The Battle on the King Ship

"Hahaha… hahaha…" The sudden, raucous laughter of the Reverend Ji Gong stunned the gathered experts of the Four Worlds.

But what followed left them even more flabbergasted.

Behind the unkempt Buddhist monk, a group of young men joined in the laughter, and to make matters worse, they all shouted a single word at the Yaksha Half-Ancestor:

"Pig!"

...

Everyone was dumbfounded. Who were these reckless brats? How dare they shout such an insult at a Half-Ancestor? That word was unbearably crude—did they have a death wish?

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor's nose nearly twisted with rage. Born in the ancient ages, possessing boundless magical power and martial prowess, even other Half-Ancestors would not dare insult him so!

"Hahaha… haha…!"

It was too much. That group actually grew bolder, laughing and pointing at his nose, showing no sign of restraint.

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor was furious enough to send a Buddha into nirvana; smoke practically shot from his nostrils. He wanted to roar out three words: "Motherf—!"

Madness!

That was the feeling of every onlooker. It all felt so unreal. How could these people be so utterly reckless? To dare call a Half-Ancestor a fat-headed pig—they truly had grown tired of living.

A dignified Half-Ancestor, lofty and supreme, was being jeered at in public by a group of juniors and called a pig—it was absurd, and it made one want to laugh despite oneself.

But then, the group of juniors abruptly stopped laughing. Their faces fell into expressions of dismay as they looked at the ragged monk standing beside Xiao Chen.

"Reverend, you can't mess with us like this! Why did you swallow that word back again?"

"Reverend, are you trying to get us killed?"

...

Jin Sanyi, Niu Ren, and the others were filled with grievance. They muttered complaints to the Reverend Ji Gong, their hearts pounding with fear, because the old Yaksha's gaze was as cold as a blade, enough to make one's hair stand on end.

"Half-Ancestors are too powerful; acting rashly would only lead to failure," the Reverend Ji Gong said with a cheerful smile. "There will always be another chance. Don't be impatient."

"You ants shall all be reduced to dust!" the Yaksha Half-Ancestor roared in fury. He slapped the sky, and a colossal light palm, like a mountain, appeared above them and came crashing down.

It carried the power of complete annihilation, enough to destroy Mount Kunlun itself!

"Old Yaksha, your killing intent is too strong," Tianwaitian said with a light laugh. He unhurriedly waved his great sleeve, and a fierce wind arose, shattering the light palm into nothing.

The childlike Renwairen laughed heartily and said, "Everyone, let's go to the World of Immortality's Forbidden Sea!" With that, he made a cutting motion with his small hand, tearing through space. He swept up Xiao Chen and the others and was the first to enter the World of Immortality.

The Southern Sea of the World of Immortality was vast and boundless.

The Forbidden Sea glittered with golden light, as if liquid gold floated upon the waves. It affected the mind, corroding cultivators' souls, with a demonic power surging within.

Experts from the Nine Provinces and the Four Worlds appeared simultaneously above the golden sea. The sky was filled with figures, packed with experts, countless—a testament to how many masters had come.

The Half-Ancestors who had descended alone included the Asura Half-Ancestor, the Yaksha Half-Ancestor, the Skeleton King, Tianwaitian, and Renwairen—five great powers on the surface, and who knew how many more were hidden in the shadows. As for experts of other realms, they were beyond counting.

"Aooo—!"

A muffled sound seemed to pierce the minds of all the powerful, chilling their souls and striking fear into their hearts.

A great wind arose. Waves surged in the golden Forbidden Sea. In the distance, a mountain-sized skull came floating across the sea, riding the wind and waves. The Forbidden Sea itself trembled because of this.

The King Ship was even larger than before. It seemed to grow every year.

The pitch-black skull was immense, exuding a suffocating pressure. It made souls tremble, standing as grand and majestic as a famous mountain or great peak.

The wailing sound it emitted was like the cry of ghosts and the howl of gods, or like the lament of the end of the world—the death knell of creation. Many felt their souls were about to shatter.

The King Ship seemed to possess a will. Sensing the descent of the gods, it radiated such terrifying fluctuations.

Several Half-Ancestors quickly sealed off space, blocking the destructive, mournful sound beneath the sky, allowing everyone to feel a bit better.

Only then did the King Ship slowly quiet down, floating upon the golden sea like an ancient, world-destroying demon beast temporarily dormant.

"That Xiao Chen really intends to enter the King Ship to duel the Yaksha Half-Ancestor?"

"He is only at the Perfected Man realm—it's sheer suicide! Even Half-Ancestors dare not easily enter the King Ship. I've heard there's a fiendish god inside that can destroy worlds!"

"Wrong! There is no fiendish god inside—only an eternal soul that has existed since time immemorial!"

"Regardless of what's inside, it's certain that even Half-Ancestors are reluctant to set foot there. Is Xiao Chen mad? Does he want to drag the Half-Ancestor down with him?"

...

The crowd buzzed with discussion. No one could truly say what was inside the King Ship; all knowledge came from hearsay.

The gods of the Nine Provinces and the Four Worlds were all anticipating this. Several Half-Ancestors had descended. A Half-Ancestor was about to enter the King Ship for a decisive battle, which would surely unveil some of its mystery.

Xiao Chen descended and stood on the King Ship. "Half-Ancestor Yaksha, please."

"Are you certain you want to duel within the King Ship?" The old Yaksha's expression darkened. He didn't know exactly what was inside, but from ancient times to the present, he had heard many terrifying rumors.

"Yes."

"Very well. The guest follows the host's wishes—you go first." The Yaksha Half-Ancestor's lips curled in a cold smile. According to the information he had, this 'ant' before him would likely be annihilated in body and soul the moment he entered.

"Good." Xiao Chen said only a single word.

The sky was filled with figures. All the gods watched this scene intently.

Flash!

A beam of white light streaked down from the sky like lightning. A snow-white little beast landed on Xiao Chen's shoulder. Keke, without hesitation, opened Paradise Lost in front of everyone.

Xiao Chen stepped inside.

"Ya-ya..." Deep within Paradise Lost, the little beast handed the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree to Xiao Chen. The seventh leaf, a blue jade leaf, had grown to maturity, crystal clear. The seven jade leaves shimmered with dreamlike radiance, seeming to contain infinite power.

Above Xiao Chen's head, the seven leaves of the Small Sacred Tree descended seven rays of light like silk ribbons, then flowed with boundless radiance, protecting him within.

Seeing this, Xiao Chen's confidence grew. He gradually calmed down, drawing the Sacred Tree into his body, where it merged with his organs, blood vessels, and qi channels, causing a seven-colored divine light to flow across his skin.

He then walked to the deepest part of Paradise Lost. There stood a stone statue, silent and solemn—the very statue that had been pierced by the twenty-four war swords and had once blocked an Ancestral God.

It was no longer as massive as before. It had shrunk to ten meters in height, but its imposing momentum remained undiminished. All the cracks had healed without a trace.

This stone statue was an exact replica of Xiao Chen—lifelike, as if it were a true living being. Light radiated from it. Twenty-three war swords were embedded in its body or held in its hands, exuding an incomparable sense of immense power.

Years ago, Xiao Chen had discovered that the spiritual energy of Paradise Lost could nourish and repair the stone statue. So he had placed it in the deepest part, never using it—it was his final trump card.

The cracked stone statue was now wreathed in auspicious light. Having shrunk to ten meters tall, it was even more condensed, as if it had become a sentient holy artifact.

"Ya-ya..." The snow-white little beast tilted its head, looking at the stone statue and then at Xiao Chen, its voice innocent and tender. "Be careful."

Flash!

Light flickered. Xiao Chen merged into the stone statue, and then the holy body, sealed for over a decade, truly revived.

The entire Paradise Lost seemed to fill with an abundant, vibrant life force.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"...

Xiao Chen walked out of Paradise Lost step by step and stood upon the King Ship. This stone form instantly amazed everyone.

"This is..."

"A stone-man war body?"

...

"Buddha—Buddha—Buddha Buddha! Reverend, why don't you strike now and turn that old Yaksha into a pig? If really let Xiao Chen go fight him, it'll be like a meat bun thrown at a dog—gone forever!" Jin Sanyi stammered, babbling beside the Reverend Ji Gong.

"Xiao Chen should be fine. I will certainly act, but now is not the time." Ji Gong shook his head, still smiling.

"We look forward to you dazzling everyone and giving us a surprise today." Niu Ren and the others all grinned.

The stone statue leaped into the sky, then descended roaring, plunging into the interior of the massive skull, falling as if into a bottomless pit. Once inside, all sound ceased.

"He went in! He really went in!"

"Could he have been annihilated body and soul?"

...

The sky was thick with figures—not only qi refiners and curse masters but all kinds of divine beasts. There were pixiu with dragon heads, horse bodies, unicorn hooves, and lion-like forms; suanni wreathed in smoke and mist with gleaming scales; and phoenixes shining with five-colored radiance. Experts of the Yaksha, Asura, Angel, Skeleton, and War Clans had all arrived as well.

Everyone tried to probe with their divine sense, but none could peer inside the skull ship.

A Yaksha elder, a white-haired Yaksha Emperor, sneered, "I think the old ancestor doesn't even need to enter. That Xiao Chen has surely been ground to dust already."

But just as his words fell, Xiao Chen's voice came from within the pitch-black King Ship: "Half-Ancestor Yaksha, please come in. Are you stalling for time?"

"He's... alive?"

"Maybe there's nothing inside after all?"

...

The gods all showed strange expressions.

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor frowned. Though his powers could shake the heavens, he was unwilling to enter the King Ship easily.

But the matter had come to a head. He left an afterimage behind and charged into the mountain-like giant skull.

"Boom!"

In that instant, a powerful fluctuation shook the entire vast ocean. Even the clouds in the distant sky were scattered. The gods in the air were startled.

A huge stone sword cleaved out from within the King Ship, sending the Yaksha Half-Ancestor flying back!

This scene was extremely shocking. A Half-Ancestor with cultivation that pierced the heavens—yet he was struck out by the stone-bodied Xiao Chen's sword strike. What kind of power was this?

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor's wide robe shattered into pieces, scattering in the sky like butterflies dancing.

"You...!"

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor was furious. He transformed into a streak of light and charged back in. He had been far too careless a moment ago. When the stone Xiao Chen guarding the entrance had swung his sword, he had only pointed a finger, thinking it would annihilate his opponent. Never did he expect that, in front of countless eyes, he would instead be knocked flying by that very sword.

It was utterly humiliating!

The gods erupted in uproar. The crowd in the sky could hardly believe it.

"That was terrifying! The entire world trembled just now."

"Did the Yaksha Half-Ancestor get knocked back by a single sword? Incredible!"

"Am I seeing things? A Perfected Man sent a Half-Ancestor flying?"

...

The sky boiled with noise.

At the same time, Tianwaitian and Renwairen projected the scene of the battle within the King Ship onto the sky so everyone could watch.

Inside that giant skull, the battle had truly begun!

The ten-meter-tall stone-bodied Xiao Chen was like a war god, actually able to shake a Half-Ancestor. The huge stone sword in his hand swept in all directions, his might unstoppable.

"Boom!"

The nearly six-meter-long giant sword slashed directly against the Yaksha Half-Ancestor's blade-hand. It was like a mountain crashing down, sending the Yaksha Half-Ancestor flying hundreds of meters.

"You...!"

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor's blood and qi churned. The shock in his heart was beyond words. The power this 'ant' before him had burst forth was beyond imagination. Even he could hardly withstand it.

This was simply an invincible war body! His arm was nearly numbed from the shock, and it felt like Xiao Chen was actually suppressing him.

"Little crawling insect, you surprise me greatly. But I have tolerated you long enough." The Yaksha Half-Ancestor no longer tried to clash directly with the stone statue. His body moved like lightning and illusion, reaching extreme speed. He formed hand seals and struck Xiao Chen repeatedly from all sides.

"Boom! Boom!..."

Deafening sounds rang out continuously. The Yaksha Half-Ancestor struck the stone statue more than a hundred times with palm prints. This was a devastating attack—the palm force of a Half-Ancestor was terrifyingly vast!

But contrary to everyone's expectations, the stone body showed no signs of shattering. It completely withstood all one hundred-plus strikes. Moreover, that six-meter-long stone sword swung with unstoppable force, slashing into the Yaksha Half-Ancestor.

"Boom!"

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor was sent flying once more.

"Pfft!"

He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face full of shock.

The stone statue's movements, though far faster than years ago, still could not match the Yaksha Half-Ancestor. He endured a storm of attacks just to land that one sword strike, which instantly wounded the Half-Ancestor.

The gods in the sky were stunned, mouths agape. Then an uproar arose. Everyone felt this was utterly unbelievable. Today's surprises were simply too many. Xiao Chen had actually made a Half-Ancestor eat dirt.

"Buddha—Buddha—Buddha Buddha! Reverend, when are you going to turn that old Yaksha into a pig? We're eagerly awaiting your moment of brilliance..." Jin Sanyi started his mischievous muttering again.

"The time is not yet right." The Reverend Ji Gong gazed at the battlefield with a smile.

Inside the giant skull, the Yaksha Half-Ancestor's face was icy cold. He slowly stepped forward through the void, approaching, and said coldly, "You have angered me. When a Half-Ancestor is angered, mountains and rivers lose their color, corpses pile up for thousands of miles, and blood flows until boats float."

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor let out a low roar. His Infinite Demon Body manifested, as if a world-destroying demon god had awakened. His shriveled, scrawny frame began to swell, and his long green hair danced like a surging river.

"Ten thousand laws cannot touch me; all phenomena shall be shattered!"

He reached out a huge claw toward the stone-bodied Xiao Chen.

For himself, ten thousand laws could not touch him; no attack could get close. For his enemy, everything would be destroyed. Such a divine art, even among Half-Ancestors, could be called heaven-shaking, earth-shattering.

Flash!

Xiao Chen did not attack. Instead, he chose to sink deeper into the skull, rushing toward the endless dark depths below.

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor laughed coldly and gave chase. But the deeper he went, the more uncomfortable he felt.

At the deepest part of the skull, destructive power surged and churned. The baleful aura made even a Half-Ancestor's heart tremble, as if a god who could destroy the world was imprisoned below.

Outside, the images in the sky had already blurred. Even the Half-Ancestors could not project the scenes from the deepest part of the skull onto the sky.

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor hesitated. For some reason, a trace of fear had arisen in his heart.

Just then, he suddenly felt the surging, violent fluctuations grow even more terrifying.

"What are you doing, you ant?!" The Yaksha Half-Ancestor was both alarmed and enraged. He saw that, a few dozen feet away, Xiao Chen was gently holding a dried corpse in his giant palm. Then he hurled it fiercely at the Half-Ancestor. The source of that destructive power was that very corpse!