Monster Girl Development Master.

Unfortunately, Lilith Farau also came.

The sunlight slanted across the clearing in the woods. Lilith Farau paused her post-victory reverie and gestured with her chin toward Colm beside her: "Let them through. The rest of you, get ready to make your move."

Colm nodded and personally approached a slightly overweight woman: "You heard everything. Proceed according to plan. This is a plan personally devised by your Lady Leah, so you'd better not mess around."

“Of course, Lord Colm.”

The woman picked up her backpack, dusted herself off, and walked normally toward Lady Lia's position. Behind her on both sides, the soldiers of the Farau family were slowly getting up, climbing onto their warhorses, and pulling down their visors.

Chapter 160: Ambush - Part 2

The luxurious carriage traversed the steep slope, the golden autumn forest shimmering under the sunlight. The beautiful scenery attracted the attention of the Starr sisters and Princess Celine, but only for a moment, they were surprised to discover, beneath the golden leaves, a gleam of cold steel.

The soldiers of Farau launched an attack on Lady Lia and Ange, who had just made contact with their "informant".

The iron hooves shook the leaves, crushing them. Their superior horsemanship and prior knowledge of the terrain allowed them to accelerate even through the woods. Their sharp lances were leveled, their target the hastily assembled guards. Because Lilith Farau intended to capture them alive, there was no hail of arrows. However, behind the 110 cavalrymen, even more heavy infantrymen marched in orderly formation, banging their shields as they surrounded the mere 20 or 30 guards.

Lilith flew through the air, looking down with a smug smile. In terms of numbers, strength, and training, the soldiers of Farau Territory were far superior to those guards. Even if those guards were well-equipped, they were no match for the bloodline warriors who formed the vanguard of the cavalry, not to mention that there was a traitor among them.

Lilith has already seen the ending!

"You scoundrel! Step back!"

A sudden, loud shout rang out. The cold, ruthless voice seemed to carry the scent of death, striking the soldiers, who had been so arrogant and ready to bully the weak, with a blow to their heads. An indescribable "fear" rose from their hearts, gripping their usually resilient and iron-willed minds, leaving them in a state of panic and chaos.

Some were better off simply standing still, but many more screamed, dropped their weapons, and turned to run in different directions. Some even collided with each other, then, driven by fear, began to fight. These were the infantrymen at a distance; the cavalry at the front fared even worse. Their once orderly wedge formation shattered instantly. The cavalrymen panicked, and many, misjudging distance, collided with each other—a death sentence in the high-speed charge. Those cavalrymen who were lucky enough not to collide weren't much better off. They themselves might have retained a shred of reason, but their horses lacked such resolve. In sudden terror, they reared up, neighing, and the unsuspecting cavalrymen, unable to calm their companions, were thrown to the ground! Once on the ground, these cavalrymen were either trampled to death by other horses or, with their legs still caught in the stirrups, dragged along by their frenzied steeds, their fate unknown.

Even those with the same bloodline were no exception. Although their warhorses were superior to those of ordinary cavalry, they were still just horses. Under the intense fear, they also went mad and threw them off their horses. The only difference was that perhaps one or two managed to stabilize themselves by relying on their physical strength or ability, but they also lost their momentum to charge.

A valiant and determined charge by an elite army was turned into a farce by Lydia's [Fear Cry].

This is the dominance of those with bloodlines on the battlefield. Unless it is a large-scale battlefield with thousands or tens of thousands of people, those with bloodlines are almost impossible to deal with unless there are other bloodlines of the same level.

However, there's a reason why ordinary soldiers still exist. The simplest reason is that their presence forces enemy bloodline users to reveal their abilities and deplete their bloodline power, making it easier for their own bloodline users to react and avoid "first-encounter kills." For example, Colm and Lilith, trailing behind the troops, were prepared for Lydia's [Fearful War Cry] and cast the [Eagle's Arrogance] ability on themselves.

Even an eagle hunting a rabbit will exert its full strength. Although Lydia is theoretically at most a level three bloodline user who has only awakened once, Colm and Lilith were still well prepared. In fact, if they hadn't discovered that Ange had already reacted and was preparing to use "Shadow Raven's [Shadow Step]" to escape, they would have continued to send those low-level bloodline users who hadn't been dealt with to test Lydia and Ange's abilities. But now they had to act.

Holy Light Impact

【Sacred Eagle Mark】

A divine light appeared out of thin air, swiftly traversing the "battlefield" and shooting towards Ange, whose shadows were shifting around her. The illusory image of the holy eagle was even faster, landing directly on Ange, marking her location, and dispelling the shadows within two meters of her.

Holy bloodlines are indeed more effective against shadow bloodlines.

Ange glared resentfully at Lilith and Colm in the distance, who smiled in response. Then, they released holy light once more, which fell upon the soldiers fleeing in panic around them—[Group Courage]!

Although not as powerful as [Eagle's Arrogance], it was enough to offset the effect of [Fearful War Cry]. The Farau soldiers, though no longer as high-spirited as before, reorganized and charged once again at the thin defensive line formed by Lady Lia and Angela's mere twenty or so guards.

However, before the soldiers arrived, those bloodline warriors who had finally rid themselves of their warhorses and their fear had already charged towards Lydia, who had broken through the battle line, under the blessing of the [Group Courage] spell.

The armored knight, wielding heavy axes in both hands, let out a roar no less powerful than Lydia's [Fearful War Cry]. His muscles instantly swelled and enlarged, his physique slightly taller, seemingly activating some kind of self-enhancing ability. Lydia swung her sword forward, a faint, eerie green light flashing across the rune-covered blade, silently activating [Necromantic Strike].

Watching the two charge at each other, the Farau bloodline knights hidden on both sides flashed a hint of smugness in their eyes. Then, they activated their abilities instantly. Their bodies, which should have been heavy and clumsy due to their armor, transformed into hard and swift battering rams under the effect of the [Charge] ability, attacking Lydia from both sides, who was "unaware of being trapped."

The heavy axe knight's ability did indeed have a self-enhancing effect, but its true power was to "attract the enemy's attention, making them target the user as their primary attack target," essentially a taunting ability. Those who lost control of the battlefield situation essentially relinquished their keen senses, making them extremely vulnerable to surprise attacks.

This isn't the first time this trio has used this tactic, and it's unlikely to be their last.

Clang—Pfft!

The sword blade pierced the armor, the metal-on-metal collision creating a loud bang, but it was immediately drowned out by the sound of a head flying off and blood splattering.

Lydia sheathed her sword, raised her leg, and stepped on the battle axe that the heavy axe knight had missed and slammed into the ground. Using it as a fulcrum, she spun around again and beheaded another charging knight who had struck her armor but failed to break through her defenses—come to think of it, she seems to enjoy beheading people more and more these days.

Lydia thought to herself and looked at the heavy axe knight.

The latter's blank gaze met Lydia's helmet. He could see nothing, no bloodlust, no pity, no mockery, only darkness and nothingness. Then he felt a chill on his neck. The expensive plate armor he had bought had failed to protect his head. But now he had only one question in his mind—why had his ability failed to work?

Because the dead are immune to psychological attacks.

Lydia looked at the remaining bloodline users who had surrounded her, kicked away the heavy axe at her feet, and was also somewhat disappointed—if only she hadn't used Necromancer's Strike, there would have been no need for the instant-death effect!

……

Witnessing this incredibly swift "execution" from afar, Lilith and Colm's expressions turned serious. Lydia's combat power didn't seem like that of someone who had just awakened. If she continued killing, all the lower-ranking vassals she had brought with her might die, which would be a huge loss!

So Colm and Lilith made a tacit decision: Lilith, who had mastered the [Holy Eagle Mark], continued to target Ange, who was struggling to escape through the shadows, while Colm adjusted his target and unleashed his signature move—Holy Light Impact—on Lydia!

A dazzling holy light swept across the sky, striking Lydia and triggering her battle instincts. The difference between a first and third awakening was enough to threaten Lydia's life, not to mention the natural advantage of holy attributes over dark attributes and over the undead. The bloodline members surrounding Lydia, who had been anxiously waiting, perked up and prepared to take advantage of the situation and attack her.

To their shock, Lydia did not dodge the holy light impact. Instead, she ignored the impending deadly attack and launched the first attack on them—did she think that since she couldn't dodge it anyway, she might as well kill them one by one?

Although they are enemies, we acknowledge their loyalty and courage!

The bloodline members of Farau thought this, and then they stepped forward one after another. Their courage was not suddenly aroused by Lydia, but encouraged by the approaching [Holy Light Impact] and by the merit represented by slaying Lydia.

Then, an even more brilliant holy light pierced the sky, annihilating Colm's [Holy Light Impact] into nothingness. At the same time, a long stone wall appeared, blocking the weak defensive line formed by the twenty-odd guards and completely blocking the Farau soldiers who tried to approach.

The sudden change brought silence to the battlefield. Colm and Lilith looked toward the source of the attack and saw Johnson, Dantalian, and Nia emerging from the carriage, along with Lysander, Piper, and Princess Celine beside them. They also saw behind Johnson and the others the Azure Star Guards in blue robes, the "Duchy of Star" soldiers in gold robes, and the soldiers of the Leon Territory in black robes.

A trap! This is a trap!!

Alarms blared in Colm and Lilith's minds. The doubts that had been masked by "Don't I know Lia Farau?" quickly surfaced, but it was too late. Princess Celine's loyal guardian knight and excellent romantic assistant had already raised her sword and issued the order to win over the princess: "Azure Star Guardians! Charge with me!!!"

"Oh--"

The author says:

作者的话：进度更新：月票29/50，催更票25/50，打赏800/5000

Chapter 161: Immunity to Divine Attributes

Azure stars fell like rain, and the flowing cloak transformed into a canopy of sky.

Count Cameron also raised his longsword and roared, "People of Gold!"

"We pledge our courage first!!!"

The golden waves surged forward, and the Bloodline Order's henchmen displayed a level of discipline far exceeding that of the regular soldiers of the Duchy of Star, keeping pace with the Azure Star Guardians in perfect unison.

Just as Zhuang Sen was about to say something, he looked at the blue-robed and gold-robed men, who were even more excited than the soldiers of Leon's territory, and raised his hand: "The crows are cawing—"

"The feast has begun!!"

Soldiers adorned with black raven emblems roared and shouted, their rune-covered armor gleaming, their heavy armor suddenly lightening, and their swift warhorses neighed and cheered, charging into the battlefield first, over the waves of gold and blue!

The Farau soldiers, already affected by the [Fearful War Cry], were wasting a lot of energy and turning back on the battlefield in fear, even abandoning their weapons. They were slowly advancing when they faced the Royal Guards of the Azure Star Guard with the "Princess's Personal Campaign" buff, the elite thugs of the Blood Order with the "Bloodlust" buff, and the elite Shadow Raven Knights squad, who also had the [Count's Personal Campaign] buff, plus the [Saving the Count's Mother and Sister] buff, and were equipped with a full set of rune gear. Even though the latter three were not many in number, probably only seventy or eighty people in total, the battle was a foregone conclusion and there was no need to describe it.

The phrase "decisively crushing" suffices.

……

However, compared to reaping the minions... well, not exactly minions... Johnson's focus was still on Colm and Lilith, who were trying to escape the battlefield. He had gone to such lengths to put on this act precisely for these two big fish.

With crimson tips and pure white wings unfurled, Zhuang Sen reached out and pulled in the air, drawing out a two-handed battle axe radiating holy light—[Summon Celestial Weapon]—and then flew towards "Uncle and Aunt," whose figures were beginning to twist and change, clearly unleashing their true bloodline forms.

Lilith and Colm transformed into giant eagles with wingspans exceeding three meters, each feather pure and flawless, emitting a faint white light. Their flight speed increased dramatically, bringing a slight sense of relief to the two who were filled with shock and anger. Many people know that the Holy Eagle bloodline possesses healing abilities, making it an indispensable and irreplaceable component of the Fallen Star Kingdom, a guarantee of life. However, few mention that the Holy Eagle bloodline's speed is also extremely high, especially when unleashing its true form. Within the entire Fallen Star Kingdom, their speed ranks among the top three!

Regardless of Zhuang Sen's bloodline, since he's not a Holy Eagle, he couldn't possibly catch up with them when they've already accelerated...?!

Colm performed a daring roll to dodge the warhammer crashing down from behind. His eyes were filled with rage as he looked back, but he could not hide the fear within them.

Zhuang Sen flapped his wings, his body shimmering with various buff abilities, and steadily followed behind the two holy eagles: "Uncle Colm, Aunt Lilith, why are you in such a hurry to leave? I haven't even spoken to you two yet."

The Light of Judgment!

A torrent of holy light descended from the sky, forcing Lilith and Colm to roll away again, further reducing their speed until they landed at the same level as Johnson.

Then, Zhuang Sen struck with a powerful blow!

The Celestial Battle Axe slammed down, its sharp blade digging deep into Colm's right wing, golden blood flowing out. However, being a third-level bloodline in its true form, Zhuang Sen's axe strike didn't sever Colm's wing; instead, it jammed his weapon. Colm and Lilith didn't miss this opportunity. The former, enduring the pain, twisted his eagle head to peck at Zhuang Sen's face, his beak glowing with holy white light. Lilith was even more ferocious; she spread her wings and claws, grabbing Zhuang Sen from behind, countless golden rays flashing among her feathers.

【Holy Light Impact - Roaring Strike】!

【Sacred Arrow Rain - Feathered Arrow Transformation】!

Unlike Zhuang Sen and his monster girls, ordinary bloodline users can only adjust the output size, range, and form of their bloodline abilities after completing three awakenings and possessing the true form of their bloodline. Therefore, these altered abilities are often the killer moves of bloodline users. The more one understands "normal abilities," the more easily one is tricked by these altered abilities.

Just like Zhuang Sen! Lia Farau must have told Zhuang Sen what abilities the Holy Eagle bloodline has and how to use them. Moreover, as a fellow level three bloodline user, Zhuang Sen would definitely study it carefully. Of course, he would also consider controlling and changing abilities in the true form of the bloodline, but without information, no matter how careful he is, he cannot guess such things in advance! On the contrary, his suspicions would affect his judgment.

So, take this full-force, point-blank attack from me!

Faced with attacks from both sides, Zhuang Sen, whose weapon was stuck, shrugged slightly, raised his short hand, and slammed it heavily on the back of the axe, causing the Celestial Battle Axe to completely pierce through Colm's wing. Colm, furious and in pain, staggered, but still stubbornly pointed his beak at Zhuang Sen. Even in pain, he broke through a bottleneck and injected more bloodline power into [Holy Light Impact]!

Without a sound, a beam of light, like a tailed beast cannon, shot out and struck Zhuang Sen squarely. At the same time, Lilith grabbed Zhuang Sen, and arrows of holy light hidden within her feathers shot out, sending the much smaller Secretary Angel Zhuang Sen flying.

"You won? You won?"

Relying on [Healing] to repair his wounds, Colm, barely able to maintain flight with only one wing, descended while glancing at Zhuang Sen, who was enveloped in dense holy light. He could vaguely see that Lilith's claws were deeply embedded in Zhuang Sen's legs, tearing out blood. He was somewhat familiar with Lilith's trump card; in this situation, Zhuang Sen had no way to dodge or block it—he was doomed no matter what.

Thinking about it this way, Colm suddenly felt invigorated.

With the death of the newly crowned Earl Zhuang Sen, the territory of Leon will inevitably descend into chaos. Wouldn't that be an opportunity for the Farau territory to make a fortune? No, without Zhuang Sen, a powerful level-three bloodline holder at his peak, perhaps the Farau family could directly annex the Leon family and take over the entire territory of Leon…

"Colm! What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up—"

As Colm was lost in his fantasies, trying to ease the pain of his broken wing, a loud shout suddenly rang out. Before he could react, Zhuang Sen's fist rapidly enlarged in his eyes and then slammed into his eagle's head.

With a thud, Colm, who was already seriously injured and had exhausted almost all of his bloodline power, fainted. Zhuang Sen grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up like a chicken. Lilith, who should have been "embracing" Zhuang Sen, had already had her throat gripped by his hand and was struggling to break free.

Lilith was filled with confusion and fear. She couldn't understand why Johnson was able to remain unharmed from the attack that combined all of her and Colm's bloodline power, without even expending much of his own bloodline power, and was even able to retaliate by squeezing out the two of them who had exhausted too much of their bloodline power and fallen into weakness.

This isn't bloodline!

Although Zhuang Sen couldn't see Lilith's expression behind him, he roughly understood what she was thinking from her tone just now, so he kindly answered for her: "[Immune to Holy Attributes]! Auntie."

Chapter 162: I'm going to give away the whole plot!

Zhuang Sen landed beside the carriage with a Farao in each hand.

Below, the Farau family's soldiers had already been completely routed and were being captured one by one by their pursuers. Although they outnumbered the Azure Star Guardians, Star soldiers, and Shadow Raven Knights combined, their low morale, broken organization, and the sheer difference in individual strength left them almost powerless to fight back. They managed to injure only a dozen soldiers and failed to take a single kill.

Lady Lia came forward to greet Zhuang Sen, taking the opportunity to mock her dear sister: "Lilith, my foolish sister, I know you hate me and are jealous of me, but I never imagined you would be so foolish as to dare to send troops to ambush and assassinate me, your sister, a noblewoman with noble blood flowing through her veins, the mother of a venerable count! Where did you come from, some mountain bandit or savage? You have truly disgraced the name of Farau!"

“You—” Lilith struggled, wishing she could bite a piece of flesh off Lady Leah’s smug face, but her struggles were futile. Zhuang Sen’s small hand was like cast iron, gripping her fate by the throat.

Colm, on the other hand, was more pragmatic. He pitifully begged for mercy, "Lia, my cousin, please let Johnson let me go. I swear, I won't run away!"

"You should tell my son that." Lady Leah tilted her head back, feeling a surge of relief, especially when she felt the intense hatred, anger, and jealousy in Lilith's eyes. She was overjoyed, as if she had suddenly become twenty years younger. If there weren't so many outsiders, she would have liked to celebrate with Zhuang Sen.

“Alright, Mother, there will be plenty of time to entertain Uncle and Aunt later.” Zhuang Sen held down the two Faraus, and had Nia and Dantalian use the prepared chains to bind them tightly. “But for now, please bear with us for a while. Don’t worry, once we have received your ransom and the Faraus family’s compensation for this disrespectful, despicable, evil, and utterly dishonorable assassination, I will release you.”