The Karrul army, already disorganized from the surprise rear attack by the Saint Roman army, found themselves in a precarious situation. Outnumbered and with their precise location revealed, they were already in disarray. Now, with a fresh assault from the north by the Saint Roman forces, a sense of being surrounded began to take hold, shattering any remaining will to fight.
A large contingent surrendered with little resistance, and Aaron's main army entered the Karrul camp without encountering any significant opposition.
Witnessing the widespread desertions, Karrul's frustration grew. He had no interest in prolonging the engagement with Heck Aster and decided to withdraw. However, the tenacious young opponent proved difficult to shake off. Karrul's desire to retreat was thwarted, and his wavering resolve left him vulnerable to Heck Aster's silver spear, which thrust him into perilous danger.
At the height of this crisis, a fierce roar erupted from behind him. The shout sent a shiver down Karrul's spine. A fleeting glance caught sight of Aaron rapidly approaching, striking terror into his heart.
Engaging a master like Heck Aster demanded absolute focus, and any lapse in attention was costly. Karrul felt a searing pain as a spear pierced his thigh. With a cry, he stumbled and fell to the ground in a most ignominious fashion.
Seizing the advantage, Heck Aster followed up with a series of thrusts. In his panicked state, Karrul was struck twice more. Just as Heck Aster was poised to capture him, a sudden gust of chilling wind swept through, kicking up sand and debris, obscuring everything within several yards with an aura of dense killing intent.
Immersed within it, Heck Aster felt an indescribable pressure, as if a mountain were bearing down on him.
Across the vast battlefield, a gale raged, whipping up sand and stones, blinding everyone. Amidst the chaos, a deafening roar echoed, powerful enough to knock unconscious all the ordinary soldiers, who collapsed in heaps across the field.
At the epicenter of the storm, Heck Aster's body stiffened. He dismounted with a powerful whinny from his horse, which reared its front legs. Heck Aster watched in stunned disbelief as Karrul, before him, began to swell like an inflated balloon. Karrul's eyes, like two burning lanterns, glared fiercely at Heck Aster, nearly unseating him. Though Heck Aster couldn't clearly discern the figure, he knew it was a monster.
Before he could react, his horse sensed the danger. It lowered itself, its hooves churning, and bolted out of the storm as if it were a fleeing wisp.
Karrul, having revealed his true form, let out another roar that dazed the soldiers on the battlefield. Just as he began to ascend, intending to escape, he felt a biting killing intent surge from the void above, a crushing force descending upon him like a mountain.
Clearly unprepared for an attack at this moment, Karrul found it too late to change his trajectory. He felt a powerful blow land directly on his head, the pain so intense it felt as if his skull had split open. He crashed heavily to the ground with a thud that sent dust billowing into the air.
Despite his immense size, Karrul reacted with surprising speed. He scrambled to his feet, disregarding the pain, and fixed his lantern-like eyes on the assailant who had struck him from the shadows.
His anger vanished upon recognition. To his astonishment, it was that general again.
Karrul dared not face Aaron again and immediately turned to flee. But as he turned, a figure emerged from the swirling dust—Heck Aster, his long spear held casually.
Karrul gasped. However, he clearly feared Aaron more. Without a second thought, he let out a bestial shriek, straightened his posture, bared his fangs, and lunged at Heck Aster with claws extended.
In his true form, Karrul was far more formidable than as a human. His claws were incredibly sharp, glinting menacingly, each swipe carrying immense force. His speed was astonishing, striking at Heck Aster like lightning.
Heck Aster, however, showed no fear and met Karrul's charge with his silver spear.
Seeing Heck Aster rejoin the fray, Aaron lowered his spear and stepped aside, not rushing to intervene. After all, a two-on-one engagement was not his style. Moreover, with him providing cover, this was an excellent opportunity for Heck Aster to gain experience. As long as Karrul didn't escape, all was well.
Heck Aster's spear techniques were proficient but somewhat ostentatious. Against the black bear's fierce assault, he was immediately at a disadvantage. The seemingly clumsy black bear was remarkably agile. Its claws, though appearing to lack any discernible pattern, effectively neutralized Heck Aster's follow-up moves, rendering his feints utterly transparent and useless.
"Thrust, parry, hook, deflect, direct strikes!"
These were fundamental skills within the eight crucial aspects of spear fighting. Yet, spoken by Aaron, they sounded like divine inspiration. Against a battle-hardened expert like the black bear, overly fancy maneuvers were superfluous; direct, killing blows were far more effective.
Guided by Aaron's advice, Heck Aster grew increasingly steady. Aaron corrected any shortcomings as they arose. In contrast, the black bear began to appear somewhat flustered. Its fear of Aaron stemmed from deep within. Now, with Aaron's guidance, it felt an unsettling prickle all over. Furthermore, with two wounds bleeding, it could not sustain such an intense battle for long.
Ogart, being no ordinary man, though injured, was not stunned by Karrul's roar. He had crawled out of the combat zone before the major incident. He naturally recognized that something extraordinary had occurred. Seeing Heck Aster charge out, he had intended to call him back, but Heck Aster, upon exiting, had dismounted and plunged back into the fray.
Witnessing Heck Aster's bravery, Ogart felt even more ashamed. He had truly underestimated the young man! However, he lacked the courage to return to the chaotic battlefield. The intensely sharp killing intent and raw bestial ferocity he had just experienced had thoroughly terrified him.
Meanwhile, Karrul, trapped in the center of the battle, found himself with no room to maneuver. A supreme expert lurked behind him, while a mere youth stubbornly blocked his path. Unable to break free from either side, he could only regret not heeding his elder brother's advice, which had led him to this predicament. He could only pray that his brother would hear his silent plea and come to his rescue.
At that critical moment, a flash of golden light erupted. From the void above, a black rope descended, swiftly ensnaring the black bear and binding it so tightly it could no longer move.
This sudden turn of events stunned both Aaron and Heck Aster. They looked towards the void above and saw a black-robed mage riding a white elephant, hovering in the air, descending within three feet of them in the blink of an eye.
The black-robed mage cast a deep gaze upon Aaron before announcing in a clear voice, "This demon has wreaked havoc upon the mortal realm. I have long wished to capture it, but its profound cultivation has prevented me from succeeding. Today, I am indebted to your efforts, for it is a blessing to all living beings."
Aaron and Heck Aster exchanged a glance. Aaron then asked, "May I inquire who you are..."
The mage smiled slightly. "Those who know me call me Uzuk!"
Aaron and Heck Aster had heard of the great archmage Uzuk. Even the black bear, writhing on the ground, ceased its struggles, looking inexplicably at the great archmage Uzuk. It was especially startled by the white elephant beside him.
The white elephant cast a meaningful glance at the black bear, then looked away.
Without waiting for their reaction, Uzuk chuckled. "Allow me to capture this demon first."
Saying this, he produced a golden vessel resembling a teapot, or perhaps an oil lamp, from his sleeve. He chanted incantations, and the struggling black bear was drawn into the oil lamp. As Uzuk casually placed the oil lamp back into his sleeve, it vanished completely.
After finishing his task, he noticed Heck Aster and Aaron standing there, looking at him thoughtfully. He smiled and, his gaze falling on Heck Aster, remarked, "Students from Gujiala Mountain indeed live up to their reputation."
Heck Aster was taken aback. "How did you know..."
Meeting Uzuk's gaze, he felt as though his entire being had been seen through. Realizing the absurdity of his question, he amended his statement, "Thank you for your praise, great archmage!"
Uzuk smiled kindly, his gaze then shifting to Aaron. "This general possesses a deep foundation and extraordinary fortune. However, if you heed my advice, your future prospects will be limitless!"
Aaron, surprised by Uzuk's words, responded, "I would be grateful for your guidance, great archmage!"
Uzuk said, "If the general is willing to abandon the splendors of this world and accompany me to cultivate boundless arcane arts, you will achieve great progress!"
Aaron, having cultivated since childhood, had no interest in arcane arts. He immediately replied, "Thank you for your generous offer, great archmage. However, Aaron does not wish to become a magician. I only seek to live a life without shame."
Uzuk smiled gently. "General, there is no need to reply hastily. We will meet again in the future."
Seeing the dust about to settle, Uzuk added, "Time is growing late, I must take my leave!"
With that, he soared into the distance and vanished into the vast night in the blink of an eye.