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

Before dawn, the bugle sounded.

Woo-woo-woo

The sound was shrill and mournful, like the wailing of a ghost, piercing through the broken walls of the mud house and into the ears.

Lin Chen opened his eyes.

The people inside were already getting up rustlingly. No one spoke, only heavy breathing and the rustling of fabric. A desperate silence filled the air.

"Get up." Zhao Tiegu's voice came from the other side. "You're late for your shift at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM). You could really get someone killed."

Lin Chen sat up.

His leg still hurt, and although the wound on his shoulder had healed, the muscles were still a bit stiff. He moved his hands and feet a bit and followed the others out of the mud house.

The sky outside was overcast and a light, fine snowflakes were falling.

A hundred or so people were already standing in the open space, arranged in several crooked lines. They were all emaciated, dressed in rags, and had vacant eyes. Several officers in leather armor stood at the front, holding whips in their hands.

Lin Chen was pushed into the third team.

The captain was a man in his thirties with a scar on his face and a fierce look in his eyes. Everyone called him "Scarface Wang".

Scarface Wang paced back and forth in front of the procession, whip in hand.

"Listen up, everyone!" His voice was hoarse, like a broken gong. "Today, the third team's mission is to head thirty miles north beyond the pass to scout out the demons' movements in 'Black Wind Pass.' They must report back before Shenshi (3-5 PM)!"

No one answered.

Everyone had their heads down, like a flock of sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

"Same old rules," Wang the Scarface sneered, "five people per group, split up to investigate. Any group that dares to slack off, cheat, or give false intelligence... humph."

He didn't finish speaking, but the whip in his hand lashed the ground hard, splashing up a cloud of mud and snow.

The team disbanded, and everyone went to collect their equipment.

The so-called equipment consisted of a rusty waist knife, a broken bow, ten arrows, and a small bag of moldy dry rations. When Lin Chen received it, the scabbard of the waist knife was already rotten, and when he pulled it out, the blade was full of nicks.

"Just make do with this," Zhao Tiegu whispered, approaching from somewhere. "This thing is only good for scaring people. If you really encounter demons, you'll have to rely on this."

He patted his waist—where a gleaming short knife was tucked, old but noticeably sharper.

"Old Zhao," Lin Chen asked, "Is Black Wind Pass... dangerous?"

Zhao Tiegu glanced at him but didn't answer directly: "Stay close to me. Wherever I go, you go. Don't look around or wander off."

Lin Chen nodded.

The team gathered at the gate.

The heavy ironwood city gate slowly opened a crack, just wide enough for a person and a horse to pass through. A cold wind rushed in like a knife, carrying the pungent smell unique to the wilderness.

Lin Chen followed the group out of the city gate.

Looking back, the crack had closed, as if it had completely isolated them from another world.

Beyond the pass lies the true northern wilderness.

The frozen ground was as hard as iron, and the withered grass trembled in the wind. In the distance, the mountains rose and fell like a crouching giant beast. The sky was overcast, and the clouds were so low that they seemed within reach.

The team split into five groups and dispersed.

Lin Chen's group consisted of five people: Zhao Tiegu, a one-eyed veteran, a young man with a limp, and Lin Chen himself. The leader was a veteran known as "Li the Cripple"—not truly lame, but someone whose leg had been bitten by a monster before, causing him to walk with a slight limp.

"Walk."

Li the Cripple waved his hand and led the way in the northeast direction.

No one spoke.

The only sounds were the rustling of footsteps on the frozen ground and the whistling of the wind through the withered grass.

After walking for about half an hour, a low-lying valley appeared ahead. The mountains on both sides were steep, and the valley was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see the depths.

"This is Black Wind Pass," Zhao Tiegu said in a low voice. "Demon wolves often roam here. When we go in, keep your eyes peeled and your ears perked up."

The words had barely left his mouth—

Awoo!

A wolf howl came from the valley.

It was bleak, lingering, and carried a certain bloodthirsty excitement.

Everyone tensed up.

Li the Cripple made a gesture, and the five men immediately dispersed, using the dry grass and rocks as cover, and slowly made their way into the valley.

Lin Chen followed behind Zhao Tiegu, his heart beating slightly faster.

It's not fear.

It's excitement.

The Blood Sacrifice Divine Jade felt slightly warm on his chest, as if it had sensed something.

The valley was shrouded in thick fog, reducing visibility to less than ten feet. Scattered on the ground were bones, both human and animal. The stench in the air grew stronger and stronger.

"stop."

Li the Cripple suddenly raised his hand.

Several dark figures could be vaguely seen in the fog ahead.

Short and thin, crawling on all fours, its green eyes gleaming in the mist.

Demon Wolf.

Lin Chen counted them: five heads.

It was a size larger than an ordinary wolf, with gray-black fur, drool dripping from its open mouth, and teeth as sharp as daggers.

"Get ready," Li the Cripple hissed, drawing his sword.

The others also drew their weapons.

The five demonic wolves seemed to have sensed something, letting out a low growl and slowly spreading out to form an encirclement.

"Kid," Zhao Tiegu turned to Lin Chen and said, "stay close to me and don't be reckless. This thing is fast, and its claws are poisonous. One scratch and you're crippled."

Lin Chen nodded and gripped the broken knife in his hand tightly.

The battle broke out suddenly.

A demonic wolf pounced on Li the Cripple first, its speed leaving a trail of afterimages. Li the Cripple dodged to the side, slashing at the wolf's back with his knife, but only managing to leave a shallow mark—the demonic wolf's fur was as hard as iron!

"Damn it!" Li the Cripple cursed.

The other four demonic wolves pounced at the same time.

The one-eyed veteran was pounced on by a demonic wolf, letting out a scream as his neck was bitten through, blood spurting out. The lame young man tried to run, but was pounced on from behind by another demonic wolf, its claws tearing open his back.

Two people died in the blink of an eye.

Zhao Tiegu roared, brandishing his short sword and forcing back one of the demonic wolves, but his arm was also slashed. Meanwhile, Li the Cripple was entangled by two demonic wolves, facing imminent danger.

Another one lunged at Lin Chen.

Green eyes, fangs, and a stench that fills the air.

Time seemed to slow down.

He could see the trajectory of the wolf's attack, the contraction of its muscles, and smell its pungent, fishy stench. The divine jade on his chest burned intensely, and a chilling suction force gathered in his palm.

He didn't hide.

Instead, he faced the demon wolf head-on and thrust out his blade!

The broken blade pierced precisely into the wolf's open mouth, penetrating its throat. The wolf howled mournfully, its claws digging fiercely into Lin Chen's chest—

Stab it!

The black clothes were torn open, revealing scabbed wounds underneath. But the claws couldn't get in; instead, they were repelled by an invisible force.

Is it the divine jade protecting the body?

Lin Chen didn't have time to think about it in detail.

He gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, while his other hand pressed down on the wolf's head.

Devour!

With a thought, the suction force in his palm suddenly erupted.

The wolf's body stiffened abruptly, and the green light in its eyes dimmed rapidly. Its fur lost its luster, and its muscles atrophied, as if all its life force had been drained away in an instant.

[Devouring the lifespan of the demonic wolf: 8 years]

Current lifespan reserve: 23 years

A violent surge of heat rushed into his palm, then along his arm and into his body. It was hotter and more intense than a human's lifespan, and mixed with a trace of chaotic bestiality!

Lin Chen grunted and released his grip.

The wolf's corpse collapsed limply, now just a withered husk.

"What the hell is that?!"

Li the Cripple's horrified voice rang out.

He and Zhao Tiegu had just finished off two demonic wolves together, and were covered in blood when they turned around and saw the strange, dried-up corpse in front of Lin Chen.

The last demon wolf seemed to be frightened as well, growling as it retreated, then turned and darted into the mist, disappearing from sight.

The valley fell silent.

There was only the sound of the wind and the heavy smell of blood.