Chapter 143: Final Battle with the Tree Elf (II)

Li Bucai leads the Tree Elf clan leader far away, planning to go so far that a quick return is impossible; most of the cavalry he commands originally belong to the Young Marshal, and although she lacked strategy in the earlier battle against the Goblins, tactically she is certainly not inferior to him, and with the Young Marshal commanding there there is no need to worry.

Gradually slowing down, when they were about to catch up, he suddenly braked his mount, turned, and thrust a spear toward the Tree Elf clan leader's chest.

The Tree Elf clan leader had been on guard the whole way for a sudden counter‑strike; seeing him reduce his speed, she knew that, given Li Bucai's mount, he had only covered a little over two li and would not be exhausted. Hearing the wind‑cutting sound, she swiftly activated lightness skill, vanished in an instant, and from above Li Bucai a "Zombie Bomb" surged forward. The "Zombie Bomb" is a Necromancy Priest's unique spell, a green chaotic sphere the size of a soccer ball expelled from the palm.

Li Bucai leapt into the air, performed a Qinglong Tail Sweep, shielding his body with the scepter's shadow; the gas mass slammed into the scepter, exploding with a sound like a grenade, shattering into pieces.

Although a "Zombie Bomb" reaches its full power only when the entire gas mass hits the opponent, being called a bomb means the gas is a potent toxin; even if it does not hit directly, the explosion easily splashes toxin onto the target.

As Li Bucai touched down, a "chi" sound was heard and toxic gas burst onto his body; the Bronze Armor protected his chest, but a lump of gas struck his hand, instantly eroding the skin, which bled profusely.

After that move landed, the Tree Elf clan leader launched another Void Wave Stab; this is a common attack of a Necromancy Priest, which, under the spell's drive, turns air into a sharp spear, forcing Li Bucai back several steps. He quickly leapt backward, creating distance, stood there, and began muttering the incantation.

Li Bucai saw the Tree Elf clan leader enveloped in a green gas mass, similar to the Goblin priest he had encountered among the undead tribe, but hers was larger and denser; he thought she was about to cast "Poison Sea of Suffering".

The Goblin priest's ability is weaker than hers, so his casting time is longer, whereas she wields the skill with greater mastery, needing only a few seconds to cast "Poison Sea of Suffering".

Li Bucai's hand was wounded at this moment; once it contacts corpse poison, it would quickly flow with the blood into his body, inevitably damaging his organs. He is not an undead who can be impervious to water and fire, so he cannot simply neutralize the poison.

Before she could act, he lunged forward; just as he was about to land, a Wind Assault Stab surged forward. The Tree Elf clan leader instantly flashed, evading with the "Nether Ghost Step". Seeing the move hard to execute, she switched to a "Poison Curse", sending a skull‑sized corpse‑poison‑formed head flying toward Li Bucai.

With a "thud", the skull struck Li Bucai's chest; as the green mist dispersed, another "thump" sounded, his legs went limp and he collapsed to the ground.

The Tree Elf clan leader, having landed a hit, let out a cold snort, stepped forward and kicked his body, which showed no reaction; to be safe, she used a Void Wave Stab to deliver a fatal blow.

While she was chanting, the Void Wave Stab incantation required 1.5 seconds to complete; Li Bucai suddenly opened his eyes, raised his hand, and struck the Tree Elf clan leader's ankle with his scepter; the scepter's tip, a bowl‑sized sky‑blue gem, smashed her foot instantly.

The Tree Elf clan leader let out a wail, fell to her knees, and with her foot broken she could no longer use lightness skill; the surrounding wasteland offered no chance of escape.

The "Poison Curse" is composed of a gas mass; even at great impact it cannot kill a person, though it has knocked people unconscious before. The Tree Elf clan leader saw that Li Bucai's scepter belonged to the undead, a weapon she had seen before; even the Undead clan leader was no match for her. Moreover, Li Bucai's attributes were concealed by a ring, hiding his rank and cultivation, yet she did not know that although his rank was lower, his cultivation was one tier higher, so this move could not possibly render him unconscious.

Li Bucai's feigned death was because he lacked a suitable weapon, and the opponent's lightness skill was superb; even a day‑long entanglement might not have ended her. Worried about the battle's outcome, he chose a swift‑kill tactic, resorting to this desperate measure, never expecting to be so easily duped.

Mercy toward the enemy is cruelty to oneself; as an Undead clan leader, the Tree Elves seized my He Rui Peak, occupied my Life Spring, and from the moment I took the undead scepter I have been at odds with them, so I could not be soft‑hearted. Li Bucai raised his scepter and struck the Tree Elf clan leader's head; a "bang" echoed, the blow shattered her as if a bomb exploded inside, leaving not even half a corpse to be found. A clatter of debris fell, and when Li Bucai opened his eyes he saw many glowing objects scattered around.

"Ugh… loot drop? Is this what they call a boss?"

Within a ten‑meter radius lay a long‑shaped blue Magic Crystal, a blade‑shaped blue Magic Crystal, a round blue Magic Crystal, two scrolls of parchment titled "Heavenly Steed Gale" and "Soul Barrier"; the former is a Martial God Mantra skill, the latter a Gale Mantra skill; most interesting to Li Bucai was a blue‑stone‑forged Spear, which, judging by the material, matches exactly the ancient holy gear used by the Goblin Chieftain, except it lacks markings, is weaker than its war axe, but fits perfectly in hand.

"Oh crap, now I've got everything."

Li Bucai eagerly packed the remaining items, then remembered he was poisoned with corpse poison; the antidote time was short, and he thought the toxin wouldn't penetrate deeply. His left hand still trembled, so he gathered a piece of campfire, clenched his teeth, and placed his hand on the flames to detoxify. To his surprise, his palm felt no pain at all; the fire could not affect him.

In fact, ever since he emerged from the Refining Realm's ice and fire, ordinary flames could no longer harm him.

Until the color on his arm returned to flesh tone and the corpse poison was gone, his mount had already vanished. Li Bucai shouted a few times, but could not find its trace, assuming it had chased the Qingwolf Beast, so he walked toward the battlefield on foot…

Below He Rui Peak, the Young Marshal's cavalry had already tangled with the Tree Elves; with three times the manpower, the Young Marshal first sent undead troops to charge, followed by mounted archers, with heavy cavalry at the rear. After several clashes, they killed hundreds of enemy soldiers, while our side lost about a hundred, some trapped in the middle after their warhorses were shot and could not break out, eventually dying or being shot dead and falling from their horses.

The Young Marshal and several generals held the enemy's main commander; they also rode Qingwolf Beasts, fighting fiercely. When Li Bucai arrived, the spearhead bore a torn cloth from the clan leader's garment, and he shouted loudly, "The main commander is dead, surrender now!"

The Tree Elves saw the spear tip bearing a tree‑shaped pattern that matched the clan leader's chest emblem; that piece of cloth indicated the clan leader had fallen in battle. With the clan leader dead, morale collapsed instantly, and the few who loved combat, lacking allies, were eliminated one by one, many soldiers' weapons slipping from their hands onto the ground…