Compared to the truly grand scale, the other battlefield seemed rather lackluster, almost as if it had been skimped on in terms of budget.
But in reality, the two sides fighting here are just as formidable as Tim and Margaret on the other side.
It's only because most of Cuiske's forces are concentrated underground that this place feels somewhat safe.
Despite losing Radish, Xilǐ'er was still fully armed, holding a long spear in one hand and a short spear in the other, clearly possessing some knowledge of both ranged and melee combat.
Since smashing the Radish with one blow, Cuiske on the opposite side has not moved an inch. His cane is stuck into the ground again, and the surrounding rock layers have become much looser due to his roots.
Around him, at least six or seven Aberration plants with completely different functions were aiming at Xilǐ'er, who was only a dozen meters away. They were clearly well-prepared and ready to strike.
Hallucinogenic pollen, highly toxic tree sap, and even the seeds of Aberration plants known for their hardness...
Countless attacks rained down on Xilǐ'er without restraint, creating a scene reminiscent of Plants vs. Zombies.
Despite losing their mounts, the Knight of Conquest showed no sign of panic.
Each time he took a minimal step and swung his twin pistols with minimal effort, it was enough to neutralize all the attacks.
The Descent on Xilǐ'er seemed to be engrossed in such micromanagement, like a collector carefully handling a model.
Bang bang bang!
A series of fist-sized, hard fruits flew towards them, but Xilǐ'er calmly stepped forward with his spear and smashed the stone-like fruits into powder with a couple of quick strikes.
" Cuiske, I've heard of you."
The voice beneath the armor showed no signs of fatigue:
"A very famous apostate, to this day it seems like your wanted poster still hangs in the Holy City."
"If you do not surrender to Adelaide, one of those three positions should be yours."
"Is being controlled by others what you want?"
Cuiske's body barely moved, except for his right hand, which was constantly twisting and tapping the cane stuck in the ground.
Hearing Xilǐ'er's clearly provocative remarks, Cuiske snorted coldly:
"What my father could give me, I could never get in my entire life by Tree Worship Church!"
"On the contrary, you've been hiding your identity for so long, but it's not hard to guess your true identity. Aren't you just that father who thinks he can deny his own bloodline..."
Before he finished speaking, Xilǐ'er had already casually tossed his short spear with a backhand motion.
The silver-plated short spear ripped through the air like lightning, emitting a deafening roar amidst flashing light and shadow.
The ground, the cave ceiling, the rock walls... layers upon layers of dense plant shields rapidly gathered in front of Cuiske.
The short spears, carrying terrifying force, relentlessly shattered layer upon layer of shields, yet new shields were constantly being generated in front of them.
Smoke and dust filled the air, and debris flew everywhere.
With a rather impassioned long neigh, Xilǐ'er's mount, Radish, not far behind him, officially announced its resurrection.
The fully armored steed snorted and raised its front hooves high as it charged forward.
Xilǐ'er seemed to be used to this kind of fighting, and reached out to his side without even turning his head.
The moment the cold reins landed in his hand, he pushed off the ground with his left foot, leaping forward and landing perfectly on Radish's back.
Xilǐ'er put his feet into the stirrups beside his mount, brandished his lance with one hand, and pulled hard on the reins with the other. Radish immediately understood and began to accelerate.
As the warhorse took flight, Xilǐ'er's iron wings, imbued with abundant Psionic Energy, shattered and transformed into a pair of truly translucent feathers.
The metal fragments that were freed were drawn together by an invisible force and gathered at the tip of Xilǐ'er's lance.
"Drink it!"
The warhorse and rider fell together, and Xilǐ'er gripped his lance in reverse and hurled it with all his might once more.
The short spear is merely a cover to obscure vision and bait out skills, while the long spear is the real killing move!
The spear was thrown, its hum echoing repeatedly within the cave, shaking down countless innocent stalactites from the ceiling, and raising a cloud of dust that blotted out the sun, making the already cramped cavern almost completely invisible.
"Clatter!"
Xilǐ'er and his horse landed on the ground. Cyril reached out and grabbed his illusory Psionic Energy wings, casually kneading them into the shape of a cloak, and then forcefully flapped them towards Cuiske had already landed behind him.
A hurricane of both reality and Psionic Energy swept through simultaneously, instantly dispersing the dust and smoke that had billowed behind him.
The view cleared again, and a figure—no, half a person—emerged from the smoke and dust. It was Cuiske, whose right half of his body had almost completely disappeared.
The elderly man, who had the face of a young man, seemed to want to cough a couple of times, but the blood stuck in his throat dripped down from below his ribs.
Xilǐ'er's lips curled slightly beneath his visor. With a wave of his hand, the fragments, now Shattered to the naked eye, began to coalesce in his palm, and the knight's lance began to reform.
Cuiske, who had been "bombarded" by javelins and now only had one eye left, looked at Xilǐ'er in front of him without any fear. Instead, a confident smile appeared on half of his face.
He stared at the insignia on Xilǐ'er's chest, which was growing increasingly dim, and asked in a weak voice:
"Isn't the time approaching, Your Excellency, the Progenitor of ' Domination '?"
As he finished speaking, strands of plant tissue began to grow from half of Cuiske's body. The plants were dark in color, slender and supple, and as the branches stretched out, they also grew a few long, tender leaves. They were none other than willow branches, which were commonplace in another world.
Willow branches connect, extend, deform, and twist outwards...
If they're not thick enough, twist them together; if they're not long enough, stick them one after another.
First the bones, then the muscles and ligaments, and finally a layer of brownish-green skin...
In just a few breaths, Cuiske's body had fully recovered, while the countdown bar on Xilǐ'er's chest had decreased slightly in those few seconds.
As the wooden cane slowly materialized in Cuiske's hand, the half-vegetative man, whose body was grayish-brown, politely bowed to the knight before him.
"Revered Ancestor, please forgive my subsequent actions."
Smoke gradually enveloped Cuiske's body again, but this time it wasn't smoke from the javelins; it was expelled by some Aberration plants growing at the top of the cave.
In the hazy light, Xilǐ'er sensed a piercing gaze, feeling as if he were being pricked by needles.
He knew he was being targeted by Cuiske, the cunning fellow who had never intended to end things quickly from the start.
Now, he must believe he has forced out this body's killing move, which is why he has become so at ease.
Even with only Middle Tier physique, who doesn't have a couple of trump cards?