Chapter 63: The Three Knights' Ambush

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Whoosh!

Jiang He withdrew his spear and brought it down in a fierce chop. CQC Spear Technique: Great Sage Cleaves the Heavens carried a mournful shriek that tore through the air, plunging downward like a miniature mountain straight toward the enemy’s crown, kicking up countless plumes of dust.

The Rhinoceros Knight raised both arms to parry, feeling like a heavy iron nail struck by a massive sledgehammer. His entire body sank three inches into the ground as his feet drove deep into the earth. The heavily cracked tactical armor emitted an even more fracturing shriek before instantly disintegrating, its shrapnel piercing the empty air.

Though his armor was shattered, the rhinoceros-like fortitude of his iron-hard hide left the body beneath completely unharmed. Surging with renewed brute strength, the knight violently shoved his arms outward to bat the spear aside, thrusting a right fist forward. A dense, earthy-yellow sheen enveloped a blade-like rhinoceros horn, aimed directly at his enemy’s chest.

Jiang He ducked, the razor-sharp gale tearing the back of his military uniform. The Longing-Hate Spear flowed through his palm like water; gripping the butt of the weapon, he spun around fiercely and lashed out with the spear-tail.

The ferocious, lightning-fast momentum of that rear thrust defies description. A spurt of blood burst from the iron, followed by a direct, thunderous impact against the enemy’s neck. A deafening, metallic clang echoed as a cyan-red energy erupted from the spear-tail, extending into a half-meter-long, razor-sharp spearhead that punched a bowl-sized wound into the iron-hard hide.

The brutal force caused a torrent of blood to erupt from the wound, its thick, corrosive energy eating away at the edges with an eerie, hissing sizzle. The three-stack mark of the active skill "Fanatic Rhythm" detonated instantly, followed by a 15% bonus damage multiplier that left the Rhinoceros Knight's massive frame reeling.

At that very moment, a shadow streaking across the trench revealed its true form. The Leopard Knight moved at an impossible velocity. Enhanced by the agility stat boosts gained upon advancing to knighthood, combined with agility-specialized knight abilities, he charged forward like a bullet tearing through the pitch-black night.

A crystalline blue dagger slashed across Jiang He’s back. The invisible defense of the Demi-Dragon Armor and his cyan-red plating were sliced open, the mystical short-blade leaving a two-inch-long gash. Such a wound was far from fatal, but shards of frost continuously welled up from it, mingling with his blood and freezing the circulation within his body.

The mystical weapon known as the Ice-Hunt Blade possessed two modes: "Blood-Coagulation," used for emergency first aid on oneself and allies, and "Blood-Freezing," used to numb prey and slow their movements.

Simultaneously, the Dolphin Knight began to chant another dolphin-song, a concentrated burst of echoing soundwaves sweeping toward the enemy. The vibrating sonic wave was capable of inducing stiffness and fainting in large beasts.

Three knights were jointly besieging a single man.

Jiang He’s mind stirred. Seventy meters away, ten chaos-inducing bombs planted before the battle by Crow detonated simultaneously. A surging shockwave rampaged in all directions, thermal radiation birthing a blinding inferno. The overlapping, thunderous roars instantly shattered the echoing dolphin-song.

The cluster explosion engulfed the densely packed soldiers locked in brutal close quarters combat nearby. On the Codex page, Grade-D military exploits shot up by over 300 in a single breath. Gale winds howled, and severed limbs flew through the air.

Jiang He drew a deep breath. Garuda Mode: Partial Enhancement was unleashed within his body, cyan-red blood energy coursing endlessly through his vessels. The effect of Advanced Self-Healing manifested like a shadow, washing over the blood vessels around the wound, clearing away all ice shards, and sealing the two-inch gash on his skin.

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A single thought, a single breath—all in the blink of an eye.

Gathering every ounce of strength, Jiang He thrust his spear upward in a sweeping arc. The cyan-red blood energy and surging might tore through the Rhinoceros Knight’s shoulder, sending the arm-turned-horn spinning away through the air. Seizing the momentum, he drove the shaft forward with a ferocity resembling a broadsword, slicing straight toward the enemy’s cheek. The seamless transition between the two attacks possessed a faint, unadorned mastery.

The Rhinoceros Knight seemed completely devoid of pain. He thrust out his left arm to grab the incoming spear shaft while charging forward, his thick, toughened hide rivalling the durability of plate armor.

Bang!

Metallic radiance burst forth as tyrannical force poured inward inch by inch. The Rhinoceros Knight’s left arm buckled back and forth, its bones shattering with a brittle crunch, yet his robust physique slammed solidly into his target.

Jiang He slid sideways a dozen meters, nearly tumbling into the trench behind him. A bullet accurately homed in on him, successfully captured by his staggering 12-point agility reflexes. Just as he moved to dodge, the round detonated mid-air, a torrent of roaring flames spilling outward, instantly followed by a second and third bullet as incandescent fire raged incessantly.

Alchemical Bullet: Blazing Flame. Back at the camp command post, a single round cost 10 Grade-D military exploits—a relatively common alchemical consumable. The Dolphin Knight maintained a relentless aim; as the official Prussian intelligence organization, the Tree-Reversed Sword naturally possessed an ample reserve of ammunition.

On the other side, the Leopard Knight had completed his re-acceleration, his form shifting into a blur. Fueled by such blistering acceleration, the Ice-Hunt Blade radiated terrifying sharpness and bone-chilling frost.

Step, pause, leap, strike.

The Leopard Knight caught sight of the young knight parrying flames with a dance of spear shadows. The youth probably didn't realize yet that his exploit of assassinating over a hundred officers in the dead of night had made him wildly infamous, earning him a high-threat designation by the Tree-Reversed Sword.

Cold light cleared its scabbard as he spanned a dozen meters in a single bound—a hyper-velocity so extreme that even knights could not react in time.

Suddenly, an alchemical bullet whistled through the air, sending a jolt of severe shock through the Leopard Knight in mid-air.

From the machine-gun nest along the trench line, Tommy squeezed the trigger, delivering a shot that could only be described as divine inspiration.

He genuinely lacked the ability to track the enemy's extreme speed, but the Wildebeest Knight’s transcendental ability granted him a timing and angle that were peerless to the absolute limit. A "flash of insight" situated at a higher tier of perception effectively suppressed the Leopard’s hunting instincts.

Before entering the Leden battlefield, all knights were issued one alchemical bullet and one alchemical potion. Tommy did not hesitate to play his trump card.

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Firelight seemed to ignite the night sky.

The released power of the Alchemical Incendiary Bullet caused the Leopard Knight in mid-air to shriek in agony. Flames scorched his face, and the round pierced his cheek, shattering most of his sharp fangs before exiting out the other side.

His fierce and aggressive offensive collapsed, yet momentum carried the Leopard Knight hurtling forward toward his target regardless.

Abandoning defense, Jiang He whipped around and thrust his spear. CQC Spear Technique: Azure Dragon Presents its Claws possessed an extraordinary aura, ranking among the most brutal stabbing arts. Multiple buffs stacked together as if he crossed a vast distance in a split second, unleashing a thunderous boom that tore the air apart.

The Leopard Knight slammed straight into the spearhead. From his chest to his abdomen, a terrifying, gaping bloody hole formed, wide enough for one to peer right through. His internal organs were utterly pulverized, his spine snapped and vanished, and even his soul seemed shattered by that single strike.

The armless Rhinoceros Knight suddenly sprouted a sharp horn upon his head, lowering it to ram fiercely into his enemy's back while the Dolphin Knight's alchemical incendiary bullet struck simultaneously.

The Leopard Knight coughed up a massive mouthful of blood. On the brink of death, his expression betrayed not a flicker of panic. The Ice-Hunt Blade in his hand shattered instantly, transforming into a towering blizzard of ice shards several meters high that swallowed the enemy whole.

Three knight-tier opponents executing a pincer attack from front and rear.

Blood-red wings unfurled from Jiang He’s back, razor-sharp iron feathers dancing in a chaotic flurry around him like a whirlwind of blood and iron rising from the flat ground, the shrill screech of tearing air echoing endlessly.

The ice shards and blazing flames slammed into the blood-iron vortex from opposing sides. Countless soldiers paused their slaughter. Amidst a battlefield of flying bullets and artillery fire, the power of ancient knights was miraculously recreated at that very moment, under the gaze of all.

With a loud bang, the frost, fire, and vortex exploded.

The Rhinoceros Knight forcefully barged right into the vortex. The roaring flames and feathered blades battered his rhinoceros horn into a thousand perforations, his entire body dripping with boiling, molten iron-like slurry. His head was already battered beyond recognition; such fearless, death-defying tenacity clearly transcended the boundaries of ordinary courage.

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