An unexpected turn

The last remaining Bronze Green Demon had gone completely berserk. Its fallen companion lay nearby, and it made no attempt to evade the attack, swinging its bone blades and smashing them down on Lu Heng one after another.

Blood Taisui Mycelium emerging from the ground wrapped around its calves, pulling it off balance with every step. But this restraint was not enough to cripple the Bronze Green Demon; it continued to pounce, using brute force to break off parts of the Mycelium, dark green fluid oozing from the wounds.

Lu Heng gripped the Goblin Battleaxe tightly with both hands, refusing to engage in a brute-force battle.

The opponent's attacks are fierce, but after each full-force swing, there is a brief period of vulnerability. This is an inherent weakness of the berserk state.

The bone blade struck the axe, the bone colliding with a dull thud, the impact making Lu Heng's forearm ache. He shifted his feet, sidestepping the attack route, letting the Green Demon's center of gravity rush forward.

It was in that very instant.

Lu Heng followed up, his battle axe slashing downwards, the blade tearing through the flesh on Green Demon's back.

Its massive body slammed heavily onto the frozen ground, its limbs twitched a few times, and then it stopped moving.

The blood and qi extracted from the corpse slowly flowed into Lu Heng's body, replenishing the physical strength he had expended during the earlier struggle. However, this recovery was far from enough to erase all his fatigue. His arm muscles continued to ache, and the dullness left by the continuous blocking still lingered in his bones.

In the center of the open space, the dim teleportation beam was still spinning.

Another Black Iron Green Demon fell from the halo, roaring as it landed. Smelling the blood on the battlefield, it charged directly towards Lu Heng. And it wasn't just this one; several more Black Iron Green Demon had already surrounded him.

As Lu Heng's thoughts raced, the crimson Mycelium on the ground spread out over a large area.

Countless fine, hair-like red fibers broke through the soil and wrapped around the limbs of these Black Iron Green Demon.

The Black Iron Green Demon lacked coordination and formation, charging haphazardly based solely on their beastly instincts. Some tried to avoid the Mycelium, while others stomped on the ground, attempting to crush the red things emerging from the earth. A few Green Demon, once entangled, frantically twisted their bodies, tearing at the Mycelium with their claws.

The Blood Taisui only restricts movement; it cannot be instantly annihilated.

Lu Heng gripped his battle axe and stepped forward, dealing with the targets who were entangled or whose movements were hindered one by one.

With each swing of the axe, bodies fell onto the Withered Branch and frozen earth. The process was far from easy; twice, the Green Demon broke free of its restraints and launched a sudden counterattack, forcing Lu Heng to retreat half a step before seeking another opportunity to attack.

Time slowly slipped away.

When the last Black Iron Green Demon fell, the open ground was littered with corpses.

The Teleportation Device was still operating, the dark light orb constantly twisting and vibrating, continuously generating new Green Demon. However, the newly spawned monsters had no companions to charge alongside them for the time being.

The entire open space was now empty except for the Goblin Mage guarding the Teleportation Device.

Lu Heng stood amidst the corpses, his breathing steady, without gasping for breath, though his chest heaved slightly more than usual.

His gaze was fixed on the Goblin opposite him.

The opponents I've faced in the past, those who rely on magic in combat, are not good at close combat. Most of them only launch attacks from a distance, their physical bodies cannot withstand head-on collisions, and once they get close, it is difficult for them to fight back.

This is a habitual judgment accumulated through countless battles.

The Goblin in front of us has been casting spells next to the Teleportation Device since the start of the battle, without engaging in melee combat. Previously, it had been guarded by two Bronze Green Demon.

Based on this established experience, Lu Heng concluded that as long as he could break through the spell's range and get close enough, he could defeat his opponent.

He didn't consider the possibility of exceptions.

Lu Heng the soreness in his arm, staring at the Wooden Staff inlaid with Gray Crystal, and began to observe the rhythm of the other party's spellcasting.

Each time a spell is cast, the Crystal up. After one round of casting, there is a short interval to accumulate energy for the next round.

That interval is the opportunity.

The Goblin Mage seemed to sense the changes on the battlefield as well, raising his staff slightly and causing the energy within the Crystal to surge.

Several dim energy points formed in mid-air and shot towards Lu Heng's location one after another.

Lu Heng did not linger there.

Lower your body and charge forward.

Instead of charging straight ahead, he constantly changed his running route, using the scattered rocks and fallen tree trunks on the open ground as cover. One after another, dark energy specks slammed into the ground, blasting small craters into the frozen earth, sending fragments of soil and Withered Branch flying in all directions. Several spells almost grazed his shoulder, landing on the ground behind him.

There are quite a few spells, but their trajectories can be predicted.

Lu Heng dodged them all.

In a short distance, during the brief interval between the completion of a spellcasting session, he rushed to the Goblin Mage.

The distance is sufficient.

Lu Heng gripped the Goblin Battleaxe tightly with both hands, and using the momentum from his charge, he swung the axe down at the opponent's body.

The expected scene did not occur.

The Goblin Mage neither retreated nor dodged.

His withered hands gripped the staff directly and raised it horizontally. The wooden staff blocked the axe blade's path precisely.

Clang.

The impact was dull and heavy.

The battle axe slammed down on the staff, and a force far beyond Lu Heng's expectations surged back from the axe handle. The immense force locked down all the potential energy of the downward slash, causing Lu Heng's entire arm to tremble violently, his hand going numb from the shock, and his charging momentum abruptly halted.

Lu Heng's heart sank.

Oh no!

The thought had barely formed in his mind when the Goblin's lips moved rapidly. Rapid, obscure incantations poured from its mouth, the words flowing almost in rapid succession.

Lu Heng was on high alert, but he could roughly understand the meaning conveyed by the incantation.

Sleep Spell.

A light black curse mark instantly formed, almost touching Lu Heng's face.

A thick, heavy drowsiness instantly invaded his consciousness. It wasn't the drowsiness brought on by physical exhaustion, but rather the spell's direct effect on his mind. His brain suddenly felt heavy, his thinking began to slow down, his limbs felt an urge to relax, and his body tended to stiffen.

Once his consciousness falls into a deep sleep, he will be completely at the mercy of his opponent.

Life and death hang in the balance.

Instead of fighting the physical drowsiness, Lu Heng focused all his energy on the mental level, unleashing all the Mental Energy within his body without reservation.

An invisible spiritual force exploded within his mind, directly confronting the enveloping effects of the spell and forcefully countering the power that was trying to induce sleep.

The black curse mark was torn apart layer by layer by Mental Energy, and the drowsiness that swept through his body was forcibly suppressed.

Taking advantage of the brief moment when he broke free from the spell's restraint, Lu Heng forcefully pushed off the frozen ground with his feet, propelling his body rapidly backward.

After a few steps, the two sides separated by several meters again.

Lu Heng stopped and his gaze fell on the Goblin Mage opposite him.

My arm still felt numb from the collision.

He was completely misled by his preconceived notions.

In the center of the open space, the dim teleportation orb was still slowly rotating. Another Black Iron Green Demon fell from it, crashing heavily to the ground with a roar.

The Goblin Mage gripped his staff, and the Gray Crystal glowed faintly once more. Instead of rushing forward during this brief moment, it remained firmly guarding the Teleportation Device, its eyes fixed intently on Lu Heng.

There was no other sound in the woods.

Corpses lay scattered across the frozen ground. Having just cleared out one wave of enemies, a new threat loomed ahead. The anticipated swift victory had failed; the real battle was just beginning.