Rumbling, the Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, with his strong body, rode a massive Achillesaurus, galloping across the rolling grasslands. His long, blood-red mane fluttered like a cape in the wind.
The enormous three-headed flail in his thick arm moved like a toy, swinging with the rhythm of their run. The Achillesaurus's huge body made loud thudding sounds on the firm, heavy ground, followed by orderly Jackal warriors, raising dust as they trampled the green grass of the prairie.
Flanking the Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, were Gnoll Barbarians, also riding Achillesauruss and Hyenas. Each of these Gnoll Barbarians was the most elite warrior in the Jackal Tribe.
These Gnoll Barbarians were all around two and a half meters tall, carrying heavy flails and great hammers. They formed the guard escort of this ambitious Jackal Tribe leader, his most trusted warriors.
They were also typically the assault team of the Jackal Tribe. Their armor was the finest in the entire Jackal Tribe, with many Gnoll Barbarians wearing animal skin clothes made from the tough hides of Achillesauruss, or the toughest fur from the ferocious beasts hunted by the Jackal Tribe.
Following the Gnoll Barbarians were Gnoll Spellcaster riding Hyenas. These Gnoll Spellcasterwere also called Watchers. These relatively thin Gnolls, with their distinctive purple manes, possessed innate natural magic that often brought tears to the eyes of many foreign Druids and Shamans.
Even these Gnoll Spellcaster themselves found it difficult to ascertain the source of this power. They couldn't distinguish whether their power was magical ability or divine spell, so they generally tried not to wear extra armor to avoid affecting their spellcasting abilities.
Typically, these Gnoll Spellcaster would use their magical abilities to strengthen the bodies of the Gnoll warriors under their protection. Of course, they could also directly strike enemies with their magic. Furthermore, they possessed spell-like abilities similar to a Fear Aura, which could gradually induce fear in the hearts of enemies around them.
Some Night Crows and carrion-eating Vultures flew above the heads of these Gnoll Spellcaster, cawing loudly. These were their scout birds, enslaved by their magical abilities, allowing them to see the surrounding area through the birds' eyes.
Additionally, dozens to a hundred of the thinnest Gnoll scouts rode Hyenas, spreading out far and wide. These Gnolls were intelligent scouts, dangerous assassins, and ranged combatants. They rarely exceeded two meters in height and carried venom-tipped bows and blowdarts.
Bringing up the rear were the vast majority of ordinary Jackal warriors and slaves like Trolls and Werebears. These Gnoll warriors and slaves could only run on two legs, but their strong bodies allowed them to run no slower than most wild beasts on the prairie.
Although these Gnolls were still somewhat unorganized, they clearly had a more defined division of labor than the previous hunting Jackal warriors. If such a loosely structured race possessed a particularly strong leader, they could unite in battle with clear roles and even possess a degree of discipline rarely seen in other monster races.
Clearly, the Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, was such a strong and powerful tribal leader.
Caw, caw, caw.
A bald Vulture, about two meters long, flapped its somewhat bare wings and landed on a Jackal Spellcaster's arm. The Gnoll Spellcaster's somewhat pale pupils returned to a blood-red color.
"Leader, my little bird has found the bodies left by the fallen warriors, just a short distance ahead to the left," a Jackal Spellcaster, driving the Hyena leader beneath him to match the Achillesaurus's pace, reported to his leader.
These Gnolls possessed their own racial language, but they also spoke Troll, Orcish, or Goblin, as well as some Common Tongue. In fact, Gnolls were a fairly intelligent race.
Moreover, Gnolls not only had a great advantage in learning languages but in other aspects as well. The main reason preventing the Gnolls from further evolution was their loose social structure. If guided properly, perhaps these Gnolls could become a formidable power of inestimable strength.
"What about those Centaurs who invaded our territory? Have you not found any trace of them?" The Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, rode on the galloping Achillesaurus, the undulations not affecting the steadiness of his voice, as he asked with a frown.
"No trace of those Centaurs has been found. Perhaps they saw the warriors' distress signal and knew they couldn't withstand our retaliation, so they fled. Those cowardly and hateful Centaurs."
The Gnoll Spellcaster replied, tearing off a piece of dried meat and feeding it to the bald Vulture perched on his arm. The Vulture swallowed the long piece of dried meat in one gulp and flapped its wings, flying back into the air.
After running for another several miles, the Jackal Tribe leader, Yug's, excellent eyesight could already discern the blood-stained traces on the grassland.
A strong, unique putrid smell of Gnolls mixed with the stench of blood assaulted his sensitive nose, and the three-headed flail in the Jackal Tribe leader, Yug's, hand swung with a violent sound.
He shouted loudly, "All warriors halt! Watchers, send out your pets to fly high and check the situation! The rest of the warriors search the ground for any surviving warriors and traces of those Centaurs!"
The massive force of over six hundred Gnolls immediately came to a halt. Although there was still some commotion, not comparable to trained human soldiers, they still maintained noticeable discipline.
The Night Crows and Vultures enslaved by the Gnoll Spellcaster flew in all directions to scout the situation. The gnoll scouts riding Hyenas on the periphery also dispersed, heading towards the low bushes and burrows on the grassland. These Gnolls were familiar with every part of their territory, and night was their domain.
The rest of the Gnoll warriors also scattered, using their sensitive sense of smell to pick up the traces and scents left by the Centaur Warrior on the grassland.
Only the Gnoll Barbarian guards and these Gnoll Spellcaster gathered around the Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, to examine the battlefield.
The Jackal Tribe leader dismounted the tall Achillesaurus, his tall and strong body dragging the heavy three-headed flail as he traversed the remnants of the battlefield, his blood-red eyes searching for every detail left behind.
Hiss, hiss.
The Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, looked at the bodies of the Jackal warriors lying in pools of blood along the path, while using his sensitive nose to sniff the air, distinguishing information about the enemy.
"There's the smell of Grey Wolf Knights, and the stench emanating from Green Goblins. Hmm, this smell should belong to Kobolds," the Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, analyzed in his mind. Grey Wolf Knights were common, and wolf packs often became prey and sexual partners for Gnolls.
Green Goblins and Kobolds were everywhere, and the Gnolls had massacred no fewer than ten Green Goblin and Kobold tribes, so the Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, was very familiar with these smells.
"The strongest smell of sweat should be from those Centaurs. It seems these enemies might have allied together, or perhaps become dependents of some powerful creature."
"It's very likely those annoying Chromatic Dragons. Metal Dragons wouldn't like to take in weak and lowly races like Kobolds and Green Goblins."
"Damn it, when did a True Dragon appear? I hope it's not an adult True Dragon, otherwise the tribe will have no choice but to migrate."
The Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, was an ambitious fellow. Although these Evil True Dragon races liked to depend on True Dragons, Yug did not want to lose his power and status from the bottom of his heart.
"Leader, we have found traces of those Centaurs fleeing. Do you want to follow these traces and kill all of these Centaurs?"
A thin Jackal scout riding a Hyena ran over, tugging the Hyena's ears. He dismounted the Hyena's back and then knelt on the ground to report, pointing in the direction the Centaurs had fled.
The Jackal Tribe leader, Yug, looked in the direction the scout indicated. He knew very well that the area bordering the Jackal Tribe's territory in that direction was a powerful Orc tribe.
He had secretly investigated it in the dead of night and found that it contained many strong individuals, including those who could contend with him.
He had always ordered the Jackal Tribe not to cross the border of their territory to avoid conflict with those Orc tribes. Although he did not fear those Orcs, the current Jackal Tribe was not yet strong enough to contend with the Orc tribes.
"Could it be that those Orc tribes are no longer satisfied with their territory and have allied with the Centaur Tribe? With the abilities of these Orcs, enslaving those weak Goblins and Kobolds is quite normal." Some thoughts flashed through the Jackal Tribe leader, Yug's, mind, and he simultaneously shook his head.
"There's no need to pursue. Leave some Jackal sentinels to patrol the edge of the territory, and leave a few Watchers here to maintain contact."
"The rest of the Jackal warriors will follow me back. Now is not the time to clash with those reckless Orcs. We must continue to accumulate strength."
After speaking, he vaulted onto the Achillesaurus, which was gnawing on a fallen Jackal warrior's body nearby. He whistled a call, gathered his subordinate Gnolls, and then led his tribe back to their Dragon Nest.
Meanwhile, on the backside of the hills above the Jackal Tribe's Dragon Nest, the Centaur Warrior and Grey Wolf Knights, who had quietly arrived, were already hiding in the sheltered area, calmly waiting for the Jackal Tribe's reinforcements to return from the Dragon Nest.
Chiron, through his wars with the human kingdom, had learned how to utilize his advantages. He fully leveraged the flexibility and mobility of the Centaur cavalry and Grey Wolf Knights.
He led the Centaur cavalry and Grey Wolf Knights in a wide circle around the grassland, returning to this location. With the vision and guidance provided by Black Dragon Rosani from high above, they easily avoided the direct routes of the Gnolls.
They crouched on the backside of the hills near the Jackal Tribe's Dragon Nest, preparing to catch the Gnolls off guard when they returned to their Dragon Nest and were extremely relaxed.
These Centaurs ran much faster than the Gnolls, so even though they made a wide detour on the grassland, they still had enough time to rest here.
Now, these Centaurs had recovered much of their stamina and were quietly replenishing their energy with the water skins and dried meat they carried. They knew in their hearts that the true challenge might be yet to come. They never underestimated their enemies, nor did they fear bloodshed.
The Black Dragon Rosani also lay prostrate on the backside of the hill. Under the bright moonlight, the Black True Dragon could not be too active, otherwise, it might be discovered by the little pets of the Gnoll Spellcaster and alert them. Even though Black True Dragon was naturally skilled in stealth, one could not underestimate the enemy's keenness.
Black Dragon Rosani only quietly poked his head out. His excellent eyesight allowed the True Dragon to see further than the giant eagles in the sky.
"Those foul Gnolls are coming," the Black True Dragon said to Chiron beside him. Black Dragon Rosani could detect the enemy's traces from a great distance, even though the distant Jackal Tribe's forces were still just black dots in the Centaurs' eyes.
And those massive Achillesauruss caught the Black True Dragon's attention. These True Dragon beasts, with rough fur growing on their tough hides and huge scythe-like toenails, were almost as long as the Black True Dragon.
Moreover, as the Black True Dragon aged, his face and body increasingly resembled a skeleton, and the skin around the base of his horns and cheekbones would constantly undergo changes as if degenerating, which is why he was sometimes called a Skeleton Dragon.
Currently, the Black Dragon Rosani was in the Young True Dragon stage, so it wasn't as obvious, but his physique was still slender. Even though he was over seven meters long, he still appeared weaker than the Achillesaurus.
However, even if these Dragon beasts grew stronger, in the eyes of a True Dragon, they were merely prey. Black Dragon, in his youth, had hunted countless such beasts with Kalon, unintelligent wild animals that relied purely on their claws, teeth, and raw strength.
But for the Jackal Tribe, these massive Dragon beasts were still powerful enough. The Black Dragon Rosani could not sense the aura of the Jackal Tribe leader riding the Achillesaurus, but he knew this Jackal Tribe leader must be very strong.
"You all need to be careful later. That Jackal Tribe leader is probably very powerful, to be able to tame a predatory and ferocious Achillesaurus like that,"the Black Dragon Rosani relayed what he had seen.
These Young True Dragons all liked the warriors of the Centaur Tribe, especially the Black Dragon Rosani. In his youth, he had discovered the wild beauty of the wild horses galloping across the grassland, and these Centaur Warriors particularly conformed to the Black Dragon's aesthetic.
The Dragonborne Centaur Chiron squinted at the approaching shadows, then nodded and replied, "Dragonkin never fear a challenge."
Then he turned to Kari and the other cavalry captains who were resting and ordered, "Pick up your weapons and bows, prepare for battle."
Rumble, rumble.
The Jackal warriors followed their leader, Yug, running towards their lair. Since they were already close to their lair, these Gnoll had relaxed their vigilance, and their previously relatively neat formation was now as scattered and chaotic as a Goblin and Kobold procession.
Those Gnoll Spellcaster also recalled their Night Ravens and Vultures. They never believed there would be enemies near their lair.
All races in the vicinity that could pose a threat to the Gnoll had already been slaughtered or enslaved by these Gnoll. Even the ferocious beasts with their packs could only become food and captive poultry for these Gnoll.
The Gnoll scouts lazily urged the hyenas beneath them to join the main Gnoll force. Those arrogant Gnoll Barbarians even casually hung their weapons on the backs of their mounts.
Even the Gnoll leader, Yug, abandoned his vigilance, charging into the hills with his Tribe. He looked at the entrance of the underground lair in the distance, still faintly glowing with firelight and brightness, only two or three li away from him, but then he suddenly froze.
On the hills on both sides near the entrance of the underground lair, Centaur, Kobold, and Green Goblin figures appeared one after another. Like hunters aiming at their prey, they drew their longbows, raised their javelins, and aimed at the warriors of the Jackal Tribe.
A Black Dragon, reflecting a dark silver light under the bright moonlight, flapped his wings, preparing to ascend and hunt his prey.
He and the warriors of the Jackal Tribe were surrounded. The Kobold and Goblin on both sides were eyeing them menacingly, and the Centaur opposite were shrouded in a thick killing intent.
The enemy was aggressive and revealed their ferocity, yet he had received no warning.
"Damn it, I was careless," the Gnoll leader Yug thought, then shouted, "Be on guard, prepare to block those arrows."
Before the Gnoll leader finished speaking, and before these Jackal warriors could react, an arrow rain like a dark cloud poured down.
Buzz, whoosh.
The Centaur's powerful arm strength drew each bowstring to a full moon. The vibration of the bowstring as the arrow shot out was like a buzz, and the long arrows with iron arrowheads cut through the air, hitting the Gnoll's ranks with a sharp tearing sound.
The Kobold and Green Goblin also shot their short arrows and javelins. Although these Koboldand Green Goblin were weak, the arrow rain and short spears thrown from a high vantage point could still cause casualties.
After all, the Gnoll only possessed greater strength, not scales that were difficult for ordinary blades and spears to penetrate like a True Dragon.
Ugh, ah.
The unprepared Gnolls were pierced through the head and body by arrows. Even with tough Achillesaurus hide cloaks, they couldn't stop the arrows' attack, letting out brief groans of pain before falling to the ground.
The hyenas and Achillesaurus beneath them were also startled and scattered, some even carrying the corpses of the Gnoll hanging on them, charging into the Gnoll's ranks, causing a commotion for a time.
The Gnoll leader Yug swung his heavy flail so densely that not a single arrow could pass through, blocking all the arrows shot at him.
Only the Achillesaurus beneath him took an arrow. The Achillesaurus was about to become agitated from the pain when Yug smashed it on the forehead with a heavy punch, causing it to roar in pain and quiet down.
Bang, Yug swung his flail, smashing the head of a rampaging Achillesaurus to pieces, and shouted, "Don't run around! Gather up and listen to my command!"
"Surrender or die," the Centaur Chiron on the hill stood out, not ordering another attack. His tall body held a massive longbow, aiming at the Gnoll's leader, and he shouted loudly.
"Surrender or die!" all the Centaur Warrior and Grey Wolf Knights shouted in unison, their immense voices echoing through the hills. The True Dragon in the sky also roared,
"Surrender or die!"
"Dragonkin!"
Yug, the Gnoll, his blood-red pupils widened, looking at the agitated Tribe and the corpses on the ground. After just one round of attacks, the Tribe had lost over a hundred powerful warriors.
And those Gnoll Spellcaster were the primary targets of the attack. Without any defense, these Gnoll Spellcaster were as fragile as a blank sheet of paper, and several had already died.
But the Gnoll leader in front of him remained unyielding. Although he could see the difference in the Dragonkin Centaur opposite, the opponent's strength was not enough to be his match.
Moreover, the Black True Dragon in the sky, although a pure-blooded True Dragon, was too small, only over seven meters long, appearing very weak. How much strength could such a slender body possess? It was far from enough to make him consider surrendering.
So he urged the Achillesaurus beneath him forward and laughed loudly, "I'd rather be the head of a wild pheasant on the prairie than the tail feather of a phoenix. If you want me to surrender, you must defeat me in battle."
Yug, the Gnoll, looked at the Black True Dragon that had landed on the hill and said disdainfully, "Can just one Black True Dragon make you willingly surrender? It's not even a Red Dragon. You truly are a race that loves to be slaves."
"Watch your words, Gnoll. We are kin of the Dragon clan, and the Black Dragon is a noble member of the Dragon clan. As for the Red Dragon, I don't think you'd be pleased to see his face and his wrath. You can remain humble before the True Dragon or choose death," Chiron's expression turned cold.
"Even a Red Dragon in its juvenile stage would find it difficult to stop my strength," the defiant Gnoll leader finally expressed his attitude with his actions. He swung his heavy three-headed flail and shouted, "Follow me and charge! Kill all these enemies! I want to see the power of these True Dragon!"
"Kill them!" The rampaging Gnoll followed their leader in a charge. The Gnoll Spellcaster, meanwhile, activated their magical abilities to cast enhancement spells on the Gnoll Barbariansat the forefront.
"Despicable, inferior worms! How dare you provoke the majesty of a True Dragon!" The Black Dragon Rosani was instantly enraged upon hearing the Gnoll leader's words. Being provoked among the True Dragon was one thing; he genuinely couldn't defeat them. But to be scorned by a lowly race like the Gnoll made the Evil Dragon Blood within him surge with fury.
Black Dragon Rosani spread his wings, releasing the True Dragon's might of a juvenile True Dragon, roaring in the sky. Magical aura flowed around the Black True Dragon, and he made a pouncing motion.
The Centaur Warrior and Kobold kin had already shot their arrows until they ran out of arrows they brought.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
The rapid arrow rain shot down a large number of charging Jackal warriors, but the Gnoll Spellcaster' spells provided defense and strength enhancement for these Gnoll. Many of the shot-down Gnoll who were not fatally wounded stood up again and continued to charge.
Other Gnoll Spellcaster were chanting spells, and a mist appeared in the area. Ghouls with tusks and ugly, ferocious faces emerged from the mist, following the Jackal Tribe's army and charging forward.
"Throw away your bows and charge with me, for the Dragon clan!" Chiron threw down his longbow, which had no arrows left, and gripped the weapon in his hand.
"For the Dragon clan!"
"For the Master!"
The other Centaur Warriors also discarded their longbows on the ground, then drew the long spears hanging at their waists. The Centaur's formation quickly assembled into an attacking formation, stomping down the hills.
Those Kobold and Green Goblin riding Grey Wolf also charged down the hills, pursuing the Gnollfrom behind, harassing them with javelins and short bow blow darts.
The Gnoll and Centaur forces collided like a rolling torrent halfway down the hill. Boom! The magic shield that the Gnoll Spellcaster had cast on the Gnoll leader Yug instantly shattered under the powerful impact.
The Centaur, charging down from a high position, carried immense power and potential energy. The thick iron spear in Chiron's hand was unstoppable, instantly piercing through the magic shield, which was strong enough to withstand the strikes of a juvenile True Dragon.
But the Gnoll leader Yug abandoned his mount. At the moment of contact between the two sides, he slapped the massive Achillesaurus beneath him, then his entire body flew up, pushing off the huge Achillesaurus's back and leaping to the left. The moment his magic shield shattered, he leaped over the first and most powerful impact.
The massive Achillesaurus beneath him became the first obstacle to weaken the Centaur cavalry's impact. The over six-meter-long Achillesaurus was abandoned by its master, and its massive body could not withstand the Centaur cavalry charging downwards from a high position.
The tall Dragonborne Centaur's strength was not much inferior to that of the Achillesaurus, and they were charging downwards. This Achillesaurus was directly knocked over by Chiron, rolling down the hill like a thrown sandbag, unable to hold on for even half a second.
The Centaur cavalry behind them rolled down, directly crashing into the Gnoll's ranks, which were charging upwards.
"Despicable worm, your head will become my toy!" Black Dragon Rosani, at this moment, was not as forbearing as he was among the True Dragon. He revealed his cruel Black True Dragon nature, fixating on the Gnoll leader Yug, who had dodged the impact.
The Black True Dragon roared as he swooped down from the sky, his broad wings flapping slightly, passing over the Gnoll leader Yug's head, then spewing acidic breath from above that could corrode weapons and armor.
Moreover, the spell he had awakened was also released under the impetus of magic. Under the bright moonlight, a sudden darkness enveloped the Gnoll's body, causing the Gnoll to lose their sight.
The Gnoll leader's blood-red eyes instantly turned pitch black, like ordinary humans in the darkest night without starlight or lamplight. Even Gnoll with dark vision could not see through this profound darkness.
He could only vaguely see the Black Dragon's shadow, which meant the Black True Dragon's mastery of the spell was not perfect.
However, the Gnoll leader Yug possessed powerful combat intuition and talent. He quickly dodged to the side, and his heavy three-headed flail, with a vibrating, sharp tearing sound, struck towards the Black True Dragon's abdomen in his impression.
Black Dragon Rosani had been tempered in the arena. After many battles, he was no longer the Black True Dragon who only hunted wild beasts.
He knew that his abdomen had no scale defense, and the three-headed flail was a heavy weapon. Even with True Dragon scales covering it, it couldn't block the damage from a heavy blow.
So he had already controlled the distance. The heavy three-headed flail whistled past beneath his abdomen, and the strong wind it generated actually made his abdominal muscles feel a threatening stimulation.
Whoosh, the Black Dragon, passing by in an instant, seized this opportunity. His long tail swung at the last moment, striking down on the temporarily visually impaired Gnoll with a force no weaker than a heavy hammer.
Bang!
The Gnoll Yug's excellent combat intuition and sensitive ears helped him block this blow. The thick handle of the three-headed flail collided with the Black True Dragon's tail.
The Black Dragon felt his tail go numb, but then he turned and pounced again. He was about to take advantage of the Gnoll leader's visual impairment and repeat his trick when suddenly, the Gnoll's blood-red pupils burst forth with bright light.
A powerful aura rose from the Gnoll. The heavy three-headed flail, carrying unparalleled terrifying power, flew from the Gnoll's hand towards the Black True Dragon's chest and abdomen.
"Damn it!" Black Dragon Rosani saw the heavy flail, carrying immense force, whistling towards him. He no longer had enough time to create distance and could only block his chest and abdomen with his wings and thick limbs.
Boom! A violent tremor and impact came from his wings and limbs. The Black Dragon's wing bones and limb bones were directly shattered by the heavy three-headed flail. Fortunately, the impact was cushioned, greatly reducing the force, but it still severely wounded the juvenile Black Dragon.
"Roar!" The Black Dragon Rosani let out a cry of pain and fell from mid-air.
...