"A Level Ten powerhouse—my god, a Level Ten puppet soldier!" Someone in the crowd sensed the anomaly and immediately cried out in alarm.
The aura of a Level Ten was unmistakable. Even from hundreds of meters away, Kael could feel the terrifying pressure radiating from it. A Level Ten powerhouse—its majesty brooked no defiance!
"You trespass in this forbidden ground... All of you shall die!" The coffin lid was flung aside as a tall, imposing figure emerged. Its body was powerfully built, its eye sockets blazing with undying flames—a manifestation of its immense life force and the dread might of a Level Ten.
"Shit, Level Ten!" Arjun's scalp prickled with dread. They'd truly provoked someone far beyond them.
This Level Ten entity must have been at least Level Twelve in life to retain such strength even after being forged into a puppet.
The moment the Level Ten puppet appeared, all the surrounding puppet soldiers halted in unison, turning toward it as if awaiting orders.
No—this wasn't just a puppet soldier. This Level Ten being was more like a generalcommanding the entire undead legion!
Kael and Arjun exchanged a glance, both realizing the severity of the situation. Even their scalps crawled with tension.
As the puppet general emerged, all the cultivators fell silent, their eyes brimming with fear.
"Formation!"
Just as Kael and Arjun prepared to flee, the puppet general's throat rasped with a hoarse command—one laced with unshakable authority and murderous intent.
In an instant, thousands of puppet soldiers moved as one. The previously chaotic swarm now arranged itself into a battle formation with terrifying precision.
"Damn it! That strongest puppet general can command all the others, making them form up! These things are a hundred times deadlier now—they're a nightmare to deal with!" Arjun shouted.
Kael nodded, his expression darkening. Not only did these puppets retain their combat instincts from life, but they also felt no fear in death. Unless their heads were severed, they would never fall. And now, they even knew how to deploy tactical formations—a sight that would give even a Level Ten powerhouse pause!
Indeed, once the puppet soldiers formed their battle formation, they became an entirely different force—united like a disciplined army, their murderous aura chilling to the bone.
The Water Dragon was truly formidable, and even his followers are this powerful! When I'm strong enough, I'll assemble an army like this too! Kael thought, his trepidation mingling with a surge of ambition.
The puppet soldiers advanced in formation, slaughtering everything in their path.
The battlefield was far more crowded than just Kael and Arjun—numerous other cultivators were present. But Kael had been cautious from the start. At the first sign of disturbance, he and Arjun had quietly distanced themselves from the puppets, ensuring they weren't primary targets.
In contrast, one group of cultivators now drew Kael's sharp attention.
"These people…" Kael's brow furrowed. He hadn't noticed them earlier, but now they stood out as distinctly unusual.
Their attire was the reason.
There were five in total, each clad in pitch-black armor from head to toe, their helmets obscuring their faces. Their armor bore intricate, patterned engravings—arranged with deliberate symmetry, as if conveying some hidden meaning.
Kael and Arjun stiffened at the sight.
"Damn it, isn't that the same black-armored man we saw in the Water Dragon's treasury? But how are there so many now?!" Arjun hissed, recognizing the uncanny resemblance. These figures were identical to the one they'd encountered before—undoubtedly connected.
"These people are suspicious. Concealing themselves in full black armor means their identities must be something shameful," Kael murmured.
"And they're all incredibly strong…" Arjun added quietly.
Arjun wasn't wrong. Every one of them was a Level Nine powerhouse—effectively adding five elite fighters to the chaos.
Kael's gaze sharpened as he studied the battlefield, as if detecting something peculiar.
Despite the puppet soldiers' enhanced lethality in formation, these Level Nine expertsheld their ground effortlessly.
Meanwhile, as the sounds of battle echoed outward, more and more cultivators were drawn into the fray, plunging the battlefield into further chaos.
The black-armored figures, relying on their formidable Level Nine strength, carved out a vacuum zone amidst the chaos. In mere moments, over a dozen puppet soldiers had already fallen to their hands.
Just as Kael was observing them, the black-armored men seemed to take notice of him as well.
"That's the two brats we encountered in the Water Dragon's treasury last time! One of them is called Idris—he's got some good loot on him, especially that crimson cannon!" One of the black-armored men licked his lips, his gaze glinting with greed as it locked onto Kael.
"Number Three, are you sure it's them? Just two Level Eight whelps? Tsk, seems you've grown weaker..." Another black-armored man beside him laughed mockingly, his eyes also zeroing in on Kael and Arjun.
Number Three!
Kael's mind raced at their method of address. These black-armored men clearly belonged to a highly organized faction—using numerical designations instead of names. The one they'd encountered in the Water Dragon's treasury had been Number Three!
"Number Two, don't underestimate them. That kid isn't just some ordinary Level Eight—especially Idris. He's got tricks up his sleeve," Number Three warned grimly.
Number Two snorted in disdain before lunging forward. His body shot forth like a blade, the wind howling against his armor as battle energy erupted around him, the sheer force cracking the air. Number Two was a warrior!
This was unexpected—the Water Dragon's ruins were a mage's legacy. Warriors were rare here.
Clearly, these black-armored men operated as a coordinated unit, blending warriors and mages with deadly precision.
Seeing Number Two charge, Kael's eyes narrowed. His hand flashed toward the Arcane Crystal Cannon.
The cannon trembled before unleashing a crimson blast, streaking through the air like a blood-red meteor. To onlookers, it was but a fleeting scarlet flash—before the projectile slammed into Number Two!
"Ahhh—!" Number Two let out a bloodcurdling scream. His body, already in rapid motion, couldn't change trajectory in time—and the cannon blast struck him dead-on.
His figure lurched violently mid-air, trembling uncontrollably. Despite his protective battle energy, the impact inflicted grievous wounds.
The Arcane Crystal Cannon wasn't just devastating in power—its speed was equally lethal. Number Two had no prior knowledge of the cannon's unnatural might, leaving him utterly unprepared. The projectile's velocity nearly overwhelmed him; only decades of combat instinct allowed a last-moment defensive maneuver. Without it, his fate might've mirrored Cain's gruesome end.
Staggered, Number Two plummeted from the sky!
His body crashed heavily onto the ground, immediately drawing the attention of nearby puppet soldiers. In seconds, over a dozen swarmed him, their monstrous strength and coordination turning the wounded warrior into prey amidst wolves.
A final, choked scream echoed—then silence.
"Damn it all!" The black-armored faction had lost one of their five in moments. Fury and shock rippled through them, mingling with newfound wariness toward Kael. Just as Number Three had warned—this kid was anything but ordinary.
For now, even the black-armored men hesitated to act recklessly. Between Kael's threat and the encroaching puppet soldiers, recklessness spelled doom.
And after Number Two's bizarre demise, they all kept a wary eye on Kael's cannon.
"Kael, these black-armored bastards are persistent. They've got us marked," Arjun muttered with a grim chuckle, admiring Kael's decisiveness even as he scanned the thickening horde of puppets. "And these undead freaks keep multiplying. What's the play?"
Kael had already assessed the situation. His gaze swept the battlefield—then suddenly sharpened.