"I managed to get some info on them…" Beiming Xue whispered to me. "Big bro, these Ghost Riders were only put together a week ago. The Hall of Immortality mobilized a hundred thousand members to occupy a map called ‘Ghost Valley’ which spawned undead monsters and these rare mounts. Bloodthirsty Battle Monarch is an extremely cruel man, he wiped out seven small guilds just to take control of this map. Right now, these riders make up most of the Hall of Immortality’s main guild and they have a little over seven thousand Ghost Riders altogether!"

Li Chengfeng and I looked at each other in dismay.

Li Chengfeng asked, "Lil Beiming, what are the stats of those mounts? Are they better than our Cyan Tiger mounts?"

Beiming Xue laughed and replied, "Of course not! Our Cyan Tiger Cavalry is definitely superior! This is the cavalry troop that big bro went through great pains to create, you know! Those Ghost Riders are only using Dark Gold Rank Level 120 undead mounts. They’re one entire rank lower than our Cyan Tiger mounts and their stats are 40% worse too! They can’t even compare. However, if these seven thousand Ghost Riders decide to charge at us, we definitely won’t be able to hold them off with the number of people that we have left."

I nodded. "To hell with it! We will fight to the death! Archers and mages, I want you to climb onto boulders or climb to high places and fight on high ground! warriors, all of you are to come with me! Even if we die, we need to kill as many of these Ghost Riders as we possibly can! Fucking hell! Who the hell does Bloodthirsty Battle Monarch even think he is? He actually dares to come to Sky City to try to intimidate us?! Then let’s show him who’s boss! Right now, we don’t even have two hundred warriors left, but we’re just the appetizers! Once we die, it will be time for the Knight God Gui Guzi and his 3000 strong Cyan Tiger Cavalry to face off against these Ghost Riders! That’s when the Hall of Immortality will truly understand the saying ‘there will always be a taller mountain, there will always be something higher in the sky’!"

Xu Yang pumped his fist in the air and laughed loudly. "Lu Chen is right! It doesn’t matter how many of them we manage to kill now. This diversion can already be considered a success, right?!"

Li Chengfeng let out a great laugh as he nodded his head. "That’s right! It’s time to get back to killing! The more we kill, the better!"

……

Rumble!

At this moment, the earth started shaking violently as the seven thousand Ghost Riders started thundering toward us! Most of their magic knights were wielding spears while their wanderers were carrying cavalry sabers. The rays of morning glinted off their blades coldly as their fierce war cries echoed throughout the valley.

Whoosh!

I swung my sword in front of me with a grin on my face. "Friends! This is the first time we are going up against a proper troop of horsemen! It’s time to experience the horror of going up against a mounted unit in the battlefield. Once you get used to this pressure and fright, there'll be no battle formation too hard for us to handle in the future! Hahaha…"

Bloodthirsty Battle Monarch was riding on a large Ghostly Skeleton Horse that seemed to be the boss version of his Ghost Riders’ mounts. He rushed toward the head of the formation as he raised his sword in the air and yelled, "Charge forward and kill them all! Shatter these foot soldiers from Ancient Sword Dreaming Souls! Let them know that this era is now the era of mounted combat! Hahahaha!

His grating laughter rang in our ears as Chaos Moon, Xu Yang, Li Chengfeng, and I started to gather our forces into a tight formation. We had less than two hundred warriors left, so we could no longer even form a proper battle line anymore. In fact, it would be quite remarkable if we could even withstand the first wave of the enemy cavalry’s charge.

The rumbling sound of hooves striking the ground started to get louder and louder as the 7000 Ghost Riders thundered toward us at full speed. The riders readied their weapons as they glared at us with a fierce look in their eyes.

Rustle...

I took a step forward, raised my Cyan Netherworld Sword and growled, "Be careful everyone! Don’t meet these riders head-on! Their charge will stun you if you don’t dodge it! Remember, mounted troops are at their strongest when they can launch an organized assault that rips through the enemy formation. Focus on dodging and using skills to slow down their charge. Their attacks will be a lot weaker once their speed drops!"

"Yessir!"

One of our fighters, a Level 132 warrior, rushed out to meet the charging horsemen with a battle cry. His sword shot toward the rider at the head of the enemy’s formation as fiery energy started swirling around its tip. Barrier Break!

Crack!

9056!

However, the enemy rider merely shrugged off that hit with a small shudder. He continued riding forward as he swung his sword into the right shoulder of the brave warrior.

7290!

As the first rider rode past the warrior, another horseman rushed past him and struck him with his spear. The horsemen streamed forward like a raging torrent and the poor warrior simply couldn’t defend himself from this stream of constant attacks. He wildly swung his sword in the air until a spear savagely punched into his chest! He fell to his knees with an unceremonious thud as he died.

Everyone was struck dumb by what they had just witnessed. This warrior had been strong enough to survive up to this point, but he had simply been overwhelmed by the torrent of blows that rained down on his head. No one had expected him to die without even being able to strike back once!

"Here they come!"

Bloodthirsty Battle Monarch roared with laughter as he charged forward with his horde of Ghost Riders. He lifted his heavy sword in the air and pointed it at Li Chengfeng. A spiral of flaming energy erupted from its tip as he lashed out toward the dragon warrior. He had actually been able to use Barrier Break while he was using Charge!

Clang!

Li Chengfeng’s body swayed gently to the side as he knocked Bloodthirsty Battle Monarch’s blade away with a flick of his Tempest Sword. Then, he swiftly spun around and slashed the berserk knight across the back, dealing 5092 damage to him.

However, the horsemen behind him charged in too quickly for either Li Chengfeng or I to react. We no longer had any time to dodge!

My Cyan Netherworld Sword exploded outward as Thousand Ice Slash burst from my blade and smashed into the rushing horsemen. Snowflakes danced in the air as the horsemen at the head of the pack were suddenly frozen in place. The Ghost Riders behind them couldn’t stop in time and started colliding into the frozen horsemen! The sound of metal and flesh colliding resounded in the air as players trampled over and got tangled up with each other.

When this excellent opportunity presented itself to me, I immediately leaped forward and swung my sword in the air three times. Three fiery crescents of sword energy shot out of my sword and slammed into the densely-packed group of riders, causing a string of damage numbers to pop up into the air. Wails of misery instantly rang out in the air as the damage from my splash attacks ended the lives of these helpless horsemen. I grinned with satisfaction. With just a single blow, I had ended more than twenty lives.

Boom!

As Chaos Moon’s Rock Crush exploded inside a crowd of people, a rider who only had half his HP left charged out of the morass. A fiery spiral of energy swirled around the top of his spear as he thrust it toward Chaos Moon’s chest.

"Hmph…"

Chaos Moon gave a soft sniff of disdain as she saw the rider charge toward her. She shifted her body ever so slightly to the side as the blade of her sword knocked away her opponents spear. After that, she used her free hand to grab the handle of the spear as the same fiery energy started swirling around the tip of her blade. In one smooth action, she yanked the spear toward her as her sword dove toward the magic knight’s throat!

19045!

An instant death! The magic knight’s body tumbled off the warhorse before it could disappear and the riders behind it swerved away to avoid a collision. Chaos Moon immediately took advantage of that small break to activate Charge. She smashed into one of the horsemen with a loud thump, stunning him instantly. After that, she swiped her blade across his throat, killing him then and there. Every single action she had taken had been precise and calculated, and she had used excellent pathing to minimize the damage she would take.

Xu Yang’s mechanical skill was very much lacking when compared to Chaos Moon. He could only stand in one spot and take the enemy’s blows as they came. However, he possessed a skill that was the bane of all riders! He savagely swung his sword in the air as he yelled, "Get down from your mounts! Mountain Stagger Slash!"

Boom!

The image of a cyan boulder overlaid itself over his sword before it launched itself toward the horsemen rushing to claim Xu Yang’s life. The mighty blow instantly exhausted the tenacity of all their mounts, causing them to disappear from under them. As these Ghost Riders suddenly transformed back into foot soldiers, the cavalrymen behind them couldn’t stop their charge, so the hooves of their warhorses soon stomped down mercilessly on their own comrades. Meanwhile, Xu Yang stood his ground and activated Ironback Bear Armor as he swung his sword left and right. He clashed head-on with the enemy cavalry and it was clear that he had no intention to retreat at all. A few priests were pumping healing spells into Xu Yang to keep him alive as they crouched down on a boulder not far behind him.

……

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew up in the air as countless weapons crashed against my Crimson Rock Dragon Armor, causing my Ghost Deity Armor to buzz and hum as it took hit after hit. Even though the enemy Ghost Riders were extremely strong, very few of them had actually learned Barrier Break. Thus, thanks to my absurd Defense, most of their attacks could only deal 1000–2000 damage to me. If this was all they got, I could use Tenacity of the Dead and my Saint Spirit Potions to keep fighting to the end.

I unloaded Burning Blade Slash onto another group of horsemen, instantly killing dozens of them! After that, I stomped down hard and used War Crush to kill every rider in a 5-yard radius around me. Pity, there were simply too many of them and the elite Ghost Riders continued to pour toward us like an endless tide. There were just too many of them for us to kill!

Li Chengfeng and Chaos Moon still swung their swords tirelessly even as they slowly started to get overwhelmed by the onrushing cavalry. Their Strength was lower than mine, so they were actually sent flying into the air when a rider smashed into them with their mount. However, they immediately bounced back to their feet and unleashed Rock Crush and Reverse Scale Slash on their enemies. Even though the fighting was growing more and more vicious, they didn’t let up one bit.

Even as we were slaughtering all comers, the other fighters of Ancient Sword Dreaming Souls were still getting devastated by these Ghost Riders. The horsemen sent them flying by virtue of the superior power they had while mounted and the warriors of Ancient Sword Dreaming Souls started dropping like flies as the riders slashed down at them with their weapons. In less than ten minutes, only Li Chengfeng, Chaos Moon, Xu Yang, and I were left alive. This battle was so savage and relentless that it left the ground strewn with bodies and items, but no one was even bothering to pick any of these items up.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Beiming Xue’s Evil Spirit Volleys and Spiraling Arrow Blades continued to rain down on the Ghost Riders, her attacks cutting through them like a hot knife through butter. The splash damage from her Evil Spirit Volleys and two Spiraling Arrow Blades was enough to kill a horseman at full health. Due to her insane damage and range, I was very confident that she had killed even more riders than I had.

Bloodthirsty Battle Monarch seethed with rage as he watched the battle unfold. It was clear that things weren’t going according to his plan. He pointed his sword at one of the distant boulders as he roared, "First squad! I want all of you to dismount and climb up those boulders! We need to get rid of those mages, archers, and priests, pronto!"

It was evident that both sides were growing increasingly desperate.

……

As he roared in pain, Xu Yang stubbornly held his ground and slashed at the enemies around him. However, his battle armor had practically been reduced to metal fragments under the relentless attacks of the enemy cavalry and when it finally broke, his Defense was reduced to nothing and he finally sank to his knees in defeat. Without the defensive stats provided by his armor, even a god-tier healer wouldn’t be able to keep him alive.

I quickly looked down to take a glance at my Crimson Rock Dragon Armor. It was full of dents, cracks, and tears too, and it was clear that it wasn’t going to hold out for much longer. This battle was really too fierce, so there was no way that my equipment could hold up under the continuous stress of battle.

Boom!

I heard Rock Crush exploding among a group of people in the distance as I tried to search for Chaos Moon in the crowd. I could not see her anywhere but heard her faint voice over the guild’s chat, "That’s it for me. Lu Chen, Li Chengfeng, take care…"

Li Chengfeng let out a sigh as he said over the guild channel: "Oh, don’t worry… I’m about… to join you…"

I could only watch helplessly as Li Chengfeng’s HP was reduced to zero. There was no way he could hold on without any support from our priests. Moreover, the enemy had mounts while we didn’t, so the difference in power was far too overwhelming. It wasn’t something that could be bridged by skill.

……

Our archers, mages, priests, and buffers started to die one by one. Even Moonlight Stone, Moon Dew, and Pure Love soon exited the battle. There was simply no way that we could have pushed back these 7000 Ghost Riders after our forces had already been exhausted by the brutal gauntlet of battles in the valley. Less than ten Ancient Sword Dreaming Souls players were still alive, and that included Beiming Xue and I.

"Big bro…"

As enemy players crowded in around her, Beiming Xue was no longer able to kite them. She desperately leaped down from the boulder she was standing on, and she landed with a painful-sounding thump. She let out a cry of pain but she immediately bounced off the ground and started running toward me. Unfortunately, her speed was far too slow compared to the mounted enemies chasing her. I could only watch helplessly as the inevitable occurred once more.

Boom!

A look of resignation crossed Beiming Xue's face as she realized what was about to happen. As the enemy riders gained on her, she decided to stop running. She looked determined to make her life as expensive for the Hall of Immortality as possible.

She immediately whirled around and let loose a Spiraling Arrow Blade which claimed the lives of three badly-wounded horsemen. But before she could release another arrow, her body shuddered violently as blood fountained from her snow-white neck.

Bloodthirsty Battle Monarch had been the one who had dealt the fatal blow!

"Damn it all!"

My eyes turned red as I activated God’s Rage and flew straight toward Bloodthirsty Battle Monarch using my Thunderous Charge. My Cyan Netherworld Sword shuddered as a Thousand Ice Slash exploded into the crowd of people in front of me!

Boom!

All of my attacks were critical hits for the next sixty seconds, so all of the Ghost Riders who had been hit by my attack fell to the ground in a lifeless heap. Fear and panic flashed through Bloodthirsty Battle Monarch’s eyes when he saw the eye-popping damage numbers fly up in front of him. He immediately beat a swift retreat as he ordered the rest of the Ghost Riders to encircle me and cut off any escape paths!

"Get lost!"

Three flaming crescents of sword energy shot out of my blade as I unleashed my Burning Blade Slash on the nearest group of Ghost Riders. The exploding blades of energy forced them backward, which gave me the opportunity to bend down and pick up the Blazing Shadow Bow that Beiming Xue had dropped. I shoved it into my inventory before I charged forward to continue my killing spree. I took full advantage of God’s Rage to decimate an entire squad of Ghost Riders, my display of brutal dominance cowing the rest of the horsemen around me.

But good things didn’t last forever. The enemy mages and archers soon arrived and my HP plummeted as countless Galaxy Storms and Devil Piercing Arrows started to rock my world.

Pu!

A Spiraling Arrow Blade punched into my chest and stole away the last of my health.

Ding~!

System Notice: You have died and your level has decreased by 1. You have dropped the Celestial Pole Gauntlets, Skullblaster Helmet, and Skullblaster War Boots.

……

Thank god that I hadn’t dropped Beiming Xue’s Blazing Shadow Bow! That would have been a huge loss!

Swhoosh!

I resurrected in Dark Moon City and saw Li Chengfeng, Chaos Moon, High Fighting Spirits, and the rest of our guild members lounging around. When they saw me, all of them broke out into laughter and said, "Ah, you finally decided to come back…"

My lips twitched as I growled, "Those Ghost Riders were way too brutal!"

It was at this exact moment that the teleportation formation shone with a brilliant light. A beautiful girl riding on a Cyan Tiger flew out of the formation! It was Heaven’s Rain, the Famous General who owned the Knight General skill! Gui Guzi, Eighteen Steeds of You and Yun, and the rest of the Cyan Tiger Cavalry started to appear behind her.

"Boss Broken Halberd, we’re back! We pounded on the Warsky Alliance like an indian drum! How did you guys do?" Gui Guzi exclaimed as he smiled from ear to ear.

I answered with a nod, "All of us fought like heroes!"

I turned around and tossed the Blazing Shadow Bow at Beming Xue before continuing, "I hope that everyone didn’t suffer too great a loss?"

Chaos Moon had lost quite a few potions and Xu Yang had dropped a pair of Purple Gold–grade boots, but Li Chengfeng hadn’t dropped anything important and Chaos Moon had gotten High Fighting Spirits’ Invincible back. All in all, our core group of fighters had gotten off quite lightly this time.

……

Clang!

I smiled as I pulled my extremely sorry-looking Cyan Netherworld Sword out from its sheath. "Everyone, go repair your weapons if you haven’t done so already. Let’s get ready to welcome Hall of Immortality, Throne Seeker, and Rose of the Holy Domain!"