Chapter 330: Lord of the Seven Seas
A burst of radiant light flashed, and the card [Lord of the Seven Seas · Zhou Ning] shattered completely.
In an instant, Zhou Ning's entire aura changed—aged, sharp, and overwhelmingly domineering.
He looked toward the distant Hades, docked not far away, his gaze complex, as though lost in thought.
At this moment, Fred still hadn't realized the gravity of the situation. Muttering a vile incantation, he summoned swarms of beetles that burst from the earth and flew toward Zhou Ning. At the same time, Lillard raised his staff—first releasing a cascade of crystalline lightning meant to bind Zhou Ning in place, then conjuring a volley of pale light arrows that rained down upon him.
Where the lightning passed, even the air seemed to vaporize.
But Zhou Ning only cast them a cold glance, then lowered the brim of his hat. The next moment, a surge of visible Conqueror's Haki burst from his body, so fierce it swept away the snow around him and made nearby warships shudder violently. Even the wooden decks beneath them cracked like spiderwebs.
All at once, every beetle flying toward him exploded midair, and the lightning dissipated into vapor. Every enemy present—the fake Joshua, the fake Spark—was crushed to the ground, bent under the pressure. Fred and Lillard both collapsed, stunned. Zhou Ning's Conqueror's Haki had been so precise that it bypassed all his allies, targeting only his foes.
Almost simultaneously, Zhou Ning stepped forward and charged at the Spider Priest, Fred. His fists, wrapped in red-black Armament Haki, smashed into Fred's face—one strike after another.
Three punches. Four. Five.
By the seventh punch, all invisible barriers shattered. Fred's massive head burst apart like paper, exploding into chunks of flesh that splattered across the ground, green mist seeping into the air.
With just one flurry of attacks, the once-arrogant Fred was obliterated.
The scattered pieces of flesh twitched on the ground, trying to reform—only to be crushed completely by another surge of Conqueror's Haki.
A message flashed before Zhou Ning's eyes:
[You have slain Bryston Diocese's Chief Priest Fred of the Order of Solitude (Lv.70 Spider Priest). You have gained 121,500 experience points.]
Seeing this, Lillard's eyes nearly bulged out. He drew a sharp breath, forcing himself to calm down.
What in the world… was this?
He'd been called here as reinforcement—only supposed to act against Duke Browne if necessary. He had been standing aloof, unwilling to gang up on an opponent, thinking he could kill Zhou Ning with ease at any moment.
But his powerful spiritual intuition now screamed at him—the man before him radiated an aura so dreadful it made his heart tighten. It felt like facing an ancient god.
Could it be… he'd been hiding his true power all along?
As the thought flashed by, Lillard began chanting a spell. Azure light spread across the sky, clouds gathering rapidly. Thunder cracked like the heavens splitting open. Bolts of lightning surged from the tip of his staff—dozens of electric serpents weaving together as they struck toward Zhou Ning.
It was Level 6 Lightning Magic: Thunder Smite.
But Zhou Ning didn't dodge. Instead, a rapier appeared in his hand. His white coat flared in the wind as he swung with full force, unleashing a strike—Divine Departure!
A red-black slash roared forth like a tornado, the sword's aura colliding with the lightning serpents. The rapier seemed wreathed in thunder itself as the strike surged forward, consuming everything in its path.
"W-Wait!" Lillard cried in horror. His spiritual instincts screamed—this strike could kill him.
With a thunderous boom, the slash shattered his ice shield defenses layer by layer, then sent him flying like a broken kite. A deep gash split his chest—bone visible—nearly cutting him in half.
But Lillard's body had been modified. Not a drop of blood spilled; instead, intricate wires and gears could be seen inside.
Clutching his wound, arcs of lightning wrapped around his body. In the next instant, identical lightning flared hundreds of meters away.
As a high-tier lightning mage, he used Lightning Teleportation to instantly withdraw from battle.
On the ground, a massive sword mark—nearly nineteen meters deep—scarred the earth.
The distant onlookers gasped sharply, stunned beyond words.
Because time was short, Zhou Ning didn't pursue. He flicked his sword clean of blood, then turned toward another battlefield. Under the oppressive pressure of his Haki, the Spider-turned Spark and Joshua were on the brink of death—soon crushed beneath Browne Lambert's colossal blade, their bodies collapsing into swarms of scurrying spiders.
Too weak. Zhou Ning shook his head, glanced at his pocket watch—there was still some time before logout.
Browne Lambert looked at Zhou Ning deeply, then, supported by Spark, moved aside. Spark recounted the events of the past days: how all the Miracle Study Society members had turned into spiders in the swamp, only to reappear later in Darkland. Browne Lambert frowned deeply, falling silent in thought.
A young lieutenant colonel, Browne's adjutant, stepped forward. His gaze was full of admiration as he said softly,
"I'm Liander, Duke Browne's adjutant. Thank you for your help. Without you, we'd all be dead here."
"It's nothing. They were too weak," Zhou Ning replied simply.
Too weak? But two of them were at least high-tier professionals! Liander was momentarily speechless. Then, looking at Zhou Ning—his spotless white coat, not even sweating—he had to admit… it was true.
Liander's eyes shone with reverence. So this is the power of the legendary Wayne Sturwell…
By now, the "Lord of the Seven Seas" possession effect had faded. Reflecting on the battle, Zhou Ning couldn't help but feel awed. As expected of the Pirate King who once dominated the Apocalypse World and personally defeated an evil god.
He wasn't as flamboyant as Zhou Ning's vampire form—more straightforward, even blunt—but after traversing multiple worlds, his combat power was absurdly high, perhaps even surpassing Zhou Ning's pre-ascension vampire form.
Maybe because his strength and status left no need for pretenses.
Honestly, Zhou Ning already possessed all of the Pirate King's skills—and mastered them more thoroughly—but that overwhelmingly powerful Conqueror's and Armament Haki still left him shaken.
That would be his next goal to surpass.
After Browne and his son finished their discussion, Browne Lambert approached Zhou Ning, offering a noble's salute.
"I've heard what Spark told me. His promise stands. The Lambert family will remember your aid."
At the same time, new messages appeared on Zhou Ning's interface:
[You have completed the chain quest: Rescue Spark Lambert. Overall difficulty rating: A. You have gained 326,000 experience points.
You have received the gratitude of the Lambert family. Your reputation with the Lambert family has risen to Revered.
You now receive a 55% discount at all Lambert-owned establishments.
You may freely purchase the Lambert family's secret recipes and browse their archives.]
[Additional rewards will be distributed later.]
[You have obtained one Random Template Card and two Random Rewards.]
Zhou Ning's heart surged with joy.
The Lambert family's reputation was considered a hidden faction—no one in his previous life had ever maxed it, so its full benefits were unknown. But even those three rewards alone were astonishing—unprecedentedly generous.
The Random Template Card could even yield One Punch Man or the First Emperor, and the two Random Rewards had chances to contain Legendary Templates or Unknown Artifacts.
This time, Zhou Ning was thoroughly satisfied.