Chapter 146: Who Are You?!

“Cut the act! This is your last chance—will you surrender or not?” Van Yunshan clenched his fist around the greatsword, his face growing darker with a steely resolve.

“Surrender? Or not? What does it matter to you?” The Skeleton King’s voice carried a cold edge, laced with a mocking laugh that grated harshly on the ears.

“It seems you’ve grown indifferent to seeing, hearing, or feeling. Don’t think that just because you’ve completed your evolution, you can act arrogantly. Among your Skeleton Tribe, I’ve dealt with plenty of those wielding the blue spirit flame!” Van Yunshan raised his massive sword, and an increasingly potent aura began to radiate from him.

“Judging by your condition, you must still be injured. Straining yourself to boost your power like this isn’t necessarily wise. If you’re careless, your strength might plateau here.” The Skeleton King’s eyes gleamed with surprise as he watched Van Yunshan’s movements.

“Enough nonsense! Your power isn’t as formidable as you think; in this state, I’m more than capable of handling you!” Van Yunshan snapped back fiercely.

The Skeleton King shook his head silently, choosing not to continue. Further words would be futile, nothing more than the same stale prelude to battle repeated over millennia.

Rising from his throne, the Skeleton King’s own aura surged strongly, matching Van Yunshan’s intensity. Their presences steadily escalated, filling the cavern with an overwhelming energy.

Though intangible, their auras weighed heavily upon the senses, compelling all who beheld them to bow their heads in deference.

Where their energies collided, invisible forces clashed violently, causing fine dust to burst from the sturdy stone pillars—stone particles crushed out by the sheer pressure of their might.

Van Yunshan’s gaze hardened as he looked at the Skeleton King. Despite his defiant words, inwardly he had already prepared for the worst. He never imagined that this newly evolved Skeleton King, who should still be recovering, could possess such overwhelming power.

That thought only fueled his anger further. If only half of Li Ren’s blue spirit flame still existed, it was unfathomable to consider what state Li Ren would be in now, given his talent.

“Damn it!” Van Yunshan cursed bitterly, his hatred for the Skeleton King deepening.

The two remained rooted, when suddenly the clash of weapons rang out sharply. After a tense moment, those standing behind Van Yunshan saw his form begin to blur and fade, until he vanished completely.

“A lingering afterimage! And it lasted so long!” Lania’s heart raced with alarm. She was struggling to keep up with the sudden emergence of such powerful figures today. Even the seemingly delicate Shadow had unleashed an unexpectedly formidable strength.

Though they had long held Van Yunshan, the former city lord, in high regard, the power he displayed now far exceeded their expectations.

It was truly astonishing that such strength could exist in this world.

The invisible yet fierce collisions echoed relentlessly in midair. At their current level, none could discern the combatants’ movements. Lania felt a twinge of despair, but when she noticed Li Ren—who had followed Van Yunshan and remained unusually quiet—intently watching the unseen battle ahead, her heart tightened.

At some point, even Li Ren’s power had become terrifying. In her memories, the city lord had always been a carefree sort, moderately strong but nothing extraordinary—at most on par with her, yet still inferior to Lantis.

She had long wondered where Lantis’s formidable strength originated. Now, it was clear the power of those around her was surging at a frightening pace, while she alone seemed unchanged, despite a recent impressive strike aided by the vampire legion.

She pressed her lips tightly, fists clenched, feeling the sting of being left so far behind by these others.

When the two fighters finally reappeared in her sight, Van Yunshan was driven deep into the ground, his greatsword plunged firmly beneath him, leveraging the friction to counter the immense force bearing down on him.

The Skeleton King, by contrast, staggered back a dozen steps before halting, clearly shaken but still standing.

Both paused simultaneously. The Skeleton King shook his bone blade, seemingly wounded but not seriously impeded.

Seeing this, Lantis and Lania focused their eyes on Van Yunshan, still half-kneeling with his sword embedded in the earth, their expressions etched with concern.

“Who are you?” Van Yunshan’s voice was low and hoarse, shocking everyone as he fixed the Skeleton King with a glare.

The Skeleton King said nothing, merely standing his ground.

Van Yunshan’s eyes blazed crimson. “You are not the Skeleton King of old. His aura has vanished entirely. Who are you, to possess his body and consume his spirit flame? Have you forgotten the rules for entering here? Or is it that...”

His voice dropped lower still, frost creeping into his tone.

“Oh? You finally noticed?” The Skeleton King’s demeanor betrayed no fear of Van Yunshan’s threats. Instead, he showed a flicker of interest at being unmasked.

“That’s right. That brat tried to devour me but failed; instead, I assimilated him. Honestly, being devoured wouldn’t have been so bad.” The Skeleton King spoke casually, unbothered by the fact he had absorbed the former Skeleton King.

“Devour... you mean...” Van Yunshan froze at the revelation. He glanced at Li Ren behind him, then back to the Skeleton King. Both bore the eerie blue spirit flame in their eyes.

That strange blue flame now seemed sinister, quickening his breath with unease.

What was truly happening here? What dreadful truth was he on the verge of uncovering? Van Yunshan swallowed hard, a cold dread settling deep within him.