The Triumph Empire and Holy Flame suffered more than 8,000 casualties, while Cowherd Tribe lost around 2,000. Clearly, Cowherd Tribe had gained a certain advantage in this attrition battle, as Holy Flame and Triumph Empire had been retreating continuously. Some individuals attempted to cast high-level spells, but all were interrupted. In such chaotic combat, it was extremely difficult to successfully cast high-level magic unless they had strong teammates to protect them.
With Nie Yan present, as soon as anyone began casting a high-level spell, Nie Yan would appear behind them almost immediately, before they could even finish chanting. After all, the magical fluctuations caused by casting high-level spells were impossible to conceal unless one possessed legendary items like the Ring of Illusion. Moreover, these spells required long incantations, at least two sets or more of syllables, giving Nie Yan ample time to approach and interrupt them.
This was also why, in previous lifetimes, archmages feared Shadow Dancers. These unpredictable Shadow Dancers often appeared right in the middle of their spellcasting. Even if surrounded by numerous warriors, paladins, or priests, it was still impossible to prevent them. Usually, Shadow Dancers would land a decisive blow and retreat immediately, leaving no chance for capture. An hour-long magical inscription would be completely wasted.
Under Nie Yan’s leadership, Cowherd Tribe advanced with a fearless momentum, pushing Holy Flame and Triumph Empire into continuous retreat, leaving players from the Holy Roman Empire astonished. Cowherd Tribe’s terrifying speed of advancement resembled a bulldozer, rapidly flattening the forces of Triumph Empire and Holy Flame.
In the game, if a team could coordinate and cooperate effectively, defeating opponents several times their number wasn’t particularly difficult. In terms of individual skill and teamwork, Triumph Empire and Holy Flame were far inferior to Cowherd Tribe.
“Damn, did these guys take some kind of powerful potions?” a player from the Holy Roman Empire exclaimed, struggling to find words to describe his shock. Cowherd Tribe was practically fearless and unstoppable, their momentum overwhelming.
Seeing Holy Flame and Triumph Empire retreat, Cowherd Tribe became even more aggressive, relentlessly pursuing and attacking them.
Within just half an hour, Holy Flame and Triumph Empire had lost over 10,000 members, while Cowherd Tribe had only suffered around 4,000 casualties. Even Ye Poshen and Po Tian couldn’t help but marvel at Cowherd Tribe’s terrifying combat power.
“Boss, we can’t hold any longer!”
“We’re in the same situation here!”
“So what? In ten minutes, we’ll have 100,000 reinforcements. We’ll definitely crush them!” Po Tian cursed angrily.
Holy Flame and Triumph Empire were stuck in this battle and had no choice but to continue summoning their guild members to join the fight. The two guilds could mobilize a significant number of players.
“You guys are impressive! Three thousand of you have pushed Holy Flame and Triumph Empire’s six thousand to the edge!” Ban Xing Hu Li privately messaged Nie Yan, envying him. If only half of his own forces were as formidable as Cowherd Tribe, he would be satisfied.
“Nie Yan, I just received news from Guo Huai. Over 100,000 troops from Triumph Empire and Holy Flame are heading our way. What should we do?” Nie Yan had just received this intelligence, as only Triumph Empire and Holy Flame could mobilize such a large number simultaneously.
“I’ve just deployed over 30,000 troops, and Ji Lan Temple has also mobilized over 50,000! What’s there to fear? Let’s fight them!” Ban Xing Hu Li was getting excited. According to the current situation, if they continued fighting, they might not necessarily lose to Holy Flame and Triumph Empire.
“Are you sure Ji Lan Temple will support us?” Nie Yan asked, remaining calm. If Ji Lan Temple remained indecisive, it would significantly affect the outcome.
“Fa Lan is hard to predict. That old fox probably won’t engage in battle so easily,” Ban Xing Hu Li calmed down slightly. Ji Lan Temple might only be posturing to intimidate Holy Flame and Triumph Empire. Fa Lan’s stance was still uncertain. If Ji Lan Temple refused to join the battle once war broke out, the consequences for Cowherd Tribe and the Holy Roman Empire would be catastrophic.
“Forget it this time. We should devise a plan to make that old fox clash with Triumph Empire and Holy Flame, forcing him to stand on our side,” Nie Yan suggested, needing to proceed cautiously. Fa Lan was not yet a reliable ally since there was no mutual interest binding Ji Lan Temple to them.
After hearing Nie Yan’s words, Ban Xing Hu Li could only remain silent. Nie Yan was too cunning, but this was indeed the best way to deal with Fa Lan.
“What do we do now?”
“We’ll wait for Cowherd Tribe to finish this wave, then retreat into the Dusk Forest and withdraw afterward,” Nie Yan said. Once Cowherd Tribe entered the forest, this war would no longer be decided by numbers alone.
“That works. Hurry up, Triumph Empire and Holy Flame’s reinforcements are approaching. Be careful during the retreat,” Ban Xing Hu Li replied, just as he was about to warn Nie Yan not to let Triumph Empire and Holy Flame gain an advantage during the retreat, he witnessed an unbelievable scene.
Cowherd Tribe’s warriors suddenly stopped their pursuit and began retreating. Before Triumph Empire and Holy Flame could even react to why Cowherd Tribe had stopped chasing, countless area-attack spells rained down from the sky, creating a barrier between the two forces. Then, Cowherd Tribe rapidly withdrew like a retreating tide.
Swift as the wind!
Some players from Triumph Empire and Holy Flame wanted to pursue, but the area-attack spells hadn’t ceased yet. Advancing would be tantamount to suicide. They couldn’t chase at all. Moreover, many had been thoroughly intimidated, fearing Cowherd Tribe and avoiding them at all costs. Who would willingly chase and risk death?
Thus, they could only watch helplessly as Cowherd Tribe retreated. By the time the barrier created by the area-attack spells disappeared, Cowherd Tribe had already withdrawn more than twenty yards.
“Pursue!” Po Tian commanded in the guild chat, frustrated at letting Cowherd Tribe escape. Their efforts would be in vain if Cowherd Tribe got away. Moreover, 100,000 reinforcements from Triumph Empire and Holy Flame were already on their way. If they could stall Cowherd Tribe until reinforcements arrived, they could definitely eliminate them.
Triumph Empire and Holy Flame’s players charged forward, but by then Cowherd Tribe had already retreated into the forest. Unlike other guilds where everyone rushed ahead, Cowherd Tribe retreated in an orderly manner under each squad leader’s coordination.
They set up a solid defense within the forest, preparing to face Triumph Empire and Holy Flame. The remaining members dispersed into the forest’s interior.
Seeing Cowherd Tribe retreat, Po Tian was furious. They had suffered significant losses at Cowherd Tribe’s hands. Since their frontline had been constantly retreating, they hadn’t managed to loot any equipment, which all ended up in Cowherd Tribe’s possession. Now Cowherd Tribe had withdrawn unscathed, and he couldn’t accept it.
Ye Poshen tried to stop Po Tian, saying, “If we keep pursuing, we’ll enter the forest, and we definitely won’t be Cowherd Tribe’s match!” He realized that Cowherd Tribe’s players far exceeded Triumph Empire and Holy Flame in skill and teamwork. Their movements were well-coordinated and disciplined. He wondered how Cowherd Tribe’s leaders managed such an impressive level of control. If they entered the forest, they would surely suffer more losses at Cowherd Tribe’s hands.
“Just let them go like this?” Po Tian was reluctant, having suffered another defeat at Cowherd Tribe’s hands.
“What else can we do? Charge into Dusk Forest?” Ye Poshen countered, fully aware of the risks involved. They might lose even more players to Cowherd Tribe.
Po Tian also understood that this approach wouldn’t work. If they had managed to stall Cowherd Tribe before reinforcements arrived, they might have defeated them using sheer numbers. However, now that Cowherd Tribe had retreated into the forest, capturing them would be extremely difficult. He still understood the basic principle of avoiding entering a forest recklessly.
“Holy Roman Empire and Ji Lan Temple have gathered nearly 80,000 troops. If we attack, those forces will come too,” Ye Poshen said. If Ji Lan Temple joined the battle, the outcome would be unpredictable. Victory would bring immediate success, but defeat could lead to total collapse. No one dared to take such a risk, so it was better to retreat for now.
“Ji Lan Temple has also aligned with them?” Po Tian frowned darkly.
“It’s hard to say. After all, when you confronted Cowherd Tribe and Holy Roman Empire in Black Flame Forest, that old man Fa Lan showed up.”
Po Tian muttered a curse, reluctantly accepting Ye Poshen’s decision. Their forces began a gradual retreat.
“Triumph Empire and Holy Flame have retreated,” Ban Xing Hu Li’s furrowed brows relaxed. He hadn’t expected Cowherd Tribe to successfully disengage from such a fierce battle. Their method of using area-attack spells to block the enemy and rapidly withdrawing was worth learning.
However, this method could only be used when one’s side had a certain advantage. If the frontline kept retreating, there would be no opportunity for mages to cast area-attack spells.
Nie Yan also felt relieved. This battle had cost them over 5,000 members but inflicted 18,000 casualties on Holy Flame and Triumph Empire, with all their equipment looted. They had gained significantly, giving Holy Flame and Triumph Empire a small taste of defeat. Most importantly, this war had demonstrated Cowherd Tribe’s strength. Many Cowherd Tribe members were still excited about the battle moments ago.
“Why did we retreat so quickly? We haven’t even finished fighting yet.”
“Yeah, it was so thrilling. Many from Triumph Empire and Holy Flame didn’t even dare to fight back, just running away. I killed six of them!”
“I killed three. The front-line warriors did the most damage. Some even exceeded a hundred kills.”
Cowherd Tribe’s players excitedly discussed their achievements. Hearing their words, Nie Yan couldn’t help but smile. During the battle against Holy Flame and Triumph Empire, he had been anxious, but after victory, his heart finally felt at ease.
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