Chapter 381: Lionfolk Holy Relic "Thorned Mane" - Control
Possessing combat power equivalent to four Hero Domains.
Is that strong?
The combined strength of the human nations, the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Bahharuth Empire, amounts to only four Hero Domains.
However, this piece of intelligence wasn't enough for Tang Zheng to completely lower his guard.
"That's about it."
A thought flickered through Tang Zheng's mind as he muttered softly, "Give it your all, Bronze Axe Minotaur and Flame Tongue Lizard."
There are disparities even between Hero Domains. Both summoned creatures were level 35, pushing the limits of this tier, and were higher in level than the four Demi-human powerhouses below!
To gather more information.
The key was to kill the tribe's ruler. During this process, he could force out any hidden power they might possess.
"Roar!"
The Bronze Axe Minotaur's muscles, gleaming with metallic luster, bulged. It opened its bovine mouth, revealing its teeth and splashing saliva, and let out a roar towards the sky.
The high-pitched roar briefly drowned out the hisses of the approaching Jackalfolk.
As a summoned creature with pure physical damage, the roar itself carried no special power, yet it still managed to affect the Lionfolk Priest's abilities to some extent.
The eyes of the frenzied Jackalfolk gained a hint of clarity and fear!
"Damn you!"
The Lionfolk Priest's expression instantly soured. His strange, hopping steps didn't falter at all. He reached to his waist, snatched a porcelain bottle, and hurled it forcefully towards the ground.
With a "crack."
The porcelain bottle shattered, and a large amount of mysterious powder spilled onto the ground.
"Ancestral Power of the Jackalfolk!"
The Lionfolk Priest chanted in a low voice, unseen Mana surging.
The mysterious powder scattered on the ground rapidly condensed, forming a totem radiating a faint blue light.
"Kill!"
"Slay him!"
"…!"
The frenzied Jackalfolk became frenzied once more. Their thin bodies seemed to grow sturdier in that instant.
Within mere breaths, the dense mass of Jackalfolk had surrounded the Bronze Axe Minotaur, continuously charging in an unyielding assault.
Under these circumstances.
Even with the Bronze Axe Minotaur's surprisingly formidable display, it was forced to stop its advance by the Jackalfolk, constantly swinging its great axe to cleave them down.
While most of the Demi-humans were captivated by this scene.
The Flame Tongue Lizard, which existed with the subtlety of a mount, had vanished at some unknown point.
"Underground Assault!"
Boom!
In an instant.
The ground beneath "King" Anriel's feet exploded. The over five-meter-long Flame Tongue Lizard suddenly thrust its head out, its cavernous maw opening for a bite.
"King?!"
The Lionfolk Priest's pupils constricted, and he cried out in alarm. He was completely unable to spare a hand right now.
He had never imagined that this lizard could burrow underground, easily bypassing the guards in front from below.
"A mere lizard!"
"King" Anriel did not dodge. His dark yellow beast eyes were filled with confidence and indifference. His fiery red mane, flying like a flame, let out a lion-like, arrogant roar:
"I am the 'King' of this great grassland!"
The gravel and air currents kicked up by the Flame Tongue Lizard's emergence from the ground lifted the exquisite beast-skin cloak draped behind "King" Anriel.
Swish!
A subtle pendant on "King" Anriel's neck suddenly emitted a red light.
It was a clump of fiery red mane, about a finger thick, bound tightly with rope into the shape of a pendant. A faint flow of Mana could be seen circulating within it!
Instantly—
A fiery red barrier, enveloping "King" Anriel, was released from the pendant, shielding his entire body.
Thump!
The fierce impact of the Flame Tongue Lizard collided with the barrier, emitting a dull thud. The intense shock was actually blocked by this red, semi-transparent barrier.
In mid-air.
Tang Zheng's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly at this scene. It could withstand a full-power blow from a "Lv 35" Flame Tongue Lizard.
This magic item was very valuable!
"Oh?" A hint of surprise suddenly flickered in Tang Zheng's eyes.
Below.
After withstanding the Flame Tongue Lizard's fierce impact, the pendant glowed with fist-sized red light again, and in the next moment, it released a crimson beam.
Boom!
"Roar..."
The Flame Tongue Lizard let out a scream as the crimson beam sent it flying and flipped it onto the ground, kicking up a large amount of dust that enveloped it.
"You have angered the great Val Tribe!"
"King" Anriel looked at the Flame Tongue Lizard that had been blasted away, a satisfied expression on his face. He then looked back at the Bronze Axe Minotaur surrounded by Jackalfolk in the distance, his voice chilling:
"Minotaur, no matter where you come from or what your purpose is, you've chosen the wrong target. A lion's gaze dares to stare directly at the sun."
"I will wash this grassland with the blood of your tribe!"
"King" Anriel's voice echoed in the air, his gaze growing colder. In his opinion, this was clearly a premeditated surprise attack.
The opponent's target was clearly to kill him, the "King"!
The consequences of this would not only trigger chaos throughout the entire tribe, but even the "Re-Estize" Kingdom might fall into great disorder.
"King!"
"King!"
"King!"
The Lionfolk roared in unison, their eyes showing that the sudden invasion had been resolved.
Under the desperate attacks of the Jackalfolk, that terrifyingly powerful Minotaur would eventually exhaust its strength, leaving only defeat.
As for the losses of the Jackalfolk?
What did that matter? This lowly race was originally dependent on their powerful Lionfolk.
"King" Anriel heard the cheers around him, grinned, and raised his arm, looking at the burn marks on his palm and licking them with his tongue.
This was a side effect of using their Lionfolk's sacred artifact, "Thorned Mane." Using it would inflict a slight burning damage on oneself.
However, compared to the item's abilities, this minor negative effect was negligible.
Whoosh!
Suddenly.
From the dust not far away, a red arrow suddenly flew out.
"Flame Tongue Arrow!"
The red glow flashed through the air, and in almost the blink of an eye, it arrived in front of "King" Anriel.
"Stubborn!"
"King" Anriel was stunned. It was too late to dodge, and he let out an angry roar. A faint white light flashed on his chest.
Poof!
After being briefly blocked, the fiery red arrow easily pierced "King" Anriel's chest.
A large amount of blood gushed from the wound!
"Ah, ah!"
"King" Anriel screamed, retreating in a sorry state. The arrogance and dominance in his eyes turned to terror, and he quickly reached out to cover his chest.
But no matter how he covered it, blood continued to seep through his fingers!
This scene.
Stunned all the surrounding Lionfolk, their eyes widened in disbelief.
"Roar!"
The Flame Tongue Lizard roared furiously and charged out of the dust again. At the spot where it had been hit by the red beam, there was an indentation and burn mark the size of a washbasin.
That attack had also caused significant damage to the Flame Tongue Lizard!
It's just that the Flame Tongue Lizard had some resistance to fire-attribute attacks, and as a summoned creature, as long as its health was not reduced to 0, it could still act.
"King?"
"Stop it!"
"King!!"
The surrounding Lionfolk were in chaos, desperately rushing forward to stop the Flame Tongue Lizard.
Unfortunately.
These people were not strong enough to stop the "Lv 35" Flame Tongue Lizard. The force generated by the charge of its massive body, over 5 meters long, easily sent the obstructing individuals flying.
Amidst the chaotic screams.
The Flame Tongue Lizard charged in front of the heavily injured "King" Anriel. He struggled desperately to resist, but in the end, his head was ruthlessly bitten off.
"King" Anriel is dead!
The entire Val Tribe stood frozen in place.
"Kill them!"
"Kill them!" the Lionfolk Priest roared with venomous hoarseness.
High above.
Tang Zheng saw that "King" Anriel hadn't displayed any stronger power or had any other powerful beings appear until his death.
"Nothing?"
"I can't be so absolute..." Tang Zheng looked at the increasingly chaotic Val Tribe below, his eyes still holding a hint of vigilance:
"If there truly is a stronger being hidden behind the scenes, they might be able to see that the 'Bronze Axe Minotaur' and 'Flame Tongue Lizard' are just summoned creatures, and thus wouldn't have appeared."
"Currently, the Attribute Panel isn't reacting, which means no detection-type skills or magic have found me."
"Then I'll play it safe!"
Tang Zheng adjusted his mana and continued to fly upwards.
After reaching a certain altitude, he confirmed that no one could sense his mana fluctuations and activated the magic "Teleport."
The scenery shifted!
Tang Zheng directly left the Re-Estize Kingdom and appeared at its border.
"Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone!"
Tang Zheng activated the skill, and with a ripple from his shadow, a shadow clone appeared before him.
Immediately after.
Tang Zheng reached out and grabbed at the void, taking out a bottle of Frogman Eggs soaked in "Integration Potion."
The crystal-clear frog eggs reflected a faint light under the sun, looking like glass orbs. Their surface was covered with a layer of the potion's solution.
Tang Zheng tossed it towards the shadow clone, and the "Frogman Egg" rapidly merged into the clone's body.
"The Slane Theocracy is still researching the integration experiments for 'Frogman Eggs,' determining the duration and the distinction between different qualities of frog eggs."
Tang Zheng looked at the shadow clone before him and, after confirming that there were no accidents during the integration process, chuckled softly:
"The time is uncertain, but with the integration of the frog eggs, it will definitely last longer than a normal shadow clone's existence."
"Go."
The shadow clone nodded silently and activated the magic "Teleport."
At this moment, in the Val Tribe.
The Bronze Axe Minotaur and the Flame Tongue Lizard faced attacks from a large number of demi-humans. Although they could fend them off, they sustained increasing damage.
Finally!
In the furious encirclement of the Lionfolk, the Bronze Axe Minotaur and the Flame Tongue Lizard dissolved like bubbles into phantoms.
No corpses?
The unexpected outcome left the surrounding Lionfolk and Jackalfolk with bewildered expressions.
The Lionfolk Priest's expression, which had just relaxed, suddenly stiffened. As a priest, he naturally knew about magic that summoned demon creatures.
The magic caster who could summon such powerful demon creatures must still be hidden in the shadows!
An enemy like this—too terrifying.
"This is bad..."
The Lionfolk Priest's pupils trembled. Just as he was about to shout orders for his tribe to prepare for defense, he suddenly felt a chill at his side and stiffly turned.
He saw a mysterious person, completely wrapped in a black robe, whose race and appearance were indiscernible, appear out of thin air beside him.
"All-Race Charm!"
"Shaman's Protection!"
The Lionfolk Priest roared in fear. His head briefly swam, and cold sweat poured down his body as he frantically pulled back.
However.
Bang!
The shadow clone's movements were faster. With a quick and agile kick, it powerfully struck the Lionfolk Priest's jaw.
Even though the shadow clone's strength stat was only 1/4 of the main body's, it was not something this pure magic caster could resist.
With a single blow.
The Lionfolk Priest felt his head spin, stars flashing before his eyes.
"Magic Resistance Breakthrough: All-Race Charm!"
The shadow clone cast magic again.
This time.
The Lionfolk Priest could no longer resist, his eyes became vacant, and he stood stiffly in front of the shadow clone.
"Everyone, stop!"
Under the shadow clone's control, the Lionfolk Priest loudly addressed the chaotic tribe before him.
—The border of the Re-Estize Kingdom.
Tang Zheng closed his eyes, controlling the shadow clone to observe through the opponent's sensory abilities.
"As expected, professions like Shaman have abilities to resist charm-type magic. Fortunately, I had countermeasures prepared long ago."
Tang Zheng's expression was relaxed. Dealing with opponents who had ways to resist charm magic was not complicated.
It had already been shown in anime.
When the Kingdom was about to be destroyed by the Undead King, Lakyus of the Blue Rose wanted to perish with the nation, but was forcibly taken away by her teammates.
During this process.
Gaguran and the others attacked Lakyus, inflicting damage on her, thereby weakening her resistance, and then charmed her.
A clear method.
There was no reason for Tang Zheng not to use it.
Dealing with the Lionfolk Priest wasn't difficult; the key was to further ascertain if there were any hidden enemies.
Under the shadow clone's control.
The Lionfolk Priest quickly stabilized the situation, while the shadow clone used the Second Tier "Invisibility," a low-level stealth method, to stay by the Lionfolk Priest's side.
It was perfectly normal for ordinary Lionfolk and Jackalfolk to not detect the shadow clone. If there were high-level existences hidden, they definitely wouldn't be able to hide from them.
After finding that no enemies appeared, Tang Zheng continued to wait. The normal duration of existence for a shadow clone was 10 minutes, and summoned creatures generally lasted about an hour.
Waiting for a few hours wouldn't be too late.
Time passed bit by bit, and the shadow clone was never attacked. It was only at this moment that Tang Zheng finally confirmed their safety.
Night fell.
A crescent moon hung high in the sky, and a cold wind howled across the grassland outside.
The death of "King" Anriel had dealt an extremely severe blow to the entire tribe. There was still some chaos outside.
But at this moment.
Inside the tent where the Lionfolk Priest resided.
Tang Zheng sat casually at the table, holding the magic item that "King" Anriel had used.
A seemingly ordinary mane pendant.
"This is the sacred artifact of our Lionfolk tribe. Legend says it's a mane that fell from the Great God of the Plains."
The Lionfolk Priest stood by, his eyes vacant, and introduced it patiently.
"Item Appraisal." Tang Zheng cast magic, softly chanting.
...
Item: Special Craftsmanship - Thorned Mane
Grade: High-Tier (31-40)
Effects:
—Passive: When activating the item, it causes minor burns to the user.
—Active: "Red Barrier" - Releases a defensive barrier that envelops the entire body (1/day).
—Active: "Blazing Sunbeam" - When attacking, it forms a fire-attribute energy beam (1/day).
Description: According to legend, it was made from materials that fell from a Demon God, hence it is cursed by the Demon God, and thus the user will suffer burns from fire when using it.
...
Looking at the information from the item appraisal.
"This kind of appraisal information shouldn't be a game item from 'YGGDRASIL'."
Tang Zheng made a judgment in his mind. Although this item was of no use to him, it was a very good magic item for Renners and the others:
"No wonder 'King' Anriel only used it once. Both skills, whether offensive or defensive, displayed a level equivalent to Fifth Tier magic."
He looked up.
"So now."
"Introduce me to your history." Tang Zheng put the "Thorned Mane" into his item box and asked the Lionfolk Priest.
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