Chapter 165: Purple-Horned White Rhinoceros

Transformed into its red-spring state, the clockwork figure struck with considerable velocity. Its magic wand, wielded like a broadsword or combat axe, was a weapon capable of dealing massive damage. Under the flurry of wild slashes from the red-spring automaton, the tiger's neck was hacked wide open, revealing a chest cavity where a heart composed of gummy bears was dimly visible.

At that moment, the armored knight leaped down from the top of the tiger's head. Dispensing with his inseparable two-handed greatsword, he dashed straight toward the tiger's chest and repositioned the spear that Liu Zong had previously embedded there.

Witnessing this, the herder bear lunged sideways and crashed directly into the tiger's left flank. The beast was in the middle of twisting its body to the right in an attempt to seize Liu Zong, its center of gravity already leaning rightward. Struck by this sudden impact, it crashed heavily to the ground.

The armored knight, whose movement speed was somewhat slower, was pinned directly beneath the tiger's bulk. Had he not been an undead creature, this blow alone might have ended his existence.

Yet, gripping the spear left behind by Liu Zong, the armored knight exerted all his strength to point the weapon directly at the tiger's heart. The crushing weight from above drove the spear straight through the organ, piercing it completely.

The red-spring figure, having bounded away, leaped back onto the tiger's spine and unleashed another frenzy of blind cuts upon the beast's hind neck.

Finally, as Liu Zong reached the tiger's rear, its head was completely severed by the red-spring automaton. The carcass began to decompose and melt, flowing down into the subterranean depths of the roaring combat arena.

Liu Zong glanced at the time and signaled the herder bear to help flip the miniature train back onto its wheels. The armored knight emerged from the pool of syrup, carrying Liu Zong's spear in his hand.

This spear was not a weapon meant for an undead minion. Even with the knight's innate talent for wielding various arms, he could not utilize this particular spear. After planting it upright before Liu Zong, he turned, retrieved his own greatsword, and resumed his usual post standing silently behind his master.

Up in the viewing stands, Caesar Bear was now consumed with fury. He struck the honey jar heavily with his scepter, commanding the bee bears to pour all of its contents onto the ground.

Not daring to disobey Caesar Bear's order, the bee bears hastily hoisted the jar and tipped it over, spilling another third of the honey onto the arena floor.

By this time, few gummy bears remained in the stands. Seeing the honey cascade downward, they eagerly hurled themselves over the edge and rushed toward the sticky flood.

These gummy bears were entirely white and purple. The moment they reached the honey, they began to slowly melt away, leaving only their heads stuck fast to the golden surface.

Shortly after, a colossal rhinoceros—completely white in body, with only its four hooves and horns dyed purple—materialized before Liu Zong.

It was evident that this rhinoceros transformation was the most complete of all. Its hide was composed of densely packed bear faces, bearing no other resemblance to the gummy bears from which it was formed.

Standing before Liu Zong, the rhinoceros did not hesitate for a second, instantly charging forward with overwhelming momentum.

The distance of over thirty meters was closed in the blink of an eye. Had the herder bear not intercepted the charge at the very front with split-second timing, Liu Zong might well have been sent flying by the impact.

Yet this single collision made Liu Zong realize that while the rhinoceros possessed only this one attack, it was both pragmatic and devastating. The herder bear, acting as a frontline meat shield, had half of its health bar instantly depleted by the gore, sending it flying and plunging it into a stunned state from which it would take several seconds to recover.

Seeing this, Liu Zong waved his hand and ordered the miniature train to circle the rhinoceros at full speed, while his other companions leveraged their own speed advantages to flank the beast from both sides.

The red-spring automaton, in particular, had less than a minute of its transformation time remaining. Reaching the rhinoceros's flank, it attacked the creature recklessly and without reservation.

This time, the situation was far from as effortless as it had been against the tiger. Every single blow from the red-spring figure landed squarely on the rhinoceros, yet failed to leave even a scratch. The hide on the beast's back was exceptionally thick, completely absorbing all incoming damage.

Eventually, the red-spring automaton realized that only the rhinoceros's underbelly constituted a vulnerable point. However, unlike the long-legged tiger or the serpent accustomed to raising its upper body, this short-legged rhinoceros could not easily be struck in the belly unless someone charged directly into its front.

Furthermore, the timing had to be absolute perfection; the slightest error would result in nothing less than being crushed or sent flying by the beast.

By now, Liu Zong had also arrived behind the rhinoceros. A massive accumulation of yellow sand swirled around the tip of the spear in his hands. The miniature train accelerated further, and when they were less than three meters away from the beast, Liu Zong thrust his spear directly at the rhinoceros's hindquarters.

This strike represented the absolute pinnacle of Liu Zong's combat prowess. Taken completely by surprise and without any defenses raised, the spear found its mark precisely.

Just as Liu Zong thought he had successfully affected the beast, the spear rebounded off with a sharp clang. The yellow sand gathered at the tip instantly dissipated, and the rhinoceros did not even flinch.

Liu Zong's expression shifted; he understood that the underbelly was indeed the only viable path to victory. Without a second thought, he directed the miniature train right in front of the rhinoceros, using its speed to bait the beast and test for an opening.

His undead minions quickly realized that this approach remained unfeasible. When running, the rhinoceros kept its head lowered so low that its sharp horn practically scraped the ground. Charging straight toward its belly from the front was impossible—a frontal assault meant nothing less than a head-on collision.

At that moment, an inspiration seemed to strike the herder bear. It let out a fierce roar at the armored knight while simultaneously sweeping the ground to lay down a trail of slick ice.

The armored knight grasped the herder bear's intent instantly. As the rhinoceros charged toward Liu Zong, the knight stepped forward, bellowing a challenge at the beast from a position situated just a short distance ahead of the ice track.

Hearing the roar, the rhinoceros swiveled its head and redirected its charge toward the armored knight.

The window was exceptionally brief. The moment the rhinoceros began its dash, the knight launched his counter-charge.

At the exact instant they were about to collide, the herder bear intercepted them. Struck by the rhinoceros, the herder bear was instinctively tossed aside as the beast jerked its head upward.

Taking advantage of that split-second upward motion, the armored knight dropped low, utilizing his momentum to slide beneath the rhinoceros's belly along the prepared ice track.

As he slid under the beast, the armored knight seized his one and only chance, driving his greatsword deep into the rhinoceros's soft underbelly and carving a path toward the rear as he slid past.

The rhinoceros did not stop immediately, surging forward for a few more paces. The opposing forces tore open a massive gash across its underside.

After running only a short distance further, the rhinoceros's pace faltered. A vast quantity of gummy bear fragments and sticky syrup dripped continuously from the wound, soaking the ground beneath it.

Scrambling back to his feet, the armored knight whirled around, raced back to the beast, and drove his longsword once more into the gaping wound. Under this final assault, the rhinoceros finally collapsed to the earth, beginning to disintegrate and melt away.

Liu Zong stared at the herder bear with a grave expression, knowing that this loyal subordinate would be out of commission for quite some time to come.