On the Star Ship the Spirit Ark intercepted, there was no True Immortal in command. Although the ship’s hull had formidable defenses, along with a protection barrier, when faced with the combined strike of over 20 elite cultivators from the Tongyou Institution, its barrier was still shattered. Though the attack did not ultimately pierce the hull and send the vessel crashing down, the explosion that happened still leveled all the buildings above the deck and caused the deaths or injuries of more than 10 cultivators at the Martial Extermination Realm or higher in the Blizzard Pirate’s ship. Chapters fırst released on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⟡𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕥⟡𝕟𝕖𝕥 From that alone, one could already see the stark difference between the cultivators of a Star Pirate Group and those from a Heavenly Field. Star pirates were indeed fierce and ruthless, but their cultivations varied widely. Some among them could not even walk in the void, and they even had those in the Martial Extremity Realm on board. Furthermore, their martial lineages differed greatly, making it easy enough to sail together but nearly impossible to trust one another fully. To fight side by side with superior coordination and bring out extraordinary combat power was difficult. Cultivators of the Heavenly Fields, on the other hand, might lack the experience of star pirates, but they possessed rigorous systems of martial inheritance. After years of cultivation, their origins were clearly defined, and they could trust each other. Those qualified to venture outside the Heavenly Fields all had to meet the elite threshold of the Martial Dipper Realm. Thus, when they fought in unison, they could often explode with battle power far exceeding their cultivation realm. Although the cultivators aboard Spirit Ark were outnumbered, they easily suppressed the star pirates, inflicting heavy damage with just a single exchange and killing or injuring over 10 enemies. "Quick, evade, evade! We can’t hold this Spirit Ark down!" A cultivator inside the heavily damaged medium Star Ship shouted in alarm. Though the deck’s structures had been flattened, the surviving Star Pirates could still control the ship’s course. "Do not retreat, stall it! The chiefs will arrive any moment!" From another medium Star Ship flanking the Spirit Ark, the True Immortal leader, knowing full well the temperament of his subordinates, issued a sharp order to intimidate them. The ship that had just moved aside from the Spirit Ark’s direct path was forced to turn back, adjusting its heading to harass the Ark from a distance, hoping to slow it down. Unfortunately for them, the Spirit Ark pressed on without slowing, moving even faster than before. Relying solely on its protection formation, it withstood all harassment, while the experts on board started to store power again. A lightning bolt as thick as a water barrel burst forth, tearing through the void and crashing upon the pirate’s ship. Its protection barrier had already reformed but was weaker than before, and the bluish-gold lightning bolt shredded it with ease. Six massive gashes appeared on its hull. With the ship fully exposed to the void, several Martial Extremity Realm cultivators who were too late to be shielded by the stronger pirates perished instantly. The survivors struggled to steer the ship away, but with the hull wrecked and their own cultivations dying, even turning felt slower than crawling. By then, the experts on the Spirit Ark only needed one more strike to take them down. Yet just then, the other two medium Star Ships that went to flank them closed in, launching attacks at the Spirit Ark from both sides. With their assault, the experts of the Tongyou Institution were forced to divert attention from the crippled vessel to defend. At the same time, the aura of a True Immortal emerged from one of the ships. A streak of light crossed the void, landing on the nearly disabled Star Ship. At once, its sluggish movements became swift again, and instead of retreating, it turned back to face the Spirit Ark. The Ark’s barrier blocked the combined assaults from both sides, but a third strike from the battered ship slammed into it with a thunderous roar, shaking the Ark violently. Steadying themselves from the sudden impact, the experts of the Tongyou Institution quickly redeployed their battle formation to reinforce the barrier. They didn’t think of retaliating yet. The second tier True Immortal seemed confident of victory after sending the medium Star Ship into the Spirit Ark. He ordered them to break the Ark’s protection barrier while taking care not to damage the Ark itself. Though the Spirit Ark was surrounded, it continued to sail into the void. Its protection barrier holding strong from the multiple waves of assault. The True Immortal star pirate naturally wouldn’t allow his prize to get away. Seeing the medium Star Ship he was commanding too damaged to salvage, he resolved to use it as a battering ram, pouring his inner qi into accelerating it straight into the Spirit Ark again. As for the 20 or so pirates still alive, he cared nothing for them. If he could seize the Spirit Ark, losing a medium Star Ship and a few dozen men meant nothing. Even sacrificing all three of his ships would still be worth it. The cruelty of the pirate leader shocked not only the cultivators on the Spirit Ark but even his own subordinates. "Hold steady! The chiefs will be here any moment!" The second tier True Immortal pirate leader roared, though his words were clearly meant for the other ships, not the doomed men on his own. Just as the wrecked starship was about to ram the protection barrier of the Spirit Ark again, a flash of cold light shot out from within, instantly appearing before the pirate leader. A startled cry echoed in the void as the damaged starship lost all control, spinning wildly through the void. Dozens of miles away, the void thundered with rapid detonations like hailstones striking iron, shaking the surrounding space. Two immense auras clashed, one surging like a volcano, the other sweeping like a storm. Their duel tore the void into chaos. Without the True Immortal pirate leader’s interference, the Spirit Ark accelerated again. Though there were still star pirates on its tail, its reinforced barrier, supported by over 20 cultivators of the Tongyou Institution, no longer risked collapse. The crucial moment had been Tian Mengzi’s sudden strike. He was also a second tier True Immortal. His intervention not only stalled the enemy but also deeply intimidated the pursuing ships. Though the duel’s turbulence muddied the void, muffling its details, occasional shouts revealed enough for the pirates to realize their leader was not gaining the upper hand. This dread seeped into the crews of the two chasing ships, their pursuit slowing as dthe istance from the Spirit Ark widened. Sure enough, after only a few dozen exchanges... Or fewer... The screech metal pierced the air, and a dim light fled the battle, retreating in disgrace to one of the medium Star Ships. The void gradually calmed as Tian Mengzi reappeared. He was victorious, yet his expression was grave as he returned to the Spirit Ark. Just as the cultivators of the Tongyou Institution were about to ask him what troubled him, he spoke first. "The enemy’s main fleet has already arrived. I fear we are surrounded.”