Corpse stood among a sea of enemies that grew every moment. He faced 40 souls in front of him and no less gathered behind him. The only thing that kept the spears and swords away from Corpse was Mo Wan's whim. The world seemed frozen in place as the cold man ridiculed. " I can't really tell if you're just stupid or insane."
Pressured on all sides Corpse didn't lose his guts, " Allow me to come closer and I'll teach you the difference. " Mo Wan narrowed his eyes for a moment and after a single order time returned back to normal. " Kill! " Like a raging sea, nearly 100 warriors roared and engulfed Corpse from all sides.
" Kill it! "
" Send it to the abyss! "
" Show it what happens when you mess with the Skeleton manor! "
Yet Corpse couldn't be stopped. His goal was forward so that's where he is going, and no storm would deter him. Bone spears, swords, sabers, axes, daggers anything a man could desire, and more was aimed at him. Soon deep cuts decorated his pale back, while his fists clashed with weapons in the front.
Corpse proved himself superior as he rampaged like a tiger amongst sheep. Weapons that collided with his strikes broke apart and he choked the life out of anyone he could get his hands on. Yet progress was slow. Whenever he killed an enemy a small opening presented itself and he took a step forward. A single step was all he managed as enemy lines constant;y filled up again. For every step that he took Corpse killed, killed, and killed. " Shatter like waves against the rocks of eternity you damn bastards, " he shouted at the horde of enemies.
Corpse quickly proved himself more of an obstacle than the members of the Skeleton manor expected. His body was quickly covered in injuries. A moment didn't go by where some weapon didn't cut into his flesh. yet despite Skeleton manor's best efforts, the rampaging Corpse refused to fall. In fact, as the battle raged on and Corpses's state started to resemble that of an actual undead his ferocity only increased. The lowest members of the Skeleton manor were forced to confront their mortality under the danger of 2 bloodied fists.
When Corpse killed 15 members of manor Skeleton manor he was met with shouts of fury. "You insolent cur." " Taste the fury of my blade mongrel." When Corpse killed 40 unwilling respect sprouted in the hearts of some. " What strength. What endurance. " " Such a shame for someone strong to die like this." By the time Corpse killed 60 all he heard were shouts of horror as dead bodies were strewn all over the floor. " A monster. That thing is a monster. " " O merciful Heavens above please help us. "
Members of the skeleton manor fought like madmen. They forwent any semblance of teamwork, each of them wildly attacked in hopes that their blow would be the one to put an end to this nightmare. Their strongest members, the ones that were the closest to reaching 1st realm, fought with reckless abandon, and with no care that their attacks might injure some of their weaker comrades. The only ones that had any resemblance of safety were the ones behind Corpse, but even they looked on with fear.
As Corpse neared the cursed stage the desperation of both sides increased. He could repeatedly hear a single though echo in his skull. " A single step. Just a single step more. " He singlemindedly dragged his body forward, a single bloody step at a time. Color faded and all opponents turned indistinguishable. They were men of flesh and blood no longer, they became nothing but obstacles. Something to be destroyed, something to be overcome.
A single blue-robed enemy took a step closer to Corpse. He had a spear in his hands and he resolutely attacked the rampaging undead. Corpse barely reacted as a spear pierced his gut. [Death grip] He grabbed the spear shaft and broke it like a matchstick. Corpse took the broken off spearhead and lodged it in the throat of the bastard that attacked him and kicked him away.
Several other enemies came forward and Corpse managed to dispatch them just as easily. Thing changed when a large burly man that towered even above him joined the fray. The large man had a brutish face and his muscles spilled out of the light blue robe he wore, notably, he lacked the light green teeth that many of his comrades had. Other members of the Skeleton manor gave him way as he pointed a large bone saber at Corpse. " Your rampage ends now, beast! "
Corpse simply snorted, " Hmph, talk is cheap. " He clashed with the large man. Fist collided with pale saber in a desperate exchange of blows. Corpse could immediately tell that the large man was stronger than the riff-raff he butchered before, while still definitely a nascent cultivator he was probably at qi completion and extremely close to 1st realm.
Deep gashes appeared on Corpse's arms. He hoped to break the bone saber but the chances of that seamed less and less likely as combat only intensified and no cracks appeared on the blade." At this rate, it seemed more likely that he will chop my damned arms off, " Corpse grimly observed, " I'm so close, so very close, no way in hell I'm going to stop now. "
A change in tactics was in order. Corpse went on the defensive. The frequency of his attacks lessened and the large man perceived that as an opening. Corpse used his left arm as a shield and blocked an increasing amount of attacks. Blow after blow he held on. It got so bad that he was forced to his knees " Endure, endure it, " Corpse silently chanted.
The members of Skeleton manor rejoiced as they thought this nightmare was finally coming to an end. Yet fire still burned in Corpse's eyes. With his right arm, he grasped some piece of a broken bone weapon [Death grip]. The broken weapon fragmented further until there was nothing but refined bone shards in his grasp.
The large man wound up for another strike, he held his saber high with pride. He already thought about the benefits he will gain after he kills the rampaging zombie. It's also the moment Corpse attacked. He threw the bone shards in his right hand straight at the large man's face.
" AAAAAAH! " The massive brute screamed in pain. " You dare you, damn wretch! " One hand covered his injured face while the other swung around the massive saber. Corpse managed to avoid the wild swings that often cut apart other members of the Skeleton manor instead.
Corpse landed a precise palm strike aimed at the large man's face. Several bone shards pierced the brute's skull and stabbed straight into his brain. The large men still clutched his saber as the life faded from his body and he fell. Corpse roared. " I DARE! " He continued while a flame blazed in his eyes. " This Corpse dares to take any life that stands in my path, " This time no one dared to attack him, everyone just stared in mute shock and terror.
Something whizzed through the air and Corpse was forced to take a step back for the first time, as he felt that something pierced his chest. He looked down in shock and saw that an icicle protruded from his body. He quickly broke it off but frost still quickly spread through his body. He looked at the end of the passage and saw Mo Wan surrounded by cold Qi.
20 meters from Corpse stood Mo Wan, surrounded by a pale blue light he looked extremely unsatisfied at the fact that Corpse wasn't dead. " It's truly embarrassing that you still stand. I aim to rectify that." Cold qi gathered at the tip of his fingers and condensed into a crystal blue icicle.
No other members of the Skeleton manor attacked Corpse. They scurried away like rats, afraid to lose their lives in a scuffle between experts. " Better leave this to senior Mo Wan." " Not getting in the way is an important duty as well. "
Corpse grabbed the dead body of the large man and used it as a meat shield while another icicle flew at him. Even through indirect contact, Corpse felt the tips of his fingers grow cold. Close, he was so very close, and only a single obstacle remained between him and the cursed stage. Before Mo Wan managed another attack Corpse grabbed another dead body in his other hand and rushed forward while Mo Wan launched several other icicles.
The body of the large man turned brittle and broke apart as if it was made of glass but it held on long enough. Corpse was now only 10 meters away from his goal. He could shout or make threats in hopes that Mo Wan would move out of his way, but honestly, Corpse wanted the cold bastard to remain exactly where he was.
Mo Wan frowned and the coldness that surrounded him intensified. He put his hands together and pulled them apart creating another icicle. Except this one was bigger.15 centimeters,30 centimeters,45 centimeters,60 centimeters. He created half a meter long ice spear. With a swing of his arm, he directed the deadly projectile at Corpse.
It flew with blinding speed and covered the distance to Corpse nearly instantly. Almost instinctively Corpse threw the second body at the ice spear. The dead body shattered upon impact and slowed down the deadly projectile just for a moment. Just enough time for Corpse as he slid underneath the attack and avoided, what he believed was certain death. He felt his scalp freeze as the ice spear flew over, but he finally managed to reach that cold bastard.
Before Mo Wan managed another attack Corpse grabbed his face. Mo Wan screamed in pain as Corpse pushed his body forward and used it as a battering ram to break down the rusty window that barred his way to the cursed stage.
As Corpse finally completed his path of carnage and entered the cursed stage something instantly caught his attention. It wasn't the weak breath that Mo Wan still gave off. It wasn't the foul-smelling black innards that covered the surroundings. It was a white maiden laying on the steps of the cursed altar. Like a piece of heavenly art, she took his breath away. White from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair, she faintly glowed with white light. She was like a shining star that fell out of the sky that charmed anyone that laid their eyes upon her. Also like a work of art she had no breath.
Covered in blood and injuries Corpse barely resembled a human. His face twisted into a sad smile and only a single thought was left in his mind. " You can't even die in a proper manner. So fucking half-assed."
