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

"Let his strange stroke of luck, along with the three extra months he's lived by sheer luck, remain on the ring."

Chen Hong felt reassured and kowtowed deeply, saying, "This humble general understands! I will certainly not fail the fairy's trust!"

"Remember," Su Qingxue gave him one last look, a gaze that sent a chill down his spine, "this is your last chance. A captain's rank isn't for you to retire in the Northern Frontier. If you mess this up again..."

She didn't continue.

But Chen Hong understood.

He lay prostrate on the ground until he heard the soft footsteps fade away, the door open and close, and the invisible pressure disappear before he dared to slowly raise his head.

He was left alone in the room, with only that flickering, solitary lamp.

He stood up, supporting his weak legs, wiped the cold sweat from his face, and his eyes gradually turned fierce.

Lin Chen...

This time, let's see how you die!

Late at night, Chen Hong quietly left the courtyard, a sinister smile on his face.

Unbeknownst to him, in the shadows of a distant watchtower, a figure seemed to blend into the night, silently observing everything.

Zhao Tiegu's rough fingers pinched a small, hard piece of multigrain cake, his eyes brooding.

He couldn't hear the specifics of the conversation, but Chen Hong's expression after his secret meeting with people from the capital late at night... it definitely wasn't anything good.

He slid down the tower quickly, his figure disappearing into the darkness, and sped towards the cliff fortress.

Lin Chen was currently in a secret chamber within the fortress, with the waist knife given to him by Han Li and the pair of dark gold wolf claw daggers laid out before him. The divine jade was slightly warm, indicating his lifespan reserve—230 years.

He is about to make a risky decision.

Noon.

The central training ground of Ghost Cry Pass.

The snow had stopped, but the sky remained overcast. Low-hanging, leaden clouds pressed down on the fortress, and the biting wind, sharp as a knife, swept across the compacted, frozen ground of the drill ground, whipping up fine snowflakes.

On the north side of the drill ground, a temporary wooden platform was erected. The platform was covered with a dark red velvet carpet and furnished with several armchairs.

The Third Prince, Lin Jing, sat upright in the center, wrapped in a thick black fox fur coat, holding a hand warmer in his hands. His expression was indifferent, and his gaze calmly swept across the scene below. It was as if what he was witnessing was not a military exercise on the border, but a stage in the capital.

Liu Zhenshan sat to his left, wearing a faded old military uniform, his back straight as a pine tree, his face expressionless. Only his hands, which had been holding a knife for years, rested casually on his knees, his knuckles slightly protruding.

To the right sat the pale-faced, beardless old eunuch. His eyes were half-closed, seemingly asleep, but his gaze, which occasionally swept across the drill ground, was sharp as needles.

Su Qingxue stood alone on one side of the wooden platform.

She was still dressed in white, with a moon-white fox fur cloak over it. The brim of the hood was trimmed with snow-white fur, making her face appear even smaller and her complexion even colder. A light veil covered her face, obscuring everything below her nose, leaving only her eyes visible.

Those eyes gazed calmly at the center of the training ground, without a trace of emotion.

It was as if everything that was about to happen had nothing to do with her.

The training ground was surrounded by a dense crowd of people.

Almost all the border troops and garrison soldiers that could be drawn from within the pass came. They were packed together, their heads thronging the area. The white breaths they exhaled formed a continuous cloud, and a low murmur of discussion echoed through the air.

Excitement, curiosity, tension, numbness... all sorts of emotions mingled in the cold air.

Martial arts drills are not uncommon at the border.

But with the prince personally attending the battle, and a "fairy" from the capital also present, the scale of the event was quite different.

What's more, news suddenly broke this morning that the martial arts competition was not a simple sparring match, but a "death battle" with a signed life-or-death agreement!

Zhang Heng sat on the officer's seat at the lower end of the wooden platform, his face somewhat gloomy. He glanced at Chen Hong standing not far away. Chen Hong had specially changed into a brand-new set of light armor for a captain today, standing ramrod straight, but a barely perceptible cold smile played on his lips.

Lin Chen stood in the designated "waiting area" on the east side of the training ground.

Behind him stood Zhao Tiegu, Li Quezi, and the other seven brothers in the squad. Each of them had a tense expression and gripped their knife hilts.

Lin Chen himself, however, remained unusually calm.

He wore a slightly worn black outfit, with a fur vest stripped from a demon warrior over it. A waist knife given to him by Han Li hung at his waist, and a pair of dark gold wolf claw daggers were bound across his back.

His face showed no extra expression; he simply raised his eyes slightly and looked at the wooden platform.

His gaze swept over the Third Prince, then over Liu Zhenshan, and finally settled on the figure in white.

Hundreds of steps away, separated by a noisy crowd.

Su Qingxue seemed to sense something, her gaze shifted slightly, and their eyes met briefly in the air.

Cold, indifferent, inquisitive.

Then, he casually moved it away, as if he had just swept away a piece of insignificant dust.

A very faint smile appeared on Lin Chen's lips.

At this moment, a military master of ceremonies strode up to the high platform in the center of the drill ground, gathered his strength, and spoke in a loud and clear voice:

"The martial arts demonstration begins!"

"First match! Scouting Battalion Corporal, Lin Chen—"

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, carrying a deliberate emphasis:

"Our opponent is Elder Xie, a guest elder of the 'Fierce Tiger Gang' from beyond the Great Wall, known in the martial arts world as 'Poisonous Scorpion'!"

wow——

A commotion broke out in the crowd.

"The Tiger Gang? Isn't that a notorious bandit gang in the North?"

"Guest retainer? Why bring along someone from the martial arts world?"

"Scorpion... that name alone is terrifying."

"Lin Chen? Is that the newly promoted squad leader who killed the demon race a while ago? This is troublesome..."

Amidst the buzzing of discussion, a figure slowly emerged from the west waiting area.

His body was thin and frail, like a dried-out old bamboo shoot. He wore a drab gray linen robe, his hands tucked into his sleeves. His hair was sparse and gray, and his face was covered with wrinkles. Only his eyes were small and narrow, with pupils that shone with an unnatural dark green, looking at people like a venomous snake stalking them.

He walked very slowly, his steps unsteady, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

But when he stepped onto the arena area marked in the center of the training ground, the soldiers who were nearby involuntarily took a half step back.

A cold, damp scent, with a faint, sweet, and slightly fishy smell, emanated from him.

Xie Qi, nicknamed "Scorpion".

The eighth level of the Later Heaven Realm. Skilled in the use of poison, his ten fingers are tempered with "Bone-Corroding Poison," which causes the bones and tendons of those afflicted to rot and agonize for seven days before death.

The "skilled martial arts practitioners" that Chen Hong found.

Lin Chen withdrew his gaze and strode forward.

His footsteps were steady, making a slight thud as he stepped onto the frozen ground.

He walked to the edge of the arena, where military officers were already waiting with a death warrant and writing materials.

"Sign," the officer said flatly.

Lin Chen picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote his name on the petition. His handwriting was strong and powerful, penetrating the paper.

Across from him, Xie Qi, nicknamed "Poison Scorpion," also extended his withered, claw-like hand and signed his name. His fingernails even had an eerie, ghostly blue hue.

The master of ceremonies stepped forward, held up two death certificates, displayed them to all sides, and then announced loudly:

"The agreement has been signed! The rules of the contest are: swords have no eyes, life and death are left to fate! No bows, crossbows, or hidden weapons may be used! Now—"

"start!"

The drums suddenly thundered!

Boom!Boom!Boom!

Heavy and urgent, it struck everyone's heart.

The drill ground fell silent instantly.

Countless gazes were focused on the two people in the center of the arena.