The stone slab at the entrance of the ancient tomb was lifted once more, and a cold, damp breath rushed toward them.

Lin Feng stood at the very front, Wildfire Spear in hand; the dark red shaft of the spear faintly flowed with firelight in the dim illumination.

Behind him, Zhao Hu gripped his bone-crushing greatsword, Shadow Snake held her pair of emerald-green claw blades low, and Scarface Liu's group of four gripped their respective weapons with slight nervousness.

A seven-person squad—this was the lineup Lin Feng had chosen after careful consideration.

Zhao Hu was experienced and had the strongest frontal combat capability; with the "Generals Majesty" buff, his strength was close to Level 8, making him the perfect choice for the main tank.

Shadow Snake had the highest agility and excelled at maneuvering and delivering fatal blows; she could work wonders in the narrow environment of the burial chamber.

As for bringing Scarface Liu's group of four, it was both a test and an integration—all four were Level 7 with decent combat experience. If they could prove their loyalty and gain something from this battle, they would integrate into the core team faster.

Regarding the camp, with Tie Dun and Jian Yan, two Level 6s, holding the fort along with A Wang and the other hunters, it was enough to maintain daily operations and basic defense.

"Remember the tactics." Lin Feng's voice echoed in the corridor, clear and calm. "Brother Zhao, attract the Centurion's attention from the front and take the brunt of the attacks.

Scarface Liu, you four divide into two groups. One group will assist Brother Zhao in parrying and sharing the pressure, while the other group clears the summoned ordinary Skeleton Soldiers. You must not let the small skeletons surround us."

"Shadow Snake, you and I are responsible for damage output. I will focus on the Centurion's vitals, while you look for opportunities to attack its joints and spinal connections to weaken its mobility."

"Does everyone understand?"

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, their fighting spirit gradually rising.

The team advanced slowly along the familiar corridor. The previously cleared areas remained quiet, with only the slight sound of footsteps and breathing echoing against the stone walls.

Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the main burial chamber once again.

Inside the dim chamber, that stone sarcophagus still stood silently in the center.

And beside the sarcophagus, that tall, dark-gray figure—the Skeleton Centurion—was still pacing slowly.

It seemed to sense the presence of the living, and its hollow eye sockets turned toward the entrance as the dark red soul fire suddenly flickered.

"Prepare for battle!" Lin Feng barked softly.

Zhao Hu took a deep breath, held his bone-crushing greatsword across his body, and was the first to step into the chamber.

Two shield warriors from Scarface Liu's group followed closely behind, raising their crude wood-and-iron-clad shields.

The Skeleton Centurion let out a silent roar (the violent fluctuations of its soul fire transmitting its rage), and the nearly two-meter-long bronze war halberd in its hand slammed heavily onto the ground!

Dong!

The dull thud echoed through the chamber. The next second, it moved!

Without warning or buildup, the tall skeleton frame erupted with a burst of speed that belied its size. The bronze war halberd turned into a gray shadow, thrusting directly at Zhao Hu in the lead!

"Come on then!" Zhao Hu roared. Without dodging, he swung his bone-crushing greatsword upward with all his might to meet the halberd!

Clang—!!!

The deafening collision nearly ruptured their eardrums! Zhao Hu's whole body shook violently, his palms went numb, and he stumbled back three steps before stabilizing himself. A damage number of -45 floated above his head!

Such incredible strength! This is the power of a Level 11 Elite monster!

"Now!" Lin Feng's figure flashed out like a ghost from behind Zhao Hu's side. The Wildfire Spear, accompanied by a sharp whistling wind, thrust directly into the gap in the Centurion's ribs exposed by its attack!

His General's Instinct erupted fully! This strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless!

【Attack Calculation: Total Attack Power 92.5 (Strength 13.5*5 + Wildfire Spear 25)】

【Target Defense: Rib Gap Defense 10】

【Damage Dealt: 82.5】

-83!

The spear tip pierced deeply, and dark gray bone chips flew! The Skeleton Centurion's body jolted, and its soul fire shook violently!

"Roar!" It seemed provoked, sweeping its halberd back to force Lin Feng away while its other skeletal claw swung out suddenly—

From the ground around the burial chamber, a sudden "crack-crack" sound could be heard!

The ground split open in eighteen places, and eighteen ordinary Skeleton Soldiers (Lv4-Lv5) clutching rusted swords and sabers crawled out. Pale yellow soul fire ignited in their eye sockets as they pounced toward everyone with silent, raspy movements!

"Second group, clear the adds!" Lin Feng commanded sharply.

The other two from Scarface Liu's group were already prepared and immediately met them, their blades dancing as they engaged the Skeleton Soldiers.

Although it was two against eighteen, they managed to temporarily stabilize the situation thanks to their level and equipment advantages.

"Brother Zhao, hold the line! Shadow Snake, with me!"

Lin Feng lunged forward again, the Wildfire Spear turning into a flurry of shadows, focusing specifically on the Centurion's joints, eye sockets, spinal connections, and other vital points.

His agility was as high as 11.5, and his footwork was as nimble as the wind. Although the Centurion's halberd was heavy and powerful, it was often a beat too slow.

Shadow Snake followed him like a shadow. Her claw blades were like the fangs of a poisonous snake, precisely slicing into the Centurion's leg joints and arm connections time and again as the blades scraped against the bone.

They left behind emerald-green afterimages and subtle sounds of corrosion, leaving deep gashes. Although the individual damage wasn't high, they effectively hindered the Centurion's movements.

Zhao Hu, meanwhile, was like a monolith, firmly rooted in front of the Centurion. His bone-crushing greatsword swung in an impenetrable defense, clashing head-on with the halberd to create attacking opportunities for Lin Feng and Shadow Snake.

The two shield warriors from Scarface Liu's team assisted on his flanks, helping to parry and share the pressure.

The battle fell into a stalemate.

The Centurion's health bar dropped slowly but steadily. However, as an Elite monster, it clearly had more than this.

When its health dropped to around 60%, a sudden change occurred!

The Centurion suddenly abandoned its attack on Zhao Hu, raising its war halberd high as dark red soul fire surged frantically into the weapon's shaft!

"Watch out! It's about to use a big move!" Lin Feng shouted urgently.

Before his voice had even faded, the Centurion slammed its halberd into the ground!

Boom—!! 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

With the halberd's impact point as the center, a gray-black circular shockwave exploded outward!

【Centurion Combat Skill: Death Vibration!】

The shockwave was incredibly fast, its range covering most of the burial chamber!

Zhao Hu and the two shield warriors bore the brunt of it. Although they raised their shields in time, they were still shaken until their blood and energy churned, stumbling back in unison as damage numbers of -25, -30, and -28 jumped above their heads.

Lin Feng and Shadow Snake used their high agility to retreat rapidly, but they were still caught by the aftershock, losing -20 and -15 health points respectively.

Even more troublesome was that the eighteen Skeleton Soldiers being cleared saw the soul fire in their eye sockets suddenly brighten after the shockwave passed, their attack speed and strength noticeably increasing!

"It's an empowerment aura! This shockwave can also buff its summons!"

Scarface Liu cried ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) out in alarm; the pressure from the Skeleton Soldiers they were fighting suddenly intensified.

"Don't panic!" Lin Feng forced down his churning blood, his gaze as sharp as a knife. "Brother Zhao, can you still hold?"

"I'm not dead yet!" Zhao Hu spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes fierce.

"Good! Shadow Snake, keep wearing down its joints! Scarface Liu, you four merge together and clear out the empowered small skeletons as quickly as possible! I'll take the lead on the main attack!"

Lin Feng knew they couldn't drag this out any longer. The Centurion's other skills were unknown, and the longer it lasted, the more variables there would be.

He took a deep breath.

He no longer pursued absolute safety; his attacks suddenly became even more sharp and aggressive!