CH 161.2

This person!

Too powerful!

Zhang San felt an unprecedented pressure!

Even with the full effect of his command skill, and the archpriest's Blood Ritual diverting a significant portion of the damage, this strike alone...

While it might not have been enough to claim Zhang San's life, it would have certainly inflicted substantial wounds upon this diamond earth drake.

Zhang San realized that, given his current strength, defeating his opponent seemed unlikely. However, the guardian knight also faced significant challenges in trying to defeat Zhang San in his present state.

Transformation skills would usually consume an astonishing amount of energy.

Why not use the advantage of his superior defense to buy time?

Let the opponent's strength gradually wane, and then seize the opportunity to turn the tide.

Of course, even if the worst-case scenario occurred, it would not have mattered. Because even in the worst-case scenario, there was still a true dragon overseeing the Bloody Fortress.

Long Yi, like his master.

He was an Abyssal Dragon.

The ceiling of Level 5 overlord units!

He could hold his own against even a monarch.

Dealing with the guardian knight was well within his capabilities. With the Abyssal dragon stationed at the Bloody Fortress, the likelihood of the empire army before them breaching its defenses was nearly nonexistent.

There was no need for concern.

Zhang San unleashed his ferocity completely.

The diamond earth drake launched another attack.

The golden-armored giant and the diamond earth drake engaged in a fierce battle for twenty or thirty rounds, leaving behind a trail of upturned soil, shattered stones, and a deeply scarred earth.

It was truly terrifying!

The legion commander couldn't believe it. "The Dragon Demon  King and the guardian knight are at least one level apart. Even with his command skill to enhance his strength to match an average Level 5 powerhouse, it's still impossible for him to hold on until now!"

"Something's amiss!"

"This doesn't add up!"

"There's definitely something wrong."

Of course, Huang Hui also sensed the anomaly.

He noticed that a significant portion of the damage he inflicted on the diamond earth drake would always be swiftly transferred elsewhere. Moreover, the diamond drake's defense was already absurdly high, which prevented Huang Hui from delivering any decisive blows.

On the contrary...

Huang Hui was astonished to realize that his MP had been depleted by more than half. If he were to maintain his transformation and continue fighting for another thirty to fifty rounds, there was no guarantee that he could kill the earth drake.

In fact, he was starting to feel overwhelmed himself.

"I see! So, that's how it is!"

"There's some form of ritualistic magic at work!"

"It's rendering a large portion of my attacks ineffective!"

Huang Hui finally unraveled the trickery and immediately focused his attention on the archpriest, Li Si.

"Hahaha!"

"No wonder it's been so difficult!"

"But it ends here!"

With a powerful strike, Huang Hui once again forced the diamond earth dragon back, then he plunged his giant sword into the ground. The golden armor that enveloped his body displayed visible cracks, unleashing a brilliant radiance.

"Arcane Shatter!"

Huang Hui detonated the body of the golden-armored giant. A powerful shockwave and intense light instantly enveloped an area of several hundred meters. Although the damage inflicted was not substantial, it had a potent dispelling effect.

"Oh no!"

Zhang San realized it.

In an instant, all the effects of his aura and the ritual enchantments were nullified. The enhancements that had bolstered his strength vanished. At this moment, his strength reverted back to its fundamental state, that of a peak Level 4 overlord.

"Game over!"

"Now, die!"

The golden longsword cleaved through the air, unleashing a ferocious wave of Qi.

Huang Hui had observed that after their intense battle, the diamond drake's scales had weakened considerably, and its HP had been drained by more than a third.

Under the weight of this all-out assault, even if the diamond drake managed to survive, it would undoubtedly be left heavily wounded.

He had to admit it.

This diamond earth drake was incredibly tenacious.

But the gap between them was too vast.

In the end, victory still belonged to him!

After killing the dragon, he would obtain the formidable talents of the Dragon Demon King, and his future strength would undoubtedly skyrocket!

However, at that critical moment.

From the distant Bloody Fortress, located two kilometers away. A malevolent ray of beholder eye beam was suddenly unleashed.

This attack stood in stark contrast to the other beholder's, emanating a deep, purplish-black hue and possessing an amplified potency several hundred times greater.

"Shi..!"

Huang Hui was instantly overcome with dread.

A beholder beam's attack range was about a thousand meters. His current position was clearly outside the range of the eye beam attack.

Huang Hui could not even imagine that there would be an attack coming from the fortress.

Having relinquished his transformation as the golden-armored giant and channeling all his Qi into an attack, Huang Hui was now left defenseless.

Boom!

A loud bang!

Huang Hui was sent hurtling dozens of meters away and his body was almost pierced through.

Even if he did not succumb to death, his wounds were severe enough to render him incapacitated temporarily. This sight left the entire empire army completely flummoxed.

"No!!"

"The knight has been ambushed!"

"Charge! Rescue the lord!"

The legion commander swiftly issued the order, and several high-ranking officers with teleportation abilities rushed to Huang Hui's side to extract him from danger.

Meanwhile, the rest of the troops launched a hasty counterattack to provide cover.

Under the relentless assault of countless beholders' eye beams, the empire army suffered heavy casualties, leaving thousands of bodies strewn on the battlefield. Disheveled and in retreat, they fell back twenty miles to regroup and recover.

And just like that, the initial onslaught of the empire's official army had been dramatically thwarted.

But today, it was not Long Yi, the fortress guardian, who had dealt the crippling blow to Huang Hui.

It was the Demon King's summoned "Hellish Beholder Overlord" , the most powerful entity that could be conjured from the Beholder's Lair.

Despite being a beholder, it was a Level 4 overlord. Its sheer offensive might was capable of swiftly decimating a typical Level 4 overlord unit, and even a Level 5 overlord would likely suffer severe wounds.

This beholder overlord had a range extending over ten thousand meters. It had been biding its time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike unexpectedly.

Caught off guard and defenseless, Huang Hui bore the brunt of the attack. The fact that he managed to cling onto his life was truly a stroke of luck.

Suffice to say, it became evident that the empire army had gravely underestimated the true power and contingency plans of the Demon King entrenched within the Bloody Fortress.

......

That night, inside the empire army camp...

"Damn it!"

"This grudge will not go unanswered!"

"I swear I won't rest until I've avenged this!"

Huang Hui's condition was dire, to say the least.

The attack from the Level 4 overlord beholder had not only inflicted devastating damage, but it also carried a curse and venomous effects, leaving him weak and feeble.

In the midst of this, the guards surrounding him suddenly dispersed.

A figure cloaked in black stepped into the tent.

"Hehehe, look at you, lord knight, in such a pitiful state!"

"Su Wenhao, you dare show your face here? Who do you think you are? Even the likes of you dares to mock me?"

"Open your eyes wide and take a good look!"

With a swift motion, Su Wenhao removed his massive cloak.

Huang Hui's pupils shrank, a look of sheer astonishment on his face. "You... you..."

Su Wenhao, at that moment, was no longer human.

His entire body was covered in blood-red tumors, and his left hand had morphed into a grotesque structure reminiscent of octopus tentacles.

"Guards!!"

Huang Hui realized his impending doom.

The grotesque tendrils, covered in pulsating blood tumors, effortlessly pierced his heart. In a matter of moments, Huang Hui's body withered, drained of its blood, strength, and very soul by the abomination before him.

Simultaneously, this monstrosity known as Su Wenhao experienced a surge in power, as the blood tumors covering his form swelled and grew larger.

"Now, do you comprehend?" Su Wenhao's voice dripped with malice. "I've fused with an ancient deity, and now I am on the path to becoming a new god!"

His tendrils continued their macabre feast, sucking the life essence from the knight's flesh.

"You, insignificant mortal, and that accursed Demon King, are mere nutrients for my ascension!"

"No... No..."

Huang Hui's voice gradually waned.

His soul was consumed in its entirety.

In the end, his entire body shattered and crumbled into dust.

Su Wenhao donned his black cloak once more and stepped out of the army camp.

He announced an imperative message to the entire army, "The revered guardian knight lord has tragically succumbed to his grievous wounds. Henceforth, Count Kolo shall assume direct command of the forces!"