speed, reaching the Star Emperor Crocodile in the blink of an eye.

Knowing that the two Annihilator Ships had strong energy shields protecting their hulls, the Ninth-Rank Serpent Demon did not target the Skygale of Tianxu or the Xian Qin Xiaolong. Instead, it aimed at the Star Emperor Crocodile.

The Petrification Ray struck the side scales of the Star Emperor Crocodile, and soon, a grayish-white energy began to spread from the point of impact.

Despite the Star Emperor Crocodile's Ninth-Rank energy significantly slowing the spread of the grayish-white energy, its reaction speed noticeably decreased.

The Eight-Armed Serpent Demon wouldn’t let such a good opportunity slip away. The remaining six arms swung out in unison, each wielding a different weapon or attack—swords, spears, and fists. Despite the variety of attacks, the power behind each was nearly identical, all maintained at the Ninth-Rank Limit.

The Star Emperor Crocodile, though not weak, would be severely injured, if not killed, if it were to withstand all six attacks head-on.

Seeing this, Song Chi and the Captain of the Xian Qin Xiaolong made entirely different decisions.

The Xian Qin Xiaolong suddenly transformed into a giant meteor and charged straight at the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon’s main body, aiming to distract and divert its attention.

Meanwhile, Song Chi controlled the Skygale of Tianxu to rush toward the Star Emperor Crocodile. Along the way, four warship projections were summoned around the Skygale of Tianxu.

The "Quadruple Projection" ability of the Shadow Sea Projection Tomb, a black component, summoned four warship projections with considerable combat power. Under Song Chi’s control, these four projections each targeted one of the Serpent Demon’s four arms.

For the remaining two arms, Song Chi activated the Dragon Blood Demon Chain.

The black chains emerged, binding the fifth arm. The last arm was met head-on by the Skygale of Tianxu itself.

Just as the Skygale of Tianxu completed the interception of the six arms, the Xian Qin Xiaolong also reached the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon’s side.

The meteor-covered hull of the Xian Qin Xiaolong slammed into the side of the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon. Despite its massive size, the Serpent Demon was violently thrown backward.

In the initial clash, the six Annihilator Ships seemed to have the upper hand. However, once the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon activated the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison, the tide of battle quickly turned.

The suppression power of the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison, personally summoned by the Ninth-Rank Limit Serpent Demon, was overwhelming. The Skygale of Tianxu and the Xian Qin Xiaolong, being the closest, found even the slightest movement incredibly difficult, as if the surrounding void had been completely locked down.

In the Skygale of Tianxu’s main control room, Song Chi turned his gaze to the right.

There, on the Skygale of Tianxu, was a special golden component.

The level 80 Blood Battle Stele!

This permanent control immunity component now glowed dimly, completely suppressed by the terrifying external force, unable to function at all.

Not just the Blood Battle Stele, but the Realm Confrontation Device on the other side was similarly affected.

Faced with the Ninth-Rank Limit level suppression field, the Realm Confrontation Device could not exert any significant influence, let alone cause the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison to collapse.

Realizing this, Song Chi prepared to activate the Chrono Chessboard.

To break free from the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison, he needed to use a stronger field power from within to tear through its barriers.

The only way he could think of was to use the "Time Chessboard" ability of the Chrono Chessboard.

However, before he could activate it, the Tianxia Nine Cauldrons, located beneath the crack in the Floating Continent’s shield, made its move.

A beam of tricolor light suddenly shot out from the two-thousand-kilometer-long hull. This was not a firing of the multicolored star-destroying cannon, but another multicolored shield-breaking component.

The shield-breaking beam successfully tore a massive rift in the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison’s field.

With the field barrier torn, the suppression inside the prison greatly diminished, reducing the pressure on the Skygale of Tianxu and the other five Annihilator Ships.

Various components, including evasion modules, active engine traits, and acceleration boosters, were quickly activated. The six Annihilator Ships all rushed upward, aiming to escape the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, after such a long preparation, the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon had completed its ultimate attack.

A massive, pitch-black magic blade, over a million kilometers long, coalesced above the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison, radiating mythical power. The black blade, without hesitation, swung down toward the six Annihilator Ships.

A massive spatial rift began at the tip of the magic blade, spreading along its path. In a short time, it had created a vast, dark curtain in the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison, with intense spatial fluctuations mingling with the blackness and silence, as if a devouring abyss had emerged.

Watching the black magic blade descend toward him, Song Chi felt an overwhelming sense of dread. He was certain that this was the most perilous moment since he had awakened his Flame Seed.

A rainbow of light emerged, quickly forming a translucent chessboard in the sky, composed of 36 chess pieces.

Once again, he had used 36 time chess pieces, leaving fewer than 30 remaining on the Chrono Chessboard. This meant that he would have a hard time using it again in the short term.

However, he had no choice. In such a critical moment, he could only activate the Chrono Chessboard to save his life.

The appearance of the translucent chessboard greatly slowed the descent of the giant magic blade above.

Originally, the six of them had planned to use this opportunity to quickly escape the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison and get out of the range of the Eight-Armed Demon God Slash. However, the complete solidification of the surrounding void made their hearts chill.

This was not the same special suppression as before, but a genuine spatial confinement. If his guess was correct, the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon had likely used a special spatial artifact.

...

The Star Sea Market Token!

At one point, Song Chi even considered activating the Star Sea Market Token in his Flame Seed Ancestral Acupoint. Regardless of the consequences, his own safety was the most important thing.

At that moment, a voice reached his ears.

It was from the group chat.

"Look, the Blood Godspawn has finally entered!"

Following their words, Song Chi looked up and was pleasantly surprised to find that what they said was true. With the help of the Asura Emperor and their delay, the Blood Godspawn had finally managed to squeeze into the Demon God Floating Continent.

Swish!

A long rainbow streaked across the sky.

The six of them were still reacting when they suddenly felt the ominous sensation from their warship dissipate.

Only when they scanned their surroundings did they realize that the Eight-Armed Serpent Prison had completely collapsed, and the black magic blade that had been so close to them had vanished entirely.

But that wasn't the most critical part. The key was that the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon, who had been emitting a terrifying aura just a moment ago, was now cut into two parts: one with four neatly severed arms, and the other with only half a body.

Seeing this, the six of them understood immediately. After the Blood Godspawn entered the Demon God Floating Continent, it received a summons from the Shenxia Nine Li. Before flying to the mythic battlefield, Emperor Jiang had casually ordered it to deal with the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon.

Even this casual strike had instantly injured the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon, who possessed Ninth-Rank Limit combat power.

This was the gap between a ninth-rank being and a mythic existence.

"Everyone, what do you think?"

In the group chat, the captain of the Shenxia Empire's Annihilator Ship spoke first.

He ranked eighth on the Flame Seed Annihilation Starship leaderboard, higher than the Xian Qin Xiaolong, so everyone naturally deferred to his authority.

The moment he spoke, Song Chi and the others instantly understood his meaning.

After a moment of hesitation, the six of them exchanged glances and saw the answer in each other's eyes.

"Let's stick to the original plan. If we succeed in killing it, the merit points will be evenly divided among the six of us. As for the Ninth-Rank Sovereign True Spirit and Ninth-Rank Sovereign Origin Blood we extract afterward, we can discuss that later!"

"Attack!"

With that, the six Annihilator Ships and the Star Emperor Crocodile charged at the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon once more. This time, they were joined by the Asura Emperor, who was also in a state of frenzy.

The Asura Emperor, despite the additional growths on its body, still emitted a powerful aura, maintaining its initial Ninth-Rank combat power. With the effects of the Seal of Domination: Frenzy still active, Song Chi had it engage the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon first.

Even with half its body cut off and four arms missing, the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon still had some resistance. When the six of them surrounded it, it continued to fight fiercely.

After all, it was a Ninth Rank Serpent Demon and still had the support of the Floating Continent's primordial will. Despite its severe injuries, each of its attacks still carried a formidable presence.

The Asura Emperor and the Star Emperor Crocodile, the first to approach, were easily repelled. The group even worried about the possibility of an explosion.

If they couldn't completely incapacitate the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon in a short time, and it chose to self-destruct, they would have a hard time stopping it. The explosion of a Ninth-Rank Sovereign would not only threaten their lives but also endanger the mid-to-low-tier Flame-Ember Starships billions of kilometers away.

In the main control room of the Skygale of Tianxu, Song Chi hesitated for a moment before taking the initiative to speak:

"Everyone, I have the confidence to deal a severe blow to this Ninth Rank Serpent Demon, and there's even a chance to directly destroy it. However, as a condition, the drop of Ninth-Rank Sovereign source blood inside it must belong to me. What do you say?"

Upon hearing his words, the group fell into silence, each of the five members hesitant.

Song Chi didn't rush them; he was well aware of the value of a drop of Ninth-Rank Sovereign source blood.

Although he had previously killed the Lord of Truth and obtained a portion of Ninth-Rank Fortunate Holy Blood, the mechanical race, despite their fortune, could never possess a Sovereign's source blood. This was his best opportunity.

A drop of Ninth-Rank Sovereign source blood, if used during the Ascension of an Annihilator Ship, could immediately increase the success rate by 12%. For any Annihilator Ship captain, this was an invaluable treasure.

After a few seconds of contemplation, the five finally nodded one by one.

Even if they were reluctant, they were unwilling to risk their lives.

If the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon chose to self-destruct, even with their formidable survival cards, no one could guarantee they would survive the explosion.

Moreover, even if the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon didn't self-destruct, with six people present, the chances of any one of them obtaining the drop of Ninth-Rank Sovereign source blood were only one in six. Ultimately, their own safety was the most important.

Seeing everyone nod, Song Chi immediately took action.

In the main control room of the warship, 7th Grade Dark Energy circulated within him. Several light-years below, the mirror image warship, which was battling an Eighth-Rank Peak Serpent Demon, seemed to receive a special summons. Without any resistance, the warship's hull transformed into a black beam of light and shot toward the side of the sky.

Using the "Divine Thought Chapter" to remotely summon the mirror image warship, Song Chi then did one thing.

He replicated the "Nine Lives Chessboard" and activated it.

The "Nine Lives Chessboard" was not just a simple resurrection ability; it could also be actively activated to designate the elimination of a specific living being.

At this moment, Song Chi's chosen target was the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon.

He had never before actively activated the "Nine Lives Chessboard" and didn't know how effective its elimination ability was, but now was a good opportunity to find out.

A cold, dark beam of death energy shot out, striking the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon precisely. The already heavily injured Ninth Rank Serpent Demon's body trembled violently and stiffened in mid-air.

Song Chi thought the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon's life force had been completely extinguished, but a few seconds later, it moved again.

Although it appeared unchanged, under the detection of the Eye of Truth, Song Chi could clearly see its detailed status.

Its life value, which had been at 28%, was now reduced to 5%.

Without hesitation, Song Chi activated the Nine Lives Chessboard again.

This time, the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon had no more surprises. Its life force was completely extinguished, and the Blood Chalice on the Skygale of Tianxu successfully collected the second drop of Ninth-Rank Holy Blood.

Glancing at the replicated "Nine Lives Chessboard" on the mirror image warship, he saw that the "Nine Lives Chessboard" ability had only three uses left, but Song Chi was not concerned.

The mirror image warship's ability would reset with each new summoning. As long as the "Nine Lives Chessboard" ability on the Skygale of Tianxu itself remained, it could be used infinitely.

This was the fundamental reason he had used this ability cautiously during the battle.

After discussion, Song Chi used the Hyper Body Contraction Card to store the Ninth Rank Serpent Demon's corpse in the Skygale of Tianxu's hold. He then glanced far into the mythical battlefield.

The Ninth Rank Serpent Demon, though the pinnacle of the Eight-Armed Serpent Demon civilization's military might, was clearly not the decisive factor in the ongoing battle. Over the prolonged conflict, the Tri-Corpse Hyperstate Mech Giant had become riddled with dents and scratches, and the three layers of energy shields enveloping its exterior had already overloaded. Even with the Blood God Anomaly rushing to the scene, the battle was still dominated by the Eight-Armed Demon God.

An abyssal demon god who had ascended to divinity countless ages ago was far too formidable to be countered by the temporary mythic power granted by external forces.

The core of the Eight-Armed Demon God was deep within the bottomless abyss, and what had crossed the vast expanse of the cosmos was merely a single finger—no, with the Blood God Anomaly joining the fray, it had transformed into an entire demon god arm.

If not for this, the Tri-Corpse Hyperstate Mech Giant and the Blood God Anomaly would have been suppressed long ago.

Even so, the fragile equilibrium they had managed to maintain was now on the verge of collapse. Both the Tri-Corpse Hyperstate Mech Giant and the Blood God Anomaly had limited endurance, and if the battle dragged on, the Ember Flame Civilization was bound to be defeated.

Just as the situation seemed dire, a cold rebuke echoed from within the Tri-Corpse Hyperstate Mech Giant, causing a shock among the Ember Captains and the Eight-Armed Serpent Demons on the Floating Continent.

"Still not making a move?"

The shock was not from the words themselves, but from the figure who responded.

Who else could it be but Clam, the strongest warrior of the Eight-Armed Serpent Demon civilization, a Ninth Rank Serpent Demon at the peak of the ninth rank, who, under the enhancement of the Floating Continent's primal will, possessed near-mythic combat power?

Clam, who had been locked in a fierce struggle with a dimensional flagship avatar, suddenly retreated. More surprisingly, the flagship avatar did not pursue, instead turning its course directly toward the mythic battlefield.

Not only Clam, but five other Ninth Rank Serpent Demons also withdrew from the battle one after another.

Seeing this, the Eight-Armed Demon God, who had crossed the vast expanse of the cosmos, sensed something amiss. However, the pride of a demon god prevented it from retreating. Instead, the storm vortex in the sky grew even more turbulent, and soon a second black arm emerged from it.

"Waiting for this moment!"

"Even as a demon god, losing two arms will force you to slumber for over ten thousand years in the Molten Abyss!"

The cold voice echoed again from within the Tri-Corpse Hyperstate Mech Giant, accompanied by a burst of rainbow light.

Chrono Compass · "Spatial Seal"!

A vast amount of spatial energy coalesced into a circular, sealed space above the Floating Continent.

The black storm vortex in the sky suddenly froze, and the two black demon god arms, which had been extending downward, came to a complete halt.

This was not the end. Following the Tri-Corpse Hyperstate Mech Giant, the Eight-Armed Serpent Demons also sprang into action.

Deep within the core of the Demon God Floating Continent, ten primal light orbs continued to shimmer. At this moment, the second-largest light orb, aside from the central one that nearly occupied half of the Floating Continent's core, began to tremble violently.

Order-infused divine chains began to extend from this primal core, and under the unconditional supply of the Demon God Floating Continent, multiple substantial divine chains unleashed their full power.

Deep within the sky of the Floating Continent, four divine chains emerged from the void and tightly wrapped around the two demon god arms before they could break free from the spatial seal.

The combination of the Order Divine Chain and Spatial Seal from the two supreme artifacts finally immobilized the two black giant arms.

The consequences of betraying the Eight-Armed Serpent Demon race are too dire for you to bear!

Bloodline Extraction!

In the bottomless abyss, within the Molten Abyss.

In the vast Molten Abyss world, whether the mountains and earth or the sky and clouds, everything was shrouded in blood and fire, creating a crimson world.

On this day, the sky of the Molten Abyss suddenly became turbulent, with countless volcanoes erupting, spewing lava across the land, and blood clouds gathering in the sky.

This apocalyptic scene enveloped several chaotic domains of the Molten Abyss.

Countless low-ranking chaotic demons were roused, and fear spread throughout the abyss.

All the chaotic demons knew that this was the wrath of the exalted demon gods being unleashed.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end