"Humans, you slaughtered my kin—hand over the murderer at once!"
Outside the star luo ship, a dense mass of gray-black whales emerged forward like storm clouds. One of them, a thirty-meter-long orca, opened its cavernous maw and spoke in human tongue.
"A single Evil Spirit Orca King and one Deep Sea Demon Whale King aren't nearly enough to make demands of us!"
Luan Hongchen shot out first; with a shake of his body the world seemed to roll, a tempest of metal-element spirit power rising to shield every side of the hull.
Han Tianyi and the rest had concealed their identities—he was the delegation's publicly recognized second strongest, so he had to step forward now.
Across the ocean the whale horde split into two kinds: the innumerable, smaller Evil Orcas, and the far larger but rarer Deep Sea Demon Whales, each group led by a hundred-thousand-year king.
Fighting at sea would weaken them somewhat, but he was confident he could handle these two monarchs alone.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King spoke, voice as cold as abyssal ice: "Humans, you've already ravaged the land Spirit Beasts; now you dare stretch your claws into the sea. The Sea Soul Beasts will not let you leave in safety."
Luan Hongchen laughed heartily; Three-Word Battle Armor sheathed his frame and his god-level mecha morphed into a shoulder-slung long-rifle aimed at the whales. "So we've a cow-whale queen as well. Try if you like—turn back now and you'll live. Otherwise this dean won't mind taking you down."
As his words fell, the star luo ship's human experts stepped forth: the Witch Douluo Li Mengjie, the Red-Dragon Douluo Turbid World and other Titled Douluo, together with A Ruheng, Wu Changkong, Qiangu Zhangting and more, all releasing their Three-Word Battle Armor and Spirits, ready for battle.
Whatever the cost, man and beast were foes; with Sea Soul Beasts at their door they had to stand ready.
"Then war it is!" The Evil Spirit Orca King's mountain-sized body rolled; the sea quaked and the sky shuddered as countless crimson blades of light burst outward in every direction.
Evil Orca innate Spirit Ability—Evil Orca Shattering Fang Slash!
Luan Hongchen forged hundreds of soul cannons from metal elements; a single thought sent waves of dazzling golden shells roaring out, obliterating the majority of those scarlet blades in thunderous blasts.
"And me!" Fearing for his ally, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King plunged his hundred-metre bulk beneath the waves; purple-gold light surged, turning into colossal pillars that blasted straight at the humans.
With both kings in action, the attendant Evil Orcas and Deep Sea Demon Whales erupted in frenzy, each unleashing its powers against the human defence line.
Li Mengjie and Turbid World, clad in Three-Word Battle Armor and equal to ninety-eighth-rank Super Douluo, took the lead, felling two titanic whales.
Splash!
A Ruheng's physique exploded outward, swelling into a hundred-metre giant. Gripping a red greatsword, he split the heavens with a single cleave, carving a fifty-thousand-year Evil Orca in two; the righteous might of the Son of the Sun was unstoppable.
"That young man's Aura is terrifying!"
Many Titled Douluo stared in shock; even Turbid World and Li Mengjie glanced sideways, secretly startled.
Li Mengjie thought, I've long heard Body Sect boasts two prodigies: second Disciple Feng Zaixing, an unrivalled heaven-chosen of his generation, and eldest Disciple A Ruheng, a dragon among men. If that blade fell on me, only a Divine Artifact could guarantee escape.
Turbid World sent sixteen fire-dragons racing out while sighing inwardly: Body Sect truly was once a peak Sect rivaling Shrek; I've tempered my blood half a lifetime, yet a junior has already caught up.
Had A Ruheng lacked that red mecha, Turbid World reckoned his superior spirit power and experience would let him win.
But a god-level mecha's boost was immense—no less than adding a top-tier Three-Word Battle Armor atop a battle-armored Genius. In the hands of a body-type Spirit Master it melded perfectly with innate abilities; how could one defend against that?
This double-armor tactic suited body Spirit Masters best—no wonder they were once Heaven's favourites.
Amid the fierce clash, Feng Zaixing streaked toward the battlefield in his mecha.
Sweeping his gaze, he spotted several whip-like objects rip the Void and lash straight at A Ruheng!
"Senior Brother, watch out!" Feng Zaixing roared; Spirit Domain Realm mental force traced the whips' source as his mecha shifted into a twelve-foot greatsword mid-air.
Both hands on the hilt, he slashed diagonally; a crimson-gold arc swept the sea, flinging up thirty-metre curtains of water as air exploded violently.
"Block!"
At the same moment Naer, hearing the cry, moved. Her silver dragon spear pierced space, yanking A Ruheng away as a brand-new red mecha burst out behind him.
ink jade divine bamboo piloted the red mecha into a five-metre round shield; red light surged outward, forming rings of hundred-metre light shields.
Clang!
The whip shattered three circles before Naer spirited A Ruheng away; Gu Yue's quick spatial shift relocated the pair and their mecha hundreds of metres distant.
"Thanks," A Ruheng said to Gu Yue, eyes narrowing toward where Feng Zaixing's sword had landed—spray bloomed like a dazzling sea-flower.
Whoosh—whoosh—
Two streaks tore through the air as Long Tianwu and Su Mengjun appeared, a thousand-metre Emperor Sword spanning the sky. Long Tianwu's brows were thunderous as he shouted at the attacking Vicious Beast: "Beast, your foes are us! We'd rather not ravage the ocean, but your life is not beyond our reach!"
"Oh? We Sea Soul Beasts stand united—test us if you dare."
The sea-flower dispersed, revealing the Vicious Beast rising into the air. Far off the sky turned brilliant blue as the sea lifted to swallow the heavens in a majestic vision.
The creature was human above the waist, its lower body twelve octopus-like tentacles hovering in the air.
"Deep-Sea Octopus Emperor? More than two hundred thousand years' cultivation," Feng Zaixing recognised the being he had glimpsed once two years ago, excitement flaring in his eyes.
Long Tianwu sneered: "Then let's test it!"
Clad in four-word battle armor, Long Tianwu raised his sword and slashed down with the Emperor Sword, severing one of the enemy's tentacles.
Caught off guard, the Deep-Sea Octopus Emperor lost an arm and shouted behind him, "Why aren't you coming out yet?!"
"I never expected these humans to include a Limit Douluo; I've been locked in a secret stand-off with him all this time," the Evil Spirit Orca King admitted.
Vast sheets of bubbles roiled as the bright blue sky suddenly turned blood-red, framing a colossal figure that seemed to return from a sea of blood; a nauseating stench of gore swept out.
At the sight of this creature, Long Tianwu's expression turned utterly grave—another Evil Spirit Orca King, its cultivation far above the octopus's, at least three or four hundred thousand years.
Evil Spirit Orca Kings are innately powerful, ferocious and bloodthirsty, known among Sea Soul Beasts as Evil Soul Masters; even Long Tianwu would find it hard to subdue such a Vicious Beast in the ocean.
"Mengjun, let's take him together!"
With the twin Emperor Swords combined, Long Tianwu glanced toward Feng Zaixing. "That octopus won't be easy; you all—"
A Ruheng grinned. "I happen to be missing a ninth spirit ring."
Feng Zaixing swept his sword, sending thousands of rainbow blades raining down on the Deep-Sea Octopus Emperor. "Its true strength only equals a level-ninety-eight Super Douluo; with home-field advantage and its Physical Body it can fight a Limit. Today, we kill it!"
Naer spun her spear with a smile as Yu Xin, Gu Yue, and Yuanen Yehui led the bewildered Xu Xiaoyan over; the message was clear.
"Good—he's yours!" Long Tianwu laughed, at ease leaving the Evil Spirit Orca King to them; the Federal Investigation Bureau's youngsters had long since proved their worth.
"Go!"
Feng Zaixing flicked his hand; seven spirit rings instantly rose, all disguised in dazzling gold. Sections of white-gold armor snapped into place, wings unfurled, sacred runes glowed, and a ten-meter white-gold halo blossomed beneath his feet.
The halo shifted color—white, then black—like a mystic Reincarnation. Feather motifs soared around the rim, complex crimson patterns filled the center, and at its heart stood a twelve-winged archangel, sketching the Laws of the planar space.
Armor condensed from the Void Realm; the plane trembled as a golden diadem descended. Majestic and solemn, Feng Zaixing's eyes blazed with boundless golden light that swept the sky.
A Spirit projection, a Domain halo—every sign declared his battle armor no longer Two-Word, but Three-Word.
A Ruheng likewise released his Three-Word Battle Armor; the two Senior Brothers streaked into battle, followed by the Investigation Bureau's prodigies in a vast, radiant tide.
"A Spirit Saint in Three-Word Battle Armor? How can his Cultivation speed be so fast?"
Qiangu Zhangting battered a Deep Sea Demon Whale aside with his staff when a terrifying Aura flashed past—Feng Zaixing!
The heir of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda's eyes reddened; he cursed silently. How could this half-dead guy Cultivate so fast—and find time to craft battle armor?
Li Mengjie exclaimed, "Void-shaping attuned to the plane—hallmarks of partial four-word battle armor. Did Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua personally forge his Spirit-refined metals?"
Turbid World said gravely, "His armor likely uses five or even six rare metals—maybe the legendary Gold-Water Interfusion; treasures like that are almost extinct.
Hearing this, Qiangu Zhangting burned with jealousy. A Divine Craftsman—he'd have to greet one reverently as Senior, yet none had accepted commissions in years!
"Stronger is fine—the flashier you are, the more people will want you dead!" Qiangu Zhangting consoled himself.
Tang Wulin stayed aboard the ship, integrating the Spirit Transfer Pagoda's Blue Silver King spirit soul; his Spirit quality improved, though still far from Blue Silver Emperor.
He gazed from the prow at Feng Zaixing in armor and sword, radiant as a Heavenly God, and sighed, "The gap keeps widening… will I ever become a Three-Word Battle Armor Master?"
Tang San's Divine Sense roared in his mind: You're a God King's son—what's a mere Three-Word Battle Armor Master? Aim for godhood!
Once Destruction was gone and his sister's mediocre talent left her only the Butterfly God Position, the God Position should naturally go to his son—Tang Wulin!
"After twenty millennia on Douluo Continent, these so-called battle armors are curiosities; last night's mysterious Aura likely originated with them," Tang San mused.
Watching Feng Zaixing and the others, Tang San's Divine Sense fumed: "These humans slaughter Sea Soul Beasts—bringing trouble—they all deserve death."
His gauze settled on Feng Zaixing. "Though most spurn me, this variable of the plane must be brought under my control.
BOOM!
The ocean battle raged; Feng Zaixing and A Ruheng drove the Deep-Sea Octopus Emperor back, blades whirling, lopping off tentacles.
"Damn it!" the Octopus Emperor roared, dark energy surging, its Aura skyrocketing.
"Fall!"
Feng Zaixing released the Holy Body Heaven Domain; all humans within gained thirty percent to every attribute, while Sea Soul Beasts lost thirty percent.
Born from the Angelic Domain, its sky-seal activated, pinning the Octopus Emperor in place.
Feng Zaixing struck with the Blazing Fire God-Sealing Sword and shouted back, "Xiaoyan, Senior Brother—now!"