During the merfolk girl's visit to the Chaos Forest, the Great Demon King was busy at the Thunder Highlands. He activated the Giant Altar, converting numerous silver giants into golden giants for the Thunderclap City.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"We are willing to serve you until death!"
The Thunderclap City was filled with excitement and inspiration as the golden giants rallied.
Once, the talent and physical prowess of the golden giants were considered rare and invaluable. But now, in Thunderclap City, their numbers had reached nearly a hundred!
The Demon King was mass-producing these formidable golden giants, and it was no wonder they felt exhilarated and joyful. Their loyalty towards the Demon King surged even higher.
In truth, with the Demon King's current wealth, he could transform hundreds of golden giants in one go, significantly bolstering Thunderclap City's power. However, such a massive production was unnecessary at present, as the city of giants already possessed ample strength.
These giants, often leading a laid-back lifestyle in their mountainous abodes, needed occasional motivation to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the Demon King's cause.
The Demon King inquired, "How is the situation in the ancient tomb?"
Jin Kui, the city lord of Thunderclap City, reported, "We have successfully annihilated all the tumor daemons surrounding the ancient tomb of the corrupted monarchs. The current condition inside the tomb is stable."
The Ancient Tomb of the Corrupted Monarchs, located in Thunderclap City's Daemon Sealing Valley, stood as the most formidable monster area to date, and the Demon King had always been mindful of its presence.
In the vicinity of the ancient tomb, there were several altars that absorbed a substantial amount of energy over the years. Influenced by the corrupting power of the Evil God's fragment - "Source of Corruption", these altars mutated into malignant tumors.
It was imperative to eliminate all these altars, otherwise, it would be difficult to eradicate the inhabitants within the ancient tomb.
Having destroyed the main altar, the Demon King, accompanied by Jin Kui, led the golden giants in systematically demolishing the remaining altars. Now, the time had come to strike at the ancient tomb itself.
"The unification of the Chaos Forest is within our grasp," proclaimed the Demon King. "And it will be achieved in the next few days. Therefore, we can no longer postpone the matter of the ancient tomb. I have made the decision to personally intervene and eradicate this threat once and for all!"
Upon hearing this, the elders among the giants rejoiced. Ever since they learned that the Ancient Daemonic Lair was actually an ancient royal mausoleum and that their flawed method of suppression the area had spawned monstrous beings of monarch-level, Thunderclap City had been plagued by anxiety and restless nights.
The entire city felt as if they were bound to a ticking time bomb. And this bomb could explode at any given moment. Once triggered, the giants would be utterly doomed. Unfortunately, the giants' abilities alone were insufficient to defuse it.
Now that the Demon King was preparing to take action, how could the giants not be thrilled? Jin Kui immediately issued orders to organize the most elite force to assist the Demon King.
However, it turned out to be unnecessary.
The Demon King stopped the assembling of the giants, realizing that challenging the place with sheer numbers alone would be meaningless and could even be a hindrance, causing unnecessary casualties.
The Demon King chose only two companions for this endeavor: Jin Kui, the leader of the giants from Thunderclap City, and his Abyssal Black Dragon subordinate, Long Yi.
Both possessed tremendous power at the rank of Level 4 overlords. Golden giants possessed innate abilities to counter evil energy, displaying exceptional resistance to it. In addition, Jin Kui's strength was sufficient to withstand the environment within the ancient tomb, albeit with some effort.
As for Long Yi, being an Abyssal Dark Dragon, he naturally possessed formidable dark and necromantic talents, making him far superior to ordinary beings of the same level in terms of resistance and adaptability to such evil energies.
An hour later, the Demon King opened the tomb door.
[You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +10!]
[You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +5!]
[You are being corroded by negative energy. HP +8!]
[...]
What a powerful aura!
It was ten times stronger than the nearby caves, filled with potent curses and the power of the Evil God.
However, it was far from enough to harm the Demon King. Instead, it made him feel rather comfortable.
Jin Kui and Long Yi, on the other hand, had a rather different experience.
"Thank goodness His Majesty didn't bring our clansmen in!"
"This environment is too terrifying!"
Jin Kui could not help but feel relieved.
Under the influence of such a dreadful aura, even as a Level 5 overlord golden giant, he found it somewhat overwhelming.
How could ordinary silver giant warriors, or even the elders who had already become golden giants, possibly fight in such an environment?
"Let's proceed," Zhang Nu commanded as he led his two companions into the ancient tomb.
The sheer magnitude of the tomb was astonishing, even for beings of massive stature like the giants or when Zhang Nu and Long Yi transformed into their true dragon form. There was no sense of crowding whatsoever.
One could only imagine the colossal size of the ancient beings that were buried here.
According to the information provided, Zhang Nu discovered that they belonged to a rare subspecies of giants, hardly found on the continent nowadays.
As anticipated, brute force and sheer numbers held no significance when facing such a place, units below the Level 4 lord would struggle to even survive.
In such an intense and corrosive environment, ordinary low-level minions would instantly perish, without any chance of even encountering the boss.
"Exercise caution," Zhang Nu warned. "Follow my lead."
Within the royal tomb, there were numerous traps. Even though these traps posed no threat to the current Demon King, they were still capable of causing a series of troubles.
Zhang Nu disliked unnecessary complications. He deftly evaded the traps using the skill granted by his "cheat ability" and smoothly progressed deeper into the heart of the ancient tomb.
Suddenly, Long Yi alerted, "Something is approaching!"
"I sense it too. There seems to be quite a number of them, with the strength of Level 5. Stronger than the headless knights outside!" replied Jin Kui.
No sooner had they spoken than dozens of purple beams shot forth from the front passageway, rapidly converging around the trio.
These beams came to a halt, revealed to be eerie soul fires. But in the next moment, the soul fires expanded dramatically, transforming into towering spirit giants, each measuring over ten to twenty meters in height.
All of them were clad in armor, with burning skeletons within, brandishing flaming greatswords.
[Ancient Monarch's Soul Guard] Level 5 elite unit.
....
Description: They were once loyal guards who served the monarchs faithfully in their lifetime. They voluntarily sacrificed themselves to be interred and pledged to protect the royal mausoleum with their souls for eternity.
Level 5 elite monsters?
Similar to the headless knights outside, but these soul giants were even stronger. They possessed exceptional agility and were immune to physical attacks, making them formidable opponents.
Just then, the soul giants raised their blazing swords, unleashing a flurry wave of sword Qi from all directions, surging towards the three individuals.
"Dark Devour!" Long Yi unleashed a powerful dark magic.
A dozen miniature black holes shot forth in all directions, their intense gravitational force distorting and tearing apart the incoming sword Qi waves. In an instant, the attacks were devoured, dissipating into the void.
Longyi had some tricks up his sleeve.
Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction.
Long Yi was already at the peak of the Level 5 overlord. He had undergone the Demon King's baptism a few days ago. Although he had not immediately advanced to the Level 6, he had already made significant progress, with only two or three more baptisms standing between him and becoming a Level 6 existence.
The current Long Yi possessed the combat power that reached the ceiling of Level 5 overlords. Even when facing slightly weaker monarch-level beings, he could hold his ground and achieve a fifty-fifty chance of victory, thanks to the advantage of his superior race.
"Perish!" Jinkui bellowed, summoning a radiant golden lightning that swiftly struck down one of the Soul Guards. The overwhelming power of the Demon Busting Golden Thunder shattered the spiritual form of the undead entity.
The golden lightning erupted, inflicting damage upon the surrounding Soul Guards. Simultaneously, the binding effects of the golden thunder restricted their lightning-fast mobility.
Seizing the opportunity, Long Yi unleashed a torrent of dragon flames, unleashing a devastating area of effect assault.
The two Level 5 overlords collaborated seamlessly, resulting in the swift obliteration of over a dozen Soul Guards.
[You've slain an Ancient Monarch's Soul Guard. Gold +18,000!]
[You've slain an Ancient Monarch's Soul Guard. Gold +18,000!]
[You've slain an Ancient Monarch's Soul Guard. Gold +18,000!]
[...]
Zhang Nu led his two followers, effortlessly carved a path through these soul giants. He barely needed to lift a finger as his subordinates swiftly dealt with these minor monsters they encountered.
Although they were considered minor monsters, they were top-tier Level 5 elites! Each one yielded a generous reward of 18,000 gold!
Within this vast ancient tomb, these fodders were scattered in large numbers. In no time, they had already annihilated over a hundred of them.
By simply clearing out these minions, Zhang Nu had amassed a fortune of three million gold, sufficient to convert ten additional golden giants for Thunderclap City or to initiate three rounds of the Demon King's baptism, further enhancing the strength and cultivation of his subordinates.
However, in that very instant, Zhang Nu's senses heightened. He perceived the presence of several exceptionally formidable auras ahead.
Alerting his subordinates, he cautioned, "We are nearing the entrance to the core region of the monarchs' tomb, where the defenses are even tighter. Remain vigilant and prioritize your safety."
With those words, he abruptly accelerated and took the lead, charging forth into the core area.
Zhang Nu found dozens of soul giants gathered in this area.
[Ancient Monarch's Soul Guard] Level 5 elite unit.
[Ancient Monarch's Soul Guard Captain] Level 5 lord unit.
Among the multitude of soul giants, there were four or five lord rankeds, significantly stronger than the ordinary ones.
However, such strengths were still mere fodder levels in the eyes of the Demon King. Why would the Demon King even bother to pay attention to them?
Zhang Nu did not linger on these creatures. He noticed that within the grand hall, two colossal skeletal dragons laid prostrate.
In their prime, they were unquestionably adult true dragons, with each measuring over eighty meters in length.
Like a pair of guard dogs, they were chained by runic iron links on either side of the bronze giant gate, their skeletal bodies enveloped in a terrifying aura.
Moreover, likely influenced by the Evil God's aura, they had sprouted numerous grotesque and distorted daemonic flesh, which would inflict severe psychic contamination upon those who approached.
[Corrupted Skeletal Dragon] Level 5 overlord unit.
...
Description: Once revered as formidable dragons, they were defeated by one of the former ancient monarchs and ultimately became accompanying burial offerings and tomb guardian beasts. Long-term exposure to the Evil God's aura has even intensified their horror beyond their living state.
"Cursed beings!"
As a proud member of the true dragons, Long Yi, witnessing his fellow kin reduced to mere watchdogs and tomb guardians, could no longer contain his anger.
But for Zhang Nu, he remained unperturbed. There was no need to let anger consume him over such matters.
The fate of these two true dragons was a consequence of their inferior skills in their previous lives. After being sealed for so many years, it was time to grant them release.
Meanwhile, sensing the presence of intruders, the two corrupted dragons and the soul giants immediately shifted into battle mode.
Zhang Nu issued a command, "I'll handle these two undead skeletal dragons. You take care of the soul guardians."
"Understood!"
Jin Kui and Long Yi immediately sprang into action and drew the attention of the soul guardians, diverting their focus.
The corrupted dragons unleashed a ferocious blast of their corrupted breath, a vile combination of necrotic energy and the aura of Evil God, sweeping towards their adversaries.
Zhang Nu swiftly teleported to intercept the attack.
+32!
+21!
+41!
Zhang Nu absorbed the entirety of the undead dragon breath. Rather than inflicting harm, these attacks not only failed to damage him but actually replenished his HP and MP.
In truth, the composition of the undead dragon breath was intricate.
The fire-based element of the attack was rendered ineffective by Zhang Nu's exceptional magic immunity. The toxic and cursing effects were nullified by his "Source of Corruption" talent. The ominous aura of death and even the faint trace of Evil God's power were neutralized by the fusion of two Evil God fragments within Zhang Nu. Furthermore, by activating the Eye of Death, Zhang Nu absorbed the necrotic damage of the breath.
The two corrupted dragons possessed formidable strength. Although they could not match Long Yi, who had reached the pinnacle of the Level 5 overlord, they were more than a match for Jin Kui, a Level 5 golden giant.
It was worth noting that the golden giant's innate talent was effective against undead creatures. Even when faced with this disadvantage, the strength of a single corrupted dragon still slightly surpassed that of the giant chieftain, showcasing the sheer power of these two beings.
However, regrettably, when they encountered the Demon King, the attacks employed by the corrupted dragons, consisting mainly of curses and necrotic damage, proved utterly futile against the Demon King.
Furthermore, they lacked intelligence, thus remaining oblivious to the ineffectiveness of their assaults. Consequently, these terrifying skeletal dragons, capable of wreaking havoc upon the outside world, now appeared rather ludicrous and absurd.
Like two bumbling creatures, the two corrupted dragons persisted in their feeble attempts to breathe corruptive flames, unleash necromantic spells, and cast curses, but their endeavors amounted to nothing more than a gentle tickle.
With a resounding roar, the Demon King assumed his massive dragon form.
In an instant, he stomped the two corrupted dragons beneath his feet.
Then, opening his maw, he unleashed a colossal pillar of dragon flames several meters in diameter, obliterating the unfortunate creature. It was akin to using a high-pressure water jet to cleanse a surface, scouring the dragon from head to toe.
The corrupted tissues turned to ashes. Devoid of the Evil God energies that once imbued them and formed their flesh, the dragons' body became exceedingly frail. After enduring the scorching flames for a dozen seconds, its bones were charred black, and the ground beneath it transformed into a molten pool.
[You've slain a Corrupted Skeletal Dragon. Gold +1 million!]
[You've slain a Corrupted Skeletal Dragon. Gold +1 million!]
The two formidable skeletal dragons were as feeble and defenseless as insignificant insects in the face of the overwhelming might of the Demon King!