I am the Arcane Archer, and all my skills are self-created.

The damage is only one-tenth of what it was before!

"Holy crap!" Even Steel Shield was stunned. "This... this Rock Guardian is that powerful?"

"Immovable as a Mountain, you go too!" Li Wu fired another arrow, casting the [Rock Guard] buff on the secondary tank, Immovable as a Mountain.

He remained as still as a mountain, not shouting excitedly like Steel Shield, but he expressed everything through his actions.

He silently circled around the BOSS from the side, and began to slash at the BOSS's joints with his one-handed sword.

Thus, an extremely bizarre scene unfolded on the battlefield.

Two tanks, each topped with a rotating stone shield, chased after the BOSS like war gods, hacking and slashing.

Look how fierce they are!

Inkmark and Wind Chaser also started to get serious.

Faced with absolute defense, the Sandstorm General's high attack power became a joke. And his superb defense began to be slowly worn down under the relentless barrage of firepower from everyone.

The BOSS's health began to decrease at a slow but very steady rate.

80%...

60%...

40%...

"Attention! The BOSS is about to go berserk!" Hua Zitong shouted a warning when the BOSS's health dropped to 20%.

Sure enough, the Sandstorm General let out a deafening roar, its entire carapace turned dark red, and its size swelled up.

His attack speed and power have been greatly enhanced.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

He swung his pincers wildly, slamming them against the rocky shield of the steel shield, producing a series of dense metallic clanging sounds.

Even the rock-solid guardian began to show more and more cracks.

"I can't hold on any longer, President!" Steel Shield shouted.

"Everyone, unleash your full power! Instantly kill him!" Li Wu's voice was frighteningly calm.

Without him saying anything, everyone had already activated their strongest skills.

The long-awaited "blizzard" finally descended, enveloping the BOSS in frost, causing continuous damage and a significant slow effect.

Chasing Wind unleashed his charged arrow, [Shock Shot], which briefly stunned the BOSS for 0.5 seconds.

The Bull and the Mad Blade wielded their weapons in a blur of motion.

Hua Zitong also drew the long sword from her back and rushed forward.

Li Wu himself finally fired his first offensive arrow since the start of the war.

It wasn't some amazing move; it was just an ordinary [Fusion Penetrating Arrow].

But this arrow struck precisely at the joint connecting the BOSS's pincers and body—its only weak point.

A huge critical hit damage number appeared above the BOSS's head.

-4842! (Weakness Critical Hit)

This arrow directly reduced the BOSS's health by nearly 3%.

It became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Under the concentrated fire of everyone, the raging Sandstorm General lasted less than ten seconds before letting out a wail and collapsing to the ground.

[System notification: You have defeated Sandstorm General Rip.]

"Huff... huff..."

Everyone collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Although no one was killed in the battle, it was extremely difficult. Everyone felt completely drained of their energy.

"This guy... is too tough." Bull wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Yeah, if it weren't for the guild leader, we probably would have been wiped out several times over by now," Qixian Liuli said with lingering fear.

All eyes were once again focused on Li Wu.

It's him again.

At the most crucial moment, he used an unbelievable skill to change the entire course of the battle.

"Don't look at me, it's because you guys fought well." Li Wu put away his bow. "Rest for five minutes, then distribute the equipment and prepare for the next round."

The loot dropped by the Sandstorm General is also quite generous.

A rare tank chest armor, [Rip's Sturdy Chest], with explosive stats, it's practically a steel shield.

There was also a rare two-handed battle axe, the Desert Storm, which he gave to the bull, making him extremely happy.

Five minutes later, the team set off again.

They crossed the arena and came to a more open area.

In the center of the site stood a massive altar made of piled bones. Around the altar were four passageways leading into the unknown darkness.

"The third boss, or rather, the third challenge." Hua Zitong's expression was more solemn than ever before. "The Hundred-Man Slaying Altar."

"A hundred-man kill?" Mad Blade licked his lips. "That sounds exciting."

"Exciting? You'll regret it later." Hua Zitong glared at him. "This level isn't about fighting a boss. It's about defending this altar and withstanding attacks from all sides for ten minutes."

"It sounds like... a pro version of what we used to do when we were leveling up in Scorpion Canyon," Mohen said.

"That's right, it's the pro version." Hua Zitong nodded. "Enemies will keep pouring out from those four passages. Moreover, the types and numbers of monsters are random. You might encounter hordes of scorpion warriors, or you might encounter an overwhelming swarm of sandworms, or you might even encounter a mini-boss that we fought before."

"Ten minutes...that doesn't sound like long," said the bull.

"These past ten minutes have been agonizing, every second has been agonizing." Hua Zitong took a deep breath. "Our mission is to protect the altar from destruction. Once the altar's health reaches zero, we've failed."

She pointed to an energy core in the center of the altar that was emitting a faint glow.

"The tactics are simple. Steel Shield and Immovable Mountain, you two each take charge of the two entrances and block the monsters outside. The three melee fighters will act as a mobile force, providing support wherever the pressure is greatest. I and the three ranged fighters will stand on the altar, responsible for ranged support and clearing out any remaining monsters."

"The pressure of healing will be immense. Qixian Liuliu and Xingchen, you two need to be careful with your mana."

"Do you understand everything?"

"clear!"

"Alright, everyone in position! I'll activate the altar!"

Hua Zitong walked to the center of the altar and placed her hand on the energy core.

"Buzz—"

The entire altar was illuminated by a dazzling light.

Immediately afterwards, an ancient and desolate horn sounded from all directions.

"Here they come!" Steel Shield roared.

At the same time, pairs of scarlet eyes lit up at the four dark passage entrances.

The first wave of monsters consisted of hordes of Sandfury Zealots, a type of scorpion-like creature wielding dual swords and attacking at extremely high speed.

"kill!"

The battle instantly intensified.

The steel shields and the immovable mountain stood like two mountains, blocking the entrance to the passage. Countless scorpion-men frantically attacked their shield wall, but could not advance an inch.

Mad Blade and Bull charged back and forth between the two shield walls, their task being to eliminate the elite monsters with the highest health.

On the altar, a blizzard of ink marks and a rain of arrows swept across the entire battlefield, dealing continuous area damage to the monsters.

Li Wu stood at the highest point; his task was to "patch up the leaks."

Wherever there's a breach in the defenses, wherever monsters break out, his arrows will appear precisely there.

A single arrow to the throat.

Never waste a single ounce of effort.