Wei Huan adjusted his combat status, and it was time for the battle to begin.
When the teleportation gate opened, the first one to be teleported out was Dot Mom. Wei Huan wanted Dot Mom to be upgraded to a Legendary-grade Hero, so he allowed her to devour all the recruited Burrow Beast Mothers. When he had time, he would also cultivate Dot Mom, hoping she could advance further. In the deep-sea world, there was no better Undead army than the Burrow Beast lineage. The only other good option would be the Two-Headed Phantom Demons that could "fly" underwater, but unfortunately, he only had 21 of them.
It was a shame that Dot Mom hadn't been upgraded before entering the highway assessment; she was still only an Epic-grade Hero. The number limit of Undead in the Great Tomb restricted Dot Mom's advancement. Unless he found a way to access other great tombs, Dot Mom could only rely on Wei Huan's slow cultivation, taking a long time before she might have a chance to break through.
Now, Dot Mom was summoned out. Although still an Epic-grade Hero, having devoured a large number of Subterranean Mothers meant her "ammunition" was plentiful. Countless Subterranean Mothers surged out from beneath her abdomen. After flying out, the Subterranean Mothers opened their abdomens and released Facehuggers. Finally, the Facehuggers formed a plague-like, terrifying horde that surged toward the Platinum-grade ruin like a white wave.
As expected, as soon as the Subterranean Beasts approached, the seaweeds seemed to come alive. Even the tattered leaves, which had been reduced to threads, tried to wrap around the Facehuggers. Some intact large leaves could easily grab two or three Facehuggers with a single curl. After trapping the Facehuggers, these leaves continuously exerted force, slowly twisting them until the Facehuggers were crushed. The Facehuggers disappeared and returned to their space to revive, and the leaves then reopened to wrap around the next targets. In an instant, one-third of the Undead army entering the ruin was lost.
However, as long as the enemy couldn't wipe out the entire Undead army instantly, this level of attack was not a problem for Wei Huan. Dot Mom continued to release Burrow Beast Mothers, who then released Facehuggers. The densely packed Facehuggers seemed to be food delivered right to the leaves. Although they were easily wrapped away, due to the sheer massive numbers, the Facehugger army continued to push deeper and deeper.
The entire surging process lasted a full ten minutes. The crew members from other war vehicles observing the battle were already numb. 'How many are there? Is it still not over?' Who could fight against that kind of power? 'Is the Gravekeeper sequence a bit too overpowered?' Of course, thinking about it from another angle, the Gravekeeper sequence being on the human side was always a good thing.
---
But they didn't know that all of this was merely the ability of the Facehugger branch. Apart from summoning Dot Mom, Wei Huan hadn't expended any additional Ethereal Power yet.
However, after ten minutes, estimating that enough Facehuggers had entered deeply enough, the ten open teleportation gates on both sides of Wei Huan's war vehicle finally saw Undead emerging. A group of extremely powerful melee Crusaders leaped out of the gates, jumping onto the backs of the Facehuggers waiting at the entrance, as if mounting flying motorcycles.
"Cool!" The eyes of the allied forces who saw this lit up, and they drooled with admiration. The key wasn't the combat power of this maneuver, but the action of Crusaders riding Facehuggers—it was a combination move in their eyes, and a very handsome one at that. Imagine riding a Facehugger and flying underwater—how spectacular would that be?
"Why only summon Crusaders? Aren't the crew members fighting?" Someone asked, confused.
Someone with more knowledge explained, "Wei Huan's summons include teleportation abilities. You know the Kobolds, right? They have the ability to teleport. In this kind of battle, as long as a Kobold is sent in, the main combat personnel on the vehicle can teleport directly, minimizing risk."
"I feel like if that's the case, I could do it too."
"Heh, you should aim to be reborn in Daxia in your next life."
"I see people from other countries on Wei Huan's vehicle too."
"Would you be a 'bootlicker'? Or take Yake, for example. I heard he was invited only after repeated pleading, and Yake owes Wei Huan a huge favor."
"Uh, being a bootlicker isn't entirely out of the question..."
Joking aside, the tactic of Crusaders riding Facehuggers, using their massive numbers to stack up and protect the true target at the center, was still eye-catching. The number of Crusaders was too great, and they actively attacked the seaweed leaves along the way. The scene was momentarily chaotic, and the situation inside couldn't be seen with the naked eye. But everyone knew that there must be a Kobold in the middle of these huge numbers of Undead. Wei Huan's core strategy wasn't hard to guess, and he had no intention of hiding it. The battle usually ended completely after the Kobold was delivered.
This time was no exception. Under the heavy protection of the Undead army, the Kobold penetrated deep into the center of the ruin. Along with it, a squad of Demon Eye Lords concealed in the middle also entered. They were Wei Huan's eyes, and only with them inside could Wei Huan see the situation within.
One of Wei Huan's eyes ignited green, gazing into the unknown ahead. His other eye suddenly blinked, then narrowed dangerously. He had been inside for ten minutes and hadn't found the ruin's treasure chest. Without opening the chest, he couldn't get supplies or kill the monster, meaning the ruin wouldn't be considered cleared. If he didn't clear it, even if he passed directly through to the final teleportation gate, he wouldn't receive the system's reward; it would only count as an assessment passed by leaving at the 80% line.
After confirming that the chests weren't above ground, Wei Huan decisively focused on the seabed's gray-white silt. He commanded the Undead army to start digging downwards.
Sand and mud churned, limiting Wei Huan's vision, but he could feel the speed of Undead deaths accelerating. Were there attacks underground too? Wei Huan ordered the Undead to protect his sight and push downward. In that gray-white chaos, a thick root indeed broke through the water curtain and lashed out.
The Crusaders rushed up, trying to block the root, but black shadows moved even faster. In another moment, the root, which was over ten meters long, was easily torn into sections by three Two-Headed Phantom Demons. Wei Huan's melee damage output had finally increased. The Two-Headed Phantom Demons had replaced the Crusaders as the melee trump card. Unfortunately, their numbers were insufficient now to form a true fighting force, limiting them to small-scale battles like this. But Wei Huan was already anticipating the moment when the Two-Headed Phantom Demon army was formed and unleashed its power on a major battlefield.
With the Two-Headed Phantom Demons in action, the Crusaders were rendered secondary. The 21 Two-Headed Phantom Demons split into four groups, guarding Wei Huan's sight. Their powerful combat strength often allowed them to detect attacks before the Crusaders could, and their rapid movement and attacks meant that any root from the ruin that tried to get close was discovered and killed by the Phantom Demons first.
The Undead army dug underground, pushing down over 300 meters—a massive undertaking. Everyone saw Wei Huan's Undead continuously surging into the ruin but never received the command to participate in the battle themselves. These war vehicles all had a standby Large Kobold. If reinforcement was needed, they could also teleport through the Kobold. Furthermore, they could actually teleport directly between different vehicles using a Kobold, but no one had used this ability yet. Ten days of adventure, and operating as separate vehicles, meant that trust was built very slowly. This was why Wei Huan believed humanity 'must' plant the World Tree in the Tier 6 world.
With no combat mission, everyone could only wait anxiously. Fortunately, this waiting was justified.
When Wei Huan's Undead army had dug over 300 meters deep underground, the others finally realized that pushing only against the sea leaves on the surface wouldn't be enough for the external war vehicles; they had to fight underground to be safe. 'As expected of a Platinum monster in a high-tier world; the ruin itself is already extremely dangerous, and they haven't even seen the treasure chest yet...'
Just as he was thinking this, Wei Huan heard Mu Zhong shout, "It's out!"
Wei Huan paid attention briefly. The screen showed they had just opened a Silver Chest. The Silver Chest opened, and a Lion-Scorpion Beast jumped out, was surrounded and hammered by the Undead, and quickly fell silent. The supplies displayed on the screen were not marked as bound. Silver Chests in the Tier 6 world couldn't be ignored; their high attributes meant they were almost like a small Gold-grade item. After all, Gold Chests were certainly rarer than Silver ones, and the non-combat crew members on the vehicle were still wearing Silver sets. Moreover, these small Gold-grade equipment pieces were very popular among the allied vehicles. They were cheap to sell and had good attributes, making them preferred purchases.
Opening the first Silver Chest meant Wei Huan's direction was correct. Within two minutes, another Silver Chest was opened. By the time the third Silver Chest was opened, Wei Huan had dug nearly 500 meters deep underground. It was fortunate that he had a massive number of Undead. Finding a treasure chest so deep and over such a large area underground was harder than navigating a maze.
Wei Huan thought that a chest dug out from 500 meters deep should be Gold-grade. Who knew that when another chest was opened, what appeared before everyone was clearly Platinum-grade? Had they found the ultimate treasure already?
---
However, Wei Huan quickly realized that the difficulty at 500 meters deep was already immense. Only he could find it this quickly; any other profession might drill for an entire day and night underground and still not find it. Moreover, these roots attacked, ambushed, and obstructed Challengers, making the difficulty extremely high.
Wei Huan commanded the Undead to change direction, protecting his vision as they rushed forward, finally arriving at the area where the Undead were dying in large numbers in the shortest amount of time. In the gray seawater, Wei Huan saw a pair of huge, scarlet eyes, much larger than a person's, opening and closing with extreme malevolence.
Then, the monster seemed to detect Wei Huan's presence and attacked, a powerfully unmatched stream of water, like a giant sword, slashing over. This kind of destructive force reminded Wei Huan of the "Angel's Spear." It was a powerful magical attack. The surrounding spiritual energy was heavily mobilized and then condensed. The Two-Headed Phantom Demons blocking the front were killed one after another, horribly mutilated and torn apart. But there were too many Undead blocking Wei Huan, swarming forward like ants. The stream of water continued for about a hundred meters, finally losing power and completely dissipating.
But the giant beast didn't stop attacking Wei Huan. It slammed through the white, chaotic water wall, opening a massive, sky-swallowing mouth, and bit down. It was at this moment that Wei Huan finally saw what the monster was: a serpent.
A serpent with a triangular head that was as large as a 30-meter-tall building just at the skull. Its body was black and red, its triangular mouth held fangs over ten meters long, and it had a pair of long horns on its head and dense whiskers on its lower jaw, looking as if it were about to transform into a dragon.
The seemingly simplest attack, just tearing at Wei Huan with its mouth, made Wei Huan feel a trace of the power of law. There was also an undeniable sense of fear. This fear stemmed from the suppression of life hierarchy and the depth of mastery of law. Its life grade was higher than Wei Huan's. That's why Wei Huan felt fear towards it, developing the urge to turn and flee.
'It's too big. Is it a demonic beast from ancient wilderness? Or a legendary overlord of the ocean? Its eyes are like an abyss, capable of swallowing souls...'
Wei Huan blinked, shaking off the random thoughts that had spontaneously popped into his head, easily overcoming the fear. This came from his absolute self-confidence. 'But I can do it. What about others? Everyone is Sequence 5. Facing this behemoth, everyone will be affected to some degree, right?'
Wei Huan made a decision immediately. He pressed the communication button and said, "Xu Qingqiang, you are taking your people out."
"Yes." Xu Qingqiang's voice rang out. In the brief single word, there was an excitement he couldn't suppress. The Criminal Sequence were all battle maniacs, a group of guys who didn't know the meaning of fear when killing. If this were a game, these Criminal Sequences would be a group of Berserkers, naturally immune to fear. They could take the lead in this battle.
As Wei Huan's words fell, Xu Qingqiang already appeared in his line of sight. Seeing the huge serpent head lunging at them, the demonized Xu Qingqiang let out a perverse, excited laugh: "Hehehe..." He lunged forward without a moment's hesitation. Following closely behind, one demon after another surged out, rushing toward the Platinum-grade giant sea serpent.
The Criminal Sequence was indeed the most suitable for offensive assaults. They were fearless and reckless in battle, ignoring death. Crucially, their combat power was astonishing, and they all possessed some ability to regenerate health through devouring. Of course, Xu Qingqiang's regeneration ability was exceptionally strong. If he ate aggressively, he could even negate the negative effects of the Bloodlust. Others might be true heroes for three minutes; he could be a true hero forever.
Upon entry, he shimmered with a Bloodlust red light, like a guiding beacon in the dark, chaotic seabed. He was also like a spearhead, his attack like a dragon's thrust. Facing the sea serpent's sky-swallowing maw, he charged forward instead of retreating, smashing right into the serpent's head, aiming a fierce claw strike at its mouth. The damage was truly astonishing, digging out a huge bloody gash.
Wei Huan was worried that Xu Qingqiang was too reckless, after all, this was a Platinum monster from the Tier 6 world, and he hastily ordered the Undead army to follow. His prediction was correct. The sea serpent, injured, suddenly went berserk and began madly biting. Some Criminal Sequence members with slow reactions were almost bitten by the giant serpent, but the Undead army appeared at the crucial moment, filling the giant serpent's mouth directly, preventing the criminals from facing mortal danger.
But it was, after all, a Platinum-grade serpent. Relying only on the Criminal Sequence was definitely not enough. Within ten seconds, Team Xue and others also received the command to engage.
However, as Wei Huan issued the command, he had already put one foot into the mouth of the Small Kobold. The battle line was stretched too far; he had to go to the front line, otherwise, the replenishment couldn't keep up with the consumption.
Teleporting through the Kobold, Wei Huan appeared on the battlefield almost immediately, right alongside Team Xue. The two sides cooperated seamlessly. The moment Team Xue saw Wei Huan, he swam to the front and blocked Wei Huan. Immediately after, Captain Wang Ming, Liu Xiaotian, Hammer, and others who arrived via teleportation also protected Wei Huan the moment they arrived.
But Wei Huan's movements were faster. Upon arriving on the scene, without checking the surroundings, the ten teleportation gates swiftly opened behind him, having advanced to Sequence 5. Then, all the Undead waiting in the Great Tomb surged out.
Simultaneously, a black shadow came to Wei Huan's side and drilled into his body...
"Captain!"
"Careful!"
As this was the first time using the Mindsleuth Beast attachment, others didn't know this was one of Wei Huan's abilities. Seeing this unknown situation, everyone rushed over anxiously. Unfortunately, they were a step too late, watching helplessly as the ominous black shadow merged into Wei Huan's body.
It was only then that Wei Huan realized what he had forgotten. He raised his hand to stop others from approaching, focusing on the still-awkward attachment. As the Mindsleuth Beast completed its attachment, a thick, rich black smoke streamed out from Wei Huan's body in tendrils. It formed an effect around his body, like black flames from hell.
The maximum Ethereal Power increased by 10\%. Various attributes increased by 0.5\%. The degree of control over the Undead was slightly higher, specifically reflected in a 1\% reduction in the cost of resurrecting the Undead army.
This increase was huge in Wei Huan's view, and what he liked most was the ability's potential for growth. As long as he continued to cultivate this Mindsleuth Beast, when it evolved and became stronger, the gains he received upon attachment would also increase. Wei Huan was satisfied with this change in himself.
Signaling that he was fine, he looked back at the battlefield. Newly summoned Undead had entered the fight, completing the replenishment. The pressure on Xu Qingqiang and the others eased, and the situation was slowly starting to reverse. Now, killing this Platinum-grade sea serpent was just a matter of time.
Leaving the resurrected Two-Headed Phantom Demons to guard the area around him, Wei Huan, standing on a 300-meter-tall Subterranean Mother Beast, was shrouded in black smoke, with endless Undead surging out from the ten gates behind him. This sight further shocked and awed Team Xue and the others. 'He looks just like a Demon God, terrifying!'
The sea of Undead surged toward the giant sea serpent. They were fearless and undaunted. Even as they fell one after another, they could not be stopped from their conquering march. Under this offensive, the giant sea serpent retreated bit by bit, backing up, backing up, backing up...
Finally, some of the allied vehicle captains couldn't resist sending people through the Small Kobold to the front line of the battle. What they saw was this scene: the man standing on the huge Subterranean Mother Beast, shrouded in black flames like those of hell, leading his Undead and warriors, relentlessly pounding the giant serpent.
Such a massive serpent, ferociously aggressive and imposing a life-grade suppression, was still no match for Wei Huan. It finally let out a whimper and slumped down for the first time. Observant people noticed that the serpent's body beneath its skin looked gnawed away, sections of it deflated. In occasional breaks in the skin, Criminal Sequence members or Facehuggers periodically drilled in and out. This feeling of being consumed from the inside made people's scalps tingle, brutal yet satisfying.
Blocking the serpent's head were a group of Martial Kings. Although they were only Sequence 5, they were well-fed and well-equipped on Wei Huan's vehicle, and aided by the World Tree sapling's cultivation support, they were as robust as blood-cattle. If they were merely maneuvering rather than attempting a risky kill, forcing this giant serpent back was not difficult at all. Especially one of the Martial Kings—for some reason, the giant serpent kept targeting him. The more pain it felt, the more it chased and bit him. But this guy was truly tough. The giant serpent's teeth and head had struck him several times. Besides knocking him around and forcing him into a desperate retreat, he sustained no major injuries.
Another Martial King was already standing on top of the giant serpent's head, relentlessly chipping away at the serpent's forehead with an axe as large as a door panel. The giant serpent, either unable to feel pain there or continually distracted by the battered Martial King, completely ignored him, allowing its head to be battered and bloodied, the skull dented with gashes.
These two were, naturally, Team Xue, with his innate taunt physique, and Hammer, with his innate background character status. One was wearing Platinum and Diamond-grade equipment, and the other wielded a Diamond-grade axe. One tanked, the other dealt damage—the threat and output were perfectly stable.
Then there were the newly joined Captain Wang Ming, Liu Xiaotian, and others. They had long been followers of Mu Dehao, some of them "big brothers" who had watched Mu Zhong grow up. After the Challenger World descended, Mu Dehao arranged for people to visit hidden masters in famous mountains and utilize global combat and tactical training to cultivate them. Each was skilled at damage output and damage resistance, possessing keen perception, flexibility, and extremely high tactical literacy. Surrounding the serpent's head, they output damage precisely, yet perfectly avoiding attracting the serpent's threat.
In this brief period, they had already rendered the serpent's head unrecognizable, looking somewhat pitiful.
Of course, the truly fatal threat was inside the serpent's body. Xu Qingqiang, with over thirty of the strongest Criminal Sequence members, aided by the Facehuggers, was close to hollowing out the giant serpent.
With this internal and external cooperation, in less than half an hour, the huge sea serpent, which had convulsed, slumped, and then furiously struggled and fought back, finally whimpered, went limp, and completely stopped moving.
Watching the final victory of this battle, the allied forces, who had come under the guise of offering support but were actually there to observe, were all astonished by the flawless coordination. At first, they generally felt that Wei Huan's war vehicle was strong because of Wei Huan's endless supply of Undead. Now they realized that their strength lay in the fact that everyone had their own defined role and coordinated seamlessly. They didn't compete for glory or overstep boundaries, working together tightly like a single entity. How could such a war vehicle not be strong?
With the Platinum giant serpent dead, the remaining layer of skin and half of its body was quickly absorbed back by the Challenger World. Even if 40 Criminal Sequence members ate openly, they couldn't consume such a giant serpent. Fortunately, the Endless Prison still took custody of the huge sea serpent's soul, preventing the waste of a portion of the resource.
The Platinum monster's death but the ruin's continued existence meant that there were still treasure chests that hadn't been found. However, with the Undead army present, digging three feet deep, finding them was only a matter of time.
Wei Huan was "forced" back to the war vehicle by a group of people with pitiful expressions. Although he had planned to leave anyway, being forced back still felt a little annoying.
Teleporting out, he appeared directly in the combat conference room. Mu Zhong was there, and seeing his return, he said joyfully, "Wei Huan, did you see the drop? No? It dropped the Tier 7 shield blueprint!"
Now everything was perfect. He had gotten what he desired, and the adventure in the Tier 6 world would be much safer!