Chapter 860: Chapter 837: Top-Tier Swordsmanship

When Tanya was previously working with Lancelot and the others, she rarely took on a combat role. However, in this ambush below, the Half-Elf clearly took on the role of a leader, charging at the forefront. Moreover, in Lancelot’s spirit perception, Tanya’s aura had increased significantly from before. It was unclear if this was because of his weakened cultivation, or if the Half-Elf’s mentor had indeed bestowed upon her new powers.

Lancelot quickly realized that the latter was the true situation. As before, the Half-Elf identified a target during her charge, and cast the power of the Cursed Swordmaster’s curse upon it–this ability was somewhat similar to the priests’ divine power guidance, in that it could only be used once per day and significantly lowered the target’s defenses.

But this time, after applying the Cursed Sword’s curse, Tanya used a move she had never employed before: with a simple gesture, her figure suddenly flickered and instantly appeared behind the cursed enemy, as if she had teleported. This flash was even better than Lancelot’s Shadow Jump, as it occurred without any delay, and Tanya had already started swinging her pike before the teleportation began, leaving no time for the enemy to react–something Lancelot’s Shadow Jump could not achieve.

The pitch-black pike made no sound as it swung, as if it were merely an illusion without substance. However, when it struck the Skeleton Knight, it effortlessly gouged a large hole in the metal armor. More eerily, the Skeleton Knight, who should have felt no pain, let out a piercing scream, just like an ordinary person being attacked.

Despite the great effect of the Half-Elf’s strike, it did not kill the opponent instantly, and the other three Skeleton Knights quickly reacted, launching a coordinated assault on the Cursed Swordmaster. Sword shadows enveloped the white-haired girl, but at that critical moment, Lancelot arrived.

The raven he had morphed into landed right on one of the Skeleton Knights’ heads, and the moment his claws touched the material, he transformed back into a human. It must be emphasized that, although his appearance showed little change, Lancelot’s body had undergone various enhancements such as Qi Cultivation Establishment, Treasured Blood Tempering Body, and powerful body refinements, and he now weighed over five hundred pounds, almost akin to a stone statue. Despite the undead’s enhanced physique from negative energy, the sudden weight on its head forced it to kneel on the spot, interrupting its attack.

Being heavy meant being stable. Even as he hung in the air, Lancelot swung Frostslash, parrying another Skeleton Knight’s weapon. As for the third enemy, he couldn’t handle it, but his rescue target was not entirely helpless. Tanya quickly crouched and barely parried the incoming slashing attack with her pike.

“Lancelot!” the Half-Elf cried out in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

“Explain later!” Lancelot replied quickly while jumping off the Skeleton Knight he had pressed down, “Let’s deal with the enemies first!”

The enemy who had just exchanged blows with him attacked again, aiming his serrated two-handed sword at Lancelot’s face. Lancelot parried conservatively, favoring a higher success rate even though it left little room for a counterattack. However, he had his reasons–he lifted his non-supporting left foot and stomped heavily on the face of another enemy that was rising from the ground.

It was an incredibly heavy blow, showcasing Lancelot’s nearly twenty years of champion knight cultivation prowess. Even with the supernatural durability of the Skeleton Knight, comparable to an adult Dragon, Lancelot’s kick disrupted its balance, rendering it harmless for at least ten seconds, allowing him to focus on the remaining enemies.

The Skeleton Knight facing Lancelot clearly recognized his formidable opponent, yet it believed itself superior, thinking the human knight only had the upper hand due to surprise. Pulling back its two-handed sword, it tried to issue another slash, only to find that the opponent’s hand half-sword seemed stuck to its weapon, preventing it from moving freely.

Though not possessing a significant advantage in raw strength, Lancelot’s swordsmanship was among the best of mortals, so humanoid warrior-type opponents often underestimated him. Relying on muscle memory, Lancelot flipped his right wrist closer to the hilt, synchronizing with a twist of his left hand at the pommel, causing Frostslash’s blade to seamlessly transition to the inside of the entwined weapons. He had now gained the upper hand–he had numerous follow-up options, such as pushing away the enemy’s weapon and utilizing the recoil to slash at the opponent’s neck, or sliding his hand half-sword along the blade to either slice the wrist or lever the weapon out of the opponent’s hand.

In short, Lancelot had gained a significant advantage and had myriad ways to devastate his enemy, depending on his choice.

Regrettably, he used none of them in the end.

Though considerably later, Bruto finally landed rather ungracefully. As he stopped rolling and looked up, he found himself right behind a Skeleton Knight whose attention was entirely focused on combating Lancelot, oblivious to the dwarf’s presence.

Naturally, Bruto raised his warhammer and smashed it into the Skeleton Knight’s knee. In Lancelot’s view, the enemy’s body suddenly tilted like a puppet with its strings cut, exposing the thick vertebrae of its neck through the breastplate and helmet’s gap.

Of course, Lancelot wouldn’t miss such an opportunity; Frostslash flashed like lightning, accurately severing at the enemy’s neck. Embarrassingly, his first attempt at decapitation failed–these enemies were tougher than expected. Fortunately, his second attempt with full force succeeded in beheading the Skeleton Knight. The action was like uncorking a bottle of sparkling wine; the negative energy controlling the corpse dissipated rapidly like froth erupting from a bottle. The headless Skeleton Knight wobbled in place, seeming ready to continue fighting, but it crumbled to the ground and disintegrated a moment later.