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.