Patrol Peril

Half a month had passed since Li Xuancang became a Five-Man Leader.

For the moment, the border was calm and peaceful, but everyone knew this was only a brief calm.

The Barbarians could return at any time, while monsters roamed the deep mountains and could launch sneak attacks at any moment.

Li Xuancang had fully recovered, and his strength had advanced another step.

After becoming a Five-Man Leader, he had gained access to information that had once been difficult for him to obtain.

What he valued most was information concerning cultivation.

Once one stepped into the Body Tempering Realm, one became a cultivator.

A single punch could unleash several hundred jin of force, and bare-handed, one could easily kill more than a dozen men.

"I should now be comparable to the Early Body Tempering Stage. If I encountered a low-level Demon like the Demon Hound, I'd have the strength to fight it head-on."

Li Xuancang silently assessed his own combat strength. If he encountered a Demon Hound now, he definitely wouldn't be as wretched as last time.

After the Body Tempering Realm came the Bone Forging Realm, the Blood Condensation Realm, and the Astral Qi Realm... Each realm was divided into the early, middle, and late stages.

According to the information he had gathered, Battalion Commander Wang Xuanshan was an expert of the Bone Forging Realm.

Hundred-Man Commander Zhao Changlin was at the Late Body Tempering Stage, only a single step away from the Bone Forging Realm.

According to the Great Flame Dynasty's former rules, only those at the Early Body Tempering Stage could serve as Five-Man Leaders, those at the middle stage could serve as Ten-Man Leaders, and those at the Late Body Tempering Stage could serve as Hundred-Man Commanders.

However, the Great Flame Dynasty had fought wars year after year and lost countless Battle Soldiers, so the requirements for Five-Man Leaders and Ten-Man Leaders had been lowered.

Yet the requirements for those above Hundred-Man Commander had not changed in the slightest.

That was precisely why Li Xuancang had been promoted as an exception.

Three days later, Li Xuancang received a military order.

He was to lead the five soldiers under his command deep into the mountain forests along the outer border on a routine patrol, clearing out scattered monsters and watching for traces of Barbarian scouts.

His five subordinates stood outside the camp in full gear, waiting for him.

All five were border veterans. They had endured years of slaughter and seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood, yet their eyes still concealed an instinctive fear of Demons.

"Five-Man Leader."

The five saluted in unison.

Li Xuancang wore scale armor and held a long spear. Compared to before, his bearing had become ever colder and steadier.

His gaze swept lightly across the five men. His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an authority that brooked no dispute.

"Once we're in the mountains, perform your own duties and stay alert to the movements around us."

"If we encounter Barbarian scouts, kill them on the spot."

"If we run into low-level monsters, don't panic. Follow my orders."

After giving those simple instructions, Li Xuancang strode forward.

The five soldiers followed closely behind him, forming up vigilantly as they entered the rolling wilderness of mountains and forests.

The fog among the trees was dense, and the air carried a faint demonic aura mixed with the fishy stench of earth.

The closer they drew to the deep mountains, the heavier the demonic aura became. Strange beastly roars sounded from time to time, making their scalps tingle.

Along the way, the veteran soldiers kept their nerves taut, gripping their weapons as they glanced left and right with anxious expressions.

"Five-Man Leader, this forest isn't peaceful. In past years, mountain patrol squads often vanished without a trace. Most of them were dragged away and devoured by demon beasts..."

Zhou Xing, the scar-faced veteran, spoke in a low voice, unable to hide his panic.

The others chimed in as well, their faces turning pale.

They could fight Barbarians, but they were deeply afraid of Demons and evil creatures.

Li Xuancang didn't stop walking, and his tone remained calm.

"Low-level monsters are nothing more than sharp claws and fangs with somewhat greater strength. As long as we're careful, we can handle them."

This was his first time leading a team on a mission. He absolutely couldn't stop just because there was danger.

He was ambitious. If he wanted to climb higher, he had to gamble with his life.

The daily accumulation of one percent strength had steadily elevated his body. Against low-level demon beasts, he could handle them completely.

Li Xuancang continued onward. Though Zhou Xing and the others were afraid, they didn't dare disobey his orders and hurried after him.

After traveling several li, a low growl suddenly came from the Rocky Ravine ahead.

Immediately afterward, a foul demonic stench rushed toward them.

"There's a Demon!"

Everyone stopped at once, chills running down their spines as they instinctively clustered together and tightened their grips on their weapons.

Within the pitch-black cave entrance overgrown with weeds ahead, shadows shifted faintly. A pair of scarlet eyes flickered in the darkness.

"Careful, it's a Black-Ridge Demon Wolf. Its hide is tough and its flesh is thick, its fangs are venomous, and it's several times more vicious than a Demon Hound."

Once they saw the monster clearly, everyone's expressions changed drastically. The demon wolf before them was even harder to deal with than a Demon Hound.

"It's a Black-Ridge Demon Wolf. We're finished! Our squad can't stop this thing at all!"

The veterans' faces went deathly pale. The urge to retreat rose within them, and their legs trembled slightly.

When faced with a monster of this level, a small patrol squad's only choice was to flee for their lives.

At this moment, they weren't merely panicked; they even began to resent Li Xuancang. If he hadn't ignored their warnings and continued deeper into the mountains, they wouldn't have fallen into such danger.

"Awoo!"

The Black-Ridge Demon Wolf slowly emerged. Its body was thick and powerful, its black fur like needles, and a row of black bone spikes protruded from its back. A fierce, baleful aura washed over them.

It bared its fangs, saliva dripping from its jaws as it stared fixedly at the six of them.

"Don't panic."

Li Xuancang gave a sharp shout, stopping the five men who wanted to retreat.

The cold gleam of his spearpoint aimed directly at the demon wolf, and his eyes were filled with gravity.

"How can we outrun a demon wolf in these mountains? If you don't want to die, then fight it!"

Li Xuancang's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, instantly waking the terrified men.

They truly wanted to flee without a care for anything else, but how could they possibly outrun a demon wolf renowned for its speed? Their only chance of survival was a head-on battle.

"The Five-Man Leader is right. Fight the demon wolf!"

Zhou Xing roared in fury, driving away the fear in his heart. He gripped his long spear tightly, ready to fight to the death.

The others calmed down as well, clutching their weapons and staring fixedly at the demon wolf as it pressed closer step by step.

They formed a battle formation, while Li Xuancang alone stood in the most dangerous position, facing the savage demon wolf head-on.

"Awoo!"

The demon wolf sensed the provocation, and its ferocity erupted completely as it threw back its head and howled.

Its four claws kicked off the ground, turning it into a black shadow as it pounced with a foul demonic wind.

The sharp wolf claws flashed with cold light. One strike could tear through an ordinary Battle Soldier's iron armor.

The soldiers' hearts leaped into their throats, their palms drenched in cold sweat.

Just as the demon wolf was about to pounce before him, Li Xuancang exploded with all his strength. The muscles throughout his body knotted and bulged high.

Explosive power surged through every limb and bone. His flesh tightened, and his blood and qi flowed like a hidden torrent.

He neither dodged nor evaded. Holding his spear in one hand, he swung it sideways with crushing force.

Bang!

A dull thunderous crash exploded.

The hard spear shaft smashed viciously into the side of the demon wolf's head. The tremendous force sent the demon wolf's massive body flying sideways, slamming heavily into a pile of rocks as shattered stones sprayed everywhere.

"Th-this..."

Li Xuancang had sent the demon wolf flying with one strike of his spear. Zhou Xing and the others stood dumbfounded, their eyes full of disbelief.

They knew Li Xuancang had been able to fight desperately and seriously injure a Demon Hound, and that he was very strong. But they hadn't expected him to be this strong—to send a demon wolf stronger than a Demon Hound flying with a single strike.

"Could the Five-Man Leader have broken through during this time?"

Their eyes lit up as they guessed that Li Xuancang had become a cultivator over the past few days. Otherwise, there was no way he could have sent the demon wolf flying with one strike.

At that thought, they became incomparably excited. With Li Xuancang holding the line in front, they would definitely turn danger into safety this time.