Page 23

At that moment, I summoned all my strength, ignoring the young Sword Master approaching from behind, and focused on the elder swordsman before me. Our swords and claws clashed in a relentless barrage of explosions between us, with the elder's purple Star Aura splashing across the ground, creating small craters. The young Sword Master behind me slashed wildly with his longsword, each blow landing on my back. His sword, imbued with Aura, was far superior to the golden warrior's, but his cultivation was shallow. Under the protection of my fully activated True Qi, his blows only managed to scratch the surface, cutting the skin but not harming the flesh.

"Damn beast, don't underestimate me!!"

Lanster, born into an esteemed noble family, had been trained by a martial arts master. With his innate talent and the support of his family, he had become a Sword Master at a young age. Later, he joined the Church of Light as a prestigious Holy Knight, enjoying early success and glory. He had participated in numerous missions for the temple, relying on his exceptional skills and family influence to achieve victory after victory. On this mission into the territory of the orcs, he had emerged as the core force of the team, earning the admiration of all.

However, now, a werewolf had injured the goddess priest he admired and severely wounded his attendant. Then, turning his back on him, I had dismissed his attacks as mere trifles. This utter disregard fueled Lanster's already burning rage, causing him to lose all reason. Roaring, he retreated, raising his sword high, preparing to unleash a high-level temple sword technique to end the battle.

"Don't~~" In the midst of our intense fight, the old Team Leader Hake knew well that Lanster's previous assault hadn't been without effect on me. If we persisted, the girls would regain their strength, and victory would be assured. But at this crucial moment, his companion made a foolish move, wasting time gathering power, giving me an opportunity to strike.

Seeing the two-swords web created by Hake and Lanster disintegrate due to Lanster's withdrawal, the old team leader, aware that his swordsmanship couldn't hold the werewolf, shouted and pushed his attack speed to its limit, hoping to buy some time. But I wouldn't let this chance slip away. Enduring two heavy slashes from the elder Sword Master, I used the Netherworld Phantom Shadow to free myself and rushed to Lanster, who was still charging up, delivering five consecutive Heart Shattering Palm strikes before he could react.

Despite his magic armor and Aura defense, Lanster couldn't withstand my full-powered five strikes. He immediately spat out blood and fell to the ground. Before I could deliver a Nine Yin White Bone Claw, I split my form into shadows, evading the pursuing Team Leader Hake.

Gathering my True Qi, I sealed the two wounds inflicted by the elder Sword Master. His Aura mastery surpassed that of a youth, and combined with the sharpness of his sword, he had managed to slice through my skin. Fortunately, the Muscle-Bone Transformation Scroll taught me how to use my muscles to seal wounds, preventing excessive bleeding.

With one opponent down, my situation improved. Avoiding direct confrontation, I unleashed the Netherworld Phantom Shadow, darting swiftly while transforming my Nine Yin White Bone Claw into nine, using the Divine Dragon Nine Appearances technique to relentlessly pressure the old Sword Master. Hake's leather armor was inferior to his dual greatswords, and despite his Star Aura, it couldn't withstand the unyielding sharpness of my claws. Within just a few dozen moves, the old man was drenched in blood, stumbling, and defeat was imminent.

"Old man, is there any point in continuing? Surrender now, and I promise your lives will be spared. Or must I kill every last one of you before you accept defeat?"

Despite the old man's formidable Aura proficiency, his techniques weren't refined by a renowned master; they were evidently developed through practical combat experience. Although efficient, they had numerous limitations. Influenced by my words, the old man's mind started to waver. Without a well-honed routine, he relied solely on his experience, courage, and reflexes. His martial skills immediately revealed flaws, allowing me to seize the opportunity, break his moves, and send his dual broadswords flying. With a single claw, I severely injured his right shoulder.

"Get down!"

Just as I thought victory was secured, an unexpected turn of events occurred. With a cold, crisp voice, the old man promptly dropped to the ground. Before I could react, I instinctively shifted eight feet horizontally and turned around, only to see the fallen Priest kneeling beside the female mage, a radiant white glow emanating from between his hands, healing the severely injured comrade. Meanwhile, the immobilized mage, with great effort, held a magic scroll in both hands, fully unfurling it towards me. It was then that I realized the old man had momentarily lost focus not because of my words but due to the changes behind me, using this opportunity to strategically withdraw from the fight...

"Thunderclap Cannon"

Before I could react, the scroll unfolded in an instant, and all I managed to do was raise my hands to shield my face. A flash of blue light erupted, followed by a massive shockwave and intense paralysis that engulfed my entire body. Before I could even utter a sound, I was sent flying. Damn, those epic tales of heroes dodging lightning magic were misleading. In the future, if anyone tells me someone has time to react to a lightning spell, I'll call them out on it.

Seeing the nightmare-like werewolf finally defeated by powerful magic, the half-elf maiden, Avril, who had just retrieved her backup bow, and the young mercenary, both cheered in unison. The old Captain, Hake, slightly relieved, also sat down on the ground. The young mercenary quickly rushed over to support his captain, while the half-elf hurried to the side of the young Sword Master, Lanster, to check on the one she admired.

The female mage, Hai Ruo, and the Priest, Bai Lanling, who had exerted themselves, barely had time to catch their breath before a furious roar echoed from the battlefield ahead. Followed by a tremendous blast and a series of screams, they looked up to see the white, high-level wolf-like magical beast breaking through the encirclement and charging straight for the center of their camp where they stood.