A Flying Squirrel!
The little undead creature spread its arms, took a leap into the air, and landed on the platform. It then bit Jin Ho's neck and, with a swift movement, dragged him away.
"After him, Bai!" Lu Shimming shouted as Bai dashed after the creature, with Lu Shimming following close behind. The rest of the undead creatures joined the chase, one after another.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a massive shadow appeared over their head. In the next instant, the Giant Skeleton Knight descended from above, crashing into the horde of undead, simultaneously joining the chase and eliminating scores of them. It was like a bulldozer ramming through everything in its path.
Meanwhile, a Zombie, swift as an assassin, fluidly maneuvered through the crowd, slicing through one undead after another with razor-sharp claws.
Lu Shimming glanced over his shoulder and saw the two terrifying figures creeping up on them, slaughtering everything in their path.
"Why did they have to stop fighting?!" He increased his pace, running with all his might. "Bai! I need just one opportunity! Get me closer to that little monster!"
Bai briefly turned its head to look at Lu Shimming and then extended its bone spear toward him.
"What?" Lu Shimming grabbed the spear, puzzled. He thought it would slow him down, but as soon as he took hold of it, Bai twisted its body and, with a sudden momentum, performed a sweeping motion with the spear, launching Lu Shimming into the air like a cannonball.
"Holy shit! Give me a little warning next time!!!" Lu screamed as he broke through the sound barrier, hurtling through the air. His figure rapidly closed in on the Flying Squirrel, which sensed him and turned its head, only to see a human face streaking through the air— a face so distorted by the air drag that even the undead creatures were freaked out by it.
"Whoosh!"
"Got you!" Lu Shimming grinned as he caught the little undead squirrel in one hand. Simultaneously, he extended his other hand and grabbed Jin Ho's lifeless, icy-cold body.
"Come!" he commanded, activating his authority. A doorway to another world seemed to open, as a misty, black portal emerged from thin air, swallowing Jin Ho's body whole.
Success!
"Thud!"
Lu Shimming's airborne body crashed heavily into the ground, sending dust and debris flying. The impact would have hurt like hell if he wasn't undead.
"Bai! Let's get out of here-"
As Lu Shimming turned to look for Bai, his eyes widened in shock. The Giant Skeleton Knight stood there, holding Bai by the skull, lifting him into the air.
The creature looked at Lu Shimming, a hint of intelligence in its gaze. Its teeth clattered as it seemed to offer a deal. The other undead in the vicinity had mostly been massacred or were keeping their distance, waiting for another opportunity.
'It wants Jin Ho's corpse in exchange?' Lu Shimming thought, a heavy frown forming on his face. He couldn't afford to lose Bai, but giving up Jin Ho's body?
He stood there, torn between the two options, his fists clenched. Finally, he gritted his teeth and opened the portal to the realm of the dead. He found it hard to believe, but he was actually doing it—Bai had saved him time and time again, keeping him sane in this damned place for who knew how long.
But before Lu Shimming could proceed, Bai twisted its body in the Giant Skeleton's grip.
"Crack!"
With a snap, Bai's head broke apart from its body, surprising everyone. The headless body rolled on the ground, picking up the bone spear before swiftly piercing through the skull of the Giant Skeleton Knight in one swift strike.
It all happened in an instant. The Giant Skeleton Knight, caught off guard, howled as its teeth clattered. It swung its bone hammer, smashing Bai's body into pieces, then clenched its fist and crushed Bai's skull into bone dust.
"No!!" Lu Shimming screamed, his eyes wide open. The weakness of an undead was its Spirit Sea, located in its head. Any undead with a hint of intelligence would protect it fiercely. This was why the Giant Skeleton Knight had been so unprepared for Bai's self-sacrifice.
But even with that strike, which Bai seemed to have delivered in exchange for its life, the Giant Skeleton Knight still stood tall. The bone spear had gone through the cavity of one of its hollow eyes, and though cracks spread through its skull, it remained intact.
"This bastard!" Lu Shimming's eyes turned red as he unconsciously tightened his grip on the undead squirrel, his Spiritual Qi boiling. The undead squirrel screamed in agony, digging its little claws into Lu Shimming's wrist while gesturing frantically as if saying, 'Run! We're no match for it! Ten years isn't too soon for revenge! And we're undead, so even a hundred years is fine!'
Okay, that was a bit much, but still, the sentiment was clear.
"Damn it!" Lu Shimming cursed, knowing the damn squirrel was right. "I swear, I won't leave this godforsaken valley until I kill you for good!"
His threat echoed throughout the valley as Lu Shimming turned to flee, clinging to his dear life. He was just too weak.
But, would the Giant Skeleton Knight going to let Lu Shimming escape that easily?
The Giant Skeleton Knight immediately chased after him. As the pursuit continued, the creature began to close in on Lu Shimming, but it didn't strike immediately, as if cautious of something. After a minute of this tense chase, the scenery around them began to change, growing darker and more foreboding. Lu Shimming could sense a more sinister aura emanating from ahead. Even the terrain seemed to have changed colors a few hundred meters ahead.
Sensing that the sinister area lay ahead, the Giant Skeleton Knight made its move. It swiftly closed the distance and swung its hammer with terrifying precision, leaving Lu Shimming no room to dodge.
"Thud!"
The impact was brutal. Lu Shimming felt the bones in his entire body crack as his figure flew through the air and crashed in the distance. His Spiritual Qi, already weakened from the loss of Bai, plummeted as it struggled to keep up with his regeneration, sending searing pain through his soul.
The Giant Skeleton Knight slowly approached Lu Shimming's lifeless figure. Though still conscious, Lu Shimming was utterly helpless, forced to watch as the white, bony hand reached out to claim him.
"Whoosh!"
But suddenly, a sinister figure emerged from the shadows, sneaking up on the Giant Skeleton Knight as it let its guard down.
It was the Undead Zombie!