Chapter 60: Impervious to Blades and Spears

A silhouette on the giant stone spoke in a low voice, "At a time like this you keep walking around—why don't you lie down quickly?"

Li Bucai was startled; it was a girl's voice, but very unfamiliar—this person was not Rui Tong.

"How are there other people in my Territory? Could another lord have invaded my Territory?"

Just as he was thinking, the person tugged him, forcing him to crouch beside them. The person whispered "Shh—". Their faces were now inches apart, each able to glimpse the other's features. The girl was startled, about to ask a question, but the Goblin had already reached the big stone, so she had to hold back.

Li Bucai now saw clearly that the person was dressed in black, looking vastly different from anyone in Sky City or these lords. Their eyes were huge—more than twice the size of a normal person's—stunningly beautiful, like something only seen in anime. Compared with those eyes, the nose and mouth were much smaller, only half the size of a normal person's, yet not at all unsightly; instead they gave a very cute impression. They looked about thirteen or fourteen years old, but with a curvaceous figure. What surprised Li Bucai even more was that on the exquisite round hips there was a long tail swaying back and forth.

"Could she, like the Goblin, also be an indigenous resident here? Even with so many people in Sky City, how could they retreat to Sky City and refuse to come down because of a few Lulu Beasts or Goblins? It seems this wondrous continent may hold countless other novel humanoid creatures." Li Bucai felt the game was becoming even more interesting.

The person kept a cold stare on Li Bucai; from their eyes it was clear they regarded themselves as an enemy, only staying motionless because of the Goblin's pressure. From their earlier words one could infer that hidden nearby were not just this "girl", but other accomplices as well—perhaps they had come to ambush this group of Goblins?

The Goblin went down the stone steps, and after a short while returned with a large contingent of its kind below, totaling more than thirty robust Goblins, carrying three adult Illusion Pigs, eight Marauder Dogs, and various small game. After arriving back at the camp, the Goblins unloaded the prey from their shoulders, and the Goblin that had gone to greet them hurried into the stone house at the center. Soon, a Goblin dressed in an earth‑colored Cloth Robe emerged from the stone house, leaning on a cane; the reverent attitude of the other Goblins showed that this Yellow‑Robed Goblin was their leader.

After a brief "Squeak—" sound, the Yellow‑Robed Goblin pointed to a stone house nearby. Two Goblins saluted it, walked to the house, unlocked the door, and lifted out a figure cloaked entirely in black cloth. The figure moved lightly, and at a glance one could tell she was a woman; she was hoisted to a cross‑shaped wooden stake beside the campfire and bound there.

Dozens of Goblins gathered around, forming a circle in front of the cross. The Yellow‑Robed Goblin stepped to the cross, turned its back to the woman, raised both hands as if praying to the heavens, and the Goblins then all knelt before it.

After a while, once the prayer ended, it stepped aside, and a massively strong Goblin bearing a large blade on its shoulder marched toward the cross, wiped the blade's edge, and then swung the blade fiercely at the woman's neck.

At that moment, the person hidden with Li Bucai on the giant stone blew a sharp whistle; in the darkness a spear shot toward the bonfire, pierced the dancing flames, and headed for the back of the blade‑wielding Goblin.

Upon hearing the whistle, the Goblins realized someone was attacking them, and a commotion spread as they scattered and formed formations.

The central Goblin, which had been brandishing the blade, now halted the blade, spun around, saw the incoming spear, and slashed downward, cleaving the spear's tip in two so that the halves brushed past its sides, missing the target.

On the giant stone, after the whistle, the person suddenly drew a blade. Li Bucai saw her peripheral glance shift toward him, thought the blade would likely strike him, and his hand, already on the copper sword at his waist, silently pointed the sword at her abdomen as she placed the blade on his shoulder.

"If you don't want your head to hit the ground, stay here obediently." Though the person was threatening, the voice sounded doll‑like; seeing the spear miss, she whistled again.

Then a volley of arrows shot from the darkness toward the Goblin formation. The Goblin ranks were already set; the Blade Badge Warrior guarded the outer circle, using a shield to block the incoming arrows. The rain of arrows fell, yet only a few were hit. More than twenty figures emerged from the darkness, each, like the woman before them, bearing a long tail behind them, leapt onto the clearing and tangled with the Goblins in a melee.

It was clear these people were rushing toward the person tied to the cross, but their reach seemed inferior to the Goblins'. After only a few rounds, the twenty‑something attackers failed to fell any Goblin, and instead were gradually surrounded by over forty Goblins, their backs increasingly exposed.

At this moment the person still stood on the giant stone, holding a blade against Li Bucai's throat.

Li Bucai said, "If you don't want all your companions to die in battle, you'd better put the blade down, otherwise you'll add another enemy." The sword edge was already pressed against her abdomen; a simple upward thrust could end her life.

The person sensed his sword, and her already huge eyes widened even more, showing she was truly angry, caring nothing for the sword, and simply lowered the blade, sweeping it toward Li Bucai's neck.

Li Bucai still could not determine whether they were a naturally hostile race or had treated him as an enemy simply because he inadvertently stumbled into their ambush for self‑preservation. If it were the latter, and he truly killed her, perhaps their kind would indeed regard him as a foe.

He lightly flicked the sword in his hand, letting the hilt swing over the back of his hand while the blade sliced through the space between them, producing a crisp "Clang—", separating the blade.

The person intended to swing the blade again, but a whistle sounded from behind. Then dozens of her allies rushed up from the mountain base, joining the melee with the Goblins and instantly turning the tide. A few more, seeing the two combatants on the giant stone, leapt up to assist her in attacking Li Bucai.

Four of them attacked Li Bucai together; without a killing move, it would be hard to hold them off.

"Hold on." Li Bucai feigned a move, slipping out of the four's encirclement, halted everyone, and said, "I never intended to be your enemy; if this continues, things will get serious."

The four heard his halt command, paused briefly without speaking, then attacked again. Li Bucai had already retreated to the edge of the giant stone, with nowhere to fall back. The four pressed hard, forcing Li Bucai to act; he employed a "Swinging Sword Form" to part the incoming blades, and simultaneously used a "Hidden Sword Form" to flash four sword shadows, stabbing at the four at once. The four blades almost simultaneously struck the four's wrists; he expected this would cause their blades to fall, but the swords failed to pierce their wrists. Even so, Li Bucai's sword thrust was strong—comparable to a wooden stick striking a wrist with such force should have knocked the blade loose. Yet the four seemed oblivious to pain, showing no reaction; the blades remained in their hands, turning and slashing at him again.

Li Bucai had no choice but to use a killing move, aiming directly at their vital points, but the sword, upon striking their bodies, could not pierce the skin and remained harmless.

Li Bucai thought to himself, "What kind of people are these? Even Lulu Beasts have layered scales that make them impervious to blades and spears, yet they look like a few delicate little lolis—how does everyone practice Golden Bell Shield?"