Chapter Seventy-Two: The Seven-Star Necromancer

"Lord Silver Owl! Why are even members of the Ayl family..." The magic swordsman's face was deathly pale as he looked around, his words faltering. Only moments ago, these people had been alive; now, in the blink of an eye, not a body remained intact. Standing atop the city walls, now drenched in blood and strewn with mangled corpses, even the two who had steeled themselves for slaughter could not suppress the urge to clutch the wall and retch.

For those who had cultivated their strength to such a level, life and death were no strangers. Yet a scene this gruesome was a first even for them.

"Can't bear even this little bit of carnage? Hmph, it seems your Azure Cloud Empire has been living far too comfortably." From the shadowed city gate emerged a figure shrouded entirely in a black cloak.

"When our Dark Empire rules Azure Cloud, you’ll grow accustomed to it..." The black-clad stranger's sickly pale face lifted toward the two as he grinned, a wicked smile twisting his lips.

"Then you'll understand how someone like me survived that world... Scenes like these will make you forget everything that happened today. People like you... you’ll either end up corpses beneath someone else's feet or claw your way out from heaps of the dead..."

With that, the cloaked figure ignored the terrified stares shot from the distant streets by the townsfolk. Strange, guttural incantations spilled swiftly from his lips.

The two from the Ayl family stared at each other in horror.

Silver Owl’s explanation differed greatly from what their patriarch had once told them.

As collaborators with the Dark Empire, the Ayl family was promised high status within the Azure Cloud Empire, to share glory with the Salen family. All senior members involved would enjoy endless honor, and the finest female slaves trained by the Dark Empire.

But in less than ten seconds...

From the surrounding corpses, a faint yellow smoke began to rise!

In the blink of an eye, wisps of yellow vapor filled the area around the western city gate.

The two Ayl family members watched in alarm as the nearby remains rapidly dissolved before their eyes, until nothing was left but a thin, blood-red film clinging to the bones.

Bones, broken into countless pieces, were reassembled by some unseen force, forming complete blood-red skeletons, each joint perfectly fused.

Even severed heads were drawn in, glowing blood-red from within, slowly moving to collect swords and axes still soaked in blood.

Amid Silver Owl’s shrill, manic laughter, hundreds of crimson skeletons fell into formation, each squad led by several six-star warriors, charging into the town.

"Bloodletting Skeleton Summoning!"

Far off, Xu Wen handed the 'spyglass' back to He Chen, exclaiming in shock.

"You know that necromantic spell, young man?"

The speaker was Helian Quan, commander of the town’s city guard. His gaze was sharp, surrounded by hundreds of elite fighters from the six great families and the officers of the guard. In the front row, the spyglass, borrowed from a western merchant house, was being passed hand to hand as they observed the carnage on the city walls.

"I know a bit," Xu Wen replied gravely. "It's an upgraded skeleton warrior—by fusing the vital essence of flesh and blood into the skeleton, it can retain up to half a star lower in combat strength. For a summoning of this scale, the caster’s power must have reached at least the seven-star level."

Xu Wen’s calm explanation drew plenty of attention. However, He Chen had already explained Xu Wen’s identity: grandson to an elder of the Horton-Klein family and personal disciple of the famed Dean Halman. This expedition to the town was his idea; with such background and discernment, his insight surprised no one.

"Only seven stars?" Helian Quan gritted his teeth, glaring murderously at the black-robed summoner sending the skeletal horde into the town. "I'll offer his flesh and blood to avenge my fallen brothers!"

"Commander, don’t underestimate him just because he’s seven-star..." Xu Wen knew Helian Quan himself was at seven-star strength; among the six great families, six others held the same rank, and there were nearly a hundred high-level six-star warriors. The battles in the other three directions had been quickly resolved, and thousands of city guards were gathering. On the surface, their strength appeared to surpass the enemy’s.

On the surface...

Indeed.

In truth, a necromancer's combat power was always monstrous and unpredictable.

Besides this temporary army of blood skeletons, could a seven-star necromancer lack a retinue of powerful "Undead Guardians"?

Even the so-called "inferior bone dragons," cobbled together from heaps of bones, could easily defeat several top-tier warriors. When Xu Wen himself reached Grand Necromancer, his first act was to raise a host of such guardians, using endless monster bones to subdue seven-star magical beasts and bend them to his will.

If those guardians were unleashed, the balance of power would tip drastically...

Xu Wen’s concise account of the Undead Guardians’ might immediately sobered Helian Quan and the family elites.

Helian Quan’s eyes flickered.

"Archers, step forward!"

"At your command!"

A number of officers pressed through the crowd, dropping to one knee, their massive bows proclaiming their rank.

"You, go find cover near the central plaza and lie in wait! Stand by for my signal—when I give it, assassinate the necromancer!"

"Yes, sir!"

The archers swiftly withdrew, vanishing toward the plaza.

Xu Wen nodded to himself. As expected of a top commander in a town near the Azure Cloud imperial capital: in so little time, he had reassessed the battlefield and chosen the best ground for confrontation.

If they could lure the necromancer into the plaza, the hidden archers could strike from every vantage point. Combined with the many powerful warriors on the ground, the necromancer’s advantage would be much reduced.

Helian Quan quickly issued further orders:

"All warriors below four stars, disperse the townsfolk immediately! The rest, follow me to hold the blood skeletons!"

"In these dire times, all noble scions and family fighters will follow my commands! Warriors, come with me; mages, gather at the plaza and await orders!"

The group sprang into action.

Xu Wen hesitated, torn between retreating to the plaza to await the necromancer with Helian Quan and his men, or joining the lower-ranked soldiers to help evacuate the townspeople.

Choosing the former was no small risk. Who knew what other tricks the necromancer had up his sleeve?

While he wavered, Helian Quan turned, glancing approvingly at the four students who remained behind. "You are still students and can’t be of much help now. Fall back and assist with the evacuation!"

"Yes, Commander."

Hideki Nishijo and Xueyan Nangong, greatly relieved, quickly agreed, pulling Xu Wen and He Chen away.

As he left, Xu Wen suddenly turned back.

"Commander, beware of the necromancer’s Doppelganger Puppet Spell—he can transfer his consciousness at any time into his Undead Guardians and cast spells through their minds. Do not let him get too close."