Chapter 44: Doomsday and Slaughter, Resolved

As Ye Yu’s voice faded, he swung the purple sword in his hand, unleashing a terrifying surge of sword intent. Following the trajectory of his attack, it struck the body of the Doomsday Armored Knight directly.

"Purple Pole String Way: Purple Pole String Thunder Sword!"

Instantly, the sword energy Ye Yu unleashed began to coil with fearsome thunder and lightning, transforming into a sea of ten thousand lightning bolts that surged toward the Doomsday Armored Knight’s position. As this sea of lightning hovered directly above the knight, countless bolts of thunder crashed down, as if to consume everything in their path.

When the lightning struck the knight’s body, it exploded in all directions. Seeing this, Ye Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at "Cup of Wine Traps Hero," saying, "It’s up to you now."

"Cup of Wine Traps Hero" raised his hands in resignation and said with a huff, "So you’re just going to dump this manual labor on me while you take the credit for looking cool? Is that the plan?"

Despite his complaints, he took action. He raised his right hand and spread his fingers; terrifying black flames erupted from his palm, instantly forming a protective barrier of black fire around the group, shielding them from the backlash of Ye Yu’s technique.

The lightning bolts collided with the black flames. As one bolt neared Ye Yu, a flow of purple light swirled around him, causing the lightning to veer off and bypass him entirely. The shockwave from the lightning, however, caused his clothes to flutter violently. Anyone watching Ye Yu’s silhouette at that moment would find an air of unyielding arrogance about him, as if he were an immovable monument between heaven and earth.

Watching the scene, "Cup of Wine Traps Hero" used his left hand to swat away the incoming lightning and muttered, "I never expected your custom talent skill tree to contain such power. I never even imagined it. Your custom talent tree must be rated S-rank."

Though he kept this thought to himself, the abilities Ye Yu had displayed were undeniable proof.

On the other side, Huang Hong and Tan Cong were locked in an intense clash with the War Armored Knight.

The knight swept out with its spear, the strike carrying immense, rigid power. Each thrust was sharp and relentless, yet Huang Hong’s style grew stronger with every exchange, his spear shadows dancing wildly as every strike carried heavy force.

Tan Cong stood behind him, his black robes fluttering in the wind, surrounded by a veil of dark mist.

"Witch Ancestor: Summer Map!"

Suddenly, the grim totem behind Tan Cong shifted. A faint orange-red glow enveloped the totem and Tan Cong’s palms, with glowing patterns spreading across his body. As he raised his hands, an orange-red halo appeared beneath Huang Hong’s feet, surging upward to envelop him, granting him a five percent increase in all attributes.

Huang Hong looked back at Tan Cong, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well done."

Following this, Huang Hong lunged forward like a charging beast. Under this assault, the tide of the battle, which had been stretched thin, began to turn. Despite the knight’s fierce resistance, Huang Hong’s aggressive onslaught narrowed the gap between them.

A flash of spear-light flickered as Huang Hong darted behind the War Armored Knight. He slammed his shield into the knight’s back; normally, this attack would have inflicted a weakness or stun effect, but due to the knight’s high defensive resistance, it remained unaffected and responded with a swift, backward spear strike.

Seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Huang Hong’s eyes. He performed a backflip, and as he landed, he swung his legs down while thrusting his spear toward the knight’s midsection.

"Halberd: True Essence: Tiger Style!"

Huang Hong released his internal energy, forming a white tiger of gale-force winds. The massive phantom of the tiger swiped its claws, striking the knight’s torso and leaving cracks in the armor on its chest.

"Halberd: True Essence: Snake Style!"

Capitalizing on his momentum, Huang Hong swung his spear again. A green radiance shimmered over the spear-wind as a giant python emerged behind him. Its sharp fangs seemed capable of piercing any armor, turning the spear into a serpent that could swallow the heavens!

"Witch Ancestor: Autumn Map!"

Tan Cong deployed a new totem. The orange-red glow behind him shifted into the colors of dusk. As this twilight hue appeared, a halo of dusk-colored light surrounded Huang Hong, boosting Tan Cong’s defensive attributes and increasing his maximum health by ten percent.

With these two attacks, Huang Hong gradually forced the War Armored Knight back. However, the knight possessed a high level of AI—the absolute limit of what they could handle on the current [Xuantian] server. Yet, even when the knight found an opening to counter, Huang Hong was always prepared with a backup plan.

"Halberd: True Essence: Bear Style!"

A giant bear covered in war markings appeared in the void behind Huang Hong. Upon its arrival, it let out a roar that shook the earth, possessing a knockback effect that forcibly pushed the knight back several meters. The bear’s paw then slammed into the knight, driving it further back.

Suddenly, the momentum swung entirely in Huang Hong’s favor. From then on, every attack landed, and his seamless combos left the knight unable to retaliate. Even when the knight tried to counter, Huang Hong expertly dodged and launched a follow-up strike.

Ye Yu and "Cup of Wine Traps Hero" watched the battle between Huang Hong and the War Armored Knight, becoming completely absorbed.

"I never thought he’d mastered the spear class so well. He must have practiced quite a bit."

"Cup of Wine Traps Hero" nodded subconsciously, clearly impressed by Huang Hong. "Fast attacks, seamless combo transitions, and the ability to combine skills from his custom talent tree—plus the buffs from the Witch-class support—he’s managed to pull back from a disadvantageous position and seize the initiative."

Elsewhere, Old Hu and Luo Feng were clashing with the Slaughter Armored Knight. Old Hu was finally showing his true colors, holding his own against the beast.

"So this Slaughter Armored Knight is something I can actually contend with. With a healer present, it’s much simpler to deal with than the Doomsday Armored Knight," Old Hu remarked. His greatsword collided with the knight’s, and when the knight’s giant axe descended, Old Hu blocked it with his shield, utilizing the recoil to push the knight back.

Old Hu had already identified the knight’s weakness. Gripping his greatsword tightly, he lunged forward.

The Slaughter Armored Knight gripped its axe with both hands, paused for a moment, and charged toward Old Hu, leaping into the air for a downward cleave. Old Hu didn’t rush; he simply moved to intercept, raising his shield to block the descending axe.

*Bang!*

The sound of a perfect block rang out, and the knight was sent flying backward. Although a perfect block should have negated all damage, Old Hu’s health still dropped by fifteen percent.

Just then, his shield began to shimmer with a faint light. As the knight landed, it launched another charge, swinging its axe horizontally. Old Hu once again raised his shield; the crisp sound of another perfect block echoed, and the knight was repelled, but Old Hu’s health continued to chip away. Meanwhile, the light on his shield grew increasingly brilliant.

The Slaughter Armored Knight let out a low, frenzied roar, and a faint blood-red glow coated its axe as its stats began to climb.

"Its attack power is rising, and the damage output has increased. This is dangerous!" "Cup of Wine Traps Hero" whispered. Just as he was about to step in to help, Old Hu shouted, "I can handle it! No need for assistance. The healer and I are enough."

"Don't be so stubborn!" "Cup of Wine Traps Hero" retorted, clearly annoyed.

Ye Yu waved his hand, smiling at "Cup of Wine Traps Hero." "It’s his character—his unyielding pride. If he says he can handle it, he can. Trust your teammate."

"Cup of Wine Traps Hero" paused after hearing Ye Yu’s words. Seeing the look on the latter’s face, he fell silent, crossed his arms, and watched the unfolding scene.

The Slaughter Armored Knight attacked again. Old Hu raised his shield and once again achieved a perfect block. However, a strange phenomenon occurred: this time, Old Hu’s health did not drop. Because he was under a debuff that prevented healing, Luo Feng’s healing spells were useless, so he focused on providing other attribute buffs instead.

Seizing the moment the knight was knocked back, Old Hu lunged with his greatsword, passing through the knight and coming to a stop behind it.

*Whoosh—*

*Slash—*

The Slaughter Armored Knight’s health dropped to fifty percent, and a strange ripple emanated from its body—the same skill Ye Yu and "Cup of Wine Traps Hero" had encountered earlier.

But this time, a playful smile appeared on Old Hu’s face. His shield suddenly transformed into a brilliant, pure golden light. This dazzling radiance detached from the shield and flowed into the greatsword in his right hand, causing the entire blade to glow with blinding gold.

Old Hu assumed a charging stance. Behind him, a massive phantom holding a greatsword appeared within the blinding light. As the knight turned, a cold light flashed in Old Hu’s eyes. He transformed into a streak of light, passing through the knight. The knight was struck as if by a massive meteorite, sent flying, and afflicted with a stun effect.

A clear sword mark, running from the right shoulder to the left waist, appeared on the knight’s body, glowing with a brilliant, dazzling gold.

With that single attack, the knight’s health plummeted rapidly, reaching near-death levels. The golden light faded from Old Hu, and the phantom behind him vanished.

"He used his shield to absorb the knight’s attacks, converted that damage into stored energy, and then transferred it all to his weapon for a final strike? I didn’t think such a skill existed. It’s a 'do-or-die' move. Truly impressive, I’m in awe."

Seeing this, "Cup of Wine Traps Hero" gave Old Hu a thumbs-up and laughed. "It seems entering the [Purple Void Illusion] was a great idea after all."