Chapter 62: Going All Out
When the tenth wave of the demon surge just began, Shang Xinlei and the others were actually very confident.
They dared to accompany Jiang Ten to this point because they believed she had a chance of winning.
And the situation was far better than they had imagined—only one Fourth-Stage Demon Lord and three Foundation-Building demons appeared, with no demon minions.
As for the combat power they could deploy, there were a full five Advanced Statues!
During the final loot search, Jie Yuanshao had a streak of incredible luck and encountered a special character called the ‘Card-Guessing Gambler.’
After winning a card game named Hidden Turtle against him, the gambler left behind a Resource Doubling Card as a reward, which could double the amount of any single resource.
But that still wasn’t enough—they also built the functional facility ‘Market.’
By converting resources to squeeze out every drop of potential, they finally gathered enough to upgrade three statues, leaving only a few pieces of wood in the shelter’s warehouse.
One Advanced Statue was enough to handle one Foundation Demon.
Two statues could quickly kill a Foundation Demon.
Therefore, when the tenth wave descended, they quickly devised a strategy:
Three statues would engage the Foundation Demons.
Two statues would block the Demon Lord.
If any side fell into disadvantage, they would quickly exploit it to gain the upper hand.
This fantasy lasted until they saw the Fourth-Stage Demon Lord walk out from the Dense Fog.
Clink, clank—the chains slid across the grass, colliding with crisp frictional sounds.
Its appearance looked no different from an ordinary person, even somewhat thin.
It wore a white-fur coat with a belt and a wild-looking horned helmet.
Its face and gender were indistinguishable, seeming like someone from the grasslands.
But it dragged chains as thick as thighs in both hands.
The chains stretched over a dozen meters long and appeared to weigh several tons, carving deep trails into the grass.
Behind it were three massive demons with blade-like arms.
Their heads resembled mice, and their movements were timid and rodent-like.
They obediently followed behind the chain-wielding monster, not daring to overstep.
Yet when their claws skimmed the ground, the air pressure would slice all surrounding grass clean—these giant rats were clearly formidable Foundation Demons.
“Leader of the Swift-Claw Tribe.” Jiang Ten pointed at the chain monster, then at the giant rats. “Swift-Claw Beasts.”
Everyone was stunned before realizing Jiang Ten was introducing the names of the Demon Lord and its subordinates.
By now, they had sensed something was off.
Humanoid demons might have less vital energy than beast types, but they were often better at combat.
Still, it was too late to back out.
They stuck to the plan and sent in the ‘Blade War General’ and ‘Dragon-Breaking Warrior’ from the Comrade Alliance to intercept the tribe leader.
The Blade War General excelled at dodging, while the Dragon-Breaking Warrior had high defense, making them the best choices to endure the Demon Lord.
The tribe leader inhaled deeply like a rushing tide, his arm muscles bulging with veins.
When the two statues stepped within ten meters, he suddenly roared—his voice boomed like war drums.
Everyone could only see two white streaks tearing through the air.
The crisp sonic boom sounded like the world wailing under a lash.
Even from dozens of steps away, Shang Xinlei and the others felt the wind from the lashes.
Their delicate faces were even cut and bloodied.
Compared to the blade-arms of the Swift-Claw Beasts, it was his chains that were the true swift claws—unpredictable as shadows, fierce as thunder!
Even from that distance they were affected—those directly hit, the Blade War General and Dragon-Breaking Warrior, were severely wounded.
They were blasted back over a dozen steps before stopping.
The Blade War General had a savage gash across the chest.
The Dragon-Breaking Warrior’s armor was shattered by a fifth.
Even without seeing the durability bar, it was clear the two statues couldn’t last long against the tribe leader.
“How do we even fight this?” Qian Gongyu widened her eyes. “It alone is crushing both statues!”
“No, we can fight!” Jie Yuanshao instantly saw the leader’s weakness. “He uses the chains as whips—whips are strongest at full length, but at close range they’re weaker than daggers. If we can get the statues close, there’s a chance!”
“But how do we close in? One swing sends the statues flying—”
Before Qian Gongyu could finish, Jiang Ten darted toward the tribe leader like a shadow.
Twenty meters. Fifteen. Ten.
As soon as she entered the leader’s attack range, the other three held their breath, blood freezing, scalp tingling.
Swish.
The tribe leader showed no mercy, launching a vicious double-chain strike at the small, fragile Jiang Ten.
In that flash, she leapt and dodged, evading the chains.
Yet even the wind from the lashes cut her legs like countless tiny blades.
Meanwhile, the Blade War General and Dragon-Breaking Warrior charged in from the left and right rear.
They sprinted toward the Demon Lord at full speed!
What would it do?
Jiang Ten and the two statues now surrounded it in a triangle—it could handle at most two, but one was bound to get close!
The tribe leader moved.
Not just its arms, but its legs too.
It ran straight toward the space between the two statues, swinging chains to knock both back!
The encirclement Jiang Ten had formed was shattered in an instant!
“They say the stronger a humanoid demon is, the smarter it becomes…” Shang Xinlei murmured. “Looks like that’s true.”
“But now what?” Qian Gongyu panicked. “We can’t hold the tribe leader—Blade War General and the others will be destroyed!”
“Three aren’t enough to pin it down. We need at least four!” Jie Yuanshao took a deep breath, blood surging, and raised her Blood Weapon longsword to charge. “Looks like we have to—”
“Don’t go!” Shang Xinlei grabbed her at once. “That battlefield isn’t one we can join! We should stick to the plan and quickly take down a Swift-Claw Beast!”
At the same time, the battlefield situation changed once again.
Jiang Ten suddenly gave up on the tribe leader and instead shot like an arrow toward the nearest Swift-Claw Beast, brushing past the Tear-Crowned Mermaid.
When the Swift-Claw Beast tried to pursue the Tear-Crowned Mermaid, Jiang Ten slid beneath it, her Blood Weapon long blade slicing a vicious wound across its soft belly, successfully drawing its attention.
The Tear-Crowned Mermaid also switched battlefields accordingly.
With a point of her spear, she summoned a water mirror to reflect the tribe leader’s chain attack, dealing the first damage to him.
Shang Xinlei and the others felt a surge of hope—was Jiang Ten planning to hold off a Foundation Demon by herself so that the three statues could focus on the tribe leader?
However, as time passed, the situation did not improve.
Although the tribe leader’s attack speed was not fast, it had a wide range and high margin for error.
Even against three Advanced Statues, he handled them with ease, steadily and efficiently whittling down their durability.
After just a few exchanges, the Tear-Crowned Mermaid was already bleeding profusely, and the three statues still couldn’t break into the tribe leader’s chain zone.
Meanwhile, Jie Yuanshao and the others were coordinating with the ‘Slayer Warrior’ and all the lower-tier statues to besiege another Swift-Claw Beast.
As long as they could kill one, they could free up an Advanced Statue to join the assault on the tribe leader.
But the Swift-Claw Beast had thick skin and flesh.
No matter how they focused fire, it could still hold on for a while.
Would they make it in time?
Could they kill the Swift-Claw Beast before the tribe leader destroyed the statues?
Three days of hard-earned buildup—was it all coming down to a life-or-death sprint with no certainty?
In the end, would everything be decided by luck?
No.
“Jiang Ten, she…” Qian Gongyu glanced at the battlefield and asked in confusion, “Is she getting closer?”
They turned their heads and saw Jiang Ten fighting the Swift-Claw Beast while gradually moving toward them.
It was hard to believe she was just a newly promoted Messenger.
Even with statue synergy buffs, she was actually holding off a Foundation Demon alone, and still had the presence of mind to regroup with them—
Regroup?
Shang Xinlei’s pupils shrank as she looked toward the ‘Slayer Warrior’ beside her.
The Slayer Warrior, wielding a greatsword, was wrestling with the Swift-Claw Beast.
He knocked it back and used the recoil to retreat—falling farther and farther back—before turning and joining the fight against the tribe leader!
“She’s insane!” Jie Yuanshao immediately realized. “She’s trying to hold off two Foundation Demons by herself!”
With the Slayer Warrior gone, the Swift-Claw Beast swatted away the Funeral Mermaid and Eagle Archer.
These low-tier statues were no match for a Foundation Demon.
It turned and saw Jiang Ten approaching.
Its rodent eyes gleamed with bloodlust, and it roared, pouncing at her!
At the same time, the Swift-Claw Beast already chasing Jiang Ten was also enraged by this little bug.
It leapt with all fours, its claws like twin blades, slicing toward her!
The two Swift-Claw Beasts roared together.
Their pounce and claw strikes sealed off all escape routes—this was a burning-blood, explosive combo strike!
Jie Yuanshao stood stunned, witnessing the scene.
Every detail etched deeply into her memory.
Even years later after reaching Fourth-Stage Foundation, she still couldn’t figure out how Jiang Ten, with her strength at that time, could have avoided such an attack.
The Swift-Claw Beasts’ flawless pincer move surely exceeded Jiang Ten’s expectations.
She had pushed recklessly along the knife’s edge—and accidentally stepped half a foot into death’s domain.
Thinking carefully, Jiang Ten was just a very simple yet greedy person.
She wanted everything and refused to be bound by anything.
When she said she would conquer the tenth trial, she meant it at any cost—even if the cost was herself.
At the same time, she was incredibly naive.
She’d rather shoulder all risks alone than ask them for help.
How selfish can you be?
Doing this just forces us to willingly risk our lives to help you, doesn’t it?
Just before the two Swift-Claw Beasts could close in, a blur shot out like a cannonball and smashed into the head of the front Swift-Claw Beast, sending it flying!
With one of them gone, Jiang Ten easily dodged the rear beast’s claw blades.
Her body spun like a lotus leaf.
Both Bloodsteel blades slashed deep across the Swift-Claw Beast’s face.
“Jiang Ten, do you really want to pass the tenth trial?”
Jiang Ten took a moment to glance back and saw Qian Gongyu standing before the knocked-away Swift-Claw Beast.
Her aura had changed dramatically.
A tail as thick as a whip extended from beneath her skirt.
Her hands were now furry, and a pair of round ears had grown atop her head.
She didn’t turn her head as she spoke, but her voice had become incredibly deep—like a beast’s growl.
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll help you.”
Shang Xinlei and Jie Yuanshao rushed to Qian Gongyu’s side.
They were shocked at her appearance, but the Swift-Claw Beast had already gotten back up.
They only had time to ask one question: “How long can you hold out?”
“A cup of tea’s time.”
Qian Gongyu was on all fours, her face showing signs of beast transformation.
Black and yellow fur on her forehead formed the ‘王’ character.
She took a deep breath. “If I lose myself and turn into a true beast, then you must—”
“A cup of tea is enough!”
Shang Xinlei grinned, flashing a smile that was anything but ladylike. “Even a noble of the Blue Band is risking everything—how could I fall behind?”
“As a Purple-Ribbon Noble, I should lead by example and protect my people. How can I let my people bleed while staying untouched myself?”
Jie Yuanshao gripped her Blood Weapon longsword. “Qian Gongyu, I acknowledge you now… even without Jiang Ten, I would gladly accept your loyalty—and your friendship!”