Chapter 1215: Chapter 103: Struggle on the Mountain Road
Xuan Yue’s magic had finally completed, and the golden light enveloping her delicate body transformed into a huge golden sphere that floated out and gently advanced, rising into the sky. Xuan Yue suddenly opened her eyes, her pupils radiating brilliant golden light, she loudly commanded, "Disperse, Holy Star Illumination." The golden sphere in the sky came to a halt, and without making any sound, it exploded into numerous golden sparks that drifted out towards the ambush points of the bandits concealed along both sides. Xuan Yue did not intend her magic to harm people; the golden sparks targeted the logs and stones the bandits had readied, along with the surrounding mountains.
"Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom..." A multitude of explosions resonated, clouds of smoke billowed from the mountains on either side, and panicked cries rang out incessantly. Shattered stones and wood littered the mountain path, forcing the bandits to eventually abandon their ambush. Out of desperation, they abandoned their shattered logs and stones and charged forward, with thousands of them attacking the merchant convoy frontally.
This direct attack was just what Blood Skull had hoped for. He loudly ordered, "Archer brigade, volley three times." Four hundred steel-tipped Feather Arrows swept out; for the bandits who valued agility and wore no protection, these arrows were like their death warrants. Harrowing screams erupted as four hundred arrows precisely claimed four hundred and two lives, among them, the Wind Skull’s Shadowless Arrows pierced through the hearts of three enemies before stopping.
The archer brigade’s three volleys instantly took nearly a third of the bandits’ lives. By then, the bandits had already charged to within thirty meters of the merchant convoy. Iron Skull roared, "Steel Torrent, follow me!" Lifting his heavy spear, he spurred his warhorse forward, charging towards the enemy like a dark whirlwind leading four hundred Heavy Cavalry Infantrymen with lowered giant shields. They simultaneously raised their heavy spears, and amid thunderous hoofbeats, they violently burst into the enemy ranks. The impact of the Heavy Cavalry Infantry was as overpowering as a tidal wave, lifting hundreds of bandits on their spears in an instant. Iron Skull was like a wind tiger, his spear flashing with yellow light, and each thrust inevitably claimed a bandit’s life.
The bandits, faced with such ferocious impact, were now terrified, but retreat was not an option, for their families were in the hands of their leader. Facing the Skeleton Mercenary Group here might cost them their lives, but retreating would mean the certain death of their families by the cruel leader’s hands. Thus, they could only charge and eliminate the enemies before them to have a chance at survival. The remaining two thousand bandits tapped into all their potential, using their own bodies to withstand the charge of the Heavy Cavalry Infantry. Although the Heavy Cavalry Infantry were defensibly solid, the bandits had their experts too; amidst dazzling magic lights, in a short period, more than ten Heavy Cavalry Infantrymen had perished in the sea of enemies, plunging them into a bitter struggle.
Blood Skull’s eyes shimmered coldly, his heart twinging with each subordinate’s death. These Heavy Cavalry Infantrymen were not only the most valuable unit within the Skeleton Mercenary Corps, but these mercenaries were also like brothers to him. Taking a deep breath to stabilize his mind, Blood Skull roared, "Trusted aide squad, attack; archer brigade, fire at the rear of the bandits. Cavalry brigade, maintain formation to protect the convoy." Having finished speaking, wrapped in a red aura, he personally led two hundred of his trusted aides into the fray.
Having released the seventh-level magic "Holy Star Illumination" earlier, Xuan Yue felt slightly fatigued. She pulled back Ah Dai, who was about to charge out with Blood Skull, and said, "Big brother, you’d better protect me here, and I will continue supporting them with magic." As she spoke, she began chanting her second spell, "Great God of the Heavenly Realm! I beseech you, grant speed and strength to the warriors before us, Prayer of the God." Although only a common fourth-level spell, under Xuan Yue’s surging Holy Power, its effect expanded greatly. Golden light spread out and instantly enveloped the charging Heavy Cavalry Infantry and Blood Skull’s trusted aides. The warriors of the Skeleton Mercenary Group felt their strength greatly increase and their movements quicken. With the addition of the trusted aides, they soon turned the tide of battle, with bandits falling one after another to their weapons. The Wind Skull’s archer brigade also kept busy, firing steel arrows that, while less accurate than flat shots, still claimed the lives of hundreds of bandits within minutes. The number of bandits rapidly decreased, and at this point, only about one thousand five hundred remained, steadily narrowing the gap in numbers.
Atop the mountain, the leader Green King watched his bandits being steadily defeated, and snorted angrily, "Utter garbage, outnumbered by two-to-one and yet being slaughtered without being able to fight back."
A man in black beside Green King remarked softly, "My lord, this Skeleton Mercenary Group is even stronger than we imagined. They even have Light Magicians. At this rate, those fools might all die without causing significant damage to the mercenary group. Sir, perhaps it’s time..."
Green King nodded and yelled decisively, "Brothers, charge with me. Attack their merchant convoy directly while they are low on forces. Show no mercy and leave no survivors." At his command, seventy shadows shot out like bolts of lightning, cascading down the mountain walls.
