Chapter 235: Spear Assault

Chapter 235: Spear Assault

In the midst of the chaotic battle, a sudden sense of impending danger arose in Ji Xinghuo's mind, causing the glabella to throb uncontrollably, and the Myriad Phenomenon Senluo to activate involuntarily.

In an instant, the world fell silent.

Everything on the battlefield slowed down. Ji Xinghuo clearly saw everyone around him—the Highlanders, mercenaries, and Biaozu, all engaged in bloody combat. He could also see the corpses on the ground and the severely wounded, who were writhing in pain and emitting audible sound waves with their cries.

He whipped his head around, zeroing in on the source of the danger.

More than three hundred meters away, a fifth-rank legendary Biaozu had defeated his opponent, picked up a Highlander's spear, and was now aiming it at him.

The spear, burning with Bloodthirsty Blaze, flew through the air at a tremendous speed. Even with the enhanced perception granted by Myriad Phenomenon Senluo, the spear's rapid approach was evident, its tip aimed directly at Ji Xinghuo's heart. If it found its mark, it would surely inflict a grievous, if not fatal, wound.

Simultaneously, another Biaozu emerged from underground, its claws aimed at Qinghong's abdomen.

A red figure also materialized behind Ji Xinghuo.

A Biaozu assassin had leaped onto his back!

In this critical juncture, countless lights and shadows danced before Ji Xinghuo's eyes. With his current strength, it would be difficult to pose a threat to a legendary opponent, but he had plenty of options to evade the incoming attacks.

He chose the safest one.

Instant Step!

To onlookers, in the blink of an eye, Ji Xinghuo, who had been drawing his bow, suddenly vanished.

The spear pierced through empty air, only striking his afterimage.

The Biaozu that had emerged from underground managed to slash Qinghong's abdomen, leaving scars on the sacred scale armor and wounding the flesh beneath. However, its claws became stuck and couldn't penetrate any further. Following Ji Xinghuo's command, Qinghong ruthlessly sank downward, increasing its weight and instantly crushing the Biaozu's skeletal structure.

Ji Xinghuo reappeared several meters away on the ground, and Invisible Thorn fired an arrow.

The arrow shot forward, instantly piercing the neck of a Biaozu warrior who was part of a group besieging Xia Qingyu several dozen meters away, relieving the pressure on him.

Boom!

A Thunderclap Hand blasted forth, striking the Biaozu assassin that had landed on Qinghong's back.

Qinghong then flipped over and leaped up, its two front claws swiping out. The virtual blades were unleashed like a rolling killing machine. The right claw sliced the paralyzed Biaozu assassin on its back into several pieces, while the left claw slashed and killed the enemy beneath it.

As Qinghong landed again, Ji Xinghuo immediately used Instant Step to return to its back.

"Forward," Ji Xinghuo commanded, mentally linked with Qinghong. It immediately lunged forward, dodging several spears and blood spears that came flying from a distance. It landed next to Misha, its claws swinging and tail sweeping, forcing back several besieging Biaozu. From its back, Ji Xinghuo loosed arrow after arrow, taking down their enemies.

Even as he fired, Ji Xinghuo's mind remained clear, allowing him to ponder the situation.

"I mustn't show off too much, or I'll attract the attention of powerful enemies," he thought, glancing at the legendary Biaozu who had thrown the spear, now locked in combat with a legendary Highlander and unable to attack him further.

With that in mind, Ji Xinghuo slowed his shooting frequency, feigning excessive star power consumption by shooting only once every few seconds.

He began to coast on the battlefield.

Only when he sensed a distant enemy attempting a long-range attack would he act first, eliminating the threat.

Even so, the mercenaries around him noticed his extraordinary marksmanship and gravitated toward him, realizing that they were safer by his side.

The mercenaries bold enough to participate in this bloodbath were all seasoned veterans, sharp-eyed and quick-witted, naturally able to sense opportunities for survival on the battlefield.

Gradually, a group of mercenaries gathered around Ji Xinghuo and his companions.

Riding the momentum of the Highlander cavalry, the mercenaries continued their relentless charge. Suddenly, the intensity of the fighting ahead diminished, and they found themselves having broken through the Biaozu formation.

Looking back, they saw a trail of corpses in their wake—both Biaozu and Highlanders, though the Biaozu corpses were in the majority.

"Charge back!"

A fourth-rank Highlander warrior roared, his voice filled with rage. He was a core member of the Blood Fury Tribe, and now he led hundreds of frenzied Highlanders in a change of direction, charging downward from high ground and furiously assaulting the exposed backs of the Biaozu on the left wing.

Most of the mercenaries followed suit.

Xia Qingyu and Misha were about to join the pursuit when Ji Xinghuo stopped them.

"Don't go!"

"We're safer here," Ji Xinghuo added, his eyes fixed on the two most conspicuous opponents on the battlefield—He Yan and the legendary Biaozu, who were locked in a fierce battle. Around them lay countless corpses, victims who had inadvertently strayed too close and been slain by the two combatants, thus clearing a large open space.

He Yan was exceptionally strong, but he was currently at a disadvantage against the legendary Biaozu and was struggling to hold his ground.

In a one-on-one fight, He Yan would likely be slain.

However, at that moment, the Biaozu saw its tribe's formation broken, with Highlander cavalry charging from behind. It unleashed a powerful claw strike that sent He Yan flying over a hundred meters away, then spread a pair of massive wings ablaze with blood flame and accelerated to meet the charging Highlander cavalry.

The Biaozu's speed was too fast for the naked eye to follow.

In the blink of an eye, its towering three-meter-tall figure crashed into the ground, sending a thunderous boom reverberating through the air. Countless blood flames exploded and spread, transforming an area over a hundred meters in radius into a fiery inferno.

The Highlander cavalry had no time to evade and charged headlong into the sea of fire.

A chorus of agonized screams filled the air.

The fastest few dozen Highlanders and their mounts were engulfed by the flames, their flesh seared and blackened within seconds, turning them into charred husks.

The decisive charge was thus diffused, but Ji Xinghuo could tell that the legendary Biaozu had paid a heavy price for this all-out burst, severely depleting his combat strength.

As expected, He Yan seized the opportunity to strike, forcing the Biaozu to engage him.

The two clashed once more, now evenly matched.

"Damn it!"

"It's a good thing we didn't follow," Xia Qingyu said, looking at the deep pit left by the explosion of blood flames and feeling a lingering fear. If he had charged forward just now, he might have been burned to death.

Misha, breathless, said in a low voice, "Following him won't steer us wrong."

She had realized the sharpness of Ji Xinghuo's perception.

"Which way should we charge?" Xia Qingyu nodded and asked.

"Right here," Ji Xinghuo replied as he nocked an arrow and let it fly.

This spot provided a high ground advantage and was close to the middle of the battlefield, allowing him to harvest spiritual source energy most efficiently. No matter which direction they charged in, they would incur some degree of loss.

Moreover, this spot was also the safest.

Even though Ji Xinghuo had slowed down his shooting frequency, each arrow still claimed the life of a target. No matter how the enemies dodged, the arrows always found their vital spots, ensuring that even if they didn't die, they would lose their combat effectiveness and be finished off by the nearby Highlanders.

Indirectly, he saved the lives of many Highlanders, little by little influencing the situation on the battlefield.

Soon, some Biaozu noticed the archer on high ground.

"Kill him!"

Several roars echoed from within the Biaozu formation, and immediately, over a dozen Elite Fourth-Rank Biaozu flanked him from both sides.

Countless long-range attacks also flew towards him, but Ji Xinghuo easily dodged them all.

"I'll take care of this," Misha said, brandishing her giant axe as she faced the enemies on the left. Xia Qingyu, on the other hand, merged with the shadows and followed closely by her side.

Ji Xinghuo was about to order Qinghong to block the enemies on the right when a squad of mercenaries suddenly appeared from the side and stood in their way.

At the forefront was a woman—it was none other than Huang Yanlan and her teammates.

At this moment, Huang Yanlan's body was covered in dark red dragon scales, her pupils vertical, burning with red fire. She fearlessly fought the Biaozu with a broadsword in hand. Her teammates, the four Dan and Huang people, each had clear divisions of labor and cooperated seamlessly, fighting side by side with Huang Yanlan.

Ji Xinghuo's face remained expressionless.

He didn't need any help, but since someone was blocking the way, it made things much easier.

Invisible Thorn increased its shooting frequency, and one titanium alloy arrow after another flew out, each shot always hitting the most critical enemy, appearing at the most opportune moment.

Misha and Xia Qingyu were just two people, and facing several times their number in enemies put immense pressure on them.

However, when they truly engaged the enemies, they found the battle to be incredibly smooth.

Just as the enemies in front of them raised their weapons, their wrists would suddenly be pierced by an arrow, the arrow then piercing the neck of another enemy behind them.

Misha only needed to swing her axe once to take down two enemies.

Sometimes, by the time she turned around, the enemies behind her would already be on the ground, and she would only see the corpses of those who had been shot.

Xia Qingyu made the same discovery.

He could move stealthily, but his stealth was useless against the enemies.

This allowed him to always remain in the shadows, easily ambushing the enemies who were out in the open, striking without restraint and without any worry of being counter-ambushed.

Even though they were the same rank, the enemies posed no threat at all.

The two of them moved as if they were unopposed, easily slaying over a dozen Biaozu.

On the other side.

Huang Yanlan and her four teammates also realized that the battle was far easier than they had anticipated; the enemies were all being restrained by Ji Xinghuo's archery from behind.

That Dan Shadow Dancer had also created some distance and was using his bow and arrow, but every time he tried to aim, the enemies would already be dead.

He couldn't even see Ji Xinghuo's arrows.

While his teammates in front of him had each slain over a dozen enemies, he hadn't even fired a single arrow, like a mere bystander on the battlefield.

This made him realize the huge gap between himself and Ji Xinghuo.

The surrounding mercenaries noticed the situation here and rushed over. They joined forces with Misha and Xia Qingyu, and Huang Yanlan also received support. Together, they formed an arc-shaped defensive line around Ji Xinghuo, and several archers came to his vicinity and began shooting outward.

"Push the line forward," Ji Xinghuo suddenly said.

Without hesitation, the mercenaries on both sides executed his order, creating a distance of about fifty meters between them and Ji Xinghuo.

This distance gave the mercenaries ample fighting space while also ensuring the archers' accuracy.

However, most of the other archers were just there to make up the numbers.

It was still Ji Xinghuo who made the real difference, his lone "firepower" suppressing the enemies' assaults on the defensive line and supporting the mercenaries all around.

A bizarre scene appeared on the battlefield.

In the rear of the Biaozu formation, on the higher ground of the slope, dozens of mercenaries formed an arc-shaped defensive line, like a nail hammered into the enemy formation, firmly restraining their rear.

The Biaozu were now caught between two fronts and had no choice but to turn back and assault the mercenaries' defensive line.

However, no matter how they tried to break through, this seemingly thin defensive line remained as solid as a rock, unshakeable.

At the mercenaries' feet, the bodies of the Biaozu piled up, and bright red blood flowed down the slope, pooling into small blood lakes in the numerous hollows.

[Spiritual Source Energy: 11,045]



Unknowingly, his spiritual source energy had surpassed ten thousand!

This was his most abundant harvest yet.

With Ji Xinghuo and dozens of mercenaries restraining the Biaozu's elite forces, the Highlanders gained the upper hand with their threefold numerical advantage. The left and right wings formed an encirclement, and the scales of victory began to tilt in favor of the Highlanders.

In the midst of the battlefield, He Yan grappled with the legendary Biaozu, keeping him occupied.

The other two Highlander legends were besieging another legendary Biaozu. Once they finished him off, they would join forces with He Yan.

With three Blood Warriors united, they would surely slay this formidable foe.

Time was on the Highlanders' side.

"Burn my blood, and offer sacrifice to the Red Emperor!" The legendary Biaozu showed no signs of retreat and suddenly shouted, igniting a fierce blaze of Bloodthirsty Flame, causing blood-red light to soar into the sky.

He unleashed the full power of his Bloodthirsty Flame, using his blood as fuel, truly fighting with all his might.

He Yan hastily evaded the brunt of the attack.

However, the legendary Biaozu did not pursue him. Instead, it leaped into the air, its wings flapping. Its entire body transformed into a ball of crimson flame with a diameter of five to six meters. Like a meteor, it shot towards the mercenary line on the hilltop, aiming directly at Ji Xinghuo, who was standing behind the line.

"Get out of the way!"

Xia Qingyu screamed frantically.

The surrounding mercenaries disregarded everything else and fled for their lives. The once sturdy defensive line immediately collapsed.

Hum!

The high-speed ball of flame roared as it flew, and an invisible mental shockwave descended upon the area where Ji Xinghuo stood.

His mind stalled for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

However, several archers nearby groaned and fell to the ground, their legs turning weak and their minds blank, becoming helpless lambs awaiting slaughter.

"I can't dodge it," Ji Xinghuo thought clearly. Even with his speed and Instant Step, he couldn't escape the attack range of the legendary Biaozu.

"My only option is to shoot it down!"

At this moment, Ji Xinghuo didn't hesitate to reveal his strength. He made a swift decision.

He jumped off Qinghong's back, reaching into the saddlebag and pulling out a steel spear. As he landed on the ground, the spear began to shimmer with electricity, as countless electric charges converged, and lightning danced across its surface. Ji Xinghuo's gaze locked onto the enemy flying towards him, piercing through the crimson flames to focus on the Biaozu within.

The light circle in his right eye lit up, and the Myriad Phenomenon Senluo was activated once more.

Ji Xinghuo sprinted towards the enemy, his arm swelling and muscles bulging, revealing a layer of sturdy tri-colored scales. His entire arm glowed with electric light.

An invisible magnetic field spun at a rapid pace.

The electrified steel spear was immediately subjected to a tremendous ampere force, as Ji Xinghuo focused his mental powers on it, manipulating the metal and exerting force upon it.

"Hah!"

Ji Xinghuo grunted and, after a short sprint, hurled the spear with all his might.

This throw channeled his entire body's strength, electromagnetic amplification, and metal manipulation, guided by the Myriad Phenomenon Eyes, directly targeting the enemy in mid-air.

Boom!

A deafening thunderclap reverberated across the battlefield as a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky.

Both sides of the battle looked up involuntarily, but most of them didn't see clearly. They only witnessed the ball of flame being struck by something and instantly exploding, revealing the figure of the Biaozu within.

At that moment, everyone saw a black spear piercing the Biaozu's chest.

The other end of the spear protruded from its back.

Although this wasn't a fatal blow to a legendary peak Blood Warrior, it was still a severe injury.

The Biaozu let out a painful cry and fell from the sky.

As it fell, it pulled out the spear from its chest, now less than a hundred meters away from Ji Xinghuo. It was about to give chase when it saw Ji Xinghuo leap onto Qinghong's back and flee at full speed. As he escaped, Ji Xinghuo turned and fired an arrow, aiming directly at the Biaozu's eye.

The Bloodthirsty Blaze surged, forming a protective barrier that deflected the arrow without causing any harm.

However, that was enough.

He Yan, brandishing his battle axe and blade, appeared behind the Biaozu and unleashed a fierce assault.

He had realized that Ji Xinghuo's spear throw had inflicted a severe wound, and this formidable foe was now at its last gasp.

After that, Ji Xinghuo didn't turn back to join the battle, merely shooting arrows at enemies within close range.

A miserable scream echoed.

The two Blood Warriors finally slew the legendary Biaozu, and He Yan immediately rushed over to join forces with the other two legends to besiege the remaining legendary Biaozu. Their combined efforts proved too much, and soon, they managed to behead this formidable enemy.

Just from this one Biaozu, Ji Xinghuo acquired over a thousand points of spiritual source energy!

With no legendary-level opponents left, the three Highlander Blood Warriors began to sweep through the remaining enemies.

The remaining Biaozu were crushed without any resistance.

In the battle between followers of the Red Emperor, there was no room for surrender. The fight would only end when one side bled out and was utterly annihilated.

Moments later...

Blood flowed like rivers down the slope, staining the land red. Not a single one of the three thousand Biaozu survived, all of them having been sacrificed to the Red Emperor.

"Phew..."

Ji Xinghuo stood atop the hill, gazing at the blood-soaked earth, and exhaled softly.

His face remained expressionless, but his heart was filled with indescribable joy.

He opened the interface of the Myriad Phenomenon Eyes, and at the very bottom left of the screen, he saw: [Spiritual Source Energy: 33,540]

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end