The moment they entered the Eastern Swamp, murky moisture hit them in the face. The muddy ground was slippery and difficult to cross, and their surroundings were eerily silent, with only the rank smell of rotting grass and muddy water filling the air.
They had barely taken a few steps when the muddy water beneath their feet suddenly churned!
Three enormous dark shapes burst out of the swamp, bringing a foul-smelling gust with them. Three fifth-level Red Blood Crocodiles opened their bloody maws, lined with sharp fangs, and lunged straight at Huohe, who was closest to the bank. Their jaws snapped as though they would swallow him alive in a single bite!
"Watch out!"
At that critical moment, Huohe reacted like lightning. He pushed off hard and twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding the fatal bite. The dull crack of the crocodile's massive teeth snapping shut exploded beside his ear, splashing mud everywhere. Rather than retreat, he advanced. The aura of an advanced fifth-level warrior erupted around him, and he swung a powerful backhand punch into the crocodile's lower jaw, shattering two of its sharp fangs with a clearly audible crack.
Watching this, Shiheng silently marveled: As expected of a Divine Beast Warrior's descendant. Even though his bloodline concentration hasn't reached the required level yet, his physical strength and reflexes already far surpass those of ordinary warriors at the same level!
Before anyone could dwell on it, the other two Red Blood Crocodiles lunged at them. Xifaman and Kelan Kai moved instantly, rushing forward to engage them from either side, each taking on one crocodile. Their heavy sword and spear flashed as they fought fiercely with the magical beasts. Shiheng immediately fell back in front of the three mages and stood with his longsword held across him. He did not budge, firmly protecting the mages behind him, who had no close-combat ability, and preventing any chance of a surprise attack by a magical beast.
With their numerical advantage, seamless teamwork, and fierce attacks, they gave the three crocodiles no chance to counterattack. After a fierce struggle, blades pierced scales and Battle Qi ravaged the beasts' internal organs. Before long, the three fifth-level Red Blood Crocodiles let out shrill death cries one after another, their massive bodies collapsing into the mire, utterly lifeless.
They had intended to take this opportunity for a brief rest. According to their original plan, they would ambush one Man Snake first, then use their numerical advantage to kill the remaining six one by one. But the fighting had been too loud. The clash of weapons and the roars of magical beasts had already awakened the Man Snake Group lurking deep in the swamp.
Before they could catch their breath, the swamp water churned violently. Seven long, slender Man Snakes, their bodies gleaming with a cold, dark-green light, suddenly shot out. Their tongues hissed and venom splattered as they surrounded all seven of them. Another desperate battle for survival erupted instantly!
Huohe's aura surged as he faced two fifth-level Man Snakes alone, hacking with his heavy sword and holding firm against their coils and venomous fangs;
Xifaman stood with his spear, likewise confronting two fifth-level Man Snakes, barely holding them off amid a flurry of spear strikes;
Kelan Kai took on three fourth-level Man Snakes alone, his sword cutting sharply through the air as he fought desperately to contend with them;
Shiheng remained in front of Nalan Ruoshui, Nalan Jingyu, and Kelin Xiaoman, his gaze sharp as he watched for any opening that might allow a surprise attack on the mages.
Fortunately, the three mages provided full support from the rear. Nalan Ruoshui wielded wind magic, sending wind blades to slice precisely into the snakes' bodies while granting Agility Enhancement to the warriors on the front line; Nalan Jingyu unleashed an unending barrage of Fireball Spells, scorching the Man Snakes and disrupting their attacks; Kelin Xiaoman remained focused and alert, water element circulating around her as she stood ready to cast Healing Magic on injured companions at any moment.
With ranged magical suppression and timely healing, Huohe and Kelan Kai could still hold their ground. But Xifaman was already struggling against two fifth-level Man Snakes alone. Even with wind magic enhancing his agility, he was repeatedly driven into danger. Snake scales cut him again and again, and he narrowly escaped their venomous fangs. His situation was precarious.
Just then, a fifth-level Man Snake suddenly lashed its tail and broke free of Xifaman. Its scarlet eyes locked onto the three mages in the rear, who had no close-combat strength, and it shot straight toward them like an arrow!
Mages were only skilled at casting from a distance. Once a magical beast closed in, they had no means of resisting and were certain to die!
At that critical moment, Shiheng's gaze hardened. Without the slightest hesitation, he instantly activated the berserk power within him!
A savage aura erupted from his body, and his strength and speed soared across the board. His normal strength as a fourth-level warrior instantly broke through to the level of a fifth-level warrior! He leaped up with his longsword in hand, poured all his strength into the blade, and brought it crashing down on the charging fifth-level Man Snake!
Sword light flashed. The Man Snake let out a shrill scream as its body was cleaved open, blood gushing out and staining the swamp beneath them red.
Hisses rose again, and the remaining six Man Snakes attacked even more furiously. Everyone was plunged back into a brutal melee, the battle settling into a balanced stalemate in which neither side could easily overwhelm the other.
As the fighting wore on, the combatants were rearranged:
Shiheng fought three fourth-level Man Snakes alone, his attacks savage in his berserk state as he pressed forward relentlessly;
Kelan Kai and Xifaman each faced one fifth-level Man Snake, fighting desperately for their lives;
Huohe still faced two fifth-level Man Snakes alone, but the prolonged, intense fighting rapidly drained his stamina. His breathing grew increasingly erratic, and he gradually began to falter from exhaustion.
"Retreat! We're exhausted and can't keep fighting. Fall back, recover, then come again!" Hogg growled, immediately ordering a retreat.
They had all begun thinking of retreating already, but the Man Snake Group kept them tightly engaged with frenzied attacks, making escape anything but easy. They were forced to fight as they withdrew, every step fraught with danger.
At this critical juncture, Nalan Jingyu gritted her teeth and gathered all her remaining fire magic power. A concentrated Fire Spike shot out precisely, piercing straight into the eye of a fourth-level Man Snake!
The Man Snake immediately writhed and thrashed wildly in pain. Its attacks went completely out of control, exposing a fatal opening!
Shiheng seized that fleeting opportunity. His gaze fierce and his strike swift, precise, and ruthless, he thrust his longsword straight into the Man Snake's vital spot, killing it on the spot!
"The balance has broken!" A gleam flashed in Huohe's eyes at the sight, and he immediately roared to rally the team. "Once Shiheng finishes the other two Man Snakes, the scales of victory will tip our way! Kelan Kai, Xifaman, hold on a little longer! Nalan Ruoshui, Jingyu, Xiaoman, give Shiheng your full support!"
At his words, the three mages immediately redirected all their firepower, concentrating their magic on supporting Shiheng. Wind blades sliced, fireballs scorched, and water arrows pinned the snakes down, coordinating with Shiheng's berserk onslaught. With one fewer combatant on the magical beasts' side as well, the pressure on everyone dropped sharply.
Before long, with the mages' full support, Shiheng swept through the remaining two fourth-level Man Snakes and killed them both.
After finishing off the fourth-level Man Snakes, Shiheng did not pause for an instant. He immediately turned to reinforce the others on the front line. Together, they surrounded their enemies, first helping the severely exhausted Huohe kill the two fifth-level Man Snakes before him. Then, working as one and pressing forward step by step, they killed the remaining two fifth-level Man Snakes as well.
At last, all the Man Snakes that had surrounded and attacked them were completely wiped out.
But after this desperate battle to the death, everyone was exhausted to the limit, drenched in blood and gasping for breath. The three mages had completely depleted their magical power. Pale-faced, they lacked even the strength to raise their hands and were on the verge of collapse.
They had no time to linger, much less dig out the magical beasts' cores and collect their spoils. The fighting had been too loud, and the sounds of brutal combat and the smell of blood could easily draw stronger magical beasts from deep within the swamp. They no longer had any strength left to fight, and every extra moment they stayed added to the mortal danger.
"Withdraw immediately!"
Huohe made the decision without delay. Supporting one another, they dragged their utterly exhausted bodies toward the edge of the swamp, struggling onward without daring to stop.
At last, all seven returned to the temporary camp after their frightening but safe escape. Only then did their tightly wound nerves ease slightly.
But even after escaping danger, they did not dare let their guard down completely. Magical beasts prowled around the swamp, and one might track them there at any time. They immediately agreed to leave one person on watch through the night, alert for any unusual movements nearby. The others each found a place to sit cross-legged, circulated the Battle Qi within their bodies, and did everything they could to regulate their breathing and heal, quickly restoring their depleted stamina and recovering from their injuries.
The campfire burned quietly, illuminating their weary yet resolute faces. In the end, they had scraped through the brutal battle in the swamp with a narrow victory.
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