Arrows rained down from the sky.
With a circular slash, Eddie deflected all the arrows back into the sky at an angle, startling all the attackers.
Unfortunately, Eddie hadn't yet mastered the combination of Yin-Yang Extremes and spatial teleportation; otherwise, those fond of shooting from afar would have been in big trouble.
This new attempt at combining Dual Extremes Circular Slash and teleportation ripples sparked a fresh insight within Eddie.
He felt as if he had undergone numerous battles, especially after the battle with the Purple Gold Marquis, sensing that a breakthrough was near, just lacking that final catalyst.
The recent arrow attack was a chance for a breakthrough, but he wasn't fully prepared. Otherwise, he could have transcended his current realm and ascended to a new one.
Although the arrows Eddie deflected weren't high and mostly flew back in parabolas, posing no threat to most flying beasts.
However, some overeager carnivorous crows, wing-flapping lizards, and giant bats that dived down to attack the soldiers were less fortunate.
They collided with the arrow barrage, falling to the ground pierced with arrows.
Even if they didn't die on the spot, they were severely wounded, allowing the soldiers to swarm over and hack them into pieces.
"Stay in formation, keep circling!" The leader, who had been observing Eddie for a long time in the canyon, ordered his subordinates not to panic or attack Eddie rashly.
He realized that arrows were ineffective against Eddie.
Ordinary attacks were a joke against such a powerful adversary.
The strategy had to be: soldier against soldier, strong against strong, eliminating the biggest threat to ensure the success of tonight's encirclement plan.
General Old Horse watched everything unfold.
Although he remained outwardly calm, he was secretly pleased.
He had known of the masked youth's extraordinary abilities, but couldn't utilize him for Tianluo Nation due to his identity as a student from Daxia Nation.
Seeing him step forward to break the enemy's line, rescue companions, and effectively deter the aerial attackers was the best news in this dire situation.
At Hope Inn, every bit of fighting power was a helping hand.
Especially someone like this masked youth, whose formidable strength was on par with his own, was a blessing from heaven for the soldiers, mercenaries, and civilians of Hope Inn.
He might not help Hope Inn to his fullest, but he would protect his companions.
For those plotting the encirclement, this unexpected and powerful adversary was a significant threat and an unforeseen blow.
The enemies surely hadn't anticipated such a powerful opponent appearing unexpectedly at Hope Inn, potentially starting the unraveling of their entire plan...
Thus, General Old Horse was inwardly very pleased with Eddie's intervention in breaking the enemy's line.
With the situation growing critical, General Old Horse didn't have time to express his gratitude to Eddie, instead urgently leading his elite soldiers to counterattack the invading giant spiders.
"Use fire, spiders are afraid of fire!" With vast battle experience, General Old Horse commanded, and his soldiers immediately shot fire arrows followed by many throwing burning oil and torches, causing the spiders that had just crawled over the walls to screech and jump in agony.
"You okay?" Eddie, enjoying the soft, fragrant embrace of Inan, couldn't resist extending his mischievous hand to caress her smooth back, finding it incredibly comforting.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Inan felt his burning hand on her back, sending shivers down her spine.
As his hand wandered lower, nearing her buttocks, she quickly grabbed it and placed it back on her waist.
She didn't want to let go of him, enjoying the comfort and security of his arms around her, along with the bliss of their close physical contact.
When he asked her softly, Inan, not wanting him to see the tears on her face, quickly bowed her head and secretly wiped them away.
"Brother Inan… Sister Inan!" Sophia, still young and not fully understanding love, didn't realize her brother and future sister-in-law were sharing a tender moment.
Excited to see Inan safe, she ran over and hugged them both tightly.
"Brother Inan, I'm so glad you're okay!" Hessian also tried to join in, but Yehken kicked him, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Everyone gathering around made Inan feel embarrassed.
Hessian and Yehken were one thing, as Inan knew they had already discovered her true gender.
But she still wanted to maintain her 'Brother Inan' identity in front of Eddie, so he would speak more heart-to-heart with her, things she would never hear as a girl.
To prevent Eddie from suspecting or misunderstanding, Inan vaguely explained, "Ah, in my hometown, it's customary to hug when we reunite after a long time, as a sign of affection and good wishes. Like this!"
As she spoke, Inan hugged Sophia. Eddie chuckled inwardly but feigned ignorance, sighing, "Not really a fan of that custom. It's fine to hug a beautiful lady, that's a blessing, but hugging big men doesn't feel quite right."
Eddie even pretended to shiver, suggesting he was uncomfortable from hugging Inan.
Inan almost wanted to kick him, having never met such a fool!
Hessian perked up, pretending to be excited, "I like the custom of Inan's hometown, let's hug too."
Yehken and the Ly brothers promptly floored him, with Yehken pouncing on him for a fierce beating, "In my hometown, the custom is to beat up annoying guys, just like this!"
The Ly brothers joined in the chaos, kicking Hessian's buttocks and nodding seriously, "Coincidentally, we have the same custom in our hometown too!"
Inan watched, amused by the chaos she had inadvertently caused, feeling a bit embarrassed.
She quickly pulled Eddie and Sophia away to avoid Hessian saying more and getting into more trouble.
She first chatted with Sophia and then turned to Eddie, "How's it been at the academy? Did you see any beautiful school flowers or anything?"
Sophia, worried about her future sister-in-law getting jealous, quickly signaled Eddie not to say anything reckless.
But Eddie, pretending not to see, put an arm around Inan's waist, "Didn't see any school flowers, I was mainly focused on studying. But on the first day, I found a super hot, drunk cat elder sister downstairs, wow, her figure was amazing. Next time I'll tell you in detail, you'll drool for sure."
Sophia held her forehead in worry, thinking her future sister-in-law would surely be jealous.
"Really? What happened to that drunk cat elder sister afterward?" Inan felt a twinge of jealousy but believed Eddie wouldn't just pick up a woman and take her home; at most, he might have played the hero.
"Then I took her back to the dorm, and if it weren't for her gold-level battle pet panda, Girlie, protecting her, hehe!" Eddie patted Inan's waist mischievously, implying 'you know what I mean.'
His roguish expression made Inan feel frustrated and amused at the same time, as she realized he didn't recognize the beauty right in front of him.
"Actually, Brother was very well-behaved, just went to read books," Sophia quickly defended her brother. "When the cat elder sister woke up, she beat up Yehken and Hessian, but since Brother behaved well and was studying with me outside, he didn't get beaten..."
"She even left me a note, she can't stop thinking about me," Eddie boasted, suggesting he was so charming that he got a love letter from a beauty.
"What note?" Inan asked, clearly anxious.
"Here it is," Eddie produced a note from his pocket. Inan snatched it, puzzled by the cute paw print on it. Was it a secret code or love letter?
"Sister Inan… Brother Inan, it's from the panda Girlie, she likes sweets," Sophia giggled.
"Ah, I see, congratulations, Eddie, you've captivated a little girl's heart," Inan realized that the panda Girlie was just a child, laughing at her own foolish jealousy.
Despite his handsome looks, she knew Eddie was clueless about pleasing girls, always masked and homebound.
Content with her realization and not minding Eddie's hand on her waist, Inan leaned closer, "Wanting to see beauties is easy. Next time, I'll introduce you to my sister, I guarantee you'll drool. Want to meet her?"
"Let's talk about that later," Eddie replied, trying to appear restrained in front of Sophia but clearly eager, making Sophia secretly laugh, while Inan felt delighted.
After their brief gathering, as Yehken and Hessian joined them, everyone became tense again about the situation.
The flying beasts in the sky temporarily held their position, perched on the mountaintop rocks, overlooking Hope Inn.
Outside the town walls, countless giant spiders were climbing in. Poison and webs flew everywhere, occasionally ensnaring soldiers. Thankfully, the defense was strong, with elite soldiers burning the webs immediately upon contact.
The spider webs, ineffective against swords, were vulnerable to fire, easily melting upon contact. With timely treatment, the casualties were minimal, and those bitten by smaller spiders were saved by antidotes.
Yet, this was only the beginning of the assault.
The number of giant spiders the soldiers had killed was less than one-thousandth of the total, and countless more were emerging from the Desperate Depths, densely covering the hillsides in a terrifying display.
General Old Horse's eyebrows were tightly knit, seeing that his soldiers were rapidly exhausting and their battle beasts starting to sustain injuries.
With no one to rescue them and an endless tide of spiders, it seemed impossible to survive the night...
On the mountaintop, thousands of flying beasts and hundreds of fallen warriors waited, biding their time for the perfect moment to strike.
The battle was completely in the enemy's hands, a fight of slim chances for survival.
If the masked youth, Eddie, would lend his strength, they might endure until dawn. Otherwise, with just two thousand soldiers, they couldn't last the night.
General Old Horse glanced toward Eddie and suddenly noticed a warrior on a black steel-feathered griffon in the sky, arrogantly hovering, unaffected by the soldiers' shots.
He called out to Eddie, offering a deal, "You are not our targets. We've decided to give you a chance to live. Leave now, immediately!"
All eyes turned to Eddie. Some worried he would accept the offer, others envied his chance to leave, some resented his luck, many hoped he would stay and fight alongside them, while others shook their heads in despair, their eyes filled with pleas...
Yehken and the others looked to Eddie with one clear message in their gaze: steadfast trust in his decision.
They didn't want to battle such formidable enemies but couldn't bear to abandon the soldiers and leave alone.
They chose to follow his lead.
As for Inan and Sophia, they fully supported whatever decision Eddie made.
"When I was three, my father taught me never to trust an enemy's words. Do you think everyone's as stupid as you? Save your tricks and saliva, no one's falling for your diversion," Eddie retorted, relieving the surrounding soldiers who cheered in response.
Even General Old Horse, watching from a distance, nodded approvingly, knowing he hadn't misjudged Eddie. He hadn't fallen for the trap or abandoned the soldiers.
A true man indeed.
Seeing Eddie's resolve, General Old Horse felt a surge of morale and confidence. With Eddie there, the situation might not be hopeless after all.
The warrior on the griffon's back, his face contorted with anger and humiliation, leaped down, pointing at Eddie with a cold snort, "If you seek death, I'll grant it! Don't think your little skills make you untouchable. We were merely recognizing talent, but your ignorance deserves no mercy. Arrogant fool, meet your end!"
Eddie's third-level discerning eye could see through the enemy's concealed strength. This masked warrior was stronger than the two junior patriarchs he had encountered at the ant tunnel entrance.
He was likely a mid-level patriarch with enhanced battle beasts and skilled in combat techniques, probably not inferior to General Old Horse in strength.
This adversary was the strongest of all the fallen warriors Eddie had faced so far.
The difference of just one level made him twice as formidable as the two junior patriarchs combined.
Although Eddie, who had fought the Purple Gold Marquis, was not afraid, he realized that defeating this opponent swiftly, especially without exposing Little Wenli and the others under public scrutiny, would not be easy.
What made Eddie particularly cautious was the presence of another warrior in the darkness, one who was several times stronger than this adversary, hidden somewhere and closely watching the battlefield.
That person was the true leader behind these attackers!
Faced with the enemy's brazen challenge, Eddie's response was to lazily yawn, "If you're going to fight, then fight. What's with all the talk? Your lengthy speeches are putting me to sleep!"
At his words, the soldiers were stirred up, each of them raising their arms and shouting.
"Hoorah, hoorah, hoorah!" Their voices roared in unison, bolstering Eddie's morale. The atmosphere was electric, and their spirit was sky-high!