Whoosh~
A fierce wind raged, howling with such intensity that it felt like a predatory bird lunging forth, carrying a chilling killing intent.
This saber strike was incredibly vicious, swift as lightning, and unstoppable!
"Hmph, how can a firefly's glow compete with the radiance of the moon!"
A cold glint flashed in Zhou Yan's eyes. Clenching his fists, he struck out forcefully, aiming to meet the saber head-on.
"A mantis trying to stop a chariot!"
Seeing this, the guard sneered, his expression filled with disdain and contempt.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed, followed by Zhou Yan's body swaying slightly before quickly regaining its composure.
The guard, however, stumbled back three steps, each one cracking the floor beneath him.
"What?!"
The guard's pupils contracted, his mind reeling, his face paling in horror.
His full power had been neutralized by Zhou Yan?!
"How can this be?! He was clearly a cripple, how did he become so strong?"
The guard's mind was in turmoil, his thoughts a chaotic mess, utterly unable to comprehend the reason.
What was even more terrifying to the guard was his faint perception that Zhou Yan hadn't unleashed his full strength just now.
This situation was extremely dangerous, capable of threatening his life!
"No, I must flee immediately!"
The guard's thoughts raced, and he made an instant decision. Abandoning all else, he turned and ran.
"Where do you think you're going!" Zhou Yan shouted coldly, lunging in pursuit.
However, as Zhou Yan took his first step, an unexpected change occurred—
Wuu wuu wuu~
From all directions, the void trembled, the air churned, and an immense, boundless pressure descended, locking him in place, his body stiffening.
"What is this infernal thing?!" Zhou Yan's expression changed drastically, a mixture of shock and fury.
He looked up and saw clusters of dark clouds drifting in the distance, emanating a grim atmosphere.
Upon closer inspection, the areas shrouded by the dark clouds were teeming with densely packed skeleton soldiers.
Creak, creak!
These skeleton soldiers, clad in armor and wielding long spears, marched with heavy footsteps from all directions.
Then, the skeleton soldiers formed two columns, kneeling in unison and shouting, "Welcome our King back!"
Crack! Crack!
The grinding of bones was piercingly loud, sending shivers down one's spine.
Each of these skeleton soldiers possessed a cultivation realm equivalent to the True Martial stage, capable of dominating a region in the outside world.
And now, they were bowing their heads to a mere corpse!
Bizarre!
Utterly bizarre!
"Damn it, what in the world is this?!"
Zhou Yan cursed inwardly, sweat beading on his forehead, feeling an intense aura of death.
"These skeleton soldiers should have been spawned by that coffin," a system prompt sounded. "That coffin should be a magic artifact!"
"Magic artifact?!"
Zhou Yan was stunned by the words, his face darkening.
He had already assessed the situation and recognized the terrifying nature of the corpse, thus choosing to surrender without resistance.
After all, survival was paramount!
However, Zhou Yan had never anticipated that the corpse would be so extraordinary, possessing the protection of a magic artifact!
"Heh heh..."
Suddenly, a chilling laugh echoed. "Heh heh... little fellow, you're quite something, actually managing to disrupt my plans."
Zhou Yan's heart leaped. He looked up and saw the corpse slowly sitting upright, its eyes opening, a wicked curve gracing its lips.
"Since that's the case, you cannot be spared!"
The corpse extended its dry right hand and grasped through the air.
Swish swish...
Instantly, skeleton soldiers from across the mountains and plains surged forth, converging into a colossal skeleton palm that blotted out the sky, carrying a terrifying, world-ending malevolence as it slammed down towards Zhou Yan.
Boom!
This strike was earth-shattering, the air exploding, its momentum terrifying!
Zhou Yan's liver and gall were shattered, his soul terrified.
"It's over, am I going to die?" Zhou Yan muttered, his face pale.
However, in the next second, something astonishing happened to Zhou Yan—
Rumble!
The massive skeleton palm, still ten feet away from Zhou Yan, was blocked by an inexplicable force, shattering into pieces and dissipating into specks of light.
Simultaneously, ripples appeared in the void, and a majestic figure emerged, hands behind his back, exuding an imposing aura, like a celestial deity.
"Who are you?!"
Upon witnessing this, the corpse's pupils contracted, a strong sense of dread welling up within it.
"I am the Green Lotus Sword Immortal!"
The person's voice was ethereal, as if traversing through ancient times and the future.
Clang!
The next moment, with a resonant clang, a radiant and luminous green lotus materialized in the void, blooming with infinite auspicious light.
Gasp!
Almost simultaneously, the corpse spat out a mouthful of blood, its expression vacant and somewhat pained.
"Not good!"
The corpse's face contorted in panic, and it hurriedly looked down, as if searching for something.
Then, its gaze swept over the abyssal depths below, finally settling there.
Within its eye sockets, a verdant flame of soul fire burned, fixated on the coffin below, filled with greed and burning desire.
Boom!
Suddenly, the corpse moved, charging out of the cave and into the area where the coffin lay.
"Heh heh... little fellow, we meet again..."
The corpse cackled, the soul fire in its eye sockets flickering incessantly, as if encountering an exquisite delicacy.
In the next instant, the corpse extended its palm, fingers spread wide, and pressed down forcefully towards the coffin.
Crack, crack...
A series of crisp sounds echoed. The corpse's palm, as if cast from steel, was incredibly tough, destroying all the runes and seals on the coffin.
"Hahaha..."
Seeing this, the corpse threw its head back and laughed heartily, utterly elated.
Whoosh!
The next moment, it leaped into the coffin.
Rumble!
Immediately, dull thuds emanated from within the coffin, and a layer of hazy mist rose, enveloping the coffin and obscuring everything.
Gulp.
Zhou Yan swallowed with difficulty, his face pale, sweat beading on his forehead as he watched the scene.
The corpse had entered the coffin. Was it attempting to possess it for rebirth?
If so, wouldn't he be doomed?
"Host, rest assured. While that corpse is peculiar, it hasn't reached that level yet," the system's voice sounded again.
Hearing this, Zhou Yan breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"This corpse is extremely special, forged from Netherworld Cold Iron, possessing extremely corrosive properties," the system continued. "However, this corpse is already damaged and unusable. Its current actions are purely to attract nearby wandering souls and vengeful spirits with its corpse poison."
"So that's how it is!"
Hearing this explanation, Zhou Yan finally understood.
He then raised an eyebrow, a look of confusion on his face, and asked, "But if it goes to all this trouble, isn't it afraid of killing itself?"
Zhou Yan was perplexed. The corpse's strength was formidable; even those skeleton soldiers possessed the combat power of extraordinary martial masters.