The Emperor of Death

Gu Tian stared at the Cursed Skeleton Knight before speaking in a calm yet satisfied tone.

"Very good... It was a success."

The Cursed Skeleton Knight raised its head and bowed toward Gu Tian in acknowledgment. It said nothing, but the dark energy swirling around its body provided all the confirmation needed.

"Now then... let's test your abilities." Gu Tian said with a faint smile.

As soon as his words fell, Lin Yun Tian wasted no time. He retrieved a large number of beast corpses from his spatial ring. The remains varied in strength, ranging from Silver, Gold, and Platinum to Emerald-level. Their bodies were still perfectly preserved, as if they had just died moments ago. A chilling aura of frozen energy surrounded some of them, evidence of preservation techniques used to maintain their condition.

Gu Tian swept his gaze over the corpses with an indifferent expression before speaking in an even, composed voice.

"Cursed Skeleton Knight, activate 'Emperor of Death.'"

The Cursed Skeleton Knight, standing at attention, did not hesitate. A pure black aura erupted from its form, swirling into a chaotic vortex. The sound of cracking bones echoed through the lab as the energy of death intensified.

A dark mist, reminiscent of hellfire smoke, began emanating from the knight's body, expanding outward before surging toward the beast corpses piled before them.

The moment the death aura enveloped the remains, a sinister transformation began. The flesh of the corpses rapidly decayed, as though being consumed by unseen flames. A series of faint cracking and tearing sounds filled the air. The bodies began to dry up and shrink, until finally, the last traces of flesh fell away, revealing perfectly intact skeletal structures beneath.

However, what happened next was even more astonishing.

The Cursed Skeleton Knight's aura did not simply strip the corpses of their flesh—it reconstructed them.

The pure black necrotic energy seeped into the bones, reinforcing their structure. Cracks and fractures vanished, as if an unseen force was restoring them to peak condition. A shadowy mist engulfed their skeletal frames, and moments later, the lifeless remains began to move on their own.

One by one, the newly resurrected undead beasts lifted their heads, their empty eye sockets glowing with a malevolent red light.

Gu Tian observed the spectacle with deep intrigue.

This power... It doesn't just resurrect the corpses of fallen beasts. It fully restores their combat potential and reintegrates them as undead beings.

As Gu Tian processed this thought, information about the revived entities appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Swamp Serpent Skeleton]

[Power Level: Black Iron - High]

[Race: Undead, Serpent]

[Element: Darkness, Water]

[Special Abilities: Blade Wave (A), Venomous Stream (B)]

[Potential: Dependent on the Cursed Skeleton Knight]

[Evolution Paths: None]

...…..

...…..

[Name: Earth Dragon Skeleton]

[Power Level: Black Iron - High]

[Race: Undead, Dragon]

[Element: Darkness, Earth]

[Special Abilities: Death Breath (B), Wings of the Abyss (B)]

[Potential: Dependent on the Cursed Skeleton Knight]

[Evolution Paths: None]

.....

...….....

[Name: Twilight Vulture Skeleton]

[Power Level: Black Iron - High]

[Race: Undead, Vulture]

[Element: Darkness]

[Special Abilities: Dark Wings (C), Phantom Claws (C)]

[Potential: Dependent on the Cursed Skeleton Knight]

[Evolution Paths: None]

.....

...….....

[Name: Shadowmare Skeleton]

[Power Level: Black Iron - High]

[Race: Undead, Horse]

[Element: Darkness, Wind]

[Special Abilities: Endless Breath (A), Shadow Gale (A)]

[Potential: Dependent on the Cursed Skeleton Knight]

[Evolution Paths: None]

Gu Tian turned his gaze toward the remaining beast corpses, contemplating the current limitations of the "Emperor of Death" ability.

At present, this ability allowed the Cursed Skeleton Knight to control up to ten undead creatures. The power enabled the knight to resurrect fallen beasts, turning them into undead entities. Regardless of how strong they had been in life, their new power level was determined by the Cursed Skeleton Knight itself.

The skill "Emperor of Death" had a scalability factor, increasing the number of controlled undead tenfold per power level.

At Black Iron, it could control 10 undead.At Bronze, it could control 100 undead.At Silver, it would reach 1,000 undead, and so on growing exponentially with each power rank.

Gu Tian smirked slightly, feeling a surge of excitement at the potential of this power. He was already looking forward to the next evolution of his undead army.

After wrapping up his initial tests, Gu Tian chatted with Lin Yun Tian for a while before entrusting him with sweets and gifts for his younger siblings. Lin Yun Tian, deeply grateful, bowed sincerely before bidding farewell.

Once Lin Yun Tian had departed, Gu Tian sealed the Cursed Skeleton Knight, whom he had now named "Grim" within his own Chaos Realm, where it would continue training and growing stronger.

Five Days Later…

The Rainstorm City was livelier than usual.

The streets were packed with people, as students from all over gathered to prepare for the University Entrance Examinations.

To maintain order, the Central Government's secret units and the Gu Family's elite forces had been strategically positioned across the city.

A veil of calm tension hung over the city.

Then, a massive black horse descended from the sky, streaking through the air before landing in the center of the university entrance examination grounds.

The area was already crowded with examinees, many of whom were talented individuals with SSS-rank potential—Meng Lin, Shen Ya, Wu Shuang, Li Juan, and Ye Feng, among others.

Suddenly, the figure riding the black horse leaped down, revealing himself—Su Bai Cheng, a high-ranking officer of the Central Government.

He was the same man who had clashed with Lu Wen Tai at the Rainstorm City Lord's Mansion just days prior.

Behind him, dozens of government officials followed, each one a Beastmaster at the Emerald Level. However, six individuals—including Su Bai Cheng himself—were at the Diamond Level.

Su Bai Cheng swept his gaze over the gathered students, his expression warm and friendly before he spoke.

"Shall we begin the entrance examinations?"

But before he could proceed—

A crushing aura descended from the skies, directly targeting Su Bai Cheng!

An immense pressure erupted, flooding the examination grounds like a tidal wave, forcing many students to their knees, unable to resist the suffocating force.

A cold and detached female voice pierced through the tension.

"Major Su Bai Cheng, is this really within your jurisdiction?"

All eyes turned toward the source of the voice.

From the skies, a formidable female figure stepped forward, her icy aura radiating dominance.

She was Lieutenant Colonel He Lian Qi, a Peak Diamond-Level Beastmaster and one of the Central Government's elite officers.

Central Government Police Ranks

Cadet, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier General, Major General, Supreme Commande