Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 485 - 351: Altar of Death, Epic-Grade Resource!

In this way, the aura of death throughout the entire canyon would be harvested by this ritual-like process, converging upon a single existence. This level of craftsmanship was definitely not something that undead like skeletons or zombies, with their almost nonexistent intelligence, could ever conceive. Countless thoughts flashed through Fang Zhou’s mind as he realized there must be a higher-level existence orchestrating all of this.

After clearing the zombies around the altar with his skeleton minions, Fang Zhou used the Skeleton Monarch’s Soul Link skill to take control of a Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior. Through its body and vision, he stepped onto the altar. The Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior had the strongest defense and could hold out the longest against any potential danger. Until he understood the altar’s purpose, Fang Zhou would not rashly set foot on it himself.

Under Fang Zhou’s command, the Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior resolutely took the first step.

With a crisp CRACK, it pushed aside a few zombies attempting to block its path and stepped onto the first tier of the altar. The zombies that were shoved away struggled to climb back to their original positions. Yet, the other zombies on the altar seemed bound by some force, standing motionless as if their souls had been extracted, leaving only empty shells behind.

This scene confirmed his suspicions.

He continued to control the Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior, ordering it to ascend while the other Skeleton Warriors followed, clearing away the zombies on each tier, which had all lost their ability to resist.

One tier, then another, then another...

Time passed in silence as the skeleton warriors eliminated the zombies on the lower levels one by one. Under Fang Zhou’s command, the Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior advanced steadily, getting closer and closer to the top of the altar. Just as before, the massive structure did not extract even a trace of the death aura from its body.

One step, then another, then a final step...

As the Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior took its last stride, it finally arrived at the summit. At that moment, the entire scene at the top of the altar was clearly presented to Fang Zhou through the creature’s eyes.

It was a spacious square, covering an area of over one hundred square meters. The ground was etched with countless intricate symbols, all interconnected to form a huge and mysterious array that covered the entire surface. However, the peculiar patterns were not what truly caught Fang Zhou’s attention. Instead, it was the way the square had been cleverly divided into four different regions.

At the core of each region, a corpse far larger and stronger than an ordinary zombie was fixed in place. They seemed to be confined by some force, unable to move. At the very center of the square stood an unusual zombie, its massive body exuding a heart-palpitating aura. This zombie stood silently, seemingly absorbing some invisible force. An almost endless stream of death aura continually converged upon it, nourishing it and making it appear more ferocious, as if it were undergoing some inconceivable transformation.

BOOM!

With a thunderous roar, a pallid bone sword split the air like a meteor, instantly slicing the Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior in two. At the same time, Fang Zhou lost the view he had from the altar. However, in that brief moment, he had already taken in the entire scene.

Despite the destruction of the Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior, the information it provided assured Fang Zhou that the altar itself posed no direct threat. The creature’s destroyer was none other than the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior that had entered the canyon earlier.

The time between Fang Zhou commanding the Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior to step onto the summit and him seeing the full scene had been merely an instant. In that fleeting moment, the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior had appeared at the edge of the Dark Altar like a ghost, brandishing its dual swords and cutting down the Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior with the force of a thunderbolt.

If Fang Zhou had been unsure about the Dark Altar’s nature, he certainly wouldn’t have acted recklessly. But now, he knew. The Giant Shield Skeleton Warrior had been able to ascend without harm, and the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior had clearly been residing there for some time. This was enough proof that the altar itself posed no threat to him.

The Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior was already one of Fang Zhou’s targets; the zombie horde and this Altar of Death were just unexpected discoveries.

Since that was the case...

Fang Zhou made his decision instantly. With a single thought, he commanded his skeleton minions—who had already fought their way to the seventh or eighth tier—to abandon their pursuit of the zombies and charge directly for the top. At the same time, Fang Zhou himself leaped forward, rushing toward the summit at maximum speed.

BOOM! BANG! CLATTER!

A cacophony of sounds erupted. By the time Fang Zhou reached the top of the altar, his skeleton minions were already engaged in a fierce battle with the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior.

Just as he had speculated, the altar was suffused with an extremely dense and pure aura of death. Although most of the aura was constrained by the runes, circulating among the five zombies fixed in place, even the energy that escaped made the aura here far denser and purer than anywhere else. This explained why the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior had chosen to make its lair here. Nourished by this rich, pure, and gentle aura of death, its strength had reached an impressive level.

Fortunately, Fang Zhou hadn’t delayed for too long. Otherwise, his skeleton minions alone would have stood almost no chance of taking down this formidable foe. But now that he had joined the fray, the situation was entirely different.

As soon as he surged onto the Dark Altar, Fang Zhou took command of his minions. The two powerful Skeleton Warriors, Tidamia and Sain, stepped forward to act as tanks, firmly blocking the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior’s onslaught. Meanwhile, Verus led the skeleton archers in a swift retreat to the altar’s edge, where they drew their bowstrings, ready to support the front line. The remaining Skeleton Warriors roamed the battlefield, launching continuous attacks to divert the enemy’s attention. This seemingly simple tactical adjustment greatly boosted his minions’ overall combat effectiveness, and the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior’s offensive noticeably weakened.

At the same time, Fang Zhou tightened his grip on the Corpse Long Spear and charged toward the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior.

There was no need for complex tactics or excessive maneuvering. If I can’t defeat this thing even with the help of so many of my minions, then all my recent hunting and devouring has been a complete joke!

He strode forward boldly, each step thrumming with power. Within a few breaths, he was standing before his opponent. Gathering all his strength, he thrust the Corpse Long Spear forward like a bolt of silver lightning aimed straight at the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior’s chest. The air itself seemed to crackle with the oppressive force of the spear’s passage.

BOOM!

A deafening metallic crash rang out. The Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior was completely unable to withstand Fang Zhou’s fierce Charge, which was combined with a Brutal Strike. With a resonant crack, its dual swords shattered, and the immense impact sent its body flying. It crashed heavily to the ground, and though it had barely avoided a fatal blow, it was clearly beyond recovery.

Fang Zhou stood firm, the Corpse Long Spear in his hand still gleaming with a cold light as its tip left a trail of phantoms in the air.

In that single instant, the battle was decided.

CLATTER!

With a crisp shattering sound, the enemy’s severely battered body finally gave way under the tremendous force. It collapsed into a pile of scattered bones. The towering skeleton crashed to the ground, bringing the brief but fierce battle to a close. Under the combined assault of Fang Zhou and his numerous skeleton minions, the Mutated Dual-Sword Skeleton Warrior had been defeated without even landing a single blow.