CHAPTER 1197 A STRANGE SKELETON

　　The appearance of the Coffin was the most unexpected for everyone. 

　　Not only because it was a coffin, but due to the fact that no one had sensed it appearing. One must know that the battlefield was filled with the strongest cultivators in this world and their senses would know everything around them.

　　Thus, the appearance of the coffin was highly suspicious. Even Gu Yao furrowed his brows and held back his words as he saw the coffin. On the lid of the coffin, a few words were also written but could not be read by anyone here.

　　"What ploy is this?" Gu Yao guessed that it was the work of Lin Mu and the Alliance, no doubt.

　　~CREAK~

　　He didn't get to think long as the sound of the coffin opening was heard. It felt like someone was prying apart the lid and the body of the coffin with a crowbar and the nails holding down the lid were being forcefully pulled out.

　　"Is this your work, Lin Mu?" The Patriarch's asked Lin Mu through the jade slips.

　　"No." Lin Mu replied, feeling confused.

　　"Then what is it?" They asked.

　　"I have no idea… I can't sense it… it's as if it doesn't exist at all…" Lin Mu said, finding it all too alarming.

　　He was about to do what Senior Xukong had told him to do, but had to do a double take when the coffin appeared. Just like Gu Yao thought, this was Lin Mu's work, he thought it was Gu Yao's work.

　　Just as they all wondered about the mystery of the Coffin, it moved once more.

　　~THWACK~ ~THWACK~ ~THWACK~ ~THWACK~

　　Twenty rusty nails were pulled out along with the lid of the coffin as it started to slide to the side.

　　"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~" A long wispy breath was heard coming from the coffin.

　　It was strange, as if someone was trying hard to breathe but could not. It could even be said to be closer to a wheeze rather than a breath.

　　~clack~ clack~ clack~

　　The sound of bones could be heard as a hand peered out from the side of the coffin. The hand was just bones, having no flesh or skin on it. The skeleton fingers clasped onto the edge of the lid and pushed it aside completely.

　　This revealed the inhabitant of the coffin.

　　"A Skeleton?!" Everyone was stunned upon seeing it.

　　The skeleton was dressed in unique white robes that had gold endorsement on its sleeves, shoulders, and waist. It even had a strange golden talisman hanging from the top of its skull.  holds © this.

　　The talisman had runes written on it that were far too small for one to read. But the most eye-catching part was the intricate ornament that it was wearing on its torso. It looked like a long necklace that had five golden and silver discs.

　　There were two disks near its neck, two below those around its chest and then one final large disc that was near its abdomen. The four upper discs were cross linked with the same golden thread that strung the entire ornament.

　　~clack~ clack~

　　The bones of its legs made sounds as the skeleton moved forward and came out of the coffin.

　　It moved around its neck and gazed at the people on the battlefield. But in the end, its gaze came to settle on three people, Gu Yao and the Invader, as well as Lin Mu.

　　And when it looked at Gu Yao, the man felt fear. It was a strange fear that came from the depths of his soul. 

　　"ATTACK!" Gu Yao struck out without a thought in the next moment.

　　A wave of red energy sprayed out at the Skeleton and everything that was behind it.

　　But much to everyones shock, the skeleton merely put his palm upfront.

　　~HONG~

　　The red energy wave that was coming towards it was dispersed as if it were nothing.

　　"WHAT?!" Gu Yao was extremely alarmed.

　　Then the skeleton moved its hand and pointed at Gu Yao with its forefinger.

　　"Eliminate." The skeleton spoke.

　　A dot of light appeared on the tip of its bony finger and soon turned nearly a meter wide!

　　"IMMORTAL QI!?" Gu Yao shouted in fear.

　　"What?" Even Lin Mu and the other Immortal ascension realm experts were stunned.

　　"Get back Lin Mu," Xukong urged.

　　~SHUA~ SHUA~ SHUA~

　　Lin Mu directly used Blink several times in a row and retreated half a kilometer away. The Immortal Ascension realm ancestors did the same, and Jing Wei retreated as well. All of them could tell that the Qi fluctuations coming from the skeleton were not spirit Qi at all.

　　The Qi seemed far more powerful than spirit Qi and gave one a feeling of pressure just by existing. It even went so far as to directly pull in all the spirit Qi around it and consume it. 

　　Or rather, it could be said that the spirit Qi moved into the Immortal Qi of its own volition. It was like two magnets being attracted due to having opposite poles.

　　The ball of light on the skeleton finger reached a critical point and exploded!

　　~BOOM~

　　A beam of light shot forth from the ball and struck Gu Yao.

　　"AHH!" Gu Yao shouted in pain.

　　Everyone watched on in a mix of confusion and fear as the Skeleton attacked Gu Yao, completely suppressing him.

　　A few seconds later, the attack faded away, and the Skeleton lowered its hand. 

　　"Haa…. Haa… Haa…. YOU! HOW DARE YOU!" Surprisingly Gu Yao was still alive!

　　Lin Mu and the rest looked at him, finding that his lower half of his body had been melted away. And even his torso was greatly damaged.

　　Being alive in this state was very unnatural and when Lin Mu watched Gu Yao closely, he realized why. His body wasn't really made out of flesh and blood, but rather the same substance the Invader's body was made out of.

　　It was merely imitating the appearance of a human body and how its anatomy was. Gu Yao had long since given up on being human!