Chapter 144: A Skeleton

"Hold your breath!!!"

Someone shouted out, and immediately everyone instinctively covered their nose and mouth. However, a few were too late, falling under the spell of the soul-reaping Yama flower's fragrance. Their bodies swayed unsteadily, and half a minute later, they collapsed straight to the ground, their complexions turning ashen.

The short young man from the Third Team was also reaching his limit. He had accidentally encountered a man of similar age who had taught him the Fiery Body, but the technique was far too profound for him to fully comprehend. Thus, he was now on the verge of exhaustion.

Before losing consciousness, however, the short man unleashed a technique. Suddenly, flaming meteors filled the air within the stone chamber, and in just a fraction of a second, the entire room transformed into a sea of fire. Instantly, the intoxicating fragrance vanished, leaving only waves of scorching heat lingering in the space.

Gazing at the short man and the others lying on the ground, Zhu Tianyi stood in a daze. We've barely started; how could we have suffered so many casualties already? Now, including Song Nianqiang and his group, only eight people remained, and countless unknown dangers still awaited them ahead.

With no other choice, Zhu Tianyi ordered the others to carry the unconscious men back outside. They had lost their combat effectiveness, and he could not leave them behind to die. Letting out a long sigh, Zhu Tianyi shook his head in profound anguish.

"I wonder if we can even complete this mission. We've lost nearly half our men right at the beginning," Zhu Tianyi said with a bitter smile to the survivors. Li Runze and Song Nianqiang remained silent; they, too, recognized the extreme difficulty of the task. Otherwise, the state would not have offered a hundred million as a reward—even though it was meant for Song Nianqiang and Li Runze, the benefits for the others surely wouldn't be meager either.

"What's the big deal? With Fatty here, everything is a piece of cake!!" Among the eight remaining individuals, perhaps only the thick-skinned, carefree fat man dared to utter such words. Hearing this, the others felt a complex mix of emotions. They wanted to ridicule him, but upon reflection, they lacked the qualification. The fat man's strength was arguably the lowest among them all, yet he felt no fear. Since he was unafraid, what right did they have to mock him?

"Alright, Fatty. I'm sure there are still plenty of dangers ahead of us, so we must be careful." Song Nianqiang patted the fat man's shoulder with a smile and retreated to the back, as Old Niu had already drawn his iron rod and was preparing to force open the door.

"Boom!! Boom!!"

After two deafening blasts, a large hole was smashed into the stone door. The group first tossed in a few glow sticks to assess the interior, and then, led by Li Runze, they filed inside one by one.

This was a massive room—perhaps calling it a palace would be more fitting. Much like the previous chamber, oil lamps lined the walls, ready to be lit. Once all the lamps were ignited, they were astonished to discover rows upon rows of skeletal figures standing before them, gripping sharp spears.

Judging by the rusted armor hanging on the skeletal frames, ages had passed. Song Nianqiang stepped forward and brushed his hand against a suit of armor; instantly, it crumbled into dust and fell to the floor. Gazing at the rows of skeletons standing as rigidly as javelins, Song Nianqiang felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Looking further up, seated upon the main throne was a majestic and awe-inspiring general. Yet, his appearance was startlingly lifelike—thick brows, large eyes, and a pair of piercing tiger-like eyes that were currently staring intently at the eight intruders below.

However, compared to the general himself, the massive saber in his hand was far more captivating. Regardless of how many years had passed in this tomb, the tiger-headed blade in the general's grip gleamed with a chilling light, entirely free of rust. Even from a distance, Song Nianqiang and the others could feel the oppressive intimidation radiating from the weapon—an arrogant disdain that treated human lives as mere blades of grass.

"What a magnificent treasure!!" Upon laying eyes on the tiger-headed blade, Rhinoceros's eyes widened dramatically. He had no defense against its irresistible allure, and an irrepressible surge of joy immediately rushed through him like a tidal wave.

By now, Rhinoceros had approached quite close to the blade. A sudden, unspeakable sense of crisis welled up in Song Nianqiang's heart. He frantically swept his gaze around, and upon seeing Rhinoceros actually reaching out to grasp the weapon, realization struck him like a thunderbolt. He roared at the top of his lungs, "Rhinoceros, run away!!!"

But by then, Rhinoceros's mind had been completely consumed by elation, rendering him entirely deaf to Song Nianqiang's warning. The very instant the shout faded, the eyes of the general seated majestically upon the throne abruptly turned blood-red, a pair of crimson pupils locking onto Rhinoceros.

Lost in his inner joy, Rhinoceros suddenly sensed a fierce, lethal threat bearing down on him. Without even needing to turn around, years of honed combat instinct took over. He threw himself into a desperate roll, clearing a distance of three meters. Yet before he could even rise to his feet, a chilling blast of air struck from directly above. It was too late to evade, leaving Rhinoceros with no choice but to raise his remaining arm in defense.

"Screeisshh~~~"

Rhinoceros's muscular density was already monstrous, rendering him immune to ordinary weapons. Yet to everyone's horror, half of Rhinoceros's arm was effortlessly lopped off. Beads of cold sweat instantly erupted across his forehead, and he rolled again, tumbling all the way down the stone steps.

By now, the general had stood up. The chilling aura emanating from the tiger-headed blade intensified, and his crimson pupils swept across the crowd below, a faint sneer playing on his face. The general raised the blade high.

"Roar!!!" A thunderous bellow echoed through the chamber, leaving everyone's ears ringing incessantly.

Following the general's roar, the skeletal figures that had been standing motionlessly suddenly sprang into action. Aside from the sharp spears still intact in their hands, everything else on their bodies disintegrated into a cloud of dust.

Seeing the rows of skeletons suddenly spring to life, Song Nianqiang was struck with utter panic. He instantly took a step back and formed hand seals with both hands. A blinding cascade of blue thunderbolts erupted, plunging directly into the advancing ranks of skeletons.

Soon enough, Rhinoceros's wound was treated. Staring blankly at his severed arm, Rhinoceros fell into a brief daze, but it was instantly replaced by an uncontainable rage. While everyone else's attention remained locked on the suddenly animated horde of skeletons, Rhinoceros suddenly charged forward.

"Rhinoceros!! Come back!!" Zhu Tianyi was startled by Rhinoceros's reckless move. Charging blindly into the current situation was tantamount to suicide, so Zhu Tianyi quickly sprinted after him. However, because Rhinoceros had reached the breaking point of his fury, his speed was terrifying, and he collided with the skeletal ranks in a heartbeat.

Even with only one arm, Rhinoceros's combat prowess remained formidable. He swept his massive arm across the skeletons standing in his immediate vicinity, instantly shattering a cluster of them. Snatching a sharp spear from one of the fallen foes, he brandished it with his single hand, cutting a bloody swath through the sea of bones.

"Quick!! Rush in and save him!!"

Although Rhinoceros currently looked magnificent amidst the skeletons, Song Nianqiang knew that the moment his adrenaline and fury subsided, Rhinoceros would suffer a temporary collapse of strength. At that point, Song Nianqiang had no doubt that Rhinoceros would be completely surrounded by the skeletons, turning into a human pincushion in the blink of an eye.

With that realization, Song Nianqiang shouted to the others. Among the remaining members, one was skilled in spiritual power. He took the lead, concentrating his mental energy into a spiritual drill, and charged straight toward the skeletal horde. The rest of the group fell in closely behind, forming a fan-shaped assault formation as they pushed inward.

Song Nianqiang's prediction proved accurate. Just a few minutes later, fatigue began to overtake Rhinoceros, and his body was scored with numerous gasps by the sharp spears. Fortunately, his vast combat experience kept him from dying on the spot. Yet if this dragged on any longer, even if he didn't die immediately, he wouldn't be far from the grave.

The seven-member squad operated with ruthless efficiency, instantly shattering the encirclement around Rhinoceros. Within barely a minute, they reached his side. By now, not a single inch of Rhinoceros's body was uninjured, and one of his thighs had even been pierced right through by a spear.

"Fall back!!!" Song Nianqiang roared once Rhinoceros was secured. Hearing the command, the members fluidly shifted their formation from vanguard to rearguard, retreating rapidly along the path they had come.