Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Even though the family backing Yang Ling had massive influence, Maryse believed that as long as she killed him with one strike and cleaned up her traces afterward, no one would be able find any clues.
Maryse rubbed the Essence Crystal on her staff absent-mindedly. Her habit of doing so was a good indicator to the Dark Knights and Spellcasters what her next move would be. They prepared to strike. Each fighter circulated the Battle Energy in their bodies at full power. Then most of the knights’ spears each released a ring of black light.
Long, sharp spears, icy gazes, Battle Energies that were unknowably deep… From far away, it looked as though they were reapers from hell.
Yang Ling sensed the building blanket of killing intent, and hesitated no further. He summoned his whole Magical Beast army.
The thorn-covered Withered Tree Warriors took the front, with the speedy Gargoyles and Horned Bee Beasts following closely behind, protecting the Evil Eyes that organized into formation. Even the Vampire Bats were organized neatly under the command of the Bat King, ready to attack.
This is the power of an Ancient Summoner?
Seeing the horde that was Yang Ling’s Magical Beast army, both Maryse and the Dark Knights took pause. Even though they knew that Yang Ling was a unique Summoner, no one had expected him to be able to summon so many Magical Beasts to aid him in battle!
Even a Mammoth could be toppled if there were too many ants!
Maryse took stock of the new situation. The swarms of spiders that waited around them weren’t much to look at compared to the Magical Beast army that had just appeared. In their evolved states, the Magical Beast army boasted at least mid-level powers. A ripple of quiet gasps moved through the group in black.
“Sir Yang, that spider is one of your Magical Beasts, and you summoned it. It killed two of our knights and a Spellcaster. You have to give us a reasonable compensation, otherwise…”
Maryse decided to change tactics, and try to diffuse the situation so she could attack Yang Ling in the future with more preparation. The Magical Beast army had tipped the balance, and Maryse knew she would pay a heavy price in this battle even if she ultimately won. She would have to wait for a more suitable environment in which to kill the Summoner Yang Ling, who she detested so much.
“Oh, that’s no problem, thank you for your magnanimity, Miss Maryse. You can tell me directly how much you want as compensation!” Yang Ling followed the conversation’s new direction, smiling, and continued. “No matter what, we must always hold grievances against a beast!”
Always hold grievances against a beast?
Maryse caught Yang Ling’s double meaning, and nearly exploded with anger, barely keeping herself from releasing a string of fireballs straight at him. Clenching her teeth, she forced herself to calm down, “Sir Yang, a hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins per person is what you owe me. That is the lowest compensation I will ask. Otherwise, if the elders in the Dark Association are told of what has transpired here, I fear that it would not be as simple as paying a few crystal coins!”
Even the Dark Knights themselves were shocked. The Heavenly Fox Yuna gasped audibly beside Yang Ling. No one expected Maryse to ask for such an exorbitant price!
“It’s only three hundred thousand Purple Crystal Coins, no problem!” laughed Yang Ling, amicably. “Beautiful Miss Maryse, it is now time we talk about what you are supposed to compensate me for. Let’s not count you trespassing in my territory. In addition, I have spent much of my effort on every single one of my spiders. I’m asking you for for fifty thousand Purple Crystal Coins per spider. Is that too much?”
Barging into his territory, fifty thousand Purple Crystal Coins for every dead spider?
Everyone in earshot was dumbfounded. Maryse actually gaped, her mouth open. For several moments, no one could think of anything to say.
Yang Ling had claimed the faraway Spider Valley as his own territory, and that was unexpected. The price he asked for each wild spider was totally unprecedented. Fifty thousand Purple Crystal Coins for every dead spider! Imagine that.
They had seen shameless people. They had seen despicable people. But they had never seen a person as shameless and as despicable as Yang Ling!
Yang Ling was clearly serious, though his face was smiling. Maryse once again trembled with rage. If she could, she would turn Yang Ling into a skeleton using her Dark Magic and break every one of his ribs before using Hellfire to burn his soul…
In her fury, Maryse once again released her killing intent, prepared to kill Yang Ling at any cost. Under her orders, the Dark Knights also released the Battle Energy within their bodies, prepared to advance and forcefully scatter the other party’s formation.
After successfully angering the other party, Yang Ling was satisfied. Anger would make one impulsive, and the more impulsive his opponent was, the more advantageous it was for him. Maryse and her group had backgrounds unknown to him, and were an unquantified threat lingering nearby. Rather than keep them by his side like a bomb, he might as well take the opportunity to capture them all.
Even though the other party was powerful, Yang Ling believed that he would be able to capture them using his Magical Beast army. He was confident in his abilities after having advanced to the level of Earth Wizard and forming the Wizard Core.
After the stalemate, Maryse clenched her teeth and ordered the knights to attack. Since she had already fallen out with Yang Ling, rather than continually be wary about his counter attack, she might as well finish him off directly and clear off the future threat!
With Maryse’s order, the Dark Knights adopted a sharp triangular offensive formation, and attacked with gusto. Even though there were only about two hundred of them, they released a raging killing intent.
At the same time, Maryse acted in concert with the few Spellcasters, joining hands to cast an Acceleration Spell on the Dark Knights’ warhorses. Just like that, the knights sped up, charging like the wind, turning the ordinary spiders that could not move out of the way in time into paste.
Yang Ling acted quickly, instructing his Magical Beast army to respond to the Dark Knights’ charge.
Under the command of the Tarantula King, the spider army went underground; the Gargoyles and Horned Bee Beasts flew into the air and awaited orders, prepared to strike at any time; the Withered Tree Warriors lined up in a file, protecting the Evil Eye army behind them…
Fifty steps, forty nine steps, forty eight steps…
As the distance between the opposing forces closed, the Dark Knights raised their long, sharp spears and prepared to pierce through the formation of Yang Ling’s Magical Beasts. From what they could see of Yang Ling’s army, it lacked heavy infantry and had no defensive barricades. Consequently, hey assumed they had the upper hand. Their eyes flashed coldly with battle glee.
There were not many in the world that could defend themselves against the concentrated charge of the Dark Knights. The elite cavalry of the Rossi empire could not, and even the knights of the Church would not dare bear the brunt of that attack. Even though there were many low level Magical Beasts before them, they didn’t stand a chance against the Dark Knights.
After the other party had closed the distance, Yang Ling hesitated no longer, immediately issuing the order to attack.
The first to act were the Evil Eye army. The Evil Eye Tyrant commanded that they release a wave of blinding light. Following that, the spider army waiting underground began to attack, releasing wave after wave of Earth Spikes!
Caught off guard, the knights on the front lines and their warhorses felt a stabbing pain in their eyes, as if they had been gouged out. Before they could recover from the blinding, they were stabbed countless times by the Earth Spikes that rose from the ground!
“Retreat, retreat quickly!”
The rest of the Dark Knights turned to retreat, but it was too late. The Gargoyles and Horned Bee Beast army dashed to the front. They tore a few nearby knights to shreds without hesitation.
Even though the Dark Knights were wearing heavy armor, that armor was completely ineffective against the Horned Bee Beasts that could dig into every crevice. Likewise, the armor did nothing to stop the half-inch razor-sharp Gargoyles’ claws!
Looking at the hordes of Horned Bee Beasts and Red-haired Tarantulas advancing toward them, and seeing their lightning fast speed and precision, Maryse’s heart sank. She never expected that the low level Magical Beasts were evolved and would possess such terrifying offensive capabilities.
Just as the Dark Knights were facing extermination, unable to retreat, a ripple appeared in the air surrounding Maryse. A black-robed elder appeared out of thin air.
The black-robed elder cleared his throat, and lifted his hand. From his palm he released a ring of black light. Whatever the light touched, Gargoyles and Horned Bee Beasts froze solid like statues. Even the spiders still underground were petrified.
“High level group petrification?” the Heavenly Fox Yuna gasped at the bizarre scene before them. She positioned herself in front of Yang Ling protectively. She spoke quietly under her breath, and released a pale red glow that surrounded both her and Yang Ling.
“Hehe, not bad, it’s getting more and more interesting!” After petrifying Yang Ling’s Magical Beast army, the black robed elder smiled a small smile and looked at Yang Ling and Yuna, as if thinking about something.
“Teacher, I…” Maryse heaved a sigh of relief at the black robed elder’s appearance. He grunted by way of greeting, and she decided against expounding about the situation in which he had just found her and her Knights and Spellcasters.
The Heavenly Fox Yuna recognized the spell. “Brother Yang, this is a Group Petrification Spell. There’s no way one can instantly cast such a terrifying spell if they did not have the power of a sage level fighter!” Yang Ling’s expression was grave. Yuna prepared an escape route.
A sage level expert?
Yang Ling swallowed with difficulty. He had gauged that the other party was merely a high level Magical Tutor. He had never expected the black robed elder to be a sage level fighter. It was no wonder that he could render a large number of Yang Ling’s Magical Beasts immobile with a single attack!
Yang Ling’s heart sank. Seeing the works of a sage level fighter in person for the first time really impressed Yang Ling. In the face of the sage elder’s abilities, low level Magical Beasts, even in their evolved forms, were completely ineffective. Yang Ling might have had a chance if he had tamed a few Magical Beasts at the Spider Monster’s level! The black robed elder smiled contentedly.
Yang Ling quickly calmed himself, trying his best to think of a way to escape safely.
After recalling the Heavenly Fox Yuna and the Unicorn into the space containing the Wizard’s Pagoda, he could perhaps use his teleportation like Earth Evasion Wizard Technique to escape the place. But it was going to be extremely difficult to preserve his Horned Bee Beasts, Evil Eyes and spiders. After all, the person blocking the path was not a Magical Tutor, nor was he some royal Great Swordsman. He was a sage level fighter, one of the most powerful people on the whole Tailun Continent!
