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

The morning mist had not yet dissipated from the Blood River Valley, and the sky was a dark gray. Zhou Yang stood atop the mountain, squinting as he looked down into the valley. Qin Shuang stood beside him, her brocade robe swaying in the wind. The atmosphere between them was heavy, yet not a single word was exchanged.

"The fuel tanks have been buried," Qin Shuang said in a low voice. Her voice was like cold iron scraping across the water.

"Ignite it." Zhou Yang nodded.

He reached out and picked up a dark red flint, striking the ground with it. Sparks instantly flew. The fuel in the fuel can ignited, and flames shot skyward.

Blood River Valley was instantly engulfed in a ring of flames. The fire ring, like a gigantic maw, roared and spread in all directions. The firelight reflected on the two people's faces, casting crimson shadows.

"The ring of fire has taken shape," Qin Shuang confirmed. Her gaze swept across the surrounding cliffs.

The main force of the Heavenly Principle Sect at the bottom of the valley charged out of formation with mournful cries, only to be forced to stop by the burning walls. The heat waves from the flames made it difficult for them to breathe.

The commander at the front roared, but could find no signal. His voice, buried by the flames, became a hissing sound of burning.

Zhou Yang stepped forward, onto the gravel path. The pebbles under his feet were scorching hot from the flames, and his palms were slightly sweaty.

He placed the dragon spine fragment in his hand against his chest, its surface emitting a faint red glow. The heat of the Blood River resonated with the residual warmth of the fragment.

"One more time," he muttered to himself, his voice drowned out by the sound of the fire.

Zhou Yang pressed the fragment tightly against the keyhole of the stone door. The stone door was made of carved obsidian, its surface covered with ancient runes.

The runes trembled slightly in the firelight, as if they were consciously resisting.

The heat from the fragments spread through the keyhole, and the sound of metal scraping against metal rang out again.

"Open it," Zhou Yang urged softly.

A slight buzzing sound came from the keyhole, followed by a thin crack appearing on the edge of the stone door.

The cracks spread slowly, like the flow of a river of blood.

Qin Shuang stood to the side, her hand gripping a long sword tightly. Her eyes were as cold as frost, fixed on every inch of the stone door.

"Don't let them rush in," she whispered a warning.

The heat from the ring of fire forced the soldiers at the bottom of the valley to retreat, their steps faltering.

At this moment, the priests of the Heavenly Principle Sect raised their staffs and chanted ancient incantations.

The sound of the incantation was drowned out by the flames, turning into a low hum.

Zhou Yang felt the heat from the fragments rising rapidly, as if it were about to break through its limits.

He added his remaining lifespan bit by bit to the fragments, his fingers burning as if on fire, but he did not stop.

"How much is left?" Qin Shuang asked in a low voice.

"Only five cuts left," Zhou Yang replied through gritted teeth, his voice sounding particularly firm amidst the flames.

The lifespan of Wu Dao burned within his body, turning into scorching steam.

Steam impacts the stone door, causing the cracks to expand rapidly.

The crack finally parted, and light poured out.

Within the light was a dark passage leading to the depths of the River of Blood.

Qin Shuang stepped into the passage and looked back at Zhou Yang.

"Hurry up and follow," she whispered the order.

Zhou Yang followed closely behind, the light of the fragments flashing on his chest.

The passageway was damp, and a faint blood-red liquid seeped from the walls.

With each step, the ground beneath one's feet emitted a slight hum.

Not far ahead, a huge stone gate stands, with three sets of ancient characters carved on it.

The surface of the stone gate was darkened by the high temperature, and cracks seemed to be wriggling inside.

Zhou Yang raised his hand and stuck the shards to the crack in the door.

The fragments instantly absorbed the residual heat from the surroundings, emitting a piercing metallic clanging sound.

"King's Blood, Curse Seal, Shadow Body," he murmured the incantation for the stone gate.

The sound echoed in the passageway, with a faint, indistinct resonance.

The patterns on the stone gate gleamed faintly as the metal struck each other.

The light converged into a cone-shaped blade, shooting straight towards the center of the door.

The light blade pierced the stone door, and the door panel made a loud cracking sound.

The door collapsed with a crash, sending clouds of dust billowing out.

A downward-facing rocky path emerged from the dust, its walls inlaid with blood-red gems.

The gemstones shimmered in the firelight, like drops of blood congealing on a stone wall.

Qin Shuang stepped onto the rocky path and nodded back to Zhou Yang.

"We need to hurry," she said, her voice urgent.

Zhou Yang looked up at the still-burning Blood River Valley, the ring of fire like a ferocious beast, devouring the enemy's hopes.

He quickly retrieved the fragment, and the fragment's light dimmed instantly.

"Control the fuel in the fire ring," he told Qin Shuang.

Qin Shuang nodded, drew her long sword, and the blade was covered in sparks.

She leaped into the air, the tip of her knife slicing through an arc as she severed a fuel line.

The pipe was cut, and the flames spread outward, forming a new ring of fire.

The new ring of fire surrounded the remaining Heavenly Principle Sect troops.

The enemy retreated in terror, trying to escape the inferno.

Zhou Yang gripped the fragments tightly and rushed towards the center of the fire ring.

He held the fragments high, letting them bathe in the flames.

The heat from the fragments expanded rapidly in the flames, producing a piercing crackling sound.

The flames were absorbed by the fragments, instantly forming a stream of intense heat.

The airflow rushed towards the enemy, making them sway precariously.

An enemy general shouted and raised his spear to try to pierce the airflow, but was instead swept away by the airflow.

A blazing vortex formed at the center of the airflow, with burning fragments within it flashing red light.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qin Shuang rushed into the vortex and cut down several enemies who were trying to break through.

The battlefield in Blood River Valley instantly erupted into chaos, with flames, fragments, and flashing blades intertwining.

Zhou Yang felt his lifespan being drained again, and a sharp pain shot through his chest.

He gritted his teeth and continued to press the fragments, causing them to release more heat.

"Get out of here!" Qin Shuang shouted, pointing to another exit on the cliff.

The two rushed side by side toward the exit, the ring of fire behind them still burning, reddening half the sky.

Their figures cast long shadows in the firelight, which swayed on the rock face.

Finally, we broke through the rocky path and stood on the grass halfway up the mountain.

The flames of Blood River Valley still burned in the distance, like a giant blood-red dragon.

Qin Shuang was panting heavily, gripping a long sword with sparks dripping from its tip.

"This time we've won," she said calmly, but a hint of gloom lingered in her eyes.

Zhou Yang raised his hand and touched the fragment on his chest. The fragment had lost its luster and was as cold as ice.

"How much lifespan do you have left?" Qin Shuang asked.

"Only three cuts left," Zhou Yang replied in a low voice.

"We can keep going," Qin Shuang said, her tone carrying a barely perceptible expectation.

Zhou Yang smiled, a hint of madness in his smile.

"As long as I can get more money, I'll never stop."

The two exchanged a glance, then turned and walked deeper into the mountains.

A mountain breeze caressed my face, carrying away the heat of the Blood River and dispersing the lingering smoke of battle.

The road ahead was still rugged, but it did not stop their progress.

The flames at the Blood River outpost gradually died out in the distance, leaving only charred rocks and a faint afterglow.

Their silhouettes stretched long in the dawn light, like two blades slicing across the sky.

This frontal assault ended amidst ruins and a new pact.