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

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Yang Hongbo's skeleton army has grown to an astonishing level.

Hundreds of thousands of skeleton cavalrymen thundered across the battlefield, tens of thousands of skeleton knights were an unstoppable torrent of steel, hundreds of skeleton kings exuded a powerful aura, and dozens of skeleton emperors were even more awe-inspiring.

Through countless battles and training, Youying and Anren successfully advanced to the Saint Emperor Realm, becoming Yang Hongbo's most capable right-hand men.

With the help of the skeleton army, Yang Hongbo himself advanced to the Skeleton Emperor realm by absorbing the enormous soul power.

His spiritual power is like a vast ocean, unfathomable, and he can easily manipulate complex formations and powerful magic.

"Master, now that our legion is so powerful, can we consider expanding into a wider area of ​​the Underworld?" Youying asked respectfully, standing beside Yang Hongbo.

Yang Hongbo nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on the distance. "It's time. However, the Underworld harbors many unknown dangers and powerful beings; we cannot let our guard down."

Dark Blade stepped forward and said, "Master, we are willing to act as pioneers, to explore the path ahead for you, and to clear away all obstacles."

Yang Hongbo smiled and said, "I have never doubted your loyalty and courage. However, this expansion is not a simple battle; we also need to consider how to establish friendly relations with other forces and develop together."

Shadow and Dark Blade exchanged a glance, and Shadow said, "Master is wise. In the Underworld, one cannot survive for long by force alone. Only by cooperating with other forces can one achieve true power."

Yang Hongbo gave them an approving look, then said, "Shadow, you lead a group of skeleton knights and skeleton kings to make contact with some surrounding forces and convey our goodwill and willingness to cooperate."

"Darkblade, you lead the skeleton cavalry and the skeleton king, and prepare for battle in case any ungrateful forces refuse to cooperate."

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

A few days later, Shadow returned with good news. "Master, some surrounding forces have welcomed our willingness to cooperate. They are willing to form an alliance with us to fight against the evil forces in the Underworld."

(It's ridiculous that Yang Hongbo, a guy who came from a skeleton soldier background, can actually call other skeleton factions evil!)

Yang Hongbo was overjoyed and said, "Very good. Youying, continue to communicate with them and finalize the specifics of the alliance. At the same time, invite their leader to our territory for a grand alliance ceremony."

"Yes, Master." Shadowy acknowledged the order and left.

Soon after, the alliance ceremony was solemnly held in Yang Hongbo's territory. Leaders from various surrounding forces gathered together, their hearts filled with awe and envy as they gazed upon Yang Hongbo's powerful skeleton army.

"Lord Yang Hongbo, your legion is so powerful, we are willing to follow you and create a glorious future for the Underworld together," a faction leader said respectfully.

Yang Hongbo smiled and said, "Leaders, now that we have formed an alliance, we are one family. We must support each other, develop together, and make the Underworld more peaceful and prosperous."

After the alliance ceremony, Yang Hongbo's skeleton army, with the support of the alliance, began a larger-scale expansion. They swept through the land, defeating many evil forces and rescuing countless oppressed skeleton creatures.

However, as their fame grew, it also attracted the attention of some powerful enemies. One day, Shadow rushed in to report: "Master, an extremely powerful force has been discovered ahead. They seem to have come prepared and want to stop our expansion."

Yang Hongbo frowned and asked, "How powerful is this force? Who is their leader?"

Shadow said, "According to our reconnaissance, this force contains many high-level skeleton creatures, and even some mysterious powerful figures. Their leader is a skeleton demon emperor named Blood Shadow, whose strength is unfathomable."

Yang Hongbo pondered for a moment, then said, "Blood Shadow Skeleton Demon Emperor? I've heard of him. He's an extremely cruel and cunning fellow, not easy to deal with. However, we shouldn't be afraid of him either."

"Shadow, go and gather all the skeleton mages, skeleton archers, skeleton knights, and skeleton king. I'm going to set up an unprecedentedly powerful formation to deal with him."

"Meanwhile, Darkblade, go and communicate with the other forces in the alliance, requesting their support. We must go all out in this battle."

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

Soon, a great battle that will determine the fate of the underworld will begin.

When Yang Hongbo led his skeleton army to the Plains of the Dead, he found that a massive army of zombies had already gathered there. The zombies reeked of decay, their bodies were stiff as iron, and their eyes gleamed with bloodlust.

Behind the zombie army, the figures of some Nether Beasts could be faintly seen. The Nether Beasts were of various shapes and sizes, some as fierce as tigers, others as sinister as pythons, and they exuded a nauseating stench and an evil aura.

"Hmph, Yang Hongbo, you're nothing but a skeleton, yet you dare to invade our territory!" A tall, menacing zombie leader roared, his voice echoing across the plain like muffled thunder.

Yang Hongbo, riding a massive skeletal warhorse, coldly stared at his opponent and said, "You zombies and underworld beasts run rampant in the underworld, bullying the weak. Today, I, Yang Hongbo, will act on behalf of Heaven and unify the underworld!"

"Hahaha!" the zombie leader laughed loudly. "You bunch of skeletons? You're utterly overestimating yourselves! We zombies are the masters of the underworld. You rotten bones are nothing more than scraps we use for practice!"

"You rotten meatballs, stop spouting nonsense!" the Shadow roared angrily. "Today, we'll show you the might of our skeleton army!"

"Corpse digesters, don't get too cocky!" Dark Blade shouted back.

The two sides immediately became tense, and a major battle was about to break out.

Yang Hongbo waved his hand and shouted, "Skeleton mages, prepare your magic attack! Skeleton archers, fire!"

As he gave the order, the skeleton mages began chanting incantations, and beams of black magical light gathered in their hands before shooting towards the zombie army like meteors.

The skeleton archers also drew their bows to the limit, and sharp arrows rained down on the zombies.

The zombies were not to be outdone; they raised their weapons to defend against the magic and arrow attacks.

Some advanced zombies even unleashed unique skills, some spewing black poisonous mist, others emitting sharp sonic waves, causing some trouble for the skeleton army.

"Skeleton Knights, charge!" Seeing that magic and arrow attacks were ineffective, Yang Hongbo immediately ordered the skeleton knights to charge.

Hundreds of thousands of skeleton cavalry charged towards the zombie army like a black torrent. The sound of their hooves shook the earth, and the dust they raised blotted out the sky.

The zombies charged forward; though their bodies were stiff, their strength was immense. A fierce close-quarters battle ensued, with flashing blades and flying flesh and blood (though skeletons have no flesh).

However, although the skeletons were numerous, most of them were just cannon fodder. The zombies were impervious to weapons, and it often took hundreds or even thousands of skeletons to deal with a single low-level zombie. For a time, the skeleton army was in a predicament.

"Master, this can't go on! The zombies are too difficult to deal with!" Shadow said anxiously.

Yang Hongbo frowned, observing the situation on the battlefield and quickly considering countermeasures. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he said, "Shadow, you lead a group of Skeleton Kings to circle around to the rear of the zombie army and attack their command system. Dark Blade, you lead the Skeleton Kings to launch a flanking attack and distract them."

"Yes, Master!" Shadow and Dark Blade accepted the order and left.

In no time, the Skeleton Kings led by Shadow pierced the rear of the zombie army like a sharp blade. Their powerful attack instantly disrupted the zombies' command system, and the zombies began to fall into chaos.

Darkblade and his Skeleton Kings launched a fierce attack from the flank, their attacks like a storm, leaving the zombies defenseless.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Yang Hongbo immediately unleashed his most powerful magic—"Skull Catastrophe." He raised his hands high, chanted an incantation, and a huge black pillar of light shot into the sky, then transformed into countless skulls, crashing down on the zombie army.

These skulls possessed powerful soul energy; once they struck a zombie, they would cause it to fall into a brief coma. The zombies were immediately thrown into chaos.

"Now! Skeleton Legion, all troops, attack!" Yang Hongbo shouted the order.

The skeleton army's morale soared, and they launched a final charge. With the combined efforts of the Skeleton King, Skeleton Emperor, and Skeleton Mages, the skeleton soldiers overwhelmed the zombie army like a tidal wave.

After a fierce battle, the zombie army was finally defeated. The zombie leader, looking at the scene before him, roared angrily, "Yang Hongbo, don't be so smug! We zombies won't let this go so easily!" With that, he led the remaining zombies away.

Yang Hongbo watched the zombies disappear into the distance but did not give chase. He knew this battle was just the beginning, and many more challenges awaited him in the underworld.

"Master, we've won!" Shadow and Dark Blade excitedly approached Yang Hongbo and said.

Yang Hongbo nodded and said, "This victory is only temporary. The Underworld is not only home to skeletons and zombies, but also to the Nether Beasts, a powerful race. We cannot let our guard down."

"Master is right. We must improve the legion's strength as soon as possible to meet future challenges," said Shadow.

Yang Hongbo gazed into the distance and said firmly, "That's right. We must continue to expand, unify the Underworld, and make it more peaceful and prosperous!"