Noah stored the corpse of the Three-headed Wolf and turned to a.n.a.lyze the battlefield. The other Elders were still fighting, doing their best to keep some distance between them and the other rank 5 hybrids.
That was the best approach against that kind of enemy. Humans would just be shred apart if those mighty beings were to touch them.
However, that led to prolonged battles that would ultimately favor the hybrids since their stamina was incredible. The higher number of cultivators though balanced that factor.
Noah shot toward the rank 5 spider-type magical beast in the middle tier that had a rank 4 dantian. He didn"t recognize its species, but it seemed some kind of poisonous creature that relied heavily on ranged attacks.
Its opponent was Elder Colleen, who a.s.saulted it with a barrage of lightning bolts. Yet, her spells weren"t able to pierce the thick layer of mud that covered its exoskeleton.
The spider endured the lightning bolts while spitting a series of fuming green spikes that the Elder kept on dodging. Elder Colleen appeared to have the upper hand in the battle since the hybrid had yet to hit her, but she was bound to exhaust herself before the creature if that trend continued. Having the advantage wasn"t enough in that situation.
Noah landed directly over its lower body, stomping it on the ground where it created a crater. The spider was momentarily taken aback, but Noah didn"t hesitate. He arched his fingers and stabbed his hands in the layer of mud, ripping it off as he pulled his arms back to wield the Demonic Sword that had followed him loyally.
"Breath" gathered around him as he divided the sword and slashed on the now exposed exoskeleton. Two black claws landed on the st.u.r.dy body of the spider and created cracks that spread even in the parts still covered by the layer of mud.
The spider released a human cry of pain and turned to stare angrily at the human on its back. However, Elder Colleen didn"t waste the chance created by Noah and focused her lightning bolts into a thick orange arrow that chopped off one of the hybrid"s legs. The arrow then crashed on the ground and created an explosion that flung both the spider and Noah away.
The blast didn"t harm them, and they landed at some distance from the empty area that had naturally formed once the two rank 5 existences had begun to fight.
Noah found himself among rank 3 and 4 hybrids fighting against cultivators in the fourth rank, but his attention quickly went on Elder Colleen. He signaled her that she could take care of the other rank 5 creatures. He was enough to defeat the spider, especially after those last wounds.
Elder Colleen didn"t hesitate to change the target. The spider was annoying to fight, but Noah"s brute strength ignored its defenses, so he was a better opponent for it. Also, she could help the other Elders if he managed to defeat the beast on his own.
Noah moved his gaze back on the spider that had begun to attack him during the short exchange of gestures between him and the Elder. Fuming spikes reached for his position, but he promptly released a wave of flames that burned a few weaker hybrids on its trajectory.
The flames burned the spikes too, but they didn"t have enough power left when they reached the spider. However, Noah had already charged and was nearing his opponent at high speed.
The spider had lost one leg, and its lower body was cracked. It was evident that it couldn"t escape Noah even if he weren"t using the Shadow Sprint martial art. So, it decided to go all out with its offensive.
An even thicker layer of mud covered its body, and Noah recognized that ability as a spell. It seemed that the spider"s sanity wasn"t completely gone, and it was able to rely on its capabilities as a cultivator. Then, it spat dozens of fuming spikes linked together by a series of sticky webs.
Noah"s eyes sharpened at that sight. He was too far away, and using his flames would just put him in the same position as Elder Colleen.
The lack of "Breath" in his dantian prevented him from using powerful ranged attacks, but he couldn"t just limit himself to block the creature"s offensive. So, he charged ahead, waving his swords to pierce the web in a frontal clash.
Claws made of corrosive smoke and spreading a destructive force crashed on the spikes and web, but Noah didn"t wait to see the result of that clash and kept on charging ahead.
His attacks destroyed a large part of the spider"s offensive, but something inevitably landed on his body and pierced his natural defenses. A spike stabbed his shoulder, and another cut him on the right side of his waist. A sticky substance landed on him and hindered his movements when it acc.u.mulated on his joints.
Nevertheless, Noah disregarded the pain and leaped toward the spider that was preparing another attack, breaking the restrictions created by the remains of the web.
The spider was about to spit more spikes when Noah"s knee slammed on its head. The layer of mud managed to protect it, but Noah followed his first attack with a series of punches. Meanwhile, his sword fused back together in the air and focused its injured lower body.
Noah tore apart the defensive spell little by little. There was nothing that his nails couldn"t pierce, and his small frame made it hard for the hybrid to keep up with his relentless offensive.
Once the thick layer of mud fell apart, it was the exoskeleton"s turn to endure Noah"s beating.
The spider screeched in pain, sometimes using a beast"s voice, and sometimes using a human one. His sanity seemed even about to come back at some point since the terrain around them started to take the shape of tall golems that wanted to target Noah.
However, it was too late by that time. Noah had already filled the exoskeleton with cracks and chopped off two more legs. His Demonic Sword had even finished piercing its lower body and was creating a mess of its internal organs.
Only the incredible resilience inherited from the magical beasts" world was keeping the hybrid alive, but Noah was finally ready to inflict the final blow.
Once the cracks became large enough to cover more than half of its body, Noah launched his flames that seeped inside the spider and turned its already wounded organs into ashes.
The battle was over, and Noah stored the broken remains of the beast before taking out the poisonous spike still stabbed in his left shoulder.
The spike had released its toxic substance inside his body, but that single attack wasn"t enough to cause any real damage. Noah felt slightly sore on that point, but his healing properties had already limited the poison and were working to fix the affected tissues.