Chapter Fifty-Eight: This Strike, With No Turning Back

Lin Zhaoshu had mentioned in the very first theory class:
Demon ghosts possess only the instincts of wild beasts, lacking higher intelligence.
Even animals cannot display complex, human-like expressions, let alone demon ghosts.
Du Huaishan pondered further.
The Black Pillar demon ghost had concealed itself beside that green pine before attacking Sun Tian—yet when a trainee lingered nearby earlier, why didn’t it strike?
It was known that demon ghosts never hesitate to devour humans.
But this Black Pillar demon ghost seemed to be stationed at the back mountain, waiting for trainees to gather in clusters, as if preparing for a “catch-all” massacre.
Mutants!
Suddenly, he recalled what Chang Sui’an had mentioned before: those who exceeded the absolute threshold, possessed intelligence, but could not suppress their craving for human flesh!
But weren’t such tragedies mistakes made only by humans in the early stages of mastering guardian spirits?
A shriek echoed—another trainee running beneath the trees was caught by the ghostly hand of the Black Pillar demon ghost.
Since its pursuit began, this was already the third fatality!
Despite its snail-like locomotion, the demon’s exaggerated height—twelve or thirteen meters—meant it moved with surprising speed.
If this continued, they would all perish here!
Du Huaishan clenched his teeth.
Unfortunately, after using that “teleportation” technique twice in succession, his heart had reverted to only ten percent fusion, and his stamina had plummeted.
Indeed.
At the final moment of his struggle with the Insect-Head demon ghost, he had finally broken through the first relative threshold.
“Huaishan!”
In the distance, Guo Tingyu shouted, leading other trainees in a rush, accompanied by three recording soldiers.
They had seen the red smoke and discovered demon ghosts encircling from the north, forced eastward, and thus collided with Du Huaishan, Old Wu, and the others escaping from the back mountain.
“Tingyu! Scatter! Run!!”
Old Wu roared a warning.
But it was a step too late—swish, swish, swish—three ghostly hands swept into the Seventh Training Squad, one snatching Guo Tingyu’s backpack!
“Tingyu!”
Tan Hai saw this and tried to rush over, but he was still holding the unconscious Lin Sizhi and couldn’t make it in time.
“Ah!!”
Suddenly, a blast of high-pressure air erupted from the side, a flash of cold light—sharp blade slashed Guo Tingyu’s military backpack, tearing the fabric open in an instant.
It was Xing Zhenhao?!
Tan Hai could hardly believe Xing Zhenhao would appear at such a critical moment—hadn’t his gas already been depleted?
Guo Tingyu, falling from the sky, barely had time to feel fear, quickly steadied himself, fired a grappling hook, and escaped the Black Pillar demon ghost’s reach.

“What is this thing?”
“Hao! You’re alive?”
Cai Zhizhong, carried on his teammate’s back, saw Xing Zhenhao and his eyes shone with excitement.
Xing Zhenhao did not answer.
He only looked back at the other two comrades caught by ghostly hands and crushed in its maw, their eyes wide in powerless despair.
“All new recruits, get down the mountain—now!”
A mustached recording soldier shouted through gritted teeth, then reversed course, charging headlong at the Black Pillar demon ghost.
“No! It’s a mutant!”
Du Huaishan called out; their charge was nothing short of suicide.
The mustached soldier heard him, glanced back, but only blew his mustache and barked at the trainees: “Run! Get down the mountain!”
With that—
Hiss, hiss—muscles bulged, face twisted, pushing his demonized state to the limit, roaring as he drew his military knife: “Second Battalion of the Seventh-Third Brigade Patrol Company! Prepare for battle!”
“Ah!”
“Kill!!”
The remaining two recording soldiers shouted valiantly, following the mustached soldier, grappling hooks flying, their voices echoing like a whole unit’s charge.
Blood, collisions, screams.
Flashes of strange light.
Yet—
The battle lasted less than half a minute.
“Damn you! Remember this blade—I am Li Kaiyuan! Hahaha, pfft—!”
That was the last thing the trainees heard.
For a moment—
Silence reigned; in the woods, only the whir and hiss of grappling hooks could be heard.
Down the mountain.
Only by descending quickly could they truly honor the comrades who had sacrificed themselves, and the veteran soldiers who had died covering their retreat!
Hiss… hiss…
Suddenly, Xu Yuan’s arm guards failed to emit gas.
As the squad’s scout, she had consumed her gas rapidly from the start.
Seeing herself about to fall—
Du Huaishan rushed over, grabbed the back of her collar, hoisted her up, and tossed her behind him: “Hold on tight!”
Xu Yuan said nothing, nor did she mind his blood-soaked clothes, simply wrapped her arms firmly around his chest.
Others nearby also ran out of gas midway.

Nearby, other trainees followed Du Huaishan’s lead, reaching out to help.
It seemed that, since the moment they enlisted, apart from brawling with veterans in the mess hall, this was the most united the new recruits had ever been.
At the same time, a sudden clatter of hooves sounded from the forest ahead—swish, swish, swish—perhaps they’d heard the trainees’ grappling hooks, for the next moment, several soldiers clad in gleaming armor, bodies glowing with strange light, burst out from the gaps between branches, charging fiercely.
Lai Yanlong, Chang Sui’an, Zhou Zhong’ai…
It was the new recruits’ instructor corps!
“Instructor Lai!”
“We’re saved! We’re saved!”
“Wuah… Sister Zhou! Yup’u is dead!!”
“Instructor! There are demon ghosts attacking from behind—the veteran recording soldiers died protecting us… ah…”
…
Strangely, though they’d always been scolded by the instructors like dogs, cursing them behind their backs,
at this moment—
They could no longer suppress their fear and vulnerability, and burst into tears.
“Don’t be afraid, children—down the mountain!”
Lai Yanlong, for once, set aside his usual profanity and actually comforted them.
“Hurry down! The patrol unit is waiting below!”
Chang Sui’an’s deep voice resonated with a sense of safety; after sweeping his gaze across the trainees and seeing Du Huaishan carrying Xu Yuan, he finally relaxed his anxious heart.
Shhh… crackle…
At that moment, the Black Pillar demon ghost ground through snow and dead branches behind them, advancing murderously.
The trainees scattered in haste.
Du Huaishan shouted as he left: “Instructor, be careful with this demon ghost—it’s intelligent, a mutant!”
!!!
For an instant—
Not only Lai Yanlong and the others paused, even the multitude of evil heads on the demon ghost itself cast astonished looks at the fleeing Du Huaishan.
Seeing this,
Lai Yanlong understood at last why the patrol company’s defensive line had been breached so silently. Enraged, he laughed, nodding, arms crossed, slowly drawing the twin military blades at his waist with a grinding, tooth-aching screech:
“Heh heh heh, so you set your sights on my Yan Province Army trainees—very well, very well. Today, as Chief Instructor, I’ll teach you once more how to write the word ‘human’!”
Boom!