Everyone entered the cave, looking around nervously. The cave was quite spacious, allowing them to move freely.
The cave lacked sufficient light, making it difficult to see far inside. Even with torches or other light sources in their hands, the illumination didn't reach far. The rogue and the small forces remained highly vigilant as they navigated through the cave.
On the other side, one thousand goblin riders stood in an orderly manner, waiting in the darkness. Fearless expressions adorned their faces as they observed the humans.
Quietly positioned not far from the humans, they waited for the humans to make a move. If the humans intended to proceed, they would have to eliminate the goblin riders first. The strongest among the goblin riders were three individuals at the fifth stage of the Building Base realm.
Meanwhile, in the human camp, there were four powerhouses at the fifth stage of the Building Base realm. However, this did not put the goblin riders at a disadvantage. They could each take on two opponents of the same realm, and though they might eventually be defeated, it would be enough for their allies to defeat their adversaries.
Ghorm had set up two defenses before the boss room. The first was the goblin riders, and the second consisted of one thousand one hundred goblin/hobgoblin riders led by the three peak Building Base realm individuals.
As the humans moved forward, the entire first row suddenly came to a halt.
"Gu-guys, I see a lot of green creatures," one of them stuttered.
"EVERYONE, PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" someone shouted, the sound reverberating through the cave.
Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, their gazes fixed on the goblin riders charging towards them with savage intent.
The humans gathered their courage and rushed forward as well.
In the clash that followed, ten humans fell instantly. They were all low-level cultivators. This marked the official start of the largest battle the people of Waydale City had fought since the last beast tide.
Given the cavern's size, forces from the three factions also joined the fight. With the humans outnumbering the goblin riders five to one, confidence grew among the combatants, especially with the arrival of reinforcements.
At the rear, Anakin, the strongest commander under Xenos, possessed the cultivation base of an eight-stage Building Base realm.
Anakin approached Xenos, who observed the battle unfolding before them.
"My Lord, there are three fifth-stage Building Base monsters among the enemy. Shall I send Bazz?" Anakin inquired.
Bazz, the second commander of Xenos, possessed the cultivation base of a sixth-stage Building Base realm.
Upon hearing this, Xenos glanced at the two leaders standing beside him and replied, "Lin Xu, Patriarch Song Ho, please send your four elders first. We need to preserve our energy."
"Not a problem, Lord Xenos," Patriarch Song Ho responded, dispatching his two elders and accompanying three elders, the most advanced among them possessing the cultivation base of the seventh-stage Building Base realm.
"Tssk..." Lin Xu also sent two fifth-stage Building Base elders.
Prior to their arrival, the trio had held a meeting and decided to bring three elders with them, considering their plans to delve deeper into the forest.
The three leaders, together with their elders and commanders, preserved their strength. They were uncertain about the number of monsters they would encounter within the cave, and they aimed to avoid unnecessary injuries.
The battle raged on for half an hour, and nearly one thousand people had fallen on the human side. As for the goblin riders, only slightly over two hundred remained.
"Aahh! Help me!" a sudden cry pierced the air, drawing everyone's attention to the location where the
elders were engaged in combat. Gasps filled the cave as they witnessed an elder from the Blue Wind Sect having his arm torn apart by a wolf.
"F*ck! Elder Tan Zong, go and save Elder Cheng!" Lin Xu bellowed, knowing his sect couldn't afford to lose another elder.
Without a second thought, Tan Zong rushed forward, utilizing the top speed of a seventh-stage Building Base cultivator.
In no time, he reached the scene and swiftly brought down his sword upon the hobgoblin rider. However, the hobgoblin, seemingly possessed, continued its assault even after sustaining a fatal blow.
Moments later, Elder Tan Zong's sword severed the hobgoblin and the wolf in half. Sadly, Elder Cheng had already suffered fatal injuries from the club's metal spikes, his eyes wide open as he met his demise.
Silence fell upon the spectators, save for those still engaged in combat. They couldn't believe the monsters' audacity. The monsters clearly had the opportunity to evade Elder Tan Zong's sword, yet they willingly sacrificed their lives to take down Elder Cheng.
It was now clear to them that these green monsters feared no death. A chill ran down their spines.
"AAHH! I WILL KILL YOU ALL!" Lin Xu couldn't contain his anger any longer. With bloodshot eyes, he charged toward the remaining two hobgoblins and swiftly dispatched them in five strikes.
He didn't stop there but continued onward. Soon, he eliminated all the remaining goblin riders before finally regaining his composure.
Everyone remained silent, their attention turned to searching for any drop of returner stone. However, amidst the looting, a sudden exclamation shook them to the core.
"I-I found a cultivation book!" the person who spoke immediately covered his mouth, realizing his mistake, but it was too late.