Chapter 15: "Buried Under the Undead Horde"
Ryujin felt a sense of urgency as he gazed at the guard holding up the barrier. "Young man, step aside," Ryujin said, his voice firm but controlled.
The guard looked at him uncertainly, but Ryujin didn't hesitate. He walked towards the barrier, his eyes fixed on the zombies outside. As he stepped out of the barrier, Si Wei called out to him.
"Young Master Ryujin, wait!" Si Wei cried, her voice laced with concern.
Ryujin didn't listen. He kept walking, allowing the zombies to surround him. The Wooden King Sword slipped from his grasp as the zombies engulfed him.
Ryujin received a system message:
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_System Message_
Defense increased by +20 +20 +20 +20 due to attack by Iron-rank Zombies.
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The zombies continued to attack, and Ryujin received another system message:
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_System Message_
Defense increased by +50 +30 +30 +30 +30 due to attack by Bronze-rank Zombies.
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Si Wei and the guard watched in horror as Ryujin disappeared under the swarm of zombies. "Young Master Ryujin, no!" Si Wei cried, tears streaming down her face.
The guard's eyes widened in shock. "He's... he's gone. We have to get out of here, now!"
Si Wei's voice trembled with fear. "But what about Young Master Ryujin? We can't just leave him!"
The guard's face was grim. "We have no choice. We must escape and find help."
As they spoke, the zombies continued to swarm, their numbers seemingly endless. Ryujin's fate remained uncertain, lost beneath the undead horde.
Ryujin received a system message:
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_System Message_
Congratulations, host! Your defense has exceeded the limit!
Bronze Skin, Iron Bones has evolved into Adamantite Body.
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Si Wei and the guard peeked through the door, looking through the ring and outside at the horde of zombies that had rounded up Young Master Ryujin. Si Wei's voice trembled with fear as she whispered, "Young Master truly did it. He's... he's gone."
Elder White Bone, who was outside at the moment, had a puzzled look on his face as he looked at the horde of zombies. He could see that the zombies were gathering around one person, and he had a confused look on his face. His eyes narrowed, trying to make sense of the situation.
The wounded guard, Sinchu, who had been beaten, sat on a tree trunk, still looking at the horde of zombies. His eyes were filled with a mix of fear and concern for Ryujin's safety. He whispered to himself, "How can he survive that? It's impossible."
Suddenly, Ryujin burst out of the horde of zombies, flinging away all the zombies with his newfound skills. His body had become stronger, and he came out of the horde of zombies with full resilience. The zombies flew away from him like ragdolls, crashing into the surrounding trees and rocks.
Elder White Bone, seeing him, looked at him very well, as if he stared at him. His eyes widened in surprise, and he took a step back, his face pale. Ryujin smiled and stared back at Elder White Bone, his eyes gleaming with confidence.
Elder White Bone, the creator of the horde of zombies, gazed at Ryujin with a mixture of astonishment and fascination as he emerged from the swarm of undead, sending them flying in all directions. A sly, malevolent grin spread across his face, revealing his yellowing teeth, which resembled those of a zombie. His eyes gleamed with an otherworldly energy, and his pupils seemed to burn with an inner fire.
The air around him seemed to distort and ripple, as if reality itself was bending to accommodate his presence. His very aura seemed to command respect, and the zombies around him seemed to tremble with fear.
Elder White Bone conjured a fireball in his hand, and the flames danced and crackled, emitting a fierce, otherworldly energy. The fireball didn't have a normal color; it was a deep, fiery red that seemed to burn with an inner intensity. Elder White Bone gathered all his firepower and sent it directly at Ryujin.
Ryujin stood still, his eyes fixed on the incoming flames, and didn't dodge. The fire engulfed him, and Elder White Bone laughed, his grin widening. "Ha! There actually exists such an arrogant person in this world, who doesn't even dodge when faced with the Bone Evil Fire!" Elder White Bone exclaimed, his voice dripping with amusement.
He continued, "No matter how high your cultivation is or how strong your physical body is, what can you do against my Bone Evil Fire? This fire is made from the bones of tens of thousands of people, as well as the bones of hundreds of demon beasts. It took decades to refine in the Internal Energy Room."
Elder White Bone specialized in corrupting the physical body and soul. "Even if you're a cultivator with a strong physical body, you'll still be incinerated by my Bone Evil Fire!" he declared, his voice dripping with confidence.
Before he could finish talking, he heard a voice from inside the flames. "Ah, it's so warm," Ryujin said, his voice calm and collected, even as he was engulfed by the fire.
Elder White Bone's eyes widened in shock, and he took a step back, his face pale. His hair, still dripping with water from the rain, seemed to stand on end as he stared at the flames in amazement.
Ryujin, meanwhile, received a system message:
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_System Message_
You have been attacked by the Bone Evil Fire. Fire attributes +100 +100 +100. Congratulations, host has acquired the innate ability Fire Control.
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Ryujin, still inside the flames, started controlling the fire, swaying it around him with an eerie, unnatural precision. He received another message:
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_System Message_
You have been attacked by the Bone Evil Fire. Fire attributes +100 +100 +100 +100. Congratulations, host has acquired the innate ability Fire Mastery.
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Ryujin waited patiently, allowing the fire to burn him, eager to see if any other messages would appear, indicating further evolution.
"Anything else?" he thought to himself, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Elder White Bone was in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with rage. "It's impossible for someone in this world to be engulfed by the Bone Evil Fire and not die!"
Elder White Bone's face was red with anger, and his eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire. He took a step back, his hands shaking with rage. "Impossible!" he repeated, his voice echoing through the air.
Ryujin, still controlling the Bone Evil Fire, opened his hand, revealing the flames dancing within his palm. Elder White Bone's face dripped with sweat as he stared at Ryujin in horror.
"Impossible!" Elder White Bone exclaimed again, his voice barely above a whisper. "Since I can't sense my Bone Evil Fire anymore, have I been deprived of it?" He thought to himself, his mind reeling with shock and confusion.
Elder White Bone tried to summon his fire, making a hand symbol and chanting, "Fire, fire, fire!" But nothing came out. Ryujin, still controlling the Bone Evil Fire, sneered at Elder White Bone.
"Well, then, since that's the case, just go and die," Ryujin said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Since you don't have any other attack to use against me."
Elder White Bone's face contorted with rage and desperation. "I painstakingly refined this Bone Evil Fire for decades! You can't take it away from me! Give it back!" he demanded, his voice shaking with fury.
Ryujin smiled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I'm easy to talk to," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I will give it back to you."
Ryujin took a stance, gathering all the fire within his control. Elder White Bone, seeing the situation, tried to run away from Ryujin. He had just enough time to dodge the Bone Evil Fire, avoiding the flames by a hair's breadth.
As the fire whizzed past his ear, Elder White Bone could feel the heat emanating from it, and his skin prickled with sweat. He stumbled backward, his eyes fixed on Ryujin with a mixture of fear and desperation.
Ryujin's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed intently on Elder White Bone. He could see the fear and desperation in the elder's eyes, and he knew that he had the upper hand.
"You can't escape," Ryujin said, his voice cold and menacing. "You'll never be able to escape my wrath."
Elder White Bone's face was pale with fear, and he stumbled backward, his eyes fixed on Ryujin. He knew that he was no match for the young man, and he could feel his own strength waning.
Ryujin took a step forward, his eyes blazing with fury. "You should have stayed out of this," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Now, you'll pay the price."
Elder White Bone tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse with fear. He tried to run, but his legs were trembling with weakness.
Ryujin raised his hand, and the Bone Evil Fire erupted once more, shooting towards Elder White Bone with incredible speed. The elder tried to dodge, but this time, he was too slow.
The flames engulfed Elder White Bone, and his screams were drowned out by the roar of the fire. His body was consumed by the flames, and he disappeared into the inferno.