The Golden Horn Mammoth was a peak eighth-rank magical beast with both light and fire attributes, but this one had yet to reach adulthood and was still growing.
Even so, it already had the strength to break through to become a seventh-level magical beast, comparable to a human at the peak of the Fifth Order.
An adult Golden Horn Mammoth was more than twice this one's size, and its formidable strength rivaled that of a Star Unicorn.
If its light attribute had been purer and its compatibility with knights had matched the Star Unicorn's, it would probably have been the mount knights favored most.
It looked fierce, possessed tremendous strength, and had immense potential.
With its help, Duan Yi could be considered one of the contenders for the championship in this Demon Hunt Squad Selection Tournament.
Duan Yi vaulted onto the Golden Horn Mammoth, planting himself firmly on its head as he looked down at Jiang Feng.
At last, he had a chance to catch his breath. Under Jiang Feng's relentless barrage earlier, he had only been able to defend and dodge, never daring to let his guard down.
He had to put everything into blocking each attack, afraid that a single lapse would leave him taking a sweeping spear strike.
After fighting for so long, he knew all too well how much force Jiang Feng's spear carried. An ordinary person could never withstand it. An average Fifth Order Guardian Knight would probably have been sent flying with a single swing.
At that moment, Duan Yi bitterly regretted not learning Divine Guard Block.
Divine Guard Block was a divine skill taught only to Sixth Order Radiant Knights. Once activated, it made the user as solid as a rock, allowing them to block attacks carrying three times their own spiritual power.
With sufficient mastery, they could even convert part of an opponent's attack power into their own strength and use it in their next attack or defense.
Although the Knight Temple restricted instruction in this skill to Sixth Order Radiant Knights, anyone could cultivate it regardless of their level, provided they had the talent, judgment, and reflexes, along with guidance from a knight of the Sixth Order or higher. Long Haochen had learned it before his squire assessment.
Of all the knights in the Demon Hunt Squad Selection Tournament, it seemed that only Long Haochen had used Divine Guard Block. The others either had not mastered it or had never even heard of this powerful defensive skill.
Duan Yi had also encountered the skill recently, but he had been so busy increasing his cultivation that he had never devoted himself fully to understanding it. As a result, he still could not use it.
Had he mastered Divine Guard Block, he would surely have had an easier time fighting Jiang Feng.
But there was no undoing his mistake. All he could do now was grit his teeth and fight, hoping his mount's strength would help him defeat Jiang Feng.
"Roooar!"
The Golden Horn Mammoth bellowed and charged straight at Jiang Feng on its thick legs, each step leaving an enormous footprint in the Trial Arena floor.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Although the Golden Horn Mammoth was fierce and powerful, speed was its weakness. Its cumbersome bulk made it rather slow.
Despite its terrifying momentum, Jiang Feng showed no fear. He advanced with his spear in hand, moving like lightning and leaving a string of afterimages behind him.
Charge was a Sixth Order knight skill that greatly increased a knight's charging speed while enhancing the damage of the first attack afterward.
Jiang Feng reached the Golden Horn Mammoth, pushed off the ground with both feet, and soared into the air to engage Duan Yi atop his mount.
After linking himself with his mount, Duan Yi's combat strength had clearly risen to another level. For a short time, he could actually withstand Jiang Feng's attacks.
"Roooar!"
The Golden Horn Mammoth let out a furious roar, releasing a terrifying sonic wave as spiritual power surged wildly.
Caught off guard, Jiang Feng was blasted backward.
With nothing to push against in midair, his formidable External Spiritual Power could do nothing to help him.
Jiang Feng braced his spear against the ground and quickly steadied himself. After adjusting his stance, he attacked again.
By his estimate, Duan Yi's strength had increased by half with his mount's help, forcing Jiang Feng to take him seriously.
The Golden Horn Mammoth stood twenty feet tall. With Duan Yi looking down from its back, Jiang Feng struggled to engage him and could not bring his full strength to bear.
So Jiang Feng changed tactics. If he could not hit the rider, he would hit the mount.
Facing the charging Golden Horn Mammoth, Jiang Feng chose not to meet it head-on. Although he was confident that his body was tougher than the mammoth's, there was no need to waste his strength for so little gain.
He sidestepped to the Golden Horn Mammoth's flank and raised his spear to intercept the Radiant Cross Slash Duan Yi unleashed.
Jiang Feng condensed the light blade of Sunlight Slash at his spear tip and struck the exact center of the Radiant Cross Slash.
In an instant, Sunlight Slash shattered, but Jiang Feng withstood the Radiant Cross Slash through sheer physical strength. He did not retreat even half a step.
Seizing the opening, Jiang Feng thrust his spear into the Golden Horn Mammoth's flank. The weapon pierced its thick hide and flesh, sinking deep.
"Roooar!"
The Golden Horn Mammoth cried out in pain, and golden-red flames erupted across its body. Duan Yi raised his heavy sword, its tip spewing a blazing radiance some ten feet long.
This Holy Sword, bearing both light and fire attributes and amplified by the Golden Horn Mammoth, was the strongest attack Duan Yi currently had at his disposal.
Faced with such a powerful assault, Jiang Feng did not dare take it lightly. Dazzling golden light burst from his body, and his figure suddenly vanished.
In his place, an enormous golden dragon appeared and soared upward. Nearly fifty feet long, it opened its mighty, ferocious jaws to meet Duan Yi's attack.
Boom!
An enormous figure staggered backward again and again. It was the hulking Golden Horn Mammoth.
An uproar erupted around the arena. The knights still in the spectator stands and their respective mentors were all astonished.
In that clash, Duan Yi had come off worse despite having his mount's assistance.
As the clouds of dust cleared, Jiang Feng stood as straight as a pine, but the head of the spear in his hand had shattered.
All that remained in Jiang Feng's hand was a length of shaft.
Magic Level equipment was no longer adequate. In a match like this, against an opponent with the formidable strength of the Fifth Order, every collision produced terrifying fluctuations of spiritual power. Magic Level equipment was clearly all too easily destroyed in such battles.
Looking at the shaft in his hand, Jiang Feng could not help sighing. There went nearly another thousand gold coins.
Duan Yi, however, was in far worse shape. Although his weapon was intact, he had suffered a tremendous impact during the clash and sustained serious injuries.
Jiang Feng casually tossed aside the spear shaft and walked toward Duan Yi unarmed.
The match was already over. Duan Yi no longer had the strength to fight.
His earlier defensive struggle had consumed too much spiritual power. After summoning his mount, he had fought Jiang Feng with everything he had, heedless of the cost.
That last dual-attribute Holy Sword had drawn on his power to the limit. The single strike had drained nearly all the spiritual power in Duan Yi's body.
"I concede," Duan Yi said bitterly.
His mount could still fight, and Jiang Feng's weapon had even been destroyed. Perhaps there was still a sliver of hope for victory.
But Duan Yi knew perfectly well that Jiang Feng probably had more than one weapon. Even without one, Jiang Feng's strength was undeniable.
"Ding! Battle concluded. The host has defeated a Fifth Order Knight and a sixth-level Golden Horn Mammoth. Calculating rewards." "Ding! Congratulations! The host has received 1,000 System Coins. Current System Coin balance: 2,000."
Jiang Feng smiled faintly and reached out to pull Duan Yi to his feet, waiting for the referee to announce the result.
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