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Big patches of ants were flattened and burned to death. No matter how fierce and how many ants there were, they were unable to withstand such ferocious attacks and finally, they retreated. The black cloud that was formed out of the ants finally unrolled back slowly. They gathered and slowly disappeared, escaping back into their nest.

As the ants dispersed, the young man's body started to reveal itself - it was no longer the body of a human, but a skeleton with bits and pieces of meat hanging on, with the meat being scorched black and crumbly like cotton candy, falling off with every movement.

Yet, he was still alive, still rolling.

This skeleton rolled to the broken whip as everyone watched, stretched out the hand that was left with nothing but a few knuckles. With all his strength that came from unknown origins, he caught the whip and pulled.

The whip broke apart, and the young man pulled the two sections together and tied a dead knot, tugging together to ensure that it was safely secured.

These few actions of his were almost as smoothly carried out as any normal human being, in spite of his unimaginably heavy injuries that should have killed him.

When he was attacked by the flesh-eating ants, when the fire was set ablaze on him, when he rolled around Zhan Beiye to drive away the ants, he could have died at any moment.

But he did not. This young man was still a soldier, and with this miraculous action, he proved himself to be the highest definition of tolerance, determination, and loyalty.

No one understood what kind of conviction and perseverance sustained him to break through the limits of pain that a human body could bear or to break through the laws of death, accomplishing this crucial feat.

As he finished achieved his aim, he began to relax. The young man had no more eyelids left to close. His eyes slightly widened, revealing a relieved expression. That expression slowly faded away, like ever-widening water ripples slowly turning still.

He died on the whip.

His death left nothing but a skeleton with pieces of burnt meat falling off.

The whip was now forever in his hands. Time stopped for him as his remains stayed still in the position he had when he tied the knot.

Meng Fuyao sat quietly in the mountain fog as grief poured out from her eyes.

Zhan Beiye, on the other hand, lowered his head and let out a deep, beast-like howl.

”AH—”

The apex of flames in the woods incinerated the pieces of meat and bones into ashes.

Zhan Beiye kneeled beside the pile of ashes and skeleton, personally burying his remains. Till the last moment, the whip was still in the hands of the young man. No one took it off, no one bared to do so. Meng Fuyao's whip was now to be buried with him.

Victory stood on the back of the sacrifice. The rise of the leader spilled the blood of the innocent and used their bones to break through obstacles.

Carrying the skeleton on his back, Zhan Beiye, with a hoarse voice said, ”Let's go.”

Of the 11 people, four had already been sacrificed. Ji Yu continued to lead the rest of the six people and clear the path. Zhan Beiye and Meng Fuyao followed behind silently and subconsciously broke out of the formation to watch over the seven people in front.

They were not willing to once again witness that tragic sacrifice.

Meng Fuyao took a glance at Zhan Beiye's hands. His hands were filled with blood spots from the ants. He had momentarily forgotten to deal with the ants when he saw Meng Fuyao ready to sacrifice herself to save his life.

As she huddled closer to him, Meng Fuyao held up his hands and applied some Ajuga grass medicine on his wounds. Zhan Beiye instinctively flinched and said, ”This medicine that Zongyue gave you is very precious. Keep it, don't waste it on small wounds like this.”

Meng Fuyao ignored him and thoroughly applied medicine. Only then did she finally open her mouth. ”You are the strongest person in our team, using this on you is by no means a waste, but rather, it is giving everyone a better chance of survival.”

”I would think that I am more of a burden.” Zhan Beiye smiled wryly as he said in a gravelly voice, ”Worse still, I am selfishly rejoicing.”

”Hm?” Meng Fuyao fluttered her long eyelashes as she looked up.

”I am glad that Hua Zi replaced you at the last moment.” Zhan Beiye looked at her solemnly, though in his eyes one could spot the turbulent emotions — filled with relief that Meng Fuyao was still alive and the worry when she tried to sacrifice herself. ”If the corpse that died with the whip was yours… if it was yours, I would rather sink.”

Meng Fuyao contemplated for a while and uttered, ”You still have very important things awaiting for you to do. You have to save your mother, Zhan Beiye. If your purpose of this journey was to fight for the throne with your brother, I might have hesitated. But you took on this risky journey for your mother and so, I will definitely help.”

”Not like this,” Zhan Beiye's gaze was filled with pain, ”Promise me, regardless of anything, please protect yourself first.”

”I will.” Meng Fuyao watched as the fog gradually dispersed and declared, ”I still have to protect all of you in that graveyard where nothing is known about it.”

Her gaze was calm, and her tone was quiet yet filled with resolution. She unconsciously reached for the bag hanging around her chest. As she dug through her bag, a high-pitched scream escaped from her mouth.