Zhang Shi watched helplessly as his soldiers struggled and collapsed amidst the pillars of fire, his heart filled with self-reproach and rage. He charged desperately towards the two high-ranking lizardmen, using Shadow Step to continuously close the distance, attempting to stop them from unleashing more flames. However, the lizardmen guards fought fearlessly, surrounding him layer by layer, making his advance extremely difficult. Often, the moment Zhang Shi moved, he would be attacked from behind by the lizardmen army.

Ge Dalong and Zhao Feng also realized the urgency of the situation. They attacked from both sides, attempting to create a passage for Zhang Shi. Ge Dalong unleashed a blizzard, with massive ice spikes appearing out of thin air above the lizardman army, each strike creating a clearing in the midst of the lizardmen. Zhao Feng, on the other hand, used his agile movements and superb axe skills to cut through the enemy ranks, gradually closing in on Zhang Shi.

Just as Zhang Shi was about to approach the two high-ranking lizardmen, one of them seemed to sense his intentions and pointed the crimson bead in his hand at him, unleashing a torrent of flames. Zhang Shi quickly dodged to the side, but was still burned on the arm by the heat of the flames. Even with the protection of his black light armor, he still felt an unbearable burning sensation.

Due to the lizardmen's sudden attack and close-quarters combat with the soldiers, the magic cannons became useless. Old White, as a second choice, retrieved a batch of heavy crossbows. The first group of soldiers to evacuate had already occupied advantageous positions, set up the heavy crossbows to cover the retreat of their teammates. Gradually, the soldiers regained order and finally successfully withdrew from the fire zone.

However, the lizardmen's offensive did not weaken, and more and more of their kind continued to surge onto the island from the sea. Zhang Shi knew that this couldn't go on. He looked around, his gaze falling on a grove of trees not far away. This grove was lush and leafy, with tall, closely spaced trees that might serve as a natural barrier against the lizardmen's attack.

"Everyone, retreat to the woods!" Zhang Shi shouted, his voice unusually firm amidst the chaos of the battlefield. Upon hearing the order, the soldiers began their retreat, fighting their way back towards the woods.

The lizardmen seemed to have sensed Zhang Shi's intentions. The two high-ranking officers commanded their army to accelerate their attack, with fire beads constantly spewing pillars of fire in an attempt to cut off the soldiers' retreat. However, under the suppressive fire of the heavy crossbows and the soldiers' desperate resistance, most of the troops successfully retreated into the forest.

Upon entering the woods, Zhang Shi immediately ordered his soldiers to disperse and use the trees for cover in their defense. He knew that while the area was temporarily safe, it was not a long-term solution, and they had to find a way to counterattack.

"Old Ge, you take a group of men on the left flank and use ice magic to create traps and obstacles to slow down the lizardmen's advance. Zhao Feng, you're on the right flank, leading soldiers skilled in melee combat to look for opportunities to ambush the lizardmen's flanks. Old Bai, organize the magic users and crossbowmen in the rear to provide ranged support." Zhang Shi quickly issued the orders, a hint of determination in his eyes.

The others accepted the order and left to prepare. Zhang Shi stood alone in the center of the forest, gripping Lao Duan's hand tightly, watching the lizardmen approaching from outside. He silently calculated the relative strengths of the two sides and the possible variables. The lizardmen's strength far exceeded the survivors' expectations. Even for a top-tier force like his, this battle had reached a life-or-death point, and he had to make the right decision.

Once inside the forest, the lizardmen's movements were noticeably restricted; their massive bodies appeared somewhat clumsy among the trees. Ge Dalong's ice traps frequently caused the lizardmen to slip and fall, creating numerous opportunities for the soldiers to attack. Zhao Feng, meanwhile, led his soldiers in a flanking attack, their battle axes repeatedly striking the lizardmen, splattering blood everywhere.

However, the lizardmen were simply too numerous. They gradually adapted to the forest environment and began to launch even more ferocious attacks. The two high-ranking lizardmen also cautiously entered the forest, and for fear of accidentally injuring their companions, they did not indiscriminately use the fire orbs in their hands.

Seeing this, Zhang Shi took a deep breath and decided to take the initiative. He unleashed Shadow Slash, sending a black sword aura flying towards the lizardman leaders. At the same time, he used the speed of Shadow Step to quickly traverse the forest, closing in on the lizardman leaders.

The lizardmen guards swarmed around him, trying to stop Zhang Shi. But Zhang Shi was fearless; his swordsmanship grew increasingly fierce, each swing taking the life of a lizardman. In the intense exchange, Zhang Shi gradually approached the two high-ranking lizardmen.

Just as he was about to succeed, several enormous ground-walking lizards suddenly emerged from the ground, their gaping maws snapping at Zhang Shi. Zhang Shi quickly retreated, inwardly realizing the danger. These ground-walking lizards were clearly a secret weapon of the lizard people, and their appearance made the situation even more dire.

While dodging the attacks of the ground-walking lizards, Zhang Shi pondered a countermeasure. He discovered that although these ground-walking lizards were enormous, they moved relatively slowly, and they seemed to be quite sensitive to magical attacks.

"Those with skills, concentrate your firepower on the ground lizard!" Zhang Shi shouted.

Upon hearing the order, the skilled soldiers, led by Ge Dalong, unleashed their magic and attacked the ground lizards. Fireballs, ice spikes, and other spells rained down on the lizards, causing them to roar in pain.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhang Shi charged towards the lizardmen's high command once again. This time, he successfully dodged the attacks of the ground lizards and arrived in front of the lizardmen's high command. He raised Old Duan and slashed down fiercely at one of the lizardmen's high command members.

The lizardman leader hurriedly used the flame bead in his hand to defend himself. Unexpectedly, the blazing flames actually blocked Zhang Shi's attack, but he was still forced back a few steps by Zhang Shi's powerful force. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhang Shi launched a series of attacks, giving the lizardman leader no chance to catch his breath.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Zhang Shi finally found an opening. He slashed the arm of a high-ranking lizardman, causing him to drop the flaming bead from his hand. The bead fell to the ground, and the power of the flames immediately diminished.

Seeing this opportunity, the soldiers on the island were greatly encouraged and rushed out of the forest, launching an even fiercer counterattack against the lizardmen. Realizing the situation was dire, the lizardmen began to retreat. On the northern shore, several submarines resembling giant turtles were already waiting, clearly indicating they had a complete battle plan.

Zhang Shi did not let his guard down. He sent people to patrol the coast until dawn before he felt at ease. However, he knew that this was only a temporary victory and that the lizardmen would definitely come back again.

After the battle, Zhang Shi tallied the casualties. Of the thousands of people on the entire island, more than half had been killed in this night raid, most of them injured by the lizardmen's flames. Zhang Shi was filled with grief. This battle made him realize that relying solely on the island's existing strength would make it difficult to completely defeat the lizardmen.

He decided that he must contact other forces as soon as possible to discuss a joint effort against the lizardmen; otherwise, the island and even the entire survivor world would face annihilation.