Chapter 537: King of Skulls

Chapter 537: Chapter 537: King of Skulls

In the Sky Extreme Realm, a Skeleton King?

Hearing Mr. Corpse's explanation, Zhong Shan frowned deeply. If it weren't for the Yin-Yang Hall behind him, something he had to protect, he would have taken Xianxian and fled immediately.

"Clack, clack."

As a pitch-black skeletal hand emerged, another one followed from the black hole. Slowly, a gigantic black skeleton, about the height of two people, crawled out.

The skeleton was utterly black, its eye sockets emitting a faint red glow, as if angry at being disturbed. On the middle finger of its right hand was a very exquisite ring.

"Your Majesty, it seems we don't need to run!" Mr. Corpse suddenly laughed.

"Indeed," Zhong Shan nodded.

Zhong Shan also noticed that the pitch-black Skeleton King had countless cracks on its bones, resembling a spider's web, infinite and seemingly ready to collapse at any moment. Deadly energy constantly seeped from the cracks as if its power was being drained.

"Zhong Shan, why don't we need to run?" Xianxian, still pale, asked.

Zhong Shan immediately stood in front of Xianxian to shield her from the pressure.

"Because this is a severely injured Skeleton King!" Zhong Shan affirmed.

The Skeleton King was merely here to recover from its injuries. Even in recovery, it wasn't something an ordinary Emperor Extreme Realm could insult.

After emerging, the Skeleton King quickly noticed that Zhong Shan had the highest cultivation here, at the Emperor Extreme Realm, and the three zombies were merely mindless.

The Skeleton King tilted its head back and let out a long howl to the sky.

"Haaaaaaah~~~~~~~~~~~"

This howl carried an infinite might, causing countless bones on the ground to fly into the air. The sky was filled with a swirling death aura, rising up to the clouds.

The three zombie Buddhas quickly shielded the trio, sparing them from significant harm.

"Even severely injured, a Sky Extreme Realm shouldn't be underestimated," Zhong Shan said solemnly.

"Your Majesty, you should retreat. This Skeleton King is unusual; let the zombies fight it!" Mr. Corpse immediately suggested, his eyes full of seriousness.

"No need," Zhong Shan shook his head.

"Eh?"

"No matter how injured, the Skeleton King can still exert the power of an Emperor Extreme Realm. If it fights the zombies, the destruction would be immense. The Yin-Yang Hall is right beside us; it mustn't be damaged," Zhong Shan shook his head.

"But..." Mr. Corpse frowned.

"Let me handle this," Zhong Shan said firmly.

Surprised, Mr. Corpse glanced at Zhong Shan and then nodded, "Yes."

"Zhong Shan!" Xianxian called out worriedly.

"Don't worry!"

After speaking, Zhong Shan stepped forward. The three zombies moved aside but stayed close to Zhong Shan under Mr. Corpse's instructions to guard against any accidents.

The Skeleton King's crimson eyes fixed on Zhong Shan, who had walked to the front. A powerful pressure bore down on Zhong Shan, even whipping up a whirlwind that blew toward him.

The power of the Eyes of Reincarnation surged wildly under Zhong Shan's command.

The Skeleton King now felt like crying, if only it had tears. This suction force was unprecedented, something the Skeleton King had never encountered in its lifetime. The soul flame within its skull flickered wildly, relentlessly crashing against the energy in the skull as if it could break free at any moment.

It was on the brink. It couldn't hold on much longer.

Was it really going to die so miserably? In the past, it had faced countless powerful foes in a hopeless situation and still managed to create a bloody path to survival. Those foes were a hundred times stronger than this one, yet they all perished by its hand. But today, it couldn't do anything against this ant, even facing imminent annihilation!

As the Skeleton King reminisced, Zhong Shan's reincarnation power grew stronger, frantically pulling at the soul flame, trying to draw it out of the Skeleton King's body.

The Skeleton King stared at Zhong Shan, realizing it couldn't hold on any longer. Was this the end? If the soul flame left its body, it wouldn't even have a chance at reincarnation; it would face utter destruction.

Making a difficult decision, the Skeleton King suddenly knelt on one knee.

Seeing this, Zhong Shan raised an eyebrow and slightly reduced the power of his Eyes of Reincarnation.

"Wang Ku submits to you!" the Skeleton King uttered in a grating voice.

"Submit?" Zhong Shan narrowed his eyes.

"I, Wang Ku, swear by my soul flame," the Skeleton King reiterated.

"An oath? I never trust the oaths of enemies," Zhong Shan replied coldly.

Hearing this, the Skeleton King felt like coughing up blood, if only it had any.

"Your Majesty! A skeleton's soul flame oath is absolutely binding," Mr. Corpse quickly interjected, wiping away cold sweat.

"Oh?" Zhong Shan frowned, curious why Mr. Corpse was speaking for the Skeleton King.

"Your Majesty, skeletons are different from humans and beasts. Their existence is bound to their soul flame. Human oaths are not binding, but a skeleton's soul flame oath is bound by its very life force. If it breaks the oath, its soul flame will be extinguished, leading to its complete destruction," Mr. Corpse explained.

"A soul flame oath binds for life?" Zhong Shan asked, frowning.

"No, once the life force evolves, it can break free from previous oaths. This is a Skeleton King of the Sky Extreme Realm. If it advances to the immortal realm, it can break the oath," Mr. Corpse clarified.

Zhong Shan stared at the Skeleton King, who lowered its head in worry, awaiting Zhong Shan's judgment.

The power of the Eyes of Reincarnation was formidable indeed!

"Swear by your soul flame," Zhong Shan ordered after some thought.

"What is your name?" the Skeleton King asked.

"Zhong Shan."

"I, Wang Ku, swear by my soul flame to serve Zhong Shan from this moment forward. If I break this oath, may I be utterly destroyed," Wang Ku declared.

As Wang Ku spoke, a black light suddenly radiated from its skull, forming a strange pattern like a shackle that rushed into Wang Ku's forehead and vanished.

"Your Majesty, the soul flame oath is complete," Mr. Corpse confirmed.

Satisfied, Zhong Shan's pupils contracted, then returned to normal as he deactivated the Eyes of Reincarnation.

Wang Ku, still kneeling on one knee, felt a sudden relief. The soul flame in its skull stopped its frantic dance. With a trace of fear, it glanced at Zhong Shan and then stood respectfully.

Wang Ku felt a deep sorrow. Once so powerful and revered, it now served an Emperor Extreme Realm cultivator. What a tragedy!