Chapter 531: Failure and Resurgence
The sacrificial warriors had been relentlessly attacking the small workshop, and now, with reinforcements arriving from behind, they showed no panic.
Their original battle formation had already accounted for enemy reinforcements approaching from all directions.
Immediately, a portion of their forces concentrated directly behind, calmly and methodically facing the charge led by Tripleblade and his men.
“We're here to support you!” a dwarf shouted from within the workshop.
Men Shi remained perplexed.
He couldn't fathom why Yi Jiu had appeared only to vanish, followed by Bu Quan's disappearance.
Shuang Lian had yet to show herself.
To Men Shi, if this was the enemy's doing, why weren't they attacking? If it was an ally, why hadn't they continued their support?
Jolted awake by the dwarf's shout, Men Shi steadied his mind.
He rushed to the window, surveying the latest battlefront.
Tripleblade charged at the forefront. Three iron level sacrificial warriors stood ready, yet Tripleblade's momentum showed no sign of slowing.
“This human shorty is unexpectedly fierce!” Men Shi silently admired, though unease crept in.
The three iron level sacrificial warriors swung their weapons in unison as Tripleblade charged.
Tripleblade stomped hard with his front foot, shattering the stone tiles beneath him.
Shattered fragments flew everywhere, obscuring the sacrificial warriors' vision. They felt disorientation before their eyes cleared, only to find Tripleblade vanished.
“Behind you!” someone shouted from behind.
In that instant, Tripleblade had suddenly executed a battle skill, rolling swiftly across the ground and darting directly beneath the crotch of a tall sacrificial warrior.
Tripleblade directly breached the first layer of defense, while the sacrificial warriors were still adjusting their formation in the second layer.
“I'll handle it!” one of the three defenders called out, turning to pursue. The other two remained focused on repelling the advancing mercenaries.
The iron level warrior who turned to chase Tripleblade swung his heavy club.
The club came crashing down, slicing through the air with a whistling roar.
Tripleblade didn't need to look back; the sound alone told him of the attack behind him. But he had to deal with more than just the pursuit from behind, he also faced two iron level mercenaries launching attacks from the second line.
In an instant, Tripleblade found himself caught in a pincer attack.
Battle skill - Ground Pounce.
Tripleblade unleashed the battle skill, his entire body flattening against the ground as he executed a swift pounce.
Ground Pounce was a common move, but in his hands, it was executed with remarkable finesse. Crucially, his exceptionally short stature allowed this ordinary battle skill to unleash extraordinary power!
The iron level sacrificial warriors flanking him lunged into empty air.
The water pigman leader charged into the enemy ranks second, followed by his Backwater Battle Squad.
The two iron level defenders on the first line fought desperately but couldn't prevent themselves from being overwhelmed by the Backwater Squad.
“Damn it, this shorty's tough to handle!”
“He's slippery as hell. Pin him down fast.”
“I'm on it!”
The sacrificial warriors shouted commands as they launched all-out attacks against Tripleblade.
There was no solution. Tripleblade wielded his Ground Pounce battle skill with masterful skill. His small frame darted and twisted through the thicket of enemy legs, severely disrupting the sacrificial warriors' formation.
Crucially, Tripleblade's daggers posed a genuine threat. Leaving him unchecked was absolutely unthinkable.
“On my command, contract the defense!” Seeing Tripleblade couldn't be swiftly eliminated, a silver level sacrificial warrior immediately shifted tactics.
Nearly all sacrificial warriors bunched together, solidly blocking the entrance to the alchemy workshop.
Tripleblade couldn't break through!
The enemy was packed too tightly, displaying exceptional military discipline. Not only were their tactical choices and adjustments wise and decisive, but each individual's execution was flawless!
They showed no fear of sacrifice.
To maintain formation stability, front-line fighters would even willingly throw themselves into danger, shielding more crucial allies from blades!
Worst of all, while huddled together to withstand Tripleblade's assault, they simultaneously continued their relentless battering of the alchemy workshop's gate.
“This won't do. We must apply more pressure!” Tripleblade gritted his teeth, his face contorted in fury as he charged forward once more.
But this time was different. The enemy formation was tightly packed, and Tripleblade had already drawn the full attention of all opponents.
Soon, he stumbled backward, repelled by the sacrificial warriors.
Wounds gushed blood from his body.
His expression remained resolute and unflinching. He pulled out a vial of potion, downed it in one gulp, and charged forward again.
He was now the target. As he reached the enemy front, three weapons swung directly at him.
Tripleblade fought desperately to block and dodge, trying to slip through the gaps in the enemy line and roll back in.
But at that moment, an iron level warrior who had been lying in wait seized his chance, thrusting his short spear viciously.
Tripleblade could no longer evade, struck by the tip of a short spear beneath his ribs.
He could only retreat, preparing to regroup.
A meteor hammer pursued him.
Tripleblade mustered every ounce of strength, simultaneously unleashing three battle skills to barely evade the hammer's head.
But then, a long staff followed close behind, striking Tripleblade squarely in the chest.
It was a silver level enemy who struck!
Tripleblade flew backward, spitting a mouthful of blood mid-air with a gurgle.
He crashed to the ground, rolling several times before slamming into a wall corner and coming to a halt.
Tripleblade scrambled to his feet, forcing himself into a crouching stance.
His vision blurred, his chest throbbing with excruciating pain, leaving him unable to fight for the moment.
The attacker showed no mercy, breaking formation to close in.
“Die!” The silver level sacrificial warrior raised his staff high, bringing it down with brutal force aimed squarely at Tripleblade's forehead.
In that instant, the stench of death assaulted his senses!
Tripleblade tilted his head back, powerless and horrified as the staff descended toward him, unable to dodge.
“Could it be... I'm going to die here?”
Snore... snore... snore.
The big guy's snores shook the heavens.
He'd finally had a proper meal, and now he was surely dreaming sweet dreams. This was evident from the silly grin playing at the corners of his mouth.
He dreamed of the dragonman youngster returning, bringing a mountain of delicious food, allowing the big guy to eat his fill.
“Father, you're finally back.”
“You've come to see Xiao Guai at last!”
Iron level battle qi surged outward from the big guy's body.
“He's cultivating in his sleep!”
“Impressive technique.”
“What kind of battle qi technique is this? How convenient?”
The spectators witnessed this scene and began speculating.
Some guessed it was the Spring Dream battle qi technique. However, while this technique operated during sleep, it caused the cultivator to constantly experience erotic dreams, resulting in pronounced genital characteristics that also served as the refining point for the battle qi. The big guy's crotch area was perfectly ordinary, not matching this trait.
Others speculated it might be the Cluster Stone Slumber Technique. However, while this battle qi technique is also cultivated during sleep, it temporarily transforms the skin into a hard, rough, gray stone-like texture. The big guy didn't match this characteristic either.
Ultimately, the spectators concluded that the big guy was practicing the Mindless Sleeping Posture Technique.
“Carry him out. Don't let him continue disrupting the order,” Snow Bird Harbor City Lord ordered calmly.
Staff members gathered around the big guy, attempting to lift him away collectively.
“He's heavy!”
“We can't budge him...”
“Should we wake him?”
But the big guy slept so soundly, he couldn't be roused.
The staff members' level was generally low. Seeing the big guy had barged in yet received some form of indulgence and preferential treatment from the bishop and city lord, they dared not enforce the rules harshly.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they briefly conferred and decided to carefully carry the big guy away.
During the process, people noticed that the big guy's bulging belly was deflating at a rapid pace.
The big guy had clearly overeaten, causing his stomach to swell to an absurdly exaggerated state. But soon, his belly flattened, eventually even sinking inward.
The staff had only moved him a dozen meters when the big guy opened his eyes.
He had woken up hungry.
He sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes. After glancing around, his movements froze.
His gaze locked on the countless bowls of fried rice lining the long table, his eyes blazing with renewed intensity. His mouth opened wide, drool streaming thickly from the corners.
The staff had already cautiously backed away the moment he sat up.
Now unrestrained, the big guy lunged toward the table once more, grabbing bowl after bowl of fried rice and devouring it voraciously.
What a glorious day!
The big guy was overjoyed, never expecting to get a second helping after his first meal.
He let out a silly, hearty laugh, his mouth smeared with grease.
The audience hadn't anticipated the big guy “reviving” so quickly. Watching his delighted eating, many swallowed hard, their own appetites stirred.
Meanwhile, the gaze of certain observant individuals toward the big guy shifted subtly.