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

The cold mountain wind swept through the canyon, carrying with it the smell of blood.

Lin Chen stood there, the bloody hole in his chest pierced by the dagger visibly shrinking and healing. New granulation tissue wriggled, scabs formed, and fell off—in just a dozen breaths, the wound was reduced to a pale red scar.

"You... youkai!"

A young soldier was so frightened that his legs went weak and he fell to the ground with a thud, unable to even hold his knife properly.

Chen Hong's face turned pale, his throat bobbed, and he stared intently at the three rapidly desiccating and aging corpses. They didn't look like normal dead people at all; they looked like dried corpses that had been drained of all moisture and life.

He suddenly looked up at Lin Chen.

The seventh prince, who should have been a cripple, stood ramrod straight. His tattered prison clothes were soaked in blood and clung to his body, but his eyes... were as cold as the perpetual ice of Ghost Cry Pass.

"What kind of evil magic did you use?" Chen Hong's voice was dry, and the veins on his hand gripping the reins bulged.

Lin Chen ignored him.

He was feeling the new life force within him.

After absorbing a total of fifteen years of lifespan from the three assassins, a warm current of energy circulated throughout his body. Wherever it passed, wounds healed rapidly, and even the previously congested and painful meridians were relieved considerably.

More importantly—he "saw" it clearly.

The dark red birthmark on his chest now revealed its true form deep within his consciousness: it was a phantom of an ancient jade, the size of a pigeon's egg and entirely blood-red, with obscure patterns flowing across its surface. In the center of the jade, three slender white rays of light floated, slowly rotating.

Current lifespan reserve: 15 years

[Can be used for: repairing physical damage, evolving martial arts techniques, and nourishing the spirit]

A clear thought flooded his mind, accompanied by information about the basic abilities of the "Blood Sacrifice Divine Jade".

Lin Chen's heart pounded wildly.

Repair the physical body! Evolve martial arts!

Doesn't this mean... there's hope for his shattered dantian to recover?

But now is not the time to delve into it.

He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Chen Hong and the eight terrified soldiers.

"Captain Chen," Lin Chen began, his voice still hoarse from blood loss, yet carrying an undeniable chill, "we can talk now."

Cold sweat beaded on Chen Hong's forehead.

His orders were clear: eliminate the Seventh Prince in Black Wind Gorge and retrieve the "jade" he possessed. But now…

Three experts at the fifth level of the Acquired Realm died without explanation in a single exchange!

"Your Highness...it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!" Chen Hong forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "This humble official was only acting under orders. This...this was all the three assassins' own doing..."

"Yeah?"

Lin Chen strode forward.

The shackles on his feet had just been removed, leaving only his wrists still handcuffed. He walked slowly, one step at a time. The chains dragged on the ground, making a clattering sound that was particularly jarring in the silent canyon.

With each step he took, Chen Hong's heart tightened.

"Just now, Captain Chen said he wanted something from me," Lin Chen stopped three steps in front of Chen Hongma, looking up at him, "What is it?"

Chen Hong's Adam's apple bobbed: "Yes, yes..."

"explain."

One word: icy cold as a knife.

Chen Hong felt a chill run down his spine and gritted his teeth, saying, "It's...it's a piece of jade. Some people say that Your Highness was born with a jade-shaped birthmark on your chest, and that...that's actually a treasure..."

really.

Lin Chen's eyes grew even colder.

Su Qingxue's last words echoed in my ears—"Possessing a treasure is a crime."

For a piece of jade, she was willing to betray sixteen years of affection and push him into hell?

good very good.

"Who wants this jade?" Lin Chen asked.

"I don't know!" Chen Hong hurriedly replied. "The messenger only said... it was a big shot in the capital, codenamed 'Black Bird'."

Black bird.

Lin Chen memorized the name.

He glanced down at the shackles on his wrists, then looked up again: "The key."

Chen Hong was taken aback.

"Open it." Lin Chen raised his wrist.

A struggle flashed across Chen Hong's face. Just let him go like that? How would he explain that back home? But if he didn't let him go…

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the three desiccated corpses.

"Captain Chen," Lin Chen's voice was calm, "guess how many more people I can 'swallow'?"

Chen Hong trembled all over.

"Open it! Open it for him now!" he practically shouted.

An old soldier trembled as he stepped forward and used a key to unlock the iron shackles on Lin Chen's wrists. The shackles fell off and hit the ground with a dull thud.

Lin Chen flexed his wrists.

become free.

Although it's only temporary.

"Your Highness," Chen Hong wiped away a bead of cold sweat and said cautiously, "Is this alright now? I promise, I will never do it again on this journey..."

"We still have to go to Ghost Cry Pass," Lin Chen interrupted him.

Chen Hong was taken aback.

"The exile order was personally written by my father, and disobeying it is a capital offense," Lin Chen said calmly. "Captain Chen, you and I are now in the same boat. If I disappear or die halfway... you, the escort officer, will be the first to lose your head."

Chen Hong's expression changed.

He was so startled that he completely forgot about that!

Yes, even if the Seventh Prince is deposed, he's still a prince. If he's killed during exile, the court will definitely investigate. At that point, will the person behind it all protect this nobody?

"Then, Your Highness means..." Chen Hong's voice was weak.

"Keep going." Lin Chen bent down, peeled a relatively clean black garment from a dried corpse, and put it on himself to cover his tattered prison clothes and bloodstains. "Just pretend today's events never happened. These three people were killed by bandits."

He paused, then looked at Chen Hong: "Captain Chen, you've climbed to your current position, you can't be stupid. You know what to say and what not to say."

Chen Hong took a deep breath and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "This humble official... understands!"

He got it.

This seventh prince was not the useless, crippled warrior he was rumored to be. His bizarre ability to devour lifespan was simply unheard of!

If we break off relations now, we'll probably all end up as dried-up corpses.

It's better to hold out for now and wait until we reach Ghost Cry Pass... that's his territory. Then we can figure out a way to get rid of this hot potato, or...

A ruthless glint flashed in Chen Hong's eyes.

Lin Chen saw his expression and sneered inwardly.

He certainly didn't believe Chen Hong would genuinely submit. But now, he needed time.

I need time to get used to this body, time to study the Blood Sacrifice Divine Jade, and time... to recover my strength.

"Pack up and let's keep going." Lin Chen turned and walked towards the prison van. "Find a place to camp before dark."

"yes!"

Chen Hong gritted his teeth and agreed, waving his hand to his men to quickly dispose of the bodies. The soldiers tremblingly dragged the three mummified corpses to the roadside bushes and hastily buried them, then covered the bloodstains on the ground with soil.

The team resumed their journey.

Lin Chen no longer rode in the prison cart, but instead rode an empty horse—originally the mount of one of the assassins.

He sat on his horse, closing his eyes to rest.

His consciousness sank into his chest, carefully sensing the illusory image of the Blood Sacrifice Divine Jade.

[Blood Sacrifice Divine Jade - Initial Awakening Stage]

[Ability 1: Devour. Upon contact with a living being, it can plunder its lifespan. Current daily limit: 3 times. Single limit: 50 years.]

[Ability Two: Repair. Consumes stored lifespan to repair physical damage. Minor injuries require several years, severe injuries require decades, and foundational damage such as a shattered dantian requires a massive amount of lifespan.]

[Ability Three: Evolution. Consumes lifespan to deduce and optimize martial arts techniques encountered.]

[Warning: Excessive absorption or the absorption of powerful beings may result in a backlash from the original owner's resentment, eroding one's sanity.]

The information is very clear.

Lin Chen quickly made a mental calculation.

He currently has 15 years of lifespan reserves, which is far too little. Repairing his dantian? A drop in the ocean. Developing martial arts? He doesn't even have a complete cultivation technique yet.

The most urgent task is to gain more lifespan as soon as possible, and at the same time... find a cultivation method that can be practiced.

Even if the dantian is shattered, one can still practice external martial arts to strengthen the body.

After all, a place like Ghost Cry Pass... without strength, it's a dead end.

"Your Highness," Chen Hong urged his horse closer and lowered his voice, "there's a deserted village ten miles ahead where you can spend the night. Beyond that... lies the true northern wilderness, and traveling at night is too dangerous."

Lin Chen opened his eyes: "You make the arrangements."

Chen Hong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, there is something... I don't know if I should say it."

"explain."

"Although I have some connections at Ghost Cry Pass, it is still a place of exile," Chen Hong carefully chose his words. "Once there, Your Highness will be assigned to the 'Scout Battalion'... a place specifically for sending people to their deaths. Especially recently, with the frequent activity of demons in the north, the mortality rate of the scout battalion is as high as 70%."

He paused, secretly observing Lin Chen's expression: "Moreover, some people inside the pass... may have also received news from the capital."

Lin Chen glanced at him: "Is Lieutenant Chen reminding me?"

"This humble official merely..." Chen Hongqian smiled, "...but felt that since Your Highness possesses such supernatural powers, perhaps...perhaps you don't necessarily need to go to Ghost Cry Pass. The world is vast; where can't you find a place to belong?"

"And then?" Lin Chen countered, "So you'd go back and report that I escaped? So you could bring people to chase after me?"

Chen Hong's face stiffened.

"Captain Chen," Lin Chen said calmly, "don't try anything funny. If I go to Ghost Cry Pass, you might still have a chance to live. If I run away, you'll be the first to die."

Chen Hong broke out in a cold sweat and repeatedly said, "Yes, yes, yes, I was confused!"

He dared not say anything more and silently stepped aside.

Lin Chen ignored him and continued to close his eyes and sense the changes within his body.

The warm current from those 15 years of lifespan transformation was still slowly nourishing my body. The feeling of extreme weakness had lessened considerably, and my strength had returned somewhat.

But not enough.

Far from enough.

The sun sank completely below the horizon, and darkness enveloped the surrounding area.

In the distance, several long wolf howls echoed through the desolate mountains.

The team sped up and finally arrived at an abandoned village before nightfall.

The walls were crumbling and overgrown with weeds. A few relatively intact mud houses offered only a meager shelter from the wind and rain.

Chen Hong arranged for people to light a fire and cook some dry food and meat soup.

Lin Chen occupied a room by himself.

He sat by the fire, tore off a piece of dry, hard bread, and chewed slowly. His gaze was fixed on the flickering flames, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

A descendant of an ancient martial arts family in his past life, a deposed prince in this life.

Two memories, two lives.

But the core principle remains unchanged—blood debts must be repaid in blood.

Su Qingxue, the eldest prince, and the mastermind behind it all, codenamed "Black Bird"...

You wait and see.

The day I crawl back from this northern hell.

Outside the window, the howling of wolves grew closer.

Lin Chen picked up the earthenware bowl and drank some hot soup. His stomach warmed up, and he regained some strength.

He looked down at his palms.

The lines on the palm are clear, and the blood vessels under the skin are slightly raised.

It can devour lifespan simply by touching it...

He suddenly remembered what Chen Hong had said during the day.

Ghost Cry Pass, Scout Camp, 70% mortality rate.

And... demons.

"The lifespan of demons," Lin Chen muttered to himself, "shouldn't it be able to devour them too?"

The firelight reflected off his face, flickering on and off.

Something was quietly awakening in those eyes from the darkness.

Like a lurking ferocious beast, it has sharpened its claws and fangs.