Chapter 98: Halt and Submit for Inspection, or We'll Sink You in 3 Seconds!

Chapter 98: Halt and Submit for Inspection, or We'll Sink You in 3 Seconds!

Upon obtaining the Essence of the Swordsman, Lu Heng didn't hesitate and absorbed it directly.

[Obtained the Essence of the "Swordsman", initiating the Essence Battle.]



[Second-tier Essence Fusion Progress: 10%]



[The Essence is in a free state. Upon reaching 100% fusion completion, you will advance to a higher rank.]



[Temporary Essence Ability Obtained: Rift Slash]



[Rift Slash: Unleash the power of the Essence, slashing out a blade of energy capable of tearing through space with unstoppable force.]



After absorbing the Swordsman's Essence, Lu Heng glanced at his data panel and noticed that there was no countdown timer for the Abyssal Battlefield mission.

The absence of a countdown timer indicated that there was no Abyssal Battlefield requiring the acquisition of Essence.

Alternatively, it could be that there were too few mutants who had acquired second-tier Essences, making it impossible to assemble a team to enter the Essence Battlefield.

The lack of a countdown timer was also a blessing, as it provided more time for preparation.

Moreover, Essence Battles were not exclusive to the Abyssal Battlefield.

In fact, Essences could also be obtained on Bluestar.

As long as the acquired Essence reached 100%, it was still possible to complete the Essence Fusion.

Therefore, even when in the main world after initiating the Essence Battle, dangers might still exist.

If one encounters other mutants who have also initiated Essence Battles, it could lead to an endless conflict.

After obtaining the second-tier Essence, Lu Heng's body was enveloped in a halo of light that lingered for a long time, making him appear like a glowing person under the night sky, drawing attention.

Apart from the Swordsman rank, the Bloodline Blade Demon also had a Skill Crystal Core, Blood Absorption Healing.

Additionally...

The Crimson Blood Sword was also a valuable item.

Lu Heng picked it up and examined its attributes.

[Crimson Blood Sword +5]



[Item Grade: B-Rank]



[Specifications: Length 137 cm, Blade Width 4.5 cm, Weight 3.2 kg]



[Attribute: Attack Power 140]



[Effect: Blood Growth]



[Blood Growth: A weapon forged from the blood of the Bloodline Demon clan, possessing the characteristic of blood growth. The more blood it absorbs, the higher the weapon's enhancement level.]



[Evaluation: A weapon crafted from the blood of the Bloodline Demon clan, causing slashing damage and absorbing the target's blood upon attack.]



This sword was much heavier than the Aurora Blade, and its blade was also wider.

Moreover, it had a unique effect of the Bloodline Demon clan weapons, growing stronger by absorbing blood.

The enhancement level of this sword had been raised to level 5 through blood absorption.

Humans who obtain this sword can continue to use it, and the Blood Growth effect remains effective.

However, there was one issue: the sword was nurtured with the blood of the Bloodline Demon clan.

As a result, the sword was filled with the blood of the Bloodline Demons, and if placed in a Tempering Forge, the fire would burn away the blood, causing the Blood Growth effect to be destroyed, and the original level 5 enhancement would be lost.

In simpler terms, the Blood Growth characteristic of Bloodline Demon weapons conflicts with tempering.

In fact...

This method of weapon growth is a unique trait of the Bloodline Demon clan, as they do not temper their weapons, instead creating a separate enhancement system through their racial abilities.

For mutants without access to tempering, obtaining such a weapon is still a good option.

However, Lu Heng himself is a Tempering Master, so he has no need for Blood Growth-type weapons.

Nevertheless, this sword is not entirely useless; after all, it is a B-rank weapon and can be used as a material for forging.

...

Hei Lang lay on the lifeboat, with two bloody holes in his neck.

The holes were bitten by the Bloodline Blade Demon, whose teeth had pierced through his carotid artery, causing blood to gush out of the two holes.

He stared in terror, reaching out to Lu Heng and pleading weakly, "Save... Save me..."

Lu Heng looked at him helplessly, "Being bitten by a Bloodline Demon like this, not even a god can save you."

The Bloodline Demon clan had evolved an anticoagulant toxin in their blood poison to facilitate bloodsucking.

In other words, the blood of creatures bitten by Bloodline Demons loses its clotting function, so even if the wound is stitched up, the bleeding won't stop.

Not to mention, his carotid artery was pierced.

"The only thing I can do is to put you out of your misery," Lu Heng raised his sword, seeking his opinion with his eyes.

"Save... Save me..." Hei Lang now regretted his decision, thinking that if he had agreed earlier, he might not have ended up like this.

He stared with an unyielding gaze, using his last strength to ask, "Did... Did you know from the start?"

"You could say that. People must take responsibility for their decisions. You wanted the Bone Bird, and I let you have it. If you couldn't handle it, it's not my fault," Lu Heng shrugged.

After hearing these words, Hei Lang's right hand fell, his pupils dilated, and the light of life faded from his eyes.

...

"How's it going?" Lin Zeyu's voice came through the communication channel.

"The battle is over. Come and pick me up," Lu Heng said. After the intense battle, he was indeed tired, so he waited on the lifeboat for the Universe Yacht to come and retrieve him.

The Universe Yacht started its engine and sailed towards Lu Heng.

Since the battle had ended, Su Muyu no longer maintained her invisibility.

After all, using an Invisible Veil to cover such a large ship consumed a significant amount of Source Energy.

After such a long battle, her Source Energy was almost depleted.

The Universe Yacht slowly navigated towards the shipwreck, and the people on board waved at Lu Heng, their faces filled with excitement.

Lu Heng was about to jump onto the boat when a powerful searchlight beam shot out from the distance, nearly blinding him.

Lu Heng shielded his eyes with his hand, barely able to make out a massive shadow on the sea's surface.

"What's that?"

The searchlight was incredibly powerful, causing everyone on the boat to squint, unable to see clearly what it was. Tensions rose among the group.

Su Muyu, who had a keen eye, observed the source of the searchlight and replied, "It's a large ship, probably a battleship with cannons on its deck. They're heading towards us at high speed."

The suddenly appearing vessel was 45 meters long and was indeed a patrol boat with an anti-aircraft gun on its bow.

Such ships were typically used for maritime patrols, and its sudden appearance here was puzzling.

As they were in international waters, the encountered vessel wasn't necessarily a Xia Country ship.

Previously, while searching for the Bonebird, the Universe Yacht had sailed south, encountering other countries' vessels on the open sea, including cargo ships and armed ships hunting for the Bonebird.

Now, the sudden appearance of a large ship using a high-powered searchlight was considered impolite.

"What flag are they flying?" Lu Heng asked.

Typically, ships in international waters display flags to identify their nationality.

"The flag... I think it's the Javanese flag," Su Muyu recognized the flag, but with so many countries in the world and many similar flags, she couldn't be sure.

Just as everyone was puzzled, the Javanese patrol boat began using a loudspeaker to communicate in English, "Attention, the ship ahead, stop for inspection. You have entered Javanese territorial waters. Stop for inspection."

Lu Heng frowned, not expecting to encounter a foreign vessel.

At this moment, stopping to let them board for inspection could lead to unforeseen consequences.

Lu Heng jumped onto the Universe Yacht and ordered, "Change course, let's go, ignore them."

The Universe Yacht changed direction and sped away at full throttle.

Su Muyu checked the yacht's satellite positioning and said, "We are indeed closer to Java, but we're definitely not in their territorial waters. We're still in international waters."

Seeing the Universe Yacht change course and leave, the Javanese patrol boat also accelerated, chasing after them while continuing to use the loudspeaker, "Stop for inspection, or we'll open fire."

The Universe Yacht was just a yacht, and although its hull was reinforced with armor, it was no match for a patrol boat.

The anti-aircraft gun on the Javanese patrol boat, though not particularly large in caliber, was more than enough to sink a yacht with a single sweep.

"What should we do?" Everyone on board grew tense.

If the other side opened fire, the situation would escalate.

Lu Heng asked, "Do we have a national flag on board? Let's hoist our flag."

"Yes, I'll go and raise it," Wang Xiangfeng hurried to hoist the flag.

"Also, check the surveillance equipment and transmit the footage via satellite signal," Lin Zeyu added.

A red flag slowly rose on the Universe Yacht's mast, fluttering in the wind.

After hoisting the flag, the other ship should have backed off if they had any sense.

However, unexpectedly, the Javanese vessel showed no signs of retreating and continued the pursuit, switching the language on the loudspeaker to a bilingual announcement, first in English and then in the Xia Country's language.

Seeing that they were still pursuing despite the flag, something seemed amiss.

Lu Heng narrowed his eyes, staring at the pursuing Javanese patrol boat in confusion, "Are they that bold?"

"I'll send the Scout Eagle to check the situation."

Su Muyu released the Scout Eagle, which turned invisible and flew towards the Javanese patrol boat. There, she overheard a dangerous conversation.

She leaned towards Lu Heng and whispered, "On the patrol boat, someone is speaking to the captain in English. They want the Bonebird's spoils, and they've noticed the divine essence aura on you, planning to take you down."

Lu Heng's eyes flashed with cold determination upon hearing this.

Just then, the patrol boat fired a shot, not directly at the Universe Yacht but at its hull.

Bang!

After the shot, the loudspeaker continued, "Three-second countdown. If you don't stop, we'll sink you!"

Lu Heng's eyes gleamed with determination as he commanded, "Activate invisibility, change course, everyone, prepare for combat."

With that, Lu Heng leaped into the air and shouted, "Scout Eagle!"

The Scout Eagle flew out, catching Lu Heng in mid-air and soaring upwards.

Lu Heng, gripping the eagle's claws, rose to a height of fifty meters, hovering above the Javanese vessel. He released the claws, descended, drew the Aurora Blade, unleashed his divine essence energy, and executed the Rift Slash.

The Rift Slash's sword light descended from above, cleaving the Javanese vessel's hull.

The sword beam split the deck, severed the keel, and tore through the ship.

Boom!

The Javanese vessel nearly broke in half, and the half-broken side of the hull, under the strain of the ship's rupture, began to crack.

Finally, the ship tilted to both sides, and the Javanese soldiers on board screamed in terror.

Only the loudspeaker continued to repeat its message, "Stop immediately for inspection. If you refuse to stop, we'll sink you in three seconds!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end