Chapter 150: Deathly battle in the Forest Once Again
Over three weeks have passed since Elton, Christy, and Shayleaf left the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect.
Ever since entering the pocket world, things had been somewhat hectic for the trio, but still manageable. That changed entirely after the day Shayleaf broke through, essentially reaching the brink of becoming a Mortal Lord. Since then, they had been targeted nonstop by powerful enemies. On the other hand, they also received aid from various individuals—especially the many armies of the Crimson-Eyed warriors.
One of the most problematic threats came from the various lurking Mortal Lords who made swift attempts on them before being repelled, either by the trio themselves or by other allied Mortal Lords. Thankfully, they had only encountered early-stage experts so far.
On this very day, one such attack happened yet again—but this time, it was a simple, swift attempt.
—4th Sword: Starfall Severance—
-!!!!-
Two strikes of heavy power and momentum collided at that moment. On one side was Elton, locked in a heated struggle, his power flaring. His opponent was none other than the Mortal Lord Raschlong, attacking with reckless abandonment, wielding his two Red Swords. His towering purplish demonic ki was still a force to be reckoned with. Unlike their first battle, though, Elton could clearly feel this demon wasn't quite as powerful as before—likely due to the terrible leg injury Elton had inflicted.
"You damned bastard, why don't you die already!" Raschlong roared in fury.
"You want me to die? Not in a hundred years! Why don't you go away—or just die yourself!" Elton shot back.
Boooooooom!!!!
Their clashes shook the land, either one capable of killing the other with a single grave mistake.
In another area, an equally horrific battle was taking place—though less deadly than Elton's duel. Christy and a Crimson-Eyed Mortal Lord fought together as close combatants, while Tongsheng and Shayleaf attacked from range and provided support magic. Their opponent was none other than the Mortal Lord who had begun accompanying Raschlong on the mission to capture Elton, dead or alive: Harowlecta.
Harowlecta had been moving alongside Raschlong, tracking them and utilizing powerful sneak attacks for days. He'd even aided other forces behind the scenes to target them. This had delayed Elton's group from leaving the Crimson Forest—which, in a way, also worked to their advantage.
Harowlecta had been confident his tactics would eventually wear them down, but even he was becoming impatient. He, too, found himself a target for other enemies in this chaotic battlefield. What frustrated him most was the sheer tenacity of Elton's group—even worn down, they fought with skill that forced him to stay cautious. He was also witnessing firsthand how Raschlong struggled against Daoist Blue Heavens Sword, despite the demon's Mortal Lord cultivation.
Harowlecta fought using a spear in close quarters, while unleashing ranged magic spells whenever the opportunity presented itself. He and his opponents were locked in an intense stalemate. Around them, the wider battlefield was a storm of death, miasma, and chaos.
…
A squad of Crimson-Eyed warriors crashed into a unit of black-armored cultivators. Spears and blades rang in rapid succession before a sudden blast of blood-red ki vaporized three men instantly, leaving only scorched armor behind.
…
Two rival swordmasters blurred past one another, exchanging thirty cuts in a heartbeat. One landed with his weapon dripping, the other collapsing face-first into the dirt, lifeless.
…
A hulking Gold Tier 2 brute hurled a spiked chain, ripping two opponents from their feet and slamming them into a tree trunk with bone-shattering force. His victory was short-lived—a crimson spear shot through his back from behind.
…
A formation of eight robed mages chanted in unison, summoning a storm of fireballs that streaked across the field. A counter volley of ice spears from an opposing mage-line met them midair, detonating in a roaring shockwave that flattened friend and foe alike.
…
Two Gold Tier 3 Demonic Beasts broke free from their duels, their monstrous maws unleashing a frenzy of crimson-black ki blasts. The barrage ripped through the air toward Elton and Raschlong, the explosions swallowing them both in fire and dust as they barely rolled clear of the impact.
Shayleaf, seeing Elton randomly attacked by those two Demonic Beasts, chanted at an incredibly rapid rate in her spiritual language. Suddenly, the lands began to quake heavily, and the nearby giant Crimson Trees seemed to grow far more sentient, unleashing terrifying attacks with their sharp, heavy branches. Thousands of razor-like leaves imbued with powerful magic were fired in a storm.
"Roooaarr!"
"Damnit, look out!"
"Arcck!"
Cultivators all over the battlefield scattered in panic as a bloody forest doomsday swept the area. Even many Crimson-Eyed warriors had to flee to avoid the destruction.
Elton emerged from the smoke with fresh injuries from Raschlong and the Demonic Beasts, who now struggled desperately as massive trees targeted them. Raschlong appeared in another direction, coughing blood from the magical leaves' potent miasma, his armor scratched and cracked.
Harowlecta was in far better shape, dodging and deflecting leaves, vines, and smashing branches with powerful magic—but the combined pressure from Christy and the Crimson-Eyed Fanged Elf nearly broke through his defenses multiple times.
Realizing the battle was turning against them, Harowlecta signaled Raschlong, and both demons rapidly retreated at full speed. Elton and the others gave chase, exchanging attacks until the two vanished into the distance. Shayleaf's magic finally wore off, the monstrous trees settling back into the ground.
The casualties of this battle were terrible for all sides—especially for those without Crimson Eyes.
"Well… it looks like we made it through another hard-fought battle," Elton sighed.
"I understand that certain forces want to hunt us down," Christy said, nursing her injuries, "but what is with all these other fools coming out of the woodwork?"
Shayleaf unleashed a recovery and healing spell across over half a mile, her expression slightly dispirited.
"Regardless of what may be happening, we will protect you all by any and all means. From the looks of it, our primary mission here has finished, so our true faction in this place, under Lord Farraleaf, can now move in any direction you two Majesties see fit," the Crimson-Eyed Fanged Elf said, glancing at both Elton and Shayleaf.
"Hmm… This might truly be a problem. For now, I think it's best that you all don't migrate from this forest until certain preparations are made. Master Farraleaf truly is a magnificent expert," Elton said, a hint of awe in his tone.
Long story short, Shayleaf had inherited something during her breakthrough—becoming the new true life and core of this place. She wouldn't be able to fully claim it until reaching the Mortal Shedding Realm, but even then her control would be limited as an early-stage expert. Still, it would grant her the ability to one day create a forest of her own as the new Fanged World Tree Spirit.
Without this inheritance, she could still have achieved something similar—but it would have lacked the vampiric aspect of her Fanged Elf lineage, limiting her future potential.
And so the group continued their travels as usual. Of course, over the next two weeks after this battle, more conflicts erupted. Raschlong would fight Elton a total of five times, including their first battle, while Harowlecta would only clash with them three times due to certain circumstances.