Chapter 1307: The Last Chance

On this battlefield, the crew's main value lies in enhancing the warship's power. With only one of the three enemy warships remaining, swiftly eliminating it would render the fate of the second ship's crew irrelevant. What if they were allowed to live?

Lu Ye suddenly felt a profound shift in perspective, as if a light had appeared at the end of a tunnel, and his mind was instantly enlightened. This was primarily due to his lack of experience; he had never encountered this type of combat before, which had led to a misunderstanding in his approach. With his mental block removed, a glimmer of hope immediately appeared.

He hastily messaged Haitang, instructing her to return and help Xu Qingwei manage the defensive array. Meanwhile, Lu Ye channeled his own power, furiously pouring it into the warship's control hub. In that instant, his connection with the warship became tighter than ever before. This also brought a clear realization to Lu Ye: there would be no second chance if he failed this time; it was his very last opportunity.

Under Lu Ye’s command, the previously agile Long Dragon warship abruptly halted, then surged directly towards the last enemy vessel. In a flash, the entire warship transformed into a streaking light. Haitang, who had just returned to her post, instantly grasped Lu Ye’s intent. Hastily, she desperately channeled her spiritual energy to help Xu Qingwei maintain the defensive array.

As the enemy warship’s attacks poured down, Lu Ye did his utmost to evade them. If possible, he would not have wanted to dodge, but the Long Dragon warship's defenses were currently too fragile, capable of withstanding at most one more fierce enemy assault. Therefore, he had no choice but to evade. With his strong connection to the warship, controlling it became noticeably easier. Several times, enemy attacks narrowly missed the Long Dragon warship, prompting Haitang to break out in cold sweats at the near hits.

The last enemy warship, observing the Long Dragon warship’s direct approach, clearly understood Lu Ye’s intention and immediately attempted to pivot and escape sideways. However, there was no opportunity. Lu Ye’s decision was made on a sudden impulse, with no prior warning, and he committed to it with full force. Very little time or space remained for the enemy warship to react.

“Senior Sister Haitang, protect yourself!” Lu Ye hurriedly sent a voice transmission to Haitang in the final moments. The collision between the warships was deafening. Lu Ye didn't care if the other crew members perished; they were not truly alive but merely parts of the ghost ship. However, Haitang had shown him kindness, so he felt compelled to warn her. Upon receiving Lu Ye’s warning, Haitang quickly manifested a protective spiritual artifact to shield herself.

The next moment, the two massive warships slammed into each other with a thunderous impact. The Long Dragon warship's defenses instantly collapsed. Having only one-tenth of its power remaining, there was no way it could withstand such an impact. Immediately, the crew members aboard stumbled, unable to keep their footing.

Through the warship, Lu Ye’s mind closely monitored the enemy vessel’s movements. Under the immense impact force, the enemy warship’s defensive array did not immediately shatter. Instead, it severely dented inward at the point of collision, displaying remarkable resilience. Witnessing this, Lu Ye no longer dared to hesitate, channeling even more fiercely spiritual energy into the control hub.

Success or failure hinged on this single action. If he failed now, he would truly be left to rely on Haitang alone, and with her likely to dissipate in a few months, the thought of being completely alone sent shivers down his spine. Despite Lu Ye’s strenuous efforts, he couldn’t break through the enemy warship’s defenses. Instead, the enemy vessel’s array began to hum, emitting bright light and powerful spiritual energy fluctuations. Lu Ye’s face darkened as he realized the grim situation. It was clearly too late to escape, yet continuing this way also seemed unlikely to achieve success. He was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

However, just then, the entire Long Dragon warship suddenly jolted, and a brilliant pillar of light erupted, striking the enemy warship’s defenses at close range! Like the final straw, this brilliant light beam shattered the already dented defenses instantly. Overjoyed, Lu Ye’s mind stirred, and he immediately understood who was responsible. It was Haitang. She stood in Qin Zong’s former position, activating the system Qin Zong had previously controlled. This offensive array was specifically designed to counter warships, and its power, when activated at such close range, was immense. As for Qin Zong, he had been flung clear during the preceding collision. It wasn’t a lack of quick reaction on his part; the change was simply too sudden. Only Haitang, forewarned by Lu Ye, managed to steady herself. Every other crew member was dislodged from their original posts. Realizing the precarious situation, Haitang immediately took over Qin Zong’s station, enabling her timely intervention.

As the light faded, the third enemy warship’s deck was a scene of utter devastation. Numerous arrays had collapsed, leaving the entire warship severely damaged and dilapidated.

Success! Lu Ye nearly laughed aloud. The world truly was unpredictable, and he hadn't imagined Haitang would achieve such a crucial breakthrough at the last possible moment. His heart swelled with gratitude.

However, Lu Ye’s smile soon froze. From the heavily damaged enemy warship, an aura belonging to a Moon Realm cultivator surged forth, accompanied by the presence of several Star Realm cultivators. Moreover, the surviving crew from the second warship began to encircle them from all sides. The trial wasn't over yet! Lu Ye had initially believed that destroying the three enemy warships would complete the ghost ship’s trial, but it now appeared he had rejoiced too soon. Destroying the enemy warships was merely a step; the true objective was to eliminate all enemies aboard them.

He sensed a significant number of enemies, roughly thirty. Lu Ye wasn’t overly concerned about the rest, but the critical factor was the presence of a Moon Realm cultivator. How could they possibly win? However, a thought quickly struck Lu Ye. He knew his own strength was no match for a Moon Realm cultivator, but he still had a trump card. Wasn’t the secret art Feng Rumou had sealed within the Pan Mountain Blade meant for precisely this moment? If that were the case, Feng Rumou must have possessed extensive knowledge about the ghost ship, explaining why he left such a powerful means for him.

Lu Ye had no time to ponder further. The Moon Realm cultivator’s divine sense had already locked onto him. A black mass, larger than any Lu Ye had previously encountered, surged from the enemy warship, hurtling directly towards his position. Lu Ye swiftly appeared outside, fixing his gaze on the black mass. He quickly drew his Pan Mountain Blade and began infusing it with spiritual energy. He had previously examined the seal’s specifics, knowing it wouldn’t be difficult to break; it simply required sufficient spiritual energy. As for its true power, he would soon find out. A slight tremor emanated from within the Pan Mountain Blade; the seal was broken.

Instantly, a heart-pounding aura surged from within the Pan Mountain Blade. Lu Ye’s hand, gripping the weapon, began to tremble, almost unable to hold the long blade steady. He swiftly used both hands, his divine sense locking onto the Moon Realm black shadow. Raising the long blade high, he executed a diagonal slash. The moment Lu Ye broke the seal, the black shadow sensed something was amiss. It had been charging toward him, but now it began to retreat. As Lu Ye’s blade descended, a golden light shot forth from its hilt, rapidly expanding and instantly transforming into a strange beast Lu Ye had never encountered. At first glance, it resembled a fierce tiger, yet it differed from any tiger Lu Ye knew, possessing a single horn on its forehead and its body covered in fine, dense scales, making it appear startlingly lifelike.

The exotic beast opened its mouth and roared. Even in the vacuum of space, the sound accurately resonated in their ears. Lu Ye’s mind momentarily wavered, and within his spiritual sea, waves churned. Had it not been for the protection of the Soul Suppressing Pagoda, even his soul might have become unstable. He was only affected by the ripple effect, while the Moon Realm black shadow, bearing the full brunt of the attack, fared far worse. The shadow, which had been attempting to retreat, suddenly froze in place. The golden exotic beast lunged, its cavernous mouth opening wide, and swallowed the black shadow whole. Not only that, but several Star Realm black shadows closely following the Moon Realm black shadow also suffered the same fate, all consumed by the golden exotic beast. After devouring these enemies, the golden exotic beast roared skyward, then dissipated into countless golden specks and vanished. Its formidable power was truly a sight to behold. And this was merely one secret art sealed by Feng Rumou within the Pan Mountain Blade. One could only imagine the spectacle if he were to act personally.

With no time for contemplation, Lu Ye swept forth with his blade, simultaneously broadcasting a mental command: “Kill!” He flashed into the enemy ranks, commencing a slaughter. The golden exotic beast’s roar had affected almost everyone present, but cultivators at the Star Realm level generally possessed methods to protect their souls, though varying in effectiveness. Consequently, their recovery times differed. Lu Ye targeted enemies who had not yet fully recovered their senses, making them easy prey. With the Pan Mountain Blade enhanced by the Divine Edge spirit pattern, he dispatched them almost one with each strike. No sooner had he begun than Qin Zong and Xiao Jianming arrived to assist. Both were late-stage Star Realm cultivators and recovered more quickly than the others. A moment later, both allies and enemies had fully recovered, and a full-scale battle erupted.

Numerically, the enemy undoubtedly held an advantage. However, the golden exotic beast had first consumed several foes, and then Lu Ye had seized the opportunity to eliminate a few more while they were disoriented, thereby narrowing the numerical gap. Their side also held an advantage: at Lu Ye’s command, their crew formed two battle formations, led by Qin Zong and Xiao Jianming respectively. Like two unstoppable arrows, they continuously weaved through the enemy ranks. In contrast, the enemy, disorganized after the death of their sole Moon Realm cultivator, was utterly incapable of countering such tactics. In this situation, their slight numerical advantage proved difficult to leverage. Any enemy caught by their battle formations was doomed.