If I, a death row inmate, am not to become a demon, am I to become a member of the Imperial Guard?

The night was as dark as ink, and the dilapidated gate of the ancient temple resembled a crouching giant beast, its mouth gaping open in the deathly silence.

Li Qianhu stood on the stone steps before the mountain gate, his empty left sleeve fluttering in the night wind. The wound at the severed arm had long since stopped bleeding, the charred flesh peeling back—marks of the blood brutally stopped with a branding iron. The scene was particularly gruesome, exuding a nauseating cruelty.

He didn't rush to make a move; he just stared intently at Zhou Yang, his eyes seeming to want to devour him whole.

"Zhou Yang, you didn't expect this, did you?"

Li Qianhu's voice was like two pieces of raw iron rubbing together, hoarse and breathy. He raised his only remaining right hand and slowly pulled out a small crimson flag from behind his back. The flag was small, but its surface shimmered with a chilling dark red light, and faint waves of heat seemed to emanate from it.

"I even borrowed the sect's most treasured artifact in order to kill you."

He forced a twisted smile onto his face and slammed the Fiery Banner into the ground.

boom!

A flash of crimson light appeared, and a semi-transparent red light curtain instantly opened from the flagpole as the center, enveloping an area of ​​ten feet in radius. The surrounding air seemed to be sucked away in that instant, followed by a suffocating heat.

The cool night breeze vanished instantly, replaced by a scorching heat as if one were in an oven.

Zhou Yang felt a stinging pain on his skin, as if countless tiny flames were licking it. He squinted slightly, looking at the blazing banner, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

This is not only a magical artifact that seals off space, but also a powerful weapon that can continuously deplete the opponent's true energy.

"This flag is called 'Fire Shield.'" Commander Li descended the steps like a cat toying with a mouse. "Inside, your true energy will dissipate rapidly. And I will burn you to ashes, bit by bit, to make you pay for my arm!"

After he finished speaking, he suddenly lunged forward at an extremely fast speed.

As the afterimage flashed by, Li Qianhu's only remaining right hand swelled several times in size, covered with a thick layer of crimson scales, and with a shrill sound that tore through the air, it headed straight for Zhou Yang's crown.

The pressure from someone at the late True Essence Realm was amplified infinitely in this confined space.

Zhou Yang did not withdraw.

He knew he had nowhere to retreat.

The moment Commander Li made his move, Zhou Yang also adjusted himself to his peak condition. His true energy circulated wildly within him, but he didn't follow the conventional path.

The two completely different techniques, "Burning Evil True Qi" and "Blood Shadow Escape," were forcibly fused together in his body in an unprecedentedly violent manner.

If anyone else had dared to do that, they would have exploded and died long ago. But Zhou Yang, with his perfected realm as a foundation, managed to suppress that destructive conflict.

In an instant, Zhou Yang's demeanor changed.

His left hand instantly turned bright red, and the blood flowing in his veins seemed to be hot magma rather than blood, with an extremely yang and intense aura bursting forth; while his right hand was as white as paper, even faintly tinged with bluish-gray, with a chilling corpse aura swirling around it, and black light flickering uncertainly at his fingertips.

Half-corpse, half-demon, yin and yang reversed.

Zhou Yang stepped forward to meet Li Qianhu's attack, his left palm blazing like fire and his right claw like a demon, slamming down fiercely.

"court death!"

Seeing this, Li Qianhu's anger intensified. He refused to believe that a junior at the Innate Realm could withstand his attack fueled by hatred.

The two palms collided violently in mid-air.

boom--!

A muffled thud, like a heavy hammer striking a cowhide drum.

The air currents surged, kicking up dust from the ground.

Li Qianhu's previously sinister smile suddenly froze. He felt a strange force drilling into his body through the other man's arm, half of it feeling like it was burning through his meridians, while the other half was bone-chillingly cold, frantically eroding his true essence.

This power is extremely strange; it doesn't seem like something a person could cultivate.

Using the recoil, Zhou Yang slid backward three meters, carving two deep grooves into the hard bluestone slab beneath his feet. He glanced down at his right hand, where there was a charred scar, the result of the hard impact he had just suffered.

But he didn't care at all, and even a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Commander Li, you're in such a hurry? Did you offer more money before you started?"

Zhou Yang shook his hands and stretched his neck, making a series of cracking sounds.

"Playing tricks!" Li Qianhu was provoked and his anger flared even more. He waved his hand sharply, and the Fiery Banner planted behind him shone brightly. Countless red fire spears condensed in the air and pointed densely at Zhou Yang.

"Within this formation, you're like a turtle in a jar!"

Whoosh whoosh!

Fire spears rained down like raindrops.

Zhou Yang's figure blurred instantly, his entire body transforming into a blur as he weaved through the gaps in the fire spears. He had pushed the Blood Shadow Escape technique to its limit at this moment, leaving a series of afterimages behind him, each one pierced by the fire spears, but his true body remained unharmed.

As he dodged, he didn't forget to glance back at Qin Shuang.

Qin Shuang was leaning against the edge of the light screen, her face pale but her eyes clear. She didn't intervene because Zhou Yang had said before that this battle was crucial for him to verify his results.

Moreover, she saw the flag behind Commander Li.

That's the key point of the formation.

The light curtain will dissipate once the flag is torn.

Qin Shuang's hand stealthily reached for the embroidered spring knife at her waist. Her fingers were somewhat weak, but her eyes were unusually determined. She was waiting, waiting for the moment Zhou Yang would create.

Zhou Yang charged left and right within the formation, seemingly in a sorry state, but in reality, he was constantly closing in on Commander Li.

"Is that all you've got? All you can do is dodge?" Commander Li roared, unleashing his true essence. All the fire spears instantly coalesced into a giant fire serpent, opening its blood-red maw to bite Zhou Yang.

There is no way to avoid it.

"Now!"

Zhou Yang abruptly stopped, advancing instead of retreating. He channeled all his true energy into his legs, causing the ground to explode, and he charged towards the fire serpent like a cannonball.

Just as the fire serpent was about to engulf him, his body twisted strangely, narrowly slid past the serpent's belly.

The flames singed his hair and eyebrows, and his clothes were instantly charred black, but this allowed him to successfully close the distance with Commander Li.

Ten steps.

Five steps.

Three steps.

A flicker of panic crossed Li Qianhu's eyes. He hadn't expected his opponent to dare to withstand such an attack and get close. But he was, after all, a seasoned expert in the late True Yuan Realm. He immediately raised his hand and threw a punch, the wind from which was accompanied by raging flames, the temperature so high that it distorted the air.

"Die!"

As the enormous fist came crashing down, Zhou Yang not only didn't dodge, but instead grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

He suddenly reached out with his left hand, his palm as red as fire, and grabbed Li Qianhu's fist directly.

Shila-

Their bare hands collided, producing a sizzling sound like roasting meat. Zhou Yang's hand was torn and bleeding, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, his fingers like hooks, gripping Li Qianhu's wrist tightly.

"Got you?"

Li Qianhu was stunned. Just as he was about to break free, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

He subconsciously looked down and saw that the boy, who had been dodging but was now covered in charred soot, now had a long, jet-black sword in his right hand.

Shadow Blade.

This knife is usually inconspicuous, but at this moment it seems to be drinking blood, with visible black mist swirling around its blade.

Zhou Yang gripped the hilt of the knife tightly with both hands. The yang energy in his left hand intensely burned Li Qianhu's arm, making him unable to exert any force. The corpse energy in his right hand surged wildly into Li Qianhu's body along the blade, slowing down the circulation of his true essence.

"break!"

With a roar, Zhou Yang unleashed his Shadow Blade, piercing through Li Qianhu's protective aura and hurtling towards his heart.

Li Qianhu's pupils contracted sharply. He possessed the powerful physique of the late True Yuan Realm, and in this critical moment, his body instinctively leaned back, trying to avoid vital organs.

puff!

The blade veered off course by half an inch, passing through Li Qianhu's left chest. Although it didn't pierce his heart, it went straight through his lung.

Blood gushed out, splattering all over Zhou Yang's face.

Li Qianhu screamed and kicked Zhou Yang in the stomach with all his might, sending him flying.

Zhou Yang tumbled several times in the air before crashing heavily to the ground and sliding several meters before coming to a stop. He felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and a metallic taste rose in his throat, but he forced it back down.

He struggled to his feet, half-kneeling on the ground, using the knife to support his body.

Meanwhile, Li Qianhu clutched his chest, blood trickling through his fingers. His face turned deathly pale, and each breath was accompanied by spurts of blood.

"You...you dare to hurt me..."

Li Qianhu staggered backward, fear appearing in his eyes for the first time. He never expected that an insignificant ant at the Innate Realm could push him to this point.

More importantly, the corpse energy attached to the knife was frantically destroying his life force and preventing the wound from healing.

"Will I hurt you?"

Zhou Yang wiped the blood from his face, his smile appearing particularly sinister and chilling against the backdrop of the blood.

"Lord Li, this deal isn't finished yet."

Just then, Qin Shuang, who had been waiting in the wings, made her move.

Although she was still recovering from serious injuries, the willpower she displayed at this moment was astonishing. Taking advantage of the moment when Li Qianhu was distracted by his serious injuries and his control over the formation weakened, the Embroidered Spring Blade in her hand transformed into a cold light and flew out of her hand.

The knife traced a precise arc in the air, heading straight for the Fiery Banner.

clang!

A crisp sound.

The Embroidered Spring Blade struck the flagpole, sparks flying. Although it failed to cut the flag in one stroke, it caused the flag to shake violently, and the previously stable light screen flickered instantly.

"not good!"

Commander Li was shocked and wanted to turn around to stabilize the formation.

But how could Zhou Yang possibly give him that chance?

"Your opponent is me."

Zhou Yang's voice rang in Li Qianhu's ears. Before he knew it, Zhou Yang had already pressed forward again.

Li Qianhu, severely injured, was much slower to react than before.

The Shadow Fiend Blade in Zhou Yang's hand flashed with a chilling black light, without any fancy moves, just the fastest and most ruthless strike.

This strike embodied the last of his true energy and his unwavering determination to kill.

Li Qianhu hastily raised his arm to block.

Click.

The sound of bones cracking was clearly audible.

The Shadow Blade cut through everything in its path, severing Li Qianhu's only remaining arm and then slashing into his neck.

puff!

Blood gushed out like a fountain.

Li Qianhu's head rolled to the ground, his eyes still wide open, filled with disbelief, as if he couldn't understand how he could die at the hands of a Xiantian Realm expert.

The headless corpse swayed and then collapsed to the ground with a thud.

With the death of its master, the blazing banner, which was still flickering, dimmed and turned into a piece of ordinary iron.

The light curtain dissipated.

The night wind blew in again, dispersing the stench of blood that filled the ground.

Zhou Yang remained in the stance of wielding his sword, panting heavily. He felt as if all the bones in his body were about to fall apart, his true energy was almost exhausted, and his meridians were throbbing with pain.

But he laughed.

[Slaying Li Xuanji, a late-stage True Essence Realm expert, grants fifteen years of lifespan.]

[Host detected to be severely injured. Consume lifespan to repair the body?]

The system's voice arrived in my mind as promised.

"Repair it," Zhou Yang silently murmured to himself without hesitation.

A warm current instantly rose from his limbs and bones, and the intense tearing and burning sensations he had just experienced quickly subsided. The severed meridians reconnected, and his depleted true energy was replenished at an astonishing rate.

Not only that.

A massive surge of energy exploded within him; it was the essence of Li Xuanji's cultivation.

Perfect innate.

The barrier that had always stood between him and the outside world was easily pierced by this force.

Zhou Yang felt his senses become incredibly sharp at that moment. He could even hear the sound of insects crawling in the grass a hundred meters away, and he could feel the moisture content in the wind.

Peak of innate perfection.

He was only one step away from the legendary Grandmaster realm.

Zhou Yang slowly straightened up, tossing aside the dulled Shadow Fiend Blade in his hand. He walked to Li Qianhu's corpse, picked up the storage bag from the ground, and glanced again at the tarnished Flame Banner.

"A good thing, but unfortunately it's a ferocious beast."

He shook his head, did not touch the flag, and turned to walk towards Qin Shuang.

Qin Shuang was now leaning against the wall. Although her face was still pale, the coldness in her eyes as she looked at Zhou Yang had lessened, replaced by a more complex expression.

"Fifteen taels. Consider this knife a loan from me." Zhou Yang walked up to her, bent down to pick up the embroidered spring knife that had fallen to the ground, and handed it back to Qin Shuang.

Qin Shuang took the knife, looked at the man in front of her who was covered in blood but still calculating accounts, and her lips twitched slightly.

"You were in that state just now..."

"Don't ask, the answer is just the price of extra money." Zhou Yang interrupted her, not wanting to explain further. He carried Qin Shuang on his back, glanced into the depths of the ancient temple, where there was still an unknown path to walk.

"Let's go. Commander Li is dead; those people outside will find out soon. We shouldn't stay here any longer."

Qin Shuang lay on his back, feeling the boy's not-so-broad but exceptionally strong back.

"Zhou Yang".

"What? No way, more money needed."

"Thanks."

Zhou Yang paused for a moment, then resumed his normal pace, carrying her on his back as they hurried through the night.

"Put it in the account, and we'll settle the principal and interest together later."

The night wind blew by, covering up all the bloodshed and killing, leaving only two receding figures, gradually merging into the darkness.