Fool, Throw Out "the Seventh"!

With a human Battle God's salute, Du Chen clasped his hands across his chest and asked aloud, "The one trapped within your sea cordon, is he Prince Arthur of Renault!?"

The Sea-race Battle God smiled coldly. "Regardless of who we've encircled, it seems to have no bearing on your esteemed self. Please depart swiftly, or else, our Sea-race's sacred artifacts will show no mercy!" His gaze swept past Du Chen, fixing disdainfully on Deboning.

*You may be truly powerful, but what can you do in the boundless ocean? If you choose to fight, we will naturally execute you on the spot. If we cannot defeat you, we can retreat into the deep abyss of the sea. No matter how strong you are, can you contend with our billions of Sea-race in the deep sea!? Hmph, even if you force this detachment to retreat, our Sea-race can, in an instant, gather ten, even a hundred times more forces to hunt you down! With this territorial advantage, even the dragons of Mount Miglio would have to respectfully sheathe their Dragon's Might in the ocean!*

Du Chen, instead of retreating, advanced. Stepping on a lotus, he arrived before the Sea-race Battle God, rubbing his nose with a slight smile. "What? Since when did the esteemed Sea-race become all bark and no bite?"

The fin-backed Sea-race Battle God, assigned to blockade the outer battlefield, was no fool. He subtly sensed something was amiss with Du Chen's attitude. He gripped his halberd across his chest and stated coldly, "Hmph, what if I admit that the one we've encircled is Prince Arthur of Renault? The name of the Lionheart King does not intimidate our Sea-race!" He threw his head back and laughed. "Ha, lions can only be formidable on land; in the sea, they must bow their heads to our Sea-race! In the East Sea Great War, we already taught that old lion a sufficient lesson! Hmph!"

He suddenly raised his halberd high, and the sharks behind him thrashed their giant tails, splashing water with continuous booming sounds. For a moment, the Sea-race's might was fully displayed!

The Sea-race Battle God slowly lowered his arm, holding his halberd level, locking onto Du Chen. He spoke no more, only met Du Chen's gaze with cold eyes. The demonstration was over. To fight or to reconcile, it was now up to Du Chen's immediate decision!

"Since it really is Arthur's matter, then it's easy to discuss! You should have said so earlier!" Du Chen suddenly shrugged, spread his hands, and the lotus slowly retreated.

The Sea-race Battle God felt a wave of relief. He smiled faintly. "Your Excellency knows how to adapt to the situation, very good. If you ever encounter trouble in the vast sea in the future, just mention my name..."

Before he could finish, Du Chen's lotus platform suddenly surged forward. A flash of sword light, *Vanishing Snow*'s blade, shot out like a silver-white ribbon mingled with icy flakes, speeding towards the Battle God's throat.

"You seek death! A mere Battle-Warrior dares to contend with my Six-tier Battle God might!? Overestimating yourself!" The Sea-race Battle God roared furiously. He spun his halberd, its blade slashing upwards from below, aiming for Du Chen's wrist, intending to cripple his sword-wielding arm in a single move.

The lotus platform shifted sideways, and Du Chen twisted to evade the halberd. Amidst the blur of his hands, *Vanishing Snow* had already transferred to his left hand. He fixed his gaze on the Sea-race Battle God's eyes, a contemptuous smile gracing his lips. His empty right hand subtly gestured towards the Sea-race Battle God...

The Sea-race Battle God paid Du Chen no mind at all. While clashing, he continued to bellow, "Shark Wing Formation, attack that black-robed..." Before he could finish, golden light erupted, blood splattered. *Pfft!* Amidst the crimson spray, the Sea-race Battle God fell backward, a jet of blood shooting from his throat, dazzling in the air like New Year's fireworks.

Amidst a humming sound, Du Chen smiled coldly. With his index and middle fingers, he caught "the Sixth," which had spun back to him – the one capable of both saving lives with Holy Light and slaying with its rotating sharp wings.

Though the Sea-race Battle God's throat was severed, his consciousness lingered. Lying on the back of a giant whale, he watched in horror as, almost the instant he fell, black mist billowed across the sea. The hundred-plus sharks seemed to be caught by an invisible giant hand, and with a gentle squeeze... their flesh and bones shattered, turning into a muddy pulp!

"You..." Miraculously, the Sea-race Battle God's windpipe was not in his throat, allowing him to utter his last words in this life, "You dare to oppose the Sea-race!?"

Du Chen had already plunged into the heart of the battlefield. Hearing the cry, he coldly retorted, "What is the Sea-race to me? Dare to touch my brothers, and even if they are gods, I will kill them without mercy!"

Having burst through the outer sea cordon, Du Chen became one with his lotus, transforming into a streak of brilliant light, dashing towards the core. From ahead, continuous shouts of battle mingled with the crashing waves. The closer he got to the core, the thicker the blood in the seawater became!

And in this bloody seawater, a layer of azure brilliance enveloped a thousand-meter-wide arena. This luminous shield was almost tangible; occasionally, flying corpses would crash into it, producing dull thuds. More shockingly, streaks of fierce blood would splash upon the brilliance, immediately losing their momentum and softly sliding down the luminous barrier.

This was the Sea-race's Water Condensation Light Shield, a barrier without a single flaw, preventing Du Chen's lotus platform, regardless of its size, from passing through.

Deboning stared at the luminous shield and the surging Sea-race army that had been alerted by the commotion. He sneered, "The Sea-race truly invested heavily this time, even deploying an Eight-tier war-grade light shield sacred artifact to cover the battlefield. But, what good is an Eight-tier one!?" With that, black light erupted from his wrist, a cold gleam surging. As Deboning lightly flicked his hand, the crescent-shaped Deboning's Iron Hook, stained with countless vengeful souls, shot out a black beam, tearing through the light shield as easily as a blade cuts paper.

Through the torn opening, Du Chen flashed inside. Deboning followed, instructing, "Young Master can only contend with a Six-tier Battle God right now. If you encounter a formidable foe, just focus on evading; leave the rest to me!"

In the battle arena enveloped by the luminous shield, twenty to thirty humans were besieged by the Sea-race at the core. They stood on shifting ice floes, desperately fending off the Sea-race's onslaught. Almost everyone was wounded, yet they fiercely protected a golden-haired youth at their center. One by one, people fell into the water due to attacks or severe injuries, staining the seawater with patches of blood. Following this, Sea-race soldiers tossed these floating corpses, which obstructed their formations, far away. The luminous shield, as if intelligent, offered no resistance to these bodies, allowing them to fly beyond its brilliance, becoming delicious treats for the cannibalistic Sea-race outside.

Another team of sappers was preparing to withdraw from the battlefield; they had already cleared all the wreckage of sunken ships and could now retreat having accomplished their mission.

Aside from these two teams of sappers, the thousand-meter-wide arena was filled with dense yet strategically arranged Sea-race formations. Most were powerful oceanic races like Shark, Octopus, and Python Clans. There were also some bizarrely shaped races Du Chen didn't recognize. But regardless of their origin, these Sea-race forces were filled with killing intent and maintained strict discipline! They were assaulting the human Battle Gods trapped in the center in phased, orderly waves.

These were only the forces visible on the surface. From the continuous jets of water shooting up from the sea, attacking the ice floes beneath the human Battle Gods, one could infer how many hidden Sea-race trump cards lurked in the vast ocean!

Just as Du Chen assessed the battlefield situation, two more Battle Gods near Arthur plunged into the seawater, never to surface again...

"Arthur!!" Du Chen roared, his voice sharp, and he charged forward.

Arthur should have recognized Du Chen's voice, but for some reason, he didn't respond. A Tiger-faced Shark Clan Battle God, commanding from the outer perimeter of the Sea-race formation, had already noticed something was amiss. He brandished his serrated saber, which was taller than a man, and bellowed, "An expert has joined the enemy! Order the Whale-Horse Venom Array to intercept them!"

At his command, ripples appeared in the seawater beneath Du Chen. Immediately after, streams of emerald-green liquid shot forth from the ocean depths. Each stream of green fluid had a large head and a long tail, like meteor chain hammers unleashed, viciously slamming towards Du Chen and Deboning.

"Attacking me with venom? A petty trick!" Du Chen sneered coldly. He casually flung out "the Fourth" Invisible Lotus Shield. *Pffft! Pffft! Pffft!* A series of dull thuds vibrated eardrums, but the venom seemed to have met its nemesis. Not only did it alter its malicious trajectory upon impact with the invisible shield, but with sizzling sounds, it even dissolved and vanished in the air.

Poison, much like The Undead, was an inverse application of Plant-element Battle Qi! Both were utterly suppressed by Du Chen!

Seeing Du Chen easily break through the venom array and approach Arthur and the others by over ten meters, the Sea-race General flew into a rage, bellowing, "Split forces! Third Legion, Fourth Legion, intercept them!"

From high above, two teams of tiger sharks repositioned their formations, each aligning into an array, resembling two complete man-eating pythons. They split, one rushing towards Du Chen, the other lunging at Deboning.

"Deboning, capture the leader!" Du Chen roared. The golden light around him suddenly contracted, the lotus platform shrinking to the size of a mosquito, circling left and right around the "giant python" formed by the tiger sharks. Deboning, however, did not evade at all. He transformed into a streak of black iron, like a blade, directly cleaving through the "giant python's" body, then swiftly darted towards the Sea-race General.

Charging through, he was unstoppable; all who stood in his way were cut down. Through streaks of blood, Deboning closed in on the Sea-race General!

"He's actually a Nine-star Battle God!? Harling, my Divine Pet! Stop him!" Hundreds of Sea-race warriors at the center of the formation couldn't delay Deboning for even a step. The Sea-race General was utterly aghast. He swung his saber, and a small, whale-like tiger shark leaped from the water, opening its maw. Its master also wielded his serrated saber, slashing upwards at Deboning.

*I am a peak Eight-tier Battle God, my Divine Pet is also a peak Eight-tier Aberrant Beast, and my sacred artifact is a rare treasure! With these, I should at least be able to withstand a few moves from a lone Nine-star Battle God, who seemingly lacks a Divine Pet and whose sacred artifact appears ordinary!*

On the other side, Du Chen's lotus platform had shrunk, but reality told him that before elite troops and true experts, simply changing size wouldn't offer much advantage.

The team of tiger sharks, unable to harm the miniaturized Du Chen, suddenly converged. The "giant python" transformed into a "vicious octopus," and then a cloud-like mist of water condensed above their heads, *poof!* spraying skyward — a large-scale destructive attack!

Though the Lotus Shield was before him, the immense impact force still churned Du Chen's insides, and he nearly vomited a mouthful of blood.

But this was just the beginning. The water mist, after impacting the Lotus Shield, continued its relentless advance, pressing against the shield, forcing Du Chen to retreat step by step. Even the lotus platform beneath his feet almost became uncontrollable!

"Holy Light!" Du Chen grimly held the shield. "the Sixth," clinging to his back, emitted waves of golden light, rapidly healing Du Chen's damaged internal organs.

*Damn it, is this what real combat feels like!? Though I've been through several major battles before, I've rarely had the experience of facing an enemy head-on. Only today have I truly witnessed what war is, what slaughter is!*

*And this is just a single regular Sea-race troop, barely over a hundred tiger sharks, with a combined strength at most at the peak of Six-tier! If an army of thousands were to assault...* Du Chen dared not imagine!

"Impact Wave!" someone roared from the tiger shark formation. Following this, the large-area water mist pressing against Du Chen's shield began to vibrate. With each vibration, the Lotus Shield was forced back a step, and the mist grew larger, threatening to completely engulf Du Chen.

*Damn it, Deboning, be faster!*

Du Chen shouted internally. But just then, the voice of the old monk chanting scriptures in his mind suddenly became clear, "A flower, a world... Fool, throw out 'the Seventh'!"

Du Chen was startled, but he had no time to ponder. Lotus Internal Force, combined with Primordial Spirit Power, surged madly into "the Seventh" attached to his wrist – that small, mirror-like object!

Suddenly, "the Seventh" detached from his body, growing larger and larger, until it stood like a hundred-meter wall behind Du Chen. Immediately after, the colossal mirror surged forward, passing through Du Chen and the Lotus Shield without warning, facing the vibrating water mist from the tiger shark formation alone...

The water mist naturally devoured "the Seventh" without mercy. However, the vanguard of the mist, upon impacting "the Seventh," immediately reversed direction. Regardless of friend or foe, it scattered wildly in all directions. Instantly, the Sea-race formations, unprepared for friendly fire, were struck head-on by this reflected mist. The previously impregnable, orderly formation immediately fell into considerable disarray!

"Damn it, has the Third Legion eaten too many coral reefs? Why are they attacking us!?" someone cursed loudly, and the leader of the tiger shark formation was also stunned.

"Damn it, I should have realized it sooner! A mirror... isn't it for reflection!? Could it be a 'Crystal Wall'? Attacking a 'Crystal Wall' is like attacking yourself in a mirror; all attack power will bounce back! This is amazing!" Du Chen fiercely slapped his head, then chuckled. "the Sixth" whirred out, harvesting the lives of his opponents amidst the tiger shark team's panic!

On the other side, Deboning, seeing Du Chen in a tight spot, held nothing back. His peak Nine-tier battle qi surged, aiming to defeat the enemy in a single blow!

The Eight-tier shark Aberrant Beast lunged, its maw gaping. Deboning's Iron Hook swept across, splitting it in half along its jaws with a single strike. Amidst the blood, Deboning sharply twisted his body, evading the pouncing Sea-race General with an unnatural movement. Then, he casually extended one arm, grabbing the Sea-race General's right arm before it could slow its momentum. With a sudden surge of force, *crack!* he fractured the thick arm.

"Aargh!!" The Sea-race General screamed incessantly. But at that moment, Deboning scooped up the fallen serrated saber sacred artifact with one hand, and with the other, hooked his iron hook onto the Sea-race General's neck, growling coldly, "Everyone stop!"

The smoothness was unexpected. The Sea-race's war machines all halted. The battlefield, moments ago filled with shouts of killing, became much quieter. Only a few Sea-race soldiers whispered, and a few teams slowly re-formed their ranks. However, viewed from above, the entire sea area had completely returned to calm.

In the distance, Du Chen sighed in relief, retracted all his Lotus Sacred Artifacts, and flashed to Deboning's side.

The Sea-race General was brought onto the lotus platform by Deboning. After his initial terror, he stared coldly at Deboning. "That move you just used, was it the Natural Primeval Soul realm?"

Deboning smiled proudly, not answering, but the answer was self-evident!

"To be able to charge through a military formation unobstructed and capture me, a peak Eight-tier Battle God, alive, one would need at least the realm of Natural Primeval Soul! Very well, to be defeated by your hands, I, Ged, am truly convinced!"

Ged's cold eyes swept over the battlefield situation, then he asked, "What is Your Excellency's Titled Battle God designation!?"

Deboning's expression suddenly darkened, but his mask concealed it. "I have no designation!"

Ged burst into laughter, seemingly unconcerned with his own life, and mocked, "Your Excellency is deluding yourself. In the Three Continents today, those who can achieve Twin Souls Unification and cultivate a Natural Primeval Soul are few and far between. This is not the Age of Fallen Gods and Heroes; possessing a Natural Primeval Soul is enough to earn a designation! Zigurd is an example! Your Excellency... hmph, since you have the courage to charge into an army formation to save someone, why lack the courage to reveal your designation!? Ugh!"

Deboning tightened his grip, cutting through a layer of skin on Ged's neck. Blood flowed.

But Ged still said, "Though I, Ged, may lack strength, these eyes will never be mistaken. Your Excellency's technique just now was absolutely at the Natural Primeval Soul realm... or even higher! Could it be that you are..." His eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily, "How fortunate am I, Ged, to meet... which of the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams is Your Excellency?!"

"He could be one of the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams, famed throughout the world in the past!?" Immediately, the expressions of several Sea-race Battle Gods who had stepped forward to attempt a rescue changed. They were all quite old, while the younger Battle Gods showed little reaction.

"Enough nonsense!" Deboning snapped, a hint of indignation in his voice. "Does the Sea-race sit at the bottom of a well, knowing only the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams!? Hmph, there are countless Eminences on land; how could you possibly know them all!?"

Ged's face flushed from Deboning's words. Just then, Du Chen piloted the eastern lotus platform above Arthur and the others. Du Chen looked down and saw that Arthur had fainted at some point. Four gold-armored Battle Gods stood around him, protecting him, while the surrounding Battle Gods were all wounded. Perhaps if he had arrived any later, they would not have been able to hold on!

With Arthur unconscious, Leonardo was not among the guards, and naturally, none of these Battle Gods recognized Du Chen. It was even less possible for them to discern who had saved them from Du Chen's masked figure.

However, the person before them had bravely risked danger to rescue the Prince and was immensely powerful. Being by their side was hundreds of times better than being surrounded by the Sea-race army. Therefore, at Du Chen's beckoning, these Battle Gods carried Arthur onto the enlarged lotus platform!

One of the four gold-armored Battle Gods protecting Arthur stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Many thanks for your rescue, His Majesty Emperor Alonso of Renault will surely repay your immense kindness another day!"

Du Chen waved his hand. "How is Arthur!?"

"The Prince fainted during an impact; he should be fine!"

"That's good. Those with minor injuries, attend to Arthur! Those with serious injuries, recover near my Heart-Protecting Mirror!" Du Chen backhanded *Vanishing Snow* to Ged's neck as well, smiling. "Would this General trouble us by taking us to the Battle God Isle sea area?"

Ged glanced at Du Chen. "Your sacred artifact is strange, but interesting!"

Du Chen chuckled, pushing the longsword in by three points. "What? Memorized the look of my sacred artifact, hoping to seek revenge later!? Heh! Listen up, all of you! If you don't want this General to have his throat cut, then clear the way!" He lightly flicked Ged's long beard near his mouth. "Let's go! If your subordinates don't remove the light shield, I'll cut off your left hand. If they don't clear the way, I'll cut off your right leg..."

The lotus slowly carried them out of this sea area. The Water Condensation Light Shield dissipated, and the Sea-race formations made way, but they still followed closely behind Du Chen.

Du Chen did not order Ged to command his army not to follow, because it was meaningless — in the vast ocean, anywhere meant being under the surveillance of the Sea-race. Even if these current Sea-race forces dispersed, there would undoubtedly be more armies hidden beneath the waves!

Having flown out of the encirclement, Du Chen abruptly accelerated, the lotus platform streaking like lightning towards the sea area of Battle God Isle.

On the surface, only a few figures resembling generals followed, but from the churning seawater, it was clear that an unknown number of Sea-race armies had gathered in the ocean. And from time to time, one or two flying fish streaked across the sky, while strange seabirds circled with cawing sounds. Don't assume the Sea-race has no way to deal with airborne opponents; there are winged Sea-race within the Battle God World who can fight in the sky, and High-level Battle Gods of the Sea-race can also fly!

Therefore, flying high and escaping from the sky was pointless at this moment!

A hundred miles of sea journey, even at the lotus's speed, would take half an hour. While piloting the lotus, Du Chen interrogated Ged, "General, I think you'll be interested in telling me why your Sea-race attacked Prince Arthur? Hehe, for your right hand, you know!"

Ged was surprisingly direct, which Du Chen found somewhat admirable. "Someone paid a hefty price for us to do it, a price so high my Royal Father couldn't refuse, so I managed to secure this mission! But I will never reveal the buyer's identity, even if you kill me!" He lifted his head proudly, leaning his neck towards the blade of the longsword in Du Chen's hand!

"Your Royal Father? So you're a Sea-race Prince! I've really caught a big fish!" Du Chen looked at the turbulent undercurrents on the sea surface and chuckled, "This is the Palkin Sea, so which son are you of the King of Palkin Sea?"

Ged sneered, pursing his lips. "The King of Palkin Sea is merely a vassal of mine! Hmph, I am Ged Pailu, the youngest son of the King of the Great Triangle Sea!"

Du Chen rubbed his nose. Ged was not just a big fish; he was practically a whale! The Three Continents were separated by four seas, and the central part was the Great Triangle Sea. In other words, Prince Ged's father controlled a quarter of the world's Sea-race, perhaps even more!

Changing his train of thought, Du Chen suddenly realized that Ged was actually quite clever. Usually, a high-level hostage, when captured, most feared the captors knowing their identity, as this would significantly increase both the difficulty of rescue and the ransom amount. But Ged had openly declared his identity; his true intention was probably to subtly hint: *Your captive's father controls a quarter of the world's Sea-race, commands millions of troops, and has connections with prominent figures across the Three Continents! So, name any price you want, we Sea-race have plenty of pearls and jade. However, to avoid brutal retaliation in the future, it's best you don't kill me!*

*Then, next, this fellow should say, 'As long as you release me, I'm willing to pay X amount of ransom, and I swear not to pursue this matter...'

*

Du Chen smiled.

After revealing his true identity, Ged stopped engaging Du Chen, instead becoming more interested in Deboning. Perhaps he believed that the powerful Deboning was the true mastermind behind this rescue operation! However, his words indeed followed the pattern Du Chen had anticipated: "Your Excellency, I have fallen into your hands. This deal certainly won't be completed. Why don't you tell me your Titled Battle God designation, and we can become friends! I, as a Prince of the Great Triangle Sea, publicly swear a Battle God Oath never to pursue today's events!"

Deboning felt annoyed and displeased. "I've told you, I genuinely have no designation! Boy, you're talking too much! Don't make me kill you!"

Ged relentlessly pressed on, "With your strength, you must have been a Titled Battle God famed throughout the world in the past. Why are you afraid to reveal your name? Fine, if you still don't believe me, I will now, on the spot, swear in the name of the Sea-race ancestors that if you tell me your designation and release me, not only will I not pursue today's events, but the Great Triangle Sea will also treat you as an honored guest in the future!"

With that, he truly made a venomous oath. And Battle God Oaths were not like those in Du Chen's previous life — where oaths were as worthless as a fart. Here, once a Battle God Oath was broken, it was tantamount to betraying the Battle God's Path and would lead to scorn from all Battle Gods under heaven!

Having sworn, Ged smiled and pressed, "Now are you reassured? Can you tell me your designation?"

A strange feeling suddenly arose in Du Chen's heart. Ged's words seemed to have gone beyond his expectations. In Du Chen's view, in this situation, Ged should first be thinking about how to save his own life; his previous words had all conveyed that intent. But now, why was Ged relentlessly asking about Deboning's designation!?

*A hostage asking the captor's identity... Is this kid tired of living, playing with his life to provoke the captor!?*

Du Chen scrutinized Ged from head to toe, thinking, *He doesn't look like such a stupid person!*

But Ged said again, "Esteemed Titled Battle God, look, I've sworn an oath, yet you still refuse to reveal your designation?"

Deboning's anger flared from the incessant questioning. He was a Saint who had to hide in the darkness his entire life, unable to see the light of day. Though his strength had long qualified him for a designation, his identity forbade him from attending the Consecration Ceremony at the Holy Church Temple!

No designation, no respect from the world! This was the tragedy of a peak Nine-star Battle God hiding in the shadows. And Ged constantly used this point to provoke Deboning. How could he not get angry!?

Suddenly, Deboning grabbed Ged's left wrist and twisted hard. *Crack!* Ged's left hand also fractured.

But Ged actually gritted his teeth and endured, mumbling, "To become a Titled Battle God, one must endure hardship! Esteemed Titled Battle God, could you teach me that move you just used? I'll trade a thousand pearls for it, what do you say?" Seeing Deboning's anger intensify, he quickly added, "A thousand pearls isn't enough? I have more! My Clam Clan subordinates produce pearls; you can have as many as you want!"

At this, both Du Chen and Deboning were a bit stunned. Deboning didn't know whether to laugh or cry. *Is this kid out of his mind!? His own life isn't even guaranteed, yet he's trying to make a business deal with his captor!? And even wants to learn the captor's Secret Art!?*

Du Chen suddenly understood Ged's mentality. This young prince was likely inexperienced in the ways of the world, naively believing that his father's reputation and wealth could save his life! And he worshipped strength... In his previous life's terms, he was a super fanboy!

Ged gave a sheepish smile. "You can't fool me; you must be one of the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams... Will you tell me, please!?"

Even Du Chen was getting a little unnerved by his incessant chatter, let alone Deboning!? Pushing his iron hook forward, Deboning was about to teach him another lesson when he suddenly gazed towards Battle God Isle in the distance and said coldly, "Don't you want to meet the Five Paramount Battle Gods of the Current Age? Here comes one, but..." A cold smile touched his lips. "What powerful killing intent. He's probably coming to kill you, chattering Ged!"