Boom!
The Demon Hounds had incredible leaping ability. One sprang more than two meters through the air and pounced on the group.
"Ah!"
A soldier had no time to dodge or strike back before a Demon Hound clamped its jaws around his neck. His shrill scream shattered the night sky.
"Something's wrong! Come with me, quickly!"
After hearing the scream, the other patrols rushed toward Li Xuancang and the others.
A Demon Hound pounced on Li Xuancang. He reacted swiftly and dodged.
Its first attack missed. Fury glimmered in its green-lit eyes as it dug in with all four paws and lunged at Li Xuancang again.
The Demon Hound was too fast. Li Xuancang could no longer dodge and had no choice but to take the blow head-on.
"Ah!"
With a furious roar, Li Xuancang summoned all his strength and thrust his spear at the Demon Hound.
Facing the spear, the Demon Hound twisted its body at an unbelievable angle, evaded the thrust, and smacked the spear with one paw.
The tremendous force traveled down the spear and into Li Xuancang. The web between his thumb and forefinger split open, and his entire arm went numb.
Li Xuancang's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. He hadn't expected that, even after his strength had increased so much, the gap between him and the Demon Hound would still be this enormous.
Though he failed to stab the Demon Hound, he forced it to change its movement, briefly halting its attack.
Li Xuancang quickly snapped back to his senses and seized the opening, rolling across the ground to narrowly avoid where the Demon Hound landed.
Thud!
The Demon Hound hit the ground, its sharp claws leaving several deep gouges in the earth.
Li Xuancang's pupils contracted. If that claw had struck him, his flesh would have been torn open, and he might even have lost his life.
"Run!"
Li Xuancang turned and fled. He had only one thought: get away at all costs, and the farther the better.
One Demon Hound alone could kill him, let alone the eight here. If he stayed, death was certain.
"Uwooh!"
After failing to kill Li Xuancang twice in a row, the Demon Hound was thoroughly enraged. It raced after him.
"Ah!"
Another bloodcurdling scream rang out. Another soldier had fallen victim to the Demon Hound.
Hearing the scream behind him, Li Xuancang didn't stop for even a moment. He ran faster.
The Demon Hound pursued him relentlessly, its rank, foul stench spreading toward him.
"No good. I can't outrun it."
The distance between them kept shrinking. The Demon Hound would catch up before Li Xuancang could reach the camp.
At that thought, Li Xuancang stopped abruptly. His expression turned fierce. He would fight the Demon Hound to the death.
The Demon Hound hadn't expected Li Xuancang to stop, but it reacted quickly. Fixing its gaze on him, it lunged with its claws gleaming in a cold, eerie light.
Li Xuancang breathed heavily, his heart racing. Cold sweat had soaked his body.
Facing the Demon Hound alone, he had almost no chance of survival.
But he had no other choice. Only by fighting to the death did he have a glimmer of hope.
"Kill!"
With a loud shout, Li Xuancang swung his iron spear and charged at the Demon Hound.
Splurt!
As man and hound crossed paths, blood sprayed through the air.
The Demon Hound's claws struck Li Xuancang's shoulder, leaving several wounds deep enough to expose bone. Blood poured from them without stopping.
"Ah!"
Pain surged through him, driving Li Xuancang into an even greater frenzy. His iron spear pierced the Demon Hound's vulnerable abdomen. He endured the agony, summoned every last bit of strength, and charged forward, driving the hound back step by step.
Wounded, the Demon Hound's eyes blazed an even brighter green. Its claws slashed wildly at Li Xuancang.
Li Xuancang hurriedly dodged, but the claws still caught him. Numerous wounds opened across his chest, and blood streamed down.
After suffering blow upon blow and losing so much blood, Li Xuancang felt his head grow heavy and his feet unsteady. Waves of dizziness washed over him, and he could barely keep from collapsing.
If I fall, I'll die. I can't fall. I can't...
Li Xuancang knew what would happen if he fell. His unyielding will kept him upright, and he even bit his tongue hard, trying to stay conscious by giving himself a different kind of pain.
Splurt!
With Li Xuancang fighting for his life, the iron spear pierced the Demon Hound's abdomen.
"Ah!"
Summoning his last remaining strength, Li Xuancang shoved the Demon Hound away. Then darkness swallowed his vision, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Kill!"
Just as Li Xuancang fell, the other squads arrived and rushed into the fight.
"It's a Demon Hound! Kill it, quickly!"
Seeing the Demon Hound that Li Xuancang had pierced with all his might, its belly bleeding profusely, everyone first stared in shock, then surged forward as one.
Badly wounded, the Demon Hound was at its weakest. They struck while it was down and quickly killed it.
Hundred-Man Commander Zhao Changlin looked at the Demon Hound's corpse, then turned his gaze to the unconscious Li Xuancang. He crouched and found that Li Xuancang was still alive, though barely breathing, like a candle guttering in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.
After a moment's hesitation, Zhao Changlin ordered, "He's still breathing. Take him back to camp. Whether he lives or dies is up to fate."
Only Li Xuancang and the Demon Hound had been nearby. Clearly, Li Xuancang had grievously wounded the hound in a desperate fight.
A Battle Soldier capable of gravely wounding a Demon Hound was a rare find. Zhao Changlin saw potential in him and ordered his men to carry him back to camp.
If Li Xuancang was lucky enough to survive, Zhao Changlin would gain a fierce warrior under his command.
If Li Xuancang didn't make it, he wouldn't lose anything.
"Lord Zhao, we'll take him back to camp right away."
Two soldiers hurried forward, lifted Li Xuancang, and carried him back to camp.
The others looked dismayed, regretting that they had reacted too slowly.
Zhao Changlin knew what they were thinking, but paid it no mind.
"Follow me! Kill!"
With a roar, Zhao Changlin led them in the charge against the Demon Hounds.
After Wang Xiaoniu and the other soldier carried Li Xuancang back to camp, they saw that he was still bleeding and shook their heads helplessly.
"His injuries are so severe. He's beyond saving."
Li Xuancang's injuries were too serious. Several wounds were deep enough to expose bone, and his belly was nearly ripped open. The fact that he was still breathing amazed them both.
"We only escaped disaster because of him. Let's treat his wounds."
Wang Daniu looked at the ghastly wounds on Li Xuancang's body and decided to bandage them.
If not for Li Xuancang, the two of them would have had to fight the Demon Hounds alongside Zhao Changlin. In a way, Li Xuancang had helped them, and they wanted to do what they could for him.
Wang Xiaoniu nodded slightly, and the two soon brought over some hot water.
After roughly cleaning Li Xuancang's wounds, they applied a layer of salve.
"We've done all we can. Whether you survive is up to you now."
They had done everything in their power. Even if Li Xuancang never woke up again, they could face themselves with a clear conscience.
The fierce battle lasted through most of the night. Only after five of their own lay dead did the Demon Hounds finally retreat.
The camp had also suffered heavy losses. More than ten Battle Soldiers and over forty laborers had died in battle. Four Squad Leaders were seriously wounded, and Zhao Changlin had suffered some injuries as well.
The entire camp was shrouded in grief. The laborers wore numb expressions, their eyes hollow. They couldn't see any future at all.
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