Wherever the beam of light swept past, everything was scorched black. The figure of Jian Sheng Zhēnjūn, its main target, was engulfed by the white column of light. Even a distant mountain range was pierced through, leaving behind a gaping void from which thick black smoke billowed.
The anguished cries of beasts echoed from within the mountains, their howls sharp and unending.
Jian Dan's nostrils were filled with the acrid scent of charred flesh. Her expression grew even colder.
With a sweep of her sleeve, Jian Dan summoned her flying vessel. As her hands formed swift, intricate seals, the illusion masking the vessel slowly dissipated. A single-tier silver warship, sixty meters tall, emerged. Its sails rose high, coated with a sheen of silvery light. Along its hull, arrays of turrets extended outward.
"Fellow Zhēnrén, board the ship. That black-shelled creature must be taken down today."
Su Chui Zhēnrén from the Artifact Forging Sect had his eyes locked on the warship from the moment it appeared, unable to look away. Inwardly, he could hardly believe his luck. In his lifetime, he would actually get to board one of Tianjian Sect's warships. Without a second thought, he leapt aboard, placed himself behind one of the silver turrets, and ran a reverent hand over the cold, solid cannon, mentally estimating what rare materials had gone into its crafting.
The other Jīndān Zhēnrén quickly grasped the situation and followed suit. Only Xu Meixia hesitated, while the other Yunhai Sect cultivator, Bai Mo, showed no such pause and leapt directly onto the ship.
Seeing herself ignored, Xu Meixia finally summoned her flying sword and prepared to board. But Jian Dan had never intended to let her step foot on the vessel.
Before inviting the other Zhēnrén aboard, Jian Dan's spiritual sense had already swept across the area, clearly reading everyone's intentions and expressions. Cooperation in battle was necessary, yes, but she was no fool. Vigilance was equally important.
And Xu Meixia had always left her with a bad impression. There was never any plan to let her aboard.
Just as Xu Meixia was about to land on the deck, a flick of Jian Dan's sleeve sent her flying back. From Jian Dan's shoulder, Yue Liang bared its little fangs at her, and in the blink of an eye, the beast landed squarely atop Xu Meixia's head. In less than a breath, both creature and cultivator vanished from sight.
Two breaths later, Yue Liang returned to Jian Dan's shoulder. With a humanlike gesture, it rubbed its forepaws together, then shook them out.
"Zhēnrén, I tossed her by that bug's mouth. Not sure if it'll eat her or not, but Yue Liang didn't dare stay. I rushed back."
"Well done."
High above, the massive black beetle continued to gather strength. With a flash of its wings, it charged toward the warship. This time, no orders were needed. The Zhēnrén had already placed low-grade spirit stones into the turret slots, activating the array formations. Using their spiritual sense to aim, they opened fire on the incoming beetle.
Rounds of spirit-powered artillery lit the sky, aimed at the beetle's legs, abdomen, wings, and back. Yet the damage was minimal. The black-shelled creature had closed to within fifty meters and began lashing its antennae at the warship. Despite the activation of the ship's protective shield, the blows sent the vessel rocking. The shield thinned visibly as the spirit stones in the control core turned to dust in an instant. Jian Dan promptly inserted a mid-grade spirit stone, stabilizing the barrier.
She wasn't about to take this loss. If low-grade stones weren't enough, then she'd use mid-grade.
Yue Liang, now wearing a storage pouch on its chest, darted across the rocking deck with precision. Mid-grade spirit stones fell into the core slots one by one without a single miss.
Even Yan Su Zhēnrén glanced toward Jian Dan in the control chamber. Without hesitation, he restarted the array formation and resumed the offensive. The other Zhēnrén followed suit.
With the enhanced power of mid-grade stones, the next barrage finally struck true, blasting off one of the beetle's legs. Yue Liang quickly swooped in and stored the severed limb away.
Despite its repeated efforts, the beetle had yet to consume what it viewed as mere prey. Letting out another shrill cry, it repeated its tactic. Its fore and mid legs slid, its wings trembled rapidly, and its abdomen began to flicker ominously.
This time, its body twisted in midair, locking onto the warship as its target.
A glint of ruthless determination flashed in Jian Dan's eyes. She transmitted a message to everyone on board.
"Zhēnrén, abandon ship now. I will cover the retreat."
Cotton Candy had already unfurled from her hairpin, spreading across the ship.
Tao Chengfeng clenched his jaw, refusing to leave. Jian Dan didn't waste time arguing. She gave Yue Liang a glance, and the creature carried him out of the blast range in a flash.
Having witnessed the beetle's earlier strike against a Nascent Soul cultivator, the Zhēnrén wisely withdrew beyond the anticipated range of impact.
In a blink, the warship was cleared. Jian Dan's face turned solemn. Inside the control chamber, she raised the main turret and, gritting her teeth, inserted six high-grade spirit stones into the core. She refused to believe she couldn't kill this thing.
All of this happened in the span of a few breaths. Jian Dan's peak Nascent Soul spiritual sense enveloped the ship. The main cannon locked onto the beetle's abdomen. Just as the wing vibration peaked and the abdomen shrank to its smallest point, Jian Dan decisively activated the firing array.
A hundred miles away, the observing Jīndān Zhēnrén all held their breath, their spiritual senses still following the battle. Perched on Tao Chengfeng's shoulder, Yue Liang suddenly straightened up. From afar, a black cloud shot into the sky, followed by an expanding halo of energy created by the impact of opposing forces.
As the shockwave spread, the surrounding mountains were flattened in an instant, and the blast surged even farther.
Jīndān cultivators who had brushed the halo's edge with their spiritual sense felt as if they had been flayed by knives. Yan Su of the Heavenly Demon Palace immediately withdrew his awareness.
"Fall back."
They had barely retreated ten more li when a massive white crane suddenly soared from the blast's epicenter. Its colossal form hovered in the air, releasing the overwhelming pressure of a Void Refinement stage beast.