Faced with the tide of incoming Skeleton Warriors, Lin Xiu instantly entered combat mode. His gaze was as sharp as a falcon's, gleaming with vigilance in the dim light. His lips moved rapidly as he silently chanted the Stealth incantation. In an instant, his entire body was tightly enveloped by a dense power of shadows, like donning an invisible veil of night. He melted into the darkness with ghostly speed, leaving only faint, lingering shadow ripples in the air, as if he had never existed at all. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a black gale, darting behind a Skeleton Warrior. Lin Xiu gripped his dagger tightly, which gleamed with a cold light. The power of shadows accumulated from years of cultivation converged on the blade. With his arm muscles tensed, he struck with extreme precision at an extremely tricky angle, aiming straight for the joint of the Skeleton Warrior's spine. Accompanied by a crisp "crack," the Skeleton Warrior seemed to have all its support drained away. It instantly collapsed apart, turning into a pile of lifeless bone shards that crashed onto the cold ground with a clatter.
Su Yu stood at the back of the formation, her posture upright and elegant, her long black hair dancing wildly in the wind like a fluttering banner. With a bow in hand, her movements were fluid and natural, executed in one continuous motion. Her eyes revealed the calm and focus of a hunter, as if she and the enemy before her were the only things left in the world. Every arrow in her hands seemed imbued with a soul, carrying a sharp, whistling wind as it pierced through the chests of two Skeleton Warriors in rapid succession at astonishing speed. Under the immense impact, the skeletons shattered instantly, turning into flying bone fragments that shimmered with an eerie glow in the dim light. However, these Skeleton Warriors seemed endless. Dense figures surged forward like a roaring tide, quickly breaking through Su Yu's ranged defense and pressing step-by-step toward the group, filling the air with a suffocating sense of pressure.
Witnessing this, Lu Chen widened his eyes in fury, a blaze seeming to erupt from within them. He let out a sudden, roaring cry toward the sky, the sound wave rolling like thunder and echoing around the ruins, making everyone's eardrums ache. He gripped his heavy greatsword with both hands, the blade flashing with a chilling, cold light like an emissary from hell. With a fierce step forward, a dazzling layer of golden battle aura erupted around him. The aura burned fiercely, bright as the sun, framing him like an invincible god of war stepping out of an ancient battlefield. The greatsword in his hands danced through the air, carving out dazzling and blinding sword shadows, every swing carrying the force to split mountains and cleave rocks. With a few muffled "bangs," several Skeleton Warriors were chopped in two by this formidable attack, bone fragments scattering everywhere. The endless sound of snapping bones played like a movement of death before the gloomy ruins.
Bai Zhi concentrated fully on maintaining the golden shield. The shield stood like an impenetrable fortress, radiating a soft yet steadfast glow that firmly protected her teammates against the close-range attacks of the Skeleton Warriors. Her forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat; maintaining the shield was like wrestling with an invisible enemy, draining a massive amount of her mana. Yet her gaze remained unshakeable, brimming with unquestionable resolve. At the same time, she chanted rapidly under her breath, lips moving quickly as she gripped her staff with both hands. The gemstone at the top of the staff flared brilliantly, radiating a dazzling light as if trying to illuminate this dark world. Suddenly, an ice-blue Ice Prism Spell shrieked like lightning from the staff, instantly striking the row of Skeleton Warriors ahead. Hit by the spell, those Skeleton Warriors were instantly frozen into crystal-clear ice sculptures. They maintained their attacking postures but could no longer move a single inch, as if time had frozen in that moment. Immediately afterward, Lu Chen swung his greatsword and charged forward with a loud roar, effortlessly shattering the ice sculptures. Ice chips and bone shards splattered in all directions, forming a chaotic mist in the air.
The battle grew increasingly fierce, rapidly reaching its climax. Lin Xiu moved among the dense crowd of Skeleton Warriors like a fish in water, weaving flexibly with a ghostly, elusive figure. He continuously deployed his Shadow Clone skill, and in an instant, several identical duplicates of himself appeared across the battlefield. These clones coordinated flawlessly with his true body, acting like different incarnations of a single soul. At times, they feigned attacks to draw the attention of the Skeleton Warriors with exaggerated and lifelike movements, causing the creatures to spin around in confusion; at other times, they seized the right moment to launch sneak attacks from unexpected angles with lightning speed, catching the Skeleton Warriors completely off guard. However, as the battle persisted and time ticked away, Lin Xiu's stamina continually drained. His breathing grew ragged, every inhalation feeling as though he were swallowing fire. His movements gradually slowed, and every dodge and strike felt somewhat strained as a wave of soreness surged through his arms.
Right at that moment, a heavy, slow footstep echoed from the depths of the darkness, as if some massive object were slowly approaching, every step falling straight upon everyone's hearts. The group was startled, turning their heads to see a gigantic Skeleton General slowly emerging from the dark. This Skeleton General was several times taller than ordinary Skeleton Warriors, resembling a moving hill. It gripped a massive battleaxe, the edge gleaming with a bone-chilling cold light as if it could easily tear apart anything in its path. Its bones radiated an eerie black glow, cursed by the power of darkness. With every step it took, the ground trembled slightly, kicking up a flurry of dust, and the surrounding air seemed frozen by its sheer presence. The Skeleton General let out a deep, raspy roar—a sound seemingly from the depths of hell, filled with endless fury and killing intent that chilled the bone. Immediately after, it swung its battleaxe fiercely, unleashing a black sword qi like a streak of black lightning, carrying destructive intent as it howled toward Lu Chen. Lu Chen's expression shifted drastically, a flash of panic crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, fighting spirit reigniting within him as he hurriedly raised his greatsword to block with both hands. With a deafening "boom," the sword qi and the greatsword collided violently, unleashing a powerful shockwave. The impact sent Lu Chen stumbling backward, his boots carving two deep trenches into the ground. His arms went numb from the massive recoil, his greatsword nearly slipping from his grasp, and a split formed in the web of his hand where blood slowly oozed out.
Seeing this, Su Yu knitted her delicate brows, her eyes revealing worry and anxiety. Without hesitation, she drew an Armor-Piercing Arrow from her quiver. This arrow was meticulously crafted by her; the arrowhead was forged from a special material, refined and tempered through countless passes, specifically designed to deal with heavily armored enemies. She nocked the arrow and pulled the bow in one fluid motion, and the projectile carried her hopes and determination as it soared toward the Skeleton General like a shooting star. However, when the Armor-Piercing Arrow struck the Skeleton General, it merely sparked a faint flicker of light, as if hitting an unimaginably hard boulder, failing to inflict any substantial damage. The Armor-Piercing Arrow clattered uselessly to the ground with a dull thud, sounding like a sigh of despair.
"This Skeleton General is a bit tricky!" Su Yu frowned, saying anxiously with a trace of tremor in her voice.
Lin Xiu took a deep breath, forcing himself to adjust his state. He closed his eyes, silently calming his rapid breathing, trying to restore peace to his pounding heart. A moment later, his eyes snapped open, blazing with a steadfast brilliance that burned like an undying flame. He shouted loudly to his teammates, "Don't panic, everyone! Let's find its weakness together!" With that, he triggered Shadow Strike once more, his figure transforming into a black phantom as he darted at high speed toward the Skeleton General, moving so fast that his form was barely visible.
At the same time, Bai Zhi bit her lower lip, a look of pain crossing her face as she cranked up her mana output. Her hands trembled slightly, and sweat rolled ceaselessly down her forehead, every drop a testament to her effort and perseverance. Yet she remained fully focused on chanting her incantation, her voice firm and powerful as if battling the power of darkness. With her chanting, the gemstone atop her staff flared even brighter, becoming almost blinding to look at. Beneath the Skeleton General's feet, a patch of black swamp rapidly spread, exuding a pungent odor as thick mud churned ceaselessly, resembling an abyss harboring endless danger. As the Skeleton General stepped into the swamp, its feet instantly sank in, and its movements immediately slowed. Every step became grueling, as if gripped tightly by an invisible pair of giant hands—the harder it struggled, the deeper it sank. Seizing this golden opportunity, Lu Chen roared, pushed off the ground hard with both legs, and leaped high into the air. Brandishing his greatsword with boundless power and momentum, he plunged downward like a golden bolt of lightning striking from the heavens, aiming straight for the Skeleton General's head, the air seeming to be torn open by the sheer force.
Noticing the danger overhead, the Skeleton General hurriedly swung its battleaxe in defense. The axe and greatsword collided violently, producing a piercing, grating screech of metal that felt sharp enough to puncture eardrums and make one's skin crawl. Taking advantage of the moment, Lin Xiu slipped around behind the Skeleton General. Resolution flashed in his eyes as he channeled all his strength, every muscle tightening for a full-power strike. The dagger in his hand carried a determination to kill as he thrust it toward the back of the Skeleton General's head. The blade met the skull with a muffled thud, sounding like the tolling bell of fate.
With that muffled sound, the Skeleton General's head twitched slightly, and the eerie black light upon its body dimmed a fraction. Seeing this, the group's morale soared, and the flame of hope reignited in their eyes, as they caught a glimpse of the dawn of victory. They stepped up their attacks, battle cries and weapon clashes weaving together to echo across the entire ruins. This thrilling battle entered its most crucial moment, with everyone giving their all for survival and victory.