A solemn and tense atmosphere pervaded the border area between a quiet riverbank and a sparse forest on the west bank of the Blackwater River.
The air carried a faint chill of moisture and a hint of earthy odor.
Leo, leading a group of knights and elite guards, had already潜伏 (lurked) in the shadows at the edge of the forest.
Using the cover of night and the terrain, they revealed only their vigilant eyes, fixed on the direction of the riverbank.
This was the battlefield Leo had chosen.
The terrain was relatively open, facilitating observation, and adjacent to the forest, providing convenience for concealment and retreat.
More importantly, it was not far from the area where the female Ironhide Rhino often roamed, making it convenient for Ed to execute the luring plan.
Time ticked away, the oppressive silence causing some young soldiers' palms to sweat slightly as they tightened their grips on their weapons.
Leo's face remained as calm as water as he waited patiently.
Finally, the rustling of footsteps and the heavy dragging sound broke the silence.
Under the hazy moonlight, a group of figures dressed in simple leather armor, wielding curved blades or bone staffs, appeared on the riverbank.
They moved furtively, their eyes scanning the surroundings alertly—they were the minions of the Serpent Cult.
At the forefront of the group was a hunched figure in a black priestly robe, clutching a snake-headed bone staff topped with a green gemstone. It was none other than their old adversary, the Serpent Priest Slark.
Behind Slark, a colossal creature moved slowly, emitting a dull, "grunting" sound.
It was a staggeringly large crocodile, nearly six meters in length, covered in thick, mud-like, dark green scales, with jagged spines protruding from its back.
Its turbid yellow eyes gleamed cruelly in the darkness, its enormous mouth slightly ajar, revealing rows of dense, terrifying fangs.
Every movement caused the ground to tremble slightly.
This was the third-order magical beast, the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile.
As the group advanced, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted from upstream on the riverbank!
"Moo—!!!"
The sound was filled with unparalleled anger and fury, as if the very earth trembled with the roar!
Slark and his minions froze, turning their heads in the direction of the sound.
Under the moonlight, a mountain-like colossus charged madly towards them!
Its body was covered in a thick, gray-brown cuticle, with a sturdy, metallic-sheened horn on its head, and powerful, thick limbs that made thunderous sounds with each step on the ground.
It was the third-order female Ironhide Rhino!
At this moment, the rhino's eyes were bloodshot, nostrils exhaling scorching white vapor, and its entire body exuded an extremely violent aura.
Clearly, it had been thoroughly enraged.
"It's an Ironhide Rhino! Damn it, how could there be such a thing here!"
Slark's face changed.
He had heard of the troublesome nature of Ironhide Rhinos.
But what shocked him even more was yet to come.
A human knight, mounted on a swift horse and carrying a leather sack, sprinted to the side of the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile with astonishing speed, making several leaps.
The Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile obviously sensed the threat from the Ironhide Rhino and turned alertly in that direction.
At that moment, Ed's arm swung violently, and the leather sack in his hand flew in an arc, accurately hitting the thickly armored back of the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile!
"Splat!"
The sack burst, and the warm, fetid blood of a rhino calf spilled out instantly, splattering all over the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile's body. The strong smell of blood and the unique aura of the calf immediately permeated the air.
"Grunt?"
The Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile seemed somewhat bewildered, lowering its head to sniff the liquid on its body.
But for the female Ironhide Rhino, already on the verge of fury, this aura was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire!
It was the aura of its calf!
It was the blood of its calf!
"Moo—!!!"
An even more ferocious roar erupted!
In the simple mind of the female rhino, the ugly reptile exuding the aura of its child's blood was the murderer of its calf!
All its anger and killing intent instantly found a target to vent upon!
Boom!
The massive body of the female Ironhide Rhino charged like a cannonball out of a barrel, carrying an unmatched impact, and collided head-on with the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile, which had not fully reacted yet!
"Dong—!!!"
A deafening crash echoed!
It was as if two small mountains had collided violently!
Although the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile had thick skin and tough flesh, it could not withstand such a brutal collision. It stumbled, its enormous body sliding several meters to the side, with even a slight crack appearing on its thick scales.
"Roar!"
In pain, the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile was also thoroughly enraged!
It lashed out violently with its thick tail, sweeping towards the Ironhide Rhino like a steel whip.
The Ironhide Rhino did not back down, lowering its head and thrusting its hard horn fiercely towards the crocodile's abdomen!
The two third-order magical beasts engaged in the most primitive, bloodiest, and frenzied slaughter on this riverbank!
The sounds of collisions, roars, scales shattering, and mud splattering filled the air...
Slark and his minions were stunned.
They never expected the battle to unfold in this manner!
The Ironhide Rhino that had suddenly appeared was actually fighting their Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile!
"What... what's going on here?" a snake-man asked tremblingly.
Slark's face turned ashen. He vaguely sensed something amiss. The appearance of this Ironhide Rhino was too coincidental, and it was targeting the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile with clear intent...
Could it be a trap?
He suddenly looked in the direction of the forest. Sure enough, while the two giant beasts were engaged in a frenzied battle, attracting everyone's attention, shouts of killing erupted from the forest!
"Kill!"
Leo took the lead, charging out like a tidal wave with the knights!
Their target was the Serpent Cult minions, whose formation had been disorganized and whose morale had been shattered by the magical beast battle!
"Not good! We've fallen into a trap! Counterattack! Quickly counterattack!"
Slark screamed, his bone staff waving continuously, releasing inky-green toxic fumes and curses, trying to block the knights' charge.
But Leo's knights were well-trained and coordinated.
The front-row knights raised their shields, the radiance of their斗气 (qi, or martial energy) shining, bravely withstanding the invasion of the toxic fumes and curses. The rear-row knights took the opportunity to launch their charge!
Behind the knights were over a hundred soldiers armed with wooden spears.
"For Blackstone Town!"
The knights' swords flashed with cold light, accurately piercing through the simple leather armor of the Serpent Cult minions.
The soldiers followed closely behind, reaping the stragglers with their spears and battle axes.
The scene instantly became chaotic beyond belief!
On one side, the two colossal beasts engaged in a brutal, bloody melee, shaking the earth; on the other side, the knights hacked and slashed at the Serpent Cult minions, sending blood and flesh flying!
Slark was both anxious and furious. He tried to command the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile to break away from the Ironhide Rhino and deal with the knights first.
But the two giant beasts were already in a frenzy, ignoring all commands.
The Ironhide Rhino's horn left deep, bone-visible wounds on the crocodile's body, while the crocodile's claws and tail whip also tore the rhino's hide open, blood gushing out.
Ed had already retreated to the knight formation amidst the chaos. At this moment, he was wielding a giant axe,劈飞 (劈飞,劈开并击飞, here meaning "chopping and sending flying") one after another of the Serpent Cult minions as if they were mere melons and vegetables.
His gaze occasionally flickered towards the battlefield of the two giant beasts, waiting for the best opportunity.
According to Leo's plan, after successfully getting the two giant beasts to fight, his target was the leader of these Serpent Cult minions, that Serpent Priest.
Although the Serpent Cult minions were fearless in death, they were no match for the knights with high morale. They were soon cut down and scattered, suffering heavy casualties.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Slark's heart began to waver with thoughts of retreat.