The Great Chief was the first to attack, leaping and pouncing downwards, her long spear like a swiftly fired arrow, its tip a speck of dust, silently traversing the air, steady yet sharp!
Simon only saw a blur before his eyes, his heart on alert, and as he refocused, the long spear had already struck his Soul Shield. He parried the long spear with his Nail, and before he could counterattack, the Great Chief vanished from her spot again.
The Great Chief's speed was so great it was comparable to a short-distance teleportation. Simon marveled inwardly, such combat skill was truly art!
The next second, the Great Chief clung to the railing, her sharp claws hooked onto the bars, unmoving. From above, she held her long spear and casually swung it, sending a spinning crescent of sword qi flying out like a flat disc, incredibly fast and exceptionally sharp, heading straight for Simon, while she herself moved rapidly again.
Simon dodged the crescent, and the Great Chief's long spear silently attacked from behind him.
The Nail in his hand glowed brightly. He twisted his body and unleashed a sword strike, the sword light spreading across the air like spilled ink. The Great Chief hastily retreated, not daring to meet it head-on.
The other two Chiefs, seeing this, immediately became tense and eager to join.
Simon shouted, "Come on, all of you! Let me properly experience your three great moves!" Though his stature was small, his imposing aura commanded respect. His words carried the weight of a thousand promises, full of boldness and unrestrained spirit. The three Chiefs, upon hearing him, couldn't help but praise him inwardly.
The Great Chief returned to her throne, standing solemnly with her two sisters. Then, she flexed her wrist, and they all shouted in unison, "DoeSa (Take this!)"
All three vanished simultaneously. In the next instant, three identical long spears, wielded by three identical Mantises, thrust towards their sole enemy.
Simon teleported out of the encirclement, and the three Chiefs quickly dispersed, giving him no opportunity to attack.
The Great Chief thrust her spear straight, the Second Chief twisted her spear and plunged it downwards from mid-air, and the Third Chief flung a crescent of sword qi from behind.
Simon parried the straight thrust with his Nail, turned to dodge the downward plunge, and leaped over the crescent. While the Second Chief was still airborne, he raised his hand and unleashed a pure white energy orb.
The Second Chief braced her long spear on the ground and spun in the air, deftly dodging the energy orb.
The Third Chief continuously released sword qi, the disc-like sword wheels spinning like the blades of a meat grinder, attacking from all directions. Simon easily dodged them, not attempting to block.
The Great Chief took a stance and charged forward rapidly, her long spear delivering a flurry of thrusts, locking onto his entire body. The spear flowers, like autumn catkins, drifted erratically, carrying deadly intent.
Simon, while dodging the crescents, retaliated with direct thrusts from his Nail. The clashing sounds, like wind chimes in a downpour, swayed and rattled, repeating endlessly, yet each sound was real and without falsehood.
The Great Chief quickly ran out of breath and had to halt her frenzied assault. The Second Chief followed closely; her spear technique was colder and more unpredictable, like a strange branch growing on a cliff, appearing and disappearing, yet never straying from Simon's central axis. A single hit would mean instant death.
But Simon had already grasped the rhythm of the battle. As his Nail danced up and down, a materialized long sword, condensed from Soul Energy, suddenly flew into the spear flowers, passing through a gap and piercing the Second Chief's body.
She lost her combat ability, barely managing to leap back to the throne, where she collapsed.
The Third Chief's rapid release of a large amount of sword qi had taken a heavy toll on her. She was now panting, and to maintain her fighting strength, she had to temporarily stop swinging her spear.
The Great Chief's merciless eyes were fixed on Simon. Her opponent's strength was overwhelming, making her spear-wielding hand unsteady.
Simon stood calmly in the center of the arena and smiled, telling her, "A warrior's heart cannot harbor hesitation. Come, for victory, attack!"
The Great Chief's secretly deflated spirits rallied again. She attacked once more, just as she had countless times in her life.
She moved rapidly, appearing on all sides of Simon, each time striking once and retreating, as if countless blades and swords were attacking him. At the same time, the Third Chief joined the fray, coordinating closely with the Great Chief, never interfering with each other, doubling the density of their attacks.
Such speed left Simon somewhat exhausted. His conscious thought couldn't keep up with his body's instinctive reactions. Every part of his body perceived the world, and when an attack came, his Nail would precisely block the spear tip.
Simon's mind was taut, but his actions were actually governed by instinct, his consciousness in a state of chaos, and his Soul Energy fluctuated as if stimulated.
The Nail swung faster and faster, and Simon's aura grew larger and larger. At this point, the two Chiefs felt like they were riding a tiger and couldn't dismount.
Pure white light blossomed from his pure white body. Each ray of light was sword qi. In a sudden burst, the air currents, mixed with tiny, dense sword qi, sent the Mantis Chiefs flying. By the time they landed, they had lost the ability to move.
Simon stood tall in the center, feeling that the Nail in his hand was closer to his heart. This meant that this weapon of offense and defense was now not merely an extension of his limbs, but also a feeler of his thoughts, unified with his Soul Energy.
The Mantis Chiefs, injured by the Soul Energy, struggled to move, but their lives were temporarily safe. Simon felt exhilarated by the battle with them and immediately felt a sense of goodwill. He voluntarily withdrew his Soul Energy back into his body, preventing the worsening of the three Chiefs' injuries.
Insects have incredibly tenacious vitality; these injuries would heal. The three Chiefs, following etiquette, stood upon their towering thrones and bowed deeply to Simon, who stood on the ground.
Simon bowed in return.
A great warrior had conquered the Mantis Tribe, becoming a new honored guest of the Mantis clan.
Indeed, one battle settled all past grievances.
Simon, staying as a guest in the tribe for a meal, ate fresh mushrooms while asking the surrounding warriors if they had a map to the Queen's Gardens. This question, however, greatly troubled his hosts. After a private discussion, they decided to take Simon to see the three Chiefs.
Upon learning that their injuries had been properly treated and did not affect their movement, Simon agreed to visit the Chiefs.
He met the three Chiefs again in a large building within the village. Entering, he saw them seated behind a wide stone table, where four thrones were placed, but the backrest of the one on the far right had been shattered.
Many seats were placed on the side of the stone table closer to the door, much lower than the thrones. Simon politely greeted the three Chiefs, then chose the central chair and sat down.
"My intrusion on the Chiefs' rest this time is not without reason. Firstly, I wish to know how to get to the Queen's Gardens near the Fungal Wastes, and secondly, I want to inquire about a warrior's whereabouts."
The Great Chief's tone was calm and indifferent, but her attitude was benevolent, "Neither of these are unreasonable requests. We agree."
The Second Chief's tone was equally flat, "But we have a presumptuous request that we hope you will grant."
The three of them simultaneously stood up and bowed to Simon, very solemnly.