The captain of the deep forest squad was remarkably resolute and courageous; he was not deterred by the heavy casualties, but calmly ordered a scattered retreat.
Relying on the strength of a single squad could not resolve the enemy, but the strength of the entire city-state could easily obliterate the invaders.
The elves retreating on their leaping deer shot back lightning arrows.
Even from atop the backs of jumping deer, the arrows carrying electric light still precisely penetrated through the gaps between shields and armor.
The electric light exploded violently, and this time, even chunks of internal organs were flung into the air.
Neil saw that even one of the mysterious figures in the black hooded robes was struck by an arrow.
But unlike ordinary guards, the arrow seemed to be blocked by something invisible; the electric light crackled loudly but could not penetrate.
Swoosh, swoosh!
The tattered-winged monster beasts resembling giant bats turned into streaks of dark light, catching up with the Deep Forest Knights once more.
At the same time, intermittent crossbow bolts from the human guards were also fired.
However, this time, facing the Deep Forest Knights who were now on their guard, the humans did not achieve the same battle results as before.
The elves seemed to merge into one with the red deer beneath them, twisting in mid-air with unbelievable coordination.
Simultaneously, the muscles across their bodies rippled and swelled, and all their body hair stood on end.
The same applied to the spiritual deer; their speed increased dramatically.
If a single tattered-winged monster beast caught up, it would twitch and bounce away as if struck by an electric shock, and the vast majority of the crossbow bolts were also evaded within a fraction of a second.
However, it wasn’t that every single Deep Forest Knight could get away safely.
Two Deep Forest Knights who lagged behind were struck by multiple tattered-winged monster beasts and crossbow bolts, their blood splattering across the forest floor on the spot.
Yet right at this moment, the young noble who had been protected in the center suddenly trembled all over, his two hands clutching his neck.
Just as this sudden turn of events drew Neil’s attention, the young noble, whose face was completely flushed, suddenly opened his mouth, and a pitch-black pillar of light flashed and vanished from his open maw.
The air let out a sharp “shoof” sound, after which the wind pressure violently scattered.
Wherever the pitch-black pillar of light flashed past, dozens of large trees were snapped clean at the waist, toppling over in all directions.
Further away, a booming explosion erupted like sudden thunder on flat ground, as shattered branches, broken wood, and countless amounts of soil were hurled high into the air together.
Neil was left dumbfounded by everything that occurred within a split second; however, before he could even react, the shockwave laced with a massive amount of shattered branches and ruined leaves flipped straight toward him!
In the emergency, Neil mobilized the Force to tightly embrace the tree trunk.
For an instant, even the thick trunk swayed boundlessly.
The shattered branches and ruined leaves broke through his fragile defensive magic like sharp little knives, leaving a series of blood-red scratches across Neil’s fair body.
Fortunately, due to the presence of the Force, Neil still managed to withstand the residual waves of the impact.
It was also fortunate that the distance wasn’t too close, and that the Deep Forest Knights had not retreated toward this direction; otherwise, Neil might have been swept up by the explosion just like those three Deep Forest Knights!
Half of the tree branch beneath his feet had been swept and snapped off, exposing torn wooden fibers.
Neil climbed up to a higher main trunk using both his hands and feet, looking toward the direction of the explosion.
The direction where the Deep Forest Knights had retreated was now completely a scene of utter ruin; obviously, Neil would not think they were still alive.
Everything that had just happened echoed in his heart like a fleeting glimpse of light, leaving people with lingering fears.
That power was simply too great; Neil did not believe that the young human noble could unleash such a highly powerful, destructive magic on his own.
As such, it was very clear that this source of power was related to the monster cub he had swallowed!
Even though it only lasted for a single instant, it was practically like a demonic dragon’s breath, entirely filled with an aura of evil and destruction.
Clinging to the top of the tree, Neil’s hands and feet clamped tightly onto the bark, his fair and tender toes using so much excessive force that his fine joints protruded, presenting a moist, red, and delicate color. Find the original chapter at NovelPing.
Emotions of worry, tension, curiosity, and lingering fears in his heart came one after another.
Neil already understood that these people came with ill intent, and their spearhead was pointed straight at the elven city-state!
Although Neil harbored no good feelings toward the elves living on the Ancient Tree, the half-elf settlement was far too close to the Ancient Tree and could very easily be caught in the crossfire…
Moreover, Sister Ya’er was also up on that Ancient Tree!
At this single thought, Neil’s anxieties and hesitations were instantly swept completely away.
In the settlement, there were people and things he did not want to face, but it could absolutely not be allowed to be lost, and Sister Ya’er absolutely must not have anything happen to her!
Neil murmured to himself: “I can completely ignore the rest of the elves, but this time, it’s my turn to look after Sister Ya’er…”
After annihilating the deep forest squad, the mysterious figures’ group did not rest or reorganize, but instead turned to continue advancing toward their target.
But from here, the distance to the Ancient Tree of Life was still roughly over a hundred kilometers.
Furthermore, after such a massive commotion just now, if the elves didn’t have any reaction at all, they would be unworthy of being a long-lived, naturally magical race.
What’s more, wasn’t this inside the forest?
The mysterious figures’ group seemed to understand this logic as well.
Once they finished packing up, they accelerated their pace of advancement.
Yet what baffled Neil the most was that they even brought along the humans who had died in battle, and even the dead elves.
Originally, their speed of advancement within the dense forest wasn’t fast to begin with, yet they actually brought along dozens of corpses?
Neil did not think they were carrying the corpses of the fallen back for burial, let alone the corpses of the elves.
Neil couldn’t help but grow deeply suspicious, knowing that the mysterious figures’ group absolutely had some sort of plot, yet it was completely impossible for anyone to guess, leaving one deeply worried.
However, Neil saw that the young noble who had unleashed that earth-shattering strike just now was currently in a completely listless and exhausted state.
It appeared that the strike did not come without any price, which could be counted as a piece of unfortunate good news.