[The Muen Tribe's Secret Arts]

[Muen Tribe's Secret Art]

"Hold the formation! Don't panic! Don't panic!" Amid the chaos, Robert's authoritative voice rang out, lending the panicked soldiers a measure of calm.

Robert's armor was already shattered, his hair disheveled, blood staining his body. He seized one of his men and shoved him hard, shouting, "Form ranks! Protect the master! Withdraw in formation! No running around!"

One griffin after another swooped down from the sky, their piercing roars carrying a dizzying magic. Several of the Rowling Family's men felt their heads buzzing, their bodies swaying as though they were about to collapse. They could barely even hold on to their swords.

Robert snatched the bow and arrows from an archer lying on the ground and swiftly fired at a griffin diving from the sky. The arrow, infused with battle aura, shot out like a streak of light. But this most ordinary standard-issue bow could not seem to withstand a knight's battle aura. The arrow exploded the moment it reached the air, dissolving into a burst of light.

Fortunately, the griffin seemed to have been startled as well. Robert hurriedly retreated and barely managed to gather a dozen or so men together, raising their swords and spears in self-defense.

By then, even more griffins were descending from the sky. People were constantly being wounded by their claws and sharp beaks. Cries of agony rang out from all around. Every so often, someone would be seized by a griffin and tossed into the air, only for several griffins to immediately fly up and tear the person apart midair with their beaks and claws!

The sight chilled everyone to the bone!

Only half of Knight Span's sword remained. He had just been attacked by a griffin and had escaped by rolling on the ground, but blood was streaming down his thigh, and he could barely remain standing.

Whether it was Span or Robert, beneath their terror was an even deeper shock!

How could such a large number of terrifying, ferocious magical beasts like griffins suddenly appear in the empire's southern heartland?!

At Robert's cries of "Protect the master!" more and more of the Rowling Family's cavalry gathered around Du Wei, closing in to shield him.

Meanwhile, the griffins in the sky remained like terrifying assassins. Every dive immediately brought a scream, and every griffin attack claimed a soldier's life.

The ground was already soaked in blood and strewn with horrifying bodies torn limb from limb. Many had died gruesomely. Before these ferocious magical beasts, many people died without even leaving behind an intact corpse!

Du Wei had just watched a griffin pounce toward him. After Ruolin tackled him to the ground, he heard a piercing cry from behind him. Though he was lying prone, it seemed as if a yellow halo had flashed before his eyes...

"Master, get up! We have to leave this place immediately." Ruolin's anxious voice reached him. She forcefully pulled Du Wei up, then grabbed him and moved toward a large tree.

By now, quite a few Rowling Family guards had gathered around them. Robert strode over at top speed. The Rowling Family's guards possessed an exceptionally strong sense of family honor and loyalty. Even at such a perilous moment, they had not forgotten their duty, and not a single one fled. Though every one of them was afraid, they still bravely clutched their weapons and moved toward their master.

"Solskja! Solskja!" Du Wei roared furiously.

"I'm here." A reply came from the ground nearby. Solskja climbed up in a miserable state, his robe long since dirtied and his face covered in dust. During the griffins' first wave of attacks, he had been the first to throw himself into the grass.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Du Wei lunged forward in fury and grabbed the mage by the collar. "My people are bleeding! Why aren't you using magic?! Hurry! If you want to live, use offensive magic now!"

Du Wei shook the mage so hard that his hat fell off. Solskja hurriedly nodded, then quickly raised his hand and fired several fireballs into the sky... There was nothing else he could do. Solskja's abilities were limited; among his direct attack spells, the only one he currently possessed was the lowest-level Fireball Spell. As for spells like Slow, they would likely have little effect against a flock of griffins.

At that moment, the griffins were driving Span's local garrison soldiers into fleeing in all directions. In contrast, the Rowling Family's men now displayed their superior quality. They gradually drew together, forming a considerable fighting force. Though the griffins continued attacking, each charge met rows of blades and spears. Even the griffins did not dare collide head-on with them, instead circling around the outer edge and darting in to claw once or twice when they saw an opening. Yet these magical beasts were simply too formidable, and the Rowling Family's soldiers were still dying and falling wounded at a rapid rate! Nearly every griffin attack took a life!

The formation slowly retreated. Solskja's Fireball Spell provided the griffins with some obstruction and intimidation, but more and more griffins gathered around them—they had already completely dealt with Span's men. Corpses covered the ground. Even Knight Span himself lay motionless on the ground in the distance, his fate unknown.

Robert's expression was ugly to the extreme. The knuckles of the hand gripping his sword hilt had turned white from the force. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Master, I'm afraid today..." The knight shook his head hard, then suddenly pulled the female knight Ruolin over and said quietly, "In a moment, I'll lead some men in a charge. You immediately take the master and run down the mountain road! Be quick! You must be quick! I'll do my best to draw these things' attention. The master... I'm leaving him to you."

Ruolin was moved. "You're going to your death?"

Robert's voice was strained. "I know these creatures. They enjoy hunting and killing. We're their prey now. The road down the mountain is too far. At this rate, we simply can't retreat out of here. We can only find a way to throw the situation into chaos and let the master slip away unnoticed."

"But..."

"But what! Miss Ruolin! Don't forget that you're a knight now!" Robert suddenly flared up, glaring as he shouted, "You're not that little mercenary from before anymore! If you still can't understand the spirit of a knight, then you're unworthy of being one! I'm injured and can't run fast. Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen to let you escort the master away! Do you want to be a true knight, Ruolin? Then prove it to me!!"

Ruolin's body trembled as she stared at Robert in astonishment. At that moment, a surge of emotion appeared in her eyes. She raised her longsword forcefully and shouted, "I'll prove it!"

Robert laughed loudly, then turned to look at his master.

Yet Du Wei had been squinting at the griffins flying back and forth around them, searching for chances to attack the formation. He was utterly absorbed, as though he had forgotten everything around him. It was as if he had not even heard Robert and Ruolin's conversation. Who knew what this little fellow was thinking at such a time?

The shock and emotion on Ruolin's face suddenly vanished, replaced by a peculiar calm.

Then, under Robert's astonished gaze, the female knight suddenly stretched out her hand, gripped her own blade tightly, and pulled hard...

Her palm was instantly sliced open by the sharp edge, blood pouring out!

"What are you doing?!" Robert demanded. But Ruolin did not answer. She slowly walked several steps forward and gently parted the Rowling Family guards in front of her.

Ruolin stood at the very front of the formation. As a griffin charged toward her, the female knight suddenly spread her arms and formed a strange hand seal. Then a yellow halo flashed around her entire body!!

Within that halo, blood suddenly sprayed from the wound on her palm, rapidly dissipating into the light! Then a massive beam of light shot swiftly from her embrace! The diving griffin was engulfed head-on by the beam. It did not even have time to let out a cry before its body vanished within the pillar of light with a bang!

It turned into countless motes of light. A griffin had simply vanished just like that!

Everyone was stunned! Not only the Rowling Family guards, but Robert and Solskja as well—every one of them was dumbfounded! The only one still lost in thought was probably Du Wei.

This female knight... had she used magic? Was she a female mage?!

After making a griffin vanish on the spot with that strange spell, Ruolin's body seemed to sway. Then she loudly chanted a bizarre, obscure incantation. The yellow halo surrounding her grew larger and larger... while the blood flowed faster and faster from Ruolin's hand!

As the yellow halo gradually enveloped everyone, the surrounding griffins roared one after another, yet they seemed afraid to approach it! With the halo's protection, the Rowling Family's people were finally safe. But the female knight's body went limp, and she nearly collapsed.

Of the stunned crowd, Robert was the first to regain his senses. He rushed forward and caught the weakened female knight, shouting, "She's hurt! Who has medicine on them?! She needs to stop the bleeding!"

When Robert saw the wound on Ruolin's hand, he was stunned!

What kind of wound was this?! The cut had split open to nearly twice its original size, and the flesh around it had already turned pale! This was clearly the result of excessive blood loss! But how could such a small cut bleed so much? Even now, Ruolin's blood was still flowing rapidly! The speed at which it flowed sent a chill through Robert's heart!

"No! Don't stop the bleeding." Ruolin bit her lip hard and said quietly, "My spell needs my blood to maintain it. Hurry... retreat while we still can."

Though he had no idea what sort of spell this was, Robert knew that now was not the time for questions. He immediately shouted, "Everyone, fall back! We're leaving this place!"

"Tell everyone not to let any part of their body extend beyond the halo," Ruolin added.

Yet as everyone retreated, the only one who did not move was Du Wei. Robert frowned and tugged at his absent-minded young master, thinking perhaps the boy had been scared senseless.

"Master, we're leaving! Hurry!"

"No." Du Wei did not move, yet he continued to stare thoughtfully at the griffins before him.

Robert grew anxious. "If we don't leave now, we're dead for sure!"

"No." Du Wei still shook his head, as though he had yet to come back to his senses.

Robert could not help getting angry!

His soldiers were bleeding, and the female knight beside him was using her own blood to sustain the spell! If they did not stop the bleeding quickly, she might die!

Yet at a time like this, what exactly was this foolish young master messing around for?!

Just as Robert's dissatisfaction mounted, Du Wei finally smiled...

Damn it! This fellow could actually still smile!

Du Wei turned to glance at Ruolin. "Ruolin, put away your spell. Although the Muen Tribe's 'Anti-Magic Domain' is the bane of all magic, it comes at the price of blood. I appreciate your spirit of sacrifice, but... it seems we've been played by someone."

Robert froze. Had this young master lost his mind? Why could he not understand a word he was saying?

"Robert! Hurry and stop our female knight's bleeding! Do you want to watch her bleed to death?" Du Wei shouted. This command was much clearer. Robert hesitated for a moment, but Du Wei had already stepped forward and grabbed Ruolin's hand, shoving Robert hard. "What are you standing there for?!"

Then Du Wei looked at Ruolin and said quietly, "Thank you. Your courage today commands respect."

With that, Du Wei suddenly pushed through the guards before him and laughed loudly at the flock of griffins outside. "Come on! Let me see what else you can do!"

Amid everyone's cries of alarm, Du Wei suddenly ran several steps forward! Robert was scared out of his wits and hurried to grab his master, but at that moment, one of the griffins that had been anxiously circling outside the yellow halo in search of an opening saw Du Wei run out on his own and immediately pounced!

Robert tried to save Du Wei, but the griffin's body slammed into him. He only had time to raise his longsword in defense before he was sent flying! Before everyone's stunned eyes, the griffin's claws effortlessly pierced Du Wei's thin body—as if stabbing through a sheet of paper!

!!!

All the Rowling Family guards felt darkness fall before their eyes. Robert nearly fainted, while the weakened female knight cried out and went limp.

Watching Du Wei get flung away by the griffin like a fallen leaf, his body arcing through the air before crashing to the ground, everyone felt their hearts plunge to the bottom of an abyss!

It was over! It was over!

The young master had died here. They were finished too! Even if they made it back alive, the master entrusted to their protection had died—such a crime would surely earn them execution by the family!

Robert sat there in a daze. He did not even notice the sword slipping from his hand and falling to the ground. At that moment, the knight had lost all hope...

"Heh heh..."

A strange laugh drifted over. Then, on the ground, Du Wei's "corpse" suddenly swayed as it climbed to its feet on its own!

The sight nearly made everyone's eyes pop out of their sockets!

Du Wei's body was a mangled, bloody mess. A huge bloody hole gaped in his chest, one that had nearly punched straight through him! Blood flowed without stop, yet Du Wei merely frowned, lowered his head to inspect the wound, and smiled. "This really hurts. Heh heh... just like it's real!"

He touched the blood at his wound again, raised his hand to inspect it closely, then sniffed it, muttering to himself, "Mm, it really is lifelike. Even the blood looks real..."