Returning to Camp

Deep within the dense forest of Blackwind Ridge, Li Xuancang and Zhao Changlin supported each other, stumbling as they made their way through the woods.

The wounds that had already stopped bleeding began to seep again due to the jolting of the mountain path; every step tugged at the gashes, sending agonizing pain straight to their hearts.

Sunlight was blocked by layers upon layers of tree crowns, leaving the forest dim and cold.

The air was permeated with the sinister, foul aura unique to Demonic Beasts.

Li Xuancang frowned slightly; even in his severely wounded and weakened state, his vigilance remained sharp.

He lowered his voice, warning in a deep tone, "My lord, be careful. There is a Demonic Beast nearby."

The words had barely left his lips when the dense shrubbery ahead shook violently, and a grey-black figure lunged out.

A Fanged Demon, covered in grey fur with a protruding snout and two sharp fangs gleaming with a cold light, charged headlong toward the two men.

The Fanged Demon's scarlet pupils locked onto them, the scent of blood on their bodies driving it into a frenzy.

It saw only the two men in its eyes, intent on devouring them both.

The Fanged Demon before them possessed a cultivation at the Mid Body Tempering Stage; had the two men been in their prime, they naturally would not have feared it.

But now, both were severely wounded, making this encounter incredibly troublesome.

Attracted by the blood energy and the stench of gore, the Fanged Demon's beastly eyes turned crimson as it pounced directly at Zhao Changlin.

Zhao Changlin was seriously injured and lacked Li Xuancang's formidable physique, making even the simplest movement difficult.

His reactions were sluggish, and he was completely unable to dodge, watching as the fangs threatened to pierce his neck.

"My lord, watch out!"

At the critical moment, Li Xuancang ignored the tearing of his own wounds and exerted a sudden burst of strength, yanking Zhao Changlin behind him.

At the same time, he braced one hand against the ground, barely managing to twist his body to avoid the Fanged Demon's pounce.

Agonizing pain swept through his entire body as multiple wounds reopened, soaking his bandages in fresh blood, yet Li Xuancang dared not pause for even a second.

He gripped his long spear with his other hand and, using every ounce of his remaining strength, thrust it fiercely toward the Fanged Demon's vulnerable underbelly.

"Puchi!"

The spearhead pierced the demon's hide, but due to his lack of strength, it failed to run the beast through.

"Roar!"

The Fanged Demon cried out in pain, letting out a savage roar as it thrashed its body, slamming Li Xuancang hard against a tree trunk.

"Cough!"

Li Xuancang tasted sweetness in his throat, and blood gushed out; his bones felt as if they were falling apart, and he nearly lost his grip on the spear.

"Boom, rumble!"

The Fanged Demon stared fixedly at Li Xuancang, who lay on the ground unable to even crawl, and charged toward him.

As the crisis descended, Li Xuancang's pupils dilated in shock; he wanted to dodge, but his body had reached its limit and refused to obey his commands.

Seeing this, Zhao Changlin's eyes widened. Ignoring his own injuries, he gripped his war blade, leaped up, and poured every last bit of his remaining strength into a fierce downward slash at the Fanged Demon's head.

"Puchi!"

The war blade cleaved through the Fanged Demon's skull, and demonic blood sprayed out.

"Bang!"

The Fanged Demon resisted frantically, its fangs piercing Zhao Changlin's chest and sending him flying.

"Puh!"

Zhao Changlin collapsed to the ground, blood flowing uncontrollably as his breathing grew faint.

"Die!"

Seizing the opportunity Zhao Changlin had bought with his life, Li Xuancang drove his spear through the Fanged Demon's skull.

After that single strike, Li Xuancang exhausted all his strength and could no longer move.

"Hmph, hmph..."

The Fanged Demon struggled a few times before its life was completely extinguished, its body collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

Li Xuancang struggled to stand, his steps unsteady and swaying; he only managed to stay upright by clinging to a tree trunk.

Blood continued to flow from his wounds, and his face turned increasingly pale.

Leaning on his spear, he slowly approached the fallen Zhao Changlin, retrieved the medicinal ointment from Zhao Changlin's person, and stanched the bleeding wounds.

Zhao Changlin's breathing was as thin as a thread; he lacked even the strength to speak.

Li Xuancang staggered over to the Fanged Demon's carcass, used his blade to cut an opening, and the beast's blood spurted out.

Li Xuancang hurriedly opened his mouth, swallowing the warm demonic blood, which finally restored a sliver of his strength.

"Puchi!"

He sliced open the Fanged Demon's corpse and removed its heart, devouring it ravenously without a moment's hesitation.

The essence of a Demonic Beast resided in its heart, containing immense energy that could allow Li Xuancang to recover his strength rapidly.

Li Xuancang fed a portion of the Demonic Beast's blood and heart to Zhao Changlin, who finally stabilized his injuries and clung to life.

Even so, Zhao Changlin couldn't move, and even speaking was a struggle, let alone walking.

"Don't worry about me, you go quickly!"

Zhao Changlin knew his current condition; he was already unable to leave.

The scent of blood would soon attract other Demonic Beasts, and staying behind meant certain death.

He urged Li Xuancang to leave on his own, which was better than both of them dying there.

"Sir, I will carry you out."

Li Xuancang had no intention of leaving alone; he hoisted Zhao Changlin onto his back and departed quickly.

After consuming the Fanged Demon's heart, his strength had recovered significantly, and carrying Zhao Changlin wasn't too strenuous.

After walking through the mountains for a day, Li Xuancang finally emerged from the forest, and the silhouette of the rolling Azure Cloud Ridge was already clearly visible in the distance.

Looking from afar, the military tents standing on the ridge and the fluttering Great Yan army flags were exceptionally striking.

Seeing the military camp ahead, Li Xuancang felt a surge of excitement, and Zhao Changlin on his back also opened his eyes, which flickered with a sharp light.

Li Xuancang was about to head straight toward the camp with Zhao Changlin on his back, but the man on his back suddenly spoke.

"Be careful, there are likely Barbarian scouts outside the camp; do not be careless."

Having galloped across the battlefield for many years, Zhao Changlin knew that both sides would send out scouts to gather intelligence on each other, and Barbarian scouts were likely lurking near the main camp; they couldn't afford to let their guard down.

Hearing this, Li Xuancang's heart skipped a beat; he had been careless, but fortunately, Zhao Changlin had reminded him.

After receiving the warning, Li Xuancang changed his route, moving cautiously the entire way, terrified of alerting the Barbarian scouts.

Upon nearing the main camp, Li Xuancang's heart sank.

Several squads of Barbarian scouts were wandering the mountain paths and forest entrances surrounding the Azure Cloud Ridge Camp.

These scouts were in groups of three or five, their eyes sharp as they patrolled back and forth.

They meticulously checked every suspicious corner, carrying Signal Arrows on their persons; once they discovered any unusual movement, they could immediately send a signal to draw the main army for a siege.

The Barbarian army had long since set its sights on the main force at Azure Cloud Ridge, having dispatched scouts in advance to blockade all outer passages and monitor the camp's movements.

Any stragglers or remnants returning to camp would be intercepted and killed by them at the first opportunity.

The two of them were currently not fully healed and had not recovered their strength; let alone forcing their way through, if they made even the slightest movement and were discovered by the scouts, they would be instantly surrounded, their efforts wasted, and they would die outside the ridge.

"The Barbarian scouts are watching too closely; forcing our way is absolutely out of the question."

Zhao Changlin also saw the Barbarian scouts and spoke in a hoarse voice.

He struggled to lift his head, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding terrain.

"We must bypass the frontal patrol and enter via the cliff path on the west side."

He had served in the county army and was familiar with the defenses of Azure Cloud Ridge.

There was a steep cliff on the west side of the camp that was rarely used by anyone, containing only a secret sentry post for the garrison; it was the only entrance that could avoid the scout patrols.

Li Xuancang followed Zhao Changlin's instructions, secretly observing the patrol patterns of the scouts and quickly memorizing the gap between the two alternating squads.

"The scouts rotate every half a joss stick's time, leaving a brief window; we will take advantage of this time to cross this open ground and sneak into the dense forest on the west side."

Given the current situation, there was no retreat; they had to take the gamble.

Before long, the two squads of scouts finished their rotation, and the gap arrived.

"Go!"

Li Xuancang lowered his posture, darting out of the dense forest like a ghost and, using the terrain for cover, sprinted toward the western cliff.

As he sped along, the wounds all over his body tore open again, blood seeping out, and every step was excruciatingly painful.

He dared not pause for even a second, exerting every ounce of his strength to scramble into the western forest just before the scouts returned, hiding behind a rock and holding his breath tightly.

The patrolling scouts returned, passing right by the rock without discovering anything unusual.

Having survived the ordeal, Li Xuancang dared not rest, climbing arduously up the steep and rugged cliff path.

The path was narrow and slippery, with a deep valley right beside it; a single moment of carelessness and a fall would mean being smashed to pieces.

After enduring great hardships, they finally reached the secret sentry post on the west side of the camp.

The garrison soldiers were stunned to see the two of them appear suddenly, immediately raising their spears and shouting, their expressions vigilant.

"Who goes there?"

Zhao Changlin struggled to pull out the Identity Token from his bosom, using all his remaining strength to speak.

"Lakeside Station Hundred-Man Commander Zhao Changlin, returning to camp with my Squad Leader Li Xuancang after breaking through the encirclement."

Hearing this, the soldiers' expressions eased slightly.

"Go and check."

Several soldiers stepped forward to verify their identities, while the others stared fixedly at the two, weapons aimed at them; if they made any other moves, they would swarm them.

Li Xuancang and his companion did not resist, handing the tokens to the guards.

After verifying the tokens were genuine and seeing the two men covered in blood and riddled with wounds, the guards lowered their guard.

"Everything is in order."

The guards quickly opened the sentry post and brought the two into the camp.

The moment they stepped into the Azure Cloud Ridge Camp, Li Xuancang and Zhao Changlin could no longer hold on; their tense nerves finally relaxed, and they both collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.