On the bridge of the Spirit Ark, Shang Xia, the Giant Ape King, and the several True Immortals on board observed the fierce battle unfolding before them. The ambush outside the Asteroid Sea could not possibly have escaped their notice, yet neither Tian Mengzi nor Shang Xia gave any prior warning. They wished to see how those on board would adapt when faced with sudden danger. In truth, the results were enough to reassure Tian Mengzi and the others. They responded in orderly fashion, proving that their recent instruction had not been wasted. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩 After the cultivators who controlled the ark worked together to neutralize the assaults from three directions, some of them even considered launching a counterattack. But just then, three medium Star Ships emerged from the distant void, sweeping in from different angles to encircle the Spirit Ark. At that moment, if not for the presence of several True Immortals aboard, the best option would have been to retreat back into the Asteroid Sea, using the drifting asteroids to try to shake off any pursuit. The three medium Star Ships had clearly anticipated the possibility, however. Even as the Spirit Ark prepared to fight back, they made no evasive maneuvers, instead accelerating to ram straight into their target. What the Star Pirates aboard those ships didn’t know was that the Spirit Ark wasn’t planning to run. They started to accelerate as well, charging straight into them. Ordinarily, in terms of size and defensive strength, a Spirit Ark far outmatched a medium Star Ship, and was even comparable to a large Star Ship. Yet arks were not designed for combat. Their purpose lay in the internal space created to contain fragments of Spirit Worlds. In terms of speed, maneuverability, and combat power, they were inferior to ships built solely for battle. Naturally, an Ark costs far more to build than ordinary ships. In fact, it costs much more than a large Star Ship. It wasn’t just the cost. Construction was far more difficult. Hollow Heaven Stones that formed the foundation of an Ark’s internal space were also extremely hard to find. Although Shang Xia had used the World Establishing Art and Chu Jia had specially modified the Spirit Ark before departure, the improvements had been limited. Its speed had been enhanced, and its hull somewhat reinforced, but both came at the expense of its internal capacity. The three medium Star Ships speeding closer clearly belonged to the same pirate group. They were only a detachment of a larger fleet, led by a second tier True Immortal. The second tier True Immortal was a seasoned Star Pirate. Seeing a Spirit Ark suddenly emerge from the Asteroid Sea, he knew things were not so simple. In the void, an Ark almost never traveled alone. Owing to its special nature, a Spirit Ark would usually be escorted by at least one large Star Ship and several medium ones. The ark before him had an unusual design and startling speed. If its escorts had not already been lost in the Asteroid Sea, then there had to surely be other high-level experts stationed on board. If the former was true, it was the perfect opportunity to strike. If there were experts present, he still would not retreat. The group he sent out was not acting alone. The main force of his Star Pirate Group, the Blizzard Pirates, was scattered nearby along the edge of the Asteroid Sea. They should have received his message and should be rushing over soon. After all, that was a Spirit Ark they were talking about! Even if it was empty, its value alone was worth sacrificing every ship and man under his command. The Blizzard Pirates were among the stronger of the large Star Pirate Groups. They had two leaders who were high-level True Immortals and they had two large Star Ships to act as their flagships. Their overall strength rivaled that of super Star Pirate Groups. However, there was one thing they were lacking in. They had no Spirit Ark. At gatherings of Star Pirate Groups in the Starsea Markets, their rivals often mocked them for their shortcomings. Though the Blizzard Pirates had long coveted such a vessel, they had only two Azure Arks to their name. The second tier True Immortal could already imagine the ecstasy of his leaders once the Spirit Ark fell into their hands. His own reward would surely allow him to reach the third tier. Thus, even knowing that the Spirit Ark was preparing to counterattack and that True Immortals were definitely on board, he still ordered the other two medium Star Ships forward, to close and engage at the hull. He was willing to lose them both if need be, so long as the Spirit Ark was pinned down until their chiefs arrived. In the blink of an eye, the Spirit Ark and one of the medium Star Ships were nearly upon each other. The other two swung around the Spirit Ark’s flanks, cutting off their retreat to the Asteroid Sea and completing the encirclement. At that instant, however, the counterattack the Spirit Ark had been preparing finally erupted! Besides the cultivators piloting the ark, the 14 elites stationed on deck formed a massive combined battle formation. The formation faintly resonated with the Spirit Ark’s grand formation. The Spirit Ark’s grand formation was primarily used for defense, but it wasn’t without offensive capabilities. Fully activated and fused with the combined power of the 14 Martial Dipper Realm cultivators, a massive beam of light gathered at the prow before it crashed into the incoming medium Star Ship. Though the Star Pirate Group’s ship raised its protection barrier in time, it shattered like paper beneath the impact. The beam itself broke apart, scattering into wild fragments of destructive light that rampaged across the deck, flattening all the structures upon it.