The Gap Between Strengths and Weaknesses (Seeking Support)

"The attacking Vassals numbered around four thousand. Most of them were ordinary Spotted Serpentfolk."

"The leaders were twelve hundred special Vassals—the Crimson Serpentfolk!"

"Crimson Serpentfolk wielded both fire and poison. They were extremely troublesome."

"Among the nearly four hundred Star Lord students from Xiūshé City's ten high schools, three had refined Crimson Serpent Demon Cores and raised Crimson Serpentfolk Vassals."

"They were Li Qian from First High School, Wu Motong from Fifth High School, and Xia Yuanqiu from Eighth High School. We just don't know which one it is this time."

"Of those three, Li Qian would be easier to deal with—we could talk things over. But Wu Motong and Xia Yuanqiu would be more troublesome. I'm afraid we won't be able to avoid a clash."

Based on the constant reports sent back by the Shadow Serpentfolk, Fang Xiaohan rapidly made her judgment and speculated about the enemy. Clearly, she was extremely well informed about the Star Lord students of Xiūshé City's various high schools.

Liang Ji could not help looking at her.

Fang Xiaohan simply smiled. "My Shadow Serpentfolk have great strengths, but their weaknesses are just as great. For the later mock exams, I had no choice but to make preparations in advance."

Liang Ji felt as though he had suffered another critical blow. Spending money was one thing, but these big spenders were even more hardworking than him. How was anyone supposed to live?

Before the college entrance examination, there would be three mock exams. The first was an internal mock exam for each school's Star Lord class; the second was a joint mock exam for all Star Lord students from Xiūshé City's ten high schools; the third was a unified mock exam for Star Lord students across the entire Sky Snake Star.

Only after the three mock exams ended would the college entrance examination begin. At that time, Star Lord students from the entire Star Lord Alliance would take the unified assessment, with their scores determining which academy they could enter to continue studying and cultivating.

Liang Ji was still considering how to develop his Vassals' bloodline, choose inheritances, and cultivate skills, while the other party was already preparing for all three mock exams. More likely than not, she was even preparing to make a run at the college entrance examination.

How could such a gap not make one despair?

Clang! Boom!

Just then, the sounds of battle came from afar, accompanied by a burst of firelight.

"The enemy has launched a direct attack! Looks like it isn't Li Qian!"

"Get ready. Be prepared to move at any moment."

Fang Xiaohan suddenly raised her voice.

At this moment, the teams of Shadow Serpentfolk that had been sent down Medicine Mountain to keep watch were fleeing back at top speed. Vast numbers of Spotted Serpentfolk, led by a group of Crimson Serpentfolk clad in crimson armor, were pursuing and slaughtering them without pause.

Fang Xiaohan's Shadow Serpentfolk excelled at stealth, scouting, and assassination, but asking them to block the frontal assault of several thousand Serpentfolk was naturally forcing the impossible upon them. Especially when the attacking force included over a thousand deadly and troublesome Crimson Serpentfolk.

"Fire!"

Seeing the pursuing enemy draw close, the Ice Soul Serpentfolk under Peng Yue were the first to strike.

Over a thousand frost arrows rained down upon the attacking Serpentfolk below the mountain. Runes flickered across them, and biting cold radiated from their shafts.

Yet at the same time, several hundred arrows shot up from the attacking Serpentfolk force below.

Runes were likewise engraved upon those arrows. When they collided with the frost arrows in midair, they exploded one after another, transforming into sweeping sheets of flame that crashed into the cold unleashed by the frost arrows.

The collision of ice and fire triggered even fiercer explosions that rolled in all directions, blasting countless arrows away and shattering them in midair.

"Just as expected. A Star Lord capable of raising Crimson Serpentfolk wouldn't lack money to burn."

The other side had likewise trained Rune Masters. These flaming rune arrows had effectively crippled more than half of Peng Yue's frost arrows.

"First unit, keep firing! Second unit, switch to blades and prepare for close combat!"

Seeing this, the leader of the Ice Soul Serpentfolk immediately gave the order. Five hundred Ice Soul Serpentfolk continued firing arrows, while the other five hundred set down their bows, drew the twin blades at their waists, and prepared to meet the enemies charging up the mountain.

Clearly, Peng Yue's Ice Soul Serpentfolk could shoot from afar and fight with blades up close. They possessed no obvious weaknesses or flaws.

"Men, follow me and kill!"

However, Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk had already raised their shields and battle axes at Chi the Sixth's roar, charging first toward the attacking Serpentfolk below.

Of the three-person team, Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk had always been responsible for close combat and charging into battle. Naturally, they had to fight on the front line now.

"Kill!"

Below Medicine Mountain, the Crimson Serpentfolk likewise split into two groups. Six hundred drew bows and fired arrows, while another six hundred wielded crimson greatswords and led a large force of Spotted Serpentfolk in a direct charge uphill.

Two raging torrents collided in an instant, one on the mountain and one below it.

Battle axes slammed into crimson armor, crimson swords struck shields, and the clash of metal rang out with thunderous clangs.

After just one exchange, the strengths and weaknesses of both sides had already been laid bare.

The Crimson Serpentfolk were far weaker than Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk in size and strength, but their crimson armor and crimson swords were all Rune Artifacts, vastly superior to the shields and battle axes wielded by the Half-Dragonfolk.

In that first clash, more than a hundred Crimson Serpentfolk were struck down by the Half-Dragonfolk's battle axes. Yet only a dozen or so had their crimson armor split open and were wounded or killed.

On Liang Ji's side, however, more than twenty Half-Dragonfolk had their shields split apart and iron armor cleaved open by the enemy's crimson swords, suffering grievous injuries or death.

What was even more troublesome was that the runes on the Crimson Serpentfolk's crimson swords contained the power of fire and poison. Once a Half-Dragonfolk's defenses were breached and its scales split apart, it would be eroded and ravaged by the fire and poison within. A light wound became a grievous one, and a grievous wound meant immediate death.

Their casualty rate was more than twice that of the enemy.

Liang Ji frowned deeply. Though his Half-Dragonfolk Vassals had all undergone mutation, they were clearly still inferior to these money-fueled enemies.

At this point, the Crimson Serpentfolk on the other side had obviously noticed the issue as well. With a single command, the vast numbers of Spotted Serpentfolk surrounding them charged forward, encircling and entangling the Half-Dragonfolk.

The Crimson Serpentfolk retreated into the midst of the Spotted Serpentfolk, constantly seeking chances to dart out and strike.

Although Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk could slaughter the encircling and entangling Spotted Serpentfolk with ease—one downward swing of an axe could kill one, and one sweeping strike could grievously wound a whole swath—

Whenever the Crimson Serpentfolk hiding behind the Spotted Serpentfolk seized a chance to strike, they could grievously wound several Half-Dragonfolk in a single blow. And once severely wounded, death was inevitable under the erosion of fire and poison.

In only a brief moment, Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk force had suffered more than thirty casualties, exceeding one-twentieth of the force he had deployed.

Moreover, if they continued fighting in this entanglement, the remaining Half-Dragonfolk would likely be unable to escape the fate of being wounded or killed.

One trial, one battle, had shown him with perfect clarity both the strengths and weaknesses of his Half-Dragonfolk Vassals. In the future, the development of their bloodline, cultivation of inheritances, and training of skills would all need to be arranged around those strengths and weaknesses—maximizing their advantages while making up for their flaws as much as possible.

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