I become stronger by sacrificing my lifespan, becoming invincible in the world.

The sound of bugles ripped through the sky.

Ghost Cry Pass erupted like a ferocious beast awakened from its slumber, instantly becoming a scene of chaos. Outside the earthen houses, figures were running wildly everywhere—armored border soldiers charged towards the city walls, auxiliary soldiers carried rolling logs and stones, while exiled prisoners were driven by whips, surging chaotically towards their designated defense zones.

"Third team! Up the city wall! Quickly!"

Scarface Wang's roar was particularly jarring amidst the chaos. He stood in the open, his whip cracking, his triangular eyes gleaming with excitement and cruelty. Several trusted men followed behind him, roughly organizing the scouts into squads.

Lin Chen, Zhao Tiegu, and Li Quezi were pushed and shoved into the line.

"See that?" Zhao Tiegu lowered his voice and pointed towards the city wall. "The demonic aura... is much stronger than in previous years."

Lin Chen looked up.

On the northern horizon, the dark, heavy "clouds" had approached to within sight. They weren't clouds, but rather a swirling, viscous, inky aura of malevolent energy, obscuring the sky. Within this aura, countless shimmering black shadows could be vaguely seen, densely packed and stretching as far as the eye could see.

What's even more unsettling is the heavy, suffocating sense of oppression. It's as if countless pairs of malicious eyes are staring intently at this formidable pass from dozens of miles away.

"This time... it looks like they're going to get serious." Li the Cripple's voice trembled.

"Shut up, all of you!" Zhang Kui suddenly appeared, glaring fiercely at the three men. "Captain Wang has given orders! Teams one through three of the third squad, advance to the west city wall for auxiliary defense! Teams four through six—" He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lin Chen, "will lead the team out of the pass to meet up with the routed troops of 'Black Rock Fortress'!"

Passing through customs?!

Leaving the pass at this point is practically suicide!

The group immediately erupted in commotion.

"Silence!" Scarface Wang roared. "Black Rock Fortress is our army's forward outpost, and more than thirty brothers are still trapped there! Military orders are absolute; anyone who dares to disobey will be court-martialed!"

His cold gaze fell on Lin Chen: "Lin Chen, you're very capable. This time, you'll lead the charge. Zhang Kui, you're in charge of supervising the battle. Anyone who retreats in the face of battle... will be executed!"

It's a blatant case of using someone else to do the dirty work.

Zhang Kui's lips curled into a cruel smile: "Yes, sir!"

Zhao Tiegu's face turned ashen. He wanted to argue, but Lin Chen held him back.

"Don't be impulsive," Lin Chen said calmly. "If we make a scene now, he'll have an excuse to kill us on the spot."

"What should we do then? Should we really leave the pass?" Li the Cripple asked anxiously.

"Go out," Lin Chen uttered a single word, "but how we go out, and how we come back... that's up to us."

He looked up and gazed at Zhang Kui.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Zhang Kui's eyes were filled with undisguised murderous intent and mockery, as if he were looking at prey that had already fallen into a trap.

In Lin Chen's eyes, however, there was only a bottomless, icy coldness.

Under duress, the group hastily received their weapons—still the same old shoddy stuff. Lin Chen slung his sword over his shoulder, then carefully concealed the pair of wolf claw daggers close to his body, and finally checked the remaining nine armor-piercing arrows.

Lifespan: 1 years.

The injury has not yet healed.

Surrounded by formidable enemies.

A desperate situation.

But the fire in his heart burned ever brighter.

"Open the city gates—!"

The heavy ironwood city gate slowly opened a crack, just wide enough for three people to walk side by side, amidst a screeching sound.

A strong, pungent, and malevolent stench wafted through the air.

Zhang Kui charged forward first, then turned back and shouted sharply, "Follow me! Anyone who delays military operations will be executed!"

Lin Chen took a deep breath and stepped out of the city gate.

Behind him stood the towering walls of Ghost Cry Pass. Before him lay a desolate wilderness, teeming with demonic energy and fraught with danger.

More than thirty people, like a small amount of oil thrown into boiling water, were instantly swallowed up by the boundless darkness.

Less than three miles outside the pass, the scene of devastation came into view.

Several corpses lay by the roadside, dressed in the leather armor of the border troops, but torn beyond recognition. Their internal organs were scattered all over the ground, and blood soaked the frozen earth, attracting a large flock of crows that circled low overhead, emitting eerie cries.

"It was a scout from Blackrock Fortress..." an old soldier said in a trembling voice, "They didn't even send a signal..."

"Shut up!" Zhang Kui snapped. "Speed ​​up!"

The team hurried through the wilderness.

The further north they went, the denser the demonic aura became. The air was so thick it felt like you could wring blood out of it, and even breathing carried a metallic, sweet-smelling stench. In the distance, the roars of beasts echoed, rising and falling, growing ever closer.

"No..." Zhao Tiegu suddenly stopped, his face pale. "The way Zhang Kui led... isn't towards Black Rock Fortress!"

Lin Chen suddenly looked up.

really.

Logically, Black Rock Fortress should be located to the northeast, but Zhang Kui was leading his troops towards the northwest. That area was a more desolate mountainous region with complex terrain, making it extremely easy to be ambushed.

"He's going to kill everyone!" Li the Cripple growled.

Before the words were finished—

Awooo—!

The mournful howls of wolves echoed from the mountains on both sides!

Immediately afterwards, countless green eyes lit up in the darkness, like countless floating will-o'-the-wisps. One after another, demonic wolves emerged from behind rocks and in the grass, baring their fangs, and slowly approached.

No fewer than thirty!

Moreover, three or four of them were exceptionally large and had a ferocious aura; they were clearly king-level demon wolves!

"Form ranks! Form ranks!" Zhang Kui shouted in terror, but he quietly retreated.

But the team was already in disarray.

Faced with such a large number of demonic beasts, the already demoralized convicts instantly collapsed. Some turned and ran, only to be cut down by Zhang Kui with a single stroke. Many more gripped their weapons, trembling and at a loss.

"Stay close to me!" Lin Chen shouted, drawing his sword.

Zhao Tiegu and Li Quezi immediately moved closer together, the three of them back to back, forming a simple triangular formation.

The pack of demon wolves pounced.

A bloody melee erupted instantly!

Screams, roars, the clash of weapons, the tearing of flesh... all intertwined to create a hellish symphony.

Lin Chen brandished his sword.

There are no fancy moves, only the simplest and most deadly strikes.

First move: Bloodbath Slash!

With all his might, the sword, drawn from shoulder to hip, slashed in a heavy arc. A charging wolf was cleaved in two by this single strike, blood splattering everywhere.

Devour!

With his left hand pressed down on the wolf carcass, Shen Yu thirstily sucked on it.

[Devouring the lifespan of the demonic wolf: 5 years]

Current lifespan reserve: 6 years

A warm current flowed in, instantly relieving some of the pain in my shoulder wound. But it wasn't enough, far from enough!

More demonic wolves pounced.

Lin Chen's feet swiftly turned with the "Wolf Gaze Step," his body sliding like a ghost to the side of a demonic wolf. Second move: Blood Shadow Slash!

The blade swept upwards diagonally, precisely severing the hind leg tendon of the demon wolf. The demon wolf howled in agony and collapsed, finished off by Lin Chen's final blow.

He will lose another 3 years of his lifespan.

Lifespan reserve: 9 years.

But the pressure did not lessen at all.

The surrounding prisoners were being rapidly slaughtered. Zhang Kui had somehow retreated to the edge of the battle and was trying to slip away quietly with two trusted men.

"Bastard!" Zhao Tiegu cursed angrily, limping as he tried to give chase, but was entangled by the three-headed demon wolf.

Li the Cripple fared even worse; his left arm was bitten, and he was dragged to the ground screaming. He was about to be dismembered—

A cold glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

Can't keep it any longer.

He took a deep breath and mobilized all the nine years of life force he had just recovered!

It's not about repairing injuries, nor about strengthening the body, but rather—burning!

Third move: Blood Prison Slash!

A layer of dark red blood light, visible to the naked eye, suddenly rose from the waist knife! That was not internal force, but pure life energy and killing intent generated by burning one's lifespan!

A single slash!

The blade flashed like a blood-red ribbon, spanning three zhang (approximately 10 meters)!

The three demonic wolves along the way were cut in half at the waist before they could even let out a scream! Blood mist exploded, staining a large area of ​​the ground red.

The power of that single strike stunned the entire arena!

The remaining demon wolves were intimidated by the terrifying killing intent and retreated several steps, baring their teeth and growling, not daring to go forward.

Lin Chen leaned on his knife, panting.

This single strike drained all the lifespan he had just recovered and even overdrawn some of his vital essence. His vision blurred, his throat tasted sweet, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

But the results were amazing.

Not only did it instantly extricate them from the predicament, but it also left Zhang Kui and the others frozen in place, dumbfounded.

"Is he...is he even human?" a trusted aide asked in a trembling voice.

Zhang Kui's expression shifted, but he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Let's go!"

The three of them turned and ran.

"Trying to run?!" Zhao Tiegu's eyes were red. He wanted to chase after him, but his legs were too weak to move.

"Don't chase after him," Lin Chen stopped him, his voice weak. "Save Li the Cripple first."

Li the Cripple's left arm was a bloody mess, with the bone exposed, and he was gasping for breath in pain. Lin Chen took out the half-empty bottle of wound medicine from his pocket, poured it all onto Li's wound, and then tore off a piece of his clothes to hastily bandage it.

"Can you still walk?" Lin Chen asked.

Li the Cripple gritted his teeth and nodded.

"This place is not safe to stay for long." Lin Chen looked around.

The commotion was too great, and the stench of blood was too strong. The roars of even more demonic beasts could be heard in the distance, and they were converging on this side.

"Back to the pass?" Zhao Tiegu asked.

"We can't go back directly." Lin Chen shook his head. "Zhang Kui will definitely turn around and accuse us of desertion from inside the pass. And... Scarface Wang won't let this opportunity pass either."

His gaze swept over the wolf carcasses scattered on the ground, then looked in the direction Zhang Kui had fled, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Let's hide first."

"Where are you hiding?"

Lin Chen pointed to the northwest: "The place Zhang Kui wanted to lead us to... has complex terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Since he is familiar with it, we can take advantage of it."

The three of them helped each other and quickly left the bloody slaughterhouse.

Before leaving, Lin Chen forced himself to swallow a few more relatively intact demon wolf carcasses.

[Devouring the lifespan of the demonic wolf: 12 years]

Current lifespan reserve: 12 years

Although it wasn't much, it at least temporarily stabilized his injuries, preventing him from collapsing immediately.

They traversed the mountain ridge, weaving through rocks and withered trees. Along the way, they encountered several scattered groups of demonic beasts, all of which Lin Chen swiftly dealt with using his newly mastered swordsmanship in conjunction with the "Wolf Gaze Step," allowing his lifespan to slowly recover to 20 years.

An hour later, the three found a hidden cave.

The cave entrance was covered by vines and snow. It wasn't large, but it was big enough for three people to fit inside. Lin Chen moved some stones to block the entrance, leaving only a crack to observe the outside world.

"We're safe for now." Zhao Tiegu slumped to the ground, his face as pale as paper—his injuries hadn't healed to begin with, and the strenuous activity had reopened his wounds.

Li the Cripple fainted immediately.

Lin Chen leaned against the cave wall and slowly sat down.

Inside, the body, with its 20-year lifespan, is slowly repairing its overexertion. The surgical wound on the shoulder has scabbed over, but the underlying weakness won't disappear in a short time.

He needs time.

But the enemy will not give him time.

Zhang Kui and Wang Scarface must be spreading rumors within the pass, labeling them as "deserters." The Blood Blade Gang may have already become aware of Han Li's death. Meanwhile, outside the pass, demonic beasts are gathering, and a larger-scale attack could come at any moment.

"Kid," Zhao Tiegu suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse, "what's next...?"

Lin Chen remained silent for a moment.

"wait."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Wait until things get chaotic." Lin Chen looked up and peered through the crack in the stone at the gloomy sky outside. "Only when things are in chaos both inside and outside the pass will people have a chance to take advantage of the situation."

"You want to..." Zhao Tiegu seemed to have guessed something.

"Wang Scarface and Zhang Kui must die." Lin Chen's voice was calm, yet chilling. "But not now. If we kill them now, we'll be deserters, we'll be traitors. If we're going to kill them, we must make their deaths 'justifiable'."

"for example?"

"For example..." Lin Chen paused, "...dying in the mouth of a demonic beast. Or, dying under 'military law'."

Zhao Tiegu gave him a deep look, and finally nodded: "I'll listen to you."

Outside the cave, the wind grew stronger.

In the distance, from the direction of Ghost Cry Pass, the shouts of battle, explosions, and roars of monsters grew increasingly dense and closer.

The great war has fully broken out.

In the shadows of this chaos, a pair of cold eyes waited silently.

Waiting for the prey to reveal a weakness.

Waiting for the opportunity to devour...