Ye Tianxie instinctively took a step back, his scalp tingling with a wave of nausea that almost made him vomit. He had no desire to examine these skeletons any further. Almost without thinking, he turned and bolted deeper into the skeleton cave.
Damn it… Lying to kids is definitely wrong. Words should never be spoken carelessly… Serves me right, serves me right!
After running just a dozen steps, the surroundings suddenly stirred. A massive wave of skeletons, previously lying dormant in deep slumber, began to rise from the ground with a clatter. The first layer of the skeleton cave was far from being limited to just the dozen or so monsters he'd seen before. Countless skeletons lay hidden, only reacting when a living being approached.
Ye Tianxie quickly realized this but had no intention of staying behind to tangle with them. Activating "Berserk Battle Intent," he summoned his Ferghana horse and, at the fastest possible speed, escaped their detection range before they could launch an attack. He pressed forward in a straight line, searching for the entrance to the second level.
Before long, a pitch-black void emerged in the dim greenish world ahead—an opening leading to the next layer. Without hesitation, Ye Tianxie dashed inside, dismissing his horse as he entered. Before coming here, he had thoroughly questioned a city guard from Tianchen City who had ventured the deepest into this cave. The skeleton cave consisted of five levels: the first four were connected in a straight path, while the fifth split into two sections—one where the Blood Phoenix resided and the other, presumably, where the Undead Lord was being nurtured.
The moment he stepped into the second level, the eerie sound of grinding bones echoed around him. Judging from the chaotic noise, Ye Tianxie instantly estimated that at least seven or eight skeletons were approaching. Moreover, compared to the lowest-level skeletons of the first floor, those on the second level were bound to be stronger.
Soon, their silhouettes appeared within his limited vision—rows of skull-faced warriors. Unlike the plain skeletons of the first floor, these ones wore tattered armor, rusted helmets on their heads, and wielded corroded swords in their right hands while gripping old, battered shields in their left.
Sword and Shield Skeleton Soldiers: Level 24, HP 1800
A combat-type undead monster born from the remains of fallen battlefield warriors. They retain the battle instincts and protective will of their former lives and will mercilessly attack all intruders.
Innate Ability: Undead Constitution – Automatically regenerates health in darkness or undead environments, immune to 70% of death-related attacks.
Skills:
- Double Strike – Executes two consecutive stabs with its sword, dealing 70% and 80% of normal attack power, respectively. High activation frequency.
- Heavy Shield Bash – Strikes the enemy with its shield, dealing 80% of normal attack damage and has a 25% chance to stun for 3 seconds. Moderate activation frequency.
Behind the sword-and-shield skeletons, several shadowy figures drifted eerily like ghosts. Floating silently above the ground, three cloaked figures in black slowly emerged—Undead Skeleton Mages!
Undead Skeleton Mage: Level 24, HP 1200
A magic-type undead monster created from the remains of battlefield sorcerers. It possesses powerful necrotic attacks and healing abilities.
Innate Ability: Undead Constitution – Automatically regenerates health in darkness or undead environments, immune to 70% of death-related attacks.
Skills:
- Necrotic Elemental Bolt – Condenses death energy into a projectile, attacking a single target within six meters. No casting time in an undead environment.
- Undead Healing Spell – Channels death energy to restore 600 HP to all surrounding undead creatures. Automatically activates when any ally's HP falls below 20%, with a cooldown of 5 seconds.
Level 25 monsters... and two different kinds!
Monsters above level 20 were a whole tier stronger than those between levels 10 and 20. Not only were their stats significantly enhanced, but their skills were more refined, and their attack patterns more varied. Seeing the undead mages' abilities, Ye Tianxie immediately knew what needed to be done—if he wanted to defeat these undead creatures, he had to take down the mages first.
The skeleton soldiers advanced in unison, their initially chaotic footsteps merging into an eerie, disciplined march—like a well-trained undead battalion. These foes surpassed the twelve 10-star elite Berserk Bull Beasts he had faced on the third floor of the Abyss Trial in both overall strength and numbers. Back then, he had been level 10, and now, at level 14, with no job advancement, his power had barely changed. In other words, wiping out this group would be even harder than before.
He tightened his grip on Fate’s Hour, adjusting his approach.
“Wahhh… they’re here again… so scary!!” A loud shriek from Guoguo rang out, making Ye Tianxie’s eardrums buzz. He glanced at the incoming enemies and sighed helplessly. “If you’re scared, go back inside Fate’s Hour—then you won’t see anything.”
A brief silence…
"Ahhhh! Master, why didn’t you say that earlier?! I hate you so much!!"
With a faint hum, Guoguo transformed into a small white light, merging into Fate’s Hour, falling completely silent. Ye Tianxie stood there, momentarily speechless.
The skeleton soldiers closed in. Finally, Ye Tianxie moved—stepping back once before dashing forward, slipping through the largest gap in their formation. The sluggish skeleton warriors swung their swords down, but only struck empty air.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Three necrotic energy bolts, glowing ominously in the darkness, shot toward him from different angles. Without looking back, Ye Tianxie pinpointed their trajectories from the faint sound of their flight and the movement of the air. In an instant, he changed direction, dashing toward one of the skeleton mages that had just launched an attack. Fate’s Hoursliced through the darkness, aiming directly at his target.
The three projectiles missed their mark, and Ye Tianxie’s strike landed cleanly on the undead mage.
MISS. MISS.
“….”
His attacks had failed completely. With a ten-level difference, his accuracy was drastically reduced. Without hesitation, Ye Tianxie turned and ran at full speed deeper into the cavern. More and more skeleton warriors and mages stirred in his wake. Thankfully, the heavily armored skeleton soldiers were too slow to keep up with him. However, the constant barrage of necrotic bolts from the mages forced him to dodge continuously. Listening carefully, he managed to avoid every attack without much effort, making his way to the far end of the second level.
For an average level-14 player, making it through this place unscathed would be nearly impossible. But Ye Tianxie had traversed countless danger zones from Tianchen City to the remote Guping Town—he had even passed through the territory of a level-70 Golden Armored Earth Dragon without a scratch. Compared to that, escaping from a swarm of level-24 monsters that couldn’t kill him instantly was child’s play.
A dark void loomed ahead. Without hesitation, Ye Tianxie dived in.
The chaotic pursuit and magical bombardments behind him ceased. Silence returned.
But the scenery had changed drastically. Unlike the eerie green glow of the previous floors, this place was bathed in a pale white light—not a natural luminescence, but a chilling, deathly glow.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
The source of this light? The ground beneath his feet—composed entirely of white bones.
The Third Level of the Skeleton Cave—Bone Road.
Just as the name implied, this passage was paved entirely with skeleton bones. The sheer eeriness sent a chill through Ye Tianxie’s heart. But thanks to the pale glow, his visibility had improved slightly.
As he stepped forward cautiously, the cave’s slumbering denizens stirred. When they appeared, his pupils contracted slightly.
A massive skeleton began lumbering toward him.
Slow-moving—but only in terms of its stride frequency. In reality, each step covered a distance equal to three steps of the previous skeletons. It was five to six meters tall, unarmored, yet devoid of dirt or decay—its stark white bones gleamed terrifyingly in the ghostly light.
Giant Skeleton: Level 38, ???
A level gap of over ten meant his detection skill was useless.
Level 38—completely unbeatable.Perhaps due to its massive size, giant skeletons were noticeably rare in this area, and Ye Tianxie had only managed to provoke a single one. He quickly scanned his surroundings, then, just as before, charged straight toward the giant skeleton.
High above, the massive skeleton’s exposed rows of eerie white teeth clattered up and down, as if murmuring in some ancient skeletal tongue. As Ye Tianxie charged recklessly forward, its towering leg bone—far taller than Ye Tianxie himself—lifted ominously, bringing down an oppressive force as it stomped downward toward his head.
At the exact moment its foot left the ground, Ye Tianxie abruptly halted, then swiftly retreated a small step. Boom! A deep, thunderous impact reverberated through the cavern, showcasing the sheer power of the giant skeleton’s attack. Its massive body and overwhelming strength were undeniable, yet its weakness was equally apparent.
Just half a meter away from where he stood, the skeletal leg lingered without an immediate follow-up strike. Ye Tianxie’s eyes flashed with understanding.
Its movements… were unusually slow.
From the sluggish way it had advanced earlier, Ye Tianxie had almost been certain that its lack of speed extended beyond mere movement—it affected its attack speed as well. The previous stomp had caused the entire skeletal cavern to tremble, yet after that single strike, the skeleton remained frozen for three whole seconds. In those three seconds, Ye Tianxie had already dashed far into the distance.
Without any real pressure, he blazed through the third level of the Skeleton Cavern. By the time he realized how slow these giant skeletons were, he couldn’t even be bothered to dodge their attacks. The moment they raised a foot, he was already gone.
He never feared enemies with immense attack power—what truly worried him were enemies with high mobility. Conversely, slow opponents, no matter how powerful, were easy to deal with. In fact, even if he were alone against a giant skeleton over twenty levels higher than him, and nine out of ten attacks resulted in a MISS, he was confident he would eventually take it down unscathed. Of course, if there were multiple enemies at once, his only option would be to run.
The Fourth Level of the Skeleton Cavern.
The ground was still littered with pale bones, but the eerie white glow had grown even brighter. The moment Ye Tianxie stepped forward, he spotted skeletal figures wandering in the distance.
Yet, these skeletons were not only far more imposing than those on the previous floors—their very appearance was strikingly different.
Skeleton General: Level 55, ???
A pristine bronze war helm gleamed atop its head, and a flowing crimson cape draped over its back. The sinister armor covering its body exuded a faint metallic sheen, while solid bronze boots thudded against the ground with each step. In its hand, it gripped a long silver spear, its tip shimmering with an icy, lethal glow.
The armor and boots concealed its skeletal frame so well that if not for the exposed skull, one might have mistaken it for a flesh-and-blood warlord.
The Skeleton General’s aggression range was clearly larger than that of the previous sword-and-shield skeleton soldiers. (Well, obviously—how could it be called a general if it wasn’t even superior to its own underlings?)
The moment Ye Tianxie appeared, three Skeleton Generals turned their hollow sockets toward him, as if radiating pure hatred.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy war boots pounded against the ground as the three Skeleton Generals raised their spears and charged at him. Their strides, their posture—completely indistinguishable from those of a living warrior.
At level 55, a single graze from their spears would be enough to kill Ye Tianxie instantly.
Once a player’s level exceeded an enemy’s by more than ten, whether killed by a monster, another player, or an NPC, they would suffer a harsh penalty—losing one level per death, randomly dropping 1 to 3 pieces of equipped gear (with a probability tied to their Luck stat), and forfeiting 1% to 5% of their gold (again, influenced by Luck).
Every player in Destiny understood how excruciatingly difficult leveling up was, and how brutal the cost of death could be. That’s why they treasured their in-game lives dearly.
Ye Tianxie was no exception.
Facing three enemies who could kill him with ease, his eyes sharpened—this was the sign of him getting serious.
"Berserk Battle Will!"
A deep voice shattered the eerie silence. The light of Berserk Battle Will ignited around Ye Tianxie once more.
A shocking truth—since entering the first level of the Skeleton Cavern, his HP had never risen above 20%. Not once had he used a potion to heal.
Such boldness, confidence, and sheer arrogance!
Yet, the power supporting such confidence and arrogance… must be unimaginably strong.
Even at full health, the massive skeletons from the third floor or these Skeleton Generals could still one-shot him without fail. Keeping his HP under 20%—allowing him to trigger Berserk Battle Will at any time—was undeniably the smartest choice.
The ability’s 30% attack boost was meaningless to him—there was no way he could break through a level 55 monster’s defenses with just that. What he truly needed… was the 30% speed increase.
Excitement and battle lust surged through his veins. His body felt weightless, as if carried by the wind itself.
His gaze locked onto the incoming spear thrust. In an instant, he shifted his weight, tilting at a near-perfect 45-degree angle—just enough for the spear to whistle past his body.
Then, his steps twisted in an unpredictable pattern, his body flickering like a shadow, slipping between the three Skeleton Generals before darting behind them. Without hesitation, he summoned his Blood-Sweat Horse, mounted it, and sped away.
The Blood-Sweat Horse granted a flat +60 movement speed, but summoning it came with a tradeoff—his own extreme agility would be sacrificed. While players could control their mounts freely, there was no way it could match the seamless control of their own body. That was precisely why Ye Tianxie never summoned his mount before ensuring a safe escape.
Berserk Battle Will—a skill he had acquired back in the Novice Village. To most players, it was a suicidal ability. Even if they had it, they wouldn’t dare to use it. But throwing it away would feel like a waste.
Yet, Ye Tianxie had pushed this “worthless” skill—and the only combat skill he possessed—to an absolute peak, beyond what any other player could achieve.
In his hands, any skill—no matter how weak—would be wielded to its fullest potential.
This was why he was known as the Unyielding Evil Emperor.
His undefeated legend wasn’t built on level, stats, or gear. No—if he were to fight an opponent with the exact same level, attributes, equipment, and skills, he could still guarantee a flawless victory, whether against ten… or a hundred.
That… was his legend.
With no enemies immediately nearby, his current base movement speed of 100, combined with the Blood-Sweat Horse’s +60, plus the 30% bonus from Berserk Battle Will, had pushed his speed to 208.
He had summoned his mount only after confirming that even if he encountered another Skeleton General, his speed would allow him to slip past before it could react.
But suddenly—an ominous sense of danger slammed into his nerves.
Without hesitation, he flipped backward off his mount, landing behind it in a staggered stance.
BOOM!
A jagged bolt of gray lightning crashed down from above, engulfing the Blood-Sweat Horse entirely.
Without its master’s protection, the steed let out a final, pained shriek before its HP was instantly reduced to zero. It collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Ye Tianxie’s heart pounded—not from relief at his near-death escape, but from sheer, searing heartbreak.
His Blood-Sweat Horse… worth 30,000 gold coins… was gone!
Emerging from the shadows, the caster of the deadly lightning revealed itself—a skeletal figure draped in a pitch-black cloak.
Undead Cursed Skeleton: Level 57, ???
The fourth level of the Skeleton Cavern… held more than one kind of nightmare.
Upon stepping into the fourth level, Ye Tianxie initially saw only the Skeleton Generals, instinctively assuming they were the sole inhabitants of this floor. However, the cost of this misjudgment was severe—he had nearly fallen into the abyss of death and, worse yet, lost his precious Ferghana Horse, worth a staggering thirty thousand gold coins.
Mounts were unlike pets. While pets could revive upon death—albeit with a level penalty and even the risk of betrayal—mounts were typically protected from harm while being ridden. However, once separated from their owner, they could be attacked and permanently killed. Unlike players or pets, they wouldn't resurrect. This rule applied to ordinary mounts, but for those ranked at level five and above, from the rare Immortal Spirit tier to the near-mythical Extinction tier, these powerful mounts possessed the ability to revive even after death.
Ye Tianxie’s heart bled at the loss, and he burned with the urge to reduce the Undead Cursed Skeleton to a pile of shattered bones. As the creature’s body began glowing with a sinister gray light, chanting its next spell, he clenched his teeth, tightened his grip on the Fate Hourglass, and made a swift, decisive choice—escape.
Boom!
Another deafening explosion erupted behind him. The undead magic cast by the Cursed Skeleton was on an entirely different level than that of the lowly Skeleton Mages from the second floor. In less than three seconds of chanting, it unleashed a devastating spell, covering a five-meter radius with lethal force.
Barely dodging in time, Ye Tianxie suddenly spotted two Skeleton Generals blocking his path. Without hesitation, he picked up even more speed. Lowering his body in a sharp motion, he slipped past as two long spears whistled over his head. With a flawless low-angle sidestep, he evaded the attack, sprang up swiftly, and disappeared into the eerie, pale-lit darkness.