Chapter 140: The Severing

In the dimly lit cavern, a cluster of eerie blue flames burned in silence. Everything surrounding the fire was coated in a faint, translucent blue film, lending the scene an air of profound mystery. Had the skull behind the flames been absent, it might have appeared as a beautiful, ethereal light; however, with the skull serving as a backdrop, the entire chamber was suffused with a macabre blue glow, casting long, chilling shadows that felt truly terrifying.

The Skeleton King stared greedily at the blue flame, which was somewhat smaller than he had anticipated. Though he struggled to contain his excitement, he was clearly dissatisfied with its size. The turbulent, dark red spirit fire flickering within his skull revealed the profound agitation of his inner state. For a member of the Skeleton race, the evolution of one’s core spirit fire was the dream of a lifetime.

Gazing at the hope that lay within his grasp, the Skeleton King suppressed his chaotic thoughts, forcing himself into a state of practiced calm. After taking a deep, rattling breath, the dark red fire in his eyes gradually steadied. As he slowly raised his hands, an incredibly dense surge of dark magic emanated from the entire Skeleton Mountain. Every skeleton that came into contact with this dark energy began to undergo an immediate, grotesque transformation.

Simultaneously, more creatures—ones that had not existed moments prior—began to emerge. Pale, white bones seemed to crawl up from the very depths of the earth, densely blanketing the entire mountain. From a distance, the mountain appeared to be a monolith forged entirely of bone, a ghastly sight that chilled one to the marrow.

"By summoning all my minions, I should be able to delay them for some time. I only need a little more time to succeed! Once I absorb this blue spirit fire and complete my evolution, I will have nothing to fear, even from the Fanyun Mountain at the height of its power!" the Skeleton King shrieked, his expression twisted into a savage, frantic mask that no longer resembled anything human.

His sharp, grating voice echoed through the vast, lowermost hall of the cavern. Yet, the Fanyun Mountain he raved about was still a great distance from the Skeleton Mountain. Even with the continuous, high-speed flight of the Dragon Hawks, such a distance was not easily bridged.

It seemed that the best-case scenario the Skeleton King had envisioned was coming to pass. There was still no movement around the Skeleton Mountain, and the Fanyun Mountain forces were still some time away. Given the current pace, he might just have enough time to consume the blue spirit fire and complete his evolution.

The Skeleton King reached out with his right hand and grabbed the blue flame. It flickered violently between his bony fingers. Feeling the faint sense of resistance emanating from the fire, the Skeleton King laughed with satisfaction.

"As expected of the legendary blue spirit fire; it retains such potent strength even after being separated from its source. If I can fully absorb it and evolve, there is no telling what level my power will reach!" he roared with laughter.

Accompanying his brazen laughter, a pitch-black hue surged from his hand. Once this darkness enveloped the blue flame, the two forces held a brief, tense standoff before the sheer pressure of the black energy forced the blue spirit fire entirely into the Skeleton King’s body.

"Aaaarrgh!"

The Skeleton King collapsed to his knees, his entire frame trembling violently. The moment the spirit fire entered his body, a powerful, destructive force erupted from his right arm. In an instant, it coursed through his entire being. The agony was so intense that he had no means of resistance. Fortunately, the gates of the Skeleton Cavern were sealed shut, and the mutated elite skeletons stood guard on the perimeter, rendering his current location relatively secure.

Just as the Skeleton King finished consuming half of Li Ren’s skeletal spirit fire, Shadow had already led his forces to a position not far from the Skeleton Mountain. Looking at the mountain now covered in white, bleached bones, a sharp, ruthless glint flashed in Shadow’s eyes. He commanded Landis and Lania, who followed behind him, "Attack! Give it your all! At any cost, we must not suffer any delays!"

In such wartime conditions, Shadow held a position in the Cloudfall City group second only to Li Ren. Even Landis, who now governed a city of her own, held a lower rank than Shadow in this context. Hearing his order, the two responded in unison. The distinct legions of vampires and the Yuxiao Army surged forward like two powerful, clear-cut torrents, hammering into the Skeleton Mountain.

Seeing the two legions charge, Shadow’s face turned grim, and he accelerated, surging toward the front. A vast, dense black light erupted from his body, rolling forward like a tidal wave. Wherever the black light touched, his soldiers were coated in a protective, armor-like shimmer. Conversely, the mutated skeletons standing upon the mountain seemed to be shackled by an invisible force the moment the black light passed through them, their movement and attack speeds instantly plummeting.

Shadow, who had rarely commanded such focus, finally displayed the true extent of his strength. Landis and Lania did not lag behind; at the moment Shadow moved, they had already utilized their superior strength and speed to reach the front of their respective legions, acting as the vanguard and pushing forward with reckless abandon. With their involvement, the speed of the two legions increased significantly.

The players following behind Shadow and his forces were left bewildered by the target of Cloudfall City’s assault. Although they knew that coming into the Phantasmagoria Mountains meant trouble for some monsters, no one expected such a fierce and tragic battle to break out on the relatively peripheral Skeleton Mountain.

Both the Cloudfall City side and the Skeleton Mountain side left the players in absolute shock. The power displayed by both sides was far beyond what any player could currently hope to resist. Many recorded the scene using the game’s built-in recording function and broadcasted it live to the forums.

The rare, brutal nature of the war drew the immediate attention of players across the forums. The thread containing the video turned bright red with activity, its popularity even causing the official forums to stutter slightly—a feat, considering the servers were no longer the flimsy machines of the past. Countless people watched the battle between these monsters, and the forums were instantly flooded with all manner of theories. As for what the truth actually was, it remained a matter for individual judgment.