The figure in black robes blurred instantly, as if blending into the surrounding shadows. When he reappeared, he was already close to Xu Yuehuai, and a palm carrying a cold, gust of wind slammed heavily into her chest.

With a muffled thud, Xu Yuehuai flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the stone wall behind him before sliding down, a glaring red stain spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Her gaze remained resolute, but her body trembled uncontrollably from the sudden, devastating blow.

"Your Highness!" Yan Qing exclaimed, struggling desperately to break free of his restraints to help Xu Yuehuai, but the chains were like living things, tightly binding him and rendering him unable to move.

The man in black robes appeared in front of Xu Yuehuai in a flash, looking down at her with contempt and smugness in his eyes: "You think you can stop me?" His words were full of disdain, as if everything in front of him was under his control.

Despite the excruciating pain, Xu Yuehuai looked up and glared at the man in black robes. "You...don't even think about...success!" Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, filled with her stubbornness and obstinacy.

The man in black robes sneered even more, said no more, and turned to walk towards an ancient altar in the center of the cave.

The altar was decorated with all sorts of bizarre objects, and in the center was a huge stone trough filled with black liquid that emitted a nauseating stench.

The man in black robes took out a sharp dagger from his sleeve and walked step by step toward the bound crowd.

"Now it's time for you to contribute to my great cause," the man in black said, stepping forward to stand before Xu Yuehuai.

He crouched down and gently sliced ​​Xu Yuehuai's wrist with his dagger. Blood gushed out and dripped into the black liquid, where it was instantly swallowed up without a trace.

"Ah!" Xu Yuehua cried out in pain, but she gritted her teeth and didn't make a louder sound. She knew that surrendering now would only embolden the man in black.

Then, the man in black robes slashed the wrists of Yan Qing, the Ghost Doctor, Lu Li, and General Liu in turn, and their blood was also swallowed by the black liquid.

As blood continued to be injected, the black liquid on the altar began to churn, emitting an even stronger and more eerie aura.

"He's performing some kind of evil ritual!" the Ghost Doctor whispered, enduring the excruciating pain.

The man in black robes seemed not to hear their conversation. He closed his eyes and began to chant an ancient and complex incantation in a low voice.

As the incantation was recited, the entire cave began to tremble. The skeletons that had been lying quietly on the ground seemed to be given life, and they slowly stood up with cracking sounds.

"This...how is this possible?" Yan Qing stared wide-eyed at what he saw in disbelief. The skeletons not only stood up, but also began to grow flesh and blood, gradually becoming lifelike.

"He intends to resurrect these skeletons and use them for his own purposes," the Ghost Doctor said in a deep voice, his face filled with solemnity and despair. He knew all too well that once these skeletons became the black-robed man's ghostly soldiers, they would have no way to escape.

"It's a pity we can't stop him." Xu Yuehua shook her head with a wry smile.

As the black-robed man's incantations grew more urgent, the skeletons finally completed their transformation, becoming ghostly soldiers clad in black robes and wielding weapons. They stood silently behind the black-robed man, like loyal guards, awaiting their master's commands.

"My army, you will shatter the barriers of the four kingdoms. This entire world rightfully belongs to us!" The man in black robes spread his arms, loudly proclaiming his ambition and arrogance. His voice echoed in the cave, filled with an overbearing and domineering aura.

"You're dreaming!" Xu Yuehuai roared. Although she was seriously injured, her will was stronger than ever. She knew that even in such a desperate situation, she could not let the black-robed man's plot succeed.

Upon hearing this, the man in black robes' expression darkened, and he immediately waved his hand, signaling the ghostly soldiers behind him to step forward. Those ghostly soldiers, like soulless puppets, took heavy steps and slowly approached Xu Yuehuai and the others.

"Since you're so ungrateful, I'll send you on your way!" The man in black robes sneered, striking at Xu Yuehuai again. This time, he held back, his palm strike fierce, as if to tear Xu Yuehuai apart.

Xu Yuehuai tried her best to dodge, but her body felt unusually heavy due to her severe injuries. As the black-robed man's palm strike drew closer, her heart was filled with resentment and despair.

"No!" Just at this critical moment, a dazzling light suddenly pierced the darkness of the cave and struck the man in black robes.

The man in black robes' expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly raised his palm to block, but the light was exceptionally powerful, causing him to stagger backward.

"Who? How dare you ruin my plans!" the black-robed man roared, trying to find the source of the light. However, apart from the people who were still bound, he found nothing unusual.

Xu Yuehuai looked down and saw that a dazzling gem had appeared on her wrist. The gem emitted a soft light, continuously providing her with strength and vitality.

Xu Yuehuai's heart stirred, and she instantly understood. She gripped the gem tightly, feeling the continuous power within it, and hope rekindled in her eyes.

"It's your turn!" With the help of that power, Xu Yuehuai regained her strength. She flashed and appeared in front of the black-robed man like a ghost. She suddenly attacked with the dagger in her hand, aiming for the black-robed man's vitals!

The man in black robes was shocked; he hadn't expected Xu Yuehuai to possess such power. He hurriedly tried to defend himself, but this time, he had lost all his previous composure and confidence.

The black-robed man's palm strike was like a sharp blade in the dark night, colliding violently with the dagger tightly gripped by Xu Yuehuai. Instantly, visible ripples surged through the air, accompanied by thunderous energy collisions that shook everyone to their core.

The man in black robes staggered a few steps, his face as pale as a desolate wasteland covered by the first snow of winter, clearly shaken by the sudden counterattack.

However, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, like a hungry wolf locking onto its prey, and he suddenly swung his hand.

"go!"

The ghostly soldiers, who had just been resurrected by the dark forces, were summoned and roared fiercely as they surged towards Xu Yuehuai like a tidal wave.

"Ants are just ants. Do you think you can escape from my grasp?" The man in black robes seemed to be mocking Xu Yuehuai and the others for their overestimation of their abilities.

He knew that although these ghostly soldiers were not living beings, they were all incredibly strong and tireless, capable of tearing anything that dared to stand in his way to pieces!

Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai showed no sign of backing down in her clear eyes.

Every minute and every second is crucial at this moment; we must give it our all!

She gripped her dagger tightly, her figure flashing like lightning among the ghostly soldiers. Each swing was accompanied by a dazzling flash of light, striking the weak points of those ghostly soldiers with precision and lethality.