Zhong decisively turned back, and I gripped my dual swords tightly, standing guard at the stone entrance. The disaster knights seemed in no rush to engage, completely ignoring me, until a freshly resurrected skeletal archer shot an arrow in my direction. I casually flicked away the bone arrow and recalled that I possessed a similar weapon in my collection.
On Skull Island, I had slain countless undead, and while the level seven treasure was solely the Death Breath of the Undead Lord, I had over ten level six treasures, including a skeletal war spear and a longbow known as the Wail of the Banshee. This magical longbow could unleash invisible arrows powered by death energy, and upon slaying a target, the arrows would return with the energy of the foe, eliminating any concern over ammunition—a perfect weapon for long-range attacks. The bowstring sang as six skeletal warriors fell beneath my arrows. Sensing the impending threat, the disaster knights halted their summoning of skeletal warriors and redirected their attention towards me.
Among the disaster knights and the summoned skeletal warriors were those skilled in archery. More than a dozen black-feathered arrows and white bone arrows suddenly sealed off all my escape routes, while the leader of the disaster knights drew back his bow, aiming a deadly shot at my chest.
These disaster knights possessed far greater intelligence than their counterparts on Skull Island, yet their strength was wanting. I twisted the Wail of the Banshee in my hands, causing the dark-feathered arrows infused with death energy to vanish from the bowstring, while the white bone arrows shattered into fragments. The Wail of the Banshee was designed to absorb death energy, rendering those black-feathered arrows akin to potent elixirs.
As I drew the bow once more, eager to retaliate, the leader of the disaster knights urged his steed forward, wielding his cleaver with unmatched ferocity, locking onto my position with unyielding intent. I realized that the Wail of the Banshee would be insufficient to withstand such a strike, and with a mental command, I concealed it within the Heart of the Fallen Warrior. "The Heart of the Fallen Warrior is truly useful; any weapon stored within can be swapped at will. Yet, it likely harbors more secrets, such as how to trigger its power to enhance the physical form." I had previously attempted to channel the ethereal blue flames of the Heart through an unnamed martial arts technique, but each attempt had failed, as the death energy transformed into blue flames that disregarded the meridians, spreading like a raging wildfire.
My body was engulfed in those flames, indicating that my method was ineffective. Suddenly, three magical missiles shot forth, all aimed at the leader of the disaster knights. Wang Zhong, employing some unknown tactic, had managed to rally the trembling individuals, though only Gu Lengzhai and Wang Lili were truly capable of contributing. The remaining bystanders merely cowered at the back, acting as spectators. The leader of the disaster knights let out a low, mournful howl, casually deflecting the three magical missiles with a flick of his cleaver. Observing this, I frowned and abandoned the notion of launching another magical missile.
The leader of the disaster knights was indeed formidable; such low-level magical missiles posed no threat to him. Randomly firing them would only waste ammunition. Wang Zhong, witnessing the scene, called out softly from behind me, "Let us join forces to take down this foe!" He brandished his war hammer and charged forward. After a brief hesitation, I followed suit. Wang Zhong's judgment was sound; this disaster knight leader was no trifling adversary. If we could eliminate him, we could manage the remaining seven or eight disaster knights, and even the awakened skeletal warriors could be handled by Gu Lengzhai and Wang Lili, who had just acquired magical cards.
Zhong's profile mentioned his mastery of the Iron Sand Palm, but as he charged, he exuded a fierce aura, indicating his considerable prowess in hammer techniques, surpassing even the combat strength of the Wolf King and Hachijo Jinpu upon entering Demon Island. With a hammer in each hand, he unleashed a barrage that seemed capable of breaking through a thousand troops, striking down upon the disaster knight leader. The leader merely raised his cleaver defensively, maintaining a hard stance against such heavy weaponry.
Having witnessed their clash, I felt reassured about Wang Zhong's capabilities. The strength of the disaster knight leader was comparable to an ordinary undead warrior from Skull Island; while he was somewhat more intelligent than the skeletal warriors, his skill in wielding power was not superior to those undead warriors who fought daily. In this one-on-one duel, clever tricks held no value; only raw strength and honed battle techniques could prevail. After three exchanges with the disaster knight leader, Wang Zhong gradually steadied his demeanor, employing his dual hammers with remarkable finesse. Observing that he required no assistance, I crossed my swords and began to eliminate the other disaster knights, initiating a weeding process.
With just over a dozen disaster knights remaining, I had already slain three. As these disaster knights dispersed, their concentrated charge lost its potency. Utilizing the footwork I had honed on Skull Island, I deftly maneuvered within the confined space, avoiding being cornered. The Death Breath released a small segment of blade hidden in the shadow of my dagger, capable of harvesting a soul flame with a mere flick.
After dispatching more than ten skeletal warriors and two disaster knights, the battlefield near Wang Zhong finally approached its conclusion. With my presence clearing the surroundings, Wang Zhong's duel with the disaster knight leader remained uninterrupted. In their one-on-one confrontation, after a grueling exchange of forty to fifty strikes, Wang Zhong finally shattered the skull of the disaster knight leader with a single blow, stepping back without a change in expression, observing my ongoing battle. My curiosity about this man deepened; I dared not use the Death Breath again, fearing it would reveal my vulnerabilities. However, the power of my dual daggers paled in comparison to the Death Breath, making my combat slightly more arduous. I was compelled to mix in a petrification magic missile as support at critical moments.
"Help! Help!" Tang Lei's nerves frayed to their limits. Wang Lili and Gu Lengzhai's magical cards had reached their daily limit, rendering them unable to launch further magical missiles. As he watched the advancing skeletal warriors, he suddenly roared, his form swelling, tearing through his clothing, transforming into a massive gray bear. A nearby skeletal warrior, overwhelmed by fear, was swiftly dispatched by Tang Lei's bear paw, and Zhang Bo, who had long hesitated, finally stepped forward, letting out a great roar as he morphed into a bipedal crimson werewolf.
They took over the fight, with Gu Lengzhai, who had already lost his strength, retreating to the back, gasping for breath. The previous battle had struck them with such severity that both their minds and bodies were reaching the limit. I had kept an eye on these people, and seeing their condition, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Abandoning my plan to reinforce them, I deftly twisted my twin daggers to knock aside a Scourge Knight's weapon. My five fingers then closed into a single palm strike, piercing his chest with the breath of death hidden in my fingertips. Those slain by this breath have their soul fire absorbed, and their life force transformed into death energy, endlessly replenishing my Dead Warrior's Heart. However, the soul fire of these Scourge Knights was meager, a pale flicker compared to the undead warriors of Skeleton Island—barely a tenth of even the lowest-grade skeleton warriors. But such was expected; after all, this was merely an amusement ground.
After a brief adjustment to my breathing, Wang Zhong swiftly rejoined the fray, now fighting with a more resolute ferocity. With every swing of his twin hammers, he crushed a skeleton warrior's skull, dispatching even the Scourge Knights in just a few swift moves. Compared to his earlier encounter with the Scourge Knight leader, he now displayed even greater strength—a clear indication of the benefits gained from the battle.
In short order, over a dozen Scourge Knights had fallen, their bodies vanquished by our combined assault. The reanimated skeleton warriors, too, were mostly dealt with by Wang Zhong and myself, while the remainder were blasted into fragments by Gu Lengzhai and Wang Lili's magical projectiles. Though Tang Lei and Zhang Bo had transformed into a bear and a werewolf, their achievements were minor; facing such fearsome enemies in close combat requires considerable courage.
Tang Lei, reverting to his human form after the battle, stood drenched in sweat, catching his breath before exclaiming, "We must leave this place at once—it's far too dangerous here!" Huang Shengqiu, who had shown even less resolve than the four women, echoed his words, visibly shaken, "Yes, it's far too dangerous here—I need to leave as soon as possible!"
Luli, Zhang Bo, Sun Yan, and Chen Xiu shared the same sentiment, voicing their desire to depart immediately. Wang Lili, evidently afraid, cast uncertain glances in my direction, clearly unsure of what to do. Gu Lengzhai, however, firmly opposed Tang Lei, saying, "We've just been through a battle, and both Wang Lili and I have exhausted our magic. Leaving the camp now would be highly unwise; it's too easy to run into danger."
Luli, heedless as ever, retorted, "It's even more dangerous here! Skeletons could appear at any moment. There's no way I'm sleeping here; I'm leaving now! If you're not coming, I'll go alone." But after taking a dozen steps, she realized no one followed, leaving her caught in an awkward position. Though she wanted to go, her courage faltered;
without a weapon, she was helpless. She wanted to rally others but couldn't decide who to persuade. Neither Wang Zhong nor I budged, and Tang Lei, though loud in his protests, was wise enough to realize that leaving without us would spell certain doom. Even a single Scourge Knight would be beyond their ability to handle alone.
"Wang Lin, this place is truly dangerous. We have to leave," Tang Lei tried to persuade me. Covering a yawn, I replied, "I'm a bit tired. The battle has left me weary; I'll rest for now. Anyone wishing to leave may do so at their leisure. Wang Zhong, let's return to the stone chamber; I suspect there are secrets there yet to be uncovered.
Wang Zhong paused, a faint, wry smile at his lips, before following me into the chamber. Wang Lili, though reluctant to stay, dared not leave without us. She pleaded with Gu Lengzhai, "Professor Gu, can't you persuade those two? This place is extremely dangerous; now isn't the time for stubbornness."
Sighing, Gu Lengzhai replied, "The real danger is outside. Think about it: the skeleton warriors were reanimated by those fearsome knights, which means no outsiders have been here for a long time. Even if more skeletons revive, we can handle it. But if we encounter those knights again, we may not be as fortunate.
At Gu Lengzhai's earnest persuasion, the others grudgingly moved into the stone chamber. I casually slid down the stone slab from the sarcophagus, using it as a makeshift bed, while Wang Zhong, more straightforward, lay down directly inside the coffin.
Apart from the spirit of the necromancer Cruton, the sarcophagus held only a box of fine bronze; it was, in fact, quite clean, and surprisingly comfortable.
Though I closed my eyes, I didn't sleep. I focused instead on adjusting the Dead Warrior's Heart, attempting to unlock its full potential. I had long thought I understood the nature of this spectral blue flame, but the day's battle had inspired new insights. Now, with a moment's respite, I sought to verify my thoughts.
Plunging my consciousness into the flickering, ghostly blue flame of the Dead Warrior's Heart, I could sense every weapon it contained. The undead I'd slain on Skeleton Island had left me with an impressive arsenal: beyond the seventh-grade weapon, Death's Breath, there were over a dozen sixth-grade relics, and hundreds of items below the fifth grade. Most were now too weak for my use. Choosing a bone hammer, a modest second-grade item with no special powers, I made it my first test subject.
Under the flame's corrosive force, the weapon gradually disintegrated, transforming into a surge of death energy, which the Dead Warrior's Heart absorbed, growing stronger in an instant. I had known of this ability but hadn't fully grasped what strengthening the Dead Warrior's Heart might bring. While useful, the artifacts possessed various powers, and it seemed a waste to dismantle them carelessly.
After dissolving three low-grade relics, I observed the process carefully but remained at a loss. Aside from a slight increase in strength, the Dead Warrior's Heart showed no changes. The ghostly blue flame provided neither power nor speed, nor any extra magic. It appeared to serve only as a repository for death energy and soul fire, leaving me frustrated and perplexed.
"If it's called the Heart of a Warrior, it should surely bolster combat power. Could its function be less than that of Death's Breath or a skeletal war spear? Here, amidst the Scourge, I can rely on nothing but this heart; weapons are no substitute for innate strength.
Yet, no matter how I scrutinized the flame, its secrets eluded me, leaving me deeply unsettled.
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