Getting Stronger By Fighting-Chapter 612 - 610: The Strange Corpse_1

"My elder brother was originally a warrior on this defense line. However, he suddenly left. As the person in charge, you’re definitely short-handed now. If any mishap were to occur, it would be connected to my elder brother. So how could he possibly not apologize to you?"

Wang Zhan looked at him, wanting to laugh a little, but ultimately restrained himself. Given Luo Xue’s innocence, he didn’t want to explain too much, lest Luo Xue overthink things.

Soon, the two had returned to the defense line. After a night of turmoil, everyone was exhausted. Only a few warriors were still repairing the defense line, while Wang Zhan and the others had returned to their military tents to recuperate.

Since all the military tents were occupied, Luo Xue had no choice but to stay in Wang Zhan’s military tent. Fortunately, Wang Zhan’s military tent was rather large, and the two weren’t sleeping on the same bed, which saved them some embarrassment. After all, extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures; one couldn’t be concerned with minor details.

「Early the next morning」

Wang Zhan rose. Just as he stepped out, he heard a burst of hurried footsteps. Not far off, Zi Yuan was hastening over, her face extremely grave.

Wang Zhan quickly walked up to Zi Yuan. "What’s happened?" he asked.

"Last night, something very strange happened on the defense line." Zi Yuan’s face was troubled. Pulling Wang Zhan, she quickly added, "It’s not something I can explain in a few words. Just come with me and take a look. You’ll understand!"

Wang Zhan didn’t hesitate. He quickly fell in step with Zi Yuan. Knowing Zi Yuan’s personality, she wouldn’t joke about something out of thin air. Soon, they arrived at the peripheral zone of the defense line. Not far away, a body lay, its blood apparently completely drained. It looked like a mummy.

Seeing this, Luo Xue, who was standing behind them, covered his face and screamed, instinctively stepping back a few paces.

Wang Zhan frowned slightly. He glanced at Zi Yuan beside him before asking, "When was this discovered?"

"Early this morning," Zi Yuan replied, her teeth clenched and fists tightening. "It was too dark last night, and this person was still standing here, so no one around noticed anything amiss. It wasn’t until dawn, during the shift change, that they discovered he was dead—and in such a bizarre manner."

"Could there be some demonic beasts lurking among us?" Wang Zhan mused. "And these demonic beasts have always been hiding within our defense line, undetected. Is that how they could discreetly kill our people?"

Wang Zhan shook his head. "In my opinion, this may not be the work of demonic beasts. After all, consider that the Xuanlong Beast hasn’t arrived at our defense line yet. Even if there are some demonic beasts hiding in the dark, it would be completely meaningless for them to do so. What benefit would they get from killing a mere minion?

"Not only would they gain no benefit, but they would also expose themselves. I don’t think they would leave such a clue for us."

Wang Zhan walked to the body and started examining it closely. It had to be said, the sight was indeed horrifying; otherwise, Luo Xue wouldn’t have been so frightened. The corpse before them was completely drained of blood, resembling a mummy.

But the body has no visible injuries, and beasts are generally ruthless. It’s unlikely for someone attacked by a beast to be left intact. How did it end up like this?

After circling the body, Wang Zhan finally said, "I think things aren’t as simple as they seem. We should start an internal investigation. Didn’t you assign codes to your people? I also did a headcount of mine. We need to check if there’s anyone extra in our camp, because I have a feeling someone might be practicing some kind of malicious technique."

"Ah, are there such peculiar techniques?" Luo Xue, at his side, looked at Wang Zhan with surprise. "Moreover, even if someone wanted to practice cultivation, wouldn’t they target demonic beasts? They wouldn’t harm one of us, would they?"

After all, given the state of the fifth war zone, everyone had each other’s backs. Losing a comrade meant increased danger. Who would possibly trifle with the lives of their companions, let alone practice some malicious technique?

But Zi Yuan remained silent, her expression suggesting she believed Wang Zhan’s words. After all, the current scene was quite bizarre. Even Zi Yuan couldn’t explain what was happening.

"Alright, no matter what, we will proceed as originally planned," Wang Zhan said gravely. "With the war imminent, we absolutely cannot tolerate any mistakes. Otherwise, we will all be drawn into a disastrous calamity. We must consider those who will follow us." He then headed outside.

After all, he still had more pressing matters to attend to, the primary one being to check on Luo Xue. He hadn’t seen him all night and naturally needed to ensure Luo Xue was safe.

Thanks to Wang Zhan’s speed and the good visibility in broad daylight, he quickly rendezvoused with Luo Xue. Luo Xue was currently concealed behind some bushes; upon hearing a sound nearby, he instantly swung his long spear in that direction!

Wang Zhan reacted immediately. However, he didn’t have his Deep Fire Blade with him at that moment. He quickly clenched his fist and met Luo Xue’s long spear mid-strike!

Both instantly retreated, fortunately unscathed. After recognizing the person behind him, Luo Xue shook his head helplessly, stood next to Wang Zhan, clapped his shoulder, and said, "You should have just stayed back and waited for my signal. Why did you suddenly come here? We still don’t know the situation. Aren’t you afraid you wouldn’t be able to return?"

Wang Zhan just laughed nonchalantly. He glanced at Luo Xue beside him and replied, "Since you aren’t bothered by these things, why should I be? Besides, I only came to see if you, old fellow, were still alive. Did you really think I was genuinely concerned about you?"

Luo Xue was long accustomed to Wang Zhan’s personality; he knew Wang Zhan just liked to joke around. He was well aware that here, he and Wang Zhan were inseparable comrades-in-arms, and Wang Zhan would never abandon him.

Wang Zhan didn’t continue joking. After sitting down beside Luo Xue, he said, "Something strange happened on the defense line last night. Have you ever heard of a sinister technique that involves using living people for cultivation practice?"

"What do you mean?" Luo Xue’s eyes widened as he looked at Wang Zhan curiously. "You’re not joking, are you? How could someone use living people for cultivation practice? Isn’t that a method typically used by beasts? Are you saying there are beasts on our defense line?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Xue unconsciously clenched his Dual Guns, instinctively wanting to return to the camp. After all, that was their main Base; if it were breached, they’d be in serious trouble.

Moreover, the war hadn’t even begun, and they absolutely couldn’t afford to have a beast spy in their midst. Otherwise, it would deal a fatal blow to them once the fighting started.

"Alright, calm down," Wang Zhan said. "Zi Yuan is already investigating. We’re still not sure what’s going on, but I suspect someone is practicing a sinister cultivation technique. They likely took advantage of the chaos to target their own comrades. Have you considered this: if a beast attacked us, it wouldn’t drain all the blood and mental power from a human body.

"Besides, I’ve heard of this kind of sinister technique before. It’s just that few people practice it, so it’s not well-known, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist."

Hearing Wang Zhan’s words, Luo Xue furrowed his brows slightly. It was his first time hearing about such a malevolent practice. The thought that someone within their ranks might be cultivating such a thing ignited his anger anew.

This was a critical moment for the survival of the fifth war zone. The slightest mistake could plunge everyone into an irrevocable situation of doom. He never imagined that at such a juncture, someone would harm their own comrades for personal gain!

Wang Zhan continued, "Don’t worry. Since I’ve set my sights on someone within our ranks, I’m naturally prepared. Starting tonight, I’ll secretly patrol the defense line. If I encounter such a person, I’ll deal with them immediately. All you need to do is keep a close watch on the situation here."

"But..." Halting midway, Wang Zhan suddenly glanced at Bai Yu beside him and asked, "Are you sure you can handle it?"

At this moment, Luo Xue had already been on guard duty here for a full day and night. He was not made of iron, after all, and Wang Zhan was worried about the toll on his body.

After all, if they encountered a demonic beast, Luo Xue couldn’t just inform everyone; he would also need to find a way to escape immediately.

Therefore, Luo Xue absolutely needed to maintain peak mental power.

Luo Xue patted Wang Zhan’s shoulder and smiled slightly, saying, "Rest assured. Since I’ve been assigned here, I won’t let everyone down.

"As for you, you must be careful with that strange person you mentioned tonight!"