On the deck of the Flying Serpent.
With numerous crew members joining the fray, the indigenous pirates were already showing signs of defeat!
Especially the First Mate and the Captain!
The two Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators joining the battle had hastened the pirates' collapse!
HUM!
The First Mate, Luo Guanghe, formed a hand seal for his Technique.
Under his control, a heavy Profound Iron Shield spun rapidly like a buzzsaw, moving back and forth!
Any pirate touched by the heavy shield was sliced to ribbons, sending flesh and blood flying!
Evidently, after his cultivation had stalled due to his limited aptitude,
the First Mate had put a great deal of effort into mastering his Magical Artifact.
As for Captain Luo Qingjun, he relied on his cybernetic arm.
A dark, black cavity was visible in the palm of his silver arm.
Terrifying thunder and fire spewed forth from it in a crisscrossing barrage!
Under the attacks of these two Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, the pirates suffered heavy casualties!
'My teammates are pretty damn effective,'
Su Ye thought, his resolve hardening as he observed the battlefield.
Without activating the Whale-Hunting Spear,
Su Ye didn't have a significant combat advantage over Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators like the First Mate and Captain, who possessed such fine Magical Artifacts.
In fact, their ability to mow down enemies was even slightly better than his.
However, when facing the ballista attacks,
Su Ye's keen spiritual sense allowed him to dodge some of the attacks.
The other two, however, lacked this ability and could only drop to the ground.
They were completely suppressed by the barrage!
This was why the First Mate and the Captain had put on a mediocre performance earlier and why they hadn't immediately stepped forward to counterattack the pirates.
...
Soon, with the mounting casualties, the pirates' defeat was all but certain!
'Normally, the pirates should be retreating by now...'
Su Ye narrowed his eyes.
After all, this was the real world.
There were no monsters that respawned with locked aggro, programmed to fight to the death.
Even a demon fish of the lowest intelligence would try to flee after being severely wounded.
The pirates were certainly vicious, but they still understood how to weigh pros and cons.
The Flying Serpent's resistance was tenacious, and the pirates had suffered heavy losses.
Under these circumstances, retreating would be the rational choice.
But...
this batch of pirates was clearly not normal!
Su Ye's expression darkened as he recalled the four ballistas mounted on the pirate ship.
As a resource controlled by the upper sects, even a Demon Hunting Ship of the Luo Family like this one only had two ballistas.
'Where did these indigenous pirates get their hands on ballistas?'
'And who is maintaining them?'
'Besides... in this vast ocean, did they really just happen to run into the Flying Serpent by chance?'
When something seems too strange to be true, it usually is!
With such an illogical and bizarre event occurring, Su Ye didn't believe for a second that these pirates would simply choose to retreat!
And just then.
He felt a sudden impulse and snapped his head up!
...
TWANG!
The sound of a rope pulling taut and then instantly going slack echoed through the air!
A tall figure, using the momentum from a swinging rope, flew across the gap!
THUD.
He landed heavily on the deck of the Flying Serpent, sending splinters and dust flying!
His muscular, light-brown torso was bare, covered in black totem markings.
His entire being radiated a savage aura!
It was Shamok!
'Sixth level of Qi Refining!'
Su Ye's pupils constricted as he sensed the man's aura.
It seemed as though Shamok had been holding back for a long time, and now he was ready to unleash his pent-up frustration!
Shamok's eyes were crimson, glinting with a vicious light!
BAM!
He stomped heavily on the deck!
With a flash of movement, he shot toward First Mate Luo Guanghe like a cannonball!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Wherever Shamok passed on the deck, planks shattered and splinters flew!
"Profound Iron Shield!"
Startled by this display of power, Luo Guanghe immediately manipulated his Technique to recall his Magical Artifact for defense.
WHOOSH.
The heavy Profound Iron Shield looped through the air and spun rapidly, using offense as defense as it flew like a buzzsaw to strike Shamok!
But facing Luo Guanghe's Profound Iron Flying Shield, Shamok showed no fear at all.
He thrust out his right hand, which was red and engorged with blood, veins bulging!
"Trying to grab my Magical Artifact with his bare hands? Is he suicidal?"
Luo Guanghe said in astonishment.
But in the next moment, Luo Guanghe's eyes nearly popped out of his head!
"ROAR!"
On Shamok's arm, a lifelike crocodile tattoo suddenly flashed with a bloody light!
BAM! CLANG!
Shamok seized a corner of the heavy Profound Iron Shield, forcibly halting its spin!
His five iron-like fingers left five deep gouges on the surface of the Profound Iron Shield!
'Is that... a totem?' Su Ye's pupils constricted.
Totems, a unique supernatural art of the archipelago natives!
They hunt demonic beasts and take their souls, essence blood, and resentful energy, fusing them into a tattoo on their skin.
Because the process is barbaric and cruel, and it can easily affect the user's cultivation path and temperament, it is shunned by orthodox cultivators!
However, for Totem Skills to have survived to this day, they definitely have their strengths.
For example... their power!
Luo Guanghe was clearly aware of the power of totems. Panic filled his face, and he immediately retreated!
A sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator with a totem!
'If he gets close, I'm dead for sure!'
But, compared to Shamok, Luo Guanghe's speed was...
"Too slow!"
Shamok sneered.
WHOOSH!
He flickered forward, rapidly closing in on Luo Guanghe. He gathered all his strength into his right hand, a phantom blood crocodile shimmering into view!
"Totem Skill: Fierce Hunting!"
The crimson crocodile phantom reappeared on Shamok's right palm, its gaping maw wide open!
CRACK!
Luo Guanghe's neck snapped. His head flew off as blood gushed out!
His body swayed and collapsed limply to the deck!
Overwhelmingly ferocious!
In just a few moments, Shamok had brutally slain the First Mate of the Flying Serpent!
The crew of the Flying Serpent who witnessed this were all struck with terror.
"Guanghe!"
Captain Luo Qingjun cried out in grief-stricken horror as he watched his elder fall.
But Shamok didn't stop. He turned his head and looked at Luo Qingjun!
"Die!"
With a vicious glint in his eyes, Shamok charged toward Luo Qingjun like a bolt of lightning!
The totem's duration was limited; he had to kill the Flying Serpent's two Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators as quickly as possible!
"You savage bastard, give me back Guanghe's life!"
Luo Qingjun's eyes were red. He raised his cybernetic prosthetic hand and unleashed a continuous barrage of thunder and fire!
But, empowered by the totem, Shamok was extremely fast.
Not a single one of Luo Qingjun's bolts of Thunderfire Power hit their mark, and the distance between the two rapidly closed!
"Overload!"
A mixture of hatred and fear swirling within him, Luo Qingjun pushed his cybernetic prosthetic hand to its maximum output!
Thunderfire Power surged out madly, forming a wide wall of thunder and fire that blocked Shamok's path!
However...
Shamok took a huge step forward!
Without dodging or evading, he charged straight into the wall of thunder and fire!
BOOM! SZZZZLE!
A figure, scorched black and a mess of mangled flesh, stepped out of the baptism of thunder and fire.
His eyes, however, were still filled with savage fury!
Though covered in wounds, Shamok strode forward, rapidly closing in on Luo Qingjun for the kill!
"I get wounded, you die!"
Trading wounds for a life!
The ferocity of the archipelago natives was on full display!
"No!" A look of terror appeared on Luo Qingjun's face.
But just at this critical moment!
In the next instant!
A sharp wind howled behind Shamok!
SHING!
A blurry red line, invisible to the naked eye, shot toward the back of his heart at extreme speed!