The people of Blue Star, as a whole, belonged to the Lawful Good Faction. This was especially true for the officials of the Human Alliance and the military. As maintainers of human order, they deeply abhorred acts like ambushing and killing their own kind, which caused great internal attrition within the human race.

Therefore, the authorities in Beast Fighting City issued a direct kill-on-sight order for such Bandit Groups. Anyone with proof that a Professional was a member of a Bandit Group could execute them on the spot and claim a handsome reward. Under such a storm of crackdowns, the once-rampant bandit groups were almost completely wiped out.

However, the bandits who managed to survive this intense crackdown all possessed exceptional abilities. Their combat power far exceeded that of their peers, and they were by no means inferior to the military’s elite teams.

「...」

As the twenty-member Bandit Group drew near, the sounds of battle gradually reached their ears. They arrived just in time to see Fang Zhou being pursued by the Earth Demon Bear Monarch. Enraged and shamed by its failed escape, the Earth Demon Bear Monarch had unleashed its mana and finally caught up to Fang Zhou.

Of course, this was just the lure Fang Zhou had set. He possessed the Skeleton Flash Skill, allowing him to flash a long distance at any time.

This was the scene that greeted the bandits. Their eyes greedily scanned the corpses of the Earth Demon Bears lying on the ground. They took in the tense battlefield, where dozens of Corpse Warriors were entangled with the remaining Earth Demon Bears and likely wouldn’t be free anytime soon.

"What do you think, Baldy?" the leader asked, a smile spreading across his face.

The bald man observed the battlefield before giving his analysis. "An Undead Mage’s entire skillset lies with his summoned creatures. His summons, though they look bizarre, are much stronger than ordinary Skeleton Warriors and Zombies. However, they’re all tied up in battle, so he’s not unbeatable."

"Then let’s do it!"

At the leader’s command, the bandits behind him began to spread out, and several Assassins entered stealth.

Thanks to the aerial surveillance from his Skeleton Bats, Fang Zhou had already spotted the group’s approach and raised his guard.

"Brother, we’re here to help!" The Bandit Group’s leader called out with a hearty smile, summoning a Heavy Armored Battle Rhino with a wave of his hand and a flash of his Contract.

This cultivated Spirit Beast mount was at the Black Iron Tier. Such mounts were favored by many Knight-class Professionals, as they not only possessed explosive sprinting power but also considerable endurance. In the Era of Myth, a Knight’s power was heavily dependent on their mount. A mounted Knight was in a completely different league than one without.

The leader, clad in armor, pointed his lance at the Earth Demon Bear Monarch. His lance pulsed with dense Battle Qi, suggesting he had reached the Lower Bronze rank. His mount burst into a high-speed sprint. Despite the uneven forest terrain and the trees in its path, its speed did not falter. The Knight weaved through the gaps between the trees, his Battle Qi surging like a tiger descending a mountain.

Just then, Vigus the Death Elf flapped her tiny wings and, unnoticed by the others, leaped into Fang Zhou’s body. As she was extremely sensitive to fluctuations in people’s hearts, this was her way of warning him.

Disguised as an ordinary lizard, Tiamat the Black Gem Young Dragon also arched its back and let out a dangerous hiss.

"There’s no need!" Fang Zhou shouted with a frown, a sense of foreboding rising within him.

He was displeased as he vaguely sensed their team slowly surrounding the battlefield.

This formation... They’ve definitely come to claim a piece of the Earth Demon Bear. They might even see me as part of the meal.

"Hahaha, friend, don’t be so polite! Watch me!" The Knight had already charged close, his black Battle Qi flowing between every joint of his armor. His lance struck like a viper, posing a great threat to the Earth Demon Bear Monarch.

"Hah!" Aided by the high-speed charge of his warhorse, the Knight delivered a deadly thrust.

You’re courting death!

At that moment, Fang Zhou felt a lethal sense of danger. An invisible Black Iron Assassin was forced out of hiding by Fang Zhou’s perpetually active Soul Eagle Eye. He brandished a poisoned dagger, preparing to stab Fang Zhou repeatedly.

An Assassin’s Battle Qi was different from a Knight’s, possessing greater Penetration and dealing more damage to Magic Shields or Physical Armor. Furthermore, Assassins who lurked in the shadows generally coated their daggers with lethal toxins. These Extraordinary Poisons were extremely potent. A mere scratch was enough to kill a victim in seconds if their Constitution attribute and resistances were too low.

Meanwhile, the charging Knight let out a cold sneer. His sharp lance bypassed the half-dead Earth Demon Bear Monarch like a bolt of black lightning and stabbed directly toward Fang Zhou.

Their feigned attack was just a distraction for their true target!

BANG!

Fang Zhou’s Skeleton Armor instantly manifested. The impact sounded like a baseball hitting glass as the iron-hard Skeleton Armor let out an explosive crack.

CRACKLE!

To the Bandit Group leader’s surprise, his sure-kill strike had only managed to shatter one layer of Fang Zhou’s magical defense. Beneath this layer of Skeleton Armor, countless other defensive spells lay in wait.

Another turtle shell! Damn Mages. The Bronze Knight cursed inwardly after his failed strike, then urged his mount forward to continue his relentless assault.

Despite facing an attack from his own kind for the first time in his life, Fang Zhou remained exceptionally calm. A wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.

He directly activated the spell inscribed on his Bone Armor Phylactery, creating a new Skeleton Armor.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The new Skeleton Armor appeared just in time. The previous one had barely lasted a moment before several arrows, saturated with large amounts of Battle Qi, shot over. This was the attack of the Forest Wanderers, who were firing wantonly from a distance.

Skeleton Armor!

Fang Zhou retrieved a Magic Scroll from his Space Storage Capsule. Without a second thought, he tore it open to activate it, generating yet another shield. He didn’t want to immediately use a Displacement Skill like Skeleton Flash to escape, as he was still unsure of how many enemies surrounded him. Skeleton Flash had a relatively long cooldown and couldn’t be used recklessly. If he used it only to end up in a worse position, he would be in serious trouble.

"Friend, what are you doing? Don’t use my scroll!" the Knight Commander taunted with a loud laugh, his assault unrelenting as he stabbed repeatedly with his lance.

Nearby, the Earth Demon Bear Monarch was still roaring in impotent fury, wanting to attack but unable to land a hit on anyone.

Blazing Missile!

Arcane Beam!

Wind Blade Skill!

A series of magical attacks slammed into Fang Zhou’s Skeleton Armor, causing the already-damaged shield to waver on the verge of collapse.

This was the attack from the bald Mage. He stood at a distance, holding a Magic Staff and continuously casting spells. Compared to the others, this Mage naturally posed a much greater threat to Fang Zhou.

"Nice one, Baldy!" the Knight Commander laughed.

Based on his combat experience, a typical Upper Black Iron Magic Professional’s shield shouldn’t have been able to withstand such a continuous barrage. He assumed his team’s combined efforts had nearly stripped away all of Fang Zhou’s Magic Defenses.

They dare attack me with just this many people?

By now, Fang Zhou had already used the aerial view of his Skeleton Bats and his Soul Eagle Eye Skill to determine exactly how many enemies he was facing. After seeing their numbers and assessing their strength, he relaxed. One Lower Bronze Knight, whose Constitution attribute would be between 150 and 200 points. One Upper Black Iron Mage, plus a dozen or so other Upper Black Iron Combat Professionals. Even if they were well-trained, perfectly coordinated, had excellent equipment, and powerful skills, they were no match for him.