I only reached the Foundation Establishment stage at eighty years old, and then the system appeared.

Yang Hongbo once again withdrew his mental energy from commanding the formation. Gazing at the fleeing skeleton army, an overwhelming sense of excitement surged within him. This victory not only consolidated his territory but also revealed an astonishing secret.

"Shadow, Dark Blade, come here," Yang Hongbo summoned through his mental power.

Two skeleton guards of the Hades level quickly came to his side, knelt on one knee, and awaited their master's orders.

"Did you guys sense anything unusual after killing those enemies?" Yang Hongbo asked tentatively, unsure if this secret was something only he could perceive.

Shadow and Dark Blade exchanged a glance, and Shadow spoke up: "Master, we did indeed feel that after killing the enemy, a faint energy was absorbed by us. That was the enemy's soul power, which can enhance our strength and wisdom."

Darkblade added, "However, this energy is extremely weak; for someone at the Netherworld Emperor level like us, it's practically negligible."

Yang Hongbo's heart skipped a beat; he knew he had discovered something. He took a deep breath and slowly said, "I'll tell you a secret. In my observation, I discovered that when you kill enemies, in addition to the soul power you absorb, nearly one percent of that soul power is absorbed by me. And after I absorb these souls, my own soul becomes even stronger."

Shadow and Dark Blade were both stunned upon hearing this. They had never heard of such a thing before—a skeleton soldier being able to absorb the soul power of his subordinates killing enemies.

"This...how is this possible?" Shadow exclaimed in shock.

Dark Blade fell into deep thought. After a moment, he looked up and said, "Master, if this is true, then this will be an unprecedented opportunity. Although the souls you absorb are only one percent of what we absorb, if we can kill enough powerful enemies, then the soul power you accumulate will be an astonishing number."

Yang Hongbo nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "That's right, this is the secret I discovered. Although it seems insignificant now, if we can continue to grow our team and kill more enemies, especially those high-level skeleton gods, then the soul power I absorb will be enough to make me a top existence in the Underworld, perhaps even... a god!"

Upon hearing this, both Shadow and Dark Blade perked up. Although they were already at the level of the Underworld Emperor, they were still filled with longing and awe for the realm of "becoming a god".

"Master, we are willing to serve you and help you achieve godhood!" Shadow and Dark Blade said in unison, their voices filled with determination and loyalty.

Yang Hongbo nodded in satisfaction. He knew that with the support of these two capable assistants, his plan would go much more smoothly.

"Alright, what we need to do now is continue to expand our team and increase our strength. At the same time, we also need to find those high-level skeleton leaders and make them our main targets," Yang Hongbo said.

In the days that followed, Yang Hongbo's team became even busier. They not only cultivated and trained within their territory, but also frequently ventured out to seek out and challenge high-level skeleton creatures. Each battle was an opportunity for tempering and improvement, and also a chance to accumulate soul power.

As time went on, Yang Hongbo's team grew stronger and more powerful. They not only killed many high-level skeleton cavalry and skeleton knights, but also successfully challenged several skeleton king-level beings. Each victory further enhanced Yang Hongbo's soul power.

However, as his strength increased, Yang Hongbo also encountered more and more challenges and difficulties. Some high-level skeleton creatures were extremely cunning and powerful; they possessed not only formidable strength but also rich combat experience and wisdom. Faced with such enemies, Yang Hongbo had to be even more cautious and careful.

However, the stronger the enemy, the faster Yang Hongbo's strength improved. He has now advanced to the Skeleton Knight rank.

Moreover, his own attributes have also undergone tremendous changes. Although his other attributes are only a few dozen points now, his mental strength has reached nearly ten thousand, which is even greater than that of a Skeleton King.

"Master, a Skeleton King-level being has been spotted ahead. He is cultivating in an ancient castle," Shadow rushed over to report one day.

Yang Hongbo frowned upon hearing this. "The Skeleton King? That's an extremely powerful being. How confident are we of defeating him?"

Shadow thought for a moment and said, "Based on our reconnaissance and assessment, with our combined Netherworld Emperor level, we have a 90% chance of defeating him if we go all out. However, it will be an extremely difficult and dangerous battle."

Darkblade added, "Furthermore, there might be other high-level skeleton creatures inside that ancient castle. If we attack rashly, we might find ourselves attacked from both sides. Even the Skeleton King might self-destruct if it's outmatched!"

Yang Hongbo pondered for a moment, then said, "We can't give up this opportunity. Beings at the Skeleton King level must possess incredibly powerful and pure soul power. If we can kill him, the soul power I absorb will be a huge boost."

He paused, then continued, "However, we cannot attack blindly. Shadow, immediately gather all the skeleton mages and skeleton archers. I need to set up a more comprehensive formation to deal with this Skeleton King."

"At the same time, Darkblade, you will lead a group of skeleton cavalry and skeleton knights to ambush around the castle to prevent reinforcements from other high-level skeleton creatures."

"Yes, Master!" Shadow and Dark Blade responded in unison, then quickly went to carry out the order.

Soon, all the skeleton mages and skeleton archers were summoned before Yang Hongbo. At the same time, Dark Blade led a group of skeleton cavalry and skeleton knights away from the main force to ambush around the castle.

Looking at the skeleton mage and skeleton archers before him, Yang Hongbo was filled with confidence. He knew that as long as the setup was proper, this Skeleton King was no match for him.

So he began to set up an array, placing the skeleton mages and skeleton archers in key positions, while using his mental power to connect them together, forming a tighter and more powerful combat network. He also deliberately set up some traps and mechanisms within the array to deal with any unexpected situations.

Once everything was ready, Yang Hongbo led the remaining team toward the ancient castle. They approached the castle cautiously, afraid of disturbing the Skeleton King inside.

However, when they arrived at the castle gates, they were discovered by the Skeleton King. A powerful soul fluctuation emanated from the castle, and then a Skeleton King clad in magnificent armor and wielding a massive battle axe appeared before the castle gates.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into my territory!" the Skeleton King roared, his voice filled with majesty and fury.

Yang Hongbo stepped forward without fear, communicating with the Skeleton King through his mental power: "I am Yang Hongbo, a skeleton soldier from the Underworld. Today, I have come here to challenge you and seize your soul power!"

The Skeleton King sneered. "Challenge me? With your lowly skeleton creatures? You're truly overestimating yourself!"

Having said that, he swung his massive battle axe at Yang Hongbo. Yang Hongbo swiftly dodged, simultaneously directing the skeleton mages and archers within the formation to launch an attack. In an instant, magic and arrows rained down upon the Skeleton King.

Although the Skeleton King was powerful, he still seemed somewhat powerless against the formation meticulously arranged by Yang Hongbo. He continuously swung his battle axe to block the attacks while trying to find a weakness in the formation.

However, Yang Hongbo's formation was extremely tight and ingenious, and the Skeleton King couldn't find any flaws. As time passed, under the shadow's sneak attacks, the Skeleton King gradually fell into a predicament, and multiple wounds appeared on his body.

The Skeleton King roared repeatedly, even preparing to make a desperate gamble by self-destructing to deal a major blow to Yang Hongbo.

"It seems you're nothing special," Yang Hongbo sneered, seizing the opportunity to launch a powerful mental attack that struck the Skeleton King's soul core directly.

The Skeleton King let out a miserable cry, swayed a few times, and finally collapsed to the ground. His soul power began to dissipate rapidly, being absorbed by Yang Hongbo and his men.

Yang Hongbo felt the growth of his soul power, and his heart was filled with joy and satisfaction. He knew that he was one step closer to his goal of becoming a god.

"What a wonderful wish!" Yang Hongbo gazed into the distance, his heart filled with longing and anticipation. He knew the road ahead was long, but he had already taken a solid first step.