The pungent smell of scorched flesh and choking gunpowder smoke spread unchecked across the ravaged battlefield.
The ground was riddled with pits and hollows, as though it had been bombarded by countless cannons.
One charred crater after another made for a horrifying sight, showing just how fierce and earth-shaking the clash moments ago had been.
At the bottom of one crater, the withered trees that had been crazily licked by flames still stubbornly gave off wisps of pale smoke, with sparks leaping now and then.
At the bottom of one of the craters, a figure lay sprawled in a sorry heap like an abandoned doll.
The man's clothes were tattered beyond recognition, strips of cloth swaying feebly in the breeze.
Blood seeped steadily from his wounds, quickly mixing with the dust at the bottom of the crater and forming dark-red muddy streaks that were horrifying to behold.
"Ah..." The injured man let out agonized cries from time to time. His voice echoed across the empty battlefield, filled with despair and unwillingness, like a wounded beast helplessly howling in the wilderness.
Lin Li stood with his arms crossed, looking down at the enemy he had beaten half to death. A complicated look flickered through his eyes—some appreciation for the man's stubborn resistance, mixed with disdain for the evil he had committed.
He raised an eyebrow slightly and praised him, "Your strength may be nothing special, but your ability to take a beating has surprised me. I didn't expect you to hold out this long."
The middle-aged man suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The droplets scattered like rain across the muddy ground of the crater, instantly staining it red.
He struggled to raise his head and look at Lin Li's calm expression, his eyes filled with fear and awe.
"Are