On the battlefield, the Undead Soldiers—especially those on the periphery who were unable to merge with the main formation—displayed exceptional bravery. Grouping in threes and fives and supporting one another, they formed miniature battle formations. Even when besieged by a greater number of Skeleton Beasts, and even as their bones were bitten and shattered, they refused to take half a step back. Five hundred years ago, these warriors of the Fenglang Clan had once charged against the current of an endless beast horde, using their flesh and blood to buy time for the main force of the Alliance Army and their Human Race compatriots to evacuate. Today, even though they had been reduced to withered bones, and even if the tattoos on their foreheads were no more, they still would not retreat a single step!
At the very front of the formation, Garson fought like a descending War Deity. Every swing of the Giant Axe in his hands carried devastating Power. A roaring Skeleton Bear Goblin charged at him, only to be cleaved through the head and shoulder by his axe, splitting into two piles of shattered bone. Another Skeleton Giant Spider attempted a sneak attack from the flank, but he countered with a backhanded sweep. More than half of its eight long legs snapped instantly, and its massive body crashed to the ground.
Raine, Kaelin, and the others were tightly protected in the center of the formation by the rear guard of the Human Race Undead. They followed the advancing front line without joining the battle themselves. They knew perfectly well that their true objective lay ahead; they could not afford to waste their strength here. However, even though they were merely moving along with the battle formation, the intense and spectacular combat before them still made their hearts pound with fear.
There were no battle cries, no agonizing screams, and no sounds of weapons clashing in a spray of sparks. There were only the muffled thuds of bone colliding with bone and the crisp cracks of shattering skeletons. Like a landslide or a roaring tsunami, these sounds swept toward them, carrying an overwhelming murderous aura. Within Sight, there was nothing but endless darkness, an uninterrupted sea of white bones, and a dazzling, silent slaughter.
Within the group, Sodden managed to maintain his composure, likely having witnessed other battlefields in the past. Kaelin and Winnie, however, were both deathly pale, their breathing growing increasingly rapid, clearly awestruck by this soul-stirring scene. But even as their minds trembled, an irrepressible respect grew in their eyes. If merely watching the battle was this terrifying, who could imagine the kind of bloody struggle and desperate straits the Sharp Wolf Soldiers had experienced here all those years ago?
As for Raine, having experienced several rewinds using Rival’s Perspective, he had evidently become the calmest person in the group. Not only did he pay attention to the surrounding slaughter, but he also analyzed the entire battlefield. Looking out, the number of Human Race Undead that could still stand and fight was roughly estimated at nearly two thousand. Their opponents, the Skeleton Beasts, numbered about the same. It was a truly evenly matched battle. If the group had not had Garson’s assistance, they likely would not have lasted a single second. They would have been instantly swallowed by this terrifying Sen Bai ocean, making the prospect of seeing the Black Tide Embers entirely impossible.
Fortunately, under Garson’s leadership, everything was progressing smoothly. The entire formation was steadily advancing like a hot knife through butter. The speed of their advance was even faster than Raine had imagined. According to the map, the group had already reached the center of the hall, with less than half the distance remaining to the doors of the Path of the Last Breath. Barring any accidents, they would be able to see the true face of the Black Tide Embers shortly. Following Garson’s instructions, when the time came, the squad only needed to focus all their attacks on the Embers.
"Then again, what exactly do the Black Tide Embers look like?" Raine wondered.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, an unexpected shift occurred.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Extremely heavy tremors suddenly shook the ground. Several exceptionally massive dark shadows charged out from behind the Skeleton Beasts and ruthlessly smashed into the front of the formation.
Bearing the brunt of the assault was a Skeleton Earth Dragon over five meters tall. Its massive body was like a moving Bone Mountain. Wherever it passed, whether it was the Human Race Undead or smaller Skeleton Beasts, they were all mercilessly crushed underfoot or sent flying. Following closely, a Skeleton Giant Lizard thrashed its tail, which was covered in Bone Spikes. With every sweep, it cleared out a massive area. Several Human Race Undead Soldiers were instantly smashed in half, turning into a scattered mess of fragmented bone. There were also several Skeleton giant snakes darting agilely through the beast horde. From time to time, they lunged forward, coiling their massive bodies around isolated soldiers and squeezing viciously until the victims completely fell apart. Thick black mist churned around these massive Skeleton Beasts, clearly indicating they had all reached the Elite Level.
Their inclusion instantly shifted the balance of Power on the frontal battlefield, forcibly bringing the formation’s advancing momentum to a screeching halt. Although Garson fought valiantly against the Skeleton Earth Dragon and the Skeleton Giant Lizard, sequentially shattering several of their ribs, he was momentarily struggling against the overwhelming odds, unable to determine a victor. The situation began to take a sharp turn for the worse. Bone fragments sprayed everywhere like snowflakes, and the once strictly disciplined advancing formation became visibly chaotic.
Seeing this, Raine couldn’t help but frown. It seemed the Black Tide Embers had realized their objective, concentrating their forces in an attempt to shake their steady advance. However, he was not overly anxious. He knew that Garson still held a powerful vanguard in reserve, one that had yet to enter the fray.
Sure enough, just as the scales of victory were about to tip in the enemy’s favor—
RUMBLE.
A dense, thundering gallop that made the very air tremble suddenly erupted from the flank of the formation.