Chương 1269: Chapter 60: The White Skeleton of the Mid-Golden Core Stage

"Roar!" The Shura Secret Bone erupted in a thunderous, indignant howl, like an enraged lion. In a flash of sanguine radiance, it transformed into a streak of blood-red light, appearing beside a red skeleton. Its skeletal palm unfurled, descending with the weight of a mountain to crush the creature's cranium. The red skeleton hoisted its arms in a desperate parry, but they were severed instantly, snapping like twigs.

The palm pulverized the skull, and from the wreckage, the Shura Secret Bone snatched a crimson soul orb, devouring it whole. Roar! Having consumed the essence, the Shura Secret Bone's eye sockets flared with a menacing red glow. It shrieked and dissolved into a blur of blood-mist, lunging toward another target. This adversary was a skeleton of visceral crimson. Deep within its eye sockets, red light flickered like ghost-fires.

As the Shura Secret Bone pounced, the crimson skeleton showed dread, yet it still lashed out, its hand extending like a blade to cleave its attacker's skull. Boom! Boom! Boom! The two entities collided, their skeletal frames clashing with the resonance of magic treasures. Bursts of sanguine energy erupted from every impact. However, wreathed in its own red aura, the Shura Secret Bone grew increasingly ferocious, while the red skeleton faltered, its movements becoming frantic and defensive.

Finally, the Shura Secret Bone seized an opening. Its palm, wreathed in shimmering red light, pulverized the skull in a single strike. It plucked the struggling soul essence and devoured it. Boom! The Shura Secret Bone's presence underwent a violent upheaval. Its aura surged exponentially, and a wave of murderous, baleful energy swept outward like a physical shockwave. Roar! Exultant, it roared at the heavens. It became a crimson bolt, diving into the remaining ranks of the red skeletons. Crack! Crack! Crack!

The rhythmic snapping of bone echoed as skull after skull was shattered. The Shura Secret Bone gorged itself on one red soul orb after another. Finally, after crushing a particularly potent deep-red skeleton and devouring its essence, its aura fluctuated wildly. It let out a series of low, guttural groans, enduring an agonizing metamorphosis. Amidst these pained roars, the blood-light coursing through its bones surged like the torrential waves of a vast ocean, producing a low, rumbling thunder.

On the bone staircase, the surrounding horde of red skeletons froze. A palpable sense of reverence and terror washed over them; they dared not take a single step closer. Suddenly, the swirling blood-light shuddered. A faint tint of orange manifested within the red, spreading with viral speed. Within moments, the Shura Secret Bone's entire skeletal structure had transitioned into a vibrant orange. The flickering red light in its eyes transformed into two dancing flames of pale orange.

Simultaneously, its orange bones expanded and thickened. Its stature ballooned, soaring until it reached a height of roughly one zhang before the growth finally tapered off. Boom! A terrifyingly powerful aura erupted from its frame. Under this crushing pressure, the countless blood-red skeletons trembled uncontrollably. Aside from a few deep-crimson variants who struggled to remain upright, the rest of the skeletons collapsed to the ground, prostrating themselves in total submission. Roar!

The Shura Secret Bone gave a low growl, its body blurring into a mere afterimage. With its strength and speed now supernatural, it systematically crushed the skulls of the few skeletons still resisting, hoisting their deep-red soul essences high as it roared in triumph. With that final command, the hundreds of skeletons kneeling on the ground shuddered. More than half immediately rose and fell in line behind the Shura Secret Bone, while the remaining dissenters retreated in fear. Stolen novel; please report.

The Shura Secret Bone let out another snarl and brought its skeletal palm down. The two hundred blood-red skeletons behind it surged forward like a tide, surrounding the retreating group and launching a merciless assault. Boom! Boom! Boom! Fifteen minutes later, under the relentless command of the Shura Secret Bone, every skeleton that had dared to refuse submission was utterly annihilated.

However, the cost of victory was steep; nearly half of the Shura Secret Bone's own subordinates had been ground to dust, leaving exactly one hundred survivors. Yet, these hundred survivors had each devoured two or more soul orbs. Their auras surged violently, their combat prowess multiplying several times over compared to before. Standing at the foot of the bone staircase, Reyn's eyes gleamed with joy. This place was truly an unparalleled cultivation sanctuary for the Shura Secret Bone.

In such a brief span, it had undergone a qualitative evolution. Judging by the oppressive aura radiating from its frame, it now possessed might no less than that of an Early Golden Core cultivator! But in that very instant, Reyn's expression shifted abruptly. He activated his Demon Flash Escape, and in a flicker of azure light, he reappeared beside the Shura Secret Bone. The surrounding red skeletons immediately flared with hostility.

However, with a low, guttural growl from the Shura Secret Bone, they ceased all movement. Though they did not show Reyn absolute fealty, their hostility slowly dissipated. Simultaneously, the Shura Secret Bone turned its hollow sockets toward the entrance of the great hall. Within those dark voids, two orange flames leaped and danced like a raging inferno. Reyn's face was equally grim, his gaze sharp and cold as he stared at the white skeleton emerging from the hall's shadows, his pupils constricting with wariness.

This new skeleton was a ghastly, deathly white, its frame even marred by patches of black rot. Yet, within its eyes flickered a pale white flame, and a profound, domineering aura slowly emanated from its body. Mid-stage Golden Core! The aura erupting from this white skeleton had actually reached the Mid-stage Golden Core realm! Roar! The Shura Secret Bone let out a low, rumbling roar toward the white skeleton, as if demanding answers.

The pale white flames in the white skeleton's eyes flickered momentarily before settling into a cold stillness. It opened its jaw and released a muffled, heavy roar of its own! Following that roar, the white skeleton blurred into a white streak. Its bony hand clenched into a fist, smashing down toward the Shura Secret Bone with thunderous force. Roar! The Shura Secret Bone responded with a volatile, enraged howl. Transforming into a blur of orange light, it charged forward to meet the assault. Boom!

The orange and white frames collided violently. Neither bothered with defense; instead, they drove their skeletal fists ruthlessly into each other's chests. Crack! Crack! Several ribs on the Shura Secret Bone's chest were instantly webbed with fractures. Under the sheer force of the white skeleton's punch, it was sent hurtling backward. In contrast, while the white skeleton appeared unremarkable, its frame was incredibly resilient.

Only a faint hairline fracture appeared on its sternum, and after skidding back a dozen meters, it lunged forward once more. Boom! Boom! Boom! The two skeletons clashed in a brutal melee, the sound of bone striking bone echoing like the collision of powerful magic treasures. The Shura Secret Bone's evolution to orange had granted it power comparable to an Early Golden Core cultivator.

However, the white skeleton was a Mid-stage equivalent, and its deathly white bones were far denser and harder than the Shura Secret Bone's orange frame. As the battle raged on, the Shura Secret Bone gradually began to falter, falling into a clear disadvantage.