Lord: I can see loyalty.

Vio had never seen this old man before, but at this moment, he knew perfectly well that the man was the former pirate king, Finn.

He was also the last pirate king of the Western Frontier.

Name: Finn Griffin

Race: Human

Age: 66

[Faction: Pirate King Finn]

Hobbies: Drinking tea, fishing at sea

【Characteristics: Apprentice Magic, Advanced Basic Swordsmanship】

Loyalty: Not loyal to you

Status: None

The panel looks very ordinary.

"An old man? In a place like this, could this guy be...?!"

The others quickly noticed the old man standing at the highest point of the ship, and they soon realized that the guy in front of them was definitely not some ordinary old man passing by.

Great Knight Alec watched the other's figure, silently placing his hand on the scabbard on his back, ready for battle.

He had only met Finn before, when he was a middle-aged pirate, but no ordinary one. He had single-handedly led his pirate crew to conquer half of the Western Territory.

"You are the Pirate King, Finn?" Vio asked calmly, his expression unchanged.

The old man at the highest point did not answer immediately, but simply looked at them quietly, letting the sea breeze blow his gray hair and tattered robe.

"The Pirate King?" The old man at the highest point finally spoke. He glanced at the four people below, seemingly confirming something, before answering.

His voice was hoarse and low, as if he hadn't spoken for a long time.

"I am indeed Finn, but what Pirate King... I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm just an ordinary old fisherman."

Vio merely sneered upon hearing this, his scrutinizing gaze fixed on Finn above him, before speaking: "An ordinary old fisherman? Then is this boat-like thing you've prepared intended for fishing?"

Finn did not answer Vio's question immediately again, but instead looked around at the four of them before finally settling on Vio.

"Count Vio Ross of the Southern Border."

Vio frowned slightly; the other person did recognize him as well. "You know who I am?"

"Your name is known throughout the Westerlands." Finn's gaze fell on the magic-feathered sword at his waist and the magic-feathered shield hanging beside him, then moved to Alec, and finally returned to Vio's face. "It wasn't easy for you to find this place."

This time, Vio didn't respond; he just stared at the seemingly frail old man.

"I don't want to start a fight," Finn continued. "Today is a good day to close the net. Come back another day. If you leave now, I'll pretend nothing happened."

Upon hearing the other party's words, Vio couldn't help but sneer, which made Jimmy and Gina behind him grip their sword hilts even tighter.

"You don't want to start a conflict today, so you'll come back another day? You mean you admit that you prepared this giant ship with ulterior motives?"

Finn remained silent for a moment, without answering.

A brief, eerie silence fell over the scene, so quiet that the sound of the sea breeze rustling through the leaves in the forest could be heard.

The next second, Vio moved.

At the speed of a third-order full power, only the Great Knight Alec reacted and glanced slightly in Vio's direction.

But he had barely caught a glimpse of Vio's afterimage when he vanished completely in the next instant.

Vio didn't hold back at all, and even skipped the action of drawing his sword. He simply touched the ground with his toes, and then his whole body shot straight towards the old man at the highest point of the ship like an arrow!

At the same time, Vio's knightly swordsmanship was unleashed instantly, the air within a radius of hundreds of meters suddenly distorted, the rubble on the ground trembled continuously, and the fallen dead leaves were swept up by the strong wind.

Vio had already calculated the distance; at his full speed, it would only take him less than a second to draw the old man into his knightly aura.

At that time, it would be impossible for an elderly man to dodge his attack while surrounded by his own knightly aura.

However, Finn, high above, made no move. He didn't even blink or show any expression; he simply watched the rapidly approaching figure.

In that instant, Vio's expression changed slightly. Within this range, the other party was clearly already enveloped in his knightly aura, yet he seemed completely unaffected.

But once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Vio simply accelerated with all his might, placing his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, and the Demon Feather Sword was immediately drawn.

Then he saw it.

Finn's lips curled up slightly; this guy didn't take his attack seriously at all!

Something is wrong!

Vio sensed something was wrong, but he didn't let his attention wander. Instead, he channeled his power into the Demon Feather Sword in his hand and thrust it toward Finn's head.

"Thump!"

A strange noise came, neither the sound of metal clashing nor the sound of something piercing flesh.

Vio's sword stopped in mid-air!

"This is……?!"

Jimmy and the Grand Knight were incredulous. They only saw Vio arrive in front of Finn in less than a few seconds, but the sword stopped right in front of him!

But Vio himself knew very well.

Something unseen blocked his sword in front of this old man!

Although Vio wasn't a magician, he was still capable of casting spells, and he could sense that what was blocking him was most likely magic.

Moreover, it wasn't ordinary defensive magic. Vio had seen the old mage Valentine cast defensive magic before, and it was never this colorless and formless.

Besides, ordinary defensive magic wouldn't be able to withstand Vio's full-force sword strike infused with magic.

In other words, this defensive magic is even stronger than Valentine's!

Vio felt a jolt in his arm, as if the tip of his sword had been blocked by something, its defense even stronger than that of magic ore.

Finn had already dropped his faint smile, and simply raised his hand slightly, his movements extremely casual and lazy.

Vio frowned, instinctively leaping backward to create distance between himself and his opponent at full speed. At the same time, he held the Demon Feather Sword horizontally in front of him and raised the Demon Feather Shield for defense.

He was slightly out of breath, and when he looked up at Finn again, a chill ran through him.

This old man, under the influence of his own knightly aura, was completely unaffected; his speed, his strength, and his aura were all unaffected.

"I told you, I didn't want any conflict today." Finn slowly withdrew his hand, but his face was no longer calm as it had been. His eyes were fixed on the magical runes on the hull of the giant ship with an unreadable excitement.

"But good weather always comes to an end, and so does my patience."

After Vio landed, the other three quickly surrounded him, all looking up at Finn on the high ground.

"This guy probably knows magic, and he's pretty good at it."

Vio said it aloud, but then had to shake his head and think to himself.

No, but the panel clearly shows that the opponent is only at the [Magic Apprentice] level, far inferior to Valentine.

Vio's gaze quickly fell on the magical runes on the giant ship, and then he guessed what it was.

Like their specially made warships, this old thing probably also carries portable magic; at least, this magical defense is something a magic apprentice could not possibly employ.

Considering this old man's origins in the Northern Continent, it's very likely that he uses magic from there.

Finn looked at the crowd below, and this time he didn't try to stop them from leaving, but simply waved his hand slightly.

The next moment, a rustling sound began to come from the surrounding forest, as if something was moving quickly through the woods, accompanied by the sound of scales scraping against the ground.

Great Knight Alec and Vio were the first to react. Alec quickly took off the scabbard from his back and drew his greatsword.

"This commotion...it's a sea monster!" Jimmy quickly drew his longsword.

Finn looked at them and said, "I thought the Reef Dragon Lizard would be enough to deter you, but I didn't expect you to be so stubborn."

These words further confirmed that the other party was capable of taming sea creatures.

"Perfect, I don't want to waste my energy and time on you, so I'll leave it to them."

After saying that, the other person turned and left.

Jimmy was about to draw his sword and give chase when the great knight Alec grabbed him, saying, "Let's deal with the problem at hand first."

Then, the surrounding bushes suddenly burst open, and a huge creature rushed out of the forest, stirring up a stench that was almost suffocating.

This sea beast was more than twice the size of the previous reef dragon lizard, its entire body covered in jet-black scales that gleamed with a metallic sheen in the dim light.

Its head was not flat like a snake, but rather as ferocious as a dragon, with its mouth wide open, revealing rows of barbed teeth.

Unlike the reef dragon lizard, this thing's head looks like a real dragon's.

Even more unusual is the sea monster's back, where a row of sharp bone spurs extends from its neck to the tip of its tail, each as long as an arm, gleaming with a cold, sharp light in the air.

"Iron-spined dragon lizard!" Alec's voice held a hint of surprise. "These creatures should have gone extinct decades ago!"

Before the words were finished, several more hissing sounds came from the forest.

The second, the third... more iron-spined lizards emerged from the dense forest. Although they were slightly smaller than the first one, they were just as ferocious and terrifying.

The eerie green vertical pupils, like will-o'-the-wisps in the dim light, surrounded the four of them.

In the distance, Finn's voice came again, but it quickly faded away with the wind.

"Come find me again if you can leave here alive."

"Damn it..." Jimmy wanted to chase after it, but a Ironback Lizard suddenly pounced, forcing him to retreat.

Vio didn't give chase. He knew that if he didn't deal with these beasts, they wouldn't be able to go anywhere.

"Let's do it, everyone!" he said in a deep voice, unleashing his full knightly aura, which caused the air within a radius of several feet to suddenly distort.

The large iron-spined lizard had already pounced on them.

It was much faster than those reef lizards, and even though it was suppressed by the knight's aura, its claws still tore through the air, attacking with a whistling sound.

Vio sidestepped, and thrust out the Demon Feather Sword with a backhand, aiming straight for its throat!

"clang!"

The sword tip pierced the scales, leaving only a shallow white mark. The Iron-spined Dragon Lizard's defense was more than one level stronger than that of the Reef Dragon Lizard.

The iron-spined dragon lizard let out a sharp hiss and swung its tail wildly!

Vio could only raise his shield to block, the enormous impact sending him staggering back several steps, his heels carving two deep furrows into the soft fallen leaves.

"That was a lot of force." He steadied himself, his brows furrowing slightly.

Meanwhile, Alec had already encountered his second Ironback Lizard.

He didn't choose to immediately unleash his knightly aura; instead, he simply gripped his sword with both hands and stood there calmly.

The beast lunged at him, but he dodged to the side, and his greatsword slashed down, striking it squarely in the neck!

"puff--!"

The scales shattered, and blood gushed out.

This sword strike actually broke through the Ironspine Dragon Lizard's defenses, with the blade penetrating half a foot deep.

The sea beast let out a mournful howl and writhed wildly, but Alec remained unmoved, only pushing the greatsword a few more times.

His White Whale Breathing Technique is renowned for its power. With the power of a third-tier expert combined with the weight of the greatsword, the force of this strike is something no sea beast could withstand.

"die!"

He suddenly drew his sword, and blood gushed out like a fountain. The Iron-Spined Dragon Lizard swayed and then crashed to the ground, stirring up a cloud of fallen leaves and dust.

Jimmy and Gina also attacked at the same time, facing two slightly smaller Iron-spined Dragon Lizards.

These beasts, though not as large as the previous two, were still much more ferocious than the reef lizards they had dealt with before.

The sea beast lunged forward, but Jimmy dodged it. His longsword pierced the beast's side, but only penetrated an inch. The sea beast tried to deliver another blow, but Jimmy dodged it again.

After dodging two attacks in succession, Jimmy did not hesitate and forcefully thrust his sword into the sea monster's upper jaw!

"roar!"

The small iron-spined lizard roared, but with the final blow, it lost its life.

Meanwhile, Gina on the other side was also fully utilizing her sand breathing technique.

Although they were not as strong as the sea monsters, they were much faster.

After only a few exchanges, the Iron-spined Dragon Lizard was stabbed in several vital spots, bleeding profusely.

But more iron-spined lizards are still arriving.

There were at least a dozen of those dark green, vertically shaped eyes in the forest, densely packed together.

Vio simply took a deep breath, compressing his knightly aura to its limit. His speed increased once again, and the Demon Feather Sword transformed into a purple lightning bolt, weaving through the beast horde.

A sword pierced the eye socket of an iron-spined dragon lizard, the blade protruding from the back of its head.

He sidestepped the attack from the other end and with a backhand slash, severed its forelimb.

Using the momentum, he leaped up and cleaved the strongest iron-spined lizard in two from head to tail!

With each strike from Vio, the Demon Feather Sword was infused with magic, greatly increasing its power.

Blood had stained his robes and the ground beneath his feet.

Alec's greatsword did not stop either.

He was like a mobile war machine, each sword strike powerful and heavy, each blow capable of taking the life of an Ironback Lizard.

His swordsmanship is simple and unadorned, yet it contains a profound understanding of the essence of power.

Jimmy and Gina's battle is going more and more smoothly.

Jimmy's seasoned swordsmanship allowed him to handle most situations, combining offense and defense, and he quickly dealt with the Ironback Lizards one by one.

Gina swung her broadsword with superhuman strength, and combined it with the speed brought by her sand breathing technique, she carved a bloody path through the beast horde.

The battle lasted for an unknown period of time.

When the last Ironback Lizard fell into a pool of blood, all four of them were already panting heavily.

Jimmy collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his entire body covered in blood, indistinguishable between his own and the sea monster's.

Even Vio and Alec were somewhat disheveled, their robes torn in several places, with a few shallow white marks on their bodies, but no blood.

"How many sea creatures did that old man raise?" Jimmy said weakly.

Vio didn't answer, but simply looked up at the top of the ship, where there was no one left.

Finn had long since disappeared.

The stench of blood mingled with the salty sea breeze, lingering in the forest for a long time.

The corpses of the iron-spined lizards were piled up haphazardly, their black scales gleaming from the blood, broken bone spurs, and shattered flesh scattered all over the ground.

The heavy breathing of the four men was particularly clear in the silent forest.

Jimmy said weakly, "Lord Vio, that old man has escaped, and this ship too... What do we do next? Should we chase after him, or retreat and rest?"

Gina, leaning on her broadsword, barely managed to steady herself, rapidly circulating the sand breathing technique within her body in an attempt to calm her disordered breathing.

Her condition was slightly better than Jimmy's; after all, the agility and stamina granted by her breathing technique allowed her to maneuver through the beast horde with far less impact. However, her arms were still sore and numb from frequent sword swings.

Upon hearing this, she turned to look at Vio, her eyes filled with weariness and confusion, clearly at a loss for what to do.

Finn's methods far exceeded their expectations. First came the invisible, super-powerful defensive magic, then the extinct Ironspine Lizard sea beast horde. Now that Finn had left first, this eerie giant ship was like a time bomb, making everyone uneasy.

Finn's methods far exceeded their expectations. First came the invisible, super-powerful defensive magic, then the extinct Ironspine Lizard sea beast horde. Now that Finn had left first, this eerie giant ship was like a time bomb, making everyone uneasy.

Great Knight Alec, on the other hand, remained relatively calm. He shook the blood off his greatsword, revealing that the once-black blade was now stained red with beast blood.

The White Whale Breathing Technique flowed slowly through his body, gradually pulling back his lost strength. He stood beside Vio, his gaze fixed on the giant ship that remained quietly moored in place.

The dense magical runes on the ship's hull glowed with a faint, eerie light in the dim forest. The twisted and strange patterns were clearly not common magic.

He said in a deep voice, "My lord, these Northern Continent runes are not right. Finn has been preparing here for so long, there must be more than just these sea beasts. There must be a bigger conspiracy. We can't keep this giant ship."

Vio did not respond immediately. He stood there, breathing slightly, with the Demon Feather Sword sheathed and the Demon Feather Shield tucked back into his waistband.

His gaze was fixed on the giant ship, his brows furrowed, and the scenes from just moments ago flashed through his mind.

Finn was able to operate without pressure amidst the aura of a knight, possessed an invisible magical defense, had methods far exceeding those of a magic apprentice, and the ability to tame extinct sea beasts... plus this giant ship covered in strange runes.

This ship is clearly Finn's biggest trump card, and also a huge hidden danger in the Westerlands.

We cannot allow this ship to exist; no matter what we do next, it cannot remain.

After a moment of silence, a resolute glint flashed in Vio's eyes, and his tone was firm and unwavering.

"It's too late to chase after them. Finn must have been prepared. Keeping this giant ship around will only cause more trouble. Let's destroy it without hesitation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Vio no longer hesitated and immediately drew his Demon Feather Sword again.

He took a deep breath and poured all the remaining magic power in his body into the Demon Feather Sword in his hand.

The sword, which originally had a pale purple sheen, suddenly burst into a dazzling purple light, so intense that it was almost blinding.

The aura of the third-tier knight was compressed to the extreme. Centered on himself, the air within a radius of several feet twisted violently again, and strong winds swirled wildly around him, forming a small storm.

His arm muscles were tense, and the Demon Feather Sword was already raised high, with dense magic power visible to the naked eye wrapped around its blade. With a world-destroying momentum, he aimed at the giant ship below and slashed down fiercely!

This strike has gathered all of Vio's power and magic at this moment. Not to mention a giant wooden ship, even a solid magic ore wall would be shattered by this sword!

Jimmy, Gina, and Alec all held their breath, their eyes fixed on the descending purple sword light.

However, the expected scene of the giant ship breaking apart and splintering wood did not occur.

Just as the sword's edge was about to touch the giant ship's hull.

Before their eyes, the giant ship, covered in strange runes, vanished into thin air without warning!

Without any warning, without the slightest trace of magical fluctuation, it vanished completely from the spot, as if it had never existed!

"Thump—!"

Vio's all-out sword strike missed its mark, and the purple magical sword light slammed heavily onto the ground with a deafening roar!

The powerful impact exploded instantly, the ground trembled violently, dirt flew everywhere, and dust billowed out.

When the smoke and dust cleared, everyone looked closely and saw that where the giant ship had been moored, there was only a huge pit with a diameter comparable to a small castle!

At the edge of the pit was yet another pit, the very marks left by Vio's attack, a testament to its power.

But that strange giant ship didn't leave behind even a single wood shaving.

"Gone?!" Jimmy jumped to his feet, staring wide-eyed at the massive crater before him, his face filled with disbelief. "How is this possible... It was just here, a perfectly good giant ship, how could it suddenly disappear?"

Gina was also startled and took a step back, nearly dropping her broadsword. Her pretty face was filled with shock: "Is it magic... the power of Finn?"

Alec's grip on the greatsword tightened slightly, his expression becoming extremely grave.

"I've never seen magic like this before. Even the magic of the Northern Continent couldn't do this... This old man is hiding his true abilities too well."

Vio sheathed his sword and stood there, staring at the giant crater before him. His pupils contracted slightly, and the chill in his heart intensified.

Standing at the forefront, he could clearly sense that at the moment the giant ship disappeared, a faint, almost imperceptible ancient magical fluctuation flashed by.

The fluctuation did not belong to any known magic in the West, and without a doubt, it was Finn who made the move!

Just as everyone was still in shock, Gina suddenly looked up sharply, pointed to the sky, and said in a shrill voice, "Look at the sky! What's that?!"

But high in the sky, a colossal object was silently suspended, like a floating fortress, suddenly appearing in the blue sky, blotting out the sun!

It was the giant ship that had just vanished into thin air!

The giant ship hung hundreds of meters in the air, blocking out the sun, and only then did its hull fully appear before everyone.

Its entire body is made of an unknown hard wood. It was already extremely magnificent when it was on the ground, but now that it is suspended in the sky, it looks even more majestic.

The strange magical runes on the ship's hull were now glowing eerily in the sunlight, their patterns flowing slowly as if alive.

The entire ship floated in the air in a way that defied common sense, without any support, like a miracle or a natural disaster.

At the bow of the giant ship, an old man's figure was also standing in mid-air.

It was Finn Griffin!

He was still wearing that tattered robe, his long gray hair flying wildly in the strong winds high in the sky, the robe clinging tightly to his body, revealing his thin but upright figure.

As a magic apprentice, he was now floating in mid-air without any assistance, his feet barely touching the ground as if there were invisible steps beneath his feet.

At this moment, he raised his hands, his withered fingers spread wide, reaching towards the giant ship, his lips slightly parted, muttering incantations.

The words it uttered were obscure and difficult to understand; they were neither the common language of the Kingdom of Rovia nor the secular language of the Northern Continent, but rather an ancient magical incantation from the Northern Continent that had long been lost.

He's casting a spell!

Finn, high in the sky, immediately noticed the gazes of the four people on the ground. He slowly slowed down his incantation and lowered his head to stare intently at Vio and the other three below.

A look of surprise flashed across his eyes, which was then replaced by disbelief, and he even paused in his incantation.

Finn originally thought that the dozen or so Ironspined Lizards would be enough to tear these four guys who didn't know how to cherish life to pieces.

Even a third-tier Grand Knight and a Southern Earl would surely perish in the beast's jaws, or at least suffer severe injuries.

Right now, although the four people were in a sorry state, with tattered clothes and panting heavily, none of them were injured or killed. They were even still standing there, looking at him warily.

They killed all the iron-spined lizards they had tamed and still managed to escape unscathed?

This was an outcome that Finn had not anticipated at all.

After a moment of astonishment, Finn's hoarse, deep voice, carried clearly to the ground by the wind high above.

"I never imagined... that you could actually kill all the Iron-spined Lizards and survive, without even a single one getting injured..."

"I underestimated you. You truly live up to your reputation as the renowned Earl of the Southern Border of the Kingdom."

Vio stood on the ground, looking up at Finn and the giant ship in the sky, his eyes cold, his brain working at lightning speed, quickly calculating the distance between them.

A height of several hundred meters is perhaps unattainable for ordinary humans.

However, he was a third-tier knight, whose strength and speed had already surpassed the limits of ordinary people. With the magic power added to the Demon Feather Sword, he threw it with all his might, and the blade should be able to break through the clouds and accurately hit the target in the sky.

Even if they can't get close, they can still inflict damage on Finn with their magical blades.

He can hit it.

The thought had barely crossed Vio's mind when Finn, high in the sky, seemed to read his mind and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Trying to attack me?" Finn sneered, his body hovering in mid-air shifting slightly, causing the surrounding air to distort. "Since you're determined to die, then I won't hold back any longer."

Less than a minute after the break, the battle resumed!

Vio immediately gripped the Demon Feather Sword, his magic power surging wildly within him, and his knightly aura was unleashed once more, preparing to leap into the air and launch an attack in conjunction with a magic throw.

Alec, who was beside him, also sensed the danger and immediately raised his greatsword high. He activated the White Whale Breathing Technique to its maximum, tensing all his muscles, ready to fight together.

Jimmy and Gina also drew their weapons, watching the sky warily, ready for battle.

But this time, Finn didn't give them the first chance.

Or rather, Finn never actually did anything himself.

As a former pirate king and a powerful figure who controlled half of the western seas, he would not hesitate at all once he decided to kill.

Finn hovered high in the air, freeing one hand to aim at the four people.

The speed at which he chanted the obscure ancient magic incantation suddenly increased, and the magical fluctuations around him surged instantly, no longer as weak and subtle as before, but sweeping in like a tsunami!

This is not ordinary magic from the Kingdom of Rovia or even the entire continent, but ancient magic from the Northern Continent!

In an instant, the once azure sky changed color, and a gale arose!

The clouds gathered and churned at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the originally warm sunshine began to be obscured by the dark clouds, and the world instantly became dark.

High in the sky, a dark purple magical energy, as if alive, swirled wildly and gathered into a huge magical vortex in front of Finn.

As the vortex spun, it exuded a devastating pressure.

Vio could sense that this was a terrifying power capable of instantly killing a third-tier expert! It was hundreds or even thousands of times stronger than the invisible defensive magic that had just blocked Vio!

"What...what kind of magic is this?" Jimmy stared at the terrifying magical vortex in the sky, even he couldn't help but tremble slightly, a primal fear welling up inside him. "Damn it...!"

Gina's face was ashen, and her sand breathing technique nearly went out of control.

Alec's face was ashen, and he shouted in a deep voice, "My lord, be careful! We can't be hit by this magic; this attack could wipe us all out!"

Vio's heart sank. He could clearly sense the deadly intent contained within the magical vortex. Finn intended to kill all four of them in one fell swoop.

How did a magic apprentice manage that? Vio didn't have time to think about that anymore.

Just as the magical vortex in front of Finn reached its peak and was about to crash down, Vio did not hesitate at all and pushed the magic feather shield in his hand forward!

While I can avoid this position, Jimmy, Gina, and the Great Knight might not be so lucky.

He has mostly used the Magic Feather Shield for physical defense, to block the claws of wild beasts and the weapons of enemies.

However, this shield, crafted by Valentine, is engraved with defensive magic patterns and is not an ordinary magic ore shield.

Vio quickly poured all the magic power he had just recovered into the Magic Feather Shield.

The magical patterns on the shield's surface instantly lit up with a dazzling purple light, then rapidly expanded, transforming into a massive magical defensive barrier in front of the four.

Above the barrier, layers of feather patterns unfolded like the wings of an angel, firmly protecting the four people behind them.

"boom!!!"

The next second, Finn's ancient Northern Continent magic crashed down!

The dark purple magical energy slammed into the purple light barrier formed by the magic feather shield, producing a deafening roar.

A terrifying shockwave spread outwards, snapping trees in half with the gale, and sweeping fallen leaves and pebbles into the air.

The entire forest was trembling violently, and the clearing around them was constantly expanding.

Everyone felt a tremendous force, and their bodies were jolted backward by the shockwave, leaving deep furrows in the soil beneath their feet.

Jimmy and Gina were so shocked that they fell to their knees and nearly coughed up blood. If the magic shield hadn't blocked most of the power, they would have been crushed into mincemeat by the magic.

But the Magic Feather Shield, which Valentine personally helped to create, ultimately did not disappoint them.

That massive ancient spell, powerful enough to kill four people in one hit, was actually withstood by the magic defense of the Demon Feather Shield!

Although the purple light barrier trembled violently and its light dimmed somewhat, it never broke and kept all the magic power out.

Finn, hovering high in the sky, witnessed this scene and finally revealed genuine shock: "Magic? No, is it that shield? Judging from the defensive magic, the person who created it is quite skilled..."

He originally thought that this attack would surely end the lives of these guys, but he didn't expect that Vio would have such a thing in his hands.

Taking this opportunity, Vio and Alec immediately joined forces to fight back!

Vio leaped into the air, unleashing the full power of his third-tier form, his body shooting into the sky like a cannonball.

At the same time, the Demon Feather Sword in his hand was infused with magic power, emitting a burst of purple light, and stabbed straight towards Finn's chest.

Alec also leaped up from the ground, gripping his greatsword tightly with both hands. He rapidly circulated the White Whale Breathing Technique within his body and unleashed a powerful strike at Finn high in the sky!

The two worked together seamlessly, blocking Finn's escape route.

In his haste, Finn could only erect that invisible defensive magical barrier once again.

But this time, the barrier was instantly covered with cracks under the combined attack of Vio and Alec, and the sound of shattering rang out continuously!

The next moment, Vio's magic winged sword pierced through the barrier, its tip pointing straight at Finn's throat, and Alec's greatsword followed closely behind, about to strike Finn.

Finn was somewhat panicked and made a hasty decision. In terms of direct combat strength, even with the blessing of ancient magic, he was gradually becoming no match for the combined forces of Vio and Alec.

But at that moment, he caught a glimpse of the magical runes on the hull of the giant ship behind him out of the corner of his eye, and a crazy smile flashed in his eyes.

It's almost time.

He stopped trying to fight back and instead suddenly retreated, raising multiple layers of invisible defensive magic around himself to firmly protect himself and the giant ship in the middle.

Then, he focused intently on reciting the obscure ancient magic incantation of the Northern Continent once more, devoting all his energy to casting spells on the giant ship.

"Damn it..." Vio shouted angrily upon seeing this, "Don't let him finish casting the spell!"

Jimmy and Gina immediately joined the attack. Seeing that the distance was too far, Jimmy simply threw his longsword and thrust it straight at Finn's defensive barrier.

Gina then activated the Sand Breathing Technique, leaping rapidly into the air and unleashing a powerful slash with her broadsword, each strike widening the cracks in the defensive barrier.

Vio and Alec's attacks were merciless, their blades relentlessly pounding against the defensive barrier.

The cracks on the barrier were becoming more numerous and denser, as if it would shatter completely at any moment.

But at the same time, the magical runes on the giant ship began to glow wildly!

The original dark blue runes gradually turned crimson, like flowing blood, spreading rapidly across the ship's hull. The dense patterns intertwined to form a huge magic circle, enveloping the entire giant ship.

The moment the runes lit up, the entire giant ship began to shake violently, emitting a loud "rumbling" sound, as if something was about to break free from the hull.

Vio and the others' attacks became increasingly fierce, and Finn's defensive barrier was on the verge of collapse. Just a few more blows would be enough to completely break through the defense and kill Finn.

But just as the defensive barrier was about to shatter, Finn finally finished his incantation.

He suddenly opened his eyes, which gleamed with a frenzied and excited light. He spread his arms and roared at the four people below Vio with all his might:

"Humble ants of the South, open your eyes wide and witness the arrival of the ancient sea beast of the Northern Continent!"

The moment the words fell, the magical seal patterns on the giant ship suddenly exploded!

Countless dazzling crimson rays shot straight into the sky, and the magical fluctuations between heaven and earth became extremely violent.

Immediately afterwards, countless sticky, scarlet flesh and blood suddenly appeared out of thin air, surging out of the giant ship's hull like a tide.

Twisted bones, writhing muscles, and thick blood vessels began to intertwine and grow wildly the moment the seal was broken, quickly filling the space inside the ship.

The splinters of wood that occasionally flew out were instantly swallowed by flesh and blood. Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, the entire giant ship began to twist and expand, eventually transforming into the shell of a terrifying sea monster unlike any seen before!

This sea monster was incredibly large, estimated to be at least a hundred meters long, with a long, slender body, resembling a combination of a giant python and a sea dragon.

Its body was smooth, covered by the giant ship that had originally sealed it.

Outsiders could only vaguely see that the inside of the giant ship was covered with a layer of mucus, and beneath it, crimson flesh and blood were surging.

It has no hands or feet, but a long and flexible body that can stir up a whirlwind when it twists and turns.

On both sides of its body, six pairs of cicada-wing-like insect wings are neatly arranged. The thinness of the wings is only compared to the body of the sea monster. Even if they are taken individually, they are still six pairs of enormous creatures.

These six pairs of wings fit perfectly into the holes originally left in the hull of the giant ship, blending seamlessly with the body as if they had been there naturally.

Most shockingly, there was the head of a sea monster that replaced the empty bow of the ship.

That head didn't look like the head of an ordinary creature; it was more like a bizarre combination of a dragon and an insect.

Its enormous head was as ferocious and twisted as a dragon, but on its forehead grew a pair of huge insect compound eyes, which were murky dark yellow and emitted a violent, cold light.

Its mouth and nose resemble the outline of a dragon's head, but it has insect-like jaws and rows of fine, barbed teeth that gleam with a cold light.

It made a series of grating "crunching" sounds as it bit, and exhaled black mist with a fishy stench from its mouth and nose.

The entire sea monster was ferocious, twisted, and furious.

As soon as it was born, it let out a roar that shook the heavens and the earth, a roar like that of a giant dragon, mixed with the shrill chirping of insects.

The sound reverberated throughout the entire sea, causing towering waves to rise on the surface, birds and beasts in the forest to scatter and flee, and even the winds of the world to tremble.

With just a slight flap of its six pairs of cicada wings, it floated high in the sky, its enormous body blotting out the sun and plunging the ground into darkness.

The dark yellow compound eyes quickly locked onto Vio and the other three below, their eyes filled with primal violence and a bloodlust, as if they were about to swoop down and devour the four of them completely.

Vio, Alec, Jimmy, and Gina stood on the ground, looking up at the terrifying sea monster that had appeared out of nowhere. They were all frozen in place, their faces filled with extreme shock and horror.

They finally realized that this strange giant ship was not a ship at all, but a sealed container!

Finn likely spent decades repairing this rune-covered giant ship.

The purpose was not to go out to sea to fish, but to awaken this ancient sea beast of the northern continent that had been sealed away!

Now, the seal has been broken, and calamity has descended.