Chapter 44: Sacrifice

Roar!

Before Mu Yi could climb up from the ground, a huge black shadow pressed down on him.

Time Confusion!

Mu Yi activated Time Acceleration, rolling to dodge the Mountain Lord's pounce.

"Boss Mu, focus on the big worm, I'll handle this side!" Li Tian shouted, imitating Mu Yi's style and began to command and dispatch.

"First squad, second squad charge forward to block him, fourth squad free fire, third squad prepare to thrust!"

Mu Yi glanced at Li Tian, who had surrounded the Snake Demon, as his usual left and right hand issuing orders, Li Tian had indeed learned something.

Before Mu Yi could speak, a fierce wind swept over; the Mountain Lord's tiger tail sliced the air and swung over, Mu Yi hastily raised his Battle Blade to block, the heavy force penetrated straight through the weapon into Mu Yi, and Mu Yi flew backward again.

"Damn thing!" Mu Yi climbed up from the ground, no longer daring to be distracted; at this moment, he could only choose to trust Li Tian and the others.

"Go die!" With boundless hatred, the Mountain Lord erupted, charging at Mu Yi again like a madman.

Mu Yi's pupils constricted slightly; the Mountain Lord leapt up like a dark cloud pressing down, enveloping Mu Yi.

Boom!

Stone fragments scattered!

The ground cracked into several ferocious fissures under the Mountain Lord's pounce, the whole earth seemed to tremble slightly from this strike.

Mu Yi could sense that an invisible shockwave was spreading along the ground; this definitely couldn't be done by ordinary physical strength, could the opponent be using divine authority?

Relying on Time Acceleration to dodge again, Mu Yi slightly crouched; the opponent's strength was indeed beyond imagination.

Undoubtedly, even the Mountain Lord in a backlash state is a formidable foe, his strength surpasses any enemy Mu Yi has seen, and he also possesses some magical ability.

His whole body ached slightly; he had activated Time Confusion too many times in a short span, his body could not bear this load.

His heart pounded violently, Mu Yi's eyes gradually turned red, the blood inside his body surged wildly, restless power welled up.

Mu Yi didn't notice that as he entered the full Iron-blooded Slaughter state, the soldiers linked to his aura also gradually glowed red in their eyes, their aura began to rise.

Facing an unprecedentedly strong enemy, Mu Yi's surging battle spirit rose; he could feel his inner qi stirring within.

All complex emotions piled in his chest, turning into a resolute roar.

Kill!

Mu Yi's Battle Blade, leveraging its length advantage, fiercely collided head-on with the Mountain Lord's incoming pounce.

In direct confrontation, Mu Yi finally felt the Mountain Lord's power enough to shake the earth.

However this time, Mu Yi was not blown away; his inner qi surged out, multiplying his strength severalfold, barely withstanding the Mountain Lord's force without being flung back.

The medicinal power swallowed into his belly before the battle began was continuously supplying inner qi, enabling Mu Yi to clash head-on with the Mountain Lord.

Even without being blown away, the recoil from the force clash still made Mu Yi's tiger jaws numb and his chest feel suffocated.

If Mu Yi were blown away, the force he'd bear would surely be much less than a hard block, but that would also mean he lost the initiative and had no chance to counterattack.

But now, he still has a chance to counterattack.

"Thunder come!" Mu Yi roared; facing such a spirit‑formed monster, the best method was naturally to bombard it with heavenly thunder.

The Lightning Lock coiled around his arm burst with dazzling light; above the firmament, a lightning snake struck down without any omen.

The Mountain Lord's body went numb; Mu Yi could feel the force transmitted from his Battle Blade waning.

Boom!

Taking advantage while the Mountain Lord was still paralyzed, Mu Yi swung his Battle Blade round and chopped hard at its spine; for any animal, the waist and abdomen are undoubtedly the weakest.

The close contact of Battle Blade with bone produced a strong recoil.

Crack—

Mu Yi seemed to hear the sound of bone breaking.

Roar!

Intense pain drove the Mountain Lord to break free from the thunder‑induced paralysis; suddenly erupting with terrifying power, its tiger tail turned into a phantom that whipped Mu Yi away.

Hiss!

Mu Yi felt his breathing grow difficult; his ribs seemed likewise torn apart.

Pain spread across his chest, yet Mu Yi endured the agony, planting his Battle Blade and stubbornly holding his ground against the Mountain Lord.

The two kept their distance, mutual wariness climbing to its peak.

When creatures gain wisdom, they also acquire a weakness of will.

Now Mu Yi and the Mountain Lord's battle is not merely a contest of strength, but also a clash of wills.

Once either side falters, death is the inevitable fate.

A strange standoff arose between man and tiger; both were gathering strength, waiting for the other to reveal an opening.

Hiss!

The Snake Demon emitted endless hisses; anyone could hear its longing for life and the lament of life slipping away.

Opportunity!

Mu Yi activated the final Time Confusion, his speed suddenly doubling, like a phantom he lunged at the Mountain Lord.

Because the Mountain Lord was distracted by his companion's dying wail, he paid the price for his distraction.

Sharp Slash!

The Battle Blade, accompanied by thunderous roars, cleaved the Mountain Lord's neck; blood spurted from the severed neck, staining the ground red.

The massive tiger head flew up, its eyes full of unwillingness to die.

"You have slain the evil campaign leader unit of this dungeon: Mountain Lord - Tiger Demon."

"You obtained a Red Soul!"

"You obtained 500 Universal Experience, 500 Zongwang Disaster Coin, Wild God Treasure Box (Blue)"

"Your troops have slain the enemy campaign leader unit: Willow Snake Essence."

You gained 500 slaughter experience, Jia Xian's Treasure Chest (Green).

You obtained a red soul!

Exterminate Five Harms task progress update: Killing Jia Xian species (4/5) can be repeated to complete.

Phew!

Looking at the message from the comprehensive net, Mu Yi leaned on his battle knife and collapsed into a pool of blood, weakly slumping to the ground, feeling intense pain throughout his body; this time he was truly drained.

"Mu Yi!" Li Tian brought a few brothers running over, helping Mu Yi up from the blood pool.

"You did well!" Mu Yi looked at the Snake Demon lying in the blood pool, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

In the apprentice stage, individual strength ultimately has limits; teamwork often can unleash greater power.

This time, without these soldiers, he would likely not escape death.

Facing two leader-level monsters simultaneously indeed makes one feel extraordinarily troublesome.

"Mu Yi, twenty-seven brothers died this time!" Li Tian's expression was somewhat sorrowful; without Mu Yi's restraint, they could only fill the gap with lives.

Clean up the battlefield, find a place to erect a monument for the brothers; they were all great. After returning, take good care of their families, don't let their blood be shed in vain.

Mu Yi fell silent for a moment, comforting everyone; battle always accompanies sacrifice, but when it befalls one's own people, it is indeed not easy to accept.