Nine o'clock sharp.
"Go!"
Ghost King raised his longsword and shouted, "Warriors of Flourishing Peony, it's time for the Boss. First team, charge in, be quick!"
Instantly, a ten-person squad rushed towards the Boss. Among them were two Paladins and two Swordsmen, with the rest being ranged or support. The two Paladins led the charge, their impacts on the Boss echoing like "boom, boom," but only stirring up waves of…
Lin Zhao laughed heartily and said, "Flourishing Peony relies on sheer numbers. However... if they just keep throwing lives at it, they can still win. After all, an Obsidian-grade Boss only has five to six hundred thousand HP, which isn't that outrageous."
"Mmm."
Zhang Jun nodded. "When do we make our move?"
"No rush. Let's wait until Flourishing Peony is in a total mess."
In fact, Lin Zhao was waiting for an opportune moment. With two top experts, Vanquisher of Kings and End with the Sword, not yet in play, the Crimson Moon Knights' ambush squad should avoid engagement. Striking at the vital point – he understood such simple logic.
On the field.
The Demonic Warlord continuously swung his longsword, channeling fiery true energy into it, unleashing waves of flame sword energy that slashed at Flourishing Peony's players in the open. However, they were ultimately outnumbered. A large group of their Sharpshooters, Starry Sky Mages, and Thunderstorm Gunners had spread out in a circle. Various skills like Meteor Strike and Triple Shot constantly focused fire, causing the Demonic Warlord's HP bar to drop rapidly. In less than three minutes, he was already less than half health.
But Flourishing Peony also suffered heavy losses. This Demonic Warlord's Flame Stomp and Flame Sword Energy killed countless Flourishing Peony members. In the blink of an eye, layer upon layer of corpses piled up beneath the Boss's hooves. Ghost King had brought over 500 men, and in less than three minutes, more than a hundred had fallen, with many of the remaining survivors at critical health.
After another minute, Vanquisher of Kings could no longer hold back. He frowned, "We've already lost over 230 people. The losses will be too great if this continues. The output at the front is still too weak. I'm going in."
"Mmm!"
Ghost King nodded. "End with the Sword, go in together. Flying Dragon in the Sky, you go too. Save the final blow for me."
"Got it."
Flourishing Peony's three top experts joined the fray. Flying Dragon in the Sky went into a berserk transformation and charged, stunning the Boss and then executing a beautiful combo of Blazing Fury Slash and Heavy Slash. His control was fluid and seamless. As for the battle axe in his hand, it seemed to be the Iron Blood Battle Axe that the Crimson Moon Knights studio had sold, and Ghost King had acquired it at a high price.
Once Vanquisher of Kings and End with the Sword unleashed their attacks, the Boss's HP bar trembled, and its health dropped even faster. As expected of Flourishing Peony's two heavy artillery, their positioning and kiting were meticulously maintained, always keeping a distance of 40 yards from the Boss for maximum output. They could advance or retreat, standing in an invincible position.
"It's almost time."
Lin Zhao stood up and said, "My Sword Qi Impact will one-shot Vanquisher of Kings. Ding Chi, you handle End with the Sword. Ink Shadow, help with the damage. We'll eliminate End with the Sword first. Zhang Jun, don't move. Save a Sword Qi Impact, and when Flying Dragon in the Sky comes to reinforce, stun him directly. Then we'll focus fire together. After dealing with these three, Flourishing Peony's situation will surely collapse!"
"Mmm."
"Countdown!"
As Lin Zhao finished counting down from 3-2-1, he dashed out of the bushes. With a few steps, he entered the charge range of Sword Qi Impact. He swung his sword, casting a wave of sword energy over Vanquisher of Kings' head. Then, his body shot forward, his basic attack breaking the shield, followed by a Divine Throw. His sword strike dealt over 3200 HP damage. He still wasn't dead; this mage was too tough. So, he followed up with another basic attack, and Vanquisher of Kings immediately fell to the ground, his face filled with terror. He didn't even have time to react before being instantly killed!
At the same time, Ding Chi's Sword Qi Impact locked onto End with the Sword, stunning him directly. A figure of an assassin appeared in the open space nearby. Ink Shadow's Backstab + Gouge dealt instant damage and then he retreated. Facing a large enemy force, an assassin would never dare to fight head-on. After Ding Chi unleashed his combo, Flourishing Peony's second mage also fell.
"You!"
Flying Dragon in the Sky was anxious, abandoning the half-dead Boss and rushing straight for Lin Zhao.
"Big Jun!"
Lin Zhao roared.
Instantly, from the bushes, a handsome swordsman wearing a bamboo hat rushed out. With a "bang," he slammed into Flourishing Peony's main tank, Flying Dragon in the Sky, leaving him disoriented. Then, Lin Zhao stepped forward and followed up with a combo of basic attack + heavy slash + basic attack, dealing damage.
While Flying Dragon in the Sky was stunned, his mind remained clear. Seeing Lin Zhao's sword strike, he thought that the opponent had already used Divine Throw to kill Vanquisher of Kings, so he definitely wouldn't use it on him. But the critical issue was that this person's basic attack alone dealt over 1400 damage, and his heavy slash dealt over 2200 damage. Another basic attack brought the total damage to 5000. What kind of divine attack power was this?! Could it be that the longsword glowing with a pale green light in his hand was truly a legendary Obsidian-grade item?
Zhang Jun added a burst of damage, and soon Flying Dragon in the Sky also fell to the ground, dead.
"Retreat!"
Lin Zhao's blade flickered. Facing the charging crowd ahead, he executed a horizontal Swift Sword Slash, covering dozens of people. As the sword light spread, he activated his Sword Qi Guard, leaving Ding Chi, Zhang Jun, and Ink Shadow to cover their retreat.
"Charge him!"
Ghost King roared hoarsely, "We must capture Baiyi! Kill Baiyi! Kill Baiyi!"
Unfortunately, despite the rush of a large group of players, none of them could stun the level 38 Lin Zhao. The level and equipment difference was too great. However, the ranged attacks like Meteor Strike and Flame Blast landed on him, dealing real damage. Instantly, the focused fire from over ten people almost made Lin Zhao gasp for breath. His 8000+ HP was instantly halved!
The human wave tactic was still formidable!
"Go!"
Lin Zhao watched Ding Chi and the others retreat and immediately leaped into the bushes. Behind him, a surging crowd, a large number of Flourishing Peony players, also rushed forward. There was even a Boss riding a fiery steed, wielding a fiery red longsword. The Demonic Warlord had actually been brought along by the crowd, swinging his sword and slashing wildly among the players. But in the blink of an eye, he was focused fired again and was on the verge of death.
"Swish!"
Lin Zhao suddenly burst out from the right side of the bushes. He glanced at the Demonic Warlord and felt a sense of disappointment, roaring, "They have more numbers, why are you fighting them head-on? Don't you know the art of Flame Sword Intent? Set it on fire! There are dead branches and dry grass everywhere, it'll ignite easily. Why are you still fighting head-on? Is this the kind of idiot Marshal Su Chan taught you to be!?"
"Ah?!"
The Demonic Warlord trembled all over. The pupils beneath his helmet quivered madly. He hadn't heard that name in so long. Su Chan, the commander of the demon realm's three armies, he had indeed been ordered by Su Chan to sneak into human territory and attempt an uprising back then. Now that all his subordinates were annihilated, was he truly going to sit here and await his doom?
He looked into the distance, at that young man with an ancient sword on his back, his posture agile as he fled.
Well, that young man was quite decent!
With this thought, the Obsidian-grade Boss began to wildly swing his longsword, continuously igniting the surrounding dead branches and dry grass. In the blink of an eye, a raging inferno erupted at the bottom of the valley. Flourishing Peony's raid group suffered greatly, screaming in agony as they were burned. Some couldn't escape and fell to the ground and died halfway through the sea of flames.
"Go, go, go!"
Lin Zhao caught up with Ding Chi, Zhang Jun, and Ink Shadow, waving his hand repeatedly. "Let's escape Dry Leaf Valley first!"
"Roger that!"
Everyone fled. The Flourishing Peony players who tried to block their path were directly cut down by Lin Zhao. Killing low-level players with the Azure Pavilion Sword was like slicing through vegetables, incredibly satisfying.
As they broke through the encirclement, Lin Zhao and the others looked back. The entire Dry Leaf Valley was engulfed in flames, and countless Flourishing Peony players wailed in the inferno, many dying from the fire.
...
"Damn it, you beast!"
Ghost King watched the scene, his entire body trembling with rage as the situation became hopeless.
"Alliance Leader!"
A Sharpshooter frowned. "We can't defeat this Obsidian-grade Boss anymore. Let's go. We'll suffer heavy losses if we continue. Let's withdraw from Dry Leaf Valley first. Once the fire in Dry Leaf Valley subsides, there's still a chance."
"Mmm!"
Ghost King was decisive. He suddenly raised his longsword and shouted, "All members, retreat! Assemble outside the valley entrance!"
Everyone turned around and followed Ghost King out of Dry Leaf Valley.
...
But just as everyone reached the valley entrance, they saw a dense line of people blocking the entrance tightly. At the forefront of the crowd, a high-level swordsman wearing the Dragon Slayer sword skin and wielding a Golden-grade longsword looked at him lazily. "Tsk, tsk, Flourishing Peony failed the raid?!"