Chapter 478: Chapter 103: Struggling on the Mountain Road_1
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Xuan Yue’s spell was finally complete. The golden glow enveloping her delicate body transformed into a massive golden orb that slowly advanced, rising into the sky. Xuan Yue suddenly opened her eyes, her golden gaze burning brilliantly. She yelled, "Scatter, Holy Star Illumination." The golden orb in the sky hung still, and without any sound erupting, it exploded. Little golden sparks scattered outwards, heading towards where the bandits had laid their ambush. Xuan Yue’s spell was not meant to harm people, but rather it targeted the rolling logs and crashing stones the bandits had prepared ahead of time, as well as the mountains surrounding them.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom..." Numerous explosions were heard, and smoke rose from both sides of the mountain. Panic-stricken shouts rang out continuously. Fragments of stone and wood steadily fell onto the mountain trail, and the bandits could no longer maintain their cover. With no other choice, the bandits abandoned their tattered rolling logs and stones and rushed out. Thousands of them attacked the merchant group head-on.
This kind of direct attack was exactly what the Blood Skull wanted. He roared, "Archery squad, fire three times." Four hundred steel-tipped feather arrows flew out. The bandits, who had only prepared for minimal protection due to their preference for mobility, were helpless against the arrows. Just like a death sentence, miserable screams echoed. The four hundred arrows accurately claimed 402 lives. Among the falling bodies, the Shadowless Arrows of the Wind Skeleton pierced through the hearts of three enemies before falling still.
After three continuous showers of arrows from the archery team, close to a third of the bandits’ forces were wiped out. At this point, the bandits had rushed to within thirty meters of the merchant group. Iron Skull roared, "Steel Torrent, follow my charge." Raising the heavy spear in his hand and inciting his warhorse, he bravely charged towards the enemy like a black cyclone. Behind him were the four hundred heavy cavalry soldiers who had lowered their massive shields. Their spears pointing forward, they stormed into the enemy lines amidst the resounding thunder of horse hooves. The heavy cavalry’s impact was like a powerful wave, instantly lifting up and skewering a hundred bandits in the front. Iron Skull moved like a roaring tiger, his heavy spear flickering with a yellow light. Each thrust claimed a bandit’s life.
The bandits were terrified in the face of such strong impact, but they could not retreat now, because their families were in the hands of the Bandit King. By standing against the Skeleton Mercenary Corps here, only they would fall. But if they retreated, their entire families would fall prey to the cruel Bandit King. Therefore, they could only charge, their only hope to survive was to eliminate the enemies in front of them. The remaining two thousand plus bandits exploited all their potential and blocked the charge of the heavy cavalry using their own bodies. Although the heavy cavalry had robust defence, there were some skilled fighters among the bandits. Under their shining battle aura, around ten heavy cavalry soldiers fell in the swarm of people. The heavy cavalry was instantly locked in a bitter battle.
A cold gleam flickered in Blood Skull’s eyes. Each time a subordinate fell, his heart twitched. These heavy cavalrymen weren’t only the most valuable unit in the Skeleton Mercenary Corps, but also his brothers-in-arms. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Blood Skull roared, "Personal guard troops, proceed to the attack. Archer teams, shoot at the rear of the bandits. Cavalry team, maintain formation and guard the merchant group." Having said that, he led his two-hundred-man personal guard, wrapped in a red battle aura, in a charge.
Having released the Level seven spell Holy Star Illumination had made Xuan Yue slightly tired. She pulled back Ah Dai, who was preparing to charge out with Blood Skull, and said, "Big brother, you better stay here to protect me. I’ll continue supporting them with my magic." As she spoke, she started to chant a second spell. "Great God of the Heavenly Realm! I beseech you to bless the warriors before me with speed and strength. Prayer of the Gods." This was only an ordinary Level four spell, but when cast by Xuan Yue, its effects were far from ordinary. Under the influence of her surging Holy Power, the area of effect of this support spell significantly broadened. A golden light shone forth, instantly covering the heavy cavalry in the front and Blood Skull’s personal guards who were charging in. The warriors of the Skeleton Mercenary Corps all felt their strength abruptly surge, and their movements becoming substantially faster. With the backup of the personal guards, they promptly regained their footing. One after another, bandits lost their lives to their weapons. The archer team under Wind Skull’s command didn’t sit idle either. The steel arrows shot into the sky, landing accurately among the bandits. Although their accuracy had decreased somewhat due to shooting upwards, after a short time, they managed to claim the lives of a hundred more bandits. The bandits’ numbers were rapidly dwindling. At this moment, only around fifteen hundred were left. The difference between the numbers on both sides was rapidly closing.
Atop the mountain, the Bandit King, Green King, watched in cold fury as his bandits beat a hasty retreat. He sneered, "What a waste. Even outnumbering them, they are getting killed just like that."
A man in black standing beside the Green King said in a low voice, "My lord, this Skeleton Mercenary Corps is stronger than we expected. They even have Light Magicians among them. If this goes on, even if these idiots die, the mercenaries won’t suffer much damage. Should we..."
The Green King nodded, and said sternly, "Brothers, charge with me, take advantage of the enemy’s lack of troops and attack their caravan directly. Be ruthless, leave no survivors." Under his command, seventy black shadows shot out, pouring down from the mountain wall.
Xuan Yue was the first to sense the threat, her detection magic had never withdrawn. The Green King and his men were incredibly strong, their concealed aura even managed to elude the Light detection magic until the moment they acted. Xuan Yue was surprised by the strength of the enemy, and hurriedly said to Ah Dai, "Big brother, look quickly, it seems the enemy’s main force is here."
Following the direction pointed out by Xuan Yue, Ah Dai indeed saw dozens of figures pouring down from the mountain wall. From their lightning speed, it was obvious these people were very strong, not your ordinary bandits. At this moment, the Blood Skull’s trusted aides and the Iron Skull’s heavy cavalry infantry were all engaged with the robbers in the front, utterly unable to aid in the situation. It seemed they would have to rely on themselves.
The Wind Skeleton also heard Xuan Yue’s cry, and with a start, shouted, "Archers, aim at the mountain and release arrows." Following his command, four hundred and one arrows traced beautifully curved lines, like lightning converging on the descending black shadows. But, to everyone’s astonishment, the descending shadows released black glimmers almost simultaneously, causing the arrows to fall upon contact, the Shadowless Arrows of the Wind Skeleton included. They had not inflicted any damage on the opponents at all.
The Ice Skeleton made a quick decision, lifting the Extreme Ice Silver Spear from his saddle and ordered coldly, "Light Cavalry Infantry, dismount, prepare to meet the charge." Light Cavalry Infantry members leapt from their horses in unison. They formed a firm defensive line with half wielding long knives and half with long spears, awaiting the enemy’s rush. The black-clothed men under the leadership of the Green King descended and charged towards the mercenaries without any hesitation.
The Ice Skeleton bellowed, his Extreme Ice Silver Lance turning into a streak of blue light as he charged forward. It seemed the enemy understood her power as two men brandishing scimitars came forward to meet her. The black battle aura was wrapped around her Extreme Ice Silver Spear. Amid the clash of aura forces, the Ice Skeleton was astonished at the strength of her opponents. To her surprise, she hadn’t harmed the two black-clothed men at all in their first encounter. But what she forgot was that the two black-dressed men could match her in combat, but her subordinates were far weaker than her.
The dozens of black-clothed men rushed into the formation of the light cavalry infantry like a sharp knife. Screams resounded one after another. Even the not-weak light cavalrymen were unable to hinder these black-clothed men at all. The black-clothed men were extremely vicious in their attacks. The light cavalry couldn’t break through their protective battle aura. Black lights flashed rapidly, and within the blink of an eye several dozen light cavalrymen were brutally killed by the black-clothed men. Light cavalry was known for its agility. Facing such a fierce and fierce confrontation was not their specialty, especially given the ferocity of their opponents.
The Wind Skeleton was shocked by the swift losses of the Ice Skeleton’s men. He immediately bellowed, "Archers, change to swords, aid the light cavalry infantry." He pulled out the long knife from his back and was the first to charge.
Ah Dai looked at Xuan Yue. The vicious attack of the black-dressed men was startling. The high-level martial arts and ruthless methods of these black-dressed men far surpassed those of ordinary assassins. Although they were not as good as Mie et al., Ah Dai distinctly felt that their skills were by no means inferior to the exterminators of the Assassin’s Guild. From where did so many masters come?
Xuan Yue bit her lip and said, "Big brother, you go. If this continues, the skeleton mercenaries will suffer heavy casualties. I’ll support you from behind. Don’t worry, I have the Phoenix’s Blood and the Ring of Guardian." Ah Dai did not dare to leave Xuan Yue easily, fearing she would be attacked by the enemy. Seeing that no enemy had appeared around them, he was worried about the unfavorable situation and nodded, "Brother, be careful." After speaking, he transformed a pale green Solid Energy Sword and rushed towards the black-dressed men who were slaughtering the mercenaries.
By the time Ah Dai and Xuan Yue had their conversation, hundreds of Skeleton Mercenary Corps had already died at the hands of the black-dressed men, with broken limbs of the Skeleton Mercenary Corps scattered everywhere on the ground. Together, Wind and Ice Skeleton managed to only hold off five black-dressed men. Ah Dai charged forward bellowing and swung down the energy sword held in both hands. A burst of pale green glow flared up, followed by a roaring sound. Seven black-dressed men were knocked back with blood spewing from their mouths, but even in the face of Ah Dai’s powerful attack, they were only injured. Ah Dai was surprised to find that the strength of these black-dressed men far exceeded his imagination.
Both Blood Skeleton and Iron Skeleton noticed the fire in the backyard, but they were tied up in a fight with a thousand thieves and could not free up their hands to help. The battle had reached a fever pitch, best described as brutal, with several lives disappearing every second.
At first, Ah Dai was not putting in all his efforts, but when he saw the mercenaries around him dying one by one at the hands of the enemy, his inner urge to kill was finally incited. With a furious shout, the five men surrounding him trembled simultaneously. Ah Dai’s Sword of Life and Change gradually turned from a soft green glow to a turquoise color, and with a swift cut, three men were cut off at the waist. The difference in power made it impossible for them to resist Ah Dai’s attack, and their defence battle aura did not help them much. This was the first time since their appearance that the men in black had suffered damages. Killing three men, Ah Dai suddenly felt a strange thrill in his heart. From the Sword of Hades in his chest, he had a chill sensation, as though it was eager for battle. Ah Dai barely resisted the urge to use the Sword of Hades, leaping high in the air, his Sword of Life and Change suddenly surged to two meters in length, slashing at the dozen or so men in black below. With a loud bang, the men in black managed to withstand Ah Dai’s fierce attack by joining forces, but they were also slightly injured in the process.
At this moment, Xuan Yue’s first spell arrived, a golden divine light enveloped everyone on the battlefield, and both the mercenaries and Ah Dai felt a surge of strength and speed. The injured mercenaries got a sudden respite under the influence of this large scale recovery magic, as the warm energy moisturized their bodies, and their strength was rapidly recovering. Conversely, the men in black seemed to be slowed down by the golden light. As soon as Xuan Yue realized that the enemy’s battle aura was of the dark attribute, she immediately expanded the range of her support and recovery magic to include the men in black, which indeed worked. Taking advantage of the moment when the men in black were slowed down, Ice Skeleton finally killed an opponent with his Extreme Ice Silver Spear. Ah Dai also took this opportunity to eliminate two more enemies. So far, they managed to balance the scales, with the losses of the mercenaries offsetting the advantage, they slowly stabilized their footing.
With a shout of fury, a tall man in black suddenly charged at Ah Dai. Feeling a sudden chill, Ah Dai clearly sensed the pressure this man brought. The dark battle aura condensed into a sphere and unpretentiously bombarded Ah Dai’s chest. With a cold snort, Ah Dai’s circulation of energy through his Dantian invoked the vast energy of the Golden Body, and a solid turquoise light burst out suddenly. The two contrasting battle auras collided in the air with a deafening bang. The strong shockwave scattered the crowd beneath them. The men in black were just knocked back about a dozen meters, but the mercenaries suffered heavily in the shockwave, with a dozen of them heavily wounded. Fortunately, Xuan Yue’s second spell arrived in time. The gentle white light dawned upon the remnants of the two large mercenary groups, miraculously healing their wounds.
Ah Dai and the man in black were simultaneously thrown back. To Ah Dai’s surprise, the man in black was only slightly inferior to him in power. Even the solid battle aura of the Sword of Life and Change could not break through his strong defence. The man in black attacking Ah Dai was the Green King, who was even more surprised. He had never encountered such a formidable opponent, apart from the experts in his organization. The seemingly unremarkable young man before him put him under immense pressure and mildly injured him in just the first encounter. Without his solid body, he would have been seriously injured. When they saw the Green King withdraw, the men in black immediately gathered together. Apart from fewer than 10 who had died, there were still over 60 of them. In such a short time, over 200 mercenaries had died at their hands, and their black clothes were stained with the mercenaries’ blood. Standing there, they looked like visitors from hell.
The Ice Skeleton and Wind Skeleton gathered at Ah Dai’s sides, their eyes spitting fire as they glared at these ruthless enemies before them. Since their group was formed, the Skeleton Mercenary Group had never suffered such heavy losses. Rage raged within them, even if they shattered these people into pieces, it would not extinguish the hatred in their hearts.
The Green King looked coldly at Ah Dai and said, "I didn’t expect to encounter such skilled opponents here. However, do you think you can confront us with just your strength? If you give up protection of the convoy now, I can let you leave. Otherwise, the Skeleton Mercenary Group will be eradicated from the continent starting today."
The Ice Skeleton roared angrily: "You’re talking nonsense, you’ve killed so many of us, if we don’t kill all of you today, I’m not the Ice Skeleton." She leaped high, her Extreme ice silver lance transformed into a silver line, the spear and the body combined into one aimed at the Green King. Ah Dai and Wind Skeleton were afraid she would make a mistake and quickly followed up. The battle between the men in black and the two groups resumed. They singled out thirty people, including the Green King, and surrounded Ah Dai’s trio in the center. The black battle aura almost covered all the space around them. The pressure of the strong attack made Wind Skeleton and Ice Skeleton feel breathless. If it wasn’t for Ah Dai’s unusual strength resisting the majority of the attacks, they wouldn’t be able to hold on for long under the joint attack of so many experts.
Five people from the black-clad group split off and jumped over the besieging mercenaries, rushing towards Xuan Yue not far away. The earlier light magic of Xuan Yue deeply alarmed them, creating a sense of dire urgency to kill her.
Xuan Yue was not idle at this time. Just as Ah Dai and Green King were repelled simultaneously, she found an opportunity to quickly condense the light elements in the air. She knew clearly that in order to cross Tian Jing mountain range successfully, the most important thing was to destroy these cruel men in black. By the time both sides started moving again, Xuan Yue was already prepared to attack. She waved her hands in the air, a white hexagram radiating a sacred aura floated in front of her. Xu Yue continuously drew one symbol after another in the void and infused them into the hexagram. The sacred glow became increasingly intense. Just at this moment, the five men in black who had split off were already swooping in. Xuan Yue’s heart shuddered, but she could no longer stop the casting of her spell. Gritting her teeth, she stimulated the Phoenix’s Blood in her chest with her own will. A sudden burst of red light shined brightly, the air around Xuan Yue instantly became scorching hot. A clear chirping sound rang out, and the red energy from her Phoenix’s Blood dissipated in the air, condensing into the shape of a phoenix, enveloping Xuan Yue with its warm aura. Xuan Yue had been in touch with the Phoenix’s Blood for a much longer time than Ah Dai had been with the Dragon’s Blood, and she had become very proficient in using the Phoenix’s Blood’s ultimate defense, Phoenix Body. The red golden glow revolving around Xuan Yue’s delicate body instantly neutralized the black battle aura that the five men in black had emitted. The rich sacred aura caused the five men in black to hesitate and take a few steps back, looking at Xuan Yue in surprise. Their inherent dark nature made them fear the sacred aura. Plus, the energy held by the Phoenix’s Blood, the divine artifact itself, made these men in black hesitate. They looked at Xuan Yue in horror, afraid she would suddenly attack them.
Just as the men in black were hesitating, Xuan Yue had already completed the preparation for using magic, she raised the Angel’s Staff in her hand and chanted loudly, "Great God of the Heavenly Realm, I, your faithful believer, sincerely beseech you, please lend me your endless divine power, dispel the fog before me, and let light return to the world. Illuminate heaven and earth." This was a level seven light magic spell. With the end of the chant, the white hexagram suddenly contracted, continually absorbing the magical elements in the air. It was at this time that the men in black recovered, the five men launched their strongest attacks on Xuan Yue simultaneously. For a moment, the black energy suddenly enveloped Xuan Yue, constantly shaking the defense of the Phoenix’s Blood.
Ah Dai naturally saw what was happening to Xuan Yue, but the pressure brought about by the thirty black-clothed people was too great, especially the attacks from the Green King. Every one of them forced him to fight back with all his strength. If the Wind Skeleton and Ice Skeleton were not by his side, he could escape from the enemies’ encirclement by using Goris’s Wish to teleport instantly. But now, he couldn’t do that because once he left, the Wind Skeleton and Ice Skeleton would be annihilated by the enemy’s formidable attack, something he refused to allow. Ah Dai noticed that the glow from the Fire Phoenix around Xuan Yue was gradually fading; she was apparently having a hard time resisting the enemy’s attacks. Even so, she kept harnessing her magic power. Ah Dai was deeply concerned, his hand instinctively touching the handle of the Hades Sword he wore on his chest.
The Hades Sword, impatient as it was, unleashed an arbitrarily evil cold aura the moment Ah Dai’s hand touched its handle. This was too much for the black-clothed people, who had used their dark battle aura to restrict Ah Dai’s movements within a specific range. They were so shocked by the cold and evil power, even with the upper hand, they all felt a bout of fear. The Ice and Wind Skeletons were also taken aback, thinking the malevolent attack was from the enemy since their strength was severely depleted. Panic ensued. Taking advantage of this, Ah Dai quickly placed himself between the Ice and Wind Skeletons, tapped each of them once with his right hand, imbued with Goris’ Wish, and used two teleportation spells to transport them away from the enemy’s attack range and flung them toward two groups of mercenaries. When the two Skeletons vanished, Ah Dai roared, his True Qi exploding suddenly. He didn’t use his True Qi to create solid energy attacks; he used all his Qi imbued with a Holy Power to protect himself and shouted: "Hades Clone(in Chinese) - Endless - ". Having surpassed the eighth realm and reached the ninth in Lifelife Decisio, he was confident enough to use the Hades Sword Technique’s fourth move.
The chilling exuded Evil Power all of a sudden intensified tremendously. The black-clothed people were just about to attack Ah Dai as they recuperated from the previous chilling attack, when an even more powerful force, a hundred times more malicious than before, suddenly erupted. Though they endured the onslaught of the Evil Aura due to their robust bodies and inherent darkness, all their attacks, including the Green King’s, were delayed. Killer intent flared in Ah Dai’s eyes. The deadly threat permeated within the boundary created by the dark battle aura. He made his move just as the black-clothed people were about to attack. Numerous dark blue silhouettes carrying a torrent of Evil Power lunged forward, almost simultaneously attacking every enemy advancing toward him. The scattered attacks from the black-clothed people allowed the fourth combo of Nine Characters’ Decisio - Nether Shadow to display its maximum power. The fourth move of Hades Sword Technique, when performed by Ah Dai now, was far more potent than what Owen could muster in his prime. A malicious smile laced Ah Dai’s lips, and deathly aura spilled out from the Hades Sword. The boundlessly demonic energy induced an irresistible feeling in the black-clothed people. Over a dozen black-clothed people who charged at him first were disintegrated by the surging Evil Aura. Their souls were forever absorbed by the Hades Sword, eternally preventing their ascension.
The assault from Nether Shadow didn’t stop. Amid the thunderous explosion, the dreadful pentagram set up by the thirty black-clothed people was suddenly shattered. The Evil Aura disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving only the Green King on the battlefield. All the black-clothed people who had previously surrounded Ah Dai’s group had vanished, consumed by Ah Dai’s diabolical Hades Sword. The power of the Hades Sword began to show as Ah Dai’s capabilities improved; it devoured thirty experts in an instant. Thanks to the barrier formed by the black-clothed people’s dark battle aura, the wicked aura from the Hades Sword didn’t leak out and harm others. The strange turn of events stupefied all the black-clothed people.
The intense backlash forced Ah Dai to kneel in agony. The Golden Body within his Dantian and the second Golden Body in his chest continually differentiated Life Qi to inhibit the infiltration of the Evil Aura. At that moment, Ah Dai was completely defenseless as he was at his wit’s end while fighting the Evil Power of the Hades Sword. If Green King hadn’t been intimidated by that sword just now, he could take this opportunity to attack Ah Dai and severely wound him. However, not everyone could seize this chance.
Xuan Yue, who was chanting a spell, was instantly grieved when Ah Dai wielded the Sword of Hades, she did not want to see this evil power. The fact that Ah Dai had to resort to the Sword of Hades was a testament to her own failure to help him in time. He must be enduring immense pain now. When Xuan Yue was reunited with Ah Dai, she had made a secret resolution to not let him experience pain anymore. Deep inside, Xuan Yue blamed herself as she watched Ah Dai wield the Sword of Hades. She felt grief and unleashed her spiritual power. The previously dimmed Phoenix Body burst into brilliance again, the searing energy instantly pushing aside the five black-clothed men who were attacking her. Magic elements rushed into Xuan Yue’s body at several times the previous speed. She raised her hands toward the sky, a radiant light erupted, and a massive beam of light three meters in diameter suddenly blasted toward the remaining black-clothed men who were still attacking the Skeleton Mercenary Group.
Light of Heaven and Earth was a Level Seven Holy Light Attack Magic. Xuan Yue’s father had once used this magic to directly confront the Elf Queen and the Defence Barrier of the Elf Forest, forcing them into a stalemate. Now, Xuan Yue was using this spell, wielding a power even stronger than her father when he didn’t use the Wrath of the Gods. The energy of Phoenix’s Blood blended with the attack power of the magic itself, with the divine energy of the divine artifact enveloped within the immense holy aura. The effect of the Angel Wand amplified it instantly to a power level equivalent to Level Eight Magic, with a golden beam carrying a hint of red, suddenly erupting in brilliance. The ones to suffer first were the five men who had surrounded Xuan Yue. Having just been repelled by the Phoenix’s Blood, they were greeted with the Light of Heaven and Earth attack. Against the overwhelmingly holy force, the five men’s dark energy was completely purified. They let out mournful screams, their black clothes crumbling to pieces, revealing their green skin and fierce faces. Under Xuan Yue’s surprised gaze, their green bodies turned to ashes under the holy light, with the energy from the Light of Heaven and Earth barely halting before continuing its advance, the beam suddenly expanded, enveloping the remaining black-clothed men. Most of these men had been injured in the previous battle and were shocked to discover that the people surrounding Ah Dai had disappeared. Caught unawares, they were met with the holy light. Aside from seven or eight fast-reacting black-clothed men who dodged at the last moment, the rest of the ten-odd men met the same fate as the previous five, completely purified by the huge holy energy.
The immense holy energy also affected Ah Dai who was not far away. Feeling the powerful energy from the light elements, the holy aura within him surged, instantly seizing the upper hand and expelling the remaining evil aura from his body. Ah Dai took a deep breath as he stood back up, glaring hatefully at the Green King not too far away. The Green King shuddered and took a step back, glancing at Ah Dai, then at Xuan Yue, who was enveloped in a sacred aura not too far away. He knew that there was no hope of success today. He shouted, "Retreat!" Then he leaped and fled up the mountain with his few remaining men.
Ah Dai stopped Wind Skeleton and Ice Skeleton who wanted to pursue. "Forget it, stop chasing. You still have many injured brothers. Take care of your own people first. I believe they no longer have the power to invade."
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