The Flame of Legacy Endures!

The battle came to an end.

Lin Ye did not follow the Iron Dragon Army soldiers in pursuing the retreating beasts. Instead, he went to the monsters he had killed.

When it came to dissecting monsters and collecting materials, he was always proactive and spared no effort.

Facing that Beast General Giant Wolf, Lin Ye was filled with joy.

Because higher-level monsters often meant a higher price.

Besides, this was the first Beast General he had ever killed himself.

He dissected it with utmost care, breaking down the important parts one by one and gathering them.

At that moment, a Captain bearing the "Intermediate Warrior" martial badge on his shoulder, leaning heavily on his injured body, limped over to Lin Ye.

Staring at this young battle general focused on his dissection, the Captain finally spoke weakly, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. It's my duty."

Lin Ye glanced up at the blood-soaked soldier and said, "Go get treated. Don't hang around here."

"Want a smoke?"

"No thanks."

With that, he turned back to his dissection without another look.

The Captain reached into his pocket for a cigarette, pulling out a crumpled, bloodstained pack.

He tilted his head, fumbling out a cigarette with effort.

Because his hands were bloody, the cigarette was smeared red when he put it to his lips.

"Cough, cough, cough!!!" He flicked his lighter, but a sudden fit of coughing sent blood and the cigarette spattering to the ground.

"Here." Lin Ye picked up the cigarette, lit it, and handed it over.

"Thanks... thanks!!"

The Captain took the cigarette, nodded in acknowledgment, and clamped it between his lips. Staring at the pale dawn breaking on the horizon, a trace of gratitude flickered in his eyes. "I thought I wouldn't see today's sun. Then you showed up."

"..." Lin Ye frowned slightly, paused, then asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is... cough... Lu Gang!!" After introducing himself, the Captain smiled, his teeth stained with blood.

"Lu Gang—will as strong as steel!" Lin Ye said with a grin.

"Your name really fits you. Stubborn and tough as nails, with injuries this bad and still not getting treatment, just hanging around here chatting with me."

Hearing this, Lu Gang scratched his head sheepishly.

He turned shakily and pointed not far away.

There lay a pile of bodies covered in white cloth. He raised a hand and weakly tapped his own chest. "If I don't sit with you a while for those brothers... here... it won't rest easy."

"You don't know how happy they were, seeing you cut down so many High-level Beast Soldiers before they fell. It's just a shame they couldn't thank you in person... cough, cough!!"

"Cough... cough, cough!!" As he spoke, the Captain broke into another harsh fit of coughing.

Thick blood dripped from his mouth, staining his clothes and the ground.

Watching the crimson blood fall, Lin Ye fell silent again.

He glanced once more at the rows of white cloth and ultimately didn't press further.

"Let me bum a smoke," Lin Ye said suddenly.

"Huh?" The Captain froze for a moment.

Then, trembling, he pulled out the crumpled pack and fished out a cigarette for Lin Ye.

Lin Ye took it, lit it, and handed it back to Captain Lu Gang.

He looked at the white cloth and said solemnly, "Captain Lu Gang, please pass on a message from me, Lin Ye, to them."

"They were all true heroes, worthy of the honor of Great Xia's soldiers defending the land against the enemy."

"Even if their souls return to the yellow earth, they set an example for us all."

With that, Lin Ye pulled a tooth from the Beast General Giant Wolf's mouth. "Not just the fallen soldiers—you're a true hero too."

"This wolf's tooth is for you. Hope next time we meet, you'll have a higher martial badge."

"Now go get treated."

Lin Ye's gaze flicked briefly over Lu Gang's arm as he spoke bluntly.

"Yeah."

Hearing this, Lu Gang nodded firmly, then solemnly saluted Lin Ye before turning and limping away.

"With soldiers like that, the people of Great Xia are truly fortunate."

Watching Lu Gang hobble off, Lin Ye couldn't help but murmur, "With this spirit passed down like a torch, no matter how vast or terrifying the Beast Tide, it can never wipe out our nation or our race..."

"May the torch burn eternal, never to be extinguished."

Lin Ye withdrew his gaze, blinked to clear the mist from his eyes, and continued dissecting the remaining parts of the Beast General.

By the time Li finished collecting the monster materials, another figure had appeared beside him.

It was the middle-aged officer commanding the entire operation—War Dragon Regiment Commander Li Yunfei.

"I'm Li Yunfei, commander of this defense regiment. Thank you for joining us; otherwise, our losses would have been severe!"

"Regiment Commander Li, I'm Lin Ye." Lin Ye replied with neither servility nor arrogance.

"No need for too much thanks. All the monsters I killed this time will be recorded by the military, and I'll receive the corresponding bounty!"

"My War Dragon Regiment is short a deputy commander. Any thoughts on that?"

"Recruiting me?" Lin Ye was momentarily stunned, thinking to himself: "And offering the position of deputy commander—really willing to spend big!"

"But for now, I'm afraid it won't work." Lin Ye shrugged helplessly, politely declining Li Yunfei's goodwill.

Joining the military would likely restrict his performance and growth...

As things stood, becoming a free mercenary was the best choice.

As for the future, Lin Ye didn't dwell on it.

Right now, he just wanted to kill monsters and get stronger, using the money from monster materials to support his sister until she recovered.

Before that, he wouldn't consider joining any faction.

Lin Ye's thoughts churned, and he quickly solidified his resolve.

Then, his gaze fell on a button in front of him, and a meaningful smile crept across his face.

"..." Li Yunfei's mouth twitched slightly. "So that's the Hunting Detector specially prepared by the military for martial artists."

After he finished speaking, Lin Ye slowly shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, Commander, but I'm currently under contract with the South Bank Military Region and have no plans to join the army for now."

Li Yunfei: "..."

The shift in the commander's mood was keenly sensed. Lin Ye looked at him and spoke slowly:

"If the day ever comes when I want to join, I hope the commander won't turn me away."

"Of course. Who would turn away a powerful martial artist with such boundless potential?"

Li Yunfei smiled, responding to the young man's reassurance.

"But there's one thing I need to say first." Lin Ye added.

Li Yunfei: "Please, go ahead, Mr. Lin Ye."

"If your unit ever has a major operation in the future, I'd be happy to help—for a price!"

"No problem!" The middle-aged officer nodded, satisfied with having built a connection with such a martial artist.

After all, the War Dragon Regiment did have several tough battles ahead.

The more martial artists they had, and the stronger, the better.

With that, they exchanged contact information for future communication.

Soon, Lin Ye used a massive wolf pelt to bundle up all the valuable materials he had dissected from the Beast General Giant Wolf.

Dragging the wolf-pelt bundle behind him, the young war general walked toward his off-road vehicle with immense satisfaction...

Watching him leave, Li Yunfei's eyes burned with fervor.

This was the confidence of an elite martial artist!

Strength, boldness, and an unstoppable, ever-growing self-assurance!

His future was surely limitless!

When Lin Ye became a tiny black dot in Li Yunfei's vision, he finally looked away.

He then called over a messenger and began issuing orders.

"Clean up the battlefield quickly, rebuild the defensive fortifications, and resupply ammunition..."

"Understood!"

PS: The Point Allocation has been corrected. Thanks to Golden Horned Beast, Maple Emperor Demon Child, and other big shots who gave suggestions—much appreciated!

Please keep reading, add to collection, and throw in some votes~