Chapter 645: Chapter 669: Dodge

The tail of the Demon Refinement also had hard scales, like large pieces resembling plank armor, not only providing excellent protection but also making the tail’s swinging as impactful as wielding a flail when the high-rank Demon moved it. Moreover, the Demon Refinement could control its tail just as easily as its arms, and under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for an enemy to land a cut on it.

However, just now, the Demon Refinement’s attention had been entirely on the Serpent Demon in front of it, while Lancelot, before entering the enemy’s alert range, had used Shadow Jump to cover the last distance, seizing a less than half-second opportunity.

When Lancelot swung his weapon down, the opponent had already sensed the threat behind it and started to make an evasive maneuver. What it did not realize, though, was that Lancelot had not intended to bring down a top-tier Demon with a single strike; instead, he aimed at severing one of its appendages, targeting the Demon Refinement’s tail with all his might.

The sensation transmitted through his hand reminded Lancelot of the Mithral Cage that held the Succubus Paladin, where a full-force strike had only managed to create a dent less than half an inch deep. However, he had now reached the Middle Rank of Foundation Establishment, and naturally, his strength was not comparable to before.

More importantly, the weapon he now wielded was the former sword of Aira King Consort Filiniel, the divine artifact-level shortsword Starlight Strike, forged by Queen Movir herself. It was incredibly sharp and contained chaotic good properties that were a complete counter to Demons. Coupled with Lancelot’s use of compressed True Yuan to drive the Sword Art, why wouldn’t the Demon Refinement’s tough tail break?

Accompanied by a sound similar to a cleaver chopping through radishes, the scaly tail snapped off and fell to the ground. What remained on the Demon Refinement’s buttocks was merely an ugly stump one-third its original length, with a smooth cut surface oddly appetizing.

“Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!”

The strong, massive, and formidable Demon noble emitted a sharp, unbecoming scream of agony. While certainly not a fatal wound, the pain was comparable to having half a palm chopped off. Its original sweeping attack had completely deformed, switching the target from the Serpent Demon in front to the unseen enemy behind, but Lancelot, who wasn’t near in the first place, had already stepped back, while Sonam also took the opportunity to initiate another short-range teleportation, creating a safe distance.

Lancelot, having landed a successful hit, immediately stowed away the Starlight Strike and switched to Frostslash. Letting others know he possessed a divine artifact had no benefits, which was why he had previously fully stimulated the Qingyuan Sword Technique, ensuring the glaring green light on the sword blade ensured no one could make out the shape of the shortsword itself.

At the same time, a dimensional rift opened above the head of the Barto Hell Demon Refinement, emitting a powerful suction force that pulled it inwards. This Demon noble from the fourth layer of Barto Hell, Flagethoss, showed a look of panic for the first time. It could definitely feel the upper plane’s aura wafting from the rift, the most detestable place in the Multiverse for a Demon. If sucked in, who knew what awaited him on the other side?

The Barto Hell Demon Refinement roared again as a fierce flame suddenly rose from the blade of its Beheading Axe, and then it violently threw it towards the dimensional rift. The axe, like an anchor dropped into the sea, spun and vanished, and with it, the suction from the rift drastically decreased until it completely dissipated.

For this outcome, Lancelot wasn’t particularly surprised. Starlight Strike had once forcefully sent away the Mother of Demons, but at that time, Cang Ye had already been severely weakened by Aira King Consort Filiniel and Princess Gwenhwyfar, while facing a still vigorous Barto Hell Demon Refinement, the power of this divine artifact was not enough to subdue it.

“I’ll flay you alive!”

The Demon Refinement roared furiously at the Human Knight and lunged at Lancelot. Without a weapon, it still had sharp claws and venom-filled teeth, which were just as deadly.

True Yuan surged from Lancelot’s Dantian, filling every meridian in his body. The Human Knight pushed his self-created Smoke and Shadows Dance to its limit, his movements as elusive as a reflection in water. The time spent with Tijana in the training grounds now proved its worth, and although there were several perilously close encounters, Lancelot miraculously evaded all attacks, his armor remaining unscathed.

Truth be told, although the Demon Refinement’s claw strikes and bites were more powerful, the speed of the Succubus Lord’s longsword and whip was quicker, and Lancelot’s Smoke and Shadows Dance was no ordinary technique. It was specifically enhanced for close combat and greatly augmented his evasion ability. Moreover, Lancelot had completely forsaken counterattacks, focusing solely on dodging his opponent’s moves, resulting in the Demon Refinement’s entire onslaught gaining nothing.

Honestly, if Lancelot chose to run away at that moment, the enemy would have absolutely no chance of catching him, but he knew he could not leave. Although the battle was intense, the overall situation between the two armies was still a stalemate, and once the Serpent Demon fell, the mercenaries’ morale would surely collapse, leading to a one-sided massacre.

If they could delay, their chances of winning were actually quite good–after all, thirteen entire Demon Legions were behind them, with the nearest, the Flame Demon General Babos, able to arrive in half an hour at most. If the Demon Refinement hadn’t fled by then, it probably wouldn’t be able to escape.

Another reason Lancelot dared to continue stalling was that he wasn’t without a final resort. However, the Human Knight didn’t want to reveal that secret just yet. Moreover, if he couldn’t resolve the fight within the ten seconds of Transformation, his body would be left without a trace of True Yuan, which would be extremely dangerous. Unless he was truly desperate, Lancelot would never resort to his last-ditch secret.

The Demon Refinement became even more uncontrollably furious, having already suffered the humiliation of having its tail cut off. It could only preserve its untouchable facade by immediately executing the offender. Yet, the subsequent failures felt like slaps across its face, completely shattering the Demon noble’s pride and dignity.

“Are you really an Earl?” Lancelot also caught the shift in his opponent’s emotions, “Could it be that you gained that title by climbing into some Countess’s bed?”

The Demon Refinement did not respond, its originally purple-red face growing as black as charcoal, but it seemed to have regained its composure. It did not rush to attack again, but instead raised an arm, making a strange gesture. Suddenly, a three-foot-thick wall of fire rose around Lancelot, completely encircling the Human Knight.

“You’re quite good at dodging, aren’t you, flea? Try dodging this flame!” the Demon spat a mouthful of green venom into the fire circle, then turned its head to look at the Serpent Demon, poised and ready at the side, “Madam, shall we continue… How does your arm feel? If it’s better, let me smash it a few more times…”