The Paladin in the Abyss

Chapter 311: Chapter 315: Preparing for Battle

But there were still hundreds of bouquets floating in the air, and there was no space left in the Dimensional Bag. Lancelot looked at the roots of those flowers with sharp spikes, his gaze slightly chilly, as he gently drew out the Frostslash hidden behind him.

“Little Isha, release control of these flowers,” he said.

“But, but then they will definitely attack you immediately…”

“Let them come,” Lancelot smiled, “I can still handle this number.”

Hearing this, Little Isha didn’t say anything more. She gently closed her eyes, severing some sort of connection with these vampiric plants.@@novelbin@@

Instantly, those originally gently floating bouquets all froze at once, then they began to rotate in unison, pointing their stems toward Lancelot below, forming a floral sphere with the Human Knight at its center.

A cyan Sword Aura emerged on his Hand Half Sword. Lancelot thought for a moment, then released his left hand that was holding the end of the sword hilt, forming a strange hand gesture that looked as if he was holding another invisible Longsword, before abruptly pulling his arm outward.

To his companions nearby, it appeared as if Lancelot had drawn a phantom Longsword out of thin air. This newly emerged sword looked very much like Frostslash, completely composed of Lancelot’s signature cyan light. It flickered on and off in mid-air, seeming merely an illusion, yet the sharpness it radiated made it seem tangible, definitely not to be ignored.

This illusion was nothing else but a Sword Shadow created by Lancelot using the Qingyun Sword Art. Although with his current cultivation power, the Sword Shadow’s power could only reach one-tenth of the original’s, it was completely sufficient for slashing some flowers and grass.

Lancelot’s left hand re-gripped Frostslash, the semi-transparent Sword Shadow quietly floating beside the Hand Half Sword, appearing merely as a reflection. The roses from the Demon Palace, as if intimidated by some murderous aura, slightly dispersed, but in the next second, they descended like countless arrows, blanketing the Human Knight.

Simultaneously, Lancelot also began swinging his weapon. Those standing not far away only saw a cyan light shield enveloping him completely, turning the approaching flowers into pieces as if they were in a juicer. Every bouquet that came within five feet of Lancelot was instantly chopped into three sections, then blown far away by the violent sword wind.

He did not need to divert his attention to operate the Sword Shadow separately, only needed to let it move together with the Frostslash in his hand. Though the Sword Shadow’s power was weak, facing these roses from the Demon Palace, both the sword blade and the Sword Shadow achieved a result of one cut, two segments, making the interwoven sword net completely impenetrable, not even a leaf could fly through it.

The attack from the Demon Palace roses came fast, so it ended quickly too. In less than ten moments, the space above Lancelot’s head had cleared. Within ten feet around him, fragments of flowers covered the ground completely, and the juice flowing from these vampiric plants was a dark red color, like the filthy blood that sticks to one’s hand after smashing a mosquito, looking both bizarre and disgusting.

“Alright, it’s over,” Lancelot patted Little Isha’s shoulder, whose complexion was still a bit pale. After all, not everyone could remain calm in the face of a rain-like barrage of arrows.

In fact, even Lancelot couldn’t do it, at least not when he had first set foot on the battlefield more than a decade ago.

It was an encounter in the wilderness, where the newly formed Rebel Army clashed with the regular forces of the Pharis Empire for the first time. Compared to the easily crumbled conscripted soldiers of the local nobility, the Emperor’s standing army displayed a high level of tactical acumen. Even in the face of a direct cavalry charge, their archers stood their ground fearlessly, unleashing volleys of arrows toward the incoming enemy.

If not for the family heirloom armor he wore, Lancelot would have been punctured like a porcupine by now. However, not everyone could afford the luxurious full-body armor, and most of the charging men fell before they could even reach the enemy. Fortunately, in the end, Lancelot and a few dozen knights broke through to the enemy’s infantry and caused enough chaos to prevent the nascent flame of rebellion from being extinguished while it was still a mere spark.

That was also Lancelot’s first true introduction to war, understanding that discipline was more important than courage on the battlefield. Although he had experienced countless battles since then, transforming from a novice who hesitated when swinging his sword to a seasoned soldier accustomed to life and death, this battle held a special place in his heart forever.

Despite having seen it many times, the crowd was still amazed by Lancelot’s masterful swordsmanship, not to mention the Elf Prince who had only recently met him. Acheron looked at the approaching Human Knight with awe, exclaiming,

“I could never swing my sword as swiftly as you unless I held only an Elven Dagger, which weighs little more than an apple. Honestly, how do you do it? And what was that green sword light all about?”

“I came here through a very special portal into the Abyss. I might have been exposed to the native magic of the Multiverse during that process,” Lancelot stated, suggesting that was the answer, although it wasn’t actually the case.

He did not want to lie, but he also did not want to reveal his real secret, so he could only answer that way. Fortunately, this would neither harm anyone nor pose a significant burden on his conscience.

“I see,” Acheron nodded. “I guess you were a strong martial artist before you even entered that portal; otherwise, I’d be facing a magician right now.”

“Big brother indeed has some magical abilities, which you’ll see,” said Bruto, who had already donned his sharp armor. “Can we go now? The sooner we deal with that weeping banshee, the sooner we can hit the road.”

“Patience, Bruto,” Kalalin began pulling scrolls from his backpack. “When we encounter that banshee later, you’ll be glad we took the time to prepare.”

The Scholar cast Owlsight on Koula and Bruto. This 2nd level spell enhances the recipient’s Perception Ability, helping them better resist the effects of fear. Additionally, the Halfling’s Courage Potion would also be helpful. Meanwhile, the Priest cast the Blessing Art, a Divine Art that enhanced everyone’s life force and could last up to eight hours, a must-have before starting the day of adventure.

Furthermore, Alamir prepared a cup of Holy Water, an ingredient for casting Blessings, to enhance everyone’s resistance to any magical effects. He planned to use it immediately upon encountering the banshee since, as an ethereal being, magic was undoubtedly her main mode of attack.

Of course, Little Isa could not enjoy the benefits of this Divine Art, as for an undead, Holy Water was akin to strong acid. However, the little vampire was also immune to most of the banshee’s attacks, so she was not at a significant disadvantage.

This group of cautious adventurers made all the preparations they could until they were certain nothing more could be done. Once everything was ready, they reformed their battle formation and followed Lancelot into what had just been a blooming field of flowers, now a vast expanse of bones.

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