Chapter 61: The Three-Inch Blade |
Up until now, the iron weapons Xia Hong had seen were mostly large sabers. Wang Ming from Boulder Camp, Luo Ming before him, and the other three Digging Realm experts from Rogge Camp - only Li Baihe among them carried an additional bow. The primary weapons of the other three were also large sabers. Even Li Hu from Beishuo wielded a Yanling saber. Yang Ning was the sole exception, using a sword.
There were reasons for this preference. Firstly, compared to other weapons, the forging process for sabers was relatively simple. One only needed to hammer cast iron into the desired length and thickness, sharpen one edge, and attach a wooden hilt. Secondly, it came down to the nature of sabers themselves. Sabers were like fierce tigers, the commanders among weapons. Their slashing, chopping, and cutting techniques all involved wide, sweeping motions, making them the most courageous choice among weapons.
Camp residents frequently faced formidable creatures like Frost Beasts and Abominations. Having the courage to wield such weapons undoubtedly provided an advantage. After all, when two strong forces clash, the bolder one prevails.
At this moment, among the seven people surrounding the Wood Puppet Abomination, five wielded sabers. Yet even under the assault of five powerful saber strikes, the Wood Puppet Abomination showed no signs of defeat. As it dodged and weaved, its right hand lightly flicked, causing the cluster of transparent white threads around it to come alive, continuously blocking and neutralizing the five attackers' saber techniques.
Xia Hong sidestepped with a quick leap, avoiding one of the white threads. Channeling power simultaneously from his fists, feet, and waist, he seized the brief moment when Luo Ming and Shang Ping were retracting their sabers. His pupils contracted sharply as he gripped his large saber with both hands and delivered a fierce reverse slash from right to left.
Clang...
The saber didn't strike the Wood Puppet Abomination's body but was instead blocked by a dense web of transparent threads. However, the terrifying force behind the blow nearly pressed the threads against the creature's face. The Abomination was focusing most of its attention on dealing with Yang Ning's sword, only using a small portion of threads to handle the other six attackers.
Xia Hong's close-range strike carried such tremendous force that the creature couldn't immediately dodge. "Now's our chance, attack!" Luo Ming shouted sharply, not missing this golden opportunity despite being startled by Xia Hong's powerful strike. He and Shang Ping simultaneously launched horizontal slashes at the Abomination from above and below.
The Wood Puppet Abomination frantically retreated backward, but Li Hu, who had been attacking from behind, wouldn't let it escape so easily. His Yanling saber cut through the air with a chilling aura, the whooshing wind accompanying its swift slash aimed directly at the creature's back.
Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...
Li Baihe wasn't idle either. As the only archer among the seven, he stepped back from the melee when he saw his companions had the Abomination surrounded. Drawing his bow, he fired three arrows in quick succession, all aimed at the creature's head.
The Wood Puppet Abomination couldn't possibly dodge the incoming arrows while already struggling against Yang Ning's frontal assault, not to mention the three groups attacking from left, right, and behind. Clearly, the creature was on the verge of defeat. Hope flickered across everyone's faces.
But that hope vanished as quickly as it appeared. The Wood Puppet Abomination glanced around and suddenly raised the small knife it had kept unused in its left hand, making a swift slicing motion toward Luo Ming and Shang Ping on its left.
The knife was merely three inches long - incredibly tiny, almost too small to even be called a dagger. Compared to Luo Ming's large saber, it might not even match the size of an average person's palm. What could such a small knife possibly achieve?
Sssst...
The next instant left everyone stunned. With a sharp sound, Luo Ming's large saber was cleanly sliced in half by that tiny knife. What's more, it was the blade portion that was severed, leaving behind an unnaturally smooth cut. The knife was frighteningly sharp!
A sinister smile crept onto the Wood Puppet Abomination's face as it reveled in their shocked reactions. Without pause, the knife flashed downward, similarly slicing through Shang Ping's saber before the creature turned to block Li Hu's incoming Yanling saber from behind.
"You think my hundred-fold forged Yanling is like theirs? Dream on!" Li Hu thought to himself, channeling energy through his body to strengthen his saber strike.
Sssst...
Yet his confidence shattered along with his Yanling saber, leaving only shock and disbelief on his face. With its left and rear flanks now clear, the Wood Puppet Abomination retreated backward. Yang Ning's frontal attack naturally met empty air.
Xia Hong, who had been the first to close in on the creature, was also startled by the small knife. But noticing how the Abomination chose to retreat rather than break through his position, a strange light flashed in his eyes. While avoiding Yang Ning's sword made sense, why didn't it choose the nearest escape route past him, instead opting for the direction of Luo Ming, Shang Ping and Li Hu? The Wood Puppet Abomination was wary of him.
Xia Hong understood why the creature feared him but kept his thoughts to himself, rejoining the others in surrounding their foe. "Leader! Shang Ping! Sir! Catch!" Though Li Hu, Luo Ming and Shang Ping's sabers had been broken, others from Rogge Camp quickly produced three replacements, tossing them to the disarmed fighters.
With fresh weapons in hand, the three rejoined the battle with renewed caution. Now aware of the small knife's terrifying sharpness, they avoided direct clashes, changing attack angles whenever the creature raised its tiny blade. Even Yang Ning adopted this strategy.
This shift in tactics left the Wood Puppet Abomination increasingly disadvantaged. Though powerful, against six coordinated attackers it could only manage desperate defense, all while watching for Li Baihe's occasional arrows from the periphery. The ancient principle held true: constant defense inevitably fails.
The Wood Puppet Abomination proved no exception. Under their concerted assault, Yang Ning finally found an opening, driving his silver sword deep into the creature's right armpit. Pressing his advantage, Yang Ning forced the blade even deeper.
Ssss...
Instead of blood, the wound first emitted a sound like boiling water scalding skin, then began gushing thick black smoke with a nauseating stench. Though instinctively wanting to retreat, seeing genuine pain finally appear on the Abomination's face made everyone recognize this as the critical moment. They endured the discomfort and intensified their attacks.
Contrasting with the creature's pained expression, Yang Ning and Li Hu's faces lit up with excitement upon seeing the black smoke, their attacks growing even more ferocious. Xia Hong, positioned on the right, didn't notice their reactions - his attention was fixed on the wound.
Just as he prepared to strike the vulnerable spot, Xia Hong suddenly stiffened and leaped backward, shouting urgently: "Fall back! There's something strange inside it!"
Though startled by the warning, the six didn't hesitate in this critical moment, immediately retreating.
BOOM...
Before they could get far, the wound at the Wood Puppet Abomination's armpit violently exploded with a deafening blast that instantly changed their expressions. A mere exploding wound wouldn't have shocked them so - the terrifying revelation was what lay within. The creature's interior seemed composed entirely of densely packed white threads.
As the wound burst open, these transparent threads scattered everywhere, splitting into countless needle-like strands that shot toward the six like silver needles riding the explosion's shockwave. The six desperately dodged left and right, some throwing themselves flat on the ground.
The threads didn't pursue but continued past them. Realizing something, Xia Hong looked back and his pupils contracted sharply. The countless threads that had missed them were all converging on the dismembered corpses scattered across the valley floor.