Chapter: Chapter 453
With the sharp spear pointed directly at his head, the Lion Chieftain, seated on his warhorse, had fluctuating emotions in his eyes. The veins on his hand gripping the black spear bulged, as if suppressing an earth-shattering rage.
“I thought I could escape your pursuit.”
“Is that your last word? That’s truly disappointing. I thought you’d say something else.” Linglong tilted her head, looking at her enemy with a grave expression.
Although she had already led her army to surround him, it was still uncertain whether they could actually capture him.
Yes, even with a hundred times the troop strength behind her compared to this enemy, Linglong still felt uneasy. The divine blood bombs couldn’t be transported here. Her only recourse now was her own strength.
If she couldn’t defeat this powerful beastman warrior, her cavalry behind her might not be able to withstand the attacks of this formidable fighter, especially after he acquired a strange new weapon.
Looking at the ferocious spear that seemed to be breathing, Linglong took a deep breath and raised her hand, waving it at the cavalry behind her.
Seeing this gesture, the cavalry exchanged glances and chose to obey Linglong’s command, reining in their horses and retreating slightly, widening the open space within the encirclement.
But their eyes remained fixed on the enemy in the center of the encirclement. If this enemy made any sudden move, they would launch an attack without hesitation.
“I didn’t expect an heretic like you would still follow the rules,” the Lion Chieftain exhaled a cloud of white mist and dismounted from his horse. “Then so be it. Since you’ve made this request, I won’t refuse.”
Following his words, the Steel Spear cavalry behind him also retreated a bit, clearing an open space sufficient for a decisive battle for the two chieftains who remained in their positions.
“Aren’t you also seeking help from an alien god? Don’t tell me you don’t know the secrets of those merchants.”
Flapping her wings, Linglong leaped from her horse and hovered in mid-air, looking down condescendingly at the strong warrior standing on the ground.
A one-on-one duel. To completely crush the Steel Spear Tribe, Linglong had to defeat this former number one warrior on the grassland frontier in a personal combat. If she defeated this chieftain, she would truly be the undisputed co-lord of the grassland frontier.
The Bone Wing Tribe would then replace the Steel Spear Tribe and become the new strongest tribe.
Even other powerful tribes within the great grasslands wouldn’t be able to question the Bone Wing Tribe’s actions because they followed the rules. Not only did they defeat the Steel Spear Tribe’s army on the battlefield, but they also defeated the Steel Spear Tribe’s chieftain in a personal duel. Such a change in rulership held the most legitimacy among the beastmen.
Though beastmen generally didn’t care much about legitimacy.
“Strength is the only truth,” the Lion Chieftain tightly gripped his black spear, golden patterns gradually lighting up. He suddenly looked up and let out a roar.
The thunderous roar left almost all the nearby cavalry dizzy. Some cavalry with weaker wills even fell off their horses under this single roar.
The Steel Spear Tribe’s cavalry fared no better. Their chieftain’s sonic attack had no friend or foe identification. As those closest to the chieftain, they suffered the most damage. Many cavalrymen’s ear canals were already bleeding, and all they could hear was an extremely noisy buzzing sound.
The warhorses were no different. The lion’s roar stirred the fear in these warhorses’ hearts. Even though the cavalrymen riding them tried their best to soothe them, they couldn’t calm them down.
Soon, several Steel Spear cavalrymen were thrown off by their horses. Regardless of the outcome of this battle, these cavalrymen would find it hard to escape.
“Hmph, mere trickery!” Linglong, suspended in the air, showed no fear towards the quasi-physical sound wave. She gripped the spear shaft with both hands and swung towards the sound wave fiercely.
The spearhead cut through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound. Within this whistling sound, there seemed to be a faint dragon’s roar echoing.
The two sounds met in the air, entwining and fighting each other. In the end, the Lion Chieftain’s roar prevailed, breaking through Linglong’s defense and sending the lady dragon flying backward.
Seizing the opportunity, the Lion Chieftain did not give Linglong a chance to recover. He stomped his large foot heavily on the ground, and with a heavy whistling sound, he charged towards Linglong like a cannonball.
Pure strength, this was the Lion Chieftain’s power!
Linglong, who had only just managed to maintain her balance, had no time to react. The Lion Chieftain’s attack was already upon her. Seeing the black spearhead grow larger and larger in her vision, Linglong only had time to shift her body slightly to avoid the spear hitting her vital points.
A black light streaked across the sky, tinged with a hint of crimson.
Linglong tumbled in the air for a few rotations in a rather disheveled manner before using her innate ability to maintain her flight.
On her shoulder, a bright red wound was continuously bleeding. Although she had avoided that one attack, she was ultimately grazed by the turbulent airflow carried by the spear, cutting her shoulder.
The only good news was that the Lion Chieftain did not possess the ability to fly, nor could he perform a second jump in the air. After completing one attack, he could only land before launching his next one.
“Little girl, your strength is not as tough as your mouth,” the Lion Chieftain landed steadily on the grass, looking at the bleeding wound on Linglong’s shoulder, a hint of disdain gradually appearing on his face.
With this strength, she still intended to fight him one-on-one?
If it were him in the past, he might have been in a tough fight, but now he was reborn. Enhanced by the spear, he was far stronger than his past self.
Hot energy flowed through his veins, making him feel that his condition was better than ever. The feeling of divine assistance from last night seemed to have returned. Looking at the dragon girl in mid-air, he sneered.
She was full of openings.
Boom!
A golden spark flashed and disappeared.
Linglong’s pupils contracted fiercely. She had completely lost track of the Lion Chieftain in her vision. How could this guy be so fast?!
A chill ran down her spine. Without hesitation, Linglong twisted and swung the spear in her hand like a whip.
Bang!
The spear met the spear, and the outcome was decided in an instant.
The white-clad dragon girl fell from the sky like a smashed shuttlecock, rolling on the ground a few times before stabilizing herself.
The moment she stabilized, she pushed off the ground and lunged to the right.
Almost simultaneously as she made the lunging action, a golden blade of fire slashed down from the sky. If she hadn’t dodged just now, this blade of fire would have likely landed directly on her.
Being so thoroughly suppressed and beaten in front of a large crowd was definitely a shameful thing, but Linglong no longer had the energy to pay attention to such matters. She was more concerned with how to escape from this unusually powerful lion-headed man.
This guy’s condition was abnormal. Linglong would bet her head on it. Such terrifying strength couldn’t possibly be this lion-head’s own power, otherwise, he would have long explored the great grasslands and wouldn’t be staying in this small place?
Before this, although the chieftain was notoriously fierce, his strength was not that overwhelming. There were quite a few warriors in the Steel Spear Tribe who could exchange a few moves with him.
After meticulously collecting data from the Lion Chieftain’s numerous battles, Linglong truly felt she could defeat him.
She was indeed a bit young, but she could fly, possessed a very good weapon, and could use innate magical abilities. These factors combined were enough for her to gain an advantage in battle.
Unfortunately, all her plans had completely fallen through. This chieftain had obtained a strange weapon from somewhere, his strength had sharply increased, and not only that, but he had also gained magical attack abilities he didn’t have before.
Now, Linglong’s original advantages had completely vanished. She was outmatched in strength, could barely keep up in agility, and might not even win in magic combat. Wasn’t she just a big punching bag?
Fortunately, her own strength was quite solid, otherwise, just those two moves, and any other beastman here would likely have met their demise.
It was no wonder that last night the army led by this chieftain was able to rampage through her camp as if entering an uninhabited land. With such strength, no one in the front-line troops could stop this chieftain.
The original Steel Spear Chieftain could be worn down and delayed by sheer numbers. Linglong’s plan was formulated based on the chieftain at that time. No one could have imagined that this chieftain could suddenly become so strong.
So, was her request for a one-on-one duel a bit rash?
No, this was perhaps the best solution in the current situation. If she didn’t step up to duel him, her cavalry might genuinely not be able to stop such a powerful individual.
“Still got time to space out?” A thunderous voice echoed. The Steel Spear Chieftain, who had landed again, had already charged in front of Linglong, sweeping his spear horizontally.
Even while thinking about other matters, Linglong made the most perfect response. She flapped her wings and soared into the sky.
Fighting a lion on the ground was pure self-torture. The sky was her domain, and being in the sky offered an additional dimension for evasion compared to the ground.
She was unlike other beastmen. She could unleash her most powerful combat capabilities in the air.
His spear sweep missed. Following his old habits, the Lion Chieftain flicked his spear upwards. This move was always accurate against airborne targets that had lost their mobility, but he seemed to have gotten carried away and forgotten that his current opponent could fly.
This missed attack finally allowed Linglong to find an opportunity to counter. A flame spear took shape in her palm. She aimed the spearhead at the Lion Chieftain’s body and hurled it fiercely.
The flame spear traveled extremely fast, hitting his body before the Lion Chieftain could react. Golden light rippled across his black armor. After a few seconds of stalemate, the flame spear finally lost its momentum and dissipated into the air.
“Damn it!” The power within his body seemed to instantly diminish. A trace of fear arose in the Lion Chieftain’s heart. He had almost been injured.
This flame spear gave him an extremely terrifying feeling. If he hadn’t been protected by this armor, he might have had a hard time gaining any advantage from this move.
Although those merchants were annoying, the quality of their goods was trustworthy, he thought.
Even after being directly hit by the flame spear, the armor showed no damage. The Lion Chieftain felt a bit of confidence returning. With such armor protecting him, he didn’t seem to need to fear this little girl’s attacks.
Linglong in the sky felt a pang of frustration seeing her flame spear blocked by the Lion Chieftain’s armor. This flame spear was already the strongest instantaneous spell she could cast. She did have spells more powerful than this flame spear, but they required enough charging time for the Lion Chieftain to rush over and interrupt her or dodge.
“That set of armor is also very powerful. Where did this guy get such equipment?” Gritting her teeth, she ascended a bit higher, Linglong focused all her attention on the Lion Chieftain below, guarding against his surprise attacks.
The Lion Chieftain standing on the ground also became much more cautious. Although the flame spear was blocked, the psychological shadow still remained. The opponent was not a defenseless lamb waiting to be slaughtered, but a vicious dog that could bite back.
If he exposed another opening, could his armor still protect him?
The answer to this question was unknown to the Lion Chieftain, and he dared not gamble on the quality of this armor. Blocking it once was already a stroke of luck; blocking it a second time… it was better not to hold out too much hope.
Thus, mutually wary, neither of them made any moves. Linglong knew that initiating an attack wouldn’t yield good results; she needed to exploit the Lion Chieftain’s attack recovery to gain an advantage. The Lion Chieftain also understood this and wouldn’t make such a careless mistake again.
They remained in a stalemate like statues, waiting for an opportunity, waiting for the other to reveal an opening.
This standoff lasted for nearly five minutes, until a gentle breeze blew, causing Linglong in the air to sway slightly.
Now is the time!
Golden flames erupted from his feet, and the Lion Chieftain, enveloped in golden firelight, lunged towards Linglong in the sky like a rocket.
In the blink of an eye, the Lion Chieftain appeared before Linglong, thrusting the black spear in his hand towards the girl’s chest. The golden patterns on the black spear emitted an unprecedentedly bright light, as if eager to pierce through the girl’s chest.
But Linglong was not entirely unprepared. The moment the Lion Chieftain launched his surprise attack, she had already reacted, holding her dragon spear horizontally in front of her while retracting her wings, descending downwards.
The scorching spear tip grazed Linglong’s face, burning a strand of silver hair to ashes, but Linglong managed to dodge the most dangerous thrust.
Having dodged this attack, the subsequent several pursuits were not difficult for Linglong. She maneuvered nimbly in the air, evading the Lion Chieftain’s pursuits one by one, and even counter-attacked with the flame spear she had used earlier.
However, the flame spear was easily shattered by the Lion Chieftain, who was on guard, and it didn’t have much of an effect.
“Tsk, troublesome,” Linglong’s mood was naturally not good as her attack was easily blocked.
Although she hadn’t expected much from this attack in the first place, it was strange that she couldn’t even break through his defense when exploiting his attack recovery, and now, facing a prepared Lion Chieftain, causing damage was even more unlikely.
Taking advantage of the Lion Chieftain blocking her attack, Linglong once again widened the distance between herself and this powerful beastman. She intended to stick to the kiting tactic to the end.
Slowly wearing him down, Linglong didn’t believe this lion-head could maintain such powerful combat effectiveness for long. His current combat effectiveness must have increased so drastically due to external factors. And items that could increase combat effectiveness so much surely had significant side effects.
In this world, nothing comes for free, especially not things that can enhance one’s strength.
“Hiding and dodging, is this your way of fighting?” Seeing Linglong’s intention to kite him to the end, the Lion Chieftain’s heart sank. Every attack he made consumed his life force. Although he didn’t feel any significant loss of life force yet, he definitely couldn’t outlast this white-haired girl in the long run.
Ground units fighting flying units is notoriously difficult. As long as the opponent doesn’t make a mistake and persists, even if one’s strength far surpasses the opponent’s, it’s hard to defeat this enemy in a short time.
“Heh, this is called tactics. Your strength probably doesn’t entirely belong to you, does it?” Linglong was also skilled at trash talk. Facing the Lion Chieftain’s provocation, she wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she began to mock the Lion Chieftain for borrowing power that even he himself couldn’t control.
“That so-called divine blood, only short-sighted individuals like you would use it in large quantities.”
“As long as victory can be achieved, why care about the means? And I remember you also purchased divine blood, so you have no standing to accuse me on this matter,” the Lion Chieftain stared intently at Linglong, continuing the verbal sparring.
“If you want to use this method to distract me, I advise you to save your breath.” Linglong could see through the Lion Chieftain’s intentions, but she was happy to oblige. This was a welcome opportunity for her to recover some of the stamina she had heavily consumed earlier.
If the Steel Spear Chieftain had attacked relentlessly without regard, she might not have been able to perfectly dodge every blow.
And if she missed even one of those blows, her not-so-sturdy body would have been severely injured.
Glancing at the black spear in the Steel Spear Chieftain’s hand, Linglong certainly didn’t want a hole being poked through her.
‘He hasn’t attacked yet, there must be a reason. Under normal circumstances, he should be using continuous onslaughts to force me to reveal an opening. His usual combat style was like this: using overwhelming pressure to force the enemy to reveal an opening, and then delivering a decisive blow.’ While exchanging barbs with the Lion Chieftain, Linglong’s mind was still actively analyzing the situation, eventually reaching a highly probable conclusion.
‘He cannot launch consecutive offensives like before, whether due to stamina reasons or other causes, but he cannot do so now.’
If it were just a brief skirmish, Linglong was confident she could protect herself under the Lion Chieftain’s fierce onslaught.
But once the battle dragged on, Linglong would be forced to reveal an opening due to lack of stamina and energy.
Linglong knew this, and the Lion Chieftain… had also realized it.
He knew that if he attacked recklessly, the dragon girl in the sky would definitely not be able to withstand it. The only question was, how long could this girl hold out?
Every swing of the spear to attack consumed life force, which was the price of using this spear. Normally, he could use the spear’s characteristic of absorbing others’ life force to fill this gap, but now he was in a one-on-one duel, unable to absorb life force from elsewhere.
His gaze swept over the Bone Wing cavalry forming the encirclement, and the Lion Chieftain pondered whether he could absorb enough life force by charging into the enemy formation and slaughtering them.
Soon, he dismissed the idea. The distance was too great. Even if he reached them, he could at most kill a dozen cavalrymen. The remaining cavalry would definitely scatter in such a situation, and the white-haired girl in the sky would also interfere with his actions.
When he attacked others, that girl would definitely find many opportunities to attack. His armor might not be able to withstand that girl’s sneak attacks.
So, was he still going to risk it? The Lion Chieftain’s gaze gradually became firm. He hadn’t wanted to do this initially, but the previous few exchanges had made him realize that without a desperate resolve, there was absolutely no chance of victory.
The opponent’s strength was weaker than his current self, but in terms of endurance, the opponent had the upper hand. If this entanglement continued, he might not even have a chance to risk his life.
It was better to take advantage of his remaining strength and kill this obstructing girl as quickly as possible. As long as he killed her, the remaining cavalry wouldn’t be able to stop him at all. With the help of the spear, he could even wipe out this cavalryforce by himself!
As long as he could kill this girl!
Golden flames emerged from beneath his thick mane. The Lion Chieftain, already tall, seemed to become even stronger. The armor that was once a perfect fit became tight, looking as if it might burst at any moment.
This guy is going all out! The moment this thought arose in Linglong’s mind, the burning golden flames appeared before her.
So fast… Seeing the black spear just inches away from her, Linglong gritted her teeth. Before the spear could pierce her, she twisted her body and dodged the thrust.
His thrust missed. The Lion Chieftain immediately swept his spear in the direction Linglong had dodged.
Bang!
This horizontal sweep was blocked by Linglong with her own spear.
The white figure was sent flying far away. This was partly due to the excessive power of the Lion Chieftain, but primarily because Linglong hoped to create distance again with the Lion Chieftain’s attack.
Fighting at such close range was too dangerous for her. If she wasn’t careful, she could be defeated by the Lion Chieftain in one move.
Linglong knew that to win, she had to stall. This powerful state of the Lion Chieftain could absolutely not last. As long as she could drag it out until he exited this state, victory would be hers.
The only problem now was that the Lion Chieftain’s offensive seemed a bit too fierce.
Golden flames rushed straight towards her face. Linglong dared not meet it head-on and could only flap her wings and move downwards. The Lion Chieftain’s spear had long been waiting on the path she was about to take to evade.
