Crack.
The Skeleton Emperor lifted his head slightly, two violet-black flames of ghostfire slowly kindling in his eye sockets.
"Heh heh heh..."
A low chuckle reverberated from that hollow cage of bones, and the entire wasteland of white bones trembled with it.
"Heavenly Demons."
His voice was ancient and hoarse. Watching the demon tide surging from the horizon, the Skeleton Emperor slowly tilted his skull to one side.
"You lot-"
"How dare you invade my Ghost Ruins?"
Boom! As the final word fell, countless towering mountains of bones rose behind the Skeleton Emperor at once!
No, they were not mountains at all.
They were the skeletons of colossal beings that had slumbered for countless years.
Dragon skeletons raised their heads, demon skeletons spread their wings, and the remains of giants pulled their spines from the depths of the earth.
The Skeleton Emperor remained seated on his throne, uttering two words softly from his throat.
"Courting death."
Seven utterly different, terrifying auras rose one after another from the depths of the Ghost Realm.
Meanwhile, Yun Qing was crouching beside the enormous skeleton of a demon beast.
He was crouching very earnestly-extremely earnestly-in front of a bone he had just broken underfoot.
Judging by his double pupils, these must have been demon beast bones. Their form was powerful and archaic; despite having been dead for countless years, the entire skeleton still held the posture of roaring at the heavens, its skull raised high, retaining a measure of majesty even in death.
The only problem was that Yun Qing had inadvertently stepped on and broken the outermost section of one forelimb. Now it looked rather incomplete and jarring.
The Eldest Young Master Yun looked at it, and his conscience really did prick him.
"Sorry."
He crouched down, spiritual power brushing lightly from