"Would you happen to have a scythe?"

Lieutenant Han looked at Li An with confusion written all over his face. "A scythe? That's an odd choice for a weapon. Scythes are used for farming, not fighting. Why not choose something more practical, like a sword or spear?"

Li An met his gaze calmly. "I understand your concern, Lieutenant Han. But do you know what else a scythe can be used for?"

"What do you mean?" He frowned.

"Killing."

Li An's eyes took on a hard edge.

The people of the Black Eye Galaxy were forced from a young age to learn scythe arts and join the military. Her teacher had always said that a scythe isn't meant for fighting. You don't need to parry or block. Just swing it, and everything in your path falls.

It is a weapon created for killing those weaker than oneself.

Lieutenant Han stared at her, still unsure whether she was serious. The intensity in her eyes made him reconsider. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," Li An said firmly. "Give me the heaviest scythe you have for Spirit realm cultivators, please."

Reluctantly, Han nodded and went to fetch the weapon. After a few moments, he came back with a scythe featuring a purple blade made of turanium, an extremely heavy metal that couldn't conduct spiritual energy. The scythe looked intimidating, but it was only useful for body cultivators, and body cultivation was on the decline on Mi Wu Island.

Li An took the scythe from him with a polite smile. "Thank you, Lieutenant Han."

He watched her, his mind still filled with some doubts.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

She nodded, hefting the scythe with surprising ease. "Don't worry, I do."

"Alright. The boy goes first."

Zhang Wei stepped onto the training field, his silver spear gleaming with spiritual energy. The ten metal puppets, all at the first stage of the Spirit realm, lined up against him, moving in an eerily lifelike way. Given that another cultivator was in control of them, it was not surprising.

Zhang Wei took a deep breath and moved.

With a powerful leap, he closed the distance to the nearest puppet. His spear thrust forward with lightning speed, piercing the puppet's chest and sending it staggering backward.

As another puppet lunged at him from the side, Zhang Wei spun on his heel, bringing the spear around in a wide arc. The blade sliced cleanly through the puppet's neck, decapitating it in one fluid motion.

He ducked under a swinging arm from another puppet, rolled to the side, and came up in a crouch.

He thrust the spear upward, driving the tip into the puppet's abdomen and lifting it off the ground. With a swift flick of his wrist, he sent the puppet crashing into two others, knocking them off balance. Zhang Wei sprang to his feet and rushed at the downed puppets.

Li An had to admit that the young man had a monstrous talent with a spear. It took her thirty years to reach the same level as him in her previous life.

He jabbed, parried, and swung with effortless grace, dodging attacks with nimble footwork. One puppet managed to get a hit in, swinging a heavy arm at Zhang Wei's shoulder, but he twisted away just in time, the blow glancing off his spiritual energy without causing damage.

Zhang Wei retaliated with a powerful thrust, the spear plunging deep into the puppet's torso. He pulled the spear free and immediately pivoted, slashing at another puppet trying to sneak up behind him. The blade cut through its metal body, sparks flying as it fell to the ground in pieces.

"Haha!"

He laughed and leaped high into the air to avoid a sweeping attack from one puppet, coming down with the spear point-first to impale another. He dodged to the side, avoiding a combined assault from two puppets, then spun, his spear slicing through both with a single, sweeping arc.

In minutes, Zhang Wei stood amidst the wreckage of the ten puppets, his chest heaving up and down.

The training field was littered with the broken remains of his opponents, the metal shards glinting in the sunlight coming from the windows.

Lieutenant Han stepped forward, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Well done, Zhang Wei. That was impressive. You're one of the best newcomers we've had in awhile. I look forward to seeing your performance as a Corporal."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I'll do my best." He bowed down with a humble smile.

Han nodded and turned to Li An.

"Your turn," he said, raising his hand. With this simple gesture, the broken puppets on the field began to mend themselves, pieces flying back together until they stood once more in perfect condition.

Li An ambled forward, gripping her scythe. Han and Zhang Wei watched her closely, their curiosity piqued when they noticed she wasn't using any visible spiritual energy.

As Li An neared the puppets, the room's mood transformed, like the stillness that precedes a summer rain. It felt as though a general had entered the battlefield, her calm aura asserting dominance.

She reached the first puppet and swung the scythe. The blade cut through the air with a powerful whoosh, and the puppet was sent flying, its metal body shattered into pieces. Li An didn't dodge the next puppet's attack; she simply swung the scythe again, and it, too, was destroyed in an instant.

Each swing was powerful and precise. The impact between the blade and the metal armor of the puppets was deafening, and the force sent shockwaves through the room.

She walked calmly, her scythe a blur of destruction.

No fancy footwork. No evasive moves. Just raw physical strength.

One by one, the puppets fell. The sound of metal clashing and breaking filled the air. It echoed in the stunned silence that followed each swing.

Ten swings, ten puppets down.

Lieutenant Han and Zhang Wei watched in shock. They had never seen anything like it. Li An was a force of nature.

There was no fight; she simply walked to the end of the room, obliterating any puppet that stood in her way.

Li An paused and looked at the scythe in her hand. The blade was full of cracks. With a casual flick of her wrist, she tossed the scythe aside, its damaged blade clattering to the floor.

Turning back to face Lieutenant Han and Zhang Wei, she saw their shocked expressions. Her face remained indifferent.

Lieutenant Han finally found his voice. "That was... incredible. Who are you?"

Li An gave a slight nod, acknowledging his words but offering no further explanation. Recruits were not required to inform their superiors about their backgrounds, especially in a demonic cult where no one trusted anyone.

She had demonstrated her power, and that was all that mattered.

Lieutenant Han snapped out of his daze and gave Li An a friendly look.

"Your origins don't matter," he said with a warm smile. "Now, I need your names."

"I'm Zhang Wei."

"Li An," she responded calmly.

Han nodded and shifted to a more serious tone. "Corporal Zhang, you'll be assigned to Squad 117 under Sergeant Chen. Corporal Li, you're in Squad 112 under Sergeant Feng." He handed each of them a bronze crest with a lion's face and a number carved on it. "These crests identify your squad. Wear them at all times."

He continued, "Your squads will meet tomorrow by midday. Everyone is a new recruit except for the sergeants, so don't be late. And good luck in your battles. I hope you don't die."

They left the black temple together. As soon as they were outside, Zhang Wei turned to Li An with a grin. "You were amazing in there. Honestly, I've never seen anyone handle a scythe like that."

Li An smiled. "Thanks, Zhang Wei. You were impressive too with that spear."

"Well, I've had a lot of practice." He chuckled with a blush on his neck. "But seriously, the way you just walked through those puppets without breaking a sweat—it's something else. I wouldn't be surprised if you move up the ranks faster than everyone else."

"I just did what I had to do."

Li An was not naive enough to fall for his acting. Zhang Wei also realized that because the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

"I hope we can meet again when we rise through the ranks. It'd be great to have someone like you to rely on," he said.

"I'm sure we will," Li An replied with a smile. They bumped their fists and parted ways.

Li An decided to head to one of the training centers of the Black Lotus Cult. One of the things she was lacking at the moment was methods of using her spiritual energy. She had the spiritual bullet for attack, but she didn't have anything for defense or movement.

The building was even larger than the black recruitment temple. It looked as luxurious and clean as a merchant's guild, and the entrance had two massive wooden doors adorned in straps of gold. The concentration of spiritual energy was also rather high there for some unknown reason.

She pushed open the big doors and stepped inside. The interior was spacious, with various training areas spread out. There were sections for hand-to-hand combat, weapon training, and even areas dedicated to cultivating spiritual energy. The place buzzed with the sounds of clashing weapons and focused grunts of effort.

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Li An walked up to the counter, where a bored-looking receptionist lounged in a chair. He was a young man with tousled hair and half-lidded eyes, idly flipping through a stack of papers. As she approached, he gave her a once-over and his expression changed to mild disdain.

"Yeah, what do you want?" He didn't even bother to sit up straight.

Li An pulled out the three fingers she had taken from the demonic cultivators, placing them on the counter. "I want to exchange these for merit points. They belonged to that righteous scum."

The receptionist's eyes widened for a moment before he narrowed them, examining the fingers. He picked each one up, inspecting them closely to ensure they were from different people. Satisfied, he tapped a few keys on a clunky device behind the counter, which emitted a faint glow as it processed the exchange.

"Three fingers, three merit points," he said, handing her a small token. Though he still sounded obnoxious, he seemed a bit more respectful now that he saw the lion crest she carried.

Li An took the token. "Do you have any cultivation rooms available?"

The receptionist smirked.

"Yeah, but it's gonna cost you. Three merit points for one day."

"Can't we lower it a bit? That's pretty steep," Li An complained with a frown.

The receptionist shrugged, clearly uninterested. "Everyone's desperate for resources right now. Prices are what they are. Take it or leave it."

"Fine. One day."

Seeing no better option, Li An reluctantly handed over her newly acquired token. The receptionist took the token and handed her a key.

"Room 3 on the second floor. Try not to break anything."

Ignoring his rude tone, Li An took the key and headed toward the staircase. She could hear him muttering something under his breath, but she let it slide. She had more important things to focus on.

The second floor was quieter, with a few doors lining a narrow hallway. She found Room 3 and unlocked it, stepping inside. The cultivation room was small but functional, with a meditation mat in the center and a faint, calming energy in the air.

Li An settled down on the mat, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Okay, the first thing to check is my speed of cultivation for small stages."

Usually, a Spirit Realm cultivator has to connect their primary meridians to increase their cultivation stage. But Li An had no primary meridians. Instead, her system required her to absorb pure energy from the environment, increasing the amount inside her hexanodes. As her hexanodes grew again to their original size, they would maintain the same density as now.

"However, doesn't this mean that theoretically, I could just speedrun my cultivation realm to the ninth stage of Spirit realm?" It was a scary and beautiful thought that Li An couldn't help but entertain for a second.

She calmed her mind, focusing on her breathing. Slowly, she began to draw in the energy from the air around her. Her body turned into a black hole once again, sucking all the spiritual energy from the room.

Strangely, the energy in the room never seemed to diminish. "The Black Lotus Cult must have a method to constantly attract spiritual energy into this area." Li An was quite interested in this method if she ever had to go back to living in the woods or mountains.

As she continued to cultivate, she felt the energy filling her hexanodes, making them grow slightly. Half an hour later, she was shocked to find herself breaking through to the second stage of the Spirit Realm.

No bottleneck. No warning. No showy spectacle.

Her hexanodes had just expanded, their size increasing but keeping the same density of pure energy.

"This is insane!"

Now Li An understood why the new cultivation system required so much energy to break through large realms. In terms of combat ability and cultivation speed at the same level, she was invincible!

She couldn't help but think about the future. The amount of energy needed to break through the Nascent Soul realm would be astronomical. Her lips twitched at the thought, and she felt like crying.

"It is better to start amassing resources early."

Li An opened her eyes. She knew better than to push her cultivation too far too quickly. Rapid advancement would only attract unwanted attention from the demonic cult.

"It's better to stay under the radar," she thought. "I need to be strategic about my growth."

With that in mind, she decided to focus on practicing the new methods she had theorized. Combining science and spiritual energy, she had devised techniques for attack, defense, and movement. They would be a great help in the upcoming battles.

Her eyes shone with a dark light, as if a storm was brewing within her.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Li An left the training center the next day, stepping into the warm spring air. The weather was shifting, hinting at the hotter days of summer just around the corner.

The sun was shining brightly, casting a golden glow over Crimson Demon City. The streets were busy, with vendors calling out their wares and people chatting away.

As she made her way to the recruitment temple, she noticed the greenery peeking from the cracks between the stones. It would be Li An's first summer in a very long time, yet she would be fighting a war.

"Time waits for no one."

At the recruitment temple, the same impatient disciple from before was at the entrance. He gave her a quick once-over, still looking slightly disdainful.

"Squad number?"

"Squad 112," Li An replied calmly, holding up her bronze crest.

The disciple nodded and pointed to the side. "Your squad's waiting for you over there. The sergeant will give you your instructions."

Li An followed his directions, heading to where her squad was gathered. As she approached, she took in the sight of her fellow privates. There were nine men and two women, most of whom looked more like farmers than cultivators. Their clothes were simple and worn, and they had a rough, rugged look about them.

Standing apart from them was the sergeant, an inner disciple of the cult, dressed in luxurious black robes. His chin was held high and he had a sneer on his lips. Li An could feel the aura of a fifth-stage Spirit realm cultivator coming from him.

"Listen up!" the sergeant barked. "I'm Sergeant Feng, and you lot are under my command now. We'll be heading to the frontlines soon, so I expect you to be ready. No slacking off. Got it?"

The privates nodded, murmuring their assent. One of the men, a burly guy with dirt-streaked clothes, spoke up. "Sergeant, when do we move out?"

Sergeant Feng gave him a disdainful look. "We'll move out when I say so, private. Until then, you follow my orders and stay in line."

"He doesn't know how to lead," Li An noted to herself. There was a clear divide between Feng and the rest of the squad. It was okay to control people with fear, but intimidation for the sake of humiliation was always a bad idea.

Li An shook her head. "He is too incompetent." However there was a smile on her lips.

One of the women, a petite girl with calloused hands, tried to muster some courage. "Sergeant, do we have any specific tasks to prepare for the mission?"

Sergeant Feng smirked. "Your task is to survive. Do what you're told, and maybe you'll live long enough to see some action."

Then he clapped his hands. "Alright, that's enough questions. If you want to know anything else, just speak to the Corporal. I am busy planning for the war and have no time for you."

The squad fell silent. Everyone could see that he just didn't want to speak to them.

Feng turned his gaze to Li An, his eyes narrowing. "And you," he said, pointing at her. "I have no idea why the Lieutenant agreed to send a little girl to war. Let's hope you can keep up. I won't tolerate any dead weight."

"Understood, Sergeant."

Liu Feng nodded curtly, satisfied for now.

"Good. We'll see how you all fare soon enough..." He returned to his previous position in front of the squad. "Alright, listen up. I'm going to introduce everyone, and then we'll head to the weapon storage to pick up the gear prepared for you."

He began pointing at each member. "This is Ling, Hua, Zhao, Wang, Hu, and Corporal Li." He continued until everyone had been introduced. The squad nodded at each other, exchanging brief greetings.

It felt more like a roll call than an introduction, but no one dared to complain.

Once the introductions were complete, Sergeant Feng clapped his hands. "Alright, let's move. Follow me to the weapon storage."

As they walked, Li An found herself next to the petite girl, Hua, and a young red-haired man, Zhao. Hua had short, dark hair and looked shy, her eyes darting around nervously. Zhao, on the other hand, was tall and lean, with a face full of freckles.

"So, what brought you two to the war?" Li An asked, her tone friendly.

Hua sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I grew up in a small village. The war took everything from us. My family... they didn't survive. I joined to make sure others don't suffer the same fate."

"My village was destroyed too." Zhao's expression hardened. "My little sister... she didn't make it. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing. I want to make them pay."

Li An nodded sympathetically and her eyes softened. "I understand. My village was attacked too. I lost my parents and my younger brother. It's been tough, but fighting back is the only way I know how to cope."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Corporal," Hua said softly. "It's good to know we're not alone in this."

Li An gave her a weak smile. "There's no need to call me Corporal. I am a farmer like you, so grand titles mean nothing. Just call me Li."

"Haha!" Zhao laughed and slapped her back. "I am glad you are not like that douchebag of a sergeant."

Hua almost jumped with a pale face. "Don't say that, Zhao! What if he hears you?"

Li An watched them argue with a dark grin in her face. "These two won't live long. One is too timid and the other one is too rash. I will have to work overtime with a squad like this one."

She left them alone for a bit and went to shake hands with the other privates. They did not dare to refuse the gesture considering her rank, but they were not as friendly as Hua and Zhao.

After a short while, they reached the weapon storage, a large room filled with racks of various weapons.

Sergeant Feng turned to them. "Pick your weapons. Make sure you choose something you're comfortable with. We'll be relying on these in battle and you are NOT getting another one."

Hua picked a pair of short daggers, perfect for her size, while Zhao chose a long spear which suited his tall frame.

Li An went directly for the only scythe in there, a two meters handle with a green and black blade. There was a note next to it:

"This one is tougher than the last. Try not to break it."

She smiled and placed the scythe on her back. It was much heavier than she thought. "A good weapon, Lieutenant Han."

"That's quite a scary weapon, Li." Hua avoided staring at the curved blade of the scythe.

Hehe, are you scared, Miss Hua? Do you want me to hug you for you to feel better?" Zhao puckered his lips as if he was about to kiss her.

Hua turned redder than a tomato and muttered 'pervert' under her breath.

"Don't worry, Hua. We'll look out for each other." Li An tried to place her arms over each of their heads, which was awkward for Zhao since he was almost double her height.

She frowned at him. "Get down."

Zhao scratched his cheek with a faint blush and let himself be petted by a girl much younger than him. "This is kinda embarrassing..."

Li An was staring at their faces with a warm gaze. "If I wanted to, I could blow up their heads right this moment and they wouldn't even know what happened."

A renowned sage across the Universe once said, "I try to do the right thing at the right time."

"A good battle is a battle won before it even started."

...

The squad ran at full speed toward the frontline, the urgency of the war pushing them onward. The Forsaken Region was massive, so it would take them ten days to reach the closest fighting points.

Li An, Zhao, and Hua quickly formed a close-knit trio. She also learned a bit more about the politics of the squad. There were three factions at the moment: their trio, the group of four old men who obeyed to everything Sergeant Feng said, and the five independent members.

It was fair to say Feng was not completely useless. He saw his Corporal making friendships and choose four lackeys to gain more power within the squad. Although they were all on the same side, demonic cultivators cared about benefits above all.

At the ninth night, they made their final stop, setting up camp. The squad gathered around a bonfire, eating and playing around. Hua, growing increasingly clingy, lay her head on Li An's lap, her eyes half-closed in contentment.

"Li, you're so comfortable," Hua murmured, her voice drowsy.

Li An smiled down at her. "Glad to be of service, Hua."

As the fire crackled and laughter filled the air, Li An gently excused herself, prying Hua off her lap. "I need to stretch my legs," she said, standing up.

She moved toward the back of the camp, where the last woman of their group sat behind a tree, away from the others. The introvert had kept to herself the entire journey. She was a slender woman with long, black hair that hung limply around her face. Her hollow eyes and dull expression never seemed to smile.

"Xia, right?" she asked, acting as if she wasn't sure about her name.

The woman looked up, her hollow gaze meeting Li An's.

"Yes," she replied quietly.

Li An sat down beside her, leaving a respectful distance. "I just wanted to check on you. You've been very quiet since we started this journey."

"I prefer to stay out of the way."

There was no tone to her voice, as if she was a machine.

Li An nodded slowly. "It's okay. Everyone deals with things differently..."

"...Especially for someone in your situation."

Hoo hoo

A howl glared at them from a tree branch.

Xia's eyes trembled.

"If that's a joke, it's not funny."

Li An's lips peeled back into a smile. "I am a curious person, Xia."

She tilted her body to Xia's side.

"Your handshake is too strong. The way you walk is too stable. Your arm, shoulder and core muscles are too developed."

Li An dragged her lips across her ear.

"Why would a farmer have the body of a swordswoman? I wonder what she could be hiding?"

Xia felt shivers crawling down her spine. "I trained swordsmanship after my family was killed. So what?" Her voice was slightly high-pitched.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Li An laughed and gave her some back pats. "Why do you sound so nervous? We are just having a chat between friends. Laugh with me. Laughing is healthy and will make you live longer."

Xia's rigid expression twisted into a frown and she sprang up.

"I'm leaving."

Or at least she tried.

A small, soft hand clawed around her arm. Xia shivered. She could not move; that hand seemed to carry the weight of a mountain.

She glanced back. Li An's face was a blank canvas; the light within the windows of her eyes was extinguished.

"Where are you going, rat?"