Chapter 67: War of the Undead (II)

(Chapter 68: War of the Undead (II))

The chief's row of "Thought Arrows" was launched, but before they hit the target, the vines on the Goblins suddenly vanished; the attack struck only three of them, the rest were blocked by their crosswise blades. Turning his head, he saw Elder already fallen to the ground, rushed to help her up, when another skull flew toward them.

"Chief, be careful," the close guard beside him said. At this moment fewer than ten personal guards remained; one of them spotted the skull and shouted.

Hearing the voice, the chief rolled aside on the spot, evading the attack. In that instant, several Goblins that had been lined up surged forward, using brute force to knock the guards aside and surround the chief.

The chief remained calm; before they could strike, she raised her staff and muttered twice. A blue aura emanated from the gem at the staff's tip, instantly expanding from a moon‑sized circle to a ring that slipped from her head to her waist, turning into a circle of blue daggers that burst outward, stabbing every Goblin around and knocking them down.

At this moment the third skull had already arrived a foot away, baring green teeth as if to devour her.

Elder was the one killed by that skull; she now knew it was Corpse Rot Poison, but it was already within a foot of her. Whether to tumble or use the Teleportation Technique was too late, and she could not strike with her staff, lest the damage be greater. For a moment she stood there, clueless about what to do.

The others were also stunned by the scene: Yue Ji was absent, Elder was dead, and if the chief were poisoned again, the whole tribe would be doomed.

The skull made of Corpse Rot Poison drew ever closer, about to strike her chest. The chief knew she could not evade, closed her eyes and prepared to meet death, but at that moment she felt her body become light and rose involuntarily. While soaring, she slowly opened her eyes, looked down at the massive hand clasped at her waist—undead people never have such a hand. Curious, she turned to glance at the face pressed against her cheek; in the faint glow she saw a person wearing a bronze‑colored helm, beneath which a sharply angular, square‑shaped face stared with bright, calm eyes that nonetheless bore an innate, weighty authority. In the dimness she felt the person seemed like a War God.

With the Goblins about to wipe out the tribe, who in the shadowed valley, aside from their settlement and the Goblins, would come to their rescue at such a critical moment? Apart from the ethereal God of Faith they had never seen, she could think of no one else who might appear at this life‑or‑death juncture.

At that moment the tribal chief's dignified bearing vanished; staring at his face, she murmured, "Heavenly God?"

Before the words finished, they landed on a branch of the fire‑leaving tree. Li Bucai released her, took the staff from her hand, and coldly said, "Lend it to me for a while."

The chief only thought the person before him was a heavenly god descended, allowing him to take the staff—a symbol of authority—from his own hands. He then swung the vines, floated away from the branch, and swung back to the spot he had rescued.

At this point the girls saw the chief rescued and clashed with the Goblins in a melee.

After landing, Li Bucai slung the staff diagonally, using it as a spear, and rushed straight at the Yellow‑robed Goblin. A dozen Goblins gathered around, and with a move "Qinglong Tail Sweep" he swept them all to the ground, creating a gap in the flesh wall, truly taking

During the forward charge, a skull lunged at him, but he evaded it with "Cloud Leap".

The Yellow‑robed Goblin, seeing Li Bucai draw nearer, suddenly changed tactics, launching a rapid attack; a "Nether Poison Stab" flew toward him while four of the strongest Goblins seized the opportunity to rush to its front. Li Bucai countered the "Nether Poison Stab" with another "Qinglong Tail Sweep", driving the four Goblins back and creating space. He tangled with them for several rounds, inching closer to the Yellow‑robed Goblin until within ten steps, then stopped, waiting for it to prepare the "Poison‑Infusing Curse".

Li Bucai had been tailing that squad of Goblins closely; when the Yellow‑robed Goblin first cast the "Poison‑Infusing Curse", he realized the technique required about two seconds of chanting before release, and another second to recover after the move. The Necromancy Mage possessed a light‑step called "Nether Ghost Step", a freely usable technique far more flexible than other mages' Teleportation Technique. To defeat it in one blow, the best chance was to seize those three seconds.

Sure enough, the Yellow‑robed Goblin, while Li Bucai was trapped, muttered the incantation again. Li Bucai glanced sideways, but at that moment two Goblins thrust knives toward his back. He turned, brushed the knives aside, then turned back; the Yellow‑robed Goblin had already assumed the attack stance, and a massive skull had formed before the staff. It pushed forward, hurling itself at Li Bucai.

Those four Goblins were formidable; if the skirmish continued for a few more rounds, combined with a rear assault from the Yellow‑robed Goblin, they would likely be unable to hold, so they must seize this chance.

Li Bucai stopped dodging and suddenly unleashed "Wind Assault Stab" directly at the charging skull. War God qi surged through the staff tip, and together with his body formed a wedge‑shaped airflow that shattered the skull, though the airflow dispersed it, leaving no fragment on him. The momentum of "Wind Assault Stab" remained undiminished, striking for its vital point.

At this moment the Yellow‑robed Goblin had finished its move; seeing a powerful airflow bearing down, it prepared to use its light‑step, and its body vanished from view. As it leapt at high speed, it was a step too slow; the staff tip pierced its leg. Having just vanished, it reappeared mid‑air, fell to the ground, and Li Bucai drew his staff, struck down, and shattered its head.

All the Goblins had relied on that Yellow‑robed Necromancy Priest; with its death, they could no longer stand against the Undead, and after a few rounds of skirmish they scattered.

The girls, seeing the formidable enemy flee, exclaimed joyfully, "Chief, they've retreated, they've retreated."

The chief had already leapt down from the tree, nodded, and searched the crowd for that person's silhouette.

The maid asked curiously, "Who was that person just now?"

The chief gave no answer, hurried into the forest; by then Li Bucai's figure had vanished, leaving only the blue Scepter where the Yellow‑robed Goblin had died.

The chief, bewildered, shouted into the surroundings, "Heavenly God—Heavenly God…" Yet only her own voice echoed in the valley; the deity never appeared again. She suddenly fell to her knees, gazing at the starry sky, crying out, "Heavenly God, stay, come again and save your faithful followers…"

Although the Yellow‑robed Goblin was slain, the entire forest had been tainted by Corpse Rot Poison; they could not cure it and would inevitably face the doom of tribal annihilation.

But after shouting for a long time, there was no response; the chief collapsed in despair. After a while she steadied herself, hurriedly ordered the maid to block the valley entrance to prevent another group from returning, lest they be poisoned upon entering. Yet it was already too late; just after the command, a troop of riders appeared before her.

…

Yue Ji dared not waste a moment; seeing no sign of them at the valley mouth, she hurried back, sprinting from noon to sunset, then from sunset to dawn, unaware that it was noon again. Ahead lay the Undead tribe's settlement, still no sign of Li Bucai and the others. Another day and night passed, and she wondered how her sisters fared, whether they could still hold on.

In her anxiety, she noticed the clearing outside the valley mouth in disarray, strewn with numerous weapons; their design indicated they were left behind by dead Goblins, showing a battle had just occurred here.

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