32: Break free and escape death

Creak—creak—

A teeth-grinding sound of twisting metal emanated from every corner of the Natural Selection.

The entire battleship trembled violently, as if an invisible giant hand had gripped it tightly, about to crush it into a ball of scrap metal.

The hundreds of gigantic tentacles extending from the World Tree, each seven or eight meters thick, like demonic arms reaching out from the depths of hell, wrapped tightly around the hull, constantly tightening and exerting a terrifying force capable of crushing steel.

[World Tree's Grip]

[Life: 5000]

This wasn't the health of one tentacle; this was for each and every one!

Lin Mo stood on the deck, letting the strong wind whip at his clothes.

In the depths of his pupils, a line of glaring red data appeared.

[Durability]: 163811 / 200000

[Durability]: 159385 / 200000

This number was still rapidly decreasing at a visible rate!

"Fire!"

Lin Mo's eyes were bloodshot. He stood still, but his mental power erupted with unprecedented intensity, completely merging with the entire battleship.

He was the Natural Selection, and the Natural Selection was he!

The next second, the battleship's weapon system was completely activated by his will!

The energy beam module at the bow instantly charged, and a scorching white pillar of light tore through the air, fiercely striking one of the thickest tentacles.

Sizzle—

A large patch of black char was burned onto the surface of the tentacle, and green sap gushed out, but that only broke through a layer of skin.

For its massive size, this amount of damage was not even a scratch.

The ship-mounted machine gun turrets on the deck spun wildly, their muzzles spitting deadly tongues of fire, and a dense rain of bullets poured out, forming a storm of metal.

However, those bullets, capable of tearing through steel plates, only sparked against the tentacle's tough, armor-like bark, then were weakly deflected.

Boom! Boom!

The tracking missile module activated again, and two missiles trailing flames whistled away, accurately hitting the same spot.

A violent explosion kicked up thick smoke and airwaves.

But when the smoke cleared, the tentacle only had a not-too-deep gash, and more small vines surged out from the wound, writhing frantically, trying to repair the damage.

Useless!

The damage from conventional weapons was negligible!

And the strangling force of those tentacles grew stronger and stronger.

The Natural Selection's engine let out an angry and unwilling roar. The massive hull struggled violently in the terrifying embrace, but it was irresistibly dragged, little by little, towards the center of that towering giant tree.

That was where their grave lay.

"It's over..."

Gu Zhixia slumped onto the cold deck, the Six-Harmony Long Spear in her hand dropping limply.

She looked at the terrifying, sky-obscuring tentacles, at the battleship being dragged little by little towards death. Her phoenix eyes, which always burned with unyielding fighting spirit, now held only a deathly gray.

Her proud strength was ridiculously tiny before this absolute, god-like power.

"Sister..."

Gu Nianqiu, sobbing, scrambled into Gu Zhixia's arms, her small body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"Waaah... Are we going to die? Sister... I'm so scared..."

Despair, like icy seawater, engulfed the entire deck.

Lin Mo looked at the rapidly decreasing durability on the screen, listened to the sisters' desperate crying, but the expression on his face surprisingly calmed down.

A look of grim determination flashed in his deep eyes.

It seemed he could only use that move.

He spun around abruptly, striding quickly towards the two sisters slumped on the ground.

"Everyone, follow me!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a clap of thunder, exploding in the ears of the two girls who had fallen into despair.

Gu Zhixia and Gu Nianqiu simultaneously looked up, staring blankly at him.

Lin Mo offered no extra explanation. He pulled up the limp Gu Zhixia with one hand and dragged the crying Gu Nianqiu with the other.

He pulled the two sisters, rushing into the nearest and most fortified cabin with the fastest speed.

Bang!

He slammed the heavy alloy cabin door shut, largely isolating the terrifying sound of twisting metal from outside.

"Hold on tight!"

Lin Mo's voice carried an undeniable command.

Gu Zhixia and Gu Nianqiu instinctively gripped the railings around them that could steady their bodies.

Lin Mo closed his eyes, concentrating all his mental power into a single point, and issued the final command to the battleship's core.

"Natural Selection, Full Speed Ahead!"

Buzz—

In that instant, the roar of the entire battleship's engine changed.

It was no longer an angry roar, but a world-shattering, destructive shriek!

The power of the miniature fusion reactor was instantly overloaded to its limit. Massive energy, like a bursting flood, surged madly into the super capacitor, and then into the engine's core!

Boom!

From the tail of the Natural Selection, a blue flame, even more dazzling than the sun, erupted!

Unparalleled, terrifying thrust, transcending the laws of physics, erupted within 0.01 seconds!

Inside the cabin, Gu Zhixia and Gu Nianqiu felt as if they had been struck hard by an invisible giant hammer. Their entire bodies were pressed tightly against the bulkhead behind them, and even breathing became incredibly difficult.

Meanwhile, outside.

The Natural Selection, tightly entwined by giant tentacles, like an arrow imbued with divine power, surged forward with an utterly savage momentum!

Torn apart!

Those incredibly tough giant tentacles, which even missiles struggled to heavily damage, were like fragile ropes before this absolute speed and power!

One!

Ten!

One hundred!

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!

Countless tentacles were forcibly torn apart, and a green blood rain poured down from the sky!

The World Tree let out a painful and angry roar, but it was already in vain.

The Natural Selection transformed into a black lightning bolt, dragging a massive, broken tentacle hundreds of meters long, and at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, it completely broke free from its restraints, rushing towards the distant horizon... At the same time.

In the sea area a dozen kilometers from the Isle of Wisdom.

The fleet with the seahorse flag was carefully approaching the island.

"Boss, that island looks unusual. Are we really going up there?"

"What are you afraid of! Fortune favors the bold! I heard yesterday that there are special-grade ingredients on this island!"

The leading man, possessing an S-rank Talent, confidently directed the fleet.

"Everyone, perk up and prepare to disem—"

He hadn't finished his sentence.

Suddenly.

A terrifying sonic boom, as if it could tear eardrums, came from the direction of the island.

Everyone instinctively looked over.

The next second, they witnessed an unforgettable scene.

A black streak of light, at a speed beyond their comprehension, flashed across the sky above the island!

It was too fast, so fast they couldn't even see what it was!

"Holy crap, what just flew past?"

A crew member mumbled, dumbfounded.

However, this was just the beginning.

Behind that streak of light, a long, huge, dark green "tail" trailed.

That seven to eight-meter-thick broken vine, driven by terrifying high speed, descended from the sky like a world-destroying giant whip, smashing down fiercely!

Its target was one of the A-class sailboats in the fleet.

"Holy crap, our ship is going to sink."

The people on board only had time to let out a desperate scream.

Boom!

A loud crash.

That proud A-class sailboat was struck midship by the giant vine. Its sturdy keel instantly snapped, and the entire ship, like a crushed biscuit, broke directly into two halves, rapidly sinking amidst the huge waves.

The entire seahorse fleet instantly fell into chaos.

Fear engulfed everyone.

They had no idea what had happened, only thinking they had angered some ancient evil god on the island.

After frantically rescuing the crew members who had fallen into the water, the entire fleet dared not linger any longer. They turned their ships around and desperately fled in the direction away from that terrifying island...