My strength increases by one percent every day; I can destroy stars with my bare hands.

Li Xuancang was assigned to a squad and placed under the command of squad leader Zhang Yuan.

After becoming a soldier, their status and treatment skyrocketed, and their treatment was vastly different from before.

In the past, most of the time they ate brown rice and some boiled wild vegetables, and they were not always full. Only when war broke out could they eat a little refined rice and have a full meal.

Now Li Xuancang has fine rice at every meal, and occasionally gets some meat. He also receives a monthly salary of one tael of silver, which is the envy of many.

Li Xuancang trained and patrolled with the team, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

His power was also gradually increasing, not just in strength, but also in speed, senses, spirit, strength, endurance... all aspects were being enhanced without any blind spots.

Today, Li Xuancang finished his patrol and returned to the military camp, where he saw an acquaintance.

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

When Lao Du and the other soldiers saw Li Xuancang, they hurriedly bowed to him, their eyes darting away, their previous cheerful demeanor completely gone.

Li Xuancang saw the fear in Lao Du's eyes and immediately understood.

His status has changed; he is no longer in the same world as the precarious laborer.

Having figured this out, Li Xuancang nodded slightly and quickly left.

It's not that he's heartless, but staying would be inappropriate.

After Li Xuancang left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

There is a huge gap between conscripts and soldiers. If you offend a soldier, even if the soldier kills you, you will only be reprimanded and will not suffer much consequences.

"Better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos" is not just an empty saying.

In chaotic times, human life is as worthless as grass, and can be killed at will.

"Wow, Lao Du, I didn't know you knew Zhan Bing!"

Only after Li Xuancang had walked away did the group dare to speak in hushed tones.

The men looked on with deep envy; knowing a soldier was already a remarkable achievement in their eyes.

"I only spent some time with Lord Li in the conscript camp, so I can't really say we know each other."

Old Du hurriedly explained.

He dared not have any connection with Li Xuancang, much less use Li Xuancang's name.

"Is he the Lord Li who killed three barbarians and became a warrior?"

Upon hearing this, everyone trembled, their eyes burning with fervor.

Of the hundreds of soldiers in the entire conscripted battalion, only Li Xuancang accomplished the feat of killing three barbarians. He was promoted to combat soldier out of turn and became a legend in the conscripted battalion.

Many people take him as a role model and always want to be like him, able to kill three enemies and become a warrior.

"Next time I'll fight with all my might, even if it means death."

"Only by becoming a soldier can one rise above others; I will never miss this opportunity again."

"This is our only chance to change our destiny; it's worth fighting for."

"..."

Some people gritted their teeth and made up their minds to fight to the death in the next great war and fight for a bright future.

Li Xuancang was unaware that he had already gained fame in the conscript camp, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

Back at the combat camp, Zhang Yuan gathered everyone together, his expression somewhat grave.

After everyone arrived, Zhang Yuan didn't keep them in suspense and got straight to the point.

"Recently, some teams have been attacked, and Battalion Commander Wang has ordered night patrols as well. Starting tomorrow, we will begin night patrols."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere changed drastically, and the faces of the group turned deathly pale.

"This...this..."

Several people hesitated, their words stuck in their throats, unable to come out.

Everyone was worried and fearful.

This is a desolate wilderness where wild beasts often roam at night, and there may even be demons running rampant.

Night patrols are several times more dangerous than daytime patrols; a moment's inattention could result in death.

If barbarians act at night, it would also be a huge threat.

Zhang Yuan's face was also very ugly, but it was Wang Tianshan's order, so he could only obey.

Wang Tianshan was the master of the entire camp, and no one could question his decisions.

Li Xuancang was also somewhat worried. What he needed most right now was stability, and the night patrol had disrupted his plans.

Now that things have come to this, Li Xuancang can only go with the flow and be as cautious as possible.

Fortunately, his strength is improving every day, and he has surpassed most soldiers, giving him a certain ability to protect himself.

The moon was bright and the stars were few. A night breeze swept by, and the patrolmen subconsciously tightened their clothes.

"Everyone, stay alert and be careful."

Li Xuancang and his team were responsible for patrolling a certain area. Zhang Yuan spoke seriously, reminding everyone.

Nighttime is fraught with danger; a moment's carelessness could cost you your life. You cannot afford to be careless in the slightest.

The group patrolled for a long time, their nerves on edge, and soon more than an hour had passed without finding anything unusual.

Just when everyone thought nothing would happen tonight and their minds were beginning to relax.

With his extraordinary senses, Li Xuancang felt a chilling, bone-piercing wind suddenly sweeping in from the dark forest behind him.

"careful."

Li Xuancang hurriedly shouted a reminder, immediately making everyone who was just about to relax tense up.

The men gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed on the pitch-black surroundings.

"Waaaaah..."

A cold wind howled, carrying with it a nauseating, fishy smell.

"Something's wrong, it's demonic energy!"

Zhang Yuan smelled the odor in the air, his expression changed drastically, and he let out a low growl.

This border region is the boundary between demons and humans. While barbarians cause trouble, the mountain demons are the most deadly scourge.

The successive battles filled the air with a palpable aura of blood, and the intense stench of blood had already attracted the demons lurking in the shadows.

Pairs of eerie green pupils slowly lit up, like will-o'-the-wisps flickering.

The next moment, several deformed black shadows burst through the dense forest and rushed towards the group.

At night, the crowd's visibility was obstructed, making it difficult to see the approaching monster clearly.

Li Xuancang's eyesight had improved considerably during this period, and he could barely make out the appearance of the approaching demons.

Its fur was filthy, its fangs were exposed, and its body was shrouded in a faint black mist. Its size was comparable to that of some calves.

There were eight of them, and under the cover of night, they pounced.

As the monster approached, Zhang Yuan recognized it and loudly alerted the others.

"Watch out, it's a demon hound, a low-level demon!"

The group was thrown into chaos, panicked, and their bodies trembled with fear.

The demonic hound is a demonic creature at the Body Tempering Realm. It is several times more ferocious than ordinary wild beasts, with sharp claws and teeth and extremely strong biting power. Only cultivators can deal with it.

Ordinary soldiers are not afraid of barbarians, but they are genuinely terrified of demons.

The fear of demons among mortals is an instinct ingrained in their very bones during times of chaos.

The demon hounds were extremely fast, and their vision was unaffected at night, so they arrived in front of the group in the blink of an eye.

"Defensive formation."

Zhang Yuan was a veteran who had experienced countless battles. He knew that at this moment, he could not panic or lose his composure. Only by uniting to resist could they have a chance of survival.

This place is not far from the camp. As long as they make a commotion, others will arrive quickly. They just need to hold out for a while, and they will have a chance to survive.

"what!"

A soldier, his eyes wide open and his body trembling like a leaf, was terrified when he saw the demon dog approaching. He immediately dropped his torch and weapon and turned to flee.

The sudden turn of events caught the remaining people off guard, making it impossible for them to form a formation.

Damn it.

Zhang Yuan was furious, but the demonic hound had already reached him, and he had no time to be angry.