Chapter 18: The Power of the Blood Shaman

Sky Splitting Tiger was the first to rise from the ground, his chest heaving heavily as he gasped for air. He did not rush to launch another fierce attack, instead leaning on his long spear motionlessly, quietly waiting for Mu Feng to struggle up from the ground.

“Good, you’re truly a tough one!”

Amid the tense atmosphere, Sky Splitting Tiger’s gaze at Mu Feng held an added touch of admiration. No one had ever survived three moves under his Overlord Spear, let alone with bare hands! After a pause, he continued, “Mu Feng, good. I’ve remembered your name. If you die, I’ll make a special trip down the mountain to Mu Manor and tell your mother, Madame Situ, that her son was a real hero.”

“Good, thank you!”

Mu Feng reached out to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth and calmly added, “If you die, I’ll set up a tombstone for you. I’ll carve the words ‘Sky Splitting Tiger, Overlord Spear’ on it.”

“Hahaha, good, let’s go again!”

Sky Splitting Tiger laughed heartily, forcefully pulling his Overlord Spear from the ground and prepared to come back strong. “Overlord Spear Fourth Move, Desert Beacon!”

After spitting out a mouthful of blood, Sky Splitting Tiger seemed completely unaffected, charging forward again with immense force, growing more ferocious as the fight went on.

As this spear thrust came, Mu Feng’s ears rang with the howl of the cold wind unique to the vast deserts of the empire’s Northern Frontier, whistling loudly. Before his eyes, illusions even appeared, as if he had arrived in the wild, endless desert, where monotonous stretches of wild grass and wilderness stretched beyond sight, with only gusts of strong wind sweeping past.

“Eighteen Blood Witch Commands!”

This time, Mu Feng did not dare to take any more risks. He took out the command flags from his chest and threw them out in one swift motion.

Thump, thump, thump…

As soon as the eighteen flags were planted in the ground, a chilling wind immediately rose, accompanied by ghostly wails and mournful howls. Thick black mist quickly enveloped the area for several miles around. In the blink of an eye, they went from the boundless desert to a disorderly graveyard. Looking up, ghostly shadows loomed in the darkness, with occasional eerie will-o’-the-wisps floating past, sending shivers down one’s spine.

Only after Mu Feng obtained these eighteen flags and reforged them did they unleash their true power!

“Eh, is this your protective treasure?”

Sky Splitting Tiger exclaimed in surprise, abruptly stopping. Staring at Mu Feng, whose figure flickered in and out of the darkness, his face changed dramatically.

“That’s right, this is my true protective treasure, the Eighteen Blood Witch Commands!” Mu Feng’s figure swayed, disappearing completely into the darkness, only his faint voice carrying from within. “This treasure can summon eighteen powerful warriors to aid in battle. Be careful!”

Before the fight began, Sky Splitting Tiger had voluntarily warned of the Overlord Spear’s might, and Mu Feng did not conceal the true power of the Eighteen Blood Witch Commands, refusing to take even the slightest advantage unfairly. Since they were going to fight, they would do so openly and honorably.

Schemes could catch enemies off guard, but used too often, their effectiveness waned, sometimes even harming oneself as much as the enemy. This was never the true path. Only open strategies, conducted with honor, which enemies knew about yet could not counter, represented the true way of kings!

Mu Feng preferred to defeat his enemies with straightforward tactics!

Summon eighteen powerful warriors to assist?

Sky Splitting Tiger drew a sharp breath. Mu Feng was already this formidable empty-handed; with eighteen troublesome, perhaps even stronger, warriors aiding him, who could possibly be his match?

Having hunted in the mountains since childhood, the experienced Sky Splitting Tiger instinctively sensed intense danger.

Before he could react, the eighteen flags planted in the ground grew with the wind. Then, following a piercing wail, skeleton figures emerged on the flags. Their sinister bone claws slashed forcefully, and with a swishing sound, half of their bodies stretched out from the flags. Instantly, the chilling wind intensified, whipping up sand and stones, as if the gates of hell had opened and ferocious ghosts imprisoned deep underground had risen.

One of the skeletons was exceptionally tall, its bones shimmering with a red glow—clearly a particularly vicious Skeleton King.

“Overlord First Move, Thousand Army Slash!”

Sky Splitting Tiger’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly changed his tactic, aiming to strike first and destroy all the skeletons before they fully emerged.

The Overlord Spear Technique passed down from his ancestors was specially designed for killing enemies on the battlefield. Especially the first move, Thousand Army Slash, excelled in group combat, allowing a lone rider to charge through thousands of troops. In a life-or-death moment, a single spear thrust carried such sharp killing intent that it made the eighteen flags flutter violently, as if about to tear apart.

Sky Splitting Tiger’s spear move was impressively powerful, but unfortunately, it was a step too late. As the spiritual power within Mu Feng surged violently, the eighteen skeleton warriors fully emerged from the flags, closing in on Sky Splitting Tiger with an eerie presence. Though empty-handed and without weapons, their sinister, sharp bone claws alone were enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

“Kill!”

With a fierce roar, Sky Splitting Tiger launched the attack first. His Overlord Spear moved like a venomous snake—swift and precise—piercing through a skeleton warrior’s chest, shattering its ribs, and then lifting it high into the air. After spinning halfway through the air with a “Hu” sound, he flung it far away.

At this critical moment, facing peril, Sky Splitting Tiger did not panic. Instead, he fought with increasing ferocity, unleashing even more astonishing attacks. Truly, his spear was like an overlord, and he himself was like a fierce tiger!

Woo…

After a mournful wail, the remaining skeleton warriors suddenly accelerated, fiercely pouncing forward. Sky Splitting Tiger’s eyes widened, and he thrust his spear forward, impaling another skeleton and lifting it up. But before he could throw it away, the other skeleton warriors had already closed in around him. Sharp pain shot through his legs, back, and even his arms as their sharp bone claws stabbed deeply into him. In just one encounter, he was nearly torn to pieces.

“Ah… Overlord Fifth Move, Storm Strike!”

Sky Splitting Tiger let out a sharp cry, gritting his teeth to execute the fifth move of the Overlord Spear Technique. In an instant, the air rippled, producing thousands of sharp wind blades, raging fiercely like a deep-sea storm. Following a series of harsh, crisp cracking sounds, the sinister bone claws of the skeleton warriors were cleanly sliced off.

The Overlord Spear Technique grew more powerful with each move.

At this life-or-death moment, the injured Sky Splitting Tiger erupted once more, his eyes turning completely red.

Without their sharp bone claws, the many skeleton warriors let out a collective wail, their assault faltering for a moment. But in the next instant, before the encircled Sky Splitting Tiger could break free, they opened their mouths and bit down, their sharp teeth sinking deep into his flesh. Once they clamped on, they held on like nails, refusing to let go.

“Ah…”

Sky Splitting Tiger cried out sharply again, his body drenched in blood. Just as he prepared to unleash another Storm Strike to finish off these terrifying skeletons, suddenly, all the hairs on his body stood on end, and a faint, almost imperceptible gust of wind came from behind.

Not good!

Sky Splitting Tiger’s heart jolted, finally remembering Mu Feng lurking in the darkness.

Compared to these troublesome skeletons, Mu Feng’s own attacks were even more fearsome. A single punch from him was enough to rupture internal organs and shatter meridians. If Mu Feng launched a surprise attack from behind, the consequences would be disastrous!

Sky Splitting Tiger broke out in a cold sweat. In that brief moment, his heart raced with terror. Never before had he felt the approach of death so clearly.