As Gu Yueyuanâs momentum surged, Fang Zhou was not to be outdone, and his undead mana began to roil.
From Gu Yueyuanâs perspective, although Fang Zhou had ascended to the lower Black Iron rank, he hadnât held it for long. Despite the training from the Undead Mage research team, resources were limited nonetheless and couldnât be entirely devoted to one individual. Therefore, although Fang Zhouâs mana fluctuations were powerful, his combination of skills was surely still incomplete.
"Summon Mountain Shifting Worm!" Gu Yueyuan roared.
At his command, a small Gu Insect rapidly expanded, transforming into an enormous Mountain Shifting Worm that pounced forward.
Fang Zhou swung his left arm, and the surging Death Qi instantly condensed into dozens of Skeleton Warriors. They arrayed themselves neatly before him, forming a solid barrier.
CLANG.
The Mountain Shifting Worm summoned by Gu Yueyuan clashed against Fang Zhouâs skeleton array with a sound reminiscent of screeching metal. The creatureâs charge was powerful, but the Skeleton Warriors blocked it, halting its advance.
A look of surprise flashed across Gu Yueyuanâs face. He stepped back, clapped his palms together, and summoned another Gu Insect, which shot out at an angle.
"Crescent Worm!"
It resembled a crescent moon and was over a meter long. Entirely golden, it exuded a domineering aura as it shot out at an imperceptible speed.
The golden moonlight reflected on Fang Zhouâs face. He gave a cold smile, raising the Undead Magic Ball in his right hand and gently shaking it to cast a spell.
CLANG!
A Skeleton Heart-Piercing Flying Spear flew out, colliding with the Crescent Worm. At the moment of impact, the golden moon vanished, and the bone spear shattered into countless tiny fragments.
"Is this a battle between lower Black Iron Professionals? Truly powerful! I couldnât withstand either that bone spear or the golden Crescent Worm!" a group of upper-Apprentice second-year seed students watched from a distance, completely dazzled. Though they only partially understood what was happening, they couldnât help but sigh in awe.
How is this possible? Those are Skeleton Warriors, the race with the absolute worst Combat Power Coefficient, yet they managed to block my Mountain Shifting Worm?
Gu Yueyuan looked at the Mountain Shifting Worm being suppressed by the group of Skeleton Warriors, his expression growing heavy with disbelief. The Insect Nest Walker Profession amplified all kinds of Insect Races, and this amplification became more pronounced as a Professionalâs rank increased. The Mountain Shifting Worm was a massive demonic insect known for its powerful charge. Gu Yueyuan had high hopes for it, hoping it would throw Fang Zhou into disarray. He never expected that Fang Zhou could stop the creature he had painstakingly cultivated just by casually summoning a small group of the most common Skeleton Warriors.
Seeing the Mountain Shifting Worm at a disadvantage and at risk of being surrounded and dismembered, Gu Yueyuan gritted his teeth and summoned a swarm of medium-sized spider Gu, each about half a meter long. Following his command, these spiders scrambled toward Fang Zhou.
Fang Zhou smiled faintly. He extended the Undead Magic Ball in his hand and began casting frantically.
WHOOSH...
A Skeleton Shock Wave suddenly took shape! A howling wind like a tornado erupted as gray-white Death Energy surged forth, its chilling aura threatening to freeze the limbs of anyone nearby.
"Dodge!"
Even Gu Yueyuan didnât dare to confront it head-on and hastily retreated. But while he retreated in time, the swarm of spiders he had summoned could not. The Skeleton Shock Wave swept over them with astonishing speed, at least three times faster than before.
CRUNCH!
The unfortunate spiders were caught in the blast. Their screams were abruptly cut short as they were instantly sliced into countless pieces, dying on the spot. Only a larger spider leader, which had been heavily protected by the swarm, was left clinging to life.
"Cyan Dragon Centipede!"
A green light flared in Gu Yueyuanâs palm, and the spectral image of a massive, jade-like centipede flashed above his head. He then seemed like one possessed as Cyan Rattans erupted from his palm, coiling around the spider leaderâs limbs like snakes.
Just as he was about to pull the spider leader back, another Skeleton Heart-Piercing Flying Spear came whistling through the air. It pierced the spider leaderâs abdomen, spraying caustic green fluids everywhere. Fortunately, at the critical moment, Fang Zhou had adjusted the spearâs trajectory slightly, making it miss the spider leaderâs vitals.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Under the explosive energy of the Skeleton Heart-Piercing Flying Spear, the spider leader was instantly and grievously wounded, but it still clung to life.
Gu Yueyuan knew this was the result of Fang Zhou showing mercy. He gave Fang Zhou a slight nod and waved his hand, recalling the spider leader. The injured creature was clearly of no more use in this battle. However, as an Insect Nest Walker, Gu Yueyuan had no shortage of such cannon-fodder Gu Insects.
He continuously summoned various Gu Insects, each with its own unique attributes and attack methods.
"Jade Mantis!" "Mountain Bamboo Dragonfly!" "Earth Rock Scorpion!" "Blood-sucking Leech!"
An army of nearly ten different types of Gu Insects swarmed toward Fang Zhou, blotting out the sky. This was Gu Yueyuanâs specialty, the swarm tactic that had brought him victory in countless battles! Against other Professionals, this move was irresistible, forcing them to retreat.
However, Fang Zhou showed no fear at all.
You have your insect army, and I have my Undead Calamity!
He stood his ground, and the mana fluctuating around him intensified dramatically. In front of him, hundreds of gray vortices appeared out of thin air. An Undead Army composed mainly of Skeleton Warriors, Skeleton Archers, and Zombies poured out of the gray vortices, meeting the menacing Gu Insect army head-on. Even in the sky above, more than twenty Skeleton Bats flapped their bony wings, engaging in a chaotic melee with the flying Gu Insects.
Boosted by his Talents and summoning expertise, Fang Zhou easily summoned an undead army of such a massive scale and still retained a considerable amount of mana.
Fang Zhou wasnât finished casting, either. He proceeded to unleash a series of enhancement Skills. Black Iron-tier buffs like Undead Coronation, Brutal Aura, Iron Wall Aura, and Undead Resurgence were all cast. These Skills made Fang Zhouâs Undead Army even more formidable and utterly unstoppable.
Skeleton Warriors wielded their bone swords, engaging the Jade Mantises in direct combat. The mantises were fast, but faced with the dense formation of Skeleton Warriors, their attacks were parried one after another. The Skeleton Warriors advanced methodically, steadily pushing the Jade Mantises back. Whenever a mantis tried to bypass the line of defense, it was swiftly intercepted by the repositioning Skeleton Warriors.
Elsewhere, the Zombies were entangled with the Mountain Bamboo Dragonflies. The dragonflies attempted to slice through the Zombiesâ bodies with their sharp wings, but the Zombiesâ tough hides, bolstered by the Iron Wall Aura, allowed them to withstand most of the attacks. Seizing their chances, the Zombies used their sturdy arms to grab the Mountain Bamboo Dragonflies and rip them to shreds.
As the battle wore on, the once overwhelming insect army began to show clear signs of faltering. Under the enhancement of various Skills, Fang Zhouâs Undead Armyâs combat power had greatly increased, and they were gradually gaining the upper hand.
Gu Yueyuanâs brow furrowed as he watched. He knew this battle had become exceedingly difficult.
"Fang Zhou..." Gu Yueyuan sighed deeply, staring at Fang Zhou with a hint of admiration. "Ever since Iâve known you, youâve been growing stronger at a speed I could never have imagined. Now, I have to admit that youâve surpassed me. But your strength wonât make me surrender. Letâs fight!"
"Then may the best man win," Fang Zhou chuckled softly, glancing toward Liu Diewu, Silvanas, and the others in the distance. "Everyone is watching us, after all!"
Gu Yueyuanâs expression remained unchanged. He took a large step forward, his action the most direct of answers. He slowly closed his eyes, then snapped them open.
"Cyan Dragon Centipede!"
Under the power of this lower Black Iron Lifebound Gu Insect, Gu Yueyuanâs eyes turned a brilliant emerald green. In that moment, his aura changed dramatically, transforming from that of a living human to a profound and tranquil aura of nature.