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

Sandstorm bandits rushed down the cliff face like a flock of starving vultures.

They roared, brandishing a motley crew of weapons, and charged at the chaotic convoy. The rain of arrows had stopped, and what followed was a bloody close-quarters battle.

"Form ranks! Form ranks!" Zhou Yong's roar echoed through the canyon. The ten border soldiers of the patrol battalion quickly gathered, forming a small circle back to back, shields on the outside, long swords drawn.

They were a regular army, well-trained, and despite being outnumbered, their formation remained intact, managing to hold off the first wave of sandstorm bandits for a time.

But the scouts were in a much worse situation.

These convicts, already demoralized and poorly equipped, crumbled almost instantly when faced with the ferocious sandstorm bandits. Screams rang out one after another as men fell, their blood staining the rubble on the ground.

Lin Chen, Zhao Tiegu, and Li Quezi leaned against a giant rock, temporarily blocking several directions.

Three sandstorm bandits grinned maliciously as they surrounded Lin Chen. The leader, a scarred man, wielded a chipped machete, aiming straight for Lin Chen's face.

Lin Chen didn't move.

He abruptly turned to the side when the blade was less than half a foot from his head, the blade grazing his shoulder as it fell. At the same time, his left hand reached out, grabbed the scarred man's wrist holding the knife, and twisted it forcefully!

Click!

The cracking sound of a wrist bone breaking.

Scarface screamed in agony as the cleaver slipped from his hand. Lin Chen seized the cleaver, and with a swift backhand motion, the blade grazed Scarface's neck.

Devour!

[Absorbs 2 years of human lifespan]

Lifespan: 55 years.

Without pausing, Lin Chen hurled the machete he had seized, knocking down another bandit who was lunging at Li the Cripple. A third man was shot through the thigh by an arrow from Zhao Tiegu, collapsing to the ground howling in pain.

Clean and neat.

But more sandstorm thieves surged up.

"We can't hold out!" Lin Chen shouted. "Move towards the carriage! Find cover!"

The three fought and retreated, moving towards the middle of the convoy.

Fatty Wu and his six henchmen were huddled behind the third carriage. Seeing Lin Chen and his companions approach, a fierce glint flashed in Fatty Wu's eyes, and he gave a signal to one of his henchmen.

The confidant understood, and quietly took out a small crossbow from his bosom, hid it behind his back, and loaded it with a short arrow.

Lin Chen caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye and sneered inwardly.

They were definitely going to resort to underhanded tactics.

He pretended not to see and continued to fight the sandstorm bandits who pounced on him. He used the "Wolf's Gaze Step" on his feet, his figure elusive in the chaos of battle, always making it difficult for his confidant to find an angle to launch a sneak attack.

"Damn it!" the confidant cursed under his breath, sweat beading on his forehead.

Just then, the sandstorm bandits suddenly parted to create a passage.

The one-eyed giant strode over, carrying a large, ghost-headed sword. Behind him were four men in black—the same skilled "assassins" Lin Chen had noticed earlier.

"Interesting." The one-eyed man glanced at Lin Chen with his single eye, then looked at Zhou Yong. "The patrol battalion is tough, and the scout battalion has another thorn in their side. Fatty Wu, your intelligence isn't accurate."

Fatty Wu's expression changed. He poked his head out from behind the carriage and said with a fawning smile, "Master Liu, it was an accident, purely an accident! That kid is new here and doesn't know the rules! Don't worry, I won't shortchange you on what I promised!"

"Enough nonsense!" The one-eyed burly man, Master Liu, waved his hand impatiently. "Hurry up and clean up, I have a long way to go!"

The four men in black behind him moved.

It wasn't that it lunged at Zhou Yong, nor at Lin Chen, but rather—it lunged straight at the black cloth carriage!

Their target was the "goods" inside the car!

"Stop them!" Fatty Wu screamed.

His six trusted men rushed forward to stop him, but the man in black was extremely fast and ruthless. In a single exchange, one of his men was slit in the throat, and another was kicked away, crashing into the rock wall and coughing up blood.

"Master Liu! What do you mean?!" Fatty Wu was both shocked and furious.

"What do you mean?" Old Liu grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Fatty Wu, you really think I'm here to be your henchman? I'm taking this shipment. Your head can be used to collect the reward in Blackrock City—colluding with sand bandits and robbing military supplies, that crime is enough to kill you ten times over!"

Black eat black!

Fatty Wu's face was ashen.

Lin Chen understood. It turned out that this Master Liu wasn't a sandstorm bandit at all, but another force that had its eyes on this batch of "goods" and was using a scheme to devour Fatty Wu and the goods!

"Make your move!" Master Liu shouted sternly.

Four men in black broke through the obstruction of Fatty Wu's henchmen and rushed to the black cloth carriage. Two of them swung their knives at the chains, while the other two guarded them warily.

Fatty Wu's eyes turned red with anger. He pulled a whistle from his pocket and blew it hard!

The sharp whistle pierced through the shouts of battle.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from deep within the canyon!

Another group of about ten men rushed out from the other side of the canyon! They were all dressed in black and masked, carrying standard-issue waist knives. Their movements were uniform and orderly, clearly indicating that they were well-trained private soldiers!

"Wang Scarface's men!" Zhao Tiegu whispered.

It turns out Fatty Wu had a backup plan!

A three-way battle has completely erupted!

The men in black wanted to steal the goods, Fatty Wu's private soldiers wanted to protect them, the sandstorm bandits were taking the opportunity to plunder other carriages, the patrol battalion was struggling to hold on, and the scout battalion members were either dead or had fled...

chaos!

It's a complete mess!

Taking advantage of the chaos, Lin Chen pulled Zhao Tiegu and Li Quezi behind a rock.

"What do we do now?" Li the Cripple gasped for breath, his left arm wound reopening and bleeding profusely.

"Let them fight like dogs." Lin Chen watched the battle unfold. "Wait until they've fought enough..."

Before he could finish speaking, a cold arrow shot from the side!

It was Wu Pangzi's confidant who finally found an opportunity!

Lin Chen was prepared; he ducked low, and the arrow grazed his scalp. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he propelled himself forward like an arrow released from a bow, hurtling towards his trusted aide!

The henchman was shocked and tried to back away, but bumped into the carriage behind him. Lin Chen's waist knife was already in front of him.

puff!

The knife tip pierced through the chest and back.

Devour!

[Absorbs 3 years of human lifespan]

Lifespan: 58 years.

Lin Chen drew his sword, not even glancing at the fallen corpses, and turned his gaze back to the battlefield.

The men in black and Fatty Wu's private soldiers were in a bloodthirsty frenzy. Two of the four men in black were dead, but four or five of their soldiers had also perished. The chains on the black cloth carriage had been cut in half, and the carriage door was teetering on the verge of collapse.

Master Liu was personally engaged in a fierce battle with Fatty Wu's private army leader. Both of them were at the sixth level of the Acquired Realm, and their fight was evenly matched.

On Zhou Yong's side, two more border guards from the patrol battalion fell, leaving only eight men, who were still struggling to hold on. The sandstorm bandits also suffered heavy casualties, but still outnumbered them.

it's time.

Lin Chen took a deep breath and said to Zhao Tiegu and Li Quezi, "You two stay here and don't go out."

"Where are you going?" Zhao Tiegu asked.

"Save people." Lin Chen uttered two words, and in a flash, he disappeared into the chaotic crowd.

He neither helped Zhou Yong nor got involved in the fight between the men in black and the private soldiers. His target was clear—the black cloth carriage.

Taking advantage of the chaos, he reached the side of the carriage.

The chains on the car doors were almost broken. Suppressed sobs and whimpers could be heard from inside, along with the rattling sound of the chains being dragged.

Lin Chen swung his sword and slashed hard at the last link of the chain!

when!

Sparks flew everywhere.

The chain snapped instantly.

He opened the car door.

The dimly lit carriage was crammed with seven or eight people. There were men and women, old and young, all dressed in rags, their hands and feet in shackles, and their mouths stuffed with rags.

When they saw the car door open, they shrank back in terror, their eyes filled with despair.

"Don't be afraid," Lin Chen said in a low voice, "I'm here to save you."

He glanced around quickly, his gaze settling on an old man at the very back.

Although the old man was equally disheveled, his eyes were relatively calm, and... Lin Chen noticed that his finger joints were large and his tiger's mouth had thick calluses, which were marks left by years of holding a hammer and hammering iron.

Craftsman.

really.

"Can we walk?" Lin Chen asked.

The old man nodded vigorously, tore the rag out of his mouth, and then helped a boy next to him unlock his shackles.

Just then, a furious roar came from behind:

"You little bastard! How dare you ruin my plans!"

It's Master Liu!

He had somehow gotten rid of the private army leader, and with a fierce whistling sound, the ghost-headed broadsword slashed straight at the back of Lin Chen's head!

This strike was powerful and heavy, sealing off all escape routes!

Lin Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

There's no escaping it!

We have no choice but to take it head-on!

He turned around abruptly, his sword held horizontally at his waist!

when--!!!

The deafening clang of metal against metal was so loud it made people's eardrums ache.

Lin Chen felt a tremendous force coming from the blade, his tiger's mouth split open, and he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the carriage. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and almost vomited blood.

The seventh level after tomorrow!

This Master Liu is actually a master at the seventh level of the Acquired Realm!

"Heh heh, kid, you've got some strength." Old Liu licked his lips. "Too bad, you're going to die here today!"

He pounced again, his ghost-headed broadsword flashing, completely enveloping Lin Chen.

Lin Chen could only barely dodge using the "Wolf's Gaze Step," constantly facing peril. His strength, speed, and experience were all completely suppressed!

If this continues, we're doomed!

A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

Can't keep it any longer.

He took a deep breath and frantically mobilized all of his lifespan—58 years!

It's not repair, it's not enhancement, it's... burning!

Third move: Blood Prison Slash!

A dark red blood-red light rose from the waist knife once more! It was thicker and more intense than before!

A single slash!

The blade flashed like a blood-red moon hanging upside down, tearing through the air and slashing straight at Master Liu!

Master Liu's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly raised his knife to parry.

boom--!!!

A collision of earth and earth!

The ghost-headed broadsword was cleaved high into the air, and Master Liu staggered backward, blood streaming from his tiger's mouth, and a deep, bone-revealing wound was cut open on his chest by the sword's energy!

Lin Chen also coughed up a mouthful of blood, knelt on one knee, and his vision blurred.

His lifespan of 58 years was burned to ashes in a single stroke!

Lifespan: 0.

A feeling of weakness washed over me like a tidal wave.

But he cannot fall.

Master Liu was seriously injured, but not yet dead. He clutched his chest, staring intently at Lin Chen, his eyes filled with horror and resentment.

"What...what kind of swordsmanship is that?!"

Lin Chen didn't answer, but forced himself to stand up and gripped the knife tightly.

The crimson light on the blade had dissipated, leaving only a cold, icy gleam.

In the distance, Wu Pangzi's private soldiers had been almost entirely wiped out. Only two men in black remained, confronting the remnants of Zhou Yong's patrol battalion.

The sandstorm killed some thieves and others fled, leaving corpses strewn across the canyon.

Everyone stopped and looked in their direction.

Looking at Lin Chen, and then at the seriously injured Master Liu.

The atmosphere was deathly frozen.