"Heh, Cao Chanyue, there's no need to sow discord here. Everyone knows the situation we're in..." Zhang Liangpu looked at Cao Chanyue with a chuckle, then suddenly raised his voice. "Attack!"
The next moment, the situation changed in an instant.
Thousands of sharp arrows shot up from the ranks of Fifth High School's tens of thousands of Serpentfolk Vassals below Zhang Liangpu and the others, blanketing Cao Chanyue's Feathered Serpentfolk formation in the sky.
And they weren't the only ones. The Crimson Serpentfolk formation jointly led by Xia Yuanqiu and Li Qian in the south, and Lan Yingying's Tidal Serpentfolk formation in the north, attacked at the same time.
Two waves of arrows streaked in from the south and north, one blazing with fire and the other surging with water, both aimed straight at Cao Chanyue's Feathered Serpentfolk in the sky.
"Ah... How dare you..."
Caught off guard, Cao Chanyue flew into a rage. But her Feathered Serpentfolk Vassals were flying in the sky, making them the perfect targets for a volley of arrows.
Zhang Liangpu had apparently contacted Xia Yuanqiu, Lan Yingying, and the others at some point. It was hard to say whether Xia Yuanqiu's argument with him just now had been an act.
Now, the three sides attacked together, and thousands of arrows rained down on Cao Chanyue's Feathered Serpentfolk. Among them were many Rune Arrows imbued with water, fire, metal, and poison, each packing tremendous destructive power.
Cao Chanyue's force of over a thousand Feathered Serpentfolk had already suffered more than half their casualties after just one volley. Fewer than two hundred remained.
She didn't dare stay. If another volley came and wiped out her entire force, her trial would be over.
Cao Chanyue wasn't too concerned about the treasures and Spirit Stones she might gain from the trial. But it had been organized by the City Education Bureau, with Star Lord students from ten high schools taking part. Countless people were watching. If she ended the trial with her entire force wiped out, the school, the City Education Bureau, and other higher-ups would consider her utterly incompetent.
She had already lost plenty of points, but as long as she wasn't eliminated completely, there would still be a chance to turn things around later.
So, without a moment's hesitation, Cao Chanyue fled with her remaining Feathered Serpentfolk Vassals. She didn't even have time to think of the several Star Lords and their Vassals who had been following her.
The sudden turn of events shocked the other Star Lords and their Vassal forces as well.
Shouts rang out from all sides. Some yelled for everyone to defend, while others screamed for them to attack.
Meanwhile, another group of Vassals flying in the sky—Yun Lai of Seventh High School's Cloud Lightning Serpentfolk—dared not stay airborne. They hurriedly descended, or they would become the next obvious targets.
In fact, as the Cloud Lightning Serpentfolk swooped down, a huge wave of arrows was already flying toward them. Hundreds were shot down before they could land.
And the arrows weren't coming only from Zhang Liangpu, Xia Yuanqiu, and the others. Other Star Lords' Vassals were taking advantage of the chaos to attack as well.
It was fair to say that Zhang Liangpu's sudden attack, carried out in coordination with Xia Yuanqiu and Lan Yingying, had completely thrown the standoff between the factions into disarray and set off a chaotic melee.
Liang Ji's group was also caught in a surprise attack by other Star Lords. The Half-Dragonfolk raised their shields to form a defensive line, but a rain of arrows swept over them and broke through.
Many of those arrows were Rune Arrows. The force they unleashed was far beyond what the ordinary iron shields in the Half-Dragonfolk's hands could withstand.
Dozens of Half-Dragonfolk had their shields smashed apart and fell beneath the rain of arrows on the spot.
If Peng Yue's Ice Soul Serpentfolk hadn't quickly fired arrows to intercept the next volley, Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk would have suffered even heavier casualties.
"Once we get back, I'm definitely going to develop ranged attacks for our Vassals!"
"And we have to close the gap in equipment and skills!"
During this trial, Liang Ji had gained a deep understanding of his Vassals' shortcomings and weaknesses, and of the gap between them and the top Star Lord students at the other schools.
"Quick! Follow me. We'll join up with my cousin and the others!"
Fang Xiaohan called out. She had already contacted her cousin and quickly reached an agreement to join forces.
She and Hu Dayong often clashed, but in the chaos of this melee, her own people were clearly the best allies.
Fang Xiaohan's Shadow Serpentfolk led the way, Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk charged ahead to clear a path, and Peng Yue's Ice Soul Serpentfolk brought up the rear and provided support.
The three groups fought their way through the chaotic battlefield and joined up with Hu Dayong and Tie Muxiong's Vassal forces as they charged toward them from the other side.
By the end of the charge, dozens more of Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk had fallen along the way.
Including the earlier casualties, they had now lost more than a hundred. Of the six hundred Half-Dragonfolk he had sent into the trial, only a little over four hundred remained. Their casualty rate was already approaching one-third.
Fortunately, once the two groups joined up, Tie Muxiong's Black Iron Serpentfolk, with their formidable defenses, took on most of the pressure and eased the burden on Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk.
The melee lasted for over an hour. By the end, the forces on the battlefield had basically split into three groups.
The first group consisted of the Fifth High School Vassals led by Zhang Liangpu, joined by the Vassals of Xia Yuanqiu, Li Qian, and Lan Yingying. They had struck first, and now they had the most people left and the greatest strength.
The second group was the alliance of Liang Ji, the other two, Hu Dayong, and Tie Muxiong. Tie Muxiong's Black Iron Serpentfolk defended the front, Peng Yue's Ice Soul Serpentfolk attacked from range, Fang Xiaohan and Hu Dayong's Shadow Serpentfolk kept launching surprise attacks, and Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk charged with full force. Together, they had managed to gain a foothold and protect themselves.
But Liang Ji's Half-Dragonfolk had suffered over a hundred more casualties. The gap in equipment and skills had become a fatal weakness.
The third group was made up of Yun Lai of Seventh High School and the Vassals of three Star Lords from Tenth High School: Zhu Xiaoxiao, Teng Jun, and Shu Lianqiu.
When Yun Lai's Cloud Lightning Serpentfolk came down from the sky, they landed right in the middle of the three Tenth High School groups. Zhu Xiaoxiao and the others had all stepped in to help, shielding them from attacks.
Clearly, they had been in contact beforehand as well.
However, their group was also in a sorry state, with heavy casualties. The Cloud Lightning Serpentfolk were powerful, but only after advancing to the second rank and awakening their lightning attribute could they unleash the full might of their thunderous attacks.
At the first rank, Yun Lai's Cloud Lightning Serpentfolk could do little more than rely on his generous spending to strengthen their defenses, escape, and stay alive. Their attack power was limited.
Likewise, the three Tenth High School Star Lords had distinctive Vassals, but each kind had its own weaknesses. For now, all they could do was protect the Cloud Lightning Serpentfolk as they held out in the forest at the foot of the mountain.
Aside from these three groups, the other Vassal forces had either been wiped out and swept from the battlefield or fled to avoid getting involved in the melee.
"Everyone, I've contacted Yun Lai." Hu Dayong looked at the others, unable to hide his delight. "Our two groups can join forces and attack the Fifth High School team together. We'll drive them out, then split the treasures and Spirit Stones."
"Good!"
Tie Muxiong agreed at once.
Liang Ji and the other two exchanged glances, then agreed as well.
The situation on the battlefield was clear: the Fifth High School group had the upper hand, while their group and Yun Lai's were weaker. Naturally, they had to unite the weak against the strong.
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