Its massive serpentine tail swept out, kicking up a cloud of mud and gravel with the force of a siege hammer.
Each collision between them erupted with terrifying waves of energy. The resulting shockwaves blasted outwards, sending any nearby Low Tier Demons flying.
Raylo watched, his heart pounding in his chest.
A battle of this level was far beyond his current ability to handle.
Even Baofeng seemed small and insignificant on a battlefield like this.
The brutal slaughter lasted for an unknown amount of time. The sky was stained a grotesque, dark red, and the thick stench of blood mixed with the swampâs rot was nauseating.
Both sides paid a heavy price. Countless Demon corpses littered the ground, and their blood pooled into streams that stained the edges of the swamp red.
In the end, it seemed the Black Dragonâs side had a slight advantage.
With a heaven-shaking roar, the Black Dragon seized an opening. Its massive claw slammed down hard on one of the Snake Monsterâs heads, creating a deep, muffled boom.
Blood spurted wildly from the reddish-brown head as it went limp and drooped lifelessly.
The Three-headed Snake Monster let out a screech of absolute agony. Though its other two heads remained ferocious, their attacks had clearly weakened.
The Black Dragon pressed its advantage. Its Dragon Wings beat, stirring up a violent gale, while its claws and fangs repeatedly tore wounds into the Snake Monsterâs body that were deep enough to show bone.
Finally, the Three-headed Snake Monster seemed to realize the tide had turned. Its two remaining heads let out a series of unwilling roars as its massive body began to slowly retreat into the depths of the Jade Swamp.
The surviving Snake-men, Swamp Giant Lizards, and other Demons quickly followed, eventually disappearing into the dense swamp forest.
The Black Dragon didnât give chase. It too had suffered considerable injuries; several of its scales were peeled back, and dark red Dragon Blood flowed from the wounds.
It hovered in mid-air and let out a roar of victory.
Below, the army of Jackal-Wolf Folk erupted in sky-shaking cheers, but their numbers had been reduced by nearly half. Many Magical Beasts had also fallen on this battlefield, never to rise again.
The Black Dragon circled in the air for a moment before leading its remaining troops back to the Black Stone Mountain Range, carrying the bodies of the fallen High Tier Magical Beasts.
The flesh and blood of these High Tier Magical Beasts were the best nourishment for Magical Beasts to replenish their energy, or even to advance a tier.
At the edge of the battlefield, Raylo spotted something in a chaotic corner.
There, a peculiar Magical Beastânot particularly large, about the size of a Hunting Dog, its entire body covered in slick, ink-green skin and its back dotted with pustules of various sizesâwas struggling to climb out of the mud.
It was none other than the Illusory Poison Toad, a Tier Four Magical Beast from the Jade Swamp famed for its potent venom.
A moment ago, the Black Dragonâs devastating Shadow Dragon Breath had been aimed primarily at the Three-headed Snake Monster, but the edge of the blast had still swept over this unlucky Illusory Poison Toad.
Its prized poisonous fog barrier had been as fragile as paper before the Dragon Breath, torn apart in an instant. Black scorch marks covered its back, and several pustules had burst, leaking a foul-smelling green fluid. It was clearly gravely injured.
An idea struck Raylo.
This Illusory Poison Toad was known for its extreme toxicity, but its direct combat ability wasnât top-notch among Tier Four Magical Beasts, and its body was relatively fragile.
With it so heavily injured, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The Three-headed Snake Monsterâs warband had no High Tier Flying Magical Beasts; the strongest among them were merely Tier Three creatures like the Highly Poisonous Feathered Serpent.
They posed little threat to Baofeng.
Even if this opportunistic strike failed, escaping safely wouldnât be a problem.
As the Three-headed Snake Monster retreated into the depths of the swamp with its battered and beaten remnants, Raylo didnât hesitate for a second. He lightly patted Baofengâs neck, signaling for it to lower its altitude and follow them silently.
Baofeng understood immediately. It folded its massive wings, gliding almost flush with the treetops at the swampâs edge, suppressing its aura to a minimum.
Like the other Magical Beasts returning to their own territories, the injured Illusory Poison Toad didnât follow the main group deep into the swamp. Instead, it took a turn and limped into a denser, darker, and more humid part of the forest.
It was clearly very familiar with this area. After a series of twists and turns, it finally stopped in front of a cave half-hidden by thick vines and a massive, rotting log.
This was its lair.
The cave entrance was small, just large enough for it to squeeze through.
The Illusory Poison Toad panted wearily. The wounds on its back, aggravated by the swampâs hot, humid air, emitted an even stronger stench.
It glanced around warily, and after confirming there were no pursuers, its entire body seemed to relax. It slowly crawled into the cave.
Raylo and Baofeng, lurking in the dense foliage nearby, took in the entire scene.
He waited patiently, like an experienced hunter.
He knew that the Illusory Poison Toad must be physically and mentally exhausted. Once back in its den, its guard would be at its lowest.
About fifteen minutes later, Raylo judged that the creature had completely relaxed and might even have started tending to its wounds. He gave the order without hesitation.
"Go!"
Baofengâs wings shot open. Like a bolt of lightning, it tore through the air and dove straight for the cave!
By the time the Illusory Poison Toad inside the cave sensed the rushing wind and danger, it was already too late.
BOOM!
Baofengâs claws, covered in hard Scale Armor, slammed into the vines and rotten wood at the cave entrance like a Siege Hammer, sending splinters flying!
Without giving the Illusory Poison Toad any time to react, it plunged its massive head into the cave, its sharp fangs sinking precisely into the toadâs wounded back!
The cave, constructed of vines and rotten wood, was as flimsy as paper before Baofengâs claws and was easily torn apart.
"GRAWK!"
The Illusory Poison Toad let out a shrill, short cry of agony, its body convulsing from the excruciating pain.
It tried to spit Venom, but Baofengâs Giant Strength held its head in a death grip, making any effective counterattack impossible.
The next instant, Baofeng exerted its strength, forcefully dragging the Illusory Poison Toad out of the narrow cave!
"Take it high!"
Raylo ordered.
Receiving the command, Baofeng beat its wings powerfully, its massive body soaring into the sky with the struggling Illusory Poison Toad in its clutches.
The wind howled in their ears as the ground rapidly receded below.
The Illusory Poison Toad was terrified. Its head and spine were locked in the deep grip of Baofengâs claws, leaving it powerless high in the air.
Soon, Baofeng had climbed to a height of one hundred meters.
At this altitude, the swamp forest below looked like a dark green carpet.
Raylo looked down, judging the altitude.
"Release!"
At the word, Baofeng abruptly opened its steel-like claws.
Freed from its bonds, the Illusory Poison Toad let out a despairing shriek as it plummeted toward the hard ground like a broken stone!
SPLAT!
A dull thud sounded from below, splattering a bit of mud.
Even from a hundred meters up, Raylo could imagine the gruesome scene.
A Tier Four Magical Beast, which should have been a powerhouse in the Jade Swamp, had met such a fate because of its severe injuries and a moment of carelessness.
Baofeng circled once in the air to confirm the Illusory Poison Toad was dead before slowly descending.
Raylo jumped off Baofengâs back and walked over to the pulpy mess.
The Illusory Poison Toadâs body was no longer recognizable. Its bones were shattered, and its dark green blood mixed with ruptured organs, pooling on the ground.
Enduring the foul stench, he used his sword to cut open the toadâs abdomen and quickly found a Magic Core the size of a pigeonâs egg, glowing with an aqua-blue light.
"Well done, Baofeng."
Raylo tucked the Magic Core away and patted Baofengâs giant claw.
Baofeng let out a low growl, seemingly excited by the successful hunt.
It grabbed the Illusory Poison Toadâs mangled corpse with both claws and, bathing in the light of the gradually setting sun, flew off in the direction of Black Stone Castle.