Spirit Ashes Warband

At the start of the battle.

Xia Tong had already told Kulala through their mental link to prepare for combat and begin brewing venom.

Against elite monsters with thick health and high defense, venom's sustained corrosion was often the most effective method.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

Purple-red venom splashed over the Night's Cavalry, sending up clouds of white smoke.

As the Funeral Horse's front hooves touched down again.

The Night's Cavalry yanked hard on the reins. Ignoring the searing pain of corrosion across his body, his eyes reddened as he charged at the Crimson Jellyfish that had sprayed the venom!

This time, the black Night Cavalry's Flail in his hand dragged along the ground.

The heavy black spiked iron ball plowed deep furrows through the earth!

He was too far away. Xia Tong had no time to save it!

The Night's Cavalry was incredibly fast, his pupils filled with rage. The pounding hooves sounded like relentless death drums.

At that moment, Xia Tong still had two Godrick Soldiers in his Spirit Ashes formation.

One held a crossbow and carried a longsword on his back; the other held a kite shield and a sword in his left hand.

At that critical moment.

The Godrick Soldier with the greatshield hurried before the Crimson Jellyfish like a loyal guard.

He gripped the shield with both hands and slammed it fiercely into the ground.

Thud!

The greatshield struck the ground, a defensive instinct carved into his bones in life.

The other, the crossbowman, raised his crossbow again and continually fired at the Night's Cavalry, trying to disrupt his charge.

Xia Tong also spurred his horse into a desperate charge!

"Hold on!"

A dozen meters was nothing to the Night's Cavalry at full gallop. He arrived in an instant.

Whoosh—!

He raised the heavy cavalry flail high, borrowing the horse's momentum before smashing it down upon the Godrick Soldier's greatshield!

Bang!

A thunderous crash.

The Godrick Soldier seemed to have been struck by a battering ram. The tremendous impact lifted both his feet from the ground, sent him stumbling back three steps, and slammed him heavily into the Spirit Jellyfish behind him.

Fortunately, the Spirit Jellyfish's body was soft, and it floated in the air. It acted as a cushion, dispersing much of the tremendous force.

Otherwise, the soldier's spine would have snapped from that blow.

His first attack failed.

The Night's Cavalry pulled the reins again, controlling his warhorse as it wheeled in place.

He raised the heavy black flail and swung it with a whistling roar like a pendulum in a storm, intending to follow up with another strike!

"Don't even think about it!"

By then, the three Stray Wolves had already arrived.

Ignoring all danger, they pounced forward and began tearing at the horse's legs!

Awooo! Awooo!

All three legs were viciously seized and pulled backward.

Blood flowed down the Funeral Horse's hind legs. It whinnied incessantly, losing its balance from the pain and nearly collapsing to its knees.

Beside the distant ruins.

Moen the wandering merchant watched the scene intently as well.

Although Irina could not see beside him, she had kept one ear carefully tilted, listening closely.

Her eyelashes trembled faintly, her expression full of worry and fear.

"Is he your husband?" Moen suddenly asked.

"Ah! No! No!"

Irina's face flushed, and she hurriedly waved her hands in denial.

"Mr. Moen, how is the battle going now?"

"This warrior's opponent is the Night's Cavalry... It seems he is handling him with ease. Truly unbelievable."

Moen sighed.

"The Night's Cavalry? What is that? Mr. Moen, could you tell me about them?"

Moen took a sip of wine and slowly said:

"No one knows where these Night's Cavalry came from."

"Ever since I settled before the walls of Castle Morne, I have often seen him patrolling here at night on his Funeral Horse. Once, I nervously greeted him. He ignored me, but he never showed any hostility toward me either."

"Sometimes, I even saw him casually slaughter a few vicious Misbegotten."

At this point, a trace of confusion appeared in Moen's eyes.

"I just don't understand why... when he saw this warrior, he showed such intense hostility and killing intent."

"Ah?!"

Irina immediately grew even more worried.

To her, whether it was an ordinary Winged Misbegotten or the even stronger Scaly Misbegotten, they were all terrifyingly powerful monsters.

It often took two trained guards to barely handle a single Misbegotten.

Yet those Misbegotten had been casually killed by the Night's Cavalry before them!

Just how strong was this cavalryman?

"Don't worry too much. Lord Xia Tong isn't as weak as you think."

Melina softly comforted her from the side.

But her one eye remained fixed on the battlefield, her fingers tightening slightly.

At the center of the battlefield.

"Damn it!"

Watching the Stray Wolf that the Night's Cavalry had knocked to the ground with a backhanded hammer blow, Xia Tong felt a sharp ache in his mind.

That Stray Wolf's mental link had become extremely faint.

The Night's Cavalry's earlier blow had inflicted tremendous damage on it. Its entire chest and abdomen had nearly caved in, while glowing motes of spirit essence spilled from the corners of its mouth.

Yet it still struggled to rise, baring its fangs as it continued fighting.

On the other side.

The Forked Hatchets in the two Fanged Imps' hands still dripped with blood.

When the Funeral Horse's hind legs had been firmly bitten by the wolf pack, those two devious little creatures had taken the chance to leave several bone-deep wounds.

The gushing blood stained the black gauze fluttering around the warhorse in the wind.

Looks like this Funeral Horse is about to attend its own funeral.

Xia Tong thought to himself.

The reason this Night's Cavalry was difficult to deal with was his high mobility.

And the reason he possessed such mobility was the Funeral Horse beneath him.

Yet now, the Funeral Horse was wounded in multiple places, and its agility had clearly declined.

This time, Xia Tong rode Torrent, seized the opportunity, and charged fiercely forward with his spear in hand!

Using the horse's speed, he thrust his spear at the Night's Cavalry's back.

But the Night's Cavalry was no fool.

He immediately tapped the horse's belly lightly and turned its head, trying to use its final burst of strength to escape Xia Tong's Spirit Ashes warband.

If he got tangled up with these Spirit Ashes while also facing the fierce Xia Tong, he would only be beaten to death by their combined assault!

"You're going to flee like this? As one of Morgott's subordinates, don't you feel ashamed?!"

Xia Tong shouted behind him, trying to use mental humiliation to hold his aggro.

But the Night's Cavalry turned a deaf ear and only accelerated to widen the distance.

The crossbow-wielding Godrick Soldier knelt on one knee and occasionally loosed a few arrows to harass him from afar.

Suddenly, Xia Tong realized that the Night's Cavalry was not fleeing downhill. Instead, he had turned and charged up the slope!

Xia Tong's original strategy had been to remain on the high ground, where he could effectively restrict the Night's Cavalry's mobility.

After all, a cavalryman charging uphill would certainly lose some speed and stamina.

Yet now, he had actually taken the high ground himself!

"Not good!"

Xia Tong's expression changed.

"Torrent, follow him! Don't let him get away!"

The Spirit Ashes warband followed closely behind Xia Tong.

Only the Spirit Jellyfish moved rather slowly, though it still floated onward as fast as it could.

The other Spirit Ashes did not leave it behind. Instead, they gradually formed a protective ring around it.

The Spirit Jellyfish stayed in the center, while the two Godrick Soldiers kept their shield raised and crossbow aimed toward the Night's Cavalry.

The Night's Cavalry grew faster and faster.

Only when he reached the edge of the woods above did he finally come to a stop.

Neigh!

He turned his horse around and looked down at Xia Tong as he approached.

The cavalry flail in his hand began spinning rapidly, producing a whistling rush of wind.

Then, like a chariot barreling downhill, he charged back toward Xia Tong!

Unstoppable!

The long shaft and black iron ball of the cavalry flail were connected by three thick chains.

As the iron ball spun rapidly in a circle, the three chains clattered continuously with sharp metallic collisions.

The Night's Cavalry was truly enraged. He wanted nothing more than to crush this despicable Tarnished to death with a single blow.

Although Xia Tong was growing braver with every battle, when he saw the Night's Cavalry charging at him with the advantage of gravity, he did not foolishly choose to meet the charge head-on.

He was currently below, while his opponent was above.

He was already slower than that towering Funeral Horse. If he tried to clash head-on while charging uphill, he would only be suppressed—or even sent flying!

So he cleverly turned Torrent around and retreated toward his Spirit Ashes warband!

"Kulala, get ready!"

Xia Tong shouted from horseback.

In midair, the completely crimson Crimson Jellyfish began convulsing again, brewing a second shot of venom.

Meanwhile, the Godrick Soldier with the greatshield still stood loyally at the front of the formation, bracing his shield.

10 meters!

6 meters!

3 meters!

When they were only three meters from the Spirit Ashes warband.

The massive Funeral Horse suddenly pushed off with all four hooves and leaped high into the air!

Leaping Strike!

At the same time, the Night's Cavalry's flail whirled rapidly through the air. Borrowing the terrifying momentum of the descent, he smashed it viciously toward the shield-bearing Godrick Soldier below!

Boom!

A bone-grating burst rang out.

The sturdy kite shield in the Godrick Soldier's hands shattered instantly!

It had already cracked under the first strike, and this time it was smashed directly into several pieces!

The Godrick Soldier behind the shield did not even have time to groan. He spat blood wildly and was sent flying backward!

The situation took a sudden turn for the worse!