146. Elite Skeleton

Once the swarm of rats vanished, the valley returned to its former state, as if they had never existed at all. Chen Fengyun and Ma Dingdang exchanged a glance, nodded in unison, and slowly began to move forward.

"Wooo... wooo..."

Suddenly, a mournful wailing sound drifted from the depths of the valley. It sounded like someone sobbing, yet also like wind whistling through hollow cavities—a sound so eerie it made one’s skin crawl.

Fortunately, neither Chen Fengyun nor Ma Dingdang were ordinary people. With great skill comes great courage; having already encountered blood bats and genuine zombies in the Changbai Imperial Palace, they were hardly going to be intimidated by a mere sound.

"Scritch, scratch..."

As they continued forward, they noticed flickering lights appearing within the black mist ahead. Chen Fengyun swept his divine sense outward and discovered a horde of skeletons, their eye sockets burning with sickly yellow-green ghost fire.

It was impossible to tell who these skeletons had once been, for nothing remained but bone, and some were even missing limbs. Yet, they emanated a thick, malevolent aura.

"Watch out, there are ghost-fire skeletons ahead," Chen Fengyun warned Ma Dingdang.

As he spoke, the skeletons suddenly broke into a run, charging toward them. Chen Fengyun pulled Ma Dingdang aside, and the two leapt onto a massive black boulder, pressing their backs against the valley wall so they would only have to face the attack from the front.

"Om mani padme hum!"

Chen Fengyun unleashed his attack upon the dense, surging mass of skeletons. The Scripture of Deliverance, combined with the Six-Syllable Mantra, was indeed a potent weapon against the undead and other dark, spectral entities. Under the influence of the scripture, the skeletons’ movements slowed instantly, and a dozen were shattered by the power of the mantra.

"Raaar..."

Beside him, Ma Dingdang was not idle. She summoned the Divine Dragon to join the fray. As the dragon’s roar echoed, a wave of golden light swept across the area, scattering seven or eight skeletons into pieces.

"The Divine Dragon doesn't seem interested in these bones; they lack that particular malevolent energy," Ma Dingdang remarked.

"Let me try." Chen Fengyun felt a sudden impulse. He sent out his flying sword, shattered the arm of a skeleton, and pulled it back to examine. He discovered a trace of energy—so faint that while his cultivation system could detect it, it could absorb almost nothing.

"Roar..."

Chen Fengyun gave up on absorbing the energy from these bones, as it was negligible. Just as the two of them finished destroying over a hundred skeletons, a roar echoed from behind, and a unique skeleton emerged.

Unlike the others, this skeleton’s bones were translucent and glistening, resembling refined jade. Its movements were far more agile, and the ghost fire in its eyes was a deep, dark hue, flickering rhythmically as if it were contemplating.

Sure enough, at the sound of its roar, all the other skeletons ceased their assault, waiting for the elite skeleton's command. The two realized that the aura emanating from this elite skeleton was comparable to that of a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

"Could these skeletons be evolving? This one is as strong as a Grandmaster. I wonder how many more of these powerful ones are in this valley?" Ma Dingdang asked with concern.

"It's very likely. These powerful skeletons were probably disciples of the cultivation sect that once inhabited this valley, which is why they are stronger. Let your Divine Dragon test it—see if it can absorb its energy," Chen Fengyun suggested.

"Divine Dragon, punish the evil!" Ma Dingdang cried out. Rather than waiting for the elite skeleton to attack, she took the initiative.

"Raaar..."
"Roar..."
"Boom..."

The Divine Dragon roared, transforming into a streak of golden light that shot toward the elite skeleton. The elite skeleton proved different from the common ones; it let out a roar, leapt into the air, and unleashed a dark radiance from its bony palms, clashing with the dragon in a stalemate.

Of course, Ma Dingdang was merely testing the waters, letting the dragon make contact to see if it could devour the creature's energy; she had not commanded the dragon to use its full strength.

"The dragon tried, but it couldn't consume the malevolent energy," Ma Dingdang said, sounding disappointed. She could see that the elite skeleton was far more powerful than the black rats, and it was a pity the dragon could not absorb its essence.

"Then let me try." Chen Fengyun was elated. The energy in the common skeletons had been far too weak, but perhaps this elite skeleton’s energy could be absorbed and converted into attribute points.

"Boom..."

Just as the elite skeleton landed after colliding with the dragon, Chen Fengyun lunged forward. His flying sword traced a streak of light, aiming directly for the skeleton's eyes.

"Roar..."

The elite skeleton was incensed. The ghost fire in its eyes was the source of its power; if destroyed, it would be finished. It swung its bony palms to parry the sword.

"Om..."

Chen Fengyun leapt directly in front of the creature, pressing his hands in a seal against the back of its skull. The cultivation system instantly vibrated, and Chen Fengyun began to drain its energy.

"Snap..."

In a flash, caught off guard by the sneak attack, the elite skeleton's energy source was absorbed by the system, and its body collapsed into a pile of loose bones.

"It works! I can absorb the energy, and I even gained two attribute points. I hope there are more of these," Chen Fengyun rejoiced. With the elite skeleton dead, the surrounding common skeletons lost their coordination and reverted to their base instincts, rushing toward the pair once more.

Since the common skeletons were useless, Chen and Ma stopped holding back, destroying the bone frames as they pushed forward. Before long, another elite skeleton charged out from the shadows.

"Roar..."

This one had been hiding behind a rock, leaping out to ambush Ma Dingdang. Even with the Divine Dragon protecting her, she was forced to retreat a few steps, her face flushed.

"Die!"

Chen Fengyun, now furious, flicked his Profound Yin Mirror, instantly freezing the lower half of the elite skeleton. As the creature tried to lunge forward, its body snapped in two. Chen Fengyun stepped forward, pinned the upper half of the skeleton to the ground, and quickly drained its energy, gaining another two attribute points.

"Let’s push further in and see just how many skeletons are in this valley. Who knows what else we might find?" With the prospect of more attribute points, Chen Fengyun was highly motivated, and together with Ma Dingdang, they cut a path forward.

Whenever they encountered another elite skeleton, Chen Fengyun used the Profound Yin Mirror to freeze everything below its head, making quick work of them while they were paralyzed.